The Explanatory Bible of Alexander Lopukhin: Modern English
Date: 2026-08-15T00:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Scripture Commentary

The Explanatory Bible of Alexander Lopukhin

Modern English

Alexander Lopukhin

Royal Archives

2026

Copyright

The modern English translation and the cover design are © 2026 Royal Archives. All rights reserved.

The underlying source text is in the public domain.

Published by Royal Archives

First published 2026

Translated by Royal Archives

Source: Толковая Библия. Книга Бытия

Edition identifier: urn:royalarchives:explanatory_bible:en:1

Introduction

The Editor and His Collaborators

Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin was born in 1852 in the province of Saratov, into an old family of the minor nobility, and was formed from the first within the world of the Russian Church. He passed through the theological seminary and then entered the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, from which he graduated in 1878. A gifted linguist and an omnivorous reader, he was drawn early toward the meeting-point of theology, history, and the modern sciences, and he began writing for church periodicals while still a student.

His life took an unusual turn shortly after his graduation. Around 1879 he was sent across the Atlantic to serve as reader and psalmist at the chapel attached to the Russian diplomatic mission in New York, and he remained in America for roughly three years. The experience left a deep mark on him. He returned not only with a travelogue and a series of essays on religious life in the United States but with the material for his master’s dissertation, a study of the Roman Catholic Church in North America and the causes of its rapid growth, which he defended in 1881. That early exposure to a plural, competitive religious landscape—Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox living side by side—helped give his later work its characteristic breadth of reference and its habit of engaging other Christian traditions directly rather than at second hand.

Back in St. Petersburg, Lopukhin joined the faculty of the Theological Academy, first as professor in the department of comparative theology and, from the mid-1880s until his death, as professor of ancient civil history—a chair from which he ranged freely across the history, archaeology, and antiquities of the biblical world. He became one of the great editorial workhorses of the Russian Church. He directed several of its leading journals, among them the Church Herald (Tserkovny Vestnik), Christian Reading (Khristianskoe Chtenie), and The Wanderer (Strannik); he translated the popular English lives of Christ and of the Apostle Paul by F. W. Farrar and made them known to Russian readers; he wrote a widely used Biblical History that ran through many editions; and he launched the great Orthodox Theological Encyclopedia, a reference work continued after him by other hands. It was as an appendix to The Wanderer that he undertook the crowning project of his life, the Explanatory Bible.

He did not live to see much of it. Lopukhin died in St. Petersburg in the late summer of 1904, at the height of his powers, having completed the commentary on the Mosaic Pentateuch—the first volume—and little more. He was buried at the Nikolskoe cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Under ordinary circumstances the death of the founding editor would have ended such an enterprise. Instead, a group of scholars gathered to finish what he had begun, and they chose to do so under his name. Every subsequent volume was issued with the standing inscription “the edition of the successors of A. P. Lopukhin.”

Among these continuators were biblical scholars and churchmen of the St. Petersburg and Kiev academies—professors such as A. A. Glagolev, F. G. Eleonsky, I. G. Troitsky, and A. I. Pokrovsky, and the future bishop Iosif (Petrovykh), among others. Their names, it is worth adding, are not merely a matter of record: they appear inside the commentary itself, where the exposition of a difficult passage will cite the monograph or dissertation of one of the very men then carrying the project forward, so that the work quietly documents its own making. They are, in the fullest sense, the work’s co-authors, and the tradition of naming the whole for Lopukhin is not a fiction but a form of gratitude: he set the plan, the standard, and the tone, and they held to all three across nearly a decade of steady labor, one volume appearing almost every year until the last were issued together on the very eve of the First World War. The reader will meet their hands most clearly in the historical and prophetic books of the Old Testament and across the New, where the same method and the same measured voice continue seamlessly from the volume Lopukhin himself wrote—a continuity of manner so complete that the seam between founder and successors is all but invisible on the page.

Occasion and Purpose

The Explanatory Bible belongs to a specific moment in the life of the Russian Church. By the 1890s the Church possessed the Scriptures in the authoritative Slavonic and in the Russian Synodal translation completed a generation earlier, and it possessed a rich patristic heritage of interpretation; what it conspicuously lacked was a single, modern, complete commentary on the whole Bible pitched to the educated layman and parish priest. Western Europe had produced such series in abundance—Catholic and Protestant alike—and the critical scholarship of the nineteenth century, much of it German, was pressing hard questions about the authorship, dating, and historical reliability of the sacred books. Russian readers were increasingly aware of these debates but had few resources in their own language that engaged them from within the faith.

Lopukhin’s aim was to fill exactly that gap. The commentary was published, volume by volume, as a free supplement to The Wanderer, so that it reached a broad subscribing public rather than a narrow academic one. Its purpose was frankly pastoral and catechetical as much as scholarly: to lay open the meaning of every verse of Scripture, to make the accumulated wisdom of the Fathers accessible, and at the same time to give the reader an honest account of what contemporary learning—archaeology, philology, ancient history, the natural sciences—had to say, and how a believing reader might hold the two together. It was meant to strengthen faith by information rather than to insulate it from inquiry. This is why the work never reads as a mere anthology of older exegesis: it was written for people living in the modern world and wrestling with modern questions, and it takes those questions seriously.

The Shape and Scope of the Commentary

The scope of the enterprise is its first astonishment. The Explanatory Bible comments on every book of Scripture as the Slavonic-Russian Bible receives it—the entire Old Testament, including the longer books received in the Orthodox and wider tradition (Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, the books of Maccabees and of Esdras, and the rest), and the entire New Testament from Matthew through Revelation. In this corpus the work is preserved as a set of separate per-book commentaries, one file to a biblical book, running from Genesis to the Apocalypse. Together they form a continuous exposition of the whole canon.

Each book is treated the same way. A general introduction opens the commentary, discussing the book’s name, its author and date, its occasion, structure, and principal themes, and the questions of authenticity that attach to it. The introduction to Genesis, for example, works through the Hebrew and Greek titles, the ten toledoth or “generations” that give the book its architecture, and the grounds for regarding it as a genuine and unified Mosaic composition; the introduction to the Psalter surveys the names, number, and authorship of the psalms; the introduction to a prophetic book opens with the nature of prophecy itself. The introduction to Matthew weighs what is known of the evangelist, argues for the Gospel’s early date and its address to Jewish readers, and lays out its fourfold plan.

After the introduction the commentary proceeds through the text, taking up short lemmata—a verse or a clause at a time—and expounding them in turn. The method is consistently twofold. On one side it is historical and grammatical: it attends to the sense of the Hebrew or Greek words, to the customs and geography and chronology behind the text, and to the parallels elsewhere in Scripture, which are cited in profusion. On the other side it is patristic and theological: it gathers the interpretations of the Fathers—Ephrem the Syrian, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, Theodoret, Athanasius, John of Damascus, and the Alexandrians, alongside Western Fathers such as Ambrose, Jerome, and Augustine—and weighs them against one another, often preferring the reading that best unites the literal and the spiritual senses. A single verse of Genesis can thus open onto the whole company of the Fathers on the meaning of “in the beginning,” or onto the identity of the Spirit that “hovered over the waters.” The density of internal cross-reference is a hallmark of the method: a comment on one verse routinely gathers a dozen or more parallels from across both Testaments, so that the reader is continually shown Scripture interpreting Scripture, the Old Testament read forward to Christ and the New read back into its roots.

The proportions shift, naturally, from book to book and Testament to Testament. In the Gospels the commentary attends closely to the harmony and divergence of the four evangelists, to the Palestinian setting, and to the fulfillment of prophecy; in the Pauline epistles it follows the tight movement of the argument clause by clause; in the Psalter and the prophetic books it balances the historical occasion of each poem or oracle against its enduring and Messianic sense. The books received in the wider canon beyond the Hebrew Bible—Tobit and Judith, Wisdom and Sirach, Baruch and the Letter of Jeremiah, the books of Maccabees and of Esdras—are given the same careful treatment as the rest, with introductions that face frankly the questions of their origin and standing. Nothing in the canon as the Slavonic-Russian Bible presents it is passed over.

What gives the commentary its distinctive character is the way it holds this patristic core together with the learning of its own century. It draws freely on the biblical scholarship of the West—Catholic authorities such as Cornely and Vigouroux appear beside the findings of Assyriology and the comparison of Genesis with the newly recovered “Chaldean” creation and flood accounts. Where nineteenth-century criticism had raised sharp challenges—the documentary analysis of the Pentateuch, the division of Isaiah, the late dating of Daniel—the commentary engages them on their merits and generally defends the traditional positions: the Mosaic authorship and unity of the Pentateuch, the single authorship of Isaiah, the early composition of Matthew. It does so by argument rather than by anathema, reporting the critical case and answering it. On the famous collision between the six days of creation and the findings of geology, the commentary rehearses the options canvassed by Fathers and moderns alike and commends what it calls the “visionary” understanding, in which the days are the frames of a revelation granted to the first man rather than a technical chronology—an approach it presents as reconciling a literal reading of the text with the long ages of science. Throughout, the Septuagint and the Slavonic tradition are treated as authoritative witnesses standing beside the Hebrew Masoretic text, and the reader is regularly shown where the versions differ and why it matters.

The cumulative effect is a commentary that is neither a devotional paraphrase nor a purely academic apparatus, but a genuine synthesis: reverent, informed, and remarkably even in quality across sixty-odd very different books and many hands.

Theological and Spiritual Significance

The lasting significance of the Explanatory Bible lies in the balance it struck at a moment when balance was hard to find. On one side stood a purely confessional exegesis that could ignore the questions the age was actually asking; on the other, a critical scholarship that too often dissolved the sacred text into a bundle of sources and left the believing reader with nothing to stand on. The Lopukhin commentary refused both. It insisted that the Scriptures are the inspired and unified word of God, to be read within the living interpretive tradition of the Church, and it insisted with equal seriousness that faith has nothing to fear from honest learning—that philology, history, and the natural sciences, rightly used, illuminate the text rather than undermine it.

This is why the work has worn so well. Its handling of a given scientific hypothesis of 1905 may now be dated, but its patristic backbone does not date, and its governing conviction—that the plain sense, the tradition of the Fathers, and the best available knowledge can be brought into a single coherent reading—remains as serviceable now as then. For the spiritual reader it opens the text as the Fathers opened it, drawing out the Christological depth of the Old Testament and the moral and doctrinal riches of the New. For the student it models a way of taking criticism seriously without surrendering to it. The commentary’s tone is instructive here as well: it argues, it does not denounce; where Christians of different traditions are cited, they are cited as fellow laborers in the understanding of Scripture, and where interpretations conflict, the disagreement is set out fairly before a judgment is offered. That irenic, information-rich temper is a large part of what has made the work trusted far beyond the circle in which it was born.

Reception and Influence

Within the Russian Church the Explanatory Bible rapidly became, and has remained, the standard general commentary on the whole of Scripture—the work a priest or a serious lay reader is most likely to reach for first. Its afterlife is itself a small drama of twentieth-century church history. Completed in 1913 on the eve of catastrophe, it survived the long Soviet decades largely out of print and hard to obtain. Its great revival came at the millennium of the Baptism of Rus’. In the late 1980s the Institute for Bible Translation in Stockholm produced a photographic reprint that compressed the original volumes into three, and a large printing—on the order of a hundred and fifty thousand sets—was given to the Russian Orthodox Church as a gift from the Christians of Northern Europe for the thousand-year jubilee. At a stroke the commentary was back in circulation across Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, and it has been reprinted, digitized, and consulted continuously ever since. That a work of turn-of-the-century scholarship should have become, a century later, one of the most widely used biblical reference works in the Russian-speaking Orthodox world is the clearest possible measure of what its authors achieved.

The Text and This Edition

The Explanatory Bible was written in Russian, and it is from that public-domain Russian text—the commentary edited by Lopukhin and completed by his successors and issued between 1904 and 1913—that the present English edition has been prepared. This is a fresh modern English translation made directly from the Russian; it is not a bilingual or parallel edition, and it does not set the English against the original. The goal has been a clear, readable, contemporary English that conveys the commentary’s meaning and its measured scholarly voice without archaism, while remaining faithful to what the authors actually wrote.

A few conventions of this edition are worth noting. The attribution follows the work’s own long-standing practice: the commentary is presented as the Explanatory Bible of Lopukhin, with Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin named as editor and author of the founding volumes, and it is understood throughout that he died in 1904 with only the Pentateuch complete and that his colleagues and successors carried the work to its finish—continuators to whom the whole is rightly indebted and who are credited as such. Those who prepared the present English text are credited as translators, never as authors. Scripture citations are given in a modern style, with book, chapter, and verse in Arabic numerals in the familiar form (for example, Rom. 6:22) rather than in Roman numerals. The scriptural lemmata that head each unit of comment follow the Church’s Scripture faithfully, and the Septuagint versification and canon that the commentary itself presupposes are preserved, so that references resolve as the authors intended. The introductions and internal cross-references belonging to each biblical book have been carried over intact, so that the reader has the same guided entry into every book that the original provided.

This English edition has been produced with the assistance of modern language technology and checked against a controlled glossary for consistency of terminology across the many books and the many translating hands; it is offered for study and for the general reader, and it does not claim the standing of a formally reviewed critical edition. What it offers, rather, is faithful and continuous access, for the first time in accessible modern English, to one of the great monuments of Russian biblical scholarship: a verse-by-verse commentary on the whole of Scripture, at once learned and devout, in which the voice of the Fathers and the questions of the modern world are held together on every page.

Suggestions for Reading

Because the series comments on every book of the Bible, no one need read it from cover to cover. The natural way in is alongside one’s own reading of Scripture: open the commentary on the book at hand, begin with its introduction to get the lay of the whole, and then follow the exposition verse by verse as you read. The introductions repay attention in their own right, since it is there that the larger questions—of authorship, date, structure, and purpose—are set out before the detailed comment begins.

A first-time reader will find some of the richest and most characteristic writing in the opening chapters of Genesis, where the commentary’s whole manner is on display: the patristic voices marshalled and compared, the Hebrew weighed against the Greek, and the long questions of creation and the days handled with a care that has kept them worth reading. From there the Psalter and the Gospel of Matthew make good next steps—the one for the devotional heart of the Old Testament, the other for the fullest of the evangelists. Throughout, it helps to follow the cross-references the commentary supplies; they are not ornament but the very sinew of its method, and tracing them is the surest way to read Scripture as its authors intended it to be read, whole and of a piece.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Introduction

On the Book of Genesis

The name of the book. The first sacred book of our Slavic-Russian Bible bears the name “Genesis.” This name is a literal translation of the Greek heading of this book in the LXX text, pointing to the content of the first sacred book (in the strict sense – its first two chapters), inscribed in the Hebrew original with the first word of the text of verse 1 – בראשית – bereshith.

The origin and meaning of its name. From what has already been said, it is clear that the key to understanding the name of the first book of the Bible should be sought in the text of its original. Turning to the latter, we see that each of the first five books of the Bible, forming the so-called Torah (“book of the Law”) or Mosaic Pentateuch, received its title from the first or two first words; and since the beginning book in the Hebrew original opens with the words בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא, these very words were placed by the Hebrews as its heading.

The 1st book (or Genesis) in the Hebrew text is called bereshith (“in the beginning”); the 2nd (Exodus) – elleh-schemoth (“these are the names”); the 3rd (Leviticus) – vajigra (“and he called”); the 4th (Numbers) – vajedabber (“and he said”; another name – bemidbar – “in the wilderness”, cf. Num 1:1); the 5th (Deuteronomy) – elleh-haddebarim.

But although the name of the book “Genesis” has a chance origin, it has nevertheless coincided with its essential content in a remarkable way and is full of broad meaning. In the 1st book of Moses, the name toldoth, synonymous with the word “Genesis,” is encountered repeatedly. Under the name תוֹלְדוֹת toldoth – “generations, origins, descendants” (from the Hebrew verb תלד “to beget”) the Hebrews understood their genealogical tables and the historical-biographical records attached to them, from which subsequently their history itself was compiled. Clear traces of the existence of such “genealogical records,” corrected and unified by the hand of their divinely inspired editor Moses, can be found in the book of Genesis, where not fewer than ten times we encounter the inscription תוֹלְדוֹת toldoth, namely “the generations of heaven and earth” (Gen 2:4), “the genealogy of Adam” (Gen 5:1); “the generations of Noah” (Gen 6:9); “the genealogy of the sons of Noah” (Gen 10:1); “the genealogy of Shem” (Gen 11:10); “the genealogy of Terah” (Gen 11:27); “the genealogy of Ishmael” (Gen 25:12); “the genealogy of Isaac” (Gen 25:19); “the genealogy of Esau” (Gen 36:1); “the generations of Jacob” (Gen 37:2).

From this it is evident that the first book of the Bible is pre-eminently a book of genealogies and that its Greek and Slavic-Russian name could not better acquaint us with its inner essence, giving us the idea of “the generations” as the first genealogy of the world and of mankind.

As for the division of the book of Genesis, the most profound and correct must be recognized as the division into two far unequal parts: one, embracing the first eleven chapters, contains as it were a universal introduction to universal history, insofar as it concerns the starting points and initial moments of primeval history of all mankind; the other, extending through all the remaining thirty-nine chapters, gives the history of one chosen people, the Hebrew people, and then only as yet in the person of its patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.

The unity and authenticity of the book of Genesis are demonstrated first and foremost from an analysis of its content. Looking more deeply into the content of this book, despite all its brevity, we cannot help but notice the remarkable harmony and sequence of its narratives, where one flows from another, where there are no real disagreements and contradictions, and everything stands in perfect harmonious unity and purposeful plan. The basic scheme of this plan is served by the aforementioned division into ten “genealogies” (toldoth), constituting the main parts of the book and uniting in themselves a greater or lesser amount of secondary material, depending on the importance of one genealogy or another.

The authenticity of the book of Genesis has both internal and external grounds. To the former, in addition to everything said above about the content and plan of this sacred book, we must refer its language, bearing marks of deep antiquity, and especially the biblical archaisms found in it. To the latter we refer the agreement of the Bible’s data with natural-scientific and ancient-historical information, drawn from various external scientific sources. At the head of all of them we place the most ancient traditions of the Assyro-Babylonian Semites, known by the name of the “Chaldean Genesis,” giving rich and instructive material for comparison with the accounts of the biblical genesis.

Finally, the importance of the book of Genesis is evident in itself: being the most ancient chronicle of the world and mankind and giving the most authoritative resolution of the world questions about the origin of all that exists, the book of Genesis is full of the deepest interest and has the greatest significance for questions of religion, morality, worship, history, and in general for the interests of truly human life.

* * *

For more on this, see Comely, “Introductio in libro V. T”. II, 1881; Arko, “Defense of the Mosaic Pentateuch”, Kazan, 1870; Eleonskii, “An Examination of Rational Objections Against the Book of Genesis”; Vigoureux, “Introduction to the Sacred Scripture of the Old Testament”, translated by Father Vorontsov.

Chapter One

The First Day of Creation

Genesis 1:1. In the beginning Among the holy Fathers as well as throughout the entire subsequent exegetical literature, there are two main typical interpretations of this word. According to the dominant opinion of some – it is a simple chronological indication “of the beginning of the creation of visible things” (Ephrem the Syrian), that is, of all that history of whose gradual formation is set forth immediately thereafter. According to the allegorical interpretation of others (Theophilus of Antioch, Origen, Ambrose, Augustine, etc.), the word “in the beginning” has here an individual meaning, containing a veiled indication of the eternally-begotten birth from the Father of the second Hypostasis of the Holy Trinity – the Son of God, in whom and through whom all creation was accomplished (John 1:3; Col 1:16). The biblical parallels relating to this give us the right to unite both these interpretations, that is, both to find here an indication of the thought about the co-eternality with the Father of the begetting of the Son or the Logos and of the ideal creation of the world in Him (John 1:1-3; Ps 83:3; 1 Pet 1:20; Col 1:16; Rev 3:14), and even more properly to see here a direct indication of the external realization of the eternally-predestined plans of divine creation at the beginning of time, or more precisely, together with this very time itself (Ps 101:26; Heb 1:10; Prov 8:22-23; Isa 64:4; Sir 18:1; and so forth). God created – here the word bara is used, which according to the common belief of both Jews and Christians, as well as according to all subsequent biblical usage, primarily serves as an expression of the idea of divine action (Gen 1:1; Isa 40:28; Ps 148:5; Exod 34:10; Num 16:30; Jer 31:22; Mal 2:10 and others), has the meaning of creative activity or creation from nothing (Num 16:30; Isa 45:7; Ps 101:26; Heb 3:4; 2 Macc 7:28 and others). By this very fact, then, all materialistic hypotheses about the world as a self-existent essence, and pantheistic hypotheses – about it as an emanation or effluence of divinity – are refuted, and the view is established of it as the work of the hands of the Creator, who has called forth the entire world from non-being to being through the will and power of His divine omnipotence. heaven and earth. Heaven and earth, as two concrete opposite poles of the entire world globe, commonly serve in the Bible to denote “the whole universe” (Ps 101:26; Isa 65:17; Jer 23:24; Zech 5:9). Moreover, many find here a separate indication of the creation of the visible and invisible world, or of the Angels (Theophilus of Antioch, Basil the Great, Theodoret, Origen, John of Damascus, and others). The basis of this latter interpretation is, first, the biblical use of the word “heaven” as a synonym for heavenly inhabitants, that is, angels (1 Sam 22:19; Matt 18:10 and others), and secondly, the context of this narrative itself, in which the subsequent chaotic disorder is attributed only to the “earth,” that is, the visible world (verse 2), so “heaven” is separated from “earth” and even as it were opposed to it as a well-ordered, invisible, celestial world. Confirmation of this can be found both in the Old Testament (Job 38:4-7) and particularly in the New Testament (Col 1:16).

Genesis 1:2. Now the earth was formless and empty, The concept of “earth” in the language of the Bible often embraces the entire terrestrial globe, including the visible sky as its outer atmospheric envelope (Gen 14:19; Ps 68:35). It is in this sense that it is used here, as is evident from the context, according to the testimony of which the chaotic mass of this “earth” subsequently produced from itself the expanse and water (Gen 1:7). The words “formless and empty,” by which the primeval mass is characterized, contain the idea of “darkness, disorder, and destruction” (Isa 40:17; Jer 4:23-26), that is, give the idea of a state of complete chaos, in which the elements of future light, air, earth, water, and also all seeds of plant and animal life could not yet be distinguished from one another and were as if mixed together. The best parallel to these words is found in the book of the Wisdom of Solomon, in which it is said that God created the world from “amorphous substance” (Wis 11:18) and 2 Pet 3:5. and darkness over the abyss, This darkness was the natural consequence of the absence of light, which did not yet exist as a separate independent element, being separated from the primeval chaos only subsequently, on the first day of the creative week. “Over the abyss” and “over the water.” In the original text stand here two Hebrew words related in meaning (tehom and maim), meaning a mass of water that forms an entire “abyss”; by this is indicated the melted liquid state of the primordial, chaotic substance. and the Spirit of God hovered over the water. In explaining these words interpreters differ rather strongly among themselves: some see here a simple indication of an ordinary wind sent by God for the drying of the earth (Tertullian, Ephrem the Syrian, Theodoret, Ibn Ezra, Rosenmüller), others – the Angel, or a special intelligent force appointed for the same purpose (Chrysostom, Cajetan, and others), still others, finally – the Hypostatic Spirit of God (Basil the Great, Athanasius, Jerome, and the majority of other exegetes). The latter interpretation is preferable to the others: it indicates the participation in the work of creation of the third person of the Holy Trinity, the Spirit of God, who manifests Himself as the creative and providential force which, according to the general biblical view, conditions the origin and existence of the entire world, not excepting even man (Gen 2:7; Ps 32:6; Job 27:3; Isa 34:16; Acts 17:28 and others). The very action of the Holy Spirit upon chaos is likened here to the action of a bird sitting in a nest on eggs and warming them with its heat to awaken life in them (Deut 32:11). By this very fact, on the one hand, we are allowed to discern in the chaos some action of natural forces, analogous to the process of gradual formation in an egg of an embryo, and on the other, as these very forces and their results are placed in direct dependence upon God.

Genesis 1:3. And God said: Let there be light. And there was light. For the Almighty Creator of the universe, thought or word and the realization of this thought or deed are completely identical with one another, since for Him there exist no obstacles that could prevent the fulfillment of an arising desire. Hence, His word is law for existence: “For He spoke, and it came into being; He commanded, and it stood firm” (Ps 32:9). Following many Church Fathers, Metropolitan Philaret holds that in the word “said” there is not without reason a mystery of the Hypostatic Word, which here, like the Holy Spirit before it, is veiled as the Creator of the world: “This mystery is explained by David and Solomon, who obviously adapted their expressions to Moses” (Ps 32:6; Prov 8:22-29). Let there be light. Clear indication of this is given by Apostle Paul, speaking of God as having “commanded light to shine out of darkness” (2 Cor 4:6). The creation of light was the first creative and formative act of divine creation. This primordial light was not ordinary light in the full sense of the word, since until the fourth day of creation, on which the heavenly bodies appeared, there were not yet sources of our light, but was that luminous ether which, being in a state of vibration, dispelled the primeval darkness and thus created the necessary conditions for the future appearance of all organic life on earth.

Genesis 1:4. And God saw the light, that it was good, So, according to the words of the Psalmist, “the Lord rejoices in His works!” (Ps 103:31) Light is spoken of here as “good,” because it is the source of joy and happiness for all living things. and God separated the light from the darkness. By this very fact God did not destroy the original darkness completely, but only established a regular periodic alternation of it with light, necessary for the maintenance of life and the preservation of strength not only of man and animals, but of all other creatures (Ps 103:20-24; Jer 33:20).

Genesis 1:5. And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. Having divided the light from the darkness and established a regular alternation of them with one another, the Creator names them and with corresponding names, calling the period of the dominion of light day, and the time of the dominion of darkness – night. Sacred Scripture gives us a whole series of indications of the origin of this divine establishment (Ps 103:20-24; Job 38:11; Jer 33:20). Concerning the character and duration of these primeval days we are deprived of the possibility of judging definitively: one thing only we can say – that at least in the first three days before the creation of the sun they, in all probability, were not identical with our present days. And there was evening, and there was morning: Many of the interpreters, on the ground that “evening” is placed first, and then “morning,” wish to see in the first nothing other than that chaotic darkness which preceded the appearance of light and thus anticipated the first day. But this is an obvious straining of the text, since before the creation of light there could exist neither such a distinction of days nor the very names of these two main constituent parts of them. On this error rests also another, that the count of astronomical days should supposedly begin with evening, as this Ephrem the Syrian, for instance, thinks. But Saint John Chrysostom more correctly supposes that the reckoning of days must go from morning to morning, since, as we repeat, the very possibility of distinguishing in a day its day and night began no earlier than from the moment of the creation of light or from the time of the beginning of day, that is, speaking in modern language, from the morning of the first day of creation. day one. In the Hebrew original stands not an ordinal but a cardinal numeral “day one,” for in fact the first day of the creative week was in it as yet both the only one. Concluding our discussion of the first day of the creative week, we think it appropriate to speak here generally about these days. The question of them constitutes one of the most difficult exegetical problems. The chief difficulty of it consists, first, in the definite understanding of the biblical days of creation, and second, and even more, in harmonizing these days with the modern data of astronomy and geology. We have already seen above that to the first days of creation, preceding the appearance of the sun, it is rather difficult to apply our usual astronomical measure with its 24-hour duration, which depends, as is known, on the movement of the earth around its axis and on its turning now one, now another side toward the sun. But if we admit that this relatively insignificant obstacle was somehow eliminated by the power of divine omnipotence, then all the remaining, properly biblical data, and the division of these days into morning and evening, and the definite quantity, and the strict succession of them, and the historical character of the narrative itself, – all this speaks for the strictly literal sense of the biblical text and for the astronomical duration of these biblical days. Much more serious is another objection, coming from science, which, proceeding from an analysis of the so-called geological strata, counts a whole series of geological epochs, required for the gradual formation of the earth’s crust and several thousands of years for the successive appearance on it of various forms of plant and animal life. The thought of harmonizing the Bible with science on this point occupied the Church Fathers and teachers greatly, among which representatives of the Alexandrian school – Origen, Saints Clement of Alexandria, Athanasius of Alexandria, and others even stood for an allegorical interpretation of the biblical days in the sense of more or less prolonged periods. Following them, a whole series of subsequent exegetes sought in one way or another to modify the direct, literal sense of the biblical text and adapt it to the conclusions of science (the so-called periodistic and restitution theories). But the direct, literal sense of the biblical text, ancient Christian tradition, and Orthodox interpretation in general do not permit such free treatment of the biblical text and consequently require a literal understanding of the term “day” found in it. Thus, the Bible speaks of ordinary days, while science speaks of whole periods or epochs. The best way out of this contradiction, in our opinion, is the so-called “visionary” theory. According to the sense of this theory, the biblical narrative of the creation of the world is not a strictly scientific and factually detailed reproduction of the entire history of the actual process of world-formation, but only its chief moments, revealed by God to the first man in a special vision (visio). Here the entire history of the origin of the world, which developed over a time unknown to us, passed before the spiritual vision of man in the form of a whole series of scenes, each of which represented certain groups of phenomena, while both the general character and the sequence of these scenes were a true, though momentary, reflection of actual history. Each of these visionary scenes formed a separate group of phenomena, actually developing over one and the same period, while in the vision received the name of one or another day. To the question, why then did the geological epochs of creation receive in the biblical cosmogonic vision the name of an ordinary “day,” it is comparatively easy to answer: because “day” was the most convenient, the simplest, and most easily accessible measure of time to the consciousness of primeval man. Consequently, in order to instill in the consciousness of the first man the idea of the sequential order of the creation of the world and the distinctness of its processes, it was most expedient to use the already familiar image of day as a complete and finished period of time. Thus, on the question of the days of creation, the Bible and science do not collide with one another at all: the Bible, understanding ordinary days, marks by this alone only the various moments of cosmogonic vision, in which God was pleased to reveal to man the history of creation; science, pointing to geological epochs and prolonged periods, intends to investigate the actual process of the origin and gradual arrangement of the world; and such an admission of scientific hypotheses does not at all shake divine omnipotence, for which it was completely indifferent – whether to create the whole world in the twinkling of an eye, to spend a whole week on it, or, having instilled in the world certain purposeful laws, to leave them more or less to natural course, which led to prolonged world-formation. The latter, in our view, even more answers the idea of divine wisdom and goodness of the Creator. The visionary theory indicated here, finding its defenders among both the Fathers and teachers of the Church (Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Theodoret, Junilus of Africa), is shared by many modern exegetes (see on this in more detail in the dissertation of A. Pokrovskii: “The Biblical Doctrine of Primeval Religion”).

The Second Day of Creation

Genesis 1:6. And God said: Let there be an expanse in the middle of the water, Expanse – literally from the original “a spreading out,” “a covering,” for thus the Hebrews represented to themselves the heavenly atmosphere surrounding the terrestrial globe, as is expressed particularly vividly in the well-known words of the Psalmist: “You stretch out the heavens like a tent” (Ps 103:2; cf. Isa 40:22). This expanse or atmospheric envelope of the earth, according to the general biblical view, is considered the place of the birth of all kinds of winds and storms, as well as of all possible atmospheric precipitations and changes in weather (Ps 148:4-8; Job 28:25-26; Isa 55:10; Matt 5:45; Acts 14:17; Heb 6:7 and others).

Genesis 1:7. and separated the water which was below the expanse from the water which was above the expanse. Under the latter waters here, evidently, are understood water vapors, which commonly saturate the heavenly atmosphere and which, condensing from time to time, in various forms pour down upon the earth, for example, in the form of rain, hail, frost, fog, or snow. Under the first, of course, is understood ordinary water, penetrating the entire terrestrial chaos and in the following, third day of creation, gathered into special natural reservoirs – oceans, seas, and rivers. About the role of water in the process of world-formation something similar is also said by Apostle Peter (2 Pet 3:5). To the naive mind of primeval Hebrew the heavenly atmosphere seemed to be in the form of some solid covering, separating the atmospheric waters from the earthly waters; from time to time this solid envelope in one place or another opened, and then the heavenly waters through this opening poured out upon the earth. And the Bible, speaking, according to the testimony of the holy Fathers, in the language of the sons of men and adapting itself to the weakness of our mind and hearing, does not consider it necessary to introduce any scientific corrections into this naive worldview (Saint John Chrysostom, Theodoret, and others).

Genesis 1:8. And God called the expanse “sky.” In the language of the Hebrews there were three different terms for expressing this concept, corresponding to their opinion of the existence of three different celestial spheres. The sky which is called here was considered the lowest and nearest place of abode of birds, accessible to direct sight (Ps 8:4; Lev 26:19; Deut 28:23).

The Third Day of Creation

Genesis 1:9. And God said: Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let the dry ground appear. By this divine command the two main constituent parts of the primeval chaos, earth and water, became separated from one another: the waters united into various water basins – seas and oceans (Ps 32:7; Prov 8:29), and the dry land formed islands and continents, covered with various mountains, hills, and valleys (Ps 64:6; Isa 40:12).

Genesis 1:10. And God called the dry ground “earth,” and the gathering of the waters He called “seas.” The Bible tells us nothing of the manner and duration of this process of the separation of water from land and the self-formation of the earth’s crust, thus opening full scope to scientific investigation. In the cosmogonic vision with which the Bible deals, only the general character and final result of this third period of world-formation, or – in the language of the biblical vision – the third day of creation, is noted.

Genesis 1:11–12. And God said: Let the earth produce vegetation – plants bearing seed, and fruit trees that bear fruit with seed in them, according to their kinds, on the earth. And it was so. And the earth produced vegetation – plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, according to their kinds. In these few words of the cosmogonic vision is reflected an entire grand picture of the gradual arising on earth of various kinds of plant, organic life, produced by the earth not through spontaneous generation, but according to the special forces and laws given to it by the Creator. However, the indication that the covering of the earth with plants and trees was not an instantaneous miraculous act, but was directed by creative power along the natural course, apparently lies in the very character of the considered biblical text, both in God’s address to the earth with a command to produce various kinds of plants according to its inherent laws, and in that sequence with which the enumeration of different kinds of this vegetation is conducted, fully corresponding to the data of modern geology: first vegetation in general or grass (geological ferns), then flowering plants (gigantic lilies), and finally, trees (primeval shrubs and trees) (1 Sam 4:33). The omnipotence of the Creator suffered in no way from this, since the original source of the vital energy of the earth was none other than God Himself, and His supreme wisdom in such purposeful arrangement of the world was revealed in all its strength and evident clarity, as the Apostle Paul expressly indicates in a well-known place from the Epistle to the Romans (Rom 1:20).

The Fourth Day of Creation

Genesis 1:14. And God said: Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, Here the cosmogonic vision of a new world-creating period in which the earth became separate from the solar system. The biblical narrative itself on this again proceeds adaptationally to the infantile worldview of primeval man: so the lights appear as if fixed to the outer heavenly vault, as they indeed seem to be in our ordinary, non-scientific conception. Here for the first time the acting cause of the distinction of days into day and night is indicated, consisting in the influence of the lights. By this as it were an indirect confirmation is given to the thought that the three preceding days of creation could not therefore be ordinary astronomical days, but received such a character in the biblical narrative subsequently, as it were certain definite moments of the cosmogonic vision. The Bible points us to a threefold purpose of the heavenly lights: first, they should divide day from night, whereby the sun should shine in the day, while the moon and stars – shine in the night; second, they should serve as regulators of time, that is, the various phases of the sun and moon should show the periodic change of months and seasons of the year; finally, their immediate purpose in relation to the earth consists in illuminating it. The first and last purpose of the heavenly lights are completely clear and understandable in themselves, the middle one, however, requires some explanation. and for signs, By these signs in no way should be understood any superstitious worship of the heavenly lights or similar astrological divinations, which were in wide circulation among the peoples of the ancient East and bitterly condemned among God’s chosen people (Deut 4:19). But this, according to the interpretation of blessed Theodoret, means that the phases of the moon, as well as the time of the rise and setting of various stars and comets, served useful guiding indications for farmers, shepherds, travelers, and sailors (Gen 15:5; Job 38:32-33; Ps 103:14-23; Matt 2:12; Luke 21:25). Very early the phases of the moon and the position of the sun began to serve as signs of the division of the year into months and the combination of the latter into seasons – spring, summer, autumn, and winter (Ps 73:16-17). Finally, subsequently the phases of the moon, especially the new moon, began to play a very prominent role in the cycle of sacred biblical times or ancient Hebrew festivals.

Genesis 1:16. And God made the two great lights – the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night, Although these great lights are not named here by name, yet from the entire context of the narrative, as well as from the corresponding biblical parallels relating to it (Ps 103:19; Jer 31:35), it is completely clear that the sun and moon are here understood. But while such a designation is fully justified even by science in its application to the sun as the astronomical center of the entire world system, it completely fails scientific criticism in regard to the moon, which according to the precise data of astronomy is one of the relatively small planets, far inferior in this respect even to the earth. Here we have new proof that the Bible does not set forth the propositions of science, but speaks the language of the sons of men, that is, the language of ordinary thinking, based on immediate sensory perceptions, from the point of view of which the sun and moon are indeed represented as the largest magnitudes on the heavenly horizon. and the stars. Under the general name of stars are understood all those millions of other worlds which, being removed from our earth by enormous distances, appear to our unarmed eye only as small shining points, scattered across the entire sky. It is no wonder that the contemplation of the magnificent celestial vault moved and inspired many Old Testament biblical writers to praise the wisdom and goodness of the Creator (Ps 8:3-4; Job 38:31-33; Isa 40:21-22; Jer 33:22; Rev 5:8 and others).

Genesis 1:17–18. and set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, The Creator, as the Psalmist says, the moon and stars – to govern the night (Ps 135:9), and appointed the rising of the sun to be the beginning of the laboring day for man (Ps 103:22-23). The prophet Jeremiah expresses this thought even more clearly, praising the Lord Almighty, who “gave the sun to illuminate the day, the ordinances of the moon and stars to illuminate the night” (Jer 31:35).

The Fifth Day of Creation

Genesis 1:20. And God said: Let the water produce The term “water,” as is evident from the context, is used here in a more general and broad sense – means not only ordinary water, but also the air atmosphere, which, as already known, is also called “water” in the language of the Bible (Gen 1:6-7). Here, as before (Gen 1:11), in the very form of the biblical expression – “let the water produce” (or, “let them multiply in the waters”), there is again preserved a hint at the participation of natural agents in the creative process, in this case – water and air as the medium in which the Creator determined to have corresponding kinds of animal life live and multiply. swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky. The appearance of plants on the third day was the beginning of organic life on earth, but still in its most imperfect, primary form. Now, in full accordance with the data of science, the Bible notes the further course of the development of this life on earth, namely it points to the appearance of two broad, related to one another animal classes: the inhabitants of the aquatic element and the realm of winged birds filling the air space. The first of these classes in the Hebrew text is named sherez, which does not mean only “swarms or aquatic creatures,” as our Russian and Slavonic texts translate it, but includes also fish and all aquatic animals in general (Lev 11:10). Likewise, “winged birds” means not only “birds, but also insects and generally all living creatures furnished with wings, even if at the same time they were not deprived of the ability also to walk and even on four legs” (Lev 11:20-21). If, as we noted above, in the preceding verse there was preserved some indication of the action of natural forces in the process of the arising of new kinds of animal life, then the present verse leaves no doubt that all these so-called natural acts ultimately have their supernatural source in God, who alone is the Creator of all, in the strict sense of this word.

Genesis 1:21. And God created the great sea creatures The Slavonic text calls them “great whales,” closer to the Hebrew text, in which stands the word: tanninim, which in general means aquatic animals of enormous size (Job 7:12; Ps 73:13; Ezek 29:4), large fish, including whales (Ps 103:25; Jonah 2:11), a great serpent (Jer 51:34; Isa 27:1), and a crocodile (Ezek 29:3) – in short, the entire class of large amphibious animals (Job 40:20). By this is given striking indication that the primordial kinds of amphibians and winged creatures were distinguished by colossal dimensions, which is confirmed by paleontology, which reveals an extensive class of extinct antediluvian animals, astounding with their enormous size (ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, gigantic lizards, etc.).

Genesis 1:22. And God blessed them, saying, The appearance of the first true life (animal as distinct from plant) is marked by a special extraordinary act of the Creator – His blessing. By the power of this creative blessing, all newly-created creatures received the ability to multiply “according to their kind,” that is, each species of animal – to reproduce its kind. Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the seas, In the Hebrew text both these words have the same meaning, and the very combination of them, in the nature of Hebrew language, indicates a special emphasis of the idea of natural multiplication of living beings through generation. and let the birds increase on the earth. A subtle new feature: earlier the element of birds was called the air, as the region in which they fly (Gen 1:20), now the earth is added, on which they build their nests and live.

The Sixth Day of Creation

Genesis 1:24. And God said: Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds – cattle and creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind. Here again, as in two preceding cases (Gen 1:11), is indicated some influence of natural forces of nature, in this case directly from the earth.

Genesis 1:25. And God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. The general concept of “animal life” here divides into three basic kinds: the first of them “the animals of the earth” – these are wild animals or beasts of the fields and forests, such as, for instance, the wild cat, lynxes, bears, and all other beasts of the wilderness (Ps 79:14; Isa 43:20). The second kind of these animals embraces a fairly substantial class of domestic animals, that is, tamed by man, to which belong: horses, oxen, camels, goats, and in general all both large and small domesticated livestock (Gen 34:23; Num 32:26); in the broad sense, sometimes included here are the larger of the wild animals, for example, the elephant and rhinoceros (Job 40:15). Finally, the third class of these animals consists of all those which crawl on the earth, creep on it, or have such short legs that, walking on the earth, as if they trail along it; here belong all serpents, worms (Lev 11:42), lizards, foxes, mice, and moles (Lev 11:29-31). Sometimes, in shorter and less strict speech, all three of the above-indicated classes of land animals are united in the first of them, namely in the concept of “beasts of the earth” (Gen 7:14). All these animals were divided into two sexes, which is evident both from their ability to multiply each according to its kind, and from the fact that the example of their life opened the eyes of the first man to his sorrowful solitude and thus served as occasion for the creation of a helper like him – a wife (Gen 2:20).

The Creation of Man

Genesis 1:26. And God said: Let Us make man From these words it is evident that before creating man, this new and marvelous creation, God held counsel with someone. The question of who can hold counsel with God was posed even to the Old Testament prophet: “Who has understood the spirit of the Lord, and was His counselor and taught Him? Who did He consult” ? (Isa 40:13-14; Rom 11:34), and the best answer to it is given in the Gospel of John, where it speaks of the Word, who from the beginning was with God and in union with Him created all things (John 1:2-3). This is the Word, the Logos – the eternally-begotten Son of God, called also the “wonderful Counselor” in the prophet Isaiah (Isa 9:6). In another place of Scripture He, under the appearance of Wisdom, is directly depicted as the nearest participant of God the Creator in all places of His creation, including the work of making “sons of men” (Prov 8:27-31). This thought is clarified even more by those interpreters who refer the present counsel to the mystery of the incarnate Word, who was pleased to assume bodily nature in unity with His divine nature (Phil 2:6-7). According to the agreed opinion of the majority of holy Fathers, the divine counsel considered here took place with the participation of the Holy Spirit as well, that is, among all the persons of the Most Holy Trinity (Ephrem the Syrian, Irenaeus, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Cyril of Alexandria, Theodoret, Augustine, and others). As for the content of this very counsel itself, in the name of it, according to the explanation of Metropolitan Philaret – and consequently in the action of consultation – in Sacred Scripture is depicted God’s foreknowledge and predestination (Acts 2:23), that is, in this case – the realization of the thought about the creation of man, which existed from eternity in the divine plan of creation (Acts 15:18). Thus, here we find one of the most ancient traces of the existence in the antediluvian world of the mystery of the Trinity, but then it, in the opinion of the best interpreters, was obscured in the consciousness of the first people as a result of the Fall, and later, after the Tower of Babel, entirely disappeared for a long time from the consciousness of Old Testament mankind, from which it was even intentionally concealed for pedagogical purposes, namely, so as not to give the Hebrews, who were always inclined to polytheism, additional temptation in this respect. man In the Hebrew text stands here the word adam. When this word is used without the article, it does not express the proper name of the first man, but serves only as the common designation “man” in general; in this sense it is applied equally both to male and to female (Gen 5:2). As is evident from the subsequent context, the word is used in this very sense here – denoting the entire first-created pair, to whom divine blessings are given for multiplication and dominion over nature (Gen 1:27). By using the singular of the common concept “man,” the chronist thereby more clearly emphasizes the truth of the unity of the human race, about which the writer of the Acts speaks: “From one blood He (God) made every nation of mankind” (Acts 17:26). in Our image and in Our likeness Here two words related in meaning are used, though they contain certain nuances of thought: one means an ideal, a model of perfection; the other – the realization of this ideal, a copy of the indicated model. “The first (κατ᾿ εἰκόνα – according to image),” reasons Saint Gregory of Nyssa, “we possess by creation, while the second (καθ᾿ ὁμοΐωσιν – according to likeness) we fulfill by choice.” Consequently, the image of God in man is an inalienable and indelible property of his nature, while godlikeness is the work of man’s free personal efforts, which can attain quite high degrees of development in man (Matt 5:48; Eph 5:1-2), but sometimes may be entirely absent (Gen 6:3; Rom 1:23). As for the very image of God in man, it is reflected in the manifold powers and properties of his complex nature: both in the immortality of the human spirit (Wis 2:23), and in original innocence (Eph 4:24) and purity (Eccl 7:29), and in those capacities and properties with which the first-created man was endowed to know his Creator and to love Him, and in those kingly prerogatives which the first man possessed in relation to all the lower creatures (Gen 27:29) and even in relation to his own wife (1 Cor 11:3), and, especially, in the threefoldness of his chief soul powers: mind, heart, and will, serving as a certain reflection of divine triunity (Col 3:10). Scripture calls only the Son of God the full and most perfect reflection of the divine image (Heb 1:3; Col 1:15); man was a comparatively very faint, pale, and imperfect copy of this incomparable model, yet he stood in an undoubted kinship with Him and hence received the right to be called His kind (Acts 17:28), son or child of God (Luke 3:38), and also directly – “the image and glory of God” (1 Cor 11:7).

Genesis 1:27. So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; In the very repetition of parallel concepts – “in His own image,” “in the image of God” – one cannot but see a certain hint of the participation of different Persons of the Holy Trinity in the act of the creation of man, chiefly of God the Son, who was His direct accomplisher (“in His own image”). But, in virtue of the fact that the Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact image of His essence, creation according to His image was at the same time creation according to the image of God the Father (“in the image of God”). It is also worthy of note here that man was created only “according to the image” of God, and it is not added also “according to likeness,” by which is finally confirmed the correctness of the opinion indicated by us above, that only the divine image is an inborn property of his nature, godlikeness being something distinct from this and consisting in the more or less free, personal development by man of the properties of this divine image along the path of their approximation to the Original Image. male and female He created them. Incorrectly interpreting this passage, some (especially rabbis) wish to see in it grounds for the theory of the androgyny of the first man (that is, the combination of male and female sex in one person). But this error is best refuted by the pronoun standing here “them,” which, in the case that the discourse concerned one person, should have the form of the singular – “him,” and not “them” – the plural.

Genesis 1:28. And God blessed them, and God said to them: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and have dominion over it, and rule over the fish of the sea [and over the beasts,] and over the birds of the sky, [and over all the cattle, and over all the earth,] and over every animal that moves along the ground. The power of the creative blessing, once given before to the lower animals, referred only to their multiplication; to man, however, is granted not only the ability to multiply on the earth, but also the right to possess it. The latter is a consequence of the high position which man, being the image of God on earth, was to occupy in the world. The Creator, according to the words of the Psalmist, which the Apostle also repeats, “crowned him with glory and honor and put him in charge of the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet: all the flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas” (Ps 8:6-9; Heb 2:7-9). This is one of the best expressions of the thought of the greatness and beauty of the first-created Adam (that is, man), restored in his, lost through the Fall, primeval dignity, by the second Adam – our Lord Jesus Christ (Heb 2:9-10). The rule of man over nature should be understood both in the sense of man’s use for his own benefit of various natural forces and resources, and in the sense of direct service to him by various kinds of animals, enumerated here only in the order of their successive origin and according to the most general groups. This thought is beautifully expressed in the following inspired lines of John Chrysostom: “How great is the dignity of souls! Through its powers cities are built, seas are crossed, fields are worked, countless arts are discovered, wild beasts are tamed! But what is most important – the soul knows God, who created it and distinguishes good from evil. Only man of all the visible world raises prayers to God, receives revelations, studies the nature of heavenly things, and penetrates even divine mysteries! For him the entire earth exists, the sun and stars, for him the heavens were created, for him apostles and prophets were sent, and even Angels themselves; for his salvation, finally, the Father sent His own Only-begotten Son!”

Genesis 1:29–30. Then God said: I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food; and to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food. and to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to every [creeping thing] that moves along the ground, in which there is a living soul, I have given all the green of the plants for food. Here is the most ancient account of the primeval food of man and animals: for man it consisted of various herbs with their roots and trees with their fruits, while for animals it was the green of the grass. Relying on the writer’s silence about meat as an article of food, most commentators suppose that in the earliest time—before the flood, or at least before the fall—it was not in use, not only among people but even among animals, among which, consequently, there were no birds and beasts of prey. The first notice of the introduction of meat and wine into man’s food belongs to the era after the flood (Gen 9:3). One cannot fail to see in this also a special divine provision for all the newly created beings, expressed in the care for their preservation and the sustaining of their life (Job 39:6; Ps 103:14-15; Acts 14:14 and others).

Genesis 1:31. And God saw everything that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. The concluding formula of divine approval of the whole work of creation differs substantially in the degree of its force from all the others that preceded it: if earlier, after the creation of the various kinds of plants and animals, the Creator found that their making satisfied Him and was «good» (Gen 1:4), now, taking in with one general gaze the whole picture of the already finished creation and seeing its full harmony and purposefulness, the Creator, as the Psalmist says, rejoiced over His creation (Ps 103:31) and found that, considered as a whole, it was «very good», that is, that it fully corresponds to the eternal plans of the divine economy for the creation of the world and man. And there was evening, and there was morning: the sixth day. This day was the last act of the cosmogonic vision, the conclusion of the entire creative Hexaemeron. The deeply historical antiquity of the biblical cosmogony is confirmed by the fairly consistent traces of it preserved in the language of antiquity (argumentum ex consensu gentium). Among them, a special significance and value belong to the most ancient traditions of the Chaldeans, the inhabitants of Ur of the Chaldeans, from which Abraham himself, the forefather of the Hebrew people, later came. These Chaldean traditions are available to us in the fragmentary records of the Chaldean priest Berossus (in the 3rd century before the Birth of Christ) and, what is far more valuable, in the recently discovered cuneiform tablets of the so-called «Chaldean Genesis» (in 1870, by the English scholar George Smith). In the latter we have a parallel to the biblical history of creation that is striking in its closeness (though pervaded by polytheism): here is the same division, as in the Bible, into six successive acts, each of which is devoted to its own special tablet, approximately the same content of each of these tablets as in the history of each of the biblical days, the same general sequence of them, and—what is especially curious—the same characteristic devices, expressions, and even individual terms. In view of all this, the comparison of the biblical cosmogony with the data of the Chaldean Genesis acquires a high interest and great apologetic importance (for more detail on this, see the dissertation of A. Pokrovsky: «The Biblical Teaching on Primeval Religion», pp. 86–90).

Chapter Two

The divine rest of the seventh day

Gen 2:1.

The first three verses of the second chapter, by their content, are wholly continuous with the preceding chapter, serving as the natural conclusion to the account of the creation of the world set forth in it.

Thus the heaven and the earth were completed

In this way the work of the creation of the entire universe was finished and completed.

and all their army.

that is, the army of heaven and the army of earth.

The first expression is quite common in the Bible and serves to designate either the angels surrounding the heavenly throne of God the Almighty, evidently by analogy with the guards around the throne of earthly rulers (Josh 5:14; 1 Sam 22:19), or else the stars, burning on the heavenly vault and by the regularity of their arrangement reminding one of the orderly ranks of troops (Deut 4:19; 2 Sam 17:16; Isa 40:26; Jer 8:2; Dan 8:10 and others). The expression “the army of the earth,” on the other hand, does not appear elsewhere in Scripture, although some analogy to it is found in the book of Nehemiah (Nehem 9:6) and in the prophet Isaiah (Isa 34:1), where there is mention of the highest representatives of the earth, that is, of humans and animals.

Thus, under “the army of heaven and earth” is understood all that is highest and best in one realm or the other, and that which, consequently, serves as, as it were, the adornment of each of them. The Greek LXX and the Latin translation of the Bible express this last thought beautifully, where the Hebrew word zeba (army) is rendered by corresponding synonyms: κόσμος and ornatus, meaning “adornment.”

Genesis 2:2. And God completed on the seventh day the works that He had done, This day is called differently in our Russian and Slavonic Bibles: in the first it is the seventh, and in the second the sixth day. This is due to the difference in the original texts from which these translations were made: namely, in the Hebrew text, as well as in the Vulgate and the Arabic translation, the “seventh” day is indicated, but in the Greek translation of the LXX (with the exception of certain verses), as well as in Josephus and in the Syriac and Samaritan texts, the “sixth” day is given. The context of the discourse, in which mention of the “seventh day” occurs further on, and where, apparently, the day of the completion of creation is distinguished from the day of its beginning, most favors the latter reading, as confirmed also by the authority of the ancient Samaritan text. and rested on the seventh day from all His works that He had done. Rested is expressed in the Hebrew text by the word sabat. From this, the seventh day of the week, dedicated to the commemoration of this divine rest, has retained among the Hebrews the name of Sabbath (for us, however, the significance of this day has passed to Sunday, and the very content of the commemoration has been changed). How then are we to understand this “rest” of God, when the Lord Jesus Christ Himself said: “My Father works even now, and I work” (John 5:17)? The answer to this is found in the very text we are considering, where it is clearly stated what work God rested from on the seventh day: it is precisely His creative-formative activity of the six preceding days; “God rested from all the work that He had done,” and which had just been described at length before this – “He ceased from creating things like those just created,” as the Arabic paraphrase of the Bible clarifies the text. “God rested,” says the blessed Augustine, “from the creation of new kinds of creatures, because He no longer created any new species of them.” “He rested,” says the holy John Chrysostom, “means He ceased from creating and bringing forth from non-being into being.” But, ceasing from creation, God never abandoned His providential activity with respect to the world and humanity (Ps 103:28; Eccl 12:7; Isa 57:16; Jer 38:16; Nehem 9:6; John 5:17; Heb 4:9-10).

Genesis 2:3. And God blessed the seventh day, “When a day is blessed,” says Metropolitan Philaret, “then it is made a partaker of a certain special good, worthy of joy and preservation amid the very changes of time,” understanding, we add, by virtue of the importance and significance of the commemoration connected with it. and sanctified it, because on it He rested from all His works that God had made and created. The primary meaning of the Hebrew verb standing here in the Masoretic text contains the idea “of setting apart” for some higher purpose, and from this already the concept of sanctification, that is, of designation for the sanctuary and God. In particular, the sanctification of times, according to biblical usage, is their appointment for worship (2 Sam 10:20; Nehem 8:9). This blessing and setting apart of the seventh day as a day of grateful and joyful rest, dedicated to the commemoration of creation and the praise of the Creator, had meaning only for rational beings, that is, humans, who probably from this time began to observe the Sabbath in imitation of God’s creative rest. Although, strictly speaking, the Sabbath received the character of a specific commandment only in the legislation of Moses (Exod 20:8; Deut 5:12), yet there is a whole series of strong proofs showing that in the form of a pious custom it was practiced long before Moses, and that its origin in this sense is scarcely later than the very beginning of human history (proof see in the dissertation of A. Pokrovskii “Biblical Teaching on the First Religion,” pp. 49–53).

The creation of the first human.

Genesis 2:4. This is the account of the heaven and the earth when they were created, This is nothing other than the general heading of an entire new section of biblical prehistory beginning from here (Gen 2:4) and extending to the next similar heading (Gen 5:1). Proof of this is provided both by the philological analysis of the Hebrew word standing here, toldoth, and by its biblical usage, about which we have already spoken above (see the introduction to the book of Genesis). in the day when the Lord God created the earth and the heaven, The “day” mentioned here (Slavonic Bible) is not the usual astronomical day, for there is no necessary mention of morning and evening here – but rather the entire six-day period of the creation of the world, as is clear from the context in which there is mention of the creation of the entire universe, unified in the concepts of “heaven and earth.” The best translation of this passage is given by the Syriac version (Peshito), which simply says “at that time,” when heaven and earth had been created…

Genesis 2:5. and every shrub of the field which was not yet on the earth, and every plant of the field which had not yet sprouted, because the Lord God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no human to till the ground, All this introductory sentence serves to determine the moment of the creation of the human – the special subject of this narrative. In this way the chronicler intends to prove the deep antiquity of humanity and the complete absence of any trace of human existence on earth before the creation of the first pair – Adam and Eve. He carries out this idea through a general picture of the newly created earth before the moment of the appearance of humanity upon it, in which he notes two main characteristics: a) the absence of any trace of human culture and in general of the products of field cultivation, and b) the presence of unfavorable atmospheric conditions that made even inconceivable any culture and any human existence. All this, according to the chronicler’s intention, definitively established the fact that on earth before the creation of Adam there was no culture, and consequently there was no human being. Here is the best biblical refutation of rationalistic theories of preadamism, that is, the opinion about the existence of humans preceding the creation of Adam. the Lord God Here for the first time in the Hebrew text we encounter the word “Jehovah,” a more correct translation of which would be “The One Who Is” (Exod 3:14). This is the characteristic name of the God of the Covenant, the God of Providence and Redemption (Gen 4:6; Exod 6:20; Num 26:59 and in preferred usage among all the prophets). In this sense it is distinguished from another common word “Elohim,” meaning God as the Almighty Creator of the universe. On the basis of this distinction of the divine names, negative criticism (“hypothesis of sources,” “fragment theory,” “documentary hypothesis,” and others) seeks to establish a chronological distinction in the origin of different parts of the Bible (older Elohistic from later Jehovistic) and thereby to undermine faith in the authenticity of the Pentateuch of Moses. But at the present time biblical scholarship increasingly and firmly establishes the fact of the deep antiquity of this divine name and those sections of the Bible in which it is used; especially valuable service in this regard is rendered by biblical apologetic data on the “Chaldean Genesis” (see on this in the dissertation of A. Pokrovskii “Biblical Teaching on Primitive Religion,” pp. 424–427).

Genesis 2:6. but a mist rose from the earth and watered the entire surface of the ground In the Slavonic Bible, following the text of the LXX, it says “fountain”; but in the Hebrew text is found the word ed, a more accurate translation of which is given by our Russian text – “mist, vapor,” as the Targums of Jonathan and Onkelos explain it. Gen 2:7. To establish more clearly the connection of this verse with the preceding ones, one should place the word “then” at its beginning, after which the entire period will assume a fully complete and definite form in the following way: “at that time, when heaven and earth had already been created, but no field plants and grain had yet appeared, since there was no rain, and there was as yet no human being, but a thick mist hung over all the earth – then the Lord God created the human.” the Lord God Here, as in many subsequent sections of the Bible (Gen 3:1 and others), both disputed (of course, only from the viewpoint of rationalists) names of God – Jehovah and Elohim (from Hebrew) – are combined together, by which any thought of their fundamental difference is eliminated, as those who are enemies of the Bible (that is, representatives of negative, rationalistic criticism) are eager to prove. And the Lord God formed the human from the dust of the ground, The fact of the creation of the human had already been mentioned earlier (Gen 1:27) in the history of the creation of the world, but merely mentioned in this general history of the universe, as one of its constituent parts; here, however, it is set forth in detail as a separate, independent subject of narrative. “Having mentioned at the beginning of Chapter II what had already been said, Moses expounds at length what had not been fully explained,” says the holy Ephrem the Syrian in his commentary on this passage. The very idea of the creation of the human – more precisely the outer form of the human, or his body, from earth, or more closely following the original – “from the dust of the earth,” is common to many places in both the Old and New Testament Scripture (Gen 3:19; Job 10:9; Ps 29:10; Eccl 3:20; Sir 17:1; 1 Cor 15:47-49; 2 Cor 5:1-4 and others). In the creation of the human body from earthly dust is contained the idea of kinship between the human and all visible nature, most directly with the animal kingdom, which arose by the creative command from the same earth (Gen 1:24). On the other hand, in the characteristic of the materiality of the physical nature of the human is given the idea of its destructibility or mortality. All this, according to John Chrysostom, teaches an excellent moral lesson of humility: “in order to teach us in the very form of our creation a constant lesson not to think more highly of ourselves than we should, for this reason Moses recounts everything with such care and says: ‘the Lord God formed the human from the dust of the ground’” (Homily on Genesis XIII, St. Petersburg 1898, p. 103). and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, Or, according to a more exact translation from the Hebrew – “breathed into his nostrils the breath of lives.” Like the preceding formation of the human body from earth, this present ensoulment by God cannot be understood in a crudely sensual sense: in the manner that God first molded a human figure out of clay and then took it in his hands and breathed upon it. All such passages, according to the advice of the blessed Theodoret, should be interpreted “in a manner befitting God” (θεοπρεπως), that is, in accordance with the majesty, holiness, and spirituality of God. In particular, this passage should be interpreted thus: the external form of the human came into being from the earth by the creative word of the Almighty. The idea underlying the entire biblical account of the creation of the human consists in the intention to present the human as the link between two worlds – the world of the visible, physical and the world of the invisible, spiritual – and to represent him as the king of nature and the image of God himself on earth, and to establish the truth of the immortality of the human soul; the language in which this abstract and elevated idea is expressed – this is the language of images and pictures, on which only in such cases did the most ancient humanity think. The very idea that the human partakes of divine life finds its parallels in other places of Scripture (Job 33:4; Eccl 12:7; Acts 17:25 and others). and the human became a living soul. The union of the highest divine principle (the breath of God) with the lowest material element (dust from the earth) resulted in the human as a living soul, that is, as a conscious personality endowed with reason and free will. But at the same time the human, this “living soul,” is infinitely distinguished from God, Who is “the quickening Spirit” (1 Cor 15:45) and is related to Him as a pale copy to its incomparable original.

A description of paradise.

Genesis 2:8. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden Having created the first human, God does not leave him to chance, but cares for him; this is first and foremost expressed in the fact that He settles him in a specially prepared, finest location on earth, “in the garden of Eden” (gan Eden in Hebrew), or in the “garden of delights” according to the Greek and Slavonic texts. This difference comes about because the LXX took the Hebrew word Eden, which is a proper noun meaning a country, for a homonym with a different meaning, which they then translated as “pleasure or delight.” Similarly, the Hebrew word gan, which means an enclosed place, from there “garden” (Deut 11:10; Isa 51:3; Jer 31:12), the LXX replaced with the Greek word παράδεισος, taken in turn from the Persian language and meaning an earthen or stone embankment surrounding a place of promenade, and from there the place itself, that is, “garden or park.” In other places in the Bible the paradise is called “the garden of God” (Gen 13:10; Ezek 28:13; Ezek 31:8), or “the garden of Eden” (Gen 2:15; Joel 2:3), or finally, “Eden” itself (Isa 51:3; Ezek 31:9 and others). in the east, Some biblical translators replace this geographical indication with a chronological one, translating the Hebrew term miqqedem (miqqedem) as “in the beginning” (Vulgate, Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion). But the Greek, Syriac, and both our translations more correctly render it as “in the east,” since in other places in the Bible this term ordinarily denotes a place rather than a time (Gen 3:24). The country of Eden, which, according to the indication of other sacred books (Isa 37:12; Ezek 27:23), should be sought near Mesopotamia in the basin of the Tigris and Euphrates, actually lay to the east of Palestine, the place in which the author of the Pentateuch lived and acted, where he recorded this divine revelation about paradise. and placed there the human whom he had created. Consequently, the first human was created outside of paradise, to which he was introduced only later.

Genesis 2:9. And the Lord God caused to grow from the earth every tree pleasant to look at and good for food, and the tree of life in the middle of the garden, Among all the trees of paradise, which delighted to the eye and nourished the body of the human, stood one which possessed miraculous power – the power to grant immortality to anyone who ate of its fruit (Gen 3:22), for which reason it received its name “tree of life.” The specified characteristic of this tree was not, without doubt, its natural property, but represented one kind of special, supernatural action of divine grace connected with eating of its fruit, as with its external symbolic sign. Aside from its actual historical existence (Rev 2:7), the tree of life, both in Scripture itself and among the Fathers of the Church, acquired a mystical-typological meaning, pointing mainly to the cross of Christ, by which the Lord restored to us spiritual life, and to the mystery of the Eucharist as the saving fruit of this sacrifice on the cross (John 6:51-58 and others), leading to eternal life. and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This was another famous tree of paradise, standing in the neighborhood of the first (Gen 3:3), but possessing, as was later revealed, properties directly opposite to it (Gen 3:17). God chose this tree as a means to test the faith and love of Adam, as well as his gratitude toward his heavenly Father, for which purpose He gave him the commandment not to eat of the fruit of this tree. From this commandment it probably received its name. “The tree of knowledge,” says Metropolitan Philaret, “being chosen as an instrument of testing, presented to the human on one hand a continually increasing knowledge and enjoyment of good in obedience to God, on the other – knowledge and feeling of evil in disobedience.” Since in general the commandment attached to this tree was intended for the development of the higher faculties of the human as a rational being, the name “tree of understanding” or “tree of knowledge” easily could be transferred to the tree itself. And since, according to the Old Testament view, all knowledge generally had a moral character, “good and evil” are taken here as two opposite poles of all knowledge in general. Gen 2:10-12. The general rather enigmatic character of the biblical account of paradise, in particular the existence in it of some mysterious trees, and especially the tree of knowledge, have served both for ancient heretics and for modern rationalists as a pretext for considering the entire biblical narrative about it as pure allegory. As if to forestall the very possibility of such false interpretation of facts, the chronicler not without purpose indicates the exact and rather detailed topography of paradise, thereby attesting to its former real existence on earth (the fact of its complete reality). From Eden came forth a river to water the garden; and it was divided from there into four rivers. This is the first essential geographical characteristic of paradise. In the Hebrew text this river is not named, since the word nahar means in general a great river, an entire water basin, which is why it is sometimes even applied to the ocean (Job 22:16; Ps 23:2; Ps 45 and so on). And since among the great rivers the Hebrews of Moses’ time were best acquainted with the river nearest to them, the Euphrates, it is not surprising that they called it especially by the name “nahar,” with all the tributaries flowing into it and the branches flowing out of it (Gen 15:18; Exod 23:31; Mic 7:12 and others). This river, having its source in the land of Eden (that is, in northern Mesopotamia or on the southern slope of the mountains of Armenia), passed through the entire garden and, on leaving it, branched into four main channels. The name of one is Pishon: it winds through the entire land of Havila, where the gold is; and the gold of that land is good; there is bdellium and onyx stone. “Pishon” – such was the name of the first of these channels. Ancient geography has not preserved for us the name of this river, as well as of those mentioned below, but modern scholars, it seems, have found some traces of it: we mean the discovery in Assyrian cuneiform inscriptions of the word “pisanu,” meaning “channel, bed, canal” (Delitzsch and Professor Yakimov). And since the cognate ancient Assyrian biblical name “Pishon” in literal translation means “full of water,” those same scholars construct the clever conjecture that under the name of the first river of paradise is meant nothing other than one of the largest and most abundant channels of ancient Mesopotamia, serving to conduct water from the Euphrates directly into the sea and more known among ancient Greek authors under the name of Pallacopa. By the very circumstance that here into the biblical description of paradise a canal is introduced, that is, already an artificial structure created by humans, one should not be especially troubled, since Moses, judging by the entire context, was describing not the primordial but the contemporary topography of the former paradise. And this all the more so since the very canal Pallacopa, according to the conclusion of an authoritative geographer (Ritter), was conducted along the dried bed of a river that actually existed but had dried up. Determining more precisely the position of the Pishon river, Moses indicates that it winds through the entire land of Havila, which was famous for its high-quality gold, fragrant resin (bdellium) (Num 11:7) and precious stones. The Bible knows two countries with this name: one – Hamitic (that is, populated by Hamites) in the northeastern corner of Egypt (Gen 10:7), another – Semitic, located to the northwest of Mesopotamia, otherwise also called Joctan’s land (Gen 10:29). Basing ourselves on the context, we must recognize that here the discourse concerns precisely this latter, Semitic Havila, all the more so since this coincides with the data of the latest scientific researches, which have discovered in cuneiform texts a name cognate with the biblical designation “sandy land” Ard-el-Havila, or Halat, lying in the neighborhood of the Persian Gulf.

Genesis 2:13. The name of the second river is Gihon [Gibon]: it winds through the entire land of Cush. The location of the second river of paradise is equally rather disputed and therefore it is better to start with determining the country which it wound through. In the Hebrew original this country is called “the land of Cush,” that is, the dwelling place of the Cushites, descendants of the younger son of Ham – Cush, or Hus (Gen 10:5-8). The LXX translated this as “Ethiopia,” which gave many the occasion to seek the country in the northeastern corner of Africa, in the neighborhood with Hisle, where the Hamites indeed subsequently settled (Jer 2:18). But the original homeland of these Cushites, according to the testimony of the biblical genealogical table (Gen 10:6-10) and monuments of cuneiform literature (Kasdim), was the eastern bank of the lower course of the Tigris and the northeastern corner of the Persian Gulf, namely that very valley of Shinar, in which, according to the biblical account, there settled the descendants of the various nations remaining after the confusion of Babel; uniting in one cultural-civic union under the predominant influence of Cushites, they formed a special nation known in science under the name of the Sumero-Akkadian, and in cuneiform texts under the name Kassu, which is very much like the biblical “Cush.” “If Cush is the same as Kassu,” says Professor Delitzsch, “then Gihon can be identified with Guhana, a Mesopotamian branch of the Euphrates.”

Genesis 2:14. The name of the third river is Hiddekel [Tigris]: it flows toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates. The names of the two latter rivers present no difficulties, since under those same names they are known at the present time. Here only the direction of the Tigris as indicated to the east (or as the LXX inaccurately, and our Slavonic following them, translate – “toward”) from Assyria, when Assyria itself lies almost entirely to the east of the Tigris, can raise some bewilderment! This bewilderment is easily removed by the assumption that by “Assyria” here is meant not so much the entire country as the very city which bears its name and the ruins of which are now discovered, actually, on the eastern bank of the Tigris (the place Kileh-Sherga). Thus, comparing the biblical data with the discoveries of modern Assyriology, the position of the biblical paradise is most appropriately determined in the southern part of the Mesopotamian plain, between Babylon to the north and the Persian Gulf to the south. According to the conclusion of a whole series of distinguished scholars (Rawlinson, Schrader, Delitzsch, Yakimov, and others), the biblical gan-Eden is identical with the gan-idimi of the Assyrian cuneiform texts, and consequently lay in the region of southern Babylon. The undeniable reality of the earthly paradise is also established by many passages of Scripture itself (Gen 13:10; Ezek 31:8-9 and others).

Genesis 2:15. And the Lord God took the human [whom He had created] and placed him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. The best interpretation of this passage is given by the holy John Chrysostom, who says: “since the life in paradise gave the human complete enjoyment, bringing both pleasure from contemplation (‘of the beauty of paradise’) and delight from eating (‘of the foods of paradise’); so that the human from excessive pleasure would not become dissolute (‘idleness,” it is said, “has taught many bad things,” Sir 33:28), God commanded him to work and keep the garden, that is, to till its soil and cultivate various plants on it, and also to protect it from irrational animals, which, wandering into the garden, could introduce disorder and damage into it. This is the first divine commandment concerning human labor, excluding the pagan idealization of the so-called “golden age” and giving meaning to human existence. Light, unburdensome, and pleasant labor was an excellent means for the exercise of the human’s physical and partly mental powers.

Genesis 2:16. And the Lord God commanded the human, saying: from every tree of the garden you may eat, For the development of the higher moral powers of the human, God gave him a special commandment, consisting in abstaining from the fruit of the already known tree of knowledge. This abstinence God appointed to serve as a symbol of obedience and submission to Him on the part of the human, by which the observance of this commandment expressed on the human’s part a feeling of love, gratitude, and devotion to God; whereas the breaking of it, on the contrary, testified to mistrust of God, contempt for His words, and base ingratitude to the Creator, together with the desire to live by one’s own will rather than by the commandments of God. This is why such, apparently, a trifling transgression received such enormous moral significance!

The first commandment in paradise.

Genesis 2:17. but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat from it, because on the day when you eat from it you shall surely die. The word “day” here, as before (Gen 2:1), should be understood in the sense of an indefinite indication of time and translated as: “at that time when.” “You shall surely die” – is one of the common ways in the Hebrew language to emphasize a thought, equivalent to our expression “you will certainly die.” This threat of death (for breaking the commandment) should not be understood as causing immediate destruction to occur right after the fall, but should be understood as the beginning of a slow process of dying as a result of the fall: God sent death (more precisely, deprived of immortality) at that very moment when the human fell; but this death only gradually undermined his strength, expressing itself noticeably in anguish of spirit and ailments of the body. But besides this physical death, Scripture and the Fathers of the Church see here also an indication of spiritual death, consisting in the fact that by the act of his fall the human broke his first covenant with God, severing his connection with the greatest source of life and thereby from that moment condemned himself to spiritual death (Rom 5:12; Eph 4:18).

Genesis 2:18. And the Lord God said: It is not hard to see here a rather close analogy with the words of the divine counsel before the creation of the first human (Gen 1:26) and consequently to find here proof of the importance of the act of which they speak. “It is not good for the human to be alone;” These words do not mean at all that God confesses to an imperfection in His creation and as if makes a correction in it – in the designs of divine providence, without doubt, all this had already been foreseen and foreordained: but they point only to the fact that solitude is difficult and not good for the human, because it deprives him of the most necessary and suitable means for the all-around development of his personality, which happens most successfully, as is known, in communion with his peers. I will make him a helper corresponding to him. In these words, on one hand, the high dignity of woman is indicated, for she is like the man, that is, just as he does, she bears in herself the image of God; on the other hand, her position, somewhat as if dependent on the man, is noted, in that every helper stands in the social sense a step below his immediate superior. Before proceeding to the detailed account of the history of the creation of the first woman, the chronicler briefly notes one more fact which served as the immediate occasion for this creation.

The naming of the animals.

Genesis 2:19. The Lord God had formed from the ground every animal of the field and every bird of the sky, He formed them, of course, much earlier, namely in the fifth and sixth days of creation (Gen 1:21), but if the chronicler returns here to this fact, he does so only for the sake of the general coherence of the narrative. and brought them to the human, to see what he would call them, and whatever the human would call every living soul, so that was to be its name. By this indication of the chronicler God Himself is placed in the role of observer and supreme director of the first experiment in human speech. “The authority of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the great philologist and philosopher Wilhelm von Humboldt agree with the thought that for humanity there was no other way out of infantile unreasoning babbling than divine Revelation, having given it a ready form for the expression of its thought, or, better to say, having given it both thought and form together” (Vlastov, “Sacred Chronology,” I, p. 30).

Genesis 2:20. And the human gave names to all the livestock and to the birds of the sky and to every animal of the field; Since this naming was not random, but was based on acquaintance with the nature of the creatures being named and for the most part contained in its basis an indication of the more characteristic property of the future bearer of that or another name, it testifies to a comparatively high state of the mental development of the first human. Moreover, according to the interpretation of the holy John Chrysostom, Adam’s naming of the animals indicated his dominion over them (Ps 8:6-7): “humans have the custom of placing a sign of their power in the fact that they, having bought themselves slaves, change their names; so God makes Adam, as a master, give names to all the irrational creatures” (John Chrysostom). but for the human there was not found a helper like him. In these words there sounds as if a quiet sadness of the first human, awakened by awareness of his complete solitude on earth, and there is heard a clear and strong desire for the fulfillment of what is lacking, which the merciful Lord did not delay to accomplish soon after.

The creation of the first woman.

Genesis 2:21. And the Lord God caused to fall upon the human a deep sleep; That the sleep that fell upon Adam (in Hebrew: tardemah) was not ordinary and natural, but inspired and ecstatic (έκστασις – LXX), is shown both by the context and by the biblical usage of this word (Gen 15:12; 1 Sam 26:12; Isa 29:10).

Genesis 2:22. And the Lord God built from the rib taken from the human a woman, and brought her to the human. This biblical detail seems offensive to many, and on the basis of it some consider the entire account of the creation of the first woman to be a myth (rationalists), while others interpret it allegorically (even some of the Fathers and teachers of the Church). But the very character of the given biblical narrative, marking with such care all its details, excludes the possibility of allegory here. As for the reference to supposedly obvious improbability and unnaturalness of the given process, where it is a question not of an ordinary phenomenon but of a miraculous, supernatural event, such a reference is, to say the least, out of place. The beginning of humanity was an extraordinary epoch. The spiritual meaning of this narrative is revealed in several places of Scripture (1 Tim 2:11-13; Eph 5:25-26), namely, the fact of the unity of the nature of husband and wife, and through it of all humanity, the foundation of their mutual attraction and the character of their proper mutual relations.

The establishment of marriage.

Genesis 2:23. And the human said: According to the opinion of all the best interpreters, Adam, being in a deep mysterious sleep during which God took from him a rib to create a wife for him, did not lose his consciousness, which is why he could speak these words. “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;” This is a common biblical expression conveying the idea of close physical kinship, which perhaps had its origin in this very primordial fact (Gen 29:14; Judg 9:2; 2 Sam 5:1; 1 Chr 11:1 and others). she shall be called woman, because she was taken from man [her husband]. The Hebrew word for “woman” (isha) is derived from the word “man” (ish) and thereby forever imprinted a clear allusion to the history of her origin.

Genesis 2:24. Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother It is scarcely possible to attribute these words to Adam, since he, not knowing any parents as the ancestor of all humanity, had neither need nor even the possibility of speaking of them. In view of this, it is with greater justice to be attributed either to Moses, as the lawgiver of the marriage bond among the Hebrews (Exod 21:1-11; Deut 21:11-17) and author of the book of Genesis, or, which is even better, based on the words of Jesus Christ (Matt 19:5) – to God Himself, who sanctified by this the mystery of the marriage bond and gave it a foundation for all future time. The idea contained in these words, on one hand, attests to the divine institution of marriage, on the other – proclaims two of its fundamental laws – unity and indissolubility, as Scripture itself interprets it (Matt 19:4-5; Mal 2:14-15; 1 Cor 6:16; Eph 5:31 and others). and be joined to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. The word “be joined” in Hebrew is expressed by the verb dabaq, meaning “to be absorbed,” “to assimilate,” “to become like” (Deut 10:20; 1 Sam 11:2), and consequently indicates not so much the physical connection between spouses as the spiritual union of their interests, so intimate that they should represent not two distinct persons but, as it were, one common personality. This intimate spiritual-moral union of spouses, both in Scripture and among the Fathers of the Church, serves as an image of the union of Christ with the Church (Eph 5:30-31), John Chrysostom, Augustine and others.

Genesis 2:25. And they were both naked, Adam and his wife, and they were not ashamed. Before the fall, the first humans had no need for clothing and were not acquainted with the feeling of shame, which is a fruit of sin (Gen 3:7; Rom 6:21). All the spiritual and physical powers of the first humans were in such a wonderful harmony and were so balanced that the natural condition of bodily nakedness did not awaken in them any unclean thoughts and base desires; and their physical nature was so resilient and strong that it did not need any means of protection from atmospheric influences. * * * Notes PESHITO – In the first and second centuries a translation of the sacred books appeared in the Syriac language under the name “Peshito,” meaning “simple, faithful.” For the Orthodox Church these two translations (“Septuagint” and “Peshito”), and for Roman Catholics also the translation made by the holy Jerome, the so-called “Vulgate” (common), are absolutely more authoritative than the modern Hebrew original.

Chapter Three

The Serpent as Tempter.

Genesis 3:1. The serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. The nature of this serpent is rather puzzling: in certain respects—for instance, in the very name itself, in its belonging to the animal class, in the cunning that distinguished it (Matt 10:16) and in the punishment imposed upon it—crawling upon the earth (Gen 3:14)—it is, without question, presented in Scripture as an ordinary, natural serpent; but a whole series of other marks, such as: the gift of speech, knowledge of the existence of the commandment, extraordinary cunning and treachery, and also the assertion of a duration of existence extraordinary for a natural serpent—all this points us to some higher, consciously rational being. Therefore, the correct understanding of this serpent will be one which unites all these aforementioned characteristics, as for instance Saint John Chrysostom does, saying: “according to Scripture, we should reason that the words belonged to the devil, who was moved to this deception by envy (Wis 2:24), and he used this animal (that is, the ordinary serpent) as a convenient instrument” (John Chrysostom). The presence of the devil-tempter in this serpent is affirmed consistently by many other places of Sacred Scripture, in which the devil is called “a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44), the first cause of evil on earth (1 John 3:8; Wis 2:24) and even directly “the ancient serpent” (Rev 12:9-10). And the serpent said to the woman: Has God truly said, The treacherous serpent addresses the woman, as the weaker vessel (1 Tim 2:14; 1 Pet 3:7), with good reason calculating that it would be easier to reach its goal through her; besides, the woman probably did not herself personally hear the commandment from God, but received it already from her husband and therefore knew it less firmly and steadfastly. “You shall not eat from any tree in the garden?” The seducer intentionally exaggerates the severity of the commandment, so as to thereby confuse the woman and sow in her displeasure both with the commandment itself and with its Giver.

Genesis 3:2–3. And the woman said to the serpent: Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God said, you shall not eat of it and you shall not touch it, In Eve’s answer it is noteworthy that her formulation of God’s commandment was not sufficiently precise (cf. Gen 2:17), namely, the addition of the words: “and you shall not touch it.” In this many commentators see, as it were, a reproach to God from Eve for excessive severity and difficulty of His commandment and a mute dissatisfaction with it. “lest you die.” An accidental and outward motive for keeping the commandment (Gen 2:17) Eve here sets as the principal and even the only one. “From this one may infer,” as Philaret rightly remarks, “that the thought of the severity of the commandment and the fear of death had already begun to obscure in her the pure feeling of love and reverence for God the Lawgiver.”

Genesis 3:4. And the serpent said to the woman: No, you shall not die, Justly discerning from Eve’s answer that in obedience to God she is restrained not so much by inner and moral motives as by the purely outward feeling of fear of death, the devil speaks outright falsehood: “No, you shall not die,” that is, your fears of losing your life, based on God’s threat, are entirely unfounded and vain.

Genesis 3:5. but God knows that on the day you eat of them, Seeing that Eve offers him no objection to this new, obvious falsehood (the denial of death), the devil resorts to gross slander against God, portraying Him as a jealous and cunning tyrant of the first humans, crudely exploiting their naive credulity, which serves as the basis of His dominion over them. your eyes will be opened, The opening of eyes is a common biblical figure of speech serving to denote the disclosure of the capacity for intellectual understanding and moral sensitivity (Gen 21:19; 2 Sam 6:17-20; Acts 26:18). and you will be like God, In the Hebrew text the last word is expressed by the term Elohim, which is one of the customary names for God. But since, by its philological composition, it is a plural form and properly means “powers,” “authorities,” “dominion,” the LXX translated it literally, that is, in the plural number “gods.” However, it would be more correct to maintain the usual biblical usage, that is, to translate it as “God”; for, in the first place, the first humans did not yet know any gods other than the one true God, and in the second place, only with this translation is that opposition between God and humans maintained, which is given in the text (God “knew,” but you will be like gods). An allusion to this bold striving to equal God in knowledge is given to us also by some other places of Sacred Scripture (Isa 14:13-14). knowing good and evil:—here, just as before (Gen 2:9), these are understood in the sense of universal knowledge, as if the utmost extent of it.

The Fall of the First Parents.

Genesis 3:6. And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes and desirable, because it gives knowledge; When the devil had succeeded not only in destroying the fear of death in Eve, but also in awakening in her ambitious thoughts of broad knowledge and high power (like gods), then, strictly speaking, the process of mental fall had already occurred in her soul; it remained only for this sinful disposition to manifest itself outwardly, to express itself in transgressive action. Here the tempter was aided by the immediate impression of the very forbidden tree, which acted irritatingly upon all her senses. In this last, depicted so vividly and with such deep psychological insight in Scripture, act of Eve’s fall, interpreters rightly find all three main types of sin which the Apostle John (1 John 2:16) distinguishes: as the lust of the flesh (good for food), the lust of the eyes (pleasant to the eyes) and the pride of life (desirable, because it gives knowledge). and she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, Seduced by the tempter’s beguiling speech and finally bewildered by the sensual stimulation from the tree, Eve plucks the forbidden fruit and tastes it (2 Cor 11:3). Having fallen herself, she hastens to involve her husband in her deed as well, doing this, in the opinion of most commentators, without any special malicious intent, since the poison of sin had not yet had time to penetrate her soul and corrupt the peace of her conscience. and he ate. If Eve in her fall was to some extent excused by her comparative natural weakness, by an exaggerated-formal and purely external understanding of the commandment, and finally by the immediate sensual impression of the tree, then Adam, who had received the terrible commandment directly from God Himself and who had experienced in himself so many manifestations of divine love, had no mitigating circumstances for his guilt, so that his sin is purely a spiritual transgression and heavier than Eve’s sin (Rom 5:12; 1 Cor 15:21-22; 1 Tim 6:14).

God’s Rebuke of Them.

Genesis 3:7. And the eyes of them both were opened, Thus the tempter’s prediction was fulfilled—but instead of a feeling of satisfaction and joy, the fall produced only palpable sorrow and disquietude. and they knew that they were naked, Inasmuch as formerly nakedness served as a synonym for the childlike innocence and purity of the first humans (Gen 2:25), so now the agonizing awareness of it became the triumphant sign of crude sensuality and sin (Rom 6:12-14; Col 3:5). “The external eye,” according to the profound expression of Origen, “opened after the inner eye had closed.” and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. Such, according to Scripture, was the first clothing of humanity; and this is in perfect accord both with the universal tradition of antiquity and with the history of human culture.

Genesis 3:8. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden, Clearly, this refers to one of those theophanies which characterize the primitive age—a time of special closeness and immediate dealings between God and humanity. As to the very character of this theophany, judging from the description, it had a character accessible to external senses, and therefore a concrete character, which is also confirmed by all the subsequent context. In this matter, finally, we are assured also by analogous expressions in Scripture (Lev 26:12; Deut 23:14-15; 2 Sam 5:24; Exod 9:23; Job 37:4-5; Ps 29:3 and others). in the cool of the day; or, in a translation closer to the Hebrew text, “in the breeze, in the evening of the day.” Some see here an indication of the time of the theophany—namely, the cool evening of the day; others—of its form (Job 38:1), that is, of God’s merciful willingness to forgive the fallen first parents in case of their sincere repentance. and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. The fear of the guilty conscience of the fallen humans, who had lost their innocence and purity, so darkened their mental capacities that they thought they could hide themselves from the All-seeing and Omnipresent One (Jer 21:14; Amos 9:3), seeking in their naive delusion shelter from Him beneath the leaves of the garden trees.

Genesis 3:9. And the Lord God called to Adam and said to him: “Adam, where are you?” This question does not at all betray ignorance, but rather sounds only as a call of divine love, directed to the sinner for his repentance. According to the interpretation of Saint Ambrose, God asks Adam not so much about what place he is in, but about what state they are in.

Genesis 3:10. He said: “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I am naked, and I hid myself.” Instead of sincere and wholehearted repentance, Adam resorts to false excuses—self-justification, which, of course, only aggravates the weight of his guilt.

Genesis 3:11. And He said: “Who told you that you are naked? Have you eaten of the tree from which I forbade you to eat?” Divine mercy is unspeakable: meeting the false shame and sinful dullness of humanity, God Himself provisionally names his guilt; all that remained for humanity was, like the prodigal son of the Gospel parable, to cry out from the depths of a contrite heart: “I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:21). But humanity, through the action of sin, turned out to be incapable of this immediate repentance to rise from its fall.

Genesis 3:12. Adam said: “The woman whom You gave me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” Instead of due repentance, Adam allows himself a crude self-justification, in which he even dares to as it were reproach God Himself for giving him what he had previously considered a desired good for himself (Gen 2:18).

Genesis 3:13. The woman said: “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” In the woman’s answer, although the very fact of breaking the commandment is not denied, nevertheless the responsibility for it is equally shifted and transferred to another. This self-justification of the fallen first parents is a very characteristic trait of all obstinate sinners, testifying to their moral hardening. The very fact of the woman’s seduction by the serpent is affirmed in Sacred Scripture very clearly (2 Cor 11:3; 1 Tim 2:14).

The Curse upon the Serpent.

Genesis 3:14. And the Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, cursed are you among all the beasts and among all the creatures of the field; Since in the person of the deceiving serpent two separate beings were united, as we have seen—an evil spirit and a natural serpent—all this simultaneously applies to both: to the serpent as the visible instrument—directly and immediately, and to the devil as its invisible agent—mediately and by analogy. In particular, the curse upon the natural serpent, which is preeminent in comparison with all the rest of creation, which was also subjected to the works of corruption (Rom 7:20), is as it were just retribution for its previous superiority over it (Gen 3:1). you shall crawl on your belly, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life; According to the opinion of most authoritative commentators, the crawling of the serpent on its belly was not some new miracle, but a natural property; but formerly this property had no special significance—now it becomes a symbol of humiliation and contempt (Deut 32:24; Mic 7:17) from a feeling of aversion to its bearer. The same essential thought is contained in the subsequent words of the text about eating the dust of the earth: they give figurative expression to the same idea of the serpent’s creeping, inasmuch as it inevitably leads to the inhaling of earthly dust and contact with its various impurities. In application to the devil, this latter metaphor indicates the humiliation of Satan, already cast down from heaven and thereby, as it were, condemned to crawl upon the earth, feeding himself there on human vices and wickedness, the direct consequences of his own treacherous suggestions.

The First Promise of the Messiah.

Genesis 3:15. and I will put enmity between you and the woman, This section is of paramount importance. It contains a prophecy that passes through the entire world history, up to the very end of the world, and at the same time is fulfilled on every page of the aforementioned history. The profound enmity mentioned here is that inner opposition which exists between good and evil, light and darkness (John 3:19-20; 1 John 2:15)—this enmity finds reflection even in the sphere of higher spirits (Rev 12:7-9). “The first woman in the world first fell into the snare of the devil, but she herself through her repentance (meaning the repentance of all subsequent life outside paradise) was the first to shake his power over her” (Vissarion). Many Church Fathers (Justin, Irenaeus, Cyprian, John Chrysostom, Jerome and others), basing themselves on various places of Sacred Scripture, refer this prophecy not so much to Eve as to that great Woman, who above all other women embodied in herself the “enmity” toward the kingdom of Satan, serving the mystery of the Incarnation (Rev 12:13; Gal 4:4; Isa 7:14; Luke 2:7; Jer 31:22). In place of the destructive friendship of the woman with the serpent, a saving enmity is set between them. Inasmuch as the wife of the first Adam was the cause of the fall, so the mother of the second Adam became the instrument of salvation. and between your seed and her seed; By the seed of the serpent, in the most immediate, literal sense, is understood the offspring of the natural serpent, that is, all future members of this species, with whom the offspring of the woman, that is, all humanity in general, wages an ancient and fierce war; but in the further, determined sense, through this analogy is symbolized the offspring of the deceiving serpent, that is, the children of the devil in spirit, who in the language of Sacred Scripture are called sometimes “broods of vipers” (Matt 3:7), sometimes “weeds in God’s field” (Matt 13:38-40), sometimes directly “sons of perdition, sons of disobedience, sons of the devil” (John 8:44; Acts 13:10). From among these children of the devil, Sacred Scripture especially singles out one “great adversary,” “the man of lawlessness and the son of perdition,” that is, the antichrist (2 Thess 2:3-4). In complete parallel with this, the interpretation of the woman’s seed is established: by it is first and foremost understood all her offspring—the entire human race; in the further, sense determined by the context, by it are understood the righteous representatives of humanity, who energetically fought the evil that reigned upon the earth; finally, from among this latter, Sacred Scripture gives us grounds to single out one Great Descendant, born of the woman (Gal 4:4; Gen 17:7), as the victorious adversary of the antichrist, the principal author of the victory over the serpent. He shall crush your head, and you shall strike His heel. The very process and character of the aforementioned enmity is vividly portrayed in an artistic picture of a great struggle between two warring sides, with a fatal outcome for one (crushing of the head) and a comparatively slight harm for the other (striking of the heel). Fairly close analogies to this image are found in other places of Sacred Scripture (Rom 16:20 and others). The mention here of the woman, the serpent and their offspring, of crushing the head and striking the heel—all this is nothing more than artistic images, but images full of profound meaning: in them is contained the idea of struggle between the kingdom of light, truth and good and the realm of darkness, falsehood and all evil; this highly dramatic struggle, having begun from the moment of the fall of our first parents, passes through the entire world history and is destined to be concluded only in the kingdom of glory with the complete triumph of good, when according to the word of Scripture, God will be “all in all” (1 Cor 15:28; cf. John 12:32). The conclusion of this struggle will be that spiritual duel spoken of here, when “He” (αὺτὸς—a masculine pronoun), that is, the Great Descendant, will enter into battle with the serpent itself or its chief offspring—the antichrist—and will crush the latter on the head (2 Thess 2:8-9; Rev 20:10). It is curious that pagan tradition preserved a rather firm memory of this important event and even portrayed this very picture of the struggle on various artistic monuments. If this divine promise of victory over the devil is a living source of comfort and joy for us, what a ray of life-giving hope it must have been for the fallen first parents, hearing from the lips of God Himself this most joyful news! Therefore this promise is quite deservedly called the “first Gospel,” that is, the first good news of the coming Deliverer from bondage to the devil.

The Punishment of the First Parents.

Genesis 3:16. To the woman He said: “I will greatly increase your sorrow in your pregnancy; in pain you shall bring forth children; In these words is pronounced the punishment of the woman, consisting in the fact that childbearing, the greatest act of human earthly life, which was the object of special divine blessing (Gen 1:28), is now transformed into a source of sorrow and suffering. However, these pains of childbirth are not something intentionally sent now by God as punishment for the woman, but are only the natural lawful consequence of the general weakness of the physical nature of fallen humanity, which has lost through the fall the normal balance of spiritual and physical forces and has fallen subject to diseases and death. and your desire shall be for your husband, In these words the whole tragedy of the woman’s position is expressed even more clearly: despite the fact that the woman in childbirth will experience the greatest pains, united with danger to her own life, she will not only not shrink from marital relations with her husband—this unwilling source of her sufferings—but will seek him all the more and all the more strongly than before. and he shall rule over you.” A new trait of the marital relations between husband and wife, establishing the fact of the complete rule of the former over the latter. If even before, the wife, in the capacity only of a helper to her husband, was placed in some dependence upon him, then now, after the first wife has proved unable to use her freedom properly, God by a defined law places her conduct under the supreme control of her husband. The whole history of the pre-Christian world serves as the best illustration of this, especially the ancient East with its debased and enslaved position of woman. Only in Christianity—the religion of redemption—is the woman restored to the rights she lost in the fall (Gal 3:28; Eph 5:25 and others).

Genesis 3:17. And to Adam He said: “Because you have hearkened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ The judgment upon the final culprit of the fall—Adam—is preceded by an elucidation of his doubled guilt, namely, by the indication of how he, instead of having a sobering effect upon the woman, himself fell under her seductive influence. cursed is the ground because of you; in sorrow you shall eat of it all the days of your life; The best explanation of this fact we find in Scripture itself, namely in the prophet Isaiah, where we read: “The earth is defiled under its inhabitants, for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statute, broken the everlasting covenant. For this reason the curse devours the earth, and those dwelling in it bear their punishment” (Isa 24:5-6). Consequently, in these words is given only a particular expression of the general biblical thought about the close connection between the fate of humanity and the life of all nature (Job 5:7; Eccl 1:2; Rom 8:20). With respect to the earth, this divine curse was expressed in the loss of its productive power, which in turn most strongly affects humanity, as it condemns it to hard, stubborn labor for daily sustenance.

Genesis 3:18–19. thorns and thistles shall it bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, In these two verses a more detailed exposition is given of the preceding thought about the loss of earth’s fertility and the severity and unproductiveness of human labor. By this divine judgment, all of humanity’s earthly existence is, as it were, transformed into a continuous labor of hardship and is condemned to sorrows and sufferings, as is expressed much more clearly in the Slavic text: “in sorrows shall you eat it all the days of your life” (Gen 3:17) (cf. Job 5:7; Isa 55:2; Eccl 1:13 and others). until you return to the ground, from which you were taken, for dust you are and to dust you shall return.” The series of divine punishments is concluded with the fulfillment of the threat which was uttered in case of the breaking of the commandment, that is, with the proclamation of death. This law of destruction and death, as is evident from this text and also from a series of biblical parallels (Ps 103:29; Job 34:14-15; Eccl 12:7), concerned only the physical nature of humanity, formed from the earth and returning to its original condition; it did not extend to the human soul, which has its own highest source in God (Eccl 12:7; Prov 14:32; Isa 57:2 and others). With respect to the physical nature of humanity, death, if it can be considered a punishment for the fall, is not so much in the positive as in the negative sense of the word, that is, not as the introduction of something completely new and inappropriate to human nature, but only as the deprivation, the taking away of what constituted the gift of God’s supernatural grace, of which the tree of life was the conductor and symbol, which prevented the action of physical decay in the human organism. In this sense should be understood the well-known biblical expressions that “God did not create death” (Wis 1:13), that “God created (more precisely—destined) humanity for incorruption” (Wis 2:23) and that death was brought into the world by human sin (Rom 5:12).

Genesis 3:20. And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Up to this point, as is evident from Scripture, she had no name of her own, but was designated only in relation to her husband by the word “woman.” The name given to her now, Hebrew: Hawwah, means “life,” or, properly, “she who produces life” (ζωογόνος—Symmachus). In the fact that even at the moment of God’s judgment about death, Adam did not doubt the immutability of the divine promise about the woman (and her Seed) as the restorer of life (“Eve”), the Church Fathers rightly see proof of the conscious, living and ardent faith of the fallen first parents in the promised Redeemer (Messiah).

The First Garments.

Genesis 3:21. And the Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skin and clothed them. In this brief biblical note, according to the opinion of the best exegetes, is given a silent indication of the divine establishment of the institution of sacrificial offerings, which excellently explains also the connection of the context, through the supposition of which the very connection of the text is restored: just as in the previous verse the naming of the first wife had a direct relation to the Messianic idea, so also the slaying of sacrificial animals symbolized the same idea; and the Lord indicated to humanity to use the skins of these sacrificial animals as clothing. Such, according to the data of Scripture as well as according to the history of human culture, is the second stage in the development of the gradation of human garments.

The Expulsion of the First Parents from Paradise.

Genesis 3:22. And the Lord God said: “Behold, Adam has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever;” It would be too crude and unworthy of God to see in these words of His merely simple irony over the unhappy fallen first parents. Therefore, those are more correct who see in them a strong antithesis to one of the earliest verses of this narrative, where mention was made of the tempter’s false promise to give the people equality with God (Gen 3:5). “Since,” remarks Blessed Theodoret, “the devil said: ‘you will be like gods, knowing good and evil,’ but to the one who transgressed the commandment a mortal judgment was uttered, God the Almighty spoke this in rebuke, showing the falsity of the devil’s promise.” Thus, if there is any irony here, it is in the facts themselves, not in the words.

Genesis 3:23–24. So He drove him out of the garden of Eden, that he might till the ground from which he was taken; The conclusion of all the history of paradise is served by the fact of the expulsion of the fallen first parents from paradise, with the chief purpose of depriving them of the possibility of using the fruits of the tree of life. And He drove Adam out, and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. In order completely to bar people’s access to paradise, God set one of the heavenly beings—a “cherub”—as a guard at the entrance to paradise, and in addition—sent a special heavenly fire, issuing from the depths of the earth and flashing like the blade of a rotating sword. * * * Notes By another reading: and between Her Seed; He shall crush you on the head, and you shall strike Him on the heel. Life

Chapter Four

The first birth.

Genesis 4:1. Adam knew Eve, his wife; and she conceived, Here is the first account in the Bible of childbearing, on the basis of which many are inclined to think that in paradise there was no marital union and that it arose only after the Fall as one of its consequences. But such an opinion is mistaken, as it contradicts the divine blessing of multiplication given by God himself to the first couple at the very moment of their creation (Gen 1:28). At most, one can only suppose from this that the paradise state probably lasted very briefly, so that the first people, always absorbed in higher spiritual concerns, did not yet have time to indulge in the physical, lower side of their nature. and she bore Cain, and said: I have acquired a man from the Lord. It is clear that Eve regarded her firstborn son as a gift from God, or as an inheritance received from Him; in this way, on the one hand, she confessed her faith in God, which had been violated by the disobedience of the Fall, and on the other, expressed hope for receiving from God a blessed Offspring, destined to crush the power of the devil.

Genesis 4:2. And she also bore his brother, Abel. The name of the second son of Adam, known from the Bible, is interpreted and translated in various ways: “breath, nothingness, vanity” or, as Josephus thought, “weeping.” Like the preceding name, this one, in all likelihood, also had a connection with the idea of the first promises. As much as Eve rejoiced over the first son, from whom she expected to see great consolation for herself, just as much was she grieved at the birth of the second, as is evident from the name given to him—Abel, which means “vanity, nothingness.” Eve wished, probably, through this naming to express that just as she did not find in the first son what she expected, so from the second she no longer hopes for joy (Visarion). And Abel became a shepherd of flocks, but Cain became a tiller of the ground. Consequently, within the first family itself, at a very early stage, there arose representatives of two original human occupations—prototypes of the Bedouin (nomadic shepherd—Abel) and the fellah (farmer—Cain). “We completely deny the theory that humanity passed through all stages of primitive occupations, that is, that it first hunted, then moved to pastoral life, and finally became sedentary and took up farming. This theory is not confirmed by a single example, at least during the two thousand years of which we have reliable information” (Vlastov).

The sacrifices of the first sons of Adam

Genesis 4:3–4. After some time; This is how our Russian text translates the chronological notation of the Hebrew text, which literally means “at the end of days.” Penetrating the thought of the biblical author, interpreters differently determine the period of time at the end of which the described event occurred: some think that “a year” is meant (more precisely, “the time of the new year”), others see an indication of the end of a month, or the completion of a week, specifically “the Sabbath,” or in particular, the establishment of “times of worship,” sanctified by the offering of sacrifice. Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord, and Abel also brought an offering of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. Although the significance of these sacrifices was determined, according to the interpretation of the Apostle Paul, not by the worth of what was offered, but by the inner disposition of the one offering (Heb 11:4), yet, since everything inward finds a corresponding expression outwardly, the gifts themselves were not without significance. Saint John Chrysostom on this subject remarks: “Discerning minds already understand from the very reading what is said… See how Scripture shows us the love of God in Abel’s intention and that he brought not simply from the sheep, but from the ‘firstborn,’ that is, the precious, choice ones: furthermore, from these choice ones the most precious: and ‘from their fat,’ that is, from the most pleasant, the best. About Cain, Scripture says nothing of the sort, but only says that he brought an offering of the fruit of the ground, whatever happened to fall in, without any effort or discernment.”

Genesis 4:4–5. And the Lord looked upon Abel and upon his offering, but he did not look upon Cain and upon his offering. The sacrifices of the two brothers, different in their worth, character, and especially in the inner disposition (mood) of the one offering, were accompanied by completely different results: the Lord “looked upon” Abel’s sacrifice, that is, as John Chrysostom interprets it, “received it, approved the intention, crowned the disposition, was, as it were, satisfied with what was done…” And in another place the same renowned interpreter says: “since Abel brought with the proper disposition and from a sincere heart, God ‘looked upon,’ that is, received, approved, praised… But the foolishness of Cain he rejected” (John Chrysostom). The Apostle Paul gives the same illumination of this fact (Heb 11:4), saying that Abel’s sacrifice was fuller (πλέιονα), more perfect than Cain’s, that is, more corresponded to the fundamental idea of sacrifice, since it was permeated with living and effectual faith, by which above all is understood faith in the promised Messiah. Cain’s sacrifice, by contrast, bore in itself the spirit of pride, vanity, arrogance, and external formalism, which created entirely understandable obstacles to its acceptance. Since, judging from the context, both the offerers themselves came to know the different outcome of these sacrifices, it is certain that the aforementioned divine treatment of them was expressed to Cain by an obvious, external sign. Relying on suitable biblical analogies, it is thought that such a sign was either heavenly fire, shooting forth upon the accepted sacrifice, or a lofty column, rising from it to the very heavens (Lev 9:24; Judg 6:21; 1 Chr 21:26; 1 Sam 18:38, etc.). Cain was deeply grieved, Most precisely the thought of the Hebrew text is rendered by the Latin translation, where instead of “grieved” stands iratus—“became angry”; namely, “became angry both at his younger brother, preferred before him by God, and at God Himself, as if He had done him an injury, revealing the sign of His favor not to him, but to his brother” (Visarion). and his countenance fell, that is, the features of his face, under the influence of envy and malice, took on a gloomy and dark expression. It was not sorrow, not feelings of repentance or heartfelt grief for sin that darkened Cain’s face, but the spirit of restless envy and dull, suppressed enmity toward the favored brother.

Genesis 4:6. And the Lord [God] said to Cain: Why are you grieved? Great is the mercy of God, unwilling that the sinner should die, but seeking all paths and means to his understanding and instruction (Ezek 18:23)!

Genesis 4:7. if you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin lies at your door; This is one of the difficult passages of the Bible to interpret, chiefly because it reads quite differently in the Russian and Slavonic Bible. The latter, following the translation of the Septuagint, has this passage in such a form as to give it an entirely new meaning, having no support in the context. This misunderstanding is explained, in all likelihood, by the fact that the Greek translators did not understand the meaning of the basic Hebrew verb naschat precisely enough, and having made one inaccuracy, were then obliged to alter the rest of the phrase accordingly. The Russian translation is closer to the original; its thought may be more clearly expressed in the following phrase: since the face is a mirror of the soul, a dark appearance and downcast gaze serve as a reflection of dark thoughts and moods. When you act rightly and your conscience is clear, you experience a pleasant, light state of spirit, and joyfully and gladly raise your countenance. When, however, you do something wrong, the feeling of spiritual heaviness oppresses your heart and causes you to cast down your gaze. As soon as this has happened, know that sin lies at the door of your heart and you are close to falling; therefore, while it is not yet too late, gather all your strength and try to repel the coming temptation to sin. he desires you, but you must rule over him. Concluding the preceding instruction to Cain, God as if spoke to him thus: “You are tempted by an evil inclination, but you must keep watch and suppress it, do not allow the malice nestling within you and personified here as the beast lying at the door of your heart to ripen into a determination to commit evil.” Throughout this entire biblical section, therefore, is given a profound analysis of human psychology and an artistically true depiction of his inner, hidden processes with the dramatic struggle of various impulses, the results of which inevitably are reflected in the outward appearance of man.

The murder of Abel by Cain

Genesis 4:8. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him. As death itself, appearing in the world as the price of sin, was an act of violence and destruction of the God-established order, so the first experience of this death was the most typical expression of all these properties. The ancient Christian tradition, founded on the words of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (Matt 23:31; Luke 11:49-51; Heb 12:24), has preserved the memory of Abel as the first righteous man. This was the first manifestation of the enmity between the Seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent, predicted by God, running through all of human history, as John the Theologian beautifully explains in one of his epistles (1 John 3:10-12).

The judgment and punishment of Cain

Genesis 4:9. And the Lord [God] said to Cain: Where is Abel, your brother? Following the pattern of the judgment over the fallen first parents (Gen 3:9), the judgment over their transgressing son too begins with a merciful God calling [to the offender] to repentance. By His question the Lord wishes to awaken the conscience of the murderer, to draw him to sincere repentance and to a plea for forgiveness. He said: I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper? But Cain was in a completely opposite mood: with the obstinacy of a hardened sinner, not only does he deny his crime, but gives a brazen answer to God, as if even accusing Him of such an inappropriate question.

Genesis 4:10. And [the Lord] said: What have you done? Since Cain showed no readiness to repent and accept forgiveness, God finally proceeds to condemn him, in which He displays His omniscience, omnipotence, justice, and mercy. the blood of your brother cries out to Me from the ground; This is a rather common designation in the Bible for grave crimes, remaining unpunished among men through ignorance or negligence, but finding due retribution with God (Gen 18:20-21; Exod 3:9; Job 24:12; Jas 5:4; Heb 5:7). “The blood of Abel cries out, that is, demands vengeance (Rev 6:9-10), it cries out from the ground by the very act of destruction, which by the order of nature excites against itself other destructive forces, and its cry reaches even to God, for Abel even after death speaks by faith (Heb 11:4), placing him in the gracious presence of God” (Philaret). In the fact that this cry reaches heaven, there is found an imagery expression of the thought of divine omniscience, which is represented as hearing the cries even where man tries to cover everything with deaf silence.

Genesis 4:11. and now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand; Here we have the first example of divine curse directed immediately upon man. In the condemnation of, for example, Adam, only the devil and the earth were cursed, the latter for man’s sake (Gen 3:17); now, however, the very earth, stained with the blood of an innocent sufferer, becomes an instrument of punishment for the murderer, depriving him of its natural gifts (Lev 18:28; Job 31:38-40; Deut 28:39-42).

Genesis 4:12. you shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. In place of these words of the Russian translation, the Slavonic text has: “groaning and trembling shall you be on the earth” (στένων καὶ τρέμων—Septuagint). “This latter translation,” according to the apt remark of Metropolitan Philaret, “seems to have been made for an enigmatic interpretation of the mark placed upon Cain (Gen 4:15), while the first is confirmed by Cain’s own clear words, in which he finds in God’s punishment his expulsion from the face of the earth” (Gen 4:14). Since the earth serves man simultaneously as a source of food and as a place of dwelling, and the curse from it corresponds to this, having two forms: it consists of the barrenness of the soil and in homeless wandering over the face of the earth. And indeed, in the example of Cain we see a clear confirmation of the saying of the Wise Man: “The wicked man flees when no one pursues him” (Prov 28:1).

Genesis 4:13. And Cain said to the Lord [God]: My punishment is greater than I can bear; The Slavonic text, following the Greek translation of the Septuagint, has its own variation here: “my guilt is greater, so that I should be forsaken.” Its origin is explained by the fact that the Hebrew term—awon, having two meanings: sin and punishment for it, was taken by some in the first sense (Septuagint) and by others in the second. But from the connection of the context of the speech, the first reading, which appears in the Russian Bible, is much preferable: it presents to us this exclamation of Cain as the cry of despair and cowardice of a sinner, unwilling to bear the deserved sufferings with patience, at least in part to atone for his guilt.

Genesis 4:14. Behold, You are now driving me from the face of the earth, By the face of the earth in the Hebrew text (hadama—land inhabited by people and cultivated) is understood, obviously, the land of Eden, which was the first habitation of humanity: Adam was driven from paradise or the garden of the land of Eden, Cain is driven from all this land. This, of course, does not exclude the possibility of seeing here also a comparison with dust swept away by the wind from the face of the earth (Ps 1:4; Hos 8:3). and from Your face I shall be hidden, and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth; This is a parallel to the same thought of expulsion from Eden, as a land sanctified by special gracious presence of God and marked by the promises given by Him. and everyone who finds me will kill me. “So everyone who brings sin into the world instinctively feels that he is subject to the same evil by the law of retribution, which he brought into society” (Vlastov). Whom was Cain afraid of? The most reasonable and plausible answer to this will be the supposition that he feared vengeance from his father’s entire family, both present and future. It is possible to suppose that even by the time of Abel’s murder, Cain’s family did not consist only of these two sons mentioned in the Bible, but also of other sons and daughters (Gen 5:4).

Genesis 4:15. And the Lord [God] said to him: For this reason, whoever kills Cain will suffer seven times over. In response to the cowardly complaint of the sinner, God gives a solemn assurance of his inviolability, promising to avenge sevenfold upon whoever willfully takes his life. The number seven, by the property of sacred language, can mean many times. In this way God, on one hand, reveals the extreme criminality of murder and all the gravity of responsibility for it, and on the other, manifests the inexhaustible riches of His mercy, unwilling that the sinner should die, but opening to him the possibility of atoning for his sin in the course of his remaining life. And the Lord [God] put a mark on Cain, so that anyone who found him would not kill him. On the question of the “sign” placed by God upon Cain so that he would not be killed through ignorance, in exegetical literature there reigns complete diversity of opinions, and the vast majority of them are unsatisfactory: they all explain only that Cain could be recognized, but not that he was strictly forbidden to be killed. Relying on biblical analogies, it is permissible to see in the sign made by God to Cain an indication of some external, miraculous action, serving both for Cain himself, and chiefly for all others as a sign (assurance) of his inviolability, like, for example, the rainbow later served as a sign of the non-repetition of the flood (Gen 9:13), the unburned bush as a testimony of Moses’ divine commission (Exod 3:2), the return of the sun ten degrees as a sign of King Hezekiah’s healing (Isa 38:5-8). The Blessed Theodoret in his commentary on this passage says: “God’s very determination was the sign forbidding his murder,” thereby supposing, along with some other modern exegetes, that this determination was known to all either through special divine inspiration, or—which is far simpler—because it was written in full upon his forehead. A somewhat similar case appears to exist in the book of the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 9:4-6).

Genesis 4:16. And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod, to the east of Eden. By God’s command, Cain was forced to leave the homeland where God had been pleased to reveal His presence in the most tangible manner, and became a homeless, shelterless wanderer. The place of Cain’s new, nomadic dwelling and that of his descendants is called the land of Nod and is described as to the east of Eden. According to the opinion of some commentators, the land of Nod is not the proper name of any country, but a common designation of all the wanderings of the Cainites, as a land of exile and a region of distress, located indeed to the east of Eden, “the land of bliss.”

The building of the first city

Genesis 4:17. And Cain knew his wife; An involuntary question arises: who was Cain’s wife? Obviously, one of his sisters, explain Saint John Chrysostom and the Blessed Theodoret: “since this was at the beginning, and humanity needed to multiply, it was allowed to marry sisters.” Probably she was already in union with him before Abel’s murder, since it would be doubtful that any woman would risk joining her fate to a known murderer. Later Rabbinic tradition ascribes to Cain as a wife a sister born simultaneously with him, calling her either Azura or Sava. and she conceived and bore Enoch. From this point begins a brief history of a new, separating branch of primeval humanity, or more precisely—the genealogy of the Cainites. It consists of almost only a listing of the main names, accompanied only rarely by brief explanatory remarks. But, taking into account the special property of ancient biblical names to express the distinctive features and the position of each person in the patriarchal family, we must find (read) the history of their lives in the analysis of the very names themselves. For example, the name of Cain’s first son, Enoch, means “sanctifier, founder, renewer”—it could be given to him as the firstborn (cf. Exod 6:14; Num 26:5) and as the “initiator” of a new form of life—“urban,” instead of the previous anxious wandering. In naming his son with the name “founder, renewer,” Cain, obviously, was expressing his cherished dream that with the birth of a son at the moment of beginning the construction of a city as a kind of settled, cultured dwelling, if not for himself personally, then for his descendants there would come a new, brighter period of life; that Enoch, born not as a homeless wanderer, but as a settled city-dweller, would open a new, happier era in the history of the Cainites. And he built a city; and called the name of the city by the name of his son: Enoch. or, more precisely from the Hebrew—“and he was building a city,” that is, laid the foundation, made the beginning, and left the actual building to Enoch and later generations. This city should be imagined only as a simple fortified point, probably surrounded by a ditch and fenced with a stockade for protection against wild beasts. From the perspective of material culture, the building of the first city is an event of extraordinary importance, as it marks the transition from nomadic life to settled life and even indicates significant progress in the latter.

Genesis 4:18. To Enoch was born Irad [Gaiidad]; called erroneously in the Slavonic Bible “Gaiidad,” due to the confusion in the Greek translation of the Septuagint of two similar in shape initial letters of this name and their transposition. Philologically the name Irad means “city” and thereby points to him as a city-dweller par excellence, as the first true city-dweller. From this we should conclude that the building of the city begun by Cain and continued by Enoch was relatively completed only at the birth of his son, whom he, to commemorate this memorable event, called “Irad.” Irad begot Mehujael [Mahelelel]; The name of Irad’s son, according to etymology from the Hebrew, means “struck, annihilated by God,” and, according to the conjecture of commentators, contains a hint of some particularly divine instruction of the forgotten Cainites. But in what exactly this instruction consisted cannot be said definitively: perhaps, here was preserved the memory of some terrible natural disaster, in which the Cainites recognized divine punishment. Mehujael begot Methuselah; The name of this new Cainite patriarch, according to the more plausible interpretation, means: “man, the man of God,” that is, asked of God, given by Him; in it, as well as in the preceding name, scholars not without reason see traces of some humbling of the proud descendants of Cain and their temporary turning to God, which was a consequence of divine punishment that befell them. Methuselah begot Lamech. The biography of Lamech himself and the history of his family receive from the writer of Genesis some detail, giving thereby indication that Lamech’s family is particularly typical for the characterization of the entire Cainite tribe. What first catches the attention is the very name “Lamech,” which means “destroyer, adversary.”

Genesis 4:19. And Lamech took two wives; Lamech shamefully immortalized his name by being the first to introduce polygamy, thereby he perverted the God-established character of marriage (Gen 2:24) and revealed his moral licentiousness and lust. the name of one: Adah, and the name of the other: Zillah [Sella]. The names of his wives reveal the character of Lamech’s marriage: the first means “ornament, attraction,” the second—“shadow, veil.”

The beginning of pastoral and industrial life.

Genesis 4:20–22. Adah bore Jabal: he was the father of those living in tents and with herds. The name [of] his brother was Jubal: he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. Zillah also bore Tubal-cain [Tovela], who was a forger of every instrument of bronze and iron. The three first names of this section are interpreted in the text itself, which greatly facilitates the establishment of their philological meaning. Thus, the first son of Adah, Jabal, means “nomad, herding flocks,” and in the Bible he is called “the father of those living in tents with livestock,” that is, the ancestor or, more precisely, only the organizer of the pastoral-nomadic way of life. The name of the second son of Adah—Jubal, derived from the word jobel (jubilee)—a prolonged musical sound produced by a trumpet—points to him as the inventor of “stringed and wind” instruments, which is directly stated in the biblical text itself. Finally, the third son of Lamech, born of another wife, bore the name Tubal-cain (in the Greek of the Septuagint—Tovela). The Bible does not explain the meaning of this patriarch’s name, but it excellently defines his role as the inventor of all kinds of copper and iron instruments, needed for agriculture, animal husbandry, hunting, war, and music. The brief note of the writer of Genesis about all of this serves as a passing indication of a very important cultural-historical moment, marking the transition from the Stone Age to the Metal Age; and what particularly catches the attention is the curious detail that the Bible, in complete agreement with positive history of culture, places the working of “bronze” before the working of “iron.” And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. Now Scripture mentions a woman separately for the first time, says Chrysostom: “The blessed prophet did not do this simply and without reason, but to prove to us something hidden.” And since the name “Naamah” means “beautiful, lovely,” scholarly exegetes conjecture that Naamah, alongside her brothers, was also a kind of inventor, specifically initiated a well-known social institution, particularly characteristic of the depraved Cainites. Some even think that she stood at the head of those “daughters of men” who drew the “sons of God” into ruin and thereby planted impiety on the earth (Gen 6:2).

Lamech and his wives—the song of Lamech.

Genesis 4:23–24. And Lamech said to his wives: Adah and Zillah! These two biblical verses, known as the “Song of Lamech,” constitute the oldest monument of Semitic poetry, as in it we encounter for the first time its characteristic feature—the parallelism of thoughts and strophes. “In all world literature there is no monument older than this passage of Semitic poetry,” says one scholar of a skeptical bent (Lenormant). Listen to my voice; wives of Lamech! Give ear to my speech: behold, a typical example for Hebrew poetry of the parallelism of thoughts, that is, the repetition of one and the same idea, only in different words. I have slain a man for striking me, and a young man for wounding me; if sevenfold vengeance is taken on Cain, then on Lamech seventy-seven times. Here too the same idea is repeated, though with some variations. The question of what sense should be given to this entire speech of Lamech to his wives about some murder he supposedly committed is much more difficult. Is all of this said only in a questioning form, that is, in the sense of “did I kill a man… and a youth,” or in the positive—as already accomplished fact of double murder, or perhaps only in the suppositive—namely, that I will kill any one who stands in my way, whether a mature man or a young lad? The majority of modern exegetes incline toward the last solution, finding that here the past tense of the verb “killed” is used instead of the future, to express the certainty of the action it expresses: “I will certainly kill, as if I had already killed,” Lamech boldly and boastfully declares of himself. Depending on such a view of the character of the text, the entire song of Lamech takes on the meaning of a victory hymn to the sword. Enraptured by the bloody invention of his son Tubal-cain, Lamech, as it were, comes to his wives and, shaking a terrible weapon, arrogantly boasts before them of this new cultural victory, creating for him the position of a despot and ruler. “I will kill any one, whether a respected, mature man or a thoughtless youth, if he dares to do me even the slightest offense. And if God promised to avenge sevenfold for Cain’s death, then I, armed with the terrible invention of my son, will be able to defend myself seventy-seven times better!” Thus, “the oldest of all monuments of poetry to reach us—reproduced in the Bible the bloody Song of Cain’s grandson Lamech, breathes not material need, but wild malice and fierce arrogance,” remarks, contrary to the positivists, our well-known philosopher-theologian V. S. Solovyov.

The birth of Seth

Genesis 4:25. And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son, and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” In place of the two oldest children of Adam and Eve, of whom one did not live up to the expectations placed on him (Cain), while the other perished prematurely (Abel), God gave them a third son as a keeper of true faith and godliness—named Seth. The significance of his name is explained in the text itself, in the sense of “establishment, foundation” of true faith, or “substitution, recompense” for the loss caused by Abel’s death. “All this shows that in Seth Eve places hope in the restoration and preservation of the blessed Seed, and names him in the spirit of faith and foresight of the future” (Philaret). And indeed, being the ancestor of the godly patriarchs of the antediluvian period (the Sethites), Seth became the pillar upon which stood and was established the primitive religion and church. In this respect, Seth seems to be a prototype of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself (1 Cor 3:11).

The religion of Enosh

Genesis 4:26. To Seth also a son was born, and he named him Enosh; The name of this patriarch in literal translation from the Hebrew means: “weak, sickly, infirm, mortal,” from which—as a derivative noun: “man,” characterized precisely by these properties of his nature (Ps 8:5). This name alone is sufficient testimony to the spirit of humble submission before God which distinguished the godly Sethites, in contrast to the proud conceit and arrogance of the Cainites. then men began to call upon the name of the Lord [God]. The Slavonic text has its own variation here, namely instead of “men began”—“he trusted”; this arose from the confusion of two phonetically similar Hebrew words, one meaning “to begin” and the other “to rise, to trust”; preference should be given here to the Russian translation. As to the meaning of this biblical phrase, it first of all speaks of the solemn calling upon the name of God as Jehovah in the days of Enosh, that is, of the beginning of public worship. Secondly, as some of the Fathers of the Church think (Chrysostom, Theodoret, Ephrem the Syrian)—it points to the fact that the godly Sethites, for their zeal toward Jehovah, [his] solemn glorification, began to be called “by the name of Jehovah,” “Jehovists” (Isa 45:3). All this particularly distinguished the godly Sethites, zealots for God, and gave them the right to that title “sons of God,” which we encounter later (Gen 6:2). And so, while the generation of Cainites, through the founding of a city, the invention of secular crafts and arts, laid the first stone of worldly power, the tribe of Sethites, through the joint calling upon God, lays the foundation of the Kingdom of God on earth—the Church, as a society of people united by faith in the Redeemer (Jehovah) and hope for deliverance through Him.

Chapter Five

The genealogy of the Sethites.

Genesis 5:1–2. This is the genealogy of Adam: This is the heading of an entire new section (toldoth), like the preceding one (Gen 2:4) and a whole series of those following it (Gen 10:1). Translating this heading of the history of the Sethites into the language of modern concepts, we should say: “this is a listing of Adam’s descendants.” And since further the account is concerned only with the Sethites, it is clear that this listing concerns not all, but only the nearest descendants, related to him not so much in flesh as in spirit. when God created man, in the likeness of God he made him, male and female he created them, and blessed them, and called their name Man, in the day of their creation. As he begins the enumeration of descendants, the writer does not without purpose mention the creation of the founder and his wife in the image of God. Perhaps he wanted to suggest to the reader that the enumerated descendants of Adam derive their lineage through him, as if from God Himself; that God, who created Adam in His image and likeness, is, as it were, the first member of the genealogy (Luke 3:38), (Visarion).

Genesis 5:3. Adam lived one hundred thirty [] years In presenting the genealogical table itself, the biblical author, beginning with Adam, maintains the same order throughout: having named a certain patriarch, he indicates his age at the moment when the next member of the genealogy was born, then determines the number of years of this patriarch’s remaining life, sums up the total of his longevity, and concludes all of this with mention of his death. In some chronological dates, mainly in those concerning the birth of a son to one or another patriarch, there is a disagreement between the Russian and Slavonic texts, arising from the difference between the Hebrew and Greek Bibles. This difference is, in all likelihood, of accidental origin (introduced by some translator or scribe) and in any case has no serious significance for the substance of faith, clearly proving only the evident truth that the Bible has no precise chronology, and what is present is fairly conditional and relative, and, at least in some of its sections, was probably added to it later. Another, even more important question relating to this antediluvian genealogy is the question of the astonishing longevity of its members, reaching almost a thousand years. In opposition to the tendentiousness and groundlessness of rationalistic attempts to undermine faith in patriarchal longevity, its recognition has a whole series of real proofs. In its favor speaks, first of all, the fact of the previous paradise immortality of man: although through the Fall man lost this divine gift, yet the infection of death could only gradually destroy the primitive robustness of his organism. The analogy of the patriarchal period with childhood of humanity also testifies to this: the patriarchal-antediluvian period was a kind of epoch of infancy in the life of humanity, that is, a time of special richness, wholeness, productivity, and freshness of all its spiritual and physical powers. The justice of this is confirmed to a considerable degree by a whole series of parallel traditions of other ancient peoples, recorded by Egyptian priest Manetho, Phoenician—Moho, Chaldean—Berossus, and others. Finally, an important confirmation, and at the same time the best explanation of the fact of patriarchal longevity, is the evident action of divine Providence, accomplishing through it high religious aims: the preservation of religious truth, the spread of the human race, and the establishment of the fundamental elements of religion, morality, and culture (for more details see I. Spassky, “Biblical Chronology,” Plastov, “Sacred Chronicle,” and A. Pokrovsky, “Biblical Teaching on Primitive Religion”). and begot a son in his own likeness, in his own image, and named him Seth. These words rather expressively establish the innate quality of fundamental spiritual and physical properties of human nature; in virtue of this, to the descendants of Adam passed both the features of the image of God laid in his nature, and the properties of that sinful resemblance which darkened this divine image in the act of the Fall (Gen 1:26; Rom 5:12).

Genesis 5:4. And the days of Adam after he begot Seth were eight hundred [] years, and he had other sons and daughters. The Bible names three sons of Adam and Eve by name and one daughter—supposedly the wife of Cain (Gen 4:17); but apart from these, as is evident from the stated words, they probably had other sons and, certainly, more daughters, who are not mentioned here because they had no essential significance in the history of God’s economy. We have similar accounts regarding the families of other patriarchs of this genealogy (Gen 5:7-26, etc.), from which once more we are convinced that this genealogy does not represent a complete list of all Sethite families, but marks only chosen persons, somehow particularly distinguished in the history of human salvation.

Genesis 5:9. Enosh lived ninety [] years and begot Kenan. Philological analysis of this patriarch’s name reveals the identity of its meaning with the name “Cain,” that is, “acquisition, possession”; and this, of course, casts no unfavorable shadow on this godly Sethite, since even the name Cain itself, according to the idea it contains, was significant and bright (Gen 4:1).

Genesis 5:12. Kenan lived seventy [] years and begot Mahalalel. which in translation means: “praise, glory to God, or one who praises, glorifies Him.” In this way, it indicates, obviously, the flourishing of religious interests during Kenan, son of Enosh—the first organizer of the service of God, in which a prominent place was occupied by the solemn calling upon and glorification of the Creator (Gen 4:26), the Providence of the world, and the Redeemer of humanity.

Genesis 5:15. Mahalalel lived sixty-five [] years and begot Jared. Originating from the Heb. verb jarad—meaning “to descend, to go down,” the name of this new patriarch points to him as a man “descending, going down, falling.” Retaining both the literal and figurative sense of this word, we are justified in supposing that here there is mention both of the physical descent of the Sethites from some height, and of their moral decline. Since the generation of Jared, fifth from Adam through Seth, was contemporary with the generation of Lamech, fifth from Adam through Cain, and since, on the other hand, there is a tradition that the Sethites originally lived on heights, while the Cainites in low valleys, then it is not without plausibility that the Sethites, captivated in the age of Jared by the beauty of the contemporary Cainite women (headed by the beautiful Naamah, Gen 4:22), descended from their heights into the valleys of the Cainites, entered into sinful unions with them, and thereby fell morally. This opinion, originating from philology, is supported also by ancient Jewish tradition, recorded, among other places, in the Book of Enoch.

Genesis 5:18. Jared lived one hundred sixty-two years and begot Enoch. The name of this patriarch, already known to us from the genealogy of the Cainites, points to its bearer as a renewer, founder, sanctifier—in a word, something new and, as a firstfruit, dedicated to God. But while Enoch the Cainite was the beginning of worldly power and cultural dominion (expressing itself in the building of a city bearing his name), Enoch the Sethite, by contrast, showed himself to be a typical representative of primitive faith, hope, and godliness—in a word, all that is united in the concept of the Old Testament “righteousness.”

Genesis 5:21. Enoch lived sixty-five [] years and begot Methuselah. In the literal translation from the Hebrew, this name, according to the opinion of authoritative Hebraists, means: “man of the spear, man of weapons.” Since, according to the more probable calculation, Methuselah died in the very year of the flood, they find it possible to see in his name a symbolic foreannouncement of his death from this spear of divine wrath, that is, from the flood. And this is all the more probable, since Methuselah’s father—the righteous Enoch, according to the words of the Apostle Jude (Jude 1:14-15), prophesied concerning the flood, and, consequently, in the spirit of this foresight, could easily have given a corresponding name to his son.

Genesis 5:22. And Enoch walked with God A similar expression occurs repeatedly in the Bible (Gen 6:9; Mic 6:8; Mal 2:6, etc.) and everywhere it means the highest degree of the moral direction of a man’s life, when he has become deeply permeated with a reverent feeling of divine omnipresence, which he sees with the eyes of faith as it were constantly before him, and in strict accordance with this directs the entire pattern of his behavior and each step of his life. This expression is even somewhat broader—namely, it contains a hint also of the consequences of such righteous conduct, in the form of a special and exceptional closeness to God, as is also transmitted in the Slavonic text: “and pleased Enoch was… to God,” as well as the Apostles Paul (Heb 11:5) and Jude (Jude 1:14).

The godliness of Enoch and his being taken alive to heaven

Genesis 5:24. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, because God took him. “And he was not found” (Septuagint, Slavonic)—Enoch, that is, he did not absolutely perish, but mysteriously disappeared from among men. Already this very departure of the biblical author from his usual manner of speaking of the death of patriarchs shows that the end of Enoch’s earthly life did not resemble the death of other patriarchs, was not, therefore, ordinary. The further words of the text “because God took him” reveal precisely this thought, although perhaps not sufficiently fully and clearly; turning for clarification of this phrase to biblical parallels, we find that they are literally repeated again concerning the prophet Elijah (2 Sam 2:11), from whose history it is positively known that he was wonderfully taken alive to heaven. The same thing, according to the interpretation of the Apostle Paul, happened earlier with Enoch (Heb 11:5; cf. Sir 49:16). Presumably, for this reason, in the Sacred Scripture Elijah and Enoch are presented together, as forerunners of the awesome second coming of the Lord to the earth (Rev 11:3, cf. Matt 17:11; Mark 9:12; Luke 9:8). This understanding of Enoch’s end fully corresponds moreover to the context, where this end is presented as a reward to the righteous man for his godliness; since death is “the wages of sin” (Rom 6:23), and Enoch through his “walking with God” sufficiently atoned for his guilt, he passes into the afterlife without seeing the corruption of the flesh (Ps 15:10), which underwent instantaneous transformation according to the pattern of what awaits, according to the apostle’s promise, the bodies of believers—contemporaries of the second glorious coming of the Lord (1 Cor 15:20-23; 2 Cor 5:4; 1 Thess 4:17).

Genesis 5:25. Methuselah lived one hundred eighty-seven years and begot Lamech. From the genealogy of the Cainites we already know that the name “Lamech” means “fierce man, a man of war and destruction.” It is difficult to determine with precision how the Sethite thought is symbolized by such an apparently unsuitable name. Most likely, in it should be seen a trace of the warlike and God-opposing spirit of the Cainites, which began from this generation to be distinctly felt also among the Sethites.

Genesis 5:27. Altogether, Methuselah lived nine hundred sixty-nine years; and he died. This is the longest-lived of all ten antediluvian patriarchs (and together—all historically known men), whose years or age have become a proverb among us (the years, the age of Methuselah).

Noah and his three sons.

Genesis 5:28–29. Lamech lived one hundred eighty-two [] years and begot a son, and he called his name Noah, saying: This one will bring us relief from our work and the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the Lord [God] has cursed. The last antediluvian patriarch was the son of Lamech—Noah. The significance of this name is explained in the biblical text itself, namely in the sense of “rest, consolation” from the labors and work of tilling the ground. It is thought that Lamech himself, not distinguished by godliness, in giving such a name to his son, connected with it an impious thought, namely—expressed hope for the speedy annulment of the power of divine curse upon the earth, thanks to cultural advances, of which he imagined his newborn son to be the harbinger. But according to the interpretation of John Chrysostom, Lamech, like the high priest Caiaphas in the judgment over Jesus Christ (John 11:49-52), expressed here against his will another great idea: placing the biblical indication of the lessening of toil and labor in connection with the words of the divine judgment on the Fall and their explanations in the Apostle Paul (Gen 3:13; Rom 8:20), the Fathers of the Church justly see in the name of Noah a prophetic foreannouncement that through Noah and his descendants the power of divine punishment for the Fall will be weakened, and after the storm of impiety (violence of the giants) (Gen 6:4) and the thunder of divine punishment for it (the flood in Noah’s time) there will come a new, relatively peaceful and quiet course of community and religious life.

Genesis 5:32. Noah was five hundred years old when he begot [three sons]: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Noah spent most of his life in the antediluvian epoch and by the end of it had already managed to have three sons; but the activities of these latter belong to the postdiluvian epoch, of which, following the narrative, we shall speak. As to the question of why Noah’s children were born so late compared with other patriarchs (Noah was already 500 years old), the best answer would be the supposition that Noah’s children did not have time before the epoch of the flood to become parents themselves, or became so corrupted and depraved that they too would have shared the sad fate of the entire primitive world.

Chapter Six

Universal depravity of humanity.

Genesis 6:1. When people began to multiply upon the earth and daughters were born to them, The context of the discourse shows that here the whole is taken for a part—the “Cainites” are designated by the general term “people”, an analogy to which we see in other places of Scripture (Jer 32:20; Ps 77:5 and others).

Genesis 6:2. then the sons of God saw the daughters of men, This is one of the most difficult places in the Bible to interpret; the principal difficulty lies in determining who should be understood here by the “sons of God”. Some, chiefly Jewish rabbis, basing themselves on the philological meaning of the root El (God), saw here an indication of the sons of nobles and princes, in general the higher and noble classes, who supposedly entered into marriage with maidens of the lower social strata. Hence, the term “sons of God” in the Arabic text was translated as filii illustrium, in the Targum of Onkelos as filii principium, in Symmachus as υἱοὶ των δοναστεύοντων. But this explanation does not withstand any positive criticism, being entirely arbitrary and not explaining the further consequences of the stated fact. The majority of other Jewish and Christian commentators of antiquity, along with the rationalists of modern times, understand by “sons of God” Angels. Being developed at length in the apocryphal books of Enoch and Jubilees and in the writings of Philo, this opinion in the first centuries of the Christian era enjoyed such wide reputation that even many of the Fathers and Teachers of the Church shared it (Justin the Philosopher, Irenaeus, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Ambrose, and others). Although it is true that by the term “sons of God” Holy Scripture sometimes, chiefly in poetic sections, understands “angels” (Job 1:6 and others), nevertheless, both the context of this narrative itself and its decidedly historical character, as well as the philological and dogmatic requirements, do not permit us to adopt this opinion. We consider the third opinion to be the only correct one, happily avoiding the defects of the two aforementioned opinions and satisfying all philological, textual, and historico-dogmatic requirements, according to which by “sons of God” one should understand the pious “Sethites”. In favor of it stands the majority of the Fathers of the Church renowned for their exegetical works (John Chrysostom, Ephrem the Syrian, the blessed Theodoret, Cyril of Jerusalem, Jerome, Augustine, and others) and a whole series of modern scholarly exegetes (headed by Keil). This opinion is fully justified philologically, since the title “sons of God” in the Holy Scripture of both Testaments (Deut 14:1; Ps 72:15; Wis 16:26; Luke 3:38; Rom 8:19; Gal 3:26 and others) is often applied to pious people. This is also favored by the context of the preceding narrative, in which, in the enumeration of the descendants of Seth, the name of God is placed at the head, so that all Sethites appear as it were His children. Even more decisive is the same thing indicated by the concluding verse of the 4th chapter, where (Gen 4:26) it is said that in the days of Enosh the Sethites began solemnly to call upon the name of the Lord and themselves to be called in His honor “sons of God”. Finally, the very character of the marriages concluded between the sons of God and the daughters of men speaks for this: according to the meaning of the biblical expression used here—these were not temporary and unnatural unions (such as could only have been the relations of Angels with women), but ordinary marriages, legally proper, though pernicious in their moral consequences. that they were fair, and they took them as wives, whomever they chose. If we recall that in the characterization of the Cainite women physical beauty and sensual charm stood in the first place (Ada, Zillah, Naamah), it will become clear that here the historian of origins speaks specifically of Cainite women. With such an understanding of the “sons of God” and “daughters of men” we maintain fully the contrast given in the text between them: both, being representatives of one and the same primitive humanity, are however opposite in their spiritual and moral disposition: the “sons of God” were the exponents of all that is good, noble, and excellent; the daughters of men, conducting themselves seductively—the embodiment of earthly sensual interests. In time the opposition of morals disappears—the sons of God mingle with the daughters of men, by which the boundary between good and evil is effaced and full scope is given to the dominion of the lower, sensual interests of the flesh at the expense of the higher interests of the spirit.

Genesis 6:3. And the Lord [God] said: My Spirit shall not forever be disregarded by these people, Evidently, here the continuation of the preceding narrative takes place: there the fact itself was indicated, here the corresponding evaluation is given; and if here the acting persons are clearly named people, then they (not Angels) were understood above. In particular, the words of the biblical text: “My Spirit” contain an indication either of the internal, spiritual essence of human nature (with a vague reference to the history of the creation of man, Gen 2:7), or, what is even more probable,—of the Holy Spirit, as the creative principle of all life in general (Gen 1:2) and especially of religious-ethical life. Contempt toward Him is precisely that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit which, according to the Savior’s words, constitutes one of the most grave mortal sins (Mark 3:29), inasmuch as it is characterized by such a degree of sinful hardening of man that it becomes psychologically impossible already for any correction to take place. because they are flesh; Here is the reason on account of which people neglected the divine Spirit and deserved punishment. The first word of this phrase Metropolitan Philaret more accurately translates as “in their delusion”,—evidently the biblical author hereby again pointed to the impious association of Sethites with Cainites. For in entering into such marriages, people testified to the decline among them of the higher, spiritual interests and the dominion of the lower, fleshly interests, and thus they themselves as it were transformed into that crude flesh which in the language of Scripture serves as a synonym for all that is base, material, and sinful. let his days be one hundred and twenty years. These words cannot be understood in the sense of a shortening of human life to the limits of one hundred and twenty years (as Josephus understood them, Antiquities 1, 3, 2), since it is reliably known that long after the flood humanity still lived longer than 120 years, reaching sometimes to 500, but should be understood as a period appointed by God for the repentance and correction of people, during which the righteous Noah prophesied about the flood and made corresponding preparations for it (1 Pet 3:20).

Genesis 6:4. In those days were giants on the earth, The antediluvian humanity is called “giants”, in the original nephilim—“nephilim”. Although indeed in Scripture this term sometimes serves to designate great men or giants (Num 13:33-34), but the fundamental meaning of this root is “to destroy, to overthrow”, and in the niphal form “to cause to fall, to lead astray, to corrupt”. Therefore in these primordial “nephilim” we can see people who were distinguished not only by extraordinary physical strength and stature, but also individuals who consciously trampled upon justice and oppressed the weak. Similar persons existed among the Cainites even earlier, probably from the time of Tubal-cain, who invented weapons, and Lamech, who sang over him a victory hymn; but from the time of the mixing of Sethites with Cainite women these “nephilim” especially multiplied in consequence of universal depravity and the fall of all moral foundations. these were the mighty men, the men of renown of old. Here is a discourse about the fruits of mixed marriages, which in distinction from “nephilim” in the Hebrew text are named “gibborim” (mighty ones). The latter name according to biblical usage means an outstanding person (2 Sam 17:10; Dan 11:3), a select warrior, a man surpassing others in his strength (1 Sam 11:28). Hence it is evident that the descendants of mixed lineages (Sethites with Cainites) surpassed their prototypes, both in physical and immoral qualities. In calling these “gibborim” men of old “renowned”, the historian of origins probably had in mind the fact that they, under the name of “heroes of antiquity”, acquired world fame in the universal traditions of humanity (Bar 3:26-28).

Genesis 6:5. And all the imaginations of the thoughts of their hearts were evil continually; The root of the deep depravity of antediluvian humanity is indicated in the corruption of the heart, and since the latter, according to biblical view, is considered the central focus of all man’s conscious activity, the corruption of it is equivalent to the infection of the very source of life (Matt 15:19).

Genesis 6:6. And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, The notion of the nature of the property attributed to God’s repentance can be borrowed from the narrative about Saul, where twice God’s repentance is attributed to Him (1 Sam 15:11) and where, meanwhile, Samuel speaks of God as One who is not a man, that He should repent (1 Sam 15:29). From this it is evident that when He is spoken of as a man, it is because, according to the expression of Aben Ezra, the law speaks in the language of the children of men, that is, in the language of simple, popular sense (Philaret). In particular, God’s “repentance”—as it were a special way of changing the unchangeable—is the highest expression of the thought of extreme divine sorrow, reaching as it were to the point that the unchangeable Being Himself seemed ready to change. and it grieved Him at His heart. Like the preceding, this too is such a human-like expression. “God’s sorrow is the foreknowledge of the impossibility for man, created with free will and consciously and stubbornly abusing it, to return to the good path; wherefore, when a discourse is made about God’s sorrow, as, for example, about cities that have brought down upon themselves God’s wrath (Matt 11:20-26; Luke 10:13), there it must be understood that the judgment of eternal divine justice has been accomplished, that this generation or person must perish, so that evil shall not be perpetuated” (Vlastov).

Genesis 6:7. And the Lord said: I will destroy mankind whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, and the creeping things and the fowls of the air; for I repent that I have made them. Here is given a more forceful expression of that same thought—of the profound discordance between the actions of human freedom and the plans of divine providence and the desires of the Almighty to destroy this disharmony. At the same time the sad fate of man, by divine judgment, was to be shared by the entire world of living creatures around him, since between the fate of man and the life of nature, according to the teaching of Scripture, there exists the closest moral connection; hence, the fall and rise of man is correspondingly reflected in all the rest of creation. And this was not, strictly speaking, an extermination of mankind (since the righteous Noah and his family were saved and regenerated it), but only an uprooting of the evil reigning on the earth by washing away in the waters of the universal flood (3Ezr 3:8-9; 1 Pet 3:20-21).

The righteous Noah

Genesis 6:8. But Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord [God]. A phrase entirely analogous to what was said earlier about Enoch “and Enoch walked with God” (Gen 5:24) (Slavonic, LXX) and having corresponding parallels in other places of the Bible (Luke 1:30; Acts 7:46 and others).

Genesis 6:9. This is the account of Noah: This is the beginning of a new biblical section—the history of the righteous Noah and the universal flood (Gen 6:9-9:29). Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation; that is, he was morally pure and whole (tamim—in Hebrew), standing out from among his vicious contemporaries, of whom the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and the apostles give us an unattractive moral characterization (Matt 24:37-38 and parallels, cf. 1 Pet 3:20). The very account of Noah is repeated almost word for word in other places of Scripture (Ezek 14:19-20; Sir 44:16; Heb 11:7). Noah walked with God. This conclusion to the characterization of Noah is a feature already familiar to us from the history of Enoch (Gen 5:24). In the sacred language of the Bible, this is a special form in which a perfect moral character is customarily revealed amid sinful contemporaries.

Genesis 6:10–13. Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. But the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was full of violence. And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. The four verses contained in this section present almost a literal repetition of what was said above in the verses Gen 5:32. But this should not trouble anyone: since in the 9th verse of this chapter, as we have noted, a new history begins—the history of Noah and the flood, which originally constituted a separate and independent narrative, such repetition is more than natural; and the marvelous coincidence in content is only a new proof of the truth of the very events that are the subject of the narratives under consideration. And God said to [the Lord] Noah: The end of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Many commentators not without foundation suppose that here a discourse is made about the end of that one hundred and twenty-year period which was appointed by God for the repentance of people and during which He vainly awaited their correction (1 Pet 3:19-20; 2 Pet 3:9-15).

Building the ark

Genesis 6:14. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; In the Hebrew text this “ark” is designated by the term teba, which appears once more in the Bible as referring to the basket in which Moses was saved (Exod 2:5); from which one can think that the ark of Noah, of colossal dimensions, represents a type of a similar primitive structure. The very wood “gopher”, from which the ark was built, belongs to the species of light, resinous woods, similar to cedar or cypress (Exod 27:1). In the building of a wooden ark, wherein the primordial world in the person of its representatives escaped destruction from the water element, the Fathers of the Church see a symbolical prefiguration of the wood of the cross and the water of baptism, by means of which the New Testament humanity finds its salvation. Make a compartment in the ark Literally from the Hebrew—“nests” (kinnim) or stalls, evidently for birds and beasts, which, according to the divine command, Noah was to place in the ark.

Genesis 6:15. And this is how you shall make it: the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. We still cannot form an exact conception of the size and capacity of the ark based on these measurements, chiefly because the cubit, as a measure of length, was an insufficiently stable metric unit and its dimensions allowed for strong variations, as is evident from Scripture itself (Num 35:4; 1 Sam 7:15; Ezek 40:5). According to the opinion of Metropolitan Philaret, the internal length of the ark was approximately 500 feet, the width—80 feet, and the height—50 feet, with which the calculations of a certain French scholar, who determines the length of the ark at 156 meters, the width at 26 meters, and the height at 16 meters, rather agree. The capacity of such a structure, according to the calculations of specialists (for example, Vice-Admiral Tevernier), was quite sufficient for its purpose, that is, for the accommodation of Noah’s family and the minimum number of all animals of each kind with the supply of necessary annual provisions for all.

Genesis 6:16. Make a window in the ark, and bring it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in the side of it; make it with lower, second, and third stories. The details of the construction of the ark further convince us that it was not at all similar to our modern ships, but rather resembled a large chest or box or an immense floating house, which had an almost flat roof (sloping down from the top only about a foot) and was illuminated by a single, more or less significant window at its top. In 1609 a certain Mennonite from the Netherlands, one Peter Jansen, built according to the type of the ark, but only on a reduced scale, a special vessel, from which by experience he became convinced that although such a ship is poorly adapted for sailing, it is much more spacious than any other ship of a different type with the same cubic volume (almost by a full third).

Genesis 6:17. And behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh wherein is the breath of life, under the heaven; By these words the means or instrument of divine punishment upon the primordial, depraved world is for the first time explicitly designated, which was the universal flood (Isa 54:9). everything that is in the earth shall die. Since all the earth became depraved and was filled with iniquities of those living upon it, all the perpetrators of its defilement perish in it, headed by the first and chief of them—men. However, one cannot consider this universal flood to be something like personal revenge on the part of God toward man: no, it was a necessary consequence of the spiritual death of the primordial, morally degenerate humanity. This humanity was exclusively “flesh”, as it were having forever lost its soul and presenting a decaying corpse, the further preservation of which would have been not only useless, but positively harmful to the spiritual and moral atmosphere of the world. And thus the first world perishes in the waves of the flood, in order to wash away the filth lying upon it and to begin to live on new (regenerated) principles.

Genesis 6:18. But with you I will establish My covenant; The union of God with man is here for the first time called by its special term “covenant” (berit). In confirming the existence of that covenant which was concluded by God even in the first promise of the seed of the woman (Gen 3:15), the Lord thereby clearly testifies that although He destroys almost all mankind, He does not break His eternal covenants (Sir 17:10); the evil seed of the serpent alone will perish, while the seed of the woman in the person of Noah will triumph in his victory (Wis 10:4). and you shall enter into the ark, you and your sons, and your wife, and the wives of your sons with you. Here is a complete list of all the members of Noah’s family, who alone were saved from the flood, as the Apostle Peter confirms this in both his epistles (1 Pet 3:20; 2 Pet 3:6).

Genesis 6:19–20. Bring also into the ark [of every kind of cattle, and of all the creeping things, and] of all the animals, and of every flesh, two of each, so that they may remain alive with you; let them be male and female. Of the fowls also of the air by twos, male and female; and of every creeping thing of the earth by twos, male and female: that the seed may be preserved upon the earth. For the preservation and subsequent regeneration of animal life as well, God commands Noah to take with him into the ark a pair of each of the main kinds. Based on the words of verse 20, one can think that these animals, driven by instinct in view of the approaching storm of the flood, themselves approached the ark and sought in it salvation, which greatly facilitated Noah’s task. As to the question of how such a quantity of animals could fit in one ark, it must be noted that, firstly, Noah, to economize space and fodder, could choose only the youngest animals, and secondly, the number of basic family groups that had developed by the time of the flood was not yet so great as to create any insurmountable obstacle to Noah in placing them in the ark.

Genesis 6:22. Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did. In these words is given the best praise of Noah, as the Apostle Paul elucidates it, saying: “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith” (Heb 11:7). “The building of the ark (about which the holy narrator speaks so simply, conveying this purely quiet, obedient fulfillment of God’s will) was, however, for Noah a deep trial of his faith in God. All around was a depraved world and completely unconcerned about its future (Matt 24:37-38), a world that reproached Noah and mocked him during the many years of building the ark. Therefore Noah had to transfer his entire thought and soul into the future, and this faith, which saved him from destruction, was the highest merit of his spiritual life and prefigured that state of the human soul when it is saved from eternal destruction by faith, receiving holy baptism” (Vlastov).

Chapter Seven

The entry of Noah into the ark

Genesis 7:1. And the Lord [God] said to Noah: Come you and all your household into the ark This is the positive command of God concerning the preliminary placing of Noah in the ark, which was the last warning to all and the last call to the sinful world to repent.

Genesis 7:2–3. You shall take with you of every clean beast by sevens, the male and his female; and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female; Also of fowls of the air by sevens, the male and the female; and of every fowl of the air [clean] by twos, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth, In these words we have the first case of the division of animals into clean and unclean; the former included all those animals and birds which either were only used as food (Lev 11:1-47), or, besides that, were offered in sacrifice (Lev 1:2; Gen 8:20). Although the exact delimitation of all these kinds properly belongs to a later period—given in the legislation of Moses—however, in practice it existed much earlier, going back, as we see from this, to the time of the flood, although Noah’s selection of clean animals and birds for sacrifice (Gen 8:20) did not coincide with the provisions of the law of Moses about the offering in sacrifice of only 3 kinds of cattle and two kinds of birds. The law later, in this case as in others similar to it, confirmed, precisely formulated, and enjoined by law what before was only an established custom. Of clean animals they were commanded to take seven, in the first place to ensure their better preservation and greater multiplication after the flood, and in the second place, perhaps, also for the sustenance of the people shut up in the ark.

Genesis 7:4. For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth The last week was appointed, evidently, for the final placing of all the people and animals in the ark. This indication of the week itself, in connection with others that are present in the same flood narrative (Gen 7:10), can speak in favor of the great antiquity of the weekly cycle and the primordial origin of the seven-day week and later the sabbath. forty days and forty nights; The very same period was later appointed for the penitential preaching of the prophet Jonah to the inhabitants of Nineveh (Jonah 3:4), Moses remained that long on Mount Sinai (Exod 24:18), the prophet Elijah fasted in the wilderness of Beersheba on the way to Mount Horeb (1 Sam 19:8), the Lord Jesus Christ fasted in the wilderness and prepared Himself for His messianic ministry (appearance to the world) (Matt 4:2), and finally, He was pleased to remain on the earth that same length of time and appear to His disciples after His resurrection until His ascension into heaven (Acts 1:3). Hence one can conclude that the number forty represents one of the important, sacred numbers of the Bible.

Genesis 7:6. Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was on the earth. Such was Noah’s age at the moment of the flood; the age of his sons, as is evident from the comparison with what preceded (Gen 5:32), was about one hundred years.

Genesis 7:8. And of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, The words of this verse, enclosed in brackets, are not found in the modern Hebrew text; but the fact that they have been preserved in almost all ancient translations and stand in perfect agreement with the context gives them full right to exist.

Genesis 7:9. By twos, male and female, went in to Noah into the ark, as God had commanded Noah. This does not mean one pair, but in general pairwise, and the very quantity also had been previously determined (Gen 7:2).

The beginning, growth, and duration of the flood

Genesis 7:11. In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, The Hebrews had two years: one—sacred, beginning with the month of Nisan (March-April), the other—civil, beginning with the month of Tishri (September-October). More definite indications of the existence of the former begin only from the epoch of Mosaic legislation (Exod 12:2; Deut 16:1), so scholars generally think that in an earlier epoch there existed only one, civil time of reckoning, beginning from the time of the autumn equinox (Josephus, Rabbi Kimchi, Rosenmüller, Keil, and others). Based on this, one can suppose that the flood began on the seventeenth of Marcheshvan, which, by our calculation, falls on the very first days of November. on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, By this name, evidently, is meant the water enclosed within the earth’s crust, which, probably by the special action of volcanic forces in an enormous quantity, came out onto the surface. and the windows of heaven were opened; This is a vivid and powerful image of the fall of abundant rain streams, which is in perfect agreement with the biblical view of the very heavenly firmament itself, which the Semites imagined to be in the form of a solid tent or covering spread out over the earth (Gen 1:7).

Genesis 7:12. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. The fulfillment of what was predicted earlier (Gen 7:4).

Genesis 7:13. In the very same day entered Noah into the ark, That is, on the day of which the historian of origins just spoke and which we have determined as one of the first days of November (when in Palestine there is customarily a period of the heaviest rains).

Genesis 7:14–16. And they, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort, Went in two and two to Noah into the ark, the male and the female, of all flesh wherein is the breath of life; And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: This entire section presents a condensed repetition of what had already been said many times in parts earlier. By doing so, the historian of origins evidently wishes to draw the special attention of readers to the importance of this fact and to the greatness of divine love toward those being saved. And the Lord [God] shut him in [the ark]. (From without). A touching image of divine providence toward those being saved from the flood, beautifully concluding the entire picture of their salvation from destruction. Some, however, see here an allegory bearing the meaning that the Lord, having patiently awaited repentance from the sinful world, now put an end to this waiting and decided to carry out His dread judgment concerning the destruction of the first world. “And the Lord [God] shut him in [the ark]” and thereby as it were cut off the path to repentance (Luke 13:24-25).

Genesis 7:17–20. And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth; And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. In these verses with great consistency is imagined the gradual growth and intensification of the flood: “This gradualness,” says Metropolitan Philaret, “with exactness and strained force, showing the greatness of the action described: ‘the flood was’, ‘the waters increased’, ‘the waters began to prevail’, ‘the waters increased greatly’, ‘the waters prevailed exceedingly’.” And the flood was forty days upon the earth If now a notable downpour, passing in the course of 1–2 hours, sometimes produces a terrible flood and destruction, it is easy to imagine what a mass of water must have been formed by such a downpour, continuing for forty whole days. And if we add that approximately the same mass of water issued forth from the interior of the earth’s crust, then the picture of an immeasurable water ocean will be completely ready. And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth: and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered, fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. Fifteen cubits make about 25 feet. In the opinion of most contemporary scholarly exegetes, these words should not be understood in the absolute sense, that is, that there was so much water that it exceeded by 25 feet even such lofty peaks as the Himalayas and the Cordilleras. This cannot be allowed, chiefly because we cannot imagine on what such a depth could rest. From experience we know that whatever may be the depth of a given water basin, there is always, however, a line of land passing through its edges that must be somewhat higher than the level of the water, so that the latter does not overflow the edge. Consequently, imagining the picture of a universal flood, we are unable to represent such a condition of the earth’s surface when it would be positively entirely, without any exception, inundated with water. Besides, in the Bible there are fairly frequent examples of when the whole is taken instead of a part—all the earth, instead of this or that point of it (Gen 41:57; Exod 9:25; 1 Sam 10:24; Acts 2:5). It would be quite possible to suppose that here by the term “all the earth” and “all the mountains” are meant the earth and mountains of that very region which served as the habitation of primordial humanity and was situated in the basin of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the highest point of which was Mount Ararat. However, the Bible, and in particular the New Testament, considers the flood that occurred in Noah’s time to be “universal” (inasmuch as it destroyed all the known humanity of the historian of origins, although there is no reason to think that the flood covered the continents of Africa, America, Australia, Greenland, where the population was very small and was not sunk in the sins of the inhabitants of Mesopotamia), comparing it, in respect to cosmic universality, with the universal catastrophe awaiting the world at the end of times—with the destruction of the world by fire before the appearance of “new heavens and a new earth” (Matt 24:37-39 and parallel 2 Pet 3:5-7; 1 Pet 3:20).

Genesis 7:21–23. And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: all in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. This entire biblical section expressively and forcefully shows in what sense the universality of the flood should be understood; it consisted precisely in this, that the waters of the flood destroyed literally all living things “upon the face of the earth”—from man to cattle and creeping things and fowls—except, of course, those saved in the ark. Consequently, considering the biblical flood from the point of view of its results, we must acknowledge it as universal, since it destroyed all the life of the whole world.

Genesis 7:24. And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days. The growth and intensification of the waters of the flood continued during one hundred and fifty days or five and a half months, including those forty days with which the flood itself began (Gen 7:17). Consequently, if we place the beginning of the flood in the first days of November, then the highest point of its intensification will fall on the seventh day of the seventh month, that is, on the last days of our April.

Chapter Eight

The diminishing of the flood waters

Genesis 8:1. And God remembered Noah, “Let us, beloved, understand these words in a manner befitting God, and not in that coarse sense in which our weakened nature is inclined to understand them,” says the holy John Chrysostom concerning them: “What does it mean to remember? He had compassion, that is, God showed mercy on the righteous man dwelling in the ark, taking pity on him when he was in such a confined and difficult situation, and knew not how his afflictions would end.” Moreover, the very “remembrance” of His servants by God, in the language of Sacred Scripture, signifies the fulfillment of promises and the distribution of rewards to them (Gen 19:29; Exod 2:24; Ps 131:1). and God brought a wind upon the earth, and the waters subsided. A strong wind, which dispersed the rain clouds, was in the hands of divine omnipotence a mediating or natural cause for the cessation of the flood. In this case, as in other similar instances (Exod 10:13-19), God employs natural phenomena and laws, established by Him, as instruments of His will.

Genesis 8:2. And the fountains of the abyss were closed, and the windows of heaven, and the rain from heaven was restrained. The cause of the cessation of the flood stands in complete correspondence with the cause of its origin (Gen 7:11).

Genesis 8:3. And the water receded gradually from the earth, and the water began to decrease after the completion of one hundred and fifty days. In parallel with the picture of the gradual increase of the flood (Gen 7:17-20), this section gives a no less artistic depiction of its gradual cessation. Having noted the very fact of the withdrawal of water into its usual reservoirs, the chronicler also points to the details—first, the decrease in the quantity of water, second, the resting of the ark on the summit of Mount Ararat, and the emergence from beneath the water of the peaks of other mountains.

The resting of the ark on Mount Ararat

Genesis 8:4. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, Taking the most reliable date of the flood’s beginning as the seventeenth day of the month of Marchesvan (early November), we should place the resting of the ark on the summit of the Ararat mountains on the seventeenth day of the month of Nisan, which will correspond to the beginning of our April. And since, according to the indication of the chronicler, between these two aforementioned chronological terms one hundred and fifty days passed (Gen 7:24), it follows that each of these five months has thirty days, from which many not without reason conclude that in the primordial era the year was solar and not lunar, as it later became among the Hebrews in the period of the Law. It should be noted that in the indication of the day of both months there is some difference between the Russian and the Greco-Slavonic text—in the former it is the 17th, and in the latter the 27th. We must suppose that this difference occurred, probably, through the fault of the translators, who could easily confuse the letter designations of Hebrew numbers. on the mountains of Ararat. Already the very fact that the plural is used here instead of the singular (mountains of Ararat) testifies that reference is made not to one specific mountain peak, but to an entire chain of mountains, or in general to a mountainous region. And indeed, the Bible knows an entire country of Ararat, which it identifies with Armenia, as is especially clear from the comparison of (2 Sam 19:37) with (Isa 37:38) (according to the Septuagint). By a similar name—Urarda or Urtu—Armenia is also designated in the cuneiform monuments of the Assyrian kings. On one of the mountains of this Armenia, probably the highest one, called Kara-Dagh or “Great Armenia” (16,254 feet above sea level), Noah’s ark came to rest.

Genesis 8:5. The water receded continually until the tenth month; in the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible. Since the Great Ararat is only one of the peaks of an entire mountain chain, it is understandable that as the water decreased, the tops of other mountains were revealed. This occurred, as is evident from the text, on the first day of the 10th month, Tammuz, that is, approximately in the middle of our July.

Genesis 8:6. After forty days Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. These forty days should evidently be counted from the moment the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat, that is, after 270 days.

The release from the ark of the raven and the dove

Gen 8:7.

The entire section speaks of the means by which Noah assured himself of the cessation of the flood. Since Noah’s ark, as we saw above (Gen 6:16), did not have side windows which opened up a view of the flood, but was lit by a single opening from above, Noah, in order to ascertain the condition of the earth, resorted to releasing birds: first a raven, and then a dove.

and he sent out a raven, [to see if the water had decreased from the earth,] which went out, flying back and forth, until the earth was dry from the water.

Or, as is expressed even more vividly in the Hebrew text, “went out, flying away and returning.” This makes it known that the rapacious raven, living outside the ark, flew away to the corpses of men and animals and again alighted on the roof of the ark, thus giving no indication of the state of the earth.

Genesis 8:8. Then he sent out a dove from him to see whether the water had decreased from the face of the earth, Noah made this new release seven days after the first (verse 10); this time he sent out a dove, which better served the purpose, since a dove feeds on grain and fears moisture.

Genesis 8:9. but the dove found no resting place for its feet and returned to him into the ark, for the water was still on the surface of all the earth; and he stretched out his hand and took it, and brought it in to him into the ark. A vivid depiction of the fact from which Noah was convinced that the earth was still unfit for habitation not only for men, but even for birds.

Genesis 8:10. And he waited another seven days, and again sent out the dove from the ark. This frequent repetition of the seven-day period may serve as proof that the weekly reckoning of time was already well known at that time.

Genesis 8:11. The dove came back to him in the evening time, This was evidence that the earth had begun to dry somewhat, so that it was possible to spend a whole day on it, until sunset. and behold, a fresh olive leaf in its mouth, and Noah knew that the water had decreased from the earth. The best proof that on the earth new life had already begun to awaken. Moreover, the olive tree, from which oil is obtained and which serves in Sacred Scripture as a symbol of joy and peace, gave Noah a comforting indication of the cessation of divine punishment (retribution).

Genesis 8:12. He waited another seven days, and [again] sent out the dove; and it did not return to him. This time the dove did not return, which proved that on the earth men could freely live.

Genesis 8:13. In the six hundred and first year [of Noah’s life], on the first [day] of the first month, the water dried up from the earth; Here are the chronological dates of the end of the flood, which thus fell on the first day of the new year, that is, on the beginning of the month of Tishri (September-October).

Genesis 8:14. And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. But the complete drying of the earth occurred only at the end of the second month, exactly one year and ten days after its beginning (Gen 7:11). Combining now all the chronological dates of the flood contained in the Bible, we obtain that the total duration of it embraced 364 days (220 + 88 + 56), which makes a complete solar year. The chronicler, however, makes clear that the flood lasted a year and ten days; from this, with great probability we can conclude that at the time of the flood, the earliest epoch, a solar reckoning still existed, and that only later, from the time of Abraham or even Moses, it was converted to a lunar calendar.

Genesis 8:15–16. And [the Lord] God said to Noah: Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons, and the wives of your sons with you; As once Noah entered the ark by a special divine command, so he exits from it not before receiving a special divine revelation concerning this. The memory of the flood constitutes one of the most widespread traditions of the ancient world, and the very details of these accounts often strikingly coincide with the biblical history of the flood. This must be said especially concerning the famous Chaldean poem about Izdubbar or Gilgamesh, discovered in the most ancient cuneiform texts, which form part of the so-called “Chaldean genesis.” A parallel comparison of this Chaldean poem with the biblical account leaves no doubt of their close family relationship, and the great antiquity and documentary nature of the cuneiform texts provides a powerful weapon for biblical apologetics in the struggle against rationalistic criticism. See more on this in S. S. Glagolev’s “Supernatural revelation and natural knowledge of God” and on “The Origin of the human race.”

Genesis 8:17. Bring out with you every living thing that is with you—all flesh—birds, cattle, and every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth; let them spread over the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth. Concerning these words of the divine command, which directly pertain to the animals, but also touch man, the holy John Chrysostom speaks, for example, as follows: “See how this righteous man again receives that blessing which Adam received before his transgression. As that one, immediately upon being created, heard: and God blessed them, saying: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth (Gen 1:28), so too does this one now become fruitful and multiply on the earth, because as Adam was the beginning and root of all who lived before the flood, so this righteous man becomes as a leaven, the beginning and root of all who lived after the flood” (the holy John Chrysostom, Homily XXVI).

The exit from the ark

Genesis 8:18–19. And Noah went out, and his sons, and his wife, and the wives of his sons with him; all the beasts, and [all the cattle, and] all the creeping things, and all the birds, everything that moves on the earth, by their kinds, went out of the ark. Here we are told of the swift and exact fulfillment of the divine command, by which Noah once more testified to his complete obedience to the divine will.

The building of an altar and Noah’s sacrifice

Genesis 8:20. And Noah built an altar to the Lord; This is, strictly speaking, the first biblical mention of a sacred altar or altar; the Hebrew name for it—mizbeach—indicates it as a place of the slaughter of sacrificial animals. and took of every clean beast, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. From among the clean animals which were in the ark in a specifically increased quantity (Gen 7:2), Noah, upon exiting the ark, offered a sacrifice to the Lord. These sacrifices are called burnt offerings here; in such offerings the sacrificial animal was completely burned without remainder (Lev 1:1-17), which served as a symbol of the complete, perfect acknowledgment of sinful weakness and deep heartfelt repentance. Hence, Noah’s sacrifice was, on the one hand, an act of his repentance for the past sin of mankind which had caused the flood, and on the other—an expression of gratitude to God for deliverance and an expression of complete submission and obedience to His holy will.

The covenant of God with Noah

Genesis 8:21. And the Lord smelled a pleasant aroma, “Do not be troubled by the coarseness of the expression,” says Chrysostom on this matter, “but, recognizing as the cause of such condescension in words your own weakness, understand from this that the offering of the righteous man was pleasing to God…” This is why the Apostle Paul said in his letter: “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life” (2 Cor 2:15-16). The words “pleasant aroma,” according to a more accurate translation from the Hebrew—reach hannichoach—should be translated thus: “a scent of satisfaction, of consolation,” and in the very analysis of concepts one finds a similarity with the name of Noah, which means “consolation” (Gen 5:29), from which is seen as it were the fulfillment of that very prophecy which was placed in the name given to him. This sacrifice of Noah, like the earlier sacrifice of Abel, was doubtless pleasing to God not because of the material of the offering itself, but because of the feelings of faith, piety, and humble submission to the Creator expressed in it. In a similar manner, prayer and alms-giving of the faithful are ascribed a sweet taste (a pleasant aroma) (Phil 4:18; Rev 5:8; Ps 140:2). and said the Lord [God] in His heart: I will never again curse the earth for man’s sake, because the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again strike every living thing, as I have done: In these words a solemn assurance from God Himself concerning the non-repetition of such a universal (in the sense of universal for all mankind and all living creatures) punishment is obviously given; but the very motivation for it appears at first glance somewhat unclear: it seems to repeat the motive which served as the chief cause of the flood (Gen 6:5); and here the same fact is taken as the motive for the opposite attitude toward the world. But a more careful comparison of these two parallels, made in the light of the context of the discourse, reveals a substantial difference between them. In the first case it is said much more generally and strongly—namely, that “all the thoughts and imaginations of their hearts were evil at all times” (Gen 6:5), which characterizes not so much inherited, but chiefly the constant personal sinful disposition, passing, as is clear from the context, into proud transgression of moral foundations and into unrepentant stubbornness (Gen 6:11). In the verse we are considering, the discourse concerns almost exclusively only inherited sinful corruption, for which a man is comparatively less responsible than for conscious, personal sinfulness. Through the sacrifice, about which was just spoken, man proved as well as possible that his personal disposition had improved considerably, that although he, due to the sinful weakness of his nature, continued to sin, yet each time in the consciousness of his fall and often with deep sorrow about it and with a request to God for mercy, the expression of which was various sacrifices. Such a change in the disposition of the human heart provided fully sufficient grounds for a change in the divine attitude toward it. “Before justice was manifested universally, and mercy acted in particular instances (the story of the flood and Noah): now justice will appear in the particular, as for example, over Sodom, over Pharaoh, and mercy in the universal” (Philaret). Hence it becomes fully natural and intelligible to point to inherited sinful corruption of man as the motive for a lenient attitude toward his sinfulness, with which man expresses (through sacrifices) a desire to struggle in proportion to his weak powers.

Genesis 8:22. As long as the earth remains That is, so long as the earth exists and when “the days of the earth” must yield their place to the “days of heaven” (Ps 88:30). seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease. Three seasons are named here by name: spring, summer, and winter, while the fourth is described: “harvest,” as the time of gathering of grain and fruits. However, it should be noted that the Masoretic text and some of the translated texts do not name spring either, but give only a repeated designation of two basic seasons or entire half-years, namely “cold and heat” or, in other words, “summer and winter,” in accordance with which stands the third pair of contrasts “day and night.” And this latter reading is preferable, as it is found in other places in the Bible as well (Ps 73:17). As for the idea contained here, it serves as a more detailed explanation and development of what was just expressed above—concerning the non-repetition of such a terrible natural disaster connected with the inevitable violation of the fundamental Laws of nature (Jer 33:20-25, Ezek 34:25-29). “The most gracious Lord usually pays attention not so much to our sacrifices as to the inner disposition with which we perform them, and, judging by it, either accepts or rejects our sacrifices” (John Chrysostom, 27:273). In conclusion to the history of the flood, we consider it our duty to briefly point out the typological significance which the Fathers of the Church found in it. The foundation for such a view was laid by the Lord Himself and His apostles. Thus, the Lord, reviewing the past history of the flood, sees in it a prediction of the future history of His second fearful coming: as then men were extremely corrupt and careless regarding their salvation, so too will it be before the second coming; and as then a fearful judgment of the divine court was carried out upon all the sinful world, so exactly the same will be repeated at the moment of the terrible judgment (Matt 24:37-39; Luke 17:25-27). The Apostle Peter in one of his letters compares the baptismal font with Noah’s ark (1 Pet 3:20-21), indicating that as the one, so the other equally saves us from sinful death. His thought is developed by the Apostle Paul, saying that we “are buried with Him through baptism into death” and at the same time through this same action are brought into His Church and begin to walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4-6).

Chapter Nine

God blesses Noah

Genesis 9:1. And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them Just as the founder of the first world—Adam, immediately upon being created, received a special blessing from God (Gen 1:28-30), so the founder of the second world—Noah receives a similar blessing. Both this and that blessing are equally concerned with three points: the multiplication of man, his authority (dominion) over animals, and his food. The power of this divine blessing applied not only to the righteous Noah, but also to his “sons,” that is, both his immediate and future posterity, in short—to all mankind, now renewed and called to new life. Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth; But it was not added, as once to Adam: “and rule over it,” because man through transgression had lost this god-like power or, at all events, greatly diminished and curtailed this god-like capacity. And only the second Adam—our Lord Jesus Christ, having destroyed the power of sin, again subjected all things under His feet and left nothing not subject to Him (1 Cor 15:27; Eph 1:22; Heb 2:8).

Genesis 9:2. The fear and dread of you shall rest upon every beast of the earth, [and upon all the cattle of the earth,] and upon all the birds of the heaven, everything that moves on the earth, and all the fish of the sea: into your hands they are delivered; “This was not in the blessing given to Adam: he was lord of creation, but not terrible. When the inner dignity of man no longer makes creatures subject to him, God restrains them through fear” (Philaret).

Genesis 9:3. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; as the green herb I give you all; This is already the second food law in number (Gen 2:16), which now permits, along with the former types of it—vegetation and field grains—one new kind, namely meat of animals, birds, and fish, in short everything that moves and lives. The reason for the new permission is explained by the blessed Theodoret as follows: “God, foreseeing man’s inclination toward idolatry and the deification of animals, gave the flesh of the latter as food, so that he might understand how inappropriate it is to give divine honor to earthly creatures, which can be killed and eaten.”

The prohibition against eating blood and murder

Genesis 9:4. Only flesh with its life, with its blood, you shall not eat; In giving a new food law, God introduces into it a significant limitation—He prohibits the consumption of animal blood. The reason for this prohibition is indicated here itself, namely in the fact that the blood of an animal is as it were identified with its life. A similar idea is encountered in many other places in Sacred Scripture (Lev 17:11; Deut 12:16; Prov 28:17). It is curious that besides Sacred Scripture, this idea is found in the writings of many ancient authors, and particularly in the classics (Virgil, Empedocles, Pythagoras, and others). Thus, the common popular psychology of antiquity placed the fundamental principle of animal life, that is, what is called the soul, hidden in its blood. Standing on the point of view of this naive psychology and wishing to instill in man, on its basis, as much respect as possible for all other (including animal) life, God gives the prohibition against consuming blood. This is the first Noahide commandment; subsequently, under Moses, it received more detailed exposition and more extensive physical, moral, ceremonial, and typological argumentation (Lev 17:11; cf. Heb 10:4; John 1:17).

Genesis 9:5. I will surely require your blood, the blood of your life, I will require it from every beast, These words give a beautiful confirmation of the view we have just presented regarding blood as the seat of the soul. Even toward animal blood the Lord instills proper respect through strict punishment; and in order to emphasize more sharply the idea of the criminality of murders, God says that He will require human blood not only from the conscious murderer but even from an unreasoning animal and wild beast, which subsequently even received a definite legislative sanction (Exod 21:28). and I will require the life of man from the hand of man, from the hand of a brother of his; If murder by an unreasoning animal was subject to harsh punishment, then assuredly, much more criminal and therefore much more severely pursued was the murder of man by man…. In the words of the given text itself, some not without reason see the condemnation of two kinds of murder—suicide (the life of man from the hand of man, that is, of himself) and the murder of others.

Genesis 9:6. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed: The law prohibiting murder receives its exception, but such an exception which strengthens the force of this law all the more, restraining its violation through fear of corresponding (similar) retribution. This permission beautifully expresses the spirit and essence of all Old Testament morality, which demanded an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life (Exod 21:24; Lev 24:20; 2 Sam 1:16). Here lies the foundation of the ancient custom of blood revenge, a cultural survival of which, to a certain extent, are our modern duels. But Christianity, having brought new humane principles to the world, has long condemned this practice: it commands us not to execute the involuntary, and even the voluntary murderer, but rather to correct him in every way possible and bring him back to truly human life. for in the image of God was man made; Here lies the inner, the deepest foundation of why murder of man is especially criminal. The creation of man in the image of God, placing him as it were in a relationship of some spiritual kinship with God Himself, makes his person sacred and inviolable, so that absolutely no one, not excepting even man himself, has the right to encroach upon his life, the sole dispenser of which is only God Himself, who gave it. In these words it is important to note, first, that here the distinction between image and likeness is confirmed, and second, that the presence of the image of God is not denied in our man.

The conclusion of God’s covenant with Noah

Genesis 9:8. And God said to Noah and to his sons with him: In the section we are considering, we are told of the renewal of the covenant which the Lord blessed to conclude with Noah even before the flood (Gen 6:18). But now this covenant is proclaimed even more solemnly and in a wider scope: before it was only a personal union of God with the righteous Noah (“with you”), now his entire family enters into it (“with you”) and all their future posterity and even the animal world.

Genesis 9:9. Behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your offspring after you, This was a covenant of salvation from destruction and death, and in this sense it can serve as a type of the evangelical promise, proclaiming the good news of deliverance from eternal, sinful death (Ezek 34:25; Jer 32:40).

Genesis 9:10–11. and with every living creature that is with you, with the birds, with the cattle, and with every beast of the earth that is with you, with all that came out of the ark, all the animals of the earth; I establish My covenant with you, that no flesh shall be cut off by the waters of the flood, and there shall be no more a flood to destroy the earth. Here is further proof of how close is the connection of man with all nature: man falls, and all nature falls; man perishes, and all living things perish, finally, man rises and with him all creation rises (Rom 8:20).

The gift of the rainbow as a sign

Genesis 9:12–13. And God said: “Here is the sign of the covenant which I place between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, so that it will be a sign [of an eternal] covenant between Me and the earth.” As an external, visible sign confirming the non-repetition of a world-wide flood, God indicated to man the rainbow, a known atmospheric phenomenon consisting in the refraction and decomposition of the solar light ray in a transparent medium (body) of water. As for how to understand the significance of this sign itself, the opinions of exegetes diverge here: some think that the rainbow appears for the first time from this moment and had not existed at all before because there had been no rain at all, and the earth was irrigated only by mist and dew, as can be supposed on the basis of Gen. 2:6 (Gen 2:6). Others more reasonably suppose that the rainbow existed before; but previously it was a completely indifferent heavenly phenomenon—now it is assigned special symbolic significance. And the fact that the rainbow was chosen for this purpose, rather than something else, has its full justification: this is because a rainbow, that is, the visible refraction of sunlight, is possible only on the condition that the clouds do not cover the sky entirely, but leave an opening both for the sun and rain does not present itself as a solid mass of water which might threaten a flood. Natural scientists even now observe that rainbows do not appear during tropical downpours. Hence, the appearance of a rainbow is a natural proof that the rain does not have a threatening character and does not resemble the inundation before the flood (Gen 7:11). To this natural phenomenon, God deigned to assign special symbolic significance, choosing it as the sign of His covenant with Noah. Analogous examples are provided, for instance, by the crawling of the serpent on its belly, which became a symbol of humiliation, or immersion in water in the sacrament of baptism, which became a symbol of cleansing from original sin. In Sacred Scripture we encounter other expressions of the symbolic significance of the rainbow: it serves as one of the attributes of the divine judgment upon the world together with lightning (Ps 17:14), or appears as a sign of divine greatness and glory (Ezek 1:27-28; Sir 43:12-13; Rev 4:3). The idea of a special mysterious significance of the rainbow apparently found echo in the universal myths of pagan antiquity, where the rainbow was most often depicted as a gentle messenger from heaven, bringing joy, peace, and the goodwill of the gods to earth.

Genesis 9:14. And it shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow [shall be] in the cloud; The verb “to bring” in the sacred biblical language is used mainly to express the concept of an impending danger or a storm (Gen 6:17 and many others). Thus, at the moment of the greatest expectation of danger, the Lord promises to send the rainbow as a symbol of pardon and deliverance from heavenly punishment.

Genesis 9:15–16. and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the water shall not again become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the rainbow shall be in the cloud; and I will see it, and will remember the everlasting covenant between God [and the earth] and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. This is nothing more than an anthropomorphic depiction of the idea of divine providence toward men, which, by analogy with man, is presented as remembering them each time some hidden danger threatens them. This general providential attitude of God toward men does not exclude special divine actions, proceeding from the fact of the covenant concluded between God and Noah.

Genesis 9:17. And God said to Noah: “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is upon the earth.” These are the concluding words to the entire rather extensive discourse about the covenant and its significance.

Noah plants a vineyard

Genesis 9:18. And the sons of Noah that went forth of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. From here begins a new biblical section—the history of the children and further descendants of Noah (toldoth Noach). As for the meaning of the names of his immediate children, according to the most accepted interpretation, the word “Shem” means “sign, mark,” and hence—in general “name”; the word “Ham” probably means “burning, black, dark, swarthy,” and the word “Japheth” means “spread out, expand.” The enumeration of Noah’s sons is made here with the purpose of showing that mankind had no other founders besides them. And Ham was the father of Canaan. According to the explanation of John Chrysostom, “Scripture wishes to indicate to us the extreme lack of restraint of Ham, that such a great calamity (the flood) and such close living in the ark could not curb him, but while his elder brother did not yet have children, he, during such a time of God’s anger, when the entire universe was perishing, gave himself over to lack of restraint and could not restrain his unbridled desire” (Homily 28). This does not exclude another explanation, according to which Canaan is indicated here as the representative of that Ham-descended tribe which received the name Canaanites and, living subsequently in proximity to the Hebrews, came into contact most of all with the history of the God-chosen people (Gen 12:6).

Genesis 9:19. These three were the sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. Further, in chapter 10 (Gen 11:1), we will see a more detailed exposition of this thought. Here we can only note that the descendants of Shem (Semites) populated Armenia, Mesopotamia, Syria, and Arabia; the descendants of Ham emigrated chiefly to Africa, and finally, the descendants of Japheth spread throughout the northern part of Asia, in India, penetrated into Europe, and probably even into America (Acts 17:26).

He becomes drunk and is mocked by his son

Gen 9:20-21.

These verses reveal the occasion which gave rise to Noah’s subsequent important prophecy.

Noah began to cultivate the earth, and planted a vineyard;

Armenia, where, according to the testimony of the Bible, Noah’s ark settled, is considered the birthplace of the grape vine.

and he drank of the wine, and became drunk, and was uncovered in his tent.

Moderate consumption of grape and grape juice represents itself an excellent and healthful therapeutic agent, so that, considered from this point of view, Noah’s cultivation of grapes is a useful and good deed. But pre-flood mankind was not at all acquainted with it and with the consumption of wine; for the first time Noah had to become acquainted with all of this, and it could easily happen that he, not knowing the power and effects of wine, drank more of it than he should, and fell into the state indicated here. The very expression “began” (Septuagint, Slavonic) already shows that he made a beginning of the consumption of wine and was subject to intoxication through complete ignorance and lack of knowledge of the measure of wine consumption. Even the mistakes of righteous men serve as the best warning to us against our self-confidence (1 Cor 10:12) and the most effective medicine in those cases when we are overcome by despair and despondency in view of our sinfulness (Jer 8:4). “For this reason,” said John Chrysostom, “not only the virtues of the sons, but also their transgressions are described, so that we may avoid the latter and imitate the former” (Homily 29).

Genesis 9:22. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, Ham saw that very nakedness which painfully was felt by our ancestors immediately after eating the forbidden fruit (Gen 3:7) and which, from a sense of shame, they covered with girdles. However, on the part of Noah in all this there was very little guilt: first, as is clear from the context, he did this in his sleep and consequently, unconsciously; second, he permitted it in his home (in his tent), where no strange person should penetrate with an immodest look, and where every man has the right to allow himself greater freedom and ease of action. and he went out and told to his two brothers. This last addition reveals the whole guilt of Ham: if Ham had only been an unwilling witness to such a somewhat scandalous picture and had not attached any particular significance to what he saw, then he would not have committed any transgression. But Sacred Scripture speaks of the opposite: “in this haste to tell what he had seen to his brothers, we see a deeply corrupted nature; in his action we see malicious joy in the humiliation of his father, a feeling of pride and sense of superiority and a lack of a feeling of shame” (Vlastov). Uncovering the motives expressed quite clearly here of Ham’s action, we can say that he mocked his father before his brothers, depicting him in an unfavorable light—how this six-hundred-year-old elder, such an unwavering pillar of piety and faith—could fall into such a ridiculous state! “When he told of what had happened, perhaps he even mocked the shame of his father, not heeding the wise one who says: do not seek glory in the dishonor of your father” (John Chrysostom, Homily 29), (Sir 3:10; Exod 21:17; Lev 19:3; Matt 15:4; Prov 30:17). He was, as it were, glad that he who had served as an example of strict life and had curbed his wickedness was now in an improper state from intoxication.

Genesis 9:23. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. By this action they not only did not express sympathy for Ham’s deed, but destroyed the very cause of it. And to the extent that Ham displayed a vicious inclination and corrupted imagination, lack of filial respect, Shem and Japheth, on the other hand, gave us an instructive example of chastity, modesty, and lofty filial love and respect for their father, even at such an exceptional moment, when he seemed least to deserve it. their faces were turned backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness. A small, but very characteristic detail, proving how deeply the moral sensibility of these two worthy sons of Noah reached.

Genesis 9:24. And Noah awoke from his wine From this it is clear that all the preceding occurred while Noah was asleep, that is, outside the participation of his conscious will. and learned what his younger son had done to him. “How did he learn this?” asked John Chrysostom, and answered thus: perhaps the brothers told him, not in order to accuse the brother, but to explain the matter as it had happened, so that Ham might receive medicine corresponding to his illness (Homily 24). No less wisely does John Chrysostom resolve another difficulty—how to understand the designation of Ham as the “younger” or “least” son, when it is certainly known that he was the middle son (Gen 9:18): “Ham, of course, was not the very youngest; he was second and older than Japheth, but if he was older than the latter in age, he proved younger in spirit, and daring placed him below the younger brother.” In the Hebrew text the word “younger” expresses a comparative form, not a superlative, and consequently does not indicate Ham as the youngest of all Noah’s sons, but only as comparatively younger precisely in relation to Shem.

Noah curses Canaan

Gen 9:25-27.

These three verses contain an inspired prophecy of Noah, who, proceeding from facts revealing the inclinations and behavior of his children, foretells the future fate of each of them, together with their descendants.

Genesis 9:25. Cursed be Canaan; The question of why the full weight of this curse falls not on Ham, the chief culprit, but on his son Canaan, has several more or less plausible conjectures. Thus, Origen, following Jewish tradition, explains it by saying that the boy Canaan was supposedly the first to notice the indecent position of his sleeping grandfather and pointed it out to his father Ham: but this explanation, besides everything else, does not withstand criticism for the simple reason that one can never consider a young, unreasoning boy more responsible for the same transgression than a mature man. Much deeper and more sound is another explanation proposed by Chrysostom: “It is not without reason and not in vain that Scripture mentioned the son (of Ham), but for some hidden reason. Noah wished both to punish Ham for his transgression and the insult done to him, and at the same time not to violate the blessing already given by God: “He blessed,” it is said, “Noah and his sons,” when they went out of the ark (Gen 9:1); furthermore, Chrysostom explains in detail that Noah, in laying a curse on Canaan, who more than all others embodied the typical characteristics of his father and was therefore especially close and dear to him, struck the most sensitive punishment to Ham himself. Finally, the aforementioned consideration about the exceptionally important role of tribes in the future history of Israel is not without significance, in the spirit of prophetic foresight which Noah utters a curse on the descendants of Canaan only, not touching the other children of Ham. a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers. This is the usual form in Hebrew language of intensifying a thought (superlative degree), which can be described most appropriately thus: in complete subordination and in the most perfect slavery the descendants of Canaan will be to the descendants of Shem and Japheth. And history, indeed, gave complete justification to this prophecy. Thus, the descendants of Canaan were put to death and enslaved by the Hebrews under Joshua, during his conquest of the Promised Land (Josh 9:23). More than once, and especially under David and Solomon, the Canaanites experienced the heavy hand of the descendants of Shem and served them (1 Sam 9:20-21). And the other branches of the Hamites—the Phoenicians, and especially the Ethiopians, were subdued by the tribes of Japheth—the Persians, Greeks, and Romans.

He blesses Shem

Genesis 9:26. And he said: “Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant.” The prophecy given to Shem constitutes a complete opposite to the preceding one: that one began with a curse, this one begins with a blessing; that one foretold slavery, this one proclaims dominion. The very formula—“Blessed be the Lord God,” when applied to God, means the raising of praise and thanksgiving to God (Eph 1:3); but the most remarkable thing about it is that here the God of revelation—the Most High—for the first time is called the proper God of Shem. This means that the descendants of Shem will stand in special, exclusively close relationships to the Creator, as the founders of the God-chosen Hebrew people, and that from it will come patriarchs and prophets—servants of God on earth, and finally, from it will come Christ the Savior Himself. And let Canaan be his servant.” This refers most immediately to those subordinate vassal relationships in which the Canaanites stood to the Hebrews in the era of Joshua and in the times of the Hebrew kings.

Noah’s prayer for Japheth

Genesis 9:27. May God enlarge Japheth, In the Hebrew text here a peculiar wordplay is given (japhet éjephet), or a parallel of concepts, since the name “Japheth” itself means “broad spreading, expansion.” To the posterity of Japheth, thus, was foretold the broadest settlement on the face of the earth; and indeed, in the persons of the Caucasian peoples, it has settled the greater part of Asia, almost all of Europe and America, not to mention that it also comprises the privileged part of the population in the remaining countries of the New and Old World. To the quantitative spread of the Japhethites corresponds his intellectual superiority: the metaphysics of India, the philosophy of Greece, the strategy of Rome, and all modern world civilization owe their existence and prosperity, chiefly, to the genius of the Japhethites. and let him dwell in the tents of Shem; The reference is not to God, as some mistakenly supposed (Philo, Theodoret, Onkelos, and others), but to Japheth, to whom in time was foretold a dominant position even over the descendants of Shem. And, indeed, this prophecy has been justified in a twofold sense: both in the political sense, when the Romans, descendants of Japheth, conquered the Jews and destroyed Jerusalem itself, and in the religious sense, when along with Israel, nations (people) entered the Church of Christ (Eph 2:11-15). “Through these blessings, pronounced on Shem and Japheth, he (Noah) seems to me to have foretold the calling of two peoples, namely: through Shem—the Jews, since the patriarch Abraham and the Jewish people descended from him, and through Japheth—the calling of the Gentiles” (John Chrysostom, Homily 30). And let Canaan be his servant. The justification of this prophecy can chiefly be seen in the growth of slavery of the black races by the white, and in the all-around dominance of the latter over the former. In concluding the detailed commentary on Noah’s prophecy, we must say that this is one of the most remarkable accounts, embracing in a general schematic outline the main currents of all subsequent human history, embodied in the fate of the three sons of Noah, as the founders of all subsequent mankind: here is the beloved firstborn of Noah—Shem, to whom is foretold special divine favor, here is the ungrateful Ham, to whom is proclaimed rejection and slavery, here is the youngest son—Japheth, on whose fate was to be fulfilled the evangelical prophecy that “the last shall be first,” first both in the cultural-historical sense and in the Christian-religious sense.

Genesis 9:28. And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. According to calculations of some scholars, the three hundred fiftieth year of the post-flood era falls on the fifty-eighth year of Abraham’s life; consequently, Noah was a witness to the building of the tower of Babel and the subsequent dispersion of nations.

The death of Noah

Genesis 9:29. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died. Both of these chronological dates remind us of the well-known similar examples from the genealogy of the Sethites (Gen 5:31 and others). Noah was the last of the patriarchs to reach such an advanced old age, and this was not without special divine providence: the agent of the last six centuries of the pre-flood world, Noah was also a witness to the first three and a half centuries of the history of the new, post-flood humanity, and by his person, as it were, bound together both these worlds and served as a bearer and keeper of all universal traditions of mankind. The six hundred years of Noah’s pre-flood life allowed him to see Methuselah and hear from his own lips accounts of primordial times, received by Methuselah directly from Adam himself, and the three hundred fifty years of the post-flood period opened the possibility of personal discourse with Abraham and the transmission of all sacred traditions to him, from which through two or three intermediate steps (Jacob, Levi, Kohath), all of this by purely natural means could reach the chronicler Moses, who, besides this, was also illumined by a special supernatural divine revelation. “So closely was oral tradition, inscribed on the pages of the Bible, transmitted, and at the time when Moses was inscribing it, the entire Hebrew people could believe in the truth of these accounts with the traditions of the elders” (Vlastov).

Chapter Ten

Descendants of Noah

Genesis 10:1. Here is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. After the flood, children were born to them. This is a well-known opening for us of a new section, or from the Hebrew text—a new toldoth. Judging from its heading, this section contains the genealogy of the three sons of Noah—Shem, Ham, and Japheth, that is, an enumeration of the main families of post-flood humanity. The section of biblical proto-history under examination, together with the following chapter 11, constitutes one of the most important documents not only of biblical, but of all human history. It is known by the name “table of nations,” or “ethnographic table,” because it has the aim of clarifying the origin and settlement of primitive humanity across various regions of the ancient world. However, in order to judge this biblical ethnography correctly and not to make inappropriate demands of it, we must bear in mind the following. Genealogical tables among ancient peoples of the East were the most important and widely distributed phenomenon, the principal and almost only history of the past, carefully preserved and transmitted from generation to generation. But by the very character of such documents, they never distinguished themselves by particular fullness and detail, and preserved only what was most remarkable and important in the most condensed form. Hence this biblical genealogical table is undoubtedly a document of deep antiquity, going back to the era of Abraham and beginning, probably, even with the family of Noah himself; secondly, from what has been said it also follows that in that genealogy there is no need to seek a complete list of all families and ethnographic groups, and one should see only an enumeration of those that from the point of view of the Semites deserved mention and preservation in tradition. For this reason it is entirely unfounded to seek in the biblical table mentions of all peoples, and especially to reproach it for omitting such peoples as did not exist not only in the era of Abraham, but even in the period of Moses, the final editor of this table (for example, the inhabitants of America). Furthermore, ancient Eastern genealogies are quite distinctive: sometimes they give an enumeration of individual personal figures, as for instance we saw in the antediluvian genealogy of Cainites and Sethites; sometimes they make a collective designation of entire racial groups; sometimes, finally, they name a given people by the name of the country in which it settled. In the biblical table under our investigation all three of these genealogical methods have their application; the task of criticism is precisely to establish correctly the sense in which this or that proper name is used (genealogical link, term), rather than to regard confusion of concepts as the error of the biblical writer. Having all this in mind and comparing the biblical accounts with data from Assyrian and Egyptian antiquity, scholars of our day are increasingly becoming convinced of the authenticity, reliability, and importance of this biblical table of nations. So, for instance, the well-known French Orientalist Lenormant calls it a document of “the most ancient, most precious, and most complete history of the settlement of peoples in the ancient world” and says that “its authenticity is remarkably confirmed by comparative linguistics and the physical investigation of various nations.” The table of nations pursues three goals: first, it affirms the truth of the unity of the human race, showing that all humanity descended only from these three branches, which in turn issued from one common root; second, it establishes the fact of the kinship of the chosen Hebrew people with other tribes of the same Semitic race, and finally, in a more distant sense, it shows us the destiny of divine providence in the history of the nations of the world. In conclusion, one must say that for correct understanding of the biblical ethnographic table one must constantly keep in mind its starting point and point of departure both as to time and place; from 2 verse of chapter 11 (Gen 11:2) it becomes clear that the starting point in this respect for the biblical writer was the valley of Shinar, at the moment of the scattering of peoples after the Babylonian tower; and if Moses subsequently extended and supplemented this most ancient tradition with data contemporary to him, then he too, faithful to the spirit of the ancient tradition, gave preponderant attention to the inhabitants of regions neighboring the Palestinian land and related to the Hebrews.

Descendants of Japheth

Genesis 10:2. The sons of Japheth: Since Japheth, judging by the preceding context, was not the oldest, but on the contrary the youngest son of Noah, the biblical writer, beginning his table of nations with his descendants, clearly had, not a chronological, but some other purpose; most likely the very one that the preceding prophecy of Noah pointed to regarding the brilliant destiny of Japheth’s descendants, to which it predicted both numerical superiority and qualitative predominance over all descendants of the other progenitors of post-flood humanity. Gomer, We encounter this people once more in the Bible with the prophet Ezekiel, who describes it as neighboring Tubal and Mosoch (Ezek 38:6) and a whole series of other peoples, inhabiting northern Syria and Asia Minor. “The name of the Cimmerians (people) has been found in the cuneiform inscriptions of Ashurbanipal” (Vlastov). Most authoritative commentators identify them with the classical Cimmerians (Odyssey 4:11; 11:13–19), who inhabited the shores of the Caspian and Aral seas and from there subsequently spread westward, into the regions of northern Germany (Cimbri and Teutons) and the islands of Britain. Some draw near the name of the Cimmerians to Crimea the name “Gomer.” Magog, In the same prophet Ezekiel, representatives of this tribe appear as experienced and skilled archers (Ezek 38:2), and it itself is placed in the same vicinity as the above, somewhat more to the north. Given this, most are inclined to see here an indication of the Scythians, who dwelt on the shores of the Azov Sea and within the Caucasus, while some consider Magog to be Armenians. In the Apocalypse, the names of Gog and Magog serve as the embodiment of two forces hostile to God, which before the coming of Antichrist are to make a mutual alliance for war against Christ and His Church (Rev 20:7-10). Bochart sees in the name Gog or Magog the name of the Caucasus, which the Colchians and Armenians called Gog-Hasan, Gog’s fortress. Magog, in all probability, are the Turanians (among the Kalmyks similar names of places are found—Vlastov). Upon the fate of these Scythians was fulfilled the prophecy of Ezekiel concerning their destruction in the valley “of Gog’s multitude” (Ezek 39:11) when they suffered a terrible defeat in the region of Palestine from the army of Psammeticus and from epidemics that broke out among them, as Herodotus testifies (book 1, 105–106). Madai, By this name, according to the unanimous testimony of the sacred books of Persia and India, supported by Assyrian inscriptions, were designated the primitive Aryans who lived in western Asia, namely in Media, from where the greater part of them in time emigrated to the east and received the name of Hindus, while the smaller part remained in place and retained the name of Medes. The prophet Daniel speaks of the kinship of the Medes with the Persians and Aryans in general (Dan 5:28). Javan, No less, if not even more definitively, is this name determined, which in Hittite inscriptions is found in the form Yevanna, in the monuments of the era of Darius Hystaspis—Iavana, in the Sanskrit language—Iavana, in ancient Persian—Iuna. It points to the Greeks, first of all to the Ionians, and from there to all the others. References to such a designation of the Greeks are found in other places of Sacred Scripture as well (Isa 66:19; Ezek 27:13). Elisha, In most translations this name is placed not among the sons, but among the grandsons of Japheth, where it is repeated in our translation as well. And since it, as we shall see later, likewise denotes Greeks, this probably explains its mention here, alongside Javan. Tubal, Meshech Like in the book of Genesis, so in other places of Sacred Scripture, these two peoples are usually joined together and pictured as tributaries of Gog (Ezek 38:2). Once, however, they are joined with Javan (Ezek 27:13), and in two other places their dwelling is determined to be in the north of Palestine. In the annals of Assyrian kings, Muski and Tabal are frequently mentioned as two neighboring peoples, inhabiting Cilicia, and Herodotus speaks of the Tibarenians or Iberians (Iberians) and Moschians, living in the neighborhood of Colchis. Scholars suppose that originally both these peoples inhabited the sources of the Tigris and Euphrates, between Media and Scythia, that is, in Colchis and Iberia, located in the south of the modern Caucasus (Tubal—presumably Iberians or Georgians). and Tiras. The majority of commentators suppose that this name represents the most ancient, abbreviated (and perhaps later corrupted by copyists) form of the name “Thracians,” a branch of Pelasgian population, grouped around the future city of Tyre in Asia Minor. It is supposed that in remote prehistoric times this tribe penetrated into Europe, inhabited Hellas and partly Italy. In ancient Egyptian monuments, Turasch is usually joined with Masnuash, similar to the biblical combination “Tubal and Meshech.” According to Knobel and Lenormant, the biblical Tiras is the same as the classical “Tyrenians”—the most ancient Pelasgian peoples first of ancient Lydia and Phoenicia, thence Greece, and finally Italy.

Genesis 10:3. The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, On the basis that modern Jews call Germany “Ashkenaz,” the majority of Jewish commentators see here precisely an indication of the Germans. But in view of the fact that the biblical table has in mind almost exclusively Asian territory, which served as the common cradle of humanity, we must make a serious correction to this opinion. The determination of this nationality is most helped by the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 51:27), who, enumerating the peoples that comprised the army of Cyrus, marching to the conquest of Babylon, along with the peoples of Ararat and Minni names Ashkenaz, thereby indicating that this people likewise lived within Armenia or Asia Minor. Not without wit is also the guess that the Black Sea, or by the ancients the Euxine Pontus (Πόντον Ευξεινος or Αξενος), received its name from this people. It is also quite plausible that this people, leaving the territory of its original dwelling, over time settled in Western Europe and here laid the foundation for the population of future Germany. Riphath In another place of the Bible, probably due to the error of copyists, the initial letter of this name was replaced by another, giving rise to “Diphath” (1 Chr 1:6) (only in some manuscripts). Josephus identifies them with the Paphlagonians, dwelling in the northwest of Asia Minor, while the majority of subsequent commentators are inclined to place them in the Riphean Mountains, lying in the north of the Caspian Sea. and Togarmah. This name appears twice more with the prophet Ezekiel, as suppliers of horses and mules for the merchants of Tyre (Ezek 27:14). According to the tradition preserved by Moses of Khoren, the founder of the Armenians was the son of Togarmah, and this decides the question of this people in the sense of identifying it with the Armenians.

Genesis 10:4. The sons of Javan: Elisha, The islands of Elisha with the prophet Ezekiel are praised for their purple and crimson (Ezek 27:7); therefore it is considered almost certain that by this name was called one of the maritime peoples of Greece: Elis, Aeolia, or Greece in general, according to Horace, which was famous for its purple garments. Tarshish, Josephus supposes that Tarsus, the city of Cilicia, is indicated here; but the majority of commentators, with Eusebius at the head, more soundly think that here is a speech about some distant western colony, emigrated from the limits of the Asia Minor metropolis. The principal basis for the latter opinion is the passage from the prophet Jonah, in which it is said that he boarded a ship to sail from Joppa (present-day Jaffa) to the distant Tarshish. And learned geographers point out that the name Tarshish or Tartessus was called one of the most remote of the Phoenician colonies, located in present-day Spain and famous for the wealth of its lead and copper mines. The abundance of metals in Tarshish and the trade in them with Tyre is also indicated by Sacred Scripture (Ezek 27:12; Ps 71:10). Kittim Of all the explanations of this name, the most successful must be considered the opinion of Josephus, identifying biblical Kittim with the ancient historical Kition, the capital of the island of Cyprus. With it agree, apparently, the indications of the prophets Isaiah and Daniel regarding Kittim, that it was a maritime people (Isa 23:1; Dan 11:30). and Dodanim. In all probability this is the Dardanians or Trojans (who gave their name to the Dardanelles Strait), one of the most ancient Asia Minor branches of the Greek people.

Genesis 10:5. From them the island peoples were populated This is a common biblical designation of pagan tribes, dwelling outside Palestine, in the regions of the Mediterranean, Black, Caspian, and Aral seas (Ps 71:10; Isa 41:5; Jer 2:10 and others). The origin of such a designation is easily explained by the naive view of the ancient Hebrews, who, having no conception of other continents and the extent of the seas known to them, were inclined to excessively enlarge the latter and shrink the former, depicting them as some small islands amid continuous waters. For this reason, probably, the name under consideration was most often applied to the coastal dwellers of the greatest of these seas—the Mediterranean, that is, the inhabitants of present-day southern Europe. Saying that from these, that is, the peoples mentioned above, these more distant maritime points of Asia Minor and Europe were populated, the biblical writer by this itself silently assumes, first, that the original population of the peoples named by him was different from these islands, and second, that over time it emigrated from here to these islands, that is, in scientific language, the Bible briefly notes here the fact of the great prehistoric migration of primitive Aryans from the mountains of Armenia and the peaks of the Himalayas first into Asia Minor, and then into southern Europe. Characteristic at this is also the small detail of the Bible, which says that from these the inhabitants of the islands “separated,” that is, not all the native population of a given people left their native land and settled on the islands, but only a certain, separated part of it. in their lands, each in his own language, by their tribes, in their nations. This is the best proof of the breadth and fullness of the enlightened view of the biblical author on the proper classification of peoples; the latter is conducted by him from four main perspectives: geographical (in their lands), dialectical or linguistic (in his own language), racial (by their tribes), and national (in their nations).

Descendants of Ham

Genesis 10:6. The sons of Ham: Ham is named here as the progenitor of four main races, descended from his sons and inhabiting the regions of southern Asia and the headwaters of the Nile. Cush, The ancient Hebrew name of the country “Kush” or “Cush” in the Septuagint translation is ordinarily replaced by the later name “Ethiopia”; but in Assyrian cuneiform monuments, in accord with the Hebrew Bible, it is called the country “Cush,” and the Egyptian name is also related, being “Kes.” From the comparison of biblical parallels it is revealed that there existed two countries with this name: one between Babylon and the Arabian Peninsula (1 Chr 1:8-10; Ps 86:4), another on the northeastern coast of Africa, approximately in the place of modern Nubia, in the direction of Abyssinia (Isa 18:1-2; Ezek 30:4; Nah 3:9). The best explanation of all this is given by the monuments of Assyrian and Egyptian antiquity. According to the testimony of the former, the Cushites or proto-Chaldeans were the primitive peoples who formed the basic substance of the so-called Sumero-Akkadian nation, which laid the foundation of the most ancient Chaldean-Babylonian civilization and culture. In time, these Cushites, forced to yield their territory here to Semites, first migrated to the Arabian steppes, and from there, under Pharaoh the 12th, Usertasen I, were transferred to Egypt (around 2000 BC) and settled in Nubia. Mizraim, In the Bible this word has a very definite sense—it points precisely to Egypt. It is a form of the dual number from the singular Matzor, since it is found in the Bible as a designation of only Lower Egypt (2 Sam 19:24; Isa 19:6). Ebers and other scholars suppose that the dual number gives only the idea of two Egypts: Upper and Lower. Others, however, explain its origin by the double row of boundary walls by which Egypt is separated from the Arabian Peninsula, from the name of which the Asian Semites also called the entire country beginning beyond these walls. The Egyptians themselves called their country the land of Hemi or Kemi, a name somewhat reminiscent of the biblical Ham; however, in recent times on one of the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs of the Hittite era (from the era of the Hyksos) an analogous designation of Egypt similar to the biblical term was discovered, in the form “Matzrima.” Put Among the prophets, the tribe of Put is enumerated among African peoples (Jer 46:9; Ezek 30:5; Nah 3:9). According to Josephus and the most ancient contexts, one should think that this is the same as the ancient Egyptian “Pet,” that is, Libya, lying in the northwest of Africa, in the neighborhood of Nubia. and Canaan. The youngest of the sons of Ham, whose descendants remained within Asia and occupied Palestine until the time of its conquest by the Hebrews under Joshua. For more detail on the territory of Canaan, see below, verses 15–19.

Genesis 10:7. The sons of Cush: Seba, This name, though with some difference in spelling (סבא Seba and שבא Sheba), appears in this genealogy and once more in the enumeration of the descendants of Shem; from this arises the difficulty of distinguishing and determining the territory of each group of Sabeans. Most close to the truth appears to be the account of Josephus, determining the location of the Cushite Seba in the north of Nubia, in the region of Meroe (Jewish Antiquities 2:10, 2); though this in no way excludes the supposition that before their migration to Africa these Sabeans dwelt somewhere in Asia, for example, in Yemen or southern Arabia, as blessed Jerome thought. Sacred Scripture favors each of these views, when on the one hand they call Saba a distant southern country (Ps 71:10; Isa 43:3), and on the other connect it with the land of Cush or Ethiopia. Havilah, According to clear testimony from classical writers (Ptolemy, Pliny, Martial, and others), the Havilites inhabited the African coast, bordering the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. Josephus Flavius (Jewish Antiquities 1:6, 2) identifies them with the Gaetulians, living in the oases of the Libyan Desert. But equally decisive testimony from the Bible (Gen 2:1) compels us to seek this land within the Tigris and Euphrates. The best reconciliation of these accounts is the supposition that there were two countries with the same name and population: one—Asian, serving as a place of original dwelling, the other—African, resulting from later emigration. Thus the same history repeats here as with the land of “Cush” and the country of “Saba,” when colony and metropolis bear one and the same name and often even exchange roles. Sabtah, According to the supposition of Josephus, by this name was designated the people “Astabari,” inhabiting the part of Ethiopia now called Atbara, but in ancient times called Astabar. According to Ptolemy’s view, here is meant Sabota (or Sabbata), the chief city of Happy Arabia. and Sabteca. According to the pseudo-Jonathan Targum, this is one of the Negro provinces, well known from ancient Egyptian monuments, where it appears in the form Subatok; it lay on the eastern shore of the Persian Gulf, in the region of Carmania. Raamah. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan The determination of Raamah and his sons is most aided by the prophet Ezekiel, who speaks of the merchants of Sheba and Raamah and of the trade of Dedan (Ezek 27:18), which all these peoples carried on with Tyre, the capital of Phoenicia; by these signs scholars suppose that all three aforementioned peoples inhabited the coastal region of Arabia, famous for its natural wealth and offering all conveniences for the development of trade. In Sacred Scripture there are also more particular indications of Sheba, as the chief city of Happy Arabia (1 Sam 10:1; Job 1:15; Ps 71:10; Isa 60:6; Jer 6:20; Ezek 27:22; Joel 3:8), and of Dedan, located on the shore of the Persian Gulf (Isa 21:13; Jer 49:8). Perhaps the biblical Dedan was in the same place as the modern Daden. Thus the entire race of Cushites occupied the southern part of Arabia, the eastern coast of Africa, and the northern part of the Persian Gulf, and many of the tribes of this race set apart considerable portions of their entire number for migration to the regions of Africa, which is why there came to be two countries bearing the same names: one in Asia, the other in Africa.

Nimrod and the First Monarchy

Genesis 10:8. Cush also fathered Nimrod, This does not necessarily mean that Nimrod was the direct son of Cush, but rather serves as proof only that he descended in a direct line from him, belonged to the native Cushites, and consequently lived in Arabian Ethiopia, in the neighborhood of the biblical valley of Shinar. The very name “Nimrod” here is already not collective, but individual, personal; examined philologically, it means “rebel, insurgent, agitator” (from the Hebrew verb marad—to grieve, trouble, rebel, to revolt); therefore some commentators suppose that it was given to him only later, on the basis of his violent activities. he began to be mighty on the earth; The opening words of this phrase already have known analogies in the history of Enosh and Noah; the further biblical term “mighty on the earth,” in Hebrew, gibbor, is likewise familiar to us from the characterization of antediluvian humanity (Nephilim and Gibborim). If there, as we saw (Gen 6:4), this name contained the idea of a giant distinguished by his physical strength and morally dissolute, then clearly, using the same term here, the biblical writer wishes to show that in the person of Nimrod again, for the first time after the flood (he began), there arose the type of the proud giant, celebrated for his mighty deeds throughout his country.

Genesis 10:9. he was a mighty hunter before the Lord [God], and so it is said: “As the mighty hunter Nimrod before the Lord [God].” This entire verse serves as an explanation of the preceding one: having previously pointed to Nimrod’s strength and fame, the biblical writer now defines more precisely the principal means of his glorification and the high degree to which it reached. The means of Nimrod’s wide popularity was his fortunate and bold hunting, while the degree of the height of this popularity is indicated in the words “before the Lord.” These words denote the highest degree of this or that quality, already exceeding human competence and accessible only to God’s evaluation. And that bold and fortunate deeds in hunting, in struggle with wild beasts and monsters, in that rough prehistoric era were valued especially highly and elevated their heroes to a pedestal of glory is testified to by all prehistoric antiquity, beginning with the hero of the Chaldean poem Izdubbar and ending with the mythical deeds of Hercules. As proof of Nimrod’s fame, based on his mighty strength and fortunate hunting, the biblical author refers to the existence even in his time of a special proverb, relying on the mentioned fact. The essence of this proverb consisted in that when one wished to praise and glorify someone especially, then he was compared in strength, daring, and courage with Nimrod.

Genesis 10:10. His kingdom initially consisted of: Here is the very first biblical account of the beginning of political, state life on earth. According to the opinion of most authoritative scholars, the Bible speaks here of the so-called “first Chaldean confederation” in science, that is, of the first union of Chaldean cities, united under the rule of the famous Cushite Nimrod, known also in ancient Chaldean inscriptions under the title “Arba-Lizuna,” that is, lord of four languages. Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. All four cities listed here lay in the valley of Shinar; and this valley, as is evident from the following verse (verse 11), as well as from other places in the Bible (Isa 11:11), denoted the southern part of the Mesopotamian plain, or Babylonia, that is, the very country which in cuneiform inscriptions was called “Sumeria.” Within this Chaldean-Babylonian territory we find the historical traces of the existence of all the above-named cities, and first of all—the capital of that union state, the city of Babylon itself. The ruins of ancient Babylon are discovered on the eastern bank of the Euphrates, near the modern town of Hillah, where a mound with the ruins of a shrine still bears the name “Babil” among the native Arabs. The second ancient Chaldean city “Erech,” or “Arach,” is rightly identified with the Ορχόη of Ptolemy, with Arku of the cuneiform inscriptions, and thus coincides with the modern “Warqa,” lying approximately eight miles south of ancient Babylon. The other two cities: Akkad and Calneh represented, on the contrary, the northern points of the described state: in particular Akkad, probably, was that very city which later gave its name to the entire country “Akkad,” so often mentioned in cuneiform literature. According to the opinion of the well-known English Orientalist George Smith, Akkad was the capital of King Sargon and lay on the bank of the Euphrates, not far from Sippar, to the north of Babylon. The last of the cities named here “Calneh,” or “Kalne,” commentators connect with “Calno” (Russian “Kalne”) in the prophet Isaiah (Isa 10:9) and “Hanne” (Russian “Hane”) in the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 27:23). Some, following blessed Jerome and Eusebius, seek this city in the place of the later “Ctesiphon,” that is, in the northwest of Babylon; others (Rawlinson) find its traces in the ruins of modern Nippur, in the northeast of the Euphrates. These very four cities, either voluntarily or—more likely—through seizure by Nimrod, formed the first union state, or the most ancient Chaldean-Babylonian kingdom, in which the supreme leading role belonged to the descendants of Ham.

Genesis 10:11. From that land Asshur went out Some commentators take the name “Asshur” here in the sense of the proper name of one of Shem’s sons (verse 22, LXX, Vulgate, Luther, Rosenmüller, and others) and interpret this place in the sense that the Semites, dissatisfied with the despotic rule of Nimrod and the Cushites, preferred to withdraw northward and establish a new kingdom there. But according to the opinion of others (Targum, Delitzsch, Keil, Lange, Philaret, and many others), the name “Asshur” serves here as a common designation of the entire country, depending on which the translation of the text should be somewhat different, namely: “and from that land (Shinar) he (Nimrod) went out into Assyria…” and built Nineveh, At first the support of Nimrod’s dominion was Babylon; now he raises a new center of his rule to the north—the city of Nineveh. This later immense capital of the mighty Assyrian monarchy (Jonah 3:3) lay on the bank of the river Tigris, opposite Mosul, in the region of the excavations of modern Kuyunjik. Rehoboth-Ir, Calah The first of these cities remains unknown to this day, though some are inclined to identify it with the biblical Ellasar or Larsa—according to the cuneiform inscriptions—found at the confluence of the Lower Zab with the Tigris. By the literal translation from the Hebrew, the word Rehoboth-Ir means “city of streets,” giving the impression of its vastness. The name of the city “Calah” is found in the annals of King Ashurnasirpal (883–859 BC), where it is mentioned as a city built by Shalmaneser I. The location of it is determined by scholars to the south of Nineveh, at the confluence of the Upper Zab with the Euphrates, near modern Nimrud. Others, however, prefer to see it in the place of modern Kalah-Sherkat, five miles south of Nineveh.

Genesis 10:12. and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; it is a great city. That is, between modern Kuyunjik and Nimrud. In the above-mentioned Assyrian inscriptions the city “Resen” is also mentioned, which is called here “the city of the hunter,” plainly reminding us of the biblical proverb about Nimrod mentioned above. The Bible calls “Resen” a great city and places it in the immediate neighborhood of Nineveh. All this, as well as the fact that Nineveh itself, according to the words of the prophet Jonah, had a span of three days’ journey (Jonah 3:3), gave scholars reason to think that Resen, representing a separate independent city located in the vicinity of great Nineveh, later merged with it and thus lost its own name (Layard and others). Thus in these few lines of the Bible is reproduced the entire initial history of the Chaldean-Babylonian and Babylonian-Assyrian monarchy: in full correspondence with the newly discovered data of the cuneiform monuments, the Bible testifies that the initial emergence of state life occurred in the region of southern Babylonia or Chaldea, where its center was the cities: Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh; that then this life began to flow northward, where it established a new center in the form of Nineveh and the surrounding cities, and that finally the predominant influence of the Cushites in the first Chaldean-Babylonian monarchy gradually had to yield its place to the Semitic element of the Assyrian-Ninevite monarchy.

Genesis 10:13–14. From Mizraim descended In these two verses, the descendants of Ham’s son—Mizraim, that is, the population of various Egyptian-African provinces, are specifically indicated. Ludim, The people of this name is mentioned again with the prophet Isaiah (Isa 66:19), as good archers, and is called together with the tribes of Cush (Cush) and Put (brothers of Mizraim, progenitor of Ludim and others), that is, inhabitants of northwestern Africa. The Targums place this tribe near Egypt itself, in the western direction; and the learned Egyptologist Ebers, having found that in the hieroglyphic texts of ancient Egypt the inhabitants were designated by the name Lutu or Rutu, supposes that this biblical Ludim is none other than the most ancient designation of the aborigines of Egypt. Anamim, According to Ebers, this is the very people known in the monuments as the “Aamu” and which inhabited the eastern part of the Nile Valley and the Sinai Peninsula. Lehabim, It is supposed that this is the very people who in other places of the Bible is called “Ludim,” or even directly “Libya” (2 Chr 12:3; Dan 11:43; Nah 3:9). On this basis the majority identifies it with Libya, lying in the northwest of the Nile, near present-day Algeria. Naphtuhim, The philological analysis of this name reveals that the people bearing it had a connection to the Egyptian deity “Ptah” or “Ptha”; and since this was the chief deity of Memphis, it is rightly concluded that in the tribe “Naphtuhim” one must see the inhabitants of middle Egypt.

Genesis 10:14. Pathrusim, With the same, as well as with a slightly altered (“Petros”) designation, this people appears in many other places of Sacred Scripture, where they are placed between Ethiopia and Mizraim (Isa 11:11) and distinguished from Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis (Jer 44:1; Ezek 29:14). In the cuneiform annals of Esarhaddon we find that upon the conquest of Egypt he took the title of king of Musur, Paturusi, and Kusi. From all this it is concluded with certainty that under Pathrusim one must understand the population of Upper Egypt, living between Mizraim and Ethiopia. Casluhim, from whom the Philistines came, and Caphtorim. “Hasmoneans” (according to the LXX text). By the sense of this text, it appears that “Casluhim” served to form two other peoples: the Philistines and the Caphtorim. But in other places of Sacred Scripture the homeland of the Philistines is quite definitely indicated as “Caphtor” (Deut 2:23; Jer 47:4; Amos 9:7), under which it is most plausibly understood to mean the island of Crete (1 Sam 30:14; Ezek 25:16). Reconciling these two accounts, commentators think that the Bible speaks of two different migrations of the Philistines, of which the most ancient came from Casluhim, that is, from the North African coast of the Mediterranean, while the other, later—from Caphtorim, that is, from the island of Crete. It is certain only that the inhabitants of northwestern Africa, the island of Crete, and the Philistines had much in common in their language, ancient beliefs, and customs, which serves as proof of their genetic kinship. As for the Philistines themselves, inhabiting Palestine and giving it their name, the analysis of their very name (Pleshet—migrant) points to them as migrants or emigrants; and the most ancient popular sagas call them precisely as coming out of Egypt.

Genesis 10:15–18. From Canaan were born: Sidon, his firstborn, In these four verses, the enumeration of the principal Canaanite tribes that inhabited Syria and Palestine, before the conquest of the latter by Joshua, is given. Sidon, by significance if not by birth, is here named the firstborn of Canaan, a wealthy, maritime city, which together with Tyre was the capital of Phoenicia (1 Sam 5:6; 1 Chr 22:4; Isa 23:2). Heth,—the progenitor of the Hittites (Gen 23:3), a powerful Syrian tribe, once terrible even to Egypt itself, which left after itself traces of high culture and an entire rich literature, still largely undeciphered by scholars (Hittite inscriptions). Jebusite,—the Jebusites lived in the hills of Jerusalem, until the days of David, who conquered them (Josh 15:8; Judg 19:10; 2 Sam 5:6; 1 Chr 11:4-5). Amorite,—the Amorites—one of the strongest Canaanite tribes, having on the east side of the Jordan two strong kingdoms—Heshbon and Bashan (Num 21:26). Girgashite,—the Girgashites—known only by name, as fighting with the Hebrews west of the Jordan (Josh 24:11). Hivite,—the Hivites, or, according to Metropolitan Philaret’s reading, “Hittites,” are mentioned again in Josh 24:11; Judg 3:3—they inhabited the foot of Mount Lebanon. Arkite,—the Arkites, or Arkiites, probably inhabitants of the city Arki, found in the place of modern ruins near the small town Tall-Arki, at the foot of the same Lebanon. Sinite,—the Sinites, or “Sinitians,”—a people neighboring the former, inhabiting near the ancient fortress bearing the same name. Arvadite,—the Arvadites lived in Arvad, or Ruad (Josephus), that is, on the Bareyn Islands of our time, as Lenormant thinks; subsequently they formed the nucleus of the population of Phoenicia and imparted to it a passion for navigation and commerce. Zemarite and Hamathite.—the Zemarites and Hamathites—two peoples very little known; it is supposed that the first gave their name to Zimri—a city of northern Phoenicia, the ruins of which are still known by the name Sumra. In like manner, the name Hamathite, in all probability, passed to the city Hammani-Rabba, lying on the river Orontes, near Damascus. Among the Greeks it was called “Epiphaneia”; in modern times it is known by the ancient name “Hama.” Afterward the Canaanites were scattered, That is, under the influence of mutual mixing, conquests, and successive migrations they repeatedly changed their geographic boundaries, thanks to which it is not only extremely difficult, but positively impossible to firmly establish the dwelling of each of them.

Genesis 10:19. and the boundary of the Canaanites was from Sidon to Gerar as far as Gaza, from there to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. Having indicated the reason because of which it was difficult to determine the dwelling of each of the Canaanite tribes, the biblical author makes an indication of a more general character—determines the boundaries of the entire Canaanite territory. On the north such a boundary was the city of Sidon, on the south Gaza and Gerar, a city located between Kadesh and Shur, in the southern region (Gen 20:1). The western boundary was served by the cities: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which together with the omitted here Zoar comprised the so-called Pentapolis, and in place of which subsequently the Dead Sea formed (Gen 14:2). Finally, the eastern boundary was the city of Lasha, under which the majority means the city known to the Greeks as Callirhoe (fountain of beauty), because of its hot sulphur spring waters. Thus, “the settlements of the Hamites encompass all the seacoasts of present-day Persia, the Persian Gulf, Arabia, the Red Sea along the African coast and the Mediterranean Sea in Africa and Syria” (Vlastov).

Genesis 10:20. These are the descendants of Ham, by their tribes, by their languages, in their lands, in their nations. A general conclusion of the genealogy of the Hamites, the sense of which we have explained above (Gen 10:5).

The Descendants of Shem

Genesis 10:21. Shem also had sons, being the father of all the children of Eber, the older brother of Japheth. From here begins the most important genealogy from the biblical perspective—that of the Semites, from among whom came the chosen people of God, the Hebrew nation, which received its name from Eber, and the biblical author does not fail to mention this here.

Genesis 10:22. The sons of Shem: Elam, In the cuneiform monuments of Assyria this country is known by the name leamtu, which means “mountainous” country. Subsequently it came to be called Susiania or Susiana. In this latter many places with Semitic names have been preserved, from which it is rightly concluded that Semitic elements once dominated in ancient Susiania or Elam. Asshur, This descendant of Shem was the progenitor of the Assyrians, one of the most famous peoples of the ancient East. He inhabited the eastern side of the middle course of the Tigris River, between Armenia, Susiania, and Media, and spoke, as is now precisely established, in the Semitic dialect, rather close to the Hebrew language. As we saw above, the Cushites made an invasion into Assyria at a very early date (Gen 10:11), which explains the circumstance that the entire civilization and culture of the Assyrian monarchy stands in undoubted kinship with the Chaldean-Babylonian civilization. Arphaxad, One of the direct ancestors of the Hebrew people. On the basis of cuneiform inscriptions, Schrader and other scholars suppose that this name means a people “bordering the Chaldeans” (arp-kasad), and its dwelling they indicate in the southern, coastal part of the Euphrates valley, the main residence of which was the city of Ur of the Chaldeans, the modern Mugheir. Lud, Following Josephus, here is meant the population of the Asia Minor province of Lydia with its chief city Sardis. But in view of the fact that in the classical era the population of Lydia was rather of Arian than Semitic origin, scholars presume that Semites inhabited this province only in the most remote antiquity, but that subsequently they yielded it to the Aryans. This gradual replacement of one population by another took place chiefly in the era of the Assyrian kings, in the annals of whom one can find some allusions to it. Aram In cuneiform literature it is known in the forms: “Aramu, Arum, Arimu” and denoted the lands lying on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates, with the exception of Babylon. The Egyptians called the region between the Euphrates and Habor “Nagaraina,” from which the biblical designation of Mesopotamia as “Aram-Nagaraina” came about. In this region there were a whole series of various states, which is why in the Bible we encounter various combinations of this name: Aram-Soba, Aram-Damascus, Aram-Rehob, and others.

Genesis 10:23. The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. All these names belong to the number of little-known peoples. Regarding the first, however, it is supposed with considerable certainty that it gave its name to the country of Uz, from which Job came forth (Job 1:1) and which was located in the southeast of Palestine, along the way to the Arabian Desert; the later Traconitis (compare Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 1:6, 4). Regarding “Hul” opinions differ: Josephus indicates it generally in Armenia; Bochart identifies it with the part of Armenia which bore the name “Cholobotene,” that is, house of Hul (Hul-Bitan); Delitzsch sees here an indication of Syrian Hulatu or perhaps Hule, near the sources of the Jordan River, etc. About the two latter peoples—Gether and Mash—almost nothing is known, unless we reckon the conjecture of Bochart, supported by Metropolitan Philaret, that Mash or Mas gave its name to Mount Masios in Armenia.

Genesis 10:24. Arphaxad begat [Cainan, Cainan begat] Shelah, The words in brackets are omitted in the Hebrew text; but they are found in the most ancient and most authoritative Greek manuscripts, in the Gospel genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 3:36), as well as in the works of Josephus and Moses of Khoren. Shelah begat Eber.—that very patriarch from whose name was subsequently derived the name of the chosen Hebrew people. By itself this name means a man who crossed a river, and consequently contains the idea of the migration of this patriarch from across some river, probably the Euphrates (the word עברי, ibri, Hebrew, in Gen 14:13 in the LXX is translated through ὁ περάτης, “wanderer,” one living on the other side of the Euphrates or having crossed this river).

Genesis 10:25. To Eber were born two sons; the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; According to the reading of the Hebrew text, this name should have the form “Peleg,” which will mean division or branching. What exactly is meant here by division—this is not entirely clear, in view of which some see here an indication of the Babylonian scattering of peoples (Rosenmüller, Keil, Lange), while others—the selection by the sacred biblical writer of that branch of Semites which had the closest relation to the chosen people (Delitzsch). and the name of his brother was Joktan. This latter was the progenitor of a whole series of nomadic tribes, populating the Arabian Peninsula, headed by the Joktanites. In all probability, this was already a secondary population of Arabia, settling in place of the original inhabitants of it Hamites, who were forced to seek themselves new dwellings mainly within the regions of Africa.

Genesis 10:26. Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, In this section is given a rather detailed enumeration of the principal Arabian tribes, most of which can be indicated only presumptively. So Almodad is identified with the Arabian province of Yemen; Sheleph—with Salapenus of Ptolemy, located in lower Arabia; Hazarmaveth with Hadramut, in the southeast of Arabia; Jerah with still existing Arabian tribe Bne-Hilal, which, just like Jerah, points to a connection with the moon, meaning precisely “children of the moon.”

Genesis 10:27. Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, The location of the first may be indicated by Cape Hadram at the Persian Gulf. “Uzal” is thought to be seen in the modern city of Sana in Yemen, which bore in antiquity the name Auzura, from which a special aromatic ointment—myrrh azurite—was produced. Diklah—from the word “dikal,” meaning “palm,” hence “Happy Arabia,” as its principal location.

Genesis 10:28. Obal, Abimael, Sheba, These Sabeans—Semites—should be distinguished from the Sabeans—Hamites (Gen 10:7); they were a trading people of the coastal region of Arabia and had for their capital the city of Mariaba.

Genesis 10:29. Ophir, There is no basis for seeing India here, known in antiquity by this name; but rather, in all probability, here is meant some port in the southwest of Arabia, carrying on trade with India and being as it were a trading colony of it (for example, Aden). Havilah and Jobab. The first probably means the northern region of Yemen, while the second from the Arabic means “desert” and may serve as an indication of the Nejd.

Genesis 10:30. Their dwelling was from Mesha as far as Sephar, a mountain to the east. Under the first of these boundaries is understood the modern desert of Mesalik, neighboring the Irak-Arbi, while under the second the mountainous country of Mihru, where Mount Dhafar or by modern pronunciation Djabal-Shejir rises.

Genesis 10:31. These are the descendants of Shem by their tribes, by their languages, in their lands, by their nations. Genesis 10:32. These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations. From these the nations were scattered upon the earth after the flood.

Chapter Eleven

The Tower of Babel

Genesis 11:1. On the whole earth there was one language and one speech. Having given a general picture of the geographical settlement of primitive humanity, the biblical historian returns backward to explain to us its cause. First, he says, “on the whole earth,” that is, on the whole inhabited earth, otherwise—in all of humanity, “there was one language,”—or, as it stands in the Hebrew text—“one mouth,” as the organ of articulate speech, and “one speech,” that is, one and the same substance and form of speech. The fact of the unity of human language constitutes the fundamental problem of linguistics, which is being pursued with greater or lesser success by all outstanding linguists: the affinity of languages and the commonality of many roots in the two principal branches of the human race—the Semitic and Indo-European—almost leave no doubt that these two principal varieties once came from one common first source. What this primitive language of all humanity was, we can only judge conjecturally; but it is certain that the opinion of ancient writers (Origen, the blessed Jerome and Augustine, Diodorus, Eusebius, etc.) in favor of the primacy of one of the Semitic languages has on its side the advantage that in Hebrew alone are found the beginning of primitive names (Adam, Eve, Cain, Seth, etc.), that from it can be easily explained the names of many ancient peoples (Babylonians, Chaldeans, Cushites, etc.), and that, finally, the most ancient remains of human culture bear rather clear traces of Cushito-Semitic influence.

Genesis 11:2. Having departed from the East, Since Noah’s ark after the flood came to rest on the mountains of Ararat, Armenia was the first place of settlement for post-diluvian humanity. Although with regard to Palestine, where Moses wrote his narrative, Armenia lay to the northeast, the biblical authors do not have the custom of such strict geography, but rather in the predominant use of only indications of east and west. But on the other hand, this expression “from the east” gave occasion to some scholars to think that under “the mountains of Ararat” is meant not the Ararat of Armenia, but “Ariarat”—the highest mountain in the Hindu Kush range (Hindukush?) to the east of the Tigris—that mountain Nisir on which, according to Assyro-Babylonian tradition, the ship of Ut-Napishtim came to rest after the flood. In such a case, the expression “having departed from the east” would be literally true, because Mesopotamia or Shinar lies directly to the west of Ariarat. they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. Having left their mountainous region, the descendants of Noah moved down along the course of the Tigris and Euphrates and came to rest in the vast and fertile plain of Shinar, later the land of Babylon.

Genesis 11:3. And they said to one another: Let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. A historically accurate detail, fully justified by modern excavations, from which we see that the ancient Babylonians made artificial brick and were well acquainted with the use of bitumen or modern asphalt.

Genesis 11:4. And they said: Let us build a city and a tower whose top is in the heavens. The very first biblical report of the building of a city appears in the history of Cain Gen 4:17, and then in the history of the Cushite Nimrod Gen 10:10. By attributing in both these cases the building of cities to representatives of the wicked races of humanity, the Bible foresees an evil intention in this fact. Even more obvious is this intention expressed in the building of a tower “whose top is in the heavens”; the latter expression, of course, is hyperbolic and only shows the extraordinary height of this tower Deut 1:28. By raising such a colossal tower, its builders wanted to set up a monument to their outstanding skill and thereby immortalize themselves in the eyes of all posterity; perhaps there were also joined to this ambitious designs to create such a stronghold of dominion from which it would be convenient to extend their power over as many of the population as possible; finally, it is probable that in the intention of the builders was also the desire to hinder the fulfillment of the divine prophecy about the universal dispersal of the descendants of Noah Gen 9:25-27 by the creation of such a center that would be visible to all and would unite all around it again. and let us make a name for ourselves, These are the direct and clear words of the Bible, leaving no doubt as to the ambitious, power-hungry, and generally impious intentions of the builders of the Babylonian tower. In a similar sense, that is, in the sense of their zeal for reputation, this phrase is used in other places of the Bible 2 Sam 8:13; Isa 63:12-14; Jer 32:20. before we are scattered abroad over the face of all the earth. The initial words of the text: “before we are scattered” in the Hebrew text are expressed by the conjunction ken, which fully permits another translation of it, equivalent to the Greek μή and the Russian “lest”; in this latter form it emphasizes the fundamental thought of the text about the wickedness of the builders’ designs.

The Confusion of Tongues and the Dispersal of Nations

Genesis 11:5. And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, The omniscient One has no need for visible descent, since to Him are open all, even the most hidden thoughts of the human heart Jer 11:20; Ps 7:10; 1 Chr 29:17; therefore this expression is anthropomorphic, pointing to the execution of divine judgment over human undertakings Gen 18:21; Ps 143:5. “The Lord descends to earth when, not leaving subsequent events to the will of men, He prepares to disrupt their plans in a miraculous way. The Lord descends to see the city and tower, because their construction proved the deep corruption of their soul, and by this expression it is indicated that the Lord paid special attention to the sinners and decided to take measures to separate them” (Vlastov). which the children of men built. “In a broad sense this name belongs to all people, both the pious and the wicked, and points to their natural nothingness before the Almighty (sons of men, or sons of Adam, means ‘sons of dust’); but here the discourse is probably about members of the wicked race of Ham, who were the chief instigators of the undertaking and by deceit drew in members of the pious race” (Bishop Vissarion). This is confirmed also by the biblical context, from which we see that in the previous time also the chief builder of cities is the descendant of Ham himself—the Cushite Nimrod Gen 10:10-11.

Genesis 11:6. And the Lord said: Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do, and now nothing will be impossible for them that they have determined to do; “God,” says the holy John Chrysostom, “usually acts in this way: when He intends to send punishment, He first shows the greatness of sins and as if justifies Himself, and only then punishes” Gen 3:11. So also in this case, one language—this greatest gift of divine love and the best means for developing in people the higher humane feelings of universal brotherhood and equality—was turned by men to evil, to contribute to the development of stormy and lower instincts of their nature. Seeing that humanity had firmly taken this destructive path of impiety and showed no intention of abandoning it and repenting, the merciful Lord Himself decided, by extraordinary action of His omnipotence, to turn them aside from it and thereby save them from complete moral ruin.

Genesis 11:7. come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech. The words of this biblical place, representing, in the opinion of the holy John Chrysostom, God’s address “to those equal in honor to Himself,” that is, to the Persons of the Holy Trinity, testify to the special importance of the creative act that was to follow. As an act of new creation, it approaches here in content and form the creation of the first people, which was preceded by a similar divine counsel Gen 1:26. A full New Testament antithesis to this event is represented by the miracle of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles in the form of fiery tongues, which restored to them the once lost ability of complete mutual understanding Acts 2:4-6.

Genesis 11:8. So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth; and they ceased building the city. Properly, God only confused their languages, that is, caused them to speak in different languages and thereby destroyed the means of mutual exchange of thoughts. The dispersal of the builders was the natural consequence of the division of their interests: language serves as the external expression of thoughts and all the spiritual content of people; hence, to the extent that unity of language binds people and forces them to unite, to that extent difference of language, on the contrary, divides them among themselves and creates different and often even hostile groups toward one another. “By the confusion of language and the dispersal of peoples themselves was destroyed the impious work, which aimed at the political unification of peoples under the rule of one of them and moreover of an impious one… This placed barriers to the universal spread of impiety and depravity from one center… If there had been a universal capital, as a center of impiety and depravity, and if there had been everywhere one language, then the whole world would have become what the land of Canaan afterward became, exhausting the long-suffering of the Lord by its abominations” (Bishop Vissarion).

Genesis 11:9. Therefore was its name called Babylon; for there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad over the face of all the earth. This verse represents the conclusion to the entire history of the Tower of Babel. According to the sense of this place, the miracle of the confusion of languages that occurred here communicated its name also to the locality itself, which received the name “Babylon”; such is also the interpretation of this name held by Josephus. It is clear that both the Bible and Josephus derive the word “Babylon” from the Hebrew verb “balal” which means “to confuse.” But modern orientalists decompose this name into its component parts—Bab-Bel, that is, “the court, or gate of Bel,” an ancient Babylonian deity. However, even if some weight can be given to the latter derivation, it should in any case be referred to a much later epoch, to that time when the worship of the god Bel became established in Babylon, and the event of the Babylonian confusion had already somewhat faded from the memory of the people. The significant fact of the Babylonian Tower-building and the dispersal of peoples that followed it occurred in the epoch of Peleg, or Pelegus, a representative of the fourth post-diluvian generation, who lived approximately in the middle of the sixth century after the flood Gen 10:25. In the history of divine dispensation regarding the salvation of the human race, it forms a kind of era, ending one epoch—the epoch of the universal history of all humanity—and beginning another—the history of one chosen race of Shem, from which through Abraham and David the promised Messiah Himself was to be born. The historical authenticity of this event is confirmed by many concordant traditions of antiquity and results of modern scientific excavations in the East. Among the ancient traditions of special attention, the account of Abydenos, cited by Eusebius in his “Preparation for the Gospel,” deserves consideration, where, among other things, we read the following remarkable words: “soon after the flood there appeared on earth people, proud of their strength and stature, despisers of gods, who planned to build a very high tower in the place where Babylon now is, intending thereby to ascend to heaven itself. And behold, when their construction was already approaching heaven, the gods sent strong winds, which scattered this tower. The ruins of it stand to this day and are called Babel, because up to that time all people spoke one language, and now there was inflicted upon them confusion of many and different languages.” Brief, but even closer to the Bible, excerpts from this history were found by the English scholar George Smith in the cuneiform texts included in the so-called “Chaldean Genesis.” That same scholar, conducting his famous excavations, discovered also the ruins of this tower near the ruins of ancient Babylon. Judging from the description of Herodotus and Pliny, this famous tower was repeatedly enlarged and rebuilt, having in the flourishing period of its history the significance of the principal temple or pantheon of the Babylonian deities, namely—the seven planetary deities, with each of these deities dedicating a separate floor of the tower, painted in its own distinctive color.

The Genealogy of the Semites

Genesis 11:10–11. These are the generations of Shem. Shem was a hundred years old and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood; and after he begat Arphaxad, Shem lived five hundred years and begat sons and daughters. Here begins a new toldoth—the genealogy of the Semites, which has a direct and immediate relation to the line of the chosen people. The genealogy of Shem comprises seventeen verses (11–27 inclusive) and in its first half represents a repetition of what has already been said above Gen 10:22-25; but this repetition is far from literal: it omits much, namely—all that has no direct relation to the line of Terah and Abraham, and adds even more, namely—all the chronological dates, according to the scheme adopted in such genealogies. By its content and form, the genealogy of Shem closely adjoins such a genealogy of Seth Gen 5 and as it were forms its direct continuation. Therefore, all that has been said by us concerning the meaning and sense of that genealogy, about its persons and numbers, is fully applicable to this one: in it we ought just as much to see the framework of the most ancient history of the Semites and pay attention not so much to the numbers as to the analysis of the biblical names themselves and their general sequence. As for the numerical data, in this genealogy too, like the previous one, they do not inspire much confidence, since in all three principal recensions of the text they are indicated differently (the total duration of this period, determined according to the years of the birth of the patriarchs, will be 390 years according to the Hebrew text, 1040—according to the Samaritan, and 1270—according to the LXX). This once again convinces us that in the Bible there is no strict and exact chronology, and the one that exists either has suffered greatly from various causes or has been introduced into it later; fortunately, all this—let us repeat once more—does not relate to the essence of faith and has no special significance for us.

Genesis 11:12–13. And Arphaxad lived thirty-five years and begat Shelah. And after he begat Shelah, Arphaxad lived four hundred and three years and begat sons and daughters. And Shelah lived thirty years and begat Eber. And after he begat Eber, Shelah lived four hundred and three years and begat sons and daughters. In these two verses, the difference existing between the two principal texts—the Hebrew and the LXX—in the enumeration of patriarchs attracts attention: in the Hebrew original, Shelah immediately follows Arphaxad, whereas in the LXX text between them is placed another Cainan. Referring to the fact that many of the ancient Greek codices, the text of the book of Chronicles and the genealogy of the Lord in the evangelist Matthew 1 Chr 1:24, Matt 1:1-17, as well as Josephus and Philo do not make such an insertion, most commentators are inclined to see a later interpolation here and give preference to the Hebrew text. But we, relying on the authority of the LXX and the Evangelist Luke Luke 3:36, rather agree to see an intentional omission in the Hebrew Bible than an insertion in the Greek, and it is not difficult to explain the motives of such an omission, namely—the desire to achieve the decimal number of patriarchs, as more convenient for remembering.

Genesis 11:14–26. And Shelah lived thirty years and begat Eber. And after he begat Eber, Shelah lived four hundred and three years and begat sons and daughters. And Eber lived thirty-four years and begat Peleg. And after he begat Peleg, Eber lived four hundred and thirty years and begat sons and daughters. And Peleg lived thirty years and begat Reu. And after he begat Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years and begat sons and daughters. And Reu lived thirty-two years and begat Serug. And after he begat Serug, Reu lived two hundred and seven years and begat sons and daughters. And Serug lived thirty years and begat Nahor. And after he begat Nahor, Serug lived two hundred years and begat sons and daughters. And Nahor lived twenty-nine years and begat Terah. And after he begat Terah, Nahor lived one hundred nineteen years and begat sons and daughters. And Terah lived seventy years and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. The meaning of the names “Shem,” “Arphaxad,” “Cainan,” “Eber,” and “Peleg” is already known to us from the foregoing: the first means—“name,” the second—“neighbor of the Chaldeans,” the third—“possession,” the fourth—“a pilgrim, settler, wanderer,” the fifth—“division, dispersal.” No less significant in its meaning is the series of remaining names of this genealogy; so, the name, for instance, “Shelah,” according to a more probable explanation, indicates him as a “messenger, or settler,” perhaps from the southern limits of the land of Arphaxad; “Reu” means “friend”—perhaps he gave his name to the subsequently well-known “Rages of Media.” The name “Serug” means “strength, power” and indicates, consequently, the strength and significance of this tribe; the name “Nahor” means “fighter,” probably manfully defending the interests of his race from the attacks of neighboring peoples. Finally, the name Terah, according to the opinion of Ewald, comes from the verb tarach, meaning “to turn, to settle, to depart,” and thus it foretold his future fate—as a settler from Ur of the Chaldeans.

The Genealogy of Terah, Father of Abraham

Genesis 11:27. These are the generations of Terah: From this point begins a new biblical section—toldoth, or genealogy of Terah, the father of Abram. The biblical historian, as exegetes have noted, with remarkable gradualism approaches the history of the father of the faithful—Abraham: he progressively narrows the circle of Semitic genealogies and now, at last, takes the very house and family in which Abram was born. And Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran begat Lot. And here the biblical historian does not directly take Abram alone, but indicates also his family situation, enumerates his brothers, not forgetting to mention also his nephew—Lot. “Abram”—which means “father of exaltation”—is placed here in the first position not because he was older than the others, but, clearly, on account of the special importance of his theocratic role. The name of Abram’s second brother—Nahor—is already known to us, since it was obviously given in honor of the grandfather Gen 11:24; and the name of Terah’s third son—Haran, or Harran—has in the Bible, besides a personal meaning, also a local significance (topographical)—in the latter sense the term Harran denotes the northwestern part of Mesopotamia. Abram stands here in the center of all, as the ancestor of the chosen race, Nahor is introduced as the grandfather of Rebekah Gen 22:20-23, and Haran as the father of Lot.

Genesis 11:28. And Haran died before his father Terah, that is, “in the presence of his father,” as it stands in the LXX (ἐνώπιον τοῦ πατρὸς ἀυτοῦ), in his presence. The biblical historian notes this fact, probably with the purpose of showing that afterward, in the land of his new settlement, Abram settled already alone. in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldeans. This is a particularly important biblical detail, showing that the homeland of Abraham was the distant land—the land of Ur of the Chaldeans. According to the most reliable assumption of such outstanding orientalists as G. Smith and Rawlinson, the biblical Ur of the Chaldeans is nothing other than the city of Khur—the famous ancient capital of Chaldea, located not far from the modern locality of Mugheir, in the region of southern Babylonia. Such close ethnographic connection of the ancestor of the Hebrew people with ancient Chaldea, and through it with Babylonia and Assyria, has very great significance and provides the best explanation for that remarkable agreement which is observed between the narratives of biblical primitive history and the most ancient traditions of Chaldea, or between the first chapters of the book of Genesis and the data of the “Chaldean Genesis.” Evidently, all this—the traditions that came from one common first source; but whereas the darkness of pagan Chaldea has managed to obscure and disfigure much in these primeval tales, the pure light of revealed truth continued to be preserved in the line of the chosen people and so came down to Moses, who committed it to writing under the special guidance of the Spirit of God.

Genesis 11:29. And Abram and Nahor took themselves wives; the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; Interested in every detail concerning the person and family of Abram, the biblical historian notes also the fact of the marriage of Abram and the surviving brother—Nahor. “Sarai”—the name of Abram’s wife, according to a more accurate translation, means “lady”; from the twentieth chapter, verse 12, we see that she was a relative of Abram—either a half-sister (from different mothers), or even a niece, being the sister of Milcah and the daughter of Abram’s already dead brother—Haran Gen 20:12.

Genesis 11:30. And Sarai was barren; she had no child. An important detail that prepares for the subsequent narrative Gen 16:1.

The Departure of Terah from Ur to Haran

Genesis 11:31. And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, the wife of Abram his son, and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; but when they came to Haran they settled there. Moses does not here explain to us the motives for Terah’s settlement from his homeland, but in another place Gen 15:6-7 he himself partly indicates, and other sacred writers speak directly, that this was done by him in accordance with a special divine command Nehem 9:7; Acts 7:3-4, which, evidently, had the purpose of preserving the house of Terah from infection by the universal idolatry Josh 24:2-3. From the southern region of Ur of the Chaldeans, Terah with all the family members enumerated here moved northward to the land of Canaan, that is, to the regions of Syria and Palestine; but during the course of this settlement they made a more or less prolonged stop in Haran, a region lying on the river Belias, directly on the path between Nisibis and Gargamis, frequently encountered in cuneiform texts and also well known for the famous battle of Crassus with the Parthians.

Genesis 11:32. And Terah died in Haran. Even Terah himself, as one touched by idolatry Josh 24:2, was not destined to see the promised land, but was appointed to die on the way to it—in Haran.

Chapter Twelve

God Calls Abram and Blesses Him with the Promise of the Messiah

From this chapter begins the special history of the chosen Hebrew people, which opens with a rather detailed biography of the very founder of the Hebrews—the patriarch Abram. The entire biblical narrative about him divides into four sections or periods, each of which centers around an important divine theophany to Abram, the history of which begins in chapters 12, 15, 17, and 22 of the book of Genesis.

Genesis 12:1–2. And the Lord said to Abram: To the question: when did God speak this to Abram?—the majority, following the archdeacon Stephen Acts 7:2, answer that this occurred while Terah was still alive, in Ur of the Chaldeans, which is also confirmed by the subsequent context of the discourse, namely by the mention of the fatherland, which was only the land of Chaldea, not Haran. Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you; and I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing; The apostle Paul says that Abram had not yet been shown the name of the land that was destined for him Heb 11:8; and yet he, obedient to the divine voice, does not hesitate in the least to abandon all that was dear to him (his homeland, his relatives, and his father’s house), and submissively exchanges all this for an unknown future and the impending restless life of a nomad. “Look,” says the holy John Chrysostom in regard to this, “how from the very beginning the righteous one was being trained to prefer the invisible to the visible and the future to what was already in his hands… Think, beloved, what elevated, unconstrained by any passion or habit, spirit was needed for the fulfillment of this command!” The purpose of such a breaking of all ties with the past was divine care for preserving the race and house of Abram from being drawn into the universal impiety that had spread everywhere and engulfed even the house of his father Terah Josh 24:2-3. As if in reward for such obedience and faith of Abram, the Lord gives him a solemn blessing, in which He announces four kinds of promises: 1) the promise of numerous offspring; 2) the bestowal of temporal and eternal blessings; 3) the reward of glory and immortality in his offspring; and 4) the transformation of his person into a source of blessing for others. All these divine promises were indeed and actually fulfilled in the subsequent fate of the descendants of Abram, both physical, that is, the Jews, and even more so—spiritual, that is, the Christians Rom 4:11-17; Gal 3:7-9.

Genesis 12:3. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; By establishing a covenant with Abram, God, according to the custom of men, as it were enters into friendship with him 2 Chr 20:7; Isa 41:8; Jas 2:23 and promises to have in common with him both his friends and his enemies. and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. The best commentary to these words is given by the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians, saying that through Jesus Christ the blessing of Abraham was extended to the Gentiles… The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, announced beforehand to Abraham: “In you shall all the nations be blessed” Gal 3:8.

He Departs Together with Lot from Haran

Genesis 12:4. So Abram departed, as the Lord had told him; In the last words some see an indication of a new theophany to Abram, occurring already in Haran and after the death of his father Terah. and Lot went with him. “Not from disobedience against the Lord,” says the holy John Chrysostom, “but, of course, because Lot was young, and Abram was taking the place of a father to him; and he, moreover, out of love for him and a gentle disposition, did not wish to separate from a righteous man.” That is why the Apostle Peter speaks of Lot, that he imitated the piety and faith of Abram 2 Pet 2:7-8.

Genesis 12:5. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the persons that they had acquired in Haran; On the basis of these words one can suppose that Abram’s stop in Haran was rather prolonged, since he had already managed to acquire here both possessions and slaves. Chrysostom especially emphasizes that all this had been acquired by Abram in Haran and constituted his acquired property, while all the paternal inheritance was left still in Chaldea, in accordance with the divine command concerning this. and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan; Although, testing the faith and obedience of Abram, the Lord concealed from him for a time the final purpose of his journey, it is evident that the very direction of this path was in some way inspired by God to Abram or revealed by special signs. and they came to the land of Canaan. That is, to the fertile Palestinian country, where the descendants of Canaan dwelt. Its boundaries on the North were served by the mountains of Lebanon, on the south—by the Arabian desert, on the east—by the Syrian desert, and on the west—by the Mediterranean Sea. “Surrounded in this way by mountains, deserts, and seas, this country, destined as an inheritance for the chosen people, was more favorable than any other for his education apart from heathen influence. On the other hand, being in the center of the then-known world, at the crossroads between Europe (from the sea), most of the lands of Asia, and Africa, this country presented very many conveniences for the spread of the gospel preaching everywhere” (Vissarion).

He Comes to the Land of Canaan and Receives a Revelation in a Dream About Possessing It

Genesis 12:6. And Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, Having entered within the boundaries of Palestine, as is supposed, from the north, Abram traveled through much of it toward the south to the place which subsequently became the city of Shechem, named after Shechem, son of Hamor Gen 33:18-19. With time, this Shechem became the capital of Samaria and appears repeatedly before us in the Holy Scripture of both the Old and the New Testament Deut 11:30; Judg 9:1; Ps 59:8; John 4:5 and others. In the time of Jesus Christ it was also called Sychar, and under Vespasian was renamed Neapolis, from which came the modern name of this place—Nablus, or Nabulus. to the oak grove of Moreh. or “Mamre,” as it is called in another place Gen 13:18. It is supposed that here is meant a whole oak or terebinth grove, belonging to a notable Canaanite, bearing the family name Moreh, or Mamre, and sufficiently well known for its time and place.

Genesis 12:7. And the Lord appeared to Abram, and said [to him]: To your offspring I will give this land. This is the first biblical account of God’s appearance to a man in the post-diluvian period. Although the nature of God is invisible and incomprehensible, from the Holy Scripture we know a whole series of external images in which He was pleased to reveal Himself to men Gen 18:2 and the like. One such theophany, probably, was this one. “The general foundation of the theophanies of the Old and New Testament, especially in the form of a human being,” says Metropolitan Philaret, “is the harbinger of the incarnation of the Son of God.” Therefore, the majority of the holy fathers’ interpretations hold to the thought that the chief acting person in all theophanies is the Second Hypostasis of the Holy Trinity—the Son of God. And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. He built an altar, or shrine, without doubt so that he might offer to the Lord a sacrifice of thanksgiving for the promise given to him and his offspring, and also in order to perpetuate by an appropriate external sign the sacred place of the divine appearance.

Genesis 12:8–9. And he removed from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; In these two verses the general path of Abram’s nomadic wanderings through Palestine and his principal stops are outlined. One of such large and important stops was the place which subsequently came to be called “Bethel” Gen 28:19. It is located 5 miles south of Shechem and 3 hours’ journey from Jerusalem, in a valley abounding in excellent pastures. Not far from here was also “Ai” Gen 13:3; Nehem 11:31, the ruins of which are still known today under the name “Medinat-Ai” and are located 5 miles east of Bethel. Finally, the last designation of the path, translated in our Bible as “to the south,” in the Hebrew text contains an indication of a particular southern district of Palestine, bearing the name “Negeb” Gen 13:3, indicating the arid or steppe character of this region. and there built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed on, going on toward the south. And in this new place of his settlement Abram hurried first of all to express his feelings of gratitude to God, and by a public and solemn confession of the name of the true God Gen 4:26 he testified his true faith before the heathenized Canaanites.

Abram Flees from Famine to Egypt

Genesis 12:10. And there was a famine in the land. That is, in the land of “Negeb,” or in the northern regions of the Arabian desert, where in the end Abram descended. This was, of course, a new and severe trial to the faith of Abram: instead of, in accordance with the divine promise, enjoying various blessings from his new possession, he was compelled from the very start to experience such a heavy deprivation as a severe famine. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. Since the Nile valley of Egypt, celebrated for its fertility, lay much lower than the Arabian steppe, the expression “went down” cannot but be acknowledged as particularly apt. Abram went to Egypt, probably not without special divine inspiration and then only for the duration of the famine itself, as bedouins of Arabia do in similar cases even now.

Abram Is Exposed to the Danger of Losing His Wife

Genesis 12:11. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife: Such an arrangement between Abram and Sarai was made much earlier, even before their departure from Ur of the Chaldea Gen 20:13, since Abram evidently knew the moral laxness of all the peoples among whom he would have to wander and live. Behold now, I know that you are a woman beautiful to look upon; Although Sarai was already 65 years old at this time, since this age constituted only half of her entire life Gen 23:1 and since, on the other hand, she was childless Gen 11:30, it is not surprising that she was able to preserve her attractive beauty until this time.

Genesis 12:12. and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; then they will kill me, but you they will let live. In these words is seen a beautiful knowledge of the customs and manners of the Egyptian country contemporary with that epoch, where the husband of a beautiful woman was killed and the woman herself was taken into the harem; this was practiced especially widely with settlers from Arabia, whose women gained greatly in beauty in comparison with the rather homely Egyptian and Ethiopian women.

Genesis 12:13. Say, I pray you, that you are my sister, In these words of Abram there was not complete deception: first, because in the East the word “sister” does not have that narrow meaning which is connected with it among us, but means close kinship in general, a concept which includes all cousins and cousins, as well as nieces and nephews; second, because Sarai was indeed a relative of Abram, either a half-sister or a niece Gen 20:12. that it may be well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared on your account. “This is a very difficult passage: it is one of those passages in the Bible that prove the extraordinary truthfulness of sacred history, namely by the evident indication of the weaknesses, sometimes even crimes, of the greatest and holiest men of the Old Testament—Abram, Jacob, David, Solomon, and others” (Vlastov). However we justify the deed of Abram, we are unable to eliminate from it a certain element of faintheartedness and cunning. His only justification is the grossness of the customs of that epoch, which allowed one to look at the marital question too broadly and indulgently, and the hopeless situation of Abram, which forced him to resort to the lesser evil in order to avoid the greater—his own death and complete enslavement of Sarai. Incidentally, the holy John Chrysostom in this voluntary agreement of the spouses and their mutual sacrifice of their interests for the common good (one—of the rights of a husband, the other—of the dignity of a faithful wife) sees the crown of their conjugal love and an example worthy of imitation.

Happy Deliverance from Danger

Genesis 12:14. And when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful; The predictions of Abram were not slow in being realized with complete accuracy, and his plan of salvation succeeded as well as could be hoped.

Genesis 12:15. and when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s palace. Princes—in the Hebrew text expressed by the word “officers” (sarej), which is fully consistent with history, testifying to the membership of Egyptian courtiers in the highest classes of the country. The epithet “Pharaoh” was not the proper name of any of the Egyptian kings, but represented a general title of all ancient Egyptian rulers, similar to the modern “king, ruler, emperor,” etc. As for the etymology of this term, the best of them, given by Rougé, Brugsch, and Ebers on the basis of hieroglyphic texts, derives the word “Pharaoh” from the ancient Egyptian—“peraa” or “perao,” which means “great house,” and thus gives to the term “Pharaoh” a meaning completely analogous to the modern designation of the Turkish Empire—“the Sublime Porte.” According to the most probable assumption of Egyptologists, Abram’s journey to Egypt took place under one of the first kings of the Twelfth Dynasty, that is, two thousand years before the birth of Christ.

Genesis 12:17. But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues on account of Sarai, Abram’s wife. What these specifically were, is unknown; but by analogy to similar cases, one can suppose them to be the same as afterward the house of Abimelech, that is, infertility Gen 20:18.

Genesis 12:18–19. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? From this we can conclude that the Providence of God preserved the conjugal purity of Sarai, who lived at the court of the Pharaoh still only for the sake of trial.

Genesis 12:20. And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had. Thus from this new trial the righteous man came out a complete conqueror. And all, “who saw how he had previously, driven by hunger, gone into Egypt with fear and trembling, now returned from there with such glory, abundance, and wealth, recognized in this the power of God’s providence over him” (the holy John Chrysostom).

Chapter Thirteen

Abram and Lot Return from Egypt

Genesis 13:1. And Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, The expression is very picturesque and quite fitting for a wandering shepherd with all his herds. and Lot with him, toward the south. In the preceding chapter Lot was not mentioned; but now he is again introduced into the narrative, in view of the separate account of him given below.

Genesis 13:2. And Abram was very rich in livestock, Or, as expressed in the Hebrew text, “very heavy,” which serves as the usual biblical indication of an abundance of external goods (Exod 12:38; 1 Sam 10:2 and others). and in silver, and in gold. This is the first biblical mention of metal valuables. One must suppose that Abram became acquainted with them in Egypt, where they were articles of barter and took the form of plates or rings.

Genesis 13:3–4. And he continued his journeys from the south to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at first, between Bethel and Ai, As is evident from the indications given here, Abram returned from Egypt by the same path along which he had once gone there, and the words of the text, “and he continued his journeys,” beautifully express the very character of the nomadic life that this patriarch led. to the place of the altar which he had made there at first; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord. Having come to Bethel, where Abram had once established an altar to the true God, he again offers on it a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God for the prosperous outcome of his distant and dangerous journey to Egypt and for his return to the land of promise.

Genesis 13:5. And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. So the divine blessings given to Abram poured out also upon his kinsman Lot.

Genesis 13:6. And the land could not support them both living together, for their possessions were so great that they could not live together. “See,” exclaims John Chrysostom on this occasion, “how excess of wealth at once becomes the cause of division, produces a breach, disturbs harmony, and tears asunder the bonds of kinship!”

They Part in Separate Directions

Genesis 13:7. And there was a quarrel between the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot; Discontent and ill will, as often happens, began from below, among the herdsmen of Abram and Lot; with the large numbers of livestock on both sides and shared pastures and especially watering places, there were certainly many occasions for it.

Genesis 13:8. And Abram said to Lot: Let there be no quarrel between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are kinsmen; “How beautifully the noble and dignified character of Abram is portrayed in these simple words! From these words it is already clear that Lot was ready to take part in the quarrel of the herdsmen; calmly and with dignity Abram reminds him that they are kinsmen, and hints thereby that it is beneath them to take part in the dispute of servants and dangerous in view of the fact that they are surrounded by foreign nations” (Vlastov).

Genesis 13:9. Is not all the land before you? The hills of Bethel, where this event was taking place, occupied an elevated and commanding position above the valley of the Jordan stretching at their feet. On the whole, this entire speech is full of picturesqueness and expressiveness. separate yourself from me: if you go to the left, then I will go to the right; and if you go to the right, then I will go to the left. The speech of Abram breathes magnanimity and gentleness: desiring to show the greatness of his virtue and to fulfill the young man’s wish so that no cause for discontent would arise from their separation, he gives Lot complete freedom and says: “and all the land is before you, separate yourself from me, and whatever land you wish, take it” (John Chrysostom).

Genesis 13:10–11. Lot lifted up his eyes and saw the entire surrounding region of the Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before the Lord had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, and Lot chose the entire surrounding region of the Jordan for himself; and Lot journeyed to the east. And they separated from each other. Making use of the freedom of choice given to him, Lot took for himself the rich and fertile valley of the Jordan, blooming, as the Bible says, like the garden of the Lord, that is, like paradise (Gen 2:10; Isa 51:3), and watered by the waters of the Jordan, like Egypt by the waters of the Nile.

Genesis 13:12. And Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan; and Lot dwelt in the cities of the surrounding region and moved his tents as far as Sodom. Abram, faithful to his calling, continued to remain a wandering nomad and lived apart in the western part of the land of Canaan. Lot, on the other hand, entered into friendly relations with the surrounding population and, being tempted by the comforts of their life, decided to change his former nomadic way of life for the quiet and pleasant life of a city dweller.

Genesis 13:13. Now the inhabitants of Sodom were evil and very sinful before the Lord. Here is a brief but expressive characterization of those inhabitants with whom their new neighbor Lot entered into association. “The fertile Jordan valley and the enervating climate had such an influence on the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah that they exceeded all the cities of their time in shameless depravity. Note also that the Bible adds that they were evil. Deep depravity is usually accompanied by cruelty and even a kind of blood-thirsty madness (Nero, Caligula, Heliogabalus, etc.). And one must suppose that the inhabitants of Sodom had fallen so deeply that no place for good feeling remained in them” (Vlastov).

God Repeats His Promises to Abram

Genesis 13:14. And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: Lift up your eyes and from the place where you are now, look toward the north and toward the south, and toward the east and toward the west; The last addition in the text is especially significant: it shows that Lot, having willfully chosen his lot by worldly reckoning, thereby excluded himself from participation in Abram’s inheritance, with all its trials and temptations, but also with all its rewards and promises.

Genesis 13:15. for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever, As if in reward for the humility, magnanimity, and unselfishness shown by Abram in his division with Lot, the Lord repeats His promises and comforts His faithful servant with the promise that all this land, over which he now wanders, having no inheritance to set his foot upon (Acts 7:5), will in time belong to him, or more precisely, to his descendants. This promise was indeed fulfilled over his physical descendants when the Hebrew people, under the leadership of Joshua, forcibly took possession of the land of Canaan, and over the spiritual Israel, that is, those who believe in Christ, who in Him and through Him became heirs and sharers of all divine promises, for, according to Scripture, Abram even after his death continues to speak through faith (Heb 11:13; cf. Matt 22:31-32).

Genesis 13:16. and I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth; “Truly,” exclaims Saint John Chrysostom, “the promise was beyond human nature! The Lord promised not only to make the patriarch a father, though there were so many obstacles to this (his own old age and Sarah’s barrenness), but also to give him offspring so numerous that it will be compared to the number of dust of the earth and will even be innumerable—by this comparison He wished to show the extraordinary greatness of the promise.” This promise was fulfilled both among the Jews, known for their remarkable fruitfulness (Exod 1:12), and even more it came true among Christians, who have spread over the whole face of the earth.

Genesis 13:17. Arise, walk through the land in its length and in its breadth, for I will give it to you [and to your offspring forever]. A specimen of lofty sacred poetry, breathing expressiveness and power. According to the profound remark of Metropolitan Philaret, “the measure of the promise is the measure of faith”—as much as a man can receive, so much he will obtain.

Abram Moves to Hebron and Builds an Altar There

Genesis 13:18. And Abram moved his tent and went and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which is in Hebron; and he built an altar there to the Lord. Mamre was properly the name of an Amorite, an ally of Abram (Gen 14:13). The city of Hebron lies 22 miles south of Jerusalem, on the way to Beersheba. It is supposed that at first it was called Hebron, then was renamed Kiriath-arba (Gen 23:2; Josh 15:54; Judg 1:10), then again was restored to its ancient name (2 Sam 15:7), and finally, among modern Arabs is known by the name “El-Khalil,” that is, the city of the “Friend of God,” as Abram is even called in Holy Scripture (Isa 41:8; Jas 2:23).

Chapter Fourteen

War of the Allied Kings Against the Kings of the Valley of Siddim

The fourteenth chapter of Genesis, even by the admission of negative criticism, represents a document of deep antiquity and enormous historical value. A whole series of proper names of kings and places, as well as the detailed factual nature of the description, produce an impression of living historical truth; and recent studies and excavations in the indicated territory confirm and strengthen this impression.

Comparing the indications of the Bible with the data of orientalism, we should refer the event described in this chapter to the era of “Elamite rule” in Babylon. Traces of this rule are found in one of the inscriptions of King Assurbanipal, in which, under the year 660, it is noted that, among other things, 1635 years before that (consequently, in 2280 BC) Babylon was attacked by Kudur-Nakkhunta, king of Elam, who plundered this city and carried off its chief sanctuary—the statue of the goddess Kana. This fact is usually considered the beginning of Elamite rule over the ancient Babylonian monarchy.

Analyzing various cuneiform documents, scholars have established that Elamite rule over Babylon was not particularly burdensome for the latter: the kings of Elam continued to live in their capital—Susa—and for the government of the conquered regions sent their own governors. During the reign of one of the kings of this Elamite dynasty—Kudur-Lagamar, or, as more precisely this name is depicted on cuneiform monuments, Kudur-Lagamara—at the time when his vassal governors were: in Babylon or biblical Shinar (Gen 10:10)—Amraphel (Amraphel, Hammurabi of the inscriptions), in Larsa (biblical Ellasar)—Arioch (Eriaku of the inscriptions), and among the remaining nomadic tribes—Tidal (or Pharral according to the LXX), the event occurred which the Bible describes here and whose essence consists of the account of two campaigns of the Elamite king and his vassals against the Canaanite kings, which had unfortunate outcomes for the latter both times.

Genesis 14:1. And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar, Arioch, king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of Goyim, Although all four kings mentioned here are apparently presented as equal allies, the subsequent context of the narrative clearly singles out one of them, namely Chedorlaomer, king of the Elamites (verses 4-5), which accords fully with the cuneiform texts.

Genesis 14:2. went to war against Bera, king of Sodom, against Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shinab, king of Admah, Shemeber, king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar). Clearly, the warlike Elamite king, in the manner of all Asian rulers, sought to expand his monarchy and probably even looked for a way to rich Egypt; it is not surprising that on the way there he succeeded in subjugating the rich and effete Canaanite tribes, and did this all the more quickly and easily because all these tribes lived in isolated, separate existence and were governed by separate kings, often even hostile to each other. A whole series of such Canaanite kings, whose possessions often were limited only to one city, is enumerated here by Moses.

Genesis 14:3. All these allied themselves in the Valley of Siddim, where now is the Salt Sea. Clearly, the common oppression of slavery under the Elamites compelled all the Canaanite rulers, or at least the most prominent among them, to unite among themselves and raise the standard of general uprising against their oppressor. The Valley of Siddim, that is, the lower part of the Jordan valley, which received its name from the word “Sid,” meaning “mountain pitch” or “asphalt,” with which this region was rich, and where later the so-called Salt or Dead Sea was formed (Num 34:3; Deut 3:17), became the place of their gathering.

Genesis 14:4–5. For twelve years they had been in slavery to Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. In the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, Such chronological precision testifies to the full truthfulness of this historical monument. Here also the role of Chedorlaomer as the chief oppressor is more clearly and definitely indicated, as well as that of the other kings as only his assistants. Gen 14:6. The end of the fifth and the two following verses indicate to us the path of the movement of Chedorlaomer’s troops and enumerate a whole series of Canaanite tribes defeated by him on the way. Of these, first are mentioned the “Rephaim,” a people of giants or mighty men, living in Bashan (Deut 3:11-13) and surviving until the time of David (2 Sam 21:16). They worshipped the golden image of the goddess Astarte, after whom was named their chief city—Astaroth-karnaim (Deut 1:4; Josh 13:12), whose ruins are now known by the name “Tell-Astaroth.” Two other peoples—the “Zuzim and Emim” appear to be, it seems, related to the first and neighboring them; they lived in those lands which later were occupied by the descendants of Lot—the Ammonites and Moabites (Deut 2:9-11). The city of “Ham,” where the Zuzim lived, is identified with Rabbath-Ammon, and the capital of the Emim was the city of Shaveh-kiriathaim, that is, “valley of two cities” (Num 32:37; Jer 48:1), on the site of which now lies Kereyash, a small city on the western corner of the Dead Sea, not far from the mouth of the Jordan. and the Horites in their Mount Seir, these were troglodytes, that is, cave dwellers of Idumea, driven out from here by the children of Esau (Gen 36:20). The land “Seir” in the Samaritan Pentateuch and Jerusalem Targums is replaced by a synonym—“Gabgala,” from which evidently also comes the modern Arabic name “Jebel.” to El-Paran, which is by the wilderness. El-Paran is the name of a wilderness stretching southward from Palestine to the Sinai mountains and known among modern Arabs by the name “El-Tih.”

Genesis 14:7. And returning thence, they came to En-mishpat (the same is Kadesh), and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazazon-tamar. The wilderness of El-Paran was the extreme western point of Chedorlaomer’s campaign, from where he again turned southeast, first to the En-mishpat (later name), or ancient Kadesh (Num 34:4), then passed through the land later inhabited by the Amalekites (Exod 17:8-16), and smote the Amorites living on the banks of the Jordan (Num 21:13) in their chief city Hazazon-tamar, later called “En-gedi” (2 Chr 20:2), that is, the spring of the wild goat.

Genesis 14:8–9. And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar) went out and joined battle with them in the Valley of Siddim, with Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, Tidal, king of Goyim, Amraphel, king of Shinar, Arioch, king of Ellasar—four kings against five. When thus Chedorlaomer together with his vassals had so victoriously marched through nearly all of Syria and Palestine and approached the Pentapolis, the kings united in the Valley of Siddim in order to give him decisive resistance; but instead they themselves suffered complete defeat.

Genesis 14:10. Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits. And the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, fleeing, fell into them, while the rest fled to the mountains. Such is a brief but perfectly clear account from the Bible of the outcome of this war of kings. And since the king of Sodom remained alive and was captured (Gen 14:17), it is evident that this speaks not so much of the fates of the kings themselves as of the fate of their armies, which partly perished in the petroleum wells and partly escaped by fleeing to the neighboring mountains.

The Capture of Lot

Genesis 14:12. And they took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. The capture of Lot was a deserved punishment for him for choosing proximity to the Sodomites despite their moral depravity. Thus, instead of prosperity and happiness on which Lot counted, he met with captivity and shame (Ps 36:16).

Genesis 14:13. And one of those who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, Abram is called a Hebrew, as a descendant of Eber, the grandson of Shem, in exactly the same sense (for distinction from the non-Hebrews mentioned in the narrative) as this epithet was later applied to Joseph (Gen 39:17). who dwelt by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, who were allies of Abram. The Amorites named here were in all probability rather strong and powerful rulers, resembling the kings of Canaan. They are introduced into the sacred narrative, without doubt, because they stood in friendly relations with Abram, with whom they had apparently concluded a mutual defensive and offensive alliance.

Abram Liberates Him

Genesis 14:14. When Abram heard that [his] kinsman was taken captive, he armed his trained men, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, Determining to go to the rescue of his unfortunate kinsman Lot, Abram arms all his “household members,” as our Slavonic translation expresses it, that is, slaves born in his house (not purchased), and therefore more faithful and reliable. And such men numbered only 318 with him. The sacred historian notes this number precisely, apparently with the intention that, in view of such a weak and small detachment, compared with the enormous allied armies of Chedorlaomer, the divine help to Abram would be more evident and tangible (Ps 32:16-18). and pursued the enemies as far as Dan; That is, he chased the enemy and caught up with him only at Dan. Most exegetes suppose that this city’s name was taken from a later post-Mosaic era; its earlier name was “Laish” (Josh 19:47; Judg 18:29). In Holy Scripture, “Dan” is often used to designate the extreme point of Palestine in the north, and in this sense is contrasted with Beersheba in the south (Judg 20:1; 1 Sam 3:20; 2 Sam 3:10).

Genesis 14:15. and he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, This is a rather common and well-known strategic maneuver from the Bible, by which small detachments achieved brilliant victories over large armies. Its essence consisted in the fact that the small detachment was divided into several groups; and when the enemy gave itself to peaceful rest or sleep, all these groups threw themselves upon him with military shouts and tried to produce panic, in which they often succeeded, as we see also in the example of Gideon with the Midianites (Judg 7:16 and others). and pursued them to Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus; In the Targum of Onkelos it is indicated more definitely—to the north of Damascus; although this is essentially the same thing: the Hebrews always distinguished the directions of the compass while facing east, so that the left side always fell on the north. The small place of Hobah still exists two miles from Damascus.

Genesis 14:16. and he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his kinsman Lot, and his goods, as well as the women and the people. Thus Abram, with God’s help, not only accomplished his noble intention—to rescue his kinsman from captivity—but also captured a great deal more booty from the allies, chiefly of course what was seized by them in the last victory in the Valley of Siddim.

Genesis 14:17. When he returned from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him The return of Abram was truly a triumphal procession of a victor. Indeed, Abram, having so bravely and courageously dealt a severe blow to Chedorlaomer, whom all the kings of Canaan could not resist, must have appeared to the inhabitants of the latter as an extraordinary hero. And the fact that the hand of God was evident in Abram’s success only further elevated him in the opinion of all nations. The king of Sodom was one of the first to greet Abram: either he himself who had fought with Chedorlaomer and barely escaped by flight, or, as others think, already his successor. into the Valley of Shaveh, which is now the King’s Valley; The valley in which this meeting of rulers and kings took place probably received the name “King’s Valley” from this event. Under such a name it appears to us one more time in the history of Absalom, who raised himself a monument here (2 Sam 18:18). According to the testimony of Josephus, the Valley of Shaveh is two stadia from Jerusalem, that is, less than half a mile, and is now called the Valley of the Kidron Stream.

Melchizedek Blesses Abram

Genesis 14:18. And Melchizedek, king of Salem, Of all those who came to meet Abram, the sacred historian directs our attention to the distinguished and quite exceptional personality of Melchizedek, king of Salem. The fact that Moses gives us no biographical information about Melchizedek, while the Psalmist and the Apostle Paul place him in a mysterious connection with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (Ps 109:4; Heb 7:1-3), has given rise to a great variety of views regarding the person of Melchizedek and the significance of his service: some see in him an aged patriarch Shem (Targums, Luther, and others), others see an Angel (Origen), still others the Holy Spirit (Hierax the Egyptian)… But none of these interpretations, in view of their instability and arbitrariness, can be accepted. Two fundamental points of view must be firmly established regarding the person of Melchizedek: it is certain, first, that he was a definite historical person, who lived and even ruled in the age of Abram, but it is equally certain that this historical person subsequently received a typological significance, which is revealed partly by the Psalmist, but chiefly by the Apostle Paul (Heb 7:1). The very name “Melchizedek” is of purely Semitic origin and in literal translation means “king of righteousness” (malach-sedek); it is very close and akin to the name “Adonizedek,” which was borne by the king of Jerusalem in the era of the conquest of the land of Canaan by Joshua (Josh 10:1). This latter circumstance strongly disposes us in favor of the view that “Salem,” where Melchizedek reigned, is nothing other than Jerusalem, where Adonizedek reigned, since the stability and permanence of well-known royal names for each land and nation constitutes one of the characteristic features not only of ancient times but even of our own day. But besides this suppositious (based on analogy) proof of the identity of “Salem” with “Jerusalem,” there exists a whole series of other, more positive proofs, based on biblical data, on discoveries of orientalism, and on the authority of ancient tradition. The biblical testimonies include the clear indication of the Psalmist: and His place has been in Salem and His dwelling in Zion (Ps 75:3). In the cuneiform inscriptions of the Assyrian kings, Jerusalem is usually known in the form of “Uru-Salima,” which properly means “the city of Salem.” In the Tel el-Amarna correspondence of Palestinian governors of Egypt with the courts of the pharaohs, a letter was found from one governor to Pharaoh Amenhotep IV in which he stated, among other things, that the deity-patron of his city was El-Elyon, who is also called Salem. Probably, the foreign governor, poorly versed in the language, religion, and customs of the new country, was not well acquainted with its peculiarities and misunderstood much about it (for example, this purely Egyptian identification of a city’s name with its patron deity); but the very mention of “Salem” and especially the worship of “El-Elyon” in it is for us of the highest value and gives excellent confirmation of the Bible. Finally, the identity of Salem with Jerusalem is attested by ancient Jewish Targums, Josephus, and the majority of both ancient and modern exegetes (Abenezra, Kimchi, Knobel, Delitzsch, Keil, Murphy, Bush, and others). In view of all this, although the Bible knows of two other small places also bearing the name “Salem” (John 3:23), the identification of Melchizedek’s Salem with Jerusalem is almost beyond dispute. This latter Salem lay on the path of Abram and was about six hours’ journey from Sodom, during which the king of Sodom accompanied Abram. brought out bread and wine, Depending on different views about the person of Melchizedek himself, one interprets differently his action—the bringing forth of bread and wine: some see here a simple provision of supplies for the refreshment and strengthening of Abram’s detachment; others perceive in it a bloodless sacrifice, having a close, typological connection with the New Testament sacrament of the Eucharist. One cannot be fully satisfied with only the last explanation because the gifts used by Melchizedek here are offered not to God but to man (Abram), which contradicts the fundamental idea of divine sacrifice. But the first explanation cannot be recognized as valid either, since nowhere does it appear that Abram’s detachment needed such provisions or that such a quantity was provided that would suffice for all. It is much more natural and closer to the truth to suppose that “bread and wine”—these two main life-sustaining products of Palestine—were used by Melchizedek to express his hospitality and respect for Abram, just as the custom is practiced among us in the reception of “bread and salt” for high and honored guests. This does not, of course, exclude the possibility of perceiving in this historical fact a certain typological significance, pointing to its connection with the New Testament sacrament of the eucharistic bread and wine. he was priest of God Most High, Here we encounter for the first time in the Bible a special term indicating priestly or sacerdotal service. Applying it first of all to the person of the historical Melchizedek, we should not be troubled by the fact that in one person the service of “king and priest” was combined: this was customary among many ancient peoples (for example, the rex Romanorum was also pontifex maximus), especially in that distant age which still lived by the traditions of patriarchal life, where the eldest in the clan was at the same time king, priest, legislator, and judge. Moreover, by the whole context of the passage, the “priesthood” of Melchizedek is presented as a special, sacramental service; yet even from this side it is repeatedly and clearly distinguished in the Bible from the subsequent, legal priesthood and is even as it were opposed to it (Ps 109:4; Heb 5:6). From this we can conclude that Melchizedek was the last representative of that primitive priesthood, some hints of which we find in the history of Enosh and Noah (Gen 4:26); this was a universal, world priesthood, the service of the religion of primitive revelation, remnants of which, like stars on a dark horizon, continued to be preserved even amid the darkness of pagan superstition and idolatry. That such was indeed the priesthood of Melchizedek is testified to, besides the particularly respectful attitude toward him on the part of Abram, by the very name of the God whom he served—“God Most High,” or, as it stands in the Hebrew text, “El-Elyon.” This designation of the true God, encountered in certain other places of Holy Scripture (Num 24:16; Deut 32:8; Ps 7:18 and others), portrays Him as the Highest World Force and Supreme Dominion, extending over the entire universe. This name was apparently not unknown to the pagan Canaanites either, as can be seen from the fact that the same name (El-Elyon) was applied to the supreme deity of the Phoenicians, evidently from a dim memory of the true God. In the mysterious priesthood of Melchizedek, according to a special order, and in the union of this priestly service with kingly dignity, the typological parallel between Melchizedek and Christ is most fully and clearly expressed, detailed by the Apostle Paul (Heb 7).

Genesis 14:19–20. and he blessed him, and said: The concept of “blessed” in the Hebrew text is expressed by the word barech, which can also mean in general “to greet, to express good wishes.” But that the blessing of Melchizedek here was not a simple greeting and ordinary good wishes is testified first by the preceding (verse 18—“priest of God Most High”) and subsequent context of the passage (verse 20, Abram gives him a priestly tithe); and secondly, it is firmly established by the Apostle Paul (Heb 7:6-7), who says that “without any contradiction, the lesser is blessed by the greater,” and that, consequently, Abram, having received the blessing from Melchizedek, thereby recognized in him a special mediator between himself and God, capable of bringing down divine blessing upon him. “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Both the very content of this blessing (the confession of divine mercy manifested to Abram and praise to God for it) and especially its form (the two-strophe, rhythmic verse) are characteristic of sacred biblical poetry and have a series of corresponding parallels in it (Gen 27:27 and others). [Abram] gave him a tithe of everything. Although the law regarding tithes for the benefit of priests and Levites was given later, in the time of Moses (Lev 27:30-33; Num 18:21-23), it is clear that as a widely distributed custom it was practiced much earlier, both among the Hebrews and among other Eastern peoples.

Abram Divides the Booty Among His Fellow Participants

Genesis 14:22. But Abram said to the king of Sodom: I raise my hand to the Lord God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, This solemn oath of Abram, given to the king of Sodom, calls our attention, first, to the external action that accompanied it (the raising of the hand) and which is retained in oath-taking even to this day, and second, to its similarity with the words of Melchizedek’s blessing, proving that both he and Abram honored the same God.

Genesis 14:23–24. that I will not take a thread or even a sandal strap of all that is yours, lest you should say, I have made Abram rich; except what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, let them take their share. “One cannot but stop to observe this beautiful, truly magnificent figure of the patriarch, who with such sense of dignity refuses his lawful booty, not forgetting, however, to assert the rights of his allies” (Vlastov). Abram did not forget even his friend-allies—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre—who, however, remained at home and protected the interests of the patriarch during his forced absence.

Chapter Fifteen

God encourages Abram

Genesis 15:1. After these events A common enough chronological reference, though at the same time too general. the word of the Lord came to Abram Exegetes draw attention to this passage as the first instance in the Bible where the term dabar “word” prefigures the mysterious foretelling of the God-incarnate Word, that is, of our Lord Jesus Christ (Exod 9:20; 1 Sam 3:21, Ps 32:6 and others). in a vision [by night], The reference in brackets appears in the LXX (not in all manuscripts; see Holmes), whereas the Hebrew original does not have it, and most commentators regard it as a later addition. But even if we allow that this theophany occurred at night, it is nonetheless clear from the entire context that Abram, as he received this revelation, was in a waking state, not a sleeping one (Gen 15:2). Defining this state more precisely, the historian calls it a “vision”—that is, a peculiarly ecstatic, exalted, and, so to speak, rapturous state, similar to that in which the prophet Isaiah found himself at the moment of his call to prophetic ministry (Isa 6), or the Apostle Paul when he was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible words (2 Cor 12:3-4). and He said: Do not fear, Abram; I am your shield; Do not fear, above all, retaliation from those enemies over whom you have just won such a brilliant victory, nor fear the ill-will and envy toward your military success and growing prosperity from the Canaanite lords around you. Fear nothing of the sort, says the Lord: “For I am your shield”—that is, your protector and defender (Ps 3:4 and others). your reward will be very great. As a reward for all the elevated and noble qualities of Abram’s high soul, especially for his obedience and faith, the Lord not only granted him a series of promises of both temporal and eternal blessings, but also honored him with special nearness to Himself, which moved the Apostle James (Jas 2:23) to call him even a friend of God—a distinction that cannot be seen otherwise than as the highest reward for mankind.

Abram grieves over the absence of offspring

Genesis 15:2. Abram said: Lord God, This address in the Hebrew text is expressed in the words “Adonai-Jehovah” (with “Jehovah” following “Adonai,” pronounced not with the vowels of the first name but with the vowels of “Elohim”); this is the first instance in the Bible of such a rare combination of two divine titles (Gen 15:8, compare Deut 3:24), of which the first indicates God as supreme judge (dan—to judge), and the second as providential sustainer and redeemer. This further proves the complete error of interpreting the words Jehovah, Elohim, Adonai: these words are used for reverent emphasis of the Creator’s Greatness and Glory. In this case, following the Hebrew text, the phrase may have the following meaning: “Abram said: O Providential and Merciful Judge!” This is evident both from the context of the scriptural references already cited and stands in direct connection with the following part of the verse, as among the Hebrews childlessness was considered a punishment for sins, and Abram was entirely justified in addressing the Lord as Judge. what will You give me? I remain childless; “When the Lord promised Abram a reward—and a great reward, a very great reward—then he, revealing the sorrow of his soul and the constant dejection that had tormented him because of his childlessness, said: Lord, what will You give me? For I have already reached a great age and I am departing without children” (John Chrysostom). the steward of my household is this Eliezer of Damascus. In the Slavonic Bible this phrase begins differently, with the words: “but the son of Masek, a servant of my house,” which changes its meaning. This difference is explained by the fact that the first word of this phrase in the Hebrew text—“Ben-Mesek”—was understood and translated by the LXX as a proper name: “son of Masek”; whereas the correct translation of these words gives the sense of “steward, manager of the household or property” (a Hebraism: “son of possession,” just as “man of possession” simply means a person who possesses or manages something). The name “Eliezer” itself means “to whom God helps”; by his place of origin he is called an inhabitant of Damascus.

Genesis 15:3. And Abram said: Behold, You have not given me offspring, and behold, my servant shall be my heir. Being childless already in his old age, Abram, though he pours out his sorrow before God over this, is far from sinful despondency and complaining against God; he hastens to adopt his beloved servant and make him a sharer and heir of all the promises given to him by God.

God promises him a son and numerous offspring

Genesis 15:4. And the word of the Lord came to him, saying: He shall not be your heir, but he who shall come from your own body shall be your heir. In the Greek, Latin, and our Slavonic Bibles, this verse begins with the adverb: “immediately,” regarding which Chrysostom says: “Note the precision of Scripture: it says ‘at once,’ meaning the Lord did not allow the righteous man even to grieve for a short time, but gives comfort quickly and eases the weight of sorrow through conversation with him.” God grants His faithful servant the strongest comfort, healing his main heart’s wound, inflicted by the lack of his own, natural offspring: He solemnly announces to Abram that not a foreign servant, but his own, biological son will be his true heir.

Genesis 15:5. And He brought him outside and said to him: Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them. And He said to him: So shall your offspring be. For greater clarity and force of His assurance, the Lord brings Abram out under the open sky and directs his attention to the myriads of stars scattered across it, saying that his offspring shall be just as numerous. The sense and meaning of this comparison are already familiar to us from an analogous image in the history of the preceding theophany (Gen 13:16). But in the unfolding of the promise itself, an important new element appears: earlier it was said in general about Abram’s offspring; now it is added that this offspring will be personal and direct, for it shall come from his own son.

Abram is justified by faith

Genesis 15:6. Abram believed the Lord, Amid the connected historical narrative that forms the substance of this chapter, the verse we are considering represents a kind of digression—namely, an introductory remark from the historian himself; clearly, Moses attached great importance to it if, for its sake, he resolved to interrupt the flow and coherent structure of his epic narrative. And indeed, here we are speaking of the chief religious virtue of humanity—the faith that justifies and saves it. The primary meaning of the Hebrew verb “aman,” which means “believed,” conveys the thought of “complete rest” and “steadfast confirmation” in something or on something; in this case, it therefore means the removal of all doubt and hesitation from Abram’s soul and the full establishment of his cherished hopes and expectations in the good and all-perfect will of God. Notwithstanding neither his old age nor the barrenness of Sarah, Abram believes the divine promise about the birth of a son to him, and believes sincerely and ardently, without any reasoning or skeptical inquiry as to how all this could come to pass. and He counted it to him as righteousness. God, Who tests the hearts and reins of men and knows all things, even the least movements of the human soul, rightfully valued this noble and elevated elevation of Abram’s spirit and made it the chief foundation of his future justification—that is, the remission of both his personal and the ancestral sin weighing upon him. But the final justification of Abram, as of other Old Testament righteous men, came only after the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ and His descent to Hades (1 Pet 3:19). This momentous Old Testament fact of justification by faith is discussed at length by the Apostle Paul in his Letter to the Romans (Rom 4), where the example of Abram serves as clear proof of the truth that in Christianity also justification is granted not through any external deeds and merits, but freely (by grace)—through faith in the redemptive power of Christ’s death. But as Abram’s saving faith was the fruit and crown of all his pious activity and life, so also in the Christian, the justifying faith must encompass and permeate his entire being and be that living and active force which necessarily seeks corresponding outward expression—that is, in pious life and good deeds (Jas 2:24-26).

The confirmation of God’s covenant with Abram

Genesis 15:7. And He said to him: I am the Lord, Who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess. Although Moses does not directly say that Abram’s departure from Ur of the Chaldeans together with his father Terah was the result of a special divine call, he implicitly leads us to assume it (Gen 12:1), and the protomartyr Stephen even explicitly testifies to this (Acts 7:2-3). By pointing to the fact of Abram’s leading out from his native land and to the purpose of this fact, God thereby wishes to give Abram further proof of the immutability and faithfulness of His promises.

Genesis 15:8. He said: Lord God! How shall I know that I shall possess it? Since the promise of possessing Palestine did not pertain to Abram’s own person but to the fate of his offspring, the best explanation of this question is the opinion of those exegetes who hold that Abram posed this question not for himself and not on his own behalf, but for his future offspring, seeking assurance concerning the truth of such seemingly impossible promises. “The promise of possessing the land of Canaan,” Abram thought, “can only be fulfilled when his descendants have grown into a numerous people. This will require considerable time, during which they may experience many reversals of fortune, many sorrows and calamities. It is no wonder that these sorrows and calamities, amid the long waiting for the promised inheritance, might shake the faith of Abram’s descendants in the promise. Therefore, it was natural for Abram to desire that the Lord would in a special manner seal for his descendants the truth of His promise, and previously open to them how it should be fulfilled” (Bishop Vissarion).

Genesis 15:9–10. The Lord said to him: Take for Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon. He took all of them, cut them in two, and placed one part opposite the other; he did not cut the birds. Yielding to Abram’s respectful request for a sign that would assure his offspring of the fulfillment of the divine promises, the Lord deigns to give him the same sign that was customarily used among people in similar cases. For among the ancients, especially in the East, when people bound themselves by important promises, they would enter into a covenant with one another, the conclusion of which was accompanied by a specific external ceremony: they would take a certain number of sacrificial animals, slaughter them, pour out their blood, cut them into two equal halves, and pass between these severed parts. By all these symbolic actions, the people who entered into the covenant testified before God and men that they were ready to shed each other’s blood, that they obligated themselves to represent themselves as two equal halves of one and the same living whole, and that the breaker of this covenant would expect punishment from God, like the dismemberment of an animal’s corpse (Jer 34:18). Condescending to human weakness, the Lord deigned to use this covenant ceremony in entering into a covenant with Abram and his offspring. It should be noted that both the list of animals mentioned here and the very ritual of the ceremony itself (for instance, the non-cutting of birds) (Lev 1:14-17) closely matches the subsequent laws of sacrifice, from which it is evident that Moses was not introducing something new, but rather returning the people to forgotten ancient ordinances.

Genesis 15:11. And birds of prey descended upon the carcasses; but Abram drove them away. This minor detail is considered a prophetic foreshadowing of those idolatrous nations who, by their example, led the people of Israel astray and thereby defiled this covenant and corrupted its purity (“the straying of Israel”).

Vision

Genesis 15:12. As the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, In the Hebrew text, this sleep is designated by the same term—“tardema”—as the sleep of Adam when God created him a wife (Gen 2:21). Consequently, this was not an ordinary and natural sleep, but an extraordinary, supernatural one, in which all the higher faculties and powers of man not only did not weaken but, on the contrary, grew stronger. and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. Both of these states were purely subjective experiences for Abram and were caused by the approaching manifestation of God Himself in material form (Job 4:14-17). Some exegetes, however, see here a prophetic premonition of the terrors and calamities that awaited Abram’s offspring during the days of Egyptian bondage.

Genesis 15:13. And the Lord said to Abram: Know that your offspring will be strangers in a land not their own, and they will enslave them and oppress them for four hundred years. From the fact that the Lord’s answer pertains to the fate of Abram’s offspring, we have another proof that the question of Abram mentioned earlier also concerned the same subject (Gen 15:8). As though responding to Abram’s anxious thoughts about the reversals of fate awaiting his offspring, the Lord reveals to Abram that his descendants, before obtaining the fulfillment of the promise, must undergo a whole series of trials and calamities: first, they are destined for a long and troubled sojourn through the land of Canaan, and second, a long and grievous bondage—namely, bondage in Egypt. The Lord determines the total duration of this first period of Jewish history—the period of wandering, affliction, and bondage—to be four hundred years. To be more precise, the more exact figure for the entire period, which begins with Abram’s departure from Ur of the Chaldeans and ends with the Hebrew exodus from Egypt, is four hundred thirty years (at age 25 after leaving Ur, Isaac was born; at age 60 of Isaac, Jacob was born; Jacob entered Egypt at age 130, and 215 years passed after that until the Hebrews left (Exod 12:40; Gal 3:17). But the thirty years have obviously been omitted here for the sake of round numbers, as is customary in other places of the Bible, especially in counting by centuries, which are also often called generations (Gen 15:16).

Genesis 15:14. but I will judge the nation that enslaves them; An expression analogous to the saying: “Vengeance is Mine, and I will repay” (Deut 32:35; Rom 12:19; Heb 10:30). Historically, this was fulfilled in the Egyptians when the Lord struck them with grievous plagues and thereby forced them to release the Hebrews (Exod 7:4). afterward they will come out [here] with great wealth, A prophetic detail, accurately vindicated by history (Exod 12:35-36).

Genesis 15:15. and you shall go to your fathers in peace and be buried in a good old age; In these remarkable words, one rightly perceives the expression of the idea of Old Testament immortality; this is indicated already by the fact that the text clearly distinguishes “going to one’s fathers” from “burial of the body,” and if by the latter one certainly understands bodily, physical death, then by the former can only be understood spiritual immortality, which opens the possibility of an afterlife meeting with those fathers who died before. To interpret this “gathering to one’s fathers” in the sense of ordinary burial in a family, ancestral cave is precisely what Abram’s own example does not allow, given that Abram himself was buried in the cave of Machpelah (Gen 25:9), his father Terah in Haran (Gen 11:32), and his other ancestors in Ur of the Chaldeans.

Genesis 15:16. in the fourth generation they shall return here: Some see in these words a parallel to verse 13, meaning a reference to four centuries or generations—a disastrous period in Israel’s life; others, with better reason, perceive a reference to the duration of Egyptian bondage itself, which was to end in the fourth generation of those strangers who first settled in it. Indeed, Moses, the initiator of the Hebrew exodus, was already the fourth after Jacob, who came to Egypt (Levi, Kohath, Amram, and Moses). for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. The Amorites are taken here as representatives of all the Canaanites (Josh 24:15). The longsuffering of God spared them for whole centuries to give them the opportunity for repentance; but they used this time for evil and deserved the dread judgment of divine justice regarding their complete destruction (Josh 6:20 and others).

Genesis 15:17. When the sun had set and darkness had come, behold, A remark from the historian, indicating the exceptional length of this theophany: beginning the night before, it continued throughout the following day and went on into the coming night. a smoking oven and a fiery torch passed between the severed animals. Smoke and fire—these are the favored emblems of God’s manifestations in the history of Israel, at once awesome and dark like smoke, and bright and joyful like fire. “The passing between the severed animals signified, according to custom, the joining of what was divided—that is, a covenant. Otto Herkloss notes that Abram did not pass between the severed animals; only a visible image of the Lord passed, so this was a covenant of grace, a benefaction promised and confirmed through an external covenant ritual” (Vlastov).

Genesis 15:18. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: The Hebrew term for covenant, “berit,” derived from a verb meaning “to cut, to sever, to divide,” clearly indicates its close connection to the ceremony of passing through severed animal parts described above. By this act the Lord enters into a solemn covenant with Abram, after the manner of how He earlier entered into such a covenant with Noah (Gen 9:9). However, the covenant of God with Abram has in view more important theocratic purposes, and therefore is surrounded with even greater solemnity than the covenant with Noah. to your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates: The Lord designates two rivers as the boundaries of the future possession of the Hebrews: on the east the Euphrates, and on the west some Egyptian river. The latter cannot be the Nile, since the Euphrates in comparison with the Nile could not be called the great river; apparently it is one of the border rivers of Egypt, considerably smaller than the Euphrates; it is believed to be the river Shihor, which separated Egypt from Palestine and where the city of Rhinocolura stood. Within these boundaries the Hebrews actually possessed the land of Canaan in the times of Kings David and Solomon (1 Sam 4:21; 2 Chr 9:26; Ps 71:8; 2 Sam 8:3), when not only all of Palestine and all the surrounding nomadic tribes acknowledged the rule of Israel’s kings, but even the kings of southern Arabia bowed before them. “But more remarkable still is the moral influence which Abram, his descendants the patriarchs, David and Solomon have maintained to this day over the minds of nomadic tribes. Their memory is honored more than the memory of Muhammad” (Vlastov).

Genesis 15:19. the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, The sad fate of the first—enslavement by the Assyrians—is foretold in the prophecy of Balaam (Num 24:21-22), and their dwelling place—to the south of Canaan, near the Amalekites, and then even completely within Palestine in the tribe of Judah—is indicated by the writer of the Book of Kings (1 Sam 27:10). Probably in the same tribe of Judah lived the Kenizzites, as can be surmised from the fact that Caleb, a member of the tribe of Judah, was called a Kenizzite (Josh 14:6). Much less is known about the “Kadmonites,” who in the Bible are not mentioned again; but they appear on Egyptian monuments, from which some conjecture that this name refers to one of the tribes bordering Canaan on the Egyptian side.

Genesis 15:20. the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, The first undoubtedly refers to the important and powerful “Hittite” nation, which held sway over Syria and had colonies in the vicinity of Hebron and Bethel (Judg 1:23-26; 1 Sam 10:29). The “Perizzites” are those already known to us (Gen 13:7) Canaanite inhabitants of the mountainous regions of Palestine (Josh 11:3). The “Rephaim” are again that already known tribe (Gen 14:5), dwelling (Josh 12:4) to the northeast of the Jordan Valley, though later it moved considerably further south, lending its name to the valley of the Rephaim or giants, one of the neighborhoods of Jerusalem (Josh 15:8).

Genesis 15:21. the Girgashites and the Jebusites. The former lived west of the Jordan (Josh 24:11), and the latter—near Jerusalem and within the city itself, which on account of this was even called Jebus for a time (Judg 19:10).

Chapter Sixteen

Sarah, being barren, gives her maid Hagar to Abram

Genesis 16:1. Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. A necessary introductory remark preparing for what follows. Ten whole years (Gen 16:3) had passed since Abram and Sarai received the divine promise of numerous offspring, and yet Sarai had not borne a single son.

Genesis 16:2. And Sarai said to Abram: Behold, the Lord has closed my womb so that I cannot bear; go in to my maid: Humbly considering herself the main cause of the failure of the divine promise regarding offspring and wishing to help Abram in obtaining it, Sarai, with great magnanimity, renounces her rights as a wife and willingly offers him her own maid Hagar in marriage, whom they had taken with them from Egypt, probably among the other gifts with which the Egyptians had provided them (Gen 12:16). The very name of this maid, “Hagar,” means flight and was given to her either by prophetic foresight or, more likely, as a retrospective reminder of her twofold flight from her mistress’s house (Gen 16:6). perhaps I shall obtain children by her. In the Hebrew text it is said differently: “so that I may build up a house (banah) for myself through her, that I may be strengthened by her”; in the Slavonic (following the LXX): “so that I may have children by her.” Through this, Sarai’s action itself becomes much clearer: evidently, she is here relying on the customary right of that era, by virtue of which children born to a husband by a maid were considered his legitimate children and, consequently, belonged equally to both spouses—that is, both to the husband and to the wife (Gen 30:3). Abram listened to the words of Sarai. Although in Abram’s action there was a violation of the purity of the marriage bond (Gen 2:24), an excuse for him is, first, that he did this not from his own passion, but from obedience to his wife, and second, that in performing this deed he pursued not personal, base interests, but higher, theocratic purposes (Mal 2:15).

Genesis 16:3. And Sarai, Abram’s wife, took her maid Hagar the Egyptian, at the end of ten years of Abram’s dwelling in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. The title of wife is applied here to Hagar not in the strict and proper sense, but in the sense of a temporary concubine, as she is more precisely called elsewhere (Gen 25:6); yet at the same time she was a legal concubine, taken with the consent, approval, and even at the request of the wife, so that in this case she was for Abram a wife of the second rank.

Hagar’s arrogance and Sarai’s complaint about her

Genesis 16:4. He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she began to despise her mistress. Throughout the ancient East, and especially among the Hebrews, childbearing was considered a special sign of divine blessing and family honor (Gen 24:60; Exod 23:26; Deut 7:14); whereas barrenness, on the contrary, was viewed as a misfortune and a disgrace (Gen 30:1; Luke 1:48 and others). It is no wonder that the young maid Hagar, imbued with such views, might become carried away before her deprived mistress.

Genesis 16:5. And Sarai said to Abram: The wrong is on you; I put my maid into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, she began to despise me; “Sarai is punished for her impatience; she herself offered her maid to her husband so that the promise might be fulfilled sooner, and now feels that a new mistress is rising up in the house. But, not having foreseen the consequences of her action, she now blames Abram for everything” (Vlastov). let the Lord judge between me and you. “Words of a grieving soul!” says John Chrysostom, “and if the patriarch had not been so wise and had not held Sarai in great respect, he would have grown angry and been offended by such harsh words. But this worthy man forgave her everything, knowing the weakness of her nature.” Nevertheless, it is easy to understand the painful state of Sarai’s soul, in which both the jealousy of a deprived wife and the dignity of an insulted mistress spoke at once.

Hagar’s flight to the wilderness and the angel of Jehovah’s appearance to her there

Genesis 16:6. Abram said to Sarai: Your maid is in your hands; do with her as you please. By these words Abram wisely quells the beginning domestic quarrel between mistress and maid, pointing out the true role of the former and her legitimate rights with respect to the latter. And Sarai mistreated her, But Sarai could not find enough magnanimity within herself and showed somewhat partial harshness toward Hagar. Here is another example of how Scripture does not conceal and does not minimize even the failings of the righteous. and she fled from her. The proud maid was unwilling to endure such humiliation and preferred to flee to the wilderness of Shur (Gen 16:7), which lay on the road between Egypt and Assyria (Gen 25:18; 1 Sam 15:7) in the northwestern corner of the Arabian peninsula, now known as “Djifar.” It was the road from Palestine to the land of the pharaohs that ran through it, and it was most natural for Hagar to head there, to her native country.

Genesis 16:7. And the angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the road to Shur. In the Hebrew original stands “Malak-Jehovah,” analogous to another phrase “Malak-Elohim” (Gen 21:17). Regarding this well-known agent of Old Testament revelations, there exists an enormous body of literature, all of which is divided into two opposite categories: in one the view is maintained that “Malak-Jehovah” was an ordinary created being, though the highest in rank among the angels; in the writings of the other category, the truth is asserted that “Malak-Jehovah” was a manifestation of God Himself—namely, the Logos or the Son of God. The representatives of the first view (Augustine, Origen, Jerome, Hoffman, Baumgarten, Tolluck, Delitzsch, Kurtz) base themselves on the following grounds: 1) the term “malak” or “angel” ordinarily denotes a class of spiritually created beings (Gen 19:1; Job 4:18; Ps 90 and others); 2) in the New Testament ἄγγελος Κυρίου (angel of the Lord) (Matt 1:20; Luke 2:9) constantly refers to a created angel; 3) the philological origin of the term “malak” itself indicates its dependent and subordinate condition (2 Sam 24:16; Zech 1:12); and 4) finally, a revelation of God in such a human form could not have been understood before the coming of the Savior into the world. None of these arguments has decisive force. The arguments of the representatives of the other camp (Hengstenberg, Keil, Lange, Hovenik, Nitsch, Ebrard, Ehlert, Baumgarten, Wordsworth, and among Russians: A. Glagolev, A. Lebedev, Yastrebov and others) reduce to the following main theses: 1) “Malak-Jehovah” clearly identifies Himself with Jehovah (Gen 16:10) and with Elohim (Gen 22:12); 2) those to whom He appears ordinarily take Him for God Himself (Gen 16:13; Exod 3:6; Judg 6:15); 3) biblical authors constantly speak of Him as God, calling Him Jehovah (Gen 16:13; Exod 3:2 and others); 4) the doctrine of the plurality of persons in the Godhead, upon which this view is based, stands in agreement with both earlier hints of it (Gen 1:26) and later revelations; 5) the organic unity of the two covenants requires that one and the same Person be the central point of both—namely, the Logos, the Son of God—and does not permit the Old Testament to have as that person a created being—“Malak-Jehovah.” A comparison of the arguments of both sides clearly testifies to the preponderance of the latter—that is, to understanding the “Angel-Jehovah” as one form of theophany, namely, the Old Testament form of personal revelation of the Son of God.

Genesis 16:8. And the angel of the Lord said [to her]: Hagar, maid of Sarai! These very words of address, better than any rebuke, should have brought the erring maid to her senses.

Genesis 16:9. The angel of the Lord said to her: Return to your mistress and submit to her. “The angel condemns neither Hagar nor Sarai,” says Metropolitan Philaret, “he merely restores their proper relationship to each other. From this one can conclude that what happened between Sarai and Hagar was more of a misunderstanding than a malicious quarrel; probably Hagar thought it improper to remain a maid now that she had conceived by Abram; Sarai, on the other hand, feared that her maid would become her mistress” (Vlastov).

The Lord’s prophecy concerning Hagar’s offspring

Genesis 16:10. And the angel of the Lord said to her: I will greatly multiply your offspring, so that they cannot be numbered for multitude. It is very important to note here that the angel of the Lord speaks in His own person in a way that ordinarily only God Himself speaks. This is one of the chief grounds for recognizing the divine dignity of the angel of the Lord. Since Hagar became the wife of Abram, in some measure she also became an heir of those promises regarding numerous offspring that were given to the progenitor of the Hebrews. This prophecy about Hagar’s offspring through her son Ishmael was brilliantly vindicated in history, namely, in the fate of those twelve nomadic tribes which, under the general name of Ishmaelites and also Hagerites or Saracens, occupied much of the Arabian desert (Gen 25:12-16) and repeatedly emigrated from there to Africa, Spain, Persia, and even India.

Genesis 16:11. And the angel of the Lord said to her: Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son; you shall call his name Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your affliction; The second half of this phrase serves, properly speaking, as an explanation of the name Ishmael, which in literal translation means: “God hears.”

Genesis 16:12. he shall be a wild donkey of a man; The wild donkey, or onager, which is repeatedly and artistically depicted in the Bible (Job 39:5-8; Isa 32:14), is, by general opinion, a strikingly vivid and true type of the Bedouin—that wild son of the desert. his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; With equal vividness and force is depicted the future fate of these nomads, whose entire restless existence alternates between bold raids and harsh retaliation for them. he shall dwell in the presence of all his brothers. The descendants of the two brothers—Ishmael and Isaac—will not intermarry with each other but will live separately and independently, remaining always in close, though not always friendly, neighborhood with one another.

Genesis 16:13. And Hagar called the name of the Lord Who spoke to her: A remark from the historian himself, of great importance in establishing the identity of the Angel-Jehovah. You are the God who sees me. These words of Hagar have exactly the same significance for us. Moreover, in them is expressed Hagar’s confession of faith in divine Providence and God’s omniscience (Ps 138:11; Job 34:21-22; Amos 9:2-3). This is expressed still more clearly in the Slavonic translation: “You are the God Who looked upon me,” that is, Who has shown forth His providential power upon me.

Genesis 16:14. Therefore the well was called: The proper name of the well in the Slavonic text is replaced by a translation explaining its meaning: “where I was seen before me”; from this it is clear that Hagar, following the common Eastern custom, to perpetuate the memory of the theophany that happened to her at the well, also renamed the well itself in honor of it. Genesis 16:14. It is between Kadesh and Bered. Hagar’s well, mentioned twice more in the Bible (Gen 24:62), is, according to the opinion of a learned Palestinian geographer (Reland, cited by Ritter), most likely to be found in the spring of Ain-Kadesh, in a valley lying to the south of Beersheba, along which caravans travel from Syria to Sinai and which the Arabs call “Milkhi” or “Muweilh,” the same name they use for Hagar, and where they point out a cave—“the bed of Hagar.”

Genesis 16:15. And Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Instructed by the revelation that had come to her, Hagar returned to Abram’s house, was reconciled with Sarai, and soon became a mother, bearing a son, whom Abram, in accordance with the command given in the revelation, named Ishmael. By this the reality of the vision that came to Hagar is also confirmed.

Genesis 16:16. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram. A remark from the historian, drawn, it is probable, from a tradition that carefully preserved all details from the life of this most famous patriarch in the entire East (Gen 17:24-25). * * * Notes

Chapter Seventeen

God renews His covenant with Abraham

Genesis 17:1. Abraham was ninety-nine years old, “Why did God delay for so long?” asks Saint John Chrysostom and immediately answers: so that we might know not only the patience and great virtue of the righteous one, but also the boundless omnipotence of God. When already nature had become exhausted and became incapable of childbearing, because Abraham’s body had withered and dried from age,—then only, fully revealing the entire virtue of the righteous one and manifesting His power, God fulfills His promises (Homily 39, p. 426). and the Lord appeared to Abraham and said to him: I am God Almighty; In the Hebrew text—“El-Shaddai.” This is a new divine name, which in the Old Testament designated God of the covenant and revelation, that is, Jehovah, from the side of His almighty creative-providential power (shaddad—to be strong, mighty) or the stable strength and faithfulness of His promises (Gen 28:3; Exod 6:3). walk before Me and be blameless; The meaning and significance of these moral commandments are known to us from the examples of their fulfillment by two great early righteous ones—Enoch (Gen 5:24) and Noah (Gen 6:9).

In token of this He changes the names of Abram and Sarai.

Genesis 17:2. and I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will greatly, greatly multiply you. Or, as one can translate more closely to the Hebrew text: “and I will grant My covenant,” that is, I will grant the fulfillment of that very covenant which I was pleased to conclude with you once (chapter 15; the speech, obviously, is about the main point of this covenant—about the birth of Isaac and the descent from him of numerous offspring, about which is said further).

Genesis 17:3. And Abraham fell upon his face. This is an expression of deep humility, joyful gratitude, and trusting submission before the inscrutable judgments of divine Providence (Gen 17:17; Num 16:22; Lev 9:24; Ruth 2:10).

Genesis 17:4. Behold, My covenant is with you: Repeating His covenant with Abraham, God now sets forth its conditions and obligations more distinctly for each of the two contracting parties, being pleased to begin with Himself (“Behold, My covenant is with you”). you shall be the father of many nations, God promises Abraham that he will become not only the father of a numerous Jewish people, but also of a whole series of other nations, such as the Ishmaelites, Edomites and Agarites, and also the “father of all believers,” both circumcised and uncircumcised, but united with him by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Gen 12:2; Rom 4:11-12).

Genesis 17:5. and you shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I will make you the father of many nations; In accordance with the custom of the ancient eastern rulers, who renamed the servants they raised up (Gen 41:45; Dan 1:7, etc.), and God, raising Abram up to a covenant with Himself, gives him a new name, which furthermore has the closest relation to the content of the very promise. The former name: “Abram,” which means “exalted father,” is changed to a new one: “Abraham” (properly Abrāhām), which means “father of multitude,” understood as—multitude of promised descendants.

Genesis 17:6. and I will make you exceedingly, exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come forth from you; Repeating in stronger expressions the thought already expressed repeatedly (Gen 17:4), God makes an addition to it, pointing to the birth of kings from Abraham’s descendants, under which most closely, of course, are understood the Judean and Israelite kings, and then—a whole series of rulers of other tribes descended from him.

Genesis 17:7. and I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you; The word “age” in biblical usage has its own, more narrow, meaning than the usual; it points to the completion or end of a known period, after which a new “age” is to open, that is, a new period to begin (Heb 1:3). In this case, “eternality” of the covenant means its continuation until the end of the period of the Old Testament Church and until the advent of New Testament times; with regard to the latter, it has absolute significance, under the condition of corresponding changes (Matt 28:20; 1 Cor 15:28).

Genesis 17:8. and I will give to you and your descendants after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. A solemn concluding promise, which ends the series of God’s obligations under the covenant. The eternality of the possession of Palestine has likewise a conditional character, extending to the end of the separate and independent existence of the Hebrew state.

Genesis 17:9. And God said to Abraham: As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you in their generations. From here begins the exposition of the obligations of the covenant on the part of the other contracting party—Abraham and his descendants (Gen 17:9-14).

Establishment of circumcision as the sign of the covenant

Genesis 17:10–11. This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised; circumcise the foreskin of your flesh: and this shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. The whole substance of these requirements was reduced to one main one—to the observance of circumcision, which in an external symbolic action enclosed the essence of this covenant. From the external side, circumcision, first of all, was that shedding of blood which was considered an important guarantee of the strength of such unions among men as well. Then, from the very connection of facts and the purpose of its establishment, circumcision was to serve as a constant and most, so to speak, palpable reminder of that covenant with God into which once the father of believers entered, and in his person, all his descendants (Gen 17:11). Finally, circumcision was the sign of the covenant also in the sense that it was an external distinguishing mark of belonging to the chosen people and of entering the Old Testament Church. Even more important was the ideological, internal significance of circumcision; although from this side, very probably, it was not fully understood in all its power for a long time, being revealed only later, partly by the prophets and especially by the Apostle Paul (Lev 26:41; Deut 10:16; Isa 52:1; Jer 4:4; Ezek 44:7-9; Acts 7:51; Rom 3:1; Phil 3:3; Col 2:11-12, etc.). In this respect, circumcision, consisting in the cutting off of the foreskin of the reproductive organ, symbolized the cutting off of fleshly lusts and unclean desires, or, as the Bible expressively calls it,—the “circumcision of the heart” (Deut 10:16; Rom 2:29, etc.). Secondly, by introducing a certain sanctification into the very source of procreation and depicting the putting off of the “sinful body of flesh” (Col 2:11), circumcision, on the one hand, pointed to the hereditary sinfulness in which we are all conceived and born (Ps 50:7), on the other, mysteriously foreshadowed the New Testament baptism, which washes away this hereditary, ancestral corruption (Col 2:11-12). Thirdly, in application to the subject of the promise, that is, to offspring, circumcision had the meaning that it pointed as it were to the elimination or weakening of all natural means of its fulfillment and thereby more clearly revealed the special action of divine grace in the fulfillment of these promises. Finally, this last ground of meaning received special force in relation to the chief “Seed” of Abraham, that is, to the divine Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was to be born of the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, that is, with the elimination of any male participation. Hence, Metropolitan Philaret could rightly call circumcision: “the negative expression of the concept of the Seed of the woman.”

Genesis 17:12. At eight days old shall every male among you in your generations be circumcised; Consequently, circumcision was performed a week after birth, and this was observed so strictly that circumcision was performed even when it necessitated breaking the rest of the Sabbath day (John 7:22-23). every male child born in your house and every male slave bought with your money—if he is not of your seed. By this, among other things, circumcision among the Jews differed from circumcision among the Egyptians and other ancient peoples, where it was practiced also with respect to women.

Genesis 17:13. He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant. Concerning those born in Abraham’s house, that is, the lower slaves and household members, we already know from the earlier narrative (Gen 14:14); but, obviously, after that slaves bought for money appeared as well. Both those and the other are considered equally as belonging to Abraham’s house, and therefore together with him participate in the covenant. The access to this covenant for sons of former gentiles figuratively signifies the entrance into the New Testament Church of all peoples and conditions.

Genesis 17:14. And an uncircumcised male, who does not circumcise the foreskin of his flesh, that person shall be cut off from his people, because he has broken My covenant. “Shall be cut off”—in the Hebrew text expressed by a term meaning “shall be cut,” which gives the idea not so much of destruction or death, as of separation from Israelite society, expulsion from it, and a kind of religious-civil death (Exod 12:15; Lev 7:20-21; Num 9:13).

Genesis 17:15–16. And God said to Abraham: As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name; I will bless her, and I will give you a son by her; I will bless her so that she shall be the mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her. For the same reasons as before with Abraham (Gen 17:5), God is now pleased to give a new name, or more precisely, to rename the old one, to his wife as well. Her former name was literally from the Hebrew sounding “Sarai” and meant “my lady”; now she is given the name “Sarah,” which means “lady” in general, that is, not of Abraham and his house only, but of all the multitude of tribes and kings that are to descend from her, as is evident from the context.

Genesis 17:17. Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” “As a sign of reverence and gratitude to God, who spoke the promise, Abraham falls before Him. The words, which were in Abraham’s mind at that moment, express not that doubt about the truth of God’s promise arose in his soul, but rather joyful amazement at the greatness of the promise: from joy that has overflowed his soul. He cannot believe his own ears, hearing from God the assurance of the birth of a son to him and to his wife in such an age, when both of them are already dead to childbearing” (Bishop Vissarion) (Rom 4:19).

Genesis 17:18. And Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live before You!” Not daring, in his modesty, to believe the full measure of his happiness, Abraham is content to accept less—namely, not to expect a new son, but to transfer all these promises and hopes to Ishmael, who already existed. “Both of us have received sufficient comfort when Ishmael was born,” comments the thought of Abraham Saint John Chrysostom: let this son, given to us by You, live before You; and we shall have sufficient solace, and his life will comfort our old age (Homily 40).

The promise of the birth of Isaac

Genesis 17:19. God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall name him Isaac;” Repeating His promise to Abraham about the birth of a son to him, the Lord now speaks even more clearly and definitively that the promised son will be his own son and the son of his ninety-year-old wife Sarah, and for the first time He determined the name of this son—“Isaac,” and two verses below He indicated the very time of his birth, saying that it would occur exactly one year from the given prophecy (Gen 17:21). The name “Isaac” from the Hebrew language means “laughter, or joy” (properly this is the form of the future—“he shall laugh, he shall rejoice”) and, obviously, in itself carried the indication of the joy of his aged parents upon his birth, a joy which was expressed, among other things, in their laughter (Gen 17:17). Nothing else, except this very thing, did the Savior have in mind when He said of Abraham that he “was glad to see My day; and he saw and was glad” (John 8:56).

Genesis 17:20. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you; I will bless him and make him fruitful and multiply him exceedingly; he shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. The first part of this phrase in the Hebrew text has the appearance of a repetition of one and the same thing, for the name “Ishmael” means—“God hears.” This son of Abraham according to the flesh is likewise given divine blessing and the goods that accompany it, great multiplication: as if in correspondence with the twelve tribes of Israel, he is promised the descent of twelve princes, that is, chieftains of tribes, or sheikhs (Gen 25:12-16). But, by the just remark of Metropolitan Philaret, “the blessing of Isaac and that of Ishmael differ from each other as do gracious, spiritual, eternal promises, and natural, temporal gifts.”

Genesis 17:21. But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year. That is, not with all the descendants of Abraham—although they all were circumcised—but only with that which was to descend from Isaac, as the son of promise and faith.

Genesis 17:22. And God finished speaking with Abraham, and went up from him. These words speak of the cessation of the theophany and the disappearance of the vision of Jehovah.

Circumcision of Abraham and Ishmael

Genesis 17:23. Then Abraham took his son Ishmael and all the slaves born in his house or bought with his money, every male in the household, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. A remark of the chronicler, bearing witness to the quick and unwavering execution by Abraham of the divine command; this remark, in turn, testifies to the strength of obedience and fervor of faith of the patriarch, which know no delay and difficulty (Jas 2:22-24). Whether this rather painful rite existed anywhere before this time (e.g., among the Egyptians, to which rationalists especially love to point) or whether it is only first introduced here by God—it is difficult to decide definitively; one thing only is certain, that it did not exist among the Hebrews at that moment, and that it arose among them with a completely special character, sharply distinguishing it both in appearance and even more in spirit from similar religious-customary rites practiced among other ancient peoples.

Genesis 17:24. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. Noting this most important event in Abraham’s life, the sacred historian, by custom, also indicates its chronological date, which is all the more instructive in that it testifies to the outstanding strength of faith of the patriarch if he decided, in such deep old age, to undergo this painful and dangerous operation.

Genesis 17:25. And his son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. A living memorial to this is preserved among the Arabs—descendants of Ishmael and other Muslim peoples—the custom of circumcising boys upon reaching the age of thirteen.

Genesis 17:26–27. That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised; and all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him. The concluding verses represent a repetition of what was said above—a device quite common in the Bible in those cases where the speech is about some especially important matter.

Chapter Eighteen

Abraham welcomes the Lord and with Him two Angels in the form of three men

Genesis 18:1. The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, The replacement here of the proper name Abraham with the personal pronoun “to him”—bears witness to the fact that this chapter stands in the very closest connection with the preceding one and constitutes as it were its continuation. But the very opening words of the chapter leave no doubt that here there is speech of a new theophany, although it occurred soon after the preceding one (Gen 18:14; see also Gen 17:21). The place of this theophany was the very oak grove of the Amorite Mamre, a friend of Abraham, in which Abraham settled after his return from Egypt (Gen 13:18) and which was located in the vicinity of Hebron. as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. The mention of the time of this theophany, namely that it took place not in sleep and not at night, but during the day and even in the middle of the day, in the opinion of exegetes, establishes its complete reality. The very details of this picture accord perfectly with the customs and manners of the ancient East, whose inhabitants loved to go out in the afternoon hours of the day’s heat under the cool shade of their tents and wait here for guests, who were in need of refreshment and rest (Gen 19:1).

Genesis 18:2. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood in front of him. All these verbs—“lifted up,” “looked,” “saw”—further emphasize the highest reality of this appearance. Who were the “three men” that appeared to Abraham? To this, the ancients answer differently: some of the early interpreters wished to see in them a separate indication of the three Persons of the Holy Trinity (Justin the Philosopher, Ambrose, Cyril, etc.); but the majority of others thinks more soundly that only one of these strangers was a divine Person, while the other two were Angels (Gen 19:1). In all probability, the foremost guest of Abraham was the “Angel of Jehovah,” the Logos or the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, who on this occasion deigned to take the appearance of an angel, just as subsequently He took on the nature of man. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth, All of this are signs of the usual, though elevated, eastern hospitality, and by no means proof that Abraham recognized in the appearance of these simple strangers special heavenly guests, as some think. Against this, Saint John Chrysostom strongly protests: “let not anyone of the listeners diminish the virtue of the righteous one by supposing that he spoke thus because he knew who the travelers were. In that case, as I have said many times, there would be nothing great about it… But that is wonderful and unusual, that he speaks such words, addressing them as ordinary men” (Homily 41). Indeed, Abraham’s invitation to visit his tent, the washing of the feet of the strangers, and the offering of them food—all this are features of cordial hospitality, calculated for ordinary people. Similar examples can be found in other places of the Bible (Gen 23:7).

Genesis 18:3. and said, “My Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant;” The text of the Russian Bible apparently presupposes an address by Abraham to one of the strangers as to the Lord. Likewise, the word standing here in the Hebrew text: “Adonai” (with the vowel “kametz”) commonly constitutes an address to God, and not to an ordinary man (like our—“my lord”). To the question, why Abraham, seeing three men, addresses only one with his greeting-invitation, answers beautifully Saint John Chrysostom, saying: “Do not wonder also that the righteous one, receiving three strangers, says: “Lord,” addressing as it were one. Perhaps one of the ones who came seemed more important than the others; and so the righteous one directs his request to him. But further he addresses his words to all in general” (see verses 4–5).

Genesis 18:4. Let me bring a little water, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, Genesis 18:5. and I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; The washing of feet in the hot and dusty Palestine, where the footwear was merely light sandals, was a matter of necessity and the first duty of hospitality (Gen 24:32). “The heart” in the Bible is regarded as the center of all vital functions, and the expression—“refresh the heart” is equivalent to our “refresh the strength” (Judg 19:5; Ps 103:15, etc.).

Genesis 18:6. And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quick, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it, and make cakes.” Three measures made up one “ephah,” approximately about thirty pounds of our weight; judging from other places in the Bible, one can think that this was the customary quantity of flour used by the Hebrews for the preparation of bread (Matt 13:33). By “unleavened cakes” here, obviously, are meant those thin cakes which are even now customarily made by the Arabs in a few minutes, at the reception of honored guests.

Genesis 18:7. And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the young man, and he hastened to prepare it. Genesis 18:8. And he took butter and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them, while he stood by them under the tree. Regarding the small details with which are depicted the pictures of Abraham’s reception of his unexpected guests, Saint John Chrysostom remarks: “see how everything is done with speed, with fervent zeal, with good cheer, with joy and great pleasure!.. He does everything himself and offers it! He did not even deem himself worthy to sit together with them, but, when they ate, he stood before them under the tree. What a greatness of hospitality! What a depth of humility! What an elevation of a soul devoted to God!” And they ate. This is not a phantom or merely allegorical partaking of food, as some interpreters thought (Josephus, Philo, Jonathan, Justin the Philosopher), but an actual and real acceptance of it, similar to how the Lord Jesus Christ partook of food, appearing to the disciples after His resurrection (Luke 24:43) with His transfigured flesh, which even passed through locked doors (John 20:19).

Sarah receives a new revelation about the birth of a son from her and is convicted of the insufficiency of her faith

Genesis 18:9–10. They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you in the spring, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him. Still in the preceding verse the speech was of all three guests of Abraham; now the one who speaks comes forward, and from the 13th verse He is directly called Jehovah (see Gen 18:3). The fact that this wonderful guest of Abraham turned out to be one who knew his wife by name, and even more the fact that He spoke the promise about the birth of a son to her, already well known to Abraham from previous theophanies (Gen 15:4), was bound to open his eyes to the actual nature of this heavenly guest. The fulfillment of the words of the very promise to come the following year at the same time is rightly seen in the fact of the birth of Isaac, in which, obviously, the miraculous hand of God manifested itself, to which the subsequent context of the speech entitles us (Gen 21:1).

Genesis 18:11. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. An introductory remark by the chronicler, serving to explain and justify the subsequent action of Sarah.

Genesis 18:12. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” “Sarah’s laughter,” says Metropolitan Philaret, “is not as innocent as the laughter of Abraham in a similar case (Gen 17:17); but in her defense it can be said that she did not yet recognize Jehovah” (Vlastov). and my lord is old. A beautiful expression of the voluntary submission and obedience in which a loving wife should stand toward her husband. For this high feature of her marital relations, Sarah was deemed worthy to become a model for imitation to Christian women as well (1 Pet 3:6; 1 Cor 11:3).

Genesis 18:13. The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’” For the first time here the foremost guest of Abraham is clearly and distinctly called the Lord, or from the Hebrew—“Jehovah.” He addresses this question to Abraham, since Sarah was not there; but thereby even more clearly is revealed the all-knowing quality of the one speaking, who knew not only Sarah’s action, but also its hidden, internal motives.

Genesis 18:14. Is there anything too hard for the Lord? A beautiful expression of the idea of divine omnipotence, the best parallel to which can be found in the words of the Angel to the Most Holy Virgin Mary, spoken to her at the time of the Annunciation: “nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).

Genesis 18:15. Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. A feeling of some fright or fear, as a painful voice of conscience and the dread of punishment, is a natural consequence of sin (Gen 3:10) in the soul of people who have not yet succeeded in becoming morally hardened and are accessible to repentance. Such sincere repentance of her lack of faith, no doubt, was brought by Sarah as well, for the apostle later finds it possible to praise her for faith in the promise of the birth of a son to her (Heb 11:11).

Genesis 18:16. And the men set out from there, and looked toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to see them off. The second city is not in the Hebrew Bible, but it is in the Greek and Slavonic; the latter reading is more correct, as it is based on the context of the discourse (Gen 18:20). And Abraham walked with them to see them off. To accompany a guest to the boundaries of one’s land—this is the last duty of eastern hospitality, cordially fulfilled in this case by the aged patriarch Abraham. According to Jewish tradition, Abraham accompanied the Lord and the Angels along the way to Sodom to a place called “Kafar-Varukh,” from which one could see the Dead Sea and the surrounding five-cities region along the valley.

God reveals the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

Gen 18:17. Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,”

These words represent an expression, common in the Bible, of a certain thought in human terms; in this case—the thought of such closeness of the righteous one to God which places him in the position of a friend from whom there are no secrets or mysteries. The words “My servant” do not exist in the Hebrew text and have been added from the LXX translation. But Philo and the Apostle James (Jas 2:23) make a certain correction: instead of “My servant,” they have—“My friend,” which more responds to the inner character of those relationships which existed between God and the patriarchs (2 Chr 20:7; Isa 41:8, etc.).

Genesis 18:18–19. Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him. No, for I have chosen him, that he may direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice; and the Lord will bring about for Abraham all that he has promised him. These words of the Lord form a kind of introduction to the subsequent prophecy about the destruction of the wicked cities. In it the Lord repeats and reveals His previous promises to Abraham and his descendants (Gen 12:3), and at the same time points out both the purpose of the election of the Jewish people and the conditions or means to attain it, and consequently, and to receive all the promises on the part of the latter, which consisted in faithfulness to the Most High or in walking in His ways. The positive result of such conduct—is proximity to the Lord (in Hebrew—Jehovah) and the attainment of all the promises; and the negative, which could occur in the case of unfaithfulness to Him and the corruption of Israel,—is the sad fate that awaits the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Genesis 18:20. And the Lord said, “Because the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very grave;” This is the biblical image already known to us, expressing the thought that every violence and injustice committed on earth is not hidden from divine all-knowledge and receives from Him corresponding retribution (Gen 4:10; Exod 3:7; Isa 5:7). Especially often thus is depicted the sin of the oppression of the weak by the strong, joined with bloodshed and murder (Gen 4:10; Deut 24:14-15); the inhabitants of Sodom suffered from this, who were distinguished by extreme moral depravity and haughtily-disdainful treatment of the lower and weaker (Ezek 16:47-56).

Genesis 18:21. I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me; and if not, I will know. These words—are a condescension to our weakness, for the more understandable expression of the thought that the divine judgment is based on the most complete and immediate acquaintance with the very subject of this judgment. (Ps 72:20; Isa 11:3; Prov 18:13; Matt 7:1).

Genesis 18:22. And the men turned from there and went toward Sodom; It was not all three men who went to Sodom, but only the two Angels, as is clearly indicated below (Gen 19:1). while Abraham still stood before the Lord. The third, remaining with Abraham, companion is here directly called the Lord; “to stand before the face of the Lord” in the language of the scripture often means to intercede or pray to the Lord for someone (1 Sam 7:9; Ps 105:23).

Abraham intercedes for the preservation of these cities

Gen 18:23-32.

The entire concluding section of this chapter represents a curious and instructive conversation of God with Abraham, bearing witness both to the great boldness of the righteous one and the extreme graciousness of God.

Genesis 18:23. Then Abraham came near and said, “Will You sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” In Abraham’s very question is heard already the answer to it, an answer that is negative—namely, that the highest divine love and justice will not permit the destruction of His elect.

Genesis 18:24. Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You then sweep away the place and not spare it for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? Having established in the foregoing words the general thought about the highest divine justice, which does not permit unjust destruction of the righteous, Abraham now makes its application to the given particular case, supposing that in the city destined for destruction, Sodom, there would be found a considerable quantity of such righteous ones. He even expresses here the hope that such a quantity of the righteous would, to a certain degree, redeem the transgression of the rest and save them as well from destruction.

Genesis 18:25. Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring the righteous together with the wicked, so that the righteous should fare as the wicked! Far be that from You! Shall the Judge of all the earth not do what is just? This verse represents one of the most important members of the patriarchal religion, containing a solemn confession of faith in God as the almighty Judge of all the universe, judging the world according to the laws of the highest justice, strictly dividing the guilty from the innocent (see Deut 10:17; Job 34:19; Jer 31:29-30; Ezek 18:20; Matt 13:28-29; Rom 2:11; Eph 6:9).

Genesis 18:26. And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” Yielding to Abraham’s request, God promises to show salvation to all the wicked as well for the sake of fifty righteous. Similar thoughts and even examples are not foreign to other places of the Bible (Prov 11:11; Isa 37:35; Matt 5:13, etc.).

Genesis 18:27–28. Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have presumed to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes:” Suppose the fifty righteous lack five, will You destroy the whole city for lack of five? And He said, “I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there.” Encouraged by the success of his first request, Abraham continues his intercession with even greater boldness, though at the same time filled with high humility. Proof of such humility before the greatness of Jehovah is his comparison to dust and ashes, a comparison—full of profound internal significance, in the sense of indicating the beginning (“dust from the earth,” Gen 2:7) and the end (Eccl 12:7) of earthly human existence.

Genesis 18:29. And he spoke to Him again and said, “Suppose there are forty found there?” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” Or, as one can further translate from the Hebrew: “he continued to speak, intensified his request.” In general, all this intercession of Abraham for the inhabitants of Sodom represents an example of fervent, persistent prayer, accompanied, usually, by the desired success, according to the word of the Savior: “ask and you will receive, … knock and the door will be opened” (Matt 7:7; see Luke 11:8-9; Rom 15:30).

Genesis 18:30. Then he said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak. Suppose thirty are found there?” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” Parallel with the intensification of Abraham’s own request, his humility before God increases as well, whose patience he tests; but he tests it not for the sake of empty and idle curiosity, but from high motives of love and compassion toward his neighbors, for which reason the Lord benevolently receives his mediation.

Genesis 18:31. Abraham said, “Behold, I have presumed to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there?” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” The willingness of the Lord increases Abraham’s boldness and he, though with great confusion, decides to lower the figure of the righteous already to two tens.

Genesis 18:32. And he said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak one more time. Suppose ten are found there?” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” This is the highest degree of Abraham’s bold prayer, when he asked the Lord to spare the city only for the sake of ten supposed righteous ones in it, and God by His unspeakable mercy agrees even to such an extreme request of His faithful servant. But the inhabitants of the wicked cities became so steeped in wickedness and depravity that not ten righteous ones were preserved in them: such as is evident from the subsequent context, there were found only three persons—Lot and his two daughters, who were miraculously saved by God from the general destruction (chapter 19).

Genesis 18:33. And the Lord went away, after He had finished speaking to Abraham; Words pointing to the fact that the theophany had ended and the vision of Jehovah disappeared. and Abraham returned to his place. That is, he returned from the valley of Kafar-Varukh, the place of the theophany, to the oak grove of Mamre, near Hebron, which served as his place of chief residence.

Chapter Nineteen

Lot shows hospitality to two Angels at the risk of his own life

Genesis 19:1. And those two Angels came to Sodom in the evening, This chapter’s account is a direct continuation of the preceding one: those two Angels or men, who, after the midday meal at Abraham’s, went to Sodom (Gen 18:1-22), now, toward evening of that same day, reached the goal of their journey, namely, they approached the gates of Sodom. when Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. The gates of a city, according to the custom of the ancient East, were the same as the “agora” among the Greeks or the “forum” among the Romans—that is, a public meeting place and promenade for the city’s inhabitants, and also the center of all judicial and commercial affairs (Gen 23:10; Deut 21:19; Ruth 4:1-2; Prov 31:23 and others). Lot saw, and rose to meet them and bowed down to the ground

Genesis 19:2–3. and said: my lords! come into your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet, and in the morning rise and go on your way. But they said: no, we will spend the night on the street. But he urged them greatly; and they turned toward him and entered his house. He made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. Lot’s conduct toward the two passing strangers is depicted here with much the same characteristics as Abraham’s hospitality in the preceding chapter (Gen 18:2-8). From this it is evident that the nephew inherited from his uncle in high measure a love of strangers and hospitality, for which he is praised and set as an example for our imitation even by the Apostle Paul (Heb 13:2).

The wicked men of Sodom are struck with blindness

Genesis 19:4. Before they had lain down to sleep, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, from young to old, all the people from every part of the city, surrounded the house News of the arrival of two young, handsome youths at Lot’s house (in the form of such youths Angels commonly appeared, Mark 16:5; cf. 1 Sam 29:9 and others) spread through the city, and behold, its inhabitants, moved partly by idle curiosity but even more by criminal intentions (Gen 19:5), gathered from different parts of the city, without regard to age or station, to Lot’s house.

Genesis 19:5. and they called to Lot and said to him: where are the men who came to you tonight? bring them out to us; we will know them. From these words it is clear that the behavior of the gathered Sodomites was threatening: it threatened both Lot himself—with a violation of his sacred duty of hospitality—and even more his guests—with an affront to their honor. The nature of the latter is expressly indicated by the words standing here: “we will know them,” which in the Bible have a very definite, specific sense (Gen 4:1 and others), expressing the thought of a sexual act. The whole weight of the Sodomites’ criminal behavior consisted in the abnormality and depravity of their sexual feeling, which produced the unnatural vices of child abuse and sodomy, which later received the technical name “sin of Sodom.” The widespread practice of all these monstrous crimes among the impious Canaanites and especially among the depraved Sodomites is attested by a whole series of biblical passages (Lev 18:22; Isa 3:9; 2 Pet 2:6-8; Jude 1:7 and others). Therefore it was quite natural that Lot’s guests, distinguished by youth and beauty, could arouse the lustful desires of the Sodomites with particular force.

Genesis 19:6. Lot went out to them to the entrance, and shut the door behind himself, At the risk of his own life, Lot goes out to this brutalized crowd and first attempts with kindness, then even with self-sacrifice, to turn it from its criminal intent.

Genesis 19:7. and said [to them]: my brothers, do not act wickedly; By addressing them with such a brotherly greeting, Lot hoped to awaken better feelings in them and appeal to their reason; but this was in vain, for, when the dominion of unrestrained base instincts prevailed, all higher and noble feelings were already dead in the Sodomites.

Genesis 19:8. behold, I have two daughters who have not known a man; let me, I beg you, bring them out to you, and do to them as is good in your eyes, only to these men do nothing, because they have come under the protection of my roof. Seeing the futility of his exhortation, Lot decides on an extreme measure; for the sake of preserving the honor of his guests, he is ready to sacrifice the honor of his unmarried daughters, although already betrothed (Gen 19:14). Blessed Augustine reproaches Lot for such an offer, but Holy John Chrysostom and most other commentators see in it an act of self-sacrifice, or at least the better way out of his extremely difficult position; “of two evils (the affront to his guests or the loss of his daughters’ honor) he chooses the lesser,” as Holy Ambrose of Milan says.

Genesis 19:9. But they said [to him]: stand back. And they said: this one came as a sojourner, and now he judges? we will deal worse with you than with them. The manner of life and conduct of a righteous man living in the society of hardened sinners is a silent but nonetheless very eloquent condemnation of the latter. Lot was in just such a position, living among the Sodomites and daily tormented by witnessing their lawlessness, as the Apostle Peter says (2 Pet 2:8). Seeing in him a man of entirely different disposition, the Sodomites harbored hostile feelings toward him even before (2 Pet 2:7). Now, when Lot dared to come forward with an exhortation and hinder their vile intent, the Sodomites’ indignation against him increases so greatly that it threatens his life. And they pressed hard against Lot, this man, and drew near to break down the door. That is, they had already begun to carry out their threats.

Genesis 19:10. Then the men put out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door [of the house]; In reward for his magnanimous defense of their honor, Lot’s heavenly guests now save him in a critical moment; by this miracle they for the first time revealed to Lot their true nature.

Genesis 19:11. and the men at the door of the house they struck with blindness, from the smallest to the greatest, so that they grew weary searching for the door. According to the opinion of most exegetes, the punishment inflicted on the mad Sodomites was not simple physical blindness or a complete loss of sight, but consisted of blindness of mind and external senses—that is, a certain disorder of sensation and imagination that prevented them from distinguishing and recognizing objects, similar to the stroke of analogous blindness on the Syrian army at the prayers of the prophet Elisha (2 Sam 6:15-20) or the blindness of Saul (Acts 9:8-9) and the sorcerer Elymas (Acts 13:11).

Lot is led by the Angels out of Sodom and escapes by flight to Zoar

Genesis 19:12. The men said to Lot: have you anyone else here? sons-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whoever you have in the city—bring them out of this place, In reward for the great hospitality shown by Lot and in remembrance of Abraham’s intercession (Gen 18:23-32; cf. Gen 19:29), the Lord shows special mercy toward Lot’s household, promising salvation for all its members, whoever Lot might take with him.

Genesis 19:13. because we are about to destroy this place, for the outcry against its inhabitants has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it. The cries of the wretched, violated, and oppressed by the Sodomites, who found no just judgment on earth, reached the heavens and there found themselves a righteous Judge and proper Requiter (Gen 4:10). And since the inhabitants of Sodom proved their complete impenitence, so that the continuation of their lives would only increase their guilt, the righteous God decides to put an end to such existence, just as He once did to all the antediluvian humanity (Gen 6:5-7).

Genesis 19:14. And Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said: up, get out of this place; for the Lord is about to destroy the city. But to his sons-in-law it seemed that he was joking. A certain perplexity arises here from the fact that Lot already had sons-in-law, whereas it was said above that his two daughters had not known men (Gen 19:8). This is usually resolved by saying that Lot’s daughters were already betrothed and were, so to speak, on the eve of marriage itself, so that Lot in this sense could have called their bridegrooms his sons-in-law in advance. It is evident that even these betrothed sons-in-law of Lot were true Sodomites not only in flesh but in spirit, for they treated Lot’s proposal with disbelief and mockery (Luke 17:28-36).

Genesis 19:15–16. When morning broke, the Angels urged Lot, saying: arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, that you may not be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And as he hesitated, the men [Angels], by the Lord’s mercy toward him, took hold of his hand, and the hand of his wife, and the hands of his two daughters, and brought him out, and set him outside the city. “It seems the incredulous smile of the sons-in-law had some effect on the weak character of Lot, and he himself began to hesitate about leaving the city, regretting, probably, his possessions and not fully confident in the Angels’ prediction. Therefore, the Angels, ‘by the Lord’s mercy,’ brought him out by force” (Vlastov). It is also remarkable that here for the first time the two men are definitively called Angels (Gen 19:15).

Genesis 19:17. When they had brought them out, one of them said: On the basis of all the subsequent context (Gen 19:18), in this one Angel who authoritatively conducts all further discourse with Lot, most commentators rightly discern the very same “Angel of Jehovah” who was the main actor in the preceding chapter (18). save your own life; “Soul” here is used as a synonym for “life,” as its basic essence. do not look back, and do not stop anywhere in this region; flee to the mountains, that you may not be swept away. The immediate sense of such a prohibition was to hasten Lot’s flight, for any lingering and stopping threatened him with destruction, while the deeper, moral sense lay in the fact that such a parting look at the city he left would testify to his sympathy and regret for that city, which, in the face of the heavenly punishment falling upon it, would be equivalent to indirect blame of God Himself for the harshness of His judgment. Finally, any turning back is disapproved because it witnesses to a lack in man of firmness of character and strength of will and a certain culpable irresolution in following the once chosen path (Matt 24:18; Phil 3:13-14 and others).

Genesis 19:18–19. But Lot said to them: no, Lord! behold, your servant has found favor in your eyes, and great is your mercy, which you have shown me in saving my life; but I cannot flee to the mountains, lest disaster overtake me and I die; The place of deliverance for Lot and his family was appointed to be the mountains—most probably the Moabite mountains surrounding from the east the Jordan valley. But here too he displays a lack of courage and weakness of will, tempting divine mercy with his fainthearted request.

Genesis 19:20. behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is small; let me flee there—is it not a small city?—so that my life may be saved [for your sake]. Seized by fainthearted despair, Lot thinks he will not succeed in reaching such a distant point as the Moabite mountains, and begs the Lord to allow him to take refuge halfway there, in a small town, which received the name Zoar in memory of this event (Gen 19:22). Lot twice points out the special insignificance of this town, on the one hand so that all the more easily he might bend the Lord to his request, and on the other to show that in it, as in a small town, there was not the terrible depravity that ruled in the great cities, and that for this reason it might sooner be spared from destruction.

Genesis 19:22. Hurry, escape there, for I cannot act until you arrive there. Therefore the name of the city is called Zoar. Condescending to the request of Lot, though weak in will yet pure in soul, the Lord not only spares the small town of Zoar for his sake, but also delays the punishment of the other cities until Lot’s arrival at Zoar. The name of this city from Hebrew, the more precise form is “Tsoar,” means literally “small, little”; thus its cause for renaming is indicated: namely, Lot’s insistent pointing out of its insignificance (Gen 19:20). Before this the town bore the name “Bela” (Gen 14:2). Most learned Palestinian geographers suppose that this small town lay at the southernmost point of the Jordan valley (Gen 13:10; Deut 34:3), an hour’s journey to the southeast of the Dead Sea, in the region now called Shirbat es-Safia. Traces of its existence are found from the Roman period—Ζόαρα in Stephanus of Byzantium—and from the time of the Crusades (“Sogar” or “Tsogar,” from which the Dead Sea itself is still called the “Sea of Tsogar”).

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

Genesis 19:24–25. Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of the sky, and overthrew those cities, and all the region, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and the vegetation of the ground. Here, first of all, one is struck by a certain awkwardness of expression: “and the Lord rained… from the Lord.” According to the explanation of the Fathers and Teachers of the Church (Ignatius the God-bearer, John Chrysostom, Justin the Philosopher, Athanasius of Alexandria, Cyprian, Tertullian, and others), here a distinct indication is given of two persons of the Holy Trinity: God the Father and God the Son. The Son of God or the Angel of the Lord (the Angel of Jehovah), who is the Logos, appeared on earth and acted in the name of God the Father, who, according to the word of Holy Scripture, does not himself judge the world, but has given all such judgment to the Son (John 5:22-23; 2 Thess 2:8; Rev 1:16). An analogous case we have in the second epistle of the Apostle Paul to Timothy, where the Apostle prays for the slave Onesiphorus, that “the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day” (2 Tim 1:18). As for the character of the catastrophe itself, which fell on the four cities of the Pentapolis (Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim) (Deut 29:23; Hos 11:8), based on the data of the text itself (“sulfur and fire from the sky”), and taking into account the biblical parallels relating to it (Deut 29:23; Jer 49:18; 2 Pet 2:6), the testimony of Josephus, and the researches of recent scholars, one may suppose that it was of a twofold kind: it began with a terrible volcanic eruption accompanied by fires from the bituminous swamps and springs that covered the Siddim valley in abundance (Gen 14:10); and it ended with the inundation of the entire valley by the neighboring salt lake, which occurred because of a severe depression of the earth caused by the volcanic eruption. Thus God often uses natural phenomena to reveal His supreme will. Remarkably, the sea formed in place of the once-flourishing Jordan valley of Siddim and ordinarily known among us by the name “Dead Sea,” nowhere in Holy Scripture bears such an epithet, but is called either the Sea of the Plain (Deut 3:17) or the Salt Sea (Gen 14:3; Num 34:3); both these latter names fully justify the above supposition concerning the nature of the heavenly punishment that fell on the impious cities. Finally, the scientific researches of recent Palestinian geographers also speak in favor of the same supposition, for by their calculations the difference in depth between the northern (ancient) and southern (later formed) parts of the Salt Sea is strikingly apparent, as it reaches almost eight hundred feet, and involuntarily leads one to suppose a different origin in time. To this should be added that on the southern shore of the sea from time to time large asphalt blocks, obviously of volcanic origin, are found cast up from the sea floor.

Lot’s wife turns into a pillar of salt

Genesis 19:26. But Lot’s wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. That the punishment of Lot’s wife for disobedience to the Angels’ command (Gen 19:17), which expressed her sympathy for the wicked, was not an allegory, as some thought, but an actual, historical fact, is attested by the author of the Book of Wisdom of Solomon (Wis 10:7-8) and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (Luke 17:32). It is supposed that at the very moment when Lot’s wife stopped to look back at the city, she was seized by a destructive volcanic whirlwind which not only instantly killed her in the same position but also covered her with a kind of asphalt crust; with the passage of time this petrified form took on a whole series of salt deposits from the salt sea formed here and in this way over time turned into a great salt block or pillar of salt. Josephus cites a tradition according to which one of the salt pillars near the Dead Sea was pointed out as the remains of Lot’s wife (Jewish Antiquities 1, 11, 4), and the modern Arabs still call by this name a salt pillar about forty feet high, to the east of the place called “Usdum,” which echoes the biblical “Sodom.”

Genesis 19:27–28. And Abraham rose early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before the Lord, and looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and behold, he saw the smoke of the land rising like the smoke of a furnace. By this remark the historian connects this entire account most closely to Abraham’s preceding intercession for the salvation of the righteous in these wicked cities (Gen 18:22-32). At the same time, it once again confirms our supposition of the terrible earthquake and fire which were the fate of the cities condemned to destruction.

Genesis 19:29. And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived. These words explain much both concerning the persistence of Abraham’s intercession for the salvation of the Sodomites even for the sake of ten righteous people (a number to which the number of Lot’s family members perhaps approximated), and also concerning the special favor and mercy of God toward Lot, despite his certain wavering and fainthearted doubt. At the same time, this fact is eloquent testimony to how “much the earnest prayer of a righteous person avails” (Jas 5:16).

Lot lives in a cave

Genesis 19:30. And Lot went up out of Zoar, and stayed in the mountains, he and his two daughters with him; for he feared to stay in Zoar. And he lived in a cave with his two daughters. Despite the permission given to Lot by God to live in Zoar (Gen 19:21-22), he once more displays his fainthearted nature: he flees from it and hides in the mountains, probably in those very Moabite mountains which were originally appointed by God Himself as a reliable refuge (Gen 19:17).

The origin of the Moabites and Ammonites

Genesis 19:31–36. And the firstborn said to the younger: our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth; so let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring through our father. So they made their father drink wine that night; and the firstborn went and lay with her father; and he did not know when she lay down or when she rose. The next day, the firstborn said to the younger: behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink wine again tonight; and you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve offspring through our father. So they made their father drink wine that night also; and the younger rose and lay with him; and he did not know when she lay down or when she rose. Thus both daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. The concluding section of the chapter under examination contains a sad history of Lot’s fall. Lot, who all his life had been a living rebuke to the Sodomites by the purity of his morals (2 Pet 2:7), at the end of his life himself, in a certain sense, became like them, entering into a criminal union with his daughters. Such unnatural unions were rarely practiced even among the heathen (1 Cor 5:1), and in the law of Moses they were directly punishable by death (Lev 18:6-7; Deut 27:22). It is not surprising that many exegetes find all this narrative extremely shocking and improbable. But a more thoughtful analysis of the text and consideration of all the attendant circumstances greatly clarify the matter. As for Lot himself, the greater half of his guilt, like that of Noah once before (Gen 9:21), is removed by the fact that his criminal deed was committed in a state of intoxication and without any awareness of its significance, as the biblical text clearly emphasizes twice (the endings of verses 32 and 35). It is much harder, of course, to justify the behavior of Lot’s daughters, from which a deliberate intention and a cunning plan are clearly seen. But here too one can point to a whole series of circumstances mitigating their guilt: first, their action, as is clearly evident from the text, was motivated not by lust but by the praiseworthy intention to restore the dying seed of their father (Gen 19:32); second, they resorted to this means as the only way out in their situation, as according to the text’s testimony they were convinced that, apart from their father, they had no other man from whom they could obtain offspring (Gen 19:31). Such a false conviction formed in them either because they thought all the rest of mankind had perished, or, more likely, because no one wished to have relations with them as refugees from cities cursed by God. Finally, the explanation and thus some exculpation for the actions of Lot’s daughters lies in the conditions of all their preceding life in the society of the depraved Sodomites and under the immediate influence of their mother, who was not far removed from her fellow citizens.

Genesis 19:37–38. And the firstborn bore a son, and called his name Moab [saying: he is from my father]. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. And the younger also bore a son, and called his name Ben-Ammi [saying: he is the son of my kinship]. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day. Because of their mutual kinship, the Moabites and Ammonites frequently appear together in the Bible. As children of sin and lawlessness, they appear in the Bible as the object of curse and abhorrence (Deut 23:3; 1 Sam 11:6-7; Isa 16:12-14; 1 Chr 20:3), but as being akin by blood to the chosen Hebrew people, they are in the end destined to obtain forgiveness and salvation (Jer 48:47).

Chapter Twenty

Abraham and Sarah settle in Gerar

Genesis 20:1. And Abraham journeyed from there toward the south When dwelling in the Mamre valley became inconvenient, probably because of the heavy, suffocating gases emanating from the neighboring Siddim basin after the terrible catastrophe that befell it (chapter 19), the patriarch Abraham, with all his herds, moves up from it and travels toward the “south,” or, as expressed in the Hebrew text, to the land of “Negev,” as the southern, steppe region of Palestine was called. and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur; Kadesh, later renamed Mishpat, lay in the southeast corner of Syria and was one of the final points of Chedorlaomer’s expedition (Gen 14:7; Num 34:4). The wilderness of Shur was situated almost opposite, in the southwest corner, and is now called Jifar. These were evidently the boundaries of the land of Negev. and sojourned in Gerar. Gerar, together with Gaza, formed the southern boundary of Canaanite territory (Gen 10:19) and served as the capital of the Philistines (Gen 26:1). It was situated twenty-five miles from the city of Eleuthereopolis, three hours northeast of Gaza, at the site of the modern ruins of Umm el-Gerár and Kirbat el-Gerár.

Abimelech, king of Gerar, takes Sarah into his house

Genesis 20:2. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife: she is my sister. [For he feared to say, “She is my wife,” thinking “lest the men of the place should kill me for her sake.”] This agreement, as we know, had been made by Abraham with Sarah even before leaving Ur of the Chaldeans, was repeated once in Egypt, and is now repeated again (Gen 12:11). The words of this verse, standing in brackets, are not found in the Hebrew Bible; but their appropriateness in the Greek and Slavonic Bibles is justified by the preceding context (Gen 12:11-12). And Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent and took Sarah. The name “Abimelech” is of Semitic origin and literally means “my father, king” or “king-father.” It served as a common title of the Philistine kings, much as “pharaoh” did for the Egyptians, “padshah” for the ancient Persians and modern Turks, and so on. It seems strange what could have attracted Abimelech in a ninety-year-old Sarah (Gen 17:17). To this it is suggested that either Sarah, having received from God the power to bear children, also received the physical strength necessary for this, and consequently, so to speak, bloomed again anew (John Chrysostom and others), or that Abimelech thus wished to begin a friendship and alliance with her supposed brother, the wealthy and mighty patriarch Abraham.

God appears to Abimelech in a dream and threatens him with death for this

Genesis 20:3. And God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night Protecting the purity of the future mother of the promised son, God appears to Abimelech and instructs him. He is named here “Elohim,” that is, the very name by which He was dimly known even among the pagan Semites, though mixed with various errors. The appearance of the Creator at night and in a dream was a customary form of His revelation to the heathen, for example, to the Pharaoh (Gen 41:1) or to Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 4:5). and said to him: behold, you will die because of the woman whom you have taken, for she has a husband. Based on the subsequent context (Gen 20:17), one can suppose that Abimelech at that time was gravely ill, and therefore such a threat was particularly effective.

Genesis 20:4. But Abimelech had not approached her; and he said: Lord! will You slay a nation that is [not knowing this] and innocent? In this case, both this very address to God (“Adonai”) and the confession of His Justice, which recalls similar words of Abraham (Gen 18:23-25), give clear evidence that traces of true knowledge of God had not entirely disappeared from the memory of the best representatives of the Canaanite peoples, one of whom in this case is the Abimelech of Gerar.

Genesis 20:5. Did not he himself say to me, “She is my sister”? And she herself said, “He is my brother.” I did this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands. In justifying his action, Abimelech says that he did it not through an abuse of the right of the strong, but through ignorance, being deceived; in reality, neither in the internal (integrity of heart) nor in the external (innocence of hands) sense did his action contain anything criminal. Thus Abimelech reasoned from the perspective of his Canaanite morality, where the taking of an unmarried woman into the king’s harem was considered an honor, not a shame for her.

Genesis 20:6. And God said to him in the dream: yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me; therefore I did not let you touch her; The content of this verse contains a whole series of profound truths: first, it reveals divine omniscience, which penetrates the depths of our thoughts and feelings; second, it unfolds that exalted property of Divine Justice by which it judges and evaluates people’s actions not by external facts but by their inner motives and the moral disposition of the guilty; finally, from this also flows the conception of God as the supreme protector of the sanctity and purity of the marriage union.

Genesis 20:7. Now therefore return the woman; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, that you may live; Here in the Hebrew original the term “nabi” is used for the first time, serving as the technical designation of a special ministry in the Old Testament. Based on the testimony of the Book of Kings (1 Sam 9:9), some say that this term is of comparatively later origin, to which the term “roeh” (seer) preceded in the period of the judges; from this some conclude that even all the Pentateuch is a work of a later era. But a deeper analysis of the Pentateuch and a more complete history of the term “nabi” testify to the opposite. It is certain that the term “nabi” is of very ancient, pre-Mosaic origin; but initially it had no technical sense, but corresponding to the meaning of its root (“naba”—to speak), it indicated a man with whom God spoke or who himself spoke with God, in general—who stood in closer, more immediate relations with Him, proclaimed His will and interceded before Him for others (Exod 7:1; Num 11:29; Deut 13:1; Judg 6:8; 1 Sam 9:9; 1 Sam 22:7 and others). Over time, such people received the special name “roeh”—seers or those who see, from the more tangible property of theirs—to foretell the future; this was predominantly in the period of the judges. But in the period of kings, when the Pentateuch began to be carefully studied, the ancient name of prophets—“nabi”—was restored again, as more fully expressing the idea of their mediatorial service between God and people.

Genesis 20:8–9. So Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told them all these things; and the men were very much afraid. And Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him: what have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done to me things that ought not to be done. All this solemnity and publicity of the investigation of the matter testifies to its extreme importance in Abimelech’s eyes and to his high sense of justice.

Genesis 20:10. And Abimelech said to Abraham: what were you thinking of that you did this thing? By what motives were you guided in placing us in such a deception, which could have cost us our lives, or, at least, threatened us with the loss of offspring?

Genesis 20:11–12. Abraham said: I thought, there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife; moreover, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife; Abraham justified his behavior, first, by the sense of self-preservation, which suggested to him this means out of fear that the impious Philistines might kill him in order to possess his wife; second, by reference to the fact that Sarah is indeed his sister, only not a full sister but a half-sister.

Genesis 20:13. And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her: this is the kindness that you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.” Abraham’s third justification is the voluntary agreement he made with Sarah even before leaving Ur of the Chaldeans, and consequently not aimed at the person of Abimelech. Remarkable here is Abraham’s profoundly religious view of all his wandering life as direct guidance by God.

Abimelech returns Sarah

Genesis 20:14. Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male and female slaves, and gave them to Abraham; and he returned to him Sarah, his wife. Just as the Egyptian Pharaoh once rewarded Abraham in return for the attempt on his wife (Gen 12:20), so too, in expiation of his unintentional guilt, Abimelech of Gerar acted now. The chronicler’s remark about a thousand shekels was evidently inserted from the context (Gen 20:16) by the Seventy.

Genesis 20:15. And Abimelech said [to Abraham]: behold, my land is before you; dwell wherever it pleases you. Whereas the Egyptian Pharaoh, once in a similar situation, hastened to remove Abraham as quickly as possible, Abimelech, by contrast, now tries to keep Abraham in his country and establish a friendly alliance with him; from this one may conclude that quite different motives guided them in their preceding action—the taking of Sarah.

Genesis 20:16. And to Sarah he said: behold, I have given your brother a thousand shekels of silver; it is for you a covering of the eyes before all who are with you; and before all you are vindicated. Such a sum appears twice more in the Bible (2 Sam 18:12; Isa 7:23); reckoning each shekel at eighty kopecks, it equaled more than eight hundred rubles in silver. As for the covering given by Abimelech to Sarah as a witness to her innocence, the meaning of this gift is not sufficiently clear to us: most likely it was based on some local custom unknown to us, and in any case it achieved its purpose.

Abimelech is healed by Abraham’s prayer

Genesis 20:17. Then Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children; Here is another example of the power and effectiveness of the righteous person’s prayer (Gen 19:29; cf. Jas 5:20).

Genesis 20:18. for the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, the wife of Abraham. Barrenness in Holy Scripture is considered a punishment for sin (Gen 16:2; Exod 23:26; Deut 7:14; Lev 20:20; Isa 66:9 and others); it was chosen as the most painful punishment for the child-loving Philistines.

Chapter Twenty-One

The Birth of Isaac

Genesis 21:1. And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. Evidently the historian marks here the fulfillment of the divine promise to visit Sarah, given exactly one year before (Gen 18:14); consequently, by God’s visitation he understands the very birth of Isaac; analogies to this exist also in other places of Scripture (1 Sam 2:21). Similarly, the verb “did” more clearly indicates the extraordinary and miraculous character of Isaac’s birth from the deadened womb of ninety-year-old Sarah (Gal 4:28).

Genesis 21:2. And Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. A remark of the biblical narrator that restores the connection of events (Gen 17:21).

The Circumcision of Isaac

Genesis 21:3–4. And Abraham named his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac on the eighth day, as God had commanded him. In both these actions Abraham demonstrated his complete obedience to God and readiness to fulfill His holy will (Gen 17:12). On this basis, one can also suppose that from this time the practice was established of naming a newborn male child on the eighth day—on the day of his circumcision, which served as a symbol of his inclusion in the community of the chosen people (Luke 1:59; Acts 7:8).

Genesis 21:5. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. In view of the extraordinary importance of this event, the historian notes its date.

Genesis 21:6. And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh; everyone who hears of me will laugh with me.” Here again the Slavonic Bible gives a more successful translation: “God has made me laugh; whoever hears of me will rejoice with me.” This translation would be even better and more precise if the word “laugh” were replaced by a more suitable synonym here—“joy.” In this form Sarah’s exclamation becomes entirely natural and intelligible and comes very close to similar exclamations of the righteous Elizabeth and the Holy Virgin Mary (Luke 1:25).

Genesis 21:7. And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne a son in his old age.” Here is the reason for that high joy which Sarah cannot contain and which pours forth from her in a whole series of jubilant exclamations.

Genesis 21:8. And the child grew and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. Nursing infants in the ancient East lasted very long, reaching, according to the testimony of Jerome, up to five years and usually continuing no less than three, as can be seen from various passages of Sacred Scripture (1 Sam 1:22; 2 Macc 7:27). Jewish rabbis and the Quran even today prescribe not to end it before two years. The completion of this period was celebrated with a solemn family feast, in which the child himself could now take some part.

The Expulsion of Hagar

Genesis 21:9. And Sarah saw that the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, was mocking [her son, Isaac], The LXX, Vulgate, and our Slavonic Bible have here a slight variant: “And Sarah saw the son of Hagar playing with her son Isaac.” The reason for this difference is the different translation of the main word of this entire phrase, namely the Hebrew verb mezachek, which, deriving from the same root as the name “Isaac,” allows various translations: to laugh, to rejoice, to play, to make merry. That this laughter was not always innocent, but sometimes contained a note of irony or mockery, is evident from the example of Lot’s sons-in-law (Gen 19:14). From the many ancient and modern explanations of how one should understand such an rather indefinite designation of Ishmael’s behavior toward Isaac, we note two: one belonging to the Apostle Paul and indicating that the older brother persecuted or harassed the younger (Gal 4:28-31), and another based on the analysis of the root meaning of the word “laughed” (mezachek—Itzhak, Isaac), which sees here a peculiar play on words, having the sense that Ishmael was playing at being Isaac, that is, behaving not as the son of a slave but as the son of a mistress and future rightful master, subjugating Isaac to himself and exercising a bad influence on the development and education of his character.

Genesis 21:10. And she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman and her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.” The contemptuous and haughty behavior of Hagar with Ishmael toward Sarah with Isaac, perhaps especially strongly expressed itself in some outburst at the aforementioned family feast (Gen 21:8) and prompted Sarah to take more decisive measures against this. Guided in her decision by a special divine inspiration (see further verses 12), she authoritatively demands that Abraham remove this slave woman and her son, motivating her demand by the argument that in vain do Hagar and Ishmael cherish dreams of primacy and inheritance—they shall have nothing of the sort and will not receive it, for all this belongs solely to their legitimate heir, the son of the promise—Isaac.

Genesis 21:11–12. And this matter was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; listen to Sarah in all that she says to you, Probably Abraham, hearing such a decisive request from Sarah, not only was distressed, as the biblical text says, but also was puzzled whether to obey it, in view of the earlier divine blessing given to Ishmael (Gen 17:20). For this reason God now assures him of the legitimate justice of Sarah’s request. for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. “It is not the children of the flesh that are children of God, but the children of the promise are reckoned as offspring” (Rom 9:8), as the Apostle Paul clarifies this thought. From this it is clear that the firstborn in flesh and the sole offspring in spirit will be that which shall come from the God-given son—Isaac. Throughout this entire history the Apostle Paul sees a prefiguration of the two Covenants—the Old, which he compares to Hagar, and the New, which he compares to Isaac (Gal 4:25-31). Just as once Hagar with Ishmael, though they preceded Isaac in fleshly birth, had to yield to him their rights, so also the Old Covenant with the coming of the New, like a shadow before the sun, had to yield it its place.

Genesis 21:13. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring. Comforting Abraham in this separation, which was nonetheless difficult for him, God assures him that by this new commandment He in no way repeals His earlier promise concerning Ishmael (Gen 17:20).

Genesis 21:14. So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder along with the child, and sent her away. Having now received a special revelation from God, Abraham hastens to fulfill it. As for the picture of Hagar’s outfitting itself, it is full of artistic realism and stands in complete agreement with ancient eastern customs, as we know them from ancient Egyptian and Assyro-Babylonian monuments, as well as from the testimony of Herodotus. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. As in the first time (Gen 16:6), Hagar now, evidently, was heading by way to her native country—Egypt; but soon she lost her way and wandered about near the place which later was named Beersheba (Gen 21:31) and which lay 12 miles to the southwest of Hebron.

Genesis 21:15. And the water in the skin was exhausted, and she cast the child under one of the bushes. The lack of water is the most severe deprivation for a traveler in the hot wilderness, and therefore it is easy to imagine all the horror of Hagar, finding herself in such a situation with Ishmael. The latter, although at that time he had from 17 to 19 years of age (Gen 17:25), yet, as one unaccustomed in the house of rich Abraham to any privations, felt the tormenting thirst more quickly and acutely, so much so that he was no longer able to continue his journey and was placed by his compassionate mother in the pitiful shade of a prickly desert shrub.

Genesis 21:16. And she went and sat down opposite him at a distance of about a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. Weakened by thirst, the young Ishmael was suffering greatly, and his mother, deprived of any means to help him, resolved it was better to withdraw so as not to witness these soul-rending sufferings. Moving away from him at the distance of an arrow shot from a bow, Hagar began to pour out her hopeless grief in a loud wail.

The Angel’s Appearance to Her in the Wilderness

Genesis 21:17. And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; In a moment of such complete despair, Hagar suddenly hears an encouraging voice coming from heaven from the Angel of God. In the opinion of most interpreters, this Angel of God, called in the original “Malak-Elohim,” is the same person as the Malak-Yehova, that is, the Angel of the Lord, under whom, as we have seen above, one understands most closely the Second Hypostasis of the Holy Trinity, or the Son of God (see Gen 16:9 and others). God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. God heard the innocent sufferings of the boy and sends him deliverance or, as some think, God heard the prayer of the boy directed to Him and fulfills his request.

Genesis 21:18. Arise, lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand; for I will make a great nation of him. The first half of this phrase serves as a beautiful complement to the picture of Hagar’s journey itself with Ishmael (showing that she led him by the hand, not carried him on her shoulders, as some wrongly concluded on the basis of verse 14), and the second provides the best comfort to the mother for the fate of her son (Gen 21:13).

Genesis 21:19. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. God opened Hagar’s eyes; that is, drew her attention to what she had not noticed before (Gen 3:5-7; 2 Sam 6:17; Luke 24:16), either because she was in a distressed state, or because the well itself was somehow covered to prevent it from being choked up with desert sand.

Genesis 21:20. And God was with the boy as he grew up. This frequently occurring expression in the Bible indicates the special providential activity of God directed toward the fulfillment of His promises (Gen 28:15 and others). He lived in the wilderness and became an archer. An indication of the wild and warlike character of the ancestor of the future Bedouins and at the same time of the fulfillment of the divine prediction about this (Gen 16:10-12).

Genesis 21:21. He settled in the wilderness of Paran. This was the name of a mountainous region separating Edom from Egypt and deriving its name from the many caves found in it (Gen 14:6; Num 13:4; Deut 1:1; 1 Sam 25:1). The modern name of this wilderness is El-Tih. And his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt. Here is one of the typical examples of how high in biblical antiquity stood the authority of parental power in marriage matters (see Gen 27:46).

Abraham and Abimelech Make a Covenant near Beersheba

Genesis 21:22. At that time Abimelech, and Phicol the commander of his army, said to Abraham, The name Ahuzzath, the king’s confidant, is not found in any text except the LXX and the Slavonic; but it appears in another similar case (Gen 26:26). But the epithet νυμφάγωγος, “confidant,” applied to Ahuzzath, apparently represents an incorrect translation of the Hebrew term “mersa,” meaning “friend, trusted person, counselor, standing at the side” (1 Sam 4:5; 1 Chr 27:33). Evidently, Abimelech, entering into an important alliance with Abraham, brought with him for this purpose two of his chief officials. “God is with you in all that you do.” A conviction formed on the basis of the incident with Sarah (chapter 20), the miraculous birth of Isaac, and Abraham’s general prosperity. It is also remarkable here that Abimelech professes faith in Elohim, the true God of the universe.

Genesis 21:23. Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me The verb “to swear,” in Hebrew shaba, derives from the numeral sheba—“seven” and thereby on the one hand points to the sacred character of that number, and on the other either indicates the presence of seven victims (Gen 21:28) or the presence of seven witnesses at the conclusion of the sworn covenant. or with my descendants; as I have dealt kindly with you, so you shall deal with me and with the land where you have resided as an alien.” The Slavonic text has a minor variant: “deal not falsely with me, nor with my seed, nor with my name,” the sense of which is the same as the preceding expression, that is, an indication of family or descendants (Job 18:19; Isa 14:22).

Genesis 21:24. And Abraham said, “I swear it.” Abraham solemnly promised to fulfill this request; but in time we see that the land of the Philistines is given as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel (Josh 13:1-2); in all likelihood, by that time the independent existence of the Gerar kingdom had already ceased, so the covenant lost all its significance.

Genesis 21:25–26. Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech’s servants had seized. And Abimelech said, “I do not know who did this; you did not tell me, and I heard of it only today.” A dispute over a watering place was one of the chief sources of displeasure and enmity among the nomadic, pastoral tribes of ancient Syria and Palestine (Gen 26:20; Exod 2:16-17), and often it was carried on only among slaves, without the knowledge of their masters (Gen 13:7).

Genesis 21:30. And Abraham said, “Take these seven ewes from my hand, that you may be a witness for me that I dug this well.” “We have before us a curious monument of the strengthening of covenants before writing yet existed. Words, pronounced though in the presence of witnesses, are not considered sufficient; passing from mouth to mouth, and even being handed down to another generation, their meaning can be distorted. It is necessary to strengthen the covenant by an action which would remain in memory” (Vlastov).

Genesis 21:31. Therefore that place was called Beersheba; because there both of them swore an oath. Or, in Hebrew: “Beer-Sheba,” which means “well of the oath” or well of seven (see note on verse 23). It was located 12 miles south of Hebron, on Wadi es-Seba and was held in deep veneration (Gen 26:33; Judg 20:1; 2 Sam 24:7; 2 Sam 23:8).

Genesis 21:33. Abraham planted a tree at Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. This planting by Abraham is understood differently: the Slavonic translation, following the LXX, reads “a field,” the Vulgate—nemus, others—an oak or oak grove; but most scholars see here an indication of the local plant “tamarisk” from the class of shrubs, which by its evergreen appearance best symbolized the idea of divine eternity, which Abraham professes here.

Genesis 21:34. Abraham resided in the land of the Philistines for a long time. That is, with the rights of a temporary owner, or tenant, and not as a full proprietor (Acts 7:5).

Chapter Twenty-Two

God gives Abraham the command to offer Isaac as a sacrifice

Genesis 22:1. And it came to pass after these things This is an ordinary, rather indefinite biblical indication—not so much of the actual time as of the sequence of events. From the subsequent context (Gen 22:6) it is in any case evident that the sacrifice of Isaac occurred when he had already grown enough to be able to carry the necessary amount of wood for the fire, and thus was at least 12–15 years old. God tested Abraham and said to him: Abraham! He said: Here I am. Metropolitan Philaret distinguishes two kinds of temptations: temptation to evil, or incitement to act upon evil inclinations hidden in man, and temptation in good, or direction given to the good beginning acting within him toward open warfare against evil or against obstacles in good, to achieve victory and glory; the first comes not from God, but is a consequence of God’s withdrawal (2 Chr 32:31); the second comes from God, and, to the measure of one’s spiritual strength, is sent as grace to those worthy to receive “grace upon grace” (John 1:16). “God did not tempt Abraham,” says the blessed Theodoret further, “to learn for himself what he did not know; but to teach those who do not know how justly the patriarch was beloved.” This view of temptation as a manifestation of divine love and as an occasion for the development and strengthening of virtue is carried through in many other places of Scripture (Exod 16:4; Deut 8:2; Ps 25:2; Jas 1:12; 1 Pet 1:7; 1 Cor 10:13 and others).

Genesis 22:2. God said: Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac; Isaac is called the “only” son of Abraham because he is the only son from Sarah, Abraham’s lawful wife, and even more because alone in him, as the son of promise, rested all the divine blessings concerning the future glorious destiny of Abraham’s descendants. And now this sole support of all the covenant hopes of the aged patriarch was threatened with sacrificial slaughter! Go into the land of Moriah and there offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you. The word “Moriah” from the Hebrew translation means: “provision of Jehovah,” and we may suppose that in giving Abraham the command to go according to His divine inspiration, the Lord did not point to him any particular region already bearing at that time the name Moriah, but simply commanded him to go into the land where He would lead him—in other words, into the land of divine provision. Such a land proved to be, as it later turned out, one of the mountains lying from Beersheba at a distance of three days’ journey (Gen 22:4) and which, in memory of this event, received the name Mount Moriah. According to the testimony of the Book of Chronicles, later on this very mountain the temple of Solomon was built (2 Chr 3:1).

Abraham gives the strongest proof of his deep faith and complete obedience

Genesis 22:3. Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his ass, took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son, split wood for the burnt offering, and went to the place of which God had spoken to him. A hard night the patriarch Abraham passed after receiving the revelation about the sacrifice of his only, beloved son! But the strength of faith and obedience to God triumphed over all other feelings of Abraham: his mind was, as the Apostle Paul explains, illumined by the thought that God, who had miraculously granted Isaac life from aged parents, “is able even to raise him from the dead” (cf. Rom 4:17; Heb 11:19). And so as soon as dawn broke, Abraham hastened to fulfill the divine will!

Genesis 22:5. And Abraham said to his young men: Stay here with the ass, and I and my son will go there and worship, and come back to you. Fearing that Abraham’s servants, unaccustomed to human sacrifice, would hinder him from fulfilling the divine command, Abraham leaves them at the foot of the mountain and promises to return with his son soon. In this promise one cannot see a deception, even one made with a good purpose, but rather must understand it as proof of Abraham’s faith—that God would not allow Isaac to perish, but would restore him to life again.

Genesis 22:6. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it upon Isaac his son; A curious detail that further strengthens the typological resemblance of the sacrifice of Isaac to the great Golgotha sacrifice, in undertaking which our Lord Jesus Christ himself had to bear his cross (John 19:17).

Genesis 22:7–8. And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said: My father! He answered: Here I am, my son. He said: Behold the fire and the wood; where is the lamb for the burnt offering? Abraham said: God will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. And the two of them went on together. This entire dialogue between father and son is full of deep devotion to God. Concealing from Isaac that he himself is marked to serve as the victim, Abraham unwittingly prophesies, since he indicates that God will himself choose the sacrificial lamb, which indeed later proved true (Gen 22:13). In Abraham’s very words about the lamb lies a typological indication of the great Lamb slain from the foundation of the world—that is, of the Lord Jesus Christ, who offered himself as the redemptive sacrifice for all of us.

Genesis 22:9. And they came to the place of which God had spoken to him; and Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood This altar, in all probability, was a small heap of stones gathered there at the top of the mountain. and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar upon the wood. From all the details of this narrative it is clear that Isaac submitted entirely of his own accord and without protest to the divine command. Although he was already at an age when he could have resisted his aged father, he shows him the most touching obedience: the obedience of the son here equals the faith of the father, and both of them display great heroism of spirit. If Abraham still, as we see, found it necessary to bind Isaac beforehand, he does this either to prevent any involuntary movements on Isaac’s part at the sight of the raised knife, or, what is more likely, following the general custom of sacrifice.

An angel appears to him and stays his hand

Genesis 22:10–11. And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said: Abraham! Abraham! He said: Here I am. At the very moment when Abraham had already raised his hand for slaughter, he was suddenly stopped by a mysterious voice from heaven, coming from the Angel of the Lord, who had appeared to him repeatedly before (Gen 18:10) and in whom most likely we should see God himself, as is confirmed by the very context of speech (Gen 22:12).

Genesis 22:12. The Angel said: Do not lay your hand upon the boy and do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God An anthropomorphic expression—conveying the thought that now Abraham has given the most brilliant proof of his deep faith and his complete obedience, that is, he has attained that height of spiritual and moral perfection after which any change for the worse becomes psychologically impossible in him. and have not withheld your son, your only son, from me. An expression almost literally repeated by the Apostle Paul with respect to God the Father, who offered up for the sin of men his only-begotten Son (Rom 8:32).

Genesis 22:13. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked: and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went, and took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. By special divine providence it happened that near the place of sacrifice there was a ram caught by its horns in a thicket of some mountain shrub, which our Slavic text calls “savek”; seeing in this unexpected coincidence a special divine indication, Abraham offers this ram as a sacrifice instead of his son Isaac.

The place of the sacrifice receives the name Jehovah-provides

Genesis 22:14. And Abraham called the name of that place: Jehovah provides ****. Therefore and now it is said: On the mount the Lord provides. The Slavic text gives a translation of the last two words: “The Lord saw.” Most commentators see here a repetition of what was said by Abraham earlier (verse 8, “God will provide for himself a lamb for a burnt offering” in the Slavic text) and which now so precisely was fulfilled. To rename one or another locality in memory of a known event that took place there was widespread in biblical antiquity (Gen 16:13-14 and others). But the fact that in the Hebrew text in two completely identical phrases of verses 8 and 14 different words are used to denote the Lord, Elohim and Jehovah, provides a strong objection to rationalist criticism of the biblical text. As for the second half of verse 14, they represent a kind of proverb formed on the basis of this fact and used in similar cases—that is, when all human means are exhausted and nothing remains but hope in miraculous divine help, like that which God showed to Abraham and Isaac at the most critical and decisive moment for them.

Abraham receives divine blessing

Genesis 22:15–16. And the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said: By myself I have sworn, says the Lord, that, because you have done this deed, and have not withheld your son, your only son, [for my sake,] The best explanation of these words is given in the epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Hebrews, where the apostle carefully proves that this divine oath is an anthropomorphic expression of the thought of the absolute immutability of divine promises (Heb 6:16-18). Examples of similar oaths can be found in many other places of Scripture (Gen 24:7; Exod 13:5; Isa 45:23; Jer 44:26; Amos 4:2; Heb 6:13 and others).

Genesis 22:17–18. I will surely bless you and multiply your seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand on the shore of the sea; and your seed shall possess the cities of your enemies; and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in your seed, because you have obeyed my voice. This closing and final divine promise in Abraham’s life is distinguished by special solemnity and power. Just as Abraham by his readiness to offer Isaac as a sacrifice revealed the highest degree of obedience and devotion to God, so the Lord in reward for this gives him evidence of his highest favor, confirming and strengthening the earlier given promises of the multitude and glory of his descendants. Therein the word in verse 18 about the unique and exclusive seed through which all nations of the earth are to be blessed—most commentators, following the Apostle Paul, see a reference to the great Seed of the woman, destined to crush the head of the serpent, that is, to Christ, the Son of God (Gal 3:16).

A genealogy of the generations from Nahor to Rebekah

Genesis 22:20. After these things Abraham was told: Behold, Milcah also has borne children to Nahor, your brother: The purpose of this indication is to show the descent of Rebekah, the future wife of Isaac and thus the mother of the chosen descendants (Gen 24:15).

Genesis 22:21–24. Uz, his firstborn, and Buz, his brother, and Kemuel, the father of the Arameans, Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel; and Bethuel was the father of Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother; and his concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah. When, by divine command, Abraham once departed from Ur of the Chaldees and set out on the way to Haran and indeed to Syria and Palestine, he severed all connections and relations with the kinfolk remaining for him in his homeland. And then suddenly, almost at the end of his life, he receives unexpected news of his brother Nahor’s family, which has grown to twelve sons (8 from a lawful wife and 4 from a concubine). Of some of them, or more precisely of their descendants, some references can be found in Scripture itself: thus, the firstborn of Nahor—Uz, seemingly gave his name to the land of Uz, lying in northeastern Arabia, from which Job came (Job 1:1), the name Buz is mentioned as the name of one of the Arabian tribes living between Dedan and Teman (Jer 25:23) and in some proximity to the homeland of Job, for from there comes one of his friends—Elihu (Job 32:2). Under Chesed many, following Jerome, are inclined to see the ancestor of the “Chaldeans” (“kesed” or “kasdim”), living in northern Mesopotamia, near Susa and Agade, and finally some reference to Maacah is seen in the Maacathites, of whom, as one of the Canaanite tribes bordering on Mesopotamia, it is spoken in Deuteronomy and in the Book of Joshua (Deut 3:14, Josh 13:13). * * * Notes The Lord provides.

Chapter Twenty-Three

The death of Sarah

Genesis 23:1. Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah; As the wife of Abraham and the mother of all believers (Isa 51:2; 1 Pet 3:6), Sarah is the only one among Old Testament women whose years are recorded in Sacred Scripture.

Genesis 23:2. And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba, [which is in the valley,] now called Hebron, in the land of Canaan. Resolving some confusion as to why Sarah died in Hebron rather than in Beersheba, where Abraham lived and from which he came to mourn her, Metropolitan Philaret thinks that Abraham, toward the end of his life, had two places of residence, in which he alternately lived with his flocks: in one of these residences, namely in ancient Kirjath-arba, distinguished by better climatic conditions, lived the aged Sarah in peace, while Abraham himself was more often in another place where his main herds were concentrated—that is, in Beersheba. Regarding the name of the city of Hebron itself, see above the note to verse 18 of chapter 13. And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. That is, he spent a certain length of time fulfilling the burial customs of his country, which serve as a natural expression of sorrow over loss, and at the same time as a tribute of gratitude and respect to the deceased (Gen 27:41; 1 Sam 13:29-30; Jer 16:5; Eccl 7:2 and others).

The purchase of the cave of Machpelah, the place of Sarah’s burial

Genesis 23:3. And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, and said: These are evidently the very Hittites of whom, as descendants of Ham and Canaan, it was spoken above (Gen 10:15). Therefore, in the subsequent context, “the daughters of Heth” are not distinguished from “the daughters of Canaan” (Gen 27:46). At present, scholars have discovered traces of a rich and developed Hittite culture, created by a people who inhabited ancient Syria and Palestine and established here a vast and powerful kingdom with many provinces and colonies, one of which was probably Hebron.

Genesis 23:4. I am a sojourner and resident with you; Abraham, to whom God himself repeatedly gave promises to possess all Palestine, humbly calls himself a sojourner and resident in a foreign land. He believes that God’s promises will be fulfilled in time and shows no impatience concerning their slow fulfillment. Truly a touching combination of strong faith with deep humility. Give me property as a burial place among you, so that I may bury my dead out of my sight. “The acquisition of a burial place in Palestine was an important act in the life of the patriarchs because it tangibly reminded the future people of Israel that Palestine is the promised land, that there the Almighty granted a portion to His people. That is why both Jacob (Gen 49:29) and Joseph (Gen 50:25) commanded that their bodies be carried there, to the land of blessing” (Vlastov).

Genesis 23:6. Listen to me, my lord; you are a great prince among us; bury your dead in the finest of our burial places; The Hebrew word “Elohim,” translated here in the sense of reference to God, actually should more correctly be translated as an adjective: “mighty, powerful,” and then the entire phrase would take on the proper meaning and would be fully understandable in the mouth of the pagan Hittites: “you are the mightiest prince among us.” Such an address, as well as the whole subsequent proposal of the Hittites about the free provision of the finest burial plot, testifies to their great respect for Abraham.

Genesis 23:8–9. And Abraham said to them and said: If it is your will that I bury my dead, listen to me, and ask Ephron the son of Zohar for me, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has at the end of his field, that for the full price he may give it to me in your presence for a burial possession. The Slavic text seemingly gives a translation of the Hebrew proper name, saying: “and let him give me the double cave” (Machpelah). Valuing the burial place as an inalienable possession, Abraham refuses to accept it as a gift, but desires to acquire it for money—that is, by a more certain and permanent way—after which the right of ownership of Abraham becomes clear and undisputed to all.

Genesis 23:10–16. And Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth, all those entering the gate of his city, and said: No, my lord, listen to me: I give you the field and the cave in it; I give it to you in the presence of my people—I give it to you; bury your dead. Abraham bowed before the people of the land and said to Ephron in the hearing of [all] the people of the land and said: But if you will listen to me, I will give you the price of the field; accept it from me, and I will bury my dead there. And Ephron answered Abraham and said to him: My lord, listen to me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that between me and you? Bury your dead. The entire biblical scene depicted in these verses is full of artistic truth. Even now in the East the free sons of the desert conduct their barter trade and various commercial transactions without any papers and conditions, but on honest word and in the presence of living witnesses. That is why the contract concluded by Abraham with the Hittites concerning the purchase of Machpelah was never violated by anyone, despite the long absence of the Hebrews from Palestine during the two-century Egyptian slavery. And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, the current money of merchants. In the opinion of most learned archaeologists, the coining of money among the Hebrews began only after the Babylonian captivity; but there is no doubt that trade existed among them on a considerable scale, and moreover not only barter, but also buying and selling. The role of money here was played by pieces or rings of gold or silver of a certain weight, by which payment was made. It is certain that pieces of the same type were the four hundred shekels for which Abraham made his purchase. If we assume that the value of the shekels remained stable throughout this time, it would come out that Abraham paid for his purchase about 300 rubles.

Genesis 23:17–18. So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, facing Mamre, the field and the cave in it and all the trees in the field, throughout all its boundaries round about, became the possession of Abraham in the sight of the sons of Heth, all who entered the gate of his city. It is evident from this that Abraham’s possession was not the cave alone, but also the field with trees, so that it may be supposed that a part of the grove of Mamre passed to him.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Abraham sends his steward the slave to fetch a wife for Isaac

Genesis 24:1. Now Abraham was old, and advanced in years. According to Gen 25:20, Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah; and since he was born in the hundredth year of Abraham’s life, Abraham was accordingly around 140 years old at this time.

Genesis 24:2. And Abraham said to his servant, the eldest of his house, who ruled all that he had: Based on the preceding context, we can see here Eliezer (Gen 15:2). Put your hand under my thigh This is a rather unusual form of oath, which appears again in the same book of Genesis (Gen 47:29). Of the various explanations of its meaning, the most successful must be recognized as the one that sees in it a symbol of an oath on a sword, which, as is known, is worn at the thigh. He who swore in this way thereby, as it were, said: if I break this oath, let the sword strike me (Exod 32:27; Ps 45:4 and others).

Genesis 24:3. And swear to me by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son [Isaac] from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, This is the first, negative side of Eliezer’s mission: he was forbidden to take for Isaac a wife from among the ungodly and corrupt Canaanites, who were not to be mixed with the pure descendants of the God-chosen people.

Genesis 24:4. But go to my country and my kindred [and to my people], and take a wife for my son Isaac [from there]. Not to Ur of the Chaldees, but to Haran, lying in Paddan-aram or in northern Mesopotamia, where Abraham left his brother Nahor (Gen 11:31). To see here a reference to Ur of the Chaldees is not permitted chiefly by the fact that if God once led Abraham out from there and thus forced him to break all ties and relations with his homeland infected with idolatry, He could not now restore those relations for the same reasons.

Genesis 24:5. The servant said to him: Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land; should I then take your son back to the land from which you came? This expression characterizes the foresight of the servant, who foresees a strong and entirely natural difficulty regarding which he wants to receive instructions beforehand.

Genesis 24:6. Genesis 24:6, 8. And Abraham said to him: Take care that you do not take my son back there; and if the woman is not willing to follow you [into this land], you shall be free from my oath; only you shall not take my son back there. Answering Eliezer’s question, Abraham twice and with particular force forbids him to leave his son Isaac there, even in the extreme case that the chosen bride was unwilling to leave her homeland. It is not the husband who should follow the wife, but the wife who should follow the husband.

Genesis 24:7. The Lord, the God of heaven [and God of earth], who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying: [To you and] to your offspring I will give this land,—He will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son [Isaac] from there; This mysterious guide and leader can mean either a special inspiration of divine Providence, or else an actual angelic appearance.

The servant’s journey

Genesis 24:10. And the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, taking with him all kinds of gifts of his master. Such an arrangement of this bridal journey on the one hand presupposes its considerable distance, on the other imparts to it a particular solemnity and importance; finally, both the camels themselves and those gifts of which it is spoken here could be intended as presents for the bride. He arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor, In Hebrew—“Naharaim,” that is, to the country lying between two rivers: the Euphrates and the Tigris.

Genesis 24:11. And he made the camels kneel down outside the city, by the well of water, in the evening, at the time when women go out to draw [water], All these details are profoundly historical and lifelike.

His prayer

Genesis 24:12–14. And he said: Lord, God of my master Abraham! Let her come to meet me today and show kindness to my master Abraham; behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; let the young woman to whom I shall say, “Let down your jar, I pray, that I may drink”—and she shall say, “Drink, and I will water your camels too [until they have drunk enough]”—let her be the one whom you have designated for your servant Isaac; by this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master [Abraham]. Eliezer’s calling upon God is penetrated with a feeling of deep humility and living faith, in which evidently he tried to imitate his master. It is very characteristic the very address to God itself, in which Eliezer simultaneously calls Him both Elohim and Jehovah, giving this—on the one hand—proof of the identity of these divine names, and on the other—testifying that, living in the house of Abraham, he received correct knowledge of God. Against the rationalist criticism that dates this prayer of Eliezer to a later epoch, especially strongly speaks the word standing here in the original language hanarah (young woman), used without a special feminine suffix, which serves as a sign of its great antiquity.

Rebekah meets this servant

Genesis 24:15–19. And before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her jar upon her shoulder; the young woman was very fair to look upon, a virgin whom no man had known. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up. And the servant ran toward her and said: Let me drink, I pray, a little water from your jar. She said: Drink, my lord. And she quickly lowered her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said: I will draw water for your camels too, until they have all drunk [their fill]. This entire episode of the meeting of Eliezer with Rebekah is depicted by the writer most vividly and in exactly the same characteristics that were beforehand prophetically foreseen and revealed to him by God.

Genesis 24:21. And the man looked at her in silence, to know This amazement was quite natural and understandable as the psychological state of Eliezer, who was absolutely struck by such a wonderful coincidence of fact with his prayer for it. whether the Lord had made his journey successful, or not. “He considered what was happening, in order to become better assured that Providence indeed responds to his petition” (Philaret).

Genesis 24:22. When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring, In Hebrew nezem, which means a gold ring which was either inserted in the ears as an earring (Gen 35:4), or in the nose (Isa 3:20; Prov 11:22; Hos 2:13). From what follows it appears that this was more likely a nose ring (Gen 24:47). weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms, weighing ten shekels of gold; The monetary values, regardless of their value, also had the meaning of units of weight.

He displays his high kindness

Genesis 24:23–25. [And he asked her] and said: Whose daughter are you? She said: I am the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor. And she said further to him: We have plenty of straw and fodder, and room for lodging. By his question Eliezer wanted, evidently, to become finally assured that this girl was indeed the chosen one for his master.

The servant blesses God

Genesis 24:26–27. And the man bowed his head and worshipped the Lord. and said: Blessed be the Lord, God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken my master in His mercy and His faithfulness! The Lord has led me straight to the house of my master’s kinsman. Having received this last confirmation, Eliezer was assured that his mission was complete, and in a burst of ardent gratitude he bows in prayer before the Almighty Providence.

The mediation of Laban

Genesis 24:28–29. And the maiden ran and told her mother’s household about all these things. And Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban ran out to the man, to the spring. “There is much reason to think that Rebekah’s father—Bethuel has already died, and that for this reason the house is here called not of the father but of the mother. This is consistent with the whole course of the narrative, in which Laban played a leading role, apparently replacing his father” (see verse 53, Vlastov).

Genesis 24:30–31. And when he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and heard the words of his sister Rebekah, which she spoke, “Thus the man spoke to me,” he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring; and said to him: Come in, blessed of the Lord; why do you stand outside? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels. Although Laban was an idolater (Gen 31:30), nonetheless, being in kinship relation with the house from which Abraham once came forth, he had not yet lost some traces of true knowledge of God. It is also possible that Laban addresses his guest in this way on the word of his sister Rebekah, who had heard the name of the Lord from the mouth of Eliezer himself (Gen 24:27).

Genesis 24:32–33. So the man came into the house. And Laban unsaddled the camels and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him; and food was set before him; but he said: I will not eat until I have told my errand. All the details of this picture are fully lifelike and authentic.

The servant reveals to him the purpose of his embassy

Genesis 24:35. And the Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great; the Lord has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys; Seeing how the Lord had miraculously granted Abraham a son in his old age, how He had prospered him in multiplying his flocks and in increasing his influence among the surrounding tribes, Eliezer could speak these words with full justification.

Genesis 24:40. He said to me: The Lord [God], before whom I have walked, This is a characteristic biblical expression: to walk before God means to please Him, or to live in complete accord with His holy will (Gen 5:24; Ps 50:13 and others). Gen 24:41-48. This quite significant biblical section contains a repetition of the previous narrative, by which Eliezer thoroughly acquaints his new hospitable hosts with the entire history of the matter, wishing thereby to show them as well that here the providential hand of God is evident. And I bowed down and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, God of my master Abraham, who has led me by the right way to get the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. Rebekah is here called the niece of Abraham, daughter of his brother Nahor; and yet before she was repeatedly called the daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor. Obviously, in this case the term “daughter” should be understood not in a narrow sense but in the broader sense: a blood relative in a descending line.

Genesis 24:49. So now tell me if you are going to show kindness and truth to my master or not; tell me, that I may turn to the right or to the left. This is a peculiar Hebraism, the meaning of which can be paraphrased as: do me a favor and preserve your own interests.

Laban and Bethuel approve of her

Genesis 24:50. And Laban and Bethuel answered and said: The matter comes from the Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good; The LXX instead of the word “brother” has—“brothers,” from which some exegetes draw the assumption that Bethuel, of whom it is spoken here, was not the father of Rebekah, but her brother, bearing this name in honor of his father.

Genesis 24:57. Then they said: Let us call the girl and ask her what she thinks. This is a very characteristic biblical trait, clearly attesting that among the ancient Semites the woman was far from being in that slavery in which later history found her among other Eastern peoples.

Genesis 24:59. And they sent away Rebekah, their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men. Probably the reference is to Deborah (Gen 35:8); although the LXX and the Slavic translation replace this indication with another—“and her possessions” (LXX: ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῆς).

Genesis 24:60. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her: Our sister, may you increase to thousands of tens of thousands, and may your descendants possess the gates of their enemies! This prayerful blessing had a prophetic character, insofar as Rebekah, as the wife of Isaac, became one of the matriarchs of the numerous Hebrew people and of an even greater multitude of all believers.

Genesis 24:62. And Isaac came from the way to Beer-lahai-roi, for he dwelt in the land of the south. That is, to the spring “of the Living One who sees me,” as Hagar named it, in memory of the theophany that occurred to her there (Gen 16:14).

Genesis 24:63. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening, and he lifted up his eyes and looked; and behold, there were camels coming. In some translations the latter verb is replaced by a synonym from the Hebrew language—“to pray,” (in the Slavic—“to joke,” that is to think about), which even better characterizes the devout-religious and meek nature of Isaac.

Genesis 24:64–65. And Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she alighted from the camel. And she said to the servant: Who is that man walking in the field toward us? The servant said: It is my master. Then she took her veil and covered herself. Upon meeting Isaac, Rebekah alighted from the camel and covered herself with a veil; the former, probably, was her respect for her future husband, while the latter symbolized his right to possess her (1 Cor 11:10).

Genesis 24:67. And Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her; Behold a brief, yet at the same time powerful, characterization of the family relations of the patriarchal period.

Chapter Twenty-Five

The Children of Abraham by Keturah

Genesis 25:1. And Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. This new marriage apparently took place after Sarah’s death; however, it could have been contracted during her lifetime, since Keturah and her descendants, like Hagar and her descendants, did not possess the full rights of lawful marriage, which belonged exclusively to the marriage with Sarah and the offspring from her.

Genesis 25:2. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The six sons of Keturah were the ancestors of entire nations of nomadic tribes of Arabia; but the names of these tribes, with the exception perhaps only of the Midianites, have remained almost unknown in subsequent biblical history.

The Division of His Possessions

Genesis 25:5. And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac, his son. To the only son of his only lawful wife—Sarah—Abraham transferred all his spiritual and material blessings (Gen 21:10).

Genesis 25:6. But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts and sent them away from Isaac his son while he was still living, Here is Abraham’s wise deathbed arrangement: he does not leave the children of his concubines without some provision; but at the same time he removes them from Isaac, thereby showing beforehand that they have no share in the estate of the lawful heir. to the east, to the land of the east. By this name, it is commonly understood to mean Arabia, whose inhabitants were generally called “the sons of the east” (Judg 6:3; 1 Sam 4:30; Job 1:3). Later they received the Arabic name “sharqiyin,” that is, the easterners, from which also arose the word “Saracens.”

The Death and Burial of Abraham

Genesis 25:7–8. The days of Abraham’s life which he lived were one hundred seventy-five years; and Abraham expired and died in a good old age, very old and full of years, and was gathered to his people. A figurative and powerful expression showing Abraham’s fulfillment of his life’s purpose, about which afterward an apostle spoke of himself in similar, yet more clear, words (2 Tim 4:7-8). The last thought of this text has particular importance, since it characterizes the existence of faith in the soul’s immortality after death even in that distant patriarchal period (cf. Deut 32:50 and 1 Sam 2:10).

Genesis 25:11. After Abraham’s death, God blessed Isaac his son. Having said even to his father Abraham that “my covenant I will establish with Isaac” (Gen 17:19), God now, after Abraham’s death, bestowed upon him his special blessing, that is, set him apart as the ancestor and representative of the chosen people.

The Descendants of Ishmael and His Death

Genesis 25:12–16. Here is the genealogy of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham; and here are the names of Ishmael’s sons, by their names according to their genealogy: the firstborn of Ishmael was Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, in their settlements, in their encampments. These are the twelve princes of their tribes. This is the beginning of a new section (toldoth) of the genealogy of the descendants of Abraham’s secondary son Ishmael. Although the names of these new ancestors of Arab tribes for the most part remain unknown to us, nevertheless in the very number of them one cannot but see the fulfillment of that prophecy about the twelve princes from Ishmael, which was given much earlier (Gen 17:20).

Genesis 25:18. They lived from Havilah to Shur, which is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. Based on these geographical indications, as well as on the preceding context (Gen 10:7), we must determine the territory of the Ishmaelites along the shore of the Persian Gulf and in the mountainous part of the Arabian Peninsula.

Genesis 25:19. Here is the genealogy of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham begot Isaac. The beginning of a new section—the genealogical table of Isaac, serving as the heading for the entire history of his life, which ends only in the thirty-fifth chapter of Genesis.

The Prayer of Isaac for the Relief of Rebekah’s Barrenness

Genesis 25:21. And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord heard him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. “Metropolitan Philaret remarks that the most blessed births were often preceded by barrenness: for example, the births of Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Simeon, Samuel, and John the Baptist. It is very probable that God wished first to purify and establish the faith and trust of those to whom the blessed fruit of the womb is granted. Moreover, the power of God is perfected in weakness, that is, at the time when the weakening of the forces of nature appears, then the grace of God acts for the fulfillment of the purposes of his wisdom” (Vlastov).

Genesis 25:22. The sons struggled together within her, and she said: If it is thus, why then am I this way? Metropolitan Philaret, based on various biblical translations, wants to see here an expression of some fear on Rebekah’s part for her life. But it seems to us more convenient and consistent with the context to find here a different, higher meaning—namely, the mother’s desire to know the fate of her offspring, which is now given to her by God after so many years of barrenness, and evidently not without special, higher purposes of divine Providence. And she went to inquire of the Lord. From the text itself it is not clear how this inquiry of the Lord was made; therefore some think that Rebekah turned to one of the pious patriarchs—Shem, Abraham, Melchizedek, Eber, or even Isaac (Gen 27:46), while others believe that she could have done so directly in prayer or in offering sacrifice.

Genesis 25:23. And the Lord said to her: Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger. In the external form of this verse is discerned a parallelism of thoughts—the distinctive feature of Hebrew poetry; but in the internal, essential content one sees a prophetic revelation of the future fate of the descendants of both twins about to be born. This fate is not entirely usual: here the older is promised greater strength and external power, yet he ultimately becomes subject to the younger. And subsequent history vindicated this prophecy: although the house of Esau was indeed stronger and more numerous than the house of Jacob at his return from Haran (Gen 32:11), and the descendants of Esau received elders and kings sooner (Gen 35:1), yet in time David subdued the Edomites (2 Sam 8:14; 1 Sam 11:1), and Joram and Amaziah even harshly punished them for their attempt to free themselves (2 Sam 8:16-23).

The Birth of the Twin Brothers Esau and Jacob

Genesis 25:24–25. When the time came for her to give birth, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all over like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. The hairy covering of skin of Rebekah’s firstborn gave the basis for calling him Esau, and the reddish color of him served as the reason for another name of Esau—Edom, which means “red.”

Genesis 25:26. Afterward his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob. And the name of Rebekah’s second son—Jacob—had not an accidental origin: it came from the circumstances of his birth—namely from the fact that he came forth holding onto the heel of his older brother, as Esau himself explains (Gen 27:36).

The Difference in Their Character and Way of Life

Genesis 25:27–28. When the boys grew up, Esau became a man skilled in hunting, a man of the field; and Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. Isaac loved Esau because his game was to his taste, but Rebekah loved Jacob. That the quiet, effeminate Isaac loved the energetic and harsh Esau more, while the active and passionate Rebekah preferred the quiet and modest Jacob—this is psychologically very true. Scripture also does not hide the fact that Isaac’s preference for his elder son Esau bore something of an egoistic character. Although independently of this, it was entirely natural and understandable, since Esau was the firstborn, and on firstborns usually rested all the best hopes and expectations.

Esau Sells His Birthright

Genesis 25:30. And Esau said to Jacob: Give me some of that red stew, for I am exhausted. The repetition of the same word expresses here the particular insistence and force of desire, attesting to Esau’s extraordinary hunger. As for the very dish that aroused such appetite in the weary hunter, experts on the East say that it was a lentil broth of reddish color, much prized even now for its aroma and taste.

Genesis 25:31. But Jacob said: Sell me your birthright now. However we try to excuse Jacob in this case, yet there remains something insufficiently noble in his action, excusable only perhaps by Esau’s complete disdain for his right (Gen 25:34).

Genesis 25:33. Jacob said: Swear to me now. So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Although the rights of the firstborn were definitively established only in the Law of Moses (Num 3:12 and others), it is certain that in practice these privileges existed much earlier. The chief significance of the firstborns was that they were the bearers and possessors of those blessings and promises which God had given to Abraham and confirmed to Isaac (Gen 12:2-3 and others). But the reception of these promises required strong and fervent faith; this is precisely what Esau lacked, and therefore God permitted him to lose this high right and transfer it to one more worthy.

Genesis 25:34. And Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went away; and Esau despised his birthright. By all this Esau clearly showed his complete disdain for the spiritual good of the birthright, since the interests of sensual nature stood much closer to him than the higher, spiritual-religious interests. In the history of Esau and Jacob we receive a new example of how the gradual separation and, as it were, purification of the chosen seed came to pass, in spiritual kinship with which stood only the heroes of faith, that is, people who glorified themselves by fervent faith in the promise and high religious zeal (Heb 11:1-20).

Chapter Twenty-Six

The Sojourn of Isaac in Gerar and a New Revelation of God to Isaac

Chapter 26 is the only chapter in the Book of Genesis devoted exclusively to the history of Isaac, whereas from verse 20 of chapter 25 (Gen 25:20), and in chapter 27 and until (Gen 28:16), the history of Isaac is joined with the history of his sons, and before that it was part of the history of Abraham. This chapter relates the external circumstances of Isaac’s life, which took place at least seventy-five years after a similar, according to the circumstances of the case, visit to Gerar and Beersheba by Abraham (Gen 20-21). Despite the obvious similarity of the two biblical accounts they present many differences, have clearly different plots, so that nothing justifies the opinion of some biblical critics (for instance, H. Gunkel, in Handkommentar z. Alt. Test. hrsg. v. W. Nowack, Genesis, Gottingen 1901), that in the mentioned episodes of chapter 26 we have only unsuccessful duplicates of similar accounts in chapters 20 and 21.

Genesis 26:1–2. Now there was a famine in the land, other than the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar. And the Lord appeared to him and said: Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you, Abimelech—“my father is king” or “king my father”—is a customary title of the kings of the Philistines, like “Pharaoh” of the Egyptian kings: the name Abimelech is borne by kings of the Philistines in the times of Abraham (Gen 20-21), Isaac (Gen 26), and David (Ps 33:1, 2 Sam 11:21). Probably Isaac is dealing with a successor of Abimelech—a contemporary of Abraham: the Abimelech contemporary with Abraham appears with greater nobility of character than the contemporary of Isaac. It is possible, however, that in both cases one and the same person is acting (let us remember the longevity of that time). The same can be supposed about Phichol, the military commander of Abimelech, who also appears in the history of Abraham and in the history of Isaac, though some are inclined to see in the name “Phichol” (from the Hebrew—“the mouth of all”) a common noun, the name of the reporter of requests or complaints to the Philistine king. Gerar, according to Delitzsch, is now Kir-bet-El-Gerar, in the southern part of Palestine. The history of Isaac in chapter 26 begins with the same calamity of famine that visited Abraham at first when he settled in Canaan (Gen 12:10). Following his father’s example, Isaac was about to move to Egypt. But God leads each of his chosen ones according to their needs, and above all—according to his wise plans. Therefore he did not allow Isaac to travel to Egypt, which was permitted to Abraham. “The Lord God,” says the blessed Theodoret (questions on Genesis, 78), “displays his wisdom and care in everything. For he permitted Abraham to go to Egypt not because he was troubled to feed him in Palestine, but to show the Egyptians the virtue of this man and urge them to emulate the patriarch’s virtue. But he commanded Isaac to remain in Palestine and provided him abundantly with all necessities… For in the midst of scarcity and lack of necessary things, when the land became barren, Isaac, having sown, gathered an abundant harvest (Gen 26:12).” According to the opinion of Jewish commentators, Isaac could not leave the holy land, as one consecrated in sacrifice (L. Philippson, Die israelitische Bibel. Th. 1, 1859, s. 124). Perhaps the brevity of the famine also had significance here.

Genesis 26:3–5. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father; and I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and will give to your offspring all these lands; and in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham your father obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. To encourage Isaac, the Lord repeats to him the promises given to Abraham (cf. Gen 12:7), but in part abbreviated, and in part with intentional indication that God’s mercies are granted to Isaac precisely for the sake of Abraham—his faithfulness to all that God commanded: commandments (Hebrew: mitzvoth), statutes (chukkoth), and laws (toroth). These latter terms bear the specific character of Mosaic terminology and are most often encountered in Deuteronomy. The distinction between these terms, pointed out by Jewish commentators (Rashi, Abarbanel), is very indefinite (see Philippson, s. 125–126); in any case with respect to Abraham they have a completely general meaning, without special reference to individual cases of his life (according to Abarbanel: mitzva—the circumcision of Isaac and the expulsion of Ishmael; chukka—the sacrifice of Isaac; torah—the marriage of Isaac to a kinswoman); yet with separate reference to these terms “the wisdom of God, according to the words of St. John Chrysostom, stirs the spirit of the righteous (Isaac), encourages him, and directs him to become an imitator of his father” (Works of St. John Chrysostom in Russian translation, St. Petersburg 1898, vol. IV, book 2, Homily 41, p. 552).

The Incident with Rebekah

Genesis 26:7–11. The men of the place asked him about his wife, and he said: She is my sister; for he was afraid to say: My wife; lest, he thought, the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah, because she was beautiful to behold. And when he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac playing with Rebekah his wife. And Abimelech called Isaac and said: Behold, she is surely your wife; how then did you say: She is my sister? Isaac said to him: Because I thought, If I say: She is my wife, I might die on account of her. And Abimelech said to him: What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us. So Abimelech charged all the people, saying: Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death. Slavonic: “the king of Gerar,” according to the Septuagint (in some manuscripts, however, of the Septuagint) Φιλιστείμ (57, 130, 15, 72, 82, 135 in Holmes), Russian: “Philistine,” Hebrew: pelischtim, Vulgate: Palestinorum. This incident, entirely analogous to the twofold case with Abraham and Sarah in Egypt (Gen 12:13-20) and in Gerar (Gen 20:2-18), differs from the latter in some details. Isaac’s fainthearted action appears less excusable and plausible, since he apparently faced less danger than Abraham. Isaac’s marital relationship to Rebekah is revealed to the king in this case not through a dread divine visitation (as with Abraham) but by chance—through Isaac’s affectionate behavior (such is the meaning of “playing” with her, v. 8) with his wife. Abimelech does not take Rebekah into his house as the Pharaoh and afterward the king of the Philistines did with Sarah, but only fears the possibility of transgression “asham” (Gen 26:10-11, cf. Gen 20:9) toward her on the part of someone from his people (Kurtz and Delitzsch see here an indication of Abimelech’s advanced age). In any case, the dread admonition to the king and people in Abraham’s time lived in the memory of the inhabitants of Gerar.

The Enrichment of Isaac and His Removal from Gerar at Abimelech’s Demand

Genesis 26:12. And Isaac sowed in that land and received in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. If Abraham was a simple nomad and only occasionally planted trees (Gen 21:33), then Isaac begins, alongside pastoralism, to engage in agriculture as well, and Jacob develops this branch of industry, apparently on a larger scale (cf. the dream of Joseph about sheaves) (Gen 37:7). Thus too do the present-day Bedouins of Arabia, Syria, and Palestine. The beginning of regular agriculture among the ancient Hebrews dates to the time of their sojourn in Egypt. According to the Syriac text (Peshitta), the Septuagint, Slavonic, and Russian, Isaac sowed barley. The Septuagint and others read in the Hebrew text: seorim, barley (ἑκατοστεύουσαν κριθήν); in the Masoretic text: schearim, “shearim”—a measure of unknown magnitude; Vulgate: centuplum. It seems we should prefer the latter reading, that is, to see here the thought of grain in general, not barley alone, which was valued very low even in biblical antiquity (cf. Judg 7:13; 1 Sam 4:28). A hundredfold harvest, very rare in Palestine and in antiquity (Matt 13:8), and even now (the usual harvest is about 25–30 times the seed), was a gift of God’s special favor to Isaac for his obedience.

Genesis 26:13. And the man became great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great. Locupletatus est homo (Vulg.). Metropolitan Philaret: he became rich.

Genesis 26:14–16. And he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great household. And the Philistines envied him. Hebrew: abbuddah rabbah, Slavonic: “much agriculture,” Russian: “a great household.” The same Hebrew expression is used in (Job 1:3), where in Russian: “a great retinue.” Thus probably here too, since the context in both cases is the same. And all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped up and filled with earth. And Abimelech said to Isaac: Go away from us, for you have become much mightier than us. The wealth and strength of Isaac arouse the envy of the Philistines, which is manifested first indirectly, though very painfully for him, in the stopping up of his wells, without which he with his herds could not move about in the vicinity of Gerar (the stopping up of wells in the East is a great crime, expressing and arousing strong enmity, and was customary during war). Then Abimelech directly demands Isaac’s removal from Gerar, from fear for himself on account of the powerful sheik. Unjust and merciless, though politically natural (cf. the Pharaoh’s fear) (Exod 1:8-10), this demand appeared as a kind of punishment for Isaac’s lie about Rebekah.

The Struggle of the Philistines with Isaac Over the Wells

Genesis 26:17. Gen. 26:17, 20-22. And Isaac departed from there, and encamped in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. And the shepherds of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s shepherds, saying: The water is ours. And he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him. [And Isaac moved away from there,] and they dug another well; and they also quarreled over it; and he called its name Sitnah. And he moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. And he called the name of it Rehoboth, saying: For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. The mild Isaac yields to violence and leaves the residence of Abimelech (cf. v. 8) and settles in the valley near Gerar. But the conflicts over water continue, and Isaac, continuing to yield to the Philistines, perpetuates his right to the wells being taken from him and their unjust claims—in the names of the wells: “Esek” (dispute, quarrel), according to the Septuagint (reading escheq) ἀδικία, Slavonic “wrong,” v. 20, and “Sitnah” (bitter, satanic enmity), according to the Septuagint Εχθρία, in Aquila: ἀντικειμένη, v. 21. But then God grants the mild Isaac freedom from enemies, and he calls the well “Rehoboth” (spacious places), according to the Septuagint: Εὐρυχωρία. During these disputes Isaac probably changed his camp location many times (therefore, the addition in the Septuagint in v. 21 has significance: “Isaac moved away from there”). An allusion to the names of the last two wells can be found in the wells Schutein and Ruhaibeh, lying to the northeast of Gaza.

The Sojourn of Isaac at Beersheba and the Covenant with Abimelech

Genesis 26:23–25. And he went up from there to Beersheba. And the Lord appeared to him that same night and said: I am the God of Abraham your father; fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for the sake of Abraham my servant. So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there. And the servants of Isaac dug a well there, [in the valley of Gerar]. A new manifestation of God to Isaac reassures him concerning the danger from the Philistines (cf. Gen 15:1), confirming the promises given to Abraham, where God for the first time is called “the God of Abraham,” of course, “not in the sense as if he limited his dominion to one patriarch, but to show his great favor to him” (St. John Chrysostom, p. 561). The building (v. 25) of an altar by Isaac before his tent is an act of his piety, and it is entirely unjustly recognized as proof of the passage’s inauthenticity (Gunkel, p. 276).

Genesis 26:26–30. And Abimelech came to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his friend and Phichol his army commander. And Isaac said to them: Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you? And they said: We see plainly that the Lord is with you. So we said: Let there now be an oath between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace; you are now blessed by the Lord. And he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. Hebrew: Achusath merehu, the Septuagint transmits as: Οχοζαθ ὁ νυμφαγωγὸς αὐτοῦ, understanding the first word as a proper name (so Russian, Slavonic; Vulgate: Ochosath amicus). The Targum of Onkelos, Arab translators, and the blessed Jerome understand the first word in a common sense: collegium amicorum. But the first understanding, apart from its greater logical naturalness, should be preferred also in view of the analogy of the name Ahuzzath with Goliath (1 Sam 17:4), Genivaph (1 Sam 11:20). Phichol is mentioned also in the history of Abraham (Gen 21:22-32), perhaps the same person. With the similarity of the account (Gen 26:26-31) of Isaac’s covenant with Abimelech and (Gen 21:22-32), all the more striking is the greater compliance and meekness of Isaac compared with Abraham, and the lesser nobility of Abimelech, whose words (v. 29) represent a clear distortion of the truth.

Genesis 26:31. And they rose up early in the morning and swore an oath with one another. Then Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. Isaac magnanimously forgives his former enemies, makes a covenant with them, and arranges a feast.

Genesis 26:32–33. And on that same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug, saying to him: We have found water. And he called it Sheba. Therefore the name of that city is Beersheba to this day. Upon the departure of Abimelech, Isaac finds a manifestation of God’s mercy in the finding of water by his shepherds. The Septuagint reading: οὐχ εὕρομεν (Slavonic “we did not find water”) is due to an erroneous reading of Hebrew lo (to him) as l’o (not); some Septuagint codices (in Holmes) omit οὐχ. The context refutes the authenticity of this particle: in the following verse we read that Isaac gives the name to this well “Sheba,”—what kind of well is it without water? “Sheba” (v. 33) literally “sevenfold,” then “oath,” in the Septuagint ὅρκος (Slavonic: “oath”); Aquila and Symmachus read the Hebrew sabeah, satiety, and rendered: πλησμονη; similarly in the Vulgate—abundantia, and in the blessed Jerome—saturitas. But the Septuagint reading and understanding deserves preference, since here (v. 33) is also given the name of the city Beersheba from the Hebrew schibea or schebuah, oath,—as directly explained in (Gen 21:31); the mention of an oath for Isaac is quite natural both through imitation of his father (see the indicated passage and cf. v. 18 of this chapter), and through the conclusion of a covenant with Abimelech—(Gen 26:26-31).

The Marriage of Esau

Genesis 26:34–35. When Esau was forty years old, he took as a wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite; and they were a grief to Isaac and Rebekah. In speaking of Esau’s marriage (following the example of Isaac at forty years old, Gen 25:20), at the same time to two wives, they show his unbridled sensuality and disregard for the purity of his line—both wives were Canaanites (their names differ somewhat in the given passage and in (Gen 36:2-3), after which he took a third wife, the daughter of Ishmael (Gen 28:9). The remark about their disobedience to Isaac and Rebekah, according to the thought of St. John Chrysostom (p. 566), shows the reason why Rebekah and Isaac, in chapter 27, deprive Esau of the blessing of the birthright.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Isaac’s Intention and Disposition

The history of Jacob’s blessing apart from Esau presents one of the striking examples of a collision between natural human strivings and the determinations of divine will, the fruitlessness of the former and the immutability of the latter (Mal 1:2; Rom 9:10-13). To the question: “Why did God not reveal His will to Isaac?” – Blessed Theodoret answers: “so that the care of God for Jacob might be made manifest, and this is shown by the fact that Isaac strove to bless Esau, but God’s grace, contrary to Isaac’s will, drew the blessing upon Jacob. And Isaac himself understood this. For, having used all means… stricken with horror by what had happened, he was not grieved as one deceived by his son, but recognized God’s intention and confirmed the blessing he had given” (answer to question 81; cf. John Chrysostom, Homily on Gen 53, p. 566).

Genesis 27:1–2. When Isaac was old and his eyesight had dimmed, he called his elder son Esau and said to him: My son! He said to him: Here I am. He said: Behold, I have grown old; I do not know the day of my death; The loss of eyesight by Isaac is mentioned because it is precisely this blindness that explains the possibility of his being deceived by Rebekah and Jacob at the time of blessing. According to the opinion of the rabbis (M. Bereshit-rabba, p. 311), Isaac lost his eyesight when his father offered him as a sacrifice: he gazed so intently upward to heaven in his prayer then. In reality, the blindness was a consequence of Isaac’s old age – he was 137 years old, and at which age his brother Ishmael had died 14 years before (Gen 25:17): this disposed Isaac to prepare himself for death (which Esau also expected, Gen 27:41). The mentioned age of Isaac, as well as the general chronology of the life of Isaac and Jacob, is established thus: When Jacob went down with his family to Egypt, he was 130 years old (Gen 47:9), Joseph at that same time was 39 years old (he was 30 years old when he was exalted by Pharaoh + 7 years of abundance + 2 years of famine, Gen 41:46-47); consequently, Joseph was born in Jacob when Jacob was 91 years old and, according to Gen 30:25 (cf. Gen 31:41), 14 years after Jacob came to Mesopotamia. Thus, Jacob’s flight occurred in the 77th year of his life – in the 137th year of Isaac (according to Gen 25:26, Isaac was 60 years old when Esau and Jacob were born), who lived another 43 years after that (dying at 180 years, Gen 35:28-29).

Genesis 27:3. Now take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, go into the field, and hunt me some wild game, “Quiver”, in the LXX: φαρέτρα (pharetra), in the Vulgate: pharetra; but in the Targum of Onkelos – saif, sword. Hebrew: teli, from talah, “to hang”, applicable to either (something hung).

Genesis 27:4. and prepare me such food as I love, and bring it to me to eat, that my soul may bless you before I die. Intending to bless Esau as the firstborn (v. 1) and as his favorite for his obedience (Gen 25:28), Isaac expresses a natural desire to taste a dish prepared by the hands of his beloved, on a momentous day for him; one cannot say, as some commentators do, that Isaac makes the very blessing dependent on satisfying his whim.

Rebekah’s Opposing Activity and Jacob’s

Genesis 27:5. Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. And Esau went out into the field to hunt and bring back game; Just as Isaac’s intention expressed an excessive manifestation of his human will, this appears even more in the actions of Rebekah. The fact that Rebekah knew and remembered God’s revelation that from her two sons “the greater shall serve the lesser” (Gen 25:23), of course, makes understandable her confidence in a favorable outcome of the deed she undertook – even to willingness to accept a curse upon herself (v. 13), but it does not give her actions the character of lawfulness, nor does it justify Jacob’s deception any more than the fact that Esau sold him the birthright. Both Rebekah and Jacob showed here a lack of firm faith and perfect morality. The naturally arising question about the relation of God’s Providence to the will and wrong-doing of humans is resolved by the general consideration that even the chosen ones of the Old Testament did not possess perfect righteousness, and that moral concepts in their consciousness were perfected only gradually, just as were their religious beliefs. Russian “to bring” – Hebrew le-habi; but the Slavonic “to his father” translates Greek τῶ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ: the LXX instead of le-habi read – le-abiv, “to his father”.

Genesis 27:7–10. Bring me wild game and prepare for me such food as I love; I will eat, and I will bless you before the Lord, before my death. Now, my son, obey my voice in that which I shall command you: Go to the flock and bring me two young kids of good quality, and I will prepare from them such food as your father loves, and you shall bring it to your father, and he shall eat, so that he may bless you before his death. Just as Isaac’s intention expressed an excessive manifestation of his human will, this appears even more in the actions of Rebekah. The fact that Rebekah knew and remembered God’s revelation that from her two sons the greater shall serve the lesser (Gen 25:23), of course, makes understandable her confidence in a favorable outcome of the deed she undertook – even to willingness to accept a curse upon herself (the 13th verse), but it does not give her actions the character of lawfulness, nor does it justify Jacob’s deception any more than the fact that Esau sold him the birthright. Both Rebekah and Jacob showed here a lack of firm faith and perfect morality. The naturally arising question about the relation of God’s Providence to the will and wrong-doing of humans is resolved by the general consideration that even the chosen ones of the Old Testament did not possess perfect righteousness, and that moral concepts in their consciousness were perfected only gradually, just as were their religious beliefs. Before the Lord… These words are not given in Isaac’s speech, but are quite appropriately added in Rebekah’s repetition of his words: Isaac indeed wished by the name of Jehovah to bless Esau (and blessed Jacob) and to pass on to him the spiritual inheritance of Abraham before the face of God.

Genesis 27:11–12. Jacob said to his mother Rebekah: Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, but I am a smooth man; perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to him to be a deceiver, and I shall bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing. In his conversation with his mother, Jacob does not hide his understanding that what is about to be done is precisely a sin; only, according to the level of his moral development, he regards the deception not by its moral value, but from the side of its outward unfavorable consequences for himself.

Genesis 27:13. His mother said to him: Let your curse be upon me, my son; only obey my voice and go, bring them to me. In Rebekah’s readiness to accept a curse upon herself is heard the passionate, tender, and self-sacrificing love for her younger son; perhaps, however, she also hoped for a certain gentleness in Isaac which she knew.

Genesis 27:15. And Rebekah took the best garments of her older son Esau, which she had with her in the house, and dressed her younger son Jacob in them; Esau’s especially fine garment could be a distinctive sign of his birthright (in such garment the firstborns could perform family worship, sacrifices, and the like).

Genesis 27:16. and she covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the skins of young goats; Goat hair in the East is distinguished by its special delicacy; Jacob’s deception could thus succeed more easily.

Jacob’s Coming to His Father and His Father’s Blessing of Him

Genesis 27:18. He came to his father and said: My father! And he said: Here I am; who are you, my son? Russian “came”, Hebrew jabo; Slavonic “brought” – in Greek ἐισήνεγκεν. Isaac conducted the impending blessing with secrecy, and with great suspicion meets Jacob: he asks him about his name (v. 18), about the reason for his swift return (v. 20), proposes to kiss him, probably with the intent to feel Jacob (v. 26).

Genesis 27:19–24. Genesis 27:19–24,27. Jacob said to his father: I am Esau, your firstborn; I have done as you told me; arise, sit up and eat of my game, so that your soul may bless me. And Isaac said to his son: How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son? He said: Because the Lord your God sent it to me. And Isaac said to Jacob: Come here, I pray you, so that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not. And Jacob came near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said: The voice is the voice of Jacob; but the hands are the hands of Esau. And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; and he blessed him and said: Are you truly my son Esau? And he said: I am. He came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garment and blessed him and said: See, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed; By pretending to be Esau, Jacob commits a deception, the sinfulness of which is aggravated further by his subsequent invocation of God’s name (v. 20). The inevitable consequence, by God’s righteous judgment, of Jacob’s deception was the grievous trials of his subsequent life. After several expressions of doubt and attempts to assure himself of the identity of the one who came (Gen 27:21), Isaac proceeds (v. 27) to bless the son, which (unlike the blessing of v. 23 – a simple greeting) is a prophecy determining the fate of Jacob and his descendants (cf. Gen 9:25). The poetic form, imagery, and immediacy of the blessing are seen from the fact that it begins with the expression of a pleasant sensation of the fragrance of Esau’s garment. LXX: ἀγροῦ πλήρους, Vulgate: agri pleni, Slavonic: “a field full of abundance”; Russian: “of a field”, in Hebrew: sadeh. The field means Canaan.

Genesis 27:28–29. May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fat of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine; May peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you; be master over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you; cursed be those who curse you, and blessed be those who bless you! Dew is the first condition of fertility in the hot and in the summer months almost rainless East (Gen 49:25; Hos 14:6). The fulfillment of the beginning part of the blessing is seen in the fertility of Palestine known from the Bible (Exod 3:8 and others). The apparent disparity between this part of the blessing and the promises to Abraham is explained by the fact that Isaac (as later Jacob also) already engaged in agriculture (Gen 26:12), and therefore the discourse begins with the benefits of agriculture. The subjection of Esau to Jacob was fulfilled in their descendants, under David (2 Sam 8:14; Ps 59:2); by the brothers of Jacob’s mother are meant all in general the descendants of Abraham not only through Sarah, but also through Hagar and Keturah. Isaac’s words about the blessing of those who bless Jacob and the curse of those who curse him closely resemble the promises to Abraham, but, unlike the latter, do not contain the promise of blessing in Jacob’s seed to all nations, as if in recompense for the dishonorable manner of receiving the blessing; only later, when Jacob began to atone for his sin by fleeing from his father’s house, is this high blessing also given to him (Gen 28:14). On the significance of Isaac’s blessing, Blessed Theodoret says: “From Jacob was to come in the flesh the Master Christ, the hope of the nations, Savior and Lord of all the universe… Isaac promises him the dew of heaven and the fat of the earth, which signifies grace from on high and abundance of earthly blessings, and then understand in the Master Christ, under the dew the Godhead, and under the fat of the earth the humanity assumed from us” (answer to question 83).

Esau’s Grief and His Blessing

Genesis 27:30–32. As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob his son, and Jacob had scarcely left the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came from his hunting. He also prepared a savory dish and brought it to his father and said to him: Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, so that your soul may bless me. But Isaac his father said to him: Who are you? And he said: I am your son, your firstborn, Esau. The narrative of Esau’s blessing is related with no less vividness; and at the same time the superiority of Jacob’s blessing over Esau’s is made even more striking: all the details of the narrative serve this impression. Thus, according to St. John Chrysostom, “Who would not wonder at God’s providence in that Esau did not come from hunting before the purpose of this plan had been accomplished, and Jacob, having received the blessing from his father, had left him?” (Homily on Gen 53, p. 569). According to the rabbis, Esau came immediately after Jacob left. The setting of Esau’s conversation with his father reminds one of Jacob’s conversation, only, according to the remark of Rashi, Esau’s invitation to his father to the table sounds (v. 31) more coarse than Jacob’s similar invitation (v. 19) (in Hebrew, LXX, and Slavonic, the verb: to arise – is in the 3rd person here, while in v. 19 it is in the 2nd person).

Genesis 27:33. Then Isaac trembled exceedingly with great trembling and said: Who then is he that has hunted game and brought it to me, and I have eaten from it all before you came, and I have blessed him? – He shall indeed be blessed! Instead of the expected indignation at the deceiver, Isaac trembles because of the clear realization that what happened was by the permission of God’s power. This consciousness, connected with the belief inherent in the patriarchal period in the irrevocability of the father’s blessing, compels Isaac to abandon all hesitation and firmly declare concerning Jacob: “I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed”, which he brings Esau into an agitated state of bitter sorrow and agonized entreaty.

Genesis 27:34. When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly bitter cry and said to his father: Bless me, even me also, O my father! He does not demand the transfer to himself of the blessing given to Jacob, but merely begs for some blessing, even a lesser one; moreover, he does not penetrate into the mysterious significance of Jacob’s blessing and is even inclined to make the blessing dependent on his father’s whim (though, like Isaac, he considers the father’s blessing, once given, to be unchangeable).

Genesis 27:37. Isaac answered Esau: Behold, I have made him your master, and all his brothers I have given to him as servants; with grain and wine I have sustained him; and what then can I do for you, my son? “The blessing given to Jacob, Isaac regards as an obstacle to the blessing of Esau: a) by the very content of the first blessing, which already included the humiliation of Esau; b) because in the unforeseen blessing of Jacob he sees the hand of God, punishing Esau; c) perhaps also because that power of blessing, which dwelt in the patriarch and through spiritual communion passed from ancestors to descendants – that such power, having been aroused once by faith and poured out in its full measure, was not ordinarily aroused again in the one who bestowed it in the same form and degree” (Metropolitan Philaret, Notes on the Book of Genesis 2,35). The rabbis, in explaining Isaac’s refusal, put forward the familiar principle among them: “a slave and everything belonging to him belong to his master; therefore any blessing that Isaac should give Esau would belong to Jacob, by virtue of the subjection of Esau given to him” (Beresch. rabb., p. 323).

Genesis 27:38–39. But Esau said to his father: Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father! And [as Isaac was silent,] Esau raised his voice and wept. And Isaac his father answered and said to him: Behold, far from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and far from the dew of heaven above; Esau’s sincere sorrow is worthy of compassion (though it does not relieve him of responsibility for his twofold scorn of the birthright – in its sale and in his marriages), and Isaac (v. 39), moved (LXX: κατανυχθέντος), though after some deliberation, blesses him – in expressions at the beginning identical with the blessings of Jacob. Fertility of soil and abundance of dew are promised to Esau as well as to Jacob (contrary to some commentators, e.g., Knobel, Keil, that Esau is foretold only deprivation of these blessings), and the difference is only in the degree of political independence and well-being (cf., however, Mal 1:3).

Genesis 27:40. And by your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you become restless, you shall break his yoke from your neck. “To live by the sword” – life of robber attacks on caravans and travelers – was indeed the life of the Edomites. Isaac’s prophecy concerning them comes true with precision. First the descendants of Esau grew, became rich, and had kings before Israel (Gen 36:31). But already the 1st king of Israel Saul had success against Edom (1 Sam 14:47), and under David all the Edomites became slaves (2 Sam 8:14), and then, except for separate rebellions under Solomon (1 Sam 11:14), Ahaz (2 Sam 14:7) and others, after the destruction of the remnants of Edom (Amos 9:11-12; Jer 49:17), finally, under John Hyrcanus, through circumcision, they finally entered the state of Judea. But “the time came” – according to the Targum: “when Israel rejected the yoke of the law, then Edom cast off his yoke from him,” – and in the person of Herod the Great and his house, Judea even accepted kings from the Edomites.

The Causes Impelling Jacob’s Flight

Genesis 27:41. And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Esau said in his heart: The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob. Esau hated Jacob with a secret, insidious hatred (yet over time he forgot the wrong done to him by Jacob, Gen 32:4), but out of respect for his father decides to postpone his vengeance until his expected death.

Genesis 27:42–46. And the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah; and she sent and called her younger son Jacob and said to him: Behold, your brother Esau is threatening to kill you; and now, my son, obey my voice, and arise, flee [to Mesopotamia] to Laban my brother, to Haran, and stay with him a few days until the anger of your brother passes, until the fury of your brother subsides from you, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send and get you from there; why should I be deprived of you both in one day? And Rebekah said to Isaac: I am weary of my life because of the daughters of the Hittites; if Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of the Hittites, like these daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me? The intention he expressed and openly, which Rebekah learned of, and so she prudently sends Jacob to Haran to Laban (on “some days”, i.e., few), revealing to Jacob alone the meaning of this journey (v. 42–45), but pointing to Isaac another reason – in seeking a wife from a kinsman’s family (v. 46). Thus “God put into her mind all that could contribute to the future dispensation and salvation of her son” (St. John Chrysostom, p. 579).

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Jacob’s Flight and Esau’s New Marriage

Genesis 28:1. And Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and commanded him and said: You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan; Isaac calls Jacob to him with the intention as it were of official recognition of him in the rights of the firstborn; according to the expression of Rabbi Eliezer, this is like the affixing of a seal to the act of blessing, in confirmation of its consciousness.

Genesis 28:2. Arise, go to Mesopotamia, to the house of Bethuel, the father of your mother, and take from there a wife from the daughters of Laban, the brother of your mother; To the question: Why does Jacob flee from his father’s house after so many blessings, lacking everything necessary, Blessed Theodoret answers: “In these apparent sufferings the care of God is made manifest… Jacob flees and goes alone, so that returning with a great name, he himself might see how the providence of God is, and might teach it to others. And God immediately manifested His care for Jacob by an appearance” (Blessed Theodoret, answer to question 85; cf. John Chrysostom, p. 574). The country where Jacob is to go, in the narrative of Eliezer’s journey there called simply the homeland of Abraham (Gen 24:4), is now called directly Mesopotamia by Isaac (Hebrew Paddan-aram): this country had become better known to the patriarchal family, which is why Jacob makes the journey alone. Isaac’s instruction that Jacob take a wife from the daughters of Laban is given not without the influence of Rebekah (Gen 27:46) and following the example of Abraham (Gen 24:3-4) and in any case shows that Isaac understood well that the purity of the blood of the patriarchal family was required by the essence of the theocratic law.

Genesis 28:3–4. May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples, and may He give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, so that you may take possession of the land of your sojourning, which God gave to Abraham! Just as God, in announcing to Abraham the birth of a son and the coming forth of numerous descendants from him, calls Himself God Almighty, El-Shaddai (Gen 17:1), so also Isaac calls God by this same name, El-Shaddai, in promising Jacob descendants and the transmission to him of all the blessings of Abraham’s inheritance. Slavonic “into the gathering of peoples” (LXX: εἰς συναγωγὰς ἐθνῶν) is more precise and forceful than the Russian translation in rendering the Hebrew expression zehal-ammim, the gathering of peoples.

Genesis 28:5. And Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Mesopotamia, to Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean, brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau. The apparently superfluous designation of Rebekah as the mother of Esau and Jacob has, according to the Hebrew commentators, the sense that Rebekah enjoined both sons to marry kinswomen, but only Jacob followed his mother’s instruction, and then, following his example, Esau married (for the third time) a kinsman – a daughter of Ishmael.

Genesis 28:8–9. And Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan displeased Isaac his father; and Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, son of Abraham, sister of Nebaioth, as a wife in addition to his other wives. This deed of Esau flowed from a desire to atone for his guilt before his parents: “and he went… to Ishmael”, i.e., to the house of Ishmael, since Ishmael himself had already died (not less than 14 years before), which is why perhaps his daughter is called here the sister of Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael (Gen 25:13); in Gen 36:3 this woman is called Basemath, not Mahalath as here. This diversity of names (observed also with respect to other wives of Ishmael, cf. Gen 26:34 and Gen 36:3) the Hebrew commentators explained either by the actual double-naming of the woman, or by renaming according to some remarkable event: both were customary among the ancient Hebrews. Concerning Esau’s deed, Rabbi Eliezer said: “If he had put away his former wives, I would say that he acted rightly, but since it says: ‘He took her in addition to his wives,’ – this shows that sore followed sore, pain followed pain, thorn followed thorn” (Beresch. r., p. 326).

Jacob’s Dream and God’s Promise to Him

Genesis 28:10. And Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. From v. 10 onwards, the history of Jacob alone is related (a brief mention of Isaac’s death is in Gen 35:28-29), naturally falling into 3 periods according to the place of residence: the Mesopotamian, the Canaanite, and the Egyptian. Jacob went north from Beersheba through Canaan, then across the Jordan and Gilead (cf. Gen 31:25), Bashan and then in the direction toward Damascus and beyond. The difficulty of the journey and Jacob’s determination were unquestionable. “A man, raised at home, enjoying such services, setting out on a journey, did not ask for pack animals, or an escort, or provisions, but enters upon the path as if by apostolic example” (John Chrysostom, Homily on Gen 54, p. 581). According to the rabbis, the expression of v. 10 indicates that Jacob left his father’s house with sorrow (Abarbanel) and that the city (Beersheba) lost its glory with the departure of such a righteous man (Rashi).

Genesis 28:11. And he came upon a certain place and spent the night there, because the sun had gone down. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it under his head and lay down in that place. The place where Jacob stopped, which he named Bethel, lies 12 Roman miles from Jerusalem, on the road to Shechem; Jacob could have traveled to this place not in one day (according to the rabbis, Jacob was a “child of a day”, that is, on the day of his departure from Beersheba he arrived in Haran, which is of course unbelievable). Slavonic: “found a place” (lopa with greater accuracy corresponds to the Hebrew paga (and Greek ἀπαντάω). Talmudists understand this expression as referring to Jacob’s prayer, and on the basis of this verse assign to Jacob the institution of evening prayer (to Isaac – afternoon prayer: mincha, on the basis of Gen 24:63; and to Abraham – morning prayer); the place itself they identify with the place of Isaac’s sacrifice. In these conjectures only the thought is correct, that Jacob was in a prayerful mood. He no doubt spent the night in the open, as he avoided communion with the Canaanites after the commandment just received from his father – not to enter into family relationships with them (v. 1).

Genesis 28:12–15. And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth and the top of it reached toward heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; [do not fear]. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants; and your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed; and behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you. The woeful and anxious state of Jacob is a favorable condition for his receiving this first revelation (in a dream). The revelation directly answered Jacob’s pressing needs: • to confirm his faith in the divine promises made to Abraham and Isaac and • to receive assurance of personal safety from Esau and other possible troubles. Both are given to Jacob in the Lord’s words of v. 13–14, and here also is given the highest promise concerning the blessing in the descendants of the patriarchs chosen by God; however, “To Jacob the whole future of the Israeli people is not revealed, as to Abraham (Gen 15:13), a man firm in spirit…” (G.K. Vlastov, Holy Chronology, St. Petersburg, 1878, 1, 253). The character of Jacob’s whole vision corresponds to the circle of views in which the future patriarch of God’s people lived and moved. In the whole picture of the vision – 3 elements (externally distinguished through threefold “behold”, Hebrew hinneh). The ladder from earth to heaven, as an expression of the close connection of earth with heaven: a truth consoling for humans, that he is not abandoned on the earth to the world powers alone, but has access to heaven and help from there! It is credible that Gunkel’s information (p. 289) that the concept of a heavenly ladder was widespread in the ancient East, especially in Egypt (the ladder of Hathor, by which the souls of the dead ascend to heaven); but it is false to assert that named scholar that Jacob’s vision of the ladder has no connection with the rest of Jacob’s history. The connection, on the contrary, is very close. The angels ascending and descending on the ladder, that is, bearing up the prayers, thoughts, cares and so forth of humans to God, and on the other hand bringing down to humans various manifestations of God’s mercy. The Talmud and Midrash (Beresch. r., 333) understand “ascent” and “descent” in the sense that the Angels who accompanied Jacob during his journey through Canaan ascended to heaven, and other Angels who were to accompany Jacob to Chaldea descended from heaven; some support for this interpretation is provided by the mention in Gen 32:1-2 of a strengthened camp (“Mahanaim”) of Angels. V. 12 is regarded as a classical testimony of the Old Testament faith in the existence and activity of Angels as mediators between God and humans (cf. John 1:51). But this mediation of Angels does not exclude direct action of God upon His chosen ones: Jehovah, as the God of the covenant or the Angel of Jehovah (the Son of God before His incarnation, cf. Gen 31:11-13); Blessed Theodoret, answer to question 90; according to the Targum: shekinah, the glory of God), stands upon the ladder above it (alav) and imparts gracious consolations to His chosen, and in the person of him to all future generations of the believing human race.

Genesis 28:16. And Jacob awoke from his sleep and said: Surely the Lord is in this place; and I did not know it! In expressing his deep impression from the wondrous vision, Jacob declares that he had not before thought that God would make His presence manifest not only in places sanctified by sacrifices, but also in regions inhabited by pagans. It is possible, however, to see here the expression of imperfect yet faith in God’s omnipresence (as Holy Cyril of Alexandria understands Jacob’s exclamation).

Genesis 28:17. And he was afraid and said: How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. This thought, however, is exaggerated without need when it is asserted (Gunkel) that the holiness of the place here is understood exclusively objectively, that is, attached exclusively to the place itself. It is known that God sometimes pointed out the special holiness of one place or another (Exod 3:5; Josh 5:15), but in all cases the holiness was recognized by people, those who were deemed worthy to receive the revelation from on high, precisely reflected in the hearts of people in a feeling of mortal fear and deep reverence (for example, in Hagar Gen 16:13; Moses Exod 3:6 and others). “The house of God” (beth Elohim – beth El, v. 19) and “the gate of heaven” (schaar hasehamaim) – terms which later became customary names for the temple – are borrowed by the patriarch from the content of the vision and appropriated by him to the place of the vision, as it were by prophetic foresight of the future sanctuary of God (from the time of the division of the Hebrew kingdom, Bethel was one of the two temples of the ten-tribe kingdom, 1 Sam 12:29).

Jacob’s Vow

Genesis 28:18. And Jacob rose early in the morning and took the stone which he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. Under the impression of the vision, Jacob, in the first place, sets up the stone which had served as his pillow as a memorial (mazzebah) and pours oil on it. The custom of setting up pillars and similar structures as memorials of memorable events is very widespread in the ancient and modern East. In the Bible, apart from Jacob’s history (Gen 28:18), the setting up of stones with this purpose is mentioned in the history of Joshua (Josh 4:9), the prophet Samuel (1 Sam 7:12) and others. Later abuses of this custom for purposes of idolatry caused a prohibition in the Mosaic law (Lev 26:1) against setting up pillars. Likewise, the custom of dedicating stones to divinity was known in the East, for example among the Phoenicians, and in the classical world. Oil, as a necessary part of journeying in hot lands, as a means of support and nourishment, naturally was at hand for the traveler Jacob: “Probably only one oil he carried with him, while on the way” (John Chrysostom, p. 585). Thus, “What he had he gave to the greatly-gifting Lord” (Blessed Theodoret, answer to question 85).

Genesis 28:19. And he called the name of that place Bethel *****, whereas the former name of the city was Luz. The second act of Jacob: in accordance with the impression he mentioned, he names the place of the vision with the name: Beth-El or Bethel (“house of God”), whereas the former name of the neighboring village was: Luz. A second and final time Jacob affirms the name Bethel upon his return from Mesopotamia (Gen 35:15). The reading of the LXX and Slavonic Οὐλαμλούς (variants Οὐλαμμάους, Συλλαμμάους and others – in Holmes). Ulam-luz – obviously an erroneous joining of Hebrew words ulam (i.e., moreover) and Luz. From the subsequent history it is evident that the Canaanite name Luz existed together with the Hebrew Bethel: the former is used even by Jacob himself (Gen 48:3), and in the Book of Joshua, Luz and Bethel appear perhaps as names of different places (Josh 16:2). The name Bethel, moreover, was known even before Jacob – in the time of Abraham (Gen 12:8). An echo of this name is preserved in the known name Βαιτυλία, Baetilia, among the Phoenicians and Greeks, by which were called, among them and others, sacred stones, especially from meteorites and aerolites, dedicated by anointing to deities. Thus one may suppose that this “custom originated from Jacob” (Philaret, Notes on Gen 2:52).

Genesis 28:20–22. And Jacob made a vow, saying: If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and a garment to wear, and I return in peace to my father’s house, and the Lord will be my God, The 3rd act of Jacob: his vow to God – the first of those marked in the Bible. In this vow (which was considered by the rabbis to be the pattern or norm for all vows and for all times) are 3 elements: an inner and sincere recognition of the Almighty as one’s God, with the dedication of oneself to His service; a special dedication and veneration of the place of the vision; and a promise to God of a tithe of all. Apparently, Jacob places his faith in God in conditional relation to external and personal interests. But, in the first place, this condition of the vow in Jacob is a simple paraphrase of the immediately preceding promise of God (v. 13–15); secondly, Jacob asks of the Lord only bread and clothing and thus fulfills the gospel commandment concerning non-attachment (John Chrysostom, Philaret); thirdly, with what humility and gratitude Jacob understood the blessings of God is evident from his prayer (Gen 32:10). The tithe, as is evident from the example of Abraham (Gen 14:20), was an ancient custom both in general life, in relation to kings. Here we read for the first time about a tithe to God. then this stone, which I have set up as a pillar, shall be God’s house; and of all that You give me, I will surely give a tenth part to You. “God’s house” (beth Elohim) – it is possible that the Old Testament appellations of God – Zur Israel, rock, strength of Israel (Gen 49:24; Isa 30:29) is connected with this concept. * * * God’s House

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Jacob comes to Haran and meets the shepherds at the well

Genesis 29:1. And Jacob rose up and went to the land of the sons of the east [to Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean, to the brother of Rebekah, mother of Jacob and Esau]. Strengthened by the heavenly vision, Jacob continues his journey and comes “to the land of the sons of the east”; “sons of the east” are usually inhabitants of Arabia (Judg 6:33; Job 1:3; Isa 11:14); here, as in Num 23:7, it has a broader meaning, applying to the inhabitants of Syria. According to the Midrash, Esau sent his son Eliphaz to pursue Jacob, but he did no harm to him.

Genesis 29:2. And behold, there was a well in the field, and there three flocks of sheep lay by it, for from that well they watered the flocks. And a great stone was upon the well’s mouth. The first thing Jacob encounters in the land that was his destination is a well, as likewise is told of Eliezer in Gen 24:11; only in the latter case it is a well near the city, whereas in the case we are considering it is a cistern that apparently lay not close to the city (as appears from Jacob’s question, v. 4). The great stone (Hebrew haeben with the article—a stone known for its purpose) covered the well’s mouth to protect the water’s opening from sand—a common sight even now in hot regions of Arabia and Asia Minor. The whole scene of Jacob’s forthcoming meeting with Rachel (see Gen 24:11 and following; Exod 2:16) bears the marks of specific features of Eastern life.

Genesis 29:3. And it came to pass, when all the flocks gathered there, that they would roll the stone from the well’s mouth and water the sheep; then they would put the stone back upon the well’s mouth. The well belonged to several owners, and therefore they would wait for all the owners’ flocks to arrive before rolling away the stone; Laban was probably one of the last to arrive (at Rachel’s coming the well is opened immediately, vv. 9-10).

Genesis 29:4–5. Jacob said to them [the shepherds]: My brothers! Where are you from? They said: We are from Haran. He said to them: Do you know Laban, son of Nahor? They said: We do. Jacob addresses his fellow craftsmen in a friendly manner, calling them “brothers.” Hearing about Haran, Jacob joyfully asks about Laban; he calls him the son of Nahor, whereas the latter was actually his grandfather and his father was Bethuel (Gen 22:20-23)—undoubtedly, according to the ancient Eastern custom of naming instead of the less well-known immediate ancestor, in this case Nahor, as the founder (Gen 11:27) of the younger line of descendants of Terah; moreover, Hebrew words for father (ab), brother (ach), son (ben), and the like are used very broadly.

Genesis 29:6. He also said to them: Is he well? They said: He is well; and behold, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep. The Greek hygiainen and the Slavonic-Russian “to be well” somewhat narrow the meaning of the Hebrew schalom lo, which means well-being in general: to live and be well. That Rachel comes with the sheep to the well immediately as the shepherds are telling Jacob about her father is not simply a literary device (the opinion of Gunkel), but a truly probable coincidence.

Genesis 29:7. And Jacob said: See, there is still much daylight; it is not yet time to gather the flocks. Water the sheep and go, feed them. Jacob, himself a shepherd, advises them not to waste time and, having watered the flock, to continue pasturing it until sunset. Perhaps, however, Jacob intentionally wishes to send the shepherds away, not wanting any witnesses to his first meeting with his cousin.

Genesis 29:8. They said: We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered and the stone is rolled from the well’s mouth; then we will water the sheep. Unfamiliar with the customs of the region, Jacob is told by the shepherds of Haran that the well (probably as common property of several owners) is opened only when all the flocks have arrived.

Jacob becomes acquainted with Rachel

Genesis 29:9. While he was still speaking with them, Rachel [daughter of Laban] came with her father’s flock, for she tended [the flock of her father]. That Rachel was a shepherdess (Hebrew roah—participle; the Greek and Slavonic texts add: “of the sheep of her father”) was not disgraceful for her, for in both ancient and modern (according to Burckhardt) the East, shepherding was and remains a common occupation for unmarried daughters even of noble sheikhs.

Genesis 29:10. When Jacob saw Rachel, daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban, his mother’s brother. The sight of his kinswoman awakens Jacob’s spirits, and wishing to please Rachel and Laban (the relationship of Jacob to the latter is deliberately emphasized here—in the threefold designation of Laban as Jacob’s uncle), he performs the difficult labor of rolling the stone from the well’s mouth; as a foreigner, he could do this without regard to local custom.

Genesis 29:11. And Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. Immediately after displaying courage and strength (v. 10), Jacob shows extraordinary sensitivity: in the kiss to Rachel and then in tears. According to Jewish interpretations, Jacob wept either because at his very first meeting with Rachel he foresaw her early death and that she would not be buried with him, or in distress that he could not bring her as rich a dowry as Eliezer brought to Rebekah. More simply, it may be from joy at the meeting after the trials of the journey he had endured (see Gen 43:30).

Genesis 29:12. And Jacob told Rachel that he was a relative of her father, and that he was Rebekah’s son. And she ran and told her father. Jacob calls himself “brother” to Laban, of course in the broad sense of “kinsman” (Russian translation), as Abraham and Lot are called “brothers” (Gen 13:8). The maiden runs home, as Rebekah did (Gen 24:28), but tells of the visitor not to her mother, as that one did, but to her father; perhaps, as the rabbis remark, Laban’s wife was no longer living at that time; in the further narrative she is not mentioned at all.

Laban meets and receives Jacob

Genesis 29:13. When Laban heard the news of Jacob, the son of his sister, he ran to meet him, embraced him, kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. Hearing from his daughter of his nephew’s arrival, Laban—this man of calculation and self-interest—surrenders to the stirrings of family feeling: he runs to meet Jacob, embraces him, kisses him, and cordially brings him into his house—displays of family affection natural and customary in the East. Jacob tells Laban all these things, that is, “his kindred, his adventures, and the unexpected discovery, by the providence of God, of Laban’s house” (Metropolitan Philaret).

Genesis 29:14. Laban said to him: Truly you are my bone and my flesh. And Jacob lived with him for a whole month. In order for Laban to be convinced of the justice of Jacob’s account and to recognize in him his blood relative, the latter had to remain with his uncle for at least several days: as a guest Jacob lived with him for a whole month, during which time, without doubt, he showed himself to be a strong and diligent worker, which explains Laban’s words.

He makes a contract with him

Genesis 29:15. Laban said to Jacob: Because you are my relative, should you serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be? Here, under the guise of concern for Jacob’s interests, Laban inquires whether Jacob’s labor will prove too costly for him. Not equating Jacob to hired workers, Laban is nonetheless not averse to exploiting his work capacity and talents. In response to Laban’s question, Jacob makes it understood (v. 18) that he does not pursue money but desires marriage to his daughter.

Genesis 29:16–17. Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance. Rachel’s beauty (Hebrew Rachel—sheep) consisted, in addition to general beauty of form, in a special delicacy and liveliness of the eyes—the chief mark of a beautiful woman (and even of a man, see 1 Sam 16:12) in the understanding of Eastern peoples; meanwhile, Leah (Hebrew Leah—wild cow; then, laboring, suffering), while perhaps beautiful in other respects, had precisely a constitutional defect of the eyes: an illness, according to the rabbis, that came from Leah’s constant weeping over the fact that, as Laban’s elder daughter, she would have to marry the impious Esau. “Great is the power of prayer: it not only canceled this fate but also helped Leah to marry a righteous man before Rachel” (Rabbi Huna, Beresch. r., s. 344).

Genesis 29:18–19. Jacob loved Rachel and said: I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter. Laban said to him: It is better for me to give her to you than to give her to another man; live with me. The mutual agreement between Jacob and Laban bears the marks of Biblical-Hebrew and generally Eastern customs. By the custom of ancient and even modern the East, it is not the father of the bride who gives a dowry to the groom, but rather the latter pays the father of the bride—a bride-price, Hebrew mohar (see Gen 24:53), usually securing (by the document “ketuba”) the wife’s support in case of divorce. Jacob, a propertyless wanderer (Gen 32:10), offers in place of bride-price his personal labor for 7 years: the replacement of bride-price was not unusual even in biblical antiquity (David to Saul for Michal, 1 Sam 18:25-27); earlier—Othniel married Achsah, daughter of Caleb (Josh 15:16-17, both—personal feat of valor), and now in the East. But in this same agreement there appear and astonish, on the one hand, the humility and lack of demands of Jacob, which he had already earlier shown (Gen 28:20), though he had the possibility to make heavier demands on Laban and from his father to require the portion of inheritance belonging to him; and on the other hand, the self-interest of Laban, who did not hesitate to turn his nephew, “his bone and flesh,” into a worker; this deed was not approved afterward by Laban’s daughters (Gen 31:15). According to the rabbis, Jacob, as if foreseeing deception from Laban, with special precision names exactly Rachel, the younger daughter of Laban; by this he also expressed that, as the younger son of Rebekah, he should marry the younger daughter of Laban. Laban readily agrees to Jacob’s proposal, which secured him seven years of free labor; but his agreement, Laban motivates with a more respectable ground—the requirement of Eastern custom (which still has force there) to prefer marriages of close kinship to marriages with strangers.

Genesis 29:20. Jacob served for Rachel seven years, and they seemed to him like only a few days because of the love he had for her. The example of Jacob’s love shows that the ancient Semites were not unfamiliar with the most elevated love between the sexes. Some commentators supposed that Jacob’s marital living with Laban’s daughters began already at the beginning of the first seven-year period of his service, since otherwise it is difficult to understand how twelve children were born to Jacob in the following seven years, and particularly because there was a considerable interval between the birth of Judah (Gen 29:35) and Issachar (Gen 30:17-18) to Leah. But in explanation of the latter difficulty one must remember that some of Jacob’s children were born—from different wives and concubines—simultaneously. The supposition itself is directly refuted by v. 21, which says that Jacob demands marriage only after the completion of 7 years of service.

Genesis 29:21. Jacob said to Laban: Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may go in to her. The Midrash gives the following paraphrase: “The Lord promised me that from me would come 12 tribes; but I am already 84 years old; when then shall I become the father of those tribes?” (Beresch. r., s. 345).

Jacob’s marriage to Leah

Genesis 29:22. Laban gathered all the people of the place and made a feast. Despite his shrewdness, Laban gathers many guests for the celebration: perhaps to have witnesses in case of vigorous objections from Jacob concerning the forthcoming deception, or to make the latter easier through revelry, or finally, having in view to celebrate both weddings at once.

Genesis 29:23. In the evening, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him; and he went in to her. The substitution of the bride itself was quite possible thanks to the custom of ancient and modern the East—to bring the bride into the bridal chamber under a veil and in darkness: “there were neither lamps nor any other lighting except as needed, and thus the deception was accomplished” (John Chrysostom, Homily 56, p. 598). Leah, who was an accomplice in the deception, according to the Midrash (Beresch. r., s. 346), justified herself before Jacob thus: “Is there a master who does not have a student resembling him (that is, you first taught me to deceive: did you not pass yourself off as Esau, when your father asked your name)?”

Genesis 29:24. Laban gave to his daughter Leah his maidservant Zilpah as her servant. As Rebekah, upon leaving her father’s house, received as a gift several maidservants (Gen 24:61), so too Laban gave Leah Zilpah as part of her dowry; and according to the rabbis, even here Laban made a substitution—for completeness of the deception, giving Leah Zilpah, who until then had been Rachel’s maidservant, and conversely.

Genesis 29:25–26. In the morning, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban: What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me? Laban said: In our country, it is not done to give the younger before the elder. The amazed Jacob asks Laban about the reason for the deception, to which he receives a plausible motive: Laban appeals (v. 26) to the custom of the region not to marry off the younger sister or daughter before the elder; such a custom indeed existed and exists in Asia Minor, in India, and in other lands. But this does not justify Laban’s deception. “If Laban had truly wished to observe the order and the accepted custom, he should have revealed his intention to Jacob before the condition about seven years of work. But the cunning he employed shows that he wished not so much to render justice to the elder daughter as to acquire in the son-in-law a cheap worker for another seven years” (Metropolitan Philaret, Notes on Genesis 2, 60).

Genesis 29:27. Finish the week of this one, and we will give you the other as well, in exchange for the service you will render me for another seven years. Wishing to smooth over his guilt before Jacob and at the same time to ensure for himself the obligation of Jacob to work another seven years, Laban offers him to finish the marriage week with Leah (schebua—exactly a week, seven days, not seven years, as in Dan 9:2) and then to enter into marriage with Rachel.

Jacob’s marriage to Rachel

Genesis 29:28. Jacob did so, and finished the week of Leah. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. Jacob, immediately after the marriage week of Leah, marries Rachel (not after new 7 years of work, as early commentators supposed, following the example of Josephus and St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Бытие 61, 599).

Genesis 29:29. Laban gave to his daughter Rachel his maidservant Bilhah as her servant. And to his second daughter Laban gives in her own right the maidservant Bilhah. Both maidservants are named and mentioned specifically in the history of Jacob’s marriage because both of them became for him wives of the second rank (Gen 30:3).

Leah bears four sons

Genesis 29:31. The Lord saw that Leah was unloved, and he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. Instead of “unloved,” the Greek-Slavonic version more accurately conveys the Hebrew senuah—“hated”; but the sense is one: Jacob, in comparison with the passionately loved Rachel, almost did not notice, did not value Leah (“amorem sequentis priorui praetulit,” Vulgate). The Lord Jehovah, who graciously looks upon all the unfortunate and wronged (Gen 14:7), extends His mercy even to her who did not have complete marital happiness: she becomes a mother first, while Rachel remains barren (that one of two wives was loved, aguvah, and the other unloved, senuah, was a common occurrence, Deut 21:15).

Genesis 29:32. Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, saying: “Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction [and has given me a son], for surely now my husband will love me.” Following the custom of antiquity (see Gen 4:1), the mother, Leah, names Jacob’s firstborn. Reuben, Hebrew Ruben—behold, a son—a natural exclamation of joy from a mother. But in the verse is given a somewhat different etymology of the name, based on the not uncommon play on words in Hebrew: raah beani—“the Lord looked upon my affliction.” Jewish commentators, paying attention to the word (v. 31) vajiphtach, “and opened,” supposed that Leah also was completely barren, and that the 12 patriarchs were born in no less a supernaturally unusual manner as Isaac, Esau, and Jacob.

Genesis 29:33. She conceived again and bore a son, and said: “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, he has given me this son too.” And she called his name Simeon. If Reuben (perhaps—Ruben? Or—raah beani—see above) expresses that God saw Leah, then Shin-on—Simeon—expresses that He heard her. By its idea and significance the name Simeon is identical with the name Ishmael (Gen 16:11), only the birth of the first four sons of Leah is ascribed properly to Jehovah, whereas the birth of Ishmael, and likewise the subsequent sons of Leah, is ascribed to God under the common name Elohim.

Genesis 29:34. She conceived again and bore a son, and said: “Now this time my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. “Levi” in Hebrew means “attachment” (Vulgate: “copulabitur”). If at the birth of her first son Leah hoped to earn her husband’s greater love through him, through the second to achieve equality with her sister, then the birth of the third awakens in her the expectation, at least, of constancy of affection from her husband. The Midrash interprets “attachment” to mean that the sons of Levi will be devoted to their heavenly Father. The masculine form of the verb “to name” in relation to Levi, the rabbis attributed either to the Angel, who supposedly gave the name Levi, or to Jacob. The Midrash says that Leah, knowing that from all 4 wives of Jacob were to come 12 sons, after the birth of her third son, decided she would bear no more: hence the expression of hope in Levi, and then—the rapture of unexpectedness at the birth of Judah.

Genesis 29:35. She conceived again and bore a son, and said: “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing. Judah—“Yehudah”: may he be blessed or praised (Jehovah). Leah first of all praises Jehovah, and then also Judah with his posterity (see Gen 49:8-10; 1 Chr 28:4; 1 Chr 5:2).

Chapter Thirty

Rachel, grieved by her barrenness, gives her maidservant Bilhah to Jacob as a concubine

Genesis 30:1. When Rachel saw that she bore no children to Jacob, Rachel envied her sister and said to Jacob: “Give me children, or I shall die!” The mutual jealousy of wives, an inevitable companion of polygamy in general, acquires special force and sharpness when one wife was barren while the other had children (see 1 Sam 1:2; Deut 21:15 and following). This evil was not absent from Jacob’s family: “they were imperfect, the daughters of a man with false gods, calling idols gods. Therefore the Lawgiver God forbids such marriage and says: ‘You shall not take a wife and her sister as rivals’ (Lev 18:18); (Blessed Theodoret, Answer to Question 87). Rachel’s demand for children from Jacob, apart from God, on her part is unreasonable and impious, “characteristic of a wife and a soul tormented by jealousy” (John Chrysostom, Homily 61, p. 601). Therefore it provokes Jacob’s anger, although the burden of childlessness among the ancient Hebrews made it almost a synonym for death (only leprosy and blindness were considered comparable disasters, also compared to death), as indeed Rachel says here, and this mitigates her guilt.

Genesis 30:2. Jacob became angry with Rachel and said: “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” Jacob directs Rachel’s thought to God, the Author of all life and the source of the increase of mankind through childbearing (Gen 1:28; Ps 126:3). According to ancient Hebrew understanding (Beresch. r. par. 78, s. 355), God keeps three keys, which He does not give to any Angel or Seraph: life and birth (1 Sam 2:5-6; Ps 112:9); rain or fruitfulness (Deut 28:12); and grave and resurrection (Ezek 37:12-13). A reverential and comforting teaching that places in the hand of God Himself the beginning, continuance, and completion of human existence (Metropolitan Philaret, Notes on Genesis 2, 65-66).

Genesis 30:3. She said: Here is my maidservant Bilhah; go in to her, that she may bear upon my knees, and that I too may have a child through her. Following the example of Sarah, who offered Abraham Hagar (Gen 16:2), Rachel gives her maidservant Bilhah to Jacob as a wife with the condition that the children from this union would be born “upon my knees” (see Gen 30:3; Job 3:12), that is, by adoption would be counted as her own children—a custom that still exists in China and among the ancient Hebrews arose from that same passionate desire for posterity which moved the husband to polygamy (or at least bigamy) and the wife to make such a renunciation as willingness to temporarily cede her marital rights to her maidservant. Instead of: “that I may build myself a house (posterity) through her” the Hebrew reads (ibbaneh).

Genesis 30:6. Rachel said: “God has judged me and also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called him Dan. “Thus Rachel received some consolation when her maidservant bore; therefore she herself gives a name to the child” (Chrysostom 61, 603). The name “Dan” in Hebrew means “judged,” that is, God by His righteous judgment freed Rachel from the shame of childlessness. In Gen 49:16 the name Dan is linked with the task of the tribe of Dan “to judge” Israel.

Genesis 30:7–8. Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant, conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Rachel said: “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.” So she called his name Naphtali. The name Naphtali, Hebrew Naftali—“wrestling,” “struggle” (or “wrestler”), refers not so much to open struggle conducted with force as to struggle by cunning, by intrigue (Hebrew patal means “to twist,” “to wind,” from which niphtal, twisted, deceitful (see Job 5:13; Prov 8:8)). Rachel calls her struggle with Leah “divine,” perhaps in the sense of strength, the intensity of this struggle (see expressions: “mountains of God,” “cedars of God” (Ps 35:7)), or (according to the Targum) in the sense of Rachel’s prayerful appeal to God in her rivalry with Leah; by such prayer-struggle Jacob struggled later (Gen 32:24-30; Hos 12:3-4). To speak of Rachel’s victory over Leah after the former had borne only two and those adopted sons, while the latter already had 4 of her own, could be done only in that exalted state of spirit which Rachel was experiencing at that moment. The Septuagint, Vulgate, and Slavonic express the thought that Rachel only compared herself to her sister. In any case, there is no need for the supposition of Gunkel (p.302) that, according to the Elohist (supposed author of Genesis XXX), Leah until then had only one son.

Leah, from jealousy, gives Jacob her maidservant Zilpah and she bears Gad and Asher

Genesis 30:9. Leah saw that she had ceased bearing, and she took her maidservant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife, [and he went in to her]. The act of Leah, who already had 4 sons, is even less excusable than the long childless Rachel’s. But the boasting of the latter with all its force aroused jealousy in Leah, and she arranges a new cohabitation of Jacob; “knowing,” says Abarbanel, “that Jacob will have 4 wives, Leah hastens to prevent, as if he might not take a 4th wife from outside” (Philipps. 151).

Genesis 30:10–11. Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant, [conceived and] bore Jacob a son. Leah said: “Good fortune!” And she called his name Gad. Gad—with Hebrew meaning fortune (in Isa 65:11 Gad is a deity of fortune among pagans). The word bagad—in fortune or: to fortune, Septuagint: ἐυτύχη, Vulgate: feliciter, Slavonic: “good fortune befell me”—some Hebrew manuscripts (in Kennicott) divide it into two: ba + gad, “comes or has come fortune”; this reading is noted among the Masoretes by the sign Keri. But the authority of the Septuagint, Josephus, the Targum, and the parallelism of the word bagad with the word beaschri (v. 13) speak in favor of the first reading. To the question: why Scripture mentions fortune here, Blessed Theodoret answers (p. 88): “the words: ‘good fortune befell me’ are spoken not by Jacob, but by his wife Leah, reared not in godliness or poorly instructed in the divine.” In Gen 49:19 the name Gad is linked with the word gedud, band, troop (“a troop comes,” that is, of children, as some interpreted).

Genesis 30:12–13. Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant, [conceived again and] bore Jacob another son. Leah said: “Happy am I! For the women will call me happy.” So she called him Asher. The name of the second son of Zilpah—Asher—by meaning is synonymous with the name Gad: beaschri (Vulgate: pro beatitudine mea)—“to my fortune, to my good”; the motive: “for the women will call me happy” (v. 13) reminds of the magnificent confession of the Mother of God (Luke 1:48).

Leah bears her last children: Issachar, Zebulun, and her daughter Dinah

Genesis 30:14. During the wheat harvest, Reuben went out and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah [her sister]: Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes. Reuben (who was probably about 5 years old at that time), during the wheat harvest, that is, in May, found mandrakes or mandrake apples in the field, Hebrew name: dudaim, amatoria (Septuagint: μῆλα μανδραγόρων)—apples of love; according to the most probable explanation, this plant is the so-called Atropa belladonna (a type of henbane), growing in Palestine or neighboring countries, with narcotic properties and believed to contribute to fertility. On the sturdy stem of this plant there appear greenish-white flower petals, serving as a harbinger of spring (Song 7:14), from which by May small reddish-yellow apples ripen, with a strong narcotic, though pleasant smell. The belief in the mysterious relation of this plant (by its form reminiscent of a human) led both in antiquity and in the Middle Ages to the preparation from it of a love potion. Apparently, mandrakes were rare in Mesopotamia, and the passionate Rachel, not having yet lost hope of having children of her own, resorts to the presumed magical power of mandrakes. In this bargaining about the latter, the struggle between Leah and Rachel reaches its highest degree.

Genesis 30:15–16. Leah said: Is it not enough that you have taken away my husband? Now you want to take my son’s mandrakes too? Rachel said: Very well, let him lie with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes. Jacob came in from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him and said: You must come in to me, for I have bought you with my son’s mandrakes. So he lay with her that night. Leah, sharing Rachel’s belief in the procreative power of mandrakes, refuses to give them to Rachel, and from both her reproach and Rachel’s answer it is evident that Rachel had completely won Jacob’s affection (see “prevailed,” v. 8), so that only with her permission, exchanging with her the mandrakes, Leah obtained marital intimacy with Jacob. Without doubt, the sacred author does not share the superstition of Leah and Rachel concerning the action of mandrakes and even less ascribes (contrary to the opinion of some rabbis and modern biblical critics) any influence on the subsequent bearing of children by Leah—Issachar and Zebulun—and by Rachel—Joseph: he represents all this as the work of God’s grace (Gen 30:18).

Genesis 30:17–18. God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. Leah said: “God has given me my reward, because I gave my maidservant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar. “Because God saw that Leah was grieved and did not enjoy her husband’s affection, He heard her” (John Chrysostom 56, 604). In the birth of her fifth son after some pause, Leah sees a reward from God for providing her maidservant to Jacob—by the understanding of that time (and perhaps from her special love toward Jacob), she considers this deed worthy of praise. In the name Issachar (with Hebrew either: “he will bring reward,” that is, God, according to Keri: “issa scnakar,” or: “there is reward”; according to Ketib: “esch sakar”), Leah expresses the idea of recompense, payment, pointing, on the one hand, to her self-denial in relation to the maidservant, and on the other, to her acquisition of Jacob from Rachel by the payment of mandrakes.

Genesis 30:19–20. Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. Leah said: “God has endowed me with a good gift; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. With the birth of her sixth (and last) son, Leah again expresses the hope for her husband’s affection (among the Arabs even now the value of a wife grows with the increase in the number of her sons); in her words there is the usual play on words in Hebrew: “zabad”—“zevad”—gave (God) a gift (a son); “zaval”—will honor (Jacob); from the latter word—“Zebulun” (according to Blessed Jerome—habitation).

Genesis 30:21. Afterward she bore a daughter and named her Dinah. “Dinah”—judging (the feminine form of the word “Dan,” v. 6). Nothing more is said concerning the name of the daughter—in view of the lesser importance of women in ancient Hebrew genealogies; likewise other daughters of Jacob are not mentioned (Gen 46:7)—for the same reason. Dinah, born perhaps later, is mentioned here because of the incident that befell her in Shechem (Gen 34) and for the completeness of the account of Jacob’s children.

Rachel bears Joseph

Genesis 30:22–23. God remembered Rachel, and God heeded her and opened her womb. She conceived and bore a son and said: “God has taken away my shame.” She conceived and bore a son for Jacob, and Rachel said: “God has taken away my shame.” “God remembered” – in biblical language means: sent mercy after a trial (cf. Gen 8:1; 1 Sam 1:11). “Shame” – barrenness (cf. Isa 4:1; Luke 1:25).

Genesis 30:24. And she called his name Joseph, saying: “May the Lord add to me another son.” And the name “Joseph” (like Zebulun, v. 20, and Issachar, v. 18) in Rachel’s lips has a twofold origin and meaning: “taking away, removing” (shame of barrenness) and “adding, giving more” (i.e., another son) – “God has taken away the shame and may He add another son,” said Rachel; the latter wish, according to the rabbis, was a prophecy (Beresch. r. Par. 72:5, 354); it came true in the birth of Benjamin (Gen 35:16-18), and Rachel died.

Jacob, preparing to return to Canaan, makes a new agreement with Laban, works for him again for 6 years, and through his skill and cunning, becomes wealthy

Genesis 30:25–26. After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban: “Send me away, that I may go to my place and to my own land;” give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know the service I have given you.” Immediately after Joseph’s birth, when the agreed – 14-year period of Jacob’s service with Laban ended, Jacob expresses his determination to return home, which may have been prompted by some news from his house (tradition tells that Rebekah sent to Jacob her nurse Deborah (Gen 35:8) to make him return home, as she had promised him (Gen 27:45), see Philipps. p. 184), and especially by the bitter realization that during 14 years of unpaid work for stingy Laban he had acquired nothing for his family (cf. v. 30); at this point Jacob (in the words – “send me away,” “you know my service”) makes a hint that he has earned some support from Laban, a hint which Laban understood (see v. 28). That, however, Jacob’s decision to separate from Laban was not yet firm, is evident from the fact that he soon agrees to remain with his father-in-law on new conditions: all the more earnestly, therefore, from this point on does Jacob pursue the goal of securing his large family, by means which, as appears from what follows, were not always morally irreproachable.

Genesis 30:27–28. And Laban said to him: “I pray that I may find favor in your sight! I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake.” “Name your wages to me,” he said, “and I will give them to you.” Laban, knowing from experience the great value of Jacob’s service, begins his persuasion for him to stay in a humble and beseeching tone. “I have learned” – from the Hebrew: “I have divined” (cf. Gen 44:15), – perhaps by means of the teraphims that Laban possessed (according to the Masoretic text) (Gen 31:19 and others); but a broader meaning of the Hebrew nachasch is also possible – in the sense of “to guess.” Laban acknowledges (v. 27) that since Jacob’s arrival his household has prospered particularly (cf. v. 30) and offers him, as before (Gen 29:15), to name his own wages.

Genesis 30:29–30. Then Jacob said to him: “You know how I have served you, and how your cattle have fared with me;” for it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased abundantly; the Lord has blessed you since my coming; but now, when shall I provide for my own household also? A new agreement between son-in-law and father-in-law now begins, characterized on the surface by purely Eastern courtesy and verbosity, and at the same time showing Laban’s extraordinary shrewdness. In his reply, Jacob repeats Laban’s thought about the prospering of Laban’s household since his own arrival, and now directly expresses his intention to soon begin working for the benefit of his own family.

Genesis 30:31–32. Then Laban said: “What shall I give you?” And Jacob said: “Give me nothing at all. If you will do this one thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flocks.” “I will pass through all your flocks today, removing from them every speckled and spotted animal, every dark-colored lamb among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. Such shall be my wages [and shall be mine].” When asked by Laban what wages Jacob would wish to receive from him henceforth, Jacob, using a method characteristic of the ancient (Gen 23:6-18) and modern East, first as it were declines any wages, but then agrees to continue serving Laban on the following condition: he will receive his reward in kind – speckled and dark sheep and speckled goats. This condition was to go into effect immediately upon its agreement (see the addition of the LXX at the end of v. 32: words placed in brackets in the Russian (Synodal) translation): animals with the noted markings, those present, now passed into Jacob’s ownership, and so it was to be in the future. But animals of the designated colors are a rarity in the East: sheep there are usually white (Song 4:2), and goats are black.

Genesis 30:34. And Laban said: “Good, let it be according to your word.” Thus “Jacob asked of Laban what, according to the natural order of things, seemed difficult or entirely impossible, and Laban, for this very reason, did not hesitate to agree to his demand” (John Chrysostom, Homily 57, p. 608). But Jacob’s skill overcame the natural order of things (v. 37).

Genesis 30:35–36. Then he separated the spotted and speckled male goats, and all the spotted and speckled female goats (every one that had any white in it), and all the dark lambs, and gave them into the hands of his sons; and he set three days’ journey between himself and Jacob. Jacob was pasturing the rest of Laban’s flocks. The subject who “separated” the single-colored cattle from the many-colored, including in the latter the dark lambs, according to the connection with the preceding (34) verse and with the following speech, is Laban; “his sons” – meaning, the sons of Laban, since Jacob’s sons were still too young to be entrusted with the care of the flocks; moreover, Laban’s distrust of Jacob moved him to entrust the cattle separated as a reward to Jacob to the supervision of his own sons, while setting a distance “between himself” and the flocks of his own, entrusted to Jacob, and between the flocks of Jacob, which his sons were now to tend. Thus Laban, accepting (in agreement with Jacob’s own proposal) measures to protect his own cattle from passing into Jacob’s ownership, Jacob, in turn, employs the following three methods to increase the number of animals of the agreed colors in his own herd – and achieves his goal, although by means that are morally irreproachable.

Genesis 30:37–39. And Jacob took fresh poplar rods, almond rods, and plane-tree rods, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white of the rods, and placed the peeled rods in the drinking troughs, where the cattle came to drink, so that they might conceive when coming to drink. And the flocks concealed before the rods, and the flocks brought forth speckled, spotted, and speckled offspring. First method: as an experienced herder, Jacob utilizes the well-known extreme susceptibility of sheep and goats to external impressions and sensory perceptions during mating – in the drinking troughs he places before the eyes of the heated females speckled rods of poplar, plane-tree, and almond-tree, skillfully stripping them of bark and making them many-colored. The consequence of this was the mass birth of animals with various kinds and forms of spots and speckles, which, according to the agreement (vv. 33–34), became Jacob’s property. It may be thought that Jacob in this “did not rely upon the hewn rods, but waited for God’s help” (answer to question 90 by the blessed Theodoret), and that in what was happening there was “much that is marvelous and exceeding the natural order of things” (John Chrysostom, 57, 609).

Genesis 30:40. And Jacob separated the lambs, and set the flocks to face the speckled and all the dark of the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves and did not mix them with Laban’s flock. Second method: in addition to the impression on sheep and goats produced by the speckled rods, Jacob, having in mind the same law of nature, produced an impression upon them by the sight of speckled cattle, causing the latter to pass before the eyes of the females, but remembering the agreement, not to mix his own cattle with Laban’s.

Genesis 30:41–42. And whenever the stronger livestock were breeding, Jacob placed the rods in the watering troughs in front of the livestock, so they would conceive near the rods. And when the livestock were feebler, he did not place them. So the feebler livestock fell to Laban, and the stronger to Jacob. Finally, the third method: wishing to have cattle not only in large quantity, but also of good quality, and on the other hand – not to make the increase of his own cattle too conspicuous to Laban, Jacob applied the said two methods only at the time when stronger livestock were breeding, i.e., in early spring (Rosenmüller, Scholia, 1:1, p. 478–479), and when weaker livestock were to breed, he left the matter to nature itself, and the livestock were born single-colored, falling to Laban.

Genesis 30:43. Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks [and herds], and female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys. The livestock which Jacob continually acquired in greater quantity, he sold and bartered for the things he needed: thus he became rich – the blessing of Isaac clearly began to be fulfilled in Jacob. But at the same time his relationship with Laban began to become strained – again a situation was created for Jacob requiring divine aid and guidance, and it was given to him (ch. 32–33). * * * According to Josephus (Antiqu. I, 18, 19) the meaning of “Naphtali” is ἀμηχάνητος – διὰ τὸ ἀντιτεχνάσασθαι (“unconquerable, by reason of wrestling by skill”). Mahanaim: Hebrew Bible: Lectures by Z. Dashevsky on the book “Shmuel”. – “Those teraphims which Rachel stole from Laban were clearly, as appears from the text of the Torah, the objects of idolatry. Laban directly says to Jacob: ‘Why did you steal my gods?’ There is no reason to even think that in David’s house there could be any such object. Teraphim is a noun in the plural form, but it is completely obvious that this does not necessarily denote a multitude of objects; it is called this way because of its large size, for example. According to the majority of opinions, this is a figure of some kind having human forms.”

Chapter Thirty-One

Jacob prepares to return home and announces it to his wives

Genesis 31:1–3. And Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s, he has acquired all this wealth. And Jacob saw Laban’s face, and behold, it was not toward him as it had been before and the day before. And the Lord said to Jacob, Return to the land of your fathers and to your native place, and I will be with you. The new six years of Jacob’s service with Laban had enriched him, but this circumstance aroused Laban’s discontent and that of his sons: their reproachful remarks to Jacob and Laban’s unfriendly attitude toward him, having forgotten what he had said to Jacob before (Gen 30:27): ‘The Lord has blessed me for your sake’ (Chrysostom, Homily 57, 609), – created for Jacob a position in Haran that was as difficult as what he had faced earlier in his native place, and now his thoughts turned decidedly toward it. But God’s revelation, which commanded Jacob to return to Canaan, drawing him also from danger from Laban, as he had once been saved from Esau’s hatred, finally confirmed Jacob in the necessity of returning to his homeland. This intention, with detailed explanation (vv. 4–16), Jacob communicates to Rachel and Leah and receives their consent.

Genesis 31:4. And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock of small cattle, Jacob summoned his wives to the field so that his decision would not be revealed prematurely; in this, his beloved Rachel is mentioned before Leah. Laban’s flocks Jacob found it possible to leave and remain with his own livestock.

Genesis 31:5–6. And he said to them, I see that your father’s face is not toward me as it was before and the day before; but the God of my father was with me; you yourselves know that I have served your father with all my strength, Preparing his wives for the resolution to leave their father and go to Canaan, Jacob points to: the altered relations of Laban toward him; his own conscientiousness and diligence in work; and the divine assistance, which manifested itself in the multiplication of Jacob’s flocks and which now calls him to return to Canaan. Jacob calls the Creator of heaven and earth and God of all the God of his father, perhaps adapting to his wives’ understanding of idols (which, according to v. 19, were in Laban’s house), or expressing that the God of the universe is for him the God of the promises given to his fathers (cf. Rosenmüller, p. 481).

Genesis 31:7–8. But your father deceived me and changed my wages ten times; but God did not allow him to do me harm. When he said, The spotted livestock shall be your wages, then all the livestock bore spotted. And when he said, The striped shall be your wages, then all the livestock bore striped. Jacob points to that in which Laban’s ill will toward him was actually manifested: he changed the agreed wages ten times or generally several times – ten times is used in an indefinite sense, as a round number (e.g., in Num 14:22; Job 19:3) – cutting its amount at his pleasure, despite all of Jacob’s diligence (v. 6). The Slavonic version: “ten lambs” – a translation of the Greek τῶν δέκα ἀμνῶν, an erroneous reading, – according to interpreters (Capella, Bochart, etc.) should be μνῶν (Aquila: ἀριυμούς; Vulgate: decem vicibus).

Genesis 31:9. And God took all the livestock from your father and gave it to me. But God did not permit Laban’s will to prevail; on the contrary, He transferred the greater part of his livestock to Jacob: Jacob says nothing about his own efforts in this direction, though certainly he does not deny them altogether; but he especially emphasizes the heavenly protection afforded him through all of Laban’s injustices.

Genesis 31:11–13. The angel of God said to me in a dream, Jacob! And I said, Here I am. He said, Lift up your eyes and see: all the male goats and rams that have mounted the females are spotted, speckled, and dappled, for I see all that Laban is doing to you; I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land and return to the land of your birth and I will be with you. Having already pointed to the fact that the gradual transfer of the greater part of Laban’s livestock to Jacob is the work of God’s blessing on him, the work of his protection from Laban’s injustice, Jacob now shows his wives how he came to be convinced of God’s blessing toward him; he speaks of a whole series of dreams he had, some of which took place at the beginning of his six-year period of service, and others at the end of this period. In the first case, whenever Jacob was grieved by a new injustice from Laban, he saw in a dream the fulfillment of his desire; the angel of God showed him that the sheep and goats that would be born would be of exactly those colors that according to agreement belonged to Jacob – God, seeing the injustice done to him by Laban, by His creative power guarded Jacob’s well-being and, it is supposed, forgave his not always lawful actions in the struggle against Laban’s avarice. In v. 13 is mentioned a more recent vision of Jacob, in which the angel of the Lord, reminding Jacob of a vision he once had at Bethel and the vow he made there, commands him to return home. The translation of the LXX (Slavonic and Russian) adds God’s promise – always to be with Jacob. By all this account Jacob intended to convince his wives to go with him to Canaan. It is characteristic that the angel of God is designated by the name of God and identified with Jehovah, who appeared to Jacob at Bethel on his way to Mesopotamia (Gen 28:12-13). “Having called Him above the Angel, he now shows that He is God, because He Himself says: ‘I am the God who appeared to you’ on the way. And he saw the angels ascending and descending on the ladder, and the Lord established above it. He named Him here both Angel and God – God by nature, Angel so that we might know that the one who appeared was not the Father, but the only-begotten Son… and the angel of great counsel” (Blessed Theodoret, in answer to question 90). In the blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob calls (Gen 48:15-16) this angel of the Lord, the Son of God before His incarnation, – the Angel-Deliverer.

Genesis 31:14–16. Rachel and Leah answered him, Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? Are we not considered as foreigners to him? For he has sold us, and has even consumed our money; therefore all the wealth and possessions that God has taken from our father are ours and our children’s; so do all that God has said to you. The answer of Rachel and Leah, remarkable for the unanimity of these longtime rivals in this case, first affirms that nothing now binds them to Laban’s house, and therefore there is no obstacle on their part to Jacob’s departure with his family from Haran to Canaan (v. 14); second, contains a bitter and just complaint about the greed and heartlessness of their father, who regarded them (as he did Jacob) as servants, not leaving them their bride-price – the compensation of the fourteen years of Jacob’s service for them; meanwhile, it is evident that the custom of the time and place required exactly such use of the bride-price (v. 15); third, contains a complete justification of all of Jacob’s activity in acquiring property, which Rachel and Leah regard as an inalienable possession of themselves and their children (v. 16), and at the same time, a complete agreement to follow Jacob.

Jacob with all his family and all his possessions, in secret from Laban, departs for Canaan

Genesis 31:17–19. And Jacob rose and set his children and his wives upon camels, and took all his livestock and all his property that he had acquired, his own livestock that he had acquired in Mesopotamia, and all that was his, to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. And as Laban went to shear his sheep, Jacob now hastily prepares his family, livestock and all his possessions and, taking advantage of Laban’s absence, who is at the festival of sheep-shearing, which lasted several days (1 Sam 25:2 and others), immediately sets out on his journey with his entire caravan. The time, judging by the festival of sheep-shearing, was spring, the most convenient season for travel in hot lands. Rachel took her father’s household gods. The teraphim that Rachel stole from her father were a kind of penates, household gods (cf. v. 30), used for inquiring about the future: they had the form of a human figure (1 Sam 19:13). It is possible that the teraphim are mentioned in Joshua’s speech about the gods whom the patriarchs of the Hebrew people served (Josh 24:2). But it is more probable to see in the reported case a superstition, and in the teraphim – a kind of talismans. Rachel stole them, perhaps intending to deprive Laban of the ability to learn which way Jacob had gone; or perhaps Laban’s teraphim attracted Rachel’s attention because of their material value. The Midrash sees the reason in the fact that Rachel did this to free her father from his superstition. The Blessed Theodoret held the same view of Rachel’s deed: “some say that Rachel stole the idols from devotion to them. But I think the opposite, namely that she stole them with the intention and aim of freeing her father from superstition” (in answer to question 91). John Chrysostom understands Rachel’s deed differently and perhaps more accurately: “the daughters still held to their father’s custom and had great respect for the idols” (Homily 57, 613).

Genesis 31:20–23. But Jacob stole away unaware to Laban the Syrian, because he did not inform him that he was departing. And he left with all that he had; and rising up, he crossed the river and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead. On the third day, Laban was told that Jacob had fled. Then he took his brothers and relatives with him and pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. Jacob “stole away” the heart of Laban the Syrian (according to the Hebrew text; the Greeks and Slavs have no such idiom, v. 20) – a play on words (cf. v. 19); the meaning of the expression is determined by the second half of the verse: he left secretly, taking with him all his relatives’ daughters (cf. v. 26). The designation of Laban as “Syrian” (Slavonic: “Aramean”) here and below (v. 24) is intended, according to Clericus, not to designate Laban’s fatherland, but to mark the character of this man, since the Syrians from ancient times were considered the most cunning and deceitful of all peoples; Jacob outwitted the most cunning (Rosenmüller, p. 487). Jacob crossed the river, i.e., the Euphrates, and directed himself to the southwest – toward the hill country of Gilead. The latter name here (v. 21) is used proleptically, since according to v. 47 it was only Jacob who gave the hill this name. The place where Laban overtook Jacob ten days after his flight: for 3 days Laban still did not know of Jacob’s escape, v. 22, and for 7 days he pursued him to the hill country of Gilead, v. 23. Later, as is known, the entire Transjordanic region was called Gilead, and the river Jabbok divided it into northern and southern parts. In this case, it probably means the most northern part of the territory, nearest to Mesopotamia, and not the present Jelad on the Jabbok: Jacob, with the slowness of his caravan’s movement (cf. Gen 33:13), could not have reached here in ten days. On the same hill, perhaps on different slopes, Jacob with his family and Laban with his relatives-companions were stationed separately (v. 25).

Laban pursues him, overtakes him with intention to take revenge on his son-in-law, but being enlightened from above, becomes reconciled with what has happened and concludes, before the final separation with his son-in-law, daughters and grandchildren, a friendly covenant with Jacob

Genesis 31:24. And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night and said to him, Be careful lest you speak to Jacob either good or bad. Protecting the inviolability of His chosen one, God (called here by the general name Elohim, not by the specifically theocratic name Jehovah) appears in a dream to the heathen Laban to warn him against violence to Jacob, as He had appeared earlier to Abimelech for the sake of Abraham (Gen 20:3). The Midrash sees a distinction in these divine appearances to heathen from those which were granted to members of the chosen people, in that the former happened only in dreams (cf. Job 4:13-16, Beresch. r. Par. LXXIV, s. 361–462), though the opposite also occurred: cf. the vision to Jacob (Gen 28:11-16) and the revelation to Balaam (Num 23-24). More accurately it can be said: the former divine appearances belong to the sphere of general divine providence, the latter have a theoretical and soteriological character; the former are connected with the Old Testament idea of Elohim, God of nature, the latter – with the idea of Jehovah, God of salvation. In any case, the fact that the Syrian Laban was deemed worthy of a divine appearance indicates that there was a good disposition in his soul.

Genesis 31:25–28. And Laban overtook Jacob, and Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban and his kinsmen pitched in the hill country of Gilead. And Laban said to Jacob, What have you done? You have deceived me and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword! Why did you flee secretly and deceive me, and not tell me? I would have sent you away with joy and songs, with tambourine and harp; and you have not allowed me even to kiss my grandsons and daughters! You have acted foolishly. Laban’s speech, breathing impetuous passion, nevertheless contains some favorable qualities of Laban’s character: first, quite tender, it seems, affection for his daughters and grandsons: he calls the former his own heart (see Hebrew text: “you have stolen my heart”) and is indignant that Jacob took them away like war captives (v. 26), not allowing Laban to escort his daughters and grandsons with triumph and music, customary in the East at meetings and farewells (cf. 1 Sam 18:6; Judg 11:34); (toph – a percussion instrument, “tambourine” – a kind of drum, kinnor – a stringed instrument, harp or lyre), and even depriving Laban of the pleasure of kissing his grandsons (vv. 27–28). According to the Midrash, Jacob remarked about this: you can do this even now, – and Laban did this at parting, (v. 55); second, the piety and obedience of Laban to God’s command (v. 29): “God’s command tamed his fury, bridled his rage, and he treats Jacob with meekness and as it were with paternal love” (John Chrysostom, Homily 57, 616–617).

Genesis 31:29–30. It is in my power to do you harm; but God said to me last night, ‘Be careful lest you speak to Jacob either good or bad.’ Well, you were eager to go to your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods? But Laban soon turns to threats and finally to the accusation of stealing the teraphim, which he calls his gods. Thus, reverence before the true God in Laban was obscured by crude pagan superstition, and love for his children – by egoism and vengefulness.

Genesis 31:31–32. Jacob answered Laban and said, I was afraid, for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen, look for what is yours and take it. (But he did not find anything.) Jacob did not know that Rachel his wife had stolen them. In his defense, Jacob first briefly and humbly answers Laban’s reproach about his secret departure from him: he feared that Laban, being unfavorably disposed toward him, would keep his wives and children, as he had previously deprived him of his rightful wages. To the second accusation – of stealing the teraphim – Jacob offers to conduct a thorough search in his camp, namely in the presence of witnesses from among Laban’s companions. In this case, if the teraphim were to be found with someone in Jacob’s camp, he, as patriarch and head of the family (Gen 9:25), pronounces – a curse on the guilty party (about the theft of Rachel, he did not know); according to the Midrash, this was an unthinking word – Rachel stole the teraphim and died (Beresch. r. Par. 74, s. 362).

Genesis 31:34–35. Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel’s saddle and sat on them. And Laban searched all the tents but did not find them. She said to her father, Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is upon me. And he searched but did not find the gods. Laban conducts the search in Jacob’s tents and in the tents of all his wives (who had separate tents). The cunning and resourcefulness of the guilty party in all this, Rachel, consisted in knowing the ancient custom, known to other peoples as well, and in the Mosaic legislation raised to the level of binding law (Lev 15:19-20) – a woman is unclean during menstruation, and any contact with her defiles, – Rachel hid the teraphim under the camel’s saddle and sat on all of it in the confidence that Laban would not dare to search her once she announced her unclean state. Remarkable in this is the profound respect with which the daughter addresses the father (v. 35), though neither Rachel nor Leah regarded Laban’s treatment of them and Jacob as normal and just (vv. 15–16).

Genesis 31:36–40. And Jacob became angry and upbraided Laban. Jacob said to Laban, What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have pursued after me? Since you have searched all my property, what have you found of all your property? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, and let them judge between us two. These twenty years I have been in your house; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks; What was torn by wild beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss myself. You required it of me, whether stolen by day or stolen by night; I was consumed by heat during the day and by frost during the night, and sleep fled from my eyes. Now that Laban’s search has come to nothing, Jacob, inclined perhaps to see in Laban’s suspicion a slander against himself, expresses with all his energy the feelings of deep bitterness against Laban – both for this last accusation (vv. 36–37) and for all of Laban’s injustices toward Jacob throughout all twenty years of his service to Laban, a service that was most careful and often demanded self-denial, yet met with extreme heartlessness from Laban. Experienced in the shepherd’s life, Jacob vividly depicts the unattractive features of his shepherd’s life with Laban, and with it the shepherding generally. It was the shepherd’s duty to ensure that pregnant ewes and goats did not miscarry; Jacob did not allow himself, like other shepherds, to take even an occasional lamb from his master’s flock for food (v. 38). On the contrary, Laban mercilessly demanded compensation for every missing animal, even if the loss occurred not during the day, when watching the flock is more favorable, but at night, when the shepherd’s vigilance naturally weakens (v. 39). To the grave moral conditions of service with Laban were added the discomforts of the shepherd’s physical life: an extremely sharp alternation between the highest heat during the day and intolerable cold at night. According to the testimony of travelers, in all of Western Asia and now, especially in the spring and autumn months, the difference between day and night temperatures is approximately the same as in a temperate climate – between summer and winter. The opposition of day heat and night cold is often found in the Bible (Jer 36:30). “Sleep… fled from” Jacob’s eyes – as a result of his particular care for the safety of the flock. “See the watchfulness of the shepherd? See the intense effort?” (John Chrysostom, Homily 57, 620).

Genesis 31:42. If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night. Jacob’s careful and even self-denying attitude toward his shepherd’s duties with Laban did not receive just appreciation from Laban: on the contrary, he seemed inclined to reduce Jacob’s wages by every means (cf. v. 7). And, in Jacob’s conviction, only God’s evident care for Laban’s well-being – evident even to Laban – held him back from completely depriving Jacob of all his acquired property. “Since God knows with what great zeal you have served and what labors you have endured… then, considering this, He, as the Lord who loves mankind, rebuked you last night, turned away from me your unjust and foolish attempts” (John Chrysostom, Homily 57, 621). In contrast to Laban’s polytheistic beliefs (v. 30, cf. v. 53), Jacob (as in his speech to his wives, v. 5) confesses the God of the universe to be the God of his father and grandfather, using expressions that are parallel to each other: “God of Abraham” and “Fear of Isaac.” The latter expression represents a metonymy, designating the object of Isaac’s fear, i.e., God; such a designation is applied to God in the prophet Isaiah (Isa 8:13). “By the Fear of Isaac he meant piety, that is, the fear of God; because Isaac carried the fear of God in his soul” (Blessed Theodoret, question 92). The feeling of fear, reverence before God, inalienable from religion generally and especially from Old Testament religion, seems to be ascribed to Isaac in a more specific sense – as an indication of Isaac’s individual characteristic. According to the rabbis, this name either meant that Isaac, when offered as a sacrifice, experienced the fear of God in a particularly strong degree, or that Isaac, as still living, inevitably experienced the feeling of the fear of God, and Jacob could not have said of his living father: “God of Isaac” (cf. H. Grotius, Annotatt. in V. T., 1.1, p. 39: non dicit Deus Isaaci, quia vivebat adhuc Isaac).

Genesis 31:43–44. And Laban answered and said to Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the livestock are my livestock, and all that you see is mine! How then can I do anything to my daughters and their children whom they have borne? Now come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between me and you. [And Jacob said to him: Behold, there is no one with us; see, God is witness between you and me.] Convinced by the passionate, and with justice, reproaches of Jacob, Laban assures his son-in-law of his absence of any ill intention toward Jacob’s family, which was akin to him, and as a pledge of good will offers to make a mutual covenant, the essence and content of which are indicated below, vv. 50 and 52: on Jacob’s part, it was an obligation to treat Laban’s daughters kindly and not to take wives beyond the present number (v. 50), and on the part of both, Jacob and Laban, the covenant was a guarantee that neither one nor the other would cross the boundary – the hill – established between them with hostile intent.

Genesis 31:45–46. So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial. And Jacob said to his kinsmen, Gather stones. They took stones and made a heap, and they ate and drank there on the heap. [And Laban said to him, This heap is a witness between me and you today.] The external expression, or monumental confirmation of the covenant, customary in the ancient East for contracts, is a stone stela, jointly erected by both parties (in accordance with the stone erected by Jacob at Bethel, Gen 28:18). As confirmation of the covenant, a meal is arranged on the newly erected heap (cf. Gen 26:30; Josh 9:14-15).

Genesis 31:47. And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha; but Jacob called it Galeed. Both Jacob and Laban point to the heap as a witness of the covenant (cf. Josh 4:3). But Jacob uses two Hebrew words: gal – ed, while Laban uses the corresponding Aramaic or Syrian words: jegar – sahaduta, from this we learn that already in the third generation of the patriarchs of the Hebrew people, the language they spoke in Canaan (the native land of Jacob) was dialectically different from the Aramaic or Chaldean language spoken in the land of Abraham’s origin. Consequently, the biblical Hebrew language was adopted by the biblical patriarchs from the native inhabitants of Canaan and Phoenicia.

Genesis 31:49. And he said, “Let the Lord watch between me and you when we are out of each other’s sight; Another name given to the place of the covenant between Jacob and Laban is “Mizpah” (in the LXX: Massiphah), that is, a watchtower, because, Laban says, after our separation God alone will be the guardian, the protector of the faithfulness of our mutual covenant obligations; He will also be the sole judge of the treacherous side (Vulgate: Intucatur et judicet Dominus inter nos quando recesserimus a nobis). Later, in the East-Jordanic part of the Holy Land, Mizpah or Massiphah of Gilead was known (Judg 11:29) in the tribe of Gad (Josh 11:3), distinguished from the Massiphah of the West-Jordan side of Benjamin (Judg 20:1). The name Gilead subsequently became the name of the entire region, from the borders of Moab to the river Hermon on the north (cf. Deut 3:13 and others).

Genesis 31:50–52. If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, remember that God is witness between me and you.” And Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap and see the pillar, which I have set between me and you. This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you for harm, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me for harm; In expressing the conditions and essence of the covenant, Laban sees the guarantee of faithfulness and the inviolability of the covenant solely in God, whom he solemnly invokes to protect the integrity of the proposed obligations and to punish the treacherous side. Jacob could have disrupted his family by taking other wives besides Leah and Rachel and their maidservants – Jacob’s concubines, and in this case it would naturally have been expected to worsen the position of both Leah and Rachel; besides, Laban fears that Jacob might return to Mesopotamia to take revenge on him: he therefore demands that Jacob never cross the “heap-witness” with hostile intent; peaceful and general friendly relations are here naturally implied as possible (cf. 1 Sam 20:34). Laban’s covenant with Jacob in its final form is rather an international contract than a personal alliance.

Genesis 31:53. May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor judge between us – the God of their father.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac. The concluding act of the covenant – the oath in God’s name – is performed by Laban and Jacob differently: in the former, in a polytheistic, in the latter, in a purely monotheistic, theocratic sense. However, having mentioned the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor as two different gods, Laban seems to correct himself, using the expression “God of their father.” “By the Fear of Isaac” – cf. v. 42.

Genesis 31:54. And Jacob offered a sacrifice on the hill and called his kinsmen to eat bread; and they ate bread and spent the night on the hill. A Hebrew commentator interprets it: “he slaughtered animals for a feast.” The shared meal of Jacob with Laban and his companions is mentioned both here and above in v. 46. Indeed, the Hebrew verb zabach has, besides a specifically sacrificial meaning, also a general one – to slaughter (1 Sam 28:24; 1 Sam 19:21), as does zebach – not only a sacrifice (usually a peace offering), but also a meal generally (Prov 17:1; Ezek 39:17). That here we are speaking not of a sacrifice, Hebrew commentators conclude from the fact that the entire reconciliation of Jacob with Laban bears the character of insincerity. In a similar case from the life of Isaac – in the covenant with Abimelech – there was only a feast (Gen 26:30). But of course, Jacob could have offered a proper sacrifice, a thanksgiving or, as it was later called in the Law of Moses, a peace sacrifice – zebach shelamim – (Lev 6:12): what Moses prescribed, could have existed earlier in practice and custom of worship.

Genesis 31:55. And early in the morning Laban rose and kissed his grandsons and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place. Laban gives one last expression to his family affection toward Jacob’s household, and, having kissed his grandsons and daughters, returns to his place, according to the Midrash, to his idols (Beresch. r. par. 74, s. 365). * * * Notes proleptically – assuming a hidden and for now inaccessible to outsiders meaning.

Chapter Thirty-Two

In fear of the impending meeting with Esau, Jacob receives encouragement from above—a vision of Angels and Jacob’s prayer

Genesis 32:1–2. And Jacob went on his way. [And he saw the camp of God encamped.] And the Angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said: this is the camp of God. And he called the name of that place Mahanaim. “Because Jacob’s fear before Laban had ceased and passed, and in its place came fear of his brother, the merciful Lord, wishing to encourage the righteous man and disperse all his anxiety, granted him to see the host of Angels” (Saint John Chrysostom, Discourse 58, p. 625). Based on the testimony of the Book of Yashar that, in contrast to Esau’s 400 men, sent by him at Laban’s instigation, Rebekah sent seventy-two men to defend Jacob, some Hebrew interpreters saw in the “Angels of God” or “camp of God” simply travelers, whose caravan encouraged Jacob in his fear. Josephus (Antiqu. 1:20, 81) speaks of certain “visions” (φαντάσματα) that came to Jacob as he approached Canaan and foretold to him “good hopes” for the future. But both interpretations plainly distort the direct sense of the biblical text: the “Angels of God” are the same heavenly guardians of God’s chosen one, whom he saw in a dream on the way to Mesopotamia (ch. 28). The name “camp of God” (machoneh Elohim) exactly corresponds to the title commonly used in the Old Testament for the angelic world “heavenly host” (Josh 5:14, Ps 102:21). That the host of Angels was often called “camp of God” is evident from (1 Chr 12:22). The dual form of the name “Mahanaim” is explained thus: Jacob at once sees two camps: the earthly (his own) and the heavenly (the Angels), or else—two hosts of Angels; the latter explanation was proposed, among others, by Rabbi Yarchi: according to him, one host was the guardian Angels of the land of Chaldea, who accompanied Jacob unharmed to the borders of Canaan, and the other host—the guardian Angels of the land of Canaan—were now receiving Jacob from the first for safekeeping (cf. commentary on Gen 28:12-13). The belief in guardianship by Angels of individual persons (Ps 33:8 and others) and of whole peoples and kingdoms (Dan 10:13)—is biblical teaching. Mahanaim—later a city of refuge (Josh 21:36)—is mentioned more than once in the history of David and Solomon (2 Sam 2:8).

Genesis 32:3. And Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, in the region of Edom, Having received encouragement from the heavenly messengers—Angels (maleachim)—Jacob sends earthly messengers (also maleachim, which is why the rabbis expressed the absurd notion of an embassy of Angels sent by Jacob) to Esau, in Seir. The latter name, which was Esau’s nickname (based on his external appearance, Gen 25:25), his other name being Edom (Gen 36:1), probably because of the incident with the lentils (Gen 25:30), is here used proleptically (as in Gen 14:6) of the mountainous and cave-rich territory of the troglodyte Horites, east of the Jordan, later occupied by the tribes of Esau (Deut 2:12). Esau with his family settled there later (Gen 36:6), but he may have already been roaming his future possessions, which offered advantages for his beloved occupation—hunting.

Genesis 32:4. and commanded them, saying: Thus shall you say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban and have remained there until now; The terms “lord” for Esau and “servant” for himself, spoken by Jacob, who had received the higher blessing and dominion over Esau, are an act of Eastern courtesy (cf. Gen 23:6; 1 Sam 24:9), and at the same time, with the suggestion of the possibility of gifts to Esau, an obvious captatio benevolentiae.

Genesis 32:6. And the messengers returned to Jacob and said: We came to your brother Esau; and behold, he is coming to meet you, and with him four hundred men. To this greeting no answer was received; instead, disturbing news came that Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men—probably from the tribe of Ishmael, with whom Esau had already earlier allied (Gen 28:9).

Genesis 32:7–8. Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps. And he said: If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the other camp may escape. Jacob’s fear, despite the divine promises of protection (Gen 28:13-15)—which not without reason the Jewish interpreters of old drew attention to—reveals, of course, the imperfection of Jacob’s faith in God’s Providence (his faith was extraordinarily inferior in strength and firmness to Abraham’s faith Gen 15:6). Accordingly, he first employs purely human means of defense against the expected hostile actions from Esau. It may be supposed, however, that, besides natural attachment to life and fear for himself and his family, Jacob’s inner uneasiness was also caused by the reproaches of his conscience for the deception he had practiced toward Esau. This higher motive naturally turns Jacob’s thoughts toward God.

Genesis 32:9–11. And Jacob said: O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord [God], who said to me: Return to your land, to your kindred, and I will do you good! I am unworthy of all the mercies and all the benefits that You have shown Your servant, for I crossed this Jordan with my staff, and now I have two camps. Deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, lest he come and strike me and the mothers with the children. In the awareness of the insufficiency of human strength and means as instruments of protection from the impending danger, Jacob turns with prayer to the God of the fathers. This, the first prayer in the Bible, if we do not count Abraham’s intercession for the Sodomites (Gen 18:23-32), has all the marks of true prayer, distinguished by sincerity, childlike simplicity, gratitude to God, humility before Him, and hope in Him alone. At the beginning of the prayer—a confession of God as the God of salvation and reference to the direct commandment (Gen 31:13) of God to Jacob to return to his homeland, with the promise—to be with him (v. 9). In comparison with the great benefits that the Lord has promised and already given to Jacob, he feels his nothingness, unworthiness, all the more so because he has tangible proof of God’s providence over him in the form of his enrichment in Mesopotamia, whereas he had set out there with only one staff (Hebrew interpreters, paying attention to the construction bemaqeli, with a staff, or more precisely, by means of a staff, believed that Jacob divided the Jordan with his staff). Urgently praying for deliverance, Jacob expresses fear for the safety of his family—“lest Esau strike him and the mothers with the children” (v. 11). The latter expression is an idiom (Hos 10:14; Deut 22:6), signifying completeness and at the same time the cruelty, bloodthirstiness of total destruction.

Genesis 32:12. You said: I will surely do you good and make your offspring like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted for multitude. The foundation of Jacob’s hope is the promises of God to him and his fathers (Gen 28:13).

To appease his brother, Jacob sends gifts ahead and crosses the Jabbok stream with his family

Genesis 32:13. And Jacob lodged there that night. And he took from what he had, and sent a gift to his brother Esau: Jacob remains to lodge at the place of prayer, according to Abarbanel, awaiting an answer to it. Under the impression of the prayer, Jacob revokes his original intention—to save at least half his camp by fleeing from Esau (v. 7)—and decides to go directly to meet Esau, sending gifts ahead of him.

Genesis 32:16–20. And he put in the hand of his servants each herd separately and said to his servants: Go on ahead of me and put a space between the herds. And he instructed the first, saying: When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, saying: Whose are you? And where are you going? And whose are these herds you are driving ahead of you? then you shall say: They belong to your servant Jacob; it is a gift sent to my lord Esau; and behold, he is behind us. And he gave the same instruction to the second and to the third and to all who followed the herds, saying: In this way you shall speak to Esau when you meet him; and you shall say: Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us. For he said to himself: I will appease him with the gifts that go before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will receive me. In the choice of the best of the flocks and in the order of sending them—in separate herds—and finally, in instructing the servants to prepare Esau for a gracious reception by Jacob, is evident great knowledge by Jacob of the human heart and the means to effect reconciliation on even the most wrathful of hearts.

Genesis 32:22–23. And he rose up that night and took his two wives and his two female servants and his eleven sons, and crossed over the Jabbok ford; and taking them, he sent them across the stream, and sent across all that he had. After sending his flocks and family across the Jabbok—to the southern side of it, Jacob remains on the northern side. The Jabbok stream, now the Zerka, rises in the hills of Bashan and flows into the Jordan from the left, almost at the midpoint between the Sea of Tiberias and the Dead Sea. Jacob remains alone, presumably for prayer.

Jacob wrestles with an Angel at Peniel and receives from the Angel the name Israel

Genesis 32:24–29. And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day; and when he saw that he did not prevail against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; and the socket of Jacob’s thigh was wrenched, as he wrestled with him. Then he said: Let me go, for the day is breaking. But Jacob said: I will not let you go, unless you bless me. And he said: What is your name? And he said: Jacob. And he said: Your name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God, and with men you have prevailed. Then Jacob also asked, saying: Tell me your name. And he said: Why do you ask my name? [It is wonderful.] And he blessed him there. The mysterious wrestler, who wrestled with Jacob by night, wounded his thigh, and renamed him Israel, according to the words of the prophet Hosea (Hos 12:3-4), was God. Jacob himself (v. 30) acknowledges that he saw God, the face of God. Therefore both Jewish and Christian interpretation of this passage equally recognize the wrestler as a manifestation from the heavenly world—an Angel. In this connection, the church Fathers and many later Christian commentators saw in this Angel the uncreated Angel—the Angel of the Lord, who had appeared to Jacob earlier at Bethel (ch. 28) and in Mesopotamia (ch. 31), and whom Jacob, according to his belief, protected throughout his life (Gen 48:16), the Son of God. “From the entire account Gen 32:24-34 we learn,” says blessed Theodoret, “here the only-begotten Son of God and God appeared to Jacob” (answer to question 93). The opinion of some rabbis, that the Angel guardian of Esau wrestled with Jacob, or even a demon avenging Esau against Jacob, is of course strange, but contains a certain element of truth, inasmuch as it connects Jacob’s mysterious wrestling with his hostile relations with his brother. Jacob had up to this point wrestled with his brother, and not always by blameless means. Now the Angel of the Lord “instills courage into Jacob, who feared his brother” (blessed Theodoret, ibid.). But Jacob achieves this gracious encouragement through struggle with the Angel-God, a struggle that was not only a straining of Jacob’s physical force (Hos 12:3), (beono, “in strength, in might”), but an even greater straining of spiritual forces, through the prayer of faith: according to the prophet Hosea, Jacob in his struggle with the Angel-God “also prevailed,” and “wept and made supplication to Him” (Hos 12:4). Reference to the spiritual aspect of the struggle is found also in Moses’ narrative—in Jacob’s request to be blessed (v. 26). In this inner aspect, Jacob’s wrestling with the Angel of the Lord is a type of spiritual struggle of faith, not yielding to any trials and difficulties of life; and at the same time, it is a foreshadowing of the entire future of Jacob’s descendants, who henceforward receive (v. 28) the name Israel—of the entire Old Testament theocratic history. In general, in character and significance, Jacob’s wrestling with God reminds one of Abraham’s night vision (Gen 15), in which also (but more concretely) was prefigured the future history of the chosen people, a history consisting also of the people’s opposition to their divine calling, the possession by them of imperishable spiritual blessings, and temporary trials and losses of material goods. That Jacob’s struggle was not a dream or simply a visionary phenomenon is evident from the very verb used in the Hebrew text, abaq (v. 24–25; Heb. 25–26)—to struggle like an athlete (covered with dust)—and even more from the wounding of the socket of his thigh (nervus ischiadicus) and his lameness afterward (v. 25, 31). Thus, “and when Jacob awoke, his thigh remained wounded, and he continued to limp, so that he should not regard the vision as a dream, but might know precisely the truth of it” (blessed Theodoret). At the same time, this should have taught Jacob that the victory was granted to him only through the forbearance of the mysterious Wrestler. And Jacob, as if understanding the significance of the struggle, does not wish to part from the struggle and the Wrestler without a blessing from Him (v. 26). But the Angel of the Lord—in accordance with the ancient belief that theophany visited man only at night—says to Jacob that there is a necessity for His departure with the breaking of dawn (according to rabbinic explanation, the Angel hastens to join the angelic hosts in bringing morning praise to God, Beresch. r. Par. 78, p. 378). The blessing sought by Jacob is granted him in the change of his name, appropriate to the circumstances and to Jacob’s inner disposition. Henceforward his wrestling by cunning ends—his “supplanting” in relation to men and circumstances (in obtaining the blessing, in relations with Laban, etc.), and there begins his sacred struggle of spirit for the higher divinely-given calling; therefore, instead of his former natural name “Jacob,” he and his descendants are given the sacred, theocratic name “Israel”—according to the explanation of the text itself “one who strives with God” (Saint John Chrysostom interprets it: “one who sees God”—this meaning would suit it well, but etymologically it is scarcely possible)—one who through perseverance in the effort of prayer (cf. Heb 5:7) receives spiritual blessings from God, which will at the same time be the pledge of Jacob-Israel’s victory over enemies. Having received a new name from the Angel of the Lord, Jacob asks Him also for His name, but He does not call Himself, indicating that from the very deed Jacob could know this. Compared with the Masoretic text, the LXX, Slavonic, and Russian versions contain an addition to the Hebrew text in v. 29: “It is wonderful,”—similar to (Judg 13:18), confirming that he wrestled with God’s Angel, and apparently was present in the original manuscript.

Genesis 32:30. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel; for, said he, I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. The geographical position of Peniel is not precisely known; it is mentioned later in the history of Gideon (Judg 8:8) and Jeroboam (1 Sam 12:25).

Genesis 32:32. Therefore the children of Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip that is on the socket of the thigh, because the Wrestler touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh on the sinew of the hip. The custom of not eating “the sinew of the hip” of an animal, still observed by the Jews, dates back to before Moses, who, while not including it in his legislation, nevertheless notes its existence and makes clear its importance, which is rooted in the significance of the historical event that is its foundation.

Chapter Thirty-Three

The meeting of Jacob with Esau and the arrival of the former in Canaan

Genesis 33:1–2. And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. And Jacob divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants. And he put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph last. Despite the gracious encouragement from above, Jacob again, as in (Gen 32:3-8), does not neglect human precautions: he arranges the members of his family, in view of Esau’s approach, in order according to their closeness to Jacob’s heart—the female servants with their children, Leah with her children, Rachel with Joseph. Not without purpose, perhaps, he places the children beside their mothers, wishing to soften Esau’s heart; in any case, by placing his favorites last, Jacob wishes to give them the opportunity to escape in case Esau’s anger should fall upon the front ranks of Jacob’s family.

Genesis 33:3. But he himself went on ahead and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. Bowing to the ground—the usual way of greeting superiors in the ancient and modern East. By prostrating himself before Esau seven times (the number of fullness, perfection, etc.), Jacob expresses the absence in him of any proud intentions—to rule over his older brother—and as it were a repentance of Jacob for the injustice he had done toward Esau in obtaining the blessing.

Genesis 33:4. But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. Despite his warlike and somewhat wild nature, Esau had a good heart and was capable of elevated manifestations of brotherly love and self-denial, to which Jacob responded with complete reciprocity: both, deeply moved, wept.

Genesis 33:5–8. And he looked up and saw the women and children and asked: Who are these with you? Jacob said: The children whom God has graciously given your servant. Then the female servants came forward with their children and bowed down; Leah likewise came forward with her children and bowed down; and finally Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed down. And Esau said: What do you mean by all this multitude that I met? And Jacob said: To find favor in the sight of my lord. The presentation of all his family members and Jacob’s further speech in relation to Esau show that Jacob uses measures to dispel from himself all suspicion of ill will toward Esau. In doing so, he even resorts to what, in our view, is an impermissible hyperbole, as in the expression (v. 10): “I have seen your face, as if I had seen the face of God,”—fairly common and understandable, however, in the mouth of an ancient Hebrew (cf. Gen 23:6; 2 Sam 14:17).

Genesis 33:9–11. But Esau said: I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself. Jacob said: No, please; if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my gift from my hand; for truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God, and you have received me favorably; please accept my gift that I have brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and I have everything. And he urged him, and he took it. There is a noble struggle between the brothers: Esau, who probably had already received part of their father’s property, sincerely acknowledges that he needs nothing and offers Jacob to keep the flocks he has set aside for him (v. 9); Jacob, for his part, pointing to his great joy at the meeting with Esau and his gracious treatment of him (v. 10), insists on Esau’s acceptance of the “blessing” (berachah—the usual term for any offering as a sign of respect and gratitude, 1 Sam 25:27; 2 Sam 5:15; Judg 1:15) from him (as if in compensation for the spiritual blessing that Jacob had taken from him). “Do not refuse to accept this,” he says, “all this has been given to me by God; He is the giver of everything I have. Through this Jacob subtly made him understand that he was under divine providence, and disposed him to show him great respect” (John Chrysostom, Discourse 58, p. 633).

Genesis 33:12–14. Then he said: Let us journey on, and I will go before you. But Jacob said to him: My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds, which are nursing, are a care to me; if they are overdriven for one day, all the flocks will die; let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, according to the pace of the livestock before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir. Here are depicted the last moments of the meeting and the parting of Esau and Jacob. Esau, as a sign of sincere brotherly affection, proposes that Jacob continue the journey together with him (v. 12), but Jacob declines this proposal under a plausible pretext: that rapid movement with Esau and his companions might prove harmful both to his young and delicate children and to his flocks, in which there are also young animals and nursing mothers (v. 13); in reality, Jacob apparently fears that peace with his brother might be disrupted by further joint travel. Instead, he proposes that Esau go ahead alone, while he expresses his intention to go slowly, as the small children and the flocks allow, and promises to come to him in Seir. Regarding this promise of Jacob, apparently not fulfilled by him (v. 17) due to distrust of Esau, Rabbi Abuhu says: “We searched throughout all of Scripture and did not find that Jacob ever came to Esau on Mount Seir; but can it be possible that Jacob, who was truthful, could deceive Esau? No! When will he come to him? In the future, see (Obad 1:17); cf. (Mic 7:20)” (Beresch. r. Par. 78, p. 335).

Genesis 33:15. So Esau said: Let me leave with you some of my men. But Jacob said: Why should you do that? I have your favor; let that be enough for me. Esau offers to send with Jacob some of his men—for protection or as a sign of honor, as an escort; but Jacob refuses this kindness from his brother, expressing by the words “Why should you do that?” either the thought that his own caravan is very extensive and sufficiently strong, or—his hope in the higher protection from God and Angels (cf. Gen 32:1). “Let me have your favor”—a courteous form of refusal before a person of high station (cf. Gen 30:27).

Genesis 33:16. So that day Esau returned on his way to Seir. Then Esau leaves Jacob, with whom he probably did not meet again until Isaac’s death (Gen 35:28-29).

Genesis 33:17. And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house, and made booths for his livestock; therefore the place is called Succoth. Jacob with his caravan comes to Succoth, more precisely, to the place later named by this name, and which according to the prevailing view of most commentators was situated on the eastern side of the Jordan, to the south of Peniel and closer to the Jordan (Judg 8:4), in the tribe of Gad (Josh 13:24); there was, however, a city with this name later also on the western side of the Jordan (1 Sam 7:46; 2 Chr 4:17). Some (Lange and others) see in this place the latter location, guided by the consideration that it would be unlikely for Jacob to remain for a long time at the very edge of the Jordan without crossing it into Canaan. But since only in the following v. 18 is Shechem noted as lying in Canaan (west of the Jordan), one can prefer the opinion of those who place Succoth (v. 18) on the eastern side of the Jordan. While settling his camp in one place for a more or less extended time (according to the rabbis, Jacob lived here for about a year and a half, Beresch. r. Par. 58, p. 386), Jacob builds for himself a house (bajth), and for his livestock—booths (succoth),—the latter, of course, were not tents or simple dwellings for human habitation, in which sense the term succoth is usually employed (Lev 23:42; Isa 4:6),—these were rather folds or shelters for penning livestock.

Genesis 33:18. And Jacob came safely from Paddan-aram to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, and camped before the city. After approximately two years of residence in Succoth, Jacob safely (unharmed, schalem) comes to Shechem and thus ends his journey from Mesopotamia and enters the land of his fathers—Canaan. The expression “safely” or “unharmed” both Hebrew and some Christian commentators understood as an indication of the healing of Jacob’s thigh from the wound received in the mysterious wrestling. The LXX (ἤλθεν Ιακωβ εἰς Σαλημ πόλιν Σικιμων), Vulgate (transivit ih Salem, urbem Sichimorum), Syriac (Peshitta), and Slavonic texts interpret the Hebrew word schalem as a proper name; likewise, some commentators consider this word a proper name of a location—either near Shechem (a settlement called Salem is still nearby), or even Salem-Jerusalem. But the latter was far from Shechem; Scripture does not mention a place named Salem near Shechem. In the Samaritan Pentateuch, instead of schalem, one finds schalom, peace, well-being, which directly recalls the words of Jacob’s prayer—his vow (Gen 28:21) about his return to his father’s house beschalom, in peace. The Lord fulfilled this desire of Jacob, returning him in peace to Shechem. Entering his native land on arrival from Mesopotamia, Jacob follows the same path and the same places as Abraham: Shechem (Gen 33:18, cf. Gen 12:6), Bethel (Gen 35:1-15, cf. Gen 12:8), and finally Hebron (Gen 35:27, cf. Gen 13:18). Thus began the second Canaanite period of Jacob’s life.

Genesis 33:19. And he bought the parcel of land, where he had pitched his tent, from the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of money. While settling on the site of Abraham’s first vision (Gen 12:6-7), for a more or less extended period, Jacob, apparently due to a lack of unclaimed fields and the dissatisfaction of the inhabitants with this foreigner, is forced to buy a plot of land near Shechem from the city’s inhabitants for 100 kesitahs. Qesitah, probably denotes a unit of weight for coinage (found, besides this place, also in Josh 24:32; Job 42:11), equal, according to the supposition of Gesenius, to 4 shekels (100 kesitahs according to Gesenius = 400 shekels of Abraham, Gen 23:15-16). The translations of the LXX, Vulgate, Syriac, and Slavonic read: “100 lambs”—a translation that can be supported only by the general consideration that livestock once served as a form of money for ancient peoples (from which the Latin pecunia comes from pecus). If Abraham acquired in Hebron a place of burial for his wife and for himself, then Jacob in Shechem acquires a field for dwelling on it, thereby expressing his faith in God’s promise concerning the inheritance of Canaan by his descendants. Later on this place the bones of Joseph were buried (Josh 24:32); in gospel times (John 4:5-6) and even now there is mention of Jacob’s well near Shechem.

Genesis 33:20. And he set up an altar there and called it El-Elohe-Israel. Like Abraham, who set up an altar upon his arrival in Canaan at Shechem (Gen 12:7), Jacob also sets up an altar here, invoking God now as the God of Israel, that is, his own, and not merely the God of the fathers.

Chapter Thirty-Four

The Violence of Shechem Against Dinah

Genesis 34:1. Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. The event described in chapter 34 took place no earlier than eight years after the events described in chapter 33: Dinah, born at the end of Jacob’s second seven-year period of service to Laban (Gen 30:21), here appears as a grown girl of about sixteen years old (she was six or seven years old when Jacob arrived in Succoth, Jacob lived there about two years, and thus about eight years in Shechem). Similarly, Simeon and Levi appear as grown young men (verse 5, 7). Despite their prolonged stay in the vicinity of Shechem, Jacob’s family apparently had no relations with the inhabitants, and there may have even been some ill will, which in the blood vengeance of Simeon and Levi was expressed with full terrible force, finding in the dishonoring of Dinah merely a pretext. According to Josephus (Ant. 1:21), the Shechemites had a festival, during which Dinah came to the city to look at women’s clothing. The Midrash condemns Dinah (and Leah) for going out dressed like a harlot (Beresch. r. Par. 80, s. 391-392). Dinah apparently inherited this recklessness from her mother.

Genesis 34:2–3. And Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of the land, saw her, and took her, and lay with her, and defiled her. And his soul clung to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. Shechem, the ruling prince of the city, which received even its name from him (cf. Gen 4:17), was inflamed with love for the young woman, and under the influence of passion committed violence against her. But Shechem’s passion was not purely animal lust, which once satisfied turns into the opposite feeling of hatred (cf. 2 Sam 13:14-15). On the contrary, he intended to enter into marriage with her and with this thought he sought to comfort and console Dinah (“spoke tenderly,” cf. Gen 50:21; Ruth 2:13).

His Marriage Proposal to Jacob and Dinah’s Brothers

Genesis 34:4–5. And Shechem said to his father Hamor, saying: Take me this young woman as my wife. Jacob heard that his son had defiled Dinah his daughter, but since his sons were with his livestock in the field, Jacob remained silent until they came. Shechem turned with a request to arrange this marriage to his father Hamor, and apparently continued to keep Dinah at his house. Jacob grieved to hear of the shame of his daughter, but out of fear of Hamor and Shechem did not dare to do anything without his sons, who as brothers with Dinah felt the shame of their sister more keenly than any (cf. Gen 24:50).

Genesis 34:7. And the sons of Jacob came from the field, and when they heard it, the men were grieved and very angry, because he had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, which ought not to be done. Even to this day among the Arabs, the rape of a sister is considered a greater shame to a brother than even the defiling of a wife is to a husband. With this characteristic of Eastern customs in mind, Hamor approaches, not Jacob, but Simeon and Levi, on behalf of Shechem with a marriage proposal—though these two fell into the most extreme agitation at the news of the shame (nebalah, foolishness, then shameful dishonor, Deut 22:21; Judg 20:10); a gross outrage of chastity above all, 2 Sam 13:12, and afterward a serious crime opposed to the foundations of theocracy Josh 7:15) of their sister, in which they saw a crying violation of moral and social right, a violation not excused by any motives (“it ought not to be done,” cf. 2 Sam 13:12). To their passion is added a righteous zeal for the honor and purity of “Israel,” that is, the chosen people, whose blood-purity was “defiled” (timme, verse 5) by the uncircumcised foreigner.

Genesis 34:8–10. And Hamor spoke to them, and said: My son Shechem’s soul is attached to your daughter; please give her to him as wife; marry with us; give us your daughters as wives, and take our daughters for yourselves. Live with us; the land is open before you, live and trade in it and acquire possessions in it. Pointing to Shechem’s strong love for Dinah (daughter, bath, here, verse 8—sister), Hamor offered Jacob’s family, besides Shechem’s marriage to Dinah (verse 8), also: a) mutual marriage unions (verse 9) between the Shechemites and Jacob’s family, and b) unobstructed settlement in Shechem’s territory with full civic rights and freedom in all occupations (verse 10). Clearly, Hamor was proposing to Jacob’s family complete fusion with his own people. Such fusion, regardless of the external motives for which it was proposed, was not in keeping with the history of salvation, and therefore in the subsequent bloody event at Shechem one can see a negative providential aspect—it prevented the fatal disappearance of God’s chosen family of Jacob into the mass of Canaanite population. But this does not justify the bloodthirsty act of Simeon and Levi.

Genesis 34:11–12. And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers: Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give whatever you say to me; name to me ever so much bride-price and gift as you request of me, and I will give them. Only give me the young woman as wife. Shechem, passionately desiring marriage with Dinah, in turn promised to give the largest bride-price (mohar) (cf. Exod 22:16; Deut 22:28-29; 1 Sam 18:25), and besides that, such a gift (mattan)—the first to the father (or in this case to the brothers) of the bride, the second to the bride herself, according to the customs of the ancient East.

The Fanatical Vengeance of Simeon and Levi Upon the Shechemites

Genesis 34:14–15. And the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, said to them: We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us; only on this condition will we agree with you and settle among you: if you will be as we are, so that every male among you is circumcised; In response to Hamor and Shechem’s words of good-natured willingness for any terms of peace, the sons of Jacob, namely those born with Dinah to Leah—Simeon and Levi—make what appears to be a reasonable proposal, but with a cunning purpose (verse 13): declaring it shameful for themselves to enter into close family relations, they demand from the Shechemites the circumcision of all males in the population—in the letter (Gen 17:10-12). In this proposal, one certainly cannot see a serious effort by Jacob’s sons to propagate the divinely instituted practice of circumcision among foreign peoples. The proposal of circumcision could neither surprise nor offend the Hivites: circumcision, according to the testimony of Herodotus, existed from ancient times among the Egyptians, Phoenicians, and others, and thus could have been known among the Canaanites, who in the Bible are not usually called uncircumcised; it is rather surprising that the Hivites remained uncircumcised when, for instance, the powerful nation of Ishmael certainly had circumcision. The sons of Jacob said nothing to Shechem and Hamor about the inner meaning and significance of circumcision.

Genesis 34:18–24. And the words pleased Hamor and his son Shechem. And the young man did not hesitate to do it, because he loved Jacob’s daughter. Now he was the most honored in all his father’s house. And Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city, and spoke with the men of their city, saying: These people are peaceful with us; let them settle in the land and trade in it; the land is indeed broad before them. We will take their daughters as wives, and give them our daughters. Only on this condition will these people consent to live with us and be one people: if every male among them is circumcised as they are circumcised. Will not their livestock and their property and all their beasts be ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will settle with us. And all those who went out of the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem: and every male was circumcised, all those who went out of the gate of his city. Filled with desire to arrange Shechem’s marriage with Dinah, both Shechem and Hamor (the latter with the special strong love for his son, verse 19) eagerly agreed to the harsh condition of union with Jacob’s family (verse 18), and Shechem, burning with love for Dinah, was ready to immediately complete (according to the biblical text—apparently immediately did complete, verse 19) circumcision upon himself. But according to the condition (verse 15) all the males among them had to be circumcised. And so they, having gathered the citizens to their usual place for all public assemblies and business (cf. Gen 19:1), to the city gate, diplomatically conduct negotiations with them, skillfully proving to them the advantages of union with Jacob’s family—a union truly necessary for their own personal purposes and for the whole Shechem community: Jacob’s family members are peaceful people, friendly toward the Shechemites, they are inclined toward settlement and commerce; there are no obstacles to their settling near the Shechemites—the territory of Shechem is broad and unsettled; for the purpose of settling it, mutual marriages between the Shechemites and members of Jacob’s descendants could be of great importance (verse 21). Having presented the advantages of union, Hamor and Shechem finally mention the conditions of union—the wholesale bloody operation upon all the male population. But even this difficult condition they apparently try to present as quite suitable, containing nothing shameful, precisely because all members of Jacob’s family are circumcised (verse 22). Moreover, this sole condition, Hamor and Shechem continue, will bring their people all the advantages of material prosperity, placing in their hands all the wealth of Jacob’s family; and once more they urge their countrymen to agree to receive circumcision (verse 23). And so, perhaps not so much the eloquence of the princes, as the natural desire of the people to strengthen itself through union with what they believed to be a strong and wealthy family of Jacob, finally inclined the people of Shechem to circumcision—all the more so because circumcision was not an unusual or unheard of operation in the surrounding lands of that time. All those “going out of the gate”—that is, all the full citizens having the right to vote in public affairs—consented to receive circumcision, and the circumcision was performed wholesale upon them and upon all the male population of the city. This population may not have been very large, as seen from how easily Simeon and Levi subsequently carried out the bloody slaughter of all the male population. Who performed the circumcision upon the whole community? Probably the sons of Jacob, with the especially active participation of Simeon and Levi, with the help also of their servants (verse 24).

Genesis 34:25. And on the third day, when they were in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took each his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and killed all the males; Here is depicted the terrible picture of the bloody vengeance of two sons of Jacob upon the Shechemites and the wild plundering of their property by all the brothers. The third day after the performance of circumcision is characterized by the greatest inflammation of the wound after the operation (Vulg.: Die tertio, quando gravissimus vulnerum dolor est). Taking advantage of the torturous suffering and helplessness of the people of Shechem, their inability to defend and resist, Simeon and Levi (here expressly called brothers of Dinah, since they were to avenge the outrage of their sister born from the same mother) together, without doubt, with their servants, armed with swords, boldly (Hebrew betach; this word may be, by the construction of the sentence, referred both to the city and in such case gives the thought that the inhabitants of the city met the attackers peacefully and confidently, seeing in them only allies) performed the wholesale slaughter of all the male population. This bloody deed could be accomplished more easily because, according to Josephus Flavius, there was a festival at that time among the Shechemites, and the guard and inhabitants were in a state of drunkenness. The Midrash, wishing to smooth over the guilt of the two Hebrew patriarchs, says that the bloody vengeance of Simeon and Levi was a signal for arming of Jacob himself against the surrounding peoples (Beresch. r. Par. 80, s. 395), and refers to Gen 48:22. But the biblical text not only says nothing about Jacob’s participation in the crime of his two sons, but directly testifies that Jacob was extremely grieved at the deed of Simeon and Levi (verse 30) and poured out all the bitterness of condemnation and curse upon this deed on his deathbed (Gen 49:5-7).

Genesis 34:26. They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house and left. And the authors of their people’s misfortune—Hamor and Shechem—perished, and Dinah was returned from Shechem’s house, she who had been with him either from the day Shechem seized her (verse 2) or immediately after the circumcision (the avenging brothers may have purposely left Dinah in Shechem’s house to lull his vigilance more surely). The Midrash remarks that the shamed Dinah was in despair until Simeon comforted her with the promise of marriage to him; in Gen 46:10 the sixth son of Simeon, called the son of a Canaanite woman, according to the Midrash, was the son of Dinah, who is here called a Canaanite woman because she was defiled by a Canaanite (Beresch Par. LXXX, 396).

Genesis 34:27. And the sons of Jacob came upon those who were killed, and they plundered the city, because their sister had been defiled. After the bloody vengeance upon the Shechemites came the plundering of the city by Simeon and Levi, in which the other sons of Jacob also took part with the same motive of vengeance upon the whole city for the crime of its prince. In the Book of Judith (Jdt 9:2-3) the killing of the Shechemites and the plundering of their city is presented as the work of God’s judgment upon the former for the violence against Dinah. But even if the sons of Jacob served as instruments of God’s judgment upon the Shechemites, this bloody deed in no way is justified by any efforts of national Jewish pride, because, in addition to its bloody character, it contained also: the treacherous violation of the covenant with the Shechemites; the sacrilegious use of circumcision for purposes of vengeance; and rebellion against the father, which put all his family in danger from the neighboring peoples.

Jacob’s Grief

Genesis 34:30. And Jacob said to Simeon and to Levi: You have troubled me by making me odious to the inhabitants of this land, to the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number; if they gather themselves together against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed. To this aspect of the matter Jacob at this point directs their attention, expressing his censure of their deed; a full moral evaluation of it he gave on his deathbed (Gen 49:5-6).

Genesis 34:31. And they said: Should one treat our sister as a harlot? The answer of Simeon and Levi shows an absence of repentance in them, which, apart from the character of the epoch, that sanctioned blood vengeance, speaks of their personal callousness.

Chapter Thirty-Five

By God’s Command Jacob Goes to Bethel, Where the Name Israel is Fully Established for Him

Genesis 35:1. God said to Jacob: Rise up, go to Bethel and dwell there, and make an altar there to God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau. The bloody deed of Simeon and Levi at Shechem made it unsafe for Jacob’s family to remain in the vicinity of Shechem (verse 3). Moreover, the purpose of Jacob’s journey from Haran was Bethel (Gen 28:19), which Jacob had still not reached, despite his ten years already spent in Palestine. Therefore, God gives him the command to go to Bethel, which at the same time was both an approval and a reminder.

Genesis 35:2–3. And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him: Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes; then let us rise and go to Bethel, that I may make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me [and kept me] on the way that I went. Under the influence of this revelation, and also in anticipation of the journey to the place sacred to Jacob—Bethel (Gen 28:19), he (as later Moses did from the people—before the Sinaitic legislation, Exod 19:10-14), requires from all members of his household complete purification—the rejection of all heathen admixtures of idolatry (the teraphim and probably other idols, the worship of which might have been brought into Jacob’s family by Mesopotamian servants of his, as well as through relations with the Shechemites) and, as an outward sign of this, washing and changing of clothes, defiled by idolatry. This was as it were an act of preparation for higher sanctification (cf. Exod 19:10; 2 Sam 12:20). As the motive for this Jacob puts forward his sense of gratitude to the Lord for aid in the perils of his journey.

Genesis 35:4. So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak that was near Shechem. [And made them ineffectual until this day.] The word of the patriarch produces immediate effect: his household members give him not only the idols but also the rings (cf. Exod 32:2): “perhaps these were some kind of signs (symbols) idolatrous, and therefore they brought them together with the idols to Jacob” (John Chrysostom, Homily 59, p. 642). Blessed Augustine (Quaestiones ad h. l.) sees in such rings magical talismans and calls them “idolorum phylacteria” (repositories of idols). Similarly Rabbi Maimonides in the treatise “akum imazzeloth” (idolaters) recognizes them as idols. Jacob buries these objects in the earth (according to Jewish tradition—secretly, so that no one would dig them up again), under the oak near Shechem, which apparently was well-known (Gen 12:6; Josh 24:26; Judg 9:6). The addition by the Seventy (also in the Slavonic and Russian translation), that Jacob made the idols ineffectual until this day, though it has the character of a gloss, not confirmed by textual tradition, yet has internal credibility.

Genesis 35:5. And they set out from there. And the terror of God fell upon the cities round about them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. Jacob’s zeal for the purity of faith and his family’s obedience to him was rewarded with safety sent by God against the surrounding peoples, whereas after the bloodshed at Shechem Jacob expected attack (Gen 34:30) from the neighbors; on the contrary, they themselves experienced fear before the worshiper of the true God (“the terror of God,” cf. Exod 23:27).

Genesis 35:6–7. And Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan (that is, Bethel), he and all the people who were with him, and he built an altar there, and called the place El-Bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother [Esau]. Luz was the former Canaanite name of the place, which from the time of Jacob’s vision (Gen 28:19-20) received the name Bethel (“house of God”); at this time the name Luz was still in common use, so Jacob gives the place a new name: Bethel or El-Bethel (cf. Gen 31:13), building there, according to his vow (Gen 28:22), an altar. The reason for the name: “there God revealed himself to him when he fled…” In the Hebrew text the name God (Haelohim) at this place has a verb in the plural number, which is very rare with the word Bohim. Together with Onkelos one can here see an indication of God’s appearance together with the Angels.

Genesis 35:8. And Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and was buried below Bethel under an oak; and Jacob called the name of it Allon-Bacuth (the oak of weeping). Rebekah’s nurse Deborah was without doubt the nurse of Rebekah about whom, as a companion of Rebekah to Canaan, mention is made in Gen 24:59, without, however, mention of her name. She could have come to Jacob’s camp during one of his visits to Hebron (it is difficult to suppose that during ten years he, at least once, would not have visited his father and mother). Jewish tradition says that Rebekah, according to the promise given to Jacob (Gen 27:45) after fourteen years of Jacob’s stay in Haran, sent Deborah there with the news that Jacob could now return. Some rabbis, however, supposed that Deborah is mentioned here instead of Rebekah, of whose death there is no special mention (cf. Gen 35:27). Near the place of Deborah’s burial, called “Allon-Bacuth” (oak of weeping), there is later mentioned “Deborah’s palm” (Judg 4:5).

Genesis 35:9–12. And God appeared to Jacob again, upon his coming from Paddan-aram, and blessed him, and God said to him: Your name is Jacob; you will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel will be your name. So he called his name Israel. And God said to him: I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations will come from you, and kings will arise from your offspring; and the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you. Here is depicted the vision of God to Jacob “for the first time upon his returning from Mesopotamia” (earlier, verse 1, there was merely a simple command of God) and His blessing of Jacob. This vision is set in parallel with the one that came to Jacob on the way of his flight into Mesopotamia: both visions take place at Bethel, one at the beginning of his wandering in Mesopotamia and at the pronouncement of Jacob’s vow, the other at his return to his homeland and the fulfillment of his vow; there and here the promises of God to Abraham are repeated, and in the latter case God finally establishes for Jacob the name Israel (cf. Gen 32:27-28), in which consists the special blessing of Jacob (verses 9-10). And just as to Abraham at the announcement of the birth of his son (Gen 17:1) God reveals himself with the designation in the Hebrew text of the words El-Shaddai, which means “God Almighty,” so now He reveals himself to Jacob (verse 11) at the repetition of the promise about the descent of many nations from him; and the promise (verse 12) is repeated about the gift to the descendants of Abraham and Jacob of the land of Canaan. Dying, Jacob remembered (Gen 48:3) the Bethel event as the highest moment of his life. Indeed, thanks to the indicated relation to the history of Abraham (Gen 17:1) and others), to Jacob’s vision on the way to Mesopotamia (Gen 28:12-16) and to the mysterious wrestling of Jacob at Peniel (Gen 32:24-32), it connects in one whole all the preceding patriarchal history, presenting it as one history of salvation, developed systematically under the constant action of God.

Genesis 35:14–15. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it; and Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel. In accordance with the similarity of the inner significance of both Bethel theophani Jacob in both cases performs the same external monuments: the setting up of a pillar and a drink offering (only according to some commentators, in the latter case wine, nesech, was poured out (cf. Num 15:5), not just oil, as in the first case); finally, Jacob again seals the memory of the twofold vision with the name Bethel (verse 15).

On the Road Rachel Bears Benjamin and Dies

Genesis 35:16. And they set out from Bethel. [And he pitched his tent beyond the Tower of Eder.] And when there was yet some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. Strengthened by the vision and promise, happy in the consciousness of duty fulfilled, Jacob directs himself from Bethel toward the south, to Hebron, through later Bethlehem. But here he was to experience that complete happiness on earth was not granted to him: his beloved wife Rachel bears him a second son, and then dies. The addition (verse 16) by the Seventy (Slavonic-Russian): “And he pitched his tent beyond the Tower of Eder” is probably taken from verse 21. The meaning of the Hebrew term kibrat-haarez was already unknown to the ancient translators: the Seventy merely wrote the Hebrew word kibrat in Greek letters: χαβραθά; in Gen 48:7, the same word the Seventy render with the translation: κατὰ τὸν ιππόδρομον χαβραθὰ, understanding by the latter word the distance run by a horse, perhaps in an hour. The Midrash sees in this expression a determination of time: identifying the term kibrath with the word kebarah, a sieve, the Midrash renders: “in springtime, when the earth is plowed like a sieve” (Bereschr. r. Par. 82, s. 402) an entirely unacceptable understanding, shared, however, by the Vulgate (“verno tempore”). In modern times mostly the said expression is taken as denoting a distance, equal to approximately a French mile (Metropolitan Philaret and others) or a verst (Mandelstam), which is confirmed by the equal of this distance now indicated from Bethlehem to Rachel’s tomb. The names “Bethlehem” (from Hebrew “house of bread”) and “Ephrath” (“fruitful”) are synonymous in meaning; the latter was the most ancient, and the former the later (as well as Luz-Bethel); they were used together (Gen 35:19; Mic 5:2).

Genesis 35:17. And when she was in severe labor, the midwife said to her: Do not fear, for now you have another son. Rachel’s labor (in contrast to the majority of Hebrew women, Exod 1:19) was difficult, perhaps because of her advanced age and the long time since the birth of Joseph. But the midwife tries to comfort her, reminding her of her ardent desire (Gen 30:24) to have a second son and announcing to her that a son is being born to her (according to the Midrash, with each son of Jacob there was born also a sister, and with Benjamin—two sisters).

Genesis 35:18. And as her soul was departing (for she died), she called his name Ben-oni (Son of My Sorrow). But his father called him Benjamin (Son of the Right Hand). The dying mother says that this son is the child of sorrow (to death) of his mother, Ben-oni. But Jacob, not wishing that the name of his last son be constantly a reminder of his grief over the loss of Rachel, changed it to another, Benjamin—“son of the right hand” (Vulg.: filius dextrae), that is, perhaps of fortune (such is the meaning of the names: “Gad,” “Asher”) or “strength” (Hebrew aven, sorrow, can have the form on, which means strength, Gen 49:3), or “son of the south” (born in the south, whereas all other sons were born in the north).

Genesis 35:19–20. So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). And Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave. This is the pillar of Rachel’s tomb, which stands to this day. Rachel was buried near Ephrath—Bethlehem (Septuagint: “the way of the hippodrome”—in the stated meaning), where her tomb is shown even now, Kubbet-Rahil, having, however, the appearance of a purely Muslim sarcophagus. In 1 Sam 10:2 Rachel’s tomb is indicated on the border of Benjamin, that is, significantly further north, and similarly in Jer 31:15 (about the weeping of Rachel over the captive Hebrews, heard in Ramah) the proximity of this tomb to Ramah in the tribe of Benjamin is presupposed. It is possible that the memorial set up by Jacob, preserved until the time of Moses (“to this day”), made it possible for the Hebrews, upon their entry into Canaan, to find Rachel’s remains and transfer them (as the bones of Jacob and Joseph were transferred) to the inheritance of Rachel’s last son—Benjamin.

Reuben’s Transgression, the Genealogy of Jacob’s Family, the Death and Burial of Isaac

Genesis 35:21–22. And Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the Tower of Eder. And it happened, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine. And Israel heard of it [and was grieved]. Now Jacob had twelve sons. To the grievous family sorrow of the patriarch was added another: the dishonoring of his bed by his firstborn Reuben (perhaps standing in connection with Rachel’s death and Reuben’s claim to actual primacy), which took place near “the Tower of Eder” or “the Tower of Flocks” (Vulg: “turris gregis”), which according to tradition lay to the south of Bethlehem (some, however, on the basis of Mic 4:8 brought this tower of flocks close to the “sheep gate” (John 5:2) in Jerusalem, but the first date fits the narrative of this place better). “And Israel heard of it,”—certainly with grief, as the Seventy interpreters also supplement the Hebrew text. For this serious crime Reuben was deprived by Jacob of the rights of primogeniture (Gen 49:3-4). Jewish interpreters, however, mitigated Reuben’s guilt; among other things, they pointed out that the first prophet—Hosea was from the tribe of Reuben.

Genesis 35:23–26. The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant: Dan and Naphtali. The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram. With the birth of Benjamin the number of Jacob’s sons was completed—twelve, which is why all of them, with an indication of the division of them among four mothers, are here enumerated. The remark that all of them were born in Mesopotamia requires, of course, a qualification with respect to Benjamin, who was born in Canaan.

Genesis 35:27–29. And Jacob came to Isaac his father [for he was still living] at Mamre, at Kirjath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned as strangers. And the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. And Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of years; and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. Jacob with all his household finally comes to his father Isaac. At this time Isaac was about one hundred and sixty-seven years old (about thirty years had passed since Jacob’s flight, cf. the commentary on Gen 27:1), so that his death (verse 28) occurred about thirteen years later, (the figure of one hundred and sixty-seven years can also be obtained thus: Joseph was sold into Egypt at seventeen years (Gen 37:2), and before Jacob’s arrival in Egypt with his family lived in Egypt about twenty-three years; consequently, Jacob, when arriving in Egypt was one hundred and thirty years old (Gen 47:9), was about one hundred and seven years old at the time of Joseph’s sale; hence Isaac—one hundred and sixty-seven years, Gen 25:26). Together with Jacob, Isaac (Rebekah apparently died before him) experienced grief over Joseph and died, probably about the time of the latter’s exaltation in Egypt. But the sacred historian speaks proleptiically of Isaac’s death, so as not to later interrupt the narrative (similarly about Abraham’s death it is said Gen 25:8, before the birth of Esau and Jacob, yet he lived another fifteen years after that event). Isaac, like his father, died “full of years,” that is, having received from life all its blessings and having fulfilled his life’s purpose; “and was gathered to his people,” that is, departed into the life beyond. He was buried in the cave of Machpelah (Gen 49:31) by both his sons (verses 28-29).

Chapter Thirty-Six

Genealogy of Esau’s descendants and the Horites, the ancient inhabitants of Seir

Genesis 36:1. Here is the genealogy of Esau, who is also Edom. Just as after the completion of Abraham’s history, a genealogy of Ishmael is given in Gen 25:12-18, who is not mentioned afterward in the course of the sacred narrative, so now, before Esau is set apart from the history of salvation, his genealogy and that of his descendants is given. The Hebrew word toldoth has a broader meaning: history, narrative (Gen 2:4 and others), but here it has the narrower sense: genealogy, though naturally historical, geographical and other remarks are also included.

Genesis 36:2–3. Esau took wives for himself from the daughters of the Canaanites: Adah, daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah, daughter of Anah, son of Zibeon the Hivite, and Basemath, daughter of Ishmael, sister of Nebaioth. The wives of Esau are mentioned here for the third time (cf. Gen 26:34), but their names are given differently than in the previous two times. Acknowledging that these variations may have been due to ancient Eastern custom of renaming or even scribal error, we note points of similarity in all three versions: Esau had three wives; one of them was called Basemath; two were Canaanites; the third was the daughter of Ishmael.

Genesis 36:4–5. Adah bore to Esau Eliphaz, and Basemath bore Reuel, and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau, born to him in the land of Canaan. Of Esau’s five sons, Adah and Basemath each bore one, while Oholibamah bore three; all were born before the migration from Canaan mentioned in verses 6–8.

Genesis 36:6–7. And Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters and all the people of his household and all his flocks and all his cattle and all his possessions which he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went into another land away from his brother Jacob, because their possessions were too great for them to dwell together, and the land of their sojournings could not support them because of the multitude of their cattle. If earlier (chapters 32–33) Esau only temporarily absented himself from Canaan, now he undertakes complete withdrawal from his father’s house and takes all that belongs to him with him, and is heading to another land, that is, doubtless to Seir (verse 9), Gen 33:14. The Midrash rightly says that this departure of Esau “from Jacob’s presence” meant that Esau would have no share in Abraham’s promises. The reason for his separation from his brother is the same as that indicated in the account of Abraham’s separation from Lot (Gen 13:5-12): insufficient pasture and possible disputes over it between the shepherds. One must remember that the pastoral patriarchs had only unoccupied, empty spaces at their disposal. The other lands, occupied by settled populations, were inaccessible to them, and they could only buy parcels for their needs with money (Gen 23:3-4). Under such circumstances, misunderstandings and disputes were always possible in the “land of their sojournings” (verse 7), for example, over wells (cf. chapters 21 and 26).

Genesis 36:8. And Esau dwelt in Mount Seir; Esau, he is Edom. The land occupied by Esau and his tribe is called here (cf. Gen 14:6) Mount Seir. Before it was settled by Esau’s tribe—Edom—it was inhabited by cave dwellers (cavemen)—the Horites (Gen 14:6; Deut 2:12)—and received its name Seir either from one of the representatives of the Horite tribe, Seir (Gen 36:20), or from Esau himself, who was, according to Gen 25:25, sair, hairy. Mount Seir consists of a chain of mountain ranges, now called Djebal, Schera, and Hosma, which extend from the southern shore of the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Eilat. The northern part of the country was called Gebalene in antiquity (Greek Γεβαληνή), from which probably comes the present Arabic name Djebel (hilly country). Parallel to the mountain chain runs the Valley of Hor, into which the mountains descend steeply. The eastern part of the country is almost barren and strewn with stones (the Stony Arabia). The mountainous part (the mountains consist of limestone with basalt), however, is quite fertile. Having occupied it, the descendants of Esau gained control of the cities of Bozrah (Bostra) (verse 33), Teman (verse 34), Masrekah (verse 36) and others.

Genesis 36:9. Now this is the genealogy of Esau, father of the Edomites, in Mount Seir. What was said in verse 1 is repeated here, but whereas what was said in verses 1–8 concerns properly the sons of Esau, what follows (verses 9–19) extends to the grandsons of Esau and his further descendants.

Genesis 36:11. The sons of Eliphaz were: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. Teman, the first son of Eliphaz, gave his name to a city mentioned more than once among the prophets (Jer 49:7; Amos 1:12; Obad 1:9; Ezek 25:13); its inhabitants were apparently known for their wisdom (Jer 49:7); one of the descendants of Teman, son of Eliphaz, was the eldest of Job’s friends—the Temanite (Job 2:11). Omar may be the ancestor of the Arab tribe of the Amirs. Zepho (in 1 Chr 1:36 — Zephi) reminds us of a region south of the Dead Sea.

Genesis 36:12. Now Timna was a concubine of Eliphaz, Esau’s son, and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. About Timna, Eliphaz’s concubine, it is mentioned, according to Hebrew commentators, to show the greatness and glory of Abraham’s descendants (even through Esau), so that even neighboring Horite princes (Timna was from the Horites, verse 20; cf. 29) sought kinship with him, in the opinion of some—to show the Hebrews the origin of Amalek and the Amalekites, who were in Moses’ time the strongest tribe of Arabia (Exod 17:8). In 1 Chr 1:36 Timna or Teman appears as the name of Eliphaz’s son (cf. Gen 36:40; 1 Chr 1:51).

Genesis 36:13–14. And these are the sons of Reuel: Nahath and Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These are the sons of Basemath, wife of Esau. And these were the sons of Oholibamah, daughter of Anah, son of Zibeon, wife of Esau: she bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. The immediate descendants of Esau from his other two wives are enumerated: four tribes from Basemath and three from Oholibamah. In all, from three wives (including Amalek from Timna), thirteen tribes descended from Esau.

Genesis 36:15–18. These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, chief Korah, chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These are the chiefs descended from Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah. These are the sons of Reuel, son of Esau: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah. These are the chiefs descended from Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Basemath, wife of Esau. These are the sons of Oholibamah, wife of Esau: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Korah. These are the chiefs descended from Oholibamah, daughter of Anah, wife of Esau. An enumeration is given of the chiefs alluphim (from Hebrew eleph—thousand, Judg 6:15; Mic 5:2), thousand-rulers (chiliarchs) or tribal leaders (phylarchs); the term alluphim in the Old Testament is applied to the princes of the tribe of Esau-Edom (Exod 15:15; 1 Chr 1:51) and only, as an exception, to the princes of Judah (Zech 12:5-6).

Genesis 36:20–24. These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who inhabited the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These are the chiefs of the Horites, sons of Seir, in the land of Edom. The sons of Lotan were: Hori and Heman; and Lotan’s sister: Timna. These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. This is the Anah who found hot springs in the wilderness while pasturing the donkeys of his father Zibeon. The tribes of the Horites, the aborigines of Seir—the Edomites (Gen 14:6; Deut 2:12)—are enumerated: namely, seven sons and nineteen grandsons of their ancestor Seir. From the Horite tribe, conquered by the tribe of Esau (Deut 2:12), came, among others, Oholibamah, daughter of Anah, wife of Esau (verse 24), and Timna, concubine of Eliphaz (verse 22). About Oholibamah’s father it is reported (verse 24) that he, while pasturing his father’s donkeys, “found yemin (hajemim) in the wilderness.” As to what exactly these jemim were, commentators differ greatly. The Septuagint, for whom the sense of this passage was apparently unclear, leaves the word untranslated: “iamin” (Church Slavonic). Many rabbis and Hebrew commentators, connecting the word hajemim with Greek ἡμίονος, translated the Hebrew word as: mule, and claimed that Anah was the first to breed hybrids of donkeys and horses—mules. But despite the popularity of this interpretation (even Luther translated the disputed word: Malmferde), it must be rejected: neither in Hebrew (Hebrew for mule is pered) nor in related Semitic languages is there a root similar to jemim with the meaning mule. Besides, there were no horses in that distant time in Seir, and verse 24 speaks of pasturing only donkeys. Other commentators, following the Targum Onkelos (“gigantes”), identify the word jemim with emim (Deut 2:10)—emim, giants, whom Anah supposedly encountered in the wilderness and overcame. But philologically, and indeed by the sense, such an assumption does not seem suitable. It remains to accept the third opinion, held by Jerome, Theodoret, some Bible translations, and most modern commentators—that Anah found hot springs (aquas calidas—Vulgate; Russian Synodal: “hot springs,” according to Mandelstam’s translation: “wild pigeons”) in the wilderness. Theodoret writes: “The Syriac translator says that he found a spring; because a spring in the Syriac language is called: ayna” (answer to question 94). The same is confirmed by Jerome—on the basis of the Phoenician (Punic) language—and by Michaelis—on the basis of Arabic. In favor of this latter opinion speaks also the fact that in the Stony Arabia, Idumea, and in the region to the southeast of the Dead Sea there are many hot springs, of which the healing spring Callirrhoe was especially famous in antiquity.

Genesis 36:30–31. Chief Dishon, chief Ezer, chief Dishan. These are the chiefs of the Horites, according to their chiefs in the land of Seir. Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the children of Israel: An enumeration is given of the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, “before the kingship of kings among the children of Israel” (from Hebrew “before the reign of a king…”). From the initially dual composition of Seir’s population—Edomites and Horites—in a more or less short period, the king-list gives the impression of great antiquity: a kingdom was formed in the land of Edom, whose eight kings are enumerated. The Midrash (Beresch. r. Par. 83, s. 406) compares these Edomite kings to the judges of Israel. Indeed, royal power in Edom in that distant time apparently was not hereditary (as it later became among the Idumaeans in the times of David and Solomon, 1 Sam 11:14): not one of the eight kings inherited the throne from his father—popular election or even usurpation determined the succession of one after another, and some were foreign kings, such as Saul from the city of Rehoboth on the Euphrates (verse 37). From this one can already conclude about the brevity of their reigns and suppose that all of them reigned with the chiefs (verses 15–19) in that 200-year period which Moses sets from the death of Esau. It is probable, in particular, the supposition of some commentators (among them, Metropolitan Philaret), that the last Edomite king of those mentioned here—Hadar (verse 39), about whose death there is no special mention, was alive in the time of Moses, and to him Moses sends messengers from Kadesh (Num 20:14-17) with a request to allow passage through his lands. The chiefs of Edom, mentioned in verses 15–19 and then in verses 40–43, could doubtless govern individual cities or communities and jointly with the kings, not forming a separate epoch in the history of Edom. By these considerations, the difficulty is weakened, if not entirely resolved, which prompted some Hebrew and Christian commentators to date the composition of the section, verses 31–39, to the time of Jehoshaphat—namely, that in the indicated, comparatively brief, period the land of Edom was governed by both chiefs (verses 15–19), and kings (31–39), and again chiefs (verses 40–43). Another difficulty is presented by the remark of verse 31, that the enumerated Edomite kings reigned before the appearance of a king in Israel: from this remark it was concluded that the Book of Genesis (and together with it the entire Pentateuch) in its present form came into being only in the times of the kings of Israel, about whom Moses could not have spoken. But it is possible that Moses was speaking here of the appearance of kingly power in the future, and that the idea of kingly power in the chosen people was close to the consciousness of Moses and even to every believing member of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is evident from the fact that each of these patriarchs was promised the descent of nations and kings (Gen 17:6); under the influence of this idea the lawgiver Moses in Deut 17:14-20 gives an extensive statute about kingly power, and likewise foresees the future existence of kingly power and in the prophecy about the captivity of people and king (Deut 28:36). It is possible, however, that the entire section Gen 36:31-39 was inserted into the text of the chapter later by a later hand from 1 Chr 1:43-53, a place completely identical with the first; but the antiquity and significance of this genealogy is not diminished thereby, since the genealogies of the Book of Chronicles, in their origin, go back to the most ancient times.

Genesis 36:32. Bela, son of Beor, reigned in Edom, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. The name Bela (Church Slavonic “Valak”) in Hebrew is related to the name Balaam, and as the first Edomite king, so also the famous seer Balaam (Num 22:5) had father Beor: on this basis some Hebrew commentators identified the former with the latter. But this similarity is doubtless accidental.

Genesis 36:33–34. And Bela died, and Jobab son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. Jobab died, and Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. An opinion due to a similar association of likeness is that the second Edomite king Jobab was none other than the long-suffering Job. This opinion was inserted into the Greek (and Church Slavonic) translation of the Book of Job as a note (Job 42:17), and the name of the city from which Jobab came—Bozrah (or Bostra)—is presented as Job’s mother’s name (Bozrah-Bostra—a well-known Edomite city, Isa 34:6; Amos 1:12). This opinion was shared with other Church teachers by Theodoret (answer to question 95), finding in Gen 36:33 similarity with the story of Job. Some probability to this supposition is given by the fact that the successor of King Jobab (verse 34) was a Temanite, and from Teman came Eliphaz, Job’s friend. But neither historically nor grammatically can the identity of both persons be established.

Genesis 36:40–43. These are the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families, according to their places, by their names, [according to their peoples]: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth, chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom, by their settlements, in the land of their possession. Now Esau is the father of the Edomites. An enumeration is given not so much of individuals, members of Edom’s descendants—“chiefs”—as of territories occupied by the Edomites and governed by their chiefs. Interestingly, in the name of the chief Magdiel (verse 43), Jewish tradition saw a designation of Rome (Beresch r. Par. 88, s. 405), in which they thus saw a kind of Edomite colony. The name Edom in Rabbinic and Talmudic literature in general became a synonym, an allegorical name of Rome. * * * In (Deut 2:4-5) it says that the Almighty Himself gave Seir to Esau for possession and that the Israelites should not have any claims on this country.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

The History of Joseph

Genesis 37:1. Jacob lived in the land of the sojournings of his father [Isaac], in the land of Canaan. Returning, after a break (the enumeration of the genealogies of Esau’s tribe, chapter 36) to the narrative about Jacob and his immediate descendants (cf. Gen 35:27-29), the sacred writer reminds us that after the separation and withdrawal of Esau (Gen 36:6-7) from Jacob, the latter was still “in the land of the sojournings of his father”—in Canaan, which, though by the future promises of God it was to become the possession of Abraham’s descendants—Jacob’s—was for now only the land of sojournings (Hebrew megurim—the Midrash connects it with the word ger, sojourner, proselyte, and says that Isaac, like Abraham and Jacob, acquired converts of true faith in Canaan—Beresch. r. Par. 84, s. 409). In particular, Jacob at this time lived in Hebron (Gen 35:27).

Genesis 37:2. Now these are the genealogies [the subsequent history] of Jacob. Joseph, seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers, being a young man, with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report about them to [Israel] his father. Although the history of Joseph in particular follows, yet because it is closely connected with the history of his brothers and Jacob himself, the heading of Joseph’s history states: “now these are the genealogies [the subsequent history] of Jacob.” Just as after Abraham’s death (Gen 25:8) a genealogy (toldoth) of Ishmael is given (Gen 25:12-18), and then the history (toldoth) of Isaac continues (Gen 25:19); so after Isaac’s death, the genealogy (toldoth) of Esau is given (Gen 36), then the history of Jacob continues (from chapter 37 to the end of Genesis). The preference which the sacred writer shows to Joseph over Jacob, the Midrash explains by the fact that Joseph’s fate had the greatest similarity to Jacob’s fate, for example, both were subjected to their brothers’ hatred and danger to their lives, etc. (Beresch. r. Par. 84, s. 409–410). In that Joseph, after being told of his seventeen-year age, is called a young man (naar, a youth), Hebrew commentators saw an indication of Joseph’s childish-naïve (in part—in a disapproving sense) behavior, by which he unintentionally brought hatred upon himself from his brothers. Joseph fed his father’s small livestock as an assistant with the sons close to him in age—the sons of Jacob from Bilhah—Dan and Naphtali (Gen 30:6-8) and from Zilpah—Gad and Asher (Gen 30:11-13); Joseph was especially close to these first two brothers, as children of his mother Rachel, who after her death had been replaced by them as a mother to Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph’s relationship to his older brothers, according to Gen 37:13-14, reminds us of young David’s relationship to his older brothers, who had gone off to war (1 Sam 17:17-18). Immediately after mention of Joseph’s and his brothers’ occupations, the circumstance is related which served as the first cause of the brothers’ hatred against Joseph: he brought bad reports about them to his father’s attention (Vulgate; “crimine pessimo”). The Septuagint translators and the Church Slavonic text give the opposite meaning, namely that the brothers slandered Joseph (so too Saint John Chrysostom). But the Targum Onkelos, Aquila, Symmachus, the Samaritan translation, the Arabic, the Vulgate express the meaning of the Hebrew Masoretic text (as does the Russian Synodal). What the accusation consisted of, the biblical text does not say; the Midrash and the rabbis made various conjectures about it (Beresch. r., s. 410).

Genesis 37:3. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a coat of many colors. Jacob’s special love for Joseph is explained by the fact that the latter was his son of his old age. But Issachar and Zebulun, sons of Leah, were born to Jacob almost at the same time as Joseph (Gen 30:18-23), and Benjamin was still younger than Joseph by about 15 years. Therefore, the biblical testimony can be supplemented by the account of Josephus that Jacob loved Joseph as born of Rachel (after long waiting) and distinguished by the beauty (εὐγένεια) of his body and virtue of his soul (Ant. 2:2, 1). Jacob expressed his preference for Joseph by making for him, as it were for a firstborn (cf. Gen 27:15 — about Esau’s rich garment), a special garment, ketoneth passim. By the literal meaning of the Hebrew word pas, this is a “garment of extremities,” that is, a long tunic with sleeves (tunica manicata et talaris—Gesenius, according to Aquila and Symmachus); it is in this form that one should imagine the ketoneth passim and the daughter of David, Tamar (2 Sam 13:18). But the Septuagint translators (also Church Slavonic-Russian) render: χιτῶν ποικίλον, a variegated tunic, and the customs of the East, ancient and modern—the use of multicolored materials for costumes (2 Sam 1:24; Prov 31:22)—give probability to this translation (Vulgate: “tunicam polymitam”). On one of the pages of Beni-Hassan, Semites are depicted in garments of bright colors.

Genesis 37:4. And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him. This preferential love served the brothers of Joseph as a new occasion for hatred—the most unbearable and unconcealed—toward the favorite, all the more because they might fear (according to Abarbanel’s remark), lest the father should deprive them of all their inheritance because of Joseph.

Genesis 37:5–11. And Joseph had a dream, and told it to [his] brothers; and they hated him even more. He said to them: “Listen, I have had a dream; and behold, we were binding sheaves in the middle of the field; and behold, my sheaf rose up and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” And his brothers said to him: “Shall you indeed reign over us? Shall you indeed have dominion over us?” And they hated him even more for his dreams and his words. And he had yet another dream and told it to [his father and] his brothers, saying: “Behold, I have had another dream: behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” And he told it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him: “What is this dream which you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow down to you to the earth?” His brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind. The hatred of Joseph’s brothers reaches its highest degree when he naively, simply tells them his two prophetic dreams, which equally foretell the future subjection of his brothers and even his father to him. The first dream, in content, reflects agriculture, which, as is known (Gen 26:12), the patriarchs had already been engaged in together with shepherding. Its significance was very clear, so the brothers, understanding the meaning of the first dream, became embittered even more. Belief in the truth and significance of certain dreams is revealed here, as in general in the Bible (Job 33:14-18; Judg 7:9-15; 1 Sam 3:5-15 and others), but only in the history of Joseph is the phenomenon of double dreams observed (Joseph’s own dreams—in this place, the chief cupbearer and chief baker, Pharaoh’s), which Joseph himself in Gen 41:32 explains thus: that the repetition of one and the same subject in two different forms signifies the providential necessity of the fulfillment of the foretold fact and moreover in the near future (the Midrash takes it upon itself to see the dream of sheaves fulfilled in the cult of golden calves introduced (1 Sam 12:28) by Jeroboam, a descendant of Joseph). Joseph’s second dream already draws his father’s attention, who, giving this dream a mysterious significance (verse 11), however, remonstrated with Joseph for his account: the obeisance of father, mother, and older brothers before a younger brother and son, by Eastern standards, was an unthinkable thing (given the usual deep reverence of younger people toward elders in the East). “Your mother” (verse 10)—not Rachel, already deceased, but either Bilhah, who replaced her for Joseph (according to Hebrew interpretation), or Leah, who now held the name of mother and from the side of Rachel’s sons. Commentators who see in the name “mother” precisely Rachel, or admit that part of what is described in chapter 37, including the dreams, took place while Rachel still lived, or else (admitting that Rachel was already dead) see in the words of Jacob “Shall I and your mother… come,” so to speak, reductio ad absurdum: “indeed your mother is dead—how then and when shall we bow down to you now? The dream is clearly deceptive.” In his heart, however, Jacob held the opposite conviction. Theodoret unites what was said about the causes of the brothers’ hatred for Joseph in the following words: “Joseph was loved by his father both because he was late-born and because he was the son of Rachel, and because he distinguished himself in virtue. Wherefore his brothers, seeing him preferred, were wounded by jealousy and first tried to put his father in a bad disposition toward him, often resorting to slander; not achieving their intention, they undertook to destroy him, and then, having taken counsel, sold him. The dream about sheaves foretells his honor for wheat” (answer to question 96).

Genesis 37:14. [Jacob] said to him: “Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring me word again.” And he sent him from the valley of Hebron; and he came to Shechem. Despite the sinister disposition of the brothers toward Joseph, “neither the father nor the young man suspected or imagined that they could descend to such madness” (John Chrysostom, Homily 61, p. 655). Therefore, when the brothers went out to the flocks in the vicinity of Shechem, Jacob, concerned for the welfare of his children, sends Joseph to inquire about their health, and Joseph immediately carries out his father’s command, which proved to be fateful. Shechem, after the well-known bloodshed (Gen 34:25), could already be repopulated and the consequences of its destruction could be eliminated. But Jacob apparently fears for the fate of his sons, all of whom could still bring upon themselves vengeance from the surrounding inhabitants. The sons of Jacob, with their flocks, apparently moved from place to place—from Hebron, where Jacob lived, to the north and east.

Genesis 37:15. Now a man found him wandering in the field, and the man asked him, saying: “What are you seeking?” That Joseph lost his way near Shechem is understandable, since he lived there as a boy. Jewish tradition saw in the man who met Joseph here the Archangel Gabriel, who supposedly demanded that he not return and precisely carry out his father’s command.

Genesis 37:17. And the man said: “They have departed from here, for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothan.” And Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan. Dothan, or, according to the Septuagint reading, Dothain (mentioned later in the history of the prophet Elisha, 2 Sam 6:13, and even later in the history of Judith, Jdt 4:6), according to the testimony of Josephus and Jerome, lay to the north of Samaria and Shechem, at the entrance to the Valley of Jezreel; through this valley and through the city of Dothan ran the caravan route from the northeast to Egypt. The place has retained its ancient name to this day.

Genesis 37:18–20. And when they saw him from a distance, before he came near them, they plotted against him, to put him to death. And they said to one another: “Behold, this dreamer comes; come now, and let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits, and we will say: A wild beast has eaten him, and we shall see what becomes of his dreams.” Seeing Joseph from afar (perhaps by his distinctive garment), the brothers—except Reuben and Judah (as is evident from what follows, verses 21–30), and also, of course, young Benjamin—conspire to kill him; and from the name “master” (Hebrew baal) of dreams, as well as from the fact that by killing his dreaming brother they hoped to prevent the fulfillment of his dreams, it is clear that they firmly believed in the possibility of their coming true and were greatly disturbed by it. But precisely this intention of theirs God turned into one of the links of the path that led Joseph to his exaltation (cf. Gen 50:20). According to tradition, the proposal to kill Joseph came from Simeon and Levi (cf. the Shechem bloodshed) or from Simeon alone: in the latter case it would be explained why later Joseph (Gen 42:24) leaves precisely Simeon as a hostage in Egypt. Joseph’s body, they plan to throw into one of the dry cisterns (bor) of the wilderness, of which there are many, especially in summer, in Palestine and even now (cf. Jer 41:9).

Genesis 37:22. And Reuben said to them: “Do not shed blood; cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him.” This he said [with the intention] to rescue him from their hands and restore him to his father. The brutally cruel intention of Joseph’s brothers meets a great-hearted resistance from the more humane nature of Reuben, who though capable of criminal excesses (Gen 35:22), as the eldest, considered himself especially responsible before his father for his younger brothers, especially for the father’s favorite—Joseph (verses 29–30). Striving to deter his brothers from shedding his blood, he repeats their thought—to throw Joseph (only alive into one of the cisterns in the “wilderness”—the empty part of the Valley of Jezreel), of course, not with the purpose of destroying Joseph without bloodshed (Knobel’s opinion), but with the intention of saving him and returning him to his father.

Genesis 37:23–24. And when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that he had on, and they took him and cast him into the pit; and the pit was empty; there was no water in it. As soon as Joseph approached, the brothers (according to tradition, Simeon first of all) stripped him of his beautiful tunic—the object of their envy and indignation—and threw him, of course, with his desperate cries for compassion (cf. Gen 42:21), into an empty pit, a cistern without water, but hardly without liquid mud at the bottom of this pit—a cistern, full perhaps of various vermin: scorpions, snakes (Beresch. r. 84, s. 404).

Genesis 37:25. And they sat down to eat bread, and looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing aromatic gum, balm, and resin; they were going to carry these down to Egypt. After committing this violence against their brother, the sons of Jacob, except perhaps Reuben, who absented himself, apparently in order to think of a plan to save Joseph (cf. Gen 37:29-30),—sit down to eat: the hardness and callousness of their hearts are astonishing (cf. Prov 30:20)! At this moment they saw a caravan (orechah; Vulgate: viatores; Church Slavonic: wayfarers) heading with goods along the road from Gilead through Jezreel and Dothan. Caravans (cf. συνοδία, Church Slavonic “fellowship”, Luke 2:44) were the usual way of traveling in the ancient and modern East, to avoid attacks. The merchants or members of the caravan of which we are speaking are named at times Ishmaelites (verses 25, 27, 28), at times Midianites (verses 28, 36). The Targum Onkelos translates the first name by the word “Arabs”, and Josephus calls the Midianites Αραβας τοῦ Ισμαελιτῶν γένος: this name and conception (“Arabs”) in the mouths of Joseph’s brothers is more understandable than the special names (Ischmeelim, Midjanim, and also Medanim, verse 36)—since, if by the time of Moses the inhabitants of northern Arabia were known by the name Ishmaelites, then in the time of Jacob, when only the second generation of Ishmael was living, his descendants could not yet give the land their name. The duality of the name is explained either by the fact that the leaders of the caravan were people of one tribe (Ishmael), and the merchants of another (Midian or Medan, cf. Gen 25:2), or else all three (see Hebrew text verse 36, where medanim, not midjanim, as in verse 28) names mean people of the same nation, now general, now special. The products which the merchants carried were, according to the more probable explanation, the following: nechoth—the so-called gummi tragacanti, white, fragrant, hard resin from the storax tree (Septuagint and Vulgate general: θυμιάματα, aromata); zeri (Septuagint: ῥητίνη, Vulgate: “resina”)—balm, resin from the tree balsamodendron gileadense—Gilead balm, which the Hebrews attributed healing power against wounds, and which in all ancient writers who touched upon Palestine is presented as the chief product of this country; loth (Septuagint: στάκτη, and Vulgate)—frankincense, myrrh or resin found on the leaves of the plant cistus creticus, growing in Syria, Arabia, and Cyprus. All these products in raw form were being carried to Egypt, where they were prepared into spices; later Jacob (Gen 43:11) sent these products as a gift to Joseph. The Midrash remarks that these aromatic substances were carried by the merchants, by God’s ordering,—for the sake of the righteous (Joseph).

Genesis 37:26–28. And Judah said to his brothers: “What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. And when the Midianite merchants passed by, they drew Joseph up out of the pit and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver; and they brought Joseph to Egypt. Judah (in Reuben’s absence) on his part proposes a measure which, by his intention, was to serve to save Joseph from a hungry, agonizing death in the well: the sale of him to the merchants—a proposal which in some measure is characteristic of the future Judean tribe, the mediator of worldwide commerce—a proposal less humane compared to Reuben’s entreaty (verse 22), but which proved more persuasive to the hard-hearted brothers. And they sold him to the merchants (apparently with the condition of taking him precisely to Egypt, as one can conclude from Joseph’s words in Gen 45:4-5) for 20 shekels of silver, that is, the price later appointed by Moses for the redemption of boys from five to twenty years old at the sanctuary (Lev 27:5), whereas the average price of a slave (Joseph was sold into slavery, Ps 104:17) was considered (Exod 21:32) to be 30 shekels of silver. The Septuagint, apparently considering 20 shekels of silver (about 17 rubles in our money) too low a price, renders: “golden coins” (εἴκοσι χρυσῶν). Having sold Joseph, his brothers committed the crime of human trafficking, for which the law of Moses later appointed capital punishment (Exod 21:16; Deut 24:7).

Genesis 37:29–30. And Reuben returned to the pit; and behold, Joseph was not in the pit. And he tore his clothes, and returned to his brothers and said: “The boy is not there; and I, where shall I go?” Reuben, absent at the time of Joseph’s sale, returning and not finding Joseph in the pit, comes into despair, tears his clothes as a sign of unbearable grief (as Jacob later does, verse 34, cf. Gen 44:13). In his cry to his brothers—enennu vaani ani anah ba—lies an untranslatable, characteristic of the Hebrew language, assonance expressing the immediate and deep sorrow of Reuben’s good soul, who did not, however, have enough firmness to reveal to his father the true state of affairs.

Genesis 37:31–32. And they took Joseph’s tunic and slaughtered a goat and dipped the tunic in the blood; and they sent the tunic of many colors and brought it to their father and said: “We have found this; please identify whether it is your son’s tunic or not.” One crime of Joseph’s brothers leads to another—a crude deception of their father, and for this purpose they use the same unfortunate tunic of Joseph: in this memorial of paternal preference for Joseph, their troubled conscience wished to find justification for itself. Rabbi Maimonides said that in the law of Moses, a goat is often required for the sins of the society of Israel, to recall this deception of Jacob by his sons and to stir in the sinner consciousness of the necessity of cleansing himself of sins (Philippson, p. 201–202).

Genesis 37:34. And Jacob tore his clothes and put sackcloth upon his waist, and mourned for his son many days. Having donned the sackcloth, a mourning garment usual among the Hebrews (2 Sam 3:31; 1 Sam 21:27), Jacob mourned Joseph (as a dead man) “for many days,” that is, for all 22–23 years which passed from Joseph’s sale to Egypt until Jacob’s migration there with his household (Beresch. r., Par. 84, s. 416).

Genesis 37:35. And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said: “I will go down to my son mourning in Sheol.” And his father wept for him. Besides Joseph’s daughters, heretofore only Dinah is mentioned (chapter 34); others may not have been mentioned in the genealogical table, or (according to the explanation of the Midrash, Rosenmüller and others) the daughters here are called Jacob’s daughters-in-law. “Sheol,” Hebrew scheol (from the verb schaal, to require—the place which inexorably calls all people into itself (Isa 5:14; Prov 30:16)—not a grave, which, by Jacob’s thought, Joseph did not have (for he considered him torn to pieces by beasts), but the mysterious dwelling-place of the dead. As with the sacred writer’s expression (about Abraham, Isaac) “he was gathered to his people” (Gen 25:8), the idea of the patriarchal period of the plural—a testimony to the faith of the patriarchs in immortality.

Genesis 37:36. Now the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard. “Potiphar” through the Coptic “piot-furo”, is usually understood to mean: “devoted to the king,” being considered a title rather than a proper name (the similar “Potiphera”, Gen 41:45, has a different meaning: “devoted to the sun”). The name “eunuch” (Hebrew saris) is probably applied to Potiphar not in the direct sense (he had a wife, Gen 39:7), but in general: a court official. sar hattabachim—“captain of the guard,” that is, probably the captain of the king’s bodyguard. Septuagint: captain of the cooks, ἀρχιμάγειρος; Vulgate: “master of soldiers”.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Judah and His Sons

Genesis 38:1–2. At that time Judah departed from his brothers and settled near an Adullamite named Hirah. And Judah saw there a daughter of a Canaanite, whose name was Shua, and he took her and lay with her. The episode from Judah’s life, whose account in chapter 38 interrupts the narrative about Joseph, stands with that narrative not only in temporal connection (“at that time”), but also in inner-logical connection: the offspring of pure, chaste Joseph, in the person of the mighty tribe of Ephraim, later became the head of the northern (Israelite) kingdom; the offspring of Judah formed the main mass of the southern (Judean) kingdom and, in the end of days, gave forth from its midst the Messiah, who did not shrink from being born from the tribe of Judah-blood-avenger; according to the Midrash, before the oppressor (pharaoh) was born, the last deliverer (the Messiah from the tribe of Judah) had already been born. According to Jewish interpreters, Judah departed from his brothers as a result of the sale of Joseph, tormented by his conscience for the counsel given, though well-intentioned. Regarding the time when everything recounted in chapter 38 occurred, Abenezra, Rosenmüller, and others believed that not all these events took place after the sale of Joseph—within the twenty-three-year period from that event until Jacob’s settlement in Egypt, since in that period Judah could scarcely have had three sons from his first wife, been a widower for “many days” (verse 12), then fathered Perez and Zerah, and finally from the first have had grandsons: Hezron and Hamul (Gen 46:12). Judah left Hebron—the last place of Jacob’s residence—and settled in the region (west of Hebron) of Adullam, in the valley of Saphela (later a cave near the city that arose there gave shelter to David, 1 Sam 22:1; cf. Josh 15:35; 2 Chr 11:7). The Adullamite Hirah here became Judah’s friend (verse 12). Here too Judah married the daughter of a Canaanite—Shua. The Jews, following the lead of Targum Onkelos, understand the word kenaani (verse 2) in the generic sense: a merchant (as in Prov 31:24), but in clear contradiction with the context, from a tendency to deflect what disturbed them, in view of Gen 28:1, the fact of the patriarch’s marriage to a Canaanite woman. Shua is the name of the father of Judah’s wife, not of the wife herself (as understood in the LXX, Syriac, Slavonic), as shown by the masculine suffix attached to the word shem (name).

Genesis 38:3–5. She conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. And she conceived again and bore a son, and called his name Onan. And she bore yet another son and called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him. Judah’s marriage to a Canaanite woman was apparently not a happy one: into Judah’s family penetrated the unnatural vices that had long distinguished the Canaanites, which, by God’s judgment, became the cause of the early death of Judah’s first two sons: Er (from Hebrew—“fear”) and Onan (from Hebrew—“strength”). In the mention of the birth of the third son Shelah, the place where he was born is named—Kezib, Chezib (perhaps Achzib), a city near Adullam (Josh 15:44; Mic 1:14); only from this son was there offspring. The Vulgate renders the name kezib descriptively: “parere ultra cessavit.”

Tamar and Her Two Sons

Genesis 38:6–10. And Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. Er, the firstborn of Judah, was displeasing in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death. And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his, and whenever he lay with his brother’s wife, he would waste the seed on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. What he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord, and He put him to death as well. Judah took as wife his firstborn Er (apparently at an early age) to Tamar (“palm tree”: Tamar’s origin is not indicated—perhaps from the Philistines), but his early childless death, perhaps sudden, was testimony to his displeasure before God (cf. Prov 10:27). Judah, relying on the ancient custom, later expressly regulated in the law of Moses (Deut 25:5-10), the so-called levirate marriage (Latin levir = Hebrew yabam, brother-in-law), that is, the marriage of a childless widow to the brother-in-law or other nearest blood relative to restore offspring to her deceased husband, whose name the firstborn from this new marriage would receive—gives the widow Tamar to his second son Onan. But the latter marked himself with an abominable sin, henceforth known by his name (onanism); the gravity of his sin was increased by his base ill-will toward the memory of his brother, whose name only the first son was to receive, and by his mercenary calculation—to inherit his brother’s portion himself. God’s punishment struck him too.

Genesis 38:11. And Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah is grown up.” For he thought, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and remained in her father’s house. Though it is possible that Shelah had truly not yet reached marriageable age, the real reason for Judah’s disposition to remove Tamar to her father’s house on the status of a widow was Judah’s superstitious fear and regard for Tamar as a woman bringing death to whoever would enter into marriage with her (cf. Tob 3:7-8); (according to later Jewish custom, a woman whose two husbands had died, strictly speaking, lost the right to a third marriage). By prolonging the time with the promise to give Tamar to Shelah, Judah was in fact condemning her to perpetual widowhood (verse 14), thereby doing her an injustice, which he later acknowledged himself (verse 26). Then Tamar, by cunning, achieves what was not given to her by lawful means (verses 14–26).

Genesis 38:12. A long time passed, and the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died. After his mourning, Judah went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. The period “many days” according to the Midrash equals two months. The mention of the death of his wife has immediate connection with the subsequent account of Judah’s encounter (verses 16–17), which could not have taken place while a man was married. After his mourning, Judah goes with his friend (according to the LXX and Vulgate, cf. Slavonic—shepherd: a confusion of Hebrew re’a, friend, with roeh, shepherd) Hirah to Timnah (on the north-west border of the tribe of Judah, Josh 15:57) to the feast of shearing sheep (cf. Gen 31:19; 1 Sam 25:4; 2 Sam 13:23).

Genesis 38:13–15. And Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife. And when Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. Learning this, “Tamar decided to deceive and share a bed with her father-in-law and bear children by him—not for fleshly lust, but so as not to remain without a name. Yet in this matter there was also God’s providence, which is why her intention was indeed fulfilled” (John Chrysostom, Homily 62, 662). Nevertheless, Scripture does not praise and even does not justify Tamar’s action (not without her self-sacrifice with danger to her honor and life). The place where Tamar sat waiting for Judah is called in verses 14 and 21 Enaim, which the Targum, Midrash, many Jewish interpreters, and the Vulgate (“in bivio itineris”) understand in the sense of a common noun: “two springs,” “two roads,” and so forth; but more probable is the transmission of the LXX—“πρὸς ταῖς πόλαις Αιναν”—Enaim or Genan would then be the name of a city in the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:34), between Adullam and Timnah. Here, like prostitutes who usually went out onto streets and busy roads (Prov 7:12; Jer 3:2), Tamar sat by the road (perhaps at a crossroads of two roads, as might be indicated by the dual form Enaim and the note of verse 16: “he turned aside to her”), carefully covering her face with a veil so as not to be recognized. This covering of the face, however, was not a sign of a woman’s belonging to the class of prostitutes (Rebecca at her first meeting with Isaac also covers herself with a veil, Gen 24:65), and it was not for this reason that Judah (verse 15) took Tamar for a prostitute, but rather because of Tamar’s location in a public place and other circumstances, which led Judah to perceive in Tamar something like a servant of Astarte or Babylonian Melittas—qedeschah (verse 21); about a cult of this kind among the Babylonians Herodotus speaks (book 1, 199).

Genesis 38:18. He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She said, “Your signet ring, your cord, and the staff that is in your hand.” And he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. As pledge for future payment, Tamar demands from Judah those things, whose certain belonging to Judah was later to prove the paternity of Judah with respect to Tamar’s two sons: a ring, a cord (the strap of the signet), and a staff—all of this was usual property among the Babylonians (Herodotus, book 1, 195), and from there it passed into Canaan. In this, on the ring, as well as on staffs, probably already very early, various emblems of their owner were engraved (the emblem or coat of arms of the tribe of Judah was a lion, of the tribe of Dan—a serpent, of Issachar—a donkey, of Benjamin—a wolf, Gen 49:9).

Genesis 38:21. And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the temple prostitute who was at Enaim on the road?” But they said, “There has been no temple prostitute here.” The name qedeschah, “devoted one” (that is, to the goddess of depravity), in application to a prostitute, clearly indicates the Babylonian cult of Melittas or Belittas, or Canaanite Astarte, in both of which cults the payment of prostitutes was brought into the treasury of the goddess, which was strictly and unconditionally forbidden to the Hebrews in Deut 23:18.

Genesis 38:23. And Judah said, “Let her keep the things as her own, lest we be laughed at. After all, I sent this kid, but you could not find her.” Judah refuses to search further for the supposed “qedeschah” (qedeschah) from fear that his desire to settle with the woman according to agreement (who has already received, however, more valuable things, in comparison with a kid) might lead to mockery of him: a fact—along with some other features noted in this account—testifying to a sufficiently high development of moral feeling in Jacob’s family, despite the presence of phenomena contrary to it.

Genesis 38:24. About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and moreover she is pregnant from harlotry.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” As Judah’s sentence (individual) against his daughter-in-law (betrothed to Shelah) on suspicion of harlotry characterizes the patriarchal way of life—in distinction from the limitations of parental power in the law of Moses (Deut 21:18-21)—so also the kind of punishment—burning—indicates a pre-Mosaic, patriarchal stage of Hebrew criminal law; perhaps this execution was borrowed by Judah from neighboring Philistines (the Philistines burned Samson’s wife for infidelity, Judg 15:6). According to the law of Moses, a violator of marital fidelity was stoned to death (Deut 22:21), and only a priest’s daughter who had committed harlotry was burned (Lev 21:9), therefore Jewish tradition considered Tamar also a daughter of a priest; according to the rabbis—a daughter of Shem or Melchizedek, Beresch. r. Par. 85, s. 421. It is possible, finally, that Judah’s burning was assigned to Tamar as (a supposed) priestess of Astarte (Deut 7:25).

Genesis 38:25. As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Identify whose these are—the signet ring, the cord, and the staff.” When Judah so decisively (like his descendant David—in the matter of Bathsheba) (2 Sam 12:5) pronounced a death sentence on Tamar, though he himself was guilty of insincerity in arranging Tamar’s marriage to Shelah, then Tamar produces, evidently carefully preserved until now, the things of Judah and sends them to him, delicately, without naming him, reminding him of the occasion (verse 18). The Talmud and Midrash, praising this thoughtfulness of Tamar for her father-in-law’s good name, at a time when death itself threatened her, draw the moral lesson that it is better to die than to disgrace a neighbor. From the expression “as she was being brought out,” the Midrash concludes that the things mentioned were already lost to her, but God miraculously gave her other similar ones (Beresch. r. Par. 85.s. 421–422).

Genesis 38:26. And Judah recognized them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not lie with her again. Tamar’s modest reminder awakens in Judah the reproaches of conscience, and he (by inspiration from above, the Midrash says) openly, publicly acknowledges his guilt before Tamar and his belonging to the future children of hers; moreover, the awakened moral feeling (in connection with the so-called honor naturalis) causes him to refuse further cohabitation with his daughter-in-law.

Genesis 38:27–30. When she was in labor, there were twins in her womb. And when she was in labor, one put out a hand; and the midwife took and bound on his hand a crimson thread, saying, “This one came out first.” But he drew back his hand, and his brother came out instead. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore he was named Perez. Afterward his brother came out with the crimson thread on his hand. And he was named Zerah. These verses form an epilogue to the story of Tamar—an account of the birth of her twins, which in some respects resembles the account (Gen 25:22-26) of the birth of Esau and Jacob: Zerah (from Hebrew “sunrise”), who, by human reckoning, was to be the firstborn and receive all the advantages of the firstborn, was bound to yield both the right of birth and all the rights of the firstborn to his brother Perez (Hebrew Perez—breach, as if contrary to nature), who, of the five sons of Judah, formed the main line of Judah’s offspring, namely through him came David from the tribe of Judah, and in the end of days—Christ the Savior (1 Chr 2:5-9; Ruth 4:17-22; Matt 1:3-6; Luke 3:31-35).

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Joseph in the House of Potiphar

Genesis 39:1. Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. After a certain digression, chapter 38, from the thread of the narrative about Joseph (Gen 37:36), the sacred writer continues the history of the latter. If in Canaan, as the history of Judah in chapter 38 shows, the descendants of Abraham faced the danger of drawing near and even merging with the Canaanites, then the taking of Joseph to Egypt, which ultimately brought about the settlement of all of Jacob’s descendants in Egypt, foreshadowed the necessity for the development and entering of the divinely chosen tribe into the communion of the Lord under exceptional conditions of life in Egypt, where the descendants of Jacob, on one hand, borrowed many benefits of Egyptian civilization, but on the other hand, by their considerable isolation from the Egyptians (who despised the Hebrews and other nomads, Gen 43:32), were able to preserve their national wholeness and purity of religious heritage.

Genesis 39:2. And the Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man; and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. The expression “the Lord was with Joseph” Jewish interpreters understand to mean that, separated from his father and native family, Joseph constantly had God in his thoughts and heart, and therefore God, as a heavenly Father, showed him special care (the Midrash makes a comparison, recalling the parable of the Lord about God’s care for one lost sheep more than for the ninety-nine that did not go astray). “In the house of his master,” that is, according to Jewish interpretation, was not compelled to do menial (agricultural) work.

Genesis 39:3–4. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands. So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him; and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. God’s blessing upon Joseph and his works does not escape the notice of his heathen master (verse 3), as God’s blessing upon Isaac was noticed by the Philistines (Gen 26:28); upon Jacob—by Laban (Gen 30:27), and he clothed him with full trust and authority in the house and made him overseer of his servants (in Rome such an overseer was called atriensis; overseers of this kind are often found depicted in Egyptian sculptures, cf. Matt 24:45-47; Luke 12:42-44).

Genesis 39:5. And from the time that he made him overseer of his house and of all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. “Wherever the righteous go, the Shekhinah goes with them,” remarks the Midrash regarding the words of the sacred writer about the blessing of Potiphar’s house for Joseph’s sake.

Genesis 39:6. So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge; and, with him there, he had no concern for anything except the food that he ate. Now Joseph was handsome and good-looking. Seeing the particular success of his affairs from Joseph’s arrival in his house, Potiphar entrusted him with all the conduct of life, “except (only) the bread that he ate.” This last expression Rashi understood as a euphemism for the representation concerning Potiphar’s wife. Others see here an indication that Potiphar, as an Egyptian (Gen 43:32), was disgusted at eating food given by the Hebrew Joseph. It may be that this is a figurative expression marking the lazy unconcern of the Egyptian Potiphar. The mention in verse 6 of Joseph’s beauty has immediate connection with the account of his misfortunes, which were a consequence of his attractive appearance.

Temptation from His Wife and Joseph’s Chastity, Slander and His Imprisonment in Prison

Genesis 39:7. And after these things, his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” The fact of the profound moral depravity of Potiphar’s wife is entirely confirmed by the testimony of ancient authors that Egypt was from ancient times considered a country of debauchery and widespread infidelity of wives to husbands; according to Herodotus (book 2, 111), in the time of the son of Sesostris, in all of Egypt one could not in vain seek a wife faithful to her husband. The account of chapter 39 has very close affinity with the Egyptian legend of “the Two Brothers” (Vigouroux).

Genesis 39:8–9. But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my hand; he is not greater in this house than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great wrong and sin against God?” Joseph’s exhortations are distinguished by their completeness and thoroughness: he points to the following moments which should have brought the criminal wife to reason: • a sense of gratitude to Potiphar, which could not allow sinful relations with his wife; • a sense of honor and personal dignity (“he is not greater in this house than I am”); • a reminder to the woman of her marital obligations (“because you are his wife”); and finally • a sense of God’s omnipresence and fear of God, as well as the holiness of moral law (“How then could I do this great wrong and sin against God?”).

Genesis 39:10–12. And although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not consent to lie beside her or be with her. But one day, when he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was there in the house, she caught hold of his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got himself out of the house. This temptation lasted many days for Joseph, and when his moral steadfastness remained inflexible (the Midrash understands the words of Jacob in exactly this sense, Gen 49:24, of Joseph: “his bow remained firm”), this shameful passion of the Egyptian woman grew to the utmost limits, all feminine shame in her disappeared, and she, like a true prostitute (Prov 7:13-21), attempts by force to incline Joseph to sin. Then Joseph flees, leaving his garment in the hands of the Egyptian woman, and as if not concerned that in this way he gives into the hands of a corrupt and vengeful woman material evidence of his supposed crime.

Genesis 39:13–15. And when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, she called to the members of her household and said to them, “See, my husband brought a Hebrew to us to insult us! He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice; when he heard me raise my voice and cry out, he left his garment beside me, and fled and got himself out of the house.” Rejected passionate love, according to a psychological law (cf. 2 Sam 13:15), especially in unrestrained natures, passes into hatred, and the Egyptian woman avenges herself on Joseph with slander against him first before her household (verses 13–15), then—before her husband (verses 16–18), with that cunning and treacherous, but effective calculation, that the first lie, following immediately after the alleged fact and set to acquire witnesses to its truth (in the persons of the household), will make the second lie more credible. She conducts her slander against Joseph with great cunning. She with utmost contempt calls him “a Hebrew” (cf. Gen 43:32), and in this way, hypocritically expressing her revulsion for Joseph and even trying to transmit this revulsion to her household (“to insult us,” verse 14), she attempts to completely destroy the opposite (of her rejected love) assumption of the people, though they were hardly particularly inclined toward the master’s favorite, Joseph. In testimony of the truth of her words, she points to two moments, factually true, but perverted in motivation and deliberately transposed one in the place of the other: 1) her cry and 2) the supposed voluntary leaving of his garment by Joseph (verse 15), whereas the latter occurred earlier and was a consequence of violence done to Joseph by the Egyptian woman, and her cry about help or protection was a forced simulation of offense already after this.

Genesis 39:17–18. And she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to insult me; [and when I raised my voice and cried out, he left his garment with me and fled out of the house.]” But when [he heard that] I raised my voice and cried out, he left his garment with me and fled out of the house. The same cunning—to occupy instead of the position of the accused the role of accuser—is expressed by Potiphar’s wife in her appeal to her husband (about him she mentioned contemptuously even before, verse 14, in conversation with the household): to him she expresses her pretended anger and reproaches for the fact that he, incautiously introducing a “Hebrew slave” into the house, was himself the last, though indirect, cause of disgrace to her and her family.

Genesis 39:19. When his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, saying, “This is what your servant did to me,” his anger was kindled. Potiphar “was kindled with anger”; against whom—against Joseph or against his wife, is not said. According to Jewish interpreters, Potiphar did not believe his wife’s accusation, because if he had believed it, he would have executed a man who dared to defile his bed; but he did not want to investigate the matter further, avoiding shame for himself and his family. That, however, his anger was at least at first directed at Joseph, not at his wife, is evident from the consequence of the described occurrence and the spread slander: he imprisons Joseph (verse 20), probably without even hearing the accused, about whose self-defense the text says nothing. “If,” says the holy John Chrysostom (Homily 62, p. 669) of Potiphar, “he did not believe, then it was not necessary to imprison him; and if he believed that the Egyptian woman’s words were true, then Joseph deserved not imprisonment in a dungeon, but death and the highest punishment… But the hand of the Almighty restrained the foreigner, and did not allow him to immediately rush into murdering the youth.”

God’s Mercy toward Joseph in Prison

Genesis 39:20–22. And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; he remained there in the prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love; he gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. And the chief jailer committed to Joseph’s care all the prisoners who were in the prison, and whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The name of the prison—sohar, not found anywhere else in the Bible except in Joseph’s history (Gen 39:20-23), and used here with the explanatory note: the place “where the king’s prisoners were confined” (that is, criminals of state), Abenezra considered an Egyptian word, and Jablonsky brought this word closer to the Coptic soncharch—“guard of the bound.” But Gesenius finds it possible to see here a word of the same root as the Hebrew sachar, to fence, from which sohar (sochar)—a fortress, which best fits ὀχύρωμα in the LXX (Slavonic “stronghold”). The chief jailer (verses 21, 22, 23), who obtained Joseph’s favor, is distinguished from Potiphar, in whose house, probably, the prison was located and to whom the chief jailer was probably subordinate. Thus disappears the contradiction found by critics in the biblical account—in the very fact that Joseph had two masters and there were two commanders of the guard. Ps 104:17-18 mentions Joseph’s imprisonment in chains; but this was probably only at first after his confinement. Joseph was confined, perhaps at twenty-eight years of age, since after two years of confinement, upon his elevation to the position of first minister of Pharaoh, he was thirty years old (Gen 41:46).

Chapter Forty

Joseph in Prison with Two Officers of Pharaoh

Genesis 40:1. Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord the king of Egypt. The Hebrew text of verse 1 does not call the cupbearer and baker chief or commanding, but this addition in the LXX and Slavonic in verse 1 is entirely accurate, since later (verses 2, 7–9) the great men who offended Pharaoh are repeatedly called in the Hebrew text—the chief of the cupbearers and the chief of the bakers. These positions at Oriental royal courts were considered and were very important; the entire power of Oriental despots rested on a multitude of courtiers, who combined personal service to the king with service to the state. The text of Scripture does not say what the guilt of Pharaoh’s courtiers consisted of. Having in view the arbitrariness of Oriental despots, who punished their servants even for trifling offenses, Rabbi Yarhi supposed that a fly could have gotten into the cupbearer’s cup, a speck, coal, etc., could have appeared in the bread served by the baker to Pharaoh. The Targum of Jonathan, on the contrary, with greater probability, assumes suspicion of both great men of an intention to poison the king; in this charge the cupbearer was vindicated, but the baker was not.

Genesis 40:2–4. And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard assigned Joseph to them, and he waited on them. And they remained in custody for some time. The courtiers who had incurred Pharaoh’s wrath were sent by him, due to the absence of special state prisons in ancient Egypt (as throughout the Orient, even in modern times), to the prison at Potiphar’s house, who now had the opportunity to ease the lot not only of these great men, but also of Joseph, who was imprisoned here earlier: he assigns him to the great men for personal service to them. The Hebrew janim, days, often means: year (1 Sam 1:3), but here (verse 4) this word probably means an indefinite and perhaps small number of days.

Genesis 40:5–8. One night they both had dreams—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own meaning. When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. He asked Pharaoh’s officers, who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.” These verses form the introduction to the narration and interpretation of the dreams of both courtiers. In a state of anxiety for their lives, wholly dependent on the whim and arbitrariness of the despot-Pharaoh, both his courtiers, without doubt, expected an indication from on high concerning their fate, perhaps precisely in a dream, since the Egyptians, according to Herodotus (book 2, 83), produced divination and foresight of the future from the deity and considered dreams one of the means of revelation of the will of the deity. The Midrash (Beresch. r. Par. 88, s. 432), on the basis of the construction of the sentence in verse 5, says that each great man saw his own dream and at the same time the interpretation of the dream of his fellow, which supposedly explains why, according to verse 16, the baker found that Joseph had interpreted the cupbearer’s dream well. But, apart from the unnaturalness of such an assumption, verse 8 directly speaks against it, according to which the interpretation of the dreams was given to neither one of Pharaoh’s officers. In this verse 8 are expressed the unequal views of Pharaoh’s officers and Joseph on the source of dream-interpretation: the former are ready to see it in scientific wisdom and scholarly study, the latter points to God as the sole source of all wisdom and enlightenment of man, which suggests they refer the subsequent dream-interpretation solely to God.

Interpretation of the Cupbearer’s Dream

Genesis 40:9. And the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine before me; Herodotus denies the existence and cultivation of the grapevine in Egypt (book 2, 77) and says that Egyptians instead of wine drink beer, prepared from barley. This testimony of Herodotus was one of the bases for biblical critics to push back the composition of the book of Genesis, which recounts in the chapter in question (cf. Num 20:5; Ps 77:47) vineyards and grape wine in Egypt, to a later time. But Herodotus’ testimony is very vague, and in other places of his history he speaks of the use of grape wine (οῖνος ἀμπελίνος) by priests and at sacrifices (book 2, 37, 39), and even, like Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, Pliny, identifies Osiris with Dionysus-Bacchus (book 2, 42, 48, 144). Probably, therefore, in the indicated place Herodotus speaks only of the comparatively smaller development of winemaking in Egypt, in comparison with Greece. If we were even to understand this testimony strictly, the conclusion from the times of Herodotus to the times of Joseph would be poorly founded: thirteen centuries, separating the father of history from the biblical patriarch, could substantially change the appearance of Egypt (now viticulture in Egypt does not flourish because of the prohibition of wine by Islam). But the science of Egyptology now has indisputable proof in favor of the Bible and against Herodotus: in the vicinity of Beni-Hasan, Thebes, and the great pyramids on monuments are found numerous images of pictures of vineyards and winemaking. Both, without doubt, go back to the times even before Joseph.

Genesis 40:10–13. and on the vine there were three branches; as soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” Then Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation: the three branches are three days; within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; Having listened to a vivid and graphic presentation of the dream by the cupbearer (verses 10–11), in which he appeared fulfilling the duties of his rank, Joseph gives the interpretation of the dream (verses 12–13): within three days Pharaoh will “lift up your head,” that is, remembering his services and finding him innocent, restore him to his former dignity (cf. 4Цар. 25:27).

Genesis 40:14–15. But remember me, when it goes well with you; please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. For in fact I was stolen out of the land of the Hebrews; and here too I have done nothing that they should have put me in the dungeon.” To his interpretation, in the truth of which Joseph is evidently completely convinced, Joseph adds a request to the cupbearer—once freed, to remind Pharaoh and help secure his release from prison, and in briefly and in general terms telling his story, Joseph says that as he was sold (“stolen”—the action of Joseph’s brothers was kidnapping) from the “land of the Hebrews” (the territory occupied by the descendants of Abraham in Canaan) innocently, so too in Egypt he fell into prison without any crime. The cupbearer’s forgetting of this request from Joseph (verse 23) was his last severe trial.

Interpretation of the Baker’s Dream

Genesis 40:16–17. When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: there were three cake-baskets on my head; and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating out of the basket on my head.” Having heard a favorable (Hebrew tob here—fortunate, favorable, inaccurately LXX: ὀρθῶς, Vulgate: prudenter; Slavonic: “rightly”—the baker could not have been convinced of the correctness of the interpretation, which could not yet be verified by anything) for his fellow, the baker tells Joseph his dream, which presents both features of similarity with the cupbearer’s dream—the performance of official duties, the number three (“baskets solved,” verse 16; this is probably the most correct way to render the Hebrew sallejchori, rather than “bread baskets,” as in the LXX, Vulgate, and other translations). The carrying of baskets on the head is completely in the spirit of ancient Egyptian customs: according to Herodotus (book 2, 38), men among Egyptians carry burdens on their heads, women—on their shoulders.

Genesis 40:18–19. And Joseph answered, “This is the interpretation: the three baskets are three days; within three days Pharaoh will lift your head from you and hang you on a pole; and the birds will eat the flesh from you.” In his interpretation of the second dream, Joseph turns attention to the fact that the baker in the performance of his official duty encountered an obstacle, damage from birds, and interprets, by God’s inspiration, the latter dream in an unfavorable sense: within three days Pharaoh will behead (in Hebrew “lift the head,” as in verse 13, but in the directly opposite sense) this great man, and birds will devour his very corpse.

Fulfillment of Joseph’s Interpretation of the Dreams

Genesis 40:20–22. On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cupbearer to his cupbearing, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand; but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. The birthday, in ancient times, kings and other notable people always celebrated with feasts, etc.; Herodotus (book 1, 133) testifies to this among Persian kings; cf. the gospel account of Herod (Matt 14:6-7). Among Egyptian kings, the birthday was also a day of announcing amnesty to various criminals; in this case, remembering both imprisoned great men, Pharaoh grants amnesty, restoration to former dignity, only to the cupbearer, according to the interpretation of his dream by Joseph (verse 21); the baker, according to the opposite interpretation by Joseph, he punishes (this execution coincided with Pharaoh’s birthday by chance and was not a permanent feature of this day).

Genesis 40:23. But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. Psychologically it is entirely understandable that a distinguished and now fully happy great man would forget a poor slave—Joseph, his service and his request. The Talmudists in this circumstance saw divine punishment for Joseph’s sin of relying on man instead of relying solely on God, and referred to Ps 39:5. But the true higher pragmatism of Joseph’s history, undoubtedly, is better understood by the holy John Chrysostom, saying: “Joseph needed to (wait two years) for a favorable time to come forth from prison with glory. If the cupbearer, remembering him before Pharaoh’s dreams, by his intercession had freed him from prison, then his virtue to many, perhaps, would have remained unknown. But now the all-wise and provident Lord, like a skilled artist, knowing how long gold must remain in the fire and when it must be taken out, permits the cupbearer to forget Joseph for two years, so that the time should come both for Pharaoh’s dream and by the requirement of necessity itself the righteous man became known throughout Pharaoh’s kingdom” (Homily 63, p. 675).

Chapter Forty-One

Pharaoh’s Dreams

Genesis 41:1. After two years had passed, Pharaoh dreamed: behold, he stood by the river; Two years are reckoned, probably, judging by the connection of the narrative with Gen 40:23, from the liberation of the cupbearer, or this date may denote the entire period of Joseph’s imprisonment in the jail. The river, Hebrew jeor, is without doubt the Nile, called by this common noun in the sense of a proper name not only in the Pentateuch, but also in other books of the Old Testament (Isa 7:18-19; Jer 46:7-8; Ezek 29:3 and others). The Hebrew name of the Nile is consonant with the Egyptian: lapo – river: one can suppose that in the Egyptian language as well the common noun jeor later came to denote only the Nile, the most important river for Egypt (as urbs in Latin – Roma; ἄστυ in Greek – Athens). Pharaoh, who raised up Joseph, was, by supposition, Apophis or Apapi of the Hyksos dynasty, or, by others, Amenemhat III of the 12th Egyptian dynasty.

Genesis 41:2–3. and behold, there came up out of the river seven cows, good of appearance and fat of flesh, and they fed in the reeds; but behold, after them there came up out of the river seven other cows, poor of appearance and thin of flesh, and they stood beside those cows on the bank of the river; The Nile, in its periodic floods (from June to October), is the principal source of fertility in Egypt, now greater, now less, depending on the abundance of water (Deut 11:10). This specifically Egyptian feature of Pharaoh’s dream is supplemented later by traits equally characteristic of Egypt: from the Nile come forth cattle (beasts in hot lands remain in the water for long periods). These animals were extremely valued in ancient Egypt, serving also as objects of worship. The bull – especially the famous Apis – was a symbol of the Nile and Osiris (the priests applied this name also to the Nile), and therefore also of agriculture and fertility. The cow in Egyptian symbolism is a type of the earth, also of fertility, a personification of Egypt itself (Jer 46:20-21). As the bull was dedicated to Osiris, inventor of agriculture, so the cow to Isis, goddess of fertility and love. The cows feed in reeds – a Nile plant, in Hebrew achu (compare Job 8:11). The LXX in some codices: ἐν τῶ αχει, in others: ἐν τῆ ὄχὕη; Slavonic: “by the shore”; Vulgate – closer to the meaning of the Hebrew text: in locis palustribus. The 7 fat cows coming forth from the Nile were a symbol of sevenfold fertility of Egyptian soil by the influence of the Nile. In contrast with this, the 7 thin cows, likewise coming forth from the Nile, are 7 periods-years of famine, dependent on the Nile itself, namely the smaller flood of it and drought.

Genesis 41:4. and the thin cows ate up the seven good cows that were fat and full. Seven years of famine follow immediately after seven years of fertility and utterly destroy all stores and even the remembrance of the latter (compare verse 30–31): this is signified by the fantastic feature, intelligible only in a dream – the devouring of the fat cows by the thin ones.

Genesis 41:5. and he slept and dreamed again: behold, upon one stalk there arose seven ears of grain, fat and good; The repetition of the dream in another form, by the understanding of antiquity signifying the identity of meaning of both dreams and their unconditional fulfillment, was meant to awaken the attention of Pharaoh and his faith in the providential significance of the first dream; moreover, the second dream, reflecting the agricultural manner of life and fertility of Egypt, is more readily understood: the growth of 7 ears (full) on one stalk is a phenomenon very familiar in the fertile valley of the Nile.

Genesis 41:6. but behold, after them there grew up seven ears, thin and blasted by the east wind; On the contrary, 7 thin ears spring up in isolation; they are scorched by the “east” wind – with respect to Arabia and Palestine, but north-east in relation to Egypt, the wind, khamsin (Jer 18:17; Ezek 17:10; Hos 13:15).

Genesis 41:7. and the thin ears devoured the seven ears of grain, full and good. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. The vividness of the images of both dreams was so great that only upon finally waking did Pharaoh understand that what he had seen was a dream.

Egypt’s Wise Men and Joseph

Genesis 41:8. In the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men, and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none who could interpret it to Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s disturbance, natural in general after dreams (Gen 40:7), could have been caused further by the following circumstances: the repetition of the dream, the opinion of antiquity that the fates of nations can be revealed to their rulers (compare Dan 10:7), finally, the dominion in Egypt of the system of hieroglyphs, in which representations were expressed by symbolic signs. This last consideration prompted Pharaoh to summon the magicians, chartummim (compare Exod 7:11), and all the wise men of Egypt in general. The etymology of chartummim is not established; the root of this word was sought not only in Hebrew (from cheret – stylus, the instrument of writing), but also in Syriac, Arabic, and Egyptian languages; for instance, they derived it (with questionable philological foundation) from two Aramaic words: chur, to see, and tum (Hebrew taman), to hide: interpreter of mysteries. By the more accepted interpretation: khartumin – specialists (from among the priests) in reading hieroglyphics (LXX: ἐξηγητὰς, Vulgate: conjutores), so-called ίερογραμματεῖς (by testimony of antiquity, Egyptian priests were divided into three classes: προφῆται, ίερογραμματεῖς, νεωκόροι). Naturally, they were not limited to reading hieroglyphics, but, as is known from the Book of Exodus, they were also proper magicians, attempting to perform miracles. To them Pharaoh turned precisely because his own dream enclosed within itself a kind of hieroglyphics. He also turned to the wise men of Egypt in general, among whom was the already-known cupbearer.

Genesis 41:9. Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying: I remember my offenses today; Joseph’s dreams and the need for their interpretation bring the cupbearer to remember Joseph, and he at last recalls him, realizing his “sin,” that is, either his guilt before Pharaoh, for which he was imprisoned (Gen 40:1), or, more directly, the sin of ingratitude toward Joseph (Gen 40:14).

Genesis 41:10–12. Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the chief of the guard; and we each had a dream in one night, each man his dream with its own meaning; and there was with us a young Hebrew, a servant of the chief of the guard; and we told him our dreams, and he interpreted to us our dreams, each one according to the meaning of his dream; A brief retelling of the narrative of chapter 40, which can serve as an example of the language of Egyptian courtiers: it is characteristic that the cupbearer mentions the hanged baker diplomatically (at the end of verse 10, see the Hebrew text – so as not to arouse Pharaoh’s anger), and also the condescending-haughty mention of Joseph (“a young Hebrew servant,” verse 12 – according to the Midrash, in an ill-disposed sense, from reluctance at Joseph’s elevation).

Genesis 41:14. And Pharaoh sent and called Joseph. And they hurriedly brought him out of the jail. He shaved himself and changed his raiment and came to Pharaoh. The word of the cupbearer took effect: Pharaoh immediately demands Joseph to come to him, he is freed from the jail, and he prepares himself for an audience with Pharaoh: he cuts his hair and beard and changes his clothes – shaving the hair is a specifically Egyptian trait – Egyptians wore their hair only in mourning (Herodotus 2, 36), ordinarily they wore short hair and a beard; to appear before Pharaoh in mourning attire and in everyday clothes was not permitted by Egyptian etiquette.

Genesis 41:16. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying: It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer. Pharaoh, like his courtiers (Gen 40:8), supposed that the interpretation of dreams was a matter of specialist art. But Joseph in both cases declines the glory of a professional dream-interpreter and makes his interpretation solely from God, and Pharaoh, having heard Joseph, recognizes as the source of his wisdom the divine inspiration (verse 38).

The Recounting and Interpretation of the Dreams

Genesis 41:21. and the fat ones entered into their bellies, but it could not be known that they had entered their bellies, so ill-favored were they. Even as at the beginning. Here (Gen 41:17-24) is contained the repetition from Pharaoh’s lips of what was recounted above by the sacred writer (verse 1–8), with the purpose of more clearly communicating to the reader the particulars of Pharaoh’s dreams; here, too, verse 21, there is a significant addition to the first narrative, namely: an indication that the fertility of the first seven years will not be able to cover by its excess the scarcity of the 7 following years of famine.

Genesis 41:25–32. And Joseph said to Pharaoh: The dream of Pharaoh is one; God has shown to Pharaoh what He will do. The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one; and the seven thin and poor cows that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted by the east wind are seven years of famine. It is as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He will do. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt; and after them seven years of famine will come, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and famine will consume the land, and the plenty will be unknown in the land because of the famine that follows, for it will be very grave. And the fact that the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice means that this is the true word of God, and God will soon bring it to pass. In approaching the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams, Joseph with special force of persuasion emphasizes the providential significance of the dreams (about which he had said also before, verse 16): through these dreams divine providence reveals to the ruler of Egypt the fate of the country in the coming years. In this connection, to prove the higher significance of the dreams and their immutability, Joseph repeatedly points to the repetition or duality of Pharaoh’s dream in two forms essentially identical (verse 25, 26, 32), although they might suggest the thought of an unequal significance. On the whole, Joseph’s interpretation is distinguished by remarkable simplicity, naturalness, and complete plausibility (subsequently verified by fact), and by these traits it differs infinitely from the utterances of all pagan oracles. In the circumstance that despite all apparent simplicity of the meaning of the dreams, this meaning remained unguessed by the wise men of Egypt, one can perceive the deliberate action of Providence, which through Joseph was to wisely fulfill its designs regarding the posterity of Abraham. In verses 26–27 the meaning of the images of the dreams is unfolded in parallel, and verses 28–31 do the same, but without concrete images; verse 32 emphasizes the unconditional truth of the interpretation, its necessity and imminence of its fulfillment.

The Application of the Dream Interpretation – Joseph’s Counsel to Pharaoh

Genesis 41:33–36. And now let Pharaoh seek out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this: let him appoint overseers over the land, and take a fifth of the increase of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance; and let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and lay up grain under the authority of Pharaoh as food, and guard it. And let that food be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to come in Egypt, so that the land may not be destroyed by the famine. The great, divinely-enlightened wisdom of Joseph is expressed especially in this: that, convinced of the imminent coming, according to his foreknowledge, of first 7 years of extraordinary fertility, and then – of extraordinary famine lasting 7 other years in Egypt, he draws Pharaoh’s attention to the necessity of preventing possible disasters of famine by appropriate measures, making use for that purpose of the years of fertility. Namely, he gives Pharaoh the counsel: 1) to appoint over Egypt a man of practical wisdom and knowledge, and to put overseers under him for preserving grain in the Egyptian granaries, and 2) for this latter purpose to establish a law so that the whole country should give for 7 years of fertility a fifth of all the products of the land, and these stores could be deposited in scattered royal granaries throughout the country (compare Gen 41:56). Probably a tithe or one-tenth of the products of the land was the customary tribute, collected by Pharaohs and other ancient Eastern kings (compare 1 Sam 8:15: a tithe is supposed to be the customary tribute paid to kings) from their subjects; now, because of the extraordinary fertility and in view of the approaching famine, Joseph advises doubling the customary tax (compare Gen 47:24); it is possible, however, that for this additional quantity of products extracted from Pharaoh’s or the state’s funds, the inhabitants were paid some price, however low, by the Pharaoh or the state. In proposing to Pharaoh to choose a wise man to oversee the matter of state reserves, Joseph doubtless did not intend to recommend himself to Pharaoh for this purpose; on the contrary, he is entirely occupied not only with clear foreknowledge of Egypt’s coming fate, but also with sincere desire to prevent the disaster of death by hunger in Egypt – “so that the land may not die of the famine” (verse 36) – and he does not think of himself at all. Moreover, the position he proposed to oversee the collection of reserves is much lower and more specialized than the position and status of supreme ruler of Egypt that Pharaoh grants to Joseph.

Joseph’s Elevation and His State Activity

Genesis 41:38–39. And Pharaoh said to his servants: Can we find one like this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God? And Pharaoh said to Joseph: Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discreet and wise as you; Pharaoh and his courtiers recognized Joseph’s supernatural wisdom in his foreknowledge and setting forth of necessary measures in case of famine: his interpretation of the dreams was fully justified by the Egyptian symbology known to them, and the practical counsel given by Joseph astonished the Egyptian wise men by its timeliness and applicability to state economy. Both, despite apparent simplicity, were not guessed at and proposed by them. Therefore, together with their king, they discern the source of Joseph’s wisdom in God (Elohim, not lehovah) – the supreme rational Being who gave reason and wisdom to Joseph. Recognizing the reasonableness both of Joseph’s prediction and counsel, Pharaoh immediately poses the question of who could fulfill his designs in the interest of the nation – and decides this question in Joseph’s favor.

Genesis 41:40–41. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command; only as regards the throne will I be greater than you. And Pharaoh said to Joseph: See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh appoints Joseph both ruler of his household (such stewards existed later under the kings of Israel and Judah, 1 Sam 18:3; 2 Sam 18:18) and ruler, first after the king, of the whole land. Such sudden elevation of a foreign slave to the rank of first minister of state is entirely compatible with the customs and practices of despotic kings not only of the ancient East (compare Dan 2:48), but also of modern times (the “grand vizier” of the Turkish sultan, magnates of the Persian shah often reach their high positions from low social status).

Genesis 41:42–43. And Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him with vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; and he made him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him: Abrech! And so he set him over all the land of Egypt. Purely Egyptian and generally specifically-oriental in character are the regalia and honors granted Joseph by the will of Pharaoh. Thus, the removal of the signet ring from one’s hand and its placing on the hand of a man being clothed with new high authority was very customary with the kings of the ancient East (Esth 3:10; 1 Macc 6:15). The garment of fine linen, made of the material schesch or luz, produced only in Egypt from the cotton plant growing there (compare Ezek 27:7) – is the proper attribute of the life of the upper classes in Egypt. Likewise the golden necklace and the triumphant chariot in which Joseph was conveyed (“the second” – that is, after Pharaoh’s own chariot), were native to Egypt as signs, so to speak, of court investiture; the placing of a linen garment on Joseph was, in the opinion of some, meant to initiate him into the priestly caste. A herald proclaimed Joseph’s elevation to the people, riding his chariot, with the exclamation: “Abrech.” This last word most interpreters recognize as Egyptian (like the Egyptian root we have earlier met, jeor, achu, verse 1, 2), but its meaning is determined differently. Some (Grotius, Yablonski, and others), bringing this word close to the Coptic “aperekh” or “uperekh,” render it: “bow the head.” In this or a similar meaning, namely of kneeling, understand it Aquila, the Vulgate (“ut omnes coram eum genu flecterent”). According to the Targums, “abrech” means “father of the king” – a title which, it seems, Joseph did indeed bear (Gen 45:8). According to Hebrew interpreters, this word is synonymous with the Hebrew barach in the hiph. form – to bow the knee (the Greek and Slavonic translations take the word abrech as the name of a herald).

Genesis 41:44–45. And Pharaoh said to Joseph: I am Pharaoh; and without you no man shall lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as a wife. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. In confirming his authority to Joseph, Pharaoh, with the purpose of bringing him closer to the Egyptian type and fusing his interests with Egyptian nationality and the country, gives Joseph a new, doubtless Egyptian name “Zaphnath-paaneah” (LXX: Ψονθομφανήχ) and marries him to the daughter of a priest. The meaning of Joseph’s new name – “savior of the world” (Vulgate: salvator mundi), or “revealer of mysteries” (according to Josephus), “sustainer of life,” or “spirit flowing through the world” – is not established with precision; in any case Joseph’s new name expressed Pharaoh’s thought that Joseph was sent by God and was to serve the salvation of Egypt. Asenath (Aswath), LXX: Ασεννέθ, from Egyptian – servant of the goddess Neith (Egyptian Minerva), daughter of Potiphera; the latter (his name means servant of the sun god) is distinct from Potiphar, Joseph’s former master, although Hebrew interpreters and perhaps the LXX confused the one with the other. The father of Asenath was a priest in the city of On, in Egyptian Anu (north of Memphis), otherwise called Heliopolis or Beth-shemesh (Jer 43:13) – “house or city of the sun,” where there was a famous temple of the sun; the caste of priests here was especially influential. Pharaoh through this marriage introduces Joseph into the ranks of the highest Egyptian aristocracy, from whose midst Pharaoh himself came. The Jewish tradition denied this kinship of Joseph with the house of an idolatrous priest. But Joseph, in the similarity of his external manner of life to the Egyptians, always remained faithful to the faith of his fathers (Gen 41:51-52).

Genesis 41:46. And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. At thirty years of age, consequently 13 years after his involuntary arrival in Egypt, Joseph enters upon the duties of his post.

Genesis 41:47–49. And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. And Joseph gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; the food of the field that was round about every city, he laid up in the same city. And Joseph amassed grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he ceased to number it, for it was past all measure. Verses 47–49 depict a picture of extraordinary fertility in Egypt in the first 7 years, when there was produced “from one grain a handful” (verse 47) – the grand activity of Joseph in gathering grain and all kinds of fruits by districts into city granaries belonging to the king (verse 48), whereby each city was to become a granary of the surrounding settlements at the time of famine; the total quantity of gathered grain could not even be counted because of its multitude (verse 49).

The Birth of Children; the Beginning of Famine

Genesis 41:50–52. And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh; for, said he, God has made me forget all my hardship, and all my father’s house. And the name of the second he called Ephraim; for God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction. In the years of fertility, perhaps in the second half of this period, two sons were born to Joseph from Asenath, whose descendants in the subsequent history of Israel had very great significance: the sacred writer speaks of their birth here, following the chronology of events and wishing to give complete information about the new period of Joseph’s life in Egypt (compare Gen 41:45). Significant are the names of both of Joseph’s sons, inasmuch as they reflect his spiritual disposition. Manasseh (Hebrew Menashe) – “causing to forget” – namely all the hardships experienced by him since leaving his father’s house and even while there; only insofar as the remembrance of his father’s house aroused bitterness of sorrow in Joseph, he forgot it and all the distress, by virtue of God’s mercy toward him. Thus, if the name of the firstborn has a more negative sense, although it contains gratitude to God on Joseph’s part, the name of the second son – Ephraim (Hebrew Ephraim) – “double fruitfulness” – points to the positive consequence of his elevation in Egypt: deliverance from hardships and glorification.

Genesis 41:55–57. And when the famine was severe over all the land, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians: Go to Joseph; what he says to you, do. And the famine was over all the land; and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. And all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph; because the famine was severe over all the earth. With the cessation of fertility – apparently in visible dependence, as is customary in Egypt, on the unsatisfactory floods of the Nile – famine began in Egypt and neighboring countries such as Libya, Arabia, Palestine, Phoenicia. At first the inhabitants of Egypt could still feed themselves on their own reserves, accumulated during the years of abundance by individual families, independent of the state reserves. But then private stores were exhausted, the people began to “cry out” to Pharaoh, and he sent them to Joseph. The latter (offering, according to the Midrash, Beresch. r. Par. 90, s. 441, all who came to him from Egypt to accept circumcision) at that time opens the royal granaries and sells grain from them first only to Egyptians (verse 56), and then also to foreigners (verse 57). The latter became the occasion for the arrival of Joseph’s brothers in Egypt and their meeting with their sold brother, approximately 21–22 years after his sale (13 y. + 7 y. + 1(2) y.). * * * According to the Midrash, the interpreters proposed different explanations of the dreams to Pharaoh (for example: seven daughters will be born to him and seven daughters he will lose), but Pharaoh did not like these interpretations. Beresch.r.Par.LXXXIX,s.437.

Chapter Forty-Two

The First Arrival of Joseph’s Brothers in Egypt

Genesis 42:1–4. And Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons: Why do you look at one another? And he said: Behold, I hear that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy for us there, that we may live and not die. And the ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain in Egypt, but Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers; for he said: Lest some harm should happen to him. News of the sale of grain in Egypt reaches the old man, and, by his order, his 10 living sons, who lived at that time, probably each in a separate household (compare Gen 38:1), set out for Egypt (calculating, perhaps, to buy a greater quantity of grain for 10 men). But Benjamin – this only other son of beloved Rachel after Joseph – Jacob does not release from fear of some danger to him on the way, from without or even from the brothers themselves.

Genesis 42:5. And the sons of Israel came to buy grain among the other comers; for the famine was in the land of Canaan. On the way Jacob’s sons joined into one caravan with foreigners traveling to Egypt for the same purpose. The Egyptian city to which they came was, according to some interpreters, Memphis, according to others, Tanis.

Genesis 42:6. Now Joseph was the governor over the land; he was the one who sold grain to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. The Hebrew schallit (governor, ruler) comes rather from a Chaldean root than a Hebrew one, and is used predominantly in holy books of later origin, for example Dan 5:29, but this does not give reason to consider the word here as a later insertion, since even in ancient times there were Aramaisms in the Hebrew language (Gen 31:47). Joseph’s role in the sale of grain was, without doubt, only the highest supervision. It is possible that his personal participation was required in selling grain to foreigners and in quantities of some significance – since by his duty as a ruler he was to see that the demands of foreigners were satisfied only after the needs of Egyptians were met and in no way at the expense of the latter. Hearing of the arrival of a caravan from his native Canaan, he summons the arrivals to himself, and in the first scene of meeting Joseph’s ancient dreams are fulfilled (Gen 37:6-9).

Their Harsh Reception from Joseph

Genesis 42:7–8. And Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them; but he dealt harshly with them and spoke roughly with them, saying: Where do you come from? They said: From the land of Canaan, to buy food. But Joseph recognized his brothers, while they did not recognize him. Joseph could easily recognize his brothers, since at the time of Joseph’s sale they were already almost adult (“with beards,” as the Midrash notes) and during the time of separation, given the uniformity of nomadic life, they could not have changed greatly. Moreover, Joseph could expect their arrival in Egypt for grain and now saw them all together; he also knew and understood their language, although, following etiquette, he spoke with them through an interpreter. The brothers, on the other hand, naturally did not recognize Joseph, who had been sold at 17 years of age, and was now 38, held the position of first Egyptian magnate, and by costume, appearance, language, and other things presented himself to them as an Egyptian: in such circumstances they least expected to find their brother, in whose death they were moreover convinced (verse 22). As for Joseph’s harsh treatment of his recognized brothers, one can suppose that in Joseph initially two opposite feelings struggled: bitterness and vindictiveness on one hand, love – on the other (the latter feeling triumphs already at the first meeting, verse 24) – Joseph did not know the Christian commandment of love for enemies, and one can suppose that unfavorable feelings of vengeance existed in him. Nevertheless, “the cunning he employed, without doubt, had good motives, such as: to arouse by threatening misfortune the conscience of the guilty brothers to confession of the crime committed by them and its washing away; to obtain quick knowledge of the fate of his father and full brother and, before revealing his secret, to bring Benjamin into complete safety, against whom the envy and evil, disappointed in Joseph, could turn its weapon” (Metropolitan Philaret, Commentary on Genesis 2, 212).

Genesis 42:9. And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed of them; and he said to them: You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land. (compare verses 12, 14). The accusation of espionage insincerely raised by Joseph against his brothers was intended, on one hand, as some punishment and trial of them, on the other – to prevent dissatisfaction of Egyptians regarding Joseph’s sudden favorable treatment of foreigners. In the spirit of Egyptian politics, Joseph accuses his brothers who came to Egypt from the northeast of having come to see the most undefended places, in Hebrew: the nakedness, of the country – and in Egypt such was especially the northeast border, open to invasions by Asian nomads (hence probably the Hyksos penetrated into Egypt); moreover, Joseph’s brothers came as a full caravan; finally, the custom of sending out scouts before occupying a particular land is noted more than once in biblical antiquity (Num 21:32; Josh 2:1; Judg 18:2). In this sense Joseph’s brothers actually turned out to be something like scouts of a new territory, since the consequence of their coming to Egypt was their settlement there.

Genesis 42:13–16. They said: Your servants are twelve brothers; we are sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is now with our father, and one is no more. And Joseph said to them: It is as I said to you, you are spies; here is how you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave here unless your youngest brother comes here; send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain in custody; In noble indignation at the accusation, Joseph’s brothers set forth with all force of conviction in their own innocence that they are the sons of one father (who, it is implied, would not risk sending all his sons as scouts and thereby expose them to danger), honest men (according to the LXX, Vulgate, Slavonic – “peaceful”), members of a small tribe in Canaan, and therefore in no way can be dangerous to Egypt. They speak of Joseph’s death for understandable reason obliquely, but they reveal the information necessary to Joseph about his father and his full brother Benjamin. Wishing to better assure himself of the good feelings of the brothers toward Benjamin, Joseph requires his arrival in Egypt. But Joseph’s deep emotional turmoil in this connection is expressed in the inconsistency of his decisions: now he accuses them of crime (verse 9, 12, 14), for which execution was the penalty, now condemns them to imprisonment under guard (verse 15), now, leaving all in Egypt, intends to send one of the brothers for Benjamin (verse 16), now he accepts the opposite decision – he leaves one as a hostage and releases the others (verse 18–20). The oath by Pharaoh’s life was very customary in the ancient and modern East (now – among Persians), and thence, probably, passed into Rome (where its formula was “per salutem Caesarum”); according to Herodotus, it existed also among the Scythians (4 book, 68). In the Bible the custom of oath by the king’s life is noted more than once (1 Sam 17:55; compare 2 Sam 2:4). LXX: νὴ τὴν ὑγίειαν Φαραώ, Vulgate: per salutem Pharaonis, Slavonic: “so by the health of Pharaoh.”

Their Imprisonment and Release Under the Condition of Bringing Benjamin and the Detention of Simeon as a Hostage

Genesis 42:17. And he put them all together in custody for three days. The imprisonment of the brothers under guard, by Joseph’s intention, was to awaken repentance in them for their ancient crime against Joseph; this goal, as is evident from verse 21–22, was achieved; moreover, by this measure Joseph wished to show the brothers the immutability of his decision to see Benjamin at his place.

Genesis 42:18–20. And on the third day Joseph said to them: Do this and you shall live, for I fear God: if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain in custody in the prison, while you go and carry grain home for the famine of your households; and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words will be verified and you will not die. So they did. In the second conversation with his brothers Joseph, still not freeing them from suspicion, nonetheless mitigates the tone of his speech and his sentence, demanding the detention of only one brother as a hostage. Joseph motivates this gentleness of his decision by the feeling of fear of God, which, of course, assured his brothers that the ruler of Egypt would not permit anything unjust toward them.

Genesis 42:21. And they said to one another: We are truly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us. Having accepted the decision announced by Joseph, the brothers, under the influence of the same feeling of fear of God of which Joseph had spoken, now experience pangs of conscience for their guilt against Joseph: in the misfortune that has come upon them, in accordance with the biblical outlook, they see a retribution for their cruelty toward their brother. “Now the incorruptible judge – conscience – arises, although no one accuses them and brings them to trial: they accuse themselves” (John Chrysostom, Discourse 64, 684).

Genesis 42:23–24. But they did not know that Joseph understood, for he spoke to them through an interpreter. And he turned away from them and wept. Then he returned to them and spoke to them; and he took Simeon from among them and bound him before their eyes. A beautiful scene of the brothers’ repentance, heard and understood by Joseph (to turn away suspicion he spoke with them through an interpreter; after this no mention is made of an interpreter in Joseph and Jacob’s relations with Egyptians, probably because of the proximity of Hebrew and Egyptian languages), deeply moved Joseph to the depths of his soul, but, making an effort over himself, he leaves Simeon as a hostage – probably, by the likely supposition of the rabbis, as the principal culprit of the cruel deed of the brothers against Joseph. According to the Midrash, he bound Simeon only before the eyes of the brothers, and after their departure released him, fed and gave him drink (Beresch. r. 91, s. 450).

The Return of the 9 Sons of Jacob to Their Father and His Refusal to Release Benjamin

Genesis 42:25. And Joseph gave orders to fill their vessels with grain, and to return every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And this was done for them. Joseph generously provides his brothers with grain (not just one sack for each, but as much as could fit in each brother’s various containers) and in doing so, perhaps from a desire to spare the brothers monetary difficulty on their new journey to Egypt, he orders the payment for the grain to be returned into each one’s sack – a measure that served as a new source of confusion for his brothers.

Genesis 42:27–28. And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender at the lodging-place, he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. And he said to his brothers: My money has been returned; indeed it is in my sack. And their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying: What is this that God has done to us? The lodging-place (Hebrew malon, Vulgate diverssorium), where Joseph’s brothers stopped, could hardly have been an ordinary caravan-serai as existed later in the East (compare Jer 9:1-2), but probably, in accordance with the Hebrew etymology of the word, the most convenient place for a night’s rest near a watering place and in the shade of palms. At this halt, one of the brothers (according to Jewish tradition, Levi) – compare verse 35, or all 9 brothers at once (Gen 43:21), opening their sacks with feed for the donkeys, with surprise and horror found the silver they had paid in Egypt. In amazement at this they attribute it to God.

Genesis 42:29–35. And they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying: The man, the lord of that land, spoke harshly with us, and took us for spies of the land. And we said to him: We are honest men, we are not spies; we are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan. And the lord of the land said to us: Hereby shall I know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your households, and go; and bring me your youngest brother; and I shall know that you are not spies, but honest men; then I will give your brother back to you, and you may trade in the land. And when they emptied their sacks, behold, every man’s bundle of silver was in his sack! And when they and their father saw their bundles of silver, they were afraid. Upon returning to Jacob, his sons hasten to communicate to him all that happened to them in Egypt, with the goal of now securing Jacob’s consent for sending Benjamin to Egypt; for this reason they deliberately emphasize (verse 34) both the categorical nature of the Egyptian ruler’s command regarding this arrival of Benjamin in Egypt, and his special promise to Joseph’s sons to give them the right of unobstructed trade in Egypt (this was not said before, but the truthfulness of this addition cannot be disputed).

Genesis 42:36. And Jacob their father said to them: You have bereaved me; Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all this is against me! Jacob, full of unspeakable sorrow, gives an answer that makes probable the supposition of some that in his hyperbolic accusation of his sons, as if they had made him childless, Jacob unwittingly expressed his suspicion of his sons’ involvement in Joseph’s supposed death.

Genesis 42:37–38. Then Reuben said to his father, saying: Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; entrust him to my hand, and I will return him to you. But he said: My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and if harm should befall him on the way you are going, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol. The pledging offered by Reuben once more characterizes his good heart and noble spirit, but by its form appears as a kind of rude heroism, thoughtlessness, and lack of wisdom (the Midrash rephrases Jacob’s refusal to Reuben: “unwise firstborn! are your sons only yours, and not also mine?” Beresch. r. Par. 101, s. 451), verse 38. For this reason, and chiefly because of Jacob’s distrust of Reuben after his known offense of his father (Gen 35:22) – compare blessed Theodoret’s answer to question 106, the grieving father decidedly refuses to send Benjamin to Egypt. The old wound of his heart over the loss of Joseph was now opened again, and he repeats his then-expressed thought about Sheol (place in the afterlife – Gen 37:35). Thus little did Jacob feel the coming happy turn in his fate, when “the spirit of Jacob their father revived” (Gen 45:27)! * * * Weak Points

Chapter Forty-Three

Jacob sends Benjamin with his sons to Egypt, compelled by necessity and their urgent requests

Genesis 43:1–2. The famine grew severe in the land. And when they had eaten the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them: “Go back and buy us a little more food.” The grain that the nine sons of Jacob had brought, given the size of his family, could scarcely have lasted for a long time (servants and other members of Jacob’s household perhaps did not partake of this grain but subsisted on various substitutes—roots and the like); soon, as the famine intensified everywhere (v. 1), the family’s supply was exhausted, and he again urged his sons to return to Egypt.

Genesis 43:8–9. Then Judah said to Israel, his father: “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, so that we may live and not die—we and you and our little ones.” I myself will be surety for him. You shall hold me responsible; if I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then I shall bear the blame before you forever. The speech of Judah, who now comes forward as the principal speaker (as a foreshadowing of the future recognition by his father of his birthright, Gen 49:8-11), breathes the same self-sacrifice as the speech of Reuben (Gen 42:37): both these brothers of Joseph were innocent of the criminal designs of the other brothers against Joseph’s life; both in their time made efforts to save him, and therefore could speak before their father with clear conscience. Yet Judah’s speech differs from Reuben’s in greater moderation of emotional impulse, greater reasonableness and persuasiveness, which, together with Jacob’s particular trust in him (compared with Jacob’s attitude toward Reuben in view of Gen 35:22), inclined the old man to recognize the necessity of sending Benjamin. Benjamin in Judah’s speech is called (v. 8) “the boy” (Heb. naar; Vulg. “puer”), though at this time he was about twenty-five years old and already had several sons (Gen 46:21)—called by this epithet as the youngest of the brothers. Such use of Heb. naar appears in other biblical passages. For instance, Solomon in his prayer to God upon his accession to the throne calls himself a young boy (1 Sam 3:7), though at that time he already had a son, Rehoboam. Nevertheless, Jacob’s special care for Benjamin did not proceed from his youth but from a particular attachment to this second and last son of his from his beloved Rachel (cf. Gen 44:27-28).

Genesis 43:11. Israel, their father, said to them: “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels and carry them down as a gift to the man—some resin, a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds.” Jacob’s thought that his sons might win the favor of Egypt’s chief minister with insignificant native products of Canaan may seem a naive way of thinking of an old nomadic patriarch who had seen only modest princes of Canaan and had no notion of the magnificence and luxury of Egyptian palaces. This trait, however, is very typical of the ancient East and even of the modern East, where a subordinate’s approach to a ruler, and in general a lower person’s approach to a higher—without gifts—is considered an expression of disrespect and incivility (cf. gifts to Solomon from the rulers subject to him, 1 Sam 10:25; cf. Matt 2:11). As such known products of the land of Canaan (Heb. zimrat-haarez, “the praise of the land”—all by which it is renowned among neighboring peoples), Jacob mentions, besides the balm, myrrh, and frankincense already mentioned in Gen 37:25, also honey (Heb. debasch), pistachio nuts (botnim), and almonds (schoqedim). The honey probably means not bee honey, which was always abundant in Egypt, but concentrated grape juice, now known among the Arabs as “dips” (like what is called “Turkish delight”), which is still imported into Egypt in enormous quantities. Heb. botnim, pistachio nuts, are rendered in the LXX and Slavic version as “terebinth” (the turpentine tree). Palestine was rich in almonds.

Genesis 43:12–14. Take also with you double the money; and carry back with you the money that was returned in the tops of your sacks, perhaps it was an oversight. Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may send back to you your other brother and Benjamin. At the same time Jacob commands his sons to return the money that was mysteriously placed in their sacks; then, urging them to go with Benjamin as well (v. 13), he entrusts both his children and himself to the will of God and calls upon (v. 14) the Lord, addressing Him as Almighty (El Shaddai), as it was in the times of great and extraordinary mercies shown to Abraham (Gen 17:1) and then to Jacob himself (Gen 28:3). In all circumstances of life, especially in difficult ones requiring extraordinary help from above, the patriarchs turned in prayer to “God Almighty,” El Shaddai; under this name they primarily knew and honored the true God, whereas the name Jehovah was not fully known to them (cf. Exod 4:3) or at least was not in common use. As for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved. This is an expression of determination to submit to the decrees of God’s will (cf. Esth 4:16; 2 Sam 7:4). From this we can see how the vicissitudes of life have changed the once self-reliant Jacob, teaching him complete devotion to God.

Joseph receives his brothers and provides a feast for them

Genesis 43:15–16. The men took this gift, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin, and they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin among them, he said to his steward: “Bring the men into the house, slaughter an animal and prepare it, for these men shall eat with me at noon.” The audience of Joseph’s brothers did not take place immediately after their arrival at his palace: until noon—the time of Joseph’s meal—Joseph was absent, perhaps on official business (Josephus, Antiquities 6, 6), but probably also deliberately so—to collect himself in light of the agitation that seized him at the sight of Benjamin, and to allow his brothers to recover themselves.

Genesis 43:18. The men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house, and they said: “It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, to take us as slaves and our donkeys.” Brought into the house itself by Joseph’s steward on his orders, the brothers saw in this (judging by the experience of their first reception by Egypt’s ruler) an ill omen of coming punishment because of the payment for grain that had been mysteriously returned to each of them.

Genesis 43:19–21. Then they approached the steward of Joseph’s house and spoke to him at the entrance of the house, saying: “Please, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food,” and when we came to the lodging place and opened our sacks, behold, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight, and we have brought it back with us in our hands. In fear and hesitation they stop at the house entrance and briefly relay to Joseph’s steward the occurrence with the money, explaining their complete innocence in the matter and asking him to take note of it, in light of the accusation and possible condemnation to slavery they expected, according to the legal order of ancient times (Exod 22:3).

Genesis 43:23. He said: “Peace be with you, do not be afraid; your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. Your money came to me.” And he brought Simeon out to them. Joseph’s steward, perhaps inspired by the piety and righteousness of his master, reassures Jacob’s sons by pointing out that the money they found in their sacks is an extraordinary gift from their God, and that he received the payment they had made. What especially comforted Joseph’s brothers was the bringing out to them of Simeon. Only now do they peacefully enter the house, where they receive the tokens of eastern hospitality, and they make ready and prepare their gifts for the coming meeting with Joseph.

Genesis 43:26. When Joseph came home, they brought him the gifts that were in their hands into the house, and they bowed down to him to the ground. The presentation of gifts and prostration were the customary forms of greeting in the East for persons of high standing, especially rulers. In the prostration of all the brothers before Joseph, Joseph’s ancient dreams were fulfilled literally: not only all his brothers now bowed before Joseph, but in them also his father bowed, and Joseph’s mother, Rachel (in Benjamin). The very setting of the meeting—in the context of buying grain—recalled Joseph’s first dream, which concerned agricultural and economic affairs, the gathering of grain.

Genesis 43:27–28. And he asked them of their welfare, and said: “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” They said: “Your servant, our father, is well; he is still alive.” [And he said: “Blessed be that man by God.”] And they bowed down and prostrated themselves. With brotherly love toward his brothers and filial respect and tenderness toward his father, Joseph inquires about the health of the former and the latter, and the brothers again, in a feeling of gratitude toward Egypt’s merciful ruler, bow before him. The LXX adds in v. 28: καὶ εἴπεν Εὐλογητὸς ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος τῶ θεῶ (cf. Slavic and Russian versions): perhaps in this gloss the Hebrew view was expressed of the impropriety of bowing to a man (cf. Esth 3:2).

Genesis 43:29–30. And he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said: “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you told me?” And he said: “God be gracious to you, my son!” And Joseph hastened out, for his heart yearned for his brother, and he was about to weep, and he entered his chamber and wept there. Turning his gaze to Benjamin, Joseph asks his brothers in deep agitation whether this is their youngest brother, and without awaiting an answer, he invokes God’s blessing upon his beloved brother, tenderly calling him “my son”—not only by right of being the elder (Joseph was nearly fifteen years older than Benjamin), but also as one now in authority. Overcome by strong feelings and memories, Joseph hurries to leave his brothers, and only in solitude does his composure return. In this scene of Joseph’s meeting with Benjamin, his full brother, the nobility of character, the tenderness of family feeling, and in general the true human dignity of Joseph, uncorrupted by his high position in Egypt, are especially striking. In his moral character, as certainly in his religious faith, which remained untouched by Egypt, Joseph is a true biblical patriarch, like his three closest ancestors. The emotional agitation that now caused Joseph to leave his brothers was not merely a natural impulse of feeling, but also a feeling of moral satisfaction and peace regarding the good will of the brothers toward Benjamin (which he would indeed test once more): the feeling of relief after anticipated grave danger to a beloved being is one of the strongest human emotions.

Genesis 43:31–32. Then he washed his face and went out and controlled himself and said: “Serve the meal.” And they served him alone, and them alone, and the Egyptians who ate with him alone, for the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. Having washed his face to remove the traces of tears, Joseph came out to his brothers and invited them to dine. Three separate tables were set: one for Joseph, who, as the chief minister and also a member of the priestly caste, according to ancient Egyptian custom, was not permitted to eat even with other high-ranking Egyptians, much less with foreigners, with whom any ordinary Egyptian was also not permitted to eat (according to Herodotus 2, 41, no Egyptian would use a knife handled by a Greek at a meal); a second table for Joseph’s Egyptian colleagues, who, as stated, were unable to share a meal with foreigners, and particularly with Syrians and Hebrews; a third table for Joseph’s eleven brothers. The reason why Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews is expressed by the sacred writer thus: “for it is an abomination to the Egyptians” (Heb. to’evah). The Slavic version reads: “an abomination… every shepherd of sheep”—perhaps an addition to the original text, taken from Gen 46:34). “Abomination,” to’evah, in biblical language is a religious-ritual and liturgical concept and means everything that cannot be permitted in the true worship of the Lord (Jehovah) and what is forbidden to His worshippers (e.g. Deut 12:31; Ezek 5:11). In this passage it is said that the Egyptians avoided the Hebrews for religious reasons: according to Onkelos, because the Hebrews slaughtered and ate animals that the Egyptians deified (for instance, Isis was venerated in the form of a cow, Osiris in the form of the Apis-bull); the Egyptians, according to some, ate almost no meat.

Genesis 43:33. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in amazement. That ancient Egyptians sat, rather than reclined, at table (the latter custom entered among the Hebrews during their kingly period and probably under Assyro-Babylonian cultural influence; cf. Amos 6:4), can be seen in many sculptural representations of scenes of ancient Egyptian daily life (in the British Museum and others). Following the customary etiquette of the East, Joseph arranged the seating of his brothers at table by seniority, thereby again throwing them into confusion and dismay and inspiring in them a superstitious fear of him as one capable of revealing secrets (cf. Gen 44:5).

Genesis 43:34. And he sent them food from his table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and became merry with him. According to a custom widespread in the East, sending food from the elder’s table at a feast expressed (and still expresses) honor to a guest, and an increased portion meant special respect of the host for that particular guest (1 Sam 9:23-24); cf. Homer, Iliad 7, 321. Joseph sends food from his own table to all his brothers (from this we learn parenthetically that the patriarchal Hebrews were not averse to sharing meals with foreigners, as they became in the period under the law), but to Benjamin a portion five times as large; according to the Midrash, he received one share equally with all, another from Joseph, a third from Asenath, a fourth from Manasseh, and a fifth from Ephraim. The abundant use of wine at Joseph’s table was not drunkenness—rather, wise Joseph, mindful of the proverb: in vino veritas, could observe his brothers and see what impression the preference shown to Benjamin made upon them. For this purpose he undertakes this last and severe test of the brothers.

Chapter Forty-Four

Joseph’s stratagem to test his brothers’ affection for Benjamin

Genesis 44:1–2. And he commanded the steward of his house, saying: “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack,” and put my cup, my silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with the money for his grain. And he did as Joseph said. After friendly conversation and a solemn common meal with his brothers, Joseph prepares a severe test for them: for reasons that at first seem incomprehensible, Joseph orders his steward to place his silver cup in his younger brother’s sack—in order to have a reason to demand that Benjamin be left as a slave (v. 10) and thereby to test the degree of the brothers’ affection for Joseph’s full brother. At the same time Joseph orders his steward, as before, to return the payment for grain to each of the brothers (and Benjamin). This last detail, according to Jewish commentators, was intended to deflect suspicion from the brothers that Benjamin was actually guilty of stealing the cup: now the appearance of the cup in Benjamin’s sack would seem identical to the mysterious (second) return of the grain payment to each of Joseph’s brothers.

Genesis 44:4–5. When they had gone only a short way out of the city, Joseph said to his steward: “Go, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them: Why have you repaid evil for good? [Why have you stolen my silver cup?]” Is it not this from which my lord drinks and with which he divines? You have done wrong in doing this. Joseph hastens his steward to pursue his brothers; otherwise they themselves might discover the foreign object in Benjamin’s sack and return it, and then Joseph’s plan would not be fulfilled. The brothers of Joseph were to be made aware of the particular ugliness of their action: • they allowed themselves to take the property of the man who had benefited them; • they took a thing necessary for Joseph’s daily life; and moreover, • from their own experience (Gen 43:33), they could have known that Joseph possessed the gift of foresight, and in particular, he “divines” with the cup he took (“nachesch jenachesch”—“habitually divines”): a very common practice of divination among the ancients—cup divination (κυλικομαντεία, κυαὕομαντεία), which consisted in observing the play of light rays on the surface of water poured into a cup, or hydromancy, when precious things were thrown into water and the future was divined by their gleam. It is possible that the steward and Joseph speak of divination in a somewhat jesting tone. The reference to divination was necessary only to give the accusation an air of certainty.

Genesis 44:8–9. Behold, the money that we found in the mouth of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from the house of your lord? Whichever of your servants it is found with shall die, and we also will be slaves to my lord. The brothers of Joseph logically refute the accusation by reference to the fact that they had returned to Joseph the payment for grain, a fact that demonstrated their honesty and incapability of the theft attributed to them. In the consciousness of their innocence, they themselves assign themselves excessively harsh punishment: death for the guilty party and slavery for all the other brothers (Gen 31:32)—neither of which was required by ancient Hebrew criminal law or that of other ancient peoples; collective responsibility for the guilty party was required by Mosaic criminal law repeatedly (Deut 21:1-9).

Genesis 44:10. And he said: “Even so; as you have said, so it shall be. He with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be innocent.” The steward accepts the brothers’ proposal only in the part where they suggested that a search be conducted among them (cf. v. 12): he mitigates the punishment they themselves proposed.

Genesis 44:12. Then he searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. The search, evidently to give it the character of regularity and unintentionality, begins with the oldest brother and, naturally, the cup is found only with the youngest. Ten sighs of relief escaped the hearts of those being searched, but all the more powerful was the impression of the result of the search of the eleventh brother.

Genesis 44:13. And they tore their clothes, and each loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city. With regard to the tearing of their clothes by Jacob’s sons, the Midrash notes that this was their retribution for once causing their father to tear his clothes (Gen 37:34). In any case, the fact of the repentance of Joseph’s brothers for their ancient crime is indisputable.

Genesis 44:14. When Judah and his brothers came into Joseph’s house—he was still there—and they fell before him on the ground. Judah is deliberately singled out from among the brothers as the one about to come forward as advocate for Benjamin and to speak for all the brothers, who evidently all shared in Benjamin’s fate.

Genesis 44:15. And Joseph said to them: “What deed is this you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?” Joseph, wishing from his brothers precisely this attitude toward Benjamin, begins to accuse them not so much of baseness as of thoughtlessness: the brothers, already familiar with Joseph’s perceptiveness, could not, he says, think to hide the theft from him. As for his divination (cf. v. 5), blessed Theodoret notes (Question 107): “He said this, not actually practicing divination and sorcery, but applying words to the present circumstance. Yet his precision in words is worthy of admiration. Even feigning before his brothers, he did not consent to ascribe sorcery to himself, but ascribes it to another, clothed with the same power, for he did not say: I divine, but: by divination one divines a man like me.”

Genesis 44:16–17. And Judah said: “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? And how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup was found.” But he said: “Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my slave, but as for you, go up in peace to your father.” Conscious of their innocence and that of their brothers, Judah nevertheless points out that tangible evidence of the theft had been found among them (corpus delicti), and therefore only the immediate action of God’s judgment can explain the fact of their guilt: thus Judah appeals not to justice but to the mercy of God and the compassion of Egypt’s ruler. But Joseph, repeating what his steward said (v. 10), insists on Benjamin’s remaining in slavery, while the other brothers are free to go unharmed to their father: this is the crucial point of their testing—there was a plausible opportunity to rid themselves of their beloved. But in this tense moment Judah comes forward anew with redoubled energy to defend Benjamin.

Judah intercedes for Benjamin and selflessly offers himself to Joseph as a slave in his place

Genesis 44:18. Then Judah went up to him and said: “Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.” Judah’s speech is one of the most elevated and beautiful speeches in the Old Testament, and at the same time one of the most selfless acts of love in Old Testament biblical history. With extraordinary sincerity and depth of feeling, Judah’s speech is distinguished also by special psychological subtlety and art, as well as by remarkable completeness in illuminating the main subject—the occurrence with Benjamin. Verse 18 forms an introduction and, besides requesting attention (cf. Gen 50:4), contains a skillful captatio benevolentiae.

Genesis 44:19–21. My lord asked his servants, saying: “Have you a father or a brother?” And we said to my lord: “We have an aged father, and a child of his old age, the youngest; and his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.” We said to my lord: “The boy cannot leave his father, and if he should leave his father, he will die.” With the intention of depicting the deep sorrow of his father in case Benjamin is left in Egypt, Judah earlier (vv. 25-29) speaks of the spiritual suffering Jacob experienced even on the second journey to Egypt, and makes this journey itself dependent on Joseph’s command to bring Benjamin, deliberately emphasizing that it was not the brothers themselves who first spoke of him, but Joseph himself questioned them about him and about their family situation generally, and himself gave them to understand that he would receive Benjamin with affection (“seeing,” v. 21; cf. Gen 42:20)—which, it is presumed, stands in complete contrast to Benjamin’s present situation—and by strong pressure on them (confinement under guard for three days, Gen 42:17), he forced them to compel their father to send Benjamin.

Genesis 44:27–29. And your servant, my father, said to us: “You know that my wife bore me two sons.” And one went out from me, and I said: “Surely he is torn to pieces,” and I have not seen him since. “If you take this one also from me, and harm comes to him, you will bring down my gray hair with sorrow to Sheol.” With special poignancy Judah depicts Jacob’s particular attachment to Benjamin in view, especially, of the loss of Joseph (this mention was to touch Joseph’s heart most keenly).

Genesis 44:30–31. Now therefore, when I come to your servant, my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy’s life, when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. And your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant, our father, down to Sheol with sorrow. In Hebrew imagery, Jacob’s love for Benjamin is represented thus: Jacob’s soul is bound by unbreakable bonds to Benjamin’s soul (cf. 1 Sam 18:1), so closely entwined with it that with Benjamin’s disappearance, Jacob’s own life will perish. Such tenderness of parental love toward children was unknown in the pagan world. In saying that the brothers’ return to Jacob without Benjamin will result in their father’s death, Judah uses the same expression: “they will bring down… the gray hair of your father… to Sheol,” which Jacob himself used in his reply to his sons (Gen 42:38). By this expression Judah unwittingly and Joseph, unknowingly, includes himself among those responsible for Jacob’s future death. This last circumstance could most strongly have reinforced the impression of Judah’s speech on Joseph.

Genesis 44:32–34. For your servant became surety for the boy to my father, saying: “If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame in front of my father forever.” Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a slave to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that will come upon my father. At this moment of highest tension Judah offers himself as a slave in Benjamin’s place on two grounds: • he took Jacob’s beloved on his own recognizance (v. 32) and will forever remain guilty before his father (v. 33); • he cannot be a spectator to the tragic death of his father, one of the causes of which he cannot but regard as himself. By these two fundamental ideas of his—the depiction of Jacob’s grief and suffering and the expression of noble courage and the determination for self-sacrifice—Judah finally wins over Joseph’s heart and mind, upon whose compassion everything now depended: he receives complete moral satisfaction in seeing that the brothers have repented, and profound emotional turmoil. All this impels him to reveal himself to his brothers, which he proceeds to do. Our Telegram channel

Chapter Forty-Five

Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and comforts them

Genesis 45:1. Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood beside him, and he cried out: send everyone away from me. And no one stood with Joseph when he revealed himself to his brothers. The strong feelings and emotions that filled Joseph’s soul and had been held back for so long now had to express themselves outwardly in a way fitting to their nature – by revealing himself to his brothers. In this act or display of brotherly love, Joseph naturally did not wish to have as witnesses his Egyptian servants and subordinates (compare Jacob’s meeting with Rachel, especially Gen 29:6-7 and our remarks on them) and he sent them away, unwilling perhaps also to make them witnesses of his brothers’ crime.

Genesis 45:2. And he wept loudly, and the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard. Nevertheless, word of his brothers’ arrival to Joseph spread throughout Pharaoh’s palace (compare verse 16).

Genesis 45:3. And Joseph said to his brothers: I am Joseph, is my father still alive? But his brothers could not answer him, because they were confused before him. Revealing himself to his brothers, Joseph speaks briefly: “I am Joseph.” But, knowing or observing what a striking impression this revelation makes upon them, he hastens to soften the force of this impression by asking about his father’s health – a question he had already proposed earlier (Gen 43:27) to his brothers, but which he now proposes again so that he himself might once more hear the pleasant news about his dear father, and so that to his brothers he might give proof of his truly filial feelings toward Jacob, and at the same time brotherly feelings toward them. The latter he then displays (verses 14–15) with the intensity characteristic of people of the East in general. But his brothers, still more struck than gladdened, in deep astonishment remain silent: the supreme ruler of Egypt, before whom they have trembled all the while, declares himself to be their brother, and this brother was not only insulted by them once, but shamefully sold into slavery.

Genesis 45:4. And Joseph said to his brothers: come near to me. They came near. He said: I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Joseph’s first concern was to comfort his brothers and assure them that he would not take vengeance upon them. Encouraging them (in the Vulgate, verse 4, it is added: gently), Joseph first asks them to draw near to him (probably from fear they had fallen to the ground) and see for themselves that it is their brother before them.

Genesis 45:5. But now do not grieve and do not regret that you sold me here, because God sent me before you to preserve your lives; With great delicacy and true magnanimity Joseph strives to smooth over the acute sense of guilt in his brothers by pointing to divine Providence (Gen 45:7-8), which turned their deed toward a good end and made it a means for the salvation of Joseph’s entire family. It is self-evident that, in expressing to his brothers this well-intentioned proposition, Joseph had in mind that they had already been sufficiently punished, had repented, and therefore were worthy of forgiveness both from their brother and from God. Holy Scripture here, as in many other places, practically expresses the truth that divine providence, while not constraining and not excluding human freedom of action, prevents the destructive consequences of such actions and directs them to good.

Genesis 45:6. For now two years of famine on the land: there remain yet five years, in which there will be neither plowing nor reaping; It is possible that, foreseeing a prolonged and universal famine, the ruler of Egypt forbade the inhabitants to sow, so as not to waste seed in vain (Metropolitan Philaret).

Genesis 45:7. God sent me before you, to preserve you in the land and to save your lives with a great deliverance. The salvation of Jacob’s house from death by hunger, from the perspective of the history of salvation, is presented as more important than the salvation of the Egyptians and other neighboring peoples, therefore Joseph says that the purpose of his exaltation was first and foremost the salvation of his father’s family.

Genesis 45:8. So it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his house and ruler of all the land of Egypt. By repeating his thought that God sent him to Egypt, Joseph strives to instill this conviction in his brothers and further comfort them (compare Ps 104:17). The title “father of the king” for the first royal minister was very common in the ancient East: among the Persians, Greeks (1 Macc 11:32), and no doubt among the Egyptians.

Genesis 45:9. Go quickly to my father and say to him: thus says your son Joseph: God has made me lord of all Egypt; come to me, do not delay; Joseph urges his brothers to bring his father to him – from fear lest he should not find him alive (compare verse 13).

Genesis 45:10–11. You will live in the land of Goshen; and you will be near me, you and your sons, and your sons’ sons, and your flocks and your herds, and all that you have; and I will provide for you there, for there are yet five years of famine, so that you and your household and all that you have may not come to poverty. Joseph sets forth two grounds which should have moved Jacob to settle in Egypt and to settle in the land of Goshen: • here he will be closer to Joseph and will share in his happiness and • Joseph will provide for him with his family during the remaining five years of famine. The determination of the geographical position of the land of Goshen presents considerable difficulties because of the fragmentary and incidental nature of the biblical data about Goshen (the most thorough and well-founded investigation of the position of Goshen is given in the work of Professor F. G. Eleonsky, “History of the Israeli People in Egypt,” St. Petersburg, 1884, pp. 1–33). That Goshen lay east of the Nile (contrary to the opinion of Yablonsky, Briant, and others) is evident from the non-mention in the books of Genesis and Exodus of the crossing of the Nile by the Hebrews. The proximity of Goshen to the border – to Memphis or Tanis (Zoan) is presupposed here (verse 10); its proximity to the north-eastern border is indicated in several other places (Gen 46:28; Exod 12:37). Regarding the qualities of the land of Goshen, the existence of water and irrigation in it is proved by passages Deut 11:10; Num 11:5; its fertility is testified to by Gen 47:4-6. In Exod 13:17 attention is drawn to the proximity of Goshen to the land of the Philistines. According to the Seventy, who in Gen 45:10 call Goshen Arabian (η Γεσεμ Ἀραβίας), and according to the Coptic translations, Goshen was located in what is called the Egyptian Arabia or Arabian nome (mentioned by Herodotus, Strabo, and Ptolemy) – in the eastern part of lower Egypt, between the Red Sea and the Nile or its Pelusian branch. This date is accepted in modern biblical scholarship, which furthermore identifies Goshen with the fertile valley – Wadi Tumilat, cutting through in a narrow strip from east to west the space between the Nile and the Bitter Lakes.

Genesis 45:12. And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you; A new assurance to the brothers that they see before them their brother Joseph is required, perhaps because until now the entire conversation had taken place through an interpreter.

Genesis 45:14–15. And he fell on the neck of Benjamin his brother, and wept; and Benjamin wept on his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept, embracing them. In the display of mutual brotherly feelings, Joseph and his brothers show a purely Eastern impetuosity and expansiveness. And only now do the brothers dare to speak with Joseph in a brotherly manner.

Joseph sends his brothers after his father

Genesis 45:16. News reached Pharaoh’s house that Joseph’s brothers had come; and it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. It was important for Joseph and his brothers that Pharaoh should learn of the arrival of Joseph’s brothers beforehand and not be prejudiced against them: therefore, Joseph probably took care to inform Pharaoh promptly of the arrival of his brothers. The favor in which Joseph was held by Pharaoh, Pharaoh extended also to Joseph’s brothers.

Genesis 45:17. And Pharaoh said to Joseph: say to your brothers: do this: load your animals and go to the land of Canaan; The detailed account of Pharaoh’s speech or command to Joseph is given by the sacred writer because of the importance of this command for the subsequent settlement of Joseph’s father and brothers in Egypt and the residence of their descendants in that country. The Hebrews in Egypt, by virtue of this command, occupied a legal position as those invited into the country by its supreme authority, not as self-intruding outsiders.

Genesis 45:18. And take your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best land in Egypt, and you will eat the best of the land. “The best of the land” (compare Deut 32:14; Ps 80:17) – “the best pastures” (according to Metropolitan Philaret) or the very best products of Egypt.

Genesis 45:19. And as for you, I command you to say to them: do this: take for yourselves carts from the land of Egypt for your children and your wives, and bring your father and come; While in mountainous Syria and Palestine carts were scarcely used at all, widespread use of them in Assyro-Babylonia and later in Egypt (compare Gen 41:42-43) is beyond doubt. Both Assyrian and Egyptian carts are depicted on monuments as two-wheeled, with an entrance at the rear. In Egypt, carts were usually drawn by horses, which appeared there no later than the 12th dynasty.

Genesis 45:20. And do not be concerned about your possessions, for the best of all the land of Egypt will be given to you. Pharaoh and Joseph advise Jacob’s family not to be concerned about the prospective loss of various household goods; they will find all this in Egypt.

Joseph’s brothers depart for home

Genesis 45:22. To each one of them he gave changes of garments, and to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments; Sending his brothers after his father, Joseph provides all of them with gifts and supplies. To his beloved Benjamin, probably also in recompense for the difficult test he had endured by Joseph’s will, he gives particularly significant rewards or gifts.

Genesis 45:23. And to his father he sent ten donkeys loaded with the best products of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provisions for his father on the journey. Joseph is especially concerned with providing comfort for the journey to Egypt for his elderly father, who had suffered so much – if not by his fault, at least because of his special closeness to his father’s heart and the vicissitudes of fate.

Genesis 45:24. And he sent his brothers away, and they went. And he said to them: do not quarrel on the way. Sending his brothers away, Joseph gives them the counsel not to quarrel, not to reproach one another on the journey. The Hebrew word ragaz often has the meaning: to fear, to tremble (Exod 15:14; Deut 2:25), which is why some interpreters render Joseph’s words (verse 24) as: do not be afraid on the way (Metropolitan Philaret: “do not be troubled on the road”). But from the context of the discourse, from the general sense of Joseph’s conversation, which was directed (compare verse 5–8) toward the comfort and reconciliation of his brothers, one should prefer, following the Seventy (ὀργίζεσθε), the Vulgate (irascamini), and others, the other meaning of the same verb: to quarrel, to dispute, to be angry (thus in Russian and Slavonic), for the brothers could not fear, going on the same path the fourth time; but disputes and arguments about the cause of Joseph’s, their father’s, and their own misfortunes could easily have arisen among them: Joseph warns them against all such things.

The joy of Jacob

Genesis 45:25–27. And they went out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father, and told him, saying: Joseph your son is still alive, and now he rules over all the land of Egypt. But his heart was troubled, because he did not believe them. When they recounted to him all the words of Joseph which he had spoken to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, then the spirit of Jacob their father revived. At the sudden, unexpected, and striking news that Joseph not only lives, but also holds an exceedingly high position as the ruler of all Egypt, Jacob, as if awakening from a heavy sleep (Vulgate: quasi de gravi somno evigilans), did not dare to believe and even lost presence of mind (Symmachus: animo deliquit, Seventy: ἐξέστη τἡ διάνοια). Only when his sons recounted to him in detail all that concerned Joseph – consequently, also that they once sold him, that he is now the first dignitary of Egypt, and forgives them and calls them with their father to Egypt; when their account of Joseph’s greatness and the commission given to him was confirmed by the Egyptian carts Jacob saw, “then the spirit of Jacob was revived” – he felt within himself a renewal of vital strength (according to Jewish interpreters, now the prophetic spirit returned to Jacob, which had left him since the day of Joseph’s loss).

Genesis 45:28. And Israel said: It is enough; my son Joseph is still alive; I will go and see him before I die. Filled as it were with youthful vitality, Jacob quickly and irrevocably decides the question of settling in Egypt. According to Jewish interpreters, by the word “enough” Jacob expressed that for him the gifts sent by Joseph nor his greatness held no significance; that what was most important for him was that Joseph lived. “As fire in a lamp, when the oil is running out, begins to go out, but as soon as someone adds even a little oil to the lamp, the fire, already ready to go out, immediately gives the clearest light, so also this old man, already ready to be extinguished by sorrow (Gen 37:35), now… from an old man became a youth, scattered the cloud of sadness, calmed the storm of thoughts, and finally was comforted” (Chrysostom, Homily 65, 697).

Chapter Forty-Six

Jacob with all his encampment rises from his place of sojourn in Canaan and goes toward Egypt; at Beersheba he receives a vision, which finally confirms him in his intention to go to Egypt

Genesis 46:1–4. And Israel set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. And God said to Israel in a night vision: Jacob! Jacob! And he said: Here I am. God said: I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there; I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again. And Joseph will close your eyes with his own hand. Jacob, impelled by natural love for Joseph, without hesitation accepts the decision to follow his proposal to settle in Egypt. But, as a patriarch of the divinely chosen tribe, he necessarily had to see in this settlement a very decisive step, extraordinarily important for the subsequent fate and history of his descendants: Abraham had been given a revelation that his descendants would be strangers in a foreign land, would be enslaved and oppressed, but then would return to Canaan (Gen 15:13-16). The events recounted in chapters 37–45 served as preparation for the settlement of Jacob’s house in Egypt. This settlement had the following purposes: first, the separation of the chosen family from the Canaanites, with whom intermarriage, which had already begun (Gen 38:2), could be extremely harmful to the religious mission of Abraham’s descendants; on the other hand, in Egypt with its disdain for Asians, this isolation of the chosen people was achieved, and the high state of Egyptian culture could have a fruitful influence on this bearer of true worship of God. Jacob stops exactly at Beersheba because this place was consecrated by Abraham – by the building of an altar and worship there (Gen 21:33) and by a theophany to Isaac (Gen 26:23-24). Instinctively aware of the importance of the moment (of settlement), Jacob offers a solemn sacrifice at a place sanctified by historical memories, and entreats the blessing of the Lord on his way. Encouraging Jacob, the Lord calls himself “God of gods” (El-Elohei), the God of the covenant, by whose will the settlement of Jacob in Egypt is now taking place, and who will not abandon his descendants there and will transform them into a great nation. The bringing out of Egypt is promised, of course, not to Jacob personally, but to his descendants. To Jacob himself is promised, at least, a peaceful death and the consolation that his beloved son Joseph will close his eyes (Gen 50:1). This ancient custom is spoken of, for example, by Homer (Iliad 11, 453; Odyssey 24, 294).

Genesis 46:5. Jacob set out from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their children, and their wives in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. Strengthened by the divine promise of gracious protection from above and consoled by the promise of peaceful death in the hands of his beloved son, Jacob immediately with all his tribe sets out from Beersheba to Egypt. A picture of the settlement of some Semitic family in Egypt is presented in a relief in the tomb of the Pharaoh Amenhotep (12th dynasty) and depicts an event, in character and period, very close to the settlement of Jacob’s family in Egypt.

Genesis 46:6. And they took their livestock and their property which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt – Jacob and all his offspring with him. From the fact that it is said that Jacob and his sons took their livestock and possessions acquired in Canaan, the rabbis concluded that all that Jacob had brought from Mesopotamia was ceded to Esau.

Genesis 46:7. He brought with him his sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his offspring, into Egypt. “Daughters” of Jacob, of whom only one is known – Dinah (Gen 34:1) – here are perhaps Jacob’s daughters-in-law.

Genealogy of the immediate descendants of Jacob who went out with him to Egypt

Genesis 46:8–25. These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt: Jacob and his sons. The firstborn of Jacob was Reuben. The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, and Pallu, and Hezron, and Carmi. The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul, son of a Canaanite woman. The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The sons of Judah: Er and Onan, and Shelah, and Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez were: Hezron and Hamul. The sons of Issachar: Tola, and Puvah, and Iob, and Shimron. The sons of Zebulun: Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel. These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Mesopotamia, and Dinah his daughter. All the souls of his sons and daughters were thirty-three. The sons of Gad: Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli. The sons of Asher: Imnah, and Ishvah, and Ishvi, and Beriah, and Serah their sister. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; she bore them to Jacob – sixteen souls. The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin. And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath daughter of Potiphera priest of On bore to him. The sons of Benjamin: Bela, and Becher, and Ashbel; the sons of Bela were Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard. These are the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob – fourteen souls in all. The son of Dan: Hushim. The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem. These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter; she bore them to Jacob – seven souls in all. A register of Jacob’s immediate descendants who settled with him in Egypt, or who were in part already born in Egypt, is given here. This genealogy, according to the concepts and customs of the ancient East in general and of the ancient Hebrews in particular, held extremely important significance as a document; on the one hand it shows that the later division of the nation into tribes, generations, families, and so on, had its roots in the corresponding division of the patriarchal family – it shows, consequently, that the subsequent increase of Jacob’s descendants into a whole nation in Egypt occurred through natural population growth and natural development in the political and ethnographic sense, without violent influence from the Egyptians and their political system; on the other hand, this genealogy could have legal significance, insofar as it proved the right of each line of Jacob’s descendants to occupy territory in the promised land, by virtue of the universally known descent from that or another son or grandson of Jacob. The number of members in this genealogy – seventy – is not without significance, in view of the symbolic meaning of the numbers 7, 10, 70 in biblical language (as in ancient language in general). “The number 70 appears throughout sacred history as especially significant: it appears in the table of nations (Gen 10), in the seventy elders of Moses, in the Jewish Sanhedrin, in the seventy disciples of the Lord, in the translation of the Seventy, in the Jewish reckoning of the peoples of the world and their number as 70. 10 is the number of completed human development; 7 is the number of God’s perfect work; 70, consequently, means the perfect, completed development of God’s people. But complete development presupposes seed, grain: this is the house of the patriarch of 70 souls. The number 70, thus, in the migrating family prefigures the sacred seed of God’s people” (Negelsbachs, Delitzsch). The number 70 in this genealogy is obtained as follows: 1st group – from Leah (verses 8–15) 33 members (actually, including Dinah, 32, but probably Jacob is also counted), verse 15; 2nd group – from Zilpah (verses 16–18) 16 people; 3rd – from Rachel (verses 19–22) 14; 4th – from Bilhah 7. That this accounting is correct, and 70 is not a round number, is evident from the repetition of this figure in Exod 1:5; Deut 10:22 (Russian and Slavonic translations) have a different figure: 75, which number is probably obtained from the addition (in verse 20) of five descendants of Manasseh and Ephraim (75 is indicated, according to the Septuagint, also in the speech of the archdeacon Stephen, Acts 7:14). In comparison with Num 26:5-51 and 1 Chr 4:1-37, where the genealogy of Jacob’s sons and further his descendants is also given, there are many peculiarities in Gen 46:8-27, such as: different spelling of names (Gen 46:10 – Jemuel, in Num 26:12 and 1 Chr 4:24 – Nemuel; Zohar, Gen 46:10 – in Num 26:13 – Zerah, and so on); mention (in later biblical catalogues of names) of completely new names, and conversely, the omission of entire individual families. In this case, the redaction of the 1st book of Chronicles often disagrees with both the earliest, but mostly agrees now with one (Genesis), now with another (Numbers). The difficulty in explaining these variants is not insuperable, although sometimes quite significant – for instance, the fact that persons (Ard, Naaman), named in the Book of Genesis (verse 21) as sons of Benjamin, in the Book of Numbers appear as his grandsons. One may acknowledge the catalogue Num 26 as more precise in comparison with Gen 46; but on the whole both genealogies confirm and supplement each other. Even the genealogy of the 1st book of Chronicles, despite all the difficulty of reconciling its statements with the Book of Genesis and the Book of Numbers, in its turn confirms the uninterrupted and uncorrupted existence among Israel of genealogies from ancient times, and speaks strongly against the new biblical-critical school, which dates the redaction of the Pentateuch to the time after the Babylonian captivity, contemporaneous with the writing of the book of Chronicles: differences in the genealogies of these three redactions in such a case remain without any explanation. In the entire genealogical table, only two women’s names are mentioned (besides the 4 wives of Jacob, by whom the entire genealogy is grouped): the daughter of Jacob – Dinah (verse 15), and a granddaughter (through Asher) – Serah (verse 17), which, of course, corresponds to the fact that genealogies among the ancient Hebrews had an official-legal significance, in which only the enumeration of male descendants, fully capable in the political and economic sense, held importance. The remark in verse 10, that Shaul, one of the sons of Simeon, was the son of a Canaanite woman, gave occasion to the Jewish tradition to the already mentioned identification of Dinah with this Canaanite woman. Perhaps more simply explained is this remark from the unusualness of the marriages of Jacob’s sons with Canaanite women.

Genesis 46:27. The sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two souls. All the souls of the house of Jacob who came to Egypt were seventy-five. Because of the closeness of names which is observed in the genealogy of the times of Jacob–Joseph (Gen 46:8-25) and Moses (Num 26:5-51) and the inclusion in the Genesis list of persons already born in Egypt, Metropolitan Philaret makes the well-founded observation: “To the passage of the sons of Israel into Egypt is opposed on the one hand the constant residence of Israel in the land of Canaan, and on the other – the constant residence of Israel in Egypt. Therefore the first boundary of the passage is the coming of Joseph, the last – the death of Jacob, for when Moses remarks that after Jacob’s death Joseph remained in Egypt, he and the whole house of his father (Gen 50:22), by this it is shown that the Hebrews until then considered themselves only temporary sojourners in Egypt, and thought of a speedy return migration. Hence the passage into Egypt is understood, and the list of those who crossed into it represents the state of the tribe of Jacob after his death, from this it also becomes clear how those born in Egypt entered into it” (Notes, part II, 246).

Joseph meets his father and brothers and instructs the latter regarding the impending audience with Pharaoh

Genesis 46:28–30. He sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph, to direct him to Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen. Joseph hitched his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen, and when he saw him, he fell on his neck, and wept long on his neck. And Israel said to Joseph: I may die now, having seen your face, since you are still alive. The purpose of the mission of Judah to Joseph on behalf of Jacob was the desire to urge Joseph to come out quickly to meet his father, which Joseph did not delay in doing. The Hebrew text (lehorot in the sense of leheraot) and the Russian translation: “to direct him to Goshen” – (in the sense of approximation to the Slavonic translation) is corrected according to the Samaritan and Greek texts by Professor F. G. Eleonsky, “History of the Israeli people in Egypt,” appendix I, pp. 33–43. Here is seen the preference of the reading of the Septuagint in verses 28–29 and, in particular, it proves the actual existence and determines the location of Heroopolis (Septuagint: Ηρώων πόλις; Slavonic: “Iroysk grad,” verse 28; “Iroon grad,” verse 29). The scene of affection in the meeting of Jacob and Joseph is indescribable. From the fact that only Joseph is said to have wept, the Midrash concludes that Jacob did not weep, but was seized by prayerful rapture. In any case, entering this final period of his life, Jacob was filled with deep reflections about the ways of providence in his changing fate (compare Gen 48:15-16). Now his spirit increasingly withdraws from the world of earthly life and ascends to that state of spiritual contemplation, from the height of which he pronounced his inspired prophecy about the fate of his descendants (Gen 49:1-28).

Genesis 46:31–34. And Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s house: I will go up and inform Pharaoh, and say to him: my brothers and my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me; these people are shepherds, for they are herders; and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have. And when Pharaoh calls you and says: what is your occupation? you shall say: your servants have been herders from our youth until now, both we and our fathers, so that you may settle us in the land of Goshen. For every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians. In preparing his brothers for the impending audience with Pharaoh, Joseph earnestly advises them to tell Pharaoh that they are natural nomads – as if warning them against the temptation of being drawn into the pleasures of Egyptian cultural life and abandoning the pastoral occupations of their fathers; the mention of the occupation of their fathers before the Egyptian Pharaoh held particular force, since in the face of the caste nature of ancient Egyptian life, every occupation here was hereditary, passing from father to son. There was indeed a class of shepherds, as is known from Herodotus, Strabo, and Diodorus (Pharaoh had herds), yet the Egyptians regarded pastoral tribes with contempt and hatred (shepherds formed the lowest of 7 castes of the population, with swineherds especially despised, Herodotus 2, 47, 164), because: • they themselves considered agriculture their main occupation, which constituted the highest stage of culture in comparison with herding; • the hated Egyptian domination by the Hyksos, a pastoral people, prompted hatred toward pastoral tribes of Asia in general, and • the nomads of Asia offered in sacrifice those animals which the Egyptians worshiped as gods. Joseph urges his brothers in every way not to hide their occupation, so that for them there might be assigned exactly the land suitable for pastures – the land of Goshen (Wadi Tumilat) – and they not be scattered throughout the cities.

Chapter Forty-Seven

Joseph presents his father and five of his brothers to Pharaoh, with Pharaoh’s permission settles his father’s family in Goshen and supplies them with all provisions

Genesis 47:1. And Joseph came and told Pharaoh and said: My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they have, have come from the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen. Joseph, reporting to Pharaoh about the arrival of his father and brothers, says: • that they have settled in Goshen (v. 1), perhaps hinting that this region would be most suitable for the settlement of his nomadic relatives, and • that the latter have come with all their possessions, consisting of flocks and herds, and consequently (according to Abarbanel) are sufficiently well-to-do and cannot be especially burdensome to the country.

Genesis 47:2–6. And he took five of his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to his brothers: What is your occupation? They said to Pharaoh: Your servants are shepherds of sheep, we and our fathers. And they said to Pharaoh: We have come to dwell in this land, because there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan; therefore please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen. And Pharaoh said to Joseph: Your father and your brothers have come to you; the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land; let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know that capable men are among them, put them in charge of my livestock. From among his brothers (from the Hebrew “from the end”—according to some sources—by selection from both sides—from the eldest and the youngest), Joseph selects five men for presentation to Pharaoh; according to Midrash and Talmud—Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, and Benjamin (Beresch. r. Par. 140, s. 471)—as the strongest among the brothers (Talmud) or, conversely, the weakest (Midrash). Pharaoh in his speech and arrangements displays special tact and delicacy, combined with complete goodwill toward Joseph, which he extends to his relatives. Toward Joseph’s brothers, as men of vigor and strength, he asks about their occupation (v. 3); toward Jacob, evidently making the impression of a decrepit old man, he inquires about the years of his life (v. 8). Then, when Joseph’s brothers, precisely following Joseph’s advice, told Pharaoh of their occupation and asked for permission to settle (from the Hebrew—“to sojourn”, to dwell temporarily, lagur, they came to Egypt) in Goshen, Pharaoh gives his permission not directly to them, but through Joseph, so that they must first thank their brother. Moreover, in allowing Joseph to choose for his tribe from the best lands of the country, Pharaoh, nevertheless, does not forget the interests of the latter and of his own court: by settling the Hebrews in Goshen, on the northeastern border, Pharaoh hoped to oppose this friendly tribe to the pressure of Asian nomadic and predatory peoples; besides, by the skill of some of Joseph’s brothers, experienced herders, he intended to make use of them to improve the raising of livestock in his domains.

Genesis 47:7–9. And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and presented him to Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob: How many years have you lived? Jacob said to Pharaoh: The days of my sojourning are a hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning. The audience of Jacob with Pharaoh is characteristic less of the nobility and magnanimity of Pharaoh than especially of the true patriarchal dignity, worthiness, and faith of Jacob: twice (upon his coming and going) greeting Pharaoh according to the etiquette of the courts of eastern kings (cf. 1 Sam 1:31) and, without doubt, with sincere recognition to the king of Egypt for his favors to his family, he nevertheless conducted himself with the true dignity of a patriarch and priest (the text does not speak of his bowing before Pharaoh). Especially strong in the old man is the sense or consciousness of the transitory and fleeting nature of earthly life—this “sojourning” (v. 9)—and with this, naturally, is assumed the existence and strength in Jacob of faith in the life to come (cf. Heb 6:19). Turning his gaze to the past he had lived through, Jacob calls the 130 years of his life “few and evil days”—few in comparison with his father, who lived 180 years, and his grandfather Abraham, who died at 175 years (it is possible, however, that Jacob also has in mind earlier, even antediluvian patriarchs). Jacob, who lived seventeen years more after this, was clearly occupied with the thought of death long before its coming, like his father Isaac (Gen 27:1-2).

Genesis 47:11. And Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best part of the land, in the land of Ramesses, as Pharaoh had commanded. The region where Joseph, by Pharaoh’s permission, settled his father and brothers is called here the “land of Ramesses”; yet above (Gen 45:10 and following) the territory designated for their settlement is called the land of Goshen, and below, when speaking of their actual dwelling in Egypt, their place of habitation is presented as Goshen (v. 27), (Gen 50:8; Exod 9:26 and others). From this it follows that the name Ramesses either was a synonym for Goshen or designated a certain part of the latter. In the book of Exodus (Exod 1:11) it is said that the Hebrews built Pharaoh “store cities,” Pithom and Ramesses. Consequently, the city, newly built or merely strengthened by the Hebrews, could have received the name of the region in which the Hebrews lived—Ramesses. The latter word from Egyptian (according to Yablonsky’s etymology) means: “people engaged in herding”—a name standing in connection with the principal occupation of the Hebrews. Josephus identifies Ramesses with Heliopolis: “Pharaoh gave Jacob and his family Heliopolis, because here were also pastures designated for the royal herds” (Antiquities 2:7, 6). The Seventy, as we saw in Gen 46:28, bring Ramesses near to Heliopolis.

Genesis 47:12. And Joseph provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with bread, according to the needs of each household. Having settled his father and brothers in Goshen or Ramesses, Joseph thoughtfully supplied them with bread with their families, taking into account the number of children (from the Hebrew “according to the mouths of the children”).

Joseph’s activity in the governance of Egypt during the years of famine

Genesis 47:14–26. Joseph gathered all the money that was in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they were buying, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. And the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan. All the Egyptians came to Joseph and said: Give us bread; why should we die before you, because the money has failed? Joseph said: Bring your livestock, and I will give you [bread] for your livestock, if your money has failed. And they brought their livestock to Joseph; and Joseph gave them bread for horses, and for the flocks of sheep, and for the herds of cattle, and for donkeys; and he supplied them with bread in that year for all their livestock. And this year passed; and they came to him in the following year and said to him: We will not hide from our lord that the money has been exhausted and the livestock of our flocks are with our lord; there is nothing left before our lord except our bodies and our lands; why should we perish before your eyes, both we and our lands? Buy us and our lands for bread, and we and our lands will be servants to Pharaoh; and give us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate. And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine was severe upon them. And the land became Pharaoh’s. And he made the people servants from one end of Egypt to the other. Only the land of the priests he did not buy [Joseph], for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and they ate the portion which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land. And Joseph said to the people: Behold, I have now bought you and your land for Pharaoh; here is seed for you, and sow the land; when the harvest comes, you shall give a fifth part to Pharaoh, and four parts shall remain for you for sowing the fields, for your sustenance and for those in your households, and for sustenance for your children. They said: You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of our lord and be servants to Pharaoh. And Joseph made it a law in the land of Egypt, even to this day: a fifth part to Pharaoh, except only the land of the priests, which did not belong to Pharaoh. The political and economic activity of Joseph in Egypt during the famine, which resulted in: • the accumulation of all the money of the inhabitants of the country in Pharaoh’s treasury (vv. 14–15); • the transfer of all the livestock of private owners into the possession of Pharaoh (vv. 16–18), and finally, • the transfer of all the land into the possession of the king, so that the inhabitants appeared merely as lessees of Pharaoh, and even, more precisely, as serfs bound to him (vv. 19–24)—such activity often provoked severe condemnation from many interpreters of the Book of Genesis. And indeed, this activity was incompatible with the humanitarian spirit of Old Testament legislation, as it appeared especially in the laws concerning the Sabbatical and Jubilee years (Lev 25:4-13), indeed conflicted with it to the opposite extreme, all the more so because, as Josephus reports (Antiquities 2:7, 7), the physical desolation of the country was accompanied by the moral corruption of its impoverished inhabitants. But this reproach is considerably weakened for Joseph by the complete, apparently, impossibility of acting otherwise. As the manager of the treasury and the grain supplies of the country and Pharaoh, Joseph was evidently extremely limited by the despotic power of the latter; equally so by the right of the state upon the property and even the person of a citizen in all antiquity. From the text (v. 25) it is also evident that the universal enslavement of all the inhabitants of Egypt to the king did not appear to him to be such a heavy and humiliating matter as it appears to people of modern times. In any case, Joseph had no authority and generally could not distribute bread to the needy natives (let alone foreigners) for nothing. Even apart from a prohibition from Pharaoh to carry out such gratuitous distribution of bread, such distribution could have been accompanied by a very undesirable, rapid, and complete disappearance of all supplies in the entire country. Besides, the payment of a fifth part for grain-bearing Egypt was not a particularly heavy tax. The sacred writer, as always, neither praises nor censures the activity of Joseph, but merely states the actual historical facts, which in their essential parts are fully confirmed by extra-biblical historical evidence. From the testimonies of Herodotus, Strabo, and Diodorus Siculus it is known that all the lands in Egypt were the property of the crown; only the caste of priests owned land as property, and the caste of warriors in certain periods of Egyptian history received land holdings from the Pharaohs as feudal tenure; in general, all inhabitants were merely lessees in relation to Pharaoh and the state. The Biblical account of Joseph’s activity contains an indication of the origin of such a political and economic order in Egypt and incidentally gives interesting information about the introduction in Egypt of the double tithe (1/5), paid by inhabitants on all the produce of the earth (vv. 24, 26), and about the concentration of the taxpaying population, by Joseph’s order, in cities (v. 21 is read differently in the Hebrew Masoretic, differently in the Samaritan lists, in the Seventy, in the Vulgate, in Slavonic and Russian; according to the first reading—“he removed (Joseph) the people to cities from the end of Egypt to the end”; according to the second—“he made the people servants,” the Masoretes read the root abar in the hiphil—to transfer; the translators—abad in the hiphil: to enslave; the meaning of both readings is almost identical, but the Hebrew reading more precisely names Joseph’s actual operation, while the translations name its results). The chief interest of Joseph’s activity for the sacred writer is placed in the fact that this activity, as productive for the state welfare of Egypt, secured favorable treatment of the native population in Egypt toward the immigrant Hebrews. However, in the circumstance that Joseph enslaved the entire country to Pharaoh, although, without doubt, from serious state considerations (some interpreters attribute to the time of the Pharaoh contemporary with Joseph the digging of canals and artificial irrigation, which naturally was called forth by prolonged and universal famine in the country and for its accomplishment required enormous sums, which the state could obtain thanks to the system of taxation introduced by Joseph) and undoubtedly with the very best intentions and purposes—still there could be contained some justification for the enslavement of the Hebrews by the Egyptians that followed after his death.

Jacob with an oath bequeaths Joseph to bury his remains in Canaan

Genesis 47:27–28. And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful, and greatly multiplied. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred and forty-seven years. With the settlement of the chosen tribe in Egypt, a firm foundation was laid for its formation into a whole people, which was the object of the covenants of God to all the patriarchs. Now the patriarchal period, having fulfilled the purpose assigned to it by God, was coming to an end. Therefore the sacred writer reports information about the pre-death arrangements and actions of Jacob, anticipating his actual death, as also the subsequent multiplication of his offspring in Egypt (cf. Exod 1:7).

Genesis 47:29. And the time drew near for Israel to die, and he called to his son Joseph and said to him: If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and swear that you will show me kindness and truth, that you will not bury me in Egypt, The rite of oath by placing the hand under the thigh of him to whom the oath is given, mentioned twice in the Book of Genesis—regarding the oath of Abraham’s servant (Gen 24:2) and the oath of Joseph—always appeared mysterious, all the more so because neither in the subsequent biblical-Hebrew history nor in the history of other peoples is it found. In any case, this rite had a relationship to the offspring of Abraham (Gen 24:2) and Jacob (in the present passage), inasmuch as the offspring are represented as coming from the loins of the patriarch (Gen 46:26; Exod 1:5), and imposed on the one swearing a vow of faithfulness not only in relation to the one personally receiving the oath, but also in relation to his offspring. The connection to the cult of Phallus sometimes seen here by some interpreters is completely improbable; rather—with Jewish interpreters one can see in this rite an indication of circumcision, with some Christian interpreters—the promised Seed of the Woman in the first gospel.

Genesis 47:30–31. so that I may lie with my fathers; take me out of Egypt and bury me in their tomb. And Joseph said: I will do as you have said. And he said: Swear to me. And he swore to him. And Israel bowed upon the head of the bed. ******* The action of Jacob upon Joseph’s swearing to him is transmitted differently in the Hebrew Masoretic text and in the Greek Seventy. From Hebrew “he bowed upon the head of the bed” (a similar reading is given by the Targums, Aquila, Vulgate); according to the Seventy (also Syrian, Slavonic) “he bowed upon the top of his staff.” The difference stems from the confusion of Hebrew words: mittah, a bed, and matteh, a staff. In the first case, the idea emerges, analogous to that reported in 1 Sam 1:47 concerning the death of David: from weariness he leaned upon the bed, or in weakness could express his grateful feeling to God, and also to Joseph, only by bowing down to the head of the bed. In the second case (with the reading of the Seventy: ἐπὶ τὸ ἄκρον τῆς ῥάβδου, cf. Heb 11:21), the idea of Jacob’s pre-death weakness remains in the shade (indeed, only in chapter 48 is it said that Jacob was confined to his deathbed), while the representation is brought forward that Jacob, having received what he asked from Joseph, reviews his entire pilgrim’s life, casts a glance at his pilgrim’s staff (cf. Gen 32:10) and, thanking God and Joseph, bows upon the top of this staff, thus performing toward Joseph the worship of him that was once revealed to him in a dream (37; cf. blessed Theodoret, answer to question 111). Most importantly, Jacob now turns away from this world and from men and directs all his thought and heart toward God. * * * According to the translation of the Seventy: “upon the top of his staff.”

Chapter Forty-Eight

Jacob adopts as his own the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh

Genesis 48:1–2. After this, Joseph was told: Behold, your father is ill. And he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim [and went to Jacob]. And Jacob was told and said: Behold, your son Joseph is coming to you. And Israel summoned his strength and sat upon the bed. The history of Jacob is now, properly speaking, at an end, and he appears in chapters 48 and 49 only as a testator, transmitting to his offspring all the theocratic blessings, and as a prophet concerning its destiny. The account of Jacob’s blessing of his sons greatly reminds us of a similar account Gen 27:1-41 concerning Isaac’s blessing of Jacob and Esau, also including indications of the interaction of two factors—the natural inclination and love of the father for his children and divine inspiration—and the overcoming of the latter factor over the first. When Joseph, called to Jacob’s side, came to him with his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh (each of whom was by this time somewhat over 20 years of age, cf. Gen 41:50), the dying Jacob, “wishing to honor in Joseph the royal dignity” (Rashi), or perhaps, encouraged by the joy of meeting his beloved son, rises and sits, as if to express the importance of the moment.

Genesis 48:3–4. And Jacob said to Joseph: God Almighty appeared to me in Luz, in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, and said to me: Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make you into a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession. Intending to place the two sons of Joseph on equal footing with his own sons, to make them full-fledged patriarchs, Jacob first points to the source or foundation of those rights and blessings which he intends to transmit to his descendants—in those great covenants which he received at Bethel—Luz from “God Almighty” (in Hebrew—El-Shaddai, Gen 35:11-12; cf. Gen 28:13-15); he especially emphasizes the promise about the multiplication of his offspring, since he intends to perform the adoption of his grandsons.

Genesis 48:5–6. And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, like Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine; but the children born to you after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. Jacob purposely restricts this adoption to the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, adding that if other children were born to Joseph, they would not form a separate tribe, but would be reckoned among the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (Joseph apparently had no other sons, Gen 50:23; cf. Num 26:28-37). In taking the two sons of Joseph into the number of his own sons and giving them a share “in the standards, in the dedication of the altar, in the division of the promised land” (Abarbanel), Jacob by this recognizes in Joseph the right of primacy with its double inheritance (Deut 21:15-17)—taken from Reuben for his transgression (Gen 49:4) and transmitted to Joseph not only because of his exceptional position in Egypt, as the sustainer and “prince” of his brothers (cf. Gen 49:26), not only as the beloved son and firstborn of his beloved wife, but also, without doubt, by special providence of God. The kingdom among Joseph’s offspring was given to Judah, and the priesthood to Levi (Gen 49:8-10), but by special blessing of him over Ephraim (vv. 14, 20) it was foretold to him that kings would also come forth from his line.

Genesis 48:7. When I came from Mesopotamia, Rachel died to me in the land of Canaan, on the way, not far from Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath, which is now Bethlehem. In the last hours of his life, Jacob remembers his beloved wife Rachel, the mother of Joseph: she was the constant object of Jacob’s love and at the same time a source of many sorrows, from the time of his courtship of her to her premature death and the fate of her firstborn—Joseph. For the sake of the memory of Rachel, to glorify her name, Jacob, through the adoption of his grandsons, as it were multiplies the number of sons of his beloved wife.

Jacob blesses them

Genesis 48:8–10. And Israel saw the sons of Joseph and said: Who are these? And Joseph said to his father: These are my sons, whom God has given me here. [Jacob] said: Bring them to me, and I will bless them. Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age; he could not see clearly. And Joseph brought them near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. Jacob, who saw poorly already (v. 10), until now did not notice the presence with him, besides Joseph, of Ephraim and Manasseh, and only now saw them and made inquiry about them; then he expressed a desire to bless them, having first kissed them in a fatherly manner.

Genesis 48:11. And Israel said to Joseph: I did not expect to see your face; but behold, God has shown me also your children. Jacob expresses delight and emotion: he did not expect to see even his son, but God has granted him to see his grandsons as well.

Genesis 48:12. And Joseph removed them from his knees and bowed down to him with his face to the ground. Joseph places both his sons in the position befitting a solemn and significant act of blessing; they bow to Jacob, probably all three of them (Hebrew and Vulgate: “he bowed,” i.e., Joseph; Seventy, Slavonic: “they bowed”), since it is improbable that Ephraim and Manasseh remained entirely passive toward the blessing about to be bestowed upon them.

Genesis 48:13–14. And Joseph took both of his [sons], Ephraim in his right hand toward Jacob’s left, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Jacob’s right, and brought them near to him. But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh. He set his hands knowingly, though Manasseh was the firstborn. What Jacob had said and done until now did not go beyond the customary order of things in the relations of parents to children. Joseph, following this order, places the elder son on the patriarch’s right side, and the younger on the left. But the patriarch, who once received preferential blessing before his older brother—not without a deliberate divine indication to his father, now, by divine inspiration as well, gives preference also to the younger Ephraim before the elder Manasseh: intentionally, with full consciousness (Hebrew sikkel) he transferred his right hand to the younger (the right hand was also preferred to the left among the Hebrews, 1 Sam 2:19 and others) and his left to the elder grandchild.

Genesis 48:15–16. And he blessed Joseph and said: The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life until this day, the Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, may he bless these boys; and let my name and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac be named upon them, and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the land. The laying on of hands here appears for the first time in the Bible as a sign of blessing and the conferring of grace-giving gifts; it retained this meaning in the Old Testament church (Num 8:10) and from there passed into the New Testament church (Matt 19:13; Acts 6:6). The blessing of Jacob extends both to Joseph himself (the Hebrew text and Russian translation) and to his children, who in both Jacob’s blessing (Gen 49:22-26) and Moses’ blessing (Deut 33:13-17) are combined under the name of Joseph. The very form of the blessing is extremely significant, inasmuch as it expresses the pure beliefs and elevated worldview of the biblical patriarch, who brought the patriarchal period to a close. Here, first of all, is a firm faith in God as the God of the covenant, who required of the patriarchs a holy and godly life and whom they pleased by such a life (cf. Gen 17:1), and Jacob humbly points to the examples of godliness only in his fathers, not in himself; then an equally firm and radiant faith in divine providence, which unites all the moments of human life (Gen 37:35), even the most unfavorable, and resolves them into a favorable whole. More specifically, finally, faith in the Angel-Redeemer from all evils, in the Angel-God (inasmuch as he is compared to God), who once wrestled with Jacob (Gen 32:24). This threefold invocation of God in prayer with a single “may he bless” expresses the thought of the patriarch about the unity of divine action in the world, and then can also foreshadow the mystery of the Trinity. In the immediate sense, each invocation contained a corresponding prayerful wish for spiritual and bodily blessings, which then are all united in the words: “let my name and the name of my fathers be named upon them.”

Jacob gives preference to Ephraim

Genesis 48:17–18. And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; and he took his father’s hand, to remove it from the head of Ephraim to the head of Manasseh, and said to his father: Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head. Joseph, supposing an error on his father’s part in favoring the younger grandchild, attempts to correct it in accordance with the natural order of primacy.

Genesis 48:19. But his father refused, and said: I know it, my son, I know it; and he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. But Jacob answers him that his action was fully conscious, and in accordance with divine determination (according to the Midrash, Jacob said: “I know what evils have come from my preferring Joseph, can come now as well, but let God’s will be done!”). Manasseh’s tribe for a long time did not yield to Ephraim’s tribe either in the number of its members or in power, and it alone of all the tribes could divide into two halves, the western and eastern Jordan regions, each of which was very powerful. It was only later that Ephraim’s tribe acquired hegemony in the middle (by geographical position) group of Israelite tribes. From it came the glorious leader of Israel, Joshua, and from Manasseh’s came Gideon.

Genesis 48:20. And he blessed them that day, saying: “By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.’” And he set Ephraim before Manasseh. The solemn adoption of Joseph’s sons into the family of the patriarch Jacob, probably was necessary in view of the possible disputes after his death among his sons about the non-belonging to the family of the covenant of Joseph’s sons, as born to him by the daughter of an Egyptian priest. Anticipating this possibility, Jacob imparts to Ephraim and Manasseh a deliberately solemn blessing and even promises them that owing to the actual blessings which his blessing will bring down upon them, it will become a model in Israel for blessings by fathers to children. Without doubt, subsequent generations in similar cases always turned their thoughts to Jacob’s blessing.

Jacob’s prophecy about the return of his descendants to the land of the fathers

Genesis 48:21–22. And Israel said to Joseph: Behold, I am dying; and God will be with you, and will bring you back to the land of your fathers; and I give to you one portion more than to your brothers, which I took from the hands of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow. The power of the blessing of Joseph and his sons, in Jacob’s understanding, will be expressed also in the fact that they will not be absorbed by the life or culture of Egypt, but together with the other descendants of Jacob will be brought back by God to the promised land. In this latter land Jacob provides for his possession a certain portion (Hebrew: schekem achad, Vulgate: partem unam), probably near Shechem (Seventy: Σύχεμ), where Jacob had bought a field from Hamor (Gen 33:19) and where upon the entering of the Hebrews into Canaan Joseph was buried (Josh 24:32; cf. Gen 50:5). The acquisition of this portion “from the hands of the Amorites with sword and bow” by Jacob—a fact unknown from the Bible, but noted by tradition (one cannot, on the contrary, see here with Rosenmüller and others an indication of the Shechem massacre, strictly condemned by Jacob in his time, and condemned by him on his deathbed, Gen 34:30).

Chapter Forty-Nine

Jacob foretells the fate of his descendants

Genesis 49:1–2. And Jacob called his sons and said: Gather together, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the coming days; come together and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to Israel, your father. In a lofty poetic, divinely inspired speech, Jacob, bypassing the life in Egypt that lay before his descendants, prophetically paints a picture of the future life of each tribe in Canaan, and in each case proceeds from the individual qualities of one or another of his sons and the circumstances of his life, and then moves to the future—sometimes more near, sometimes more distant—of his generation—to the “last days” (acharith hajamim, ἐπ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν; Vulg. in diebus novissimis), which in relation to the most important point of Jacob’s prophecy—the prophecy concerning Judah—means “not merely future, but the final future, precisely the messianic time of the completion of all things” (Keil). Of course, the first period after Israel’s settlement in Canaan and the period of the judges form the nearest points of Jacob’s prophetic vision, but his prophetic perspective is far from limited to these bounds, and the historical features of that period are full of symbolic significance in relation to the distant future of the history of salvation. A messianic meaning belongs to the expression “in the last days” in other biblical prophecies as well (Isa 2:2; Jer 30:24; Ezek 38:16; Dan 10:14; Hos 3:5; Mic 4:1; cf. Heb 1:1-2). In general, in both its entirety and many of its particulars, Jacob’s prophecy appears as a type of patriarchal blessings clothed in inspired and poetic form. Blessed Theodoret, answering the question (Question on Gen 112): why is it said that Jacob blesses his children, when he curses some?—responds: “the last words of the patriarch are not curses or blessings, but predictions.”

Genesis 49:3–4. Reuben, my firstborn! You are my strength and the beginning of my power, the highest in dignity and the highest in might; but you were turbulent as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed—you defiled my couch, which you ascended. In verse 3, mention is made of the advantages, both natural and recognized by ancient Hebrew custom, which belonged to Reuben by birth—mentioned with the aim of showing “that there is no benefit from natural advantages if they are not accompanied by perfections of the will” (John Chrysostom, Discourse 47:7–16); as Jacob’s firstborn, he is the embodiment of complete, undiminished by years, paternal strength (koach, LXX and Aquila: ἰσχυς μοῦ; Vulg.: fortitudo mea), virginal strength (like the inexhaustible strength of the earth, Gen 4:12). This idea is supplemented by the synonymous “beginning of my power” (reschit oni), as expressed quite precisely in the Russian Bible and as this expression is used more than once in the Bible (Deut 21:17; Ps 77:51). The LXX convey the same thought, but more concretely: ἀρχὴ τέκνων (Slavic: “beginning of my children”). Aquila (κεφάλαιον λύπης), Symmachus (ἀρχὴ ὀδύνης) and the Vulgate (principium doloris) in the sense of grief, suffering (as in Gen 35:18), express the thought that Reuben, by defiling his father’s bed, was the first of his brothers to cause bitter shame and sorrow to his father. But Simeon and Levi first caused sorrow to the father—by the bloody massacre at Shechem (Gen 34:25-30); here, according to the context of the speech by analogy with Deut 21:17; Ps 77:51, the matter is about the advantages of primogeniture. Continuing his speech on this, Jacob then calls Reuben “the highest in dignity and the highest in might” (Vulg.: prior in donis, major in imperiis; Aquila: praestans dignitate, praestans fortitudine; the LXX, apparently, read the original text differently than now, rendering it: σκληρὸς φέρεσθαι καὶ σκληρὸς αὐθάδης); according to the explanation of the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, the Midrashim and blessed Jerome (cf. 1 Chr 5:1-2), this designates the rights belonging to Reuben by the law of primogeniture: • a double inheritance; • the authority of the priesthood or the dignity of the high priesthood; • royal authority; the first went to Joseph instead, the second to Levi, the third to Judah. In verse 4, the reason for Reuben’s deprivation of primogeniture and its privileges is indicated: the general thoughtlessness, recklessness and presumption (LXX: ἐξύβρισας) of Reuben (for the meaning of the Hebrew pachaz, cf. Judg 9:4; Jer 23:32), in which Reuben is compared to turbulent water (cf. Job 24:13-18), and in particular—the grave insult to his father’s honor by defiling his bed (Gen 35:22); so deeply did the vile fact of Reuben’s incontinence wound Jacob, which in later times was matched by the equally reckless Absalom (2 Sam 16:22). “You shall not excel”—this deprivation of the rights of primogeniture made itself known throughout the subsequent history of the tribe of Reuben, which never played any significant role in the history of the people of Israel. Already Moses in his blessing to the tribe of Reuben (Deut 33:6) prayerfully desires only that it not die out. Deborah condemns the Reubenites for their indifference to the common national calamity of enslavement and the war of liberation (Judg 5:15-16). In later times the tribe of Reuben was one of the first to disappear from history.

Genesis 49:5–6. Simeon and Levi are brothers, weapons of cruelty are their swords; let my soul not enter into their counsel, and let my glory not be joined to their assembly, for in their anger they killed a man and at their pleasure they hamstrung an ox; Jacob purposely calls Simeon and Levi brothers and foretells them a common, equally unfavorable fate—as a result of the similarity of their moral character and manner of action, due to their equally active participation in the bloodshed at Shechem (Gen 34:25-27) and (according to tradition) in the sale of Joseph (Gen 37:27-28). Arbitrarily and without foundation, Bolen and others saw in this a personification of the historical cruelty of both tribes in the time of the judges: history knows no such facts; rather, this would have been true of the tribe of Benjamin (Judg 20-21), but about Benjamin (verse 27) a different prediction is given. From this, and equally from the historical fate of the tribe of Levi (verse 7), it is clear how unsuccessful is the attempt of certain modern biblical scholars to understand the entire prophecy of Jacob as vaticinium ex eventu, as an artificial attribution of the historical fortunes of the tribes of Israel to their ancestors, and to push the editing of the prophecy back to the times of David and Solomon. The Hebrew mecherotheihem is rendered in the Russian Bible as “their swords.” The word mecherah is of unknown meaning, rendered very differently by translations. The accepted Russian rendering is one of the more probable: here the Hebrew word is brought close to the Greek μάχαιρα. In verse 6, concerning the bloodthirsty cruelty of Simeon and Levi, Jacob speaks with the same repugnance as about the incest of Reuben (verse 4): Jacob’s soul (called his “glory” as in Ps 7:6 and other places) had no part in the bloodthirsty actions of Simeon and Levi, who in their proceedings at Shechem not only destroyed the male population of the city, but either destroyed or maimed (by hamstringing) the livestock of the Shechemites (cf. 2 Sam 8:4; Josh 11:6); Vulg. in the figurative sense, suffoderunt murum.

Genesis 49:7. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is severe; I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. “But [the patriarch] curses not Simeon and Levi themselves, but their evil passions, their anger, their wrath…. And their punishment was only a prediction (blessed Theodoret, Answer to Question 112).” The division of the tribes of Simeon and Levi and their scattering among the other tribes was a specific means against the criminal unanimity of their ancestors. The prophecy upon both tribes was fulfilled with precision, though in different ways—in every unfavorable sense only upon the tribe of Simeon. It quickly decreased in number during the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness; shortly after the departure from Egypt, it had 59,300 men capable of war (Num 1:23), and at the end of that period only 22,000 (Num 26:14). In Canaan it received its allotment not independently but within the territory of the tribe of Judah (Josh 19:1). Its insignificance in national life is evident from the fact that in Moses’ blessing (Deut 33) it is not mentioned at all. According to Jewish tradition, the greatest number of the poor was in the tribe of Simeon (Berech. r. P. 98, 485). Upon the tribe of Levi, the threatening word of the patriarch also was fulfilled at first: it received no allotment of its own when Canaan was divided, but only 48 cities—in the allotments of various tribes (Josh 21:41). But then the sincere and zealous service to God of the representatives of this tribe, for example, Exod 32:26, made it a chosen and holy tribe of the servants of Jehovah at His sanctuary (Num 18:20-24 and others): then the curse of scattering was transformed into a blessing of sacred service—teaching, worship, and the like among Israel (Deut 32:9-11). In this latter sense, “the tribe of Levi was scattered because of its high honor, so that in each tribe there might live Levites and priests, and all might derive benefit from them” (blessed Theodoret). Is it now possible that Jacob’s prophecy concerning Levi, so unfavorable to him and his tribe, could have occurred in the times of David and Solomon, when the sacred significance and high service, as well as the divine choice of the tribe of Levi, were commonly acknowledged in Israel? The appearance at these times, and in general after Moses, of the supposed satire on the tribe of Levi and on others was absolutely unthinkable.

Genesis 49:8–12. Judah! Your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. Young lion, Judah, with plunder, my son, you arise. He crouches, he lies down like a lion and like a lioness: who will rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the lawgiver from between his feet, until the Reconciler comes, and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples. He ties his foal to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; he washes his garment in wine and his robe in the blood of grapes; his eyes are bright from wine, and his teeth are white from milk. Reuben is deprived of primogeniture, Simeon and Levi—of primogeniture and independence, the fourth son Judah in his descendants receives both the first and the last, his tribe in general is “regal and of all the other tribes the most mighty” (blessed Theodoret). In its entirety, “the blessing given to Judah is mysterious: it foreshadowed everything that relates to Christ” (John Chrysostom). Strictly speaking, the blessing of Judah has a messianic sense, by general agreement of commentators, in the middle part—verse 10; in the two preceding verses (8 and 9) and the two following (11 and 12) are revealed the historical features of the earthly power and well-being of the tribe of Judah, in which, however, one can discern also a reflection or prefigurement of messianic moments. Verses 8–9: Judah (Jehudah), from Hebrew—praised (cf. the words of Leah at his birth, Gen 29:35): “now I will praise the Lord”), will become the object of praise and glory to his brothers. According to the Midrash, this means that all the tribes of Israel will subsequently bear the name of Judah—will be called Jews. To the glorious name of Judah will correspond his valor, courage, might: strength in struggle with enemies and victory over them, dominion over the tribes of Israel (the sons of the father, not the mother, as in Gen 27:29: all the ancestors of the tribes of Israel, of all 4 wives of Jacob). And not in war alone will the tribe of Judah be fearsome to its enemies: it will inspire all with fear and reverence even in a state of deep peace: as a young lion, a lion, and especially a lioness even sleeping inspire fear in a human, so, like the king of beasts, the tribe of Judah in various epochs of history after its settlement in Canaan was fearsome to the predatory peoples surrounding Israel in Palestine. If the full development of this might of the tribe of Judah occurred under David, it was already in the wilderness that it was at the head of all the tribes (Num 2:3), and it was the first to begin the conquest of Canaan (Judg 1:1-8). On its military standard the tribe of Judah bore the image of a lion. The comparison of the patriarch was realized in all its force in the death of the Lord: “as a lion and sleeping is fearsome, so the sovereign death became fearsome both to death and to the devil…. And the words: who will rouse him? show his unspeakable might. For He Himself rose Himself…” (blessed Theodoret, cf. John Chrysostom, 718). In the first half of verse 10, the tribe or descendants of Judah is promised supreme power in Israel in two synonymous expressions—governmental (schebet; LXX: ἄρχων, Russian: “scepter,” cf. Num 24:17; Isa 14:5; Zech 10:11) and legislative, as well as military (mechoqeq; LXX: ἡγούμενος; Vulg.: dux; Slavic: “leader”). Then a limit to this dominion is indicated—in the sense of its cessation or ideal completion—in the words: ad ki jabo Schiloh, understood very differently by commentators of all times and schools. The predominant interpretation—both by antiquity and by the authority of its representatives, and by the context of the ideas and events of the history of salvation—is messianic. All differences in the understanding of the cited expression reduce to different interpretations of the word Schiloh. Among non-messianic interpretations, one can mention that which sees in the latter the name of a city of the tribe of Ephraim—Shiloh (Hebrew Schiloh, e.g., Josh 16:6 and others, or schilo—Judg 21:21 and others), where after the conquest of Canaan the tabernacle was placed, and renders the entire phrase as: “until they come to Shiloh”—a meaning very restrictive: the hegemony of Judah would have been very short-lived, and the significance of the coming of the Hebrews to Shiloh is questionable. The prophetically messianic interpretation, which prevailed in the Jewish synagogue, in the ancient Christian Church, and in learned Christian theology of the medieval and modern periods, presents several variations according to the different understandings of Schiloh, but in any case the idea of a new messianic order of life is retained. Schiloh is understood precisely as an abstract instead of concrete—a reconciler, a prince of peace (LXX: ἀποκείμενα αυτω; Aquila: ῶ ἀπόχειται) or—directly as a concrete: “his son” (Rabbi Kimchi); qui mittendus est (Vulg.) and the like. In the Talmud and Midrashim, Shiloh is one of the names of the Messiah. The end of the verse, “and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples,” all commentators refer to the Messiah, as then the entire verse 10, and finally the entire prophecy concerning Judah. “This is the clearest sign of the coming of the Lord,” says blessed Theodoret of the words of verse 10,—among the Jews there ceased not only kings, but also priests and prophets, in proof of the fulfillment of this prediction. When our Savior was to be born, foreign kings became rulers over the Jews, and by this is indicated the Eternal King—“the expectation of the nations” (Answer to Question 112). “So long as Judean and princes from Judah shall continue, until He comes” (John Chrysostom, 718). Verses 11–12 paint a picture of the wealth of the territory of the tribe of Judah with the products of agriculture and animal husbandry: an extraordinary abundance of grapes (including the best variety, the so-called soreg) and abundance of herds and milk. The Midrashim, Targums, holy John Chrysostom, blessed Theodoret give even these features a messianic sense, for which the prophetic images, for example, Joel 2:22, of messianic times give some foundation.

Genesis 49:13–15. Zebulun will dwell by the seashore and at a haven for ships, with his border extending to Sidon. Issachar is a strong donkey, lying between two burdens; and he saw that rest was good and that the land was pleasant; and he bent his shoulders to bear a burden and became a servant for taxes. Regarding the fate of the two tribes of the last sons of Jacob from Leah: Zebulun and Issachar (the younger brother is mentioned for some reason first). To the tribe of Zebulun is promised a coastal position (between the Galilean and Mediterranean Seas), as a source of its riches (Deut 33:19); its border is designated on the west to Sidon (Tyre is not mentioned: it arose much later, around 1200 B.C.—evidence of the antiquity of the prophecy). Never reaching the indicated border (Josh 19:10-16), the tribe of Zebulun lived mainly through participation in international trade. To the tribe of Issachar is promised a fertile region, suitable for agriculture and animal husbandry: its emblem is a strong donkey, lying among enclosures (such is the more precise meaning of the Hebrew mischpetaim, Russian: “between two burdens,” Slavic: “boundaries”)—a comparison that contains nothing offensive (the eastern donkey is more beautiful than the European one), but still characterizes the excessive attachment of the tribe of Issachar to agriculture and animal husbandry, its apathy toward military and political activity, its preference of slavery to war. A detailed description of the territory of both tribes is given by Josephus (Jewish War, Book 3, Chapter 3, 1–2).

Genesis 49:16–18. Dan will judge his people, like one of the tribes of Israel; Dan will be a serpent on the road, a viper on the path, that bites the horse’s heel so that his rider falls backward. For your deliverance I hope, O Lord! To the tribe of Dan, the son of Jacob from a concubine, is given an equal right with the tribes of the sons of Leah and Rachel (the same holds for the tribes of Gad, Asher, and Naphtali): it will judge (jaden—a play on the meaning of Dan), that is, be ruled independently and even influence the life of other tribes, like any other tribe. Targum Onkelos, Midrash, and many ancient and modern commentators see here a reference to the Danite Samson. The enemies of the tribe of Dan will be defeated not so much in open battle (like Judah, personified in the image of a lion), but by secret ambushes and in general by cunning—the properties that distinguish serpents in the animal kingdom: “Dan will be a serpent… and an asp” (verse 17). These unattractive features of the tribe of Dan, the historical data for explaining which cannot be indicated with precision (the Targums and Midr. attributed these qualities to Samson, other commentators to the Danites who seized Laish, Judg 18:1-29), and the non-mention of the tribe of Dan in the Apocalypse in the passage about those sealed in each tribe of Israel (Rev 7:4-8) gave grounds for the supposition of many holy Fathers and teachers of the Church that the antichrist will come from the tribe of Dan. According to the opinion of blessed Theodoret, “the Spirit of God, who foresaw through the patriarch our Savior, in this prediction speaks also of the antichrist” (Answer to Question 112). The prayerful cry of Jacob in verse 18 has either a particular relation to the prophecy concerning Dan—grieving over the future falling away of the Danites from faith and piety, Jacob entrusts them to God’s protection—or to all the tribes in general—with the thought of bringing down upon them God’s blessing. This exclamation forms a transition from the first group, in which the chief and central figure is Judah and his tribe, to the second, where the main significance belongs to the descendants of Joseph, and contains in itself a prayer for mutual peace between the tribes of Judah and Joseph. Perhaps this cry is simply a prayerful sigh of the dying patriarch.

Genesis 49:19. Gad—a troop will press upon him, but he will press upon their heels. Verses 19, 20, and 21, containing prophecies about Gad, Asher, and Naphtali, form an introduction to the prophecy concerning Joseph. Gad, the depiction of whose military position is here connected with the etymology of his name (different from what is compared in Gen 30:11), living in Gilead, suffered constant raids by Arab nomadic tribes (Judg 10:7-8; 1 Chr 5:18-19 and others), but their savage hordes always found ready resistance on his part, even if only in the form of partisan pursuits (“upon their heels”). Jephthah was a Gadite (Judg 11:1).

Genesis 49:20. For Asher—his bread will be very rich, and he will provide royal delicacies. To Asher is promised extraordinary fertility of soil, abundance of grain and spices, which will be used for the royal table (cf. Deut 33:24-25). Indeed, the territory of Asher between Carmel and Lebanon on the border with Phoenicia was the most fertile region in Palestine, and its products were supplied to the courts of the kings of Israel and Phoenicia.

Genesis 49:21. Naphtali is a swift doe, releasing beautiful fawns. ******** The usual reading of the Hebrew Masoretic text and translations: “Naphtali is a swift hind; he utters beautiful sayings” (Aquila: Ελαφος ἀπεσταλμένος ὁ διδους χαλλονήν), in which commentators discern a hint at Barak of the tribe of Naphtali and the song of Deborah prompted by his deeds (Judg 4-5), in the further sense—the beginning of the gospel preaching in the land of Naphtali (Isa 9:1; Matt 4:15)—Galilee, from which all the apostles came forth. According to the reading of the LXX (accepted in Slavic and Russian): στέλεχος ἀνειμένον, ἐπιδιδοὺς ἐν τῶ γενήματι κάλλος, “a lofty terebinth, spreading forth in its offspring beauty”; the meaning is less clear, and (according to blessed Theodoret, “increase of descendants”) the comparison can then be regarded as a transition to the blessing of Joseph.

Genesis 49:22–26. Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough over a spring, its branches run over a wall; they grieved him, and shot arrows and enmity pursued him, but his bow remained steadfast, and the arms of his hands grew strong, from the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, thence comes the Shepherd and the Stone of Israel, from the God of your father, Who indeed helps you, and by the Almighty, Who indeed will bless you with blessings from heaven above, blessings from the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts and of the womb, the blessings of your father exceed the blessings of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the eternal hills; may they rest upon the head of Joseph and upon the brow of the one separated from his brothers. If in the magnificent blessing to Judah the divine voice spoke, God’s inspiration came to Jacob, then now, in the blessing of his beloved Joseph, already once blessed him in the persons of his sons, there is revealed the attachment of Jacob’s heart to Joseph. Especially elegant is the form in which this blessing is expressed, by which, however, Jacob does not exalt Joseph above Judah and does not allot to the former the high spiritual gifts promised to the latter, but mainly material blessings, explained by Joseph’s exceptional position among his brothers, as their benefactor and prince (verse 26). Joseph appears here as: • a fruitful tree (Hebrew porat—a play on the name Ephraim: the repetition indicates the 2 tribes from Joseph), spreading its branches both over its own and others’ walls—over Hebrews and Egyptians (verse 22), • despite all misfortunes (both personally experienced by Joseph and foreseen for his tribes, especially the Manassite, from which, for instance, came Gideon) an unbreakable bastion, strengthened by the same shepherd-God who was with Jacob (Gen 48:15); according to some, here is a prophecy of the Ephraimite Jesus son of Nun; • the father’s beloved, to whom he grants blessings: a) heavenly from above, that is, dew and rain (cf. Gen 27:28); b) blessings of the deep—of the soil watered by waters; c) blessings of the breasts and wombs—abundance of milk and livestock (verse 25); • a prince (nazir “crowned”) among his brothers—personally and in his descendants (the gift of the Ephraim tribe, verse 26).

Genesis 49:27. Benjamin, a ravenous wolf, devouring prey in the morning and dividing spoils in the evening. To the tribe of Benjamin is foretold warlike character and a certain wildness of nature (evidence—the well-known incident with the Levite in Gibeah, Judg 20:4-10). From it came Ehud (Judg 3:15), Saul, and later the Apostle Paul (Rom 11:1; Phil 3:5).

Genesis 49:28. Behold, all these are the twelve tribes of Israel; and this is what their father said to them. And he blessed them, every one with his own blessing. It is pointedly noted that the promises apply to the descendants as well. Verses 29–30, which constitute a repetition (Gen 47:29-31) of the testament to Joseph, relate Jacob’s final disposition and his death. * * * According to another reading: “Naphtali is a swift hind; she speaks beautiful things.”

Chapter Fifty

The Mourning of Jacob

Genesis 50:1. And Joseph fell upon his father’s face, and wept over him, and kissed him. The picture of Joseph’s mourning over his father is inexpressibly moving. “Do you see the tender love of a son? Do you see the burning love?” (John Chrysostom, 721).

Genesis 50:2–3. And Joseph ordered his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Israel. And it took forty days for him, for that is the time it takes for embalming, and the Egyptians mourned him for seventy days. Embalming—this specifically Egyptian custom—was performed on Jacob’s body not so much in consequence of his positive testament to have him embalmed, as the rabbis supposed, but—to express respect for him, as the father of the first official of Egypt, and also to preserve the body from decay in view of the impending transport to Canaan. Embalming was performed by physicians (Hebrew: ropheim, ἐνταφιασταί, Slavic: “embalmers”) from the court officials of Joseph. According to Herodotus, who described embalming in detail, it was performed by specialists, ταφιχευταί, and had 3 forms, differing in the degree of labor intensity and costliness of materials (the first and most expensive method cost a talent of silver, the 2nd only 50 minas). The duration of the embalming operation was, according to Diodorus Siculus and Herodotus, from 30 to 70 days; according to the biblical account—40 days, which with the addition of 30 other days of mourning (30 days the Hebrews mourned Aaron, Num 20:29, and Moses, Deut 34:8), are designated as 70 days of mourning over Jacob.

Genesis 50:4–6. When the days of mourning for him were completed, Joseph spoke to the officials of Pharaoh, saying: If I have found favor in your eyes, please speak to Pharaoh: My father made me swear, saying: Behold, I am dying; in my grave which I have dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you must bury me. And now I would like to go and bury my father and return. [Joseph’s words were reported to Pharaoh.] And Pharaoh said: Go and bury your father, as he made you swear. For his own reasons and being in a state (cf. Esth 4:2) of uncleanness (from contact with the dead), Joseph does not dare ask Pharaoh for leave personally, but does so through Pharaoh’s officials, communicating to them (in free paraphrase) Jacob’s testament (Gen 47:29-31) of his burial in Canaan and thereby deflecting the suspicion of the Egyptians of treason to the state, which was quite possible given their intensely hostile attitude toward the Hittites of Palestine. Pharaoh permits Joseph’s journey to Canaan, but (verses 7–8), probably not merely for the pomp of the funeral procession and out of consideration for Joseph’s family sorrow, but also to guarantee himself against Joseph’s defection and the possible attempt of Joseph to remain in Canaan, sends with him a large convoy and many officials, and for the same purpose leaves in Egypt the children of the Hebrews and their livestock, which a later pharaoh, the oppressor of the Hebrews, also demanded from Moses and the Hebrews (Exod 10:11).

The Transportation of Jacob’s Body to Canaan

Genesis 50:7–9. And Joseph went up to bury his father. And with him went all the officials of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, and all the household of Joseph, and his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little children and their flocks and herds they left in the land of Goshen. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, so the caravan was very great. A long journey could not be undertaken without a considerable armed convoy; hence Joseph and his brothers are accompanied not only by the magnates of Pharaoh (verse 7), but also by “chariots and horsemen.” Tradition adds that the caravan indeed had a clash with the descendants of Esau and defeated them.

Genesis 50:10. And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, on the east side of the Jordan, and there they made a great lamentation, very loud; and Joseph made a mourning for his father lasting seven days. In view of the fact that the place of the caravan’s stop is indicated as “on the east side of the Jordan,” beeber hajiarden, that is, according to the most common biblical usage—on the eastern side of the Jordan (cf. Deut 1:1; Josh 2:10), according to blessed Jerome—this place was called Beth-ogla and was situated between Jericho and the Jordan. In the biblical text it is named Goren-haatad, rendered in Russian as “threshing floor of thorns,” perhaps a locality abounding in thorns, atad, cf. Judg 9:14, (from the combination of goren with the word Kidon there exists a name, in 1 Chr 13:9 goren-kidon). Thus, the solemn funeral cortege with Jacob’s body chose for its journey to Canaan the same circuitous—southeastern path (instead of the direct—southern), by which the Hebrews later entered the land of Canaan under the guidance of Moses and Joshua. At that place, which was not, however, the place of Jacob’s burial, Joseph and his companions conducted a seven-day mourning for Jacob, which some commentators relate to the time after Jacob’s burial. Mourning continued for 7 days, as it did, for example, at the time of mourning for Saul (1 Sam 31:13).

Genesis 50:11. And the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, and they said: This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians. Therefore the name of the place was called Abel-mizraim, which is east of the Jordan. The name Abel (in the expression Abel-Mizzaim) appears, like Goren, in several place names, for example, Abel-Shittim on the plains of Moab (Num 33:49), Abel-Beth-Maacah (2 Sam 20:14), Abel-Meholah (Judg 7:22). The inhabitants of Palestine naturally call all members of the caravan Egyptians, not distinguishing the Hebrews from them (tradition has it that the descendants of Ishmael and Keturah also participated in the mourning), but it is possible that only the nearest relatives and the Hebrews in general accompanied the body of Jacob to the grave in Hebron (verse 13).

Genesis 50:12–13. And his sons did to him as he had instructed them; and they carried him into the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham had purchased as a possession for a burial ground from Ephron the Hittite, facing Mamre. It is noted how precisely Joseph and his brothers fulfilled Jacob’s dying testament (Gen 47:29-30). Tradition represents Jacob’s sons surrounding the coffin three on each side (instead of Joseph places Ephraim and Manasseh, Levi is also removed from the coffin, probably out of regard for the priesthood that would descend from him, for which there were restrictions in mourning).

Genesis 50:14. And Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all those who had gone up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father. A general conclusion to the account of the journey to Canaan.

The Explanation Between the Brothers and Joseph, and Joseph’s Magnanimous Forgiveness of Their Guilt

Genesis 50:15. And when Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said: It may be that Joseph will hate us and repay us for all the evil which we did to him. After the death of their father, who had been the connecting link, mediator, and reconciler between Joseph and his brothers, the latter began to fear that the goodwill which Joseph had shown them during their father’s lifetime might have concealed hidden enmity (Hebrew verb satam), cf. Gen 27:41, which now, after the father’s death, might resolve itself in vengeance upon them from Joseph (Gen 42:28).

Genesis 50:16–17. And they sent word to Joseph, saying: Your father gave a command before he died, saying: Thus you shall say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers their transgression and their sin, which they did to you in their evil toward you. And now please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father. And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Not daring to come directly before Joseph for an explanation, his brothers select representatives from among themselves (according to tradition, Dan and Naphtali—sons of Bilhah, with whom Joseph was especially close in childhood, according to Gen 37:2), confess their transgression against Joseph, and in the name of their father beg forgiveness. “See,” remarks holy John Chrysostom, “how they become accusers of themselves, noticing how great is the accusing power of conscience” (p. 722–723). Sincerely acknowledging their guilt, they beg forgiveness not only for the sake of the memory of their dead father, but in the name of the one God they all serve (a motive, powerful in itself, gained special persuasiveness in a land of idolatry—Egypt).

Genesis 50:18. And his brothers also went and fell down before him and said: Behold, we are your servants. Learning that Joseph was moved by their repentance, his brothers then appeared before him and, completing their repentance, fell prostrate before him, expressing the thought that if formerly one of them had wanted to remain a slave, now they all are ready to do so.

Genesis 50:19–21. And Joseph said to them: Do not be afraid, for I fear God; although you intended evil against me, God intended it for good, in order to accomplish this day, to keep much people alive. So do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your children. And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. Joseph’s answer repeats the thought already expressed by him when he first revealed himself to his brothers (Gen 45:5), that human evil is powerless to stop the beneficent action of the paths of Divine Providence, which turns even the action of evil will to good consequences. Verse 19, from the Hebrew: “Am I in the place of God?”—a thought organically connected with the foregoing—Joseph is only an instrument of Providence; can he act contrary to its workings by taking vengeance (cf. Deut 32:35). In Russian: “for I fear God” is taken from Gen 42:18, and also can be brought into connection with that fundamental thought—both of the ancient biblical tradition, in essence running through the whole Bible and remarkably brought to the fore at the end of the book of Genesis. With regard to Joseph’s person, his answer is also very characteristic of his magnanimity, submission to God’s will, and special insight into the mystery of God’s ways. “This wonderful man, adorned with all virtues, was so far from remembering their deeds that he was troubled by their words” (holy John Chrysostom), and with heartfelt speech he comforted their hearts.

The Deathbed Testament and Death of Joseph

Genesis 50:22–25. And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father’s house; and Joseph lived one hundred ten years. And Joseph saw his sons’ children down to the third generation; the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also born on Joseph’s knees. And Joseph said to his brothers: I am dying, but God will surely visit you and bring you out of this land into the land which He swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying: God will surely visit you, and you shall carry out my bones from here. Concluding remarks on the life of Joseph, to which a significant portion of the book of Genesis is devoted. He saw in his lifetime a third generation of his descendants, and some of them he adopted and raised. The last verses of the chapter and of the entire book, 24–26, are permeated with living and exalted faith in the great future of Israel—in the deliverance of this people from Egypt as a free nation—for the purpose of the establishment of the Old Testament Kingdom of God. Out of this faith (Heb 11:22) Joseph, like his father (Gen 49:29), bequeathed to his brothers—those who had not yet died, and in general to all members of the descendants of Jacob—to carry out from Egypt, at the time of the future exodus of the Hebrews from there, his bones (it was apparently not possible now to transport Joseph’s body to Canaan: the privileged position of the Hebrews in Egypt was drawing to an end). Moses indeed, at the exodus of Israel from Egypt, took with him the bones of Joseph (Exod 13:19), and Joshua buried them in Shechem (Josh 24:32).

Genesis 50:26. So Joseph died, at the age of one hundred ten years. And they embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt. According to Egyptian custom, Joseph’s body was embalmed and placed in a sarcophagus (Hebrew arou), usually made of sycamore wood—a resinous acacia. With Joseph’s death, the Hebrews in Egypt, though set upon the path of independent development into a whole people with their own distinctive national characteristics, lost a powerful support of their honored position. Now they faced the bitter life of the “house of bondage” (Exod 20:2).

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Introduction

Title of the book. The second part of the Pentateuch of Moses is called by the Jews in their Palestinian original language – “shemot” (names) or “eleh shemot” (these are the names), and by the Jews of Alexandria and by Christians predominantly by the title – “Exodus,” “Exodus,” “Exodus,” since it describes the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt.

Author of the book. It is evident from its contents that the author of the book of Exodus was Moses. After his victory over the Amalekites, he receives a command from the Lord to write down this event: “write this for a memorial in a book” (Exod 17:14). A similar command was given to Moses after the covenant, broken by Israel, was restored: “And the Lord said to Moses: write down these words for yourself” (Exod 34:27). Likewise, before the solemn conclusion of the covenant after the Sinai legislation, Moses, after recounting to the people all the words of the Lord and all the laws, “wrote down all the words of the Lord” (Exod 24:4). Jesus Christ himself testifies to Moses as the author of the book of Exodus in the well-known words to the Sadducees: “about the dead, that they will rise, have you not read in the book of Moses how God spoke to him at the bush?” (Mark 12:26). The account of God’s appearance to Moses at the bush is found in the book of Exodus, and it is this book that, according to the Savior, is the book of Moses. Of course, the expression “book of Moses” can mean: a book that speaks predominantly about Moses or is named after Moses. But such understanding cannot be correct, since in the book of Exodus Moses does not occupy the chief place and in the title, his name among the Jews is not mentioned. The expression “book of Moses” has only one meaning: a book written by Moses (see John 5:45-47).

In opposition to these testimonies, negative criticism rejects the Mosaic origin of the book of Exodus, breaks up its contents into several parts, assigning the origin of each to different times. Thus, according to one of the representatives of the “documentary hypothesis” – Ewald, the oldest part of Exodus is the Song of Moses (Exod 15:1-18); some 100 years after Moses, the “Life of Moses” was written by someone; in the last days of the judges there appeared the “Book of the Covenant” (Exod 20-23 ch.), in the age of Solomon the “Book of Beginnings,” which encompasses a large part of the contents of the book of Exodus; and its final editing falls to the time of Jotham, a contemporary of the prophet Isaiah. Reuss holds approximately similar views (the “Book of the Covenant” belongs to the time of Jehoshaphat), Delitzsch (most of Exodus appeared before the Babylonian captivity), and others. But the opinion about the different-time origin of the contents of the book of Exodus has no basis for itself. A multitude of details found in it speaks with certainty that the author of the book was a contemporary and eyewitness of the events described. Thus, the state of Egypt presupposed in the book of Exodus is precisely such as it turns out to be from Egyptian monuments contemporary to the age of Moses, completely different from the later situation, for instance, in the age of Solomon. In particular, the mention of certain Egyptian cities – Heliopolis, Ramesses, Pithom (I) and Ephah (Exod 13:20), without indication of their location, presupposes the reader’s and the author’s familiarity with them. Equally, only an eyewitness of events could report such precise information about the time of their occurrence, as the three-day journey through the wilderness of Sur from the Red Sea to Marah (Exod 15:22); arrival in the wilderness of Sin on the 15th day of the second month after leaving Egypt (Exod 16:1); the giving of manna on the next day; encampment at the foot of Sinai on the first day of the third month after the departure from Egypt (Exod 19:1); the appearance of the glory of God on the third day after Moses descended from Sinai (Exod 19:16) and so on. As a contemporary of the construction of the tabernacle in the wilderness, Moses notes that its wooden parts were made from acacia wood (the Arabian acacia), but not from some other material, for instance oak or cedar, which would be appropriate in the mouths of a later writer – an inhabitant of Palestine; mentions the leather “tahash,” unknown to other Old Testament writers, from which one of the coverings of the tabernacle was made, and so on. Finally, the preliminary remark before the exposition of certain laws: “when the Lord your God brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites” (Exod 13:5; Exod 23:23 and following; Exod 34:11 and following) leaves no doubt whatsoever that the book of Exodus was written in the wilderness, before the entrance of the Hebrews into Palestine.

Time and place of writing the book. Judging from the places cited above in the book of Exodus (Exod 17:14; Exod 24:4; Exod 34:27), it was not written at one time, but as Moses received various laws from God. The final edition of the book falls to the end of the forty-year wandering in the wilderness – at the time when the Hebrews were at the Jordan: “The children of Israel ate manna for forty years, until they came to a land that was inhabited; manna they ate until they came to the borders of the land of Canaan” (Exod 16:35).

The purpose of writing the book. The immediate purpose of writing the book of Exodus is to give the Hebrew people and to perpetuate in their memory the religious, moral, and civil laws (Exod 13:5, 8–11; Exod 34:11 and following); the more distant purpose is reduced to the indication of the fulfillment of the promises given to the patriarchs of the Hebrew people (Exod 5:2-8).

The period covered by the book of Exodus and the division of its contents. The book of Exodus covers the period of time from the beginning of the enslavement of the Hebrews in Egypt by the pharaoh, “who knew not Joseph” (Exod 1:8), to the first month of the second year after they left Egypt (Exod 40:17), that is, more than 400 years (on the duration of the Hebrew stay in Egypt, see the explanation of verse 12 of chapter 49). Its contents set forth the history of the people of Israel “from the moment when, under the pressure of the pharaohs, the Hebrews begin to feel mutual solidarity, drawing closer and closer in the feeling of common danger and the wonders that accompanied the departure from the land of bondage – until the giving of the law on Sinai, until the acquisition of full national life, concentrated around the chief sanctuary – the tabernacle.” Enclosed in these boundaries, all the contents of the book of Exodus can be divided into three parts:

• the first, after a brief introduction (Exod 1:1-7), which links the narrative of the book of Exodus with the book of Genesis, recounts the liberation of the people from Egyptian slavery (Exod 1:8-13:16);

• the second sets forth the history of the journey of the Hebrews to Mount Sinai (Exod 13:17-18:27);

• the third recounts the conclusion and renewal of God’s covenant with the chosen people (Exod 19-40).

Chapter One

1–7. Multiplication of the descendants of Jacob in Egypt. 8–22. Their oppression by a new pharaoh.

Exodus 1:1. These are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt with Jacob, each came with his whole household: Exodus 1:2. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Exodus 1:3. Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Exodus 1:4. Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. Exodus 1:5. All the souls born from Jacob’s loins were seventy, and Joseph was already in Egypt. Exodus 1:6. And Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation; By listing the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt and mentioning the death of Joseph, Moses directs the reader to the last chapters of the book of Genesis (Gen 46:8-27) and thereby makes it clear that the book of Exodus is in close connection with them. Like them, it has as its subject the description of the life of Jacob’s descendants in Egypt, and by beginning it from the moment of Joseph’s death, it becomes their continuation. The listing of Jacob’s sons – the heads of generations – is conducted in the order of their mothers (Gen 35:23-26). In the total number of those who settled (Gen 46:27, Deut 10:22), which is greater in the Greek-Slavonic compared to the Hebrew by five because the LXX translators add three grandsons and two great-grandsons of Joseph (Gen 46:20), the wives of Jacob’s sons are not included (Gen 46:26) and other persons belonging to the patriarchal family – slaves and maidservants (Gen 32:6). With the inclusion of these latter, to which the expression of the 1st verse “came each with his whole house” gives right – with his family, including wives, children, servants (Gen 7:1), in general with his clan (1 Sam 20:16) – the number of those who came into Egypt is justly increased to several hundred. The death of Joseph and the entire old generation is marked as the beginning of a new period, described below, in the life of Jacob’s family. It is characterized by two features: the rapid multiplication of the Hebrews and new relations toward them by the Egyptians.

Exodus 1:7. And the sons of Israel were fruitful and multiplied and increased and became exceedingly mighty, and the land was filled with them. The multiplication of the Hebrews is spoken of also by the Hebrew expression “vayishretzу” – became swarming, like rapidly multiplying small animals (Gen 1:20), and is clearly testified to by the number of Israelites who left Egypt. By the time of the exodus, the patriarchal family had become, at least, 2,000,000 persons. Of these, 600,000 able-bodied men, that is, having 20 years and above from birth (Num 1:3-46), are noted in the 37th verse of the 12th chapter of the book of Exodus (Exod 12:37); the remaining figure – 1,400,000 – consists of women and children. Being a direct fulfillment of the promise given to Jacob (Gen 46:3), the work of God (Ps 104:24), the multiplication of the Hebrews is explained also by purely natural causes. The first place among them is occupied by the extraordinary fertility of Egyptian nature, which was communicated also to the inhabitants of the Nile valley. According to the testimony of Pliny, Seneca, Aristotle, Strabo, and others, Egyptian women gave birth frequently and in multitudes – three, four, and five children. The thought about the influence of Egyptian nature on the multiplication of the Hebrews is expressed, among other things, in the Greek-Slavonic translation, which employs instead of the original expression: “the land was filled with them,” another: “and the land multiplied them,” “ἐπλήθυνεν δὲ ἡ γῆ αὐτούς.” The multiplication of the Hebrews was also assisted, as is believed, by marriages with related Semitic tribes, long settled on the eastern border of Egypt.

Exodus 1:8. And there rose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph, The time of the multiplication of the Hebrews coincides with a change in their public status. The guilty party for this is the “new king.” Why he is called by such a name, whether it is because of new relations toward the Hebrews, or because of his origin from a new dynasty compared to the previous one, it is quite difficult to say. Most exegetes hold, however, the view that the pharaoh-persecutor (Thutmose III) came from the native Egyptian dynasty, which overthrew the yoke of the shepherd tribe of the Hyksos, during whose rule Jacob settled in Egypt. He transferred his hatred of these former oppressors to the Hebrews, who were friendly toward them. Confirmation of the correctness of such a view is provided by the consideration that the Hyksos pharaoh had no motivation to oppress the Hebrews. On the contrary, the foreign Hyksos naturally had to seek support from such, like themselves, foreign Hebrews. The new king “did not know Joseph,” – perhaps heard about his name and deeds, but did not acknowledge his merits as the first dignitary under a hostile dynasty pharaoh.

Exodus 1:9. And he said to his people: “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel is numerous and stronger than us; Exodus 1:10. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply; and when war breaks out, they also may join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” The pharaoh’s fears that the Hebrews, already surpassing in number and strength (Ps 104:24) the native Egyptians of Goshen, could easily leave Egypt with further multiplication had basis in their own behavior. As evident from the testimony of 1 Chronicles of the slaying of two sons of Ephraim by the inhabitants of Gath (1 Chr 7:21) and the building in Canaan by the daughter or granddaughter of the same Ephraim of the cities of Beth-horon and Uzzen-Sheerah (1 Chr 7:24), the Hebrews during their time in Egypt maintained relations with Palestine, attempted to establish themselves there. This yearning for the land of their fathers spoke to the fact that the Hebrews had not merged with the native population of Egypt, and therefore, at the first opportunity, at a war common at that time on the eastern border, could easily abandon the foreign land to them.

Exodus 1:11. So the Egyptians set taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Ramesses, and On, otherwise Heliopolis. Exodus 1:12. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread, so that the Egyptians feared the sons of Israel. Exodus 1:13. And the Egyptians made the sons of Israel work with rigor Exodus 1:14. and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and bricks, and in all sorts of field work; all their service was with rigor. The pharaoh’s fear of the loss from Egypt of an entire tribe, representing a source of unpaid labor, provoked a whole series of measures aimed at limiting the multiplication of the Hebrews: “let us deal shrewdly with them, let us devise cunning measures (“nakhal,” – Ps 104:25), so that they do not multiply.” It was impossible to act with open force both because of the absence of plausible pretext and from fear of the strength of the Hebrews. The first of the measures was hard labor (Deut 26:6, Ps 79:7), devised by the pharaoh. In the calculation that, by exhausting the Hebrews, by making them physically weak, they would stop their further multiplication, since a physically weak people cannot have large offspring. Representing special hardship because of the existence of special taskmasters, chosen, according to testimony of Egyptian monuments, from the harsh Libyan tribe and depicted with short clubs in their hands for striking, the labor was reduced at first to the building (and perhaps expansion, renovation, Hebrew “bana,” – see Ps 121:3, Amos 9:14) of two storage cities (for storage of provisions and weapons – 2 Chr 32:28), “Pithom and Ramesses.” The first is understood to be the city that lay at the western end of the valley of Tumilat, on the bank of a canal in the Red Sea, and was called by Greco-Roman writers Patoumos or Toum, and the second – the city found in the land of Goshen, east of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile. Calling these two cities by the existing fortifications “strong cities,” the LXX text mentions the building by the Hebrews of yet another city – On, or Heliopolis. The common opinion of exegetes sees in it the famous city in lower Egypt, An (Greek On), bearing also the sacred name Pera, house of the sun, from which comes the Greek Heliopolis.

Exodus 1:15. Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, Exodus 1:16. “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” Exodus 1:17. But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. The execution of the second measure – the killing of Hebrew male infants at the moment of their birth was entrusted to the midwives. According to the Hebrew text, these were Hebrew women, whereby the measure itself appears strange and unattainable, since it is difficult to suppose that Hebrew women would kill the children of their countrywomen. The reading of the LXX, which the Russian translation follows, as well as the testimony of Josephus – expresses the thought of their Egyptian origin. The correctness of such understanding is confirmed by the unsatisfactory derivation of the names Shiphrah and Puah from the Hebrew language and the possibility of explaining them from the Egyptian language. Shiphrah – “fruitful,” or by another interpretation – “beautiful”; Puah – “giving birth to a child,” “radiant.” The mention of only two midwives is explained by the fact that only these two were known to the Egyptian government.

Exodus 1:18. So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them: “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” Exodus 1:19. The midwives said to Pharaoh: “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and are delivered before the midwife comes to them.” The answer of the midwives could satisfy the pharaoh in view, perhaps, of cases known to him of extraordinarily easy childbirth among Arab women.

Exodus 1:20. So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. Exodus 1:21. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Exodus 1:22. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people: “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.” Unable to be carried out because of the God-fearing nature of the midwives, the second measure is replaced by one similar in purpose – the command to throw newborn boys into the river. The expression “into the river” (Hebrew “yeor”) does not contain a necessary indication of the Nile, at which understanding the new measure appears strange, since the Nile does not flow through the land of Goshen, where the Hebrews lived. The Hebrew “yeor” means the Nile with its branches (Exod 7:19, Exod 8:5, Isa 19:6), and sometimes (Ezek 29:3-5) these latter alone. And since, according to the indication of Strabo and recent investigations of Brugsch, the eastern part of Egypt, in which the Hebrews lived, abounded in canals, it was into these that Hebrew boys were thrown. By issuing a new command “to all his people,” the pharaoh hoped for their sympathy because of the universal fear of the multiplication of the Hebrews (Exod 1:12). * * * Greek ἕτερος, Slavonic “other” (Acts 7:18). Hebrew “gaobnaim” Slavonic: “are for birth”; Russian: “upon the birthstool” (Exod 1:16).

Chapter Two

1–2. The birth of Moses. 3–10. His rescue and upbringing by the daughter of Pharaoh. 11–25. The killing by Moses of an Egyptian and his flight to the land of Midian.

Exodus 2:1. Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a daughter of Levi. The time of the execution of the third measure – the killing of Hebrew male infants – coincides with the birth of Moses, from Amram and Jochebed (Exod 6:20, Num 26:59).

Exodus 2:2. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months. Being a natural expression of maternal feeling, the care for the salvation of the newborn was supported by his beauty (Greek ἀστεῖος – well-formed, shapely). According to the expression of the protomartyr Stephen, he was “beautiful before God” (Acts 7:20), distinguished by unusual, unearthly beauty. It spoke to the mother of the special destiny of the newborn, and, believing in this latter (Heb 11:23), she concealed him for three months. The possibility of preserving Moses during this very period is explained, perhaps, by the fact that his birth coincided with the beginning of the flooding of the Nile, which lasted three months. “At this time,” says the German theologian Beer, “communication with villages, outlying places, and dwellings situated on elevations is possible only by boat. In such a situation, unexpected visits are inconvenient. As evident from accounts of travels, each one then remains at home with a calm heart and passes the day peacefully. In these circumstances, it is entirely possible to undertake something at one’s house that remains unknown in the nearest place, and therefore the parents of Moses could, without exposing themselves to particular danger, hide their child from the Egyptians.”

Exodus 2:3. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes, and daubed it with bitumen and pitch; and she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. When the inundation ended, and concealing the newborn became impossible, Jochebed devised a new means for his salvation. From the local plant papyrus (Hebrew “gome”), which served the Egyptians, according to the testimony of Theophrastus, Pliny, and others, as material for constructing light boats, baskets, she prepares an ark (Hebrew “teba”; see Gen 6:14), a box; for greater durability and with the aim of preserving the child in it as long as possible, she daubes it with pitch and, placing the child in it, sets the box not in an open place in the canal where the current could carry it away, but among the reeds, in “suf,” “εἰς τὸ ἕλος,” “in the marsh” (the bends of the river), that is, not in the reeds as the Russian Bible reads, but in the water plants, vegetation, since the Hebrew “suf,” judging from its use in the book of the prophet Jonah (Jonah 2:6), means precisely water plants.

Exodus 2:4. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. The remark of verse 4, as well as the deliberateness of the further actions of Moses’ sister – Miriam (Exod 15:20), testifying that she acts as if previously instructed on what to do, suggests that the coincidence of the place where the basket was set with the place where the daughter of Pharaoh bathed – is not a chance occurrence. There is nothing incredible in the thought that the mother of Moses, knowing where the daughter of Pharaoh bathed, chose this place with the purpose of finding in her the savior of her child.

Exodus 2:5. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside her; she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to fetch it. Exodus 2:6. When she opened it, she saw the child; and behold, the baby was crying; and she took pity on him and said: “This is one of the Hebrew children.” The daughter of Pharaoh could conclude the Hebrew origin of the child not from circumcision, since the Egyptians also circumcised, but from his being found in the water. Having decided to save out of compassion a Hebrew child, she obviously does not fear punishment for non-compliance with the royal decree. In this case, she relies on the respect which Egyptian women in general enjoyed, especially representatives of the royal family. The queen was honored in Egypt more than the king: queens and even princesses received divine honors after death.

Exodus 2:7. Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter: “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” Exodus 2:8. And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. Exodus 2:9. And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. The agreement of the daughter of Pharaoh to take as nurse for the rescued Hebrew child a Hebrew woman, not an Egyptian, is a continuation of her efforts for the life of the child. Given the aversion of Egyptians to Hebrews, an aversion that went so far that Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, because this is an abomination to Egyptians (Gen 43:32), nothing and no one could assure the daughter of Pharaoh that a Hebrew child would remain whole and unharmed in the hands of an Egyptian nurse. On the contrary, entrusting him to a Hebrew woman ensured him life and health.

Exodus 2:10. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son; and she named him Moses, for she said: “Because I drew him out of the water.” After the end of nursing with his mother’s milk, that is, after the lapse of three years (2 Macc 7:27), the child is brought to the daughter of Pharaoh and from her receives the name Moses. The giving of a name by an Egyptian woman speaks with certainty that by its origin it must be Egyptian. It is considered so already by Philo and Josephus, who, according to the latter, formed it from the combination of two Egyptian words: mo – water and isis – saved, and by some ancient church fathers – Clement of Alexandria, Eustathius of Antioch, and recent exegetes incline to the same conclusion. According to the most reliable explanation, the first half of the name Moses corresponds to the Egyptian mo – water, and the second – υσῆς; or υσῆυς – to the ancient Egyptian verb “udsha,” “udsh,” meaning to be saved. Therefore, Mudsha, Moisi, or with the Greek ending Moisis, means “saved from water.” The derivation of the name Moses from the Hebrew “masha” – to draw out – has no basis. The verb “masha” is used only in the active sense (2 Sam 22:17, Ps 17:17), and therefore the participle form “moshe” means “drawing out,” “leading out,” but not “drawn out,” which is the sense of the name Moses.

Exodus 2:11. One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. Exodus 2:12. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. Exodus 2:13. When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together; and he said to the one who was in the wrong: “Why do you strike your fellow?” Exodus 2:14. He answered: “Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought: “Surely the thing is known.” After completing his instruction in all the wisdom of the Egyptians (Acts 7:22), at the age of 40 years, Moses made an attempt to ease by his personal strength the difficult position of his countrymen. “He thought that his kinsmen would understand that God was giving them deliverance by his hand, but they did not understand” (Acts 7:25). In the person of the Hebrew whom he wished to protect from the insults of another of his kindred, the people did not recognize Moses as their ruler and judge.

Exodus 2:15. When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well. The land of Midian, to which Moses fled, is distinguished in the Bible from the Sinai Peninsula, and appears to lie beyond its boundaries (Exod 18:1-6). Its location is ordinarily indicated around the Gulf of Elana, on its eastern side, with confirmation in the ruins of the city Modiana, or Madiana, which was found here. The Midianites who inhabited this place descended from Abraham through Keturah (Gen 25:1, 1 Chr 1:32). Wells, around which flocks gathered with their shepherds (Gen 29:2 and following), were in the desert such a place where one could most likely meet a person. With this in view, Moses sat down by the well.

Exodus 2:16. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. Exodus 2:17. The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. Exodus 2:18. When they came to their father Reuel, he said: “Why have you come back so soon today?” Exodus 2:19. They said: “An Egyptian helped us against the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock.” Exodus 2:20. He said to his daughters: “Where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread with us.” Exodus 2:21. And Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. Exodus 2:22. And she bore a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said: “I have become a sojourner in a foreign land.” And she bore another son, and he called his name Eliezer, for he said: “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.” The forty-year sojourn (Acts 7:23) of Moses with the Midianite priest, bearing the double name Reuel-Jethro (Exod 18:1), served for him, according to the opinion of the holy Fathers, for instance, Gregory of Nyssa, a time of enlightenment and purification. An indicator of such a state is, among other things, the name of his second son – Eliezer: “The God of my father was my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.” The preceding life experiences convinced Moses that not in his own strength and wisdom, but solely in the God of his fathers should he seek help for himself. Such a disposition corresponded as much as possible with his future position as the leader of the Hebrew people.

Chapter Three

1–3. The appearance of God to Moses at Horeb in the thornbush. 4–10. The sending of Moses to Egypt to deliver the Hebrews. 11–22. Moses’ refusal.

Exodus 3:1. Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. The word used in the Hebrew text to denote the relationship of Jethro to Moses, “hoten,” means not only “father-in-law” but also “son-in-law” (Judg 19:5) and even “brother-in-law,” brother of the wife (Judg 1:16, Num 10:29 according to the Russian text). Accordingly, in itself it does not present a certain indication that Jethro is the same person as Reuel, the father of Zipporah, the wife of Moses. Such significance it acquires in the light of other biblical passages, giving understanding that in relation to Moses, Jethro appears as a relative. Thus, Moses, intending to go to Egypt, asks permission from Jethro for this (Exod 4:18), and equally, upon receiving news of his approach, went out to meet him and bowed down (Exod 18:6-7). The honorable reception of Jethro corresponds to his position as the father of Moses’ wife, and on the contrary, would appear strange if we were to imagine him as the brother of Zipporah, the brother-in-law of Moses. The name Horeb is applied also to the entire mountain chain (Exod 17:6), in which Sinai lies, owing to which these two names appear to be identical (compare Exod 3:1 with Acts 7:30, Exod 19:11 with Deut 1:6; Exod 32:1 with Ps 105:19), and to a separate mountain found north of Sinai. Since Horeb is part of the mountains of the Sinai Peninsula, it is clear that by the wilderness into which Moses led his flock – “far into the wilderness,” “to the end of the wilderness,” according to the Samaritan text – we understand the wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula (see Acts 7:30). The pastures near Horeb in antiquity, as now, abounded in feed and water sources, sufficient for small livestock (Hebrew “tzoan”).

Exodus 3:2. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. The external aspect of the vision – the burning yet unconsumed thornbush depicts the distressed condition of the Hebrews in Egypt. The thornbush, distinguished neither by growth nor fruitfulness, serves as a symbol of something low, despised (Judg 9:8-15), in the present case the Hebrew people, and the flame of fire, as a destructive force (Deut 4:24), points to the weight of sufferings (Deut 4:20, Jer 11:4, 1 Sam 8:51). But as the bush burned, yet was not consumed, so too the Hebrew people were not destroyed, but only purified in the furnace of afflictions (Exod 2:23). The Angel of the Lord who appeared to Moses in the thornbush is considered by the Church Fathers to be the Second Person of the Holy Trinity; it is distinguished from God himself by the protomartyr Stephen (Acts 7:35), and all the vision is, according to the patristic interpretation, a prefiguring of the mystery of the incarnation (Gregory of Nyssa, blessed Theodoret). Other Church Fathers, for instance Cyril of Alexandria, understand, in accordance with the context (Exod 3:6-7), by the Angel God himself. He is called an Angel because of his activity among the chosen people and because of his visible appearance to people.

Exodus 3:3. Moses said: “I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” Because of the greatness of what appeared, the vision itself is called great.

Exodus 3:4. When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush: “Moses, Moses!” And he said: “Here I am.” Exodus 3:5. Then he said: “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” Because of the absolute holiness of him who appeared, he is inaccessible to a mortal man: “Do not come near.” The latter must experience in his presence a feeling of the deepest humility and reverence: “take your sandals off your feet” (compare Josh 5:15).

Exodus 3:6. And he said: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. Exodus 3:7. Then the Lord said: I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; for I know their sufferings, Exodus 3:8. and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Exodus 3:9. Behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. The inner aspect of the vision consists of God’s determination about the coming time of the liberation of the Hebrews and their introduction into the promised land. Its basis is, on the one hand, the immutability of the promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (“I am the God of your father,” Exod 3:6) – note the singular “father” instead of the plural “fathers” (Exod 15:2)) of the inheritance of their descendants of the land of Canaan: they, as the living (Matt 22:32, Luke 20:37, Mark 12:26), await their fulfillment, and on the other hand, the prayers for help of the Hebrews themselves. “God saw their affliction, heard their cry, knows their sufferings,” – all this is appropriated by his feeling and thought. They deserve divine compassion, and their cruel oppressors must be subject to judgment (Gen 15:14). Therefore, God comes to deliver his people – takes direct participation in their liberation.

Exodus 3:10. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring forth my people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt. Exodus 3:11. But Moses said to God: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” “I am a simple shepherd,” as if Moses were saying, “and suddenly I am to demand of the king of a powerful nation that he release the Hebrews!”

Exodus 3:12. He said: “But I will be with you; and this shall be a sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this mountain.” The service of God at Horeb, as an event following the liberation of the Hebrews from Egypt, should serve Moses as a pledge of the certain success of his mission. He need not fear his own insignificance: God himself will be with him.

Exodus 3:13. Then Moses said to God: “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” A new obstacle to the fulfillment of the commission is perceived by Moses in the people themselves. The latter may ask Moses: what is the name of the God of the fathers who appeared to him? What then shall he answer them? The Hebrews will wish to see in the very divine name an indication of such properties that with certainty would vouch that the promise to lead them out of Egypt will be fulfilled.

Exodus 3:14. God said to Moses: “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said: “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM’ has sent me to you.” Exodus 3:15. God also said to Moses: “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” In accordance with such a lawful desire, Moses is revealed the all-encompassing designation of the essence of God – I AM, in Hebrew – “Yahweh.” The word Yahweh, Hebrew Yaweh, from the verb “hayah” – to be, taken in the 1st form, means a self-existent personality, absolutely and independently from anything existing (I AM WHO I AM). The concept of such a personality is expressed by the twice-used personal verb “ehyeh” = I am. They are united by a pronominal connection to indicate that the only self-sufficient cause of the being of this personality is contained in itself. Because of absolute self-existence, the One Who Is is always in his actions equal to himself and unchangeable, and on his word one can and must rely. And if now the Almighty who appeared to Moses is at the same time the God of the fathers of the Hebrew people, with whom an oath-confirmed covenant was made, then there is already no basis or reason to doubt that he will fulfill his promise to lead their descendants out of Egypt. In accordance with this, the words of Moses, the messenger of such a God, deserve complete confidence: “I AM has sent me to you… The God of your fathers has sent me to you.”

Exodus 3:16. Go and gather the elders of the people of Israel, and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt; Exodus 3:17. and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt, to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ Proofs of the success of Moses’ mission are needed for the people (Exod 3:13). They consist in the indication that the promises given to the patriarchs are transferred to the Hebrew people suffering in Egypt: “I have observed you,” whereby he, as a direct descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, will also be led out of Egypt: “I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt…”

Exodus 3:18. They will listen to your voice; and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, we ask you, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ The demand presented to Pharaoh bears the character of a general national desire: it is declared not only by Moses, but by the representatives of the people – the elders. Worthy of respect by this feature, it acquires obligatory force for the king insofar as it comes from the national God of the Hebrews: “The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us.” Executing the will of his gods, Pharaoh should give the race of Israel the opportunity to fulfill the requirement of their God.

Exodus 3:19. But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. Exodus 3:20. So I will stretch out my hand, and strike Egypt with all the wonders which I will do in it; after that he will let you go. Exodus 3:21. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty-handed: Exodus 3:22. but every woman shall ask of her neighbor and of her who sojourns in her house such things as are of silver and of gold, and raiment: and you shall put them upon your sons and upon your daughters; and you shall despoil the Egyptians. Despite the stubbornness of Pharaoh (Exod 3:19), Moses and the elders should not doubt the fulfillment of the divine determination about leading the Hebrews out of Egypt. The certainty of its fulfillment is vouched for by the coincidence of the circumstances of the coming exodus with what was predicted about it to Abraham. If he was told that “upon the nation, in whose servitude your descendants will be, the Lord will execute judgment, after which they will depart with great possessions” (Gen 15:14), then so it will happen. Before leaving Egypt, God will “stretch out his hand” (Exod 6:6), strike it with wonders, signs, “plagues,” “great judgments” (Exod 7:3-4; Deut 6:22; Nehem 9:10; Ps 104:27; Jer 32:20; Acts 7:36), after which Pharaoh will release you, and you will depart not empty-handed (Exod 3:20-21), – “you shall despoil the Egyptians” (Exod 3:22). The expression “you shall despoil the Egyptians” represents a translation of the third form of the Hebrew verb “natzal” (nazal), literally meaning “to take something by force, by authority, as plunder.” The Hebrews will take from the Egyptians things, as victors from the vanquished. The thought of the possibility of violence on the part of Israel in this case is eliminated by the fact that in the description of this same event in the 36th verse of the 12th chapter of the book of Exodus (Exod 12:36), there stands the expression: “the Egyptians gave” in the literal translation from Hebrew “bestowed as a gift” (5th form of “shaal”). The verb “shaal,” used once more in 1 Sam 1:28, – in the account of Anna, mother of Samuel, who gave him to serve God, – contains the indication of a voluntary gift, but not a forced one. The same conclusion is confirmed by the expression: “and I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty-handed” (Exod 3:21), as well as by the 36th verse of the 12th chapter: “But the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked” (Exod 12:36). God himself by his power inclined the Egyptians toward generosity. The remark: “and you shall put them upon your sons and upon your daughters” (Exod 3:22) indicates that the things pertain to items of adornment (see Gen 24:53, Exod 35:22, Num 31:50).

Chapter Four

1–9. Moses is given power to perform miracles. 10. Moses’ stubbornness and his punishment by being appointed Aaron as helper (diminishment of power). 18–26. A theophany to Moses in the land of Midian and on the way to Egypt. 27–31. Arrival in Egypt.

Exodus 4:1. Moses answered and said: “What if they do not believe me and do not listen to my voice, and say: the Lord has not appeared to you?” [What shall I say to them?] The third reason for Moses’ refusal, a new one in the sequence, is the consideration that the Israelites will not acknowledge him as a divine messenger, but will take him for an ordinary impostor: “they will say: the Lord has not appeared to you.”

Exodus 4:2. The Lord said to him: “What is that in your hand?” He answered: “A staff.” Exodus 4:3. The Lord said: “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and the staff became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. Exodus 4:4. The Lord said to Moses: “Stretch out your hand and seize it by the tail.” He stretched out his hand and seized it, and it became a staff in his hand. Exodus 4:5. “This is so that they may believe [you], that the Lord has appeared to you, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Exodus 4:6. Again the Lord said to him: “Put your hand to your bosom.” He put his hand to his bosom and drew it out, and behold, his hand was leprous, like snow. Exodus 4:7. [Again] He said [to him]: “Put your hand to your bosom again.” He put his hand to his bosom and drew it out from his bosom, and behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. Exodus 4:8. “If they do not believe you and do not listen to the voice of the first sign, they will believe the voice of the second sign.” Exodus 4:9. “And if they do not believe even these two signs and do not listen to your voice, then take water from the river and pour it on the dry ground; and the water taken from the river will become blood on the dry ground.” Being perfectly legitimate, this new reason for refusal cannot, however, serve as an insurmountable obstacle to fulfilling the task entrusted to Moses. He is endowed with the power of working miracles, which should convince the people that before them is not an ordinary man, much less an impostor, but a messenger of God (Exod 4:5).

Exodus 4:10. Moses said to the Lord: “O Lord! I am not eloquent, and such have I been even yesterday and the day before, and since you have spoken with your servant: I speak heavily and am slow of speech.” Exodus 4:11. The Lord said [to Moses]: “Who has given a mouth to man? Who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I the Lord [God]?” Exodus 4:12. “Therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” Exodus 4:13. [Moses] said: “Lord! send, I pray, by the hand of him whom you will send.” Exodus 4:14. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak [instead of you], and behold, he will go out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.” Exodus 4:15. “You shall speak to him and put words [of Mine] into his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you both what you shall do.” Exodus 4:16. “And he shall speak for you to the people; he shall be your mouth, and you shall be to him as God.” Exodus 4:17. “And take this staff [which was turned into a serpent] in your hand: with it you shall perform signs.” The performance of the three miracles just completed may have suggested to Moses the thought that the Lord would similarly remove his natural defect—his slow speech. Having suffered from it “yesterday and the day before,” that is, for a more or less prolonged time (Dan 13:15, 1 Macc 9:44), Moses cannot take upon himself the duties of God’s messenger, since with his stammering speech (“I am not an eloquent man,” Exod 4:10) he is not able to make the proper impression on the people and Pharaoh (Exod 6:12, Jer 1:6).

Exodus 4:18. Moses went and returned to Jethro, his father-in-law, and said to him: “Let me go, and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses: “Go in peace.” [A long time later the king of Egypt died.] The reason why Moses does not reveal to Jethro the true purpose of his journey to Egypt lies either in his humility or, as some think, in not entirely close relations with his father-in-law.

Exodus 4:19. The Lord said to Moses in [the land of] Midian: “Go, return to Egypt, for all those who sought your life have died.” The resolve ripened in Moses’ heart to go to Egypt could have been weakened by the thought of possible persecution for the murder of the Egyptian he had committed (Exod 2:12)—by fear for his own life. In light of this, strengthening him in his intention to set out on the journey, the Lord in a new appearance says that the fears that have arisen in his heart are groundless: “all those who sought your life have died.”

Exodus 4:20. Moses took his wife and his sons, placed them on a donkey, and departed for the land of Egypt. And the staff of God Moses took in his hand. Exodus 4:21. The Lord said to Moses: “When you go and return to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles which I have given you to do, and I will harden his heart, and he will not let the people go.” Exodus 4:22. And say to Pharaoh: ‘Thus says the Lord [God of the Hebrews]: Israel is My son, My firstborn. Exodus 4:23. ‘I say to you: Let My son go, that he may serve Me; but if you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn. During the journey to Egypt itself falls the third theophany to Moses, pointing out to him the means and methods for accomplishing the divine plan. His request to let the Hebrews go into the wilderness to offer a sacrifice to God (Exod 3:18) Moses must support by performing before Pharaoh all those miracles whose power to perform has been given to Moses (“which I have placed in your hand,” Exod 4:21). And although these miraculous deeds—not only the three previously described, but all subsequent ones, since verse 23 speaks of the final plague—will not make an impression on Pharaoh, the heart of which will be hardened by God’s will, Moses should not be troubled by such circumstances. The demand to let the Hebrews go will be fulfilled by Pharaoh after the final plague—the killing of his firstborn (Exod 12:29-33); it is retribution for the refusal to give freedom to Israel, God’s firstborn. Israel, by God’s love for him (Hos 11:1), is His firstborn, His beloved son, and therefore it is unworthy that he, destined to serve God (Exod 23:1), should serve a man. For not acknowledging such rights of Israel, Pharaoh will pay with the life of his eldest son: “I will harden the heart of Pharaoh” (Exod 4:21). The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart is attributed sometimes to God (Exod 7:3), sometimes to himself (Exod 7:13). Pharaoh himself is the cause of this condition insofar as, through his pride and self-interest, he does not wish to submit to the divine will recognized by himself and his surroundings (Exod 8:19): during a plague he is ready to let the Hebrews go, after it passes, he refuses to do so. But, on the other hand, the sinful inclination of Pharaoh would not have developed to such a degree if the divine command to let the Hebrews go had not been addressed to him. In this respect God is the cause of the hardening of his heart.

Exodus 4:24. On the way, at a night’s lodging, the Lord met him and sought to kill him. Exodus 4:25. Then Zipporah, taking a flint knife, cut off the foreskin of her son and, casting it at his feet, said: “You are a husband of blood to me.” Exodus 4:26. And He withdrew from him. Then she said: “A husband of blood—because of the circumcision.” The preceding theophany to Moses ended with a threat to punish Pharaoh for possible failure to fulfill the divine demand. That such a threat was not mere words is shown by what Moses himself experienced: “on the way, at a night’s lodging… the Lord… sought to kill him” (Exod 4:24). Since Moses has been the acting person up to now, by him who the Lord sought to kill, we must understand Moses himself, and not his son, as some think. What was the cause of such threatening behavior on God’s part is evident from the further course of events. If the threat of death is lifted after the circumcision of one of the prophet’s sons: “Zipporah, taking a flint knife, cut off the foreskin of her son… and He withdrew from him” (Exod 4:25-26), then it is plain that the cause was the uncircumcision of that son. Judging further by the fact that Zipporah performs the circumcision, we can confidently assume that she was the cause of the non-circumcision. Following the customs of her tribe, in which, according to the testimony of Josephus, the circumcision of boys was performed at thirteen years of age, she was postponing the performance of this rite until such time as her son would reach the legal age in her view. Moses, therefore, was not the cause of his son’s uncircumcision. And if nevertheless the danger of death threatened him (Gen 17:14), and not Zipporah, then certainly because he is the head of the family. Having performed the circumcision, Zipporah “cast the foreskin of her son at the feet of Moses and said: you are a husband of blood to me because of the circumcision” (Exod 4:25-26). Zipporah’s action testifies to her indignation, which is also heard in her words: marriage with Moses is for her the cause of unwanted bloodshed, of a departure from the customs of the ancestors. From the account in chapter 18 of Exodus about how Zipporah with the sons joins Moses after the Hebrews have gone out of Egypt (Exod 18:2-5), it clearly follows that after the event described in the preceding verses, she withdrew to her father, and Moses went to Egypt alone.

Exodus 4:27. The Lord said to Aaron: “Go, meet Moses in the wilderness.” And he went and met him at the mountain of God, and kissed him. Exodus 4:28. Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord which He had sent him, and all the signs which He had commanded. Exodus 4:29. Moses and Aaron went and gathered all the elders of the Israelites. Exodus 4:30. Aaron told them all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses; and Moses performed the signs before the eyes of the people. Exodus 4:31. The people believed; they heard that the Lord had visited the Israelites and saw their affliction, and they bowed down and worshipped. The divine predictions are being fulfilled (Exod 4:27-28), and this sustains Moses’ spirit. The Slavonic reading of verse 31: “and the people believed and rejoiced” is more natural than the Russian: “the people believed; they heard.” Joy followed upon the firm belief, and under the influence of both arose the “bowing” before the Lord. * * * Slavonic: “and fell at his feet and said: blood of circumcision has stood for my son. And the angel departed from him, forasmuch as she said: blood of circumcision has stood for my son.” (Editor’s note)

Chapter Five

1–4. Moses’ and Aaron’s first approach to Pharaoh. 5–20. The burdening of the Hebrews with additional work. 21–23. The people’s grumbling at Moses and his doubts.

Exodus 5:1. After this, Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh and said [to him]: ‘Thus says the Lord, God of Israel: Let My people go, that they may celebrate a feast for Me in the wilderness. The absence of the elders (Exod 3:18) is difficult to explain. The opinion that it was caused by the fact that from the time of Aaron’s appointment as Moses’ helper (Exod 4:15-16) to him passed the rights of the latter to participate in explaining the purpose of the mission (“you shall say,” Exod 3:18) has no basis in Scripture. The elders are not appointed to be “the mouth of Moses” (Exod 4:16). Jewish tradition explains the non-mention of the elders by the fact that on the way to Pharaoh, they one by one abandoned Moses and Aaron. The request to let the people go to serve the Supreme One, the national God of the Hebrews, should appear entirely natural to Pharaoh (see explanation of verse 18, chapter 3 above) and entirely customary from the perspective of the customs of that time. According to Herodotus, confirmed by the research of Egyptologists, it was the custom in Egypt to go at certain times to a certain city to celebrate a feast in honor of the god revered there.

Exodus 5:2. But Pharaoh said: “Who is the Lord, that I should listen to His voice and let [the Israelites] go? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.” If Pharaoh refuses to fulfill such a legitimate request, then, among other reasons, it is because it is presented on behalf of the Almighty, “Whom he does not know.” Sharing the common pagan view that the power of a certain god is determined by the strength and prosperity of the people who worship him (Isa 45:6), Pharaoh considers the Almighty powerless in comparison with the Egyptian gods: the Egyptians are masters, but the Hebrews are slaves. Therefore, the demands of a powerless God are not binding upon him.

Exodus 5:3. They said [to him]: ‘The God of the Hebrews has called upon us; let us go, we pray, a three days’ journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifice to the Lord our God, that He may not strike us with a plague or with the sword. Repeating the former demand, Aaron and Moses modify it, first, in that they directly point out its obligatory character for themselves: “The God of the Hebrews has called upon us; let us go, that He may not strike us with a plague or with the sword.” Just as the will of their gods is binding upon Pharaoh and his subjects, so the demands of the Lord are binding upon them, Moses and Aaron. In case of non-compliance they will be subjected to His wrath, as those among the pagans who do not wish to appease their gods by performing feasts are subjected to their wrath. Second, instead of the former general reference to journeying into the wilderness, they now specify the amount of time required for it (“a three days’ journey”), wishing thereby to say that the withdrawal of the Hebrews for such a short time (six to seven days, round trip) will not cause significant harm to the work.

Exodus 5:4. The king of Egypt said to them: ‘Why do you, Moses and Aaron, draw [my] people away from their work? Go, each of you, to your own work. Exodus 5:5. Pharaoh said: ‘Behold, the people of the land are many, and you are drawing them away from their work. Such a harmful thought, generally speaking, becomes extraordinarily dangerous when spread among the numerous “people of the land,” that is, among the lower working class (Jer 6:25, Ezek 7:27). It prepares the ground for discontent and the rebellion arising from it.

Exodus 5:6. And that very day Pharaoh commanded the overseers of the people and the taskmasters, saying: Exodus 5:7. ‘You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as before; let them go and gather straw for themselves. Straw, the giving of which Pharaoh forbade, was used as a material to bind clay: finely chopped, it was mixed with clay, and brick made from such a mixture was supposed to be of particular strength. The truthfulness of the biblical account is confirmed by excavations carried out in Egypt, which have shown that some of the bricks of ancient Goshen contain a mixture of chopped straw.

Exodus 5:8. ‘But the number of bricks you shall require of them, the same number as before, and do not diminish it; they are idle, therefore they cry out, saying: let us go and sacrifice to our God. Exodus 5:9. ‘Give them more work to do, so that they will be occupied and have no attention for idle talk. Exodus 5:10. The overseers of the people and the taskmasters went out and said to the people: ‘Thus says Pharaoh: I will not give you straw. Exodus 5:11. ‘Go yourselves and get straw wherever you can find it, but nothing shall be diminished from your work. Exodus 5:12. So the people scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. Exodus 5:13. The overseers urged them, saying: ‘Fulfill your daily work, as when you had straw. The work was slowed down by the fact that instead of stalks the Hebrews gathered stubble.

Exodus 5:14. The overseers of the Israelites, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had appointed, were beaten, and they said to them: ‘Why have you not fulfilled your assigned number of bricks yesterday and today, as before? To oversee the work and keep accounts, Pharaoh’s taskmasters chose from among the Israelites themselves such men as knew how to write. Hence their name ‘shotrim,’ scribes, overseers, writers (1 Chr 23:4). By their position they belonged to people of higher standing. This is clearly seen from the fact that in some places of the Bible they are listed alongside with elders and judges (Num 11:16; Deut 29:10).

Exodus 5:15. The overseers of the Israelites came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying: ‘Why do you deal this way with your servants? Exodus 5:16. ‘Straw is not given to your servants, but we are told to make bricks. And behold, your servants are beaten; you have sinned against your people. Exodus 5:17. But he said [to them]: ‘You are idle, you are idle, therefore you say: let us go and sacrifice to the Lord. Exodus 5:18. ‘Go now and work; straw shall not be given to you, but you shall still deliver the quota of bricks. Pharaoh’s assumption was justified. The people, burdened with overwhelming work, think not of a festival, but of relief from their plight, and with such a request they turn to Pharaoh through their overseers.

Exodus 5:19. The overseers of the Israelites saw the trouble they were in when they were told: ‘You shall not diminish the number of bricks from each day’s quota. Exodus 5:20. When they left Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron, who were standing to meet them. Exodus 5:21. And they said to them: ‘May the Lord look upon you and judge you, because you have made us odious in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to slay us. Having received a negative reply, realizing that they cannot expect help from Moses and Aaron either, the overseers reproach the latter and threaten them with God’s judgment for the greater oppression that has come upon the people (Gen 16:5; 1 Sam 24:12-13; 1 Sam 8:32).

Exodus 5:22. Moses turned to the Lord and said: ‘Lord! Why have You brought such misery upon this people, and why have You sent me? Exodus 5:23. ‘For since I came to Pharaoh and spoke in Your name, he has treated this people worse; and yet You have not delivered Your people. Under the influence of the complaints, Moses’ earlier doubt about the appropriateness of his selection to free the Hebrew people arises: ‘Why have You sent me?’ (Exod 5:22) He himself cannot force Pharaoh to let the Israelites go (Exod 3:11), and the Lord will not help him either: ‘and yet You have not delivered Your people. * * * From the Hebrew: “appeared to us.” More accurately: “allow us to go.”

Chapter Six

1–8. God’s approval of Moses—liberation is inevitable. 14–30. The genealogy of Moses and Aaron.

Exodus 6:1. The Lord said to Moses: ‘Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; by a mighty hand he shall let them go; by a mighty hand he shall even drive them out of his land. By means of the “mighty hand,” that is, the plagues (see explanation of verses 19–23, chapter 3 above), Pharaoh will not only let, but even “drive” the Hebrews out of his land (Exod 12:33).

Exodus 6:2. God spoke to Moses and said to him: ‘I am the Lord. Exodus 6:3. ‘I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with the name “God Almighty,” but by My name “the Lord” I did not make Myself known to them. Exodus 6:4. ‘And I established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojourning, in which they sojourned. Exodus 6:5. ‘And I have heard the groaning of the Israelites whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. Exodus 6:6. ‘Therefore say to the Israelites: I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their slavery, and I will save you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. Exodus 6:7. ‘And I will take you for Myself as a people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out [from the land of Egypt] from under the yoke of the Egyptians. Exodus 6:8. ‘And I will bring you into the land concerning which I swore to give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord. The inevitability of liberation is based on the immutability of the promises. The Lord who appeared to Moses is that same God Almighty (El-Shaddai) who revealed Himself to the patriarchs (Gen 17:1) and if Jehovah is always constant and unchanging, then He will fulfill the promises made by El-Shaddai. The latter “established a covenant with the patriarchs to give them the land of Canaan” (Exod 6:4, Gen 17:8), and Jehovah, identical with Him, will bring it to fulfillment. The identity of Jehovah with El-Shaddai vouches for the fulfillment of three promises: deliverance from Egyptian slavery (Exod 6:6, Gen 15:14), the election of the Hebrews as God’s people (Exod 6:7, Gen 17:7-8, Deut 4:20), and the giving of them the promised land (Exod 6:8, Gen 17:8). In light of all this, Moses and the people should not lose heart. If as a result of deliverance they will know by experience that the Lord is their God, then now, upon the prediction of the coming liberation, they should maintain faith in Him. ‘I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with the name “God Almighty,” but with My name “the Lord” did I not reveal Myself to them’ (verse 3). In His promises to the patriarchs, God pointed above all to His almightiness (El-Shaddai), which served as their pledge for the fulfillment of His promises. From the time of Moses these promises begin to be fulfilled. The offspring of the patriarchs became a great people, ready to begin their own independent political life under God’s direct guidance. And now the Lord reveals another attribute of Himself, expressed in the name Jehovah—constancy, faithfulness in fulfilling His promises. ‘I will save you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments’ (verse 6; Deut 4:34), that is, with the plagues, which, in crushing the kingdom of Pharaoh, serve as punishment for him (“judgment”). ‘By lifting up my hand’—an action used in swearing oaths, indicating its immutability (Gen 14:22, Deut 32:40, Ezek 20:23).

Exodus 6:9. Moses told this to the Israelites; but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirits and cruel slavery. Exodus 6:10. The Lord said to Moses, saying: Exodus 6:11. ‘Go, speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, that he let the Israelites go from his land. Exodus 6:12. Moses said before the Lord, saying: ‘Behold, the Israelites do not listen to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me? And I am not eloquent. The comforting promise did not produce the appropriate effect on the people because of their despondency—the absence of patience (Num 24:4, Job 21:4), sustained by hard work. This circumstance, combined with the inevitability of a new refusal from Pharaoh, whom it is difficult to convince when the one speaking is not eloquent, causes Moses to decisively refuse to carry out the task assigned to him.

Exodus 6:13. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and gave them commands to the Israelites and to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt. Despite the people’s disobedience at this time and Moses’ refusal to go to Pharaoh, “the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and gave them commands to the Israelites and to Pharaoh.” These new appearances probably strengthened the spirit of Moses, since in what follows there are no signs of his wavering and doubting (see below Exod 7:1-6).

Exodus 6:14. These are the heads of their family lines: the sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben. Exodus 6:15. The sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon. Exodus 6:16. These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their lineages: Gershon and Kohath and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were one hundred thirty-seven. Exodus 6:17. The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimi, with their families. Exodus 6:18. The sons of Kohath: Amram and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. And the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred thirty-three years. Exodus 6:19. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of Levi according to their lineages. Exodus 6:20. Amram took Jochebed, his father’s sister, as his wife, and she bore him Aaron and Moses [and Miriam, their sister]. And the years of the life of Amram were one hundred thirty-seven. Exodus 6:21. The sons of Izhar: Korah and Nepheg and Zichri. Exodus 6:22. The sons of Uzziel: Mishael and Elzaphan and Sithri. Exodus 6:23. Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. Exodus 6:24. The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites. Exodus 6:25. Eleazar, son of Aaron, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the families of the Levites according to their lineages. Since the liberation of the Hebrews was accomplished through the agency of Moses and Aaron, who are the chief actors in the subsequent events, in view of the full appropriateness of saying who they were, a new section begins with their genealogy. It is not without intention that the genealogy of the sons of Reuben and Simeon is presented before its exposition. The divine election of Moses and Aaron as leaders of the Hebrew people is accomplished, the author wishes thereby to say, independently of the priority of the tribe. Levi was the third son of Jacob, and yet his descendants were deemed worthy of this election; Kohath, the ancestor of Moses and Aaron, was also not the first, but the second son of Levi (Exod 6:16). An allusion to special divine favor toward the descendants of Levi is contained in the indication of the longevity of its representatives (Exod 6:18). According to verse 20, the father of Moses and Aaron was Amram. Judging from the context, this Amram is none other than the son of Kohath (Exod 6:18). But such a conclusion is not favored by Num 3:27-28. As is evident from that passage, according to the census taken in the second year after the exodus from Egypt, in the generation of Kohath, divided into four families, there were 8,600 men. How many persons each family included is not stated here. But if we divide 8,600 by four, we get 2,150, that is, the approximate average number of adult males belonging to each family. If we add to this number of men women and children, then 2,150 must be raised to 6,450. Such a number of persons must have been included in the family of Amram. But besides Moses, the Bible knows only Aaron and Miriam as children of Amram (Exod 6:20). In light of this, the identification of Amram, the father of Moses, with Amram, the son of Kohath, leads to an incredible conclusion that from four individuals (Amram, Moses, Aaron, Miriam) in one family 6,450 people were descended. The only way out of this difficulty is the quite reliable supposition that Amram, the father of Moses, is not the same person as Amram, the son of Kohath, but a later descendant of Levi of the same name. The mother of Moses—Jochebed—is called the aunt of her husband Amram, and accordingly in Num 26:59—“a daughter of Levi, whom his wife bore to him in Egypt.” But as to the term “aunt” (Hebrew “doda”), it can be understood differently, which is proven by the translation of the Septuagint: “the daughter of the brother of his father”—a first cousin from the paternal side, “the daughter of his father’s brother.” As the aunt of Amram, Jochebed is a daughter of Levi (from Levi Kohath and his sister Jochebed; from Kohath Amram, the nephew of Jochebed). But if Jochebed, the wife of Amram, is his first cousin, then she can no longer be a daughter of Levi. And that the Greek translators did not consider her such is evident from their reading (Num 26:59). Instead of the Hebrew: “Jochebed, daughter of Levi, whom Levi’s wife bore to him in Egypt,” they put: “daughter of Levi, who bore these to Levi in Egypt.” Consequently, on the maternal side as well, Moses was not a direct descendant of Levi.

Exodus 6:26. Aaron and Moses—these are they to whom the Lord said: ‘Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt according to their armies. Exodus 6:27. These are the men who spoke to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to bring the Israelites out of Egypt; these are Moses and Aaron. Exodus 6:28. Now when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, Exodus 6:29. The Lord said to Moses, saying: ‘I am the Lord! Speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, everything that I speak to you. Exodus 6:30. Moses said before the Lord: ‘Behold, I am not eloquent; how then will Pharaoh listen to me? Having set forth the genealogy of Moses and Aaron and noted their position as divinely chosen leaders of the Hebrew people (Exod 6:26-27), the sacred writer returns to where the need to insert the genealogy of Moses and Aaron interrupted him, namely to the answer of Moses to the command to go to Pharaoh (Exod 6:12). * * * Jehovah. That is, Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

Chapter Seven

1–9. Moses receives a command from God to go to Pharaoh. 10–13. The first sign—the staff transformed into a serpent. 14. The first plague—the water turned to blood.

Exodus 7:1. But the Lord said to Moses: “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet.” Exodus 7:2. You will speak everything that I command you, and Aaron your brother will speak to Pharaoh so that he releases the sons of Israel from his land. In response to Moses’ words: “How will Pharaoh listen to me?” (Exod 6:30)—the Lord says to him: “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh.” You need not fear Pharaoh. I have determined to give you, and indeed will give you, such power that he will fear you as his god. And if kings obey and listen only to God, recognizing His supremacy over them, so too he will eventually submit to you; your speech impediment, which you cite as the reason for the king’s disobedience, will also have no significance. Your brother Aaron will speak for you, your spokesman, your prophet (Exod 4:15).

Exodus 7:3. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and I will reveal many signs and wonders of Mine in the land of Egypt. Exodus 7:4. Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I will lay My hand upon Egypt and bring out My army, My people, the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt—with great judgments. Exodus 7:5. Then all the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out My hand upon Egypt and bring the sons of Israel out from among them. Exodus 7:6. And Moses and Aaron did exactly as the Lord commanded them, and they did so. Exodus 7:7. Moses was eighty, and Aaron [his brother] was eighty-three years old when they began to speak to Pharaoh. Exodus 7:8. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, saying: Exodus 7:9. If Pharaoh says to you: “Perform a [sign or] miracle,” then say to Aaron [your brother]: “Take your staff and throw [it on the ground] before Pharaoh [and before his servants]”—and it will become a serpent. Exodus 7:10. Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh [and to his servants] and did as the Lord commanded [them]. And Aaron threw his staff before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. From a comparison of verses 15 and 17 of this chapter with verse 19 of that same chapter, it clearly follows that Aaron’s staff (verse 10) is Moses’ staff, miraculously transformed into a serpent at Horeb (Exod 4:2-4) and appointed to serve as the instrument of subsequent miraculous works. If it is called Aaron’s, it is because it passes into Aaron’s hands, as Moses’ words pass into his mouth (Exod 4:30). The expression “serpent,” Hebrew “tanin,” into which the staff was transformed, signifies all sea or river monsters and is especially applied to the crocodile, as a symbol of Egypt (Isa 51:9, Ezek 32:2, Ps 73:13). In this place, the term means, as some think, a particular kind of serpent, perhaps an asp or uraeus, the royal serpent.

Exodus 7:11. And Pharaoh called the wise men [of Egypt] and the sorcerers; and these Egyptian magicians did the same by their sorceries. Exodus 7:12. Each of them threw down his staff, and they became serpents, but Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. Opposing divine power, through whom Moses was the instrument, with the knowledge and craft of his magicians, Pharaoh summoned the wise men and sorcerers. The term “wise men,” Hebrew “hakamim,” literally—those skilled in arts—refers to representatives of one of the classes of the priestly caste, while “sorcerer,” Hebrew “mekashfim” (speaking softly, in whispers), indicates persons who performed sorcery, in particular the conjuring of harmful animals by means of obscure muttering of a magical formula. These persons, also named magicians (Hebrew “harogmim”), and named by the Apostle Paul by name—Jannes and Jambres (2 Tim 3:8)—accomplished by their sorceries—secret magical arts—the same thing that Aaron did, that is, transformed their staffs into serpents. How they accomplished this, the text does not indicate. Modern exegetes explain the transformation of staffs into serpents through analogy with the art of snake-charming known in ancient Egypt and mentioned in the Bible (Eccl 10:11)—the art of bringing snakes into a state of numbness in which they became as if sticks. But the Church Fathers attribute the magicians’ art to the power of the devil. If the magicians’ transformation of their staffs into serpents served for Pharaoh as clear proof that Moses had no advantage, then the next moment of the first sign—the swallowing of the magicians’ staffs by Moses’ staff—should have convinced him of the greater power of God’s messenger and of the Most High Himself, in whose name he acted. As evidenced by Egyptian monuments, the staff and serpents were symbols, emblems of deity and attributes of royal power. And if Moses’ staff devoured the staffs of the magicians, symbols of deity, then this is unmistakable proof that the power and might of the Lord, on whose behalf Moses appeared, is superior to the power of the Egyptian gods. Pharaoh, who had believed the Lord to be weaker than his gods and therefore saw no need to submit to His demand—to release the Hebrews—should now fulfill this command as coming from the name of the almighty God.

Exodus 7:13. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said [to him]. Pharaoh paid attention to the first part of the sign and did not take into account the second part, and therefore, finding no superiority in Moses over his magicians, continued to persist in his rebellion.

Exodus 7:14. And the Lord said to Moses: “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn; he refuses to release the people.” Exodus 7:15. Go to Pharaoh tomorrow: see, he will go out to the water, you stand in his path on the bank of the river, and take the staff, which was transformed into a serpent, in your hand. Exodus 7:16. And say to him: “The Lord, God of the Hebrews, sent me to say to you: Release my people so that they may serve me in the wilderness; but see, you have not obeyed even now.” Exodus 7:17. Thus says the Lord: “By this you will know that I am the Lord: with this staff, which is in my hand, I will strike the water that is in the river, and it will be turned to blood.” Exodus 7:18. And the fish in the river will die, and the river will reek, and it will be loathsome for the Egyptians to drink water from the river. The Pharaoh’s disobedience, arising from his unwillingness to acknowledge the power of the Most High, His might and strength (Exod 5:2), leads to a whole series of signs and plagues that prove the superiority of the Lord over the Egyptian gods (verse 17, Exod 18:11). The first of them is the transformation of the Nile’s water into blood. The prediction of it was given to Pharaoh at the time when he was going “to the water” either for bathing or to worship the Nile as a deity. The transformation of the Nile’s water into blood, accompanied by the inability to drink it and the death of the fish (verse 18), should have convinced Pharaoh that the Lord—the Lord (verse 17). As is known, the Nile was one of the principal deities worshiped throughout Egypt (Plutarch), was considered an emanation of Osiris, and was deified under various names, in particular the name Hapi. In honor of him, “the father-life-giver of all existence, father of gods,” temples were erected (for example, in Nikopolis), sacrifices were offered (in the temple Djebel-Semeleh an image of Ramesses II is shown offering a sacrifice to the Nile), festivals were instituted, and so forth. In the first plague, this popular deity loses its beneficial properties (corruption of the water combined with the death of the fish) depending on the actions of Aaron and Moses (verse 17, 20)—submits, in other words, to the will of the God whom they represent. Once sacred, the Nile becomes now an object of abhorrence, is defiled, for blood, a symbol of Typhon, made, according to Egyptian beliefs, unclean everyone who touched it. All this together served as clear proof of the insignificance of the god Nile compared with the God of the Hebrews. Such meaning is given to the first plague by the blessed Theodoret himself. To the question: “why did the first plague consist of the transformation of water into blood?”—he answers: “because the Egyptians thought highly of the river and, as it took the place of clouds for them, called it a god.”

Exodus 7:19. And the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron [your brother]: Take your staff [in your hand] and stretch your hand over the waters of the Egyptians—over their rivers, over their streams, over their lakes and over every reservoir of their waters—and they will be turned to blood, and there will be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in wooden and in stone vessels.” Exodus 7:20. And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded [them]. And [Aaron] lifted [his staff] and struck the water of the river before the eyes of Pharaoh and before the eyes of his servants, and all the water in the river was turned to blood. The widespread transformation of the water into blood is indicated, first, by reference to the “rivers”—Nile branches, “streams”—the numerous canals with which Egypt was crisscrossed for irrigation purposes, “lakes”—cisterns, and “every reservoir of waters”—marshy or silty places, as well as reservoirs constructed by Egyptians living far from the river; second, by the remark: “and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt” and finally by the mention of digging wells (verse 24).

Exodus 7:21. And the fish in the river died, and the river reeked, and the Egyptians could not drink water from the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. Exodus 7:22. And the Egyptian magicians did the same by their sorceries. And Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said. Exodus 7:23. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house; and his heart was not moved by this either. Exodus 7:24. And all the Egyptians dug around the river to find water to drink, for they could not drink the water from the river. Exodus 7:25. And seven days were fulfilled after the Lord struck the river. On the basis of the expression: “and the Egyptian magicians did the same by their sorceries,” one can suppose that they produced in the water a like substantial change as Moses and Aaron accomplished. By imitating them, the magicians neutralized the impression that Pharaoh should have received from the miracle—“And they did the same. And Pharaoh’s heart was hardened.” According to the narrative of the book of Exodus, and equally the understanding of other Old Testament writers (Ps 77:44), the first plague was a miraculous phenomenon accomplished according to God’s will. Yet not only naturalists, but even biblical scholars of the positive school consider it a natural phenomenon—the coloring of the Nile’s water observed annually at its flood. But such identification of the transformation of water into blood with the natural coloring of the water finds no basis in the text. According to the Bible’s indication, the first plague falls at the time of the normal level of the Nile’s water, when the Nile flows within its banks. Thus, Pharaoh receives the prediction of the coming of the plague at the moment when he is going to the bank of the river (verse 15), and the Egyptians are digging wells around the river (verse 24). Both communications are understandable only on the assumption that the land adjacent to the Nile is not covered with water. The time of the first plague’s occurrence also does not suggest an idea of the Nile’s flood. The flood lasts from July through September, and the first plague falls in January—this is evident from the following. According to the Bible’s indication, the 7th plague particularly damaged flax and barley: “the flax and barley were struck, because the barley was in the head and the flax was in bloom; but the wheat and spelt were not struck, because they are late” (Exod 9:31-32). Since flax flowers in lower Egypt at the end of February, the middle of March is when its harvest and barley harvest occur, it is evident that the seventh plague occurred at the end of February or beginning of March. From that time until the last plague, which falls at the beginning of April, passed a month; consequently, the four last plagues occurred within a month, separated from one another by almost weekly intervals. If the intervals separating the first six plagues were likewise determined, then for their occurrence a month and a half was required, with the first plague falling in January. Second, the Nile’s flood not only is not accompanied by the corruption of water, but even represents a cessation of the unhealthy state in which it exists at the preceding time, during the period of the so-called green Nile. Third, during the flood, fish in the Nile do not die, and the flood itself lasts not 7 days (verse 25), but from July through September. The sum of all these facts does not allow the transformation of water into blood to be identified with the coloring of the water at the Nile’s flood. The justification for such a view is supported, in particular, by the authority of the Church Fathers and teachers. “Water transformed into blood,” says the blessed Theodoret, “accused the Egyptians of committing infanticide.” “Moses,” remarks Ephrem the Syrian, “struck the water of the river, and the waters were transformed into blood.” Still more clearly expresses the thought of the substantial transformation of water into blood Cyril of Alexandria. “Can one understand,” he asks, “how water was transformed into the substance of blood?” * * * Their names with some variants are preserved in the Targum Jonathan, in the Talmud, and others.

Chapter Eight

1–14. The second plague—the sending forth of frogs and its severity. 15–19. The third plague—the appearance of gnats. 20–32. The fourth plague—the dog flies.

Exodus 8:1. And the Lord said to Moses: “Go to Pharaoh and say to him: Thus says the Lord: ‘Release my people so that they may serve me.’” Exodus 8:2. But if you refuse to release them, behold, I am striking your entire region with frogs. Exodus 8:3. And the river will swarm with frogs, and they will come up and enter your house, and your bedroom, and upon your bed, and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens, and into your kneading troughs. Exodus 8:4. And upon you, and upon your people, and upon all your servants the frogs will come up. Exodus 8:5. And the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron [your brother]: Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the streams and over the lakes and bring up frogs upon the land of Egypt.” Exodus 8:6. Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt [and brought up frogs]; and frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. The second plague consisted of the appearance, by God’s will, of a vast quantity of frogs (Hebrew zephardea) from the rivers, streams and lakes. The Hebrew “zephardea” is derived either from the Hebrew verb “zaphar,” meaning “to jump,” and the Arabic word meaning “swamp,” so that according to this etymology “zephardea” means “jumping in the swamp,” or from the Arabic word—“dofda” with the meaning of “swollen mass.” Furthermore, in the ancient Egyptian language, they point to a word “tsefet” corresponding in meaning and form to the Hebrew “zephardea,” which was used to denote a serpent and at the same time was a generic name for reptiles. The appearance of frogs, ordinarily observed in Egypt during the period after the subsiding of waters, as well as in other localities, for example Gaul, bore in the present case the character of a miraculous supernatural phenomenon:—a vast quantity of frogs appeared in a time completely unusual for Egypt, and suddenly, at a single wave of Moses’ staff;—contrary to their habits and natural way of life, the frogs rushed into houses, upon people, upon household utensils, penetrated beds, ovens, and even kneading troughs; harmless in themselves, they became, by God’s will, an instrument of punishment for His enemies;—and thus suddenly they died, vanished, as suddenly as they appeared.

Exodus 8:7. And the [Egyptian] magicians did the same by their sorceries and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt. The magicians’ imitation of Moses, which had the consequence of multiplying the frogs, increased the severity of the plague.

Exodus 8:8. And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said: “Pray [for me] to the Lord, that He might remove the frogs from me and from my people, and I will release the people of Israel to offer a sacrifice to the Lord.” The magicians’ inability to deliver the country from the frogs, which aroused in the clean-minded Egyptians a feeling of abhorrence, led Pharaoh to the thought that this plague was accomplished by God and by virtue of this could be ended only by Him. Hence his request to Moses and Aaron: “Pray [for me] to the Lord.”

Exodus 8:9. Moses said to Pharaoh: “Set the time for me when I should pray for you, for your servants and for your people, that the frogs may be removed from you [and from your people and] from your houses, and remain only in the river.” Exodus 8:10. He said: “Tomorrow.” Moses replied: “It will be according to your word, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God.” Exodus 8:11. And the frogs will withdraw from you, from your houses [and from the fields], and from your servants and from your people; only in the river will they remain. By allowing Pharaoh to set the time himself for the ending of the plague, Moses seeks to reinforce the thought that has arisen in his soul—that the affliction that has come upon him is the work of God, whose beginning and ending depends exclusively on God’s will. God can, by His almightiness, drive out the frogs at any moment appointed by Pharaoh.

Exodus 8:12. And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried out to the Lord regarding the frogs, which He had sent upon Pharaoh. Exodus 8:13. And the Lord did according to Moses’ word: the frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields [of theirs]. Exodus 8:14. And they gathered them in heaps, and the land reeked. The ending of the plague and the exact fulfillment of Pharaoh’s desire should have convinced him of the truth of Moses’ words: “there is no one like the Lord our God” (verse 10).

Exodus 8:15. And when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, as the Lord had said. The thought of the Author of the affliction, before whose will one should bow down, was awakened in Pharaoh by the severity of the plague. With its ending, it disappeared. “In accordance with people’s hearts,” says the blessed Augustine, “God’s mercy leads some to repentance, while others it arms against Him and strengthens in evil.”

Exodus 8:16. And the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron: Stretch [your hand with] your staff and strike the dust of the earth, and [there will be gnats on men and on beasts and on Pharaoh and in his house and on his servants, all the dust of the earth] will become gnats throughout all the land of Egypt.” Exodus 8:17. And they did so: Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and gnats appeared on men and on beasts. All the dust of the earth became gnats throughout all the land of Egypt. The third plague consisted of the appearance from the earth, at the stroke of the staff, of a multitude of “kinnim,” according to the LXX translation “gnatoi.” According to the opinion of Philo and Origen, shared by many commentators, these were gnats, mosquitoes, a common affliction of Egypt during the period of flooding. But according to Josephus, and the testimony of the Samaritan, Syriac and Arabic Pentateuch, the Targum Onkelos, and the view of some scholars—Buxtorf, Buddeus—by “kinnim” are meant lice. The greatest probability of this latter understanding is confirmed by the following facts. “Kinnim,” according to the biblical narrative, are brought forth from the dust of the earth, while mosquitoes appear “from the water”; regarding mosquitoes it cannot be said that they “appeared on men and on beasts” (verse 17); finally, in the Talmud the word “kinna” has the meaning of “louse.” The reading of the LXX—“σκνῖφες”—does not contradict such understanding. The use of this expression by ancient Greek authors—Theophrastus, Aëtius, Aristophanes—shows that the term denotes both grass lice and worms and fleas.

Exodus 8:18. And the magicians also tried to produce gnats by their sorceries, but could not. And there were gnats on men and on beasts. Exodus 8:19. And the magicians said to Pharaoh: “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said. The magicians’ powerlessness, the universal human powerlessness to call into being a new creature, showed itself most clearly in the words: “This is the finger of God”—the work of supreme divine power (Ps 8:4). The supernatural character of the third plague, recognized by the magicians themselves, is evident from its origin, the cause of which was the blow of Aaron’s staff, as well as from its scope: all the dust was turned to lice, not one part of the country was free from them (verse 17, Ps 104:31).

Exodus 8:20. And the Lord said to Moses: “Rise up early tomorrow and stand before Pharaoh. See, he will go out to the water, and you shall say to him: Thus says the Lord: ‘Release my people, so that they may serve me [in the wilderness].’” Exodus 8:21. But if you do not release my people, behold, I will send upon you and upon your servants, and upon your people, and into your houses the dog flies, and they will fill the houses of the Egyptians and the very earth on which they live. Pharaoh’s refusal to release the Hebrews brought upon Egypt a new affliction, expressed in the appearance of special living creatures, called in the Hebrew text the word “arov,” and by the LXX “κυνόμυια” (dog flies). Deriving the expression “arov” from the Hebrew verb “arav”—“to mix,” Josephus, and after him ancient Hebrew commentators and later rabbis, understand it in the sense of a mixture of various animals and insects. Aquila, whom the blessed Jerome follows, understands by “arov” only flies of various kinds. But if, like Fürst, one derives “arov” from the Arabic “arab”—“to seize,” “to sting,” whereby “arov” will mean “stinging,” then such derivation, fully in accordance with the words of verse 45 of Psalm 78: “God sent upon them (the Egyptians) insects, to sting them” (Ps 77:45, Wis 16:9), will point to “arov” not as flies in general, but as flies that produce a strong bite. This is how the LXX translators looked at it, transmitting the Hebrew “arov” by the expression “κυνόμυια”—“dog flies” and thereby making it clear that they understood by “arov” a specific kind of fly. The understanding of the LXX is recognized by modern exegetes—Buddeus, Keil, Dillmann. According to Philo, the insect that served as the instrument of the fourth plague combined the properties of flies and dogs, was distinguished by ferocity and persistence. From a distance, like an arrow, it rushed at a person or animal and, rushing fiercely, fastened its sting into the body and as if stuck to it. Testified to by both ancient and modern travelers, the abundance of flies in Egypt, to which the prophet Isaiah hints (Isa 7:18), makes it possible to suppose that the instrument of the fourth plague was a natural phenomenon that, by God’s will, took on a supernatural character. The latter manifests itself both in the coming and ending of the affliction according to Moses’ word (verses 20–21, 31) and in the liberation from it of the habitation of the Hebrews—the land of Goshen.

Exodus 8:22. And I will set apart on that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, and there will be no dog flies there, so that you may know that I am the Lord [God] in the midst of [all] the earth. Exodus 8:23. I will make a distinction between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign [upon the earth] will be. The liberation of the land of Goshen from the plague should have pointed out to Pharaoh the absolute, unacknowledged by him, power of the God of Israel. He destroys Egypt; His dominion over this country is irremovable by human efforts (verse 25), and at the same time He spares His people, appears as a powerful national God, which was indicated to the king before. If at the striking of the new plague, both Egypt and Goshen were affected, Pharaoh could think that there was nothing special in it, but on the contrary, at the division between the Egyptians and the Israelites (verse 23), Jehovah appeared precisely as the God of “all the earth” (verse 22).

Exodus 8:24. So the Lord did: a multitude of dog flies descended upon the house of Pharaoh, and into the houses of his servants, and upon all the land of Egypt; the land was destroyed by the dog flies. Exodus 8:25. And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said: “Go, offer a sacrifice [to the Lord] to your God in this land.” Exodus 8:26. But Moses said: “It cannot be done, for we would offer to the Lord our God that which is an abomination to the Egyptians: if we offer to the Egyptians that which is an abomination in their sight, will they not stone us?” Exodus 8:27. We will go a three days’ journey into the wilderness and offer a sacrifice to the Lord our God, as He will command us. The impossibility for the Hebrews to fulfill Pharaoh’s proposal: “Go, offer a sacrifice to your God in this land” is explained by the fact that the sacrifice, being abominable to the Egyptians, would arouse their religious fanaticism, and they would stone the Hebrews. According to the indication of the Syrian translation Peshitta, the Targum Onkelos, as well as of some exegetes, the fanaticism of the Egyptians could be provoked by the offering of such animals in sacrifice as were considered sacred in Egypt, and the slaughter of which, as a sacrilegious act, demanded in the Egyptian understanding requital. In the opinion of others (Lange), the abhorrence could be caused not only by the choice of animals, but by the entire Hebrew worship, as a foreign cult. The indication of this is given in the words: “To Jehovah, our God.” The sacrifice is abominable because it is offered to a god unknown, not worshiped in Egypt.

Exodus 8:28. And Pharaoh said: “I will release you to offer a sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness, only do not go far; pray for me [to the Lord].” Pharaoh’s agreement to the departure of the Hebrews proves to be not voluntary but forced. In giving it, he fears losing his free laborers: “only do not go far.”

Chapter Nine

1–7. The fifth plague—mortality of livestock. 8–11. The sixth plague—inflammation with boils. 12–26. Warning of the seventh plague and the plague itself—hail. 27–35. Pharaoh’s repentance and renewed hardening.

Exodus 9:1. And the Lord said to Moses: “Go to Pharaoh and say to him: Thus says the Lord, God of the Hebrews: ‘Release my people so that they may serve me.’” Exodus 9:2. For if you refuse to release [my people] and continue to detain them, Exodus 9:3. Behold, the hand of the Lord will be upon your livestock in the field—upon the horses, upon the donkeys, upon the camels, upon the cattle and upon the sheep: there will be a very grievous pestilence. Exodus 9:4. And the Lord will divide [at that time] between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and none of [all the] livestock of the sons of Israel will die. Exodus 9:5. And the Lord appointed a time, saying: “Tomorrow the Lord will do this in this land.” The fifth plague—a grievous pestilence upon the livestock of the Egyptians alone, which has its analogy in what is known from ancient Egyptian monuments and in the testimony of modern travelers of cases of epizooty, cannot be identified with these latter and explained by natural causes. All the circumstances of the plague—the prediction of its coming (verse 3), the swiftness of that coming (verse 5), the liberation of the land of Goshen from it (verse 4), as well as its destructive power (verse 3)—all these are unmistakable signs of a supernatural, miraculous phenomenon.

Exodus 9:6. And the Lord did this on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the sons of Israel, not one died. As is evident from verses 9–10 and 19 of this chapter, the expression: “all the livestock of Egypt died” cannot be understood literally. It refers either to the livestock that was in the field, or indicates all kinds of livestock (verse 3), the striking of which distinguishes the plague from ordinary epidemics, which are limited to one particular kind of animal.

Exodus 9:7. And Pharaoh sent, and behold, none of the livestock [of the sons] of Israel had died. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not release the people. Despite this confirmation of the might of Jehovah, which had preserved, according to the prediction, the livestock of His people, Pharaoh does not release the Hebrews. The reasons for this lie most likely in the fact that, being painful for the poor, the new plague did not inflict particular harm on the state of Pharaoh himself. In light of this he prefers to bear the lesser affliction rather than expose himself to the greater—the loss of free workers.

Exodus 9:8. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: “Take handfuls of ashes from a furnace, and let Moses throw it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh [and his servants].” Exodus 9:9. And dust will spread throughout all the land of Egypt, and there will be inflammation with boils upon men and upon beasts throughout all the land of Egypt. Exodus 9:10. They took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses threw it toward the sky, and there was inflammation with boils upon men and upon beasts. In contrast to the Hebrew word “tanur,” meaning a bread oven (Exod 8:3, Lev 2:4), the expression “kibshan” used in this case means a furnace for burning lime or smelting metals (Gen 19:28, Exod 19:18). The command to throw upward the ashes taken from that furnace has, on one hand, a relation to the condition of the Hebrews in Egyptian slavery, and on the other hand, to one of the ancient religious customs of Egypt. As in the first three plagues the natural sources of Egyptian prosperity (the Nile and the earth) are turned into instruments of God’s judgment over Egypt, so the new plague originates, by God’s will, from one of those workshops which served as a source of monumental Egyptian buildings, which were the pride of the Pharaohs. The symbolic act was meant to point out to Pharaoh that the God of the Hebrews has the power to turn even the smelting furnaces, as the center of labor, into a source of affliction for Egypt and to make their ashes an instrument of a new plague. According to another explanation, ashes scattered by the wind of sacrifices in honor of the god Typhon averted, according to Egyptian belief, evil from all those regions where it fell. But now the ashes thrown by Moses toward the sky spread, in refutation of superstition, not well-being but a curse, causing a disease consisting of inflammations and boils. Since it struck both men and animals, it could not be leprosy, which the latter do not catch.

Exodus 9:11. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the inflammation, for the inflammation was upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians. The magicians’ consciousness of their powerlessness is at the same time proof of the powerlessness of the Egyptian gods-healers, headed by the goddess Isis. They are unable to prevent the coming affliction and to end the affliction that has come.

Exodus 9:12. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said to Moses. Exodus 9:13. And the Lord said to Moses: “Rise early tomorrow and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him: Thus says the Lord, God of the Hebrews: ‘Release my people so that they may serve me.’” Exodus 9:14. For this time I am sending all My plagues upon your heart, and upon your servants, and upon your people, so that you may know that there is none like Me on all the earth. The coming of a new plague is preceded by a prediction that all further afflictions will be directed against the stubborn heart of Pharaoh with the purpose of arousing repentance in him (Exod 9:27)—they will reach his soul, will touch his hardened heart. With the arising of the latter, Pharaoh will humble himself before God—“there is none like Me on all the earth”—will acknowledge His almightiness.

Exodus 9:15. For now I have stretched out My hand, I could have struck you and your people with a plague, and you would have been wiped from the earth. Divine power has been demonstrated to Pharaoh by all the preceding plagues and can manifest itself in a deadly pestilence, but in that case the purpose of divine action upon the king would not be achieved.

Exodus 9:16. But for this reason I have kept you alive, so that I might show you My power, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout all the earth. He is kept alive so that he himself may experience the power of the Lord, God of Israel, and at the same time serve as an instrument for the glorification of His name throughout all the earth (Exod 15:14-16).

Exodus 9:17. You still oppose my people, refusing to release them. Exodus 9:18. Behold, tomorrow I will send a very great hail, such as has not been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. If such is the result of further plagues, then, being forewarned of it, Pharaoh could have prevented their coming through his humility before God—consent to release the Hebrews. And only his stubbornness makes the coming of a new affliction—hail, such as Egypt has never experienced—inevitable.

Exodus 9:19. Now send, therefore, and gather in your livestock and all that you have in the field: all men and beasts that remain in the field and are not brought to shelter—the hail will fall upon them, and they will die. Exodus 9:20. Those of Pharaoh’s servants who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their servants and their livestock into shelter. The concern for reducing the consequences of the strong hail (“send, gather your livestock”) related not to Pharaoh personally but to those of his subjects who were completely innocent and could have suffered for the stubbornness of the king (verses 20–21). The time that passed from the moment of the prediction of the plague to its coming (verse 18) could serve as sufficient time for the awakening in Pharaoh’s soul of a feeling of humility, fear before God (verse 20), but since this did not follow, the new affliction appears to be fully deserved punishment.

Exodus 9:22. And the Lord said to Moses: “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, and hail will fall upon all the land of Egypt, upon men, upon beasts, and upon all the vegetation of the field in the land of Egypt.” Exodus 9:23. And Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran along the ground; and the Lord sent hail upon [all] the land of Egypt. Exodus 9:24. And there was hail and fire among the hail, [very severe hail, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since the time it was inhabited. Exodus 9:25. And the hail struck down all that was in the field throughout all the land of Egypt, from man to beast, and the hail struck down all the vegetation of the field, and broke all the trees of the field. Exodus 9:26. Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel dwelt, was there no hail. Hail, accompanied by the voice of God, that is, thunder (Exod 19:16, Ps 28:3-9), united with fire spreading along the ground in whole streams (“et mitlakkhot,” Ezek 1:4), which struck down all that was in the field, all the grass, all the trees, the grapes and the sycamores (Ps 77:47), is compared by some to the rainstorms known in ancient and modern Egypt. But in reality, bearing a supernatural character (Wis 16:17-18), the seventh plague proves, like the preceding ones, the powerlessness of the Egyptian gods. “The Lord sent upon them hail and thunder,” says the blessed Theodoret, “thus showing that He is the master of all the elements. Since the Egyptians and Greeks thought that some gods were heavenly, others earthly, and still others underground, the God of all necessarily instructed them by signs not only on the river and on the earth, but also in the air and in the sea, sending upon them thunder from the sky, teaching them that He is the Creator and Master of all things.” And indeed, fire, recognized by the Egyptians, according to the testimony of Diodorus Siculus, as a great god, and water, esteemed above all other elements, now produce devastation.

Exodus 9:27. And Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron, and said to them: “This time I have sinned; the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are guilty.” Exodus 9:28. Pray [for me] to the Lord: let the thunders of God and the hail [and fire upon the earth] cease, and I will release you and will hold you no longer. The limiting of his sin merely shows again how shallow Pharaoh’s repentance is. The cause of it is slavish fear before the almightiness of God, as shown by the words: “enough of the manifestations of the thunders of God and of the hail,” but not in a complete consciousness of his sinfulness—resistance to God’s will. With such a disposition, the words: “and I will hold you no longer,” cannot be taken as an expression of firm resolve to release the Hebrews.

Exodus 9:29. Moses said to him: “As soon as I leave the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord [in heaven], the thunders will cease, and there will be no more hail and [rain], so that you may know that the earth is the Lord’s.” Exodus 9:30. But I know that you and your servants do not yet fear the Lord God. Fully understanding the true character of the repentance, knowing its brevity (verse 30), Moses agrees to fulfill Pharaoh’s request: to pray to the Lord for him, in order to prove that “the earth is the Lord’s.” In the cessation of the hail, as in the driving out of the frogs, the almightiness of the Most High is manifest. “He has wounded—and He will heal” (Hos 6:1).

Exodus 9:31. The flax and barley were struck, because the barley was in the head and the flax was in bloom. Exodus 9:32. But the wheat and spelt were not struck, because they are late. See the explanation of verses 22–23 of chapter 7.

Chapter Ten

1–15. The eighth plague—locusts. 16–20. Pharaoh’s repentance and hardening. 21–23. The ninth plague—darkness. 24–29. Pharaoh’s agreement to release the Hebrews on the condition that their livestock remain in Egypt.

Exodus 10:1. And the Lord said to Moses: Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, so that I may perform these signs of mine among them, Moses should not be troubled by Pharaoh’s stubbornness, which leads to new plagues; the hardening of his heart is God’s work, fully in accordance with the predictions (Exod 7:3-5).

Exodus 10:2. and so that you may tell your son and your grandson about what I did in Egypt, and about the signs of mine that I performed in it, and so that you may know that I am the Lord. Inevitable in view of Pharaoh’s disposition, the coming calamities may bring great benefit both to the present generation and to his descendants, if the latter become acquainted with them (Ps 43:2). Everyone will understand on the basis of them the almighty power of the One Who Is and the faithfulness of His promises.

Exodus 10:3. Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him: Thus says the Lord, God of the Hebrews: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Release my people, that they may worship me; Exodus 10:4. If you refuse to release my people, behold, tomorrow [at this same time] I will bring locusts upon [all] your territory: Exodus 10:5. and they shall cover the face of the land so that one cannot see the land, and they shall eat all the remaining [vegetation on the land], what has escaped the hail; and they shall devour all the trees that grow in your fields, Exodus 10:6. and they shall fill your houses, the houses of all your servants and [all] the houses of all the Egyptians, something which your fathers and your fathers’ fathers have not seen from the day they lived upon the earth until this day. [Moses] turned and left Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s resistance cannot continue indefinitely, for who can withstand the will of God (Rom 9:19)? It will only provoke the almighty Lord to inflict a new measure of punishment—an invasion of migratory (arbe) locusts on an unprecedented scale (Exod 10:6, Joel 2:3-4). They will complete the disaster brought by the hail.

Exodus 10:7. Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him: How long will he torment us? Release these people, that they may worship the Lord, their God; do you not yet see that Egypt is perishing? In view of the futility of Moses’ words, the courtiers attempt to influence Pharaoh. According to them, Egypt will perish from the coming plague. And indeed, after hail destroyed the first part of the harvest (Exod 9:21), the Egyptians could hope to save the second (Exod 9:32), but now by the Lord’s determination the second must also perish (Exod 10:5), with the result that the land faces terrible famine. To save themselves from it, the courtiers propose to Pharaoh to release “these people,” that is, the entire people,

Exodus 10:8. And they brought Moses and Aaron back to Pharaoh, and [Pharaoh] said to them: Go, worship the Lord, your God; but who and who will go? While agreeing in general with the proposal of his nobles, Pharaoh cannot permit the departure of the entire people. This is indicated by his question: “Who and who will go?”

Exodus 10:9. And Moses said: We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and our herds we will go, for we have a feast to the Lord [our God]. In the feast in honor of the Most High, the entire people must participate without exception; and flocks are needed for sacrifices (Exod 10:26). Moreover, with the departure of the people, there is no one to leave the herds with; they too must go.

Exodus 10:10. [Pharaoh] said to them: May the Lord be with you! I am willing to release you; but why do you want to take the children? You see, you have evil intent! Exodus 10:11. No: Go, only the men, and worship the Lord, since you are asking for that. And they drove them from Pharaoh. Seeing in Moses’ answer an evil intent, that is, the desire to leave Egypt altogether, Pharaoh addresses him with an ironic remark: “May the Lord be with you just as I… will release you and your children.” If God is able to help you in your intent to leave all of you just as I can release you with the young, old, and daughters, then certainly you will leave. But I cannot release all of you, nor can your Most High help you in this; therefore go as I permit, go only the men—“gattebharim”—men as opposed to women and children, men, excluding women and children (Exod 12:37). By releasing only the men and detaining the children, Pharaoh obviously desires that the latter remain as a pledge for their fathers’ return.

Exodus 10:12. Then the Lord said to Moses: Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, and let the locusts come upon the land of Egypt and eat all the vegetation of the land [and all the fruit of the trees], all that remained after the hail. Exodus 10:13. So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night. When morning came, the east wind had brought the locusts. The expulsion of Moses and Aaron, as an expression of Pharaoh’s contemptuous attitude toward them, the messengers of God, and thus also toward Him, provoked a new act of divine judgment upon Egypt—the appearance of locusts brought by the east wind (ruach kadim), corresponding to which the wind that carried them to the Red Sea is called from the opposite direction, the west wind (“ruach yam,” Exod 10:19)). Since, according to travelers’ accounts, locusts are brought to Egypt by the southwest wind from the Libyan Desert, some see in the Hebrew text’s mention of the east wind a direct error arising from the author of Exodus being unfamiliar with Egyptian nature. Such a view was expressed, among others, by the Septuagint translators, who put in their text: “ὁ ἄνεμος ὁ νότος”—the south wind. But the reading of the original text does not contradict the factual data. According to some witnesses, for example, Denon, Ebers, and others, locusts are brought to Egypt also from the east. The same is affirmed by Baumgarten, who sees in the relatively unusual appearance of locusts from the east in Egypt a manifestation of the almighty power of the Lord, extending beyond the limits of Egypt, the power of the Omnipresent.

Exodus 10:14. And the locusts came upon all the land of Egypt and alighted on the whole territory of Egypt in great abundance; never before had there been such locusts, nor shall there be such again; Exodus 10:15. they covered the face of all the land, so that the land could not be seen, and they ate all the vegetation of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left, and not a green thing remained, neither on the trees nor on the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt. The appearance of locusts in tremendous quantity is fully consistent with other biblical testimonies (Jer 46:23, Nah 3:15), and the remark about their voracity and the darkness caused by their appearance is confirmed by (Deut 28:38, Isa 33:4, Joel 2:2).

Exodus 10:16. Then Pharaoh urgently called Moses and Aaron and said: I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you; Exodus 10:17. Now forgive my sin once more, and pray to the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this plague. In Pharaoh’s request to pray is shown both an awareness of his own powerlessness and the powerlessness of his gods, who proved unable to protect from the locusts the gardens and fields that the Egyptians believed they guarded.

Exodus 10:18. [Moses] left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. Exodus 10:19. And the Lord turned a very strong west wind, and it carried the locusts and threw them into the Red Sea; not a single locust remained throughout all the land of Egypt. Exodus 10:20. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the sons of Israel go. With the passing of the calamity, the sense of humility and the consciousness of his guilt disappear from Pharaoh’s soul (Exod 10:17).

Exodus 10:21. Then the Lord said to Moses: Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt. Exodus 10:22. So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was a dense darkness over all the land of Egypt for three days; Exodus 10:23. they could not see one another, and no one left his place for three days; but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings. The account of the ninth plague first emphasizes the symbolic action accompanying it—Moses raising his hands toward heaven, which brings about the darkness; then the density of the darkness (a darkness that can be felt), so thick that no one could do anything, the three-day duration of the plague, and finally the miraculous deliverance of the land of Goshen from it. By the first and last features, the new plague is a supernatural event. But since one of its elements—dense darkness—is observed during the southwest wind khamsin, the entire ninth plague is identified with a phenomenon common in Egypt. The beginning of such an understanding was set by the Septuagint text, which in describing the ninth plague speaks of “darkness, gloom, and storm”—the latter being a constant companion of the khamsin—and the author of the Book of Wisdom of Solomon (Wis 17). But for all the similarity between the ninth plague and the khamsin, there is, however, an essential difference between them. The essence of the former lies in darkness; about the suffocating air and scorching sand—the main elements of the khamsin—the Bible makes no mention. The Septuagint text mentions a storm, but the Masoretic reading agrees with the Vulgate, the Targum of Onkelos, and the Syriac, Arabic, and Samaritan translations. Furthermore, although the khamsin blows for two, three, or four days, it does not do so continuously. At most it lasts 12 hours, since it does not blow at night. Consequently, continuous three-day darkness cannot occur during the khamsin. The three-day darkness that covered Egypt served as clear proof of the powerlessness of the supreme god Ra, the god of the sun, who was now subject to the will of the Most High and proved incapable of giving his worshippers even a trace of light.

Exodus 10:24. Pharaoh called Moses [and Aaron] and said: Go, worship the Lord [your God], but let your flocks and your herds remain; only your children may go with you. If the people cannot leave without livestock, just as travel through the wilderness requires them, then leaving it in the land of Goshen serves as a reliable pledge for the Hebrews’ return to their settlement. Earlier, such a pledge was the detention of the children (Exod 10:10-11).

Exodus 10:25. But Moses said: [No,] you must also provide us with sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the Lord our God; Exodus 10:26. our livestock, too, shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind; for from them we shall take our sacrifice to the Lord our God; and we do not know what we shall offer in sacrifice to the Lord until we arrive there. As Moses, so to speak, says to Pharaoh: You demand that we leave our livestock. In fact, you not only cannot insist on this, but, having acknowledged your guilt (Exod 10:16), you ought to provide animals for sacrifice to the Most High. This, of course, you will not do; in that case, our herds will go with us. And since it is now unknown what animals and how many of them will be offered in sacrifice, all herds must go: “not a hoof shall be left behind.”

Exodus 10:27. And the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go. Exodus 10:28. And Pharaoh said to him: Get away from me; take care not to appear before me again; on the day you appear before me you shall die. The particular strength of Pharaoh’s hardening was shown in the threat to kill Moses.

Exodus 10:29. And Moses said: As you have said, I will not see your face again. “I will not see your face again” seems to contradict the testimony of (Exod 12:31) and (Exod 11:4-8). But as for the first passage, it does not yet indicate with certainty that Moses saw Pharaoh’s face at that time. He was summoned to the king at night, after the death of his firstborn, that is, at a time when the father, as a sign of mourning for his dead son, should have covered his face according to ancient custom (2 Sam 19:4). According to others, the expression “I will not see your face again” means I will not come, if circumstances do not change, I will not come of my own will and desire. Furthermore, the speech (Exod 11:4-8) is a direct continuation of the words (Exod 10:29), pronounced by Moses before his departure from the royal palace. There is a direct indication of this in the words (Exod 11:8): “[Moses] left [Pharaoh] in anger.” The irritation of God’s messenger is fully understandable in view of the stubbornness displayed by Pharaoh (Exod 10:27) and the threat to kill him (Exod 10:28) and is completely inexplicable on the assumption that the speech (Exod 11:4-8) was pronounced at a new appearance; there is no indication anywhere that Pharaoh did or said something that could provoke Moses’ anger.

Chapter Eleven

1–3. Command to the people to take precious things from the Egyptians. 4–10. Prediction of the tenth plague.

Exodus 11:1. And the Lord said to Moses: I will bring one more plague upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt; after that, he will let you go from here; when he lets you go, he will drive you out completely; Exodus 11:2. Tell the people [secretly] that every man should ask his neighbor and every woman her neighbor for objects of silver and gold [and clothing]. Exodus 11:3. And the Lord gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, [and they gave to him;] and Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the eyes of [Pharaoh and] his servants and in the eyes of [all] the people. If (Exod 11:4-8) are the direct continuation of (Exod 10) (see above), then the first three verses, containing the account of the revelation to Moses about the coming of the tenth plague (Exod 4:23) and about the circumstances of the exodus from Egypt (Exod 3:21-22), apparently disrupt the flow of speech. For this reason, some exegetes conjecture that the revelation contained in them falls on the time before the last explanation of Moses with Pharaoh (Exod 10:24-29), and the account of it is placed after (Exod 11:1-3) because it sufficiently explains the boldness of Moses’ answer (Exod 10:29). The textual basis for such understanding is the translation of the Hebrew “vayomer”—“said” (Exod 11:1)—with the past perfect tense. In particular, that (Exod 11:1-3) do not represent a new revelation, the announcement of which would require a new appearance before Pharaoh, is proven by the absence in this case of the usual formula: “Go to Pharaoh and tell him” (Exod 7:15), which begins each new revelation.

Exodus 11:4. And Moses said: Thus says the Lord: I will go out in the middle of the night through the midst of Egypt, Exodus 11:5. and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the slave-girl who is at the mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle; Exodus 11:6. and there shall be a loud cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as has never been, and such as shall never be again; See below the commentary on verses 31–32 of chapter 12.

Exodus 11:7. But against all the sons of Israel no dog shall growl, either against people or against animals, so that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. While throughout the land of Egypt a cry will be heard, complete quiet will be observed among the Israelites; no one and nothing will disturb even the watchdogs (Jdt 11:19).

Exodus 11:8. And all these officials of yours shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying: Go, you and all the people who follow you. After that, I will leave. And [Moses] left [Pharaoh] in anger. On the reasons for such action of the 10th plague on Pharaoh see below in the explanation of verse 31 of chapter 12.

Exodus 11:9. And the Lord said to Moses: Pharaoh will not listen to you, in order that my wonders may be multiplied [and my signs and wonders] in the land of Egypt. Exodus 11:10. Moses and Aaron performed all these [signs and] wonders before Pharaoh; but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go out of his land. The review of the first nine plagues concludes with a note of the exact fulfillment by Moses and Aaron of the divine commandments.

Chapter Twelve

1–28. The establishment of Passover. 29–32. The tenth plague. 33. The beginning of the exodus of the Hebrews from the land of Egypt.

Exodus 12:1. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: Exodus 12:2. This month shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. With the exodus from Egypt, a new life began for the Hebrews, marked by a succession of mercies from the Lord toward His people. The remembrance of these latter constitutes the content of the so-called ecclesiastical year. And since the first of these acts of grace—the leading out from Egypt—falls in the month of Abib, the month of grain (Exod 13:4, Deut 16:1), renamed Nisan after the Babylonian captivity, it becomes the first in the ecclesiastical year.

Exodus 12:3. Tell all the congregation of the sons of Israel: On the tenth day of this month, let each of them take a lamb for their family, a lamb for each household; The transformation of Abib into the first month of the ecclesiastical year fixed the remembrance of liberation from Egyptian bondage; the same purpose was achieved by the establishment of the Passover feast (“pesach”—passing over, Exod 12:11-12). While celebrating the Passover festival, the historical event of the exodus from Egypt, the Israeli people also celebrated their election as the people of God, their birth, their creation, for the exodus had as its purpose the rebirth of Israel as the people of God (Exod 19:4-6). Passover is a feast of birth, a feast of life. This general meaning of the feast is expressed in its individual observances. To be worthy of God’s election, the Hebrew people had to purify themselves. In the Old Covenant, sacrifices were the only means to this end. The sacrifice begins and is concentrated in the Passover celebration. The victim of the Passover feast was a lamb, called “the Passover sacrifice to the Lord” (Exod 12:27) and “the sacrifice of the Passover festival” (Exod 34:25). The same meaning is given to it by the Hebrew word “zebach,” used to designate bloody sacrifices. Intended for the Most High, for worship purposes, the lamb was chosen four days before slaughter on the 10th of Abib, perhaps for the purpose of careful observation to ensure it had no defects, was chosen by each family, since all Hebrews were liberated from bondage and received into the people of God.

Exodus 12:4. If the household is too small for a whole lamb, let it join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; you shall apportion the lamb according to the number of people—you shall make your count for the lamb according to what each person eats. According to the law, the lamb had to be eaten entirely, and in the extreme case any remaining was burned (Exod 12:10). And since a small household, by number of members, could not fulfill this first requirement, it was obligated to unite with another. According to later Jewish tradition, a household should not have fewer than 10 people.

Exodus 12:5. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats, Exodus 12:6. and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of the sons of Israel shall slaughter it in the evening, Separated from the flocks on the 10th of Abib, the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the 14th in the evening, or in a literal translation from the Hebrew, “between two evenings.”

Exodus 12:7. Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it; As seen from (Exod 12:13), it was prescribed to sprinkle the blood on the doorposts and lintels for the purpose that the avenging hand of God, striking the Egyptians, would pass over the Hebrews. If the Destroyer angel spared the houses of the latter because they were sprinkled with the blood of the lamb, then from this it is evident that it was an image of redemption, cleansing, and reconciliation. Its significance is equal to that of all sacrificial blood (Lev 17:11).

Exodus 12:8. They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted over the fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs; The Passover meal symbolized the common unity of the participants of the meal among themselves and with its founder—God. Such significance of the Passover supper is indicated by the conditions of consuming the lamb. Prepared without being broken into pieces, the Passover lamb was a symbol of unity and wholeness, indicating that those who ate it should enter into communion with the Lord. In connection with the idea expressed by the Passover meal of the communion of the Hebrews with God stands the command to eat the lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. In Egypt, Israel was in danger of being corrupted by the depravity of its rulers (Josh 24:14). But the Lord brought it out of a land of bondage, chose it as a pure, holy people. As such, it should banish from its midst the old leaven—moral corruption, begin a new sinless life. The sign of this was the abandoning of leavened bread during the Passover festival, a symbol of everything base (Matt 16:6, 1 Cor 5:7-8), and the eating of unleavened bread, bread pure (Hebrew matzot—pure, 1 Cor 5:8). The incentive to live such a life was, especially, the divine mercy—liberation from Egyptian bondage. A reminder of the bitterness of this bondage was the eating of bitter herbs (πικρίδων—LXX, a kind of the bitterest herb, corresponding to wild lettuce), the use of which, like bitter food generally, serves as the usual symbol of afflictions and sufferings (Ps 68:22, Jer 2:19). “You shall not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire” (Exod 12:9) does not contradict “you must cook (bashal) and eat” (Deut 16:7). The verb “bashal” does not mean “to boil” but simply “to make ready,” and therefore can be used equally for roasting over fire and for boiling in water.

Exodus 12:9. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs; Exodus 12:10. You shall let none of it remain until morning [and you shall not break any of its bones], but you shall burn any of it remaining until morning in the fire. Exodus 12:11. In this manner you shall eat it: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly: it is the Passover of the Lord. Exodus 12:12. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. Exodus 12:13. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. Explanation of the final words: “it is the Passover of the Lord” (Exod 12:11). The Lord, who will strike all the firstborn in Egypt from human beings to animals and thereby prove their powerlessness (“I will execute judgments on all the gods of Egypt”) (Exod 12:12), will pass over the houses of the Hebrews. Thus “pesach,” Passover—the passing over.

Exodus 12:14. This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance. The significance of the festival explains its perpetual observance for as long as the Old Covenant worship retains its force. Only in this sense is Passover an “eternal ordinance” (see 1 Cor 5:7). Like other festivals and ordinances, the Old Covenant Passover is a shadow, a foreshadowing of what is to come (Col 1:15-17). In the Passover ordinances, Old Covenant writers perceived the shadow of the future. They gave the coming Messiah titles that are clearly borrowed from the Passover lamb. Thus, the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah liken Him to a lamb (Isa 53:7, Jer 11:19), and New Covenant writers see in this likeness a clear indication of Jesus Christ (Acts 8:32-35). In accordance with this, the title of lamb is applied to Him in the New Covenant as well (John 1:29, 1 Pet 1:19), and the holy John the theologian, recounting that soldiers did not break Christ’s legs, remarks: “These things happened so that the Scripture might be fulfilled: Not a bone of his shall be broken” (John 19:33-36, Exod 12:10). The church fathers and teachers expound in greater detail the typological significance of Passover. “The lamb,” says Cyril of Alexandria, “had to be previously chosen and separated from the flock for sacrifice: thus Christ from eternity was predestined to suffer for the human race.” The Passover lamb was required to be perfect, without blemish, male, and a year old (Exod 12:5). All these features, according to the indication of the church fathers, clearly depict Jesus Christ. The perfection of the lamb—the perfection of Christ, not only in divinity but also in the assumed nature, which is anointed with divinity. The spotlessness of the lamb—the spotlessness of Christ, because He heals from shame and defects and filth: He Himself took upon Himself our sins and diseases, but He Himself was not subject to anything requiring healing. The lamb is taken as a one-year-old, like the sun of righteousness (Mal 4:2, Gregory the Theologian). In the slaughter of the Passover lamb, the church fathers see a correspondence with the great Sacrifice. And first of all, the time of slaughter coincided with the time of Christ’s crucifixion. “He (Moses),” says Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, “knew and [predicted] the day of His suffering figuratively under the name of Passover. And on this very feast the Lord suffered, fulfilling the Passover.” “On the fourteenth day, the Passover lamb was slain as a type of the Lord crucified on the cross,” notes Ephrem the Syrian. The sprinkling of blood of the Passover lamb is the image of our redemption by the blood of Christ (Cyril of Alexandria). “The eating of unleavened bread, according to him,” is an indication that those who have become partakers of Christ should nourish their souls not with fermented, most pure desires, training themselves in a life free from cunning and corruption. Bitter herbs—an image of the sufferings which we must bear for love of Him Who went to death for us.

Exodus 12:15. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; on the very first day you shall remove leaven from your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel. The beginning of the seven-day festival of unleavened bread is the day following Passover, that is, the 15th of Abib (Lev 23:6, Num 28:17). On the night of this date the Hebrews left Egypt (Exod 12:29-34). As a sign of the new life beginning at this moment (Exod 12:17), a breaking away from Egyptian leaven, the Hebrews had to remove all leaven from their homes. The person who violates the ordinances of the God-chosen people excludes himself from the midst of these latter—is punished with death (Gen 17:14, Exod 4:24, Exod 31:14).

Exodus 12:16. On the first day you shall hold a solemn assembly, and on the seventh day a solemn assembly; no work shall be done on those days; only what everyone needs for eating, that alone may be prepared by you. The beginning and end of the festival are sanctified by assemblies at the tabernacle (Lev 23:6, Num 28:17 and others). Those who have separated themselves from all evil give themselves to the Lord, not being distracted from serving Him by worldly occupations. The rest on the first and seventh days of the festival of unleavened bread is like the sabbath, but not as strict (Exod 16:23).

Exodus 12:17. You shall observe the festival of unleavened bread, for on this very day I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a perpetual ordinance. Exodus 12:18. In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. Exodus 12:19. For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether an alien or a native of the land. Exodus 12:20. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your settlements you shall eat unleavened bread. Exodus 12:21. Then Moses called all the elders of [the sons of] Israel and said to them: Go, select lambs for your families, and slaughter the Passover lamb; According to the command of verse 3 (Exod 12:3), Moses announces to the people the law of Passover. In proclaiming God’s will, he makes certain additions.

Exodus 12:22. Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood in the basin; and none of you shall go outside the door of your house until the morning. Among these additions is the remark about hyssop, which refers not to hyssop in the literal sense, as it does not grow in Syria and Arabia, but to a similar plant, and the command not to go outside the houses: blood saves only those inside buildings.

Exodus 12:23. For the Lord will pass through to strike down the Egyptians; when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over that door and will not allow the Destroyer to enter your houses to strike you down. In (Exod 11:4), the one smiting the firstborn Egyptians with a “plague of destruction” (Exod 12:13) is represented as the Most High Himself. Meanwhile, verse 23 distinguishes from Him, as an instrument of punishment, a special Destroyer. According to some church teachers—Justin, Origen, and Augustine—these were evil angels, an indication of which is given in (Ps 77:49); Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, and Theodoret understand by “Destroyer” a good angel; the Targum, in agreement with the remark of the Book of Wisdom of Solomon (Wis 18:15), sees in the Destroyer the direct, extraordinary action of God’s word (“memra,” according to the Targum). Some of the modern exegetes identify this word with an angel of the Most High, others see in the Destroyer a simple angel, which seems more natural (2 Sam 24:16, Isa 37:36).

Exodus 12:24. You shall observe this as an ordinance for you and for your children forever. Exodus 12:25. When you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as He has promised, you shall keep this observance. Exodus 12:26. And when your children ask you, “What do you mean by this observance?” Exodus 12:27. you shall say, “It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for He passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt, when He struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.” And the people bowed down and worshipped. Exodus 12:28. The sons of Israel went and did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. Exodus 12:29. At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. At midnight on the 14th of Nisan. In verse 5 of chapter 11, in denoting the scope of the plague, another expression is used: “from the firstborn of Pharaoh to the firstborn of the slave-girl who was at the mill” (Exod 11:5). Both expressions clearly indicate the destruction of all the firstborn, among both the highest and the lowest classes of the people. A slave prisoner likewise well represents the lowest position in society, as does a slave-girl occupied with grinding grain with a millstone.

Exodus 12:30. Pharaoh rose in the night, he and all his officials and all the Egyptians; and there was a loud cry in [all the land of] Egypt, for there was no house without someone dead. Exodus 12:31. Then [Pharaoh] summoned Moses and Aaron in the night, and said: Rise up, leave my people, both you and the sons of Israel, and go, serve the Lord [your God], as you said; Exodus 12:32. Take your flocks and your herds, as you said, and leave; and bless me too. In contrast to the first nine plagues, the tenth produces the predicted effect on Pharaoh (Exod 11:8). The reason for this lies in the following. According to Egyptian mythology, Pharaoh was considered not only a representative but also a son of the supreme god Ra. “Be reverently honored for your merits, the son of the sun, Pharaoh, let him be worshipped,” is said, among other things, in a hymn to the god Ra. In view of this belief, it is quite understandable why the first plagues did not affect Pharaoh. Let, he reasoned, the Most High have proven His superiority over the gods of Egypt. I myself am a god, and since there is nothing to indicate that He is superior to me, I find no need to submit to His demands. Now, however, a god considering himself as such, has his firstborn killed by God’s will. The One Who Is, and no other (Exod 4:23), manifested His power over him. He is stronger, higher than Pharaoh; the latter, under the influence of consciousness of his own powerlessness before the Most High, is left to bow before His will. And Pharaoh does indeed release the Hebrews, fulfills Moses’ demand (Exod 8:26).

Exodus 12:33. The Egyptians urged the people to hasten their departure from the land, saying: “We shall all be dead.” Exodus 12:34. So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls wrapped in their cloaks on their shoulders. The remark about bread that had not yet been leavened, but had evidently already been prepared for leavening, gives reason to assume that the people were not familiar with the law of unleavened bread. And indeed, it is proclaimed later, and its very fulfillment pertains to the time of settlement in the promised land (Exod 13:6 and others). Such a view is not contradicted by the remark of verse 39 (Exod 12:39), that the Hebrews baked unleavened cakes from the dough they took out of Egypt. The preparation of these cakes was not the fulfillment of the law of unleavened bread (Exod 12:15 and following), but rather a matter of simple necessity: the Hebrews had not taken provisions with them, the fermented dough was not ready (Exod 12:34), and therefore they had to make do with unleavened cakes.

Exodus 12:35. The sons of Israel had done as Moses told them; they asked the Egyptians for objects of silver and gold, and for clothing. Exodus 12:36. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. See above the explanation of verses 19–20 of chapter 3.

Exodus 12:37. The sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot, besides children; On Rameses, see the commentaries on verse 11 of chapter 1. Succoth—“tents,” perhaps referring to a locality called Sehet in Egyptian records. On the number of those who left, see the commentary on verse 7 of chapter 1.

Exodus 12:38. A mixed multitude also went up with them, along with very large herds of flocks and herds. The existence among those who left Egypt of Hebrews of other nations is also mentioned in other parts of the Pentateuch: (Num 11:4, Deut 29:11). According to (Lev 24:10), they included Egyptians with whom the Hebrews had entered into family relationships. Also included in the foreigners are the “God-fearing” Egyptians (Exod 9:20) and, finally, Semites related to the Hebrews, who, according to scholars, had long lived on the eastern border of Egypt.

Exodus 12:39. They baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt; it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. Exodus 12:40. Now the period that the sons of Israel had [and their fathers] lived in Egypt [and in the land of Canaan] was four hundred thirty years. Exodus 12:41. At the end of four hundred thirty years, on that very day, all the armies of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt in the night. The duration of the Hebrews’ stay in Egypt is determined as 430 years: “the period that the sons of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years.” In the Septuagint text, this number also includes the years of the patriarchs of the Hebrew people living in the land of Canaan: “and the sojourning of the sons of Israel, which they and their fathers sojourned in Egypt and in the land of Canaan, was 430 years.” And since Abraham, having moved to Canaan at 75 years of age (Gen 12:4), gave birth to Isaac after 25 years of living there (Gen 17:1), Isaac at 60 years of age gave birth to Esau and Jacob (Gen 25:26), and Jacob moved at 130 years (Gen 47:9), adding 25, 60, and 130 we get 215, that is, 215 years that, according to the Greek text, the patriarchs lived in the land of Canaan, and 215 years that their descendants lived in Egypt. Due to the disagreement between the texts and subsequent literature lacking uniformity in views on the duration of the Jews’ stay in Egypt, Josephus, Julius Africanus, Eusebius of Caesarea, and among Russians Metropolitan Filaret, follow the count of the Septuagint; while Theophilus of Antioch and Clement of Alexandria follow the count of the Hebrews. The account of the patriarchs’ lives, the narrator ended in the book of Genesis. The entire book of Exodus, in particular, the chapters preceding this passage, deals with Israel, which had settled in Egypt. By the flow of speech, it is natural to expect that when reckoning chronologically, the narrator will have in view only the Egyptian life of the Jews. And that he has in view it, is evident from what follows. The period subject to chronological determination is called by him the word “moshav” (a verbal noun from the verb “yasav”—to dwell), that is, presented as a time of settled, not nomadic life of the Hebrew people, which can only be called a life in Egypt, but by no means in Canaan, where the patriarchs led a wandering life (Gen 47:9). In favor of the Hebrew count, further speaks (Gen 15:13): “Know that your offspring will be aliens in a land not theirs, and they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years.” The land in which the offspring of Abraham will be aliens for 400 years cannot by any means be understood as Canaan. According to the promises (Gen 12:7), it was given to the patriarchs and their descendants, was “their own” land for them, and therefore could not be called “foreign” or “not their own.” But if Canaan cannot be understood as the “foreign” land, then neither can the 400 years of residence in it be included in the 430 years if the whole period is being split into two parts of 215 years each. Testifying against all Greek reckoning, the said passage speaks, in particular, and against the division of the 430-year period into two parts, counting 215 years in each. According to (Gen 15:13), aliens will be the offspring of Abraham; consequently, from the 215 years of the patriarchs’ life in Canaan, 25 years of Abraham’s own sojourning should be excluded (see above), and the first part of the entire period will equal 190, not 215 years. Neither the change of only four generations in Egypt (Levi, Kohath, Amram, and Moses) nor the testimony of the Apostle Paul (Gal 3:16-17) contradicts the Hebrew count. As is evident from the above (see the explanation of verses 14–25 of chapter 6), more than four generations passed between Kohath and Moses; Amram, the father of Moses, is not the son of Kohath but a later descendant of Levi. As for the testimony of the Apostle Paul, first of all, it is not clear from what moment he begins the count of 430 years. On the other hand, the expression “I am speaking from a human point of view” (Gal 3:15), suggests that the Apostle Paul follows the reckoning that was common in his time.

Exodus 12:42. That was for the Lord a night of vigil, to bring them out of the land of Egypt. That night is a vigil to be kept for the Lord by all the Israelites throughout their generations. Exodus 12:43. The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: This is the ordinance for the Passover: no foreigner shall eat of it; Exodus 12:44. but any slave who has been purchased may eat of it after you have circumcised him. Exodus 12:45. No bound laborer or hired servant shall eat of it. Exodus 12:46. It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the meat outside the house, [you shall not break any of its bones,] and you shall not break a bone of it. Exodus 12:47. The whole congregation of Israel shall celebrate it. Exodus 12:48. If an alien who resides with you wants to celebrate the Passover to the Lord, all his males shall be circumcised; then he may draw near to celebrate it; he shall be regarded as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it; Exodus 12:49. There shall be one law for the native and for the alien who resides among you. Passover is a national feast of the Hebrew people, established in remembrance of their liberation from Egyptian slavery. And if the feelings evoked in the alien by this event are foreign to him, then it is certainly strange to see his participation in this feast: “no foreigner shall eat of it.” * * * In (Exod 12:13) it is said—when I strike the land of Egypt, I struck the land, I struck Egypt. There is no unambiguous indication that the Lord Himself struck the people. If He will lead angels executing vengeance—this does not mean that He Himself will kill people. In many places of Holy Scripture, angels always accompany God—they lead, help, speak in God’s name. This is confirmed by the following opinion of the holy fathers (Editor’s Note).

Chapter Thirteen

1–16. The proclamation to the people of the laws concerning the consecration of the firstborn and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 17–22. The journey toward the Red Sea and the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.

Exodus 13:1. And the Lord said to Moses, saying: Exodus 13:2. Consecrate to Me every firstborn, that opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of animal; they are Mine. The firstborn of the Hebrews and the firstborn of their cattle were saved by the Lord from death on the night of the departure of Israel from Egypt (Exod 11:7). Being saved by God, they constituted His own property: “they are Mine,” belonging to Him (Num 3:13). Therefore, they were to be consecrated, set apart (Exod 13:12); the firstborn of men were given to God’s service, which follows with certainty from the later substitution of the service of the firstborn with the service of the Levites (Num 3:41), and the firstborn of clean animals were offered in sacrifice to God (Exod 13:15).

Exodus 13:3. And Moses said to the people: Remember this day on which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from there, and you shall not eat leavened bread. Exodus 13:4. Today you are departing, in the month of Abib. Exodus 13:5. And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, then you shall observe this service in this month. Exodus 13:6. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord. Exodus 13:7. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and leavened bread shall not be found with you, and no leavened bread shall be found with you in all your territory. Exodus 13:8. And you shall tell your son on that day, saying: This is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt. Exodus 13:9. And this shall be a sign to you on your hand and a memorial on your forehead, so that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt. Exodus 13:10. You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year. The observance of the law concerning unleavened bread belongs to the time of permanent settlement in the promised land. In accord with this, in another place Moses says: “There you must not do everything as we do now here, each as he sees fit” (Deut 12:8). And indeed, if throughout the entire period of wandering to the borders of the promised land the Hebrews had no flour and their bread was manna (Exod 16:35, Josh 5:11-12), then it is obvious that until the time of settlement in Canaan the Hebrews did not have the material to prepare unleavened bread, nor could they observe the law concerning it.

Exodus 13:11. And when the Lord brings you into the land of Canaan, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you— Exodus 13:12. You shall set apart to the Lord all that opens the womb; and every firstborn of your animals that is male, you shall consecrate to the Lord. Exodus 13:13. But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, you shall break its neck. And every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. Exodus 13:14. And when your son asks you in the future, saying: What is this? you shall say to him: By a strong hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of slavery. Exodus 13:15. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man to the firstborn of animal. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that opens the womb, all the males, and every firstborn of my sons I redeem. Exodus 13:16. And this shall be a sign on your hand and a frontlet between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt. Moses prefaces the proclamation of the laws of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the consecration of the firstborn with an account of their origins. The events that brought them into being should be a sign on the Hebrew’s hand and “a memorable frontlet before his eyes,” that is, they should be clear, vivid, one might say, palpable to the same degree as a sign on the hand or a frontlet on the eyes is palpable. The heart of every Hebrew should be permeated with thoughts of them (Deut 11:18-19), and therefore the very laws will never be consigned to oblivion. The remembrance of the day of departure from Egypt will be accompanied by the observance of the law concerning unleavened bread, since the eating of “bread of affliction”—unleavened bread—is a visible expression of remembrance of this event (Deut 16:3). Like the law concerning the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the law concerning the consecration of firstborn men and animals should be observed from the time of settlement in the promised land. Since by that time the service at the tabernacle had already fallen to the Levites (Num 8:5-6), the consecration of firstborn men is replaced by the payment of a ransom prescribed by the law (Exod 34:20, Num 18:15). The firstborn of unclean animals cannot be offered in sacrifice (Exod 13:15); therefore, it is either replaced by a clean animal (Exod 34:20) or ransomed (Num 18:15).

Exodus 13:17. When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said: “Lest the people change their mind when they see war, and return to Egypt.” Weakened by prolonged slavery, unprepared to resist the warlike Philistines, who at that time were on friendly terms with the Egyptians, the Hebrews could not have withstood a clash with them; faced with the horrors of war, they could have preferred the hardship of Egyptian slavery and thus returned to Egypt. Therefore the Lord did not lead them to the land of Canaan in a northeasterly direction, through the territory of the land of the Philistines.

Exodus 13:18. And God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt. Instead of the northeasterly route, the Lord chose a direction toward “the Sea of Reeds,” that is, as is evident from Num 33:10, toward the Red Sea.

Exodus 13:19. And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the children of Israel swear, saying: “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry my bones away with you from here.” See Gen 50:25-26.

Exodus 13:20. And they took their journey from Succoth, and camped in Etham, at the edge of the wilderness. Going from Succoth in an easterly direction, the Hebrews came to Etham, lying “at the edge of the wilderness.” According to Num 33:6, it was located on the edge of the wilderness, and through this same wilderness of Etham, otherwise called Sur (Exod 15:22), the Hebrews traveled for three days after crossing the Red Sea (Num 33:8). And since the wilderness of Sur-Etham belonged to the Stony Arabia, the place of the second Hebrew camp was located somewhere at the junction of this wilderness with Egypt. At the present time, based on an Egyptian papyrus describing the flight of a certain Sinuhe from Egypt through the eastern border along a line of fortifications, Etham is considered to be one of the Egyptian fortresses intended to block the invasion of Asian nomads into Egypt from the east. Some indication of this is found in the name “Etham” itself, which is similar to the Egyptian designation of these fortresses—“hetam.”

Exodus 13:21. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. Exodus 13:22. The pillar of cloud did not depart from before them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night. The difficulty of travel through the wilderness (Etham at the edge of the wilderness) called forth special divine protection: by day the pillar of cloud protected the Hebrews from heat, and at night, becoming fire, illuminated their way. The identification of this phenomenon with caravan fires has no basis whatsoever. According to the testimony of Exod 40:34 and Num 9:15-23, the departure of the Hebrews and their halts were determined by the movement of the cloud and its stopping; the relationship between the movement of caravan fires and the people is the reverse. Likewise, in the Pentateuch there is not a single passage on the basis of which one could understand the fiery clouded pillar as natural smoke or fire. On the contrary, everywhere (Exod 13:21-22, Num 9:15-16, Ps 77:14) this phenomenon is depicted as a sign of the presence of the Most High. * * * Notes In the month of grain ears.

Chapter Fourteen

1–26. Pharaoh’s pursuit of the Israelites and the destruction of the Egyptians. 27–31. The crossing of the Red Sea.

Exodus 14:1. And the Lord said to Moses, saying: Exodus 14:2. Tell the children of Israel that they turn back and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-zephon; opposite it you shall camp by the sea. Continuation along the previous easterly route would have been equivalent to engaging in an overwhelming struggle with the garrisons of the border fortresses. It was impossible for a whole people to pass by them unnoticed, since even a single man, the aforementioned Sinuhe, could slip through a series of fortifications only at night. In view of this, at Etham the Israelites change the direction of their journey by God’s command and “turn back.” Since the Hebrew verb “shub” used here denotes movement from the western side to the opposite—eastern—and vice versa (Josh 19:12), it is evident that instead of the previous easterly direction the Hebrews now choose a westerly, or more precisely, a southwesterly one. From the account of their subsequent journey, it can be seen that after crossing the Red Sea they are on its eastern side; consequently, before the crossing they were on the western side. Turning from Etham to the southwest, they traveled along the western side of the Red Sea and camped before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-zephon. Pi-hahiroth lay to the south, Migdol on the western side, the sea on the eastern, and Baal-zephon to the east, before the encamped Hebrews, on the eastern side of the sea. Such is a more precise determination of the location of their third camp.

Exodus 14:3. And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel: They are confused in the land; the wilderness has shut them in. The Hebrews’ change in the direction of their initial route—movement along the western shore of the Red Sea—appears to Pharaoh as the result of losing their way: “they are confused”; moreover, they appear to be in a desperate situation: “the wilderness has shut them in.” And from a human perspective, this was indeed the situation of the Hebrews at that time. Retreat to the north could be cut off by the Egyptian army, the route to the west and south was blocked by the mountain range Djebel-Attaka, and to the east the sea was raging.

Exodus 14:4. And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue after them; and I will get glory over Pharaoh and over all his host; and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. And they did so. Exodus 14:5. And it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said: Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? The movement of the Hebrews from Rameses to Succoth, from there to Etham, and thence along the western side of the Red Sea required at least three days’ journey. And since it did not end with a sacrifice to God, it lasted longer than the period which Moses and Aaron had specified for the journey into the wilderness (Exod 5:3). For this reason the Egyptians correctly determined the purpose of the exodus; “the people fled,” in consequence of which regret arose over the loss of free servants.

Exodus 14:6. And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him. This feeling, under the influence of Pharaoh’s conviction of the desperate situation of the Hebrews (Exod 14:3), turns into swift determination to bring them back. A pursuit is mounted. It consisted of “six hundred chosen chariots, strictly military chariots” (Exod 14:7), all Egyptian chariots, that is, chariots at all suitable for warriors, and finally “three hundreds.” Three men were assigned to each chariot, two for fighting and a third for managing the horses.

Exodus 14:7. And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over all of them. Exodus 14:8. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: but the children of Israel went out with a high hand. Exodus 14:9. And the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, at Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon. Exodus 14:10. And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were exceedingly afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Exodus 14:11. And they said to Moses: Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? Exodus 14:12. Is not this the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying: Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. Exodus 14:13. And Moses said to the people: Fear not; stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall see them again no more. Exodus 14:14. The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:15. And the Lord said to Moses: Why do you cry to me? Speak to the children of Israel, that they go forward. Exodus 14:16. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground in the midst of the sea. Exodus 14:17. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. Exodus 14:18. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honor upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. Exodus 14:19. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them. Exodus 14:20. And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. The first moment of the promised divine assistance, the miracle, consisted of the separation of the Hebrews from the Egyptians pursuing them. It was accomplished because the clouded pillar, which had previously gone before the Hebrews, now stood between them and the Egyptians. In its new position it performed both its functions: turned with its dark side toward the Egyptians and its bright side toward the Hebrews, it concealed the Hebrew camp from the former while illuminating the way for the latter. This is the thought expressed by the Hebrew text and the corresponding Russian. Both Aquila and the Targum of Onkelos hold the same understanding. In contrast to this, the Greek text, according to the testimony of Josh 24:7, speaks of one action—the spreading of darkness. When the pillar was between the camps, “there was darkness and there was gloom, and night came.”

Exodus 14:21. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. Following the separation of the Hebrews from the Egyptians by divine power, marked by the stretching out of Moses’ hand with his rod, the division of the sea waters occurs. According to the Hebrew text it is brought about by an east wind, but according to the Greek by a south wind. This discrepancy is explained as follows. According to the testimony of travelers, the wind at the Suez isthmus blows in a northeasterly and southeasterly direction. And since the Hebrew language has names only for the four cardinal directions, it is natural that one and the same wind—a southeasterly one—could be called both south and east. Furthermore, the action produced by the wind is denoted in the original text by the verb “baka,” which means “to split,” “to crack,” “to split apart.” The water mass, therefore, is not simply driven by the wind, but is split, divided by it into two parts, direct indication of which is contained in the words Exod 14:22: “the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left” (Ps 73:13, Nehem 9:11, Isa 63:12, 1 Cor 10:1).

Exodus 14:22. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left. Exodus 14:23. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. Exodus 14:24. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked upon the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians. With the coming of morning, in the “morning watch,” the final, third moment of the miracle arrives, marked by the words: “the Lord looked upon the host of the Egyptians from the pillar of cloud and fire.” The division of day and night into watches, adopted by the Babylonians and Assyrians, existed also among the Hebrews (1 Sam 11:11, Lam 2:19); the morning watch, by our reckoning, is the time from 2 to 6 o’clock in the morning. The divine action that confused the Egyptians and is denoted by the word “looked,” is conveyed in the Hebrew text by the verb “vayashkev” from “shakav,” literally: “he leaned down in order to look.” Judging from Ps 143:3 and Amos 9:4, this expression points to the movement of God’s will directed against the enemies of Israel. But the external action of the “looking”—the confusion of the Egyptians—gives us reason to think that the cause of it—the “looking”—was expressed in something visible. And indeed, Ps 76:17-19 understands it in the sense of a terrible, thunderous storm that broke out over the Egyptians. “The waters saw You, O God; the waters saw You and trembled. Out of the clouds issued water, the clouds uttered their voice, and Your arrows went forth” (Ps 76:17-18). Similarly, according to the words of Josephus, the Lord struck the Egyptians with thunderous blows accompanied by flashing lightning.

Exodus 14:25. And took off their chariot wheels, that they drove them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians. The confusion of the Egyptians increased further through the “removal by God of the axles from their chariots,” or according to the Greek reading—through the “binding of the axles of the chariots,” so that they moved with difficulty. The Greek translation, like the Samaritan, perhaps indicates that in the sea bed, softened by rainwater and the passage of the many Hebrews, the heavy Egyptian chariots began to sink. Now, as often happened to the enemies of the Hebrew people (Judg 7:21, 1 Sam 14:20), with confusion comes fear—“let us flee from the face of Israel,” and with fear comes further confusion—disorderly flight.

Exodus 14:26. And the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. Exodus 14:27. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and by morning the water returned to its place; and the Egyptians were fleeing toward [the water]. So the Lord drowned the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Although the text does not mention that the water walls came together as a result of the wind, this follows with certainty both from the fact that to bring about this phenomenon the same action is performed—Moses stretches his hand with his rod over the sea—and from Exod 15:10 (cf. Exod 14:8). The remark in verse 25: “let us flee from the face of Israel” gives every reason to think that from the eastern shore of the Red Sea, to which the Hebrews were crossing, the Egyptians directed themselves toward the western one. In accord with this, the wind that blew “against them” under whose influence the water walls came together could only be a western one.

Exodus 14:28. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. Exodus 14:29. But the children of Israel walked upon dry ground in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left. Exodus 14:30. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. Exodus 14:31. And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord: and they believed the Lord, and his servant Moses. The former unbelief (Exod 14:11-12) is replaced by faith in the Lord and trust in Moses (Ps 105:12) as a result of the miracle. Thus the Red Sea became for the Hebrew people a font of faith in the omnipotence, wisdom, and goodness of the Lord (1 Cor 10:2). In accord with this, the crossing through it prefigures the New Testament sacrament of baptism. “The sea,” says the blessed Theodoret, “was made like a baptismal font, the cloud—like the grace of the Spirit; Moses—like a priest; his rod—like the cross; the Israel that passed through the sea—like those being baptized, and the Egyptians pursuing them represented the image of demons, while Pharaoh himself served as the image of the devil.” * * * Notes If one takes into account that the Egyptians were to the west of the Hebrews—then it is quite realistic that one and the same cloud, located between them, on the side of the Egyptians would shield the sun and produce the sensation of night, while on the side of the Hebrews—it would reflect the sun and intensify solar illumination even more (Editor’s note). The basic direction of the Red Sea is from southeast to northwest. Consequently, only a wind with a predominant south-facing side could have divided the sea in half, since the presence of such a strong east wind could surely have hindered the crossing of the Hebrews through the Red Sea. Thus, the indication in the Greek text of a south wind that “split” the sea, in the absence of designations of intermediate directions, is actually confirmed by geographical and historical data (Editor’s note).

Chapter Fifteen

1–21. The song of thanksgiving, sung by the Hebrews after crossing the Red Sea. 22–27. The journey through the wilderness of Sur, the absence of fresh water and the murmuring of the Israelites; the miracle at Marah and the arrival at Elim.

The song of thanksgiving, sung by the Hebrews after crossing the Red Sea, apart from the preface or introduction (Exod 15:1-2), falls into three parts. The first (Exod 15:3-8) depicts the omnipotence of the Most High, the Man of war, who came forth to save Israel against Pharaoh; the second (Exod 15:9-13), beginning with a description of the enemy’s pride and his destruction, reveals the truth that the Lord, God of Israel, is immeasurably exalted compared to other gods; the third (Exod 15:14-18) describes the impression produced by the omnipotence of the Lord on the neighboring pagan nations.

Exodus 15:1. I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The theme of the song is the glorification of the greatness of the Most High (“triumphed gloriously”), manifested in the particular case—the destruction of the Egyptians: “the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”

Exodus 15:2. The Lord is my strength and my song, and he is become my salvation: this is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Conqueror of the Egyptians, the Lord appears to the Hebrew people as their “strength,” since the crossing of the Red Sea and deliverance from death is the work not of the strength of Israel, but of the power of the Lord (Exod 14:31); the people showed themselves only in fear and cries (Exod 14:10), and they have neither strength nor glory. The power of the Most High has given the people salvation, and therefore, constituting their strength and power, He is also their salvation. As such, He alone is the subject of honor and glorification among Israel (Gen 28:20-21). He, who preserved the fathers (1 Chr 16:19-22), fulfilled the promises given to them (Gen 15:14), is the true God and therefore worthy to be glorified (2 Sam 22:47, Ps 98:5, Isa 25:1).

Exodus 15:3. The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name. Exodus 15:4. Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he has cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. Exodus 15:5. The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone. Exodus 15:6. Your right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: your right hand, O Lord, has dashed in pieces the enemy. Exodus 15:7. And in the greatness of your excellency you have overthrown them that rose up against you: you sent forth your wrath, which consumed them as stubble. A more detailed description of the power of the One Who Is. The Most High has shown great power, has shown Himself to be a man of war (Ps 23:8), fighting for His people (Deut 4:34) in the drowning of Pharaoh’s armies in the sea (Ps 105:8-10). Sunk in the depths, like a stone—without any hope of salvation—they are struck down by nothing other than the strong hand of the Lord (Exod 15:5). Those who rose up against God are swiftly, every one, destroyed like straw by fire, by the flame of His wrath (Isa 5:24).

Exodus 15:8. And with the blast of your nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as a heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. Exodus 15:9. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. Exodus 15:10. You blew with your wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters. The very natural phenomenon that served in God’s hands as an instrument of salvation for the Hebrews—“the waters became a wall” (Exod 14:22)—is transformed by God through the agency of the wind: “You blew with Your wind” (Job 37:10) into a means of destruction of the enemies—it is the work of His omnipotence.

Exodus 15:11. Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? By the powers just displayed, the Lord has no equal among the gods (2 Sam 7:22, 1 Sam 8:23, Ps 70:19, Jer 10:6), in particular among the gods of Egypt, whose powerlessness is known to the Hebrews. He is a transcendent being—“glorious in holiness”; as such, He is worthy of praise and glorification (Ps 117:29).

Exodus 15:12. You stretched out your right hand: the earth swallowed them. Exodus 15:13. You in your mercy have led forth the people which you have redeemed: you have guided them in your strength to your holy habitation. The Most High is worthy of praise not only as the worker of a great miracle—the swallowing of the Egyptians by the “earth,” where the term “earth” denotes both water and solid ground—but also as the protector of His people (Ps 105:5), guarding them on the way “to Your holy habitation” in the land of Canaan (Ps 77:54), sanctified by theophanies to the patriarchs (Gen 28:16) and also by altars built to God (Gen 28:18).

Exodus 15:14. The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina. Exodus 15:15. Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them: all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. The impression produced by the crossing of the Red Sea on the peoples who possess the land of Canaan and who live near it. The song attributes to them the very same feelings that the miracle aroused in the Hebrew people (Exod 14:31): similar phenomena produce like effects. After the Egyptians, the Philistines were the first people of whom the Hebrews were afraid (Exod 13:17); the main enemy is defeated, and by the laws of psychology the thought turns from the Egyptians to the Philistines (Exod 15:15, Josh 2:9).

Exodus 15:16. Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of your arm they shall be as still as a stone; till your people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over, which you have purchased. Such a state of the nations is desirable for the Hebrews during all their further wanderings to the land of Canaan. Terrified by the arm of the Most High helping the Hebrews, mute as a stone—that is, powerless to undertake anything (1 Sam 25:37)—they will not be able to offer strong resistance (Deut 2:25, Josh 2:9-11).

Exodus 15:17. You shall bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which you have made for you to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. But even with this condition, the introduction and settlement of the Hebrews in Canaan depends on God (Deut 31:1-6), wherefore He is implored to bring this matter to completion. “The mountain of Your inheritance”—the mountainous region of Canaan (Ps 67:16-17, Isa 5:1), which constitutes the property of the Lord (Jer 2:7) and, as His dwelling place, is a holy place, a sanctuary (Ps 77:54).

Exodus 15:18. The Lord shall reign forever and ever. There, in Canaan, the Lord will be king of His people (Ps 104:11).

Exodus 15:19. For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. Exodus 15:20. And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. Exodus 15:21. And Miriam answered them, Sing you to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. As is evident from Exod 15:1, the song was sung by men: at its conclusion the story of the deliverance was recounted (Exod 15:19), and then in conclusion the chorus of women, led by Miriam, sang the first verse of the song.

Exodus 15:22. And Moses led Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Sur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. Down to Exod 18:27 is the path from the Red Sea to Sinai. The enumeration of the camps and the events that took place at the stops. From the statement Num 33:10, that the third camp of the Hebrews was at the Red Sea, it follows with certainty that after crossing the sea the Hebrews did not go directly along the caravan road leading northeast to the Gulf of Elath, but traveled toward the south, along the eastern shore of the Red Sea. The wilderness of Sur, otherwise called Etham (Num 33:8), could have received a double name from two cities lying in it. Three days’ journey through it without water speaks to the intensity of thirst and the naturalness of the murmuring noted below.

Exodus 15:23. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. The site of the first stop—Marah—is commonly located in the wadi Gharandel. Like Marah, the spring of Gharandel is marked by a somewhat salty taste of water, which the Bedouins consider to be the worst in the entire region.

Exodus 15:24. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? Exodus 15:25. And he cried to the Lord; and the Lord showed him a tree: and when he had cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them. There is no natural explanation for the miracle. The text contains no suggestion that Moses drew off the water and that newly appeared water proved good (opinion of Josephus). Likewise, the experiments of travelers do not confirm the view that the tree possesses natural properties of turning bitter water into potable water. The Arabs do not know of such a tree either. The event served as a test of the people’s faith in that they did not doubt the efficacy of the extraordinary means employed by Moses—they did not doubt and did not refuse to drink that water about which only moments before they had asked: “what shall we drink?” So too for the one who has turned to Christ, faith in Him, crucified on the cross, prefigured by the tree of Marah (Ephrem the Syrian), serves as consolation and sweetness in the earthly vale. “Hearing of the tree of Marah,” says Gregory of Nyssa, “surely you will understand the cross. The virtuous life becomes sweeter, sweetened by hope for the future.”

Exodus 15:26. If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and will do that which is right in his sight, and will give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes; I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that heals you. The particular case of the saving action of faith gives occasion for the establishment of a general principle concerning the conditions of deliverance from various kinds of afflictions, the worst of which are the Egyptian plagues (Deut 7:11-15). The promise of the Lord was to sustain the spirit of the people during further trials that lay ahead on the path.

Exodus 15:27. And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and seventy palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters. The second camp—Elim—was located south of Marah in the present-day wadi Garandel, abounding in beautiful palm trees, tamarisks, acacias, and succulent grass. * * * Notes Bitterness.

Chapter Sixteen

1–6. The arrival in the wilderness of Sin. The complaint of the Hebrews. 7–36. The miraculous provision of food to the Israelites: quail and manna.

Exodus 16:1. And they departed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they went forth from the land of Egypt. A month after their departure from Egypt (Num 33:3) the Hebrews came to the wilderness of Sin, not directly from Elim, but from an encampment that had been by the sea (Num 33:10-11).

Exodus 16:2. And all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, Exodus 16:3. and the children of Israel said to them: O that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to fullness! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill all this assembly with hunger. The complaint was directed against both brothers – their divine mission: “you have brought us out into the wilderness” (Exod 3:10), and at the same time against the Most High Himself, who called Moses and Aaron. Besides mere whim (Ps 77:18), the foundation for the complaint was fear of death by starvation, more painful than death from the Egyptian plagues in a state of complete material abundance: “we sat by the pots of meat” (Num 11:4-5).

Exodus 16:4. And the Lord said to Moses: Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you, and let the people go out and gather daily what is needed for the day, so that I may test him, whether he will walk according to My law, or not; Exodus 16:5. And on the sixth day let them prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather on the other days. The sad memory: “we ate bread to fullness” (Exod 16:3) should not be recalled. Bread from heaven—that is, manna (Exod 16:15, Ps 77:24)—will be given in sufficient quantity for each day, and the people will be satisfied with bread to fullness (Exod 16:8, Ps 77:25). The daily gathering of manna reminded the Hebrews of their complete dependence of existence on God (Deut 8:16-17) and at the same time trained them in the exact fulfillment of the requirement not to store it for another day, except on the Sabbath (Exod 16:29). In this respect the gift of manna is a testing of the Hebrew people.

Exodus 16:6. And Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel: In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out from the land of Egypt, Exodus 16:7. And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because He has heard your complaint against the Lord; but what are we that you complain against us? Exodus 16:8. And Moses said: This will happen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to fullness, because the Lord has heard your complaint which you have made against Him; but what are we? Your complaint is not against us, but against the Lord. Before proclaiming God’s will, Moses and Aaron try to stop the complaint. There is no reason to complain against them, for not they, Moses and Aaron, brought the Hebrews out of Egypt and subjected them to misery: “what are we that you complain against us?” The one responsible for the misery is God Himself, because He brought the people out of Egypt. As responsible for their hardship, the Lord heard the people’s complaint and appeared to Israel. And in this forthcoming manifestation of the One Who Is lies the foundation for ceasing the discontent. God, having brought the Hebrews out of Egypt and now subjecting them to hardship, will Himself remove it: “in the evening He will give meat, and in the morning bread.”

Exodus 16:9. And Moses said to Aaron: Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel: Draw near before the Lord, for He has heard your complaint. Exodus 16:10. And when Aaron spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud. The manifestation of the glory of the Lord, which indicated the presence of God among the people (Num 16:19 and others, 1 Sam 8:10), was visible proof of the truth of Moses’ preceding speech.

Exodus 16:11. And the Lord said to Moses, saying: Exodus 16:12. I have heard the complaint of the children of Israel; say to them: In the evening you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be satisfied with bread – and you shall know that I am the Lord, your God. Exodus 16:13. And in the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp; Exodus 16:14. and when the layer of dew went up, behold, on the surface of the wilderness was something fine, granular, fine as hoarfrost on the ground. Exodus 16:15. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another: What is it? For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them: This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat; According to the testimony of travelers, in spring on the Sinai peninsula there is such a multitude of migratory birds that they can be caught by hand. This natural phenomenon served as an instrument in the hands of Divine Providence for nourishing the Hebrews. According to the indication Num 11:9, the appearance of dew was accompanied by the appearance of manna. But since dew comes from heaven (Deut 33:13, Zech 8:12), manna, given from heaven, is called “bread from heaven” (Exod 16:4, Ps 77:24, Nehem 9:15, John 6:31). In external appearance it resembled coriander seed, white like hoarfrost, or yellowish-blue in color, was similar to bdellium, and in taste was the same as a cake with honey (Exod 16:31, Num 11:7). The very word “manna” is formed from two Hebrew words: “man”, “ma” – what and “gu” – he, and literally means: what is this? The derivation from “manan” – “to give” has no basis in the text. Like the appearance of quail, the gift of manna is considered from the time of Josephus to be a natural phenomenon. He, like other scholars, identifies biblical manna with tamarisk manna flowing from tamarisks in the form of glue. In liquid form the latter has a dark-dirty color, and in dry form is completely white; it is gathered on the Sinai peninsula in the wadis Feiran and Garandel at the same time when the Hebrews were in the wilderness of Sin – in May, June. But despite the resemblance between biblical and tamarisk manna, there is also a substantial difference. It concerns above all the quantity. The Hebrews gathered manna each at the rate of an omer (Exod 16:16), consequently all in sufficient quantity; meanwhile tamarisk manna yields in a year no more than 500–600 pounds. The Hebrews ate manna during all forty years of their wandering (Exod 16:35), even on the eastern side of the Jordan (Josh 5:12), while tamarisk manna, besides the wilderness of Sin, is nowhere found now. Tamarisk manna is like wax, while biblical manna is like flour or groats, which could be ground in millstones, pounded in a mortar, and cooked in a pot (Num 11:8). Biblical manna was subject to decay (Exod 16:20), while tamarisk manna is not; the first did not appear on the Sabbath (Exod 16:27), the latter was gathered on that day as well.

Exodus 16:16. This is what the Lord has commanded: Gather it so that each one gathers for himself; an omer for each person, according to the number of your households, each of you shall gather for those in his tent. Exodus 16:17. And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some much, some little; Exodus 16:18. and when they measured it by the omer, the one who had gathered much had nothing left over, and the one who had gathered little had no lack: each had gathered as much as he could eat. The quantity of manna gathered was measured by the omer (Hebrew “omer” – a measure). This term served as the name for an unknown measure of capacity, but denotes “a vessel for drinking, which inhabitants of the East commonly have with them on their travels through the desert for drawing water from springs” (Michaelis). Another exegete, Canne, expresses the same view. And since these household vessels, while relatively equal, could have different capacities, this explains the fact that those who gathered more manna (Exod 16:17) when measured by the omer had nothing left over, and those who gathered less had no lack. Families larger in number had larger omers, thanks to which a greater quantity of gathered manna could fit in them – there was no surplus. Smaller families had smaller omers, and they contained as much manna as was needed for the family – there was no lack. If the understanding of the term “omer” explained thereby sufficiently explains the statement Exod 16:18, it is not contradicted by the remark Exod 16:36, that the omer is 1/10 of an ephah. Given its unequal capacity, it was quite natural to note its relationship to a definite measure.

Exodus 16:19. And Moses said to them: Let no one leave any of it until morning. Exodus 16:20. But they did not listen to Moses, and some of them left part of it until morning – and it bred worms and became foul. And Moses was angry with them. The failure to obey the second command is most likely explained by greed (Num 11:32-33).

Exodus 16:21. And they gathered it early in the morning, each as much as he could eat; and when the sun grew hot, it melted. Exodus 16:22. And on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each person. And all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses. Exodus 16:23. And he said to them: This is what the Lord has said: Tomorrow is a day of rest, the holy Sabbath of the Lord; what you need to bake, bake today, and what you need to cook, cook today; and what is left over, set aside and keep for morning. Exodus 16:24. And they set it aside for morning, as Moses had commanded, and it did not become foul, nor were there worms in it. Since the people had not been given an explanation of the meaning of the command to gather double manna on the sixth day (Exod 16:5), it was quite natural that they did not understand it. There is a hint of this in the behavior of the leaders of the congregation. They report to Moses about the carrying out of his command, as though waiting for an indication of what should be done with the double quantity of manna.

Exodus 16:25. And Moses said: Eat it today, for today is the Sabbath of the Lord; today you will not find any in the field; Exodus 16:26. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none. Exodus 16:27. But some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather – and they found none. Exodus 16:28. And the Lord said to Moses: How long will you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? Exodus 16:29. See, the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day He gives you bread for two days: let each of you remain in his place, no one is to go out from his place on the seventh day. Exodus 16:30. So the people rested on the seventh day. Exodus 16:31. And the house of Israel called the name of it manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like a cake made with honey. The disobedience that occurred at first from some of the people was subsequently eliminated by a second repetition of the law concerning the Sabbath (Exod 16:28-30).

Exodus 16:32. And Moses said: This is what the Lord has commanded: Fill an omer with it as a store for your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out from the land of Egypt. Exodus 16:33. And Moses said to Aaron: Take a golden vessel, and put into it a full omer of manna, and place it before the Lord, to be kept for your generations. Exodus 16:34. And Aaron placed it before the ark of the testimony, to be kept, as the Lord commanded Moses. Since the construction of the tabernacle of meeting and its furnishings, in particular the ark of the covenant, pertains to a later time, according to the opinion of some exegetes, the events of these verses took place much later than the stay of the Hebrews in the wilderness of Sin. Others, however, on the basis of Exod 33:7 and the subsequent verses of chapter 33 of Exodus, suppose that before the construction of the tabernacle, the Hebrews had a special sanctuary, in which the vessel with manna was placed.

Exodus 16:35. The children of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to a settled land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. The remark Exod 16:35 belongs to a later time and author. * * * A very interesting remark. The omer – a completely fixed measure of volume (Editor’s Note).

Chapter Seventeen

1–4. The camp at Rephidim, the complaint of the people. 5–7. Moses miraculously draws water from a rock. 8–16. The battle with the Amalekites.

Exodus 17:1. And all the congregation of the children of Israel traveled from the wilderness of Sin by stages, as the Lord commanded, and camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. The intermediate camps between Sin and Rephidim were Dophkah and Alush (Num 33:12-13), the location of which is not known precisely. The movement of the Hebrews was determined by “God’s command,” that is, by the indication of the cloud pillar that went before them (Exod 40:34-38). The last camp before Sinai, Rephidim, is thought to be either in the valley of Pheiran, distinguished by fertility and abundance of waters gathering in a stream flowing from a rock (Exod 17:6), or in the valley of Sheikh, in the place called Suweita, where there is a stone called the seat of Moses.

Exodus 17:2. And the people found fault with Moses, and said: Give us water to drink. And Moses said to them: Why do you find fault with me? Why do you test the Lord? Exodus 17:3. And the people were thirsty for water there, and the people complained against Moses, saying: Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst? On the people’s part the quarrel with Moses consisted of accusing him of leading them out of Egypt and subjecting them to a new hardship – death by thirst (Exod 17:3). It was founded on doubt of divine help: the people was not sure of the presence of the Lord in its midst (Exod 17:7), a second time (Exod 15:24) made a sinful attempt to ascertain whether He would help Moses or not (Ps 77:18 and others); in view of this, the quarrel was a testing of God.

Exodus 17:4. Moses cried to the Lord, saying: What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me. Exodus 17:5. And the Lord said to Moses: Go on ahead of the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the rod with which you struck the water, take it in your hand, and go; With the wonder-working rod (Exod 7:20) in his hands, Moses comes forth before the people as a miracle-worker. The Hebrews will believe in him as a messenger of God (Exod 14:31); their intention to kill him will disappear, and therefore he has no reason to fear death: “go on ahead of the people.”

Exodus 17:6. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, and the people will drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. Exodus 17:7. And he called the name of the place [Massah and Meribah], because of the fault-finding of the children of Israel, and because they tested the Lord, saying: Is the Lord among us, or not? *** The presence of the wonder-working rod in Moses’ hand convinced the people and Moses himself of the forthcoming working of the miracle, and the words “Behold, I will stand before you” served to assure Moses in the same way. You will not be abandoned by Me, I Myself will be present and will work the miracle, as the Lord says (Ps 77:15-20). “At Horeb,” not on the mountain of that name, since at this time the Hebrews had not yet approached Sinai, but in the mountain range bearing that name. “The rock, from which water flowed, as the Apostle Paul says, is Christ (1 Cor 10:4), for the unbelieving a dry and stubborn rock, but as soon as anyone applies the rod of faith, it becomes accessible to those who are thirsty and flows within those who receive Him” (Gregory of Nyssa).

Exodus 17:8. And Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. The Amalekites, descendants of Esau through his son Eliphaz (Gen 36:12), – a nomadic people, living by robbery, occupied the space between Idumea and Sinai. According to the testimony Deut 25:18, they attacked not the main forces and masses of the people, but the rear ranks, weary from the journey and therefore having fallen behind.

Exodus 17:9. Moses said to Joshua: Choose men for us and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill, and the rod of God will be in my hand. Joshua, originally called Oshea, – the son of Nun from the tribe of Ephraim (Num 13:8). The people, who had just been complaining and dissatisfied with Moses, could not, given their disposition, take part in the battle in their entirety; brave men, those who had not lost courage, were chosen for it (Judg 7:1 and others). The promise to stand with the rod of God, the wonder-working rod (see above Exod 17:5), is nothing other than assurance of the coming victory over enemies.

Exodus 17:10. And Joshua did as Moses said to him, and went [to fight] with Amalek; and Moses and Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill. According to the opinion of Josephus, the Hur mentioned in the present case is the same person as Hur, the grandfather of the famous craftsman, the builder of the tabernacle, Bezalel, and the son of Caleb from the tribe of Judah (Exod 31:2; 1 Chr 2:19; 2 Chr 1:5). Jewish tradition, noted by Josephus, calls him the husband of the sister of Moses, Miriam. How much the Hebrew tradition is justified and accurate, it is quite difficult to say. But it sufficiently explains the fact why Moses chose Hur in this case; together with Aaron, he is his nearest relative.

Exodus 17:11. And whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed; Exodus 17:12. but Moses’ hands grew heavy, and so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and one on the other side. And his hands remained steady until the setting of the sun. “Not only because the people won the victory,” said Justin Philosopher, “when Moses prayed, but also because, while the name of Jesus was at the head of the battle, he himself, Moses, made the sign of the cross.”

Exodus 17:13. And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Exodus 17:14. And the Lord said to Moses: Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. Israel, as the holy thing of the Lord, is inviolable; all who harm it are overtaken with misfortune (Jer 2:3). This general rule is applied also to the Amalekites (1 Sam 15:2-3). The command of destruction is recorded so that it would not subsequently be forgotten.

Exodus 17:15. And Moses built an altar to [the Lord] and called its name: [the Lord is My Banner] ****. Exodus 17:16. For he said: A hand is on the throne of the Lord; the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. Israel fought under the banner of the Most High, which was held in the hands of Moses; hence the name of the altar: “the Lord is My Banner” – in Hebrew: the Lord is my banner. This meaning is established by the expression in verse 16: “a hand is on the throne of the Lord.” Moses explains the name of the altar: “the Lord is my banner,” by the fact that his hand was on the banner of the Most High, held the latter. * * * Testing and fault-finding. The Lord is my banner. Slavonic: “with a secret hand,” LXX: “ἐν χειρὶ κρυφαίᾳ” concerning the hand of the Lord that conquered Amalek.

Chapter Eighteen

1–27. The meeting of Moses with Jethro and the organization of the court.

Exodus 18:1. And Jethro, the priest of Midian, the father-in-law of Moses, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, His people, because the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt, Exodus 18:2. and Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took Zipporah, the wife of Moses, who had been sent back, Exodus 18:3. and her two sons, of whom one was named Gershom, because Moses said: I have been a sojourner in a foreign land; Exodus 18:4. and the other was named Eliezer, because [he said:] The God of my father was my help and saved me from the sword of Pharaoh. Exodus 18:5. And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was camped at the mountain of God, Exodus 18:6. and he sent word to Moses: I, Jethro, your father-in-law, am coming to you, and your wife, and her two sons with her. Exodus 18:7. Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed down, and kissed him; and after they had greeted one another, they went into the tent. Exodus 18:8. And Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the Lord had delivered them [from the hand of Pharaoh and from the hand of the Egyptians]. Exodus 18:9. And Jethro rejoiced over all the good things that the Lord had done for Israel, in that He had delivered him from the hand of the Egyptians [and from the hand of Pharaoh], Exodus 18:10. and Jethro said: Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered this people from under the power of the Egyptians; Exodus 18:11. now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, in that He proved Himself superior to those with whom they were proud when they dealt with the Israelites. Exodus 18:12. And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses before God. Exodus 18:13. On the next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning to evening. Exodus 18:14. And when Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, saw all that he was doing for the people, he said: What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand around you from morning to evening? Exodus 18:15. And Moses said to his father-in-law: Because the people come to me to seek God’s judgment; Exodus 18:16. when they have a dispute, they come to me, and I judge between them, and I declare to them [the statutes of God and His laws]. Exodus 18:17. But the father-in-law of Moses said to him: What you are doing is not good: Exodus 18:18. You will surely wear yourself out, and this people that is with you as well, because the task is too heavy for you; you alone cannot do it; Exodus 18:19. Therefore, listen to my voice; I will give you counsel, and may God be with you: you be for the people a mediator before God, and bring their matters to God; Exodus 18:20. and teach them the statutes [of God] and His laws, [and] show them the way [in which they must walk], and the work which they must do; Exodus 18:21. Moreover, you shall select from all the people able men, fearing God, men of truth, hating dishonest gain, and appoint them as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens [and scribes]; Exodus 18:22. and let them judge the people at all times; but every great matter let them bring to you, while every small matter they may decide themselves: so it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you; Exodus 18:23. if you do this, and God commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will go to their homes in peace. Exodus 18:24. And Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said to him; Exodus 18:25. and Moses chose able men from all Israel and appointed them as heads of the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens [and scribes], Exodus 18:26. and they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but every small matter they decided themselves. Exodus 18:27. Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went off to his own country. The event described in this chapter belongs to a later time than the stay of the Hebrews at Rephidim, and the account of it should be placed, according to the opinion of exegetes, in chapter 10 of the Book of Numbers between verses 10 and 11 (Num 10:10-11). The correctness of such an assumption is confirmed by the following. According to Exod 18:5, the event took place at the mountain of God, that is, Horeb (Exod 3:1), but not at Rephidim, where the Hebrews are at this moment. More precisely, according to the indication Deut 1:6-19, the selection by Moses of helpers for himself in the form of rulers of thousands and rulers of hundreds took place after the legislation at Sinai, before the departure of the Hebrews from Horeb, at which time also falls the return of Jethro from the Hebrew camp to his own country (Exod 18:27, Num 10:29). And since the account of the journey of the Hebrews from Sinai begins with Num 10:11, before them there should be placed the description of the event of chapter 18 of Exodus.

Chapter Nineteen

1–2. The arrival of the Hebrews in the wilderness of Sinai. 3–25. Prompted by Moses, the Hebrew people prepares to receive the Ten Commandments.

Exodus 19:1. In the third month after the children of Israel had gone forth from the land of Egypt, on the very day of the new moon, they came to the wilderness of Sinai. There is no direct indication of the time of the Hebrews’ arrival in the wilderness of Sinai here or in the parallel passage Num 10:11. But since the Hebrew expression “chodesh” (month) is used in the meaning of “new moon” (1 Sam 20:5, 2 Sam 4:23), then in conjunction with the numeral “hashelishi” it should be translated: “in the third new moon,” that is, on the first day of the third month. Only with such an understanding does the further phrase become clear: “on this very day” (“bayom hazze”). Without a precise determination of the time of arrival beforehand, it would remain obscure. According to the Jewish tradition recorded in the Talmud, the Hebrews’ arrival at Sinai falls on the first day of the third month.

Exodus 19:2. And they traveled from Rephidim and came to the wilderness of Sinai, and there they encamped in the wilderness; and Israel encamped there before the mountain. Mount Sinai, before which the Hebrews encamped and on which the legislation subsequently took place, is identified according to the more widespread Christian tradition with the mountains of the southeastern group of the Sinai peninsula and is identified with the mountain at the foot of which is located the monastery of Saint Catherine. The identification of the mountain of legislation with Mount Serbal, located near the city of Pharan, cannot be accepted because it is not visible at a close distance – it is obscured by other mountains, while according to the testimony of the Bible, the summit of the mountain of legislation was visible to the Hebrews standing at its base (Exod 20:18). Moreover, the valleys surrounding Serbal are small, do not distinguish themselves by flatness, in short – do not present the place necessary for the location of the Hebrew camp.

Exodus 19:3. Moses went up to God [on the mountain], and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying: Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the children of Israel: Exodus 19:4. You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you [as though] on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself; The speech of the Lord is intended to move the Hebrews to give voluntary consent to enter into a covenant with Him. It is first awakened by their religious experience – “you have seen.” This experience is knowledge of Divine Justice in relation to enemies – “you have seen what I did to the Egyptians,” and mercy toward themselves. By the All-Powerful strength of God, the Hebrews were delivered from slavery and brought to a safe place, a place of manifestation and revelation of the glory of the Most High (to Myself). These former mercies, arousing in the people zeal for fulfilling God’s will, should serve for it as a pledge, a guarantee of obtaining new blessings.

Exodus 19:5. Therefore, if you will obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession out of all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine, And indeed, obedience to God’s will, manifested in the fulfillment of the covenant now being made, will bring a new, extraordinary mercy. It will be expressed in the fact that the Hebrews will become “a precious possession of God” (Hebrew segullah, 1 Chr 17:22; Greek λαὸς περιούσιος) among all the peoples of the earth. The latter – the possession of God by creation, Israel – the possession of God by election and salvation (Deut 4:20, Ps 134:4). This precious treasure he will remain provided he keeps the covenant (Deut 26:18).

Exodus 19:6. and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy people; these are the words that you shall speak to the children of Israel. The precious possession of God the Hebrews will form because, in fulfilling His covenant, they form a kingdom of priests. The entire people will be in the closest communion with God, as those – priests – are privileged to be, called to be mediators between God and other people (Lev 10:3). Being a priest – a servant of the Lord (Isa 61:6), a proclaimer of His will and salvation, the people will be dear in God’s eyes (Isa 42). As a kingdom of priests, the Hebrews are called to become “a holy people” – pure from sins (Lev 11:44-45, Deut 14:2).

Exodus 19:7. And Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. Exodus 19:8. And all the people answered together, saying: All that the Lord has spoken we will do [and we will obey]. And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. Exodus 19:9. And the Lord said to Moses: Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and will also believe you forever. And Moses told the people’s words to the Lord. The consent given by the people to fulfill the covenant (Exod 19:8) is unthinkable without faith in its divine authority, and the latter is impossible without trust in Moses – the mediator in the conclusion of the covenant – as a messenger of God, a herald of the divine will. The Hebrews will accept him as such when they hear the voice of the Lord to him from the cloud: Moses brings a revelation to the people.

Exodus 19:10. And the Lord said to Moses: Go to the people, [tell them] and consecrate them today and tomorrow; let them wash their garments, Exodus 19:11. and be ready for the third day: for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people; Exodus 19:12. and set bounds for the people all around, saying: Take heed not to go up into the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death; Exodus 19:13. no hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot through; whether it is a beast or a man, he shall not live; when the ram’s horn sounds [when the cloud departs from the mountain,] they may go up to the mountain. Preparation for the forthcoming legislation through washing indicates it as an event distinguished from ordinary matters. Even the mountain itself is set apart (consecrated – Exod 19:23) from the rest of the territory. One who crosses the boundary is killed from a distance, because otherwise the one killing would also have to cross it, that is, violate the prohibition. According to the Greek reading Exod 19 the people could go up to the mountain after the theophany.

Exodus 19:14. And Moses came down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. Exodus 19:15. And he said to the people: Be ready for the third day; do not come near a woman. Exodus 19:16. And on the third day, as morning came, there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain [of Sinai], and a very loud trumpet blast; and all the people in the camp trembled. Exodus 19:17. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. The appearance of the cloud served as a sign to Moses of the beginning of the theophany (Exod 19:9); during its occurrence the Hebrews should be present (Exod 19:9), and therefore now Moses leads them up to the mountain.

Exodus 19:18. And Mount Sinai was wholly wrapped in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and the smoke of it ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled greatly; The fire, in which the Lord descended to Sinai and which burned even to the heavens (Deut 4:11), served as a symbol of His divine glory (Deut 5:24). The manifestation of it is not endured even by inanimate nature – “the whole mountain trembled greatly” (Ps 67:8-9).

Exodus 19:19. and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Moses spoke, and God answered him with a voice. Judging from what follows, the questions of Moses were directed at learning the forthcoming commandments of the Lord.

Exodus 19:20. And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. The first of these is the calling of Moses to the top of the mountain, which is the place to which the Lord descended.

Exodus 19:21. And the Lord said to Moses: Go down and warn the people, so that they do not break through to the Lord to see Him, and many of them perish; Repetition of the former command was hardly anything other than motivated by the fact that the people considered it binding only for the two days that had passed and not binding for the subsequent ones. Violation of it could occur both from the unusual nature of what was taking place, which could overcome the duty of obedience, the feeling of fear – awaken the desire to look.

Exodus 19:22. and the priests also, who approach the Lord [God], should consecrate themselves, so that the Lord does not break out against them. Exodus 19:23. And Moses said to the Lord: The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, because You warned us, saying: Set a boundary around the mountain and consecrate it. Exodus 19:24. And the Lord said to him: Go down, and then come up, you and Aaron with you; but the priests and the people do not break through to come up to the Lord, so that [the Lord] does not break out against them. Due to their sinfulness, the people cannot be in direct communion with God, in token of which they do not cross the boundary separating them from the place of God’s presence. The priests are in the same situation, for their priesthood is based on natural right, the right of seniority in the family, not on divine election and access (Lev 10:3, Num 16:5). They cannot go up to the mountain – to be mediators in the conclusion of the covenant between God and people, because they have not received from God the right to such mediation. Separate mention of the priests is appropriate in this case because they, considering themselves above the rest of the people, could think that the obligation for all to forbid “breaking through to the Lord” did not extend to them.

Chapter Twenty

Sinai legislation.

Exodus 20:1. And God spoke all these words, saying: According to verse 19 of the present chapter (Exod 20:19), as well as Deut 4:36, “all these words,” namely the Ten Commandments (Deut 4:13), were spoken by the Lord directly to the people themselves. In view of this, the testimony Deut 5:5 must be understood to mean that Moses became the intermediary between God and the people in transmitting His commandments only later (Exod 20:19). At this time, having come down from the mountain (Exod 19:25), he is standing with all the people at its base, not ascending to its summit (Exod 20:21-22). The ministry of Angels, about which Archdeacon Stephen speaks (Acts 7:53), the proclamation of the word (that is, the law) through Angels, which Apostle Paul mentions (Heb 2:2), and the giving of the law through Angels (Gal 3:19) do not indicate that God spoke the commandments through Angels, but rather either that the Lord-Lawgiver descended to Sinai with a multitude of Angels (Deut 33:2) who were present at the pronouncement of the commandments, or that the Old Testament law, taken in its entire body of precepts, and not merely in the sense of the Ten Commandments alone, was given to the Hebrew people through many heralds (“Angels”) of divine revelation.

Exodus 20:2. I am the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; Exodus 20:3. you shall not have other gods before My face. I am the Lord, God of revelation, of covenant, who manifested Himself as the true God through a whole series of plagues, and the fact of bringing the people out of Egypt (Deut 4:32-35) ought to be your “Most High” – the object of your worship. “The Lord is God, and there is no other beside Him” (Deut 4:4). Therefore, faith in Him is incompatible with the worship of other gods – it excludes it; “you shall not have other gods before My face,” before Me, together with Me (Deut 5:7, 2 Sam 17:35).

Exodus 20:4. You shall not make an idol and no image of anything that is in heaven above, and that is on earth below, and that is in the water below the earth; Exodus 20:5. you shall not bow down to them and you shall not serve them, for I am the Lord, your God, a jealous God, visiting the sin of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation, those who hate Me, Exodus 20:6. and showing mercy to thousands of generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments. By forbidding the worship of pagan gods, the first commandment forbids bowing down to their images, from which they are inseparable. Pagan gods have a sensual character – without external forms, idols they are unthinkable. In view of this, a special prohibition of images of pagan gods would seem superfluous. Consequently, in the second commandment, the subject of prohibition is not the making of images of other gods, but the creation of images of God of revelation, the One Who Is. The occasion for such a prohibition might be that the human inclination toward a visible representation of an invisible God (Deut 4:15) could lead to representing Him in sensual, visible forms and to deifying these latter – idolatry. The Most High ought not to be represented as an idol, a carved image (Hebrew “pesel” (Deut 4:16)) and in other forms or images. The prohibition against making images of the Lord is based on the fact that He is invisible (Deut 4:15), and the prohibition against bowing down and serving them (Exod 20:5) is motivated by the fact that the One Who Is is a jealous God (Deut 4:24, Josh 24:19), that is, zealously guarding rights to worship that belong to Him alone and not permitting that the glory and praise proper to Him be given to idols (Isa 42:8). The motivation for the Hebrews to avoid idol worship stems from the properties of God the “jealous one,” resulting in the inevitability of punishment for the disobedient and mercy for the faithful to Him (Exod 34:7, Num 14:18, Isa 14:21). Jehovah punishes children for the guilt of fathers – not innocent children for the transgressions of ancestors, which is inconsistent with Deut 24:16, Jer 31:30, Ezek 18:1-32, but those children whose own transgression (“those who hate Me”) is rooted in the guilt of their fathers.

Exodus 20:7. Do not pronounce the name of the Lord, your God, in vain, for the Lord will not leave unpunished the one who pronounces His name in vain. Faith in the Lord, a nature evoking a feeling of reverence, awe (Gen 31:42), presupposes respect, reverent attitude also toward His name. This is what the third commandment requires, forbidding profanation – the futile, vain use of the divine name (“in vain” – Hebrew “shav,” – see Jer 2:30).

Exodus 20:8. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy; Exodus 20:9. six days you shall work and do all your work, Exodus 20:10. and the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord, your God: you shall not do any work on it, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor the foreigner who is in your dwellings; Exodus 20:11. for in six days the Lord created heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, and on the seventh day He rested; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it. The precept concerning the Sabbath was already known to the Hebrew people (Gen 2:3, Exod 16:23 and others), therefore it is only recalled: “Remember the Sabbath day,” not proclaimed as a new law. Israel must remember the sanctification of the Sabbath (Exod 31:13-14, Lev 19:3, Deut 5:12), that is, its separation from the other days of the week. This separation is expressed in the fact that six of them are devoted to work of various kinds (Exod 31:15, Lev 19:3), while the seventh belongs to the Lord. The first six days are a time of concern for earthly needs, on the seventh day the Hebrew must free himself from immersion in worldly interests, distance himself from attachment to the earth. The means to this is the cessation of all work (Lev 23:3) – gathering of manna (Exod 16:26), preparing food in boiled and baked form (Exod 16:23), sowing and reaping (Exod 34:21), kindling fire (Exod 35:3), gathering wood (Num 15:32), carrying burdens (Jer 17:21), commerce (Amos 8:5), work in oil presses, transporting sheaves and goods (Nehem 13:15). Work is forbidden not only to the Hebrew himself with his family, but even to his slave, foreigner, and cattle. Otherwise, that is, if the slave worked, the Hebrew master’s thoughts would involuntarily turn to his labor, and he would not free himself, consequently, from concerns about earthly matters. The foundation for Sabbath rest is the sanctification of the Sabbath by God Himself (Exod 20:11): the sacred cannot be included by man in the circle of ordinary worldly affairs (Exod 31:16-17). According to the indication of Deut 5:15, the Sabbath is also celebrated in remembrance of the exodus from Egypt. Liberation from slavery was at the same time the choosing of the Hebrews as a people of God, a theocratic people, which inaugurated its beginning. According to the idea of theocracy, Israel ought to serve the Most High. The celebration of the Sabbath – its dedication to God – served as a direct expression of this fundamental idea of the Old Testament theocracy, the idea of the choosing of the Hebrews as a people of God and the service to the Lord flowing from it.

Exodus 20:12. Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long on the land that the Lord, your God, is giving you. The honor of father and mother, obedience to them by children, is a source of well-being and longevity for individual persons (Prov 20:20), entire generations (Jer 35:18-19, Prov 1:8, Sir 3:6-9), and the whole people. Families strong in their moral bonds, faithful to the covenants of their fathers, will not separate themselves (Eccl 4:9-12) and will themselves create a stable, durable society; the breakdown, dissolution of the family is a sign of the imminent destruction of the entire people (Mic 7:6 and others). In view of such significance of the family as the foundation of all civil life, Moses begins his regulation of mutual, social relations with the fifth commandment: a stable family is the guarantee of a stable society. The expression: “that it may be well with you,” which is absent in the Hebrew reading Exod 20:12 but appears in the repetition of this commandment in Deuteronomy (Deut 5:16), is present in both places according to the LXX text.

Exodus 20:13. You shall not murder. The sixth commandment protects the right of man to life. The author of the life of every person is God (Job 10:10-12), and therefore only He alone can take it away.

Exodus 20:14. You shall not commit adultery. By adultery is understood the union of a married man with another man’s wife, a wife who has a husband, and also of a married woman with another man (Lev 20:10, Prov 6:32, Jer 29:23), and even of a betrothed woman with a stranger (Hos 4:13). It is regarded as a violation of the marriage covenant, for which reason the apostasy of the Hebrew people, betrayal of the covenant with God, which is represented under the image of the union of husband and wife (Jer 3:1, Hos 2:4), is called adultery. And since the marriage union is a divine institution, even in the patriarchal period adultery was considered a great evil, a sin before the Lord.

Exodus 20:15. You shall not steal. The eighth commandment protects the property of one’s neighbor. Property is acquired through labor, hard labor (Gen 3:19), which on account of this is valued and respected by the laborer himself. But everyone who values his own labor must also value that of his neighbor (see commentary on chapter 22.

Exodus 20:16. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. The requirement of the eighth commandment is expanded in the ninth. While the first prohibits causing damage to the property of one’s neighbor only, the second is concerned with damage caused to the life, honor, and such of one’s neighbor, both by false testimony before a judge (Deut 19:18) and by slander (Ps 14:2-3, Sir 7:12-13).

Exodus 20:17. You shall not desire the house of your neighbor; you shall not desire the wife of your neighbor, nor his field, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s. From the prohibition of wicked deeds and words, the law proceeds in the tenth commandment to the prohibition of wicked desires and thoughts, which are the source of wicked deeds. In the order of listing the objects on which wicked desires and thoughts are forbidden to be directed, there is a difference between the Hebrew text of the Book of Exodus and Deuteronomy (Deut 5:21). In the first version the commandment begins thus: “You shall not desire the house of your neighbor,” and in the second: “You shall not desire the wife of your friend,” and then: “You shall not desire the house of your neighbor.” Which version is more correct is difficult to say. The transposition of words from one commandment to another is impossible, but a rearrangement within the same one is possible. By “house,” the desire of which is forbidden, we understand most naturally a house not only in the sense of a dwelling, but in the sense of a family and all the possessions of the householder, which are then listed separately as a clarification of the general concept of “house.”

Exodus 20:18. All the people saw the thunders and the flames, and the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and seeing this, the entire people retreated and stood at a distance. Exodus 20:19. And they said to Moses: You speak to us, and we will listen, but do not let God speak to us, lest we die. Fear of being burned by the fire (Deut 5:22) causes the Hebrews to retreat from Sinai. When, because of this, it becomes impossible for them to hear the voice of the Most High directly, the people ask Moses to be an intermediary between them and God. No loss will result from this, so to speak, the Hebrews are saying: listening to the commandments of Jehovah from the lips of Moses, they will keep them (Deut 5:24) as if they heard directly from God Himself.

Exodus 20:20. And Moses said to the people: Do not be afraid; God has come to you to test you and so that the fear of Him will be before your face, that you may not sin. The phenomena evoking a feeling of fear have as their purpose not the death of the people, but the imprinting of the memory of what transpired in the legislation, so that the recollection of it might subsequently restrain the Hebrews from violating the commandments. Fear, evoked by the sight of a terrible manifestation and sustained by recollection of it, will penetrate the whole being of the people and will protect them from attempting to violate the covenant.

Exodus 20:21. And all the people stood at a distance, and Moses drew near into the thick cloud where God was. Since there was no reason to weaken the feeling of fear by commanding them to approach the mountain, the people remained at a distance from it.

Exodus 20:22. And the Lord said to Moses: Thus say to the house of Jacob and declare to the sons of Israel: You have seen how I spoke to you from heaven; Exodus 20:23. You shall not make before Me gods of silver, or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves: Exodus 20:24. Make an altar of earth for Me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; on every place where I will put the remembrance of My name, I will come to you and will bless you; Exodus 20:25. and if you make an altar of stone for Me, do not build it of hewn stone, for if you lift up a tool on it, you will profane it; Exodus 20:26. and you shall not go up by steps to My altar, so that your nakedness will not be exposed at it. From this verse begins the exposition of the laws proclaimed on Sinai to Moses alone and subsequently transmitted by him to all the people. These laws are referred to in the words Deut 5:5. The first of such statutes is the statute concerning the place of worship – the altar. Since the altar is intended for God (Exod 20:24-25), it must be constructed in the spirit of true worship, and must not bear any trace of paganism. And first of all, on it or near it there cannot be statues – golden and silver idols, inconsistent with faith in the one true God. In view of this, the second commandment is repeated, with indication of the reason for the prohibition of making an idol: the invisibility of God – “I spoke to you from heaven” (Deut 4:36, Nehem 9:13). Since the Hebrews might then, imitating the pagans, make images on the stones of the altar and bow down to them (Lev 26:1), the law requires, to prevent this, that the altar be made of earth, or if of stone, then necessarily of unhewn stone (Deut 27:5 and others, Josh 8:31, 1 Macc 4:47), since on them it is more difficult to carve one or another image. In view of the temporary absence of one definite place for the performance of worship (Deut 12:5) the altar can be erected where “the Lord will put the remembrance of His name” (Exod 20:24), that is, where He will manifest His presence. Only then will the sacrifice offered on the altar be pleasing to God. And finally, just as sacrifice covers the sins of man, so also nakedness, which reminds of sin, must be hidden: at the altar there must be no steps, ascending which would lead to the exposure of nakedness. * * * Notes “Every form”: Hebrew “ve-kol-temuna,” temuna – form, appearance (Deut 4:15, Job 4:16), being reproductions of the heavenly bodies (“in heaven above”), people, cattle, birds, creeping things (“on earth below”) and fish (“in the water below the earth”) (Deut 4:16-19). 1 Sam 9:3, – when the Hebrews settled in Canaan the law of Deuteronomy on the unity of the place of worship acquired full force, cited places.

Chapter Twenty-One

1–11. Laws concerning male and female slaves. 12–32. Laws clarifying the commandment “You shall not murder.” 33–36. Laws clarifying the commandment “You shall not steal.”

Exodus 21:1. And these are the laws that you shall set before them: Exodus 21:2. When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve you for six years, and in the seventh year he shall go out free for nothing; According to the law, a Hebrew who was impoverished could be purchased as a slave for non-payment of debt (Lev 25:39), and also a thief who was unable to pay for what he stole (Exod 22:3). The six-year period of slavery (Deut 15:12, Jer 34:14) is set in accordance with the commandment of six days of work and rest on the seventh day. The year of the slave’s liberation, the seventh, is not the seventh jubilee year, but the seventh from the beginning of slavery of each individual slave. If it were the seventh jubilee year, the slave would have to serve not six years, but as much time as remained until it from the moment he entered slavery, in some cases a month, even less. And indeed, the law directly indicates that in the seventh jubilee year the slaves remain with their masters, they do not receive freedom (Lev 25:4-6). At the end of six years of service the slave was released not only “for nothing,” without ransom, since during this time he earned double the wages of a hired laborer (Deut 15:18), but he also received from his master everything necessary for establishing his own household: from the herds, from the threshing floor and the wine press (Deut 15:14).

Exodus 21:3. If he came in alone, he shall go out alone; if he was married, then his wife shall go out with him; Exodus 21:4. If his master gave him a wife and she bore him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be his master’s, and he shall go out alone; In the first case (Exod 21:3) the wife is regarded as the property of the male slave, and therefore with her, his own property, he left for freedom. In the second (Exod 21:4) she is the property of the master, wherefore when her husband is freed she remains with the children in the house of the master.

Exodus 21:5. But if the slave shall say: I love my master, my wife, and my children, I will not go out free – Exodus 21:6. then his master shall bring him before judges and shall set him at the door or the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever. ***** A Hebrew who married while a slave to a female slave of his master and therefore has no right to be released in the seventh year with his entire family, on account of his love for his wife and children may remain a slave forever, that is, until the fiftieth jubilee year (Lev 25:39-41). Another action, also preventing various abuses, consisted in piercing the ear of the slave with an awl at the doorpost or door of the house in which he desired to serve (Deut 15:16-17). The slave was, as it were, fastened to the house of his master.

Exodus 21:7. If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves go out; As is evident from Deut 15:17 and Jer 34:9-11, female Hebrew slaves were freed on the same basis as male Hebrew slaves. Therefore the general rule: a female slave “shall not go out as the male slaves go out,” refers not simply to female slaves, but to female concubine-slaves.

Exodus 21:8. If she is not pleasing to her master and he does not betroth her, let him allow her to be redeemed; and he does not have power to sell her to a foreign people, since he has rejected her; When a Hebrew woman, purchased to be a concubine and having become one, is subsequently rejected by her master, then he, being guilty of her disgrace, must help her to redeem herself, must let her be bought more cheaply by whoever wishes to buy her, only not by a foreigner, marriage to whom is forbidden (Deut 7:3).

Exodus 21:9. If he betroths her to his son, he shall deal with her as the law of daughters requires; Having given a Hebrew female slave to his son as a concubine, the master must regard her not as a slave, but as a daughter.

Exodus 21:10. If he takes another wife, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights; If other concubines appear later, she does not lose her rights as a wife and the means of support.

Exodus 21:11. But if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out free, without ransom. If the master of the house does not allow the rejected concubine to redeem herself, does not regard her, the concubine of his son, as a daughter, and when his son has other concubines, deprives her of relations with him, then when these three conditions are not met she receives the right to leave him without ransom.

Exodus 21:12. Whoever strikes a person so that he dies shall be put to death; Verses 12–32 contain laws clarifying the commandment “You shall not murder”: intentional and unintentional killing; various cases of injury, as infliction of harm to the life of one’s neighbor. Intentional murder in all its forms (Num 35:16-21), whether committed by a Hebrew or by a foreigner (Lev 24:22), is punished by the general law of blood revenge with death: “the avenger of blood himself may put the murderer to death: as soon as he meets him” (Num 35:19).

Exodus 21:13. But if someone did not lie in wait, but God let it happen that he fell into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee; The law of blood revenge, applicable in the case of intentional murder, does not have a place in the case of unintentional murder, unpremeditated (Num 35:22-23, Deut 19:4-5, 1 Sam 24:18). The unintentional murderer is not subject to judgment for death (Deut 19:6), and society itself must save him from the hand of the avenger of blood (Num 35:25), affording him the opportunity to flee to a place “appointed by God,” to one of the cities of refuge (Num 35:11 and others). The law concerning unintentional murderers, limiting the right of blood revenge, softened the harshness of ancient customs.

Exodus 21:14. But if someone kills his neighbor with cunning, you shall take him from My altar to put him to death. The cunning, intentional murderer, deprived of the right to hide in one of the cities of refuge (Deut 19:11-12), cannot escape death even at the altar (1 Sam 2:28-34). Requiring Israel to exterminate evil from its midst (Deut 19:19-20), the Lord himself cannot protect it in the place of His dwelling, in the tabernacle or temple, at the altar.

Exodus 21:15. Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death. As is evident from Deut 21:18-21, the father and mother themselves disown a bad son. A disreputable member of the family, one who scorns the natural feelings, he is disreputable in society as well – he is cast out from its midst, stoned to death.

Exodus 21:16. Whoever steals a person from the sons of Israel and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, shall be put to death. Freedom is precious no less than life, therefore its deprivation – the stealing and selling of a Hebrew by a Hebrew fellow countryman (Deut 24:7) is equated with murder.

Exodus 21:17. Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death. Exodus 21:18. When men quarrel, and one man strikes another with a stone or a fist, and he does not die, but is confined to bed, Exodus 21:19. if he gets up and walks around with a staff, then the one who struck him shall be clear; only he must pay for the loss of his time and shall pay for his healing. In verses 18–33 various cases of injury are considered. The punishments assigned for them correspond to the degree of the crime. He who struck his neighbor in a quarrel must compensate him for what he deprived him of: pay him the sum of money that the injured party could have earned if he had been well, and heal him at his own expense.

Exodus 21:20. If someone strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies under his hand, he must be punished; Exodus 21:21. but if he lives a day or two days, he shall not be punished, for it is his money. For the murder of a male or female slave who dies during punishment, the master is not subjected to death, but only to such punishment as the court assigns, either because a slave is not equated with a free person (Exod 21:19), or because the master was only punishing an undisciplined slave (Prov 10:13), not intending to kill him. The master is even completely freed from punishment when the death of the slave is not a direct consequence of the blows: if he dies a day or two days after the beating. For the master in this case it is enough punishment that, losing the slave, he loses the money paid for him, suffers loss: “for it is his money.”

Exodus 21:22. When men fight, and they strike a pregnant woman, and she gives birth prematurely, but there is no other harm, he shall surely be fined, as much as the woman’s husband demands, and the judges allow; The fine is imposed for the prematurely lost child. Judges are required to prevent the husband from making excessive demands. The Greek translation introduces a distinction in the degree of development of the miscarriage for which there is no basis in the Hebrew text. A miscarriage “unformed” – an unformed child, is not equated with a full person – and therefore for the death of it only a fine is imposed. A miscarriage, “formed” – an externally developed child, and for his death, as well as for the death of an adult, the guilty party is subject to death.

Exodus 21:23. But if there is harm, then you shall give a life for a life, Exodus 21:24. an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, Exodus 21:25. a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise. If the consequence of a quarrel, besides premature delivery, is infliction of damage to the pregnant woman herself, then in that case the following rule must be followed: “a life for a life,” that is, life for life, an eye for an eye and so forth. Constituting a continuation of the preceding speech, the words: “if there is harm, then” also establish the general rule of retaliation for injury (Lev 24:20; Deut 19:21; Matt 5:38). Evil caused by one Hebrew to another must be punished by the same evil – simple, painful, and capable of powerfully deterring crime.

Exodus 21:26. If one strikes the eye of his male or female slave and destroys it, he shall let him go free for his eye; Exodus 21:27. and if he knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let him go free for his tooth. The general rule determining the degree of punishment for inflicted injury does not apply to slaves, but its modification restricts the arbitrariness and cruel treatment of them by masters.

Exodus 21:28. If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; and the owner of the ox is not guilty; The ox is killed as an animal dangerous to human life and moreover according to the divine command (Gen 9:5, Num 35:33). Not freed from blood, its flesh is not eaten according to the general law requiring meat to be eaten without blood (Lev 17:10-14). The owner, not knowing of the goring tendency of his ox (Exod 21:29), is not guilty. But the stoning of the ox and the prohibition to extract any benefit from its flesh caused the owner such significant loss that it naturally prompted him to be not indifferent to the question: does his ox have a tendency to gore?

Exodus 21:29. But if the ox has been goring before, and its owner has been warned, and he does not guard it, and it kills a man or a woman, then the ox shall be stoned, and its owner shall be put to death; The owner of the ox is put to death for careless regard for the life of one’s neighbor. The person responsible for death is not so much the unreasonable beast as he himself, who had the opportunity to prevent it by appropriate measures. The severity of the punishment completely eliminated the possibility of indifference to the goring tendency of the animal and required care for the safety of one’s neighbors.

Exodus 21:30. If a ransom is imposed on him, he shall give the ransom for his life according to all that is imposed on him. Exodus 21:31. Whether it gores his son or his daughter, the same law applies to him. Death is replaced by a ransom perhaps on the basis that the guilt of the householder consists only in carelessness, not in evil intent.

Exodus 21:32. If the ox gores a male or female slave, he shall pay thirty shekels of silver to the owner of the slave, and the ox shall be stoned. Thirty shekels apparently constitute the purchase price of a slave, just as fifty shekels form the redemption price of an adult (Lev 27:3).

Exodus 21:33. If someone uncovers a pit, or if he digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or donkey falls into it, Exodus 21:34. the owner of the pit must pay, give money to the owner of the animal, and the dead animal shall be his. The owner of an uncovered pit must compensate for the loss that carelessness caused to one’s neighbor.

Exodus 21:35. If one’s ox gores the ox of his neighbor to death, let them sell the living ox and divide the price; they shall also divide the dead one; Solidarity of interests requires – divide the misfortune in half.

Exodus 21:36. But if it was known that the ox had been goring before, yesterday and the day before, but its owner did not keep watch, then he must pay ox for ox, and the dead one shall be his. In the losses the fault lies only with him who carelessly, negligently treated the property of one’s neighbor, therefore he alone suffers the loss. * * * That is, [before the judges]. – Ps 81:1-2. The term “soul,” used in the Bible to denote the life force, with the removal of which a living being dies, is used in place of the expression “life”: Ps 106:5, Jonah 2:8, Lam 1:11, 1 Sam 17:21.

Chapter Twenty-Two

1–20. Various cases of damage to a neighbor’s property and punishments imposed for violations of the commandment “do not steal”. 21–27. Rules for treatment of people in difficult and distressed circumstances. 28. Treatment of judges and rulers. 29–31. The obligation to offer to God the firstfruits of grain and wine and the firstborn of clean animals and the prohibition against eating flesh torn by wild beasts.

Exodus 22:1. If anyone steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the sheep. Theft of an ox, being a more valuable and useful animal in household economy than a sheep, inflicts greater damage; for greater damage a greater punishment is imposed. One who has slaughtered or sold the stolen animal is punished more severely than one in whose possession it is found. The reason for this lies in the fact that slaughter or sale of a stolen animal, on the one hand, deprives the owner of the possibility of ever recovering what has been stolen, and on the other hand, testifies to the thief’s complete lack of desire to confess his crime.

Exodus 22:2. If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there is no bloodguilt for him; Exodus 22:3. but if the sun has risen on him, there is bloodguilt for him. The thief must make restitution; if he has nothing, he shall be sold for the theft he has committed; Exodus 22:4. if the stolen property is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox, a donkey, or a sheep, he shall pay double for them. Killing a thief at night is equated with unintentional killing, since in darkness it is difficult to determine where the blow falls and to measure its force. As unintentional, it is not punished by death. But killing a thief in daylight, when the householder could have avoided him by using other means to protect his property, is considered intentional and, by the general law (Exod 21:12), is punishable by death. In the case when a thief is caught with the stolen goods in his hands—before he has managed to carry out his plan to sell or slaughter the stolen animal—he causes no damage to the householder and is punished only for the crime itself: for an ox and a sheep he pays double (Exod 22:4). Such an ordinance would be completely inapplicable to thief-paupers, which in turn could encourage them to steal. Given the possibility of theft by people who, according to these ordinances, would go unpunished, a new ordinance is introduced into the law: if the thief cannot compensate for the loss by his own property, then he is sold, and the selling price goes to satisfy the injured party.

Exodus 22:5. If a man lets his livestock loose and they graze in another’s field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard. Exodus 22:6. If fire breaks out and spreads to thorns and consumes sheaves or standing grain or a field, he who kindled the fire shall make full restitution. The property of one’s neighbor must be valued and respected as one’s own. Contemptuous treatment of it, especially deliberate treatment such as “letting one’s livestock loose to graze in another’s field,” is punished in that he who inflicts damage on his neighbor’s property compensates for it with interest: he pays the best of his vineyard. The Greek and Slavonic texts speak of compensation with the best only in the case when the entire field or vineyard is consumed. When plants are completely destroyed it is difficult to determine what they were like, good or poor; but since the law is on the side of the wronged, not the wrongdoer, the latter gives the former the best of his field. One who lights a fire on his own field, supposedly perhaps to burn weeds, is guilty in that he allowed it to reach enormous proportions—to burn thorns, hedgerows of thorny plants that separated one field from another, and the neighbor’s grain (Lev 26:4).

Exodus 22:7. If a man gives his neighbor silver or goods to keep, and they are stolen from his house, then if the thief is found, he shall pay double; See the commentary on verses 2–4.

Exodus 22:8. but if the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come before the judges [and swear] that he has not put out his hand against his neighbor’s property. When the thief is not found, suspicion of theft falls on the one who took the item from his neighbor for safekeeping. To free himself from suspicion, it is sufficient for the accused to swear before the judges that he “has not put out his hand against his neighbor’s property.”

Exodus 22:9. Concerning any matter of dispute—about an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any lost thing about which one says, “This is mine”—the dispute of both shall come before the judges; he whom the judges condemn shall pay double to his neighbor. The particular case mentioned above provides occasion for establishing the general rule concerning resolution of disputes “over any matter of dishonest dealing,” that is, matters in which it is presumed that the interested parties have acted in a way contrary to truth. The question of who owns the disputed thing or animal is decided by the judges; if truth is on the side of the owner, then the one who appropriated them pays him double. If, however, the owner has slandered his neighbor, then he undergoes the punishment appointed for false testimony (Deut 19:19).

Exodus 22:10. If a man gives his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any other animal to keep, and it dies or is injured or is carried away, with no one seeing it,— Exodus 22:11. an oath before the Lord shall be between the two of them, that the one who took it has not put out his hand against his neighbor’s property; and the owner shall accept it, and he shall not pay; The absence of witness testimony (“with no one seeing it”) concerning the circumstances in which the loss of the animal given to be kept occurred is replaced by trust in the oath of the accused (Exod 22:8). The owner of the animal “shall accept it”—he is satisfied with it and has no right to demand payment.

Exodus 22:12. but if it is stolen from him, then he shall pay the owner; If the animal given to be kept is stolen, with the presumption both that the thief is not found and that the animal was stolen from a house where it could have been protected, then the one who took the animal to keep pays the sufferer.

Exodus 22:13. but if it is torn by a wild beast, then he shall bring it as proof; for what is torn he shall not pay. The presentation of an animal torn by a wild beast serves not only as confirmation of the fact that it occurred, but also as proof that the one who took the animal guarded it, drove away the predator (what is torn has not been eaten). Therefore he is not guilty (Gen 31:39).

Exodus 22:14. If a man borrows an animal from his neighbor and it is injured or dies, and the owner is not with him, then he shall make full restitution; An animal borrowed from a neighbor for use must be guarded more carefully than one taken for safekeeping, since in the first case it provides direct benefit to the borrower. Therefore if he is not careful with it, he is punished for his negligent treatment, as a result of which the animal dies or is injured from harsh handling.

Exodus 22:15. but if the owner is with him, he shall not make restitution; if it was hired, the loss is covered by the hire. The presence of the owner at the death or injury of an animal loaned to another freed the latter from the obligation to pay for it, because the owner could himself see that there was no negligence or cruelty in handling of his animal, and he himself could take measures to protect his property. “If it was hired, let the hire cover the loss.” In loaning another his animal for profit, for a fee, the lender, deriving benefit, takes the risk and loss, which may be covered by the hire received.

Exodus 22:16. If a man seduces a virgin not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride price [and take her] as his wife; Exodus 22:17. but if her father refuses [and will not] give her to him, he shall pay [the father] as much silver as the bride price for virgins. Seduction of a girl is a theft of her greatest possession—her virginity, and at the same time a devaluation of her on the occasion of marriage or sale into slavery. Therefore the seducer pays the bride price of 50 shekels (Deut 22:28-29) and in the case of the father’s consent to the marriage (Gen 34:11-12) marries her without the right to divorce for all his remaining life.

Exodus 22:18. You shall not permit a sorceress to live. The laws set out in these verses protect not the rights of one neighbor or another, but determine the punishment for violations intolerable in the people of God—violations of the fundamental principles of his moral and religious life. The common punishment for them is death. Sorcery, whether supposed or real communication with dark powers, is incompatible with faith in divine protection (Num 23:22-23—they impose the same punishment) and with the existence of revelation (Deut 18:10-14). Fortune-tellers, diviners, sorcerers, and the like must be put to death by stoning (Lev 20:27), and compassion for a weak woman should not incline a Hebrew to wish not to apply the law against a sorceress with full severity.

Exodus 22:19. Everyone who lies with an animal shall be put to death. Bestiality—a vice of nations rejected by God (Lev 18:23 and others), is a violation of law and the purpose of marriage, defiles the land (Lev 18:28).

Exodus 22:20. He who sacrifices to any god other than the Lord alone shall be utterly destroyed. As a chosen people, the Hebrews must serve the Lord; one who sacrifices to other gods violates the law that underlies the covenant between God and the chosen people (Exod 20:5).

Exodus 22:21. You shall not wrong a foreigner or oppress him, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt. Humane treatment of foreigners (Exod 23:9, Lev 19:33, Deut 10:19, Jer 7:6, Mal 3:5), people of other nationalities, represents in its motives—“for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt”—an application to a particular case of a general rule: “do not do to another what you would not wish for yourself” (Matt 7:12). As is evident from Lev 19:33-34, the law means not merely the avoidance of wrongs and unfair treatment of foreigners, but something far greater, namely love for them: “love him as yourself.”

Exodus 22:22. You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. Exodus 22:23. If you do afflict them, and they cry out to Me, I will surely hear their cry, Exodus 22:24. and My wrath will grow hot, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children shall become orphans. The easy possibility of afflicting widows and orphans, who have no one to defend them, of refusing them their legal claims (Deut 27:19), of taking their property (Isa 10:2, Mic 2:9), even reducing them to slavery (2 Sam 4:1), should not serve as a temptation to selfish people. The defender of widows and orphans, in place of their deceased head of family, is God Himself (Ps 67:6); He will hear their cries, as He hears the cries of all who need Him (Job 34:28), and He will punish those who afflict them by making their own wives widows and their own children orphans. At the foundation of humane treatment of widows and orphans lies the same principle as underlies compassionate treatment of foreigners (see above).

Exodus 22:25. If you lend money to one of My poor people among you, you shall not be like a money-lender to him; you shall not charge him interest. A loan is intended not for the enrichment or profit of the creditor, but for the support of the impoverished neighbor (Lev 25:35-37); therefore interest cannot be taken from him, neither silver nor grain shall be given out as a loan at interest (Deut 23:20, Ps 14:5, Ezek 18:8, and others). The basis for this particular ordinance is the general principle that there should be no poverty among the Hebrew people (Deut 15:4).

Exodus 22:26. If you take your neighbor’s garment in pledge, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down; Exodus 22:27. for it is his only covering; it is his garment for his body; in what will he sleep? And when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am compassionate. To ensure payment of debt, the creditor was permitted to take a pledge from the debtor, but even in this case the creditor had to be guided by compassion for the poor debtor. The creditor could not go into the debtor’s house himself for the pledge; the debtor was left to choose an item that he could manage without relatively easily for a certain time (Deut 24:10-11, Exod 22:26). Such an item was, among others, clothing, which was frequently given as a pledge (Job 22:6, Prov 20:16, Amos 2:8). Its return to the debtor is an act of compassion for the poor neighbor, who would otherwise be condemned, lacking a special covering, to shiver from cold during the cold eastern night (Job 24:7). Since the creditor might fear that returning the pledge would deprive him of the possibility of collecting payment of the debt, and he might not attach particular importance to the thought that his debtor would have nothing with which to cover himself during the night, the incentive to compassion is the consideration that God, who is merciful to the poor (Exod 34:6, Ps 85:15, 2 Chr 30:9), will be stern toward the hard-hearted—He will punish them (Job 22:6).

Exodus 22:28. You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people. “Do not revile, do not criticize God” or judges. According to one explanation, God—as testified by Prov 24:21 and 1 Pet 2:17, for in both places the commandment to fear God stands, as in this verse, in connection with an indication of respect for rulers. According to another opinion, judges in the literal sense, since the word “elohim” is applied to them (Ps 81:6). In the latter case the ordinance would aim to raise respect for the law, which is undermined by reviling its representatives. But since the understanding of “elohim” in the sense of “judges” introduces a tautology into the ordinance: “revile not judges, nor curse him who is a ruler—that same judge—,” it is far more natural to understand “elohim” as God. This is also confirmed by the fact that the ordinance: “revile not elohim” stands before the mention of delays in offering to God the fruits of the earth and the firstborn (Exod 22:29). Finally, at such an explanation, the connection of the words in question with the preceding ones becomes fully clear and natural. Fulfillment of the moral ordinances given in Exod 22:21-27 restricted the inclination, natural to many, to increase their well-being through the oppression of the poor, and therefore could provoke complaint and discontent with the law. Therefore it is now said: “Revile not God,”—do not complain about God, do not murmur against Him because you are given ordinances that restrict your selfish desires. “Nor curse rulers,” who ensure the fulfillment of these laws.

Exodus 22:29. Do not delay offering the firstfruits of your harvest [to Me] and the outflow of your presses; give to Me the firstborn of your sons; The firstfruits of the “threshing floor,” that is, of grain, and of the “wine press,” that is, of grapes and oil, were offered to God as the lord of the promised land, in gratitude for its gift to the Hebrews (Deut 26:2-11); He would give them to the priests (Num 18:12). So that the latter could receive the means necessary for life in good time, the Hebrews should not delay in offering the firstfruits. The people are warned against a careless attitude toward the fulfillment of the commandments. “Give to Me the firstborn of your sons.” These words do not constitute a repetition of a commandment previously given (Exod 13:13), but only an application of the prohibition against delay to the fulfillment of an already known commandment concerning the firstborn.

Exodus 22:30. Do the same with your oxen and your sheep [and your donkeys]: seven days they shall be with their mother, and on the eighth day you shall give them to Me. The remark about offering to God the firstborn of clean animals on the eighth day after their birth shows that they were destined for sacrifice (Lev 22:27). And since the need for sacrificial animals was great, the law requires not delaying their delivery.

Exodus 22:31. And you shall be holy people to Me; and you shall not eat flesh torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs. Eating meat of an animal torn by a wild beast made a Hebrew unclean (Lev 22:8, Ezek 4:14); therefore the prohibition against eating it stands in connection with the command to be a holy people.

Chapter Twenty-Three

1–9. Laws explaining the ninth commandment. 10–19. Laws concerning festivals and festive seasons. 20–33. Promise of protection of the people of Israel on the way to the promised land, during its conquest and after settlement in it.

Exodus 23:1. You shall not receive a false report; do not join your hand with the wicked to be a witness of injustice. The pronouncement of a just verdict on the accused is hindered by various kinds of false, unreliable rumors about him. Therefore in the name of justice one should not spread anything bad about him, whether invented by oneself or heard from others: one should not be “a gossip among the people” (Lev 19:16, Prov 10:18, Ps 100:5). Out of a desire to please the “great” (Lev 19:15) who seek to destroy an innocent defendant, one should not help him (“join your hand”) with false testimony against the accused. Such a witness awaits the punishment prescribed by law (Deut 19:18-19, Prov 19:5).

Exodus 23:2. You shall not follow a multitude to do evil; and you shall not testify in a lawsuit, turning aside after many to pervert justice; In court testimony one must be guided not by the opinion of the majority, but by truth alone. One must not depart from truth even in the case when the majority of witnesses deliberately testify falsely with the aim of destroying the defendant (Prov 18:5, Matt 27:24-26, Mark 15:15, Luke 23:23, Acts 24:27).

Exodus 23:3. nor shall you show partiality to a poor person in his lawsuit. Merciful, compassionate treatment of the poor (Exod 22:22 and others) must not hinder justice; if he is guilty, then he must be punished (Lev 19:15).

Exodus 23:4. If you meet your enemy’s ox or donkey straying, you shall bring it back to him; Exodus 23:5. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him alone; you shall help him with it. Justice requires treating one’s enemy as a brother (Deut 22:1-4). This thought is illustrated by two examples of helping an enemy in distress, and in the second case the help requires greater self-denial, since it is far more difficult to work with an enemy for his benefit (“you shall help him with it”) than to help the enemy in his absence (Exod 23:4).

Exodus 23:6. Do not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit. According to the Hebrew word “shafat,” used to denote the work of a judge, the requirement of this verse is addressed not to witnesses but to judges. They pervert the cause of the poor when they accept false testimony from witnesses and pronounce unjust verdicts (Deut 27:19, Isa 10:1-2, Jer 5:28). Although the rights of each person, both rich and poor, should not be violated in court, the poor are mentioned because it is easier for the poor to suffer in court than for the rich.

Exodus 23:7. Keep yourself from a false matter; and do not kill the innocent and the righteous, for I will not acquit the guilty. From the connection of the speech it is clear that by injustice one must understand an intentionally incorrect pronouncement of sentence. It is a greater obligation of the judge to avoid consciously unjust verdicts, inasmuch as they lead the innocent to death, which does not remain unpunished (Deut 27:25, Prov 17:26, Jer 7:6-7).

Exodus 23:8. You shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who have sight and perverts the cause of those who are just. A gift accepted from one of the disputants will inevitably create toward that disputant such a disposition in the judge whereby he loses the ability to properly consider the case. Bribes cause one not to see wrong where it exists (Isa 33:15) and truth where it is obvious. They blind even the wise (Deut 16:19, Sir 20:29) and as a result prevent the cause of the righteous—from the righteous one takes away what is lawfully his (Mic 7:3).

Exodus 23:9. You shall not oppress a foreigner [and shall not persecute him]: you know the feelings of the foreigner, because you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt. The commandment “do not oppress a foreigner” is not a repetition of Exod 22:21. There it was about relationships between individuals among themselves, here it is about judicial proceedings. Foreigners, as having submitted themselves in a certain respect to the laws of the Hebrew people, must be viewed from the perspective of these laws: “there shall be one statute for the Hebrew and for the foreigner” (Deut 1:16).

Exodus 23:10. Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, Exodus 23:11. but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. In the same way you shall deal with your vineyard and your olive grove. Continuation of the weekly Sabbath rest is the rest in the seventh jubilee year. Land left untended during this time restored its natural strength, exhausted by the preceding six years of work. Everything that grew on it without human effort (Lev 25:5) became common property and therefore was subject to free use by the needy.

Exodus 23:12. Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and that the son of your maidservant and the foreigner may be refreshed. The law concerning Sabbath rest aims at the restoration of strength exhausted by six days of work for a slave and for cattle.

Exodus 23:13. Be careful to observe all that I have said to you; and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let them be heard from your mouth. The festive seasons, which were a blessing to the Hebrews, must have reminded the people of the giver of their establishment—God, and gratitude for the blessing naturally led to strict fulfillment of His commandments, which precluded the possibility of thoughts of other gods.

Exodus 23:14. Three times a year you shall keep a feast to Me: The worship of the Most High must find expression not only in oral confession of Him as the true God, but also in celebration three times during the year. The three festivals listed below have immediate relation to the life of the Hebrews as an agricultural people.

Exodus 23:15. keep the feast of unleavened bread: you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; and none shall appear before Me with empty hands; The feast of unleavened bread, the first day of which was the 15th of Abib (Lev 23:6), coincided with the beginning of harvest (Exod 23:10, Deut 16:9), and therefore in gratitude for the newly ripened grain and to seek God’s favor, on the second day of it there was made before the Lord a wave offering of a sheaf of the firstfruits of harvest (Lev 23:10), and from that same time the eating of new grain was permitted (Lev 23:14).

Exodus 23:16. and the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field, and the feast of ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. The feast of harvest of new fruits of the labor of the Hebrew people (Lev 23:16), the feast of weeks (Exod 23:15, Deut 16:9), or Pentecost, was a feast of “firstfruits of the wheat harvest” (Exod 34:22). The firstfruits of this—two leavened loaves baked from the finest new flour—were offered to the Lord as the first fruit (Lev 23:16-17). The feast of ingathering at the end of the year (Exod 34:22), or the feast of booths (Deut 16:13), lasting seven days (Lev 23:34, Num 29:12), was a time of rejoicing and thanksgiving to God for divine blessing, the visible manifestation of which the Hebrew saw in the gathered fruits (Deut 16:15).

Exodus 23:17. Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God. Since the farmers saw in the listed festivals the manifestation of God’s beneficent hand, they gathered before “His face” (Deut 16:16), that is, in the tabernacle, to confess the lordship of the Lord. The males appeared; manual labor fell upon them, and therefore they had greater reason and incentive to glorify the one who gave the harvest; but his presence did not exclude the appearance at these festivals of women as well (1 Sam 1:3-4, etc.).

Exodus 23:18. [When I drive out the nations from before you and enlarge your borders], you shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with anything leavened, and the fat of My feast shall not remain until the morning. Three particular ordinances relating to the three yearly festivals. The Greek-Slavonic text at the beginning of verse 18 has an addition against the Hebrew text: “But when I drive out the nations from before you and enlarge your borders.” This addition possibly was transferred here from the parallel passage Exod 34:24-25 verse (it is absent in some manuscripts). “Do not offer the blood of My sacrifice with anything leavened.” Since the Hebrew preposition “al” means not only “upon” but also “with,” the meaning of this ordinance is that the Passover lamb, which was a sacrifice (see commentary to 12:3 above), should not be eaten with leavened bread. “The fat of My feast sacrifice shall not remain until the morning,”—the sacrifice of the Passover feast (Lev 7:15, Exod 12:10) should not remain until the morning.

Exodus 23:19. The first fruits of your soil you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk. Since the general law concerning the dedication to God of the firstfruits was proclaimed earlier (Exod 22:29), the ordinance of this verse cannot be considered its repetition. Rather, it is possible to think that in the present case the question concerns the offering of firstfruits at the feast of weeks, or Pentecost. “You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.” The religious zeal of those assembled for the great festivals could be expressed by a desire to use the best methods of preparing for eating those parts of sacrificial animals that were left for use both by those who presented the animal in sacrifice and by the priests. The Hebrews themselves could learn from experience, and from foreigners they could receive information, that meat cooked in milk, especially the meat of a kid (Gen 27:9, Judg 6:19, 1 Sam 16:20), becomes especially tender. At a great festival, in the sanctuary, there were sufficient incentives to prepare meat in the most delicious way. The law does not forbid cooking meat in milk: it only forbids using the mother’s milk for this purpose, because natural feeling could be offended by the use of a mother’s milk to make her offspring most deliciously prepared.

Exodus 23:20. Behold, I send an Angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you into the place that I have prepared [for you]; Exodus 23:21. pay attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for My name is in him. Exodus 23:22. [If you will listen to My voice, and will do all that I tell you, and keep My covenant, then you shall be to Me a people chosen out of all the nations, for all the earth is Mine; you shall be to Me a royal priesthood and a holy nation. Say these words to the children of Israel.] If you will listen to His voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. Exodus 23:23. When My Angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, [the Girgashites,] the Hivites, and the Jebusites, I will cut them off [from before you], Exodus 23:24. You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces: Exodus 23:25. You shall serve the Lord your God, and He shall bless your bread [and your wine] and your water; and I will take sickness away from you. Exodus 23:26. No one shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. Exodus 23:27. I will send My fear before you and will throw into confusion all the people to whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you; Exodus 23:28. I will send the hornet before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, [the Canaanites,] [the Jebusites,] and the Hittites from before you; Exodus 23:29. I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you; Exodus 23:30. I will drive them out before you little by little, until you have increased and possess the land. Exodus 23:31. And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River [Euphrates], for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out from before you; Exodus 23:32. [do not make a covenant with them or] make no covenant with them or with their gods; Exodus 23:33. they shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me; for if you serve their gods, it will be a snare to you. God’s protection of the Hebrews will be manifested in the sending of an Angel, a guardian on the way (Exod 23:20), in the communication of new revelations (Exod 23:21), based on obedience to God in invincibility and prosperity of the people (Exod 23:22-26, Lev 26:9, Deut 7:13; the Greek-Slavonic text in Exod 23 has an insertion borrowed from Exod 19:5-6), in the conquest of the land of Canaan not so much by the force of weapons as by the power of divine help (Exod 23:27-28, Deut 2:25, Josh 2:9), in the gradual subjugation of the Canaanites (Exod 23:29-30), as a means of ensuring the development and strengthening of the Hebrews themselves—for if the enemies were destroyed quickly, the land would turn into a desert, and the Hebrews would be forced to suffer from wild beasts (2 Sam 17:25, etc.), and finally in the granting for permanent possession of the land of Canaan within the borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines (the Mediterranean) and from the desert (Arabian) to the River Euphrates.

Chapter Twenty-Four

1–11. Solemn ratification of the covenant. 12–18. The ascent of Moses to Sinai and his stay there for forty days.

Exodus 24:1. And He said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship afar off;” The people, as a member of the covenant concluded (Exod 24:6-8), is admitted through its representatives—the 70 elders, heads of the 70 families (Exod 1:5), within the boundary at the foot of the mountain for worship of the Lord—the expression of their reverence and complete obedience.

Exodus 24:2. Moses alone shall come near the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him. The command of verse 2 concerns Moses’ further ascent. Together with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the 70 elders, he worshipped the Lord “afar off” (Exod 24:1-11), did not approach Him. After this he was to ascend the mountain alone and approach the Most High (Exod 24:12). The reason that kept the members of the Old Testament kingdom from immediate communion with God, namely sinfulness, has not been destroyed even now: only Moses ascends the mountain alone to receive the tablets, the law, and the commandments.

Exodus 24:3. And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice, and said, “All the words which the Lord has spoken, we will do [and we will be obedient].” After the theophany, which occurred in darkness (Exod 20:21), Moses came down from the mountain to the people and declared to them “all the words of the Lord and all the rules”—not the Decalogue, for the Hebrews heard it directly from the mouth of the Lord Himself, but the rules of chapters Exod 20:19-23. The promise that followed from this: “All the words which the Lord has spoken, we will do” is the expression of voluntary consent to enter into the covenant, the last moment before its ratification (Exod 24:4, etc.).

Exodus 24:4. And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord and rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel; According to the idea of a covenant, both parties entering into a union must form one indivisible whole. This thought is expressed in the subsequent rites. As the altar, the place of God’s manifestation to His people (Exod 20:21), indicates the presence of the Most High, so the twelve pillars signify the presence of all the people. In the conclusion of the union, both parties are present.

Exodus 24:5. And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed oxen as offerings of peace to the Lord [God]. A new, youthful Israel enters into covenant with God, new in the sense that it promised to renounce its sinful will and act according to God’s commandments (Exod 24:3). This new people is now represented by its “youths,” the firstborn, for whom the future lies ahead. The sacrifices offered by them on behalf of all the people—the burnt offerings and the peace offerings—expressed complete dedication to God and gratitude for acceptance into the covenant.

Exodus 24:6. And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar; Exodus 24:7. and he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and we will be obedient.” Exodus 24:8. And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people, saying, “Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” As two equal bloods, being taken together, form one whole, so the people sprinkled with one half of the blood now form one unit with God, whose place of presence—the altar—is sprinkled with the other half of the blood. The account in chapter 24 of Exodus concerning the sacrifice at the entry of the Israelites into the covenant with God differs significantly from the testimony concerning the same subject in the Letter to the Hebrews (Heb 9:19-21). According to the words of the Apostle Paul, the Israelite people were sprinkled with the blood of bulls and goats, the blood being mixed with water and sprinkled by means of red wool and hyssop; not only the people were sprinkled, but also the book of the law, the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the sanctuary. According to one explanation, the discrepancy arose from the fact that the Apostle Paul took into account the testimony of Jewish tradition; according to another, he had in mind the Day of Atonement. This latter was an annual remembrance and, as it were, a repetition of the day of the covenant ratification at Sinai, and therefore it is not surprising if the Apostle identified the two days. On the Day of Atonement, besides bulls, goats were offered in sacrifice, and the blood was also used to sprinkle the tabernacle and all its furnishings (Lev 16).

Exodus 24:9. Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, Exodus 24:10. and they saw the God of Israel. There was under His feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. Exodus 24:11. And He did not lay His hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank. As a member of the concluded covenant, the people is admitted for worship of the Lord. The note about worship of Him afar off (Exod 24:1), about the appearance of His footstool (Exod 24:10), and about preservation alive after the vision (Exod 24:11) clearly testifies that those who worshipped the Lord did not only spiritually contemplate Him, but saw the glory and presence of Him with their bodily eyes. But, on the other hand, the appearance to them of the Lord is the appearance not of Himself, that is, not of His essence and inner life, but only of His glory; those who had gone up saw only the footstool in the manifestation in which the presence of divinity was revealed. Contemplation of God, not accompanied by the death of the beholders, was a sign of His favor toward the Hebrew people. As before, while outside the covenant, they could not ascend the mountain and remain alive (Exod 19:24), so now, granted the union with God, they remain whole and unharmed.

Exodus 24:12. And the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and stay there; and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and the commandments which I have written for their instruction.” As is evident from the last words of verse 11: “ate and drank” (Exod 24:11), the command for a new ascent to Sinai was given to Moses after he came down from the mountain with the elders. The purpose of the new ascent is to receive “the tablets of stone with the law and the commandments which the Lord has written for instruction.” The number of tablets, not noted in the present case, is indicated in other places (Exod 31:18); there were two, and each was inscribed on both sides (Exod 32:15). The words: “the law and the commandment” can hardly mean the Decalogue inscribed on the tablets, for it is usually called “revelation,” “words of the covenant,” “the Ten Commandments” (Exod 25:16, Deut 10:4). “The law and the commandment” refer to those laws and commandments which were given to Moses during his stay on the mountain and set out in chapters 25–31. In accordance with this, the expression: “which I have written for their instruction” should refer only to the tablets.

Exodus 24:13. So Moses rose with Joshua his servant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God, In the ascent of Moses with Joshua the action of divine Providence is seen, which gave the opportunity for the manifestation of the unbelief of the Hebrews. If Joshua had remained in the camp, it is supposed, he would not have allowed the people to worship the golden calf. As can be concluded from verse 2 of this chapter (Exod 24:2) as well as Exod 33:11, although Joshua was on the mountain, he was not in one place with Moses.

Exodus 24:14. And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute can go to them.” The deputies of Moses in the settlement of important matters are his closest assistants—Aaron and Hur (Exod 17:10 and further).

Exodus 24:15. Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain, Exodus 24:16. and the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day [the Lord] called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Exodus 24:17. And the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Exodus 24:18. Moses entered into the midst of the cloud and went up on the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. The giving of the law continues under the same circumstances as before (Exod 19:18).

Chapter Twenty-Five

1-9. Donations for the construction of the tabernacle. 10-22. The structure of the ark of the covenant. 23-30. The structure of the table in the sanctuary for the loaves of display. 31-40. The structure of the lampstand.

Exodus 25:1. And the Lord said to Moses, saying: Exodus 25:2. Tell the children of Israel that they should make offerings to me; from everyone who is willing, receive offerings for me. The tabernacle was constructed from voluntary offerings both because there were no other sources for acquiring the necessary materials, and because it, the dwelling place of the Most High (Exod 25:8), the God of all the people, is the common property of the entire nation. The appeal to the willing givers was so successful that afterward it was necessary to stop receiving offerings (Exod 36:5-6).

Exodus 25:3. These are the offerings that you shall receive from them: gold and silver and bronze, When the verse speaks of gold, it does not add the word “pure” (Exod 25:11), and therefore one can think that the offerings could include both refined and unrefined gold.

Exodus 25:4. And blue yarn, purple yarn, and scarlet material, and linen, and goat hair, Since the materials of the indicated colors (blue, purple, scarlet, and crimson) in combination with linen were used to construct the coverings of the tabernacle (Exod 26:1), the garments of the high priest (Exod 28:4-5 and others), and the law forbids joining threads of wool and linen together (Lev 19:19, Deut 22:11), it is evident that it was not woolen material. By “linen,” from which ten coverings of the tabernacle were made (Exod 26:1), the veil that separated the sanctuary from the holy of holies (Exod 26:31), the veil at the entrance to the tabernacle (Exod 25:36), and also the ephod, sash, and breastplate of judgment of the high priest were sewn (Exod 28:5 and others), the tunics, headbands, undergarments, and sashes of the priests (Exod 39:27-28), cotton material is probably meant. This is proved by the names that the Hebrews gave to this fabric. The term “fine linen” represents a variation of the Egyptian word “shesh,” meaning “linen,” and “byssus” is used to denote Syrian linen, distinct from Egyptian (Ezek 27:16). The peoples of the East did not strictly distinguish between linen and cotton (the Arabic “cotton” denotes both “linen” and “cotton,” as well as woven material made from cotton or linen).

Exodus 25:5. And red ram skins, and blue skins, and acacia wood, Red ram skins – tanned leather. The “tachash” skins – from what animal, dolphin, seal, or sea creature, they were obtained, is unknown. What is certain is that, designated to serve as the outer covering of the tabernacle (Exod 26:14), they were distinguished by their durability and waterproofness. Acacia wood was distinguished by its hardness and lightness, and was therefore the most suitable for constructing a portable tabernacle.

Exodus 25:6. Oil for the lampstand, aromatic spices for the anointing oil and for fragrant incense, The aromatic spices for the anointing oil are listed in Exod 30:23-25; for the fragrant incense – in Exod 30:34-36.

Exodus 25:7. Onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastplate. The “shoham” stones – onyx or aquamarine; “setting stones” that need to be set in a mounting in the garment of the high priest (Exod 28:17-20).

Exodus 25:8. And they shall make me a sanctuary, and I will dwell in their midst; Exodus 25:9. Everything you shall do according to what I show you: the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its vessels; thus you shall do. As is evident from Exod 25:40, Acts 7:44, Heb 8:5, Moses was given not only verbal instructions concerning the construction of the tabernacle and its furnishings, but he was also shown the very models of the building and the objects within it.

Exodus 25:10. You shall make an ark of acacia wood: its length shall be two and a half cubits, and its width one and a half cubits, and its height one and a half cubits; Exodus 25:11. And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside you shall overlay it; and you shall make a gold molding around it; Made of Arabian acacia, about thirty vershoks long (a cubit – about 3/4 of an arshin), and about eighteen vershoks in width and height, the ark of the covenant was overlaid with gold sheets both outside and inside. Whether the molding was on the very top or below, the text does not say.

Exodus 25:12. And cast for it four gold rings and attach them on the four lower corners of it: two rings on one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. Four gold rings were attached, two on each side of the ark, probably on the transverse sides, but not the lengthwise ones (1 Sam 8:8).

Exodus 25:13. You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold; Exodus 25:14. And you shall insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by means of them; Exodus 25:15. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark and shall not be removed from it. The poles were designated to carry the ark of the covenant without touching it with hands (Num 4:15). They were always to be inserted in the rings, except when it was necessary to cover the ark with coverings before transporting it to another place (Num 4:5-6).

Exodus 25:16. You shall put in the ark the testimony which I will give you. In the ark was to be placed the “testimony,” that is, the two tablets (Exod 31:18) which will be given (Exod 24:12).

Exodus 25:17. You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold: its length shall be two and a half cubits, and its width one and a half cubits; The Hebrew name of the mercy seat “kapporet” (from the verb “kafar” – to cover, to make invisible, to cleanse), the Greek ἱλαστήριον, the Slavonic “mercy seat” – was given to it because by sevenfold sprinkling upon it on the day of atonement the cleansing of the people from sins was accomplished (Lev 16:14-16).

Exodus 25:18. You shall make two gold cherubim; of beaten work you shall make them on the two ends of the mercy seat; Exodus 25:19. Make one cherub on one end, and the other cherub on the other end; the cherubim shall be part of the mercy seat on both ends. The exact form of the biblical cherubim of the tabernacle is unknown. They can be considered identical with the cherubim of the vision of the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 10:21). The cherubim were of “beaten work,” that is, their images were stamped out of gold. The place of their placement on the mercy seat was on both ends of it.

Exodus 25:20. The cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall be one toward the other; toward the mercy seat shall be the faces of the cherubim. The wings of the cherubim should be raised upward, but not in the direct direction from the mercy seat upward, rather at an angle: with such an arrangement they would indeed “cover” the mercy seat. The faces of the cherubim should be turned one toward the other and at the same time toward the mercy seat; consequently, their heads were bowed toward the mercy seat of the ark. As is evident from the structure of the cherubim of Solomon’s temple (2 Chr 3:13), made after the image of the cherubim of the tabernacle, these latter had an upright position: “they stood on their feet.” There can be no question of a kneeling position of the cherubim.

Exodus 25:21. You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I give you; Exodus 25:22. I will meet with you there, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will command you concerning the children of Israel. As the place of the direct presence and revelation of the Most High, by which He is called “sitting upon the Cherubim, which are upon the ark of the covenant” (2 Sam 6:2, Isa 37:16), and “speaking from the mercy seat which is upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubim” (Num 7:89), the kapporet was the throne of the Lord, the external foundation for which was the ark with the tablets of the covenant, signifying that the dwelling of the Most High in the tabernacle is based upon the covenant that was made. The revelation will consist in the communication to Moses of all the commandments that the people will need to keep.

Exodus 25:23. And you shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long, one cubit wide, and one and a half cubits high, Exodus 25:24. And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it; Exodus 25:25. And you shall make around it a frame of a handbreadth, and make a gold molding for the frame around it; The table of acacia, about twenty-four vershoks in length, twelve in width and eighteen in height, was overlaid with sheets of pure gold (Exod 37:10-16), and is therefore sometimes called the “table of gold” (Lev 24:6). Around it was made a “gold molding.” As is evident from the depiction of the table for the loaves of display on the arch of Emperor Titus in Rome, by “molding” is meant a solid gold band about six inches in width, which enclosed all sides of the upper surface of the table. Since it was difficult to call a smooth overlay a “molding,” it can be thought that it was wave-like in form, or carved in the form of thin grooves and indentations. The reading of the LXX “wreathed work” (Slavonic: “wreathed molding”), – the term “wreathed” denotes a wave-carved board of a Doric cornice, points to such a form. Below the board on each side of the table was a binding, that is, a wall, connecting the legs and having a handbreadth in width. According to the drawing on the arch, this binding was a gold rod connecting all four legs of the table in one piece along the very center of their height, and the Greek name for it “crown” suggests that it was not smooth, but probably represented an imitation of a wreath of flowers.

Exodus 25:26. And you shall make for it four gold rings, and put the rings on the four corners that are at its four legs; Exodus 25:27. Close to the frame the rings shall be, to hold the poles for carrying the table; Exodus 25:28. And you shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried by means of them; Four rings were to be attached at the four corners, at the four legs of the table, – in those places where the legs of the table were connected by the binding: “close to the frame the rings shall be.” The poles, designated for carrying the table, were inserted into the rings only at the time of transport.

Exodus 25:29. And you shall make dishes for it, and censers for it, and pitchers and bowls for pouring offerings; of pure gold you shall make them; The furnishings of the table include “kearot” – dishes (LXX: τρυβλία), according to rabbinical tradition – those forms in which the loaves were prepared and brought to the sanctuary as a display; “kapot” (LXX: θυίσκας), according to the same tradition – incense bowls, or cups in which incense was placed (Lev 24:7, Num 7:14), and finally “kesot” and “menakiot” – vessels for wine, as is evident from the expression added to them: “for pouring offerings.” “Kesot,” Greek “σπονδεῖα,” are large wine cups: “menakiot” – smaller ones.

Exodus 25:30. And you shall set the loaves of display on the table before me continually. There were to be twelve loaves (Lev 24:5) according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel, in two rows (Lev 24:6), six in a row, loaf upon loaf, as the Jewish tradition and Josephus speak of it and as the depiction of the table on the arch of Titus indicates, representing something like two raised cylinders. Prepared from a large amount of flour, – each loaf was to contain 2/10 of an ephah (Lev 24:5), the loaves were replaced with new ones every sabbath (Lev 24:8). The loaves are called loaves of display because they were before the face of the One Who Is. When the tabernacle was moved from place to place, according to the direction in Num 4:7, the table for the loaves of display was covered with a blue garment, upon which all the furnishings were placed together with the loaves of display, and then covered with a bright red cover and the leather “tachash.”

Exodus 25:31. And you shall make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be made of hammered work; its base, its stem, its cups, its ornaments, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it; In contrast to other furnishings – the vessels of the tabernacle – the lampstand was made of pure gold. It was of “hammered work,” that is, the lampstand was not worked with a chisel, but was entirely cast from a talent of gold (Exod 25:39). The shaft of the lampstand was not to be of a simple uniform form, but was to consist of floral cups, spherical figures, similar to apples, and flowers. The cups, apples, and flowers were not to constitute decoration attached to the shaft of the lampstand, but were to form one whole with the shaft, were to be part of its composition.

Exodus 25:32. And six branches shall go out from the sides of it: three branches of the lampstand from one side of it, and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it; From the shaft of the lampstand six side branches extended, three from one side and three from the other. As is evident from the depiction of the lampstand on the arch of Titus, they extended in an arched form, in the shape of a fan.

Exodus 25:33. Three cups made like almond blossoms, each with its bud and flower, shall be on one branch; and three cups made like almond blossoms on the other branch, each with its bud and flower; so for all six branches going out from the lampstand; The existence on each lateral branch of three floral cups, resembling the cup of an almond flower, suggests that there were also three buds and three flowers on each branch. In such a case, each lateral stem of the lampstand consisted of nine figures: first came an almond-like cup, then a spherical figure – an apple, and finally a flower. The silence about cups, apples, and flowers being of different sizes suggests that they were of the same dimensions. Because of this, the lower branches were to end at their upper end not at the same height as the upper stems, but lower, and lower by exactly the amount of space occupied by three figures: a cup, an apple, and a flower.

Exodus 25:34. On the shaft of the lampstand itself shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, each with its bud and flower; Exodus 25:35. And a bud under two branches of it, and a bud under two other branches of it, and a bud under the third pair of branches of it, for the six branches going out from the shaft; Exodus 25:36. The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with it, the whole made of hammered gold of pure metal. On the shaft of the lampstand the same figures – cups, apples, and flowers – were repeated four times. Their placement is indicated by the remark about the location of the apples. The first was positioned somewhat lower on that part of the shaft from which the two lower branches extended; the second and third stood in the same relation to the middle and upper stems (Exod 25:35).

Exodus 25:37. And you shall make seven lamps for it, and the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it; As regards the form of the lamps, the biblical text says nothing. On the basis of Zech 3:9, where seven lamps are brought into relation with the mysterious stone with seven eyes, the ancient interpreters called them eye-shaped. In later Jewish tradition the lamps of the lampstand are spoon-shaped. Modern researchers, based on specimens of ancient lamps found in Palestinian soil, consider Moses’ lamps to be boat-shaped with spouts or oblong-round with two openings for the wick and for pouring oil. According to Exod 26:35, the lampstand stood not in the middle of the tabernacle, but on the southern side of its length, and, as Josephus testifies, its width did not correspond to the width of the tabernacle; it stood at an angle: the narrow side was turned toward the holy of holies and toward the entrance of the sanctuary, and the wide side – toward the table for the loaves of display, which was on the northern side of the tabernacle (Exod 26:35). And if this wide side of the lampstand is called the front side, then it is evident that the light falling upon it also fell upon the table of display. Such a direction of light could be explained by the structure of the lamps: they could have been closed except for two openings for the wick and for pouring oil, and if from the first opening, turned toward the table of display, the burning light was set forth, then the light from it fell upon the sacred table.

Exodus 25:38. And you shall make snuffers and trays for it of pure gold. The furnishings of the lampstand were snuffers, or tongs (Isa 6:6), designated for removing the carbon from the lamps, and trays – vessels for extinguishing it. * * * An upper short garment.

Chapter Twenty-Six

1-14. Instructions concerning the construction of the coverings of the tabernacle. 15-30. The construction of the wooden frame of the tabernacle. 31-37. The inner and outer veils.

Exodus 26:1. And you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and of blue, purple, and scarlet material; you shall make it with skillfully worked cherubim; The first of the coverings of the tabernacle, the so-called lower, inner covering, in its material resembled the multicolored veil that separated the sanctuary from the holy of holies (Exod 26:31). It was made with a work called “woven work” in Greek “woven work” (Exod 36:35), representing, according to ancient tradition, the special feature that it gave the fabric two different appearances on the front and back. On one side, embroidered on a tricolor field were images of cherubim.

Exodus 26:2. The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall have the same measurement. Exodus 26:3. Five curtains shall be coupled to one another; and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another. Just as the walls of the tabernacle were composed of individual boards, so the covering of the tabernacle consisted of ten separate strips, each having a length of twenty-eight cubits and a width of four cubits. These separate narrow strips were then sewn together, – they formed two large pieces, each consisting of five strips.

Exodus 26:4. You shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in one set, and likewise you shall make loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set; Exodus 26:5. You shall make fifty loops on the one curtain, and you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite each other. Exodus 26:6. And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains to one another with the clasps, so that the tabernacle becomes one whole. The two large strips thus formed, each twenty-eight cubits in length and twenty cubits in width, were not sewn together but were joined by means of one hundred blue loops, arranged fifty in each strip, loop opposite loop, and connected by fifty gold clasps. Upon joining the two halves in this manner, a single covering was obtained twenty-eight cubits in length and forty cubits in width. With such dimensions, the covering was laid on the boards of the walls of the tabernacle so that its width (forty cubits) corresponded to the length of the entire building and to the back western wall. Namely, one half of the covering, with its twenty-cubit width, covered the twenty cubits of the sanctuary, the ten cubits of the other half covered the holy of holies, and the remaining ten went to the western side, which had a height of exactly ten cubits (Exod 26:16). The right to such an understanding is given by verse 33; from its indication that the veil dividing the holy of holies from the sanctuary hung exactly under the clasps connecting the two halves of the covering, each of twenty cubits, it follows with certainty that the first twenty cubits covered the space to the holy of holies, that is, the sanctuary. And since the tabernacle was thirty cubits in length (Exod 26:16), the length of the holy of holies required from the remaining twenty cubits of covering only ten cubits. The remaining ten covered the back side not down to the ground, since from them it was necessary to subtract that part which fell on the thickness of the boards. With its length the lower covering covered the width of the tabernacle. But since its length was equal to twenty-eight cubits, and the width of the tabernacle, counting ten cubits of the top and twenty cubits of the height of the two side walls, was equal to thirty cubits, then on both the northern and southern sides, as well as on the western side, it did not reach to the ground by more than one cubit: and in this case part of the lacking two cubits went on the thickness of the boards. This occurrence was not accidental but intentional: the fabric with the images of cherubim should not hang down to the ground and get dusty.

Exodus 26:7. You shall also make curtains of goat hair to serve as a tent over the tabernacle; you shall make eleven such curtains. Exodus 26:8. The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; the eleven curtains shall have the same measurement. The second row of coverings, over the lower covering, consisted of eleven separate strips made of goat hair. In its length of thirty cubits it exceeded the lower covering by two cubits, and in its width (forty-four cubits) by four.

Exodus 26:9. And you shall couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and you shall double over the sixth curtain at the front of the tent. Five strips were sewn into one covering, and the remaining six – into another. The sixth strip in this covering had the following designation. One half of it, that is, two cubits, was designated, according to Exod 26:12, for the back – western side of the tabernacle. Because of this, ten and a half coverings, having a width of forty-two cubits, covered forty cubits of the length of the tabernacle: twenty cubits went to cover the sanctuary, ten – the holy of holies, and twelve to cover the ten cubits of the western side. The extra two cubits were required to cover it all the way to the ground, to cover that part of the pillars for the covering of which the lower coverings proved too short. Properly speaking, these two cubits went to the thickness of the boards, and since there were probably many of them, the remainder was folded. The other half of the extra sixth strip was lowered to the front, eastern side of the tabernacle. Here, it is thought, formed what in Greek buildings was called “the pediment,” that is, the projection formed by the lower edge of the roof on the facade sides, in the form of a triangular cornice.

Exodus 26:10. And you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one coupling, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain which is outermost in the second coupling; Exodus 26:11. And you shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together so that it becomes one whole. On the edge of the last of the sewn-together five coverings and on the edge of the sewn-together six coverings fifty loops were made, which, as in the leather coverings, were to be opposite each other. Bronze clasps inserted in these loops joined the covering.

Exodus 26:12. Now the excess length of the tent curtains, the excess part, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. See the explanation of verse 9.

Exodus 26:13. The excess length of the tent curtains on both sides of the tabernacle, on one side and on the other side, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, to cover it. The strips of the second covering were thirty cubits in length (Exod 26:8) and therefore could cover the width of the tabernacle. Compared to the length of the strips of the lower covering, they had an “excess” of two cubits, – hung down one cubit below the colored coverings on both the northern and southern sides of the tabernacle, and thus covered that part of the longitudinal boards for the covering of which the first ones proved too short.

Exodus 26:14. And you shall make a covering for the tent of ram skins dyed red, and a covering above that of fine leather. After the spreading of the second covering, the tabernacle from the outside was already completely ready. But in such a state it could suffer from winter rains and the frequent hurricanes in the Arabian desert. In view of this, two other, more durable coverings are designated for it. Being quite unadorned, they are not described in detail; the text indicates only their material. One was of tanned leather made of red ram skins, the other, the very top one, was made of the material “tachash.”

Exodus 26:15. And you shall make upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood. Exodus 26:16. Ten cubits shall be the length of a frame, and one and a half cubits the width of each frame. The wooden frame of the tabernacle consisted of boards made of Arabian acacia. When the text speaks of the length (ten cubits) and width (one and a half cubits) of the boards, it does not mention their thickness. It can be derived from other known dimensions. As is evident from Exod 26:22-23, on the western side of the tabernacle stood eight boards, which with a width of one and a half cubits each gave twelve cubits. But this twelve-cubit width of the tabernacle was not its internal width. According to the unanimous testimony of Philo, Josephus, and all Jewish tradition, the tabernacle had an internal width of ten cubits. Twelve cubits were, consequently, the external width of the tabernacle. The ten-cubit internal width could be obtained only if the longitudinal walls, pressing against the edges of the back or transverse side, subtracted from its twelve-cubit measurement one cubit from each side. This last was possible only if the boards composing them had a thickness of one cubit.

Exodus 26:17. Each frame shall have two tenons set parallel to one another; so you shall construct all the frames of the tabernacle. Each board ended at the bottom with two “handles” – two tenons.

Exodus 26:18. Thus you shall make the frames for the tabernacle: twenty frames for the south side; Exodus 26:19. And for the twenty frames you shall make forty bases of silver: two bases under each frame for its two tenons. Exodus 26:20. And for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north, twenty frames, Exodus 26:21. And their forty bases of silver: two bases under one frame, and two bases under another frame. For the longitudinal, northern and southern sides of the tabernacle, forty boards were designated, twenty for each. Since the width of each board was one and a half cubits, a solid wall thirty cubits in length was to be formed from the densely placed boards. Each tenon had its own base with an opening made to the measure of the tenon, into which it was inserted, as into its foundation. Thanks to this, the pillars gained a certain degree of stability. The bases of the pillars of the tabernacle differed from the bases of the courtyard in that they were not bronze but silver, and each one received a talent of silver (Exod 38:27). Their form is unknown.

Exodus 26:22. For the rear of the tabernacle westward you shall make six frames. Exodus 26:23. And two frames you shall make for the corners of the tabernacle in the rear. Exodus 26:24. They shall be separate below, and they shall join together above at the top by a single ring; both shall be like this for both corners. Exodus 26:25. There shall be eight frames with their bases of silver, sixteen bases; two bases under each frame. Of the eight boards on the rear side, six had the same appearance as the boards of the longitudinal walls, but the remaining two corner boards differed from others. The text speaks of them as follows: “and two boards make for the corners of the tabernacle on two sides, that they be twins from below and whole above, to a single ring.” According to the most plausible explanation, this passage has the following meaning. The corner pillars were to express a certain architectural parallel known to builders (to be “twins,” similar, “equal” as the Greek translation renders it), beginning from their very foundation and further. But at the same time, they were not to lose anything that is characteristic of other boards; rather, they were to have the same full significance in the count of boards and, like all other boards, be subject to the general system of strengthening the tabernacle, contributing their individual rings to the general rows of rings and bars.

Exodus 26:26. You shall make bars of acacia wood: five bars for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, Exodus 26:27. And five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the rear of the tabernacle westward; Exodus 26:28. The middle bar in the midst of the frames shall pass through from end to end; Exodus 26:29. And you shall overlay the frames with gold, and make their rings of gold to hold the bars; and overlay the bars with gold. With their tenons inserted into the bases, the boards gained stability at the bottom, at their foundation. To provide them with stability along the rest of their extent, bars were used, five on each side. Since the bars were threaded through rings, they were obviously round. One of them is called the “middle bar, which is in the midst of the frames,” more precisely – “through the thickness of the boards,” through holes drilled in the boards themselves. Accordingly, the other four bars were to run along the outer, face side of the walls of the tabernacle. The remark about the fifth bar, that it ran from one end to the other, indicates its length, equal to the length of the entire tabernacle. And since the other bars were also to strengthen the boards, there is no reason to imagine them shorter. As for the arrangement of the bars, the text does not speak of it. One can only think that the “middle” bar ran along the very center of the height of the boards, at an equal distance from the bottom and top. The other four were arranged so that two were below the “middle” one, at an equal distance from it and from each other, and two others were above it.

Exodus 26:30. And you shall set up the tabernacle according to the plan for it that was shown you on the mountain. Exodus 26:31. And you shall make a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen; it shall be made with an artistic design of cherubim. Exodus 26:32. And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold; upon four bases of silver. Exodus 26:33. And you shall hang the veil under the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony there within the veil; and the veil shall divide for you between the holy place and the holy of holies. Exodus 26:34. And you shall place the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the holy of holies. In the tabernacle, at a distance of twenty cubits from the entrance, hung a veil made of the same material and the same workmanship as the lower coverings (Exod 26:1). Fastened to four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold, it divided the interior of the tabernacle into two parts: the front, twenty cubits in length, ten cubits in width and height, called the “holy place” or “sanctuary,” and the western, ten cubits in a cube, bearing the name “holy of holies.”

Exodus 26:35. You shall place the table outside the veil, and the lampstand opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle; and you shall place the table on the north side. Regarding the incense altar, a furnishing of the sanctuary, it is said that it stood before the veil, which “before the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat which is upon the ark of the testimony” (Exod 30:6); it appears as though preliminary to the ark of the covenant, stands at the transition from the sanctuary to the holy of holies. If, however, it is said of the two other furnishings – the table and the lampstand that they were outside the veil, then this means they stood farther from the veil than the incense altar, and not in the center of the width of the tabernacle, but on the sides, one to the right, the other to the left of the incense altar.

Exodus 26:36. And you shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue, purple, and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, embroidered with needlework; On the eastern entrance side of the tabernacle there was no wooden wall. The coverings did not close it either: the lower one did not hang at all on the eastern side, and the second descended only a small part. In view of this, to enclose the eastern side and to form the entrance to the sanctuary, a multicolored veil was spread here, differing in material from the veil of the courtyard in no way. According to the testimony of Josephus, it extended from the top only to half the height of the walls of the tabernacle. But this indication is understood in the sense that the veil had special devices in the form of loops and hooks by which it was raised during the time of worship.

Exodus 26:37. And you shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold; their hooks shall be of gold, and you shall cast five bases of bronze for them. To establish the veil, five columns were set up on the eastern side. Since they are given one base each, while the boards of the walls of the tabernacle had two, it is concluded from this that the columns were narrower than the boards. And indeed, if the width of each of them were equal to one and a half cubits, then five columns would take up seven and a half cubits from the width of the sanctuary; the openings designated for the entrance would be too narrow.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

1–8. Construction of the burnt offering altar. 9–19. The courtyard of the tabernacle. 20–21. The offering of oil for the lamp.

Exodus 27:1. And make an altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide, that it may be square, and three cubits high. Since the earth altar (Exod 20:24-25) was not always convenient for offerings, the law required the construction of a more durable altar. As the description shows, it was a hollow box constructed from boards of acacia wood (Exod 27:8), without a bottom or cover, five cubits in length and width and three cubits in height. Because of the altar’s considerable height, one had to “ascend” to it (Lev 9:22). And since steps convenient for climbing were forbidden (Exod 20:26), it is reasonable to suppose that on one side there was a sloping ramp.

Exodus 27:2. And make horns on its four corners; the horns shall be of one piece with it; and you shall overlay it with bronze. On the four corners of the altar, there extended from its walls curling projections that had the form of ox horns, as the principal sacrificial animal, and therefore were called the horns of the altar. They were not merely nailed to the corners as an ornament, but formed one piece with it – they were made of the same wood and covered not with separate copper sheets, but with the same overlay that covered the walls. Since the horns of the altar were connected with the rite of sacrifice, which consisted of sprinkling them with the blood of the sacrificial animal, they had great sacred significance and formed an important part of the altar. Those seeking to save their lives grasped its horns (1 Sam 1:50); the name of the horns replaces the name of the altar (Ps 117:27), and their destruction is equivalent to the destruction of the altar (Jdt 9:8, Amos 3:14). The walls of the altar were covered with bronze both to protect against the constantly burning fire and to give them strength and appearance.

Exodus 27:3. And you shall make pots for the ashes, shovels, basins, and forks, and fire pans; all its utensils you shall make of bronze. Bronze pots or kettles were required both for collecting the ashes from sacrifices and for cooking the sacrificial meat (Lev 6:28); shovels – for cleaning the altar of ashes; basins – for draining the blood of sacrificial animals; forks, probably with three prongs (1 Sam 2:13), – for turning the parts being burned and for removing meat from the pots in which it was cooked; and finally, fire pans.

Exodus 27:4. And you shall make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the network you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. Exodus 27:5. And you shall put it beneath the ledge of the altar, so that the network shall extend halfway up the altar. The network surrounded the altar on all sides: “make on its four corners four rings.” According to a precise translation from the Hebrew text, it should be placed under the “ledge of the altar” from below, so as to reach halfway up the altar. Given that the expression “ledge,” besides this place, does not appear elsewhere in the Bible, explanations of it vary. Some interpreters understand it as a bench that went around the altar at its middle, which the priests used when performing the operations of sacrifice. But a bench would constitute forbidden steps under the law (Exod 20:26) and would increase the dimensions of the altar. In the same way, the position and structure of the grating are understood differently. Some see in it a grate or latticed hearth on the upper platform of the altar, placing it either between the horns of the altar or with greater or lesser depth into the box of the altar. But the existence of an artificial hearth on the altar is superfluous, because the actual place of burning sacrifices should be the earth (Exod 20:24-25). It is much more probable and plausible to explain these parts of the altar as follows. The name “ledge” in the altar corresponds to what in the vessels of the sanctuary – the incense altar and the table of showbread – is designated by the word “zer” – a crown. This was a simple cornice or simple band that ran along the upper edge of the altar’s walls, giving them greater strength and at the same time serving as an ornament to the altar, bringing it closer to the sacred vessels. At the same time this cornice served as a binding for the altar’s horns, uniting them into one whole. Immediately beneath this band or cornice, on the outer side of the altar and in its upper half, ran a network of bronze grating, covering the upper half of the altar’s walls.

Exodus 27:6. And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. Exodus 27:7. And you shall put the poles into the rings, so that the poles are on two sides of the altar, when it is carried. It is not clear from the text whether special rings were made for inserting the poles, or whether these were the rings of the network (Exod 27:4). But if we suppose that the rings of the network were on the lower sides and corners of it, then the existence of others seems unnecessary. The poles were used for carrying the altar, which in bad weather was covered during the journey with a special leather covering, “tahash” (Num 4:13-14).

Exodus 27:8. You shall make it hollow, of boards; as it has been shown to you on the mountain, so shall they make it. The hollow interior of the box made of boards was probably filled with earth or stones.

Exodus 27:9. And you shall make the courtyard of the tabernacle. On the south side the courtyard shall have hangings of twisted linen, a hundred cubits long on one side. Exodus 27:10. Its twenty pillars and their twenty bronze bases; the hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be of silver. Exodus 27:11. Likewise, on the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long; its twenty pillars and their twenty bronze bases; the hooks of the pillars and their bands [and bases] shall be of silver. Exodus 27:12. And for the width of the courtyard on the west side there shall be hangings fifty cubits long; its ten pillars and their ten bases. Exodus 27:13. And the width of the courtyard on the east side, toward the rising sun, shall be fifty cubits; [ten pillars for them and ten bases for them]. The enclosure surrounding the courtyard of the tabernacle consisted of pillars and hangings of twisted linen suspended from them. On the longitudinal, south and north sides, the hangings were a hundred cubits long, and along this distance twenty pillars were erected, so that for every five cubits there was one pillar. The hangings on the side, transverse sides extended fifty cubits, with ten pillars set at the same distance. It is clear that when dividing the length and width of the enclosure into five-cubit intervals, the thickness of the pillars should not be counted, because otherwise the length would not be one hundred cubits and the width not fifty, but more – as many extra cubits as the thickness of the pillars taken together. The five-cubit distance should therefore be reckoned not between the pillars but between their imagined inner shafts or axes. The arrangement of pillars apparently proceeded as follows. If it began on the south side, running from east to west, then the first pillar was placed after the first five-cubit stage; the second – after the second five-cubit interval, and so on, so that the twentieth pillar fell on the last point of the hundredth cubit, or on the very southwest corner. Likewise the first pillar of the transverse western side was placed after the fifth cubit, and the last or tenth after the fiftieth, on the very northwest corner. Also the first pillar of the northern longitudinal side was placed on the fifth cubit, and the last on the hundredth, or on the northeast corner. Hence, precisely from the fifth cubit from the corner, the installation of pillars on the eastern side began, so that the last tenth pillar fell on the hitherto unoccupied southeast corner, or on the starting point of the general count. The pillars consisted of a base – a pedestal, the pillar proper or shaft, and the top or capital (Exod 38:17). The bases were made of bronze and, according to Josephus, had a pointed form – they resembled those iron sleeves that the Greeks placed on stakes driven into the earth. Others consider them to be shaped like tiles. The material and shape of the pillars are not indicated, but the former is implied – the acacia wood specified for the tabernacle itself. As for their shape, some consider the pillars to be square, as this form appears more often in the description of the tabernacle, while others, seeing that the pillars are called “amudim,” columns, and have capitals, consider them to be round. The shape of the capitals covered with silver (Exod 38:17) is equally unknown. Whether it was spherical or resembled a flower cup, it is impossible to say. It is certain only that the capitals had to rise above the hangings, for otherwise they could not be seen and would be useless. For maintaining the pillars, bands passing through silver hooks were used. By bands are meant silver rods running from pillar to pillar and consequently going around the entire line of the enclosure. They held the pillars in an upright position and prevented them from falling in the plane of the hangings. Pillars falling in another direction, coming out of line with the enclosure, were prevented from doing so by means of chains, which, according to Josephus, hung from the capitals and were secured in the earth – bronze ones a cubit in length. Hangings were suspended from the pillars connected by rods. With a length of 280 cubits and a height of 5, they could not be one continuous strip but represented a connection of separate parts, as with the coverings of the tabernacle. In order for light linen material to be able to withstand the wind, it had to be firmly fastened not only at the top of the pillars but also at the bottom.

Exodus 27:14. And on one side of the gate area – hangings of fifteen cubits [high]; its three pillars and their three bases. Exodus 27:15. And on the other side – hangings of fifteen [cubits high]; its three pillars and their three bases. On the entrance side, the eastern side of the courtyard, the space on each side measuring fifteen cubits was closed off with the same kind of hangings as on the other sides. On this space, three pillars were erected on each side, six in total.

Exodus 27:16. And for the gate of the courtyard – a hanging of twenty cubits [high], of blue and purple and scarlet material and of twisted linen, of woven work; its four pillars and their four bases. In the middle of the eastern side, a space of twenty cubits was left for an entrance. It was composed of four pillars with a hanging of twenty cubits suspended from them. Unlike the hangings of the enclosure (“kelah”), it was called masach and was made of blue, purple, and scarlet material and twisted linen with work called “rokem.” In the LXX translation this term is rendered by the expression “ποικιλίᾳ τοῦ ῥαφιδευτοῦ,” in the Slavonic – “embroidered ornament,” in Latin – “opus plumarii.” It is known that the name “plumae” – feathers designated little pieces on military armor, arranged like bird feathers or fish scales. Hence “plumaria” were called ornaments on garments similar to feathers, little pieces and flowers woven or embroidered with a needle. The Talmud and Rabbis, in explaining the term “rokem,” say that by it are meant ornaments sewn on with a needle across a woven field and having one side, i.e., the same on the front and back. Accordingly, the work “rokem” means such a finishing of cloth in which a white field of linen was decorated with blue, purple, and bright-red threads in the form of squares or lattice. By its color and work, the entrance hanging stood out sharply among the white linen enclosure of the tabernacle. The contrast was even more striking if the hanging indeed had the dimensions mentioned in the LXX translation: instead of 5 cubits height it had twenty. Intended to cover the entrance, the hanging was, of course, not fastened at the bottom and could, as needed, be raised to a certain height.

Exodus 27:17. All the pillars around the courtyard shall be joined with bands of silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze. This clarifies the instruction of verse 10 in that it speaks of the bands between pillars around the entire enclosure.

Exodus 27:18. The length of the courtyard shall be a hundred cubits, and the width fifty throughout, and the height five cubits, with hangings of twisted linen and bases of bronze for the pillars. For the sake of clarity, the measurements of the entire courtyard are repeated, making it quite clear that both longitudinal sides should be a hundred cubits, the short sides fifty cubits each, and the height everywhere should be five cubits.

Exodus 27:19. All the furnishings of the tabernacle for every use, and all its pegs, and all the pegs of the courtyard – shall be of bronze. The mention of the pegs of the tabernacle and the courtyard shows that pegs and ropes were required to anchor the upper coverings of the tabernacle to the earth and to secure the pillars of the courtyard (Num 3:37, Exod 35:18).

Exodus 27:20. And you shall command the people of Israel to bring you pure beaten oil of olives for the lighting, so that a light may be kept burning always. Exodus 27:21. In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the ark of the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. This shall be a statute forever for the people of Israel throughout their generations. Concerning the offering of oil for the golden lampstand: in the midst of describing the construction of the future tabernacle, oil is mentioned because it was to be just as necessary a part of the sanctuary as its furnishings. The oil brought by all the Hebrews should be prepared from olives: it should be “pure,” that is, without sediment, without admixture, and without refuse; it should be “beaten,” that is, not pressed in a press but poured from crushed olives. Oil burned “always,” – not only by day but also by night, as confirmed both by the positive law regarding the perpetual burning of the lamp (Exod 30:8, Lev 24:3-4), the morning arrangement of the lamps (Exod 30:7), and also by the fact that in the absence of windows the sanctuary could not do without light even by day. The tending of the lamp was to be done by Aaron and his sons, that is, the high priest and the priests, not the Levites.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

1–5. Establishment of the old covenant hierarchy and sacred garments. 6–39. The garments of Aaron the high priest. 40–43. The garments of the sons of Aaron.

Exodus 28:1. And bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, that he may serve me as priest – Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. The establishment of the old covenant hierarchy. Before the Sinai law, the Hebrews had the right of natural priesthood: the head of a family was also a priest – he offered sacrifices (Gen 12:7). But with the construction of the tabernacle and the arising of complex worship, special priests were appointed for the service, members of the family of Aaron, with him as high priest (Lev 21:10, Exod 20:7, Num 35:28) at their head. For service at the tabernacle they are appointed by God already in Egypt (1 Sam 2:27-28), and it is given to them as a gift (Num 18:7). Yet, being an act of free divine appointment, the choice of priests from the tribe of Levi was apparently prompted by their comparative moral purity and religiousness. Even if we do not attach special significance to the testimony of Jewish tradition that before the exodus from Egypt the tribe of Levi waged a struggle for the confession of the Almighty against those who were drawn to idolatry, we can see evidence of their religiousness in the conduct of the Levites after the worship of the golden calf at Sinai (Exod 32:27-28). “Take to yourself,” – you are close to me, you are a mediator between me and the people; in the same position I command you to place your brother with his sons. The fulfilling of priestly service, which places the servants in the position of mediators between God and the people, makes them belong to God. They are not priests of the people, but priests to God.

Exodus 28:2. And you shall make sacred garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. The garments of Aaron and his sons indicated their rank and served as an external distinguishing mark of the sacred persons from the rest of the people. Hence, being worn only by the priests, they are called “sacred.” They are sacred also because they were put on only for the sacred actions (Exod 29:29). Speaking further of the “glory and beauty” of the service, the garments corresponded to the beauty of the sanctuary.

Exodus 28:3. And you shall speak to all the skilled, whom I have filled with the spirit of skill and of understanding, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, so that he may serve me as priest. Moses was to choose from the “wise of heart,” people skilled in crafts and arts (Exod 31:6) to make the garments.

Exodus 28:4. And these are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a checkered coat, [a head covering] and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. Exodus 28:5. And they shall take the gold and the blue and the purple and the scarlet material and the fine linen. Exodus 28:6. And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet material, and of fine twisted linen, the work of a skilled craftsman. The ephod. Derived by interpreters from the Hebrew verb “aphad” – “to bind,” this name indicates a garment consisting of two pieces of material, one covering the back and the other the chest down to the waist; on the shoulders they were fastened by shoulder-straps (see verse 7), and at the waist by ties (Exod 28:8). The material for the ephod consisted of threads of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, fine linen, and gold. The latter was stretched into sheets, cut into threads, which were then woven between the loops of the specified colors (Exod 39:3). “The ephod,” said blessed Jerome, “is woven from four colors: hyacinthine, linen, brilliant scarlet and gold. Gold sheets, that is, thin plates, are stretched to an extraordinary fineness, threads cut from them are twisted together with weft of three colors and thread warp.”

Exodus 28:7. It shall have two shoulder-straps attached to its two edges, so that it may be fastened. The shoulder-straps, or fastenings on the shoulders, bound the ephod on both its edges (Exod 39:4). This indication makes it clear that the ephod was not a single garment – otherwise there would be no need to fasten or bind its two edges on the shoulders. It consisted of two pieces of cloth woven in the manner described above, one of which ended on the shoulders of the high priest on the front side and the other on the back. To prevent the ends of these halves from separating, they were bound on each shoulder with a shoulder-strap of a special kind – a clasp. The form of this clasp is unknown, but as can be seen from Exod 28:9-12, each of them was decorated with a stone called “shoham” – onyx, set in a gold setting (Exod 39:6-7).

Exodus 28:8. And the waistband of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same workmanship and materials as the ephod itself, of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet material, and of fine twisted linen. At the shoulders the two pieces of material were fastened with shoulder-straps, and at the bottom at the waist they were fastened with ties.

Exodus 28:9. And you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel. Exodus 28:10. Six of their names on the one stone and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. According to tradition, on the stone designated for the right shoulder were engraved the names of the six older sons of Jacob.

Exodus 28:11. In the work of an engraver in stone, like the engraving of signet rings, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel; you shall mount them in gold settings. Exodus 28:12. And you shall put the two stones on the shoulder-straps of the ephod; they are stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial. The names of the sons of Israel engraved on each stone were worn by Aaron before the Lord “as a memorial” – so that he would not forget his people in his supplicatory prayer. Together with the high priest, who appeared before the face of God, the tribes of Israel appeared before the face of God.

Exodus 28:13. And you shall make filigree settings of gold. Exodus 28:14. And you shall make two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings. The chains mentioned in these verses must not be confused with the chains by means of which the judgment breastpiece was attached to the shoulder-straps (Exod 28:22-25). A separate commandment is given regarding their construction (Exod 28:22). It is more natural to suppose that the chains, Exod 28:13-14, wound around the settings and thereby prevented the shoulder-stone from falling out of its mounting.

Exodus 28:15. And you shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in the skilled work like the ephod you shall make it; of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet material, and of fine twisted linen you shall make it. Exodus 28:16. It shall be folded double, a span long and a span wide. The name breastpiece is given to this garment from the fact that it was worn on the chest, and the name “of judgment” came from the presence of the Urim and Thummim in it (see the explanation of verse 30). Made of the same material as the ephod, it was a square cloth a span in length and width (approximately five vershoks). The breastpiece was double, consisting of cloth folded in half.

Exodus 28:17. And you shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of ruby, topaz, and emerald shall be the first row. Exodus 28:18. And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. Exodus 28:19. And the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst. Exodus 28:20. And the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper; they shall be set in gold filigree. Exodus 28:21. There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel; they shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. In the breastpiece, on its front side, twelve precious stones were to be set in gold mountings in four rows. What exactly these stones were is impossible to say with certainty. On the basis of ancient translations, it can be assumed with probability that in the upper row were a carnelian, topaz, and emerald; in the second – an emerald, sapphire, and jasper; in the third – a jacinth, agate, and amethyst; in the fourth – a chrysolite, beryl, and onyx. The carnelian is red; topaz is golden; emerald is green; emerald is fiery; sapphire is blue; jasper is various colors; jacinth is golden-yellow; agate is various colors; amethyst is violet; chrysolite is greenish; beryl is green-blue; onyx is like agate. In what order the names of the tribes should follow, the text does not say, but probably in the order of seniority, as on the shoulder-straps (Exod 28:10).

Exodus 28:22. And you shall make on the breastpiece two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords. Exodus 28:23. And you shall attach two gold rings to the breastpiece and put the rings on the two ends of the breastpiece. Exodus 28:24. And you shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. Exodus 28:25. The other ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings, and so attach it in front of the shoulder-straps of the ephod. To each of the two upper, that is, those closest to the shoulders, corners of the breastpiece was attached a gold ring; to them in turn was attached a gold chain, and each of these was attached to the corresponding setting of the shoulder-strap.

Exodus 28:26. And you shall make two rings of gold and attach them to the other two ends of the breastpiece, on the inside edge next to the ephod. Exodus 28:27. And you shall make two rings of gold and attach them to the two shoulder-straps of the ephod at its seams just above the waistband of the ephod. Exodus 28:28. And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie upon the waistband of the ephod, and so the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod. In the same way a gold ring was attached to each of the two lower corners of the breastpiece, only they were located not on its front side but on the underside facing the ephod. In turn this latter had on each corner under the waistband that bound it a ring, ring opposite ring to the breastpiece. The breastpiece ring was bound to the ephod ring by a cord, and thanks to this the breastpiece did not fall off the ephod, did not slip to the side.

Exodus 28:29. So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the sanctuary, for a continual remembrance before the Lord. The wearing by the high priest on his chest, at his heart, of the stones with the names of the sons of Israel indicated his spiritual relationship with his people. The high priest was bound to the people by the bonds of the most intimate love.

Exodus 28:30. And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord always. With the breastpiece of judgment was joined the “Urim and Thummim.” The Hebrew text, in speaking of the relation of the latter to the first, uses the expression “nattah” (from “natan”), meaning: “add, attach” the Urim and Thummim to the breastpiece (Lev 8:8). Accordingly, the name “Urim and Thummim” meant an object attached to the breastpiece. The relationship between them is clarified more precisely by comparing this verse and Lev 8:8 with Exod 25:16. In both the latter it is said that the tablets of the covenant are placed in the ark, and in the Hebrew text the same verb ‘natan’ with the preposition ‘el’ is used, which appears in Exod 28:30, Lev 8:8. But if in them it characterizes the relationship of the tablets to the ark, then in the latter – the relationship of Urim and Thummim to the breastpiece. As the tablets are placed in the ark of the covenant, so the Urim in the breastpiece. The possibility of this is evident from the fact that the latter was “double,” consisted of two pieces of material. But if Urim and Thummim was “placed” in the breastpiece, then it cannot be identified, as some do, with the 12 stones: they were on the breastpiece, but not in it. The representation of Urim and Thummim as an object coincides with another view expressed by interpreters that this name was given to the revelation received by the high priest. In particular, the distinction of Urim from revelation is indicated by Num 27:21: “and he (Joshua) shall stand before Eleazar the priest and shall ask him for a decision by means of Urim.” From the comparison of the words: “and they (Urim and Thummim) shall be upon Aaron’s heart” with the further expression: “and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the sons of Israel upon his heart,” it follows with certainty that the name “judgment” is attributed to Urim and Thummim and that in connection with this the breastpiece containing them received the name “breastpiece of judgment” (Exod 28:15). And since the expression “judgment” (Heb. “mishpat”) is connected with the concept of revelation (Isa 51:4), the name of Urim “judgment” indicates that through it the will of God was revealed, revelation was obtained (Num 27:21).

Exodus 28:31. And you shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. The “robe” – in contrast to the ephod, was single-colored. The robe is called “robe of the ephod,” that is, a part of the ephod, which without it was not put on.

Exodus 28:32. It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening of a coat of mail, so that it does not tear. The garment was not open or fastened, but whole, with an opening for the head in the upper part. The opening should not be cut out but made during the weaving of the robe, which was entirely woven (Exod 39:22). To prevent the opening from tearing, it was bound with a woven binding (Exod 39:23).

Exodus 28:33. And on the hem of the robe you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material, all around the hem [and between them golden bells all around]. Exodus 28:34. A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe. Exodus 28:35. And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and his sound shall be heard when he goes into the sanctuary before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die. Along the hem of the robe (Exod 39:26), which reached, according to Josephus and blessed Jerome, to the knees, there alternated three-colored likenesses of pomegranates, made from blue, purple, and scarlet twisted yarn (Exod 39:24), and golden bells. While the pomegranates, distinguished by their sweetness, reminded of the sweetness of the law proclaimed by the high priest (Ps 118:72), the sound of the bells when Aaron entered the sanctuary and left it had the closest relation to the high priest’s personal safety: “and he shall not die.” Entering the sanctuary, the place of God’s special presence, Aaron, clothed in his sacred garments, appeared as the representative and intercessor of the people, not as one who had offended the sanctity of the place; therefore Aaron should be free from fear of punishment by death for the offense of God’s majesty. The explanation of Jesus son of Sirach (Sir 45:11) does not clarify the expression: “and he shall not die.”

Exodus 28:36. And you shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, “Holy to the Lord.” Exodus 28:37. And you shall fasten it on the front of the turban with a cord of blue. Exodus 28:38. It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt connected with the holy offerings that the people of Israel sanctify as their holy gifts; it shall regularly be on his forehead, to make atonement for them before the Lord. Attached to the head covering of the high priest, the gold plate, the “diadem of holiness” (Exod 29:6), with its inscription: “Holy to the Lord,” indicated that the high priest bore the sins or defects of the offerings of the sons of Israel. What these sins of offerings were and from what they arose is difficult to say with certainty. Some attribute the cause to the sins of the one offering the sacrifice, which contaminated with their uncleanness the offering itself. Others understand by the sins of offerings the sins of the priests in the performance of sacrifices, arising from the violation of ceremonial ordinances. If the high priest did not bear, that is, did not take away, these sins, the sacred gifts, intended for the purification of man and the appeasement of God, would not achieve their goal. There is no description of the high priest’s head covering in the Bible. According to Josephus, it consisted of linen cloth, the ordinary priestly headband, over which was another, made of patterned purple cloth with a triple hammered gold crown (Josephus, Antiq. 3:7, 6).

Exodus 28:39. And you shall weave the coat of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash of woven work. The coat was made of fine linen, woven (Exod 28:4). It is likely that from single-colored threads the material of the coat was woven in small squares, in which threads went in different directions, forming the material in the manner of pique. The sash was made of fine linen and material of blue, purple, and scarlet color, of woven work (Exod 39:29).

Exodus 28:40. For Aaron’s sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps; you shall make them for glory and beauty. Exodus 28:41. And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and you shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. The silence regarding the construction of the priestly coats and sashes suggests that they did not differ from the corresponding garments of the high priest (Exod 39:27). The name of the priestly headband – “migba’a” (Exod 39:28, Lev 8:13) differs from the name of the high priest’s head covering “mitznefet,” which in turn indicates a difference in the construction of the headgear themselves.

Exodus 28:42. And you shall make linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh; they shall reach from the loins to the thighs. Exodus 28:43. And they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they do not incur guilt and die. This shall be a perpetual statute for him and for his offspring after him. The undergarments, lower linen clothing, extending from the loins to the shins (the part of the leg from the knee to the foot), covered the nakedness of the body. Their wearing indicated the priests’ consciousness of their sinfulness and their reverent attitude toward the holiness of the place and therefore saved from death. * * * A long lower garment. A head covering. Slavonic: “robe,” or “ephod.” It is interesting here to examine the corresponding text of the Slavonic Bible – “And he girded him according to the arrangement of the Ephod, and bound him with it: and put upon him a word, and put upon the word a manifestation and truth.” Editor’s note. This interpretation is suited to the Slavonic interpretation of “Urim” and “Thummim” as “word” and “truth.” Editor’s note. Slavonic: long robe, inner. Slavonic: “robe with a pattern” – fringed, or according to another explanation, checkered.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

1–14. Ordinances for the consecration of the chief priests and priests, and sacrifice for them. 15–18. Burnt offering. 19–37. Sacrifice of consecration. 38–44. The daily sacrifices. 45–46. The Lord’s promise to dwell among the sons of Israel.

Exodus 29:1. This is what you shall do to them to consecrate them to serve as priests to me: take one young bull from the cattle and two rams without blemish, Exodus 29:2. and unleavened bread, and unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened loaves anointed with oil: make them from wheaten flour, Exodus 29:3. and put them in one basket, and bring them in the basket, together with the bull and the two rams. Preparatory actions for the consecration. The presentation of sacrificial animals to the tabernacle: the bull, offered as a sin offering (Exod 29:14), the ram – as a burnt offering (Exod 29:18), and the second ram, intended as a sacrifice of consecration (Lev 8:22). Along with the blood sacrifices, an unbloody offering should be brought in its main forms (Lev 2:16), and accordingly the appropriate material is prepared for it.

Exodus 29:4. Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. Exodus 29:5. And take the holy garments, and clothe Aaron with the tunic and the robe and the ephod and the breastpiece, and bind him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod; Exodus 29:6. and place the turban on his head and attach the crown of sanctity to the turban; Exodus 29:7. and take the anointing oil and pour it on his head, and anoint him. Exodus 29:8. Bring his sons also and clothe them with tunics; Exodus 29:9. and bind them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and tie headdresses on them, and the priestly office shall be theirs as a perpetual statute; and thus you shall ordain Aaron and his sons. The first act of consecration – washing with water, clothing, and pouring of oil.

Exodus 29:4. Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. Before each particular instance of service by Aaron and his sons at the tabernacle there was required a washing of hands and feet (Exod 30:18-21). And since the consecration introduced them into service, was the beginning of it, the service in general was preceded by washing, not of the entire body, which would presuppose indecent nudity in the presence of all the people (Lev 8:3), but by analogy with custom – washing of hands and feet. As an indication of the need for bodily purity, it also spoke of that spiritual cleanliness which should distinguish those being consecrated, as servants of God.

Exodus 29:5. And take the holy garments, and clothe Aaron with the tunic and the robe and the ephod and the breastpiece, and bind him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod; Exodus 29:6. and place the turban on his head and attach the crown of sanctity to the turban; Washing precedes the service at the tabernacle; it also requires appropriate garments (Exod 28:3-4). Therefore, as future servants of the tabernacle, first Aaron, and then his sons, are clothed in the garments of sacred service, receive the first signs of their rank.

Exodus 29:7. and take the anointing oil and pour it on his head, and anoint him. The purpose of Aaron’s anointing with specially prepared oil (Exod 30:22-25), generously poured on his head (Ps 132:2), was to “sanctify” the one being anointed (Exod 30:30, Lev 8:12). Just as the anointing oil itself was set apart from the realm of ordinary household objects (Exod 30:32-33), so things and persons anointed with it were sanctified, designated for sacred purposes. The term is used in this sense in the note about the chief priest: “the anointing oil upon his head, and he shall be holy, to clothe himself in the sacred garments” (Lev 21:10, cf. Exod 29:12). According to others, the anointing served as a sign of imparting to Aaron special graces necessary for performing his service. But the Bible gives no grounds for such an understanding.

Exodus 29:8. Bring his sons also and clothe them with tunics; Exodus 29:9. and bind them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and tie headdresses on them, and the priestly office shall be theirs as a perpetual statute; and thus you shall ordain Aaron and his sons. Whether the clothing of Aaron’s sons was accompanied by anointing, this is not stated in either this chapter or the parallel chapter 8 of Leviticus. As for other texts that address this question, disagreement is found among them. While some texts indicate – Lev 6:6 (Lev 6:13 Heb.), in Lev 16:32 it speaks of the anointing of Aaron’s sons (Exod 28:41, Lev 10:6-7, Num 3:3). If the first two and the last passage may raise doubt as to whether the anointing of priests is the same as the anointing of the chief priest, the third and fourth leave no room for it. “Anoint them,” it is said in Exod 40:15, “as you anointed their father.” Aaron and his sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, are not to grieve for the dead Nadab and Abihu and go out of the tabernacle, “because the anointing oil of the Lord is upon them” (Lev 10:7).

Exodus 29:10. Bring the bull to the front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull [before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting]; Exodus 29:11. and slaughter the bull before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting; Exodus 29:12. take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour the rest of the blood at the base of the altar; Exodus 29:13. take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar; Exodus 29:14. but the flesh of the bull and its hide and its dung you shall burn with fire outside the camp: it is a sin offering. Exodus 29:15. Then take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram; Exodus 29:16. and you shall slaughter the ram, and shall take its blood and throw it against the altar on all sides; Exodus 29:17. cut the ram into pieces, and wash its entrails [in water] and its legs, and put them with its pieces and its head; Exodus 29:18. and you shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord. Exodus 29:19. Take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram; Exodus 29:20. Then slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the lobes of his sons’ right ears, and on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet, and throw the rest of the blood against the altar on all sides; Exodus 29:21. take some of the blood that is on the altar, and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his vestments and on his sons and his sons’ vestments with him; then he and his vestments and his sons and his sons’ vestments shall be holy. Exodus 29:22. And take from the ram the fat and the fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails, and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and the right thigh [because it is a ram of ordination], Exodus 29:23. and one loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer from the basket of unleavened bread that is before the Lord, Exodus 29:24. put all of these on the palms of Aaron and on the palms of his sons, and raise them as an elevation offering before the Lord; Exodus 29:25. then you shall take them from their hands, and burn them on the altar as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma before the Lord; it is an offering by fire to the Lord. Exodus 29:26. And you shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s ordination and raise it as an elevation offering before the Lord; and it shall be your portion. Exodus 29:27. And you shall consecrate the breast that was raised as an elevation offering and the thigh that was raised as an elevation offering from the ram of ordination, from what was Aaron’s and from what was his sons’, Exodus 29:28. and it shall be for Aaron and his sons as a due forever from the Israelites, for it is an elevation offering; an elevation offering from the Israelites from their sacrifices of well-being, their elevation offering to the Lord. The second act of consecration – the offering of sacrifices – introduced Aaron and his sons into the office and rights of the priesthood, for which they had been set apart by the preceding actions. Such significance is connected with it on the basis of the words Exod 29:9: “ordain the hands of Aaron and his sons.” As seen from 1 Chr 29:5 and 2 Chr 29:31, the expression “to ordain hands for the Most High” means: “to acquire what is offered to God.” Aaron and his sons did not themselves acquire “what is offered to the Lord,” the sacrifices in this case, but through Moses: he “ordained their hands,” that is, through him they obtained the sacrifices and received the right to perform them.

Exodus 29:10. Bring the bull to the front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull [before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting]; Exodus 29:11. and slaughter the bull before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting; Exodus 29:12. take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour the rest of the blood at the base of the altar; Exodus 29:13. take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar; Exodus 29:14. but the flesh of the bull and its hide and its dung you shall burn with fire outside the camp: it is a sin offering. The blood of the sin offering – the bull – was not brought into the sanctuary, as was required later (Lev 4:5-7), but only placed on the horns of the altar of burnt offerings. The reason for this lay in the fact that the consecration of Aaron and his sons was not yet complete. He was not yet the chief priest, nor were his sons yet priests. However, the flesh of the sin offering was burned outside the camp, as when the blood of the sacrifice was brought into the sanctuary (Lev 4:11-12). The explanation for this peculiarity is as follows. According to the general rule, the flesh should have been eaten by the one performing the sacrifice, Moses in this case, but he could not eat the flesh of the sin offering, since he was not a priest.

Exodus 29:15. Then take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram; Exodus 29:16. and you shall slaughter the ram, and shall take its blood and throw it against the altar on all sides; Exodus 29:17. cut the ram into pieces, and wash its entrails [in water] and its legs, and put them with its pieces and its head; Exodus 29:18. and you shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord. The burnt offering was performed in accordance with the ordinances prescribed by the law (Lev 1:3 and others).

Exodus 29:19. Take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram; Exodus 29:20. Then slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the lobes of his sons’ right ears, and on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet, and throw the rest of the blood against the altar on all sides; The first distinguishing feature of the sacrifice of consecration was the placing of its blood on the lobe of the right ear and on the thumbs of the right hand and the big toes of the right foot of those being consecrated. Through the ear, hand, and foot are anointed the members by which the priests perform their service. The ear is anointed so that it may better hear the law and testimony of God; the hand – so that it may accurately fulfill God’s commandments and priestly duties; the foot – so that it may walk blamelessly in the sanctuary. “They are anointed,” says Cyril of Alexandria, “in all the members of the right side, and as it were in their final parts, that is, at the edges: the edge, it is said, of the ear, and likewise of the foot and hand, because every good deed is noble and right, has nothing as it were crooked or base, and reaches to the edges, that is, to the end or to the whole, for those dedicated to God must be right in sanctification and to the end in endurance, and it is quite foolish to turn back, as if not resolving to carry the good to completion.”

Exodus 29:21. take some of the blood that is on the altar, and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his vestments and on his sons and his sons’ vestments with him; then he and his vestments and his sons and his sons’ vestments shall be holy. The second distinguishing feature of the sacrifice of consecration was the sprinkling of those being consecrated and their garments with blood mingled with oil. Garment indicates a certain office, and office indicates a person clothed in a certain way. Together, the person and the garment form the priest. Therefore, the consecration of both must be accomplished at once. At the conclusion of the covenant at Sinai, it was sufficient to sprinkle the people with blood alone, without the addition of oil, since the people were not obligated to fulfill any special office; meanwhile, with the consecration of the priests, a special service was laid upon them; therefore it was necessary to join to the purifying power of blood the sanctifying action of the oil.

Exodus 29:22. And take from the ram the fat and the fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails, and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and the right thigh [because it is a ram of ordination], Exodus 29:23. and one loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer from the basket of unleavened bread that is before the Lord, Exodus 29:24. put all of these on the palms of Aaron and on the palms of his sons, and raise them as an elevation offering before the Lord; Exodus 29:25. then you shall take them from their hands, and burn them on the altar as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma before the Lord; it is an offering by fire to the Lord. The placing on the hands of the priests those parts of the sacrificial animal that must be offered to God, as well as the bread offering in three forms (bread, cake, and wafer), and the waving of all of this before burning on the altar means the delivery into the hands of those being consecrated of sacrifices, which they are to offer to the Most High, or – the endowing of them with gifts that they, as priests, will always be obligated to offer to God. Such is the meaning assigned to these ritual actions by the expression Exod 29:22: “[it is a ram of ordination].”

Exodus 29:26. And you shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s ordination and raise it as an elevation offering before the Lord; and it shall be your portion. Moses, having performed on behalf of Aaron and his sons the entire rite of sacrifice and representing at this time in his person all of the priesthood, received that portion of the sacrifice which belonged to all priests, namely the breast of the wave offering (Lev 8:29 and others).

Exodus 29:27. And you shall consecrate the breast that was raised as an elevation offering and the thigh that was raised as an elevation offering from the ram of ordination, from what was Aaron’s and from what was his sons’, Exodus 29:28. and it shall be for Aaron and his sons as a due forever from the Israelites, for it is an elevation offering; an elevation offering from the Israelites from their sacrifices of well-being, their elevation offering to the Lord. By the very action of raising and presenting, the breast and thigh are consecrated and removed from common use, from use by laypeople not consecrated. They are presented to the Lord: “it is an elevation offering.” What is offered to the Lord cannot return to the benefit of the laypeople who brought it; God himself gives what is offered to him to his sanctified servants. Therefore, what now came into Moses’ possession was to be given in the future to the high priest Aaron and to his sons – the priests.

Exodus 29:29. The holy vestments of Aaron shall pass down to his sons after him, so that they may be anointed in them and ordained in them; Exodus 29:30. The one among his sons who is priest in his place shall wear them seven days, the one who comes into the tent of meeting to minister in the holy place. Just as certain portions of the peace offering come into the possession of not only Aaron and his sons but also all future high priests and priests, so the vestments are designated not for Aaron alone but also for all his successors. In this inherited vestment they are to receive the anointing and ordination to the priesthood throughout the seven days.

Exodus 29:31. Take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a holy place; Exodus 29:32. and Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Exodus 29:33. They themselves shall eat the food by which atonement is made, to ordain and consecrate them, but no one else shall eat of it, for it is holy. Like every peace offering, the sacrifice of consecration concluded with a meal (cf. Lev 7:15 and others). And if the meal expressed the idea of communion, then in this case it indicated that Aaron and his sons were being admitted to a special priestly union with God, in the benefits and blessings of which no one could have a share except those who were sanctified as priests. Therefore, no one else could partake of it.

Exodus 29:34. If any of the flesh for the ordination, or of the bread, remains until the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire; it shall not be eaten, because it is holy. The command to burn the remaining flesh and bread was to be carried out by those being consecrated themselves (Lev 8:32). The reason for which the prohibition is made against eating the remainder on the next day of the flesh of the ram of ordination and of the bread is stated in the words: “because it is holy.” Remaining until the next day might, either from accidental neglect in preservation or from the action of air and so forth, undergo some alteration or decay, improper care (Lev 7:19 and others). By the command to burn the remnants, the holy thing was protected from such contingencies.

Exodus 29:35. And you shall do all that I have commanded you concerning Aaron and his sons; in seven days you shall consecrate them. In order that the consecration be complete and perfect, Aaron and his sons were to remain constantly at the tabernacle for seven days (Lev 8:33). All of them were days of consecration, and on each of them the same rites took place that occurred on the first day (Lev 8:33-34).

Exodus 29:36. Each day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement. Also you shall purge the altar, when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it, to consecrate it. Exodus 29:37. For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar, and consecrate it, and the altar shall be most holy; whatever touches the altar shall become holy. The offering of a bull as a sin offering of those being consecrated (Exod 29:1) had also another significance – it served as a means of cleansing and consecrating the altar. It will be cleansed and consecrated, first, by the very offering of sacrifice upon it, and second, by its anointing with oil (Lev 8:10-11). Anointing with sacred oil set everything apart from the realm of ordinary household matters (Exod 30:29). The cleansing and consecration of the altar, like the consecration of Aaron, was to be accomplished throughout seven days.

Exodus 29:38. Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old [without blemish] regularly [as a regular offering]; Exodus 29:39. one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer in the evening, Following the command to consecrate the altar comes the instruction as to what sacrifices are to be offered daily on the altar, as soon as it and the holy persons receive their consecration. For the regular daily burnt offering (Exod 29:42), two yearling lambs are appointed (cf. Num 28:3 and others); one is to be offered in the morning, at the beginning of the day, around the seventh hour, the other in the evening (“between the two evenings” (Exod 12:6)). Both the beginning of the day and the end are consecrated by the expression of complete devotion to God.

Exodus 29:40. and a tenth of an ephah of choice flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of beaten oil, and a quarter of a hin of wine for a drink offering, for each lamb; Exodus 29:41. and you shall offer the other lamb in the evening, with a grain offering like the one in the morning, and with a drink offering like the one in the morning, for a pleasing odor, an offering by fire to the Lord. According to the general law Num 15, the blood offering is joined with a grain offering, for which a tenth of an ephah of wheaten flour, a quarter of a hin of pressed oil, and the same amount of wine are appointed. The materials of the unbloody sacrifice serve the chief gifts given by the Creator (Ps 103:14) for the sustenance of human life and for earthly well-being, and therefore in it is found the complete, most vivid expression of the fundamental idea of sacrifice – the thought of self-surrender.

Exodus 29:42. This shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there; The strict observance of the law concerning the daily burnt offerings is again commanded as an everlasting obligation upon the Hebrew people, and the reason for this is indicated. It lies in the fact that in the tent of meeting the Lord will manifest his special presence, will reveal himself and speak. Reverent regard for his presence should be expressed, among other things, in the unfailing offering to him of daily sacrifices.

Exodus 29:43. there I will meet with the Israelites, and it shall be sanctified by my glory. Such reverent regard is all the more necessary because the tabernacle serves as a place of revelation of the Lord not to Moses alone, but also to the other sons of Israel. The constant manifestation of God’s glory will sanctify the tabernacle, will make it a holy place.

Exodus 29:44. I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar; Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate, to serve me as priests. If God himself will sanctify the tabernacle by his dwelling, will sanctify those who serve him, then the sons of Israel must unfailingly manifest their reverence for the deity dwelling in their sanctuary by offering the appointed sacrifices, as a gift of love, gratitude, and obedience.

Chapter Thirty

1–10. The arrangement of the incense altar. 11–16. The sacred offering. 17–21. On the arrangement of the basin. 22–33. The anointing oil. 34–36. Sacred incense.

Exodus 30:1. And you shall make an altar for the offering of incense; you shall make it of acacia wood: Exodus 30:2. its length shall be one cubit, and its width one cubit; it shall be square; and its height shall be two cubits; its horns shall be of one piece with it; The naming of the incense altar as an altar—that is, by the same name that was given to the altar for offering sacrificial animals—clearly shows that the offerings made on the incense altar were likewise offerings to the Most High. The horns of the incense altar came from it, constituting one whole with it (Exod 27:12).

Exodus 30:3. And you shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides around it, and its horns; and you shall make for it a golden border around it; Exodus 30:4. under the border of it, on two corners of it, you shall make two golden rings; you shall make them on two sides of it; and they shall be holders for the poles, to carry it by them; Exodus 30:5. You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. The entire altar, except the lower side facing the ground, was overlaid with gold, not bronze (Exod 27:2). The border, arranged at the upper edge of the altar, was probably somewhat higher than its upper board.

Exodus 30:6. And you shall place it before the veil that is before the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you. The exact determination of the location of the incense altar is given in the words: “before the veil, opposite the mercy seat.” The latter expression indicates that the altar should be placed before the center of the veil, so that it stood directly opposite the ark of the testimony, at an equal distance from both the north and south sides of the sanctuary.

Exodus 30:7. Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; every morning when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense with it; Exodus 30:8. And when Aaron lights the lamps in the evening, he shall burn incense with it: a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations. The time of burning incense on the incense altar coincides with the time of performing the daily morning and evening burnt offering (Exod 29:39), and its burning is likewise obligatory for all future times of the existence of the Old Testament Church, just as the daily sacrifices of lambs (Exod 29:38).

Exodus 30:9. You shall not offer on it any other incense, nor burnt offering, nor grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it. Exodus 30:10. And Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; with the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once a year throughout your generations. This is most holy to the Lord. To the account of the arrangement and purpose of the incense altar is joined a command for Aaron and every future high priest, once a year, on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16), to make atonement on its horns with the blood of the sin offering. By its name—“most holy”—the incense altar is placed on the same level as the Holy of Holies, the altar of the courtyard (Exod 29:37), the table, and the lampstand (Exod 30:29).

Exodus 30:11. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Exodus 30:12. When you take a census of the people of Israel for their numbering, then each shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them; Exodus 30:13. Each one who is numbered in the census shall give half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs); half a shekel as an offering to the Lord; Exodus 30:14. Everyone from twenty years old and above, when numbered in the census, shall give the offering to the Lord; Exodus 30:15. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give the offering to the Lord as a ransom for your souls; Exodus 30:16. And you shall take the ransom money from the people of Israel and shall appoint it for the service of the tent of meeting; and before the Lord it shall be a reminder to the people of Israel of the ransom given for your souls. Concerning the sacred offering. The commandment to pay the sacred offering interrupts the account of the arrangement of the tabernacle furnishings. This occurred not only because the sacred offering provided the means for their preparation (Exod 30:16, Nehem 10:33-34), whereby the account of it is quite fitting alongside the account of the objects for which it is spent, but also because the account of the incense altar is concluded with the commandment to purify it. And the sacred offering also had a purifying significance.

Exodus 30:12. When you take a census of the people of Israel for their numbering, then each shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them; Inclusion in the census meant enrollment in the list of men of military age, capable of bearing weapons (Num 1:3), defenders of the freedom and independence of the Hebrew people. The greater the number of these defenders, the more secure was the protection of the people’s freedom and independence. But one can rely on this protection only through God’s mercy toward the defenders of the people, because their very life is in God’s hands. As a testimony of constant dependence in very being upon God, those being counted must give a gift to God for the ransom of their souls—that is, their lives. This gift, presented with an awareness of complete dependence upon God, had the significance of an appeasing and purifying sacrifice, turning away the wrath of the Lord.

Exodus 30:13. Each one who is numbered in the census shall give half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs); half a shekel as an offering to the Lord; Half of a sacred shekel, the amount of the offering, equals about forty or forty-three kopeks.

Exodus 30:14. Everyone from twenty years old and above, when numbered in the census, shall give the offering to the Lord; The census was to include men beginning from the age of twenty and above, but at what age limit—is not stated. It can be supposed that the right to be excluded from the list was given by reaching the age of fifty (Num 4:3, cf. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 3:8, 2). The silence of the law about an annual contribution, the silence about an annual taking of the census, and the testimony of the book of Nehemiah about the voluntary obligation undertaken by the returning exiles to pay annually for the needs of the tabernacle 1/3 of a shekel give reason to think that the sacred contribution for the tabernacle should be a single, one-time payment.

Exodus 30:15. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give the offering to the Lord as a ransom for your souls; The collection has the significance of a purifying and appeasing sacrifice, and therefore its amount is the same for rich and poor alike.

Exodus 30:16. And you shall take the ransom money from the people of Israel and shall appoint it for the service of the tent of meeting; and before the Lord it shall be a reminder to the people of Israel of the ransom given for your souls. The Most High will not forget with His mercy those enrolled in the census; He will spare their lives.

Exodus 30:17. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Exodus 30:18. You shall make a bronze basin for washing, with a bronze stand for it, and you shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it; As is evident from the text, the basin consisted of two parts: a vessel for water and a stand; some indications of the arrangement of the first part are given by Exod 38:8 (see the commentary on that place). The basin was located between the tabernacle and the altar, on a straight line from the latter to the entrance of the sanctuary.

Exodus 30:19. And Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet from it; Exodus 30:20. When they go into the tent of meeting, let them wash with water, so that they do not die; or when they come near the altar to minister, to make a food offering to the Lord, Exodus 30:21. they shall wash with water, so that they do not die; and this shall be a perpetual statute for them, for him and for his offspring throughout their generations. A reverent attitude toward the holiness of the place—“when they go into the tent of meeting,” and toward the holiness of the action—“when they come near the altar to minister” (by connection of the text, to the incense altar), requires physical cleanliness. Neglect of it, a manifestation of an irreverent attitude toward the holy place, is punished with death.

Exodus 30:22. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Exodus 30:23. Take for yourself the finest spices: five hundred shekels of pure myrrh, half that amount—two hundred fifty shekels—of fragrant cinnamon, and two hundred fifty shekels of fragrant cane, The oil intended for anointing the tabernacle, its furnishings, Aaron and his sons (Exod 30:26 and others), was prepared by Bezalel. It consisted of “pure myrrh”—that is, the resin of the myrrh shrub that comes out of itself in drops at various places on the stem of this shrub. The amount of this resin is indicated by the word “five hundred,” without specification of measure. But as is evident from the remark Exod 30:24: “according to the shekel of the sanctuary,” the measure was “the sacred shekel,” 500 sacred shekels equal almost 16 pounds. Cinnamon—that is, the bark from the cinnamon tree, found even now in India and on the island of Ceylon—was to be taken in an amount of 250 shekels, that is, about eight pounds. Fragrant cane, having aromatic roots, was known to the ancients as one of the most fragrant substances.

Exodus 30:24. and five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil; Cassia is an aromatic bark from the tree “laurus cassia.” A hin was about a quarter of a bucket.

Exodus 30:25. And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. The specific method of preparing the oil is unknown—whether there was special processing of each of the fragrant substances before combining it with the others, or special processing of the entire mixture is not precisely known.

Exodus 30:26. And you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, Exodus 30:27. and the table and all its furnishings, and the lampstand and all its furnishings, and the altar of incense, Exodus 30:28. and the altar of burnt offering and all its furnishings, and the basin and its stand; Exodus 30:29. and you shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; everything that touches them shall be holy. The anointing with oil of the objects listed in the preceding verses set them apart from the circle of common household items. It served as a visible sign of the accomplishment of God’s will in giving the anointed objects such significance and such power as they could not have possessed in themselves.

Exodus 30:30. You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. The anointing of Aaron, like the anointing of the tabernacle furnishings, set him apart with his sons from among the rest of the people, establishing them as mediators between God and people.

Exodus 30:31. And say to the people of Israel: This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. Exodus 30:32. It shall not be poured on the bodies of ordinary people, and you shall not make any other oil like it in composition; it is holy, and it shall be kept holy by you; Exodus 30:33. Whoever compounds a perfume like it or whoever puts any of it on an unauthorized person shall be cut off from his people. The sacred oil is removed from ordinary human use; whoever violates this ordinance is punished with death (Gen 17:14).

Exodus 30:34. And the Lord said to Moses: Take fragrant spices—stacte, onycha, and galbanum, fragrant spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), The substances that make up the fragrant incense are not precisely known. The Hebrew word “stacte,” literally meaning “drop, dripping,” indicates not the substance itself but its appearance from the plant drop by drop. “Onycha” is understood as either an excrescence on a shell or the shell itself of one type of snail found in the waters of India and the Red Sea. The name of the third substance, “galbanum,” indicates its white color, similar to the color of milk. Galbanum is understood as a resin obtained from a shrub growing in Syria and Persia. The remark “fragrant” indicates that galbanum could be fragrant or non-fragrant. The fourth incense—“frankincense”—is the resin of a plant of the terebinth species, found in southern Arabia. The addition to the name of this substance of the word “pure” indicates either the absence of any admixture, which it would have been profitable to mix into the composition of this valuable substance, or the method of collecting the resin. Namely, to obtain completely pure resin, they spread a cloth around the plant, onto which its drops fall. Only the equal amount of each of the substances that were to go into the composition of the incense was determined.

Exodus 30:35. And you shall make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy; The method of preparing the incense remains unknown.

Exodus 30:36. You shall beat some of it into powder and put it before the ark of the testimony in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you; it shall be most holy to you. The command to “beat it into powder” indicates not the method of preparing the incense but the form in which the prepared incense should be placed in the tent of meeting. Taking a portion of the prepared incense, it was necessary to beat it into powder and use it in that form. From Exod 40:5 it is clear that the incense was to be placed on the altar, which stood in the sanctuary opposite the ark of the covenant, which was behind the veil in the Holy of Holies.

Chapter Thirty-One

1–11. The appointment of the ministers of the tabernacle. 12–18. Repetition of the law concerning the observance of the Sabbath and delivery to Moses of the tablets.

Exodus 31:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Exodus 31:2. See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; Exodus 31:3. and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability, intelligence, knowledge, and all kinds of craftsmanship, Exodus 31:4. to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, Exodus 31:5. in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for every kind of craft. Exodus 31:6. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have given ability to all able-minded men, so that they may make all that I have commanded you: Exodus 31:7. the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, Exodus 31:8. the table and its furnishings, and the pure gold lampstand and all its furnishings, and the altar of incense, Exodus 31:9. and the altar of burnt offering and all its furnishings, and the basin and its stand, Exodus 31:10. and the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, Exodus 31:11. and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the sanctuary: they shall make all of these according to all that I have commanded you. The work of arranging the tabernacle according to the plan shown to Moses was to be accomplished by builders appointed by God Himself. That Oholiab was only an assistant (Exod 31:6) to Bezalel is evident not only from the fact that Bezalel is placed first, but also from the fact that special gifts of God are attributed to him (Exod 31:3-4). The same is evident from the mention in other places (Exod 37:1) of him alone. In the enumeration of the objects that were to be made by the builders of the tabernacle (Exod 31:7-11), Aaron’s garments are given the special name “seradi,” the meaning of which is unclear. On the basis of Exod 35:19 and Exod 39:41 it is possible to think that the garments are named for service, that is, intended for use when performing priestly duties.

Exodus 31:12. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Exodus 31:13. “You shall speak to the people of Israel and say: Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. Exodus 31:14. You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death; whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Exodus 31:15. Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. Exodus 31:16. Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. Exodus 31:17. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.” The immutability of the Sabbath rest. Since the commandment about the Sabbath is repeated for the entire people of Israel, it cannot be thought that the repetition was needed to prevent the builders of the tabernacle from doing work on the Sabbath. The purpose of the reminder about the Sabbath rest is different. The sanctuary, whose arrangement was discussed, is designated for serving God. The essence of this service consists in a constant confession of God’s dominion by word and deed. Its expression is found, among other things, in observing the Sabbath rest. The use of the word “Sabbath” in the plural gives full right to assert that the speech is not about one seventh day, but also about other days of rest from work. Observance of this command is “a sign between God and the Hebrews,” testifying to the faithfulness of the people to their Lord and to their separation from among the other peoples. Non-fulfillment of the commandment about Sabbath rest is equivalent to a conscious denial of the dominion of the Most High and therefore must have as its consequence the removal of the denier from among the people of God (Num 15:34-35).

Exodus 31:18. And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. Proclaimed in the hearing of all the people (Exod 20:17), the Ten Commandments were given by God Himself in writing on two stone tablets, inscribed on both sides (Exod 32:15). Judging by the fact that Moses carried the tablets in one hand and placed them in a comparatively small ark, it can be supposed that they were not of exceptional size.

Chapter Thirty-Two

1–14. The golden calf and the wrath of the Lord. 15–20. Moses breaks the tablets; destruction of the golden calf. 21–28. Punishment of the idolaters. 29–35. Moses returns to the mountain and his intercession.

Exodus 32:1. When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” As is evident from Deut 9:9 onwards, the people’s demand “make us gods who shall go before us” took place shortly before the end of the forty-day period of Moses’ presence on Sinai and was caused by his prolonged absence, which suggested the thought that he would not return from the mountain. Since Moses was the representative of God for the Hebrews (Exod 20:1-2), his non-return to the people served as proof for them that they had been abandoned by the Most High (Deut 31:1-6). Direct indication of the existence of such a view is found in the words “make us gods who shall go before us.” The people do not believe that the cloud pillar, which had previously gone before them as a visible sign of the presence and revelation of the One Who Is to Israel, will come before them, and they ask to replace it with an image of another god. The Hebrew expression “elohim” with a predicate in the plural, which combination is used to denote pagan gods, makes it clear that the Hebrews are asking for an image not of the Most High, but of a pagan god. The correctness of such understanding is confirmed by the words Ps 105: “and they exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox eating grass. They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt” (Ps 105:20-21).

Exodus 32:2. Aaron said to them, “Take off the golden earrings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” Exodus 32:3. So all the people took off the golden earrings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron. By his own admission, Aaron, to whom the Hebrews turned as Moses’ substitute (Exod 24:14) with their request, gave in to their demand because this people is “fierce” (Exod 32:22)—that is, fear for his own life (Exod 17:4) compelled him to fulfill the popular demand. As for the proposal to bring “golden earrings, which are on the ears of your wives,” according to the opinion of Ephrem the Syrian and blessed Theodoret, it was made in hope that the women, pitying their treasures, would dissuade their husbands from making the calf.

Exodus 32:4. And he took what they handed him and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a molten calf; and the people said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” By choosing the form of a calf as the image of a god, Aaron, as most ancient (Philo, Lactantius, blessed Jerome) and modern scholars think, was imitating the Egyptians. In favor of such a conclusion speaks, first of all, the undoubted fact of the Egyptians’ worship of the black bull Apis in Memphis and the white, or Mnevis, in Heliopolis, and the testimony of Greek writers, Strabo, Plutarch, and Herodotus, gives reason to suppose that the Egyptians used images of these sacred animals (although generally zoomorphism was much less widespread among the Egyptians than zoolatry itself). The Egyptian origin of the golden calf is further indicated by the very character of the festival held in its honor. Besides a sacrifice, it consisted of a feast, games (Exod 32:6), dancing (Exod 32:19), and loud songs (Exod 32:18). Egyptian festivals in honor of Isis had approximately similar forms. Describing them, Herodotus says: “some of the women play cymbals, others play the flute, while the other women and men sing and clap their hands.” The words of the protomartyr Stephen speak in favor of the Egyptian origin of the golden calf: “Our ancestors turned their hearts back to Egypt, saying, ‘Make us gods’” (Acts 7:39-40). Since in ancient times the bull or ox served as an image of strength and energy, the Hebrews recognized the power embodied in the golden calf as the power that had brought them out of Egypt: “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” But this power was not in their eyes the power of the Most High (at least in the eyes of the overwhelming majority), and the golden calf itself did not serve as its image. The correctness of this view is confirmed, besides what was said above, by the words of the Lord to Moses (Exod 32:8): service to the golden calf is not service to Him, the One Who Is (as it might have been in the eyes of Aaron, Exod 32:5, and other less religiously developed members of the people), represented in the form of a calf, but worship of the latter. The Apostle Paul holds the same view exactly, calling those who served the golden calf idolaters (1 Cor 10:7).

Exodus 32:5. When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron proclaimed, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” Exodus 32:6. They rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. By the words “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord” Aaron attempts to correct the people’s view of the golden calf; it is an image of the invisible Lord. But the pagan character of the festival held in honor of the new god proves that the people in the mass remained in their conviction.

Exodus 32:7. And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; Exodus 32:8. they have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them; they have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” Service to the golden calf, as a violation of the first commandment, idolatry, is in a spiritual sense depravity (Deut 4:16), and appeared on the people’s part as a betrayal of the promise they had given to do everything that God said (Exod 19:8). With such a relationship to Jehovah, the Hebrews cease to be the chosen people: “Your people has become perverted” (Deut 32:5). And if the giving of the law is conditioned by Israel’s filial relationship to God, fidelity to His ordinances, then with the betrayal of Jehovah, with the loss of the people’s election, the legislating itself comes to an end: “Go down at once.”

Exodus 32:9. And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people; Exodus 32:10. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and I will make of you a great nation.” A particular instance of disobedience serves as a manifestation of the people’s character—that harshness (Exod 33:3, Deut 9:6) that shows itself in resistance to divine guidance, unwillingness to bend their neck under the yoke of the law. With such an attitude of the Hebrews toward God there is no longer a place for His mercy; it excludes even the possibility of intercession: “let me alone” (Jer 7:16). Mercy is replaced by wrath, which shows itself in punishment (Nah 1:2 and others). But the punishment of the unworthy descendants of Abraham does not exclude the possibility of fulfilling the promises given to him: the chosen people will be produced from the descendant of Abraham—Moses.

Exodus 32:11. But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Exodus 32:12. Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath, and relent from this disaster against your people. Exodus 32:13. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by yourself, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” In beseeching the cancellation of the terrible judgment upon the criminal people, Moses does not attempt to diminish its guilt. He only points to God’s previous acts of mercy toward the Hebrews (Exod 32:11), as a basis for showing mercy again. Another basis for this on the part of the Most High is zeal for the glory of His holy name: if He destroys Israel, then other peoples and especially the Egyptians would say with malice: “Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he promised them with an oath, he has slain them in the wilderness” (Deut 11:28). God cannot destroy Israel also in virtue of the promises given to his ancestors. The promises to multiply, preserve, and bring into the promised land were given to the seed of Abraham in general (Gen 48:19), and therefore transferring them to the tribe of Levi, in particular to a single generation of Moses, would be a direct violation of the oath-confirmed covenant.

Exodus 32:14. And the Lord relented of the disaster that he planned to bring on his people. The terrible determination is revoked only for a time (Exod 32:34, Num 14:22 and others).

Exodus 32:15. Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands, tablets that were written on both sides, on the front and on the back. Exodus 32:16. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved upon the tablets. Exodus 32:17. When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” Exodus 32:18. But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat; but the sound of singing that I hear.” Exodus 32:19. And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. The tablets with the written commandments appeared, as it were, as documents of the covenant between God and the people. The people testified to their readiness to fulfill God’s will (Exod 19:8), and the Lord promised on His part to give the tablets (Exod 24:12) and indeed gave them (Exod 31:18). But as soon as Israel failed to fulfill its obligation, violated the covenant, there is no longer any sense in the existence of its document—the tablets: they are broken. “Since,” says blessed Theodoret, “the tablets represented the form of a marital agreement, the bride, not yet having entered the bridal chamber, turned away to adultery, so it was quite just for Moses to tear up this marital agreement.”

Exodus 32:20. He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. In verses 20–29 is described the judgment upon the idolaters, beginning with the destruction of the golden calf, continuing in reproach to Aaron, and ending with the slaying of the guilty. The covenant with Jehovah is broken—the tablets are shattered. But Israel cannot remain with their new god either—the golden calf; its existence is a direct cause for the continuation of idolatry. Therefore it is given over to destruction. The calf was burned—the wooden image in the form of a calf was burned, and the unburned parts—the gold—were broken, ground, cast into a stream flowing from the mountain (Deut 9:21), and the water was given to the Hebrews to drink. The destruction of the calf does not remove the guilt from the people. On the contrary, they drink the water into which the powder remaining after the burning of the calf has been sprinkled, that is, they take on themselves the sin with its consequences.

Exodus 32:21. And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” Exodus 32:22. And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot; you know the people, that they are set on evil.” Exodus 32:23. For they said to me, ‘Make us gods, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ Exodus 32:24. And I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off’; so they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf. Among those responsible for the violation of the covenant are Aaron, as the cause of the Hebrews’ entering into the sin of idolatry through the melting of the golden calf. Aaron himself does not deny his guilt but only tries to diminish it: he tries to present his participation in the making of the calf in the lightest terms. According to his words it turns out that he only suggested that those who wore golden ornaments take them off, that they themselves gave him the gold, which he threw into the fire, and that the calf formed of itself.

Exodus 32:25. And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to their shame among their enemies), Moses did not attach special importance to his brother’s explanations. In his view, Aaron is guilty of such indulgence as he should not have allowed under any circumstances and which brought shame on the people in the eyes of outsiders.

Exodus 32:26. Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. Aaron’s indication of the people’s unruliness as the cause of his action had a certain degree of justice. In response to Moses’ call: “Who is on the Lord’s side, come to me!” only the sons of Levi responded, a tribe that at that time was quite numerous: it numbered more than 22,000 males (Num 3:39). The disposition of the rest of the people turned out to be not on the side of the Lord, but on the side of the golden calf. And this stubbornness, more sinful and criminal than the worship of the calf itself, since it spoke of a complete hardness of heart, brought fully deserved punishment upon the people.

Exodus 32:27. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you! Go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay brother, friend, and neighbor.’” Exodus 32:28. And the sons of Levi did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand men of the people fell. Since all the sons of Levi gathered to Moses (Exod 32:26), the brothers killed by them were not brothers in the literal sense. The three thousand slain were punished not for the general guilt of all the people, but for their own personal guilt. They, it is supposed, continued to celebrate their festival in the street, continued even after much time had passed since Moses’ return from the mountain, after the destruction of the golden calf.

Exodus 32:29. And Moses said, “Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of a son or a brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.” The work of punishment carried out by the Levites without indulgence, without exceptions based on personal relationships to one or another of the guilty, was an act of service to the Lord, a sacred work. Therefore Moses said to them: “Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the Lord.” By their conduct the sons of Levi earned a blessing from the Lord: “so that he might bestow a blessing upon you.”

Exodus 32:30. The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” Moses’ ascent to Mount Sinai and his forty-day stay on it in fasting and prayer (Deut 9:9) had the purpose of atoning for the great sin committed by the people. Moses informs the people of his intention in advance. This advance notice could be of great significance both for the people and for Moses himself. For the former it awakened a consciousness of sin and repentance for it, and thereby facilitated the intercession of the prophet; the more people there would be who were sincerely repenting of their sin, the sooner could Moses’ prayers for the forgiveness of the sin be heard.

Exodus 32:31. So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has committed a great sin; they have made for themselves gods of gold. Exodus 32:32. But now, if you will, forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” Since the people’s sin consisted of a violation of the covenant, the request of Moses “forgive them their sin” is equivalent to a plea: do not consider the covenant broken, do not reject Israel, do not take from it the status and rights of the chosen people. The necessity of such a request was brought about by the following. In response to the first intercession of Moses (Exod 32:11-13) the Lord answered with the promise not to destroy Israel. The continuation of its existence was thus assured. But such a promise did not yet mean that the Hebrews remained the chosen people. Doubt about this was aroused by the very disposition of the people, not only failing to show readiness to recover divine mercy for themselves, but revealing extreme stubbornness (Exod 32:26), threatening them with complete rejection on God’s part. In view of this, Moses prays: “forgive their sin.” If forgiveness cannot be given, he offers his own life as a sacrifice: “please blot me out of your book that you have written” (cf. Ps 55:9, Dan 12:1).

Exodus 32:33. But the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. Exodus 32:34. But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” The law, which the Hebrews violated, demands punishment of the guilty (Exod 32:22), and since the righteousness of one is not imputed for righteousness to another (Ezek 18:20), the self-sacrifice of Moses cannot be accepted. The guilty will be punished, not now, but later: to future transgressions will be added then the current guilt of the people. But until this time comes, Moses must remain the leader of Israel: “lead the people.” As before, he will be guided directly by God Himself: “my angel shall go before you.” The promise of divine guidance is made personally to Moses, not to the people, and this is one of the testimonies of the wrath of the Most High against sinning Israel.

Exodus 32:35. And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron had made. The reference is not to a new punishment, but to one that has already occurred (Exod 32:28), which comes from God (Exod 32:27).

Chapter Thirty-Three

1–6. God’s command to the people to continue their journey and provision of an Angel to lead them. 7–10. Setting up of the tabernacle outside the camp. 11–17. The Lord’s mercy toward Moses. 18–23. Moses asks to see the Lord’s glory.

Exodus 33:1. And the Lord said to Moses: “Go, depart from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying: to your descendants I will give it;” Exodus 33:2. and I will send an Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Gibeonites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, Exodus 33:3. and he will bring you into a land flowing with milk and honey; but I Myself will not go in your midst, lest I destroy you on the way, because you are a stiff-necked people. With the rejection of its lawgiver-God, the people have no necessity or incentive to remain at the mountain of the law-giving, the dwelling place of the Most High (Exod 19); it can proceed further on the way toward the promised land: “go, depart from here, you and the people.” To enter it, they must do so by virtue of the immutable oath sworn by God to the patriarchs. The fulfillment of this latter does not, however, permit the possibility of the Lord’s presence among the Hebrews, for He will not tolerate further manifestations of the people’s stiff-neckedness and will destroy them on the way before they reach Canaan (Exod 33:3). But since, on the other hand, the Hebrews cannot possess it without divine aid, an Angel is sent to them by God. The latter is not already the Angel of the Most High, or of the covenant (Exod 23:20), and therefore his presence differs from the dwelling of God Himself among the people. First of all, it has a temporary character—it will last only until the inhabitants of Canaan are driven from their lands; second, it will not be accompanied by any communion with the people: “the angel will go before the people” (cf. Exod 23:20-22) and, third, it will not require holiness from Israel: the stiff-neckedness of the people will not hinder the angel’s presence before the people (Exod 33:3, cf. Exod 23:21). But if the One Who Is is not present among the Hebrews, they cease to be a chosen people and become equal to the rest of the nations. Therefore Moses says later: “if You will go with us, then I and Your people will be more glorious than any people on earth” (Exod 33:16).

Exodus 33:4. When the people heard this fearsome word, they wept, and no one put on their adornments. Left by God, Israel recognized its own weakness among the other mighty nations of the earth; it understood that, left to its own strength, it had no future but the same slavery and oppression it had endured in Egypt. This realization awakened a feeling of repentance in them, manifested in weeping and unwillingness to put on their adornments.

Exodus 33:5. For the Lord said to Moses: “Say to the children of Israel: You are a stiff-necked people; if I go in your midst for one moment, I will destroy you; therefore take off your adornments from yourselves; I will see what I will do with you.” Exodus 33:6. The children of Israel took off their adornments at Mount Horeb. The repentance awakened by the consciousness of impending disaster, although it does not annul the divine decree, yet when manifested with God’s consent in a more intensified form—“take off your adornments”—offers some hope of possible pardon: “I will see what I will do with you.” As a sign of repentance and sorrow, the Hebrews take off their precious garments and valuable adornments (cf. John 3:6-7) and place them at the foot of the mountain, thereby saying that henceforth they dedicate them solely to God and will no longer make from them, as before, images of pagan gods.

Exodus 33:7. But Moses took and set up a tent for himself outside the camp, at a distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting; and anyone seeking the Lord would go to the tent of meeting that was outside the camp. The visible token of God’s dwelling among Israel, and consequently of its status as a chosen people, was the appearance and revelation of the Lord among the people. But since it is now deprived of the status and rights of a chosen people—the Most High does not dwell in its midst—in sign of this, Moses takes out of the camp the tent in which God appears to him. This tent was neither a permanent dwelling place of Moses—he came to it from the camp to receive revelation and then returned (Exod 33:8-11)—nor the tabernacle that would later be established; it was the reception tent of the leader of Israel.

Exodus 33:8. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise and stand at the entrance of their tents and watch as Moses went, until he entered the tent. Exodus 33:9. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the entrance to the tent, and the Lord spoke with Moses. Exodus 33:10. And all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent; and all the people rose and bowed down, each at the entrance of their tent. The result of Moses’ measure was an intensification of the people’s repentance. The people, who had been indifferent to the earlier call “Who is for the Lord, come to me!” (Exod 32:26), now strive toward God, seek Him (Exod 33:7), and express feelings of respect for their chosen leader Moses; they who once bowed to the golden calf now bow to the Lord, displaying His presence in the pillar of cloud.

Exodus 33:11. And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as one speaks to his friend; and he returned to the camp; but his assistant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tent. Since, according to the Lord’s own words, man cannot see the Lord’s face and remain alive (Exod 33:20), the expression in this verse points to the high moral perfection of Moses, which allowed him to approach mentally and morally the source of all wisdom and truth and to draw in this mysterious communion superhuman wisdom. Joshua’s proximity to Moses prepares him for his future role as leader of the Hebrew people.

Exodus 33:12. Moses said to the Lord: “Behold, You are telling me: ‘Lead this people,’ yet You have not let me know whom You will send with me, although You said: ‘I know you by name, and you have found favor in My eyes;’” Moses was aware of the divine promise to send an Angel (Exod 33:2), but he did not know whether “the name of the Lord” would be on him or not. Therefore the question about the name was equivalent to asking: will the Lord Himself go with Israel, or will He leave it in the guidance of a created Angel? In other words—will the Hebrews remain a chosen people or not? Their further fate should be known to Moses as a leader called to this office by God Himself: “I know you by name” (cf. Exod 3:4), and the Lord can reveal it by virtue of His favor toward him: “you have found favor in My eyes.”

Exodus 33:13. Therefore, if I have found favor in Your eyes, please show me Your way, that I may know You, and that I may find favor in Your eyes; and consider that this people is Your people. The Lord can reveal His will and His determinations (“ways”) to Moses by virtue of His favor toward him; but Israel, being the people of God, deserves such mercy as well: “this people is Your people.”

Exodus 33:14. The Lord said to him: “I Myself will go and will bring you to rest.” As is evident from Exod 34:6 and others, the Most High’s determination that He will go and bring them to rest—that is, to the promised land (Deut 3:20, Josh 1:13)—is based on His inexpressible mercy.

Exodus 33:15. “Moses said to Him: “If You will not go with us Yourself, then do not bring us up from here,” Exodus 33:16. for how shall it be known that I and Your people have found favor in Your eyes? Is it not in that You go with us? Then I and Your people will be more glorious than any people on earth.” Although the promise of Exod 33:14 was given personally to Moses, he nevertheless refers it to the people as well. As he could not earlier allow the thought of the people’s destruction without taking part in it himself, so now he does not acknowledge that God’s mercy was shown to him alone. On the contrary, it guarantees the manifestation of divine mercy to all Israel. Otherwise the Hebrews would have no need to depart from Sinai and enter into “rest.” The promised land is not the true goal of the people’s desires, but communion with God. Moses is ready to renounce Palestine for the people, only to preserve for them that position which exalted them above all other nations: “Is it not in that I and Your people will be more glorious than any people on earth, that You go with us?”

Exodus 33:17. And the Lord said to Moses: “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken, because you have found favor in My eyes, and I know you by name.” Since Moses asked the Lord to go with the people—not to strip it of its status as a chosen people—the words, “I will do the thing of which you speak,” point to the fulfillment of the prophet’s request and desires.

Exodus 33:18. Moses said: “Show me Your glory.” Having heard of the fulfillment of his request, Moses desires to enjoy the contemplation of Him who has shown love and mercy toward the Hebrew people.

Exodus 33:19. And the Lord said: “I will make all My goodness pass before you and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you, and I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy, and I will show compassion to whom I will show compassion.” Exodus 33:20. And He said: “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.” Exodus 33:21. And the Lord said: “Behold, there is a place near Me; stand on the rock;” Exodus 33:22. “and when My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with My hand until I have passed by;” Exodus 33:23. “and then I will remove My hand, and you shall see Me from behind; but My face shall not be seen.” The Lord does not refuse the prophet’s request, but warns him that man cannot see the Lord; Moses only hears the voice pronouncing the sacred name of the Most High and explaining His actions in His relations with mankind in general and Israel in particular (cf. Rom 9:15). As having no possibility of contemplating the Lord, Moses will see only the reflection of divine glory: “you shall see Me from behind.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

1–4. Renewal of the tablets. 5–7. Explanation to Moses of the nature of the Lord. 8–27. The covenant of God with the people. 28–35. Moses’ stay on the mountain and the shining of his face upon his descent.

Exodus 34:1. And the Lord said to Moses: “Hew out two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke;” Exodus 34:2. “and be ready by morning, and come up to Mount Sinai in the morning, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain;” Exodus 34:3. “but no one shall come up with you, nor shall any man be seen throughout all the mountain; nor shall the flocks and herds pasture near that mountain.” Exodus 34:4. So Moses hewed out two tablets of stone like the first ones; and he rose early in the morning and went up Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him; and he took the two tablets of stone in his hands. As is evident from the preceding chapter, Israel, rejected by God, is given the promise that it will continue to be a chosen people. The fulfillment of such a promise is the restoration of the broken covenant. Since in its essence this second covenant is similar to the first, it is concluded under the same circumstances. Tablets are prepared, but not by the Lord (Exod 32:16), but by Moses as a reminder of the breach of the covenant; it is forbidden to anyone but Moses to ascend Sinai (cf. Exod 19:12); the mediator of the covenant is Moses, and the Lord descends to him in a cloud (Exod 19:9).

Exodus 34:5. And the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. Exodus 34:6. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord, God of mercy and compassion, slow to anger and abounding in faithfulness and truth,” Exodus 34:7. “keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation.” A necessary condition at the conclusion of a covenant was the consent of the people (Exod 19:8 and so on); but this is already insufficient for the restoration of the covenant. The latter may be desirable for the one who broke the covenant, that is, Israel, and not at all desirable for the one who remained faithful to it, that is, God. Therefore, while at the conclusion of the covenant the Lord offered Israel the opportunity to express its desire to enter into a union with Him, now He indicates the possibility on His part to restore the broken covenant. It is rooted in the properties He revealed to Moses (Exod 33:19, Num 14:17-18) of divine mercy and patience, which result in all-forgiveness, yet do not exclude justice. He who revealed Himself earlier at the burning bush as the one existing, unchanging, Most High, now reveals Himself as merciful and compassionate. And insofar as these latter qualities assure the restoration of the broken covenant, thereby, through them, the Lord shows Himself as not having changed His original promise to be the God of the Hebrew people 22.

Exodus 34:8. Moses immediately fell to the ground and bowed down Exodus 34:9. and said: “If I have found favor in Your eyes, O Lord, please let the Lord go in our midst; for although this people is stiff-necked, forgive our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.” As he bows before the Lord’s mercy, Moses asks that in the future He manifest His presence among Israel as Lord (Adonai) and by His omnipotence restrain its stiff-neckedness, and now forgive its sin, make it His portion. On mercy is based the acceptance into the covenant, on justice, not leaving sin unpunished, the future guidance of the people 23.

Exodus 34:10. And the Lord said: “Behold, I make a covenant: before all your people I will perform wonders such as have not been done in all the earth or in any nation; and all the people among whom you live shall see the work of the Lord; for it is a fearful thing that I will do with you;” The promise to perform great wonders before Israel, such as have never been done on earth, is equivalent to the promise to be its God (Deut 4:34, 2 Sam 7:23).

Exodus 34:11. “Observe what I command you this day: behold, I am driving out before you the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Gibeonites, and the Jebusites;” Exodus 34:12. “Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in the midst of you.” Exodus 34:13. “You shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images, and burn the images of their gods with fire;” Exodus 34:14. “for you shall not bow down to any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” Exodus 34:15. “Lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot after their gods and make sacrifice to their gods, and someone invites you and you eat of his sacrifice;” Exodus 34:16. “and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters play the harlot after their gods and cause your sons to play the harlot after their gods.” Exodus 34:17. “You shall not make for yourself any molded gods.” When the covenant was restored, as when it was originally concluded, the Israeli people were given the fundamental laws determining their relationship to God. And since the restored covenant is the same as the one concluded the first time, the same laws are given. The first commandment is repeated (Exod 34:12-17, cf. Exod 20:2-3) with intensified exhortation and command to avoid everything that leads to its violation. This includes alliances, and especially marriage unions with the inhabitants of the land of Canaan (Josh 23:7) and the preservation of pagan monuments, in particular “sacred groves,” Hebrew “asherah” (Exod 34:13)—that is, artificially made wooden statues of the goddess Astarte (Deut 12:2 et al., 1 Sam 14:23, 2 Sam 17:10, Jer 17:2, etc.).

Exodus 34:18. “You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Aviv; for in the month of Aviv you came out of Egypt.” See the explanation of verses 15 and onward of chapter 12; verses 15 of chapter 23.

Exodus 34:19. “All the firstborn of your livestock are Mine, whether ox or sheep, the male ones.” Exodus 34:20. “But the firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. And no one shall appear before Me empty-handed.” See the explanation of chapter 13, verses 2, 13.

Exodus 34:21. “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest time you shall rest.” See the explanation of chapter 20, verses 8–11. New in the repetition of the fourth commandment is the exhortation to observe the Sabbath rest even during urgent field work.

Exodus 34:22. “And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year’s end.” Exodus 34:23. “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God.” Exodus 34:24. “For I will drive out the nations before you and enlarge your borders; nor will any man covet your land when you go up three times a year before the Lord your God.” See the explanation of verses 14–17 of chapter 23.

Exodus 34:25. “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread; nor shall the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover be left until morning.” Exodus 34:26. “The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.” See the explanation of verses 18–19 of chapter 23.

Exodus 34:27. And the Lord said to Moses: “Write these words for yourself, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” In requiring the people to have faith in Jehovah and live it out in practice (feasts, consecration of the firstborn), the laws listed here reminded them of the basic principles and requirements of theocracy and were therefore sufficient for the restoration of the covenant.

Exodus 34:28. “So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.” Exodus 34:29. “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand as he descended from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had spoken with God.” The radiance emanating from Moses’ face was the result of his proximity to God: it brightened and purified the flesh of the prophet.

Exodus 34:30. “And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.” Exodus 34:31. “But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them.” Exodus 34:32. “Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.” During the Sinai legislation, the people could not bear the proximity of the Most High and therefore asked Moses to speak to them on behalf of God (Exod 20:19). They now see Him in their midst in the radiance of the prophet’s face, dare not approach him, as they did not dare approach the mountain (Exod 20:18).

Exodus 34:33. “And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.” Exodus 34:34. “But whenever Moses went before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he came out and spoke to the children of Israel what he had been commanded.” Exodus 34:35. “And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of his face shone; and Moses would put the veil back on his face until he went in to speak with Him.” This disposition did not leave the people at any later time: “and the children of Israel saw that the skin of Moses’ face shone” (cf. Exod 34:30), and therefore when announcing the revelation, Moses wore a veil. * * * Notes In the Slavic Bible (from the Greek text of the Septuagint), these words sound somewhat different: “And the Lord descended in a cloud, and stood there with Moses, and called upon the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed before His face…” (Exod 34:5-6) etc. As is evident from the context, the word “Jehovah” in the Slavic and Greek variants is absent and is translated by its meaning—the Lord (more precisely—the One Who Is). And calling upon the name of the Lord can be fully interpreted as exultant: O Most High! Translator’s note. The use in the Hebrew text of the word “Adonai” is not a proper name, but rather a designation of God as the All-Merciful and Righteous Judge (from the word “dan”—judge, as indicated before). In such a context, the word “Adonai” is used in all Sacred Hebrew texts—where it is said of the Most High as executing righteous and inevitable judgment, and accordingly with this meaning it is correctly used in Slavic and Greek translations. Translator’s note.

Chapter Thirty-Five

1–3. Repetition of the law concerning the Sabbath. 4–29. The people’s voluntary contributions of materials necessary for the construction of the tabernacle. 30–35. Appointment of builders of the tabernacle.

Exodus 35:1. Then Moses gathered the whole congregation of the children of Israel together and said to them: “These are the things which the Lord has commanded you to do:” Exodus 35:2. “Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death;” Exodus 35:3. “You shall kindle no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath day.” The repetition of the law concerning Sabbath rest before the beginning of work on the construction of the tabernacle was intended to warn the people, so that in their excessive zeal in building the holy place, they would not forget and violate one of the most important ordinances that was a pledge of their covenant with the Lord (cf. Exod 31:13 etc.). The new explanation of the law of the Sabbath forbids “kindling fire on the Sabbath day,” that is, preparing food.

Exodus 35:4. And Moses said to the congregation of the children of Israel: “This is the thing which the Lord commanded:” Exodus 35:5. “Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord: gold, silver, and copper;” Exodus 35:6. “and blue, purple, and crimson thread, fine linen, and goat’s hair;” Exodus 35:7. “red ram skins, badger skins, and acacia wood;” Exodus 35:8. “oil for the light, aromatic spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense;” Exodus 35:9. “onyx stones and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.” See the explanation of verses 2–7 of chapter 25.

Exodus 35:10. “And all the wise-hearted among you shall come and make all that the Lord has commanded:” Exodus 35:11. “the tabernacle, its tent, its covering, its clips, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets;” Exodus 35:12. “the ark and its poles, the mercy seat, and the veil of the screen; the curtains of the court, its pillars, their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court;” See the explanation of verses 9–12 of chapter 25; verses 31–33 of chapter 26; verses 23–25 of chapter 30.

Exodus 35:13. “the table, its poles, all its utensils, and the showbread;” Exodus 35:14. “the lampstand for the light, its utensils, its lamps, and the oil for the light;” See the explanation of verses 23–39 of chapter 25.

Exodus 35:15. “the incense altar, its poles, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, and the screen for the door of the tabernacle;” See the explanation of verses 1–10 of chapter 30.

Exodus 35:16. “the altar of burnt offering, its bronze grating, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin and its stand;” See the explanation of verses 1–8 of chapter 27.

Exodus 35:17. “the hangings of the court, its pillars, their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court;” Exodus 35:18. “the pegs of the tabernacle, the pegs of the court, and their cords;” See the explanation of verses 9–19 of chapter 27. Superfluous in this case is the indication that the pillars of the outer court were fastened by means of cords.

Exodus 35:19. “the garments of ministry, for ministering in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for serving as priests.” See the explanation of chapter 28.

Exodus 35:20. Then all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. Exodus 35:21. And everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering for the work of the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments. Exodus 35:22. Men and women, all whose hearts were willing, brought brooches and earrings, rings and pendants, all kinds of gold ornaments, and everyone who made a waving offering of gold to the Lord; Exodus 35:23. and every man with whom was found blue, purple, and crimson thread, fine linen, and goat’s hair, red ram skins, and badger skins, brought them. Exodus 35:24. Everyone who offered a contribution of silver or copper brought the Lord’s offering, and everyone who had acacia wood for any work of the service brought it. Exodus 35:25. All the women whose hearts stirred with wisdom spun yarn of blue, purple, and crimson thread, and fine linen. Exodus 35:26. And all the women whose heart stirred with a willing spirit spun goat’s hair. Exodus 35:27. The rulers brought onyx stones and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate, Exodus 35:28. and spices and oil for the light, for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense. Exodus 35:29. The children of Israel, all men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the Lord, through Moses, had commanded to be done, brought a freewill offering to the Lord. One can judge the people’s zeal by the fact that the materials brought turned out to be more than necessary, and Moses had to stop the flow of contributions (Exod 36:5-6). The gold articles could have been those which the Hebrews took from the Egyptians (see verses 19–20 of chapter 3).

Exodus 35:30. Then Moses said to the children of Israel: “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;” Exodus 35:31. “and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of craftsmanship,” Exodus 35:32. “to design artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze,” Exodus 35:33. “and in the cutting of stones, for setting, and in carving of wood, and to work in all manner of artistic craftsmanship.” Exodus 35:34. “And He has put in his heart the ability to teach, he and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.” See the explanation of verses 2–6 of chapter 31.

Exodus 35:35. “He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and of the designer and of the embroiderer, in blue, purple, and crimson thread, and in fine linen, and of the weaver—those doing any work and those devising artistic designs.” The work of the engraver is carving work on metal, wood, and stone (Exod 35:33). The work of the designer is work with woven images. This work was done on the veil of the holy of holies, the ephod, and the first coverings of the tabernacle. The work of the weavers is work on single-color fabric.

Chapter Thirty-Six

1–2. Beginning of the works for the construction of the tabernacle. 3–7. Abundance of the offerings. 8–19. Preparation of the coverings of the tabernacle. 20–34. Construction of the boards (framework) and the bars. 35–38. Preparation of the inner veil and the veil of the entrance to the tabernacle.

Exodus 36:1. And Bezalel and Oholiab and every wise-hearted man, to whom the Lord gave wisdom and understanding, to know how to do all manner of work for the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord had commanded, took up the work. Exodus 36:2. And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab, and every wise-hearted man in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, even every one whose heart moved him to come to the work to do it. See the commentary on verses 34 of chapter 35.

Exodus 36:3. And they received of Moses all the offerings, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the sanctuary, for the work that needed to be done. And they brought to him yet more free offerings every morning. See the commentary on verses 21–24 of chapter 35.

Exodus 36:4. And all the wise men, who worked all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made; Exodus 36:5. And they said to Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make. The zeal and diligence of the people is explained by their inclination toward the ceremonial side of religion and, perhaps, by a desire to atone for the sin of the golden calf at Sinai.

Exodus 36:6. And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing. Exodus 36:7. For the materials they had were sufficient for all the work to make it, and even more. Exodus 36:8. And every wise-hearted man among those who worked the work of the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twisted linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet; with cherubim of skillful work made he them; Exodus 36:9. The length of one curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the width of one curtain four cubits: all the curtains had one measure. Exodus 36:10. And he coupled five curtains one to another: and the other five curtains he coupled one to another. Exodus 36:11. And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain from the edge where it was joined with another; similarly he made also on the edge of the last curtain, for joining it with another; Exodus 36:12. Fifty loops he made on one curtain, and fifty loops he made on the edge of the curtain which joined with another; these loops corresponded one to another; Exodus 36:13. And he made fifty clasps of gold, and he joined one curtain with another by means of the clasps, and the tabernacle became one whole. Exodus 36:14. Then he made curtains of goat hair for a covering over the tabernacle: eleven curtains he made such; Exodus 36:15. The length of a curtain was thirty cubits, and the width of a curtain was four cubits: the eleven curtains had one measure. Exodus 36:16. And he coupled five curtains apart and six curtains apart. Exodus 36:17. And he made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain, where it joined with another, and fifty loops he made on the edge of the curtain that joined with another; Exodus 36:18. And he made fifty bronze clasps for joining the covering, so that it became one whole. Exodus 36:19. And he made a covering for the tabernacle of red dyed rams’ skins and a covering above of blue skins. See the commentary on verses 1–14 of chapter 36. In the present case, only the prescription of verses 12–13 is omitted.

Exodus 36:20. And he made boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright: Exodus 36:21. Ten cubits was the length of a board, and one and a half cubits the width of each board; Exodus 36:22. Each board had two tenons, set one against the other: so did he make for all the boards of the tabernacle. Exodus 36:23. And he made boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side, Exodus 36:24. And forty silver sockets he made under the twenty boards: two sockets under one board for its two tenons, and two sockets under another board for its two tenons; Exodus 36:25. And for the other side of the tabernacle, toward the north, he made twenty boards Exodus 36:26. And forty silver sockets: two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board; Exodus 36:27. But for the back of the tabernacle, toward the west, he made six boards, Exodus 36:28. And two boards he made for the corners of the tabernacle in the back; Exodus 36:29. And they were joined at the bottom and joined together at the top to one ring: so he made both of them for both corners; Exodus 36:30. And there were eight boards and their silver sockets, sixteen sockets, two sockets under each board. Exodus 36:31. And he made bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of one side of the tabernacle, Exodus 36:32. And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the back side of the tabernacle; Exodus 36:33. And he made the inner bar to pass through the middle of the boards from one end to the other; Exodus 36:34. And he covered the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold to hold the bars, and covered the bars with gold. See the commentary on verses 15–30 of chapter 26.

Exodus 36:35. And he made the veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twisted linen: with skillful work he made it with cherubim; Exodus 36:36. And he made for it four pillars of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, with golden hooks, and cast for them four sockets of silver. Preparation of the veil, which separated the Holy of Holies from the sanctuary. See the commentary on verses 31–33 of chapter 26.

Exodus 36:37. And he made the veil of the door of the tent of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twisted linen, with broidered work; Exodus 36:38. And five pillars for it with their hooks; and he overlaid their tops and their fillets with gold: and their five sockets were of bronze. Preparation of the veil, which covered the entrance to the tabernacle. See the commentary on verses 36–37 of chapter 26.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

1–9. Construction of the ark of the covenant. 10–16. The table for the showbread. 17–24. The golden lampstand. 25–28. Construction of the incense altar. 29. Preparation of the anointing oil and the incense.

Exodus 37:1. And Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; the length of it was two and a half cubits, and the width of it one and a half cubits, and the height of it one and a half cubits; Exodus 37:2. And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside and made a gold border around it; Exodus 37:3. And he cast for it four gold rings on its four lower corners: two rings on one side of it and two rings on the other side of it. Exodus 37:4. And he made bars of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold; Exodus 37:5. And he put the bars into the rings on the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. Exodus 37:6. And he made a mercy seat of pure gold: two and a half cubits was its length, and one and a half cubits its width. Exodus 37:7. And he made two cherubim of gold: he made them of beaten work on both ends of the mercy seat; Exodus 37:8. One cherubim on one end, and the other cherubim on the other end: he made the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat on both ends of it; Exodus 37:9. And the cherubim had their wings spread upward, and they covered the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces were toward each other; toward the mercy seat were the faces of the cherubim. Construction of the ark of the covenant. See the commentary on verses 10–22 of chapter 25. In the present case, one additional note is made compared with chapter 25, namely, that the construction of the ark was the work of the chief builder of the tabernacle Bezalel, and the prescriptions of verses 15–16 and 21–22 are omitted, since their fulfillment was not within the duties of Bezalel.

Exodus 37:10. And he made the table of acacia wood: two cubits was its length, and one cubit its width, and one and a half cubits its height; Exodus 37:11. And he overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold border around it; Exodus 37:12. And he made a rim of a hand breadth around it and made a gold border for the rim of it; Exodus 37:13. And he cast for it four gold rings and attached the rings to the four corners, at its four legs; Exodus 37:14. The rings were beside the rim, to hold the bars for carrying the table; Exodus 37:15. And he made the bars of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold for carrying the table. Exodus 37:16. And he made the utensils that belonged to the table, its dishes and its cups and its jars and its bowls for pouring, of pure gold. Construction of the table for the showbread. See the commentary on verses 23–30 of chapter 25. The omission of the prescription of verse 30 is explained by the same as the omission of the prescriptions of verses 15–16.

Exodus 37:17. And he made the lampstand of pure gold, he made the lampstand of beaten work; its shaft, its branches, its cups, its knobs and its flowers were of one piece with it; Exodus 37:18. And six branches went out from the sides of it: three branches of the lampstand from one side of it and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it; Exodus 37:19. Three cups shaped like an almond flower, a knob and a flower on one branch, and three cups shaped like an almond flower, a knob and a flower on another branch: so for all six branches going out from the lampstand; Exodus 37:20. And on the shaft of the lampstand were four cups shaped like an almond flower with knobs and flowers; Exodus 37:21. A knob under the first pair of branches from it, a knob under the second pair of branches from it, and a knob under the third pair of branches from it, for the six branches going out from it; Exodus 37:22. The knobs and the branches all went out from it; the whole was beaten out of one piece of pure gold. Exodus 37:23. And he made its seven lamps, and its snuffers, and its trays of pure gold; Exodus 37:24. He made it from a talent of pure gold, with all its utensils. Construction of the golden lampstand. See the commentary on verses 31–39 of chapter 25.

Exodus 37:25. And he made the incense altar of acacia wood: a cubit was its length, and a cubit its width, foursquare; and two cubits was its height; from it went out its horns; Exodus 37:26. And he overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and he made for it a gold border around; Exodus 37:27. And under its border on two corners of it he made two gold rings; on two sides of it he made them, to hold the bars for carrying it; Exodus 37:28. And he made the bars of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. Construction of the incense altar. See the commentary on verses 1–5 of chapter 30.

Exodus 37:29. And he made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense, blended by the art of a perfumer. Preparation of the anointing oil and the incense. See the commentary on verses 23–25 of chapter 30.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

1–7. Construction of the burnt offering altar. 8. Construction of the basin. 9–20. The court of the tabernacle. 21–31. The total of the people’s offerings.

Exodus 38:1. And he made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood: five cubits was its length, and five cubits its width, foursquare; and three cubits its height; Exodus 38:2. And he made horns on its four corners, so that the horns went out from it, and he overlaid it with bronze. Exodus 38:3. And he made all the utensils of the altar: the pots, the shovels, the basins, the forks and the fire pans; all the utensils of it he made of bronze. Exodus 38:4. And he made for the altar a grating of bronze network, around its opening, under the ledge, extending halfway up the altar; Exodus 38:5. And he cast four rings on the four corners of the bronze grating to hold the bars. Exodus 38:6. And he made bars of acacia wood, and overlaid them with bronze, Exodus 38:7. And he inserted the bars into the rings on the sides of the altar, to carry it by them; he made the altar hollow, of boards. Construction of the burnt offering altar. See the commentary on verses 1–8 of chapter 27.

Exodus 38:8. And he made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Construction of the basin. The account in verse 18 of chapter 30 concerning the construction of the basin receives one important addition here, noting that it was made from the “mirrors of the women who gathered” (bemarot hazzoboth). According to the LXX translation (“from the mirrors of the fasting women”). Philo, Josephus, and all Jewish tradition understand by “bemarot” precisely women’s mirrors, assuming that they entered into the composition of the basin while retaining their external appearance, being soldered to it. According to Philo, the priests, washing their hands in the basin, saw their reflection in the mirrors that had been there. As for the Russian rendering, it arose because the word “bemarot” was understood in the general sense of “image, representation,” and the expression “hazzoboth” was derived from a root meaning “beauty, elegance.” But what kind of images these were, the text does not explain further by saying: “adorning the entrance of the tent of meeting.” Perhaps they were images of cherubim.

Exodus 38:9. And he made the court: on the south side the hangings were of fine twisted linen, a hundred cubits long; Exodus 38:10. Twenty pillars for them and twenty bronze sockets for them; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. Exodus 38:11. And on the north side, a hundred cubits of hangings; their twenty pillars and twenty bronze sockets; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. Exodus 38:12. And on the west side, fifty cubits of hangings, their ten pillars and their ten bronze sockets; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. Exodus 38:13. And for the front toward the east, fifty cubits of hangings. Exodus 38:14. On one side of the gate, fifteen cubits of hangings, with their three pillars and three sockets; Exodus 38:15. And on the other side of the gate, on both sides of the gate of the court, fifteen cubits of hangings, with their three pillars and three sockets. Exodus 38:16. All the hangings around the court were of fine twisted linen. Exodus 38:17. The sockets of the pillars were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver; and the tops of the pillars were overlaid with silver, and all the pillars of the court were joined together with silver bands. Exodus 38:18. The hanging for the gate of the court was of broidered work of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twisted linen: and twenty cubits was its length, and the height in the warp was five cubits, matching the hangings of the court; Exodus 38:19. And their four pillars and four bronze sockets; their hooks of silver, and the overlay of their tops and their bands of silver. Exodus 38:20. And all the pegs of the tabernacle and of the court all around were of bronze. Construction of the court of the tabernacle. See the commentary on verses 9–19 of chapter 27.

Exodus 38:21. This is the account of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as it was commanded by Moses, through the Levites under the charge of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest. Exodus 38:22. Now Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord commanded Moses. Exodus 38:23. And with him was Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a craftsman and a skillful weaver in blue and purple and scarlet and fine linen. Exodus 38:24. All the gold that was used for the work, in all the construction of the sanctuary, the gold from the offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; Exodus 38:25. And the silver from those of the congregation who were numbered was a hundred talents and a thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; Exodus 38:26. From the six hundred three thousand five hundred and fifty men who were numbered, half a shekel per man, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. The sum of the people’s offerings. By general agreement, a talent equaled 3,000 shekels; consequently, 29 talents 730 shekels of gold (Exod 38:24) make 87,730 shekels of gold. Given that a shekel weighs a little over 3 zolotniks (Russian weight unit), we get about 3,000 pounds of gold. Silver was collected amounting to 100 talents and 1,775 shekels (Exod 38:25), that is, 301,775 shekels. And since a silver shekel equaled 80 kopecks in old Russian currency, the value of silver reached 241,420 rubles.

Exodus 38:27. The hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil; a hundred sockets from a hundred talents, a talent for each socket. Exodus 38:28. And of the thousand seven hundred seventy-five shekels he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their tops and made bands for them. Exodus 38:29. And the bronze from the offering was seventy talents and two thousand four hundred shekels; The value of the bronze cannot be determined.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

39:1–7. Making of the ephod. 39:8–21. Making of the breastplate of judgment. 39:22–26. Making of the robe. 39:27–28. Tunics and turban. 39:29. Making of the sash. 39:30–31. Making of the golden plate. 39:32–43. Approval and blessing of the work by Moses.

Exodus 39:1. From the blue, purple, and scarlet material they made the garments for service in the sanctuary, and also made the sacred garments for Aaron, as the Lord commanded Moses. Exodus 39:2. And he made the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet material, and of fine twisted linen; Exodus 39:3. and they hammered gold into sheets and cut threads to weave them in with the blue, purple, scarlet, and linen threads, with skilled work. Exodus 39:4. And they made for it shoulder straps that joined together; at both of its ends it was joined. Exodus 39:5. And the belt of the ephod, which is upon it, was made of the same workmanship as the ephod itself, of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet material, and of fine twisted linen, as the Lord commanded Moses. Exodus 39:6. And they prepared the onyx stones, setting them in gold mountings and engraving them with the names of the sons of Israel, like the engraving of a seal; Exodus 39:7. and he placed them on the shoulder straps of the ephod as a memorial for the sons of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses. Making of the ephod. See the commentary on Exodus 28:5–12.

Exodus 39:8. And he made the breastplate with skilled work, with work the same as the ephod, of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet material, and of fine twisted linen; Exodus 39:9. it was square; they made the breastplate double, a span in length and a span in width, double; Exodus 39:10. and they set in it four rows of stones. The first row: ruby, topaz, emerald; Exodus 39:11. In the second row: carbuncle, sapphire, and diamond; Exodus 39:12. In the third row: jacinth, agate, and amethyst; Exodus 39:13. In the fourth row: chrysolite, onyx, and jasper; they were set in gold mountings. Exodus 39:14. The stones were according to the names of the sons of Israel: twelve, according to their names, and on each was engraved, like a seal, one name for the twelve tribes. Exodus 39:15. To the breastplate they made twisted chains of pure gold; Exodus 39:16. and they made two gold settings and two gold rings and attached the two rings to the two ends of the breastplate; Exodus 39:17. and they threaded the two braided gold chains through the two rings at the ends of the breastplate, Exodus 39:18. and the two ends of the two chains they fastened to the two settings and fastened them to the shoulder straps of the ephod on the front of it; Exodus 39:19. and they made two gold rings and attached them to the two other ends of the breastplate, on the side that is toward the ephod, toward the inside; Exodus 39:20. and they made two gold rings and attached them to the two shoulder straps of the ephod, below, on the front of it, at the seam of it above the belt of the ephod; Exodus 39:21. and they fastened the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue material, so that it would lie above the belt of the ephod and the breastplate would not swing out from the ephod, as the Lord commanded Moses. Making of the breastplate of judgment. See the commentary on Exodus 28:15–28.

Exodus 39:22. And he made the robe of the ephod, woven entirely of blue material, Exodus 39:23. and the opening of the robe in the middle of it was like the opening of a coat of armor, with a binding around the opening, so that it would not tear; Exodus 39:24. On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet material; Exodus 39:25. and they made bells of pure gold and put the bells between the pomegranates on the hem of the robe all around; Exodus 39:26. a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe for the service, as the Lord commanded Moses. Making of the robe. See the commentary on Exodus 28:31–34.

Exodus 39:27. And for Aaron and his sons they made tunics of fine linen, woven, Exodus 39:28. and a turban of fine linen, and ornamental caps of fine linen, and linen undergarments of fine twisted linen, Making of the tunics and turban.

Exodus 39:29. and a sash of fine twisted linen and of blue, purple, and scarlet material, embroidered with needlework, as the Lord commanded Moses. See the commentary on Exodus 28:39–40 and 42.

Exodus 39:30. And they made the polished plate, the crown of holiness, of pure gold, and inscribed on it the words engraved like a seal: Holy to the Lord; Exodus 39:31. and they attached to it a cord of blue material, to bind it on the turban above, as the Lord commanded Moses. See the commentary on Exodus 28:36–37.

Exodus 39:32. Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was completed; and the sons of Israel did everything as the Lord commanded Moses, so they did. Exodus 39:33. And they brought the tabernacle to Moses, its covering and all its furnishings, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its bases, Exodus 39:34. the covering of rams’ skins dyed red and the covering of fine leather and the curtain for the screen, Exodus 39:35. the ark of the covenant and its poles, and the mercy seat, Exodus 39:36. the table with all its furnishings and the bread of the presence, Exodus 39:37. the lampstand of pure gold, its lamps arranged upon it, and all its furnishings, and the oil for the light, Exodus 39:38. the golden altar and the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense, and the curtain for the entrance to the tabernacle, Exodus 39:39. the bronze altar and its bronze grating, its poles, and all its furnishings, the basin and its stand, Exodus 39:40. the curtains of the courtyard, its pillars and their bases, the curtain at the gate of the courtyard, its ropes and pegs and all the things for the service in the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, Exodus 39:41. the garments for service in the sanctuary, the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons for their service as priests. Exodus 39:42. As the Lord commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did all these works. Exodus 39:43. And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, so they had done it. And Moses blessed them. The works are examined and verified by Moses in fulfillment of the command given to him by the Lord: “see that you make them according to the pattern shown to you on the mountain” (Exod 25:40). The order of the work in the Russian Bible differs substantially from the order in the Greek and Church Slavonic Bibles. Thus, Exodus 36:8 in the Greek Bible corresponds to Exodus 39:1 in the Russian Bible, while all the rest of its content reproduces Exodus 39:2–31; Exodus 37:1 corresponds to Exodus 36:8, and further the description of the veil for the holy of holies corresponds to Exodus 36:35–38; the description of the courtyard corresponds to Exodus 38:9–20; the following remark “and this is the construction of the tabernacle of the testimony” (Exod 38:21) corresponds to Exodus 38:21–23; the description of the construction of the ark of the covenant, the table for the bread of the presence, and the lampstand correspond to Exodus 37:1–23. The end of the chapter has no corresponding text in the Russian version. Exodus 38 in the description of the construction of the burnt offering altar corresponds to Exodus 38:1–7; in the description of the preparation of the anointing oil – Exodus 37:29; the basin – Exodus 38:8. Exodus 39 up to the words: “and the sons of Israel made” (Exod 39:32) corresponds to Exodus 38:24–31; the words: “and they made… as… the Lord commanded” reproduce Exodus 39:32; the end of the chapter corresponds to Exodus 39:33–43.

Chapter Forty

40:1–11. The command of God to set up the tabernacle and to perform the anointing. 40:12–15. Consecration of Aaron and his sons. 40:16–33. Moses’ fulfillment of God’s command. 40:34–38. The cloud overshadowing the tabernacle.

Exodus 40:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Exodus 40:2. On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, As we see from verse 17 of this chapter, the setting up of the tabernacle took place on the first day of the first month of the second year after the departure of the Hebrews from Egypt.

Exodus 40:3. and you shall place the ark of the covenant in it, and you shall cover the ark with the veil; Exodus 40:4. and you shall bring in the table and arrange on it its utensils, and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps; Exodus 40:5. and you shall place the golden altar for incense before the ark of the covenant and hang the veil at the entrance to the tabernacle; Exodus 40:6. and you shall place the altar for burnt offerings before the entrance to the tabernacle of the tent of meeting; Exodus 40:7. and you shall place the basin between the tabernacle of the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it; Exodus 40:8. and you shall set up the courtyard all around and hang the veil at the gate of the courtyard. Exodus 40:9. And you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it shall be holy; Exodus 40:10. and you shall anoint the altar for burnt offerings and all its furnishings, and consecrate the altar, and the altar shall be most holy; Exodus 40:11. and you shall anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it. Exodus 40:12. And you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting and wash them with water, Exodus 40:13. and you shall clothe Aaron in the sacred garments, and anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he may serve as a priest to me. Exodus 40:14. And you shall bring his sons and clothe them in tunics, Exodus 40:15. and you shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, so that they may serve as priests to me, and their anointing shall be an ordination for them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations. The command is repeated that was previously given (Exod 30:25-30).

Exodus 40:16. And Moses did all that the Lord commanded him; so he did. Exodus 40:17. In the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was set up. Exodus 40:18. And Moses set up the tabernacle; he laid its bases, placed its boards, put in its bars, and set up its pillars; Exodus 40:19. and he spread the covering over the tabernacle, and put the tent covering on top of it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. Exodus 40:20. And he took and put the covenant in the ark, and inserted the poles into the rings of the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark; In the ark was placed the covenant, that is, the tablets; and besides them there was nothing in it. The rod of Aaron that budded was placed before the ark of the covenant (Num 17:10); a vessel of manna was set before the ark (Exod 16:34); and the book of the law was placed “beside the ark” (Deut 31:26). Accordingly, the author of 3 Kings notes: “In the ark there was nothing except the two stone tablets, which Moses put there” (1 Sam 8:9, cf. 2 Chr 5:10). The testimony of the Apostle Paul (Heb 9:3-4) may be based, perhaps, on Hebrew tradition.

Exodus 40:21. and he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and hung the veil, and covered the ark of the covenant, as the Lord had commanded Moses. Exodus 40:22. And he placed the table in the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, Exodus 40:23. and he set in order on it the bread before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. Exodus 40:24. And he placed the lampstand in the tabernacle of the tent of meeting opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle, Exodus 40:25. and he set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. Exodus 40:26. And he placed the golden altar in the tabernacle of the tent of meeting before the veil Exodus 40:27. and he made an offering of fragrant incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. Exodus 40:28. And he hung the veil at the entrance to the tabernacle; Exodus 40:29. and he placed the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance to the tabernacle of the tent of meeting and made a burnt offering and a grain offering on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. Exodus 40:30. And he placed the basin between the tabernacle of the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, Exodus 40:31. and Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet from it: Exodus 40:32. when they went into the tabernacle of the tent of meeting and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the Lord had commanded Moses. Exodus 40:33. And he set up the courtyard all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung the veil at the gate of the courtyard. Thus Moses finished the work. Exodus 40:34. And the cloud covered the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle; The cloud was a symbol of the presence of the Lord (Exod 14:19-20). Having previously overshadowed the tent that Moses had set outside the camp after the incident of the golden calf (Exod 33:9), it now covered the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, which served as an indication of God’s favor.

Exodus 40:35. and Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, because the cloud overshadowed it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. The glory of the Lord appeared in the form of a terrible “consuming fire” (Exod 24:17) to an ordinary mortal, which served as a barrier for Moses from entering the tabernacle. Besides, this required a special command from the Lord (Exod 24:16).

Exodus 40:36. Whenever the cloud was lifted from above the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would depart on all their journeys; Exodus 40:37. but if the cloud was not lifted, they did not journey until the day it was lifted, Exodus 40:38. for the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys. The cloud that overshadowed the tabernacle took the place of the pillar of cloud and fire for the Hebrews (Exod 13:21-22).

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Introduction

The third book of the Pentateuch, called in the Hebrew text, like other parts of the Pentateuch, by its first word “Vaikra” (vaikra – “and he called”), in Jewish tradition is named, according to its content, “Torat-kohanim” – “the law of the priests”, or “Torat-qorbanot” – the law of sacrifices. Similarly, the Greek name (in the LXX) of the book Λευιτικὸν, Latin Leviticus, Slavonic-Russian “Levit” indicate that the content of the book consists of the duties pertaining to the sacred tribe of Levi in the observance of the Old Testament worship: sacrifices, religious and ceremonial purifications, feasts, theocratic tithes, and the like. The Book of Leviticus has an almost exclusively legislative content, being almost entirely deprived of narrative-historical element: throughout its entire length only two facts are reported, moreover not having essential connection with the whole content of the entire book (the death of Nadab and Abihu after the consecration of the high priest and priests, ch. Lev 10:1-3, and the execution of a blasphemer, Lev 24:10-23); all the rest of the content of the book forms the detailed development and direct continuation of the statutes and ordinances of the law set forth in the 2nd part of the book of Exodus; everywhere the legislation of the Book of Leviticus appears as the development and completion of the revelation declared from Sinai (Lev 25:1). The chief idea or purpose of the book (expressed with particular clarity in Lev 26:11-12) consists in forming from Israel a people of the Lord, which would stand in close gracious and moral fellowship with Jehovah. To this purpose serve the ordinances found in the Book of Leviticus:

1. concerning sacrifices (Lev 1-7);

2. concerning the consecration of the ministers of worship (Lev 8-10);

3. concerning the clean and the unclean (Lev 11-16);

4. concerning the personal holiness of members of the people of the Lord in family and social life (Lev 17-20);

5. concerning the holiness and proper order of all the observances of worship, the cult, the sacred times, and so forth (Lev 21-27).

Thus the idea of holiness and sanctification – the governing idea of the Book of Leviticus, pervading all the outlined sections, connected as they are both historically or chronologically and logically by the development of one and the same principle.

Apart from the immediate task – the sanctification of members of the people of God in all the observances of religious and everyday life – the laws of the Book of Leviticus were by excellence “the shadow and image of good things to come” (Heb 10:1) of the New Testament.

Chapter One

1–9. The burnt offering and its ritual; the offering of large cattle. 10–18. The offering of small cattle.

Leviticus 1:1. And the Lord called to Moses and said to him from the tent of meeting, saying: Leviticus 1:2. tell the sons of Israel and say to them: When any of you wishes to bring an offering to the Lord, then if from the cattle, bring your offering from large cattle and small cattle. After the building of the tabernacle, the Lord, fulfilling His promise to Moses to reveal to him His will and manifest His presence over the ark of the covenant and its mercy seat (kapporeth, Greek ἱλαστήριον – the throne of propitiation, mercy), gives His commands no longer from Mount Sinai, as before (Exod 19:3), but from the tabernacle, from the ark of the covenant – all the more since almost all the ordinances of the Book of Leviticus are connected with the sanctuary, and some sections of it are appointed specifically for the servants of the sanctuary (for example, Lev 6:8-7:21). However, the general purpose of the laws of the Book of Leviticus and of the book itself is for the “sons of Israel” (Lev 1:2), as those called to priestly holiness (Exod 19:5-6). All the commands and laws of Jehovah contained in the Book of Leviticus Moses received, standing probably in the second part of the tabernacle, before the veil in the holy of holies, into which only the high priest could enter (Exod 30:10; Lev 16:2; Heb 9:7).

Leviticus 1:2. tell the sons of Israel and say to them: When any of you wishes to bring an offering to the Lord, then if from the cattle, bring your offering from large cattle and small cattle. Leviticus 1:3. If his offering is a burnt offering from large cattle, let him bring it a male without blemish; let him bring it to the door of the tent of meeting, so that he may find favor before the Lord; From this point begins the exposition of the laws concerning sacrifices Lev 7:38. The purpose and meaning of Old Testament sacrifices, Theodoret the Blessed, like other Church Fathers, defines as follows: “That God needs nothing in this, I think even the foolish will not much dispute. And that such sacrifices are displeasing to Him, He revealed through many prophets. But since the Israelites, having lived a long time in Egypt, learned to offer sacrifices to idols, God allowed sacrifices in order to deliver them from superstition. For the Israelites took pleasure in sacrifices (Exod 32; Ezek 16:6-7), they took pleasure in the blood of sacrifices; therefore He also permitted them, satisfying their desire. Beyond this, God also provided another protective remedy for the Israelites through this, because He commanded them to offer in sacrifice what the Egyptians deified – among four-footed animals: the calf, the goat, and the sheep, and among birds: the turtle dove and the young of pigeons” (reply to question 1 on the Book of Leviticus). But apart from these motives of a negative character, the Old Testament sacrifice undoubtedly had a positive side, embodying the idea of service to God, of course in accordance with the spiritual condition of Old Testament mankind and in relation to the future world-redeeming sacrifice of Christ the Savior. The general name for sacrifice – Hebrew qorban, Greek δῶρον, a gift (cf. Mark 7:11, κορβαν ὃ έστιν δῶρον); Aquila, Symmachus: προσφορὰ; Vulgate: hostia, oblatiö – the idea of a gift, of dedication to God of oneself and one’s property – is fundamental in the biblical concept of sacrifice. Rabbi Abarbanel pointed to the twofold meaning of the term “qorban” from its etymology (from Hebrew qarab, to bring, to draw near): sacrifice is called qorban: 1) because it is brought to the altar, and 2) because it effects a great drawing near between the one offering the sacrifice and God. The burnt offering, concerning which we read in Lev 1, is a private offering brought by the voluntary vow or intention of individuals; whereas the sin offerings (Lev 4), the guilt offerings (Lev 6), and the cleansing offerings (chapter Lev 14:12-19) were strictly determined in certain cases specified by law. The burnt offering, being an expression of the complete dedication of a person’s self to God, was also the most important among all kinds of sacrifice. The material for bloody sacrifices in general consisted of large livestock and small livestock – sheep and goats; for the burnt offering – necessarily male, whereas in peace offerings (Lev 3:1-6) and sin offerings (Lev 4:28) in some cases animals of the female sex were permitted. Besides, in the burnt offering and in other cases two kinds of birds were offered: turtle doves and pigeons, and their sex was considered immaterial. The Hebrew name for the burnt offering: olah – ascending, that is, wholly raised up on the altar; ishsheh – burning, being consumed (especially); kalif – wholeness, perfect (that is, complete burning), cf. Deut 33:10; Ps 50:21, Ps 70: ὁλοκαύτωμα, Vulgate: holocaustum – a sacrifice in which the entire sacrificial animal is burned. The latter in any sacrifice must be “without blemish”, tamim, LXX: ἄμωμον, that is: to have no defect from the number specified in (Lev 22:21-23), – since only a completely healthy, viable, and perfectly clean (the animal was carefully washed before sacrifice) sacrificial animal could symbolize the strength and vitality of the sacrificial self-surrender to God on the part of the offerer; a defective animal was an insufferable insult to the greatness of Jehovah, the theocratic king of Israel, cf. Mal 1:7-8. Instead of the favor of Jehovah, a sacrifice from defective material would bring a curse upon the one offering it (Mal 1:14). To bring a sacrifice, the owner of the animal brought it to the entrance of the tent of meeting (cf. Exod 40:32), that is, to the courtyard where the altar of burnt offerings was located. Hereupon, Lev 4-13, the sacrifice from large and small livestock consisted of the following acts.

Leviticus 1:4. and he shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt offering – and he shall gain favor, to make atonement for his sins; After the offerer had expressed his need, desire, or obligation to bring a sacrifice to Jehovah by leading the animal to the sanctuary, he performed the laying on of hands (semichah) – he placed both hands on the head of the sacrificial animal and (according to tradition) pressed the head of the sacrifice with them, which at this time stood bound to the northern side of the altar (Lev 11), where the sacrifice was slaughtered. The right of laying on of hands the offerer could not transfer to anyone else; only when a sacrifice was offered for the dead did the heir perform this rite (Mishnah, Menachot 9:8, women, children, the blind, the deaf, and the mentally ill are called legally incompetent for laying on of hands). If the sacrifice was brought by the whole congregation, the elders laid on their hands (Lev 4:15). The meaning of the laying on of hands does not consist in the transfer of sins and responsibility to the sacrificial animal (according to the theory of satisfactio vicaria) – only the sin offering had such a special meaning, and when laying on of hands, according to tradition, was joined with confession of sins by those offering the sacrifice; but rather in the surrender of the sacrifice and one’s own spiritual state in the sacrifice to God: a moment of extraordinary tension of faith and devotion to God on the part of the Old Testament person, waiting for sacrificial “covering”, propitiation (lekapper alav). According to the Blessed Theodoret, “it would be nothing strange to say that different kinds of irrational animals offered in sacrifice are representations of those who offer themselves to God” (question 1).

Leviticus 1:5. and he shall slaughter the bull before the Lord; and the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood on all sides of the altar, which is at the entrance of the tent of meeting; Leviticus 1:6. and he shall remove the hide from the burnt offering and cut it into pieces; The next act, performed also by the offerer, was the slaughtering (schechitah), following immediately after the pronouncement of the last word of the confession. The Levites could help the offerer in this, as especially happened when there was a multitude of sacrifices, on feast days (cf. 2 Chr 29:24), when the priests also participated in the slaughtering. The place of slaughtering was usually the northern side of the altar of burnt offerings – not because of the ancients’ belief in the dwelling of the Deity in the north (Ewald), but as the only free, unoccupied side, and also perhaps for the symbolic meaning of the north – a synonym for darkness, cold, and death (Toluck). The biblical text does not speak of the manner and method of slaughtering, except for the slaughtering of birds; the detailed and exact regulations of tradition on this matter amount to the requirement that the animal suffer as little as possible: the cut was made with a large sharp knife, which at once severed both the food and the breathing passages, so that the blood would flow quickly and not be lost. The symbolic meaning of the act of slaughtering consisted in the ideas: 1) death is the tribute owed for sin (Rom 6:2-3), and 2) without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Heb 9:22; Isa 53:12), ideas that penetrated the entire Old Testament (Gen 2:17; Isa 34:6; Jer 50:27 and others) and pointed forward to the Sacrifice on the Cross. The slaughtering was the last act of the offerer; now the priest began to act. Holding a large basin (with two handles), the priest collected into it the blood flowing from the animal’s wound and performed the sprinkling of blood (zeriqah) on all sides of the altar, according to tradition: first on the northeast corner of the altar, and he sprinkled two sides of the altar, the north and east, then on the southwest corner, whereby the south and west sides were sprinkled. By sprinkling of blood, however, is meant any use of sacrificial blood, differing according to the distinction of the kind of sacrifice and the degree of the intensity of the atoning moment (the sides of the altar of burnt offerings were sprinkled, or only its horns, or the horns of the incense altar and the place before the veil in the sanctuary, or finally the ark of the covenant in the holy of holies). The remainder of the blood was poured at the base of the altar. Here in Solomon’s temple two drain pipes were constructed, through which the blood flowed into the Kidron brook (from where it was taken for field fertilization). Jewish tradition regarded sprinkling as the “radix et principium” of sacrifice, and a sacrifice at which sprinkling was performed by a layman they considered invalid (Mishnah, Zebachim 2:7). The cleansing power of blood and sprinkling with it is connected with the biblical view that blood is the seat of the soul and life of the animal, and the sacrificial shedding of it has an atoning power for the sins of men (Lev 17:11), of course, by virtue of the prefigurative meaning of the Old Testament sacrifice in relation to the redemptive death of Christ (cf. Heb 10:4).

Leviticus 1:7. And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall put fire upon the altar and arrange wood on the fire; Leviticus 1:8. and the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat on the wood that is on the fire, on the altar; Leviticus 1:9. and the internal organs of the burnt offering and its legs he shall wash with water, and the priest shall burn all of it on the altar: this is the burnt offering, a sacrifice, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. After the hide was removed from the animal (Lev 6), which always belonged to the serving priest (Lev 7:8), who normally performed the hide removal (2 Chr 29:24), and after being cut into separate pieces, these were arranged in a definite order (according to tradition, the hind parts at the bottom and the head at the top of all), all the meat was covered with salt (Lev 2:13; Ezek 43:24; Mark 9:49), according to tradition, necessarily “from Sodom”, that is obtained from the Dead Sea, – fire was kindled on the altar, and all the sacrifice was burned (hiqtir, Lev 9:13). The Hebrew verb hiqtir (from qatar) is used exclusively of “the burning of incense”, “the lighting of lamps” in the temple, and “the burning of the sacrifice on the altar”, and, in distinction from the verb saraph – to burn, to reduce to ashes (for example, the burning of a sacrifice not on the altar of the temple but outside the camp, – Lev 4:12; Num 19:5 and others), means the ascent, the rising to God of the “own essence” (Kurtz) of the sacrifice, as a “pleasing aroma to Jehovah”. More specifically, since the material gift of the offerer symbolized his spiritual disposition, the act of burning meant the offering of the sacrificer himself to God, and on the other hand – also the acceptance of the sacrifice by Jehovah (cf. Judg 13:23), which in certain cases was marked by a special, miraculous descent of fire from heaven sent by Jehovah Himself (Lev 9:24; Judg 6:21; 1 Sam 18:38).

Leviticus 1:10. If his burnt offering is of small cattle, of sheep or goats, let him bring it a male without blemish, [and let him lay his hand on the head of it,] Leviticus 1:11. and he shall slaughter it before the Lord on the north side of the altar, and the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall sprinkle its blood on the altar on all sides; Leviticus 1:12. and he shall cut it into pieces, [separating the head and the fat,] and the priest shall arrange them on the wood that is on the fire on the altar, Leviticus 1:13. and the internal organs and the legs he shall wash with water, and the priest shall bring all of it and burn it on the altar: this is the burnt offering, a sacrifice, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. These verses speak of the sacrifice from small cattle, which in no way differed from the sacrifice of large cattle. As for large animals, so for small livestock, in regard to sacrifice, there were age restrictions. Young animals were required to be at least 8 days old from birth (Lev 22:27; cf. Exod 22:29); in one case (with Samuel, – 1 Sam 7:9) a lamb from the teat (teleh-chalaph) is specifically mentioned as being offered. The maximum age is not defined in the biblical text. Small cattle were normally offered at one year of age (Exod 12:5, Lev 9:3 and others); there are such indications also regarding bulls (Lev 9:3, cf. Josephus Antiquities III book, ch. 9, 1), but of course both small and especially large cattle were also offered at a more mature age. In Gen 15:9 it is said that Abraham brought a cow, a sheep, and a goat – at three years old. On the basis of Jewish tradition the last age is considered the limit, yet once, with Gideon (Judg 6:25), a seven-year-old bull was offered, as a symbol of the seven-year oppression of Midian. In verse 11 it is directly stated where the sacrifice of the animal is to be slaughtered – the north side of the altar, – a side, as we already mentioned, the only free one: on the eastern side (from the entrance) ashes and cinders were deposited, Lev 16, and here probably stood the performing priest, facing the sanctuary – to the west, which, as a sacred place, could not serve as a place for slaughtering an animal: on the south side stairs were placed for ascending to the altar. Concerning other sacrifices – sin and guilt offerings – it is explicitly commanded to perform the slaughter of the animals “in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered” (Lev 4:24). The biblical text does not say this about the peace offering, and tradition considered it permissible to bring, at least from private individuals, peace offerings anywhere in the temple courtyard (Mishnah, Zebachim 5:5).

Leviticus 1:14. If then he brings to the Lord a burnt offering from birds, let him bring his offering from turtle doves or from young pigeons; Leviticus 1:15. and the priest shall bring it to the altar, and shall wring off its head, and burn it on the altar, and the blood shall be drained out against the wall of the altar; Leviticus 1:16. and he shall remove its crop with feathers and cast it beside the altar on the east side, where the ashes are; Leviticus 1:17. and he shall split it at the wings without separating them, and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire: this is a burnt offering, a sacrifice, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Following a descending scale of value in the sacrificial materials, the lawgiver now indicates the ritual of bringing a burnt offering from birds, namely turtle doves (in mature age) and pigeons (young); both were found in abundance in ancient Palestine, especially at certain times of year (Jer 8:7; Song 2:11-12), and at least pigeons were domesticated (Isa 9:8). The birds mentioned as suitable for burnt offering material in Abraham’s vision, Gen 15:9, birds of both kinds in the legislation are recognized as such, on the one hand, for the poor, – so that their sacrificial service to God would not encounter obstacles on account of material lack (Lev 5:7-11 and others), and on the other hand, in certain cases precisely defined by law, such as: the purification of a woman after childbirth (Lev 12:6), one healed from leprosy (Lev 14:19 and others), a man with a bodily discharge (Lev 15:14 and the like), a Nazirite (Num 6:9-14). The ritual of sacrificing birds was conducted much more simply than that of animals: neither laying on of hands nor the other acts mentioned with the sacrificial animal took place here: the priest merely wrung off (malaq – cf. Lev 5:8) the bird’s head, not separating the head from the body at all, but only opening the wound to obtain the blood, which was immediately poured at the base of the altar, and then, having removed and cast away the refuse, burned the whole bird, and the ashes of it were swept to the east side of the altar (cf. Lev 4:12). Lev 17: being the most important of sacrifices, expressing the idea of complete and perfect service to Jehovah, the burnt offering was therefore in the special sense a “pleasing aroma to the Lord”.

Chapter Two

1–13. The bloodless offering: bread material and additions: oil, frankincense, salt. 14–16. The offering of the firstfruits of the first fruits.

Leviticus 2:1. If any person brings to the Lord a grain offering, let him bring wheat flour, and pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it, In distinction from the bloody offerings zebachim (from the verb zabach to slaughter, mostly for ritual purposes), the bloodless or vegetable offering is called minchah, or, as here, qorban minchah; according to the LXX: δῶρον θυσία (also προσφορὰ, μάννα, σεμίδαλις), Vulgate: oblatio sacrificil. In turn, from the vegetable offering of solid products, minchah, is distinguished the liquid vegetable offering, the drink offering, nesech, LXX: σπονδεῖον, σπονδή, Vulgate: libamen, libamentum. In pre-law times minchah had the general meaning of a gift (Gen 32:21-22) and even meant bloody sacrifices, for example, the offering of Abel is called minchah, as is the offering of Cain (Gen 4:3-5). In Mosaic legislation, however, minchah means properly the bloodless offering, which in its chief products – flour, oil, and wine – represented in the worship of God the agriculture of Israel, as the bloody offering – animal husbandry; both main branches of ancient Hebrew industry were to provide their products to the altar of God of Israel. The bloodless offering could be and was twofold: 1) independent, separate from the bloody offering (such is described in Lev 2), and 2) additional to the bloody offering, to the burnt offering or the peace offering. Against the denial by some Biblicists (Bähr, Herbach and other Protestants) of the independent existence of the bloodless offering in the Old Testament, the latter undoubtedly existed, as shown by the offerings of Cain (Gen 4), Melchizedek (Gen 14), and Gideon (Judg 6:18). Independent bloodless offerings were, for example, the loaves of presentation in the sanctuary. According to the teaching of the Fathers and teachers of the Church (John Chrysostom, Ambrose, Eusebius, Jerome the Blessed), the bloodless offering of the Old Testament prefigured the New Testament offering of the Eucharist.

Leviticus 2:2. and he shall bring it to the sons of Aaron, the priests, and he shall take a handful of the flour with oil and all the frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as a memorial on the altar: this is a sacrifice, a pleasing aroma to the Lord; Leviticus 2:3. and the remainder of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons: this is a most holy thing of the offerings to the Lord. The first kind of grain offering consists in flour poured with oil (not prepared by boiling or baking). Besides the part (a handful of flour) burned on the altar, the remaining quantity of flour was given to the “sons of Aaron”, the priests (the direct descendants of Aaron and families of priests related to him). There is no mention of the participant’s share in the consumption of part of the offering: hence – the name “most holy thing” (qodesch qodaschim) for the grain offering. “Most holy things” were called offerings from which the offerer did not eat, but gave entirely to the Lord, and He already gave the offering to His priests; moreover, the priests could consume them only upon entering the tabernacle. By contrast, “holy thing” (qodesch) was called an offering connected with a feast, in which the offerer also participated; such feasts could be eaten in any clean place (cf. Lev 6:17-18, Num 18:17). The bloodless offering was raised “as a memorial”, Hebrew azkarah, Greek μνημόσυνον (cf. Acts 10:4), Vulgate: memoriale – a kind of offering chosen preferentially before bloody offerings.

Leviticus 2:4. But if you bring a grain offering baked in an oven, it shall be unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil. Leviticus 2:5. If your offering is a grain offering on a griddle, it shall be of wheat flour mixed with oil, unleavened; Leviticus 2:6. break it in pieces and pour oil on it: it is a grain offering [to the Lord]. Leviticus 2:7. If your offering is a grain offering in a pot, it shall be made of wheat flour with oil, Three kinds of grain offering made from products cooked on fire are named: a) baked in an oven (tannur, – during Israel’s wandering they had portable ovens, and after settling in Canaan – dug in the ground and lined with bricks with vaults and pipes) unleavened cakes and wafers with oil; b) baking, also unleavened, of wheat flour with oil, toasted on a griddle (machabat, Vulgate: sartago) or, finally, c) baking in a pot (marcheschet, Vulgate: craticula, Slavonic: “fire-pit” – probably a clay pot-shaped oven, where baking occurred on the heated walls, as still with Arabs today), also seasoned with oil.

Leviticus 2:8. and bring the offering which is made from these to the Lord; present it to the priest, and he shall bring it to the altar; Leviticus 2:9. and the priest shall take a portion of the grain offering in remembrance and burn it on the altar: this is a sacrifice, a pleasing aroma to the Lord; Leviticus 2:10. and the remainder of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons: this is a most holy thing of the offerings to the Lord. These verses describe the ritual of offering this minchah or azkarah – similar to the preceding (Lev 2:2-3).

Leviticus 2:11. No grain offering which you bring to the Lord shall be made with yeast, for no yeast or honey is to be burned as an offering to the Lord; Leviticus 2:12. as an offering of firstfruits bring them to the Lord, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma. Grain offering must be free from all yeast (chomez), namely in its two forms: sour dough or sour bread (seor) and honey (debasch, according to the rabbis, fruit honey); neither should be burned on the altar of Jehovah, although both substances were used in human food. This prohibition, concerning bloodless offerings, corresponds to the requirement of the blamelessness of material – in the ordinances concerning bloody sacrifices. Yeast produces fermentation, and fermentation was regarded as related to decay, and therefore appeared as an image of moral corruption, sin (jezer hara, yetzer-hara in the rabbis – original sin, passion; cf. the Gospel sayings about the “leaven of the Pharisees” – hypocrisy, Luke 12:1; Matt 16:6; 1 Cor 5:6-8). Honey, especially fruit honey, according to Pliny, also easily acidifies and serves to obtain yeast (hence in the rabbis the verb hidbisch sweetens, spoils), besides, according to Abarbanel, indicates insufficient activity of reason, and in worship all powers of the spirit were to be collected and preserved for service to God. According to the Blessed Theodoret, by the name of yeast is understood the oldness of evil, and by the name of honey is forbidden gluttony (question 1 on the Book of Leviticus).

Leviticus 2:13. Every grain offering of yours you shall salt with salt, and you shall not let the salt of the covenant of your God be lacking from your grain offering: with every offering you shall bring [to the Lord your God] salt. By contrast, an indispensable element of any offering – both bloodless (according to this passage) and bloody (Ezek 43:24), in general in all sacrifices (Mark 9:49), is salt. The significance of salt is determined by two moments: it 1) symbolizes moral health, spiritual purification (in Mark 9:49, the cleansing power of salt is compared with the cleansing power of fire) and 2) is a type of permanence, firmness, for example, the unshakability of the covenant established by God with Israel (Num 18:19; 2 Chr 13:5). Among the Arabs even now when concluding an alliance both parties taste salt. In both respects salt is typologically opposed to fermentation, decay. In the Gospel (Matt 5:18) the salt of the earth is called the elect preachers of the Gospel, who are to heal the world with its salt.

Leviticus 2:14. If you bring to the Lord a grain offering of the first produce, bring fresh ears roasted in the fire, coarsely ground grain, Leviticus 2:15. and you shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it: this is a grain offering; Leviticus 2:16. and the priest shall burn as a memorial some of the coarse grain and oil with all the frankincense: this is an offering to the Lord. The offering of the first produce of the earth (bikkurim) to Jehovah – is a new kind of minchah offering, namely: the grain of freshly ripened ears (geres karmel, LXX: χίδρα ἐρικτά, Vulgate: de spicis adhuc virentibus). The ritual does not differ from that indicated in Lev 2:2. The firstfruits of the fruits of the earth the Hebrews could offer even during their wandering, so there is no need for the assumption of some that the mention of them, Lev 2:14-16, was inserted into the original text only after Israel’s entry [into the land].

Chapter Three

The Peace Offering

Leviticus 3:1. If his offering is a peace offering, and he brings from large cattle, whether male or female, let him bring it to the Lord without blemish, The peace offering or offering of salvation (LXX: θυσία σωτηρίας) along with the burnt offering (olah) was a further, pre-law offering which, for example, some see in the offering (zebach) of Jacob when parting with Laban (Gen 31:54), since the offering here was connected with a feast, as was customary with the peace offering; likewise Jethro, even before the giving of the law, brings together with the Hebrews both a burnt offering and a peace offering. This long-standing knowledge of both offerings explains the brevity of their ordinances in the legislation. However, besides Lev 3, the lawgiver returns again several times to the subject of the shlamim offering (Lev 7:11-21), whereby three kinds of peace offering appear: 1) the offering of praise (z. todah schlamim, Lev 7:13), brought from motives of gratitude to Jehovah for His benefits and glorification, 2) the offering of a vow (zebach neder), and 3) the free-will offering (z. nedabah, Lev 7:16; Lev 22:18-21). The etymology of the term schlamim is twofold: from schalom – peace, or from the verb schalem – to be whole, to fulfill, to repay; in the first case is given the idea of complete peace of the offerer with God, in the second – the idea of gratitude to God for a benefit. The main distinction of the ritual of this offering from the burnt offering – that in the former the sex of the animal was a matter of indifference, only the requirement of blamelessness remained in force here also. Birds are not mentioned in the peace offering as material: the customary division of the sacrificial meat in the peace offering into 3 parts: for burning to Jehovah, for the priests, and for the offerers, made it impossible to use a small bird in this sacrifice.

Leviticus 3:2. and he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it at the door of the tent of meeting; and the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall sprinkle the blood on the altar on all sides; Leviticus 3:3. and from the peace offering he shall bring an offering to the Lord: the fat that covers the internal organs, and all the fat that is on the internal organs, Leviticus 3:4. and both kidneys and the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the liver lobe; with the kidneys he shall remove it; Leviticus 3:5. and the sons of Aaron shall burn it on the altar together with the burnt offering that is on the wood on the fire: this is an offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. (cf. Lev 3:6-10). The operations in bringing the peace offering up to and including the sprinkling of blood are similar to the acts in the burnt offering, and only in the use of the sacrificial meat do characteristic differences between the two kinds of offering appear. In the peace offering not all the meat of the animal was burned, but only certain special sacrificial parts, namely: the fat on the internal organs and all the fat in general, the liver lobe, both kidneys, and in sheep also the fat tail – in the East sheep (ovis laticaudata) have a very large tail (Lev 3:9). These fatty parts (fat itself is not consumed in Hebrew food, Lev 3:17) were burned “on the altar together with the burnt offering that is on the wood on the fire” (Lev 3:5). In symbolic sense this could mean “the passions of lust, which ought to be mortified for the glory of God” (N. Grotius). Then, the best parts of meat, the breast (chaze, chaseh) and the right shoulder (schok, schoq), were set aside for the serving priest, the breast being first offered to Jehovah. Through the symbolic rite of “waving” (“tenufah”, tenuphah, – Lev 7:30), consisting of the breast being placed in the hands of the offerer, and the priest, putting his hands under the offerer’s hands, waved them back and forth, ducebat et reducebat (Mishnah, Menachot 5:6) – a rite evidently reminiscent of the Orthodox Church’s offering of the holy gifts. Then the breast was given to the priest, who with his family, having roasted or boiled the meat, ate it in a clean place (Lev 7:30). The remainder of the meat went to the offerer, who held a feast (Deut 27:7), with participation in it of members of his family and others invited – clean in the Levitic sense.

Leviticus 3:17. This is an eternal statute throughout your generations, in all your dwellings; you shall eat no fat and no blood. The consumption of internal fat and blood is forbidden to the Hebrews partly on hygienic grounds: in hot Palestine fat and blood easily spoil, partly for moral and religious reasons: with the aim of fostering and maintaining in the Hebrews respect for life, the seat of which is in the blood (Lev 17:11), and also to protect them from being swept away by the idolatrous and superstitious use of blood in pagan cults. A special, namely atoning, significance of blood at the Old Testament altar is indicated in Lev 17:11.

Chapter Four

1–2. The sin offering and its ritual, differing according to the difference in the social-theocratic position of the sinning person, 3–12. of the high priest, 13–21. of the whole congregation, 22–26. of a ruler, 27–35. of a private person.

Leviticus 4:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Leviticus 4:2. speak to the sons of Israel: if any person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of the Lord and does what ought not to be done; If the burnt offerings and peace offerings were known to the Hebrews even before the law of Moses, then the atoning offerings, or sin-cleansing offerings, the sin offerings, the guilt offerings, are the proper establishment of the law of Moses. The ordinances concerning them form a new complete section (Lev 4-7). These offerings are no longer left to the freedom and zeal of each member of the theocratic society: they are obligatory in the presence of sin, offense, subject to sacrificial purification. However, not every sin permitted such purification, but only one committed “unintentionally”, “bisdigagah”, LXX: ἀκουσίως, Aquila: ἐν αἀγνοί, Vulgate: per ignorantiam, Slavonic: “unwillingly”, that is, unintentionally due to common human weakness, but not at all with open intention not “with a high hand” (bejad ramah), Num 15:30; for the latter sins death was unconditionally appointed. The atoning offerings, according to the idea, were to develop the conscience of the Hebrews in special sensitivity to various kinds of deviations from moral duty.

Leviticus 4:3. if the anointed priest sins and brings guilt on the people, – then for his sin which he has committed, let him bring to the Lord a bull from the herd, without blemish, as a sin offering, Leviticus 4:4. and he shall bring the bull to the door of the tent of meeting before the Lord, and lay his hands on the head of the bull, and slaughter the bull before the Lord; In the ordinances concerning the sin offering (and the guilt offering) no distinction is made based on the material condition of those responsible, but according to the nature and degree of their guilt and their social-theocratic position. First in this kind of ranking stands the “anointed priest”, hakohen hammaschiach, LXX: ἀρχιερεύς, Slavonic: “archpriest, the anointed”, that is, the high priest (cf. Lev 16:32). After the high priest come: the Israelite society as a collective legal person, the ruler of the people, finally, some private person. The sin of the high priest made guilty the whole people, of which the high priest was the representative.

Leviticus 4:5. and the anointed priest shall take [that has been consecrated with full consecration,] of the blood of the bull and bring it into the tent of meeting, Leviticus 4:6. and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord in front of the veil of the sanctuary; Leviticus 4:7. and the priest shall put [of the bull’s blood] before the Lord on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense, which is in the tent of meeting, and the rest of the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offerings, which is at the entrance of the tent of meeting; Leviticus 4:8. and he shall take from the bull for the sin offering all the fat, the fat that covers the internal organs, and all the fat that is on the internal organs, Leviticus 4:9. and both kidneys and the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the liver lobe; with the kidneys he shall remove it, Leviticus 4:10. as is removed from the bull of the peace offering; and the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offerings; Leviticus 4:11. and the skin of the bull and all its meat together with its head and its legs, its internal organs and its dung, From the general sacrificial ritual the sin offering differs in the manner of blood sprinkling and the consumption of sacrificial meat. In both respects significant differences exist between the first two categories of the sin offering, for the high priest and for the whole congregation, from the two latter: for a ruler of the people and for a private person. The blood of the bull slaughtered for the sin of the high priest and the whole people was brought into the sanctuary, and here a sevenfold sprinkling of it was performed in front of the veil, which separated the sanctuary from the holy of holies, then the blood was placed on the horns of the incense altar (in the second part of the tabernacle), and the remainder was poured at the base of the altar of burnt offerings (Lev 4:6-7). By this bringing of sacrificial blood into the holy place was expressed the greatness and gravity of the sin, and together the completeness of its purification (the highest purification of the sins of the whole people on the day of purification was symbolized by the bringing of the blood of the goat and the bull into the holy of holies); the sevenfold sprinkling “before the Lord” and the placing of the blood on the horns of the incense altar pointed to the latter. According to the rabbis, these are “internal” offerings (chattot penimoth), in distinction from the following sin offerings – “external” (ch. chizonoth), from which blood was not brought into the holy place. To sacrificial burning (designated, as already said, by the special Hebrew term hiqlir, in distinction from ordinary burning, saraph) in all kinds of sin offering were subjected the special sacrificial parts – fat with kidneys and liver lobe (Lev 8-10), such as were burned in the peace offering. Regarding the consumption of the remaining meat of the sin offering in Lev 6:30 a rule is laid down: “every offering from which blood is brought into the tent of meeting for purification in the sanctuary shall not be consumed; it shall be burned (tissareph – to burn not as a sacrifice) in fire” (cf. Heb 13:11-13). By this rule, in the two first cases (as well as on the day of purification, when the blood of the bull and the goat was brought into the holy of holies), after the burning on the altar of the fatty parts, the remaining meat along with the hide, head, legs, internal organs and dung was burned (not as a sacrifice) outside the camp, in a clean place (Lev 11-12). 1 In these cases the priests, being guilty (guilty by the high priest or the whole people) and being purified, had no right to eat of the sin offering, a right that (however only to the male descendants of Aaron, Lev 6:18) belonged to the priests in those cases when the sins of other private persons were purified by means of the sin offering.

Leviticus 4:13. If then the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally and the matter is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do what is forbidden by any of the commandments of the Lord, and become guilty, Leviticus 4:14. then, when the sin they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall bring a bull from the herd as a sin offering and bring it before the tent of meeting; Leviticus 4:15. and the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord and they shall slaughter the bull before the Lord. Leviticus 4:16. And the anointed priest shall bring of the blood of the bull into the tent of meeting, Leviticus 4:17. and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood [of the bull] and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord in front of the veil [of the sanctuary], Leviticus 4:18. and he shall put blood on the horns of the altar [of fragrant incense], which is before the Lord in the tent of meeting, and the rest of the blood he shall pour at the base of the altar of burnt offerings, which is at the entrance of the tent of meeting; Leviticus 4:19. and all the fat of it he shall remove and burn on the altar; Leviticus 4:20. and do with the bull as he did with the bull of the sin offering; so shall he do with this, and the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven; Leviticus 4:21. and he shall bring the bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the former bull. This is the sin offering for the congregation. These verses, depicting the ritual of the sin offering for the whole Israelite people, in view of the close conceptual connection of this offering with the offering for the high priest, present no special features in comparison with Lev 4:5-12.

Leviticus 4:22. If a ruler sins and unintentionally does any one of the things which the Lord his God has forbidden to be done, and becomes guilty, Leviticus 4:23. then when the sin which he has committed is made known to him, let him bring as his offering a goat without blemish, Leviticus 4:24. and he shall lay his hand on the head of the goat, and slaughter it in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the Lord: this is a sin offering; Leviticus 4:25. and the priest shall take with his finger of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offerings, and the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offerings; Leviticus 4:26. and all its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the peace offering, and so the priest shall make atonement for him from his sin, and he shall be forgiven. Leviticus 4:27. If any one of the people of the land sins unintentionally and does any of the things which the Lord has forbidden to be done, and becomes guilty, Leviticus 4:28. then when the sin which he has committed is made known to him, let him bring as his offering a female goat without blemish for his sin which he has committed, Leviticus 4:29. and he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and they shall slaughter [the goat] as a sin offering in the place [where the burnt offering is slaughtered]; Leviticus 4:30. and the priest shall take of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offerings, and the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar; Leviticus 4:31. and all its fat he shall remove, as the fat is removed from the peace offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasing aroma to the Lord; and so the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven. Leviticus 4:32. But if he brings as his offering a sheep for a sin offering, let him bring a female without blemish, Leviticus 4:33. and he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and slaughter it as a sin offering in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered; Leviticus 4:34. and the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offerings, and the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar; Leviticus 4:35. and all its fat he shall remove, as the fat of the sheep of the peace offering is removed, and the priest shall burn this on the altar as an offering to the Lord; and so the priest shall make atonement for him from the sin which he has committed, and he shall be forgiven. By contrast, the sin offering of a ruler or prince (nasi – a head of a family, a judge, a leader of a thousand and the like), Lev 4:22-26, and the sin offering of a common layperson, Lev 4:27-35, being essentially alike (only in one case a male animal is brought, Lev 4:23, in the other – female, Lev 4:28), differ from the two first cases of the sin offering in both essential respects, blood sprinkling and the consumption of meat after the (identical in all cases) burning of the fat. The blood for a ruler and for any individual Israelite was not brought into the sanctuary, but simply placed on the horns of the altar of burnt offerings in the temple courtyard, and the rest of the blood was poured at the base of the altar (Lev 25:30). Regarding the use of meat in these two cases nothing is specifically stated, but from the very opposition to the two first cases and the noted rule – Lev 6:30 (cf. Heb 13:11-13), one must conclude that the meat in the two latter cases went to the priests. This is positively asserted by another rule – Lev 7:7: “as for a sin offering, so for a guilt offering, the law is one: it belongs to the priest”. In chapter 6 (Lev 6:18, according to the Hebrew text Lev 11:19-23) it is precisely and in detail determined how the priests are to consume the meat of the sin offering and how in general to treat this “great holy thing”. The basic idea of the sin offering is the pacification of the conscience of the Old Testament person at always possible and frequent deviations from “what ought to be”. * * * Notes The offering of the red heifer for the sins of Israel, Num 19, has all the characteristic features of the sin offerings of the first category.

Chapter Five

1–13. Certain particular kinds of sins that are expiated by the sin offering. 14–19. The guilt offering.

Leviticus 5:1. If anyone sins by hearing the voice of a curse and being a witness, or seeing, or knowing about it, but does not report it, then he shall bear his guilt. Leviticus 5:2. Or if anyone touches anything unclean, or the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of an unclean creeping thing, but was not aware of it, then he is unclean and guilty. Leviticus 5:3. Or if anyone touches human uncleanness, whatever uncleanness it may be by which one becomes unclean, and was not aware of it, but then becomes aware, then he is guilty. Leviticus 5:4. Or if anyone swears rashly with his lips to do something evil or good, whatever it is that a person swears about rashly, but was not aware of it, but later becomes aware, then he is guilty of that. Leviticus 5:5. If he is guilty of any of these, and confesses in what he has sinned, Three cases of sinful action are indicated: 1) refusal to testify to the truth in certain criminal matters – concealment or hiding of another’s crime; 2) defilement by corpse uncleanness or another (Lev 5:2-3) and 3) rash, thoughtless oath (Lev 5:4-5). In all these cases, if the sinful or defiling action, at the moment of its commission, was not recognized as such, and was recognized in its true character only afterward (in cases of those deliberately known defilements, necessitated by circumstance, which required not sacrifices but purifications – washings, Lev 11-15), a sin offering was brought, with a proper confession of the sin committed by the guilty party.

Leviticus 5:6. Then he shall bring to the Lord for his sin an offering for guilt consisting of one of the flock, a female sheep or a goat, for a sin offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin. The Hebrew term ascham, guilt, serves technically for designating the guilt offering (see Lev 5 and others), just as chattath also simultaneously means both sin and the sin offering. The passage speaks properly of the sin offering, chattath, but the sin itself is named with the term ascham: the closeness of both concepts is undeniable, though, as we shall see below, the independence of both offerings is also beyond doubt (contrary to the opinion, for example, of Clericus), and determining the differences between both offerings in their significance is rather difficult. Since in all the enumerated cases (Lev 5:1-4) the sins of a private individual are in view, then, according to Lev 4:28-32, in these cases a female sheep or a goat is brought for the sin.

Leviticus 5:7. But if he cannot afford a sheep, then he shall bring to the Lord as his guilt offering for his sin two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering; Leviticus 5:8. He shall bring them to the priest, and the priest shall present first that one of these birds which is for the sin offering, and he shall wring its head off from its neck, but shall not sever it completely; Leviticus 5:9. And he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, and the rest of the blood he shall drain out at the base of the altar: this is a sin offering; Leviticus 5:10. And with the other he shall make a burnt offering according to the prescribed procedure; and so the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him. Leviticus 5:11. But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for what he has sinned a tenth of an ephah of fine wheat flour for a sin offering; he shall not put oil on it, nor put frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering; Laws concerning the expiation of sins through sacrifices apply to all the people of Israel – both to the rich and to the poor. For the latter, the lawgiver appointed less valuable materials in everyday use: birds or even simply flour, and in a sin offering, which expressed the condition of separation from God, neither oil – that symbol of the grace of the Holy Spirit and the condition of grace and peace – nor frankincense, which signified prayer ascending to God (compare Num 5:15), could be used: only one reconciled with God had the right to bring these gifts. Reconciliation or propitiation of God was accomplished through the sin offering; after it, the offerer brought a burnt offering, a peace offering, and a bloodless offering, at which both mentioned additional substances were present.

Leviticus 5:14. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Leviticus 5:15. If anyone commits a transgression and sins unintentionally against the holy things of the Lord, then let him bring his guilt offering to the Lord from the flock, a ram without blemish, valued by you in silver shekels according to the shekel of the sanctuary, as a guilt offering; Leviticus 5:16. And he shall make restitution for the holy thing in which he has sinned, and shall add to it a fifth part and give it to the priest, and the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and it shall be forgiven him. Leviticus 5:17. If anyone sins and does any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, and becomes guilty unintentionally and shall bear his guilt, Leviticus 5:18. Then he shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock as a guilt offering, valued by you, and the priest shall make atonement for him for the error which he committed unintentionally, and it shall be forgiven him. Leviticus 5:19. This is the guilt offering, by which he has incurred guilt before the Lord. The end of chapter 5, Lev 5:14-19, is connected with the beginning of chapter 6. Lev 6:1-7 (in the Hebrew Bible the first seven verses Lev 6 are assigned to the end Lev 5, so that with Lev 5:14-19 they form a continuous whole: indeed, the unity of both sections in subject matter would have required their combination into one whole, rather than their division into two chapters, as in the LXX translation, in the Vulgate, in the Slavic and Russian). The independence and distinction of the guilt offering, ascham, from the sin offering, chattath, are evident not only from the different rites of both, determined in the law (guilt offering: Lev 5:14-19, sin offering: Lev 4:1-35), but from the fact that in certain cases both sin and guilt offerings were prescribed to be brought together (for example Num 6:12). But the distinction between them in significance in ancient and modern times has been defined more or less unsatisfactorily, for example, sin offering – for sins of commission, guilt offering – for sins of omission: the first for sins against positive commandments, the second against prohibitions; the first for sins known to other people, the second for hidden or secret sins. Perhaps closer to the truth would be such a differentiation of the atoning sacrifices in question: the sin offering is repeatedly brought for the entire community, for all the people (Lev 16; Num 19); the guilt offering is always a sacrifice only of private individuals for their individual sins; in the first, the moral criterion predominates and the idea of evangelical forgiveness of sins, expiatio, in the latter, the idea of retaliation or recompense for a violation committed by a human being toward God or people predominates, the guilt offering generally has the character of a predominantly ceremonial-disciplinary nature.

Leviticus 5:14. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Leviticus 5:15. If anyone commits a transgression and sins unintentionally against the holy things of the Lord, then let him bring his guilt offering to the Lord from the flock, a ram without blemish, valued by you in silver shekels according to the shekel of the sanctuary, as a guilt offering; Leviticus 5:16. And he shall make restitution for the holy thing in which he has sinned, and shall add to it a fifth part and give it to the priest, and the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and it shall be forgiven him. Here begins a new section of the lawgiver’s speech, specifically indicating the first case of transgression requiring a guilt offering: if anyone has sinned unwillingly against the holy things of the Lord (Lev 5:15), he brought a ram as a guilt offering together with one-fifth of its value according to the priest’s valuation. Blessed Theodoret (question 2 on Leviticus) says: “It often happened that someone, on account of being busy, did not bring at the proper time what was dedicated to God, such as firstfruits, or offerings, or vows. Therefore, God subjected one falling into this transgression to a penalty exceeding the offering that was required. For he commands first to pay all the divine debt, adding to it one-fifth of the present price, and then to bring a ram as a guilt offering for the transgression.”

Leviticus 5:17. If anyone sins and does any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, and becomes guilty unintentionally and shall bear his guilt, Leviticus 5:18. Then he shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock as a guilt offering, valued by you, and the priest shall make atonement for him for the error which he committed unintentionally, and it shall be forgiven him. (See Lev 5:19). Clearly, another case is indicated, a case of a general character, the guilt of a member of the theocratic community against the Lord. Tradition assigned to this category all cases where doubt arose concerning the lawfulness of some action. This category included, for example, the transgression of Jewish priests after the captivity, who took foreign women as wives and, on the instruction of Ezra, brought a guilt offering for their purification (Ezra 10:19). Subcategories of this category were guilt offerings by a recovering leper (Lev 14:12 and following) and a defiled Nazirite (Num 6:12 and following).

Chapter Six

1–7. Guilt offering for fraud and misappropriation of another’s property. 8–30. Additional regulations, specifically for priests: concerning the burnt offering (8–13), the grain offering (14–23), and the sin offering (24–30).

Leviticus 6:2. If anyone sins and commits a transgression against the Lord, and deals falsely with his neighbor concerning a deposit, or concerning something handed over to him, or something robbed from him, or defrauds his neighbor, Leviticus 6:3. Or finds something lost and lies about it, and swears falsely about any of the things that people do in sinning through these – Leviticus 6:4. When he has sinned and realized his guilt, he shall restore what he took by robbery, or what was obtained by fraud, or the deposit that was handed over to him, or the lost item that he found; Leviticus 6:5. Or anything about which he has sworn falsely; he shall repay it in full, and shall add to it one-fifth more, and give it to whom it belongs, on the day of his guilt offering; (See Heb 5:1-14). A series of transgressions, chiefly against the property of a neighbor, is indicated: theft by force or cunning of what belongs to the neighbor and the like, transgressions which constitute a violation of the rights of the Lord – effecting a moral estrangement of the sinning human from God. In all these cases the guilty party was first required to confess his sin (Num 5:7). Then all illegally appropriated property he was required to restore in full, with the addition of one-fifth of its value, to the owner or, in case of his death and absence of heirs, to the sanctuary, that is, to the priest (Num 5:8). Only then, having satisfied the demands of justice, could the sinner obtain forgiveness and mercy from the Lord – through bringing a guilt offering, ascham, usually a ram, valued by the priest.

Leviticus 6:6. And he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord to the priest, a ram without blemish from the flock, valued according to your assessment; Leviticus 6:7. And the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord, and he shall be forgiven for any of all the things that he has done, all in which he has become guilty. To the repentance of the sinner for his transgression, divine forgiveness responds through the lawfully brought guilt offering. It is not out of place here to cite the observation of Philo, that of the two main classes of sins expiated by guilt offering, sins directly against the Lord could only be unintentional, committed bishgagah (see Lev 5:15), and only violations with respect to people could be intentional.

Leviticus 6:8. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Leviticus 6:9. Command Aaron and his sons, saying: This is the law of the burnt offering: the burnt offering shall remain on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall burn on it and shall not go out; Transitioning to a new section of speech directed to the sacred ministers, the lawgiver first requires (see Exod 29:38-41) that the burnt offering – this most important sacrifice, in which the continuous service of the theocratic community to God found its expression, never cease on the altar of burnt offerings, being kindled morning and evening from the fire not from an outside source, but from the smoldering coals on the altar itself.

Leviticus 6:10. And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and put linen breeches on his body, and he shall take up the ash from the burnt offering which the fire has consumed on the altar, and he shall put it beside the altar; Leviticus 6:11. And he shall take off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry the ash outside the camp to a clean place; The performer of the sacrifice, the priest, approached the altar in the morning to take up the ash from it only in sacred white (linen) garments, and only after cleaning the altar did he again put on his ordinary garments.

Leviticus 6:12. And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning and shall not go out; and the priest shall kindle wood on it every morning, and arrange the burnt offering on it, and burn the fat of the peace offering on it; Leviticus 6:13. Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continuously and shall not go out. Especially emphasized is the continuity of the burnt offering fire. Hence the name (Exod 29:39) for the burnt offering – tamid, perpetual. Many Jewish and Christian interpreters, on the basis of testimony Lev 9:24 about fire from the Lord falling on the sacrifice of Aaron, considered the continuous fire of burnt offering a miracle from heaven, which took place from the time of Moses until the Babylonian captivity (see 2 Macc 1:19). But the Bible confirms this assumption in no way, and simply with the representation of unextinguished fire connects the idea of constant remembrance of the Lord, constant total dedication to him of the theocratic people and its individual members.

Leviticus 6:14. This is the law of the grain offering: the sons of Aaron shall bring it before the Lord to the altar; Leviticus 6:15. And he shall take a handful from the grain offering, from its fine flour and its oil, and all the frankincense that is on the offering, and burn it on the altar: this is a pleasing aroma as a memorial before the Lord; Leviticus 6:16. And what remains from it shall be eaten by Aaron and his sons; it shall be eaten as unleavened bread in a holy place, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting shall they eat it; Leviticus 6:17. It shall not be baked with leaven. I give it to them as their share from my offerings. It is most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. Leviticus 6:18. Every male among the descendants of Aaron may eat it. This is a perpetual portion throughout your generations from the offerings of the Lord. Everything that touches them shall become holy. The regulation Lev 2:1-10 concerning the grain offering is repeated and supplemented. After the portion is burned, the remainder goes to the priests: from their families only the male members, and indeed only at the entrance of the tent, in other words – “as the greatest holiness” – eat it, necessarily in an unleavened form.

Leviticus 6:19. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Leviticus 6:20. This is the offering of Aaron and his sons, which they shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a perpetual grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening; Leviticus 6:21. It shall be prepared on a griddle with oil; you shall bring it mixed and shall offer the baked pieces of the grain offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord; Leviticus 6:22. And the priest who is anointed from among his sons shall make it; a perpetual statute of the Lord. All of it shall be burned; Leviticus 6:23. And every grain offering of a priest shall be wholly burned; it shall not be eaten. In connection with the grain offerings of the people, the law speaks of the grain offering of the priests themselves, which they performed, beginning from the day of the ordination or anointing of Aaron (see Exod 12:15 and Josephus Antiquities 3:10, 7). At the same time the thought is especially emphasized that all of this offering must be burned, and not eaten, as with the offerings from the people; in the case in question the servants of the Lord themselves brought a gift to Him, and therefore could not take it back for themselves (so it was also with offerings for their own sins as priests). According to Blessed Theodoret (question 3 on Leviticus), the regulation about the complete burning of the priestly sacrifice “taught that the priest be perfect, and not partly but wholly to dedicate himself to God the Almighty.”

Leviticus 6:24. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Leviticus 6:25. Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying: This is the law of the sin offering: the sin offering shall be slaughtered before the Lord at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is most holy; Leviticus 6:26. The priest who performs the sin offering shall eat it; it shall be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting; Leviticus 6:27. Everything that touches the flesh of it shall become holy; and if any of its blood is sprinkled on a garment, you shall wash the garment on which it was sprinkled in a holy place; Leviticus 6:28. The earthen vessel in which it is cooked shall be broken; but if it is cooked in a copper vessel, that vessel shall be scoured and rinsed with water; Leviticus 6:29. Every male among the priests may eat it; it is most holy to the Lord; Leviticus 6:30. But any sin offering from which some of the blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the holy place shall not be eaten; it shall be burned with fire. According to Blessed Theodoret (question 4 on Leviticus), the sin offering was slaughtered at the place of slaughter of the burnt offering, “for the consolation of those making the offering, so that they would know that, having been healed through repentance, they are not estranged from the holy. Therefore these offerings are named: most holy” (Lev 6:29). The great holiness of the sin offering consists in its purifying power, which it drew from the Sacrifice of the Cross that it prefigured.

Leviticus 6:27. Everything that touches the flesh of it shall become holy; and if any of its blood is sprinkled on a garment, you shall wash the garment on which it was sprinkled in a holy place; Leviticus 6:28. The earthen vessel in which it is cooked shall be broken; but if it is cooked in a copper vessel, that vessel shall be scoured and rinsed with water; These verses, according to Blessed Theodoret (question 5 on Leviticus), “teach the Israelites reverence, command them to approach the divine with fear, prescribe them to stand afar from the sacred… Therefore he also commands that garments, which have taken on that blood, be washed, and vessels, if copper, be carefully scoured, but if earthen, be broken.” By all this, any possibility of profanation of the objects sanctified by the sacrifice was prevented.

Leviticus 6:29. Every male among the priests may eat it; it is most holy to the Lord; Leviticus 6:30. But any sin offering from which some of the blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the holy place shall not be eaten; it shall be burned with fire. Concluding remarks on the use of sacrificial meat, unequal depending on whether the sacrifice was brought for the sins of private individuals, in which case the sprinkling of blood occurred only in the courtyard of the temple, on the burnt offering altar (Lev 4:22-35), or whether the sins of the high priest were being cleansed (Lev 4:5-7), or of all the people (a separate sin, Lev 4:16-18, or the sin of the whole year on the Day of Atonement, Lev 16:30), and therefore the priests themselves – the priests – when the sacrificial blood was brought into the holy place (in the first two cases) or even into the holy of holies (on the Day of Atonement): in the first case the meat of the sin offering, after the burning of the sacrificial fat, was eaten by all male members of the priestly family, in the second all the remaining meat is burned (tissareph from the verb saraph – not with the sacrificial fire).

Chapter Seven

Repetition and supplementation of regulations concerning various sacrifices, chiefly from the point of view of the obligations and rights of priests in relation to sacrificial offerings

Leviticus 7:1. This is the law of the guilt offering: it is most holy; Leviticus 7:2. The guilt offering shall be slaughtered at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood shall be dashed on the altar all around; Leviticus 7:3. The one offering it shall present from it all the fat, the broad tail and the fat that covers the entrails, Leviticus 7:4. And both kidneys and the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the appendage on the liver; with the kidneys he shall remove it; Leviticus 7:5. And the priest shall burn it on the altar as a sacrifice to the Lord: it is a guilt offering. Leviticus 7:6. Every male among the priests may eat it; it shall be eaten in a holy place: it is most holy. Leviticus 7:7. Like the sin offering, so it is with the guilt offering; the law is the same for both: it belongs to the priest who makes atonement with it. The guilt offering is “most holy.” The ritual of the sacrifice is detailed: the place of slaughter, the manner of blood sprinkling (according to tradition, sprinkling of the burnt offering altar occurred with two swings of the cup with blood at the northeast and southwest corners – Mishnah, Zebachim 5:4; see Zech 9:15), Lev 7:2; the parts burned, Lev 7:3-5; the use of the remaining sacrificial meat – by the male members of the priestly clan. By all these ritual features, the guilt offering is extremely close to the sin offering.

Leviticus 7:8. And when a priest brings anyone’s burnt offering, the skin of the burnt offering that he has offered shall belong to the priest; Leviticus 7:9. And every grain offering that is baked in the oven, and every one prepared in a pan or on a griddle, shall belong to the priest who offers it; Leviticus 7:10. And every grain offering, mixed with oil and dry, shall belong to all the sons of Aaron, one as well as the other. The burnt offering and the grain offering – grain. While in other bloody sacrifices (except for cases of the sin offering indicated in Lev 6:30) the priests have the right to certain parts of the meat of sacrificial animals, at the burnt offering they have only the skin (according to Jewish tradition, in peace offerings the skin returned to the offerer: this agrees with the biblical indication that at the peace offering the offerer took what remained, after the removal of the fat portions for fire and the breast and right shoulder for the priest, the meat and made a meal for himself). In grain offerings of all kinds, the priests-performers use the right of ownership over what is dedicated to God, the remainder belongs to the offerer (see Lev 7:14).

Leviticus 7:11. This is the law of the peace offering that one may offer to the Lord: Leviticus 7:12. If he offers it for a thanksgiving offering, then along with the thanksgiving sacrifice he shall offer unleavened bread mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and of fine flour mixed with oil, cakes mixed with oil; Leviticus 7:13. Besides the loaves, he shall offer leavened bread as part of his offering with his peace offering of thanksgiving; Leviticus 7:14. And from it he shall offer one loaf from each offering as a contribution to the Lord; it shall belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the peace offering; Leviticus 7:15. And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering; he shall not leave any of it until the morning. Leviticus 7:16. But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day what remains may be eaten, Leviticus 7:17. But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice shall be burned on the third day. Leviticus 7:18. If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering is eaten on the third day, it shall not be accepted, nor shall it be credited to the one who offers it; it shall be an abomination, and the one who eats of it shall bear his iniquity. Leviticus 7:19. Flesh that touches anything unclean shall not be eaten; it shall be burned with fire. As for the flesh, all who are clean may eat it; Leviticus 7:20. But the person who eats flesh from the sacrifice of peace offering that belongs to the Lord while unclean, that person shall be cut off from his people; Leviticus 7:21. And if anyone touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness or an unclean animal or any unclean abomination, and then eats from the sacrifice of the peace offering that belongs to the Lord, that person shall be cut off from his people. A grain offering is necessarily attached to the peace offering, and about the latter the lawgiver speaks now with special detail, distinguishing especially the thanksgiving sacrifice (zebach todah), in view of its special, seemingly, importance and solemnity compared with the two other kinds of peace offering – the sacrifice of a vow (z. neder) and the freewill offering (z. nedabeh). To the thanksgiving peace offering it is prescribed to add leavened bread as well, but not for sacrificial burning – nothing leavened could be brought as a sacrifice (Lev 2:11) – but as an addition to the meal made after the peace offering: this meal reflected the ordinary nourishment of a human (but in a mysterious sense – communion with God), and therefore the leavened element was quite appropriate here. In view of the more solemn and numerous meal at the thanksgiving sacrifice than at the sacrifices of vows and freewill offerings, which had a private character and were accompanied by modest meals with the participation of only the nearest relatives, it was prescribed regarding the first that its flesh be eaten necessarily on the very day of the sacrifice, from the sacrifices of vows and freewill offerings it was permitted to eat on the 2nd–3rd day (Lev 7:15). According to Blessed Theodoret, God “wishes those offering the sacrifice not only themselves to participate in the feast, but to share the meat with the needy. Therefore he commands to eat of this meat on the first and second day, but to burn the excess, so that, compelled by this necessity, they make the poor participants in the feast” (question 6 on Leviticus).

Leviticus 7:20. But the person who eats flesh from the sacrifice of peace offering that belongs to the Lord while unclean, that person shall be cut off from his people; Leviticus 7:21. And if anyone touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness or an unclean animal or any unclean abomination, and then eats from the sacrifice of the peace offering that belongs to the Lord, that person shall be cut off from his people. Impressing on the Israelites a sense of reverence for the holiness of the sacrifice and vigilance toward spiritual and bodily purity in general, the lawgiver says that if an unclean or defiled person eats from the peace offering, then “that person shall be cut off from his people” (see Exod 31:14), that is, either be subjected to excommunication from the theocratic community and deprivation of the rights connected with belonging to it, both religious and civil, or be subjected to divine punishment in the form, for example, of childlessness or premature death (see 1 Cor 11:30). According to Blessed Theodoret (on Leviticus, question 7), “by this small thing (forbidding contact with uncleanness) he cures great diseases. For if the natural, by law, defiles, then the more the moral, properly speaking called unlawful.”

Leviticus 7:22. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Leviticus 7:23. Say to the people of Israel: You shall eat no fat of ox or sheep or goat. Leviticus 7:24. The fat of an animal that dies of itself and the fat of one that is torn by beasts may be put to any other use, but you shall not eat it. Leviticus 7:25. For whoever eats the fat of an animal that may be offered as a sacrifice to the Lord shall be cut off from his people. Leviticus 7:26. And you shall eat no blood of any creature in any of your dwellings, whether of bird or of beast. Leviticus 7:27. Whoever eats any blood shall be cut off from his people. The prohibition on the consumption of fat and blood as food is set forth in more extensive form than in Lev 3:17. The use of fat in crafts was not forbidden.

Leviticus 7:28. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Leviticus 7:29. Speak to the people of Israel, saying: Whoever offers the sacrifice of his peace offering to the Lord shall bring his offering to the Lord from his sacrifice of peace offering; Leviticus 7:30. His own hands shall bring the offerings by fire to the Lord; the fat with the breast he shall bring that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the Lord; Leviticus 7:31. The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall belong to Aaron and his sons; Leviticus 7:32. And the right thigh you shall give to the priest as an offering from your sacrifices of peace offering; Leviticus 7:33. From the sacrifices of your peace offerings, the one among the sons of Aaron who offers the blood and the fat shall have the right thigh as his portion; Leviticus 7:34. For the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the offering I have taken from the people of Israel, from their sacrifices of peace offering, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons as a perpetual due from the people of Israel. Leviticus 7:35. This is the portion of Aaron and the portion of his sons from the offerings of the Lord, from the day on which they were presented to the Lord to serve as priests, Leviticus 7:36. Which the Lord commanded to be given them by the people of Israel from the day of their anointing. This is a perpetual statute throughout their generations. – After a certain break (Lev 7:22-27) the regulations concerning peace offerings are concluded. Here the active participation of the offerer in the sacrifice is brought to the fore: he necessarily brought the sacrificial animal with his own hands, laid his hands on it, slaughtered it, probably cut the meat into pieces (all of this also took place in other bloody sacrifices), then together with the priest performed the symbolic ceremony of waving the breast before the Lord (Lev 7:30-32). This active participation of the offerer, besides its symbolic significance, had moral significance, in that it indicated the willing submission of the offerer to the law of the Lord, who provided the sacred tribe with a share or lot (such is the meaning of the Hebrew mischcham, Lev 7:35, imprecisely rendered in the LXX as: ἡ χρίσις, Slavic, “anointing”).

Leviticus 7:36. Which the Lord commanded to be given them by the people of Israel from the day of their anointing. This is a perpetual statute throughout their generations. – Leviticus 7:37. This is the law of the burnt offering, of the grain offering, of the sin offering, of the guilt offering, of the offering of ordination, and of the sacrifice of peace offering, Leviticus 7:38. Which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai, on the day when he commanded the people of Israel to bring their offerings to the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai. The first section of the Book of Leviticus (chapters 1–7) concerning various kinds of sacrifices is concluded, and the time of origin of the laws of sacrifices is established, namely: their composition is dated to the time of the stay of the Hebrews at Sinai, more specifically – after the second descent of Moses from the mountain, when the Lord “commanded the people of Israel to bring their offerings to the Lord” (Lev 7:38, see Exod 34:18 and following).

Chapter Eight

The ordination of Aaron and his sons and the sacrifices brought by them

Leviticus 8:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Leviticus 8:2. Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread; What was commanded to Moses in Exod 29:1-3 and following, in the given chapter (and Lev 9) of the Book of Leviticus is presented as the fulfillment of that statute.

Leviticus 8:3. And assemble all the congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Leviticus 8:4. And Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the congregation assembled at the entrance of the tent of meeting. At the ordination of the sacred ministers – these mediators between the community of the people of Israel and the Lord, naturally, the presence of the entire community was required at the tent, since from this point forward a class was being set apart from the people for special service to the Lord. But the term “community” (esp. edah, qahal) can mean not the gathering of all the people, but only its elders and most honored representatives (Num 16:2, see Lev 9:1), who, according to the Pentateuch, were called more than once to serve as witnesses of significant events in place of all the people (Exod 17:6). Nevertheless, the ordination ritual lasted seven days (Lev 8:33); therefore a large part of the people could witness the significant and profoundly important ritual of the ordination of the sacred ministers.

Leviticus 8:6. And Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water; Leviticus 8:7. And he put on him the tunic, and girded him with the belt, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him, and girded him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod, tying the ephod to him with it; Leviticus 8:8. And he placed on him the breastpiece, and in the breastpiece he put the Urim and the Thummim; Leviticus 8:9. And he set the turban on his head, and on the turban, in front, he set the golden plate, the holy crown, as the Lord had commanded Moses. Leviticus 8:10. And Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them; Leviticus 8:11. And he sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its utensils and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them; Leviticus 8:12. And he poured some of the anointing oil on the head of Aaron and anointed him, to consecrate him. Leviticus 8:13. And Moses brought Aaron’s sons and clothed them with tunics and girded them with sashes and bound caps on them, as the Lord commanded Moses. Ordination encompasses four main acts. The first act – washing with water (Lev 6, book Exod 29:4), probably the whole body, as was required of the high priest on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:4), not merely the washing of hands and feet, which was required before each sacred action (Exod 30:19-21). Signifying the removal of not merely physical but also moral uncleanness of those being ordained, this washing was the negative moment of ordination and at the same time a prefiguring of the highest, absolute holiness of the High Priest of the New Covenant (Heb 7:26). The second act – clothing Aaron in all sacred garments assigned to the rank of high priest (Exod 28) – a symbol of the ecclesiastical-communal ministry to which the high priest was now entering (Lev 8:7-8; see Exod 29:5); equally for the same reason and with the same significance the sons of Aaron were clothed in corresponding sacred garments – priests (Lev 8:18, see Exod 29:8). The third act – anointing with sacred oil (the preparation of which is spoken of in Exod 30:23-25) first of the tabernacle and all its furnishings (Lev 8:10-11, see Exod 30:28-29) – for the consecration of this work of human hands for service to God, and then the anointing of Aaron and his sons (Lev 8:12, see Exod 28:41). The anointing of the latter is not mentioned in the given passage (Lev 8:13). But from Exod 30:30 (see Lev 7:36) and especially Exod 40:13-15, it is evident that anointing was also performed over the priests, at least in the establishment of the priesthood by law: “Anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests, and their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations” (Exod 40:15; cp. Lev 7:36). Both the biblical text and Jewish tradition distinguish, however, the anointing of Aaron from the anointing of the priests, his sons. The first consisted primarily in a pouring (Hebrew lazag) of oil on the head of Aaron in an abundant quantity (see Ps 7:2) and then in the anointing (maschach) – probably of the face and garments. The anointing (maschach) of the priests consisted only in the latter action and was understood by tradition in the sense of marking on the forehead of each a likeness of the Greek letter χ (Maimonides) or the Hebrew letter kaph (k, according to Abarbanel). But both the higher anointing of Aaron and the lower anointing of his sons served equally as a symbol of the bestowal of the grace of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Sam 10:1-6, Ps 61:1), necessary for them in view of the extraordinary importance and responsibility of their ministry. The fourth and final act of ordination – the sacrifice-making of those being ordained (Lev 8:14-30, see Exod 29:10-28). Sacrifices were brought for sin (Lev 14-17), for burnt offering (Lev 8:18-21) and a special ordination sacrifice (Lev 8:22-30). For the sin offering of the high priest (together with his son) a bull is taken, according to the prescription Lev 4:3, and the entire ritual in all agrees with the regulation Lev 4:3-12, concerning the sin offering of the high priest. There is, however, also a difference. If in Lev 4:3 and following a definite fact of the sin of the high priest already ordained is meant, then here, in the ordination of the holy place and its ministers, the general sinfulness of the latter is in view, and since the tabernacle is being consecrated at the same time, the blood of the sacrifice is smeared on the horns of only the burnt offering altar (this center of the Old Testament sacrificial cult), not on the horns of the incense altar, and no sprinkling of blood before certain objects occurs (in regard to the blood-sprinkling the sacrifice for the sins of Aaron and his sons approaches, in this way, the sacrifice for the sins of the laypeople, Lev 4:25). All the meat with the hide was burned outside the camp according to Lev 4:12: the ones being ordained could not eat the sacrifice for their sin, and Moses, the performer of the sacrifice in this case, was not a priest and therefore also did not have the right to taste it.

Leviticus 8:18. And Moses brought the ram of the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram; Leviticus 8:19. And Moses killed it and dashed the blood on the altar all around; Leviticus 8:20. And he cut the ram into pieces, and Moses burned the head and the pieces and the fat; Leviticus 8:21. And he washed the entrails and the legs with water, and Moses burned all the ram on the altar as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses. The burnt offering was a ram, in all respects in accordance with the prescription Lev 1:10-13 concerning the burnt offering of small livestock, and the specific command concerning this from the Lord to Moses Exod 29:15-18.

Leviticus 8:22. And Moses brought the second ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram; Leviticus 8:23. And Moses killed it and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. Leviticus 8:24. And Moses brought Aaron’s sons, and put some of the blood on the lobe of their right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet, and Moses dashed the blood on the altar all around. Leviticus 8:25. Then he took the fat and the broad tail and all the fat that was on the entrails, and the appendage on the liver, and both kidneys and their fat and the right thigh; Leviticus 8:26. And from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord, he took one unleavened bread and one bread with oil and one wafer, and placed them on the fat and on the right thigh; Leviticus 8:27. And he put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and waved them as a wave offering before the Lord; Leviticus 8:28. Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar with the burnt offering; this was an ordination offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. Leviticus 8:29. And Moses took the breast and waved it as a wave offering before the Lord; it was Moses’ portion of the ram of ordination, as the Lord commanded Moses. Leviticus 8:30. Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and also on his sons and his sons’ garments; thus he consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him. In the ordination sacrifice, also a ram was taken. The ritual of sacrifice, in essentials, is similar to the rituals of the peace offering (Lev 8:22, cp. Lev 3): the same parts were burned (Lev 7), and likewise the ceremony of waving before the Lord was performed over the same parts (the right thigh and the breast) and in union with the same bread products, as in the peace offering (cp. Lev 8:25). But the peculiarity, exclusively belonging to this ordination sacrifice, consisted in the anointing with the blood of the ordination sacrifice of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of the high priest and priests (Lev 7:29-34). According to Blessed Theodoret (question 8 on Leviticus), “the right ear is a sign of praiseworthy obedience, and the hand and foot are symbols of good deeds; therefore the right hand and right foot were anointed, because there are deeds of the left and harmful obedience.” In view of the identity of this latter ceremony with the ceremonies at the admission into the theocratic community of a healed and cleansed leper (Lev 8:23-24), its significance can be determined thus: entering as ministers into the sanctuary and approaching more closely than others to God (cp Lev 14:14) the high priest and priests were cleansed, like the healed lepers, from all impurity in the most perfect manner, which was indicated by their continuous stay in the courtyard of the tabernacle for seven days (Num 16:5 Lev 8:33-34). The blood and oil were also sprinkled on the garments of Aaron and his sons to express their total dedication (equally with the sprinkled and consecrated sanctuary) to God.

Leviticus 8:33. You shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for it will take seven days to ordain you; Leviticus 8:34. As has been done today, the Lord has commanded to be done to make atonement for you; Leviticus 8:35. At the entrance of the tent of meeting you shall remain day and night for seven days and keep the charge of the Lord, so that you do not die, for so I am commanded. Leviticus 8:36. And Aaron and his sons did all the things that the Lord had commanded through Moses. (See Exod 29:29-35). The conclusion of the ordination ritual; Moses’s instructions to Aaron and his sons concerning the use of the flesh of the ordination sacrifice (Lev 8:31-32) and the directive about their seven-day stay “at the entrance of the tent of meeting” (Lev 8:35), that is, in the courtyard of the tabernacle, with the obligation to repeat in each of the seven days the sacrifices and rituals of the first day (Exod 29:35). According to Maimonides, the priests were ordained once and for all by this ordination; each new high priest, however, had to be ordained again (the anointing of high priests existed only until the Babylonian captivity).

Chapter Nine

Aaron’s first sacrifice with the miraculous descent of fire from heaven, and the high priest’s first blessing of the people

Leviticus 9:1. On the eighth day, Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel Leviticus 9:2. and said to Aaron: Take for yourself a young bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering, both without blemish, and present them before the Lord After 7 days of the consecration of the tabernacle and the ordination of the Old Testament priests, on the 8th day of Nisan in the 2nd year (Exod 40:17: the tabernacle was set up on the 1st day of the 1st month, Nisan, in the 2nd year after leaving Egypt), the tabernacle was to be shown as a place of gracious presence and the action of Jehovah, and the priests were to appear for the first time in service as mediators between the people and God. As before (cf. Lev 8:2) the representatives of the people are summoned and as before (cf. Lev 8:17-18) the high priest is commanded to present 2 offerings: for sin – a young bull and for a burnt offering – a ram

Leviticus 9:3. and say to the sons of Israel: Take a male goat as a sin offering, [and a ram,] and a calf, and a lamb, each a year old, without blemish, as a burnt offering Leviticus 9:4. and a bull and a ram as a peace offering, so as to make a sacrifice before the Lord, and a grain offering mingled with oil, for today the Lord will appear to you For the people are brought: a) as a sin offering – a male goat, which was brought for the sin specifically of an individual prince of the people (Lev 4:22), – here the representatives of the people – the elders act as if from themselves: b) as a burnt offering – a calf and a ram; c) as a peace offering – apparently made jointly from the people and the priesthood – a bull and a ram. The greatest significance of this offering: the gracious manifestation of the glory of the Lord (Lev 9:4), in the form of a radiant cloud

Leviticus 9:5. And they brought what Moses commanded before the tabernacle of meeting, and all the congregation came near and stood before the Lord Leviticus 9:6. And Moses said: Behold, the Lord has commanded to be done, and his glory shall appear to you Leviticus 9:7. And Moses said to Aaron: Draw near to the altar and perform your sin offering and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself and the people, and make an offering for the people, and make atonement for them, as the Lord commanded Leviticus 9:8. And Aaron drew near to the altar and slaughtered the young bull that was for him as a sin offering Moses awakens awareness of the importance of the moment both in all the people and especially in the priesthood when he says to Aaron “draw near to the altar and make atonement for yourself and the people” (Lev 9:7)

Leviticus 9:9. Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar, and poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar Leviticus 9:10. and the fat and the kidneys and the caul of the liver from the sin offering he burned on the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses Leviticus 9:11. and the flesh and the skin he burned with fire outside the camp Leviticus 9:12. And he slaughtered the burnt offering, and Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him; and he sprinkled it on the altar on all sides The first offering which Aaron brings for himself – a sin offering for his own sins. The blood of this offering (the young bull), however, is not brought into the sanctuary (according to the ordinance Lev 4:7), which Aaron enters through Moses only later (Lev 9:23), but is placed on the horns of the burnt offering altar (as in the consecration, Lev 8:15). Otherwise the present sin offering is performed according to the ordinance Lev 4:9-12

Leviticus 9:12. And he slaughtered the burnt offering, and Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him; and he sprinkled it on the altar on all sides Leviticus 9:13. and they brought the burnt offering to him in pieces and the head, and he burned it on the altar Leviticus 9:14. and the entrails and the legs he washed and burned with the burnt offering on the altar The burnt offering is performed according to the ordinance Lev 1, as the grain offering (Lev 2:17) according to the ordinance Lev 2, apart from the usual morning grain offering (Exod 29:39)

Leviticus 9:15. And he presented the offering for the people, and took the male goat for sin from the people, and slaughtered it, and brought it as a sin offering, as he had done before The flesh of the people’s sin offering belonged to the priests (Lev 6:26), but on this first day of offering it was burned by mistake (Lev 10:16)

Leviticus 9:18. And he slaughtered the bull and the ram, which were for the peace offering of the people; and Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him, and he sprinkled it on the altar on all sides Leviticus 9:19. and they brought the fat from the bull and the fat tail from the ram, and the fat that covers the entrails, and the kidneys and the caul of the liver Leviticus 9:20. and they placed the fat on the breast, and he burned the fat on the altar Leviticus 9:21. the breast and the right shoulder Aaron presented, waving them before the Lord, as Moses commanded The peace offering is brought according to the ordinance concerning it in Lev 3:2-5

Leviticus 9:22. And Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offering The concluding act of the offering is Aaron’s blessing, which he gave to the people from the steps of the altar. The act of blessing, when directed to an individual, was accompanied by the laying of hand on his head (Gen 48:14), but toward a multitude it was expressed by extending the hands toward them. Later, Num 6:22-27, a definite formula of the priestly blessing was given. In what words Aaron’s blessing and then, Lev 9:23, that of Moses and Aaron, was spoken is not stated. Jewish tradition referred here to Ps 89:17: “May the favor of the Lord our God be with us” or such a good wish (according to the Targum of Jerusalem): “May your offerings be accepted, and may the Lord dwell in your midst, and may he forgive you your transgressions”

Leviticus 9:23. And Moses and Aaron entered the tabernacle of meeting, and came out, and blessed the people. And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people Leviticus 9:24. and fire came forth from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they gave a loud cry and fell on their faces The solemn introduction of Aaron into the sanctuary by Moses, the manifestation of the glory of the Lord to the people (cf. Exod 40:34; 1 Sam 8:10-12; 2 Chr 7:1) in the form of a cloud filling the sanctuary and the appearance of heavenly fire (from the cloud) on the offering, a sign of divine acceptance of it (cf. Judg 6:20-21; 1 Sam 18:38), and the reverent joy of the people concluded the solemn sacred acts

Chapter Ten

1–4. Divine punishment of Aaron’s older sons, Nadab and Abihu, by death. 6–7. Prohibition for Aaron and the priests to mourn the dead. 8–11. Prohibition for the priests to use strong drink before entering the tabernacle. 12–20. Law concerning the eating of offerings

Leviticus 10:1. Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them Leviticus 10:2. and fire came forth from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord Leviticus 10:3. And Moses said to Aaron: This is what the Lord spoke, saying, “I will show myself holy among those who approach me, and before all the people I will show my glory.” Aaron remained silent Leviticus 10:4. And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, the uncle of Aaron, and said to them: Come, carry your brothers from the sanctuary outside the camp The first steps of the Old Testament priests were accompanied by a fatal error or sin of two of them, Nadab and Abihu. The nature of their sin is not indicated. According to tradition, it was their self-exaltation before Aaron and a willful, untimely burning of incense, perhaps also in an intoxicated state (cf. Lev 10:9), or the incense itself was prepared contrary to the ordinance concerning it (Exod 30:7), and the fire for it was brought from outside the tabernacle enclosure. According to Theodoret the blessed (question 9 on Leviticus), “because Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, brought in man-made fire, divine fire consumed them” (Lev 9:24). In any case, their transgression expressed disrespect toward the sanctuary, and could instill the same in the people, and therefore it was punished severely – for the protection of the holiness of the sanctuary and to elevate the dignity of the priesthood itself (Lev 10:3, cf. Lev 19:22). Struck by grief, the father of the unfortunate priests Aaron does not give himself over to the usual eastern bursts of sorrow and mourning, but in the consciousness of the gravity of sin and the justness of punishment he remains silent, thus proving his understanding of the loftiness and responsibility of his sacred service

Leviticus 10:4. And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, the uncle of Aaron, and said to them: Come, carry your brothers from the sanctuary outside the camp Leviticus 10:5. And they went and carried them in their tunics outside the camp, as Moses said The dead are carried out not by the father and brothers, clothed in sacred garments and unable to touch the dead, but by close relatives, the cousins of Moses and Aaron (see Exod 6:22)

Leviticus 10:6. And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and to Ithamar his sons: Do not leave the hair of your heads loose, and do not tear your garments, or you will die and wrath will come upon all the congregation; but your brothers, the whole house of Israel, may mourn for those whom the Lord has burned Leviticus 10:7. and you shall not go outside the entrance of the tabernacle of meeting, or you will die; for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses An express warning to Aaron and his sons – the priests – not to wear any mourning for the death of Nadab and Abihu: not to bare the head, not to tear garments, etc., while leaving all of this to other relatives and all the people, who naturally had to see in the death of the two priests during sacred service a public misfortune

Leviticus 10:8. And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying Leviticus 10:9. You and your sons with you must not drink wine or strong drink whenever you enter the tabernacle of meeting, [or approach the altar,] or you will die. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations Leviticus 10:10. so that you may distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean Leviticus 10:11. and teach the sons of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them through Moses The direct address of God to Aaron tradition regards as an expression of God’s favor toward him for his self-control (Lev 10:3). The prohibition to the priests of drinking wine before service in the tabernacle and of strong drink in general (for example, beer, which was known in Egypt and of course to the Hebrews), now given to Aaron, may suggest that the sin of Nadab and Abihu may have consisted precisely in intoxication during their first service. The purpose or motive for the prohibition: so that those who serve do not lose clarity of mind and the ability to distinguish strictly between the sacred and the worldly, the ritually clean and unclean, the lawful and the unlawful, teaching the people by their example what is lawful. Wine is forbidden (cf. Herodotus regarding Egyptians: they use wine made from grain) and other strong drinks not absolutely, but only during the time of each priest’s tour of service (cf. Ezek 44:21) according to the blessed Theodoret (question 10 on Leviticus). Concerning the distinction between clean and unclean a whole section treats Lev 11-15

Leviticus 10:12. And Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his remaining sons: Take the grain offering that is left from the offerings made by fire to the Lord, and eat it without leaven beside the altar, for it is most holy Leviticus 10:13. and eat it in a holy place, for it is your due and your sons’ due, from the offerings made by fire to the Lord; for thus I have been commanded Leviticus 10:14. and the breast of the wave offering and the shoulder of the elevation offering you shall eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you, for these have been given as your due and as the due of your sons from the sacrifices of peace offerings of the sons of Israel Leviticus 10:15. the shoulder of the elevation offering and the breast of the wave offering they shall bring together with the offerings of fat, waving them before the Lord, and they shall be a perpetual due to you and to your sons [and to your daughters] with you, as the Lord has commanded [Moses] A reminder to the priests of the use of the portions designated for them from the sacrifices (cf. Lev 6:16-19), and in particular a strict rebuke from Moses for their violation (probably due to the confusion caused by the death of Nadab and Abihu) of this law: contrary to the ordinance Lev 6:26-30 concerning the sin offering, the remains of the meat of the male goat for sin of the elders were burned (Lev 10:16), although the blood of this offering was not brought into the sanctuary (cf. Lev 6:29-30)

Leviticus 10:19. Aaron said to Moses: Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and such things as these have happened to me; if I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been pleasing to the Lord? Leviticus 10:20. And Moses heard it and approved Aaron’s defense, penetrated by deep humility and secret sorrow for his sons, satisfies Moses

Chapter Eleven

1–32. The distinction between clean and unclean animals. 33–47. Cases of defilement by them of a person

Leviticus 11:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them Leviticus 11:2. Say to the sons of Israel: Here are the animals which you may eat from all the beasts on the earth Before Israel, the elect people of Jehovah, began to live a new theocratic life according to the Sinai law, it had to be protected from various forms of uncleanness (Lev 15:31), such as: 1) from eating unclean animals (Lev 11); 2) from uncleanness connected with human sexual life (Lev 12 and 15); 3) from the uncleanness of leprosy (Lev 13-14). Laws on all these subjects are given to Moses together with Aaron (Lev 11:1, Lev 15:11), because the priests themselves were obligated to teach the sons of Israel all of them, especially in distinguishing the sacred from the profane, the clean from the unclean (Lev 10:10-11). As for the reason or basis for recognizing a particular group of animals as unclean, here first of all – as with other types of ritual uncleanness in ancient Hebrew – instinctive, organic human aversion or disgust toward certain breeds of animals and birds comes into force, namely toward carnivorous breeds and those feeding on carrion; that is why the division of animals into clean and unclean not only appears in biblical antiquity long before the Sinai law – in the history of Noah (Gen 7:2), but also existed among other ancient peoples – Egyptians, Arabs, Persians, Indians, of course with their own peculiar modifications in particular details. Then, physical uncleanness naturally served as an image of moral uncleanness; Jehovah, the holy God of Israel, requiring holiness from his people, forbids them the eating and even contact with unclean food and generally with ritually unclean things (cf. Lev 11:34-35; Exod 22:30; Deut 14:21; Num 5:3; Deut 23:15). Such ordinances were to set apart God’s people from among other nations, cultivating in it special vigilance and remembrance of the will of Jehovah and cautious circumspection regarding possible defilements. Indeed, according to Tacitus, the laws of the Jews on clean and unclean food erected a great barrier between Jews (“separati epulis, discreti cubilibus”, Hist. V, c. 5) and other ancient peoples. In modern times, following the example of H. Spencer and others, in biblical notions of “clean” and “unclean” some recognize (Nowack, Benzinger, Baentsch and others) a later differentiation of the ancient primitive notion of “taboo” (still preserved among Australian Aboriginals and other savages), which denoted simultaneously both the holy and the unclean, but later, with the development of religious consciousness in Israel, all clean and holy came to be attributed to the worship of Jehovah, while all unclean – to the worship of demons and totems. This theory has some plausibility, but taken as a whole it cannot be accepted, as it introduces into the development of the Old Testament Kingdom of God the law of pure natural evolution. The particular motives for forbidding certain animals are more implied than directly stated

Leviticus 11:3. any animal that has divided hoofs and chews the cud – you may eat Leviticus 11:4. Nevertheless these you shall not eat of those that chew the cud or have divided hoofs: the camel, because it chews the cud but does not have divided hoofs, is unclean for you Leviticus 11:5. and the rock badger, because it chews the cud but does not have divided hoofs, is unclean for you Leviticus 11:6. and the hare, because it chews the cud but does not have divided hoofs, is unclean for you Leviticus 11:7. and the swine, because it has divided hoofs and a deep split hoof, but does not chew the cud, is unclean for you Leviticus 11:8. Of their meat you shall not eat, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you Clean and unclean four-footed mammals. For them two criteria of cleanliness and fitness for food are indicated (Leviticus 11 and following): 1) complete cloven-footedness – the presence on the animal’s hoofs of a “deep split” (Deut 14:6) and 2) the cud-chewing of the animal. In the parallel section of Deuteronomy in Leviticus Deut 14:4-5, 10 breeds of animals are named that meet both requirements and therefore are clean and eaten, but of course many other breeds of four-footed mammals that fit the indicated criteria were also eaten. The regurgitation of cud is the property of herbivores only, hence carnivorous animals were excluded by this criterion; the cloven-hoof criterion limited the circle of herbivores themselves. The absence of either of these two criteria made the animal unclean. The first criterion is lacking, for example, in the camel – it has a split on its hoofs, but it is not deep, and its hoof presents a pad-like cushion; also – in the rock badger or mountain mouse (Hebrew schaphan, Greek χοιρογρύλλἰ᾿ος cf. Ps 103:18; Prov 30:26) and the hare (Lev 11:4-6; Deut 14:7); the second criterion was absent, for example, in the swine, considered by the Hebrews as the most unclean and polluting animal (according to the rabbis, nine-tenths of all uncleanness in the world comes from the swine, see Buxtorf’s Lexicon under the word chazir), both because of its filthiness (they also regarded it as the source of leprosy) and because of its use in pagan sacrifices (the name “eater of swine” was a synonym for an idolater, Ps 65:4, cf. 2 Macc 6:18, 7 and following). Not eating swine by the Hebrews, both in ancient times and in modern times, has been considered one of the characteristic features of this nation (Juvenal in his 14th satire mocked the Jews for this). The moral or allegorical sense of the rule concerning the distinction of four-footed animals, according to the blessed Theodoret (question 11), is this: “a cloven hoof signifies the distinction of good deeds and those opposed to them, moreover life not only in the present age but in the future, and the giving to the one age only what is necessary, and to the other all things, that is, soul and body, and what pertains to the body. And cud-chewing signifies instruction in divine words”

Leviticus 11:9. Of all the animals that are in the water, you may eat those that have fins and scales in the water, in the seas or in the rivers Leviticus 11:10. but all those that do not have fins and scales in the seas or in the rivers, of all the swarming creatures in the water and of all the living creatures that are in the water, are detestable to you Leviticus 11:11. They shall be detestable to you; you must not eat their meat, and you must detest their carcasses Leviticus 11:12. all animals that do not have fins and scales in the water are detestable to you The law concerning fish, which also in the history of creation is named (Gen 1:21) before birds. The criteria for clean or permitted fish are stated with complete definiteness – these fish must have: 1) swimming fins and 2) scales (according to the Mishnah, Hullin, 3:7, the presence of only the latter criterion was sufficient, as the first criterion necessarily presupposes the second). On the basis of this law, Jews even now do not eat, for example, sturgeon (as do the Shiite Persians)

Leviticus 11:13. Among the birds, these are the ones you must detest [you must not eat them; they are detestable]: the eagle, the vulture, and the osprey Leviticus 11:14. the kite and the falcon of every kind Leviticus 11:15. every kind of raven Leviticus 11:16. the ostrich, the owl, the seagull, and the hawk of every kind Leviticus 11:17. the little owl, the cormorant, the ibis Leviticus 11:18. the swan, the pelican, the vulture Leviticus 11:19. the heron, the hoopoe, and the hoopoe of every kind, and the bat By the name birds, haoph, are meant all creatures capable of flying, including bats and winged insects. The law counts 19 (according to Lev 11:13-19) or 20 (according to Deut 14:13-20) kinds of unclean flying creatures, with repeated additions of: of every kind, that is, with all the varieties of a given breed. The Bible does not indicate general characteristics of the uncleanness of these birds: the Talmudic zoology already attempts to do this. In the Mishna (Hullin 3:6) the following rules are given: “any bird that is a predator is unclean,” “any bird that separates its feet is unclean,” “if when perching on a cord it separates two toes forward and two back, it is unclean”; “a bird that lives among unclean birds and resembles unclean ones is unclean”; a clean bird has a prominent crop, an extra toe that comes off easily, a gallbladder that is easily removed. Most of the birds named in the biblical text are those that eat meat, carrion, worms, insects, or items repulsive to humans. The blessed Theodoret says: “from birds Moses calls unclean the predatory ones, feeding on dead bodies and loving darkness, teaching us thereby to refrain from avarice, to deny ourselves repulsive food of sin, and to hate darkness.” The identification of Hebrew names with existing breeds in many cases is difficult, especially since the translation of the LXX (especially in Lev 11:15-18) instead of clarification introduces even greater confusion here (cf., however, Vlastov, Svyashch. letopis. 2:154–157). The bat, Hebrew atalleph, – a flying mouse by its form was classified with birds

Leviticus 11:20. All swarming creatures that have wings and go on four feet are detestable to you Leviticus 11:21. But among the swarming creatures that have wings and go on all fours you may eat those that have above their feet joints for jumping on the ground Leviticus 11:22. You may eat these: the locust of every kind, the cricket of every kind, the grasshopper of every kind, and the katydid of every kind Leviticus 11:23. All other swarming creatures that have wings and four feet are detestable to you Small four-footed and many-footed living creatures, creeping on the ground, and insects having wings for flying, are all considered unclean, with the exception of 4 kinds of locusts, “which have joints above their feet” (Lev 11:21; Vulgate: per quae salit super terram – something like a grasshopper)

Leviticus 11:24. By these you shall become unclean: whoever touches the carcass of any of them shall be unclean until the evening Leviticus 11:25. and whoever picks up any of their carcasses must wash his clothes and shall be unclean until the evening If touching a living animal, even an unclean one, does not make one unclean, then the carcass of a dead animal unconditionally defiles the one who touched it, and this uncleanness, lasting until evening, is removed by washing

Leviticus 11:26. Every animal that has divided hoofs but does not have a deep split, and does not chew the cud, is unclean for you: anyone who touches any of them shall be unclean [until the evening] Leviticus 11:27. Among all the four-footed animals, those that walk on their paws are unclean for you: anyone who touches the carcass of any of them shall be unclean until the evening Leviticus 11:28. whoever picks up their carcass must wash his clothes and shall be unclean until the evening; they are unclean for you The ordinance concerning unclean four-footed animals (“walking on their paws,” i.e., on their feet) supplements what was given in Lev 11:3-7, with the addition of a remark about the uncleanness of their carcasses

Leviticus 11:29. These are unclean for you among the creatures that creep on the ground: the mole, the mouse, the lizard of every kind Leviticus 11:30. the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink, and the chameleon Leviticus 11:31. These are unclean for you among all the creeping creatures; anyone who touches any of them when they are dead shall be unclean until the evening Leviticus 11:32. And anything on which any of them falls when they are dead shall be unclean; whether it is any wooden vessel or garment or skin or sack, any vessel that is used for work, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening, and then it shall be clean Leviticus 11:31 and Lev 11:41-43 complete the indication of Lev 11:20-23 the forbidden creeping creatures, such as: all snakes, mollusks, worms, snails, toads, moles, frogs, and the like

Leviticus 11:31. These are unclean for you among all the creeping creatures; anyone who touches any of them when they are dead shall be unclean until the evening Leviticus 11:32. And anything on which any of them falls when they are dead shall be unclean; whether it is any wooden vessel or garment or skin or sack, any vessel that is used for work, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening, and then it shall be clean Leviticus 11:33. and if any of them falls into a clay vessel, everything that is in it shall be unclean, and you shall break the vessel Leviticus 11:34. Any food that could be eaten shall be unclean if it comes into contact with water from any such vessel, and any liquid that could be drunk shall be unclean if it is in any such vessel Leviticus 11:35. Everything on which any part of the carcass of any of them falls shall be unclean; an oven or stove must be broken down, for they are unclean and shall remain unclean for you Leviticus 11:36. Nevertheless a spring or a well, a collection of water, remains clean; but whoever touches the carcass in it is unclean Leviticus 11:37. And if any part of the carcass of any of them falls on any seed for sowing, it is clean Leviticus 11:38. but if water has been put on the seed and any part of the carcass of any of them falls on it, it is unclean for you Leviticus 11:39. And if any animal which you are allowed to eat dies, whoever touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening Leviticus 11:40. and he who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; and he who carries the carcass of it must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening Determination of the presence of uncleanness or defilement in various cases of contact of the person himself, his clothes, food, and other items of his use with unclean animals or their carcasses (cf. the blessed Theodor. questions 12 and 13 on Leviticus)

Leviticus 11:41. All creatures that creep on the ground are detestable; you must not eat them Leviticus 11:42. Whether they crawl on their belly or go on all fours or have many feet, all creeping creatures that swarm on the ground, you shall not eat; for they are detestable Leviticus 11:43. You shall not make yourselves unclean by any creature that creeps on the ground; and do not make yourselves unclean through them so as to become unclean Leviticus 11:31 and Lev 11:20-23 supplement the indication of forbidden creeping creatures, such as: all snakes, mollusks, worms, snails, toads, moles, frogs, and the like

Leviticus 11:44. For I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am [the Lord, your God] holy; and do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that creeps on the ground Leviticus 11:45. For I am the Lord, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall be holy, for I am holy Leviticus 11:46. This is the law concerning beasts and birds and every living creature that moves in the waters and every creature that creeps on the ground Leviticus 11:47. to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animals that may be eaten and the animals that may not be eaten In the concluding remarks on the laws concerning clean and unclean animals, attention is drawn to the separation of Israel by Jehovah from among other peoples and to the special holiness and purity required of it. According to the blessed Theodoret (question 11 on Leviticus), “by dividing animals into clean and unclean, Moses, in addition to this, persuades us not to recognize any of them as a god. For who of the sensible will call a god either what he detests and loathes with disgust, or what is sacrificed and eaten by the very one who makes the sacrifice”

Chapter Twelve

The law of purification of a woman after childbirth

Leviticus 12:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying The law of purification of the woman who has given birth is given through Moses alone (and not together with Aaron, as are other laws of ritual purity) – because of its more particular character. Purification ordinances for the postpartum period of a woman existed among other ancient peoples, but among Israel these laws have a purely religious character, reflecting the fundamental Old Testament concepts: sin and holiness

Leviticus 12:2. Say to the sons of Israel: If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be unclean for seven days; as in the days of her menstrual impurity she shall be unclean The first 7 days after the birth of a boy, 14 after the birth of a girl, the uncleanness of the woman in childbirth was considered equal to the uncleanness of menstrual purification (Lev 15:19). The uncleanness of the woman in childbirth during this period was transmitted to all those who touched her (according to the rabbis, a distinction was made between uncleanness of the first degree, or father of uncleanness, and uncleanness of subsequent degrees)

Leviticus 12:3. on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised Briefly but categorically, the law of circumcision is repeated, established in the patriarchal period (Gen 17; see John 7:22), but adopted into the Sinai legislation

Leviticus 12:4. and she shall remain in the blood of her purification for thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are complete Leviticus 12:5. But if she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, and she shall remain in the blood of her purification for sixty-six days After the first period of purification (7 or 14 days), a second period of less stringent uncleanness followed, consisting only of temporary exclusion from the sanctuary and all that is sacred: 33 days for a male child, 66 for a female child. The increase in the duration of purification for a female child is explained by the view of the ancients that “greater labor is undertaken by women who bear female children” (the blessed Theodoret, question 14 on Leviticus), and therefore the body of the mother in childbirth recovers more slowly than after giving birth to a boy (this observation, perhaps correct in eastern and hot countries, is not confirmed in Europe); in part, the indicated difference could have reflected the influence of the biblical view of woman as the source of sin in the world (Gen 3)

Leviticus 12:6. And when the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the entrance of the tabernacle of meeting, to the priest, a lamb a year old as a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering Leviticus 12:7. He shall offer it before the Lord, and make atonement on her behalf; then she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a male or a female child Leviticus 12:8. And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement on her behalf, and she shall be clean The lawful purification consists: 1) in a sin offering, for both the rich and the poor consisting of a bird – a young pigeon or a turtledove: by this equality, the equal responsibility or obligation of all was shown for original sin, and by the appointment of a most inexpensive offering it was indicated the absence of an active or conscious element in the sin being purified; 2) in a burnt offering, which, being a solemn offering, consisted of a lamb, replaced for the poor by a second pigeon (the Holy Virgin brought to the temple precisely two pigeons, Luke 2:22-24), and probably 3) in a peace offering

Chapter Thirteen

1–46. Leprosy as a source of ritual uncleanness in Israel; its various kinds and signs—for the guidance of priests. 47–59. Leprosy of garments.

Leviticus 13:1. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2–8. Leprous sore on the skin. The presence in the legislation of Moses of such detailed information about leprosy (physicians of modern times marvel at the accuracy of Moses’ diagnosis of leprosy) attests to the widespread nature of leprosy, this scourge of mankind, this “stroke” or “affliction” of God (the meaning of Hebrew terms for leprosy—tsaraʿat and nega) among the Hebrews. In the Law of Moses, leprosy is treated not only as physical suffering and public misfortune, but also as ritual uncleanness; hence the law speaks not of treating this rarely and scarcely curable disease, but of examination by priests, measures of isolation for the leprous, and ritual cleansing for those recovered. Therefore in Deuteronomy every Israelite is commanded: “Take heed, with respect to the plague of leprosy, carefully observe and fulfill all the law which the priests and Levites will teach you” (Deut 24:8). Josephus, refuting the Egyptian legend (recorded by Manetho and repeated by Appian) that the Israelites were lepers expelled from Egypt together with Moses because of this disease, says: “If this had been true, Moses would not have issued such ordinances which would logically contradict his own condition, as well as that of his companions… Nothing would have prevented him from issuing the mildest ordinances on this matter, rather than determining such punishment—separation of the sick from the healthy. Moses himself, as well as his kinsmen, were free from this disease, and therefore he issued such ordinances for the glory of God” (Antiquities of the Jews, 3:11, 3:4). The extreme denial of the very existence of leprosy among the Hebrews is evident, yet the general sense of Moses’ ordinances is fully conveyed here. But the blessed Theodoret understands the laws concerning leprosy even more deeply: “By bodily diseases he indicates diseases of the soul, and speaking of involuntary diseases, explains them as voluntary. For if natural diseases seem unclean, how much more the diseases of morals. He speaks also of distinctions in leprosy, because there is also a distinction in sins. There is a beginning of leprosy, because there is also a beginning of sin. But as the priest discerns leprosy, so he must also be a judge of spiritual sins of the soul. He calls patchiness of color on the skin leprosy; thus vice, entering the soul, makes it leprous” (Question 15 on Leviticus).

Leviticus 13:2. When anyone has a swelling, rash, or bright spot on the skin of his body, and it becomes the appearance of a leprous sore, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons, the priests; Leviticus 13:3. And the priest shall examine the sore on the skin of his body; and if the hair on the sore has turned white, and the sore appears deeper than the skin of his body, then it is a leprous sore; the priest shall examine him and pronounce him unclean. When a suspicious rash appears on the skin of a person, he must immediately present himself to the priest, who distinguishes harmless skin conditions from the signs of tsaraʿat—leprosy. The primary distinguishing signs were two: 1) a change in hair color (normally dark among peoples of the East) to white, and 2) a depression of the appeared swelling into the skin itself.

Leviticus 13:4. But if the white spot on the skin of his body is not deeper than the skin, and the hair has not turned white, then the priest having the sore shall isolate him for seven days; Otherwise the swelling (seet, or rash, sappachat, or bright spot, baheret; Vulg.: diversus color) might not be a leprous sore, a harbinger of it, so for testing, the priest isolated the affected person from other people for seven days.

Leviticus 13:5. On the seventh day the priest shall examine him, and if the sore remains unchanged and does not spread on the skin, then the priest shall isolate him for another seven days; Leviticus 13:6. On the seventh day again the priest shall examine him, and if the sore is less prominent and has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is a rash, and let him wash his garments, and he will be clean. Leviticus 13:7. But if the rash spreads on the skin after he appeared to the priest for cleansing, then he shall appear again to the priest; Leviticus 13:8. And the priest, seeing that the rash is spreading on the skin, shall pronounce him unclean: it is leprosy. With great care the priest repeatedly, to avoid error, examines the patient. If the spread of the sore was not observed—it remained in the same position—the seven-day test was repeated, and then the priest either decided that the sore was not dangerous (simple rash), as if extinguished, and the patient, already free from suspicion of leprosy, performed the washing of his garments, or he established the undeniable fact of leprosy (if there was spreading of the sore on the skin or into the depth of the skin) and pronounced the affected person unclean. Into this description of the incubation period of leprosy, which has two forms—tuberculous (skin damage) and anesthetic (nerve damage)—many internal symptoms (drowsiness, chills, heaviness of the head, nausea, etc.) are not introduced, but the two mentioned skin changes are undoubtedly the most typical for true leprosy in its two forms.

Leviticus 13:9. If anyone has a leprous sore, then he shall be brought to the priest; Leviticus 13:10. And the priest shall examine him; and if the swelling on the skin is white, and the hair has turned white, and there is raw flesh in the swelling, Leviticus 13:11. It is chronic leprosy on the skin of his body; and the priest shall pronounce him unclean and shall isolate him, because he is unclean. Leviticus 13:12. But if leprosy breaks out all over the skin, and the leprosy covers all the skin of the affected person from his head to his feet, as far as the priest’s eyes can see, Leviticus 13:13. And the priest shall see that the leprosy has covered all his body, then he shall pronounce the affected person clean, because it has all turned white: he is clean. Leviticus 13:14. But when raw flesh appears on him, then he is unclean; Leviticus 13:15. And the priest, seeing the raw flesh, shall pronounce him unclean; the raw flesh is unclean: it is leprosy. Leviticus 13:16. But if the raw flesh changes and turns white, then let him come to the priest; Leviticus 13:17. And the priest shall examine him, and if the sore has turned white, the priest shall pronounce the affected person clean; he is clean. Chronic leprosy. Leprosy could manifest itself without the preliminary signs mentioned, in which case there was no need to test the patient. Here only the mentioned principal signs of the disease were unchanging and necessary: 1) deepening of the sore into the skin and its spread across it, and 2) the appearance of white swellings and “raw flesh” with a change in hair color. At a further stage of disease development these signs were complicated by very many morbid phenomena, for example, cracking of the skin, abundant and foul-smelling discharge of lymph and drooling, swellings of the extremities, etc. At this point the two named forms of leprosy became distinctly differentiated: tuberculous, nodular (called leontiasis or satyriasis—from the terrible disfigurement of the face in this form of leprosy) and anesthetic, insensible (“white swellings,” Lev 13:10). Making an imperfectly clear allusion to this distinction, the biblical text indicates (Lev 13:12-13) also the possibility of a favorable crisis—leprosy “broke out” on the skin, that is, dark skin color everywhere transformed to white: the disease came to the surface, a crust formed on the skin, gradually falling away, the patient recovered and was pronounced clean, if only afterward living flesh did not appear on the healing scars.

Leviticus 13:18. If anyone has had a boil on his skin and it has healed, Leviticus 13:19. And in the place of the boil there appears a white swelling, or a white or reddish spot, then he shall appear before the priest; Leviticus 13:20. And the priest shall examine it; and if it appears deeper than the skin, and the hair has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprous sore that has broken out on the boil; Leviticus 13:21. But if the priest sees that the hair on it is not white, and it is not deeper than the skin, and it is somewhat dim, then the priest shall isolate him for seven days; Leviticus 13:22. If it spreads very much on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a sore; Leviticus 13:23. But if the spot remains in its place and does not spread, it is the inflammation of the boil, and the priest shall pronounce him clean. A similar progression and twofold outcome occurred with leprosy that formed on a previously existing and already healed boil (schechin, Vulg.: ulcus), and also, Lev 13:24-28, on a burn (mikvat-esch), except that, in contrast to initial infection, it was considered sufficient to isolate the patient once for seven days (Lev 13:21).

Leviticus 13:29. If a man or a woman has a sore on the head or on the beard, Leviticus 13:30. And the priest shall examine the sore; and if it appears deeper in the skin, and the hair on it is yellowish and thin, then the priest shall pronounce them unclean: it is scall, it is leprosy on the head or on the beard; Leviticus 13:31. But if the priest examines the sore of scall and it does not appear deeper in the skin, and there is no black hair on it, then the priest having the sore of scall shall isolate him for seven days; Leviticus 13:32. On the seventh day the priest shall examine the sore; and if the scall has not spread, and there is no yellowish hair on it, and the scall does not appear deeper in the skin, Leviticus 13:33. Then the affected person shall be shaved, but the scall shall not be shaved, and the priest shall isolate the scall again for seven days; Leviticus 13:34. On the seventh day the priest shall examine the scall; and if the scall has not spread on the skin and does not appear deeper in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; let him wash his garments, and he will be clean. Leviticus 13:35. But if after his cleansing the scall spreads very much on the skin, Leviticus 13:36. And the priest sees that the scall is spreading on the skin, then the priest need not look for yellowish hair: he is unclean. Leviticus 13:37. But if the scall remains in its appearance, and black hair appears on it, then the scall has passed; he is clean; the priest shall pronounce him clean. Leprosy could appear not only on clean skin but also on hairy skin—on the head and the chin; this is leprosy—neteq, a kind of known scabies or mange, more accurately: sycosis. The signs are the same, only the hair color changed not to white but to golden-yellow (zachob, Lev 13:30), and the hair soon completely fell out. The test was two weeks. If black hair began to grow on the affected spot, this was a sign of recovery.

Leviticus 13:40. If the hair has fallen off anyone’s head, he is bald: he is clean; Leviticus 13:41. And if the hair has fallen off the front of his head, he is bald on the forehead: he is clean. Leviticus 13:42. But if there is a white or reddish spot on his baldness or on his forehead baldness, then leprosy is breaking out on his baldness or on his forehead baldness; Leviticus 13:43. And the priest shall examine him; and if the swelling of the sore is white or reddish on his baldness or on his forehead baldness, resembling leprosy of the skin of the body, Leviticus 13:44. Then he is a leper, he is unclean; the priest must pronounce him unclean; he has a sore on his head. On the bald part of the head too leprosy could appear; the signs are a white or reddish swelling on the bare part of the head.

Leviticus 13:45. The leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn, and his head shall be uncovered, and he shall cover his mouth and cry: “Unclean! Unclean!” Leviticus 13:46. All the days in which the sore is on him, he shall be unclean; he is unclean; he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. Once pronounced unclean, the leper must immediately assume the costume of one in mourning and wear it throughout the disease: his head was bare, his garment (on the chest) torn, the hair on his head in disorder, his chin bound, and he must, warning the clean from defilement, cry: “tame, tame” (“unclean, unclean!”), cf. Lam 4:15. This presupposes the contagiousness of leprosy according to ancient Hebrew understanding (in medicine, in ancient and modern times, there existed two opposite views on this). According to the Talmudists, a leper who entered a clean house made everyone there and all vessels unclean, except only covered or bound ones (Mishnah, Kelim 1:4; Negaim 13:11). Since a single touch of a leper made one unclean, the leper during all the time of illness was to live separately from the healthy outside the camp or city (cf. Num 5:2-3; 2 Sam 7:3; Luke 17:12) and in special buildings set apart for lepers. In later times, if a leper wished to visit the synagogue or temple, he occupied a specially partitioned place there, and had to be the first to enter and the last to leave the building (Negaim, 13:12). This Talmudic evidence, however, little agrees with biblical data (Lev 13:14).

Leviticus 13:47. If a leprous sore is on a garment, on a woolen garment, or on a linen garment, Leviticus 13:48. Or on the warp or woof of linen or wool, or on leather, or on any work of leather, Leviticus 13:49. And the spot is greenish or reddish on the garment, or on the leather, or on the warp, or on the woof, or on any leather work, then it is a leprous sore: it shall be shown to the priest; Leviticus 13:50. And the priest shall examine the sore and shall isolate the affected article for seven days; Leviticus 13:51. On the seventh day he shall examine the affected article, and if the sore has spread on the garment, or on the warp, or on the woof, or on the leather, or on any work made of leather, then it is a corrosive leprosy; the article is unclean; Leviticus 13:52. He shall burn the garment, or the warp, or the woof of wool or linen, or any leather work on which is the sore, because it is a corrosive leprosy: it shall be burned with fire. Leviticus 13:53. But if the priest sees that the sore has not spread on the garment, or on the warp, or on the woof, or on any leather work, Leviticus 13:54. Then the priest shall command that it be washed, the article on which the sore is, and he shall isolate it again for seven days; Leviticus 13:55. And if after washing the affected item the priest sees that the sore has not changed its appearance and has not spread, then it is unclean; burn it with fire; it is an eating away on the outer surface or on the inner surface; Leviticus 13:56. But if the priest sees that the sore after washing it has become less prominent, then the priest shall tear it off from the garment, or from the leather, or from the warp, or from the woof. Leviticus 13:57. But if it appears again on the garment, or on the warp, or on the woof, or on any leather article, then it is a spreading sore: burn with fire that on which the sore is. Leviticus 13:58. But if you wash the garment, or the warp, or the woof, or any leather article, and the sore goes away from them, then wash them again, and they will be clean. Leviticus 13:59. This is the law for a leprous sore on a woolen or linen garment, or on the warp and woof, or on any leather article, to pronounce it clean or unclean. Leprosy on woolen and linen garments, on materials of linen and wool, on hides and leather works. The method of the priest’s action when examining the affected garment closely resembles the rules for examining a person afflicted with leprosy (Lev 13:50-55, as leprosy is distinguished on the back of the head, on the nape, qereach, Lev 13:40, and on the front, gibbeach, Lev 13:41, so in material qereach is the back side and gibbeach is the outer surface, Lev 13:55), with understandable differences in individual points. As to the nature of leprosy on garments, it is certain first of all that it was not transmitted to garments from lepers (as Abarbanel, Treusen, and others thought): there is no hint whatsoever in the biblical text of the identity of garment leprosy with human leprosy or of a causal connection between them: and in the law of cleansing a leper, no special cleansing of his garments is required, but simple washing, as in any defilement. Equally implausible are the following two opinions: 1) Michaelis and Rosenmüller—that the spots on woolen materials came from the wool or hair of sick or dead sheep (Michael. Mos. Rech., IV, § 211, S. 262; Rosenm., Scholia in Levit. p. 87); but the considered section of the law concerns not only woolen materials and works, but also linen and leather; therefore another explanation is needed that covers all these objects; 2) Jahn (Archaeol. 1:1, 165)—that leprosy was produced by microscopic insects appearing in materials and corroding them. It is more reasonable to agree with Sommer’s proposal that the enigmatic phenomenon in question consisted of a particular kind of erosion occurring from dampness and insufficient ventilation of materials: on hides, the spots of this sore appear as corroded indentations of various colors, on fabrics—as colored spots which, spreading through the fabric, make it a prey to moths. Yet no final judgment about such distinctive phenomena of ancient Hebrew life as the leprosy of garments and houses (Lev 14:34-55) can be pronounced due to the absence of both clear biblical data and any analogs in the life of modern European peoples. * * * In verse 11, where mention is made of chronic leprosy, according to the Church Slavonic and Russian texts, as in the accepted Greek text, there is an error: (the priest) “shall exclude” (Church Slavonic), “shall isolate” (Russian), ἀφορίσει (LXX). But to isolate or exclude an avowed leper the priest could not do—one must read: “shall not isolate,” “shall not exclude.” So—with negation—read in the Hebrew masoretic text and in the codex of the LXX—in Holmes (codices 53, 56, 57)

Chapter Fourteen

1–32. Rituals of cleansing for one recovered from leprosy. 33–56. Leprosy of Hebrew houses and its cleansing.

Leviticus 14:1. And the Lord said to Moses, saying: Leviticus 14:2. This is the law for the leper at the time of his cleansing: he shall be brought to the priest; Leviticus 14:3. And the priest shall go out of the camp; and if the priest sees that the leper is healed of the disease of leprosy, Leviticus 14:4. Then the priest shall order to take for the one to be cleansed two living clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet thread, and hyssop, Leviticus 14:5. And the priest shall order to kill one bird over an earthen vessel, over living water; Leviticus 14:6. And he himself shall take the living bird, the cedar wood, the scarlet thread, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird killed over the living water, Leviticus 14:7. And he shall sprinkle on the one to be cleansed from leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird go into the open field. Leviticus 14:8. And the one to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, bathe in water, and be clean; then he may enter the camp and stay outside his tent for seven days; In accordance with the complete exclusion of the leper throughout his illness not only from the sanctuary and all public worship, but also from the civil society of the people of the covenant, the ritual of cleansing for one recovered from leprosy comprised two acts. First, the priest (in his ordinary clothes) outside the camp confirmed the actual recovery of the former leper and then performed the ritual of receiving him into the community of his people, restoring him to civil and theocratic rights, as follows. The priest ordered two “living” (perhaps—fast-flying) birds, Hebrew zipporim (Vulg.: passeres; but more probably generally “clean”; Hebrew: tehoruth—birds, according to Vulg.—“quibus vesci licitum est”), to be taken for the one to be cleansed; in regard to price, size, and outward appearance, according to the Mishnah (Negaim 14:5), both birds were to be equal; a piece of cedar wood, hyssop, and a scarlet thread were also taken: the latter was wrapped around the stem of hyssop and fastened to the stick of cedar wood (Negaim, 14:1). One of the two living birds was slaughtered over an earthen vessel with living (spring, cf. Gen 26:19) water, so that the blood mixed with the latter. Then the priest dipped the three mentioned articles and the living bird (specifically the top feathers of the tail and wings, Negaim 14:1) in this mixture of blood and water, sprinkled the one to be cleansed seven times, pronounced him clean, and sent the living bird into the field. According to the opinion of Hebrew interpreters, the slaughtered bird symbolically meant a life equal to death in the disease of the leper (leprosy is compared with death, for example, in Num 12:12), and sending the living bird free meant the beginning of a renewed life for him after recovery; likewise cedar wood (this tree, considered incorruptible, and specifically cedar oil in antiquity was believed to have the power to preserve even corpses from decomposition), scarlet thread (symbol of blood, hence life), and hyssop (symbol of—cleansing Ps 50:9) indicated (cf. Num 19:6) this transition of the recovered from a state of death to renewed life. This transition was symbolically marked by seven-fold sprinkling—with the blood of the bird (bird blood in ancient times was credited with disinfecting power in skin diseases) and “living” water. The slaughtered bird was not burned on the altar, but the killing of one bird and sending the other free, long compared by interpreters with the ritual of the two goats on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16), expressed the idea of sacrificial reunion (in the sprinkling) of the released leper with the community. The symbol of this civil reunion was the bathing of the recovered in water and the shaving of his hair. But seven more days had to pass between his reunion with society and with the sanctuary; he entered only the camp but could not yet go to his own tent.

Leviticus 14:9. On the seventh day he shall shave all his hair off his head, beard, eyebrows—all his hair he shall shave, wash his clothes, and bathe his body in water, and he will be clean; Leviticus 14:10. On the eighth day he shall take two rams, one-year-old, without blemish, and one ewe lamb, one-year-old, without blemish, and three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and one log of oil; Leviticus 14:11. The priest who is cleansing shall present the person to be cleansed and these things before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting; Leviticus 14:12. And the priest shall take one of the rams and present it as a guilt offering and the log of oil, and wave them before the Lord; Leviticus 14:13. And he shall kill the ram in the place where they kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place, for the guilt offering is like the sin offering, it belongs to the priest: it is most holy; Leviticus 14:14. And the priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the tip of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot; Leviticus 14:15. And the priest shall take some of the log of oil and pour it in the palm of his own left hand; Leviticus 14:16. And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left palm, and sprinkle oil with his finger seven times before the Lord; Leviticus 14:17. And the remaining oil that is in his palm, the priest shall put on the tip of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the places where the blood of the guilt offering was applied; Leviticus 14:18. And the remaining oil that is in the palm of the priest, he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, and the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord. Leviticus 14:19. And the priest shall offer the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness; then he shall kill the burnt offering; Leviticus 14:20. And the priest shall present the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar; and the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be clean. Leviticus 14:21. But if he is poor and cannot afford so much, then he shall take one ram for a guilt offering to be waved for atonement, and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and a log of oil, Leviticus 14:22. And two turtledoves or two young pigeons, what he can afford, one as a sin offering, the other as a burnt offering; Leviticus 14:23. And he shall bring them on the eighth day of his cleansing to the priest, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, before the Lord; Leviticus 14:24. And the priest shall take the ram of the guilt offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them before the Lord; Leviticus 14:25. And he shall kill the ram of the guilt offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the tip of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot; Leviticus 14:26. And the priest shall pour some of the oil in his own left palm, Leviticus 14:27. And the priest shall sprinkle with the oil that is in his left palm with his right finger seven times before the Lord; Leviticus 14:28. And the priest shall put some of the oil that is in his palm on the tip of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the places where the blood of the guilt offering was applied; Leviticus 14:29. And the remaining oil that is in the palm of the priest, he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the Lord; Leviticus 14:30. And he shall offer one of the turtledoves or one of the young pigeons, what he can afford, Leviticus 14:31. What he can afford, one as a sin offering, the other as a burnt offering, together with the grain offering; and the priest shall make atonement for the one to be cleansed before the Lord. After seven days the second and final act of the leper’s cleansing took place—the act of ecclesiastical and religious reunion of the former patient with the sanctuary and with the Lord. First there was a second washing of the whole body of the leper after shaving all the hair—on the head, beard, eyebrows, and generally on the whole body to finally eliminate all traces of disease and for complete assurance to himself and others that nowhere does he have traces of the former leprosy. Now, having bathed as already clean, the recovered person presented himself on the eighth day at the sanctuary with two rams (of age), one ewe lamb one-year-old, and a grain offering—three-tenths of an ephah of flour (about nine pounds) and one log (half a hin according to rabbis, the capacity of six eggs) of oil. The priest presented the recovered person at the entrance of the tent and, presenting the ram destined as a guilt offering to the Lord—by means of “waving,” slaughtered this guilt offering first of all: the state of the leper’s exclusion from the sanctuary was, as it were, a violation of the rights of the Lord, which were now restored by the mentioned offering (as a violator, albeit involuntarily, of the Lord’s rights, the former leper does not take active part in the sacrifice). With the blood of the guilt offering the priest anointed the tip of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot—the very members that were anointed in the high priest and priests on the day of their consecration with the blood of the consecration offering (Lev 8:23-24). This indicated the priestly dignity of the individual Israelite in which the former leper was now restored. Further, the sin offering, burnt offering, and grain offering were performed in the customary manner. But before that, oil was used as a necessary complement to the essential offering of this ritual—the guilt offering—in the following way: from the log of oil the priest poured some on his own left palm; dipping his right finger from there, he sprinkled seven times before the Lord, that is, before the altar of burnt offering (cf. Lev 8:11); the remaining oil on the palm he poured on the members of the body just anointed with blood, and the remaining oil he poured on the head of the one to be cleansed (as in the consecration of Aaron, but only on the head of the latter was holy anointing oil poured, not plain oil, Lev 8:12, cf. Exod 30:30-32), whereby the one to be cleansed was wholly reunited with the sanctuary, and in general, as F. Aquinas expressed it, was restored to the fellowship of mankind and divine worship. Blood signified the covenant, here renewed with an individual member of the Lord’s community, and oil—the symbol of the mercy of the Lord toward him (cf. the blessed Theodore, question 19). In the case of the poverty of the one to be cleansed, the three last offerings—the sin offering, burnt offering, and grain offering could be brought from less valuable material: two pigeons or turtledoves for the sin and burnt offerings, and one-tenth of an ephah of flour—for the grain offering. But the ram of the guilt offering along with the log of oil could not be replaced by anything: both the rich and poor brought the guilt offering equally. The ritual of cleansing was essentially the same.Leviticus 14:33. And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: Leviticus 14:34. When you enter the land of Canaan, which I give you as a possession, and I bring a plague of leprosy on a house in the land of your possession, Leviticus 14:35. Then the owner of the house shall come and tell the priest, saying: “It seems to me there is some kind of sore on my house.” Leviticus 14:36. And the priest shall order the house to be emptied before the priest goes in to examine the sore, so that nothing in the house is made unclean; after this the priest shall come to examine the house. Leviticus 14:37. And he shall examine the sore; and if the sore on the walls of the house consists of greenish or reddish indentations that appear to be deeper than the wall, Leviticus 14:38. Then the priest shall go out of the house, to the door of the house, and shall seal up the house for seven days. Leviticus 14:39. On the seventh day the priest shall come again, and if he sees that the sore has spread on the walls of the house, Leviticus 14:40. Then the priest shall order the stones on which the sore is to be torn out and thrown outside the city to an unclean place; Leviticus 14:41. And the inside of the house shall be entirely scraped, and the plaster that is scraped off shall be dumped outside the city at an unclean place; Leviticus 14:42. And they shall take other stones and set them in place of those stones, and take other plaster and plaster the house. Leviticus 14:43. If the sore appears again and breaks out on the house after the stones have been torn out and the house has been scraped and plastered, Leviticus 14:44. Then the priest shall come and see, and if the sore has spread on the house, it is a corrosive leprosy in the house; it is unclean; Leviticus 14:45. Then the house shall be torn down, its stones, its timber, and all the plaster of the house shall be taken out to an unclean place outside the city; Leviticus 14:46. Whoever enters the house while it is sealed shall be unclean until evening; Leviticus 14:47. And whoever sleeps in the house shall wash his clothes [and be unclean until evening]; and whoever eats in the house shall wash his clothes [and be unclean until evening]. Leviticus 14:48. But if the priest comes in and sees that the sore has not spread in the house after the house was plastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the sore has healed. Leviticus 14:49. And in order to cleanse the house, he shall take two birds, cedar wood, scarlet thread, and hyssop, Leviticus 14:50. And he shall kill one bird over an earthen vessel, over living water; Leviticus 14:51. And he shall take the cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet thread and the living bird, and shall dip them in the blood of the bird that was killed and in the living water, and sprinkle the house seven times; Leviticus 14:52. And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and the living water, and with the living bird and the cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet thread; Leviticus 14:53. And he shall let the living bird go outside the city into the open field, and make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean. The law about the enigmatic leprosy of houses came into force only from the time when Israel no longer lived in tents as in Moses’ time, but—after occupation of the land of Canaan—in houses (and other laws are calculated only for the time after settling in Canaan, cf. Lev 19:23): in the wilderness, hides, felt, and fabrics for tents came under the law (Lev 13:47-59) about garments. The prescriptions regarding the actions of the priest in the case of leprosy striking some Hebrew house, visibly resembling the ordinances about leprosy in people and garments, undoubtedly have not so much a medical or antiseptic, sanitary character as a ritual one: the leprosy of houses was not considered contagious, but defiling—things that were in the house were not considered infectious, but merely defiled a person once the house was declared unclean; likewise, people who entered a house, sealed for leprosy, slept in it, and ate food in it, were merely considered unclean until evening. Finally, the leprosy of houses was also cleansed by the same symbolic ritual as one recovered from leprosy, “the cleansed” person (Lev 14:4-7). It is very difficult to determine exactly what this “breaking out” of the house consisted of (Lev 14:43), the formation on its walls of greenish and reddish indentations—cavities (Lev 14:37). The opinion is arbitrary of those researchers (Abarbanel, Treusen, and others) who explained both the leprosy of houses (like the leprosy of garments) as infection from people sick with leprosy; but 1) in the ordinance about leprosy of houses, the latter undoubtedly appears not as a result of contagion, as is evident from the noted above indications about things and persons in the house that became only unclean, not infected; 2) the very transmission of leprosy from people to stones and walls is doubtful. The explanation of recent researchers (Michaelis, Wiener, and others) is also improbable—that the phenomenon in question is saltpeter rust, for the latter is usually white in color, while the characteristic mark of leprosy on houses—greenish or reddish indentations on walls—has nothing in common with the supposed rust. According to the belief of later Jews, which has some support in the Bible (Lev 14:34), the leprosy of houses arose not in the usual, natural way, but was a supernatural work of the Lord, and struck only the houses of Hebrews, not gentiles, and only in Canaan, not outside it (Maimonides: non accidebat juxta consuetum naturae ordinem, sed signum et miraculum erat in Israele, cf. Negaim 12:1–4). According to the probable explanation of Sommer (Bibl. Abhand. I, S. 220) and Kamphausen (Riehm, Worterb. Bibl. Alterth., 1, Bd. 1:580), the leprosy of houses consisted of plant formations, lichen-like growths appearing on weathered stones and damp walls, somewhat deepening into the surface of the stones. Of these lichens, some species are extremely similar to the rash on skin, one of them is called genus spiloma, and another—the most widespread—is known under the name lepraria. The lively imagination and concrete thinking of ancient Hebrews could easily draw a parallel between these lichens on house materials and human leprosy and give them this name.

Chapter Fifteen

Verses 1–30. Several types of impurity related to sexual life: 1) painful discharge in a man (vv. 2–15); 2) seminal discharge in a man during nocturnal emission or coitus (vv. 16–18); 3) defilement of a woman during menstruation (vv. 19–24); 4) painful hemorrhages in a woman (vv. 25–30) and the religious and ritual cleansing of these impurities. Verses 31–33. General conclusion of the ordinance.

Leviticus 15:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: The general meaning of the cleansing ordinances Lev 15, and along with it of all the laws concerning clean and unclean (Lev 11-15), is expressed in the words of Leviticus 15 in this chapter: “You shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling My dwelling place which is in the midst of them.” In particular, the laws concerning the purity of sexual life, which undoubtedly had great educational value, “were very fitting for the Israelites, as people extremely prone to lust and licentiousness” (blessed Theodoret, question XXI on Leviticus).

Leviticus 15:2. Tell the people of Israel: When any man has a bodily discharge, his uncleanness due to the discharge is uncleanness. Leviticus 15:3. And this is the law of his uncleanness because of his discharge: whether his body runs with his discharge or whether his body is blocked by his discharge, it is his uncleanness. Leviticus 15:4. Every bed on which the one with discharge lies shall be unclean, and every object on which he sits shall be unclean. Leviticus 15:5. And whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening. Leviticus 15:6. And whoever sits on something on which the one with discharge sat shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening. Leviticus 15:7. And whoever touches the body of the one with discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening. Leviticus 15:8. If the one with discharge spits on one who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening. Leviticus 15:9. And every carriage in which the one with discharge rides shall be unclean. Leviticus 15:10. And whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until evening, and whoever carries such a thing shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening. Leviticus 15:11. And whoever the one with discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening. Leviticus 15:12. A clay vessel which the one with discharge touches must be broken, and every wooden vessel shall be rinsed with water. Leviticus 15:13. When the one with discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count for himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his body in fresh water, and he shall be clean. Leviticus 15:14. On the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and come before the Lord to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and give them to the priest. Leviticus 15:15. And the priest shall offer them, one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord for his discharge. The text is speaking of some disease of the male sexual organ (basar, flesh instead of pudenda, cf. Lev 15:19; Ezek 16:26), but not of seminal discharge (as in the Vulgate: qui patitur fluxum seminis). It is difficult to identify the disease in modern medical terms. According to Bähr (de hemorroidibus ех lege mosaica impuris, ad Levit. Comment, Lips. 1792), it is hemorrhoids, flowing and stationary or blind, but this contradicts the text’s indication of the sexual character of the disease. According to Michaelis, Rosenmüller, and others, it is the so-called gonorrhea virulenta or gonorrhea, but nothing confirms its knowledge among ancient Hebrews. It seems better to accept the opinion of Maimonides, that this disease consisted of extreme weakness of the male sexual parts, as a result of which purulent fluid flowed involuntarily (besides the influence of climate, unrestrained excess in sexual relations among the Hebrews could contribute to the origin of this disease). In such a sickly condition, a man was not only himself unclean of the first degree, but also transmitted uncleanness (of the second, lesser degree—for one day) to all other persons and to all things and objects which he touched in any way. However, the sick person was not subjected to any forced exclusion or even supervision from anyone; he himself had to know when he would be in a state to enter into communion with other members of society (cf. Deut 23:11-12). But his communion with the sanctuary required, first, a seven-day period of home purification (Lev 15:13), and, second, sacrificial cleansing of the recovered person, who had been excluded from the sanctuary because of illness; two doves or turtledoves were brought—as a sin offering and as a burnt offering.

Leviticus 15:16. If a man has a seminal emission, he shall bathe his whole body in water and be unclean until evening. Leviticus 15:17. Every garment and every hide on which the seminal emission comes shall be washed with water and be unclean until evening. Leviticus 15:18. If a man lies with a woman and there is a seminal emission, they shall both bathe themselves in water and be unclean until evening. Here are meant accidental, chiefly nocturnal defilements—nocturnal emissions (cf. Deut 23:11), as well as defilements during coitus. As nearly normal phenomena, they defiled a man to a lesser degree than the sickness mentioned above, and therefore were removed by simple washing, without sacrifice. The moral-educational meaning of this ordinance blessed Theodoret defines thus (question 20 on Leviticus): “the law calls unclean both him who has defilement in sleep, and him who lies with a wife according to the law of marriage (Lev 15:18), although God Himself established the law concerning marriage” … (Gen 2:24). “It is clear that by this He teaches moderation in married relations, and makes known that one enters into marriage for the sake of children, not for the sake of pleasure; therefore He calls those who lie together unclean; and commands the use of cleansing, so that the labor of cleansing might hinder frequent relations.” By causing each Israelite to be careful and attentive to the spiritual and bodily purity of himself, the law did not directly condemn polygamy and in general excessive service to carnal—sexual desires.

Leviticus 15:19. When a woman has a discharge of blood from her body, she shall be in a state of menstrual impurity for seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. Leviticus 15:20. Everything on which she lies during the time of her impurity shall be unclean, and everything on which she sits shall be unclean. Leviticus 15:21. Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening. Leviticus 15:22. And whoever touches any object on which she has sat shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening. Leviticus 15:23. If anyone touches her bed or any object on which she has sat, he shall be unclean until evening. Leviticus 15:24. If a man lies with her, and the impurity comes upon him, he shall be unclean for seven days, and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean. The same purpose—the limitation of sexual relations—is served by the rule concerning the menstruating wife. Sacrificial cleansing was not required in this natural, normal phenomenon (only, according to the testimony of tradition, washing), as in the previous case (also normal). But sexual relations between a man and her at this time were absolutely forbidden (Lev 15:24).

Leviticus 15:25. If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days not at the time of her menstruation, or if her discharge continues beyond the time of her menstruation, all the days of the discharge of her uncleanness she shall be as in the days of her menstruation; she is unclean. Leviticus 15:26. Every bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her menstruation, and every object on which she sits shall be unclean, as in the uncleanness of her menstruation. Leviticus 15:27. And whoever touches these things shall be unclean and shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening. Leviticus 15:28. But if she is cleansed of her discharge, then she shall count for herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. Leviticus 15:29. On the eighth day she shall take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and bring them to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Leviticus 15:30. And the priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for her before the Lord for the discharge of her uncleanness. But if the hemorrhages in a woman were not the result of monthly purifications but were a sickly and prolonged condition (like the woman healed by the Lord, Matt 9:20 and following), then this condition was entirely equated in degree of uncleanness to the analogous sickly condition in a man (Lev 15:1-15). Just as in that case, after the disease ceased, a state of uncleanness lasting 7 days continued (cf. Lev 15:13); such sacrifices were required: a sin offering and a burnt offering (cf. Lev 15:14-15).

Leviticus 15:31. You shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness when they defile My dwelling place that is in their midst. Leviticus 15:32. This is the law for the one with a discharge and for him who has an emission of semen, making him unclean. Leviticus 15:33. And for the woman who is in her state of menstruation, and for anyone, man or woman, who has a discharge, and for the man who lies with a woman who is unclean. Lev 15 contains the mentioned indication of the purpose of the described ordinances regarding the sanctuary, and Lev 15:32-33 name four articles of the law set forth in Lev 15.

Chapter Sixteen

The Great Day of Cleansing: 1–10. Preparatory rites; rites and sacrifices of cleansing. 11–28. The rites of the high priest’s entry beyond the veil into the Holy of Holies. 29–34. The divine indication of the necessity and meaning of the Day of Cleansing.

Leviticus 16:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord and died. Leviticus 16:2. And the Lord said to Moses: Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not come at all times into the Holy Place behind the veil before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die; for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. This chapter forms the center of the entire book of Leviticus by the extraordinarily important religious ideas expressed in the institution of the Day of Cleansing, inasmuch as it presents: a) the fact of universal and varied sinfulness and uncleanness before God even of the chosen people; b) the necessity of their periodic cleansing; c) the means for this: national repentance and contrition for sins with a specific sacrificial ritual. Not technically named in Lev 16, this day in two other books Lev 23:27 and Lev 25:9 is called by the Hebrew jom hakkippurim, by the LXX: ἡμέρα ἐξιλασμοῦ (day of cleansing or expiation), Vulg.: dies expiationum. According to Josephus Flavius (Antiquities Иуд.14:4–3 and Иуд.16:4) and Philo (Opera II, p. 206, ed. Mangey), it is called the day of fasting or the festival of fasting (ἡ τῆς νηστείας ἡμέρα or νηστείας ἡμέρα). In Talmudic literature the usual name of the Day of Cleansing is joma (the Day par excellence; a whole tractate of the second volume of the Talmud, devoted to the ordinances concerning the Day of Cleansing, is called Yoma), or joma rabbah (the Great Day). On this greatest day in the sense of the importance of the sacrifices, which was observed on the tenth day of the month of Tishri (Lev 23:27; cf. Num 29:7), all the mysterious cleansing rites in the tabernacle or temple were performed exclusively by one high priest. To him, and also to the priests, it was impressed above all with profound reverence for the sanctuary, by virtue of which the high priest himself could enter the inner part of the Old Testament sanctuary only once a year. The ordinances concerning the Day of Cleansing are connected historically with the tragic event of the sudden death of the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu (Lev 10:1-2), and logically they follow quite naturally from the laws concerning clean and unclean (Lev 11-15). The veil, parocheth, behind which the high priest entered the Holy of Holies only on the Day of Cleansing—this so-called second veil (Heb 9:8) (Exod 26:31)—is distinct from the first veil that divided the sanctuary from the courtyard. The “mercy seat,” also called “propitiation,” Hebrew kapporeth, LXX: ἱλαστήριον, Vulg.: propitiatorium—is probably a lid on the ark of the covenant, symbolizing the throne of Jehovah, where He was pleased to appear in the “cloud.” This cloud (Lev 16:2) some commentators (Rosenmüller) identify with the “cloud of incense,” Lev 16:13. But Jewish tradition identified this cloud of the Holy of Holies with that miraculous cloud which showed the Hebrews the way in the wilderness (Exod 13:21) and later covered the tabernacle when it was set up (Exod 40:34-38; Num 9:15-23). And according to blessed Theodoret (question 21 on Leviticus), God appeared in the tabernacle “in a cloud full of light.”

Leviticus 16:3. Thus shall Aaron come into the Holy Place: with a bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering. Leviticus 16:4. He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around him, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. Jewish tradition speaks in detail about the preparation of the high priest for entering the Holy of Holies and performing the cleansing rites, such as: a seven-day separation of the high priest from his family and residence in a special room near the temple, the appointment of a deputy (sagan) for him in case of his defilement or death, his practice in performing the rites of the day, his vigil on the eve, his oath to perform the rites carefully, etc. (mentioned tractate Yoma; see Russian translation by Pereferkovich, Talmud. Mishna and Tosefta, vol. II, St. Petersburg 1900, pp. 318–353). Most of these details are of later origin, but some features of the ritual, preserved only in tradition, are of ancient origin.

Leviticus 16:3. Thus shall Aaron come into the Holy Place: with a bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering. Only the sacrifices are named (the bull for sins and the ram for a burnt offering) which are brought by the high priest for himself and the priesthood from his own resources; offerings from the people are not mentioned.

Leviticus 16:5. And from the congregation of the people of Israel he shall take two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. Jewish tradition testifies that in the morning the high priest customarily performed the usual daily sacrifice in his usual golden vestments; on the Day of Cleansing proper the appointed sacrifices were performed by the high priest in special vestments of white color and linen, almost identical to priestly garments, except for the turban. That the vestments were not golden, as usual, but linen, signified the humility and repentance of the high priest and the people. The white color of the vestment could express the purity and spotlessness to which the people of God were called after their cleansing from the sins of the entire year. Before robing on the Day of Cleansing, the high priest each time (according to tradition, five times in total) bathed his entire body in water.

Leviticus 16:5. And from the congregation of the people of Israel he shall take two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. Leviticus 16:6. Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. For the sin offerings of the people on the Day of Cleansing, two male goats were chosen (Hebrew sair, distinct from the usual name of a goat attud, can denote a goat of a special breed or an old, shaggy one). According to tradition, both goats had to be of the same age and of the same kind.

Leviticus 16:7. Then Aaron shall take the two goats and set them before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Leviticus 16:8. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel. The symbolism of the two goats has long been compared with the symbolism of the two birds for the cleansing of a leper (Lev 14:1-8). Just as in that case both the slain and the living bird expressed the idea of complete cleansing of the recovered person, so the two goats—the slaughtered one and the other sent into the wilderness—designated the complete removal of sins and transgressions from the community of the Lord. To determine which goat should be brought as a sacrifice, the high priest cast lots: on one piece of parchment was written “for the Lord,” on the other “for Azazel” (Russian: “for dismissal”; Church Slavonic: “for sending away”; Vulg.: caper emissarius). In the understanding of the latter word, translations and interpreters diverge extremely. Four main groups of interpretations are known: 1) Azazel is understood to mean a place (a mountain in the wilderness or wilderness in general) to which the scapegoat was sent (some Targums, Midrash, certain rabbis, among modern scholars, e.g., Bochart, Rosenmüller); 2) the scapegoat itself, as being sent into the wilderness (LXX: ἀποπομπαῖος, Vulg.: caper emissarius; Symmachus, Aquila, Theodotion, St. Cyril of Alexandria, blessed Theodoret, Luther, Hoffmann, Schegg and others); 3) abstractly: “dismissal” (LXX: εἰς ἀποπομπήν, Russian-Church Slavonic); 4) but against all these interpretations decisive evidence is provided by the opposition contained in Leviticus 16 between Jehovah and la azazel, therefore the latter must be a personal being and moreover a source of sin. Therefore, both in antiquity (Origen, Contr. Cels., 6:43) and especially in modern times, Azazel is understood to mean a personal being—the devil or the demonic world (Ewald, Hengstenberg, Keil, Kurtz, Auberlen, Baudissin, Dillmann, Schultz, Stärck and many others), and in view of the artificiality of the three previous interpretations, this last interpretation is the most probable. Of course, the sending of the goat to Azazel was not an act of sacrifice to him, which is directly excluded by the entire meaning of the Mosaic law, but a symbolic returning of the entire sum of Israel’s sins to the primal source of sin—in the form of a goat, upon whose head the high priest laid the sins of the people (Lev 16:21-22). The book of Enoch speaks of Azazel as one of the princes of demons.

Leviticus 16:9. And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the Lord and offer it as a sin offering. Leviticus 16:10. But the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness for Azazel. As over the bull for his own sin, so over each goat for the sin of the people, the high priest recited, according to tradition, the following confession: “O Jehovah! I have acted wickedly, transgressed, and sinned before You, I and my house. O Jehovah, forgive the iniquities and transgressions and sins with which I have sinned before You, I and my house, as is written in the law of Moses Your servant (Lev 16:30): for on this day atonement is made for you, to make you clean from all your sins” … (Yoma 3:8). According to the testimony of tradition, the high priest mentioned the name of Jehovah ten times on the Day of Cleansing; six times over the bull, three times over the goat, and once at the casting of lots (Yoma, Tosefta, 2:2).

Leviticus 16:11. Then Aaron shall slaughter the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house, and he shall slaughter the bull as a sin offering. Leviticus 16:12. And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it within the veil. Leviticus 16:13. And he shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is over the testimony, lest he die. Leviticus 16:14. And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times. Now the preparatory actions for the cleansing ritual were complete, and the cleansing itself began, and first the sins of the high priest and his house were cleansed, that is, not only his natural family but the priesthood in general (Lev 16:33). The previously brought bull (Lev 16:3) was slaughtered, and its blood, brought into the Holy of Holies, was to cleanse the high priest and his house. But before bringing the blood into the Holy of Holies, the high priest had to make his entry safe: with incense before the mercy seat. He was given a ladle with which he would gather incense for the censor, and a golden censer with a long handle (distinct both in material and construction from the one usually used), which he filled with burning coals from the altar of burnt offerings; holding the censer in his right hand and the incense in his left, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies, here he placed the censer between the poles of the ark of the covenant and poured the incense on the fire—the entire house (“Holy of Holies”) filled with a cloud of smoke, “so that he might not die” (Lev 16:33). Then, leaving the incense in the Holy of Holies, the high priest, always facing the ark (thus moving backward), would leave. Coming into the sanctuary, he read a brief prayer there so as not to alarm the people (Yoma 5:1). The substance of this prayer (the text of which is ascribed to the high priest Simon II the Righteous, died about 200 B.C.) consisted of the petition that in the coming year Israel suffer neither captivity nor any other calamity. Coming into the court, the high priest took the blood of the bull (probably in the palm of his left hand), from the hands of the priest, who from the moment of the slaughtering of the bull stirred it in a vessel so it would not coagulate (Yoma 5:3), and went into the Holy of Holies, stood in his former place, and there sprinkled the blood with it (thus “as if striking someone,” swinging his hand) once in front of the mercy seat of the ark and seven times before the ark on the ground, precisely counting each time (ibid). According to blessed Theodoret, “inasmuch as life revolves in seven days, and on each day we transgress in greater or lesser measure, so a sprinkling equal in number to the days was brought for the sins committed in them” (question 32 on Leviticus).

Leviticus 16:15. Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood within the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it upon the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. After cleansing himself and his house, the high priest could now perform the cleansing of all the people. Returning to the court of the temple, he (after the mentioned confession of sins) killed the goat, took its blood in a vessel, and for the third time entered the Holy of Holies, and with the blood of the goat—for the sin of the people—proceeded just as with the blood of the bull for his own sin, that is, sprinkled it once on the front side of the ark and seven times on the ground before the ark (Yoma 5:4).

Leviticus 16:16. Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins; and so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. Leviticus 16:17. No one may be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel. Leviticus 16:18. Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. Leviticus 16:19. And he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it and hallow it from the uncleannesses of the people of Israel. Leviticus 16:20. And when he has finished atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. Not only the priests and the people needed cleansing, but also the holy things which they touched and defiled—the “Holy Place” (Holy of Holies), the tent of meeting (sanctuary), and the altar (burnt offering, and thus the entire court) (Lev 16:20). The cleansing of the Holy of Holies was already accomplished by sprinkling before the ark of the covenant first with the blood of the bull (Lev 16:14), then with the blood of the goat (Lev 16:16). In the same manner the cleansing of the sanctuary was accomplished—by sprinkling with both kinds of blood before the (inner) veil and on the horns of the incense altar (Lev 16:18; cf. Exod 30:10), after which the blood of the bull and goat was mixed, and with it the altar of burnt offerings was cleansed (by seven-fold sprinkling), probably also all sacred vessels in general (Lev 16:19; cf. Yoma 5:4,5,6). During all the sacred ministrations in the tabernacle, no person could be in it, not even a priest: only the high priest alone with incense and blood stood before Jehovah (Lev 16:17).

Leviticus 16:20. And when he has finished atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. Leviticus 16:21. And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel and all their transgressions, all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and send it away into the wilderness by means of someone designated for the task. Leviticus 16:22. The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a barren region; and the goat shall be set free in the wilderness. After the cleansing of the tabernacle, the high priest had to perform the rite of dismissal of the live goat (marked with a scarlet ribbon tied to its horns—Yoma 4:2). He laid both his hands on the head of the goat (when, according to tradition, he pressed strongly on the goat’s head) and confessed over it all the sins of Israel (in the form preserved by tradition), while those standing in the court, the priests and people, upon hearing the name of God, fell on their faces, calling out: “May the glorious name of His kingdom be blessed forever and ever” (Yoma 6:2). Then the goat, burdened with sins, was sent away with “someone designated for the task” (usually not an Israelite) into the wilderness, where it was cast down into an abyss (Yoma 6:6). At this time, according to tradition, the scarlet ribbon hung at the gate of the temple changed to white (Yoma 6:8)—as a sign of forgiveness granted by Jehovah, in correspondence with the words of the prophet (Isa 1:18): “if your sins are like scarlet, I will make them white as snow.” Thus, the two goats of the Day of Cleansing expressed two moments of one and the same idea of the liberation of the people from sins: the cleansing of sins (sprinkling with the blood of the first goat) and the removal of sins (the sending away of the scapegoat).

Leviticus 16:23. And Aaron shall enter the tent of meeting and shall take off the linen garments that he put on when he entered the Holy Place and shall leave them there. Leviticus 16:24. And he shall bathe his body in water in a holy place and put on his garments and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people. Leviticus 16:25. And the fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar. Now, in proceeding to the burning of the sacrifices, the high priest again bathed his entire body in water (in the court of the tabernacle), changed his clothes (in the gallery at the tabernacle or temple) into his usual ceremonial sacred garments, and burned the burnt offerings first for himself and the people (two rams), and then the fat of those animals (the bull and goat) for sin, whose blood had been brought into the Holy of Holies.

Leviticus 16:26. And the one who sends away the goat to Azazel shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. Leviticus 16:27. The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp; their skin and their flesh and their dung shall be burned with fire. Leviticus 16:28. And the one who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. The flesh of sin offerings by rule (Lev 6:30) was burned outside the camp. Both the one burning this flesh and the one who sent away the goat, although they were not considered defiled (then both could not enter the camp until evening), yet, by contact with sin-cleansing objects, were nevertheless required to perform the washing of their garments.

Leviticus 16:29. And this shall be a statute forever for you. In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble yourselves and do no work, neither the native nor the stranger who sojourns among you. Leviticus 16:30. For on this day atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins. Leviticus 16:31. It is a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall humble yourselves. It is a statute forever. An indication of the general character and meaning of the Day of Cleansing: it is both a fast (“humble yourselves”: the verb anah is a technical term for the spiritual and bodily exercises of fasting Isa 58:3; hence in later Judaism “taannith,” fasting—the name of a whole tractate in the second volume of the Talmud), and the greatest rest. “This day Moses called a Sabbath of Sabbaths, as is the Holy of Holies itself called, because the festival is much more honored than the Sabbath, and by the humbling of the soul he meant fasting” (blessed Theodoret, question 22 on Leviticus). The exceptional fast of this sole day in the Old Testament can be compared to the fast of Good Friday.

Leviticus 16:32. And the priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments. Leviticus 16:33. He shall make atonement for the most holy place, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. Leviticus 16:34. And this shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins. And Aaron did as the Lord commanded Moses. The essence and meaning of the Day of Cleansing is briefly and generally repeated, and it is especially noted that all the sacred ministrations for cleansing must be performed only by the high priest, especially in his entering the Holy of Holies, as a type of the eternal, divine High Priest—Christ, Who, “having suffered once for the salvation, ascended to heaven, obtaining eternal redemption” (blessed Theodoret; cf. Heb 9:7).

Chapter Seventeen

Verses 1–9. Prohibition against slaughtering animals outside the tabernacle. Verses 10–16. The meaning of blood and prohibition against eating blood and carrion.

Leviticus 17:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Leviticus 17:2. Say to Aaron and to his sons and to all the people of Israel: This is what the Lord has commanded: The following ordinances—of a prohibitive character—complete the general laws concerning sacrifices and the sacred use of blood given earlier, relate to the everyday, domestic life of Israel, and therefore are addressed not only to the priest but to all the people.

Leviticus 17:3. If anyone of the house of Israel slaughters an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside the camp, Leviticus 17:4. and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it as an offering to the Lord before the dwelling of the Lord, he shall be guilty of bloodshed; he has shed blood, and that person shall be cut off from among his people. A rule is established that every animal of those used in sacrifice, even for ordinary use in daily life, should be slaughtered at the tabernacle. The basis of the law is not in the common Semitic view that all slaughter is eo ipso also a sacrifice, but in the prevention of sacrifices to other gods and in the arousal of respect for life even of animals. Violation of the law is equated with murder. It is clear, however, that the law was calculated only for the proximity of the entire community to the sanctuary, as was the case in the wilderness. Upon entering Canaan, Israel was permitted to slaughter animals in any place “in all your dwellings” (Deut 12:15) scattered throughout Canaan.

Leviticus 17:5. This is so that the people of Israel may bring their sacrifices that they offer in the open field, that they may bring them to the Lord, to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and offer them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the Lord. Leviticus 17:6. And the priest shall throw the blood on the altar of the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting and burn the fat for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Leviticus 17:7. So they shall no more offer their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they have played the prostitute. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations. The inclination toward idolatry brought out of Egypt led many, under the pretense of slaughtering animals for food, to make sacrifice on the field to seirim, LXX: ματαίοις (Church Slavonic: “vain things”), Aquila—Symmachus “pilosus” (shaggy), Vulg.: daemonitxus—those goat-shaped or satyr-shaped beings of popular belief which, along with Azazel, and generally evil spirits, were thought to dwell in the wilderness (Isa 13:21; Matt 12:43; Luke 11:24). According to blessed Theodoret, “God knew the impiety of some, knew that certain ones bring sacrifices to demons. Therefore He ordained that whoever wished to slaughter an ox, or a sheep, or a goat, should bring it to be slaughtered at the door of the tabernacle and eat the flesh at home” (question 23 on Leviticus). In Talmudic literature a whole tractate “Hullin” is devoted to the question of lawful slaughter (shechita) of animals.

Leviticus 17:8. Say to them further: If anyone of the house of Israel or of the aliens who reside among them offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice, Leviticus 17:9. and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it to the Lord, that person shall be cut off from the people. A threat of cutting off from the people is pronounced against every violator of the law of the centralization of sacrifices.

Leviticus 17:10. If anyone of the house of Israel or of the aliens who reside among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood, and will cut that person off from among the people. Leviticus 17:11. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you for making atonement for your souls on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement, by the life in it. Leviticus 17:12. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel: No person among you shall eat blood, nor shall any alien who resides among you eat blood. Leviticus 17:13. And anyone of the people of Israel, or of the aliens who reside among them, who hunts down an animal or a bird that may be eaten shall drain out its blood and cover it with earth. Leviticus 17:14. For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life; therefore I have said to the people of Israel: You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off. The prohibition of the eating of blood is proclaimed with the utmost severity and solemnity for two reasons: 1) the blood is the seat of life, and a person has a natural aversion to consuming the very life or soul of an animal (cf. Gen 9:4), and 2) because of this meaning of blood, it has been chosen by God as a cleansing (in blood-sprinkling) means for the souls of people at the altar of Jehovah (Lev 17:11). Therefore, the blood of animals killed in hunting is, in a certain sense, sacred, being outside the sacrificial cultus.

Leviticus 17:15. And everyone who eats a carcass or an animal torn by beasts, whether citizen or alien, shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening; then he shall be clean. Leviticus 17:16. But if he does not wash his clothes and does not bathe his body, he shall bear his guilt. Related to the prohibition of blood is the prohibition of eating carrion—nevela and torn flesh—trefa (cf. Exod 22:31; Lev 11:40; Ezek 4:14). In the decision of the apostolic council (Acts 15:23-25) blood (αἷμα) and strangled meat (πνικτόν) are likewise prohibited—the latter because the blood has not been removed from the animal in such a case. The law here prohibits the consumption of an animal dead by human action. In Talmudic literature the question of the marks of trefa and nevela has spawned bizarre casuistry, expressed in the tractate “Hullin” (according to the translation of Pereferkovich, book 9, 1903, pp. 174–224).

Chapter Eighteen

Forbidden marriages in close kinship degrees, regarding adultery, sexual immorality, and other types of sexual crimes

Leviticus 18:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Leviticus 18:2. Declare to the people of Israel and say to them: I am the Lord, your God. Leviticus 18:3. You shall not follow the practices of the land of Egypt, in which you have lived, and you shall not follow the practices of the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you, and you shall not walk according to their statutes: Leviticus 18:4. You shall keep My statutes and you shall observe My ordinances by following them. I am the Lord, your God. Leviticus 18:5. You shall keep My ordinances and My statutes, which if a person does, he shall live by them. I am the Lord [your God]. Given the well-known lust of the peoples of the East and the historical fact that entire states and individual nations of the East perished due to the collapse of moral foundations, unlimited sexual excess, and the disruption of all existing family and social relationships—Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, speaks with particular solemnity the ordinances that regulate family life. The doubt that arises due to the extreme abomination of certain sexual crimes forbidden here, the blessed Theodoret (questions 24 on Leviticus) resolves in this way: “God would not have forbidden what no one dared to do. And that this is indeed the case is testified by the very text: ‘You shall not follow the practices of Egypt and the land of Canaan.’ Having said this, he explains what they dared to do there and forbids such deeds. That people dared to do many similar things is testified by the Persians, who even to the present day marry not only sisters, but mothers and daughters. And many dare to attempt other unlawful deeds.”

Leviticus 18:6. No one shall approach any relative by blood to uncover their nakedness. I am the Lord. General rule: marriages and sexual relations in close blood relationship (Vulg.: proxima sanguinis sui) shall not take place among Israel.

Leviticus 18:7. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father and the nakedness of your mother: she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness. Leviticus 18:8. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife: this is the nakedness of your father. Leviticus 18:9. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father or the daughter of your mother, born in the house or born outside, you shall not uncover her nakedness. Leviticus 18:10. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, you shall not uncover their nakedness, for they are your nakedness. Leviticus 18:11. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, born of your father; she is your sister [by your father], you shall not uncover her nakedness. Leviticus 18:12. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is your father’s relation by blood. Leviticus 18:13. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s relation by blood. Leviticus 18:14. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother, and you shall not approach his wife: she is your aunt. Leviticus 18:15. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law: she is your son’s wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness. Leviticus 18:16. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife: this is the nakedness of your brother. Leviticus 18:17. You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter; you shall not take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are your father’s relations by blood; this is wickedness. Leviticus 18:18. You shall not take a wife to rival her sister, to uncover her nakedness while her sister is still alive. Individual cases of forbidden and criminal sexual relations: 1) of a son with his mother (Lev 18:7); 2) with a stepmother and generally with another wife of the father (Lev 18:8; in patriarchal times the sexual transgression of Reuben with Bilhah, Gen 35:22, was a crime against this statute, see 1 Cor 5:1); 3) of a brother with a full sister (Lev 18:9) or a half-sister (Lev 18:11; in ancient times marriages between half-siblings were not considered impermissible among the Hebrews, as is evident from the example of Abraham and Sarah, Gen 20:12; see the conversation between Tamar and Amnon, 2 Sam 13:12 and following); 4) with a granddaughter (Lev 18:10); 5) marriages with an aunt (the marriage of Moses’s parents Amram and Jochebed falls under this category, Exod 6:20): a) the sister of the father (Lev 18:12), b) the sister of the mother (Lev 18:13), c) the wife of an uncle on the father’s side (Lev 18:14); 6) with a daughter-in-law, the wife of the son (Lev 18:15; such was the crime of Judah with Tamar, Gen 38); 7) with the wife of a brother (except in the case of her being childless after her husband’s death: then according to the law of levirate marriage, Deut 25 chapter, marriage was even obligatory, see, in contrast, the crime of Herod Antipas, Matt 14:3-4); 8) successive or simultaneous cohabitation: a) with a mother and daughter, b) with a grandmother and granddaughter (Lev 18:17); 9) simultaneous cohabitation with two sisters—marriage with a wife’s sister while the wife is still living (Lev 18:18), “that you may not make her a rival” (the marriage of Jacob with Leah and Rachel). Thus, the lawgiver forbids marriages and sexual relations in the closest kinship—the first three degrees, thereby protecting the moral relations of respect and love among blood relatives from the pull and bonds of carnal sexual love and cultivating mutual respect, modesty, and chastity among the members of the house and family. In a legal sense, not all forbidden relations were recognized as equally severely punishable. Thus for cohabitation with a father’s wife and a daughter-in-law, capital punishment was prescribed (Lev 20:11-12); for simultaneous cohabitation with a mother and daughter, punishment was not simply death (usually by stoning), but also the burning of the bodies of the guilty (Lev 20:14); on the other hand, for marriage with an aunt or the wife of one’s brother, only childlessness was threatened (Lev 20:20-21).

Leviticus 18:19. And you shall not approach a woman during her menstrual impurity, to uncover her nakedness. Leviticus 18:20. And you shall not lie with your neighbor’s wife, to emit seed and defile yourself with her. Prohibition of marital relations during menstruation (see Lev 15:24), adultery with a married woman (see Exod 20:14)—in both cases without explicit proof of the crime, because otherwise in the first case punishment of cutting off from the people was prescribed (Lev 20:18: if the woman was ill), and in the second case—death (Lev 20:10).

Leviticus 18:21. Do not give any of your children to be offered to Molech and do not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. The cruel cult of Molech, which consisted in passing children through fire (and not in dedicating them to the service of the idol’s temple—blessed Theodoret, question 25), in honor of the idol (in the form of a hollow bronze bull) of Molech, the god of the Ammonites (1 Sam 11:7) and other Near Eastern peoples, but which had adherents even among Israel since the very exodus from Egypt (Deut 12:31; Amos 5:26; see Acts 7:43) almost throughout the entire time before the Babylonian exile (1 Sam 11:7; Jer 32:35; 2 Sam 23:10). See the terrible condemnation of the cult of Molech below Lev 20:2-5.

Leviticus 18:22. You shall not lie with a man as with a woman: this is an abomination. Leviticus 18:23. And you shall not lie with any animal to emit seed and defile yourself by it; and a woman shall not stand before an animal to copulate with it: this is perversion. Leviticus 18:24. Do not defile yourselves by any of these things, for by all these the nations that I am about to dispossess of you have defiled themselves: Leviticus 18:25. And the land became defiled, and I brought retribution upon it for its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. The prohibition of the most abominable types of carnal sin—sodomy (Lev 18:22, see Gen 19:5; Rom 1:27) and bestiality (Lev 18:23)—is accompanied by an indication of the existence of these practices among those tribes (the Canaanites) who, having filled the measure of their wickedness by the forbearance (Gen 15:16) of God, will be expelled from the land defiled by them.

Leviticus 18:26. But you shall keep My statutes and My ordinances and shall not commit any of these abominations, neither the native nor the foreigner who lives among you, Leviticus 18:27. (for all these abominations the people of the land did, who were before you, and the land became defiled; Leviticus 18:28. that the land not vomit you out too, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you; Leviticus 18:29. For if anyone commits any of these abominations, the souls who commit them shall be cut off from among their people. Leviticus 18:30. Therefore keep My commandments, so that you do not practice any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you, and do not defile yourselves by them. I am the Lord, your God. Learning from this terrible visitation upon the Canaanites, Israel must faithfully keep the divine laws and not defile either itself or the land given to it by God, remembering that Jehovah, as Master of nations and history, in case of wickedness among its members, will also expel it from the promised land: “Just as I delivered the Canaanites to final destruction for their many transgressions, and gave their land to you, so I will also punish you if you do likewise” (blessed Theodoret, question 26). * * * On the ancient Hebrew marriage, see the master’s dissertation of Fr. N. Stelletsky “Marriage Among the Ancient Hebrews,” Kyiv, 1891.

Chapter Nineteen

Moral, ceremonial, and juridical laws regulating the life of Israel according to the ideal of holiness

Leviticus 19:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Leviticus 19:2. Speak to the entire assembly of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. An indication of the fundamental law of the life of Israel and its individual members: the appropriation into one’s own possession of that holiness which in the absolute sense belongs only to God (see Lev 11:44), the sanctification of the life of Israel by following God’s institutions and ordinances, which encompassed the whole life of God’s people. The laws concerning the clean and unclean symbolically expressed this idea of the sanctification of Israel.

Leviticus 19:3. You shall each fear your mother and your father and keep My sabbaths. I am the Lord, your God. Among the laws, the commandments of the Decalogue are first recalled: concerning the honor of parents (see Exod 20:8) and the observance of the sabbath (see Exod 31:13)—commandments expressed in the positive form (and not the negative, like all the other commandments of the Decalogue).

Leviticus 19:4. Do not turn to idols and do not make for yourself molten gods. I am the Lord, your God. Prohibition of idolatry (see Exod 20:4-6). Idols are called elilim, “nothings” (see 1 Cor 8:4), and molten gods.

Leviticus 19:5. When you offer a sacrifice of well-being to the Lord, you shall offer it so that you may gain acceptance: Leviticus 19:6. It shall be eaten on the day you offer it and on the following day; but anything left until the third day shall be burned in fire; Leviticus 19:7. If it is eaten on the third day, it is an abomination; it will not be acceptable. Leviticus 19:8. Whoever eats it shall bear his iniquity, for he has profaned what is holy to the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from his people. Repetition of the laws concerning the peace offering, namely concerning the use of its meat (see Lev 7:15-18), for guidance in the personal religious life of each person.

Leviticus 19:9. When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the corners of your field, and you shall not pick up the gleanings of your harvest, Leviticus 19:10. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, and you shall not pick up the grapes that have fallen in your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord, your God. In verses 9–18, certain rules concerning justice, honesty, mercy, and love for the neighbor are given. First, the right of the poor is protected, and foreigners—strangers living among Israel—are placed on the same level. With great humanity, the lawgiver requires that these people not be forgotten by owners and property holders in gathering grain, grapes, and of course other produce (see Lev 23:22; Deut 24:19-21). The amount of the portion left for the poor—the unreaped corner of the field (peah), what remained or was forgotten in the field and vineyard—was left to the discretion of each individual, to generosity and compassion. In the Mishnah, where an entire tractate, “Peah,” is devoted to this point, the minimum of the mentioned donations (in particular the unreaped corner) is determined as 1/60 of all the owner’s property.

Leviticus 19:11. You shall not steal, you shall not lie, and you shall not deal falsely with one another. Leviticus 19:12. And you shall not swear falsely by My name, and you shall not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord [your God]. Leviticus 19:13. You shall not defraud your neighbor and you shall not rob. The wages of an employee shall not remain with you until morning. The 8th commandment of the Decalogue is recalled, and crimes against it are warned against—the appropriation of another’s property in all forms of this sin: secret theft, open robbery with violence, fraudulent deception with false oath, unjust withholding of wages from a day laborer (see Deut 24:14-15; Jer 32:13; Mal 3:5; Jas 5:4).

Leviticus 19:14. You shall not curse the deaf, and you shall not place a stumbling block before the blind; you shall fear [the Lord] your God. I am the Lord [your God]. Leviticus 19:15. You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not show partiality to the poor nor show favoritism to the great; you shall judge your neighbor with justice. Mockery and malice toward people with grave physical defects—deafness and blindness—reveal a lack of fear of God in a person and consciousness of God’s omniscience; moreover, the insulted were deprived of the ability to seek retaliation against their offenders. Therefore a terrible curse of God (see Deut 27:18) against offenders was meant to protect the helpless. On the other hand, with regard to the weak, such as the poor, any unfair lenience is prohibited (see Exod 23:1-3), which would be inadmissible with regard to the strong.

Leviticus 19:16. You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor. I am the Lord [your God]. Leviticus 19:17. You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you shall reprove your neighbor, and you shall not incur sin because of him. Leviticus 19:18. You shall not take revenge and you shall not hold a grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord [your God]. The law of love and good will toward the neighbor, here commanded (Lev 19:18), is preceded by negative prescriptions: 1) not to slander the neighbor and generally not to be instrumental in the ruin of the neighbor (see Exod 23:7) or (according to the interpretation of Hebrew authorities) even to avoid not helping him in the face of his impending ruin (Lev 19:16); 2) not to be carried away by feelings of revenge toward the neighbor, avoiding especially secret hatred toward him, preferring to it open rebuke of him (Lev 19:17; Vulg.: non oderis fratrem tuum in corde tuo, sed publice argue eum). Immediately following the prohibition against “taking revenge” is the positive “royal law according to Scripture” (Jas 2:8)—the law of love for the neighbor as for yourself. From the comparison of verse 18 with verse 34 it is clear that by the name “neighbor” here is meant not simply a fellow countryman, but also generally a person, for instance, a foreigner who has settled among the Hebrews, a stranger. Nevertheless, the national exclusivity of the Hebrews early prompted them to limit the obligation of this commandment only to the bounds of their own people (Grotius: proximum hic, ut et in omnibus Mosis legibus, Israelitam solum, aut extraneum legi subjectum intelligunt Hebraei).

Leviticus 19:19. You shall keep My statutes; you shall not crossbreed your cattle with another kind; your field you shall not sow with two kinds of seed; you shall not put on a garment of two kinds of material, of wool and linen. Without direct connection to what precedes, a prescription is given to keep the “statutes” of God—the boundaries set at creation for different types of existence, and together with it the moral laws of God. Specifically it is forbidden (see Deut 22:9-11) to artificially mix what is different (Hebrew kifaim—the title of an entire Mishnaic tractate developing the thought of this verse, Lev 19:19): 1) the breeding of mixed cattle; 2) the sowing of one plot with different seeds; and 3) the preparation of clothing from tissues of different fibers (schaatnez—an Egyptian or Coptic word)—not only a chemical (according to the interpretation of Jewish tradition) but also a mechanical joining in one garment of wool and linen (see Deut 22:11), the main materials of Hebrew clothing. Apart from respect for the laws laid down by the Creator, this prescription could arouse horror in people regarding the abominations mentioned in Lev 18:22-24; understood in an allegorical sense it could protect the Hebrews from mixing with pagans (blessed Theodoret, question 27).

Leviticus 19:20. If a man lies with a woman who is a slave designated for another man but who has not been ransomed or given her freedom, there shall be a penalty; they shall not, however, be put to death, because she has not been freed: Leviticus 19:21. But he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting, a ram as a guilt offering; Leviticus 19:22. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering before the Lord for the sin he has committed, and he shall be forgiven for the sin he has committed. A guilt offering for the seduction and defilement of a slave girl who is engaged (if she were free, death of the seducer would be required, Deut 18:25-26, or of the seduced, Lev 18:23-24).

Leviticus 19:23. When you come to the land [which the Lord your God will give you] and plant any tree for food, you shall consider its fruit as forbidden: three years it shall be forbidden for you; it shall not be eaten; Leviticus 19:24. And in the fourth year all its fruit shall be devoted to celebration for the Lord; Leviticus 19:25. And in the fifth year you may eat of its fruit, so that your crop may yield for you more. I am the Lord, your God. A law—like certain other ones (Lev 14:34)—that was to come into force only when Israel entered Canaan and began actually settled life. As soon as a fruit tree is planted, the law regulates the use of its fruit by dividing the tree’s life into 3 following periods: 1) For the first 3 years the fruit is forbidden for consumption, as something uncultured, “uncircumcised”—unclean (see Isa 52:1; Jer 6:10); 2) in the 4th year, the entire fruit harvest of the tree is to be consecrated to Jehovah, as thanksgiving (hitlulim, Vulg.: laudabilis, Old Church Slavonic: “praiseworthy”) for the fruit-bearing of the tree—as the firstfruits of its fruit; 3) from the 5th year on, the fruit of the tree belongs to its owner, and to him—for the exact observance of the law’s prescription—is promised “increase” (Old Church Slavonic; Hebrew: lehosiph—for increase) of fruits (LXX: prosthema hymin ta gennmata). The basis and significance of the law is not so much agricultural and practical (the benefit of proper tree care, the elimination of harm from consuming raw underdeveloped fruit), though the law may have had this in view, as it is religious-theocratic—the consecration to Jehovah of the first products in order to sanctify the entire integrity of the objects used by man for his benefit: completely analogous to the dedication of the firstborn of cattle (Exod 13:12). This provision was developed by the Talmudists into an entire tractate “Orlah” (“uncircumcised”).

Leviticus 19:26. You shall not eat meat with the blood; you shall not practice divination or seek omens. Leviticus 19:27. You shall not round off the hair on your head, and you shall not shave off the edges of your beard. Leviticus 19:28. You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead, and you shall not tattoo any marks upon you. I am the Lord [your God]. Leviticus 19:29. Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, so that the land does not become full of debauchery. Leviticus 19:30. You shall keep My sabbaths and you shall revere My sanctuary. I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:31. Do not turn to those who consult with spirits of the dead, and do not seek out wizards to be defiled by them. I am the Lord, your God. Prohibition of certain superstitions that existed in the cult and life of the Egyptians and other peoples with whom Israel came into contact: 1) consuming meat with blood (Lev 19:26, see Lev 7:26), according to the explanation of the rabbis, from an animal still alive—probably a superstitious practice connected to the belief in a special power of blood; the reading of the LXX is different: epi ton oreon (Old Church Slavonic: “do not eat on the mountains”), which may point to a custom of pagans to slaughter their sacrifices on mountains; in connection with this, 2) all kinds of divination (Hebrew nachasch; LXX: oionizesthai, Vulg.: augurari—divination by the flight of birds) and soothsaying (Lev 19:26, see Lev 20:6); 3) the cutting of hair on the head and beard (see Jer 9:25) with pagan-superstitious purposes, as, for instance, ancient Arabs, according to Herodotus 3:8, shaved hair on their temples in honor of the god Orotal, whom the Greeks associated with Bacchus; 4) mutilation of the body with cuts in honor of the dead (see Deut 14:1), in particular tattooing: both were in widespread use among the peoples of the East, as remains to this day among savages, for example, on the Caroline Islands (see Jer 16:6; 1 Sam 18:28); 5) religious (for instance, in honor of Astarte-Melita, see Gen 38) prostitution, which would defile the land and the sanctuary of Jehovah; 6) the summoning of the dead and witchcraft in general (LXX: engastrimythois, Old Church Slavonic: “ventriloquists”—ventriloquism; see blessed Theodoret, question 29).

Leviticus 19:32. You shall rise up before the aged and show respect to the old, and fear your [the Lord] your God. I am the Lord [your God]. Leviticus 19:33. When a foreigner lives with you in your land, you shall not wrong him: Leviticus 19:34. The foreigner who lives with you shall be to you as one of your own, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord, your God. Leviticus 19:35. You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measure, in weight, or in quantity: Leviticus 19:36. You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest dry measure, and an honest liquid measure. I am the Lord, your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Moral and social prescriptions: a) concerning respect for the elderly (under zaqen the rabbis arbitrarily understand only sages), which commands honoring the divine authority (Lev 19:33-34); b) love for the neighbors (Lev 19:18) must extend to foreigners who have settled in the land of Israel and accepted its laws (see Exod 22:21); c) strict justice and honesty in judgment, in commerce, and in all social relations—“in judgment, in measure, in weight, and in quantity.”

Leviticus 19:37. You shall keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and perform them. I am the Lord [your God]. The exhortation to exact observance of the laws and statutes, whose holiness is guarded by the authority of Jehovah, is repeated.

Chapter Twenty

Criminal penalties for transgressions indicated in chapters 18–19 and previous ones

Leviticus 20:2. Say to the people of Israel: Anyone of the people of Israel or of the aliens residing in Israel who gives any of their offspring to Molech shall be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him to death; Leviticus 20:3. I Myself will set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given of his offspring to Molech, to defile My sanctuary and to profane My holy name; Leviticus 20:4. And if the people of the land should ever look the other way when that man gives of his offspring to Molech, and do not put him to death, Leviticus 20:5. Then I Myself will set My face against that man and against his family and will cut him off from among his people, him and all who follow him to play the harlot after Molech. Against the devotees of the bloodthirsty cult of Molech (see Lev 18:21), which defiled the sanctuary of Jehovah, the judgment of Jehovah is pronounced with full terrible solemnity; the practitioner of this cult, whether he is strictly an Israelite or a foreigner (ger, Vulg.: advena), must be immediately stoned by society; if, however, society should be negligent in punishing the guilty party, especially if it should show sympathy toward the cult of Molech, Jehovah will turn His punishment upon the guilty party and his family (Grot.: per mortem immaturam).

Leviticus 20:6. If any person turns to those who consult spirits of the dead and to wizards, playing the harlot after them, I will set My face against them and cut them off from among their people. Similar punishment of “cutting off” is threatened against those who turn to the summoners of the spirits of the dead and to wizards (see Lev 19:26).

Leviticus 20:7. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord, your God, [am holy]. Leviticus 20:8. Keep My ordinances and perform them, for I am the Lord Who sanctifies you. Exhortation to that holiness—an image of the holiness of Jehovah—which constitutes the essence of the theocratic election of Israel (see Lev 11:45).

Leviticus 20:9. Whoever curses their father or their mother shall be put to death; they have cursed their father or mother; their blood is upon them. Cursing of father or mother is punished with death as a crime that undermines the divinely established foundations of society (see Exod 21:15; Deut 27:16; see Matt 15:14).

Leviticus 20:10. If a man commits adultery with the wife of another man, if he commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death. Leviticus 20:11. Whoever lies with his father’s wife has exposed his father’s nakedness; both of them shall be put to death; their blood is upon them. Leviticus 20:12. If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall be put to death; they have committed a perversion; their blood is upon them. Leviticus 20:13. If a man lies with a man as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them. Leviticus 20:14. If a man takes a wife and her mother also: this is wickedness; they shall be burned with fire, he and they, so that there may be no wickedness among you. Leviticus 20:15. If a man lies with an animal, he shall be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. Leviticus 20:16. If a woman approaches any animal and lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them. Leviticus 20:17. If a man takes his sister, a daughter of his father or a daughter of his mother, and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace, and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people; he has exposed his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity. Leviticus 20:18. If a man lies with a woman during her menstrual illness and uncovers her nakedness, he has laid bare the flowing stream of her menstrual blood, and she has revealed the source of her blood; both of them shall be cut off from their people. Leviticus 20:19. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister and your father’s sister, for that is laying bare the flesh of one’s kinsman; they shall bear their iniquity. Leviticus 20:20. If a man lies with his aunt, he has uncovered the nakedness of his uncle; they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless. Leviticus 20:21. If a man takes his brother’s wife, this is impurity; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless. Criminal punishment for crimes against chastity and various indecencies, of which we spoke in Lev 18. Specifically: capital punishment was prescribed for both participants in adultery (Lev 20:10; see Lev 18:20) and sodomy (Lev 18:13; see Lev 18:22), illicit relations with a stepmother (Lev 20:12) and a daughter-in-law (Lev 20:11). Execution (usually by stoning, see Josh 7:15) was aggravated by burning in fire for cohabitation with a mother and daughter: all three—the man and the woman and her mother—were executed and burned (Lev 20:14). Bestiality was punished by death of not only the man but also the animal. On the contrary, the sin of unchastity in other cases apparently was not punished by execution but was left to God’s judgment—punishment by childlessness, premature death, and so forth.

Leviticus 20:22. Keep all My statutes and all My ordinances, and perform them, so that the land to which I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. Leviticus 20:23. You shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am dispossessing before you. For they did all these things, and I abhorred them, Leviticus 20:24. But I have said to you: You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord, your God, Who has set you apart from all the nations. A general warning and exhortation not to follow the customs of other nations, especially the Canaanite tribes, whose transgressions were avenged as though by the land itself, which cast them off from its face (see Lev 18:24-30); then the same thought is expressed also in a positive way.

Leviticus 20:25. You shall therefore make a distinction between the clean animals and the unclean, and between the unclean birds and the clean; you shall not bring abomination on yourselves by animal or by bird or by anything with which the ground teems, which I have set apart for you as unclean. Leviticus 20:26. You shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and I have separated you from the nations to be Mine. Finally, in view of the severity of the crime of witchcraft, it is once again defined that stoning is the punishment for this sin, Lev 20:27.

Chapter Twenty-One

Exceptional holiness required from the priesthood; requirements that are religious-ceremonial and moral; freedom from physical defects

Leviticus 21:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses: Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: No one shall make himself unclean by a dead person among his people; Leviticus 21:2. Except for a relative of his own flesh: for a mother or father, for a son or daughter, for a brother, Leviticus 21:3. Or for a sister who is a virgin near to him because she has had no husband; to her he may make himself unclean; If the entire people of Israel, as chosen by God to be a priestly people, were to strictly observe all the prescriptions of the law concerning spiritual and physical purity and holiness, then all the more strict requirements in this regard were prescribed for the priests. The circle of what was permitted here for priests, and especially for the high priest, was more narrow and restricted. “The priest was bound to be a model of chastity, and that the family line remain pure, to give no cause for those plotting reproach to insult” (blessed Theodoret, question 30). The requirements for priests in respect to spiritual-physical purity are divided into 3 groups: 1) prohibition from becoming unclean by corpses and funeral mourning (Lev 21:1); 2) prohibition against marrying a widow, a woman who plays the harlot, one who is put away, or a foreigner (Lev 21:7-8); 3) prohibition of priesthood for people with bodily defects (Lev 21:17-23). As servants of the sanctuary of the Living God, priests were not to have attachment to the rites of death. Therefore, although burial of the dead was generally considered an indispensable duty of a Hebrew, priests could only bury and mourn their closest and co-dwelling relatives, contact with whom, and thus defilement (Num 5:2), was inevitable: mother, father, son, daughter, and an unmarried sister living with him. Nothing is said about a wife (as in Ezek 44:25). On the wife commentators see an indication (on the basis of the Targum of Jonathan) in the prohibition not to approach anyone among the people (see Ezek 24:16-18), although it is very doubtful that the performance of the last duty would have been forbidden to a priest with respect to a wife who, according to Gen 2:23-24, is one flesh with her husband (Vulg.: verse 4: nec in principe populi sui contaminatur; thus also Onkelos; but the context of the text says nothing about a “prince of his people”).

Leviticus 21:5. They shall not shave the crown of their head, nor shave off the edges of their beard, nor make gashes on their body. Leviticus 21:6. They shall be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God, for they offer the offerings to the Lord made by fire, the bread of their God, and therefore must be holy. Mutilation of the head, beard, and body in honor of the dead, forbidden to all Israelites generally (Lev 19:27), is thereby more strictly forbidden to servants of Jehovah, the Holy God, while the forbidden rites had a connection to pagan cults.

Leviticus 21:7. They shall not marry a woman who is a prostitute or who has been put away; for the priest is holy to his God. Leviticus 21:8. You shall treat him as holy, for he offers the bread [of the Lord] to your God: he shall be holy to you, for I the Lord, Who sanctify you, am holy. Leviticus 21:9. If a priest’s daughter becomes a prostitute, she profanes her father; she shall be burned to death. Regarding the marriage and family life of a priest, the following restrictions are given: he could not marry either a prostitute (Hebrew zonah: according to Jewish tradition—any woman who had had relations in one of the degrees forbidden by law), or one put away (according to tradition—born of a forbidden marriage, according to Josephus—a woman of questionable chastity, for instance, a maidservant or a captive woman) and one divorced by her husband (according to tradition—also a woman “who removed her sandal from the kinsman,” Deut 25:9). Guarding the dignity and reputation of the priestly family, the law prescribes a severe punishment—burning, probably preceded by stoning—for a priest’s daughter (according to the rabbis: one who was betrothed to someone) who fell into prostitution (see blessed Theodoret, question 30).

Leviticus 21:10. The high priest, who is greater than his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil has been poured and who has been consecrated to wear the sacred vestments, shall not have the hair of his head hang loose, nor tear his vestments; Leviticus 21:11. He shall not approach any dead body and shall not defile himself even for his father and mother by touching a dead person; Leviticus 21:12. He shall not leave the sanctuary and shall not profane the sanctuary of his God, for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him. I am the Lord. Leviticus 21:13. He shall take a wife in her virginity [from among his people]: Leviticus 21:14. A widow, or a woman who is put away, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry, but only a virgin from among his people shall he take as a wife; Leviticus 21:15. That he may not profane his offspring among his people, for I am the Lord [God] Who sanctifies him. In both respects, the requirements for the high priest were even more strict. Regarding mourning, the high priest, who must always be clean, is forbidden lamentation for the dead—of course, only the outward, among the inhabitants of the East always turbulent and unrestrained manifestations of it (inner silent sorrow could not be forbidden)—even for his father and mother: any contact of the high priest with the dead would be a defilement of the sanctuary (according to the interpretation of Jewish authorities, however, if a high priest should meet an unburied corpse in a deserted place on the road, it was his duty to bury it). Regarding marriage, in comparison with the rules concerning priestly marriage (Lev 21:7), a new restriction was made for the high priest: he was commanded not to marry a widow (Lev 21:13-14); a widow, during cohabitation with her former husband, could have acquired tendencies not corresponding to the requirements of an irreproachable family life of the high priest. Such restrictions existed among the Romans regarding the pontiff, among the Athenians—regarding the king.

Leviticus 21:17. Say to Aaron: No one of your offspring throughout their generations who has a blemish may approach to offer the bread of his God; Leviticus 21:18. For anyone who has a blemish shall not approach—one who is blind or lame or has a disfigurement, Leviticus 21:19. Or anyone who has a broken foot or a broken hand, Leviticus 21:20. Or a humpback, or one who is too thin, or has a defect in his eye, or has a scaly disease, or has an oozing disease, or has damaged testicles; Leviticus 21:21. No one of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a blemish on him shall come near to offer the offerings made by fire to the Lord; since he has a blemish on him, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God; Leviticus 21:22. He may eat the bread of his God, of both the holy things and the most holy things; Leviticus 21:23. Yet he shall not go behind the veil or come near the altar, because he has a blemish; that he may not profane My sanctuaries, for I am the Lord Who sanctifies them. The purity and holiness of the priesthood, conditioned by the holiness of its calling and ministry, required also physical integrity of those approaching the altar of Jehovah. Therefore those members of the tribe of Levi and the family of Aaron who had any bodily defect—the biblical text, as an example of such defects, names 12 (Hebrew terms allow for different understanding, as is evident already from the comparison of the Church Slavonic and Russian translations in Lev 21:18), and the tradition counted more than 50—were thereby excluded from serving the altar (Lev 17:21); though, as not guilty of this unsuitability for priestly service, they were not considered unclean, and they were given the high honor of consuming portions of the sacrifices—“the most holy things and the holy things” (Lev 21:22; see Lev 7:27-28). The basis of this law provision blessed Theodoret (question 30) determines thus: “God, because of the murmuring of the Jews, forbids priestly service to those who have any bodily defect, but by the appearance of involuntary defects forbids voluntary ones; for blindness of eyes gives to understand a lack of knowledge; loss of an ear—disobedience; loss of a nose—loss of perception; severing of a hand—lack of activity.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

1–16. Uncleanness deprives a priest of the right to touch (and eat) the holy things; concerning the priest’s family members who may eat the holy things. 18–27. The quality (flawlessness) of sacrificial animals and their age. 28–33. Remark on sacrifices and the general requirement of holiness.

Leviticus 22:2. Tell Aaron and his sons to be careful with the holy things of the sons of Israel, and not to profane my holy name by what they dedicate to me. I am the Lord. Leviticus 22:3. Tell them: if anyone from all your descendants throughout your generations approaches the holy things that the sons of Israel dedicate to the Lord while having uncleanness on them, that person shall be cut off from my presence. I am the Lord [God of you all]. Leviticus 22:4. Anyone from Aaron’s offspring who is leprous, or has a discharge, shall not eat the holy things until he is cleansed; and whoever touches anything unclean from a dead body, or from whom there is an emission of seed, Leviticus 22:5. or whoever touches any creeping thing by which he becomes unclean, or a person from whom he becomes unclean by any kind of uncleanness – Leviticus 22:6. that person who touches it shall be unclean until evening and shall not eat the holy things unless he has washed his body with water; Leviticus 22:7. but when the sun sets and he is cleansed, then he may eat the holy things, for it is his food. Leviticus 22:8. He shall not eat carrion or what has been torn by beasts, lest he become unclean by it. I am the Lord. Leviticus 22:9. Let them keep my commandments so that they do not bear guilt and die for it when they violate this. I am the Lord [God], who sanctifies them. As an obstacle for priests eating from what is raised on the altar – from the great holy things and the holy things – first there is mentioned uncleanness in general (Lev 22:2-3), then particular kinds of uncleanness and defilement: leprosy (cf. Lev 13:2 and following), sexual discharge (Lev 15:2), contact with the dead (Lev 21:1 and others), with creeping things or with an unclean person (Lev 11:29), consumption of carrion and what has been torn by beasts (Lev 11:39). In all these cases the law prescribed cleansing, and only after that could the priest eat the holy things, which constituted his “bread.” Eating sacred foods while in a state of uncleanness was equivalent to irreverent profanation and denial of the holy things and the entire cult, and likewise of the holy Jehovah, who had established the cult and in it communed with his people; therefore a priest who permitted this, like a layman who ate the meat of a peace offering while unclean (Lev 7:20), was liable to “destruction” – without doubt to divine judgment (childlessness, early death, sickness, see 1 Cor 11:30), not to punishment from men, for whom sins of this kind mostly remained hidden.

Leviticus 22:10. No stranger shall eat the holy things; a resident of the priest and a hired worker shall not eat the holy things; Leviticus 22:11. but if a priest buys a person for himself with money, then that person may eat it; and his household servants may eat his bread. Leviticus 22:12. If a daughter of a priest is married to a stranger, she shall not eat the holy things brought as an offering; Leviticus 22:13. but when a daughter of a priest is a widow, or divorced, and has no children, and returns to her father’s house, as she was in her youth, then she may eat her father’s bread; but no stranger shall eat it. Leviticus 22:14. Whoever eats a holy thing by mistake shall give the priest the holy thing and add to it one-fifth of its value. Leviticus 22:15. The priests themselves shall not profane the holy things of the sons of Israel, which they bring to the Lord, Leviticus 22:16. and shall not bring guilt upon themselves for a transgression when they eat their holy things, for I am the Lord, who sanctifies them. The discourse is now about “the great holy things” (portions of guilt and sin offerings, see Lev 6:25-39), which could be eaten only by males of Aaron’s family (Lev 6:16-18), or simply about the holy things, that is, the remains of the peace offering that came to the priests. Several cases of prohibition and permission of eating these holy things by various persons standing in a certain relation to the holy things are described – cases very characteristic of the spirit of the law and theocracy of the Old Covenant. 1st case: the sojourner and hired worker of a priest, who did not receive circumcision, as one foreign (Heb. zar) to theocracy, could not eat the holy things; on the contrary a slave purchased with money – by circumcision having become a member of the family not only in domestic but also in religious and liturgical relations (Exod 12:44; see Gen 17:23) – could eat the “holy things” equally with the household members (Lev 22:10-11). 2nd case: the daughter of a priest – if married – has the right to eat the “holy things” only when married to a priest himself; while married to a stranger (Heb. isch zar, Vulg.: cuilibet ex populo nupta) – a layman, she lost this right, and only widowhood or divorce from him and return to her father-priest’s house, as it were to the status of a maiden (kineurejah, Vulg.: sicut puella) restored it to her. 3rd case: one bringing a peace offering could by error use for his own meal portions belonging to the priests; then, by the general rule concerning unintentional violations of the rights of the sanctuary, he (cf. Lev 5:14) returned what was wrongly taken, with an addition of 1/5.

Leviticus 22:15. The priests themselves shall not profane the holy things of the sons of Israel, which they bring to the Lord, Leviticus 22:16. and shall not bring guilt upon themselves for a transgression when they eat their holy things, for I am the Lord, who sanctifies them. A new exhortation to the priests regarding reverence toward the holy things (cf. Lev 22:2-3).

Leviticus 22:17. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Leviticus 22:18. Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the sons of Israel and say to them: If anyone from the house of Israel, or from the strangers [dwelling] among the Israelites, brings a sacrifice by a vow or by freewill offering, which they bring to the Lord as a burnt offering, The verses form a transition to the discourse on complete flawlessness of sacrificial animals – discourse addressed equally to both the priests and the worshippers, that is, to all Israelites. This requirement of flawlessness of sacrificial material corresponds to the prescription concerning the priests having no bodily defects (Lev 21:17-23): both the priest and the sacrifice were to express by their very appearance the idea of purity and cleansing. According to Blessed Theodoret (question 30), “God commands that animals with unbroken limbs be brought in sacrifice, thereby instructing those who bring offerings to have their active powers of the soul intact.” The rule of flawlessness of sacrifice applied also to foreigners, who by the Old Testament law were allowed into the outer court of the temple and had the right to bring sacrifices to the God of Israel (Lev 22:18; cf. Lev 16:29).

Leviticus 22:19. so that you may gain favor from God, the sacrifice must be without blemish, male, from large cattle, from sheep and from goats; Leviticus 22:20. no animal with a blemish shall you bring [to the Lord], for it will not gain you favor. God’s favor, which the worshipper sought, could not rest upon the worshipper who was not sufficiently reverent and attentive to the quality of the sacrifice.

Leviticus 22:21. And if anyone brings a peace offering to the Lord to fulfill a vow, or a freewill offering, [or on your appointed feasts,] from large or small cattle, the sacrifice must be without blemish to be acceptable to God: no blemish shall be on it; Leviticus 22:22. an animal that is blind, or maimed, or disfigured, or diseased, or mangy, or scabby – you shall not bring these to the Lord, and you shall not give them as an offering on the altar of the Lord; Leviticus 22:23. a bull or lamb with limbs that are disproportionately long or short you may bring as a freewill offering, but for a vow it will not be acceptable to God; Leviticus 22:24. an animal whose testicles are crushed, broken, torn out, or cut off you shall not bring to the Lord; and you shall not do this in your land; An enumeration of defects that make an animal unfit for sacrifice. One of the three kinds of peace offerings – the freewill offering (nedabah) – was for some reason considered lower than the other kinds: it was allowed to bring an animal that was not completely normally formed as a freewill offering.

Leviticus 22:24. an animal whose testicles are crushed, broken, torn out, or cut off you shall not bring to the Lord; and you shall not do this in your land; According to the rabbis, it forbids all castration (of people and animals).

Leviticus 22:26. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Leviticus 22:27. when a calf, lamb, or kid is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother, and from the eighth day onward it shall be acceptable as an offering in sacrifice to the Lord; Leviticus 22:28. but you shall not slaughter a cow or sheep together with its young on the same day. Leviticus 22:29. If you bring a thanksgiving sacrifice to the Lord, bring it so that it gains you favor; Leviticus 22:30. it must be eaten on that same day; you shall not leave any of it until morning. I am the Lord. These verses contain three rules concerning offerings to the sanctuary and sacrifices. First, regarding the offering to God of firstborn animals (cf. Exod 22:28-29). They were to be with their mother for seven days, until maturity, and then immediately to be brought to the sanctuary. According to Blessed Theodoret, “God knew the impiety and greed of some; he knew that if they saw a newborn animal full-grown and good-looking, they would keep it for themselves and bring another. Therefore he commanded that it be brought soon after birth” (question 31). The indicated age was the minimum for animals sacrificed in general. Second, a humane commandment not to slaughter a cow or sheep together with its young on the same day – a rule analogous to the prohibition Deut 22:6-7 of taking from a nest simultaneously the young birds and the mother (cf. also Exod 23:19: do not boil a kid in its mother’s milk; the latter passage, however, is understood differently). Third, a repetition (cf. Lev 7:15) of the law concerning the eating of the meat of a thanksgiving offering on the very day of the sacrifice.

Leviticus 22:31. So keep my commandments and do them. I am the Lord. Leviticus 22:32. Do not profane my holy name, so that I may be sanctified in the midst of the sons of Israel. I am the Lord, who sanctifies you, Leviticus 22:33. who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord. A final general exhortation (cf. Lev 8:30) to careful observance of the laws concerning sacrifices, for any violation of these laws, any arbitrary action in performing sacrifices, is a denial of the idea and principle of sacrifice – to serve as the means of sanctifying Israel from Jehovah, the God of revelation, who had historically revealed himself to the people of Israel in bringing them out of Egypt.

Chapter Twenty-Three

The laws concerning the feasts: 1–3. the Sabbath, 4–8. Passover, 9–22. the feast of the harvest or Pentecost, 23–25. the feast of the blowing of horns, 26–32. the Day of Atonement, 33–44. the feast of booths.

Leviticus 23:2. Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them about the feasts of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. These are my feasts: The tabernacle, the place of gracious communion between Jehovah and Israel, had long been established (Exod 25-40): the priesthood, as the mediating organ of this communion (Lev 8-10), and sacrifices, as the gracious acts of it (Lev 1-7), had been established; the conditions of cleanness and uncleanness and the means of cleansing had been determined (Lev 11-16 and following). Now the entire ordinary life of the people is regulated by the indication of sacred times or feasts (moëd, moadim – precisely determined times, cf. Gen 1:14), when the communion of the covenant between the people and Jehovah found especially vivid tangible expression. The common features of all the feasts are: 1) a complete cessation (on the Sabbath, Leviticus 23, and on the Day of Atonement, Lev 23:18) or only relative (on other feasts) of all worldly occupations and the gaining thereby of freedom to serve God (cf. Lev 23:3); 2) an increase, compared to weekdays, in the number of sacrifices (cf. Num 28-29) and an intensification of the people’s participation in them; 3) a “sacred assembly” (miqra qodesch) on these days: assemblies that were, apart from their liturgical character, also a kind of popular gathering (Lev 23:3, cf. Num 10:2). It is noteworthy that in the specification of feasts the number 7 clearly predominates (the 7th day – Sabbath, 7 weeks – Pentecost, 7th month, 7th year, 50th year) – the sacred number of perfection and the spirit’s detachment from the material. By its inner character, the feasts of the ancient Hebrews express the relation of mankind in general and Israel in particular: 1) to revelation (thus, the Sabbath, the Sabbath and jubilee years express most of all the idea of the covenantal sanctification of man and his communion with God; the feast of horns and the Day of Atonement, besides this, also express the idea of reconciliation with God); 2) to its history and to agricultural and natural life (Passover, Pentecost, and the feast of booths). In the passage under consideration, the feasts are enumerated in the order of their sequence in the year, beginning with Passover – the feast of the first month (Nisan) of the Hebrew ecclesiastical year. In other statutes of the law (Exod 23:14-17; Deut 16:1-17) three great feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and the feast of booths are distinguished as especially important, in a special group (the Hebrew synagogue called them, on the basis of Exod 23:14, by the name reqalim (literally feet, journeys), in view of the ordinance of obligatory pilgrimage of all male Hebrews to the sanctuary on these feasts.

Leviticus 23:3. For six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day there shall be a Sabbath of complete rest, a sacred assembly; you shall do no work; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. The law concerning the observance of the Sabbath, given already in the Decalogue (Exod 20:8-11) and repeated many times afterward (Exod 23:12), is placed here first: the Sabbath is the sign of the theocratic covenant of Jehovah with Israel (cf. Exod 31:13-14). The primary requirement is a complete cessation of ordinary occupations – more so than on other feasts, a strict rest (schabbat-schabbaton) together with a “sacred assembly” (miqra qodesch); the latter may mean a visit to the sanctuary, at which on the Sabbath there was a double – compared to the ordinary – sacrifice (Num 28:9-10). However, the Sabbath is not deliberately tied to the sanctuary; rather, the observance of the Sabbath is prescribed “in all your dwellings” – according to the interpretation of the rabbis: as in the promised land (where the sanctuary was) so also everywhere outside its borders. Chab: rest called holy to the Lord, according to LXX, cf. Vulg.: sabbati requies, vocabitur sanctus.

Leviticus 23:5. On the first month, on the fourteenth [day] of the month at twilight the Lord’s Passover; Leviticus 23:6. and on the fifteenth day of the same month the feast of unleavened bread for the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; Leviticus 23:7. On the first day you shall have a sacred assembly; you shall do no work; Leviticus 23:8. and throughout the seven days you shall bring offerings to the Lord; on the seventh day there shall also be a sacred assembly; you shall do no work. Passover – a commemoration of the beginning of Israel’s theocratic existence as the people of Jehovah – is naturally placed at the head of all the feasts of the year. Connected with the exodus of Israel from Egypt – an event that began a new era in Israel’s history – the feast of Passover and unleavened bread lasted seven days to strengthen more fully in the consciousness of the people and of individual members the importance of this most crucial moment. The most complete account of the regulations concerning Passover is given in the book of Exodus (Exod 12:6), namely in the exposition of the actual history of the Hebrew exodus from Egypt, and then – in separate statutes of the law (Exod 23:15). In the passage under consideration are determined: 1) the time of the beginning of the feast (Exod 23:5-6): on the 14th of Nisan in the evening, literally from the Hebrew ben-haarbaim: “between the two evenings” (cf. Exod 12:6) – at sunset (according to the understanding of the Samaritans and Karaites) or from the declination of the sun toward sunset until full darkness (according to the interpretation of the Pharisees, Josephus, and Philo); 2) the duration of the feast – seven days (Lev 23:6-7); 3) the character of the celebration: rest and a sacred assembly on the 1st and 7th days (Lev 23:7-8), and the eating of unleavened bread throughout the week (Lev 23:6). Regarding special sacrifices during the feast of Passover, the book of Numbers speaks (Num 28:19-24).

Leviticus 23:10. Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: When you come into the land which I give you, and reap its harvest, you shall bring the first sheaf of your harvest to the priest; Leviticus 23:11. and he shall wave this sheaf before the Lord, so that you may gain favor; on the day after the feast the priest shall wave it; Leviticus 23:12. and on the day of the waving of the sheaf you shall bring a one-year-old male lamb without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord, Leviticus 23:13. and with it a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine wheat flour mixed with oil, as an offering to the Lord, a soothing aroma, and its drink offering of one-fourth of a hin of wine; Leviticus 23:14. You shall eat no new bread, nor roasted grain, nor fresh grain, until that very day, until you have brought the offering of your God: this is an eternal statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings. Leviticus 23:15. From the day after the feast, from the day on which you bring the sheaf of waving, count off seven full weeks for yourselves, Leviticus 23:16. until the day after the seventh week count fifty days, and then bring a new grain offering to the Lord: Leviticus 23:17. from your dwellings bring two loaves of a wave offering, made from two-tenths of an ephah of fine wheat flour and baked with leaven, as the first fruits to the Lord; Leviticus 23:18. along with the loaves present seven one-year-old male lambs without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams [without blemish]; this shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, and a grain offering and its drink offering, an offering, a soothing aroma to the Lord. Leviticus 23:19. Also prepare from the herd one male goat as a sin offering and two one-year-old male lambs as a peace offering [along with the bread of the first fruits]; Leviticus 23:20. the priest shall present these, waving them before the Lord, together with the loaves of the first fruits and with the two lambs, and they shall be a holy thing to the Lord; [to the priest who presents them they shall belong]; Leviticus 23:21. and you shall call a holy assembly on that day; you shall do no work: this is an eternal statute in all your dwellings throughout your generations. In close connection with Passover appears the feast of Pentecost or “the feast of weeks” (chag-shabuoth, Exod 34:22; Deut 16:10, “the feast of harvest” – Exod 23:16). “Pentecost” – a later name (Tob 2:1; 2 Macc 12:22), used mainly in the New Testament (Acts 2:1.:6; 1 Cor 16:8). The linking element of both feasts, of which Passover is connected with historical remembrances, while Pentecost relates more closely to natural, agricultural life (although later the Jews also ascribed to Pentecost the significance of remembrance of the giving of the law at Sinai), is the ordinance prescribed by the law (Lev 23:10-14) of bringing and making a grateful sacrificial offering to Jehovah of the first sheaf of the new harvest on the second day of Passover (mimmacharath hasschabat, Lev 23:11: Passover is called a Sabbath because of the rest required during this feast). In April around Passover in Palestine the grain began to ripen, first of all (cf. Exod 9:31-32) barley: the first sheaf of barley was to be brought to the Lord of the promised land and the God of sacrifices – Jehovah – and until this rite was performed, harvesting and eating new bread were not permitted (Lev 23:13-14; Josephus Antiquities 3:10; Blessed Theodoret, question 32). The “waving” (through the rite of “shaking,” cf. Lev 7:30) was accompanied by a bloody sacrifice (a lamb – a burnt offering) and a bloodless sacrifice (Lev 23:12-13).

Leviticus 23:15. From the day after the feast, from the day on which you bring the sheaf of waving, count off seven full weeks for yourselves, Leviticus 23:16. until the day after the seventh week count fifty days, and then bring a new grain offering to the Lord: Leviticus 23:17. from your dwellings bring two loaves of a wave offering, made from two-tenths of an ephah of fine wheat flour and baked with leaven, as the first fruits to the Lord; Leviticus 23:18. along with the loaves present seven one-year-old male lambs without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams [without blemish]; this shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, and a grain offering and its drink offering, an offering, a soothing aroma to the Lord. Leviticus 23:19. Also prepare from the herd one male goat as a sin offering and two one-year-old male lambs as a peace offering [along with the bread of the first fruits]; Leviticus 23:20. the priest shall present these, waving them before the Lord, together with the loaves of the first fruits and with the two lambs, and they shall be a holy thing to the Lord; [to the priest who presents them they shall belong]; Leviticus 23:21. and you shall call a holy assembly on that day; you shall do no work: this is an eternal statute in all your dwellings throughout your generations. By the 50th day from Passover and the waving of the first sheaf, the entire harvest had already concluded (it lasted quite long not only because the grain ripened at different times in different regions of Palestine, but also because it included threshing), and then – on the feast of Pentecost – Israel was to bring to Jehovah from the new harvest already prepared bread, “from your dwellings,” a thing of ordinary nourishment, that is, leavened: two loaves, which were not (cf. Lev 2:11) properly sacrifices (sacrifices of three kinds were brought at this time Lev 23:18-19), but a symbol of thanksgiving to Jehovah. According to Blessed Theodoret (question 32), this feast “reminded them of entry into the promised land. For from that time they began to sow and reap, whereas in the wilderness they ate manna given from heaven.”

Leviticus 23:21. and you shall call a holy assembly on that day; you shall do no work: this is an eternal statute in all your dwellings throughout your generations. By its importance and character the feast is equated with the other great feasts.

Leviticus 23:22. When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, and you shall not gather the aftermath of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and the sojourner. I am the Lord, your God. In connection with the “feast of harvest” (Exod 23:16) or “feast of the first fruits” (Num 28:26) there is repeated the commandment already given (Lev 19:9-10) to leave part of the new harvest for the poor.

Leviticus 23:23. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Leviticus 23:24. Speak to the sons of Israel: On the seventh month, on the first [day] of the month, you shall have a day of rest, a feast of the blowing of horns, a sacred assembly [for you]; Leviticus 23:25. you shall do no work and bring an offering to the Lord. The feast of the blowing of horns – on the 1st day of the sacred 7th month – Tishri, the 1st month of the civil (and agricultural) year of the ancient Hebrews (cf. Exod 12:2), which is why among the Talmudists the 1st of Tishri is called the New Year (rosch-hasschanah: the name also of an entire tractate in the 2nd volume of the Mishnah). In the biblical text of this passage, the feast is called: 1) a day of rest (schabbaton); 2) a “remembrance of the blowing of horns” (Slavonic, Hebrew: zikkaron teruah); in Num 29:1-6, besides that, the sacrificial offerings for this day are indicated. According to the Talmudists, the feast of horns recalled creation and at the same time God’s judgment, which is why it with the following eight days was considered the prelude to the Day of Atonement. The blowing of the horns (teruah) – the most characteristic mark of the feast – was to arouse the people to self-examination (concerning the use of horns in other cases, see Num 10:2-10) and repentance. The latter was specifically devoted to the Day of Atonement, which was observed on the 10th day (from evening of the 9th) of Tishri.

Leviticus 23:26. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Leviticus 23:27. also on the ninth [day] of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement, you shall have a sacred assembly; afflict your souls and bring an offering to the Lord; Leviticus 23:28. you shall do no work on that day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God; Leviticus 23:29. and any person who does not humble himself on that day shall be cut off from his people; Leviticus 23:30. and if any person does any work on that day, I will destroy that person from among his people; Leviticus 23:31. you shall do no work: it is an eternal statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings; Leviticus 23:32. it is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls, from evening of the ninth [day] of the month; from evening to evening [of the tenth day of the month] you shall observe your Sabbath. A summary repetition of the ordinances of chapter 16. The basic elements of the Day of Atonement: 1) the strictest (Lev 23:32) rest (schabbat schabbaton) – such as on the Sabbath (Exod 16:23); 2) absolute fasting (Lev 23:27); 3) a religious assembly (Lev 23:27; Num 29:7); 4) sacrifices (Num 29:8-11); and 5) specific purification actions (sprinkling of blood of the bull and goat in the Holy of Holies and the rite of sending the goat into the wilderness), Lev 16.

Leviticus 23:34. Speak to the sons of Israel: On the fifteenth day of that seventh month comes the feast of booths, seven days for the Lord; Leviticus 23:35. On the first day there shall be a sacred assembly; you shall do no work; Leviticus 23:36. For seven days you shall bring an offering to the Lord; on the eighth day you shall have a sacred assembly for you, and bring an offering to the Lord: it is the closing of the feast; you shall do no work. Leviticus 23:37. These are the feasts of the Lord that you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies, to bring as an offering to the Lord a burnt offering, a grain offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, each on its appointed day, Leviticus 23:38. besides the Lord’s Sabbaths and besides your gifts, and besides all your vows, and besides everything you give as a freewill offering to the Lord. Leviticus 23:39. And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall keep a feast to the Lord for seven days: on the first day shall be complete rest and on the eighth day complete rest; Leviticus 23:40. On the first day you shall take for yourselves the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm trees and branches of thick-leaved trees and willows of the brooks, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days; Leviticus 23:41. and you shall keep this feast of the Lord for seven days in the year: it is an eternal statute throughout your generations; you shall keep it in the seventh month; Leviticus 23:42. you shall dwell in booths for seven days; every native-born Israelite shall dwell in booths, Leviticus 23:43. so that your generations may know that I made the sons of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord, your God. The feast of booths – seven days from the 15th to 22nd of Tishri. The feast bears a twofold name, corresponding to its dual significance – historical and natural. One name: chag sukkoth, the feast of booths, huts, tents, Hebrew sukkah, in contrast to bet – house, meaning a readily portable temporary dwelling, a tent (cf. Gen 33:17; Isa 1:8; Jonah 4:8). The Jews were to live in specially constructed huts for seven days of this feast, so that succeeding generations would have a notion that Jehovah, having brought their ancestors out of Egypt, first gave them to experience nomadic life in huts in the wilderness and only later provided them Canaan for settled dwelling. Thus, by the historical side, the feast of booths “recalled the sojourn in the wilderness” (Blessed Theodoret, question 32). Another name – “the feast of the ingathering of fruits” (spaid hasiph, Exod 23:16) indicated the time of year of the observance of the feast of booths – a time of abundance for the Jews of all sorts of fruits: the feast of booths was extremely joyful and solemn thanksgiving to Jehovah for the harvest of the year. To express these feelings, the Jews were to not only construct booths from the green branches of various trees (Nehem 8:15), but also to carry in their hands branches (and probably fruits) of trees “goodly” (hadar; according to the rabbis: citrus or lemon), of palm trees (tamarim), “thick-leaved” (anaph-ez-abot, according to the rabbis: myrtle), and “willows of the brooks” (arbe-nachal). The lack of precision in the specification of the composition of this bouquet or, as later Jews called it, the lulav, left wide scope for Jewish tradition in the interpretation of both the letter and the meaning of the ordinance (in the Midrash, the trees from which branches were taken for the lulav are allegorically explained as referring to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or to Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, and so forth). To the special features of the feast, later tradition added ceremonies: a) the pouring of water and b) illumination and dancing with burning torches in the court of women. The 1st ceremony (see Mishnah, Sukkah 4:9–10) was performed as follows: A golden vessel holding three logs was filled with water from the Siloam spring, with the blowing of horns it was carried into the temple, and here, on the altar of burnt offerings, water was poured out simultaneously with wine through one of two vessels (water on the western side of the altar, wine on the eastern side). The dancing of pious Israelites with torches in their hands was performed to the accompaniment of Levite music (Sukkah 5:2–4). Regarding sacrifices during the feast of booths, see Num 29:13-38. On the 8th day the closing of the feast was observed, azereth (Lev 23:31: this same name was also applied to the 7th day of the feast of Passover; Deut 16:8): possibly it was on this “last day of the great feast” (John 7:37) that the Lord Jesus Christ stood in the temple and, in view of the water-pouring ceremony performed there, spoke the great words about the springs of living water – the grace of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39).

Chapter Twenty-Four

1–4. Concerning the oil and 6–10. concerning the loaves of the showbread in the sanctuary. 10–14 and 23. The stoning of one who curses Jehovah. 15–22. Ordinances regarding retribution for various criminal offenses.

Leviticus 24:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Leviticus 24:2. Command the sons of Israel to bring you pure olive oil, beaten, for the light, so that a lamp may burn perpetually; Leviticus 24:3. outside the veil of the ark of the covenant in the tent of meeting Aaron [and his sons] shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord always: this is an eternal statute throughout your generations; Leviticus 24:4. on the pure lampstand they shall set the lamps before the Lord always. The prescription already given earlier (Exod 27:20-21) concerning the kindling in the sanctuary on a specially constructed lamp (Exod 25:31-39) of a pure “beaten” (katit, that is, extracted with particular care from fresh olive berries) oil is repeated. Concerning the fulfillment of this prescription, it is said in Num 8:1-4.

Leviticus 24:5. And take fine flour and bake from it twelve loaves; in each loaf there shall be two-tenths of an ephah; Leviticus 24:6. and put them in two rows, six in a row, on the pure table before the Lord; Leviticus 24:7. and put on [each] row pure frankincense [and salt], and it shall be with the bread, a memorial, an offering to the Lord; Leviticus 24:8. every Sabbath day regularly he shall arrange them before the Lord on behalf of the sons of Israel: this is an eternal covenant; Leviticus 24:9. they shall belong to Aaron and his sons, who shall eat them in a holy place, for it is a most holy thing for them from the offerings of the Lord: this is an eternal ordinance. The “loaves of the showbread” or from the Hebrew “loaves of the face,” that is, of God’s presence (cf. Exod 25:30). There were 12 of them, arranged in two rows (according to tradition, one row upon the other, six in each). The weight of each loaf is set at 2/10 of an ephah, that is (since an ephah equaled approximately 30 pounds) about 6 pounds, Lev 24:5-6.

Leviticus 24:7. and put on [each] row pure frankincense [and salt], and it shall be with the bread, a memorial, an offering to the Lord; Leviticus 24:8. every Sabbath day regularly he shall arrange them before the Lord on behalf of the sons of Israel: this is an eternal covenant; The loaves were not burned, but only lay for a whole week from Sabbath to Sabbath on the table of the showbread, but their sacrificial significance was represented by the frankincense placed upon them. On the 7th day the loaves (which, like a bloodless sacrifice, cf. Lev 2:2, azkarah) were removed, replaced with new ones, and became food for the priests, while the frankincense was burned, Lev 24:9. The priests ate the showbread as a most holy thing; its use by laypeople was forbidden – a well-known instance of David and his companions eating this bread from the high priest Ahimelech was an exceptional case.

Leviticus 24:10. And the son of an Israelite woman, born to an Egyptian, came out among the sons of Israel, and quarreled in the camp between the son of the Israelite woman and an Israelite man; Leviticus 24:11. and the son of the Israelite woman uttered the name [of the Lord] and cursed. So they brought him to Moses [his mother’s name was Salomith, daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan]; Leviticus 24:12. and they placed him in custody until the will of the Lord should be declared to them. Leviticus 24:13. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Leviticus 24:14. Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him; and Lev 24:23. A rare and mysterious case of cursing Jehovah is recounted, perpetrated, however, not by a full-blooded Hebrew but by the offspring of an Egyptian (according to tradition, one once killed by Moses in Egypt, Exod 2:12), married to a Hebrew woman. A personal quarrel with a Hebrew man somehow prompted him to curse the name of Jehovah. The Chaldean Targum renders the Hebrew naqab (Lev 24:11) in the sense of parasch – clearly spoke, LXX: ἐπονομάσας – in accordance with the later Jewish conception of the unpronounceable-ness of the name (shem, hasschem) of Jehovah. But in the passage under consideration, one speaks, without doubt, not of a simple pronunciation of “the name” (that is, of Jehovah), but of cursing (the synonymous verb: qalal – to curse), cf. Lev 24:14.

Leviticus 24:12. and they placed him in custody until the will of the Lord should be declared to them. “There was not yet a law concerning cursing. Therefore Moses commanded that the captured one be thrown into prison, and on the next day he asked the Lord God what the impious one should suffer” (Blessed Theodoret, question 33).

Leviticus 24:14. Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him; If one who cursed his father or mother was to be put to death (Exod 21:17), then all the more should one who cursed the name of Jehovah be stoned, and precisely before those who witnessed the crime; the one who cursed the name of Jehovah (cf. Lev 24:23) was to be killed. Stoning could only take place outside the camp, since capital punishment in general was not executed in a place of judgment or on a public street. The laying of the hands of witnesses on the head of the condemned person expressed their non-participation in his crime and as it were a sacrificial cleansing of the entire community from the wrath of Jehovah through the death of the transgressor. Jewish tradition required from witnesses to cursing God the tearing of garments (cf. Matt 26:65), and from judges the laying of hands on the head of the transgressor with the words: dimcha beroschcha (“your blood be on your head”).

Leviticus 24:15. and say to the sons of Israel: Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin; Leviticus 24:16. and whoever curses the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him: the sojourner as well as the native-born, when he curses the name, shall be put to death. Regarding the case with the son of an Egyptian and Israelite woman, a general law of cursing is given, like other laws (some of which are set forth here), binding equally on both Hebrews and sojourners. Jewish tradition and Blessed Theodoret (question 33), based on the difference in expressions Lev 24:15 regarding guilt and punishment – in Lev 24:15 concerning cursing God, Elohim, and in Lev 24:16 – concerning cursing the name of Jehovah, whereby in the 1st case of the transgressor it is only said that he shall bear his sin, while in the 2nd death by stoning by all the community is directly prescribed – believed that cursing the common name “God” (where a pagan god could also be understood) was punished only by beating, but not by death, while cursing the name of Jehovah was unconditionally punishable by death: a distinction, however, which is scarcely necessarily required by the biblical text.

Leviticus 24:17. Whoever takes the life of any person shall surely be put to death. Leviticus 24:18. Whoever kills an animal shall repay for it, animal for animal. Leviticus 24:19. Whoever causes harm to his neighbor – as he has done, so shall be done to him: Leviticus 24:20. a fracture for a fracture, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth; as he has caused harm to the body of a person, so shall be done to him. Leviticus 24:21. Whoever kills an animal shall repay for it; but whoever kills a person shall be put to death. Leviticus 24:22. You shall have one law for the sojourner and for the native-born; for I am the Lord, your God. In connection with the law concerning cursing and blaspheming Jehovah, the ordinances (Exod 21:1-22:1) concerning strictly proportionate retribution (jus talionis) for murder (Lev 24:17, 21b, see Exod 21:12; Deut 19:21), for personal injury to a neighbor (Lev 24:19-20), for killing his animals (Lev 24:18, 21a), are restated, whereby again (cf. Lev 24:16) the binding character of these ordinances is confirmed for both Hebrews and sojourners.

Chapter Twenty-Five

1–9. The Sabbath year and 10–55. the Jubilee year.

Leviticus 25:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying: Leviticus 25:2. Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: When you come into the land that I give you, then the land must rest, a Sabbath to the Lord; Leviticus 25:3. Six years you shall sow your field and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather its fruit, Leviticus 25:4. But in the seventh year the land must have a Sabbath of rest, a Sabbath to the Lord: you shall not sow your field and you shall not prune your vineyard; The cycle of the Hebrew feasts (see Lev 23), in which the Israelite devoted himself to service to the Lord, is completed by two remarkable institutions, which represent a further development of the idea of the Sabbath: the institution of the Sabbath year and the Jubilee year, when not only man but the land itself, given by the Lord for temporary use and upon the condition of the covenant with the Hebrews, was to serve God. The first and most characteristic feature of the Sabbath year, called the Sabbath of the Lord (Lev 25:2), was the rest of the land, that is, the land was not worked, not sown (Lev 25:4), vineyards and other fruit trees were not pruned (Lev 25:5, compare Exod 23:11); from this it naturally followed that all work connected with agriculture (but not other work) ceased in the Sabbath year. Thus, just as for men the working unit of time is the day, so in relation to the land it is the year; and just as for men after 6 working days came the 7th day of rest and service to the Lord – the Sabbath – so the land after 6 years of crop rotation and providing fruit to private owners became the property of the Lord alone, celebrated that holy rest into which it had been placed by Him at creation.

Leviticus 25:5. Whatever grows on your harvest by itself, do not reap, and do not gather the grapes from your untended vines: it must be a year of rest for the land; Leviticus 25:6. And the produce of the Sabbath of the land shall be for food for you, for you and your servant and your maidservant and your hired worker and your sojourner who dwells with you; Leviticus 25:7. And for your cattle and for the beasts that are on your land, all its produce shall be for food. A complement to the requirement of the Sabbath rest of the 7th year is the law that all that grows on the land in that year by itself (self-sown, Hebrew sapiach, LXX: αὐτόματα, Vulgate: “quae sponte gignet humus”) should pass into common use not only of the owner and his family, but also of slaves, sojourners, and generally the poor, as well as domestic and wild animals. To these two privileges of the Sabbath year according to Exodus (Exod 23:10-11) and Leviticus (Lev 25:2-7), the book of Deuteronomy adds two others. Namely: 1) from the non-working of the land in the Sabbath year it logically followed that it was impossible to make payment on debt obligations; hence the prescription (Deut 15:1-3) about the non-collection and indeed (according to the most probable interpretation, justified by the spirit of the law of Moses and confirmed by Jewish tradition and Philo, de septenario, p. 1173) complete remission (schemittah) of debts to insolvent debtors from among their own people; on the contrary, the prescription (contained in Deut 15:12-18) about the release of slaves in the 7th year, contrary to the opinion of Theodoret (question 35) and some modern commentators, does not refer to the Sabbath year: here the 7th year of service of each individual Hebrew slave is meant, as the Jewish tradition interprets; 2) free from agricultural work, the people together with the land were to especially dedicate themselves to service to the Lord: this was served by the mandatory participation of all the people (men, women, children, sojourners) in hearing the law of God at the feast of Tabernacles of the Sabbath year. Deut 31:10-13 (according to Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 4:8, 12, the reading of the law was performed by the high priest); since the Sabbath year, like the Jubilee (compare Lev 25:9), began in autumn, namely probably from the 7th month (as shown by the order of agricultural work indicated in Lev 25:3-4: sowing, pruning the vineyard, then gathering fruit). To carry out this remarkable law required a people of deep religious faith; for a whole 7th year the land remained without cultivation and therefore without harvest in the 8th year, only in the 9th year did normal crop rotation begin. Foreseeing the wavering and doubts of the little faith and cowardice (Lev 25:20) of the Hebrews, the legislator removes them by pointing out a special harvest, sufficient for 3 years, which the Lord, in reward for the people’s precise fulfilment of His will, will send them in the 6th, the pre-Sabbath year (Lev 25:21), so that the produce of that year will be sufficient for the Hebrews until the ninth year (Lev 25:22). The people were also required to show no small self-denial for the sake of their neighbors – in giving them the use of the fruits and especially in the remission of debts. The legislator warns (Deut 15:9-10) against impulses of greed, covetousness, and selfishness in the Hebrew’s heart, forbidding them to refuse a loan to their neighbor before the Sabbath year. According to Theodoret, by the law of the Sabbath year, God “teaches the insatiability of the Israelites. Wishing great things, He continually commanded that in the seventh year the land be left unsown, and what grows by itself, He forbade to gather or reap, instructing them in this way in love of humanity; for He commands the fruits of the earth to be used together with the Israelites by widows, orphans, and foreign sojourners; besides, in that year there was the remission of debts and the liberation of Hebrews who were in slavery” (the latter, as already mentioned, did not belong to the special features of the Sabbath year). Thus the main significance of the law of the Sabbath year is religious and moral; the idea of the complete service of the people and the land itself to the Lord and the arousing of faith and hope in Him in the people, heartfelt devotion to Him; then the cultivation of the spirit of brotherly love and love of humanity in the people of God; finally, the establishment of social equality in the people. The other motives of the institution have completely subordinate and secondary significance, which some scholars have elevated to the rank of primary, such as: accustoming the people to proper government savings and at the same time to the hunt for wild animals (Michaelis, Hugo), to a rational way of conducting the working of fields and agriculture (Riehm, Nowack). The Sabbath year, strictly observed, could certainly have a fruitful effect on these aspects of ancient Hebrew life as well, but the main meaning and significance of the institution lay in the cultivation of the will of the people to serve God and their neighbor. There is no testimony to the observance of the law in pre-exilic times, except for an indefinite reference Isa 37:30. On the contrary, there is direct biblical testimony 2 Chr 36:21 (compare Lev 26:34-36) of the failure of the Hebrews to observe the Sabbath years before the exile, so that the 70 years of captivity appear as if the involuntary Sabbath observance of Palestine as punishment for the Hebrews’ voluntary violation of the Sabbath years in that land. After the exile the Sabbath year was observed and with special rigor, namely regarding the rest of the land (compare 1 Macc 6:20-49; Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 11:8, 6; 13:8, 1; 14:16, 12; 15:1, 2); the year before the destruction of Jerusalem was also a Sabbath year. On the other hand, the pure religious and moral spirit of the law was increasingly lost in the mass of casuistic prescriptions of the Talmudic authorities (for example, the remission of debts was excluded from the privileges of the Sabbath year by means of the so-called “prozbul” invented by Hillel the Elder, that is, a document that guaranteed the creditor the right to collect his debts in the Sabbath year). Proclamation of the Jubilee Lev 25:9.

Leviticus 25:8. And you shall count seven Sabbath years, seven times seven years, so that the span of the seven Sabbath years shall be forty-nine years; Leviticus 25:9. Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to be sounded in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month; on the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land; Leviticus 25:10. And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his family. Just as after 7 weeks from Passover came the 50th day – the festival of Pentecost – so after 7 Sabbath years should be observed the 50th, the Jubilee year, Hebrew schat-hajobel or simply jobel (also schnat-deror, Lev 25:10, see Ezek 46:17; Isa 61:1); LXX: ενιαυτός ἀφέσεως, year of release, Slavonic: “a year of restitution.” According to Josephus (Jewish Antiquities 3:12, 3), the word ᾶωβήλ (Greek transliteration of Hebrew jobel) means ἐλευὕερία. Arabic translation: dimissio, Vulgate: remissio. But this is not an exact rendering of the proper meaning of the name jobel. The latter (according to the opinion of Rosenmüller, Bähr, Keil, Riehm, Stade-Siegfried, and others) may designate (by correlation with Exod 19:13 and Josh 6:5-6) the sounds of trumpets (made from a ram’s horn), resonant and spreading in all directions (root jabal – to flow, to spread), the sounds by which throughout Palestine the people were announced the coming of the Jubilee year (the name schnat-jobel, Jubilee year, thus is entirely analogous in meaning with the name of the feast of the 7th new moon, jom teruah, day of trumpet sound). The Jubilee was proclaimed on the 10th day of the month of Tishri at the end of the Sabbath (49th, Lev 25:8) year, that is, on the Day of Atonement. That the Jubilee year was the 50th and not the 49th, as many Jewish and Christian commentators believed (among Russian scholars – Metropolitan Philaret and G. Vlastov), is clear from the direct testimony of the text Lev 25:10, where the Jubilee year is directly called the 50th, and from Lev 25:8, where the 49th year or 7th Sabbath is distinguished from the Jubilee year; the objection of supporters of the opposite view, that under our reckoning “there would be 2 years in a row of lying fallow” (Vlastov), is already removed by the mentioned indication of the legislator (Lev 25:21) about the special blessing of God upon the harvest of the year before the Sabbath. The provisions about the Jubilee year, set forth in Lev 25:8-55 of this chapter, with the supplement of Lev 27:17-24 and Num 36:4, are essentially reduced to 3 privileges: 1) rest of the land, as in the Sabbath year (Lev 25:11-13); 2) return of immovable property to their original owners (Lev 25:14-34), see Lev 27:17-24; Num 36:4); 3) return of freedom to Hebrew slaves (Lev 25:35-55). The words serve as an epigraph to these laws, expressing their essence, in Lev 25:10: (It shall be a Jubilee for you) “each of you shall return to his property, and each of you shall return to his family.”

Leviticus 25:11. The fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee for you; you shall not sow, nor reap what grows by itself in your land, nor gather the grapes from untended vines; Leviticus 25:12. For it is a Jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You may eat its produce from the field. Leviticus 25:13. In this year of Jubilee you shall each return to your property. Leviticus 25:14. When you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not oppress one another; Leviticus 25:15. You shall buy from your neighbor for the number of years after the Jubilee; and he shall sell to you for the number of years of harvest; Leviticus 25:16. When there are many years remaining, you shall multiply the price, and when there are few years remaining, you shall reduce the price, for he sells to you only for a certain number of harvests. Leviticus 25:17. You shall not oppress one another, but you shall fear your God, for I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 25:18. Keep my statutes and observe my laws and carry them out, and you will dwell on the land securely; Leviticus 25:19. And the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and dwell on it in safety. Leviticus 25:11. The fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee for you; you shall not sow, nor reap what grows by itself in your land, nor gather the grapes from untended vines; Leviticus 25:12. For it is a Jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You may eat its produce from the field. Leviticus 25:13. In this year of Jubilee you shall each return to your property. The celebration of the Jubilee consisted first of all in the Sabbath rest of the land; the land and fruit trees (“untended,” from Hebrew nezer – Nazirite, dedicated to God) were to remain without cultivation, as in a state of primeval virginity, and what grew apart from human effort was to be, like the manna of the wilderness, common property. Of course, for the believing exegete there is no need for the assumption of Baentsch (in Handkommentar z. A. T. Exod. – Leviticus, edited by Nowack, 1900, p. 425) and other rationalist scholars that this feature was artificially transferred to the Jubilee year from the Sabbath year.

Leviticus 25:14. When you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not oppress one another; Leviticus 25:15. You shall buy from your neighbor for the number of years after the Jubilee; and he shall sell to you for the number of years of harvest; Leviticus 25:16. When there are many years remaining, you shall multiply the price, and when there are few years remaining, you shall reduce the price, for he sells to you only for a certain number of harvests. Leviticus 25:17. You shall not oppress one another, but you shall fear your God, for I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 25:18. Keep my statutes and observe my laws and carry them out, and you will dwell on the land securely; Leviticus 25:19. And the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and dwell on it in safety. Leviticus 25:20. But if you say, What shall we eat in the seventh year, if we do not sow and do not gather our produce? Leviticus 25:21. I will send my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth a crop sufficient for three years; Leviticus 25:22. And you shall sow in the eighth year and eat of the old produce until the ninth year; until its produce comes in, you shall eat the old. The unique essence of the laws of the Jubilee year consists of a complete restitutio in integrum – the requirement to restore the order of things established at the division of the promised land to the Israelites, that is, the equal distribution of immovable property and personal freedom of each member of the theocratic community – an order gradually undermined by the influence of natural, everyday, and other conditions. To prevent the complete alienation of land parcels from impoverished owners, the sale of land in Israel is permitted only as the sale of a certain number of harvests (Lev 25:16), namely those remaining until the next Jubilee year; according to the number of years until the Jubilee (Lev 25:15), the price of the sold parcel increased or decreased (Lev 27:17). Every sale and purchase of land is placed under the moral point of view – the requirements of love and justice toward one’s neighbor (Lev 25:17), and all the obligations regarding the Sabbath and Jubilee year, as well as the observance of all God’s statutes and laws, are secured by the authority of the legislator – the Lord (Lev 25:17-18) and the promised blessing from Him for those who fulfill them (Lev 25:19-22).

Leviticus 25:23. The land must not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; you are but strangers and sojourners with Me; Underlying the stated order of inalienability of land property in Israel is the theocratic principle of the Lord being the sole owner of the land, in relation to which all Hebrews appear to be only temporary proprietors – strangers and sojourners – and arbitrary disposition of the land was not granted to them.

Leviticus 25:24. Throughout the land of your property, you shall allow the right of redemption for the land. Leviticus 25:25. If your brother becomes impoverished and sells part of his property, then his nearest kinsman shall come and redeem what his brother has sold; Leviticus 25:26. But if he has no one to redeem it and later he himself acquires the means to redeem it, Leviticus 25:27. Then let him reckon the years since its sale and restore the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and return to his own property. Leviticus 25:28. But if his hand has not found what is sufficient for him to redeem it, then what he sold shall remain in the hand of the one who bought it until the year of Jubilee; and in the Jubilee year it shall go free, and he shall return to his property. Hence the universal right of redemption (geullah, Lev 25:24): every sale of land takes the form of renting it out until the Jubilee year. Moreover, the sale, conditioned solely by poverty, always presumes the right of redemption – either by a kinsman (goёl) of the poor man, or by the poor man himself if he became wealthy – of course, calculated according to the years of the sale (Lev 25:26-27). If redemption before the Jubilee year proved impossible for the former owner of the land, then in the Jubilee year the land in any case returned to him and without any redemption. According to Josephus (Jewish Antiquities 3:12, 3), at the coming of the Jubilee, the seller and buyer of the field met and calculated the profit obtained by the latter during possession of the property of the former, and the expenses made by him on the plot, and if the latter exceeded the former, then the buyer took from the seller an appropriate price in compensation. It is probable, however, that this was only a theoretical requirement of the scribes, not implemented in practice, as was the scribal rule that the redemption of sold land could not be carried out before the 3rd year after the sale. In Lev 27:17-24, there is a special supplement to the general Jubilee law about the redemption of lands, namely: a provision about land holdings consecrated to the sanctuary; with the preservation of the principle of inalienability of the land, here the protection of the rights of the sanctuary is also connected (redemption from the sanctuary is accomplished with an addition of 1/5 of the value, Lev 25:19). Another supplement to the law about the return of land parcels in the Jubilee year, namely the exemption from this law, is presented by the provision of Num 36:4, about the non-return of land holdings from daughters – heiresses (in the absence of sons) in the case of their marriage into another tribe.

Leviticus 25:29. If anyone sells a dwelling house in a walled city, the right to redeem it exists for one year after its sale; for a full year he has the right to redeem it; Leviticus 25:30. But if it is not redeemed within a full year, then the house in the walled city shall become the permanent possession of the one who bought it and his descendants; it shall not be released in the Jubilee. Leviticus 25:31. But the houses in villages that have no wall around them shall be counted as open land: the right to redeem them always exists, and they shall be released in the Jubilee. Leviticus 25:32. As for the cities of the Levites, the houses in the cities of their possession – the Levites shall always have the right to redeem them; Leviticus 25:33. And if anyone from the Levites does not redeem, then the sold house in the city of their possession shall be released in the Jubilee; for the houses in the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel; Leviticus 25:34. But the fields around their cities may not be sold, for it is their permanent possession. Houses in villages, which have no strong artificial wall, are on the same level as field land with respect to the right of redemption and return in the Jubilee year. Villages and houses in them are closely connected to the land, and therefore “houses in villages must be counted like field land; you may redeem them always, and they shall be released in the Jubilee” (Lev 25:31). On the other hand, with regard to houses in walled cities, the right of redemption is limited to one year, and the essential law of inalienability of immovable property does not extend to these houses at all (which had the character of income-producing, speculative buildings) (Lev 25:29-30). In Lev 25:30, in the Hebrew text, in the expression bair ascher lo choma, lo is not the negation “not,” as in the accepted Masoretic reading, but, according to the Samaritan and other translations, lo means “to it” (to the city). The purchase of a house in a city did not at all change the original division of the land (tradition understands by cities walled at the time of Joshua); moreover, property interests in the city generally went beyond the bounds of the tribes, finally, in cities many foreigners lived, it was not right to make them participants in the privileges of the Jubilee year.

Leviticus 25:32. As for the cities of the Levites, the houses in the cities of their possession – the Levites shall always have the right to redeem them; Leviticus 25:33. And if anyone from the Levites does not redeem, then the sold house in the city of their possession shall be released in the Jubilee; for the houses in the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel; Leviticus 25:34. But the fields around their cities may not be sold, for it is their permanent possession. On the other hand, for the Levite houses in each of the designated (numbering 48, compare Num 35:7) Levite cities, an exception was made: they could always be redeemed (Lev 25:32), because houses for the Levites, who did not receive land allotments, replaced those, and therefore were entirely subject to the Jubilee privileges (Lev 25:33); the small (2000 cubits in each direction, Num 35:5) spaces around the Levite cities (pasture land), which served the Levites for cattle raising and were probably common property of all the Levites of the city, were forbidden to be sold at all (Lev 25:34).

Leviticus 25:34. But the fields around their cities may not be sold, for it is their permanent possession. Leviticus 25:35. If your brother becomes impoverished and falls into hardship with you, then you shall support him as a stranger or a sojourner, so that he may live with you; Leviticus 25:36. Take no usury or profit from him; fear your God, so that your brother may live with you; The third essential privilege of the Jubilee year consisted of the universal release to freedom of slaves – Israelites who out of poverty had sold themselves into slavery.

Leviticus 25:35. If your brother becomes impoverished and falls into hardship with you, then you shall support him as a stranger or a sojourner, so that he may live with you; Leviticus 25:36. Take no usury or profit from him; fear your God, so that your brother may live with you; Leviticus 25:37. Do not give him your money at interest, and do not give him your grain for profit. Leviticus 25:38. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. These verses constitute an introduction to the article on the liberation of Hebrew slaves and contain: a) a general exhortation to compassion and mercy toward one who has become poor (and apparently has already lost his own land holding) – not only an Israelite born in the land, but also one accepted in Israeli society as a stranger (Lev 25:35); b) more specifically, the collection from the needy is forbidden of interest (neschech) on loaned capital and any profit (tarbit) on debts in kind (Lev 25:36-37); c) the commandment of mercy toward the poor is secured and confirmed by the authority of the Lord, God of Israel, who from the exodus has stood in special relations to this people (Lev 25:38).

Leviticus 25:39. When your brother becomes impoverished with you and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a slave; Leviticus 25:40. He shall be with you as a hired worker, as a sojourner; he shall serve you until the year of Jubilee, Leviticus 25:41. And then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and return to his own family and enter again into the possession of his fathers, Leviticus 25:42. For they are My slaves, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they must not be sold as slaves; Leviticus 25:43. You shall not rule over him with harshness; fear your God. The release of Hebrew slaves in the Jubilee year is entirely analogous to the return of land parcels and houses to their original owners in that year (Lev 25:14-17), constituting together with it the restitutio in integrum of the order established by God (at the entry of Israel into the promised land). A Hebrew who fell into slavery to his kinsman out of poverty was to be for his master not a slave but only a temporary hired worker and sojourner, whom one could not burden with heavy labor (Lev 25:39-41). The motive for the legislation is the reference to the historical fact of the bringing out of the Hebrews from Egypt, by virtue of which all of them, equally, rich and poor, became slaves of the Lord, and not of anyone among men (Lev 25:42-43). Since every Hebrew slave in the 7th year of his service (independent of the Sabbath and Jubilee years) became free (Exod 21:1; Deut 15:12), the law of the Jubilee year was beneficial only to those Hebrew slaves who by the beginning of the Jubilee year had not served the full 6 years, those who had become slaves for the shortest time, and besides, by reminding of the fear of God (Lev 25:43), of the mutual brotherhood of all Hebrews among themselves (Lev 25:47), the Jubilee law, without doubt, aimed at alleviating the condition of Hebrew slaves.

Leviticus 25:44. But as for your male and female slaves, you may buy them from the nations that are around you; Leviticus 25:45. Also you may buy from the children of the sojourners who dwell with you, and from their families that are with you, whom they have borne in your land, and they may become your property; Leviticus 25:46. You may pass them on to your children after you to inherit as property; you may use them as servants forever. But regarding your brothers, the children of Israel, you shall not rule over one another with harshness. The law of the release of slaves does not extend to foreigners alien to Israel and its faith; the Hebrews were allowed to buy them from neighboring peoples and strangers and indeed forever (leolam), with the right to pass them on to children as inheritance (Lev 25:44-46).

Leviticus 25:47. If a stranger or sojourner with you has become wealthy, and your brother becomes impoverished beside him and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner with you, or to a member of the sojourner’s clan, Leviticus 25:48. After he is sold, redemption is possible for him; one of his brothers may redeem him, Leviticus 25:49. Or his uncle or his uncle’s son may redeem him, or anyone from his clan may redeem him; or if he prospers, he may redeem himself. Leviticus 25:50. And he shall reckon with his buyer from the year when he sold himself to him until the year of Jubilee, and the price of his sale shall be according to the number of years; as a hired worker he shall be with him; Leviticus 25:51. If many years remain, he shall pay for his redemption in proportion to them from the purchase price; Leviticus 25:52. And if only a few years remain until the year of Jubilee, he shall calculate and pay for his redemption accordingly. Leviticus 25:53. He shall be with him as a hired worker from year to year; he shall not rule over him with harshness before your eyes. Leviticus 25:54. And if he is not redeemed in any of these ways, he shall go out in the year of Jubilee, both he and his children with him, In contrast, a Hebrew who became impoverished and fell into slavery to a stranger or foreigner could be enslaved only for a time (until the Jubilee year, Lev 25:50, or rather until the 7th year of service, compare Exod 21:2; Deut 15:12), could always redeem himself either with his own resources (Lev 25:50-52) or with the resources of one of his relatives (Lev 25:48-49), who were obligated to come to the aid of a kinsman. In the Jubilee year, in any case, a Hebrew slave with his children went out from the master-foreigner and without any redemption (Lev 25:54). The motive – the already mentioned (Lev 25:38-42) circumstance of the liberation of the Hebrews by the Lord from Egyptian slavery for free national and religious development (Lev 25:55). The observance of the law of the Jubilee year is not confirmed by positive biblical-historical evidence either regarding the subsequent history of Israel or regarding its post-exilic history (according to the rabbis, after the exile the Jubilee years were not celebrated, but only counted for proper calculation and regular celebration of Sabbath years). In the historical and prophetic books there is talk of the enslavement and merciless treatment of Hebrews with their fellow Hebrew slaves (2 Sam 4:1; Nehem 5:5), of their not being released into freedom even after their years of service (Jer 34:8), of the oppression of the poor by the strong and noble (Ezek 45:8), of the violent seizure of ancestral land allotments (1 Sam 21:2), of arbitrary and violent seizures of fields and houses by the rich from the poor (Isa 5:8; Mic 2:2) – all of which directly and fundamentally contradicts the laws of the Jubilee year. Only Christ the Savior, appearing on earth, preached to all people “the year of the Lord favorable” (Luke 4:19), of which the Jubilee year was a prefigurement (Isa 61:1; Ezek 46:17).

Chapter Twenty-Six

1–2. Confirmation of the commandments of worshiping God. 3–13. Promises for the fulfillment of God’s commandments and 14–39. Threats for the violation of them. 40–46. The future of Israel

Leviticus 26:1. You shall not make idols for yourselves, nor shall you set up a carved image or a sacred pillar for yourselves, nor shall you place a carved stone in your land to kneel before it, for I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 26:2. Observe my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. Briefly, from the negative and positive sides, through the turning away of Israel from idolatry (and generally the violation of the first three commandments of the Decalogue) and the exhortation to observe the Sabbaths of the Lord and to preserve the sanctity of His sanctuary – to the outward expression of the covenant with the Lord – the essence of worship of God is repeated, on the fulfillment or non-fulfillment of which will depend the prosperity or affliction of Israel. The use and deification is forbidden: 1) idols, Hebrew elilim, false, worthless gods (compare Lev 19:4); 2) carved images, Hebrew pecel, Vulgate: sculptile, cast, worked with a chisel, idols; 3) pillars – mazzebah, wooden and stone stelae, which the patriarchs erected at places marked by divine manifestations (Gen 28:18), – in view of the misuse of these monuments by the people, they are now forbidden, and 4) carved stones – eben maskit, Vulgate: insignem lapidem, that is, images of idols (compare Ezek 8:12).

Leviticus 26:3. If you follow my statutes and keep my commandments and do them, Leviticus 26:4. Then I will give you rains in their season, and the land shall give its increase, and the trees of the field shall give their fruit; Leviticus 26:5. And the threshing of your harvest shall reach the vintage, and the vintage shall reach the sowing, and you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell safely on your land; Leviticus 26:6. I will send peace in the land, and you shall lie down with no one to make you afraid; I will remove dangerous beasts from the land, and no sword shall pass through your land; Leviticus 26:7. You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword; Leviticus 26:8. Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword; Leviticus 26:9. I will regard you favorably and make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will establish my covenant with you; Leviticus 26:10. You shall eat the old stored up, and you shall clear away the old because of the new; Leviticus 26:11. I will place my tabernacle among you, and my soul will not abhor you; Leviticus 26:12. I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. For strict observance of God’s commandments, Israel is promised: 1) fruitfulness of the land, and first of all, since in Palestine it depended on timely and abundant rainfall, early (joreh, autumn) and late (malgosch, spring), compare Deut 11:11; compare Jer 5:24 – timely rains (Lev 26:4); abundant harvest (Lev 26:5) – such that the threshing of grain (usually finished with the harvest by Pentecost, therefore in May) will extend until the autumn (at the end of September – beginning of October) gathering of grapes, and the gathering of the latter will scarcely finish by the time of sowing (in November, before the arrival of the early rains); 2) peace and quiet in the land of Israel from wild beasts and enemies, easy and certain victory over enemies, strength and courage of God’s people (Lev 26:6-8); 3) fruitfulness, multiplication of the population and enrichment (compare Lev 25:21-22) of it (Lev 26:9-10) – all this in the name of the covenant (see Gen 17:4-6), and 4) the most important blessing: the dwelling of the Lord with His people, the gracious communion of Him with them (compare 2 Cor 6:16) and the moral elevation of the latter among other peoples (Lev 26:11-13). So nothing is forgotten here that serves the material and spiritual good of Israel! Punishments for the failure to fulfill the obligations, on the contrary, are to follow one another not all at once, but the more severe and heavy will be sent only when the less strict have not produced a corrective effect on the people.

Leviticus 26:14. But if you will not obey me and will not keep all these commandments, Leviticus 26:15. And if you despise my statutes and if your soul abhors my laws, so that you do not do all my commandments, breaking my covenant, Leviticus 26:16. Then I will do this to you: I will send terror and wasting disease and burning fever upon you that will cause your eyes to fail and your life to be consumed; and you shall sow your seed in vain, and your enemies shall eat it; Leviticus 26:17. I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies; those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you. Leviticus 26:18. If after this you still will not obey me, I will chastise you sevenfold for your sins, Leviticus 26:19. I will break your proud glory, and I will make your sky like iron and your earth like copper; Leviticus 26:20. And your strength shall be spent in vain, and your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit. Leviticus 26:21. If you act with hostility toward me and will not listen to me, I will afflict you sevenfold for your sins: Leviticus 26:22. I will send wild animals among you, which shall rob you of your children and kill your cattle, and diminish your numbers so that your roads will become desolate. Leviticus 26:23. If you are not corrected by this and act with hostility toward me, Leviticus 26:24. Then I too will act with hostility toward you, and I will strike you sevenfold for your sins, Leviticus 26:25. I will bring a sword upon you to take vengeance for the covenant; if you retreat into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy; Leviticus 26:26. When I break your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in a single oven and shall ration your bread by weight; and you shall eat and not be satisfied. Leviticus 26:27. If you will not obey me even after this and act with hostility toward me, Leviticus 26:28. Then I will act toward you in the fury of my wrath; I will punish you sevenfold for your sins, Leviticus 26:29. You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters you shall eat; Leviticus 26:30. I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars and cast your corpses on the corpses of your idols; my soul will abhor you; Leviticus 26:31. I will make your cities a waste and will lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will not smell the pleasant aroma of your offerings; Leviticus 26:32. I will lay the land waste, so that your enemies who settle in it shall be appalled by it. Leviticus 26:33. I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out the sword after you; and your land shall be a desolation and your cities a waste. Leviticus 26:34. Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate while you are in the land of your enemies; then the land shall rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. Leviticus 26:35. As long as it lies desolate it shall rest – for the time that it failed to rest during your Sabbaths when you were dwelling upon it. Leviticus 26:36. And as for those of you who survive, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; the sound of a rustling leaf shall put them to flight, and they shall flee as one flees from the sword, and they shall fall though no one pursues. Leviticus 26:37. They shall stumble over one another as if fleeing from the sword, though no one pursues them, and you shall have no power to stand against your enemies. Leviticus 26:38. You shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall consume you; Leviticus 26:39. And those of you who survive shall pine away in their iniquity in the lands of your enemies; and also in the iniquities of their ancestors they shall pine away. 1) Diseases and suffering from enemies (Lev 26:16-17). Schachepheth – “wasting disease,” consumption (LXX: ψώρα, Slavonic: “skin disease”; from Arabic: possibly wasting from hunger). Oddachath – “burning fever,” fever heat (LXX: ἵκτερα, Vulgate: ardor; Syriac: scabies; Slavonic: “jaundice”). 2) To humble the stubborness, pride, and hope of the people in wealth, barrenness of the soil is sent to them (Lev 26:18-20): the sky will be like iron (from scarcity of rain), the earth – like copper (from barrenness), Lev 26:19 (compare Deut 28:23, where the comparison is in reverse). This terrible word against Israel has been fulfilled with complete exactness on Palestine, once flowing with milk and honey, and now laid waste. 3) Abundance of wild beasts and the desolation of the land (Lev 26:22, compare Ezek 5:17) – a punishment that was fulfilled exactly first on the kingdom of Israel (2 Sam 17:25). 4) Destruction by the enemy sword, which will be the avenger for Israel’s violation of the covenant (Lev 26:25), from plague (ib.), and finally from hunger: ten housewives will prepare bread for ten families in one oven (verse Lev 26:26), “because of the insufficiency of what is necessary” (Theodoret, question 36), and hunger will continually increase in view of the meager, weighed-out portions of bread. 5) Lev 26:27-33: the final affliction of Israel – hunger driving to cannibalism of parents in relation to their own children (Lev 26:29, – so it was during the siege of Samaria, 2 Sam 6:28, and Jerusalem, Jer 19:9; Lam 2:20, especially at its destruction by Titus, Josephus, Jewish War 5:1, 4–5); destruction of the objects of worship – false (verse 30, “high places,” bamoth; obelisks, chammanin, dedicated to the sun god, at Phoenician Baal-Hamman, compare Isa 17:8; 2 Chr 34:4, idols, compare 2 Sam 23:10-16), and then true (Lev 26:31 in contrast to Lev 26:11); finally extreme desolation, astonishing to the very enemies of Israel’s land (Lev 26:32) and the scattering of the people among nations (Lev 26:33).

Leviticus 26:34. Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate while you are in the land of your enemies; then the land shall rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. Leviticus 26:35. As long as it lies desolate it shall rest – for the time that it failed to rest during your Sabbaths when you were dwelling upon it. A deep and bitter irony: the people did not keep God’s law about the Sabbath year, and now, during the time of their captivity in the land of enemies, the land of Palestine, already without the participation of Israel’s good will, will celebrate the Sabbath years. According to the Jewish tradition (compare Theodoret, question 37), the 70 years of captivity were the exact replacement of the 70 Sabbath years that went uncelebrated since the time of Saul (490 years before the captivity). Thus the land of God will shake off its unworthy inhabitants (compare Lev 18:26-30).

Leviticus 26:40. Then they shall confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their ancestors, for the treachery that they committed against me and that they continued to commit against me, Leviticus 26:41. So that I, in turn, acted with hostility against them and brought them into the land of their enemies. Then their uncircumcised heart will be humbled, and then they will accept the punishment for their iniquity. Afflictions and captivity will have a sobering effect on the stubborn people: in them it will see not a matter of chance but the determination of the punishing hand of the Lord, and will bear afflictions as an atonement for its iniquities.

Leviticus 26:42. Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac, and my covenant with Abraham I will remember; and I will remember the land. Leviticus 26:43. For the land shall be abandoned by them, and shall enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. And they will accept the punishment for their iniquity, because they despised my laws and their soul abhorred my statutes, Leviticus 26:44. Yet even when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them and I will not abhor them so as to destroy them utterly, to break my covenant with them, for I am the Lord their God; Leviticus 26:45. But I will remember for their sake the covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, to be their God. I am the Lord. Then the Lord in His full power will restore the covenant with the chosen people, which He established with their patriarchs (compare Theodoret, question 37), which has significance for all of mankind, and therefore is unbreakable (Lev 26:44, see Rom 11:29).

Leviticus 26:46. These are the statutes and laws and teachings which the Lord established between Himself and the children of Israel on Mount Sinai through Moses. This verse apparently concludes not only the chapter but the entire book Lev 27 and constitutes a special appendix to it.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

On the redemption of those consecrated to the Lord; cases when redemption is impossible; the tithe to the Lord from the land

Leviticus 27:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Leviticus 27:2. Declare to the children of Israel and say to them: If anyone makes a vow to consecrate a person to the Lord according to your valuation, Leviticus 27:3. your valuation for a male from twenty years old to sixty years shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; Leviticus 27:4. but if it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels; Leviticus 27:5. from five years to twenty years your valuation for a male shall be twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels; Leviticus 27:6. and from a month to five years your valuation for a male shall be five shekels of silver, and for a female your valuation shall be three shekels of silver; Leviticus 27:7. from sixty years and upward, a male your valuation shall be fifteen shekels of silver, and for a female ten shekels. As a parallel to the redemption of sold property (Lev 25), the law permits and regulates the redemption of those consecrated to the Lord – not by virtue of legal obligation, but by free zeal or vow, by virtue of a free movement of religious feeling. One who has consecrated, by this impulse, either himself or another person to the Lord, thereby gives the life of the consecrated one to the Lord; in exchange for this life, the Lord permits giving redemption money for the benefit of the sanctuary. The amount of redemption varies depending on sex and age: for males: a) in mature age from 20 to 60 years – 50 shekels of the sanctuary (not of the people, which were less than the sanctuary shekel by 1/7 of silver); b) from 5 to 20 years – 20 shekels; c) from 1 month to 5 years – 5 shekels; d) over 60 years – 15 shekels. Females in all the indicated ages are valued lower: a) 30 shekels; b) 10 shekels; c) 3 shekels; d) 10 shekels. Obviously, in each case the unequal work capacity of the person consecrated to the sanctuary was valued, and physical labor was required from him for the sanctuary: chopping wood, carrying water, and so forth.

Leviticus 27:8. But if he is poor and not able to pay according to your valuation, then let him present himself to the priest, and the priest shall value him; according to the means of the one who makes the vow, let the priest value him. If the stated valuation should prove too high for a poor man, the priest made a special valuation for him: in accordance with his means.

Leviticus 27:9. But if it is livestock, which one brings as an offering to the Lord, then all that is given to the Lord shall be holy: Leviticus 27:10. it shall not be exchanged or replaced, good for bad, or bad for good; but if one does exchange livestock for livestock, then both it and the exchange shall be holy. Leviticus 27:11. But if it is any unclean livestock, which one does not bring as an offering to the Lord, then the livestock shall be presented to the priest, Leviticus 27:12. and the priest shall value it, whether it be good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall be; Leviticus 27:13. but if one wishes to redeem it, then let him add a fifth to your valuation. In the case of the consecration of sacrificial livestock, it must unconditionally be given as a sacrifice (Lev 27:9), and to prevent selfish choice, any exchange of the promised animal is forbidden, even for a better one (Lev 27:10). In the case of consecration to the Lord of an unclean animal, it either was used for the sanctuary in kind, or was sold for the benefit of the sanctuary by the priest, or – in the case that the one who consecrated it wished to receive the animal back – the priest valued it, and the owner paid the price with an addition of 1/5 of it (Lev 27:13) – a kind of penalty for the thoughtlessness of the vow and improper use of the holy possession (compare Lev 5:16).

Leviticus 27:14. If someone consecrates his house as a holy place to the Lord, then the priest shall value it, whether it be good or bad, and as the priest values it, so it shall be made; Leviticus 27:15. but if the one who consecrated it wishes to redeem his house, then let him add a fifth of the silver of your valuation, and then it shall be his. The same applied to a house that was consecrated (for example, in case of illness) and then redeemed, as with a field (Lev 27:19).

Leviticus 27:16. If someone consecrates a field from his own possession to the Lord, your valuation shall be according to the measure of its sowing: for the sowing of a homer of barley, fifty shekels of silver; The measure of the field is determined by the amount of seed sown. The homer (compare Num 11:32) or cor – a measure of dry goods, approximately equal to 6 seahs, consequently somewhat less than our Russian chetvyork. In 50 shekels is valued the yield of the field on which a homer of barley is sown, probably not for one year, but for several years of lease occupation.

Leviticus 27:17. if from the jubilee year someone consecrates his field, – it shall stand according to your valuation; Leviticus 27:18. but if after the jubilee he consecrates his field, then the priest shall reckon the silver according to the years remaining until the jubilee year, and it shall be reduced from your valuation; Leviticus 27:19. but if the one who consecrates it wishes to redeem the field, then let him add a fifth of the silver of your valuation, and it shall remain with him; Leviticus 27:20. but if he does not redeem the field, and the field is sold to another man, then it can no longer be redeemed: Leviticus 27:21. the field, when it becomes holy in the jubilee, shall be a holy place for the Lord, like a field devoted to destruction; it shall become the possession of the priest. Leviticus 27:22. And if someone consecrates to the Lord a field which is purchased, which is not of his own fields, Leviticus 27:23. then the priest shall reckon for him the amount of the valuation up to the jubilee year, and he shall give the amount according to the reckoning on that very day, as a holy thing to the Lord; Leviticus 27:24. but the field in the jubilee year shall pass again to him from whom it was purchased, to whom the possession of the land belongs. The aforementioned (see note to Lev 25) calculation of the value of land parcels being consecrated to the sanctuary, in connection with the law of the jubilee year. Two cases characteristic of the Old Testament theocracy appear in this context: 1) a field consecrated to the Lord, not redeemed by its owner, and sold to another, became as it were devoted to destruction (cherem, LXX: ὥσπερ γῆ ἁφωρισμένη ἀνάθεμα), Lev 27:20-21); a distinction is drawn between a field acquired by purchase, purchased property, of which the purchaser had no right to dispose after the jubilee year, and ancestral property, which could not be turned into a devoted thing, into an eternal possession of the sanctuary.

Leviticus 27:25. All your valuations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary; twenty gerahs shall be in the shekel. The ancient Hebrew shekel (compare Exod 30:13), as specimens of it in the Louvre Museum show, weighed somewhat less than our silver ruble (about 4 zlotniks, while a ruble is 4 zlotniks and 21 parts), from which comes the approximate value of 80–86 kopecks. In a shekel there are 20 gerahs, 10 gerahs or 1/2 shekel is a beka (in 1 Sam 9:8 there is also mentioned 1/4 shekel).

Leviticus 27:26. Only the firstborn of the livestock, which by right of firstborn belong to the Lord, no one shall consecrate: whether it be an ox or small livestock – they belong to the Lord. Leviticus 27:27. But if it is unclean livestock, it shall be redeemed according to your valuation and a fifth shall be added to it; if not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to your valuation. One could consecrate to the Lord out of zeal only what, by itself, without such consecration, already by law did not belong to Him. Therefore, one could not consecrate the firstborn to the Lord, as they belonged to the Lord by law – Exod 13:2.

Leviticus 27:28. But all that is devoted, which a man devotes to the Lord from his own property – whether a person, livestock, or a field of his possession – shall not be sold and shall not be redeemed: all that is devoted is most holy to the Lord; Leviticus 27:29. all that is devoted from among men shall not be redeemed: it shall be put to death. No redemption is permitted for “all that is devoted, cherem (Slavonic: “vow”), which a man devotes to the Lord from his own property, a person, livestock, or field…” The devoted – herem – is, first, “qodesch qodaschim lajhovah,” “most holy to the Lord,” and as such, in no way can become a matter of ownership or use by man (Lev 27:28); second, the devoted – whether person or livestock – cannot remain alive, but must be put to death (Lev 27:29). So that the condemnation to death of a person would have a moral foundation and religious sanctification, it could extend among God’s people to persons and peoples hostile to the Kingdom of God (see Num 21:2; Deut 12:16; Josh 6:17; 1 Sam 15:18-19; 1 Sam 20:42).

Leviticus 27:30. And all the tithe of the land, from the seed of the land and from the fruit of the tree, belongs to the Lord: this is holy to the Lord; Leviticus 27:31. but if anyone wishes to redeem his tithe, let him add to its price a fifth part. Leviticus 27:32. And all the tithe of the herd and the flock, of all that passes under the rod, every tenth one, shall be devoted to the Lord; Leviticus 27:33. it shall not be examined whether it be good or bad, and it shall not be exchanged; if one does exchange it, then both it and the exchange shall be holy and cannot be redeemed. The tithe was not a devoted thing; together with the firstborn and the firstfruits, the tithe was an obligatory theocratic offering to the sanctuary: “what passes under the rod – the tenth” (Lev 27:32) – a characteristic feature of daily life.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Introduction

The name of the book. In the Hebrew text, the fourth book of Moses is called:

1) “And He said” (“Vay-adabber”), corresponding to the first expression of the book;

2) “In the wilderness” (“Bemidbar”), according to the content of the book, and also to the further expression in verse 1 of its first chapter. Besides that, in the language of the Rabbis it bears the name

3) “Book of numbers” (“Sefer misparim”), due to the character of some sections of its content. For the same reason, in the Greek Bible the book received the name “Numbers” (“Arithmoi”), in the Latin “Numbers” (“Numen”), in the Slavonic and Russian—“Numbers”.

Its content. The book of Numbers contains an account of the journey of the Hebrews through the wilderness from Mount Sinai to the plains of Moab, that is, to the southeastern border of the promised land. Besides the account of the wanderings of the Hebrews and the indication of certain laws given by God to the chosen people in this regard, the book includes detailed information on the numbering of the people, the Levites, the firstborn, and the encampments during their movement.

Chapter One

A census of the Hebrew people.—The selection of the Levites for service at the tabernacle.

Numbers 1:1. And the Lord said to Moses in the Sinai wilderness, in the tent of meeting, on the first [day] of the second month, in the second year after they had come out from the land of Egypt, saying: Numbers 1:2. Count all the congregation of the sons of Israel by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names, all the males individually: Numbers 1:3. From twenty years old and upward, all those able for war in Israel, by their companies count them—you and Aaron; Serving as a means of ascertaining the quantitative composition of the Hebrew army and the number of payers of the poll tax for the tabernacle (Exod 30:11-16), the census at the same time aimed at a visible confirmation of the divine promises to the patriarchs regarding the great multiplication of their descendants (Theodoret, Commentary on the book of Numbers, question 1). According to the information provided by the census, the results were as follows: In the tribe of Reuben—46,500 men. Simeon—59,300 men. Judah—74,600 men. Dan—62,700 men. Naphtali—53,400 men. Gad—45,650 men. Asher—41,500 men. Issachar—54,400 men. Zebulun—57,400 men. Ephraim—40,500 men. Manasseh—32,200 men. Benjamin—35,400 men. Total—603,550 men.

Numbers 1:4. With you there must be a man from each tribe, who is a leader of his family. Along with Moses, Aaron, and the Levites (Exod 38:21), the heads of the tribes were to take part in conducting the census, both to ensure thereby the greatest accuracy in compiling the lists, and to support in the eyes of the people the authority of the men they had chosen.

Numbers 1:47. But the Levites were not numbered among them by their ancestral families. Numbers 1:48. And the Lord said to Moses, saying: Numbers 1:49. Only the tribe of Levi shall you not register, nor count them among the sons of Israel; Numbers 1:50. But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony and over all its furnishings and over everything that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall serve in front of it, and shall camp around the tabernacle; Numbers 1:51. And when the tabernacle is to be moved, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. And if anyone else comes near, he shall be put to death. The poll tax and military duties for the Levites were replaced by their lifelong service at the tabernacle.

Chapter Two

The arrangement of the Hebrew camp during the journey.

Numbers 2:1. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, saying: Numbers 2:2. The sons of Israel shall each camp by his standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses; they shall camp facing the tent of meeting all around. Numbers 2:3. On the east side toward the sunrise, the standard of the camp of Judah shall be by their companies, and the leader of the sons of Judah shall be Nahshon, son of Amminadab, Numbers 2:4. and his company, those numbered of them, seventy-four thousand six hundred; Numbers 2:5. Next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, and the leader of the sons of Issachar shall be Nethanel, son of Zuar, Numbers 2:6. and his company, those numbered of them, fifty-four thousand four hundred; Numbers 2:7. [Then shall camp] the tribe of Zebulun, and the leader of the sons of Zebulun shall be Eliab, son of Helon, Numbers 2:8. and his company, those numbered of them, fifty-seven thousand four hundred; Numbers 2:9. All those numbered of the camp of Judah were one hundred eighty-six thousand four hundred, by their companies; they shall set out first. Numbers 2:10. The standard of the camp of Reuben on the south, by their companies, and the leader of the sons of Reuben shall be Elizur, son of Shedeur, Numbers 2:11. and his company, those numbered of them, forty-six thousand five hundred; Numbers 2:12. Next to him shall camp the tribe of Simeon, and the leader of the sons of Simeon shall be Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai, Numbers 2:13. and his company, those numbered of them, fifty-nine thousand three hundred; Numbers 2:14. Then the tribe of Gad, and the leader of the sons of Gad shall be Eliasaph, son of Reuel, Numbers 2:15. and his company, those numbered of them, forty-five thousand six hundred fifty; Numbers 2:16. All those numbered of the camp of Reuben were one hundred fifty-one thousand four hundred fifty, by their companies; they shall set out second. Numbers 2:17. When the tent of meeting sets out, the camp of the Levites shall set out in the middle of the camps. As they camp, so shall they set out, each in his place by their standards. Numbers 2:18. The standard of the camp of Ephraim by their companies toward the west, and the leader of the sons of Ephraim shall be Elishama, son of Ammihud, Numbers 2:19. and his company, those numbered of them, forty thousand five hundred; Numbers 2:20. Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh, and the leader of the sons of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, Numbers 2:21. and his company, those numbered of them, thirty-two thousand two hundred; Numbers 2:22. Then the tribe of Benjamin, and the leader of the sons of Benjamin shall be Abidan, son of Gideoni, Numbers 2:23. and his company, those numbered of them, thirty-five thousand four hundred; Numbers 2:24. All those numbered of the camp of Ephraim were one hundred eight thousand one hundred, by their companies; they shall set out third. Numbers 2:25. The standard of the camp of Dan on the north, by their companies, and the leader of the sons of Dan shall be Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai, Numbers 2:26. and his company, those numbered of them, sixty-two thousand seven hundred; Numbers 2:27. Next to him shall camp the tribe of Asher, and the leader of the sons of Asher shall be Pagiel, son of Ochran, Numbers 2:28. and his company, those numbered of them, forty-one thousand five hundred; Numbers 2:29. Then [shall camp] the tribe of Naphtali, and the leader of the sons of Naphtali shall be Ahira, son of Enan, Numbers 2:30. and his company, those numbered of them, fifty-three thousand four hundred; Numbers 2:31. All those numbered of the camp of Dan were one hundred fifty-seven thousand six hundred; they shall set out last, by their standards. Numbers 2:32. These are the ones numbered of the sons of Israel by their families. All those numbered in the camps, by their companies, were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty. Numbers 2:33. But the Levites were not numbered among the sons of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses. Numbers 2:34. The sons of Israel did everything as the Lord commanded Moses; so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, each one by their families, according to their fathers’ houses. In their journey through the Arabian wilderness, the Hebrew people presented themselves as a well-organized army, divided into four parts, with three tribal regiments in each. The vanguard was occupied by the tribe of Judah, with Zebulun on the right flank and Issachar on the left. The left side of the camp was protected by Dan, Asher, and Naphtali; the right side by Reuben, Gad, and Simeon. The rearguard consisted of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin. In the center of the elongated rectangle formed by the camp were placed the tabernacle, the tents of Moses, Aaron, the priests, and the Levites.

Chapter Three

A census of the Levites.—The distribution of Levite families according to their duties at the tabernacle.—A census of the Hebrew firstborn.

Numbers 3:11. And the Lord said to Moses, saying: Numbers 3:12. Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel in place of all the firstborn who open the womb among the sons of Israel [they shall be in their place]; the Levites shall be mine, Numbers 3:13. for all the firstborn are mine; on the day when I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for myself all the firstborn in Israel, from human beings to animals; they shall be mine. I am the Lord. (Compare Num 3:40-45). In gratitude to the Lord for deliverance from the slavery of Egypt, the Hebrews were to dedicate to Him their firstborn (Exod 13:1). Now the firstborn are returned to the families of Israel; in place of the firstborn, the tribe of Levi is set apart for service to God at the tabernacle. For the numerical excess of firstborn compared with the Levites (verse 46), a ransom is paid to the tabernacle (Num 3:47-51; compare Num 18:15).

Numbers 3:39. All the Levites whom Moses and Aaron registered according to the command of the Lord, by their families, all the males from one month old and upward, were twenty-two thousand. Among the family of Gershon—7,500 men. Kohath—8,600 men. Merari—6,200 men. Total—22,300 men.

Chapter Four

A census of the Levites from thirty to fifty years of age.—A repetition of the duties of each Levite family.

Numbers 4:1. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, saying: Numbers 4:2. Register the Kohathites from among the Levites, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, Numbers 4:3. from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can do duty, to do the work in the tent of meeting. According to the census conducted: Among the family of Gershon—2,630 men. Kohath—2,750 men. Merari—3,200 men. Total—8,580 men.

Numbers 4:5. When the camp is to move on, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down the veil of the screen, and cover the ark of the testimony with it; Numbers 4:6. and they shall put on it a covering of fine leather, and spread over it a cloth entirely of blue, and shall put its poles in place; Numbers 4:7. and over the table of the showbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put on it the plates, the dishes, the bowls, and the pitchers for the drink offering; the regular bread also shall be on it; Numbers 4:8. and they shall spread over them a cloth of scarlet, and cover it with a covering of fine leather, and shall put its poles in place; Numbers 4:9. and they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the lampstand and its lamps and its snuffers and its trays and all the vessels for its oil with which it is tended; Numbers 4:10. and they shall put it and all its furnishings within a covering of fine leather, and shall put it on the carrying poles; Numbers 4:11. and over the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of fine leather, and shall put its poles in place. Numbers 4:12. And they shall take all the vessels of the ministry with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of fine leather, and put them on the carrying poles. Numbers 4:13. And they shall remove the ashes from the altar, and spread a cloth of purple over it; Numbers 4:14. and they shall put on it all the vessels of the altar with which they minister at it—the firepans, the forks, the shovels, and the basins, all the vessels of the altar—and they shall spread on it a covering of fine leather, and put its poles in place. [And they shall take a purple cloth and cover the basin and its base, and put a covering of fine leather on it, and put it on the carrying poles.] By protecting the sacred objects from crude direct contact with unclean human hands and from the eyes of idle curiosity, the coverings strengthened the sacred mystery of the sacred things of the Old Testament tabernacle.

Numbers 4:15. When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp moves on, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the sanctuary, lest they die. These are the things of the tent of meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry. Numbers 4:17. And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: Numbers 4:18. Do not let the tribe of the clans of Kohath be destroyed from among the Levites; Numbers 4:19. but deal with them thus: Aaron and his sons shall go in and assign each to his task and to his load; Numbers 4:20. but they shall not go in to look on the holy things even for a moment, lest they die. To develop the sense of reverence for sacred objects in the common people of the Hebrew nation, strong measures were required.

Chapter Five

An order to remove from the Hebrew camp persons subject to physical impurity.—A law about the return of wrongfully acquired property.—The ritual of jealousy.

Numbers 5:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Numbers 5:2. Command the sons of Israel to put out of the camp everyone who is leprous, or has a discharge, and everyone who is unclean through contact with a corpse; Numbers 5:3. both male and female you shall put out, putting them outside the camp; for they will make their camp unclean, where I dwell among them. While seeking to preserve inner purity, the members of the chosen people were also to maintain outer purity as a symbol and expression of the purity of the spirit. Being a symbol of the latter, physical purity could serve many of the imperfect as both its sign and also its stimulus: increased care for the body could lead to moral cleanliness. “The small teaches the great,” remarks Theodoret. “If one who touches a dead body is unclean, then much more unclean is one who causes death. If a leper is unclean, then much more unclean is one who indulges in all kinds of vices. In the person who emits seed, sexual immorality is condemned, for if it is unclean even when involuntary, then much more is it vile when done intentionally” (Commentary on Numbers, question 8; see also Ephrem the Syrian, Commentary on Numbers, ch. 5). At the same time, of course, there were also considerations of a hygienic and sanitary nature. Physical impurity of a Hebrew, which made him unclean before God and people, depended partly on the condition of his own body (certain illnesses and physiological processes), and partly on contact with unclean objects. The physically unclean were excluded from the camp: the leprous for the entire duration of the illness, and others only for the time of lawful purification. The rite of purification consisted in some cases of simple washing (Lev 11:28); in others—of sprinkling with cleansing water (Num 19:11-12); in a third case—of offering a sacrifice (Lev 14).

Numbers 5:5. And the Lord said to Moses, saying: Numbers 5:6. Speak to the sons of Israel: if a man or a woman commits any of the sins that people commit, breaking faith with the Lord, and that person realizes their guilt, Numbers 5:7. then they shall confess the sin they have committed; and they shall make full restitution for the wrong, adding one-fifth to it, and giving it to the one they have wronged; Numbers 5:8. but if the injured party has no next-of-kin to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for wrong shall go to the Lord, to the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement with which atonement is made for the guilty party; One who unlawfully took possession of a thing must return it to the owner or to his heir (in the absence of the latter, to the tabernacle), with the addition of one-fifth of the value of the stolen property. Serving as punishment for theft, the additional fifth also served as a warning for the future. Besides returning the property to the injured party, the guilty one was also obliged to bring a guilt offering (Lev 5:15; Lev 6:2-6).

Numbers 5:15. then the man shall bring his wife to the priest. And he shall bring the offering required for her, one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal. He shall not pour oil on it or put frankincense on it, for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of remembrance, bringing iniquity to remembrance. According to the explanation of Theodoret, the sacrifice was deprived of oil and frankincense because the presumed crime, which was its occasion, lacked the fragrance and light of righteousness (Commentary on Numbers, question 10).

Numbers 5:17. Then the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and take some dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water; “Holy water” means water from the bronze basin at the tabernacle. “Dust from the floor of the tabernacle,” to show the depth of the fall of the guilty woman. “And he shall uncover the woman’s head,”—in expression of her deep sorrow and also to indicate the divine omniscience, before which nothing is hidden. “Bitter water” was so called either because of the curse which it imparted to the guilty, or because of the composition of bitter herbs (wormwood), which were included in it (Calmet).

Numbers 5:23. Then the priest shall write these curses on a scroll, and wash them off into the bitter water; According to the tradition of the Rabbis, the curse pronounced by the priest was written on a scroll with a writing that would not wash away from the material of the scroll.

Numbers 5:31. and the man shall be clear of guilt, but the woman shall bear her iniquity. Serving as an actual punishment for the guilty woman in adultery, the ritual of jealousy proved to be the triumph and vindication for the one falsely suspected. According to the accounts of travelers, among some tribes of Africa to this day the custom of testing a woman’s purity by means of “bitter water” has persisted (Vlastov, “Sacred Chronicle”).

Chapter Six

The vow of a Nazirite.—The formula of priestly blessing.

Numbers 6:1. And the Lord said to Moses, saying: Numbers 6:2. Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them: If either men or women make a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate themselves to the Lord, Nazirite vow—a kind of voluntary ascetic practice undertaken with a high moral purpose: one who commits to this practice “vows with a vow, so that they be cleansed with cleanness to the Lord” (Num 6:2 according to the Slavic translation). The commandment to keep oneself from defilement of physical impurity (and at the same time, of course, also spiritual) is binding on a Nazirite in heightened degree. For the sake of maintaining constant mental clarity and spiritual equilibrium, and also to avoid self-created temptations to sin, a Nazirite was obligated to abstain from the use of intoxicating beverages. The hair on the head of a Nazirite, as a symbol of moral strength and constant growth and progress in virtue, was not to be cut. The Nazirite vow could be for life or for a limited time. In case of involuntary defilement of the Nazirite by a forbidden thing before the end of the vow, a special ritual of purification was performed (Num 6 9–12), after which the fulfillment of the practice began again, “because his head of the vow became defiled.” The successful completion of the Nazirite vow was also marked by a special rite (Num 6:13-21).

Numbers 6:9. But if someone dies very suddenly beside the Nazirite, defiling the consecrated head, then they shall shave their head on the day of their cleansing; on the seventh day they shall shave it. “On the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day.” In Num 19:11 we read: “Whoever touches the corpse of any human being shall be unclean for seven days.”

Numbers 6:10. and on the eighth day they shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Numbers 6:11. and the priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and make atonement for them for having sinned by reason of the corpse. So they shall consecrate the head that same day. Numbers 6:12. And they shall rededicate themselves to the Lord for their consecration, and bring a male lamb a year old as a guilt offering; but the former time shall be void, because their consecration was defiled. Compare Lev 5:2.

Numbers 6:13. This is the law of the Nazirite: When the period of their consecration has been completed, they shall be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting. Numbers 6:14. and they shall offer their gift to the Lord, one male lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering, one ewe lamb a year old without blemish as a sin offering, and one ram without blemish as an offering of well-being. Numbers 6:15. and a basket of unleavened bread made of fine flour with oil mixed in, and unleavened cakes spread with oil, and their grain offering and their drink offerings; Compare Lev 1:3.

Numbers 6:22. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Numbers 6:23. Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them: Numbers 6:24. May the Lord bless you and keep you! Numbers 6:25. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you! Numbers 6:26. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace! Numbers 6:27. So shall they put my name upon the sons of Israel, and I [the Lord] will bless them. Jewish tradition says that this formula of blessing was pronounced daily, at the conclusion of religious services. It continues to be used to this day in the ritual of Jewish synagogal worship.

Chapter Seven

Offerings of the leaders of the Hebrew tribes at the dedication of the tabernacle.

Numbers 7:11. And the Lord said to Moses: “Let one leader of a tribe present his offering each day for the dedication of the altar.” “One leader each day”: for greater solemnity, greater focus of attention on the offerings and the one presenting them, and also for the inconvenience of combining the abundant offerings of the tribes. The valuable offerings and the animals brought as sacrifices were entirely identical, which suggests a preliminary inter-tribal agreement.

Numbers 7:15. one bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; Numbers 7:16. one male goat for a sin offering; Numbers 7:17. and for the sacrifice of well-being, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab. First was offered the sin offering (Lev 4:22-23), then—the burnt offering (Lev 1:3-9) and finally—the offering of well-being (Lev 3:3-9), with a concluding meal.

Chapter Eight

The arrangement of the lampstand.—The lighting of the tabernacle with lamps.—The dedication of the Levites.—The term of Levite service.

Numbers 8:4. This was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold; from its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand. The lampstand and the lamps are described in detail in Exod 25:31-37, Exod 37:17, and Exod 40:24-25.

Numbers 8:7. and to cleanse them, you shall do the following: sprinkle the water of purification on them, have them shave their whole body with a razor and wash their clothes, and so cleanse themselves. “With cleansing water”—according to some commentators, water from the basin that stood in the courtyard of the tabernacle; according to others, “cleansing water” with the ashes of a heifer sacrifice (Num 19:9). “They shall shave with a razor all their body hair and wash their clothes”; heightened external purity was to indicate to the chosen servants of the tabernacle the necessity for them to maintain exceptional moral purity: “and they shall be clean.”

Numbers 8:8. and they shall take a young bull and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another young bull for a sin offering. The sacrifices offered for the Levites were the same as those at the ordination of the high priest, that is, a sin offering and a burnt offering.

Numbers 8:9. and you shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting, and assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel. “The whole congregation of the sons of Israel,” because the Levites are presented as a gift to the Lord from the entire people, taking the place of its firstborn, who were consecrated to God by the very act of their birth.

Numbers 8:10. and you shall bring the Levites before the Lord, and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites. “And the sons of Israel shall lay their hands,”—probably through the leaders of the tribes and chosen men. The people laid their hands on the Levites as on an offering dedicated to them by the Lord.

Numbers 8:24. This is the law pertaining to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall begin to do duty in the work of the tent of meeting; In the book Num 4:3 the beginning age of Levite service is indicated as thirty years. In the book 1 Chr 23:3, and in the book 2 Chr 31:17 it is stated that David found it necessary to call to regular service at the tabernacle all the Levites, beginning with age twenty, which order was retained and continued in the future (Ezra 3:8). The discrepancy in the dates of the beginning age for Levite service at the tabernacle can be explained by the fact that until age thirty the Levites were attracted only as assistants to the older Levites; from age thirty onward, they became independent servants at the tabernacle.

Chapter Nine

The Passover celebration.—Passover for the unclean according to the law; Passover for travelers.—The cloud over the tent of meeting.

Numbers 9:1. And the Lord said to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the second year after they came out from the land of Egypt, in the first month, saying: Numbers 9:2. The sons of Israel shall keep the Passover at its appointed time: Numbers 9:3. On the fourteenth day of this month, in the evening, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and according to all its ordinances you shall keep it. Numbers 9:4. And Moses said to the sons of Israel that they should keep the Passover. There is an assumption that the Passover observed by the Hebrews near Mount Sinai was the only one observed during their wandering in the Arabian wilderness. In support of this there is pointed to the fact that during their wanderings in the wilderness the ordinance of circumcision was not strictly observed among the Hebrew people (Josh 5:2-8); yet according to the meaning of Exod 12:48 the uncircumcised could not partake of the Passover. The next mention of the Hebrews’ observance of the Passover is found in Josh 5:10 after the account of the nation’s full compliance with the law of circumcision.

Numbers 9:9. And the Lord said to Moses, saying: Numbers 9:10. Say to the sons of Israel: If any one of you or your descendants becomes unclean from contact with a dead body, or is on a distant journey, he shall also observe the Passover to the Lord; Numbers 9:11. On the fourteenth day of the second month in the evening they shall keep it and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs; Numbers 9:12. They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break any of its bones; they shall keep it according to all the ordinances of the Passover. The Passover observed for some legitimate reason later than the appointed time was called by the Hebrews the Lesser Passover. Later such a Passover was observed by the Judean king Hezekiah, because the priests and Levites had not succeeded by the 14th day of the first month in cleansing the neglected temple and in purifying themselves (2 Chr 30:2).

Numbers 9:13. But whoever is clean and not on a journey and does not observe the Passover, that person shall be cut off from his people, because he did not bring the offering of the Lord at its appointed time: that man shall bear his sin; The expression: “that person shall be cut off from his people” is understood in different ways. The violator of the law concerning the Passover was either subjected to capital punishment, or exile from the people, or underwent the direct force of God’s punishing hand (compare Gen 9:11; Gen 17:14; Exod 30:33; Lev 18:29 and others).

Numbers 9:15. On the day the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony, and from evening until morning there was above the tabernacle something like the appearance of fire. Numbers 9:16. So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night. Numbers 9:17. And whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, then the sons of Israel would set out on their journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the sons of Israel would camp. Numbers 9:18. At the command of the Lord the sons of Israel would set out on their journey, and at the command of the Lord they would camp; as long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained. Numbers 9:19. When the cloud remained long over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel kept the charge of the Lord and did not set out. Numbers 9:20. And sometimes the cloud was only a few days over the tabernacle; at the command of the Lord they remained, and at the command of the Lord they set out on their journey. Numbers 9:21. Sometimes the cloud remained only from evening until morning; and when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out; or if it remained a day and a night, and the cloud lifted, they would set out. Numbers 9:22. Or if two days, or a month, or a longer time that the cloud remained over the tabernacle, abiding above it, the sons of Israel remained and did not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. Numbers 9:23. At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out on their journey; they kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses. A remark about the miraculous cloud that covered the tabernacle and directed the movement of the Israelite camp (compare Exod 40:34-38).

Chapter Ten

A command to make two silver trumpets.—Departure into the wilderness of Paran.—The order of movement.—The invitation to Hobab the Midianite to accompany the Hebrews.—Moses’ invocations at the raising and stopping of the ark of the covenant.

Numbers 10:1. And the Lord said to Moses, saying: Numbers 10:2. Make yourself two silver trumpets; of beaten work shall you make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp. Under David seven trumpets were made, under Solomon – 120.

Numbers 10:8. The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; it shall be a perpetual statute for you throughout your generations; “Blowing the trumpets was permitted only to the priests,” Theodoret remarks, “because the trumpet signified God’s calling” (Commentary on Numbers, question 15).

Numbers 10:11. In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle of the testimony; The chronological sequence of events, as indicated in the note to Exod 18, requires placing here the account in Exod 18 about Moses testing his father-in-law Jethro (compare Num 10:29).

Numbers 10:12. And the sons of Israel set out by their companies from the wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud settled in the wilderness of Paran. The wilderness of Paran is located to the north of the Sinai peninsula, occupying a limestone elevated plain between the valley of the Nile and the mountains of rocky Arabia. Its southern boundary is the sand extending between the upper portions of the gulfs bordering the Sinai peninsula; the western boundary is the Egyptian stream; the eastern—Arabia; the northern—the Negeb (the south of Palestine). At the present time all the desert space from Sinai to Palestine bears one general name “Et-Tih,” that is, “wandering.”

Numbers 10:29. And Moses said to Hobab, son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ relative: “We are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you’; come with us, and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good for Israel.” According to some, Hobab was the son, according to others the younger brother of Jethro, the son of Reuel (compare Exod 18).

Numbers 10:31. Moses said, Do not leave us, for you know how we camp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us; Hobab could be useful to the Hebrews through his acquaintance with the wilderness.

Chapter Eleven

Taberah.—Popular discontent regarding the absence of meat, fish, and certain types of vegetable food.—Moses’ distress.—Selection of 70 elders as helpers of the prophet Moses.—The sin of craving; Kibroth-hattaavah.—Movement to Hazeroth.

Numbers 11:1. And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord; and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. Under “the fire of the Lord” in this case (compare Num 11:3) one can understand an extraordinarily violent lightning, sent by God in punishment of those who complained—similar to how “the fire of heaven,” “the fire of God” is the name given to lightning in the Book of Job (Job 1:16) and 4 Kings (2 Sam 1:10).

Numbers 11:2. And the people cried out to Moses; and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire subsided. In the complete list of the Israelite camps (Num 33) Taberah does not appear. It is supposed that this name was applied only to that part of the Hebrew camp (at Kibroth-hattaavah) that was consumed by fire.

Numbers 11:7. Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance was like the appearance of bdellium; According to some assumptions, “bdellium” (compare Gen 2:1) means pearl (which is confirmed by later Jewish understanding), according to others, it is a kind of crystallized fragrant Arabian resin of a light-yellowish color (LXX: “like the appearance of crystal”).

Numbers 11:10. Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, at the entrance of each tent; and the anger of the Lord became very hot, and Moses was displeased. Numbers 11:11. And Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? Numbers 11:12. Did I conceive all this people? Did I bring them forth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a sucking child,’ to the land that you swore to give to their fathers? Numbers 11:13. Where can I get meat to give to all this people? For they are weeping before me and saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ Numbers 11:14. I am not able to carry all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me; Numbers 11:15. If you will treat me this way, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in your sight, so that I may not see my wretchedness.” The evident ingratitude and constant complaining of the people could not fail to affect even such a strong-spirited person as Moses was: for even Moses, Theodoret remarks, was not only a prophet, but also a man (Commentary on Numbers, question 19). As permanent helpers to the prophet Moses in managing the people in accordance with the God-given law, the Lord commanded the leader to choose from the elders of Israel 70 men and, when they were chosen and, according to His command, brought to the tent, He endowed them with the Holy Spirit. According to Christian commentators, the 70 chosen elders endowed with God’s Spirit served as the beginning of a special prophetic ministry among the Hebrew people and as a model for those prophetic schools that later produced inspired interpreters and tireless guardians of God’s law throughout the whole Old Testament history. According to Hebrew tradition, the 70 elders, helpers of Moses, served as a prototype for the creation of the supreme Sanhedrin.

Numbers 11:20. But a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you—because you have rejected the Lord who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, ‘Why did we come out of Egypt?’ “Until it becomes loathsome to you”: according to the Greek text (LXX)—“cholera”; according to the translation of Symmachus—“indigestion.”

Numbers 11:21. And Moses said, “There are six hundred thousand foot soldiers among this people, and you say, ‘I will give them meat, and they shall eat for a whole month!’ Numbers 11:22. Should flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to suffice for them? Or should all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them?” Moses is puzzled as to the means by which the promise of divine omnipotence can be fulfilled.

Numbers 11:25. And the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, but did not continue to do so. “To prophesy” in biblical language does not always mean “to predict.” In this case, as often in the Bible (for example, 1 Sam 10:5; 1 Sam 19:20), the expression “to prophesy” can be understood in the sense of—to praise God and His wonderful works in exalted hymns of praise, which presupposes, of course, a special elevation of the human spirit. With the temporary cessation of this elevation the elders also ceased to “prophesy.”

Numbers 11:26. Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested upon them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and they prophesied in the camp. Two of the 70 chosen elders could have failed to appear at the tent on account of some legitimate ritual impurity or illness, while remaining inwardly worthy to receive the communication of God’s Spirit.

Numbers 11:31. Then a wind went out from the Lord, and it brought quails from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, about two cubits above the ground. Flocks of birds carried by the wind in such quantity that they blocked out the sun have been repeatedly observed by travelers.

Numbers 11:32. And the people rose all that day, and all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails; the least anyone gathered was ten homers; and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. Ten homers are approximately equal to 180 bushels.

Numbers 11:33. While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague. “Plague”—that is, some acutely expressed stomach disease, as a consequence of excessive consumption of spoiled meat from lying about, especially after a prolonged diet. See the note to Num 11:20.

Numbers 11:34. And the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had the craving. Numbers 11:35. From Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed to Hazeroth; and they remained at Hazeroth. The camps of Kibroth-hattaavah and Hazeroth are sought to the northeast of Sinai. In general, it should be noted that the majority of geographical assumptions identifying the stopping points of the Hebrews with known present-day localities are nothing more than assumptions. The main direction of the movement of the Hebrew forces is known. From the gathering point in Egypt at Rameses the Hebrews moved eastward, in the direction of the northern end of the Suez Gulf, where the well-known passage “through the Red Sea” took place. After coming out of the sea and entering the Sinai peninsula they moved south, in the direction of the group of Sinai mountains, keeping to the western shore of the peninsula. From the group of Sinai mountains they moved northeast, in the direction of the northern end of the Gulf of Akaba. From there—northward, toward the southern limits of Canaan (Kadesh-barnea). After the well-known condemnation to 40 years of wandering—a return to the deserts of the Sinai peninsula; a new arrival at Kadesh-barnea; a turning movement around the southeastern corner of the promised land; the occupation of eastern Transjordan; a positioning near Jericho; the occupation of Canaan. * * * Graves of craving.

Chapter Twelve

The dissatisfaction of Aaron and Miriam against Moses.—Confirmation of the prophet’s divine election.—Miriam’s leprosy.—Healing.

Numbers 12:1. Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. Under “the Cushite woman,” the wife of Moses, some understand Zipporah, the daughter of the Midianite Jethro, arguing that the land of the Midianites was adjacent to the land of the Ethiopian tribe of Himyarites or Sabeans (1 Sam 10:1; Luke 11:31) and could also be called Ethiopian (Theodoret, Commentary on Numbers, question 22). Others, relying on the data of Josephus (Jewish Antiquities 2:10, 2), understand the daughter of an Ethiopian king, whom Moses supposedly married while at the court of Pharaoh, after a glorious campaign against Ethiopia. Still others understand a Kushite woman, inhabitant of southern Arabia, taken by Moses after the supposed death of Zipporah in order to avoid family connections in Israel.

Numbers 12:2. And they said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. Evidently, the “Cushite woman” served only as a pretext for Aaron and Miriam to express to Moses the feelings of their wounded ambition: the latter could not reconcile itself with the exceptional position of their brother in the people. A special confirmation of Moses’ divine election was required.

Numbers 12:3. Now Moses was a man of great humility, more humble than any person on the face of the earth. There is an opinion that this verse was appended by Joshua when he completed the final review of the manuscript of Numbers—similar to what he did by adding a note at the end of Deuteronomy (Deut 34).

Numbers 12:10. And the cloud departed from above the tent, and there, Miriam had become leprous, white as snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there, she was leprous. “Since the leper,” Theodoret remarks, “was recognized as unclean by the law, and Aaron was the foundation and basis of the priesthood, so that the reproach would not fall on the entire order, God did not subject him to the same punishment, but frightened and corrected him through the punishment of his sister” (Commentary on Numbers, question 23). From the following verse it is evident that Aaron truly understood his transgression.

Numbers 12:15. And Miriam was shut up outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not set out on their journey until Miriam was brought in again. “Seven days”—according to the quarantine period established by law for those defiled by contact with a corpse and for those just cleansed from leprosy (Lev 13:1; Num 19:16).

Chapter Thirteen

The spies of the land of Canaan.

Numbers 13:4. And Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran, by the command of the Lord, and all of them were leaders among the sons of Israel. “Leaders,” that is, representatives of the most important and honorable families.

Numbers 13:17. These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua. With the change of his name, Joshua assumes duties higher than those of a servant attending upon Moses (Exod 24:13), becoming his closest helper. Hoshea, Hosheva, or Hoshaya means “deliverance,” “salvation.” To this term Moses adds the name of Jehovah, Yah, predicting in Joshua God’s instrument for the salvation of Israel. In the Book of Nehem 6:17 the name Yahoshua is pronounced as Yeshua. Our reading “Joshua” is taken from the Greek translation of the LXX. According to the understanding of the holy fathers and teachers of the Church, the successor of Moses, who led Israel into the promised land, was a type of Jesus Christ, who opened to believers in him the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven (St. Justin the Philosopher, Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, chapters 34, 70, 76, 86, 100, 113; St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture X; Theodoret: Commentary on Numbers, question 25; Commentary on Deuteronomy, question 43; Commentary on Joshua, questions 1, 3, 4, 16).

Numbers 13:18. And Moses sent them [from the wilderness of Paran] to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, Go up into the Negeb and go up into the hill country, “Into this southern country” of Canaan, the Negeb.

Numbers 13:22. So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath; “From the wilderness of Zin.” The wilderness of Zin (Cin) mentioned in this verse should not be confused with the wilderness of Zin on the western coast of the Sinai peninsula (Exod 16). The wilderness of Cin forms the northeastern part of the wilderness of Paran. On the wilderness of Paran, see the note to Num 10:12. Rehob (Josh 19:28; Judg 1:31)—a locality within the territory of the tribe of Asher, not far from Sidon. Hamath—a plain and mountain pass between the branches of the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, south of the city of Hamath, located in Coele-Syria, on the Orontes River.

Numbers 13:23. And they came to the valley of Eshcol, and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them. They also brought back some pomegranates and figs; Enanak, son of the prince Arba, founder of the town of Kiriath-arba (Hebron) (Josh 15:13). “Sons of Anak” were distinguished by their height and strength. The remark: “Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan, the city of Egypt,”—is very intelligible from the lips of people who had just been freed from the yoke of the Egyptians and were still full of memories of the country they had abandoned. The comparison with an ancient Canaanite city, not Memphis but Zoan, suggests the thought that the capital of the Pharaohs of the time of the exodus was indeed this latter city. According to Knobel’s opinion, the mention of Zoan alongside Hebron, after the names of Anak and his children, suggests that both this city and the other were founded by representatives of one and the same people. Zoan was built by the Hyksos; perhaps the Hyksos (to whose tribe Anak also belonged) also built Hebron (Vlastov, Sacred History).

Numbers 13:24. And they came to the valley of Eshcol, and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them. They also brought back some pomegranates and figs; The valley of Eshcol was named so, in all probability, after its ancient owner, Abraham’s ally Eshcol (Gen 14:13). Van de Velde says that he saw a spring at the distance of a mile from Hebron, called “Ain-Eskali,” “the spring of Eshcol” (the Greek-Slavonic text understands “Eshcol” as an appellative: a valley of clusters, LXX: “Valley of the cluster”).

Numbers 13:27. And they went and came to Moses and Aaron and to the entire congregation of the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh, and brought back word to them and to the entire congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land; Kadesh—a locality near the southern borders of Canaan. According to the opinion of very many commentators, it can be found in the valley of the Arabah, identifying it with the present Ain el-Weyba. In the list of Israelite camps (Num 33) after Hazeroth follows the camp at Rithmah. It is supposed that Kadesh was formerly called Rithmah and received the name Kadesh (kadosh—holy) later, due to the fact that the ark of the covenant stood there for a long time, and here also took place the terrible manifestation of God’s righteousness toward the disobedient people.

Numbers 13:33. And they brought to the sons of Israel an evil report of the land which they had spied out, saying, The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature; “A land that devours its inhabitants,” that is, a land in which constant wars occur, destructive to the population. The constant wars within Canaan can be explained both by its geographical and by its ethnographic-political situation. Geographically, Canaan represented a bridge connecting the chief territories of the ancient world. In an ethnographic-political sense, Canaan, or the kingdom of the Hittites, represented a network of small independent principalities, often hostile to one another.

Chapter Fourteen

The uprising of the people.—Condemnation to forty years of wandering in the deserts.—Death of the ten spies.—Unauthorized invasion into the Negeb.—Failure.

Numbers 14:5. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the entire assembled congregation of the sons of Israel. They fell on their faces before the tent, in the presence of the entire congregation.

Numbers 14:19. Forgive the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your mercy, just as you have pardoned this people from Egypt until now. “Not from fear of losing his authority,” St. Ephrem the Syrian remarks, “but from love does Moses intercede for the people: for he was promised that if the Hebrews were destroyed, he would become leader of an even greater people” (Exod 32:10; Num 14:12; Ephrem the Syrian, Commentary on the Book of Numbers, chapter XIV).

Numbers 14:22. All the people who have seen my glory and the signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tested me these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, “Have tested me these ten times.” The word “ten” can be understood both as a generalization of many repeated occasions, and as a reference to the following ten instances of the people’s uprising: 1) at the Red Sea; 2) at Marah; 3) in the wilderness of Zin; 4) when the law about not leaving manna until morning was broken; 5) when the law about not gathering manna on the Sabbath was broken; 6) at Rephidim; 7) at Sinai; 8) at Taberah; 9) at Kibroth-hattaavah; 10) at Kadesh-barnea.

Numbers 14:23. Surely none of the people who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tested me these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers; [but to your children, who are with you here, who do not yet know good and evil, to them I will give it, and they shall inherit it; but] none of those who provoked me shall see it; The crude, sensual, stiff-necked older generation of Hebrews, grown up under the influence of Egypt, proved incapable of carrying out the idea of the kingdom of Jehovah in the promised land, and therefore was deprived of it. Young Hebrews, who grew up in the wilderness under the continuous impact of tangible manifestations of God’s majesty, power, and goodness, will enter Canaan (Deut 8:2-5).

Numbers 14:24. But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it; Below, in Num 14:30 which is discussed in this chapter, Joshua (son of Nun) is mentioned along with Caleb.

Numbers 14:37. The men who brought back the evil report about the land died by a plague before the Lord; “Died, struck down” by sudden death at the entrance of the tent. “Death struck the spies before others,” St. Ephrem the Syrian remarks, “because they barred the people from possessing the land so desired by them. By barring the door to the promised land, the spies opened the doors of Sheol to six hundred thousand people, who went down there after them” (Commentary on the Book of Numbers, chapter XIV).

Numbers 14:45. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them, pursuing them as far as Hormah, [and they returned to camp.] Hormah—the capital city of one of the Canaanite princes in the Negeb, north of Kadesh. Previously Hormah was called Zephath (Judg 1:17). The later name (Hormah) was given to the place when the Hebrews devoted Canaanite cities to destruction (Num 21:3; Judg 1:17).

Chapter Fifteen

About the quantity of grain offerings and libations in sacrifices. – First fruits of dough. – Sins of weakness, through oversight and error. – Sins through deliberate intent. Punishment of a Sabbath violator. – Tassels on the clothing of the Israelites.

Numbers 15:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Numbers 15:2. Declare to the children of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land of your dwelling, which I give you, Numbers 15:3. and you bring an offering to the Lord, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice from cattle or sheep, in fulfillment of a vow, or as a voluntary offering, or in your festivals, so as to make a pleasing aroma to the Lord, – Numbers 15:4. then the one bringing the offering to the Lord shall present a grain offering of one tenth of a measure of fine wheat flour mixed with one fourth of a hin of oil; Numbers 15:5. and wine for a libation bring one fourth of a hin for the burnt offering or the slaughtered sacrifice, for each lamb. Numbers 15:6. And when bringing a ram, present a grain offering of two tenths of a measure of fine wheat flour mixed with one third of a hin of oil; Numbers 15:7. and wine for a libation bring one third of a hin as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Numbers 15:8. If you bring a young bull for a burnt offering or a slaughtered sacrifice, in fulfillment of a vow or as a peace offering to the Lord, Numbers 15:9. then with the bull you shall present a grain offering of three tenths of a measure of fine wheat flour mixed with half a hin of oil; Numbers 15:10. and for a libation bring half a hin of wine as an offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Numbers 15:11. Do this for each young bull, each ram, and each male lamb from the sheep or goats; Numbers 15:12. According to the number of sacrifices you present, do this for each one, according to their number. See (Exod 29:40; Lev 23:13). One tenth of a measure equals approximately 3½ pounds; one fourth of a hin equals 2 bottles.

Numbers 15:13. Every native-born Israelite shall do this, bringing an offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord; Numbers 15:14. and if a foreigner comes to live among you, or if anyone among you in your generations brings an offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, then that person shall do as you do; Numbers 15:15. for you, the community, and for the foreigner living among you, there shall be one statute, an eternal statute throughout your generations: you and the foreigner shall be alike before the Lord; Numbers 15:16. one law and one rule shall apply to you and to the foreigner living among you. A native-born Israelite is one having settled in Canaan with ownership rights. A foreigner is a non-Israelite who has accepted circumcision and become a member of the Israelite community.

Numbers 15:17. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Numbers 15:18. Declare to the children of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land to which I am bringing you, Numbers 15:19. and you eat the bread of the land, you shall set apart a contribution to the Lord; Numbers 15:20. from the first of your dough you shall set apart a cake as a contribution; as a contribution from the threshing floor, so you shall set it apart; Numbers 15:21. from the first of your dough you shall give a contribution to the Lord throughout your generations. In Exod 22:29 and Exod 23:19 it is commanded to bring from the first fruits of the land, from the threshing floor and from the wine press. In other places it is explained that the first fruits of the land are presented in the form of: a) dried and ground grain with oil and frankincense (Lev 2:14); b) the first sheaf of the harvest on the sixteenth of Abib (Exod 23:19; Lev 23:10-11); c) two loaves of contribution on the day of Pentecost (Lev 23:17). In the passages being commented on, a new type of contribution from the first fruits is established: a contribution of first fruits from the dough in the form of a cake. The contributions were the property of the priests.

Numbers 15:22. If you transgress and do not keep all these commandments that the Lord spoke through Moses, Numbers 15:23. all that the Lord commanded you through Moses, from that day when the Lord gave the commandment and onward throughout your generations, – Numbers 15:24. then, if an error was committed through the oversight of the community, the entire community shall present one young bull without blemish as a burnt offering, as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, with its grain offering and libation according to the statute, and one male goat as a sin offering; Numbers 15:25. and the priest shall make atonement for the entire community of the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their offering to the Lord and their sin offering before the Lord for their error; Numbers 15:26. and the entire community of the children of Israel shall be forgiven, as well as the foreigner living among them, because the whole people committed this error. Numbers 15:27. If a single person sins through error, that person shall present a one-year-old female goat as a sin offering; Numbers 15:28. and the priest shall make atonement for the soul that has erred and sinned, before the Lord, and atonement shall be made for it, and it shall be forgiven; Numbers 15:29. one law shall apply to you, both for the native-born among the children of Israel and for the foreigner living among you, if anyone commits an error. See the book Lev 4.

Numbers 15:30. If anyone, whether a native or a foreigner, acts defiantly, that person insults the Lord: that person shall be cut off from the people, “To act defiantly” means to fall into sin not through weakness, not through ignorance or error, but deliberately, with the purpose of openly opposing the law.

Numbers 15:38. Speak to the children of Israel and say to them that they shall make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and put a blue thread on the tassel at each corner; “Out of blue thread,” because the blue color, explains blessed Theodoret, reminds a person of heaven (Commentary on the Book of Numbers, question 31). Later on, the custom of sewing on tassels was preserved, but the meaning of this custom was lost, as we see from the rebuke of the Savior. At the present time, Jews use the tallit (a mantle with tassels) only during synagogal worship.

Chapter Sixteen

The rebellion of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, Abunam, and 250 prominent men of Israel. – Punishment of the rebels.

Numbers 16:1. Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and Abunam, the son of Paleth, the sons of Reuben, Numbers 16:2. rose up against Moses, and with him were two hundred fifty men from the children of Israel, leaders of the community, those called to the assembly, prominent men. Fear from the reports of the spies about the land of Canaan, the failure of their unauthorized invasion into the forbidden territory, and the impending wandering through the deserts they had already traversed produced in the people a general loss of spirit, and at the same time extreme dissatisfaction with their circumstances. The influence of Moses weakened; with the weakening of this influence, discipline also weakened. Taking advantage of such a condition in the people, the Levite Korah, together with the most prominent Reubenites Dathan, Abiram, and Abunam, formed a conspiracy with the aim of producing a fundamental change in the ecclesiastical-civil organization of the community. Soon 250 “prominent” men joined the conspirators. The conspiracy was covered by the lofty idea of the holiness of all the people. “Enough!” the conspirators said to Moses and Aaron. “The entire community is holy, and the Lord is among all of us! Why then do you set yourselves above all the people of the Lord?” The danger of the mutiny was apparent: this was not a fleeting uprising of people deprived of water or food – an uprising that would pass as quickly as it arose. The fundamental principles of the social-ecclesiastical organization of the people were put before the judgment of the stirred-up masses. In the event of the success of the conspiracy as planned by its instigators, the disorganized Jewish masses faced a serious danger: some of the Jews would probably have returned to Egypt, to the Egyptian pots of meat; some would have perished in the deserts; and some would have assimilated with the native inhabitants of Canaan. From this we understand the terrible punishment that fell upon the instigators of the movement, which was meant to bring their allies to their senses.

Numbers 16:16. And Moses said to Korah: Be you and all your community before the Lord tomorrow, you and they and Aaron; “And all your community,” that is, all your supporters. Num 16:36-50. – in the Hebrew text are assigned to chapter 17.

Numbers 16:36. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Numbers 16:37. Tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, to gather the censers from the fire of those consumed, and scatter the fire far and wide; for they have been hallowed, The command is given not to Aaron, because the high priest must not become defiled by contact with the dead under any circumstances (Lev 21:11).

Numbers 16:38. the censers of these sinners, with their own lives, and let them be made into sheets as a covering for the altar, since they presented them before the Lord and they became hallowed; and they shall be a sign for the children of Israel. The censers, having been brought (though unlawfully) before the Lord, were sanctified by this offering and therefore their material could not be used for ordinary purposes.

Numbers 16:41. On the next day the entire community of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying: You have killed the people of the Lord. The murmuring of the people on the day following the miraculous sign in favor of the divine election of Moses and Aaron testifies palpably to the breadth and seriousness of the conspiracy. The “plague” that followed (Num 16:46) is an act of punishment and instruction.

Numbers 16:47. And Aaron took as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly, and the plague had begun among the people. And he put incense on the fire and made atonement for the people; Numbers 16:48. and stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped. Another clear confirmation of the divinely-given law through Moses, by which only those chosen for service to Him could burn incense before the Lord. Incense brought by unworthy hands was accompanied by destruction, but incense brought lawfully by an ordained person was accompanied by salvation for the people. The high priest Aaron, who stood before the people, may be regarded as a type of the great High Priest, the advocate of humans before God.

Chapter Seventeen

The dry rod of Aaron that miraculously blossomed and bore fruit.

Numbers 17:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Numbers 17:2. Speak to the children of Israel and get from them one rod for each father’s house, from all the leaders according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. Write the name of each man on his rod; Numbers 17:3. and write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi, for there is one rod for the leader of each father’s house; Numbers 17:4. and lay them up in the tent of meeting before the ark of the covenant, where I meet you; Numbers 17:5. and the rod of the man whom I choose shall sprout; thus I will calm down the murmurings of the children of Israel against you. (Hebrew vv. 16–20). To strengthen further the faith of the people in the divine election of the high priest and to give a permanent tangible testimony of it, God performs a miracle with Aaron’s dry rod. Following the awesome sign of death to those who persisted in their unbelief, came a sign that pointed to the fullness of spiritual life granted to the chosen one and through the chosen one to all faithful sons of Israel.

Numbers 17:6. And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and all their leaders gave him rods, one rod for each leader according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods, and Aaron’s rod was among the rods. The rods are taken as an expression of authority. Aaron’s rod from the house of Levi was the thirteenth.

Numbers 17:8. On the next day Moses went into the tent of the covenant, and Aaron’s rod from the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds, produced blossoms, and borne ripe almonds. According to the belief of the Church, Aaron’s sprouted rod prefigured: a) the seedless coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh from the virginal Mother of God Mary: “Aaron’s rod that sprouted forth” (we read in the Hymn to the Mother of God, Canticle 1, April 23), “which from the root of Jesse you prefigured, the holy One grown forth, O most pure one, brightness of the world, God incarnate” and so forth; b) the incorruptibility of Christ’s flesh: “for Emmanuel, having become the son of the nature of mortals, alone remained incorrupt; in himself alone he revealed the mystery of incorruptibility, dispassion, and immortality” (St. Ephrem the Syrian, Commentary on the Book of Numbers, ch. XVII), becoming “a likeness of the future resurrection” of mankind (St. Epiphanius of Cyprus); c) the abundance of the reviving and strengthening grace of God in the Church of Christ: “The rod is received as an image of mystery, by its sprouting it prefigures the priest: not having borne fruit before the Church, now the tree of the cross has blossomed in might and strengthening” (Canticle 3, Canon to the Venerable Cross).

Numbers 17:10. And the Lord said to Moses: Put back Aaron’s rod before the ark of the covenant, for a memorial, as a sign for the rebels, so that you may put an end to their murmurings against me, lest they die. “Before the ark,” – just as the jar of manna (Exod 16:34).

Numbers 17:12. And the children of Israel said to Moses: Look, we are dying, we are lost, all of us are perishing! Numbers 17:13. Anyone who comes near to the dwelling of the Lord dies: are we all to perish? Aware of the truth of the divine election of their leaders, the people still could not free itself from a sense of dark despair at the sight of the clear futility of its unlawful desires. The following period of 38 years (40 years are counted from the departure from Ramesses) of wanderings, as a dark period of the dying out of the people by the awesome judgment of God’s righteousness, is passed over by the chronicler in almost complete silence. During this time the Israelites either moved as a whole from one oasis to another (like Bedouins) and dwelt there while provisions for the flocks lasted; or, having divided into groups, each group moved independently. It is possible that besides herding, certain groups of the people engaged in agriculture from time to time (see note to Gen 26). Moses, meanwhile, had to visit the various groups of the people with the tent at different times. The district of Negev, the gateway to the promised land, could have been the center that bound together the groups of the people.

Chapter Eighteen

The service and means of support of the Levites.

Numbers 18:1. And the Lord spoke to Aaron: You and your sons and your father’s household with you shall bear the iniquity relating to the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity relating to your priesthood. Numbers 18:2. And bring with you your brothers of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may be joined with you and serve you, while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the covenant; Numbers 18:3. and they shall keep your charge and the charge of the whole tent; only they shall not come near to the furnishings of the sanctuary or to the altar, lest they die, and you die as well. Numbers 18:4. They shall be joined with you and shall be responsible for the tent of meeting, for all the services of the tent; and no outsider shall come near you. Numbers 18:5. You shall be in charge of the sanctuary and of the altar, so that there will be no more wrath upon the children of Israel; Numbers 18:6. and I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the children of Israel, and given them to you as a gift, dedicated to the Lord, to do the service of the tent of meeting; Numbers 18:7. and you and your sons with you shall guard your priesthood for everything related to the altar and for everything inside the veil, and you shall serve. I give you the priesthood as a gift, and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death. The priests and Levites were obligated to be reverent and careful executors of their duties. Neither a regular Israelite had the right to intrude into the sphere of the Levite’s service, nor a regular Levite into the sphere of the priest’s service, under penalty of death.

Numbers 18:8. And the Lord spoke to Aaron: Look, I give you charge of my contributions, all the holy offerings of the children of Israel; I have given them to you and your sons as a perpetual share by statute; Numbers 18:9. this shall be yours of the most holy offerings reserved from fire: every offering of theirs, every grain offering and every sin offering and every guilt offering which they shall render to me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons; Numbers 18:10. In a most holy place you shall eat it; every male shall eat it; it shall be holy to you. Numbers 18:11. And this shall be yours: the contribution of their gifts, all the raised offerings of the children of Israel; I have given them to you and your sons and your daughters with you as a perpetual share; all that is clean in your household may eat of it. Numbers 18:12. All the best of the oil and all the best of the grape juice and grain, the first fruits which they give to the Lord, I have given to you; Numbers 18:13. the first ripe fruits of the land which they give to the Lord shall be yours; all that is clean in your household may eat of it. These are the parts of the sacrifices and the offerings of first fruits determined by law, which belong to the priests. The offerings of first fruits, devout gifts to the tent, the breast and shoulder of the peace offerings could be eaten by all (clean) members of the priestly family, including servants; the rest, as a “great holiness,” was eaten only by men of the priestly lineage.

Numbers 18:14. Everything devoted in Israel shall be yours. The devoted thing could not become anyone’s private property; it came into the possession of the tent (Lev 27:26). The devoted Gibeonites were made hewers of wood and drawers of water “at the altar of the Lord” (Josh 9:27).

Numbers 18:15. All that opens the womb of all flesh, which they bring to the Lord, whether human or beast, shall be yours; but the firstborn of humans you shall redeem, and the firstborn of unclean beasts you shall redeem; Numbers 18:16. and the redemption price, from one month old, you shall assess at five shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs; Numbers 18:17. but you shall not redeem the firstborn of cattle, or the firstborn of sheep, or the firstborn of goats: they are holy; you shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and turn their fat into smoke as an offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord; Numbers 18:18. and their meat shall be yours, as the breast of a raised offering and the right thigh shall be yours. See Exod 13:2. The firstborn from clean cattle was taken in kind. The firstborn human was replaced by a redemption price. The firstborn from unclean animals was either redeemed, or replaced by a clean animal, or sold, with the proceeds turned over to the tent (Lev 27:27).

Numbers 18:19. All the raised holy offerings which the children of Israel raise to the Lord I have given to you, and to your sons and your daughters with you as a perpetual share; this is a covenant of salt, an eternal covenant before the Lord, for you and your descendants with you. “A covenant of salt” – a covenant of perpetual fellowship.

Numbers 18:20. And the Lord said to Aaron: You shall have no inheritance in their land, and no portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel; The tribe of Levi received no land inheritance as did the other tribes. Materially the welfare of the priests and Levites was placed in the closest connection with the intensity of the religious sentiment of the Jewish people. Therefore, alongside moral incentives, the priests and Levites had material incentives to care for maintaining the religious life of Israel at the height required by the law.

Numbers 18:21. and to the children of Levi I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting; Alongside portions of the sacrifices and offerings of first fruits, the children of Levi received a tenth part (tithe) of everything that members of the other tribes received from their land holdings. Considering that under the theocratic regime in the Jewish community ecclesiastical duties were at the same time state duties, we will find that the aforementioned complex of material obligations of Israel for the needs of its ecclesiastical and civil organization cannot be called unbearable.

Numbers 18:26. Speak to the Levites and say to them: When you take from the children of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you shall set apart a raised offering to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe; – Numbers 18:27. and your raised offering shall be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor, and as vintage from the wine press; Numbers 18:28. thus you also shall set apart a raised offering to the Lord from all the tithes that you receive from the children of Israel; and from it you shall give the raised offering to the Lord to Aaron the priest. Numbers 18:29. From all the gifts to you, you shall set apart all the best part of them, the holy part dedicated to the Lord. Numbers 18:30. Therefore say to them: When you have set apart the best from it, then the rest shall be reckoned to the Levites as produce of the threshing floor, and as produce of the wine press; Numbers 18:31. and you may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your payment for your service in the tent of meeting; Numbers 18:32. and you shall bear no sin because of it, when you have set apart the best from it; and you shall not profane the holy offerings of the children of Israel, lest you die. From the common Levitic tithe, a tenth part (tithe) is set apart for the priests as an offering from the Levites.

Chapter Nineteen

The sacrifice of the red heifer.

Numbers 19:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: Numbers 19:2. This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the children of Israel to bring you a red heifer without blemish, in which there is no defect, and upon which no yoke has been laid; For the purification offering a red heifer was used, because the crimson color symbolizes the sinful impurity of man. In the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 1:18) it is said: “If your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow.” According to the supposition of blessed Theodoret, the color of the sacrificial heifer could also point to the material (red earth) from which the body of the first fallen human was created. An animal of the female sex was appointed, probably because the female sex, as the bearing sex, could most vividly express the idea of spiritual rebirth from sinful death. “Without blemish, in which there is no defect,” according to the general rule for sacrificial animals. “And upon which no yoke has been laid,” and which, therefore, before being offered to the Lord, was not in service to human.

Numbers 19:3. and give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be taken outside the camp to a clean place, and slaughtered before him; Numbers 19:4. and Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times; Numbers 19:5. and the heifer shall be burned in his sight; its skin, its flesh, and its blood, with its dung, shall be burned; Numbers 19:6. and the priest shall take cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet yarn, and throw them into the fire in which the heifer is burning; Numbers 19:7. Then the priest shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp; but the priest shall remain unclean until evening. Numbers 19:8. The one who burns it shall wash his clothes in water and bathe his body in water, and shall remain unclean until evening; Numbers 19:9. then a clean person shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place; and they shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for the water of purification: it is a purification offering. Numbers 19:10. The one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and remain unclean until evening. This shall be a perpetual statute for the children of Israel and for the alien residing among them. The sacrifice was offered, contrary to the rules for other sacrifices, outside the camp. The sprinkling with sacrificial blood was done in the direction toward the door of the tent. On the burning heifer the priest threw cedar wood, hyssop, and a thread of scarlet yarn. Following the guidance of the holy Apostle Paul about the prefigurative meaning of the red heifer sacrifice (Heb 9:13), the Fathers of the Church explain that the cedar wood signified the cross of the Lord; the scarlet thread signified the Lord’s blood; the hyssop signified the life-giving and sanctifying power of Christ’s grace; “sprinkle me with hyssop,” as it is said in Ps 50:9, “and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” And the slaughter of the heifer outside the camp prefigured the suffering of the Savior outside the walls of Jerusalem (blessed Theodoret, Commentary on the Book of Numbers, question 35; blessed Augustine gives the same explanation). The ashes of the burned heifer, diluted with “living (spring) water,” served as a means for removing from a person ceremonial impurity, prefiguring thereby the mystery of the new covenant baptism by water and the Spirit. The all-cleansing grace of the Holy Spirit in the new covenant Scripture is symbolically depicted under the image of “living water” (John 7:38-39). The high priest was freed from offering the red heifer as a sacrifice for the sins of the people, in order to avoid ceremonial impurity (Num 19:7), which was inadmissible in the high priest. Those required to participate in the sacrifice, being unclean until evening, had to first perform the rite of purification and then join the camp. The corpse of the red heifer (like the corpse of a human) was considered unclean, defiling whoever touched it, – both in general because of the close connection between death and sin, which brought forth death (Gen 3:19), and because of the special, specific purpose of the red heifer, symbolizing burned sin.

Numbers 19:11. Whoever touches the dead body of any human being shall be unclean seven days. Numbers 19:12. That person shall purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so be clean; but if they do not purify themselves on the third day and on the seventh day, they will not become clean; Numbers 19:13. All who touch a dead body, the body of a human who has died, and do not purify themselves, defile the dwelling of the Lord, and such persons shall be cut off from Israel. Since the water for impurity has not been dashed on them, they remain unclean; their uncleanness is still upon them. Numbers 19:14. This is the law: when someone dies in a tent, everyone who comes into the tent, and everyone who is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days. Numbers 19:15. And every open vessel that has no cover fastened to it is unclean. Numbers 19:16. Whoever in the open field touches one who has been killed by a sword, or who has died naturally, or who touches a human bone, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. Numbers 19:17. For the unclean they shall take some of the ashes of the burned purification offering, and fresh water shall be added to them in a vessel; Numbers 19:18. then a clean person shall take hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the tent, on all the furnishings, on the persons who were there, and on whoever touched the bone, the slain, the dead, or the grave; Numbers 19:19. The clean person shall sprinkle the unclean ones on the third day and on the seventh day, thus purifying them on the seventh day. Then they shall wash their clothes and bathe themselves in water, and at evening they shall be clean. Numbers 19:20. But if those who are unclean do not purify themselves, such persons shall be cut off from the congregation, for they have defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water for impurity has not been dashed upon them; they are unclean. Numbers 19:21. It shall be a perpetual statute for them. The one who sprinkles the water for purification shall wash his clothes; and whoever touches the water for purification shall be unclean until evening. Numbers 19:22. Whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean, and anyone who touches it shall be unclean until evening. Cases of defilement are enumerated, for the removal of which the ashes of the red heifer, diluted with living water, were employed. “Whoever touches a dead body of a person – shall be unclean 7 days. If a person dies in a tent, then everything in the tent – shall be unclean 7 days. Any open vessel (in this tent) is unclean.” Apart from the aforementioned moral tendency (see note to Num 5:1-3), the commandments to protect oneself from contact with a human corpse and with what is in close association with it have enormous sanitary-prophylactic significance. “And whoever sprinkles the water for purification… and whoever touches the water for purification shall be unclean until evening,” as those who participated in cleansing from the impurity of sin: moral quarantine for the healer of moral ills.

Chapter Twenty

The arrival of the Israelites in the wilderness of Zin. – The death of Miriam. – Lack of water. – Complaint of the people. – The miracle of water brought forth from the rock. – The intention to penetrate Canaan through Edom. – The refusal of the Edomites. – The death of Aaron.

Numbers 20:1. And the sons of Israel, the entire congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people remained at Kadesh, and Miriam died there and was buried there. Concerning the wilderness of Zin, see the note to the book Num 13:18.

Numbers 20:2. And there was no water for the congregation, and they assembled against Moses and Aaron; The lack of water at Kadesh may be explained either by a spring drought, or by the inadequacy of the amount of water for the Israeli multitudes gathered there with their livestock.

Numbers 20:7. And the Lord said to Moses, saying: Numbers 20:8. Take the staff and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron, your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will give forth its water: and thus you shall bring forth water from the rock for them, and give drink to the congregation and their livestock. Numbers 20:9. And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as He had commanded him. Numbers 20:10. And Moses and Aaron gathered the people to the rock, and he said to them: Listen, you rebellious ones, shall we bring forth water for you from this rock? Numbers 20:11. And Moses raised his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and much water flowed forth, and the congregation and their livestock drank. Numbers 20:12. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Because you did not believe in Me, to sanctify Me before the eyes of the sons of Israel, you shall not bring this people into the land which I give to them. The continuous series of rebellions that had preceded this, from the ungrateful people, and chiefly the present rebellion of the young generation, standing with one foot already in the promised land, shook the steadfast spirit of Moses. At the great moment of the miraculous manifestation of God’s might and goodness, the lawgiver could not suppress within himself a flash of human irritation against the cruel and daring multitude, for which he was obliged to suffer punishment: the great leader of the Hebrews, who had brought the people to the borders of the land promised to them, was destined to die beyond it. Viewed from the perspective of the manifestation of Divine Justice, the condemnation to death of the elder Moses and Aaron may at the same time be viewed from the perspective of divine mercy: the event at Meribah showed that the influence of the mortal nature – the flesh – had already begun to gain the upper hand in Moses over his previously unbreakable spirit. The continued presence of an aging leader with a young people, full of strength and unbridled energy, might have proven beyond the capacity of the lawgiver, and not as beneficial as before for the people. The same must be said of Aaron. The elder (though pure in soul) had never been distinguished by particular firmness of spirit (Exod 32); in his declining years and without the moral support of his brother Moses, he might have become completely weak and helpless in his great and responsible position.

Numbers 20:13. This is the water of Meribah, where the sons of Israel contended with the Lord, and He showed them His holiness. Meribah or Meribah means: dispute, strife.

Numbers 20:14. And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying: Thus speaks your brother Israel: You know all the troubles that have befallen us; Numbers 20:15. Our fathers went down into Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt for many years, and the Egyptians treated us and our fathers badly; Numbers 20:16. And we cried to the Lord, and He heard our voice and sent an Angel and brought us out of Egypt; and behold, we are in Kadesh, a city at the very border of your territory; Numbers 20:17. Allow us to pass through your land: we will not go through the fields and vineyards and will not drink water from your wells; but we will go by the royal road, we will not turn to the right or to the left until we cross your borders. The Hebrews did not attempt to penetrate Canaan in the northern or northwestern direction, probably because they feared the power of the Philistines, who dominated the southwestern corner of Canaan. After some deliberation, a northeastern direction was chosen, through Edom. “We will not drink water from your wells” without payment (cf. Num 20:19). “We will go by the royal road,” directly: “we will not turn to the right or to the left.”

Numbers 20:19. And the sons of Israel said to him: We will go by the main road, and if I and my livestock drink your water, I will pay for it; only let me pass by on foot, which costs nothing. Numbers 20:20. But he said: You will not pass through. And Edom came out against him with many people and with a mighty hand. It may be that this refers to a second Israelite embassy to the Edomites, with more detailed assurances of safety regarding the permission sought by Israel.

Numbers 20:21. Thus Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his territory, and Israel turned aside from him. “And Israel turned aside from him,” avoiding acting offensively in fulfillment of the divine command: “Be on your guard against waging war with them (the sons of Esau), for I will not give you their land, not even a foot’s breadth, because I have given Mount Seir as a possession to Esau” (Deut 2:4-5). Because of the received refusal and having no intention to take by force what was requested, the Hebrews, turning north, were obliged to go around Edom from the direction of its eastern borders. During this journey, on Mount Hor, Aaron, Moses’ brother and the high priest, died.

Numbers 20:22. And the sons of Israel set out from Kadesh, and the entire congregation came to Mount Hor. According to the opinion of very many commentators, Mount Hor should be understood as the present Jebel Nebi Harun, located in the Arabah valley, near the mountainous range of Seir. Having ascended to the summit of the mountain, one finds a small depression with a solitary white cypress: this is, according to tradition, the place of Aaron’s death.

Numbers 20:29. And the entire congregation saw that Aaron had died, and all the house of Israel wept for Aaron for thirty days. Aaron died at the age of 123 years (Num 33:38).

Chapter Twenty-One

The battle of the Israelites with the Canaanite king Arad. – Complaint of the people. – An extraordinary abundance of venomous snakes. – The bronze serpent. – Movement toward the borders of the Amorite king Sihon. – An embassy to him with a request for unhindered passage. – His refusal. – The conquest of the Amorite kingdom. – The conquest of Bashan.

Numbers 21:1. The Canaanite king Arad, who lived in the south, heard that Israel was traveling by the way from Atharim, and he engaged Israel in battle and took some of them captive. The little kingdom of Arad was located in the south of Canaan. The place-name, known at the present time as “Tel Arad,” perhaps indicates the place where Arad once existed.

Numbers 21:2. And Israel made a vow to the Lord, saying: If You will deliver this people into my hand, then I will devote them and their cities to destruction. Numbers 21:3. The Lord heard the voice of Israel and delivered the Canaanites into his hand, and he devoted them and their cities to destruction and named the place Hormah. Ancient Hormah (or Zephath, see Judg 1:17) is identified with the place-name Rakhma, lying not far from the gorge leading from Wadi al-Arabah to the elevation of the southeastern edge of Canaan.

Numbers 21:4. From Mount Hor they journeyed by way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became discouraged on the way, “By way of the Red Sea” – “by the way of the plain from Elath and Ezion-Geber” (the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, Deut 2:8), having Edom on their left and the Arabian desert on their right.

Numbers 21:8. And the Lord said to Moses: Make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole, and if a serpent has bitten anyone, the one who is bitten, looking at it, shall remain alive. “Looking at it” with faith in the healing power of the almighty and most gracious Lord. “Not by the thing seen are you healed, but by Your word, O Lord, which heals all things. The mercy of the Lord came and healed them” (Wis 16:7). The typological significance of the bronze serpent is clearly expressed in the words of the Savior: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). Explaining the details of the type, the blessed Theodoret remarks: “As the bronze serpent was an image of the serpents, but did not have serpent’s poison; so the Only-begotten Son had a human body, but did not have the defilement of sin. As those bitten by serpents, looking upon the bronze serpent, received salvation; so those wounded by sin, firmly believing in the suffering of our Savior, prove to be victors over death, acquiring eternal life” (Commentary on the book of Numbers, question 38). As an incontestable memorial of the miraculous manifestation of God’s mercy, the bronze serpent was preserved among the people until the time of the Jewish king Hezekiah. Noticing the inclination of the Hebrews to pagan worship of the memorial, Hezekiah ordered the serpent to be destroyed (2 Sam 18:4).

Numbers 21:10. And the sons of Israel set out and camped in Oboth; Numbers 21:11. And they set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-Abarim, in the wilderness opposite Moab, toward the sunrise; Numbers 21:12. From there they set out and camped in the Valley of Zered; Numbers 21:13. From there they set out and camped on this side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites; for the Arnon is the boundary of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. Having traveled from west to east (perhaps through the Wadi al-Ifm gorge), going around the mountains of Edom, the Israelites turned toward the northeast in the direction of the Moabite valleys, traveling, according to the remark of Aspine, the same road along which caravans now move from Mecca to Damascus. From Num 33:41-42 it is clear that before arriving at Oboth, the Israelites had camps at Salmah and Punon. It is believed that Oboth is the present place-name El-Ahsa. The small stream Wadi al-Ahsa now forms the boundary between two regions – Jebel and Kerak – as in ancient times it perhaps served as the boundary between Edom and Moab. Regarding the Valley of Zered, the book Deut 2:14-16 reports that along the way between this valley and Ar, the last Israelites of that generation that had been condemned to die in the wilderness died. The stream Arnon is now called: in its upper course – Seil es-Saide, in its lower course – Wadi Mujib (Vlastov).

Numbers 21:14. Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord: The “Book of the Wars of the Lord,” that is, a book in which the accounts of the wars of the people of God were recorded.

Numbers 21:16. From there to Beer; this is the well of which the Lord said to Moses: Gather the people, and I will give them water. The well of Beer is identified with the well “Beer-Elim” (the well of the mighty) in the land of Moab (Isa 15:8).

Numbers 21:20. From Bamoth to the valley that is in the land of Moab, at the top of Mount Pisgah, which overlooks the wilderness. Pisgah is the name of one of the heights of the mountainous range of Abarim.

Numbers 21:24. And Israel struck him down with the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, to the border of the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong; The stream Jabbok is now called “Zerka,” that is, “Blue.” The distance between the Arnon and the Jabbok is 45 miles, or 68 versts.

Numbers 21:25. And Israel took all these cities and dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and all its dependencies; Numbers 21:26. For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had fought with the former king of Moab and taken from him all his land as far as the Arnon. Heshbon was situated on an elevated plateau, on the same parallel as the mouth of the Jordan, 20 miles (30 versts) to the east of it. Its ruins still bear the name Hesbon today (Vlastov, Sacred Chronicles).

Numbers 21:29. Woe to you, O Moab! You are undone, O people of Chemosh! He has given his sons as fugitives, and his daughters as captives, to the king of the Amorites, to Sihon; Chemosh was a pagan god worshipped by the Moabites, similar to Baal and Molech.

Numbers 21:30. So we defeated them; Heshbon’s dominion has passed to Dibon, and we laid waste even to Nophah, which extends to Medeba. Medeba, now Madeba (mentioned in the famous inscription of the Moabite king Mesha), is located 4 miles (6 versts) to the southeast of the ruins of Hesbon (Heshbon – Vlastov).

Numbers 21:33. And they turned and went up toward Bashan. And Og, king of Bashan, came out against them, he and all his people, to the battle at Edrei. The kingdom of Bashan extended from the stream Jabbok in the north, along the Jordan River, to Mount Hermon (Deut 3:8). * * * Curse. Well.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The concentration of Israeli forces on the plains of Moab, at the Jordan, opposite Jericho. – The Moabites’ fear for the integrity of their territory. – An alliance with the Midianites. – An embassy for the Mesopotamian diviner Balaam. – His arrival.

Numbers 22:1. And the sons of Israel set out and camped on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan opposite Jericho. Having finished the conquest of Amoria and Bashan, the Hebrews concentrated themselves in the lower reaches of the Jordan, opposite Jericho.

Numbers 22:2. And Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites; Numbers 22:3. And Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were numerous; and Moab was overcome with fear before the people of Israel. Numbers 22:4. And the Moabites said to the elders of Midian: This people will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. Now Balak son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. An anti-Hebrew coalition was formed from Moabites and Midianites.

Numbers 22:5. And he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is on the river Euphrates, in the land of the Ammonites, to call him, saying: Behold, a people has come out of Egypt and covers the face of the land, and they are settling next to me; As subsequent events show, Balaam was not an ordinary pagan magician or sorcerer. He was undoubtedly a richly gifted nature, capable of rising to the understanding of the true God and to the comprehension of His voice (Num 24:3-4). Balaam belonged to those few among the pagans who were worshippers of the true God, who preserved the truths of faith and morality through tradition. He lived and worked in the place from which the ancestor of the Hebrew people, Abraham, once came forth, where the descendants of Shem in particular had settled, where the sciences investigating the movement of the celestial bodies were especially widespread and which strengthened in the mind of man the thought of the boundless might and wisdom of the Creator. In church hymns Balaam is called an astrologer (troparion after the 3rd ode of the canon, December 24), and the magi who came, according to the indication of the wondrous star, to worship Christ born in Bethlehem, are called disciples of the magus Balaam (troparion after the 5th ode of the canon, December 22). Only greed for gain, which impelled Balaam to traffic in his gift, prevented him from being a true prophet of God (Tertullian, blessed Jerome). The ancient custom of magical influence on an adversary has been preserved in the military practice of some peoples even to the present time.

Numbers 22:19. However, stay here tonight, and I will learn what more the Lord will say to me. The promise of generous gifts begins to noticeably weaken Balaam’s former resolution (Num 22:13) to follow God’s commands.

Numbers 22:20. And God came to Balaam at night and said to him: Since these men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but you shall do nothing except what I tell you to do. For Balaam an outlet opens: he can accept the invitation of the elders and at the same time not act contrary to the commands from above.

Numbers 22:22. And God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the Angel of the Lord took his stand on the road to oppose him. He was riding on his donkey with his two servants. Numbers 22:23. And the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, and the donkey turned aside from the road and went into the field; and Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. Numbers 22:24. And the Angel of the Lord took his stand in a narrow place between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. Numbers 22:25. And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pressed herself against the wall and pressed Balaam’s leg against the wall; and he struck her again. Numbers 22:26. And the Angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn right or left. Numbers 22:27. And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his stick. Numbers 22:28. And the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam: What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times? Numbers 22:29. Balaam said to the donkey: Because you have mocked me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now. Numbers 22:30. The donkey said to Balaam: Am I not your donkey, which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever treated you this way? He said: No. Numbers 22:31. And the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, and he bowed down and fell on his face. Numbers 22:32. And the Angel of the Lord said to him: Why have you struck your donkey these three times? I have come out as an adversary because your way is reckless before me; Numbers 22:33. And the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely I would have killed you by now, but let her live. Numbers 22:34. And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord: I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the road against me; now therefore, if it displeases you, I will turn back. Numbers 22:35. And the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam: Go with these men, but you shall speak only what I tell you to speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. God’s warning to Balaam not to forget the indispensable condition of his journey (Num 22:20).

Numbers 22:41. And on the next morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, that from there he could see part of the people. The “high places of Baal” are considered identical with Bamoth (“altar of Baal”), which was located on a mountainous height near Dibon.

Chapter Twenty-Three

The first parable of Balaam. – The second parable.

Numbers 23:1. And Balaam said to Balak: Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me. For making a sacrifice to the omnipresent God. The number seven was considered sacred among many Eastern peoples.

Numbers 23:10. Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number a quarter of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my end be like theirs! “A quarter of Israel.” Perhaps from the heights where Balaam was standing, only the camp of three Hebrew tribes was visible.

Numbers 23:14. And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Mount Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. “The field of Zophim, to the top of Mount Pisgah” – apparently a military observation post. According to some – a pastoral observation point over flocks.

Numbers 23:18. And he took up his discourse and said: Rise, Balak, and hear; give ear to me, O son of Zippor: “Rise,” to listen to the word of the almighty God (cf. Judg 3:20).

Numbers 23:21. He has not looked on iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen perverseness in Israel; the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of the king is among them; “The shout of the king is among them,” that is: Israel possesses a dominant position among other tribes and peoples.

Numbers 23:22. God brings them out of Egypt; He has as it were the horns of the wild ox. “The wild ox,” in Hebrew Reem, – a wild bull.

Numbers 23:23. Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel. At this time it shall be said to Jacob and to Israel, “See what God has done!” All that is mighty, great, and glorious in Israel appears not as the fruit of sorcery, but as the action of the divine goodness of Jehovah in relation to His chosen people.

Numbers 23:28. And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the desert. Peor is a mountainous elevation not far from Pisgah.

Chapter Twenty-Four

The third and fourth parables of Balaam concerning Israel. – A parable concerning Amalek. – A parable concerning the Kenites. – A parable concerning Assyria, Eber, and Kittim.

Numbers 24:1. Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, and he did not go as he had gone the first and second time to seek omens, but he set his face toward the wilderness. Balaam became finally convinced that he could only bless the people of God, and therefore no longer withdraws from the altar to resolve his spiritual agitation.

Numbers 24:3. And he took up his discourse and said: Oracle of Balaam son of Beor, oracle of the man with eyes wide open, “With eyes wide open,” that is, with the gift of prophetic clear sight.

Numbers 24:4. Oracle of one who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with eyes uncovered: “Falling down but with eyes uncovered,” that is: although the prophet (by reason of human weakness) is subject to the possibility of moral falling and (in a state of prophetic ecstasy) to strong physical weakness – his mental eye does not cease to perceive the will of God.

Numbers 24:7. Water shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall be like many waters; his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. Water is taken as a symbol of wealth and fertility, as an indispensable condition for abundant and rich vegetation. The name Agag (LXX: Gog; Slavonic: Gog) was, in all probability, a title of Amalek kings, just as the names: Abimelech – of the kings of Gerar; Pharaoh, Ptolemy – of the Egyptian; Caesar – of the Roman.

Numbers 24:17. I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it strikes the princes of Moab and crushes all the sons of Sheth. Numbers 24:18. Edom shall be a possession, Seir shall also become a possession of his enemies; while Israel does valiantly. Numbers 24:19. One out of Jacob shall have dominion, and will destroy the survivors of the city. In the most immediate sense, reference is made partly to the power of Israel under its glorious earthly kings. In its full extent, the prophecy is referred by the Church to the times of the Messiah. The Church has appointed this prophecy as a patristic reading on the feast of the Nativity of Christ. According to one church hymn for this feast, “now from Jacob, as Balaam said, Christ is born; and the nations He rules, and His Kingdom shall be exalted by grace, abiding forever” (troparion, 5th ode of the canon for the Nativity). “The prophecies of the star-gazer magus Balaam are now being fulfilled,” it is said in another place, “for a star has shone forth from Jacob and has led the gift-bearing magi to the sun of glory, from Persia the kings” (troparion, 3rd ode of the canon for the Nativity).

Numbers 24:20. And he saw Amalek and pronounced his oracle, saying: Amalek was the first of the nations, but his latter end shall be utter destruction. The Amalekites (Gen 14:7) – an ancient Canaanite tribe that roamed between Egypt and Palestine (Exod 17; Num 13:30; 1 Sam 15:7). In them one can see the descendants of Amalek, one of the sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau by Adah (Gen 36:10). The military might of the Amalekites was finally crushed under David.

Numbers 24:21. And he saw the Kenites and pronounced his oracle, saying: Enduring is your dwelling place, and your nest is set in the cliff; The Kenites (Gen 15:19) – an ancient Canaanite tribe, who received their name (“ken” or “kin” – nest) perhaps from the auls or settlements they established for themselves in the mountains of the regions they inhabited (Vlastov). A part of the Kenites, through Moses’ relative Jethro, who is called a Kenite (Judg 1:16), became close to the Hebrews and settled in Palestine (Judg 1:16). A part became close to the Midianites and the Amalekites (1 Sam 15:5-7).

Numbers 24:22. But Cain shall be burned, and Asshur shall take you captive. The beginning of this verse is very different in the Greek-Slavonic text from the Hebrew-Russian, because the LXX understood the Hebrew qain in the sense of the common noun “nest,” and the verb “ebaer” in the sense of the proper name “Beor.” Either a raid by the Mesopotamian king Chusarsaph is meant (Judg 3:8), or the enslavement of the Israelites (and with them the Kenites) by the Assyrians.

Numbers 24:23. And he pronounced his oracle, saying: Alas, who shall live when God does this! The words “seeing Og” do not appear in the Hebrew text (as they are also absent in many manuscripts of the LXX according to Holmes). Balaam’s speech is addressed to Assyria, Eber, and Kittim.

Numbers 24:24. But ships shall come from Kittim and shall afflict Assyria and afflict Eber; and he also shall perish. “Ships shall come from Kittim and shall afflict Assyria.” By the name Kittim in the language of Holy Scripture are meant the islands and coasts of the Mediterranean Sea, located to the west of Palestine, such as: Macedonia, Greece, Italy, with their adjacent islands. In the first book of Maccabees, Alexander the Macedonian is presented as having come from the land of Hittim (Hettim, Kittim); according to the assurance of the Rabbis, Hittim and Macedonia are one and the same. Thus, the beginning of the enslavement of Assyria (a collective name for Asian monarchies) by Kittim can be seen in the conquests of Alexander the Macedonian (1 Macc 1:1). Subsequently, Greek hegemony in the East was replaced by Roman. “And shall afflict Eber”: there is meant the subjugation of the Hebrews to Greek and Roman dominion. “But he also shall perish.” The Greco-Roman empire (Kittim) in its turn fell under the blows of barbarous peoples.

Numbers 24:25. Then Balaam arose and went back to his place, and Balak went his own way. Balaam was not destined to return to his homeland. He was overtaken by death from the sword of the Hebrews, as divine retribution (Num 31:8) for the treacherous counsel given to Balak against the Israeli people (Num 25). * * * The LXX render the first half of verse 7 differently: a man shall come forth from his seed (Slavonic: “a man shall go forth from his seed”), so instead of the abstract concept “seed” of the original, they put the concrete concept of a person, in a distant sense – the Messiah.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Israel’s whoredom in Shittim. – The smiting of those who sinned. – The religious zeal of Phinehas. – The return of God’s mercy to the people. – The command concerning the Midianites.

Numbers 25:1. And Israel lived in Shittim, and the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab, Numbers 25:2. and they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate [their sacrifices] and bowed down to their gods. Numbers 25:3. And Israel joined themselves to Baal-Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. “Shittim” (Abel-Shittim) means a field of acacia trees. It is mentioned in Num 33:49 and in Josh 2:1. Licentious orgies were part of the rites of worship of certain deities of the Chaldean religion that had spread to Phoenicia and Canaan. Knowing the coarse, sensual character of the Hebrew people, Balaam had no doubt that the lusts (Num 31:16; see Josephus, Antiquities 4:6) of carnal pleasure would cause the Israelites to forget Jehovah and fornicate in honor of foreign gods. “And the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab,…and Israel joined themselves to Baal-Peor.”

Numbers 25:4. And the Lord said to Moses: Take all the leaders of the people and hang them before the Lord in the daylight, and the fierce anger of the Lord will turn away from Israel. “All the leaders of the people” who sinned by sacrifices and whoredome in honor of a pagan god, “hang them before the sun,” that is, during the interval before sunset: after sunset the bodies of the hanged were to be taken down by law (Deut 21:22).

Numbers 25:5. And Moses said to the judges of Israel: Kill each one of your men who have joined themselves to Baal-Peor. “To the judges of Israel” means to the ruling persons among the tribes of Israel.

Numbers 25:8. and went after the Israelite into the tent and thrust both of them through, the Israelite and the woman in her belly, and the plague on the sons of Israel ceased. “Pierced them,” following the impulse of zeal for the glory of God’s name and the directions of the law concerning the death penalty for idolaters (Lev 20:2; Deut 13:8). “The right of zeal” – jus zelotyparum – is recognized by rabbinical teaching as belonging to every Hebrew in cases of danger of temptation for the people (see John 2:14). “And the plague on the sons of Israel ceased.” Besides the execution of the transgressors by the judgment of Moses and the judges, the people who had whored were punished, apparently, by some devastating disease.

Numbers 25:9. And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand. The apostle Paul counts (1 Cor 10:8) the dead not as 24, but as 23 thousand, following the Jewish tradition according to which a thousand people died not from the “plague” but by the sword according to the judgment of Moses and the judges.

Numbers 25:13. and it shall be to him and to his seed after him a covenant of an eternal priesthood, because he showed zeal for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel. Until the high priest Eli, the high priesthood continuously remained in the offspring of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron. In the time of Eli the high priesthood temporarily passes from the house of Eleazar to the house of Ithamar (that Eli was of the house of Ithamar is proved by the fact that in 1 Sam 2:27 Abiathar, removed from the high priesthood, is named a descendant of Eli; in 2 Sam 8:17 Ahimelech is named the son of Abiathar, and in 1 Chr 24:3 the same Ahimelech is called a descendant of Ithamar); but in the time of Solomon the high priest Zadok again returns the high priesthood to the house of Phinehas. The offspring of Zadok furnishes Israel with high priests right up to the Babylonian exile. Tradition adds that (with a brief interruption under Eli, and then under David) the offspring of Phinehas performed the sacred ministry until the time of the great High Priest himself (Vlastov).

Numbers 25:18. because they dealt treacherously with you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague because of Peor. “For Peor,” that is, for whoredom in honor of Baal-Peor.

Chapter Twenty-Six

A census of the people. – The command concerning the division of the land in Canaan.

Numbers 26:1. After this plague the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying: Numbers 26:2. Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers’ houses, all in Israel who are able to go to war. At the threshold of Canaan a new count of the people is made. As a result of this count it turned out that the tribe of Reuben had 43,730 men. Simeon – 22,200 men. Judah – 76,500 men. Dan – 64,400 men. Naphtali – 45,400 men. Gad – 40,500 men. Asher – 53,400 men. Issachar – 64,300 men. Zebulun – 60,500 men. Ephraim – 32,500 men. Manasseh – 52,700 men. Benjamin – 45,600 men. Total – 601,730 men.

Numbers 26:11. but the sons of Korah did not die. It is known that the descendants of Korah served later at the tabernacle as singers ((1 Chr 6:33); the inscriptions of Psalms 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 83, 84, 86, 87).

Numbers 26:55. the land shall be divided by lot; according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit their portions; The lot was to indicate the region of settlement for the tribe. The determination of its quantity was to be conditioned by the number of men included in the tribal count (Num 26:54).

Numbers 26:62. And those numbered were twenty-three thousand, all males from a month old and upward; for they were not numbered among the sons of Israel, because no inheritance was given them among the sons of Israel. The Levites “were not given a (land) inheritance among the sons of Israel,” because “the Lord himself is their inheritance” (Num 18:20; Deut 10:9; Ezek 44:28).

Numbers 26:64. but among these there was not a man of those numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbered the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai; Numbers 26:65. for the Lord had said of them, “They shall surely die in the wilderness.” There was not left a man of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. According to the indication of the book Deut 2:14, the mentioned circumstance began to be clarified after the crossing of the valley of the Zered (Num 21:12).

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The law concerning the inheritance of a land portion. – A revelation to Moses concerning his approaching death. – God’s command concerning Moses’s successor.

Numbers 27:1. Then the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph, came forward. The names of his daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah; Numbers 27:2. and they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the leaders and all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and they said: Numbers 27:3. Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah, but died for his own sin. And he had no sons. Numbers 27:4. Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father’s brothers. “But for his own sin,” a sin common to the old generation, “he died” in the wilderness (Num 14:21-23).

Numbers 27:5. And Moses brought their case before the Lord. Numbers 27:6. And the Lord said to Moses: Numbers 27:7. The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You shall give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. Numbers 27:8. And you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. Numbers 27:9. And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. Numbers 27:10. And if he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. Numbers 27:11. And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his nearest kinsman in his clan, and he shall possess it. And it shall be for the sons of Israel a statute and rule, as the Lord commanded Moses. At the division of the land, land plots were to be distributed “according to the number of names” of male persons and to bear the names of their owners, so that under these names they would pass from generation to generation, as a material consolidation in the people of the “name” of one family or another. Naturally, given the existence of such a legislative principle, the nearest heirs of the landowner were none other than his sons, the bearers of his name, the keepers of his lineage. In the event of the absence of sons or the inability of the latter to be the continuers of their lineage, the land inheritance could pass to a daughter – but with the absolute condition that in case of her marriage the children should be the continuers of their lineage and bearers of the name of their grandfather on the mother’s side. In the absence of daughters, the nearest kinsman of the deceased is the heir to the land plot.

Numbers 27:12. The Lord said to Moses, Go up into this mountain of Abarim [which is on this side of the Jordan, to this mountain Nebo,] and see the land [of Canaan] which I give to the sons of Israel [for a possession]; Nebo (or Navab) is one of the heights of the mountain range of Abarim.

Numbers 27:15. And Moses said to the Lord, saying: Numbers 27:16. Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, Numbers 27:17. who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep without a shepherd. The concern of all Moses’s life was the people of Israel. In difficult moments of God’s anger against those who sinned, the leader was ready to take upon himself personally all the weight of punishing righteousness, so as to preserve the life and well-being of his tormentor. And now, learning of the approaching day of his death, Moses is first of all troubled by care “so that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep without a shepherd.”

Numbers 27:18. And the Lord said to Moses, Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand upon him, The laying on of hands is a visible sign of the communication of rights and authority.

Numbers 27:19. and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and commission him in their sight, Setting him before the people and commissioning him is an act of announcing the succession and at the same time an act of public recognition of the successor.

Numbers 27:20. and give him some of your authority, so that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey him. What is in view is the allowance of Joshua to exercise some of his rights even during Moses’s lifetime.

Numbers 27:21. And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the sons of Israel with him and all the congregation. No one among the chosen men of the Old Testament was granted such close communion with the Godhead as Moses had (Num 12:6-8). The successor of Moses will inquire of the Lord through the mysterious Urim and Thummim, which were on the breastplate of the high priest (Exod 28:30).

Numbers 27:22. And Moses did as the Lord commanded him [God,] and took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation; The final, public transfer of the rights of a Hebrew leader to Joshua took place later (Deut 31:23).

Chapter Twenty-Eight

A repetition of the law concerning daily sacrifices. – The law concerning sabbath and new-moon sacrifices. – A repetition of the law concerning Passover and the feast of first fruits.

Numbers 28:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Numbers 28:2. Command the sons of Israel and say to them: My offering, my food for my sacrifices, a pleasing aroma to me, you shall be careful to offer to me at its appointed time. Numbers 28:3. And you shall say to them, This is the offering by fire that you shall offer to the Lord: two lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a regular burnt offering; Numbers 28:4. You shall offer one lamb in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer in the evening; Numbers 28:5. also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a quarter of a hin of beaten oil; Numbers 28:6. it is a regular burnt offering, which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord; Numbers 28:7. and its drink offering shall be a quarter of a hin for one lamb. In the holy place you shall pour out a drink offering of wine to the Lord. Numbers 28:8. The other lamb you shall offer in the evening. Like the grain offering of the morning and like its drink offering, you shall offer it as an offering by fire, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Exod 29:38-42.

Numbers 28:9. And on the Sabbath day two lambs a year old without blemish, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, and its drink offering: Numbers 28:10. this is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. The double sabbath sacrifice was offered in addition to the ordinary daily offering.

Numbers 28:11. At the beginnings of your months you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old without blemish, Numbers 28:12. also three tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for each bull; and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram; Numbers 28:13. and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering mixed with oil for each lamb; this is a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord; Numbers 28:14. their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, a third of a hin for a ram, and a quarter of a hin for a lamb. This is the monthly burnt offering for every month throughout the year. It is on the sabbath and new-moon sacrifice that mention is made here for the first time.

Numbers 28:15. Besides the regular burnt offering, you shall offer to the Lord one male goat for a sin offering; The sin offering precedes the burnt offering. When all sacrifices were offered together, their order was as follows: first of all, 1) a purification offering (“for sin,” “for guilt” or “for transgression”) was offered. After purification by the blood of the mentioned offering, 2) the burnt offering was offered, as a clear expression of man’s readiness to offer himself as a sacrifice to God, to dedicate himself wholly to Him with all his purified thoughts and purified feelings. After the burnt offering, as a sign of reconciliation and fellowship with the Godhead, followed 3) the peace offering, accompanied by a joyful meal.

Numbers 28:26. And on the day of the first fruits, when you offer a new grain offering to the Lord at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, Numbers 28:27. and offer a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs [a year old], Numbers 28:28. also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each bull, two tenths for one ram, Numbers 28:29. and a tenth for each of the seven lambs; Numbers 28:30. also one male goat [as a sin offering] to make atonement for you; Numbers 28:31. besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall offer them with their drink offerings. They shall be without blemish. The day of first fruits was also called the “feast of weeks” (Num 28:26; see Lev 23:14-21; Deut 16:9-12), that is, the feast after the completion of “seven weeks” from “the appearing of the sickle on the harvest.” As the first day after the completion of seven weeks, the feast received its last name – Pentecost (2 Macc 12:32; Tob 2:1; Acts 2:1; Acts 20:16; 1 Cor 16:8).

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The Feast of Trumpets. – The Day of Atonement. – The Feast of Tabernacles.

Numbers 29:1. In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. It shall be for you a day of blowing the trumpets, Numbers 29:2. and you shall offer a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old without blemish, Numbers 29:3. with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the ram, Numbers 29:4. and one tenth for each of the seven lambs, Numbers 29:5. also one male goat as a sin offering, to make atonement for you; Numbers 29:6. besides the burnt offering of the new moon and its grain offering, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to the rule, as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. The feast (announced by the sound of the sacred) trumpets was celebrated on the first day of the autumn month of Tishrei (September), which was the seventh month in the sacred year of the Hebrews. According to verse 6, the sacrifices of the Feast of Trumpets did not exclude the sacrifices of the new moon and the daily sacrifices, which were to be offered in the usual order, in addition to the festival ones.

Numbers 29:7. On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation and afflict yourselves; you shall do no work, Numbers 29:8. and you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma: one bull from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish to you; Numbers 29:9. and their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the ram, Numbers 29:10. a tenth for each of the seven lambs, Numbers 29:11. also one male goat as a sin offering, [to make atonement for you,] besides the sin offering of atonement, [and besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to the rule of those offered as a pleasing aroma, as an offering by fire to the Lord]. The great day of national purification began in the evening of the ninth day of the month of Tishrei (September). On the tenth day in the morning a sacred assembly of the people took place at the tabernacle, at which all the ceremonial indicated in chapter 16 of the book of Leviticus was carried out. As a conclusion, the sacrifice of a goat as a sin offering (independent of the one offered by lot) was made and the burnt offerings – both festival and daily – were offered. Num 29:12-38. From the 15th to the 21st day of the month of Tishrei (September) the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev 23:33-36) was celebrated, established in remembrance of the wandering of the Jews through the wilderness and of the numerous manifestations of God’s mercy toward the people that took place during this wandering. The fullness of the religious joy of the Israelites was expressed in the extraordinary abundance of festival sacrifices. During the seven days of the feast, there were offered as burnt offerings: 70 bulls, 14 rams, and 98 lambs (twice as many as at Pentecost). Only the sin offering remained unchanged: each day one goat was offered. Participating in worship, the Hebrews held in their hands bouquets of greenery and flowers. With such bouquets they also walked afterward, after the worship service. From the time of the Second Temple, two newly instituted rites began to be performed at the Feast of Tabernacles: 1) the rite of the pouring of water and 2) the lighting of lamps. The order of the first rite was as follows. One of the priests took a golden vessel, went with it to the Pool of Siloam and drew water, after which, met with singing, he entered the inner gates of the temple and poured the water into the tubes of the altar. The second rite consisted in the fact that after the evening sacrifice on the women’s court of the temple four high lamps were lit, covered with lamps. On the steps of the stairs leading to the women’s gallery, the Levites stood and, moving from step to step (with prolonged stops on the lower, 10th, and 15th steps), played musical instruments and sang. To the accompaniment of sacred songs and instrumental music, those present made joyful movements. As if to clarify the motives for the celebration, the priests turned to the people and said: “Our fathers turned away from the temple and worshiped the sun, but we – no, we are faithful to Jehovah and to his temple.” The joyful mood that seized the people during this feast was so great that a saying arose: “He who has not seen the bright days of the Feast of Tabernacles has never seen true joy!”

Numbers 29:39. These you shall offer to the Lord at your appointed feasts, in addition to your vows and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your grain offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings. Concerning the peace offerings and those made voluntarily, see Lev 3:1; Lev 7:11-21.

Chapter Thirty

Concerning vows.

Numbers 30:1. And Moses told the sons of Israel all that the Lord commanded him. Numbers 30:2. And Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying: This is what the Lord has commanded: Numbers 30:3. If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or takes an oath to bind himself with a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. By the term “vow” (neder) is meant a positive promise to do something, to refrain from something (in the latter case it is a “pledge” – issur, verse 3), and also to dedicate someone in God’s name. Concerning vows, see the book Lev 27:1, the book Num 6:1. In the present chapter, cases are noted when vows are to be kept, and cases when vows cannot have force.

Numbers 30:4. If a woman makes a vow to the Lord and binds herself with a pledge, while in her father’s house, in her youth, Numbers 30:5. and her father hears of her vow and of her pledge by which she has bound herself, and says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand. Numbers 30:6. But if her father opposes her on the day that he hears of it, none of her vows and none of her pledges by which she has bound herself shall stand. And the Lord will forgive her, because her father opposed her. Numbers 30:7. And if she is married while bound by her vow or any thoughtless utterance from her lips by which she bound herself, Numbers 30:8. and her husband hears of it and says nothing to her on the day that he hears, then her vows shall stand, and her pledges by which she bound herself shall stand. Numbers 30:9. But if her husband opposes her on the day that he hears of it, then he makes void her vow which is on her, and the thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she bound herself, [and it shall not stand, because her husband made it void,] and the Lord will forgive her. Numbers 30:10. Any vow or any binding oath to afflict herself, a widow or a divorced woman may establish. Numbers 30:11. And if she made a vow in her husband’s house, or bound herself with a pledge by an oath, Numbers 30:12. and her husband heard of it and said nothing to her and did not oppose her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge by which she bound herself shall stand. Numbers 30:13. But if her husband makes them void on the day that he hears them, then nothing that proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows or concerning her binding pledge shall stand. Her husband has made them void, and the Lord will forgive her. Numbers 30:14. Any vow and any binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish, or her husband may make void. Numbers 30:15. But if her husband says nothing to her from day to day, then he establishes all her vows or all her pledges that are upon her. He has established them, because he said nothing to her. Numbers 30:16. But if he makes them void after he has heard of them, then he shall bear her iniquity. Numbers 30:17. These are the statutes that the Lord commanded Moses about a man and his wife, and about a father and his daughter while she is still young and in her father’s house. An achievable vow made by a person not bound by law in their personal affairs by another’s will must be fulfilled. A vow made by a person subject to another’s will has force only when that other person confirms it either verbally or by simple non-objection at the moment of the utterance of the vow or mention of it.

Chapter Thirty-One

The defeat of the Midianites. The death of Balaam. The purification of the warriors and the spoil. The division of the spoil.

Numbers 31:1. And the Lord said to Moses, saying: Numbers 31:2. Avenge the children of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you shall be gathered to your people. Numbers 31:3. And Moses said to the people, saying: Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites, to execute the Lord’s vengeance on Midian; Numbers 31:4. A thousand from each tribe, from all the tribes of the children of Israel, shall you send to war. The command to destroy the Midianites is given in accordance with the law concerning punishment of those who incite idolatry (Deut 13:6-10) and to ensure the protection of the Hebrews from future dangerous neighboring peoples.

Numbers 31:6. And Moses sent them to war, a thousand from each tribe, along with them Phinehas son of Eleazar, [son of Aaron,] the priest, to the war, and in his hand the holy vessels and the trumpets for the alarm. Phinehas, son of Eleazar the high priest, is sent as the chief priest with the troops, openly demonstrating his zeal for the honor of the name of God at the moment of the people’s involvement with pagan idolatry (Num 25:6-8).

Numbers 31:7. And they waged war on Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed all the males; “And they killed all the males,” except of course those who escaped by flight or were absent from that location. In the book Judg 6:1 the Midianites are mentioned among the nations that made attacks on the Israelites. But after Gideon “humbled” them, “the Midianites… no longer dared to lift their heads” (Judg 8:28).

Numbers 31:8. And together with those they killed they slew the kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian, and Balaam son of Beor they killed with the sword [together with those they slew]; In the book Josh 13:21, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba are named “princes of Sihon,” that is, princes of King Sihon—probably because of the dominant position of Sihon the Amorite in the territory of southern Transjordan (Num 21:29).

Numbers 31:17. Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man by lying with him; Numbers 31:18. But all the children among the women who have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves; The boys are regarded as probable perpetuators of their fathers’ lives. The women “who have known a man by lying with him” are regarded as a constant risk of temptation for the Hebrews to repeat their sin at Shittim (Num 25). The girls, not defiled by the shameful rituals in honor of Baal-Peor, could be re-educated (in view of their comparative gentleness) in the environment of pious Hebrew women and subsequently become members of the Israelite community.

Numbers 31:19. And stay outside the camp seven days; whoever of you has killed a person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day—you and your captives; Numbers 31:20. And purify every garment, every piece of skin, everything made of goat’s hair, and every wooden vessel. Numbers 31:21. And Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to battle: This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded Moses: Numbers 31:22. Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead, Numbers 31:23. Everything that endures fire, you shall pass through fire, and it shall be clean. Nevertheless it shall also be purified with water of purification; and everything that does not endure fire you shall pass through water. Numbers 31:24. And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and be clean; and afterward you may enter the camp. The law concerning purification for those who have touched a human corpse and objects that have been in contact with it is set forth in chapter XIX.

Numbers 31:25. And the Lord said to Moses, saying: Numbers 31:26. Count the captive booty, both of man and of beast, you and Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the congregation; Numbers 31:27. And divide the spoil into two parts: between those who took part in the war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation; Numbers 31:28. And levy a tribute to the Lord from the men of war who went out to battle: one out of five hundred, from the persons and from the cattle and from the donkeys and from the sheep; Numbers 31:29. Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the Lord; Numbers 31:30. And from the children of Israel’s half, take one out of fifty, from the persons, from the cattle, from the donkeys, and from the sheep, and give them to the Levites, who keep charge of the tabernacle of the Lord. Numbers 31:31. And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses. The manner in which the Midianite spoil was divided (in half between those who went to war and those who remained in the camp with the baggage) subsequently acquired the force of an eternal law (1 Sam 30:24). The warriors who did not participate in the expedition were obliged to make a contribution to the tabernacle from their received spoil in the amount of 1/50 of the spoil; those who participated were obliged to do so in the amount of 1/500 of the spoil. The first portion of the spoil was to go for the benefit of the Levites, the second for the benefit of the priests.

Numbers 31:48. And there came to Moses the captains of thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, Numbers 31:49. And they said to Moses: Your servants have counted the soldiers who were under our command, and not one of them is missing; Numbers 31:50. And we have brought an offering to the Lord, what each man found—articles of gold: bracelets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and ornaments—to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord. Numbers 31:51. And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them in all the fashioned articles; Numbers 31:52. And the total gold that was presented as an offering to the Lord was sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty shekels, from the commanders of thousands and from the commanders of hundreds. Numbers 31:53. The soldiers plundered each one for himself. Numbers 31:54. And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the commanders of thousands and from the commanders of hundreds, and brought it to the tabernacle of meeting as a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord. “An offering to the Lord,” as the firstfruits of the spoil and as a sign of thanksgiving for the successful completion of the campaign (vv. 32-46, 49). “To make atonement for ourselves,” for our souls that have been defiled by killing and touching the slain and their possessions.

Chapter Thirty-Two

The settlement of the tribe of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh in the conquered territory of Sihon the Amorite and Og of Bashan.

Numbers 32:1. Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock; and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that indeed the place was a place for livestock; “The land of Jazer and the land of Gilead” is eastern Transjordan.

Numbers 32:3. Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, Cities of eastern Transjordan; among them, Dibon, Ataroth, and Nebo are mentioned, in particular, in the inscription of the Moabite king Mesha.

Numbers 32:34. And the children of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth, and Aroer, Numbers 32:35. And Atroth-Shophan, Jazer, and Jogbehah, Numbers 32:36. And Beth-Nimrah and Beth-Haran, fortified cities and folds for sheep. Numbers 32:37. And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, and Kiriathaim, Numbers 32:38. And Nebo and Baal-Meon (with their names changed), and Sibmah; and they gave other names to the cities which they built. “Built,” more accurately—rebuilt, since most of these cities existed before the arrival of the Hebrews.

Numbers 32:39. And the children of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it; Numbers 32:40. And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he settled in it. Numbers 32:41. And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its towns, and called them Havoth-Jair. Numbers 32:42. And Nobah went and took Kenath and its dependent cities, and called it Nobah after his own name. For more details about the settlement of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh see Deut 3:12-20; Josh 13:8-12. Reuben and Gad occupied the south of eastern Transjordan; Manasseh occupied the north, with the descendants of Manasseh “the sons of Machir” established chiefly in Gilead, and “the sons of Jair” established chiefly in Bashan.

Chapter Thirty-Three

An enumeration of the principal camps of Israel on the journey from Rameses to the Jordan. Commands to drive out the Canaanite inhabitants and to destroy their idols.

Num 33:1-49.

In the present chapter forty-two camps are listed, which of course far from corresponds to the number of all the stops that took place during the long period of forty years of the Hebrews’ wilderness wandering. It is reasonable to suppose that only sites of prolonged stops, with the gathering and setting up of the tabernacle, are noted—stops that left some mark on the life and religious consciousness of the wanderers.

It is impossible to make an exact geographical determination of those forty-two camps mentioned in the book Num 33 due to insufficient necessary data. It is only possible to note the main direction of the Hebrew movement from Rameses to the Jordan.

From Rameses the Hebrews moved eastward, toward the northern end of the Suez Gulf. Here stops were made: Succoth, Etham, Pi-Hahiroth, which is before Baal-Zephon, and Migdol.

At the northern end of the Suez Gulf the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea by the Hebrews took place. After coming out of the sea, the Israelites moved along the western shore of the Sinai Peninsula (the wilderness of Etham, Sur, Sin) southward, to the mountains of Sinai. Here stops were made: Marah, Elim, a camp by the sea, a camp in the wilderness of Zin, Dophkah, Alush, Rephidim, Sinai.

From Sinai the Hebrews moved northeast (the wilderness of Paran), toward the northern end of the Gulf of Akaba (Ezion-Geber), and from there north to the southern boundaries of Canaan (Kadesh). Here stops were made: Taberah-Kibroth-Hattaavah, Asiroth, Rithmah, Rimmon-Perez, Libnah, Rissah, Kehelathah, Shapher, Haradah, Makheloth, Tahath, Terah, Mithkah, Hashmonah, Moseroth, Bene-Jaakan, Hor-Hagidgad, Jotbathah, Abrona, Ezion-Geber, Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.

After the completion of thirty-eight years of wandering (as a punishment for murmuring), the Hebrews arrived again at Kadesh. From there they move eastward and then northward, around Edom and Moab: they pass victoriously through the kingdoms of Sihon the Amorite and Og of Bashan; they turn back southward and concentrate themselves in the Moabite plains near the Jordan, opposite Jericho. Here stops were made: a camp at Mount Hor, Salmonah, Punon, Oboth, Iye-Abarim, Dibon-Gad, Almon-Diblathaim, a camp at Mount Nebo, a camp in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, opposite Jericho, in the territory from Beth-Jeshimoth to Abel-Shittim ((Num 21:1—Num 22:1) after the camp at Iye-Abarim some sources mention the following: in the valley of Zered, at the river Arnon, at the well of Beer, Mattanah, Nahaliel, Bamoth, Gai at Pisgah, Amorites, Bashan, the Moabite plains by the Jordan, opposite Jericho).

Numbers 33:50. And the Lord said to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, opposite Jericho, saying: Numbers 33:51. Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, Numbers 33:52. Then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their engraved images, and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high places; Compare Num 33:55-56. Given Israel’s notable inclination toward sensuality in religion and its passionate temperament responsive to sensual pleasures, the proximity of the pagan Canaanites with their worship of Baal-Ashtaroth should not be desirable for the chosen people.

Numbers 33:53. And you shall take possession of the land and dwell in it, for I have given you the land to possess as your inheritance; Numbers 33:54. And you shall divide the land by lot as an inheritance among your families; to the larger you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to anyone, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers. Compare Num 26:54-56.

Chapter Thirty-Four

The boundaries of the land of promise. The appointment of men to divide the land into portions.

Numbers 34:1. And the Lord said to Moses, saying: Numbers 34:2. Command the children of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance, the land of Canaan with its borders: The boundaries are drawn only for western Transjordan (Canaan); eastern Transjordan was occupied by the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh by virtue of personal permission from Moses (Num 32:1).

Numbers 34:3. Your southern border shall be from the Wilderness of Zin alongside Edom, and your southern border shall extend eastward to the end of the Salt Sea, The southern boundary of the promised land is established as the Wilderness of Zin, Edom, the stream of Egypt (the present-day wadi Wadi el-Arish), at the mouth of which the ancient city Rhinocolura (modern El-Arish) was built.

Numbers 34:6. As for the western boundary, the Great Sea shall be your boundary; this shall be your western boundary; The Mediterranean Sea is established as the western boundary.

Numbers 34:7. Now your northern boundary: from the Great Sea you shall draw your line to Mount Hor; Numbers 34:8. From Mount Hor you shall draw a line to the entrance of Hamath, and the boundary shall extend to Zedad; Numbers 34:9. Then the boundary shall go to Ziphron, and its limit shall be at Hazar-Enan. This shall be your northern boundary. The northern boundary: Mount Hor (probably one of the elevations of Lebanon (the LXX and Slavonic call it ορος, a mountain) and Hamath (a mountain pass and a city on the Orontes River in Coele-Syria, between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon). Zedad, according to commentators, is the present-day Sedada; Ziphron is the present-day Zyphran. The former is located near the Hamathite mountain pass, the latter near Damascus.

Numbers 34:10. And your eastern boundary you shall draw from Hazar-Enan to Shepham; Numbers 34:11. And the boundary shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain; and the boundary shall descend and reach to the side of the Sea of Chinnereth on the east; Numbers 34:12. And the boundary shall go down to the Jordan, and its limit shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to all its boundaries on every side. The eastern boundary is established as the Jordan River and the Salt (Dead) Sea. Chinnereth is the Sea of Galilee. Num 34:16-29. Concerning the division of the land among the tribes see Josh 13-21.

Chapter Thirty-Five

The assignment of forty-eight cities for the dwelling of the Levites, of which six cities are for the refuge of involuntary manslayers. The signs of moral and juridical accountability for murder. Capital punishment for willful murderers. The right of blood vengeance of the involuntary slayer by the goel (the one appointed by the relatives of the slain). The inadmissibility of redemption for either willful or involuntary murder.

Numbers 35:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying: Numbers 35:2. Command the children of Israel that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and you shall also give to the Levites common-land around these cities: Numbers 35:3. The cities shall be for them to dwell in; and their common-land shall be for their cattle, for their herds, and for all their animals. See Joshua (Josh 21).

Numbers 35:4. Now the common-land of the cities which you give to the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around. Numbers 35:5. And you shall measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, on the south side two thousand cubits, on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits, with the city in the middle. This shall be your common-land for the cities. In order to prevent the Levites from deviating from their direct duties toward the predominant exploitation of land holdings, the law limits the boundaries of their landed property to the amount necessary only for modest economic needs.

Numbers 35:9. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Numbers 35:10. Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, Numbers 35:11. Then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person unintentionally may flee there. Numbers 35:12. And these cities shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood, so that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment. Numbers 35:13. And of the cities which you give, you shall have six cities of refuge. Numbers 35:14. You shall appoint three cities on this side of the Jordan, and three cities you shall appoint in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge. Numbers 35:15. These six cities shall be a refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there. Numbers 35:16. But if he strikes him with an iron implement, so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. Numbers 35:17. And if he strikes him with a stone in the hand, by which one could die, and he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. Numbers 35:18. Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon, by which one could die, and he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. Numbers 35:19. The avenger of blood himself shall put the murderer to death; when he encounters him, he shall put him to death. Numbers 35:20. If he pushes him out of hatred, or hurls something at him intentionally, so that he dies, Numbers 35:21. Or in hostility strikes him with his hand, so that he dies, then the one who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he encounters him. Numbers 35:22. But if he pushes him suddenly without hostility, or hurls any object at him unintentionally, Numbers 35:23. Or with any stone, by which he could die, throwing it without seeing, so that he dies, and he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm, Numbers 35:24. Then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments. Numbers 35:25. So the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil; Numbers 35:26. But if the manslayer at any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled, Numbers 35:27. And the avenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of bloodshed, Numbers 35:28. Because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession. Numbers 35:29. And these things shall be a statute and ordinance for you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. Numbers 35:30. Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient to testify against a person for the death penalty. Numbers 35:31. Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death; Numbers 35:32. And you shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the [high] priest. Numbers 35:33. So you shall not pollute the land in which you are dwelling; for blood pollutes the land, and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed on it except by the blood of him who shed it. Numbers 35:34. Do not defile the land where you dwell, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel. The custom of blood vengeance against murderers by relatives or those close to the slain, widespread in the ancient East, is acknowledged in the law of Moses (v. 19) as a principle to restrain the passions of the feuding parties—though in its application to the framework of Hebrew life, it underwent certain essential modifications that safeguarded society from the injustice and cruelty of an enraged avenger. Every murder (both intentional and unintentional) was first of all subject to formal judicial investigation (vv. 16-24, 30). A murder found to be intentional resulted in capital punishment (vv. 16-21, 30) without the right of redemption (vv. 31-34). A murder found to be unintentional gave the slayer the opportunity to escape the bloody revenge of the goel by taking refuge in one of the six cities of refuge and remaining there until the death of the high priest. With the death of the high priest, the avenger lost the right of blood vengeance, and the involuntary slayer received full restoration of his rights as a free citizen (vv. 9-15, 22-29). “Redemption for him who has fled to the city of refuge, to allow him to dwell in his land before the death of the high priest” (v. 32) was not permitted. The fear of punishment and the restrictive conditions in many respects of residence in the city of refuge were meant to accustom the Hebrews to carefulness in dealing with the life of their neighbor. The redemptive significance in this case of the death of the Old Testament high priest foreshadowed, according to the teaching of Theodoret, the atoning fruits of the death of the high priest according to the order of Melchizedek (Commentary on Numbers, question 50). Regarding the names and locations of the cities of refuge for involuntary manslayers see Deut 4:41-43; Deut 19:1-10; Josh 20-21.

Chapter Thirty-Six

A supplement to the law concerning heiresses of a land inheritance. The conclusion of the Book of Numbers.

Numbers 36:1. Now the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came and spoke before Moses and before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders, the chief fathers of the children of Israel. Numbers 36:2. And they said: The Lord commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel; and my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters; Numbers 36:3. Now if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry; so it will be taken from the lot of our inheritance. Numbers 36:4. And when the Jubilee of the children of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry; and their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers. Numbers 36:5. Then Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the Lord, saying: What the tribe of the sons of Joseph speaks is correct. Numbers 36:6. This is what the Lord has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying: Let them marry to whom they think best; only, they may marry within the family of the tribe of their father, Numbers 36:7. So that the inheritance of the children of Israel shall not change hands from tribe to tribe; for every one of the children of Israel shall keep the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. Numbers 36:8. And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel shall be the wife of someone of the family of her father’s tribe, so that the children of Israel each possess the inheritance of his fathers; Numbers 36:9. So that the inheritance shall not change from one tribe to another tribe; for every tribe of the children of Israel shall keep itself to its own inheritance. See the book Num 27:1-11 and the note to verse 8 of this chapter. Regarding the Jubilee year see the book Lev 25:1.

Numbers 36:11. And the daughters of Zelophehad married the sons of their father’s brothers; The law set forth in Lev 18 and Lev 20 did not forbid such marriages.

Numbers 36:13. These are the commandments and the ordinances which the Lord commanded the children of Israel through Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan, opposite Jericho. The conclusion of the Book of Numbers.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Introduction

The title of the book. In the Hebrew text the fifth book of Moses is called:

1) “Elle-haddabarim” (“These are the words”), or in abbreviated form: “Debarim,”—corresponding to the opening words of the book; alongside this, in the language of the rabbis:

2) “Mishneh ha-Torah” (“Repetition of the Law”),—by the character of its content;

3) “Sefer tokahot” (“Book of Reproofs”), for the same reason.

The character of the book’s content is indicated by its titles in the translations as well: Greek, Latin, Slavonic, Russian. In the Greek Bible the fifth book of Moses bears the name “Deuteronomion” (“Deuteronomy”), in the Latin: “Deuteronomium” (“Deuteronomy”), and in the Slavonic and Russian: “Vtorozakonie” (Deuteronomy).

Its content. The dominant content of the book of Deuteronomy is a reproduction of the historical and legislative material of the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers (with the inclusion, in places, of certain new legislative provisions). The purpose of this reproduction is to refresh in the memory of the young Hebrew generation the instructive moments of divine providence toward the chosen people and the laws given to them. The same instructive purpose is also served by the prophetic speeches of rebuke and exhortation placed at the conclusion of Deuteronomy. On the whole, Deuteronomy represents the detailed deathbed testament of a wise and experienced leader, endowed with inspiration from above, to the young and unstable Hebrew people.

The time and place of the delivery of the speeches of Deuteronomy are noted in the opening verses of the first chapter of the book.

Chapter One

Moses reminds the Hebrew people of the command to set out from Sinai toward Canaan.—The appointment of commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, commanders of tens.—The sending of scouts into the land of Canaan.—The people’s murmuring and the judgment of God’s righteousness.—The unauthorized incursion into the southern borders of Canaan and the defeat at Hormah.

Deuteronomy 1:1. These are the words that Moses spoke to all the Israelites beyond the Jordan, in the wilderness, in the plain opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab, Deuteronomy 1:2. at a distance of eleven days’ journey from Horeb, by the road from Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea. In view here is the southern part of the eastern Transjordan region and the adjacent wilderness. The Hebrew Dej-zahab (Russ.: “Dizahab”) is rendered in the LXX by a common noun: “Katakhrysea” (Slav.: “with golden mines”).

Deuteronomy 1:3. In the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, Moses spoke to all the sons of Israel everything that the Lord had commanded him concerning them. Deuteronomy 1:4. After he had struck down Sihon, king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og, king of Bashan, who dwelt in Ashtaroth at Edrei, “The fortieth year”—after the departure of the Hebrews from Egypt.

Deuteronomy 1:5. beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to expound this law and said: “To expound the law”—Deuteronomy is not a codification of any laws new in relation to those set forth in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers: it represents a morally edifying reproduction, in the majority of cases, of those same laws that are recorded in the aforementioned books. “After the passage of forty years,” remarks Theodoret, “when by divine decree those who were condemned (to die in the wilderness) had perished, God commands the counting of their children, who had reached the same age as their fathers at the time of the first census. These children, as He was bringing them into the promised land, God, through the prophet, teaches the law that had been given to their lawless fathers” (Commentary on Deut., question 1).

Deuteronomy 1:6. The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb and said: “You have dwelt long enough at this mountain! Deuteronomy 1:7. Turn and set out on your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors—to the plain, to the hill country, to the lowland, to the Negeb, and to the seacoast—to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates; Deuteronomy 1:8. See, I am giving you this land; go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers—to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob—to them and to their descendants after them.” Recalled here is that time when, after the proclamation of the law and the construction of the tabernacle, the Lord commanded the people to march toward the southern borders of the land promised to them (Num 10:12).

Deuteronomy 1:9. And I said to you at that time: I am not able to bear you alone; Deuteronomy 1:10. the Lord your God has multiplied you, and see, you are today as numerous as the stars of heaven; Deuteronomy 1:11. may the Lord, the God of your fathers, multiply you a thousand times more than you are now, and bless you, as He has promised you; Deuteronomy 1:12. How can I alone bear your burdens, your loads, and your disputes? Deuteronomy 1:13. Choose for yourselves, from your tribes, men who are wise, understanding, and experienced, and I will appoint them as your leaders. Deuteronomy 1:14. You answered me and said: the thing you have told us to do is good. Deuteronomy 1:15. And I took the heads of your tribes, men who were wise, [understanding,] and experienced, and set them over you as leaders—commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, commanders of tens, and overseers, by your tribes. Deuteronomy 1:16. And I charged your judges at that time: hear out your brothers and judge fairly—between a man and his brother, as well as the foreigner among him; Deuteronomy 1:17. do not show partiality in judgment—hear out the small and the great alike; do not be afraid of any person, for judgment belongs to God; and any case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it. Deuteronomy 1:18. And I gave you at that time instructions concerning everything you should do. Moses speaks of the appointment of subordinate leaders from among the people, on the advice of Jethro (Exod 18:13-26). According to the calculations of the rabbis, for the 600,000 men who came out of Egypt (Exod 12:37), the following number of officers was appointed: 60,000 commanders of tens, 12,000 commanders of fifties, 6,000 commanders of hundreds, 600 commanders of thousands—a total of 78,600 persons. The passage under comment does not refer to those 70 elders who were chosen to share with Moses the burden of the supreme governance of the people and who, as the prophet’s closest assistants, were illumined by the spirit of prophecy (Num 11:11-17).

Deuteronomy 1:19. And we set out from Horeb and went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which you saw, on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as the Lord our God commanded us, and we came to Kadesh-barnea. Deuteronomy 1:20. And I said to you: you have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving to us; Deuteronomy 1:21. See, the Lord your God has placed the land before you; go up, take possession of it, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has spoken to you; do not be afraid or dismayed. Deuteronomy 1:22. But you all came near to me and said: let us send men ahead of us so that they may explore the land for us and bring us word about the road by which we should go up and the cities into which we should enter. Deuteronomy 1:23. The plan seemed good to me, and I took twelve men from among you, one man from each tribe. Deuteronomy 1:24. They went up and came to the hill country and reached the valley of Eshcol, and they spied it out; Deuteronomy 1:25. and they took in their hands some of the fruit of the land and brought it down to us, and they brought us word and said: the land that the Lord our God is giving to us is good. Deuteronomy 1:26. Yet you were not willing to go up, and you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God, Deuteronomy 1:27. and you grumbled in your tents and said: the Lord, out of hatred for us, has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to hand us over to the Amorites and destroy us; Deuteronomy 1:28. where are we to go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: the people there are greater and taller than we are; the cities are large and fortified to the heavens; and we even saw the sons of Anak there. Deuteronomy 1:29. And I said to you: do not be terrified or afraid of them; Deuteronomy 1:30. the Lord your God who goes before you—He will fight for you, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, Deuteronomy 1:31. and in this wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, throughout all the way you traveled until you came to this place. Deuteronomy 1:32. Yet in spite of this word you did not trust in the Lord your God, Deuteronomy 1:33. who went before you on the way to seek out for you a place to camp—in fire by night to show you the road by which to go, and in the cloud by day. Deuteronomy 1:34. And the Lord heard the sound of your words and was angry, and He swore, saying: Deuteronomy 1:35. Not one of these people, of this evil generation, shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers; Deuteronomy 1:36. only Caleb son of Jephunneh shall see it; to him I will give the land on which he walked, and to his sons, because he followed the Lord faithfully. Deuteronomy 1:37. The Lord was angry with me also on your account, saying: you too shall not enter there; Deuteronomy 1:38. Joshua son of Nun, who stands before you—he shall enter there; encourage him, for he is the one who will bring Israel into possession of it; Deuteronomy 1:39. and your children, about whom you said they would become prey to enemies, and your sons who today do not yet know good from evil—they shall enter there; to them I will give it, and they shall take possession of it; Deuteronomy 1:40. but as for you, turn and set out into the wilderness by the road toward the Red Sea. Cf. Num 13:1.

Deuteronomy 1:41. And you answered at that time and said to me: we have sinned against the Lord [our God;] we will go up and fight, as the Lord our God commanded us. And each of you girded on his weapons of war, and you rashly resolved to go up into the hill country. Deuteronomy 1:42. But the Lord said to me: tell them: do not go up and do not fight, for I am not in your midst, lest you be struck down before your enemies. Deuteronomy 1:43. And I spoke to you, but you did not listen and rebelled against the command of the Lord and presumptuously went up into the hill country. Deuteronomy 1:44. And the Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you and chased you as bees do, and struck you down in Seir all the way to Hormah. Deuteronomy 1:45. And you returned and wept before the Lord; but the Lord did not listen to your cry and did not pay attention to you. Cf. Num 14:40-45.

Chapter Two

The end of the forty-year wandering and the arrival at the southern borders of Canaan.—The skirting of the territories of Edom, Moab, and Ammon.—The beginning of the conquests: the subjugation of the Amorite king Sihon.

Deuteronomy 2:1. And we turned and set out into the wilderness toward the Red Sea, as the Lord had told me, and for a long time we went around Mount Seir. Deuteronomy 2:2. And the Lord said to me: Deuteronomy 2:3. you have gone around this mountain long enough; now turn northward; In brief words the entire 38-year wandering of the people through the wildernesses is encompassed.

Deuteronomy 2:4. and command the people: you are about to pass through the territory of your brothers, the sons of Esau, who live in Seir, and they will be afraid of you; but be careful Deuteronomy 2:5. not to start a war with them, for I will not give you any of their land—not so much as a footstep—because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession; Deuteronomy 2:6. buy food from them for silver and eat; and water for drinking buy from them for silver and drink; Deuteronomy 2:7. for the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands, He has watched over you during your journey through this great and terrible wilderness; these forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing. Deuteronomy 2:8. So we passed by our brothers, the sons of Esau who live in Seir, by the road of the Arabah—from Elath and Ezion-geber—and we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab. Deuteronomy 2:9. And the Lord said to me: do not be hostile toward Moab and do not provoke them to war; for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar as a possession to the sons of Lot; Deuteronomy 2:10. the Emim had previously lived there—a great people, numerous and tall, like the sons of Anak, Deuteronomy 2:11. and they were reckoned among the Rephaim, as the sons of Anak were; but the Moabites called them Emim; Deuteronomy 2:12. while the Horites had previously lived in Seir, but the sons of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and settled in their place—just as Israel did to the land of his inheritance, which the Lord gave them; Deuteronomy 2:13. now rise up and cross the brook Zered. And we crossed the brook Zered. Deuteronomy 2:14. And the time from when we left Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until the entire generation of the men of war had died from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them; Deuteronomy 2:15. for indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from the camp, until they had perished. Deuteronomy 2:16. So when all the men of war had finally perished and died from among the people, Deuteronomy 2:17. the Lord said to me: Deuteronomy 2:18. you are passing today through the territory of Moab, through Ar, Deuteronomy 2:19. and you will come near to the Ammonites; do not be hostile to them and do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of the land of the sons of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it as a possession to the sons of Lot; Deuteronomy 2:20. that land also was considered a land of the Rephaim; Rephaim had previously lived there, but the Ammonites called them Zamzummim; Deuteronomy 2:21. a great people, numerous and tall, like the sons of Anak; and the Lord destroyed them before them, and they dispossessed them and settled in their place, Deuteronomy 2:22. just as He did for the sons of Esau who live in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites before them; they dispossessed them and settled in their place, and they live there to this day; Deuteronomy 2:23. and as for the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza—the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and settled in their place. Cf. Num 20:14-22. “Be careful not to start a war” with the kindred peoples of Edom, Moab, and Ammon. Had the Hebrews fulfilled this counsel, their position in Canaan would have been very secure. Protected on the north by Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, with the easily defended Hamath pass; on the south by a rocky mountain chain with difficult ravines; on the east by the desert and the Dead Sea; on the west by the Mediterranean—they would at the same time have had three strong advance posts: the Edomites to the southeast of Canaan, the Moabites to the east of the Dead Sea, and the Ammonites to the east of the mouth of the Jordan. “And we passed by our brothers, the sons of Esau who live in Seir, by the road of the Arabah, from Elath and Ezion-geber” (v. 8). Cf. Num 21:4: “from Mount Hor they set out by the road of the Red Sea.” That is, the route of the Hebrews ran along the plain stretching from the northern tip of the Red Sea gulf of Aqaba (Elath, Ezion-geber) toward the northeast, parallel to the eastern slopes of the Idumean mountains—the same road that caravans traveling from Mecca to Damascus follow to this day. In verses 10–12 and 20–23, which represent an ethnographic insertion in the narrative, the Hebrew people are given interesting information regarding the history of the lands through which they are passing. Cook and other scholars classify the Rephaim, Emim, Zamzummim, and other original inhabitants of Canaan as belonging to the Semitic race. Caphtor is identified with the island of Crete, and the Caphtorim with its emigrants, the Philistines (Pelesheth), who settled in the southwestern corner of Canaan and gave their name (Palestine) to the whole land.

Deuteronomy 2:24. Rise up, set out, and cross the river Arnon; see, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land; begin to take possession of it and engage him in battle; Deuteronomy 2:25. from this day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples under all heaven; those who hear your name will tremble and be in anguish because of you. Deuteronomy 2:26. And I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, to say: Deuteronomy 2:27. let me pass through your land; I will travel only by the road, turning neither to the right nor to the left; Deuteronomy 2:28. sell me food for silver so that I may eat, and give me water to drink for silver; only let me pass through on foot — Deuteronomy 2:29. just as the sons of Esau who live in Seir, and the Moabites who live in Ar, did for me, until I cross the Jordan into the land that the Lord our God is giving to us. Deuteronomy 2:30. But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing to let us pass through his land, because the Lord your God had hardened his spirit and made his heart stubborn, in order to hand him over to you, as is now plain. Deuteronomy 2:31. And the Lord said to me: see, I have begun to hand over to you Sihon [king of Heshbon, the Amorite,] and his land; begin to take possession of his land. Deuteronomy 2:32. And Sihon [king of Heshbon] came out against us with all his people to do battle at Jahaz; Deuteronomy 2:33. and the Lord our God handed him over to us, and we struck him down along with his sons and all his people, Deuteronomy 2:34. and we captured all his cities at that time, and we devoted all the cities to destruction—men, women, and children—leaving no survivor; Deuteronomy 2:35. only the livestock we took as plunder for ourselves, along with the spoil of the cities we had captured. Deuteronomy 2:36. From Aroer, which is on the edge of the river Arnon, and from the city that is in the valley, as far as Gilead, there was not a city too strong for us: the Lord our God handed over everything to us. Deuteronomy 2:37. Only to the land of the Ammonites you did not draw near, nor to any of the places along the river Jabbok, nor to the cities of the hill country, nor to anything that the Lord our God had forbidden us. Cf. Num 21:21-31.

Chapter Three

The conquest of Bashan—Division of the lands of the eastern Transjordan—The prohibition against Moses entering Canaan

Deuteronomy 3:1. And we turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to do battle at Edrei. Deuteronomy 3:2. And the Lord said to me: Do not fear him, for I will deliver him into your hand, with all his people and all his land, and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon. Deuteronomy 3:3. So the Lord our God delivered into our hands Og king of Bashan as well, and all his people; and we struck him down until no survivor was left to him. Deuteronomy 3:4. And at that time we captured all his cities; there was not a city that we did not take from them: sixty cities, the whole region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. Deuteronomy 3:5. All these cities were fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, besides a great many unwalled towns. Deuteronomy 3:6. And we devoted them to destruction, as we had done to Sihon king of Heshbon, devoting every city to destruction—men, women, and children. Deuteronomy 3:7. But all the livestock and the spoil of the cities we took as plunder for ourselves. Deuteronomy 3:8. And at that time we took from the hand of the two Amorite kings this land that is on this side of the Jordan, from the Wadi Arnon to Mount Hermon — Deuteronomy 3:9. (The Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, while the Amorites call it Senir) — Deuteronomy 3:10. all the cities of the tableland, all Gilead, and all Bashan as far as Salcah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. Cf. Num 21:33-35.

Deuteronomy 3:12. This is the land that we took possession of at that time: starting from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Wadi Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead with its cities—I gave it to the tribe of Reuben and to the tribe of Gad. Deuteronomy 3:13. And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh—the whole region of Argob, with all of Bashan. [That is called the land of the Rephaim.] Deuteronomy 3:14. Jair son of Manasseh took the whole region of Argob as far as the border of Geshur and Maacah, and called it, after his own name, Havvoth-jair, as it is to this day. Deuteronomy 3:15. To Machir I gave Gilead. Deuteronomy 3:16. And to the tribe of Reuben and to the tribe of Gad I gave the territory from Gilead as far as the Wadi Arnon, the land between the wadi and the border, as far as the Wadi Jabbok, the border of the Ammonites. Deuteronomy 3:17. And the Arabah also and the Jordan, which is the boundary, from Chinnereth as far as the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah on the east. Deuteronomy 3:18. And I commanded you at that time, saying: The Lord your God has given you this land to possess; all your able men, armed, shall cross over ahead of your brothers, the children of Israel. Deuteronomy 3:19. Only your wives and your little ones and your livestock [for I know that you have much livestock] shall remain in your cities that I have given you, Deuteronomy 3:20. until the Lord [God] gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them beyond the Jordan; then each of you may return to his possession that I have given you. Deuteronomy 3:21. And at that time I gave Joshua this charge, saying: Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings; so will the Lord do to all the kingdoms that you are going to cross over into. Deuteronomy 3:22. Do not fear them, for the Lord your God himself fights for you. Cf. Num 32. Chinnereth is the Sea of Galilee. The sea of the Arabah, or Salt Sea, is the Dead Sea.

Deuteronomy 3:26. But the Lord was angry with me on your account and would not listen to me; and the Lord said to me: That is enough—do not speak to me of this matter again. Cf. Num 20:1-13; Deut 1:37.

Deuteronomy 3:27. Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and look with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. Cf. Num 27:12-14.

Deuteronomy 3:28. But give Joshua a charge, and strengthen him and encourage him; for he shall go over at the head of this people, and he shall put them in possession of [all] the land that you will see. Cf. Num 27:15-23.

Deuteronomy 3:29. And we remained in the valley opposite Beth-peor. This refers to the gathering of Israel on the plains of Moab after the conquest of the kingdoms of Sihon the Amorite and Og of Bashan.

Chapter Four

Recollection of the events at Shittim, at Sinai, and in Egypt—The moral lesson drawn from them—The designation of three cities of refuge east of the Jordan.

Deuteronomy 4:1. And now, O Israel, hear the statutes and the ordinances that I [today] am teaching you to do, so that you may live [and multiply], and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you [as an inheritance]. Deuteronomy 4:2. You shall not add to the word that I am commanding you, nor take from it; keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you [today]. Deuteronomy 4:3. Your eyes have seen [all] what the Lord [our God] did at Baal-peor; every man who followed Baal-peor, the Lord your God destroyed from among you. Deuteronomy 4:4. But you who held fast to the Lord your God are all alive today. Deuteronomy 4:5. See, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Deuteronomy 4:6. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say: Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. Cf. Num 25.

Deuteronomy 4:7. For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call upon him? Deuteronomy 4:8. And what great nation is there that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law that I am setting before you today? Deuteronomy 4:9. Only take care and watch yourself diligently, so that you do not forget the things that your eyes have seen, and so that they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children — Deuteronomy 4:10. the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, [the day of the assembly,] when the Lord said to me: Gather the people to me, and I will make them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so. Deuteronomy 4:11. And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom. Deuteronomy 4:12. Then the Lord spoke to you [on the mountain] out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words [his words], but saw no form; there was only a voice. Deuteronomy 4:13. And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to observe—the Ten Commandments—and he wrote them on two tablets of stone. Deuteronomy 4:14. And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances, that you might do them in the land that you are crossing into to take possession of it. Deuteronomy 4:15. Therefore be very careful for your souls, since you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at [the mountain of] Horeb out of the midst of the fire, Deuteronomy 4:16. lest you act corruptly by making for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, Deuteronomy 4:17. the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky, Deuteronomy 4:18. the likeness of anything [that creeps] on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth. Deuteronomy 4:19. And lest you lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be led astray and bow down to them and serve them—things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. Cf. Exod 19; Exod 20; Exod 23:21-25.

Deuteronomy 4:20. But the Lord [God] took you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day. Cf. Exod 3-15.

Deuteronomy 4:21. And the Lord [God] was angry with me on your account and swore that I would not cross the Jordan and would not enter that good land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. Deuteronomy 4:22. For I am to die in this land; I shall not cross the Jordan, but you shall cross and take possession of that good land. Cf. Num 20:1-13; Deut 1:37.

Deuteronomy 4:48. starting from Aroer, which lies on the bank of the Wadi Arnon, to Mount Sion—that is, Hermon — Hermon was called Sion (Hebrew Sion, as distinct from Zion—the name of the Jerusalem Zion), meaning “the high one.”

Chapter Five

The covenant of God with the Hebrew people at Sinai.

Deuteronomy 5:2. The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. Deuteronomy 5:3. Not with our fathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. Deuteronomy 5:4. The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain out of the midst of the fire. Deuteronomy 5:5. I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord, for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain. He said at that time: Deuteronomy 5:6. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Deuteronomy 5:7. You shall have no other gods before me. Deuteronomy 5:8. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any image of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below the earth. Deuteronomy 5:9. You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the guilt of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, Deuteronomy 5:10. but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. Deuteronomy 5:11. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord [your God] will not leave without punishment anyone who takes his name in vain. Deuteronomy 5:12. Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Deuteronomy 5:13. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, Deuteronomy 5:14. but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You shall not do any work [on it]—neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your livestock, nor the foreigner who is within your gates—so that your male servant and your female servant [and your donkey,] may rest just as you do. Deuteronomy 5:15. And remember that [you] were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day [and to keep it holy]. Deuteronomy 5:16. Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Deuteronomy 5:17. You shall not murder. Deuteronomy 5:18. You shall not commit adultery. Deuteronomy 5:19. You shall not steal. Deuteronomy 5:20. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. Deuteronomy 5:21. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, and you shall not covet your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, [or any of his livestock,] or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Deuteronomy 5:22. These words the Lord spoke to your whole assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness [and the storm] with a great voice, and he added no more; and he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. Deuteronomy 5:23. And as soon as you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders. Deuteronomy 5:24. And you said: Behold, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire. Today we have seen that God speaks with man, and man still lives. Deuteronomy 5:25. But now why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer, we shall die. Deuteronomy 5:26. For who of all flesh has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of fire, as we have, and survived? Deuteronomy 5:27. Go near yourself and hear everything that the Lord our God will say, and you tell us everything that the Lord our God says to you, and we will hear and do it. Deuteronomy 5:28. And the Lord heard the sound of your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me: I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. All they have said is good. Deuteronomy 5:29. Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, so that it might go well with them and with their children forever! Deuteronomy 5:30. Go and say to them: “Return to your tents.” Deuteronomy 5:31. But you, stand here with me, and I will tell you all the commandments and statutes and ordinances that you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess. Cf. Exod 19:1 and following.

Chapter Six

A reminder to Israel that God is one—A warning against idolatry and an invitation to true worship.

Deuteronomy 6:8. And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as a band before your eyes. Deuteronomy 6:9. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Cf. Exod 13:9; Deut 11:18. A literal reading of these instructions of Moses introduced among the Jews the custom of using what are called mezuzot and tefillin. Mezuzot are sacred inscriptions placed on the doorposts of houses; tefillin are small boxes containing excerpts from Holy Scripture, fastened to the hands and forehead (the “phylacteries” of the Gospels, Matt 23:5).

Deuteronomy 6:13. You shall fear the Lord your God and serve him [alone], [and cling to him,] and swear by his name. “And swear by his name”—Bearing in mind the prohibition of the third commandment, one must allow that this passage grants permission to use an oath only in important cases, when an oath is the sole and highest confirmation of truth. In addition, according to the view of Theodoret, the expression being commented on forestalls the possible use of the names of pagan peoples in an oath. “The Law commands swearing by God,” says the church teacher, “so that the Israelites would not swear by falsely named gods” (Commentary on Deuteronomy, Question 4).

Deuteronomy 6:16. You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. On Massah and Meribah, see Exod 17:1-7; on Meribah at Kadesh — Num 20:1-13; Num 27:14; Deut 32:51.

Deuteronomy 6:20. When your son asks you in time to come, saying: “What do these testimonies, statutes, and ordinances mean that the Lord your God has commanded you?” Deuteronomy 6:21. then you shall say to your son: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord [God] brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand [and an outstretched arm].” Deuteronomy 6:22. And the Lord [God] showed signs and wonders, great and terrible, against Egypt, against Pharaoh and against all his household [and against his army] before our eyes. Deuteronomy 6:23. And he brought us out from there [the Lord our God,] so as to bring us in and give us the land that [the Lord our God] swore to our fathers [to give us]. Deuteronomy 6:24. And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, that it might go well with us always, and that he might preserve us alive, as he has to this day. See Exod 12:25-27.

Chapter Seven

The prohibition against the Israelites forming alliances or kinship relations with the peoples inhabiting the promised land—The fulfillment of the divine law as a condition of Israel’s blessed existence.

Deuteronomy 7:1. When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you—the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites—seven nations more numerous and mightier than you, Deuteronomy 7:2. and when the Lord your God delivers them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to destruction; you shall make no covenant with them and show them no mercy. Deuteronomy 7:3. You shall not intermarry with them: you shall not give your daughter to his son, nor take his daughter for your son. Deuteronomy 7:4. For they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods, and then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. The reason for the merciless destruction of the Canaanites during the conquest of Canaan, and the prohibition of forming alliances or family ties with them after the conquest, is clearly stated in the fourth verse of this chapter.

Deuteronomy 7:5. But you shall deal with them in this way: you shall break down their altars and smash their pillars, and chop down their groves, and burn their carved images [of their gods] with fire. To prevent being drawn into paganism.

Deuteronomy 7:7. It was not because you were more numerous than all the peoples that the Lord chose you and accepted you—for you are the fewest of all peoples — Compared with the powerful nations of the ancient world, Israel must indeed be called “few in number.” But compared with what it was at the time of the patriarchal family’s migration to Egypt, it had truly multiplied “like the stars of heaven” (Deut 1:10).

Deuteronomy 7:22. And the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you little by little. You will not be able to destroy them all at once, lest [the land become desolate and] wild animals multiply against you. Cf. Exod 23:29. An instance of the multiplication of wild beasts after the rapid mass exodus of a country’s inhabitants is recorded in 2 Sam 17:24-26.

Chapter Eight

A reminder to Israel of God’s past mercies and an indication of those to come—An exhortation to be grateful and obedient to God.

Deuteronomy 8:3. He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, in order to make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but by every [word] that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord man lives. God “fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know”—that is, your ancestors who lived before the people came out of Egypt—in order to make you understand that “man does not live by bread alone” (by bread that grows in the natural course of things), “but by every word that comes by the word of the gracious and almighty Lord.”

Deuteronomy 8:7. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with streams of water, springs, and lakes flowing from valleys and hills. Deuteronomy 8:8. A land [with] wheat and barley, vines, fig trees, and pomegranate trees, a land [with] olive trees and honey. Deuteronomy 8:9. A land in which you will eat bread without scarcity and will lack nothing in it, a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. At the present time Palestine is not distinguished by such an abundance of natural riches.

Chapter Nine

An instructive reminder to this stiff-necked people that if they are to inherit the land of promise, it will be not at all because of their own righteousness, but by the mercy of God.

Deuteronomy 9:2. a people great, numerous, and tall, sons of Anak, about whom you know and have heard: “Who can stand against the sons of Anak?” See the note to the book Num 13:23.

Deuteronomy 9:3. Know therefore today that the Lord your God is the one who goes before you as a consuming fire; He will destroy them and subdue them before you, and you will drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord has told you. “Quickly” in this case does not mean “immediately”; otherwise what is foreseen in the book Deut 7:22 could have happened to the land. “Quickly” here means: “without particular effort,” “without an unusual expenditure of time and strength.”

Deuteronomy 9:8. Also at Horeb you provoked the Lord to anger, and the Lord was so angry with you that He wanted to destroy you, Deuteronomy 9:9. when I went up the mountain to receive the stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant that the Lord made with you, and I remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights, eating no bread and drinking no water, Deuteronomy 9:10. and the Lord gave me two stone tablets written with the finger of God; and on them were written all the words that the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly. Deuteronomy 9:11. And at the end of forty days and forty nights the Lord gave me the two stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant, Deuteronomy 9:12. and the Lord said to me: Arise, go down quickly from here, for your people, whom you brought out of Egypt, have acted corruptly; they have quickly turned aside from the way that I commanded them; they have made for themselves a cast idol. Deuteronomy 9:13. And the Lord said to me: [I have said to you one time and another:] I see this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people; Deuteronomy 9:14. do not restrain Me, and I will destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven, and I will make of you a nation that will be [greater,] mightier and more numerous than they. Deuteronomy 9:15. I turned and came down from the mountain, while the mountain was burning with fire; and the two tablets of the covenant were in both my hands; Deuteronomy 9:16. and I saw that you had sinned against the Lord your God; you had made yourselves a cast calf, had quickly turned aside from the way that the Lord had commanded you; Deuteronomy 9:17. and I took the two tablets and threw them from both my hands and broke them before your eyes. Deuteronomy 9:18. And [again] falling prostrate before the Lord, I prayed as before for forty days and forty nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all the sin you had committed by doing what was evil in the sight of the Lord [your God] and provoking Him; Deuteronomy 9:19. for I was afraid of the anger and wrath with which the Lord was angry with you and wanted to destroy you. And the Lord listened to me this time also. Deuteronomy 9:20. And the Lord was very angry with Aaron and wanted to destroy him; but I also prayed for Aaron at that time. Deuteronomy 9:21. Then the sin of yours, the calf that you had made—I took it and burned it with fire and crushed it and ground it thoroughly until it was as fine as dust, and I threw the dust of it into the stream that flowed down from the mountain. Exod 32-34.

Deuteronomy 9:22. And at Taberah, at Massah, and at Kibroth-hattaavah you provoked the Lord [your God] to anger. Exod 17:1-7; Num 11:3.

Deuteronomy 9:23. And when the Lord sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying: Go up and take possession of the land that I am giving you—you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God and did not believe Him and did not obey His voice. Num 13-14; Deut 1:19-46.

Deuteronomy 9:25. And I lay prostrate before the Lord for those forty days and forty nights, during which I lay prostrate, for the Lord had wanted to destroy you; Deuteronomy 9:26. and I prayed to the Lord and said: O Lord God, [King of gods,] do not destroy your people and your inheritance, whom you have redeemed through the greatness [of your power], whom you brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand [and with your outstretched arm]; Deuteronomy 9:27. remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, [to whom you swore by yourself]; do not look upon the stubbornness of this people or upon their wickedness or upon their sin, Deuteronomy 9:28. lest those [living] in the land from which you brought us say: “The Lord was not able to bring them into the land that He promised them, and because He hated them, He brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.” Deuteronomy 9:29. Yet they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out [from the land of Egypt] with your great power and with your outstretched arm. Exod 32:9-14.

Chapter Ten

A reminder about the second tablets of the covenant and about the election of the tribe of Levi for service to God at the tabernacle. A clarification to the people of the spirit of the requirements of the divinely given law.

Deuteronomy 10:1. At that time the Lord said to me: Cut two stone tablets like the first ones, and come up to Me on the mountain, and make yourself a wooden ark; Deuteronomy 10:2. and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke; and you shall put them in the ark. Deuteronomy 10:3. And I made an ark of acacia wood, and cut two stone tablets like the first ones, and went up the mountain; and the two tablets were in my hands. Deuteronomy 10:4. And He wrote on the tablets, as He had written before, the ten words that the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly, and the Lord gave them to me. Deuteronomy 10:5. And I turned and came down from the mountain, and placed the tablets in the ark that I had made, so that they would remain there, as the Lord had commanded me. Exod 25:10-22.

Deuteronomy 10:6. And the sons of Israel journeyed from Beeroth-bene-jaakan to Moserah; there Aaron died and was buried there, and his son Eleazar served as priest in his place. Deuteronomy 10:7. From there they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land with streams of water. See the note to Num 11:34-35 and to Num 33:1-49.

Deuteronomy 10:8. At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord, to serve Him [and to pray] and to bless in His name, as it continues to this day; Deuteronomy 10:9. therefore the Levite has no portion or inheritance with his brothers: the Lord Himself is his inheritance, as the Lord your God said to him. directly follow Deut 10:1-5. The expression “at that time” cannot refer to the moment when the Hebrews were standing in the places mentioned in Deut 10:6-7: the appointment of the tribe of Levi for service at the tabernacle came before the departure from Sinai and before the death of Aaron.

Deuteronomy 10:10. And I remained on the mountain as at the first time, forty days and forty nights; and the Lord listened to me this time also, [and] the Lord was not willing to destroy you; Deuteronomy 10:11. and the Lord said to me: Arise, go on your way before the people [these]; let them go and take possession of the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Exod 32:31-34.

Deuteronomy 10:16. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart and be no longer stiff-necked; The expression “to circumcise the foreskin of the heart” signifies the virtue of the inner, voluntary self-restraint of a person with regard to his unworthy thoughts (Matt 15:19), feelings, and actions (Lev 26:41; Jer 4:4; Ezek 44:9; Acts 7:51).

Deuteronomy 10:20. You shall fear the Lord your God; serve Him [alone] and hold fast to Him, and swear by His name; See the note to Deut 6:13.

Deuteronomy 10:22. Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy [five] persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven. Exod 1:1-5; Num 1:46.

Chapter Eleven

Grateful remembrance of the miracles of God’s goodness shown to Israel, and voluntary fulfillment of the divinely given law, are an indispensable condition for the prosperity of the Hebrew people in the promised land.

Deuteronomy 11:7. for your eyes have seen all the great works of the Lord that He has done. Many of the Hebrews, those fifty years of age and older, could clearly remember the circumstances of the people’s departure from Egypt, and all the more the revolt of Korah and his associates (cf. however Deut 2:14).

Deuteronomy 11:10. For the land that you are entering to take possession of it is not like the land of Egypt, from which you came out, where you sowed your seed and watered it with your feet, like a vegetable garden; The fertility of Egypt depended on the intensive labor of artificial irrigation through canals and channels that drew water from the Nile. Opening and closing the small trenches that watered private plantations was done by a primitive method—with the feet—as is still practiced in some Asian countries.

Deuteronomy 11:11. but the land that you are crossing over to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys, watered by rain from the sky — Canaan has abundant natural irrigation through rain, as well as through springs rising in the mountains and flowing through the valleys.

Deuteronomy 11:14. then I will give rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain; and you will gather your grain and your wine and your oil; By the name “early rain” is meant the autumn rain (at the beginning of the Hebrew civil year) needed for the sprouting of seeds; by the name “late rain”—the spring rain, which promotes the filling out of grain and fruit.

Deuteronomy 11:29. When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of, you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal: Deuteronomy 11:30. Are they not beyond the Jordan, in the direction of the sunset, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Arabah, opposite Gilgal, near the oak grove of Moreh? Cf. Deut 27:12-26. Mount Gerizim is considered to be the one on whose slope Shechem (Neapolis, Nablus) was built, situated near the ancient oak grove of Moreh (Gen 12:6). Mount Ebal rises on the northern side of the valley of Shechem. “Opposite Gilgal.” In the opinion of some commentators, the Gilgal mentioned in Deut 11:30 is to be distinguished from the Gilgal mentioned in Josh 4:19-20.

Chapter Twelve

Moses’ charge to the people to eliminate all traces and manifestations of idol worship in the promised land.—Safeguarding the statute on sacrifices and the unity of the place of worship.

Deuteronomy 12:3. and you shall tear down their altars and shatter their pillars and burn their groves with fire, and cut down the carved images of their gods, and destroy their name from that place. “Pillar” (“massebah”)—a wooden cylindrical image in honor of Astarte; “grove” (Russian) or “oak grove” (Slavonic), Hebrew “asherah”—branching trees (cf. Hos 4:13) with altars in honor of the same goddess. “To destroy their name from that place,” so as to wipe out even the memory of the idol worship that had taken place there. This is what the Reubenites did, for example, by changing the names of the cities Nebo and Baal-meon (Num 32:38).

Deuteronomy 12:5. but to the place that the Lord your God will choose from all your tribes to make His name dwell there, you shall go and come, That is, to the place where the tabernacle would reside and later the temple.

Deuteronomy 12:6. and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution of your hands, your vows and your freewill offerings, [and your peace offerings,] and the firstborn of your herds and your flocks; Deuteronomy 12:7. and you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the Lord your God has blessed you. Deuteronomy 12:8. You must not do everything as we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever seems right to him; Deuteronomy 12:9. for you have not yet come to the resting place and to the inheritance that the Lord your God is giving you. Deuteronomy 12:10. But when you cross the Jordan and settle in the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and when He gives you rest from all your enemies around you, and you live in security, Deuteronomy 12:11. then to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make His name dwell there, you shall bring everything that I am commanding you [today]: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution of your hands, and all your choice vow offerings that you have promised to the Lord [your God]; Deuteronomy 12:12. and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male servants and female servants, and the Levite who is within your settlements, for he has no portion or inheritance with you. Deuteronomy 12:13. Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; Deuteronomy 12:14. but only in the place that the Lord [your God] will choose in one of your tribes, you shall offer your burnt offerings and do everything that I command you [today]. Deuteronomy 12:17. You may not eat within your settlements the tithe of your grain or of your wine or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vow offerings that you have promised, or your freewill offerings, or the contribution of your hands; Deuteronomy 12:18. but you shall eat them [only] before the Lord your God in the place that the Lord your God will choose—you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and female servant, and the Levite [and the sojourner] who is within your settlements—and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all that you undertake. Deuteronomy 12:19. Take care that you do not neglect the Levite for all the days [that you live] on your land. Deuteronomy 12:26. However, your holy things that you may have, and your vow offerings, you shall take and go to the place that the Lord [your God] will choose [so that His name may be called upon there]; Deuteronomy 12:27. and you shall offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God; but the blood of your other sacrifices shall be poured out beside the altar of the Lord your God, and you shall eat the flesh. When offering their sacrifices at the designated place, the Hebrews were to eat there also the tithes of produce, the firstborn of livestock, and their vow and freewill offerings, inviting the Levites and sojourners to the meal. According to law, tithes went to the benefit of the Levites (Lev 27:30-33; Num 18:20-32); firstborn males belonged to God (Exod 13:1-2); and finally vows, by their very nature, were to belong to the Lord. Yet in the present passage, both tithes and firstborn and vows are said to be eaten by the one who brings them, with the participation of the Levites and the poor. It is evident that what is meant here is not the usual tithes, firstborn, and vows. Commentators suppose that in addition to the tithe mentioned above, which went to the Levites (Lev 27:30-33), there existed a so-called second tithe, which the Hebrews were to devote to works of charity. From Deut 14:22-29 it is apparent that this tithe could be brought to the tabernacle in kind, or (if the tabernacle was far away) converted to money, which was then used for charitable purposes. Every two years out of three the second tithe could be eaten at home (not at the tabernacle), with the Levites and the poor invited to the meal (Theodoret, Commentary on Deuteronomy, qq. 10, 13).

Deuteronomy 12:15. However, whenever you desire, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your settlements, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that He has given you; the unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as they eat the gazelle and the deer; Deuteronomy 12:16. only you shall not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. Deuteronomy 12:20. When the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as He has promised you, and you say: “I will eat meat,” because you desire to eat meat—then you may eat meat whenever you desire. Deuteronomy 12:21. If the place that the Lord your God will choose to make His name dwell there is too far from you, then you may slaughter from your herd and flock that the Lord [your God] has given you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your settlements, whatever you desire; Deuteronomy 12:22. but eat them just as the gazelle and the deer are eaten; both the unclean and the clean [among you] may eat them; Deuteronomy 12:23. only be strong and steadfast in not eating the blood, for the blood is the life; do not eat the life together with the flesh; Deuteronomy 12:24. you shall not eat it; pour it out on the ground like water; Deuteronomy 12:25. you shall not eat it, so that it may go well with you and with your children after you [forever], if you do [what is good and] right in the sight of the Lord [your God]. In the wilderness it was forbidden to slaughter a clean animal except at the tabernacle, that is, as a sacrifice to the Lord (Lev 17); but upon entering the promised land the Israelites received the right, “whenever they desired, to slaughter (wherever they wished) and eat the flesh” of clean animals given to them “by the blessing of the Lord.” Such a meal did not have the character of a sacrifice: “the unclean and the clean” could eat it, just as one eats (the meat of) a gazelle and a deer (v. 15). “Only do not eat the blood,” the lawgiver notes, “pour it out on the ground like water, for the blood is the life; do not eat the life together with the flesh” (vv. 16, 23). In consideration of the need for more nourishing food for human nature weakened by sin, the Hebrews receive a confirmation of their right (Gen 9:3) to eat meat, but at the same time receive also the warning that God gave when blessing meat as food (Gen 9:4-5). Blood, as the condition of the vitality of the bodily organism (in Lev 17:14 we read: “the life of every body is its blood”) and also as a symbol of the principle of life in general, was to be sacred in the eyes of a Hebrew. In the ordinances concerning Old Testament sacrifices, the blood of sacrificial animals is assigned a purifying significance: “the life of the body is in the blood,” says the Lord, “and I have designated it for you for the altar, to make atonement for your lives, for this blood makes atonement for the life” (Lev 17:11). It makes atonement, of course, not by itself, but by virtue of the moral disposition that the repentant sinner who offered the sacrifice was to experience, and above all by virtue of its typological relationship to the redemptive blood of the New Testament Lamb. In the opinion of Theodoret, the prohibition against eating the blood of clean animals “heals in the Israelites their tendency toward bloodshed. Indeed, if eating the blood of irrational animals was considered ‘eating the life,’ then it is all the more unlawful to separate the rational soul from the body” (Commentary on Deuteronomy, question 11). In the book Gen 9:5, immediately after the fifth verse, we find the meaningful words: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for man is made in the image of God” (Gen 9:6).

Chapter Thirteen

Protection of the Israelites from false prophets and others who might lead them into idol worship.

Deuteronomy 13:1. If a prophet arises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, Deuteronomy 13:2. and the sign or wonder comes to pass that he spoke to you, and he says: “Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them” — Deuteronomy 13:3. do not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for through this the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul; Deuteronomy 13:4. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, keep His commandments and obey His voice, and serve Him and hold fast to Him; (Heb. 2–5). The gift of working miracles is not yet an unmistakable sign of the divine mission of the miracle-worker. Miracles were also performed by the Egyptian sorcerers (Exod 7:11 and following), and the last enemy of the human race, the antichrist, will also perform great signs and wonders (Matt 24:24; 2 Thess 2:9). “Let us learn from this not to pay attention to signs when the one performing them teaches what is contrary to true religion” (Theodoret, on Deuteronomy, question 12). The primary distinguishing mark of the divine mission of a miracle-worker and preacher is the content and tone of his preaching. If a person preaches apostasy from the God who is confessed, he is not a messenger of God (Gal 1:8).

Deuteronomy 13:5. but that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has urged you to turn away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, wishing to make you stray from the way that the Lord your God commanded you to walk; so you shall purge the evil from your midst. Deuteronomy 13:6. If your brother, [the son of your father or] the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, entices you secretly, saying: “Let us go and serve other gods, which neither you nor your fathers have known” — Deuteronomy 13:7. the gods of the peoples who are around you, whether near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other — Deuteronomy 13:8. you shall not consent to him or listen to him; and your eye shall not pity him, you shall not spare him nor shield him, Deuteronomy 13:9. but you shall kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people; Deuteronomy 13:10. and you shall stone him to death, because he sought to draw you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; Deuteronomy 13:11. And all Israel will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such evil in your midst. Deuteronomy 13:12. If you hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you to dwell in, Deuteronomy 13:13. that worthless men have gone out from among you and have led astray the inhabitants of their city, saying: “Let us go and serve other gods, which you have not known” — Deuteronomy 13:14. then you shall inquire, investigate, and ask carefully; and if it is true and certain that this abomination has been done among you, Deuteronomy 13:15. you shall strike down the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, devoting it to destruction and everything in it, and its livestock, with the edge of the sword; Deuteronomy 13:16. and all its spoil you shall gather into the middle of its square and burn the city and all its spoil with fire as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God; it shall be a heap of ruins forever and shall never be rebuilt; Deuteronomy 13:17. and nothing of what is devoted to destruction shall cling to your hand, so that the Lord may turn from His fierce anger and show you mercy and have compassion on you and multiply you, [as He promised you,] as He swore to your fathers, Deuteronomy 13:18. if you listen to the voice of the Lord your God, keeping all His commandments that I am commanding you today, doing what is [good and] right in the sight of the Lord your God. (Heb. 6–19). A false prophet and any other person who preaches apostasy from God in favor of pagan deities must be put to death; a city found guilty of preaching apostasy must be subjected to the complete destruction of its inhabitants together with everything in the city, and must never be rebuilt—in accordance with the precise meaning of the laws concerning one who leads others into idol worship. Serving as a punitive measure, the law concerning those who lead others astray has at the same time a preventive character: “And all Israel will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such evil in your midst” (v. 11). “So you shall purge the evil from your midst” (v. 5; cf. Deut 19:19-20).

Chapter Fourteen

Prohibition of bodily incisions and shaving of hair as a sign of mourning, following pagan custom.—Repetition of the law concerning clean and unclean animals. On the second tithe.

Deuteronomy 14:1. You are the children of the Lord your God; do not make incisions on your body and do not shave the hair above your eyes for the dead; Deuteronomy 14:2. for you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be his own people out of all the peoples that are on the earth. Lev 19:27-28. The making of incisions on the body and the shaving of hair as a sign of grief for the dead is forbidden, as was practiced by pagans (Theodoret, Commentary on Deuteronomy, question 13); for example, the pagan Arabs did this in honor of the god Orotal. Herodotus 3:8, Cicero (De legib. 2:25), and others speak of the shaving of hair and bodily cuts as signs of mourning. From 1 Sam 18:28 we learn that the priests of Baal had the custom of making incisions on their bodies as a sign of intensified grief and intensified prayer.

Deuteronomy 14:3. Do not eat any abomination. Deuteronomy 14:4. These are the animals you may eat: oxen, sheep, goats, Deuteronomy 14:5. deer and gazelle, and buffalo, and doe, and bison, and oryx, and giraffe. Deuteronomy 14:6. Any animal that has split hooves with a deep cleft in both hooves, and that chews the cud—that you may eat; Deuteronomy 14:7. but these you shall not eat among those that chew the cud and have split hooves with a deep cleft: the camel, the hare, and the jerboa, because, although they chew the cud, their hooves are not split—they are unclean for you; Deuteronomy 14:8. and the pig, because its hooves are split but it does not chew the cud—it is unclean for you; do not eat their meat, and do not touch their carcasses. Deuteronomy 14:9. Of all the creatures that are in the water, eat all those that have fins and scales; Deuteronomy 14:10. but all those that have no fins and scales, do not eat—it is unclean for you. Deuteronomy 14:11. You may eat every clean bird; Deuteronomy 14:12. but these you shall not eat among them: the eagle, the vulture, and the osprey, Deuteronomy 14:13. and the kite, and the falcon, and the gyrfalcon with their kinds, Deuteronomy 14:14. and every raven with its kind, Deuteronomy 14:15. and the ostrich, and the owl, and the gull, and the hawk with its kind, Deuteronomy 14:16. and the little owl, and the ibis, and the swan, Deuteronomy 14:17. and the pelican, and the griffon vulture, and the cormorant, Deuteronomy 14:18. and the heron, and the plover with its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat. Deuteronomy 14:19. All winged creeping things are unclean for you; do not eat them. Deuteronomy 14:20. You may eat every clean bird. Cf. Lev 11:5 Oryx (Deut 14:5) is a type of antelope. The cameleopard is the giraffe.

Deuteronomy 14:21. Do not eat anything that has died of itself; give it to the foreigner who happens to be living in your settlements, and he may eat it, or sell it to him, for you are a holy people to the Lord your God. Do not boil a kid in its mother’s milk. Cf. Lev 17:15. Compared with Lev 18:15, Deut 14:21 allows some leniency only with respect to the “foreigner who happens to be living in the settlements of Israel” and who does not belong to the “holy” members of the chosen community. The expression “do not boil a kid in its mother’s milk” (cf. Exod 23:19) may be compared with the expressions: “do not slaughter a cow or a sheep on the same day as its offspring” (Lev 22:28); “if you come across a bird’s nest, and the mother is sitting on the chicks or on the eggs, do not take the mother together with the young” (Deut 22:6). Taken together with other provisions (“do not plow with an ox and a donkey together,” Deut 22:10; “do not muzzle the ox when it is threshing,” Deut 25:4, and so on), they characterize the humane attitude of Mosaic legislation even toward living creatures not endowed with high spiritual faculties, which serve for the benefit of humanity.

Deuteronomy 14:22. Set apart a tithe of all the yield of your seed that comes from the field each year, Deuteronomy 14:23. and eat it before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose to make his name dwell there; bring the tithe of your grain, your wine, and your oil, and the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, so that you may learn to fear the Lord your God all your days. Deuteronomy 14:24. But if the road is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry it, because the place that the Lord your God will choose to set his name is far from you, and the Lord your God has blessed you, Deuteronomy 14:25. then exchange it for silver and take the silver in your hand and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose; Deuteronomy 14:26. and spend the silver on whatever your soul desires—oxen, sheep, wine, strong drink, or whatever your soul requires; and eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household. Deuteronomy 14:27. And the Levite who is in your settlements, do not neglect him, for he has no portion or inheritance with you. Deuteronomy 14:28. At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year and store it within your settlements; Deuteronomy 14:29. and the Levite shall come, for he has no portion or inheritance with you, as shall the sojourner, the orphan, and the widow who are in your settlements, and they shall eat and be satisfied, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do. See note on Deut 12:6-14.

Chapter Fifteen

The law of the sabbatical year on the remission of debts.—The release of Hebrew slaves. Repetition of the law on the firstborn of livestock.

Deuteronomy 15:1. At the end of seven years you shall grant a remission. Deuteronomy 15:2. The remission consists in this: every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release the debt and shall not exact it from his neighbor or from his brother, for remission has been proclaimed for the sake of the Lord your God; Deuteronomy 15:3. from a foreigner you may exact it, but whatever of yours is with your brother, you shall release. Deuteronomy 15:4. There need be no poor person among you, for the Lord will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to take possession of, Deuteronomy 15:5. if only you will listen to the voice of the Lord your God and be diligent to observe all these commandments that I am commanding you today; Deuteronomy 15:6. for the Lord your God will bless you, as he has said to you, and you will lend to many nations but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you. Deuteronomy 15:7. If there is among you a poor person, any of your brothers, in any of your settlements in your land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and do not shut your hand before your poor brother, Deuteronomy 15:8. but open your hand to him and give him a loan, according to his need, whatever he lacks; Deuteronomy 15:9. Take care lest there be a wicked thought in your heart: “The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,” and your eye be hostile toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; for he will cry to the Lord against you, and it will be a great sin on your part; Deuteronomy 15:10. Give to him, and lend to him as much as he asks and as much as he needs, and when you give to him, your heart must not be troubled, for because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in everything your hands do; Deuteronomy 15:11. for the poor will always be in the land; therefore I am commanding you: open your hand to your brother, to the poor and needy in your land. These supplement the provisions concerning the sabbatical year set forth in Exod 23:11-12 and Lev 25:17. The fourth verse in its content connects directly to the second. Verses 7-11 follow after the fourth. The seventh year, the year of rest for the land, was at the same time a rest for the poor person burdened with debt. “In the seventh year grant a remission,” the law says. “The remission consists in this: every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release the debt and shall not exact it from his neighbor or from his brother, for (in that year) remission has been proclaimed for the sake of the Lord.” Michaelis, Saalschütz, Oehler, Pastoret, Winer, Smith, and others understand these words to mean that the “remission” consisted not in an absolute termination of the creditor’s right to demand from the debtor the sum lent, but only in a suspension of that right during the seventh year, after which the creditor again entered into his rights and could again demand from the debtor the sum borrowed. In the very name of this year “schemittah,” says Saalschütz, there is no concept of a full remission of debts, but only of a temporary setting aside of the right to collect them. Particularly notable, he adds, in this respect is the fact that the verb schamat—“to set aside”—refers not to the debt but to the hand that demands the debt. In the sense of a temporary setting aside, schemittah is also used with regard to the land when speaking of leaving it without cultivation in the seventh year. Other scholars, on the contrary, insist that in the seventh year debts were completely forgiven, and in support of this they cite the words: “If there is among you a poor person, any of your brothers, do not harden your heart and do not shut your hand before your poor brother, but open your hand to him and give him a loan, according to his need, whatever he lacks. Take care lest there be a wicked thought in your heart: the seventh year, the year of remission, is near, and your eye becomes hostile toward your poor brother and you give him nothing; for he will cry to the Lord and there will be a great sin on your part.” The legislator’s insistent persuasion to those of means not to refuse the poor person the loan he requests in view of the approaching seventh year points, they say, as clearly as possible to the true meaning of the law on the absolute forgiveness of debts. Taking the position of scholars in the second category, one must suppose that the operation of the year of remission extended to all types of debt obligations in general, but did not extend to such items as were held by creditors not as pledges (a pledge must be returned with the cancellation of the debt) but as partial payment of a debt. The law of debt cancellation extended only to the unpaid balance. The effect of the law on debt forgiveness in the seventh year does not extend to foreigners, since they are outside the sphere of the socio-economic order of the chosen community.

Deuteronomy 15:12. If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you for six years, and in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you; Deuteronomy 15:13. and when you let him go free from you, do not let him go empty-handed, Deuteronomy 15:14. but furnish him generously from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your wine press; give him from what the Lord your God has blessed you with: Deuteronomy 15:15. and remember that you also were a slave in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this thing today. The sale of a Hebrew into slavery to a fellow tribesman (Exod 21:2) or his sale into slavery by law (Exod 22:3) had the consequence for him of six years of service to the buyer, with the right to release from the state of slavery in the seventh year of service. Just as after six days of work the weekly Sabbath and after six years of working the land the yearly Sabbath were to (serving for the rest and restoration of the laboring man and the productive earth) turn the eyes of the Hebrew toward the Creator and Providential ruler of the world, so too the release of the slave after six years of bondage was to serve (both for the master and for the slave) as a reminder that they (regardless of socio-economic circumstances) were still equal members of the kingdom of Jehovah. In the case where a Hebrew became a slave less than six years before the jubilee year, the six-year term of service was not obligatory for him: in the jubilee year he would become free (Lev 25:1). A different character is taken on by the Mosaic legislation with respect to an Israelite who entered into slavery to a non-Israelite living among the Jewish people. In that case, the Hebrew slave lost the right to release in the seventh year. He became free no earlier than the jubilee year. Before the jubilee year he could gain his freedom only by ransom. As compensation for six years of labor, as redress for the temporary socio-economic inequality between the Hebrew master and the former slave from among the Hebrews, and finally in memory of their own liberation from Egyptian slavery, the Hebrew master was obligated at the slave’s release to provide him with all manner of property (vv. 13-15).

Deuteronomy 15:16. But if he says to you, “I will not go away from you, because I love you and your household,” because it is good for him with you, Deuteronomy 15:17. then take an awl and pierce his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Do the same with your female servant. Cf. Exod 21:5-6. A legal sanction was likely being given to one of the customs practiced in the ancient world.

Deuteronomy 15:18. Do not consider it a hardship when you release him from you, for he has served you six years, earning double the wages of a hired hand; and the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. This verse in its content connects directly to Deut 15:14.

Deuteronomy 15:19. Every firstborn male that is born of your herd and of your flock you shall consecrate to the Lord your God: do not work the firstborn of your ox, and do not shear the firstborn of your flock; Deuteronomy 15:20. before the Lord your God you shall eat it every year, you and your household, at the place that the Lord your God will choose; Deuteronomy 15:21. but if it has a defect—lameness or blindness or any other defect—do not offer it as a sacrifice to the Lord your God, Deuteronomy 15:22. but eat it within your settlements; the unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as if it were a gazelle or a deer; Cf. Exod 13:1-16, Num 18:15-18. The sacrifice of the firstborn of the livestock is likened to a peace offering. After the priestly portion was given, the rest was eaten by the offerers “before the Lord” (Vlastov, Sacred Chronicle).

Deuteronomy 15:23. Only do not eat its blood; pour it out on the ground like water. See note on Deut 12:15-16.

Chapter Sixteen

Repetition of the laws on the feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.—The organization of the courts.—Prohibition of planting groves and setting up cylindrical pillars beside the altar of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 16:1. Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night. Deuteronomy 16:2. And sacrifice the Passover to the Lord your God from the flock and from the herd at the place that the Lord will choose to make his name dwell there. Deuteronomy 16:3. Do not eat leavened bread with it; for seven days eat unleavened bread with it, the bread of affliction, for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—so that you may remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt all the days of your life; Deuteronomy 16:4. no leaven shall be found with you in all your territory for seven days, and none of the meat that you sacrifice in the evening on the first day shall remain until morning. Deuteronomy 16:5. You may not sacrifice the Passover in any of the settlements that the Lord your God will give you; Deuteronomy 16:6. but only at the place that the Lord your God will choose to make his name dwell—there you shall sacrifice the Passover in the evening at sunset, at the time you came out of Egypt; Deuteronomy 16:7. and you shall cook it and eat it at the place that the Lord your God will choose, and in the morning you may turn back and go to your tents. Deuteronomy 16:8. For six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to the Lord your God; do not do any work. Cf. Exod 12:1-27; Lev 23:4-8; Num 9:1-14.

Deuteronomy 16:9. Count seven weeks for yourself; begin to count seven weeks from the time the sickle is put to the standing grain; Deuteronomy 16:10. then keep the feast of weeks to the Lord your God with the freewill offering of your hand, as much as you give, proportional to how the Lord your God has blessed you; Deuteronomy 16:11. and rejoice before the Lord your God—you, and your son, and your daughter, and your male servant, and your female servant, and the Levite who is in your settlements, and the sojourner, and the orphan, and the widow who are among you—at the place that the Lord your God will choose to make his name dwell there; Deuteronomy 16:12. and remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and observe and carry out these statutes. Cf. Exod 23:16; Lev 23:15-21; Num 28:26-31. See note on Num 28:26-31.

Deuteronomy 16:13. Keep the feast of booths for seven days, when you have gathered in from your threshing floor and from your wine press; Deuteronomy 16:14. and rejoice in your feast—you and your son, and your daughter, and your male servant, and your female servant, and the Levite, and the sojourner, and the orphan, and the widow who are in your settlements; Deuteronomy 16:15. for seven days keep the feast to the Lord your God at the place that the Lord your God will choose, so that his name may be invoked there; for the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, and you will have nothing but joy. Cf. Exod 23:16; Lev 23:33-36; Num 29:12-38.

Deuteronomy 16:16. Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose: at the feast of unleavened bread, at the feast of weeks, and at the feast of booths; and no one shall appear before the Lord empty-handed, The three obligatory annual assemblies of the Hebrews at the tabernacle strengthened in the people the awareness and feeling of their religious and national unity.

Deuteronomy 16:18. In all your settlements that the Lord your God will give you, appoint judges and officers for your tribes, so that they may judge the people with righteous judgment; From the book Exod 18:13-26 it is clear that even at Rephidim Moses appointed commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, commanders of tens, and scribes, who were to settle ordinary cases and disputes among the Hebrews. But the division of Israel into thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens was convenient during the wandering in the wilderness, when they lived as a military-disciplined mass, and was not convenient later, when the people were scattered throughout Canaan and the Transjordan. Therefore, in view of the imminent settlement of the Hebrews in the promised land, such an organization of the courts is indicated as would better correspond to the new conditions of the people’s life. The appointment of judges and scribes was to be applied to the resettlement of Israel. According to Jewish tradition, every significant village chose seven judges for itself, to whom two Levites were added.

Deuteronomy 16:21. Do not plant for yourself a grove of any kind of trees beside the altar of the Lord your God, which you shall make for yourself, Deuteronomy 16:22. and do not set up for yourself a pillar, which the Lord your God hates. The planting of trees and the erection of cylindrical wooden pillars beside altars was a custom among the pagans.

Chapter Seventeen

Repetition of laws. On the quality of sacrificial animals.—On the punishment of idol worshipers. Organization of the courts. The election and qualities of the future king of the Hebrews.

Deuteronomy 17:1. Do not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep on which there is a defect or anything bad, for that is an abomination to the Lord your God. Cf. Lev 22:19-25.

Deuteronomy 17:2. If there is found among you, in any of your settlements that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or a woman who does evil in the sight of the Lord your God by transgressing his covenant, Deuteronomy 17:3. and goes and serves other gods and worships them, or the sun, or the moon, or all the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, Deuteronomy 17:4. and it is told to you, and you hear it, then you shall inquire carefully; and if it is indeed true and certain that this abomination has been done in Israel, Deuteronomy 17:5. then bring out that man or woman who has done this evil thing to your gates and stone them to death. Deuteronomy 17:6. On the testimony of two witnesses or three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; the person may not be put to death on the testimony of one witness; Deuteronomy 17:7. the hands of the witnesses shall be against him first to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people; and so you shall purge the evil from among you. Cf. Exod 20:1-6, Lev 20:1-6; Deut 13:1.

Deuteronomy 17:8. If any case arises that is too difficult for you to decide between one kind of bloodshed and another, between one kind of legal right and another, between one kind of assault and another—cases of dispute within your gates—then arise and go up to the place that the Lord your God will choose, so that his name may be invoked there, Deuteronomy 17:9. and come to the Levitical priests and to the judge who will be in office at that time, and consult them, and they will declare to you the decision; Deuteronomy 17:10. and you shall carry out the verdict that they declare to you from that place that the Lord will choose, and you shall be careful to do everything they instruct you in; Deuteronomy 17:11. according to the law that they teach you and according to the ruling that they tell you, you shall act, and you shall not turn aside from what they tell you, neither to the right nor to the left. Deuteronomy 17:12. Anyone who acts presumptuously by not listening to the priest who stands there to serve before the Lord your God, or to the judge—that person shall die, and so you shall purge the evil from Israel; Deuteronomy 17:13. and all the people shall hear and be afraid, and shall not act presumptuously again. During the wandering in the wilderness the highest judicial authority among the Jewish people was Moses (Exod 18:19). After the death of the great leader, this authority was to be assumed by a council of priests and judges at the tent of meeting under the presidency of the high priest, who has the ability to inquire of God through the Urim and Thummim (Num 27:2). The rabbis maintain that the minor Sanhedrin received its institution on the basis of the book Deut 16:18, and the great Sanhedrin on the basis of Deut 17:8-13.

Deuteronomy 17:14. When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you take possession of it and settle in it and say, “I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,” Deuteronomy 17:15. you may indeed set a king over yourself, the one whom the Lord your God will choose; from among your brothers you shall set a king over yourself; you may not put over yourself a foreigner, who is not your brother. Deuteronomy 17:16. Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, for the Lord has said to you, “You shall never return that way again”; Deuteronomy 17:17. and he shall not acquire many wives for himself, so that his heart does not turn away, and he shall not acquire excessive amounts of silver and gold for himself. Deuteronomy 17:18. And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one kept by the Levitical priests, Deuteronomy 17:19. and it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, and to diligently observe all the words of this law and these statutes; Deuteronomy 17:20. so that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and so that he may not turn aside from the law to the right or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his sons, in the midst of Israel. The Lord himself repeatedly promised the patriarchs that kings would descend from them (Gen 17:6; Gen 35:11). The patriarch Jacob in his prophetic blessing of Judah speaks of kings who would descend from the tribe of Judah until the coming of the Reconciler (Gen 49:10). Moses foresees the coming of royal rule in Israel and therefore gives guiding instructions to the people regarding the election of a king, and to the future king regarding his life and conduct. According to Moses’ direction, the Hebrew king must be a man chosen by God himself from among Israel. The Hebrew king must not think of returning to Egypt, which the rebellious people repeatedly recalled during their wanderings in the wilderness (Exod 14:11-12; Num 11:5) and where they once thought of returning (Num 14:3-4); he must not surround his court with the attributes of pagan luxury, which is harmful to himself and burdensome to the economy of the people.

Chapter Eighteen

Repetition of the law concerning the Levites’ portion.—Protection against idolatry and being led astray by false prophets. The promise of a prophet like Moses.

Deuteronomy 18:1. The Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no part or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the sacrifices of the Lord and his portion; Deuteronomy 18:2. and he shall have no inheritance among his brothers; the Lord himself is his inheritance, as he told him. Num 18:20.

Deuteronomy 18:3. This is what the priests shall receive from the people, from those who offer an ox or a sheep in sacrifice: the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach shall be given to the priest; Deuteronomy 18:4. also the firstfruits of your grain, your wine, and your oil, and the firstfruits of the fleece of your sheep you shall give to him, Deuteronomy 18:5. for the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand [before the Lord your God], to minister [and to bless] in the name of the Lord, him and his sons, for all time. Cf. Exod 29:26-28; Lev 2:2; Num 18:1. Upon entering the land of Canaan, the command given in the wilderness—that every clean animal was to be slaughtered before the tabernacle as a sacrificial offering (Deut 12)—was revoked, whereby the support of the priests was reduced considerably. Therefore, beyond the “heave offerings and wave offerings” and the “shoulders of the offering,” the “cheeks and stomach” were also included. Among the firstfruit offerings, the firstfruits of wool from the sheep were added (Vlastov, Sacred Chronicles).

Deuteronomy 18:6. And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel, where he has been living, and comes in the desire of his soul to the place that the Lord will choose, Deuteronomy 18:7. and serves in the name of the Lord his God, as do all his fellow Levites who stand there before the Lord, Deuteronomy 18:8. then they shall have equal portions to eat, besides what he receives from the sale of his father’s estate. A Levite who had permanently left the bounds of his Levitical city and transferred to full-time service at the tabernacle received his support from its resources, while retaining what he “received from the sale of his father’s estate” (v. 8).

Deuteronomy 18:9. When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations: Deuteronomy 18:10. there shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through fire, a diviner, a soothsayer, an enchantress, a sorcerer, Deuteronomy 18:11. a charmer, a medium, a wizard, or a necromancer; Deuteronomy 18:12. for everyone who does these things is an abomination to the Lord, and it is because of these abominations that the Lord your God is driving them out before you; Deuteronomy 18:13. you shall be blameless before the Lord your God; Deuteronomy 18:14. for these nations, which you are dispossessing, listen to soothsayers and diviners, but the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so. Cf. Lev 19:31; Deut 18:10; “One who makes his son or his daughter pass through fire,” in honor of the pagan gods.

Deuteronomy 18:15. The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet from among you, from your brothers, one like me—listen to him — Deuteronomy 18:16. just as you requested of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying: “Let me not hear the voice of the Lord my God anymore, and let me not see this great fire anymore, lest I die.” Deuteronomy 18:17. And the Lord said to me: What they have spoken is good; Deuteronomy 18:18. I will raise up for them a Prophet from among their brothers, one like you, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he will speak to them everything that I command him; Deuteronomy 18:19. and whoever does not listen to my words that the Prophet will speak in my name, I myself will hold him accountable; According to the indications of New Testament Scripture (John 5:46; Acts 3:22) and the interpretations of Christian writers, in the verses under commentary one must see a prophecy of the Messiah, since of the ordinary prophets who arose in Israel after Moses, none can be compared with the latter (Deut 34:10-12). “I will raise up for them a Prophet from among their brothers, one like you.” Moses was the leader, prophet, and lawgiver of the Old Covenant, the mediator between God and humanity, distinguished by a particular closeness to Jehovah (Num 12:6-8); the Messiah Jesus Christ is the Leader, Prophet, and Lawgiver of the New Covenant, the Mediator between God and humanity, and in his divine nature—the Only-begotten Son of God. Moses freed the Jews from slavery to Egypt and led them to the promised land; Christ Jesus by his life, teaching, and death freed humanity from the yoke of spiritual Egypt and opened access to the dwellings of the promised blessedness.

Deuteronomy 18:20. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet must be put to death. Deuteronomy 18:21. And if you say in your heart: “How shall we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?” Deuteronomy 18:22. If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord but the word does not come true or come to pass, then that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously—do not be afraid of him. Cf. Deut 13:1-5. In Deut 13:1-5 one sign of a prophet’s “uncalled” status is noted: teaching that does not accord with the spirit of the divine law; here another is indicated: the non-fulfillment of predictions.

Chapter Nineteen

Repetition of the law concerning the cities of refuge.—The inviolability of the boundary marker. Clarification of the law concerning witnesses in court.—Punishment of a false witness.

Deuteronomy 19:1. When the Lord your God cuts off the nations whose land the Lord your God is giving you, and you dispossess them and settle in their cities and their houses, Deuteronomy 19:2. then you shall set apart three cities in the midst of your land, which the Lord your God is giving you as a possession; Deuteronomy 19:3. you shall prepare the road and divide into three parts the whole territory of your land, which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; they shall serve as a refuge for every manslayer. Deuteronomy 19:4. This is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live: whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, without having been his enemy previously; Deuteronomy 19:5. if someone goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and his hand swings the ax to cut down a tree, and the iron head flies off the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies—that man may flee to one of those cities and live, Deuteronomy 19:6. lest the avenger of blood, in the heat of his heart, pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him fatally, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not been his enemy previously; Deuteronomy 19:7. therefore I command you: you shall set apart three cities for yourself. Deuteronomy 19:8. And if the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land that he promised to give to your fathers, Deuteronomy 19:9. if you are careful to keep all these commandments that I am commanding you today, to love the Lord your God and to walk in his ways at all times—then you shall add three more cities to these three, Deuteronomy 19:10. so that innocent blood not be shed in the midst of your land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and so that guilt for bloodshed not be upon you. Deuteronomy 19:11. But if anyone is an enemy to his neighbor and lies in wait for him, and rises up against him and strikes him fatally, and he flees to one of these cities, Deuteronomy 19:12. then the elders of his city shall send and bring him from there and hand him over to the avenger of blood, so that he may die; Deuteronomy 19:13. your eye shall not pity him; purge from Israel the blood of the innocent, and it shall go well with you. Cf. Num 35:6-34. “Set apart three cities” (vv. 2, 9)—in western Cisjordan: three cities in the east had already been designated (Deut 4:41-43). Concerning the fulfillment of the noted ordinance of Moses, see Josh 20:7. Cf. Prov 22:28.

Deuteronomy 19:15. One witness is not sufficient against a person for any wrongdoing or for any sin that he may commit; on the testimony of two witnesses, or on the testimony of three witnesses, shall every matter be established. Cf. Num 35:30; Deut 17:6.

Deuteronomy 19:16. If a malicious witness rises up against someone, accusing him of a crime, Deuteronomy 19:17. then both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days; Deuteronomy 19:18. the judges shall inquire carefully, and if the witness is a false witness and has testified falsely against his brother, Deuteronomy 19:19. then you shall do to him as he had intended to do to his brother; so you shall purge the evil from among you; Deuteronomy 19:20. and the rest shall hear and be afraid, and shall never again do such an evil thing among you; Deuteronomy 19:21. your eye shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. [Whatever harm anyone does to his neighbor, so it shall be done to him.] The motive for the strict measures recommended by the lawgiver against false witnesses is found in verses 19–20 (cf. Deut 13:5).

Chapter Twenty

The order of preparation for war.—Exemptions from military service.—Conducting offensive warfare.

Deuteronomy 20:16. But in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive a single soul, Deuteronomy 20:17. but you shall devote them to complete destruction: the Hittites and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, [and the Girgashites,] as the Lord your God has commanded you, Deuteronomy 20:18. so that they may not teach you to do all the abominable things that they have done for their gods, and so that you would not sin against the Lord your God. “Do not leave alive a single soul”—to avoid the temptation of idolatry (v. 18). Cf. Exod 23:32-33; Deut 7:2.

Chapter Twenty-One

Laws: concerning the corpse of a slain man when the murderer is unknown; concerning marriage to a captive woman; concerning the right of the firstborn from two wives; concerning the punishment of disobedient children; concerning one executed by hanging.

Deuteronomy 21:1. If in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess, someone is found slain, lying in the field, and it is not known who killed him, Deuteronomy 21:2. then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities that are around the slain man; Deuteronomy 21:3. and the elders of the city that is nearest to the slain man shall take a heifer that has not been worked, that has not pulled a yoke, Deuteronomy 21:4. and the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which has not been plowed or sown, and shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley; Deuteronomy 21:5. and the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come [for the Lord your God has chosen them to serve him and to bless in the name of the Lord, and by their word every dispute and every injury shall be settled,] Deuteronomy 21:6. and all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, Deuteronomy 21:7. and they shall declare and say: “Our hands did not shed this blood, and our eyes did not see it;” Deuteronomy 21:8. “Atone for your people Israel, whom you, O Lord, have redeemed [from the land of Egypt], and do not hold the guilt of innocent blood against your people Israel.” And they shall be absolved from the blood. Deuteronomy 21:9. So shall you purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, if you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord [your God]. The law of retribution and crime prevention required the death penalty for a premeditated murderer (Gen 4:10; Exod 21:14, Num 35:30-34). In cases where the killer was unknown, a symbolic execution of the guilty party was performed along with a rite of hand-washing—as a sign of innocence in the crime and cleansing from the blood of a man shed by an unknown hand.

Deuteronomy 21:10. When you go out to war against your enemies, and the Lord your God gives them into your hands and you take them captive, Deuteronomy 21:11. and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire her and want to take her as your wife, Deuteronomy 21:12. then you shall bring her into your house, and she shall shave her head and trim her nails, Deuteronomy 21:13. and she shall remove her captive’s clothing and live in your house and mourn her father and her mother for a full month; and after that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife; The lawgiver “does not wish that weeping be mixed with rejoicing, or tears with smiling. Therefore he prescribes that the captive woman be given time for tears, and only then, when she is free from weeping, may she enter into the marriage bond. Beyond this, he also restrains the desire of her captor, commanding that it be guided not by lust but by reason” (blessed Theodoret, Commentary on Deut., question 19). “For,” explains St. Ephrem the Syrian, “if he truly desires to have her (the captive woman) as a wife, he will abstain for the entire time prescribed by the law” (Commentary on Deut., ch. XXI).

Deuteronomy 21:17. but he shall acknowledge the firstborn son of the unloved wife and give him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength; the right of the firstborn belongs to him. The firstborn received a double share of the inheritance, and upon the father’s death entered into the rights and authority of the eldest in the family. Before the centralization of Hebrew worship at the tabernacle and the setting apart of the tribe of Levi for service to Jehovah, the firstborn also had the right to perform patriarchal worship in his own clan.

Deuteronomy 21:18. If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and though they discipline him he will not listen to them, Deuteronomy 21:19. then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, Deuteronomy 21:20. and they shall say to the elders of his city: “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he does not obey us; he is a glutton and a drunkard”; Deuteronomy 21:21. then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall purge the evil from among you, and all Israel shall hear and be afraid. Cf. Exod 20:12, Lev 20:9. The family constitutes one of the atoms from whose aggregate the organism of the state is built. The stability of normal relations within the former largely determines their firmness in the latter as well. In the theocratic state that the Hebrew state was, the welfare of the state is at the same time the welfare of the Church. Hence the strictness that the law manifests with regard to those who violate the fifth commandment. In contrast to the custom and right of other peoples of the ancient world (such as the Romans), which granted the father the power to execute his own children, the law of the Hebrews placed the pronouncing and carrying out of a death sentence in the cases noted by the verses under commentary, as in others, under the jurisdiction of a properly organized court.

Deuteronomy 21:22. If someone has committed a crime worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, Deuteronomy 21:23. his body shall not remain on the tree overnight, but you shall bury him the same day, for cursed before God is everyone hanged on a tree, and you shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. “Cursed before God is everyone hanged on a tree”—for the crime that he committed.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Laws: concerning the preservation of another’s property; concerning the clothing of the sexes; concerning the treatment of animals; concerning precautionary measures in construction; concerning the mixing of kinds; concerning the tassels of the outer garment; concerning a husband’s public slander of his wife; concerning various forms of fornication.

Deuteronomy 22:1. If you see your brother’s ox or his sheep going astray, do not ignore them, but return them to your brother; Deuteronomy 22:2. and if your brother is not near you, or you do not know him, then you shall bring it into your house, and it shall be with you until your brother seeks it; then you shall return it to him; Deuteronomy 22:3. so you shall do with his donkey, so you shall do with his garment, so you shall do with any lost thing belonging to your brother that he has lost and that you find; you may not neglect it. Deuteronomy 22:4. If you see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the road, do not ignore them, but help him lift them up again. Cf. Exod 23:4-5.

Deuteronomy 22:5. A woman shall not wear men’s clothing, and a man shall not dress in women’s clothing, for everyone who does such things is an abomination to the Lord your God. Cf. Deut 22:9-11. The lawgiver’s purpose is to protect the people from every kind of harmful unnatural mixing (cf. Lev 18:22-24). The custom of cross-dressing in clothing of the opposite sex for the purpose of enjoying unnatural forms of depravity was practiced among many pagan peoples of the ancient world.

Deuteronomy 22:6. If you come across a bird’s nest in the road, in any tree or on the ground, with fledglings or eggs, and the mother is sitting on the fledglings or on the eggs, do not take the mother along with the young: Deuteronomy 22:7. let the mother go, and take the young for yourself, so that it may go well with you, and that your days may be prolonged. Cf. Exod 23:19; Lev 22:28; Deut 14:21: prescriptions of humane treatment toward animals that serve for the benefit of humanity. “The mother left alive,” remarks St. Ephrem the Syrian concerning the passage under commentary, “can have other fledglings. But if you leave the young, taking their mother—they will die a wretched death. And if you take both the mother and the young, you will deprive the land of a bird” (Commentary on Deut., ch. XXII).

Deuteronomy 22:8. If you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you do not bring guilt of bloodshed upon your house if someone falls from it. Cf. Exod 21:29-34. Precautionary prescriptions in conduct.

Deuteronomy 22:9. You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole yield become forfeited—the seed that you have sown and the fruit of the vineyard. Deuteronomy 22:10. You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. Deuteronomy 22:11. You shall not wear clothing made of two different materials, wool and linen together. See the note on Deut 22:5. Explaining the meaning of verse 11, St. Ephrem the Syrian remarks: “The lawgiver wanted the people, in their very clothing (cf. the following v. 12), to be set apart from pagan peoples” (Commentary on Deut., ch. XXII).

Deuteronomy 22:12. You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of the cloak with which you cover yourself. Cf. Num 15:37-41.

Deuteronomy 22:13. If a man takes a wife and goes in to her and then hates her, Deuteronomy 22:14. and brings charges against her and spreads a bad report about her, and says: “I took this woman, and when I went in to her I did not find evidence of her virginity,” Deuteronomy 22:15. then the father of the young woman and her mother shall bring out the evidence of the young woman’s virginity to the elders of the city at the gate; Deuteronomy 22:16. and the father of the young woman shall say to the elders: “I gave my daughter to this man as a wife, and he has come to hate her,” Deuteronomy 22:17. “and now he is bringing shameful charges against her, saying: ‘I did not find evidence of your daughter’s virginity’; but here is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.” And they shall spread out the garment before the elders of the city. Deuteronomy 22:18. Then the elders of that city shall take the man and punish him, Deuteronomy 22:19. and they shall fine him one hundred shekels of silver and give them to the father of the young woman, because he has spread a bad report about a virgin of Israel; and she shall remain his wife, and he may not divorce her all his days. This probably codifies one of the customs of antiquity.

Deuteronomy 22:20. But if the thing is true and evidence of virginity is not found for the young woman, Deuteronomy 22:21. then they shall bring the young woman to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death, because she has done a shameful thing in Israel by being immoral in her father’s house; so you shall purge the evil from among you. Deuteronomy 22:22. If a man is found lying with a married woman, both of them shall be put to death—the man who lay with the woman, and the woman; so you shall purge the evil from Israel. Deuteronomy 22:23. If a young woman who is a virgin is betrothed to a man, and someone comes across her in the city and lies with her, Deuteronomy 22:24. then you shall bring both of them to the gate of that city, and stone them to death: the young woman because she did not cry out in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor’s wife; so you shall purge the evil from among you. Deuteronomy 22:25. But if a man meets in the field a young woman who is betrothed and seizes her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall be put to death, Deuteronomy 22:26. but you shall do nothing to the young woman; the young woman is guilty of no offense worthy of death: for this case is like that of a man who rises up against his neighbor and kills him; Deuteronomy 22:27. for he met her in the field, and though the betrothed young woman cried out, there was no one to save her. Deuteronomy 22:28. If a man meets a young woman who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, Deuteronomy 22:29. then the man who lay with her shall give to the young woman’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her; he may not divorce her all his days. Cf. Exod 22:16; Lev 18:20; John 8:5. A young woman who lost her honor in her parents’ house (vv. 20–21), both participants in an act of voluntary adultery (vv. 22–24), and the perpetrator of a violent act (vv. 25–27) were subject to the death penalty by stoning, “for,” remarks St. Ephrem the Syrian, “the sword (not in the literal sense here) thirsts for the blood of one who drinks the water of theft from a foreign spring (Prov 9:17)” (Commentary on Deut., ch. XXII). One who committed violence against a free young woman was obligated to pay a monetary fine to her parents and to become the lawful husband of the one he had dishonored, without the right of divorce (vv. 28–29).

Deuteronomy 22:30. No one shall take his father’s wife or uncover his father’s garment. Cf. Lev 18:7-8. In the Hebrew text this verse was assigned to chapter XXIII.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Laws: on admission to the Israelite community; on the cleanliness of the camp; on runaway slaves; on professional male and female prostitutes; on interest; on vows; on the use of a neighbor’s orchard and harvest.

Deuteronomy 23:1. Whoever has his testicles crushed or his male organ cut off may not enter the assembly of the Lord. Deuteronomy 23:2. The son of a prostitute may not enter the assembly of the Lord, and even the tenth generation of his descendants may not enter the assembly of the Lord. Deuteronomy 23:3. No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord, and even the tenth generation of their descendants may not enter the assembly of the Lord forever, Deuteronomy 23:4. because they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you were coming out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia to curse you; Deuteronomy 23:5. but the Lord your God was not willing to listen to Balaam, and the Lord your God turned his curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you. Deuteronomy 23:6. Do not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days, forever. Deuteronomy 23:7. Do not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother; do not abhor an Egyptian, for you were a foreigner in his land; Deuteronomy 23:8. children born to them in the third generation may enter the assembly of the Lord. Into “the assembly of the Lord,” that is, the Israelite community, the following could not be admitted as members: 1) eunuchs, since the law is alien to everything unnatural (see Deut 22:5, with note), which is why “it is forbidden to make eunuchs—not only men, but also livestock” (Theodoret, Commentary on Deut., question 15); 2) sons of professional prostitutes not acknowledged by their father; 3) Ammonites and Moabites: “first, because their very root is unlawful—they were born of an unlawful union (Gen 19:36-38); and then also because of the impiety in which they made the Israelites partakers, adorning women, and through them enticing the people of God into the service of idols (Num 25:1)” (Theodoret, Commentary on Deut., question 16). Grandsons of Edomites and Egyptians who had settled among the Hebrews could be admitted into the Israelite community, presumably because of the comparative purity of their morals and religious views. Regarding the religion of Egypt, some scholars hold the view that it was nothing other than a veiled monotheism, inaccessible to the consciousness of the masses, but grasped and jealously guarded by the priests. The reference to the idolatry of the Edomites (2 Chr 25:14) relates to a comparatively later period, and it is still unknown whether the idol-worship of the Edomites was full-blown idolatry or merely a manifestation of immoderate sensualism in the sphere of religion, similar to the Israelites’ worship of Jehovah in the form of the golden calf cast by Aaron (Exod 32:1-6).

Deuteronomy 23:9. When you go out as an army against your enemies, guard yourself from every evil thing. Deuteronomy 23:10. If anyone among you is unclean because of a nocturnal occurrence, he must go outside the camp and not come back into the camp, Deuteronomy 23:11. but when evening comes he must wash his body with water, and after sunset he may come back into the camp. Deuteronomy 23:12. You shall have a place outside the camp to go to; Deuteronomy 23:13. besides your weapons you shall have a trowel; and when you sit down outside the camp, you shall dig a hole with it and then cover over your excrement; Deuteronomy 23:14. for the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp to rescue you and to hand over your enemies to you, and therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you. Rules of hygiene that take on special significance in light of the people’s status as God’s chosen.

Deuteronomy 23:15. Do not hand over a slave to his master when he has fled to you from his master; Deuteronomy 23:16. let him live with you, among you, in the place he chooses in whichever of your settlements pleases him; do not oppress him. In view here are slaves who have fled from beyond the border of Palestine.

Deuteronomy 23:17. There shall be no prostitute among the daughters of Israel, and there shall be no male prostitute among the sons of Israel. Deuteronomy 23:18. Do not bring the wages of a prostitute or the pay of a male prostitute into the house of the Lord your God in fulfillment of any vow, for both of these are an abomination before the Lord your God. In view here are professional male and female prostitutes who had devoted themselves to the vile service in honor of pagan deities (cf. 1 Sam 14:23-24). The amount of the monetary vow for the tabernacle must not be identical to the payment given to a female or male prostitute (“a dog,” v. 18).

Deuteronomy 23:19. Do not charge interest to your brother—neither on silver, nor on grain, nor on anything else that can be lent at interest; Deuteronomy 23:20. You may charge interest to a foreigner, but to your brother you shall not charge interest, so that the Lord your God may bless you in everything you undertake with your own hands, in the land you are going to possess. Cf. Exod 22:25; Lev 25:35-37. The law forbids a Hebrew to collect interest on capital loaned to a “brother,” that is, a fellow Hebrew. It was permitted to charge interest only from a foreigner, who stood outside the sphere of theocratic community relations.

Deuteronomy 23:21. If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not delay in fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will require it of you, and it will be a sin for you; Deuteronomy 23:22. but if you do not make a vow, there will be no sin in you. Deuteronomy 23:23. What has gone out from your lips you shall keep and carry out, just as you voluntarily promised to the Lord your God with your own lips. Cf. Lev 27:1; Num 30:1 (rules concerning vows).

Deuteronomy 23:24. 1 When you come upon your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor’s grain. Deuteronomy 23:25. 2 When you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat grapes to your fill, as much as you desire, but you shall not put any into your container. Eat grapes, pluck ears of grain (Matt 12:1) in the garden and field of your neighbor: “let your belly be filled to satisfaction because of hunger,” says Ephrem the Syrian, but do not put berries into your container and do not put a sickle to your neighbor’s grain, “for by doing so you would already show greed” (Commentary on Deut., ch. XXIII). * * * 25 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

Laws: on divorce; on the exemption of a newly married man from military service; on pledges; on the violent enslavement of a person; on observing precautions regarding leprosy; on not withholding the wages of day laborers; on individual responsibility for one’s own sin; on justice; on charity.

Deuteronomy 24:1. If a man takes a wife and becomes her husband, and she does not find favor in his eyes because he finds something objectionable in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, and places it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, Deuteronomy 24:2. and she leaves his house, goes away, and becomes the wife of another man, Deuteronomy 24:3. and this latter husband also comes to hate her and writes her a certificate of divorce, placing it in her hand and sending her out of his house, or this latter husband who took her as his wife dies — Deuteronomy 24:4. then her first husband who sent her away may not take her back as his wife again, after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the Lord your God, and do not bring sin upon the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. A husband had the right to give his wife “a certificate of divorce and send her out of his house,” that is, to divorce her formally, in the case when “she does not find favor in his eyes because he finds something objectionable in her”—in other words, when he encounters such physical or moral deficiencies as make continuing the marriage union either impossible or very burdensome. There could be no question of a wife’s adultery as grounds for divorce: by the sense of Deut 22:20-22, adulterers were subject to the death penalty. A man who married a girl he had seduced, and likewise one who unjustly slandered his wife for lack of virginity at the time of entering into (first) marriage, were permanently deprived of the right of divorce (Deut 22:13-19). The law of Moses makes no mention of divorce at the wife’s initiative. This circumstance gives some scholars reason to suppose that the wife was deprived of this right. But such a conclusion is hardly fair. If a concubine deprived of “food, clothing, and conjugal rights” (Exod 21:10-11) had the right to leave her husband, that is, to divorce him, all the more so a full wife. The Gospels (Mark 10:11-12) apparently confirm this assumption. The rabbis, who stand firmly on the ground of ancient Hebrew tradition, assert that a wife had the right to demand divorce: 1) if her husband withheld conjugal relations; 2) in the case of ten years of childlessness, if it was proven the cause lay with the husband; 3) in the case of physical deficiencies or 4) moral qualities of the spouse making continuation of the marriage impossible; 5) in the case of a contagious disease of the husband; 6) in the case of the husband’s primary occupation or trade being disagreeable to the wife. If the divorced parties had not subsequently entered into a second marriage, they could reunite as husband and wife (vv. 2–4). Otherwise, a second marriage between the divorced spouses was not permitted.

Deuteronomy 24:5. If a man has recently taken a wife, he shall not go to war, and nothing shall be required of him; he shall be free at home for one year and shall bring joy to the wife he has taken. Cf. Deut 20:7.

Deuteronomy 24:6. No one shall take a hand mill or an upper millstone in pledge, for that would be taking a life in pledge. The stones of a hand mill are an indispensable part of everyday domestic life in the East. It is fair to suppose that the regulation, concretely expressed in the example of the hand mill, extended to other items of primary necessity in the household.

Deuteronomy 24:7. If anyone is found to have kidnapped one of his brothers, one of the sons of Israel, and enslaved him and sold him, then that thief must be put to death; and so you shall purge the evil from among you. Cf. Exod 21:16.

Deuteronomy 24:8. Take heed in the case of a leprous disease, and be very careful to observe and carry out all the law that the Levitical priests shall teach you; be careful to do as I have commanded them; See Lev 13-14.

Deuteronomy 24:9. Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on the road when you were coming out of Egypt. Num 12

Deuteronomy 24:10. If you lend something to your neighbor, do not go into his house to collect the pledge, Deuteronomy 24:11. wait outside, and the man to whom you have made the loan shall bring the pledge out to you on the street; Yielding to greed, the creditor upon entering the debtor’s house might seize as a pledge some item whose value far exceeds the loan.

Deuteronomy 24:12. and if he is a poor man, you shall not go to sleep with his pledge in your possession: Deuteronomy 24:13. return the pledge to him at sunset, that he may sleep in his own garment and bless you—and it will be counted as righteousness for you before the Lord your God. Cf. Exod 22:25-27. The heavy outer cloak, which can be done without during the day, is vitally necessary at night as protection from the cold—for a poor man it is the only one. Taking any garment of a widow as a pledge is entirely forbidden (v. 17).

Deuteronomy 24:14. Do not mistreat a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the foreigners who live in your land, in your settlements; Deuteronomy 24:15. pay him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets, for he is poor and his soul depends on it; lest he cry out against you to the Lord, and it become a sin for you. Cf. Lev 19:13.

Deuteronomy 24:16. Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, and children shall not be put to death for their fathers; each shall be put to death for his own crime. The principle of human justice. Arrogating to human courts the prerogatives of divine judgment—which sometimes punishes fathers in their descendants (Exod 20:5)—could lead to injustice.

Deuteronomy 24:17. Do not pervert the justice due to a foreigner, an orphan, or a widow, and do not take a widow’s garment in pledge; Cf. Exod 22:21-24; Lev 19:33-36. Cf. Lev 19:9.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Laws: on justice in court; on the corporal punishment of the guilty; on humane treatment of working animals; on levirate marriage; on techniques of fighting harmful to a man’s health and his offspring; on the accuracy of weights and measures; the command to destroy the Amalekites.

Deuteronomy 25:1. If there is a dispute between people, let them come to court and be judged; let the innocent be acquitted and the guilty be condemned; On the organization of courts, see Deut 16:18-20.

Deuteronomy 25:3. Forty stripes may be given him, but no more, lest your brother be degraded in your eyes because of many blows. To guard against the executioner being carried away by zeal, the rabbis of later times decreed that the maximum corporal punishment should be thirty-nine stripes. On this basis the Apostle Paul, having been sentenced multiple times by Jewish courts to corporal punishment, was subjected to “forty stripes minus one” (2 Cor 11:24).

Deuteronomy 25:4. Do not muzzle an ox while it is threshing. “The higher meaning of this has been clearly shown to us by the divine apostle (1 Cor 9:9-11). But the meaning that presents itself at first glance is also pious. For it is unjust that one who has tilled the ground and laboriously threshes the sheaves should not taste of the fruit” (Theodoret, Commentary on Deut., question 31). See the note to Deut 14:21.

Deuteronomy 25:5. If brothers live together and one of them dies without a son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a stranger; her brother-in-law shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and live with her — Deuteronomy 25:6. and the firstborn son that she bears shall carry on the name of the deceased brother, so that his name will not be blotted out in Israel. Deuteronomy 25:7. But if the man does not wish to take his sister-in-law, then his sister-in-law shall go to the gate, to the elders, and say: “My brother-in-law refuses to preserve his brother’s name in Israel; he is not willing to marry me”; Deuteronomy 25:8. then the elders of his city shall summon him and reason with him, and if he stands firm and says, “I do not wish to take her,” Deuteronomy 25:9. then his sister-in-law shall approach him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, and spit in his face, and say: “This is what is done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house in Israel”; Deuteronomy 25:10. and his name shall be called in Israel: “the house of the man whose sandal was removed.” An exception to the prohibited marriages within close degrees of kinship is marriage with the wife of a brother who has died childless—the so-called levirate (levir = brother-in-law) marriage, whose purpose was the preservation of the “name of the deceased in Israel.” In the absence of a brother, the nearest relative was obliged to take the childless widow. In instituting the levirate regulation, Moses was not introducing a new law but merely giving legal force to the ancient custom that existed among the Hebrews and certain other peoples. The first biblical example of levirate marriage is found in the family of Judah, son of the patriarch Jacob (Gen 38:1). It is true that Moses somewhat weakens the binding nature of the ancient custom, but he surrounds this deviation with such formalities that they serve as an indirect inducement to prevent such deviations from being too frequent (cf. Theodoret, question 32 on Deut.).

Deuteronomy 25:11. If men are fighting with each other and the wife of one of them comes near to rescue her husband from the hand of the man striking him, and she reaches out her hand and seizes him by his private parts, Deuteronomy 25:12. cut off her hand; let your eye show no pity. Apart from its indecency, the prohibited fighting technique is dangerous to health and may prove harmful to the offspring of the injured man.

Deuteronomy 25:13. You shall not have in your bag two kinds of weights, a heavier and a lighter; Deuteronomy 25:14. you shall not have in your house two kinds of measures, a larger and a smaller; Deuteronomy 25:15. you shall have a full and accurate weight, and a full and accurate measure, so that your days may be prolonged in the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; Deuteronomy 25:16. for everyone who acts dishonestly is an abomination before the Lord your God. The nominal weight and the nominal volume of a measure must correspond to their actual size.

Deuteronomy 25:17. Remember what the Amalekites did to you on the road when you were coming out of Egypt: Deuteronomy 25:18. how they met you on the road and attacked all the stragglers in your rear when you were exhausted and weary, and did not fear God; Deuteronomy 25:19. Therefore, when the Lord your God gives you rest from all your enemies on every side, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, you shall wipe out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven; do not forget. See Exod 17:8-16. Later the Amalekites were defeated by Saul (1 Sam 15:1-8) and finally destroyed in the time of Hezekiah (1 Chr 4:41-43).

Chapter Twenty-Six

The law on firstfruits and tithes.

Deuteronomy 26:1. When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you take possession of it and settle in it, Deuteronomy 26:2. you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground that you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose, that his name may dwell there. Deuteronomy 26:3. And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him: I declare today before the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our fathers to give us. Deuteronomy 26:4. The priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 26:5. And you shall respond and say before the Lord your God: My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt and lived there as a foreigner with few people, and there he became a nation—great, mighty, and numerous; Deuteronomy 26:6. but the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and oppressed us and laid upon us hard labor; Deuteronomy 26:7. and we cried out to the Lord the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, our toil, and our oppression; Deuteronomy 26:8. and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror, and with signs and wonders, Deuteronomy 26:9. and he brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; Deuteronomy 26:10. And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me, from a land flowing with milk and honey. And you shall set it before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God, Deuteronomy 26:11. and you shall rejoice in all the good things that the Lord your God has given to you and to your household—you, and the Levite, and the foreigner who is among you. At the feast of Passover the offering of the first sheaf was made (Lev 23:10-14), and at the feast of Weeks (Pentecost) the offering of the first loaves from new grain (Lev 23:15-17). The verses under commentary mark a new type of offering, whose time and quantity the law does not specify, leaving these to the discretion and pious disposition of the offerant. The patriarch Jacob is called “a wandering Aramean” because he spent a long time with the flocks of his father-in-law Laban in the country called Aram. The Greek-Slavonic text gives a different reading: the LXX has Συρίαν ἀπεβαλεν ο πατηρ μοῦ, the Slavonic—“Syria abandoned my father.” Probably the LXX read not “arammi obed (avi)” as in the Masoretic text, but “Aram (Syria) jobed (avi).”

Deuteronomy 26:12. When you have finished tithing all the produce of your ground in the third year, the year of tithing, and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow, so that they may eat within your towns and be satisfied, Deuteronomy 26:13. then you shall say before the Lord your God: I have removed from my house what was sacred and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow, in accordance with all your commandments that you commanded me; I have not transgressed your commandments and I have not forgotten; Deuteronomy 26:14. I have not eaten of it while in mourning, and I have not removed any of it while unclean, and I have not given any of it to the dead; I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God, I have done everything you have commanded me; Deuteronomy 26:15. Look down from your holy dwelling, from the heavens, and bless your people Israel and the land that you have given us—as you swore to our fathers to give us a land flowing with milk and honey. See the note to Deut 12:6-14. “I have not eaten of it while in mourning”: mourning is incompatible with the meaning of a joyful offering to the Lord from the firstfruits of those blessings with which he has endowed the person. “I have not removed any of it while unclean,” that is, while in a state of purification from defilement (Lev 7:21-22). “I have not given any of it to the dead,” according to the custom of pagans who brought food to the graves of the dead and held funeral feasts there (Ephrem the Syrian, Commentary on Deut., ch. XXVI).

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The command to erect a stone monument upon crossing the Jordan, with the provisions of the law inscribed on it, along with an altar to the Lord.—The ceremony of pronouncing curses on those who break the law and blessings on those who keep it.

Deuteronomy 27:2. And when you have crossed the Jordan into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, set up large stones for yourself and plaster them with lime; “Set up large stones for yourself”—on Mount Ebal (Deut 27:2).

Deuteronomy 27:3. and write on these [stones] all the words of this law, when you have crossed [the Jordan], to enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you. “All the words (that is, all the fundamental provisions) of this law.” According to Jewish tradition, carved on the stones (Josh 8:30-32) were the civil and criminal laws, as well as the moral provisions included in the Pentateuch, 613 in number.

Deuteronomy 27:5. And build there an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones, without lifting iron upon them; “An altar of stones, without lifting iron upon them,” in accordance with the law set forth in Exod 20:25.

Deuteronomy 27:12. These shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people when you have crossed the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin; Deuteronomy 27:13. and these shall stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. The mountains of Gerizim and Ebal form with their slopes the valley in which the village of Nablus (ancient Shechem) lies. Mount Ebal is situated on the northern side of the valley, and Mount Gerizim on the southern side. In the present chapter only the curses are noted, which were to be pronounced on Mount Ebal. In the following, Deut 28:1, chapter we encounter twelve blessings, as it were corresponding to the twelve curses of Deut 27:1 chapter. The commanded rite of public blessing and cursing was performed under Moses’ successor, Joshua (son of Nun) (Josh 8:33-34).

Deuteronomy 27:15. Cursed is anyone who makes a carved or cast idol, an abomination before the Lord, the work of the craftsman’s hands, and sets it up in a secret place! And all the people shall declare and say: amen. Cf. Exod 20:4; Lev 26:1; Deut 4:15-19.

Deuteronomy 27:16. Cursed is anyone who dishonors his father or his mother! And all the people shall say: amen. Cf. Exod 20:12; Lev 19:3; Deut 21:18.

Deuteronomy 27:17. Cursed is anyone who moves his neighbor’s boundary marker! And all the people shall say: amen. Cf. Deut 19:14.

Deuteronomy 27:18. Cursed is anyone who leads a blind person astray on the road! And all the people shall say: amen. Cf. Lev 19:14.

Deuteronomy 27:19. Cursed is anyone who perverts the judgment of the stranger, the orphan, and the widow! And all the people shall say: amen. Cf. Exod 22:21-22; Deut 24:17.

Deuteronomy 27:20. Cursed is anyone who lies with his father’s wife, for he has uncovered the edge of his father’s garment! And all the people shall say: amen. Cf. Lev 20:11; Deut 22:30.

Deuteronomy 27:21. Cursed is anyone who lies with any animal! And all the people shall say: amen. Cf. Lev 18:23.

Deuteronomy 27:22. Cursed is anyone who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother! And all the people shall say: amen. Cf. Lev 18:9.

Deuteronomy 27:23. Cursed is anyone who lies with his mother-in-law! And all the people shall say: amen. [Cursed is anyone who lies with his wife’s sister! And all the people shall say: amen.] Cf. Lev 18:17.

Deuteronomy 27:24. Cursed is anyone who secretly strikes down his neighbor! And all the people shall say: amen. Cf. Exod 20:13; Deut 19:11-13.

Deuteronomy 27:25. Cursed is anyone who accepts a bribe to kill a person and shed innocent blood! And all the people shall say: amen. Cf. Ex. 23:1, 7; Lev 19:16; Deut 19:18-19.

Deuteronomy 27:26. Cursed is [every person] who does not uphold [all] the words of this law and does not act according to them! And all the people shall say: amen. Cf. Deut 28:15.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Blessing for those who keep the law; curse for those who break it.

Deuteronomy 28:9. The Lord [your God] will establish you as a holy people to himself, as he swore to you [and to your fathers], if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways; Cf. Gen 22:16-18; Exod 19:5-6.

Deuteronomy 28:10. and all the peoples of the earth will see that the name of the Lord [your God] is called over you, and they will be afraid of you. Cf. Deut 4:5-8.

Deuteronomy 28:21. The Lord will make pestilence cling to you until he has wiped you off the land you are entering to possess. Deuteronomy 28:22. The Lord will strike you with wasting disease, with fever, with inflammation, with fiery heat, with drought, with scorching wind, and with blight, and they will pursue you until you perish. Cf. Lev 26:14-18.

Deuteronomy 28:23. And the sky over your head will be bronze, and the earth beneath you will be iron; Deuteronomy 28:24. instead of rain the Lord will make dust and powder fall on your land from the sky, falling down on you [until you are destroyed and] until you are wiped out. Cf. Lev 26:19-20.

Deuteronomy 28:25. The Lord will deliver you to be struck down before your enemies; you will march out against them by one road but flee from them by seven roads, and you will be scattered among all the kingdoms of the earth. Cf. Lev 26:17.

Deuteronomy 28:27. The Lord will strike you with the Egyptian sores, with hemorrhoids, with scab, and with itch, from which you will not be able to be healed; On leprosy, see Lev 13. Hemorrhoids is one of the skin diseases.

Deuteronomy 28:36. The Lord will bring you and the king you set over yourself to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you will serve other gods, of wood and stone; Deuteronomy 28:37. and you will become an object of horror, a proverb, and a byword among all the nations to which the Lord [your God] will drive you. The reference is to the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities.

Deuteronomy 28:46. they will be a sign and a wonder over you and over your offspring forever. Deuteronomy 28:47. Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart in the abundance of everything, Deuteronomy 28:48. you will serve your enemy whom the Lord [your God] will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and in total want; he will put an iron yoke on your neck, until he has destroyed you. Deuteronomy 28:49. The Lord will bring against you a nation from far away, from the end of the earth: like an eagle the nation will swoop down, a nation whose language you do not understand, Deuteronomy 28:50. a fierce nation that will show no respect to the old and no mercy to the young; Cf. Lev 26:25. The reference is to the successive foreign dominations and hegemonies in Palestine: Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Syria, Egypt, Rome.

Deuteronomy 28:53. And you will eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of your sons and daughters whom the Lord your God has given you, during the siege and the distress with which your enemy will distress you. Cf. Lev 26:29.

Deuteronomy 28:54. The man among you who is tender and very delicate will look with hostility at his own brother, at the wife of his embrace, and at the rest of his children who remain to him, Deuteronomy 28:55. and will give none of them any of the flesh of his children that he is eating, because nothing remains to him, during the siege and the distress with which your enemy will distress you in all your towns. Deuteronomy 28:56. [The woman] who lived among you in comfort and luxury, who never set her foot on the ground because of her luxury and delicacy, will look with hostility at the husband of her embrace, at her son, and at her daughter, Deuteronomy 28:57. and will not share with them the afterbirth that comes out from between her legs and the children she bears; for she will eat them secretly, in her lack of everything, during the siege and the distress with which your enemy will distress you in your towns. The terrible scenes of famine that took place during the Roman siege of Jerusalem, described in detail by the Jewish historian Josephus, confirm the dreadful prophecy of Moses.

Deuteronomy 28:64. And the Lord [your God] will scatter you among all the peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will serve other gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, wood and stone. Cf. Lev 26:33.

Deuteronomy 28:65. But among those nations you will find no rest, and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot, and the Lord will give you there a trembling heart, failing eyes, and a languishing soul; Deuteronomy 28:66. your life will hang before you, and you will be in dread night and day, and you will have no assurance of your life; Deuteronomy 28:67. in the dread of your heart that will grip you and from what you will see with your eyes, in the morning you will say: “Oh, if only evening would come!” and in the evening you will say: “Oh, if only morning would come!” Cf. Lev 26:36-39. From the dispersion of the Jews by the Romans to the present day, the history of the Jewish people has been a continuous confirmation of the prophecy set forth in Deut 28:37.

Deuteronomy 28:68. And the Lord will bring you back to Egypt in ships by the road of which I said to you: “you will see it no more”; and there you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, and there will be no one to buy you. After the destruction of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar, a considerable number of Jews had to flee to Egypt and seek protection there from the dangers to which they might be exposed in a ravaged land abandoned by the conqueror (4Цар 25.26). At the final destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, thousands of Jewish captives were sent to Egypt and other countries to be sold into slavery (Josephus). During the reign of Emperor Hadrian in the Roman Empire, such a multitude of Jewish captives was gathered that they were sold at the cheapest price. About 12,000 captives perished from hunger (Bible Allioli, 1868, vol. 1:727; Vlastov, Sacred Chronology).

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Renewal of the Sinai covenant.

Deuteronomy 29:1. These are the words of the covenant that the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant that the Lord made with them at Horeb. The solemn renewal of the covenant that the Lord had concluded with the preceding generation at Sinai.

Deuteronomy 29:5. For forty years I led you through the wilderness, and your clothing did not wear out on you, and the sandals on your feet did not wear out; Cf. Deut 8:4.

Deuteronomy 29:6. you did not eat bread and did not drink wine or strong drink, so that you would know that I am the Lord your God. Cf. Lev 10:8-10. Bread and wine of ordinary origin were replaced by bread and water sent miraculously.

Deuteronomy 29:7. And when you came to this place, Sihon, the king of Heshbon, and Og, the king of Bashan, came out against us to fight us, and we defeated them; Deuteronomy 29:8. and we took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the tribe of Reuben and to the tribe of Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh. Cf. Num 21:21-35; Deut 2:24-37.

Deuteronomy 29:18. Let there not be among you a man or woman, a clan or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of those nations; let there not be among you a root that bears poison and bitterness, “Poison and bitterness”—a figurative expression for the moral harm and bitterness of idolatry.

Deuteronomy 29:19. such a person who, having heard the words of this curse, boasts in his heart, saying: “I will be fortunate, even though I walk according to the desire of my heart”; and so the one who is full will be lost along with the one who is hungry; “And so the one who is full will be lost along with the one who is hungry”—according to the Greek-Slavonic text: “let not the sinner destroy the innocent with himself,” which harmonizes better with the beginning of the verse.

Deuteronomy 29:20. the Lord will not pardon such a person, but the anger of the Lord and his wrath will immediately blaze against such a man, and all the curses [of this covenant] written in this book [of the law] will fall upon him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven; “And the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven,” as the name of many pagan nations of antiquity has been blotted out, and as the historical identity of the greater part of the Jewish people—the Israelites taken into captivity by Assyria—has already been terminated.

Deuteronomy 29:22. And the generation that comes after, your children who come after you, and the foreigner who comes from a distant land, will see the calamities of that land and the afflictions with which the Lord has made it suffer: Deuteronomy 29:23. sulfur and salt, a scorched wasteland—the whole land; it is not sown and does not grow anything, and no grass springs up on it, like the overthrow of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in his anger and his wrath. The present state of Palestine by no means resembles a land flowing with milk and honey.

Deuteronomy 29:27. for this reason the anger of the Lord blazed against this land, and he brought upon it all the curses [of the covenant] written in this book [of the law], Deut 27:1.

Deuteronomy 29:28. and the Lord uprooted them from their land in anger, in wrath, and in great fury, and cast them into another land, as is seen today. The reference is to the period of successive foreign dominations in Palestine and the captivities inevitably connected with them, as well as to the present period of the universal dispersion of the Jews.

Deuteronomy 29:29. The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but what is revealed belongs to us and to our children forever, so that we may carry out all the words of this law. “This was said so that the Jews would not labor in the pursuit and investigation of hidden things, since they are incomprehensible, but would pay close attention to whether they are truly heeding and following what has been revealed and commanded to them” (St. Ephrem the Syrian, Commentary on the book of Deut., ch. XXIX).

Chapter Thirty

The possibility of reconciliation with God and the return of his blessings through sincere repentance and observance of the law.

Deuteronomy 30:1. When all these words come upon you—the blessing and the curse that I have set before you—and you take them to heart among all the nations among which the Lord your God has scattered you, Deuteronomy 30:2. and you return to the Lord your God and listen to his voice, as I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul — Deuteronomy 30:3. then the Lord your God will restore your captives and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the nations among which the Lord your God has scattered you. Deuteronomy 30:4. Even if you are scattered [from the edge of heaven] to the edge of heaven, even from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you, Deuteronomy 30:5. and [from there] the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, and you will possess it, and he will make you prosper and make you more numerous than your fathers; Deuteronomy 30:6. and the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live; Deuteronomy 30:7. Then the Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you, Deuteronomy 30:8. and you will turn back and listen to the voice of the Lord [your God] and carry out all his commandments that I command you today; Deuteronomy 30:9. the Lord your God will give you abundant success in all the work of your hands, in the fruit of your womb, in the fruit of your livestock, in the fruit of your land; for the Lord [your God] will again rejoice over you, doing you good, just as he rejoiced over your fathers, Deuteronomy 30:10. if you listen to the voice of the Lord your God, keeping [and carrying out all] his commandments and his statutes [and his laws] written in this book of the law, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. The return of the Jews to God and their return to their homeland was most immediately fulfilled at the end of the Babylonian captivity. A more complete and essential return in the future was mystically foretold by the Apostle Paul (Rom 11:1).

Deuteronomy 30:11. For this commandment that I command you today is not too difficult for you and is not far away; Deuteronomy 30:12. it is not in heaven, so that one could say: “Who will go up to heaven for us and bring it to us, and let us hear it, and we will carry it out?” Deuteronomy 30:13. and it is not beyond the sea, so that one could say: “Who will go across the sea for us and bring it to us, and let us hear it, and we will carry it out?” Deuteronomy 30:14. but this word is very near to you: it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may carry it out. The commandment of genuine love for God, for one’s neighbor, and for oneself is inscribed on the tablets of the human heart by nature itself (Rom 2:14; cf. Rom 10:6-8).

Chapter Thirty-One

The final acts of Moses: encouraging the people before their occupation of the land of the Canaanites; instructions to the priests regarding the preservation and public reading of the law he had written; receiving divine revelation together with Joshua (son of Nun) concerning the future destiny of Israel; composing a reproving and edifying song for the people.

Deuteronomy 31:2. and said to them: I am now one hundred and twenty years old, I can no longer go out and come in, and the Lord said to me: “you will not cross this Jordan”; The expression “I can no longer go out and come in” does not indicate a decline in Moses’ strength, since he preserved his vigor to the end of his life (Deut 34:7), but rather that he has ceased to be the leader (Num 27:17) of the people, since the Lord said to him: you will not cross the Jordan (Num 20:7-13).

Deuteronomy 31:3. The Lord your God himself will cross over before you; he will destroy these nations before you, and you will dispossess them; Joshua will cross over before you, as the Lord has said; “As the Lord has said.” Cf. Num 27:15-23; Deut 1:38.

Deuteronomy 31:4. and the Lord will deal with them just as he dealt with Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, [who were on this side of the Jordan,] and with their land, whom he destroyed; See Num 21:1; Deut 2:31.

Deuteronomy 31:5. and the Lord will deliver them to you, and you shall deal with them according to all the commandments that I have commanded you; See Num 20:10-20.

Deuteronomy 31:10. And Moses commanded them and said: at the end of every seven years, in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, “In the year of release,” that is, in the sabbatical year. See the note to Deut 15:1-11. On the Feast of Tabernacles see Exod 23:16; Num 29:12-38.

Deuteronomy 31:23. And the Lord commanded Joshua, the son of Nun, and said [to him]: be strong and courageous, for you will bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you. The Lord addresses Joshua (son of Nun) directly for the first time, since the time of his actual entry into the office of leader of the people had drawn near.

Deuteronomy 31:30. And Moses recited in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel the words of this song to the end: See the book Deut 30.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Deuteronomy 32:2. My teaching shall flow down like rain, my speech shall fall like dew, like gentle rain upon the grass, like a downpour upon the herbage. Comparisons indicating the beneficence of attentively heeding the prophet’s following words.

Deuteronomy 32:8. When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance and divided the sons of men, he set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.* Deuteronomy 32:9. For the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance. When distributing the human race across the earth after the flood and the building of the tower, the Lord already foresaw those geographical boundaries within which his future chosen people would be enclosed; the position and limits of the other nations stood, as it were, in the closest connection with the number, boundaries, and calling of his “inheritance” (Exod 19:15).

Deuteronomy 32:10. He found him in a desert land, in a desolate, howling wilderness; he encircled him, watched over him, kept him as the apple of his eye. The actual adoption of the Hebrew people by the Lord took place in the wildernesses along the route of wandering from Egypt to Canaan.

Deuteronomy 32:13. He made him ride on the heights of the earth and fed him with the produce of the fields; he nourished him with honey from the rock and with oil from the flinty rock, “He made him ride on the heights of the earth,” that is, he led him up to the high mountains. “He nourished him with honey from the rock,” that is, with honey that bees collect and store in the crevices of cliffs in treeless regions. “With oil from the flinty rock,” that is, with oil from olive trees growing on hard ground.

Deuteronomy 32:14. with butter of cows and milk of sheep, and with the fat of lambs and rams of Bashan and goats, and with the finest wheat; and you drank wine, the blood of the grape. The cattle that grazed on the rich pastures of Bashan were noted for their exceptional fatness (Ps 21:13; Ezek 39:18).

Deuteronomy 32:17. They sacrificed to demons and not to God, to gods they had not known, to new ones that had come from nearby and whom their fathers had never feared. “They sacrificed to demons.” See 1 Cor 10:19-21.

Deuteronomy 32:21. They made me jealous with what is no god; they provoked me with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are no people; with a foolish nation I will provoke them. In the immediate sense, the reference is to the nations that enslaved Israel; in a more distant sense, it is to the calling of the dark pagans, devoid of true knowledge of God, into the bosom of Christ’s Church in place of the Israelites who stood at its threshold. “Those who believed in Christ the Savior,” remarks Theodoret, “are not one nation, but a countless multitude of nations. And they were once ‘foolish’ and senseless, as the blessed Paul says: ‘For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures’ (Titus 3:3). Therefore God says: ‘Just as you, having abandoned the one God, preferred many falsely named gods, so I too, having rejected one nation, grant salvation to all nations. But you rendered worship to those who are not gods and yet made them gods; whereas I will fill even the foolish nations with divine wisdom; and seeing this, you will waste away with envy’” (Commentary on Deut., question 41).

Deuteronomy 32:30. How could one pursue a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had given them up? Deuteronomy 32:31. For their rock is not like our Rock; our enemies themselves are judges of this. “Our enemies themselves are judges of this,” that the Lord is the strength of Israel. See Exod 14:25; Num 22-24; Josh 2:7-11.

Deuteronomy 32:32. For their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are poisonous grapes, their clusters are bitter. Deuteronomy 32:33. Their wine is the venom of serpents and the deadly poison of cobras. These refer to the Israelites, characterizing their moral corruption.

Deuteronomy 32:36. For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining, shut up or left free. “The Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants” (only then), “when he sees that their power is gone” (the pride and intensity of vice have faded, and along with that their physical strength, wastefully expended, is exhausted), “and there is none remaining, shut up or left free.” A figurative expression indicating the enormity of the devastation.

Deuteronomy 32:43. [Rejoice, O heavens, with him, and let all the angels of God worship him.] Rejoice, O nations, with his people [and let all the sons of God be strong]! For he will avenge the blood of his servants, and render vengeance to his enemies, [and will repay those who hate him,] and the Lord will cleanse his land and his people! The closing chord of the Song of Moses: the judgment of God’s righteousness is terrible, but it is ruinous only for those who stubbornly apostatize from the Lord; his faithful sons, however, will be saved. Together with the faithful sons of Israel, the gentiles also are to rejoice, since “the blood of the servants has been cleansed,” “vengeance has been rendered to the enemies,” and “the people and the land have been purified.” According to the interpretations of the Apostle Paul (Rom 15:8-12) and Christian writers, Moses prefigured in this passage the spiritual joy of the members of the Church of Christ, into which both gentiles and Jews are to enter (Rom 11:1).

Deuteronomy 32:47. For it is not an empty word for you, but it is your life, and through this word you will live long in the land which you are crossing the Jordan to possess. Cf. Deut 30:15-20.

Deuteronomy 32:48. And the Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying: Deuteronomy 32:49. Go up into this mountain of Abarim, to Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel as a possession; Deuteronomy 32:50. and die on the mountain which you go up to, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, Deuteronomy 32:51. because you broke faith with me among the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel; Deuteronomy 32:52. You shall see the land before you, but you shall not enter there, into the land which I am giving to the sons of Israel. Cf. Num 20:7-13; Deut 1:37. Nebo (Navav) is one of the peaks of the Abarim mountain range. * * * In the Greek translation: according to the number of the angels of God.

Chapter Thirty-Three

The blessing of Moses upon the people of Israel.

Deuteronomy 33:2. He said: The Lord came from Sinai, and dawned from Seir upon them; he shone forth from Mount Paran, and came with ten thousands of holy ones; at his right hand a fiery law. These are the moments of miraculous manifestation of divine almightiness, wisdom, and goodness during the journey of the Hebrews from Egypt to Canaan.

Deuteronomy 33:3. Yes, he loves [his] people; all his holy ones are in your hand, and they bowed down at your feet, to receive the direction of your words. Cf. Exod 19:5-8.

Deuteronomy 33:5. And he was king in Israel, when the heads of the people were gathered together with the tribes of Israel. “And he (Moses) was (as it were) king in Israel, when (around him) the heads of the people were gathered together with the tribes of Israel.”

Deuteronomy 33:6. Let Reuben live and not die, and [let Simeon] not be few in number! In the Hebrew text the name of Simeon is omitted. “Simeon is not blessed,” observes Ephrem the Syrian, “because he was cursed by his father Jacob for the massacre of the Shechemites and, instead of repenting of his first offense, added to it a new one in the person of Zimri, son of Salu, bringing destruction upon twenty-four thousand (Num 25:9), who were struck by the plague for his sins. Levi, however, though cursed together with Simeon, received a blessing from Moses—first, for the zeal of the Levites who struck down those who worshiped the calf; and second, for the zeal of the Levite Phinehas, with which he rushed at Zimri, son of Salu, and killed him” (Commentary on Deut., ch. XXXIII); and finally, by virtue of the divine election of the tribe of Levi for service at the tabernacle of the Lord. In the Greek text of the LXX the name of Simeon is not omitted.

Deuteronomy 33:7. And of Judah he said: Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him to his people; with his own hands he contends for himself, and you be a help against his enemies. “Bring him to his people,” as a leader and defender, guarded by help from above.

Deuteronomy 33:8. And of Levi he said: Your Thummim and your Urim belong to your godly man, whom you tested at Massah, with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah, “Upon your godly man (Aaron), whom you tested (together with Moses) at Massah (Exod 17:1-7), with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah” (Num 20:1-13).

Deuteronomy 33:9. who said of his father and mother: ‘I regard them not’; he did not acknowledge his brothers or know his own children; for they, the Levites, observed your word and kept your covenant, Deuteronomy 33:10. They teach Jacob your ordinances and Israel your law; they place incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar; This refers to the selfless service of the Levites at the tabernacle of the Lord and among the people.

Deuteronomy 33:12. Of Benjamin he said: The beloved of the Lord dwells in safety beside him; [God] shelters him all day long, and he rests between his shoulders. In the expression “and he rests between his shoulders” some commentators see a prefiguration of the Jerusalem Temple, built in the territory of Benjamin, on Mount Moriah, between the heights of Zion and the Mount of Olives.

Deuteronomy 33:19. They summon peoples to the mountain; there they offer lawful sacrifices; for they draw from the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand. By “hidden treasures of the sand” commentators understand: 1) wealth obtained through agriculture; 2) wealth obtained through the manufacture of glass, known from deepest antiquity in Egypt, Phoenicia, and other lands; 3) wealth obtained through trade in purple shells found on the Phoenician coast.

Deuteronomy 33:21. He chose the best of the land for himself; there a portion was reserved for him by the lawgiver, and he came with the heads of the people and carried out the righteousness of the Lord and his judgments with Israel. Gad “chose the best of the land for himself,” that is, (together with Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh) received, before the other tribes, the territory that was due to him (within the bounds of the first conquests of Israel). “There (in Transjordan) a portion was reserved for him by the lawgiver.” “And he came with the heads of the people and carried out the righteousness of the Lord and his judgments with Israel,” that is, he fulfilled all that was required of him as an indispensable condition for the granting of the land allotment (Num 32:1; Deut 3:12-20; Josh 4:12).

Deuteronomy 33:22. Of Dan he said: Dan is a young lion that leaps forth from Bashan. A comparison expressing the strength and courage of the Danites.

Deuteronomy 33:23. Of Naphtali he said: O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, and full of the blessing of the Lord; possess the sea and the south. “The sea and the south are his possession.” By “the sea” one must understand the Sea of Kinneret, that is, the Sea of Galilee. In the word “south” many commentators see a reference to the luxuriant southern climate and rich vegetation of the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

Deuteronomy 33:24. And of Asher he said: Most blessed of sons is Asher; he will be favored by his brothers, and let him dip his foot in oil; Deuteronomy 33:25. iron and bronze shall be your bolts; and as your days, so shall your wealth increase. “He will dip his foot in oil; iron and bronze are your bolts”—a figurative reference to the material prosperity of Asher: “his wealth will increase with each passing day.”

Deuteronomy 33:28. Israel lives in safety; the eye of Jacob looks out on a land of grain and wine, and his heavens drip with dew. Cf. Num 23:9. “Israel lives in safety, alone,” dwelling “under the arms” of divine Providence (Deut 33:27).

Chapter Thirty-Four

The death of Moses.

Deuteronomy 34:1. And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, Deuteronomy 34:2. and all [the land of] Naphtali, and [all] the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, as far as the western sea, Deuteronomy 34:3. and the Negeb, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palms, as far as Zoar. Mount Nebo (Navav) is one of the peaks of the Abarim mountain range. Gilead is the territory in Transjordan. The city of Dan, situated to the southwest of Damascus, constituted the northern point of Palestine, just as Beersheba was the southern. Hence the expressions: “from Dan to Beersheba,” “from Beersheba to Dan” (1 Sam 3:20; 2 Sam 3:10; 1 Sam 4:25; 1 Chr 21:2; 2 Chr 30:5), to denote the entire extent of Palestine. The territory of Naphtali was situated in the north, the territory of Judah in the south of western Transjordan. The territory of Ephraim and Manasseh was in central Palestine. The western sea is the same as the Mediterranean. The location of Zoar is placed at the southern borders of the Dead Sea.

Deuteronomy 34:6. and he was buried in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; and no one knows the place of his burial to this day. “And he was buried,” that is, he found a resting place for himself. “And no one knows the place of his burial to this day,” in which one may discern a providential purpose: the burial place of the great Moses could have become especially sacred in the eyes of the Jews, subsequently becoming an object of superstitious or even idolatrous veneration.

Deuteronomy 34:10. And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, Deuteronomy 34:11. in respect to all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and all his land, Deuteronomy 34:12. and in respect to all the mighty hand and all the great and awesome deeds that Moses performed before the eyes of all Israel. Cf. Num 12:1-9.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Introduction

Historical Books

According to the division of Old Testament books by content, as adopted in the Greek-Slavonic and Latin Bibles, the historical (canonical) books include the Book of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, the four Books of Kings, two Books of Chronicles, the first book of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. A similar classification appears as early as the 85th Apostolic Canon, the fourth catechetical lecture of Cyril of Jerusalem, the Sinai manuscript of the LXX translation, and in part in the 60th canon of the Council of Laodicea of 350 A.D.: Esther is placed in it between Ruth and Kings. Similarly, the term “historical books” is known from the same fourth catechetical lecture of Cyril of Jerusalem and the treatise of Gregory of Nazianzus “On Which Books of the Old and New Testament Are to Be Honored” (Book of Canons, p. 372-373). In the works of these Church Fathers, however, it has a somewhat different meaning than it does now: the name “historical books” is given by them not only to the “historical books” of the Greek-Slavonic and Latin translation, but also to the entire Pentateuch. “There are twelve historical books of the most ancient Hebrew wisdom,” says Gregory of Nazianzus, “the first is Genesis, then Exodus, Leviticus, then Numbers, Deuteronomy, then Joshua and Judges, the eighth is Ruth. The ninth and tenth books are the Acts of Kings and Chronicles, and lastly you have Ezra.” “Read,” replies Cyril of Jerusalem, “the divine writings of the Old Testament: twenty-two books, translated by the LXX interpreters, and do not confuse them with the apocrypha… These twenty-two books are: of the law of Moses the first five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Then Joshua son of Nun, Judges with Ruth form one seventh book. Of the other historical books, the first and second Kings, for the Hebrews forming one book, as also the third and fourth, forming one book. Similarly, for them Chronicles first and second are considered one book, and Ezra first and second (in our Nehemiah) are considered one book. The twelfth book is Esther. These are the historical books.”

As for the Hebrew Bible, it knows neither the division of “historical books” nor their Greek-Slavonic and Latin arrangement. The Books of Joshua, Judges, and the four Books of Kings are included in it among the “prophets,” while Ruth, the two Books of Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther are assigned to the division of “the Writings.” The first—that is, Joshua, Judges, and Kings—occupy the leading place among the prophetic books; Ruth the fifth, Esther the eighth, and Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles the last places among “the Writings.” The arrangement of books in Josephus comes much closer to the LXX division. His words “From the death of Moses until the reign of Artaxerxes, the prophets after Moses recorded what happened in thirteen books” (Against Apion, I, 8) suggest that he regarded the Books of Joshua through Esther as books of a historical character. A similar view was apparently held by Jesus son of Sirach. In the division of “the Writings” he distinguishes between “wise discourses and narratives” (Sir 44:3-5), that is, didactic and historical books. The latter could only be Ruth, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. The inclusion of these books in the “Writings” in the Hebrew Bible is explained in part by the fact that the authors of some of them, such as Ezra-Nehemiah, were not granted the title “prophet” in Hebrew theology, and in part by their character: in them one sees the historian, teacher, and preacher. Accordingly, the entire third division is called in some Talmudic tractates “wisdom.”

In assigning one part of our historical books to the division of prophets, “who knew the former things by inspiration from God and wrote about what happened in their time with wisdom” (Josephus, Against Apion I, 7), and another part to “the Writings,” which is the name given to the entire collection of canonical Old Testament books, the Jewish church thereby acknowledged them as divinely inspired works. This view is expressed clearly and definitely in the words of Josephus: “Among the Jews not every man can be a sacred writer, but only a prophet writing by Divine inspiration, therefore all sacred Hebrew books (numbering twenty-two) are rightly called Divine” (Against Apion I, 8). Later, as is evident from the Talmudic tractate Megillah, a dispute arose concerning the divine inspiration of the Books of Ruth and Esther; but the result of that dispute was their recognition as written by the Holy Spirit. The New Testament church holds the same view as the Old Testament church concerning the divine inspiration of the historical books (see above the 85th Apostolic Canon).

In accordance with their name, the historical books relate the history of the religious, moral, and civil life of the Hebrew people, beginning with the conquest of Canaan under Joshua son of Nun (1480-1442 B.C.) and ending with the return of the Hebrews from Babylon under the leadership of Nehemiah in the time of Artaxerxes I (445 B.C.), to whose reign also fall the events described in the Book of Esther. The facts that occurred during this period are presented in the historical books either completely objectively or are considered from a theocratic point of view. The latter established, on the one hand, a strict distinction between proper and improper phenomena in the realm of religion, and on the other hand, recognized the complete dependence of civil and political life on faith in the true God. Depending on this, the history of the Hebrew people as presented in the light of theocratic ideology shows a series of normal and abnormal religious phenomena, accompanied sometimes by the elevation and advancement of political life, sometimes by its complete decline. Such a point of view is characteristic especially of the 3rd and 4th Books of Kings, the Book of Chronicles, and certain parts of the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah (Neh 9:1).

The millennium of Hebrew history covered by the historical books falls, according to the internal causal connection of events, into several distinct epochs. The time of Joshua, marked by the conquest of Palestine, represents the transitional moment from nomadic to settled life. The first steps toward such life during the period of the Judges (1442-1094 B.C.) were not particularly successful. With the death of Joshua, losing their political leader, the Hebrews broke apart into twelve independent republics that lost consciousness of national unity. This was replaced by tribal division, and so great a division at that, that the tribes did not participate in the common political life of the country, living in such isolation, so shut off, that they did not even wish to help one another in times of calamity (Judg 5:15-17). In the same pitiful condition was the religious and moral life. Immorality became so universal that adulterous cohabitation was considered a normal matter and seemed to replace marriage, and in some cities developed the abominable vices of the times of Sodom and Gomorrah (Judg 19). At the same time, true religion was forgotten: its place was taken by superstitions spread by wandering Levites (Judg 17). The absence in the period of the Judges of restraining influences in the form of religion and permanent secular power resulted finally in complete licentiousness: “everyone did what seemed right in his own eyes” (Judg 21:25).

But these same negative aspects and phenomena proved beneficial in that they prepared the establishment of royal power; the period of the Judges proved to be a transitional time to the period of kings. Tribal division and the resulting weakness spoke to the people of the necessity of a constant, firm power, whose benefits were demonstrated by the activity of each judge, and especially Samuel, who succeeded in uniting all Israelites by his personality (1 Sam 7:15-17). And since, on the other hand, religion could not be such a restraining force on the people—they had not yet developed enough to be guided by a spiritual principle—the unification could come from earthly power, such as royal power. And indeed, the enthronement of Saul put an end, though only briefly, to the tribal division of the Hebrews: at his call, the sons of Israel and the men of Judah gather to war against the Ammonites (1 Sam 11:8). More a military commander than a ruler, Saul justified the people’s desire to see in a king a powerful military leader (1 Sam 8:20); he won a whole series of victories over neighboring peoples (1 Sam 14:47-48) and died as a hero in battle on Mount Gilboa (1 Sam 31). With his death, the tribal division of the period of the Judges reasserted itself in full force: the tribe of Judah, which had stood apart before from the others, now recognized as its king David (2 Sam 2:4), while the rest submitted to Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth (2 Sam 2:8-9). Seven and a half years later, the rule over Judah and Israel passed into the hands of David (2 Sam 5:1-3), and the aim of his reign becomes the elimination of tribal division, through which he hopes to hold the throne for himself and his house. Both constant wars contribute to achieving this. As a national undertaking, they maintain consciousness of national unity and divert attention from internal affairs, which are always capable of giving rise to discord; and a whole series of reforms aimed at placing all tribes on an equal footing before the law. Thus, the organization of a standing army, divided according to the number of tribes into twelve parts, each serving a monthly garrison in Jerusalem (1 Chr 27:1), places the people on equal terms with respect to military service. The transformation of the neutral city of Jerusalem into the religious and civil center does not elevate any tribe in religious and civil terms. The appointment of the same judges-Levites for all the people (1 Chr 26:29-30) and the preservation for each tribe of local tribal self-government (1 Chr 27:16-22) places all on an equal footing before the law. By maintaining the equality of the tribes and thereby giving no occasion for the manifestation of tribal division, David remains at the same time in the full sense an autocratic monarch. In his hands are concentrated military and civil power: the first through the submission of the commander-in-chief of the army Joab (1 Chr 27:34), the second through the high priest Zadok, the chief of the judge-Levites.

The reign of Solomon, the son and successor of David, brought to nothing the results of his father’s reign. The extraordinary luxury of Solomon’s court required enormous expenditures and corresponding taxes on the people. His resources now went not to national affairs, as under David, but to satisfying the personal needs of the king and his courtiers. At the same time, the righteous judgment of David’s time was corrupted: equality of all before the law disappeared. On this basis (1 Kgs 12:4), popular discontent arose, later turning into open revolt (1 Kgs 11:26). Suppressed by Solomon, it manifested itself again under Rehoboam (1 Kgs 12) and this time resulted in the separation from the house of David of ten tribes (1 Kgs 12:20). The immediate cause of it was discontent with Solomon, who had laid a heavy yoke on the people (1 Kgs 12:4), and Rehoboam’s unwillingness to lighten it. But judging by the words of the separating tribes: “We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse” (1 Kgs 12:16), that is, we have nothing in common with him; we do not belong to him as Judah does by descent, the reason for the division lies in the tribal, clan division that ran through the entire period of the Judges and for a time was quieted under Saul, David, and Solomon.

The division of the united kingdom (980 B.C.) into two—Judah and Israel—marked the beginning of the weakening of the power of the Hebrew people. The consequences of this kind first became evident in the history of the ten-tribe kingdom. Its strength was dealt a severe blow by wars with Judah. Begun by Rehoboam (1 Kgs 12:21; 2 Chr 11:1), they continued under Abijah, who killed five hundred thousand Israelites (2 Chr 13:17) and took from Jeroboam a whole series of cities (2 Chr 13:19), and came to an end for a while under Asa, who, with the help of Ben-hadad the Syrian, destroyed the population of Ain, Dan, Abel-Beth-Maacah, and all the land of Naphtali (1 Kgs 15:20). The mutual harm from this nearly sixty-year war was finally recognized in both states: Ahab and Jehoshaphat enter into an alliance, confirming it by family ties (2 Chr 18:1), by the marriage of Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram to the daughter of Ahab, Athaliah (2 Chr 21:6). But hardly had the wounds inflicted by this war begun to heal when wars between the Israelites and the Syrians began.

With interruptions (1 Kgs 22:1) and varying fortune, they proceed through the reigns of Ahab (1 Kgs 20), Jehoram (2 Kgs 8:16-28), Jehu (2 Kgs 10:5-36), Jehoahaz (2 Kgs 13:1-9), and Joash (2 Kgs 13:10-13) and so weaken the military power of the Israelites that Jehoahaz has only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand infantry left (2 Kgs 13:7). Everything else was scattered like dust by Hazael the Syrian (Ibid: cf. 2 Kgs 8:12). At the same time as the Syrians, the Israelites wage war with the Judeans under Joash (2 Kgs 14:9-14; 2 Chr 25:17-24) and under Jeroboam II recover, of course not without losses in men, the limits of their former dominions from the entrance of Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah (2 Kgs 14:25). Weakened by a whole series of these wars, the Israelites find themselves finally unable to withstand the onslaught of their last enemies—the Assyrians, who put an end to the existence of the ten-tribe kingdom.

As an independent state, the ten-tribe kingdom lasted two hundred fifty-nine years (960-721 B.C.). It fell, having exhausted its strength in a whole series of continuous wars.

In a different light appears during this time the condition of the two-tribe kingdom. It not only does not weaken but rather strengthens. Indeed, at the beginning of its existence, the two-tribe kingdom had only one hundred twenty thousand or, according to the count in the Alexandrian manuscript, one hundred eighty thousand warriors, and therefore naturally could not repel the invasion of the Egyptian Pharaoh Shoshenq. He took the fortified cities of Judea, plundered Jerusalem itself, and made the Judeans his tributaries (2 Chr 12:4). Subsequently, the number of those armed and capable of war was increased by those Israelites (not counting Levites) who were discontent with the religious reform of Jeroboam I and went over to the side of Rehoboam, and strengthened and supported his kingdom (2 Chr 11:17).

The wars of the two-tribe kingdom with the ten-tribe kingdom affected it relatively favorably. At any rate, Abijah takes from Jeroboam Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron with the cities dependent on them (2 Chr 13:19), and his successor Asa is able to field against Zerah the Ethiopian five hundred eighty thousand warriors (2 Chr 14:8). The relative weakness of the two-tribe kingdom is evident only in that the same Asa cannot wage war alone against Baasha and invites Ben-hadad the Syrian to his aid (1 Kgs 15:18-19). Under the son and successor of Asa, Jehoshaphat, the two-tribe kingdom strengthens even more. Not being carried away by a desire for conquest, he devotes his activity to putting in order the internal life of the state, undertakes an attempt to correct the religious and moral life of the people, cares for their enlightenment (2 Chr 17:7-10), for the regulation of the law and judicial institutions (2 Chr 19:5-11), builds new fortresses (2 Chr 17:12), and so on.

The carrying out of these designs required, of course, peace with neighbors. Of these, the Philistines and Edomites are subdued by force of arms (2 Chr 17:10-11), and with the ten-tribe kingdom a political and family alliance is concluded (2 Chr 18:1). Necessary for Jehoshaphat as a means of carrying out the reforms mentioned above, the latter in time became a source of calamities and misfortunes for the two-tribe kingdom. According to the author of Chronicles (2 Chr 21), they were expressed in the revolt of Edom, which Jehoshaphat had conquered (2 Chr 21:10), in a successful raid on Judea and Jerusalem itself by the Philistines and Arabian tribes (2 Chr 21:16-17), in the revolt of the inhabitants of the priestly city Libnah (2 Chr 21:10), and in a fruitless war with the Syrians (2 Chr 22:5). The disintegration of the two-tribe kingdom evidenced by these facts (see also 2 Chr 21:2-4) was stopped by the activity of the high priest Jehoiada, the tutor of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, but with his death it manifested itself again with new force. Not having recovered from the calamities and disorder of previous reigns, it now underwent attack from neighbors. Specifically, the Philistines captured Judeans as prisoners and engaged in trade with them as slaves (Joel 3:6; Amos 1:9); the Edomites made frequent incursions into Judea and treated captives cruelly (Amos 1:6, Joel 3:19); finally, Hazael the Syrian, having taken Gath, turns his weapons on Jerusalem itself, and again the kingdom of Judah purchases its freedom at the high price of the treasures of the royal house and the temple (2 Kgs 12:18).

The reign of Amasiah, the son of Joash, marks the end of the time of calamities (an unfortunate war with the ten-tribe kingdom—2 Kgs 14:9-14, 2 Chr 25:17-24 and the invasion of the Edomites—Amos 9:12), and under his successors Uzziah the Leper and Jotham the two-tribe kingdom returns the glory of the times of David and Solomon. The first subdues the Edomites in the south and takes possession of the harbor of Elath, crushes the power of the Philistines in the west, and in the east the Ammonites pay him tribute (2 Chr 26:6-8). The power of Uzziah was so great that, according to the testimony of cuneiform inscriptions, he withstood the onslaught of Tiglath-Pileser III. Secured from without, the two-tribe kingdom now widely and freely developed its internal economic welfare, with the king himself being the first and zealous patron of the national economy (2 Chr 26:10). With the development of internal prosperity, trade also flourished widely, serving as a source of national enrichment (Isa 2:7). To the illustrious predecessor succeeded a no less illustrious and worthy successor, Jotham. During their reigns, the Kingdom of Judah seems to gather its strength for the coming struggle with the Assyrians. The inevitability of this struggle becomes clear even under Ahaz, who invited Tiglath-Pileser to protect him from the attacks of Rezin, Pekah, the Edomites, and the Philistines (2 Chr 28:5-18). In Vigouroux’s expression, he was unknowingly asking the wolf to devour his flock (Die Bibel und die neueren Entdeckungen. S. 98). And indeed, Tiglath-Pileser freed Ahaz from his enemies, but at the same time imposed tribute on him (2 Chr 28:21).

It is unknown how the dependence on Assyria would have affected the further history of the two-tribe kingdom, had it not been for the fall of Samaria and the refusal of Ahaz’s successor Hezekiah to pay tribute to the Assyrians and his turning, contrary to the advice of the prophet Isaiah, to the Egyptians (Isa 30:7). The first event deprived the Kingdom of Judah of the last cover from the side of Assyria; now access to its territory is open, and the path to its borders is laid. The second finally predetermined the fate of Judah. The alliance with Egypt, which in time turned into vassalage, forced her to take part first in the struggle with Assyria, and then with Babylon. From the first she emerged weakened, and the second led to her final destruction. As an ally of Egypt, against which the Assyrians waged war under Hezekiah, Judea underwent the invasion of Sennacherib. According to the inscription left by him, he conquered forty-six cities, captured much supplies and military materials, and carried away into captivity two hundred fifteen thousand people (Schrader ibid S. 302-4; 298). In addition, enormous tribute was imposed on Judea (2 Kgs 18:14-16). The alliance with Egypt and hope for its help brought no benefit to the two-tribe kingdom. And yet his successor Manasseh remains an adherent of the Egyptians. As such, during the campaign of Esarhaddon against Egypt, he becomes his tributary, is bound in fetters, and sent to Babylon (2 Chr 33:11). The weakening of Assyria that began under Esarhaddon’s successor Ashurbanipal made the alliance with Egypt unnecessary for Judea. More than that, Josiah, a contemporary of this event, attempts to stop the conquering aspirations of the Egyptian Pharaoh Neco (2 Chr 35:20), but perishes in the battle at Megiddo (2 Chr 35:23). With his death, Judea comes into vassalage to Egypt (2 Kgs 23:33; 2 Chr 36:1-4), and this circumstance involves her in struggle with Babylon. Neco’s aspiration to establish himself, taking advantage of the fall of Nineveh, in the Euphrates regions met with opposition from Nebuchadnezzar, the son of Nabopolassar. In 605 B.C., Neco was defeated by him at the battle of Carchemish. Four years later, Nebuchadnezzar himself undertook a campaign against Egypt and, in order to secure his rear, subjugated the kings under his rule, including Jehoiakim of Judah (2 Kgs 24:1; 2 Chr 36:5).

From Egypt, Judea passed into the hands of the Babylonians and under the condition of loyalty to them could have preserved her existence. But she was destroyed by hope in the same Egypt. Confident of its support, Sedekiah (Jer 37:5; Ezek 17:15), the second successor of Jehoiakim, revolted from Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kgs 24:20; 2 Chr 36:13), brought on the invasion of the Babylonians (2 Kgs 25:1; 2 Chr 36:17), and, not receiving support from the Egyptian Pharaoh Hophra (Jer 37:7), perished himself and destroyed the country.

If the international relations of Judea are reduced to continuous wars, then internal life is characterized by the struggle with paganism. Lasting throughout the entire history of the two-tribe kingdom, it did not bring victory to true religion. Pagan it began its existence under Rehoboam (1 Kgs 14:22-24; 2 Chr 11:13-17), pagan and ended its political life (2 Kgs 24:19, 2 Chr 36:12). The reasons for this phenomenon lay chiefly in the fact that the struggle with paganism was waged by purely external means, was reduced to the mere destruction of monuments of paganism. The only exception in this regard is the activity of Jehoshaphat, Josiah, and to some extent Hezekiah. The first appointed a special commission of princes, priests, and Levites, entrusted it with going throughout all the cities of Judea and teaching the people (2 Chr 17:7-10); the second undertook a public reading of the law (2 Kgs 23:1-2; 2 Chr 34:30), and the third arranged a solemn celebration of Passover (2 Chr 30:26). All other kings limited themselves to destroying idols, cutting down sacred groves, and the like. And if even the activity of Jehoshaphat did not bring essential benefit: “the people had not yet devoted their hearts firmly to the God of their fathers” (2 Chr 20:33), then it is clear that external measures alone could not destroy the pagan disposition of the people, the inclination of their hearts and minds to the gods of the surrounding nations. Therefore, as soon as a king who persecuted paganism died, the pagan nation restored what had been destroyed and erected new sanctuaries for its idols; the zealots for the religion of the Lord had to begin again the work of their pious predecessors (2 Chr 14:3 and so forth).

Thanks to such circumstances, the religion of the Lord and paganism turned out to be far from equal forces. On the side of the latter was the sympathy of the people; it was acquired by the Hebrew as if with his mother’s milk, from youth entered into his flesh and blood; the former had only the kings and was forcibly imposed on the nation. It is not surprising, therefore, that it not only was completely alien to them, but seemed directly hostile. Repressive measures only supported this feeling, cemented the pagan masses, did not lead to obedience, but on the contrary prompted struggle against the law of the Lord. Such, among other things, was the result of the reforms of Hezekiah and Josiah. Under the successor of the first, Manasseh, “innocent blood was shed, and Jerusalem was filled with it… from one end to the other” (2 Kgs 21:16), that is, there began the slaying of the servants of the Lord by the strengthened pagan faction. Similarly, Josiah’s reform, carried out with rare decisiveness, helped concentrate the forces of the pagans, and in the resulting struggle with the supporters of religion, they undermined all the foundations of theocracy, including, in particular, prophecy and priesthood. To weaken the former, the pagan faction selected and promoted false prophets, promising peace and assuring that no evil would befall the state (Jer 23:6). The priesthood too was undermined: it put forward only unworthy representatives (Jer 23:2). Josiah’s reform was the last act of an age-long struggle of piety against paganism. After it, there were no more attempts to maintain true religion; and into Babylonian captivity the Hebrews went as true pagans.

The Babylonian captivity, depriving the Hebrews of political independence, had a sobering effect on them religiously. Its contemporaries saw with their own eyes the truth of prophetic threats and exhortations, the justice of the principle that all Israel’s life depends on God, on fidelity to His law. As a direct and immediate result of such awareness, there arose a desire to return to the ancient and eternal truths and powers that once created society, at all times gave salvation, and though often forgotten and neglected, were always recognized as capable of giving salvation. On this path the community arriving in Judea embarked. As a preparatory condition for carrying out the religion of the Lord, they fulfilled the requirement of the Law of Moses concerning complete and total separation of the Hebrews from the surrounding nations (the dissolution of mixed marriages under Ezra and Nehemiah). The principle of separation and isolation is now placed at the foundation of future life and history.

Selected Bibliography of Domestic and Foreign Works on Biblical Historical Books

Bogorodsky – Bogorodsky Y. Hebrew Kings. Kazan, 1884.

Glagolev A. Old Testament Biblical Teaching on Angels. Kiev, 1900.

Olesnitsky – Olesnitsky A.A. Megalithic Monuments of the Holy Land. St. Petersburg, 1895.

Palmov – Palmov M. Idolatry among the Ancient Hebrews. St. Petersburg, 1897.

Pokrovsky – Pokrovsky E.Y. The Division of the Hebrew Kingdom into the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel. Kiev, 1885.

Popov – Popov T. Biblical Data on Various Diseases. St. Petersburg, 1904.

Troitsky – Troitsky I. G. The Religious, Social, and Political Condition of the Hebrews During the Period of the Judges. St. Petersburg, 1885.

Baedecker – Baedecker K. Palastina und Syrien: die Hauptrouten Mesopotamiens und Babyloniens und die Insel Cypern; Handbuch fur Reisende; mit 21 Karten, 56 Planen und Grundrissen und einem Panorama. Leipzig, 1910.

Bähr – Bähr K.Chr.W.Fr. Die Bucher der Konige theologisch-homiletisch bearbeitet // Theologisch-homiletisches Bibelwerk: Das Alte Testament, 7. Bielefeld-Leipzig, 1868.

Bähr. Symbolik – Bähr K.Chr.W. Fr. Symbolik des Mosaischen Cultus. 2 Bde. Heidelberg, 1837-1839.

Benzinger – Benzinger I. Die Bücher der Könige. Freiburg im Breisgau, 1899.

Bertholet – Bertholet A. Die Stellung der Israeliten und der Juden zu den Fremden. Freiburg im Breisgau, 1896.

Böttcher – Böttcher Fr. Regum-Psalmi // Neue exegetisch-kritische Aerenlese zum Alten Testament. Abteilung 2. Leipzig, 1864.

Buddeus – Buddeus J.F. Historia Ecclesiastica Veteris Testamenti ab Orbe Condito usque ad Christum Natum variis Observationibus illustrata. Halae Magdeburgicae, 1726.

Buhl – Buhl Fr. Die socialen Verhaltnisse der Israeliten. Berlin, 1899.

Burckhardt – Burckhardt J.L. Reisen in Syrien, Palastina und der Gegend des Berges Sinai. Weimar, 1823.

Cook – Cook F.C. The Holy Bible, according to the authorized version (A. D. 1611): with an explanatory and critical commentary. Vol. III: Kings – Esther. Murray, 1873.

Cornely-Knabenbauer-Hummelauer – Cornely R., Knabenbauer J., Hummelauer Fr. von. Cursus Scripturae sacrae. Vol. 2: Introductio specialis in historicos Veteris Testamenti libros. Parisiis, 1897.

De Lagarde – Lagarde P. de. Librorum Veteris Testamenti canonicorum pars prior Graece. Gottingae, 1883.

Dillmann – Dillmann A. Die Bucher Numeri, Deuteronomium und Josua. Leipzig, 1886.

Field – Origenis Hexaplorum quae supersunt: sive veterum interpretum Graecorum in totum Vetus Testamentum; fragmenta / Post Flaminium Nobilium, Drusium, et Montefalconium, adhibita etiam versione Syro-Hexaplari, concinnavit, emendavit, et multis partibus auxit Fridericus Field. Oxford, 1875.

Geßner – Geßner Th. Über das Zahlen der Worter in hebraischen Dichtungen, ein zweiter Beitrag zum Verstandniss alttestamentlicher Poesie. Quakenbrück, 1873. Glaire – Glaire J.B. Introduction historique et critique aux livres de l’Ancien et du Nouveau Testament. T. 1-6. Paris, 1839-1841.

Graetz – Graetz H. Volkstümliche Geschichte der Jüden. Bd. 1: Von der Entstehung des judischen Volkes. Leipzig, 1914.

Guerin – Guerin V. Description géographique, historique et archéologique de la Palestine. Part I: Judée. Paris, 1868; Part II: Samarie. Paris, 1875.

Hävernick – Hävernick H.A.Ch. Handbuch der historisch-kritischen Einleitung in das Alte Testament. Theil II, Abteilung 1. Erlangen, 1839.

Hengstenberg – Hengstenberg E.W. Beitrage zur Einleitung ins Alte Testament. Bd. 2: Die Authentie des Pentateuches. Berlin, 1836.

Henry-Scott – Joshua to Esther // A Commentary upon the Holy Bible from Henry and Scott. London, 1836.

Hummelauer – see Cornely-Knabenbauer-Hummelauer.

Jastrow – Jastrow M. Die Religion Babyloniens und Assyriens. Bd. 1. Giessen, 1905; Bd. 2, Häften 1-2. Giessen, 1912.

Keil – Keil C.F. Commentar über das Buch Josua. Erlangen, 1847.

Keil – Keil C.F. Lehrbuch der historisch-kritischen Einleitung in die kanonischen und apokryphischen Schriften des Alten Testamentes. Gütersloh, 1859.

Keil – Keil C.F. Biblischer Commentar über die Prophetischen Geschichtsbücher des Alten Testaments // Biblischer Commentar über das Alte Testament. Bd. 1. Leipzig, 1863.

Keil – Keil C.F. Die Bucher der Konige // Biblischer Commentar über das Alte Testament. Bd. 3. Leipzig, 1876.

Kessler – Kessler J.K.A. Chronologia Judicum et primorum regum Israelitarum quomodo recte constituatur. Lipsiae, 1882.

Kittel R. Die Bucher der Konige // Handkommentar zum Alten Testament, 5. Göttingen, 1900.

Knobel – Knobel A.W. Die Bücher Numeri, Deuteronomium und Josua. Nebst einer Kritik des Pentateuch und Josua // Kurzgefaßtes exegetisches Handbuch zum Alten Testament. Lieferung 13. Leipzig, 1861.

Köhler – Köhler A. Lehrbuch der Biblischen Geschichte Alten Testamentes. Bd. 1. Leipzig, 1875.

Lagrange – Lagrange J. Le livre des juges. Paris, 1903.

Nowack – Nowack W. Lehrbuch der hebräischen Archäologie. Bd. 1: Privat- und Staatsalterthumer; Bd. 2: Sacralalterthumer. Freiburg im Breisgau – Leipzig, 1894.

Oettli – Oettli S. Das Deuteronomium und Josua und Richter // Kurzgefasster Kommentar zu den heiligen Schriften Altes und Neues Testament / Hrsg. von Hermann Strack und Otto Zöckler, 2. München, 1893.

Philippson – Philippson L. Die Propheten // Die israelitische Bibel. Th. 2. Leipzig, 1858. Raumer – Raumer K. von. Palästina. Leipzig, 1860.

Riehm – Riehm E.K.A. Handworterbuch des biblischen Altertums fur gebildete Bibelleser. Bd. 1: A – L. Bielefeld, 1893; Bd. 2: M – Z. Bielefeld, 1894.

Riess – Riess R. Bibel-Atlas: in zehn Karten; nebst geographischem Index. Freiburg im Breisgau, 1895.

Robinson – Robinson Ed. Palästina und die angrenzenden Lander: Tagebuch einer Reise im Jahre 1838. 3 Bde. Halle, 1841.

Scholz – Scholz J.M.A. Einleitung in die Heiligen Schriften. 2-er Theil: Die specielle Einleitung in die historischen Bücher des Alten Testaments. Köln, 1845.

Smith – Smith W. Dictionary of the Bible. 4 Vols. Boston, 1885. Schrader – Schrader E. Die Keilinschriften und das Alte Testament. Berlin, 1903.

Stade – Stade B. Geschichte des Volkes Israel. Berlin, 1887.

Stanley – Stanley A.P. Lectures on the History of the Jewish Church. 3 Vols. (s.l.) 1893.

Swete – Swete H.B. The Old Testament in Greek According To The Septuagint. Vol. 1: Genesis – IV Kings. Cambridge, 1909.

Tristram – Tristram H.B. The Natural History of the Bible Being a Review of the Physical Geography, Geology and Meteorology of the Holy Land. London, 1868.

Tristram – Tristram H.B. Scenes in the East. Consisting of twelve coloured photographic views of places mentioned in the Bible, with descriptive letter-press. London, 1870.

Trumbull – Trumbull H.C. Kadesh-Carnea, its importance and probable site with the story of a hunt for it including studies of the route of the exodus and the southern boundary of the Holy Land. New-York, 1884.

Trusen – Trusen J.P. Die Sitten, Gebrauche und Krankheiten der alten Hebraer: Nach der Heiligen Schrift historisch und kritisch dargestellt. Breslau, 1853.

Ubaldi – Ubaldi U. I Introductio in Sacram Scripturam ad usum scholarum Pontificii Seminarii Romani, et Collegii Urbani. T. 1-3. Roma, 1877-1886.

Vigouroux – Vigouroux F. Manuel biblique ou cours d’Écriture Sainte a l’usage des séminares. T. 1-2. Paris, 1878.

Vigouroux. Bibel – Vigouroux F. Die Bibel und die neueren Entdeckungen in Palästina, in Ägypten und in Assyrien. Bde 1-2. Mainz, 1885; Bde. 3-4. Mainz, 1886.

Winer – Winer G.B. Biblisches Realworterbuch zum Handgebrauch für Studirende, Kandidaten, Gymnasiallehrer und Prediger. Bd. 1: A – K. Leipzig, 1833; Bd. 2: L – Z. Leipzig, 1838.

Concerning the Book of Joshua

The Inscription of the Book and Its Author.

The series of historical books of the Old Testament begins with the Book of Joshua. In the Hebrew text, the Book of Joshua is inscribed “Yehoshua,” in the Greek translation of the LXX interpreters: “Jesus.” Such an inscription was given to it “because it contains the history and deeds of Joshua, the successor of Moses.” Thus it is said in the “Synopsis of Sacred Books,” attributed to Saint Athanasius of Alexandria. A certain Jewish tradition that “Yehoshua” wrote his own book and eight verses in the Law (Deut 34:5-12) was not universally accepted among the Church Fathers and teachers and does not correspond to the content of some passages in the book. The book itself says only that Joshua, at the time of the last assembly of the people during his lifetime, after the ratification of the Covenant, “wrote these words in the book of the law” (Josh 24:26), that is, wrote the exhortation to the people and their promise to serve the Lord as set forth in (Josh 24). The conclusion drawn from this—that Joshua himself wrote the other sections—would be correct if the content of this sacred book fully corresponded to the time of Joshua. But in reality, it contains passages that point to a time following his death. Already blessed Theodoret drew attention to one such passage and concluded that Joshua was not the author of the book bearing his name. After citing the words “is this not written in the book of the upright” (Josh 10:13), blessed Theodoret says: “The writer, having told us of such power of the prophet, that by a single word he stayed the course of the great luminaries… and fearing that someone would not believe this account, says that it was found in an ancient writing. From this it is evident that someone else, who lived later, wrote this book, drawing this from that book.” Such a view of the author of this book is suggested also by other events related in it, among which the following are of particular importance in this regard. In (Josh 15:14-19) it is told of the conquest by Caleb of the cities of Hebron and Debir. This conquest is related with the same details in the Book of Judges (Judg 1:10-15) among events that occurred after the death of Joshua (Judg 1:1). The words read there (Josh 15:63): “but the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the people of Judah could not drive out…” also point to a time following the death of Joshua, since the conquest of Jerusalem by the people of Judah, according to (Judg 1:1), took place after the death of Joshua. A similar observation is made in (Josh 16:10), about the Ephraimites, who “did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer.” This event in (Judg 1:29) is also assigned to those that occurred or became clear and drew attention after the death of Joshua (Judg 1:1). Similarly, the author of the Book of Joshua knew of the conquest of Laish by the tribe of Dan, which was afterward named Dan (Josh 19:47). This event, related with detail in the Book of Judges (Judg 18:1) as the conquest of Laish, which also received the name “Dan,” took place at a time when “there was no king in Israel” (Judg 18:1), that is, during the period of the Judges (Judg 19:1). The idea expressed by some authors of educational works on Scripture that the passages mentioned were added later cannot be considered plausible in view of the fact that passages of this kind are read without omissions in the Hebrew text and in ancient translations; and the idea itself about additions to the biblical text is not reliable, since, as correctly noted by one of our biblical scholars, it “may lead and does lead to sad, false results.” With the elimination of the notion of later insertions, to which the aforementioned passages in Joshua supposedly owe their origin, the latter, together with some others similar in content, must have the significance of indications of the origin of the Book of Joshua after his death, and approximately when—this can be seen from other passages of this book. Thus, it was written before the first years of Solomon’s reign, because (Josh 16:10) speaks of Canaanites “living in Gezer… to this day,” whereas during Solomon’s reign this city was conquered by an Egyptian pharaoh and the Canaanites living in it were destroyed (1 Kgs 9:16). Its writing must further be dated to the time that preceded the conquest of Jerusalem by David, when the Jebusites (Josh 15:63) living in it were destroyed (2 Sam 5:6-8); before the reign of Saul, when the Canaanites living in Gibeon were subjected to slaughter (2 Sam 21:1-2), whereas in the Book of Joshua (Josh 9) they are spoken of as spared from destruction by virtue of a sworn covenant with the obligation to supply water and “wood… for the altar of the Lord… at the place that… [the Lord] should choose” (Josh 9:27). Such indications in the book lead to the end of the rule of the Judges as the time when it presumably received its origin. And the author of it in its complete form, as it exists at the present time, including the last verses (Josh 24), could have been Samuel or another prophet from the prophetic society founded by him.

The Subject, Division, and Historical Character of the Book of Joshua.

As relating what the Lord did to establish His Kingdom on earth, the Book of Joshua is closely connected with the Pentateuch, as indicated by its opening words in the Greek-Slavonic translation, which is a literal rendering of the Hebrew text: “And it came to pass after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord” (Josh 1:1). But as relating special events from the Old Testament history of the Kingdom of God, it has a separate, independent significance. Its subject is the fulfillment that occurred in the days of Joshua son of Nun and through his mediation of the divine promises concerning the granting to the chosen people of the land of Canaan. This fulfillment consisted in the conquest of this land and its division among the tribes that made up the Israelite nation. Accordingly, the Book of Joshua is divided into two equal parts. In the first part from Chapter I to XII, the conquest is related; in the second, from Chapter XIII to XXII, the division of the land. The last two chapters contain an account of what Joshua did after completing the work of God committed to him for its firm continuation.

The information contained in this sacred book regarding those individual events that do not go beyond the normal course of life raises no doubts as to their historical authenticity. Information about such events is presented with such details regarding the places where they occurred, the persons who acted in them, the remarkable words spoken by these persons (for example, (Josh 10:12) and so on), with such archaeological accuracy as to show that the author of the book had detailed, precise, not only oral but also written information about what took place in the time he describes. Archaeological accuracy is evident from the fact that in relating events, he emphasizes ancient views, as for example in (Josh 13:6), where he counts the Sidonians among the tribes that were expelled from their possessions, and assigns the latter to the lot of the tribe of Asher (Josh 19:28). Whereas in the time of the first Israeli kings, this idea was already abandoned and replaced by friendly relations with the Phoenician kings (2 Sam 5:11; 1 Kgs 5:1) and so on. The author demonstrates precise knowledge of the contemporary historical situation in calling Sidon great (Josh 11:8) and Tyre only “a strong city” (Josh 19:29), whereas in later times the precedence among Phoenician cities passed to Tyre, which became “the mother of Sidonians”; further in that, instead of the usual designation of the boundaries of Israeli territory from the time of the Judges in the words “from Dan to Beer-sheba” (Judg 20:1; 2 Chr 30:5), he chooses for designating the extent of the conquered land Mount Halak in the south and Baal-gad in the north (Josh 11:17). The author of the book showed a close familiarity with the condition of Canaan at the time of conquest in including in his account of events the ancient Canaanite names of some of the cities that fell out of use in subsequent times, such as Kiriath-arba (Josh 14:15), Kiriath-sepher (Josh 15:15), Kiriath-sanna (Josh 15:49), Kiriath-jearim, and Kiriath-baal (Josh 15:9).

The historical accuracy evident in all of this naturally inspires confidence in all the other information conveyed in the book. The information about those events that are depicted in the book as having occurred through the action of divine omnipotence alone raises doubts and questions for some commentators. The faith inspired by the canonical dignity of the Book of Joshua that these events occurred in exactly this manner and not otherwise finds support in understanding the purpose of what occurred and how it occurred during the time of Joshua. In his actions as leader of the Israelite people, special divine assistance was necessary because he, as well as the entire Israelite people, was only an instrument for the fulfillment of the divine promises to give the descendants of Abraham the land to which he was called, and in which he and his immediate descendants sojourned. If the Israelite people and its leader had been deprived of this assistance, they would have proved unable to accomplish what was laid upon them. Weakened though the Canaanite tribes were by their vices and disunity, even at incomplete unity of their forces they could offer strong resistance thanks especially to their warlike nature, fortified cities (Num 13:29; Deut 1:28), and war chariots (Josh 11:4). How insufficient the strength of the Israelites was in itself for the conquest of Canaan is evident from the fact that even after the Canaanite tribes had suffered defeat, they feel themselves unable to complete the conquest (Josh 17:16). If the Israelite people had been forced to remain on the eastern side of the Jordan until the flood subsided, they would certainly have been met by the Canaanite kings with numerous armies and would have been prevented from advancing further. That this did not occur was precisely because the miraculously dried riverbed of the Jordan at the time of flooding allowed the Israelites to enter Canaan at an unexpected time, and therefore no measures were taken to repel the attackers.

That the settlement of the Israelite people in Canaan was achieved not only through their own efforts but chiefly through the miraculous power of God has importance not only for that time but for the future, not only a particular but a broader significance. Such a method of establishing the Israelites in the promised land serves as a foreshadowing of the path of grace opened by our Lord Jesus Christ. In this respect, what is significant for the believer is that, just as it was none other than one bearing the name Jesus (so the son of Nun is called in (Acts 7:45), Heb 4:8) who led the Israelites into the land flowing with milk and honey, so also the path to the Kingdom of Heaven is opened to all mankind by Jesus the Son of God.

* * *

Notes

“To all who belong to the clergy and laity, let the books of the Old Testament be honored and holy: the five of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), Joshua one, Judges one, Ruth one, Kings four, Chronicles two, Ezra two, Esther one.”

“The books of the Old Testament that should be read are: Genesis of the world, Exodus from Egypt, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges and Ruth, Esther, the first and second Books of Kings, the third and fourth Books of Kings, the first and second Books of Chronicles, the first and second Books of Ezra.”

See Vol. I of the Expository Bible, p. 12-14.

Prof. A. L. Olesnitsky. Guiding Information on Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testament from the Works of the Holy Fathers and Teachers of the Church. 1894, p. 26-27.

This is understood as a saying found in the Talmudic tractate “Baraitā,” not included in the Mishnah. The origin of the tractate is dated to the second Christian century. The text of the saying, together with a Latin translation and analysis of its content, was expounded by Marx in Traditio rabbinorum veterrima de librorum Veteris Testamenti ordine atque origine. 1884.

See the aforementioned work by Mr. Olesnitsky, p. 29, where the following words from the named “Synopsis” are cited: “Beginning from the Book of Joshua even to the Book of Ezra, not all were written by those whose writings and mention they have, but it is related that they were written by prophets existing at the time of each.”

Works of Blessed Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus. Moscow, 1855 vol. I, p. 281. Blessed Jerome, however, attributed the writing of his book to Joshua himself. See the aforementioned work of A. A. Olesnitsky, p. 29.

In Russian biblical literature, Metropolitan Ambrose pointed out the aforementioned passages in the Book of Joshua as testifying that “Joshua did not write this book.” See his “Brief Guide to Reading the Books of the Old and New Testament.” New edition. Moscow 1803, p. 43. In a sketch of church-biblical history, the writing of the Book of Joshua is attributed to Joshua himself: at the same time, the inclusion in it of the account of the conquest of Laish is recognized as an addition made at a later time.

See, for example, Archpriest M. Kheraskova. Review of the Historical Books of the Old Testament. Archpriest P. A. Vladimirsky. Essay on a Brief Commentary on the Books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and on the First Twelve Chapters of the First Book of Kings.

Biblical Science. Book Three. Historical Books of the Old Testament. Academic Lectures of Bishop Michael. Published under the editorship of N. I. Troitsky. P. 9. Confirmation of the correctness of the cited words is the various exclusions of individual passages from Old Testament books, which supporters of negative criticism make, eliminating from the biblical text everything that does not accord with their views on the history of Old Testament religion.

Such as: (Josh 13:2-3), about the Philistine territories and the land of Geshur remaining unconquered, which are depicted in the same situation in (Judg 3:3), (Josh 17:11-12), about the Canaanites in five cities of the tribe of Manasseh, which is related similarly in (Judg 1:27-28).

See the aforementioned “Brief Guide” by Metropolitan Ambrose, p. 43.

Works of Blessed Theodoret. I, 270.

Chapter One

1. Divine command to Joshua to cross the Jordan. 3. The boundaries of the future Israeli territory. 5. The promise to Joshua of divine assistance. 8. The conditions for the fulfillment of this promise. 10. Preparation of the people for crossing the Jordan. 12. Reminder to the two and a half tribes of their promise. 16. Their answer to this reminder.

Josh 1:1-9.

The Book of Joshua begins with a direct revelation from the Lord to him as one already appointed by Moses as his successor (Num 27:15-23). Before beginning his work, he is granted a special revelation to impel him to carry out the great task laid upon him and to strengthen his courage with the promise of divine help. This revelation was especially necessary at the beginning of a difficult undertaking that ordinarily causes hesitation and irresolution. Such a revelation could not be replaced by revelation through the high-priestly Urim, to which Moses pointed Joshua (Num 27:21), since through the latter only a brief answer was obtained to a question posed during difficult circumstances (1 Sam 23:11). Joshua did not pose such a question to the Lord, knowing His will regarding his appointment and the forthcoming task. The direct revelation to him from the Lord also testified that, taking the place of Moses in leading the people, he had direct closeness to God.

Joshua 1:1. After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses: “After the death of Moses,” that is, after the thirty days of mourning for him by the people (Deut 34:8). “Servant of the Lord”—this is an honorable title (or epithet) of Moses, indicating his complete devotion and faithfulness to the Lord, and at the same time his special closeness to the Lord (it is used in (Num 12:7), (Deut 34:5), (1 Kgs 8:56), (Ps 104:26), and others). “Joshua son of Nun”—one of the chief, or princes, of the tribe of Ephraim (Num 13:3-4)—is called the servant of Moses to indicate his special closeness to him and devotion. The Hebrew verb “to serve” (“sharat”), from which comes the word “servant” (“meshareth”), is used to designate not compulsory but voluntary service, and in particular service to the Lord (1 Sam 2:11) and so on.

Joshua 1:2. Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Joshua 1:3. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads I have given you, as I promised to Moses: Joshua 1:4. from the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun shall be your territory. The boundaries of the country which the Israelites were to occupy are here defined in a manner similar to how they are indicated in (Deut 11:24): the southern boundary is the Arabian desert, the northern is Mount Lebanon, the eastern is the River Euphrates, and the western is the Great Sea, now called the Mediterranean. The word “this” attached to the name of Lebanon shows that from the place where the revelation was given, this mountain was visible. Besides the boundaries, the country defined by them is also named, called the land of the Hittites, one of the strong peoples living in Canaan, whose name is often placed first (Deut 7:1); (Josh 9:1) and so on. The expression in the Slavonic Bible corresponding to this, “all the land of the Epheans,”—owes its origin to the fact that it is borrowed from the Complutensian Polyglot (where it reads πᾶσαν γῆν Ἐυαίων), and this borrowing from the said edition was caused by the fact that in the majority of the most ancient Greek manuscripts, not excluding the Alexandrian, the words of the Hebrew text “all the land of the Hittites” are not found; at present, only the Ambrosian manuscript of the 4th-5th centuries is known among ancient manuscripts in which these words are read. Caring for the completeness of the Slavonic text, our correctors used the Complutensian edition and took from it the stated expression; as a result, the name of the Hittites appeared in an unusual form, not corresponding to how this people is called in other places of the Slavonic Bible, for example (Gen 10:15) and many others, and in particular in the Book of Joshua (Josh 9:1).

Joshua 1:5. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Corresponds to what is said in (Deut 11:25).

Joshua 1:6. Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them; Joshua 1:7. only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. Joshua 1:8. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. Joshua 1:9. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. The divine promise of all-powerful assistance does not exclude, but instead insistently requires the exertion and effort of one’s own strength, as is clearly indicated by the threefold repetition: “be strong and courageous.” The required firmness and fearlessness in taking possession of the land given to the Israelites should not, however, be manifested in arbitrary, unlawful actions; on the contrary, this courageous activity of the Israeli leader should be strictly in accordance with the given law, which he should steadfastly follow, and whose commandments should be constantly not only on his lips but in his soul, should be the object of his reflection (“meditate,” or, according to the meaning of the Hebrew verb “hagita” used here—“think on”), directed at that, so that “you may be careful to do according to all that is written in the book of the law.” Only in the fulfillment of this condition will the strength and courage of the leader of the Israeli people be crowned with blessed success. As a result of the divine command to cross the Jordan, Joshua makes three arrangements, the execution of which was to serve as preparation for the successful fulfillment of the higher will.

Joshua 1:10. And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, Joshua 1:11. “Pass through the camp, and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions; for in three days you are to pass over the Jordan, to go in and take possession of the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” The first of these arrangements was that the officers of the people, or, in the Slavonic Bible, the “scribes,” that is, those who performed the duties of present-day police, announced to the people the impending crossing of the Jordan “in three days” and the preparation of “food” for the journey. By food, or “sustenance,” is understood ordinary provisions (Gen 42:25). If the sending of manna had not yet ceased at this time (Josh 5:12), it could not serve as a sufficient means of nourishment at the impending crossing, since the gathering of it could not be carried out during travel to the Jordan and the crossing itself, and storing manna for several days ahead was useless (Exod 16:20).

Joshua 1:12. And Joshua said to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua 1:13. Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, “The Lord your God has given you rest, and has given you this land;” Joshua 1:14. Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your members and shall help them, Joshua 1:15. until the Lord has given your members rest, as he has given to you, and they also have obtained the land which the Lord your God is giving them; then you shall return to your own land, and shall possess it, the land which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan on the east. Joshua 1:16. And they answered Joshua, All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go; Joshua 1:17. just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you; only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses; Joshua 1:18. whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous! The second preparatory measure was a reminder in the words of Moses to the tribes—Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh—which had received as their inheritance the east-Jordanian region, of the condition under which it was given to them (Deut 3:18-20); (Num 32:29-30). Having heard this reminder, the representatives of the tribes expressed their complete readiness to obey in all things the successor of Moses, as they had obeyed him, and to execute with death those who would not show such obedience.

Joshua 1:14. Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your members and shall help them, “Beyond the Jordan,” in the Slavonic Bible: “at the Jordan,” “on the other side,” “the Jordan side” (Josh 1:15). In the Hebrew text this corresponds to “bever hayarden,” which in the LXX is translated: πέραν τοῦ Ιορδάνου; εἰς τὸ πέραν τοῦ Ιορδάνου (Josh 1:15), which means “on the other side of the Jordan.” In this sense, the said Hebrew expression is understood by many Christian biblical scholars. An examination of the passages of the Pentateuch and other Old Testament books in which this expression is used shows, however, that it was used to designate both the East-Jordanian country and the West-Jordanian, that is, it was used in the sense of both “on the other side” and “on this side,” and the meaning it had—either the one or the other—is determined by the historical and geographical indications found in the content of the passages of the biblical text in which this expression is used. The correctness of such understanding of the Hebrew expression is evident from (Num 32:19), as well as from (Josh 12:1), where “bever hayarden” with the addition “to the east of the sun” is used of the East-Jordanian country in the sense “beyond the Jordan,” and in (Josh 12:7) with the addition “to the west”—of the West-Jordanian country in the sense “on this side of the Jordan.” In (Josh 1:14-15) this expression is used to designate the East-Jordanian country, which the two and a half Israeli tribes received as their lot, and the most suitable translation here, eliminating confusion, is “beyond the Jordan.” The use of this expression for the East-Jordanian country in the words of Joshua, when he was in this country, is the more understandable because his book was written at a time when a large part of the Israeli people had already lived for several decades in the West-Jordanian country, and the designation of its eastern half as the trans-Jordanian country had entered into use, though this did not become an exclusive term, as is indicated by the addition made to this designation in (Josh 1:15) of “to the east of the sun.” The expression “all the men of valor,” or “all the mighty,” in the Slavonic Bible is used in the general sense that the two and a half tribes were to send as large a number of their warriors as possible to their kinsmen for the forthcoming conquest, not in the narrow sense that “all the men of valor” were to go on the campaign. Such a limitation of the word “all” is evident from the fact that, according to (Josh 4:13), only about forty thousand armed men from the Reubenites, Gadites, and half of Manasseh crossed the Jordan, whereas in these tribes there were about one hundred ten thousand men from twenty years and above (Num 26:7).

Joshua 1:15. until the Lord has given your members rest, as he has given to you, and they also have obtained the land which the Lord your God is giving them; then you shall return to your own land, and shall possess it, the land which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan on the east. “[Your God].” As here, so in other places of the Russian translation, words placed in brackets are borrowed from the Slavonic Bible. Into the latter, the stated words, not found in the Hebrew text, were borrowed, apparently from the Complutensian Polyglot or the Aldine Bible, where, as in the Ambrosian manuscript, is read: ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν, whereas in the Vatican and other most ancient manuscripts, as well as in the Sixtine edition, is read: ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν—our God. The Slavonic-Russian translation of the stated expression is more suitable, since in the further words of this verse and in the Hebrew text the same words “your God” are used, literally (through ὑμῶν) transmitted in the Alexandrian manuscript and the Complutensian Polyglot, whereas in the Vatican manuscript and Sixtine edition “your” is replaced by ἡμῶν—“our.” The threat of death for failure to comply with Joshua’s orders is expressed in accordance with (Deut 17:12): “whoever does not obey the priest or the judge shall die.” * * * Notes The camp of the Israelites before crossing the Jordan was located on the Moabite plain (Deut 34:1-3). Near this place rises Mount Nebo, from the summit of which Moses saw the entire expanse of the land of Canaan, and which travelers to this day see and report that from this mountain one can see the highest peak of Lebanon (Christendom. 1886, May-June, p. 779). In the Moscow Greek Bible of 1821, the words πᾶσαν γῆν Ἐυαίων are read in this passage, although they are absent in the Alexandrian manuscript. Regarding the name of Israeli scribes, see, among other things, in the work of F. Eleonskii “History of the Israelite People in Egypt,” p. 112-114. Or according to the literal translation from the Hebrew: “in the course of three days,” which better corresponds to the Greek-Slavonic translation: ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι—yet three days. A detailed examination of other passages of the biblical text in which this disputed expression—in terms of its exact meaning—is used, see “Christendom”. 1873, Part 2, p. 693-730 or in separate edition: “Analysis of the Opinions of Modern Negative Criticism on the Time of Writing of the Pentateuch.” Issue I, 133-171.

Chapter Two

1. Reception of the spies in Rahab’s house. 9. Rahab’s confession. 12. Her request and the oath of the spies. 21. Their departure from Rahab’s house and return.

Joshua 2:1. And Joshua son of Nun sent two spies secretly from Shittim and said: Go, inspect the land and Jericho. The two men went and came to Jericho and entered the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and stayed the night there. The third preparatory measure in the sequence of biblical events consisted of a secret embassy from Shittim, where the camp of Israel was stationed at that time (Num 25:1), of two spies to inspect Jericho and the region surrounding it. Whether the spies were sent on the same day in which the crossing of the Jordan was announced is not stated. They were sent not by divine command and not with the knowledge of the people, as before (Num 13:1), but secretly: out of fear, one must suppose, of grave consequences that had accompanied the previous spy mission (Num 14:1). The words “two young men” are read only in the Greek LXX translation, though in some of its ancient manuscripts (the Ambrosian) the word νεανίσκοι is replaced by ἄνδρες – “men,” as these spies are ordinarily called in the present chapter according to the Hebrew text and the translation of blessed Jerome. While the names of the spies are not given in the biblical text, the name of the harlot from Jericho is preserved, in whose house they stayed. The words “and stayed the night” represent a translation of the Hebrew verb (“ishkavu”), which is ordinarily used to mean “to lie down, to settle, to rest.” Among the meanings of this verb that best suit the content of this passage is its basic meaning: “to lie down, to settle,” in view of the purpose of the journey of the two men as spies; they did not need merely lodging and not even rest after an approximately 5–6 hour journey,19 but shelter in Jericho from which they could make observations about its condition and the mood of its inhabitants. In the sense of “settled” the Hebrew word was understood also by the Greek translators, who rendered it through κατελύαν 20 – “vitasta” in the Slavonic Bible, that is, found themselves a temporary refuge; in blessed Jerome it is translated as quieverunt – “they rested.” Why they found this refuge in Rahab’s house is explained by the supposition that, while in it, they hoped to arouse the least suspicion from their arrival; and the location of Rahab’s dwelling near the city wall, about which the spies could have learned beforehand, or, as some suppose,21 from Rahab herself, whom they met outside the city, made her house most suitable for observing the condition of the city wall and surveying the surroundings. In any case, the choice of a place to stay in Jericho made by the spies proved, not without the consent of divine will, to be entirely appropriate: they learned in Rahab’s house what they needed to know.

Joshua 2:2. And it was told the king of Jericho: Behold, men of the children of Israel have come here this night to spy out the land. The hope of the spies to escape suspicion and persecution did not, however, prove justified. Their arrival was noticed and became known to the king of Jericho. “This night” – according to the Hebrew text and some of the ancient manuscripts22 of the LXX (the Ambrosian and Oxford), though in the Vatican, Alexandrian and many other manuscripts these words are absent, for which reason they are placed in brackets in the Slavonic Bible. By this the text shows that the report of the arrival of some men from the children of Israel reached the king of Jericho some time after their arrival, at the approach of night.

Joshua 2:3. The king of Jericho sent word to Rahab: Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to spy out all the land. Rahab was required to turn over the visitors as dangerous men who had come “to spy out all the land” for a successful attack upon it. The word “all” is not read here in the majority of the Greek translation manuscripts and in the Slavonic Bible, but it is read in the Hebrew text and in some Greek manuscripts. The king of Jericho was obviously aware of the intention of the Israelites to conquer Canaan and therefore saw in the visitors precisely the spies who would extend their reconnaissance to other Canaanite cities as well, for which reason those sent from the king attributed to the visitors the intention to spy out “all the land.” The phrase “by night” placed here in brackets is read in many Greek translation manuscripts and agrees with them in the Slavonic Bible, but is absent in the Hebrew text, and there is no reason to insist on adding it to the text, since the indication of night in the matter of turning over the visitors could not have had particular significance; this “by night” was transferred, probably, from Josh 2:2.

Joshua 2:4. But the woman took the two men and hid them and said: It is true, men came to me, but I did not know from where they were; Joshua 2:5. and when it came time to close the gates at dusk, they left; I do not know where they went; pursue them quickly, you will overtake them. Joshua 2:6. And she herself brought them up to the roof and hid them among bundles of flax that she had laid out on the roof. Knowing the extremely anxious mood of her government, Rahab foresaw this demand to turn over the visitors and had already resolved not to do so, but rather to take measures to hide them in her house. To those sent from the king, however, she gave false testimony, saying that she did not know from what country or people the visitors who had been with her came from, and that they had already left her house before dusk, “when the gates were to be closed.” Without pronouncing judgment on Rahab’s deed and testimony, the biblical narrator reveals by the further exposition of her words and actions the possibility of understanding the motives by which she acted, and at the same time evaluating her deed. “In bundles of flax”: in the Hebrew text “bepishat ha etz” – according to a literal translation “in flax wood” or “flax stalks”; in the LXX: λινοκαλάμῃ – “in a mat of flax” in the Slavonic Bible, in Jerome: stipula lini – “flax straw,” that is, in the stalks of flax, only recently removed from the field and not yet beaten, the fiber of which has not been separated from the wood. There is no indication in the text or translations that the flax was bundled. In the Jordan valley, thanks to the tropical climate, flax, like other grain plants, ripens in March–April and reaches a height of more than 3 feet, and in thickness resembles a reed; the stalks of flax are dried in Syria and Egypt even now on the flat roofs of houses.23 Rows of such long flax, resembling reeds, spread on the roof, could indeed serve as a good hiding place for the spies.

Joshua 2:7. The men sent in pursuit went after them toward the Jordan to the very ford; and the gates were shut immediately after those who pursued them had gone out. As in the Hebrew text, so also in the Greek LXX translation, this verse begins with the words “and those men”; the word “sent” represents a free rendering, suggested, in all probability, by the translation of blessed Jerome: qui missi fuerant. “To the very ford,” literally from the Hebrew: “to the ford,” in the LXX: ἐπὶ τὰς διαβάσεις – “to the crossings” in the Slavonic Bible. It refers to a place of crossing the Jordan known in ancient times, near Jericho (Judg 3:28; 2 Sam 19:17), at the ordinary low water level in it.

Joshua 2:8. Before they lay down to sleep, she went up to them on the roof Joshua 2:9. and said to them: I know that the Lord has given the land to you, for the dread of you has fallen upon us, and all the inhabitants of the land are fearful of you; Joshua 2:10. for we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed; Joshua 2:11. when we heard of this, our hearts melted, and there is no courage left in any of us because of you; for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below; When the men sent from the king had departed, Rahab went up to the roof to the spies and told them the motive by which she had not turned them over. She showed kindness to them on the conviction that the Lord, whom they worship, would give them the land of Canaan. She already sees the beginning of this in the unusual fear and despair that have taken hold of the inhabitants of this land. In a state of the same fear and under the influence of faith that the Lord is God of heaven and earth, to whom no one can offer resistance with impunity, she resolved rather to show them kindness than to turn them over, and through the latter course to avoid falsehood and betrayal of her own city. Rahab did not fully express the latter; perhaps she did not clearly understand it, but nonetheless she gave false testimony to those sent from the king, and thus committed a sin, which did not bring judgment upon her because it was forgiven for her faith, though imperfect, but living and active, which she demonstrated in saving foreigners, not without danger to herself (in case of a successful search), and by which she was justified by God (Jas 2:25; Heb 11:31); her faith has all the greater value in that it arose from the same reports which in others produced only fear.

Joshua 2:9. and said to them: I know that the Lord has given the land to you, for the dread of you has fallen upon us, and all the inhabitants of the land are fearful of you; Joshua 2:10. for we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed; Joshua 2:11. when we heard of this, our hearts melted, and there is no courage left in any of us because of you; for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below; “The Lord has given.” The word “Lord” in the Hebrew text corresponds to “Yahweh” or “Yah-way,” as it was probably pronounced in ancient times by the Hebrews. Rahab learned this name, of course, along with the reports of the deeds of His omnipotence, which aroused in her faith in Him. “The land”; the word “the” is placed in the Slavonic Bible in brackets and serves to convey the definite article with which the word “land” is placed in the Hebrew text and Greek translation. “God” after “Lord” is not read in the Hebrew text and is added on the basis of the Greco-Slavonic translation. The words “of you” are not found in the Alexandrian and some other Greek manuscripts. Rahab’s profession of faith: “the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below” – has an undoubted similarity to that which Moses taught the people of Israel (Deut 4:39), but far from complete: in the words “God in heaven” “Elohim” is read without the definite article with which this divine name is placed in Deuteronomy (ha–elohim) and which shows that the God denoted by it is God in the proper sense or the only one. Also absent from Rahab’s profession are the words read in the mentioned place in Deuteronomy – “still” or “yet” (Deut 4:39), – which excludes the thought of the existence of any God other than the God of Israel. This comparison of the two professions shows that Rahab, though she has raised herself high in her faith above her compatriots, having believed in the God of Israel as the true God, had not yet at that time attained complete faith that He is the only God.

Joshua 2:12. Therefore swear to me by the Lord your God that, as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal kindly with the house of my father, and give me a sure sign, Joshua 2:13. that you will spare alive my father and mother and my brothers and sisters and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death. Joshua 2:14. The men said to her: Our lives for yours! If you do not reveal this matter, then when the Lord gives us the land, we will deal kindly and truly with you. Rahab, having stated the motive by which she showed kindness to the visitors, on her part asks them not to refuse kindness to her and to all her near relatives when Jericho is taken, of which she speaks as if it were already a settled matter, and demands that they confirm their promise with an oath by the name of the Lord and give a sure sign of the fulfillment of the oath. Out of gratitude and sincere desire to show kindness for the good deed done, the spies give an oath, but make its fulfillment conditional on the condition that their coming to Jericho remain unknown to anyone from outside. The words “a sure sign” or “a sign truly” (Slavonic Bible) are read in the Hebrew text and some Greek translation manuscripts, the Latin translation and the Complutensian Polyglot, but are absent in the Vatican, Alexandrian and some other manuscripts. By a sure sign, or literally from the Hebrew, “a sign of truth,” is understood an object that assures the fulfillment of the oath. Such an object was the “scarlet cord” indicated in Josh 2:18. “Our lives for yours shall be forfeit if you disclose” or “Our souls for your souls to death.” This second, Slavonic, translation, which serves as a literal rendering of both the Greek and Hebrew text, is the most forceful and expressive in its brevity, which characterizes an oath. In these words of the oath, certainly, the name of God is not invoked, but it is necessary to think that they do not constitute everything that the spies said when giving Rahab an oath. The belief that they fulfilled her request – “to swear by the Lord” – is compelled by the existence among the Israelites of the concept of an oath as precisely an “oath of the Lord” (Exod 22:11; 2 Sam 21:7), and also by the fact that the oath of the spies, as shown by its exact fulfillment (Josh 6:20-21), was recognized as fully binding, as was the oath of the Lord. To explain the absence of God’s name in the spies’ oath by the incompleteness of the biblical writer’s information about its content is encouraged by the fact that when he speaks of the oath given to the ambassadors of Gibeon, he also does not indicate that the leaders of Israel sealed it with the name of the Lord (Josh 9:15), though this oath, as is seen from the further narrative (Josh 9:18), was an oath of the Lord. The plural number of the verb “if you do not reveal” according to the present Hebrew text, in some Greek manuscripts and the Latin translation, with which the Slavonic Bible agrees (“if you do not reveal”), is replaced by the singular number; this latter is most appropriate in this place in view of the fact that the words of the spies are addressed to one Rahab and there is no indication in the text of the presence of other members of her family during the conversation; in the singular also this condition is expressed according to the Hebrew text in Josh 2:20: “but if you tell.” It is worthy of note, moreover, that in the Vatican, Alexandrian and some other Greek manuscripts, instead of the words of the spies “if you disclose this matter” and further to the end of the verse, the words of Rahab are transmitted: καὶ αὐτὴ εἶπεν Ὡς ἂν παραδῷ Κύριος ὑμῖν τὴν πόλιν, ποιήσετε εἰς ἐμὲ ἔλεος καὶ ἀλήθειαν – “and she said: And it shall be when the Lord gives you the city, you will show kindness and truth to me” (Slavonic Bible). This ancient Greek translation, belonging to the LXX (see Field. Origenis Hexapl.), was not recognized in ancient times as an accurate rendering of the original, and was therefore replaced, as shown by other Greek manuscripts (NN. X, XI, 85), by a different translation consistent with the present Hebrew text. The correctness of the Greek translation represented by these latter manuscripts is attested to by the translation of blessed Jerome, consistent with the present Hebrew text and with the Greek translation of the latter manuscripts.24

Joshua 2:15. And she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, and she dwelt in the wall; Joshua 2:16. and she said to them: Go to the hills, so that those who are pursuing you will not meet you; hide yourselves there for three days until those who are pursuing you have returned; and afterward you may go on your way. Rahab was satisfied with the oath of the spies and let them go, letting them down by a rope through the window of her house, which opened beyond the city wall, which apparently served at the same time as the back wall of the house itself. In doing so, she gave them advice to go to the hills and hide themselves for three days.

Joshua 2:17. And the men said to her: We will be released from this oath of yours, if you do not do this: Joshua 2:18. Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down; and you shall gather into your house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father’s household; Joshua 2:19. and if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be upon his own head, and we will be innocent; but if a hand is laid upon anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our heads; Joshua 2:20. and if you disclose this matter, we shall be released from the oath which you made us swear. As the spies left Rahab’s house, they expressed again in brief, somewhat fragmentary words, in accordance with their state of mind, the conditions she was to fulfill in order for their oath to retain its full force. First, they pointed out to Rahab the visible sign she had requested. In the present Hebrew text the word “sign” is not present, but it is read in the Greek translation: θήσεις τὸ σημεῖον – “you shall set a sign” (Slavonic Bible), as also in the Latin, on the basis of which this word could be added to the Russian translation, as well as the pronoun “this,” read in the Hebrew text, Greek and Latin translations and referring to “the scarlet cord.” The latter was pointed out by the spies in the immediate manner because by its bright-red color it could serve as the most noticeable distinguishing sign for Rahab’s house. But at the same time, the choice of it depended also on the fact that “a scarlet thread” according to the Old Testament ceremonial ordinances belonged to the symbols of cleansing from leprosy (Lev 14:4) and contact with a dead body (Num 19:6), generally to the symbols of salvation. From this aspect, the scarlet cord, distinguishing Rahab’s house from others, pointed to the salvation granted to her, and at the same time served as a prefigurement of the future salvation of the Gentiles. According to blessed Theodoret, “as Joshua’s spies sent by him saved a believing harlot, giving her a “scarlet cord” as a sign of salvation (Josh 2:18), so the apostles of our Savior removed the ancient harlot, the church devoted to various idols, from her former wickedness and made her worthy of eternal blessings, not using a scarlet thread as a sign, but granting her salvation through the most holy blood.”25 The two other conditions for the preservation of Rahab and her household consisted in the requirement that all those belonging to the latter be in her house at the time the city was taken, and that she tell no one about this matter.

Joshua 2:17. And the men said to her: We will be released from this oath of yours, if you do not do this: “If you do not do this”: this expression is added to remove the obscurity of the biblical text due to its brevity. Nevertheless, in other ancient and modern translations there is no such addition.

Joshua 2:19. and if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be upon his own head, and we will be innocent; but if a hand is laid upon anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our heads; The words “shall be innocent of” are brought in from the Slavonic Bible, in accordance with the LXX translation: τῷ ὅρκῳ σου τούτῳ.

Joshua 2:20. and if you disclose this matter, we shall be released from the oath which you made us swear. Further words “if anyone harms us, or” are likewise added from the Slavonic Bible in accordance with the majority of Greek manuscripts: ἐὰν δέ τις ἡμᾶς ἀδικήσῃ; in Origen’s Hexapla these words were marked as unnecessary against the Hebrew text (Field). * * * From Shittim to the Jordan is counted as 2 1/2 hours’ journey (K. Raumer. Palastina, 1860, p. 266); from the Jordan to Jericho 2 hours (ibid., 206); crossing the swollen Jordan at that time, of course, would take about 1 hour. So it is read in the Vatican, Alexandrian and other ancient manuscripts, as well as in the Lucian recension. Instead of κατελύαν, κατέπαυσαν “rested” is read in the Oxford manuscript and the Aldine Bible. Cook. Commentary 2:20. The words τὴν νύκτα read in the Moscow Greek Bible are not found in the Alexandrian manuscript. N. V. Tristram. The natural history of the Bible. 1880, 12: 445–446. Cook. Commentary. U. 2:20. The Latin translation of this passage: Cum que tradiderit nobis Dominus terram. faciemus in le misencordiam et ventatem – “and when… the Lord gives us the land, we will show you mercy and truth.” The Works of Blessed Theodoret, vol. I, p. 272.

Chapter Three

1. The departure from Shittim to the Jordan. 3. Preparation of the people for this. 7. Divine revelation to Joshua. 8. A new arrangement with the priests and explanation to the people of the future event. 14. The dividing of the waters of the Jordan.

Chapters 3–4. They contain a depiction of one event, marked by a miraculous manifestation of divine omnipotence. In accordance with the significance of the event, the biblical narrator presents it with particular circumstantiality and according to a special plan. After indicating preliminary arrangements concerning the entire people and especially the priests (Josh 3:2-6), the sacred writer successively portrays three special phenomena by which the crossing of the Israelites over the Jordan was marked. The first relates to the beginning of the event (Josh 3:7-17), the second was accomplished after the crossing of the Jordan by the people (Josh 4:1-4), and the third marked the end of the event (Josh 4:15-24). The depiction of each of these momentous phenomena begins with the exposition of a divine command (Josh 3:7-8), which is followed by its transmission to the people (Josh 3:9-13) and its fulfillment (Josh 3:14-17), which at the same time serves as the narrative of how the event itself took place. The conclusion of the entire narrative is provided by an explanation given by Joshua himself of the purpose for which this event is perpetuated as having high importance both for the people of Israel and for all peoples of the earth (Josh 4:21-24). As a result of such a separate exposition of the phenomena by which the crossing of the Jordan was marked, the biblical narrative of this event as having occurred through the action of divine omnipotence is distinguished by special fullness, expressiveness, and completeness both as a whole and in its parts. But at the same time in it are found certain repetitions, which arose, one may suppose, from the fact that, in depicting the phenomena of one event, the biblical writer, because of the close connection of one phenomenon with another, in presenting the preceding one, partly addresses what properly belongs to the subsequent one (cf. Josh 3:6 with Josh 3:14, Josh 3:12 with Josh 4:2, Josh 4:11 with Josh 4:18).

On the next day after the return of the spies, the Israelites moved from Shittim in the direction of the Jordan and stopped on its bank. At this time the three days ended which had been designated for the people’s preparation for crossing the Jordan. At this time new arrangements were made concerning the order of the procession and the sanctification of the people.

Joshua 3:1. And Joshua rose early in the morning and they departed from Shittim and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and they lodged there before crossing it. Joshua 3:2. At the end of three days the officers went through the camp. “And lodged there” is in agreement with the first meaning of the Hebrew verb “lin,” which was used also in the sense of “to remain,” “to stay”; in this second sense it is translated here in the LXX (κατέλυσαν) and in blessed Jerome (morati sunt), and accordingly in the Slavonic Bible: “they stopped.” There is no particular reason to depart from this translation accepted among us. For an explanation of “at the end of three days” see the end of the chapter.

Joshua 3:3. and commanded the people, saying: When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God and the priests [our] Levites bearing it, then you also shall set out from your place and follow it; Joshua 3:4. yet there shall be a distance between you and it of about two thousand cubits; do not come near it, so that you know the way you are to go; for you have not passed this way before, either yesterday or the day before. When the Israelite camp was arranged on the bank of the Jordan, a new series of arrangements followed concerning the crossing of the Jordan itself. Through the officers it was announced to the people that they were to move on the path following the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, borne by “the Levitical priests,” at a distance of at least 2000 cubits. The words “of the Lord your God” constitute a rendering of the Hebrew text and some Greek manuscripts; the Slavonic translation: “of the Lord our God” agrees with the majority of Greek manuscripts. (“Your God” according to the Hebrew text – Elohekem, “our God” – Eloheinu). As in this place, so in other places, the Greek translation renders this Hebrew biblical expression with the peculiarity that the pronoun “your” according to the Hebrew text is replaced by the pronoun “our” (Josh 8:7 and elsewhere). In judging which of these pronouns was original in the biblical text, one must keep in mind that in the Book of Joshua the divine name “God your” is used in a large number of places equally according to the Hebrew text and the Greco-Slavonic translation (Josh 1:11), while the name “God our” (Josh 22:19) occurs less frequently. The predominant use of the former expression and its accurate rendering in most places according to the Greco-Slavonic translation give some grounds to regard the few places in the Greco-Slavonic translation where a departure from the Hebrew text is made in this respect as exceptions to the general rule, probably dependent on an unclear writing of the pronominal ending. The particular fact that in Josh 3:9, where Joshua’s words addressed to the people are given, the name “God your” is used according to the Hebrew text and Slavonic translation in agreement with some Greek manuscripts and the Aldine Bible, inclines one to think that this same divine name was read in Josh 3:3, where the words of the officers addressed to the people are set forth. The words “our” Levites are read in the most ancient and very many later manuscripts of the LXX translation with rare exceptions, and in agreement with this in the Slavonic Bible, but not in the Hebrew text, the translation of blessed Jerome, or in the Complutensian Polyglot. The inclusion or exclusion of the word “our” from the text does not change its meaning, since under the priests (“hakoganim” – with the definite article) the priests of Israel from the house of Aaron are understood in any case; but the conjunction “and” introduced here has important significance for understanding this passage. According to the Hebrew text: “when you see the Ark and the Levitical priests (“hakoganim haleviyyim”) bearing it” (Josh 3:3). The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, during the crossing of the Jordan, was borne by priests from the sons of Levi (Deut 31:9) or of the tribe of Levi (Deut 10:8). According to the Greco-Slavonic translation, the Ark was borne by “our priests and Levites” who did not have the rank of priests. Which of these translations presents an accurate rendering of the original biblical text is sufficiently clarified by other passages in the Book of Joshua. Thus, in Josh 3:6, according to both the Hebrew text and the Greco-Slavonic translation alike, Joshua says to “the priests” without mentioning Levites, commanding them to lift the Ark of the Covenant. In Josh 4:9, it is said of the place in the midst of the Jordan on which stood the feet of “the priests” bearing the Ark of the Covenant, without mention of Levites. According to Josh 4:16-17, Joshua transmits the divine command to “the priests bearing the Ark of the Testimony” to come up out of the Jordan. The complete non-mention in these passages, depicting the actual carrying out of the crossing of the Jordan, of Levites as participants together with the priests in bearing the Ark of the Lord, shows that in Josh 3:3 also, according to the original biblical text, there is mention only of “Levitical priests,” not of priests and Levites. The correctness of this explanation is evident also from the fact that in Deut 17:18 the same Hebrew expression “Levitical priests” is translated by the LXX with the words (οἱ ἱερεῖς οἱ Λευῖται) – “the Levitical priests,” without the conjunction “and.” In view of this, the Greco-Slavonic rendering of this expression in Josh 3:3, where the conjunction “and” is likewise introduced into this designation of the Old Testament priests, must be regarded as an exceptional phenomenon peculiar to the Greek translator of this book.26 Following the Ark of the Covenant, which was the holiest place of divine presence (Exod 25:22) and during the wandering from Sinai through the wilderness “went” before the people (Num 10:33), when crossing the Jordan, the Israelites were not to approach it closely, but to go at a considerable distance from it, in order that the Ark of the Covenant, which parted the waters of the Jordan and opened a path for them, would constantly be before their eyes, and through this the accomplishment of the miracle would be made evident to them; thus the unusual and never-before-seen path through the dried-up riverbed of a river that had just been in flood would be impressed more strongly and indelibly upon them. The distance between the Ark and the people was fixed at “about two thousand cubits in measure.”27

Joshua 3:5. And Joshua said to the people: Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. Just as Moses prepared the people for the theophany on Sinai for two days through sanctification, which consisted in washing their garments and keeping themselves from bodily uncleanness (Exod 19:10), so Joshua, on the eve of the day on which the miraculous drying of the Jordan was to take place, commanded the people to sanctify themselves, or to cleanse themselves (the Hebrew verb “kadash” – “to be separated, holy” is used here in the reflexive form and means to cleanse, to sanctify oneself) through the performance of those rites of purification which were in use at that time and which it was possible to carry out in the remaining short time until the morning of the next day, such as washing the body and changing clothes (Gen 35:2). The performance of rites of external cleansing, in accordance with their general symbolic meaning, must of course have served to remind the Israelites of internal cleansing from all that is contrary to the will of God, and of turning to God in faith and obedience to His commandments. Both this and the other cleansing were to elevate the minds and hearts of the Israelites above the everyday reality and make them more capable of understanding and feeling the wonder-working power of God. The words “by the morning” are read in almost all manuscripts of the LXX translation (except № 58), but are absent in the Hebrew text and the Latin translation of blessed Jerome; the testimony of the latter is particularly important here because according to them the indication of time in two adjacent sentences is made once (“tomorrow will do”), while according to the Greco-Slavonic translation it is twice (“by the morning… tomorrow”), which is not usual in correct speech.

Joshua 3:6. And Joshua said to the priests: Take up the Ark of the Covenant [of the Lord] and pass on before the people. [And the priests] took up the Ark of the Covenant [of the Lord] and went before the people. “Take up the Ark” or “lift up” is in accordance with the meaning of the Hebrew verb (“seu”) and the Greek (ἄρατε) used here. The word “[of the Lord]” in the first and second half of the verse is added by the LXX translation for the completeness of the designation of the Ark of the Covenant and is absent in very few Greek manuscripts. In the words “[and the priests] took up the Ark” is set forth what was accomplished on the next day at the crossing of the Jordan. This is communicated here, as is said, by way of anticipation, that is, before it was accomplished, in order to complete the discourse on this subject and not return to it in the further narrative regarding who and in what order bore the Ark of the Covenant. The word “[priests],” which is implied in the Hebrew text in the verb “took up,” is added by the LXX translation and is read in almost all its manuscripts.

Joshua 3:7. Then the Lord said to Joshua: This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; In the revelation set forth here is explained the significance of the miraculous event about to occur for Joshua. It will begin the elevation of him in the eyes of all the people as one chosen by God as a leader like Moses, close to the Lord and using His all-mighty help. Just as for Moses the power of performing miracles given to him by the Lord (Exod 4:1-8), especially manifested at the Red Sea (Exod 14:21), served as a testimony to his divine mission, so also for Joshua the drying of the bed of the Jordan would have the significance of such a testimony.

Joshua 3:8. and you shall command the priests who bear the Ark of the Covenant, saying: When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan. The command to the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant to stand still when they approach the edge of the Jordan is given with the purpose that from the extraordinary action upon the water of the Jordan which will follow this standing still, the wonder-working power of God issuing from the Ark of the Covenant will be revealed with complete clarity. In Moses’ time the symbol of God’s wonder-working power was the staff given to him. In Joshua’s time the place of the staff is taken by the Ark of the Covenant, which served as the throne of the Lord (Exod 25:22). “When there are established means of grace, then the Lord unites with them gracious actions, for He is a God of order, not acting arbitrarily in the choice of His means.”28 “When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan”; in the Slavonic Bible: “when you come out into a part of the water of the Jordan,” which represents a rendering of the reading of the majority of the Greek translation manuscripts: ἐπὶ μέρους τοῦ ὕδατος (in the Vatican and some others instead of μέρους is read μέσου – “into the middle”). The expression “into a part of the water” is a translation of the Hebrew words “ad ketzeh meh,” which literally means “to the end or edge of the water,” that is, when the priests enter the water at the edge or bank of the Jordan, which representation is expressed with greater clarity further in Josh 3:13.

Joshua 3:9. And Joshua said to the children of Israel: Come here and hear the words of the Lord, your God. Joshua 3:10. And Joshua said: By this you shall know that the living God is in your midst and that He will surely drive out from before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites: Joshua 3:11. Behold, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth is about to pass before you into the Jordan; Joshua 3:12. Now therefore choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe; Joshua 3:13. and as soon as the priests bearing the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, set the soles of their feet in the water of the Jordan, the water of the Jordan shall be cut off, that is, it shall stand up in a heap. In order for the extraordinary deed of divine omnipotence to produce its full effect on the Israelite people, Joshua announced it publicly to all the people and explained its significance. The latter for the Israelite people consists in being assured that the “living God,” that is, God manifesting His being in divine deeds to which nothing in the world can offer resistance (Jer 10:10), is in their midst, and that He will therefore completely drive out from the Israelites the peoples dwelling in Canaan. The people themselves will be convinced of the truth of this when they, following the Ark of the Covenant, “the Lord of all the earth,” will see how at the entrance of the priests bearing it into the water of the Jordan, the bed of the latter will dry up and the water flowing from above will stand like a wall. The thought of the driving out of the Canaanite peoples is expressed in Josh 3:10 according to the Hebrew text and Greco-Slavonic translation in an intensified form, consisting in the twofold use here of the verb “to drive out” in two different forms, in accordance with which the Slavonic Bible says: “will consume by consuming.” The divine name “Lord of all the earth,” read in the words to the people (Josh 3:11) in the designation of the Ark of the Covenant, is used with the purpose of recalling by this reminder of this lordship of the God of Israel to arouse and strengthen the faith of the people in what is foretold to it. Josh 3:12. At the same time Joshua commanded the people to choose or select one man from each of the 12 tribes, without indicating at this point the actual work which they were to do. Although the latter was related to the completion of the crossing of the Jordan (Josh 4:1-5), the order concerning it was given before its beginning, for at this time it was most convenient for the people to make the selection, and the selected men themselves, remaining near the Israeli leader, could without delay carry out what would be indicated to them.

Joshua 3:14. So when the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan, and the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant [of the Lord] went before the people, Joshua 3:15. and as soon as those bearing the Ark [of the Covenant of the Lord] came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the Ark dipped in the edge of the water – now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest – The account in Josh 3:14-17 presents the actual crossing of the Jordan, which was accomplished in accordance with the orders given. Apart from the fulfillment of these orders, the biblical writer introduces into the account of this event certain details concerning it that are very important. Such is the information he gives that “the Jordan… overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest.” The brackets in which these words are enclosed do not mean that they are borrowed from the Slavonic or Greek translation. The stated words are found in the Hebrew text, as in all translations, and constitute a very important part of the biblical text, pointing precisely to the supernatural character of this event. Since at the time when it occurred, “the Jordan was full to all its banks” (literally from the Hebrew) or “was overflowing in all its reaches” (Slavonic Bible), the Israelite people, crossing in their full complement, could not cross the river during its flood stage by means of one of the fords found near Jericho; and if this crossing was accomplished, it was solely because the bed of the Jordan was dried by the almighty power of the Lord of all the earth. The overflow of the Jordan occurs in spring, during the harvest season, in April and early May, when the period of rains ends and the melting of snows on Mount Hermon begins. The increase of water in the Jordan and in the nearest period to the present time is so significant that it fills the deep depression that serves as the riverbed up to the very edges and floods the lower bank, covered with dense vegetation. Besides this lower bank, the Jordan has another, more elevated, bank line, and in some places – a third one, which at the present time do not reach the flood, but which were formed, of course, as a result of stronger floods in ancient times. The biblical writer speaks of such a strong flood, using the expression “the Jordan overflowed all its banks,” that is, it filled not only its ordinary riverbed, but also the higher banks. And at the present time the depth of water reaches during the flood about one and a half fathoms (from 10 to 12 feet) with a strong current.30 With such a rise of water, the use of fords was absolutely impossible, and if the spies and some others in the following time occasionally, of course, swam across the Jordan “in the first month, when it overflows its banks,” this was so remarkable that the writer of Chronicles (1 Chr 12:15) mentions this in depicting the courage of David’s companions. “Throughout the time of harvest” is in agreement with the Greco-Slavonic translation: ὡσεὶ ἡμέραι θερισμοῦ πυρῶν. In the Hebrew text the last two words correspond to a single word: “katzir,” meaning “harvest,” without specification of the type of grain crop, as in other places it is translated by the LXX, for example in Gen 8:22, Lev 19:9 and others. When the harvest of wheat specifically is meant, the word “katzir” is given the addition “khittim” – “wheat,” for example in Gen 30:14, Ruth 2:23. In this passage of the Book of Joshua, there is no such addition, and there is therefore no basis to see here a reference to the wheat harvest specifically. The idea of the latter is all the less appropriate here, in that the crossing of the Jordan took place on the 10th day of the first month (Josh 4:19), corresponding generally to April, while the wheat harvest in Palestine generally begins later than this – in May,31 which fully corresponds to the biblical indications (see above, commentaries to Josh 2:6), according to which this harvest followed after the barley harvest (for example, Ruth 2:23: “until the barley harvest and wheat harvest are finished”), and the barley harvest was generally the beginning of harvest: “in the early days of harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest” (2 Sam 21:9). On the basis of this, by all the days of harvest must be understood all the time of harvest in general.

Joshua 3:16. the water flowing from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and the water flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, was completely cut off. “The water flowing from above stood and rose up in a heap a great distance, at the city of Adam, which is beside Zarethan.” The exact location in the Jordan valley of the city of Adam, or Adom, according to Symmachus’ and blessed Jerome’s translation, clearly distinct from the city of the same name in the tribe of Naphtali (Josh 19:36), is not known with certainty. From the biblical indications concerning Zarethan, near which the city of Adam was located, it is evident that the first was not far from the well-known Bethshan: “and in all Bethshan, which is near Zarethan” (1 Kgs 4:12), which lay on the western side of the Jordan valley, one and a half hours’ journey from the Jordan. It is further evident that it was in the vicinity of the Jordan, where between Succoth and Zarethan a foundry of King Solomon was established (1 Kgs 7:46; 2 Chr 4:17). On the basis of these indications and the peculiarities of the locality, the supposition arose that Zarethan corresponds to the mountain of Kurn Sartabeh (Sartabeh), which rises on the Western-Jordan side at a distance of about 20 versts from Jericho, extends almost to Zarethan itself and apparently continues in the opposite mountains on the eastern side of the Jordan. The city of Adam, or Adom, is placed at this point near Sartabeh, upstream along the Jordan on its eastern side, near Damia.32 The basis for this supposition is partly a certain similarity of names: Zarethan and Sartabeh, partly the character of the locality: Sartabeh, like Zarethan, is in the same general locality in which Bethshan lies; Sartabeh is distant from Jericho by 20 versts, which generally corresponds to the biblical indication “a great distance” or “very far”; the position of the Jordan’s riverbed near Sartabeh, surrounded on both sides by mountains, was most suited to the stoppage of the Jordan’s flow at this place. Although this stoppage occurred through the supernatural action of divine will, this action does not exclude the use of natural means in accomplishing it. Just as for the drying of the Red Sea the Lord used a strong east wind, so in stopping the flow of the Jordan, there could have been chosen such a place, the peculiarities of which could have served as a means for fulfilling divine will. In the Greco-Slavonic translation, instead of Zarethan, “Kariathiareim” is read: “from the city of Adam to the land of Kariathiareim” (Slavonic Bible), which represents a rendering of the reading of the Complutensian Polyglot: ἀπὸ Ἀδαμὶ τῆς πόλεως ἕως μέρους Καριαθιαρίμ.33 The city named in these words of the Greco-Slavonic translation, Kariathiareim, being supposedly near the Jordan according to their sense, remains completely unknown; while the known Kirjath-Jearim was located far from this valley to the northwest of Jerusalem (see Josh 9:17). Therefore, perhaps in some Greek manuscripts this city name was changed under the influence of the Hebrew text into Sarphan (Σαρθαν according to ms. № 58). In any case, the reading of this passage according to the Hebrew text, despite the conjectural character of the geographical determination (of the city of Adam and Zarethan), gives a more intelligible understanding of the location of the stoppage of the Jordan’s flow than the Greek translation in the majority of its manuscripts and the Slavonic agreeing with it.

Joshua 3:17. And the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord stood on the dry ground in the midst of the Jordan while all Israel passed over on dry ground, until the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan. Over the dried Jordan riverbed, which had been dried for a great distance, many could cross at the same time, choosing the best places for this. The main body of the people crossed opposite Jericho. “And the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord stood on the dry ground in the midst of the Jordan.” “In the midst of the Jordan” (in Hebrew “betokh hayarden”) does not necessarily mean that the place on which the priests stood was in the middle of the dried riverbed of the river. The Hebrew preposition “betokh” was also used in the sense of “in,” for example, in Gen 9:21: “in [betokh] the house” or “tent”; Gen 18:24: “in the city” and elsewhere.34 That this preposition is used in precisely this sense in this passage of the Book of Joshua, as well as in Josh 4:3, is clearly seen from the fact that, according to Josh 3:8, the priests were to stand still with the Ark of the Covenant and indeed did stand still as soon as they entered the water of the Jordan, that is, they stood at the edge of the swollen Jordan. And since in the biblical text there is no indication that when the bed of the Jordan was subsequently dried, the priests with the Ark of the Covenant moved further toward the middle of the river, therefore it must be understood that they remained all the time of the crossing of the Israelites over the Jordan in the same place where they stood when entering the water of the Jordan, that is, at the edge of the swollen river, not in the middle of it, and therefore the stated Hebrew expression should be translated “in the Jordan.”35 That they remained without movement in this place until the completion of the crossing of the entire people over the Jordan is indicated, it must be thought, also by the phrase “stood firmly,” in Hebrew “haken,” which modern Hebraists translate as “firmly,” “without wavering.” In the Slavonic Bible this Hebrew word is left without translation, as also in the most ancient manuscripts of the LXX translation, except the Ambrosian, in which it is translated through ἕτοιμη or ἐτοίμως (Swete) – “in readiness”; in other manuscripts, including the Lucian recension, also through ἐτοιμως; in Aquila and Symmachus – through ἔτοιμοι – “ready,” in blessed Jerome – accincti – “girded” or “ready.” The general sense expressed by these ancient translations consists in the fact that the priests stood on the dried bed of the Jordan, ready to carry out what was indicated to them, that is, they stood calmly, and according to the present translation from Hebrew – they stood “firmly,” without wavering, with confidence in their safety. “Concerning three days” in Josh 3:2. Which three days are meant here – those that were appointed by the people’s officers in Josh 1:11, or others, as some interpreters suppose, remains unclear. The ancient and most widespread understanding consisted in the opinion that this refers to the completion of the three days indicated by the officers. In this view, however, there is a difficulty regarding how to reconcile the three days within which the spies were absent from the camp – besides the time they spent on the journey to and from Jericho and their stay there, they remained on the mountain for three days. The difficulty is usually removed by the supposition that in counting the three days spent by the spies on the mountain, incomplete days must be reckoned as full ones: that is, the remaining part of the day on which the spies came from Shittim to Jericho is reckoned as the first day on the basis of the supposition that they left, presumably, from Jericho before the beginning of night; then they spent the 2nd whole day on the mountain, and on the 3rd only the first part, in the second part they returned to Shittim. (In Russian literature this is stated by Fr. M. Kheraskov in “A Survey of the Historical Books of the Old Testament.”) Such a reckoning of time appears improbable because of its inconsistency with the biblical text, which with sufficient clarity indicates that the spies left Rahab’s house at night: the messengers sent from the king of Jericho in Josh 2:2 speak of them as having come “in this night”; Rahab similarly speaks of them as having left the city in the dusk before the closing of the city gates (Josh 3:5); and since in fact they departed from Rahab’s house already after dusk, that is, at the onset of night, the first day spent by the spies outside the Israelite camp in Shittim cannot, obviously, be included in the count of the 3 days they spent in the mountains. Then, if we admit that on the last of the days they left the mountain and returned in the evening to Shittim, the absence of the spies from the camp would have lasted about 4 days. Thus, indeed, some Protestant biblical scholars determine the amount of this time, and in doing so, explain the discrepancy with the three days in Josh 1:11 by the supposition that Joshua’s hope for quicker fulfillment by the spies of the task assigned to them was not fulfilled because of unforeseen difficulties which they encountered in Jericho. As for the 3 days indicated in Josh 3:2, they understand them to be different from the 3 days named in Josh 1:11, namely – days spent by the Israelites on the bank of the Jordan, during which various preparations were made for the crossing.36 And this explanation cannot be considered satisfactory because of the weakness of its foundations. While the reckoning of the time spent by the spies outside the Israelite camp as 4 days appears fairly probable, this cannot be said regarding the supposed hope of Joshua for a quick return of those sent. If such a hope really existed and under its influence a three-day period was designated for the people’s preparation for crossing the Jordan, and then this hope was not fulfilled, the writer of the book would have said that the Israelites delayed in Shittim more than 3 days, rather than narrating the circumstances of the spies’ return and the departure of the people from Shittim as depicted here, as events proceeding in their normal course without unexpected delays. To point to the error of the Israeli leader’s supposition in this case would have been for the writer no more difficult than for the writer of the Pentateuch, who did not remain silent about the sin of Moses (Num 20:12; Deut 1:37 and elsewhere). The understanding of the words “after three days” in the sense of an indication of special three days spent by the Israelites on the bank of the Jordan is improbable because of such an inadequacy of foundations. It is motivated by the need for new preparations for crossing the Jordan as it had swollen at that time. But preparations for this had already been made in Shittim, where the flooding of the Jordan could not have been unknown to the Israelites. Besides, a new delay of the Israelites for three days appears inconsistent with the divine command to cross the Jordan, requiring quick execution: “arise and cross this Jordan” (Josh 1:2). If, despite all this, the Israelites had delayed for three days on the bank of the Jordan, the biblical writer would have clearly indicated this, rather than using such an expression (“after three days”), which presupposes the reader knows what three days are being referred to. Undoubtedly, the most simple and natural sense these words have if by the three days referred to here is meant precisely the days indicated in Josh 1:11. Such understanding is also clearly favored by the particular feature of the biblical narrative that just as at the beginning of the three-day period according to Josh 1:11 the people’s officers announce the arrangement of the Israeli leader, so also here (Josh 3:2) after the completion of the 3 days do they likewise come forward with the announcement of a new arrangement. But if, thus, the opinion that Josh 3:2 refers to special three days turns out to be improbable, and if such must also be considered the opinion about three – no more – days of the spies’ absence from the camp in Shittim, then how could the biblical writer, without contradicting himself, speak in Josh 1:11 of three days during which occurred the event that meanwhile had lasted more than three days? The possibility of this lies in the supposition that the spies were not sent simultaneously with the arrangement about three days for preparation for crossing the Jordan, but earlier. The basis for such a supposition is that the mission of the spies was not a result of the divine command to cross the Jordan, but was inspired by other considerations. This command, joined with the promise of divine help, ought to have given Joshua complete confidence in the conquest of the land of Canaan, regardless of the opposition of the enemy. The secret mission of the spies, meanwhile, reveals a different disposition. In it is seen a certain lack of confidence in the occupation of the land, anxieties about the success of further movement. If the promise of divine help in conquering Canaan did not exclude efforts on the part of the leader and people to achieve the goal, it certainly excluded doubt of success of the enterprise, which prompted recourse to a secret mission of spies without the knowledge of the people so that in case of unfavorable reports the people would not be disheartened. Such an unsure, anxious disposition could be in Joshua only before receiving the divine command and the promise connected with it, and not after. In view of this, it seems probable that the fairly ancient 37 opinion that the spies were sent earlier than the receipt of the divine command (Josh 1:1-9), and along with this – earlier than the appointment of three days for the preparation of food. If the biblical narrator expounded the information about the mission of the spies after this divine command and the connected appointment of the three-day period, it is because in doing so he was guided not by the sequence of events in time alone, but by their importance and significance for a connected, sequential exposition of events. At the head of them he placed the divine command, then – the two arrangements flowing from it, and finally, information about the mission of the spies, the return of whom served as the beginning of further events, which are set forth following the information about this mission.38 And if the latter was sent out earlier than the promulgation of the arrangement for three days of preparation for crossing the Jordan, then the four days spent by the spies on the journey to Jericho and remaining in the mountains are not in disagreement with the three-day period indicated in Josh 1:11. Similarly, there is no reason to abandon the ancient understanding that in Josh 3:2 is meant the completion of this same three-day period, and not new three days spent by the Israelites on the bank of the Jordan. * * * Notes It is known that the Greek translation LXX in various books of the Old Testament has its own peculiarities, explained by the fact that it was done by different persons. See Corsunsky’s translation of the LXX, p. 56. The Book of Joshua does not belong to those sacred books whose Greek translation is distinguished by accuracy and fidelity (ibid., p. 88). The Hebrew cubit is approximately determined to be 483.9 millimeters (see for example Schenkel Bibel-lexicon. Vatican Codex 4:129), which almost corresponds to 11 vershoks; when this 2000 cubits equal 150 fathoms. Keil. Iosua, 27. According to the Hebrew text, in both verses the same word is used: “adon” – “lord,” as is rendered in Russian in Josh 3:13; instead of this in Josh 3:11 it is translated by the word “Lord,” in accordance with the Greco-Slavonic translation. This information is borrowed from Cook, Commentary 11, 24 and Keil – Iosua, 29–30. Tristram. The Natural history of the Bible. 1880, p. 488: “The wheat harvest,” it is said here, “begins about a month after the barley harvest, usually in May, though it can begin somewhat earlier in the Jordan valley” – thanks to the tropical climate of the latter. The time of wheat harvest is likewise determined by other researchers. See, for example, Biehm. Handworterbuch des Biblischen Altertums, 1:21. Keil. Iosua. 30. Cook. Commentary 11, 24. Riehim. Handworterbuch, pp. 25, 1786. This Greek translation is not the original LXX translation: in the most ancient Greek manuscripts instead of the stated words is read ἕως μέρους Καθιαριν, according to the Vatican manuscript – “to the part of Cathiarin,” or ἕως μέρους Καριαθιαρίμ, according to the Alexandrian manuscript; in others, later ones: ἀπὸ Ἀδαμὶ (or Δαμιν, Δαμμιμ) τῆς πόλεως ή ἔστιν ἕως μέρους Καριαθιαρίμ (Field). These variant readings in the Greek manuscripts show how in later times they corrected the original Greek translation with the help of the Hebrew text, under the influence of which appeared the words “Ἀδάμ” or Δαμιν in accordance with the Hebrew “to the city of Adam.” See the Hebrew dictionaries “Gesenius” or “Fuerst.” Further confirmation of the correctness of this understanding see in the explanation to 4:9. C. F. Keil. Iosua, pp. 17, 25. It was stated even by Budde in his “Historia Ecclesiastica”, 1719, vol. I, p. 810. In Russian literature, the stated understanding of the sequence of events expounded in chapters I–II is briefly expressed by Fr. M. Kheraskov in “A Survey of the Historical Books of the Old Testament”, 1879, p. 9.

Chapter Four

1. The divine command to bring forth 12 stones to preserve the memory of the event. 9. Erection of another memorial at the bank of the Jordan. 10, 19. The crossing of the entire people through the Jordan and the time of the event. 15. The exit of the priests with the Ark of the Covenant. 14, 21. The significance of the miraculous event.

The crossing of the Jordan on its dried-up bed had great significance not only for those who witnessed it, but also for subsequent generations. It therefore required preservation in memory. How this was accomplished is described in the first 9 verses of this chapter.

Joshua 4:1. When the entire people had crossed over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua: The thought of preserving the memory of the event came not from Joshua son of Nun, but from the Lord, at whose command this account begins. Although the divine revelation concerning this was given to the Israeli leader before the crossing itself, as appears from Josh 3:12, the biblical writer describes it at this place because by its content it belongs to this part of the narrative. By divine command, Joshua had to take from the 12 tribes of Israel (Josh 3:12) 12 men who had been chosen beforehand, so that they might lift from the bed of the Jordan, where the feet of the priests stood, 12 stones, carry them out, and set them at the place where the people would camp for the night.

Joshua 4:2. Take for yourselves from the people twelve men, one man from each tribe, Joshua 4:3. and command them and say: Take for yourselves from here, from the middle of the Jordan, where the feet of the priests stood firm, twelve stones, and carry them with you and set them at the lodging where you will lodge this night. “Take… and command them” agrees with the present Hebrew text; in the Slavonic Bible: “take… command” according to the LXX translation, Theodotion, and Jerome. Since this divine command was directed to Joshua son of Nun, not to the people, the form of the imperative in the singular, adopted by the LXX, seems more appropriate. “From the middle of the Jordan,” see the explanation to Josh 3:17. “Stood firm,” which is the rendering of the same Hebrew word (“haken”), as in Josh 3:17; in the LXX it is translated here as “ready” (Slavonic Bible), in Jerome: “firm,” this word applying not to the preceding but to the following words “twelve stones.” This Greek-Slavonic-Latin translation has the significance that it indicates for the selection of stones to be removed the mark: “readiness,” i.e., suitability for erecting a memorial, or “firmness.”

Joshua 4:4. Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe, Joshua 4:5. and Joshua said to them: Go before the Ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan and [each of you take up a stone on his shoulder], one stone for each of the tribes of the sons of Israel, Joshua 4:6. that they may be for you a sign; when your sons ask in time to come: “What do these stones mean to you?” Fulfilling the divine command, Joshua called “the twelve men whom he had appointed” and who, as they had been chosen beforehand, remained on the east side of the Jordan awaiting the task they were to carry out. To the words “whom he had appointed” the Greek-Slavonic translation corresponds with “renowned,” expressing the same thought in more general form. The words “[take from there]” are taken from the Slavonic Bible, which agrees here with the Alexandrian and other copies, as well as with the Aldine Bible, in which “taking from there” is read. The same must be said of the words “[lying always],” corresponding to the Greek-Slavonic translation, but not found in the Hebrew text or Latin translation.

Joshua 4:7. you shall tell them: “In memory that the water of the Jordan was divided before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord [of all the earth]; when it passed through the Jordan, the water of the Jordan was divided”; thus these stones shall be for the sons of Israel a memorial forever. The words “In memory” are supplied by the Russian translators for the flow of the discourse.

Joshua 4:9. And Joshua set up twelve other stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant [of the Lord] stood. They are there to this day. Besides the memorial erected from the 12 stones taken from the bed of the Jordan at Gilgal (Josh 4:20), Joshua son of Nun set up another memorial also of 12 stones at the place where the feet of the priests with the Ark of the Covenant stood, that is, at the east bank of the Jordan (see the explanations to Josh 3:17). The middle of the river could not serve as a place for this memorial both because it was not the place where the priests stood and because this memorial, being continuously exposed to the action of water, would be very short-lived. From this it can be seen that the Hebrew preposition “betoch” is used here in the sense not of “in the midst of” but “in,” which meaning is also given to it in the LXX, in whose translation is read: “in the very Jordan, in the place where…” The memorial standing on the bank of the Jordan, which is covered by water only during the time of the river’s flood, was visible most of the year. The expression of the biblical text “Joshua set up,” in the absence of any indication in the divine command of this second memorial, gives some ground to think that the thought of its erection belonged to the Israeli leader, who thereby expressed the elevated feelings that filled his soul, which he wished to convey to his contemporaries and to future generations. At the time when the author of the book of Joshua lived, that memorial still existed, which is not said about the first memorial at Gilgal.

Joshua 4:10. The priests bearing the Ark of the [Covenant of the] Lord stood in the middle of the Jordan until all was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak to the people—as Moses had commanded Joshua; meanwhile the people hurried across. “Stood in the Jordan”: according to the Greek-Slavonic translation “in the Jordan.” “As Moses had commanded Joshua.” Here may be understood not special ordinances of Moses relating to this particular event, for such ordinances are not found in the Pentateuch, but the general instructions by which Joshua son of Nun, having been placed at the head of the people, was to be guided (for example Deut 31:3). However, it should be borne in mind that in the Vatican, Alexandrian, and many other lists of the LXX translation the above words are not read and that the corresponding Greek reading is found only in very few lists, and from editions—in the Complutensian Polyglot, with which the Slavonic Bible agrees here. And the people… “ (“meanwhile” is supplied by the Russian translators) “…hurried across.” Since this is said after the statement that “the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant stood in the Jordan,” the cause of the haste with which the crossing was conducted was, it must be thought, this standing of the priests, which required the exertion of strength that could weaken if the time were prolonged; this haste might also be prompted by the desire to complete the crossing before nightfall.

Joshua 4:11. When the entire people had crossed [the Jordan], then the Ark of the [Covenant of the] Lord also crossed, and the priests before the people; Comparison of what is said here in the biblical text with Josh 4:16-17 of this chapter shows that in his account of the crossing of the Jordan the biblical writer did not follow the order of time in which events occurred; therefore he mentions the crossing of the Ark of the Lord before the divine command concerning it. “And the Ark of the [Covenant of the] Lord crossed and the priests before the people.” By placing the Ark of the Lord first before the priests, the biblical writer thereby conveys the majesty of the Ark as the throne of the Lord, from which the miraculous power of God proceeded. Instead of “priests” in the Slavonic Bible is read: “and the stones,” according to many of the Greek lists; but this reading is found far from in all lists of the LXX translation; in the Uncial manuscripts—in the Ambrosian is read “priests”; this same word is read in some later Greek lists and the Complutensian Polyglot, as well as in the Vulgate. “And the stones” appeared here in the Greek list, probably under the influence of what is said in Josh 4:5, that the chosen 12 men, who were to carry stones from the Jordan, were to go before the Ark of the Lord. “Before the people,” that is, in the sight of the people, before their eyes, in their presence.

Joshua 4:12. and the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the sons of Israel, as Moses had told them. Joshua 4:13. About forty thousand armed men passed over before the Lord for battle to the plains of Jericho. To what is said in Josh 4:11 about the crossing of the “entire people” the biblical writer adds an indication of the crossing of the Jordan by armed warriors from the trans-Jordan tribes in the number of approximately 40,000, in accordance with the promise given by these tribes (Josh 1:12-18) and from a sense of duty “before the Lord,” who had brought them rest and given them the land. The mention of this event following the indication of the crossing of the Ark of the Lord does not mean that the warriors from these tribes crossed after the Ark, for after its exit from the Jordan the streambed once again filled with water, but once again testifies only that the biblical narrator was guided here not by the order of time in which events occurred but by the inner relationship between them. “To the plains of Jericho.” Thus is named the extensive fertile plain surrounding ancient Jericho, which in ancient times was covered with palm trees, from which the city bore also the name of the city of Palms (Deut 34:3).

Joshua 4:14. In that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they feared him just as they had feared Moses all the days of his life. As in Josh 4:11, anticipating the course of events, the writer indicated the carrying of the Ark, so here too, before the account of the final manifestation with which the great event concluded, he draws a conclusion, indicating the significance of the event for Joshua son of Nun as a leader of the people; this significance consists of his exaltation before all the people, who thereafter came to fear him just as they had feared Moses (Exod 14:31).

Joshua 4:15. And the Lord said to Joshua, saying: Joshua 4:16. Command the priests bearing the Ark of the Testimony to come up out of the Jordan. Joshua 4:17. And Joshua commanded the priests and said: Come up from the Jordan. Joshua 4:18. And when the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord came up from the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched the dry ground, the water of the Jordan returned to its place and flowed over all its banks as before. The last momentous event in the crossing of the Israeli people through the Jordan was the removal of the Ark of the Lord onto dry ground, accompanied by the fact that immediately after this the water, held back in its flow, rushed forward and filled all the banks of the Jordan as before, from which it became evident once again that from the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord proceeded the power that held back the normal flow of the river. And the biblical writer begins his account of this last event with an exposition of a special divine command, then follows its communication to the priests and the actual fulfillment of it by them.

Joshua 4:19. And the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped at Gilgal, on the east side of Jericho. Joshua 4:20. And those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal The people came up from the Jordan on the 10th day of the first month, the very day on which their fathers began to prepare for the celebration of the Passover and likewise for the departure from Egypt (Exod 12:3). Their first encampment was in a locality that came to be called Gilgal and was located to the southeast of Jericho. The first act of Joshua son of Nun here was the erection of a memorial from the stones taken from the dried bed of the Jordan. At the present time, at a small distance from the village of Riha, which exists on the site of Jericho, three hills are pointed out which bear the name Jeljeljul, corresponding to the biblical Gilgal. Eusebius and Jerome (in Onomastica Sacra, according to de Lagarde’s edition, pp. 126 and 233) indicate this Gilgal as almost 2 Roman miles from Jericho. At approximately such a distance, namely in 45 minutes’ journey from Riha, there is a hill which is covered with large stones and bears among the local inhabitants the name Tell Jeljeljul. Near the hill are traces of a former wall made of unworked stones, and some 80 paces from it is another hill, also with remnants of a wall and fragments of mosaic. A German scholar (Trumbull) who examined this place recognized it as the Gilgal of Joshua son of Nun, and this opinion is accepted by some Western Bible scholars. According to the testimony of travelers of the 6th-7th centuries, at the site of this Gilgal in their time there existed a church, in the altar of which the Jordan stones were arranged.

Joshua 4:21. and said to the sons of Israel: “When your sons ask their fathers in the future: ‘What do these stones mean?’” Joshua 4:22. you shall let your sons know, saying: ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry ground,’” Joshua 4:23. for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up [before us,] for us, until we had crossed over, Joshua 4:24. that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, and that you may fear the Lord your God always. They present, as a general conclusion to the account of the memorable event, an explanation of the significance of the erected memorial, which at the same time serves as an explanation of the principal purpose for which the Lord manifested His almightiness over the waters of the Jordan. This purpose is that “all peoples may know” the almightiness of the Lord and that the Israeli people be filled forever with reverence toward Him (“that you may revere the Lord your God,” according to the Greek-Slavonic translation). * * * “Take” is read in only some Greek lists; in the majority of them instead of this “taking” is read, but “command” is the usual reading of the most ancient Greek lists, the Vatican, Alexandrian, and others. In the Vatican, Alexandrian, Lucianic, and other Greek lists. The lists meant are: Vatican, Alexandrian, Lucianic, and others, as well as the Sixtine Greek Bible. Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky. The Holy Land, vol. 2, p. 33. Riehm. Handworterbuch, p. 518. Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky. Megalithic Monuments of the Holy Land. 1895, p. 88.

Chapter Five

1. The fear of the Canaanites. 2. Joshua son of Nun renews circumcision. 10. The celebration of Passover at Gilgal. 12. The cessation of the descent of manna. 13. The Commander of the Lord’s Host.

The crossing of the Jordan demonstrated to the Israeli leader and people in deed that the living God dwells among them, and that nothing on earth can resist Him. But the all-powerful help of God was promised upon the fulfillment of His will, as expressed in the law (Josh 1:7-8). One of the most important commandments of the law was the commandment concerning the circumcision of all males. The fulfillment of this was required, in particular, for every Israelite and sojourner who wished to participate in the celebration of the Passover, whose time was drawing near. The simultaneous performance of this rite upon the majority of the people, who had just entered enemy territory, presented, without doubt, great difficulties and dangers (Gen 34:25), which could be overcome only by faith in the all-powerful help of the Master of all the earth. The basis for this faith was what the people had experienced in crossing the Jordan. This faith found support also in the effect which the crossing of the Israelites through the Jordan produced upon the Canaanite peoples. It is by an indication of the latter that the 5th chapter begins.

Joshua 5:1. When all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord [God] had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted [they were terrified], and there was no more spirit in them because of the sons of Israel. The crossing of the Israeli people through the impassable Jordan at flood stage produced a striking effect upon all the Canaanite kings and the peoples under their rule, and increased to an extreme degree the loss of spirit that had begun earlier (Josh 2:10-11). In such a dispirited state the Canaanite kings could not immediately engage in battle with the enemy that had invaded their land. “All the kings of the Amorites… and all the kings of the Canaanites” are named here as kings of the two mightiest peoples, who ruled the main regions of the country—the mountains and plains; in the Greek-Slavonic translation “the Canaanite… kings” are named “kings of the Phoenicians,” that is, kings of a separate Canaanite tribe—the Canaanites who lived by the sea, in accordance with which these kings may for greater clarity be called “Canaanite.” “Had crossed over.” The Hebrew expression corresponding to these words, as it is printed in the text (“averenu”), means “we crossed,” from which some concluded that the author of the book was himself a witness to the event he describes. Such a conclusion cannot be recognized as probable because Hebrew scholars did not recognize this spelling of the Hebrew word as correct and replaced it with another (“averam”), meaning “they crossed”; the 70 interpreters also did not recognize the first spelling as correct, as shown by the Greek-Slavonic translation: “while they crossed,” which agrees with the second, altered Hebrew word. It must also be borne in mind that if the expression “averanu”—“we crossed”—had remained in the Hebrew text unchanged, it could have been used by the author—a non-eyewitness of the event—instead of the name of the people to which he belonged, that is, instead of “the sons of Israel.” Examples of such use of the personal pronoun instead of the name of the people—which is so common even now—are found in other places in this book (Josh 4:23 concerning the drying of the Red Sea: “before us, until we crossed”; Josh 5:6: “give us the land”) and Ps 65:6 (Hebrew Psalm LXVI), where the psalmist, addressing the Lord, clearly in the name of his people, raises a song of joy for the turning of the sea to dry land and the crossing of the river with foot, exclaims: “there we rejoiced in Him.” The expression “they were terrified” is a rendering of the Greek LXX “were struck with fear,” read in the Vatican, Alexandrian, and other lists; it represents, in all probability, a secondary, clearer translation of the Hebrew word “vaimmas” used here, which was translated in the LXX too literally: “melted” (“their thoughts”); the unusualness of this expression in discourse and doubtless led to a new translation being made, one of which is “they were terrified” (and there were other translations of it, see Holmes).

Joshua 5:2. At that time the Lord said to Joshua: Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time. Joshua 5:3. So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at [the place called] the Hill of Foreskins. At the time when the Israeli people had encamped at the hill called Gilgal and the kings and tribes of Canaan were in a state of stupor from the fear that gripped them, a divine command came to Joshua son of Nun to prepare flint knives and to circumcise the entire people again, as they had been before. “Flint knives.” In the Hebrew text two words are used here “harot tzurim,” literally meaning “flint knives,” as translated in the Vulgate (stone knives). In the LXX the original translation apparently consisted of the same words “from sharp stone,” as is read in the Alexandrian and some other lists with the omission of the word “stone.” The word “flint” represents a later translation of the Hebrew word “tzurim,” which is not recognized as exact even by Western Christian commentators who rely generally on the Hebrew text. The use of flint knives in circumcision was an ancient custom (Exod 4:25), which retained its force at the time when iron began to be used in everyday life. “And circumcise the sons of Israel a second time,” that is, again, make the entire Israeli people circumcised once more, as they were when they came out of Egypt.

Joshua 5:4. And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt, [all the men of war, who were born on the way in the wilderness after leaving Egypt, had not been circumcised, all whom Joshua circumcised:] all the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness on the way out of Egypt had not been circumcised; Joshua 5:5. for all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness on the way after coming out of Egypt had not been circumcised; Josh 5:4-5 present the explanation of how the Israeli people as a whole ceased to be circumcised; for an examination of them see at the end of the chapter.

Joshua 5:6. For the sons of Israel walked forty [two] years in the wilderness [for this reason many were not circumcised], until all the people of war who came out of Egypt perished, who did not listen to the voice of the Lord and to whom the Lord swore that they should not see the land which the Lord swore to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey, “Forty [two]” according to the majority of lists and editions of the LXX translation, except, so far as is known, the Vatican list No. 58, 13th century, and the Greek text of the Complutensian Polyglot, in which is read only “forty” without the addition “and two.” Nevertheless, for the original number of years in this place of the biblical text it should with full confidence be taken as 40, not 42, first, because this is the only and unchanging number by which in the books of the Old and New Testament (Exod 16:35; Num 32:13; Deut 1:3; Neh 9:21; Amos 2:10; Acts 13:18) the time of the wandering of the Israelites in the wilderness between their departure from Egypt and their entry into the land of Canaan is determined; and second, because “forty” (“arbaim”) is read in this place according to the Hebrew text. As for the number 42, it is nowhere in the Bible, except in this place of the book of Joshua according to the majority of Greek lists, mentioned as a determination of the time of wandering in the wilderness. It is also worthy of note that in the Ostrog and First-Printed Bibles is read precisely the number 40. This same number (quadraginta) is read in Jerome’s translation. For an explanation of the further words Josh 5:6 see at the end of the chapter.

Joshua 5:7. And in their place Joshua raised up their children; these Joshua circumcised, because they were uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised on the way. Here an explanation is given regarding another part of the Israeli people, to which is referred in the second half of Josh 5:4 and which consisted of the uncircumcised. Upon this larger half of the people (see Josh 5:4), consisting of the young generation of the Israeli people, whom the Lord preserved alive by the continuation of His covenant generally with the people (Num 14:31), Joshua son of Nun performed circumcision. And the reason why so many remained uncircumcised is indicated by the words “they had not been circumcised on the way.” According to the meaning of these words, the reason why circumcision was not performed upon those born on the way was the very state of the Israelites as a people moving from place to place and not having the opportunity to stop for several days in order to perform circumcision and then remain in the location for some time. Some commentators are not satisfied with such an explanation and add to it another, consisting in the fact that the condemnation that befell the older generation partly fell upon the younger (Num 14:35), which bore it for the sins of their fathers, and that this condemnation was the reason why those born on the way remained uncircumcised, with those counted among them being precisely those who were born after the uprising of the fathers at Kadesh during the last 38 years. This explanation of a special reason for non-performance of circumcision upon those born on the way appears plausible because the author of the book of Joshua begins here with an account of the reason for the renewal of circumcision, specifically with an indication of the condemnation to which the older generation of the Israeli people was subjected. Such an indication inclines one to connect with this condemnation the non-performance of circumcision upon those born during the time of fulfillment of this condemnation. It is quite probable that the fathers, who violated the Covenant with God and fell under condemnation, were not concerned that their children bear the seal of the Covenant upon themselves.

Joshua 5:8. And when the circumcision of the whole people was complete, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. Joshua 5:9. And the Lord said to Joshua: “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of that place was called Gilgal, even to this day. The number of those uncircumcised, ranging in age from one week (Gen 17:27) to 38 years (see the explanation to Josh 5:4-5), was significantly greater than the number of the circumcised; not without reason is it estimated at from 600 to 700 thousand. The performance of this sacred rite upon such a large number of persons could nonetheless be accomplished quickly, in the course of one day, that is, on the 11th of the first month (see Josh 4:19), thanks to the large number of those who performed it, who could be all the circumcised, constituting, as was noted, about 300 thousand. The fact that the people without hindrance consented to the performance of circumcision upon the greater half of its male population in unconquered territory testifies to a different disposition in it than 38 years (Num 14:1) before—to its faith in God, which made it worthy to bear the sign of the Covenant on its body. The performance of circumcision precisely in Canaan had for the Israeli people another significance, in that it placed an end to “the reproach of Egypt,” that is, the jeers by the Egyptians of the Israeli people, which consisted, as is evident from the prayerful supplications of Moses to the Lord (Exod 32:12-13; Num 14:13-16; Deut 9:29), in the fact that, having left Egypt, it achieved nothing better, did not gain possession of the land of its fathers, and only perishes in the wilderness from the anger of the God it professes. When, under the all-powerful protection of the Lord, the people entered the land of Canaan and in the performance of circumcision received a pledge of communion with Him and His favor, the reproach from the Egyptians ceased to weigh upon it; it “rolled away” from them, as a stone rolls down from a mountain. From this “rolling away” or “removal” of the reproach from the Israelites the place where this occurred received the name Gilgal, which means “rolling away, removal.” For the location of Gilgal, see Josh 4:20.

Joshua 5:10. And the sons of Israel encamped at Gilgal, and they kept the Passover in the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the plains of Jericho; Joshua 5:11. and on the day after the Passover, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened bread and roasted grain on that very day; Joshua 5:12. and the manna ceased on the day after they ate of the produce of the land, and the sons of Israel no longer had manna; but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. The presence of the entire people in the Covenant with God made it possible for them to celebrate the Passover, which was to take place two days later. The sickness of those circumcised could not serve as an obstacle to this (Num 9:10), and those already circumcised could prepare the Passover lamb; they also guarded the Israeli camp from attack by enemies, from which it was also protected by the fear that had been brought upon them. The Passover was celebrated on the 14th day of the first month (see Josh 4:19) in the evening, that is, in accordance with the ordinances (Exod 12:6; Lev 23:5 and others). The “day after the Passover,” from which the Israelites “began to eat the produce of the land,” cannot be understood here as the 15th day of the first month, as in Num 33:3, on the ground that the law (Lev 23:14) forbade the eating of new bread before the presentation in the sanctuary of a sheaf of the new harvest, and this presentation was to be made (Josh 5:11) “on the day after the festival” (literally from the Hebrew “the Sabbath”), by which is meant the 15th day of the first month, that is, the Passover, which was celebrated as a Sabbath. Thus the eating of the produce from the new harvest began on the 16th day of the first month. After the Israelites began to feed on the produce of the land of Canaan, the sending of manna, having become unnecessary, ceased.

Joshua 5:13. And it came to pass, when Joshua was near Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing near him with his sword drawn. Joshua approached him and said to him: “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” Joshua 5:14. And he said: “No; I am the Commander of the Lord’s Host. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the ground and bowed down, and said to him: “What does my lord speak to his servant?” Joshua 5:15. And the Commander of the Lord’s Host said to Joshua: “Remove your sandal from your foot, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. Joshua 5:16. Now Jericho was shut up and barred because of the fear of the sons of Israel: no one went out and no one entered. When, through the performance of circumcision and the Passover, the people strengthened their communion with the Lord and thus prepared themselves inwardly for the coming task, it was the duty of the Israeli leader to proceed to the work itself and first of all to the conquest of the nearest fortified city to the Israeli camp, that is, Jericho. While he, occupied of course with the thought of this, was near the city, a new divine revelation came to him concerning its conquest. The revelation was communicated through the Angel of the Lord, who appeared in the form of a man with a drawn sword. Taken for an ordinary warrior, the one appearing revealed himself through the declaration of his angelic rank: “the Commander of the Lord’s Host”—and through the indication of the holiness of the place. The drawn sword and the title of the one appearing as the Commander of the Lord’s Host showed Joshua son of Nun the readiness of the heavenly forces to assist in the coming struggle with the Canaanite peoples. The basis for seeing in the one appearing to Joshua son of Nun the Angel of the Lord is that he, like the one appearing in the bush (Exod 3:2-5), demands the removal of sandals, as well as the fact that the one appearing bears here (Josh 6:1), as in the book of Exodus, the name Lord and reveals himself as the Lord. However, the blessed Theodoret did not agree with those who in the one appearing to Joshua son of Nun saw God the Word; in his opinion, “this was the Archangel Michael.” “He said: No” according to the present Hebrew text. Instead of “No” “to him” is read in ancient and later Greek lists and other translations, as well as in the Slavonic Bible (the translators, instead of the Hebrew “lo” with aleph, as in the present Hebrew text, apparently read “lo” with vav hollem, which form is also found in some Hebrew lists). The Greek-Slavonic translation “to him” both because of the significant number of witnesses in its favor and because with it the answer of the one appearing to Joshua son of Nun receives greater definiteness through the indication of to whom it is directed, deserves in any case to be noted. By “the Host of the Lord” is meant here not the Israeli army, as in Exod 7:4, but the heavenly host, as in 1 Kgs 22:19, Ps 148:2, because the Israeli army already had a leader appointed by God. “Here” is brought in from the Slavonic Bible; there is no corresponding word for it either in the Hebrew text or in the Greek lists. So far as is known, the words “my lord” are a rendering of the Hebrew word “adoni” in its present form. In the most ancient Greek lists and later ones, as well as in editions of the Greek translation, “Master” is read here, which in the ancient Slavonic translation was rendered as “Sovereign Lord” or “Lord,” as in the present Slavonic Bible. The Greek translation shows that in the Septuagint was read here the corresponding Hebrew word just as in other places where it is used in the sense of the divine name (Gen 15:2 and others), that is, “Adonay.” Such a translation seems more appropriate because in the one appearing, in the Commander of the Lord’s Host, Joshua son of Nun must in any case see a transcendent being or an Angel. The demand to remove sandals with the indication of the holiness of the place should have reminded Joshua of the Theophany to Moses at Horeb and should have shown him more clearly in the one appearing an Angel of the Lord, in whom the Lord Himself is revealed, as the one appearing is also called in the next chapter. Before transmitting the revelation itself, the author of the book makes a brief remark about the state of the city to which it relates (Josh 5:16). He says precisely that this city—Jericho—was strongly fortified, which in the Hebrew text is expressed by the repetition of the same verb “sagar”—“shut” in two forms of the participle, which expression can literally be rendered as (“Jericho”) “shutting, was shut,” according to the Greek-Slavonic translation “barred and guarded.” The further words “no one went out… and no one entered” emphasize even more the thought of the fortification of the city due to walls surrounding it on all sides and at the same time indicate that it was prepared to defend itself against the attack of the Israelites. From Josh 6:1 it can be seen that in Jericho there were brave men capable of defending their city. “Because of the fear” is added to round out the Russian speech; instead of this in some of the Greek lists “from the sight” is read, according to which in the Slavonic Bible: “from the sight of the sons of Israel.” Josh 5:16 in other editions of the Greek translation serves as the opening verse of the 6th chapter. An explanation of Josh 5:4-5. In the form in which these verses are read according to the Russian and Slavonic translations, their meaning is unclear. According to the words Josh 5:4, put in brackets, those uncircumcised among the Israeli people were, first, those who “were born on the way,” and second, those who “among those who came out of Egypt were not circumcised.” The first of these statements is expressed the same way also in the second half of Josh 5:5: “all the people born in the wilderness on the way after coming out of Egypt were not circumcised.” Meanwhile, the second statement does not find its correspondence in the opening words of Josh 5:5, where it is said on the contrary that “all the people who came out” were circumcised. The cause of this discrepancy of the words of one verse with those of another lies in the fact that the Russian-Slavonic translation Josh 5:4 represents a rendering of two translations: from the Greek LXX and from the Hebrew text. The words “of Israel, who were born on the way in the wilderness after coming out of Egypt, whom Joshua circumcised:” serve as a rendering of the LXX translation, as it is read in the most ancient lists: Vatican, Alexandrian, and others. In these lists the second half of Josh 5:4 and Josh 5:5, as is read in the Russian and Slavonic translations, from the words “all the people who came out of Egypt…” to the end of Josh 5:5 is absent. It was also absent in the ancient manuscript Slavonic translation. What in the Slavonic-Russian translation constitutes the second half of Josh 5:4 and Josh 5:5 represents a translation from the present Hebrew text and agreeing with them another Greek one, which was made in ancient times and brought by Origen into his Hexapla. Here this second translation was marked with the so-called asterisk as a translation which, according to the Hebrew text, filled in the common text of the LXX at that time. And the above-mentioned first Greek translation, whose rendering constitutes the first half of Josh 5:4 according to the Russian-Slavonic translation, was marked with the so-called obelus as superfluous in comparison with the Hebrew text. These distinctive signs (asterisk and obelus), placed by Origen, clearly indicated the mutual relationship and significance of these two translations as translations of one and the same place of the biblical text. But in later times, when those preparing new copies from the Greek text corrected by Origen ceased to display his placed marks, both of these periods began to be written one after the other, as if constituting one whole. Thus appeared the Greek text of this place, which is found in the Lucianic lists in their reproduction in an edition, as well as in the Complutensian Polyglot and other editions of the LXX translation, including the Moscow Greek Bible. The Complutensian Polyglot was apparently used by the correctors of the present Slavonic translation. From the foregoing consultation with ancient witnesses to the biblical text it is evident that the two Greek translations serving as the basis for the Russian-Slavonic translation, as being different translations of one and the same place of the biblical text, cannot be joined together, because with such a joining, that is, with the joint rendering of one and the other, a double translation is obtained. And from this it itself follows that in translating this place of the biblical text it is necessary to make a choice between the existing two translations and, having selected the one that is most perfect, to make the translation from it. This choice in this place of the book of Joshua does not present any particular difficulty. Concerning the first, most ancient, Greek translation of this place it was already indicated by Origen that it does not correspond to the Hebrew text; in particular, it was noted above that the representation it expresses about the Israelites not having circumcision upon their departure from Egypt is in disagreement with the words of the Greek-Slavonic translation Josh 5:5. To this must be added that this representation about the uncircumcised Israelites upon their departure from Egypt is excluded by the account in the book of Exodus. It nowhere says that among those who came out of Egypt there were uncircumcised, and yet this phenomenon, if it had existed, could not have been passed over in silence because of its obvious importance in view of the entry into the Covenant by the Lord with the Israeli people which took place two months after the departure from Egypt. If there had been among the latter those uncircumcised, this rite would certainly have been performed upon them before the conclusion of the Covenant. If the Angel of the Lord threatened Moses with death for not performing circumcision upon his son, then still less could the conclusion of a Covenant with a people having the uncircumcised in their midst have been permitted. There was sufficient time to perform circumcision before the conclusion of the Covenant (Exod 19:10-11). On the basis of all this, the most ancient Greek translation Josh 5:4-5, which the ancient Slavonic translators used, should yield its place to the later one, which has before it the advantage that it fully agrees with the Hebrew text as it was read in the times of Origen and the blessed Jerome, whose translation does not contain words corresponding to the most ancient Greek translation, and as it is read at the present time. This later Greek translation also corresponds to the biblical account of the events of the Exodus and the Theophany at Sinai. If on the basis of the reasons given the words Josh 5:4-5, serving as a rendering of the most ancient Greek translation and placed in brackets, are left aside, then in this case the biblical text of these verses has the following meaning: all Israelites who came out of Egypt, those able to make war, that is, adults, having more than 20 years (Num 1:3), died in the wilderness on the way out of Egypt; all the people who came out were circumcised, but all born in the wilderness during the journey from Egypt were not circumcised. Consequently, of all those having circumcision upon their departure from Egypt there remained alive only those who at that time were younger than 20 years, and after the crossing of the Jordan had from 40 years and above; and all the other Israelites younger than 40 years were uncircumcised. If the average lifespan at that time was significantly higher than at present (Moses died at 120 years, Joshua son of Nun—at 110 years) and reached 80 years (Ps 89:10), then the number of the uncircumcised constituted the larger half of the Israeli people, since elderly people (over 40) are always fewer than the young. Some commentators estimate the number of circumcised Israelites who crossed the Jordan at from 250–300 thousand. Continuation of the explanation of Josh 5:6. The further words Josh 5:6 “[for this reason many were not circumcised], until all the people…” also represent a joining of two translations—the Greek-Slavonic and another—according to the present Hebrew text. The former belong the words, distinguished by brackets, the latter—the further words to the end of the verse. From the Greek-Slavonic translation only the opening words are brought in, and the following until the end of Josh 5:6 are replaced by a translation from the Hebrew. In its complete form the Greek translation of this place consists of the following words, as they are translated into Slavonic: “for this reason many of those warriors who came out of the land of Egypt did not receive circumcision, who did not listen to the commandments of the Lord, to whom the Lord determined that they should not see the land which the Lord swore to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.” From the Hebrew, this place, without any additions or omissions, is translated: “until all the people, men of war, who came out of Egypt, who did not listen to the voice of the Lord, to whom the Lord swore that they should not see the land which the Lord swore to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey, perished.” Comparison of both translations shows a significant difference in the thought expressed by one and the other. According to the Greek-Slavonic translation, here is indicated the reason why many of the warriors who came out of Egypt were not circumcised and then turned out to be breakers of God’s commandments. This explanation has, obviously, immediate connection with the words Josh 5:4: “and all those who were not circumcised from those who came out of Egypt.” According to the translation from the Hebrew, here is explained why all the adult warriors who came out of Egypt died and is pointed to disobedience to the voice of the Lord as the cause of their condemnation to destruction. The introduction into this explanation by the biblical writer of the words of the Greek-Slavonic translation—“for this reason many were not circumcised”—is not fitting because those condemned to death in the wilderness belonged to the circumcised upon their departure from Egypt, as is said in the opening words of Josh 5:5. The words “[for this reason many were not circumcised]” (Josh 5:6) apply only to another part of the people, which consisted of those born in the wilderness, but of this part of the Israeli people there is speech in the following Josh 5:7. The attempt made in the Russian translation to join the two translations (from the Greek and Hebrew) does not turn out, therefore, to be achieving its purpose. Because of this, here too it is necessary to make a choice of one of the two translations of this place, serving as the most accurate rendering of the biblical text. By this one translation the Greek-Slavonic cannot serve, because in it is expressed the same, as in Josh 5:4, representation of the existence of many uncircumcised Israelites among those who came out of Egypt. This representation, as explained above, does not agree with the opening words of Josh 5:5 according to the Greek-Slavonic translation: “for all the people who came out were circumcised,” and with the biblical account of the events of the Exodus and Sinai legislation. The translation from the Hebrew text, as not containing this representation, deserves already for this reason preference. To considering it an accurate rendering of the biblical text of this place, the agreement of it with Jerome’s translation is a disposition, in which it is rendered with the words: “until all those were consumed who did not listen to the voice of the Lord, and to whom he swore before that he would not show them the land flowing with milk and honey.” If on the basis of the considerations given one concentrates attention only on the words Josh 5:6, not guarded by brackets, then their meaning becomes the following. The biblical writer here explains how and why the adult Israelites who came out of Egypt died in the wilderness. This happened, he says, during the 40-year wandering in the wilderness to which all those of full age were condemned because they showed disobedience to the Lord; for this, by divine determination (“the Lord swore”), they were deprived of the inheritance of the beautiful land promised to their ancestors. * * * The commentaries of Keil and Cooke are meant. More fully about this in the work “Concerning the 150th Anniversary of the Elisabethan Bible,” pp. 52–55. Here also is given an explanation of the name “Maudariada,” read in Josh 5:6, according to the Slavonic Bible. Keil. Joshua, 37–39; Cooke. Commentary 2:28–29. Keil. Joshua, 40. Works of the blessed Theodoret, vol. I, p. 277. Keil. Joshua, 43. Lebedev, 247. In these lists and editions based on them (Sixtine, Tischendorf, and Cambridge) Josh 5:4-5 is read: when Joshua finished circumcising all the sons of Israel, whosoever were born on the way, and whosoever had not been circumcised from those who came out of Egypt, all of these Joshua circumcised. Then follows verse 6. In the Moscow Greek Bible these words, absent in the Alexandrian list, are read. The pre-Ostrog translation presented here represents a rendering of the LXX translation, brought in in note 52. From this it is evident of the complete injustice of the opinion expressed by the author of the named work, as if “the translators of the pre-Ostrog Slavonic Bible allowed themselves in their work, at their own discretion, to make certain omissions compared to the Greek original.” In reality they were translating what was in the Greek text they had, which was evidently a Greek list homologous with the most ancient Greek lists, and not with the later ones, in which is read what is absent in the first. The absence of the second half of Josh 5:4 and Josh 5:5, as it is read in the later Greek lists, whose text was filled in from Origen’s Hexapla, serves, among other things, as proof that the original for the ancient Slavonic translation was not the Lucianic text, in whose lists in this place is read what is absent in the ancient Slavonic translation. This second Greek translation consisted of the following words: “And this is the word which Joshua circumcised: all the people who came out of Egypt, the males, all the men of war who died in the wilderness on the way, having come out of the land of Egypt because they were circumcised; all the people who came out and all the people who were born in the wilderness on the way after they came out of the land of Egypt were not circumcised” (Field). This translation also is read in the Lucianic and other lists. The obelus and asterisk at the two translations considered at this place were preserved in very few lists. See Field. Origen’s Hexapla, vol. I, II, p. 344. The edition de Lagarde is meant: Librorum Veteris Testament canonicorum pars prior. In these editions the initial Greek translation Josh 5:4-5, brought in in the eighth note, and then the later one, brought in in the eleventh note, are read one after the other. In the Moscow Greek Bible only the opening words of the second Greek translation “And this is the word which Joshua circumcised” are omitted. Jerome’s translation, according to Tischendorf’s edition: “This is the cause of the second circumcision: All the people who came out of Egypt of the male sex, all the warriors, died in the wilderness through the long circuits of the way, all of whom were circumcised. But the people born in the wilderness through the forty years of the journey in the broad solitude were uncircumcised.” Cook. Commentary 2:23, Keil, Joshua, 40 considers from 280 to 330 thousand circumcised. The corresponding Greek word “whom” is more correctly referred to “to give” and translated “which.” In the Vatican and Alexandrian lists “our.”

Chapter Six

1. The Lord gives Jericho into the power of Joshua son of Nun and opens an extraordinary way to capture it. 5. The transmission of the divine command to the priests and the people. 7. The execution of the divine command. 14. The circuit of the city on the 7th day and the dedication of Jericho to destruction. 21. The salvation of Rahab. 25. A curse upon the one who rebuilds the walls of Jericho. 26. The glory of Joshua son of Nun.

When Joshua son of Nun, fulfilling the requirement of the One who had appeared to him, removed his sandals and in this way clearly understood that he stood in the presence of God, the Lord opened His will to him.

Joshua 6:1. Then the Lord said to Joshua: See, I give into your hand Jericho and its king and the mighty warriors in it. Joshua 6:2. March around the city, all you able to go to war, going around the city once a day; you shall do this for six days. Joshua 6:3. Seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of the jubilee before the Ark; and on the seventh day you shall go around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. Joshua 6:4. When the jubilee trumpet sounds, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a loud voice, and the wall of the city shall fall down to its foundation, and all the people shall go up, each straight before him. Joshua 6:5. And Joshua son of Nun called the priests of Israel and said to them: Carry the Ark of the Covenant; and seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of the jubilee before the Ark of the Lord. The divine revelation begins with the announcement to Joshua son of Nun of the high will’s determination to give Jericho, together with its king and mighty people, into the hands of the Hebrew leader. Then the Lord indicates the very way to carry out this determination—an extraordinary way, in which the force of arms was completely set aside and replaced by the almighty power of the Lord God of Israel. It consisted in the fact that preceded by all the Hebrews able to go to war and seven priests with jubilee trumpets the Ark was carried around for six days once, and on the 7th day 7 times, and only at this last circuit, when the sound of the sacred trumpet was heard, all the people cried out with a loud voice; at this time “the wall of the city was broken down to its foundation.” The chief thing in this way, as it is set out in the main lines by the writer of the book, is that the Ark or “the Ark of the Lord” goes around Jericho (Josh 6:10), which, serving as the throne of the Lord, signifies His direct presence among His people. The biblical writer expressed this understanding of the Ark of the Lord even in the fact that instead of the Ark he used the divine name: “the Lord” (Josh 6:7) (the same in the Hebrew text and the Greek-Slavonic translation). From the people all able to go to war under the guidance of the Lord go around the city just as in ordinary wars the enemy troops surround the conquered city. But whereas the latter in such an attack in ancient times would throw up earthen ramparts and build siege machines, the Hebrew army did nothing of the sort; instead it was to preserve complete silence while going around the city (except in the last moment), thus expressing awe before its supreme Commander, and also that the victory over the enemy would not be achieved by weapons. The presence of the Lord among the Hebrew army was signified further by the trumpet blast, which served as one of the signs of the Lord’s descent upon Sinai (Exod 19:16), and in the ritual ordinances served as a reminder to the Lord of His people (Num 10:9). The fact that persons (7 priests), objects (7 trumpets of the jubilee or horns), and actions (7 days of going around Jericho, 7 circuits on the 7th day) are determined by the sacred number 7, the number of God’s works at the creation of the world, shows that these persons, objects, and actions have not a military but a sacred character, pervaded by the thought of God as the sole cause of what is to come to pass. How small was the people’s participation in the taking of Jericho is shown by the fact that apart from marching, there was assigned to them one action: a loud cry when going around the city the 7th time of the 7th day. The fact that the writer calls the One who appeared to Joshua son of Nun the Lord is in accord with other places in the biblical text, for example with Exod 3:2 and further, where the name “Angel of the Lord” is replaced with the names: the Lord and God. The words Josh 6:1: “[and the mighty warriors in it]” are absent from the Hebrew text and a significant number of Greek manuscripts. The jubilee trumpets are trumpets of special construction, in which they blew when the jubilee year came (Lev 25:9); they differed from the silver trumpets used during the wilderness wandering for gathering the congregation and announcing the departure on the journey (Num 10:2). In Josh 6:4 the jubilee trumpet is called the jubilee horn, probably because it was made from the horns of animals. In the earliest manuscripts of the LXX translation (the Vatican and Alexandrian) Josh 6:3 or—according to other editions—Josh 6:4 is not read, despite the particular importance of its content, since it contains the command about carrying the Ark around Jericho. This verse was also absent from the ancient manuscript Slavonic translation (V. Lebedev, p. 360). But in the Ambrosian manuscript, also ancient, it is found.

Joshua 6:5–15. The further narrative serves as a description of how Joshua son of Nun announced the divine command to the priests and the people (Josh 6:5-9) and how both they and the others carried it out (Josh 6:9-15). This execution, corresponding in the main to the divine command, presents certain details not clearly indicated in it. Thus, by the command of Joshua son of Nun, some of the armed men were placed before the Ark of the Covenant (Josh 6:6), in front of the priests (Josh 6:8), and the rest of the people, with the priests at the head, who blew the trumpets, were to follow after the Ark (Josh 6:8); the people during the circuit of Jericho were not to speak and make any outcries (Josh 6:9); the circuit began “early in the morning” (Josh 6:11), and on the 7th day—“early, at the appearing of dawn” (Josh 6:14) so that before the coming of night the sevenfold circuit around the city could be accomplished. Joshua 6:5. And Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them: Carry the Ark of the Covenant; and seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of the jubilee before the Ark of the Lord. Joshua 6:6. And he said to them, to tell the people: Go and march around the city; and the armed men shall go before the Ark of the Lord. Joshua 6:7. As soon as Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of the jubilee before the Lord went forward and blew the trumpets, and the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord went after them. The words “[to them, to tell]” are brought in from the Slavonic Bible (…to them…command), which follows the Greek translation αὐτοῖς… παραγγείλατε. What corresponds to this in the Hebrew text is written as: “vayyomeru”—“and they said”, and is read as: “vayyomer”—“and he said.” Of these readings the latter appears most suitable, according to which Joshua son of Nun himself transmitted the command to the people, and the basis for this is that in Josh 6:9 according to both the Hebrew text and the Greek-Slavonic translation Joshua himself “gave the people a command and said.”

Joshua 6:8. And the armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets; and those following kept behind the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, blowing the trumpets as they went. Joshua 6:9. And Joshua commanded the people and said: You shall not shout and you shall not make your voice heard, and let no word go forth from your mouth until the day I say to you “Shout!”—and then you shall shout. Joshua 6:10. Thus the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord went around the city and went around once; and they came to the camp and lodged in the camp. Joshua 6:11. And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests carried the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. Joshua 6:12. And the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of the jubilee before the Ark of the Lord went forward and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went before them, and those who followed were behind the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord as they went, blowing the trumpets. Joshua 6:13. Thus on the second day also they went around the city once and returned to the camp. So they did for six days. Joshua 6:14. On the seventh day they rose early, at the breaking of dawn, and went around the city in the same manner seven times; on that day only they went around the city seven times. Joshua 6:15. And when the priests blew the trumpets the seventh time, Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city!” “And those who followed were behind the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord as they went, blowing the trumpets.” These words in the Vatican, Alexandrian, and some other manuscripts, as well as in the Sixtine Bible, correspond to: καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς οἱ οὐραγοῦντες ὀπίσω τῆς κιβωτοῦ τῆς διαθήκης Κυρίου… σαλπίζοντες—“and the priests, going behind the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, blowing.” According to this translation, the trumpet was sounded by the priests following the Ark, not the people walking with them. This peculiarity of the Greek translation deserves special attention because through it there is resolved the confusion aroused here by the words of the current Hebrew text, according to which the people walking behind the Ark blew the trumpet during the march, while in the verse that follows the people are instructed to keep complete silence. The word “priests,” preserved by the Greek translation of this passage, is here required by the context of biblical speech.

Joshua 6:16. The city and all that is in it shall be devoted to destruction for the Lord; only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house; for she hid the messengers whom we sent. Joshua 6:17. But you shall keep yourselves from the devoted thing, so that you do not become devoted to destruction, if you take any of the devoted thing; thus you would make the camp of Israel devoted to destruction and bring trouble upon it. Joshua 6:18. And all the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, shall be dedicated to the Lord and go into the treasury of the Lord. Joshua 6:19. And the people shouted, and they blew the trumpets. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, each straight before him, and they took the city. Joshua 6:20. Then they devoted to destruction by the edge of the sword all in the city, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, all were destroyed. When on the 7th time of the 7th day, which was probably a sabbath, the circuit around Jericho was made and the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua son of Nun commanded the people to shout as a sign that the Lord had given him the city, and at the same time announced that this city “shall be devoted to destruction,” that is, wholly dedicated to God as an irrevocable gift. “Devoted to destruction” in Hebrew is “herem,” which means “setting apart,” “complete dedication,” according to the Greek translation ἀνάθεμα, which has the same meaning. According to the laws of devotion (Lev 27:28-33, Deut 13:15 and other places), everything alive from man to beast devoted to destruction was put to death, and all else was destroyed or given to the sanctuary. Devotion to destruction was the highest vow in Old Testament times, by which people expressed complete, self-denying dedication to God and gratitude (Num 21:2). That Joshua son of Nun imposed a curse of devotion upon Jericho before its capture testifies that he fully understood the great significance of the event about to take place. The fall of the walls of Jericho was as much a miracle of divine omnipotence as it was an invaluable gift from God to the Hebrew people, necessary for the conquest of the land of Canaan. If the Hebrews under the walls of Jericho had been left to themselves, the capture of this fortified city would surely have presented for them the greatest difficulties, as they did not have the various engines necessary for taking such cities and were unaccustomed, having grown up in the wilderness, to such military work. In the event of a prolonged siege of Jericho, help would certainly have come to its aid from other Canaanite cities, and the Hebrews would have been forced to wage war simultaneously both with these cities and with the besieged city. The falling of the walls of Jericho, accomplished through the action of God in the shortest period of time, not only freed the Hebrew people from the difficulties of besieging a fortified city, but at the same time served as a visible sign to all of God’s blessing upon their efforts to conquer the land of Canaan, and along with this, a pledge of success in achieving their goal. And just as this miracle of divine omnipotence must have raised the spirit of the Hebrews, so too it surely increased despair among the Canaanite peoples. In view of the great significance of the miraculous fall of the walls of Jericho, it becomes clear why Joshua son of Nun pronounced an extraordinary vow—to dedicate this city with everything in it to the Lord as the first fruits of the cities of the land of Canaan. The effect of this vow was not to extend only to Rahab. In the words “to the Lord [of hosts]” the latter is brought in from the Greek-Slavonic translation, which rests on the majority of Greek manuscripts, in which is read: τῷ Κυρίω Σαβαώθ (in the Vatican and other manuscripts) or: τῷ Κυρίω τῶν δυνάμεων (in the Alexandrian, Ambrosian, and other manuscripts). The “treasury of the Lord,” into which the gold, silver, and other metals found in Jericho were to be placed, was at the Tabernacle of Meeting (Num 31:54). In the words “[all] the wall” the first word is absent in some of the earliest (Alexandrian, Ambrosian) and later manuscripts, as well as in the Hebrew text, and this omission of the word “all” deserves attention in view of the fact that the part of the wall where or near which (see concerning Josh 2:15) the house of Rahab was located had to be preserved, otherwise the house of Rahab would have fallen down, which in the further words of the biblical narrative (Josh 6:21-22) appears to have been preserved together with all that were in it.

Joshua 6:21. And he said to the two men who had spied out the land: Go into the prostitute’s house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, since you have sworn to her. Joshua 6:22. So the young men who had spied went in and brought out Rahab the prostitute, along with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all who belonged to her—they brought out all her kindred and set them outside the camp of Israel. Rahab was preserved alive together with all her kinsmen because of the oath sworn to her by the spies, who had been sent to her house to bring out all who were in it. As they did not belong to the Hebrew people, they were placed outside the Hebrew camp. Later Rahab became part of the Hebrew people and lived among them, having of course abandoned her pagan beliefs and openly come to confess the God of Israel. What is said about Rahab: “And she lives in Israel even to this day” (Josh 6:24)—shows that the writer of the book made use of monuments written some time after the very events. According to Josephus Antiquities (V:1, 7), Joshua son of Nun gave her a portion of land and treated her with honor. Living among the Hebrews, she became so close to them that she became the wife of Salmon, a prince of the tribe of Judah (Ruth 4:20), and the mother of Boaz (Matt 1:5), who were ancestors of David and likewise ancestors of Christ the Savior. The apostles reckoned Rahab among the Old Testament righteous who were saved from destruction by faith (Heb 11:31) and received justification through the works united with faith (Jas 2:25), and the fathers and teachers of the Church in the person of the Canaanite woman Rahab, who believed in the true God and abandoned her former shameful life, perceived a prefiguration of the Church of Christ from the nations (from the works of Blessed Theodoret, bishop of Cyrrhus, vol. I, 272).

Joshua 6:25. At that time Joshua made an oath and said: Cursed before the Lord be anyone who tries to rebuild this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest shall he set up its gates. [Thus Azan of Bethel did: he laid the foundation of Jericho at the cost of Aviron, his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest, who was saved.] In order that the walls of Jericho, destroyed by God, might remain as an eternal memorial of the extraordinary event that had taken place, Joshua son of Nun pronounced a curse on anyone who would wish to rebuild them. The words “rebuild and build the city of Jericho” refer to the building not of houses, but specifically of city walls, which make a settled place a fortified place or city; the Hebrew verb “to build” (“bana”) is used in this sense, for example, in 1 Kgs 15:17: “Baasha began to build Ramah”; 2 Chr 11:6: “built” (Slavonic Bible) or “fortified” (Russian Synodal translation) “Bethlehem.” And since the curse was directed precisely at the one who would restore the city walls, not dwelling houses, therefore in the immediate time after this event Jericho did not cease to be a settled place of the tribe of Benjamin or a city in the general sense, as is evident from Josh 18:21, Judg 3:13, 2 Sam 10:5. The words “[Thus Azan… set up its gates]” are absent from the Hebrew text and the translation of Blessed Jerome, but are found in the earliest and many later Greek manuscripts and editions. They are found in 1 Kgs 16:34, where they are read in somewhat altered form (instead of “Azan” it reads “Ahiel,” instead of “saved”—“Segub”); from there they were transferred to the book of Joshua as a fulfillment of the prophetic curse. In the Hexapla of Origen at Josh 6:25 there is no indication of these words as extra against the Hebrew text: from this with probability one may conclude that in the Greek translation of his time these additional words had not yet been read. * * * And in the final words Josh 6:8 according to the Greek translation the word οἱ ἱερεῖς—“the priests” precedes the words “as they went, blowing the trumpets.” This addition from the Greek translation is so necessary here that it appears even in translations from the Hebrew, such as the revised English translation of the Bible.

Chapter Seven

1. The defeat of the Hebrew force by the inhabitants of Ai. 6. Deep sorrow of Joshua and the elders. 10. Divine revelation to the Hebrew leader. 16. Discovery of the guilty one by lot. 19. The confession of Achan. 24. His punishment.

Joshua 7:1. But the Israelites committed a breach of faith [and took] some of the devoted things. Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things; and the anger of the Lord burned against the Israelites. The lofty feeling expressed in the dedication of Jericho to the Lord was not so universal among the Hebrew people as to exclude any exception. Such an exception appeared in the person of Achan, who took “from the devoted things,” that is, committed sacrilege. This grave sin was reckoned as the sin of the sons of Israel, as constituting one “people of the Lord” (Num 11:29), one community (Lev 10:6, Num 1:53), which was therefore responsible for the offenses of its members, and therefore was bound to remove evil from its midst (Deut 13:5-17 and elsewhere), if it wished to avoid punishment from God. Therefore the biblical narrator, intending to speak of Achan’s crime, begins with the words: “And the Israelites committed a breach of faith…” having in mind not to indicate the people’s participation in the commission of the crime, but their guilt before God for the sin of one of its members. The words “[great]… [and took]” are brought in from the Greek-Slavonic translation; the first is not read, however, in the Alexandrian and other manuscripts. Achan—thus named in the Hebrew text here and in Josh 22:20; and in 1 Chr 2:7—Achar. This difference in the spelling of the name is also reflected in the Greek manuscripts, of which in the Vatican the name appears here in the book of Joshua as Achar, in the Alexandrian and other manuscripts as Achan. The latter must be recognized as the original, as it is indicated the same in both places in the Hebrew text; the letter “r” appeared probably later, under the influence of the name of the valley of Achor, in which he was stoned to death. According to genealogy Achan belonged to the fifth generation of descendants of Zerah, son of Judah (1 Chr 2:7), but in view of the long period of time separating the patriarch Judah from Achan, one may suppose that this genealogy is incomplete.

Joshua 7:2. Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, to the east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out Ai. Joshua 7:3. When they returned to Joshua, they said to him: “Do not let all the people go up; let only two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few [in number].” Joshua 7:4. So about three thousand of the people went up there, and they fled before the inhabitants of Ai. Joshua 7:5. The inhabitants of Ai killed about thirty-six of them and chased them from the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the slope. And the hearts of the people melted and became like water. Achan’s crime was not revealed immediately after its commission, but some time later, during which the Hebrews were overtaken by an unexpected misfortune, which served as a punishment for his crime. It became known only after the failure that befell the Hebrew forces, in order that through this the importance of the sin committed might be revealed with complete clarity, and also the necessity of firm obedience to the divine commandments for obtaining divine help in the conquest of Canaan, without which the Hebrew forces could have no success. The misfortune happened during the conquest of the small city of Ai, which was at no great distance from Jericho, “near Beth-aven, to the east of Bethel.” That after the capture of Jericho Joshua son of Nun directed his forces against that part of the land of Canaan where Ai was located and which comprises the central strip of the land, in this is correctly seen a remarkable strategic plan, consisting in gaining control of this strip, dividing the southern and northern parts of the country, and then acting against each of them separately. The known position of Bethel at the site of the present Beitin, north of Jerusalem, makes known the general position of Ai. Researchers of biblical geography indicate the location of this city to the east of Beitin, on a hill near the village of Deir Diwan, bearing at present the name Tell (“heap of stones”), which recalls what is said in Josh 8:28 of the turning of Ai into an eternal ruin. What locality is meant by Beth-aven in Josh 18:12, named “wilderness,” remains unknown with precision; it is supposed that the locality bearing this name, meaning “house of emptiness,” that is, “of idols,” was located so near Bethel that in later times the name of Bethel (“house of God”) began to be used instead, as not fitting in light of the opinion of the prophets (Hos 4:15) of the idolatry practiced at Bethel. Such replacement of one name with another, however, does not give the right to regard the name Beth-aven as inserted into the text of the book of Joshua by someone at a later time. The incorrectness of such an assumption is evident from the fact that Beth-aven is named in Josh 18:12 in describing the border of the tribe of Benjamin as a completely defined and known locality; as well as in 1 Sam 13:5 it is named in the same sense in describing the war of Saul with the Philistines. In spite of the insignificance of Ai, which Joshua son of Nun had learned about beforehand through persons sent for that purpose, the attack completely failed; the Hebrew force was repelled with the loss of 36 men and pursued “to Shebarim,” as they were presumably called, quarries on the slope of the mountain. In the Greek-Slavonic translation the words “to Shebarim” correspond to “until they shattered” (συνέτριψαν), which shows that the Hebrew word “shebarim” was read differently and taken as a form of “shavar”—“to break, to shatter.” The inaccuracy of this translation was recognized already in ancient times, as shown by one of the Greek manuscripts, in which instead of the Greek translation given above in the margin is placed εως Σεβαρεμι—“to Shebarim” (Field). In the translation of Blessed Jerome likewise it reads ad Sabarin. “The hearts of the people melted and became like water”—an expression similar to that used in Josh 2:11, but even more forceful, indicating complete loss of courage, likened to spilled water: as the latter disappears, so courage vanished from the heart of the people.

Joshua 7:6. Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell face down to the ground before the Ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. Joshua 7:7. Joshua said: “Ah, Lord God! Why have you brought this people across the Jordan at all, to hand us over to the Amorites so as to destroy us? Would that we had been content to settle beyond the Jordan!” Joshua 7:8. O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned their backs to their enemies? Joshua 7:9. The Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name? Such great despair of the people was caused not by the defeat itself, which was insignificant in the number of those killed, but by the abandonment by God, the loss of divine help, which he rightly perceived in this defeat. Therefore Joshua son of Nun and the people’s elders, cast into extreme sorrow and with the usual outward signs of it on their garments and on their heads (Lev 10:6; Num 20:6) turned to the Lord: in the Tent of Meeting they “fell face down to the ground before the Ark of the Lord.” The prayer of Joshua son of Nun is an expression of a soul shaken, losing itself in confusion before the sorrowful event that had taken place, troubled by fear for the future, but a soul believing, concerned for God’s glory, and therefore speaking boldly and sincerely its troubled thoughts before God. The defeat just experienced brought the Hebrew leader into such despair that the purpose of the great works of God accomplished before his eyes became unclear to him, and he found himself in a state to turn to the Lord with a question, reminiscent of the complaints of the previous generation (Num 14:2) about why the Lord had brought the people across the Jordan. The purpose of this became so unclear to him at that time that in reflecting on it the possibility of the Hebrews being handed over to the Amorites was not excluded, on account of which was even expressed regret that the people had not remained beyond the Jordan. In expressing such dark thoughts, Joshua son of Nun feels, however, all their inappropriateness and, as if in justification of himself, says: “O Lord, what can I say now that Israel has turned their backs to their enemies?” This defeat was so unexpected and so little in accord with what had been happening up to that point that it involuntarily gave rise to dark thoughts and caused him to fear for the future destiny of the people. Fear so took possession of the soul of the one praying that to him there now appeared as inevitable the consequences of the defeat, consisting in the fact that, having heard of it, the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of this land would surround the Hebrew people and destroy it. But this conception of the consequences of defeat, despite all the despondence of the spirit of Joshua son of Nun, did not take complete possession of his soul, for it was not in accord with the great name of God, that is, with His divine majesty!.. It is through the consciousness of this lack of accord, expressed in the form of a question, that the prayer concludes: “And what will you do for your great name?” that is, how, if the Hebrew people be destroyed, will you protect your great name from reproach on the part of other peoples, a name which you have shown forth in the events of Hebrew history? The greatness of God’s name was pointed to by Moses as well in his intercessions for the people (Num 14:15; Deut 9:28).

Joshua 7:10. The Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why have you fallen upon your face?” Joshua 7:11. Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I imposed on them. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, hidden them, and put them among their own belongings. Joshua 7:12. Therefore the Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they turn their backs to their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction themselves. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. Joshua 7:13. Get up, sanctify the people and say: Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: there are devoted things among you, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you. Joshua 7:14. In the morning therefore you shall come forward tribe by tribe. The tribe that the Lord takes shall come near by clans, the clan that the Lord takes shall come near by households, and the household that the Lord takes shall come near one by one. Joshua 7:15. And the one who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, together with all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel. The divine response to Joshua son of Nun’s prayer came to him immediately. It begins with a command to him, as one not guilty of what had happened, to get up from the ground, but at the same time contains a rebuke, expressed as a question: “Why have you fallen upon your face?” That is, why have you been seized with such fear, why have such dark thoughts come upon you? Is this in accord with firm faith in divine promises? Then in strong expressions, consisting of similar words (“has sinned, have transgressed, have taken”) with the addition of the Hebrew particle (“gam”—even—which strengthens the meaning of the words), there is pointed out the grave sin committed by the people as the cause of the defeat that has overtaken them, together with a threat to deprive the people of divine help if they do not “remove the devoted things from among you,” that is, if what has been taken from what is dedicated to God is not returned to its proper purpose (Josh 6:18). The response concludes with a command—“get up, sanctify the people” (Josh 3:5) before tomorrow morning, to announce to the people the sin committed by someone from its midst and the way by which the guilty one will be found. Josh 7:14 is remarkable in that it clearly indicates the composition of the Hebrew people as consisting of tribes, clans, houses, or families, and individual households; the heads of the latter were “men” (according to the Hebrew text and the Greek-Slavonic translation “by men” instead of “one by one”). Where exactly and how the investigation of the guilty one was carried out, the narrative does not indicate. But since the people were commanded to sanctify themselves and the coming of the people to the place of investigation is expressed by the verb “draw near” (according to the Hebrew text instead of “come forward”), used, though not exclusively, of appearing before the Lord (Lev 16:1), since the indication of the guilty one belonged to God Himself (“the Lord takes”), it is on the basis of this that one may suppose that the place of this popular assembly was the courtyard of the Tent. The Hebrew verb corresponding to the word “takes” is “lakad,” which helps to determine the very way by which the guilty one was found. The matter is that this verb in other places in the Old Testament books is used to denote the indication obtained through the lot. Thus, in 1 Sam 14:42 Saul says: “cast the lot between me and Jonathan”… “and (according to the literal translation from the Hebrew) he was taken (“illakad”) Jonathan,” which in the Russian translation corresponds to: “The lot fell upon Jonathan.” This same verb is used in the selection of Saul to the kingship in 1 Sam 10:20, where it is said: “and the tribe of Benjamin was taken… and the clan of Matri was taken…” Such a meaning of the Hebrew verb used in this passage of the book of Joshua makes it very probable that the lot was used in the search for the guilty one in sacrilege, in accord with which the words “the Lord takes” (Josh 7:14) are translated in the Vulgate (sors invenerit) as “the lot will find.” In this the decision by lot was received as God’s decision (cf. Prov 16:33). The casting of the lot itself, nowhere indicated in sacred books, consisted probably in the fact that tablets with inscriptions of names or objects subject to choice or decision, or stones of various colors, were placed in a box or fold (Prov 16:33) and the tablet or stone drawn, according to the pre-arranged meaning, served as an indication of a positive or negative answer. A capital and shameful punishment by fire (cf. Lev 20:14) was assigned to the one guilty of sacrilege; the burning, however, was not of the living but of the dead, as is evident from Josh 7:25. The reason for the assignment of this punishment is indicated in the fact that the one who committed this crime committed a double sin: against God, boldly violating His command concerning the devoted things as a great sanctity of the Lord (Lev 27:28; Deut 13:17), and at the same time violating the covenant with God (Exod 19:8) and against his people, committing “an outrageous thing” in their midst, or—closer to the meaning of the Hebrew word “nevala” used here—“a shameful deed,” diminishing the dignity of the people as the people of God.

Joshua 7:16. So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. Joshua 7:17. He brought the clans of Judah near, and the clan of Zerah was taken; and he brought the clan of Zerah near man by man, and Zabdi was taken. Joshua 7:18. And he brought his household near one by one, and Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. Joshua 7:19. Joshua said to Achan: “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and render praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” Joshua 7:20. And Achan answered Joshua: “It is true; I am the one who sinned against the Lord God of Israel. This is what I did:” Joshua 7:21. “When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Shinar robe, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They now lie hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.” Joshua 7:22. So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. Joshua 7:23. They took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites; and they spread them out before the Lord. Joshua 7:24. Then Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his oxen, donkeys, and sheep, his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. Joshua 7:25. Joshua said: “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord is bringing trouble on you this day.” And all Israel stoned him to death; they burned them with fire, cast stones on them. Joshua 7:26. They raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day. The address to the one designated by lot as the guilty party with the words “my son” testifies to the compassion and gentleness of the Hebrew leader. “Give glory to the Lord” as the All-Knowing, from whom no wrongdoing can be hidden. These words, used also in the time of Christ the Savior (John 9:24), served as a special call in the name of God to speak the truth. “A beautiful Shinar robe,” that is, made in Shinar (Gen 10:10), more precisely—in Babylon (Gen 11:2), which was famous for the art of preparing colorful garments. “Two hundred shekels of silver” amounts in our money to about 160 rubles. “A bar of gold weighing fifty shekels.” The word “bar” in the Hebrew text corresponds to “leshon,” which means “tongue,” as is also translated in the LXX: γλῶσσαν, in the Slavonic Bible—“vessel.” Among commentators it is usually understood as an ornament, household item, or weapon in the shape of a tongue (among the Romans a long sword was called a “tongue”). 50 shekels of gold in our money amounts to more than 500 rubles.

Joshua 7:25. Joshua said: “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord is bringing trouble on you this day.” And all Israel stoned him to death; they burned them with fire, cast stones on them. All the people, represented of course by their representatives, took part in the punishment of Achan, because through his crime he had brought the wrath of the Lord upon all the people. According to the law, it lay upon the Hebrew people to remove evil from its midst through the punishment of the guilty (Lev 20:1, Deut 17:7 and elsewhere). That along with Achan his sons and daughters were stoned is not specifically stated in the biblical text; but this is justly concluded from the fact that they were brought to the place of punishment together with all the property of the father (Josh 7:24), and from the fact that after the words “they stoned him”—that is, Achan—“all the Israelites,” there immediately follows: “they burned them with fire, cast stones on them”; here the pronoun “them” instead of “him” in the preceding words refers, evidently, to the mentioned sons and daughters of Achan, who were consequently also stoned and then delivered to burning. And the basis for the punishment of the children together with the father, who actually committed the crime, in the existence of the law on punishment only for one’s own crime (Deut 24:16), is that the sons and daughters of Achan knew about these things stolen from the devoted things, stored in the tent, and saw when the father buried them in the ground. This explanation belongs to the early Christian time and was expressed by Procopius of Gaza. According to the LXX in the earliest manuscripts (Vatican, Alexandrian, and other uncials) the final words Josh 7:25 “they burned them with fire, cast stones on them” were not read; in the Hexapla of Origen the Greek translation of these words is marked with an asterisk, indicating the supplementation here of the Greek translation; this supplement, corresponding to the Hebrew text, was preserved in some later Greek manuscripts, and from editions—in the Complutensian Polyglot, in which is read: κατέκαυσαν αὐτα ἐν πυρί καὶ ἐλιθοβοησαν αὐτοὺς ἐνλίθοις—“they burned these in fire and stoned them with stones.” The Slavonic translation follows this supplemented reading of the Greek verses with the peculiarity that “these” in it is replaced by the word “all,” which is read only in the Latin translation (et cuncta quae illius erant, igne consumpta sunt—“and all that he had was consumed with fire”). Thus, despite certain variations in the transmission of this passage in the Greek translation manuscripts through correction of the latter agreement has been reached between it and the Hebrew text.

Joshua 7:26. They raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day. The valley near Gilgal, in which Achan was executed, received the name Achor from the sorrowful event that took place in it, which served to complete a grave crime (Josh 7:25). Achor means “trouble, sorrow.” Among the prophets (Hos 2:15; Isa 65:10), in their predictions about future salvation, this valley of sorrow is transformed into a place of joy and is depicted as a place of hope and rest. * * * Cook. Commentary, 2:4–5. Tristram. Bible Places, 10. Others, however, indicate the location of Ai on the summit of another hill, also found near Beitin and called Tell-el-Gajar (Keil. Iosua, 55). Protopresbyter M. Kheraskov. A Survey of the Historical Books of the Old Testament, 22. S. A. Bulatova. Ancient Hebrew Coins. 1886, p. 140. According to the investigations of numismatists (Brandis, Schrader, and others) gold in Western Asia in ancient times was valued higher than silver by a ratio of 13 1/3 to 1. (Riehm, pp. 482, 1000, 1450). Consequently, if a silver shekel was worth 80 kopecks, then a gold one was worth 10 rubles 66 kopecks, and 50 gold shekels—533 rubles. Migne. Patrologia. S. gr. t. LXXXVII, p. 1017: τοὺς δὲ προσήκοντας Ἀχὰρ ὡς συνεἱδιτας ἀπώλεσε—“and those close to Achar, as accomplices, he destroyed.” In the Moscow Greek Bible these words are read, although in the Alexandrian manuscript they are absent.

Chapter Eight

1. Divine encouragement of Joshua. 3. A military stratagem by which Ai was taken. 28. The burning of Ai and the execution of its king. 30. The building of an altar on Mount Ebal. 32. The writing of the law on stones and its reading in the presence of all the people.

Joshua 8:1. The Lord said to Joshua: Do not fear and do not be terrified; take all the people capable of war with you, and rise up, go to Ai; behold, I deliver into your hand the king of Ai and his people, his city and his land; Joshua 8:2. Do with Ai and its king as you did with Jericho and its king, except that its spoil and its livestock you shall divide among yourselves; set an ambush behind the city. After the people had cleansed themselves from the guilt that lay upon them, there came to Joshua a divine revelation that encouraged him with a promise—to deliver Ai into his hand—and commanded him to march against it not with a small detachment as before, but with all his forces (except, of course, the portion that was to remain in Gilgal to guard the Israelite camp). Although the size of the army that went out is not specified, it must have been very considerable in any case. If from the two and a half trans-Jordanian tribes about 40,000 warriors were selected—that is, about 15,000 from a tribe—then from 12 Israelite tribes about 180,000 should have gone forth. The reason for assigning such a large force against a small city of 12,000 inhabitants (Josh 8:25) could lie both in the defeat previously suffered, which had weakened the courage of the Israelites, and in the fact that, in general, the taking of even a small city was a great difficulty for them, as people grown up in the wilderness. In this lies also the reason for the command to “set an ambush behind the city,” that is, on the western side (Josh 8:9). Resorting to such a method, devised by human skill, presented nothing inconsistent with divine majesty. Since the taking of the city of Ai was entrusted to the Israelites themselves, without special supernatural aid, they could and should have employed the most suitable means for this. And since they were not acquainted with these, the Lord points to one of them, consisting in the arrangement of an ambush. In issuing this command, the Lord, according to the words of the blessed Theodoret, “teaches those who have entrusted themselves to His direction to use human industry as well. Since they had taken the first city by the sound of trumpets alone, it is fitting that they learn to strive, to labor, and to wait for God’s help” 71.

Joshua 8:3. Joshua and all the people capable of war rose to go to Ai, and Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men and sent them out at night, Joshua 8:4. and gave them a command and said: Behold, you shall set an ambush against the city behind it; do not go far from the city and all of you be ready; Joshua 8:5. And I and all the people with me will approach the city; and when the inhabitants of Ai come out against us as before, we shall flee before them; Joshua 8:6. They will come out after us, so that we draw them away from the city; for they will say, “They are fleeing before us as before”; when we flee before them, Joshua 8:7. then you rise up from the ambush and take possession of the city, and the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand; Joshua 8:8. When you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire; according to the word of the Lord do it; behold, I command you. Joshua 8:9. So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the ambush and remained between Bethel and Ai, on the western side of Ai; and Joshua spent that night among the people. The detachment sent to the ambush had to set out toward Ai at night and, given the small distance from Gilgal (about 20 versts), could reach the vicinity of the city early the next morning and hide in a deep valley, called by researchers 72 Wadi Gharit, which lies between Ai (for its location see Josh 7:2) and Bethel. Those sent to the ambush had to, according to Joshua’s instruction, not go far from the city and be constantly ready to rush into it when its defenders would come out to pursue the Israelite army, which would feign flight; having taken possession of the city, those in the ambush were to set it on fire.

Joshua 8:10. Rising early in the morning, Joshua inspected the people and went, he and the elders of Israel, in front of the people to Ai; Joshua 8:11. And all the people, the men of war who were with him, went forward and drew near, and came to the city [from the eastern side, and the ambush was to the west of the city], Meanwhile, as the detachment sent to Ai had taken its appointed place to the west of the city, Joshua, who had spent the night among the people destined for the campaign, inspected it early the next morning and then directed himself to Ai, going with the elders at the head of the army. He approached the city from the eastern side, and the ambush was located on the western side. This very representation of the location of the main Israelite army is expressed in the Greek translation LXX, the rendering of which serves the words Josh 8:11, according to the Russian translation, agreeing with the Slavonic: “drew near and came to the city [from the eastern side, and the ambush was to the west of the city]” 73. In the current Hebrew text and the translation of the blessed Jerome, instead of the above words at the end of Josh 8:11, it reads: “and encamped on the north side of Ai, and the valley was between them and Ai.” These words of the Hebrew text were not read in LXX according to its earliest manuscripts (the Vatican, Alexandrian, and others); they were introduced into the Greek translation by Origen in his Hexapla, from which they later passed into later Greek manuscripts and appear in them sometimes in the margins of the text in the form of notes, sometimes in the text itself, as in the Lucianic manuscripts (Field) and in the Complutensian and Aldine editions, with which the current Slavonic translation is in agreement Josh 8:12, and with it the Russian. Thus this passage of the biblical text is rendered in Russian in two ways: according to the earliest manuscripts of the LXX translation Joshua approached Ai from the eastern side, and according to the Hebrew text and some later Greek manuscripts—from the northern side. The earliest, pre-Ostrog Slavonic translation followed here the LXX translation according to its earliest manuscripts 74; the current Slavonic translation, like the Russian, agrees here in Josh 8:11 with the earliest manuscripts of the LXX translation, and in Josh 8:12—with the current Hebrew text and with later Greek manuscripts. Which of these translations at the end of Josh 8:11 and beginning of Josh 8:12 has the advantage will be explained in the examination of the following verses.

Joshua 8:12. And he set up camp on the north side of Ai, and the valley was between him and Ai. Then he took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. Joshua 8:13. And when the people had set all the camp on the north side of the city, with the rear of them toward the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the middle of the valley. What is read in these verses according to the Russian translation and the current Slavonic is, as has been noted, a rendering of the Hebrew text, agreeing with it later Greek manuscripts, and based on the latest editions of the Greek translation, such as the Complutensian Polyglot and the Aldine Bible 75. In the earliest Greek manuscripts of the LXX translation and in the editions based on them, such as the Sixtine, what is contained in these verses according to our current translations is absent. In the ancient Greek manuscripts after the final words Josh 8:11 “[and the ambush was to the west of the city]” there immediately followed Josh 8:14: καί ἐγένετο ὡς εῖδεν βασιλεὺς Γαι – “when the king of Ai saw this.” In the ancient pre-Ostrog translation also what is found in Josh 8:12-13 was not read 76. This agreement of the pre-Ostrog translation with the earliest Greek manuscripts in the omission of Josh 8:12-13 is significant in that it indicates the correct way to resolve the perplexities raised by the content of these two verses. What is said in them presents an obvious disagreement with what is set forth in the preceding verses. Instead of the eastern side of Ai as the location for the Israelite camp, here the place is indicated on the northern side; instead of an ambush of 30,000, located “between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the latter” (Josh 8:9), here an ambush of 5,000 is mentioned: “likewise between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city” (Josh 8:12). The resolution of this second difference presents particular difficulties for commentators explaining the translation from the current Hebrew text 77. The explanation adopted in our instructional literature 78 that two ambushes were set up at Ai, the first of 30,000, the second of 5,000, seems implausible given that the first ambush was too large compared with the number of inhabitants of Ai to require reinforcement. And the final words Josh 8:13 also remain unclear: “And Joshua went that night into the middle of the valley.” From them it is evident that, having approached Ai with his army, Joshua did not attack the city that day and was not himself attacked by the king of Ai; only in the following night did he advance into the valley before the city, and at the breaking of dawn he was noticed by the king of Ai (Josh 8:15). And this delay in attacking the city and the fact that the whole army went unnoticed near it for some part of the day and night naturally raise a perplexity, for which the biblical text offers no explanation. The way out of these difficulties presented by the content of Josh 8:12-13 is given by the translation LXX according to its earliest manuscripts, as excluding these verses from the text; and the ancient Slavonic translation, not having them, also strengthens the importance of this feature of the LXX translation: if neither the LXX translators nor our ancient translators included these verses in the biblical text, then with a clear conscience we can follow their example and not introduce into our national translation what appeared in this place in later Greek manuscripts under the influence of the current Hebrew text 79. On the basis of this, what is said in Josh 8:11—that the Israelite army approached the city from the eastern side—retains its full force.

Joshua 8:14. When the king of Ai saw this, the men of the city hurried and went out to meet Israel in battle, he and all his people, at the appointed place before the plain; and he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city [of his]. As soon as the king of Ai saw the approaching Israelite army, he hastened to go out with his warriors to meet them at the appointed place before the plain. The words “rose early” are a rendering of the phrase found in the Complutensian and Aldine editions and in some Greek manuscripts, as well as in the Hebrew text, the word (“vaiyashkimu” – ὤρθρισε); in the earliest Greek manuscripts (Vatican, Alexandrian, and others) they are not read. The place where the inhabitants of Ai were to gather to repel the Israelites, an attack which was obviously expected (cf. Josh 8:17), was appointed beforehand; it was located before the plain (according to the Hebrew text “ha-arabah,” as the Jordan Valley was commonly called), by which is understood, probably, the desert region to the east of Ai in the direction toward the Jordan, along which ran the road of the Israelite army to this city.

Joshua 8:17. Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel; leaving the city open, they pursued Israel. The warriors of Bethel, located near Ai, were evidently invited by the king of Ai to help him in view of the expected new attack by the Israelites.

Joshua 8:18. Then the Lord said to Joshua: Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will deliver it into your hand [and the ambush shall rise up at once from its place]. Joshua stretched out [his hand and] the spear that was in his hand toward the city. Joshua 8:19. Those lying in wait rose up quickly from their place, and when he had stretched out his hand, they ran, entered the city, took it, and at once set the city on fire. The raising of the spear could have been seen by those in the ambush if this was done from a high place on which the Israelite commander probably stood during the battle, or it could have become immediately known to those in the ambush if, for that purpose, special men had been sent to them to receive orders from Joshua.

Joshua 8:20. When the men of Ai looked back, they saw the smoke of the city rising up to heaven. And they had no power to flee this way or that way; and the people who had fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. “And they had no power to flee this way or that way,” or, according to a literal translation from the Hebrew: “and there were no hands to them to flee there or here,” that is, there was no strength, the organ of which the hands are, or, according to the translation of the blessed Jerome: non poluerunt ultra huc illucque diffugere – “they could no longer flee there or here.” A similar sense is expressed in a phrase similar to this in Ps 75:6: “all the men did not find the strength of their hands.”

Joshua 8:29. And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree, [and he remained on the tree] until evening; and at sunset Joshua commanded, and they took his corpse down from the tree and cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised over it a great heap of stones, which remains even to this day. The king of Ai was hanged on a tree after he was put to death; this was done also with other Canaanite kings according to clear testimony Josh 10:26; the corpse remained on the tree until evening (Deut 21:22-23).

Joshua 8:30. Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, Joshua 8:31. as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the sons of Israel, as is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, upon which no iron tool had been raised; and they offered on it a burnt offering to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. Joshua 8:32. And [Joshua] wrote there on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote before the sons of Israel. Joshua 8:33. All Israel, with its elders and officers [and its judges], stood on one side and on the other side of the Ark, before the priests and the Levites who carried the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, both the foreigners and the native-born, one half of them toward Mount Gerizim and the other half toward Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, to bless the people of Israel. Joshua 8:34. And afterward he read [Joshua] all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law; Joshua 8:35. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded [to Joshua] that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, [before the men,] and the women, and the children, and the foreigners who lived among them. “Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord on Mount Ebal.” The immediate sense of the phrase “then he built” is, of course, that the building of the altar on Mount Ebal was accomplished after the conquest of Ai, of which mention had been made before. This understanding does, however, raise a perplexity in that in the preceding narrative nothing had been said about the conquest of the land in which Mount Ebal with its neighboring Mount Gerizim is located; to undertake a journey to unconquered territory, located at a considerable distance from the Jericho Gilgal (about 60 versts), with women, children, and foreigners (Josh 8:35), and to remain here for several days near an enemy city (Shechem) could be unsafe in view of possible hostile conflicts with the local population, of which the biblical writer does not speak, however, in these verses. This consideration leads many biblical scholars to the view that the event set forth in Josh 8:30-35 was accomplished not immediately after the conquest of Ai, but much later after this, and that these verses occupy in the biblical text not the place that was originally given them by the biblical writer 80. For all its apparent probability, this explanation cannot be considered plausible precisely because Josh 8:30-35 invariably occupy their present place at the end of Chapter 8 according to the Hebrew text and according to the ancient translations 81. And as regards the perplexity cited, it can be resolved aside from the thought that the event set forth in Josh 8:30-35 was accomplished at another, later time. It is resolved by means of the plausible assumption that the campaign of the Israelites against Ai was not limited to the conquest of that city, but extended to other cities of the central Canaan. And the basis for such an assumption is that the central part of Canaan, in which these named mountains are located, was undoubtedly conquered by Joshua, and that its conquest must have preceded the conquest of southern and northern Canaan. The certainty of the conquest of central Canaan is evident from its very position in the Canaanite land as the central strip, the possession of which opened access to other parts of that country. For Joshua this conquest had, as was noted before, the special significance that, possessing this strip, he thereby separated southern and northern Canaan and made it easier for himself to defeat each of them separately. This task he, it should be supposed, fulfilled after the conquest of Ai, and extended his power to Shechem. The biblical writer, besides what he said about Gibeon and the cities allied with it (Josh 9:1), does not speak particularly about the conquest of central Canaan, as it apparently did not present such remarkable events as those that marked the struggle described by him in Josh 10 and Josh 11 with the kings of southern and northern Canaan, and only by mentioning the king of Bethel, defeated along with other Canaanite kings (Josh 12:16), shows that he knew of the conquest of the cities of central Canaan. And if the conquest of the latter falls at a time following the taking of Ai, then there could be no obstacles to the all-nation journey to Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, of course, and Joshua could find in the very success of this conquest an incentive to fulfill without delay the will of his great predecessor regarding the proclamation of the law and the offering of a sacrifice to the Lord in the soonest time (Deut 27:2: “when you cross over the Jordan”) after entering the Canaanite land. The building of an altar “to the Lord, the God of Israel” on Mount Ebal and the offering on it of a burnt offering and peace offerings in the presence of all the people (Josh 8:35) served as a solemn national expression of dedication to the Lord, who had chosen the Israelite people as his people for the great mercies bestowed upon them. The altar was built in accordance with the Book of the Law (Exod 20:25) and the commandment of Moses (Deut 27:5-7). The inscription of the law of Moses on stones served to proclaim it as the law of the land of Israel. Under “a copy” (Josh 8:32) (in Hebrew “mishneh” – “repetition, copy”) of the law of Moses is understood not merely Deuteronomy (το δευτερονόμιον – “the second law”), but precisely “a reproduction,” or “a copy,” of the law of Moses; the word “copy” used here in Deut 27:3 corresponds to the expression “write all the words of this law.” Concerning the priests and Levites see Josh 3:3. * * * Works of the blessed Theodoret, vol. I, p. 279–280. Tristram. Bible places, 110. North of the hill Tell-el-Hajar, which some recognize as the location of Ai, there is also a deep valley with steep banks. Keil, Iosua, 62. In the Greek text, as well as in Slavonic, there are no brackets here. V. Lebedev, p. 355. A Greek translation fully corresponding to the Slavonic-Russian translation Josh 8:12-13 is read in the Moscow Greek Bible, although in the Alexandrian manuscript this translation is not found in this passage according to this edition. See in V. Lebedev, p. 361, where it is said that Josh 8:12-13, omitted in the pre-Ostrog text, are in agreement with AB (i.e., with the Alexandrian and Vatican manuscripts), and in the Ostrog text they were taken from the Aldine and Complutensian editions. On various explanations of this difference see Cook, II, 42. In domestic literature see in V. Lebedev, p. 322. See the above-named textbooks of archpriests M. Kheraskov and P. A. Vladimirsky. The examination of the current Hebrew text Josh 8:12-13 also leads some Western Christian biblical scholars, using exclusively the Hebrew text, to the view that these verses are a later insertion or gloss, providing more accurate information about the number of people sent to the ambush (that is, only 5,000) than that which is given in Josh 8 (that is, 30,000); the latter number is recognized as having been changed from the original (5,000), which was denoted by the Hebrew letter he – 5,000; it is supposed that the scribe of the Hebrew text mistakenly took this letter for lamed – 30,000. This latter number, as erroneous, was corrected by the gloss indicated. Keil, Iosua, 62–63. Although the author of this commentary abandoned his view of Josh 8:12-13 as a later insertion, the very fact of its origin in the mind of the German commentator indicates the great perplexity raised by the current Hebrew text of these verses. This interpretation is adopted in part in our named above textbooks of archpriests M. Kheraskov and P. A. Vladimirsky. The only exception so far known in this regard is presented by the ancient Vatican manuscript, in which Josh 8:30-35 follow not after Josh 8:29, but after Josh 9:1-2; but even according to this reading of the Vatican manuscript, the content of Josh 8:30-35 is not pushed back far from the conquest of Ai, since in Josh 9:1-2 what is described is not what Joshua did after this conquest, but what the Canaanite kings were doing at that time. The possibility of this journey immediately after the conquest of Ai is explained by some Western Christian commentators also by the fact that the Israelite camp was moved at this time from the Jericho Gilgal to another Gilgal, named in Deuteronomy (Deut 11:30) and located closer to Shechem, known at present by the name Jilgil, to the southwest of Shiloh; because of the position of this second Gilgal, at the ceremony described in Josh 8:30-35, women and children could have been present (Keil. Iosua, 66–70). This assumption appears, however, unlikely because of the absence of any indication of the transfer of the Israelite camp to another place at this time. The silence of the biblical writer on this is all the more important in that the transfer of the Tabernacle that occurred later from Gilgal to Shiloh was not left unmentioned by him (Josh 18:1).

Chapter Nine

1. The aspiration of the Canaanite kings and peoples to unite for the struggle against the Israelite people. 3. The Gibeonites achieve a covenant with them through deceit. 16. The faithfulness of the Israelite people to their given oath. 23. The condemnation of the Gibeonites to eternal servitude.

Joshua 9:1. When all the kings [of the Amorites], who were beyond the Jordan, on the hill country and in the lowland and on all the coast of the great sea, [and those] near the Lebanon—the Hittites, the Amorites, [the Girgashites,] the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites— Joshua 9:2. heard of it, they gathered themselves together to fight united against Joshua and against Israel. Josh 9:1-2 compose a general introduction to the three following chapters (Josh 9-11). In them a new movement that began at that time among the population of the entire Canaanite land is indicated—to unite their forces for a common struggle against the Israelite people. In depicting the universality of this movement, the biblical writer points out, as those who sympathized with this aspiration, all the kings controlling the most important regions of the West-Jordanian country (hills, valleys, and the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to the Lebanon) and at the same time lists the strongest tribes living in it, in accordance with Josh 3:10.

Joshua 9:3. But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, Joshua 9:4. they on their part acted with cunning: they went and took provisions for a journey, and put worn-out sacks upon their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, The inhabitants of Gibeon did not, however, join the general movement against the Israelites. Gibeon, at present the village of El-Jib, about 7 versts north of Jerusalem; in the time of Joshua it was a great city, like the capitals of Canaanite kings (Josh 10:2), although it did not have a king. It was located on the road from central Canaan to the Mediterranean Sea by the Bethhoron descent and stood at the head of a league of four nearby cities. Its inhabitants, from the tribe of the Hivites (Josh 9:7), were distinguished for their bravery (Josh 10:2). Despite the considerable power at the disposal of Gibeon, the elders who governed it did not join the general movement, but chose another way to escape the fate that had befallen the inhabitants of Jericho and Ai (Josh 9:3). In what was known to them about the Israelites, about their departure from Egypt (Josh 9:9), about their victories over the trans-Jordanian kings (Josh 9:10), and the conquest of Jericho and Ai (Josh 9:3), they, like Rahab, saw the action of a higher power of the God confessed by the Israelites, Who brings into fulfillment His decision to give all the Canaanite land to this people (Josh 9:24). Therefore they resolved, “and they,” like the Israelites at the conquest of Ai, to use cunning to preserve their lives; this “and they” before the verb “acted” (Josh 9:4) is expressed in the Hebrew text by “gam hema,” in the Greco-Slavonic by the words καί γε αὐτοὶ – “and these,” and in Russian it is left untranslated.

Joshua 9:7. But Joshua said to the Hivites: Who are you? And from where do you come? “How can we make a covenant with you,” say the elders of Israel, bearing in mind the explicit prohibition to make covenants with the Canaanite peoples (Exod 23:32; Deut 7:2).

Joshua 9:14. The men took some of their provisions, but did not ask the Lord. “The men took some of their provisions, but did not ask the Lord.” “The men,” in Hebrew here “ha-anashim,” that is, “the known men,” more clearly designated in Josh 9:18 by the word “nesim” – “princes”; in this sense the word “men” is taken in Josh 9:14 by the LXX, who rendered it by οἱ ἄρχοντες – “princes” according to the Slavonic Bible. The acceptance by the princes of the Israelite people of bread from the Gibeonite envoys, that is, in general foodstuffs, was not, it should be supposed, merely a tasting of the latter to confirm the length of their journey from their place of residence, because otherwise the internal connection between this action of the princes and the asking of the Lord would remain unclear: a mere tasting of provisions is too insignificant an action to require asking the consent of the highest will. Therefore, if the biblical writer, having mentioned this act, immediately indicates the failure to ask the Lord, this itself inclines toward the understanding that the acceptance of bread from the Gibeonite envoys had another, far more important significance: it served as an expression on the part of the Israelite princes of their disposition toward the envoys and their matter, that is, agreement to the proposal made by them. Before daring such a step, the Israelite princes, led by Joshua, should have indeed asked the Lord, of course, through the high priest, in accordance with the divine commandment (Num 27:21).

Joshua 9:17. The sons of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. The three cities of the Gibeonite league named here are sufficiently well known by their location in the central part of Palestine, at no great distance to the north of Jerusalem. Chephirah, at present Khirbeh Kephir, with preserved ruins, is located about 12 versts to the west of Gibeon. Later this city belonged to the tribe of Benjamin (Josh 18:26). Beeroth, now the large village of Bireh, on the main road from Jerusalem to Shechem, about 12 versts from the first. Later it also belonged to the tribe of Benjamin (Josh 18:25). Kiriath-jearim, commonly placed by researchers at the site of the present Muslim village of Karate-el-Enab, was located to the northwest of Jerusalem, three hours’ journey on the road to Lydda. It received its name from the forest surrounding it, so rare in southern Palestine (the Hebrew word “iyyar” means “forest”), which was preserved even in later times, according to the testimony of travelers 83. In ancient times it also bore the name Kiriath-Baal (Josh 15:60) from a shrine or temple of Baal probably located in it, and belonged to the tribe of Judah, by whose name it was also called Baalah of Judah (2 Sam 6:2).

Joshua 9:18. [Joshua and] the sons of Israel did not strike them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. But all the assembly murmured against the leaders. When the deception of the Gibeonite envoys was revealed, “the sons of Israel did not strike them,” that is, did not put them to death, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn to preserve the life of the Gibeonites. The words “[Joshua and]” are not read in the Hebrew text and in the earliest Greek manuscripts, which is why, probably, they are placed in brackets in the Slavonic Bible; the following “[all],” also not read in the Hebrew text, is found in many Greek manuscripts; it was probably transferred from Josh 9:19.

Joshua 9:19. But all the leaders said to all the congregation: We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them; Joshua 9:20. This we will do to them: let them live, so that wrath may not come upon us because of the oath which we swore to them. Although the oath made by the leaders, who had been deceived by the Gibeonite envoys, provoked murmuring among the people, who apparently wished to put to death both the envoys and their principals as belonging to the Canaanites, the leaders nevertheless insisted that they preserve their lives, appealing to the oath they had made, attested by the name “the Lord, the God of Israel.” The reason for such insistence on the part of the leaders is indicated by the biblical writer in the second half of Josh 9:20, which is rendered in the Slavonic Bible with particular closeness to the Hebrew text, in accordance with the Greek translation: “and there shall not be wrath upon us for the sake of the oath whereby we swore to them,” that is, in the preservation of the oath made to the Gibeonites, the leaders see the only means to avoid divine punishment, which (according to Exod 20:7, Deut 5:11) threatens anyone who pronounces the name of God in vain. If the leaders, having been deceived, gave an oath in vain and committed a sin, not having asked the Lord about this matter, then, breaking the oath, they would have added to the committed sin a new and grievous sin of oath-breaking, through which the name of God is dishonored before those to whom the oath was given.

Joshua 9:21. And the leaders said to them: Let them live. So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation. [And all the congregation] did as the leaders said to them. In insisting on the observance of the oath, by virtue of which the life of the Gibeonites was preserved, the leaders do not forget, however, the prohibition to enter into a covenant with the Canaanite peoples, which was intended to prevent the latter from leading the Israelites into idolatry. To prevent the destructive consequence of leaving the Gibeonites in the Canaanite land, they adopt such a measure, which at the same time served as punishment for their deception. They specifically proposed to impose on the Gibeonites the obligation to cut wood and carry water for all the Israelite assembly, and the latter, being reduced to a state of slavery (Josh 9:23; Deut 29:11), could not be dangerous to the dominant Israelite population. This proposal of the leaders was accepted by the assembly. The words “[And all the congregation]” are not found in the Hebrew text, nor in the Vatican and Alexandrian manuscripts, but are read in the Ambrosian and some other manuscripts (καὶ ἐποίησαν πᾶσα ή συναγωγή), and the course of the biblical speech becomes clearer: without this addition, the final words “as the leaders said to them” would be not entirely clear, since the leaders, making a proposal to the assembly in the first half of the verse, could not refer to themselves in such a manner; moreover, the proposal to make the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers is made here for the first time. With the insertion, on the contrary, of the words “[and all the congregation]” into the biblical speech, the final words of the verse receive a completely definite sense, expressing the agreement of the assembly with the proposal of the leaders. This agreement of the assembly was not, however, the final decision of the matter, which belonged, as the subsequent narrative shows, to Joshua. That the decision adopted by the leaders regarding the fate of the Gibeonites was correct and in accordance with the divine will was shown by the victories soon after gained over the Canaanite kings, with special divine aid, and later by the wrath of God that befell the Israelite land and the house of Saul for the violation of the oath made to the Gibeonites (2 Sam 21:1).

Joshua 9:23. Therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall always be slaves, hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God. For their deception, as something that debases human dignity and misleads others, Joshua pronounced a curse upon the Gibeonites, by which they were doomed to eternal slavery. Thus the curse of Noah upon Ham was fulfilled upon them (Gen 9:25). The words “[me and for]” are not read in the Hebrew text and in the Latin translation, but are found in the Greek manuscripts: according to Josh 9:26, the Gibeonites were to cut wood and carry water “for the assembly and for the altar of the Lord.”

Joshua 9:24. They answered Joshua: It was clearly told to your servants that the Lord your God had commanded Moses his servant to give you all the land, and to destroy [us and] all the inhabitants of the land before you; so we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and did this thing; From the words quoted here it is evident that the desire to seek a covenant with the Israelite people was prompted in the Gibeonites solely by fear for their lives, and that their knowledge of the great deeds of the God of Israel led them only to the certainty of the inevitable destruction of the Canaanite peoples, and did not awaken in them, as in Rahab, the thought of Him as the God of heaven and earth, and together with this a desire to take their place in the ranks of his confessors. In this lies the inner reason why they did not enter into the composition of the Israelite people.

Joshua 9:26. And Joshua did so to them and delivered them out of the hand of the sons of Israel, and they did not kill them; Joshua 9:27. And on that day Joshua made them hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, [to this day, in the place which he would choose]; at the place which he should choose. The words “[so the inhabitants of Gibeon became hewers of wood and drawers of water for the altar of God]” are found in the Vatican manuscript and the Sixtine Bible, but are absent in the Hebrew text, in the Alexandrian and other Greek manuscripts. * * * Tristram. Bible Places, 78.

Chapter Ten

Battle at Gibeon. 12. Standing of the sun. 16. Conquest of southern Canaan.

Joshua 10:1. When Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and devoted it to destruction, and that just as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king, and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace [with Joshua and] with Israel and remained among them, Joshua 10:2. then he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and greater than Ai, and all its inhabitants were mighty men. Joshua 10:3. Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying: Joshua 10:4. Come up to me and help me to strike Gibeon, because it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel. Joshua 10:5. They came together and went up—five Amorite kings: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, they and all their armies—and encamped against Gibeon to make war against it. The warlike movement against the Israelites, which had seized the Canaanite kings (Josh 9:1), was even more intensified by news of Gibeon’s defection to the Israelite side, which opened to them the way into the very heart of the country. The immediate threat was felt first by Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, who was closest to Gibeon, and who turned for help to the kings of Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon to conquer Gibeon. Jerusalem, identical with Salem (see note to Gen 14:18), in ancient times was still called Jebus (Josh 15:8) from the Canaanite tribe that dwelt in it, and from David’s time bore his name (2 Sam 5:9). Regarding Hebron, see note to Gen 13:18. Jarmuth, today the village of Yarmuk with remnants of ancient city walls, was located on the western side of the Judean hills about 14 versts west of Bethlehem; later it belonged to the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:35). Lachish, which later also fell in the portion of the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:39), was a fortified city in the time of Joshua, whom he took only “on the next day” after attacking it (Josh 10:32), which is not said of the conquest of other cities. It was located to the northeast of Gaza in the plain (Shephelah), on the hill of Umm Lachis, now covered with ruins. Excavations conducted by the German scholar Petrie in 1890 showed the great antiquity of this city, which at the beginning of its historical existence was destroyed and rebuilt eight times from its ruins. The origin of the city dates to 1700 years before the Christian era. Eglon was located not far from Lachish, to the east of it. The low hill in the middle of the plain on which it was situated is called Ajlun.

Joshua 10:6. The inhabitants of Gibeon sent to Joshua in the camp [of Israel], to Gilgal, saying: Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us; for all the Amorite kings who dwell in the hills have gathered against us. Joshua 10:7. Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. Joshua 10:8. And the Lord said to Joshua: Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hand; none of them shall be able to stand before you. Joshua 10:9. And Joshua came upon them suddenly, [because] he marched all night from Gilgal. The forces of Gibeon and three cities allied with it were insufficient for successful struggle with the kings of southern Canaan, who held fortified cities and possessed an army trained in war, as the Gibeonites expressed when they sent word to Joshua that “all the Amorite kings who dwell in the hills” had gathered against them. Defense of the allied cities required from the Israelites a full exertion of their strength; for the first time they were obliged to enter into battle with the united forces of the Canaanite kings, upon the outcome of which depended the decision of the question about their position in the Canaanite land. Joshua fully understood the great importance of the impending battle, which is rightly counted among the greatest battles in the history of mankind 84, and therefore he moved against the enemy with all his forces, “all the people of war,” and all his mighty men. The Lord through a special revelation encouraged the Israeli leader with the promise of His almighty help, in reliance on which Joshua quickly, in the course of one night (cf. Josh 9:17), accomplished under the command of his army the difficult march from Gilgal to Gibeon (about 17 versts 85 of the way) with an ascent to the mountains, which is indicated by the use of the verb “ala” in the Hebrew text, which properly means “ascended,” in describing this path “all night went.” Thanks to this swift march, the Israelite army fell upon the enemy suddenly.

Joshua 10:10. And the Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, and defeated them with a great slaughter at Gibeon and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. The unexpected attack in the early morning (see note to Josh 10:12) by the Israelites, confident in divine help, produced a striking effect upon the armies of the allies; they could not withstand the blow and suffered a great defeat under the walls of Gibeon. This victory the biblical writer, expressing, of course, the view of the battle’s participants, wholly attributes to the Lord. “The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, and defeated them at Gibeon with a great slaughter.”

Joshua 10:11. When they were fleeing before Israel by the descent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw large stones from heaven upon them until they reached Azekah, and they died; more died from the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword [in the battle]. Here the biblical writer explains how the Lord “pursued and struck down” (Josh 10:10) the Canaanite warriors when, after their defeat at Gibeon, they turned in confusion to flee and made their way along the road passing near Gibeon, westward toward the well-known Beth-horon ascent (in Hebrew “maaleh,” at the Septuagint ἀναβασις—“ascent”), located between Upper (Josh 16:5) and Lower (Josh 16:3) Beth-horon. The location of both these cities is well known: the first was located at the place of the present village of Beit Ur al-Foka, the second at Beit Ur al-Tahta; the first was situated on a high promontory of a mountain, between two valleys west of Gibeon at about 10 versts distance (in 2 hours of travel). Between Upper and Lower Beth-horon is a steep, uneven ascent (or descent) of an hour’s journey among overhanging mountains. When the warriors of the Canaanite kings rushed down this slope into the valley, the Lord “threw large stones from heaven.” These stones in the Septuagint and in the Book of Sirach (Sir 46:7) are understood as large hailstones (λίθοι χαλάζης—“stones of hail”), falling from a storm cloud, which served as a weapon to strike down the Canaanite army. The occurrence of such an extraordinarily large hail, causing injury and death, is certainly not in itself anything unique or unparalleled. Examples cited from times nearest to the present of this phenomenon 87 show only that what the biblical writer said about “large stones falling from heaven” was not exaggerated. And the fact that this unusual hail fell precisely upon the Canaanite warriors seeking safety in flight serves to indicate the supreme help which the Lord sent to His people in their struggle with enemies. The hail-bearing cloud inflicted deadly blows upon the Canaanite army even after it emerged from the Beth-horon pass until Azekah and Makkedah (Josh 10:10). Both these cities, which later belonged to the tribe of Judah (Josh 19:35), were located on the plain between the shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the hills of the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:33), but the exact location of each is not determined with certainty: Azekah, based on 1 Sam 17:1, was located not far from the city of Socoh or Sochoh (regarding the location of the latter, see Josh 15:35), and some 88 place it at Deir el-Aasek, about 10 versts (8 English miles) north of Socoh. Makkedah was located, according to some, at the place of the present village of Summayl at 2½ hours of travel to the northwest of Eleutheropolis 89, and according to others, at the place of the village of El-Mugar (which means “cave”), about 3 versts (2 English miles) to the southeast of Ekron (regarding Ekron see Josh 13:3), near which are caves (Josh 10:16), which, however, remain unexplored 90. In any case, the named cities are placed to the southwest of Beth-horon; in this same direction, closer to the latter, lay also the extensive Aijalon valley, which from the south of the city of Aijalon (Josh 19:42), at the place of the present village of Yalo, stretches to the northeast, in the direction toward Beth-horon.

Joshua 10:12. Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorite into the hand of Israel, when He defeated them at Gibeon, and they were defeated before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: Stand, sun, over Gibeon, and moon, over the valley of Aijalon! After the Gibeon battle, the Lord, in answer to Joshua’s prayer, performed another extraordinary deed, to which the biblical writer devoted a special brief section (Josh 10:12-14), similar to chapters III–IV, beginning with an indication of the time of the event. It occurred on the day in which the Lord “gave the Amorite”—that is, the army of five Canaanite kings—“into the hand of Israel,” or, as it is clarified in the Slavonic-Russian translation in agreement with the Greek, after the defeat “of them at Gibeon.” The words “when He defeated them at Gibeon and they were defeated before the sons of Israel” are absent from the Hebrew text, but appear in the oldest and many later lists of the Septuagint translation; they serve as a clearer indication of the time of the event being described. When, according to the sense of the quoted words of the biblical text, the battle under the walls of Gibeon had ended and the defeated enemy, in confusion, turned to flight, heading along the road toward Beth-horon, Joshua, pursuing him, saw both a large number of the Canaanite army still surviving and the possibility of its complete defeat in its then condition—defeat on this very day, before it recovered and took shelter in its cities. Filled with this thought and seeing at the same time how high the sun had already risen, Joshua, with the boldness characteristic of men close to God, in the presence of the soldiers surrounding him (“in the sight of Israel,” literally from the Hebrew “before the eyes of Israel”) called out to the Lord: “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.” This is how this prayer is rendered in the Septuagint translation (Στήτω ὁ ἥλιος κατὰ Γαβαων καὶ ἡ σελήνη κατὰ φάραγγα Αιλων). This translation, rendered word-for-word in the Slavonic Bible, has the advantage over the commonly used today: “Stand, sun, over Gibeon, and moon, over the valley of Aijalon,” in that it fully corresponds to the prayer that was addressed to the Lord, not to the sun and moon (the Hebrew verb “dom” appearing in these words is placed, one must think, in the infinitive form, which in Hebrew speech was often used, as is known, in the sense of the imperative, so it is grammatically correctly translated in the Septuagint with the words “let it stand”). This prayer, the Israeli leader pronounced, as one may suppose, at the very time when he, pursuing the enemy, reached the Beth-horon height and from it saw before him, to the west, the extensive plain with the Aijalon valley to the southwest, and in the Beth-horon pass—a mass of the enemy army descending through it, while behind him, on the eastern side, was the just-abandoned Gibeon, over which towered the midday luminary. The sun had risen quite high since he had approached Gibeon in the early morning of this day, but not yet so bright was its radiance that the moon was completely hidden; its pale disc was still visible on the western side over the Aijalon valley. Such a position of the heavenly bodies, indicated by the words of Joshua’s prayer, naturally leads to the understanding that the latter was pronounced not in the evening, but in the forenoon hour, when the sun was visible still in the east and the moon in the west; in the evening the position of the heavenly bodies would, of course, be the reverse. The purpose of the prayer was that the Lord would prolong this fortunate day, marked by victory, for the complete defeat of the enemy. Expressing this prayer, Joshua used the ordinary figure of speech, formed under the influence of simple direct observation of the heavenly bodies and their relation to the earth, one that continues to be used even now, despite the knowledge since Galileo that it is not the sun that moves around the earth, but the opposite.

Joshua 10:13. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is not this written in the Book of the Righteous: “The sun stood in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to set for about a whole day”? Joshua 10:14. And there has not been a day like that before it or after it, in which the Lord listened to the voice of a man. For the Lord fought for Israel. Despite the extraordinariness of the request, it was heard by God and granted: the light of the sun continued all the time “until the people,” or according to the oldest Greek lists 91, with which the Slavonic Bible here agrees, “God 92 took vengeance on their enemies” (or “upon them”), that is, as long as the pursuit of the Canaanite army continued on this day. Indicating the fulfillment of Joshua’s prayer, the biblical writer was fully conscious of the extraordinariness of what was accomplished, and therefore he, “fearing that others might not believe this account, says that it is found in an ancient writing” 93. According to the Hebrew text, with which many Greek lists agree (with the exception, however, of the oldest 94), the biblical writer refers here to the Book of the Righteous, saying: “Is not this written in the Book of the Righteous?” The Book of the Righteous, lost in ancient times, is mentioned only in 2 Sam 1:18 as such a book in which was recorded David’s song on the death of Saul and Jonathan, written in Hebrew verses. Neither its author nor the time of its writing is known. From the fact that it contained David’s song, it does not follow that before this time there was no such book or that it was completed in David’s time. This book, one must think, had its beginning before that of this king-psalmist and contained in its composition songs from the time of the conquest of the Canaanite land. From the reference to it by the writer of Joshua it is evident that the song about the Gibeon victory contained in it was well known among the Israelite people in the writer’s time and could therefore serve as a living reminder of that extraordinary day of victory. From the Book of the Righteous the biblical writer drew, as one may suppose, the words of Joshua’s prayer and its fulfillment, contained in the second half of Josh 10:12 and the first Josh 10:13 verse, in the structure of which Hebrew commentators perceive peculiarities of Hebrew poetic speech 95, corresponding to the character of this book as containing songs like David’s song. But the further words in the second half of Josh 10:13 and in Josh 10:14, written in the usual simple speech of biblical narrative 96, belong to the writer of Joshua himself. In them he with complete clarity and decisiveness confirms what is drawn from the Book of the Righteous. Foreseeing the perplexity that the narrated event would raise, the biblical writer describes again in two consecutive sentences the extraordinary event that occurred on the day of the Gibeon battle. It consisted in the fact that the sun, having reached, as it is commonly said even now, its highest point on the heavenly vault, continued to shine with full radiance: “stood in the midst of heaven,” or literally from the Hebrew “in the middle of heaven,” not hastening toward the setting, with the result that this day lasted longer than usual, “for about a whole day.” To this description the biblical writer adds an indication of its extraordinariness in the history of God’s relations with men: “And there has not been a day like that before it or after it, in which the Lord listened to the voice of a man,” or according to the Greco-Slavonic translation and the ancient Slavonic version, “hearkened to a man” 97. And in conclusion the biblical writer indicates the reason for the unparalleled fulfillment by the Lord of Joshua’s request, which consisted in the fact that “the Lord fought for Israel.” The words “before it or after it” suggest that a considerable time had passed since the day of the Gibeon victory, which gave reason to point to the unprecedented nature of the accomplished event. Three consecutive similar expressions in which it is described show that the biblical writer indeed saw in the fulfillment of Joshua’s prayer an astronomical miracle, truly conceived of the day of the Gibeon battle as prolonged beyond the usual by the action of divine omnipotence. Such was the understanding of this event among the ancient Jews, as is evident from the Book of Sirach (Sir 46:5) and the “Antiquities” of Josephus (Iud. Antiquities 5:1, 17), as well as among the ancient Christian writers. According to Justin the Philosopher: “Jesus stopped the sun, being beforehand renamed with the name of Jesus and having received power from His Spirit” (Dialogue with Trypho, § 113). Proclus of Gaza in the prolongation of day by Joshua’s prayer sees a foreshadowing of a more prolonged day for the struggle against enemies granted by Jesus Christ to the believers (Migne. Patrologia graeca. Vol. LXXXVII, 1021). By what means the Lord prolonged the day of the Gibeon victory remains beyond the limits of human knowledge.

Joshua 10:15. Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, returned to the camp at Gilgal. Comparison of this verse with Josh 10:43 shows the exact similarity of their content, and consideration of what follows Josh 10:15 with equal clarity indicates that Joshua did not return to Gilgal after pursuing the Canaanites to Azekah (Josh 10:10), but continued his march further south and eastward (Josh 10:39-40) and only after this returned with his army to Gilgal. The question of what the return of Joshua to Gilgal mentioned in Josh 10:15 according to the present Hebrew text means is resolved for the Orthodox reader of the Bible by the Septuagint translation, in the oldest lists of which (in the Vatican and Alexandrian) this verse is not read, and as it agrees with them, it was not read in our ancient Slavonic translation 98. It was first introduced into the Slavonic translation by the Ostroh editors on the basis of the Aldine and Complutensian editions 99, relying on later Greek lists, whose text is supplemented from the Hebrew text.

Joshua 10:19. but you, do not stop here; pursue your enemies and smite the rear guard of their army and do not allow them to go into their cities, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand. “Smite the rear guard of their army,” that is, those who had fallen behind on the march from the Canaanite army (Deut 25:13). Joshua himself did not participate, as is evident from Josh 10:21, in this pursuit, remaining at Makkedah.

Joshua 10:21. all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace, and no one dared to move his tongue against any of the sons of Israel. “No one dared to move his tongue against the sons of Israel,” that is, no one disturbed their peace (Exod 11:7) and offered no resistance to them. The Greco-Slavonic translation of these words “no one dared to move his tongue against any of the sons of Israel” expresses a different understanding, not corresponding to the context of speech.

Joshua 10:24. When they brought these kings to Joshua, Joshua called all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him: Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. They came near and put their feet upon the necks of them. Joshua 10:25. Joshua said to them: Do not fear nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage; for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies with whom you fight. The command to the Israeli military leaders to place their feet on the necks of the defeated kings in the presence of all the troops was to make clear to everyone their complete victory over the Canaanites; hence the expression “place at the footstool of the feet” (Ps 109:1). This symbolic rite, serving to indicate the complete defeat of enemies, was also used in the Byzantine Empire.

Joshua 10:26. And after that Joshua struck them and killed them and hung them on five trees; and they hung on the trees until the evening. Besides the shameful rite, the defeated kings were not subjected to torture before death, as was done among other ancient peoples: hanging, as a symbol of shameful death, was carried out upon the corpses (cf. Josh 8:29). The same, one must think, was done with the king of Makkedah as well.

Joshua 10:29. And Joshua and all Israel with him went from Makkedah to Libnah and made war against Libnah; Joshua 10:30. and the Lord gave it and its king into the hand of Israel, and he struck every person in it with the sword, devoting it to destruction: he left none remaining in it [whom might be saved]: and he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho. The location of Libnah, which later belonged to the tribe of Judah and was located on the plain (Josh 15:33), is not determined with certainty. Eusebius and Jerome place Libnah generally in the region of Eleutheropolis, which among geographers of Palestine 100 is usually identified with Beit-Jibrin of Greco-Roman writers, the present city of Beit-Jibrin, which is located to the southeast of Askelon 101. In the region of Eleutheropolis, namely in “Arak el-Manjiyeh,” as a hill covered with ruins is called, about 7 versts (5 English miles) away, some 102 place the location of Libnah. This location of Libnah (to the south of Makkedah, which is placed at this point directly to the east of Askelon) is consistent with the fact that Joshua, after conquering Makkedah, turned against Libnah, and from there—to Lachish 103.

Joshua 10:31. From Libnah Joshua and all Israel with him went to Lachish and encamped against it and made war against it; Joshua 10:32. and the Lord gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he took it on the second day and struck it with the sword and every person in it, [and destroyed it] as he had done to Libnah. Joshua 10:33. Then Horam king of Gezer came up to the aid of Lachish; but Joshua defeated him and his people, [with the sword] so that none remained [to be saved]. Regarding Lachish, see notes to Josh 10:3. In speaking about the king of Gezer who came to aid Lachish, the biblical writer does not mention the taking of the city probably because Joshua limited himself to defeating the army, and Gezer, as lying considerably further north of Lachish (see Josh 16:3), he left unconquered during this campaign, which, after the conquest of Eglon, ascended from the plain into the mountainous part of southern Canaan (for the designation of which in Josh 10:36 in the Hebrew text instead of “went” it says “went up”—“vayyaal”).

Joshua 10:37. and they took it and struck it with the sword and its king and all its cities and every person in it; he left none remaining, just as he had done to Eglon; he devoted it to destruction and every person in it. Joshua 10:38. Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned to Debir and made war against it; The name of the Hebronite king is not given here, but it was certainly the successor of the one killed at Makkedah, who had taken the throne during the time in which Joshua was conquering the cities named above. In the conquest of Hebron, Debir, and other cities, “every person” was put to death, that is, all the inhabitants that were in them, but of the latter many or some may have fled beforehand to other cities or to the numerous caves in the mountainous Judea and then, after the conclusion of the campaign, returned to their cities, as a result of which in Hebron and Debir, according to Josh 15:14, the Anakim appeared again.

Joshua 10:40. And Joshua struck all the hill country and the Negev and the lowland and the slopes, and all their kings; he did not leave any remaining, but devoted to destruction all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel commanded; Joshua 10:41. Joshua defeated them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and all the land of Goshen, as far as Gibeon; Joshua 10:42. and Joshua took all these kings and their lands at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. Josh 10:40-42 These verses present a general survey of what was conquered by Joshua during his campaign into southern Canaan: “Joshua struck all the hill country,” that is, the mountainous elevation, later the hill country of Judah (Josh 15:48) with the cities situated on it, “and the Negev,” according to the Hebrew text—Negev (in the Septuagint and Slavonic Bible this name is left untranslated as a proper noun), as was called “the southern part of the Canaanite land,” stretching from the hills of Judah to the Desert of Paran (Num 13:1-18) and—from the end of the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean, having a considerable number of cities (Josh 15:21-32); further—“the lowland,” or plain, according to the Hebrew text Shephelah (Josh 15:33-47); finally—“the slopes” (according to the Hebrew text “gaashedot,” in the Slavonic Bible Asidof), as was called (Josh 12:8 and others) the hilly region, the region of mountain slopes and hills, lying between the plain and the mountainous elevation of the hill country of Judah. “All that breathed he devoted to destruction,” that is, he struck all the people who inhabited the mentioned localities, according to Deut 20:16. By the words “defeated them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza” the southern boundary line is designated, determined by the two named cities, lying to the east (Kadesh-barnea) and to the west (Gaza). At present, thanks to the investigations of Rowland, Palmer, and Trumbull, it is well established that Kadesh-barnea was not located in the valley of the Arabah, at Ain-el-Weyba (see Interpreted Bible, Vol. I, p. 235), but on the southwestern side of the hills of Azazimeh in Wadi Kadis. By the words “all the land of Goshen as far as Gibeon” the extent of the land conquered during this campaign from south to north is determined. The land of Goshen, without doubt different from that mentioned in Gen 46:28, Goshen (in Hebrew also Goshen), was located in the southern part of the territory of the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:51), but in particular, which locality is meant by this name, is not precisely determined. Perhaps by “all the land of Goshen” is meant that mountainous district in which were located the cities enumerated in Josh 15:46-51, to which class belonged also Goshen. Conjecturally the location of the latter is recognized by some 104 as Rapha, as are called extensive plains with remains of a Christian church, one hour’s journey to the north of Jattir (regarding the location of the latter in Josh 15:48). * * * A. Stanley. Lectures of the Jewish Church, 1:204. Cook, Commentary, 2:49. Literally from the Hebrew “before Israel.” The verb “struck” is placed here in the singular in the Hebrew text and in the Septuagint: συνέτριψεν, after which in some Greek lists even Κύριος follows; with these lists agrees the ancient manuscript (V. Lebedev, p. 227) and present Slavonic translation: “the Lord struck.” According to the Hebrew text the same subject, that is, “the Lord,” is implied even in the following verbs “pursued” and “struck,” as is evident from the Latin translation: persecutus est… percussit—“pursued, struck”) and some later Greek lists (Parsons), in which it reads: κατεδίωξεν, κατέκοπτεν. Instead, in the oldest (Vatican, Alexandrian, and Lucianic) lists it reads, however, κατεδίωξαν, κατέκοπτον, with which in the ancient Slavonic translation—“pursued” (see V. K. Lebedev, p. 214) and in the present it reads: “pursued… struck,” that is, the Israelites. From these inconsistent Greco-Slavonic translations the advantage of original accuracy belongs to the Hebrew text and agreeing with it Latin translation and later Greek lists, in whose readings is expressed the understanding of the biblical writer that the Gibeon victory the Israeli people wholly owed to the Lord God of Israel. Western and Russian biblical scholars (see A. P. Lopukhin “Biblical History of the Old Testament,” Vol. I, 883) point to a severe thunderstorm in 1859 during the battle of the Austrians at Solferino and to severe hail in 1831 at the Bosphorus, which caused injury and death to people. Tristram. Bible places, 45. Keil. Joshua, 79, based on investigations by van de Velde. Regarding the location of Eleutheropolis, see 10:29. Tristram. Ibid., p. 42. In the Vatican and Alexandrian lists it reads: ἕως ἠμύνατο ὁ θεὸς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτῶν. The Lord was read here also in the ancient Slavonic translation V. K. Lebedev, p. 385. Works of Blessed Theodoret, Vol. I, p. 281. In the Vatican and Alexandrian lists the reference to the Book of the Righteous is absent. Despite this, Blessed Theodoret and Proclus of Gaza (Migne, Patrologia Ser. graeca, t. LXXXVII, p. 1020) were acquainted with it. See, for example, Cook, Commentary, 2:56. The view of the frequently mentioned Protestant commentator Keil on the 2nd half of Josh 10 and Josh 10:14, as written in poetic speech and likewise borrowed from the Book of the Righteous, is not recognized as correct by other commentators. See, besides the mentioned commentary of Cook, the commentary of Dillmann. According to the Vatican and Alexandrian lists ὥστε ἐπακοῦσαι θεὸν ἀνθρώπου, with the omission of φωνῆς—“voice.” The same is how these words are rendered in the ancient manuscript Slavonic translation: “the Lord heard… a man” (V. Lebedev, p. 231). The opinion of the author of this work that “the Lord” instead of “God” in the Greek lists arose from the copyist’s incorrect reading of the abbreviated word “voice,” does not seem plausible, because in that case the verb “heard” would not have a subject, that is, a divine name, which according to the Greek lists is “God,” and according to the Hebrew text “the Lord.” Might the influence of the Hebrew text on the ancient Slavonic translation not show itself in the introduction of this latter divine name? V. Lebedev, 85. In the Muscovite Greek Bible Josh 10:15 reads, as also in the Lucianic lists. Ibid., p. 361. οὐκ ἔγρυξεν—“did not murmur, did not dare to speak.” K. Raumer. Palastina; Riess. Bibel-Atlas. Description of Eleutheropolis with its extensive caves in the work “Holy Land,” 2:144–160. Cook. Commentary, 2:52. Tristram. Bible Places, 44. Tristram. Bible places, 44–45. Tristram. Bible places, 60.

Chapter Eleven

1. Victory of Joshua over the kings of northern Canaan at the Waters of Merom. 10. Taking and burning of Hazor. 16. Conquest of all the Canaanite land. 21. A new defeat of the Anakim.

Joshua 11:1. When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, At the head of a new defensive alliance of the kings of northern Canaan stood Jabin, king of Hazor, which was the principal city here (Josh 11:10). The name Jabin, meaning “wise,” was, in all probability, not a personal name, but a hereditary name of the Hazor kings (like “pharaoh” or “caesar”), which is why this same name was borne by a much later king from this city (Judg 4:2). Regarding the location of Hazor (in Hebrew Hazor), which later belonged to the tribe of Naphtali (Josh 19:36), from the “Antiquities” of Josephus (Iud. Antiq. 5:5, 1) it is known that it was located higher (ὐπέρκειται) than Lake Samochonitis (that is, Merom), but where exactly is not yet established with certainty; it is more probable that it was located about 3 versts (2 English miles) to the southeast of Kedesh on a separate standing hill, which at present bears the name Tell Hara or Harawi, and on which remain the ruins of a fortress and other structures made of unwrought stones 105. Madon, according to the Hebrew text and many Greek lists, Marron according to the Vatican and Ambrosian lists, is likewise unknown with certainty in its geographical position; conjecturally its location is recognized, on the basis of its designation in the Greek lists, as the village of Maron 2 hours of travel to the northwest of Kedesh. Shimron, according to the Hebrew text, in the majority of Greek lists Someron or Simeon, which later belonged to the tribe of Zebulun (Josh 19:15), is indicated, conjecturally (by Robinson and others), in Simunyeh to the west of Nazareth, by others—in Semeriyeh to the north of Akko. Achshaph (in Greek lists Azif, or Ahiv), which later was a boundary city of the tribe of Asher (Josh 19:25), is not determined equally in its position; conjecturally its location is recognized (by Robinson) as either Kesaph near the Lebanese Mountains, almost parallel to Tyre, or Akko or Haifa (Tristram).

Joshua 11:2. and to the kings who dwell in the north in the hills and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, and in the lowland, and in Naphoth-dor to the west, Besides this, Jabin called to his aid “the kings” who dwelt “in the north in the hills,” what hills are meant is explained by the translation corresponding to the last two words of the Hebrew text in Greco-Slavonic: τοὺς κατὰ Σιδῶνα τὴν μεγάλην—“those at great Sidon,” showing that by “hills” is meant here the mountainous elevation extending to the north from Hazor, not only the nearest in the tribe of Naphtali (Josh 20:7), but also the more distant, Libanon. Under the mentioned then “Arabah south of Chinneroth” is meant the Jordan valley to the south of the Sea of Galilee, which in the most ancient times (Num 34:11) bore the name Kinneret from the city of the same name in the tribe of Naphtali (Josh 19:35). Under “lowland” (according to the Hebrew text “Shephelah”—“lowland”) and Naphoth-dor (Hebrew “naphet”—“hilly region”) is meant the plain along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea with the inclusion of the hilly region near the city of Dor. The latter was located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea to the south of Carmel. At present, in the place of Dor, known in antiquity, is a poor village Taqtura, or Dandora, with massive ruins of an ancient city.

Joshua 11:3. to the Canaanites in the east and in the west, to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Jebusites in the hill country, and to the Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. Following the enumeration of the kings is, as in Josh 9:1, the designation of the peoples who helped the king of Hazor in war with the Israelites, and the regions they inhabited (“in the hills and in the plain”). Under “land of Mizpah beside Hermon,” not different, one must think, from the mentioned further (Josh 11:8) “valley of Mizpeh,” is meant generally the high, mountainous region in the very north of Palestine, corresponding to that high-lying valley which stretches between Libanon and Anti-libanon and was called Coele-Syria by Greco-Roman writers, but was called Bika by the natives (Tristram). Particularly, some investigators (Robinson) point to the high region to the north of Abel 106, on which is located the village of the Druzes Mutelle, as corresponding to the land of Mizpah beside Hermon. From the enumeration of the kings and peoples made here by the biblical writer, it follows that the forces assembled for the impending battle included warriors not only from northern Canaan, but from Phoenicia and the Libanon Mountains. On the presence of Canaanite kings living in the Libanon mountains, it is also indicated in the “Antiquities” of Josephus (Iud. Antiq. 5:1, 18). From this it is understandable that the biblical writer used the comparison of the numerous Canaanite army to the sand on the shore of the sea; this army was supplied with the best weapon of that time—war chariots—in great quantity. According to the “Antiquities” of Josephus (ibid.) this army consisted of 300,000 infantry, 10,000 cavalry, and 20,000 chariots.

Joshua 11:5. All these kings joined forces, and came and camped together at the Waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. The gathering point of the Canaanite army was the region at the “Waters of Merom” (according to the Hebrew text Merom, according to the Greek lists—Marron, Merron, Merom). The name “water of Merom” appears only in this chapter of Joshua. This name is commonly connected with the conception of Lake Merom, or as called at present, Bahr Hule. Some commentators dispute this conception on the basis that in the “Antiquities” of Josephus in the account of this event, the place for the camp of the Canaanite army is indicated not at the Samechonite Lake, as the Jewish historian calls Lake Merom, but “Bairoth (Βηρωτης), a city of Upper Galilee, not far from Kedesh” (Iud. Antiq. 5:1, 18); in Josephus’ work on the Judaic War (2:20, 6) instead of Bairoth the city Meroth (Μηρωθ) is indicated also in Upper Galilee. This latter name serves as the basis for the conception that the army of the Canaanite kings was positioned at the place of the present village of Meirun, or Meiron 107, located 1½ hours travel to the northwest of Safed 108, on a high mountain, from the foot of which flows a spring forming a small lake, which could have been called “water of Merom.” It is certain in any case that the place of Joshua’s battle with the kings of northern Canaan was on the western side of Lake Merom.

Joshua 11:6. But the Lord said to Joshua: Do not fear them, for by tomorrow at this time I have given all of them, slain, into the hand of Israel; you shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire. The size of the army assembled by the Hazor king could not remain unknown to Joshua when he approached its location at the head of his people. Therefore, on the eve (“tomorrow”) of the day on which he was to meet a powerful enemy, the Israeli leader, as before the Gibeon battle, was encouraged through a special divine revelation with the promise of victory (“I have given” or—literally from the Hebrew and Greek—“I give them”) and such a complete and decisive one that beforehand it is indicated how to proceed with the booty, consisting of horses and war chariots. The Lord commands both to be destroyed: horses are to have their sinews cut, and chariots to be burned. The reason for this special command, which was observed until the reign of Solomon (2 Sam 8:4), is not indicated; but, as shown by the subsequent history of the Israelite people, it consisted in that, keeping the horses and chariots and making them state property, the Israelites could then rely more on this military equipment than on the almighty help of the Lord, and through this lose the latter and together with it face inevitable destruction, as explained by the Psalmist (Ps 19:8-9) and the prophets (Isa 2:7; Mic 5:10 and other places).

Joshua 11:7. So Joshua and all the people of war with him came upon them suddenly at the Waters of Merom and fell upon them. Before the Canaanite kings brought their numerous, mixed-peoples, and diversely equipped army into order, Joshua quickly moved against it with all of his people capable of bearing arms. In 4 days, according to the “Antiquities” of Josephus (Iud. Antiq. 5:1, 18), having accomplished the transition from Gilgal to the Merom waters, he fell upon the enemy unexpectedly and by his unexpected blow threw it into complete confusion, using which he inflicted a complete defeat upon it.

Joshua 11:8. And the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them and pursued them as far as Great Sidon and as far as Misrephoth-maim, and as far as the valley of Mizpeh to the east, and they struck them down, so that none remained to them [whom might be saved]. The Israelites pursued the enemy “as far as Great Sidon, as far as Misrephoth-maim, and as far as the valley of Mizpeh.” Sidon—the famous in antiquity principal city of Phoenicia on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, which was in the territory of the tribe of Asher (Josh 19:28), but did not belong to it (Judg 1:31), now a small city of Saida. Misrephoth-maim is identified by many with the present village of Ain Mesherfiya on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, to the north of Akko (near Ras en-Nakura), and by some—with Zarephath of Sidon (1 Kgs 17:9). Regarding the valley of Mizpeh (Josh 11:8), see the note to Josh 11:3.

Joshua 11:10. At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword [Hazor was before that the head of all these kingdoms]; The words enclosed in brackets “[Hazor was before… kingdoms],” appear in the Hebrew text and in the Greek translation of the Septuagint and undoubtedly belong to the text of the book.

Joshua 11:11. and struck down all who were in it with the sword, devoting them to destruction: there was no one left who breathed; and he burned Hazor with fire. Joshua 11:12. And all the cities of these kings and all their kings Joshua captured and struck with the sword, devoting them to destruction, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded; Joshua 11:13. but none of the cities that stood on their hills did the Israelites burn, except Hazor alone; Joshua burned that one. Among the cities of northern Canaan, only Hazor, as a strong city, was burned, which, if it had not been burned, could quickly recover and become dangerous to the conquerors; other cities, built on hills (in Slavonic “crapes”), which did not pose such dangers and were useful to the conquerors in the forthcoming settlement of the country, were not burned.

Joshua 11:16. Thus Joshua took all that land: the hill country, all the Negev, all the land of Goshen, the lowlands, and the slopes, Joshua 11:17. from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, as far as Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon at the foot of Mount Hermon; and he captured all their kings and struck them down and killed them. Josh 11:16-17 These verses contain a general review of the conquered land, which included: 1) southern Canaan (“all the hill country, all the Negev, all the land of Goshen and the lowlands,” cf. Josh 10:40); 2) the Jordan valley adjoining it from the west along with the main mountain elevation and seacoast plain (“the Arabah, and the mountain of Israel, and the lowlands”). For an explanation of the name “mountain of Israel,” see the note to Josh 11:21. From south to north the conquered land extended “from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, as far as Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon.” Mount Halak, or “the bald mountain” (see Interpreted Bible, Vol. 1, p. 98), is understood by most commentators as a chain of mountains to the south of the Dead Sea, which stretches parallel to the Seir mountains on the western side of the Wadi Arabah, which separates Canaan from Idumea. Some, however, identify Mount Halak with Mount Madara to the west of the Arabah, which represents a completely bare cliff. The location of Baal-gad is not determined with certainty: the choice of location for this city oscillates between the well-known (in later times) Caesarea Philippi, or Banias, located on the southern slope of Hermon and lying to the north of Hasbeya. The fact that in the subsequent period instead of Baal-gad the designation of the northern boundary of the Israelite land became the city of Dan (Judg 20:1, 1 Sam 3:20 and others), which was located near Caesarea Philippi (in 4 Roman miles), inclines one to recognize precisely the latter as the location of Baal-gad, since with the closeness of both cities, the replacement of one by the other did not produce a change in the direction of the boundary line.

Joshua 11:18. Joshua waged war a long time with all these kings. The “long time” in which Joshua waged war with the Canaanite peoples, based on Josh 14:7 (see further), can be determined as 5–7 years.

Joshua 11:20. for it was the Lord’s doing to harden their hearts that they might come against Israel in battle, that He might devote them to destruction, that they might receive no mercy, but that they might be destroyed, as the Lord commanded Moses. The hardening of the Canaanites’ hearts in their struggle with the Israelites is attributed to the Lord as the Master of all that occurs in the world: it, like other movements of the human heart (Ps 80:13), was permitted by God as serving their punishment (“that they might be devoted to destruction”) and for the purification of the Canaanite land for the Israelite people. Cf. the note to Exod 4:21.

Joshua 11:21. At that time Joshua came and wiped out the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah and from all the hill country of Israel; Joshua devoted them to destruction with their cities; Joshua 11:22. there was none of the Anakim left in the land of the sons of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod. The length of time indicated in Josh 11:18 for the conquest of the Canaanite land and the small number of cities enumerated in Josh 10 and Josh 11 that were captured at that time indicate that the biblical writer did not recount all that was done during this time, but limited himself to indicating only the most important events that had a decisive significance in the settlement of the Israelite people in the Canaanite land. He supplements this brief account here with information about a campaign against “the Anakim who dwelt in the hill country, in Hebron, in Debir, in Anab, on all the hill country of Judah and on all the hill country of Israel.” The conquest of the first two of the named cities was already mentioned (Josh 10:36-38). The third—Anab—is mentioned here for the first time. It was located to the south of Hebron; the village existing on its site still bears the name Anab to this day. The account of this campaign is included by the biblical writer not only because the previous narrative had not mentioned the defeat of the Anakim, who had produced such a terrifying effect on the spies (Num 13:29), but also, one must think, because there was a special campaign against this giant tribe, caused by its strengthening at a time when Joshua was waging war in other parts of Canaan. This campaign was directed not only against the three named cities, but against others in the hill country of Judah and Israel, where the Anakim dwelt. The bracketed “[all]” (Josh 11:21), placed before the mention of the Anakim, has been transferred from the Slavonic Bible, but it finds no correspondence either in the Hebrew text or in the oldest lists of the Greek translation; the same must be said of the expression “[none of]” (Josh 11:22). The mountainous region of southern Canaan received the name Hill Country of Judah from the time when the tribe of Judah settled in it, and this name, like the name Mount Ephraim (Josh 17:15 and others) for designating the northern part of the country, quickly entered popular speech instead of former names (Judg 12:15: Mount Amalek), which, as reminders of former rulers, aroused understandable displeasure in the new inhabitants. The use of the name “hill country of Israel” in the Book of Joshua is less clear, which serves to designate the same northern half of the mountain elevation, which, for the name of the most powerful of the northern tribes, was called the Hill Country of Ephraim. The first of these names was received, one must think, at a time when the name Israel became the designation of the northern tribes in distinction from the southern ones (Judah and Simeon). In the Book of Joshua clear signs of such separation between the tribes are not visible: both in the conquests and after their completion, there prevails the consciousness of national unity, which is why the Book of Joshua speaks of “all the congregation of the sons of Israel, of all the sons of Israel” (Josh 23:2 and others). The separation of the northern tribes from the southern developed mainly during the time of the Judges 109 and by the beginning of the reign of Saul had become so ripe that at the first assembly of the assembled army “the sons of Israel,” that is, soldiers from tribes other than Judah, were counted separately, and the “men of Judah”—separately (1 Sam 11:8, 2 Sam 2:4 and others). Such a designation of two parts of the Israelite people gives reason to think that by the end of the time of the Judges, that is, during the time of Samuel, the name Israel began to be applied to the northern tribes, and along with this, also to the territory occupied by them. Thus, at the end of the time of the Judges, that is, at the time of Samuel, the name “hill country of Israel” could enter into use. Gaza was located on the Philistine shore, about 4 versts from the Mediterranean Sea, on the way from Egypt to Phoenicia. This still fairly populated city retains its ancient name (El-ghazzeh). It was included in the portion of the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:47) and was conquered after Joshua’s death by this tribe (Judg 1:18), but later repeatedly recovered its independence. Gath (in Hebrew Gat, in the Septuagint Γεθ) was also a Philistine city, first conquered by David (1 Chr 18:1), and later destroyed by the Judean king Uzziah (2 Chr 26:6), after which its name disappears from history. Its location is not accurately known; according to Eusebius, it was located 5 Roman miles (7 versts) from Eleutheropolis (or Betogobra) along the road to Lydda, according to which it is indicated on geographical maps to the northwest of the former, while some in recent times place Gath at the location of Eleutheropolis itself 110. Ashdod (in Hebrew Ashdod, in Greek lists Aseldo, Asinoth, in Acts (Acts 8:40) Azoton) was located in the portion of the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:47) within the Philistine shore, to the north of Gaza, near the seashore; at present in its location is a small Muslim village of Esdud.

Joshua 11:23. Thus Joshua took all that land, according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war. “And the land rested from war,” that is, Joshua’s campaigns for the conquest of the Canaanite land ceased, as no one from the Canaanites came out openly against the Israelites with weapons in hand. The dominance of the Canaanites in the country was broken, and the Israelite people could now freely take possession of the land according to the division that existed among them by tribes. This general rest of the country did not exclude, however, as subsequent events show (Josh 13:1-6), the existence of regions with a Canaanite population, which, not coming out with weapons in hand against the Israelite people, could not prevent the latter from taking possession of the conquered country. * * * Prof. A. A. Olesnicki is inclined toward the opinion that Hazor was located at the place of ancient ruins spread on the northern shore of Lake Samochonitis. Holy Land, 2:479. According to the Hebrew text “arabah,” from which the Greco-Slavonic “Raba.” According to the Hebrew text “Mitzpeh,” which means watchtower. According to the Hebrew text “bikah.” Abel-beth-maacah (2 Sam 20:14 and others) was located to the north of Lake Merom. Regarding the antiquities of this village, see “Holy Land,” 2:472, though it does not indicate the lake near this village. The existing city of Safed in Upper Galilee is not mentioned in Sacred Scripture. It is located to the southwest of Lake Merom. Description of Safed see there, p. 465 and ff. Μασερων according to the Vatican list. Μασσωχ according to the Vatican list. Prof F. Y. Pokrovsky. Division of the Hebrew Kingdom, p. 125 and further. Tristram. Bible places, 35, 43. Regarding the location of Eleutheropolis—10:29.

Chapter Twelve

A listing of the Canaanite kings defeated under Moses and Joshua son of Nun.

Joshua 12:1. Here are the kings of the land whom the Israelites defeated and whose land they took as an inheritance on the east side of the Jordan, from the Arnon stream to Mount Hermon, and all the plain to the east: The territories of the east-of-Jordan kings conquered by the Israelites extended from the Arnon stream, which served as the southern border of the Amorite kingdom (Num 21:13) to Mount Hermon, which forms the southern projection of the Anti-Lebanon and was called Sion among the Israelites (Deut 4:48). By “the entire plain to the east” is meant the plateau on the east side of the Jordan, called in modern times El-Ghor.

Joshua 12:2. Sihon, king of the Amorites, dwelling in Heshbon, who ruled from Aroer, which is on the bank of the Arnon stream, and from the middle of the stream, half of Gilead, to the Jabbok stream, the border of the Ammonites, Regarding Heshbon (in Hebrew Cheshbon) see Num 21:25. The city of Aroer, which later belonged to the tribe of Reuben (Josh 13:9), stood on the northern side of the Arnon stream, where ruins from it remain, bearing the name Arar. “And from the middle of the stream.” The Hebrew word for this in the original text is “hanachal,” which means not only “stream” but also “valley,” or what is called in Palestine a “wadi,” serving as the streambed during the rainy season and then drying up; this meaning is also given to the word in the Greek-Slavonic translation: κατὰ μέρος τῆς φάραγγος – “from the region of the chasm.” In this middle of the valley, as is evident from Josh 13:9, Deut 2:36 (where the same expression is used with the addition of the Hebrew “hagir,” rendered in the LXX as ἡ πόλις – “the city”), there stood a city called Ar-Moab (Num 21:15-28), which together with Aror marked the southern border of Sihon’s kingdom. Regarding the Jabbok stream, see Num 21:24. Regarding the Sea of Kinnereth, see Josh 11:2.

Joshua 12:3. and the plain to the Sea of Kinnereth on the east, and to the sea of the plain, the Salt Sea, on the east by the way to Beth-jeshimoth, and on the south by the foothills of Pisgah; The city of Beth-jeshimoth was located on the east side of the northern extremity of the “sea of the plain,” that is, the Dead Sea; according to Eusebius, Βηθασυμουθ, as it is named here, stood at a distance of 10 Roman miles (about 14 versts) from Jericho; its location is indicated in the ruins of Suweimeh. To the south of it rises Mount Pisgah.

Joshua 12:4. the other being Og, king of Bashan, the last of the Rephaim, who dwelt in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, Regarding Ashtaroth see Gen 14:5, where it is called Ashteroth-karnaim. Edrei, according to Eusebius (Αδραα), stood at a distance of 6 Roman miles from Ashtaroth; its location is indicated in the southeast of Ashtaroth in present-day Deraat with substantial ruins.

Joshua 12:5. who ruled over Mount Hermon and Salcah and all Bashan, to the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and half of Gilead, to the border of Sihon, king of Heshbon. Salcah, in the Greek manuscripts Σεκχαι, Σελχα. Selkha, in modern times Selkhad, about 4–5 hours’ journey east from Bosra in the Hauran. Bashan was the northern part of the east-of-Jordan region or Gilead, extending from south to north from the Jabbok stream (Deut 3:15) to Hermon, namely “to the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites,” which are understood to be districts on the east and west sides of Hermon (Raumer. Palastina), and from east to west from Salcah (Deut 3:10) to the Sea of Kinnereth (Josh 13:27), that is, Lake Gennesaret.

Joshua 12:7. And here are the kings of the [Amorite] land, whom Joshua and the Israelites defeated on this side of the Jordan to the west, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon to Halak, a mountain that stretches toward Seir, which Joshua gave to the tribes of Israel as an inheritance according to their divisions, Joshua 12:8. on the mountains, in the lowlands, on the plain, in the regions of the hills, and in the wilderness, and in the south—the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: See Josh 11:17.

Joshua 12:9. one king of Jericho, one king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, Joshua 12:10. one king of Jerusalem, one king of Hebron, Joshua 12:11. one king of Jarmuth, one king of Lachish, Joshua 12:12. one king of Eglon, one king of Gezer, Josh 6:1.

Joshua 12:13. one king of Debir, one king of Geder, Joshua 12:14. one king of Hormah, one king of Arad, Regarding the defeat of the three kings named here—Geder, Hormah, and Arad—the biblical writer had not spoken before, see the remark to Josh 11:21-23 regarding the incompleteness of the narrative of Joshua’s conquests. The location of Geder has not been determined with certainty. Hormah (in the Greek manuscripts Ἐρμαθ, Ἐρμα), which was called Zephath among the Canaanites (Judg 1:17), was located in the inheritance of the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:30), but later belonged to Simeon (Josh 19:4). According to research (especially by Palmer), it was located at the place of extensive ruins called Sebaita in the southern part of Palestine, on the west side of the Azazimeh mountains, about 30 versts north of Kadesh-Barnea (Josh 10:41). Regarding Arad—see Expository Bible, vol. I, 244–245.

Joshua 12:15. one king of Libnah, one king of Adullam, Regarding the city of Libnah—see Josh 10:29. Adullam, according to Josh 15:35, was located in the inheritance of the tribe of Judah, specifically in the lowland (Josh 15:33), and thus to the west of the mountains of that tribe, where Lachish (Josh 15:39) and Makkedah (Josh 15:41) were located. In the First (1 Sam 22:1) and Second (2 Sam 23:13) books of Kings is related a peculiarity of the city or region bearing this same name—that here was found the Cave of Adullam, in which David hid after his flight from the Gittite king and during his pursuit by Saul. To these biblical indications corresponds the village of Deir Dubban, about 2 hours’ journey from Eleutheropolis (Josh 10:29), near which in the limestone hills there are very many caves that could have served as a refuge for David when he fled from Gath, which was located not far from this region (Josh 11:22). This view of the location of Adullam mentioned in this place, however, is questioned by some because in the indicated passage in the Second Book of Kings the Cave of Adullam appears to be located not far from Bethlehem. Two hours’ journey from the latter, in the village and valley of Hareitun, there is indeed a whole series of caves connected to one another by passages. Some identify Adullam with these Hareitun caves, mentioned in the Book of Joshua. In Russian literature, the view of the Cave of Adullam as located near Bethlehem is accepted by Professor A.A. Olesnitskii. However, the predominant view among researchers of the biblical geography of Palestine remains that the city of Adullam, according to Josh 15:35, was located in the Shephelah lowland, on the west side of the mountains of Judah.

Joshua 12:16. one king of Makkedah, one king of Bethel, Regarding Makkedah and Bethel see Josh 8:17.

Joshua 12:17. one king of Tappuah, one king of Hepher. Regarding the defeat of the kings of the cities named here, nothing is said in Josh 10 and Josh 11, and the locations of the cities are not precisely determined. Regarding Tappuah (in the Greek manuscripts Ταφουγ, Απφου), it is known only from Josh 15:34-35 that it was located in the lowland, to the west of the mountains of the tribe of Judah, in the region where Jarmuth (Josh 10:5) was located. Hepher (in the Greek manuscripts Οφερ) appears only in 1 Kgs 4:10, where the land of Hepher is named alongside Socoh, which was in the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:35).

Joshua 12:18. One king of Aphek, one king of Sharon, Cities named Aphek, meaning “fortress,” are mentioned repeatedly in other places in the Book of Joshua and other Old Testament books (Josh 13:4; Judg 1:31; 1 Sam 4:1), but which of these same-named cities is meant in this place of the Book of Joshua and where it was located remains unclear. Sharon (in Hebrew Lasharon, in some later Greek manuscripts Λεσαρον) is not mentioned elsewhere in the sacred books, and its location is unknown.

Joshua 12:19. one king of Madon, one king of Hazor, Joshua 12:20. one king of Shimron-Meron, one king of Achshaph, See Josh 11:1.

Joshua 12:21. one king of Taanach, one king of Megiddo, Taanach was located in the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar but belonged to Manasseh (Josh 17:11); it was situated at the place of the present-day village of Ta’anuk in the Jezreel valley. Megiddo, by the Hebrew text Megiddo, in the Greek manuscripts Μεγιδδων, was also in the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar but belonged to Manasseh (Josh 17:11). It was located near Taanach, as shown by the repeated mention of it alongside the latter (Judg 5:19, 1 Kgs 4:12 and others). Its location is indicated to the north of Taanach at the place of ruins located on two hills called Lejjun. Some (Conder), however, place Megiddo at Medjedheh, near Beth-shan, considerably to the east of the Jezreel valley, which is considered less probable.

Joshua 12:22. one king of Kedesh, one king of Jokneam at Carmel, Kedesh, later belonging to the tribe of Naphtali (Josh 19:37), was distinguished from other cities bearing the same name and was called Kedesh in Galilee. It was located to the west of Lake Merom. The small village existing at its location, with remains of antiquity among which the tomb of Barak is indicated (Judg 4:6), has preserved the ancient name to this day. Jokneam at Carmel (according to the Greek manuscripts Ἰεκοναμ τοῦ Χερμελ, in the Slavonic Bible Jekonam of Khermel) was located in the inheritance of the tribe of Zebulun (Josh 21:34) and was situated near a stream (Josh 19:11). Its location is identified with Tell-el-Keimun, as a high hill covered with ruins is called, on the southeastern side of Carmel, near the Kishon stream.

Joshua 12:23. one king of Dor at Naphath-dor, one king of Goim in Gilgal, Regarding Dor at Naphath-dor see the commentary to Josh 11:2. The location of the Gilgal mentioned here, as this name is read in the Hebrew text, is indicated in the present-day village of Galgulus, which, according to Eusebius, was located 6 Roman miles to the north of Antipatris in the Sharon plain. The fact that in the ancient Vatican manuscript this name is rendered as Γαλιλαίας – “Galilee,” does not undermine the correctness of the name transmitted by the Hebrew text, given that the latter appears in the majority of Greek manuscripts, as well as in the translation of the blessed Jerome (rex gentrum Galgal – “the king of the nations of Galgal”). The testimony of the Greek manuscripts is important here in the sense that it confirms the understanding of the Hebrew word “goim” (meaning as a common noun “nations”) as a proper name, which was borne by this king.

Joshua 12:24. one king of Tirzah. In all, thirty-one kings. Where Tirzah (in the Greek manuscripts Θαρσα), which was the capital of Jeroboam, a name meaning “beauty,” was located is not known with certainty; most often its location is identified with the present-day village of Talluzah, about 2 hours’ journey to the northeast of Nablus, distinguished by a beautiful location. According to the Vatican and Alexandrian manuscripts, the number of all defeated kings, instead of 31 as in the Hebrew text, is read as 29, which occurred because in these manuscripts the king of Makkedah (Josh 12:16) and the king of Sharon (Josh 12:18) are not mentioned; the number 29 (in Old Church Slavonic кf) was found in the ancient Slavonic translation. In the later Greek manuscripts and the editions based on them (the Complutensian and Aldine), with which the present Slavonic translation agrees, the number 29 was changed to 31 in accord with the Hebrew text. * * * “The Holy Land,” 2:94–95. This name of the city is adopted, it may be supposed, in accord with the translation of the blessed Jerome: rех Saron unus. The Hebrew name Lasharon, beginning with the syllable “la,” meaning “to,” arouses suspicion among Hebraists, whose resolution they find in the corresponding reading of the Vatican manuscript βασιλέια Αφεκ τῆς Αρωκ, with the help of which they correct the present reading of the Hebrew text and recognize “Lasharon” as a word composed of “la”—“to” and “sharon,” as the Sharon plain was called. Thus, Josh 12 gains the meaning “the king of Aphek in Sharon” (Dillmann). According to the Vatican manuscript, the second half of Josh 12 is read as βασιλέια Γεὲι τῆς Γαλειλαίας; according to the Alexandrian—Γωείμ Γεγεα. Professor Olesnitskii does not recognize the identification of Tirzah with Talluzah as correct; according to his supposition, the capital of Jeroboam was located at the place of present-day Khirbat Tibneh (“Holy Land,” II, 325–327). Regarding Khirbat Tibneh see Josh 19:50. Lebedev. 194, 348.

Chapter Thirteen

1. The regions of the Canaanite land not conquered by the Israelites. 8. The general outline of the east-of-Jordan region that fell to two and a half tribes. 14. The special inheritance of the tribe of Levi. 15. The boundaries and principal cities of the inheritance of the tribe of Reuben. 24. The boundaries and cities of the inheritance of the tribe of Gad. 29. The boundaries and cities of the half-tribe of Manasseh. 33. The chief inheritance of the tribe of Levi.

Joshua 13:1. When Joshua became old and well advanced in years, the Lord said to him, “You are old and well advanced in years, and there still remains very much land to be conquered as an inheritance.” As the entry into the Canaanite land (Josh 1:2), so also the distribution of it to the Israelite people was accomplished by a special divine command. The Lord points to Joshua’s advanced age, who was already, it may be supposed, about 85 years old (Josh 14:10), as the reason for issuing this command. Since the Israelite leader had reached an advanced age, he was therefore, despite the incompleteness of the conquest (Josh 13:2-6), to proceed with the division of the Canaanite land among the Israelite tribes, which was to serve as a fulfillment of the divine promise concerning the bestowal of this land upon the people (Josh 13:7). The word “advanced” was added by the Russian translators for greater expressiveness.

Joshua 13:2. “This is the land that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and all the land of the Geshurites [and the Canaanites].” Joshua 13:3. From the Shihor, which is before Egypt, to the border of Ekron to the north, the Canaanites reckon as belonging to the five rulers of the Philistines: the Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, the Ekronites, and the Avvites; The enumeration of unconquered regions begins from the southwest, with the Philistine coast, where the five mentioned regions or separate areas were located. Under the name placed alongside the Philistine regions (literally) “all Geshurite” (Hebrew “kol haggeshurei”—Γεσουρι according to the Alexandrian manuscript) is understood to be a region distinct from the Geshurite border (Josh 12:5; 2 Sam 15:8), lying to the south of the Philistine coast, of whose inhabitants mention is made also in 1 Sam 27:8. The words “[and Canaanite]” are inserted in accord with the Greek-Slavonic translation; in making this addition, the Greek translators had in mind other unconquered territories, which are indicated in Josh 13:4-6. The Philistine land and the Geshurite region extended from south to north “from the Shihor, which is before Egypt, to… Ekron.” The name “Shihor” (in Hebrew “shichor,” meaning “turbid, dark”) was by the LXX taken as a common noun and rendered as ἀοικήτου, hence the Slavonic “from the uninhabited.” In its common noun sense, it was also translated by the blessed Jerome (a fluvio turbido—“from the turbid river”), but applied not to the land but to the river, which is meant in this place. Under Shihor is understood the “stream of Egypt,” which served as the southern border of the Canaanite land and is called in modern times “Wadi el-Arish” (see Num 34:5). Ekron, according to the Greek-Slavonic translation “Akkaron,” which belonged to Judah (Josh 15:11) and later to the tribe of Dan (Josh 19:43), was the northernmost of the 5 Philistine cities, and was located at the place of the present-day village of Aqir, to the east of Yavne (Holy Land, II, 180). “Reckoned as Canaanites…”—that is, the possessions of these princes, although their population was not of Canaanite origin (Gen 10:14), are included in the composition of the Canaanite land and belong to the possessions of the Israelites. Regarding Gaza and then also Gath see Josh 11:22. “Ashkelon” was conquered after the death of Joshua (Judg 1:18), but only briefly (1 Sam 6:17). It was located on the very shore of the Mediterranean Sea, about 20 versts to the north of Gaza. On its site remain extensive ruins together with the wall surrounding it. Since its last destruction in 1270, “no human dwelling has arisen upon its ruins” (Holy Land, II, 202), in fulfillment of ancient prophecies (Zech 9:5; Zeph 2:4). “The Avvites,” or, literally from the Hebrew, Avvi; thus was named an ancient people “dwelling in villages down to Gaza” (Deut 2:23), enslaved by the Philistines but preserving its existence until the time of Joshua. Where their possessions were located is indicated by the opening statement of Josh 13:4: “to the south” (in Hebrew “mitgeman,” according to the Greek-Slavonic translation “from Teman”), if this statement is connected with the final words of Josh 13:3, for which there are sufficient grounds. Such grounds are, first, the testimony of ancient translations: the Greek LXX, the Latin, and the Syriac, in which the expression “from Teman” is placed in close connection with the name of the Avvites, and, second, the fact that when “to the south” is referred to Josh 13:4, a geographically unintelligible expression is obtained, as the latter would speak of all the Canaanite land, situated to the south of the Philistine coast and at the same time to the north of it, where the “Cave of the Sidonians” was located (Josh 13:4). Under “all the Canaanite land to the south” can be understood here the southernmost part of Canaan (the so-called Negev), concerning the conquest of which it is spoken in Josh 10:40 and Josh 11:16 (“he took… all the land of the south”). In this southern part could certainly be some territory not conquered, but of it could not be used the expression “to the south… all the Canaanite land” (Josh 13:4). The unintelligibility of this expression in the geographical sense compels one likewise to recognize, contrary to the accepted division of this place into verses, the correctness of the ancient translations and, in accord with them, to refer the expression “to the south” to Josh 13:3, whereby the Avvites are portrayed by the biblical writer as dwelling to the south of the Philistine coast, in the wilderness, extending from it further “to the Shihor… before Egypt.”

Joshua 13:4. and to the south is all the Canaanite land, from Sidon’s Cave to Aphek, to the border of the Amorites, From the south, the biblical narrator turns to the north, where he indicates all the “Canaanite land” (in Hebrew “hak-kenani”) or Canaanite, under which is understood the coastal strip of land in the northern part of Canaan, occupied by the Canaanites or Phoenicians, who also in other places (Josh 5:1, cf. Num 13:30 and others) are portrayed as dwelling by the sea. “From Sidon’s Cave to Aphek”: literally from the Hebrew “and Cave of the Sidonians.” The Hebrew word “meara” means “cave,” “depression”; in this common noun sense it is used in Josh 10:18 (“at the opening of the cave”). In this place, it is, in accord with the translation of the blessed Jerome (et Maara Sydoniorum), taken as a proper name of a locality. Under Sidon’s Cave is understood a district in the Lebanon mountains, which is known by the many caves found in it. It is located to the east of Sidon and is called in modern times Mughar (Cave) Jezzine. “Aphek”—a city in the Lebanon mountains, bearing the name Aphoka among the Greeks, to the northeast of Beirut, at the source of the River Adonis. It was assigned to the inheritance of the tribe of Asher (Josh 19:30), but the former inhabitants were not driven out (Judg 1:30). At present, the place of it is occupied by the village of Afka with ruins of an ancient temple of Adonis, distinguished by a beautiful location (Holy Land, II, 574–575).

Joshua 13:5. and also [the Philistine] land of Gebal and all Lebanon to the east of the sun, from Baal-gad, which is beside Mount Hermon, to the entrance of Hamath. Also remained unconquered the region to the north of Aphek, named “the land of Gebal” (in Hebrew text Givli, in Greek manuscripts Γαλιαθ, Γαβλι, in the Slavonic Bible “Gavli”) after the city of Gebal found in it, which among the Greeks bore the name Byblos. Regarding the inhabitants of Gebal, as skilled stonemasons and shipbuilders, mention is made in 1 Kgs 5:18, in Ezek 27:9. It was located to the north of Beirut and was situated on a high cliff jutting into the sea. At present, the poor village of Jbeil occupies its site, with ruins of the ancient city. The word “[Philistine]” transferred from the Slavonic Bible finds its correspondence in many Greek manuscripts, but it is absent in the present Hebrew text and in the translation of the blessed Jerome; this additional word does not contribute to the understanding of this place, and may rather lead to an incorrect conception of where the land of Gebal was located. Also unconquered was all the region of the Lebanon mountains, lying to the east of Gebal and extending from south to north from Baal-gad (see Josh 11:17) or Banyas “to the entrance of Hamath.” “Hamath” (in Hebrew Chamat, among Greek writers—Epiphania) was located on the Orontes River, to the north of Hermon or the Anti-Lebanon. In ancient times, Hamath was the capital of a separate kingdom. The expression “to the entrance of Hamath” (Judg 3:3; 1 Kgs 8:65 and others), frequently used in the Old Testament books, served to designate the southern border of the Hamathite kingdom, which was the northern border of the Israelite land (2 Chr 7:8).

Joshua 13:6. All the mountain dwellers from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, and all the Sidonians—I myself will drive them out before the Israelites. Only allot the land to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded you; Joshua 13:7. and divide this land for an inheritance among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh [from the Jordan to the great sea to the west, you shall give it to them; the great sea will be their border]. Here ends the divine command begun in Josh 13:1 and there is given a promise that all the inhabitants of the mountainous region, extending from Lebanon on the northeast to Misrephoth-maim (Josh 11:8) on the southwest, named after the chief city in it as “Sidonians,” shall be driven out of it. Therefore, Joshua is commanded also to “divide” this territory, that is, to give by lot to the Israelite people as a possession, in accord with previous commands (Josh 1:6; Deut 3:28). Josh 13:7 contains a more precise indication of to whom and what land was to be divided. Specifically, it is commanded that “this land,” which extends “[from the Jordan to… the great]” sea, that is, the Mediterranean, be divided “as an inheritance,” that is, as hereditary property (in the Hebrew text “nachalat,” in the LXX χληρον ομια) among the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Although the words “[from the Jordan to… the great sea… will be]” their border are absent in the Hebrew text and in the translation of the blessed Jerome, nevertheless the testimony of the LXX translation, in which they are found in the most ancient and many later manuscripts, deserves full attention, as these words are required by the content of this place. The expression “they divided this land” needs clarification because in the preceding verses (Josh 13:2-6) only unconquered territories are mentioned, not the Western-Jordan region in general, which was subject to division. The words “from the Jordan to the sea…” read in the Greek manuscripts provide this clarification, presenting a more precise definition of the land to be divided as that which lay between the Jordan and the sea. In the ancient Slavonic translation, they were likewise found, and only by the Ostrog correctors were they omitted, apparently on the basis of the Complutensian Polyglot.

Joshua 13:8. And the tribe of Reuben and the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh received their inheritance from Moses on the east side of the Jordan [of the sun], as Moses the servant of the Lord had given them, Josh 13:8 according to the Greek-Slavonic translation begins with words not read in the present Hebrew text: ταῖς δὲ δύο φυλαῖς καὶ τῷ ἡμίσει Μανασση—“and to the two tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.” These words, also read in the ancient Slavonic translation, belong, it should be supposed, to the text of the book, as is evident from the present Hebrew text of it, from which the opening word of this verse rather clearly indicates an omission of several preceding words. According to the literal translation from the Hebrew it begins with the words: with him (“immo”) “Reuben and Gad… received”… With whom then “with him”? According to the Hebrew text, Josh 13:7 ends with the words: “the half-tribe of Manasseh.” But to this half-tribe, which was to receive its inheritance in the Western-Jordan region, cannot apply the expression “with him,” since Reuben and Gad received their inheritance not with this western-Jordan half-tribe of Manasseh, but with another—the eastern-Jordan one, which was not named in the preceding verse. For this reason, the expression “with him” among biblical scholars following the Hebrew text is recognized as “imprecise” and is replaced with the words “with the other half-tribe of Manasseh.” The LXX translation eliminates the necessity for such, in any case, an arbitrary translation, presenting the above-cited words not preserved in the present Hebrew text, in which is named that half-tribe of Manasseh which is meant in the words “with him.” In the Slavonic translation, this “with him” is not rendered, although in the Alexandrian manuscript it is read after the above-cited Greek words τοῖς μετ` αὑτου τῷ Ρουβὴν καὶ Γαδ—“those with him, Reuben and Gad.” It is clear that the above-cited Greek translation words (and the two tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh), preceding the expression “with him,” were omitted in the present Hebrew text, as a result of which a dreadfully incorrect sentence is obtained upon a literal translation of it, compelling translators to alter and supplement the Hebrew text.

Joshua 13:9. from Aroer, which is on the bank of the Arnon stream, and the city which is in the midst of the stream, and all the plain of Medeba to Dibon; See Josh 12:2. “The plain of Medeba to Dibon” is named the plateau (in Hebrew “Mishor,” hence the Slavonic “Misor”) on the east side of the Dead Sea, extending from the north—“from Medeba”—to the south—“to Dibon.” The city of Medeba is about 2 hours’ journey from Heshbon (Josh 13:10). At present, the place of Medeba is occupied by extensive, beautiful ruins bearing the name Madaba among the Arabs. “Dibon” is to the south of Medeba, about an hour’s journey from the Arnon. At present it is also ruins preserving the ancient name. Near these ruins in 1868, the German traveler Klein discovered a remarkable ancient monument with an inscription of the Moabite king Mesha, a contemporary of the Israelite king Joram and the Judean king Jehoshaphat, written in Phoenician letters.

Joshua 13:11. also Gilead and the territory of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all Mount Hermon and all Bashan to Salcah, Gilead in general is the name for the east-of-Jordan region, both south and north of the Jabbok (now Zarqah), consisting of portions in modern times called “Belka” between the Jabbok and Arnon, and Jebel Adjloun, between the Jabbok and Yarmuk (Sheriat-el-Mandhur). The territories of the Geshurites and Maacathites (regarding the latter see Josh 12:5) are referred here to the possessions of the east-of-Jordan tribes, but in reality they did not belong to them (Josh 13:13).

Joshua 13:12. all the kingdom of Og of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei. He was the last of the Rephaim, whom Moses struck down and drove out. Regarding Ashtaroth and Edrei see Josh 12:4.

Joshua 13:14. But to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance: the offerings made by fire to the Lord, the God of Israel, are his inheritance, as the Lord said to him. [And this is the division which Moses made to the sons of Israel in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan, opposite to Jericho]: Moses did not give the tribe of Levi a separate hereditary possession (Deut 18:1-2) in accord with the divine command (in Num 18:20-21). “The offerings of the Lord” is the general name for gifts offered to the Lord, such as: offerings strictly speaking, burned on the altar (Lev 1:9 and others) and in the improper sense, such as: tithes, first fruits (Num 18:21; Lev 27:30), and the bread of the Presence (Lev 24:7). The word “offerings,” not found in most Greek manuscripts, as in the Slavonic translation, according to the Greek-Slavonic translation, “The Lord, the God of Israel, gave their inheritance,” which is not in accord with the indicated passages of the Book of Numbers and Deuteronomy. The words “[And this is the division which Moses made to the sons of Israel… opposite Jericho]” are absent in the Hebrew text but are read in the manuscripts of the LXX translation and in the Slavonic Bible. They represent, evidently, a heading for the following division of the east-of-Jordan region among two and a half tribes, and were found, in all probability, in the most ancient Hebrew text, which was used by the LXX, as this is also admitted by some Western Christian commentators. The expression “according to their tribes” in the ancient Greek manuscripts is absent.

Joshua 13:15. To the tribe of Reuben, according to its clans, Moses gave an inheritance: Joshua 13:16. Their territory was from Aroer, which is on the bank of the Arnon stream, and the city which is in the midst of the stream, and all the plain near Medeba, Joshua 13:17. Heshbon and all its cities, which are on the plain, and Dibon, Bamoth-baal, and Beth-baal-meon, See Josh 12:1-2. “Bamoth-baal” (the heights of Baal) was located on the east side of the Dead Sea, near its northern extremity; it served as the place from which Balaam saw the Israelite camp located on the Moabite plain opposite Jericho (Num 25:1); the exact location of it has not been established. The city “Beth-baal-meon” (in the Slavonic Bible “the houses of Beel-meon”) was located on the northern side of the Zerqa Ma’in stream, about 6 versts from Medeba (see Josh 13:9), at the place of extensive uninhabited ruins at present bearing the name Main.

Joshua 13:18. Jahaz, Kedemoth, and Mephaath, The location of “Jahaz” (in the Slavonic Bible “Iassa,” in accord with the Alexandrian manuscript) has not been established; according to Eusebius (named Ἰεσσα), this city was located between Medeba and Dibon; some place it at the ruins of Mughatell-el-Ghay on the southern side of Aroer, near Aror, as the location of Jahaz. “Kedemoth” was located in the wilderness bearing its name (Deut 2:26), in the upper course of the Arnon (Num 21:13), “on the edge of the Syrian-Arabian wilderness,” not far from the road to Mecca; but its exact location is not determined. The location of “Mephaath,” which was a Levitical city (Josh 21:37), and in the time of Roman rule (according to Eusebius: Μηφααθ) a guard post, is likewise unknown at present.

Joshua 13:19. Kiriathaim, Sibmah, and Zereth-shahar on the hill, “Kiriathaim” was located, according to Eusebius, 10 Roman miles (14 versts) from Medeba, in present-day Quriyat, as the ruins are called, to the south of Mount Aparus and Wadi Zarqa. The location of “Sibmah,” found according to the indication of the blessed Jerome (in his commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 16:8) 500 paces from Heshbon, is unknown at present. “Zereth-shahar” (in the Slavonic Bible “Sarph and Sior,” in accord with the Alexandrian manuscript) “on the hill” (in the Slavonic Bible “Enak,” in accord with the Alexandrian manuscript) is pointed out by some at the place of ruins called Zara, to the east of the Dead Sea, to the south of Wadi Zarqa Ma’in.

Joshua 13:20. Beth-peor and the slopes of Pisgah and Beth-jeshimoth, “Beth-peor” was located at Mount Peor (in Hebrew “Peor”), which forms the northern peak of the Abarim range, near the Moabite plain, according to Eusebius (Βεθφογορ) “7 Roman miles upstream” (to the east) “from Liviad” (“Beth-haram” Josh 13:27). Regarding the locations “at the slopes of Pisgah and Beth-jeshimoth” see in the commentary to Josh 12:3.

Joshua 13:21. and all the cities on the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses struck down along with the leaders of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the princes of Sihon who dwelt in the land [thereof]; Concerning the princes of Midian dwelling in Sihon’s kingdom, mention is made in Num 31:8.

Joshua 13:24. Moses also gave an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, according to their clans: Joshua 13:25. Their territory included Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites, to Aroer, which is before Rabbah, The inheritance of the tribe of Gad lay in general to the north of that of Reuben. The Jazer named first is indicated at the place of ruins bearing the names Sir and Khirbat Sar, to the west of Philadelphia (see Josh 13:25), 10 Roman miles from which Jazer is indicated in Eusebius. “All the cities of Gilead,” that is, the cities of the southern half of Gilead, to the south of the Jabbok River (Deut 3:16). “And half the land of the Ammonites to Aroer, which is before Rabbah”: is meant that part of the Ammonite land which was held by Sihon and which after his defeat passed to the Israelites; the land of the Ammonites which they possessed at that time was forbidden to the Israelites to touch (Deut 2:19). The Aroer named here was distinct from the same-named city at the Arnon River (Josh 13:16), but its location is not determined; it is conjecturally indicated to the west of Rabbah, the former capital of the Ammonites, bearing the name Philadelphia and presenting at present extensive ruins called Amman, on the southern tributary (Nahr Amman) of the upper Jabbok.

Joshua 13:26. and the land from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir, Here is indicated the extent of the possessions of the tribe of Gad from the south (from Heshbon; Josh 13:17) to the north (“to Ramath-mizpeh”). This city is usually recognized as the same as the one named in Josh 20:8 and Josh 21:38 as Ramoth in Gilead, which was located, according to Eusebius (Ραμωθ), 15 Roman miles to the west of Philadelphia. Its location is for the most part considered to be the present-day city of Es-Salt on Mount Osha to the south of the Jabbok. But this geographical determination is not universally accepted: others assign it different locations, generally to the north of Es-Salt. “Betonim” is probably indicated at the place of ruins bearing the name Batne to the west of Es-Salt. “And from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir.” “Mahanaim,” which received its name from the patriarch Jacob (Gen 32:2), was located on the northern side of the Jabbok stream (Gen 32:22); but its exact location has not been determined. However, it is not without probability that opinion held by some of present-day biblical scholars that it was situated at the place of the present-day village of Mahne, halfway between the Jabbok and the Yarmuk. The considerable distance of Mahne from the Jabbok is consistent with the narrative (Gen 32:13-22) of the journey of the patriarch from Mahanaim to the Jabbok lasting a day. Mahanaim belonged to the tribe of Gad (Josh 21:38). The location of “Debir” (in Hebrew “Lidevir”) is unknown.

Joshua 13:27. and in the valley of Beth-haram and Beth-nimrah, and Succoth and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon, the king of Heshbon; its border was at the Jordan to the Sea of Kinnereth on the east of the Jordan. The western border of the inheritance of the tribe of Gad was the Jordan valley, in which the four cities named here were located. “Beth-haram,” according to the Slavonic Bible “Vitharam,” named by Herod Antipas as Julia in honor of the wife of Augustus, was located opposite Jericho. The hill with its ruins bears the name Tell or Beyg-Haran. Beth-nimrah was located, according to Eusebius (Βηθναβραν), 5 Roman miles to the north of Livias. Its ruins bear the name Nimrin. The location of “Succoth” on the east side of the Jordan and “Zaphon” has not been established. The cities given to the tribe of Gad are named as the remainder of Sihon’s kingdom, since a significant portion of the latter had already been given to the tribe of Reuben. Regarding the “Sea of Kinnereth” see Josh 11:2.

Joshua 13:29. Moses also gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh; and the portion belonged to the half-tribe of the sons of Manasseh, according to their clans; The words “which belonged to the half-tribe of the sons of Manasseh,” repeating what is said in the opening words of this verse, are read in the Hebrew text but are not found in the LXX translation according to its most ancient manuscripts, nor in the Slavonic Bible.

Joshua 13:30. their border was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan, and all the settlements of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities; In describing the inheritance of the half-tribe of Manasseh, the biblical writer first indicates the southern boundary marker—Mahanaim, and then the important northern part of its possessions—Bashan (Josh 12:5), as was the name of the kingdom of Og before its conquest by the Israelites; after the conquest it became known under the name “the settlements of Jair” (Deut 3:14).

Joshua 13:31. and half of Gilead and Ashtaroth and Edrei, the royal cities of Og of Bashan, [were given] to the sons of Makir, the son of Manasseh, the half of the sons of Makir, according to their clans. Here are particularly indicated that half of Gilead which is more precisely designated by the royal cities found in it, “Ashtaroth and Edrei,” that is, the northern half, which was received by the older generation of Manasseh’s tribe, called by the name of its founder, Makir, to distinguish it from other clans also descended from him (Num 26:29-32) but bearing the names of other immediate ancestors. The northern part of Gilead was given to the Makir clan, as it took especially active part in its conquest (Num 32:39; Josh 17:1). * * * In the Alexandrian manuscript according to its phototype copy, the end of Josh 13 and the beginning of Josh 13 is read as καὶ τῷ Ευαίῳ ἐκ Θαιμαν καὶ πάσῃ γῇ Χανααν. Here the word Θαιμαν is separated from the following words πάση γῇ by a mark or dot, which constitutes the only punctuation mark in the Alexandrian manuscript. The period placed in the printed editions of the Greek text before ἐκ Θαιμαν belongs to the editors, who have divided it according to the accepted verse division. The direct connection of the words: to the south with the end of Josh 13 is clearly expressed also in the translation of the blessed Jerome: Ad meridiem vero sunt Hevaii—“and to the south the Avvites.” According to other commentators (for example, Keil. Iosua, 105), this passage is translated the same way in the Syriac Peshitta. V. K. Lebedev, 356. Thus is read the beginning of the 8th verse in the Alexandrian and ancient Vatican (except δὲ δύο, absent in the latter) and other manuscripts. V. K. Lebedev, p. 236: “and you shall divide it to two great tribes and to half the tribe of Manasseh.” Keil, Iosua, 107; Dillmann, Numeri Iosua. 511. The translation of this monument into Russian with an explanation can be found in the “Christian Reading” of 1870, where are placed articles by Professor D. A. Khvol’son, “The Newly Discovered Monument of Moabite King Mesha.” A. Dillman in the above-mentioned commentary. Tristram, Bible places, 369. Riehm, 818. Keil. Iosua, 168. Tristram. Bible places, 340 and others.

Chapter Fourteen

1–5. The general foundations for the division of the Canaanite land among nine and a half Israelite tribes. 6–15. The inheritance of Caleb—Hebron.

Joshua 14:1. And these are the portions which the Israelites received in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of Israel apportioned to them; Josh 14:1-5. Before the history of the division of the Canaanite land, the biblical narrator has placed an introduction in which he has set forth the general foundations for this division, consisting in an indication of who performed this division, in what manner, and to whom. The division was performed by those appointed by Moses, the high priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the “heads of the fathers” (literally from the Hebrew “the heads of the fathers of the tribes”) or princes of the tribes (Num 34:17-28). The division was performed by means of “the lot” (Num 26:55-56) in accord with the divine command, which required that in determining the size of the inheritance, account be taken of the size or smallness of the tribe receiving the inheritance (Num 26:53-56). The fulfillment of this requirement in the distribution of land by lot suggests the idea that the lot indicated only the position of the inheritance that fell to the tribe in a certain region of the Canaanite land, while its size was determined according to the number of people comprising the tribe. The method of drawing lots itself (Josh 18:6), nowhere indicated in the sacred books, consisted, according to the opinion of the rabbis, in the following: two containers (bowls or boxes) were set up, into one of which pieces of leather or tablets with the names of the tribes inscribed on them were placed; into the other, similar objects with the names of the regions of the Canaanite land subject to division; upon the withdrawal of a sign with the name of a tribe, there followed the drawing of a sign with the name of the region, which became the possession of the tribe and according to its size was expanded or contracted. The entire western-Jordan region was thus divided among nine and a half tribes. To explain this, Josh 14:3-4 indicates, first, that two and a half tribes had already received inheritances in the east-of-Jordan region, and one tribe, due to its special purpose, received no inheritance, and, second, that the posterity of Joseph formed two separate tribes. The word “therefore” in Josh 14:4 does not correspond in either the Hebrew text or the Greek-Slavonic translation.

Joshua 14:5. As the Lord had commanded Moses, so the Israelites did when they apportioned the land. Reference is made to the divine command in Num 18:20.

Joshua 14:6. Then the tribe of Judah drew near to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God concerning me and you at Kadesh-barnea;” Caleb was the head of a clan in the tribe of Judah (Num 13:4; 1 Chr 2:9) and a prince in this tribe (Num 34:18-19). He bore the surname Kenizzite, which is also given to him in Num 32:12, not because he was descended from another people—the Kenizzites (Gen 15:19)—for which there is no indication, but, it must be supposed, because the name Kenaz or surname Kenizzite was borne by one of his illustrious ancestors, perhaps the founder of that clan whose head he was and whose members bore the same surname (Josh 15:17) or name (1 Chr 4:15). Caleb’s coming forward, accompanied by other members of the tribe of Judah, with a request to give him the Hebron mountain (Josh 14:12), shows that the tribe of Judah first felt the need for establishing settlements in the conquered land; in this was also expressed the special disposition of this tribe toward the southern region of Canaan. What the Lord spoke to Moses “concerning me and you,” that is, concerning Caleb and Joshua son of Nun, is found in Num 14:24. Regarding Kadesh-barnea—see Josh 10:41.

Joshua 14:7. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him what was in my heart: “And I brought back word to him,” that is, to Moses, “what was in my heart,” that is, Caleb expressed sincerely the opinion he had formed from spying out the Canaanite land, not fearing reproach for this from the others who participated in the spying, and not dreading the people’s anger (Num 14:10).

Joshua 14:8. My brothers who went with me frightened the hearts of the people, but I followed the Lord my God with complete loyalty. “My brothers,” that is, the other spies. The disagreement of Joshua son of Nun with them in their judgment concerning the Canaanite land was itself clearly understood in the words Caleb addressed to him and was too well known to those present to need special mention, lest it arouse suspicion of seeking favor from the Israelite leader.

Joshua 14:9. And Moses swore on that day, saying, “Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God with complete loyalty”; Joshua 14:10. And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as he said; it is now forty-five years since the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel journeyed in the wilderness; and now, behold, I am eighty-five years old. Joshua 14:11. I am still as strong today as I was on the day when Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going out and coming in. The divine command concerning the bestowal of the land “upon which your foot has trodden” as a hereditary possession to Caleb was transmitted by Moses in Deut 1:36. From Caleb’s words: “The Lord has kept me alive… it is now forty-five years,” the blessed Theodoret himself drew the conclusion that the conquest of the Canaanite land lasted 7 years. “After God’s sentence,” he says, “pronounced over six hundred thousand,” meaning the one at Kadesh according to Num 14, “the Hebrews spent thirty-eight years wandering in the wilderness; therefore, seven years remain until forty-five.” To clarify this conclusion, one may add reference to Deut 2:14, where it is said that thirty-eight years passed from the departure from Kadesh-barnea and the crossing of the valley of the Zered on the way to Canaan. Seven years of war are counted in the words “and Israel journeyed in the wilderness” as part of the period of wandering, since during them the people had not yet achieved a permanent settlement. By the words “going out and coming in” is meant in general the vital activity of a person (see Num 27:17 and others).

Joshua 14:12. Now give me this mountain about which the Lord spoke on that day; for you heard on that day that the Anakim were there, and the cities were great and fortified; it may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out, as the Lord said. By “this mountain” is meant the mountainous region in which Hebron is located; here the spies had seen the giants of Anakim (Num 13:23), who, despite the defeat inflicted upon them by Joshua son of Nun (Josh 11:21), had again seized this region. In the concluding words of his request, “it may be” (in Hebrew “ulay”—“is it not?”), “the Lord will be with me,” Caleb, who up to this point had followed the Lord with complete loyalty (Josh 14:8-9), expresses of course not doubt concerning the feasibility of his intention to drive out the giants, but hope and desire to do so with God’s help.

Joshua 14:13. And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh [the Kenizzite] as an inheritance. “And Joshua blessed him,” that is, wished him God’s help.

Joshua 14:15. Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba; this man was the greatest among the Anakim. And the land had rest from war. Regarding the former name of Hebron see the Expository Bible, vol. 1, p. 153. By the words “and the land had rest from war,” it is again indicated (Josh 11:23) that the peaceful state of the Canaanite land was favorable to its division among the Israelite people. * * * Keil. Iosua, 111. The Works of the Blessed Theodoret, vol. 1, p. 283.

Chapter Fifteen

1–12. The boundaries of the tribe of Judah. 13–15. The inheritance of Caleb and its conquest. 16–17. The boldness of Othniel and the reward. 18–20. The blessing of Achsah from her father. 21–62. Cities in the tribe of Judah. 63. The Jebusites in Jerusalem.

Joshua 15:1. The lot fell to the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their clans as follows: on the border with Edom was the Wilderness of Zin to the south, at the end of Teman; The first lot came to the tribe of Judah, which received its inheritance in the southern part of Canaan, in which Hebron was also located. The inheritance of the tribe of Judah bordered on Edom, extending to the Wilderness of Zin, according to the Hebrew designation Tsin (see Josh 15:3) 130, “to the south, at the end of Teman.” The name Tsin was borne by that desert strip which lay in the very southern part of the land of Canaan (Num 13:22), near the border of Edom (Num 34:3) and along which ran the boundary line between the latter and the inheritance of the tribe of Judah. The location of the Wilderness of Tsin is evident in particular from the fact that Kadesh was located in it (Num 20:1; Deut 32:51). Teman is a Hebrew word used as both a common noun and a proper name. As a common noun, teman means “the south.” It is used in this sense in Josh 12:3 and Josh 13:4. As a proper name, Teman is used both as a personal name (Gen 36:11) and as the name of a region in Edom (Gen 36:34; Amos 1:11-12; Ezek 25:13) or as a designation of Edom in general (Jer 49:7; Obad 1:8-9; Hab 3:3). As a proper name it must be used, we believe, in this passage also, since the indication of the south was already made immediately before it by the expression “to the south.” Teman can serve here to designate the southwestern Edomite region, closest to the southern part of the land of Canaan 131.

Joshua 15:2. Their southern border was the edge of the Salt Sea from the bay extending southward; Joshua 15:3. On the south it runs to the height of Akrabbim, passes by Tsin and, ascending from the south to Kadesh-barnea, passes by Hezron and, ascending to Addar, [runs on the western side of Kadesh,] turns to Karka, Joshua 15:4. Then it passes by Azmon, runs to the Brook of Egypt, so that the end of this boundary is the sea. This will be your southern border. Specifically, the southern boundary of the tribe of Judah began at the end of the Salt or Dead Sea, namely from the shallow lagoon-like bay located in its southern part. From this end it ran south to the height of Akrabbim or “the ascent of Akrabbim,” which means “the ascent of Scorpions.” This refers to a steep, high ascent called es-Safa (closer to the Dead Sea) or el-Yemen (farther from it), located in Wadi Fiqra, which runs from the middle of a mountain elevation now called the Mountains of Azazimeh, runs toward the northeast to the southern end of the Dead Sea. The next boundary point was Kadesh-Barnea, placed at the site of Ain Kadis (Josh 10:41), located to the southwest of the ascent of Akrabbim. The places then named by the biblical writer—Hezron, Addar, Karka 132 and Azmon—are conjecturally indicated by some researchers of southern Canaan in regions around Ain Kadis; so Addar is identified with Kadeirat, located to the west of Ain Kadis, Azmon with Kazaymeh farther to the west 133. “The Brook of Egypt,” along which ran the southern boundary of the tribe of Judah to the sea, now bears the name Wadi-el-Arish, which runs at almost the same degree of latitude into the sea at the fortress of el-Arish—the “Rhinocolura” of Greek writers. The broad valley along which this river, having great length, flows constitutes that strip of land by which the desert between Egypt and Palestine is divided into two parts, different in soil quality: to the west—sandy, salt, barren; to the east—more fertile; this valley thus serves as the most suitable boundary line between Egypt and Canaan.

Joshua 15:5. The border on the east was the entire Salt Sea, to the mouth of the Jordan; and the border on the north side begins from the bay of the sea, from the mouth of the Jordan; Joshua 15:6. From there the border goes up to Beth-hoglah and passes north of Beth-arabah, and the border goes up to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben; The eastern boundary of the tribe of Judah was the Salt, that is, the Dead Sea, along its entire length. Its northern boundary began from the end of this sea, which served as the mouth of the Jordan; from there it ran west “to Beth-hoglah,” located at the site of the present Ain-Hajla, as the best spring in this area is called, lying in thick woods about 6 kilometers to the southeast of Jericho. The location of the next boundary point—Beth-arabah—has not been determined with certainty; in the opinion of Professor A. A. Olesnitsky, Beth-arabah corresponds to the Gospel Bethany (John 1:28), which “lay on the line of the Jericho-Jerusalem road with its descent into the Jordan valley, consequently, on the border between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin” 134. The location of the “Stone of Bohan, son of Reuben,” is pointed by some to Tuwail-el-Akaba, about two kilometers to the west of Jericho, by others to the southwest of Ain-Hajla, near the mosque of Nevi Musa, near which is found the stone “hajar el-Asgab”—“the stone of a finger,” identified with the “Stone of Bohan” on the grounds that the Hebrew “bagan” means “big finger” 135. At this latter identification the boundary would have deviated very far to the south.

Joshua 15:7. Then the border turns to Debir from the Valley of Achor and to the north turns to Gilgal, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, lying on the south side of the stream; from there the border passes to the waters of En-shemesh and ends at En-rogel; The Debir mentioned next was located, in the opinion of Professor A. A. Olesnitsky, in Wadi Khot, through which runs the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, at the site of the ruins of Tur-ed-Dabor, as one of the neighboring valleys is also called—Wadi-Dabor. The ruins are located 2 hours walk toward Jericho from the Spring of the Apostles 136. Others place this Debir considerably farther to the east, on the same Jericho path, in the cave of Horet-ed-Daber, near the mentioned Adummim. The next boundary point was Gilgal, distinct from that named in Josh 4:19. The location of this Gilgal is determined by the fact that it was located “opposite the height” or “ascent” (in the Hebrew text “maale”, in the Slavonic Bible “descent”) of Adummim. The Ascent of Adummim is named for the well-known ascent from the Jordan valley to the heights rising to the west of it, “so steep and winding over deep cliffs that the road is covered by walls.” Here even now stands a tower bearing the name Hak-ed-Dam 137. The Gilgal itself opposite this ascent was located at that place in Jericho which belongs to the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission and on which a large granite stone was found, made in the form of a circle with round basins on its surface. This stone was the Gilgal mentioned here 138. By “the stream,” on the south side of which lay the Ascent of Adummim, is meant the main stream of this area—El-Kelt 139. The waters of En-shemesh now bear in the Christian world the name of the Spring of the Apostles, which is located 20 minutes’ journey from Bethany toward the Jordan valley. En-rogel is a spring, bearing the name among the natives “bir Ayyub”—“the Spring of Job,” located near Jerusalem, at the place where the Kidron valley joins the Hinnom valley.

Joshua 15:8. From there the border goes up to the Valley of Hinnom on the south side of the Jebusite, which is Jerusalem, and the border ascends to the top of the mountain which is to the west opposite the Valley of Hinnom, which is on the edge of the Valley of Rephaim to the north; The boundary of the tribe of Judah then runs along the southern edge of the Jebusite city—Jerusalem, on which as a boundary point is indicated the “Valley of Hinnom,” called briefly “the Valley of Hinnom” (Neh 11:30). Beginning on the western side of Jerusalem, it encircles the foot of Mount Zion from the southeast until it joins the Kidron valley. This valley is known especially for the sacrifices to Moloch performed in it (2 Kgs 23:10 and others), whose abomination to the Jews of later times led to the fact that its Hebrew name “gey hinnom,” shortened to “geenna” (Matt 5:22), became the name for the place of torment in the afterlife. The next boundary point is the top of the mountain “which is to the west opposite the Valley of Hinnom, which is on the edge of the Valley of Rephaim to the north.” These biblical geographical indications correspond to what is now called “Jebel Tor,” or “the mountain of evil counsel,” which rises on the southwest side of the Valley of Hinnom and at the same time serves as the northern end of the “Valley of Rephaim.” This latter, which probably received its name from the Rephaim who lived in it in ancient times (Gen 14:5), is located to the southwest of Jerusalem; it is quite extensive (an hour’s journey in length, half an hour in width) and very fertile; at present it bears the name Baka; in its southern end is the monastery of St. Elias (Mar Elias).

Joshua 15:9. From the top of the mountain the border turns to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah and runs to the cities of Mount Ephron, and the border turns to Baal, which is Kiriath-jearim; The place of the “spring of the waters of Nephtoah” is recognized as the present village of Lifta, located an hour’s journey to the northwest of Jerusalem, on the eastern side of Wadi Hanina, with a very abundant spring 140. The next boundary point is served by, according to the Hebrew text, the “cities of Mount Ephron” or “Mount Ephron” according to Greek manuscripts, which agrees with the Slavonic Bible: “to the mountain of Ephron.” The advantage of the Septuagint translation here compared to the Hebrew is self-evident: the designation of the boundary line by reference to several cities located, of course, in different places of the mountain, is undoubtedly too indefinite to have been chosen by the biblical writer. Mount Ephron, not mentioned in other places of Scripture, is conjecturally recognized as a mountain range rising on the western side of Wadi Hanina. Concerning the city “Baal, which is Kiriath-jearim,” see Josh 9:17.

Joshua 15:10. Then the border turns from Baal to the sea [and runs] to Mount Seir, and runs to the north of Mount Jearim, which is Chesalon, and, descending to Beth-shemesh, passes through Timnah; From Kiriath-jearim the boundary line turned “to the sea,” that is, to the west 141,—to Mount Seir (according to the Vatican manuscript Ασσαρ, according to the Alexandrian manuscript Σηειρ), a mountain range with sharp peaks, different, of course, from the mountains of Edom, on which Soreth is located (Josh 15:59); then runs to the northern side of Mount Jearim, where Chesalon is located (Vatican manuscript Χασλων, Alexandrian Χασολων), at present Kesla, on a high mountain, about 15 kilometers to the west of Jerusalem; then descends to Beth-shemesh (in the Septuagint Πόλιv ἡλίου—“city of the sun”), a city of priests (Josh 21:16: here Beth-shemesh) and the temporary dwelling place of the Ark of the Covenant (1 Sam 6:12). It was also called Ir-shemesh (Josh 19:41). At present the village of Bet-Emsi with the spring Ain-shems is in its place. Near the village, on a slope of the mountain, there is a large stone table, recognized by local tradition as that “large stone” on which the Ark of the Covenant was placed when returned from the land of the Philistines (1 Sam 6:14-15) 142. The Timnah mentioned then, in Josh 19:43 called Timnathah 143, at present bears the name Tibneh, to the northwest of Bet-Emsi.

Joshua 15:11. From there the border runs to the north of Ekron, and the border turns to Shikkaron, passes through the mountain [of the land] of Baal and reaches to Jabneel, and the border ends at the sea. The western boundary is the great sea. Concerning Ekron see Josh 13:3. The location of Shikkaron (according to the Alexandrian manuscript—Akkaron) has not been determined. The next boundary point is served by the mountain of Baal, by which is meant a mountain elevation to the west of Akir or Ekron. As the last boundary point before the sea shore is named Jabneel (Vatican manuscript Λεμνα, Alexandrian Ιαβνηλ, in the Slavonic Bible—Iavnil). In later times this city was called Jamnia (2 Chr 26:6) and Iamnia (1 Macc 4:15), serving as the seat of the Jewish Academy and Sanhedrin; at present the village of Ibneh at an hour’s journey from the sea, 4 hours’ journey south of Jaffa. The end of the northern boundary of the tribe of Judah was the great, that is, the Mediterranean Sea. It also served as the western boundary. To the description of the boundaries of the tribe of Judah the biblical writer in Josh 15:13-19 appended the account of the conquest by Caleb of the inheritance given to him, showing that his trust in God’s help (Josh 14:12) was not in vain. This account is also set forth in the Book of Judges (Judg 1:10-15) with some differences in details between the events that took place after the death of Joshua son of Nun.

Joshua 15:13. And to Caleb son of Jephunneh, [Joshua] gave a portion among the sons of Judah, as the Lord commanded Joshua; [and Joshua gave to him] Kiriath-arba, the father of Anak, otherwise Hebron. The name Joshua does not appear in the Hebrew text, nor in Greek manuscripts, although what is said here gives full grounds to understand the name of Joshua son of Nun as the subject of the verb “gave.” “As the Lord commanded Joshua” refers to that settlement to which Caleb referred in Josh 14:9-12. The words “[and Joshua gave to him]” appear only in Greek manuscripts.

Joshua 15:14. And Caleb drove out from there [the son of Jephunneh] three sons of Anak: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. The expulsion of the Anakim indicated here, representing three special races which bore the names of their forefathers, was a second one. It was caused by the fact that this strong (Deut 2:10) Canaanite people, after the first defeat inflicted upon it (Josh 11:21), again grew strong in Hebron and the nearby cities, wherefore Caleb, having received this city as his inheritance, had to begin a struggle with them. He waged it, of course, together with his other relatives and tribesmen, which is why in the account of this event found in the Book of Judges (Judg 1:10), Judah is named first.

Joshua 15:15. From there [Caleb] went against the inhabitants of Debir [the name Debir was formerly Kiriath-sepher]. Joshua 15:16. And Caleb said: Whoever strikes Kiriath-sepher and takes it, I will give him Achsah, my daughter, as a wife. Concerning the location of Debir see Josh 10:38. The assignment of such a reward (cf. 1 Sam 17:25) shows that Debir was strongly fortified and its capture presented great difficulties.

Joshua 15:17. And Othniel [the younger] son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it, and he gave him Achsah, his daughter, as a wife. Othniel, who later became the first Judge of Israel (Judg 3:9), was “son of Kenaz, brother of Caleb” 144. The correctness of the translation we have adopted of these words is evident from the fact that Othniel, as the son of Kenaz, could have been not the brother of Caleb, as son of Jephunneh, but his nephew. The word “younger” appears in the Alexandrian and many other Greek manuscripts, but does not appear in the Hebrew text and in the Vatican manuscript; most likely it was transferred from Judg 1:13.

Joshua 15:18. When she was going, she urged him to ask her father for a field, and she got down from the donkey. Caleb said to her: What do you want? When Achsah, given in marriage to Othniel, was setting out to him, she, translating literally from the Hebrew, “urged him” (“hesilatha”) “to ask her father for a field.” In this sense these words are conveyed in the Septuagint: συνεβουλεύσατο—“consulted with him.” According to the Hebrew text and Greek translation, the idea of obtaining a “field,” that is, a plot of cultivated land, from her father belonged to Achsah herself. What Othniel answered to his wife the biblical writer does not say, limiting himself to relating what Achsah herself did. She, riding, one must suppose, in the company of her father, “got down from the donkey.” From this special sign of respect which younger people paid to elders (Gen 24:64; 1 Sam 25:23), Caleb understood that his daughter had a special matter to discuss with him, and so he asked her: “What do you want?”

Joshua 15:19. She said: Give me a blessing; you have given me the southland, give me also the springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. “Give me a blessing,” that is, a gift, as a sign of his special favor. In this sense the word “blessing” is used in Gen 33:11. A daughter among Israelites did not receive, after the death of a father who had a son, any portion of immovable property, as is evident from the Book of Numbers (Num 27:4 and following). The endowment of a daughter who was getting married with a land parcel depended on the good will of the father, during his lifetime, as travelers report, wealthy parents in Palestine even now do, giving the daughter being married a wedding gift not in money but in a plot of land 145. In view of this, Achsah asks from her father, who had sons (1 Chr 2:18-19), as a blessing, “the springs of water,” and confirms her request with the fact that her father gave her to the southland (ὅτι εἰς γῆν Ναγεβ δέδωκάς με—“for into the southland you gave me,” which is the most apt rendering of the corresponding words of the Hebrew text). The word “southland” (in Hebrew “hanngegev”) is used here, one must suppose, to indicate that southern region as dry, suffering from lack of moisture, which is why Jerome in the blessed one’s translation of this expression combined both its meanings together: “southern and dry” 146. The locality where the “upper and… lower… springs” were located is pointed out by travelers to the southwest of Hebron, about 10 kilometers from Dogeria, the presumed location of Debir (Josh 10:38), in the valley of Seil-el-Dilbeh, in which even now there are upper and lower springs, numbering 14, from which the flowing water forms a stream that waters gardens over a distance of several kilometers, which is a rare phenomenon in southern Palestine 147. By relating this detail from the life of the Israelites during their settlement in the land of Canaan, the biblical writer shows how not only the best of men but also of women valued the land given them by God and cared to obtain a good portion for their possession. The verses that follow Josh 15:21-62 contain a list of the cities located in the inheritance of the tribe of Judah. They are divided by the writer into 4 categories according to the districts in which they were located, which are namely the cities: 1) “in the south,” in Hebrew—Negev (Josh 15:21); 2) “in the lowlands,” in Hebrew—Shephelah (Josh 15:33); 3) “in the mountains” (Josh 15:48); 4) “in the wilderness” (Josh 15:61).

Joshua 15:21. The cities at the edge of the tribe of the sons of Judah on the border with Edom in the south were: Kabzeel, Eder, and Jagur, Joshua 15:22. Kina, Dimonah, and Adada, Joshua 15:23. Kedesh, Hazor, and Ithnan, Joshua 15:24. Ziph, Telem, and Bealoth, Joshua 15:25. Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth, Hezron, otherwise Hazor, Joshua 15:26. Amam, Shema, and Moladah, Joshua 15:27. Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, and Beth-palet, Joshua 15:28. Hazar-shual, Beersheba, and Bizjothiah [and their villages and outlying areas,] Joshua 15:29. Baalah, Iim, and Azem, Joshua 15:30. Eltolad, Kesil, and Hormah, Joshua 15:31. Ziklag, Madmannah, and Sansannah, Joshua 15:32. Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon: all twenty-nine cities with their villages. Of the cities mentioned here, located in the southern part of the tribe of Judah, very few are known at present by their geographical location. So Kedesh was located, if it is not distinct from Kadesh-barnea, on the southwestern side of the mountains of Azazimeh, in Wadi Kadis (Josh 10:41). Moladah was located, according to Eusebius (who named it Μαλααθων, Jerome called it Malath), 4 Roman miles from Arad, 20 Roman miles from Hebron; at present its location is recognized as Hurbet-el-Milch (Milh), 4 hours’ journey to the east of Beersheba. Beersheba is indicated by Eusebius 20 Roman miles south of Hebron; at present the ruins of this city with wells of ancient construction bear the name Bir-es-Seba; they are located on the road from Hebron to the Red Sea, at a distance of 45 kilometers (about 42 kilometers) from the first. Concerning Hormah see Josh 12:14. The location of the other cities mentioned here is indicated only conjecturally. For example, Ziklag, according to the Greek-Slavonic translation “Sikeleg,” known from the history of David (1 Sam 27:6 and others), is indicated by English researchers at the site of the ruins of Zukhayla 11 English miles south of Gaza, while others assign this city other locations to the north and east of Gaza. Concerning the cities of Shema, Kesil, Madmannah, Sansanna, Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon see the commentaries to Josh 15:19.

Joshua 15:32. Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon: all twenty-nine cities with their villages. “All twenty-nine cities.” This total number of cities mentioned in Josh 15:21-32 is read the same in the Hebrew text and in the manuscripts of the Septuagint translation, as well as in the Targum of Jonathan and in the Arabic translation (only in the Syriac is it read as 36, according to Walton’s Polyglot), but it turns out to be less than how many are named here 148. The greater number of cities compared with the total sum is explained by some commentators by the fact that later names of other cities located in the same area of the tribe of Judah were brought into the original list of cities without changing the total number of them contained in the text; in particular, it is supposed that this addition was made at the time when the Jews returning from Babylonian exile occupied cities located in the southern part of the tribe of Judah, which are listed in almost the same order in the Book of Nehemiah (Neh 11:21-27), but were not originally in the text of the Book of Joshua 149. This explanation seems unlikely, because it is based on the extreme carelessness of whoever, in bringing new city names into the list of them found in the Book of Joshua, did not pay attention to the total number of them present here and left it unchanged. Against the assumption of a later expansion of the city list at this place is also the fact that in other city lists found in the Book of Joshua, the opposite phenomenon from the idea of later expansion is observed—omissions of several cities are observed, as a result of which the total numbers indicated by the writer are significantly exceeded by the number of cities named in other places, as is evident from Josh 19:15. In view of this, it remains, as most probable, that explanation that the number 29 now read in the text is not the original one, that it was introduced due to confusion of Hebrew letter-numbers, in which it was written, with other similar in appearance letters, but having a different numerical value. The basis for such an explanation is the well-known phenomenon that in the biblical text of the Old Testament books the same event is determined in different places not uniformly (for example, the prophet Gad offers David to choose, among other things, famine, according to 2 Sam 24:13, over a period of seven years, but according to 1 Chr 21:12, over a period of three years), as a result of the confusion that occurred in ancient times of some letter-numbers with others, as a result of which Jewish scholars in later times adopted the practice of designating numbers not by letters, but writing them out in words. What number was originally read in Josh 15:32 cannot now be determined due to lack of information about many of the cities enumerated in this place, which is why the number 29 should remain unchanged.

Joshua 15:33. In the lowlands: Eshtaol, Zorah, and Ashnah, Joshua 15:34. Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, and Geneam, Joshua 15:35. Jarmuth, Adullam, [Nemra,] Socoh, and Azekah, Joshua 15:36. Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah or Gederothaim: fourteen cities with their villages. By “lowlands” is meant a particular district in the inheritance of the tribe of Judah, lying between the mountain height and the sea shore. In the Hebrew text it bears the name Shephelah (“lowland”), taken by the Greek translators as a proper name in other places, for example, Jer 32:44, in Greek Σεφηλα, in the Slavonic Bible “in the cities of the plain”; in the Russian translation as a proper name this designation is conveyed in 1 Macc 12:38: “in Shephelah.” The extensive plain of Shephelah, which continued to bear this name in the time of Eusebius, extends from Gaza to the north to Lod and is distinguished even now for its remarkable fertility. The biblical writer begins the enumeration of the cities located in it from its northern part. Of the cities he mentions, the locations of “Eshtaol… and Zorah” are known, which are usually named together (Josh 19:41, Judg 13:25 and others) and were located not far from each other to the west of Jerusalem. The location of Zorah is recognized as the present village of Zara; the location of Eshtaol as the village of Ashua, 4 kilometers to the northeast of Zara. Between Zara and Ashua is indicated Kabr Shimshun—“the tomb of Samson,” consistent with what is said in Judg 16:31 that Samson was buried by his brothers between Zorah and Eshtaol. Zanoah, at present Zanua, at a short distance to the southeast of Zara. Jarmuth see Josh 10:3; Adullam see Josh 12:15. The name Nemra was introduced from the Slavonic Bible, following the manuscripts of the Septuagint translation, from which in the ancient Vatican and other manuscripts Μεμβρα is read after Adullam, in the Alexandrian and other manuscripts Νεμρα. The position of Nemra is unknown; names similar to it—Nimrah (Num 32:3) and Nimrim (Isa 15:6)—were located: the first in the inheritance of the tribe of Gad, the second in the land of Moab. Socoh, as two cities of this name were called, both on the descent from the Judean mountains into the plain, was located, according to Eusebius, at the site of the present ruins of Esh-Shuwayqah 3.5 hours’ journey to the southwest of Jerusalem. Concerning Azekah see Josh 10:10. Shaaraim (Σακαρειμ according to the Vatican manuscript, according to other manuscripts Σαγαρειμ, Slavonic Sagaim) is indicated at Tell Zakariyeh, to the west of Socoh. Gederah is indicated at the site of the present village of Katra or Gadra, located not far from Iamnia. Gederothaim in the Hebrew text is joined to the preceding Gederah with the conjunction “and” (“ve”) and thus appears as the name of a separate city; but in the Septuagint to this name corresponds καὶ ἐπαύλεις αὐτῆς—“and her villages” (Slavonic Bible), that is, Greek translators understood the name Gederothaim as a common noun (the Hebrew “gederoth” means “enclosures, cattle pens,” and “gederothaim” means “two enclosures”). In view of this meaning of the word gederoth and its translation in the Septuagint, Gederothaim is accepted by commentators not as the name of a separate city but as another synonymous name for Gederah. According to this, in our Russian translation, it reads “or Gederothaim.” Thus, if Gederah and Gederothaim are accepted as the name of one city, then according to the Hebrew text there are 14 cities in the plain of Shephelah, as shown in Josh 15:36; Nemra, brought by the Greek-Slavonic translation, would be the 15th city.

Joshua 15:37. Zenan, Hadashah, and Migdal-gad, Joshua 15:38. Dilean, Mizpah, and Joktheel, Joshua 15:39. Lachish, Bozkath, and Eglon, Joshua 15:40. Cabbon, Lahmam, and Chitlish, Joshua 15:41. Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages. Of the 16 cities enumerated here, besides those mentioned before (Lachish, Eglon, and Makkedah, concerning which see Josh 10:3), the position of the city of Mizpah or Masora, according to the Greek-Slavonic translation, is known more comparatively, which was located at the site of Tell-es-Safiyeh, as the high hill is called 2 hours’ journey to the north of Eleutherpolis (Josh 10:29), from which an abundant view opens out over the surroundings and which could thus serve as a good watchtower or—in Hebrew—Mizpah.

Joshua 15:42. Libnah, Ether, and Ashan, Joshua 15:43. Jiphtah, Ashnah, and Nezib, Joshua 15:44. Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah [and Edom]: nine cities with their villages. Of the 9 cities enumerated here, besides Libnah mentioned before (Josh 10:29), the locations of Achzib and Mareshah are more known. The first was located, probably, at the site of the present ruins of Kesaba, 5 hours’ journey to the southwest of Eleutherpolis. The second, according to Eusebius, was located 2 Roman miles from Eleutherpolis; 20 minutes’ journey from it are hills with minor ruins, called Hirbet Merah, recognized as the location of Mareshah. Some have also identified the location of Keilah, known from David’s history (1 Sam 23:1) at the present Kila to the east of Eleutherpolis, to the north of Hebron; but this geographical determination seems doubtful in view of the fact that Kila is located in the mountains of the tribe of Judah, and not on the plain, where the Book of Joshua indicates Keilah. As for the name Edom placed in brackets, it is taken from the Slavonic Bible, in which it is also bracketed, which indicates the unstable position of this name in the Greek text from which it was taken. And indeed, in Greek manuscripts there is considerable variety regarding this name: in the ancient Vatican manuscript, after Bathesar, corresponding to Mareshah according to the Hebrew text, Ailon is read, in the Alexandrian 150 and some other manuscripts Edom, and in others, including Lucianic, there is no city name, as there is none in the Hebrew text. The existence of a separate city of Edom in the tribe of Judah is equally doubtful: in Eusebius-Jerome, the city of Edouma or Edomia is indicated in the tribe of Benjamin 12 Roman miles from Nablus. According to the Hebrew text, the number of cities mentioned in Josh 15:42-44 corresponds to their total of 9; Edom, indicated by the Greek-Slavonic translation, would be the 10th, as this last number is read in the Vatican manuscript instead of the 9 read in most Greek manuscripts.

Joshua 15:45. Ekron with its dependent cities and villages, Joshua 15:46. And from Ekron to the sea all that are around Ashdod, with their villages, Joshua 15:47. Ashdod, its dependent cities and villages, Gaza, its dependent cities and villages, to the very Brook of Egypt and the great sea, which is the border. Concerning the cities mentioned here of the Philistine coast, which, although not conquered at the time of Joshua, were also included in the inheritance of the tribe of Judah, see the commentary to Josh 13:3; concerning the Brook of Egypt Josh 15:4.

Joshua 15:48. In the mountains: Shamir, Jattir, and Socoh, Joshua 15:49. Dannah, Kiriath-sannah, otherwise Debir, Joshua 15:50. Anab, Eshtemoa, and Anim, Joshua 15:51. Goshen, Holon, and Giloh: eleven cities with their villages. The middle of the inheritance of the tribe of Judah was occupied by a mountain elevation reaching its greatest height at Hebron and representing, together with bare rocks, many fertile valleys. The cities located in it are enumerated by the writer according to the Hebrew text in five, according to the Greek-Slavonic translation (Josh 15:59) in six groups, in the direction from south to north. The first consists of eleven cities, of which the following are more known by their location. Jattir, which was located, probably, at the site of Attir, as ruins laid out on two hills are called, including some remains of a Christian church, located about 20 kilometers south of Hebron. Socoh, distinct from that named in Josh 15:35, was located 4 hours’ journey to the southeast of Hebron at the site of extensive ruins known as Shuwayqah. Eshtemoh was located at the site of the present village of Semua 3 hours’ journey south of Hebron, in which ancient fortification ruins and other buildings of very ancient construction have been preserved. In the time of Eusebius the name Estema bore a large settlement in Darom, that is, in the southern part of Judea. Anim is indicated at the site of the ruins of Guwayn, to the south of Semua. Giloh, the homeland of the well-known Ahithophel (2 Sam 15:12), is indicated by our national researcher 151 in the settlement of Bet-Djale, which is located west of the road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, where a Russian school was founded by Archimandrite Antoninus. Others, however, place the city of Giloh considerably farther south, closer to Hebron, in Hurbet Djala. Concerning Kiriath-sannah or Debir see Josh 10:38; concerning Anab see Josh 11:21; concerning Goshen—Josh 10:41.

Joshua 15:52. Arad, Dumah, and Eshan, Joshua 15:53. Janum, Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah, Joshua 15:54. Humtah, Kiriath-arba, otherwise Hebron, and Zior: nine cities with their villages. Of the following 9 cities, located to the north of those previously enumerated, the location is determined by their position of Dumah, named by Eusebius as the largest settlement in Darom, 17 Roman miles from Eleutherpolis; the extensive ruins of this city with the remains of two Christian churches, to the south of Hebron, on the road to Beersheba, still retain the former name of the city (Daumeh); Beth-tappuah, the location of which was the present village of Teffuh, almost 2 hours’ journey to the west of Hebron with the remains of buildings of an earlier city.

Joshua 15:55. Maon, Carmel, Ziph, and Juttah, Joshua 15:56. Jezreel, Jokdeam, and Zanoah, Joshua 15:57. Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities with their villages. Of the 10 cities mentioned here, Maon, known from David’s history (1 Sam 23:25), was located to the southeast of Hebron, 4 hours’ journey away; the name of this city is still borne by the hill Main with the ruins of an ancient city. Carmel, known from Saul’s history (1 Sam 15:12) and David’s, was located 3 hours’ journey to the southeast of Hebron, near Maon; its ruins with the remains of several churches retain the ancient name. Ziph was located 1.5 hours’ journey south of Hebron; the high hill of Tell Ziph with ruins, a multitude of cisterns and caves, served as the location of this city, after which the neighboring wilderness was also named (1 Sam 23:15) 152. Juttah—2 hours’ journey south of Hebron; at present a large Muslim settlement of Iata, or Iittah. The location of the other cities in this group has not been determined.

Joshua 15:58. Halhul, Beth-zur, and Gedor, Joshua 15:59. Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon: six cities with their villages. [Thecoe, Ephratah, otherwise Bethlehem, Phagor, Etam, Colon, Tatami, Sores, Karem, Gallim, Bethir, and Manohoth: eleven cities with their villages.] Of the 6 cities mentioned here, Halhul was located 1.5 hours’ journey to the north of Hebron; at its site are extensive ruins of Jilgul with ancient tombs, among which the tomb of the prophet Jonah (or more accurately—Gad) is especially venerated by local Muslims 153. Beth-zur, which became especially well known in the time of the Maccabees as a strong fortress (1 Macc 14:33), according to Eusebius, was located 20 Roman miles from Jerusalem, on the road to Hebron; its ruins on a high hill, overgrown with bushes, are known by the name of Burj Sur, to the northwest of Halhul. Gedor—1.5 hours’ journey to the northwest of Beth-zur; its ruins on a desolate hill, surrounded on two sides by a deep valley, on the road from Hebron to Bethlehem, bear the name Hurbet-Jedur 154. Beth-anoth is indicated at the site of Weit-Ann with remarkable remains of buildings from Byzantine-Christian times, located 4 hours’ journey to the north of Hebron, near Halhul and Beth-zur. The names of 11 cities that follow in Josh 15:59, constituting the 5th group and located to the north of those previously enumerated, which are placed in brackets, are not read in the present Hebrew text and in the Latin translation of Jerome the Blessed. They are preserved only in manuscripts of the Greek translation of the LXX. The omission here in the present Hebrew text is acknowledged by supporters of the latter and is explained by the fact that the omitted section of the biblical text ends with the same words “vehatzarerem”—“with their villages,” as the preceding section constituting the first half of Josh 15:59; the ancient copyist of the Hebrew text, after copying the first half of the verse ending with the indicated word, inadvertently omitted the second, which ended with the same words, and went straight to copying Josh 15:60. The omission in the Hebrew text is evident from the fact that according to it the very northern part of the inheritance of the tribe of Judah, nearest to Jerusalem, turns out to have no cities in the time of Joshua, while other parts of this inheritance, even the most southern, adjoining the desert, had a significant number of cities entered in the list. Of the 11 cities whose names were preserved by the LXX translation, the following are known by their location: Tekoa, the homeland of the prophet Amos, was located 2 hours’ journey to the southeast of Bethlehem; the ruins preserved at its deserted location, including those of a Christian church, still bear the ancient name Takua. Ephratah, otherwise Bethlehem, called Judean to distinguish it from another Bethlehem in the tribe of Zebulun (Josh 19:15), is located 2 hours’ journey from Jerusalem toward Hebron. It is situated on two hills connected by a low mountain, surrounded by fertile plains and occupied by vineyards, fig trees, almond trees, olive trees and other trees of southern lands, while an hour’s journey to the east of the city the desert begins, in which only small livestock can find meager food. From this fertility of its soil, especially striking in view of the nearby desert, it received its ancient name (Ephratah) and new name (Bethlehem), which have a similar meaning: the first means “fruitful field,” the second means “house of bread.” One of the very smallest cities in the land of Judah (Mic 5:2), Bethlehem became known as the place of the birth of David and famous throughout the Christian world as the place of the incarnate birth of Christ the Savior. The cave of the Nativity of Christ with the ancient magnificent church built over it is located in the northeastern part of the city. Phagor, according to Eusebius, which was near Bethlehem, was located at the site of the present ruins of Phagur, between Bethlehem and Hebron, to the west of the road to the latter. Etam was also located near Bethlehem. In the “Antiquities” of Josephus (Josephus, Antiquities 8:7, 3), the city of Iphthah is described as pleasant for its gardens and springs and at the same time rich, located at two schoinoi (120 stadia, or about 21 kilometers) from Jerusalem. This corresponds to the wadi Ain and Attan, located between Bethlehem and Phagor. Kolon is probably identified with the present village of Kulonia 1.5 hours away from Jerusalem on the road to Ramleh and Jaffa. The location of Sores is recognized as the village of Saris 2 hours’ journey to the west of Jerusalem. Karem at present is the large village of Ain Karim 2 hours’ journey to the west of Jerusalem. Bethir was located, perhaps, at the site of the present village of Battir, situated on a high mountain, in a beautiful area, almost 2 hours’ journey to the west of Bethlehem. The cities of Tatami, Gallim, and Manohoth are unknown by their location.

Joshua 15:60. Kiriath-baal, otherwise Kiriath-jearim, and Aravah: two cities with their villages [and hamlets]. Concerning Kiriath-baal see Josh 9:17. Aravah is unknown by its location.

Joshua 15:61. In the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah, Joshua 15:62. Nibshan, the Salt City, and En-gedi: six cities with their villages. By “wilderness” is meant that which is located between the Dead Sea and the mountain elevation of the tribe of Judah. It consists of mountain massifs, slopes, and valleys, mostly devoid of vegetation. In this desert region, which bore separate names (the wildernesses of Tekoa, Ziph, Maon) from cities located near it, the writer indicates 6 cities, of which, besides Beth-arabah (Josh 15:6), the location of only En-gedi is known, which was located at the site of the present Ain Gidi, as an oasis is called on the western shore of the Dead Sea, which still has, thanks to a spring, luxuriant vegetation.

Joshua 15:63. But the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not drive out, and so the Jebusites lived with the sons of Judah in Jerusalem even to this day. Concerning the Jebusites in Jerusalem see the Introduction. * * * Concerning the need to retain the Hebrew name of this wilderness here instead of “Sin,” see the Explanatory Bible, vol. 1, pp. 759–760. In the Vatican, Alexandrian, and Lucianic manuscripts, the words “at the end of Teman” correspond to ἕως Καδης—“even to Kadis”; in Jerome the Blessed they are translated usque ad extremam partem australis plagae—“even to the extreme part of the southern region.” The words “turns to Karka” correspond in the most ancient Greek manuscripts to εκπορεύεται… τὴν κατὰ δυσμὰς Κάδης—“goes forth toward the west of Kadis.” This Greek-Slavonic translation is presented at the end of Josh 15:3 in brackets. Trumbull. Kadesh-Barnea, 1884. Holy Land, 2:50–51. A. A. Olesnitsky. Megalithic Monuments of the Holy Land, 1895, p. 64. Holy Land, 2:12. Ibid., 18. Ibid., 23–34. Ibid., 19–30. Concerning Wadi Hanina see Olesnitsky. Holy Land. 1878. Vol. II. P. 262 and further. According to the Hebrew text “iamma” is used here, as in many other places, in the sense of “to the west,” which is evident here from the 8 boundary points enumerated later, through which the boundary line passed before it reached the sea (end of Josh 15:11). Holy Land, 2:256–260. In the LXX instead of the city of Timnah there is read ἐπὶ λίβα (V) or νοτον (A)—“toward the south,” from which it is evident that Greek translators read “temana” here (Josh 13:4). The inconsistency of this translation is evident from the fact that according to it the designation of the boundary becomes here geographically indefinite, not containing the name of a locality through which it passed. In Jerome the Blessed it is translated instead of “toward the south” in Thamna. In Josh 19:43, where in the Hebrew text “timnata and ekron” are read, “timnata” in the LXX is translated Θαμναθα as the name of a city. Thus these last two words are rendered in the LXX ἀδελφὸς Χαλεβ according to the Vatican and other most ancient manuscripts, which agrees with the Slavonic Bible; in later manuscripts, however, including the Lucianic, instead of this there is read ἀδελφὸς Χαλεβ ὀ νεώτερος—“brother of Caleb the younger,” as it is translated from the Hebrew in Jerome the Blessed (frater Cales junior) and in modern times. In the LXX ἐβόησεν—“cried out.” K. Furrer. Wanderings through Palestine, 1865, p. 276. The land of the south and the dry place you gave to me. Tristram. Bible places, 61. According to the Russian translation there are 37 cities, according to the Slavonic—33. The reason for the difference lies in the fact that some of the names accepted in the Russian translation according to the present Hebrew text as separate names are joined together in the Greek-Slavonic translation as designations of one and the same city. So in Josh 15:23-24 the names: Ithnan, Ziph correspond in the Alexandrian manuscript and Slavonic translation to one compound name Ἰφναξιφ—Ifnaksiph; similarly in Josh 15:25 two names Kerioth, Hezron are translated in Greek by one αἱ πόλεις Ασερων—Slavonic “cities of Aserom.” The name of the city of Heshmon is omitted in the Greek-Slavonic translation, while Bizjothiah, as it is read in the Hebrew text, when read differently, is accepted by Greek translators as a common noun and translated αἱ κῶμαι αὐτῶν—“their villages.” A. Dillmann. It must, however, be noted that in the Alexandrian manuscript the name Edom is completely obscured by ink, which is why in the Cambridge edition there is noted here multa perobscura. Holy Land, 2:73. Holy Land, 2:131. Holy Land, 2:97. Holy Land, 2:96. Here the location of Gedor is indicated at Ain-ed-Dirwe, which in other researchers differs from Hurbet-Jedur.

Chapter Sixteen

1–4. The southern boundary of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. 5–9. The boundary of the lot of the tribe of Ephraim. 10. The Canaanites in Gezer.

Joshua 16:1. Then the lot fell to the sons of Joseph: from the Jordan near Jericho, at the waters of Jericho on the east, the wilderness extending from Jericho to the mountain of Bethel; The boundary of the lot that fell by lot to the sons of Joseph, that is, to the tribe of Ephraim and half of the tribe of Manasseh, began from that place of the Jordan on its eastern side which was opposite Jericho, and then went to the “waters of Jericho,” by which is probably meant the abundant water source found at ancient Jericho, called afterward the spring of Elisha, and at present Ain es-Sultan or El Kelt 155. The next boundary landmark was the “wilderness extending from Jericho to the mountain of Bethel,” understood to mean a barren area stretching west from Jericho with steep ascents to the mountain highland; in Josh 18:12 it is called the wilderness of Bethaven.

Joshua 16:2. The boundary goes from Bethel to Luz and passes to the boundary of the Archites at Ataroth, From the mountain of Bethel, named after Bethel located upon it, the boundary went to Luz, which apparently was some distance from Bethel, as is evident in part from Gen 28:19, where Jacob gives the name Bethel to the place where he slept, which was not in Luz itself (Josh 16:2). The location of the city or region called Archi that followed is not known with certainty; some place Archi in the village retaining this name to the west of Ramallah 156, others in the village of Arik, between Bethel and Beth-horon 157. The place of Ataroth, mentioned later in Josh 16:5 and Josh 18:13, called Ataroth-Addar, is indicated at Khirbet el-Atira, the name of a village with ruins to the south of Beeroth 158.

Joshua 16:3. And it descends to the sea, to the boundary of Japhlet, to the boundary of lower Beth-horon and to Gezer, and ends at the sea. The boundary of Japhlet is unknown in its location. Concerning lower Beth-horon, see Josh 10:10. Gezer, which was a strong fortress, was situated on the high hill of Tel Gezer, covered with extensive ruins, which lies between Ekron (Josh 13:3) and Nicopolis, now called Amwas 159. The location of Gezer, which remained unknown with certainty until recently, was found in 1873 by the renowned French archaeologist Clermont-Ganneau, and this discovery gained recognition from other scholars.

Joshua 16:5. The boundary of the sons of Ephraim by their clans was this: the eastern boundary of their lot extended from Ataroth-Addar to upper Beth-horon [and Gezer]; The southern boundary of the lot of the tribe of Ephraim, the same as that described in Josh 16:1-3, is also marked beginning from the east; two points are indicated on it according to the Hebrew text: Ataroth-Addar, which refers to Ataroth mentioned in Josh 16:2, and upper Beth-horon (see Josh 10:11). In the Greek translation lists, and according to them in the Slavic-Russian translation, the name of the city Gezer is read next (“and Gezer”), probably transferred here from Josh 16:3, where according to the Greek translation it is not read. The final words of the description of the southern boundary are, as may be supposed, the opening words of Josh 16:6: “then the boundary goes to the sea,” whereby the description of the boundary would end the same way as in Josh 16:3.

Joshua 16:6. The boundary then goes to the sea on the north side of Michmethath and turns toward the east of Taanath-shiloh and passes it on the east side of Janoah; Joshua 16:7. From Janoah it descends to Ataroth and Naarah, touches Jericho, and ends at the Jordan; Josh 16:6-7 contain the description of the northern boundary of the tribe of Ephraim, which according to the Hebrew text begins with the words “Michmethath on the north,” where this city is named, like Sarid in the description of the boundary of the tribe of Zebulun (Josh 19:10-12), as the middle city on this boundary from which the further description of it proceeds. The location of Michmethath, however, is not determined. From Josh 17:7 it is evident only that this city was located “before Shechem” (by a literal translation from the Hebrew), that is, not far from Shechem, to the north of which it is indicated on some maps of Palestine 160. From Michmethath the boundary went east to Taanath-shiloh, which according to Eusebius (under the name Θηναθ) is indicated in 10 Roman miles from Neapolis (that is, Shechem) to the east, on the way to the Jordan; accordingly it is located at Tana as ruins are now called to the southeast of Nablus. From Taanath-shiloh the boundary went to Janoah, located at the place of ruins called Yanun, in two and a half hours’ journey to the southeast of Nablus. After Janoah the boundary descended to Ataroth and Naarah. The first of these, distinct from Ataroth indicated in verses 2 and 5, was probably located on the slope of the mountains of Ephraim toward the Jordan valley; but the actual location remains unknown. Naarah according to Eusebius is indicated in five Roman miles from Jericho; its location is also not established with precision at present.

Joshua 16:8. From Tappuah the boundary goes to the sea, to the stream of Kanah, and ends at the sea. Such is the lot of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim, by their clans. Here the western side of the northern boundary of the tribe of Ephraim is indicated. As the initial marking of it is named Tappuah, toward which it directed from Michmethath, as is evident from Josh 17:7, where it is said concerning the boundary of the half-tribe of Manasseh, neighboring Ephraim, that the boundary went from Michmethath “to the inhabitants of En-tappuah.” The location of this city is not determined. From Tappuah the boundary went west (“to the sea,” see Josh 15:10), “to the stream of Kanah,” which is probably understood to be a stream that flowed into the Mediterranean Sea between Caesarea and Jaffa, now called Nahr el-Cassab or Phaliak.

Joshua 16:9. And the cities were set apart for the sons of Ephraim in the lot of the sons of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages. Besides the cities indicated on the boundaries, the tribe of Ephraim also owned others with their villages in the lot of the tribe of Manasseh. The reason for this lay, of course, in the fact that the lot that fell to this populous tribe proved to be indeed insufficient. Although this complaint to Joshua (son of Nun) was rejected (Josh 17:14-18), it was later, as one must think, satisfied. To the tribe of Manasseh in return were given cities in the lots of the tribes of Issachar and Asher (Josh 17:11).

Joshua 16:10. But [the Ephramites] did not drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer; therefore the Canaanites lived among the Ephramites until this day, paying them tribute. [Finally the king of Egypt came and took the city and burned it with fire, and he killed the Canaanites and Perizzites and the inhabitants of Gezer, and the king of Egypt gave it as a dowry to his daughter.] Concerning Gezer, see Josh 16:3. The words enclosed in brackets “[Finally the king of Egypt… as a dowry to his daughter]” are read in the most ancient and later lists of the Greek translation, but are absent in the Hebrew text and in the translation of blessed Jerome. In some Greek manuscripts they are marked with an obelus, which shows that they are not read in the Hebrew text. According to the latter, like the LXX translation, these words are found in 1 Kgs 9:16, from where, it must be supposed, they were transferred into the Book of Joshua for more accurate indication of the time until which the Canaanites continued to live in Gezer. * * * The Holy Land, 2:19. The village of Ramallah is located to the west of Beeroth (Josh 9:17), according to Baedeker, Palästina and Syrien. Tristram. Bible places, 182. In the LXX “Archi” and “Ataroth” constitute one name: Χαταρωθει according to the Vatican manuscript, Αρχιαταρωθ according to the Alexandrian, in agreement with which the Slavonic Bible reads: “to the boundaries of Achiataroph.” Since there were several cities bearing the name Ataroth in Canaan, the Ataroth meant here is more precisely designated by the addition to its name of the name of the tribe living in it, the Archites (2 Sam 15:32). Nicopolis-Alevases is located in six hours’ journey to the west of Jerusalem, in three hours to the south of Ramle. This refers to the wall map of Palestine published by Kuperti in 1366.

Chapter Seventeen

1–6. The generations of the tribe of Manasseh that received a lot in the land west of the Jordan. 7–13. The boundaries of the lot of the half-tribe of Manasseh and the cities belonging to it in the lots of the tribes of Issachar and Asher. 14–18. The complaint of the tribe of Ephraim and the half-tribe of Manasseh about the insufficiency of the lot given to them.

Joshua 17:1. And the lot fell to the tribe of Manasseh, since he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, who was mighty in war, fell Gilead and Bashan. Since the tribe of Manasseh had already received a lot in the land east of the Jordan (Josh 13:29-30), therefore the biblical writer, speaking of the allotment of this tribe with a new lot in the land west of the Jordan, explains why it was given and who exactly received it. The reason is indicated by the words “since he was the firstborn of Joseph.” By virtue of his birthright, which gave him the right to a double portion of the inheritance (Deut 21:15-17), a double lot is given to Manasseh. In the land east of the Jordan, the lot fell to Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh, distinguished by bravery which he displayed in the conquest of Gilead (Num 32:39). He is called the “father of Gilead” in the sense of the ruler of this country 161.

Joshua 17:2. There fell lots also to the other sons of Manasseh, by their families: to the sons of Abiezer, to the sons of Helek, to the sons of Asriel, to the sons of Shechem, to the sons of Hepher, and to the sons of Shemida. These were the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, by their families. Joshua 17:3. But Zelophehad son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh had no sons, but only daughters. The names of his daughters were: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Joshua 17:4. They came before the priest Eleazar and Joshua son of Nun and the rulers, and they said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” So according to the command of the Lord, he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father. Joshua 17:5. And there fell ten shares to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which are on the other side of the Jordan; Joshua 17:6. For the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons, and the land of Gilead fell to the rest of the sons of Manasseh. In the land west of the Jordan, the other five descendants of Manasseh received their lots by their families, which are enumerated here, as in Num 26:30-33, and moreover, five daughters of Zelophehad from the family of Hepher. The daughters of Zelophehad, who had no sons, were given a lot according to the command of Moses and all the community (Num 27:1-11). Thus, the tribe of Manasseh, numbering 10 families, received 10 shares in Canaan, of which 5, given to the daughters of Zelophehad, together constituted one share that belonged to the family of Zelophehad.

Joshua 17:7. The boundary of Manasseh went from Asher to Michmethath, which is east of Shechem. Then the boundary goes east to the inhabitants of En-tappuah. The southern boundary of the half-tribe of Manasseh coincided with the northern boundary of Ephraim, as is evident from the name of the same cities indicated in Josh 16:8. It went from Asher, the name of a city which according to Eusebius is indicated in 15 Roman miles from Neapolis (Shechem) on the way to Scythopolis (present Bethsan); its location is indicated in the present village of Yasir or Teiazir in five and a half hours’ journey to the northeast of Shechem. From the city of Asher the boundary went “to Michmethath, which is east of Shechem” (concerning its location, see Josh 16:6), – then “to the inhabitants of En-tappuah.” East – in the Hebrew text “hayyamin,” which the LXX took as a proper city name Iamin, as translated in the Slavonic Bible, while blessed Jerome and other Greek translators (Aquila and Symmachus) translated it εὶς δεξιὰ – “to the east.” This latter translation was apparently recognized as correct by Eusebius of Caesarea, as is evident from the fact that he made no geographic indications to the name “Iamin,” but instead limited himself to a reference to the translation of Aquila and Symmachus. Meanwhile, some of the modern commentators (Knobel) consider the location of Iamin to be the present village of Iamon, an hour’s journey to the southeast of Phanach (concerning its location, see Josh 17:11), in the Jezreel Valley. What is unclear in the words “to the inhabitants of En-tappuah” is that instead of a city, a mountain or a locality in general, inhabitants (according to the Hebrew text “yosevey”) are indicated as a boundary point. The difficulty this raises is eliminated in the LXX by taking the mentioned Hebrew word as the name of a city (Ἰασσιβ according to the Vatican manuscript, Ἰασῆφ according to the Alexandrian manuscript) Iasif (Slavonic Bible), whose location is, however, presently unknown.

Joshua 17:8. The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the city of Tappuah on the boundary of Manasseh belonged to the sons of Ephraim. In speaking of Tappuah, the biblical writer indicates that the land belonging to it was within the boundaries of the half-tribe of Manasseh and geographically should have belonged to it, but in fact this city was in the possession of the tribe of Ephraim and was, consequently, one of the cities mentioned in Josh 16:9.

Joshua 17:9. From there the boundary descends to the stream of Kanah, with the southern side of the stream. These cities of Ephraim lie among the cities of Manasseh. The boundary of Manasseh is on the north side of the stream and ends at the sea. Joshua 17:10. What is to the south belongs to Ephraim, and what is to the north belongs to Manasseh. The sea is their boundary. They meet Asher on the north, and Issachar on the east. From Tappuah the boundary descended to the aforementioned stream of Kanah (Josh 16:8) and went along its southern side, the cities on which, lying within the boundaries of the half-tribe of Manasseh, in fact belonged to Ephraim; then the boundary went along the northern side of the stream and ended at the sea. This brief description of the boundary is supplemented by the following explanation, that what lay to the south of the named stream belonged to the tribe of Ephraim, and what lay to the north of it was possessed by the half-tribe of Manasseh. The northern and eastern boundaries of the latter are indicated even more briefly: “They meet Asher on the north, and Issachar on the east.”

Joshua 17:11. Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh had Beth-shan and its settlements, Ibleam and its settlements, and the inhabitants of Dor and its settlements, the inhabitants of En-dor and its settlements, the inhabitants of Taanach and its settlements, the inhabitants of Megiddo and its settlements, and a third part of Napheth [with its villages]. This brief description of the boundaries of the half-tribe of Manasseh is supplemented by the biblical writer with an enumeration of cities that were in the lots of the tribes of Issachar and Asher but belonged to the half-tribe of Manasseh. As to which cities these were and how many there were, the Hebrew text and the earliest lists of the Greek translation LXX give different indications. The following cities are indicated identically in both: 1) Bethshan, which was situated in the Jordan Valley, in one and a half hours’ journey from the Jordan, on the road from Damascus to Egypt; in later times (Jdt 3:10) it bore the name Scythopolis; its location, covered with extensive ruins, bears at present the name Beisan (a description of its ruins is in The Holy Land, II, p. 387); 2) “the inhabitants of Dor,” concerning its location see Josh 11:2-3; 3) “the inhabitants of Megiddo,” concerning its location Josh 12:21. The names of other cities Ibleam with its villages, En-dor and Taanach, as read here in the Hebrew text, are absent in the Vatican manuscript and the first two are absent in the Alexandrian, in which are found only, as a supplement to the Vatican manuscript, the words καὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Τανακ καὶ τὰς κώμας αὐτῆς – “and the inhabitants of Tanach and her villages.” In later Greek manuscripts the number of cities is read here the same as in the present Hebrew text; evidently it was supplemented on its basis. The original form of the LXX translation, as it is preserved in the Vatican manuscript and partly in the Alexandrian, has special significance here, as it opens the way to explaining the words that follow the enumeration of cities in the Hebrew text: “shelosh tannafet,” which by literal translation means “three heights” (the word “nafet” is used only in this place). The explanation of this expression presents great difficulties because in the preceding words, in relation to which it serves, evidently, as a conclusion, not three but six cities are enumerated. Those guided exclusively by the Hebrew text explain this number three in the sense that from the named 6 cities it refers to the three last: En-dor, Taanach, and Megiddo, but the text gives no basis for this. Since according to the Vatican manuscript only three cities are read in this place 162, the expression “three heights” or “three regions” 163, appears sufficiently clear, so that this translation of the mentioned Hebrew expression might be recognized as the most corresponding to its rendering 164. As for the other cities mentioned in the present Hebrew text, Ibleam was located in the Jezreel Valley, probably at the place of the present Beleameh, as are now called the spring and near it the ruins, some ten versts to the south of Jezreel; En-dor on the northern slope of Little Hermon, at the place of the present village of Evdur; concerning Taanach see Josh 12:21. Of these cities Ibleam and Taanach are named in Judg 1:27 among the cities from which the sons of Manasseh did not drive out the Canaanites; hence, probably, the names of these cities were transferred into the Hebrew text (Josh 17:11); the name of the third – En-dor, – absent here in the LXX, is not recognized as original in the Hebrew text by some of its supporters because of its absence in Judg 1:27 according to the Hebrew text; they see in it only an alteration of the preceding name: Dor 165.

Joshua 17:12. Yet the sons of Manasseh could not take possession of these cities, but the Canaanites persisted in living in this land. Joshua 17:13. However, when the sons of Israel became strong, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely. The half-tribe of Manasseh was unable, from these named cities at the beginning of its settlement in the lot given to it, by its own power to drive out the Canaanites living in them, and later, when it had gathered strength, did not do so because it found it more advantageous to have the Canaanites living in them as tributaries. Thus, these cities remained for a long time Canaanite in their population, as was, for example, Bethshan at the end of the reign of Saul, whose body together with three of his sons was hung by the Philistines after the battle on Mount Gilboa on the walls of this city (1 Sam 31:10), confident that the shame of the Israelite king would find full sympathy in the inhabitants of this city.

Joshua 17:14. The sons of Joseph said to Joshua: “Why have you given us only one portion as our inheritance, when we are such a numerous people, since the Lord has blessed us so greatly?” To the account of how the tribe of Ephraim and the half-tribe of Manasseh received their lot and how they made use of the cities they received, the biblical writer appends the description of an event belonging to this later period, and remarkable in that it displayed a special character of the descendants of Joseph. This event was precisely the expression before Joshua of their discontent with the one lot they received as not corresponding to their numerous population. In essence, this complaint had no foundation and was unjust. In reality, these one and a half tribes were not so numerous as to require a larger lot. According to the last census (Num 26:1-2) the tribe of Ephraim had 32,000 adult males, all of Manasseh had 52,700, half of it, therefore, could have had about 26,000, and in total they could consist of 58,000, while the tribe of Judah had 76,000, the tribe of Dan 64,400, and besides, the lot they received presented, though generally mountainous, but a very fertile strip of land due to the fact that the mountains in it were not very high and rocky, but interspersed with plateaus and valleys watered by numerous springs, and the Saron plain stretching on the western side of the Ephraimite mountains (from Carmel to Jaffa) was distinguished by unusual fertility, which this locality has preserved until the present day. Under such circumstances the declaration of the mentioned tribes was an expression only of their self-conceit and arrogance, which the Ephraimites demonstrated repeatedly in subsequent times, to the detriment of the general national life (Judg 8:1, etc.). This time the claims of the house of Ephraim did not lead to sad consequences thanks to the wise treatment of them by Joshua.

Joshua 17:15. Joshua replied to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest and clear ground there for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.” In responding to his tribesmen, he does not prove the injustice of their demand; he takes into account their reference to their numerous population and the implied strength along with it, but from this makes a completely different conclusion, which directed their activity not toward the expansion of their lot at the expense of adjacent lands, but toward the best possible utilization of what they had received. He advises them to confirm their words with deeds and expand their lot through the expulsion of the Canaanites remaining in it. By “forests in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaim” are understood, in all probability, wooded areas within the lot of these tribes themselves, not outside it, since the clearing of forest beyond the boundary of this lot would have been an intrusion into the possession of other tribes. If these forests in the words of Joshua differ from the “hill country of Ephraim,” this shows only that the latter name was applied not to the entire lot of these tribes, but only to its main part, distinguished especially by its mountainous character and settled by Ephraimites. However, in the Vatican and Alexandrian manuscripts the words “in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaim” are not read; in later Greek manuscripts they passed from Origen’s Hexapla, as shown by the asterisk with which they are marked in some of these manuscripts 166.

Joshua 17:16. The sons of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us. Yet all the Canaanites who live in the plain have chariots of iron, both those in Beth-shan and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.” The “sons of Joseph,” that is, the Ephraimites and Manassites, continued, however, to insist that the hill country of Ephraim was still insufficient for them, even if, following Joshua’s advice, they should clear the wooded areas. The Greco-Slavonic translation of the opening words of this verse οὐκ ἀρκέσει ἡμῖν τὸ ὄρος τὸ Εφραιμ – “the mountain of Ephraim is not sufficient for us” presents the most accurate rendering of them from the Hebrew 167. In confirmation of this they pointed to the iron chariots of the Canaanites as an insurmountable obstacle to occupying the plains, which constituted the best part of the Canaanite land. In particular, they pointed to the war chariots of the Canaanites living in Bethshan (Josh 17:11) and in the vast Jezreel plain, presenting the most fertile strip in Canaanite land, which the Canaanites defended with all their might. To expel the Canaanites, who continued to occupy the most fertile localities, they felt themselves unable, not having such advanced weapons, and therefore had to limit themselves to the worse – relatively – part of the lot given to them, which in this case proved insufficient for them. In this declaration of the Ephraimites and Manassites, self-conceit changes to faint-heartedness; in it there is clearly evident lack of confidence in their own strength, lack of courage, not to mention reliance on higher aid.

Joshua 17:17. But Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, “You are a numerous people and have great power. You shall not have only one lot, Joshua 17:18. but the hill country shall be yours. Although it is a forest, you shall clear it and it shall be yours to its farthest border. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron and though they are strong.” And this declaration could not, of course, incline Joshua to increase the lot of his fellow tribesmen. The struggle with the Canaanites remaining in their lot presented, of course, great difficulty, which the other tribes later experienced (Judg 1:19), but this difficulty could not be insurmountable after the main strength of the Canaanites had been broken. One needed to counter it with the full exertion of forces that these tribes possessed and with irresistible courage and confidence in success. To this Joshua pointed the “house of Joseph” 10, addressing it with the words: “You are a numerous people and have great power. You shall not have only one lot.” The hope expressed in these last words for the expansion of the lot, Joshua reveals then with greater specificity, foretelling to his tribesmen that they will fully possess the lot given to them including the wooded areas and their “outgoings” (in Hebrew “totzotav”), that is, the plains which end the mountains, and that they will drive out the Canaanites from their lot, despite their iron chariots. * * * Manasseh. This understanding of this expression is based on the particular feature of the Hebrew text that the name Gilead is used here with the article “haggilead,” while when Gilead is understood as the proper name of the son of Machir, it is used without the article, as in Josh 17:3 or Num 26:29. In the ancient Vatican manuscript Josh 17 reads: Καὶ ἔσται Μανασση ἐν Ισσαχαρ καὶ ἐν Ασηρ. Βαιθσαν καὶ αἱ κῶμαι αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Δωρ καὶ τὰς κώμας αὐτῆς καὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Μαγεδδω καὶ τὰς κώμας αὐτῆς καὶ τὸ τρίτον τῆς Μαφετα καὶ τὰς κώμας αὐτῆς. “Tresregiones”. Field. Origenis Hexapl. True, according to the LXX it is translated differently, through τὸ τρίτον τγς Μαφετὰ (in the Vatican manuscript) or Ναφετα (in the Alexandrian and other manuscripts), which means “and the third part of Napheth.” But there is no basis for insisting on the exclusive accuracy of this translation, accepted also by blessed Jerome (tertia pars urbis Nopheth), given the difficulty of imagining a city divided into three parts such that one of them belonged to one tribe and the others to another or two others. It is remarkable that the Ostrog correctors were not satisfied with the Greco-Slavonic translation “the third part of Napheth” and added to it: “three regions” (V. K. Lebedev, 311), which represents a new translation of the mentioned Hebrew expression. Dillmann. Die Bucher Numeri… Iosua, 545. Field. Origenis Hexapl. The Hebrew verb “matzah” used in this place is understood, as one must think, in the sense of “to be sufficient,” as in some other places, for example, in Num 11:22: “to be enough.” The further words of the Hebrew text: “Ephraim and Manasseh” – are not read in the Vatican and Alexandrian manuscripts.

Chapter Eighteen

1. The erection of the holy tabernacle at Shiloh. 2–9. Exhortation to the Israelite tribes that have not received a lot, and a new measure toward the proper division of the remaining land. 10–20. The lot of the tribe of Benjamin and the boundaries of the lot given to it. 21–28. The cities in this lot.

Joshua 18:1. The entire assembly of the sons of Israel gathered together at Shiloh, and set up the tent of meeting there. The land was subdued before them. When the land was conquered and the tribe of Ephraim had taken its lot in the central strip of it, the “tent of meeting” (Exod 27:21 and others) was transferred from Gilgal in the Jordan Valley to Shiloh, a city of the tribe of Ephraim. According to Judg 21:19, it was located “to the north of Bethel and to the east of the road going from Bethel to Shechem.” At present its location (discovered by the renowned geographer of Palestine Robinson) bears the name Seilun. The hill on which it was located is surrounded by other hills and covered with ruins showing signs of antiquity. Shiloh was in eight hours’ journey from Jerusalem and in four hours from Shechem. It was chosen as the place for erecting the tent of meeting, without doubt by divine direction, although the biblical writer does not speak of this. Such an understanding of the choice of Shiloh is suggested both by the statute of Deuteronomy (Deut 12:11), according to which the Lord chooses a place for the dwelling of His name (the writer of Joshua has in mind this statute in the final words of Josh 9:27), and by the words of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 7:12): “Go to my place which is at Shiloh, where I set my name to dwell.” The reason for the choice of this place for the national sanctuary lay, one can think, in the fact that the latter, being located in the middle of the Canaanite land, could be the most accessible to all the Israelite people.

Joshua 18:3. Joshua said to the Israelites, “How long will you be slack about going in to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given to you?” The “neglect,” for which Joshua reproved the Israelites of the 7 tribes that had not yet received a lot, could come from their habit of nomadic life, in which the majority of the people were born and grew up, and from the awareness of the great difficulties that settled life presented for that generation of Israelites in a country in which there still remained much of the previous population, a struggle with which required much courage and exertion of strength. Such behavior on the part of the 7 tribes could not continue for long, because the conquered country, remaining for a long time without settled population, would have come into a wild state and the Canaanites remaining in places would have grown even stronger. In order to prevent in the future dissatisfactions similar to that expressed by the Ephraimites and Manassites, and to achieve the most proportionate division of the land with the composition of the tribes, Joshua took a special measure, consisting in sending selected men, three from each of the 7 tribes, who were to gather more accurate and complete information about the conquered country remaining yet undivided, and the selectees were to keep in mind how “to divide it into portions for yourselves” (Josh 18:4), that is, for the 7 tribes, or into 7 portions.

Joshua 18:9. So the men went and passed through the land. They wrote an account of it by cities in seven portions, in a book, and came back to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. From what is said here about the execution by the selectees of the task entrusted to them, it is evident that the description of the Canaanite land they examined with the cities in it, they entered in “a book,” the indications of which were to have decisive importance in case of future disputes between the tribes concerning the possession of certain localities.

Joshua 18:10. So Joshua cast lots for them at Shiloh before the Lord, and there Joshua distributed the land to the Israelites, to each their portion. Joshua 18:11. The first lot came out for the tribe of Benjamin, according to their families. The boundary of their lot went between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph; Joshua 18:12. And the boundary on the north side begins at the Jordan, and the boundary goes up north side of Jericho, and goes up through the hill westward, and it ends at the wilderness of Bethaven; Joshua 18:13. The boundary goes from there to Luz, to the south side of Luz (that is, Bethel), and the boundary goes down to Ataroth-addar, to the mountain that lies to the south of lower Beth-horon; The lots were cast by Joshua at Shiloh “before the Lord,” that is, before the holy tent, as the place of special divine presence. The first lot fell to the tribe of Benjamin, which was assigned a lot “between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph,” that is, in the middle between the lots of the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Ephraim. As a result the northern boundary of the tribe of Benjamin coincided with the southern boundary of the tribe of Ephraim, from Jericho to lower Beth-horon, described in Josh 16:1-3.

Joshua 18:14. The boundary goes around on the south side of the mountain that lies to the south of Beth-horon, and it ends at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of the Judahites. This is the western side. From the mountain that rises before Beth-horon on its southern side, the boundary turned and went “to the sea,” – that is, to the west, to the south and came out to Kiriath-baal, which bore another name Kiriath-jearim (Josh 9:17) and belonged to the tribe of Judah.

Joshua 18:15. And on the south side, from the south of Kiriath-jearim, the boundary goes in the west direction and reaches the spring of the waters of Nephtoah; The southern boundary of the tribe of Benjamin coincided with the northern boundary of the tribe of Judah, described in Josh 15:5-9, with the difference that the first is described in a direction from west to east, and the second from east to west. The first began from the “end” (in the Hebrew text “miktzeh”), according to the Greco-Slavonic translation ἀπὸ μέρους – “from the boundary of Kiriath-jearim,” that is, from the boundary of this city, went west “to the sea… to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah” (Josh 15:9).

Joshua 18:16. Then the boundary goes down to the end of the mountain that overlooks the Valley of the Ben Hinnom, at the north of the Valley of the Rephaim. The boundary goes down the Valley of the Hinnom to the south side of the Jebusites, and comes to En-rogel; Joshua 18:17. Then the boundary turns from the north and goes to En-shemesh, and goes to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, and goes down to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben; Joshua 18:18. And the boundary passes along to the north of the Arabah; Joshua 18:19. Then the boundary goes down to the plain. The boundary ends at the northern bay of the Salt Sea, at the mouth of the Jordan to the south. This is the southern boundary. The east side is the Jordan. From here the boundary “goes down to the end of the mountain, which overlooks the Valley of the Ben Hinnom,” at the northern end of the Valley of the Rephaim (Josh 15:8), then descends into the Valley of Hinnom along the southern side of the Jebusites, to the spring of En-rogel, and so on. see Josh 15:5-7.

Joshua 18:21. The cities that belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, according to their families, were these: Jericho, Beth-hoglah, and Emek-keziz, The cities located in the lot of the tribe of Benjamin are divided into two groups by their geographic location. The first group consisted of 12 cities located in the eastern half of the lot, namely: Jericho (Josh 2:1), Beth-hoglah (Josh 15:6), Emek-keziz (according to the Greco-Slav. translation: Amekasis). The name of this apparently city is now borne by the valley between Jerusalem and Jericho, to the southeast of the Spring of the Apostles (Josh 15:7) 168.

Joshua 18:22. Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, and Bethel, Beth-arabah (see Josh 15:6); in the latter place this city is assigned to the tribe of Judah. Zemaraim, according to the Greco-Slavonic translation Semrim, is by some indicated at the place of ruins of Samra, on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho 169, by others on Mount Zemaraim, one of the mountains of Ephraim (2 Chr 13:4), Bethel (Josh 7:2).

Joshua 18:23. Avvim, Parah, and Ophrah, Avvim is unknown in its location. Parah is indicated at the place of ruins bearing the same name, in Wadi Parah, to the southwest of Jericho, in three hours’ journey from it and the same from Jerusalem. Ophrah according to Eusebius and Jerome is indicated in five Roman miles to the east of Bethel; the location of this Ophrah, distinct from Ophrah of Gideon in the tribe of Manasseh (Judg 6:11), is recognized as the village of Et-Taiybe with ruins of an ancient fortress on the summit of a hill, to the northeast of Bethel.

Joshua 18:24. Kephir-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba: thirteen cities with their villages. Of the three cities named here, the position of the last one is known – Geba (in the Greco-Slavonic translation Gavaa), which was located at the place of the present village of Jebya, situated on a high hill covered with ruins, in two and a half hours’ journey to the northeast of Jerusalem.

Joshua 18:25. Gibeon, Ramah, and Beeroth, The second group of cities of the tribe of Benjamin consisted of 14 located generally in the western half of the lot. Of these, concerning Gibeon, see Josh 9:3. Ramah was located, according to Judg 19:11-14, to the north of Jerusalem; according to Eusebius, in six Roman miles from it; in accordance with this, its location is recognized as the settlement of Er-Ram, on a high hill, with ruins of a temple and tower, in two hours’ journey to the north of Jerusalem. This Ramah was probably identical with Ramathajim-zophim or Ramah, the birthplace and dwelling place of the prophet Samuel (1 Sam 1:1, etc.). Concerning Beeroth, see Josh 9:17.

Joshua 18:26. Mizpah, Kephirah, and Moza, Joshua 18:27. Rekem, Irpeel, and Taralah, Of the 6 cities named here, only the first two are known by their geographic location. Mizpah (in the Slavonic Bible Maspha) was located on a high hill bearing the name Nebi Samwil (“the prophet Samuel”), in two hours’ journey to the northwest of Jerusalem, in half an hour to the south of Gibeon 170. Concerning Kephirah, see Josh 9:17.

Joshua 18:28. Zela, Eleph, and Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath: fourteen cities with their villages. This is the lot of the tribe of Benjamin, according to their families. The location of Zela, which was the burial place of the family of King Saul (2 Sam 21:14) and Eleph, is unknown. Zela and Eleph in the Alexandrian and some other Greek manuscripts form one name Σηλαλεφ or Σελαελαφ, as also in the Slavonic Bible. Gibeah, called in other places Gibah (Judg 19:12), Gibah of Benjamin (1 Sam 13:2) or Gibah of Saul (1 Sam 11:4), is usually indicated an hour’s journey to the north of Jerusalem, on the high hill of Tell el-Ful, on the summit of which are the ruins of a tower built from ancient material 171. * * * According to prof. A. A. Olesnitsky (The Holy Land, vol. 2, 11), it is precisely the valley of Kaaziz met twenty minutes’ journey out of Jerusalem toward Jericho. The name Kaaziz the native researcher derives, however, from the word “azazel” (p. 14), not from “Ketzitz.” Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, There, p. 17–18. A description of the mountain of Samuel is found in The Holy Land, 2, et seq.; in the opinion of prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, based on local tradition, the mountain of Samuel is the same as Ramathajim-zophim in 1 Sam 1:1 and with the Gospel Emmaus. According to prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, this identification of Gibah of Saul with Tell el-Ful “has no basis whatsoever.” The Holy Land, 2, 300.

Chapter Nineteen

1–9. The inheritance of the tribe of Simeon. 10–16. That of Zebulun. 17–20. That of Issachar. 21–30. That of Asher. 32–39. That of Naphtali. 40–48. That of Dan. 49–51. The inheritance of Joshua son of Nun.

Joshua 19:1. The second lot came out for Simeon, the tribe of the sons of Simeon, according to their clans; and their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Judah. The second lot came out in the time of the gathering of the people at Shiloh for the tribe of Simeon, which according to the last census (Num 26:1-2) contained only 22,200 men of military age, considerably fewer than each of the other tribes. Its inheritance was not in a separate region but “in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Judah,” that is, a portion from the territory of the latter was allotted to it, which, as appeared from an inspection of the land of Canaan conducted by representatives from 7 tribes (Josh 18:4), “was too large” (Josh 19:9) for the tribe of Judah: it contained, as is evident from Josh 15:21-62, more than 120 cities, in addition to villages.

Joshua 19:2. And in their inheritance were: Beersheba or Sheba, Moladah, Since the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon was within the bounds of the inheritance of the tribe of Judah, and the borders of the latter had already been described in Josh 15, the borders of the tribe of Simeon are not indicated separately but only the cities allotted to it are listed. They had already been named in Josh 15:26-32; they are listed again in 1 Chr 4:28-32. Almost all of them were in the southern part of the inheritance of Judah and only two (Ether and Ashan) on the plain (Josh 19:6). There are, however, differences in the names of these cities as compared with those given in Josh 15, on which see in the appendix to this chapter.

Joshua 19:10. The third lot came out for the sons of Zebulun according to their clans, and their territory extended to Sarid; The description of the lot, that is, the inheritance of the tribe of Zebulun, begins with the southern border, on which as a midpoint from which it goes “to the sea,” that is, westward (Josh 19:11) and eastward (Josh 19:12), Sarid is indicated. According to some, it was at Tell Shadub on the northern side of the Plain of Jezreel, to the southwest of Nazareth.

Joshua 19:11. And their border goes up to the sea and to Maralah and adjoins Dabbesheth and adjoins the stream that is before Jokneam; The cities mentioned here, Maralah and Dabbesheth, on which the western side of the southern border of the tribe of Zebulun went from Sarid, are unknown in their location. By “the stream that is before Jokneam” (regarding the location of this city see Josh 12:22), is probably meant the stream Kishon, flowing at a distance of about a mile and a half east of the hill on which Jokneam stood, or Wadi el-Milya, located at the foot of the hill on its western side.

Joshua 19:12. From Sarid it goes back to the eastern side, to the east of the sun, to the border of Chisloth-Tabor; from there it goes to Daberath and goes up to Japhia; On the other side of Sarid the southern border of the tribe of Zebulun turned eastward to the region of Chisloth-Tabor, indicated by Eusebius (Αχεσελωφ) as 8 Roman miles east of Diocaesarea (Sepphoris, the present-day Sefurah), to which corresponds the village of Ikshal, west of Mount Tabor (now Jebel et-Tur). From there the border went to Daberath, which according to Eusebius (Δαβειρα) was positioned on Mount Tabor; at present the village of Daburiyeh is at the foot of Tabor on its northwestern side. As for the following boundary city Japhia, the village of Yafa, situated half an hour’s journey from Nazareth, could correspond to it, but it is west of Daberath, not east or northeast as it should be if the boundary line ran eastward, on account of which the identification of this city with Yafa raises doubt.

Joshua 19:13. From there it goes eastward to Gath-Hepher, to Ittah-Kazin, and goes to Rimmon, Methoar, and Neah; Gath-Hepher, through which the border continued, the birthplace of the prophet Jonah (2 Kgs 14:25), is usually indicated at the site of the present village of el-Meshhed, an hour’s journey to the northeast of Nazareth. The location of Ittah-Kazin is unknown. “Rimmon” was at the site of the village of Rummaneh, 2.5 hours north of Nazareth. The following Methoar and Neah are likewise unknown in their location. The first of these names (according to the Hebrew text “hammethoar”) is taken by modern Hebraists not as a proper name but as a participial form of the verb “taar,” meaning “to go round, to extend,” employed repeatedly in the book of Joshua in describing borders, though in other forms. With this understanding the final words Josh 19:13 in the Hebrew text have the sense: “extending to Neah”; the location of the latter has not been determined.

Joshua 19:14. And the border turns from the north to Hannathon and ends at the Valley of Iphtah-el; Here the northern border of the tribe of Zebulun is indicated; it went to Hannathon (in the Slavonic Bible Ennathoph), the location of which is indicated (by English investigators of Western Palestine) at Der-Hanna, west of the northern end of the Sea of Galilee; according to others, Hannathon corresponds to Cana of Galilee, situated much farther south, 2.5 hours north of Nazareth. The following boundary point, the Valley of Iphtah-el (in the Slavonic Bible Gai Ieffail), serves to mark one of the valleys found near present-day Dje-Fata, the Judean Jotapata, 2.5 hours’ journey north of Sepphoris.

Joshua 19:15. And further: Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages. Of the cities named here, Kattath, Nahalal, and Idalah are not known with certainty as to their geographical location; regarding Shimron see Josh 11:1; Bethlehem was at the site of the village of Beit Lahm, located 2 hours’ journey to the southwest of Sepphoris. The total number of cities of the tribe of Zebulun indicated by the present Hebrew text is 12, which exceeds the number of city names given in the text by 7. Such discrepancy, observed also later in Josh 19:30, is ordinarily explained by the fact that the Hebrew text has not been fully preserved, that an omission was made in it in ancient times. This explanation cannot be denied a high degree of probability in view of the omissions indicated in Josh 13:8, as well as because in Josh 21:34-35 two cities are mentioned as belonging to the tribe of Zebulun: Kartha and Dimna, which do not appear here among its cities. On clarifying the causes of the phenomenon in question, however, there is no particular reason for us to dwell, since in the Vatican and Alexandrian manuscripts of the Greek translation the foregoing total is not read. The words πόλεις δώδεκα καὶ αἱ κῶμαι αὐτῶν – “twelve cities and their villages” were absent initially in the LXX translation; they were brought into it by Origen, as is evident from the asterisk preserved in some manuscripts, by which they were marked in his Hexapla. And if in the initial LXX translation there were no such words, if in the form in which they are conveyed by the present Hebrew text they raise perplexity, then it is possible that they could also be absent in our national translation.

Joshua 19:18. Their territory was: Jezreel, Chesulloth, and Shunem, The description of the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar begins with an enumeration of the cities contained in it, which are as follows: Jezreel (in the Slavonic Bible “Jezrael”), which was the capital of Ahab, named by Eusebius “the well-known settlement of Bedraila, lying in the great plain between Scythopolis and Legio” (Megiddo); it was at the site of the present poor village of Zerain, on a high hill, with a fine view, covered with ruins, on the eastern side of the extensive valley, called in ancient times the Plain of Jezreel, in later times Esdralon (Jdt 1:8), and at present Menjib-Amir. Chesulloth, which is ordinarily identified with that named in Josh 19:12 Chisloth-Tabor. Shunem was located, according to Eusebius (Σουβημ), 5 Roman miles south of Tabor; at present the village of Sulem is at its site, north of Zerain.

Joshua 19:19. Hapharaim, Shion, and Anaharath, Hapharaim (in the Slavonic Bible Afararim), according to Eusebius (Αιφραιμ), was 6 Roman miles from Legio (Megiddo); at present it is indicated (by English investigators of Western Palestine) at the site of Khirbet el-Fariyeh, to the northwest of Megiddo, 4 kilometers south of Jokneam (Josh 12:22). Shion (in the Slavonic Bible Sian), indicated by Eusebius (Σιων) near Mount Tabor, is placed at the site of the village of Khirbet-Shain with a spring and ruins, north of Tabor. Anaharath, to which in the Slavonic Bible, in accord with the Greek manuscripts, there correspond two names: [Renath] and Anahaharev, is indicated at En-Naura on the eastern slope of the Little Hermon.

Joshua 19:20. Rabbith, Kishion, and Abez, The geographical location of the three cities named here is not determined.

Joshua 19:21. Remeth, En-Gannim, En-Hadda, and Beth-Pazzez; Of the 3 cities mentioned here, only the location of En-Gannim is known, which was at the site of the present city of Jenin, located on the southern side of the Plain of Jezreel, where the road from Nazareth to Jerusalem begins to climb the mountainous upland.

Joshua 19:22. And the border adjoins Tabor and Shahazumah and Beth-Shemesh, and the border ends at the Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages. The eastern border of the tribe of Issachar described in the words of this verse is determined by the indication of three cities and the Jordan, at which it ended; by Tabor is meant here not a mountain but a city of the tribe of Zebulun (1 Chr 6:77), the location of which, like that of Shahazumah and Beth-Shemesh, is not determined. The total number of cities of the tribe of Issachar indicated then is 16, which, if the last two cities are included with those named in Josh 19:18-21, exceeds the number of enumerated cities by 1; in the Vatican and Alexandrian manuscripts it, like in Josh 19:15, is not read.

Joshua 19:25. Their territory was: Helkath, Hali, Beten, and Achshaph, Joshua 19:26. Alammelech, Amad, and Mishaal; and the border adjoins Carmel on the west and to Shihor-Libnath; The location of the cities named here is unknown or not determined with certainty. It is clear, however, that the inheritance of the tribe of Asher on its southern end adjoined Carmel “by the sea” (according to the Hebrew text “hayam”). By Shihor-Libnath is understood by modern commentators a stream, in which sense the Hebrew “shihor” is used in Josh 13:3; here, in distinction “from Shihor, which is before Egypt,” the name is completed by the word “libnath,” meaning “white.” By this name is probably designated the Nahr Zerka, emptying into the Mediterranean south of Dor (Josh 11:2).

Joshua 19:27. Then it turns back eastward to Beth-Dagon, and adjoins Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah-el on the north, [and enters the territory of Asaph] to Beth-Emek and Neiel, and goes to Cabul on the left; From Shihor-Libnath (Josh 19:26) the border of the tribe of Asher turned eastward; the cities and regions through which it passed while touching the border of the inheritance of Zebulun remain at present unknown in their location, with the exception of Cabul (in the Slavonic Bible Chavol), which was at the site of the present village of Kabul, located to the southeast of Acco, 4 hours’ journey away. The words “[and enters the territory of Asaph]” serve as a rendering of the Slavonic translation “[and shall enter the territory of Asaph]”. In the Alexandrian manuscript, to which they correspond, we read καὶ εἱσελεύσεται τὰ ὅρια Ασαφθα – “and the boundary of Asapha shall go” (in the Vatican manuscript the corresponding word is Σαφθαιβαιθμε). In the present Hebrew text there are no words corresponding to them, as a result of which, according to this text, the grammatical connection of the following names Beth-Emek and Neiel is considered unclear by commentators, because these names appear too disconnected and not related to the preceding words, wherefore these commentators bring into the Hebrew text, on the basis of the LXX translation, the words “and the border goes.” From this it is evident that the foregoing words of the Greek-Slavonic translation serve as a rendering of an expression that was read in the original Hebrew text but has not been preserved in the present one. As for the last of the cited words, “asapha” or “saffe,” it remains obscure.

Joshua 19:28. And further: Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Cana, until great Sidon; The locations of the first three cities are not determined with certainty; the fourth, Cana, was at the site of the present village bearing the same name and located to the southeast of Tyre, 2.5 hours’ journey from Tyre. Regarding great Sidon, see Josh 11:8.

Joshua 19:29. Then the border turns back to Ramah and to the fortified city of Tyre, and the border turns to Hosah, and ends at the sea in the place Achzib; From the region of Sidon the border turned to Ramah, situated at the site of the present village of Rameh, to the southeast of Tyre, an hour’s journey away. The fortified city of Tyre, the famous city of Phoenicia, at the site of which at present exists a small town with remains of ancient structures, retaining the former name. The location of Hosah, to which the border further went, is unknown. The border ended by the sea in the region of Achzib (from “uzah” in Achzif in the Slavonic Bible, or from that which is marked by “uzah,” that is, field or property in general). Achzib, known among Greco-Roman writers by the name Ekdippa, was 3 hours’ journey north of Acco (Judg 1:31), at the site of the present village of Zib on the seashore with surviving ruins.

Joshua 19:30. And further: Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob: twenty-two cities with their villages. The three cities enumerated in this verse are not determined as to their location. The total number of cities of the tribe of Asher is 22, which corresponds to the number of cities enumerated in Josh 19:25-30 if we do not include Shihor-Libnath as the name of a stream, Asaph as a name remaining unclear in meaning, and Neiel as identical with Neah in Josh 19:13. This sum is not read in the Vatican manuscript of the Greek translations; but it is found in the Alexandrian and many other manuscripts. And here too in some of the manuscripts there is preserved the mark (asterisk) by which Origen marked in his Hexapla the words brought into the LXX translation πόλεις εἴκοσι δύο καὶ αἱ κῶμαι αὐτῶν – “twenty-two cities and their villages.”

Joshua 19:32. The sixth lot came out for the sons of Naphtali, for the sons of Naphtali according to their clans; Joshua 19:33. Their border went from Heleph [and] from the oak in Zaanannim, to Adami-Nekeb and Jabneel, to Lakkum, and ended at the Jordan; The description of the borders of the tribe of Naphtali begins “from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim.” The location of Heleph is not determined, and the oak in Zaanannim according to Judg 4:11 was located near Kedesh, to the northwest of Lake Merom (Josh 12:22). The location of Adami-Nekeb is not determined with certainty. Jabneel was probably the Jamnia in Upper Galilee, of whose fortification Josephus speaks in his biography and which was given to the tetrarch Philip, but whose location remains unknown. Lakkum, indicated by Eusebius within the territory of Naphtali, remains unknown.

Joshua 19:34. From there the border turns back westward to Aznoth-Tabor and goes from there to Hukkuk, and adjoins Zebulun on the south, and adjoins Asher on the west, and Judah at the Jordan on the east. Although the cities named here are unknown as to their location, the border designated by them was nonetheless the southern border of the tribe of Naphtali; this is indicated particularly by the fact that it “adjoined Zebulun,” that is, touched its northern border. From Eusebius it is known that Aznoth-Tabor (Αξανωθ) was in the inheritance of Naphtali and was situated on a plain within the bounds of Diocaesarea (Sepphoris). The final words of the verse, which indicate the end of the border, read in the present Hebrew text: “to Judah at the Jordan on the east,” constitute a most difficult place to explain in view of the distance of the inheritance of the tribe of Judah from that of Naphtali and the unknown relocations of the former in ancient times to the northern Canaan. The perplexity occasioned by these words prompted western Christian biblical scholars to offer many various explanations, none of which at present is recognized as truly resolving this perplexity. We have neither the need to expound nor to evaluate these explanations, because the expression read here in the present Hebrew text “and to Judah” (“u biyohudah”) does not belong to the original biblical text, as is shown by the earliest manuscripts of the LXX translation. In the Vatican and Alexandrian manuscripts the final words Josh 19:34 read with the omission of this expression καὶ ὁ Ιορδάνης ἀπ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου – “and the Jordan from the east of the sun”; the word τῷ Ιουδα – “to Judah” or “Judah” was brought into the LXX translation by Origen, as is shown by the mark (asterisk) preserved in some of the Greek manuscripts, by which words brought into the translation from the Hebrew text or other Greek translations were marked in Origen’s Hexapla. “To Judah” was not read here either in the ancient manuscript Slavonic translation; these words were first brought into the Slavonic translation by the editors of the Ostrog Bible on the basis of the Complutensian Polyglot and the Aldine Bible, and from the Ostrog Bible they passed into the present Slavonic Bible. The double testimony of the LXX translation and the earliest Slavonic translation serves, it seems, as a sufficient basis for regarding the expression “to Judah” in this place as not belonging to the original composition of the biblical text.

Joshua 19:35. The fortified cities are: Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth, The first two cities, Ziddim (in Hebrew Hatziddim) and Zer (Tirian, Tyre in the Slavonic Bible according to the Greek manuscripts) are not determined. According to Eusebius the first corresponds to Λοεβειμ, the second to Τύρος, of which it is only stated that the cities bearing these names were in the tribe of Naphtali. Hammath was at the site of el-Hammam, as the warm springs on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee are called, not far from Tiberias. Rakkath is ordinarily placed, on the basis of a Talmudic account, at the site of later Tiberias, the present-day Tabariyyeh. Chinnereth, bearing a name identical to that of the sea in ancient times (Josh 11:2), was on the northwestern shore of the latter, in the most fertile plain, bearing in New Testament times the name “the land of Gennesaret” (Matt 14:34 and others), and now called el-Guwair.

Joshua 19:36. Adama, Ramah, and Hazor, The location of the city of Adama (in the Vatican manuscript Αρμαιθ, in the Alexandrian manuscript Αδαμι) is not determined with certainty; by English investigators of Palestine it is indicated at Damieh, to the southwest of Tiberias. “Ramah” was at the site of Er-rame, to the northwest of the Sea of Galilee. Regarding Hazor, see Josh 11:1.

Joshua 19:37. Kedesh, Edrei, and En-Hazor, Regarding Kedesh, see Josh 12:22. Edrei and En-Hazor are unknown as to their location.

Joshua 19:38. Irem, Migdal-El, Horem, Beth-Anath, and Beth-Shemesh: nineteen cities with their villages. Irem (Yarion in the Slavonic Bible) is indicated at the site of the village of Yaron with ancient ruins, west of the southern end of Lake Merom. Migdal-El and Horem are not geographically determined; in the Vatican manuscript both names are combined into one: Μεγαλααρειμ (Megalaarim); in the Alexandrian manuscript it corresponds to: Μαγδαλιη Ωραμ – Magdaliil, Oran in the Slavonic Bible. This Megalaarim is indicated (by English investigators of Palestine) at Medjdel Islim, to the northwest of Kedesh (Josh 12:22). Beth-Anath is identified with the present village of Anita, about 9 kilometers also to the northwest of Kedesh. The location of Beth-Shemesh of the tribe of Naphtali is unknown.

Joshua 19:40. For the tribe of the sons of Dan, according to their clans, the seventh lot came out; In describing the seventh inheritance, allotted by lot to the tribe of Dan, its borders are not indicated separately, since it was composed of portions from the inheritances of the tribes of Judah and Ephraim, whose borders have been described, and only the cities allotted to this tribe are enumerated. The inheritance of the tribe of Dan was located between the inheritances of the tribes of Judah, Ephraim, and Benjamin, closer to the shore of the Mediterranean Sea.

Joshua 19:41. The territory of their inheritance was: Zorah, Eshtaol, and Ir-Shemesh, The first two cities named here originally belonged to the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:20). Ir-Shemesh – “city of the sun”; the Vatican manuscript πόλεις Σαμμαυς; the Alexandrian manuscript πόλεις Σαμες – “the city Sames” (in the Slavonic Bible) is merely another name, differing only in the beginning, from Beth-Shemesh (Josh 15:10) – “the city of the sun,” on which account these names are ordinarily taken as designating one and the same city located south of Zorah.

Joshua 19:42. Shaalabbin, Aijalon, and Ithlah, Shaalabbin (in the Slavonic Bible Salamim) was probably at the site of the present village of Salbith, in the time of Eusebius (Σαλαβειν) called Salava. Aijalon (Josh 10:12) was, according to Jerome (Aialon), not far from Nicopolis, at the site of the village of Alus, at present this village is called Malo; it is located about 9 kilometers southwest of Lower Beth-horon (Josh 16:3) on the slope of a mountain, near the large, fertile Valley of Aijalon. The location of Ithlah (in the Slavonic Bible Iefla) is not determined with certainty; by some it is indicated in Wadi Atalla to the northwest of Aijalon.

Joshua 19:43. Elon, Timnath, and Ekron, The location of “Elon” is unknown. Regarding Timnath, see Josh 15:10; regarding Ekron, see Josh 13:3.

Joshua 19:44. Eltekeh, Gibbethon, and Baalath, The location of Eltekeh (in the Slavonic Bible Elpheco, in cuneiform monuments Altaku) is not determined with certainty; by English investigators it is indicated at the village of Beit Likia, to the northeast of Beit Nuba, located west of Gibeon (Josh 9:3). The location of Gibbethon (in the Slavonic Bible Gavatho) is indicated by the same investigators about 5 kilometers north of Modein, located east of Lydda. Baalath (Γεβεελαν, Βααλων, Vaatho in the Slavonic Bible) is indicated by the same scholars at Belaim about 7 kilometers to the northeast of Modein.

Joshua 19:45. Jehud, Bene-Berak, and Gath-Rimmon, Jehud (in the Slavonic Bible Iuf) was probably at the site of the present village of Yihudah, north of Lydda. Bene-Berak (in the Slavonic Bible Vanivarok) was at the site of the present village of Ibn-borak, about 8 kilometers east of Jaffa. Gath-Rimmon was indicated by Eusebius at 12 Roman miles from Lydda on the way to Eleutheropolis; the location itself has not been established at present.

Joshua 19:46. Me-Yarkon and Rakkon with a border near Joppa. And the territory of the sons of Dan proved too small for them. Joshua 19:47. And the sons of Dan went up and fought against Leshem and took it and struck it with the sword and took possession of it and settled in it, and called Leshem Dan after the name of Dan, their father. [The Amorites remained to live in Helem and Salamim, but the hand of Ephraim prevailed against them, and they became tributary to him.]

Joshua 19:48. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Dan according to their clans; these were their cities and their villages. In explaining the initial words of this verse, the LXX translation has special significance, in which according to the Vatican and Alexandrian manuscripts we read καὶ ἀπὸ θαλάσσης Ιερακων ὅριον πλησίον Ιόππης – “and from the sea Yerako is the boundary near Joppa.” From this translation it is evident that in the name Me-Yarkon (in Hebrew “umesaiyarkon”), which begins Josh 19:46, the Hebrew “me” was not considered by them as part of the name Yarkon but as a separate word (“miyam”), meaning “from the sea”; it is also evident that they did not read the second name homologous with the preceding one, Rakkon (according to the Hebrew text “harakkon”), which homology of the two names standing side by side raises doubt as to the correctness of the present Hebrew text in this place among those who are guided by it predominantly. On the basis of the LXX translation the first half of this verse has the sense that from the sea, or from the west, Yerako or Yarkon was the boundary of the tribe of Dan, situated near Joppa. The location of Yarkon is not precisely known: some indicate the city (properly Rakkon) at the site of Tell-ech-Rekkeyit on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, 3 kilometers north of Joppa, others – Oyun Kara in the Sharon Plain, about 5 kilometers to the southeast of the same city. In any case the region near Joppa, and in view of Judg 5:17 (“and what has Dan to fear with ships”) and the city Yerako itself, belonged to the tribe of Dan. The further words “and the territory of the sons of Dan proved too small for them,” which constitute a rendering of the present Hebrew text, were not initially read in the LXX translation, as is evident from the Vatican and Alexandrian manuscripts, in which there are no corresponding words καὶ ἰσηλθεν τὸ ὁρῶν υἱῶν Δαν ἀπ αὐτῶν – “and the territory of the sons of Dan went out from them” according to the present Slavonic Bible. They were brought into the text by Origen in his Hexapla and marked with an asterisk, preserved in some manuscripts; in later Greek manuscripts (for example, Lucianic) they are read like the rest of the text; from editions based on these later manuscripts, such as the Complutensian and Aldine, they were brought into the Slavonic translation – first – in the Ostrog Bible, where they are rendered: “Here did not the territory come to completion for the sons of Dan.” In the ancient pre-Ostrog Slavonic translation they were not found. The double testimony – the LXX translation according to the earliest manuscripts and the ancient Slavonic translation – of the absence of these words in the biblical text has, undoubtedly, high significance for us both in itself and in view of the fact that these words, as they are read in the Hebrew text, are very unclear, as is evident, for example, from the translation of blessed Jerome: et ipso fine concluditur – “and by the very boundary it is concluded” – or from the rendering in the Ostrog Bible cited above. After the words constituting the first half of Josh 19:46, in the LXX translation according to the earliest Greek manuscripts there immediately follows what constitutes Josh 19:48: “This was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Dan… and their villages,” while according to the Hebrew text and the Latin translation, with which the Slavic-Russian translation agrees here, what is contained in Josh 19:47 follows, which speaks of the campaign of the Danites against Leshem. The greatest harmony in the order of the narrative adopted in the LXX translation is evident from the fact that after the enumeration of the cities allotted to the tribe of Dan, there ordinarily follows an epilogue (Josh 18:28 and elsewhere), which here is represented by the words Josh 19:48, which according to this order adopted by the biblical writer should follow after Josh 19:46. The placing before this epilogue of what is said in Josh 19:47 appears incongruous also in that the Leshem-Dan conquered by the Danites did not belong to the inheritance which this tribe initially received. After the epilogue there immediately follows in the earliest manuscripts of the Greek translation what in Josh 19:48 is placed in brackets as transferred from the Slavonic Bible: “and the Amorites did not drive out… the sons of Dan…” These words, absent in the present Hebrew text, were not, it must be supposed, brought into the text by the Greek translators on the basis of Judg 1:34, but were originally present in the Hebrew text, as they are found elsewhere in the book in similar indications of the failure of the tribe of Judah to drive out the former inhabitants (Josh 15:63). The inclusion of this indication in the description of the inheritance of the tribe of Dan was prompted here by the fact that the retention of the Amorites in its inheritance served as the direct cause of the event described equally in both the Greek translation and the Hebrew text, consisting in the campaign of the sons of Dan against Leshem. Since the Amorites remaining in the inheritance of the tribe of Dan did not allow them to descend into the valleys, which constituted the most fertile part of the inheritance, the Danites therefore decided to acquire yet another place for settlement, the struggle for which was less difficult than the struggle with the Amorites in their own inheritance. This event is described in more detail in Judg 18. Thus, the events contained in Josh 19:47-48 are described in the Greek translation with greater fullness and consistency. In this narrative, the special brief and unclear indication given by the Hebrew text in Josh 19:46 of the insufficiency of the inheritance allotted to the Danites appears superfluous. Leshem, in Judg 18:7 Laish, named Dan, was at the source of the middle tributary of the Jordan (the Leddan) on a high hill, at the site of the present village of Tell-el-Kadi (this Arabic name means the same as “Dan,” that is, “judge”). The words placed in brackets “[The Amorites remained to live in Helon and Shaalabbin… tributary to him,]” not read in the Hebrew text, are found in the earliest manuscripts of the LXX translation (in Lucianic manuscripts as well as in the translation of blessed Jerome they are absent). Elom and Salamin correspond to Elon and Shaalabbin named in Josh 19:42-43. These additional words in their content are similar to what is said, according to both the Hebrew text and the LXX translation, in Judg 1:35, with the difference that in this latter place the event is described with greater detail, consisting in the indication of the hill of Heres, and instead of Helon, Aijalon is named, which is read also in Josh 19:42, next to Shaalabbin.

Joshua 19:50. By the command of the Lord they gave him the city of Timnath-Serah, which he asked for, in the hill country of Ephraim; and he built the city and lived in it. The city given to Joshua son of Nun, Timnath-Serah (Vatican manuscript – Θαιμαρχαρης, Alexandrian manuscript – Θαμνασαρα, Slavonic Bible – Timnath-Serah) was “in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash” (Josh 24:31). According to Eusebius (θαμ ναθσαρα) “the city of Joshua son of Nun, in which his tomb is to this day found” is named Thamneh, thus identified with the city of this name mentioned in Josh 15:10. In modern times, following the research of the French scholar Guerin and Abbot Richard, it has been accepted by Western biblical scholars to locate Timnath-Serah at the site of the ruins of Tibneh (Khirbet Tibne), located about 15 kilometers (16 kilometers) to the northwest of Bethel. The most important basis for this identification was that in the necropolis of present-day Tibneh, among several tombs hewn in rock, to the south of a hill with ruins, a particularly remarkable tomb (Kubr-el-Anbiah) was found, distinguished by its spaciousness, architectural skill, and stone knives found in it, of which Josh 21:42 speaks according to the LXX translation. An examination of the necropolis at Tibneh, conducted by our national scholar (Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky), did not convince him of the correctness of identifying the Anbiah tomb with the tomb of Joshua son of Nun, wherefore he began to seek another location for the city of Joshua. It was found by him to the north of Khirbet Tibneh, “to the left of the main road from Jerusalem to Nablus, at a distance of half an hour to the west of Lebbenah,” in an area where there are two villages, Hareth and Kefar (meaning village) Hareth, with remains of ancient buildings made of roughly worked stones. The bases for identifying the biblical Timnath-Hares (in the book of Judges), or Thimarcharisth according to the Vatican manuscript, with Khefor-Hareth are: first, the testimony of Hebrew travelers of the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries, who pointed out the tomb of Joshua son of Nun in Kefar-Hareth; second, the fact that the name Hareth “throughout the whole region of Ephraim” is preserved only in the names of these villages; third, the fact that in the cemeteries of both villages there are ancient tombs, “but of the simplest, primitive construction, without any ornamentation.” Among them particularly remarkable is one tomb in Kefar Hareth, distinguished by special antiquity and also by the fact that a Muslim chapel stands by it – “a sign of popular respect for the place,” and fourth, that the mountain screening the villages of Hareth and Khefor-Hareth from the south to this day bears a name consonant with the biblical Mount Gaash, namely Garsh (the letter “p,” which is not in the Hebrew Gaash, entered because of Aramaic pronunciation, as Damascus – Damask). Western investigators of Palestine have also arrived at the same understanding of the location of Timnath-Serah. Appendix to verses 2–8 concerning the cities of the tribe of Simeon.

Joshua 19:2. After Beersheba according to the Hebrew text Beer-Sheva is read and Sheba (in the Vatican and Alexandrian manuscripts Σαμαα, in later Greek manuscripts Σαβεε – Sabee in the Slavonic Bible). In Josh 15:26-32 there is no city by the name of Sheba; here is read another name, close in sound composition to it, Shema (Josh 15:26), differing from the former only in the penultimate letter “m,” which could have been changed in the Hebrew text to the letter “b” under the influence of the preceding name Beer-Sheva, but preserved in its original form by the earliest manuscripts of the LXX translation, in which Semaa is read; such a form (Σαμαα) has the name Shema also in the Alexandrian manuscript (in the Vatican – Σαλμαα). Some confirmation of the idea of the identity of the two names is the fact that both Shema and Sheba precede in both places the name Moladah. As for the dissimilarity of the initial sound in these names (“sh” and “s”), it has no significance, since the Hebrew letters “shin” and “sin” originally expressed the same sound. In view of this it seems probable that the Sheba named in this place was a separate city, distinct from Beersheba, but not different from the city named in Josh 15:26 Shema. The city of Sheba is indicated (Knobel) at the site of the ruins of Saave to the northeast of Beersheba or, in accord with the form of this name in the earliest Greek manuscripts, at Selyameh. Josh 19:4. The city of Bethul named here is not indicated in Josh 15 among the cities of the tribe of Judah. There is, however, a basis for identifying it with the city named in this chapter (Josh 15:30) Chesil. This consists in the fact that, first, just as the latter is placed between Eltholad and Hormah, so Bethul in this place is found between these same cities; and, second, in the fact that in the ancient Vatican and a few later manuscripts instead of Chesil Βαιθηλ is read, altered in other Greek manuscripts under the apparent influence of the Hebrew text into Χασειρ or Χασιλ: the latter form is accepted in the Slavonic Bible. The name Bethel preserved by the manuscripts of the LXX translation, belonging to a city of the tribe of Judah, deserves attention also in view of the indication of other Old Testament books on the existence of a city with this name in the inheritance of this tribe; thus, in 1 Sam 30:27 it is said that David sent gifts from Ziklag to a city of Bethel, in 1 Chr 4:30 among the cities of the tribe of Simeon is indicated equally Bethuel (in Hebrew Betuél). These biblical indications give grounds to think that in the southern part of Canaan before the settlement of the Israelites in it, there was a city bearing the name Bethel – from a heathen sanctuary probably located in it. And, since the names Bethel and in Josh 15:30 according to Greek manuscripts Bethul are identical in their composition and meaning (“bet” – house, “El” – God), it is on this basis possible to see in them the designation of one and the same city. The origin of another name used in Josh 15:30 according to the present Hebrew text, Chesil, which means “fool,” is probably explained by the fact that it was given to the Bethel of the tribe of Simeon in a later time, in disgrace of it as a city that had formerly been a place of idol worship; the same thing probably happened to the Bethel of the tribe of Benjamin, which in the prophet Hosea (Hos 4:15) is called Bev-Aven, that is, “house of nothingness,” as it became a place of worship of the golden calf. The name Chesil (Josh 15:30) entered the Hebrew text, as the Vatican manuscript disposes one to think, after the LXX translation was made. The location of this Bethel-Chesil is conjecturally indicated at the present el-Halyasa, or Elyusa, of the Greek writers, in which there was a temple of Venus. Halyasa with the remains of a former flourishing city is located 5.5 hours’ journey south of Beersheba. Josh 19:5. The cities named here (and also in 1 Chr 4:31) Beth-Markaboth and Hazar-Susah are also not listed among the cities of the tribe of Judah enumerated in Josh 15:26-32. The opinion that these names serve to designate the cities indicated in Josh 15:31 Madmannah and Sansannah has only a presumptive character. It is presumed, namely, that Madmannah and Sansannah in subsequent times received new names or epithets because of their particular significance on the trade route between Egypt and Syria, near which they were located: the first – Madmannah – received the name Beth-Markaboth, which means “house of chariots,” and the second – Sansannah – Hazar-Susah, which means “horse court,” since in the first there was a storehouse of chariots and in the second – a court for horses in the process of selling them. The existence of such cities among the Israelites is confirmed by a reference to the “cities for chariots” and for horsemen that belonged to Solomon (1 Kgs 9:19; 2 Chr 8:6). Since military chariots among the Canaanites existed during the time of Joshua, such storehouses or stations for them could certainly exist at this time already, as well as courts for horses on the great road from Egypt, from where those and others were obtained in Palestine (1 Kgs 10:26-29), and thus, understandably, the cities in which these stations were located could also bear special names. The book of Joshua presents other examples of dual names borne by some of the cities (Kiriath-Jearim, Hebron). That Madmannah and Sansannah were located near the great road between Egypt and Damascus, however, does not constitute a generally accepted position. Some indicate them in regions adjacent in general to Gaza, whereas others find no grounds for precisely determining their location. On the other hand, some investigators of biblical geography indicate Beth-Markaboth and Hazar-Susah in different regions than those assigned to Madmannah and Sansannah. The LXX translation also does not present special data for clarifying the mutual relationship of those and other cities. Thus, the question of which cities of the tribe of Judah are meant by the cities Beth-Markaboth and Hazar-Susah named in this place remains at present without proper resolution.Joshua 19:6. Beth-Lebaoth (in the Slavonic Bible Vefalbath, in accord with the Alexandrian manuscript, in the Vatican Βαθαρωθ) corresponds to the city named in Josh 15:32 Lebaoth, the geographical location of which is not determined. Sharuhen corresponds, it seems, to that indicated in Josh 15:32 Shilhim, as well as to the Sherukhanu mentioned in Egyptian monuments of the eighteenth dynasty, which was located on the road from Egypt to Gaza. In the Greek-Slavonic translation that corresponds to Sharuhen is οἱ ἀγροὶ αὐτῶν – “and their villages” (Slavonic Bible); Greek translators took the Hebrew word corresponding to this name as an appellative. Moreover, in the Greek-Slavonic translation the cities indicated in Josh 19:2-6 were 13, as is indicated in the total number, read equally in the Hebrew text and ancient translations, whereas according to the Hebrew text together with Sherukhanu there are 14 of them; and so here, as in Josh 15:32, a numerical inaccuracy has crept in. Joshua 19:7. Ain and Rimmon, which are united in Nehemiah Neh 11:29 (in En-Rimmon) under one name, as here and in the Vatican manuscript (Ερεμμων), constituted two cities, as is evident from Josh 15:32, where their names are connected by the conjunction “and,” and in the Alexandrian manuscript, with which the Slavonic translation agrees (Ain and Remmoph). Rimmon, indicated by Eusebius (Ερεμβων) as 16 Roman miles from Eleutheropolis, was at the site of the ruins of Umm-Rummanim, 3 hours’ journey north of Beersheba; closer to the latter, half an hour to the north, is a well (in Hebrew “ain”) with remains of buildings that existed around it (bearing the name Chuelite), which could have been the location of the city of Ain. As being located close to each other, Ain and Rimmon in later times were considered as one city and their names were joined together, as is shown by the text of the book of Nehemiah. The following two cities, Ether and Ashan, which were on the plain (Josh 15:42), are not determined in their geographical location. Josh 19:8. The location of Baalath-Beer, or southern Ramah, is also not determined. * * * Tristram. Bible’s places, 214. Regarding Daburiyeh, see The Holy Land, 2:425. A description of Tell-Jefateh, see The Holy Land, 2:410. In the Moscow Greek Bible these words, contrary to the Alexandrian manuscript, are read. Field. Origen’s Hexapla… Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky identifies En-Gannim with Bethulia in the book of Judith. The Holy Land, 2:385. Dillmann. The Books of Numbers… and Joshua, p. 560. Is this word not, however, a rendering of the Hebrew “tsaphonah” – “northward,” which was read here in the original Hebrew text and left untranslated by the LXX? With this presumption it would be understandable also why these words were omitted in the Hebrew text, as having happened because in it there were consecutive sentences with the word “tsaphonah” (וּבְגֵי יִפְתַּח־אֵל צָפוֹנָה וְעֶבְרֹן הַגְּבוּל צָפוֹנָה – and the valley of Iphtah-el northward and Hebron the boundary northward); having written the first “tsaphonah,” the scribe inadvertently passed directly to what followed after the second “tsaphonah,” omitting what was between them. The sense of the words preserved here by the LXX translation would be as follows: “and the border goes northward to Beth-Emek…” According to the Hebrew text “mehevel,” “hevel” means, among other things, “a strip of land, a region.” Among the special names which it bears in Greek manuscripts, it deserves attention that the city Ummah is named in the ancient Vatican manuscript Αρχωβ, and in a significant number of others – Ακκωρ, Ακκωβ or Ακκω, which names suggest the idea of Ummah as identical to Acco, which according to Judg 1:31 belonged to the tribe of Asher. Field. Origen’s Hexapla. In the Slavonic Bible “Meeleph.” To the words “in Zaanannim” corresponds in the Vatican manuscript Βεσεμιειν, in the Alexandrian Βεσενανιμ – Slavonic “Vesenani”, which shows that the Greek translators took the Hebrew “betsa’anannim” as one word, not separating “be” in the sense of the preposition “in.” On the basis that Heleph in the Vatican manuscript is named Μοολαμ, English investigators of Palestine indicate its location at Aulam to the southwest of the southern end of the Sea of Galilee. Philo Josephus Life, 37. His same work. Concerning the Jewish War, II, VI, 3. See for example, Kühler. Textbook of Biblical History, 1, 491–492, or Dillmann. Numbers-Joshua, 563. In the Moscow Greek Bible, however, contrary to the Alexandrian manuscript, there is read καὶ τῷ Ιουδα ὁ Ιορδάνης ἀπ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου – “and to Judah the Jordan from the east of the sun” (Slavonic Bible). Field. Origen’s Hexapla. V. K. Lebedev, 368. The Greek translation agrees with the ancient Slavonic translation “from the sea Yerakohnskaya… near the boundary of Joppa” (V. K. Lebedev, 173–174). The present Slavonic translation “and from the sea Yerakonska, and Irakkon, boundary near Joppa” follows the later Greek text (and the Complutensian Polyglot in the Lucianic manuscripts), into which, in accord with Origen’s “Hexapla,” the words καὶ’Ιρεκκων, which were not read in the earliest manuscripts, were brought in. Dillmann. Numbers-Exodus. Oettli. Deuteronomy. Joshua to this passage. Some of the Western biblical scholars recognize the name Me-Yarkon as an appellative word, in which “me” is the Hebrew word “water,” and “yarkon” is the Hebrew “yerakon” – “yellow color,” wherefore this name is translated “yellow water” or “yellow river,” for which Nahr el-Audja is recognized, emptying into the Mediterranean 6 kilometers north of Joppa, and Tell ech Rakkoyat is recognized as the biblical Rakkon. This explanation may count in its favor correspondence to the present Hebrew text, in which “narkon” as an appellative name is placed with the article (“hal”) and apparent correspondence to the location. The LXX translation has an advantage before it by virtue of its foundation on an ancient text. Oettli. Ibid. Tristram. Bible’s places, 51. In the Moscow Greek Bible these words are read (Josh 19:47) contrary to the Alexandrian verse. Field. Origen’s Hexapla. V. K. Lebedev, 364. The words of the Hebrew text in question, by literal translation, mean “and the territory of the sons of Dan went out from them.” A clearer sense is achieved by Hebraists through so-called conjecture, that is, through changes of certain words of the Hebrew text into others, namely – the change of “was contracted, restricted” and “from them” into “for them,” whereby the translation “and the territory of the sons of Dan was narrow for them” is obtained. Such a composition of the words of the Hebrew text in this place, not giving a definite sense without alterations, naturally occasions distrust of itself, and in connection with the fact that these words were not translated in the LXX, leads to the idea that they constitute a later insertion into the text, as is expressed by the more forthright of Western biblical scholars (Oettli in the commentary named above). In the pre-Ostrog Slavonic translation, the order of narrative indicated by the earliest manuscripts of the LXX translation was adopted. V. K. Lebedev, p. 403. In Judg 2:9 this city is named according to the Hebrew text Timnath-Hares, in the Russian translation – Timnath-Serah. A detailed analysis of the indicated bases is given in the repeatedly named work “The Holy Land,” vol. II, 307–328. Ibid., p. 311, 329–331. Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky’s “The Holy Land” was published in 1878. The English edition The Survey of Western Palestine, where the foregoing representation of the location of Timnath-Serah is set forth, appeared in 1881. Cook. Commentary, II, 79. On this see, for example, in Keil, Joshua, p. 127. In this case the location of Madmannah is indicated at Maanlunes about 4 hours’ journey south of Gaza or at El-Minjaj east of the latter (Riehm. Handbook… 936). The location of Sansannah is indicated at the village of Semsim to the northeast of Gaza (ibid., 1368). Riess. Bible Atlas, 1887. Thus Beth-Markaboth is indicated at the site of the ruins of Mirkib, 4.5 hours’ journey west of the southern end of the Dead Sea (Riehm. Ibid., 182) or 21 kilometers south of Arad (Riess). Hazar-Susah is indicated at the site of the ruins of Susiseh to the northeast of Eshtemoa (Riehm. Ibid., 582; regarding Eshtemoa, the present-day Semuah, see Josh 15:50). If Madmannah in the ancient Vatican manuscript bears the name Μακαρειμ, consonant with Markaboth, then in other Greek manuscripts it is replaced by others, such as Βεδεδηνα in the Alexandrian manuscript or Μεδεμηνα in other manuscripts. Sansannah in the Vatican manuscript Σεθεννακ, in the Alexandrian manuscript Σανσαννα; Hazar-Susah in the Vatican manuscript (Σαρσουσειν), in the Alexandrian manuscript Ασερσουσιμ. Between these names there is obviously little similarity. In the ancient manuscript Slavonic translation the words “and their villages” were not read. V. Lebedev, 356. In the translation of blessed Jerome it was taken as a proper name and translated: Sarohen. “Baalferierrammopha” in the Slavonic Bible, in accord with the Alexandrian manuscript (Βαρεκ according to the Vatican manuscript). “Iameph” in the Slavonic Bible in accord with the Alexandrian manuscript (Βαμεθ in the Vatican manuscript).

Chapter Twenty

1–6. God’s command concerning cities of refuge. 7–9. The cities appointed for this purpose – three in the land west of the Jordan and three in the land east of the Jordan.

Joshua 20:1. And the Lord said to Joshua, saying: After the division of the land of Canaan among the tribes, during the same gathering of the people in Shiloh, there was carried out another divine command concerning cities of refuge, given by the Lord to Moses (Num 35) and repeated by him to the people (Deut 4:41-43). Before the execution of this command, repeated to Joshua when the time for its fulfillment had come, the biblical writer presents a brief exposition of it, in which are indicated the purpose of the establishment (Josh 20:3), the conditions for using the cities of refuge (Josh 20:4-5), and the duration of stay in them (Josh 20:6).

Joshua 20:3. so that the manslayer who kills a person unintentionally, without malice, may flee there; let [these cities] be a refuge for you [so that the manslayer may not die] at the hand of the avenger of blood, [until he stands before the congregation for judgment]. The purpose of instituting cities of refuge consisted in that, with the practice of blood revenge prevalent among the Israelites, as among other Eastern peoples, which was permitted generally by the law of Moses (Tolkovaya Bibliya, vol. I, p. 258), to prevent its destructive consequences in application to the unintentional manslayer (“unintentionally, without malice”), who could find safe refuge from the avenger of blood, who was ordinarily the nearest kinsman of the slain man. The signs of unintentional manslaughter are set forth in detail in Num 35:22-24, Deut 19:4-6. The words placed in brackets “[these cities… so that the manslayer may not die… until he stands before the congregation for judgment]” are not found in the Hebrew text, but are present in the Greek manuscripts, both ancient and later, as well as in the ancient 213 and present Slavonic translation. In their content they fully correspond to what is said in Num 35:12.

Joshua 20:4. And whoever flees to one of these cities shall stand at the gate of the city and recount his case in the hearing of the elders of that city; and they shall take him into the city and give him a place, so that he may dwell among them; Joshua 20:5. and when the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the manslayer into his hand, because he killed his neighbor without intent and had no hatred for him in time past or yesterday; Safe refuge in the city of refuge could be found by the manslayer on one condition only, if he proved to have truly killed his neighbor unintentionally by the judgment of the city’s elders, to whom he recounted his case in their hearing. Specific applications of this law are indicated in Num 35:24-25, Deut 19:11-13.

Joshua 20:6. he shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest who shall be in those days. And afterward the manslayer shall return and go to his own city and to his own house, to the city from which he fled. The duration of the unintentional manslayer’s residence in the city of refuge is determined by two terms, which, for brevity of exposition, are joined together: “until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest.” The mutual relation of these terms is evident from Deut 19:11-12 and Num 35:24-25, where it is said that if he who has fled to a city of refuge is judged by the elders of the city where he previously lived to be an intentional murderer, then the elders are to take him from the city of refuge and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood; but if he who has fled to a city of refuge is judged by the elders of the city where he previously lived to have killed his neighbor unintentionally, then he shall be returned to the city of refuge and remain there until the death of the high priest. For the duration of the unintentional manslayer’s residence in the city of refuge, no fixed term was appointed; the length of his stay was made dependent on the length of the high priest’s life, during whose time the unintentional slaying occurred; and since the life and death of men are governed by God, the determination of this duration was entrusted to the will of the Lord. And in this law of Moses, as in others, is expressed the thought of God as the Supreme Judge.

Joshua 20:7. So they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah; From the cities of the land west of the Jordan they appointed (according to the Hebrew text “vaiyakdishu” – “consecrated”) as cities of refuge such as were located in three principal regions: “Kedesh in Galilee *14 in the hill country of Naphtali” (Josh 12:22), that is, in the northern district of the region that in later times was called Galilee; “Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and… Hebron” (Josh 10:3).

Joshua 20:8. and beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they appointed: Bezer in the wilderness, on the plain, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh; For the land east of the Jordan the cities of refuge had been appointed long before by Moses (Deut 4:43). “Bezer in the wilderness” (in the Slavonic – “Vesor”) was located on the eastern side of the Dead Sea at Kasur-el-Besheir, as the ruins are called to the southwest of Dibon (Josh 13:7), “Ramoth in Gilead” (Josh 13:26: “Ramath-Mizpah”) and “Golan in Bashan”; its location, though a whole region derived its name from it (Gaulanitis, now the Golan), has not been found among the many ruins preserved there; it is conjecturally identified on the east from the northern end of Lake Gennesaret. All these cities were at the same time cities of priests or Levites (Josh 20:7 and others). The choice of cities of refuge from among such cities certainly had the aim that the priests or Levites dwelling in them, through their participation in the investigation of cases of manslaughter, would contribute to the most just possible decision of them, and the special significance of the cities as dedicated to God secured the safety of involuntary manslayers seeking refuge in them. * * * V. K. Lebedev, 231; 240; 386. In the LXX: Γαλειλαίᾳ, in the Hebrew text “galil” – “district.” This land is indicated here according to the Hebrew text by the words “beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho.” In the ancient Vatican manuscript the words “east of Jericho” are not found. This omission deserves attention in that even without the omitted words it is clear what land is meant, and that none of the cities mentioned thereafter was located east of Jericho.

Chapter Twenty-One

1–7. The request of the leaders of the Levite clans in the gathering at Shiloh for cities for dwelling, and the distribution by lot of the cities appointed by the Israelite tribes among the three clans of the Levite tribe. 8–42. A list of the appointed cities. 43–45. The fulfillment of God’s promises concerning the giving of the land of Canaan to the Israelite people and victories over enemies.

Joshua 21:1. Then the leaders of the Levite clans came to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the leaders of the clans of the Israelites, Joshua 21:2. and they said to them in Shiloh, in the land of Canaan, and said: The Lord commanded through Moses that we be given cities to dwell in, with pasture lands for our cattle. The Levite tribe consisted of three clans: Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites (Num 3:17-20). The divine promise on which the leaders of the clans based their request for cities for dwelling was given to Moses (Num 35:1-8).

Joshua 21:4. And the lot came out for the Kohathite clans; and to the sons of Aaron the priest, Levites, from the tribe of Judah, and from the tribe of Simeon, and from the tribe of Benjamin, there fell thirteen cities; The distribution of the cities appointed by the Israelite tribes for the Levite tribe among the clans of the latter was effected by lot (Josh 14:2), which determined which of the Levite clans should receive the cities appointed by one or another tribe. The first lot fell to the clan of Kohath, which consisted of four families (Exod 6:18), the oldest of which was the family of Amram, which at that time consisted of two houses: of Aaron and of Moses (Exod 6:20). “The house of Aaron the priest,” representing the senior line in the clan of Kohath both by descent and by service in the congregation of the Lord, received precisely the cities appointed for Levites from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin in the number of thirteen. The designation by lot of cities in these particular tribes, rather than in the tribe of Ephraim, in whose territory the Tabernacle of the congregation was situated at that time, is not a chance occurrence, but a significant event in view of the closest proximity of the dwelling places of the priests, designated by lot, to the Temple of Jerusalem.

Joshua 21:5. and to the remaining sons of Kohath from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, and of Dan, and of half the tribe of Manasseh, by lot, there fell ten cities; “And to the remaining sons of Kohath,” that is, the junior line of the family of Amram, consisting of the house of Moses and the families of Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel (Exod 6:18), there fell by lot cities in the territories of Ephraim, Dan, and the land west of the Jordan half of the tribe of Manasseh, in the number of ten.

Joshua 21:6. As for the sons of Gershon, from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, and the tribe of Asher, and the tribe of Naphtali, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, by lot, there fell thirteen cities; Joshua 21:7. As for the sons of Merari, by their clans, from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun – twelve cities. Joshua 21:8. And the Israelites gave to the Levites these cities with their pasture lands, as the Lord commanded through Moses, by lot. The clans of Gershon and Merari received the remaining twenty-five cities in the territories of other western and eastern Jordanic tribes. The appointment of forty-eight cities for the Levite tribe, which according to the last census numbered twenty-three thousand men (Num 26:62), is explained, firstly, by the fact that cities in the land of Canaan were at that time not large and generally consisted of a small number of inhabitants, and secondly, by the fact that these cities were not occupied solely by priests or Levites, but together with them lived members of the tribe in whose territory they were located, as is especially evident from what is said concerning Beth-shemesh, being a priestly city, whose inhabitants, who reaped wheat and then brought a burnt offering to the Lord, are clearly distinguished from the Levites who took the Ark of the Lord and set it on a great stone (1 Sam 6:13). In appointing cities to the Levite tribe, consideration was naturally given to its increase in numbers in subsequent times. Some of these cities were also to have houses for involuntary manslayers. As for the number of priests who made up the house of Aaron at the time of the division of the land of Canaan, it is not known with precision, but cannot be represented as very small, consisting as it did of Eleazar and Ithamar (Num 3:2). The considerable number of them at that time is evident from the fact that at the crossing of the Jordan, the priests not only bore the Ark of the Covenant but also held it on their shoulders for the whole time during which the people crossed the Jordan, and at the marching around Jericho, besides the priests who bore the Ark of the Covenant, there were seven priests who blew the jubilee trumpets. The twenty-fourth chapter of 1 Chronicles (1 Chr 24:4) presents clear indication that the sons of Aaron, Eleazar and Ithamar, had twenty-four sons who became heads of twenty-four priestly families, among whom the service at the sanctuary was distributed in David’s time. And since at the beginning of the second year after the exodus from Egypt (Exod 40:12-15; Lev 9:1) these sons of Aaron were already priests, that is, of full age, after forty years their children were also of full age and had children themselves. Through three generations the posterity of Aaron would have multiplied to several hundred males.

Joshua 21:9. And from the tribe of the sons of Judah, and from the tribe of the sons of Simeon, [and from the tribe of the sons of Benjamin] they gave cities, which are here named: Joshua 21:10. To the sons of Aaron, from the clans of the Kohathites, from the sons of Levi [since the first lot was theirs], Joshua 21:11. they gave Kirjath-arba (the father of Anak), that is, Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with its pasture lands; Joshua 21:12. but the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. Joshua 21:13. And to the sons of Aaron the priest they gave the city of refuge for the manslayer – Hebron with its pasture lands, and Libnah with its pasture lands, Joshua 21:14. Jattir with its pasture lands, and Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, Joshua 21:15. Holon with its pasture lands, and Debir with its pasture lands, Joshua 21:16. Ain with its pasture lands, Juttah with its pasture lands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands: nine cities from these two tribes; Joshua 21:17. and from the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon with its pasture lands, and Geba with its pasture lands, Joshua 21:18. Anathoth with its pasture lands, and Almon with its pasture lands: four cities. Joshua 21:19. All the cities of the sons of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their pasture lands. Of the thirteen cities that fell to the priests, eleven were mentioned in the previous chapters and indicated by their location (Hebron, Josh 10:3; Libnah, Josh 10:29; Jattir, Josh 15:48; Eshtemoa, Josh 15:50; Holon, Josh 15:51; Debir, Josh 10:38; Ain, Josh 19:7; Juttah, Josh 15:55; Beth-shemesh, Josh 15:10; Gibeon, Josh 9:3; Geba, Josh 18:28). Of the two other cities, Anathoth was situated an hour’s journey to the northeast of Jerusalem, and at its present location is the Muslim village of Anata; from the summit of the hill on which the village is situated, a wide view opens out over the Jordan valley and the mountains beyond the Jordan. Almon, now the place of the ruins Almit, is about twenty minutes to the northeast of Anata. The cities given to the priests are also listed in 1 Chr 6:54-60.

Joshua 21:20. And to the clans of the sons of Kohath, the Levites, the remaining sons of Kohath, by their lot, there fell cities from the tribe of Ephraim; Joshua 21:21. they gave them the city of refuge for the manslayer – Shechem with its pasture lands, in the hill country of Ephraim, and Gezer with its pasture lands, Joshua 21:22. Kibzaim with its pasture lands, and Beth-horon with its pasture lands: four cities; Joshua 21:23. from the tribe of Dan: Eltekeh with its pasture lands, and Gibbethon with its pasture lands, Joshua 21:24. Aijalon with its pasture lands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands: four cities; Joshua 21:25. and from the half of the tribe of Manasseh: Taanach with its pasture lands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands: two cities. Joshua 21:26. All the cities of the remaining clans of the sons of Kohath, with their pasture lands, were ten. Of the ten cities received by the remaining families of the clan of Kohath, eight cities are mentioned in the previous chapters (Shechem, Josh 17:7; Gezer, Josh 10:33; Beth-horon – upper (Josh 10:10) or lower (Josh 16:3); Eltekeh and Gibbethon, Josh 19:44; Aijalon, Josh 19:42; Gath-rimmon, Josh 19:45; Taanach, Josh 12:21). Of the other two, Kibzaim remains unknown as to its location. As for Gath-rimmon, given to the Kohathites from the half-tribe of Manasseh, this name is identical according to the present Hebrew text with what a city of the tribe of Dan bore, as named in Josh 21:24, and is recognized by commentators following the Hebrew text that entered it through the error of an ancient scribe 215. In 1 Chr 6:70 the second city given from the half-tribe of Manasseh to the Kohathites bears the name Bileam, according to the Slavonic Bible Ievlaam, in accordance with the Greek manuscripts. This last name is identical with Ievlaam according to the Slavonic Bible, as Ivleam was called according to the Hebrew text, which belonged to the half-tribe of Manasseh (Josh 17:11) 216.

Joshua 21:27. And to the sons of Gershon, from the clans of the Levites, they gave: from the half of the tribe of Manasseh the city of refuge for the manslayer – Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands, and Beeshterah with its pasture lands: two cities; Joshua 21:28. from the tribe of Issachar: Kishion with its pasture lands, and Daberath with its pasture lands, Joshua 21:29. Jarmuth with its pasture lands, and En-gannim with its pasture lands: four cities; Joshua 21:30. from the tribe of Asher: Mishal with its pasture lands, and Abdon with its pasture lands, Joshua 21:31. Helkath with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands: four cities; Joshua 21:32. from the tribe of Naphtali the city of refuge for the manslayer – Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, Hammoth-dor with its pasture lands, and Kartan with its pasture lands: three cities. Joshua 21:33. All the cities of the sons of Gershon, according to their clans, were thirteen cities with their pasture lands. Of the thirteen cities given to the clan of Gershon, the names of nine cities clearly correspond to those indicated in the previous chapters (Golan, Josh 20:8; Kishion, Josh 19:20; Daberath, Josh 19:12; En-gannim, Josh 19:21; Mishal, Josh 19:26; Helkath, Josh 19:25; Rehob, Josh 19:28; Kedesh in Galilee, Josh 19:37; Kedesh and Hammoth-dor, Hamath Josh 19:35). The other four city names require explanation. Beeshterah (Βοσορα, Βεεθαρα, Beesthere; in the translation of Jerome – Bosra) is distinguished by some scholars from Ashtaroth (Josh 9:10) as bearing a different name (in the LXX Ασταρωθ – Slav. Astaraf) and is recognized as Bosra, the former chief city of Gauran, which, according to Eusebius (Ασταρωθ), was thirty-one Roman stadia (about forty-three versts) to the east of Ashtaroth. In Eusebius, Beesthere, corresponding to the biblical Beeshterah, is also distinguished, as one may suppose, from Ashtaroth. With all this, the identification of Beeshterah with Bosra is subject to doubt, especially in view of the fact that in 1 Chr 6:71, where the cities given to the clan of Gershon are enumerated, instead of Beeshterah the Hebrew text sets the name Ashtaroth, that is, the name borne by the capital of the Bashan king according to the indication of Josh 9:10 and other places. This explanation, given by the writer of 1 Chronicles, should, of course, have greater significance than considerations based on ancient translations and examination of the locality. Beeshterah thus represents a somewhat different, but cognate name based on the name of the goddess Astarte, perhaps a shortened form (from the words “beit Ashtera” – house of Ashtera) of the name of Ashtarah, which was located within the land west of the Jordan of the tribe of Manasseh, at the place of the present Tel-Agotera, to the north of Hieromyces. Jarmuth (Ρεμμαθ, Ιερμαθ, Iermof) given to the Levites from the tribe of Issachar represents also a somewhat different name of the same city which in Josh 19:21 is indicated under the name Remeth (Ρεμμας, Ρεμαθ, Ramath). The basis for such identification is the obvious similarity of both names, especially according to the Vatican manuscript, and the fact that Jarmuth and Remeth in both places of the biblical text precede the name of the city En-gannim – Abdon (Δαββων, Αβδων, Abdon) 217, given by the tribe of Asher, do not appear in the enumeration of the cities of this tribe. The opinion of some commentators that Abdon corresponds to the Hebron mentioned in Josh 19:28, whose name entered the Hebrew text instead of the original Abdon due to a scribe’s error, is not without foundation; the latter consists in the fact that in twenty codices of the Hebrew text in Josh 19:28 Abdon is read 218. The site of Abdon is now indicated not far from the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, about six versts to the east of Achzib (Josh 19:29) in Abde, as the ruins are called. Kartan (Θεμμων, Νοεμμων, Noemmon) is unknown as to its location.

Joshua 21:34. To the clans of the sons of Merari, the remaining Levites, they gave: from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasture lands, and Kartah with its pasture lands, Joshua 21:35. Dimna with its pasture lands, and Nahalal with its pasture lands: four cities; Joshua 21:36. [on the other side of the Jordan opposite Jericho] from the tribe of Reuben [was given the city of refuge for the manslayer] Bezer [in the wilderness of Mishor] with its pasture lands, and Jahaz with its pasture lands, Joshua 21:37. Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaath with its pasture lands: four cities; Joshua 21:38. from the tribe of Gad: the cities of refuge for the manslayer – Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, and Mahanaim with its pasture lands, Joshua 21:39. Heshbon with its pasture lands, and Jazer with its pasture lands: all the cities four. Joshua 21:40. All the cities of the sons of Merari, according to their clans, the remaining Levite clans, by lot, were twelve cities. Of the twelve cities given to the clan of Merari, on both sides of the Jordan, ten cities are mentioned in the previous chapters (Jokneam, Josh 12:22; Bezer, Josh 20:8; Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, Josh 13:18; Ramoth in Gilead, Josh 20:8; Mahanaim, Josh 13:26; Heshbon, Josh 13:17; and Jazer, Josh 13:25). The remaining two cities, Kartah and Dimna, are unknown as to their location. In Josh 21:36 the words in brackets “[on the other side of the Jordan opposite Jericho… in the wilderness of Mishor]” are not found in the present Hebrew text, in whose editions the verses Josh 21:36-37 are omitted or printed at the bottom below the line. But they are found in the translation of the LXX, in both its oldest and latest manuscripts, on the basis of which they are translated in the Slavonic and Russian Bible; in the latter the translation follows the text of the Alexandrian manuscript. That these verses were originally found in the Hebrew text is evident, besides the testimony of the LXX translation, from Josh 20:7, where it is said that the sons of Merari received cities from the tribe of Reuben; the Levite cities of that tribe are enumerated in the indicated verses.

Joshua 21:42. With these cities there were pasture lands around each city; thus it was with all these cities. [When Joshua had finished dividing the land according to its borders, then the Israelites gave a portion to Joshua the son of Nun according to the command of the Lord, and gave him the city that he asked for – Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim – and he built the city and lived in it. And Joshua took flint knives, with which he circumcised the Israelites who were born on the way in the wilderness, because they had not been circumcised in the wilderness; and he put them in Timnath-serah]. The words placed here in brackets “[when Joshua had finished dividing the land… in Timnath-serah]” are not found in the Hebrew text, but are read in the translation of the LXX, according to both its oldest and latest manuscripts. The first half of them is a repetition of what is said in Josh 19:49-50; the second is an addition made by the Greek translators. In the time of Origen these words were already found in the manuscripts of the LXX translation, as is evident from a special sign (obelos) preserved in some of them, indicating the absence of these words in the Hebrew text. The possibility of the omission of these words in later Hebrew manuscripts is ruled out by the fact that they are absent in the Syriac translation 219 and in the translation of Jerome. The confirmation of information about the flint knives placed by Joshua the son of Nun in Timnath-serah through a discovery made in the tomb of Anbia (Josh 19:50) proves ineffective 220; in the identification of the city of Joshua the son of Nun with Kefar Hores, the tomb itself is transferred to a different place, and through this the connection with what was found in the tomb of Anbia is broken. In view of this, the words of the LXX translation cited above may justly be recognized as an addition made by the Greek translators on the basis of an existing tradition or narrative of their time, which they so highly valued that they appended it as an addition to the biblical text.

Joshua 21:43. Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that He swore to give to their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled in it. Joshua 21:44. And the Lord gave them rest on all sides, as He had sworn to their ancestors, and no enemy stood against any of them; the Lord handed all their enemies over into their hands. Joshua 21:45. Not one of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass. The exposition of the second part of the Book of Joshua concludes with the indication of the complete fulfillment on the Lord’s part of the promises given to the Israelite people: the people took possession of the land of Canaan, and no enemy rose up against their dominion over it. If the land was not completely cleared of the former inhabitants and the latter hindered the new masters from enjoying certain areas, then the Lord had not promised their immediate destruction (Exod 23:29-30; Deut 7:22). This clearing of the land from the remaining Canaanites was to be accomplished by the efforts of the people themselves, with God’s help, which was always given when it was asked for. If this did not happen, the cause was the absence not only of common national efforts, but also of the efforts of individual tribes in expelling the Canaanites from their territories at a time when they were able to do so (Josh 17:13). * * * See, for example, Keil. Iosua, 167. To the name Gath-rimmon in Josh 21:25, in the Alexandrian and other manuscripts there correspond Βαιθσα or Βαιθσαν (Vatican manuscript Ιεβαθα), according to the Slavonic Bible “Vefsan”, as the city was called that belonged also to the half-tribe of Manasseh (Josh 17:11). But this Vefsan was not a Levite city. In the LXX this name is transmitted in the Vatican manuscript. Keil. Iosua, 157. It should, however, be noted that Hebron in the LXX bears other names, different from those which designate Abdon; it is namely called Ελβων, Αχραν. Akhran in ancient manuscripts. Holy Land, 2:317. Ibid., p. 323.

Chapter Twenty-Two

1–9. Joshua’s farewell address to the auxiliary detachment from the eastern tribes of the Jordan before his return. 10–12. The building of a great altar near the Jordan. 13–21. An embassy from the western tribes to the eastern tribes. 22–34. A conciliatory response from the latter and agreement with it.

Joshua 22:1. Then Joshua called the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and said to them: “Then Joshua called the tribe of Reuben,” that is, after the division of the land of Canaan among the 9½ tribes and the appointment of cities for the Levite tribe. At the end of the war, the auxiliary detachment from the eastern tribes of the Jordan was not sent away, it is to be supposed, so that it, as the representative of these tribes, would be present at the gathering of the people in Shiloh (Josh 22:9), which thus was a gathering of the whole people. The final act of this gathering was the decision concerning the return of the auxiliary detachment to its place of residence.

Joshua 22:2. You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and you have obeyed all that I commanded you; Joshua 22:3. You have not abandoned your brothers these many days, down to this day, and have carefully kept the charge of the Lord your God. Joshua 22:4. Now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as he promised them; therefore turn and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan; Joshua 22:5. “Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Joshua 22:6. Then Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents. As during the preparation for the crossing of the Jordan, the Israelite leader addressed the eastern tribes with words of reminder and exhortation (Josh 1:12-15), similarly the departing detachment he sends off with a special address and blessing.

Joshua 22:7. Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan; but to the other half Joshua gave a possession beside their brothers on the west side of the Jordan. And when Joshua sent them away to their tents and blessed them, Joshua 22:8. he said to them, “Return to your tents with much wealth, with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and with a large quantity of clothing; divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers.” Verses Josh 22:7-8 present an explanation and supplement to what is said in the preceding verses. Verse Josh 22:7 explains why Joshua called together with the tribe of Reuben and Gad “the half-tribe of Manasseh.” Although the writer of this book had said this before (Josh 13:29-31), he, like other Old Testament writers, does not make reference to what precedes, but briefly repeats what he has already said, as a result of which there are numerous repetitions in Old Testament books, constituting one of the distinctive characteristics of Old Testament writings, called breadth of speech, another example of which is that the fact that the Levite tribe did not receive a separate allotment is mentioned four times in this book (Josh 13:14). The words Josh 22:8 can be seen as an addition to Joshua’s farewell address, perhaps drawn by the writer from a special written document, whose words he added to the address, so to speak, as a footnote. The command to divide the spoil with one’s brothers is based on the divine command given to Moses at the end of the war with the Midianites (Num 31:27).

Joshua 22:9. And the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned, and they departed from the Israelites at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they had received according to the commandment of the Lord by Moses. The name “Gilead” is used here in the sense of designating the entire land east of the Jordan, in distinction from “the land of Canaan,” that is, the land west of the Jordan.

Joshua 22:10. When they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of great size. The place where the auxiliary detachment of the eastern tribes of the Jordan built the altar upon their return is determined by the words “in the region of the Jordan, which is in the land of Canaan.” The designation of the latter, as in the preceding verse and other places (Josh 5:12; Num 32:30), is used to denote the land west of the Jordan, on which, consequently, precisely near the Jordan, on its western side, the altar was built, “great in size,” such as was high and broad to be seen from afar. The location of this altar, a monument, as is evident from the following narrative, which received the name “Ed” (Josh 22:34) – “witness,” was, as indicated by learned travelers, the high mountain jutting out into the Jordan valley, to the north of Jericho, which now bears the name Karn Sartabe, and which was mentioned above (Josh 3:16). The basis for such a representation of the location of this altar is first of all the fact that this mountain “on its northern side is called by the Arabs Tal-atab-u-eid,” that is, “passage leading to Eid” 221. The origin of such a name of the locality, coinciding with the biblical name of the altar, is justly explained by the event that took place here in the time of Joshua. The very features of the locality fully correspond also to the biblical indications concerning the location of the altar. If it was erected on Mount Sartabe, it was indeed in sight, visible from afar, from all sides. It was situated directly on the road from Shiloh to Gilead, which, it is to be supposed, the detachment of the eastern tribes followed upon their return, on the other, eastern side of the Jordan, somewhat to the north of Sartabe there are still preserved ruins of a former bridge across the Jordan, bearing the name Jezr Damia. Together with this, the altar was also “by the Jordan,” on its bank 222. Such correspondence of Mount Sartabe, both in the special name attributed to it by the local inhabitants and in its location, fully inclines one to recognize its summit as the place of the altar erected by the eastern Jordanic detachment-monument.

Joshua 22:11. And the Israelites heard that the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan, on the side of the Israelites. Some scholars find in the words cited here of the western Israelites an expression of a different understanding of the altar, as if it were built on the eastern side of the Jordan. This understanding, expressed by Josephus in his Antiquities (Josephus, Ant. 5:1, 26), has also been expressed in our native literature as if a commonly accepted understanding 223. The basis for this is indicated in the fact that the words “in the region of the Jordan” in the LXX are translated ἐπὶ τοῦ Γαλααδ τοῦ Ιορδάνου – “in Gilead of the Jordan,” and that the last words of the verse, read in the Hebrew text (“el ever beney yisrael”) mean “on the other side of the Israelites” 224. Both bases have, however, an illusory character. The translation of the Hebrew word “gelilot,” meaning “district, region,” through the name Gilead is found only in the ancient Vatican manuscript, in other ancient and later Greek manuscripts it is either replaced by the untranslated Γαλιλωθ – in Galilofе, according to the Slavonic Bible, or is excluded, as in the Lucian manuscripts, in which only ἐπὶ τοῦ Ιορδάνου – “by the Jordan” is read. With such a state of readings in the Greek manuscripts regarding this expression, the rendering of the Vatican manuscript “Gilead” as an exclusive phenomenon, not repeated in other manuscripts, cannot serve as a reliable basis for conclusions. Rather it raises the thought of a scribe’s error, who wrote the more well-known name “Gilead” instead of “gelilot,” which error was avoided and not repeated in other Greek manuscripts. As for the translation of the aforementioned Hebrew words, its correctness is more than doubtful. That the word “ever” does not always mean “beyond” was already indicated above (Josh 1:14). That it is not used in this sense in this passage is evident from the unusualness of the expression obtained in translating this word in such a meaning: “on the other side of the Israelites.” The expression “on the other side of the Jordan… river” is understandable, but to say “on the other side of the Israelites” would be to use an expression incomprehensible, unusual, as is evident from the fact that in other places of the Old Testament books such an expression does not occur. If the intention was to designate another, eastern side of the Jordan, then after “ever” would have been placed “Jordan” as in other places. If the biblical writer did not use this necessary complement, then it must be supposed that the word “ever” is used here in another sense, namely in the sense of “crossing, ford,” which is the original meaning of this word as a noun. In such a meaning it was indeed adopted by Symmachus, who translated the words in question πρὸς τὴν διάβασιν τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ 225 – “at the crossing of the Israelites.” At that, under “crossing” is meant, as one may suppose, the place of the ford across the Jordan indicated above, located near Mount Sartabe, on the way from the land west of the Jordan to the land east of the Jordan, on which in a later time a bridge was constructed. There is, however, yet another translation of the expression “el-ever” in this passage by the words “on the side of the Israelites” 226, that is, on that side on which “the Israelites” lived, as opposed to “the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.” And with this translation, the expression in question also appears foreign to the representation of the land east of the Jordan as the location of the altar in question. (Further confirmation of the representation of the location of the altar on the western side of the Jordan see in Josh 22:19). Notwithstanding the existence of such translations of the expression in question, critics in the critical direction adhere to the transmission of it by the words: “on the other side of the Israelites,” because the understanding expressed by the latter of the location of the altar on the eastern side of the Jordan, and not on the western, in Josh 22:10 serves to confirm their opinion that there are different written documents in the chapter in question, which differ in their views. This translation, apart from its obscurity, may justly be called tendentious, inspired by the views of negative criticism. The translation “directly opposite the Israelites” corresponds to Jerome’s translation: contra filios Israel – “against the Israelites.”

Joshua 22:12. When the Israelites heard of it, the whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh, to make war against them. The incentive by which the Israelites of the western side of the Jordan, upon hearing of the building of the altar, decided to “make war” against the eastern tribes, lay in the fact that they saw in this construction the intention of the latter to offer their own sacrifices to God on this altar, which was prohibited by the law (Lev 17:8-9; Deut 12:5-14).

Joshua 22:13. But the Israelites sent Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, A preliminary embassy from the western tribes to the eastern tribes was sent in accordance with the law, which required that in case of news of the appearance of wicked people in any of the Israelite cities, the matter should be thoroughly investigated, and only if the news proved to be true should the guilty be punished (Deut 13:12-16).

Joshua 22:17. Is the iniquity of Peor not enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves even to this day, and for which a plague came upon the congregation of the Lord, “Is the iniquity of Peor not enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves even to this day,” that is, to which there remained a tendency among the Israelites even at this time.

Joshua 22:19. “But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, cross over into the land of the possession of the Lord, where the Lord’s tabernacle is set up, and take for yourselves a possession among us; only do not rebel against the Lord, or rebel against us by building yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God;” In the words: “If the land of your possession seems to you unclean,” there is in view the fact that the eastern Jordanic detachment had built an altar not in their own, not on the eastern side of the Jordan, but on the western side; this choice of place led to the supposition that the builders of the altar considered their land unclean, in which it was impossible to serve the God of Israel. The building of another altar, besides the one existing in the Tabernacle of the Lord, intended for the offering of sacrifices, was a transgression both against the Lord and against the western Israelites (“against us”), who, if they left this transgression unpunished, would inevitably incur grave responsibility for it, as is evident from the example of Achan that follows.

Joshua 22:22. “God of gods is the Lord, God of gods is the Lord; he knows; and let Israel itself know! If it is in rebellion or in breach of faith toward the Lord, do not spare us this day,” The oath in the purity of intentions, with which the eastern Jordanic tribes begin their answer to the ambassadors of the western tribes, is sealed by the invocation of the Lord with the pronouncement of three of His names. In the Hebrew text were pronounced, as also in Ps 49:1, the divine names El, Elohim, Jehovah (or Yahweh). In the manuscripts of the LXX translation and in accordance with them in the Tolkovaya Bibliya they are rendered ὁ Θεὸς ὁ Θεὸς Κύριος… ὁ Θεὸς ὁ Θεὸς Κύριος – “God God, Lord… God God Lord”; also in the translation of Jerome: “Fortissimus Deus Dominus, Fortissimus Deus Dominus” – “Almighty God Lord, Almighty God Lord.” From these translations it is evident that the second divine name (Elohim) was recognized here as a distinctive name of God, and not as a supplement to the first, as it appears in the translation: “God of gods.” The Lord is invoked through the pronouncement of three of His names, which are repeated to confirm the inviolable truth of the oath given and the purity of the intentions with which the altar was built.

Joshua 22:23. “If we have built the altar to turn away from following the Lord [our God], or to offer burnt offerings, or grain offerings, or to make sacrifices of well-being on it, then may the Lord himself take vengeance.” Joshua 22:24. “No, but we did this from fear that in time to come your descendants might say to our descendants, ‘What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel?” Joshua 22:25. “The Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you Reubenites and Gadites; you have no portion in the Lord.’ So your descendants might make our descendants cease to worship the Lord.” Joshua 22:26. “Therefore we said, ‘Let us build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice,” Joshua 22:27. “but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and offerings of well-being; so that your descendants will never say to our descendants, “You have no portion in the Lord.”” Joshua 22:28. “When they say so to us or to our descendants in time to come, we shall say, ‘Look at this copy of the altar of the Lord, which our ancestors made, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you and between our descendants.’” Joshua 22:29. “Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord, and to turn away this day from following the Lord, by building an altar for burnt offering, for grain offering, or for sacrifice, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle.” These intentions were completely different from those which the western tribes saw in this. The sole aim with which the altar was built consisted in that it should be a perpetual monument of their faithfulness and devotion to God of their ancestors – “be a witness” (in the Hebrew text “Ed”) to the fact, “to serve the service of the Lord” (literally from the Hebrew and in accordance with the Greco-Slavonic translation: “so as to serve the servitude of the Lord with our burnt offerings and sacrifices… The altar was a likeness of the altar of the Lord,” that is, was constructed after the model of the altar that stood in the Tabernacle of the Lord, which was thus distinguished, consequently, by its very structure from pagan altars. The thought of building a monument in the form of precisely an altar could have been inspired by the example of Moses, who in the time of wandering in the wilderness built an altar to commemorate the victory over the Amalekites (Exod 17:15).

Joshua 22:31. Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the Manassites, “Today we know that the Lord is among us, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the Lord; now you have saved the Israelites from the hand of the Lord.” “Now you have saved the Israelites from the hand of the Lord,” that is, from the punishment that would have befallen the Israelite people if the eastern tribes had intended to build in the proper sense an altar, separate from the one existing in the Tabernacle of the Lord, and if this violation of the law had been left unpunished by the western tribes.

Joshua 22:33. And the Israelites praised God and spoke of no longer making war against the Reubenites and Gadites to destroy the land where they lived. [And the half-tribe of Manasseh.] “And the Israelites praised God,” that is, gave Him glory and thanksgiving for deliverance from grave sin and inevitable punishment.

Joshua 22:34. The Reubenites and Gadites [and the half-tribe of Manasseh] named the altar, “For it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.” In the Slavonic Bible, in accordance with the LXX translation, this verse reads: “And Joshua named the altar of the Reubenites and Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and said: that it is a witness among them, that the Lord is God, God is their God.” According to this translation, it was not the eastern tribes who gave the altar its name, but Joshua the son of Nun. The particular importance of such a translation consists in the fact that it gives the event set forth in chapter 22 a conclusion most fitting for it. If Joshua the son of Nun gave the altar the name “testimony” (μαρτύριόν), which is the rendering of the Hebrew “Ed” – “witness,” then this served as a clear expression of his agreement and that of the whole people with the explanation of the purpose of this altar which the eastern tribes had given (Josh 22:27). If, on the contrary, the giving of this name to the altar was the act only of the eastern tribes, then the last verse of chapter 22 represents in essence nothing more than a repetition of what these tribes had said before, and the thought of universal agreement with the latter becomes unex pressed in the concluding verse of the chapter. Josh 23-24. Like the prophet Moses, Joshua the son of Nun, feeling the approach of death, turned to his people with teachings and exhortations, which are set forth in the last two chapters of the book bearing his name. These exhortations, pronounced at different times, though not far from each other, are directed toward achieving one goal – to establish in the Israelite people an unwavering loyalty and sincere devotion to the Lord God and to His Law, but in relation to the exposition and substantiation of this position they somewhat differ from each other. In the exhortation set forth in Josh 23, Joshua the son of Nun exclusively holds the attention on the immediate events which were directly known to that generation, and from these extracts those basic positions on which the Israelite people should build their life if it wishes itself well: positions consisting in full devotion to the Lord in the observance of the law of Moses and in separation from the remaining Canaanites among the Israelites. This exhortation has a preliminary or preparatory character to the second one, set forth in Josh 24. The second exhortation, pronounced in the name of the Lord, is not limited to immediate events and general teachings, but begins with a reminder of the times of the ancestors of the Israelite people, to whom, as to their descendants, up to the present time the Lord has constantly revealed and reveals the greatest of His mercies, obligating those who receive these mercies to honor the Lord and to serve Him. On this conclusion the one addressing does not stop, but by appealing to the people’s conscience achieves the free decision of the people – to serve the Lord, which decision is confirmed by the Covenant of the people with God. * * * Holy Land, 2:4–44. Tristram. Bible places, 200–201. A. A. Olesnitsky. Megalithic monuments of the Holy Land, p. 159–160. See, for example, Dillmann. Numeri-Iosua, 576–577. Field. Origenis Hexaplorum… Are meant the Hebrew dictionaries: Genesis in the 9th edition and Fürst’s, as well as the translation of the Petersburg Spiritual Academy. The expression “seems to you” is absent in the Hebrew text. Instead of: “unclean” in the Hebrew text is read in the Greek manuscripts: μικρὰ – “small” in the Slavonic Bible; this appeared, as is supposed (Masius in Field), instead of the original μυαρα – “unclean.” Witness

Chapter Twenty-Three

1–2. Joshua’s exhortation to the people (3–11) through reminding them of the Lord’s mercies to them and (12–13) a prediction of severe troubles upon apostasy from the Lord. 14–16. A repetition of the exhortation in brief and forceful expressions.

Joshua 23:1. After a long time had passed since the Lord [God] gave rest to Israel from all their enemies on all sides, Joshua became old and entered his advanced years. Joshua 23:2. And Joshua called all [the sons of] Israel, their elders, their leaders, their judges and their officers, and said to them: I have become old and entered my advanced years. “After a long time” – this means after the wars with the Canaanite kings (Josh 11:22); the length of this period cannot be determined with precision. The gathering to which Joshua addressed his exhortation was a national assembly, gathering together the people’s representatives, who bore the common title “elders,” to whom particularly belonged the “leaders” (in the Hebrew text “rashim” – heads; in the LXX – ἄρχοντας), “judges and officers” (Josh 1:10).

Joshua 23:3. You have seen all that the Lord your God has done before you against all these peoples, for the Lord your God himself fought for you. “The Lord… fought for you” (cf. Josh 10:14, Deut 1:30).

Joshua 23:4. Behold, I have divided for you by lot these remaining peoples as an inheritance to your tribes, all the peoples whom I destroyed, from the Jordan to the great sea, to the west. “Behold, I have divided for you by lot these remaining peoples as an inheritance,” that is, I have divided their lands as things to be cleansed from the Canaanites (Josh 13:6).

Joshua 23:5. The Lord your God will himself drive them out before you [until they perish; and will send wild beasts upon them, until he destroys them and their kings from before your face], and will destroy them before you, so that you may possess their land in inheritance, as the Lord your God said to you. The words placed in brackets “[until they perish… from before your face]” are read only in the manuscripts of the LXX translation 229 and according to them in the Slavonic Bible; in the present Hebrew text they have not been preserved, as can be conjectured, due to an error of an ancient scribe who, after writing the last Hebrew expression before the omission (“milpenekem”) “from you” (literally: ἀπὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν – “from before your face”), through lack of attention began to write what should have followed, which was the same Hebrew expression (“milpenekem”) afterward, which the LXX translated as ἀπὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν – “from before your face.” These words omitted in the present Hebrew text were therefore in the original Hebrew text. They have some resemblance to Exod 23:28 and Deut 7:20, where, however, wild beasts are not mentioned as they are in these words preserved in the LXX translation. The words “be not in communion with these peoples” (Josh 23:7) are intended to teach that the Israelites should not be mixed together with these peoples, should not form one nation with them, adopting their beliefs and entering into kinship with them (Josh 23:12).

Joshua 23:8. but you shall hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day. The faithfulness of the Israelite people to the Lord during Joshua’s time is mentioned so that he would see from his own experience with irrefutable force how inseparably bound up victory over powerful enemies was with this faithfulness.

Joshua 23:10. One of you puts to flight a thousand, for the Lord your God himself fights for you, as he said to you. “As he said to you” – the Lord, giving promises to Moses (Deut 1:30) and to Joshua son of Nun (Josh 1:5).

Joshua 23:13. then know that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these peoples before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap to you, a scourge to your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the Lord your God has given you. “They shall be a snare and a trap to you, a scourge to your sides, and thorns in your eyes.” Here are brought together the four images used separately in other places in the books of the Old Testament (Isa 8:15, Exod 23:33, Num 33:55; “scourge” (“shotet”) – only here) of an extremely distressed condition into which the Canaanites will bring the Israelite people, if it falls away from the Lord and mingles with them.

Joshua 23:14. Behold, I am going the way of all the earth. And you know with all your heart and with all your soul that not one word of all the good words which the Lord your God spoke concerning you has fallen short; all have been fulfilled for you, not one word has remained unfulfilled. “And you know” – in the LXX: καὶ γνώσεσθε – “and you shall know”; in Jerome: et cognoscetis – “and know.” From this it is evident that the Hebrew verb “to know” used here in the past tense with the conjunction “and” (“vidaettem”) the ancient translators regarded, as placed – with the so-called “vav” of sequence – in the future tense or imperative mood, the speaker, using this verb, indicating not the knowledge which the Israelite people possessed, but that which he wished to impart to them. Of the two ancient translations cited, the most fitting to the content of this passage is Jerome’s translation, by which the further words “with all your heart and with all your soul” acquire their proper meaning: “and know” with all your heart, that is, be wholly penetrated by the thought that “not one word of those good words has fallen short,” that is, of God’s promises concerning the granting of the Canaanite land to the people, such as Gen 12:7, Exod 3:17, Lev 26:1-13, Num 33:53, Deut 28:1-14, Josh 1:3.

Joshua 23:15. But as all the good word which the Lord your God spoke to you has been fulfilled, so the Lord will fulfill over you all the evil word, until he destroys you from this good land which the Lord your God has given you. “All the evil word,” that is, the predictions of troubles which will befall those who fall away from the Lord (Lev 26:14-43; Deut 28:15-68).

Joshua 23:16. If you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall quickly perish from this good land which he has given you [the Lord]. The last words of the verse “the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you… which he has given you [the Lord]” are read in the Hebrew text and many later Greek manuscripts, and according to them in the Slavonic Bible, but they are absent in the Vatican and Alexandrian manuscripts; they were introduced into the LXX translation by Origen and in his Hexapla 230 were marked with the sign (asterisk) indicating this addition to the LXX translation. In content they are similar to the last words of Josh 23:15, and in manner of expression – to the opening and closing words of Deut 11:17. In some manuscripts of the pre-Ostrog Slavonic translation they were not read 231. * * * In the Alexandrian manuscript, with which the Slavonic Bible agrees, Josh.23:5 is read: Κύριος δὲ ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν, οὗτος ἐξολεθρεύσει αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν, ἕως ἂν ἁπόλωνται, καὶ ἀποστελεῖ αὐτοῖς τὰ θηρία τὰ ἄγρια, ἕως ἂν ἐξολεθρεύσῃ αὐτοὺς καὶ τοὺς βασιλεῖς αὐτῶν ἀπὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν – “And the Lord your God will destroy them from before your face… and their kings from before your face.” Field. Origenis Hexaplorum. V. K. Lebedev, p. 175.

Chapter Twenty-Four

1. The assembly at Shechem-Shiloh. 2–14. The Lord’s mercies to Abraham and his descendants. 15–24. The question to the people concerning their choice of religion and its decision. 25–28. The renewal of the Covenant with the Lord and its perpetuation. 29–33. The death of Joshua son of Nun and the high priest Eleazar. 34–36. An addition to the text.

Joshua 24:1. And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called the elders of Israel and their heads, their judges and their officers, and they stood before [the] God. The second exhortation was pronounced by Joshua also before a national assembly, which was animated by the thought of God and his presence: “they stood before… God.” The people’s assembly was convened at Shechem according to the present Hebrew text, many later Greek manuscripts and the editions based on them (for example, the Complutensian Polyglot and the Aldine Bible), with which the Slavonic Bible agrees, as well as according to Jerome’s translation. On the contrary, in the ancient Vatican, Alexandrian and some later manuscripts of the LXX translation, Shiloh is read instead of Shechem. The first of these readings can be called at present generally accepted including in our own literature 232. In proof of its correctness it is pointed to the particularly important meaning of Shechem as a sacred city because of religious memories of the patriarchs, Abraham (Gen 12:7) and Jacob (Gen 33:19-20) and because of the memory of a recent religious event, whose location was the mountains near Shechem, appointed for this very purpose by Moses (Josh 8:30-35; Deut 11:29-30). In explaining the choice of Shechem for the people’s assembly in Joshua’s time, however, a not insignificant difficulty is encountered, presented by the words Josh 24:26: “and he took a great stone and set it up there under an oak, which was by the sanctuary of the Lord” (in the Hebrew text “bemikdash Iehovah”). “Sanctuary” was, as can be seen from Exod 25:8, Lev 12:4 and others, one of the names of the Tent of Meeting. If Shechem was the place of the people’s assembly, then the existence in it of the Tent of the Lord, which was set up at Shiloh (Josh 18:1), raises a question. This question for him who reads the present chapter of the book of Joshua according to the Slavonic or Russian translation is intensified by the fact that in Josh 24:25 it is said of the conclusion of the Covenant with the people “at Shechem, [before the Tent of the Lord God of Israel].” The existence of the Tent of the Lord at Shechem clearly indicated in both verses, in our own literature is explained by the fact that during the time of the people’s assembly “the Ark of the Covenant had been brought from Shiloh to Shechem, where a temporary Tent or pavilion was set up near the oak grove of Moreh,” or – that the Tent was brought from Shiloh 233. But there are no indications in the biblical text of the transfer of the Tent or of its greatest holy object to Shechem, wherefore this explanation turns out to be nothing other than a supposition lacking any foundation, which is why in the works of Western European commentators in recent times it has been abandoned. The question of the “sanctuary of the Lord” (Josh 24:26) or Tent at Shechem, if this was indeed the city which was the place of the people’s assembly in Joshua’s times, remains thus without a proper solution. This state of the question impels one to turn to those aforementioned manuscripts of the LXX translation, according to which in Josh 24:1 instead of “at Shechem” is read “at Shiloh.” The originality 234 of the latter reading is evident from the fact that it is found in the most ancient manuscripts of the LXX translation, that after the transfer of the Tent of Meeting from Gilgal to Shiloh, the latter indeed served repeatedly as the place of people’s assemblies (Josh 18:1), that there are no circumstances indicated in the book of Joshua because of which Shechem was chosen for this purpose, and that, finally, with this reading the question raised by what is said in Josh 24:25-26 is of itself eliminated (concerning the meaning of the latter see further). It is probable that in the ancient, pre-Ostrog Slavonic translation, following the text of the LXX according to its most ancient manuscripts, especially the Alexandrian, “at Shiloh” was also read 235.

Joshua 24:2. And Joshua said to all the people: Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Your fathers dwelt of old beyond the river, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. The service of Abraham’s ancestors to “other gods,” that is, pagan gods, serves as an explanation and supplement to what is said in Gen 31:19-34.

Joshua 24:4. To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave Mount Seir as an inheritance; and Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt [and became there a great, strong, and numerous people, and the Egyptians oppressed them]. The words “[and became there a great]” belong to the Greek-Slavonic translation; they are absent in the Hebrew text, but very similar to them are read in Deut 26:5-6. If these words were not in the original text, Josh 24:5 would appear to have no direct connection with what precedes it.

Joshua 24:9. Then Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel, and he sent and called Balaam, son of Beor, to curse you; “Fought against Israel,” in the LXX: (παρετάξατο τῷ Ισραηλ, Slavonic “arrayed himself against Israel”), that is, prepared for war with Israel (cf. Num 22:6, Judg 11:25), one of the means of which was the calling of Balaam.

Joshua 24:12. I sent the hornet ahead of you, and it drove out the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. “Hornets” served as a means of striking down the Canaanites during the time of the struggle of the Israelites for the Canaanite land, like those creeping things and insects with which the Lord struck Egypt (Deut 7:18-20). In the book of Wisdom (Wis 12:8) they are called “the vanguards of the Lord’s host,” sent for the purpose that they “little by little destroy” the Canaanites. In Palestine hornets are found in large quantities and are distinguished by their particularly great size 236.

Joshua 24:14. Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in integrity and faithfulness; put away the gods which your ancestors served beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. The exhortation “put away the gods” gives one to understand that among the Israelites contemporary with Joshua there were those who had an inclination toward paganism, which showed itself in the fact that with the worship of the Lord they joined the honoring of other gods; the existence of images of the latter among the Israelites of that time is even more indicated further in Josh 24:23 by the words “put away the foreign gods 237, which you have.” This inclination of a certain part of the Israelite people to pagan worship was evidently understood also in the words of the messengers of the trans-Jordanic tribes “is it not a small thing that we have become unclean with the iniquity of Peor, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day” (Josh 22:17). In his first exhortation Joshua did not touch upon this dark aspect in the life of the Israelite people of that time, because it had not appeared clearly and was overshadowed by another prevailing disposition, which expressed itself in faithfulness to the Lord (Josh 23:8).

Joshua 24:15. If it is displeasing to you to serve the Lord, then choose for yourselves today whom you will serve, the gods which your fathers served beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, [for he is holy]. Since the cleansing of the people’s worship of the Lord from pagan superstitions could not be achieved by external measures, therefore Joshua, to achieve this goal, turns to the people’s conscience, proposing to it to decide the question of whom the people want to serve, the Lord or other gods, and by the very way the question is posed, the thought of the compatibility of one and the other service is removed. Making this proposal to the people, the Israelite leader acts in the same way as Moses (Deut 30:15) and later Samuel (1 Sam 7:3). He limits his influence on the people’s decision to the action of his own example: “but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” The words “[for he is holy]” are read only in the manuscripts of the LXX translation; according to the Hebrew text they were pronounced by Joshua later, in Josh 24:23.

Joshua 24:18. The Lord drove out before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who dwelt in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God. “Therefore we also will serve the Lord,” that is, like Joshua and his house (Josh 24:15).

Joshua 24:19. Joshua said to the people: You cannot serve the Lord [God], for he is a holy God, a jealous God, he will not tolerate your iniquity and your sins. In reply to the readiness expressed by the people to remain faithful to the Lord, Joshua answers by pointing to the impossibility for them to “serve the Lord” as one should serve him, that is, “in integrity and faithfulness” (Josh 24:14), if, of course, the people will not at the same time reject other gods. And the cause of this impossibility of performing service pleasing to the Lord is indicated in the fact that “he is a holy God” or “most holy” (in the Hebrew text the word “holy” is placed here in the plural “Elohim Kedoshim” to express the fullness of holiness belonging to the Lord), “he is a jealous God, he will not tolerate your iniquity and your sin.” As possessing the highest moral purity, comprehended in the concept of holiness, the Lord will not tolerate unclean, sinful service to him, performed with the violation of his commandment concerning the non-worship of other gods (Exod 19:3-5); as a jealous God, the Lord will not tolerate that his greatness be diminished through being served together with false gods. The impossibility for the people of performing service pleasing to the Lord, under the stated condition, is revealed and demonstrated for the purpose, of course, of bringing them to the realization of the necessity and full decisiveness to “put away foreign gods and wholly turn their heart to the one Lord God of Israel” (Josh 24:23).

Joshua 24:25. And Joshua made a covenant with the people on that day, and made for them a law and an ordinance at Shechem [before the tent of the Lord God of Israel]. “And made for them a statute and an ordinance” (in the Hebrew text “hok umishpat”), that is, he set forth the obligations which the people undertook upon entering into the covenant with God, and the rights to receive the blessings promised to those who fulfill the divine commandments (Exod 15:25, where the same expressions are used). Concerning Shechem and the Tent see Josh 24:1.

Joshua 24:26. And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone and set it up there under the oak which was by the sanctuary of the Lord. “And Joshua wrote these words,” that is, what he spoke to the people on behalf of God and what the people answered him, “standing before God, in the book of the law of God” (Josh 24:1-2), by which is understood “the book of the law,” which Moses gave to the priests and elders (Deut 31:9). To perpetuate the people’s decision and the renewal of the Covenant, Joshua “took a great stone and set 238 it up there under the oak 239 which was by the sanctuary 240 of the Lord”. Thus the last four words are in the present Hebrew text. In the LXX translation 241 they correspond to “before the Lord” 242. So they are translated literally in the pre-Ostrog translation “before the Lord” 243. According to this original Greek-Slavonic translation the biblical writer speaks in this place of the fact that a great stone was set up by Joshua “under the oak before the Lord,” but according to the present Hebrew text – “under the oak which was by the sanctuary of the Lord” or – “in the sanctuary of the Lord.” Which of these two readings, presented by the main sources of the biblical text, has the advantage is evident from the fact that up to now, as far as is known, no proper explanation has been given of the name “sanctuary of the Lord” read here in the present Hebrew text. The usual explanation among Western commentators 244 of it as “a sacred place” near Shechem, marked by the construction on it of altars to the Lord in patriarchal times (see explanation of Josh 24:1) is implausible, because in none of the other places in the Bible is this place called “sanctuary” or “sacred,” and some of the proofs advanced in support of such understanding of it even raise questions 245. With the above assumption that the Tent of the Lord was present in Shechem during the time of the people’s assembly, the mention of the “sanctuary” near which a memorial was set up becomes more understandable, but, apart from the lack of foundation in the assumption itself, against the understanding of “sanctuary” in the sense of “the Tent of the Lord” it is argued especially by the fact that with this the Tent is assigned a place not in accordance with the law; it is found set up near an oak or terebinth, against which the words of Deuteronomy are directed (Deut 16:21) “you shall not plant any tree as a sacred pole beside the altar of the Lord your God.” The name “sanctuary of the Lord,” resisting satisfactory explanation, as read in this place according to the present Hebrew text, inclines one to doubt the correctness of the latter and to recognize that reading transmitted in the LXX translation as the original. The meaning of the words of the biblical text according to this translation is “and he set it (that is, the great stone) up there before the Lord,” meaning that Joshua set up this memorial in the name of the Lord, prompted by faith in God and devotion to him, and not for the perpetuation of his own name.

Joshua 24:30. After this, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being a hundred and ten years old. Joshua did not leave himself a successor for the rule of the people because, of course, he considered it sufficient for this, given the condition of the people at that time, the existing means of rule, which were the elders together with the high priest. Concerning the place of Joshua’s burial and the addition made here to the biblical text by Greek translators, see Josh 19:50.

Joshua 24:31. And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north side of the mountain of Gaash. What is said here serves as a confirmation of the fact that the good disposition indicated by Joshua (Josh 23:8) and expressed by the people (Josh 24:16-17) was predominant in him, so long as it found support in the elders, “who had seen all the works of the Lord.”

Joshua 24:32. And the bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem, in the plot of land which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of silver; and it became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph. The burial of the bones brought forth from Egypt of Joseph (Exod 13:19) was probably accomplished soon after the settlement of the tribe of Ephraim in Shechem, and is related at the end of the book so that in relating this information the sequence of the account of other events would not be interrupted. The sepulcher of the righteous Joseph (Kabr Yusef), located in the Shechem valley, twenty minutes from the source of Jacob (Bir Yakub), is even now honored not only by Jews and Christians, but also by Samaritans and Muslims.

Joshua 24:33. [After this] also Eleazar the son of Aaron [the high priest] died; and they buried him on the hill of Phinehas his son, which had been given to him in the hill country of Ephraim. Eleazar, son of Aaron, called in the LXX ἀρχιερεὺς – “[high priest],” was buried, according to the Hebrew text, in “Gibeah of Phinehas” – (literally) “on the hill of Phinehas,” in the LXX (according to the Alexandrian manuscript) ἐν Γαβααθ Φινεες – “Gaba-á-f Phiné-sa,” according to the Slavonic Bible; the place of this city is now recognized to be the village of Jibia on the Shechem road, to the southwest of Shiloh. – According to the Hebrew text and Jerome’s translation the book of Joshua ends with Josh 24:33.

Joshua 24:34. [On that day the people of Israel took the Ark of God and carried it with them, and Phinehas served as priest in place of his father Eleazar, until his death, and he was buried in Gibeah. Joshua 24:35. And the people of Israel went each to their own inheritance, each to their own city. Joshua 24:36. And the people of Israel served Astarte and the Ashtaroth and the gods of the surrounding peoples; and the Lord gave them into the hand of Eglon the king of Moab, and he ruled over them for eighteen years]. The information related here about what the Israelites did after the death of the high priest Eleazar and his son Phinehas is communicated only in the Greek manuscripts of the LXX translation and according to them in the ancient and present Slavonic translation. It is borrowed for the most part from the book of Judges; thus the words “took the Ark of God, carried it with them” or, according to the Lucian and some other manuscripts: ἐν Ἰσραηλ – “in Israel, and Phinehas…” have similarity with what is said in Judg 20:27-28, Josh 24:35 is similar to Judg 2:6, Josh 24:36 with Judg 2:13. * * * Apart from educational aids of archpriest M. Kheraskof and P. Vladimirskii, it is recognized as “correct” in the work of V. K. Lebedev, p. 348. See the aforementioned educational aids. Remaining faithful to the present Hebrew text, Western commentators consider the word “at Shechem” of course as original, and the reading in the Greek manuscripts “at Shiloh” as an alteration which the Greek translators made from dislike of the Samaritan city, and they refer to Sir 50:28: “foolish people, dwelling in Sychem.” But did not the Jewish scribes, who left the word “at Shechem” unchanged in the text, have the same or even greater dislike of the Samaritans as the Greek translators who put “Shiloh” instead of “Shechem”? This is not evident from the works of V. K. Lebedev. Tristram. The natural history of the Bible, 1880, p. 322. The opinion of Prof. N. Shchegolev (“The calling of Abraham and the church-historical significance of this event,” 1873, p. 100 et seq.) that “foreign gods” are named here as teraphim, cannot be recognized as proven in view of what is said in Josh 24 concerning the gods of the Amorites, which may also enter into the concept of foreign gods. In Hebrew “vayyekimega,” in the LXX ἔστησεν – Slavonic “set up.” In the LXX τερέμινθον (Β), τερέβινθον (Α) – “terebi-i-nfom,” from which it is evident that instead of “gaalla” the LXX read “gaela.” In the Hebrew text “bemikdash” – (literally) “in the sanctuary,” according to Jerome’s translation: in sanctuano Domini. According to the Vatican, Alexandrian, Lucian and some other manuscripts Josh 24 ends with the words ἀπέναντι Κυρίου – “before the Lord.” This original reading of the LXX translation was supplemented in Origen’s Hexapla through the introduction before ἀπέναντι of the article τῆς, referring to the preceding δρυὸς, as translated in Hebrew “gaalla” by Aquila and Theodotion ὑποκάτω τῆς δρυὸς (Field). This introduced τῆς was changed to τὴν in those Greek manuscripts in which instead of δρυὸς is read τερέβινθον, thus it is thought a reading arose ὑπὸ τὴν τερέβινθον τὴν ἀπέναντι Κυρίου, which is found, for example, in the Moscow Greek Bible and with which the present Slavonic translation agrees “under the terebi-i-nfom, which is before the Lord.” The original text of the LXX translation brought forward ἀπέναντι Κυρίου shows that the Greek translators of the Hebrew word “asher” (“which”) did not read in the Hebrew text which they had, and instead of “bemikdash” – “sanctuary” they read a different Hebrew word, corresponding to the ἀπέναντι used by them, for example, “neged,” transmitted through ἀπενάντι in Josh 3:16, or – “lifne,” translated through ἔναντι in Josh 18:6. V. K. Lebedev, 369. The additional words which is – preceding the words before the Lord – were introduced into the Slavonic translation by the Ostrog correctors. See the aforementioned commentaries of Keil, Dillmann, Oettli. In proving the existence of a sacred place at Shechem, some commentators (Keil. Iosua, 178, 184) point out that the patriarch Jacob “under the oak near Shechem… buried… foreign… gods” (Gen 35:4), as though the latter could have imparted to the place something other than its defilement. Equally out of place is the reference to the fact that “at Shechem on the mountains of Gerizim and Ebal” the setting up of the law in the Canaanite land was accomplished (Keil. Ibid., or the Commentary of Archpriest Vladimirskii). The biblical text makes no indication that this event occurred at the place where the patriarchs built altars to the Lord. The place for the altar and the setting up of stones on which the law was written was Mount Ebal, while the patriarch Jacob’s altar was set up “in a field” (Gen 33:19-20). The places near Shechem connected with the names of the patriarchs Jacob and Joseph are indicated by local tradition in the Shechem valley (The Holy Land, II, 337, 339, 340, 346, 347–348, 351–352). The oak grove of Moreh, near which Abraham built an altar, is located “at the entrance to the Shechem valley, on the plain, near the source of Jacob.” Tristram. Bible places, 197.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Introduction

The Title of the Book. The Book of Judges (Sefer schofeitm, Κριται, liber Judicum, sefar daione) received its name from those persons, namely the judges of Israel, whose activities it principally recounts.

The Composition of the Book and its Division into Parts. The Book of Judges contains twenty-one chapters and by its structure is divided into three parts: a) Judg 1:1-3:1-6, b) Judg 3:7-16:31, and c) Judg 17:1-21:1. The first part presents an introduction to the book and contains a general characterization of the time of the judges. The second part represents the very body of the book and contains the history of the repeated deviation of the Israelites from faith in the true God, their oppression by neighboring nations, their repentance, and their salvation from oppressors through judges sent by God, and furthermore contains the history of the life and activities of the judges themselves. Finally, the third part presents an addition to the body of the Book of Judges and contains an account of two occurrences which by their significance especially clearly characterize the time of the judges from the side of the lack of authority that dominated in the people at that time.

The Origin of the Book. The language of the Book of Judges contains evidence of its belonging to one author. The composition of the book, in which a single unified plan is evident, also testifies to its origin from one author. The question of the time of life of the book’s author can be resolved only with greater or lesser probability. The resolution of this question is aided by certain data presented by the content of the book itself. To these belong: a) the remark occurring several times in the third part of the book (Judg 17:6, cp. Judg 18:1), “in those days there was no king in Israel, each man did what seemed right to him.” This remark gives reason to suppose that the person who wrote these words lived at a time when the Hebrews already had kingly authority and when the beneficial consequences of this institution had become evident; b) the remark occurring in the first part of the book (Judg 1:21), “but the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem the sons of Benjamin did not drive out, and the Jebusites lived (literally from the Hebrew and Masoretic text, “and they lived”) with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.” From this remark it is clear that the book’s author lived before the complete conquest of Jerusalem by the Israelites, which took place already under King David, who went against Jerusalem, took the fortress of Zion, and calling it the City of David made it his residence and the capital of the kingdom (2 Sam 5:6-9, cf. and 1 Chr 11:4-9). The remark Judg 18:30 “and the sons of Dan set up the carved image, and Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.” The last words of this verse (ad jom geloth haarez – literally “until the day of the captivity of the land”), which have the character of a chronological date and are variously interpreted by commentators, according to the more probable explanation, accepted since David Kimchi by many commentators, point to the captivity of the Ark of the Covenant by the Philistines (1 Sam 4:10-11), which captivity was as it were equivalent to the captivity of the land itself (cf. Ps 77:59-64); c) the remark Judg 18:31 “and they had the carved image that Micah made all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.” As is clear from these words, the writer of the book regarded the fact of the tabernacle’s being in Shiloh as already past and could have written them only after the tabernacle had been in Shiloh. The tabernacle appears last in Shiloh in the time of Eli and Samuel (1 Sam 1:3 and onward 1 Sam 3:21, 1 Sam 4:3); in the time of Saul it appears in Nob (1 Sam 21:21); and in the time of David, in Gibeon (1 Chr 16:39, 1 Chr 21:29). Thus, the “house of God,” or the tabernacle, was in Shiloh only until the reign of Saul; after that it was never brought there again. From a comparison of all these data it is evident that the author of the Book of Judges, to whom these testimonies belong, lived after the captivity of the Ark of the Covenant by the Philistines and after the tabernacle’s being in Shiloh, lived at a time when the Hebrews had already established kingly rule and when the beneficence of such rule had become evident, but yet before the conquest of Jerusalem by King David. In accordance with these data, Jewish tradition considers the author of the Book of Judges to be the prophet Samuel, as is said in the Talmud, “Samuel wrote his book, Judges, and Ruth” (Baba bathra, f 14, 6), and as Kimchi, Abarbanel, and most of the rabbis acknowledge. Most Christian commentators similarly, on the basis of the indicated data, consider the author of the Book of Judges to be the prophet Samuel. Later writers of other sacred books were undoubtedly familiar with the Book of Judges. Thus, the writer of 4 Kings by pragmatic illumination of the Assyrian captivity (2 Kgs 17:7-23), in just the same way Nehemiah by his penitential prayer (Neh 9:26 and onward, cf. Ps 105:34 and onward) point to Judg 2:11-23. The prophet Hosea (Hos 9:9; Hos 10:9) mentions the sin of the inhabitants of Gibeah (Judg 19). The prophet Isaiah (Isa 9:4; Isa 10:26) mentions the day of Midian (Judg 6:1-7:1). The psalmist in psalm Ps 67:8-13 (according to the Hebrew text) quotes almost literally several verses from the song of Deborah (Judg 5:4-5, Judg 5:28-30), and in Ps 82:7-12 mentions events during the time of Deborah and Gideon. In Zechariah’s prophecy about the time of the Messiah (Zech 9:9), the description of the King riding on a donkey and a young colt recalls an expression from the Book of Judges about the sons of Jair (Judg 10:4) and the sons of Abdon (Judg 12:14), as well as an expression of Deborah (Judg 5:10) about all in general the leaders of Israel as riding on white donkeys. Besides this, St. Basil the Great in the judges mentioned in Isa 1:26 finds it possible to understand the judges from the time of the judges of Israel.

The canonical authority of the Book of Judges has never been questioned either in the Jewish or in the Christian church. It is found in all translations and lists of canonical books of the Old Testament, in particular in Melito of Sardis, Origen, in the 85th apostolic canon, in the 60th canon of the Council of Laodicea, in the synopses of St. Athanasius of Alexandria, and St. John Chrysostom, and St. Cyril of Jerusalem, in Epiphanius of Cyprus, St. Ephrem the Syrian, in blessed Theodoret, blessed Augustine, in the translation of blessed Jerome and others, and everywhere it occupies a place immediately after the Book of Joshua.

Chapter One

An account of the events that took place immediately after the death of Joshua and an indication of how the tribe of Judah, as well as other tribes of the Hebrew people, fulfilled the commandment of Moses regarding the extermination of the Canaanite peoples from their allotments (Exod 23:29-33; Deut 7:1-5; Num 33:52).

Judges 1:1. After the death of Joshua, the sons of Israel asked the Lord, saying: Which of us shall go up first against the Canaanites to fight against them? After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord which of the Israelite tribes should go first against the Canaanites. This inquiry was made through the Urim and Thummim, which, after the death of the high priest Eleazar, passed to his son Phinehas (Judg 20:28).

Judges 1:2. And the Lord said: Judah shall go; behold, I have given the land into his hand. In response to the Israelites’ question, the Lord said that the tribe of Judah should rise to battle against the Canaanites before all the others. The tribe of Judah was more populous and warlike compared to the others (Num 1:26-27, Gen 49:8-9, Deut 33:7), and therefore it was natural for it to go first into battle against the enemies of all the people, as this also occurred in the matter against the Benjaminites (Judg 20:18).

Judges 1:3. Then Judah said to Simeon his brother: Come up with me into my allotment, and let us fight against the Canaanites; and I also will go with you into your allotment. And Simeon went with him. Going out to battle against the Canaanites according to the Lord’s command, the tribe of Judah invited the tribe of Simeon to go with it, as the one nearest to it and as having a portion of its allotment within the tribe of Judah (cf. Josh 19:1-8).

Judges 1:4. And Judah went, and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands, and they defeated ten thousand of them at Bezek. With God’s help, the warriors of the tribes of Judah and Simeon who went out together defeated the Canaanites and Perizzites living in Bezek, and killed ten thousand men of them. The Bezek mentioned here is identified by Conder with a small place called Ibzik, located to the northeast of Shechem (Nablus), cf. 1 Sam 11:8. Concerning the Canaanites and Perizzites see Exod 3:8 and parallel passages.

Judges 1:5. At Bezek they met Adoni-bezek, fought against him, and defeated the Canaanites and Perizzites. At Bezek they encountered and overpowered the very ruler of this city, Adoni-bezek, among the others, and he took flight. The name Adoni-bezek (lord of Bezek) was a common title for the rulers of the city of Bezek, just as “Pharaoh” was for the rulers of Egypt, “Abimelech” for the rulers of Gerar, and “Melchizedek” for the rulers of Jerusalem.

Judges 1:6. Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and captured him and cut off his thumbs and big toes. Captured during the pursuit, Adoni-bezek suffered punishment at the hands of the Israelites: his thumbs and big toes were cut off. Such mutilation of the defeated was quite common in antiquity. According to Aelian’s testimony, the Athenians subjected the Aeginetans to similar injury, cutting off the thumbs on their right hand so they could not wield a spear (Var. hist. II, 9). Alexander the Macedonian, having taken Persepolis, found eight hundred Greek captives there whom the Persian kings had dismembered in various ways.

Judges 1:7. Then Adoni-bezek said: Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off gathered crumbs under my table; as I did, so God has repaid me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there. In this severe punishment of Adoni-bezek, he himself rightly saw God’s retribution for his own cruelty toward the defeated rulers of cities and towns whom he had himself subjugated by cutting off their thumbs and big toes, and who, like dogs, fed on scraps from his table. Brought to Jerusalem, Adoni-bezek died there.

Judges 1:8. And the sons of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it, and struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. In the time of Joshua, Jerusalem was not conquered by the Israelites (Josh 15:63). And in this case the conquest applies only to the lower part of the city, adjoining the allotment of the tribe of Judah, while the upper part, the fortress of Zion, adjoining the tribe of Benjamin, remained afterward in the possession of the Jebusites who lived there until King David (2 Sam 5:6-9).

Judges 1:9. Then the sons of Judah went to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, in the Negev, and in the lowlands. After the capture of Bezek and the lower part of Jerusalem, the warriors of the tribes of Judah and Simeon directed themselves against the Canaanites living in the mountainous country situated between Jerusalem and Hebron (cf. Luke 1:39), to the south (Negeb) of it—toward Kadesh—and also in the lowlands (Shephelah) located to the west of the spurs of the hills of Judah, along the Mediterranean coast.

Judges 1:10. And Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron—the name of Hebron was formerly Kirjath-arba—and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai of the sons of Anak. Judges 1:11. From there he went against the inhabitants of Debir; the name of Debir was formerly Kirjath-sepher. Judges 1:12. And Caleb said: Who strikes Kirjath-sepher and takes it, I will give him Achsah, my daughter, as a wife. Judges 1:13. And Othniel, son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb, took it, and Caleb gave him Achsah his daughter as a wife. Judges 1:14. When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field, and she alighted from the donkey. Caleb said to her: What is it that you want? Judges 1:15. She said to him: Give me a blessing; since you have given me the land of the Negev, give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. See explanations to Josh 15:13-19. The account of the conquest of Hebron and Debir is repeated here on account of the importance of this event for history.

Judges 1:16. And the sons of Jethro the Kenite, father-in-law of Moses, went up from the City of Palms with the sons of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which is south of Arad, and went and settled among the people. After the tribe of Judah had conquered the territory situated to the south of Hebron, in this territory, the wilderness of Judah, south of the city of Arad (cf. Num 21:1), whose traces are preserved in the modern Tell Arad (to the south of Maon according to Robinson), along with the Israelites of the tribe of Judah there also settled the Kenites, descendants of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses, who had migrated here from Jericho (the City of Palms). Concerning the Kenites see Num 10:29.

Judges 1:17. And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they defeated the Canaanites who lived in Zephath and devoted it to destruction; so the city was called Hormah. In their victorious expedition, the warriors of the tribes of Judah and Simeon also conquered the Canaanite city of Zephat, subjecting its inhabitants to slaughter, and placing the settlement itself under a curse (herem), on account of which it was called Hormah (cf. Num 21:3). The ruins of Zephat many think to see in the locality of Sebeta, in the northern part of the Wilderness of Sin.

Judges 1:18. Also Judah took Gaza with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory, and Ashdod with its surroundings. The tribe of Judah during this war subdued even Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron with their territories, although it did not possess them permanently.

Judges 1:19. The Lord was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country; but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain, because they had iron chariots. The tribe of Judah took possession of the mountainous country, but could not overcome the dwellers in the valleys and the Canaanites who lived there, because they possessed iron chariots, which were impractical in rocky terrain but very useful for military operations in the valleys.

Judges 1:20. They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said, and he drove out from there the three sons of Anak. Cf. Josh 15:13-14; Num 14:24; Deut 1:36.

Judges 1:21. But the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem the sons of Benjamin did not drive out; so the Jebusites have lived with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day. Cf. Josh 15:63, and verse 8 above. Jerusalem was located on the border of two tribes: Judah and Benjamin. While the tribe of Judah, as is clear from verse 8, managed to reconquer the part adjoining its allotment, the tribe of Benjamin could not achieve this with respect to its part, and therefore was forced to tolerate the Jebusites living there until the time of King David (2 Sam 5:6-9).

Judges 1:22. And the sons of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them. The sons of Joseph, namely the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, set out against Bethel, which was part of the allotment of the tribe of Benjamin (Josh 18:21-22), but was adjacent to the tribe of Ephraim on the south. According to Eusebius of Caesarea (Onomasticon, 209, 55 etc.), Bethel was located at a distance of twelve miles from Jerusalem, at the site of modern Beitin.

Judges 1:23. And the house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel—the name of the city was formerly Luz. Concerning the former name of Bethel—Luz—see Gen 28:19 and Josh 16:2.

Judges 1:24. And the men of the city saw a man coming out of the city, and they took him and said to him: Show us the way into the city, and we will deal kindly with you. Judges 1:25. And he showed them the way into the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go free. Judges 1:26. And the man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city, and called its name Luz. This is its name to this day. The warriors of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh made use of the services of a traitor when taking the city of Bethel (formerly Luz). After the capture of the city and the destruction of its population, they set this man and his relatives free in gratitude for the help rendered, after which he withdrew to the land of the Hittites, situated between the Euphrates and the Orontes, and there built a city, naming it after the former name of Bethel—Luz. The remains of this city are thought to be seen in the locality of Luweizia, near El-Gajar, to the northeast of Tell el-Kadi.

Judges 1:27. And Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, nor Taanach and its villages, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; but the Canaanites were resolved to dwell in this land. The tribe of Manasseh could not drive out the Canaanites from certain cities and their surroundings, so that the Canaanites continued to live there. Cf. Josh 17:11-12.

Judges 1:28. But when Israel grew strong, then they made the Canaanites serve as laborers, but they did not utterly drive them out. The zeal of the Israelites in driving out the Canaanites from their allotments, which manifested itself in the first period after the death of Joshua, subsequently waned; instead of driving out the Canaanites, the Israelites made them their tribute-payers, thereby violating the testament of Moses (Deut 20:17-18). Cf. the beginning of Chapter 1 above.

Judges 1:29. And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer, so the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them and served them as laborers. Judges 1:30. And Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanites dwelt among them and became their laborers. Judges 1:31. And Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco or the inhabitants of Sidon, or Ahlab, or Achzib, or Helbah, or Aphik, or Rehob. Judges 1:32. And Asher dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for he did not drive them out. Judges 1:33. And Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, but dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; and the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became their forced laborers. The names are given of the cities belonging to the allotments of different tribes in which unconquered Canaanites remained: Gezer (Tell Jezer), cf. Josh 16:10, Kitron, identified with the one mentioned in Josh 19:15, Kittat, Nahalol, identified with the one mentioned in Josh 19:15, Nahalal (probably the modern Malul to the west of Nazareth), Acco—a city with a harbor at the mouth of the Wadi Bella on the Mediterranean Sea, later Ptolemais, now Saint-Jean-d’Acre, Sidon—lying on the seashore (cf. Josh 19:28), Ahlab—called in the Talmud Gush-Halav, by Josephus—Giscala, now El-Gis; Achzib, cf. Josh 19:29, Helbah, mentioned in Josh 19:29 under the name Hevela (cf. the Russo-Viennese translation of the Book of Joshua, as well as the Oxford revised Bible translation), is identified with the place Makhaliba mentioned in Sennacherib’s inscription (campaign against Hezekiah), Aphik and Rehob, cf. Josh 19:30, Num 13:22, Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath, cf. Josh 19:38. The abundance of Canaanites remaining in these cities led to this part of the Israelite land being called “heathen Galilee” (Matt 4:15).

Judges 1:34. And the Amorites pressed the sons of Dan back to the hill country; they would not allow them to come down to the plain. Judges 1:35. And the Amorites remained to dwell in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim; but the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, and they became their forced laborers. Judges 1:36. And the border of the Amorites was from the Ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and beyond. If in the northern tribes the passivity of the Israelites with respect to the former inhabitants of the conquered territory manifested itself only in the waning of their zeal in driving them out, then in the tribe of Dan it took the character of even a certain straitness of the Israelites themselves. The Amorites who had lived there previously remained in this territory after the settlement of the tribe of Dan, occupying Mount Heres, identified with Ir-Shemesh (Josh 19:41), Aijalon, Shaalbim (cf. Josh 19:42), and in general the territory lying between Idumea and the tribe of Dan, from the Ascent of Akrabbim, south of the Dead Sea (cf. Num 34:4) to Sela, that is, Petra (cf. Josh 19:47-48), and thus confining the Danites. Only later did the Amorites become the forced laborers of the tribe of Ephraim.

Chapter Two

1–5. The Appearance of the Angel of the Lord in Bochim and his admonition to the people. A general sketch of the alternation and mutual connection of events in the history of the Hebrew people during the time of the judges (6–23).

Judges 2:1. And the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim and said: I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I swore to give to your fathers, and I said: “I will never break my covenant with you; Judges 2:2. and you shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.” But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? Judges 2:3. So now I say, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall become adversaries to you, and their gods shall be a snare to you. After the Israelites failed to fulfill the Lord’s command regarding the expulsion from the promised land of the Canaanite peoples, the Angel of the Lord came from Gilgal (cf. Josh 4:19-20) to Bochim, and according to the LXX also to Bethel, to the representatives of the Israeli people, who in the name of the Lord pointed out to them that they had not fulfilled the Lord’s commandment concerning the Canaanites and warned them of the divine punishment to follow from such disregard of God’s will: the unexpelled nations would be a snare for the Israeli people and their gods a source of temptation. By the Angel of the Lord some understand the Angel of the Lord who led the Israelite people into the promised land (cf. Exod 32:34), others—some prophet appearing as the messenger of God (cf. Hag 1:13, Mal 3:1), still others—the high priest Phinehas, as the high priest is the messenger of the Lord of hosts (cf. Mal 2:7). The place Bochim (Weepers) may be identified with the allon bacuth (the Oak of Weeping), which was located not far from Bethel (Gen 35:8), where Bochim is placed.

Judges 2:4. When the Angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people lifted up their voice and wept. Judges 2:5. And they named that place Bochim, and there they made an offering to the Lord. The speech of the Angel of the Lord evoked a feeling of repentance in the listening Israeli people, so much so that the people shed tears, on account of which this place was afterward called Bochim (Weepers, LXX – K λαυθυωνες).

Judges 2:6. When Joshua dismissed the people, the sons of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land. Judges 2:7. And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel. Judges 2:8. And Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred and ten years. Judges 2:9. And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance at Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. In beginning to characterize the time of the judges, the historian, for the sake of a clearer characterization of the events of this time, mentions the state of the people in the final days of Joshua and during the life of the elders of Israel who had seen the wondrous deeds of the Lord during the wandering of the Hebrews through the Arabian wilderness. Cf. Josh 24:28-31.

Judges 2:10. And when all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, and there arose after them another generation who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel, – Judges 2:11. then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals; Judges 2:12. and they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and went after other gods, the gods of the peoples around them, and bowed down to them, and provoked the Lord to anger. Judges 2:13. And they forsook the Lord and served Baal and the Astartes. After the death of Joshua and the elders who had seen the deeds of the Lord and during the wandering of the people through the Arabian wilderness, the newly arising offspring of the sons of Israel forgot the Lord God and began to serve the gods of the Canaanite peoples, the Baals and the Astartes. Baal, in the plural Baalim (Baalim), identified with the Babylonian Ben (Dan Bil), literally “Lord” (dominus), a Canaanite deity, was the personification of dominion, power, and the productive force of nature. In accordance with the particular moments of its manifestation and particular areas of influence, it received particular designations and names. As standing above all else it was called Elyon, Baal Tamipal (cf. Greek Ζευς Δημαρους). As the god of heaven he was called Baal Samin. As the god of the sun he was called Baal Shemesh, or Baal Hamman. As the productive force of nature he was called Tammuz (Adon, cf. Greek Αδωνις). As the all-consuming force of the sun and as the terrible king of the universe he was called Baal-Melek, or Moloch, and as the god of winds and weather—Baal Sephon. As the patron of the city (Tyre) he was called Baal Melqart. As the patron of covenants he was called Baal Berith, as the patron of fertility—Baal-peor, and so forth. In accordance with the different designations of Baal, popular speech distinguished as it were many “Baals.” Astarte, in the plural Astartes (Aschtaroth), probably literally “Lady of fortune, fertility,” called also Asherah (Fortunate), a Canaanite deity, was the personification of the receiving and generative force of nature, on which account she was called “the face of Baal” (facies Baali) and corresponded to the Babylonian Belitis (spouse of Bil). In accordance with the different rites of manifestation of Baal, of which Astarte was the reflection, just as the light of the moon or Venus is a reflection of the light of the sun, Astarte was sometimes represented as the goddess of fortune and fertility (cf. Greek Aphrodite, Venus), and sometimes as the goddess of war and vengeance (cf. Greek Artemis, Nemesis). In accordance with the different designations of Astarte, popular speech distinguished many “Astartes” (cf. Troitsky I. G. The Religious, Public and Political Condition of the Hebrews in the Time of the Judges, p. 104–124; Palmov M. S. Idolatry among the Ancient Hebrews, p. 217–322, Zimmern H. and Winckler H. Die Keilinschriften und das alte Testament, von Eberhard Schrader (1902), II-te Halfte, I-te Liefer, SS. 354–358, 420–432. Jastrow Morris, Die Religion Babyloniens und Assyriens, (1902), SS. 52–55, 61–83, 140–143, 214–218). The deviation of the Israelites from faith in the true God and attraction to the cults of the Canaanite peoples was repeated more than once during the time of the judges.

Judges 2:14. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them; and he sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. Judges 2:15. Wherever they went, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, just as the Lord had said, and just as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress. Because of such a departure from the true God, the Lord, in punishing whom he loves, as an instrument for the faithless Israeli people, chose those same peoples whom the Israelites had left on their territory and whose gods they served: these peoples became oppressors of the Israelites.

Judges 2:16. Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them from the power of those who plundered them; When, under the influence of external oppression, the Israelites turned to the Lord, he raised up from among the people special persons who saved the people from external oppressors and were called judges (schofetim) of the Israeli people. The saving of Israel was the principal function of the judges. Their power, like that of the Roman dictators, ended with their lives and was not hereditary. In order to be a judge (Schofet) of the people, personal qualities were required, not descent from some notable person, however illustrious. There were twelve judges mentioned in the Book of Judges in all.

Judges 2:18. Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved to pity by their groans because of those who were oppressing and afflicting them. The judges were merely instruments of the Lord’s salvation; the true Savior of the people was the Lord himself, as the sole and supreme Ruler of the people.

Judges 2:19. But whenever the judge died, they would relapse and do worse than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. During the lifetime of the judges as leaders of the people, the Israelites remained faithful to the Lord. When a particular judge died, they would again turn away from the Lord and for the most part fall into idolatry. Such a picture of misery, turning around, salvation, and returning to idolatry was observed throughout the time of the judges.

Judges 2:20. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said: Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, Judges 2:21. I for my part will not drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, – Judges 2:22. that by them I may test whether or not Israel will keep the way of the Lord, walking in it as their fathers did. Judges 2:23. So the Lord left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua. As a punishment for such inconstancy of the Israeli people in faith in the true God and failure to obey the Lord’s command to abstain from idolatry, the Lord left some of the Canaanite peoples to dwell within the boundaries of the promised land to test the Israelites themselves by means of them. * * * Weepers

Chapter Three

1–5. The nations that remained in the promised land after its division among the Israelites. 6. Family ties between them and the Israelites. 7. Idolatry of the Israelites. 8–11. The oppression by King Cushan-Rishathaim and deliverance from it. 12–30. The oppression by King Eglon and deliverance from it. Judge Ehud. 31. Judge Shamgar.

Judges 3:1. These are the nations which the Lord left, so that He might test the Israelites by them, all those who had not known all the wars of Canaan, Judges 3:2. so that the generations of the sons of Israel might know and learn war, those who had not known it before: Judges 3:3. five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites, dwelling on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-Hermon to the entering in of Hamath. The historian enumerates the nations that remained to dwell in the promised land together with the Israelites. Most of these nations were concentrated in the west and north of Palestine. They included: the five lords of the Philistines (cf. Josh 13:3), the Canaanites, Sidonians, and Hivites (perhaps the Hittites), who occupied the northernmost part of Palestine along the spurs of the Lebanon mountains, from Mount Baal-Hermon (Baal-Gad, cf. Josh 11:17) to the city of Hamath (later the city of Epiphaneia, now Homs, on the Orontes River, on the way to Antioch).

Judges 3:4. They were left, so that He might test the Israelites by them and learn whether they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He commanded their fathers through Moses. Cf. Judg 2:20-23.

Judges 3:5. And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites; Cf. Exod 3:8.

Judges 3:6. and they took their daughters as wives for themselves, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. Cf. Exod 23:32-33.

Judges 3:7. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God, and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. Cf. above Judg 2:11-13.

Judges 3:8. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia, and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years. For their apostasy from faith in the true God and turning to idolatry, the Lord handed the Israelites over to the power of the Mesopotamian king Cushan-Rishathaim, whom they served for eight years. The name of this king has not yet been found in Assyro-Babylonian inscriptions. Some, like Graetz (Geschichte der Juden, Vol. I, § 107 (pp. 413–414), Note 7), consider him a king of Edom and the Horites, or, like Kessler (Chronologia Iudicum, p. 15–16), a king of the Amorites. The name itself, read in Hebrew as “Kushan-Rishatayim,” in its second part shows a hebraization of the word “risha” (which means “evil”), which seems to indicate the particular wickedness of this king.

Judges 3:9. Then the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up a savior for the children of Israel, who delivered them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. When the Israelites, oppressed by Cushan-Rishathaim, turned to the Lord, then the Lord raised up a deliverer for them in the person of Othniel, son of Kenaz. See about Othniel Josh 11:17; Judg 1:13.

Judges 3:10. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war against Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia and prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim. As the Spirit of the Lord rested on Moses and Joshua (Num 11:17), so also on Othniel the Spirit of God descended. Having in himself the Spirit of God, he judged Israel and delivered it from the yoke of Cushan-Rishathaim.

Judges 3:11. And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died. After the overthrow of the yoke of Cushan-Rishathaim, the land of Israel enjoyed peace for forty years, until the death of Othniel.

Judges 3:12. And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. Judges 3:13. And he gathered to himself all the Ammonites and Amalekites, and went and defeated Israel, and they took possession of the city of Palms. Judges 3:14. And the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. After the death of Othniel the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and He raised up against them Eglon king of Moab, who, gathering to himself besides the Moabites also Ammonites and Amalekites, went out against the Israelites and defeated them, and took possession of the city of Palms. The Israelites served Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years. About the Moabites and Ammonites see Gen 19:37-38; about the Amalekites Exod 17:8-9; Num 24:20. By the city of Palms most understand Jericho, while Graetz understands the city of Zoar (Gesch. d. Jud., I, p. 107). According to the testimony of Josephus, Eglon even built a palace in Jericho (Ant. Jud., lib. V, ch. IV, § 1).

Judges 3:15. But when the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised them up a savior, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the children of Israel sent a present by him to Eglon king of Moab. Judges 3:16. But Ehud made himself a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he girded it under his garment on his right thigh, Judges 3:17. And he brought the present to Eglon king of Moab; now Eglon was a very fat man. Judges 3:18. And when he had finished offering the present, he sent away the people that carried the present. Judges 3:19. But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret word for you, O king. Who said, Be quiet. And all that stood by him went out from him. Judges 3:20. And Ehud came to him; and he was sitting in a cool chamber, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a word from God for you. And he arose from his seat. Judges 3:21. And Ehud stretched out his left hand and took the dagger from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly, Judges 3:22. so that the handle also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, for he did not draw the dagger out of his belly, and it went out behind. Judges 3:23. Then Ehud went out into the porch, and shut the doors of the chamber behind him, and locked them. Judges 3:24. Now when he had gone, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the chamber were locked, they said, Surely he is covering his feet in his cool chamber. Judges 3:25. And they waited a long time; and, behold, he did not open the doors of the chamber; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was lying on the ground dead. When the Israelites, oppressed by Eglon, turned to the Lord for mercy, then the Lord raised up a deliverer for them in the person of Ehud, son of Gera, a Benjamite, who by cunning put to death Eglon while he was with him in the chamber of his palace. In character, Ehud was the embodiment of fearlessness, valor, and resourcefulness. All peoples celebrated men like Ehud, although their deeds were not entirely moral. The Athenians sang praises to Harmodius and Aristogeiton, the Romans to Mucius Scaevola, who in their moral qualities stood no higher than Ehud, yet earned the memory of posterity only for their valor. In the East down to recent times men like Ehud were encountered. Layard, while serving as consul in Mesopotamia, knew a famous provincial governor Ibrahim Aga, who became renowned by once, at the suggestion of the Turkish viceroy Muhammad Pasha, going to the fortress of a rebellious Kurdish bey and, received by him according to Eastern rules of hospitality, during dinner cut off his head with a saber (Layard, Nineveh and its Remains, I, 97–98). About Gilgal (modern Tell Jiljul, or Jiljuliyye, between Jericho and the Jordan) see Josh 4:19-20 and others. The “quarries” (pesilim) at Gilgal are understood to mean, probably, stone pillars standing here in the form of bethels (Prof. A.A. Olesnitsky. Megalithic monuments of the Holy Land, p. 77) or stones that marked the ford of the Jordan (Budde).

Judges 3:26. But Ehud escaped while they were confused, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirah. Judges 3:27. And it came to pass, when he arrived, that he blew a trumpet on the hill country of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill, and he was before them. Judges 3:28. And he said to them, Follow me; for the Lord has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and did not allow anyone to cross. Judges 3:29. And they struck down Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all strong and capable, and not a single one escaped. Judges 3:30. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years. After the death of Eglon, Ehud fled to Seirah, a small place on the hills of Ephraim, where he informed the Israelites of Eglon’s death. The assembled Israelites marched to the Jordan, cut off the fords across it, and when the Moabites fleeing from the vicinity of the city of Palms (that is, Jericho) attempted to cross there, they were slaughtered. After the overthrow of Moabite oppression, the land rested for eighty years.

Judges 3:31. And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an ox-goad; and he also delivered Israel. Shamgar, probably at the head of villagers, each armed with an ox-goad, routed six hundred Philistines who had attacked them. Something similar is told by Homer about Lycurgus, who repelled Dionysus and his followers with an ox-goad (Iliad, 6, 135).

Chapter Four

1–3. The oppression by Canaanites. 5–10. Deborah and Barak as deliverers of Israel. 11–16. The overthrow of Canaanite oppression. 17–22. The death of Sisera by the hand of Jael. 23–24. Conclusion.

Judges 4:1. And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead. Judges 4:2. And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth of the Gentiles. Judges 4:3. And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and he mightily oppressed the children of Israel for twenty years. After the death of Ehud the Israelites, on account of their wicked deeds, were delivered into the power of Jabin, the Canaanite king, who oppressed them for twenty years. The residence of Jabin was the city of Hazor, lying in the northern part of Palestine, which was burned by Joshua (Josh 11:11), but was later restored by the Canaanites (cf. 1 Kgs 9:15; 2 Kgs 15:29) and was probably located on the site of the modern Tell Hazor, midway between Bahr-el-Huleh (Lake Merom) and the Mediterranean Sea. Jabin had nine hundred chariots, which were commanded by his military commander Sisera, who resided in Harosheth-of-the-Gentiles, on the site of which now lies the village of Harith (in northern Palestine, in Wadi-el-Melikh). This city formed a strong and strategically important base for Sisera: by occupying it, Sisera separated the Israelite tribes from one another and prevented them from acting against the Canaanites together and decisively. From here the Canaanite warriors made destructive raids on Israelite cities and villages, using their chariots for this purpose. In general, the oppression by the Canaanites was grievous for the Israelites (cf. Judg 5:6-8).

Judges 4:4. And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. Judges 4:5. And she lived under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel, in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. When the Israelites, repenting of their sins, turned to God with prayer for mercy, then God chose as an instrument for their salvation the prophetess Deborah, wife of Lapidoth, who came from the tribe of Ephraim, to whom the people came to settle their lawsuits. A Talmudic tradition numbers Deborah among the seven prophetesses of the Old Testament (Megillah, f. 14a). Saint Theodoret says that Deborah was endowed with the gift of prophecy to convict the men of her time (eis elegchon ton toie andron).

Judges 4:6. And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, Has not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? Judges 4:7. And I will draw toward you to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into your hand. By divine inspiration, Deborah chose Barak son of Abinoam, from Kedesh in Naphtali (still Qedesh, to the west of Lake Merom), as commander for the overthrow of Canaanite oppression. To him she delivered God’s command to gather ten thousand men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun, as the ones most suffering from Canaanite oppression, and advised him to station this force on Mount Tabor (Jebel-et-Tur, on the border of the territories of Issachar and Zebulun, to the northeast of the Esdraelon Valley), while at the same time promising in God’s name that God would bring here, to the river Kishon (Nahr-Muqatta), and deliver into Barak’s hands Sisera with his chariots and army.

Judges 4:8. And Barak said to her, If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go. Judges 4:9. And she said, I will surely go with you; nevertheless the journey that you take shall not be for your honor, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. Judges 4:10. And Barak called together Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and there went up ten thousand men at his feet; and Deborah went up with him. Barak asked Deborah to go with him to war, and after she first made a prediction about the outcome of the war and consented. After that Barak turned to the inhabitants of the tribe of Zebulun and Naphtali with an appeal, and Deborah turned to the other tribes (Judg 5:14-15), and in this way an Israelite force of about ten thousand men from the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali assembled at Barak in Kedesh, with which he set out toward Mount Tabor. With Barak in the camp was also Deborah.

Judges 4:11. Now Heber the Kenite, who was of the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, had separated himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent by the oak of Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh. It should be noted that near Kedesh, at the oak of Zaanannim (according to the Targum—in the plain of swamps), there lived at this time Heber the Kenite (cf. Josh 19:33), who had moved here from southern Palestine, and who was in alliance with the Israelites.

Judges 4:12. And they informed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor. Judges 4:13. And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles to the river Kishon. Judges 4:14. And Deborah said to Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hand; is not the Lord gone out before you? So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. Judges 4:15. And the Lord threw into confusion Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera got down off his chariot, and fled away on foot. Judges 4:16. But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, to Harosheth of the Gentiles; and all the host of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left. When Sisera learned of the Israelite force assembled on Mount Tabor, he gathered all nine hundred chariots and troops (according to Josephus, three hundred thousand infantry, ten thousand cavalry, and three thousand chariots. Ant V, 51) and stationed himself in the Esdraelon Valley, by the river Kishon, where he could have necessary food and water for his people and horses and at the same time could always threaten the Israelites both in the north and in the south. At such a position Sisera could hold out for a long time, waiting for the supplies of Barak’s force to be exhausted and for it to be forced to leave the position on Mount Tabor, after which, as it seemed to Sisera, it would not be difficult to defeat him. But the Israelites forestalled Sisera. As soon as he took his position, Deborah ordered Barak to make a swift attack on him. Sisera’s force, whose chariots could not operate properly because of the uneven terrain, came into confusion and took to flight. Josephus says that during the battle there was a violent storm with hail and rain, and the wind blew in the face of the Canaanites and at the back of the Israelites, which significantly hindered the Canaanites’ operations (Ant. V, 5, 4). One part of Sisera’s force fled to the north, trying to reach Harosheth-of-the-Gentiles, but was cut down by the pursuing Israelites; another part fled south, across the river Kishon, and was swept away by the swollen Kishon, probably from the heavy rain, (Judg 5:19), so that Sisera’s force perished.

Judges 4:17. Howbeit Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. Judges 4:18. And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in to her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. Judges 4:19. And he said to her, Give me, please, a little water to drink, for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. Judges 4:20. Again he said to her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man comes and asks you and says, Is there any man here? that you shall say, No. Judges 4:21. Then Jael Heber’s wife took a peg of the tent, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and drove the peg into his temples, and fastened it into the ground; for he was in deep sleep and weary. So he died. Sisera himself, seeing the flight of his force, got off his chariot and fled from the field of battle, going to the north. He safely reached the dwelling place of Heber the Kenite, where he was met by Heber’s wife Jael, who invited him into the tent, assuring him of safety. Sisera went in and, tired from his journey, asked to drink. Jael gave him milk (probably sour milk, similar to what is still used by Bedouins under the name leben), after which Sisera fell asleep. During his sleep Jael killed him, piercing his temple with a tent peg.

Judges 4:22. And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, Come, and I will show you the man whom you seek. And he went in to her; and, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the peg was in his temples. Meanwhile Barak, pursuing Sisera, came near to Jael’s tent, and Jael, seeing Barak, went out to him and told him of Sisera’s death.

Judges 4:23. So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel. Judges 4:24. And the hand of the children of Israel grew stronger and stronger over Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan. The defeat of Sisera and his force led to the complete triumph of the Israelites over the Canaanites and Jabin king of Hazor. After this defeat the Canaanites are no longer mentioned among the oppressors of Israel.

Chapter Five

The song of Deborah on the occasion of the defeat of Sisera and his army.

Judges 5:1. Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, The victory over Sisera gave occasion for Deborah to sing a song, which represents the most beautiful production of Hebrew poetry. In its structure this song is divided into three parts: the first part comprises verses 3–11, the second part—verses 13–21, the third part—verses 22–30. The opening verse of the song (v. 2) constitutes an epilogue, the twelfth—an introduction, and the thirty-first—a conclusion. Gesner (Das Zählen der Wörter in hebräischen Dichtungen, 1875) divides Deborah’s song into five parts, of which the first contains eighty words, the second also eighty words, the third thirty-two words, the fourth thirty-two words, and the fifth one hundred twenty-eight words.

Judges 5:2. Praise the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. At the beginning of her song Deborah calls for praise of the Lord for the manifestation in the Israelite people of zeal for the deliverance of their homeland from oppressors.

Judges 5:3. Hear, O you kings; give ear, O you princes; I, even I, will sing to the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel. Turning to the kings and princes, under which the Targum of Jonathan understands the kings who came with Sisera to war and the princes of Jabin, Deborah invites them to listen to her victorious song.

Judges 5:4. Lord, when you went out from Seir, when you marched out from the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water; Judges 5:5. The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel. Judges 5:6. In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were empty, and the travelers walked through byways. Judges 5:7. The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel. Judges 5:8. They chose new gods; then was war in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? At the beginning of her song Deborah recalls the greatness of the Lord, the supreme Leader and Protector of the Israelite people, whose appearance on Sinai was accompanied by wonderful signs of nature (Exod 19:18), and, in contrast to this greatness of the God of Israel, depicts the humbled state of the Israelite people in the time of Shamgar, when the Israelites, because of their turning from the right path and attraction to the gods of other peoples (Deut 32:17), suffered humiliation and oppression from the Canaanites. Such a humbled state of the people lasted until Deborah arose, and with her other leaders of Israel, who were zealous for the glory of the Lord and the freedom of the people. Under Jael (“gazelle”) in verse 6, Bettcher and Kessler understand not Jael the Kenite woman, but Shamgar, who had such a nickname.

Judges 5:9. My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the Lord. Judges 5:10. Speak, you that ride on white donkeys, you that sit in judgment, and walk by the way. Judges 5:11. And let them that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water tell of the righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel; then shall the people of the Lord go down to the gates. Turning to the leaders of the Israelite people and to the people themselves, Deborah invites them to praise the Lord for the liberation of the Israelite people from Canaanite oppression.

Judges 5:12. Awake, awake, Deborah; awake, awake, utter a song; arise, Barak, and lead your captivity captive, you son of Abinoam. The liberation of the Israelite people from Canaanite oppression had as its immediate cause the awakening of national feeling in the prophetess Deborah and the leader Barak, who turned with an appeal to the people.

Judges 5:13. Then he made him that remains have dominion over the mighty; the Lord made me have dominion over the strong. Judges 5:14. Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after you, Benjamin, among your people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the scribe. Judges 5:15. And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak; he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart. Judges 5:16. Why do you remain among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleating of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. Judges 5:17. Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan; and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and stayed in his harbors. Judges 5:18. Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that risked their lives to the point of death in the high places of the field. Deborah depicts how the various Israelite tribes responded to the call to rise up against the Canaanites. While some tribes, such as Ephraim, Benjamin, Manasseh (its western part, named after the oldest clan of Manasseh, the Machir, Josh 17:1-2), Zebulun, Naphtali, and Issachar, responded to it with full sympathy, others, such as Reuben, the eastern part of Manasseh (called Gilead), Asher, and Dan, responded to it without proper sympathy, and during the people’s battle peacefully devoted themselves to their occupations.

Judges 5:19. The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money. Judges 5:20. They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. Judges 5:21. The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, you have trodden down strength. Deborah depicts the battle itself between the Israelites and the Canaanites. In poetic rapture it seems to her that even the heavenly stars fought against Sisera and the river Kishon itself was not indifferent to the bodies of the slain warriors, but rushed them away swiftly. The cities of Taanach and Megiddo, near which the battle between the Israelites and Sisera took place, were in the Esdraelon Valley, through the middle of which flowed the Kishon (modern Nahr-el Muqatta).

Judges 5:22. Then were the hooves of the horses broken by the means of the prancing, the prancing of their mighty ones. The flight of the Canaanite horsemen after their defeat in the battle with the Israelites is depicted.

Judges 5:23. Curse Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. Judges 5:24. Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent. Judges 5:25. He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish. Judges 5:26. She stretched out her hand to the peg, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; and with the hammer she struck Sisera, she struck off his head, when she had pierced and struck through his temples. Judges 5:27. At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down; at her feet he bowed, he fell; where he bowed, there he fell down dead. Judges 5:28. The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots? Judges 5:29. Her wise ladies answered her, she also answered herself, Judges 5:30. Have they not found and divided the prey; to every man a girl or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colors, a prey of divers colors of needlework, of divers colors of needlework on both sides, for the necks of them that take the spoil? In the name of the angel of the Lord, Deborah curses the inhabitants of the unknown city of Meroz, who refused to take part in the pursuit of the Canaanite warriors, praises Jael the Kenite woman for the slaying of Sisera, and artistically depicts the hopes and painful fears of Sisera’s mother, waiting for the return of her son from the field of battle together with rich spoils.

Judges 5:31. So let all your enemies perish, O Lord; but let them that love Him be as the sun when he goes forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years. Conclusion of Deborah’s song: all enemies of the Lord shall perish, while those who love Him shall be glorified. After the overthrow of Canaanite oppression, the land of Israel enjoyed peace for forty years.

Chapter Six

1–7. The oppression by the Midianites. 8–10. The appearance of a prophet who condemns the people. 11–23. The appearance of the Angel of the Lord and the calling of Gideon. 24–32. The building of an altar to the Lord in Ophrah and the destruction of Baal’s altar. 33–35. The invasion of the Midianites and the Amalekites and the rising up of Gideon. 36–40. A sign from God to Gideon.

Judges 6:1. The sons of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Midianites for seven years. When, after the death of Deborah and Barak, the Israelites again turned to a life displeasing in God’s sight, the Lord delivered them under the rule of the Midianites for seven years, who could also take revenge on them for their defeat in the time of Moses (Num 31:7). Regarding the Midianites see (Gen 25:2); (Exod 3:1).

Judges 6:2. The hand of the Midianites lay heavy upon Israel, and the sons of Israel made themselves caves in the mountains and caves and strongholds against the Midianites. Judges 6:3. When Israel sowed, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east would come up and attack them; Judges 6:4. and they would camp against them and destroy the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel, and no sheep or ox or donkey. Judges 6:5. For they came up with their livestock and their tents, and they came in as numerous as locusts; they and their camels were without number, and they came into the land of Israel to destroy it. Judges 6:6. And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord. United with the Amalekites, the fiercest and ancient enemies of the Israelites (Exod 17:8-16); (Num 24:20), the Midianites made raids upon the land of Israel, plundering livestock and crops and instilling such fear in the inhabitants that they hid from them in mountains and caves, building watchtowers and fortifications.

Judges 6:7. And when the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord because of the Midianites, Judges 6:8. the Lord sent a prophet to the sons of Israel and said to them: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I brought you out of Egypt, I brought you out of the house of slavery; Judges 6:9. and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and I drove them out before you and gave you their land, Judges 6:10. and I said to you: “I am the Lord your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in the land of whom you dwell”; but you did not listen to my voice. When the Israelites, because of oppression by the Midianites, turned with a plea for mercy to the Lord, He first sent them a prophet to condemn them, who, like the Angel of the Lord in Bochim (compare Judg 2:1-2), rebuked them for turning to idolatry.

Judges 6:11. Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite; and his son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress, to hide from the Midianites. Judges 6:12. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: The Lord is with you, you mighty man! Judges 6:13. Gideon said to him: My lord! If the Lord is with us, why then has all this calamity befallen us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, “Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?” But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of the Midianites. Judges 6:14. The Lord turned to him and said: Go with this strength of yours and save Israel from the hand of the Midianites; I send you. Judges 6:15. Gideon said to him: Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. Judges 6:16. And the Lord said to him: But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man. Judges 6:17. Gideon said to him: If I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me: Judges 6:18. please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring my offering and lay it before you. He said: I will stay until you return. Judges 6:19. Gideon went and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them to him under the oak and presented them. Judges 6:20. And the Angel of God said to him: Take the meat and the unleavened bread and place them on this stone, and pour out the broth. And he did so. Judges 6:21. Then the Angel of the Lord extended the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprang up from the stone and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread; and the Angel of the Lord vanished from his sight. Judges 6:22. When Gideon saw that it was the Angel of the Lord, Gideon said: Alas, O Lord God! for I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face. Judges 6:23. The Lord said to him: Peace to you; do not fear, you shall not die. Judges 6:24. Then Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it: [The Lord is Peace]. It still stands today in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. To save the people of Israel from the oppression of the Midianites, God chose Gideon, the son of Joash, who lived in Ophrah, in the tribe of Manasseh (probably modern Faratha, southwest of Nablus). Gideon was chosen through the appearance of the Angel of the Lord, who called him to liberate the people and in honor of whom Gideon built an altar on the spot of the appearance, “The Lord is Peace” (that is, “the Lord of peace”). This altar still existed in the time of the writer of the Book of Judges.

Judges 6:25. That night the Lord said to him: Take the bull that belongs to your father, even the second bull seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that is your father’s, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it; Judges 6:26. and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this stronghold in an orderly way; and take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering on the wood of the Asherah that you cut down. Judges 6:27. So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had told him; but because he was afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city, he did it at night. Judges 6:28. When the men of the city rose early in the morning, they found the altar of Baal torn down and the Asherah beside it cut down, and the second bull offered as a burnt offering on the altar that had been built. Judges 6:29. And they said to one another: Who has done this thing? When they inquired and searched, they said: Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing. Judges 6:30. Then the men of the city said to Joash: Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has torn down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah that was beside it. Judges 6:31. But Joash said to all who stood against him: Will you plead the case of Baal, or will you defend him? Whoever pleads his case shall be put to death by morning; if he is a god, let him plead for himself because his altar has been torn down. Judges 6:32. So on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend with him,” because he tore down his altar. Chosen by the Lord to deliver his people from Midianite oppression, Gideon began the work of deliverance by uprooting idolatry among the people, which was the cause of their outward calamities: he tore down the altar of Baal, cut down the sacred tree, the idol of Asherah, that stood near his father’s house, and instead, on the rock where the destroyed altar stood, he built an altar to the Lord, in honor of whom he offered a seven-year-old bull as a burnt offering on a pyre made from the wood of Asherah. The people of Ophrah were angered by Gideon’s deed, in which they saw an insult to their revered shrine, and intended to stone him, but his father Gideon, who was apparently a priest among them, persuaded them not to do so, wisely pointing out to them that it is not fitting for men, being weaker beings, to stand up for the rights of an offended god, since he himself can take vengeance. The people, heeding Joash’s advice, left Gideon alone, but gave him a special nickname “Jerubbaal,” which means “Baal will contend with him.” Thus Gideon’s deed had most important consequences, for through it the people became convinced of the complete powerlessness of Baal.

Judges 6:32. So on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend with him,” because he tore down his altar. Judges 6:33. Now all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east assembled together, crossed over, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. Judges 6:34. But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon; he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him. Judges 6:35. And he sent messengers throughout all of Manasseh, and they were called out after him; he also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them. Judges 6:36. Then Gideon said to God: If you will deliver Israel by my hand, as you have said, Judges 6:37. behold, I am placing a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece alone and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will deliver Israel by my hand, as you have said. Judges 6:38. And it was so; when he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung out dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water. Judges 6:39. Then Gideon said to God: Do not let your anger burn against me, let me speak one more time; please let me test once more with the fleece; let it be dry on the fleece alone, and on all the ground let there be dew. Judges 6:40. And God did so that night; it was dry on the fleece alone, and on all the ground there was dew. Meanwhile the Midianites and the Amalekites and the other tribes of eastern Arabia appeared again in Palestine, crossed the Jordan, and camped in the Esdraelon Valley. Now the new judge of Israel, full of inspiration, sounded the call for the liberation of the people, and the related tribe of Abiezer responded. Then he sent messengers to neighboring tribes, which also responded to his call, so that around Gideon there gathered ready for war from the tribes of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali about 32,000 (Judg 7:3). But in view of the numerical superiority of the enemy, Gideon did not venture to begin military operations without assurance of special help from God, and so, before the battle began, he asked God for a sign that the Lord would save Israel. The dew on the spread fleece and its absence on the surrounding objects in the first night, and dew on the ground but its absence on the same fleece in the second night were for Gideon a sign from God. * * * The Lord—Peace

Chapter Seven

1. The positions of the Israelite and Midianite camps. 2–8. The selection and equipping of the Israelite warriors. 9–15. Gideon’s secret visit to the Midianite camp. 16–22. Gideon’s attack on the Midianite camp and his victory. 23–25. The pursuit of the Midianites.

Judges 7:1. Then Jerubbaal, that is, Gideon, and all the people who were with him, rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was to the north of them by the Hill of Moreh in the valley. The Israelites were camped at the spring of Harod (1 Sam 29:1), which is at the foot of the Gilboa Mountains, to the east of the Esdraelon Valley, and the Midianites to the north of them, at the Hill of Moreh, or Little Hermon.

Judges 7:2. The Lord said to Gideon: The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, “My own hand has saved me.” Judges 7:3. So now proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, “Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him return home.” And Gideon tested them; twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained. Judges 7:4. The Lord said to Gideon: There are still too many people; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there; and anyone of whom I say to you, “This one shall go with you,” shall go with you; and anyone of whom I say to you, “This one shall not go with you,” shall not go. Judges 7:5. So he brought the people down to the water; and the Lord said to Gideon: All those who lap the water with their tongues, as a dog laps, you shall set to one side; and all those who kneel down to drink, set them to another side. Judges 7:6. The number of those that lapped was three hundred; but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. Judges 7:7. The Lord said to Gideon: With the three hundred that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand; let all the others go to their homes. Judges 7:8. So he took the provisions and the trumpets of the people from their hands; and he sent all the rest of Israel to their tents, but retained the three hundred. The camp of Midian was below him in the valley. In order that the Israelites might more clearly see the saving help of the Lord, whose salvation is joined not with quantity but with the quality of those who carry it out, the Lord commanded Gideon to make a special selection of warriors to go with him against the enemy. After this selection, from the whole force of 32,000 warriors, only 300 remained with Gideon, while the rest were sent home. With such a small force, Gideon could venture to fight the numerous enemy only because of his firm faith in God’s help, for which the holy apostle Paul calls him one who conquered by faith (Heb 11:32-33).

Judges 7:9. That night the Lord said to him: Arise, go down against the camp; for I have given it into your hand. Judges 7:10. But if you fear to go down, go with your servant Purah down to the camp; Judges 7:11. and you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp. So he went down with his servant Purah to the outposts of the armed men that were in the camp. Judges 7:12. Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the east lay along the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. Judges 7:13. When Gideon arrived, a man was telling a dream to his comrade; and he said: I had a dream, and in it a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell, and it turned it upside down, and the tent collapsed. Judges 7:14. And his comrade answered: This is no other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, a man of Israel; into his hand God has given Midian and all the army. Judges 7:15. When Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped; and he returned to the camp of Israel, and said: Arise! for the Lord has given the camp of Midian into your hand. Before entering into battle, Gideon, together with his servant, penetrated by night into the Midianite camp, which was located in the valley and was visible from the Gilboa Mountains, where Gideon’s detachment was positioned. Here he overheard two warriors discussing the meaning of a dream seen by one of them, after which he became fully assured that God would grant him victory. The peoples of the East, as shown in the history of Joseph, Daniel, and others, generally believed in the significance of dreams.

Judges 7:16. And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and put trumpets into the hands of all of them, and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. Judges 7:17. And he said to them: Look at me, and do likewise; when I come to the outskirts of the camp, do exactly as I do. Judges 7:18. When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you also blow the trumpets around the whole camp, and shout: “For the Lord and for Gideon!” Judges 7:19. So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. Judges 7:20. The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars, holding the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing; and they cried: “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” Judges 7:21. Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran; they cried out and fled. Judges 7:22. When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his fellow throughout all the camp; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. Like Abraham in his attack on the forces of Sennaar and Elam (see Gen 14:15), Gideon divided his force into three parts and attacked the Midianite camp during the middle watch, that is, at midnight, when the enemy camp was in deep sleep. The appearance of mysterious men with shining torches, the sound of breaking jars and the shouting of Gideon’s warriors produced panic in the Midianite camp, and they fled, striking each other in the confusion. Most of them went south down the Esdraelon Valley to the town of Bethshittah, identified with modern El-Shatta, near a stream that flows into the Jalud water and further to Abel-meholah (see 1 Kgs 19:16), which according to Jerome lay ten Roman miles north of Scythopolis (Bethshan). The location of Zererah (probably Zereda) and Tabbath mentioned in the account of the Midianite flight is unknown. History presents several other examples of the strategic trick used by Gideon. The Falisci terrified the Roman army by means of men with torches instead of weapons and serpents. The same was done by the Vesti and Fidenes (Tit. Liv. XXII, 16; Sallust Jugurtha, 99).

Judges 7:23. And the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and Asher and all Manasseh, and they pursued after the Midianites. Judges 7:24. Then Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying: Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters against them, as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they seized the waters as far as Beth-barah and also the Jordan. Judges 7:25. They captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb, and they pursued Midian. And they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan. The nearby Israelite tribes, called by Gideon, pursued the fleeing enemy and cut off the ford across the Jordan (Beth-barah, or “place of the ford” across the Jordan, or, according to Jerome, “place of the spring” (Onom 106, 12), see John 1:28, south of Scythopolis) and slew many Midianites. Among the slain were the Midianite princes Oreb and Zeeb. This defeat of the Midianites was called in later history “the day of Midian” (Isa 9:4; Hab 3:7, Ps 82:10).

Chapter Eight

1–3. The displeasure of the Ephraimites against Gideon. 4–9. The refusal of the people of Succoth and Penuel to give bread to Gideon. 10–12. The capture of the kings Zebah and Zalmunna. 13–17. The punishment of the elders of Succoth and Penuel. 18–21. The execution of the kings Zebah and Zalmunna. 22–23. The proposal of the Israelites to make Gideon king over them and his answer. 24–27. Gideon’s making of an ephod and its setting up in Ophrah. 28–29. The condition of the Israelites under Gideon. 30–35. The descendants of Gideon and the Israelites’ attitude toward him.

Judges 8:1. The men of Ephraim said to him: What is this you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against the Midianites? And they complained bitterly against him. Judges 8:2. He said to them: What have I done now compared with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? Judges 8:3. God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what have I been able to do compared with you? Then their anger against him subsided, when he had spoken this word to them. The Ephraimites, who stood at the head of the other tribes during the time of the Judges, since one of their cities, namely Shiloh, held the sanctuary of the Lord at that time (Judg 18:31), arrogantly and unjustly expressed their displeasure to Gideon for what seemed to them a slight (see Judg 12:1). But Gideon, by his courteous answer, softened their irritation against him.

Judges 8:4. Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, exhausted and hungry, pursuing the enemy. Judges 8:5. So he said to the people of Succoth: Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me; for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian. Judges 8:6. But the officials of Succoth said: Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your possession, that we should give bread to your army? Judges 8:7. Gideon replied: Very well; when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. Judges 8:8. From there he went up to Penuel, and made the same request of them; and the people of Penuel answered him as the people of Succoth had answered. Judges 8:9. So he said to the people of Penuel: When I come back victorious, I will break down this tower. The people of Succoth and Penuel refused bread to Gideon, who was fighting for Israel’s salvation, and thus brought upon themselves his righteous anger. See Succoth: (Gen 33:17); see Penuel: (Gen 32:30-32).

Judges 8:10. Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the army of the people of the east; for one hundred twenty thousand men had fallen. Judges 8:11. Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and attacked the army; for the army was off its guard. Judges 8:12. Zebah and Zalmunna fled; and he pursued them and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and threw all the army into a panic. Regarding Nobah, see (Num 32:42); regarding Jogbehah, see (Num 32:35). Karkor, or Karkar, Eusebius and Jerome place north of Petra, at a day’s journey distance (Onom 272, 62), and Burckhardt identifies it with Karkageysh (Syrie, p. 612).

Judges 8:13. When Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres, The height of Heres (according to the LXX, Ares) is placed somewhere around Succoth. The Targum and the Vulgate translate: “before the sun rise” (ante solis ortum), understanding the word hechares through heharim (that is, “mountains”), and so translates: “from the summit of the mountains,” that is, the Gilead Mountains.

Judges 8:14. He caught a young man of the people of Succoth and questioned him; and the young man wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven people. Judges 8:15. Then he came to the people of Succoth and said: Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, “Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna, that we should give bread to your exhausted men?” Judges 8:16. And he took the elders of the city and the thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he trampled the people of Succoth. Judges 8:17. He also broke down the tower of Penuel, and killed the men of the city. After the capture of the Midianite kings, Gideon punished the elders of Succoth and Penuel for their lack of sympathy with the people’s cause (see above, verses 7–8).

Judges 8:18. Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna: What about the men whom you killed at Tabor? They answered: As you are, so were they, each one resembling the children of a king. Judges 8:19. He replied: They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you. Judges 8:20. So he said to his firstborn son Jether: Kill them. But the youth did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a boy. Judges 8:21. Then Zebah and Zalmunna said: You come and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon rose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on the necks of their camels. According to the law of blood revenge for a slain kinsman, widely practiced among the peoples of the East (see Deut 19:5-6; Exod 21:12-14), Gideon put to death the kings Zebah and Zalmunna for the killing of his kinsmen, after which he took chains that were on the necks of their camels, made of precious metal, similar to those which, according to travelers, are still often seen on the necks of Arab camels.

Judges 8:22. Then the Israelites said to Gideon: Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also; for you have delivered us out of the hand of Midian. Judges 8:23. Gideon said to them: I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you. Strict in his observance of the theocratic principle, Gideon recognized as the ruler of Israel the Lord alone, to whom the people of Israel owed their salvation.

Judges 8:24. And Gideon said to them: Let me make one request of you; each of you give me an earring from the spoil. [For the enemy had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.] Judges 8:25. They answered: We will willingly give them. So they spread out a garment, and each one threw an earring from the spoil into it. Judges 8:26. The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred gold shekels, besides the crescents and the pendants and the purple robes that were on the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were on the necks of their camels. Judges 8:27. And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah; and all Israel went astray after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his household. From the golden earrings given to Gideon by the Israelites, taken by them from the killed enemy, in total weighing about 1700 gold shekels (more than 70 pounds), as well as chains, necklaces and precious garments, Gideon made an ephod similar to the high priest’s ephod (see Exod 28:6-12), or, as some conjecture, a vestment for the altar he erected in Ophrah called “The Lord is Peace” (Judg 6:24), to which, instead of Shiloh, where the Tabernacle was, the people began to go for worship.

Judges 8:28. So Midian was subdued before the Israelites, and they raised their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon. Judges 8:29. Jerubbaal son of Joash went to live in his own house. Judges 8:30. Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives. Judges 8:31. His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. Judges 8:32. Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash at Ophrah of the Abiezrites. Judges 8:33. As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites again went astray after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god; Judges 8:34. and the Israelites did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hand of all their enemies on every side; Judges 8:35. and they did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel. After Gideon’s death, the Israelites again fell into idolatry, worshiping Baal-berith (Baal, the protector of the covenant, see Judg 9:4), did not remember the Lord, and did not show kindness to Gideon’s descendants, who were quite numerous. Among Gideon’s descendants was Abimelech, born of a concubine, a native of Shechem, who later became the cause of the destruction of nearly all of Gideon’s other descendants.

Chapter Nine

1–5. The killing of Gideon’s sons by the Shechemites, instigated by Abimelech. 6. Abimelech becomes king. 7–20. The parable and flight of Jotham. 22–57. The period of Abimelech’s reign and his downfall.

Judges 9:1. Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s family and said to them and to all his mother’s clan, Judges 9:2. “Tell all the citizens of Shechem: is it better for you that all seventy of Jerubbaal’s sons rule over you, or that one rules over you? Remember, I am your own flesh and blood.” Judges 9:3. His mother’s relatives spoke all these words concerning him to the citizens of Shechem, and their hearts inclined toward Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.” Judges 9:4. They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech used them to hire reckless and worthless men, who followed him. Judges 9:5. He went to his father’s household at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived because he hid. Judges 9:6. All the citizens of Shechem and the whole house of Millo went together and made Abimelech king by the oak at Shechem. Abimelech, the son of Gideon by his Shechemite concubine, appealed to the inhabitants of the city of Shechem (modern Nablus) as his mother’s relatives and persuaded them to slaughter Gideon’s sons born to his other wives. With the seventy shekels of silver given to him by the Shechemites from the treasury of the Baal-Berith temple that stood in Shechem (compare Judg 8:33), he hired worthless men who committed the heinous murder of all Gideon’s sons except the one who escaped, Jotham. After this, the Shechemites and the inhabitants of the Shechem citadel (“the whole house of Millo”) made Abimelech king. The place of his coronation was an oak that stood near Shechem, probably the same one under which Joshua set up the memorial of the covenant of the Lord (Josh 24:26).

Judges 9:7. When this was reported to Jotham, he went up to the top of Mount Gerizim and cried out in a loud voice, “Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, and may God listen to you!” Judges 9:8. Once the trees decided to anoint a king over themselves and said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ Judges 9:9. But the olive tree answered them, ‘Should I give up my rich oil that both gods and humans honor, just to wave back and forth over the trees?’ Judges 9:10. Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and reign over us.’ Judges 9:11. But the fig tree answered them, ‘Should I give up my sweetness and my excellent fruit just to wave back and forth over the trees?’ Judges 9:12. Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and reign over us.’ Judges 9:13. But the vine answered them, ‘Should I give up my wine that brings joy to gods and humans just to wave back and forth over the trees?’ Judges 9:14. Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and reign over us.’ Judges 9:15. The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you truly anoint me as your king, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’ Judges 9:16. “Now then, have you acted truthfully and honestly in making Abimelech king? Have you been fair to Jerubbaal and his house, and have you repaid him for what he did for you?” Judges 9:17. “My father fought for you, not caring if he lost his life, and rescued you from the hand of the Midianites;” Judges 9:18. “But you have risen up against my father’s family and killed his seventy sons on one stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his slave woman, king over the citizens of Shechem, because he is your brother.” Judges 9:19. “If you have acted truthfully and honestly toward Jerubbaal and his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and may he rejoice in you;” Judges 9:20. “But if not, may fire come from Abimelech and consume the citizens of Shechem and the house of Millo, and may fire come from the citizens of Shechem and the house of Millo and consume Abimelech.” The shameful deed of the Shechemites against Gideon’s descendants and the making of Abimelech king prompted Jotham, one of the surviving sons of Gideon, to pronounce from the top of Mount Gerizim an accusatory speech to them in the form of an allegory or parable about trees that chose themselves a king.

Judges 9:21. And Jotham ran away and fled, and went to Beer, where he lived in hiding from his brother Abimelech. After the allegory, Jotham fled to Beersheba, which some understand to be Beersheba (Gen 21:31), as the most distant place from Shechem.

Judges 9:22. Now Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years. Abimelech “ruled” over Israel for three years, but he did not “judge” Israel like the other judges of Israel.

Judges 9:23. God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, and the citizens of Shechem became disloyal to Abimelech, Judges 9:24. so that the bloodshed of the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might be avenged, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and upon the citizens of Shechem, who helped him kill his brothers. Judges 9:25. The citizens of Shechem set men in ambush for him on the hilltops, and they robbed anyone who passed by on the road. This was reported to Abimelech. Abimelech’s despotic rule as governor provoked the Shechemites themselves against him, and they set an ambush for him, though Abimelech became aware of it.

Judges 9:26. Now Gaal son of Ebed came with his brothers and entered Shechem, and the citizens of Shechem trusted in him. Judges 9:27. They went out into the fields and gathered their grapes, trod them in the winepresses, and made a festival. They went to the temple of their god, ate and drank there, and cursed Abimelech. Judges 9:28. Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the descendants of Hamor, the father of Shechem. Why should we serve Abimelech?” Judges 9:29. “If only this people were under my command, I would get rid of Abimelech.” And word was brought to Abimelech: “Increase your army and come out!” During the grape harvest festival, probably held in honor of the god Adonis, a man named Gaal son of Ebed stirred up the Israelites against Abimelech, urging them to serve the descendants of Hamor, the father of Shechem, who still remained in Shechem (compare Gen 34:2).

Judges 9:30. When Zebul the city official heard Gaal son of Ebed’s words, he became very angry. Judges 9:31. He sent messengers to Abimelech saying, “Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you.” Judges 9:32. “So at night you and the people with you should come and wait in the fields.” Judges 9:33. “In the morning as soon as the sun is up, advance and attack the city. When he and his men come out against you, do to them all you can.” Judges 9:34. So Abimelech and all the men with him set out by night and took up positions against Shechem in four companies. Judges 9:35. In the morning, Gaal son of Ebed came out and stood at the entrance of the city gate. Abimelech and his men came out from their positions. Judges 9:36. When Gaal saw the men, he said to Zebul, “Look, men are descending from the hilltops!” But Zebul replied, “You are seeing the shadows of the hills as if they were men.” Judges 9:37. Gaal spoke again, “Look, men are coming down from the center of the land, and a company is coming from the direction of the Oak of the Soothsayers.” Judges 9:38. Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your big talk now, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are not these the men you despised? Go out and fight them!” Judges 9:39. So Gaal led the citizens of Shechem out and fought Abimelech. Judges 9:40. Abimelech chased him and Gaal fled. Many were killed and fell slain all the way to the entrance of the city gate. Judges 9:41. Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out so they would not live in Shechem. Judges 9:42. The next day the people went out into the fields, and Abimelech was told about it. Judges 9:43. So he divided the people he had with him into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose up and attacked them. Judges 9:44. While Abimelech and the men with him moved up to the entrance of the city gate, the other two companies attacked and struck down all those in the fields and killed them. Judges 9:45. Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He took the city and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt on it. The uprising of the Shechemites against Abimelech, who was warned in time by Zebul the city governor, ended in the defeat of the Shechemites, the expulsion of Gaal and his brothers, and the destruction of the city itself, whose site was sown with salt—that is, transformed into a saltworks. The “Oak of the Soothsayers” (v. 37) indicates a superstitious custom of the Shechemites, who had a temple of Baal-Berith and apparently also worshiped Adonis (v. 27), consulting by the movement of clouds. The village of Arumah (41) was not far from Shechem, now El-Orma, probably identical with Rumah (2 Kgs 23:36).

Judges 9:46. When the people in the tower of Shechem heard this, they went to the stronghold of the temple of Baal-Berith. Judges 9:47. Abimelech was told that all the men of the tower of Shechem had gathered there. Judges 9:48. So Abimelech went to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people with him. He took an axe and cut off some branches, which he carried on his shoulder and said to his men, “Quickly, do what you have seen me do!” Judges 9:49. So all the people also cut branches and followed Abimelech. They piled them against the stronghold and set it on fire with the people still inside. So all the people of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women. The remnant of the Shechemites, trapped in the tower of Baal-Berith, perished in the fire along with the tower when it was besieged by Abimelech.

Judges 9:50. Then Abimelech went to Thebez and besieged it and took it. Judges 9:51. But inside the city was a strong tower. All the people, both men and women, fled to the tower and shut themselves in and went up on the tower roof. Judges 9:52. Abimelech came to the tower and attacked it. As he approached the door of the tower to set it on fire, Judges 9:53. a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and crushed his skull. Judges 9:54. He quickly called his armor-bearer and said, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that they cannot say, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his servant ran him through, and he died. Judges 9:55. When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they scattered, each going to his own place. Judges 9:56. Thus God repaid Abimelech for the evil he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers. Judges 9:57. God also brought all the wickedness of the men of Shechem back upon their own heads; and the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them. During the siege of the city of Thebez, which lay north of Shechem (now Tubaz) and whose inhabitants apparently also participated in the conspiracy of the Shechemites against Abimelech, Abimelech himself fell, struck by a stone thrown from the city wall by a woman above (compare 2 Sam 11:21-22).

Chapter Ten

1–5. The judges Tola and Jair. 6–9. Idolatry of the Israelites and their oppression by the Philistines and Ammonites. 10. The turning of the Israelites to the Lord. 11–16. The answer of the Lord and His mercy to the Israelites. 17–18. The occupation of Gilead by the Ammonites, the gathering of the Israelites, and the proposal of leadership.

Judges 10:1. After Abimelech, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose up to save Israel. He was from the tribe of Issachar and lived in Shamir on the hill country of Ephraim. Judges 10:2. He judged Israel for twenty-three years, and then he died and was buried in Shamir. Judges 10:3. After him, Jair from Gilead rose up and judged Israel for twenty-two years. Judges 10:4. He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities in the land of Gilead, which are called the towns of Jair to this day. Judges 10:5. And Jair died and was buried in Kamon. After the death of Abimelech, the judges of Israel were successively Tola from the tribe of Issachar and Jair from Gilead, who did not distinguish themselves by special deeds in the life of the people. Of these, the first was buried after his death in the city of Shamir in Ephraim, which is distinct from Shamir in Judah (Josh 15:48), and the second was buried in the city of Kamon, which according to the testimony of Josephus lay in the tribe of Manasseh in Gilead (Antiquit. V, 7, 6).

Judges 10:6. Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. They served the Baals and the Astartes, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the Lord and did not serve Him. Judges 10:7. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the Ammonites; Judges 10:8. and they crushed and oppressed the children of Israel for eighteen years, all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. Judges 10:9. The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah and Benjamin and the house of Ephraim; and Israel was sorely distressed. After the death of Tola and Jair, the idolatry of the Israelites increased to the extreme: they worshiped the gods of all the surrounding nations, while abandoning the service of the Lord. For this impiety, the Lord delivered them into the power of two nations: the Philistines (compare Gen 10:14), who occupied the coast of the Mediterranean Sea southwest of the Israelite territory, and the Ammonites (Gen 19:38), who lived near the Dead Sea northeast of the Moabites, in the former territory of the Amorites. The Ammonites in this case crossed the Jordan and oppressed the Israelites.

Judges 10:10. And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against You, for we have forsaken our God and served the Baals.” Judges 10:11. The Lord said to the Israelites, “Did not the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, and the Philistines oppress you? Judges 10:12. And also the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Moabites. And when you cried out to Me, did I not deliver you from their hand?” Judges 10:13. Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. So I will not save you anymore. Judges 10:14. “Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you in your time of distress.” Judges 10:15. But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do with us as You see fit, only deliver us this day.” Judges 10:16. And they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord. And His soul could not bear the suffering of Israel any longer. When the Israelites, under the pressure of oppression by the Ammonites, cried out to the Lord for mercy, the Lord, having already shown mercy to them more than once, on this occasion, to awaken in them a deeper repentance, did not at once send them a deliverer, but did so only after He saw their genuine repentance and return to Him.

Judges 10:17. The Ammonites assembled and camped in Gilead. The Israelites also assembled and camped at Mizpah. Judges 10:18. The people and the leaders of Gilead said to each other, “Whoever begins the fight against the Ammonites will be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” Seeing that the Ammonites had occupied Gilead, the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah, which in this case is identified with Ramoth of Gilead (Deut 4:43; Josh 13:26), and offered to make the first one who would dare begin the war against the Ammonites their leader.

Chapter Eleven

1–11. Jephthah, a Gileadite, leader and general of the Israelites. 12–28. Negotiations of Jephthah with the king of the Ammonites concerning the possession of Gilead. 29–33. Jephthah’s vow and the defeat of the Ammonites. 34–40. Jephthah’s fulfilling of his vow.

Judges 11:1. Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. He was the son of a prostitute; Gilead was his father. Judges 11:2. And Gilead’s wife also bore him sons. When the sons of the wife had grown up, they expelled Jephthah and said to him, “You have no inheritance in our father’s household, because you are the son of another woman.” Judges 11:3. So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Worthless men gathered around him and followed him. Before the war with the Ammonites began, Jephthah lived in the village of Tob in the Transjordan region (2 Sam 10:6; 1 Macc 5:13).

Judges 11:4. Some time later, the Ammonites made war on Israel. Judges 11:5. When the Ammonites made war on Israel, the elders of Gilead came to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. Judges 11:6. They said to Jephthah, “Come, be our commander, and let us fight the Ammonites.” Judges 11:7. Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and drive me out of my father’s house? Why do you come to me now when you are in distress?” Judges 11:8. The elders of Gilead replied to Jephthah, “Nevertheless, we now turn to you so that you may go with us and fight the Ammonites, and you shall be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” Judges 11:9. Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me, will I really be your head?” Judges 11:10. The elders of Gilead answered Jephthah, “The Lord will be our witness; we will certainly do as you say.” Judges 11:11. So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and commander. And Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord in Mizpah. Having accepted the offer of the elders of Gilead to be leader and commander of the people, Jephthah, like the elders, gave a vow before the Lord in Mizpah.

Judges 11:12. Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites to say, “What quarrel is there between us that you have come to fight against me in my land?” Judges 11:13. The king of the Ammonites answered the messengers of Jephthah, “When Israel came up from Egypt, they took my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok and to the Jordan. Now restore it to me in peace.” Judges 11:14. Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites again, Judges 11:15. saying, “This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites,” Judges 11:16. “but when they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh.” Judges 11:17. “Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘May I pass through your land?’ But the king of Edom would not listen. And to the king of Moab, but he also refused. So Israel stayed in Kadesh.” Judges 11:18. “They went through the wilderness, passed by the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and came to the east of the land of Moab, and camped on the other side of the Arnon; but they did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.” Judges 11:19. “Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon, and said to him, ‘Let us pass through your land to reach our place.’” Judges 11:20. “But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel.” Judges 11:21. “The Lord, the God of Israel, handed Sihon and all his people over to Israel, and they defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites who lived in that country,” Judges 11:22. “So Israel took possession of all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.” Judges 11:23. “The Lord, the God of Israel, drove out the Amorite from before His people Israel. So do you expect to possess their land?” Judges 11:24. “Don’t you take what your god Chemosh has given you? And don’t we take what the Lord our God has given us?” Judges 11:25. “Now are you better than Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel or fight against them?” Judges 11:26. “For three hundred years Israel has lived in Heshbon, in Aroer and its settlements, and in all the towns along the Arnon. Why didn’t you retake them during all this time?” Judges 11:27. “I have not wronged you, but you are doing me a wrong by starting a war with me. May the Lord, the Judge, judge between the Israelites and the Ammonites!” Judges 11:28. But the king of the Ammonites did not pay attention to the message that Jephthah had sent him. Before military action began, Jephthah negotiated with the Ammonite king concerning the rights of the Israelites to control the Transjordan region, part of which was occupied by the Ammonites. During these negotiations, the history of the conquest of the Transjordan region in the time of Moses was outlined in general terms (compare Num 20:14; Deut 2:19). Chemosh, whom Jephthah calls the national god of the Ammonites (v. 24), was at the same time the national god of the Moabites, as is clear from 1 Kgs 11:7; 2 Kgs 23:13 and the inscription of the Moabite king Mesha (from the 9th century), but was worshiped equally by the Ammonites, who were related to the Moabites.

Judges 11:29. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he went through Gilead and Manasseh, then he went through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he advanced to the Ammonites. Judges 11:30. And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, “If You give the Ammonites into my hands,” Judges 11:31. “then whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites will belong to the Lord, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” Judges 11:32. So Jephthah went to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands. Judges 11:33. And he inflicted a very great defeat on them, from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, twenty cities, and all the way to Abel-Keramim. So the Ammonites were subdued before the Israelites. After the Ammonite king refused to meet Jephthah’s requirements, Jephthah, inspired by the Spirit of God, set out from Mizpah (Ramoth) to fight the Ammonites, having made beforehand a fearful vow to God. During this war, the Ammonites were defeated, and cities that they had occupied (numbering 20) were taken from them—from Aroer (compare Deut 3:12) to Minnith (compare Ezek 27:17) (now Mania, east of Heshbon) and Abel-Keramim (a town 7 miles from Philadelphia, and in the time of Eusebius (Onomast 225, 6) rich in vineyards; now ruins of Abila).

Judges 11:34. When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, his daughter came out to meet him with tamborines and dancing. She was his only daughter; except for her, he had neither son nor daughter. Judges 11:35. When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Oh, my daughter! You have brought me low and are among those who have brought me low, for I have made a vow to the Lord and cannot take it back.” Judges 11:36. “My father,” she replied, “you have made a vow to the Lord. Do to me as you have vowed, for the Lord has brought your enemies the Ammonites into your hands.” Judges 11:37. And she said to her father, “Grant me one request. Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my companions, because I will never marry.” Judges 11:38. “Go,” he said. And he let her go for two months. She and her companions went into the hills and wept because she would remain a virgin. Judges 11:39. After the two months were completed, she returned to her father, and he fulfilled his vow that he had made regarding her. And she knew no man. And it became a custom in Israel Judges 11:40. that the daughters of Israel went each year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days of the year. When Jephthah returned after defeating the Ammonites, he fulfilled his vow made to God. There are different opinions on how the vow was fulfilled. Many ancient interpreters maintained that Jephthah actually offered his daughter as a burnt offering who came out to meet him first after his victory over the Ammonites (compare St. John Chrysostom, “On the Book of Judges,” Works of St. John Chrysostom, vol. 6, p. 637; Homilies on Antioch Narratives (XIV) vol. 2, p. 160–161). Others, especially later interpreters (Hengstenberg, Reinke, Kassel, Köhler and others), maintained that Jephthah’s daughter remained a virgin and was dedicated to the tabernacle for certain service appropriate to her gender. St. Apostle Paul saw in Jephthah an example of those who conquered through their faith (Heb 11:32).

Chapter Twelve

1–6. The Ephraimites’ discontent with Jephthah and their punishment. 7. Jephthah’s death. 8–15. Judges who ruled after Jephthah’s death.

Judges 12:1. The Ephraimites gathered and crossed over into Zaphon and said to Jephthah: Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to come with you? We will burn down your house with fire and you with it. After crossing the Jordan and gathering in Zaphon (Tsaphon; see Josh 13:27), the inhabitants of the tribe of Ephraim began to reproach Jephthah for not inviting them along on the campaign against the Ammonites (cf. Judg 8:1).

Judges 12:2. Jephthah said to them: I and my people had a serious dispute with the Ammonites; I called upon you, but you did not save me from their hand; Judges 12:3. and when I saw that you would not save me, I risked my life and went against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into my hand; why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me? Judges 12:4. Then Jephthah gathered all the inhabitants of Gilead and fought the Ephraimites; and the men of Gilead struck down the Ephraimites, saying: You are refugees of Ephraim, Gilead dwelt in the midst of Ephraim and in the midst of Manasseh. Judges 12:5. And the Gileadites seized the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites; and whenever one of the survivors of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead would say to him: Are you an Ephraimite? He would say: No. Judges 12:6. They said to him: Say now ‘shibboleth,’ and he said ‘sibboleth,’ and could not pronounce it correctly. Then they seized him and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time forty-two thousand Ephraimites fell. In punishment for the daring of the Ephraimites, Jephthah, gathering the Gileadites, fought the Ephraimites and put them to flight, so that they were forced to cross back to their own territory beyond the Jordan. By seizing the fords across the river, Jephthah stopped the Ephraimites who were returning, distinguishing them by their pronunciation of the word “shibboleth” (“ear of grain” or “stream,” see Isa 17:12, as they might have called the Jordan), which they pronounced “sibboleth,” and he would kill them there.

Judges 12:7. Jephthah judged Israel for six years, and Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead. After his death, Jephthah, who had been a judge of the Israelites for a relatively short time (6 years) and probably only over the eastern half of Palestine, was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Judges 12:8. After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. Judges 12:9. He had thirty sons and thirty daughters he sent out in marriage, and thirty daughters he took from outside for his sons, and he judged Israel for seven years. Judges 12:10. And Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem. Judges 12:11. After him, Elon the Zebulonite judged Israel and judged Israel for ten years. Judges 12:12. And Elon the Zebulonite died and was buried in Aijalon, in the land of Zebulun. Judges 12:13. After him, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, judged Israel. Judges 12:14. He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy young donkeys; and he judged Israel for eight years. Judges 12:15. And Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, on the hill of Amalek. After Jephthah’s death, the judges of the Israelites were Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon, who did not distinguish themselves by any particular actions among the people. The first of them was buried in Bethlehem, probably Judah’s; the second in Aijalon of the Zebulonites (Josh 19:33 according to the Hebrew text), and the third in the tribe of Ephraim, in a place called the hill of Amalek. The birthplace of Abdon, the city of Pirathon, is identified with modern Faratha (in 1 Macc 9:50: Pharathon).

Chapter Thirteen

1. The oppression by the Philistines. 2–23. The appearances of the Angel of the Lord to Manoah and his wife. 24–25. The birth of Samson.

Judges 13:1. The children of Israel continued to do evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years. At the same time that the Ammonites oppressed the Israelites in the western part of Palestine, the Philistines were also oppressing them (cf. Judg 10:7), and their oppression lasted forty years.

Judges 13:2. At that time there was a man from Zorah, of the tribe of Dan, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had not borne children. Judges 13:3. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to his wife and said to her: Behold, you are barren and have not borne children; but you shall conceive and bear a son; Judges 13:4. therefore be careful, do not drink wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean; Judges 13:5. for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, because the child shall be a Nazirite of God from the womb; and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines. Judges 13:6. His wife came and told her husband, saying: A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of the Angel of God, very awesome; I did not ask him where he was from, and he did not tell me his name; Judges 13:7. and he said to me: “Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son; therefore do not drink wine or strong drink and eat nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.” Judges 13:8. Manoah prayed to the Lord and said: O my Lord! please let the man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do with the child who will be born. Judges 13:9. And God heard the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came again to his wife when she was sitting in the field, and her husband Manoah was not with her. Judges 13:10. His wife quickly ran and told her husband and said to him: Behold, the man who came to me the other day has appeared to me. Judges 13:11. Manoah arose and went with his wife, and came to the man and said to him: Are you the man who spoke with my wife? The Angel said: I am. Judges 13:12. And Manoah said: Now when your words come to pass, what shall be the manner of the child’s life, and what shall be his practice? Judges 13:13. The Angel of the Lord said to Manoah: Of all that I said to his wife, let him beware; Judges 13:14. he shall not eat anything that comes from the vine; neither shall he drink wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean; everything I have commanded let him observe. Judges 13:15. And Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord: Please allow us to detain you, until we have prepared a young goat for you. Judges 13:16. The Angel of the Lord said to Manoah: Though you detain me, I will not eat of your food; but if you wish to prepare a burnt offering for the Lord, then offer it. (Manoah did not know that he was the Angel of the Lord.) Judges 13:17. And Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord: What is your name, so that when your words come true we may honor you? Judges 13:18. The Angel of the Lord said to him: Why do you ask my name? It is mysterious. Judges 13:19. And Manoah took the young goat and the grain offering and offered them upon the rock to the Lord. And He performed a wonderful deed while Manoah and his wife looked on. Judges 13:20. When the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. Judges 13:21. And the Angel of the Lord appeared no longer to Manoah and his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the Angel of the Lord. Judges 13:22. And Manoah said to his wife: We shall surely die, for we have seen God. Judges 13:23. His wife said to him: If the Lord had intended to kill us, He would not have accepted the burnt offering and the grain offering from our hands, and would not have shown us all these things, nor would He now have told us such things. At that time in the tribe of Dan, which bordered on Philistine territory, in the city of Zorah (cf. Josh 15:33, now Sara), there lived Manoah whose wife was barren. The Angel of the Lord who appeared to them announced to them the birth of a son who would be a Nazirite from the womb (cf. Num 6:2-7). Because of the appearance of the Angel of the Lord, an altar was built by Manoah, the remains of which were discovered near Artufa (on the 52nd kilometer of the Jaffa-Jerusalem railway) by the architect Schick in 1883 (A. A. Olesnitsky, Megalithic Monuments in Palestine, p. 312–314).

Judges 13:24. And his wife bore a son and called his name Samson. And the child grew, and the Lord blessed him. Judges 13:25. And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him in the camp of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. The son born to Manoah and his wife, Samson, who was inspired by the Spirit of God, first began to display his extraordinary strength and courage in the military camp of the Danites, between Zorah (Sara) and Eshtaol (now Ashu) (cf. Josh 15:33).

Chapter Fourteen

1–10. Samson’s marriage. 11–18. Samson’s riddle and the way it was solved. 19–20. Payment for solving the riddle, Samson’s anger, and his wife’s betrayal.

Judges 14:1. And Samson went down to Timnah and saw a woman in Timnah from the daughters of the Philistines. Judges 14:2. He went up and told his father and his mother, saying: I have seen a woman in Timnah from the daughters of the Philistines; now get her for me as a wife. Judges 14:3. His father and mother said to him: Is there no woman among the daughters of your kindred and among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines? But Samson said to his father: Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes. Judges 14:4. His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, and that he was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. Judges 14:5. And Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah; and as they approached the vineyards of Timnah, a young lion came roaring toward him. Judges 14:6. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one tears apart a young goat; and he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done. Judges 14:7. And he went and spoke with the woman, and she was right in his eyes. Judges 14:8. After some days, he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion; and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the carcass of the lion, and honey. Judges 14:9. He scraped the honey into his hands and went on, eating as he went; and when he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they ate; but he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the carcass of the lion. Judges 14:10. And his father went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there; for so the young men used to do. During his visit to Timnah (the same as Opina; cf. Josh 15:10, now Tibne), a city that belonged to the tribe of Judah but was occupied by the Philistines, Samson saw a Philistine woman who pleased him, and he married her, contrary to his parents’ objection, who considered it unlawful for an Israelite to enter into a union with the uncircumcised (cf. Exod 34:16; Deut 7:3).

Judges 14:11. And when they saw him, they selected thirty companions to be with him. Judges 14:12. And Samson said to them: Let me put a riddle to you; if you can indeed explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty festal garments. Judges 14:13. But if you cannot explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty festal garments. And they said to him: Put your riddle, that we may hear it. Judges 14:14. And he said to them: Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet. And they could not answer the riddle for three days. Judges 14:15. On the seventh day, they said to Samson’s wife: Coax your husband to explain the riddle to us, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us here to impoverish us? Judges 14:16. And Samson’s wife wept before him and said: You hate me and do not love me; you have posed a riddle to the children of my people, and you will not explain it to me. He said to her: I have not even explained it to my father and mother, why should I explain it to you? Judges 14:17. And she wept before him the seven days that their feast lasted; and on the seventh day he told her, because she pressed him hard. And she explained the riddle to the children of her people. Judges 14:18. And on the seventh day before the sun went down, the men of the city said to him: What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion? He said to them: If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle. Judges 14:19. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, took their clothing and gave the festal garments to those who had explained the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house. Judges 14:20. And Samson’s wife was given to his companion who had been his best man. During the wedding feast, Samson posed a riddle to his groomsmen, and for explaining it he promised them 30 robes of fine linen and 30 changes of clothes, and when they, having learned the meaning of the riddle from his wife, told him its solution, he went to the Philistine city of Ashkelon, killed 30 men there and, stripping them of their clothes, gave them to those who had solved the riddle, after which he himself angrily departed to his father’s house, and his wife went to one of the groomsmen, thus proving to be unfaithful to Samson. * * * A linen robe

Chapter Fifteen

1–2. Samson’s visit to his wife. 3–8. His revenge against the Philistines for taking away his wife. 9–13. The threat of the Philistines to the men of Judah regarding Samson and the men of Judah’s betrayal of him to the Philistines. 14–17. The slaying of the Philistines near Ramath-lehi. 18–19. A miraculous spring. 20. The period of Samson’s judging.

Judges 15:1. After some days, at the time of wheat harvest, Samson went to visit his wife, bringing her a young goat; and he said: I will go in to my wife in the inner room. But her father would not allow him to go in. Judges 15:2. Her father said: I was sure that you had rejected her; so I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister better than she? Let her be yours instead. Judges 15:3. And Samson said to them: This time I shall not be guilty in regard to the Philistines when I do harm to them. Judges 15:4. And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches; and he turned tail to tail and put a torch between each pair of tails; Judges 15:5. and set the torches on fire, and let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up the shocks and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves. After visiting his wife’s house in Timnah and being denied permission by her father to see her, since she had already been given to another, Samson, to take revenge on the Philistines, caught three hundred foxes (schualim means both foxes and jackals, which are similar to foxes), tied them tail to tail, and fastened a torch between each pair of tails, lit the torches, and sent this entire fire-bearing pack into the fields and gardens of the Philistines.

Judges 15:6. And the Philistines said: Who has done this? And they said: Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up and burned her and her father’s house with fire. Judges 15:7. And Samson said to them: Although you have done this, I will be avenged upon you, and only then will I stop. Judges 15:8. And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter; and he went down and stayed in the cleft of the rock of Etam. In retaliation for the damage to the fields and gardens caused by Samson’s action, the Philistines burned down the house of his father-in-law and Samson’s unfaithful wife. Learning of this, Samson struck many Philistines on the hip and thigh, and then went and hid in the cleft of the rock of Etam, which is located on the eastern side of the Shephelah plain, in the foothills of the hills of Judah.

Judges 15:9. And the Philistines came up and encamped in Judah, and made a raid as far as Lehi. Judges 15:10. And the men of Judah said: Why have you come up against us? The Philistines said: We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he has done to us. Judges 15:11. Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson: Do you not know that the Philistines are masters over us? What then is this that you have done to us? He said to them: As they did to me, so I have done to them. Judges 15:12. And they said to him: We have come down to bind you and give you into the hands of the Philistines. And Samson said to them: Swear to me that you yourselves will not attack me. Judges 15:13. And they said to him: No, we will only bind you and give you into their hands; we will not kill you ourselves. And they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the cleft. Seeing in Samson a very dangerous enemy, the Philistines decided to demand him from the Judeans, in whose territory he was hiding. Therefore, their forces advanced and encamped at the place called Lehi, lying north of Beersheba (Gen 21:31) and known today as Tell el-Leqiyeh, and demanded that the men of Judah hand over Samson, who was hiding in the cleft of Etam.

Judges 15:14. When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands. Judges 15:15. And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put out his hand and seized it, and with it he struck down a thousand men. Judges 15:16. And Samson said: With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey I have struck down a thousand men. Judges 15:17. And when he had finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone out of his hand; and that place was called Ramath-lehi. After being handed over by the men of Judah to the Philistines, Samson broke the ropes that bound him and with a donkey’s jawbone struck down a great many Philistines. The place itself was named Ramath-lehi (the jawbone that was thrown).

Judges 15:18. And Samson was very thirsty, and he called upon the Lord and said: You have granted your servant this great deliverance; but now I shall die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised. Judges 15:19. And God split open the hollow place that is in Lehi, and water came out of it. When he drank, his strength returned, and he revived; therefore it is called En-hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day. When Samson, after defeating the Philistines, was exhausted from thirst and turned to the Lord in prayer, the Lord, in response to his prayer, split open a spring, which Samson named “the spring of the one who cried out” (En-hagore).

Judges 15:20. And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines for twenty years. The judging of Samson is believed to have been concurrent with the judging of Ibzan and Elon (cf. Judg 12:8). * * * The jawbone that was thrown

Chapter Sixteen

1–3. Samson’s visit to Gaza. 4–20. His passion for Delilah and its fatal consequences for Samson. 21–30. Samson’s dying revenge against the Philistines. 31. Samson’s death and burial.

Judges 16:1. And Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a harlot, and went in to her. Judges 16:2. The Gazites were told: Samson has come here. And they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They kept quiet all night, saying: In the morning light we will kill him. Judges 16:3. But Samson lay until midnight; and at midnight he rose and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, pulled them up together with the bars, put them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill which faces Hebron. Samson, who was surrounded in Gaza by the inhabitants of the city, who intended to kill him, at midnight went out of the city, having torn out the city gates and carried them to the top of a mountain, found a half-hour’s journey north of Gaza, now called Samson’s Mountain (Robinson).

Judges 16:4. After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. Judges 16:5. And the lords of the Philistines came to her and said: Entice him, and find out wherein his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, so that we may bind him and subdue him; and we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver. Judges 16:6. And Delilah said to Samson: Tell me, I pray, wherein lies your great strength, and wherewith you might be bound to subdue you? Judges 16:7. Samson said to her: If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings, which have not been dried, then I shall become weak and be like any other man. Judges 16:8. Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. Judges 16:9. (Now she had an ambush waiting in the inner chamber.) And she said to him: Samson! The Philistines are upon you! And he snapped the bowstrings as a strand of tow snaps when it touches the fire. So his strength was not discovered. Judges 16:10. And Delilah said to Samson: Look, you have mocked me and told me lies; please tell me how you might be bound. Judges 16:11. He said to her: If they bind me with new ropes that have not been used, then I shall become weak and be like any other man. Judges 16:12. So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, and said to him: Samson! The Philistines are upon you! (And there was an ambush waiting in the inner chamber.) And he snapped them off his arms like a thread. Judges 16:13. And Delilah said to Samson: Until now you have mocked me and told me lies; tell me how you might be bound. He said to her: If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web and fasten it with a pin to the loom, then I shall become weak and be like any other man. Judges 16:14. (So while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of his head and wove them into the web. And she fastened it with the pin to the loom.) Then she said to him: Samson! The Philistines are upon you! And he awoke from his sleep, and pulled away the pin of the loom and the web. Judges 16:15. And she said to him: How can you say, “I love you,” when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me wherein your great strength lies. Judges 16:16. And it came to pass, when she pressed him with her words all day and urged him, that his soul was grieved to death. Judges 16:17. And he told her all his heart, and said to her: A razor has never come upon my head; for I am a Nazirite of God from my mother’s womb; if I were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become weak and be like any other man. Judges 16:18. When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying: Come up this once, for he has told me all his heart. And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands. Judges 16:19. And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to afflict him, and his strength left him. Judges 16:20. She said to him: The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And he awoke from his sleep and said: I will go out as before and shake myself free. But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Samson’s passion for Delilah, who lived in the Valley of Sorek, now Wadi es-Sarar, on the north of which are the ruins of the village of Sorek, was fatal for Samson.

Judges 16:21. And the Philistines seized him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles; and he ground grain in the prison. Captured by the Philistines, Samson was blinded, brought to Gaza, and, as a prisoner (cf. Isa 47:2), was placed in a dungeon, where he was made to turn the mill wheel.

Judges 16:22. However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. Judges 16:23. And the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice; and they said: Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand. Judges 16:24. And when the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said: Our god has given into our hands our enemy and the ravager of our land, who has killed many of us. Judges 16:25. And when their hearts were merry, they said: Call Samson, that he may make sport for us. So they called Samson out of the prison, and he made sport before them. And they stationed him between the pillars. Judges 16:26. And Samson said to the servant who held him by the hand: Let me feel the pillars upon which the house rests, that I may lean against them. Judges 16:27. Now the house was full of men and women; all the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the roof there were about three thousand men and women, watching while Samson made sport. Judges 16:28. Then Samson called to the Lord and said: O Lord God, I pray, remember me and strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged upon the Philistines for my two eyes. Judges 16:29. And Samson grasped the two middle pillars upon which the house rested, and leaned his weight against them, his right hand on one and his left hand on the other. Judges 16:30. And Samson said: Let me die with the Philistines! And he bowed with all his might; and the house fell in upon the lords and upon all the people that were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life. At the festival of the Philistine god Dagon, who symbolized the power of fertility and was depicted with the head and arms of a man and the body of a fish (1 Sam 5:4), Samson, brought for the amusement of the celebrating crowd into the courtyard of the temple, stood between two pillars that supported the roof of the terrace surrounding the temple of Dagon. When he pushed the pillars from their place, the roof of the terrace, which collapsed as a result, crushed beneath it many of the Philistines standing beneath it, including Samson himself.

Judges 16:31. Then his brothers and all the house of his father came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. And he judged Israel for twenty years. [And after Samson there arose Emeghar, the son of Enana, and he struck down six hundred men of the foreigners; and he also saved Israel.] The tomb of Samson was located not far from Zorah (Sara). It was seen, among others, by Rabbi Isaac Shelo, who traveled to Palestine in 1333. Guerin identifies the tomb of Samson with the tomb of Weli-Sheikh-Geriba (Guerin, Description géographique, historique et archéologique de la Palestine, I.e., t. III, p. 324–326).

Chapter Seventeen

1–6. The making of idolatrous objects by Micah. 7–13. The service of a Levite as priest in Micah’s house.

Judges 17:1. There was a man on the hill country of Ephraim, named Micah. Judges 17:2. He said to his mother: The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, and concerning which you uttered a curse in my hearing—behold, I have the money; I took it. His mother said: Blessed be my son by the Lord! Judges 17:3. He returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother. And his mother said: I had wholly dedicated the silver to the Lord for my son, to make a carved image and a molten image; so now I return it to you. Judges 17:4. But he returned the money to his mother. His mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the silversmith. He made from them a carved image and a molten image, and they were in the house of Micah. Judges 17:5. And Micah had a house of God. He made an ephod and teraphim, and appointed one of his sons as his priest. Judges 17:6. In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in their own eyes. A certain Micah from the tribe of Ephraim, from silver given to him by his mother (200 shekels, worth approximately 160 rubles in silver, about eight pounds), made a carved image and a molten image, then added to them an ephod and teraphim, and, setting up these objects in his house, probably in a special room, entrusted one of his sons to serve as priest over them. The carved image mentioned in Micah’s religious practice (pesél from rasál—to hew or carve) was probably cut in the form of a small pillar, after the manner of Canaanite standing stones (Deut 7:5), dedicated to Yahweh, like Jacob’s Bethel (Gen 28:18-19). The molten image (massékah from nasák—to pour), as is evident from various places in the Bible where this term is used (cf. Exod 32:4; Deut 9:12; 1 Kgs 14:9; 2 Kgs 17:16), was probably in the form of a calf and served as a symbolic representation of Yahweh. The ephod was either the garment of the priest himself, in the form of the high priest’s (cf. Judg 8:27), or of the image, as some suppose. Concerning the teraphim, see Gen 31:19.

Judges 17:7. A young man from Bethlehem in Judah, from the tribe of Judah, a Levite, who sojourned there; Judges 17:8. this man left the city of Bethlehem in Judah to find a place to live wherever he could, and as he journeyed, he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah. Judges 17:9. And Micah said to him: Where do you come from? He said to him: I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to find a place to live wherever I can. Judges 17:10. And Micah said to him: Stay with me and be to me a father and a priest; I will give you ten shekels of silver a year, your clothing, and your food. Judges 17:11. The Levite went in and agreed to stay with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons. Judges 17:12. Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in the house of Micah. Judges 17:13. And Micah said: Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as my priest. When Micah met by chance a young Levite seeking a living, he invited him to his house and proposed that he become his priest instead of his son, offering him in payment clothing, food, and ten shekels of silver (8 rubles in silver), to which the young man gladly agreed.

Chapter Eighteen

1–2. The Danites seeking a territory for themselves. 3–6. Their meeting with the Levite in Micah’s house and their inquiry of God. 7–12. Their visit to the city of Laish and their report to their kinsmen. 13–26. A band of Danites visits Micah’s house, steals the idolatrous objects, and leads away the Levite. 27–29. The Danites capture Laish and set up the idolatrous objects from Micah’s house. 30–31. The worship of the Danites.

Judges 18:1. In those days there was no king in Israel; and in those days the tribe of Dan was seeking for itself a territory where it might settle, for until then it had not received its full inheritance among the tribes of Israel. Judges 18:2. And the people of Dan sent from their tribe five mighty men, from Zorah and Estaol, to scout the land and explore it; and they said to them: Go, explore the land. They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. The Amorites had driven the tribe of Dan out of its appointed territory (Judg 1:34), and therefore the Danites were forced to seek a territory elsewhere in the promised land. The delegation they sent from Zorah (Sar’a) and Estaol (Ashúa) (cf. Judg 13:25), traveling northward and passing through the territory of the tribe of Ephraim, reached the house of Micah and stopped there for the night.

Judges 18:3. While they were at Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite and turned aside there, and said to him: Who brought you here? What are you doing here, and why are you here? Judges 18:4. He said to them: So-and-so has done this for me: he hired me, and I have become his priest. Judges 18:5. They said to him: Please inquire of God, so that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will prosper. Judges 18:6. The priest said to them: Go in peace; the journey on which you are going is under the Lord’s approval. Recognizing from his accent—which differed from that of the Ephraimites (cf. Judg 12:6)—that the young man in Micah’s house was a Levite, and learning from him that he was serving there as a priest, the Danite envoys asked him to inquire of God about the success of their journey, which he did.

Judges 18:7. Then the five men departed and came to Laish. They saw the people who were there living securely, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting; there was no one in the land who might put them to shame regarding anything, or who had power over them: they were far from the Sidonians, and had no dealings with anyone. Judges 18:8. [The five men] returned to their kinsmen in Zorah and Estaol, and their kinsmen said to them: What is there? Judges 18:9. They said: Come, let us go against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. Will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go, to take possession of the land; Judges 18:10. when you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people, and the land is broad; God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything on earth. Judges 18:11. And six hundred men of the Danites, equipped with weapons of war, departed from there, from Zorah and Estaol. Judges 18:12. They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. Therefore that place is called the camp of Dan to this day; it is west of Kiriath-jearim. After the Levite’s answer, the Danite envoys went north through the promised land, reached the city of Laish, which was called Leshem in the time of Joshua (Josh 19:47), and saw the careless and disorderly way of life of the city’s inhabitants, as well as their distance from Sidon (Phoenicia), under whose protection they were. Laish-Dan, which stood at the site of Tell el-Qadi near Paneas, was separated from Sidon by the deep gorge of the Nahr el-Litani, from Damascus by Hermon, and from Syria by the valley of the Bika’a (Coele-Syria). After returning from Laish, the Danite envoys informed their kinsmen both of the character of the city’s inhabitants and of the land itself; thereupon six hundred armed Danites set out from Zorah and Estaol and traveled north, camping first at Kiriath-yearim (Josh 18:14-15).

Judges 18:13. From there they passed on to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah. Judges 18:14. Then the five men who had gone to scout the land of Laish said to their kinsmen: Do you know that in one of these houses there is an ephod, teraphim, a carved image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider what you will do. Judges 18:15. So they turned aside there and came to the house of the young Levite, at the house of Micah, and greeted him. Judges 18:16. And the six hundred men of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate. Judges 18:17. The five men who had gone to scout the land went in and took the carved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men equipped with weapons of war. Judges 18:18. When they went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them: What are you doing? Judges 18:19. They said to him: Be quiet, keep your hand over your mouth, and come with us and be to us a father and a priest; is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel? Judges 18:20. The priest was pleased; he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the carved image, and went along with the people. Judges 18:21. They turned and departed, putting the little ones, the cattle, and the goods in front of them. Judges 18:22. When they had gone some distance from Micah’s house, [Micah and] the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house were called out, and they overtook the Danites, Judges 18:23. and shouted after the Danites. [The Danites] turned around and said to Micah: What is the matter with you that you cry out? Judges 18:24. [Micah] said: You have taken my gods which I made, and the priest, and gone away; what have I left? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’ Judges 18:25. The Danites said to him: Do not let us hear your voice again, or else hot-tempered men will attack you, and you will lose your life and the lives of your household. Judges 18:26. Then the Danites went on their way. When Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home. Following the same path that their envoys had taken before, the Danites reached Micah’s house and, having learned from the envoys of the idolatrous objects and the Levite there, sent men in who entered the house, took the objects of worship, and persuaded the Levite to go with them.

Judges 18:27. [The Danites] took what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them down with the edge of the sword, and burned down the city. Judges 18:28. There was no one to rescue it, because it was far from Sidon, and it had no dealings with Aram. [The city] was in the valley near Beth-rehob. They rebuilt the city and lived in it, Judges 18:29. and named the city Dan, after their ancestor Dan son of Israel; but the name of the city was formerly Laish. When the Danites reached Laish, they killed the inhabitants and burned the city, which was located at the entrance to the valley of Beth-rehob (Coele-Syria). The place called Beth-rehob, which gave its name to the valley, is thought to be at Hibbarieh.

Judges 18:30. The Danites set up the carved image for themselves; and Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land; Judges 18:31. they maintained the carved image which Micah had made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh. Having built the city and named it Dan, the Danites set up in it the objects of worship they had taken. The Levite they led away, named Jonathan, was the grandson of Manasseh (or of Moses, cf. Baba Batra, 109, question, and Jer. Berachot 10, 2); Jonathan and his sons were priests to the Danites. Thus the Danites established a separate cult, distinct from the legitimate worship in Shiloh. This cult existed until the time when the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines (1 Sam 4:22), throughout the entire period when the tabernacle of Moses was in Shiloh (cf. 1 Sam 1:3 and following) (cf. the introduction, on the origin of the Book of Judges, section b).

Chapter Nineteen

1–30. The display of cruelty and moral depravity by the inhabitants of Gibeah when a Levite passed through on his journey.

Judges 19:1. In those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite residing in the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. Judges 19:2. And his concubine became angry with him, and she went away from him to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah, and was there some four months. Judges 19:3. Then her husband set out after her, to speak tenderly to her and bring her back. He had with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. When he reached her father’s house, the father of the young woman saw him and came with joy to meet him. Judges 19:4. Her father, the father of the young woman, insisted that he stay, and he remained with him three days; so they ate and drank, and he slept there. Judges 19:5. On the fourth day they rose early in the morning, and he prepared to leave; but the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law: Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and after that you may go. Judges 19:6. So the two of them sat and ate and drank together; and the father of the young woman said to the man: Why not spend the night and enjoy yourself? Judges 19:7. The man rose to leave, but his father-in-law urged him; so he stayed and spent the night there again. Judges 19:8. On the fifth day he rose early in the morning to leave; and the father of the young woman said: Strengthen your heart [with food], and wait until the day declines. So the two of them ate [and drank]. Judges 19:9. When the man rose to leave, he and his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, said to him: See, the day has waned toward evening; please spend the night. See, the day is coming to its close; lodge here and let your heart be merry; tomorrow you can rise early in the morning for your journey, and go home. Judges 19:10. But the man would not spend the night; he rose up and departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem) with his concubine and his servant; they had with them a pair of saddled donkeys. Judges 19:11. When they were near Jebus, the day was nearly over; and the servant said to his master: Come now, let us turn aside to this city of the Jebusites, and spend the night in it. Judges 19:12. But his master said to him: We will not turn aside into a city of foreigners, who do not belong to the people of Israel; but we will continue on to Gibeah. Judges 19:13. And he said to his servant: Come, let us try to reach one of these places, and spend the night at Gibeah or at Ramah. Judges 19:14. So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin. A Levite, returning with his concubine from her father’s house, which was probably in the tribe of Judah, and being unwilling to spend the night in Jerusalem, as it was then a city of the Jebusites, came to Gibeah of Benjamin (now Tell el-Fullah) for lodging, which is an hour’s journey north of Jerusalem.

Judges 19:15. So they turned aside there, to go in and lodge in Gibeah. He went in and sat down in the open square of the city, but no one took them in to lodge. Judges 19:16. Then at evening there was an old man coming from his work in the field; he was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was residing in Gibeah. (The people of the place were Benjaminites.) Judges 19:17. When the old man looked up and saw the wayfarer in the open square of the city, he said: Where are you going and where do you come from? Judges 19:18. He answered: We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, from where I come. I went to Bethlehem in Judah; and I am going to the house of the Lord; but there is no one who has taken me in. Judges 19:19. We have straw and fodder for our donkeys, with bread and wine for me and your maidservant and the young man along with your servants; there is no lack of anything. Judges 19:20. The old man said: Peace be to you. I will care for all your needs; only, do not spend the night in the square. Judges 19:21. So he brought him into his house, and fed the donkeys [with him]; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank. After the inhabitants of Gibeah refused to give the traveling Levite lodging, he was taken in by an old man, a native of the area of the tribe of Ephraim, the same place from which the Levite himself came.

Judges 19:22. As they were making merry, the men of the city, a perverse lot, surrounded the house, and started pounding on the door. They said to the old man, the master of the house: Bring out the man who came into your house, so that we may know him. Judges 19:23. The man, the master of the house, went out to them and said: No, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Since this man is a guest in my house, do not do this vile thing. Judges 19:24. Behold, here are my daughter, a virgin, and his concubine; let me bring them out now. Violate them and do with them what seems good to you; but against this man do not do so vile a thing. Judges 19:25. But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine, and put her out to them. They knew her, and abused her all through the night until the morning. And as the dawn began to break, they let her go. Judges 19:26. As morning appeared, the woman came and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her master was, until it was light. Judges 19:27. In the morning her master rose, opened the doors of the house, and went out to go on his way, when behold, his concubine was lying at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold. Judges 19:28. He said to her: Get up, let us be going. But there was no answer, [because she was dead]. He put her on the donkey; and the man set out and went to his home. The Gibeahites, like the men of Sodom (Gen 19:4-5), combining cruelty with lust and sodomy, demanded from the old man who had shown hospitality to the Levite that he give up the Levite for sodomy. But when the old man succeeded in protecting the Levite himself, the Levite himself gave them his concubine, whom they abused throughout the entire night, so that she, having reached the threshold of the house where the Levite was as dawn broke, died there from exhaustion.

Judges 19:29. When he entered his house, he took a knife, and grasping his concubine he divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel. Judges 19:30. All who saw it said: Such a thing has never happened or been seen from the day the Israelites came up out of the land of Egypt until this day. [Consider it, take counsel, and speak out.] Reflect on this, consult, and declare. Having brought her corpse to his house, the Levite cut it into twelve pieces and sent one piece to each tribe of Israel, so as to draw the Israelites’ attention to the cruelty and moral depravity of the Gibeahites.

Chapter Twenty

1–2. The assembly of the people of Israel at Mizpah. 3–7. The interrogation of the wronged Levite. 8–17. The decision of the assembly to punish the Benjaminites, who refused to hand over the guilty Gibeahites. 18–48. The civil war between the eleven tribes against Benjamin and the defeat of the Benjaminites.

Judges 20:1. Then all the Israelites came out, and the congregation assembled as one from Dan to Beer-sheba, including the land of Gilead, before the Lord at Mizpah. Judges 20:2. The leaders of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand foot-soldiers bearing arms. Appalled by the heinous crime of the Benjaminites, the Israelites from all the other tribes, from the far north of Palestine (Dan) to the far south (Beer-sheba), and including the trans-Jordan region (the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh), assembled at Mizpah (cf. Josh 18:26, now Tell Nasbe), from which it was convenient to exert some influence over the inhabitants of Gibeah, which lay in the same tribe of Benjamin. The Benjaminites also heard of this assembly.

Judges 20:3. Now the Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. And the Israelites said: Tell us, how did this wickedness come about? Judges 20:4. The Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered: I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. Judges 20:5. The lords of Gibeah rose up against me, and surrounded the house at night because of me. They intended to kill me, and they raped my concubine [and she died]; Judges 20:6. so I took my concubine and cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the entire territory of Israel’s possession, for they committed a crime and a disgraceful act in Israel; Judges 20:7. so now, you Israelites, all of you, give your advice and counsel here. The representatives of the assembly questioned the wronged Levite about the crime of the Gibeahites. He recounted to them both the crime and his own sending of parts of his concubine’s corpse throughout the tribes, after which he asked them to pronounce a judgment and decision in the matter.

Judges 20:8. All the people rose as one, saying: We will not any of us go to our tents, nor will any of us return to our houses. Judges 20:9. But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: [we will go] against it by lot; Judges 20:10. we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the troops, who are to go to punish Gibeah of Benjamin, for the crime that it has committed in Israel. Judges 20:11. So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one. Judges 20:12. The tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying: What crime is this that has been committed among you? Judges 20:13. Now then, hand over those scoundrels in Gibeah, so that we may put them to death, and purge the evil from Israel. But the Benjaminites would not listen to their kinsmen, the Israelites. Judges 20:14. Instead, the Benjaminites mustered from their towns to fight against the Israelites. Judges 20:15. On that day the Benjaminites mustered from their towns twenty-six thousand men armed with swords, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered seven hundred picked men. Judges 20:16. Of all this force, there were seven hundred picked men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair, and not miss. Judges 20:17. And the Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand men in arms, all of them warriors. After hearing the Levite, the assembly of Israelites unanimously decided to punish the Gibeahites. But when they approached the representatives of the tribe of Benjamin with such a request, they refused to carry out such punishment.

Judges 20:18. The Israelites proceeded to Bethel, and inquired of God, saying: Which of us shall go up first to battle against the Benjaminites? And the Lord answered: Judah shall go up first. Judges 20:19. So the Israelites rose in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah. Judges 20:20. The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gibeah. Judges 20:21. The Benjaminites came out of Gibeah, and struck down on that day twenty-two thousand men of the Israelites. Judges 20:22. The Israelites took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day. Judges 20:23. The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until the evening; and they inquired of the Lord: Shall we again draw near to battle against our kinsmen the Benjaminites? And the Lord said: Go up against them. Judges 20:24. So the Israelites advanced against the Benjaminites on the second day. Judges 20:25. Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah on the second day, and struck down eighteen thousand of the Israelites, all of them armed with swords. Discouraged by two defeats, the Benjaminites were fewer in numbers than the Israelites, but they surpassed them in the art of shooting, so that in the first two battles they won victories.

Judges 20:26. Then all the Israelites, the whole army, went back to Bethel and wept, sitting there before the Lord; they fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. Judges 20:27. And the Israelites inquired of the Lord [in those days the ark of the covenant of God was there, Judges 20:28. and Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, ministered before it]: Shall we again go out to battle against our kinsmen the Benjaminites, or shall I refrain? The Lord answered: Go; for tomorrow I will give them into your hand. Distressed by the two defeats, the Israelites gathered at Bethel, where the Ark of the Covenant had been brought for that time, observed a day-long fast, offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and through the high priest Phinehas (this event dates to the beginning of the Book of Judges) inquired of the Lord whether they should continue the war against the Benjaminites. The Lord, through the Urim and Thummim, told them to go out against the Benjaminites and promised to deliver them into the hands of the Israelites.

Judges 20:29. So Israel stationed men in ambush around Gibeah. Judges 20:30. The Israelites went up against the Benjaminites on the third day, and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as before. Judges 20:31. The Benjaminites went out against the people and were drawn away from the city. As before, they began to inflict casualties on the Israelites, killing about thirty men on the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, in the open country. Judges 20:32. The Benjaminites said: They are being routed before us, as previously. But the Israelites said: Let us flee, and draw them away from the city onto the highways. [And they did so.] Judges 20:33. Then all the men of Israel rose from their place and formed their battle line at Baal-tamar; and the ambush of Israel rushed out of their place west of Gibeah. Judges 20:34. There came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard; but the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was close upon them. Judges 20:35. And the Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel; and the Israelites destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men, all armed. Judges 20:36. When the Benjaminites saw that they were defeated, the men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted in the ambuscade that they had set against Gibeah. Judges 20:37. The men in ambush rushed quickly upon Gibeah. Then they put the whole city to the sword. Judges 20:38. The agreed signal between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that when they saw the smoke of the city rising to the sky, then the men of Israel should turn in battle. Judges 20:39. Now when the men of Israel turned in the battle, Benjamin began to strike and kill some of the men of Israel, killing about thirty of them; for they said: Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle. Judges 20:40. But when the cloud, a pillar of smoke, began to rise out of the city, the Benjaminites looked behind them; and there was the whole city going up in smoke toward the sky. Judges 20:41. Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that disaster had come upon them. Judges 20:42. They fled before the Israelites in the direction of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and those who came out of the cities were destroying them in the midst of them. Judges 20:43. Cutting off Benjamin, they pursued them and trod them down as far as Menuhah, and struck them down until they reached the east side of Gibeah. Judges 20:44. Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them men of valor. Judges 20:45. [The rest] turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon; five thousand men were cut down on the highways. And they were pursued relentlessly to Gidom, and two thousand of them were slain there. Judges 20:46. So all of Benjamin who fell that day were twenty-five thousand men bearing arms; all of them were men of valor. Judges 20:47. But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and remained at the rock of Rimmon for four months. Judges 20:48. The men of Israel turned back against the Benjaminites, and put them to the sword—the entire city, the cattle, and all that they found. And they set on fire all the towns they came across. By setting up an ambush, the Israelites defeated the Benjaminites on this occasion, destroying all the male population capable of waging war, except for six hundred men who escaped to the wilderness at the rock of Rimmon, located near Gibeah (still called Rimmon today). The city of Gibeah itself, with its inhabitants and livestock, was burned. The place called Baal-tamar mentioned in the account of the military operations of the Israelites can be identified with Betamar, mentioned by Eusebius (Onomast. 238, 75) as being located near Gibeah and rich in palm trees.

Chapter Twenty-One

1. The oath sworn by the Israelites at Mizpah. 2–7. The people’s sorrow regarding the possible destruction of the tribe of Benjamin. 8–14. The destruction of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead and the giving of the surviving maidens to the surviving Benjamites. 15–24. The abduction of the maidens of Shiloh to provide wives for the Benjamites. 25. A general characterization of the time of the judges of Israel.

Judges 21:1. And the Israelites swore at Mizpah, saying: None of us shall give his daughter in marriage to a son of Benjamin. Judges 21:2. And the people came to the house of God and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices with loud weeping and bitter tears, Judges 21:3. and said: O Lord, God of Israel! Why has this come to pass in Israel, that there is now lacking one tribe in Israel? Judges 21:4. On the next day the people rose early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Judges 21:5. And the sons of Israel said: Who of all the tribes of Israel did not come before the Lord? For a great curse had been pronounced against those who did not come before the Lord at Mizpah; and it was said that those should be put to death. Judges 21:6. And the sons of Israel had compassion on Benjamin, their brother, and said: Now one tribe is cut off from Israel; Judges 21:7. What shall we do about the survivors regarding wives, since we have sworn by the Lord not to give them wives from our daughters? Under the influence of strong anger against the Benjamites, the remaining eleven tribes of Israel, before the beginning of the war against them, took an oath at Mizpah not to give their daughters in marriage to them. As a result of the fulfillment of this oath by the Israelites, the tribe of Benjamin, considering that the Israelites could not marry Canaanite women (Exod 34:16; Deut 7:3), was threatened with complete extinction. Aware of this, the Israelites grieved over such a sad future for one of the glorious tribes of the entire people of Israel (Gen 49:27; Deut 33:12) and, having gathered in the city of Bethel, where the ark of the covenant was at that time, offered sacrifices to the Lord on account of this and at the same time asked about those Israelites who had not appeared at the assembly of the community of Israel at Mizpah and were thus as it were free from the oath taken by the community.

Judges 21:8. And they said: Is there anyone among the tribes of Israel who did not come before the Lord at Mizpah? And it was found that no one from Jabesh-Gilead had come before the Lord at the camp of the assembly. Judges 21:9. And the people were mustered, and behold, there was not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead. Judges 21:10. And the community sent twelve thousand strong men there, and commanded them, saying: Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead with the sword, both women and children; Judges 21:11. and do this: every male and every woman who has known the marriage bed, put to death, [but spare the virgin females. And they did so]. Judges 21:12. And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead four hundred virgin females who had not known a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. Judges 21:13. And the whole assembly sent word to the sons of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them. Judges 21:14. Then the sons of Benjamin returned [to the Israelites], and [the Israelites] gave them [the Israelites] the women whom they had kept alive from the women of Jabesh-Gilead; but this was not sufficient. After the investigation showed that no one from the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead, which lay on the west side of the Jordan, where now is Wadi Yabis, flowing into the Jordan below Scythopolis, had come to the assembly of the community of Israel at Mizpah, the community of Israel sent a detachment of warriors to completely destroy the inhabitants of Jabesh, except for the virgin females who had not known the marriage bed. The four hundred virgins thus left alive were given in marriage to the six hundred surviving Benjamites.

Judges 21:15. And the people grieved over Benjamin, because the Lord had not preserved the integrity of the tribes of Israel. Judges 21:16. And the elders of the assembly said: What shall we do about those who remain, regarding wives, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed? Judges 21:17. And they said: The inherited land shall remain secure for the surviving sons of Benjamin, so that a tribe may not be wiped out from Israel; Judges 21:18. but we cannot give them wives from our daughters; for the sons of Israel swore, saying: Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin. Judges 21:19. And they said: Behold, there is a festival of the Lord each year at Shiloh, which is to the north of Bethel and to the east of the road that leads from Bethel to Shechem, and to the south of Lebonah. Judges 21:20. And they commanded the sons of Benjamin and said: Go and lie in wait in the vineyards, Judges 21:21. and watch, when the maidens of Shiloh come out to dance in the festive round, then come out from the vineyards and seize each one a wife from the maidens of Shiloh and go to the land of Benjamin; Judges 21:22. and when their fathers or their brothers come with a complaint to us, we will say to them: Grant them to us as a favor, for we did not take a wife for each one of them in the war, and you have not given them; now you are guilty. Judges 21:23. And the sons of Benjamin did so, and took wives according to their number from those who were dancing in the festive round, whom they carried off, and went and returned to their inheritance, and built up the cities and dwelt in them. Judges 21:24. In that time the Israelites scattered from there each to his tribe and to his family, and went from there each to his own inheritance. To provide wives for the remaining two hundred Benjamites, they were permitted by the elders of the community to carry out an abduction of the maidens of Israel during the festival of booths, when the maidens would be dancing in festive rounds near Shiloh (now Seilun), along the road leading from Bethel to Shechem (Nablus) and from the south in the direction of Lebonah (now El-Lebun, near Seilun). The fact of the Benjamites’ abduction of wives for themselves has a similarity to the fact of a similar abduction by the Romans of the Sabine women for themselves as wives. After acquiring wives, the remaining Benjamites once again established families, built cities, and dwelt in them. Thus the tribe of Benjamin again acquired the possibility of its continuation in succession.

Judges 21:25. In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what seemed right in his own sight. In conclusion of the book of Judges, the writer again makes a remark about the lack of government that existed then in the people (cf. Judg 17:6), whose sad consequence was, among other things, the facts described by him at the end of the book—the cult of Micah (the Danites) and the story of the Gibeonites (ch. XVII-XXI).

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Introduction

Among the historical books of the Old Testament, after the book of Judges in the Greek (LXX), Latin (Vulgate), and Slavonic-Russian Bible, the book of Ruth is placed (LXX: Ρούθ, Vulgate: Ruth). “The eighth book of the Old Testament: Ruth is called thus because it contains the history of Ruth. Ruth was of Moabite origin; but rejecting her kinship and her fathers’ superstition, she turned to the true worship of God and moved to Bethlehem in Judah; there she entered into marriage with Boaz from the tribe of Judah. From her came the descent of David in the following manner: Boaz fathered Obed from Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David” (synopsis of Athanasius). In the Hebrew Bible, the book of Ruth stands in the third part of the Old Testament canon—in the section of the Writings, the “Ketuvim,” occupying the fifth place among them (after the books of Psalms, Proverbs, Job, and the Song of Songs). The latter position of Ruth in the Bible was, one must suppose, the original one; its placement in the Greek Bible between the books of Judges and Kings may have been occasioned by the fact that the events described in it relate to the time of the Judges, and on account of Ruth’s relation to David the book became, according to blessed Augustine (Christian Teaching, book 2, chapter 13), the beginning, or vestibule, to the books of Kings, which depict the history of the royal house of David; moreover, by adding the book of Ruth to the book of Judges (as the Lament of Jeremiah to the book of the prophet Jeremiah), the total number of books of the Old Testament was achieved as 22 (equal to the number of letters of the Hebrew alphabet), accepted by Josephus (“On the Antiquity of the Jewish People”—Against Apion I, 8), by the Jewish synagogue, and by some Church fathers (Origen, blessed Jerome, holy Epiphanius).

The characteristic distinction of the book of Ruth from other biblical books consists in the fact that its content is equally alien both from the main current of the historical life of Israel depicted in the historical and prophetic books of the Old Testament and from the inspired contemplation and sacred-lyric outpouring of eternal feelings of the human heart found in the wisdom books (Psalms, Proverbs, the book of Job, the Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes): the book of Ruth transports the reader into the narrow circle of an ancient Hebrew family, depicting with extraordinary vividness and attractiveness the fate, trials, and needs of the main figure—the Moabitess Ruth—as well as her virtues and final glorification through marriage with the Bethlehemite Boaz, by which she entered the people of God and became worthy to be the great-grandmother of King David. In the nature of its content, in the distinctness of character portrayals and in the manner of presentation, the book of Ruth resembles perhaps only certain scenes from the life of the patriarchs in the book of Genesis; in its external form it is rightly called an ancient Hebrew story from village life, an idyllic family picture full of the most sincere simplicity and naiveté. Despite this, the book of Ruth touches upon the general history of Israel in two respects: at the starting point of the narrative—the withdrawal of the Hebrew family of the Bethlehemite Elimelech to the land of Moab due to famine that had struck the land of the Hebrews (Ruth 1:1-2), and still more at the ending genealogy of King David (Ruth 4:17-22) at the end of the book (cf. 1 Chr 2:5-10), a genealogy whose inclusion of Ruth’s name has been inserted into the Gospel genealogy of the Lord (Matt 1:4-6). This historical feature of the book—the connection with the genealogy of David (explicitly emphasized in (Ruth 4:17))—was the cause of Ruth’s inclusion in the Old Testament canon; and since David was the father of Jesus Christ and the genealogy of David is a necessary part of the genealogy of the Savior, it is evident that the book of Ruth is also important from the New Testament perspective, from the standpoint of the historical foundations of Christianity. In this sense, blessed Theodoret, answering the question: why was the story of Ruth written? replies: “first of all, for the sake of Christ the Master; for from Ruth He was born in the flesh. Therefore the divine Matthew, when writing the genealogy, passed over renowned women virtuous in deed—Sarah, Rebekah, and others—but mentioned Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and even Bathsheba, thereby instructing that the Only-begotten Son of God became incarnate for the sake of all people, both Jews and other nations, both sinners and righteous” (Answer to Question I on the book of Ruth, Russian trans., Moscow, 1855, p. 313; cf. blessed Jerome of Stridon, Four Books of Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Works, part 16, Russian trans. Kiev 1901, p. 7). At the same time, according to blessed Theodoret, “although the story of Ruth was bound to be written for the sake of the Master, this history is in itself sufficient to bring all benefit to those knowing how to profit from such narratives; for it describes to us the heavy misfortunes and praiseworthy endurance of Naomi, the chastity and love toward her mother-in-law of her daughters-in-law, especially of Ruth, who by heartfelt piety and in memory of her husband preferred a decrepit old woman to her parents. The history also shows the virtue of Boaz” (Question I on Ruth, p. 314–315). In general, “the exposition and composition in this narrative are simple and graphic, distinguished by such an epic tone that it is altogether mistaken and unfounded to ascribe the composition of the book to the period after the captivity, which had a predominantly legislative character, for everything in it clearly testifies to the original era of Hebrew family life.” Thus, vainly did some perceive in Ruth a tendency to uphold the obligatory nature of the levirate (cf. Deut 25:5-10) marriage (Benary, De hebraeorum leviratu, 1835; Bertholet, Einleitung…): if indeed Ruth’s marriage to Boaz (Ruth 2:20) was levirate (Latin levir—brother-in-law) in the ancient Hebrew sense (Gen 38:7-11), (cf. Deut 25:5-10)—though strictly speaking, it cannot be called thus, since Boaz was not the brother of Ruth’s deceased husband—in any case this feature appears wholly incidental in the book’s narrative and has no essential connection with the main thread of the account. Likewise, one cannot see in the book of Ruth, as many scholars do (Geiger, Urschrift u. Ubersetzungen der Bibel, 1857, p. 49 ff, Bertholet, Stellung der Israelten z. Fremden, p. 145 ff; Graetz, Geschichte der Juden II, 2, p. 136 ff; Nowack, Handkommentar z. Alten Test. Richter—Ruth, 1900, p. 184–185, etc.), a protest against the post-captivity rigorism of Ezra (Ezra 9-10), Nehemiah (Neh 13:23-31), and their allies, who did not permit marriages of Jews with foreign women, with the implication that the example of the great ancestress of great David, the Moabitess Ruth, was the best refutation of the wrongfulness of those zealots of the letter of the law (Deut 23:3; Exod 34:16). But, apart from the artificiality of such a supposed protest, a post-captivity authorship of Ruth is improbable already by the very character of its content and exposition shown above; nor do the placement of it in the 3rd part of the Old Testament canon prove such late origin of Ruth (contrary to the opinion of Ewald, Histor.—Kritisch. Einleitung in d. A. T., 1886, p. 438 ff. and others), inasmuch as in this part are found the books of Psalms, Proverbs, and others of pre-captivity origin, nor do the Aramaisms found in the Hebrew text of the book, which occur also in the most ancient biblical books. On the contrary, the following data from the book itself speak for ancient origin of Ruth, namely during the first kings of the Hebrews: 1) the mode of expression (Ruth 1:1; cf. Judg 19:1) “in those days when the judges ruled…” shows that the events described in the book from the time of the Judges did not lie far distant from the time of the sacred writer of the book; 2) the genealogy (in Ruth 4:17-22) extends only to David; if the composition of the book belonged to a later epoch in the period of kings, nothing would have hindered the inclusion of the names of the royal descendants of David (moreover, after the captivity there was no sense in depicting the genealogy of David alone); 3) only in relation to David would a detailed account of Ruth’s great-grandmother have had significance; not without reason do they point in this regard to an incident from the life of David (1 Sam 22:1-3) (during the persecution by Saul, David placed his father and mother with the Moabite king), showing that the memory of the Moabite origin of David’s great-grandmother was fresh both for him and for his contemporaries. The authority of the Septuagint, which placed Ruth directly after Judges and before 1 Kings in the biblical codex, as well as the testimony of the Talmud (tract. Baba-Batra 14b) that Samuel was the writer of Ruth, convinces us that “the composition of the book belongs to the time of King David and was made by one of the prophets then living.”

* * *

In modern times, among others, the renowned historian of Hebrew literature Gustav Karpeles acknowledges that “the story of Ruth” (i.e., the book of Ruth) from the beginning was incorporated into the book of Judges (forming the concluding part of its narratives), and that only later did Ruth undergo separation from it and inclusion among the Writings. G. Karpeles. History of Hebrew Literature. Trans. under the editorship of A. Ya. Garkavi Vol. I. SPB. 1896, p. 41 and 50. But it is easier to understand the reverse—the transferral of Ruth from the Writings to the section of historical books—than the supposed here artificial separation of a part (the story of Ruth) from the whole (the book of Judges) with arbitrary transference of the former to the 3rd part of the Old Testament canon.

Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky. Directive Teachings Concerning Sacred Scripture of the Old and New Testament from the Works of the Fathers and Teachers of the Church. SPB. 1894, p. 43.

Chapter One

1–6. The migration of the Bethlehemite Elimelech with his household to the land of Moab and the calamities that befell the family there. 7–22. The return of Naomi with her daughter-in-law Ruth to the Holy Land and their arrival in Bethlehem.

Ruth 1:1. In those days when the judges ruled, there came a famine in the land. And a man from Bethlehem in Judah went with his wife and his two sons to live in the fields of Moab. The time of the events described in the book of Ruth is determined by general and indefinite dates: “when the judges ruled,” i.e., during one of the moments of the period of Judges (which, according to Acts 13:20, lasted for years) and when “a famine came upon the land” (i.e., in Palestine, the land of Israel), which visited the Holy Land repeatedly in biblical times (for example, Gen 12:10; 2 Sam 21:1). Both dates have not so much a chronological meaning as they indicate the character of the time of Judges, the absence then of a centralizing state power among the Hebrews (cf. Judg 17:6), when each member of the people was left to his own devices and in times of public calamity—famine (as here), enemy raids, etc.—had to act at his own risk, himself ensuring his own welfare (cf. Judg 18:1); in just such a manner Elimelech acts here, forsaking his native Bethlehem and withdrawing with his family to a foreign land, the land of Moab, “to sojourn there” (the Hebrew verb gur, cf. Gen 12:10; Judg 17:7; Lam 4:15), from which “ger”—sojourner, proselyte). The rabbinic interpretation justly reproaches Elimelech for forsaking his “brothers” (fellow citizens, compatriots), seeing in the misfortunes and death of Elimelech in a foreign land the divine punishment for him for forsaking the Holy Land (D. Midrasch Ruth Rabba, in German trans. by A. Wunsche, Leipzig, 1883, p. 15). On the contrary, rabbinic attempts to determine the time of Elimelech’s migration are arbitrary and unsuccessful, for instance, they placed this event at the time of Barak and Deborah (Judg 4-5, regarding “judges” (shophtem) Ruth 1:1 as indicating Deborah, Barak, and Jael), at the time of Judge Ehud (Judg 3:15-30), in whose contemporary Eglon, king of Moab, they saw Ruth’s father; they also attributed it to the time of Judge Ibzan (successor of Jephthah), with whom they identified Boaz, on the ground that both lived in Bethlehem (Ruth 2:1-4, cf. Judg 12:8), etc. (Midr. Ruth Rabba, p. 10, 19). In reality, the only point of support for determining the time of the events described in the book of Ruth can be only the genealogy of David given here (Ruth 4:17-22): according to it, David was the great-grandson of Boaz and Ruth through Obed and Jesse, consequently the period of time elapsed from the events of Ruth was approximately more than a hundred years, which is confirmed also by the testimony of Josephus, who attributes the migration of Elimelech (Ἀβιμέλεχος, according to Josephus) to the years of the rule of Judge and High Priest Eli (“Jewish Antiquities” V, 9, 1–4). Bethlehem (Hebrew Bet-lechem—“house of bread”), formerly (Gen 35:16) called Ephrathah (Hebrew Ephratah—“fruitful”), but subsequently also retaining the ancient name with a synonymous later one (Ruth 4:11; Mic 5:2), lay, to judge from the name itself, in one of the most fertile regions of Palestine; according to Eusebius and blessed Jerome, at 6 Roman miles, i.e., about 8 versts (the Roman mile equals 694 sazhens), to the south of Jerusalem (Onomastic. 260; Russian trans. Prav. Palest. Sbora, vol. 37, p. 41), which is fully confirmed by the distance of the present village of Bethlehem, in Arabic Bet-Lahm (with 7000 exclusively Christian population), from Jerusalem (see, for example, Cuerin, Description de la Palestine 1868, I, 120 sqq. Cf. Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, “Holy Land,” Vol. II, Kiev, 1878, p. 73 and onward). By Gospel times and of course much earlier, Bethlehem was commonly called the city of David (Luke 2:4), not without the influence of the account in Ruth (cf. Ruth 4:17-22). In distinction from another Bethlehem—in the tribe of Zebulun (Josh 19:15), the Bethlehem, the future birthplace of David, is named here Ruth 1:1, and in 1 Sam 17:12; Mic 5:2 as Bethlehem of Judah, Slavonic “Bethlehem of Judah” (Hebrew Bet-lechem Iehudah).

Ruth 1:2. The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. And they came into the fields of Moab and remained there. The family of Elimelech was very well-known in Bethlehem (Ruth 1:19) and had relative wealth (Ruth 1:21). The very name Elimelech (from Hebrew “my God is king”), according to some, indicates the noble origin of the person bearing this name. By origin, this name is justly compared with the name of a Hittite prince (in southern Palestine) Ilimliki or Milkili, mentioned in the Tell Amarna letters (cuneiform scripts discovered in Egypt in 1887–1888). Josephus transmits the name Elimelech as Ἀβιμελέχος, thus associating Elimelech with the name of Philistine kings. The names of Elimelech’s wife Naomi and of both his sons are also very significant. Naomi, Hebrew Noomi—“pleasant, agreeable, happy” (cf. Ruth 1:20, where this name is contrasted in meaning with another: “Mara”—“bitter”), for, as the Midrash notes (p. 17), “her deeds were beautiful and agreeable.” Mahlon and Chilion (Slavonic Maalon and Kheleon) are interpreted by some (Midrash, cited loc.; Geiger, p. 50) as “sickness and wasting” (from Hebrew Chalah and Kalah), which might be designated by the early death (Ruth 1:5) of both sons of Elimelech (Midr. cited loc.). However, such correspondence of meanings of names (though this is still disputed due to different meanings assigned to the same name) does not argue against the historical significance of Ruth, since such coincidence is doubtless unintentional. “Ephrathites,” Slavonic “Ephrathaeans,”—the same as “Bethlehemites” (cf. 1 Sam 17:12, where the Ephrathite Jesse is named), inhabitants of Bethlehem, the ancient Ephrathah, and not at all “Ephraimites” (cf. Judg 12:5; 1 Kgs 11:26; 1 Sam 1:1), as the Midrash mistakenly understands it (p. 17).

Ruth 1:3. And Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she remained with her two sons. Elimelech died in the land of Moab, probably soon after arriving there, and the marriage of his sons took place already after his death. Naomi remained a widow, “like the remnant of a bloodless offering” (Midrash, p. 18).

Ruth 1:4. And they took for themselves wives from the Moabitesses; the name of one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth, and they lived there about ten years. Ruth 1:5. But then both her sons, Mahlon and Chilion, died as well, and the woman remained after both her sons and after her husband. The death of the father did not impel the family to return; on the contrary, both sons of Elimelech now became even more firmly established in the foreign land: they married Moabitesses: the elder, Mahlon, married Ruth (Ruth 4:10), and the second, Chilion, married Orpah. The meanings of the names of Naomi’s daughters-in-law are understood differently. Orpah (Hebrew Orpah, LXX: Ορφά), according to the Midrash (p. 19), was so named because she turned her back (oreph) on her mother-in-law, i.e., abandoned her (Ruth 1:14; cf. Jer 2:27); Gesenius derives this name from the Arabic root urf—“mane”; Simonis connects it with ophrah—“hind.” Ruth (Hebrew Ruth) in the Talmud (Baba Batra 14b) is interpreted: “one who refreshes” (from the verb ravah): “for from her came David, who refreshed the Holy One with psalms”; in the Midrash (p. 19): “one who showed care” for her mother-in-law (from the verb raah, to see, to regard); but most commonly accepted (Gesenius, Geiger, Philippson, and others) is the derivation from gea—kinsman, feminine form reuth, kinswoman (i.e., closely related, loving in relation to Naomi); this latter derivation has in its favor the reading of the Syriac translation (Reuth). The marriage to foreign and idolatrous women (Ruth 1:15), forbidden by law (Exod 34:16; Deut 7:3), cf. regarding the Moabites (Deut 23:3, Judg 10:6), the Targum and generally the Jewish tradition consider to be the cause of the early and childless death of Mahlon and Chilion, though, for the sake of the exalted significance of Ruth, the great-grandmother of David, it holds that the prohibition (Deut 23:3) to receive Moabites into the assembly of the Lord applies to the male sex of this people; as is evident from Ruth 1:16, Ruth embraced the faith of Israel only after the death of her husband and after Naomi’s return to Bethlehem. Ten years probably lasted the famine in Israel, and as long lasted the married life of Naomi’s sons (v. 4).

Ruth 1:6. And she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the fields of Moab, for she heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited His people and given them bread. Ruth 1:7. And she went out from the place where she lived, and both her daughters-in-law with her. As they were going on the way, returning to the land of Judah, After the death of Mahlon and Chilion, the family became impoverished. Then Naomi learns that Jehovah, as He sent fertility or famine to Israel according to Her faithfulness or unfaithfulness to Him (Deut 28:47-48), “visited,” “paqad,” (cf. Gen 21:1; Exod 4:31; 1 Sam 2:21), i.e., with mercy—bestowing a harvest of grain, and immediately she abandons the Moabite land and sets out, in the company of both her daughters-in-law, to Judah.

Ruth 1:8. And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each to the house of her mother; may the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to the dead and to me!” Ruth 1:9. May the Lord grant that you find rest, each in the house of her husband! And she kissed them. But they wept aloud As they approached the border between the land of Moab and the land of Judah, Naomi tries to persuade her daughters-in-law to return to the homes of their parents (according to the LXX, Slavonic, “house of her father,” but Hebrew, Russian: “house of her mother”—an indication of the particular significance of the mother in primitive life organization, cf. Gen 24:28; Song 3:4); at least Ruth’s father was still alive then (Ruth 2:11). All of Naomi’s speech and the responses of her daughters-in-law reveal relations between them and their mother-in-law that can only be called ideal. With firm faith in Divine Providence (this faith runs through the whole narrative of Ruth) Naomi expresses gratitude to her daughters-in-law for their kind treatment of the dead husbands and of her mother-in-law herself, wishes them Jehovah’s mercies, thus expressing the faith that the power and action of Jehovah are not limited to the boundaries of Israel and His land but extend to other peoples, to all the world, and magnanimously advises them to enter into new marriages, desiring “peace” (Hebrew “menuchah,” v. 9) for them in the homes of future husbands (cf. Ruth 3:2).

Ruth 1:10. And they said, “No, we will return with you to your people.” However, Ruth and Orpah express the desire to follow their beloved mother-in-law to Judah.

Ruth 1:11. And Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why would you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb who could become your husbands?” Ruth 1:12. Turn back, my daughters, go, for I am too old to be married. Even if I had hope, even if I were married this very night and then bore sons, Ruth 1:13. could you wait until they grew up? Could you refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, my heart is very bitter for you, for the hand of the Lord has struck me. In her response, Naomi proceeds from the ancient Hebrew view that a woman’s highest calling and happiness is to be a mother (cf. Gen 24:60) and, moreover, she has in view the ancient Hebrew custom (found also among other peoples—Indians, Persians, Circassians, etc.) of levirate marriage (Gen 38:7-11; Deut 25:5-10; cf. Josephus “Jewish Antiquities” IV, 8, 23, cf. Ruth 4:10). From this perspective, the daughters-in-law’s following Naomi is regarded by her as futile: she has no sons and will have none who could replace for Ruth and Orpah the dead Mahlon and Chilion, so there is no hope for them in Israel; yet, according to Naomi’s words, her own position is still more bitter (Hebrew mar, v. 13) than theirs, for they lost only husbands and may hope for new marriages, while she lost husband, children, possessions and moreover has no view to a better future: it is evident that “the hand of Jehovah (striking) has struck her” (v. 13).

Ruth 1:14. And they raised their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law [and returned to her people], but Ruth remained with her. Ruth 1:15. [Naomi] said [to Ruth], “Behold, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and to her gods; return you also after your sister-in-law.” Naomi’s exhortations affected Orpah, and she, perhaps fearing the hardships awaiting her in Naomi’s company, preferred to return “to her people and to her gods” (v. 15), i.e., to the worship of Chemosh (Num 21:29; Jer 48:13) and other Moabite deities (according to the Targum, “to god”—singular, so some ancient interpreters saw here the True God, which is, however, incorrect in view of the fact that this applies (v. 16) only to Ruth, in evident contrast with Orpah (v. 15).

Ruth 1:16. But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you and turn back from you; but wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God;” Ruth 1:17. and where you die, I will die and be buried; may the Lord do to me and add to me; death alone will separate me from you. Ruth 1:18. [Naomi,] seeing that she was determined to go with her, stopped urging her. But the word of Naomi produced the opposite effect on Ruth. Now spoke the “love strong as death” (Song 8:6): from love to Naomi, she not only promises to cleave unseparated to her in every place and in every circumstance, but with all the force of persuasion acknowledges her people—Israel—as her own people, the God of Israel—as her own God, i.e., according to the interpretation of the Midrash (p. 24), she declares herself a proselyte, joining both the faith and the nationality of Israel (cf. Bertholet, Stellung der Isr. u. Juden zu den Fremden, p. 28). Only death can separate her from Naomi, but even then the dust of both should lie in one tomb. All this Ruth affirmed with a solemn expression (customary in the books of Kings, for instance, 1 Sam 3:17; 2 Sam 3:35), in the Slavonic text (more accurately than the Russian translation, which passes over the literal text): “thus may the Lord do to me, and thus may He add.” Then Naomi ceased her exhortations, silently consenting to her.

Ruth 1:19. And the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole city was in commotion about them, and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” Ruth 1:20. She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi, but call me Mara, because the Almighty has sent me great bitterness;” Ruth 1:21. I went out from here with plenty, but the Lord has brought me back with empty hands; why call me Naomi, when the Lord has made me suffer, and the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me? The arrival of Naomi in Bethlehem after a ten-year absence, especially without a husband and sons, naturally made an impression on the probably small population, and particularly the women with astonishment said (Hebrew tomarnah, feminine gender): “Is this Naomi?” (the Greek-Slavonic translation is more exact than the Vulgate: “haec est illa Noemi” and the Russian). Hebrew Mara, Aramaic form Mara (LXX: Πικρά, Vulgate Amara, Slavonic “Bitter”), related to the name Mary, is opposite in meaning to the name Noomi, and this antithesis is expressed by Naomi in application to the circumstances of her life and suffering according to the will of the Almighty (Hebrew Shaddai).

Ruth 1:22. And Naomi returned, and with her came her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess, who had come from the fields of Moab, and they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. The arrival of Naomi and Ruth in Bethlehem took place “at the beginning of the barley harvest,” or the general harvest (since barley matures in Palestine before wheat)—about mid-April (see Ed. Robinson, Palestina 2 Vol., p. 504, 522, 597, 620, 668) or about the time of Passover (Targum: “at the arrival of Passover Day”), on the second day of which the first sheaf of the barley harvest was brought into the sanctuary (Lev 23:10-11); cf. Midr. 31. The date of arrival may (in connection with what follows; chapters II-III) suggest the nearness of Divine help to both women: the harvest gave occasion for the manifestation of God’s mercy to them through Boaz. * * * W. Nowack. Richter-Ruth. 1909, p. 186. Cf. Prof. I. O. Mukhin. The Condition of Palestine and Phoenicia in the Fifteenth Century before our Era… Kiev, 1899, p. 35 Many critical scholars (for example, Smend, Nowack, Benzinger) accept the so-called matriarchy, or matriarchal epoch, which supposedly preceded the patriarchal: if in the latter the father had governing significance in the family, then in the former the mother had it exclusively. But the Bible does not know such a cultural-historical stage in the development of the family and society, but simply acknowledges the fact of the primordial high significance of the mother in the patriarchal family alongside the preeminent significance of the father-patriarch (cf., for example Gen 16:1 and others). The Midrash (section 21) in explanation of the expression “house of mother” (v. 8) says: “a pagan does not have a father.” Pleasant. Bitter.

Chapter Two

Ruth gleans ears of grain on the field of Boaz.

Ruth 2:1. Now Naomi had a kinsman on the side of her husband, a man of wealth, from the clan of Elimelech; his name was Boaz. A new person is introduced into the narrative—a kinsman of the deceased Elimelech and, consequently, of Naomi (Hebrew modá, LXX: γνώριμος, Slavonic: “a man acquainted”—properly “acquaintance,” but in view of his belonging to the clan of Elimelech—“kinsman,” as in Russian, cf. Ruth 3:2). Boaz (Hebrew Boaz; LXX: Βοοζ; Vulgate Booz). The Hebrew spelling of the name is the same as that of one of the bronze pillars set by Solomon in the porch of the temple—Boaz (1 Kgs 7:21; 2 Chr 3:17); the meaning of the name is transmitted in two ways: 1) “in him is strength” (bo and az), or 2) from the Arabic root “agility, swiftness” (Gesenius). In either case, Boaz befits the epithet “isch gibborchail” (Vulgate homo potens, Slavonic: “a man mighty,” Russian: “a man of great wealth”), commonly designating a man who is rich (1 Sam 9:1; 2 Kgs 15:20) or a courageous, brave, valiant hero (Judg 6:12; 1 Kgs 11:28; Neh 11:14).

Ruth 2:2. And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “I will go to the field and glean ears of grain after those among whom I find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” Ruth 2:3. And she went and came to the field and gleaned after the reapers. And it happened that she came to the portion of the field that belonged to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech. Ruth hastens to help the difficult situation in which both women found themselves upon their arrival in Bethlehem. An ancient Hebrew custom, sanctioned by law (Lev 19:9-10; Deut 24:19), provided for the benefit of the poor a certain portion of the field, left unreaped, forgotten sheaves and grain that fell during the harvest. Ruth uses this right, perhaps not knowing its legal basis, but simply hoping in human kindness of the reapers and the owners; fortunately, “by chance” (Hebrew midreh, Vulgate accidit: the concept of “chance” is extraordinarily rare in biblical vocabulary and worldview, belonging more to the pagans, for instance, 1 Sam 6:9) she comes to the field of Boaz, where she begins to glean after the reapers.

Ruth 2:4. And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they said to him, “The Lord bless you!” Boaz’s greeting to the reapers recalls the greeting of the Angel to Gideon (Judg 6:12); the responsive greeting of the reapers to him is close to the blessing at harvest time in Ps 128:8. The greeting of Boaz and the response of the reapers depict an attractive simplicity and warmth in the relationship between master and servants.

Ruth 2:5. And Boaz said to the servant in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” Ruth 2:6. And the servant in charge of the reapers answered and said, “She is a young Moabitess who came with Naomi from the fields of Moab;” Ruth 2:7. and she said, ‘I will glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers’; and she came and has been standing since early morning until now; she rests but little at home. In response to Boaz’s question about Ruth, the steward gives an answer favorable for her: it points to her selfless devotion to Naomi and her extraordinary diligence.

Ruth 2:8. And Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field and do not go away from here, but stay here with my young women;” Ruth 2:9. Let your eyes be on the field where they reap, and go after them; I have ordered the servants not to touch you; when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the servants have drawn. This disposes Boaz in Ruth’s favor, and he permits her to gather ears of grain continually, exclusively in his field, entrusting her to the protection of the maidservants and shielding her from any mistreatment on the part of the reapers (cf. Ruth 2:14-15).

Ruth 2:10. And she fell on her face and bowed to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes, that you have noticed me, when I am a foreigner?” Ruth 2:11. And Boaz answered and said to her, “All has been told me that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband, how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth and came to a people you did not know yesterday and the day before;” Ruth 2:12. May the Lord repay you for this deed, and may you have a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge! Ruth 2:13. And she said, “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants.” Here are alike attractive: both Ruth’s humble gratitude to Boaz—who had left everything in her homeland for Israel and God, and who does not claim benefits in Israel (v. 10, 13)—and the kindness and piety of Boaz, permeated with faith in the special providence of Jehovah over Israel (as it were shadowing and protecting His people with His wings, cf. Deut 32:11-12 and Ps 35:8), not forgetting any who hope in Him (Ps 90:1), not excluding even “the stranger within the gates of Israel” (Deut 14:29)—receiving the sacrifice of Ruth’s selfless devotion to Naomi as a great godly deed, worthy of the most full and perfect reward from God, and ready to become an instrument of God’s mercy to the poor woman (v. 11–12). “This blessing by Boaz upon Ruth was fulfilled, for she received the full reward from the Lord, having become the great-grandmother of the Blessing of the nations” (blessed Theodoret, p. 315).

Ruth 2:14. And Boaz said to her, “At mealtime, come here and eat bread and dip your piece in vinegar.” And she sat beside the reapers. And he gave her roasted grain; and she ate, and was satisfied, and had some left over. The depiction of the meal is characteristic of an eastern laborer. The meal consisted of pieces of bread dipped in vinegar (Hebrew chomez—a drink used in the East in hot weather and now, despite restrictions from the prohibition of wine among Muslims), to which were added kali, Greek: ἄλφιτον, Slavonic: “priazhmo”—dried grain (cf. Lev 23:14).

Ruth 2:15. And she rose to glean. And Boaz instructed his servants, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her;” Ruth 2:16. and also pull out some stalks from the bundles for her and leave them, that she may glean, and do not rebuke her. The conversation with Ruth apparently raises her even further in Boaz’s eyes, and he gives new directions to the reapers to help the poor woman in collecting grain; but even now he does not yet mention his kinship with Ruth’s deceased husband. This is revealed to her by Naomi upon her return in the evening of the first day of gleaning in Boaz’s field (v. 20).

Ruth 2:17. So she gleaned in the field until evening and threshed what she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah of barley. Ruth 2:18. And she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gathered. And she brought out and gave to her what was left over after she herself was satisfied. The amount of barley Ruth gathered on that day, threshed right in the field, amounted to an ephah, Hebrew epha, LXX: οιφι (οιφει), Vulgate: ephi, Slavonic: “ifi”; according to Jewish tradition (Midrasch, p. 42), this measure equaled three sata (Vulgate three modii); according to Josephus (Ant. VIII, 2, 9), 72 sextarii or 1 Attic μετρητὴς.

Ruth 2:19. And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today and where have you worked? Blessed be the one who noticed you!” And [Ruth] told her mother-in-law the name of the man with whom she had worked, and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” Ruth 2:20. And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Blessed be he by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” And Naomi said to her, “The man is a close relative to us; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers.” Ruth 2:21. And Ruth the Moabitess said [to her mother-in-law], “He also said to me, ‘Stay with my young women until they have finished all my harvest.’” Ruth 2:22. And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “Good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, and no one will harm you in another field.” The abundance of grain gathered by Ruth (v. 17), the leftovers from the meal she brought (v. 18), and finally the revelation of Boaz’s name (v. 19)—all this immediately dispels from the heart of the pious Naomi the former bitterness (Ruth 1:13) and draws from her words of thanksgiving to Jehovah and blessing upon Boaz (v. 20); now she informs Ruth of Boaz’s kinship. And Ruth’s further report of Boaz’s kind permission to remain with his servants all through the harvest (v. 21) naturally prompted Naomi then to think about arranging her daughter-in-law’s fate (cf. Ruth 3:1).

Ruth 2:23. So she stayed close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning, until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest; and she lived with her mother-in-law. Throughout the entire harvest (barley and then wheat about 2–3 weeks later), i.e., about 3 months (Midrasch, p. 44), Ruth worked in Boaz’s fields, living with Naomi. In the Vulgate the last words of v. 23, chapter 2: “vatteschev et—chamotag” (“she lived with her mother-in-law”) are assigned to v. 1 of chapter III, which begins in the Vulgate: “postquam autem reversa est ad sororem suam.”

Chapter Three

Ruth asks Boaz for marriage in the name of the law of kinship-redemption.

Ruth 3:1. And Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, so that it goes well with you?” Naomi begins to strive to arrange Ruth’s fate, to provide her with that “rest” (Hebrew manoach), which she long desired for both daughters-in-law (Ruth 1:9, menuchah)—marriage and life under the protection of a husband.

Ruth 3:2. Now Boaz, with whose young women you have been, is a kinsman of ours; behold, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor; Ruth 3:3. Wash yourself, anoint yourself, put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to him until he has finished eating and drinking; Ruth 3:4. and when he lies down, note the place where he lies; then go and uncover his feet and lie down; he will tell you what you should do. Naomi intends to arrange Ruth’s marriage with Boaz on the basis of the law of kinship, or kinsman-redeemer (cf. Num 27:1-11)—the so-called levirate marriage (cf. Deut 25:5-10), from which, in her opinion, Boaz should not refuse (legally) and could not refuse (morally) in view of his known behavior toward Ruth (chapter II). The measure for approaching Boaz suggested by her to Ruth fully corresponds to the legal and moral concepts of the ancient Hebrew way of life, sanctioned by law, and in no way can be judged from the perspective of European Christian concepts. (Cf. blessed Theodoret, Question 2 on Ruth: “Some blame both Naomi and Ruth, the former for suggesting and the latter for obeying and fulfilling, i.e., sleeping at Boaz’s feet”). Though the letter of the law (Deut 25:5-10) does not directly speak of the obligation of other kinsmen—not brothers—to restore the seed of a childless deceased through levirate marriage, the spirit of the law doubtless imposed this obligation on them also, though later rabbinic literalism did not even extend this obligation to a brother born after the death of his childless brother (Mishna, Yevamot II, 1–2). Winnowing of grain in Palestine (v. 2) in ancient times and now happens in the late afternoon, because around 4 o’clock in the afternoon a favorable wind usually blows from the Mediterranean Sea (W. Nowack, Hebraeische Archaeologie, Vol. I, Leipzig 1894, p. 233–234). Washing, anointing the body, and putting on festive clothes (instead of, probably, “widow’s garments” (cf. Gen 38:14); according to the Midrash, p. 44, Ruth put on Sabbath or festival clothes) were the preparations of Ruth according to Naomi’s advice, similar to a bride’s preparations for marriage (cf. Ezek 16:9-13) and in this case were designed to make the most favorable impression on Boaz. The same purpose was served by, in Naomi’s mind, Ruth’s meeting with Boaz after the latter’s meal, when “his heart will be merry” (v. 7), i.e., in good spirits.

Ruth 3:5. And she said to her, “All that you have said, I will do.” Ruth 3:6. And she went down to the threshing floor and did exactly as her mother-in-law had instructed her. Ruth, feeling the maternal love and life wisdom in Naomi’s counsel, carries out the latter’s instructions precisely.

Ruth 3:7. And Boaz ate and drank, and his heart became merry, and he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. And she came quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. In his patriarchal simplicity of life, Boaz’s wealth and prominence did not prevent him from directly participating in field and other farm work, nor from keeping watch himself at night over the grain in sheaves and grain. The source of Boaz’s merriment, the Midrash (p. 45) indicates in the thanksgiving prayer he performed after eating. When he fell asleep, Ruth, according to Naomi’s instruction (v. 4), lay down at his feet, as if entirely entrusting herself to his will and protection.

Ruth 3:8. At midnight he was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. Ruth 3:9. And he said, “Who are you?” And she said, “I am Ruth, your maidservant; spread your cloak over your maidservant, for you are a kinsman-redeemer.” When Boaz awoke at midnight and noticed a woman near him and asked her name, Ruth, naming herself, calls herself Boaz’s maidservant—in the sense of one needing Boaz’s mercy and protection—and then asks him: “spread your cloak over your maidservant, because you are a kinsman-redeemer” (Hebrew: goel, LXX: ἀγχιστεύς ἀγχσιευτής). “To spread one’s cloak” over a woman (cf. Ezek 16:8)—a well-known symbol not only among the ancient Hebrews but also among Arabs (Jacobs. Studien en arab. Dichtern III, 58)—of not simply protection in general (as in Ruth 2:12) but directly of marriage, a covenant of marriage; Ruth motivates her request for the latter: “because you are a kinsman-redeemer”—goel—a person who, by virtue of kinship closeness, has not only the right but also the obligation to render every kind of material, moral, and such assistance to a related, in whatever way suffering, family (Lev 25:25-26; 1 Kgs 16:11 and others); in relation to a childless widow of a kinsman, the obligation is to take her as wife (cf. v. 13). In distinction from the properly levirate marriage in its original ancient sense, according to which in this land the family, name, or house of the deceased was restored (Gen 38:7-11; Deut 25:6), in the words of Ruth (v. 9) and in all that follows in the narrative of Ruth (see Ruth 4:3-5) there is in view a modified form of levirate in combination with the law of preservation of inheritances within each tribe (Num 27:1-11), wherein the requirement of “restoring the seed to the deceased” (Gen 38:7-11, Deut 25:5-6) recedes: Boaz, marrying Ruth, built his own house, not rebuilt the house of Mahlon (Ruth 4:11-13), so that the child born to him from Ruth, Obed, was called the son of the former (Ruth 4:21), not the latter.

Ruth 3:10. And he said, “You are blessed by the Lord, my daughter! You have shown more kindness in this last matter than in the first, that you have not gone after the young men, poor or rich;” Ruth 3:11. And now, my daughter, don’t fear; I will do all that you have asked, for all the people of my town know that you are a woman of excellence; Boaz responds with all sincerity to the trusting movement of the poor woman’s soul; as a father to his daughter, he blesses Ruth and praises her, finding that this determination of hers to seek protection from an elderly Boaz (according to the Midrash, p. 47, Boaz was at that time 80 years old), passing by young men, is such a “deed of kindness” (Hebrew chesed more precisely than in the Russian translation, in the Slavonic: “mercy,” Vulgate “misericordia”), which by its worth surpasses the “former” deed of kindness, i.e., the selfless abandonment of her native home and homeland for love of Naomi (Ruth 1:16)—surpasses it, inasmuch as in the former respect she acted according to the natural inclinations of the heart, in respect to Boaz she was guided by a sense of duty and the inspiration of piety, contrary to the impulses and sympathies of the female heart toward young suitors. Reassuring the trembling Ruth, Boaz promises to fulfill every request of hers concerning that which belongs to her by right—of course, now not as a Moabitess, but as a member of the Israelite community, into which Ruth has entered (Ruth 1:16) and according to whose laws she acts. This latter and altogether high dignity of Ruth as a “woman of excellence” (“escheth-chail,” cf. Prov 31:10); LXX: γυνὴ δυνάμεως, Vulgate mulier virtutis, Slavonic: “woman of strength”—a more accurate translation of the Hebrew than the Russian), testifies, according to Boaz’s words, to the general opinion of her among his compatriots, the inhabitants of Bethlehem; (“all the gate,” Hebrew kol-schaar—the whole city, inasmuch as the gate in cities was the gathering place of the population for public affairs, legal, and judicial (Deut 25:7; Isa 29:20-21; Prov 22:22 and others); LXX: Πασα φυλὴ μου, Slavonic). Such an appraisal by Boaz of Ruth’s moral worth is very important for preventing and dispelling erroneous, alien to this epoch and milieu, judgments on the same subject.

Ruth 3:12. Although it is true that I am a kinsman-redeemer, there is another kinsman-redeemer more closely related than I; Ruth 3:13. wait this night; in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do so. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until morning. Ruth 3:14. So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” Inclined toward Ruth and ready to enter into marriage with her, knowing also that she desires marriage with him, Boaz nevertheless insists that this undoubted right of Ruth must be realized by the lawful, formal path, that it is necessary publicly (Ruth 4:2) to offer the option of taking Ruth to the kinsman more closely related to her than Boaz. The Midrash (p. 47) and the rabbis (Rashi and others), standing on the letter of the law and supposing that levirate marriage was obligatory only for the brother of the deceased, call this presumed brother of Mahlon Tov (understanding the word tob (v. 13) as a proper name), but the latter must be attributed to pure rabbinic invention: in Ruth 4:1 Ruth’s kinsman is not named (to which attention was already drawn by Ibn Ezra). Ruth was to remain on Boaz’s threshing floor until morning, that is, until the full break of dawn (v. 13–14): Boaz did not send her away immediately that night, on the one hand, so as not to awaken any suspicion in her of Boaz’s unwillingness to fulfill her request, on the other—to prevent possible danger to Ruth when returning at night from the night sentries (cf. Song 5:7); early, before dawn, Ruth was to leave Boaz’s threshing floor because “propriety required avoiding all gossip, which would have had absolutely no foundation” (Josephus “Jewish Antiquities” V, 9, 3).

Ruth 3:15. And he said, “Bring the mantle you are wearing and hold it.” She held it, and he measured out six measures of barley into it and laid it on her; and he went into the city. Perhaps this wise concern for good reputation—his own and Ruth’s—rather than merely disposition and care for Ruth’s and Naomi’s subsistence (v. 17) prompted Boaz’s gift to Ruth—6 measures (of uncertain quantity) of barley, which he poured for Ruth into a cloth and laid upon her shoulders. In giving Ruth this burden, with which people had become accustomed to see Ruth, Boaz prevented suspicion that might have arisen in all who knew Ruth, in returning early from Boaz; eliminate such suspicions was all the more necessary because by Jewish traditional law, in the presence of these suspicions, he could not have married Ruth: “if anyone is suspected of relations with a gentile woman, then, although she has converted to Judaism, he should not marry her” (Mishna, Yevamot, II, 8, cf. Toseph. 4, 6). The Midrash understands the 6 measures of barley given by Boaz to Ruth allegorically: of the six or eight descendants of Ruth, endowed with 6 highest qualities: David, Hezekiah, Josiah, Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, Daniel, and the Messiah (p. 52). With Ruth, perhaps, Boaz himself also went into the city (but the Vulgate sees in the concluding words of v. 15 speech about Ruth alone: ingressa est civitatem; however, the feminine form tabo instead of the accepted masculine form iabo are found in many codices of Hebrew texts according to Kennicott Rossi, for example, №№ 1, 47, 76, 93, 100 and others). According to the Midrash (p. 52), Boaz went with Ruth, protecting her from attacks by young men.

Ruth 3:16. And she came to her mother-in-law. She said, “How is it with you, my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her. Ruth 3:17. And she said, “These six measures of barley he gave me and said, ‘Do not go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” Ruth 3:18. And she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has finished the matter today.” The meaning of Naomi’s question to Ruth upon her return the Midrash (p. 52) conveys; “are you still free or do you already belong to a husband?”, to which Ruth answered: “I am still free.” The supply of barley brought by Ruth—a gift from Boaz—still more confirms Naomi in her confidence in his good disposition toward Ruth, and she advises Ruth to remain at home (as betrothed to Boaz) in firm hope of quick, on the very same day, and exact settlement of Ruth’s fate by Boaz, who will not rest until the matter is complete: “In the virtuous, ‘yes’ is always ‘yes’ and ‘no’ is ‘no’,” notes the Midrash (p. 58). * * * “By your deed,” blessed Theodoret explains Boaz’s words to Ruth (v. 10), “you have shown that you acted not out of lust: otherwise you would have gone to young men, reasoning not about wealth or poverty, but only about the satisfaction of desire. On the contrary, you came to a man who by age could be your father. For this is what the word ‘daughter’ means” (Answer to Question 2 on Ruth, p. 316–317).

Chapter Four

1–12. The solemn assumption by Boaz of obligations concerning the inheritance of Naomi and Ruth and marriage with the latter. 13–17a. The marriage of Boaz and Ruth and the birth of their son Obed. 17b-22. The genealogy of David.

Ruth 4:1. And Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the kinsman-redeemer of whom Boaz had spoken came by. And Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend, and sit down here.” So he turned aside and sat down. Ruth 4:2. And Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” And they sat down. Desiring to settle Ruth’s matter soon (see Ruth 3:18), Boaz comes early in the morning to the square by the city gate—the customary place in Eastern cities for all public assemblies (Gen 19:1, Ps 68:13), commercial transactions (Gen 23:10-13) and purchases (2 Kgs 7:1), judicial proceedings (Deut 16:18), in particular, concerning levirate marriage—in case of the brother-in-law’s refusal of this marriage (Deut 25:7). Hither Boaz invited both the kinsman-redeemer (goel) of Naomi and Ruth, whom Boaz mentions in his conversation with the latter (Ruth 3:12); Boaz’s address to this kinsman is expressed in an indefinite form Hebrew pelom almoni (according to the Midrash, p. 53—ignorant of the law, not knowing that the prohibition Deut 23:3 applies only to male Moabites, not to women), corresponding to the Greek δεῖνα, Slavonic “such-a-one” (Matt 26:18)—“so-and-so.” It is possible that this man, necessary for settling the matter, was deliberately invited by Boaz (as Josephus transmits it, “Jewish Antiquities”, V, 9, 4), as were deliberately invited by him also the witnesses among the elders (of the elders in Bethlehem mention is made further in the history of Samuel (1 Sam 16:4))—in the number of ten, which number in the Jewish tradition was considered the minimum for a religious assembly (see Targum to Exod 12:4), as well as for any public matter (1 Sam 25:5). Josephus (cited work) says that Boaz also called Ruth to the gate, but this is not confirmed by the biblical text and may even contradict it (Ruth 3:18) (cf. our note to this passage).

Ruth 4:3. And he said to the kinsman-redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the country of Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech;” Ruth 4:4. so I thought I would inform you of it and say: Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, tell me, that I may know; for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I am after you. Then he said, “I will redeem it.” Ruth 4:5. Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead man, in order to restore the name of the dead to his inheritance.” Ruth 4:6. Then the kinsman-redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I damage my own inheritance; you take my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it.” “It is worthy of admiration, the conversation with the nearest kinsman. Not directly did he conduct his speech about marriage, but he spoke about purchasing fields. Then, when the other received this proposal with pleasure, Boaz added also a word about marriage, saying: justice requires that one taking possession of the fields after the deceased take his wife and through childbearing preserve the memory of the deceased; but the other for the sake of marriage refused even the offered fields” (blessed Theodoret, p. 317). Boaz also speaks wisely and tactfully, beginning his speech about the inheritance of the deceased Elimelech and his sons (v. 3), mentioning only Naomi, not yet mentioning Ruth: “Naomi is selling,” from Hebrew: “she has sold” (makerah, LXX: δέδοται Νωεμειν, Slavonic: “given to Naomi”, Vulgate vendet Noemi), i.e., on her return from Moab, or it was done by Elimelech upon his departure there (Ruth 1:1-2); in any case, by the law of kinship-redemption—concerning the inalienability of inheritances from one tribe to another (Num 27:1-11)—the plot sold by Naomi must have been redeemed by someone from her close relatives according to Lev 25:15, of which in this case there were only two: one not named and Boaz. The first, having expressed agreement to redeem Naomi’s inheritance (v. 4), at once refused, as soon as he heard of the obligation of marriage with Ruth (v. 5): perhaps he was deterred by superstitious fear of the widow of Mahlon (a similar fear was expressed, according to Gen 38:11, by Judah concerning Tamar after the death of her two husbands—sons of Judah, cf. Tob 3:7-8), though he himself points to another reason for his refusal—fear of disrupting his own inheritance (v. 6); the Midrash (p. 53–54), as already stated, sees here the consequence of his ignorance of the law and fear of violating it by marrying a Moabitess (cf. Deut 23:3).

Ruth 4:7. Now this was the custom in Israel before the Law: at the redemption and sale, to confirm the matter, one would remove his sandal and give it to the other, and this was a testimony in Israel. Ruth 4:8. So the kinsman-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he removed his sandal [and gave it to him]. The custom mentioned here—of one’s removing his sandal and handing it to another—Josephus (“Jewish Antiquities”, V, 9, 4) wrongly identifies with the law and rite of the so-called chalitza (from the Hebrew verb chalaz—“to remove shoes”) or the release of the brother-in-law from the obligation of levirate marriage with his sister-in-law (Deut 25:9-10). The meaning, purpose, and circumstances of the rite in the two cases are different: in the first case (as here, Ruth 4:8) the one having property rights himself renounced them and symbolically expressed this by handing over the sandal (a symbol of possession, Ps 59:10), whereas chalitza was performed by the sister-in-law herself, who had received a refusal from her brother-in-law in marriage: she removed his shoes and spat in his face (Deut 25:9-10; Josephus “Jewish Antiquities”, IV, 8, 23), which was a disgrace for the “barefoot” (chaluz) for life.

Ruth 4:9. And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon;” Ruth 4:10. and also Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I have taken to be my wife, to restore the name of the dead to his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his relatives and from the gate of his place; you are witnesses this day. Now Boaz freely and with full decisiveness assumes the obligation of both redeeming the inheritance and of marriage with Ruth. “The piety and precision evident in what is said are worthy of admiration. I am not violating,” he says, “the law in taking a Moabitess as wife; on the contrary, I am fulfilling the divine law in order that the memory of the deceased be preserved unextinguished” (blessed Theodoret, p. 318). However, in subsequent genealogies (Ruth 4:21; 1 Chr 2:12; Matt 1:5; Luke 3:32) Obed, born of the marriage of Boaz and Ruth, is called the son of Boaz, not Mahlon: the piety of Boaz made him worthy to take the place in David’s genealogy before Mahlon.

Ruth 4:11. And all the people who were at the gate, along with the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and like Leah, who together built up the house of Israel; may you prosper in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem; Ruth 4:12. and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the Lord will give you by this young woman.” The elders and people not only witness and confirm the legality of Boaz’s declared marriage, but also bless the forthcoming marriage with a mention of the dear names of all Hebrews, their great-grandmothers Rachel and Leah (the first is named as Judah’s beloved wife, cf. Gen 29:31 and others). It is doubtful the assumption of blessed Theodoret (ibid.) that these words of blessing suggest that Boaz had another wife. The mention of Perez (cf. Gen 38:29) is all the more apt because the genealogy (v. 18) begins with him.

Ruth 4:13. So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she gave birth to a son. God’s blessing upon the marriage of Boaz and Ruth was manifested in her pregnancy and the birth of a son, who was called Obed by the women of Bethlehem, undoubtedly not without the parents’ participation, Hebrew obed—servant, i.e., to God and man.

Ruth 4:14. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer! May his name be renowned in Israel!” Ruth 4:15. He shall be to you a restorer of your life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him. Ruth 4:16. Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. The meaning of the name is explained in these concluding verses, devoted almost exclusively to Naomi, who once, by the will of God’s providence, experienced affliction (Ruth 1:13), and now by the decrees of the same providence has received great comfort—a close kinsman-redeemer (goel), comfort and sustenance in Obed. “This in its literal sense means the consolation of Naomi, but in its true sense—the redemption of the world. For from hence flowed the salvation of all creation” (blessed Theodoret, p. 319).

Ruth 4:18. Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron; Ruth 4:19. Hezron fathered Ram; and Ram fathered Amminadab; Ruth 4:20. Amminadab fathered Nahshon; and Nahshon fathered Salmon; Ruth 4:21. Salmon fathered Boaz; and Boaz fathered Obed; Ruth 4:22. Obed fathered Jesse; and Jesse fathered David. In this genealogy, one may suppose the omission of certain names and generations: it is difficult to admit that in the course of nearly a thousand years from Perez to David only 9–10 generations elapsed (cf. 1 Chr 2:9-15). But the messianic idea, expressed both in this genealogy (cf. Matt 1:3; Luke 3:31-33) and in the portrayal in Ruth of the admission of a gentile woman into the Old Testament church, imparts to the entire book of Ruth great importance. Professor of the Kiev Theological Academy, Master of Divinity, Priest A. A. Glagolev. * * * The right of Naomi or properly Ruth to sell the portion of the deceased husband is confirmed by the Talmud, saying: “one awaiting a brother-in-law received property: the schools of Shammai and Hillel agree that she may sell and give away, and the transaction is valid.” Mishna. Yevamot IV, 8 (Russian trans. N. Pereferkovitch. SPB. 1900, p. 38). The act of chalitza and its order are placed in the appendix to the Russian translation of tractate Yevamot (SPB. 1900), p. 103–109. Not without significance is the circumstance that the book of Ruth has from ancient times been read by Jews at the festival of Pentecost—a festival not only of harvest (which is spoken of in the book) but also of the giving of the law on Sinai, which, according to the Midrash, was proclaimed to all nations, but was not accepted by them. The New Testament Pentecost, which succeeded the Old Testament one, is the festival of the outpouring of the Spirit of God upon all flesh (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17). The region of Maachah lay to the north of the Transjordanian country at the foot of Hermon (Deut 3:14; Josh 13:13).

The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

Introduction

Name and division of the books in the Bible

The four books of Kingdoms known today in the ancient Hebrew codex of sacred writings constituted two books: one of them (which contained the present first and second books of Kingdoms) was called “Sefer Shmuel”, that is, “Book of Samuel”, since its content is the narrative about the prophet Samuel and those he anointed over the Hebrew kingdom, Saul and David; the other (which contained the present third and fourth books of Kingdoms) was called “Sefer Melachim”, that is, “Book of Kings”, since its content is the narrative about the last common Hebrew king Solomon and about the kings of the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom of Israel. The present division of the aforementioned books into four first appeared in the Greek translation of the Septuagint, where they received the names:

– Βασιλείων πρώτη (βίβλος), that is, “First Book of Kingdoms”;

– Βασιλείων δευτέρα – “Second Book of Kingdoms”;

– Βασιλείων τρίτη – “Third Book of Kingdoms”;

– Βασιλείων τετάρτη – “Fourth Book of Kingdoms”.

Later it was adopted by the Latin translation, the Vulgate, where the titles of the books took this form:

– “Liber primus Samuelis, quem nos primum Regum dicimus” (“First Book of Samuel, which we call the First Book of Kings”);

– “Liber secundus Samuelis, quem nos secundum Regum dicimus” (“Second Book of Samuel, which we call the Second Book of Kings”);

– “Liber Regum tertius, secundum Hebraeos primus Malachim” (“Third Book of Kings, according to the Hebrew reckoning the First Book of Melachim – Kings”);

– “Liber Regum quartus, secundum Hebraeos Malachim secundus” (“Fourth Book of Kings, according to the Hebrew reckoning the Second Book of Melachim – Kings”).

Nevertheless, in the canonical count of the books of the Old Testament, the Orthodox Church retained the ancient Hebrew division of the books of Kingdoms into two books, joining together the First and Second books of Kingdoms, as well as the Third and Fourth books.

Contents of the books of Kingdoms. The First Book of Kingdoms narrates about Samuel, the prophet and judge of the Hebrew people, and about the first Hebrew king Saul. The Second Book of Kingdoms narrates about the second Hebrew king David. The Third Book of Kingdoms narrates about the third Hebrew king Solomon, about the division of the Hebrew monarchy into two kingdoms – Judah and Israel – and about the kings of each kingdom, ending with King Jehoshaphat in the kingdom of Judah and King Ahaziah in Israel. The Fourth Book of Kingdoms narrates about the remaining kings of Judah and Israel, ending with the Assyrian captivity as regards the kingdom of Israel and the Babylonian captivity as regards the kingdom of Judah.

The period of Hebrew history embraced by the narrative of all four books of Kingdoms exceeds 500 years.

The writers of the books of Kingdoms. The first writers of the First and Second books of Kingdoms were the prophets Samuel, Nathan, and Gad (1 Chr 29:29). One of the later prophets reviewed the records of Samuel, Nathan, and Gad, supplemented them (1 Sam 5:5; 2 Sam 4:3), and gave them a unified, finished form.

The first writers of the Third and Fourth books of Kingdoms were the prophets and chroniclers who followed Nathan and Gad, leaving after themselves records with attached titles: “Book of the Acts of Solomon” (1 Kgs 11:41); “History of the Kings of Judah” (1 Kgs 14:29; 2 Kgs 8:23); “History of the Kings of Israel” (1 Kgs 14:19; 2 Kgs 1:8). One of the later Old Testament prophets (according to the testimony of Hebrew and Christian antiquity – the prophet Jeremiah), or perhaps even the great scribe and collector of the canon of Old Testament sacred writings, Ezra himself, reviewed these records and brought them into the form in which they have come down to us.

Chapter One

The birth of Samuel and his dedication to the Lord.

1 Samuel 1:1. There was a certain man from Ramathaim-Zophim, from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph – an Ephraimite; “Ramathaim-Zophim” – otherwise Samuel’s Ramah (see 1 Sam 1:19) – a locality in the hills of Ephraim, located to the northwest of Jerusalem. “Ephraimite” not in the sense of “Bethlehemite” (Gen 35:1): Bethlehem is located to the south of Jerusalem, but in the sense of “Ephraimite”, according to his place of origin. Ephrath, Ephraimite, Ephraim, Ephraim, Ephraimite come from one and the same Hebrew root פרה – to sprout, to be fruitful, to produce fruit, to be fertile.

1 Samuel 1:3. And this man went out from his city on the appointed days to worship and offer a sacrifice to the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh; there were [Eli and] his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord. In Shiloh (to the north of Jerusalem, in the tribe of Ephraim) the House of the Lord, that is, the Tabernacle, was at this time. Eli was the high priest at it (and at the same time judge of the people), and Hophni and Phinehas were priests. The “appointed days” on which Elkanah went to Shiloh to offer sacrifices to the Lord God were festivals: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, when all Hebrew males were obligated to (Exod 34:23; Deut 16:16) appear at the Tabernacle and offer their sacrifices there. As regards women, the aforementioned law was not obligatory, both because men were considered representatives of their entire family, and also because the comparative weakness and certain peculiarities of women’s physical life made it difficult for them to fulfill the prescription with proper exactitude. But the absence of a direct prescription did not prevent, of course, pious women, if possible, from voluntarily accompanying men on their pilgrimage to the House of the Lord, as we see from the subsequent verses of the chapter.

1 Samuel 1:4. On the day when Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he gave portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; Reference is made to a peace offering. Its characteristic feature was that, after the burning of the fat on the altar and the setting apart of the breast and shoulder for the priests, all the rest was returned to the offerer and usually served for a sacred meal near the Tabernacle, as a sign of communion with God. Besides the family of the one making the offering, Levites, as well as slaves and the poor, took part in the sacred meal of a pious Israelite (Lev 7:11; Deut 16:11).

1 Samuel 1:5. But to Hannah he gave a special portion [because she had no children], for he loved Hannah [more than Peninnah], even though the Lord had closed her womb. “A special portion”, that is, one chosen with special care and affection. “Even though the Lord had closed her womb.” In discussing these words, blessed Theodoret remarks: “This teaches readers not to place hope in marriage, but to call upon the Creator for help. For just as it belongs to the farmer to cast seeds into the earth, and to God to bring what is sown to perfection, so to marriage belongs the union, but to help nature and form a living creature is God’s work” (Commentary on 1 Samuel, question 3).

1 Samuel 1:11. And she made a vow, saying, Lord [Almighty God] of Hosts! If you will look upon the affliction of your maidservant and remember me, and not forget your maidservant and give your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord [as a gift] all the days of his life, [and neither wine nor strong drink shall he drink,] and no razor shall touch his head. Reference is made to a Nazirite vow. See note on the book Num 6. Proceeding from the assumption that Elkanah belonged to the tribe of Levi (1 Chr 6:27-28), they say that Samuel, as a Levite, should have served the Lord at the Tabernacle. Of course, as a Levite, Samuel should have served the Lord at the Tabernacle, but not his whole life, only from the age of 25 or 30 years to 50 (Num 4:3; Num 8:24), and moreover without the obligation to undertake those ascetic labors that are connected with the Nazirite vow.

1 Samuel 1:20. After some time, Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, saying [she said], from the Lord [God of Hosts] I have requested him. The word “Samuel” from Hebrew means “asked of God”.

1 Samuel 1:21. And her husband Elkanah and all his household went [to Shiloh] to perform the yearly sacrifice to the Lord and his vows [and all the tithes from his land]. Levites were not exempted from the giving of tithes for the benefit of priests (Num 18:26; Neh 10:38).

1 Samuel 1:23. And Elkanah, her husband, said to her: Do as it seems good to you; remain until you have weaned him; only may the Lord establish the word [that came from your mouth]. And his wife remained and nursed her son until she had weaned him. “May establish”, that is, make firm, unchanging, the “word” of the promise “that came from your mouth”.

1 Samuel 1:25. [And they brought him before the Lord; and his father offered the sacrifice that he offered on the appointed days to the Lord. And they brought the boy] and slaughtered a bull; and she brought the boy [Hannah, his mother] to Eli. “And his father offered the sacrifice that he offered on the appointed days to the Lord.” See note on 1 Sam 1:8. The expression “appointed days”, when compared with the expression 1 Sam 1:3 “in the appointed days”, gives reason to suppose that the arrival at the tabernacle of Elkanah, Hannah, and Samuel coincided with one of those three yearly festivals (Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles) when Elkanah and his family appeared at the tabernacle and offered their sacrifices there.

1 Samuel 1:28. And I give him to the Lord all the days of his life, to serve the Lord. And she bowed down before the Lord there. Subsequent events showed that Samuel’s lifelong service to the Lord was not limited to the performance of simple duties in the tabernacle service. Called by God as a prophet and judge of the Hebrew people, Samuel zealously served the Lord among the entire Hebrew nation.

Chapter Two

A thanksgiving song of Samuel’s mother Hannah. The raising of Samuel at the tabernacle during the high priesthood of Eli. The vices of Eli’s sons. The proclamation of God’s judgment on the house of Eli.

1 Samuel 2:1. And Hannah prayed and said: My heart rejoices in the Lord; my horn is exalted in my God; my mouth is opened wide against my enemies, for I rejoice in your salvation. “My heart rejoices in the Lord”: at the thought of what the Lord has done for me. “My horn is exalted in my God”, that is, my feminine dignity, strength, and worth have been restored and established by God. (The horn here is a symbol of strength, might, and self-defense.) “My mouth is opened wide against my enemies”: I have received complete freedom to refute the reproaches of my enemies, who upbraided me for my barrenness (1 Sam 2:5-6). “I rejoice in your salvation”, that is, in the salvation shown to me by you.

1 Samuel 2:3. Do not multiply haughty words; let arrogant words not come from your lips; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. An address to people who, in their presumption and ignorance of God’s ways, reproached Hannah for her barrenness.

1 Samuel 2:4. The bows of the mighty are broken, but those who were weak are clothed with strength; 1 Samuel 2:5. Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, but the hungry are fed; even the barren gives birth to seven, while the mother of many grows weak. 1 Samuel 2:6. The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to the grave and raises up; 1 Samuel 2:7. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. 1 Samuel 2:8. He raises the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the dunghill, seating him with nobles, and gives them a throne of glory as an inheritance; for the foundations of the earth belong to the Lord, and on them he has established the world. 1 Samuel 2:9. He guards the steps of his holy ones, but the wicked vanish in darkness; for not by strength is a person strong. All and everything are in God’s hands. His ways are beyond understanding, and his power and wisdom are infinite. Those who seemed to us outwardly strong, secure, and glorious, often turn out before the judgment of the All-knowing and All-holy (1 Sam 2:3) Lord to be morally weak, unworthy, as if condemned to destruction by their own nothingness. People who seemed to us outwardly weak and unworthy of God’s mercies often turn out to be exalted by him for their inner worth.

1 Samuel 2:10. The Lord crushes those who contend with him; from the heavens he will thunder against them. [The Lord is holy. Let not the wise boast in their wisdom, nor the strong in their strength, nor the rich in their wealth, but let the one who wishes to boast boast in this, that he understands and knows the Lord.] The Lord will judge the ends of the earth, and will give strength to his king and will exalt the horn of his anointed. “The Lord will judge the ends of the earth, and will give strength to his king and will exalt the horn” (strength, might) “of his anointed.” In the immediate sense, this refers to the beloved and glorified by God king of the Hebrews David, as well as his son and successor – the mighty and glorious Solomon (1 Sam 7:1; 1 Chr 17:1). In the more distant, prophetic-messianic sense – the Divine Descendant of David according to the flesh – our Lord Jesus Christ, who through his teaching and life brought to earth “judgment (upon sinful) this world” (John 12:31) and is to come a second time to earth – for the last judgment and righteous recompense to sinners and the righteous (Matt 12:36; Luke 17:22; John 5:22; Acts 17:31; 2 Pet 3:7; Jude 1:14-15; Rom 2:5-6; 2 Cor 1:14; 1 Cor 1:8; 2 Thess 2:2 and many others). The song of thanksgiving and prophecy of Hannah, mother of Samuel, became the basis for the third irmol of church canons.

1 Samuel 2:12. Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the Lord “Did not know the Lord”, that is, they were unwilling to recognize his commandments and precepts.

1 Samuel 2:13. And the duty of priests toward the people. When anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant came with a fork in his hand while the meat was being cooked, 1 Samuel 2:14. And thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot, and everything the fork brought up the priest took for himself. This is what they did to all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. 1 Samuel 2:15. Yes, before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant came and said to the one who was sacrificing, “Give meat for roasting to the priest; he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw meat.” 1 Samuel 2:16. And if the man said to him, “Let them first burn the fat, and then take whatever you wish for yourself,” he would say, “No, give it now; but if not, I will take it by force.” Reference is made to peace offerings. See note on 1 Sam 1:4.

1 Samuel 2:18. Now Samuel was serving before the Lord, clothed with a linen ephod. An ephod was one of the garments of the Old Testament high priest, woven from multicolored yarn and gold (Exod 28:1). Samuel’s linen ephod was certainly not the high priestly ephod, since he had no right to it. More likely, it was a sleeveless linen upper garment whose cut resembled the high priestly ephod and therefore received that name. It was put on by those who had dedicated themselves to serving God (cf. 1 Sam 22:18), or on special occasions of religious importance (2 Sam 6:14). Something like the white linen vestments used by attendants in Catholic worship.

1 Samuel 2:25. If one person sins against another, God can intercede for him; but if a person sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him? Yet they did not listen to the voice of their father, for the Lord intended to put them to death. Sins committed chiefly against people can be covered by God’s mercy, since they do not yet show a state of hopeless hardening against God’s will and allow the possibility of moral improvement. But sins that show in a person a state of hopeless hardening against God’s will require severe retribution, instructive also for others (cf. Matt 12:31). “For” – in the sense of therefore. “Intended” – in the sense of permitted. To put them to death: see 1 Sam 4:10-11.

1 Samuel 2:27. And a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: Did I not clearly reveal myself to your father’s house when they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh’s house?” “A man of God” – someone of the messengers of God’s will (cf. 1 Sam 9:6), whose name has remained unknown to us. “To your father’s house” – that is, to the tribe of Levi, chosen by God from among all other tribes of Israel for special service to him at the tabernacle (see 1 Sam 2:28). “In Egypt, in the house” (that is, kingdom) of Pharaoh.

1 Samuel 2:29. Why then do you scorn my sacrifice and my grain offering that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the first fruits of every offering of my people Israel? On “grain offerings” presented to the Tabernacle, see note on Lev 2:1. “Fattening yourselves on the first fruits of every offering of my people.” According to the law of Moses (Exod 23:19; Lev 19:23-24; Num 18:12 and others), the Hebrews were obligated to bring to the tabernacle the first fruits of their harvest, grapes, oil, the first loaf baked from new wheat, a portion of sheep’s wool and the like for the support of the members of the tribe of Levi.

1 Samuel 2:31. Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house [ever]; “There will not be an old man in your house”, that is, the descendants of Eli will die before reaching old age (cf. 1 Sam 2:33).

1 Samuel 2:32. And you will see the distress of my dwelling, while all that is good happens to Israel, and there will never be an old man in your house, 1 Samuel 2:33. I will not cut off anyone from my altar to make your eyes fail and your heart grow faint; but all the rest of your family will die in the prime of life. 1 Samuel 2:34. And this will be a sign to you that will happen to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: both of them will die on the same day. See 1 Sam 3:11-20.

1 Samuel 2:35. And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest; he will act in accordance with my heart and my desires, and I will establish his house, and he will walk before my anointed forever; 1 Samuel 2:36. And everyone remaining from your house will come to bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, saying, “Please put me in one of the priestly offices so that I may have food.” In the immediate sense, this refers to the transfer of the high priesthood from the house of Eli (line of Ithamar) to the house of Zadok (line of Eleazar), see 1 Kgs 2:27. But in the more distant and fuller sense, the words quoted refer, according to blessed Theodoret, “not to anyone among men, but to the Lord alone Jesus Christ, who according to his humanity is called our high priest (Heb 4:14-15). The expression “forever” is not fitting for mortal men who live a short time. And he called the holy apostles and those who successively received their teaching “anointed ones”” (blessed Theodoret, Commentary on 1 Samuel, question 7).

Chapter Three

The calling of Samuel to prophetic ministry.

1 Samuel 3:1. Now the boy Samuel was serving the Lord under Eli; the word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not common. “The word of the Lord” – through the prophets, revelation of God’s will through visions was in those days not common.

1 Samuel 3:2. And it came to pass at that time that Eli was lying down in his place – his eyes had begun to fail, and he could not see – “In his place” – near the entrance of the tabernacle.

1 Samuel 3:3. And the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the Ark of God was; “The lamp of God (which was in the sanctuary) had not yet gone out.” The fire in the lamps of the lampstand was lit by the priests in the evening and burned all night until morning, and in the morning was extinguished (Exod 27:21. Cf. 1 Sam 30:7-8; Lev 24:2-4). The care for the proper functioning of the lampstand lamps, especially at night, was apparently placed by the priests on the boy Samuel, which forced him to spend this time “in the house of the Lord, where the Ark of God was,” more precisely – in the first (from the entrance) part of this house, or tabernacle, that is, in the sanctuary.

1 Samuel 3:11. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the ears of everyone who hears it will tingle;” “Will tingle” – from horror (cf. 2 Kgs 21:12; Jer 19:3).

1 Samuel 3:12. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken about his house; I will begin and complete it; 1 Samuel 3:13. I have told him that I am going to judge his house forever for the guilt he incurred, because his sons made themselves contemptible, and he did not restrain them; 1 Samuel 3:14. And therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the guilt of the house of Eli will never be wiped away with sacrifice and with grain offering forever. See 1 Sam 2:27-36.

1 Samuel 3:20. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. “From Dan” – the northern point of Canaan – to Beersheba – its southern point. The expression “from Dan to Beersheba” in the language of sacred writers is equivalent to the expression “all the land of the Israelites”, “all Israel”, “all Israel and Judah” (2 Sam 3:10; 1 Kgs 4:25; 1 Chr 21:2; 2 Chr 30:5).

1 Samuel 3:21. And the Lord continued to appear in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. [And all Israel, from one end of the land to the other, believed that Samuel was a prophet of the Lord. Now Eli had grown very old, and his sons continued to walk in their lawless ways before the Lord.] “Samuel is a prophet of the Lord” – chosen by God and inspired by God, a messenger of the will of the Lord.

Chapter Four

The war of the Hebrews with the Philistines. The loss of the Ark of the Covenant. The death of the high priest and judge Eli.

1 Samuel 4:7. And the Philistines were afraid, because they said: God has come into their camp. And they said: Woe to us! for there has not been anything like this before, not yesterday, nor the day before; The heathens thought that each people had its own god or even several gods. The Ark of the Covenant was received by the Philistines as an image, or a visible dwelling place, of their supposed national Hebrew deity—Jehovah, similar to the images which the heathens themselves possessed.

1 Samuel 4:10. And the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated, and each one fled to his tent, and the slaughter was very great, and thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. “And the Israelites were defeated,” fulfilling the fearful judgment of the Righteousness of God toward the impious house of the high priest and judge of the Hebrews Eli (1 Sam 2:27-36), the defeat was also a tangible punishment of the people for their reckless and willful treatment of their greatest holy thing—the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord.

Chapter Five

The stay of the Ark of the Covenant in the land of the Philistines.

1 Samuel 5:1. And the Philistines took the Ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Ashdod, Gath (1 Sam 5:8), Ashkelon (1 Sam 5:10), Gaza, Ekron (1 Sam 6:17)—Philistine cities, located to the west of Jerusalem and Hebron.

1 Samuel 5:2. And the Philistines took the Ark of God, and brought it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside Dagon. Dagon—a pagan deity of the Philistines, with the head and arms of a man and the body of a fish. For the heathens Dagon was the expression and protector of fertility. (For more details, see M. Palmov’s work “Idolatry among the ancient Hebrews.” St. Petersburg, 1897, pp. 285–292.)

1 Samuel 5:6. And the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the inhabitants of Ashdod, and He smote them and afflicted them with grievous tumors, in Ashdod and in its surroundings, [and mice multiplied throughout the land, and there was great ruin in the city]. “And the hand of the Lord was heavy” upon the Philistines (cf. 1 Sam 5:7): the fearsome signs which accompanied the presence of the Ark of the Covenant in the land of the Philistines were to show them the impropriety of dedicating the Ark to pagan idols, the greatness and might of the God of Israel, and the complete powerlessness of their own gods, unable to help not only others, but even themselves (1 Sam 6:5-6). “And the Lord smote them (the Philistines) and afflicted them with grievous tumors”: “The Seventy translators,” remarks the blessed Theodoret, “translated: ‘were smitten on their seats’; Aquila—‘had gangrenous sores’; Josephus shows that they suffered from dysentery. ‘Let no one regard these explanations as contradictory, for dysentery was followed by a disease of the sitting parts—frequent discharge inflamed (in the Slavic translation it is said: ‘and it was inflamed upon their seats’) the discharging parts; and in the course of time the inflammation became gangrenous” (commentary on 1 Samuel, question 10).

Chapter Six

The return of the Ark of the Covenant from the land of the Philistines. The temporary stopping of the Ark at Beth-shemesh.

1 Samuel 6:2. And the Philistines called their priests and their diviners [and their enchanters] and said: What shall we do with the Ark of the Lord? teach us how to send it to its place. 1 Samuel 6:3. And they said: If you send away the Ark [of the covenant of the Lord,] God of Israel, do not send it empty, but certainly make Him a gift of guilt-offering; then you will be healed and will know why His hand does not turn away from you. 1 Samuel 6:4. And they said: What is the guilt-offering which we should make to Him? And they said: Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was upon all of you and upon your lords; 1 Samuel 6:5. so make images of your tumors and images of your mice that destroy the land, and give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will lighten His hand upon you and upon your gods and upon your land; 1 Samuel 6:6. And why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? Did not He show His might upon them, and did they not then let them go, and they departed? 1 Samuel 6:7. Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milk cows on which there has never been a yoke, and harness the cows to the cart, but take their calves home away from them; 1 Samuel 6:8. And take the Ark of the Lord and put it upon the cart, and the golden vessels which you offer to Him in recompense put in the box beside it; and send it away, and let it go; In the ancient pagan world there existed a custom of appeasing some god by making an offering of metal images of the affliction which had fallen upon a human being or his possessions. It is known, for example, that the Athenians offered to a god images of those parts of the human body which were struck by disease. In some localities (in northern European Russia, in India, etc.) this custom has been preserved to the present day. The custom of offering to a god metal images (or in general signs) of the affliction that weighed upon a human being was also practiced as a thanksgiving offering on the occasion of deliverance from that affliction. Prisoners who had gained their freedom would hang their chains in temples; those saved from shipwreck would hang a metal plate depicting a sinking ship. Lucius Collodius, healed of deafness, offered to the goddess Minerva ears made of silver. Like the aforementioned custom, this practice has not lost its significance in some pagan localities to the present day. With the appearance of Christianity the custom of offering to God some material sign of affliction that has come upon or befell a person did not entirely fall out of use: Christian history testifies that it had its place in Christianity as well, though it was already substantially different from its ancient original among the heathens. Through contact with Christianity the practice was internally purified, becoming instead of a manifestation of pagan superstition an expression of deep faith and heartfelt devotion of the Christian to the One true, almighty, and all-good God. Among the most striking examples of the existence of this practice in Christian antiquity can be mentioned the case when, healed by the Mother of God, Saint John of Damascus made from silver an image of the cut-off arm which had been restored to him by the iconoclasts, and now by miracle was joined again to the rest of his body, and he affixed this image to that icon of the Mother of God before which he prayed, from which this icon received the name “the Three-Handed.”

1 Samuel 6:10. And they did so; and they took two milk cows and harnessed them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home; “And they shut up their calves at home”: by the natural order of things, the milk cows should have gone not to Beth-shemesh, but home, to their calves.

1 Samuel 6:15. And the Levites took down the Ark of the Lord and the box beside it, in which were the golden vessels, and set them on the great stone; and the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the Lord on that day. Beth-shemesh—a city located to the west of Bethlehem.

1 Samuel 6:17. And these are the golden tumors which the Philistines gave as a guilt-offering to the Lord: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron; See the note to 1 Sam 5. The five Philistine cities are named not because only these cities were smitten with punishment from above, but because these five cities were the capitals of the five chief princes of the Philistines (1 Sam 6:4), who grouped around themselves the other cities and lands of the Philistine territory.

1 Samuel 6:18. And the golden mice were according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines—the five lords, both for the fortified cities and for the open villages, even to the great stone on which they set the Ark of the Lord, which remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh. “Open villages” means villages without a fortified wall. “To the great stone” near Beth-shemesh “on which they set the Ark of the Lord” “To this day”—an expression indicating the time of the biblical writer who gave the final edition to the First and Second Books of Samuel (see the introductory information about the Books of Samuel).

1 Samuel 6:19. [The sons of Jeconiah did not rejoice among the men of Beth-shemesh, for they saw the Ark of the Lord.] And He smote the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh because they looked into the Ark of the Lord, and He killed from among the people fifty thousand and seventy men; and the people mourned, because the Lord had smitten the people with a great slaughter. The Ark of the Covenant was a holy thing, inviolable to persons not consecrated (Num 4:1), and even more so to the idle curiosity of the crowd.

1 Samuel 6:20. And the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh said: Who is able to stand before the Lord, this Holy God? and to whom shall He go away from us? “Who among sinful people can stand before the accusing holiness of the Lord” and the retributive justice of His right hand?

1 Samuel 6:21. And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying: The Philistines have returned the Ark of the Lord; come down, and bring it up to you. Kiriath-jearim—a city lying to the northeast of Beth-shemesh and to the northwest of Jerusalem, on the way to Shiloh, the then location of the tabernacle.

Chapter Seven

The stay of the Ark of the Covenant at Kiriath-jearim. The rule of the judge and prophet Samuel.

1 Samuel 7:1. And the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim came and took the Ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the Ark of the Lord. On the basis of 1 Chr 15:10-11 scholars believe that Abinadab and his son Eleazar belonged to the tribe of Levi. The Ark of the Covenant remained at Kiriath-jearim until the time of King David, who moved it to the tabernacle he had established in Jerusalem (2 Sam 6:1). As for the tabernacle itself, which had been at Shiloh, it was first moved to Nob (1 Sam 26:1), then to Gibeon (1 Chr 16:39; 2 Chr 1:3), and finally was taken apart and placed in one of the chambers of Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem, together with David’s tabernacle.

1 Samuel 7:2. And from the day the Ark remained at Kiriath-jearim a long time passed, twenty years. And all the house of Israel turned toward the Lord. “And all the house of Israel turned toward the Lord”: under the external pressure of Philistine oppression (1 Sam 7:3), the Hebrews repented of their attractions to the paganism of their neighbors and turned in heart to the fulfillment of the good and perfect law of the Lord.

1 Samuel 7:4. And the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Astartes, and served only the Lord. Baal and Ashtaroth—pagan deities, worshiped in Canaan, Phoenicia, Mesopotamia, and other lands of Western Asia. The cult of Baal spoke chiefly of the fearful power of the deity; the cult of Ashtaroth—of its productive force. The latter was accompanied by various forms of lewdness, elevated to the degree of sacred service to the goddess. (See more in M. Palmov’s work “Idolatry among the ancient Hebrews.” St. Petersburg, 1897, pp. 217–246, 295–335.)

1 Samuel 7:5. And Samuel said: Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you. “Mizpah”—a city to the northwest of Jerusalem, to the south of Gibeon.

1 Samuel 7:6. And they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, saying: We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah. The drawing of water and pouring it out before the Lord served as a symbol of deep contrition for sins and also of the penitent sacrifice of the Hebrew people. In Lam 2:19 the book of “Lamentations” contains the expression: “Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord!” “Judged”—in the sense of examining cases and disputes of the people, instructing it in the true law.

1 Samuel 7:7. When the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. It seemed to the Philistines that the Hebrews had gathered at Mizpah for no other purpose than to attack them.

1 Samuel 7:9. And Samuel took a lamb that was entirely of nursing age and offered it for a whole burnt offering to the Lord, and Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. With regard to the peculiarities of the religious and civil life of the Hebrews, the period of the Judges can be considered as a period of patriarchal reaction in the life of the people. The law regarding the unity of the place of worship and the exclusivity of the persons engaged in worship was not observed with great strictness even by the best of the Hebrews of that time. Aside from the tabernacle, sacrifices to the True God were made wherever a person felt the need to make them; and often they were made by people who had no priestly ordination. (See more in I. Troitsky’s work “The religious, civil, and political state of the Hebrews during the time of the Judges.” St. Petersburg, 1885.) “A lamb from the breast”—according to the law (Lev 22:27) the sacrificial lamb must be no less than seven days old.

1 Samuel 7:11. And the children of Israel went out from Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them until they came to a place below Beth-horon. According to the opinion of Bishop Harvey, a defensive alliance was concluded between the Hebrews and the Amorites, directed mainly against the Philistines (English Commentary on the Bible).

1 Samuel 7:17. Then he returned to Ramah; for his house was there, and there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the Lord. See the note to 1 Sam 7:9.

Chapter Eight

The establishment of the royal power among the Hebrew people.

1 Samuel 8:1. Now it came to pass when Samuel had grown old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. “His sons”: the vow of Naziriteship (see the note to 1 Sam 1:11) was not connected with the obligation of celibacy for the one who made this vow.

1 Samuel 8:3. But his sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes, and perverted judgment. Beersheba—a city near the southern borders of Canaan. The distance of Beersheba from Samuel’s principal residence Ramah (see the note to 1 Sam 1:1) to a considerable degree explains the freedom of action which Samuel’s sons allowed themselves (v.3).

1 Samuel 8:5. And they said to him: You have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now make us a king to judge us, like all the nations. The people believed that the firm hand of a powerful king would serve as a sufficient guarantee against various kinds of abuses on the part of secondary authorities.

1 Samuel 8:6. But the thing displeased Samuel when they said: Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord. “And the thing displeased Samuel.” The form of Hebrew self-government which had been established by this time bore the character of a theocracy, that is, the rule of God, in the narrow sense of this word. Being equally God and the Heavenly King of all peoples (theocracy in the broad sense of the word), the Lord was in relation to His chosen people also their earthly King. From Him came forth laws, statutes, and ordinances not only of a purely religious, but also of a family, social, and state character. As King, He was also the Supreme Commander of the military forces of His people. The tabernacle, being the place of God’s special presence, was at the same time the residence of the Ruler of the Hebrew people: here the will of their Heavenly and earthly King was revealed to the people in all important matters of their religious, family, social, and state life. The prophets, high priests, leaders, and judges were only obedient executors and instruments of the will of the Heavenly Master of the people. From this it becomes understandable why the zealous guardian of Jehovah, Samuel, was displeased with the desire of the people: in this desire he saw a betrayal by the Hebrews of their original King (1 Sam 8:7-8). Furthermore, in asking for a king, the Hebrews said: “like all the (that is, pagan) nations.” From the following, however, we see that the Lord permitted Samuel to satisfy the people’s desire, finding that the fulfillment of this desire need not contradict the form of theocratic government established among the Hebrews, since the earthly king of the theocratic state of the Hebrews is and should be nothing more than a zealous executor and instrument in the people entrusted to him of the laws of the Heavenly King (Deut 17:14-20).

1 Samuel 8:9. So listen to their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them. 1 Samuel 8:10. And Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people that asked of him a king, 1 Samuel 8:11. And said: This will be the way of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to him as his chariots and his horsemen, and some shall run before his chariots; 1 Samuel 8:12. And he will appoint him commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some shall plow his fields and reap his harvest, and make him instruments of war and implements for his chariots; 1 Samuel 8:13. And he will take your daughters to be confectioners, and cooks, and bakers; 1 Samuel 8:14. And he will take your fields and your vineyards and your best olive groves and give them to his servants; 1 Samuel 8:15. And he will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give to his eunuchs and to his servants; 1 Samuel 8:16. And your menservants and your maidservants and your best young men and your donkeys he will take, and put them to his work; 1 Samuel 8:17. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will be his servants; 1 Samuel 8:18. And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not answer you in that day. Samuel described not a statute of the power of the Hebrew king, but a picture of the usual behavior of a king in the East at that time. The harsh tones of this picture were intended to inspire the Hebrews with greater caution in their proposed undertaking.

1 Samuel 8:20. And we will be like all the nations; and our king will judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. Along with other considerations, in the desire expressed by the people there was also an inducement of what might be called national pride: “and we will be like all the nations.”

1 Samuel 8:22. And the Lord said to Samuel: Listen to their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the people of Israel: Go each of you to your own city. The first two kings—Saul and David—were a visible and tangible example to the people of what a king of the Hebrews should not be (Saul), and what a king of the Hebrews should be (David).

Chapter Nine

Saul, son of the Benjaminite Kish.

1 Samuel 9:1. Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. “Of the sons of Benjamin,” that is, of the tribe of Benjamin.

1 Samuel 9:2. And he had a son whose name was Saul, a young man and a goodly one; and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he; from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. “From his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people,” that is, he was higher than others by a head.

1 Samuel 9:4. And he passed through Mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they found them not; then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there; and he passed through the land of Benjamin, and found them not. 1 Samuel 9:5. When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him: Come, let us return; lest my father cease caring about the donkeys, and become anxious about us. Beginning from the Jezreel plain, the mountains of Ephraim extend along the southern border of the territory of Ephraim to Jerusalem, and here they join the mountains of Judah. Shalishah, Shaalim, Zuph—localities near the city of Ramah of Samuel (see the note to 1 Sam 1:1).

1 Samuel 9:6. And his servant said to him: Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is a man that is held in honor; all that he says surely comes to pass; let us go there now; perhaps he can tell us about our journey on which we have gone. “In this city,” that is, Ramah of Samuel. “Man of God”—the prophet Samuel. “Perhaps he can tell us about our journey on which we have gone,” to find that which is lost (1 Sam 9:3).

1 Samuel 9:7. Then said Saul to his servant: But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is gone from our bags, and there is no present to bring to the man of God; what have we? 1 Samuel 9:8. And the servant answered Saul again, and said: Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver; I will give it to the man of God, to tell us our way. Some say (remarks the blessed Theodoret) that Samuel prophesied for money, concluding this from what Saul said: “We will go, but what shall we bring to the man?” but this is only an indication of Saul’s assumption, not of the prophet’s avarice. Saul thought that he ought to bring something to Samuel, as a leader and prophet; however, he brought nothing; but he was received by Samuel with great favor. The disinterestedness of the prophet is also shown by the words which he spoke (later) to all the people: “Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before His anointed. Whose ox have I taken? or whose donkey have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? and I will restore it to you.” And the people said: “You have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, nor taken anything from anyone’s hand.” (1 Sam 12:3-4) (Commentary on 1 Samuel, question 16). “A fourth part of a shekel of silver”—slightly more than twenty kopecks.

1 Samuel 9:12. And they answered them and said: Yes; he is here before you. Make haste now, for he came today into the city; for the people have a sacrifice today on the high place; “Today the people have a sacrifice on the high place”: see the note to 1 Sam 7:9.

1 Samuel 9:13. As soon as you come into the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he comes, because he blesses the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that are bidden. Now therefore get up; for about this time you will find him. A peace offering is meant. See the note to 1 Sam 1:4.

1 Samuel 9:16. Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be ruler over My people Israel; and he shall save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me. “Because I have looked upon My people, for their cry has come to Me.” The situation of the Hebrews at the time of their election of a king was far from brilliant. From the west they were inexorably pressed by the Philistines. They had succeeded in seizing some of the fortified places (heights) of the Hebrews, supplying them with their own guard posts (1 Sam 10:5). To deprive the Hebrews of the ability to make weapons, the Philistines destroyed all the blacksmiths in their land; so that even for repairing agricultural tools the Hebrews had to go to their enemies, the Philistines (1 Sam 13:19-22). From the east the Ammonites threatened them.

1 Samuel 9:18. And Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate and said: Tell me, I pray, where is the seer’s house? “In the gate” of the city.

1 Samuel 9:20. And as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be concerned about them; they have been found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel set? Is it not on you and on all your father’s house? “And as for your donkeys, do not be concerned.” And indeed, how can one be solely concerned about them who, by the determination of God, already possesses all the “desire of Israel?”

1 Samuel 9:21. And Saul answered and said: Am I not a Benjaminite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me thus? After the internecine strife (Judg 19-21) the tribe of Benjamin was considerably reduced in its numbers.

Chapter Ten

Saul’s election to the kingship.

1 Samuel 10:1. And Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: Behold, the Lord anoints you as ruler over His inheritance [over Israel, and you shall reign over the Lord’s people and shall save them from the hand of their enemies, who surround them, and behold this is a sign that the Lord has anointed you as king over His inheritance]: Until now in the Old Testament the anointing with holy oil (to impart God’s spiritual gifts) was mentioned only of the high priest (Exod 30:23). But if a shepherd of human souls requires special divine aid for successful performance of his ministry, no less aid is required by the ruler of the earthly prosperity of the people – the king, who in the theocratic state (see note to 1 Sam 8:6) is also at the same time a helper of the high priest in the work of caring for the souls of the people entrusted to him (Deut 17:14-20). “And behold this is a sign that the Lord has anointed you”: Saul’s mental state required some tangible confirmation of his divine election as king over Israel (1 Sam 9:20-21).

1 Samuel 10:2. When you go from me now, you will meet two men near the grave of Rachel, on the border of Benjamin, in Zelzah, and they will say to you: “The donkeys you went to search for are found, and now your father, having forgotten about the donkeys, is worried about you, saying: What has become of my son?” “Near the grave of Rachel.” According to Gen 35:19, the grave of Rachel is located near the city of Bethlehem, to the south of Jerusalem, on the border of the tribe of Judah. It is supposed that “on the border of Benjamin, in Zelzah,” there was a locality also called the Grave of Rachel – out of reverence for the memory of the ancestress of the Benjamites.

1 Samuel 10:3. And you shall go on from there and come to the oak of Tabor, and you will meet there three men going up to God at Bethel: one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and a third carrying a skin of wine; “The oak of Tabor” cannot be the oak of the well-known Mount Tabor, for that mountain (Mount Tabor itself) is located considerably further north than the tribe of Benjamin, completely not on the way to Saul’s native city – Gibeah of Benjamin (1 Sam 10:26). The “oak of Tabor” mentioned here (like the “grave of Rachel”) is, most likely, the name of some locality of the tribe of Benjamin that is unknown at the present time. “Going up to God at Bethel,” that is, going to Bethel to make a sacrifice to the Lord God. See note to 1 Sam 7:9

1 Samuel 10:5. After that you will come to the Hill of God, where the Philistine garrison is; [the captains of the Philistines are there;] and when you enter the city, you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place, and before them a harp and a tambourine, and a pipe and a lyre, and they will be prophesying; “Hill of God,” that is, one of the sacrificial heights known then among the people (see note 1 Sam 7:9). Besides the purpose noted, the hill also had another – military purpose, serving as a stronghold of Philistine power in Canaan for the Philistines (see note to 1 Sam 9:16). “You will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place.” Companies of prophets – these were religious-educational and instructional prophetic communities, later called prophetic schools, whose initial foundation and organization was made by the prophet Samuel. Study of God’s word, practice in prayer, singing (with musical accompaniment) of sacred hymns were the chief subjects of study in these societies. Members of the latter were called “prophets” for their enthusiastic and inspired praise of God’s name, and also “sons,” or “disciples of the prophets” (1 Kgs 20:35; 2 Kgs 2:3), because they were educated under the guidance of divinely-inspired prophets, called their “fathers” (2 Kgs 2:12). Under Samuel the members of the prophetic community had their dwelling in Ramah of Samuel (1 Sam 19:18-24); in later times, under Elijah and Elisha, we see prophetic disciples in various cities of southern Canaan: in Gilgal (2 Kgs 2:1), in Bethel (2 Kgs 2:3), in Jericho (2 Kgs 2:5). Companies of incorruptible guardians of the law of Jehovah, enthusiastic heralds of His holy, perfect, and good will were to become (and truly were throughout all Old Testament history) a strong counterweight to the people’s tendency toward the dark and destructive paths of pagan lawlessness. Deep conviction of true knowledge, the sacred fire of religious enthusiasm, complete truthfulness and impartiality of the denunciatory speeches of the disciples of prophetic schools made a strong impression on the people and greatly contributed to the divinely-called prophets in their great and difficult mission of spiritual healing of the people. “Harp and tambourine, and pipe and lyre” – musical instruments of the Hebrews of that time: harp and lyre – stringed; pipe – wind; tambourine – something like our modern tambourine or drum. “And they will be prophesying.” “To prophesy” in biblical language does not always mean “to predict.” In this case, as is often the case in the Bible (for example, Num 11:25; 1 Sam 10:6; 1 Sam 19:20 and others), the expression “to prophesy” can be understood to mean – to praise God and His wonderful deeds in enthusiastic songs of praise, which presupposes, of course, a special elevation of a person’s spiritual powers. With the temporary cessation of this elevation ceases also the “prophesying” (Num 11:25; 1 Sam 10:13 and others).

1 Samuel 10:6. And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and will become a different man. “And you will prophesy”… See note to the end of 1 Sam 10:5.

1 Samuel 10:8. And you go before me to Gilgal, and I will come to you to make burnt offerings and peace offerings; wait seven days until I come to you, and then I will tell you what you should do. An instruction and at the same time a test for Saul: obtaining a certain freedom of action (1 Sam 10:7), the king-elect of the Hebrews was absolutely not to forget the fact that in matters of the highest order he was only an executor of the will of the Heavenly King of the people; the mediator between God and the people, the interpreter and herald of God’s will – the prophet – is and will be in relation to the king the same as in relation to each of the people. See note to 1 Sam 8:6. Gilgal – a city of sacred memories (Josh 4:4); located to the east of Jericho, near the river Jordan.

1 Samuel 10:9. As soon as Saul turned to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart, and all those signs were fulfilled on that very day. “God gave him another heart”: under the influence of divine anointing Saul was inwardly as if reborn, received the ability to be what he was to become in his new station (see note to 1 Sam 8:6). “And all those signs were fulfilled”: see 1 Sam 10:1-7.

1 Samuel 10:10. When they came to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. “And he prophesied among them”: see note to the end of 1 Sam 10:5, and also to 1 Sam 10:9.

1 Samuel 10:12. And one of those present answered and said: And who is the father of these? Therefore it became a proverb: “Is Saul also among the prophets?” “And who is the father of these?” Pointing to the sons of the prophets, the questioner gives to understand that the manners and condition of their parents are beside the point, since the prophetic gift is not hereditary. Nevertheless, the bewilderment at the sight of “the prophesying Saul” was so great that it was preserved in a proverb. When later they wished to express amazement at some unexpected change, they said: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

1 Samuel 10:13. And he ceased prophesying and went up to the high place. See note to the end of 1 Sam 10:5.

1 Samuel 10:17. And Samuel gathered the people to the Lord at Mizpah The city of Mizpah (to the west of Gibeah of Benjamin, to the northwest of Jerusalem) had before been a place of religious and public gatherings of the people (Judg 20:1; 1 Sam 7:5).

1 Samuel 10:18. And he said to the children of Israel: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you. 1 Samuel 10:19. And now you have rejected your God, who Himself saves you from all your troubles and sorrows, and you said to Him: “Set a king over us.” Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your clans. And now you have rejected your God (compare 1 Sam 8:7-8). See note to 1 Sam 8:6. “Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord,” so that you may know whom the Lord chooses for you as king.

1 Samuel 10:20. And Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. “Was chosen” – by casting lots. “Those living wickedly,” remarks blessed Theodoret, “do not always believe the prophets of God. Therefore, so that they might not think the judgment was made out of human mercy, Samuel ordered lots to be cast” (commentary on 1 Sam., question 22).

1 Samuel 10:22. And they asked the Lord again: “Will he come here?” And the Lord said: “Behold, he is hiding in the baggage.” “And they asked the Lord again” – through some sign. If however the expression 1 Sam 10:17: “to the Lord at Mizpah” is to be understood in the sense that by this time the tent had been moved to Mizpah, then the Hebrews could ask the Lord in another way – through the mediation of the high priest and the mysterious breastpiece entrusted to him.

1 Samuel 10:23. And they ran and brought him from there, and he stood among the people and was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. “Taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward,” that is, taller than everyone by a head’s length.

1 Samuel 10:24. And Samuel said to all the people: “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” Then all the people shouted and said: “Long live the king!” Physical virtues were valued very highly in antiquity; by them often were measured also his internal virtues (1 Sam 16:7). Where the chief purpose of a given person was seen in the duty to protect the interests entrusted to him through the application of physical strength, the virtues noted above, of course, had decisive significance. According to the testimony of Herodotus (III, 20; XII, 187), the Ethiopians chose as their king the one who was taller than others in stature. The same physical correspondence to his presumed purpose the Hebrews wished to see in their king (1 Sam 8:20). Seeing the tall, mighty figure of Saul, the people with enthusiasm cried out: “Long live the king!” The Lord allowed Saul’s election to come to pass so that the Hebrews might be tangibly convinced that for a theocratic ruler (see note to 1 Sam 8:6) crude physical strength is not the chief required quality (1 Sam 16:1); so that, having learned from experience what their king could not be, they might more consciously regard the divine instruction in the person of Saul’s successor (1 Sam 16:1) as to what he must be.

1 Samuel 10:25. And Samuel told the people the rights of the kingdom, and wrote them in a book, and laid it before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his own house. “The rights of the kingdom,” recorded by Samuel and placed before the Ark of the Lord, must be distinguished from the picture he presented to the people of the conduct customary at that time in the East for a king (1 Sam 8:11-18). In contrast to that picture and in accordance with Deut 17:14-20 Samuel, in all probability, depicted in the “Rights of the Kingdom” the desirable, from the theocratic point of view (see note to 1 Sam 8:6), ideal of a king which the king of the Hebrews should follow. However, the actual content of this important document has not come down to us.

1 Samuel 10:26. Saul also went to his home in Gibeah; and there went with him men whose hearts God had touched. The city of Gibeah of Benjamin is located to the south of Ramah of Samuel and to the north of Jerusalem. “Whose hearts God had touched,” that is, those whose heart joyfully responded to the election as king of the mighty man Saul.

1 Samuel 10:27. But certain worthless men said: “How can he save us?” And they despised him and brought him no gift; but he kept silent. “And brought him no gift” on the occasion of his election to kingship. It is supposed that others made these gifts and thereby expressed their respectful greeting to the newly-chosen one. “But he kept silent”: simple prudence required that he treat calmly the partial outburst of discontent, otherwise it could turn into civil war.

Chapter Eleven

Saul’s victory over Nahash, king of the Ammonites.

1 Samuel 11:1. And [it was about a month later that] Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash: “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.” “About a month later” – after Saul’s election to kingship. Nahash the Ammonite – king of the Ammonites. The Ammonites lived in the southern regions of the east beyond the Jordan. Jabesh-Gilead – a city located in the middle part of the eastern region beyond the Jordan, Gilead.

1 Samuel 11:2. And Nahash the Ammonite said to them: “I will make a covenant with you on this condition, that I may gouge out all your right eyes, and thereby bring disgrace upon all Israel.” Apart from the disgrace brought upon Israel, the deprivation of the conquered people of their right eye could have another purpose. By depriving the men of Jabesh of precisely the right eye, Nahash “wished to make them incapable of warfare, because the one holding a shield in his left hand covers his left eye, and his right eye looks upon the enemies.” Therefore depriving the right eye could easily lead to the defeat of those deprived of it (Blessed Theodoret, Commentary on 1 Sam., question 23; compare Josephus “Jewish Antiquities,” 6:5, 1).

1 Samuel 11:3. And the elders of Jabesh said to him: “Give us seven days’ time, that we may send messengers throughout all the territory of Israel; and if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you.” “We will come out to you,” to fulfill your requirement.

1 Samuel 11:5. And behold, Saul came from the field behind the oxen, and said: “What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?” And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh. “And behold, Saul came from the field behind the oxen.” Evidently he was still living that laborious agricultural life that he had lived before his election to kingship. The royal way of life and royal surroundings came later.

1 Samuel 11:6. And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled; “And the Spirit of God came upon Saul” – the spirit of noble resolution to go and free the innocently oppressed, in the full confidence that the Lord would not abandon him with His help.

1 Samuel 11:7. And he took a pair of oxen and cut them to pieces, and sent word throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying: “Whoever does not follow Saul and Samuel, so shall be done to his oxen.” And the dread of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out as one man. “In order to understand any thought, to fully assimilate it, ancient man needed a more or less vivid image. A Hebrew, who had not yet experienced what royal power is, could only fully grasp its strength when he was told that for disobedience to the king he would lose an ox, the most precious thing in his agricultural economy, and when at that moment he was shown a piece of a cut ox” (Ya. Bogorodsky, “Hebrew Kings,” Kazan, 1884, p. 34–35).

1 Samuel 11:8. And Saul mustered them at Bezek, and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. Bezek – a city in the middle part of the western region beyond the Jordan, opposite Jabesh-Gilead. “The men of Judah” – warriors from the tribes of Judah and Simeon; “the children of Israel” – warriors from the remaining tribes, except the tribe of Levi, which was freed from military obligations by virtue of its constant service at the tent of the Lord. The division of the Hebrew people into Judah and Israel can be felt long before the final division of the Hebrew monarchy into the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. (For more on this, see Pokrovsky’s work “The Division of the Hebrew Kingdom into Judah and Israel.”)

1 Samuel 11:11. On the next day Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and smote the Ammonites until the heat of the day; and those who survived scattered, so that no two of them were left together. “Into the midst of the camp” of the enemy. “In the morning watch,” that is, during the time from 2 to 6 o’clock in the morning. In ancient times the night was divided among the Hebrews into three watches, of four hours each. The first lasted from 6 to 10 o’clock in the evening, the second – from 10 o’clock in the evening to 2 o’clock in the morning, and the third, called the morning watch, from 2 to 6 o’clock in the morning. From the time of the Hebrews’ subjection to Roman rule, the Hebrews adopted the division of the aforesaid hours of the night into four watches, of three hours in each, similar to what was accepted by the Romans (Matt 14:25; Mark 13:35).

1 Samuel 11:12. Then the people said to Samuel: “Who was it who said: ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” Compare 1 Sam 10:27. Evidently, Saul’s military exploit broke the last doubt of the people that he could be a desirable king of Israel (1 Sam 8:20).

1 Samuel 11:13. But Saul said: “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has brought deliverance to Israel.” Compare 1 Sam 10:27, end of verse.

1 Samuel 11:14. And Samuel said to the people: “Come, let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.” 1 Samuel 11:15. And all the people went to Gilgal, and they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal, and they offered peace offerings before the Lord. And Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. The unanimous recognition of Saul by all the people assembled at Gilgal as king over Israel healed the dangerous division of public opinion which had revealed itself concerning Saul at his first election at Mizpah (1 Sam 10:27). When the power of the king was recognized by all the people, the prophet Samuel was able to lay down without obstacle his office as judge of the Hebrews. “And they offered peace offerings”: see note to 1 Sam 7:9. But it is possible to assume that the expression “before the Lord” indicates the temporary presence of the tent of the Lord at Gilgal (compare 1 Sam 10:17).

Chapter Twelve

Samuel’s laying down of the office of judge of the people. Samuel’s farewell address to the people.

1 Samuel 12:1. And Samuel said to all Israel: “Behold, I have hearkened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have set a king over you;” 1 Samuel 12:2. And now the king walks before you; and I am old and gray-headed; and behold, my sons are with you; and I have walked before you from my youth until this day; 1 Samuel 12:3. Here I am; witness against me before the Lord and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe to shut my eyes against him? I will make restitution to you. 1 Samuel 12:4. And they said: “You have not defrauded us, and you have not oppressed us, and you have not taken anything from anyone.” 1 Samuel 12:5. And he said to them: “The Lord is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have found nothing in my hand.” And they said: “He is witness.” The meaning of the speech is this: “Your wish has been fulfilled, you have a king such as you desired. My activity as judge among you is finished. I do not know what kind of king he will be for you; but as for me, I cannot reproach myself with any injustice toward you…” The people testified to the truth of Samuel’s words, after which the prophet turned to the people with a word of instruction, fully confident that the people would see in this instruction only a desire for the good of this people (1 Sam 12:6-25 verse).

1 Samuel 12:6. Then Samuel said to the people: “[Witness] The Lord, who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt.” 1 Samuel 12:7. “Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous deeds which the Lord has done to you and to your fathers.” 1 Samuel 12:8. “When Jacob went into Egypt, and your fathers cried to the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and they brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place.” 1 Samuel 12:9. “But they forgot the Lord their God, and He sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.” 1 Samuel 12:10. “But when they cried to the Lord and said: ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Astartes; now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You,’” 1 Samuel 12:11. “Then the Lord sent Jerubbaal, and Barak, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you from the hand of your enemies on every side, and you dwelt in safety.” 1 Samuel 12:12. “But when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me: ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your King.” 1 Samuel 12:13. “Now therefore, behold the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for; behold, the Lord has set a king over you.” 1 Samuel 12:14. “If you fear the Lord and serve Him and hearken to His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God; [then the hand of the Lord will not be against you];” 1 Samuel 12:15. “But if you do not hearken to the voice of the Lord, and rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers.” 1 Samuel 12:16. “Now stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes:” 1 Samuel 12:17. “Is it not wheat harvest now? But I will call on the Lord, and He will send thunder and rain, and you shall know and see how great is the sin which you have committed in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” 1 Samuel 12:18. And Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain on that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. 1 Samuel 12:19. And all the people said to Samuel: “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, so that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the sin of asking for a king.” 1 Samuel 12:20. And Samuel said to the people: “Do not be afraid; you have done this evil, but do not turn aside from following the Lord and serve the Lord with all your heart.” 1 Samuel 12:21. And do not go after empty idols, which cannot profit you and cannot deliver; for they are nothing; 1 Samuel 12:22. “And the Lord will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake, because the Lord has been pleased to make you His people;” 1 Samuel 12:23. “And as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and right way;” 1 Samuel 12:24. “Only fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; for you have seen what great things He has done for you;” 1 Samuel 12:25. “But if you do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.” The meaning of the prophet’s exhortation is this: “Up to now you had no king, yet the Lord God always saved you from your enemies, as soon as you turned to Him. But suddenly you demanded an earthly king for your protection from enemies! As if the Lord could no longer save you and as if an earthly king could himself provide this salvation for you! You have displayed shameful lack of faith in God’s help and excessive reliance on your own spear and sword. Know then that just as without a king you were saved from enemies only when you did not turn away from the Lord and served Him with all your heart, so also it will be with a king. Royal power will be powerless to save you as soon as you yourselves lack inner moral strength. If you and your king follow the Lord your God, no evil will befall you; but if you rebel against the Lord’s commandments, know that you and your king will perish. And that all I have said is just, the Lord will confirm it now with a sign” (16–18). “Is it not wheat harvest now? But I will call on the Lord, and He will send thunder and rain.” In Palestine there are two periods of rain in a year – early and late (Deut 11:14); the early period (corresponding to the beginning of the Hebrew civil year from September) – this is the autumn period of rains, falling in October and November; the late period – spring, falling at the end of February, March and the beginning of April. In May and the beginning of June, when the wheat harvest takes place, there is no rain at all: Canaanite rain at this time would be as strange as, in the words of the Wisdom, snow in summer (Prov 26:1).

Chapter Thirteen

Clash of the Hebrews with the Philistines. Disagreement between King Saul and the prophet Samuel.

1 Samuel 13:1. In the first year of Saul’s reign, and in the second year he reigned over Israel, as Saul had chosen three thousand from the Israelites: “In the first year of Saul’s reign, and in the second year he reigned over Israel”; that is, in the second year of Saul’s reign over Israel. “Three thousand Israelites” – as a permanent military detachment.

1 Samuel 13:2. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and on the hill of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and the rest of the people he sent to their homes. Michmash – a city to the northeast of Gibeah of Benjamin. The height of Bethel – to the north of Gibeah of Benjamin.

1 Samuel 13:3. And Jonathan struck the Philistine garrison that was in Gibeah; and the Philistines heard of it, and Saul sounded the trumpet throughout the land, saying: let the Hebrews hear! “The Philistine garrison that was in Gibeah”: see the note to 1 Sam 9:16. Evidently, Gibeah of Benjamin had already entered the district of Philistine occupation, and there (or rather, near it) a lookout and guard detachment of the Philistines was stationed. It is no wonder that such proximity did not particularly please the king of the Hebrews.

1 Samuel 13:5. And the Philistines gathered together to fight against Israel: thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as numerous as the sand on the seashore; and they came and encamped in Michmash, on the east side of Beth-aven. Beth-aven – Aijalon (1 Sam 14:23); located to the southwest of Gibeon.

1 Samuel 13:6. The Israelites, seeing that they were in danger, because the people were hard pressed, hid in caves and ravines, and among the rocks, and in towers, and in pits; 1 Samuel 13:7. And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead; but Saul was still in Gilgal, and all the people with him were seized with fear. Whether because the war had been begun not by a unanimous outburst of popular feeling but by Saul’s personal considerations; or because the roar of the Philistines’ iron weapons struck panic fear into the Hebrews (see note to 1 Sam 9:16), the result was that the Hebrews lost heart: only part of them followed Saul to Gilgal (for sacrifice to God); the greater mass hid in caves, in thorn thickets, in mountain ravines, in towers and pits; many even fled across the Jordan (I. Bogorodskii, “The Hebrew Kings”, p. 41).

1 Samuel 13:8. And he waited seven days, until the appointed time that Samuel had named, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people began to scatter from him. 1 Samuel 13:9. And Saul said: bring to me what is appointed for the burnt offering and for the peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. 1 Samuel 13:10. But scarcely had he finished offering the burnt offering when Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, to greet him. 1 Samuel 13:11. But Samuel said: what have you done? Saul answered: I saw that the people were scattering from me, and you did not come by the appointed time; and the Philistines are gathered in Michmash; 1 Samuel 13:12. So I thought: now the Philistines will come upon me in Gilgal, and I have not yet sought the favor of the Lord; and so I resolved to offer the burnt offering. 1 Samuel 13:13. And Samuel said to Saul: you have acted foolishly, in that you have not kept the command of the Lord your God which he gave you; for now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever; 1 Samuel 13:14. But now your kingdom shall not stand; the Lord has found for himself a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be leader of his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you. See the note to 1 Sam 7:6 and to 1 Sam 10:8. By not carrying out the will of the Lord’s prophet, Saul violated not a mere formality, but one of the most essential laws that formed the foundation of the power of the Hebrew king (Deut 17:14-20). And the prophet Samuel, as a faithful guardian of the theocracy of the Hebrew people, could not leave this violation of the law without a vigorous protest and rebuke.

1 Samuel 13:17. And three companies went out from the camp of the Philistines to raid the land: one turned toward the road to Ophrah, into the land of Shual, Ophrah of Benjamin – to the north of Michmash.

1 Samuel 13:18. And another company turned toward the road of Beth-horon, and the third company turned toward the road toward the border of the valley of Zeboim, toward the wilderness. Beth-horon (Upper and Lower) – to the west of Michmash. Zeboim – to the southeast of Michmash, in the direction of the Jericho wilderness.

Chapter Fourteen

Defeat of the Philistines. Successful wars of the Hebrews against the Moabites, Ammonites, Amalekites, and others.

1 Samuel 14:13. And Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer followed him. And the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them behind him. 1 Samuel 14:14. And in that first attack, Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed about twenty men, in half a field that a yoke of oxen might plow in a day. 1 Samuel 14:15. And there was a panic in the camp of the Philistines, on the field, and among all the people; the raiding parties and those destroying the land were seized with terror [and did not want to fight]; the whole earth trembled, and there was a great terror from the Lord. 1 Samuel 14:16. And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin saw that the crowd was scattering and running here and there. 1 Samuel 14:17. And Saul said to the people with him: muster the troops and see who has gone from us. And when they had mustered, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. 1 Samuel 14:18. And Saul said to Ahijah: “bring [the ark] of God”; for the ark of God was with the Israelites at that time. 1 Samuel 14:19. While Saul was speaking to the priest, the confusion in the camp of the Philistines was growing more and more [widespread and] increasing. Then Saul said to the priest: withdraw your hands. 1 Samuel 14:20. And Saul and all the people with him gathered and rushed to the battle, and behold, every man’s sword was turned against his neighbor; the confusion was very great. 1 Samuel 14:21. Then the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines yesterday and the day before, and who had gone about with them everywhere in the camp, joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan; 1 Samuel 14:22. And all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim, hearing that the Philistines had fled, also joined their own in the battle. 1 Samuel 14:23. And the Lord saved Israel that day; and the battle spread as far as Beth-aven. [All the men with Saul were about ten thousand, and the battle was waged throughout the hill country of Ephraim.] Subjected to a swift and skillful attack, the Philistines were seized with fear and, imagining that by their carelessness they had allowed a whole enemy detachment to approach them, hidden by a ravine of the hills (1 Sam 14:4-6), rushed into wild flight, created terrible confusion in the camp at Michmash, and threw the other Philistine companies into turmoil. The confusion of the Philistines was further aided by the fact that there were many Hebrews in their army. Emboldened by the favorable turn of events, they drew their swords against their oppressors. To them were also added those Israelites who at the beginning of the Philistine invasion had in fear hidden themselves in ravines and pits (see note to 1 Sam 13:6-7). “Then Saul said to the priest” (Ahijah): “withdraw” (in prayer) “your hands” (verse 19), so that through the intermediary of the sanctuary (verse 18) we might learn God’s will. “And Saul and all the people with him shouted” (verse 20): the Lord made it known to the Hebrews that the Philistines were delivered into their hands. Naturally, after assuring himself of the confusion of the Philistines, Saul rushed with his army to complete the defeat of the enemies and pursued them from Michmash to Beth-aven (Aijalon).

1 Samuel 14:24. The men of Israel were exhausted that day; and Saul [very foolishly] put the people under a curse, saying: cursed be anyone who eats food until evening, until I have avenged myself on my enemies. And none of the people tasted food. 1 Samuel 14:25. And all the people came to a forest, and there was honey on the ground. 1 Samuel 14:26. And the people went into the forest, saying: behold, the honey flows. But no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the curse. 1 Samuel 14:27. But Jonathan did not hear when his father put the people under the curse; and he stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand, dipped it in the honeycomb, and brought it to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. 1 Samuel 14:28. And one of the people said to him, saying: your father has put the people under a curse, saying: “cursed be anyone who eats food today”; and the people are exhausted. 1 Samuel 14:29. And Jonathan said: my father has troubled the land; see how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey; 1 Samuel 14:30. if only the people had eaten today from the spoil that they found from their enemies, would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been greater? 1 Samuel 14:31. And they struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon; and the people were very exhausted. 1 Samuel 14:32. And the people rushed upon the spoil, and took sheep and oxen and calves, and slew them on the ground, and the people ate them with blood. 1 Samuel 14:33. And it was told to Saul, saying: behold, the people are sinning against the Lord, eating with blood. And Saul said: you have dealt treacherously; roll a large stone to me now. 1 Samuel 14:34. Then Saul said: go through the people and say to them: let each man bring his ox and his sheep to me, and slaughter them here and eat, and do not sin against the Lord by eating with blood. And all the people brought, each one his ox in his hand [and his sheep] that night, and slaughtered them there. “Saul very foolishly put all the people under a curse”. The consequences of Saul’s thoughtless curse upon his warriors were felt very soon. “Its first result was that the oath was violated, and precisely by him who most of all thought about pursuing the enemy, who most of all contributed to their defeat – the hero of the day, the prince Jonathan, who did not know of the curse. When evening came, the starving people rushed with fury upon the Philistine spoil – small and large cattle – and indulged in bloody eating of almost raw, steaming meat, in violation of the direct decree of the law (Deut 12:16). So Saul was compelled to personally oversee the proper preparation of each animal for eating” (I. Bogorodskii, “The Hebrew Kings”, p. 51–52). “And his eyes brightened” (verse 27), dimmed by exhaustion and hunger. “My father has troubled the land” (verse 29), by pronouncing a hasty curse. “Roll a large stone to me now” (verse 33) and then “let each man bring his ox and his sheep to me and slaughter them here” (on the stone) “and eat, and do not sin against the Lord by eating with blood” (verse 34).

1 Samuel 14:35. And Saul built an altar to the Lord: it was the first altar that he built to the Lord. A remark very characteristic of Saul’s character: only now, having triumphed over his enemies, did Saul feel the need for a sacrifice to the Lord God on his own initiative, without encouragement from the prophet Samuel (1 Sam 10:8).

1 Samuel 14:36. And Saul said: let us pursue the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light; and let us not leave a single one among them. And they said: do all that seems good to you. And the priest said: let us draw near to God here. “Let us draw near to God”, so that we might learn his will.

1 Samuel 14:37. And Saul asked of God: shall I go down after the Philistines? will you deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he did not answer him that day. “And Saul asked of God”, through the intermediary of the Lord’s sanctuary (see 1 Sam 14:18-19).

1 Samuel 14:38. Then Saul said: let all the leaders of the people come here and learn and find out who has sinned this day. “Who has sinned this day”, preventing us from learning the will of the Lord?

1 Samuel 14:39. For as the Lord lives, who has saved Israel, if the guilt lies even on Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But no one answered him from all the people. “But no one answered him from all the people”. The people undoubtedly knew of Jonathan’s violation of Saul’s curse (1 Sam 14:27-30), but, recognizing the foolishness of this curse (1 Sam 14:24) and cherishing a completely justified feeling of love and gratitude toward Jonathan, the hero of the day, whom God himself evidently helped in overcoming the enemy (1 Sam 14:42), decided not to allow Saul to commit another, even more foolish, act. “And the people freed Jonathan, and he did not die” (1 Sam 14:45).

1 Samuel 14:47. And Saul established his kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies round about, against Moab and against the Ammonites and against Edom [and against Bethel] and against the kings of Zobah and against the Philistines; and wherever he turned, he was victorious. Moab – on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea; Ammon – in the southern parts of the eastern Transjordan; Bethel – one of the tribes unknown at the present time; Zobah (or Suva, Tsoba) – a kingdom in Syria; the Philistines occupied the southwestern corner of Canaan.

1 Samuel 14:52. And there was constant war against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And whenever Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, he took him to himself. “He took him to himself”, into his army. * * * In the Greek translation: [ephod]

Chapter Fifteen

Destruction of the Amalekites. Final rupture between King Saul and the prophet Samuel.

1 Samuel 15:2. Thus says the Lord of hosts: I have noted what Amalek did to Israel, how he opposed him on the way when he came up from Egypt; See Exod 17:8-16. The Amalekites – nomads of the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula, between Idumea and Egypt.

1 Samuel 15:3. Now go and strike Amalek [and Jeroboam] and utterly destroy all that he has; [do not spare anything from them, but destroy and devote to destruction everything that he has;] and do not have pity on him, but put to death from man to woman, from child to nursing infant, from ox to sheep, from camel to donkey. “And Jeroboam” (1 Sam 15:8). It is supposed that Jeroboam was one of the leaders of the Amalekites, distinguished in some way among their other chiefs.

1 Samuel 15:4. And Saul summoned the people and counted them in Telaim: two hundred thousand men on foot and ten thousand men of Judah. Telaim – in the south of Canaan, near the boundary of Judah.

1 Samuel 15:6. And Saul said to the Kenites: go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt. And the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. The Kenites – one of the tribes among the Amalekites (cf. Exod 2:15-21; Num 10:29-33; Judg 1:16), friendly toward the Hebrews.

1 Samuel 15:7. And Saul defeated Amalek from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt; The exact location of Havilah is unknown. Shur – a part of the Arabian wilderness adjacent to Egypt (Gen 16:7; Exod 15:22).

1 Samuel 15:9. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and the cattle and the fatted animals and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; all that was despised and weak they destroyed utterly. Another violation by Saul of the will of the Lord’s prophet (cf. 1 Sam 13:8-14. See note to 1 Sam 8:6).

1 Samuel 15:10. Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying: 1 Samuel 15:11. “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from me and has not carried out my instructions.” And Samuel was grieved, and he cried out to the Lord all that night. Cf. 1 Sam 13:8-14. “And Samuel was grieved, and he cried out to the Lord all that night”, asking him for guidance as to how he should now deal with Saul.

1 Samuel 15:12. And Samuel rose early in the morning and went to meet Saul. And it was told Samuel that Saul had gone to Carmel and had set up a monument for himself, [and then turned and gone down] to Gilgal. The Carmel mentioned here – a city of the tribe of Judah, located south of Hebron. “Set up a monument” (some kind of pillar with an inscription) – to mark and perpetuate the victory obtained. Probably, Agag was also spared (1 Sam 15:9) not for Agag’s sake, but in order to increase the splendor of the victor’s triumph with his presence.

1 Samuel 15:13. When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him: blessed be you by the Lord; I have kept the word of the Lord. “When Samuel came”: to offer a sacrifice. Cf. 1 Sam 10:8. See note to 1 Sam 7:9. “I have kept the word of the Lord”; see 1 Sam 15:1-3.

1 Samuel 15:15. And Saul said: they have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the cattle in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. Verse 9 leads us to suppose that Saul and his army kept the best of the possessions of the Amalekites far from religious considerations.

1 Samuel 15:17. And Samuel said: though you are small in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed you king over Israel? 1 Samuel 15:18. And the Lord sent you on a mission, saying: “go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until you have consumed them.” 1 Samuel 15:19. Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord, but pounced on the spoil and did what is evil in the sight of the Lord? There is noted Saul’s ingratitude. Having been raised from insignificance (verse 17) to the height of the royal throne, Saul did not display proper obedience to the will of him who raised him up.

1 Samuel 15:21. And the people took from the spoil, sheep and cattle, the best of what was devoted, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal. See note to 1 Sam 15:15.

1 Samuel 15:22. And Samuel said: does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams; 1 Samuel 15:23. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is like idolatry; because you have rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord has rejected you from being king [over Israel]. See 1 Sam 15:1-3.

1 Samuel 15:24. And Saul said to Samuel: I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your word; but I was afraid of the people and obeyed their voice; 1 Samuel 15:25. Now therefore, I beg you, pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship the Lord [your God]. 1 Samuel 15:26. And Samuel said to Saul: I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel. 1 Samuel 15:27. And as Samuel turned to go away, Saul caught hold of the edge of his robe, and it tore. 1 Samuel 15:28. And Samuel said to him: the Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, one better than you; 1 Samuel 15:29. And also the Glory of Israel does not lie and does not repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent. 1 Samuel 15:30. And Saul said: I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord your God. 1 Samuel 15:31. So Samuel turned back after Saul; and Saul worshiped the Lord. Saul was aware that he had sinned by violating God’s will, but he did not feel this sin, did not experience the inward, purifying remorse. Outwardly, Saul’s ambitious soul was troubled not so much by the thought that God might abandon him, as by the thought that the angry prophet would leave him right then and by his departure would diminish his prestige before the princes and people. Sparing not Saul but the honor of the Hebrew king, Samuel stayed and performed the appointed sacrifice.

1 Samuel 15:32. Then Samuel said: bring Agag, the king of the Amalekites, to me. And Agag came to him trembling, and said: surely the bitterness of death has passed? 1 Samuel 15:33. And Samuel said: as your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. Cf. 1 Sam 15:3.

1 Samuel 15:35. And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death; but Samuel mourned for Saul, because the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. “Because the Lord regretted” that he had made Saul king (cf. 1 Sam 15:10-11): an anthropomorphic expression, indicating that the first king of the Hebrews did not use the means that God had given him to be a zealous instrument of God’s will for his own benefit and for the benefit of the people entrusted to him.

Chapter Sixteen

The secret anointing of David for the Hebrew kingship. David’s approach to Saul’s court.

1 Samuel 16:1. And the Lord said to Samuel: How long will you grieve over Saul, whom I have rejected from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have chosen myself a king from among his sons. Jesse of Bethlehem in Judea was the grandson of Boaz, who married a Moabite (see the book of Ruth), a direct descendant of Nahshon, the prince of the tribe of Judah in the time of Moses (Num 1:7; 1 Chr 2:10).

1 Samuel 16:2. And Samuel said: How can I go? Saul will hear of it and kill me. The Lord said: Take a heifer with you and say, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord”; Samuel’s fear is understandable: on the one hand, he feared the premature and violent end not only of his own life, but also of his public prophetic work; on the other hand, the sad consequences that might follow from Saul’s mad deed. The violent death of the prophet Samuel might have provoked an outburst of popular indignation against the one who was the immediate cause of this death, and produced ruinous anarchy in the Hebrew state. The words of the Lord: “Take a heifer in your hand” and so on—this is not a teaching of untruth, but an indication of genuinely necessary action: the great event of the sacred anointing for the kingship of God’s chosen one could not have been marked without a religious ceremony (cf. 1 Sam 9:15-27). “And the prophet indeed performed the sacrifice (1 Sam 16:5). Therefore it was said to him that, concealing the main purpose for a time, he should point out (to those who might question his coming to the city) the secondary matter” (Theodoret, Commentary on 1 Samuel, question 36).

1 Samuel 16:4. And Samuel did as the Lord had said. When he came to Bethlehem, the elders of the city went out to meet him with trembling and said: Is your coming peaceful? “Is your coming peaceful?” “Either because unexpected visits of the prophet were usually occasioned by extraordinary events of a disturbing character, or because the tense state, the fateful struggle between prophetic and royal power, was felt by all who followed the course of events and feared grave upheavals and unrest, the elders of the city hastened to go out to meet the prophet and with trembling asked: ‘Are you coming to us in peace?’” (Ia. Bogorodsky, “Hebrew Kings”, p. 64).

1 Samuel 16:6. And when they came, he, seeing Eliab, said: Surely the Lord’s anointed is here before him! “The prophet did not know the one chosen by God, because he was not God, but a man. To know all things is proper to God; for the prophet it is enough to know what God reveals (and to the extent that God reveals it). On the other hand, the prophet’s ignorance revealed God’s determination. If the prophet had gone straight to David, there might have been suspicion that he had acted from some prejudice. But since he approached the first, and the second, and the third—up to the seventh, they knew that the one who rejected the first ones and chose the last one is God. Even with such a choice, the brothers harbored hatred when they saw David in the camp (1 Sam 17:28), what would they not have done if the choosing had been done in another way?” (Theodoret, Commentary on 1 Samuel, question 37.)

1 Samuel 16:13. And Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward; and Samuel arose and went to Ramah. The secret anointing conferred no external privileges on David, which would have been impossible under the existing king; but it gave him an inner conviction of his right to the throne after Saul, elevated his spirit, helped him to bear patiently and meekly the undeserved persecution of enemies, and encouraged him to deeds worthy of the future king of the Hebrews. ‘And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward’: in the eyes of the multitude he remained an ordinary mortal, but he himself with his entire moral being felt how high and intensely resounded the strings of his soul, what animation and soaring his thought and feeling had gained, stirred up by the new great task of his life placed before him by God himself (Ia. Bogorodsky, “Hebrew Kings”, p. 65–66). The Spirit of the Lord’s favor, gracious gifts, and help came upon David. But Saul, having consciously and stubbornly resisted the beneficial influence of God’s Spirit upon him, was allowed to experience the attack of dark and evil forces.

1 Samuel 16:14. And the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. “And an evil spirit” (by God’s permission) “from the Lord troubled him.” “Despite outward prosperity, Saul’s spirit (under the influence of dark forces) was not at peace: the thirst for power, like many other passions, could not be satisfied by anything; as it was satisfied it grew; there was felt a need to display power where it had not yet been displayed, and in greater measure than before. To this was added the memory of the prophet’s terrible words (1 Sam 15:23-26), which nothing could silence and which like a sword hung over Saul’s crowned head. And so, little by little, he began to experience a general sense of discontent and anxiety. Then this feeling began to turn into irritation, and the equilibrium of his meager spiritual powers was disturbed. He began to suffer from fits of true mental illness, during which he was not only incapable of serious matters, but positively dangerous to those around him” (Ia. Bogorodsky, “Hebrew Kings”, p. 72–73).

1 Samuel 16:16. Let our lord now command his servants who are in your attendance to seek out a man who is skilled in playing the harp, and when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, he will play with his hand and you will feel better. By expressing a mood, music could sometimes also evoke the desired mood. The beneficial effect of soothing musical melodies on the troubled and sick spirit of a human being was known from deep antiquity.

1 Samuel 16:18. Then one of his servants answered: I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, skilled in playing, a mighty man and a warrior, sensible in speech and handsome in appearance, and the Lord is with him. “And the Lord is with him,” that is, he is successful in everything.

1 Samuel 16:20. And Jesse took a donkey with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat, and sent them with David his son to Saul. The bread and wine were meant to express respectful greeting to Saul on behalf of the house of Jesse.

1 Samuel 16:23. And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand, and Saul would feel relief and it would be well with him, and the evil spirit would depart from him. “The spirit (evil by God’s permission) from God” (cf. 1 Sam 16:14). See the note at the end of 1 Sam 16:13 and to 1 Sam 16:14 verse.

Chapter Seventeen

David’s victory over Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:1. The Philistines gathered their armies for battle and were gathered at Sokho, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Sokho and Azek at Ephes-Dammim. It is reasonable to suppose that in attacking the Hebrews, the Philistines counted on the supposed inability of the sick Saul (1 Sam 16:14-21) to offer them skillful resistance. But this time the Philistines were mistaken in their expectations. Sokho and Azek were cities to the southwest of Jerusalem.

1 Samuel 17:3. And the Philistines stood on the mountain on one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. The armies were in such a position that the attacking side would inevitably risk total defeat. And since no one is his own enemy, both sides stood idle, but in a tense waiting position. It is unknown how long they would have stood thus if it had not occurred to the Philistines to decide the matter by a military duel between two champions—one from each camp. The champion on the Philistine side was a giant from the city of Gath—Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:4. And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath, from Gath; his height was six cubits and a span. A cubit is the length of the arm from the elbow joint to the tip of the middle finger. A span is the width of three palms. A palm is the width of four fingers.

1 Samuel 17:5. He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze; A shekel as a unit of weight equaled 3 zolotniki, 34.40 parts (corresponding to approximately 15 g.—Editor’s note).

1 Samuel 17:8. And he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, saying to them: Why have you come out to fight? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me; “Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul,” that is, what comparison can be made between me, mighty, free Philistine, and you, miserable servants of a sick madman Saul?

1 Samuel 17:11. And Saul and all the men of Israel heard these words of the Philistine, and they were greatly frightened and terrified. “They were greatly frightened and terrified,” not hoping to find an equal match for Goliath on their side.

1 Samuel 17:12. Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judea, whose name was Jesse, and he had eight sons. This man was old in the days of Saul and advanced in age among men. “Eight sons,” see 1 Sam 16:6-13.

1 Samuel 17:15. But David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. The necessity for David’s playing had temporarily ceased: war had absorbed all of Saul’s attention and feelings and thereby protected him from sharp attacks of melancholy.

1 Samuel 17:18. And bring these ten cheeses to the commander of a thousand, and check on the welfare of your brothers and bring news of them. To the commander of a thousand—as a greeting gift.

1 Samuel 17:23. And as he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath named Goliath, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words, and David heard them. “The same words”: see 1 Sam 17:8-10 verse.

1 Samuel 17:25. And the men of Israel said: Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will give him great wealth and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel. “Make his father’s house free in Israel,” that is, free from state obligations.

1 Samuel 17:28. And Eliab his oldest brother heard him speaking with the men, and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David and he said: Why have you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your arrogance and the evil of your heart; you have come down to see the battle. Evidently, Jesse’s firstborn Eliab could not forgive his younger brother the preference that had been shown to this brother by the prophet of God Samuel (1 Sam 16:1).

1 Samuel 17:33. And Saul said to David: You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth. “For you are but a youth.” “David was then a youth of 15 or 16 years, because he lived 75 years, reigned 40; therefore, when Saul was killed, he was 30 years old. And before that it was said that Saul, after his two years of reign, was deprived of divine grace and therefore spent all the rest of the time in enmity toward David” (Theodoret, Commentary on 1 Samuel. Question 41).

1 Samuel 17:36. Your servant has killed both a lion and a bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God. [Shall I not go and strike him, that I may remove the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised one?] 1 Samuel 17:37. And David said: The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David: Go, and may the Lord be with you. Cf. verse 1 Sam 17:45-47.

1 Samuel 17:42. And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, fair and ruddy. “A youth, fair and ruddy,” that is, without the outward signs of a warrior hardened in battle.

1 Samuel 17:52. And the men of Israel and Judea rose up and shouted and pursued the Philistines until you come to the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the Philistines fell slain on the road to Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. Ekron was a Philistine city, to the west of Gibeon.

1 Samuel 17:54. Then David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put his weapons in his tent. To the question of how “David, having not yet dwelt in Jerusalem, brought into it the head of a foreigner,” Theodoret answers: “True, Jerusalem was still inhabited by Jebusites (2 Sam 5:6-8), but David, wishing to strike fear into the unconquered foreigners of his country, showed them the head of the great warrior he had slain,” who boldly rose up against the chosen people of God and placed all his hope in his own strength (Theodoret, Commentary on 1 Samuel. Question 42).

1 Samuel 17:55. When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army: Abner, whose son is this youth? Abner said: As your soul lives, O king, I do not know. “Whose son is this youth?” Occupying a modest place in the crowd of other court musicians, David might not have been known personally to Saul. Listening to David’s music, Saul paid no attention to the one playing; and if he saw him, the painful fits, during which the musician was summoned, might have prevented him from remembering the face of the one playing. And only now, when the modest harp player had become the hero of the day, the glory of Israel, the instrument of divine help to the oppressed, did Saul pay proper attention to David and, not recognizing him, asked: “Whose son is this youth?”

1 Samuel 17:57. And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. What is reported in 1 Sam 17:54 refers, evidently, to the time after this presentation of the victor David to Saul.

1 Samuel 17:58. And Saul asked him: Whose son are you, young man? And David answered: I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.

Chapter Eighteen

Popular regard for David. Saul’s suspicion. Saul’s secret enmity toward David.

1 Samuel 18:1. As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 1 Samuel 18:2. And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house. 1 Samuel 18:3. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. A covenant of friendship.

1 Samuel 18:4. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. 1 Samuel 18:5. And David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was well-pleasing in the sight of all the people and also of Saul’s servants. 1 Samuel 18:6. As they came home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music. 1 Samuel 18:7. And the women sang to one another as they played, and said: Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands! 1 Samuel 18:8. And Saul was very angry, and this word displeased him, and he said: They have attributed to David ten thousands, and to me only thousands; and what more can he have but the kingdom? 1 Samuel 18:9. And from that day forward Saul kept a watchful eye on David. 1 Samuel 18:10. And on the next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved in his house, while David was playing the harp with his hand, as he did day by day; and Saul had a spear in his hand. The music of David had evidently lost all charm for Saul. The sight of a presumed rival for his throne awakened in Saul uncontrolled rage.

1 Samuel 18:11. And Saul hurled the spear, thinking: I will pin David to the wall; but David escaped from him twice. We must suppose that Saul acted here not entirely unconsciously, for soon afterward he began calmly to devise other, more respectable, ways to destroy David.

1 Samuel 18:12. And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. 1 Samuel 18:13. So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand; and David marched out and came in before the people. 1 Samuel 18:14. And David behaved wisely in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him. 1 Samuel 18:15. And when Saul saw that he was very successful, he was afraid of him. 1 Samuel 18:16. But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them. The obvious success of David in all matters, his irresistible charm on those around him, inspired in the morbidly suspicious king a sort of superstitious fear of this supposed enemy.

1 Samuel 18:17. And Saul said to David: Here is my elder daughter Merab; I will give her to you for a wife; only be strong and fight the Lord’s battles. For Saul thought: Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him. Evidently, Saul did not yet dare openly to act against the young popular hero.

1 Samuel 18:18. But David said to Saul: Who am I, and who is my family, and what is my father’s clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king? 1 Samuel 18:19. But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel of Meholah in marriage. 1 Samuel 18:20. Now Saul’s other daughter Michal loved David. And when it was told Saul, the thing pleased him. 1 Samuel 18:21. Saul thought: I will give her to him, so that she may be a snare for him and the hand of the Philistines may be upon him. And Saul said to David: You shall this day be my son-in-law through the other one. “She may be a snare for him”: see verse 25.

1 Samuel 18:25. And Saul said: Thus shall you say to David: The king desires no bridal gift except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged on the king’s enemies. For Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. Mohar—the bride price offered by the bridegroom for the bride, determined in its amount, among other things, by the importance of the bride’s social position. The mohar for the daughter of a king could not be insignificant. Foreskin—the removal of the foreskin.

1 Samuel 18:26. And his servants told David these words, and it pleased David to become the king’s son-in-law. The feelings of Michal and David were evidently mutual.

1 Samuel 18:27. Before the time was up, David rose and went with his men and killed two hundred of the Philistines, and brought their foreskins as the full number to the king, so that he might become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage. “Before the time was up”—before the appointed days for the campaign.

1 Samuel 18:28. And Saul saw and realized that the Lord was with David [and all Israel loved him,] and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. 1 Samuel 18:29. And Saul was still more afraid of David, and he became David’s enemy for all time. 1 Samuel 18:30. And whenever the commanders of the Philistines came out, David was more successful than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was held in great esteem. By making a marriage between Michal and David, Saul “fell, as it were, into his own trap. By making David his son-in-law, he understood that David had now become incomparably more dangerous to him, because he had become a member of his royal house” (Ia. Bogorodsky, “Hebrew Kings”, p. 90).

Chapter Nineteen

The beginning of open persecution of David by Saul. David’s flight to Ramah, to the prophet Samuel.

1 Samuel 19:1. And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David; but Jonathan, Saul’s son, loved David greatly. Having lost hope of destroying David secretly, Saul casts off the mask of his last composure and openly declares to his courtiers his feelings and intentions regarding the son of Jesse.

1 Samuel 19:3. And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak about you to my father, and what I see, I will tell you. “In the field,” taking advantage of the king’s good humor during a walk.

1 Samuel 19:6. And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan and swore by Saul: As the Lord lives, David shall not be put to death. 1 Samuel 19:7. And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these words, and Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was with him as on the day before and the day after. Outwardly Saul could not help but agree with Jonathan’s reasonable arguments, but in his soul, he certainly remained as ill-disposed toward David as before.

1 Samuel 19:19. And they told Saul, saying: Behold, David is in Naioth, in Ramah. In Naioth, in Ramah (see note to 1 Sam 10:5). “Naioth” is ordinarily translated as a proper name and probably was indeed used as a proper name; but it, from all signs, contains a common noun meaning that which we call a “common house”; some interpreters translate the word “Naioth” as “shepherd’s house, inn,” and the Chaldean translator as “house of teaching.” Bearing in mind that in Naioth there was a company of prophets, one may suppose that Naioth was a common dwelling, a nursery, a “seminarium” of the sons of the prophets in Samuel’s Ramah (Ia. Bogorodskii, “Hebrew Kings,” p. 92–93, note).

1 Samuel 19:20. And Saul sent servants to take David, and when they saw the company of prophets prophesying and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s servants, and they prophesied. 1 Samuel 19:21. And it was reported to Saul, and he sent other servants, but they too prophesied. Then Saul sent servants a third time, and they too prophesied. 1 Samuel 19:22. [Angered,] Saul himself went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is in Secu, and asked, saying: Where are Samuel and David? And they said: Behold, in Naioth, in Ramah. 1 Samuel 19:23. And he went there to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he went on, prophesying, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 1 Samuel 19:24. And he also removed his clothes, and prophesied before Samuel, and lay naked all that day and all that night; therefore they say: “Is Saul also among the prophets?” “And they began to prophesy.” See note to 1 Sam 10:5. There is nothing impossible in the supposition that those sent to take David belonged with their whole soul to the wrongfully persecuted victor over the Philistines and perhaps suffered much inwardly while carrying out their duty of obedience to Saul. “And behold, they come to Ramah. With the feeling of reverence mixed with fear natural to a Hebrew, they approach the mysterious dwelling of the prophets, and to their eyes appears an astounding spectacle: a multitude of men and youths, with a venerable elder at the head, in a solemn posture, with an inspired gaze, with a mighty but harmonious voice singing exalted hymns, glorifying the greatness and wonderful deeds of Jehovah. Deeply moved, the warriors involuntarily stop, remember the affair for which they came, and are seized with reverent awe. With striking clarity they see all the unnaturalness, all the sinfulness of the deed for which they came. With strong agitation they began to communicate to one another their thoughts and feelings, to glorify the exploits and piety of David and in the end became so inspired that they began to echo, as much as they could, the mighty chorus of the prophets” (Ia. Bogorodskii, “Hebrew Kings,” p. 95–96). The charm of the company of prophets was so great that Saul himself did not escape it (verses 23–24, cf. 1 Sam 10:10-13).

Chapter Twenty

David and Jonathan. The second flight of David from Gibeah of Benjamin.

1 Samuel 20:5. And David said to Jonathan: Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should sit with the king at table; but let me go, and I will hide in the field until the evening of the third day. New moon—a festival of the new moon (Num 10:10).

1 Samuel 20:6. If your father asks about me, you shall say: “David earnestly asked permission of me to go to his city Bethlehem; for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.” “There is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family”: see note to 1 Sam 7:9.

1 Samuel 20:8. And you show kindness to your servant, for you have taken your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you, and if there is any guilt in me, then kill me yourself; why should you bring me to your father? “For you have taken your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you”: see 1 Sam 18:1-4.

1 Samuel 20:26. And Saul said nothing that day, for he thought: It is a chance happening, David is unclean, he has not purified himself. “Unclean,” that is, in a state of some purification of himself according to the law (see Lev 11:1; Num 5:1 and others).

1 Samuel 20:40. And Jonathan gave his weapons to his servant who was with him, and said to him: Go, carry them into the city. “Into the city”—Gibeah of Benjamin.

Chapter Twenty-One

David’s stay in the city of Nob. Flight to one of the Philistine kings, Achish.

1 Samuel 21:1. And David came to Nob to the priest Ahimelech, and Ahimelech was troubled at meeting David and said to him: Why are you alone, and no one is with you? Nob is to the northeast of Jerusalem. One may suppose that the tabernacle of the Lord was located here at the present time. “To the priest Ahimelech”: in Mark 2:26 when this event is mentioned, Abiathar is named. It is supposed that the evangelist named the son instead of the father, who, because of old age, supposedly carried out the high-priestly duties. But, bearing in mind 2 Sam 8:17 and 1 Chr 18:16, one should prefer the other supposition, that both father and son bore a double name: Ahimelech-Abiathar. “And Ahimelech was troubled”: the relations between Saul and David could not, of course, be unknown to the high priest. The arrival of the king’s son-in-law without proper retinue led the high priest to suppose that David was being persecuted and therefore was not safe for anyone who might dare hide him from the king.

1 Samuel 21:2. And David said to the priest Ahimelech: The king has entrusted a matter to me and said to me: “Let no one know what I have sent you for and what I have entrusted to you”; therefore I have left the men at a certain place; The pretext invented by David for visiting the city of Nob, as well as his invented explanation of his desire to obtain sacred loaves and the sword of Goliath (1 Sam 21:3-6), can be explained by the truly hopeless situation in which the innocently persecuted David found himself.

1 Samuel 21:3. So then, what do you have at hand, give to me, five loaves, or whatever you can find. 1 Samuel 21:4. And the priest answered David, saying: I have no ordinary bread at hand, but there is sacred bread; if only your men have abstained from women, [let them eat]. 1 Samuel 21:5. And David answered the priest and said to him: There have been no women with us yesterday, nor the day before, since I went out, and the vessels of the young men are clean, and if the way is unclean, the bread will remain clean in the vessels. 1 Samuel 21:6. And the priest gave him sacred bread; for there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence, which had been removed from before the Lord, to be replaced by warm bread. Cf. Luke 6:1-4.

1 Samuel 21:10. And David arose and fled that same day from Saul, and came to Achish, the king of Gath. Gath is one of the chief Philistine cities to the west of Bethlehem. See note to 1 Sam 6:17.

1 Samuel 21:13. And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their sight, and scribbled on the doors, [threw himself on his hands] and let his spittle fall down on his beard. “And he changed his behavior,” that is, “feigned himself mad,” so as not to arouse suspicion in the Philistines regarding any hidden political purposes of his coming to them.

Chapter Twenty-Two

David’s stay in the cave of Adullam, in Moabite Mizpah, and in the forest of Hereth.

1 Samuel 22:1. And David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam, and when his brothers and all his father’s household heard of it, they went down to him there. Adullam is between Gath and Bethlehem, in the wilderness of the Judean hills. “And they went down to him there,” considering their Bethlehem dwelling not entirely safe from the rage of the maddened Saul. Saul could seize David’s family as hostages to compel his supposed enemy to surrender voluntarily.

1 Samuel 22:2. And there gathered to him everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, and he became captain over them; and there were with him about four hundred men. “And everyone in distress” was unjustly oppressed by the strong; “everyone in debt,” utterly exhausted by their relentless creditors and having found no justice against them; “everyone discontented,” that is, those who suffered from the crude despotism and disorder that reigned in the realm of the sick Saul.

1 Samuel 22:3. From there David went to Mizpah of Moab, and said to the king of Moab: I beg you, let my father and mother stay with you until I know what God will do to me. Moabite Mizpah is in the southern regions of the land of Moab. “Let my father and mother stay with you.” It is certain that within the borders of the Hebrew kingdom the safety of David’s family could not be guaranteed as firmly as beyond the borders of the kingdom. Moreover, the presence of elderly parents in David’s band could prove, in the end, limiting for the swift movements and decisive actions of the band.

1 Samuel 22:5. But the prophet Gad said to David: Do not remain in this stronghold, but go, depart into the land of Judah. And David went and came into the forest of Hereth. “Do not remain in this stronghold.” “Guided by God, the mind of the prophets found that David should not remain long in dependent association with neighboring pagan kings and live away from his people, without taking any active part in its fate” (Ia. Bogorodskii, “Hebrew Kings,” p. 102). The region of the forest of Hereth, Ziph, Maon, En-gedi is in the area between Hebron and the Dead Sea.

1 Samuel 22:8. Why have you all conspired against me, and no one discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse, and none of you is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant to lie in wait for me, as is now the case? “To lie in wait for me.” In the sick imagination of the king, David’s actions take the form of a widely organized armed campaign against Saul.

1 Samuel 22:9. Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, and said: I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, See 1 Sam 21:7.

1 Samuel 22:10. And he inquired of the Lord for him, and gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. “And he inquired of the Lord for him”—by means of the Lord’s sanctuary, the high priest’s breastpiece. In chapter 21, this action of Ahimelech is not mentioned; the reliability of David’s account does not, however, stand in contradiction with the further testimony of the high priest himself: “Did I only today begin to inquire of God for him?” (1 Sam 22:12-15).

1 Samuel 22:18. And the king said to Doeg: Turn and kill the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned and fell upon the priests and killed on that day eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. “Who wore the linen ephod.” See note to 1 Sam 2:18.

1 Samuel 22:20. And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to David. 1 Samuel 22:21. And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 1 Samuel 22:22. And David said to Abiathar: I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul; I am responsible for all the lives of your father’s house; 1 Samuel 22:23. Stay with me; do not be afraid, for whoever seeks my life seeks your life; you will be under my protection. Along with the high priest, the sacred ephod was brought into David’s company (1 Sam 23:1). In the most difficult cases, David could now use the revelations of the good and perfect will of the Lord, made known through the medium of His sanctuary. * * * In the Greek translation: three hundred and five.

Chapter Twenty-Three

David’s deliverance of the city of Keilah. David’s wanderings in the wildernesses of Ziph and Maon.

1 Samuel 23:1. And they told David, saying: Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors. Keilah is to the northwest of Hebron.

1 Samuel 23:2. And David inquired of the Lord, saying: Shall I go and strike these Philistines? And the Lord said to David: Go, strike the Philistines and save Keilah. “And David inquired of the Lord”—by means of the Lord’s sanctuary (1 Sam 23:6).

1 Samuel 23:14. And David remained in the wilderness in strongholds and on a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day; but God did not deliver David into his hand. Wilderness of Ziph. See note to 1 Sam 22:5.

1 Samuel 23:17. And he said to him: Do not be afraid, for the hand of my father Saul shall not find you; and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be second to you; and Saul my father knows this. “And Saul my father knows this.” See 1 Sam 20:30-31.

1 Samuel 23:19. And the Ziphites went to Saul in Gibeah, saying: Behold, David is hiding with us in the strongholds, in the forest, on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the right of Jeshimon; Ziphites—inhabitants of the region of Ziph. See note to 1 Sam 22:5.

1 Samuel 23:21. And Saul said to them: Blessed are you by the Lord, for you have shown compassion on me; “For you have shown compassion on me.” Cf. 1 Sam 22:7-8.

1 Samuel 23:24. And they went up and went to Ziph before Saul. And David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah, on the right side of Jeshimon. Wilderness of Maon. See note to 1 Sam 22:5.

Chapter Twenty-Four

David’s stay in En-gedi. David’s magnanimity toward Saul.

1 Samuel 24:1. And David went up from there and dwelt in the strongholds of En-gedi. En-gedi is a wild, mountainous region on the western shore of the Dead Sea.

1 Samuel 24:6. And afterward, David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. “David’s heart smote him”—realizing the unworthy feeling to which he had just yielded (cf. 1 Sam 24:7).

1 Samuel 24:15. Why have you come out against the king of Israel? What are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single flea. “A dead dog, a single flea.” Comparisons indicating the disproportion of the social position and armed strength of Saul and David.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Nabal and Abigail.

1 Samuel 25:1. Now Samuel was dead; and all Israel gathered together and mourned for him, and buried him in his house in Ramah. And David rose and went down to the wilderness of Paran. Wilderness of Paran is the northern part of the Arabian wilderness, between Palestine and Egypt, Edom and the Sinai Peninsula.

1 Samuel 25:2. And there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel, a very rich man; he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats; and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. Maon. See note to 1 Sam 22:5. The Carmel mentioned here is a city south of Hebron.

1 Samuel 25:3. The man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail; the woman was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings; he was of the house of Caleb. The name Nabal means “fool.” “It is clear that this was not his real name, but a nickname given by the people. Nabal astounded those around him with the wildness and absurdity of his character, and the folk humor, concealing his actual, perhaps quite suitable to him name, fixed upon him the designation of a rogue” (Ia. Bogorodskii, “Hebrew Kings,” p. 112).

1 Samuel 25:5. And David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men: Go up to Carmel and come to Nabal and greet him in my name, 1 Samuel 25:6. And say thus: “Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have; 1 Samuel 25:7. Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds have been with us, and we did not harm them, and they lacked nothing all the time they were in Carmel; 1 Samuel 25:8. Ask your servants, and they will tell you. Therefore let the young men find favor in your sight, for we come on a good day; please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find.” 1 Samuel 25:9. And David’s men went and said to Nabal in David’s name all these words, and paused. “David counted on Nabal’s gratitude for the fact that David’s soldiers, by the manner of their life similar to idle raiders from whom owners of herds suffered greatly, not only took nothing from Nabal’s herds, but also protected them from predators; they were a shield for his shepherds, as the shepherds themselves acknowledged. But Nabal showed that he deserved his nickname” (Ia. Bogorodskii, “Hebrew Kings,” p. 112).

1 Samuel 25:13. Then David said to his men: Each of you gird on his sword! And each of them girded on his sword. And David also girded on his sword; and about four hundred men went after David, while two hundred remained with the baggage. David left the injustice of Saul unpunished, sparing in him the Anointed of God and seeing in his submission to him the duty of a loyal subject (1 Sam 24:7), but could not leave unpunished the wild outburst of Nabal, for submission to Nabal could be interpreted by his supporters as mere impotence to defend his honor and rights.

1 Samuel 25:21. And David said: In vain I have guarded all that this man has in the wilderness, and nothing of all that belonged to him has been lost; but he has returned me evil for good; 1 Samuel 25:22. May God do thus to the enemies of David and more also, if by the morning light I leave of all that belong to Nabal so much as one male to the wall. See note to 1 Sam 25:13.

1 Samuel 25:24. And she fell at his feet and said: Upon me, my lord, is the guilt; let your servant, I pray you, speak in your ears, and hear the words of your servant. 1 Samuel 25:25. Let not my lord pay attention to this worthless man, to Nabal; for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I, your servant, did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent. 1 Samuel 25:26. Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, the Lord has restrained you from coming to bloodshed and from taking vengeance with your own hand, and now let your enemies and those who seek evil for my lord be as Nabal. 1 Samuel 25:27. Here are the gifts which your servant has brought to my lord, to give them to the young men who follow my lord. 1 Samuel 25:28. Please forgive the transgression of your servant; for the Lord will surely establish your house firm, for my lord fights the battles of the Lord, and no evil shall be found in you all your days. 1 Samuel 25:29. If men rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the Lord your God, and the lives of your enemies He shall hurl out, as from the hollow of a sling. 1 Samuel 25:30. And when the Lord has done to my lord all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has made you ruler over Israel, 1 Samuel 25:31. This shall not be a grief to the heart of my lord, nor a stumbling block, because of innocent blood shed, and because my lord has prevented taking vengeance with his own hand. And when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, remember your servant and show her mercy. Abigail begs David’s pardon for the misunderstanding that has occurred, explaining it by the innate, well-known stupidity and churlishness of Nabal; imploring David to restrain his anger, she prophesies to him in the future a firm and glorious reign, which may not be marred by the remembrance of the unjustly shed blood of the senseless Nabal and his household.

1 Samuel 25:36. And Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him; he was very drunk; and she told him nothing, great or small, until morning. “And she told him nothing” concerning what had happened, for this would have been useless at the given time, and perhaps directly harmful, considering Nabal’s ungoverned nature. * * * A fool.

Chapter Twenty-Six

David’s new magnanimity toward Saul (see 1 Sam 24:1).

1 Samuel 26:1. The Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah from the south and said, “Behold, David is hiding with us on the hill of Hachila, which is on the right of Jeshimon.” The Ziphites. See the note to 1 Sam 22:5.

1 Samuel 26:8. Abishai said to David, “God has now given your enemy into your hand. Let me pin him to the ground with his spear with a single blow, and I will not strike him twice.” “And I will not strike him twice,” that is, I hope that Saul’s life will end after the very first blow of the spear.

1 Samuel 26:11. Take the spear that is at his head, and the water jar, and let us go to ourselves. 1 Samuel 26:12. David took the spear and the water jar from beside Saul’s head, and they went away; and no one saw, and no one knew, and no one woke up, but all slept, for sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them. In 1 Sam 26:15-16 it is explained why the spear and the jar were taken.

1 Samuel 26:15. David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For someone came to destroy the king, your lord.” “Are you not a man,” that is, are you not a real man? “And who is like you in Israel” in strength and valor, and also in position at the throne of the king who is related to you and favorably disposed toward you? (1 Sam 14:50).

1 Samuel 26:19. Now, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant: if the Lord has stirred you up against me, let that be a pleasing offering; but if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day from my share in the Lord’s inheritance, saying, “Go, serve other gods.” “Go, serve other gods,” that is, depart from the land of the Lord’s chosen people and wander in the lands of the gentiles, among those who worship idols.

1 Samuel 26:20. Let not my blood be spilled to the ground before the face of the Lord; for the king of Israel has come out to seek one flea, as one hunts the partridge on the mountains. “Gone out to seek one flea, hunts the partridge.” See the note to 1 Sam 24:15.

1 Samuel 26:25. Saul said to David, “You are blessed, my son David, and you will accomplish great things and prevail greatly.” David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place. See 1 Sam 24:21-22.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

David’s dwelling in the Philistine cities of Gath and Ziklag.

1 Samuel 27:2. David rose up and went with the six hundred men who were with him to Achish, son of Maoch, king of Gath. The Philistine city of Gath is to the west of Bethlehem. See 1 Sam 21:10-15.

1 Samuel 27:3. David lived with Achish in Gath, he and his men, each with his household, David and his two wives—Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail, the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. See 1 Sam 25:42-43.

1 Samuel 27:5. David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be given to me in one of the small cities, and I will dwell there; why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” 1 Samuel 27:6. Then Achish gave him Ziklag, therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah until this day. 1 Samuel 27:7. All the time David lived in the land of the Philistines was a year and four months. 1 Samuel 27:8. David went out with his men and raided the Geshurites and the Girzites and the Amalekites, for those were the inhabitants of the land from ancient times extending to Shur and to the land of Egypt. 1 Samuel 27:9. David devastated the land and left no man or woman alive, and took sheep, oxen, donkeys, camels, and clothing, and returned and came to Achish. 1 Samuel 27:10. Achish said to David, “Where have you made a raid today?” David said, “Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.” 1 Samuel 27:11. David left no man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, “Lest they should tell about us and say, ‘This is what David has done, and such has been his practice all the time he lived in the land of the Philistines.’” “Achish looked upon David as his vassal and was compelling him to harm his enemies, the Hebrews. To free himself from this impossible condition and at the same time not to arouse suspicion on the part of Achish, David obtained for his dwelling a place remote from the capital on the southern edge of Philistine territory—Ziklag. From there he undertook campaigns with his fighting men, but not eastward against Saul’s domains, but southward to strike the predatory tribes, who were equally enemies to both the Philistines and the Hebrews” (Ya. Bogorodsky, ‘The Hebrew Kings’, pp. 115–116).

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The hostile designs of the Philistines against the Hebrews. Saul’s visit to the sorceress of Endor.

1 Samuel 28:1. In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “Know that you and your men will march out with me in the army.” David’s presence in the Philistine camp and his apparent service to Philistine interests (1 Sam 27:1) gave the enemies of the Hebrews hope for success in their undertaking.

1 Samuel 28:2. David said to Achish, “Very well, you will know what your servant can do.” Achish said to David, “I will make you my bodyguard for life.” “Now you will know what your servant can do.” David’s cautious answer was interpreted by Achish in a favorable sense.

1 Samuel 28:3. Samuel had died, and all Israel mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his city. Saul had expelled the mediums and the wizards from the land. In reply to the question why the sacred writer, having written above (1 Sam 25:1) of the death of the prophet Samuel, mentions it again, blessed Theodoret answers: “Intending to narrate about the sorceress (who summoned Samuel’s shade), he was forced to mention Samuel’s death” (Blessed Theodoret, commentary on 1 Samuel, question 62).

1 Samuel 28:4. The Philistines gathered and came and encamped at Shunem; Saul gathered all Israel and encamped on Gilboa. This time the Philistines did not invade the Hebrew land by the direct route into its southern part, where they might have immediately met Saul’s army, but made a detour northward and penetrated into the Jezreel Valley, the most favorable terrain for their cavalry operations. Shunem is a city in the Jezreel Valley. Gilboa is a mountain to the south of Shunem.

1 Samuel 28:5. When Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. “His heart trembled greatly.” “This was no longer the Saul who knew no fear in war and did not count the number of his enemies. Years, life’s troubles, illness, and the consciousness of hidden discontent and mistrust of his subjects had broken his spirit and undermined his faith in himself” (Ya. Bogorodsky, ‘The Hebrew Kings’, p. 118).

1 Samuel 28:7. Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, and I will go to her and inquire of her.” His servants said to him, “Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at Endor.” “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium.” See the end of 1 Sam 28:3. Evidently, witchcraft was pursued by Saul before not with complete conviction in its futility, and perhaps not so much from religious motives as from fear of its power against himself. Endor is to the north of Gilboa, between Gilboa and Tabor.

1 Samuel 28:9. But the woman said to him, “You know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the wizards from the land; why then are you laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?” See the end of 1 Sam 28:3.

1 Samuel 28:12. When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.” The grim, accusing appearance of Samuel revealed to the woman that before her stood none other than the irreconcilable enemy of the prophet—the Hebrew king Saul.

1 Samuel 28:13. The king said to her, “Do not be afraid; what do you see?” The woman said to Saul, “I see a god-like being coming up out of the earth.” 1 Samuel 28:14. He said to her, “What is his form?” She said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.” Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and made obeisance. Contrary to the expectations of the sorceress herself, what happened was not a phantom but an actual miracle: God clothed the disembodied soul of Samuel with a likeness of the body, so that once more He might express His unalterable will concerning the apostate and his house (see blessed Theodoret, commentary on 1 Samuel, question 63).

1 Samuel 28:16. Samuel said, “Why do you ask me, since the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy?” “Become your enemy,” that is, no longer be favorably inclined toward you.

1 Samuel 28:17. The Lord has done to you as He spoke by me; the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. See 1 Sam 13:8-14.

1 Samuel 28:18. Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord and did not carry out His fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. See 1 Sam 15:1.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

David’s time in the Philistine camp. The Philistine princes’ distrust of him. David’s return to Ziklag.

1 Samuel 29:1. The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by the spring that is in Jezreel. Aphek is elevated terrain northwest of Sodom. The low-lying area of Jezreel is to the west of Gilboa, to the south of Aphek. Thus, during Saul’s absence at Endor, the positions of the warring sides shifted to the clear disadvantage of the Hebrews: the Philistines withdrew a little northward and took the elevated position; the Hebrews, having abandoned the height of Gilboa, descended to the adjacent low-lying area.

1 Samuel 29:2. The princes of the Philistines were marching with their hundreds and thousands, and David and his men were marching in the rear with Achish. The princes of the Philistines are the rulers of the separate Philistine regions subject to Achish. See the note to 1 Sam 6:17.

1 Samuel 29:4. The princes of the Philistines were angry with him, and the princes of the Philistines said to him, “Send this man back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him; he shall not go down with us to battle, lest he become an adversary to us in the battle. For with what could he better endear himself to his master than with the heads of these men?” 1 Samuel 29:5. Is not this David, of whom they sang to one another in dances, saying, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands’? The decisive distrust of the Philistine princes toward the renowned victor over the Philistines and faithful servant of Saul, David, helped the latter escape from his extremely delicate position in the camp of the enemies of the Hebrew people.

1 Samuel 29:8. David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I should not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” 1 Samuel 29:9. Achish replied to David, “I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God; nevertheless, the princes of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’” 1 Samuel 29:10. Now rise early, you and the servants of your lord who have come with you, and go to the place that I have appointed for you, and harbor no unkind thought in your heart, for you are good in my sight; rise early in the morning, and as soon as it is light, depart. The conversation confirmed for David that Achish personally harbored no distrust of him and that he could safely return to the welcoming Ziklag (1 Sam 27). “Go to the place that I have appointed for you,” that is, to the city of Ziklag.

Chapter Thirty

The Amalekite raid on Ziklag. David’s return to Ziklag. The pursuit and defeat of the Amalekites.

1 Samuel 30:1. On the third day, when David and his men came to Ziklag, the Amalekites had made a raid on the south and taken Ziklag and burned it with fire. The Amalekites are a nomadic people of the Sinai Peninsula. No doubt they wished to take advantage of the fact that the military forces of both the Philistines and David were drawn away at that moment far to the north (see the note to 1 Sam 28:4).

1 Samuel 30:5. David’s two wives also were taken captive: Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail, the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. See 1 Sam 25:42-43.

1 Samuel 30:6. David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. “The people spoke of stoning him,” considering David’s departure to Aphek one of the immediate causes of the calamity that had befallen them.

1 Samuel 30:9. David set out, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Wadi Besor; and those who were left behind stayed there. The Wadi Besor flows into the Mediterranean Sea, to the west of Beersheba.

1 Samuel 30:14. We made a raid on the south of the Cherethites and on the territory of Judah and on the south of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire. Cherethites is the name of the land of the Philistines. The part of Caleb is the region near Hebron.

1 Samuel 30:26. When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to the elders of Judah, his friends, saying, “Here is a gift for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord,”— 1 Samuel 30:27. to those in Bethel, and to those in Ramoth of the South, and to those in Jattir, 1 Samuel 30:28. and to those in Aroer, and to those in Siphmoth, and to those in Eshtemoa, 1 Samuel 30:29. and to those in Racal, and to those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to those in the cities of the Kenites, 1 Samuel 30:30. and to those in Hormah, and to those in Chorashan, and to those in Athach, 1 Samuel 30:31. and to those in Hebron, and to all the places where David and his men had gone about. David’s long sojourn beyond the borders of the Hebrew lands could have been interpreted by the Hebrews in a way unfavorable to David. The defeat of the ancient enemies of Israel—the Amalekites (Exod 17:8-16)—and the gift sent to the elders were meant to convince the Hebrew people that regarding his views and feelings toward his homeland, David remained the same as he had been before. Besides the Hebrew cities, David’s gifts were also sent to many foreign localities (near the southern and southeastern edge of the Hebrew state), “to all the places where David and his men had gone about,” as a token of gratitude for their former hospitality.

Chapter Thirty-One

The defeat of the Hebrews by the Philistines. The death of Saul and his sons.

1 Samuel 31:1. The Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. See the note to 1 Sam 29:1. “And fell slain on Mount Gilboa.” Thrown into confusion in the valley, the Hebrews rushed toward their former positions, but it was too late: the wave of Philistines, pouring down from the sloping height of Aphek, drove and slaughtered them mercilessly.

1 Samuel 31:7. When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled; and the Philistines came and occupied them. “On the other side of the valley” of Jezreel.

1 Samuel 31:10. And they put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. Beth-shan is to the southeast of Jezreel, in the direction of the Jordan River.

1 Samuel 31:11. When the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, Jabesh-gilead is in the middle part of the territory east of the Jordan.

1 Samuel 31:12. all the valiant men arose, and they went all night, and took the bodies of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burned them there; 1 Samuel 31:13. and they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days. “And all the valiant men arose, and they took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons… and buried them”—in gratitude for the deliverance of their city by Saul from the raid of the Ammonite king Nahash (1 Sam 11:1).

The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

Introduction

Name and Division of Books in the Bible

The four Books of Kingdoms now known were two books in the ancient Hebrew codex of sacred texts: one of them (which contained what are now the first and second Books of Kingdoms) was called “Sefer Shemuel,” that is, “The Book of Samuel,” since its content is the account of the prophet Samuel and the anointed ones whom he anointed to the Hebrew kingdom, Saul and David; the other (which contained what are now the third and fourth Books of Kingdoms) was called “Sefer Melakhim,” that is, “The Book of Kings,” since its content is the account of the last Hebrew king Solomon and the kings of the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom of Israel. The division of these books into four first appeared in the Greek translation of the LXX, where they received the titles:

– Basileon prote (biblos), that is, “First Book of Kingdoms”;

– Basileon deutera – “Second Book of Kingdoms”;

– Basileon trite – “Third Book of Kingdoms”;

– Basileon tetarte – “Fourth Book of Kingdoms”.

Later, it was adopted by the Latin translation, the Vulgate, where the titles of the books took the following form:

– “Liber primus Samuelis, quem nos primum Regum dicimus” (“First Book of Samuel, which we call the First Book of Kings”);

– “Liber secundus Samuelis, quern nos secundum Regum dicimus” (“Second Book of Samuel, which we call the Second Book of Kings”);

– “Liber Regum tertius, secundum Hebraeos primus Malachim” (“Third Book of Kings, according to Hebrew reckoning the First Book of Malachim – Kings”);

– “Liber Regum quartus, secundum Hebraeos Malachim secundus” (“Fourth Book of Kings, according to Hebrew reckoning – the Second Book of Malachim – Kings”).

However, in the canonical ordering of the books of the Old Testament, the Orthodox Church has retained the ancient Hebrew division of the Books of Kingdoms into two books, combining the First and Second Books of Kingdoms together, and also the Third and Fourth Books together.

The Content of the Books of Kingdoms. In the First Book of Kingdoms, the account is given of the prophet and judge of the Hebrew people Samuel and the first Hebrew king Saul. In the Second Book of Kingdoms, the account is given of the second Hebrew king David. In the Third Book of Kingdoms, the account is given of the third Hebrew king Solomon, the division of the Hebrew monarchy into two kingdoms – the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom of Israel – and the kings of both kingdoms, ending with King Jehoshaphat in the kingdom of Judah and King Ahaziah in the kingdom of Israel. In the Fourth Book of Kingdoms, the account is given of the remaining kings of Judah and Israel, ending with the Assyrian captivity regarding the kingdom of Israel and the Babylonian captivity regarding the kingdom of Judah.

The period of the history of the Hebrew people embraced by the account of all four Books of Kingdoms exceeds 500 years.

The Writers of the Books of Kingdoms. The original writers of the First and Second Books of Kingdoms were the prophets Samuel, Nathan, and Gad (1 Chr 29:29). Someone among the prophets of a later time reviewed the records of Samuel, Nathan, and Gad, supplemented them (1 Sam 5:5; 2 Sam 4:3), and gave them a unified, finished form.

The original writers of the Third and Fourth Books of Kingdoms were the prophets and chroniclers who followed Nathan and Gad, who left behind records with names assigned to them: “Book of the Acts of Solomon” (1 Kgs 11:41); “Chronicles of the Kings of Judah” (1 Kgs 14:29; 2 Kgs 8:23); “Chronicles of the Kings of Israel” (1 Kgs 14:19; 2 Kgs 1:8). Someone among the last Old Testament prophets (according to the testimony of Hebrew and Christian antiquity – the prophet Jeremiah), or perhaps even the great scribe and collector of the canon of Old Testament sacred writings, Ezra, reviewed these records and brought them to the form in which they have come down to our time.

Chapter One

David’s Lamentation on the Occasion of the Death of Saul and Jonathan.

2 Samuel 1:1. After the death of Saul, when David had returned from the defeat of the Amalekites and had stayed in Ziklag for two days, See (1 Sam 30).

2 Samuel 1:4. And David said to him, “What has happened? Tell me.” And he said, “The people fled from the battle, and many from the people fell and died; and both Saul and his son Jonathan died.” See (1 Sam 31:1-6).

2 Samuel 1:7. Then he looked back and, seeing me, called out to me. 2 Samuel 1:8. And I said, “Here I am.” He said to me, “Who are you?” And I said to him, “I am an Amalekite.” 2 Samuel 1:9. Then he said to me, “Come near to me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, yet my life still remains in me.” 2 Samuel 1:10. And I came near to him and killed him, because I knew that he could not live after his fall; and I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my master. Details not mentioned in (1 Sam 31:1-6).

2 Samuel 1:14. Then David said to him, “How did you not fear to raise your hand to kill the anointed of the Lord?” 2 Samuel 1:15. And David called one of the young men and said, “Come, strike him.” 2 Samuel 1:16. And that one struck him, and he died. And David said to him, “Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the anointed of the Lord.’” Compare (1 Sam 24:1-4).

2 Samuel 1:18. and commanded to teach the sons of Judah the bow, as it is written in the Book of the Righteous, and said: “And commanded to teach the sons of Judah the bow.” By the word “bow,” according to Calmet’s explanation, was meant the lamentation song of David on the occasion of the death of Saul and Jonathan, whose bow and sword “did not return empty – without the blood of the wounded, without the fatness of the mighty” (2 Sam 1:22). The Book of the Righteous is one of the lost sacred records of the Hebrews. Besides the Book of the Righteous, among the lost ancient Hebrew books cited in the Old Testament are: 1) The Book of the Covenant (Exod 24:7); 2) The Book of the Wars of the Lord (Num 21:14); 3) the original Records of the prophets Samuel, Nathan, Gad, Shemaiah, Iddo, Ahijah, Joel (1 Chr 29:29; 2 Chr 9:29); 4) the originals of the Chronicles of the Acts of Solomon and the Kings of Judah and Israel (see the preface to the Books of Kingdoms); 5) The Records of Hushai (2 Chr 33:19); 6) The Acts of Uzziah (2 Chr 26:22); 7) a separate record of the 3000 proverbs, 1005 songs, and knowledge of natural science of King Solomon (1 Kgs 4:32-33); 8) some of the manuscripts of the prophet Jeremiah (2 Macc 2:1); 9) The Chronicles of John Hyrcanus (1 Macc 16:24); 10) five books of Jason of Cyrene (2 Macc 2:24).

Chapter Two

The Anointing of David as King in Hebron over the Tribes of Judah and Simeon. The Anointing of Saul’s Son Ish-bosheth as King over the Remaining Hebrew Tribes. Conflict Between the House of Saul and the House of David.

2 Samuel 2:1. After this David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” And David said, “Where shall I go?” And He said, “To Hebron.” 2 Samuel 2:2. So David went up there with both his wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail, the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 2 Samuel 2:3. And the men who were with him, David brought up, each with his household, and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. 2 Samuel 2:4. And the men of Judah came and anointed David there as king over the house of Judah. And it was reported to David that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul. The death of Saul and his son Jonathan created the circumstances in which it became possible to fulfill God’s determination through Samuel: that David become king over Israel. However, the anointing of David as king over Israel was not accomplished at once. David was recognized as king first only by the tribe of Judah (and Simeon). About Ahinoam and Abigail, see (1 Sam 25:40-44). “And it was reported to David that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul.” See (1 Sam 31:11-13).

2 Samuel 2:5. And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, saying to them, “Blessed are you by the Lord for having shown this loyalty to your master Saul, the anointed of the Lord, and having buried him, 2 Samuel 2:6. And now may the Lord show you kindness and truth; and I also will show you favor because you have done this; 2 Samuel 2:7. Now let your hands be strong and be men of valor; for your master Saul is dead, and I have been anointed king over Judah by the house of Judah.” In offering gratitude and respect to the men of Jabesh-gilead for their loyal feelings toward Saul, David at the same time informs them that he, David, now anointed in Hebron, is the heir to these feelings. It is not known how the men of Jabesh-gilead would have responded to this proposal, and with them all the lands beyond the Jordan, had it not been for the opposite influence of Saul’s general Abner, who asserted the rights of Saul’s son Ish-bosheth.

2 Samuel 2:8. But Abner, son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, took Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, and brought him to Mahanaim, 2 Samuel 2:9. And made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and over all Israel. 2 Samuel 2:10. Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. Only the house of Judah followed David. 2 Samuel 2:11. The total time that David reigned in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. David’s long wandering in the lands of neighboring peoples significantly weakened the popularity which he enjoyed among the Hebrews during the period of his brilliant clashes with the people’s enemies. The people began to forget about David. And those who remembered or heard of him no longer marveled at him, seeing him in the camp of the Hebrews’ age-old enemies – the Philistines (1 Sam 27-28). The enterprising and brave general of Saul, Abner, took advantage of this circumstance: he pointed out, most likely, the oppressive burden after the unsuccessful battle (1 Sam 31) of Philistine rule, the seeming ambiguity of David’s conduct, and without much difficulty persuaded the Israelites to recognize as their king the younger son of Saul – Ish-bosheth, promising on his part complete willingness to march under the banners of the new king against the enslavers of the Hebrew people, the Philistines, who had managed by this time to establish themselves firmly in most of the western regions beyond the Jordan. Mahanaim is a city in the middle part of the eastern region beyond the Jordan, south of Jabesh. Gilead is the neighboring regions of the eastern area beyond the Jordan. Instead of Asher, some read Geshur. In order not to remain king only in Hebron, David had to take active measures against Abner’s nominee – Ish-bosheth. Joab, his commander, became the military representative and defender of David’s rights.

2 Samuel 2:12. And Abner, son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. Gibeon is a city of the tribe of Benjamin, neighboring the tribe of Judah. The appearance of Abner’s troops in the immediate vicinity of David’s kingdom did not at all suggest peaceful intentions on the part of Ish-bosheth’s general. It is entirely plausible that in making Ish-bosheth king over Israel, Abner intended to draw Judah to him as well. To prevent Abner from approaching the tribe of Judah, Joab went out to meet him.

2 Samuel 2:14. And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and play before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” On the basis of (2 Sam 2:18-22) one can conclude that Abner did not insist on a bloody battle. Instead of battle, Abner proposes to arrange a minor military duel to determine which of the opponents should abandon their position and withdraw.

2 Samuel 2:15. And they arose and went past each other: twelve Benjaminites of Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, and twelve of David’s servants. 2 Samuel 2:16. And they seized one another by the head and thrust his sword into the other’s side; so they fell together. And that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, at Gibeon. 2 Samuel 2:17. And there was a very fierce battle that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the servants of David. The duel arranged by Abner’s suggestion did not, however, decide the disputed question, since all the participants in this duel remained dead on the field of contest. Meanwhile, the passions of the sides had become inflamed and could not wait, but already demanded this decision, and demanded it at once. A fierce battle took place. Helkath-hazzurim – according to the Vulgate text: “Ager robustorum”; according to the LXX text: “Meris epiboylon.”

2 Samuel 2:23. And he was unwilling to turn aside. So Abner struck him with the butt of his spear in the belly; the spear went through him, and he fell there and died on the spot. And everyone who came to the place where Asahel fell and died stood still. The death of Asahel made Abner the personal enemy of Joab, who was obligated, by the customs of that time, to avenge the murderer with bloody retaliation against him or his nearest relatives (see 2 Sam 3:27).

2 Samuel 2:27. And Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, then the people would have withdrawn from pursuing their brothers this very morning.” “If you had not spoken.” See verse 14.

2 Samuel 2:29. And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah, crossed the Jordan, and went through the whole morning and came to Mahanaim. Bitron is a region in the eastern area beyond the Jordan.

Chapter Three

The Alliance Between Abner and David. The Violent Death of Abner.

2 Samuel 3:1. There was a long conflict between the house of Saul and the house of David. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. “David’s advantage over Ish-bosheth lay in the fact that his kingdom, though small, was densely populated, contained no heterogeneous elements, had well-defined boundaries, and was threatened by no one. David himself was a genius as a general and administrator and was surrounded by talented, decisive, and devoted people who had been gathered to him from all the tribes since Saul’s lifetime, not excluding Benjamin. Ish-bosheth’s kingdom, while extensive, was diverse, bisected by the Jordan into two halves that differed considerably from each other. Ish-bosheth was a weak man, incapable of initiative and decisive action. His personality was overshadowed not only by David’s personality but by his own general as well. The fall of his kingdom was inevitable sooner or later, and the circumstances preparing David’s sole rule matured rapidly” (Y. Bogorodskii, “Hebrew Kings,” pp. 142-143).

2 Samuel 3:2. And there were born to David six sons in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, born of Ahinoam the Jezreelite; See (1 Sam 25:43).

2 Samuel 3:3. His second was Chileab, born of Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third was Absalom, son of Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; See (1 Sam 25:42). Geshur is in the northern part of the eastern region beyond the Jordan, at the foot of Mount Hermon.

2 Samuel 3:6. During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was strengthening his position in the house of Saul. 2 Samuel 3:7. Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, daughter of Aiah. And Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” 2 Samuel 3:8. Then Abner was very angry at the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “Am I a dog’s head? I have shown loyalty to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman. 2 Samuel 3:9. May God do so to Abner and more also, if I do not accomplish for David what the Lord has sworn to him, 2 Samuel 3:10. To transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.” 2 Samuel 3:11. And Ish-bosheth could not answer Abner a word, because he feared him. “Abner saw Ish-bosheth’s cause as completely lost and perhaps conceived the plan to establish his own rule on the ruins of his kingdom. He seduced Rizpah, Saul’s former concubine, and took her. By the customs of that time, this meant that Abner was, so to speak, assuming Saul’s rights. What Abner would undertake further as, so to speak, Ish-bosheth’s father, is unknown. Most likely, he would somehow gradually transfer to himself all the prerogatives of royal power and, perhaps without any physical violence against Ish-bosheth, would deprive him even of the appearance of royal authority. Ish-bosheth, however, felt the danger and, with unexpected firmness toward Abner, raised the matter of the shamelessness of his action. Never having felt himself to be truly Ish-bosheth’s subject, Abner, instead of fear and repentance, answered this just remark with an outburst of unbridled rage. Nevertheless, he had to abandon his original plan, the success of which rested mainly on the presumed incapacity of Ish-bosheth for any protest whatsoever, and resolved in annoyance (otherwise difficult to explain) to carry out his threat: to betray Ish-bosheth in favor of David” (Y. Bogorodskii, “Hebrew Kings,” pp. 142-143).

2 Samuel 3:12. And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, “Whose is the land? Make a covenant with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.” “Whose is the land,” that is, to whom should the land of the Hebrews belong? “All Israel,” that is, the entire kingdom of Ish-bosheth.

2 Samuel 3:13. And he said, “Good; I will make a covenant with you, but one thing I ask of you: you shall not see my face, unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see me.” “What would have happened if David had not accepted Abner’s offer? There would have arisen in place of Ish-bosheth in a short time an usurper – either Abner himself or someone else – whom David could not, and indeed should not, have tolerated. He would have had to undertake another, perhaps lengthy, civil war. The hostile neighboring peoples surrounding the Hebrews could have taken advantage of this, and Israel would have been reduced to complete political insignificance. It was doubtless such considerations that led David to decide to hasten the inevitable denouement” (Y. Bogorodskii, “Hebrew Kings,” p. 144). “You shall not see my face, unless you bring Michal, Saul’s daughter” (1 Sam 18:20). The restoration of Michal, forcibly taken from him by Saul and given to another, would be a restoration of David’s honor, and at the same time a restoration of his connection with the reigning house of Saul, which would strengthen in the eyes of the people his claim to the Hebrew throne.

2 Samuel 3:14. And David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I espoused for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” See (1 Sam 18:20-28).

2 Samuel 3:15. And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel son of Laish. See (1 Sam 25:44). According to the explanation of the blessed Theodoret, in this case there was no violation of the law set forth in (Deut 24:4), since “David did not send away Michal from him; but her father, unlawfully separating her from her husband, gave her to another. Therefore, the union with another (Paltiel) was not a marriage, but violence” (commentary on 2 Samuel, question 11).

2 Samuel 3:16. But her first husband went with her, weeping as he went, and he went to Bahurim. But Abner said to him, “Go, return.” And he returned. Bahurim is a city of the tribe of Benjamin.

2 Samuel 3:17. And Abner conferred with the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past you sought David as your king.” “In times past,” that is, formerly, during Saul’s reign, you earnestly desired to see the slayer of the Philistines – the brave, wise, and humble David as your king.

2 Samuel 3:18. Now then act, for the Lord has spoken concerning David, saying, ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.’ See (1 Sam 16:1-13; 2 Sam 5:1-2).

2 Samuel 3:19. Abner also spoke to Benjamin. Then Abner went to tell David at Hebron all that would be agreeable to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin. Everything that Israel and the entire house of Benjamin desired from their future king.

2 Samuel 3:27. When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the abdomen. So he died for the blood of Asahel, Joab’s brother. “So he died for the blood of Asahel.” See (2 Sam 2:18-23). At the same time, another explanation of Joab’s action is possible: in killing Abner, Joab desired to rid himself of his rival at David’s court.

2 Samuel 3:28. And afterward David heard of it and said, “I and my kingdom are innocent before the Lord forever regarding the blood of Abner, son of Ner.” 2 Samuel 3:29. May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father’s house; and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or is a leper or leans on a staff or falls by the sword or lacks bread. 2 Samuel 3:30. So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon. 2 Samuel 3:31. And David said to Joab and to all the people with him, “Rend your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner.” And King David himself went behind the bier. 2 Samuel 3:32. They buried Abner in Hebron; and the king wept aloud at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 2 Samuel 3:33. And the king lamented for Abner, saying, “Should Abner die as a fool dies? 2 Samuel 3:34. Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered; as one falls before the wicked, so you have fallen.” And all the people wept again over him. 2 Samuel 3:35. Then all the people came to persuade David to eat something while it was still day; but David swore, saying, “May God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down.” 2 Samuel 3:36. All the people took note of it, and it pleased them, just as everything the king did pleased all the people. 2 Samuel 3:37. So all the people and all Israel knew that day that the king had no part in the killing of Abner, son of Ner. 2 Samuel 3:38. And the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?” The unexpected death of the tested commander and gifted politician (verse 38) Abner, occurring at the very moment when he was about to deliver the remaining Hebrews to David’s rule and thereby reunite the kingdom once more, could not help but affect the king in a distressing manner. The work of reuniting the tribes was postponed indefinitely. The just-emerging desire of Israel to join the house of David under the influence and guidance of the friends of the house of Saul and under the unhappy impression of Abner’s tragic death might well have been extinguished and might even have taken a completely opposite direction. But this did not happen. David’s sharply expressed grief for the untimely deceased commander convinced the people that David was not a party to the crime, and his nobly responsive heart bound the hearts of the Hebrews to him even more firmly.

2 Samuel 3:39. “I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!” “These men, the sons of Zeruiah (David’s sister), Joab and Abishai, are stronger than I,” that is, they enjoy enormous authority and love among the people for their bravery and devotion to their country, which, incidentally, explains the fact that David did not venture to punish Joab as he deserved for his inopportune observance of the custom of blood revenge.

Chapter Four

The violent death of Ish-bosheth.

2 Samuel 4:1. And when Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands became weak, and all Israel was troubled. See (2 Sam 3:26-27). “And his hands became weak, and all Israel was troubled”—from the unexpectedness of the news and from not knowing what to do in that moment. “Rough though Abner was with Ish-bosheth, he still constituted his only strength. The prudent counsel and strong hand of Abner had decided all the difficulties that arose in Ish-bosheth’s kingdom up to this time. Now, with Abner’s death, no one strong bound his interests to the person of the weak king, whom it was far easier to destroy than to support…. “And all Israel, it is said, was troubled”: the people felt themselves in the position of sheep without a shepherd” (Y. Bogorodsky, “Hebrew Kings”, p. 148).

2 Samuel 4:2. Now Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, had two commanders of his forces; the name of the one was Baanah and the name of the other was Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, from the tribe of Benjamin, for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin. “To Benjamin,” that is, to the tribe of Benjamin.

2 Samuel 4:3. And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and remained there as sojourners until this day. Gittaim, according to the interpretation of Calmet, is the same as Gath.

2 Samuel 4:4. Now Jonathan, son of Saul, had a son who was lame. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse fled, carrying him. And as she fled in haste, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth. An introductory passage having no direct bearing on the narrative being told. In concluding the history of Saul’s reigning house, the historian, for the sake of completeness, mentions also a member of Saul’s house who, though he had not played an active role up to this time, by his origin belonged to that house, and by his miserable situation in some degree characterized the fate of the offspring of the king rejected by God (1 Sam 16:1).

2 Samuel 4:10. If the one who brought me news, saying, “Behold, Saul is dead,” and who considered himself a good messenger, I seized and killed him in Ziklag, instead of giving him a reward, 2 Samuel 4:11. How much more when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed—shall I not now demand his blood from your hand and destroy you from the earth? 2 Samuel 4:12. And David commanded his servants, and they killed them, and cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner in Hebron. Cf. (2 Sam 1:1-16). Besides punishing the guilty, David’s vengeance had another significance: it was meant to strengthen in the people’s consciousness the inviolability of the person of the king as the anointed of God (cf. 1 Sam 24:7).

Chapter Five

David’s coronation over all Israel. The conquest of the stronghold of Zion. The building of the king’s house. Two defeats of the Philistines.

2 Samuel 5:1. And all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh;” About five years passed from the death of Ish-bosheth to David’s election as king over all the Hebrews (2 Sam 2:10-11).

2 Samuel 5:2. Moreover, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led out and brought in Israel; and the Lord said to you, ‘You shall feed my people Israel, and you shall be a prince over Israel.’ “Moreover, in time past,” that is, generally in former times. “You were the one who led out and brought in Israel,” that is, commanded the Israeli forces during battles with the enemy. “And the Lord said to you….” See (1 Sam 16:12-13; 2 Sam 3:18).

2 Samuel 5:3. And all the elders of Israel came to the king in Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord; and they anointed David king over Israel. “And they anointed David king.” “David received royal anointing from Samuel. Chronicles, however, calls by the name of anointings also his twofold election by the people” (Blessed Theodoret, Commentary on 2 Samuel, question 15).

2 Samuel 5:6. And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of that land; but they said to David, “You will not come in here, for the blind and the lame will turn you away”—this meant, “David will not come in here.” The Jebusite city of Jerusalem, located on the height of Zion with its fortress of the same name, was a stronghold difficult to access. The existence of an independent Canaanite region, wedged in between the northern and southern parts of Canaan, was incompatible with the interests of a unified state and posed a danger to its tranquility. The Jebusites—a Canaanite tribe descended from Jebus, grandson of Ham (through Canaan).

2 Samuel 5:8. And David said that day, “Whoever would smite the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft and strike the lame and the blind, those whom David hates.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house [of the Lord].” “And David said” and so on. Kindled by the mockery of the Jebusites (verse 6), David gives a harsh command: to spare not the defeated enemy. “Therefore it is said….” A proverb that formed later, when the house of the Lord, that is, the Tent and Temple of the Lord, was built on Zion.

2 Samuel 5:9. And David dwelled in the stronghold, and called it the city of David, and built around it from Millo inward. “Hebron, which was the center of the tribe of Judah and its natural capital, could no longer serve as the residence of a king ruling over all Israel, since it lay on the southern edge of the kingdom. David also did not wish to establish his residence in Shechem, the chief city of the tribe of Ephraim and the center of the land of the Hebrews, because he did not find his position secure among the inherently rebellious Ephraimites. He chose instead a neutral point, belonging hitherto to no tribe, lying almost in the center of the Hebrew land, supported from the south by the powerful tribe of Judah, which was related to David, and ruling by its strong position over the northern half of the Hebrew land” (Y. Bogorodsky, “Hebrew Kings”, p. 151). Millo—one of the hills of the Zion height.

2 Samuel 5:13. And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron. By the standards of that time, a monarch’s greatness was measured, among other things, by the number of his wives and concubines.

2 Samuel 5:14. And there were born to David more sons and daughters. And these are the names of those born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon, 2 Samuel 5:15. and Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, and Japhia, 2 Samuel 5:16. and Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphalet, [Shammua, Joshibath, Nathan, Galamaan, Jebaar, Theisus, Eliphalath, Nageb, Nepheg, Jonathan, Leasamis, Baalimath, and Eliphaath]. Cf. (2 Sam 3:2-5).

2 Samuel 5:17. When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. “All (see note to (1 Sam 6:17)) the Philistines went up to search for David.” While David remained king of Judah alone, he was not dangerous to the Philistine protectorate in Canaan; but having become king of a united Israel, he could easily put an end to this protectorate.

2 Samuel 5:18. And the Philistines came and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. The Valley of Rephaim—near Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 5:19. And David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” “And David inquired of the Lord”—through the high priest and his sanctuary.

2 Samuel 5:20. And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there. And he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like a breaking forth of waters.” Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. Baal-perazim—one of the points in the Valley of Rephaim.

2 Samuel 5:25. And David did as the Lord commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba to Gezer. “From Geba,” in the parallel passage (1 Chr 14:16) it stands: “from Gibeon.” Gezer—a city to the northwest of Gibeon.

Chapter Six

The transfer of the Ark of the Covenant from Kiriath-jearim to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 6:2. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the Ark of God, on which is called the name of the Lord of hosts, who sits on the cherubim. Baale-judah—the same as Kiriath-jearim in the tribe of Judah. “To bring up from there the Ark of God.” See (1 Sam 6:21). “The name of the Lord of hosts, who sits on the cherubim.” See (Exod 25:10-22).

2 Samuel 6:5. And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on harps and lyres and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. “Played before the Lord on all kinds of instruments”—to express and heighten their religious feeling. Harps and lyres—stringed instruments; castanets and cymbals—percussion instruments of metal, tambourine—something like our drum.

2 Samuel 6:7. But the Lord became angry with Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence, and he died there by the Ark of God. Regarding the question of why, precisely, Uzzah was punished, Blessed Theodoret answers: “Some say that he was punished for his recklessness, as one who presumed to offer aid to the Ark, which, serving as a protection to all the people, had no need of help from others. Josephus, however, says that Uzzah suffered punishment because, not being a Levite, he dared to touch the Ark; but this is clearly false, because Uzzah was the son of Aminadab, to whom the Bethshemites entrusted the Ark that was sent back by the foreigners (1 Sam 7:1; 2 Sam 6:3-4); and Aminadab was of the tribe of Levi (1 Chr 6:16-22). Moreover, he was not punished for recklessness, because when the cart tilted, it was necessary to support it with his hand. On the contrary, Uzzah was punished for another sin. God commanded the priests to carry the Ark on their shoulders (Num 4:1-20); but they, contrary to the law, were carrying it on a cart. The foreigners deceived them into this, [in that] the Ark, sent back in this manner by foreigners, caused harm to no one. But they should have known that the foreigners did not know the law and did not have priests to carry the Ark according to the law” (Blessed Theodoret, Commentary on 2 Samuel, question 19). Moreover, as some believe, Uzzah seized the Ark of the Lord not with the proper reverence toward it.

2 Samuel 6:9. And David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How can the Ark of the Lord come to me?” “To me”—into the city of David (cf. 2 Sam 5:7).

2 Samuel 6:12. And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that he has, because of the Ark of God.” Then David went and brought up the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. “Having made Jerusalem the political center of the country, David found it necessary to make it also the religious center through the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to it. This was required, on the one hand, in order to exalt the significance of the city of David in the eyes of the people, and on the other hand, even more so that under the personal observation of the king he might give the public worship the proper order and solemn setting, and thereby revive the religious spirit of the people, which had clearly fallen in recent times (1 Chr 13:3)” (Y. Bogorodsky, “Hebrew Kings”, p. 152).

2 Samuel 6:14. And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. “David danced before the Lord with all his might”—from the fullness of his religious exultation. “And David was girded with a linen ephod.” See note to (1 Sam 2:18).

2 Samuel 6:16. And as the Ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. Michal—daughter of Saul and wife of David. See (1 Sam 18:20-23; 2 Sam 3:12-16). “And she despised him in her heart.” The daughter of Saul was not able to understand, let alone share, the religious exultation in which the king and prophet David found himself at that moment.

2 Samuel 6:17. And they brought in the Ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. Regarding the establishment of the Davidic Jerusalem Tent, see (1 Chr 15:1). Abiathar was appointed high priest of the newly established tent (1 Sam 22:20-23); while Zadok presided over the old dismantled tent at Gibeon (1 Chr 16:39). Thus the Hebrews came to have two high priests and two places of worship, contrary to the prescription from Sinai. But David did not dare either to transfer the old tent to Jerusalem or to dismantle it as unnecessary, because he feared to set against himself the inhabitants of Gibeon and the whole tribe of Benjamin, who were already not well disposed toward David, and certainly treasured the presence of this sanctuary with them as a monument of their honorable position among the tribes in the time of Saul. There needed to be the splendor of the Jerusalem worship created gradually by David, and the overwhelming magnificence of the Temple of Solomon, in order for the Benjamites and other tribes that sympathized with them to forget, for a time, their rivalry and reconcile themselves to the destruction of the old tent. Under Solomon the old, Gibeon tent was dismantled and together with David’s were stored for safekeeping in the rooms attached to the Temple (Y. Bogorodsky, “Hebrew Kings”, p. 155–156).

2 Samuel 6:21. And David said to Michal, “Before the Lord, [I will dance. And blessed is the Lord,] who chose me instead of your father and all his house, establishing me as a leader over the people of the Lord, over Israel; before the Lord I will play and dance;” 2 Samuel 6:22. and I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in my own eyes; but by the handmaidens of whom you have spoken, I shall be held in honor. The religious exultation of David, incomprehensible to the cold nature of the highborn Michal, is entirely comprehensible and praiseworthy in the eyes of the mass of simple, spontaneous people.

2 Samuel 6:23. And Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death. The religious inertness of Michal could not but cause alienation from her on the part of David. Michal’s barrenness was as it were a punishment from above.

Chapter Seven

David’s intention to build a permanent temple to God. The promises of God to David, uttered through the prophet Nathan. David’s hymn of thanksgiving and praise to God.

2 Samuel 7:2. And the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the Ark of God dwells in a tent.” “See now, I am living in a house of cedar.” See (2 Sam 5:11).

2 Samuel 7:3. And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart; for the Lord is with you.” 2 Samuel 7:4. But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: 2 Samuel 7:5. Go and tell my servant David, Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in, To the question of how Nathan, being a prophet, did not know God’s will and told David to build a house of God, Blessed Theodoret answers: “I have already said that the prophets knew not everything, but only insofar as God’s grace revealed to them. Thus Samuel did not know whom to anoint as king in place of Saul (1 Sam 16:1-13); Elisha did not know the sorrow of the Shunnamite woman (2 Kgs 4:27). Similarly, Nathan, having praised the king’s intention, thinking to please God in every way; but the Master God, appearing to him in the night, uttered his true will regarding what had been planned by David” (Blessed Theodoret, Commentary on 2 Samuel, question 21).

2 Samuel 7:6. since I have not dwelt in a house from the time I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle? 2 Samuel 7:7. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word to any of the tribal leaders whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” 2 Samuel 7:8. Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be a leader over my people Israel; 2 Samuel 7:9. and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 2 Samuel 7:10. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 2 Samuel 7:11. from the time when I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. Hitherto the Lord God had not required a permanent temple for himself, because the time for its construction had not yet come. Moreover, why should David, one of the creatures of the Creator of the universe, be concerned with the building of his temple (verse 5)? It is not David to the Lord, but the beneficent Lord to David who will establish his house (verse 11). In (1 Chr 22:6-11) there is also another explanation of why David was not to build the Lord’s temple: the magnificent and enduring temple of the Master of the world was to be built by the chosen king of the world in the midst of God’s chosen people—Solomon (“Solomon” from Hebrew means “Peaceful”).

2 Samuel 7:12. When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will make his kingdom firm. 2 Samuel 7:13. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 2 Samuel 7:14. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me; and if he sins, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men; 2 Samuel 7:15. but I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I rejected before you. 2 Samuel 7:16. And your house and your kingdom will be unshakable forever before me, and your throne will stand firm forever. “Speaking thus of Solomon, son of David, the prophet adds a prophecy concerning the Lord Christ, saying: ‘I will be his father, and he shall be my son.’ And that this is spoken of the Lord Christ—witness to this the divine apostle, who said to the Hebrews: ‘For to which of the angels did God ever say, You are my Son; today I have begotten you? And again, I will be his father, and he will be my son?’ (Heb 1:5). And the words following this are least of all fitting for the kings of Israel; but their truth is manifest in the Lord Christ alone. For it is said: ‘And his house shall be faithful, and his kingdom before me forever: and his throne shall be set up forever’ (verse 16, according to the Septuagint translation). Solomon, however, was shorter-lived than other men, did not even reach his father’s old age; and all who descended from him (the kings of Judah) met the common end of all. Therefore we must make one of two choices: either apply this to the Lord Christ, or call the prediction of God almighty false. But the latter is impious and blasphemous. Therefore, it is necessary, though the Jews do not wish it, to accept the former” (Blessed Theodoret, Commentary on 1 Samuel, question 21).

2 Samuel 7:19. And this was yet a small thing in your sight, O Lord my God; but you have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come. This is instruction for mankind, O Lord my God. “This is instruction for mankind,” that is, the universal solicitude of the Lord toward man makes him in the consciousness of man an extraordinarily close being to him.

2 Samuel 7:21. And because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, so that your servant may know it. “Because of your word.” See (1 Sam 16:1-13; 2 Sam 3:17-19).

2 Samuel 7:23. How great you are, O Lord God! For there is no one like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. Who is like your people, like Israel? Is it a nation on earth whose God came to redeem it as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, doing great and awesome things for it, by driving out before his people nations and their gods? “To redeem it as a people for himself.” See (Exod 19:3-6; Deut 4:7). “And to do great and awesome deeds before your people.” These are the miracles and signs of the Lord that took place before the Hebrews’ exodus from Egypt, during the exodus itself, throughout their journey in the wilderness, and in the conquest of the promised land.

Chapter Eight

David’s wars with the Philistines, Moabites, King Hadadezer of Zobah, and the Syrian Damascenes. The establishment of Hebrew power in Edom.

2 Samuel 8:1. After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Metheg-ammah from the hands of the Philistines. David’s future organizing work in the religious and civic life of the people required complete security of the state from without. Metheg-ammah – is the same as Gath (1 Chr 18:1). See note to (1 Sam 6:17).

2 Samuel 8:3. And David defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his dominion at the river [Euphrates]; The location of the kingdom of Zobah is generally placed northeast of Damascus, between the rivers Orontes and Euphrates.

2 Samuel 8:7. And David took the golden shields that belonged to the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. [These were later taken by Shishak, king of Egypt, during his invasion of Jerusalem in the days of Rehoboam son of Solomon.] See (2 Chr 12:1-11).

2 Samuel 8:9. And Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer, Hamath – on the river Orontes, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea near the northern borders of Palestine.

2 Samuel 8:13. And David made a name for himself, returning from the defeat of eighteen thousand Syrians in the Valley of Salt. The parallel passage in (1 Chr 18:12) reads as follows: “And Abishai son of Zeruiah defeated the Edomites in the Valley of Salt, eighteen thousand.” This fact, together with the circumstance that the preceding verses make no mention of the defeat of eighteen thousand Syrians (verses 4–5 give different numbers), leads us to suppose that (2 Sam 8:13) refers not to the preceding but to the following – verse 14 – and that instead of Syrians we should read Edomites here. “And David made a name for himself”, that is, he became famous.

2 Samuel 8:16. And Joab son of Zeruiah was commander of the army; and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder; Joab, Abishai and Asahel were nephews of David through his sister Zeruiah. “Jehoshaphat… was the recorder.” “The remarkable events that filled David’s reign, the multitude of people to whom the king had to pay attention, the multitude of matters requiring oversight and decision – all required written records and gave rise to a special state office – that of the recorder, chronicler and secretary of the king” (Y. Bogorodsky, “Hebrew Kings”, p. 171).

2 Samuel 8:17. Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests, and Seraiah was the scribe; See note to (2 Sam 6:17). “Ahimelech son of Abiathar.” See note to (1 Sam 21:1).

2 Samuel 8:18. and Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander over the Kerethites and Pelethites, and David’s sons were chief officials. The Kerethites and Pelethites are understood to be the personal honorable guard and bodyguard of the king. “David’s sons.” See (2 Sam 3:2-5).

Chapter Nine

David’s mercy toward the house of Saul.

2 Samuel 9:3. And the king said: Is there not still someone from the house of Saul to whom I might show the mercy of God? And Ziba said to the king: There is a son of Jonathan, crippled in his feet. “There is a son of Jonathan.” See (2 Sam 4:4).

2 Samuel 9:4. And the king said to him: Where is he? And Ziba said to the king: Behold, he is in the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lodebar. Lodebar and the settlements of Machir – in the middle part of eastern Transjordan, near the former residence of Ish-bosheth son of Saul (2 Sam 2:8-9).

2 Samuel 9:8. And [Mephibosheth] bowed and said: What is your servant, that you have looked upon such a dead dog as I am? “Upon such a dead dog”, that is, upon a man who is weak and worthless. Cf. (1 Sam 24:15).

2 Samuel 9:10. Therefore you shall cultivate the land for him, you and your sons and your servants, and you shall bring in the harvest so that your master’s son may have bread for his sustenance; and Mephibosheth your master’s son shall always eat at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. “Bread for his sustenance.” In this case bread is meant not so much in a literal sense as in a figurative sense, that is, material means in general. Mephibosheth received his sustenance at David’s table (cf. 2 Sam 9:11).

Chapter Ten

David’s wars with the Ammonites and Syrians.

2 Samuel 10:1. After some time the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun reigned in his place. The king of the Ammonites – Nahash (cf. verse 2), who was defeated by Saul at Jabesh-gilead (1 Sam 11:1).

2 Samuel 10:2. And David said: I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me. So David sent his servants to comfort Hanun concerning his father. And David’s servants came to the land of the Ammonites. “As his father showed kindness to me.” Perhaps some help is meant that Nahash rendered to David during his persecution by Saul.

2 Samuel 10:3. But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord: Do you think David has sent comforters to you out of respect for your father? Did not David send his servants to you to search out the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it? David’s successful wars (2 Sam 8:1-15) had inspired fear in his neighbors and caused them to fear David even where he posed no danger to them.

2 Samuel 10:6. And when the Ammonites saw that they had become hateful to David, they sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand. Beth-rehob – a Syrian region in the northern confines of Palestine, not far from the sources of the Jordan River. Zobah – northeast of Damascus, between the rivers Orontes and Euphrates. “The king of Maacah.” In the Hebrew text and some Greek manuscripts there is no addition of “Amalekite.” Maacah – a Syrian region at the foot of Mount Hermon the Great, neighboring Geshur. Tob – a region of eastern Transjordan northeast of Perea.

2 Samuel 10:8. And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance to the gate, while the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and of Maacah were by themselves in the field. At the gate of one of their cities.

2 Samuel 10:16. And Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were on the other side of the river [Halakmon], and they came to Helam; and Shobach the commander of Hadadezer’s army led them. The Helam mentioned here – an unknown region of Syria at present.

2 Samuel 10:17. When it was told to David, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan and came to Helam. The Syrians deployed against David and fought with him. “All Israel”, that is, all the people’s militia of Israel. “The people’s militia under David (288,000 men) consisted of twelve corps (24,000 men in each), obligated to assemble in full only at moments of military danger to the state, by special order of the king; in peacetime, however, only one of the corps was on active duty, serving for one month and then handing over its obligations to the next corps for the following month. Thus, David’s military force represented a middle ground between a standing army and a militia in the strict sense of the word: the militia men had military training and were better warriors than soldiers who had never held anything but the plow and the spade; on the other hand, being on actual service only one month per year, they continued their peaceful occupations and did not neglect their farms” (Y. Bogorodsky, “Hebrew Kings”, 177).

Chapter Eleven

David’s sin

2 Samuel 11:1. In the spring, at the time when kings go forth to battle, David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel; and they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah; but David remained in Jerusalem. “At the time when kings go forth to battle”, that is, in the most favorable time of year for that; it is supposed (Fr. de Hummelauer) – in the month of Nisan, which began with the March new moon. Rabbah of the Ammonites – the capital city of the Ammonites, located in the southern part of eastern Transjordan. Rabbah of the Ammonites should be distinguished from Rabbah of the Moabites, located in the same Transjordan, but much further south.

2 Samuel 11:3. And David sent someone to ask about the woman. And it was reported to him: This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. “Bathsheba daughter of Eliam” and granddaughter of David’s adviser Ahithophel (2 Sam 23:34), wife of one of David’s military heroes (2 Sam 23:24) – Uriah the Hittite, who came from the Canaanite tribe of the Hittites (Gen 10:15).

2 Samuel 11:16. Therefore when Joab was besieging the city, he placed Uriah at the place where he knew there were mighty men. “Where he knew there were mighty men”, who would not retreat before danger and would fight to the last possibility.

2 Samuel 11:20. and you will see that the king will become angry and say to you: “Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? “Will shoot from the wall” – arrows, stones, logs, burning materials and so forth.

2 Samuel 11:21. Who killed Abimelech son of Jerubbaal? Did not a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall [and strike him], and he died in Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?” then you shall say: “Your servant Uriah the Hittite also [was struck and] died.” See (Judg 9:53).

2 Samuel 11:27. When the time of mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord. “And the thing that David had done” – that is, his fall with Bathsheba and his contrivance in Uriah’s death.

Chapter Twelve

God’s punishment of David for his fall with Bathsheba. The end of the war with the Ammonites.

2 Samuel 12:1. And the Lord sent Nathan [the prophet] to David, and he came to him and said to him: There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor; 2 Samuel 12:2. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 2 Samuel 12:3. but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat from his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him; 2 Samuel 12:4. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him. 2 Samuel 12:5. Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan: As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; 2 Samuel 12:6. and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no compassion. 2 Samuel 12:7. Nathan said to David: You are the man. Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul, “The prophet Nathan at first transfers the accusation to a properly imagined person, for we regard the sins of others and our own misdeeds in different ways; and therefore we do not judge ourselves and others in the same manner. Over others we pronounce a righteous judgment, – but when we transgress, either we completely drive consciousness of it from our mind, or, seeing the sin, we find an excuse for it” (Blessed Theodoret, commentary on 2 Kingdoms, question 24). “And he shall restore the lamb fourfold.” See (Exod 22:1).

2 Samuel 12:8. and I gave you the house of your master and the wives of your master into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah, and if that were too little, I would have added for you as much more. “And I gave you the house of your master (Saul) and the wives of your master into your bosom”, that is, I gave them over to your complete power.

2 Samuel 12:10. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. “The sword shall never depart from your house forever.” This refers to the ensuing disturbances in David’s family life and in his state: the incest of Amnon with Tamar, the death of Amnon by the hand of Absalom, the revolt and death of Absalom, the revolt of Adonijah, and also misfortunes in the life of the Hebrew people under David’s successors.

2 Samuel 12:11. Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun; “I will raise up evil against you from your own house.” The sorrows that followed David were caused by people most dear to him (Amnon, Absalom, Adonijah). “I will take your wives” and so forth. See (2 Sam 16:20-22).

2 Samuel 12:13. David said to Nathan: I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David: The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die; “And David said to Nathan: I have sinned against the Lord.” The same was said once by (1 Sam 15:24) and Saul, but, as Rambach remarks, “duo cum Saint idem, – non est idem.” The words of the king and prophet David expressed a complete consciousness of his fall, burning repentance for what he had done, and an undoubted resolve not to repeat his mistake. Saul, as we have noted above (see note to (1 Sam 15:24-31)), was conscious of his sin, but did not feel it. A striking monument to the soul’s torment of the sinful David is his 50th Psalm.

2 Samuel 12:25. and sent word by Nathan the prophet; so he named him Jedidiah * because of the Lord. “Jedidiah” – the second name of David’s son – Solomon.

2 Samuel 12:26. Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city. 2 Samuel 12:27. And Joab sent messengers to David saying: I have fought against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the city of waters; 2 Samuel 12:28. Now therefore gather the rest of the people together and encamp against the city and take it; lest I take the city and it be called by my name. Having brought the capital city of the enemy to the point of surrender, Joab invited David into the field of battle so as to give him the pleasure and honor of a brilliant conclusion to the war. * * * Notes Beloved of God

Chapter Thirteen

The dishonoring of Tamar by Amnon. The death of Amnon.

2 Samuel 13:1. And it came to pass after this: Absalom son of David had a fair sister whose name was Tamar; and Amnon son of David loved her. Absalom was the son of David by Maacah, daughter of the Geshurite king Talmai; Amnon – the firstborn of David by Ahinoam of Jezreel (2 Sam 3:2-3).

2 Samuel 13:25. But the king said to Absalom: No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you. And Absalom pressed him, but he would not go; but he blessed him. “And he blessed him” – to celebrate his feast in the king’s absence.

2 Samuel 13:32. But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said: Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men, David’s sons; Amnon alone is dead, for by the appointment of Absalom this has been determined since the day when he dishonored his sister Tamar; “Jonadab” – the former friend of the slain Amnon and his accomplice in crime (2 Sam 13:3-5). “It seems strange how the sad news could have outrun the fleeing royal sons in fear, and it seems that it did not come from the place of the event, but arose independently at court, and not without intention in distorted form. Jonadab was “very cunning”, says the chronicler, that is, a skillful court intriguer, ready for anything, as is already evident from his service to Amnon. One may conjecture that, not having received proper gratitude from Amnon for his services, he abandoned him and went over to the side of Absalom, whose great ambition was known to him and who needed helpers more than Amnon to carry out his bold designs. And so, when almost all the court went to the feast at Absalom’s, Jonadab remained with the king in a premeditated role. At the appointed time, he secretly spreads a false rumor that all the king’s children have been killed. The king is in despair and curses Absalom. But immediately a comforter arrives and says: “Let not the lord the king think that all the king’s sons are dead; Amnon alone is dead because he dishonored the sister of Absalom.” At that moment, and this could have seemed the greatest comfort to David: his children were resurrected; only one remained dead, and because he was indeed a criminal who had remained unpunished thus far. Absalom avenged him” (Y. Bogorodsky, “Hebrew Kings”, p. 209–211).

Chapter Fourteen

David’s reconciliation with Absalom

2 Samuel 14:2. And Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman; and said to her: Pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but act as a woman who has been mourning for the dead for a long time; Tekoa – south of Jerusalem, between Bethlehem and Hebron.

2 Samuel 14:7. Now the whole family has risen against your handmaid, and they say: Give up the man who killed his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he murdered, and destroy the heir as well. Thus they will quench my remaining ember, and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth. “All the family” – of the slain.

2 Samuel 14:9. Then the woman of Tekoa said to the king: On me, my lord the king, be the guilt, and on the house of my father; but the king and his throne are guiltless. “But the king and his throne are guiltless” – in the prevention of bloody vengeance on the murderer (see Num 35:6; Deut 4:42; Josh 20:3).

2 Samuel 14:11. And she said: Please, O king, remember the Lord your God, that the avengers of blood do not destroy my son any further. And the king said: As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground. “Please, O king,” remember your promise and, for the sake of “the Lord your God”, fulfill it, so that the avengers of blood do not increase and destroy my son.

2 Samuel 14:13. And he said: Speak. And the woman said: Why have you thought such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king condemns himself, in that the king does not bring his banished one home again. “Why have you thought such a thing against the people of God?” that is, why do you, sire, so decisively stand against the ancient custom of the Israeli people to avenge the innocent blood of the slain by the blood of the murderer, and yet you yourself appear to some degree guilty of the same, since you are still punishing your son Absalom with exile for the blood of his brother Amnon which he shed?

2 Samuel 14:14. We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground that cannot be gathered up. But God does not take away the life of him who devises means to keep off his banished one from him. If God himself spares the transgressor and accepts the rejected, shall we, insignificance, exceed him in our severity toward the transgressed?

2 Samuel 14:24. And the king said: Let him withdraw to his own house, but he shall not see my face. So Absalom withdrew to his own house and did not see the king’s face. “And he shall not see my face” – a sign that Absalom’s return to his homeland did not yet signify complete forgiveness for the crime he had committed.

2 Samuel 14:26. And when he cut the hair of his head – for it was his custom to cut it every year, because it was heavy on him – the hair of his head weighed two hundred shekels by the king’s weight. The shekel “by the king’s weight” – is the same as the “holy” shekel, introduced into use by Moses. The weight and value of the holy shekel were equal to two ancient shekels (of lesser weight and value), that is, the holy shekel in terms of weight equaled 1 lot, and in terms of value – 86 kopeks (see the Biblical Archaeology of Archimandrite Hieronim, vol. I, p. 268–289).

2 Samuel 14:29. And Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but Joab would not come to him. And he sent again a second time; but Joab would not come. It is evident that Joab interceded for Absalom not so much out of devotion to him as out of a desire to please David (cf. 2 Sam 14:1-3).

2 Samuel 14:32. And Absalom said to Joab: Behold, I sent for you, saying: Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say: Why have I come from Geshur? It would have been better for me to remain there. Now let me see the king’s face; and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death. The position of a disgraced person at court, after his former honor and kindness, seemed unbearable to Absalom, and he resorted to very decisive measures to see Joab and to beseech him to intercede with the king for complete pardon of his guilty son.

2 Samuel 14:33. And Joab went to the king and told him; and he called for Absalom. So he came to the king, and [bowed to him] and fell on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom. “And the king kissed Absalom” – as a sign of his forgiveness.

Chapter Fifteen

The uprising of Absalom. The flight of David from Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 15:1. After this Absalom prepared for himself chariots and horses and fifty runners. After the death of Amnon, Absalom became the eldest son of the king, the most likely heir to his throne. There is nothing improbable in the supposition that the prospect of such a position played a far from insignificant role in his revenge against his brother Amnon. The further actions of Absalom had the aim of using the splendor of his retinue to make the strongest impression on the people, and by the ostentatious qualities of his character to attract to himself the hearts of all Israel (see 2 Sam 15:6).

2 Samuel 15:7. After forty years of David’s reign, Absalom said to the king: I will go and fulfill my vow, which I made to the Lord, in Hebron; “After forty years of David’s reign.” It is supposed that a scribal error has crept in here. Instead of “forty years of David’s reign” some read “four years” since Absalom’s return to Jerusalem (or, according to Josephus, since his complete reconciliation with his father (2 Sam 14:33)). In the Hebrew text the words “of David’s reign” are absent; Western commentators point out that they are also absent from the Syriac and Arabic texts (see G. Vlastov’s “Sacred Chronicle,” vol. IV, ed. 1893, p. 138, note).

2 Samuel 15:12. During the sacrifice, Absalom sent and summoned Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Gilo. And a strong conspiracy was formed, and people came together and multiplied around Absalom. “Gilo” is a city south of Hebron.

2 Samuel 15:17. And the king and all the people went on foot, and halted at Beth-Merhaq. “At Beth-Merhaq”; in the Greek text it is Ἐν οἴκω τῶ μακράν, i.e., at a distant dwelling. Philippson supposes it was a country house or villa. In the Russian text this name is left without translation as a proper name. Perhaps Beth-Merhaq was not only a villa, but an entire outskirts of the city, one of its “suburbs.”

2 Samuel 15:18. And all his servants walked on his sides, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came with him from Gath, walked before the king. “Cherethites” and “Pelethites.” See the note to 2 Sam 8:18. “Gittites”—a detachment of Gittite Philistines under the command of the Gittite Ittai, who served David.

2 Samuel 15:19. And the king said to Ittai the Gittite: why do you also go with us? Return and remain with that king; for you are a foreigner and came here from your place; “You are a foreigner and came here from your place”—to earn money; therefore go where it will be more profitable for you.

2 Samuel 15:23. And all the land wept with a loud voice. And all the people crossed over, and the king crossed over the brook Kidron; and all the people went [and the king] on the way toward the wilderness. “All the land… all the people,” that is, all who remained faithful to David.

2 Samuel 15:28. You see, I will wait at the plains of the wilderness until word comes to me from you. “At the plains of the wilderness”—by the river Jordan.

2 Samuel 15:31. They told David and said: Ahithophel also is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said: O Lord [my God!] bring to nothing the counsel of Ahithophel. The wise counsels of Ahithophel were valued as highly as if they were counsels of God himself (see 2 Sam 16:23).

2 Samuel 15:32. When David came to the summit of the mountain, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, met him with his garment torn and dust on his head. “Archite,” that is, a resident of the city of Archi, located between Bethel and Atarah.

2 Samuel 15:33. And David said to him: if you go with me, you will be a burden to me; “You will be a burden to me,” since the sight of your genuine grief will only oppress me.

Chapter Sixteen

David’s meetings with Ziba and Shimei. The entry of Absalom into Jerusalem. The counsel of Ahithophel.

2 Samuel 16:1. When David had come a little past the summit of the mountain, behold, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, met him with a pair of saddled donkeys, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred bunches of raisins, one hundred bunches of figs, and a skin of wine. “Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth.” See 2 Sam 9:6-11.

2 Samuel 16:2. And the king said to Ziba: what is the meaning of this? And Ziba answered: the donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, and the bread and fruit are for food for the young men, and the wine is to drink for those who grow faint in the wilderness. “Donkeys for the king’s house” of David; “bread and fruit for food for the young men,” those who remained faithful to the exile; “and the wine” for those of the king’s companions who would grow weak from the journey through the wilderness.

2 Samuel 16:3. And the king said: where is your master’s son? And Ziba said to the king: behold, he remained in Jerusalem and said: Today the house of Israel will return to me the kingdom of my father. 2 Samuel 16:4. And the king said to Ziba: behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours. And Ziba said, bowing down: I find favor in the sight of my master the king! Compare 2 Sam 19:24-30.

2 Samuel 16:5. When King David came to Bahurim, behold, a man of the house of Saul came out from there, named Shimei, son of Gera; he went along, cursing, “Bahurim”—on the way from Jerusalem to the Jordan.

2 Samuel 16:10. And the king said: what have I to do with you, sons of Zeruiah? [leave him,] let him curse, for the Lord has commanded him to curse David. Who then can say: why are you doing this? “The Lord has commanded,” that is, permitted, him to curse David.

2 Samuel 16:11. And David said to Abishai and all his servants: behold, if my own son, who came forth from my body, seeks my life, how much more this man of Benjamin! Leave him alone, let him curse, for the Lord has commanded him; “How much more this man of Benjamin”—from the tribe of the former king Saul.

2 Samuel 16:16. When Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom: Long live the king! Long live the king! “Hushai the Archite.” See 2 Sam 15:32-37.

2 Samuel 16:21. And Ahithophel said to Absalom: Go in to the concubines of your father, whom he left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you have become hateful to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened. “This was meant to be, on the one hand, a striking symbol of his actual assumption of the rights of the deposed king, and on the other hand, a means to make reconciliation with his father impossible, so that Absalom himself could not return, and all who had taken his side could not waver between him and David” (Y. Bogorodsky, “Hebrew Kings,” p. 224).

2 Samuel 16:22. And they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom went in to the concubines of his father in the sight of all Israel. See 2 Sam 12:11-12.

Chapter Seventeen

The military council of Absalom. The counsel of Ahithophel and the counsel of Hushai. The crossing of David over the Jordan.

2 Samuel 17:8. And Hushai said further: You know your father and his men; they are mighty and fierce in spirit, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field, [and like a wild boar in the field,] and your father is a man of war; he will not lodge with the people. “Your father is a man of war”—skilled in warfare; knowing the possibilities of unexpected night attacks by enemies, he will not lodge with the people in an open place.

2 Samuel 17:14. And Absalom and all Israel said: The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring disaster on Absalom. “Thus the Lord ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel,” to bring (permit) disaster on Absalom. If Absalom had agreed with Ahithophel’s proposal, then the disorderly throng of David’s followers, exhausted by the impressions of the day and their hasty flight, would certainly have been completely defeated by the fresh, well-organized forces of Absalom.

2 Samuel 17:16. And now send word quickly and tell David: do not spend the night at the ford of the wilderness, but cross over at once, that the king and all the people who are with him may not perish. “Do not spend the night at the ford of the wilderness” of the Jordan, “but cross over at once” over that river.

2 Samuel 17:17. Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting by the En-rogel. And a maidservant went and told them, and they went and told King David; for they could not be seen going into the city. “They went and told,” that is, went to tell. The words “for they could not be seen going into the city” explain why Jonathan and Ahimaaz waited for the necessary information at the outskirts of the city, at the En-rogel.

2 Samuel 17:18. But a young man saw them and told Absalom; so both of them went away quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it. “And a young man saw them”—from among the guards of Absalom.

2 Samuel 17:23. And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and arose and went to his house, to his own city, and set his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the tomb of his father. See the note to 2 Sam 17:14.

2 Samuel 17:24. And David came to Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and all Israel with him. Mahanaim—a city in the central part of the eastern Trans-Jordan, south of Jabesh-gilead.

2 Samuel 17:25. Absalom made Amasa commander of the army instead of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who had married Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, the mother of Joab. Just as Joab was, Amasa was also David’s nephew, only from a different sister.

2 Samuel 17:27. When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, The Jews of the eastern Trans-Jordan kept themselves aloof from the movements in the western Trans-Jordan and distinguished themselves by greater faithfulness to their given word or oath. Faithful to their oath to Saul, they remained faithful to his son Ish-bosheth until the force of events compelled them to swear to David. Having sworn to David, the Gileadites wished to remain faithful to him to the very last.

Chapter Eighteen

The defeat and death of Absalom.

2 Samuel 18:2. And David sent out the troops—a third part under the command of Joab, a third part under the command of Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, a third part under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the men: I myself will go out with you. “And David sent out the troops”—on the campaign against Absalom.

2 Samuel 18:3. But the men said to him: You must not go out; for if we flee, they will not care about us; if half of us die, they will not care; but you are worth ten thousand of us; therefore it is better that you help us from the city. In ensuring the king’s safety, the military commanders probably also had in mind the circumstance that a father in war with his son would not possess the composure necessary for a battle commander.

2 Samuel 18:4. And the king said to them: I will do what seems best to you. And the king stood by the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands. “And the king stood by the gate” of the city of Mahanaim.

2 Samuel 18:6. And the troops went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. By the forest of Ephraim some (Hugo Grotius and others) understand that place in the eastern Trans-Jordan, where the judge Jephthah once defeated the Ephraimites (Judg 12:1-6).

2 Samuel 18:8. The battle spread over all the country, and the forest consumed more of the people than the sword did that day. “And the forest consumed more of the people than the sword did that day.” The defeated army of Absalom fled to seek protection in the forest, but here it was either met by an ambush, or simply scattered and destroyed piecemeal.

2 Samuel 18:17. And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very large heap of stones. And all Israel fled, each to his tent. “All Israel,” those who made up the army of Absalom.

2 Samuel 18:18. Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a pillar in the King’s Valley; for he said: I have no son to preserve the memory of my name. So he called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day. In the vicinity of Jerusalem, in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, there still stands a monument bearing the name of the Tomb of Absalom. According to the testimony of scholars, Hebrew rabbis from ancient times commanded parents of disobedient children to bring them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, to the Tomb of Absalom, and, telling them the story of the rebellious son of David, made them throw stones at the monument (Geikie, “The Holy Land and the Bible”). To the question of why, having noted above (2 Sam 14:27) that Absalom had three sons and one daughter, the writer now reports that Absalom set up a monument for himself because he had no sons, the blessed Theodoret answers: “Both statements are true, for it is probable that he both begat children and that his children died. And Josephus remarks that Absalom did this because his children could not live long; but a building could preserve the memory of him longer” (Blessed Theodoret, commentary on 2 Samuel, question 34).

2 Samuel 18:21. And Joab said to Cushi: Go, tell the king what you have seen. And Cushi bowed to Joab and ran. This refers not to the king’s adviser Hushai (2 Sam 15:32-37), but to someone else. According to the opinion of Vlastov (“Sacred Chronicle,” vol. IV), instead of “Hushai” one should read “Hushi” or “Kushi,” that is, a settler, servant, or hired laborer among the Hebrews “from the Ethiopians.”

2 Samuel 18:24. Now David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he lifted up his eyes, he saw a man running alone. “Between the two gates” of the city wall—the outer and the inner.

2 Samuel 18:25. And the watchman called out and told the king. And the king said: If he is alone, there is news in his mouth. And he came on and drew near. “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth,” that is, if one is coming, it is probably a messenger with good news about the success of the military operations, since the defeated do not come, but run, and that in groups.

2 Samuel 18:29. And the king said: Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz said: When Joab sent the king’s servant and me your servant, I saw a great commotion, but I do not know what it was. Wishing to please the king with the pleasant news of his army’s victory, Ahimaaz did not dare to tell the father about his son’s death.

Chapter Nineteen

The return of David to the western Trans-Jordan.

2 Samuel 19:5. And Joab came into the house to the king and said: You have shamed all your servants today, who have just saved your life, and the lives of your sons and daughters, and the lives of your wives and concubines; 2 Samuel 19:6. in that you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you; for I perceive that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, then it would be right in your eyes; 2 Samuel 19:7. now therefore arise, go out, and speak kindly to your servants; for I swear by the Lord, that if you do not go out, not a man will remain with you this night; and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth even to now. “These words are spoken by the very murderer of Absalom, whom David hated; but there was so much truth and practical wisdom in his words that the wise king suppressed his grief and agitation, arose and went to the people at the square by the city gate” (Y. Bogorodsky, “Hebrew Kings,” p. 236).

2 Samuel 19:8. And the king arose and sat in the gate. And all the people were told that the king was sitting in the gate; and all the people came before the king [to the gates]; now the Israelites had fled to their tents. “The Israelites,” that is, the followers of Absalom (cf. 2 Sam 18:17).

2 Samuel 19:9. And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying: The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies, and saved us from the hand of the Philistines; and now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. 2 Samuel 19:10. But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle; why then do you say nothing about bringing the king back? [And these words of all Israel reached the king.] “David’s residence was now in Mahanaim, and in fact David was king only beyond the Jordan. The Jews on this side of the Jordan, who had gone over to Absalom’s side, found themselves in a strange position. The king they had just recognized was dead, and they had rejected David and raised arms against him. David proved invincible and reigned beyond the Jordan, and they, like sheep without a shepherd, found themselves in a position of serious danger. There was no other way out but to submit to David and return him to the throne of Jerusalem. The first voices in favor of David were raised in the northern tribes” (Y. Bogorodsky, “Hebrew Kings,” p. 237).

2 Samuel 19:11. And King David sent word to Zadok and Abiathar the priests: Say to the elders of Judah, Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house? The word of all Israel has come to the king, to his house. 2 Samuel 19:12. You are my brothers, my bone and my flesh; why then should you be the last to bring back the king? “The tribe of Judah maintained a mysterious silence, offering no hopes to David. This circumstance seems somewhat strange and requires some explanation. It is possible that, not having received from David any special privileges compared to the other tribes (2 Sam 19:42), the tribe of Judah went over to Absalom partly from dissatisfaction with David, partly in hope of receiving the desired privileges from Absalom. When Absalom’s enterprise failed and there remained only to return to the old order, the tribe of Judah felt its error more deeply than others and was ashamed of its deed. Its representatives were ashamed to show their faces to David with repentance and an offer of loyalty, which had become so doubtful, and they hesitated. David understood the difficulty of his tribe and, still considering it, despite this temporary attraction, to be the most faithful support of his house, decided to encourage it with a gentle invitation and a reminder of its duty” (Y. Bogorodsky, “Hebrew Kings,” p. 237-238).

2 Samuel 19:13. And say to Amasa: “Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if you will not be the commander of my army from now on, instead of Joab, always!” “Are you not my bone and my flesh?” See 2 Sam 17:25. “Instead of Joab, always”: the harsh independence of Joab and the instance of his open disobedience of the king’s will (2 Sam 18:5), moreover, inasmuch as the object of this willful act of Joab was a person especially close to David—could not fail to alienate David from him.

2 Samuel 19:16. And Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David, See 2 Sam 16:5-11.

2 Samuel 19:17. and a thousand men from Benjamin with him. And Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, with his fifteen sons and his twenty servants, crossed the Jordan in front of the king [and prepared the crossing of the Jordan for the king]. See 2 Sam 16:1-4.

2 Samuel 19:18. And the ferryboat went to bring over the king’s household and to do what was good in his sight. Then Shimei son of Gera fell on his face before the king as he crossed the Jordan, 2 Samuel 19:19. and said to the king: Do not let me be guilty, my lord; do not remember the wrong that your servant did on the day when my lord the king left Jerusalem, and do not hold it in your heart, O king; 2 Samuel 19:20. for your servant knows that he has sinned; and behold, I have come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph, to go down to meet my lord the king. 2 Samuel 19:21. And Abishai son of Zeruiah said: Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord’s anointed? 2 Samuel 19:22. And David said: What have I to do with you, sons of Zeruiah, that you should become my adversaries today? Shall anyone be put to death in Israel today? For do I not know that today I am king over Israel? 2 Samuel 19:23. And the king said to Shimei: You shall not die. And the king swore to him. See 2 Sam 16:5-11. “Of all the house of Joseph”; according to the text of the LXX: “before all Israel and the house of Joseph.” In explanation of why the house of Joseph is put at the head of all Israel, see 1 Chr 5:1.

2 Samuel 19:24. And Mephibosheth the son of [Jonathan son of] Saul came down to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet, [nor trimmed his nails,] nor trimmed his beard, and had not washed his clothes from the day the king departed until the day he came back in peace. 2 Samuel 19:25. And when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him: Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth? 2 Samuel 19:26. He answered: My lord, O king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said: “I will saddle a donkey for myself and ride on it and go with the king.” Since your servant is lame, 2 Samuel 19:27. but he slandered your servant to my lord the king. Yet my lord the king is like an angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you; 2 Samuel 19:28. for all my father’s house were but men condemned to death before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I to cry out to the king? Compare 2 Sam 16:1-4. “You set your servant among those who eat at your table.” See 2 Sam 9:1-7.

2 Samuel 19:29. And the king said to him: Why do you continue to speak of these things? I have decided that you and Ziba shall divide the fields. It was difficult to decide who was truly guilty—whether Ziba or Mephibosheth. In any case it was difficult for David to listen to the humiliated words of the son of his friend Jonathan, and he angrily cut off Mephibosheth: “Why do you continue to speak of these things?”. Finding his former decision to deprive Mephibosheth of all his property in favor of Ziba to be too harsh, but not wishing to revoke it entirely, since he considered Ziba’s report not entirely without foundation, David, in order to settle this unpleasant matter, added: “I have decided that you and Ziba shall divide the fields equally” (Y. Bogorodsky, “Hebrew Kings,” p. 240-241).

2 Samuel 19:31. And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim and crossed over the Jordan with the king, to escort him across the Jordan. 2 Samuel 19:32. Now Barzillai was very old, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. See 2 Sam 17:27-29.

2 Samuel 19:41. And behold, all the Israelites came to the king and said to the king: Why have our brothers, the men of Judah, stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David’s men with him? “When David was already at Gilgal and when representatives of the northern tribes appeared there, they were unpleasantly surprised that the king was, so to speak, already at home and seemingly no longer needed them. They had counted on finding David in his Trans-Jordan refuge and gladden him with their appearance and a solemn declaration of their loyal feelings. And suddenly they see the king on this side of the Jordan, at the head of a powerful tribe, almost in no need of their delegation. The disappointment of the northerners turned into suspicion, and then into resentment against the tribe of Judah that had forestalled them” (Y. Bogorodsky, “Hebrew Kings,” p. 242).

Chapter Twenty

Sheba’s Rebellion

2 Samuel 20:3. And David came to his house in Jerusalem, and the king took the ten concubines whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in a house under guard, and supported them, but did not go in to them. And they were kept there until the day of their death, living like widows. See (2 Sam 16:20-22). David considered it shameful and “lawbreaking to have relations with them after their vile relations with his son; and he married them to no other man, so that this would not serve as a pretext for seizing the supreme power” (Blessed Theodoret, commentary on 2 Samuel, question 38), since in the Eastern view of that time, possession of the king’s wife or concubine already meant some actual claim to the king’s authority.

2 Samuel 20:4. And David said to Amasa: Summon the men of Judah to me within three days, and be here yourself. 2 Samuel 20:5. And Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the time that was appointed to him. 2 Samuel 20:6. Then David said to Abishai: Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord’s servants and pursue him, so that he does not find for himself fortified cities and hide from our sight. 2 Samuel 20:7. And the men of Joab went out after him, along with the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. “David gave the charge to Amasa to summon the militia within three days to suppress the rebellion, and by this he effectively set Amasa as commander-in-chief in place of Joab (2 Sam 19:13). But Amasa proved unequal to the position to which he was elevated. Whether through lack of competence and energy, or through a cold reception from the people as a man less authoritative than Joab, he was unable to fulfill the charge in the appointed time. Meanwhile, delay was impossible. And David was forced to turn to Joab’s brother Abishai to send him with the available military forces after Sheba.” Joab also joined those pursuing Sheba on his own authority. However, Joab was thinking less about suppressing Sheba’s rebellion than about removing from the list of the living his new rival at David’s court—Amasa (I. Bogorodskiy, “Hebrew Kings”, p. 244).

2 Samuel 20:14. And he passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah and through all the Berim; and [all the inhabitants of the cities] gathered together and went after him. “Abel of Beth-maacah”—a city in the northern borders of Palestine, near the mountain of Great Hermon.

2 Samuel 20:19. I am of the peaceable and faithful cities of Israel; you seek to destroy a city and a mother [of cities] in Israel; why would you destroy the inheritance of the Lord? “Mother [of cities] in Israel.” See (2 Sam 20:18).

2 Samuel 20:23. And Joab was set over all the army of Israel, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites; “And Joab was set over all the army of Israel.” “David did not attempt again to remove him from the position of commander-in-chief, because he was indispensable and defended this post with such demonic persistence that it was better to yield to avoid new bloodshed” (I. Bogorodskiy, “Hebrew Kings”, p. 246). On the Cherethites and Pelethites see the note to (2 Sam 8:18).

2 Samuel 20:24. Adoram was over the tribute; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder; “Jehoshaphat… was the recorder.” See (2 Sam 8:16).

2 Samuel 20:25. Sheva was the scribe; Zadok and Abiathar were the priests; See (2 Sam 8:17).

2 Samuel 20:26. And also Ira the Jairite was the priest of David. The word “Jairite” some understand to mean “from the villages of Jair,” the son of Manasseh, which lay in the eastern Transjordan (see “An Attempt at a Biblical Dictionary of Proper Names” by Archpriest Solyarskiy). “Was the priest of David,” that is, a person through whose mediation the aged king performed many of his religious duties at the tent and outside it (Blessed Theodoret, Calmet, and others).

Chapter Twenty-One

The End of the Dispute between the Gibeonites and the House of Saul. Wars of the Hebrews with the Philistines.

2 Samuel 21:1. There was a famine in the land in the days of David, year after year for three years. And David inquired of the Lord. And the Lord said: It is because of Saul and his bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites. “Because he killed the (Amorite) Gibeonites,” to whom the Hebrews had sworn on oath to provide safe existence (Josh 9:3-20).

2 Samuel 21:2. Then the king called the Gibeonites and spoke with them. The Gibeonites were not of the sons of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the Israelites had sworn an oath to them, but Saul sought to destroy them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah. “In his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah,” that is, zealous for the honor and safety of the Hebrews.

2 Samuel 21:3. And David said to the Gibeonites: What shall I do for you? And how can I atone, so that you may bless the inheritance of the Lord? “So that you may bless the inheritance of the Lord” and so that through this the descendants of those who gave the oath would cease to experience the punishment of oath-breakers.

2 Samuel 21:4. And the Gibeonites said to him: We need neither silver nor gold from Saul or from his house, and we do not need that anyone in Israel be killed. He said: What do you want? I will do it for you. “We do not need that anyone in Israel be killed”—anyone outside the house of Saul.

2 Samuel 21:7. But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. See (1 Sam 20:14-17).

2 Samuel 21:8. And the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai from Meholah, On Rizpah see (2 Sam 3:7). “Five sons” of Merab, sister of Michal (1 Sam 18:19).

2 Samuel 21:9. And he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them [in the sun] on the mountain before the Lord. And all seven died together; they were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest. “In the first days of harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest,” that is, in mid-April.

2 Samuel 21:10. Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock and sat there from the beginning of harvest until the waters of God were poured down upon them from heaven, and she did not allow the birds of the sky to touch them by day or the beasts of the field by night. “Until the waters of God were poured down upon them from heaven.” In Palestine there is a period of early rains and a period of late rains. The period of early (in accordance with the Hebrew civil year reckoning from September) rains falls on the autumn months—October and November; the period of late rains falls on the spring months—from the end of February to the beginning of April.

2 Samuel 21:12. And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh Gilead, who had secretly taken them from the square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them when the Philistines killed Saul on Mount Gilboa. See (1 Sam 31).

2 Samuel 21:15. And war broke out again between the Philistines and the Israelites. And David went out and his servants with him, and they made war against the Philistines; and David grew weary. It is evident that the Philistines who were under the dominion of the Hebrews wished to take advantage of the disturbances in the kingdom of the Hebrews to recover their lost dominance over them.

2 Samuel 21:16. Then Ishbi, one of the descendants of the Rephaim, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze and who was girded with a new sword, sought to kill David. The Rephaim are understood to be the ancient first inhabitants of Canaan, who were distinguished by great height and extraordinary strength (Deut 2:10-11; Num 13:34). Their dwelling places were Bashan (Deut 3:11), the land of the Ammonites (Deut 2:20-21), the land of the Moabites (Deut 2:10-11), the southern borders of the western Transjordan—the region around Hebron and Jerusalem (Josh 15:8), and others. Sacred Scripture often connects with the Rephaim, and sometimes even groups together with them: the Anakim (Josh 11:21-22), the Zuzim, the Emim (Gen 14:5), the Zamzummim (Deut 2:20-21). On the shekel see the note to (2 Sam 14:26).

2 Samuel 21:18. Then there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of the Rephaim. “At Gob.” In (1 Chr 20:4) and in Josephus is given “at Gezer.” Gezer is a city to the northwest of Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 21:20. And there was another battle at Gath; and there was a man of great stature who had six fingers on each of his hands and six toes on each of his feet, twenty-four in total, also from the descendants of the Rephaim, It is evident that Goliath, whom David struck down (1 Sam 17:4-51), was not the only Philistine giant at Gath. See the note to verse 16.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The Song of David Upon His Deliverance from His Enemies

2 Samuel 22:1. And David sang this song to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul, and he said: In the decline of his days, peacefully surveying the course of his life—its troubles and dangers, victories and exaltation—David clearly sees in all the paths of his life the strong saving hand of the Lord. “The prevailing features of this song—the majestic depiction of the terrible all-powerfulness of Jehovah, which terrified David’s enemies, and vivid pictures of the mighty blows that David dealt to his enemies—show that it was sung at a time when David’s soul was still full of fresh memories of his troubled military life, great dangers, and miraculous deliverances from them.” A different spirit distinguishes the song which the Chronicler calls “the last words of David” (2 Sam 23:1), which appeared obviously later, when David, having happily escaped the hands of men, had twice fallen into the hands of God. Pardoned by God, he turns his gaze here more to the inner basis of God’s favor toward him and his house than to the outer form of the manifestation of this favor (I. Bogorodskiy, “Hebrew Kings”, p. 250).

2 Samuel 22:3. My God is my rock; I trust in Him; my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, from violence You have delivered me! “The horn of my salvation.” One who grasped the horns of the sacrificial altar of the tent, according to the law (Exod 27:2), was considered inviolable against persecution. The word “horn” is used in Sacred Scripture also in the sense of strength, a reliable means of defense (see 1 Sam 2:1). The Lord is the horn of salvation, that is, strength for the salvation of man.

2 Samuel 22:8. The earth trembled and quaked; the foundations of the heavens shook and were moved, because He was angry [with them]. 2 Samuel 22:9. Smoke rose from His anger and fire came from His mouth, devouring; burning coals were kindled by it. 2 Samuel 22:10. He bowed the heavens and came down; and darkness was under His feet; 2 Samuel 22:11. And He rode upon the Cherubim, and flew, and was seen upon the wings of the wind; 2 Samuel 22:12. And He made darkness His covering, like a tent, gathering the waters of the clouds of heaven; 2 Samuel 22:13. From the brightness before Him coals of fire were kindled. 2 Samuel 22:14. The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High made His voice heard; 2 Samuel 22:15. And He sent arrows and scattered them; [He flashed] lightning and destroyed them. 2 Samuel 22:16. And the channels of the sea were revealed, the foundations of the world were exposed at the terrible voice of the Lord, at the breath of the spirit of His anger. 2 Samuel 22:17. He reached down from on high and took me, and drew me out of many waters; 2 Samuel 22:18. He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were stronger than I. 2 Samuel 22:19. They came against me in the day of my calamity; but the Lord was my support. 2 Samuel 22:20. And He brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me, because He delighted in me. A poetical depiction of the terrible might and glory of God, which appeared in defense of the righteous David from the overwhelming “waters” of calamities and sufferings.

2 Samuel 22:21. The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has repaid me. 2 Samuel 22:22. For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God, 2 Samuel 22:23. For all His commandments were before me, and from His statutes I have not turned away, 2 Samuel 22:24. And I was blameless before Him, and I kept myself from iniquity. 2 Samuel 22:25. So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness before His eyes. 2 Samuel 22:26. With the merciful You show Yourself merciful; with a man of integrity—with integrity, 2 Samuel 22:27. With the pure You show Yourself pure, but with the crooked You show Yourself shrewd. This does not mean, of course, that David considered himself a sinless man: his answer to the prophet Nathan (2 Sam 12:13), his penitential (Ps 50) psalm of repentance on account of the illicit census (2 Sam 24:10), speak to us of the exact opposite. In the cited verses it is said only that David was aware (and could not help but be aware) that he was far from being a hardened sinner: all his thoughts, all his feelings, all the movements of his deeply religious spirit were directed toward God. An immortal monument to the religious life of the soul of the great king and prophet David are the well-known psalms of his.

2 Samuel 22:29. O Lord, You are my lamp; the Lord brightens my darkness. “The Lord brightens the darkness” of calamities, ignorance, and delusions of man.

2 Samuel 22:44. You have delivered me from the tumult of my people; You have kept me to be the head over nations; a people I did not know serve me. “A people I did not know serve me.” This refers either to some foreign nation conquered by David, or to the God-given people of Israel, in which he certainly could not know the majority of individual persons.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“The Last Words” of David. A List of the Glorious Heroes of David’s Military Company.

2 Samuel 23:1. These are the last words of David, the utterance of David the son of Jesse, the utterance of the man raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel: See the note to (2 Sam 22:1).

2 Samuel 23:3. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me: He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. “The Rock of Israel”—the firm support of Israel. “He who rules over men must be (ought to be) just.”

2 Samuel 23:26. Herez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, “From Tekoa”—from the city of Tekoa, located south of Bethlehem.

2 Samuel 23:27. Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, “From Anathoth”—from the city of Anathoth, located to the northeast of Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 23:29. Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, “Gibeah of Benjamin”—to the north of Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 23:30. Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the Wadi of Gaash, “From Pirathon”—from the city of Pirathon, located to the southwest of Shechem.

2 Samuel 23:35. Hehez the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, “Carmelite.” Under the name “Carmel” in the Bible are understood: a) a mountain to the southwest of the Sea of Galilee; b) a mountain and city to the west of the Dead Sea.

2 Samuel 23:36. Igal the son of Nathan from Zobah, Bani the Gadite, “From Zobah.” Zobah or Suva is a region in Syria. “Gadite,” that is, from the tribe of Gad.

2 Samuel 23:37. Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, “Ammonite.” The land of the Ammonites lay to the northeast of the Dead Sea.

2 Samuel 23:39. Uriah the Hittite. In all, thirty-seven. “Hittite.” The Hittites are a Canaanite people descended from Heth (Gen 10:15), the grandson of Ham (through Canaan). Concerning the other places mentioned in verses 8-39 of this chapter, either nothing is known, or very little is known with certainty.

Chapter Twenty-Four

The Census of the Hebrews. The Pestilence. The Altar of the Lord on the Threshing Floor of Ornan.

2 Samuel 24:1. The anger of the Lord burned again against Israel, and He incited David against them, saying: Go, number Israel and Judah. “The anger of the Lord burned again against Israel.” The thought that came to David of numbering the Hebrews and the subsequent pestilence that struck the people are regarded as permission from God upon the Israelites for their transgressions. One of the main transgressions of Israel at that time is (in the opinion of many ancient and modern commentators) their participation in uprisings against the anointed king and prophet David, the best of Hebrew kings. “Israel and Judah,” that is, all the Hebrew tribes, which later formed the Israelite and Judean kingdoms.

2 Samuel 24:2. And the king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him: Go throughout all the tribes of Israel [and Judah] from Dan to Beersheba, and number the people, so that I may know the number of the people. “Dan” is the northern boundary of Canaan, “Beersheba” is the southern boundary. “Number the people so that I may know the number of the people.” What prompted the thought of taking a census is unknown. But from the way the Lord responded to David’s undertaking (2 Sam 24:10-15), one can conclude that David was motivated in this case not only by a desire to know the actual condition of the Hebrew people entrusted to him and a desire to render them necessary assistance, but also by impulses of a different character, having nothing to do either with the good of the Hebrew people or with the moral improvement of David himself. It is supposed that among the motives that prompted the king to number the Hebrews, ambition in his dominion over the Hebrew people and a power-seeking desire to unduly strengthen this dominion held a significant place.

2 Samuel 24:3. And Joab said to the king: May the Lord your God multiply the people a hundredfold as they are now, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it; but why does my lord the king desire this thing? It is evident that Joab feared that the undertaking of David, which could be falsely interpreted by the people, might serve as a cause for new disturbances in the state.

2 Samuel 24:5. And they crossed over the Jordan and camped in Aroer, on the right side of the city, which is in the middle of the valley of Gad, toward Jazer; 2 Samuel 24:6. And they came to Gilead and to the land of the Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon; 2 Samuel 24:7. And they came to the stronghold of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites and went out to the south of Judah at Beersheba; 2 Samuel 24:8. And they went throughout all the land and came through nine months and twenty days to Jerusalem. The tour of the country began from the eastern Transjordan, which, as we have already noted (see the note to (2 Sam 17:27)), was distinguished by the most peaceful character and faithfulness to the given word or sworn promise, in comparison with other regions, and therefore, not having offered resistance, could set an example of obedience to others. From the southern border of the eastern Transjordan, Joab went through all Gilead to the foot of Mount Hermon. From here he turned toward the western Transjordan, visited the cities that were in the possession of the Canaanites, passed along the very border of Phoenicia, and then descended to the south, to Beersheba. “Aroer” is a city between the Jordan River and Rabbah of the Ammonites. “Gilead” is the region on the left bank of the Jordan River, between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. “Sidon,” “Tyre” are coastal cities of the Phoenicians. “Hivites” are the same as the Hivvites, a Canaanite people descended from Hivvi (Gen 10:17), the grandson of Ham through Canaan.

2 Samuel 24:9. And Joab gave the number of the census of the people to the king; and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand able-bodied men fit for war, and in Judah five hundred thousand. “Fit for war.” Consequently, the enumeration did not include those who had not reached the age of manhood, the elderly and the infirm, and also all the female half of the population.

2 Samuel 24:10. And David’s heart troubled him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the Lord: I have sinned greatly in what I have done; and now, I beg You, O Lord, forgive the sin of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly. “David’s heart troubled him” at the thought of what a great multitude of people was entrusted to God for his care and how unworthily he acted when he surrendered himself in this case to impulses of a chiefly ambitious and power-seeking character (see the note to verse 2).

2 Samuel 24:11. In the morning, when David rose up, the word of the Lord came to Gad the prophet, the seer of David: “The seer” of David’s time.

2 Samuel 24:14. And David said to Gad: I am in great distress; but let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercy is great; only let me not fall into the hand of man. [And David chose for himself the pestilence at the time of wheat harvest.] “At the time of wheat harvest,” that is, at the end of April and the beginning of May.

2 Samuel 24:16. And the Angel [of God] stretched out His hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it; but the Lord was sorry about the calamity and said to the Angel who was destroying the people: Enough, now withdraw your hand. The Angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. “At the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.” The Jebusites are a Canaanite people descended from Jebus (Gen 10:16), the grandson of Ham through Canaan.

2 Samuel 24:17. And David said to the Lord when he saw the Angel striking the people, saying: Indeed, I have sinned, I [the shepherd] have acted wrongly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, turn against me and against the house of my father. “But these sheep, what have they done?” See the note to verse 1.

The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Introduction

The 3rd and 4th books of Kingdoms in the Hebrew Bible originally formed one book “Kings”, Hebrew Melachim, and only from the beginning of the 16th century AD has this book appeared divided into two—beginning with the Bomberg edition of the Hebrew Bible in 1517, the two parts of the previously undivided book are called by special titles: Melachim I and Melachim II,—undoubtedly under the influence of the Greek Bible LXX, which from the beginning had two books, and in connection with the books of Samuel (or 1 and 2 Kingdoms) were called: basileiōn tritē, basileiōn tetartē. However, in this Greek version, on the one hand, the terminology itself is not entirely accurate—the transmission of melachim (kings) through Basilieiai (kingdoms). Blessed Jerome says: “Melachim that is Regum, which are contained in the third and fourth book of Kings (Regnorum)… And it is much better to say Melachim, that is Kings, than Mamlachoth, that is Kingdoms. For it does not describe the kingdoms of many nations, but of one Hebrew people.” Indeed, the 3rd and 4th books of Kingdoms contain the history precisely of royal power and kings (not of theocracy generally) of one and the same Hebrew people, which is why the name “Kings” more fits their content than “Kingdoms.” On the other hand, the division of a unified history into two books has no real foundation: the last chapter of the 3rd book of Kingdoms and the first chapter of the 4th book of Kingdoms, describing one history of the Israelite king Ahaziah, could only artificially be divided between two books. In reality, both books in form and content represent a single indivisible whole, having even an advantage in unity and completeness over other biblical Old Testament books. They begin with the history of the most glorious of Hebrew kings, Solomon, to whom it was appointed by God’s providence to build the only temple to Jehovah according to the law; and they conclude with the depiction of the destruction of the Kingdom of Judah, the cessation of the dynasty of David, and the burning of the Temple of Jerusalem, and thus contain the history of an entire, fully completed period of biblical-Hebrew history (cf. 1 Kgs 6:1): if the period from the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt until Solomon was a transitional time of wandering and wars, and David was still “a man of war” (1 Chr 28:3), and in religious terms that period was the period of a movable sanctuary—the tabernacle (2 Sam 7:6-7), then from Solomon, “a man of peace” (1 Chr 22:9), for Israel there came a time of complete, peaceful, secure possession of the promised land (2 Sam 7:10-11; 1 Kgs 5:3-4), and accordingly it was Solomon who built the immovable “house” of the name of Jehovah (2 Sam 7:13; 1 Kgs 5:5).

The unity of both books extends also to the form of presentation, style, and methods of the sacred writer. A single, strictly maintained point of view runs through the entire book—a theocratic view of the dependence of the historical fate of Israel on the sincerity and purity of its faith; everywhere here are found remarks of an instructive, religious-moral nature, so that the histories of the “kings” of the Hebrews is, one might say, a church-historical work on an Old Testament basis. The form and method of historiography of the 3rd and 4th books of Kingdoms is strictly determined and uniform throughout their entire course: about each king, information is given about the time of his accession to the kingdom, the overall duration of his reign is determined, a characterization and more or less detailed description of his activity is given; finally, the date of his death and an indication of the source of information about this king. The period of time encompassed by the content of the 3rd and 4th books of Kingdoms amounts to approximately four hundred fifty years: from the accession of Solomon—about 1015 years before Christ until the liberation in Babylon from imprisonment of King Jeconiah (2 Kgs 25:27-30) in the 37th year of his captivity, that is (599—37) in the year 562 before Christ. According to Josephus (Jewish Antiquities, Book 10, chapter 8, §4), the kings from the line of David reigned for 514 years, consequently without David, whose reign is described in the 2nd book of Kingdoms,—474 years; the burning of the temple, in the opinion of that historian (there, § 5), occurred 476 years after its construction. This period of Israelite history naturally divides into three smaller periods or epochs, according to which the 3rd and 4th books of Kingdoms can be divided into three parts: 1) the period of Solomon’s reign, (1 Kgs 1-11); 2) the period of synchronistic history of both Hebrew kingdoms, Judah and Israel, from the division to the fall of the northern—Israeli kingdom, (1 Kgs 12-22; 2 Kgs 1-17); 3) the period of the sole existence of the southern—Judean kingdom from the moment of destruction of the Israeli kingdom until the fall of Jerusalem and Judea under the arms of the Chaldeans, (2 Kgs 18-25). For each of these epochs the sacred writer had his own special source: a) for the history of Solomon such a source was the “Book of the Acts of Solomon”, Hebrew Sepher dibre—Schelomoh, LXX: biblion tōn rhēmatōn Salomōn, Vulgate: liber verborum dierum Salomons, Slavonic: “Book of the Words of Solomon” (1 Kgs 11:41); b) for the history of the kings of the southern kingdom, from Rehoboam to Jehoiakim inclusive,—“the chronicle of the kings of Judah”, Sepher dibre—ha-jamim lemalche lehudah, biblion logōn tōn hēmerōn tois basileusin Iuda, liber verborum dierum regum Juda, “Book of the Words of the Kings of Judah” (1 Kgs 14:29; 2 Kgs 8:23 and others) and c) for the history of the kings of the northern kingdom—“the chronicle of the kings of Israel” (1 Kgs 14:19; 2 Kgs 1:18 and others). The content and nature of the cited sources remain unknown; however, it is undoubted that they were separate, independent works (for each of the three mentioned epochs the sacred writer uses only one source, not mentioning the other two); that they contained more than what the writer borrowed from them (his usual formula: “the rest of the acts are written in the book…”) and that when the 3rd and 4th books of Kingdoms were written, these sources not only existed, but were in very great repute among the people. From the comparison of the citations from the books of Kingdoms with parallel passages from the book of 2 Chronicles, one can see that all three mentioned sources were writings of prophets, who were generally the only historiographers in biblical antiquity (cf. 1 Kgs 11:41 with 2 Chr 9:29; 1 Kgs 14:21 with 2 Chr 12:15; 1 Kgs 15:1-8 with 2 Chr 13:22; cf. also 2 Kgs 18:13-20:19 with Isa 36-39; Jer 52 with 2 Kgs 24-25). Conversely, the opinion of Delitzsch and others about the secular origin of the chronicles of kings, which served as sources for the 3rd and 4th books of Kingdoms,—about their composition by those mentioned in (2 Sam 8:16; 1 Kgs 4:3) mazkir’s (LXX: hypomnēmatographos, Slavonic: “remembrancer”, Russian: “recorder”), cannot find confirmation in the biblical text. According to the words of Blessed Theodoret, “each prophet had the custom of describing the events occurring at that time, his contemporary events. But others, joining this together, composed the books of Kingdoms” (“Commentary on the books of Kingdoms”, preface, see question 4 on 2 Kingdoms and 49 on 4 Kingdoms). The divinely inspired worth of the books of Kingdoms is hereby itself presupposed.

The time of writing of the 3rd and 4th books of Kingdoms can be determined with probability—from the mention of the liberation of Jeconiah (562 AD) and the absence in the books of any indication of the end of captivity and the decree of Cyrus (536 AD),—the second half of the Babylonian captivity, about the middle of the 6th century before Christ. The writer of the books is unknown: there are no definite indications of the author in the books. The Talmudic tradition (Baba batra 15, f. 5) considers the prophet Jeremiah to be the writer of the 3rd and 4th books of Kingdoms. But if the similarity of certain passages from the books of Kingdoms with the books of the prophet Jeremiah could speak in favor of this assumption (cf. 2 Kgs 2 with Jer 52), then directly against it speaks: a) the time and b) the place of writing of the 3rd and 4th books of Kingdoms, insofar as this time and place can be determined with probability. We saw that the 3rd and 4th books of Kingdoms could have been written no earlier than the second half of the Babylonian captivity; in that case, the prophet Jeremiah would have been already a hundred-year-old elder; but it is known that the prophet Jeremiah in the very first years of captivity was led away by the Jews into Egypt (Jer 43:6), where he soon suffered a martyr’s death from his countrymen (cf. Lives of the Saints, on May 1). It is also improbable that Egypt was the place of writing of the 3rd and 4th books of Kingdoms: not for a small group of Egyptian fugitives from the Jews was such a work needed, but for the main part of the people of God, that is, those captive in Babylon. The latter is the probable place of the origin of both books (the indication of this was seen, among other things, in 2 Kgs 24), and if there are almost no indications of life in Egypt in our books, then Babylonian life and events from the history of the New-Chaldean kingdom were reflected in various ways in these books. But if the prophet Jeremiah was not the writer of the 3rd and 4th books of Kingdoms, then he nevertheless influenced the sacred writer of the 3rd and 4th books of Kingdoms with his book (cf. Jer 52 and 2 Kgs 25). The reception of the books into the canon (in the section “nebim rischonim”—“the prophets, the first, the earliest”) in any case speaks of their high worth and authority in the Jewish Church. The purpose of the books is moral instruction—to show that “while Israel knew how to use Divine providence, he lived in peace and quiet, and all were subject to him; but when he lost God’s help, he was subjected to hostile attacks” (Blessed Theodoret, commentary on the 4th book of Kingdoms, question 31).

* * *

According to the calculations of I. Spassky (later Sergius, Archbishop of Vladimir), 407 years passed from the laying of the temple to its destruction. An Inquiry into Biblical Chronology. Kiev, 1857, p. 131

Chapter One

1–4. King David’s illness in old age. 5–10. Adonijah’s conspiracy. 11–31. The declaration of David’s will about the succession of Solomon. 32–40. Solomon’s accession to the kingdom, his anointing and triumphant procession. 41–53. Scattering of Adonijah’s party.

1 Kings 1:1. Now King David was old and advanced in years; they covered him with garments, but he could not keep warm. 1 Kings 1:2. So his servants said to him, Let them seek for our lord the king a young maiden, that she may attend the king and care for him, and lie in his bosom, so that the lord our king may keep warm. 1 Kings 1:3. And they sought for a beautiful maiden throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunnamite, and brought her to the king. 1 Kings 1:4. The maiden was very beautiful, and she attended the king and served him; but the king did not know her. Verses 1–4, as then verses 5–10, form an introduction to the main narrative of chapter 1—about Solomon’s accession to the kingdom: both the feebleness of David (v. 1–4) and Adonijah’s conspiracy (v. 5–10) can explain why Solomon occupied the throne even while David was alive. Verse 1 begins with the connecting conjunction “and” just as some other Old Testament books do (Leviticus, Numbers, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Chronicles, 2 Ezra, Ezekiel, Jonah), which does not necessarily indicate a connection of the content of the subsequent biblical book with the previous one, but in this case (1 Kgs 1-2) represents as it were an organic part of the 2nd book of Kingdoms, concluding the account of David’s reign therein. The age of David at the moment described in (1 Kgs 1-2), judging from (1 Kgs 2:11) cf. (2 Sam 5:4), was about seventy years. The illness and feebleness (marasmus senilis) of David at these not yet so advanced years are the consequence of the extraordinary labors and trials he endured in youth and maturity (an indication of David’s premature old age is already seen in (2 Sam 21:16-17)). The weakness of David explains also the lack of warmth in his organism, a drop in body temperature (Midrash explains David’s illness as a consequence of the appearance of an Angel (2 Sam 24:16-17). According to Clericus, the absence of warmth in David’s body arose “from excessive use of women”. Both are arbitrary conjectures). The remedy, recommended to David by his servants or physicians (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, 7, 14, 3)—warming by the breath of a young maiden, strange to European concepts, was known in antiquity, for example, recommended by Galen (Method of Medicine, 8, 7): apparently, it was intended “by the presence of a person of the opposite sex to increase the resistance of the organism to external harmful influences and thus somewhat prolong life” (V. Nedzvetsky. Biblical Hygiene and Macrobiotics. Faith and Church, 1902, vol. I, p. 574; G. Popov. Biblical Data on Various Diseases. Kiev, 1904, p. 73). The mention of Abishag here is the more appropriate because later (1 Kgs 2:22) Adonijah tried to reach the throne through marriage with her. Abishag is called “the Shunnamite” (LXX: Sōnamitis, Vulgate: Sunamitis, Slavonic: “Sunnamite”), as is also the pious woman who gave shelter to the prophet Elisha (2 Kgs 4:12),—by the name of the city Shunem or Sonam (Hebrew: Schunem, LXX: Sounom or Sōnam) in the tribe of Issachar (Josh 19:18), opposite the hills of Gilboa (1 Sam 28:4), near Mount Carmel (2 Kgs 4:25); even in the time of Blessed Jerome “in the region of Sebastia, in Akrabattene, there was a village Sanim” (Onomastica, 897); now Sulam (Robinson, Palestina, III, 402; Guenin, Palestina, 112). The name of the bride in the book Song of Songs “Shulamite”, Hebrew: Schulamith, LXX: Sōnamitis (Song 7:1), is probably identical with the name “Shunnamite”. Abishag “attended” (schocheneth, LXX: thalpousа, Slavonic: “warming”) David, “served him” (v. 4), “lay upon his bosom” (v. 2)—she was indeed his wife (according to the Targum, merely a friend); however, she remained a virgin, which could especially attract Adonijah to her (1 Kgs 2:13-18).

1 Kings 1:5. Now Adonijah, the son of Haggith, exalted himself, saying, I will be king. And he acquired for himself chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run before him. 1 Kings 1:6. And his father had never displeased him at any time by asking, Why have you done so? He was also very handsome, and he was born next after Absalom. 1 Kings 1:7. And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest; and they supported Adonijah. 1 Kings 1:8. But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the prophet Nathan, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men of David were not with Adonijah. 1 Kings 1:9. And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and cattle and fatlings by the Stone of Zoheleth, which is beside the Spring of Rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the sons of the king, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants; 1 Kings 1:10. But he did not invite the prophet Nathan, nor Benaiah, nor the mighty men, nor Solomon his brother. The name Adonijah in the LXX in some manuscripts is read as Ornias (for example, code 82 in Holmes), and Blessed Theodoret also read it this way: Adonijah’s name was identified with the name of Ornan the Jebusite (2 Sam 24:18). Adonijah was the fourth son of David (2 Sam 3:2-4; 1 Chr 3:1-2): Amnon, Daluiah (or in the Hebrew text Chileab), Absalom, Adonijah. After the death of Amnon (2 Sam 13:28-29) and Absalom (2 Sam 18:9-15), Adonijah was the eldest of David’s sons and could consider himself the rightful heir to the throne, and his beautiful appearance, considered very desirable and valuable an attribute of the bearer of royal power by the ancient Hebrews (1 Sam 9:2; 2 Sam 14:25), could dispose the people in his favor. Like Absalom (2 Sam 15:1), Adonijah acquires chariots, cavalry, and swift runners as attributes of royal power (1 Sam 8:11; Jer 17:25). And David did not have the firmness to curb the ambitious designs of this son. Meanwhile, although royal power in Israel even under the first king Saul showed a tendency toward heredity (1 Sam 23:17), there was no law that the eldest of the sons should inherit the father’s throne: the choice of a successor was considered the right of the reigning monarch (1 Kgs 1:17 and others); cf. (2 Chr 11:22). And David’s choice fell on Solomon, although he was only his eleventh son. If David’s military commander Joab and high priest Abiathar sided with Adonijah, this does not speak to the legitimacy of the latter’s claims: both these officials, once loyal companions of David (Joab: (2 Sam 2:13; 1 Chr 11:6 and others); Abiathar: (1 Sam 22:20; 2 Sam 8:17)) before his death betray him, apparently only from rivalry—of Joab with Benaiah (2 Sam 8:18; 1 Chr 11:22-23), and of Abiathar with Zadok (2 Sam 8:17; 1 Chr 24:3). The prophet Nathan, who had appeared several times during David’s reign as a mediator between the king and God (2 Sam 7:2-17), sided with Solomon, of course, not from partiality to the latter (he was close to Solomon and according to tradition was his tutor (2 Sam 12:25)) and not from offense toward Adonijah (1 Kgs 1:10-26), but because he knew God’s will concerning Solomon (2 Sam 7:12-13; 1 Chr 22:9-10). Shimei—not an enemy of David (2 Sam 16:5-13), executed later by Solomon (1 Kgs 2:46), but perhaps a person identical with Shime (1 Kgs 4:18). Rei (Hebrew: Rei, LXX: Rhēsei), according to some manuscripts, such as 82 and 108 in Holmes—in the general sense: Samaia and his associates who were mighty—like Shimei, probably one of the close courtiers of David (at Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, VII, 14—Dabidou philos, a friend of David—a title reminiscent of Hushai’s title (2 Sam 15:37)); some (Graetz, Professor M. Guliaev) identify Rei with the priest Ira (2 Sam 20:26). “The mighty men of David” (Hebrew: gibborim asher le David; LXX: hoi dynatoi tou Dabid, Vulgate: robur exercitus D.)—David’s bodyguard, numbering 37 (2 Sam 23:8-39; 1 Chr 11:10-47), also called Cherethites and Pelethites (Hebrew: Kreti, Pleti), further on (1 Kgs 1:38), cf. (2 Sam 15:18; 1 Chr 18:17), their commander was Benaiah (2 Sam 8:18; 2 Sam 20:23). Following the example of Absalom (2 Sam 15:8-12), Adonijah arranges a feast for the conspirators (with a sacrifice—to give the deed a religious character) “by the Stone of Zoheleth, which is beside the Spring of Rogel” (Hebrew: im even (gaz) Zoheleth asher etzela Ein-Rogel, LXX: meta lithou tou Zōeleth hos ēn echomena tēs Rōgēl, Vulgate: juxta lapidem Zocheleth, qui erat vicinus fonti Rogel): the stone or rock Zoheleth (according to Eusebius and Blessed Jerome, Onomastica, 471, Zōeleth, Zoeteth)—by etymology—“creeping” stone or stone of “serpent” (perhaps this name has connection with the “Dragon’s Spring” (Neh 2:13), but, without doubt, it had no relation to the worship of the “bronze serpent” (2 Kgs 18:4), as some Western exegetes interpret it). The Spring of Rogel or Ein-Rogel (Josh 15:7), (Onomastik, 804) lay on the border of Judah and Benjamin tribes, belonging by division to the latter (cited sources), to the southeast of Jerusalem (2 Sam 17:17), in a beautiful fertile plain; according to Josephus (Jewish Antiquities, VII, 14, 4), “outside the city, by a stream, in the royal park” (en tō basilikō paradeisō). Now it is identified with the Spring of Bir-Ayub to the southeast of Jerusalem, at the junction of the valleys of Jehoshaphat and Hinnom (Robinson, Palestina, Bd. II (1841), 138 ff.).

1 Kings 1:11. Then Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David does not know it?” 1 Kings 1:12. Now therefore, come, let me give you counsel, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. By the cruel custom of antiquity, still preserved in the East, in all violent political upheavals the new king destroyed all relatives and members of the house of his predecessor or opponent (cf. Judg 9:5; 1 Kgs 15:29; 2 Kgs 10:6-13): this is confirmed by the subsequent fate of Adonijah (1 Kgs 2:24-25). In the event that Adonijah’s conspiracy succeeded, Solomon and his mother would face such danger, which the prophet Nathan considers it his duty to prevent. According to David’s words (1 Chr 22:5) Solomon at this time was “young and weak in strength”, and according to Solomon’s prayer upon his accession to the throne (1 Kgs 3:7) he was “a little child”; however, from the comparison of (1 Kgs 11:42) with (1 Kgs 14:21) it appears that upon his accession to the throne Solomon already had a one-year-old son, Rehoboam, consequently, Solomon was at that time at least 18 years old (According to Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, VIII, 7; 8—12 years).

1 Kings 1:13. “Go and get into the presence of King David and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your servant, saying, “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit upon my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’” 1 Kings 1:14. “Behold, while you are still talking there with the king, I also will come in and confirm what you have said.” David’s sworn promise to Bathsheba to give the throne to Solomon is not recorded in the sacred biblical account; it can only be inferred with probability from the narratives in: (2 Sam 7:12-14); cf. (1 Chr 28:5-9). In any case, there is no need for the hypothesis (of Wellhausen, Stade, Benzinger, and others) that such a thought was not inspired in the aged David only now.

1 Kings 1:15. So Bathsheba went into the king in his chamber; and the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunnamite was serving the king; From his senile weakness and illness, David did not leave his bedroom (Hebrew: heder, LXX: tamion, Vulgate: cubiculum), where he receives both Bathsheba and Nathan in the presence of Abishag (cf. v. 1–4).

1 Kings 1:16. And Bathsheba bowed and did obeisance to the king. And the king said, “What is your wish?” 1 Kings 1:17. She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.” 1 Kings 1:18. “But now, behold, Adonijah has become king; and you, my lord the king, do not know it.” 1 Kings 1:19. “He has sacrificed oxen, fatlings, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army; but Solomon your servant he has not invited.” 1 Kings 1:20. “And now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him;” 1 Kings 1:21. “Otherwise, when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be counted as offenders.” 1 Kings 1:22. While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 1 Kings 1:23. And they told the king, saying, “Here is the prophet Nathan.” And he came in before the king and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. 1 Kings 1:24. And Nathan said, “My lord, O king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit upon my throne’?” 1 Kings 1:25. “For he has gone down this day and has sacrificed oxen, fatlings, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest; and behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’” 1 Kings 1:26. “But me, your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon, he has not invited.” 1 Kings 1:27. “Is this thing done by my lord the king, and you have not let your servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?” The substance of the speeches of Bathsheba (v. 17–21) and Nathan (v. 24–26) is the same—an appeal for Solomon’s accession in fulfillment of David’s sworn promise to Bathsheba, against Adonijah’s intrigues. Only Bathsheba insistently points to the very fact of the oath (v. 17) and the danger awaiting her and Solomon herself if it is not fulfilled (v. 21), while the prophet Nathan reproaches the king for hiding his plans about the succession from him (v. 24, 27). In both speeches, it is noted that the designation of the successor to the throne depends entirely on the will of the king (v. 20, 27). Characteristic of the customs of the East is slavish obeisance before the king even by the queen wife (v. 16, 31), on a par with all subjects (even by prophets, v. 23); only the queen mother, apparently, not only did not show this honor to the king her son, but, on the contrary, received it from him (1 Kgs 2:19).

1 Kings 1:28. Then King David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 1 Kings 1:29. And the king swore, and said, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every adversity,” 1 Kings 1:30. “as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my place,’ even so I will do this day.” The swiftness and firmness of David’s decision about Solomon’s immediate accession reveals in him, despite physical weakness, strength of spirit, clarity of mind, and firmness of will. David’s oath is based on faith in Jehovah and His providence and represents praise and confession to Him.

1 Kings 1:31. Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and did obeisance to the king, and said, “May my lord King David live forever!” “May [the king] live forever!”: in addressing the king, this form of greeting was customary in the East, for example, among the Babylonians and Persians (cf. Dan 2:4).

1 Kings 1:32. And King David said, “Call for me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” And they came before the king. 1 Kings 1:33. And the king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon;” 1 Kings 1:34. “and have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel; and blow the trumpet, and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’” 1 Kings 1:35. “Then bring him back, and let him sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my place; and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.” The king’s mule was an exclusive possession of the king (Esth 6:8) (among the Persians, the king had his own special horse), and the command to seat Solomon on David’s mule was a sign of the actual transfer of royal power from the latter to the former. The same is indicated by the solemn procession of Solomon to Gihon. Gihon, Hebrew: Gihon (see v. 38, 45; cf. Onomastica, 351), was placed by earlier researchers on the western side of Jerusalem: thus, Robinson (Palestina II, 164) saw traces of Gihon in the remains of two aqueducts southwest of Jerusalem (cf. A. S. Norova, Journey to the Holy Land, 1854, vol. III, part I, p. 320, 322; Professor M. S. Guliaev, Historical Books, Vatican sl. 3, p. 189). But already the Targum (cf. Isa 8:6) and Blessed Theodoret (question 2 on 3 Kings) identified Gihon with the Spring of Siloam, which lay, without question, on the southeast of Jerusalem; in (2 Chr 32:30) the eastern position of Gihon is presupposed relative to the city; and according to recent investigations, it is the Spring of the Holy Virgin Mary on the eastern slope of the temple hill (D. Schenkel, Bibel Lexicon, Bd. II, 463; E. Riehm, Handworterbuch d. biblisch. Alterthums, I (2A), p. 529). Although the latter location of Gihon apparently does not fully accord with the presumed remoteness of Gihon from the Stone of Zoheleth and Ein-Rogel in the narrative, it is very probable. In any case, the act of Solomon’s anointing as king (v. 34, 39, 44), which for him, as for Saul (1 Sam 10:1) and David (1 Sam 16:13), was a symbol of the bestowal of the Holy Spirit for the work of theocratic rule over the people of God, was to take place in a place of great concourse of people: this was especially required by the circumstances of the time—the need to quickly destroy Adonijah’s plan; the whole people needed to quickly learn of Solomon’s accession by the will of the aged David. And David expressly proclaims Solomon “ruler over Israel and Judah” (v. 35), having in mind the old enmity between Judah and Israel, that is, the tribe of Judah with Benjamin and the other ten; enmity which had recently made itself felt to David (2 Sam 19:41-43), and after Solomon’s death was resolved by the division of the Hebrew kingdom into two (1 Kgs 12:16-19).

1 Kings 1:36. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so too!” Benaiah’s response, expressing his and the people’s agreement with the king’s will, is transmitted in the Greek and Slavonic more according to the sense than literally: Genoito houtos pistōsai Kyrios, “let it be so: may the Lord God confirm this word.”

1 Kings 1:37. “As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!” The good wish for Solomon’s greater glory compared with David (cf. v. 47) is based, in the opinion of Blessed Theodoret, on the fact that “no one who has tender paternal love envies his children, and that it is natural for fathers to desire to see their children in greater glory than what they themselves have” (question 3).

1 Kings 1:38. So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and took him to Gihon. “Cherethites and Pelethites”, Hebrew: Kreti and Pleti, LXX: Cherephí and Phelephí, Vulgate: Cerethi et Pelethi, at Josephus directly called sōmatophylakes, the bodyguards of the king: consequently, they formed David’s and Solomon’s guard. They are considered foreigners in Israel, namely Philistines, and the very Hebrew names are now brought into connection with the Hebrew names of the Philistines and the island of Crete (Hebrew: Pleshet and Kaftor), from which the Philistines emigrated according to the testimony of the Bible (Amos 9:7; Jer 47:4; cf. Deut 2:23). See Bertholet, Stellung der Israeliten zu den Fremden, 38 ff.; B. Stade, Geschichte des Volkes Israel, Bd. I (1887), 142 ff.

1 Kings 1:39. Then Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” The tabernacle, from which Zadok took the horn of oil,—not the tabernacle at Gibeon (2 Chr 1:3, cf. 1 Kgs 3:4)—Gibeon lay at a distance of 4 Roman miles from Jerusalem (Onomastik, 296),—but the tabernacle on Zion (see 2 Sam 6:17; 1 Chr 15:1). The sacred oil of the tabernacle was prepared in the special manner indicated in (Exod 30:22-32) and was used only for the consecration of the tabernacle, its furniture, and the sacred ministers; it was forbidden to anoint the bodies of ordinary laymen with it. The anointing of Solomon according to the biblical account (cf. v. 34) appears to be an essential, necessary moment in the inauguration of a Hebrew king—in virtue of the significance of the act of anointing Hebrew kings indicated (to v. 34): without this act a Hebrew king could not have been called “the anointed one” (Hebrew: mashiah Yehavah (2 Sam 2:4)) and in general be a theocratic king. It is therefore erroneous the opinion of some rabbis, (Grotius, Wiener), that only those kings were anointed who had no historical rights to the kingdom; David, in any case, considered Solomon to be his legitimate heir (which is why he swore an oath to Bathsheba about it, v. 13, 17). Solomon’s anointing was performed not only by the high priest Zadok (v. 39), but also by the prophet Nathan (v. 34), just as the anointing of Saul (1 Sam 10:1) and David (1 Sam 16:13) was performed by the prophet Samuel. Over David anointing was later repeated by the people (2 Sam 2:4). According to (1 Chr 29:22), anointing was later repeated over Solomon as well.

1 Kings 1:39. Then Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” 1 Kings 1:40. And all the people came up after Solomon, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise. 1 Samuel 10:24. The people’s participation in Solomon’s elevation to king was expressed in their joyful cries “long live the king!” (cf. 1 Sam. 10:24; 2 Kgs 11:12; Matt 21:9)—the people apparently did not recognize Adonijah’s claims to the kingdom; then, in the triumphant procession of Solomon with the sound of the trumpet and the playing of flutes bakhaliim, Vulgate: canentium tibiis; LXX and Slavonic—of joy generally: echoreuan en chorois, “they danced in dances”); “the earth was split by the cries” of the people—a hyperbolic expression of the idea of universal rejoicing. 1 Kings 1:41. And Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feasting; and when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “Why is the noise of the city in an uproar?” 1 Kings 1:42. While he was still speaking, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came; and Adonijah said to him, “Come in, for you are a worthy man and bring good news.” 1 Kings 1:43. Jonathan answered Adonijah, “Truly, our lord King David has made Solomon king;” 1 Kings 1:44. “and the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and they have had him ride on the king’s mule;” 1 Kings 1:45. “and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon; and they have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard.” 1 Kings 1:46. Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne. 1 Kings 1:47. And moreover the king’s servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, “May God make the name of Solomon more famous than your name, and his throne greater than your throne.” And the king bowed himself upon his bed, 1 Kings 1:48. and said thus, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has granted one of my offspring to sit on my throne this day, while my eyes see it!” The trained ear of the experienced military commander Joab first of all catches the warlike sound of the trumpet (v. 41). Jonathan, who had previously appeared as a messenger in David’s service (2 Sam 15:36), could (v. 42) deliberately remain in the city and observe what was happening there; hence the accuracy of his report (v. 43–46). The bowing of the aged David on his bed (v. 47) fully recalls the similar bowing “on the head of his bed” or “on the top of his staff” (Gen 47:31) of the dying patriarch Jacob; this was an expression of David’s reverence, as was Jacob’s, toward God; and likewise David blesses Jehovah, the God of Israel, and not the electors of his son (v. 48); the clause “from my seed” placed in brackets is not in the Hebrew text and is only in the LXX: ek tou spermatos mou (Vulgate does not read these words), but is quite appropriate and could have stood in the original Hebrew. The adherents of Adonijah in panic fear scatter (v. 49). Similar fear, arising from the lack of consciousness of lawful rights to their claims, seizes Adonijah himself; conscious of himself as already a political criminal, he takes refuge in the tabernacle (Zion), (1 Kgs 3:15; 2 Sam 6:17) and seizes the horns of the altar (v. 50–51), as later—Joab (1 Kgs 2:28), where one could find refuge only as an involuntary slayer (Exod 21:12-14). The horns at the altar were an essential part (Amos 3:14; Lev 4:7), they seemed to express the idea of sacrificial purification. They could least of all be a remnant of the image of Jehovah as a calf (opinion of Stade and Nowack).

1 Kings 1:52. Then Solomon said, “If he proves to be a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” 1 Kings 1:53. So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed down to King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.” Solomon in Adonijah’s desperate measure sees a factual acknowledgment of his guilt and performs an act of conditional forgiveness of him, which without doubt produced a good impression on his subjects. * * * “Historical Books of the Old Testament. Translation from the Hebrew language with foot notes by Professor of the Kiev Theological Academy Mikhail Guliaev, Kiev, 1866, p. 186”

Chapter Two

1–11. David’s final instructions and death. 12–46. The first steps of Solomon’s independent rule—measures to safeguard unlimited royal power.

1 Kings 2:1. When David’s time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, The fatal outcome of David’s illness, already previously foretold (1 Kgs 1:1-4), necessitated a second, solemn anointing of Solomon (1 Chr 29:20-22).

1 Kings 2:2. “I am about to go the way of all the earth; be strong therefore, and show yourself a man.” “The way of all the earth” (cf. Josh 23:14)—the inevitable fate of all men, death.

1 Kings 2:3. “Keep the covenant of the Lord your God: walk in his ways, keep his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn;” David’s exhortations to his son very much resemble the instructions of Jehovah to Joshua (Josh 1:6-7). The theocratic king of the people of God, for the success of his rule, had to base his entire activity on the law of Moses (Deut 17:18-19), keeping the statutes (Hebrew: hukkot) of Jehovah, commandments (mitzvot), ordinances (mishpatim), and testimonies (edot) of Him. The specific sense of the separate terms of the law cannot be precisely expressed (according to the rabbis, hukkot—laws in relation to God, for which a special foundation is not needed; mitzvot—laws also in relation to God with a clearly expressed foundation; mishpatim—laws about the relation to people; edot—laws resting on historical facts); in their totality (cf. Deut 8:11; Ps 118:5-7) they mean the entire whole of the law about the relation to God and people.

1 Kings 2:4. “that the Lord may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, then there shall not fail you a man on the throne of Israel.’” The positive promise of God (2 Sam 7:11-16) is expressed here, as in (1 Kgs 8:25; Jer 33:17), in the negative form.

1 Kings 2:5. “Moreover, you know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he treated the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he murdered, shedding the blood of war in peacetime, and putting the blood of war upon the belt about his loins and upon his sandals on his feet.” 1 Kings 2:6. “Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head come down to Sheol in peace.” The advice and instructions of the dying David to Solomon concerning the punishment of Joab, and also of Shimei (v. 8–9), were often regarded by interpreters as evidence of David’s bloodthirsty vengefulness. But David did not know Christian all-forgiveness: for an Old Testament man, blood vengeance was an institution regulated by law (Num 35:19; Deut 19:6; Josh 20:3), and a completely ordinary phenomenon of life (2 Sam 14:11); consequently, one cannot demand Christian virtue from David, unknown to the ancient world, nor can one, on the other hand, try to justify David: out of a desire to purify the Bible from all alleged blemishes we must not forget that sacred history gives us a precise and completely impartial image of a given epoch and of the persons acting in it (recall with what impartiality the failings of the apostles are reported in the Gospels and apostolic epistles).—“You know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me” (v. 5)—according to some (for example, Professor Guliaev), the chief sorrow caused to David by Joab—the murder of Absalom (2 Sam 18:14), but rather here is a general indication of Joab’s criminal behavior, immediately clarified by the separately named two examples of the treacherous murder of two main commanders: Abner (2 Sam 3:27) and Amasa (2 Sam 20:9-10). In proposing to Solomon the application of the law of blood vengeance to Joab, David, however, leaves everything to the wisdom, vigilance, and caution of his son; he wished to prevent the danger to him from Joab: David feared that Joab, by his usual wickedness, would despise Solomon for his youth and do one of two things: either, under the mask of benevolence, would kill Solomon secretly, as he had betrayed to death Abner and Amasa, or openly arm himself and produce a division in Israel (Blessed Theodoret, question 4 on 3 Kings). Sheol (v. 6, 9) Hebrew sheol, LXX: hadēs, Vulgate: inferi, Slavonic: “hell” (Assyrian: Siwan—the region beyond the horizon): a dark underground realm (Job 10:21-22; Prov 9:18), where are all without exception the dead (Ps 15:10; Hos 13:14; Prov 5:5; Isa 38:18); like an insatiable monster, Sheol demands (Hebrew verb: shaal, from which the name sheol probably comes) ever new victims of death (Isa 5:14; Hab 2:5; Ps 140:7; Prov 1:12); in the realm of Sheol it is impossible to glorify God (Ps 6:6), just as all activity in general ceases (Eccl 9:10).

1 Kings 2:7. “Show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table; for with such kindness they met me when I fled from Absalom your brother.” In gratitude to the Gileadite Barzillai for his loyalty and hospitality to David during his flight from Absalom (2 Sam 17:27-29), David at that time, when the danger was over, promised to receive Barzillai’s son Chimham into his court (2 Sam 19:32-40), and now confirms that promise for his other sons.

1 Kings 2:8. “And behold, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’” 1 Kings 2:9. “But do not hold him guiltless; for you are a wise man and you know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down in blood to Sheol.” Recalling the opposite treatment by Shimei the Benjaminite (2 Sam 16:13-16) from the village of Bahurim (in the tribe of Benjamin, near Jerusalem, according to Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, VII, 9, 7; Eusebius–Jerome, Onomastica, 220), David, although he swore at that time not to kill him (2 Sam 19:23), now, however, advises Solomon to act toward him according to political wisdom (cf. Blessed Theodoret, question 5). According to Josephus (Jewish Antiquities, VII, 15, 1), Solomon was to find, according to David’s advice, a plausible reason, aitia eulogos, for putting Shimei to death: and this was done by Solomon (below, v. 36–46).

1 Kings 2:10. And David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. “And David slept (Hebrew: ishkav, LXX: ekoimēse, Vulgate: dormivit) with his fathers”—about the spiritual communion of David with the fathers after death (cf. Gen 25:8), not in the sense of a joint burial, since the family tomb of David’s ancestors was Bethlehem, but he “was buried in the city of David”, that is, on Zion (cf. (2 Sam 5:7), see Blessed Theodoret, question 6; Eusebius–Jerome, Onomastica, 875), precisely on the eastern slope of the mountain in the Tyropeon valley, which cut through Jerusalem from north to south (Josephus, Jewish War, V, 4, 1), near the Spring of Siloam (Neh 3:15-16), (according to Josephus, to mnēma para tēs Siloa einai); here were buried other kings of David’s dynasty (1 Kgs 11:43), without doubt, not all (see 2 Chr 26:23; 2 Kgs 21:18). The present so-called “royal tombs” (Arabic: “Kalba shawua”) to the north of Jerusalem, according to the most probable assumption of archaeologists, serve as the remains of the tombs of the kings of Adiabene, around the time of Jesus Christ who adopted Judaism and settled in Jerusalem (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, XX, 4, 3; Jewish War, V, 2, 2; 4, 2; see E. Robinson, Palestina (1841), Bd. II, 183–192). According to Josephus (Jewish Antiquities, V, 15, 3; see Blessed Theodoret, question 6), innumerable treasures were placed in David’s tomb by Solomon, so that later Hyrcanus could take from it 3000 talents of silver for military needs (Jewish Antiquities, XIII, 8, 4; Jewish War, I, 2, 5), and later Herod found there many precious things (Jewish Antiquities, XVI, 7, 1). The location of David’s tomb was well known even in Gospel time (Acts 2:29); later this tradition was lost, and already in the 3rd century they pointed to it in Bethlehem, in the Middle Ages—in the southwestern part of Jerusalem, in the so-called Coenaculum, and now to the southwest of the city beyond the Zion gates.

1 Kings 2:11. “The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years: seven years he reigned in Hebron, and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem.” The length of David’s reign—40 years—is repeatedly indicated in the Bible (2 Sam 5:4; 1 Chr 29:27); in (2 Sam 5:5) it is shown as 40 years 6 months, so also according to Josephus (Jewish Antiquities, VII, 15, 2).

1 Kings 2:12. “Solomon sat on the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was firmly established.” Verse 12 (cf. 1 Chr 29:23) forms a transition to the second part of the chapter—about Solomon’s measures to strengthen his power.

1 Kings 2:13. Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said, “Peaceably.” 1 Kings 2:14. Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” And she said, “Speak.” 1 Kings 2:15. He said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel expected me to be king; however, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother’s, for it was his from the Lord.” 1 Kings 2:16. “Now I ask one thing of you; do not refuse me.” And she said to him, “Speak.” 1 Kings 2:17. He said, “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunnamite as my wife.” 1 Kings 2:18. Bathsheba said, “Very well; I will speak for you to the king.” 1 Kings 2:19. So Bathsheba went to King Solomon, to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her, and bowed down to her; then he sat on his throne, and had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat on his right. 1 Kings 2:20. Then she said, “I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Ask, my mother; for I will not refuse you.” 1 Kings 2:21. She said, “Let Abishag the Shunnamite be given to your brother Adonijah as his wife.” 1 Kings 2:22. King Solomon answered his mother, “And why do you ask Abishag the Shunnamite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom as well! For he is my older brother, and he has Abiathar the priest, and Joab the son of Zeruiah on his side.” 1 Kings 2:23. Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “So may God do to me and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word at the cost of his life;” 1 Kings 2:24. “Now therefore as the Lord lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day.” 1 Kings 2:25. So King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he struck him down, and he died. Verses 13–25—the death of Adonijah. Adonijah, forgetting the condition set to him by Solomon (1 Kgs 1:52), makes a new attempt to gain the right to the throne—through marriage to the last wife of David, Abishag,—a purely Eastern trait of royal life: the successor would take over the harem of his predecessor (2 Sam 3:7), as indeed Solomon understood Adonijah’s seeking (v. 22). Verse 15. Adonijah’s expression of feigned submission to the accomplished fact of Solomon’s accession, as God’s act, was intended to dispose Bathsheba in his favor. Verses 19–20. Solomon shows the greatest honor to Bathsheba—his mother (different was her reception from her husband David (1 Kgs 1:16)); sitting on the right hand of the king—a sign of equality (Ps 109:1); (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, VI, 11, 9). The importance of the queen—mother of the reigning sovereign, called: gebira, lady (1 Kgs 15:13), in the ancient Hebrew kingdom is evident from the constant biblical indication of the name of the mother of each king (1 Kgs 14:21); similar significance belongs now to the sultan’s mother—the mother of the ruling sultan—in the Turkish empire. Bathsheba’s intercession for Adonijah she calls a “small request”, apparently not realizing the political importance of Adonijah’s new design. Verse 22. Solomon immediately perceives the matter in its true light, seeing in Adonijah’s seeking not only his seeking of the kingdom, but also a political conspiracy with the participation of Abiathar and Joab (1 Kgs 1:7). The end of verse 22 from the Hebrew text gives the following thought: “ask for the kingdom for him, and for the priest Abiathar, and for Joab.” Contrarily, the LXX: kai autō Abiathar kai autō Iōab hetairos; Vulgate: et habet Abiathar sacerdotem et loabum; Slavonic: “and to him Abiathar… and Joab… friend” (so also Russian Synodal). The Hebrew text has a clear advantage over the LXX and Vulgate translations, which are forced to insert new words (hetairos, habet); the Hebrew text is accurately transmitted by Professor Guliaev. Verse 23. In view of Adonijah’s violation of the condition under which his life was granted (1 Kgs 1:52), Solomon swears (the formula of the oath—usual in the Old Testament, (Ruth 1:17; 1 Sam 3:17) and others) that Adonijah must perish. Verse 24. “Establishing (Jehovah) for me a house”: the dynasty of David was firmly established on the throne in the person of Solomon and through him (2 Sam 7:12-29). Verse 25. The execution of Adonijah, as later Joab (v. 34) and Shimei (v. 46), is carried out by Benaiah, the commander of the Cherethites and Pelethites (1 Kgs 1:38), to whom, besides serving as bodyguards, the office of executioners probably belonged, similar to the royal bodyguards in Egypt (Gen 37:36) and Babylon (2 Kgs 25:8; Dan 2:14). Concerning Solomon’s murder of his brother, Blessed Theodoret says: “Human life is different: some are engaged in high wisdom, others in what is called civil virtue; still others govern kingdoms or armies. Therefore, one must judge each according to the kind of life he lives. Consequently, from Solomon one should require not prophetic or apostolic perfection, but what is appropriate to kings… concerned about the peace of the kingdom, he commanded his brother to be put to death” (Question 7).

1 Kings 2:26. And to the priest Abiathar the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields; for you deserve to die, but I will not at this time put you to death, because you carried the Ark of the Lord God before my father David, and because you shared in all the hardships my father endured.” 1 Kings 2:27. So Solomon removed Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, and thus he fulfilled the word of the Lord that he had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. The removal of Abiathar from the priesthood (v. 26–27), as well as the execution of Joab (v. 28–34), stand in evident causal connection with the murder of Adonijah: punishment falls also upon his allies (1 Kgs 1:7). Anathoth—a Levitic city in the tribe of Benjamin (Josh 21:18; Isa 10:30; Jer 1 and others), at 1½ hours’ journey to the north of Jerusalem, birthplace of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 1:1), according to Eusebius and Blessed Jerome (Onomastica, 92), at 3 Roman miles from Jerusalem; now the Arab village of Anata with 100 Muslim inhabitants (Robinson, Palestina, II, 319). The mitigating circumstances for Abiathar’s guilt, according to Solomon’s admission (v. 26), are not so much the dignity of his sacred ministry as the services he rendered to David: (Abiathar) “carried the Ark of the Lord God before David”—during the difficult time of David’s flight from Absalom (2 Sam 15:24-29), and even earlier in no less difficult times during Saul’s persecution, shared with him all that David endured (1 Sam 22:20-23); therefore Solomon punishes Abiathar’s twofold participation in Adonijah’s political conspiracy only by removing him from the sacred office at the tabernacle. In this decision of Solomon, according to the thought of the sacred writer (v. 27),—without doubt, apart from Solomon’s will and intention (Hebrew: lemaale, v. 27, Slavonic: “that it might be fulfilled”, is exactly the same in meaning as the New Testament “that it might be fulfilled”, hina plērōthē, (Matt 1:22) and similar),—the terrible judgment of God on the house of Abiathar’s ancestor, the high priest Eli (1 Sam 3:11-14), was fulfilled: after Saul’s slaughter of the priests in Nob, Abiathar remained the sole representative of the line of Ithamar (1 Sam 22:20), and with his removal from the priesthood, the office of high priest passes, in the person of Zadok, to the senior line of Aaron’s descendants—to the line of Eleazar (Num 25:13; 1 Chr 24:5-6).

1 Kings 2:28. When the news came to Joab—for Joab had supported Adonijah, though he had not supported Absalom—Joab fled to the tent of the Lord and grasped the horns of the altar. The news of Adonijah’s execution and Abiathar’s removal impels Joab, apparently not considering himself free from suspicion, to seek salvation, following the example of Adonijah (1 Kgs 1:50), in the tabernacle at the altar. “Did not support Absalom”—the name of Absalom is read in the accepted text of the LXX, in the Vulgate, Chaldean, Slavonic; conversely, in all Hebrew manuscripts and printed editions, as well as in the Alexandrian and Vatican manuscripts of the LXX, stands the name of Absalom. The latter reading is without doubt correct, as the name Solomon would give the speech an unnecessary pleonasm: it is self-evident that Joab, a supporter of Adonijah, could not be on Solomon’s side; the mention of Joab’s non-participation in Absalom’s rebellion may express the thought of a change in the political convictions of David’s military commander since that time.

1 Kings 2:29. When it was told King Solomon, “Joab has fled to the tent of the Lord and now he is beside the altar,” Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down.” The brief account of the Hebrew-Russian text is expanded by an insertion in the LXX and Slavonic text; according to the Slavonic text: “and the king sent to Joab, saying: What is it that you have done, that you have fled to the altar; and Joab said: Because I was afraid of you, and fled to the Lord”—an addition having the appearance of an explanatory gloss. At the end of the verse, the Russian text also has, beyond the Hebrew text, “and bury him”, LXX: kai thapton aeton,—an addition possibly from v. 31.

1 Kings 2:31. The king commanded him, “Do as he has said, strike him down and bury him; and so remove from me and from my father’s house the guilt of innocent blood that Joab shed.” 1 Kings 2:32. “May the Lord bring back his blood on his own head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than himself, Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah, and killed them with the sword without my father David’s knowledge.” 1 Kings 2:33. “So shall their blood come back on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever; but to David, and to his descendants, and to his house, and to his throne, there shall be peace from the Lord forever.” By the law of blood vengeance (Exod 21:12-14; Num 35:16-21; Deut 19:11-12), upon David’s house there seemed to rest the blood shed by Joab and still unavenged—the blood of Abner and Amasa (2 Sam 3:27). Joab’s execution removed this blood from Solomon and David’s house (v. 31).

1 Kings 2:34. So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and struck him down and killed him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. The disgrace of Joab’s execution was not, however, heightened by the deprivation of burial (cf. 1 Kgs 14:11; 2 Kgs 9:35); out of respect for his former state services, he was even buried on his own property, as was customary (cf. 1 Sam 25:1).

1 Kings 2:35. The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in command of the army in place of Joab, and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar. The positions of the disgraced military commander (Joab) and high priest (Abiathar) are naturally taken by those who from the very beginning declared their loyalty to Solomon (1 Kgs 1:8)—Benaiah and Zadok. Further in the Greek and Slavonic Russian texts follows an insertion, apparently composed from various passages of the subsequent biblical narrative about Solomon, for example, see (1 Kgs 4:29-30; 1 Kgs 5:15-16 and others); a similar insertion is in the accepted LXX text after v. 46 of this chapter.

1 Kings 2:36. Then the king sent and summoned Shimei, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and do not go out from there to any place whatsoever;” 1 Kings 2:37. “for on the day you go out and cross the Wadi Kidron, know for certain that you shall die; your blood shall be on your own head.” 1 Kings 2:38. And Shimei said to the king, “The word is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do.” So Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem for a long time. 1 Kings 2:39. But after three years, two of Shimei’s servants ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. And when it was told Shimei, “Your servants are in Gath,” 1 Kings 2:40. Shimei arose and saddled a donkey, and went to Gath to Achish, to search for his servants; Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. 1 Kings 2:41. When Solomon was told, “Shimei has gone from Jerusalem to Gath and returned,” 1 Kings 2:42. the king sent and summoned Shimei, and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord, and solemnly adjure you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and go to any other place, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word is good; I will obey.’” 1 Kings 2:43. “Why then have you not kept your oath to the Lord and the commandment with which I charged you?” 1 Kings 2:44. The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your own heart all the evil that you did to my father David; so the Lord will bring back your evil on your own head.” 1 Kings 2:45. “But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever.” 1 Kings 2:46. Then the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out and struck him down, and he died. From suspicion toward Shimei (v. 8–9), who could have strong connections in his native tribe of Benjamin (cf. 2 Sam 19:16), Solomon binds him by word (according to the LXX and Slavonic—and by oath: kai hōrkisen auton, “and swore him”, v. 37, cf. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, VII, 1, 5) not to leave Jerusalem, not to cross the Wadi Kidron—the eastern border of Jerusalem (2 Sam 15:23; 2 Kgs 23:4; Jer 31:40), (cf. Onomastica, 610: now—Wadi-en-Nahr), beyond which lay Bahurim, Shimei’s birthplace. Although the latter’s departure to the Philistine Achish (cf. 1 Sam 21:11) for a completely innocent reason did not give grounds for accusing Shimei of the manifestation of evil will, Solomon hastens to take advantage of this occasion and for the enmity toward the house of David (v. 44) executes Shimei (cf. Blessed Theodoret, question 8). The conclusion of the chapter “and the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon”, that is, thanks to the measures described in v. 23–46,—in the LXX, Vulgate, Slavonic-Russian translations is referred to the beginning of Chapter III, but according to the nature of biblical-Hebrew historiography, a remark giving the result of the preceding should have the place occupied by it in the Hebrew canonical text, that is, at the end of Chapter II.

Chapter Three

Solomon’s marriage; his devotion and wisdom.

1 Kings 3:1. [When the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon,] Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and took as his wife the daughter of Pharaoh and brought her into the city of David, until he had built his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. Pharaoh, whose daughter Solomon married, was probably one of the last representatives of the twenty-first, Tanite dynasty, the immediate predecessor of Sheshonk-Shishak (1 Kgs 11:40), the founder of the twenty-second Egyptian dynasty. A family alliance with Pharaoh gave Solomon and his country security from Egypt, and also somewhat helped to expand Solomon’s territorial possessions (1 Kgs 9:16). From a religious perspective, in the opinion of the Rabbis, this marriage seemed to represent a certain violation of the marital prohibitions of the Law (Exod 34:16; Deut 7:3), although these prohibitions applied more strictly to the Canaanites themselves; the Rabbis thought they saw in Pharaoh’s daughter a convert to Judaism—without support in the text; in any case, she did not bring Egyptian idolatry with her into Palestine (the latter is not mentioned among the foreign cults in Jerusalem under Solomon, 11:4–7). The “city of David” is the eastern hill of Jerusalem. David had already built walls around this part of the city (2 Sam 5:7-9; compare Ps 50:20); Solomon then expanded the scope of the walls, including a larger part of the city: this is the so-called “first wall” of Jerusalem (the second wall was built by Hezekiah and Manasseh).

1 Kings 3:2. The people were still offering sacrifices on the high places, because the house of the name of the Lord had not yet been built at that time. 1 Kings 3:3. And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the ordinance of David, his father; but he also made sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. 1 Kings 9:25. A general note on the state of worship in Israel in the first years of Solomon’s reign (compare 1 Kings 9:25): in the absence of one religious and national center—the Temple, sacrifices were made in various places consecrated by certain historical events or memories (for example, in Gibeon, v. 4; (2 Chr 1:3)). Sacrifices were performed “on the high places” (Hebrew: bamot, Greek: ἐπὶ τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς, Latin: in excelsis), v. 2 (compare 1 Sam 9:12; Amos 7:9; Mic 1:5; Hos 10:8; 2 Kgs 12:3): by the general custom of antiquity, the service of the Deity was performed on elevated places, natural or artificial (“bamot”), which served as a symbol of the elevation of people to God. Before the building of the Temple, such service to God by sacrifices in many different places was not considered reprehensible, which is why even the prophet Samuel performed it (1 Sam 9:14); however, the Law (Lev 17:4; Deut 12:5-6) intended to protect the Hebrews “from religious division, which could result from the arbitrary choice of different places for worship” (Professor Gulyaev, p. 146). Therefore, the sacred writer considers Solomon’s worship on the high places to not fully answer to perfect love for God (v. 3, compare the blessed Theodoret, question 12). 1 Kings 3:4. And the king went to Gibeon to offer a sacrifice there, because that was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. One of the honored places of worship at that time was Gibeon, “because there was the great high place” (Hebrew: gab bama gadolah, Slavic: “high place great”). Gibeon was once the capital of the Hivites (Josh 9:2), later a Levitical city in the tribe of Benjamin (Josh 18:25), north of Gibeah and one and one-quarter geographical miles from Jerusalem (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, VII, 11, 7; Jewish War, II, 19, 1); according to Eusebius and the blessed Jerome (Onomasticon, 296), at four Roman miles west of Bethel; now the village of el-Dscbob with forty to fifty houses and about five hundred inhabitants (Robinson, Palestine, 351). Here, when the Hebrews entered Canaan, they erected the tabernacle of Moses and the altar (1 Chr 16:39; 2 Chr 1:3). The abundance of sacrifices at solemn occasions was customary among the peoples of the East (Herodotus, I, 50; VII, 43). “A thousand burnt offerings”—probably sacrifices in general, including the sacrificial feasts at peace offerings; according to (2 Chr 1:3), a multitude of people went to Gibeon with Solomon, and the festival lasted several days. There is certainly no indication here of priestly functions of the king, as some have thought.

1 Kings 3:5. In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night, and God said: Ask, what shall I give to you. “Appeared (nira) the Lord”: not in any form, but in the sense of revelation in general, which took place in a dream (v. 15, the blessed Theodoret, question 13).

1 Kings 3:6. And Solomon said: You have shown great mercy to your servant David, my father; and because he walked before You in truth and righteousness and with a sincere heart before You, You have kept this great mercy for him and given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is now; 1 Kings 3:7. and now, O Lord my God, You have made your servant king in place of David, my father; but I am a young child, I do not know how to go out or come in; 1 Kings 3:8. and your servant is in the midst of your people, whom You have chosen, a people so numerous that it cannot be numbered or counted; 1 Kings 3:9. therefore give your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil; for who is able to govern this great people of Yours? “Wonderful are the words spoken by Solomon in his prayer. For, remembering the blessings which his father had, and praising the Giver of them, he offered a prayer also for himself; (7–9 vv.)… In these words he showed both the weakness of nature, and the imperfection of his age, and the greatness of the power given, and the danger of erring in judgment, and the necessity of prudence, and shrewdness in his request” (the blessed Theodoret, question 12). Acknowledging the mercies of the Lord to David in his life in general, and in particular in granting him a throne to pass to his son (v. 6), Solomon calls himself “a young child, knowing neither how to go out nor come in” (v. 7), of course, in relation to his inexperience compared to the importance and burden of the tasks of governing people, not to Solomon’s actual young age (according to Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, VIII, 7, 8, Solomon was at this time ten years old, according to some rabbis twelve years); from comparing (1 Kgs 11:42) and (1 Kgs 14:21) it is evident that at the beginning of his reign Solomon already had a one-year-old son, Rehoboam, consequently he was at least nineteen or twenty years old, and David (1 Kgs 2:6) called him “a man wise.” The expression “not to know how to go out or come in” denotes the manner and direction of a person’s life in general (Deut 31:2; Jer 10:23; Ps 120:8 and others), but especially is used of leading in war (1 Sam 18:13; 2 Sam 3:25): here the royal power is first of all leadership of the people in war, but in v. 9 it is understood as mainly the judicial function (compare v. 16); both sides were indissolubly united in the ancient Hebrew conception (as in the Eastern concept generally) of the king (compare 1 Sam 8:6; 2 Sam 15:2-4).

1 Kings 3:10. And it pleased the Lord that Solomon asked this. 1 Kings 3:11. And God said to him: because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself a long life, and have not asked for yourself riches, and have not asked for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to know how to judge — 1 Kings 3:12. behold, I do according to your word: behold, I give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, and there will not be anyone like you after you; 1 Kings 3:13. and that which you have not asked I give to you also—both wealth and glory, so that there will be no one like you among the kings all the days of your life; 1 Kings 3:14. and if you will walk in My way, keeping My ordinances and My commandments, as your father David walked, I will lengthen your days. The Lord (instead of the Hebrew Adonai in the accepted text, v. 10, though in many texts: 1, 30, 85, 93, 96, 112, 113, 128, 145, 150, 154, 174, 250, the Lord stands) graciously accepted Solomon’s request. “The Master God, praising the request, gave both what was requested and added all else. This He also ordained in the holy Gospel; for He says: Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matt 6:33). These are the gifts God gave to Solomon and promised to make him worthy of every provision” (the blessed Theodoret, question 12).

1 Kings 3:15. And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And he went to Jerusalem and stood before the altar, before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and made peace offerings, and made a great feast for all his servants. “Waking from his sleep, Solomon remembered the dream, and, understanding that this was God’s revelation, returned to the capital, and before God’s ark made a thank offering” (the blessed Theodoret, question 13).

1 Kings 3:16. Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 1 Kings 3:17. And the one woman said: O, my lord! I and this woman live in the same house; and I gave birth in her presence in this house; 1 Kings 3:18. on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth; and we were together, and there was no one else with us in the house; only we two were in the house; 1 Kings 3:19. and the son of this woman died in the night, because she lay on him; 1 Kings 3:20. and she arose in the night, and took my son from beside me while your servant was asleep, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom; 1 Kings 3:21. and when I rose in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead; but when I looked at him closely in the morning, it was not my son, whom I had borne. 1 Kings 3:22. And the other woman said: No, the living son is mine, and the dead son is yours. But she said: No, the dead son is yours, and the living son is mine. Thus they spoke before the king. 1 Kings 3:23. And the king said: This one says, My son is the living one, and your son is the dead one; and that one says, No, your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one. 1 Kings 3:24. And the king said: Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. 1 Kings 3:25. And the king said: Divide the living child in two and give half to the one and half to the other. 1 Kings 3:26. And the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king, for her heart yearned over her son, saying: O, my lord! give her the living child, and do not kill him. But the other said: Let it be neither mine nor yours; divide it. 1 Kings 3:27. Then the king answered and said: Give the living child to her, and do not kill him; she is his mother. 1 Kings 3:28. And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered; and they feared the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to execute justice. The account given here, in the thought of the sacred writer, serves as witness to Solomon’s wisdom, received by him from God (v. 12). “For what reason did the writer of this history place the account of the two prostitutes?” asks the blessed Theodoret (question 14). And he answers: “He wished to show the wisdom of the king. For indeed, it is the work of very wise understanding—to reveal what is hidden, to bring forth what is concealed, to give the decision to nature and let it render its judgment. Quickly was she revealed to be the mother, and she who was not the mother was exposed.” The event itself could have been borrowed by the sacred writer from tradition or from “the book of the acts of Solomon” (1 Kgs 11:41). The term “prostitutes” (Hebrew: zenut, v. 16) has a general sense—concerning illicit cohabitation (compare Josh 2:1). According to the Hebrew text, vv. 17–18, both women gave birth on the same day (so also Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, VIII, 2, 2); on the contrary, according to the LXX, the Vulgate, and the Slavic-Russian translation, the one gave birth after the other on the third day. The wisdom of Solomon’s judgment lay not so much in its decisiveness and categorical nature, as in deep knowledge of the human heart (v. 26). In form, the king’s brief and unceremonial decision seemed too simple: “at this decision all the people secretly laughed at the king, as though he had acted in this case in a completely childish manner” (Josephus, cited work). However, the obvious incontestability of the king’s decision convinced the people of his extraordinary wisdom and aroused respectful fear of him among his subjects (v. 28).

Chapter Four

1–19. The courtiers and high officials of Solomon’s administration. 21–34 (Hebrew 5:1–14). The provisions of Solomon’s court: his extraordinary wisdom.

1 Kings 4:1. And Solomon was king over all Israel. An introductory remark to the list of Solomon’s servants (compare 2 Sam 8:15).

1 Kings 4:2. And these were his officials: Azariah, son of Zadok the priest; In the accepted LXX text (Αζαρίας υἱὸς Σαδώκ) there is no word “priest” (ἱερεύς, Hebrew: kohen); the Hebrew often designates the high priest (Exod 29:30; Lev 21:10 and others); but in many LXX texts (44, 92, 106, 120, 123, 134, 144, 236, 242, 244, 247 in Holmes), in the Complutensian, Aldine, and according to Aquila and Symmachus, the Vulgate and Slavic-Russian translation, this word is present: according to the Hebrew text, Greek codices, and Slavic sources, Azariah himself was a priest (or high priest); according to the Vulgate and Russian, he was only the son of Zadok (the priest or high priest). From (1 Chr 6:9; Hebrew 5:35), Azariah was the grandson, not the son, of the high priest Zadok. It is possible that in v. 2 of this chapter, Zadok is not identical with the high priest of that name: the latter name was not uncommon (2 Kgs 15:33; Neh 3:4).

1 Kings 4:3. Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha, secretaries; Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, the recorder; “Secretaries” (Hebrew: soferim, Greek: γραμματεῖς, Latin: scribae) oversaw all the written affairs of the court—correspondence, writing, decrees, and diplomatic communications. “The recorder” (Hebrew: mazkir, Greek: ἀναμιμνήσκων, Latin: a commentariis, Slavic: “reminder”), probably a reporter or chancellor. Together with the “secretaries” he oversaw the state archive.

1 Kings 4:4. Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, commander of the army; Zadok and Abiathar—priests; Benaiah, compare 1 Kgs 2:35. Abiathar, removed by Solomon (1 Kgs 2:26-27), is mentioned as if he were a high priest or because at the beginning of Solomon’s reign he was one (Philippson), or because “Solomon removed the high priesthood (ἀρχὴ) from Abiathar, but did not deprive him of the priesthood (῾Ιερωσὐνη), because the office of priesthood was held not by ordination, but by hereditary succession” (the blessed Theodoret, question 15); the supposition of Clericus and others that Abiathar was pardoned by Solomon is improbable.

1 Kings 4:5. Azariah, son of Nathan, chief of the district officers; and Zabud, son of Nathan the priest—the king’s friend; Azariah and Zabud were the sons not of the prophet Nathan, but of Nathan, son of David (2 Sam 5:14), consequently nephews of Solomon (The accepted LXX text: Ορνία; but in codices 11, 44, 55, 56, 64, 71–74, 106, 119, 121, 131, 134, 144, 158, 245, 246, 247, and in the Complutensian: ῾Αζαρίας). The first was chief of the provincial “district officers” (below, vv. 7–19); the second (called in the Hebrew text kohen, “priest,” probably in that broad sense in which this title was sometimes used: (2 Sam 8:17)), held the title “the king’s friend,” which in David’s time was held by Hushai (2 Sam 15:37).

1 Kings 4:6. Ahishar—chief of the household; and Adoniram, son of Abda—over the forced labor. “Ahishar—chief of the household”: such an office, so to speak, of minister of the court, did not exist under David (compare 2 Sam 8:16-18); the complicated household administration of Solomon and later kings (compare 1 Kgs 18:3; 2 Kgs 18:18) necessitated the establishment of this office. Further, the LXX and the Slavic text have an addition not found in the Hebrew: ῾Ελιάβ ὐιος Σαφ (ατ) ῾επὶ τῆς πατρίας, Slavic “Eliab, son of Saphath, over the patrimony,” perhaps the commander of the bodyguard. The overseer of the forced labor and public works is mentioned earlier—under David (2 Sam 20:24), and later—under Rehoboam ((1 Kgs 12:18): Adoram, as also in (2 Sam 20:24); compare (2 Chr 10:18): Adoniram); it is not known whether the same person is meant in all three instances.

1 Kings 4:7. And Solomon had twelve district officers over all Israel, and they provided food for the king and his household; each one had to provide food for one month in the year. To maintain the king and his numerous court required placing a natural tax burden on the population of the country, the most customary in the East (for instance, in Persia). These duties were overseen by special “district officers” (Hebrew: nitztzavim, Greek: καθεσταμἐνοι, Latin: praefecti, in Josephus ήγεμόνες καὶ στατηγοί). It is not clear whether they were actually regional governors, so that supplying the king and his court with food was only one of their functions, or whether their role had a narrower scope. What is certain is that the division of the country into districts, at the head of which they stood, did not coincide with the tribal division, but was purely administrative, determined by the fertility of certain regions. The districts and their chiefs are enumerated (vv. 8–19), probably in the order of the time they supplied provisions to the court, rather than in the geographical order of the regions. There were twelve governors in all, as there were districts—one for each month of the year: each performed his service in his appointed month. Of the governors, five are named not by their personal names, but by their patronymic: a custom later, common among the Arabs, was not foreign to the Hebrews (“son of Jesse”—David (1 Sam 20:27); “son of Timaeus”—Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46)). The Vulgate and Russian translation leave the Hebrew ben (Greek υἱός, “son”) untranslated. From the fact that two of the governors—Ben-Abinadab (v. 11) and Ahimaaz (v. 15) were Solomon’s sons-in-law—married to his daughters—we conclude that this list belongs to the middle of Solomon’s reign.

1 Kings 4:8. These are their names: Ben-Hur—on the hill country of Ephraim; “The hill country of Ephraim” (Josh 17:15; Judg 7:24)—one of the most fertile regions of western Palestine, lying almost in the middle of it (Jer 50:19). In the LXX and Slavic texts at the end of the verse there is an addition: εἴς, “one.”

1 Kings 4:9. Ben-Deker—in Makaz and Shaalbim, in Beth-shemesh and in Elon and in Beth-hanan; Shaalbim and the other places mentioned here lay in the tribe of Dan (Josh 19:42-43). (See Onomasticon, 663). Beth-shemesh—a Levitical city in the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:10), near the Philistine border (1 Sam 6:9-12), now Ain-Sems.

1 Kings 4:10. Ben-Hesed—in Arubboth; to him belonged Socoh and all the land of Hepher; Arubboth—nowhere else mentioned in the Bible, but probably, like Socoh (Josh 15:48-49) and Hepher (Josh 12:17), Ὄφερ, Epher, Slavic “land of Ophir”—in the south of the tribe of Judah.

1 Kings 4:11. Ben-Abinadab—over all Naphath-dor; Taphath, the daughter of Solomon, was his wife; Naphath-dor (Josh 11:2), assigned to the tribe of Manasseh (Josh 17:11), but not occupied by it (ibid. 12), on the Mediterranean Sea, near Mount Carmel, nine Roman miles from Caesarea on the way to Tyre (Onomasticon, 397), during the struggle of the Jews with the Ptolemies a strong fortress (1 Macc 15:11-14), later strengthened even more by the Romans (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, XV, 5, 3).

1 Kings 4:12. Baana, son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo and in all Beth-shan, which is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shan to Abel-meholah, and even beyond Jokmeam; The fifth district forms the valley of Jezreel with its continuation—the valley of Beth-shan. Taanach—formerly the capital of one of the Canaanite kings (Josh 12:21), now Táanak, lying to the south (one and one-quarter hours’ journey) from the village Leggun (probably the ancient Megiddo, which Taanach is almost always mentioned with in the Bible), (Judg 1:27; Josh 17:11; 1 Chr 7:29). Megiddo (LXX: Μαγεδδώ (ν)), in the tribe of Issachar, was fortified even in ancient times, and together with Taanach commanded the valley, the main road to the Jordan (Onomasticon, 657); Solomon further strengthened Megiddo (1 Kgs 9:15). According to the Tell-Amarna letters, Pharaoh Thutmose conquered the Canaanites near Megiddo (Egyptian: Makida). Beth-shean—in the tribe of Manasseh (Josh 17:11; Judg 1:27; 1 Sam 31:10), Greek Σκυθόπολις (Scythopolis) or Νύσσα—at the junction of Jezreel with the valley of the Jordan, near the main road from Damascus to Egypt (see (Jdt 3:10; 2 Macc 12:29); Jewish War II, 18, 1,3,4). In the Jordan valley also lay Zarethan and Abel-meholah (Judg 7:22), the native place of the prophet Elisha (1 Kgs 19:16), as well as Jokmeam (1 Chr 6:68)—according to the LXX: Μαεβέρ–Λουκὰμ, Slavic “Maefer Lukam.”

1 Kings 4:13. Ben-Geber—in Ramoth-gilead; he had the settlements of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; he also had the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars; The sixth district—in the Transjordania; its center—the city Ramoth-gilead or Mizpah (Josh 13:26; Judg 10:17)—a Levitical city beyond the Jordan in the tribe of Gad, now es-Salt. Bashan—one of the most fertile regions of Palestine, alongside Carmel, Lebanon, the valley of Sharon (Isa 2:13; Jer 50:19; Nah 1:4), later Batanea (Onomasticon, 224). Argob in Bashan, see (Deut 4:43; Josh 13:30; 2 Kgs 10:33; Mic 7:14).

1 Kings 4:14. Ahinadab, son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; The center of the seventh, also east-of-Jordan district—the city Mahanaim (Gen 32:2; Josh 13:26; 2 Sam 17:24), is identified with the present Birket-Mahne.

1 Kings 4:15. Ahimaaz—in the land of Naphtali; he took as his wife Basemath, the daughter of Solomon; The eighth district again on the west side of the Jordan, west of the Lake of Gennesaret (compare 2 Sam 15).

1 Kings 4:16. Baana, son of Hushai, in the land of Asher and in Aloth; The ninth district in the tribe of Asher, north of the tribe of Issachar (Deut 33:24); Hushai, perhaps the same person as David’s friend Hushai (2 Sam 15:32).

1 Kings 4:17. Jehoshaphat, son of Paruah, in the land of Issachar; The tenth district—in the land of Issachar, between the tribe of Zebulun on the north and Manasseh on the south (Josh 19:17), between the Sea of Tiberias and the valley of Jezreel.

1 Kings 4:18. Shimei, son of Ela, in the land of Benjamin; The eleventh district in the tribe of Benjamin, between Ephraim on the north and Judah on the south.

1 Kings 4:19. Geber, son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, in the land of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and of Og, king of Bashan. He was the only governor in that land. The twelfth district, like the sixth and seventh, lay on the east side of the Jordan—in Gilead; Gilead—in the broad sense (as in (Num 32:29; Josh 22:9; Judg 10:8; 2 Sam 24:6) and others), with the exception of the cities mentioned in vv. 13–14. (In the accepted LXX text: Γάδ, but in many codices: Γαλαάδ). Regarding the conquest by the Hebrews of the lands of Sihon the Amorite and Og the Bashan see (Num 21:21-35; Deut 2:30-35).

1 Kings 4:20. Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea, eating and drinking and rejoicing. The image for hyperbole of Israel’s multitude occurs also in (Gen 22:17); the depiction of the Hebrews’ happiness under Solomon resembles the corresponding expression (Deut 14:26).

1 Kings 4:21. Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. 1 Kings 4:22. And Solomon’s daily provisions were: thirty measures of fine flour and sixty measures of meal, 1 Kings 4:23. ten fattened cattle and twenty cattle from the pastures, a hundred sheep, besides deer and gazelles and roebucks and fattened fowl; 1 Kings 4:24. for he ruled over all the region west of the River, from Tipsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the River, and he had peace on all sides around him. Verses 21–34 in the Hebrew Bible form the first half of the already fifth chapter. In contrast, the LXX, Vulgate, and Slavic translations place these verses as a continuation of the account of Solomon’s courtiers and governors, and the fifth chapter in these translations appears as a complete and finished narrative about Solomon’s preparations for building the Temple. The LXX division has obvious advantages over the Hebrew Masoretic: vv. 21–24 (Hebrew 5:1–4). “River,” generally in the Old Testament, especially when indicating the borders of Palestine, usually means the Euphrates (Gen 31:21; Exod 23:31; Num 22:5; Josh 24:2; Ps 71:8; Mic 7:12). The land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt form the other, southwestern border of Palestine, as the Euphrates forms the northeast border. “Tipsah,” LXX: Φάψα, Slavic: “Fapsa” (Hebrew word for crossing),—a great city on the west bank of the Euphrates, serving as a station for caravans. “Gaza,” Hebrew: Azzah, Assyrian: Hazzatu, in Herodotus Καδύτις (II, 59; III, 6)—one of the five cities of the Philistine coast (Judg 16:1; 1 Sam 6:17; 2 Kgs 18 and others).—The expression (1 Kgs 4:24) (Hebrew 5:4) “eber hannahar,” LXX: πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ, Vulgate: trans flumen, Slavic: “beyond the river,”—from the perspective of inhabitants of Palestine, which lay west of the Euphrates, usually means the eastern countries beyond the Euphrates (Josh 24:2; 2 Sam 10:16; 1 Kgs 14:15; Isa 7:20), but here the designation applies to west-of-Euphrates countries (western Syria, Palestine, Philistia). From this some scholars concluded that the writer of 3 Kings lived in Babylonia, beyond the Euphrates (in the same sense the mentioned expression is used in (Ezra 6:6; Neh 2:7; 1 Macc 7:8)). It is possible, however, that this expression, which began in the exile, was subsequently used without strict geographical accuracy. The enormous amount of food for Solomon’s court, astonishing at first sight, becomes understandable in view of the extraordinary size of Solomon’s court retinue (according to some data, ten thousand people, compare the blessed Theodoret, question 16). Similar figures are encountered in descriptions of the table of Cyrus and Alexander the Great, and in our time—the Turkish sultan (Philippson, 510–511). “Cor” (LXX: κόρος, Vulgate: “corus”) otherwise “homer”—the largest ancient Hebrew measure for dry commodities, of ten ephahs (Isa 5:10; Hos 3:2; Lev 27:16; Num 11:32 and others); according to Josephus (Jewish Antiquities, XV, 9, 2) it equals ten Attic medimni. In our measure—about a quarter or eight four-peck measures (see D. Prozorovskij, Biblical Metrology, “Strannik,” 1863, April, p. 13. According to Professor Gulyaev, p. 203, about eighteen four-peck measures). “Fattened fowl” (Hebrew: barbur’im arusim): commentators understand pheasants, geese or ducks, finally, quail.

1 Kings 4:25. And Judah and Israel lived in safety, each man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon. V. 25 (Hebrew 5:5). The poetic depiction of the peaceful life of the Hebrews under Solomon (compare 2 Kgs 18:31) has basis in the actual arrangement of the Eastern house, in the yard of which there were usually trees, grapevines, and fig trees; however, this idyll does not prove that Israel remained a nation of farmers even under Solomon: on the contrary, it was precisely now that commerce began among the Hebrews (1 Kgs 9:28). “From Dan to Beersheba”—from the north of Palestine to its southern boundary (Judg 20:1; 1 Sam 3:20; 2 Sam 3:10). Of course, from this picture of the people’s contentment the prophets borrowed features for describing the messianic kingdom (Mic 4:4; Zech 3:10).

1 Kings 4:26. And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots and twelve thousand horsemen. Forty thousand stalls for horses (Hebrew: urot susim, Latin: “praesipia equorum”; LXX and Slavic otherwise: τοκάδες, “mares”), probably an erroneous figure: according to (1 Kgs 10:26)—1400 chariots, consequently there were about that many stalls.

1 Kings 4:27. And these governors provided food for King Solomon and for all who came to Solomon’s table, each one in his month; and they let nothing be lacking. 1 Kings 4:28. Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where it was needed, each one according to his task. More is said about what the “governors” (v. 7) supplied to Solomon’s court. “To the place where it was needed”: the Hebrew text does not have this last word, inserted by the LXX, Vulgate, and Slavic-Russian translation. The insertion has no basis: one cannot assume that the king in his travels about the country transported with him both the whole court retinue and all the cavalry; according to (1 Kgs 10:26) and Josephus (Jewish Antiquities, VIII, 2, 3), the cavalry was distributed among separate cities. Solomon’s multiplication of horses and chariots was evidently contrary to the explicit prohibition of the Law (Deut 17:16).

1 Kings 4:29. And God gave Solomon wisdom and very great understanding and a breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore. 1 Kings 4:30. And Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of the Egyptians. 1 Kings 4:31. For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. 1 Kings 4:32. And he spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five; 1 Kings 4:33. and he spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall; he spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. 1 Kings 4:34. And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom. So far there has been discussion of the organs of Solomon’s government and the external features of his manner of life. Now it speaks of Solomon himself and his extraordinary wisdom—not only in the sense of practical wisdom, for instance, the wisdom of judicial judgment (compare 1 Kgs 3:16-28), but also in the sense of the religious wisdom of life (hokmah), keenness, penetration of understanding (tebunah), breadth of mental scope (roav-lev)—the capacity to embrace with the mind the most diverse subjects. In wisdom Solomon surpassed all the “people of the east” (Hebrew: bene-kedem, Latin: “orientalium”; LXX and Slavic: ἀρχαίων ἀνθρώπων, “ancient people”; so also Josephus, but the comparison of “ancient” to Egypt would be misplaced): the eastern tribes—Arabic, Syrian, Chaldean—were famous for their proverbial wisdom (Jer 49:7; Obad 1:8; Bar 3:22-23); Egypt was famous for natural science, and its wisdom in this respect became proverbial ((Isa 19:11; Acts 7:22); Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, VIII, 2, 5). From the people of the Hebrews themselves “there were at that time some famous for wisdom; the writer therefore mentioned them, naming them by name” (the blessed Theodoret, question 17), such as: “Ethan” (LXX: Γαιθάν, Slavic: “Gefan”), “Heman,” “Calcol,” and “Darda.” All these persons (with the addition of a certain Zimri) are named in (1 Chr 2:6) as sons of Zerah (Hebrew: Zerach, from which the designation Heman and Ethan—Ezrahites). Ethan and Heman were Levites—singers (1 Chr 15:17-19), and besides, the name of the first stands in the heading (Ps 88:1) (Hebrew 89), and that of the second—(Ps 87:1) (Hebrew 88). Probably singers and poets were Calcol and Darda as well. In correspondence with these three categories of sages stand the indications of Solomon’s works of wisdom: 1) proverbs, 2) songs, and 3) works on natural history. Proverb, Hebrew “mashal,” Greek παραβολὴ, παροιμία—a concise expressive saying, succinctly expressing a thought applicable to many life situations—a saying, most often with a didactic purpose (Prov 1:1-8; Eccl 12:9; Job 13:12). The round and definite number of Solomon’s three thousand proverbs shows they were recorded in a book, but the biblical book of Proverbs (Mishle) ascribed to Solomon can contain only an insignificant part of all Solomon’s proverbs (the book of Proverbs has in total 915 verses); consequently, the rest were not preserved. Even fewer of Solomon’s songs (Hebrew: shir, ὠδή, Latin: carmen) were preserved, of which there were 1005 (according to LXX and Slavic—5000): the Song of Songs (shir-hashirim) presents Solomon as a character, not purely as a lyrical work of his inspiration; the authorship of the psalms ascribed to Solomon (Ps 71 and Ps 126) (Hebrew 72 and 127) is disputed on the grounds that the ascription indicates not Solomon’s authorship, but their dedication to him (in modern times commentators consider Solomon the author of songs (Ps 2 and Ps 131)). In any case, Solomon proved himself a creator in two basic types of ancient Hebrew poetry: didactic (mashal) and lyric (shir). But Solomon’s wisdom was expressed not only in spiritual, religious and instructive creativity, but also in natural science—knowledge of botany and zoology. In the former—“from the cedar… to the hyssop” (ezov, ὑσσώπος, compare (Exod 12:22; Lev 14:4; Num 19:6; Ps 50:9); in the passage in question, perhaps moss); in the latter—of all four categories of the animal kingdom recognized by ancient Hebrews: quadrupeds, birds, reptiles, fish (see Gen 6:20). Thus, “Solomon described the properties and powers of herbs, trees, and even mute animals. From this very much was borrowed by those who wrote medical books, taking what Solomon had written as their first source” (the blessed Theodoret, question 18). Of course, the exact extent of Solomon’s knowledge of botany and zoology is unknown (compare Wis 7:17-20). The art ascribed by Josephus to Solomon (Jewish Antiquities, VIII, 2, 5) of communicating with demons for the benefit of men, as well as incantations and magical formulas in Solomon’s name (Jewish War, I, 32, 2; II, 6, 3; VII, 6, 3) belong already to the realm of mythology, which found full development in the Talmud (treatise “Gittin”) and later in the Quran (ch. 27, v. 15 seq.: according to the Quran, Solomon understood the languages of demons, beasts, birds, ants). All the mystical literature of the East generally placed itself in genetic connection with the name of Solomon. Solomon’s wisdom attracted to him not only his compatriots, but also foreigners, even kings, as the Queen of Sheba (v. 34; compare (1 Kgs 10:1)).

Chapter Five

Solomon’s preparations for building the Temple.

1 Kings 5:1. And Hiram, king of Tyre, sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father; for Hiram had always been a friend to David. (Hebrew 15). Hiram (2 Chr 2:2), or Huram (as in the Hebrew), in Josephus Εἰρωμος, Phoenician Ahirom, according to the accounts of Dio and Menander—in Josephus (Jewish Antiquities, VIII, 2, 6; Against Apion, I, 17, 18), was the son of King Abibaals, reigned 34 years (969–936 BC) and died at the age of 53, leaving the throne to his son Baleazar. (2 Chr 2:3), like (1 Kgs 5:1), directly states that Hiram, upon Solomon’s ascent to the throne, sending him a congratulatory embassy and then helping him in his building works, is identical with Hiram—a contemporary of David, who also helped him in the construction of the royal palace (2 Sam 5:11; 1 Chr 14:1). But according to (1 Kgs 9:10-13), compare (1 Kgs 6:1), the Hiram contemporary with Solomon was alive at least in the 24th year of Solomon’s reign; consequently, Hiram could not rule simultaneously with David for more than 10 years (34–24). However, the mentioned building projects of David with the help of Hiram are described at the beginning, not at the end of David’s reign history (2 Sam 5:9-11). To explain this, it is argued that the sacred writer of 2 Kings followed a systematic, not chronological order in describing events of David’s reign. Another explanation (Clericus and others) considers the king who was David’s friend to be a different person than Solomon’s friend—Abibaals, the father of Hiram. But this explanation clearly contradicts (1 Kgs 5:1-2; 2 Chr 2:3). Tyre, alongside Sidon, was the most important city of Phoenicia, in the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 26:4) is represented as a city standing on a bare rock, which corresponds to the Hebrew name of Tyre—tzor (related to tzur—rock).

1 Kings 5:2. And Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying: 1 Kings 5:3. “You know that David, my father, could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars with the surrounding peoples, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet; 1 Kings 5:4. but now the Lord my God has given me rest on all sides; there is no adversary and no misfortune; 1 Kings 5:5. and behold, I propose to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to David, my father, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for My name’; 1 Kings 5:6. now therefore command that cedarwood be cut down for me from Lebanon; and my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set; for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.” In his reply message to Hiram, Solomon presents the proposed undertaking of building the Temple as the fulfillment of the plan and preparations of David (2 Sam 7:8-13; 1 Chr 22:7-11), points out the need for Phoenician workers in the construction, especially the inhabitants of the city of Sidon (Hebrew: tzidon—near Lebanon, Onomasticon, 871) and asks for cedar timber (v. 6), cypress wood (v. 8), and all kinds of craftsmen for working with wood and metal (compare 1 Kgs 7:13-14; 2 Chr 2:6-7).

1 Kings 5:7. And when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he was greatly pleased and said: “Blessed be the Lord today, who has given David a wise son to rule over this great people!” 1 Kings 5:8. And Hiram sent word to Solomon, saying: I have heard what you have requested of me. I will furnish all the cedar and cypress wood that you need; The words of blessing placed by the sacred writer in Hiram’s mouth—“blessed be the Lord” (according to (2 Chr 2:12): “blessed be the Lord, God of Israel”) do not prove that Hiram was a proselyte to Judaism, as old commentators believed: this is not known from history, and Hiram’s words of blessing represent a simple response to Solomon’s profession of faith in the Lord.

1 Kings 5:9. “My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will make them into rafts to be floated to you, and you will receive them. And you shall meet my wishes by providing food for my household.” According to (2 Chr 2:16), the timber, hewn by Phoenician workers, was floated in rafts to the seaport city of Jaffa or Joppa (in the tribe of Dan) (Josh 19:46), and from there the workers of Solomon received and transported it to Jerusalem.

1 Kings 5:11. And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat as food for his household, and twenty measures of beaten oil; Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year. Every year, during all the building work, Solomon was obliged to deliver to Hiram’s court twenty thousand measures (about thirty thousand four-peck baskets) of wheat and an equal amount of the best olive oil (“beaten,” Hebrew: katit, compare (Exod 27:20), that is, obtained not by pressing, but by striking unripe olive berries). According to (2 Chr 2:11) and Josephus (Jewish Antiquities, VIII, 2, 8), a formal contract was concluded between Solomon and Hiram, copies of which were kept both in Jerusalem and in Tyre.

1 Kings 5:13. And King Solomon conscripted forced labor out of all Israel; the forced labor numbered thirty thousand. 1 Kings 5:14. He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in relays; they were a month in Lebanon and two months at home. And Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor. To carry out the work, Solomon had to impose compulsory labor service on the native Israelites themselves (much oppressed by this: (1 Kgs 12:4)): thirty thousand Israelites annually, in three shifts, worked on Lebanon together with the Phoenicians.

1 Kings 5:15. And Solomon had seventy thousand carriers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hills, 1 Kings 5:16. besides three thousand three hundred supervisors set by Solomon over the work, to oversee the people who were doing the work. Solomon imposed an even more burdensome, purely forced-labor service on the Canaanites—“sojourners” (Hebrew: gerim, (2 Chr 2:17; compare Josh 16:10; Judg 1:27)), who worked continuously: eighty thousand of them hewn and dressed stones in the hills, while seventy thousand brought the building material to the place of construction. Such an enormous number of workers was required in view of the absence in ancient times of any kind of machinery (an even larger number of workers was used, for example, in the construction of the famous Egyptian pyramids). The number of supervisors set over the workers is defined differently in 3 Kings and in 2 Chronicles, but the total comes out the same: according to (1 Kgs 5:16)—3,300 people and according to (1 Kgs 9:23)—550 people; according to (2 Chr 2:18)—3,600, according to (2 Chr 8:10)—250 people; in both cases the total number of supervisors is the same: 3,850.

1 Kings 5:17. And the king commanded them to quarry great stones, stones of high quality, to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stone. 1 Kings 5:18. And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites did the hewing; and they prepared the timber and the stone to build the house. [Three years] The stones were not brought from Lebanon, but were hewn in Canaan itself; the dressed stones—Hebrew: abne gazit. The term gazit is technical, denoting a peculiar ancient Hebrew method of stone-dressing, called “dressing with projections”: on all edges of the face of a stone ran a ribbon-like border or projection, so that the middle field of the stone was somewhat raised above its edges and for an observer from afar appeared as if set in a frame, and each stone stood out so distinctly against the general background of the wall that at a considerable distance one could count (compare Mark 13:1) all the stones (Prof. Olesnitskij, Holy Land, Kiev, 1875, vol. I, pp. 15–16. Idem. The Old Testament Temple in Jerusalem, St. Petersburg, 1889, pp. 565–566). “Gebalites”—inhabitants of the Phoenician city of Gebal, Greek Γυβλος, near ancient Sidon, now between Tripoli and Beirut; in (Ezek 27:9) its inhabitants appear as shipbuilders, but here they are stonemasons. The addition in the LXX text and the Slavic-Russian translation in v. 18: “three years” expresses the correct understanding that Solomon carried out preparatory work during the first 3 years of his reign, and only in the 4th year (1 Kgs 6:1; 2 Chr 3:2) began the laying of the building (compare the blessed Theodoret, question 22). These preparatory works consisted, according to Josephus, among other things, in leveling the designated Temple mount of Moriah (2 Chr 3:1) with the help of enormous stone blocks with earth, as well as the specially constructed wall at the foot of the hill (Jewish Antiquities, XV, 11, 3).

Chapter Six

1 Kings 6:1. In the four hundred and eightieth year after the departure of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv—the second month—he began to build the house of the Lord. The year of the laying of the foundation of Solomon’s temple was the 480th year (according to the LXX, the 440th) after the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. Here for the first time in the Bible we find a definite chronological date for an entire period of biblical history. This date, however, apparently does not agree: a) with the chronology of the period of the Judges according to the Book of Judges, and b) with the evidence of the book (Acts 13:20) concerning the duration of the period of the Judges. The sum of the years mentioned in the Book of Judges for the periods when the Hebrews were enslaved by foreign peoples and the years of the rule of the Judges equals 410 years; adding to this the number of years of the rule of Moses and Joshua (65 years), Saul and David (60 years), and the first 4 years of Solomon’s reign, we obtain 129, for a total of the aforementioned period—the rule of Moses and Joshua (65 years), Saul (according to (Acts 13:21) 40 years), David, and the first years of Solomon—599 years; according to Josephus (Jewish Antiquities VIII, 3, 1), 592 years, or (Jewish Antiquities XX, 10, Against Apion II, 2) 612 years. Nevertheless, the date of the aforementioned period can be readily adjusted to the figure indicated in the text (1 Kgs 6:1) if one takes into account that in the period of the Judges there were repeatedly simultaneous enslavements in different parts of Palestine (cf. Judg 10:7), and the enslavement of one region of the land—with peace in the rest of it, so that the total sum of years in the period of the Judges might be reduced to 300 or somewhat more (Philippson, D. Israelitische Bibel II, 133). In any case, the very definiteness of the date in question, with even the month being named when the foundation of the temple was laid, vouches for the accuracy of the date in the Hebrew text and the translations. On the other hand, the date in the LXX and the Slavonic translation—440 years—is not confirmed by either ancient manuscripts of the original text or by translations, and perhaps arose from a confusion of the Hebrew letters mem (40) and pe (80). 3. “Ziv” (according to the Aramaic Targum, “the month of the splendor of flowers”), after the Babylonian captivity given the name “Iyar,” the second month (after Nisan) of the Hebrew civil year, corresponds to most of our May.

1 Kings 6:2. The house which King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits in length, twenty cubits in width, and thirty cubits in height. 1 Kings 6:3. And the vestibule in front of the house was twenty cubits long, corresponding to the width of the house, and ten cubits wide in front of the house. Solomon’s temple, which replaced Moses’s tabernacle and in the fundamental parts of its structure was essentially similar to it, was named in Jewish tradition like the tabernacle: bet (“house” par excellence), hekhal (temple, palace), bet olam (“eternal house”), bet bechirah (“chosen house”), and others. The location of the temple was on Mount Moriah (2 Chr 3:1) cf. 2 Sam 24:18), intentionally leveled and planned for the temple (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities XV, 11, 3; VIII, 3, 2). The dimensions of the main body of the temple—its length, width, and height—as well as the secondary structures attached to the temple (verse 6) are expressed in cubits; the cubit, the Hebrew amma, that is, in its greater, most ancient measure (and it is this measure that is intended in the calculations of Solomon’s temple structures: 2 Chr 3:3), called the “cubit of a man” (amma ish Deut 3:11), has been considered in biblical scholarship (since the discovery of the so-called Siloam Inscription in 1880) to be equal to 11 4/5 vershoks. Consequently, the width of the temple of 20 cubits would be approximately equal to 15 arshins (14 3/4 arsh.), the height of 30 cubits—about 22 arsh., the length of 60 cubits—about 45 arsh.; all these figures represented the inner measurement of the temple (not the outer measurement, where the temple in all directions appeared in an enlarged scale). In the whole temple there are distinguished: a) the holy place proper—consisting of two parts: the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies; b) the outer and inner courts; and c) structures of various kinds. The temple was oriented in proper relationship to the four cardinal directions: the front, or entrance, side was turned toward the east—in the direction toward the Kidron stream; the rear part of the temple, where the Holy of Holies was located, was turned toward the west—“not toward the east, that those praying might not bow to the rising sun, but to the Lord of the sun” (blessed Theodoret, question 23); the two long walls with their structures faced north and south. The tabernacle had the same position (Exod 26:18-23). To the eastern, entrance side of the main building of the temple was attached the vestibule, ulam. LXX: αιλάμ, Vulgate: porticum (verse 3; (2 Chr 3:4))—20 cubits in length corresponding to the width of the main building, 10 cubits in width, at a height probably the same as the height of the entire main structure, that is, 30 cubits (according to (2 Chr 3:4) incorrectly—120 cubits; according to the Alexandrian LXX text, according to the Syriac, Arabic translations—20 cubits).

1 Kings 6:4. And he made windows in the house with narrow frames through which the light shone inward. The design of the windows of the temple is unknown, but probably, like windows in houses in the East generally, they were latticework and widened inward, Hebrew: shekufim ve-atumim. LXX: πορακυπτονμένας κρυπτάς, Vulgate: obliquas. According to Talmudic tradition (Baba batra 54b), the ancient Hebrews had two types of windows: the so-called Egyptian, small in size, and the Tyrian, larger. In the structures that served, among other things, as a place for preparing priests for divine service, the windows could be of considerable size, but in the Holy Place of the temple there was semi-darkness, and in the Holy of Holies there was complete, mysterious darkness (cf. 1 Kgs 8:12). In contrast to the windows of houses, which were often very large (a man could pass through them): (Josh 2:15; 1 Sam 19:12; 2 Kgs 9:30-33), with lattices that could be raised and opened, the windows of the temple were blocked lattices that served not so much for lighting the temple as for ventilation (cf. Prof. A. A. Olesnitskii. The Old Testament Temple, pp. 249–250).

1 Kings 6:5. And he built structures around the walls of the house, around the house and the inner sanctuary—the side chambers all around. 1 Kings 6:6. The lowest story was five cubits wide, the middle story was six cubits wide, and the third story was seven cubits wide; for on the outside of the house he made offsets on the walls all around so that the side structures might not be fastened to the walls of the house. “Davir” 5—the name of the Holy of Holies (cf. verse (1 Kgs 6:16), according to Gesenius, means the rear (from dabar, to be behind) position of it in the temple; on the other hand, according to the translation of the LXX and the Alexandrian text κρημαστὴριον and Vulgate oraculum, producing this name apparently from dabar, to speak, to proclaim, they express the idea of God’s self-revelation over the Ark of the Covenant. Around the main building of the temple, except only the eastern, entrance side of it, there were structures, the side chambers, the Hebrew tzelot, LXX: μέλαθρα (according to Josephus: οῖκοι), Vulgate: tabulata, arranged in 3 stories. “Together with the temple, other small buildings were erected outside of it, which surrounded the main building, so that no Levite could touch the walls of the temple. … In these same small buildings erected around the temple, the utensils for divine service were stored” (blessed Theodoret, question 23). The general entrance to these structures was, it is supposed (see E. Riehm. Handwörterbuch des biblischen Alterthums, 2d ed., vol. II, p. 1656), from the south, while in the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 41:11) from the north and south. According to Josephus (Jewish Antiquities VIII, 3, 2), “the whole structure reached to half the height of the main building of the entire temple, the upper half of which was not surrounded by such structures.” On the basis of (Ezek 41:6) the number of these chambers is determined as 33 or 30 (12 each on the northern and southern sides and 6 on the western). In them were stored the great treasures of the Old Testament temple (1 Kgs 7:51; 2 Chr 5:1).

1 Kings 6:7. And when the house was being built, it was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built. If some work—the finishing of wood and stone—was carried out far away in Lebanon, then other work—the casting work—was performed in the Jordan valley at a place between Succoth and Zarethan (1 Kgs 7:46; 2 Chr 4:17), that is, the nearest place to Jerusalem where one could find the necessary clay soil and sand for casting work. Thus, at the place of the building of the temple, as the biblical expression says, no sound was heard of hammer, axe, or any other tool (see Prof. Olesnitskii. The Old Testament Temple, p. 214). Least of all should we infer from this that the temple was wooden (the opinion of Stieglitz, Schnaase, Greineisen) or that its walls were wooden frames filled with stones (the opinion of the rabbis): in reality the stone walls were merely covered with cedar wood (verse 15), and from this comes the figurative expression: “and you yourselves, like living stones, be built up a spiritual house” (1 Pet 2:5).

1 Kings 6:8. The entrance to the middle story was on the south side of the house, and they went up by winding stairs to the middle story, and from the middle story to the third. The entrance to the middle chamber of the side structures on the lower floor was on the right side (the southern side, as mentioned), from there spiral stairs of cedarwood (belulim, LXX: ἑλικτὴ ἀνάβαβις, Aquila: κοχλίαι, Vulgate: cochlea) (2 Chr 9:11) led to the second and then to the third floors.

1 Kings 6:9. So he built the house and finished it, and covered the house inside with planks of cedar. The roof of the temple, namely of the main building itself and the structures attached to it, was wooden, made of cedar; in form it was in no way a gabled roof (the opinion of Lundius): ancient Hebrew architecture knows no such form of roof, and the Bible speaks only of a flat roof with a parapet (Deut 22:8); gebim (verse 9)—not vaults, as some supposed, but planks, beams. Only the temple of Herod later had a roof, apparently of a hip form (Josephus, Jewish War V, 5:6).

1 Kings 6:10. He also built chambers against the whole house, each five cubits high; and they were attached to the house with timber of cedar. LXX: φ᾿κοδόμησε τοὺς ἐνδέσμους δἰ ὅλου τοῦ οἴκου, Slavonic: “made the bindings around the whole house”—according to the remark of Prof. Olesnitskii, the text speaks not of a mixture of wood and stone in the mass of the wall during its laying, but only of the fact that the finished stone wall was covered with wood (Old Testament Temple, p. 240–241). The height of 5 cubits is shown for each of the 3 floors (verse 6) of the structures, so the total height of the side chambers at the temple equaled 15 cubits, thus it was half the total height of the temple itself (verse 2). The width of the chambers on each floor was different: on the lower—5 cubits, on the middle—6 cubits, on the upper—7 cubits (verse 6). The roof of the structures, like the roof of the temple (verse 9), was undoubtedly horizontal.

1 Kings 6:11. And the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying: 1 Kings 6:12. “Concerning this house which you are building, if you walk in my statutes, and execute my ordinances, and keep all my commandments by walking in them, then I will perform my word for you which I spoke to your father David. 1 Kings 6:13. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.” Not a direct revelation from God to Solomon, but one given through a prophet (1 Kgs 3:5), which took place apparently during the building of the temple and was probably occasioned by some manifestation of inconsistency on Solomon’s part in matters of the “statutes, ordinances, and commandments” of the Lord; only on the condition of Solomon’s faithfulness to them is the fulfillment of the promises given to David promised (2 Sam 7:8; 1 Chr 22:10) regarding the gracious abiding of the Lord among the Israelite people and, together with that, in the temple being built in His name.

1 Kings 6:15. And he lined the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar; from the floor of the house to the ceiling, he covered the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress. The custom of covering stone walls with wooden planks and then with metal (gold), according to the testimony of the history of art, was widespread in ancient Near Eastern architecture. So in Solomon’s temple, the entire interior, from floor to ceiling, was lined with wood: the walls and ceiling with cedar, and the floor with cypress, and all of it was covered with pure gold (verse 21), and according to (2 Chr 3:6)—with precious stones as well.

1 Kings 6:16. And he built a wall in the rear part of the house, in the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, twenty cubits away from the rear. And he covered the walls and the ceiling with boards of cedar, and he prepared the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies was separated from the front part of the temple, or the Holy Place, by a wooden cedar wall, not a stone wall, as has sometimes been supposed on the basis of (Ezek 41:3-4); nor was there a stone wall in Herod’s temple (in Moses’s tabernacle the two parts of the temple were separated only by a veil (Exod 26:33)). The height of the intermediate wall between the Holy of Holies and the Holy Place was, of course, the total height of the temple, that is, it was 30 cubits. Davir (regarding the meaning of the word see above, remark on verse 5)—a rare name used instead of the usual “kodesh kodashim,” Holy of Holies; the cubic capacity of the latter is indicated below, verse 20.

1 Kings 6:17. The nave of the house in front of the inner sanctuary was forty cubits long. The Holy Place, or the front part of the temple (less the 20 cubits for the davir), was 40 cubits in length; three-fourths of this measure—30 cubits—constituted its height, one-half—20 cubits—its width. As the largest part of the temple, the Holy Place was called by the name of the whole temple: hekhal, ναός, templum.

1 Kings 6:18. The cedar within the house was carved in the form of gourds and open flowers; all was cedar, no stone was visible. (Cf. verse 29). The wooden planks that covered the walls of the temple were nowhere visible, nor were the stones: the wood was everywhere covered with gold and carving. This carving (in Greek κοιλαν άγλυφα) consisted of deeply recessed outlines of a given image, never projecting above the surface of the wall (in the manner of relief). The subjects of the images were cherubim (verses 29, 32), palms (ibid.), colocynths—a kind of wild gourd—and opened flowers, probably lilies (cf. 1 Kgs 7:19). For cherubim, their idea and symbolism, see Commentary Bible, vol. I, p. 27 and 163, and more fully in the book by A. Glagolev “The Old Testament Biblical Teaching about Angels” (Kiev, 1900), pp. 417–512. The palm—a symbol of beauty, majesty, and moral perfection (Ps 91:13), but also an emblem of Israel, which is why on Roman coins struck on account of the spoils taken at the destruction of Jerusalem, captive Judea (“ludaea capta”) was depicted in the form of a palm tree. Colocynths and flowers had a secondary decorative significance, surrounding the field of cherubim and palms (see A. A. Olesnitskii, Old Testament Temple, pp. 298–300).

1 Kings 6:19. In the inner sanctuary he prepared the inner room to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 1 Kings 6:20. The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid the cedar altar. The chief purpose of the davir, or Holy of Holies, was to serve as the place of storage for the Ark of the Covenant. In form and volume, the davir represented a regular cube; in all three dimensions, the davir was 20 cubits. The question of how the specific height of the davir of 20 cubits related to the total height of the temple of 30 cubits is unclear and disputed in scholarship. According to one view (Stieglitz, Greineisen, Vopoeus, Wiener), the davir had its own separate roof 10 cubits lower than the roof of the Holy Place and the temple, by analogy with pagan temples, for example, Egyptian ones, where the adyton—the rear part of the temple—was lower than the cella—the front part of the temple—and had its own separate roof. But the pagan adyton was not organically connected with the cella and was therefore separated from it by transitional chambers; on the other hand, the davir was organically connected with the front part of the temple, and therefore isolating it under its own roof would have been inappropriate, and lowering the davir relative to the Holy Place would have contradicted the idea of the davir as the most important and holiest place in the temple. According to another explanation, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, at the same external height, had different internal heights: the Holy Place 30 cubits, the Holy of Holies—only 20 cubits, because the upper space above it of 10 cubits was separated by a special ceiling and formed an entresol, Hebrew aliyot (2 Chr 3:9), Greek υπερῶον, where this “upper chamber” is presented as either open to the Holy Place (Schnaase, Ewald)—like the upper part of the iconostases above in Orthodox churches—or as a closed chamber (Girt, Keil, and others), something like a sacred archive in the temple. But such a superstructure would have spoiled the appearance, there was no way to enter this supposed chamber, and there was no need for such an archive: the sacred vessels and in general the items used in divine service were kept in the temple itself, and spare or old items could be stored in the side structures of the temple (cf. 1 Kgs 7:51). It is more likely possible to suppose (Prof. Olesnitskii) the existence of a special, 10 cubits in height, solid basement beneath the Holy of Holies: this basement level could have covered the rock or the summit of Mount Moriah (cf. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities VIII, 3, 2), thereby enlarging the foundations of the temple for the Holy of Holies, which in this way was the most elevated part of the temple, and access to it could only be by steps (Prof. Olesnitskii, cited work, p. 229). According to Jewish tradition (in Kimchi, Maimonides, and others), the Holy of Holies was elevated at the place where Abraham offered Isaac in sacrifice.

1 Kings 6:21. So Solomon overlaid the interior of the house with pure gold, and he drew chains of gold across the front of the inner sanctuary and overlaid it with gold. The always-closed doors (verse 31) from the Holy Place into the Holy of Holies were closed and as it were sealed by means of special gold chains that descended along the wall of the Holy of Holies, establishing the immovable position of the closed doors and thus serving as a symbol of the sealed mystery of the Holy of Holies (cf. Ezek 7:22); the chains had the significance of those mysterious seals that no one could remove until the appearing of the Lamb of God (Rev 5:1). (See A. A. Olesnitskii, Old Testament Temple, p. 297). The end of verse 21 in the LXX has an addition: ἕως συντελείας παντὸς τοῦ οῖκου, Slavonic: “until the completion of the whole temple”; this addition apparently is not justified by the context of the speech and appears to be a later gloss.

1 Kings 6:22. So he overlaid the whole house with gold, in order that the whole house might be perfect; and he also overlaid with gold the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary. “The altar that is before the davir”—the altar of incense in the Holy Place.

1 Kings 6:23. In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 1 Kings 6:24. One wing of the cherub was five cubits, and the other wing of the cherub was five cubits. From the tip of one wing to the tip of the other wing was ten cubits. 1 Kings 6:25. The other cherub also was ten cubits. Both cherubim were of the same measure and the same form. 1 Kings 6:26. The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and likewise that of the other cherub. 1 Kings 6:27. And he set the cherubim in the inner sanctuary. The wings of the cherubim were stretched out so that a wing of one touched one wall, and a wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; their other wings touched each other in the middle of the room. 1 Kings 6:28. And he overlaid the cherubim with gold. 1 Kings 6:29. He carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, within and without. Two colossal figures, each 10 cubits in height, of cherubim in the Holy of Holies of the temple were made of olive wood (as more durable). If in the Holy of Holies of Moses’s tabernacle a single pair of cherubim was placed upon the Ark of the Covenant so that the wings of these cherubim overshadowed the upper part of the ark, named the “Mercy Seat” (Exod 25:18-22), then in Solomon’s temple the ark of the covenant with cherubim upon it was overshadowed by yet another pair of new, colossal (10 cubits in height) figures of cherubim, stretching their wings so that the edges of the outer wings touched the walls, while the inner wings bent over the ark (cf. 2 Chr 3:10-13). In significance, the cherubim of the Holy of Holies (tabernacle and temple) stood in direct relation to the gracious presence of the Lord here, which explains the Old Testament poetic epithet of the Lord “sitting upon the cherubim,” Hebrew: yoshev (hak) keruvim (1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; Ps 79:2). In other biblical passages, the cherubim appear as living beings of the highest order among creatures, and like in the tabernacle and temple, always in the closest relation to the manifestation of the glory of God in the created world; thus they appear: a) as guardians of paradise (Gen 3:24; Ezek 28:14-16) and b) as bearers of God in revelations and theophanies (Ps 17:11; 2 Sam 22:11), especially in the visions of the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 1:4-24) and the Apostle John the Theologian (Rev 4:7). This does not agree with the mythological understanding of cherubim (in Rome and others), nor with the symbolic (in Behr and others), and on the contrary, full force belongs to the church-traditional view of cherubim as angels of the highest rank. See more in detail in Prof. A. A. Olesnitskii, Old Testament Temple, pp. 153–173 and in Fr. A. Glagolev, Old Testament Biblical Teaching about Angels, pp. 416–513.

1 Kings 6:31. For the entrance to the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood; the lintels and doorposts formed a fifth part of the wall. 1 Kings 6:32. He covered the two doors of olive wood with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees. 1 Kings 6:33. So he made for the entrance of the temple doorposts of olive wood, four-squared; 1 Kings 6:34. and two doors of cypress wood. The two panels of the one door were folding, and the two panels of the other door were folding. 1 Kings 6:35. And he carved on them cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold fitted upon the carved work. The entrances to the Holy of Holies (verses 31–33) and to the Holy Place (verses 34–35). The entrance to the Holy of Holies consisted of a door of olive wood in an opening, 4 cubits wide (half the width of the wall), with 2 panels, one on the outer side and the other on the inner side of the doorway. This door had some ornamentation, Hebrew: ayil, LXX: κρίομα, Latin: frons—a kind of capital. At the doors were a veil (2 Chr 3:14; Matt 27:51) and chains (verse 21). Like the walls, the doors were decorated with gilded carving of cherubim, palms, and flowers. The entrance to the Holy Place consisted of a double double-leafed door of cypress wood with a four-sided frame or jambs of olive wood—also with carving.

1 Kings 6:36. And he built the inner court with three courses of hewn stone and one course of cedar beams. “Inner” (Hebrew, penimit) court, otherwise “priestly” (2 Chr 4:9), or “upper” (Jer 36:10), in contrast to the outer, or “great” (2 Chr 4:9), called “lower” (Ezek 40:18-19), intended for the people and separated from the former by a low wall (2 Chr 7:3). In Herod’s temple there was also a court of the gentiles. The dimensions of the inner court, or vestibule, are indicated in verse 3. Here stood the altar of whole burnt offerings, the so-called “bronze sea” (1 Kgs 2:35; 2 Kgs 25:13; 1 Chr 18:8), and so forth.

1 Kings 6:37. In the fourth year, in the month of Ziv, the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 1 Kings 6:38. And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its details and in all its specifications. He was building it for seven years. “Bul”—the ancient Canaanite name of the 8th month of the Hebrew year (the end of October and most of November), later given the name “Marcheshvan.” Solomon’s temple was built in 7.5 years, which compared to the duration of construction of known colossal structures of antiquity appears to be a very short period. According to Pliny (Hist. Nat. 36, 12), all of Asia was building the temple of Diana at Ephesus for 200 years. Similar accounts are known about the Egyptian pyramids. * * * For details about the chronological date (1 Kgs 6:1) see I. Spasskii, Investigation of Biblical Chronology, pp. 85–115 In the accepted Greek text of the LXX, instead of 60 stands 40, τεσσαράκονια, which can only refer to the Holy Place (verse 17), but in most Greek texts in Holmes’s edition stands ´εξὴκοντα, 60; so also in the Slavonic-Russian. Partition for the Holy of Holies According to the translation of Archimandrite Macarius (Glukharyov): “the rear holiest partition.”

Chapter Seven

1–12. Construction of Solomon’s palace. 13–51. Temple furnishings and decorations.

1 Kings 7:1. Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and finished his entire house. The longer duration of the construction of Solomon’s palace—13 years compared to the temple—7.5 years—is explained either by the greater number of workers on the temple, or by the fact that there were more construction works at the palace; moreover, materials were not prepared beforehand for the palace as they were for the temple. 13 years—from the completion of the temple construction, therefore the palace was completed 20 years after the beginning of the temple construction (1 Kgs 9:10), that is, in the 24th year of Solomon’s reign (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities VIII, 5, 1). Solomon’s palace was built not on Moriah, where the temple was, and not in Ophel (the southeastern foot of Moriah: (2 Chr 27:3; Neh 3:26); Josephus, Jewish War, VI, 6, 2; Robinson, Palestine II, 29), but on Mount Zion (in the “upper city,” according to Josephus), separated from the temple hill by the Tyropean valley; the palace was artificially connected with the temple by a bridge (in the second Jerusalem temple, a gallery was here, the so-called Xyst) and an internal passage (2 Kgs 11:19). Later, the palace of the Asmoneans was here.

1 Kings 7:2. He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon. Its length was a hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, and it had four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on the pillars. The first of the separate palaces was named the “House of the Forest of Lebanon,” Hebrew, bet yaar ha-Libanon, Vulgate: domus saltus Libani, LXX, Slavonic-Russian (Synodal, Archimandrite Macarius, Prof. Gulyaev): “of Lebanese wood” (LXX: οῖκος δρυμῶ τοῦ Λιβάνου). Of course, this palace was not on Lebanon (which did not belong to Solomon), as some supposed (Michaelis and others), or anywhere else outside Jerusalem (according to the Targum, a “summer royal house”—a kind of dacha); it owed its name to the multitude of cedar trees standing in rows near it and the multitude of cedar pillars in the middle of the building. “Solomon built in his palace a very large building in front of the entrance to the judgment hall, which had one hundred and thirty pillars of cedar, and I think that because of this multitude of cedar pillars it was called the House of the Forest of Lebanon, as the great multitude of these cedar pillars was likened to a Lebanese grove” (blessed Theodoret, question 26). Probably the House of the Forest of Lebanon, the house of the king, and the house of Pharaoh’s daughter (verse 8) were parts of one building, the first being the central structure (100 cubits in length, 50 in width, and 30 in height). In design, the House of the Forest of Lebanon represented a colonnade or peristyle of 4 rows of columns (Vulgate: quattuor deambulacra inter columnas cedrinas). By purpose, this building served, among other things, as a kind of arsenal (cf. 1 Kgs 10:17; Isa 22:8).

1 Kings 7:3. And it was covered with cedar above the beams that were on forty-five pillars, fifteen in each row. 1 Kings 7:4. There were window frames in three tiers, and window opposite window in three tiers. The roof of the building consisted of cedar beams that rested on stone walls. The building was three stories; each floor had side rooms; Hebrew, tzelot (cf. 1 Kgs 6:5-6; Ezek 41:6).

1 Kings 7:5. All the doorways and door-posts were square, and window was opposite window in three tiers. All the doors and door-posts were square-shaped. LXX: θυρώματα καὶ αἱ χῶραι τετράγωναι, Slavonic: “all the doors and chambers square-shaped.” The size of the rooms is not mentioned. In general, the palace in question represented a type of architecture that was common and is still encountered in the East: a court in the middle and a gallery with a colonnade around it.

1 Kings 7:6. And he made the Hall of Pillars; its length was fifty cubits, and its width thirty cubits. There was a porch in front with pillars, and a canopy in front of them. 1 Kings 7:7. And he made the Hall of the Throne where he might judge, the Hall of Judgment, and covered all the floor with cedar. To the central building of the “House of the Forest of Lebanon” was attached “another four-sided building 30 cubits in width, which at its far end had a hall decorated with low and thick columns. There was a beautiful throne, on which the king sat while conducting judicial proceedings” (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities VIII, 5, 2). Probably the “porch of pillars” (LXX: αιλάμ, Slavonic: “elam,” Vulgate: porticus) (verse 6) and the “porch with a throne” formed one building, the first being as it were a general reception room, and the second—the actual throne hall (for the description of Solomon’s throne, see 1 Kgs 10:18-20). According to Talmudic tradition, the twelve lions mentioned in this description were movable and could lift the king from step to step when he wished to ascend to the throne; and the seat itself was equipped with mechanical figures of other animals: an eagle, for example, would place a crown on the head of the seated king, and a dove would hand him the scrolls of the law (cf. blessed Theodoret, question 26).

1 Kings 7:8. His own house where he dwelt had another court inside the porch, which was of like workmanship. He also made a house like this porch for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had taken as wife. The third palace consisted of two buildings: the house of Solomon himself and the house of his wife, Pharaoh’s daughter. This palace was finished with elegance, but its architecture is not described in detail.

1 Kings 7:9. All these were of precious stones, hewn according to measure, sawed with saws, back and front, even from the foundation to the coping, and from the outside to the great court. 1 Kings 7:10. The foundation was of large stones, stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits. 1 Kings 7:11. Above were precious stones, hewn according to measure, and cedar. 1 Kings 7:12. The great court all around had three courses of hewn stones and one course of cedar beams; so it was for the inner court of the house of the Lord and for the vestibule of the house. The remarks here about building material apply to all the aforementioned groups of buildings mentioned above (verses 1–11). The precious material consisted of various kinds of stone—gasit (cf. (1 Kgs 5:17) and our note there), according to Josephus, much white marble was also used. Verse 12 returns the thread of the narrative to the story of the building of the temple (interrupted in verses 1–11).

1 Kings 7:13. Now King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. 1 Kings 7:14. He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali. His father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze, and he was full of skill, intelligence, and knowledge for any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work. The lack of necessary craftsmen among the Hebrews for carved and similar work prompted Solomon to bring a craftsman from Tyre; that was Hiram (according to (2 Chr 2:13), Hiram-Abi), Phoenician by his father, by his mother one of the Hebrews (according to 1 Kings, his mother was from the tribe of Naphtali, while according to (2 Chr 2:14), from the tribe of Dan) 6. The artistic abilities of Hiram are depicted like the gifts of the craftsman Bezalel (Exod 31:3-5) who worked on the beautification of the tabernacle. From the work produced by Hiram, the Book of Kings names only the completely new things, not such as had existed in Moses’s tabernacle. Thus the Book of Kings does not mention the construction by Hiram of a new bronze altar for whole burnt offerings (with bronze walls, while inside it was filled with stones and earth), which we learn about only from (2 Chr 4:1). (Cf. in Prof. A. A. Olesnitskii, p. 321).

1 Kings 7:15. He cast two pillars of bronze. Eighteen cubits was the height of each pillar, and a line of twelve cubits encircled it. 1 Kings 7:16. He made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. 1 Kings 7:17. There were nets of checker work and wreaths of chain work on the capitals on the top of the pillars, seven for the one capital and seven for the other capital. 1 Kings 7:18. He made the pillars and two rows of pomegranates all around on the one grating, to cover the capitals that were on the top of the pillars. And he did the same for the other capital. 1 Kings 7:19. Now the capitals that were on the top of the pillars in the vestibule were of lily-work, four cubits. 1 Kings 7:20. The capitals on the two pillars had pomegranates also above, beside the bulge which was beside the latticework; and there were two hundred pomegranates in rows round about on each capital. 1 Kings 7:21. And he set up the pillars of the vestibule of the temple. He set up the pillar on the south and called its name Jachin; he set up the pillar on the north and called its name Boaz. 1 Kings 7:22. On the tops of the pillars was lily-work. Thus the work on the pillars was finished. The first monumental work of Hiram: two monumental bronze columns in the vestibule or on the porch of the temple, named Jachin (the name of the right column) and Boaz (the left). From the given section, in comparison with parallel accounts ((2 Chr 3:15-17; cf. 1 Chr 18:8; 2 Sam 8:8; 2 Kgs 25:13; Jer 52:20-23; Ezek 40:48); Josephus, Jewish Antiquities VIII, 3, 4), the following details emerge about the external appearance and architecture of each of these columns, as well as their religious and national significance. Both columns, like the bronze sea and other vessels, were made of bronze, once taken by David as spoils in war with the Syrians (1 Chr 18:8). The height of each column equaled 18 cubits (according to (2 Chr 3:15)—35 cubits, but probably including the base of the column), that is, 8 m. 71 cm., or about 11 arshins and more: the circumference or perimeter—12 cubits—5 m. 80 cm., or about 8 arshins, therefore about 4 cubits in diameter (according to Josephus: respectively—3.82 cubits—1 m. 84 cm.). The thickness of the walls of each column—4 fingers, inside each column was hollow. According to the LXX verse 15, the columns were not smooth but had indentations 4 fingers deep: τεσσάρων δακτύλων τὰ κοιλώματα, Slavonic: “grooves of four fingers,” that is, with longitudinal lines. On top of each column was a capital (Hebrew, koteret, LXX: ἐπιθεμα, Slavonic: “placement,” Russian: “crown”) 5 cubits (according to 2 Kgs 25:17-3 cubits) high, so the total height of the column was 23 cubits (11 m. 13 cm., or about 17 arshins). The lower part of the capitals was convex, bulbous; the upper part presented a lily-like bowl. At the upper and lower ends of this section were arranged two rows, 100 pieces each, of pomegranates with mesh chains for fastening. Both columns were undoubtedly independent monuments, standing separately from the vestibule (not as part of the vestibule, serving as its supports, as was supposed by Thenius, Distel, Hitzig, Vopoeus, Payne, Nowack). According to 2 Chr 3:15 both columns stood “before (Hebrew, lifne) the house (temple),” and the very phrasing of verse 21 (2 Chr 3:17) “set up” (Hebrew, hekimo), firmly established—applies only to an independent column (cf. Lev 26:1; Deut 27:2 and others). Especially the independent monumental significance of both columns is evident from the fact that each bore a specific name: the right—Jachin, the left—Boaz. These names in any case speak of the important theocratic and national significance of both columns, but their precise meaning cannot be established with certainty. Although both names appear in the Old Testament as personal names: the first—as the name of several persons in the tribes of Simeon (Gen 46:10; Exod 6:15; Num 26:12) and Levi (1 Chr 9:10), and the second in the Hebrew Bible is identical with the name of the well-known ancestor of David from the story of Ruth, Boaz (Ruth 2:1), however, dedicating the columns to these persons (especially to one of the little-known Jachins) is unlikely (the Targum to (2 Chr 3:17) identifies the name of the left column with the name of Boaz). Equally unfounded are the interpretations that saw in those names the names of the builders of the temple (Gesenius), the sons of Solomon (Ewald), or non-historical names of David and Solomon (Abarbanel). On the contrary, the noncitatory significance of both names is supported by the authority of the LXX, who in (2 Chr 3:17) render the Hebrew Jachin, Boaz with noncitatory terms: κατόρθωσις, ισχύς, Slavonic: “correction,” “strength.” In this sense, joining both names in one judgment (the supposition of some scholars that both names made up one whole inscription, but this is not justified by the biblical text), we get such a thought: “let the (temple) stand immovably, with strength” or (if the verb kun is taken in the form Hiphil): “may (the Lord) establish (the temple) with His strength” (cf. 1 Kgs 8:13; Isa 14:24). Standing directly before the national sanctuary of Israel, the columns Jachin and Boaz testified to the advent of a new, higher period in the history of the Old Testament theocracy, the sanctuary, and the people of God. In view of the establishment of a strong, immovable temple of the Lord in Israel and the confirmation of political power and deep peace among it, these columns appeared as the national-religious flag, the sanctuary of worship and theocracy among all the peoples of antiquity. By this, the comparison of Jachin and Boaz with various kinds of pagan monuments is already excluded: Egyptian sphinxes (in Vopoeus), Phoenician statues of Hercules and Saturn (Movers, Fatke), or finally with cults of Baal and Astarte (Gipiani). Cf. in Prof. A. A. Olesnitskii, Old Testament Temple, pp. 254–288.

1 Kings 7:23. He made a molten sea, ten cubits from brim to brim, round in shape, its height was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits encircled it round about. 1 Kings 7:24. Under its rim were gourds, for thirty cubits, compassing the sea round about. The gourds were in two rows, cast when it was cast. 1 Kings 7:25. It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The sea was set on them, and all their hinder parts were inward. 1 Kings 7:26. And it was a hand-breadth thick, and its brim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, like a flower of a lily. It held two thousand baths. (Cf. 2 Chr 4:2-5). A new furnishing of the temple and the second grand work of Hiram was the so-called bronze or “molten” sea (yam mutzak), that is, called a sea because of its vastness (according to Josephus, Jewish Antiquities VIII, 3, 5, it was called a sea “because of its size”), a basin in the court of the temple between the altar of burnt offerings and the Holy Place, closer to the south, 10 cubits in diameter, 30 cubits (according to the LXX and blessed Theodoret—33) in circumference, and 5 cubits in height, holding 2000 (according to (2 Chr 4:5)—3000) baths of water. The relationship of circumference and diameter in the given figures (30 and 10 cubits) does not appear mathematically precise (with a diameter of 10 cubits, the circumference is 31 2/5 or 31.416 cubits; with a circumference of 30 cubits, the diameter is 9 174/314 cubits) and has aroused many disputes among biblical archaeologists. But it is understandable that the sacred writers could not burden their speech with fractions and indicated only whole numbers; it is also possible that the diameter and circumference are determined in the text independently of each other, because in different places of the vessel the circumference changed. Depending on this, scholars explain (e.g., Lightfoot, Metropolitan Philaret) the inconsistent definition of the capacity of the “bronze sea”—2000 baths (according to 1 Kings) or 3000 baths (according to (2 Chr 4:5)): the latter figure could denote the full capacity of the bronze sea to the very rim, while the former denoted how much was usually poured in. The form of the basin was not cylindrical, as some supposed, but resembled a bowl of an opened lily (verse 26), and moreover had a convex middle—like a goblet. According to Josephus Flavius (Jewish Antiquities VIII, 3, 5) and blessed Theodoret (question 24), the bronze sea had the appearance of a hemisphere (ήμισφαίριον). Under the rim of the bronze sea, cast as one piece with it, were two rows of globes like colocynths, 10 globes per cubit (according to (2 Chr 4:3), these reliefs depicted oxen). The basin was supported by 12 colossal images of bronze oxen, the rear parts of which were turned to the center, and the heads of the oxen, three together, were turned toward all four cardinal directions; the height of the figures of oxen was probably equal to the natural height of these animals. By their significance, these images could recall the oxen that once bore the tabernacle in the wilderness, and in general were appropriate in the court of the temple, representing the chief sacrificial material for the burnt offering altar that stood near (A. A. Olesnitskii, p. 326), least of all did they have any relation to pagan objects of worship (the opinion of Josephus, Jewish Antiquities VIII, 7, 5). The purpose of the bronze sea was to serve as a washbasin for priests (2 Chr 4:6). According to tradition, priests used the water of the sea from below by means of taps or openings—either in the mouths of the oxen or in the wall of the basin itself, between the groups of oxen (A. A. Olesnitskii, pp. 327–328). Something similar to the bronze sea is represented by a similar Phoenician vessel, the “Sea of Amathus,” discovered on Cyprus and since 1866 housed in the Louvre Museum.

1 Kings 7:27. And he made ten stands of bronze. Each stand was four cubits long, four cubits wide, and three cubits high. 1 Kings 7:28. This was the construction of the stands: they had panels, and the panels were set in the frames. 1 Kings 7:29. On the panels that were set in the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim. On the frames was a pedestal above, and below the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work. 1 Kings 7:30. Each stand had four bronze wheels and bronze axles. At the four corners of each stand there were supports; the supports were cast as an integral part beneath the basin. 1 Kings 7:31. The opening of the stand was within a crown which projected upward one cubit. The opening was round, shaped like a pedestal, a cubit and a half in diameter. Around the opening were carvings. The panels of the stand were square, not round. 1 Kings 7:32. The four wheels were beneath the panels; the axles of the wheels were attached to the stand. The height of each wheel was a cubit and a half. 1 Kings 7:33. The wheels were made like chariot wheels; their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs all were cast. 1 Kings 7:34. There were four supports at the four corners of each stand. The supports were of one piece with the stand. 1 Kings 7:35. At the top of the stand was a round opening half a cubit in height. At the top of the stand, its openings and its panels were of the same piece with the stand. 1 Kings 7:36. On the surfaces of its openings and on its panels, he carved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, wherever there was space, with wreaths round about. 1 Kings 7:37. Thus he made the ten stands. All of them were cast alike, with the same size and the same form. 1 Kings 7:38. Then he made ten bronze basins, each basin holding forty baths. Each basin was four cubits in diameter, and each basin stood on one of the ten stands. 1 Kings 7:39. He set the stands, five on the south side of the house and five on the north side of the house, and the sea on the southeast corner of the house. Like the bronze sea served for the washing of priests, so special vessels totaling 10, “basins” (Hebrew, kiyrot, verse 38; 2 Chr 4:6), placed on special “stands” mekonot (verse 27), served for washing the sacrificial parts before they were burned on the altar (cf. Lev 1:9; Ezek 40:38). The latter are described in this section of 1 Kings with the greatest detail, probably because of the novelty and elegance of the construction of this third work of art by Hiram (after the 2 columns and the bronze sea). Each stand represented a rectangular box, 4 cubits in length and width and 3 cubits in depth or height (verse 27); the side walls of these boxes consisted of panels with overlays (Hebrew, shelabin, Vulgate: Juncturae) at the corners (verse 28). On the walls—carved images of lions, oxen (perhaps the idea of universal peace in the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of nature, as in Isa 11:6-9) and palms, and below—interwoven wreaths or festoons of blooming flowers (verse 29). In the upper part of the box-stand was an apparatus for receiving and securing the basin, bulging in the middle and called a crown or capital, 1/2 cubit in height (verse 35) and 1.5 cubits in diameter (verses 30–31). For stability on each capital, there were affixed shoulder-like projections (Hebrew, ketafot) from each corner pillar of the box, describing a slight curve and embracing the basin from four sides as supports. Below each box-stand were cut out axles and on them wheels of the usual design (with spokes, hubs, etc.), 1.5 cubits in diameter, with the wheels by their height not blocking the walls of the box (verses 30, 32–34). The cover, walls, and supports of the boxes were covered with carving (verse 36). The basins themselves standing on those stands are described briefly: they had the form of bowls with an expanded upper part, somewhat like a pot (cf. Exod 30:18). The diameter of each bowl—4 cubits, and the depth—1 cubit (verse 38). The complex and movable design of the basins was intended to facilitate their filling with water, and then emptying them. In the first case, they were rolled up to the larger water reservoir—the bronze sea; in the second, when the water was saturated with blood, the basins were pushed toward a special drainage pipe at the altar. These basin-chariots were so heavy that their movement required the combined efforts of several men; they required careful maintenance, because, standing constantly in the open air, they were often washed by rain and subjected to damage (A. A. Olesnitskii, p. 329, 332, cf. Keil, Biblical Archaeology, Russian translation, part I, pp. 161–162).

1 Kings 7:40. Hiram also made the pots, the shovels, and the bowls. So Hiram finished all the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of the Lord. 1 Kings 7:41. The two pillars, the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars, the two lattices to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars, 1 Kings 7:42. and the four hundred pomegranates for the two lattices, two rows of pomegranates for each lattice, to cover the two bowls of the capitals upon the pillars, 1 Kings 7:43. the ten stands and the ten basins on the stands, 1 Kings 7:44. the one sea and the twelve oxen under the sea. 1 Kings 7:45. And the pots, the shovels, and the bowls. All the vessels which Hiram made for King Solomon for the house of the Lord were of polished bronze. 1 Kings 7:46. The king cast them in clay ground near the Jordan, between Succoth and Zarethan. 1 Kings 7:47. And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were so many; the weight of the bronze was not determined. 1 Kings 7:48. And Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of the Lord: the golden altar, and the golden table on which the bread of the Presence was laid, 1 Kings 7:49. the lampstands of pure gold, five on the south side and five on the north side, before the inner sanctuary, and the flowers and the lamps and the tongs, all of gold, 1 Kings 7:50. and the dishes for incense and the knives and the bowls and the pans and the censers, all of pure gold, and the hinges of gold for the doors of the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, and for the doors of the house of the Lord. Among the secondary vessels and other items of temple furnishings made by Hiram, the biblical text (verses 40, 45, 50) names: a) bronze basins, sprinkling vessels, shovels, bowls, and b) golden tongs, dishes, knives, pans, and censers. Rabbinical tradition adds to this an apparatus for sacrificial operations in the form of stone pillars on the north side of the altar for the preliminary arrangement and sorting of individual parts of the sacrificial meat.

1 Kings 7:51. Thus all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the votive offerings of his father David; the silver, the gold, and the vessels, he put in the treasuries of the house of the Lord. Concluding remark about the building and furnishing of the temple by Solomon. As Solomon used the treasures collected by David for the building of the temple, so part of these treasures Solomon placed in the treasuries of the temple, established in the known side structures of the temple (1 Kgs 6:5). “The writer called all things holy that were dedicated to God of all kinds and military spoils brought back from the wars” (blessed Theodoret, question 25). Cf. (2 Sam 8:7-12; 1 Chr 18:7-11). * * * Later Judaism attempted to present Hiram as a pure Hebrew. Thus, Josephus (Jewish Antiquities VII, 3; 4) says that “the father of Hiram was Uriah, an Israelite by birth.” Possibly here was reflected a vain desire to attribute the remarkable works in the temple to a man of pure Hebrew origin, rather than to a foreigner, although even by the Bible, Hiram or Hiram-Abi was only half Hebrew. Cf. W. Nowack. Hebrew Archaeology, Vatican ed., II, 5–32

Chapter Eight

The Dedication of Solomon’s Temple

1–9. The bringing of the Ark. 10–13. The cloud of light in the Temple. 14–61. Solomon’s speech and prayer. 62–66. Sacrifices and celebrations.

1 Kings 8:1. Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the leaders of the tribes, the heads of the families of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from the City of David, that is, Zion. 1 Kings 8:2. And all Israel assembled with King Solomon at the festival in the month of Ethanim, which is the seventh month. In accordance with the importance of the Temple built for the entire theocracy, for the whole people, Solomon invited all representatives of the people to its dedication (“leaders of the tribes, heads of families” – terms characterizing the ancestral way of life of the people). The dedication was set for the 7th month – according to the ancient Canaanite name “Ethanim” (Hebrew Ethanim – the month of “gifts or fruits,” or “perennial streams”), later Tishri (in Josephus VIII, 4, 1. Θισρί), in which the solemn festival of Tabernacles (Lev 23:39-43) was celebrated, which attracted a large multitude of pilgrims to Jerusalem, and therefore the 7th month was most suitable for the celebration of the Temple’s dedication. But in what year did this dedication take place? The immediate connection (1 Kgs 8:1) with (1 Kgs 7:51), as well as the nature of the matter itself, require us to recognize that the Temple was dedicated soon after its completion. If according to (1 Kgs 6:38) the Temple was completed in the 8th month (Bul) of Solomon’s eleventh year of reign, then the dedication, naturally, could take place only in the 7th month of the following, 12th year of Solomon’s reign, and the intervening period (about 11 months) could be used for furnishing the Temple with vessels and generally for its interior decoration (cf. 1 Kgs 7:14-51). It is difficult to agree with the view of Ewald, Prof. Gulyaev, that the Temple was dedicated in the 7th month of the year of its completion, that is, before the completion of the work (in the 8th month). But one cannot at all accept the date in the accepted text of the LXX, according to which the Temple’s dedication took place after the completion of Solomon’s palace, that is, 13 years after the Temple’s construction: καὶ ἐγένετο, ὠς σονέτελεσεν Σαλομὼν τὸν οῖκον Κυρίου καὶ τὸν οῖκον αύτο῀υ μετὰ εἴκοσι ἔτη; the last words are clearly an insertion from (1 Kgs 9:1), disrupting the connection between chapters VIII and VII and introducing an incongruous idea that the Temple remained undecorated for 13 years. On the contrary, according to the Hebrew text, Josephus (Jewish Antiquities VIII, 4, 1) and Jewish tradition (Midrash Vayikra Rabba on Lev 10), the Temple’s dedication took place soon after its completion.

1 Kings 8:3. And all the elders of Israel came; and the priests carried the Ark, 1 Kings 8:4. and they carried the Ark of the Lord and the tabernacle of the congregation and all the sacred vessels that were in the tabernacle; and the priests and Levites carried them. The accepted LXX text here is shorter than the Hebrew, Vulgate, and Slavonic-Russian texts: it does not have the beginning of verse 3 and the end of verse 4. But other Greek manuscripts (Complutensian, Alexandrian, no. 247 and others in Holmes) have these words: the priority, evidently, is with the Hebrew text. The Ark of the Covenant, when it was carried in the wilderness, was ordinarily covered with coverings, and was carried by priests with Levites (Num 4:5) or by priests alone (Josh 3:6). In this case, the priests carried the Ark of the Covenant (v. 6), the Levites carried the other sacred items preserved in the tabernacle. The latter was also brought into the Temple; until now it had been in Gibeon (2 Chr 1:3-4).

1 Kings 8:5. And King Solomon and with him the whole congregation of Israel, gathered with him, walked before the Ark, offering sacrifices of flocks and herds that could not be counted or determined, because of their multitude. “All the congregation of Israel” (Hebrew: kol-adat Isra’el) is rendered in the accepted LXX text as πᾶς Ισραηλ, but in the Alexandrian manuscript and in text no. 247 in Holmes: πᾶσα ἠ συναγωὴ ´Ισραήλ, hence also the Slavonic: “the whole assembly of Israel.”

1 Kings 8:6. And the priests brought the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the Temple, to the Holy of Holies, under the wings of the cherubim. 1 Kings 8:7. For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the Ark, and the cherubim covered the Ark and its poles from above. “Under the wings of the cherubim”: The Ark of the Covenant with the two small cherubim placed upon it, (Exod 25:18), was placed in the Holy of Holies of the Temple – under the wings of a new pair of colossal cherubim (1 Kgs 6:23-28), whose wings overshadowed not only the Ark of the Covenant itself but also the carrying poles that were inserted through rings attached to it (Exod 25:13-16; Num 4:6).

1 Kings 8:8. And the poles extended so that the ends of the poles were visible from the sanctuary before the inner sanctuary, but they were not seen outside; and they are there to this day. The direction of the carrying poles, now remaining immovably with the Ark of the Covenant, in the opinion of most scholars, was from north to south, that is, across the width of the Holy of Holies, though it is more natural, judging from this passage, to think otherwise (from west to east) (A. A. Olesnitsky, 172). The remark “they (the poles) are there to this day” evidently could not belong to the author of the sacred text of 3 and 4 Kings himself, who survived not only the repeated plundering of the Temple and its treasures (1 Kgs 14:26; 2 Kgs 16:17), but also its complete destruction and burning (2 Kgs 25:9-17), but could belong only to a contemporary of the Temple’s construction or someone living not long after Solomon, who compiled the “book of the acts of Solomon” (1 Kgs 11:41). See Prof. P.A. Yungerov. The Origin and Historicity of the Third and Fourth Books of Kings (“Orthodox Conversationalist” 1905, July-August, p. 417).

1 Kings 8:9. In the Ark there was nothing except the two stone tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel after they came out of the land of Egypt. Cf. (Deut 10:5; Heb 9:4).

1 Kings 8:10. And when the priests came out of the sanctuary, the cloud filled the house of the Lord; 1 Kings 8:11. and the priests could not stand to serve because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. (2 Chr 5:11-14). The cloud (verse 10), which filled the Temple, or the glory of Jehovah, which filled the Temple (verse 11), is a Theophanic cloud (in the later language – “Shekinah,” see Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, p. 798), like that which filled the tabernacle at its dedication (Exod 40:34-35, cf. Exod 19:9; Deut 4:11; Ps 96:2), but different from the cloud of incense (Lev 16:2). “The glory of the Lord” (Hebrew kavod-Jehovah) is the usual designation for Jehovah’s self-revelation in the world.

1 Kings 8:12. Then Solomon said, The Lord said that He chooses to dwell in darkness; Speaking of God’s choosing to dwell in darkness, Solomon might have had in mind biblical passages (like (Exod 19:9; Lev 16:2)) about the inaccessible mysteriousness of God; in accordance with this, the Holy of Holies of the Temple had no windows “and no access for material light, since Jehovah chose to surround Himself with darkness for the Old Testament people” (A. A. Olesnitsky, p. 249).

1 Kings 8:13. I have built a temple as a dwelling for You, a place for You to dwell in forever. An expression of strong joy and delight at the awareness that henceforth there is a place of perpetual dwelling of Jehovah among His people. Verses 12–13 in the accepted LXX text are placed in the second half of verse 53 with some additions (see below note on verse 53).

1 Kings 8:14. And the king turned his face and blessed the whole assembly of Israel; the whole assembly of Israel was standing – 1 Kings 8:15. and he said, Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, who has told my father David with His own mouth, and has now fulfilled it with His own hand! He said, 1 Kings 8:16. “Since the day I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city among any of the tribes of Israel for a house to be built, that My name might be there; [but I chose Jerusalem for My name to dwell there] and I chose David to be over My people Israel.” 1 Kings 8:17. My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel; 1 Kings 8:18. but the Lord said to David, my father, “You have it in your heart to build a temple for My name; this is good, that it is in your heart; 1 Kings 8:19. but you shall not build the temple; rather, your son, who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.” 1 Kings 8:20. And the Lord has fulfilled His word that He spoke. I have taken the place of my father David and am seated on the throne of Israel, as the Lord said, and have built the temple for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel; 1 Kings 8:21. and I have prepared a place there for the Ark, in which is the Covenant of the Lord that He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt. 2 Chronicles 6:4–11. (cf. 2 Chron. 6:4–11). If the words of verses 12–13 were spoken by Solomon facing the sanctuary of the Temple, then the speech of verses 14–21 was addressed by him to the people; the “congregation” (Hebrew kahal, Greek ἐκκλησία, Slavonic: “assembly”) was standing in reverence. The speech recounts briefly but fully the entire history of the Temple’s construction from the moment when David conceived the idea (cf. 2 Sam 7:2; 1 Kgs 5:16; 1 Chr 22:6-11). In the expression “a temple for the dwelling of… the name of Jehovah” (verses 16–19, 29; 1 Kgs 9:3; 2 Kgs 21:4; cf. Deut 12:5; 2 Sam 7:13), the name (Hebrew shem) is the revelation of the essence of Jehovah (Exod 3:14) on the side of His holiness and the sanctification of Israel (Exod 29:43-46). 1 Kings 8:22. And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands to heaven, As he begins his prayer, Solomon turns again toward the Temple, stretches out his hands to heaven and bends his knees (verse 54) on the bronze platform (2 Chr 6:13). The raising of hands in prayer, see verse 38, is an ancient and constant custom, a natural expression of prayer’s disposition (cf. Exod 9:29; Isa 1:15; Job 11:13 and others). The kneeling in prayer is just as natural an expression of reverent prayer’s feeling, found in the Bible long before the Babylonian captivity (Gen 24:26; Isa 45:23; Job 1:20 and others), contrary to the opinion (of Benzinger and others) that the custom of kneeling prayer is of post-captivity origin and therefore Solomon’s prayer could have arisen only after the captivity.

1 Kings 8:23. and said, O Lord, God of Israel! There is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below; You keep covenant and mercy toward Your servants who walk before You with all their heart. 1 Kings 8:24. You have fulfilled to Your servant David, my father, what You spoke to him; what You said with Your own mouth, You have fulfilled with Your own hand this day. 1 Kings 8:25. And now, O Lord, God of Israel, fulfill to Your servant David, my father, what You said to him, saying, “There shall not fail you a man before Me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons keep to their way, to walk before Me as you have walked before Me.” 1 Kings 8:26. And now, O God of Israel, let Your word be trustworthy, which You have spoken to Your servant David, my father! (cf. 2 Chr 6:14-17): the introduction to Solomon’s prayer. Thanksgiving to God for the fulfillment of the promised construction of the Temple to David (verses 23–24) and a petition for the strengthening of the Davidic dynasty on the throne (cf. (1 Kgs 2:4) the blessed Theodoret, question 27).

1 Kings 8:27. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You, much less this Temple which I have built [for Your name]; 1 Kings 8:28. but look upon the prayer of Your servant and his petition, O Lord my God; hear the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You now. 1 Kings 8:29. Let Your eyes be open toward this Temple day and night, toward this place of which You have said, “My name shall be there”; hear the prayer which Your servant will pray toward this place. 1 Kings 8:30. And hear the petition of Your servant and Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place; hear from Your dwelling place in heaven, hear and forgive. (cf. 2 Chr 6:18-21): petitions for the Lord to accept the prayers in the Temple. But first an answer is given to a possible objection from a believing and thoughtful person: heaven in all its boundlessness (such is the meaning of the expression “heaven and heaven of heavens” (cf. Deut 10:14); certainly there is no thought here of a definite number of heavens, as the rabbis taught) cannot contain the transcendent God, much less can a man-made Temple be considered such a dwelling place of Jehovah, to which His dwelling was as it were attached (cf. Isa 40:22): Jehovah’s relation to His Temple – is absolutely free condescension of grace and mercy to the chosen people (verse 27); but for the sake of this selection of the people and the Temple (cf. Deut 12:11; 1 Kgs 9:3; 2 Kgs 21:4), Solomon beseeches Jehovah to accept graciously the prayers in His Temple at all times (verses 28–30), particularly for the forgiveness of sins (verses 30, 34, 36, 39, 46, 50). This general petition (verse 29) is followed by seven separate and more specific petitions (verses 31–53); the sevenfold number of these petitions may denote the whole aggregate of possible prayers; 7 is a sacred number, the number of completeness and perfection (Gen 21:28; Exod 37:23; Lev 4:6) and, moreover, in this case is fully analogous in meaning to the seven petitions of the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:9-13).

1 Kings 8:31. When someone sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes the oath before Your altar in this Temple, 1 Kings 8:32. then You hear from heaven and judge Your servants, condemn the wicked and bring his conduct down on his own head, and vindicate the righteous, repaying him according to his righteousness. (cf. 2 Chr 6:22-23). The first case when there will be need for the Lord’s gracious acceptance of prayers in the Temple concerns cases of transgressions with insufficiently clear evidence. By the law, one accused of such a transgression came together with the injured party to the altar of Jehovah and testified to his innocence by oath, while the priest who stood here pronounced curses that were to fall upon him in case of guilt and impenitence (Exod 22:8; Num 5:19-21, cf. Prof. Gulyaev, cited work, p. 222). These oaths are included here among the prayers, since an oath, by its very nature, is a reverent invocation of the name of Jehovah, similar to prayer, (Lev 19:12; Deut 6:13; Isa 48:1; Jer 12:16 and others), to which the Temple was dedicated, and were even placed first as an expression of Israel’s zeal for the holiness of the name of Jehovah, which zeal constituted Israel’s duty (Sir 23:9). Therefore Solomon’s first petition (verses 31–32) may be compared with the first petition of the Lord’s Prayer: “Hallowed be Your name” (Matt 6:9).

1 Kings 8:33. When Your people Israel are defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they turn back to You and confess Your name and pray and plead with You in this Temple, 1 Kings 8:34. then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers. (cf. 2 Chr 6:24-25). The second case: defeated because of his sins by an enemy’s invasion and the removal of some of his people into captivity, Israel will beseech Jehovah in Solomon’s Temple. The fear of being removed from the sacred land chosen by God troubled the ancient Israelite more than anything else (cf. God’s threats (Lev 26:17; Deut 28:25)). Here, however, it is not the Babylonian captivity that is meant, with which Solomon’s Temple was destroyed, while verse 33 speaks of Israel’s prayer precisely in the Temple; it is probably one of the frequent attacks on Israel by neighboring peoples, during which the capture of some Hebrews was possible (cf. (Judg 2:14-15) and others).

1 Kings 8:35. When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, yet if they pray in this place and confess Your name and turn from their sin because You have afflicted them, 1 Kings 8:36. then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel, when You teach them the good way in which they should walk, and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people for an inheritance. (cf. 2 Chr 6:26-27). The third example of public prayer: in case of a prolonged drought in the land because of the people’s sins. In nothing else did ancient Israel feel its dependence on Jehovah so vividly as in the climate conditions of the land: in timely rains or their absence, which determined the fertility or barrenness of the Palestinian soil (Deut 11:10-12; Ezek 34:26; Joel 2:23; Ps 64 and others); drought appeared as a terrible heavenly punishment (Lev 26:3-5; Deut 28:15-23; Amos 4:7; Hag 1:11).

1 Kings 8:37. If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight, mildew, locust, caterpillar, if his enemy besieges him in the land of his gate, if there is any plague, any sickness, 1 Kings 8:38. for any prayer or petition made by anyone of all Your people Israel, when each one knows the affliction in his own heart and spreads out his hands toward this Temple, 1 Kings 8:39. then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, and forgive, and do and give to each one according to all his ways, since You alone know the hearts of all the children of men; 1 Kings 8:40. that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers. (cf. 2 Chr 6:28-31). The fourth case: famine, epidemic, destructive hot wind (for example, the “simoom” – the southeast wind of the Arabian desert), locust plague, and worm (Hebrew arbe, yasil – two names for different kinds of locust, (cf. Joel 1:4); LXX: βροῦχος, ἐρισύβη, Vulgate: locusta vel rubigo) and similar calamities (cf. Lev 26:16; Deut 28:22; Amos 4:9-10; Jer 14:12) will turn the people inward (“heart,” Hebrew lebav, in verse 38, in Biblical language means not just the physical heart, but also conscience) (1 Sam 25:31; Deut 28:65). Righteous recompense to each is possible only for the Heart-knower – God (verse 39). Cf. (1 Sam 16:7; Ps 7:10; Jer 17:10); and the ultimate purpose of God’s wise acts through His Providence is to teach people fear of God (verse 4), cf. (Deut 4:10).

1 Kings 8:41. If also a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, comes from a distant land because of Your name – 1 Kings 8:42. for they will hear of Your great name and of Your strong hand and Your outstretched arm – and he comes and prays toward this Temple, 1 Kings 8:43. then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, and do all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, that they may fear You as Your people Israel do, and that they may know that Your name is called upon this Temple which I have built. (cf. 2 Chr 6:32-33). The fifth case: the Temple of Jehovah may be visited by a foreigner from a distant land (as the Queen of Sheba in (1 Kgs 10:1), Naaman the Syrian in (2 Kgs 5:1-15)), having heard of the greatness and power of the name of Jehovah – “the strong hand and… the outstretched arm” (verse 42, in relation to the history of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt (Exod 6:6; Deut 4:34)). God will fulfill the prayer of such a foreigner so that he might be convinced that the Temple is indeed called by the name of Jehovah (verse 43), (cf. Jer 7:10-11), just as by this same name is called the city of Jerusalem (Jer 25:29) and the Israelite people (Deut 28:10; Isa 63:19); that in this people, in its capital, in its Temple, Jehovah manifests His presence in a special way, so that here people enter into special graceful communion with Him.

1 Kings 8:44. When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way You will send them, and they pray to the Lord, turning toward the city which You have chosen and the Temple which I have built for Your name, 1 Kings 8:45. then hear from heaven their prayer and their petition, and maintain their cause. (cf. 2 Chr 6:34-35). The sixth case: war against an enemy sent by God upon Israel.

1 Kings 8:46. If they sin against You – for there is no one who does not sin – and You are angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they are taken captive to a foreign land, far or near; 1 Kings 8:47. and when they come to themselves in the land where they are captive, and repent and plead with You in the land of those who took them captive, saying, “We have sinned, we have done wrong, we are guilty”; 1 Kings 8:48. and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to You turning toward their land which You gave to their fathers, and toward the city which You have chosen and the Temple which I have built for Your name, 1 Kings 8:49. then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, their prayer and their petition, and maintain their cause; 1 Kings 8:50. and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all the transgressions which they have committed against You, and grant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have compassion on them; (cf. 2 Chr 6:36-39). The seventh case: the captivity of all Israel to the land of foreigners (cf. verses 33–34): in both cases, the prayerful repentant turning of Israel to Jehovah, to the holy land, Jerusalem, and the Temple (verses 44, 48) is to bring down God’s mercy on those who pray and repent: in both cases – to give the people what they need (verses 45, 49–50). In this section scholars (Thenius, Benzinger, Kittel and others) pointed out signs of a later post-captivity origin: a) The custom of turning in prayer toward the holy land, Jerusalem, and the Temple was supposedly only of post-captivity origin (Dan 6:10; 1 Esd 4:58). However, this such a natural position for one praying could have been customary long before the captivity (cf. Ps 5:8) and was only formulated as a legal obligation in later rabbinic legislation (according to the Midrash Sifre 71, one praying outside the land of Israel turns in the direction of the holy land, and one praying in the holy land turns toward the Temple), b) The Babylonian Captivity, which supposedly is described with such clarity in verses 46–50, could not have been foreseen by Solomon; therefore, it is claimed, this description could have arisen only after the captivity. But captivity and mass relocation of conquered peoples to other lands were a common custom of ancient Eastern despots, and there is nothing incomprehensible in the fact that Solomon, after mentioning a series of other calamities, names possible captivity, all the more since it is foretold in the Pentateuch (Lev 26:33; Deut 28:25), and as in the latter, so in Solomon’s account, the description of captivity has a general character, without the specific features of the Babylonian captivity; c) It is also wrongly asserted by some interpreters that the confession formula “We have sinned, we have done wrong, we are guilty” (verse 47) arose only during the Babylonian captivity. In reality, this confession, so natural for a repentant sinner, was used not only during and after captivity (Dan 9:5), but also before captivity, and for a long time before it (Num 14:18-19; 1 Sam 7:6; Ps 50:6). In this passage, this confession is all the more fitting since here is clearly expressed the biblical teaching on humanity’s universal inclination toward sin: “there is no one who does not sin” (verse 46), cf. (Job 14:4; Prov 20:9; Eccl 7:20; Ps 50:7; Sir 7:5; 2 Esd 8:35; 1 John 1:8).

1 Kings 8:51. for they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You have brought out of Egypt, from the iron furnace. 1 Kings 8:52. May Your eyes be open to the prayer of Your servant and to the prayer of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call upon You, 1 Kings 8:53. for You have set them apart for Yourself as Your own portion out of all the peoples of the earth, as You spoke through Moses, Your servant, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Sovereign Lord! The ground of Solomon’s hope, together, of course, and of the whole people, for God’s mercy and forgiveness – is Israel’s election by Jehovah as His own portion (Exod 19:5-6; Deut 4:20). Verse 53 in the accepted Greek text has an addition compared with the Hebrew Masoretic: not only verses 12–13, which are present in the Hebrew text in their place, are placed here, but also a special addition: τότε ἐλάλησε Σαλομὼν ὑπὲρ τοῦ οἴκου, ώς συνετέλεσε οίκοδομησαι αὐτόν. Ἥλιον ἐγνιπισεν ἐν οὐρανῶ (Κύριος), Slavonic: “then Solomon spoke concerning the Temple, when he finished building it: the sun has been made known in heaven.” At the end of the verse there is another addition in the Greek-Slavonic text: οὐκ ἰδυὺ γέγραπται ἐν βιβλίω τῆς ὠδῆς; “Is not this written in the book of the song.” On the first addition, which artistically completes the thought (verse 12) about Jehovah’s choosing to dwell in darkness, the blessed Theodoret (question 28) says: “Darkness and gloom signify the invisibility of God’s essence. Therefore Solomon said that He who Set the sun in heaven, that people might enjoy light, Himself said He would dwell in darkness. I think, however, that here the Temple is understood symbolically, because it had very small windows, as it was surrounded by other small buildings” (question 28). “The book of the song” the blessed Theodoret (question 29) considers to be one of the prophetic writings. In modern times this book is brought close to the “book of the righteous” (Josh 10:13; 2 Sam 1:18 and further), since, according to an ingenious and not improbable conjecture of Wellhausen, the expression “book of the song” was formed from the expression “book of the righteous” through a possible transposition of letters: yashar (righteous) was changed to shir (song). In (2 Chr 6:41-42) Solomon’s prayer has a different conclusion, very close to the words of a psalm (Ps 131:8-10) and possibly borrowed from that psalm.

1 Kings 8:54. And when Solomon had finished all these prayers and petitions to the Lord, he rose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. 1 Kings 8:55. And standing, he blessed the whole assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 1 Kings 8:56. Blessed is the Lord [God], who has given rest to His people Israel, as He promised! Not one word has failed of all the good words that He spoke through His servant Moses; 1 Kings 8:57. may the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers, and may He not leave us or forsake us, 1 Kings 8:58. that He may turn our hearts to Himself, so that we may walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and His statutes and His laws, which He commanded our fathers; 1 Kings 8:59. And may these words of mine, which I have prayed [now] before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that He may provide for His servant and for His people Israel, day by day, 1 Kings 8:60. so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is no other; 1 Kings 8:61. and that your heart may be wholly devoted to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this time. The epilogue to Solomon’s prayer: thanksgiving to God (verse 56), blessings, good wishes, and instructions from the king to the people (verses 57–61). Jehovah “has given rest to His people” (verse 56): rest in the promised land, promised by Jehovah, (Deut 12:10-11), was fully realized only with the construction of a permanent Temple bearing His name, and the dedication of the Temple, filled at this time with the glory of Jehovah (verses 10–11), was factual proof that the rest promised to the people had been achieved through the construction of a permanent Temple by the “man of rest” (1 Chr 22:9) – Solomon. (2 Chr 7:1) supplements the book of Kings with the account that after Solomon’s prayer, fire fell from heaven and consumed the sacrifices (this is also mentioned by Josephus, Jewish Antiquities VIII, 4, 4), which was the expression of the acceptance of the sacrifices and the reality of the graceful presence of Jehovah (cf. Lev 9:24; Judg 6:20-21; 1 Kgs 18:38; 2 Macc 2:10).

1 Kings 8:62. And the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices to the Lord. 1 Kings 8:63. And Solomon offered peace offerings which he offered to the Lord: twenty-two thousand cattle and one hundred twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the Temple of the Lord. 1 Kings 8:64. On that same day, the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard, which was before the Temple of the Lord, and performed there burnt offerings and grain offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which was before the Lord was too small to accommodate the burnt offerings and grain offerings and the fat of the peace offerings. 1 Kings 8:65. And Solomon held a festival, and all Israel with him – a great assembly, gathered from the entrance of Hamath to the River of Egypt, before the Lord our God; [and they ate and drank and made merry before the Lord our God at the Temple that had been built] – for seven days and seven more days, fourteen days in all. 1 Kings 8:66. On the eighth day, Solomon sent the people away. And they blessed the king and went to their tents, rejoicing and glad in heart for all the goodness that the Lord had shown to His servant David and to His people Israel. The enormous number of sacrifices (verse 63), predominantly peace offerings (Hebrew shlamim), which as is well known, were associated with feasts of those offering them and their invited guests (Lev 7:11 and further; Deut 12:7), is fully understandable given the huge gathering of people (verse 65) at the celebration lasting not less than two weeks (65, cf. the blessed Theodoret, question 30). In light of the abundance of sacrifices, additional altars were also set up and dedicated in the courtyard of the Temple. The expression “from the entrance of Hamath to the River of Egypt” reminds us of the already known “from the River Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the borders of Egypt” (1 Kgs 4:21); both expressions define the borders of the Hebrew kingdom under Solomon from the extreme northeast to the extreme southwest. Hamath (Hebrew Hamah, LXX: Ημάθ, Εμάθ, Αιμάθ; Vulgate: Emath) – in Moses’ time – the northern boundary of the promised land (Num 13:22); (Onomastics 424–425), north of the Anti-Lebanon or Hermon mountains, on the Orontes River. Under David, Hamath with its region was an independent state, and a friendly prince Toi ruled there (2 Sam 8:9-10; 1 Chr 18:9-10); Solomon occupied it (2 Chr 8:3-4) and fortified it (1 Kgs 9:19; cf. 2 Kgs 14:28). The Greeks later called Hamath Επιφάνεια (Reland. Palästina, 119). “The River of Egypt” or “the Stream (Hebrew nachal) of Egypt” is not the Nile, but the southwestern boundary of Palestine (Num 34:5), where the city of Rhinocorura was located, now El-Arish, near Gaza (Onomastics 797). “Seven days and seven more days, fourteen days”: the first seven days – from the 8th to the 14th of the 7th month of Ethanim or Tishri, and then the 15th–22nd of the same month – the celebration of the seven-day festival (Lev 23:39-43) of Tabernacles (2 Chr 7:8-10), on the concluding day of which (the 8th day, the 23rd, verse 66), (cf. 2 Chr 7:10) Solomon dismissed the people. * * * Similar gatherings of people in Jerusalem took place later, for example, at the Passover festival. According to Josephus (“The Jewish War,” VI, 9, 3), in the fateful year for Judea (70 A.D.) of Jerusalem’s fall, at the Passover festival, about 2 million people gathered: 256,000 Passover lambs alone were slaughtered.

Chapter Nine

1–9. A new revelation to Solomon. 10–14. Cities ceded by Solomon to Hiram. 15–19. The tribute imposed by Solomon upon the people for his building projects, and the cities he built for storage. 20–22. Tribute laborers from the Canaanites and the more free condition of native Hebrews. 23–28. Overseers of the laborers, the palace for Solomon’s wife, his solemn annual sacrifices, and his fleet for overseas merchant voyages.

1 Kings 9:1. And after Solomon had finished building the Temple of the Lord and the royal house and all that Solomon had desired to build, 1 Kings 9:2. the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. “After the festival, the Lord appears to Solomon again, making this provision for his salvation so that, having been freed from cares, he might not give himself to idleness and out of necessity might remember His laws; He promises to confirm the covenant given to the father, and threatens destruction to those who transgress His laws, and that for their sake He will abandon the consecrated Temple” (the blessed Theodoret, question 30). Thus, the blessed Theodoret attributes this second (after Gibeon) (1 Kgs 3:5-14) or strictly third (if counting the one that occurred during the Temple’s construction (1 Kgs 6:11-13)) revelation of God to Solomon to the time immediately after the Temple’s dedication. Jewish tradition (Midrash Vayikra Rabba on Lev 10) even referred this divine appearance to the very night after the Temple’s consecration. In favor of this, one could argue that the words of the revelation (cf. 2 Chr 7:12-16) in this case have the character of a response to Solomon’s prayer. However, if this revelation, in its content, is undoubtedly connected with the Temple’s dedication described in the preceding (VIII) chapter, the time of this revelation, according to the direct testimony of the biblical text (1 Kgs 9:1), is determined as follows: “after Solomon had finished building the Temple of the Lord and the royal house,” that is, not less than 13 years after the Temple’s dedication (1 Kgs 6:38) or 20 years from the laying of the Temple (1 Kgs 6:1; 2 Chr 8:1), that is, in the 24th year of Solomon’s reign. According to the thought of Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow, “the purpose of God’s discourse consists not so much in the promise with which it begins, but in the threat with which it ends. Surely, the Heart-knower saw clearly the danger which external happiness posed to Solomon’s virtue, and warned him beforehand” (Outline of Church-Biblical History, 10th edition, p. 228, note). Thus, the divine revelation described in (1 Kgs 9:1-9) to Solomon happened at the moment of the flowering of his external glory and power, with which coincided the foretelling of his future fall (cf. 1 Kgs 11:1-9).

1 Kings 9:3. And the Lord said to him, I have heard your prayer and your petition, for which you have asked of Me; [I have done according to your prayer]. I have consecrated this Temple, which you have built, to put My name there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there all the time. 1 Kings 9:4. And if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a pure heart and in uprightness, doing all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My laws, 1 Kings 9:5. then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I said to your father David, saying, “There shall not fail you a successor on the throne of Israel.” The first part of God’s speech is a promise – to dwell in Solomon’s Temple “forever” (Hebrew ad-olam, verse 3), that is, until the coming of the Messiah – and to establish the Davidic dynasty on the throne (verse 5) on the condition of Solomon’s imitating David (verse 4), that truly theocratic king. This promise, in its content and meaning, closely recalls what was spoken to Solomon earlier (1 Kgs 3:14).

1 Kings 9:6. But if you and your descendants turn away from Me and do not keep My commandments and My statutes, which I have given you, but go and serve other gods and bow down to them, 1 Kings 9:7. then I will cut off Israel from the face of the land which I have given him, and the Temple which I have consecrated for My name I will cast away from My presence, and Israel will become a byword and a mockery among all the peoples. 1 Kings 9:8. And concerning this Temple, so exalted, everyone passing by it will be appalled and hiss, and will say, “Why has the Lord dealt thus with this land and this Temple?” 1 Kings 9:9. And they will say, “Because they abandoned the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods and bowed down to them and served them – because of this the Lord has brought all this disaster upon them.” (cf. 2 Chr 7:19-22). The second and principal idea of the revelation is expressed in God’s threats against Israel, its land, and the Temple in case of unfaithfulness of the Israelites to Jehovah and serving “other gods”; these threats are essentially identical to those proclaimed to Israel by Moses himself (cf. Lev 26:14; Deut 8:19). This divine judgment was fulfilled against the people and the Temple first upon the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple and the captivity of the people by Nebuchadnezzar (around 539 B.C.) (2 Kgs 25:9), and finally, already after Israel’s rejection of the Messiah – Christ the Savior – in 70 A.D., when Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed again and the Judean people ceased to exist as a whole independent nation.

1 Kings 9:10. And at the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, – the house of the Lord and the royal house, – 1 Kings 9:11. for which Hiram, king of Tyre, had supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress wood and gold according to his desire, – King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. 1 Kings 9:12. And Hiram went out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him, and they did not please him. 1 Kings 9:13. And he said, What are these cities which you have given me, my brother? And he called them the land of Cabul, as they are called to this day. 1 Kings 9:14. And Hiram sent to the king one hundred twenty talents of gold. This section stands outside the historical connection with the previous one. Despite the external splendor and wealth of Solomon’s reign, he apparently had no way to reward Hiram, the king of Tyre, for his services in the construction (verse 11) (1 Kgs 5:7-12; 2 Chr 2:8-16), except by ceding to him a portion of Israelite territory, in direct contradiction to the prohibition of the law to sell the land forever (Lev 25:23), and thus to alienate any part of it. Solomon gave Hiram “20 cities in the land of Galilee,” Hebrew Galil (verse 11), LXX: Γαλιλάια, Vulgate: Galilaea. This is not the entire Galilee in the later, New Testament sense – the region between Samaria on the south and Lebanon on the north (Josephus, Jewish War III, 3, 1; (Luke 8:26; Acts 9:31); Onomastics 320), but only the most northern part of it, originally designated as the portion of the tribe of Naphtali (Josh 20:7), but remaining in the hands of Canaanites, predominantly populated by them, and therefore called “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Matt 4:15). This could provide some justification for Solomon’s action regarding the cities. However, situated in a poor, uncultivated province, they naturally did not please Hiram, which he expressed by naming the province Cabul (verse 13). According to the explanation of Josephus (Jewish Antiquities VIII, 5, 3), Cabul, Χάβαλον, means from the Phoenician “unpleasing, unpleasant” (οὐκ ἀρέσκον). The LXX render the Hebrew Cabul sometimes through the proper name Χάβαλον, sometimes through the common noun opiov, Slavonic: “the boundary [of Chavul],” apparently bringing the name close to the Hebrew gevul (boundary, border). The common noun meaning of the name Cabul is generally unclear. “My brother” (verse 13) in Hiram’s address to Solomon is not an expression of intimacy, but the language of diplomatic relations between ancient rulers (cf. 1 Kgs 20:32; 1 Macc 10:18). In (2 Chr 8:2), on the contrary, it is said that Hiram gave cities to Solomon and that the latter settled them and placed Israelites in them. Here (verse 14) it only mentions the 120 talents of gold sent by Hiram to Solomon.

1 Kings 9:15. Here is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon imposed, in order to build the Temple of the Lord and his own house, and the Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer. 1 Kings 9:16. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, came and captured Gezer, and burned it with fire, and killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and gave it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. 1 Kings 9:17. And Solomon built Gezer and Lower Beth-horon, The reason for both Solomon’s material dependence on Hiram and the heavy tribute imposed by Solomon upon the people was one and the same: the multitude of building projects undertaken by him; and the word “build” (bana) when applied to whole cities, sometimes long-existing and earlier, can mean simply repair, restoration, and fortification of a city. Thus, Solomon built, besides the Temple and palace, also the Millo and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer (verse 15). “Millo” (LXX: Μελὼ καὶ τὴν ἄκραν, Slavonic: “Melon and acropolis”) – an embankment, a rampart, but also a fortress (such as, for example, was in Shechem), (Judg 9:6); in Jerusalem, David himself founded such a fortress, perhaps strengthened an already existing one left by the Jebusites (2 Sam 5:9; 1 Chr 11:8), and Solomon apparently undertook restoration of these fortifications more than once (1 Kgs 9:15); at the same time, he fortified and perhaps expanded the wall of Jerusalem (1 Kgs 3:1). “Hazor,” LXX: Ασσούρ, Slavonic: “Assur,” is a city in the tribe of Naphtali (Josh 19:36), once the capital of the Canaanite king Jabin (Josh 11:1; Judg 4:2). “Megiddo” (cf. 1 Kgs 4:12) is an important strategic point at the entrance to the Jezreel Valley, the key to the middle and northern Palestine. “Gezer” or Gazer (LXX: Γαζερ, Εσερ) – a Levite city on the western boundary of the tribe of Ephraim, near the Mediterranean Sea; once conquered by Joshua (Josh 10:33), it was not retained by the Hebrews (Judg 1:29) and remained in the hands of the Canaanites until (verse 16) Pharaoh – Solomon’s father-in-law, perhaps Ramesses Miamun (according to Clericus’ conjecture) – took it from the Canaanites and gave it to Solomon as a dowry for his daughter (now Tell-Gezer) (verse 17). Solomon fortified Gezer and nearby Beth-horon (Bet-horon, Βαιθωρών), called Lower; in (Josh 16:5) Upper Beth-horon is mentioned, and according to (2 Chr 8:5) Solomon built both Beth-horons, upper and lower – both in the tribe of Ephraim, now Beit-Ur (Robinson. Palästina, III, 273).

1 Kings 9:18. and Baalah and Tadmor in the wilderness, “Baalah” is in the tribe of Dan (Josh 19:44) not far from Gezer and Beth-horon (cf. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities VII, 6, 1). “Tadmor” (Thadmor, LXX: Θωμώθ, Onomastics 515: according to Eusebius: Θερμώθ; according to the blessed Jerome: Thermoth) – according to conjecture, “a large and wealthy city between the Euphrates and Damascus” (Keil), in the Lebanese mountains, modern Baalbek (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities VII, 6, 1). This conjecture is supported by the fact that in the ketib of the Masoretic text the name Tadmor is written: Tamar (the proper palm tree): Palmyra-Baalbek. But in the parallel passage (2 Chr 8:4) we have Thadmor, so read the ancient translations and the Masoretic qere in manuscripts 30, 113, 115, 246, 249, 251. The main reason, however, preventing us from seeing Palmyra or Baalbek, a Syrian city, here is the fact that Solomon could not possess this city because of its remote location from the boundaries of his domains. Therefore, it is more likely that “Tadmor in the wilderness” should be sought in the south of Solomon’s kingdom, all the more since in the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 47:19) a city of this name is mentioned among the southern border cities of Palestine.

1 Kings 9:19. and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and whatever Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem and on Lebanon and in all the land of his dominion. “Storage cities” – like the Egyptian Pithom and Ramesses (Exod 1:11; cf. 2 Chr 8:4), where there were grain storehouses or magazines (2 Chr 16:4); “cities for chariots, and cities for horsemen”: Solomon’s cavalry and chariots were distributed among various cities, whose inhabitants maintained the cavalry and stored the chariots (1 Kgs 4:26).

1 Kings 9:20. All the people remaining from the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, [Canaanites,] Girgashites, Evites, Jebusites, and [Girgashites], who were not of the sons of Israel, 1 Kings 9:21. their offspring remaining after them on the land, whom the sons of Israel were not able to destroy completely, Solomon made serve as forced laborers even to this day. 1 Kings 9:22. But the sons of Israel Solomon did not make serve as laborers; instead, they were his men of war, his servants, his princes, his commanders, and the commanders of his chariots and his horsemen. Conquered peoples and captives, according to the common custom of the East, were used for forced state labor. Therefore, Solomon employed all the Canaanites for continuous tributary work (1 Kgs 5:15). Native Hebrews, however, were freed from such work or, at least, were conscripted for such labor only in particular cases, as during the building of the Temple (1 Kgs 5:13) or during the repair of the city fortress (1 Kgs 11:27), when the workers were Hebrews from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (verse 28), which served as a cause for Jeroboam’s rebellion.

1 Kings 9:23. These were the chief officials over Solomon’s work: five hundred fifty who supervised the people doing the work. Concerning the different numbers of overseers according to the indication of this verse, (1 Kgs 5:16), as well as (2 Chr 2:18); see the note on (1 Kgs 5:16). The difference in figures is most likely explained by the fact that the number of Solomon’s overseers was indeed different at different times, depending on the varying number of workers employed at any given time.

1 Kings 9:24. Pharaoh’s daughter moved from the City of David to her house, which Solomon had built for her; then he built the Millo. See verse 15 and (1 Kgs 3:1). The reason for settling Solomon’s wife, the Pharaoh’s daughter, in a separate palace in (2 Chr 8:11) is attributed to Solomon’s reverent concern not to offend the holiness of the House of David, which lay near the Temple, by settling a woman there.

1 Kings 9:25. And Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he had built for the Lord, and he burned incense before the Lord. And he finished the construction of the house. From the succession of Solomon’s sacrifices, those offered three times a year are distinguished, that is, at the great festivals of the Hebrew ecclesiastical year: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, (2 Chr 8:12-13).

1 Kings 9:26. King Solomon also made a fleet at Ezion-geber, which is beside Elath, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. 1 Kings 9:27. And Hiram sent with the fleet his servants who were sailors, men who knew the sea, along with the servants of Solomon; 1 Kings 9:28. and they went to Ophir, and brought from there four hundred twenty talents of gold, and brought it to King Solomon. To cover the numerous expenses of the building projects and other costs, Solomon sought out a source of state income completely unknown before him: maritime trade, naturally under the direction of the maritime traders well-known in the ancient world – the Phoenicians (verse 27). The sacred writer speaks in detail about this unprecedented venture of Solomon here and below (1 Kgs 10:11); cf. (2 Chr 8:17-18). The place of construction of the fleet, more precisely the fleet (the Hebrew word means fleet, while a ship in Hebrew is oniyya), cf. (Prov 30:19), setting out for distant voyages, is determined by two cities: 1) “Ezion-geber” (LXX: Γασιων Γαβερ, Slavonic: “Gasion Gabersky”), an Edomite port on the northeastern gulf, the so-called Elanitic gulf of the Red Sea (Hebrew Yam-Suf, that is, “reed sea” – from the abundance of reeds along its shores); this region became known to the Hebrews at the time of the desert wanderings (Num 33:35; Deut 2:8), (cf. the blessed Theodoret, question 31). Near Ezion-geber was also “Elath” (LXX: Αιλαθ), cf. (Deut 2:8); a city after which the gulf was named Elanitic. David took this port city from the Edomites (2 Sam 8:14); later Uzziah fortified it (2 Kgs 14:22), but under Ahaz, Elath was recaptured from the Judeans by Rezin of Syria for the Edomites (2 Kgs 16:6). Later Elath was called Elana, otherwise Berenice (Josephus VIII, 6, 4; Onomastics 423; Robinson 279), now Aqaba. Elath, more than Ezion-geber, had important trading significance and therefore became the departure point for the Jewish merchant fleet to the mysterious gold-bearing land of “Ophir” (LXX: Ωφείρ, Σωφείρ and others). The location of the latter was attempted to be determined partly by the similarity of its name to various lands on the globe, partly on the basis of the goods brought from Ophir. Ophir was thought to be: 1) in India (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities VIII, 6, 4; the blessed Theodoret, question 32 and many modern scholars), where Ophir was identified with the city of Sopara on the western coast of India or with the city of Abhira on the eastern coast. But the identification of such different names is doubtful; furthermore, there was no gold in India; finally, voyages to India were improbable due to their distance; 2) in East Africa, where the city of Sofala was on the coast opposite Madagascar. But the acquaintance of the Hebrews and even the Phoenicians with East Africa is even more doubtful; 3) in South Arabia: in favor of this assumption is the fact that in (Gen 10:26) Ophir, one of the descendants of Joktan, appears as the ancestor of Arab tribes (along with Sheba and Havila). This assumption is supported by both Jewish and Christian tradition (Onomastics 924). The proximity of this region to Elath was not an obstacle to the fleet spending three years on a single voyage, (1 Kgs 10:22): it is not known how long the fleet stayed in Ophir. From Ophir the fleet brought 420 (according to (2 Chr 8:18) – 450) talents of gold. * * * According to the Midrash, after the Temple’s dedication, Solomon celebrated his wedding with Pharaoh’s daughter: as a result of unbridled merriment at the wedding feast, Solomon overslept the time of the morning sacrifice, and moreover deprived the people of the opportunity to offer it, since the keys to the Temple were kept by Solomon. In general, according to tradition, the moment of the Temple’s dedication was also the beginning of Solomon’s apostasy. Qeri and ketib are marks in Hebrew manuscripts of the biblical text belonging to Hebrew text critics; “qeri” shows how to read the word correctly; “ketib” is the most probable spelling of a questionable word.

Chapter Ten

1–13. The visit of the Queen of Sheba. 14–25. The wealth of Solomon, the luxury and magnificence of his court and his fame among the kings of the earth. 26–29. Solomon’s cavalry.

1 Kings 10:1. The Queen of Sheba, having heard of Solomon’s fame in the name of the Lord, came to test him with riddles. The residence and kingdom of the Queen of Sheba (Heb. Sheba) is usually considered to be in Happy Arabia (Gen 10:7; 1 Chr 1:9). According to Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews VIII, 6, 5), on the contrary, she lived and reigned in Ethiopia; Josephus’s opinion is repeated by Eusebius–Jerome (Onomast 807) and the blessed Theodoret (question 33). But Josephus’s opinion is based on confusing the tribe of Sheba (Arabian) with the tribe of Seba—Cushite (Isa 43:3; Ps 71:10). In Muslim tradition the name of the Queen of Sheba—Bilkis—has been preserved (cf. Quran, sura 27, 29, Russian trans. by Prof. G. Sablukoff, Kazan, 1877, p. 322). The purpose of the Queen of Sheba’s visit is thus defined: “came to test him (Solomon) with riddles”; contests of wit were at that time customary among the Arabs, among whom the wise men of one tribe sought the opportunity to contest with the wise men of another friendly tribe (cf. Judg 14:12-19). Such a contest in riddle-solving, according to Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews VIII, 5, 3), also took place in Solomon’s dealings with Hiram of Tyre. In the Gospel, in the words of the Lord (Matt 12:42; Luke 11:31) the purpose of the Queen of Sheba’s coming is indicated as the desire to hear Solomon’s wisdom, as a weak prefigurement of the Divine wisdom of the Lord’s teaching, and in this respect she is a type of all the Gentiles, who apart from the law tended toward Christ and subsequently in deed turned to Him (the blessed Theodoret, question 33).

1 Kings 10:2. And she came to Jerusalem with very great wealth: camels laden with spices and a great quantity of gold and precious stones; and she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that was on her heart. Among the gifts with which, according to the customs of the East, the Queen of Sheba testified to Solomon her respect (cf. Ps 71:10), mention is made of “spices” (Heb. besamin), probably a balsam plant: according to Josephus, the plant growing in Palestine near Jericho and yielding the root of opobalsamum traces its origin to the Queen of Sheba (Antiquities of the Jews VIII, 6, 6); this plant, without doubt, comes from Arabia (Prof. Guliaev, p. 232). “Came to Solomon”—a repeated expression (cf. v. 1), which according to the Rabbis means supposedly a marriage union of Solomon with the Queen of Sheba.

1 Kings 10:3. And Solomon explained to her all her words, and there was nothing hidden from the king that he did not explain to her. “Nothing hidden”—(from the Heb. hidden, nelam), Slavonic: “no word was disregarded”—a literal translation of the inaccurate Greek expression: οὐκ ἤν λόγος παρεωραμένος.

1 Kings 10:4. And when the Queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the house that he had built, 1 Kings 10:5. and the food at his table, and the seating of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their clothing, and his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he offered in the house of the Lord. And she could no longer restrain herself Solomon’s wisdom was manifested before the Queen of Sheba not in words alone but in all the institutions, orders, and arrangements of his court. “And she could no longer restrain herself”, Slavonic: “was beside herself”, in the LXX: ἐαυτῆς ἐγένετο, from the Heb.: there was no spirit in her (Vulg.: non habebat ultra spiritum).

1 Kings 10:6. And she said to the king: The report which I heard in my land of your achievements and of your wisdom is true; 1 Kings 10:7. but I did not believe the report until I came, and my own eyes have seen it; and behold, the half has not been told to me; you have greater wisdom and wealth than the report I heard. 1 Kings 10:8. Blessed are your people and blessed are these your servants who always stand before you and hear your wisdom! 1 Kings 10:9. Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king, to execute justice and righteousness. 1 Kings 10:10. And she gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold and a great quantity of spices and precious stones; no such abundance of spices was ever brought as what the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. Acknowledging that the fame and wisdom of Solomon surpassed the report about him, the queen considers those around Solomon blessed (vv. 6–8). Instead of “your people” (from Heb.), the Slavonic text has (from the Greek) “your wives” (αἱ γυναῖκές): the LXX read in the Hebrew text not anaschim (men) as in the present Masoretic text, but naschim (women); and this reading (in connection with the following “blessed are these your servants”) deserves preference over the Hebrew—Russian text. From the fact that the queen blesses Yahweh, one should not infer that she became a proselyte, just as similar words of Hiram (1 Kgs 5:7), contrary to the opinion of the Rabbis who considered them both proselytes of Judaism. V. 10 cf. 13. The gifts of the queen and Solomon to each other—a customary expression in the East of respect and honor (cf. Ps 71:10; Matt 2:11).

1 Kings 10:11. And the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, also brought from Ophir a great quantity of almug wood and precious stones. 1 Kings 10:12. And the king used the almug wood to make railings for the house of the Lord and for the royal house, and to make lyres and harps for the singers; never again was such almug wood brought or seen to this day. By association with the account of the rich gifts of the Queen of Sheba (v. 10), mention is again made (cf. 1 Kgs 9:28) of the treasures brought by the fleet sailing to Ophir (cf. below v. 22). Here, along with precious stones, the wood almug is mentioned—commonly understood as red sandalwood or black ebony, growing in India and Persia (Gesenius, Thesaurus linguae hebr., p. 23; according to Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews VIII, 7, 1—pine or fir). From this precious wood Solomon made “railings” or “platforms” (Heb. misad), cf. (2 Chr 9:11) for the temple and palace (according to some—divans along the walls), as well as musical instruments: lyres (Heb. kinnorot) and harps (nevaliм), according to the LXX: νάβλας καὶ κινύρα, Vulg.: citharas lyrasque, Slavonic: “pipes and harps.” Both are string instruments (Ps 70:22): the difference between them lay partly in the different construction of the resonating box and partly in the manner of playing (cf. the blessed Theodoret, question 34).

1 Kings 10:14. The gold that came to Solomon each year weighed six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, 1 Kings 10:15. besides what came from merchants and traders and from all the kings of Arabia and from the governors of the land. The annual income of Solomon: 666 talents of gold, according to Keil’s calculation, equaled 17 million thalers, on our money—about 20 million rubles. A talent—3000 shekels or 50 minas (Exod 38:25). Solomon’s special, of course annual income consisted of tolls from merchants and traders, as well as tribute from the conquered kings of “Arabia” (Heb. ereb, in the LXX: τοῦ πέραν, Slavonic: “foreign”).

1 Kings 10:16. And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold, using six hundred shekels of gold for each shield; 1 Kings 10:17. and three hundred small shields of beaten gold, using three minas of gold for each shield; and the king put these in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 1 Kings 10:18. And the king made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold; 1 Kings 10:19. the throne had six steps, and there was a round top to the throne, and on both sides of the seat were armrests, and two lions stood beside the armrests; 1 Kings 10:20. and twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. Nothing like it was made for any kingdom. 1 Kings 10:21. All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon; Among the objects of luxury in Solomon’s palace the sacred writer mentions: a) two types of golden shields: large shields, Heb. tsinah, weighing 600 shekels each, which covered the entire body, and a smaller one—Heb. magen, weighing 3 minas (180 shekels) or 300 shekels (2 Chr 9:16); the shields were placed in the House of the Forest of Lebanon; they apparently had no military significance, but were used in ceremonial royal processions (1 Kgs 14:28); b) a throne of ivory (vv. 18–20); regarding its structure according to Jewish tradition see the note to (1 Kgs 7:7).

1 Kings 10:22. For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish with the fleet of Hiram: once every three years the fleet of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys. Tarshish (Heb. Tarshish), according to the commonly accepted opinion, is a Phoenician colony in Spain (cf. Isa 23:10; Jer 10:9; Ezek 38:13). But the expression “ships of Tarshish at sea” does not mean a ship or fleet sailing to Tarshish (as mistakenly in (2 Chr 9:21). Vulg.: ibat in Tharsis): Solomon’s fleet sailed to Ophir (1 Kgs 9:28), not to Tarshish; this expression has a general sense: an ocean-going ship, a ship for distant voyages, like today we have epithets for steamships “Greenlandic” or “East-Indian.” Josephus, on the other hand, saw here the name of a gulf of the Mediterranean Sea near the Cilician city of Tarsus, the birthplace of the Apostle Paul: “Solomon,” says Josephus, “had a multitude of ships in the so-called Tarsic Sea” (Antiquities of the Jews VIII, 7, 2). But nothing is known about the latter from the biblical text. Among the goods brought by the fleet are mentioned apes (Heb. kofim) and monkeys (Heb. tukkiim). Josephus considered the latter word to be a designation of slaves, Ethiopians.

1 Kings 10:23. Thus King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom. 1 Kings 10:24. And all the kings on earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom that God had put in his heart. 1 Kings 10:25. And they brought every one his tribute: vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armor, and spices, horses, and mules, year by year. 1 Kings 10:26. And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen; and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. The pinnacle of Solomon’s fame (cf. 2 Chr 9:22-34). Regarding chariots and cavalry cf. (1 Kgs 4:26; 2 Chr 1:14-16). The repeated mention of them is intended to mark their novelty for Israel and, perhaps, the contradiction with the law concerning the king (Deut 17:16).

1 Kings 10:27. And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. A figurative and hyperbolic expression to denote the luxury of Solomon’s court life. The sycamore, Heb. shikma, Greek: σικόμορος συκαμινος, Slavonic: “mulberry”—the lower kind of fig tree, a tree of low height (Isa 9:10).

1 Kings 10:28. And Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue; and the king’s merchants bought them from Kue at a price. 1 Kings 10:29. A chariot from Egypt was imported for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty. And so through the merchants they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of the Arameans. The purchase of horses was conducted on the border with Egypt. “From Kue”, Slavonic: “from Tekuah”, LXX: ἐχ Θεκουε, Vulg.: de Coa. The corresponding Hebrew word miqve is understood in two ways: either as a single whole word miqve (multitude, throng) (cf. Gen 1:10; Exod 7:19; Lev 11:36), in this case: “a caravan (of merchants)” or “a herd (of horses)”; or, according to the translations LXX, Vulg., and others, the mentioned word is divided into two: min-kve (Kue), with the latter considered as the name of a place or province in Cilicia or on the border of Egypt (Winkler, Bretz, Keil). The latter opinion deserves preference. * * * In the Greek translation: forty thousand horses.

Chapter Eleven

1–8. The sins of Solomon. 9–13. God’s wrath on Solomon and the prediction of the division of his kingdom. 14–22. The beginning of the execution of God’s judgment on Solomon and his house; Solomon’s first opponent—Adah the Edomite. 23–25. Solomon’s second enemy—Razon, usurper of royal power in Syria. 26–28. Solomon’s third enemy—Jeroboam the Ephraimite. 29–39. The prophecy of Ahijah to Jeroboam of his future reign over 10 tribes. 40–43. Jeroboam’s flight to Egypt from Solomon’s wrath and the latter’s death.

1 Kings 11:1. Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, Hittites, 1 Kings 11:2. from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the Israelites: “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for they will surely incline your heart to follow their gods”; Solomon clung to these in love. 1 Kings 11:3. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned his heart away. The immense wealth of Solomon (1 Kgs 10:14-29) and the dazzling splendor of his reign in general, which placed the Hebrew king on a level with the most renowned kings of the pagan nations of his time, inclined the king to imitate them first in the cultural side of life, and then in religion, contrary to the explicit prohibition of the law. Such prohibited innovations of Solomon (Deut 17:16-17) were the already mentioned multiplication of cavalry and chariots (cf. the note to (1 Kgs 10:23-26)), and even more his unlimited polygamy: Solomon had up to 1000 wives (700 wives of the first rank and 300 concubines (v. 3)). This extraordinary polygamy is explained not so much by Solomon’s excessive love of women (LXX: φιλογύνης, Slavonic: “fond of women”, cf. Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews VIII, 7, 5) as by motives of a political nature—a vain desire to enhance the fame of his court by increasing the harem and to surpass in this regard other kings. Having set himself the goal of filling his harem, Solomon made no distinction between nationalities and completely disregarded the law’s prohibition against marriages with Canaanite women (Exod 34:16; Deut 7:1-4). In the Greek-Slavonic texts, besides the nationalities mentioned in the Hebrew-Russian texts (v. 1), the Amorite is also mentioned, which may be a general name for Canaanites (cf. Gen 48:22; Josh 24:15; Deut 1:7). It is quite possible that many of these wives were not actual, serving only to decorate and glorify the court; in the poetic expression of the Song of Solomon (Song 6:8) it is mentioned that Solomon had 60 queens and 80 concubines.

1 Kings 11:4. When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away to follow other gods; and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 1 Kings 11:5. For Solomon went after Astarte the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 1 Kings 11:6. So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not wholly follow the Lord as David his father had. What the law sought to prevent by prohibiting marriages with Canaanite women—namely, the temptation to serve their gods—became a fact in Solomon’s old age: under the influence of idolatrous wives, due to the enervating effect of comfort, luxury, and loose living, the energy of Solomon’s spirit in serving Yahweh weakened; there was no longer complete devotion to Yahweh in his heart (vv. 4, 6); cf. (Sir 47:22-23). “His infidelity to his own religion consisted in indifference toward it and in a seductive tolerance regarding pagan religions” (Prof. F. Y. Pokrovsky, The Division of the Hebrew Kingdom, p. 285). He not only permitted the existence of idolatry in the theocratic kingdom but also himself built shrines to other gods, perhaps maintained their priests at his own expense, and together with his wives at least outwardly participated in their cults (cf. the blessed Theodoret, question 37). These deities are all Canaanite. Astarte (Heb. ashtoret, plural ashtarot, Greek: Αστάρτη) here (v. 5) is called the goddess of the Sidonians, hence Phoenician; the Philistines worshipped her (1 Sam 31:8-10) and all the Canaanites in general alongside Baal (Judg 2:13). The name Astarte is probably related to that of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, and both goddesses are close in meaning: both were goddesses of life, fertility, love, on the other hand—of hunting, war. The twofold meaning of Astarte corresponded to a double symbol of her: she was depicted, on one hand, as a woman with a crescent-shaped covering on her head (such a symbol of Astarte is indicated by the place name in Palestine: “Ashtaroth-Karnaim”, (Gen 14:5)—“Astarte with horns”; in Carthage Astarte was depicted as a full moon; in Egypt—as a moon in the form of a crescent); hence the name given to Astarte by classical writers: Οὐράνια, Coeletis, which fully agrees with the name given to Astarte in the Bible, “goddess of heaven” (Jer 7:18); on the other hand, as goddess of fertility, Astarte had for her symbols: a cow (sometimes with a calf), a cypress, a palm with fruit, and a poppy. If worship of Baal, god of the sun, took place on high places, then Astarte was worshipped in valleys and groves. The character of the cult, corresponding to the twofold meaning of the goddess, was twofold: partly severe—self-castration in honor of the goddess of war, partly dissolute—shameful depravity. See M. Palmova, Idolatry among the ancient Hebrews, St. Petersburg, 1897, p. 295–308. Classical writers therefore identified Astarte with Aphrodite or Venus (cf. the blessed Theodoret, question 50). Milcom (v. 5) is identical with Moloch. The Hebrew name Molech is of one root with melech (king), but with the vowels of the word boshet—shame, insult (the word boshet was used by faithful Israelites to refer to a deity related to Moloch, namely Baal, as can be seen, for example, from the change of the name Ish-baal, “man of Baal”, to Ish-boshet, “man of shame”); a Phoenician and Ammonite deity, called Kronos or Saturn by classical writers. A deity close in concept to Baal, hence solar, expressing the idea of the sun but only from its destructive side, also the all-devouring time. The statue of Moloch had the head of a bull with a golden crown on it, a spacious body and arms for receiving sacrifices, chiefly children: the horrible service of Moloch consisted chiefly in “causing children to pass through the fire”, and among the Hebrews it raged especially under Ahaz (2 Kgs 16:3); under Solomon this cult probably did not assume such a repulsive form. Later, the southwestern valley near Jerusalem, called the Valley of Hinnom or Gehenna, became the place where this horrible cult of Moloch was practiced and thus became a type and synonym for hell, Gehenna (cf. in Palmova, op. cit. 252–272). Chemosh, Heb. Kemosh, Greek: Χαμώς (v. 7), cf. (2 Kgs 23:13; Jer 48:7; Num 21:29)—the national deity of the Moabites, who are therefore called “the people of Chemosh” (Num 21:29; Jer 48:46); in the well-known inscription of the Moabite king Mesha he calls himself “the son of Chemosh” (1 p.); the Ammonites also worshipped Chemosh (Judg 11:23-24). Together with Baal-Peor (Num 25:5), Chemosh was a manifestation of the same deity; the cult of Chemosh had a dark, cruel character, demanding human sacrifice (2 Kgs 3:27); the cult of Baal-Peor, on the contrary, had a cheerful sensuous character (Num 25:1-3). By idea, Chemosh was a solar deity, god of solar heat and having for its symbol a shining stone disk.

1 Kings 11:7. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 15:30. High places and shrines named for these deities (see in Palmova, 246–252) Solomon built “on the mountain east of Jerusalem”, i.e., on the Mount of Olives (2 Sam. 15:30; Zech 14:4), called in (2 Kgs 23:13) (according to the Hebrew text) the “mountain of corruption” (garbamashchith, Greek-Slavonic: “mosphath”), i.e., because of the idolatry that occurred here. By tradition, the idolatry permitted by Solomon took place on the southern hill of the Mount of Olives, which came to be called the “mountain of offense”. 1 Kings 11:9. And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 1 Kings 11:10. and had commanded him about this very thing, that he should not follow other gods; but Solomon did not keep what the Lord commanded. 1 Kings 11:11. And the Lord said to Solomon, Because this has been your mind and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and give it to your servant; 1 Kings 11:12. nevertheless for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son; 1 Kings 11:13. and yet I will not tear away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen. God’s wrath upon Solomon was all the greater the more he had received earlier tokens of God’s mercy, expressed, among other things, in his twofold appearance to him (1 Kgs 3:5), whereby God explicitly confirmed to him the obligations of a theocratic king. Only for the sake of David and the immutability of God’s promises, the dynasty of David would retain one tribe (v. 13), properly two: Judah and Benjamin (1 Kgs 12:23), but the latter for its small number is here (as well as below in vv. 32, 36) not mentioned. This grave warning was probably given through a prophet rather than directly, as the previous revelations: Solomon had now become unworthy of direct divine appearances (cf. the blessed Theodoret, question 36). Until now the untroubled peace of Solomon’s reign had been disturbed by Adah (vv. 14–22), Razon (vv. 23–25) and especially Jeroboam (vv. 26–40).

1 Kings 11:14. And the Lord raised up an adversary to Solomon, Adah the Edomite; he was of the royal house of Edom. 1 Kings 11:15. When David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army went up to bury the dead, he killed every male in Edom, 1 Kings 11:16. for Joab and all Israel remained there six months, until he had eliminated every male in Edom, 1 Kings 11:17. but this Adah fled to Egypt, he and some Edomite men with him, who had belonged to his father; Adah was then a small child. 1 Kings 11:18. They set out from Midian and came to Paran; and they took people with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, appointed him an allowance of food, and gave him land. 1 Kings 11:19. And Adah found favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him in marriage the sister of his own wife, the sister of Queen Tahpenes. 1 Kings 11:20. And the sister of Tahpenes bore him a son, Genubath, whom Tahpenes reared in Pharaoh’s house; Genubath was in Pharaoh’s house with the sons of Pharaoh. 1 Kings 11:21. When Adah heard that David had slept with his ancestors and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Adah said to Pharaoh, “Let me depart, that I may go to my own country.” 1 Kings 11:22. And Pharaoh said to him, “What do you lack with me that you now seek to go to your own country?” He answered, “No, let me go.” [And Adah returned to his own land.] The rebellion of the Edomite prince Adah (Heb. Hadad, Vulg.: Adad, LXX: Αδέρ), who had earlier fled to Egypt after David’s conquest of Edom (2 Sam 8:13-14); here, vv. 15–17 supplement the brief account in 2 Samuel with new details. Received favorably in Egypt—probably by a predecessor of Solomon’s father-in-law—Adah, despite even the family ties with Egypt’s ruling house, returned to his homeland in Edom shortly after the death of David and Joab (v. 21), cf. (1 Kgs 2:10), i.e., at the beginning of Solomon’s reign; but his hostile actions against Solomon (for which he is called in v. 14, satan—“rebel, insurgent, opponent”, cf. the blessed Theodoret, question 37) occurred in the second half of Solomon’s reign, when the king’s sins had weakened his energy and prolonged peace had enervating effects on his people. The LXX and Slavonic in v. 22 have an addition against the Hebrew: καὶ ἀνέστρεψεν Αδερ εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ, “and Adah returned to his own land”—a statement required by the sense of the entire discourse of vv. 14–22 and probably belonging to the original text. From this section it follows that Edom had rebelled against Solomon long before his death, and only Elath with Ezion-Geber remained in his hands.

1 Kings 11:23. God also raised up another adversary to Solomon, Razon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master Hadadezer king of Zobah. 1 Kings 11:24. He gathered followers around him and became leader of a marauding band, after David had defeated Hadadezer; they went to Damascus and settled there, and they made him king in Damascus. 1 Kings 11:25. He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon. In addition to the harm that Adah did, Razon caused trouble, and he was hostile toward Israel; he became king over Aram. Similar opposition met Solomon on the northern, Syrian border, in the province conquered by David (2 Sam 8:3-10), from a certain Razon, who according to Josephus’s supposition acted against Solomon in conjunction with Adah the Edomite (cf. v. 25).

1 Kings 11:26. Jeroboam son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother was a widow named Zeruah, lifted his hand against the king. 1 Kings 11:27. And this was the reason he rebelled against the king. Solomon was building the Millo, and repairing the breaches of the city of David, his father. 1 Kings 11:28. Now Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. When Solomon saw that the young man was industrious, he gave him charge over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph. But the greatest, and moreover internal danger for Solomon and his entire dynasty arose from the hitherto unknown Jeroboam—an Ephraimite (Heb. Ephrati, v. 26, sometimes means inhabitants of Ephratah or Bethlehem, (Ruth 1:2; 1 Sam 17:12); sometimes, as here, in (Judg 12:5; 1 Sam 1:1): an Ephraimite). The tribe of Ephraim had long resented the rule of a king from the tribe of Judah, and all the other tribes, which unlike the tribe of Judah called themselves Israel, were very reluctant to bear the burden of rule by a king of another tribe (cf. 2 Sam 19:41-43). In this case the Ephraimite Jeroboam was appointed (v. 28) overseer of the laborers from his own “house of Joseph”, i.e., from the tribe of Ephraim and Manasseh (Josh 17:17; Judg 1:22), on the work of restoring the fortress and other buildings of Jerusalem (v. 27), and this forced labor (cf. 1 Kgs 9:23) could have been the final drop in the cup of long-accumulated feelings of resentment and grievance of the Ephraimites toward Solomon; Jeroboam by his personal ambition was merely the appropriate spokesman for the discontent of his tribe with the dynasty of David and the desire to separate into an independent kingdom (see in Prof. F. Y. Pokrovsky, The Division of the Hebrew Kingdom, p. 280–281).

1 Kings 11:29. At that time, when Jeroboam left Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Ahijah had dressed himself in a new garment; and the two of them were alone in the field. 1 Kings 11:30. Then Ahijah laid hold of the new garment he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces. 1 Kings 11:31. And he said to Jeroboam: Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to you, 1 Kings 11:32. but he shall have one tribe *** for the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. 1 Kings 11:33. This is because they have forsaken me, and worshipped Astarte the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in my ways, doing what is right in my sight and keeping my statutes and my ordinances, as David my father did. 1 Kings 11:34. Nevertheless I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand; but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of my servant David whom I chose and who kept my commandments and my statutes; 1 Kings 11:35. but I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and give it to you, and give him one tribe that my servant David may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put my name. 1 Kings 11:36. And to his son I will give one tribe, so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city in which I have chosen to place my name. 1 Kings 11:37. “I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your soul desires; you shall be king over Israel. 1 Kings 11:38. And if you will listen to all that I command you and walk in my ways and do what is right in my sight by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, then I will be with you, and will build you an enduring house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you; 1 Kings 11:39. and I will punish the offspring of David because of this, but not forever.” If the reason for Jeroboam’s uprising against Solomon consisted of the indicated discontent of the entire tribe with him, then the occasion for the manifestation of Jeroboam’s ambitious claims (v. 40) could have been provided by the prophecy given to him by the prophet Ahijah concerning his future reign over 10 tribes; it is least of all possible to see in this prophecy agitation on the part of the prophet Ahijah (as critics of the negative persuasion suppose); equally there is no basis for considering the prophet and Jeroboam as formerly acquainted with one another and even having reached an agreement; it is only known that both were from the tribe of Ephraim (Shiloh, Heb. Shilo, LXX: Σηλώ, Σηλώμ, from which the prophet Ahijah was from, was located in the tribe of Ephraim, north of Bethel, (Judg 21:19); Onomast. 870). The symbolic act of the prophet tearing a new garment had the purpose of more clearly expressing the determination of God’s judgment concerning the Hebrew kingdom and impressing this upon the mind and heart of Jeroboam. The new garment, apparently a symbol of the strength and youthful vigor of the undivided Hebrew kingdom, which had only recently begun its political existence. The 12 parts of the prophet’s garment, according to the prophet’s own explanation, represent the 12 tribes of Israel, of which 10 were to pass under the scepter of Jeroboam, which is also expressed by giving him 10 parts of the prophet’s garment (v. 31). The house of David was to retain one tribe—Judah with the addition of Benjamin, vv. 32, 36 (according to the LXX, Slavonic: δύο σκῆπτρα, “two tribes”)—“so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me” (v. 36), cf. (1 Kgs 15:4; 2 Kgs 8:19)—posterity in general, then its best representatives, finally, the greatest descendant of David—the Messiah (v. 39), cf. (Luke 1:32-33). Jeroboam was to receive the kingdom only on condition of fidelity to the theocratic principles (v. 38), which, as is well known, he subsequently disregarded from the very beginning (1 Kgs 12:26-30).

1 Kings 11:40. Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam; but Jeroboam set out and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and remained in Egypt until the death of Solomon. Probably Jeroboam, filled with the feeling of vanity, did not keep the prophetic prediction in secret and thereby aroused Solomon’s persecution, from which he fled to Egypt to the pharaoh Shishak, Heb. Shishaq. This Egyptian pharaoh (the first appearance in the Bible of the proper name of a pharaoh) was the founder of a new XXII Egyptian dynasty, the so-called Bubastite. His name is found in inscriptions on the columns of the Karnak temple. He was undoubtedly hostile to Solomon’s dynasty (cf. his invasion of Jerusalem under Rehoboam), (1 Kgs 14:25-26), for which reason it must be supposed that he readily gave shelter to the rebellious subject of Solomon until the latter’s death.

1 Kings 11:41. Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, all that he did as well as his wisdom, are they not written in the Book of the Acts of Solomon? 1 Kings 11:42. And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. The “Book of the Acts of Solomon” (v. 41), as well as the subsequently cited “Chronicles of the Kings of Judah” (1 Kgs 14:29 and others) and “Chronicles of the Kings of Israel” (1 Kgs 15:31 and others), were undoubtedly records of contemporaries and, most likely, of prophets: Nathan, Ahijah, Jedo (Joel) (2 Chr 9:29-31). Cf. Prof. P. A. Yungerov, The Origin and Historicity of 3 and 4 Kings, “Orthodox Messenger”, 1905, July-August, pp. 415–419.

1 Kings 11:43. And Solomon slept with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father. Did Solomon turn to God before his death, did he repent of his sins of infidelity to Yahweh and moral depravity? “Unfortunately,” says Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow in words, “Solomon’s repentance is not as certain as his errors. However, Cyril of Jerusalem, Epiphanius, and Jerome believe that he anticipated death with repentance… The Book of Ecclesiastes, it appears, is a record of this repentance” (A Survey of Church-Biblical History, 10th ed., p. 230–231). * * * Annotations Examples of numerous harems are found among other kings of the ancient East. It is known of Darius Codomannus that in his march against Alexander the Great he had 300 concubines. King Khosrow of Persia had up to 12,000 wives. Prof. F. Y. Pokrovsky, The Division of the Hebrew Kingdom into the Kingdom of Judah and the Kingdom of Israel, Kiev, 1885, p. 270, note. In the Greek translation: two tribes.

Chapter Twelve

1–25. The division of the Hebrew kingdom into two: Judah (southern) and Israel (northern), 26–33. The cult of golden calves introduced by Jeroboam in the Kingdom of Israel and his arbitrary changes to the order of worship.

1 Kings 12:1. And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 1 Kings 12:2. When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of this—for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon—Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 1 Kings 12:3. And they sent and called him; and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to [King] Rehoboam: “Shechem”—a city in the tribe of Ephraim, at the foot of Mount Gerizim (Onomast. 895), famous from ancient times because of sacred memories (cf. Gen 12:6; Josh 24:1), and after the division of the Hebrew kingdom became one of the capitals of the northern kingdom of Israel until Samaria was built. “To make him king”—after Rehoboam had already been made king (1 Kgs 11:43), i.e., to confirm his kingship over the other tribes as well, not just over Judah, the representatives of these other tribes—“Israelites”, not of Judah, which had already recognized Rehoboam as king—gathered. “Jeroboam, summoned from Egypt by his supporters, was the driving force of this assembly”, and the choice of place—Shechem—was “probably chosen for the gathering because the people could act more freely here than in Jerusalem” (Metropolitan Philaret, A Survey of Church-Biblical History, p. 231).

1 Kings 12:4. “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke that he placed on us, and we will serve you.” In the words of the representatives of the 10 tribes is expressed the opposite or shadow side of Solomon’s brilliant reign: this splendor required tremendous exertion of the people’s strength for its maintenance: “a heavy yoke” (Heb.: sot, Greek: κλοιός, Vulg.: jugum—the yoke of animals (Num 19:2; Deut 21:3; 1 Sam 6:7), and then—forced labor, compulsory (Deut 28:48; Lev 26:13) and harsh work became the lot of the people. In this case the prophetic word of Samuel concerning the grievous consequences for the national welfare from despotically organized royal power was being fulfilled (1 Sam 8:11-17). However, in judging the complaints of the representatives of the 10 tribes one must bear in mind that these complaints come from the lips of a crowd jealously disposed toward the royal tribe of Judah (cf. 2 Sam 19:41-43), led by the rebel Jeroboam and already ready for defection, and therefore could greatly exaggerate the actual state of the burdens: from (1 Kgs 9:21-22, cf. 2 Chr 8:9), it is known that Solomon in distributing state works made a distinction between native Hebrews and Canaanites; generally about the people’s oppression by burdens there is no mention in all the preceding narrative. The true motive of the present requirement is evident from v. 16: it was the long-standing enmity and estrangement of “Israel”, i.e., the 10 northern tribes, from Judah, i.e., the population of the southern part of the Palestinian territory: the tribes of Judah and Benjamin with the addition of some elements from other tribes (Simeon, Levi, etc.). This enmity was the real reason for Israel’s defection from the house of David (v. 19). Cf. Philaret, A Survey of Church-Biblical History, p. 231; Prof. Y. A. Bogorodsky, The Hebrew Kings, Kazan, 1834, p. 423 ff.; Prof. F. Y. Pokrovsky, The Division of the Hebrew Kingdom, p. 280 ff.

1 Kings 12:5. He said to them, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people went away. 1 Kings 12:6. Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 1 Kings 12:7. They answered him, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.” 1 Kings 12:8. But he rejected the advice that the elders gave him, and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him and now stood before him. 1 Kings 12:9. He said to them, “What do you advise that I answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” 1 Kings 12:10. The young men who had grown up with him said to him, Thus you should say to this people who spoke to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us’; thus you should say to them, “My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins; 1 Kings 12:11. now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 1 Kings 12:12. Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had said, “Come back to me the third day.” 1 Kings 12:13. The king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice that the elders had given him 1 Kings 12:14. and spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 1 Kings 12:15. So the king did not listen to the people, because it was a turn of affairs brought about by the Lord so that his word might be fulfilled, which the Lord had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. Rehoboam’s unwise response to the representatives (v. 14), cf. (Sir 47:28), which provoked their anger and led them to decide to defect from the house of David (v. 16), is thus merely an occasion for the manifestation and resolution of the long-standing animosity of the 10 tribes toward the tribe of Judah and the dynasty of David. Yet one cannot justify Rehoboam’s conduct: he rejected the wise advice of the elders, “who stood before Solomon” (vv. 6, 8), i.e., the true counselors of Solomon, members of his court council (cf. 1 Kgs 4:2-6), and heeded the arrogant advice of his young advisors, “who had grown up with him” (v. 8; at oriental royal courts the hereditary princes were raised in the circle of court youths of their age). The latter “are called youths (1 Kgs 12:8), as Rehoboam himself is called young (2 Chr 13:7), not so much by age (for at this time he was 41 years old from his birth), as by immaturity of mind and lack of experience” (Philaret, op. cit. 232, note). Rehoboam’s extreme blindness of pride, in which he so exalts himself over his father (vv. 10, 14), is directly incomprehensible. In explanation of this can be brought the thought of the sacred writer: “it was a turn of affairs brought about by the Lord” (Heb. sibba me’im Yahweh, LXX: μεταστροφὴ ή παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, Slavonic: “a turning from the Lord”, v. 15), as later Yahweh through the prophet Shemaiah declared to Rehoboam and his kingdom that Israel’s defection happened by God’s will; but, of course, God’s will merely did not constrain the natural, in this case evil inclinations of man’s will—Rehoboam, Jeroboam, and the rebels from the 10 tribes. Here was a similar act of God as in the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart (Exod 14:4; cf. Rom 9:17). The purpose of the divine permission of the sad disintegration of the chosen people into two hostile kingdoms, evidently, was to punish the dynasty of David and the people for the deeds of Solomon’s infidelity and the people’s infidelity to Yahweh. Cf. the blessed Theodoret, question 40.

1 Kings 12:16. When all Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, the people answered the king: “What share do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David!” So Israel departed to their homes. The words: “What share do we have in David?” are an old revolutionary cry of those discontented with the dynasty of David, heard even during the rebellion of Sheba under David (cf. 2 Sam 20:1), now pronounced with complete decisiveness and finality. Regarding the expression “to your tents” (Heb. ohal’kha, ohal’av), some believe that the original reading was different: “to your gods” (eloheikha, eloheikha) and that the present reading, obtained by transposing one letter (ח and א), resulted from a correction of the text, as this call was considered inconsistent with the general opinion that the Israelites at the time of Solomon were pure worshippers of Yahweh (Prof. D. A. Khvol’son, History of the Old Testament Text and an Essay on its Most Ancient Translations according to their Relation to the Original and to Each Other, Christian Reading, 1874, May, p. 50–53; Prof. F. Y. Pokrovsky, The Division of the Hebrew Kingdom, p. 239 note). With the present reading, the call (“to your tents”) relates to the time of the wandering of the Hebrews through the wilderness, when the people’s camp was arranged by tribes.

1 Kings 12:17. But Rehoboam reigned over the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah. In addition to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, Rehoboam also gained the Israelites of the tribe of Simeon, who dwelt within the limits of the tribe of Judah (Josh 19:1-9), as well as many from the tribes of Levi and others (2 Chr 10:12-16). The entire Kingdom of Judah equaled no more than 1/4 of Solomon’s possessions. The Trans-Jordan also belonged to the Kingdom of Israel (v. 25).

1 Kings 12:18. King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was taskmaster over the forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. Rehoboam, however, apparently did not lose hope of persuading the Israelites to obedience and for this purpose sends to them for exhortation and negotiation the taskmaster Adoram (Heb.: Adoram, cf. (1 Kgs 4:6) and (2 Sam 20:24)); but the sight of an official whom they hated because of the very nature of his office threw them into fury, and they pelted Adoram with stones; Rehoboam had to hastily escape to Jerusalem.

1 Kings 12:19. So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. “Israel rebelled against the house of David”: rebelled, Heb.: “sinned” (the verb pasha is of one root with pesha, sin), as they abandoned the chosen house of David, and with it the Temple of Jerusalem (cf. vv. 26–27) and the general theocratic organization. “To this day”—an expression which could not have been used by a writer who lived to see the fall of the Kingdom of Israel, the exile of the Israelites to Assyria, and the fall of the Kingdom of Judah (2 Kgs 17:1-6)—but only by a person who did not live to see the fall of both kingdoms, i.e., one of the compilers of the “Chronicles of the Kings of Judah and Israel” (Prof. Yungerov, Orthodox Messenger, 1905, July-August, p. 418).

1 Kings 12:20. When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned [from Egypt], they sent and called him to the assembly, and made him king over all Israel. No one followed the house of David, except the tribe of Judah [and Benjamin]. The Israelites could not remain without a king, and the leading tribe of Ephraim put forward, as the only candidate for the throne, the Ephraimite Jeroboam, in whose favor spoke his past efforts at liberation (from the Ephraimites’ perspective); and he became king over the 10 tribes. Rehoboam was left with the tribe of Judah, Benjamin (LXX, Slavonic), with the mentioned additions from other tribes.

1 Kings 12:21. When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon. 1 Kings 12:22. But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: 1 Kings 12:23. Say to King Rehoboam of Judah, son of Solomon, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people: 1 Kings 12:24. ‘Thus says the Lord: You shall not go up or fight against your kindred the people of Israel. Let everyone go home, for this thing is from me.’ And they listened to the word of the Lord and went home again, according to the word of the Lord. Rehoboam was determined to make a last attempt—to bring the disobedient Israelites under his control by force: he gathered a significant army from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and others—180,000 (he could easily and quickly do this: in the tribe of Judah alone, according to the census taken under David, there were 500,000 men capable of bearing arms) (2 Sam 24:9). But this fratricidal war was this time prevented by the prophet Shemaiah or Shemayahu (probably living in Jerusalem), who in the name of Yahweh once again testified that the disintegration of the unified Hebrew kingdom had come about by God’s will, and that the struggle was futile (cf. 2 Chr 11:2-5). In the Vatican Codex of the Greek translation after v. 24, there follows an insertion made up of various biblical remarks on Jeroboam’s reign.

1 Kings 12:25. Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and resided there; he went out from there and built Penuel. Jeroboam’s first action was the external strengthening of his state: the construction and fortification of the most important cities—Shechem and Penuel. Both cities had long existed—since patriarchal times: Shechem is known from the history of Abraham (Gen 12:6), Jacob (Gen 33:18), and Joshua (Josh 20:7); it was destroyed by Abimelech the son of Gideon (Judg 9:45), but then was restored (v. 1 of the present chapter), and Jeroboam merely had to strengthen and rebuild Shechem as the capital at the beginning of his reign. Penuel, in the LXX and Slavonic Φανουήλ, “Phanuel”, is found in the history of Patriarch Jacob (Gen 32:30), (Onomast. 918), was located at the Jabbok stream in the Trans-Jordan (now identified with the ruins of El-Ma’ara). It was later destroyed by Gideon (Judg 8:9). Jeroboam fortified it partly against the attacks of the Moabites, partly against the Kingdom of Judah. According to Stade’s supposition (Gesch. I, 351), Jeroboam even moved his residence across the Jordan to Penuel in case of Shechem’s destruction during Shishak’s invasion (1 Kgs 14:25).

1 Kings 12:26. Then Jeroboam said to himself: “Now the kingdom may well revert to the house of David. 1 Kings 12:27. If this people continues to go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, the heart of this people will turn again to their master, King Rehoboam of Judah, and they will kill me and return to King Rehoboam of Judah.” Jeroboam felt a danger to his kingdom from another direction—from the intimate religious connection of the Israelites with Jerusalem and the Temple: the division of the kingdom into two had severed only the dynastic ties between the two kingdoms, but the religious gravitational pull of Israel toward Solomon’s Temple remained in full force, expressed in the frequent visits of the Israelites to the Jerusalem Temple for sacrifices (v. 27), (2 Chr 11:16). This, as Jeroboam justly feared, could in time lead to a merger of the two kingdoms, and of course, under the scepter of David’s descendant—Rehoboam. And so, to prevent this undesirable outcome for Jeroboam, he deepened the division of the kindred people by means of a religious schism between the two kingdoms—by introducing a new cultic worship for his Kingdom of Israel. “Thus he gives thanks to God, who gave him the kingdom! Thus he believes in God, who promised to preserve it!” (Philaret, p. 233, note).

1 Kings 12:28. So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” 1 Kings 12:29. He set one in Bethel, and put the other in Dan. 1 Kings 12:30. This thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one in Dan, going so far even in Dan, [and they abandoned the house of the Lord]. 1 Kings 12:31. And he built houses of high places, and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites. 1 Kings 12:32. And Jeroboam appointed a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like the festival that was in Judah, and he went up to the altar; thus he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made, 1 Kings 12:33. and he went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month that he alone had devised; and he appointed a festival for the people of Israel, and went up to the altar to make offerings. The essence of Jeroboam’s religious reform, conceived and executed on the political motives indicated above, consisted in that, having taken counsel, perhaps with the heads of the state, he cast (1 Kgs 14:9) two golden calves (according to the LXX: δύο δαμάλεις, as also the blessed Theodoret, question 42; Slavonic: “two gilded heifers”), and set them up at opposite ends of his kingdom—the southern, in Bethel (Heb.: Beth-el—on the border of the tribes of Ephraim and Benjamin), (Josh 8:9; Gen 28:19); (Onomast. 205, now Betin) and the northern—in Dan (formerly Laish), (Josh 19:47; Judg 18:29; Jer 4:15), which received the name “Dan” from the tribe of this name; according to Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews VIII, 3, 4, cf. V, 3, 1, it lay at the sources of the Little Jordan, near Sidon; according to Eusebius and Jerome, the very name “Jordan” comes from the word “Dan”, Onomast. 308; now Dan is Tell-el-Kadi; he set them “at the borders of the kingdom, so that some, coming to one, and others to the other, and not hindered in this because of the nearness, would readily agree not to go to the capital” (the blessed Theodoret, question 42). Although both these sites could have been holy places of old, at least of Bethel this is known, but in appointing them as the central points of worship, Jeroboam was apparently guided by the consideration of the convenience of visiting these shrines and the greatest possible decentralization of the cult. In Jeroboam’s view, the calves represented an image of the true God, Yahweh (according to Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews VIII, 8, 4, Jeroboam made “two calves as symbolic representations of the Lord God”), and so he attributes to them the deliverance of Israel from Egypt (v. 28), (cf. Exod 32:4) and then establishes temples for them (v. 31) and institutes a cult modeled on that of Jerusalem (vv. 31–32), with two changes: he introduced universal priesthood, eliminating the exclusive rights of the tribe of Levi (v. 31), (2 Chr 11:14); “In this alone,” observes the blessed Theodoret, “he acted wisely, because the priests of God should not have served those who are not gods”, and the Feast of Booths (not directly named in the text), cf. (Judg 21:19; Ezek 45:25) he transferred from the seventh month to the 15th day of the eighth month—according to the climate of the northern kingdom (owing to the later ripening of grain there), as some suppose, or simply for the sake of distinction from the Kingdom of Judah. And the sacred writer recognizes the calf-worship introduced by Jeroboam as less hateful to God than outright paganism (1 Kgs 16:31-33; 2 Kgs 3:2-3). Nevertheless, the embodiment of Yahweh in a sensuous image of the calf was a direct and crude violation of the second commandment of the Decalogue and a trampling of the fundamental spirit of the Old Covenant with its requirement of an imageless worship of Yahweh (Exod 20:4-5; Lev 26:1; Deut 4:15-19 and others); it was indeed a grave “sin” (v. 30) of Jeroboam and the people, revealing in them a purely pagan disposition seeking satisfaction in a sensuous representation of the invisible, unrepresentable God. “This circumstance,” says Josephus, “became for the Jews the beginning of all their misfortunes, and was the reason why they were subsequently defeated in war by foreign peoples and fell under their yoke”, and ultimately the Kingdom of Israel ceased to exist. For the substance, character, origin, and structure of the cult of calves see the detailed dissertation of P. M. Krasin, The State Cult of the Kingdom of Israel (Ten-Tribe Kingdom), Kiev, 1904, as well as in Prof. F. Y. Pokrovsky, op. cit., pp. 299–331.

Chapter Thirteen

The story of a prophet from Judah who predicted the destruction of the Bethel altar and all the cult of calves.

1 Kings 13:1. And behold, a man of God came from Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel at the time when Jeroboam stood by the altar to offer incense. If the common people in the ten-tribe kingdom could not foresee the ruinous consequences of Jeroboam’s reform “and was even pleased that his God, Jehovah, was becoming (through calf worship) closer and more accessible to him” (see Prof. Pokrovsky, p. 326), the representatives of the Levitical priesthood responded quite differently, many of them leaving the territory of the Israelite kingdom and moving to Judah and Jerusalem (2 Chr 11:13-14). But even more direct and sharper condemnation of Jeroboam’s cult came from prophecy, both Judahite and Israelite. In (1 Kgs 14:1-16) is contained a threatening denunciation of this cult from the very prophet of the Israelite kingdom, Ahijah, who once (1 Kgs 11:29-39) predicted the kingdom to Jeroboam. Chapter XIII contains a remarkable account of a protest against Jeroboam’s cult from a certain “man of God”—a prophet from Judah 11. Josephus (Jewish Antiquities VIII, 8, 5) calls him Iadon, apparently identifying him with Iddo (2 Chr 9:29), which, however, is incorrect, for the latter prophet lived much longer afterward during the reign of Abijah (2 Chr 13:22).

1 Kings 13:2. And he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord and said: O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord: Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, named Josiah, and upon you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who offer incense upon you, and human bones shall he burn upon you. “O altar, altar”—a metonymy for the entire cult, whose destruction the prophet predicts. This prophecy, in which the one who will fulfill it is named by name—King Josiah (2 Kgs 22:1)—was fulfilled with exactness more than 300 years later (2 Kgs 23:14-18). However, some understand the name Josiah in a common sense: “helped by Jehovah” (Keil), and the entire account of chapter XIII as a later reworking of folk tradition after the time of Josiah (Ewald. Geschichte III, s. 476–480).

1 Kings 13:3. And he gave a sign on that day, saying: This is the sign that the Lord has spoken: Behold, the altar shall be torn apart, and the ashes upon it shall be scattered. 1 Kings 13:4. When the king heard the word of the man of God which he cried out against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying: Seize him. And his hand, which he stretched out against him, became paralyzed, and he could not bring it back to himself. 1 Kings 13:5. And the altar was torn apart, and the ashes from the altar were scattered, according to the sign which the man of God gave by the word of the Lord. 1 Kings 13:6. And the king said to the man of God: Please entreat the favor of the Lord your God for me, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me. And the man of God entreated the favor of the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as it was before. The beginning of the verse in the accepted texts of the LXX and Slavonic refer to Josiah: καὶ δώσει ἐν τῆ ἡμέρα ἐκέινη τὸ τέρας, “and he shall give a wonder on that day,”—undoubtedly incorrectly (cf. v. 5); correctly in the Russian Synodal: “and [the prophet from Judah] gave a sign on that day” (in the LXX: 11, 19, 44, 52, 55, 71, 74, 92, 106, 108, 120, 121, 128, 158, 236, 242, etc., according to Holmes). “Sign” (Heb. mopheth)—not merely a miracle in general (Heb. oth), but something astonishing to those who see it. “Ashes” (Heb. deshen)—not the ash of burned wood, but the remains of meat and fat from the burning of the altar (Lev 1:16). The terrible word of the prophet about the altar was not slow to be fulfilled with literal exactness (v. 5). “But the wicked king, when he should have been filled with terror at the miracle accomplished by the prophet and feared the One who sent him, stretched out his hand and ordered the prophet seized. But his hand, from the weakening of muscles and sinews, remained as if extended” (blessed Theodoret, question 48). The sudden paralysis of Jeroboam’s hand probably occurred as a result of atrophy of the main artery of the arm (Smith. A dictionary of the Bible, vol. II, p. 304). Only through the prayer of the prophet did a new miracle occur—the healing of the king’s paralyzed hand.

1 Kings 13:7. And the king said to the man of God: Come with me to my house and refresh yourself with food, and I will give you a reward. 1 Kings 13:8. But the man of God said to the king: Even if you gave me half your house, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place. 1 Kings 13:9. For thus was it commanded me by the word of the Lord: “Do not eat bread there, nor drink water there, and do not return by the way you came.” 1 Kings 13:10. And he went by another way, and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel. Jeroboam, wishing to reward the prophet and also to smooth over the grave impression the event made on the witnesses, invites the Judahite prophet to his house for refreshment and to receive a gift. But the prophet firmly refuses, referring to a perfectly clear and unconditional command from God—not to eat bread nor drink water (v. 9, 17) in the land of Israel, that is—since eating food with someone is a sign of friendly communion with that person (Gen 43:32; Luke 15:2; Gal 2:12; 1 Cor 1:27)—not to have any fellowship with the country and inhabitants of the ten-tribe kingdom, thereby showing that the Israelite country, having accepted the cult introduced by Jeroboam, had become abominable to God, and He forbids even the prophet to enter into any fellowship with its inhabitants: “ad detestationem idolatriae, ut ipso facto ostenderet, Bethelitas idolatras adeo esse detestabiles et a Deo quasi excommunicates, ut nullum fidelium cum iis cibi vel potus communionem habere velit” (Cornelius a lapide). The prophet was also forbidden to return by the former way, probably to avoid being recognized and detained on the return journey. This time the prophet faithfully fulfilled God’s command (v. 10), though this was later hindered by a certain prophet at Bethel (v. 11–24).

1 Kings 13:11. And there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel. And his son came and told him all the deeds which the man of God did that day in Bethel; and the words which he spoke to the king they also told their father. 1 Kings 13:12. And their father asked them: Which way did he go? And his sons showed him the way the man of God from Judah had gone. 1 Kings 13:13. And he said to his sons: Saddle me the donkey. And they saddled him a donkey, and he mounted it. Regarding the character and worth of the prophet at Bethel (called throughout the text by the name nabi, “prophet,” while the Judahite is always called “man of God,” ish ha-elohim, which according to blessed Theodoret (ibid.), is given only to those who have achieved perfect virtue, such as Moses and Elijah, or who were like them), the Jewish tradition gave unfavorable opinions. The Targum calls him a false prophet or lying prophet. The Talmudists even consider the Bethel prophet to be a prophet of Baal, who received revelation only at the moment of eating food from the Judahite prophet (v. 20) precisely for his hospitality toward the latter. Josephus (Jewish Antiquities VIII, 9, 1) also considers the old prophet at Bethel to be a false prophet who usually flattered Jeroboam and in the Judahite prophet saw a rival whom he decided to destroy. But the biblical text nowhere represents the prophet at Bethel as a false prophet. “I believe,” says blessed Theodoret (ibid.), “that the other (i.e., the Bethel prophet) was also God’s prophet; he used false words not to harm the man of God, but to receive a blessing from him himself… And that he was a prophet and not a false prophet is evident from the fact that through him God predicted future calamity to the man of God; besides, he believed what was predicted about this, and commanded his sons that when he died, they bury him in the tomb of the man of God” (question 43).

1 Kings 13:14. And he went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak tree, and said to him: Are you the man of God who came from Judah? And he said: I am. Having learned from his sons about the Judahite prophet, his prediction and deeds at Bethel, the Bethel prophet set out after him and found him sitting under an oak tree (LXX: ὑπὸ δρῦν),—Heb. ela—properly a terebinth (Vulg: terebinthus)—“resembling an oak, a tree with evergreen leaves and cluster-like fruit, reaching considerable height, and thus serving for topographical determinations: (Gen 35:4; Judg 6:11; 1 Sam 17:2)” (Gesenius). Here is mentioned a well-known terebinth at Bethel (ha-ela—with the article), perhaps identical with the one under which was buried Rebekah’s nurse, Deborah (Gen 5:8).

1 Kings 13:15. And he said to him: Come with me to my house and eat bread. 1 Kings 13:16. That man said: I cannot return with you, nor will I go to your house; I will not eat bread nor drink water with you in this place. 1 Kings 13:17. For by the word of the Lord it was said to me: “Do not eat bread there, nor drink water there, nor return by the way you came.” 1 Kings 13:18. And he said to him: I also am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying: “Bring him back with you to your house; let him eat bread and drink water.”—He lied to him. When to the request of the prophet at Bethel to come to his house to take food (v. 15) the Judahite prophet responds with a refusal, repeating what he had said to Jeroboam (16–17, cf. 9), the prophet at Bethel motivates his invitation thus: “and I also am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord and said: Bring him back with you to your house” (v. 18); if the claim that he is a prophet corresponds to the truth and is confirmed later by the revelation he received (v. 20–22), then the reference to a command to bring the prophet back is a lie, though used without evil intent. But here, as throughout the account, characteristically for the biblical view of revelation is the expression “the word of Jehovah” (v. 1, 9, 17–18), as a designation and personification of the divinely acting power, as a foreshadowing of the New Testament Logos; on the other hand, notable is the mediating role of the angel in revelation (v. 18): this idea appears more than once in the Old Testament—in the prophets Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah (see in the dissertation of A. Glagolev, The Old Testament biblical teaching on angels, Kiev, 1900, pp. 305–404).

1 Kings 13:20. While they were still sitting at the table, the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back. 1 Kings 13:21. And he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying: Thus says the Lord: Because you have not obeyed the mouth of the Lord and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, 1 Kings 13:22. But you returned, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which he said to you: “Do not eat bread, nor drink water,” your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers. The disobedience of the Judahite prophet, by God’s judgment, must certainly have momentous consequences for the contemporary and future fortunes of God’s kingdom; it was to be punished heavily, especially according to ancient Hebrew views on the afterlife as communion with the patriarchs (Gen 47:29-30; 2 Sam 19:37; 1 Kgs 2:34; Jer 26:23), deprived of burial in the tomb of his fathers.

1 Kings 13:23. After he had eaten bread and drunk, he saddled the donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back. 1 Kings 13:24. And as he went on his way, a lion met him and slew him. And his body lay in the way, cast there; and the donkey stood beside him, and the lion stood beside the body. 1 Kings 13:25. And behold, men who passed by saw the body cast in the way, and the lion standing beside the body, and they went and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. 1 Kings 13:26. The prophet who had brought him back from the way heard of it and said: It is the man of God who disobeyed the mouth of the Lord; therefore the Lord has delivered him to the lion, which has broken him and slain him, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke to him. The tragic end of the Judahite prophet—a manifest judgment of God (cf. the punishment of the new inhabitants of the Israelite land by lions) (2 Kgs 17:25; Lev 26:22). By the extraordinary death of his messenger, the Lord showed that he demands special zeal and exactness from his chosen ones in the fulfillment of his commands. Blessed Theodoret says: “From this we learn that the strong shall be more severely judged (Wis 6:6). Whoever hears the voice of God should not trust the voice of man asserting something contrary, but should wait until the One who commanded releases him from what he commanded. I think that this punishment was established to confirm the prediction concerning the altar. For it is impossible that the account of such a man be hidden; and it was sufficient to inspire fear in those who heard it.” On the other hand, “God honored the prophet even after his death, for he stationed his killer as a guard over him” (question 43).

1 Kings 13:27. And he said to his sons: Saddle me the donkey. And they saddled it for him. 1 Kings 13:28. And he went and found his body cast in the way; and the donkey and the lion stood beside the body. The lion had not eaten the body nor broken the donkey. 1 Kings 13:29. And the prophet took up the body of the man of God, and laid it upon the donkey, and brought it back. And the old prophet came to the city to mourn and to bury him. 1 Kings 13:30. And he laid his body in his own tomb and mourned for him, saying: Alas, my brother! 1 Kings 13:31. After burying him, he said to his sons: When I am dead, bury me in the tomb in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. 1 Kings 13:32. For the word shall surely be fulfilled which he pronounced by the command of the Lord concerning the altar in Bethel, and concerning all the shrines on the high places in the cities of Samaria. The rendering of the last rites to the fallen Judahite prophet by the prophet at Bethel was his tribute of respect and, perhaps, bitter repentance; moreover, the testament of the Bethel prophet about his own burial in one tomb with the Judahite prophet, besides bearing witness to his deep faith in the truth of the prophetic word, was intended to prevent the desecration of his own remains during the coming reform of Josiah: the addition found in the LXX and Slavonic texts (v. 31—end): ἵνα σωθῶσι τὰ ὀστᾶ μου μετὰ τῶν ὀστῶν αὐτοῦ, Slavonic: “that my bones may be saved with his bones”—an explanatory remark which could have been in the original text (cf. 2 Kgs 23:16-18).—“Alas, my brother!” (v. 30)—the usual ancient Hebrew formula for mourning dead relatives and friends (cf. Jer 22:18). The mention of Samaria as a whole region (v. 32) by the Bethel prophet was used by the author proleptically: Samaria was built fifty years after Jeroboam I—by Omri (1 Kgs 16:24).

1 Kings 13:33. And after these things Jeroboam did not depart from his evil way, but continued to make priests of the high places from all the people; whoever wished, he consecrated, and he became a priest of the high places. 1 Kings 13:34. And this thing became the sin of the house of Jeroboam, to cut it off and destroy it from the face of the earth. Both the mission of the Judahite prophet (v. 1–10) and his tragic death and burial (v. 11–32) were intended to turn Jeroboam from the path he had chosen, in willfully altering the mode of worship, but this aim was not achieved 12: Jeroboam continued his activity that was displeasing to God, for example in the matter of extending universal priesthood (v. 33), cf. (1 Kgs 12:31; 2 Chr 11:15): “whoever wished, he consecrated” (from Heb.: “filled his hand,” Slavonic: “he filled his hand”, cf. (Exod 28:41); blessed Theodoret, question 44). * * * These two denunciations of the cult of calves from the Israelite prophet Ahijah and the Judahite “man of God” complement each other in the same way that later denunciations did: of the prophet Hosea—an Israelite (Hos 8:4-5 and others) and the prophet Amos—a Judahite (Amos 4:4) According to Josephus (Jewish Antiquities VIII, 9), the prophet at Bethel himself undermined the beneficent effect of the terrible denunciation of the Judahite prophet on Jeroboam, namely by explaining to him the terrible signs: the paralysis of the king’s hand and the splitting of the altar as natural occurrences, and generally undermined Jeroboam’s confidence in the Judahite prophet. But this equally contradicts both (1 Kgs 13:26-32) and (2 Kgs 23:18)

Chapter Fourteen

1–18. An announcement by the prophet Ahijah of God’s judgment on the house of Jeroboam and the beginning of its fulfillment in the death of Abijah, the son of Jeroboam. 19–21. Concluding remarks about the 22-year reign of Jeroboam. 22–31. The reign of Rehoboam: the spread of ungodliness; the invasion of Shishak, hostility with the Israelite kingdom, the death of Rehoboam.

1 Kings 14:1. At that time Abijah, the son of Jeroboam, fell ill. 1 Kings 14:2. And Jeroboam said to his wife: Rise and disguise yourself, that it may not be known that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. There is Ahijah the prophet; he spoke to me and said that I should be king over this people. 1 Kings 14:3. Take with you ten loaves of bread, and some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him; he will tell you what shall become of the child. 1 Kings 14:4. And Jeroboam’s wife did so; she arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were dimmed because of his age. 1 Kings 14:5. And the Lord said to Ahijah: Behold, the wife of Jeroboam comes to inquire of you concerning her son, for he is ill. Thus and thus shall you say to her; for she will come in disguised. 1 Kings 14:6. When Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, he said: Come in, wife of Jeroboam; why do you feign to be another? I am sent to you with grievous tidings. The connection of chapter XIV with the preceding one is not so much chronological—rather, on the contrary, the narrative of chapter XIV refers to the latter half of Jeroboam’s reign—as it is logical and causal: the indifference of Jeroboam to the divine reproof through the prophet (ch. XIII) provoked a dreadful visitation from God—in the form of the illness of his favorite son, Abijah (cf. v. 13), and at the same time a prophetic announcement of the doom of Jeroboam’s entire house. Family sorrow prompted Jeroboam to remember the prophet Ahijah, through whom Jehovah once gave Jeroboam the promise to establish him with “a lasting house” (1 Kgs 11:38) and from whom he now expected confirmation of the continuation of his dynasty. But conscious of his own faithlessness to the covenants of Jehovah (1 Kgs 11:37-38), Jeroboam did not dare go to the prophet himself, from whom he could expect condemnation of his policy that had severed Israel from Jehovah and his temple; so he sent his wife, and even commanded her to disguise herself, so that she would not be recognized by chance passersby or by the prophet himself. Advising her to take—according to the Eastern custom of coming to honored persons, including prophets (1 Sam 9:8; 2 Kgs 5:15) with gifts—some gifts for the prophet, Jeroboam deliberately chose insignificant items, as gifts from the poor (in the LXX and Slavonic text v. 3 has an addition: τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτον καὶ σταφίδας, and “to his children, and grapes”). Deception, as might be supposed, could be more easily concealed since the prophet was blind from old age (cf. 1 Sam 4:15). But the prophet received a warning from Jehovah about the impending arrival of Jeroboam’s wife (the end of v. 5 according to the Hebrew and Russian texts—the end of God’s speech, according to the Greek-Slavonic—the continuation of the narrative). And the prophet directly reveals the secret to the queen and, warning her that he has dreadful news to announce, utters a speech about the doom not only of Jeroboam’s house, from which his promising son Abijah shall first die, but also of the entire Israelite kingdom, which has turned away from Jehovah together with its first king, Jeroboam.

1 Kings 14:7. Go and say to Jeroboam: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader of my people Israel, 1 Kings 14:8. And I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you; yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. 1 Kings 14:9. But you have done worse than all who were before you; you have gone and made yourself other gods and molten images, to provoke me, and me you have cast behind your back. 1 Kings 14:10. Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, bound or free in Israel, and will utterly consume the house of Jeroboam, as one consumes dung. 1 Kings 14:11. Anyone from the house of Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat; and anyone who dies in the field the birds of the air shall eat. So the Lord has spoken. 1 Kings 14:12. Arise, go to your house; when you set foot in the city, the child shall die. 1 Kings 14:13. And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he alone of the house of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something good toward the Lord, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. 1 Kings 14:14. Moreover, the Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam on that day; and what? even now. 1 Kings 14:15. And the Lord will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water; and he will uproot Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers, and scatter them beyond the Euphrates, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the Lord. 1 Kings 14:16. And he will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned and which he made Israel to sin. The very speech of the prophet Ahijah is divided into two parts: v. 7–11 and 12–16, each presenting a periodic structure. V. 7–9 speak of Jeroboam’s transgression: “you have done worse than all who were before you, and have gone and made yourself other gods and molten images” (v. 9). “Those who were before you”—not his predecessors as king, Saul, David, and Solomon—they could not be called models of ungodliness—but those who held power and ruled the people in general; “other gods and molten images” (Heb. molekhot, cast images) may mean both the cult of the golden calves (although Jeroboam and the Israelites wished to worship Jehovah in them), as calf worship easily could pass into pure idolatry; and the latter was probably taking place in the Israelite kingdom under Jeroboam (v. 15). “Me you have cast behind your back” (literally: “behind your back”): an expression of conscious and stubborn disdain for the worship of Jehovah. “I will cut off from Jeroboam every male, bound or free in Israel” (v. 10)—a common expression in speaking of the destruction of a house, posterity, dynasty, or people (1 Sam 25:22; 1 Kgs 16:11; 2 Kgs 9:8); “every male”—originally an epithet of a dog, and then male as distinguished from female; “bound or free”—Heb. atzur ve-azuv, LXX: ἐπεχόμενον κ. καταλελειμμένον, Slavonic: “held and left,” Vulg.: clansum et novissimum, according to the most probable interpretation: “young and grown” (Sebast. Schmidt: a boy still kept in the house and one who is emancipated. According to Filaret, “from an infant to an adult”). The complete destruction of the posterity or house of Jeroboam was indeed accomplished by the third king of Israel, Baasha (1 Kgs 15:28-29). To be deprived of burial (v. 11) was a matter of horror to the ancient Hebrew (Deut 28:26; Jer 8:2 and others). V. 12–13: properly the answer to the question about the sick son. He shall die immediately, but only he—because something good was found in him before the Lord (v. 13)—shall be laid in a tomb (v. 13), while all the other members of Jeroboam’s house shall be deprived of burial (v. 11). The end of v. 14 presents fragmentary speech; the thought is: the death of Abijah is only the beginning of calamities upon Jeroboam’s house and Israel. V. 15–16 speak of coming judgment upon the entire Israelite kingdom, where the words: “Israel shall be” “as a reed shaken in the water” remarkably precisely characterizes the entire history of the Israelite kingdom from its separation from the Judahite kingdom to its downfall—an image of political instability, confusion of Israel, which led to his exile from the land of his fathers and scattering beyond the Euphrates (cf. 2 Kgs 15:29). “Because they have made their Asherim,” Heb. asherot, LXX: τὰ ἄλοη, Vulg.: lucos, Slavonic: “groves”; thus the ancient versions consider asherah the name of a sacred grove of idolatrous worship: such meaning is confirmed, for example, (Judg 6:25) (Gideon cut down an asherah—the sacred tree of Baal) or (Deut 16:21) (forbidden to plant an asherah—a grove); in other places asherah means also a wooden statue or idol of the goddess (Isa 27:9; Deut 7:5), though usually in connection with groves (Hos 4:13; Ezek 6:13; Isa 1:29; Jer 17:2). According to most commentators and archeologists, Asherah is merely another name for Astarte, since both names are often joined and confused (Judg 2:13; 1 Sam 7:4). See in M. Palmov, Idolatry among the ancient Hebrews, pp. 308–322.

1 Kings 14:17. And Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed, and came to Tirzah; and as soon as she crossed the threshold of the house, the child died. 1 Kings 14:18. And they buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the prophet. The exact, word-for-word fulfillment of the prophet’s prediction in v. 12. “Tirzah” (in the LXX Θαριρα; Slavonic: “Sarira”; in the Complutensian Bible: Θέρσα; Vulg.: Thersa)—formerly the capital of one of the Canaanite kings (Josh 12:24); now, from Jeroboam to Omri, became the capital of the Israelite kings (1 Kgs 15:21; 2 Kgs 15:14), was known for the beauty of its location (Song 6:4), (cf. Onomast. 504. Guerin. Samarie I, 365, identifies Tirzah with the village of Talluzah near Nablus).

1 Kings 14:19. And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred and how he reigned, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 1 Kings 14:20. And the length of Jeroboam’s reign was twenty-two years; and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his place. The end of Jeroboam’s twenty-two-year reign. The details of the reign were described in the “Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel”; it also spoke of how Jeroboam warred, of which the Third Book of Kings does not speak, but of which (precisely the war of Jeroboam with the Judahite king Abijah) (2 Chr 13:2-20) speaks in detail; according to (2 Chr 13:20), the Lord struck Jeroboam, and he died—probably from a severe or sudden illness. The son and successor of Jeroboam in the Hebrew text and in the Vulgate is named Nadab, in the LXX and Slavonic-Russian Ναβάτ, Nadab (in the Complutensian: Ναδάβ): the latter came about through a confusion of the name of Jeroboam’s son with the name of this king’s father (1 Kgs 11:26).

1 Kings 14:21. And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king; and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord chose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite. 1 Kings 14:22. And Judah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. 1 Kings 14:23. For they also built for themselves high places and pillars and sacred poles on every high hill and under every green tree. 1 Kings 14:24. There were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did all the abominable things of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites. The reign of Rehoboam, its duration—seventeen years, and its general character; the departure of the king and people from the pure worship of Jehovah, which occurred in Rehoboam probably under the influence of his mother, the Ammonite Naamah (the twofold mention of her, v. 21 and 31, may point to this). However, the brief, compressed account of Rehoboam’s reign in the Third Book of Kings must be filled out by the detailed (2 Chr 11:5-23), from which, among other things, it can be seen that (2 Chr 11:17), in the first three years of his reign Rehoboam and his subjects walked in the way of David and Solomon (in the best period of the latter’s life), which contributed to the strengthening of the Judahite kingdom; only when “Rehoboam’s kingdom was established and he became strong, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him” (2 Chr 12:1). Manifestations of ungodliness in Judah now were not only the ancient high places, pillars, and sacred poles (which had spread in the latter half of Solomon’s reign) (1 Kgs 11:4-8), but also the most abominable form of idolatrous worship: religious prostitution and debauchery at the temples of certain deities, for example, Astarte-Asherah (as also of the Babylonian Belitis): “effeminate ones,” Vulg.: effeminati, Heb. qadeš, qedešim, literally: consecrated (corresponding to Greek ἱερόδουλος)—men who engaged in debauchery in honor of the deity (Deut 23:17; 1 Kgs 22:46; 2 Kgs 23:7); likewise, and even primarily, women also engaged in this, qedešot, (Hos 4:14; Deut 23:18; Gen 38:21). The LXX and Slavs give a different, very obscure reading of the beginning of v. 24: σύνδεσμος ἐγενήθη ἐν τῆ γῆ, “a mixture came into the land” (cf. blessed Theodoret, question 45).

1 Kings 14:25. In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak the king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, 1 Kings 14:26. And took the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house [and the gold shields that David had taken from the servants of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, and brought to Jerusalem]. He took all; he also took all the gold shields which Solomon had made. The consequence of the ungodliness and licentiousness that arose in the Judahite kingdom under Rehoboam was the devastating invasion in the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign by the Egyptian Pharaoh Shishak, Heb. Sheshonk (in Manetho Σεσοτγχις). He was a patron and perhaps a relative of Jeroboam (cf. 1 Kgs 11:40); hence his invasion of Judah and Jerusalem is explained by the influence or request of Jeroboam. But on the surviving inscription of Sheshonk on the walls of the Karnak temple of Amun, among the captured cities, several strategically important cities of the Israelite kingdom are named; Aijalon, Taanach, Megiddo, Shunem, and others; consequently the campaign touched the northern kingdom and reached at least the Valley of Jezreel. Among the precious things taken by Shishak are mentioned the golden shields made by Solomon (1 Kgs 10:16). Under the expression “he took all” (v. 26) the rabbis understood mainly the throne of Solomon. In the more detailed account of this invasion in (2 Chr 12:2-9), it is mentioned that a terrible reproof by the prophet Shemaiah to Rehoboam and his princes at the time of Shishak’s invasion aroused repentance in the government and people and softened God’s wrath, so that the people and Jerusalem were saved (cf. Josephus. Jewish Antiquities VIII, 10, 2–4).

1 Kings 14:27. And King Rehoboam made in place of them shields of bronze, and entrusted them to the hands of the commanders of the guard, who kept the door of the king’s house. 1 Kings 14:28. And whenever the king went into the house of the Lord, the guard carried them, and afterwards brought them back to the guardroom. Instead of the precious gold shields taken by Shishak, Rehoboam made bronze or copper shields and gave them to the guards, Heb. ratzim—runners (1 Kgs 1:5), also the king’s guards, his bodyguard (cf. 1 Sam 22:17; 2 Kgs 10:25), apparently replacing the former Cherethites and Pelethites. According to Rabbi Kimhi, Rehoboam’s order about the shields was intended to prevent an assassination attempt which he feared. More probably, the shields were used when the king went to the temple for the solemnity of the procession. Rehoboam’s shields were kept in a special room (Heb. ta), not in the house of the forest of Lebanon as Solomon’s (1 Kgs 10:17); it is assumed (Kittel) that the house of the forest of Lebanon was plundered by Shishak.

1 Kings 14:29. Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 1 Kings 14:30. And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. 1 Kings 14:31. And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite. And Abijah his son reigned in his place. (2 Chr 11:18-23) supplements the Third Book of Kings with information about Rehoboam’s family life: he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters; he sent all his sons to fortified cities, but gave Abijah, the son of his beloved wife Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, the first place among them; and Abijah became Rehoboam’s successor to the throne. According to (2 Chr 12:15), “the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are recorded in the chronicles of the prophet Shemaiah and of Iddo the seer, according to genealogy”: hence we see that the book of the kings of Judah was a work of prophets. The war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam (v. 30) appears to be understood merely as a hostile disposition,—actual war broke out only under Abijah (2 Chr 13:2-20). * * * According to the rabbis, the good thing found in Abijah was that he eased the Israelites’ access to visit Jerusalem and the temple. The LXX also mention shields which David had once brought from Syria (2 Sam 8:7); so the Slavonic and Russian Synodal translation has this addition in brackets.

Chapter Fifteen

1–8. The reign of Abijah of Judah. 9–24. The reign of Asa. 25–34. The kings of Israel: Nadab and Baasha.

1 Kings 15:1. In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, Abijah became king over Judah. 1 Kings 15:2. He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah, the daughter of Absalom. In v. 1, 7–8 the name of Abijah according to the Hebrew Massoretic text is read: Abijam (according to Gesenius, in the sense of common noun—vir maritimus), Vulg.: Abiam; meanwhile in (2 Chr 13:1) Slavonic: “Abijah,” in the LXX; in (1 Kgs 15:1) ´Αβιού, and in (2 Chr 13:1) ´Αβιά (the sense of the latter form is: “My Father is Jehovah”). The latter form should be recognized as correct, as formed on the model of other names with the name of Jehovah (Abijah is found in (1 Kgs 15:1) according to code 253 in Kennicott); the former form (in the Third Book of Kings) is probably an accidental error or a confusion of names, for example: Hiram, Miriam, and others; least of all can one see here (with Benzinger) an intentional removal of the name of Jehovah from the name of an ungodly king. Maacah, the mother of Abijah, according to Josephus (Jewish Antiquities VIII, 10, 1) was a granddaughter of Absalom (cf. 2 Sam 14:27), which, by the reckoning of the time elapsed since the death of Absalom and the birth of Rehoboam (1 Kgs 14:21), is more fitting to the circumstances, though it admits a forced interpretation of the Hebrew bat (not daughter, but granddaughter). In (2 Chr 13:2) instead of the name of Absalom stands the name of a certain Uriel, contradicting (2 Chr 11:20).

1 Kings 15:3. He walked in all the sins of his father which he had done before him, and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father was. 1 Kings 15:4. But for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem, 1 Kings 15:5. Because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from all that he commanded him, all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. The general character of Abijah’s reign was marked by unfaithfulness to the pure worship of Jehovah; this was already the third king who had turned away from the first principle of a theocratic king, whose example was forever set by David, and only for David’s sake was a lamp maintained for him in Jerusalem, namely his descendants on the throne (v. 4, cf. 1 Kgs 11:36). The sins of David with respect to the husband of Bathsheba (2 Sam 11:4-27) did not undermine the foundations of theocracy.

1 Kings 15:6. And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of their lives. If in (1 Kgs 14:30) it was said of the war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam only in the sense of hostility between the two kings, then here—of actual war between Jeroboam and Rehoboam’s son Abijah (of which is told in detail in (2 Chr 13:2-20)). The name of Rehoboam here (v. 6) is supposed to stand instead of the name of Abijah (the latter, indeed, stands in the Hebrew text in v. 30, 70, 89, 100, 149, 158–246, etc., in Kennicott’s manuscripts). With the latter supposition, the second half of v. 7 is merely a somewhat altered, shortened repetition of v. 6. In the Vatican text of the LXX there is no v. 6.

1 Kings 15:7. Now the rest of the acts of Abijah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 1 Kings 15:8. And Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. According to (2 Chr 13:2) Abijah reigned three years; from the comparison of v. 1 and 9 of the given chapter it is evident that these were three incomplete years. According to (2 Chr 13:21) Abijah had fourteen wives, twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters.

1 Kings 15:9. In the twentieth year of Jeroboam, king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah. 1 Kings 15:10. And he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Ana, the daughter of Absalom. According to the Hebrew text in v. 10, the name of Asa’s mother was the same as that of Abijah (v. 2)—Maacah, and also the daughter of Absalom. Such a succession of two queens with the same name and patronymic is doubtful, and it is supposed that in v. 10 the name of Abijah’s mother is repeated, while the name of Asa’s mother was different, not preserved in the Hebrew text. According to the LXX—´Ανὰ (but many manuscripts in Holmes, for example, 52, 92, 120, 121, 123, 134, 153, have Maacah), which probably represents a later correction. According to the rabbis, the mother here is the grandmother, but if the mother of the king, who held a very honorable position, is often mentioned (1 Kgs 2:19; 2 Kgs 10:13), then the grandmother of the king is nowhere mentioned.

1 Kings 15:11. And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as David his father had done. 1 Kings 15:12. He put away the male cult prostitutes from the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 1 Kings 15:13. He also removed his mother Ana from being queen, because she had made an abominable image for Asherah; and Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron. 1 Kings 15:14. But the high places were not removed. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all his days. 1 Kings 15:15. And he brought into the house of the Lord the votive gifts of his father and his own votive gifts: silver, gold, and vessels. From the theocratic point of view, Asa’s reign was almost flawless. Using the ten years of peace in the land upon his accession to the throne (2 Chr 14:1), Asa devoted himself to religious reforms in the direction of bringing worship to purity and centralizing it: he drove out the hierodules—sacred prostitutes—who appeared in Judah under Rehoboam (1 Kgs 14:24); he everywhere destroyed idols and all other objects of idol worship (cf. 2 Chr 14:2-4); he did so with the idol of Astarte (Heb.: miphletset la-asherah, Vulg.: in sacris Priapi—the idol of a phallic cult, most abominable to the Hebrews) of his mother: he cut it to pieces and burned it at the Brook Kidron, and removed his mother from being queen (Heb. geberah—the usual title of the queen, the mother of the king), cf. (2 Kgs 10:13), Slavonic: “dismissed her from not having dominion.” Kidron—a valley and winter stream to the northeast and east of Jerusalem (2 Sam 15:23) and others). Onomast. 610, now Wadi en-Nar. “The stream Kidron dried up in summer, and therefore its bed could be chosen as the place for burning an idol, so that after the first autumn flood, no trace of the detested image would remain” (Prof. Gulyaev). Only the high places dedicated to the True God (blessed Theodoret, question 47) and having from of old received sacred significance (1 Kgs 3:2) were not abolished by Asa (v. 14; 2 Chr 15:17), the high places of other gods Asa destroyed (2 Chr 14:2), though the high places of Solomon were left and existed until Josiah (2 Kgs 23:13). On the whole, by his religious convictions Asa was faithful to Jehovah all his life, though separate acts revealed a lack of lively, undivided faith in Jehovah and complete piety (Sir 49:5-6) does not count Asa among the best kings: David, Hezekiah, and Josiah). The zeal he showed for Jehovah in the first, peaceful years of his reign (during which Asa greatly strengthened many cities of his kingdom and organized a strong military force) (2 Chr 14:4-8) was rewarded with a magnificent victory over a million-strong army of a certain Zerah the Ethiopian (Heb. Zerah (hak) Kushi), usually understood as the Egyptian Pharaoh Osorkon, the successor of Sheshonk (Egyptian Sheshonq) or Shishak (2 Chr 14:9-14), and Asa captured rich spoils, much of which he brought to the treasury of the temple, as well as from the treasures of his father (1 Kgs 15:15; 2 Chr 15:18) and from his own conquests (2 Chr 14:14). However, despite the instructions of the prophet Azariah and the new uprising of religious zeal they caused in Asa (2 Chr 15:1-15), Asa subsequently stained himself with an unworthy act of cowardice and lack of faith. This was during the war with Baasha of Israel.

1 Kings 15:16. And there was war between Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, all their days. 1 Kings 15:17. And Baasha, king of Israel, came up against Judah, and began to build Ramah, that he might not permit anyone to go out or come in to Asa, king of Judah. 1 Kings 15:18. Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the treasuries of the king’s house, and gave them into the hands of his servants; and King Asa sent them to Ben-Hadad, the son of Tabrimmon, son of Hezion, the king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, and said: 1 Kings 15:19. Let there be a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father; behold, I am sending you a present of silver and gold; go, break your covenant with Baasha, king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me. 1 Kings 15:20. And Ben-Hadad listened to King Asa, and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-Beth-Maacah, and all Kinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. 1 Kings 15:21. When Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah. 1 Kings 15:22. Then King Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempt; and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building; and with them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah. Chronological data of the war described here; there exists the following difficulty. According to v. 16, there was war between Asa and Baasha, the third king of Israel, all their days. According to v. 33, Baasha became king in the third year of Asa and reigned twenty-four years, that is, until the twenty-sixth (twenty-seventh) year of Asa’s reign (which lasted, according to v. 10—forty-one years). But according to (2 Chr 14:1), in the first ten years of Asa’s reign his land had rest (that is, no war); and according to (2 Chr 15:19), Asa’s war with Baasha began only in the thirty-sixth year of the former’s reign. Since the latter decisively contradicts the indication of the Third Book of Kings that Baasha had already died in the twenty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, nothing better can be offered in explanation than the conjecture of old commentators and Keil that the date of (2 Chr 16:1)—thirty-six years—denotes the time elapsed from the division of the kingdoms under Rehoboam; as for the figure of ten years of rest (2 Chr 14:1), one can say that this rest was, first, possibly shorter (including three years of Asa’s reign before Baasha’s accession and some years after this event), and secondly, it was most likely as relative as the war “all their days.” The occasion for the clash—the fortifying of Ramah by Baasha to stop communications between Asa and the north. Ramah—the name of many cities and places in ancient Palestine, but here, obviously, a city in the tribe of Benjamin (Josh 18:25; Judg 4:5), mentioned in the well-known passage in the book of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 31:15; cf. (Hos 5:8) and others), two hours’ journey or, according to Eusebius—Jerome, six Roman miles north of Jerusalem (Onomast. 769), now Er-Rama (Robinson, Palest. II, s. 566 ff.). The fears of Baasha, which prompted him to fortify Ramah to prevent emigration from his realm to the Judahite dominion, had a factual basis: after Asa’s brilliant victory over Zerah, many from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon moved to Asa’s possessions (2 Chr 15:9). Should Baasha fortify Ramah (v. 16), Asa faced a future blockade of Jerusalem. Fearing this, Asa basely and criminally sought help against his own kinsmen of the Israelite kingdom through an alliance with the king of Syria (Aram), “Ben-Hadad,” Heb. Ben-Hadad (“son of the sun”), Vulg.: Benadad; otherwise LXX: υἱὸς Αδερ, Slavonic: “son of Ader” (in favor of the LXX reading apparently speaks the spelling of this name as Bir-idri in the Damascus inscription 654–846 BC: likewise code 246 of Kennicott and codices 174, 627 of Rossi have: Hodar). Three kings of Damascus, Syria, bore this name in the Bible (1 Kgs 15:18); cf. (2 Chr 16:2; 1 Kgs 20:1-34; 2 Kgs 6:24), and this, of course, does not give the right to consider this as a title of the Syrian king (contrary to Keil). Asa’s proposal to Ben-Hadad to break his alliance with the Israelite king and make one with him, bolstered by gifts from the “remaining” (that is, after Shishak’s plundering) (1 Kgs 14:26) silver and gold “in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the king’s house,” witnesses to Asa’s deep confusion and lack of faith in the help of that very Jehovah who recently had miraculously given him to defeat Zerah (2 Chr 14:9-12). An alliance with unbelievers against kinsmen was impious, and its impiety was not lessened by the fact that it was caused by an earlier covenant between the Israelite king and the Syrian: clearly, after the division of the Hebrew kingdom, the Syrian kingdom became extremely powerful (its growth began with Rezon: (1 Kgs 11:23-25)), and each of the Hebrew kingdoms sought its alliance for support against the other Hebrew kingdom (even Abijah apparently was allied with Ben-Hadad’s father, v. 19). When the prophet Hanani rebuked Asa because he had abandoned God and his help and sought support from the Syrians, Asa not only did not acknowledge his sin, but, angered at him, threw him in prison, and also oppressed “some of the people,” perhaps those who thought as the prophet (2 Chr 16:7-10). Cf. blessed Theodoret, question 47). Outward success, though achieved by wicked means, was attained by Asa: the troops of Ben-Hadad invaded from the north into the territories of the Israelite kingdom and thus stopped Baasha’s further conquest: threatened by the Syrian king, he abandoned the fortification of Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah (v. 21). The cities ravaged by the Syrian troops (v. 20), later completely taken from the Israelite kingdom by the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser (2 Kgs 15:29), were almost all located in the tribe of Naphtali: “Ijon” (Heb.: Iyon, LXX: Αιν, Slavonic: “Ain,” Vulg.: Ahion, Onomast. 41), according to Robinson (Palest. III, s. 611), was on the northern border of Palestine, in a region abundant with water, Merg-ajjun near the sources of the Jordan, the present settlement Tell-Dibbin. About Dan see note to (1 Kgs 12:29). “Abel-Beth-Maacah” (cf. 2 Sam 20:14-18)—on the extreme north of Israel, near Dan, probably the present Abil-el-Kamh, probably in antiquity at a stream flowing into the upper Jordan, hence in (2 Chr 16:4) is called: Abel-maim (Abel the watery); LXX: ´Αβὲλ οἴκου Μααχὰ, Vulg.: Abel-domum-Maacha, Slavonic: “Abel, house of Maacah.” “Kinneroth” (Heb. Kinnerot, singular: Kinnerot, in the Talmud: Ginnosar, in Josephus Jewish Wars III, 10, 7), Greek: Γεννησάρ, in the Gospel Γεννησαρέτ (Luke 5:1): the area and city (Josh 19:35) of this name lay in the most fertile region west of the Galilee (later Genesaret, Tiberias) lake.—The devastation of these border cities of Israel, which forced Baasha to cease the construction of the fortress at Ramah, gave Asa the opportunity to use the building material gathered by Baasha for fortifying Ramah—for the construction of fortresses in two Judahite border cities: Geba or Gibe of Benjamin (cf. (Josh 18:24; 1 Sam 14:5; Isa 10:29); Onomast. 312), now Dscheba (Badeker, Palest, s. 116), and Mizpah or Massife—also in the tribe of Benjamin (Josh 18:26; 1 Sam 7:5); cf. (2 Kgs 25:23); Onomast 689, now Hebi Sanwil (Robinson, Palastina, II, 361 ff.); both cities were at a distance of an hour and less from Ramah, an hour’s two hours’ journey from Jerusalem.

1 Kings 15:23. Now the rest of the acts of Asa and all his might and all that he did and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet. 1 Kings 15:24. And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father. And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place. In the ordinary conclusion concerning Asa’s reign, attention is drawn to the remark: “the acts of Asa… are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, except that” (Heb.: rak) “in his old age he was diseased in his feet.” Apparently this means that the account of Asa’s illness was taken by the author not from the general source—“the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah,” but from some other source (thus thinks Prof. Gulyaev, p. 255). But it is possible that there is here a contrast like the following: all of Asa’s reign was fortunate, only the last years (two years according to (2 Chr 16:12)) were darkened by foot disease (some say gout or rheumatism. Schenkel, Bibel-lexikon, vol. III, pp. 589–590. T. Popov. Biblical data on various diseases. Kiev, 1904, p. 84); or the contrast concerns Asa’s piety throughout his life and lack of faith in his illness: according to (2 Chr 16:12): “but in his disease he sought not the Lord, but the physicians” (cf. blessed Theodoret, question 48).

1 Kings 15:25. And Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, became king over Israel in the second year of Asa, king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 1 Kings 15:26. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father and in his sins which he made Israel to sin. Nadab—Heb.: Nadav, see note to (1 Kgs 14:20). The second king of Israel reigned, apparently, incomplete two years, for he became king in the second year of Asa (v. 25) and was killed by Baasha in the third year of that same reign (v. 28–33), as is general in the reckoning of years of reigns: incomplete years are usually counted as full years (Jeroboam, v. 9; Abijah, v. 1–2, 9). The general character of the rule of the second king of Israel was identical with the direction of his father, Jeroboam.

1 Kings 15:27. And Baasha, the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, made a conspiracy against him and struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging Gibbethon; 1 Kings 15:28. So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa, king of Judah, and reigned in his place. 1 Kings 15:29. When he became king, he struck down the entire house of Jeroboam. He left to Jeroboam not one person alive until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite, 1 Kings 15:30. Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned and which he made Israel to sin, and because of the irritation with which he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger. 1 Kings 15:31. Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 1 Kings 15:32. And there was war between Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, all their days. 1 Kings 15:33. In the third year of Asa, king of Judah, Baasha, the son of Ahijah, began to reign over all Israel in Tirzah and reigned twenty-four years. 1 Kings 15:34. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sins which he made Israel to sin. The murderer and successor of Nadab, Baasha was not from the tribe of Ephraim but from the tribe of Issachar. Baasha made his conspiracy and murder of Nadab during the siege by the latter of the Philistine city of Gibbethon (Heb.: Gibethon), cf. (1 Kgs 16:15), which lay in the territory of the tribe of Dan (Josh 21:23). Baasha destroyed the entire line of Jeroboam, so that the prophecy of Ahijah concerning it was fulfilled (v. 29, 30) cf. (1 Kgs 14:10-16), but he himself acted entirely in the spirit of Jeroboam and his first successor (v. 34), and therefore brought upon himself and his house the terrible judgment of God (1 Kgs 16:3). Cf. blessed Theodoret, question 48. * * * According to Metropolitan Filaret, Zerah the Ethiopian was a king of Midian. But Heb. Kush, Kushim, having the necessary connection with the name of the son of Ham—Cush (Gen 10:6; 1 Chr 1:8), means in the Bible, as in science, only the Cushite or Semitenumerousble tribes, usually: Ethiopians, Egyptians, and peoples close to them (Ps 67:32; Isa 20:3-5; Jer 46:9 and others), whereas Ethiopia sometimes takes the place of Egypt (2 Kgs 19:9). The Midianites, however, were Semites, descendants of Abraham through Keturah (Gen 25:4); Onomast. 660 On the salvation of Ramah as a border post between the northern (Israelite) and southern (Judahite) kingdoms, very thoroughly and with complete geographic accuracy, Prof. F. Ya. Pokrovsky speaks, cited work pp. 25, 31–46

Chapter Sixteen

1–7. God’s judgment on Baasha, king of Israel. 8–33. Other kings of Israel, contemporaries of Asa of Judah: Elah (8–10), Zimri (10–15), Phanni (21–22), Omri (23–28), and Ahab (29–33). 34. The displeasing restoration of Jericho to the Lord.

1 Kings 16:1. And the word of the Lord came to Jehu, son of Hanani, concerning Baasha: 1 Kings 16:2. because I lifted you from the dust and made you leader of My people Israel, yet you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and caused My people Israel to sin, provoking Me to anger by their sins, 1 Kings 16:3. behold, I will sweep away the house of Baasha and his descendants and make your house like the house of Jeroboam, son of Nadab; 1 Kings 16:4. whoever of Baasha dies in the city, the dogs shall eat; and whoever dies in the field, the birds of the sky shall devour. 1 Kings 16:5. Now the rest of the deeds of Baasha, all that he did, and his mighty deeds are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 1 Kings 16:6. And Baasha slept with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah. And Elah his son reigned in his place. 1 Kings 16:7. But through Jehu, son of Hanani, the word of the Lord had already been spoken concerning Baasha and his house and all the evil that he did in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him by the works of his hands, imitating the house of Jeroboam, for which reason he was destroyed. For the first time after the kingdom’s division, a prophet emerged in the Israelite kingdom (the elder prophet of Bethel in chapter XIII did not appear as a public figure and teacher): and the ten-tribe kingdom, despite its unfaithfulness to the Lord, remained God’s people, many of whose members were bound by the closest ties of faith and love to Solomon’s temple with the kingdom of Judah, and moreover, were destined in the future to form with it one people of God. The name of the prophet “Jehu” (Hebrew Yehu, Vulg.: Iehu), identical with that of one of the kings of Israel (2 Kgs 9:2), occurs only here and (2 Chr 19:2), cf. (2 Chr 20:34); probably the prophet Jehu’s father Hanani (1 Kgs 16:1) is one person with the prophet Hanani who reproved Asa and was imprisoned by him (2 Chr 16:7-10). The terrible prophecy of Jehu against the house of Baasha (v. 3–4) is set forth in expressions closely resembling the prophecies: of Ahijah against the house of Jeroboam (1 Kgs 14:10-11) and of the prophet Elijah against the house of Ahab (1 Kgs 21:23-24).

1 Kings 16:8. In the twenty-sixth year of Asa, king of Judah, Elah, son of Baasha, became king over Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned two years. 1 Kings 16:9. And his servant Zimri, captain of half the chariots, formed a conspiracy against him. When he was drinking heavily in the house of Arza, steward of the household in Tirzah, 1 Kings 16:10. then Zimri came in and struck him down and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa, king of Judah, and reigned in his place. The two years of the reign of the fourth king of Israel, Elah, were incomplete (cf. v. 10, 15). The conspirator Zimri, chief of half the royal cavalry (cf. 1 Kgs 9:19), took advantage of Elah’s intoxication at a feast of a certain courtier Arza, and also (cf. Josephus, Antiquities VIII, 12, 4) the absence of the royal commanders and troops, which had been sent to besiege Gibbethon (cf. v. 15) and (1 Kgs 15:27).

1 Kings 16:11. When he had become king and sat on his throne, he struck down the entire house of Baasha, leaving him not a single man child, nor his relatives, nor his friends. 1 Kings 16:12. Thus Zimri destroyed the entire house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke concerning Baasha through Jehu the prophet, 1 Kings 16:13. for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they themselves committed and by which they led Israel into sin, provoking the Lord, God of Israel, with their idols. 1 Kings 16:14. Now the rest of the deeds of Elah, all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 1 Kings 16:15. In the twenty-seventh year of Asa, king of Judah, Zimri reigned and reigned seven days in Tirzah, while the people were besieging Gibbethon of the Philistines. In the second revolution in the Israelite kingdom, Zimri carried out an even more thorough destruction of the deposed Baasha dynasty than Baasha had done with respect to the dynasty of Jeroboam (1 Kgs 15:29). Zimri’s reign lasted only 7 days—until news of it reached the Israeli forces besieging Gibbethon, who immediately proclaimed their military commander Omri as king (Hebrew Omri).

1 Kings 16:16. When the besieging people heard that Zimri had conspired and killed the king, all the Israelites made Omri, the military commander, king over Israel on that very day in the camp. 1 Kings 16:17. And Omri and all Israel with him withdrew from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. 1 Kings 16:18. When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he entered the inner chamber of the royal palace and set the king’s house on fire around him and died 1 Kings 16:19. for his sins, wherein he sinned, doing what was displeasing in the sight of the Lord, walking in the way of Jeroboam and in his sins, which he committed in order to lead Israel into sin. 1 Kings 16:20. Now the rest of the deeds of Zimri and the conspiracy which he formed are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 1 Kings 16:21. Then the people of Israel became divided: half the people followed Tibni, son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. Now an interregnum began. Besieged by the returning force under Omri, Zimri ended his life by suicide as soon as the city was taken: he burned himself and the royal palace, withdrawing into an inner and elevated chamber (Hebrew harmon, the elevated tower; LXX: ἄντπον, Vulg.: palatium). “And we are taught through this,” said the blessed Theodoret (question 48), “that the Sovereign God punishes those living wickedly, one through another, and gives over one wicked man to another more wicked, using the latter as it were as an executor of punishment.” During his 7-day reign (verse 15), Zimri, of course, could not prove himself an ardent follower of Jeroboam (v. 19), but he could have shown devotion to his cult even before his revolutionary step.

1 Kings 16:22. And the people who followed Omri prevailed over the people who followed Tibni, son of Ginath, so Tibni died and Omri reigned. 1 Kings 16:23. In the thirty-first year of Asa, king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel and reigned twelve years. He reigned six years in Tirzah. For four years, from the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign (v. 15) until the thirty-first year of his reign (v. 23), there was a joint reign of Omri with his opponent, Tibni, son of Ginath; and only after the death of the latter (and, according to the LXX, also his brother Joram: καὶ ἀπέθανε Θαβνί καὶ Ιωράμ ὁ ἀδελφός αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνω; Slavonic: “Tibni died, and Joram his brother at that time,” – a note which might have belonged to the original text, although it was not preserved in the Masoretic text), did Omri become the sole ruler of the ten-tribe kingdom. His 12-year reign was certainly not complete (according to v. 15–16, Omri was made king by the army in the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign, and according to v. 29, Ahab his son became king in the thirty-eighth year of Asa’s reign, therefore Omri’s reign accounts for 11 years with months), and is divided as follows: half of this time, 6 years, Omri lived in Tirzah (v. 23), of which the first 4 years he reigned simultaneously with Tibni, and the last 6 years he reigned, already dwelling in Samaria (v. 24).

1 Kings 16:24. And Omri bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, and he built on the hill and named the city which he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill. Desiring, perhaps, to have a more fortified and inaccessible capital by its physical position, Omri bought from a certain Shemer a hill and on it built the city of Samaria (Hebrew Shomeron), which became from then on the permanent capital of the Israelite kingdom, known also in Assyrian cuneiform inscriptions by the name Samerina (Aramaic Shemrain, (Ezra 4:10); Greek Σαμάρεια, Latin Samaria; cf. Onomast. 822). Herod the Great later rebuilt this city, naming it in honor of Emperor Augustus, in Greek Sebaste (Σεβαστή). (Josephus, Antiquities XV, 7, 7; Robinson. Palestine, III, 365 ff.). “Thus, from Shemer the hill was named Shemerim, and from the hill the city: Samaria. Samaria moreover is a city, now called Sebaste. In it the kings of the ten tribes had their house. And when the ten tribes were led into captivity, and that land became desolate, the kings of Assyria settled inhabitants from eastern lands in those cities. And they came to be named Samaritans from Samaria” (the blessed Theodoret, question 48). The hill of Samaria and the city of Samaria were located not far to the east of the former Israelite capital Tirzah and to the northeast of the very first capital of the Israelite kingdom – Shechem. The palace burned in Tirzah (v. 18), apparently was not restored, and Omri in choosing a place for the new capital naturally settled on Shemerim – Samaria, which in no way yielded in beauty of position to the former capital Tirzah (cf. Isa 28:1-4): located on a rounded beautiful elevation, Samaria rose (over 100 meters – 46 fathoms) above a fertile bowl-shaped plain, with hills and villages, and the elevated position of the city made it possible to fortify it appropriately; two talents of silver at our rates would be worth over 4,000 rubles.

1 Kings 16:25. And Omri did what was displeasing in the sight of the Lord and acted worse than all who came before him. 1 Kings 16:26. For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam, son of Nadab, and in his sins, by which he led the Israelites into sin, to provoke the Lord, God of Israel, with his idols. In religious and moral terms, the reign of Omri was not only a repetition of the sins of previous reigns, beginning with Jeroboam, but was something worse than all the previous ones: perhaps Omri not only lured his subjects by example to the godless cult of the calves (called in v. 26, as in 13, idols, Hebrew gavvaim, LXX: μάταια, Vulg.: vanitates, Slavonic: “vain things”), but also tried to strengthen this cult by legislative measures: “You have kept the statutes of Omri, and all the deeds of the house of Ahab,” reproved the prophet Micah (Mic 6:16) the Israelites more than 150 years later.

1 Kings 16:27. Now the rest of the deeds of Omri which he did, and the might which he showed, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 1 Kings 16:28. And Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son reigned in his place. In civil and political respects, Omri, the founder of the mighty Omride dynasty, was known not only as a builder and administrator of the state, but also as a courageous, warlike leader and conqueror: the biblical text (v. 27) ascribes to him special “might” (Hebrew gebura), which was displayed, of course, in military deeds, something attributed to few kings (Baasha, v. 5; Jehoshaphat, (1 Kgs 22:45); Joash of Israel, (2 Kgs 13:12)). The Assyrian cuneiform inscriptions know of Omri and his dynasty; the inscription of the Moabite king Mesha speaks of his conquering actions against the Moabites (p. 4, 7).

1 Kings 16:29. Ahab, son of Omri, became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa, king of Judah, and Ahab, son of Omri, reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 1 Kings 16:30. And Ahab, son of Omri, did what was displeasing in the sight of the Lord, more than all those before him. 1 Kings 16:31. Not enough that he fell into the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nadab; he took Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal king of Sidon, as his wife, and served Baal and bowed down to him. 1 Kings 16:32. And he built an altar to Baal in the temple of Baal which he constructed in Samaria. 1 Kings 16:33. And Ahab made an Asherah, and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel before him, [and he destroyed himself]. An overview of the reign of the eighth king of Israel, Ahab, son of Omri: (LXX: Αχαάβ, Slavonic: “Akhaav”) the extreme impiety of this king. The individual events of his reign are set forth below: chapters XVII–XXII; here (1 Kgs 16:30-33) a general introduction is made to the narrative concerning Ahab’s reign and the religious-theocratic point of view is established for Ahab’s activity, his religious syncretism. From the standpoint of the political interests of the Israelite kingdom, Ahab’s rapprochement with the Phoenician king could be as beneficial in a cultural sense for the Israelite kingdom as Solomon’s relations with Hiram were for the Hebrew kingdom. For Ahab, moreover, there could be a special reason to turn to Phoenicia for aid and alliance: a far-sighted politician had to oppose the threatening power of Syria and Assyria coming from the east with a solid alliance of Israel and Phoenicia. But the useful political-economic alliance of Ahab with Phoenicia proved extremely harmful in a religious-moral sense: not content with the worship of the Lord through the image of golden calves, which was close to paganism, Ahab, as a result of his marriage to Jezebel, daughter of the Phoenician king Ethbaal (Hebrew Ethbaal, in Josephus, Antiquities VIII, 13, 1–2; Against Apion 1 – εἰθώβαλος), who was a priest of Baal and Astarte, introduced into the Israelite kingdom the formal worship of Baal (Hebrew (Gab.) Baal, lord, master). Baal originally (like Babylonian Bel) was a common Semitic name for divinity, but later became specifically the proper name of the chief Phoenician god of the sun, primarily as the bearer and principle of physical life and the productive power of nature, conceived as emanating from Baal’s being. As a god of the sun, Baal was dedicated: 1) the so-called hammanim, sun or fire pillars or conical statues (Isa 17:8; 2 Chr 34:4) – made of gold, emerald (in the temple of Tyrian Baal – Melkart stood two such statues – one of gold, the other of emerald. Herodot, II, 44); 2) mazzeboth – statues or monuments of stones in general, as well as wooden stelae (Lev 26:1 and others): such a stele (Hebrew mazzeba) Ahab made for Baal in Samaria, and only his son Jehoram removed it (2 Kgs 3:2); later many statues of Baal were destroyed and burned by Jehu (2 Kgs 10:26-27); 3) finally, to Baal, as the chief of pagan deities, were dedicated sanctuaries and temples (Judg 9:4; 1 Kgs 16:32; 2 Kgs 10:21; 2 Chr 23:17). Such a temple to Baal was built by Ahab in Samaria (v. 32), probably under the influence of his wife Jezebel, fanatically devoted to this cult, who became in the Bible a synonym for impiety and vice (Rev 2:20). Together with the male deity Baal, Ahab introduced the female Astarte – Asherah (cf. 1 Kgs 14:15), to whom he dedicated a special image with a grove beside it (v. 33). How widely developed and how complexly organized was the cult of Baal and Astarte introduced in the Israelite kingdom by Ahab can be seen from the fact that in Ahab’s time there were 450 prophets of Baal here, 400 prophets of Astarte – Asherah (1 Kgs 18:19).

1 Kings 16:34. In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho: he laid its foundation on his firstborn Abiram and set up its gates on his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke through Joshua, son of Nun. An indication of the people’s impiety in the Israelite kingdom was also the godless reconstruction or rather fortification (cf. (1 Kgs 11:27)) of Jericho (it had not been uninhabited even earlier, for example, in David’s time), (2 Sam 10:5), contrary to Joshua’s curse (Josh 6:25), by a certain Hiel of Bethel, and the terrible word of Joshua concerning the death of the builder’s firstborn and his youngest son was fulfilled upon this violator of the curse in complete exactness. Jericho (Hebrew Yericho, LXX: ᾿Ιεριχώ, Vulg.: Iericho), lying not far from the Jordan on its right bank, near the Dead Sea, in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin (Josh 18:21), but now belonging to the Israelite kingdom (2 Kgs 2:5), was renowned for fertility, balsam, roses, palms (and therefore was called ir hatamarim, the city of palms) (Deut 34:3; Judg 1:16). By its position, Jericho was the key to the holy land; its occupation delivered all of Palestine into the hands of the Hebrews (Josh 2:1) and was at the same time the beginning of the victory of true religion and the true God over Canaanite paganism. Now, under Ahab, there was a sharp turn of Israel toward this very paganism (the cults of Baal and Astarte, v. 31–33), and the recreation of Jericho, this ancient stronghold of Canaanite pagan population, appeared now as a sad sign of the times: Israel in the person of Ahab was denying the true God, was denying also His salvific, miraculous guidance of Israel, by virtue of which Jericho once fell. Thus, the remark of v. 34, having a close connection with v. 31–33, at the same time forms a transition to the narrative of Ahab’s denouncer, the prophet Elijah, (1 Kgs 17:1) and following. * * * This was called in large houses a part that rose above the general level of the building. In houses of wealthy civilians, in this part, as the safest, women were lodged; in houses liable to attacks, this part formed a fortified place, the last refuge (Prof. Gulyaev, p. 258). Cf. Fr. Botrther, Neue exegetisch – kritische Aerenlese zum Alten Testament Leipzig. 1864, II, s. 100. R Kittel. Die Bucher der Konige. Gottingen. 1900, s. 131. I Benzinger. Die Bucher der Konige. Tubingen. 1899, s. 103 On the cult of Baal see Movers, Religion der Phonic., s. 184. Keil, Manual of Biblical Archaeology, Russian trans. (Kiev 1871), part I. p. 571 ff. M. Palmov, Idolatry among Ancient Hebrews. St. Petersburg 1897, p. 217–234. On hammanim and mazzeboth – by Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, Megalithic Monuments of the Holy Land, St. Petersburg, 1895, p. 60–78 According to Eusebius and the blessed Jerome (Onomast. 553), Jericho, again destroyed by the Romans, was restored again, and this third city existed in their time, with remains of the first two cities also preserved. Now – Erihah, six hours south of Jerusalem

Chapter Seventeen

1. The appearance of the prophet Elijah before Ahab and the prediction of drought. 2–7. The prophet Elijah’s stay at the brook Cherith and his miraculous nourishment here. 8–24. The prophet Elijah in the house of the widow of Zarephath; miraculous nourishment of her family (13–16) and the raising of her son (17–24).

1 Kings 17:1. And Elijah the prophet, the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab: As the Lord, God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain in these years, save by my word. The sudden appearance of the prophet Elijah, noted also in the words of Ben Sira: “the prophet Elijah rose up like fire, and his word burned like a torch. He brought famine upon them” (Sir 48:1-2), and the abruptness of his first speech to Ahab have long raised the supposition that the beginning of Elijah’s history, as well as the beginning of his denunciatory speech to Ahab, have not been preserved in the Bible. The Talmud even attempts to fill in the supposed gap. However, there is no need for such a supposition, for the sudden appearance is characteristic of the prophet Elijah (Sir 48:1-2), and the abrupt appearance of the prophet, previously hidden in obscurity, best answered the purpose of striking conviction of Ahab’s unprecedented impiety. The name “Elijah,” Hebrew Eliyahu, Eliyah (LXX: ´Ηλιού, ´Ηλίας, Vulg.: Elias) means: “my God is the Lord” and of itself points to the calling or task of the prophet’s entire life: the preaching and defense of pure religion of the Lord against the cult of Baal (there is no need, however, to suppose with some interpreters that the prophet himself adopted this name, expressing the idea of his religious service; rather it may be thought that the family in which the prophet was born held the Lord in reverence, absolutely rejected the cult of Baal, and expressed the confession of their faith in the name of the future prophet). The usual epithet of the prophet Elijah – “the Tishbite” (1 Kgs 17:1; 2 Kgs 1:3) – comes from the prophet’s native city Tishbe. The position of the city in the Bible is not exactly defined, and interpreters point to it in two ways. Some identify Tishbe, the native country of the prophet Elijah, with Thisbe, Θίσβη, “located on the right side of the river Kidron of Naphtali, in Galilee” (Tob 1:2), from which the known Tobit was led into captivity (for example, K. Bahr in Lunge. Bibelwak. Th. 7: Die Bucher der Konige, 1868, p. 172). However, the other opinion is more probable, according to which Tishbe – the prophet’s native country – lay in Gilead, close to the Jordan, which is confirmed by the appended phrase (v. 1 in the Hebrew text): “of the inhabitants (dwellers) of Gilead” (Vulg.: de habilatoribus Galaad). The LXX, however, apparently expressed the idea of the location of the city of Tishbe itself in Gilead, when they rendered the Hebrew miktoshav (“from the inhabitants”) as ´εκ Θεσβῶν (Θεσσεβῶν) τῆς Γαλαάδ. Josephus (Antiquities VIII, 13, 2) directly states that the prophet Elijah “appeared from the Gilead city of Thisbony” (cf. Onomast. 517). Now it is identified with el-istib – a locality lying 13 kilometers to the north of the Jabbok and known by the name Mar-Elyas. Appearing suddenly in Samaria, the prophet Elijah in a brief but inexpressibly powerful speech confessed before Ahab his faith in the sole Lord, and declared himself the appointed servant of His and executor of His commands, and in the name of this faith and this confession, swearing (“As the Lord lives!”, hay – Yehovah,) cf. (Ruth 3:13; 1 Sam 14:39) announces to the impious king and people, who had trampled the covenant of the Lord, the most grievous disaster for an agricultural people – drought and the inevitable famine that would follow: this was the fulfillment of the threat of the law for Israel’s abandonment of the Lord (Lev 26:19-20; Deut 11:16-17; cf. 1 Kgs 8:35), and at the same time was the most evident refutation of the cult of Baal introduced into Israel, in which the productive power of nature was preeminently embodied and deified: drought and barrenness of the land was factual testimony to the impotence of the idol. The prophet indicates the duration of the drought indefinitely: “in these years” (not less, however, than 3 years, as is shown by the plural samin, cf. (1 Kgs 18:1); according to (Luke 4:25; Jas 5:17) – 3.5 years), – making the duration of punishment dependent on a new revelation through him in the future, that is, in essence, on the time and degree of the king’s and people’s repentance. “Elijah was a prophet, first among prophets, burned with divine zeal and uttered this by the action of the Holy Spirit. Therefore what he uttered was fulfilled” (question 51). The historian Menander in Josephus (Antiquities VIII, 13, 2) mentions a drought lasting a year under the Tyrian king Ithobal; this confirms the historicity of the narrative of 3 Kings about the drought under Ahab.

1 Kings 17:2. And the word of the Lord came to him: 1 Kings 17:3. Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is opposite the Jordan; Since the Lord’s command to the prophet to leave the king, withdraw eastward, and hide himself by the brook Cherith presupposes danger for the prophet from the king, it is evident that Ahab, as seen from the following, together with his wife Jezebel, generally persecuted the prophets of the Lord (1 Kgs 18:4) and especially carefully searched for the prophet Elijah (1 Kgs 18:10). The brook Cherith (Hebrew Kerith; LXX: Σορράθ; Vulg.: Carith) is sometimes by tradition indicated on this (western) side of the Jordan and identified with wadi-el-Kalt (Onomast. 968). But the very expression in the Hebrew text “al-pnei ha-yarden” (Slavonic: “opposite the Jordan”), according to biblical usage (cf. Gen 18:1-2; 1 Sam 15:7; 1 Kgs 11:7), can only denote the eastern side of the Jordan; moreover, on the eastern side of the Jordan, partly forested, partly desert, but always more remote from Samaria, the prophet Elijah was in greater safety from Ahab’s persecution than on the west of the Jordan. The stay in desert solitude, besides safety, was intended to prepare the prophet for the hardships of the public ministry awaiting him – as later for the New Covenant Elijah – John the Baptist (Luke 1:80; Matt 11:14). Finally, the water of the brook Cherith probably a tributary of the Jordan (from the east) nourished the prophet for some time during the drought.

1 Kings 17:4. and from the brook you will drink; and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. 1 Kings 17:5. And he went and did according to the word of the Lord; he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is opposite the Jordan. 1 Kings 17:6. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. If the brook provided the prophet with natural drink (in the LXX the Slavonic adds the word ὕδωρ, “water”, v. 4 and 6), then he received food in a miraculous way: bread and meat in the morning and evening the prophet received, by God’s command, brought to him by ravens. The abundance of miracles in the history of the prophets Elijah and Elisha testifies to God’s merciful care for the pious in Israel and at the same time speaks to the crude sensuality of the people, who could be influenced only by extraordinary things. The ravens could have been chosen by providence to feed the prophet as birds of the desert (Isa 34:11). In a ritual sense, the raven in the Old Testament was considered an unclean bird (Lev 11:15; Deut 14:14); but by His command to the ravens, the “Lawgiver teaches us that He established such ritual laws only because of the weakness of the Jews. For He Himself commanded the transgression of them (thus He commanded seven times to go around Jericho on the Sabbath; thus also He commanded Elijah to receive food, prepared by ravens). And sometimes He did not rebuke those who transgressed such laws (Samson was not accused for eating honey from the carcass of a dead lion)”, the blessed Theodoret, question 52. In v. 6, the LXX somewhat alter the sense of the text: instead of the Hebrew “brought to him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening,” the LXX have: ἄρτους τό πρωί καί τω κρέα τὸ δείλης, bread in the morning and meat in the evening – in parallel (Exod 16:8). At Cherith the prophet stayed about a year (Hebrew yamim, days, often denotes a year-long period: (Lev 25:29; Judg 17:10)), – until the brook dried up from the drought.

1 Kings 17:8. And the word of the Lord came to him: 1 Kings 17:9. “Arise and go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to provide for you.” Now providence points the prophet to a new path, commanding him to go to Zarephath of Sidon, where a certain widow woman, by the command of the Lord, was to nourish the prophet. Zarephath (cf. Obad 1:20), Hebrew Tzarfat; LXX: Σαρεπτὰ; Vulg.: Sarephta; in Josephus Σαρεφθά, – an ancient seaside Phoenician city between Tyre and Sidon, 10 Roman miles (15 kilometers, about 14+ versts) from the latter; now the village of Sarafand (Robinson, Palestine III, 690. Cf. Onomastic. 831. Josephus, Antiquities VIII, 13, 2). This command of God to the prophet to leave the land of Israel and seek shelter beyond its borders, in a pagan city and in the family of a foreigner, according to the blessed Theodoret (question 53), shows that if God had seen constant disposition and firm faith in the Jews, He would not have commanded to avoid fellowship with foreigners, but on the contrary would have required them to live with them and preach piety to them (Exod 34:16). To the prophet, who could do good, He not only did not forbid, but even commanded to go to the foreigner. Although the immediate purpose of the prophet’s removal beyond the border could be greater safety from the hand of the Israelite king, at the same time the choice of precisely the house of the Zarephath widow for the prophet’s stay shows, and the word of Christ the Savior unquestionably assures us of this (Luke 4:25-26), that in Israel in those days there was not found so believing, pious, and in general worthy a family as the person and family of the widow of Zarephath.

1 Kings 17:10. And he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow woman was gathering sticks. And he called to her and said: Bring me a little water in a cup to drink. 1 Kings 17:11. And she went to get it; and he called after her and said: Bring me also a morsel of bread in your hand. 1 Kings 17:12. And she said: As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, but only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug; and behold, I am gathering two sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son; we will eat it and die. 1 Kings 17:13. And Elijah said to her: Fear not; go, do as you have said; but first make me a small cake from this and bring it to me, and afterward make for yourself and your son; 1 Kings 17:14. for thus says the Lord, God of Israel: The jar of flour shall not be exhausted, and the jug of oil shall not fail, until the day when the Lord gives rain upon the earth. 1 Kings 17:15. And she went and did as Elijah said; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 1 Kings 17:16. The jar of flour was not exhausted, and the jug of oil did not fail, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke through Elijah. The remarkable meekness of the widow, her submission to her fate, her wonderful faith in divine providence and her unprecedented obedience to the prophet’s word – all these qualities in the widow of Zarephath present in her the image of a righteous woman outside the law with heartfelt faith in the Lord, and in this sense she was a prefigurement of the church from the nations, formerly barren, and afterward prospering as a lily. The blessed Theodoret says: “I marvel at the meekness in the wife’s answer; she did not murmur that in such calamities they were asking her for food, but only presented her extreme poverty. But this great and righteous man, although he promised her inexhaustible sources of flour and oil, nevertheless commanded that she first prepare and bring him bread. And the wife was not grieved again, worn out by the cares of poverty and widowhood, but with faith heeding the promise, brought food. She even did this, not knowing the man; because he was a foreigner – not having tested by experience his prophetic power. I think, moreover, that she was a prefigurement of the Church from the nations; because this wife, persecuted by the Israelites, received with faith, as also the church received by these same Israelites the exiled apostles” (question 53). The text, LXX, and Slavonic in v. 12 presuppose that the widow had several sons: τοίς τέκνοις μον – “to her children” (Hebrew singular: livni; Russian Synodal: “for her son”); likewise in v. 15: τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς – “her children” (Hebrew betah, “her house”). But in both cases preference should be given to the Hebrew text: from the whole narrative it can be seen that the widow had an only son, and that in v. 15 reference is made to the widow’s house, not to her sons.

1 Kings 17:17. Afterward the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell ill, and his illness was so severe that he stopped breathing. 1 Kings 17:18. And she said to Elijah: What do you want with me, man of God? You came to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to kill my son. 1 Kings 17:19. And he said to her: Give me your son. And he took him from her arms, and carried him into the upper room where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed, 1 Kings 17:20. and cried to the Lord and said: O Lord my God! Have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son? 1 Kings 17:21. And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried to the Lord and said: O Lord my God! Let the life of this child come into him again! 1 Kings 17:22. And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 1 Kings 17:23. And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said: See, your son lives. 1 Kings 17:24. And the woman said to Elijah: Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is true. Josephus (Antiquities VIII, 13, 3) supposes that the widow’s son did not die, but only “had the appearance of a corpse” (a kind of fainting); the same thought was held by some interpreters (for example, Bahr, op. cit: p. 174), but the biblical text clearly states (v. 22, cf. 18) that here there was a case of actual death and actual resurrection from the dead. The remarkable view of the widow (v. 18) is that through the prophet (and his holiness) her sins were revealed in all their force and provoked God’s punishment. “She did not say, although she was a foreigner: you came as an evil portent for me, the coming of you became the cause of calamity for me; on the contrary, what happened to her she attributed more to her own sins,” the blessed Theodoret, question 54). The very manner of the prophet’s action at the raising of the dead (v. 19–21) closely resembles the subsequent raising of the Shunnamite’s son by the prophet Elisha (2 Kgs 4:34-35): the symbolism in both cases is all the more intelligible if Christ the Savior Himself was not averse to using it in His miracles (Mark 7:33; John 9:6-7). “The prophet prayed to the Lord for the dead child, and after prayer, breathing three times upon the child, returned it to life. The threefold number indicates the adorable Trinity, and the breathing indicates the original creation of the soul,” the blessed Theodoret. The miracle served to finally establish the widow in faith in the Lord and His prophet (v. 22–24). * * * Here (Sanhedr. 113a) it is related that the prophet Elijah and Ahab together visited Hiel (see 1 Kgs 16:34) for the purpose of comforting him in the loss of his sons; at this the prophet pointed out to him the fulfillment upon him of the word of Joshua (Josh 6:25). Ahab replied that here is the word of Joshua, the disciple of Moses, fulfilled, but the terrible word of Moses himself concerning the sending of drought and famine for idolatry (Deut 11:16-17) has not yet been fulfilled, although the people serve idols. At this the prophet Elijah said: As the Lord lives, etc. (1 Kgs 17:1) According to a later Jewish tradition, the prophet Elijah was descended from a whole line of priests; the city of Tishbe itself was supposedly a priestly city

Chapter Eighteen

1–2. God’s command to the prophet Elijah to appear before Ahab. 3–6. A picture of the famine in the last days of drought. 7–16. The meeting of the prophet with Obadiah, Ahab’s officer. 17–19. The prophet’s meeting with Ahab, his rebuke, and the proposal to test the power of the Lord and Baal. 20–38. On Mount Carmel: the unsuccessful prayer and sacrifice of the priests of Baal and the descent of heavenly fire on the prophet’s sacrifice. 39–46. The slaying of the priests; the appearance of rain; the return of Ahab and the prophet.

1 Kings 18:1. After many days, the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year: “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.” 1 Kings 18:2. And Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. “In the third year”: this dating presents no contradiction with New Testament testimony – 3 years and 6 months (Luke 4:25; Jas 5:17), since the latter more precisely denotes the entire duration of the action of the prophetic word of Elijah, while this passage of 3 Kings indicates only the actual duration of the calamity of drought and famine (in the beginning the inhabitants could be nourished from the stores of the previous year).

1 Kings 18:3. And Ahab called Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Now Obadiah was a very godly man, 1 Kings 18:4. and when Jezebel destroyed the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them, fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water. 1 Kings 18:5. And Ahab said to Obadiah: Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive and not lose some of our livestock. 1 Kings 18:6. So they divided the land between them to explore it; Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself. The prophet Elijah’s forthcoming meeting with Ahab fell during the time of the most severe development of drought and famine, and here the circumstances are indicated that led to the prophet’s meeting with the king. The position of palace overseer, introduced by Solomon (1 Kgs 4:6), existed also under Ahab (v. 3), whose reign, in its external, political, and international aspect, appears to have been a reflection of the splendor of Solomon’s reign (cf. chapter XX). All the more sharply does the decline of religion stand out in this reign, which found expression, among other things, in Jezebel’s persecution and murder of the prophets (v. 4), that is, of the sons of the prophets, who carried out pious religious exercises under the guidance of some prophet (cf. 1 Sam 10:5-6): clearly, there were very many of them at this time in the Israelite kingdom (cf. 2 Kgs 2:3-7); the impiety that had risen high provoked a struggle against itself a great religious-moral force – the prophetic communities (unsuccessfully sometimes called “prophetic schools”). Obadiah, overseer of Ahab’s palace, by his piety and zeal for the religion of the Lord (v. 3, 7, 12; cf. the blessed Theodoret, question 55) hid and fed the persecuted prophets in one of the caves, perhaps on Mount Carmel.

1 Kings 18:7. When Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. And he recognized him and fell on his face and said: Is it you, my lord Elijah? 1 Kings 18:8. And he said: It is I. Go, tell your master: “Elijah is here.” 1 Kings 18:9. And he said: What sin have I committed, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab, to be killed? 1 Kings 18:10. As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent to seek you; and when they said, “He is not here,” he required an oath of the nation or kingdom that they could not find you; 1 Kings 18:11. and now you say, “Go, tell your master: Elijah is here.” 1 Kings 18:12. When I leave you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you away I do not know where; and if I go and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me; but your servant has feared the Lord from my youth. 1 Kings 18:13. Is it not told to my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred of the Lord’s prophets, fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water? 1 Kings 18:14. And now you say: “Go, tell your master: Elijah is here”; and he will kill me. 1 Kings 18:15. And Elijah said: As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today. 1 Kings 18:16. And Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him. And Ahab went to meet Elijah. Obadiah could easily recognize (Slavonic: “hastened”, LXX: έσπεοσε) the prophet Elijah (v. 7) by his distinctive appearance: “that man was altogether in hair and was girded with a leather belt around his loins” (2 Kgs 1:8), – by these signs the prophet was recognized. In Obadiah’s conversation with the prophet, notable, besides his deep respect for the prophet (v. 7, 9, 13), is still the view that the Spirit of the Lord at any moment can carry the prophet away to an unknown place (v. 12; cf. v. 46); (Ezek 3:12), as happened when the prophet’s life ended (2 Kgs 2:11). From this conversation we also learn what intense efforts Ahab employed to find Elijah – “he who by his word shut up the clouds, to do one of two things, either to convince the prophet to open the clouds, or to destroy him, if he could not be convinced,” the blessed Theodoret, question 55). Only the prophet’s solemn assurance (v. 15) of his intention to appear before Ahab convinces Obadiah to inform Ahab of the prophet’s arrival (v. 16). The name of God “Lord of hosts” (Hebrew Yehovah – Tzevaot) or more fully “Lord, God of hosts” (Yehovah – Elohei – Tzevaot) is used almost exclusively among the prophets (especially in Isaiah, Amos, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, in the Psalms and in the books of Kings and Chronicles) and means God: 1) as the heavenly Leader of the hosts of Israel; 2) as the Lord of the celestial lights and especially 3) as the Lord of the angelic hosts (see in A. Glagolev, Old Testament Biblical Teaching on Angels. p. 238–256).

1 Kings 18:17. When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him: Is it you, you troubler of Israel? 1 Kings 18:18. And he said: I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and have gone after the Baals; 1 Kings 18:19. now send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table. 1 Kings 18:20. And Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. Ahab superstitiously sees in the prophet a man bringing misfortune on the people (Hebrew oher, v. 17, ahar; v. 18: to ruin, ruiner), cf. (Gen 34:30; Josh 6:17), but the prophet sees the source of Israel’s destruction (v. 18) in the worship of Baal (Baal, besides being a general name, also had different epithets and titles: Baal-Berith, Baal-Zebub, and others, in which idolaters saw separate deities) and proposes a religious contest with 450 priests of Baal and 400 priests of Asherah-Astarte, in the presence of “all Israel” (that is, popular representatives) on Mount Carmel. Mount Carmel (Hebrew Karmel, literally a garden, (Josh 19:26); Onomast. 602), south of the gulf of Acco, forms the northern extension of the mountains of Ephraim, near the brook Kishon. In ancient times, Mount Carmel, according to Josephus (Antiquities V, 1, 22; Jewish War, III, 3, 1), formed the boundary between Galilee and the Tyrian region; it was known for its vegetation and also the abundance of grottos. The prophet chose it, probably as a central location in the Israelite kingdom, and also close to Ahab’s summer residence (cf. v. 46); finally, there was apparently an ancient honored altar of the Lord here (v. 30). Ahab immediately complies with the prophet’s proposal (v. 20), though just before he was raging with anger (v. 17): clearly, the prophet’s personality had a strong influence even on this king.

1 Kings 18:21. And Elijah came near to all the people and said: How long will you go limping between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word. 1 Kings 18:22. And Elijah said to the people: I alone am left as a prophet of the Lord, but the prophets of Baal are four hundred fifty men [and four hundred prophets of Asherah]; 1 Kings 18:23. now let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it; 1 Kings 18:24. and call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire is God. And all the people answered and said: It is good. [Let it be so.] 1 Kings 18:25. And Elijah said to the priests of Baal: Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it. In view of the forthcoming trial of the power of the Lord and Baal, the prophet Elijah reproaches the people for the religious syncretism they had permitted – the simultaneous worship of the Lord and Baal (cf. the blessed Theodoret, question 57): the expression “how long will you go limping between two opinions,” which has the character of a proverb, contains the thought that pure idolatry is in some respects better than indifferent wavering between the religion of the True God and the cult of Baal. Not receiving an answer to his rebuke from the people, the prophet indicates (v. 22) that he is here the sole prophet of the Lord (in other places of the Israelite kingdom there remained other prophets of the Lord, cf. v. 4, 13; 2 Kgs 2:3), while the prophets of Baal are 450. (The LXX add in v. 22: καὶ οἱ προφῆται τοῦ ἄλσους τετρακόσιοι; Slavonic: “and the prophets of the grove four hundred”; an addition apparently borrowed from v. 19: the priests of Astarte-Asherah did not attend Carmel, as is evident from v. 25, 40). To them and the prophet addresses his proposal, v. 23–25, to bring sacrifices here: the priests – to Baal, and the prophet – to the Lord, – under equal conditions (putting no fire, v. 23, 25), and moreover the prophet grants the priests the opportunity to bring the sacrifice before him (v. 25), “so that the confounded servants of falsehood could not say that Baal was angered that the gift was not presented to him first,” the blessed Theodoret, question 58), and at the same time so that the impression of the power and greatness of the Lord, when He sends fire (v. 24; cf. 38), would be more firmly impressed in the people’s consciousness – after the impotence of Baal has first been demonstrated.

1 Kings 18:26. So they took the bull that was given to them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying: “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. 1 Kings 18:27. At noon Elijah mocked them and said: Cry aloud, for he is a god; perhaps he is meditating, or he is relieved, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened! 1 Kings 18:28. And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 1 Kings 18:29. And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the afternoon oblation; but there was no voice, no answer, and no attention. [And Elijah the Tishbite said to the priests of Baal: Now step aside, so that I may perform my sacrifice. They stepped back and fell silent.] The portrayal of the prayer and worship activities of the priests of the cult of Baal is very characteristic, typical of the pagan cults of antiquity in general. Besides prayer cries from morning to evening (v. 26, 27, 29), the priests limped (Hebrew pasah – to hop like the lame; LXX: διειρεχον; Vulg.: transsiliebant, Slavonic: “leaped”, v. 26) around the altar; then this circular movement of the priests took on increasingly the character of religious orgy: armed with swords and spears, in their wild dancing the priests inflicted cuts and wounds on each other, from which they flowed with blood (v. 28) – a superstition very widespread among the peoples of antiquity: the Philistines, Moabites, Babylonians, Scythians, Romans, see W. Nowack. Hebraische Archaologie, I, p. 194, stemming from the belief that blood, and especially priestly blood, is powerful in appeasing the deity; the Hebrews were strictly forbidden to make such cuts on the body (Deut 14:1); finally, all of this: wild gestures during circular movement, clanging of weapons, streams of blood – drove the priests into the highest exalted state, denoted by the Hebrew verb hitnabbe (v. 29), one root as nabi – prophet; the LXX render this term (v. 29) ´επροφήτευον; Slavonic: “prophesied”; Vulg.: ilIis profetantilus: in this sense the named Hebrew term is frequently applied to prophets (1 Sam 10:5-6; Ezek 37:10 and others), but in relation to pagan frenzied “prophets,” as the priests of Baal appear in this narrative, another meaning of the named term can be applied: “raved” (Russian Synodal trans.), Greek: μαίνομαι, with which is related μάντις, “soothsayer”; in the sense of “to rave, to go mad,” the term is used, for example, of Saul’s illness (1 Sam 18:10; cf. Jer 29:26) In v. 27 the ironic speech of the prophet depicts the extremely anthropomorphic conception of the deity among the pagans. The prayers and religiously exalted actions of the priests continued until the time of the evening sacrifice – mincha (a bloodless, grain offering), (Num 28:8; Exod 29:39-41; cf. 2 Kgs 3:20; Dan 9:21), that is, from 3 to 5 in the afternoon (according to the biblical Hebrew reckoning: between 9 and 11 in the morning). Further the LXX text has in v. 29 an addition (placed in brackets in the Russian Synodal translation); compared with v. 30 this addition gives nothing special.

1 Kings 18:30. Then Elijah said to all the people: Come here to me. And all the people came to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. 1 Kings 18:31. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying: Israel shall be your name. 1 Kings 18:32. And he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed, Approaching the sacrifice, the prophet calls the people to attention, and first of all restores the destroyed ancient altar on Carmel; this also meant a restoration of the covenant with God that the people had broken (cf. 1 Kgs 19:10), by expressing the idea of this renewal of the ancient covenant. Elijah, like Moses (Exod 24:4), takes 12 stones according to the number of the 12 tribes of Israel and builds from them one altar in the name of the Lord: concrete testimony that the 12 tribes, though temporarily and accidentally divided, in idea form one whole, and that faith in the Lord and service to Him serves as the unifying principle for them; and the tribal unity of all 12 tribes is underscored by their descent from Jacob, while religious unity and purity of worship is impressed on them through a reminder of Jacob’s other name: Israel (Gen 32:28), and the zeal of Jacob-Israel to remove from his line other gods (Gen 35:1). On the arising question: how could the prophet build an altar on Carmel under the law of the unity of the place of worship (Deut 12:5), the blessed Theodoret gives the following answer (question 56): “to the righteous the law is not binding” (1 Tim 1:9). To the Israelites, by their frivolousness, God established that they perform worship in one place, so that, receiving permission to perform it everywhere, they would not begin to worship false gods as well. But the prophet wished to demonstrate both the impotence of the demons seducing the peoples and the omnipotence of God the Almighty. It was impossible to lead the Israelites to the Jerusalem temple because of the division of the kingdom; therefore he brought them to Carmel, where he had frequent residence.

1 Kings 18:32. And he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed, 1 Kings 18:33. and laid the wood [on the altar], and cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, 1 Kings 18:34. and said: Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood. [And they did so.] Then he said: Do it a second time. And they did it a second time. And he said: Do it a third time. And they did it a third time, 1 Kings 18:35. and the water ran down around the altar, and the trench was filled with water. Awaiting the descent of a miraculous fire from heaven on the sacrifice, the prophet does everything to eliminate any suspicion of artificial fire-setting; the channel around the altar (about 1/2 quarter-size in depth – about two measures) completely filled with water after water was abundantly poured on both the sacrifice and the wood serves this purpose; moreover, the number of jars of water (4x3 = 12) may have the same symbolic significance as the number of stones of the altar (31 v.); the threefold number of libations may indicate the mystery of the Trinity (the blessed Theodoret, 58 question). In preparing the sacrifice the prophet acts as a priest, in the opinion of H. Grotius, “jure prophetico, minoribus legibus exsolutus, utmajores servaret.”

1 Kings 18:36. At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near [and cried out to heaven] and said: O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel! [Hear me, Lord, hear me now in fire!] Let it be known this day [among these people], that You alone are God in Israel, and that I am Your servant, and have done all these things according to Your word. 1 Kings 18:37. Hear me, O Lord, hear me! Let this people know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You will turn their heart back [to You]. 1 Kings 18:38. Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. In his prayer to the Lord, the prophet names Him not merely as his own God, as in raising the widow’s son of Zarephath (1 Kgs 17:20), but as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, raising his thoughts and those of others to the revelation of the God of the covenant to Moses (Exod 3:15). The purpose of the sacrifice and the prophet’s prayer is the complete turning of Israel to the Lord (the words “hear me, Lord, hear me now in fire!” – an insertion which, however, the Greek text has without variants). The answer to the prophet’s prayer was the miraculous descent from heaven of fire, showing God’s merciful acceptance of the sacrifice and prayer of the prophet (cf. Lev 9:24; Judg 6:20-21). “And this heavenly fire consumed not only the wood and sacrifice, but the dust and water and stones, so that God’s altar would not be defiled when the impious bring sacrifices to demons on it,” the blessed Theodoret, question 58).

1 Kings 18:39. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said: “The Lord is God! The Lord is God!” 1 Kings 18:40. And Elijah said to them: Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and killed them there. The impression of the greatness and omnipotence of the Lord – in the descent of fire from heaven and the consumption of the sacrifice (abundantly drenched with water) and itself and in contrast with the revealed powerlessness of Baal – was inexpressibly powerful and overwhelming; filled with deep reverence toward the Lord, faith in Him, the people together felt an irresistible indignation at the priests of Baal. In such a mood of the people “Ahab, even if he wished, could not protect the false prophets and idolatrous priests.” At the mere word of the prophet, expressing agreement with the law (Deut 13:9-10), that idolaters and corruptors of the people should be killed, the people seized the priests and dragged them to the brook Kishon, where they were killed, their corpses and blood carried away by the rapid stream into the sea. Kishon, LXX: Κασῶν; Vulg.: Cison, Slavonic: Kison, “the brook of Kishon,” – a stream near Carmel and Tabor (Judg 4:7); Onomast, 618, flowing in a northwestern direction through the Esdraelonite or Jezreel plain, originates at Jenin and flows into the Mediterranean near Haifa; now “nakhr-el-Murata” (Robinson. Palestine, III, 474). Thus, “after performing the miracle, Elijah commanded the slaying of the workers of evil, and only then allowed the clouds to be released from the burden of suffering,” the blessed Theodoret, question 58).

1 Kings 18:41. And Elijah said to Ahab: Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of the roar of rain. 1 Kings 18:42. So Ahab went up to eat and drink, while Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel and bent down to the ground, and put his face between his knees, 1 Kings 18:43. and said to his servant: Go now, look toward the sea. So he went up and looked, and said: There is nothing. And he said: Go again, do so seven times. 1 Kings 18:44. The seventh time he said: Behold, a little cloud is rising from the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said: Go, say to Ahab: “Harness your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.” 1 Kings 18:45. Meanwhile the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode in his chariot [and wept] to Jezreel. 1 Kings 18:46. And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah. And he girded up his loins and ran before Ahab to Jezreel. After the calamity of drought ceased according to the prophet’s word (1 Kgs 17:1), Ahab, who had witnessed the slaying of the priests, is advised by the prophet to “go up, eat, and drink,” that is, to calm himself and fortify himself (cf. Exod 24:11; Luke 12:19), since the people were returned to God and normal life should begin, with which the people’s calamity should also cease. In anticipation of rain the prophet is immersed in a state of prayer: at the top of Carmel he “bent down to the ground, and put his face between his knees” (v. 42) – a position usual in the East (for example, in India, Persia) for a person immersed in prayer and contemplation. After a brief wait, a small cloud from the sea (often, according accounts of sea voyages, presaging the beginning of heavy rain) announced to the prophet the coming of heavy rain, which followed. Ahab, shaken and moved by all that had happened (in the LXX and in the Slavonic text in v. 45 there is an additional word about Ahab: καί ἔκχαιε; Slavonic: “and wept”), hastened to his residence in Jezreel (Hebrew Yizreel, LXX: ᾿Ιεζραέλ, ´Ιεζραέλ; cf. (1 Kgs 21:1; 2 Kgs 9:25); – later: the Esdraelonite plain, (Jdt 1:8), now Zerin, Onomast. 545), see remark to (1 Kgs 4:12); and the prophet, wishing to strengthen in Ahab’s soul this salutary disposition, runs, strengthened by God’s power (v. 46) cf. (2 Kgs 3:15), the entire considerable distance from Carmel to Jezreel (about 240 stadia or 46 versts) before Ahab’s chariot. From the following (19th) chapter it is evident how shallow was the transforming influence of the Carmel event on Ahab’s soul.

Chapter Nineteen

1–8. Jezebel’s threat to the prophet Elijah and his departure from Jezreel to Beersheba and then to Horeb. 9–18. The theophany to the prophet at Horeb. 19–21. The anointing of Elisha for the prophetic ministry in place of Elijah.

1 Kings 19:1. And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 1 Kings 19:2. And Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah saying: [if you are Elijah, and I am Jezebel, then] may the gods do this to me and more, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your soul like the soul of each of them. 1 Kings 19:3. Seeing this, he arose and went to save his life, and came to Beersheba, which is in Judah, and left his servant there. Ahab’s account to Jezebel of the Mount Carmel events, in particular the killing by the prophet Elijah’s word of the priests of Baal (1 Kgs 18:40), apparently was intended to dispose his wife toward the religion of Jehovah; but upon Jezebel, a stubborn and fanatical pagan, the account had the opposite effect; it aroused her fury, vengefulness, and intention to struggle decisively for the cult of Baal and against the chief representative of the religion of Jehovah – the prophet Elijah, who had become the cause of the destruction of her priests; and through a messenger she swears an oath (compare 1 Kgs 2:23) threatening him with death, apparently intending to compel him to flee (to kill the prophet Elijah as she had many other prophets (1 Kgs 18:4), Jezebel apparently did not find possible in view of his fame among the people, especially shortly after the happenings on Mount Carmel, when the impression of the power of the prophet of the true God upon the people was still fresh). The LXX and Slavonic in Jezebel’s words, verse 2, add εἰ σὺ εἶ Ἠλιοῦ, καὶ ἐγὼ Ἰεζάβελ, “if you are Elijah, I am [Jezebel],” that is, “I shall be able to oppose my authority as a queen, a devotee of Baal, to your authority and influence as a prophet.” Jezebel probably did this not without Ahab’s knowledge, who proved too weak to resist Jezebel: a feeling of repentance (compare note to (1 Kgs 18:45-46)) within him proved too shallow and fruitless. The prophet feared (LXX: ἐφοβήθη; Vulgate: timuit ergo, Slavonic: “and feared,” corresponding to the Hebrew verb yare, “to fear,” not yara – “to see,” as in the Hebrew and Russian Synodal, verse 3). “Why,” asks the blessed Theodoret (question 59), “did Elijah, having such power, fear one Jezebel?” And he answers: “because he was not only a prophet but also a man. On the other hand, the fear itself was the work of God’s providence. So that the greatness of the miraculous work would not puff up his thoughts, grace allowed nature to give itself a place for fear, and through this the prophet came to know his own weakness.” The prophet departs from the Israelite kingdom to Beersheba – in the Judahite kingdom. Beersheba belonged to the tribe of Simeon (Josh 19:2; 2 Sam 24:7), lay on the border of Edom, now Khirbet Bir es-Seba, Onomast 277; at the southern end of Judah and all of Canaan, as Dan formed its northern boundary; hence the well-known expression “from Dan to Beersheba” (Judg 20:1; 1 Sam 3:20; 2 Sam 3:10; 1 Kgs 4:25), compare Robinson, Palestinal, 337. Although this city belonged to the Judahite kingdom, yet even during the time of the division of kingdoms it attracted many pilgrims from the Israelite kingdom (Amos 5:5). At Beersheba the prophet leaves his servant (verse 3), compare (1 Kgs 18:43-44); in his sorrow the prophet naturally wished to be alone.

1 Kings 19:4. But he himself went into the wilderness a day’s journey and, coming, sat under a juniper bush, and asked for death and said: It is enough now, Lord; take my life, for I am not better than my fathers. 1 Kings 19:5. And he lay down and fell asleep under the juniper bush. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him: Rise, eat [and drink]. 1 Kings 19:6. And Elijah looked, and behold, at his head was a baked cake and a jar of water. He ate and drank and lay down again. 1 Kings 19:7. And the angel of the Lord returned a second time and touched him and said: Rise, eat [and drink], for a long journey is before you. 1 Kings 19:8. And he arose and ate and drank, and, strengthened by that food, he went forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God. Stricken with sorrow, the prophet goes into the wilderness – that same Arabian wilderness through which once the people of God wandered, and here under one shrub of the plant drokah (Hebrew rothem, compare (Ps 119:4; Job 30:4); LXX: ὑποκάτω Ῥάθμέν; Vulgate: subter juniperum; Slavonic: “under a whirlwind”; Russian Synodal: “under a juniper bush”) – a plant frequently encountered in Arabia and yielding a useful charcoal there (Ps 119:4) – gave himself over to a feeling of deep sorrow and regret about the failures of his prophetic mission, and this feeling, in connection with his burning zeal for God (compare verses 10, 14), poured out for the prophet in a request or prayer to God for death – for the removal of the highest gift of God’s mercy – life (compare (Ps 60:7; Prov 3:2) and others): his life appeared to him as not fulfilling its purpose, and therefore by the example of his fathers he asks death from God. This desire and request of the prophet was not an expression of cowardice and murmuring on his part; otherwise he would not have been deemed worthy of the twofold sending of the angel 22 (verses 5, 7) for his strengthening and instruction. Strengthened by the food indicated by the angel, the prophet goes to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God, and in 40 days reaches it. Horeb (LXX: Σωρήβ; Hebrew Choreb; Vulgate: Horeb, (Exod 3:1; Deut 1:6; 1 Kgs 8:9) and others) is called the mountain of God and frequently in the Bible is identified with Sinai. Usually they are distinguished by the fact that Horeb is understood to be the whole mountain range between Wadi Shueib, Racha, and Ledja, while Sinai is understood to be a separate high peak rising above it to the south (Onomastic, 975). The relatively small distance from the wilderness adjoining Beersheba to Horeb in the land of Midian the prophet traversed in 40 days – probably with prolonged stops and deviations from the direct path (to avoid pursuers); the direct path in the indicated direction did not exceed 50 versts (according to (Deut 1:2) from Horeb to Kadesh-Barnea, lying somewhat south of Beersheba, – 11 days’ journey). The 40 days of Elijah’s journey to the mountain of legislation have an analogy with the 40-day stay of Moses on the mountain of legislation (Exod 24:18), and as Moses spent 40 days without food and drink (Exod 34:28; Deut 9:9), so it may be supposed that during the 40-day journey to Horeb the prophet Elijah too fasted (“strengthened by that food”; Slavonic: “went in the strength of that food”; Vulgate: ambulavit in fortitudine cibi illius), ardently desiring to have the Revelation of God about the fate of Israel and his own prophetic mission.

1 Kings 19:9. And he entered there into a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him: What are you doing here, Elijah? 1 Kings 19:10. He said: I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts, for the children of Israel have abandoned Your covenant, destroyed Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword; I alone am left, but they seek my life to take it away. 1 Kings 19:11. And He said: Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, and behold, the Lord will pass by, and a great and strong wind, tearing mountains and breaking rocks in front of the Lord, but the Lord is not in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord is not in the earthquake; 1 Kings 19:12. after the earthquake fire, but the Lord is not in the fire; after the fire a gentle whisper, [and there the Lord]. 1 Kings 19:13. Hearing this, Elijah covered his face with his cloak, and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And there was a voice that said to him: What are you doing here, Elijah? 1 Kings 19:14. He said: I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts, for the children of Israel have abandoned Your covenant, destroyed Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword; I alone am left, but they seek my life to take it away. The question of God to Elijah, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (verse 9) does not have the meaning of a reproach to the prophet for faint-hearted flight into the wilderness from his mission in society, as some interpreters think, but is simply a call of divine love to the prophet exhausted in soul and body – to open his soul to Jehovah. And the prophet opens the inmost content of his thoughts and feelings: burning zeal and acute sorrow about Israel’s violation of the covenant with God, about the destruction or desecration of sacred altars, about the slaughter of prophets, so that of the latter only Elijah remains, but even his life is in danger from pursuers (verses 10, 14). Zeal for the covenant once violated, concluded at Sinai (Exod 34:1-10), and now prompting the prophet to address with complaints about Israel to God ((Rom 11:2): ἐντυγχάνει τῷ Θεῷ κατὰ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ) on that same mountain of covenant and legislation places the prophet Elijah in a parallel with the Lawgiver Moses (both great men later appeared to the Lawgiver of the New Covenant, Jesus Christ, on the Mount of Transfiguration), (Matt 17:3; Mark 9:4; Luke 9:30). With the name of a zealot, the prophet Elijah passed into history. The very speech of the prophet in verse 10, repeated after verse 14, is a question to God: what measures or means can be applied to the faithless Israel? Without prejudging this question, the prophet, however, might have wished a swift and decisive punishment. The answer of God to the words and thoughts of the prophet is, first, the special character of the theophany, verses 11–12, and then the command of God concerning the anointing of two kings and a prophet to execute God’s judgment upon Israel. The theophany to the prophet Elijah at Horeb, verses 11–12, closely recalls the theophany once having here to Moses (Exod 33:18-19) – also on account of Israel’s violation of the covenant at Sinai (Exod 32:1). As for the very character of the theophany, from the fact that Jehovah appeared not in a whirlwind and storm (compare Isa 17:13), not in an earthquake (compare Isa 24:18), not in an all-consuming fire (compare Isa 66:15) – the usual fearsome elemental forces of the punishing, wrathful power of God (compare Ps 17:8-18; Isa 29:5-6), but in a gentle whisper (compare Job 4:16; Ps 103:3), – the prophet was taught that Jehovah “considered it better to govern the human race with gentleness and patience, although it would not be difficult for Him to send upon the wicked both lightning and thunder, to shake the earth, quickly dig a pit for them and utterly destroy them with violent winds” (the blessed Theodoret, question 59). The words “and there the Lord” in the Slavonic and Russian translation of verse 12 are in neither the Hebrew text nor the accepted text of the LXX, yet they are read in many Greek codices (κἀκεῖ: Κύριος in codices 19, 44, 52, 64, 74, 92, 106, 119, 120, 123, 158, 236, 213, 246, in Holmes; and there Lord – in codices 59, 108, 121, 134, 245, 247, ibid) and fully express the meaning of the text. The Vulgate, however, does not have them either. In general, this theophany has very great significance for the whole theology of the Old Testament, testifying that, according to the teaching of the Old Testament, God is not an elemental force but a spiritual moral principle, for which elemental phenomena are merely means of manifestation, but whose actions are always stamped with a higher moral character, and the fundamental law of God’s action in the world in general and especially toward people is love and mercy (compare Exod 34:6). Feeling God’s presence in the gentle whisper, the prophet Elijah went out from the cave in which he had been during the shattering natural phenomena, and in reverent awe before the Inaccessible God covered his face with a cloak (the cloak, LXX: ἐν τῇ μιλωτῇ; Vulgate: pallio; Hebrew ‘adderet), as Moses did at the theophany that came to him also at Horeb (Exod 3:6; compare Isa 6:2).

1 Kings 19:15. And the Lord said to him: Go back by your way through the wilderness to Damascus, and when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Syria, 1 Kings 19:16. and Jehu son of Nimshi you shall anoint as king over Israel; and Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place; 1 Kings 19:17. and whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. 1 Kings 19:18. Yet I have left seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and all the mouths that have not kissed him. If verses 11–12 contain a symbolic answer to the words of the prophet (verses 10, 14), then now another answer of God is given to that same question of the prophet – the command of God to him – to “anoint”: Hazael as king over Syria, Jehu as king over Israel, and Elisha as the successor of Elijah in the prophetic ministry (verse 15). These three such different actors are united here as those who are to serve to fulfill the will of God, the plans of God concerning Israel in particular: Hazael, king of Syria, subsequently became the scourge of God’s wrath upon Israel and constantly oppressed it from without (2 Kgs 8:12); Jehu accomplished difficult internal upheavals in the Israelite kingdom: he destroyed the house of Ahab and the cult of Baal introduced by him (2 Kgs 9:24); the prophet Elisha appeared as the direct successor of the prophet Elijah: the struggle against paganism in Israel, and was the instrument of God’s teaching and punishing action – of course, not by a material sword, as the first two (verse 17), but by the sword of the prophetic word (Isa 49:2) and his whole prophetic activity. The prophet Elijah personally fulfilled only the third command of God – concerning the appointment of Elisha as his successor (verses 19–21). But “if he anointed a prophet and imparted to him spiritual grace, then by this he also anointed the others, because Elisha, having received through him the prophetic grace, and transferred the gift upon them and imparted to them royal grace” (the blessed Theodoret, question 60). However, “anointing” here has a completely general meaning: appointment, designation, predication, calling: even Elisha was not called as a prophet by the prophet Elijah through anointing with oil (concerning the anointing of prophets with oil as a way of calling in the Old Testament in general there is no mention, except for the prophecy concerning the anointing of the supreme prophet the Messiah), (Isa 61:1; Luke 4:18), but through the laying on of him of the prophetic cloak or mantle (verse 19) compare (2 Kgs 1:8; Zech 13:4); nevertheless, speech can be concerning the “anointing” of Hazael to kingship in Syria: the prophet Elisha, executor of the testament of the prophet Elijah, simply conveyed to Hazael the will of God concerning him (2 Kgs 8:7-13); only Jehu, like other Hebrew kings (compare 1 Sam 10:1; 1 Kgs 1:34 and others), was actually anointed to kingship, though not by the prophet Elisha himself, but by one of the “sons of the prophets” (2 Kgs 9:1-10). Concerning the location of Abel-Meholah, the native city of the prophet Elisha (according to Eusebius-Jerome, 10 miles to the south of Scythopolis or Bethshan, Onomastic 5), see note to (1 Kgs 4:12). Along with the announcement of judgment upon the Israelite kingdom (verse 17), the prophet Elijah is granted a gracious consolation, that amid the widespread propagation of ungodliness in Israel there are and unknown to the world and even to the prophet, but known to God alone, bearers of true faith and piety: 7,000 [men], who did not bow their knees before Baal and did not kiss his statue (verse 18). Seven thousand – a round definite number instead of an indefinite multitude, as 144,000 sealed – in (Rev 7:4); 7 – a symbolic number of holiness, covenant, worship (K. Bahr. Symbolik des mosaisch. Kult. I, 5, 193) and here, naturally, was taken to designate the remnant of Israelites faithful to the covenant, as the “holy seed” of the people of the covenant (Isa 6:13; compare Rom 11:7). Concerning bowing of knees as an expression of religious feeling, see (1 Kgs 8:54); concerning the kissing of statues of golden calves see (Hos 13:2). Compare in M. Palmov, Idolatry among ancient Hebrews, p. 232.

1 Kings 19:19. And he departed from there, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, and he was plowing; twelve pairs [of oxen] were with him, and he himself was with the twelfth. And Elijah, passing by him, cast his cloak upon him. 1 Kings 19:20. And Elisha left [the oxen], and ran after Elijah, and said: Let me, I pray you, kiss my father and my mother, and I will follow you. And he said to him: Go and return, for what have I done to you? 1 Kings 19:21. He turned back from him, and took a pair of oxen, and slew them, and with the plowing equipment of the oxen, cooked their flesh, and gave it to the people, and they ate. And he arose and followed Elijah, and ministered to him. Although the voice of God commanded Elijah (verse 15) to go from Horeb through the wilderness to Damascus – the capital of Syria (Isa 7:8); Onomast 378, to anoint Hazael, he, deciding first of all to establish a successor in the future, and presently a necessary colleague, goes to the city Abel-Meholah, where Elisha lived. It is possible that the prophet Elijah had formerly known this young man (therefore directly fixed upon him), who apparently belonged to a wealthy family (12 pairs of working oxen). The symbolic action of the prophet Elijah, meaning the acceptance by him of Elisha into his spiritual communion (compare Ruth 3:9; Ezek 16:8), more particularly into collaboration in the prophetic ministry (compare 2 Kgs 2:13), was understood precisely thus by Elisha, who entirely, with full readiness, followed this calling, having only asked the permission of the prophet Elijah to take leave of his parents (verse 20; the words of the prophet Elijah “what have I done to you” point to the importance of the calling to prophecy and at the same time to the freedom in following this calling) and having arranged a farewell meal for his parents and acquaintances from those very oxen upon which he had been plowing. By this the prophet broke his worldly relations for the higher service to God in the office of a prophet (verse 21). * * * See A. Glagolev. Old Testament biblical doctrine concerning angels. Kiev, 1900, p. 302 Talmudists understand by the name “Covenant” (Hebrew berit) here, on the basis of (Gen 17:13-14), circumcision, and since circumcision was not actually abandoned in the time of the prophet, then, according to the belief of Talmudists, the prophet Elijah was punished for his incorrect condemnation of Israel by being forever obliged to be present at the operation of circumcision, for which a special chair is usually set for the prophet Elijah at circumcision ceremonies. See A. Alexeyev. Worship, festivals and religious rites of present-day Jews. Novgorod, 1861, p. 154–155

Chapter Twenty

1–43. Ahab’s successes in war with the Syrians.

1 Kings 20:1. And Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, gathered all his forces, and with him were thirty-two kings, and horses and chariots, and he went up and besieged Samaria and fought against it. 1 Kings 20:2. And he sent messengers to Ahab, king of Israel, to the city, 1 Kings 20:3. and said to him: Thus says Ben-Hadad: Your silver and your gold are mine, and your wives and your best sons are mine. 1 Kings 20:4. And the king of Israel answered and said: As you say, my lord the king: I and all that is mine are yours. 1 Kings 20:5. And again the messengers came and said: Thus says Ben-Hadad: I sent to you saying, “Your silver and your gold, and your wives and your sons, you shall give to me”; 1 Kings 20:6. therefore tomorrow at this time I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants, and they will take everything precious in your sight and put it in their hands and carry it away. 1 Kings 20:7. And the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said: Mark and see how he is seeking trouble; when he sent to me for my wives and my sons, and for my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him. 1 Kings 20:8. And all the elders and all the people said to him: Do not listen and do not agree. 1 Kings 20:9. And he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad: Tell my lord the king: All that you asked your servant to do in the first place, I am ready to do, but this I cannot do. And the messengers went and brought him the answer. The war with the Syrians, whose narrative interrupts the biblical account of the prophet Elijah (chapters XVII-XIX) until the next chapter (XXI), by the very character of this subject, relating to the political life of Israel rather than the religious and moral, as the history of the prophet Elijah, naturally belongs to events described in another historical source, rather than that from which the narrative of the prophet Elijah is drawn (chapters XVII-XIX, XXI). Naturally, therefore, the chief actor in chapter XX is king Ahab and is depicted here in considerably more attractive traits: as a politician and leader of the people, and the ungodly king could have valuable civil, natural qualities and virtues: readiness for self-sacrifice for the good of the state (verse 7), ability to listen to the wise voice of the people (verses 7–8), courage (verse 14), magnanimity toward defeated enemies (verses 31–34). Both by content and by character of the narrative, chapter XX closely adjoins chapter XXII, which is why the LXX place this chapter after the story of Naboth, chapter XXI (according to the LXX: XX). But in the chronological sequence of the history of the Syrian war (chapter XX), it must be supposed, preceded the story of Naboth (chapter XXI), in which is contained a threatening prediction of the end of the house of Ahab (verse 20), more fitting to the end of his reign. Ben-Hadad (verse 1), a contemporary of Ahab, is usually called Ben-Hadad II and is considered the son and successor of the Syrian king of this name – a contemporary of the Judean kings Asa and the Israelite king Baasha (1 Kgs 15:18). According to verse 34 of this chapter, the father of Ben-Hadad, contemporary with Ahab, warred with Omri, the father of Ahab, and took from him several cities. It is possible that from that time the Israelite kingdom stood in vassal relations to the Syrian king (as the 32 kings accompanying Ben-Hadad, verse 1) as this apparently is presupposed in the demands of Ben-Hadad (verse 3) and confirmed by the knowledge of Assyrian documents (in Schrader’s and Winkler’s works) of the participation of Ahaz (that is, by vassalage duties) in the forces of the Syrian king Bir-idri in his battle with Shalmaneser the Assyrian at the city of Karkar in 854 B.C. An attempt on the part of Ahab to break these vassal relations to the Syrian king might have provoked this campaign of Ben-Hadad. Josephus (Jewish Antiquities VIII, 14, 1) thus supplements the biblical account of this (verse 1): “not being equal to his opponent in military forces, Ahab did not dare to engage him in battle, but ordered all the population of his country to seek refuge in the most fortified cities, and he himself shut himself up in Samaria, which was strongly fortified with the strongest walls and in general seemed almost inaccessible.” The unpreparedness of Ahab for war – Samaria had only 7,000 troops (verse 15) – explains the confusion and faint-heartedness of Ahab, generally quite courageous, especially after the repetition of Ben-Hadad’s demands in heightened form (verses 5–6). But, encouraged by the advice of the “elders of the land” (verse 7 – not elders of the city only), (1 Kgs 21:8), Ahab has the courage to answer Ben-Hadad’s ever-increasing demands with a refusal: willing to sacrifice his own possession, he refuses to surrender what belongs to his subjects (verse 9).

1 Kings 20:10. And Ben-Hadad sent to him saying: May the gods do thus to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me. 1 Kings 20:11. And the king of Israel answered and said: Tell him: Let not the one who puts on armor boast like the one who takes it off. 1 Kings 20:12. Hearing this word, Ben-Hadad, who was drinking with the kings in the booths, said to his servants: Assault the city. And they assaulted the city. Ben-Hadad swears an oath (concerning the formula of oath compare (1 Kgs 19:2)) to destroy Samaria with purely Eastern boastfulness (compare 2 Sam 17:13): after the destruction of Samaria, in the heaps of its ruins there will not be enough debris for even a handful for each of his soldiers. The LXX (the accepted text) erroneously read the Hebrew shealim (from the singular sho’al, handful), compare (Isa 40:12), as shu’alim (from shu’al – fox, jackal) and rendered the second half of verse 10 thus: εἰ ἐκποιήσει ὁ χοῦς Σαμαρείας ταῖς ἀλώπεξι πάντι τῷ λαῷ τοῖς πεζοῖς μου. But in many manuscripts (such as: 19, 52, 55, 92, 93, 108, 158, 236, 242, 246, in Holmes) it reads correctly: ταῖς δραξί. So too the blessed Theodoret (question 62) and Josephus incorrectly paraphrases Ben-Hadad’s figurative speech, seeing in it “a threat to erect a wall much higher than that which surrounds Samaria and over which he scoffs: it would be enough for him to order each of his soldiers to throw one handful of earth” (Jewish Antiquities VIII, 14, 2). To the boastful speech of the Syrian king Ahab responds (verse 11) with a proverb, having (like the Latin saying: ne triumphum canas ante victoriam) the meaning that one going to battle (“putting on armor,” that is, with sword or weapons in general (Judg 18:11; 1 Sam 17:39; 2 Sam 21:16; 2 Kgs 3:21)) should not boast as one who has won victory and returned from the field of battle (“taking off armor,” that is, removing weapons). This wise rule Ahab himself did not follow later, when, going into a fateful battle with the Syrians, he boasted and threatened the prophet Micaiah (1 Kgs 22:27). Ben-Hadad, intoxicated with wine and pride, gives the order to assault the city (the indefinite Hebrew simu, arrange! – the LXX replace with the more definite: καὶ κοδομήσατε χάρακα; Vulgate: circumdate civitatem, Slavonic: “make a rampart”).

1 Kings 20:13. And behold, a prophet came near to Ahab, king of Israel, and said: Thus says the Lord: Do you see all this great multitude? Behold, I will give it into your hand today, that you may know that I am the Lord. 1 Kings 20:14. And Ahab said: By whom? He said: Thus says the Lord: By the servants of the governors of the districts. And he said: Who will start the battle? He said: You. 1 Kings 20:15. [Ahab] mustered the servants of the governors of the districts, and found them to be two hundred thirty-two; after them he mustered all the people, all the sons of Israel, seven thousand. 1 Kings 20:16. And they went out at noon. Now Ben-Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings who were helping him. 1 Kings 20:17. And the servants of the governors of the districts went out first. And Ben-Hadad sent out scouts, and they reported to him, saying, “Men have come out from Samaria.” 1 Kings 20:18. He said: If they have come out for peace, take them alive; and if they have come out for war, take them alive. 1 Kings 20:19. The servants of the governors of the districts went out from the city, and the army followed them. 1 Kings 20:20. And every man struck down his opponent; and the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them. And Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, escaped on a horse with horsemen. 1 Kings 20:21. And the king of Israel went out, and took horses and chariots, and he struck the Syrians with a great slaughter. To encourage Ahab, a certain prophet is sent, whom the rabbis arbitrarily identify as Micaiah (1 Kgs 22:8); the very fact of the sending of a prophet to Ahab testifies that the rebukes of the prophet Elijah did not pass unheeded for Ahab: evidently, at least, persecutions of prophets no longer occurred now (concerning the whereabouts of the prophet Elijah at the time of the Syrian invasion there is no information; his special mission was the denunciation of the ungodliness and violence of Israelite society and chiefly of Ahab, but the civil and political life of Israel was not the subject of his attention). The prophet promises Ahab in the name of Jehovah and for the confirmation of his faith in Jehovah (verse 13), and together points out the tactics in the coming battle: its outcome will be decided by the participation of servants, more precisely young armor-bearers, of the governors of the districts (compare 2 Sam 18:15); there proved to be only 232 of them, and the whole garrison of the city was small too – 7,000 (verse 15; arbitrarily Rabbi Yarhi identified these 7,000 soldiers with the 7,000 true worshippers of Jehovah, who did not honor Baal), (1 Kgs 19:18)). A favorable circumstance for the success of the Israelites was the behavior and disposition of Ben-Hadad: he continued to get drunk (verses 16, compare 12) with his confederates and at the same time in complete carelessness was confident of victory (verse 18); the LXX and Slavonic incorrectly render the Hebrew sukkot, booths, verse 16, with the proper name Σοκχώθ, Slavonic “Sokkhof” – the name of a city on the eastern side of the Jordan (Gen 33:17), in the tribe of Gad (Josh 13:27; Judg 8:5; 1 Kgs 7:46; Compare Onomast. 884); but in this place, where the siege of Samaria is spoken of, it could not of course be about Sokkhof beyond the Jordan. Thanks to the sudden assault on the Syrian camp by selected armed young Israelites, followed by the garrison of Israel (verse 19), after a brief battle (verse 20: every man struck down his opponent; the LXX and Slavonic add here: καὶ ἐδεευτέρωσεν ἕκαστος τὸν παρ’ αὐτοῦ, “and each doubled his opponent”), victory remained with the Israelites, and Ahab, who now came out, finished the victory (verse 21).

1 Kings 20:22. And the prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him: Go, strengthen yourself, and know and see what you must do, for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against you. 1 Kings 20:23. The servants of the king of Syria said to him: God of theirs is a god of the hills, [and not a god of the valleys,] therefore they prevailed over us; if we fight with them on the plain, then surely we shall overcome them. 1 Kings 20:24. And thus do this: remove the kings, each from his place, and put governors in their places; 1 Kings 20:25. and gather an army for yourself as large as the army that you have lost, and horses as many as the horses you had, and chariots as many as the chariots you had; and we will fight with them on the plain, and then surely we shall overcome them. And he listened to their voice and did so. Immediately after the victory over the Syrians, that same prophet (verse 22 compare 13; in the second case “navi” (“prophet”) has the article with it) comes again to Ahab and, warning him against complacency, urges him to be ready for a new invasion of the king of Syria “at the return of the year,” Hebrew: litshuvat ha-shana, LXX: ἐπιστρέφοντας ἐνιαυτοῦ, Slavonic: “as the year returns” – probably in spring “when kings go out to war” (1 Chr 20:1). Meanwhile among the Syrians preparations are being made for a new campaign. The Syrians attribute their failure in battle with the Israelites to the fact that, in their opinion, the God of the Israelites is “a god of the hills” (the LXX add: καὶ οὐ θεὸς κοιλάδας, Slavonic: “and not a god of valleys, and not a god of the plains”) – one of the known pagan antiquity dii montium (gods of the mountains), whose power extends only over hills but not over plains, where his worshippers suffer defeat. “Since they thus esteemed their own gods, they thought that the true Creator of all is also a divisional God. But He showed His power to both his own and foreign people” (the blessed Theodoret, question 63). The very idea of the Syrians about the God of Israel as a god of hills might have arisen from observation of the mountainous nature of Palestine, as well as from the fact that the Jews, not having well-organized cavalry and chariots, avoided battles in the plains and preferred to fight in the hills. At the same time the counselors of Ben-Hadad advised him to remove the allied kings from the army, perhaps seeming unreliable or in some way having incurred suspicion in the previous campaign; instead of foreigners the king, on the advice of his counselors, gathered new detachments within his own country, subjecting them to native governors (Hebrew pecha, perhaps pasha, professor Gulyaev, p. 272).

1 Kings 20:26. At the return of the year, Ben-Hadad gathered the Syrians and went up to Aphek, to fight with Israel. 1 Kings 20:27. The children of Israel were mustered and provisioned, and they went to meet them. And the children of Israel encamped before them like two small flocks of goats, while the Syrians filled the land. 1 Kings 20:28. And a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel, saying: Thus says the Lord: Because the Syrians have said, “The Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys,” I will give all this great multitude into your hand, that you may know that I am the Lord. 1 Kings 20:29. They encamped opposite one another for seven days. On the seventh day the battle was engaged, and the children of Israel struck down of the Syrians one hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day. 1 Kings 20:30. And the rest fled into the city of Aphek; there a wall fell upon the remaining twenty-seven thousand men. And Ben-Hadad fled into the city and hid in an inner chamber. Having decided, as a result of his belief, that the God of Israel is a god of hills and has no power on plains (verses 23, 25), to give battle to Israel on the plain, Ben-Hadad at the beginning of the new year undertook a new campaign against the Israelites and encamped on the plain near the city of Aphek (verse 26). Aphek – not the city of the tribe of Asher near the Libanus (Josh 13:4; Judg 1:31), which formed the extreme limit of Israel on the north (Onomast. 178), but a city of this name in the tribe of Issachar, on the greatest plain of Palestine – the Jezreel, which from ancient times has been the arena of great battles, such as the battle with the Philistines at the time of the high priest Eli (1 Sam 4:1) and at the time of Saul (1 Sam 29:1-11). This Aphek they place not far from Sunem, lying on the southwestern slope of Mount Gilboa, at the place of the present el-Fule (Onomast. 179. Robinson, Palestinal III, p. 477). Some researchers, however, taking into account the direction of movement of the Syrian forces (from the northeast), see here Aphek beyond the Jordan (Onomast. 180), where now is the village of Fik, at the beginning of Wadi Fik, descending to the Sea of Tiberias, on the road to Damascus (Robinson. Palestinal. III, 512. Kittel. Die Bucher der Konige, p. 167 168. I. Pomyalovskiy, Orthodox. Palestin. Sbornik. issue 37, p. 179. Note). Again the Syrian forces presented a vast army before the insignificant detachments of the Israelites: the latter, in comparison with the former, seemed like two small flocks of goats (verse 27). However, a prophet of God encourages the Israelite king, saying that precisely for the refutation of the superstition of the Syrians (verses 23, 25), and even more for the confirmation of Israel in faith in Jehovah, He grants Israel victory over the enormous multitude of Syrians (verse 28). Indeed, on the 7th day (compare Josh 6:15) a decisive battle occurred, in which victory remained with the Israelites (verse 29): the number 100,000 or (according to the Greek manuscript 19, 64, 71, 82, 93, 108, 158 in Holmes, in the Complutensian, Aldine Bibles, Slavonic text) 120,000 slain Syrians means, probably, the total number of the Syrian forces or is a corrupted date. The remains of the Syrian army together with their king Ben-Hadad hid in Aphek, but there a collapsing wall (either by miracle or from the undermining of the inhabitants) brought death to many of the forces: 27,000 – a figure probably corrupted. Ben-Hadad, in fear, hid in the most inner chamber of one house (Hebrew: heder be-heder, LXX: εἰς τόν οἴκον τοῦ κοιτῶνος, εἰς τὸ ταμίεον; Slavonic: “into the house of the bed, into the chamber” (verse 30) according to Josephus (Jewish Antiquities VIII, 13, 4) – into an underground cave.

1 Kings 20:31. And his servants said to him: We have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings; let us put sackcloth on our loins and ropes on our heads and go to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life. 1 Kings 20:32. So they girded sackcloth on their loins and ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said: Your servant Ben-Hadad says: “I pray, let me live.” And he said: Is he still alive? He is my brother. 1 Kings 20:33. The men took this as a good sign and quickly adopted the word from his mouth and said: Your brother Ben-Hadad. And he said: Go, bring him. And Ben-Hadad came to him, and he seated him on the chariot. 1 Kings 20:34. And he said to him: The cities which my father took from your father, I will return, and you can set up markets for yourself in Damascus, as my father had in Samaria. And Ahab said: I will send you away on these terms. And he made a covenant with him and sent him away. Ahab did not take advantage of the second victory over Ben-Hadad that had been won: yielding to a magnanimous impulse of clemency toward the defeated enemy, or perhaps to a vain desire to justify the flattering opinion of the Syrians about the humanity of Israelite kings (verse 31), Ahab showed a weakness unworthy of a victor and of a theocratic king in his relations toward the defeated Ben-Hadad, the enemy of God (verse 42). When the messengers of the latter came to Ahab with the usual Eastern signs of slavish submission of captives to the victor – dressed in sackcloth (Hebrew: sak, Greek: σάκκος) and with ropes on their necks (compare Nowack. Lehrbuch der hebraischer Archaologie, Bd. I, p. 125), Ahab hastened to declare friendly sentiments toward Ben-Hadad (calling him “brother,” verse 32, Ahab acknowledges him as an equal king, as though nothing hostile had been between them), compare (1 Kgs 9:13) and showed him royal honors (verse 33). In return for this, Ben-Hadad promises Ahab: 1) to return the cities taken by his father from the Israelite kingdom at the time of Omri (among them might have been, for example, Ramoth-Gilead, (1 Kgs 22:3); from chapter 22 it is evident that the Syrian king had no intention of returning it, certainly, and other cities to Ahab); 2) to grant to Israelite merchants the right and guarantees of remaining on special streets (in the East in cities, for example in Jerusalem, people of different nationalities, as well as of certain professions settled in special quarters, with special squares and markets (Hebrew huzot)) and duty-free trade, of course, on the condition of granting such same rights and to the Syrians in the Israelite capital (verse 34). (In the LXX and Slavonic texts the Hebrew word huzot is rendered imprecisely: ἐξόδους, “exodus”; because of which the thought of verse 34 appeared obscured). On these conditions a treaty was concluded, and Ben-Hadad was sent away.

1 Kings 20:35. Then a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to another by the word of the Lord: Strike me. But the man refused to strike him. 1 Kings 20:36. And he said to him: Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, a lion shall strike you down as you go from me. And he went from him, and a lion met him and struck him down. 1 Kings 20:37. Then he found another man and said: Strike me. And the man struck him, wounding him severely. 1 Kings 20:38. And the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king, covering his eyes with a bandage. 1 Kings 20:39. As the king was passing by, he cried out to the king and said: Your servant went into the midst of the battle, and behold, a man turned aside and brought a man to me and said, “Guard this man; if he is missing, then your life shall be in place of his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.” 1 Kings 20:40. While your servant was busy here and there, he disappeared. And the king of Israel said to him: So shall it be to you; you yourself have decided. 1 Kings 20:41. Then he quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him, that he was of the prophets. 1 Kings 20:42. And he said to him: Thus says the Lord: Because you have let escape from your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people. 1 Kings 20:43. And the king of Israel departed home troubled and discouraged, and arrived at Samaria. The frivolous deed of Ahab toward Ben-Hadad, as once a similar deed of Saul toward Agag, king of the Amalekites (1 Sam 15:9-11), immediately found condemnation from prophecy, namely from one “of the sons of the prophets,” bene-nebiim (Josephus identifies him with the prophet Micaiah of chapter XXII). “Sons of the prophets” (compare the blessed Theodoret, question 6 on 4 Kings), appearing especially under the prophets Elijah and Elisha (2 Kgs 2:3; compare Amos 7:14), but, presumably, tracing their origin even to the prophet Samuel (1 Sam 10:5), constituted societies – both of young men and of married men (2 Kgs 4:1), for purposes of religious instruction and education (study of the Law, the art of sacred singing, exercises for religious inspiration) under the guidance of some well-known prophet: their subordinate relation to him was expressed by the name “sons” (the prophet – the guide – was called “father” (2 Kgs 2:11-12)). The multiplication of these societies of “sons of the prophets” (called, also, though not quite precisely, prophetic schools or orders) at the time of the spread of idol-worship in the Israelite kingdom testifies that the chief task of these societies or unions of prophets was the struggle for the integrity of the religion of Jehovah from the encroachment of paganism, the propagation in the people of a truly theocratic spirit. But at the same time the “sons of the prophets,” like the prophets themselves, were the most faithful guardians of the true welfare of their native country; in this capacity a certain son of the prophet appears here, verses 35–42. The meaning and purpose of the symbolic action he employed (taking wounds upon himself, verses 35, 37) and his symbolic speech to Ahab (verses 39–40) are analogous to the well-known denunciation of David by the prophet Nathan (2 Sam 12:1-12): in both cases the prophets employ symbols and parables “so that those hearing these words, not knowing that they are pronouncing judgment upon themselves, judge righteously” (the blessed Theodoret, question 64). The symbolic action (verse 37) and the parable speech (verses 39–40) are revealed by the prophet, verse 42: Ahab released Ben-Hadad, who had been placed under God’s curse (“herem”), did not take advantage of the victory to weaken and permanently incapacitate Syria for Israel; by this he decided the destruction not of himself alone (compare 1 Kgs 22:35), but of all Israel. This prophetic verdict greatly disturbed Ahab (verse 43). The fate of the other son of the prophet episodically introduced into the narrative (verses 35–36) both in character and in meaning reminds one of the fate of the Judean prophet at Bethel (1 Kgs 13:21-24).

Chapter Twenty-One

1–6. Ahab attempts to acquire the vineyard of Naboth but receives his refusal. 7–13. Jezebel accuses Naboth of blasphemy and contempt of the king; his trial and execution. 14–17. Ahab takes possession of Naboth’s vineyard. 18–29. Elijah denounces Ahab, who repents and receives mitigation of the divine sentence.

1 Kings 21:1. Now after these things, Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria. 1 Kings 21:2. And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near to my house; and I will give you for it a vineyard better than it, or if it seem good to you, I will give you money for it, according to its worth. 1 Kings 21:3. But Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers! 1 Kings 21:4. And Ahab came home angry and grieved because of the word that Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him, saying, I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers. And he lay down upon his bed and turned his face away, and ate no food. 1 Kings 21:5. And his wife Jezebel came to him and said to him, Why is your spirit troubled, that you eat no food? 1 Kings 21:6. And he said to her, When I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, Give me your vineyard for money, or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place, then he said, I will not give you my vineyard, [the inheritance of my fathers]. The incident with Naboth presents a vivid but unattractive picture of material and legal relationships in the Israelite kingdom. In the person of Ahab, seeking to acquire not something necessary to him but merely a vineyard of the peaceful citizen Naboth lying near his Jezreel palace, there is fulfilled in all its force the prophetic word of Samuel regarding the future despotism of Hebrew kings (1 Sam 8:11-16): proud with his twofold victory over the Syrians, Ahab is concerned with expanding his gardens at his summer residence (cf. 1 Kgs 18:46; 2 Kgs 9:30) in Jezreel (according to H. Grotius, ‘post victos hostes ad delicias comparandas animum adjicit’), sparing no means to do so; the venal conscience of the elders and judges subservient to the king favors the display of palace intrigue and tyranny. Naboth’s refusal to sell his ancestral plot to Ahab (v. 3) shows in him a true worshiper of Jehovah and a zealot of His law, which forbade the Israelites from alienating inherited land into other hands, and even in extreme poverty the sold land had to be returned to its original owner without redemption (Lev 25:23-28; Num 36:7-9); the sale of an ancestral plot could seem to Naboth also an insult to the memory of his ancestors, who according to ancient Hebrew custom might have been buried on the very plot itself. Here, therefore, there can be no question of Naboth’s obstinacy or willfulness; here the matter concerned the law that secured the very existence of the theocracy, which was binding even upon kings (Ezek 46:18). Perhaps feeling the rightness of Naboth, not seduced even by the tempting promises of Ahab to compensate him for surrendering his vineyard to the king, Ahab does not dare to act with violence and merely gives himself over to melancholy (v. 4): in sorrow he “lay upon his bed and turned his face” (to the wall, as in (2 Kgs 20:2) and the Vulgate: avertit faciem suam ad parietem. The LXX instead of the Hebrew sawab, “turned,” read sakh—“covered”: συγκάλυψε τὸ πρόσωπον αύτοῦ; Slavonic: “covered his face”), and ate no food. But if for Ahab there still existed obstacles to boundless willfulness and violence—in the form of dimly perceived divine law and recognized public opinion—for his wife Jezebel no such obstacles could exist: as a stubborn heathen, she refused to know the law of God, except perhaps to mask her base designs with the name of law (v. 10), and public opinion, in her concepts of the absolutism of royal power (v. 7), is likewise a negligible quantity that she, as queen, can create and use at her own discretion. The subsequent narrative (vv. 7–13) fully confirms that Jezebel’s actions completely corresponded to her convictions and words. “Ahab was light-minded and prone to fall, and it was easy to turn him this way and that; for this reason the crafty wife plunged him into the pit of wickedness” (the blessed Theodoret, question 62).

1 Kings 21:7. And Jezebel his wife said to him, What kind of kingship would this be for you in Israel? Rise up, eat bread, and let your heart be glad; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. 1 Kings 21:8. And she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and nobles who dwelt in his city with Naboth. 1 Kings 21:9. In the letters she wrote: Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people; 1 Kings 21:10. and set two worthless men opposite him, and let them testify against him, saying, You cursed God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death. Rebuking Ahab for weakness in using royal power (v. 7), Jezebel takes this power into her own hands, acting in Ahab’s name. These actions reveal the greatest cunning of Jezebel and her ability to achieve her dark ends by respectable means. Given that (as Josephus says, Antiquities of the Jews VIII, 13, 8) Naboth was probably of noble birth, Jezebel considers it necessary to have a formal trial of him, conducted outwardly in full accordance with the law. She writes (v. 8) letters to the elders and nobles who are Naboth’s fellow citizens in Jezreel (the royal court was then apparently in Samaria), sealing these letters with Ahab’s royal seal (probably a royal ring with the king’s name engraved on it, cf. Esth 8:10; Dan 6:17); Naboth was to be judged, therefore, by his own fellow citizens, by the local city court of Jezreel (cf. Deut 16:18), not by the royal court—to eliminate suspicion of court bias. This final goal, the elimination of all suspicion of court bias, was served by Jezebel’s arrangement (v. 9) that at the coming assembly of the court Naboth be seated at the head of the people, so that then the people’s indignation against Naboth would manifest itself all the more forcefully when his supposed crime would be revealed. Wishing to give Naboth’s supposed crime an anti-social character, threatening the welfare of the whole people, Jezebel commands (v. 9) that a public fast be proclaimed in Jezreel, as in cases of grave national disasters (Joel 1:12), after disastrous defeats (Judg 20:26; 1 Sam 31:13), after grave sins, in repentance (1 Sam 7:6; Joel 2:12), to avert impending disaster (2 Chr 20:3-5); the fast in this case could be presented by hypocritical Jezebel both as a means to seek God’s help in the work of justice (cf. Deut 9:9; Dan 9:3) and as a cleansing measure, as a symbol of atonement regarding the predetermined death sentence passed upon Naboth by the court. Jezebel’s cunning extends to requiring (v. 10) the observance of the formality necessarily required by the law in criminal cases (Deut 17:6) of the presence of two or three witnesses of the crime (according to Josephus, Jezebel requires three witnesses, not two, as in the biblical text). The charge that was to be brought against Naboth could and, by the law, must inevitably carry his death sentence, namely: blasphemy against God (Lev 24:14-15) and blasphemy against the king (Exod 22:28). The LXX and Slavonic (v. 10): εύλόγησε Θεὸν καὶ βασιλέα; Slavonic: “blessed God and king”: the Hebrew verb barach has this opposite meaning—to bless and to curse—also in (Job 1:5). According to the blessed Theodoret (question 61), “the abominable Jezebel fabricated slander… the slanderers came and brought an accusation against him as a blasphemer. The writer, however, piously used the word: ‘blessed’ instead of ‘cursed’.”

1 Kings 21:11. And the men of his city, the elders and nobles who dwelt in his city, did as Jezebel had commanded them, as it was written in the letters she had sent to them. 1 Kings 21:12. They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people; 1 Kings 21:13. and two worthless men came and sat against him and testified against him, these wicked men testifying before the people that Naboth cursed God and the king. And they brought him out of the city and stoned him with stones, and he died. Everything happened in exact accordance with Jezebel’s design and orders: the godless queen found in the elders-judges worthy executors of her will. Naboth was stoned (v. 13); together with him, his sons were also killed (2 Kgs 9:26), so that Naboth’s vineyard could be a free plot. Such plots of those condemned for crimes of state, by unwritten law, were considered the property of the crown and were confiscated in favor of the king (2 Sam 16:4); on the other hand, the opinion (of Klostermann) that Ahab should have taken possession of the vineyard by the right of his kinship with Naboth is lacking in probability.

1 Kings 21:14. And they sent word to Jezebel, saying, Naboth has been stoned and is dead. 1 Kings 21:15. When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, she said to Ahab, Rise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead. 1 Kings 21:16. When Ahab heard that Naboth [the Jezreelite] was dead, [he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth, and then] rose to go into the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite and take possession of it. As soon as the news of Naboth’s execution reached Samaria, Ahab, at Jezebel’s urging, hastens to take possession of the vineyard. In the accepted text of the LXX and Slavonic there is a remark about Ahab: καὶ δέρρηξε τὰ ἱμάτια αυτοῦ καὶ περιεβάλετο σάκκον, “and he tore his robes and put on sackcloth.” These words are absent in many Greek manuscripts of Holmes, in the Complutensian Bible, and in the Vulgate: they accord poorly with the context of v. 16 and could have been erroneously transferred here from v. 27.

1 Kings 21:17. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 1 Kings 21:18. Rise, go to meet Ahab, king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is now in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he has come to take it into possession; 1 Kings 21:19. and say to him, Thus says the Lord: You have killed, and also taken possession? and say to him, Thus says the Lord: In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, the dogs shall lick your blood also. Now to expose the crying crime of Ahab, the prophet Elijah appears again and, as always, with the speed of lightning. Although the initiative of the crime, the incitement to the murder of Naboth, came from Jezebel, Ahab’s undoubted knowledge of this affair (v. 7) and his evident enjoyment of what was obtained through blood (v. 16) made him a full participant in his wife’s crime (cf. Gen 3:9). The prophecy regarding Ahab’s shameful death (v. 19) was fulfilled in all its exactness in his son Joram (2 Kgs 9:21-26), but essentially also in Ahab himself, (1 Kgs 22:38): from this latter passage the accepted text of the LXX and Slavonic introduces also into (1 Kgs 21:19) the words: καὶ αἱ πόρναι λούσονται ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου, “and the harlots shall wash themselves in your blood,” and furthermore in both places the LXX and Slavonic insert αί ὕες, “the swine.”

1 Kings 21:20. And Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, my enemy? He said, I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord [and to provoke Him]. 1 Kings 21:21. [Thus says the Lord:] Behold, I will bring disaster upon you and will sweep away after you and cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free, and those remaining in Israel. 1 Kings 21:22. And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, son of Ahijah, because of the offense with which you have provoked Me and caused Israel to sin. 1 Kings 21:23. And the Lord also spoke concerning Jezebel: The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. 1 Kings 21:24. Anyone of Ahab’s line who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone who dies in the field the birds of the sky shall devour; 1 Kings 21:25. (There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, because his wife Jezebel incited him; 1 Kings 21:26. he acted most abominably, following idols, as the Amorites did, whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. Ahab already from experience knows what it means that the prophet Elijah suddenly appears before him (1 Kgs 17:1). To the prophet’s denunciation he sets forth (v. 20; cf. 1 Kgs 18:17) the prophet’s personal hostility toward him, but the latter points out that the cause of everything is Ahab’s willful surrender to sin (Hebrew gitmakker: sold (to sin), cf. 2 Kgs 17:17; Rom 7:14 and the Slavonic add: μάτην, “in vain, sold”; the divine punishment will overtake Ahab and his house, as it did the house of Jeroboam (1 Kgs 14:10-11) and the house of Baasha (1 Kgs 16:3-4)—the features of destruction in all cases are depicted with literal exactness the same way, (vv. 21, 22); cf. (2 Kgs 9:8-9); a shameful death threatens especially Jezebel, the chief culprit of ungodliness in Israel under Ahab (v. 23); cf. (2 Kgs 9:10); ungodliness consisting of the official introduction of the cult of Baal (vv. 25–26), in which Ahab proved worse than all his predecessors (cf. 1 Kgs 16:31-33): they supported the cult of the calves, displeasing to Jehovah, but Ahab introduced pure heathendom.

1 Kings 21:27. When Ahab heard all these words, [he was moved before the Lord, and walked and wept,] he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth, and fasted, and slept in sackcloth, and went about dejectedly. 1 Kings 21:28. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite [concerning Ahab], saying: 1 Kings 21:29. Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; in the days of his son I will bring the disaster upon his house. The denunciation of the prophet Elijah, as after the Mount Carmel event (1 Kgs 18:45-46), produced a powerful effect on Ahab. Ahab, apparently, was inclined to receive the impact of the prophet’s preaching, but his weak character and submission to the influence of his heathen wife paralyzed the saving effect of the prophet’s personality and preaching: (a complete analogy with Herod, who listened to John the Baptist with pleasure and yet had him put to death at the instigation of wicked Herodias), (Mark 6:20-26): Ahab (according to the LXX and Slavonic: “was moved before the Lord, and walked weeping”—an addition, scarcely original, but fully expressing the sense of the text) put on mourning, customary in sorrow (cf. 1 Kgs 20:31-32), and subjected himself to penitential fasting (cf. 2 Sam 12:16; Isa 58:3-11), for which reason the Lord through the prophet Elijah softened His judgment upon Ahab (v. 29): the threatening prophecy will be fulfilled in all its force not upon Ahab, but upon his son Joram (2 Kgs 9:24-26). Thus, “the abyss of goodness—the Master God threatened final destruction for murder; and for tears over the murder He granted a delay of punishment” (the blessed Theodoret, question 62). “The repentance, of course, was not feigned, but temporary; for which reason the pardon that accompanied it was also temporary” (Philaret, p. 246).

Chapter Twenty-Two

1–5. The preparation of kings Ahab of Israel and Jehoshaphat of Judah for a campaign against the Syrians. 6–28. False prophets and the true prophet of God, Micaiah, concerning the coming campaign. 29–40. The battle at Ramoth-Gilead and Ahab’s death. 41–50. The reign of Jehoshaphat of Judah. 52–54. A note on the reign of Ahaziah of Israel and his ungodliness.

1 Kings 22:1. Three years passed, and there was no war between Syria and Israel. 1 Kings 22:2. In the third year Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, came down to the king of Israel. 1 Kings 22:3. And the king of Israel said to his servants, Do you know that Ramoth-Gilead is ours? Yet we do nothing, and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria. 1 Kings 22:4. And he said to Jehoshaphat, Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-Gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as you are; my people as your people; my horses as your horses. 1 Kings 22:5. And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Inquire now of the word of the Lord. 1 Kings 22:6. Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets, about four hundred men, and said to them, Shall I go to war against Ramoth-Gilead, or shall I refrain? And they said, Go up, the Lord will give it into the king’s hand. Three years (v. 1) had passed since the second war of Ahab with the Syrians, which ended in Ahab’s victory over Ben-Hadad of Syria and a peace treaty between them (1 Kgs 20:26-34). One of the provisions of this peace treaty required the Syrian king to return to the Israelite king the cities of the Israelite kingdom taken by Ben-Hadad from Omri (1 Kgs 20:34). Among these cities was apparently Ramoth-Gilead (v. 3; Onomast. 688, 772; compare the commentaries to 1 Kgs 4:13), which the Syrian king apparently did not wish to return to Ahab: this served as the cause of the new war, which chapter XXII describes, thus forming a natural continuation of chapter XX (the three-year period separating the events of the two chapters saw, in the internal life of the Israelite kingdom: the murder of Naboth, chapter XXI; in external affairs, according to the supposition of scholars, the already-mentioned battle at Karkar between Shalmaneser II of Assyria and Ben-Hadad (Bir-idri) of Syria, in whose forces Ahab participated, as ally, according to the records of the Assyrian monuments (Ahabbu Sir-lai). The war is undertaken against the Syrians jointly by the Israelite king Ahab and the Judahite Jehoshaphat; the formerly hostile relations between the two Hebrew kingdoms gave way to friendly ones, partly on the basis of kinship between the royal houses: the son of Jehoshaphat of Judah, Joram, was married to Athaliah, daughter of Ahab of Israel (cf. 2 Kgs 8:18; 2 Chr 18:1),—partly, probably, from political necessity to together break the power of a common enemy—Syria. Jehoshaphat’s visit to Ahab (vv. 2, 4) under such circumstances could have been caused by the latter’s invitation (according to (2 Chr 18:2) Ahab held a great feast for Jehoshaphat); the initiative for the campaign against Ramoth in any case came from Ahab, from whom Jehoshaphat seemed to consider himself dependent (v. 4), for which reason he places at Ahab’s disposal his main military force—horses (cf. Ps 32:16-17). “Thus Jehoshaphat promised to act, called to participate in the battle; that is, I will do as you do, I will arm myself when you arm yourself, my people will begin war when your people begins. But Jehoshaphat also showed his piety, because he considered it necessary first to inquire of God, the Lord of all, v. 5” (the blessed Theodoret, question 67). However, “his piety suffered harm from friendship and kinship” (ibid.). If Jehoshaphat asks Ahab to inquire of the Lord regarding the coming campaign (v. 5), then the about four hundred men gathered by Ahab—prophets could not be the previously mentioned four hundred prophets of Astarte—Asherah (1 Kgs 18:18-19), as the ancient interpreters supposed, but prophets of Jehovah, probably of the calf-cult, which remained official even under Ahab (despite the intrusion of the cult of Baal). Since the very cult of the calves had a strong admixture of heathen elements, the institution of prophets in this cult did not correspond to the idea of prophetic service: already the enormous number of the prophets who now appeared (v. 6) puts them in complete parallel with the prophets of Baal and Astarte (1 Kgs 18:19); for them prophecy apparently became a kind of trade, a profitable profession; they probably, like the prophets of Astarte (ibid.), were fed from the royal table: their obvious flattery of the king testifies to this (vv. 6, 12–13), for which reason the prophet Micaiah calls them (vv. 22–23) prophets of Ahab, although for all that they themselves considered themselves to be under the action of the Spirit of God (v. 24).

1 Kings 22:7. And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here still a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord through him? Already the fact that the prophets summoned by Ahab were servants of the cult of calves opposed to God (probably many of them were directly priests of this cult: in (1 Kgs 18:19), priests of the cults of Baal and Astarte are called prophets, Hebrew neviim) did not inspire Jehoshaphat with confidence in their encouraging prophecies; furthermore, their strange agreement or unanimity could seem suspicious (according to the Talmud, Sanhedrin, 89, a: “revelation came to many prophets, but never did two prophets speak with one revelation, bassignon echad”). Therefore, he asks Ahab to inquire of a true prophet of Jehovah—like the prophet Elijah or other prophets who suffered persecution from Jezebel (1 Kgs 18:4).

1 Kings 22:8. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster—this is Micaiah, son of Imlah. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. 1 Kings 22:9. Then the king of Israel called an official and said, Bring quickly Micaiah, son of Imlah. In response to Jehoshaphat’s request, Ahab does not name the prophet Elijah—both from profound dislike of this prophet and probably from not knowing his whereabouts. As for the prophet Micaiah (Hebrew Micha, more fully: Michayahu: “who is like Jehovah?”), Ahab gives such an assessment, which reveals a purely heathen concept of prophecy—that a prophet has a kind of power and authority over the deity, and the power of his prophecy (magical) depends upon the formulas he uses, and he is wholly responsible for an unfavorable prophecy (such a heathen concept of the prophet as a magus clearly appears in the fact of the Moabite king Balak’s summons of Balaam to curse Israel (Num 22:1-6); Agamemnon’s reproach to the soothsayer Calchas in the Iliad I, 106 is completely analogous to Ahab’s assessment of Micaiah). This assessment (cf. 2 Chr 18:7) gives probability to the opinion of Josephus and the rabbis that the prophet Micaiah (1 Kgs 22:8)—is one and the same person as the son of the prophet who spoke a terrible word against Ahab (1 Kgs 20:35-42). It is also not unlikely that Ahab held Micaiah in a Samaritan prison (cf. vv. 26–27), which is why he could immediately summon him through an official (ἐυνοῦχος; Slavonic: “eunuch”), Hebrew: saris, denoting a person with a certain physical infirmity. (Isa 56:3-4), in particular those disfigured in this way—royal courtiers at the courts of oriental despots (1 Sam 8:15), but it can also have a general sense: a courtier, even a married man, cf. (Gen 37:36).

1 Kings 22:10. Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, sat each on his throne, clothed in royal raiment, on the threshing-floor at the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them. 1 Kings 22:11. And Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, made himself horns of iron and said, Thus says the Lord: With these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed. 1 Kings 22:12. And all the prophets prophesied the same, saying, Go up to Ramoth-Gilead and prosper; the Lord will give it into the king’s hand. While awaiting the prophet Micaiah, both Hebrew kings sat on their thrones in full armor (LXX, v. 10, ´ένοπλοι, Slavonic: “in armor”—which is more acceptable than the reading of the Hebrew text: “begadim beGoren”—“clothed on the threshing-floor”; Gratz reads instead: “shiryon”—“breastplate”; Vulgate: vestiti culto regio; Russian Synodal and Prof. Gulyaev’s translation: “clothed in royal raiment”), perhaps making a review of their allied forces; and a host of prophets loudly predicted and sang of the coming victory of the allies (v. 10). One of these prophets, Zedekiah, uses (v. 11), like the symbolism of true prophets of God (1 Kgs 11:29-32; Jer 28:12-14 and others), an expressive symbol of Ahab’s coming victory: he made himself horns of iron—a symbol of the power of the Israelite king; in this sense the horn, Hebrew: keren, is used very frequently in the Bible, for example (Ps 74:11; Jer 48:25; Mic 4:13)—a form very intelligible to the Israelite and deeply sympathetic, in that it recalled the prophecy of Moses about the fate of the tribe of Ephraim (which was dominant in the Israelite kingdom): “His strength is like the firstling of a bull, and his horns like the horns of a wild ox” (Deut 33:17) 24.

1 Kings 22:13. Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord foretell good to the king; please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak good. 1 Kings 22:14. And Micaiah said, As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me, that will I speak. From the messenger’s request to the prophet Micaiah to speak in agreement with the other prophets (v. 13), a request probably coming from Ahab, it is evident both how profound was the view of prophecy, as magic, in Ahab and those close to him, and that Ahab valued the prophecies of his four hundred prophets less than the prophecy of one Micaiah, apparently feeling in him a true prophet. As a true prophet of the True God, Micaiah promises to speak only what Jehovah will reveal to him (v. 14); cf. (Jer 23:28; 1 Pet 4:11).

1 Kings 22:15. So he came to the king. The king said to him, Micaiah! Shall we go to war against Ramoth-Gilead, or shall we refrain? And he said, Go up and prosper; the Lord will give it into the king’s hand. 1 Kings 22:16. And the king said to him, How many times must I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord? Before declaring the bitter word of prophecy, the prophet Micaiah ironically repeats the advice of Ahab’s prophets to go to war, with an ironic promise of victory: this was as it were an exhortation to Ahab’s conscience, a reproach for his deceitful question (cf. the blessed Theodoret, question 68). The prophet’s peculiar approach achieved its goal: Ahab demands that the prophet speak only truth according to the revelation of Jehovah (v. 16), although he does not commit himself to follow the prophet’s word.

1 Kings 22:17. And he said, I see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said, These have no master; let each return to his home in peace. The prophet describes the vision shown to him: the Israelites are scattered upon the mountains (of Gilead), like sheep without a shepherd (Num 27:17), because their head and shepherd, the king, will be taken from them: “By this he showed Ahab that his evil would cause his defeat. If Israel had had a pious shepherd, he would have gained a decisive victory over his enemies” (the blessed Theodoret, question 68). Having lost their head, their king, the army will depart in peace. Both the king’s death and the army’s return subsequently happened in exact accordance with the prophet’s word (cf. v. 17 and vv. 35–36).

1 Kings 22:18. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good about me, but only disaster? Ahab hastens to confirm for Jehoshaphat his earlier view of Micaiah (v. 8) by pointing to the prophet’s answer (v. 17): to attribute the cause of Micaiah’s unfavorable prophecy to this prophet’s personal dislike of him, as earlier (1 Kgs 21:20) he accused the prophet Elijah of personal hatred toward him.

1 Kings 22:19. And [Micaiah] said, [No; not I, but] hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven stood beside Him, on His right hand and on His left; 1 Kings 22:20. and the Lord said, Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead? And one said one thing, and another said another; 1 Kings 22:21. and a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord and said, I will entice him. And the Lord said to him, By what means? 1 Kings 22:22. And he said, I will go forth and become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, You shall entice him and prevail; go forth and do so. 1 Kings 22:23. Now therefore the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours; but the Lord has spoken disaster against you. Refuting this, essentially heathen view of Ahab concerning prophecy (the LXX and Slavonic text convey the Hebrew lakhen with negation: οὐχ οὕτως—“not so,” which much more corresponds to the opposition of Ahab’s words, v. 18, and the prophet’s speech vv. 19 ff.), the prophet describes the continuation of his vision (cf. v. 17), in which is indicated the mysterious basis of all visible facts: the seduction of Ahab by false prophecy from his prophets, which is to bring about Ahab’s destruction in the coming battle, is divine permission, figuratively represented as a consultation before Jehovah of the hosts in the midst of angels or spirits; according to Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews VIII, 15, 4, “the fateful inevitability of predetermination (χρεών = ἀνάγκη or εἱμαρμένη of the Stoics) played a decisive role in Ahab’s undertaking of the campaign, by virtue of which the words of the false prophets seemed more convincing to Ahab than the words of the true prophet.” But the biblical text knows no such blind fate, but only speaks of the free action of the all-acting providence of the living God, though an action merely permissive of the development of events, not productive of, or at any rate, not assisting in them. All the vision, vv. 19–23, according to the blessed Theodoret (question 68), “is merely a personification, by which divine permission is shown; for the true God and Teacher of truth did not command to seduce Ahab.” God’s action upon Ahab in this case—the allowance of him to come under the influence of a spirit of falsehood, speaking through the mouths of his prophets (vv. 21–23), is analogous, for example, to God’s hardening of Pharaoh’s heart (Exod 4:21), or the allowance of Rehoboam’s foolish response to the people’s demands (1 Kgs 12:15), that is, here there was not direct causality. The very picture of the host of heaven (Hebrew Tseba hashamayim, v. 19), standing before the throne of Jehovah of hosts, as well as similar pictures of angels in the book of Job (Job 1:6) or the seraphim in the vision of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 6:1-3), expresses the biblical idea that the plans and judgments of divine providence concerning the world and people are carried out by higher spiritual forces—angels, forming a whole world—the “host” in the transcendent sphere of God’s being (“heavenly”), cf. (2 Sam 24:16; 2 Kgs 19:35; Heb 1:14). The spirit, separated from the host of heaven and becoming, by God’s permission, a lying spirit in the mouths of Ahab’s prophets, embodying false prophecy, appears as a spirit of falsehood (Hebrew ruach sheker, v. 22) and in this capacity is represented as standing under the influence of Satan or the devil (only in the vision of the prophet Micaiah is the idea of God’s universal action brought to the fore, while in (Job 1:6-12) Satan or the devil is outlined more distinctly, although God’s permission is also pointed out. The Talmud arbitrarily sees in the “spirit” the spirit of Naboth, though the accusing reminder of Naboth to Ahab would not have been superfluous). See in the book of A. Glagolev, “Old Testament biblical doctrine of angels,” p. 610 ff.

1 Kings 22:24. Then Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, How did the Spirit of the Lord go from me to speak in you? 1 Kings 22:25. And Micaiah said, Behold, you will see it on the day when you go from chamber to chamber to hide yourself. The bold deed of Zedekiah, expressing grave contempt for the prophet Micaiah (cf. Job 16:10; John 18:22), shows how keenly this head of Ahab’s prophets was wounded in his professional honor (cf. v. 11), having apparently great weight with the king. The prophet Micaiah predicts for the bold false prophet a shameful captivity (and perhaps a similar death) after Ahab’s defeat.

1 Kings 22:26. And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah and bring him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king’s son, 1 Kings 22:27. and say, Thus says the king: Put this man in prison and feed him with meager bread and meager water until I return in peace. The prophetic denunciations and warnings had no effect on Ahab. He angrily throws the prophet Micaiah into prison and not without mockery orders the prophet to be fed there with bread of sorrow and water of affliction (cf. Isa 30:20) until his return from the field of battle, in the prosperous outcome of which he boastfully assures himself and others (contrary to (1 Kgs 20:11)). According to Josephus, Ahab’s self-assurance and determination to go to war contrary to Micaiah’s word grew because Zedekiah, who struck the prophet Micaiah, suffered no harm (as Jeroboam suffered from the Judahite prophet), (1 Kgs 13:4).

1 Kings 22:28. And Micaiah said, If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me. And he said, Listen, all you people! All the more does the prophet Micaiah solemnly assure before all the people the truth of his prophecy.

1 Kings 22:29. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went up to Ramoth-Gilead. 1 Kings 22:30. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your royal raiment. So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle. 1 Kings 22:31. Now the king of Syria had commanded the commanders of his chariots, saying, Do not fight with anyone, small or great, but only with the king of Israel. 1 Kings 22:32. And when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, Surely this is the king of Israel, and they turned to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out. 1 Kings 22:33. And when the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from him. 1 Kings 22:34. And a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. And he said to his charioteer, Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded. 1 Kings 22:35. And the battle intensified that day, but the king stood upon his chariot facing the Syrians; and at evening he died, and the blood from his wound flowed into the chariot. 1 Kings 22:36. And as the sun was setting, a cry went throughout the army, saying, Each to his own city, and each to his own land! 1 Kings 22:37. So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria. 1 Kings 22:38. And they washed the chariot at the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked his blood, and the harlots washed themselves in it, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke. Notwithstanding everything, Ahab set out for the campaign against the Syrians to Ramoth-Gilead (v. 29); “Jehoshaphat accompanied him, having acted unworthily of his piety. For, having sought out the prophet, rejected the false prophets, and learned from Micaiah what he should do, he preferred friendship to piety” (the blessed Theodoret, question 66). Ahab’s fate was already decided by the direct command of the Syrian king to kill him (v. 31: thus the king of Syria rewarded Ahab for his magnanimity toward him, cf. (1 Kgs 20:32-33), despite the precaution he took (v. 30), caused both by this command of the Syrian king and by Ahab’s great fear of Micaiah’s unfavorable prophecy. By his disguise, Ahab inadvertently became the indirect cause of the attack upon Jehoshaphat, who was saved only by a miracle (vv. 32–33; (2 Chr 18:31)). The Israelite army as well returned safely (v. 36), according to the prophet’s word (v. 17). “The prediction of God was fulfilled. The wounded Ahab stood for a long time on his chariot so that his departure would not give cause for a general flight. The flowing blood coagulated in the chariot; the one driving it, as he approached the city, washed the chariot at a certain spring. The dogs licked the blood; and the harlots, early in the morning, bathed themselves in it according to custom, not intending to bathe in blood, but on the contrary, thinking they were bathing in running water; but the water was stained with blood,” (the blessed Theodoret, question 68; cf. (1 Kgs 21:19)).

1 Kings 22:39. Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, all that he did, and the ivory house that he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Israel? With regard to his passion for building (cities and palaces), Ahab apparently vied with Solomon; the “ivory house” (cf. Amos 3:15)—the height of luxury (probably, however, ivory was used only for many of the ornaments of Ahab’s palace).

1 Kings 22:41. Jehoshaphat, son of Asa, became king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab, king of Israel. 1 Kings 22:42. Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi. 1 Kings 22:43. He walked in all the way of his father Asa; he did not turn from it, doing what was right before the Lord. Yet the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 1 Kings 22:44. Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel. 1 Kings 22:45. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his mighty deeds that he did, and how he waged war, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah? 1 Kings 22:46. And he removed from the land the male cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his father Asa. 1 Kings 22:47. At that time there was no king in Edom; there was a deputy of the king. 1 Kings 22:48. [King] Jehoshaphat made ships to sail to Ophir for gold; but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-Geber. 1 Kings 22:49. Then Ahaziah, son of Ahab, said to Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with your servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat was not willing. 1 Kings 22:50. And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, his father. And Joram, his son, reigned in his place. Concerning the twenty-five-year reign of the pious Judahite (the fourth in reckoning) king Jehoshaphat (cf. 1 Kgs 15:24), the Third Book of Kings gives an excessively brief account, while the Second Book of Chronicles devotes four chapters (XVII-XX) to his reign, wherein the internal measures of Jehoshaphat in his kingdom are described in detail: the fortification of cities, the organization of administration, the spread among the people of knowledge of God’s law through priests and Levites sent throughout the country (XVII); the purification of the cult and firm organization of civil and ecclesiastical courts (XIX); equally, besides Jehoshaphat’s participation in the Israelite campaign against the Syrians (XVIII), there is a detailed account of the invasion of the Judahite kingdom by the Moabites and Ammonites during Jehoshaphat’s reign, which ended in the miraculous victory of the Jews over their enemies without a battle (chapter 20). The Third Book of Kings depicts the reign of Jehoshaphat only in general features, reminding more of the description of the reign of his father Asa (1 Kgs 15:9-24). Like Asa (1 Kgs 15:14; cf. (2 Chr 15:17)), Jehoshaphat destroyed the high places of heathen cults (2 Chr 17:6), but preserved the ancient high places sacred to the True God (v. 43; (2 Chr 20:33). Similarly to his father, Jehoshaphat destroyed the religious prostitution that had entered Judah in the time of Rehoboam (1 Kgs 14:24)) (v. 46, cf. (1 Kgs 15:12)). But sorrowful in a religious and moral respect were the consequences of the “peace” (v. 44) of Jehoshaphat with the Israelite royal house: from political motives, Jehoshaphat, the first of the Judahite kings, concluded an alliance with Ahab, strengthened by family ties and maintained by Jehoshaphat and under Ahab’s successors—Ahaziah and Joram. If Jehoshaphat aided Ahab in a war against the Syrians (vv. 4 ff.), then with Ahaziah he entered into joint commercial ventures: both kings, with joint resources, undertook the construction, following Solomon’s example (1 Kgs 9:26), of a fleet at Ezion-Geber (vv. 49–50; (2 Chr 20:35-38)), which was favored by the absence at that time of a king in Edom (v. 48) where Ezion-Geber lay, which had become something of a province of Judah under the rule of a deputy of the Judahite king. Finally, with Joram of Israel, Jehoshaphat subsequently undertook a campaign against the Moabite king (2 Kgs 3:1-7). Prophets rebuked Jehoshaphat for his friendship with the ungodly house of Ahab (2 Chr 19:2), threatening him with disaster; indeed, all three named undertakings of the allies proved extremely unsuccessful for them, particularly for Jehoshaphat; from the campaign to Ramoth against the Syrians, Jehoshaphat barely escaped; the fleet he built jointly with Ahaziah was wrecked by a storm in the very harbor (vv. 49–50; (2 Chr 20:37)); the campaign of Jehoshaphat with Joram of Israel against the Moabites ended in failure (2 Kgs 3:1-27).

1 Kings 22:51. Ahaziah, son of Ahab, reigned over Israel in Samaria, in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel [in Samaria] for two years, 1 Kings 22:52. and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin: 1 Kings 22:53. he served Baal and worshipped him and provoked the Lord, God of Israel, to anger with all that his father had done. The date of Ahaziah’s accession to the throne in the Israelite kingdom—the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign—is difficult to reconcile with other chronological data: according to v. 41 of this chapter, Jehoshaphat of Judah became king in the fourth year of Ahab’s reign in Israel, who, according to (1 Kgs 16:29), reigned twenty-two years. Thus, according to (1 Kgs 22:51), the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign will be the twentieth year of Ahab’s reign; consequently, Ahaziah could have ascended to the throne only in the nineteenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign. But this apparent contradiction is explained by the repeatedly noted circumstance that incomplete years of reign in the Book of Kings are counted as full years. The two-year reign of Ahaziah is characterized religiously (vv. 52–53) in a way completely similar to that of Ahab (1 Kgs 16:30-31): under Ahaziah, likewise, the cult of the calves and the cult of Baal flourished. * * * Notes It is possible, however, that the horns of Zedekiah had relation also to the cults of Baal and Astarte, which Ahab upheld, and Baal was depicted with a bull’s head, and Astarte—in the form of a cow

The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Introduction

The 3rd and 4th Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible originally constituted one book called “Kings,” Hebrew Melachim, and only from the beginning of the 16th century A.D. did this book appear divided into two—beginning with the Bomberg edition of the Hebrew Bible in 1517, the two parts of the previously undivided book are called by separate titles: Melachim I and Melachim II,—undoubtedly under the influence of the Greek Bible of the Seventy, in which from the beginning there were two books, in connection with the Books of Samuel (or 1 and 2 Kings) called: basileiōn tritē, basileiōn tetartē. However, in this Greek version, on the one hand, the terminology itself is not entirely accurate—the rendering of melachim (kings) through Basileiai (kingdoms). Blessed Jerome says: “Melachim that is Regum, which in the third and fourth Books of Kings (of Reigns) is contained… Much better Melachim that is Regun, than Mamlachoth that is Regnorum to say. For it does not describe the kingdoms of many nations, but of one Hebrew people.” Indeed, the 3rd and 4th Books of Kings contain the history proper of royal power and kings (not theocracy in general) of one and the same Hebrew people, which is why the name “Kings” better corresponds to their content than “Kingdoms.” On the other hand, there is no real basis for dividing the single history into two books: the last chapter of the 3rd Book of Kings and the first chapter of the 4th Book of Kings, which recount one history of the king of Israel Ahaziah, could only artificially be divided between two books. In reality both books, in form and in content, present a single indivisible whole, having in relation to unity and completeness even an advantage over other biblical Old Testament books. They begin with the history of the most glorious of Hebrew kings, Solomon, to whom by God’s providence it was appointed to build the only temple lawful to Jehovah; and they end with the depiction of the destruction of the Kingdom of Judah, the cessation of the dynasty of David, and the burning of the Temple of Jerusalem, and thus contain the history of a whole, fully completed period of biblical Hebrew history (compare 1 Kgs 6:1): if the period from the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt until Solomon was a transitional time of wandering and wars, and David still was “a man of war” (1 Chr 28:3), and in religious respect that time was the period of the movable sanctuary—the tabernacle (2 Sam 7:6-7), then from Solomon, “a man of peace” (1 Chr 22:9), for Israel came a time of complete, peaceful, permanent possession of the promised land (2 Sam 7:10-11; 1 Kgs 5:3-4), correspondingly to which Solomon himself built the immovable “house” of the name of Jehovah (2 Sam 7:13; 1 Kgs 5:5).

The unity of both books extends also to the form of exposition, style, and literary methods of the sacred author. One strictly maintained viewpoint runs through the entire book—the theocratic view of the dependence of the historical destinies of Israel on the sincerity and purity of his faith; throughout one encounters remarks of an edifying, religious and moral character, so that the history of the Hebrew “kings” is, one might say, a church-historical work on Old Testament soil. The form and method of historiography of the 3rd and 4th Books of Kings are strictly determined and uniform throughout their whole extent: about each king account is given of the time of his accession to the throne, the total duration of his reign is specified, a characterization and more or less detailed description of his activity is made; finally, the date of death and indication of the source of information about that king. The period of time encompassed by the content of the 3rd and 4th Books of Kings equals approximately four hundred and fifty years: from the reign of Solomon—around 1015 B.C. until the liberation in Babylon from the prison of King Jehoiachin (2 Kgs 25:27-30) in the 37th year of his captivity, that is (599 B.C.—37 years) in 562 B.C. According to Josephus (Jewish Antiquities, Book 10, ch. 8, §4), the kings of the line of David reigned 514 years, consequently without David, whose reign is described in the 2nd Book of Kings,—474 years; the burning of the temple, in the opinion of that historian (ibid., § 5), occurred 476 years after its construction. This period of the history of Israel naturally divides itself into three smaller periods or epochs, according to which the 3rd and 4th Books of Kings may be divided into three parts: 1) the period of the reign of Solomon, (1 Kgs 1-11); 2) the period of the synchronistic history of both Hebrew kingdoms, the Kingdom of Judah and the Kingdom of Israel, from the division until the fall of the northern—Kingdom of Israel, (1 Kgs 12-22; 2 Kgs 1-17); 3) the period of the sole existence of the southern—Kingdom of Judah from the moment of the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel until the fall of Jerusalem and Judah under the arms of the Chaldeans, (2 Kgs 18-25). For each of these epochs the sacred writer had his own special source: a) for the history of Solomon such a source was the “Book of the Acts of Solomon,” Hebrew Sepher dibre—Schelomoh, LXX: biblion tōn rhēmatōn Solomōn, Vulg.: liber verborum dierum Salomons, Slavonic: “Book of the Words of Solomon” (1 Kgs 11:41); b) for the history of the kings of the southern kingdom, from Rehoboam to Jehoiakim inclusive,—“the chronicle of the kings of Judah,” Sepher dibre—hajamimlemalche lehudah, biblion logōn tōn hēmerōn tois basileusin Ioudā, liber verborum dierum regum Juda, “Book of the Words of the Kings of Judah” (1 Kgs 14:29; 2 Kgs 8:23 and others) and c) for the history of the kings of the northern kingdom—“the chronicle of the kings of Israel” (1 Kgs 14:19; 2 Kgs 1:18 and others). The content and character of the cited sources remain unknown; however, it is beyond doubt that they were separate, independent works (for each of the three indicated epochs the sacred writer uses one source, not mentioning the other two); that they contained more than what the writer borrowed from them (his usual formula: “the rest of the acts are written in the book…”) and that at the time of the writing of the 3rd and 4th Books of Kings those sources not only existed but were in very great repute among the people. From the comparison of the citations in question from the Books of Kings with parallel passages in the Book of 2 Chronicles one can see that all three mentioned sources were writings of prophets, who were generally the only historians in biblical antiquity (compare 1 Kgs 11:41 with 2 Chr 9:29; 1 Kgs 14:21 with 2 Chr 12:15; 1 Kgs 15:1-8 with 2 Chr 13:22; compare also 2 Kgs 18:13-20:19 with Isa 36-39; Jer 52 with 2 Kgs 24-25). On the contrary, the opinion of Delitzsch and others about the secular origin of the chronicles of kings, which served as sources for the 3rd and 4th Books of Kings,—about their composition by the mazkir’im mentioned in (2 Sam 8:16; 1 Kgs 4:3) (LXX: hypomnematasygraphoj, Slavonic: “remembrancer,” Russian: “recorder of deeds”), cannot find confirmation in the biblical text. According to blessed Theodoret, “each prophet had the custom of recording the events that occurred at that time, contemporary with him. Others, having joined this together, composed the Books of Kings” (“Commentary on the Books of Kings,” preface, see question 4 on 2 Kings and 49 on 4 Kings). The divinely inspired character of the Books of Kings is thereby presumed of itself.

The time of writing of the 3rd and 4th Books of Kings may be determined with probability—from the mention of the liberation of Jehoiachin (562 B.C.) and the absence in the books of any indication of the end of captivity and the decree of Cyrus (536 B.C.), in the second half of the Babylonian captivity, around the middle of the 6th century B.C. The writer of the books is unknown: there are no definite indications of the author in the books. The Talmudic tradition (Baba batra 15 f. 5) considers the writer of the 3rd and 4th Books of Kings to be the prophet Jeremiah. But while the similarity of some passages from the Books of Kings with the books of the prophet Jeremiah might speak in favor of this supposition (compare 2 Kgs 2 with Jer 52), directly against it speaks: a) the time and b) the place of writing of the 3rd and 4th Books of Kings, insofar as this time and place may be determined with probability. We saw that the 3rd and 4th Books of Kings could not have been written before the second half of the Babylonian captivity; in such a case the prophet Jeremiah would have been by then a hundred-year-old elder; but it is known that the prophet Jeremiah in the very first years of captivity was taken by the Judeans to Egypt (Jer 43:6), where soon he accepted a martyr’s death from his countrymen (compare Menologion, under May 1). It is also unlikely that Egypt was the place of writing of the 3rd and 4th Books of Kings: not for a small group of Egyptian fugitives from among the Judeans did there exist a need for composing such a work, but for the main body of the people of God, that is, those captive in Babylon. The latter is the probable place of origin of both books (indication of this was seen, among other things, in 2 Kgs 24), and if there is scarcely any indication of life in Egypt in our books, then Babylonian life and events from the history of the Neo-Chaldean kingdom are reflected in these books in many ways. But if the prophet Jeremiah was not the writer of the 3rd and 4th Books of Kings, yet he influenced through his book the sacred writer of the 3rd and 4th Books of Kings (compare Jer 52 and 2 Kgs 25). Admission of the books into the canon (into the section “nebim rischonim”—“prophets first, earliest”) in any case testifies to their high worth and authority in the Judean church. The purpose of the books is moral instruction—to show that “as long as Israel knew how to use Divine providence, he lived in peace and quiet, and all were subject to him; but when he lost the help of God, he was subjected to unpleasant attacks” (blessed Theodoret, commentary on 4 Book of Kings, question 31).

* * *

By the calculations of I. Spassky (later Sergius, archbishop of Vladimir), 407 years passed from the laying of the temple to its destruction. Investigation of Biblical Chronology. Kiev, 1857, p. 131

Chapter One

2–18. The illness of Ahaziah, king of Israel, and his death, in accordance with the prediction of the prophet Elijah.

2 Kings 1:1. And Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. Concerning the rebellion of Moab, which had become a tributary of Israel from the time of David (2 Sam 8:2) and even under Ahab, paying tribute to the Kingdom of Israel (by 100,000 sheep and 100,000 lambs annually, 2 Kgs 3:4), mention is made again below (2 Kgs 3:5) in connection with the war caused by this rebellion. Here (2 Kgs 1:1) concerning the rebellion of the Moabites, as later (verse 2 and onward) concerning the illness of Ahaziah, is spoken of as a consequence of Ahaziah’s wickedness (1 Kgs 22:52-53), and at the same time, probably, also in accordance with the chronological sequence of events (compare blessed Theodoret, question 1 on 4 Book of Kings). Ahaziah could not undertake a campaign against the Moabites on account of his illness (verse 2).

2 Kings 1:2. And Ahaziah fell through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was injured. And he sent messengers, and said to them: Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron: shall I recover from this illness? [And they went to inquire.] 2 Kings 1:3. Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite: Arise, go to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them: Is there no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? 2 Kings 1:4. Therefore thus says the Lord: From the bed on which you have lain, you shall not get down, but you shall surely die. And Elijah went. [And he said to them.] In his illness, which came about as a consequence of the fall from the roof (a flat roof, as was customary in the ancient and modern east, furnished with railings or parapets in case of a fall, per (Deut 22:8); compare blessed Theodoret, question 2 on 4 Book of Kings). Ahaziah, the unworthy king of the theocratic Israel, turns for help and counsel not to Jehovah, but to the Philistine city Ekron to some sort of pagan god, Baal-Zebub, to consult the oracle of that god about the outcome of his illness. Ekron, Hebrew Ekron, LXX: Akkarōn, Vulg. Accaron,—a city in the northernmost of the five Philistine regions (Josh 13:3), consequently very close to the residence of the kings of Israel—Samaria; it was originally assigned as an inheritance to the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:45), then to Dan (Josh 19:43), but remained continuously in the hands of the Philistines (1 Sam 6:17; compare Jer 25:20; Amos 1:8); it is now identified with the village Akir between Yamneh (Jaffa) and Jaffa. (Onomast 61. Robins. Palast. III, 230). The name of the Philistine god Baal-Zebub, “baal or god of flies” or “god-fly” (LXX in this place renders: Baal myan, Symmachus Beelzebul, as later also in the Gospel, Matt 10:25; Matt 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15; in Aquila according to the Hebrew zebub, also in the Vulgate: Beelzebub) is explained in two ways: 1) or (according to Gesenius, Ewald and others) “averter of flies”—deus averruncus moscarum, similar to the one worshipped in Elis Zeus apotoxias (myth of Hercules, who, making a sacrifice on Olympus, in order to drive away flies and other insects, made a sacrifice to Zeus—the fly-chaser), and another similar cult of the god theós myiagros, which existed in Arcadia and later in Rome; 2) according to others (Müller, Keil and others), relying on the rendering of the LXX and Josephus (Jewish Antiquities 9:2, 1—theós Myia), Baal-Zebub is a god-fly (and not an enemy of flies), who had an idol in the form of a fly, or a god to whom flies were dedicated. In any case, Baal-Zebub represented the announcement of summer solar heat, accompanied (especially in the seaside Philistine region) by a mass of flies and other sometimes harmful insects; later the significance of the god and cult expanded, and around it was formed a mantic institution—an oracle; probably here they also sought healing of diseases: from both sides Baal-Zebub appears in the account of Ahaziah. (Completely separate stands the opinion of Halevy, that “zebub”—not “fly,” but a proper name of a place). Later Jews identified the name of the Phoenician god with the name of this spirit or Satan (so also in the Gospel): the reason could be the similarity of zebub and debaba, which for later Jews meant an enemy, an evil spirit. In the altered form (Greek Beelzebul—change of b to l is frequent in Greek transcription of Hebrew “esheth”), the name “Beelzebul” meant “god of the dwelling” or “god of dung,” by which the rabbis expressed contempt for the Philistine god, and then for the “prince of demons” (see Riehm. Handworterbuch des bibl. Alterthuns, I, p. 135–196. Compare A. Glagolev, “Old Testament biblical teaching on angels,” p. 607–610). “And they went to inquire”—an addition of the LXX. Once more appears (verse 3) the prophet Elijah the Tishbite, and again as a messenger of doom to the house of Ahab; where he was after his last denunciation of Ahab (1 Kgs 21:1), is unknown. The command to go announce the dreadful denunciation against Ahaziah is received by the prophet Elijah from the “Angel of Jehovah” (verse 3), as before his departure to Horeb the Angel gave him commands (1 Kgs 19:5). Regarding the Angel of Jehovah, as the Lord of the Old Testament theocracy, as the Logos, see in A. Glagolev, “Old Testament biblical teaching on angels,” p. 85–175.

2 Kings 1:5. And the messengers returned to Ahaziah. And he said to them: Why have you returned? 2 Kings 1:6. And they said to him: A man came out to meet us and said to us: Go, return to the king who sent you, and say to him: Thus says the Lord: Is there no God in Israel that you send to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore from the bed on which you have lain, you shall not get down, but you shall die. 2 Kings 1:7. And he said to them: What kind of appearance did the man have who came out to meet you and spoke these words to you? 2 Kings 1:8. They said to him: He was a hairy man, and girded with a leather belt about his loins. And he said: It is Elijah the Tishbite. When the messengers of Ahaziah returned to him and reported to him the fateful prediction, then he, from their description of the appearance (Hebrew mishpat, properly “custom,” Vulg.: figura et habitus) of the predictor: “a hairy man (Hebrew baal se’ar—one who wore a haircloth, compare adderet, 1 Kgs 19:19; Matt 3:4) and girded with a leather belt” (verse 8), decides without hesitation that it is—the prophet Elijah: evidently, such clothing was typical for the prophet Elijah, as later for many other prophets (Isa 20:2-3); in its significance it was close to sack, sackcloth (1 Kgs 21:27): it meant a state of repentance, which the prophets expressed in their person, and also the denial of the luxury of contemporary life and a call to primitive simplicity (compare Matt 3:4; Heb 11:37).

2 Kings 1:9. And he sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, when he was sitting on the top of the mountain, and said to him: Man of God! The king says: Come down. 2 Kings 1:10. And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty: If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty. And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. 2 Kings 1:11. And he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he began to speak to him: Man of God! Thus says the king: Come down quickly. 2 Kings 1:12. And Elijah answered and said to him: If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. From the very fact that Ahaziah sent a detachment of 50 men soldiers (the Hebrew army was divided into detachments of 50, 100, 1000 men (Num 31:14)) to Elijah, one sees the hostile intent of the king toward the prophet (perhaps the king feared resistance from the worshippers of the prophet). And the addressing of the first two captains to the prophet (verses 10, 12), lacking in respect, expressing, on the contrary, a command and perhaps mockery of the prophetic dignity of Elijah. By this common attitude of a hundred warriors and their two commanders with the attitude of the wicked king himself, one might explain the severity of the heavenly punishment brought down upon them by Elijah, though this punishment remains the exclusive property of the Old Testament in its distinction from the New (Luke 9:54). “Those who accuse the prophet (of cruelty) move their tongue against God and His prophet, because by Him fire was sent… One must know the truthfulness of God’s providence, know that God justly punishes those who sin and bestows good on those who please Him. It is evident that the captains and those subject to them were in agreement with the intention of the one who sent them, therefore they suffered punishment from God” (blessed Theodoret, question 4 on 4 Book of Kings).

2 Kings 1:13. And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the captain of the third fifty went up, and fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, and said to him: Man of God! I pray, let my soul and the souls of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your eyes; 2 Kings 1:14. Behold, fire has come down from heaven and consumed the two captains of the first fifty with their fifties; but now let my soul be precious in your eyes! Instead of the expression “a third time” (Hebrew shelishim) it is better to accept the reading “the third” according to the LXX (codices XI, 44, 52, 56, 64, 74, 92, 106, 119, 120, 121, 123, 134, 144, 236, 242, 243, 244, 247 in Holmes; in the accepted Greek text there is no corresponding word at all), the Vulgate, and the Slavonic text; the pious disposition of the third captain of fifty, the commander of the new fifty, saved him and his soldiers from the fate of the first two detachments (compare blessed Theodoret, question 4). Prophets, as bearers of the revelation of God, were to be met by people with respect (compare 2 Kgs 2:23-24), as also with absolute obedience (compare 1 Kgs 13). The destruction of the first two detachments was a warning to the worshippers of Baal in the Kingdom of Israel.

2 Kings 1:15. And the angel of the Lord said to Elijah: Go down with him, be not afraid of him. And he arose and went down with him to the king. 2 Kings 1:16. And he said to him: Thus says the Lord: Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, as if there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word,—from the bed on which you have lain, you shall not get down, but you shall die. Fearlessly appearing to Ahaziah, the prophet Elijah repeated to him the former (2 Kgs 1:6) prediction of death.

2 Kings 1:17. And he died according to the word of the Lord, which Elijah spoke. And Joram [the brother of Ahaziah] reigned in his place, in the second year of Joram, the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because he had no son. 2 Kings 1:18. The rest of the acts of Ahaziah, what he did, is written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. Instead of the childless Ahaziah (the LXX and Slavonic do not have the remark of verse 17 about the childlessness of Ahaziah) his brother Joram reigned. “There was a law, so that the kingdom was inherited by the children of kings, and if there were no children, the older brother or nearest relative” (blessed Theodoret, question 5 on 4 Book of Kings). The time of the reign of Joram of Israel is determined differently in three different places: a) here (verse 17)—in the 2nd year of the reign of Joram of Judah the son of Jehoshaphat (compare 1 Kgs 22:50); b) in (2 Kgs 3:1): in the 18th year of Jehoshaphat and c) in (2 Kgs 8:16) it is said that, on the contrary, Joram of Judah reigned in the 5th year of Joram of Israel. The last two dates are justified by the testimony of chapter 3 about the joint campaign of Joram with Jehoshaphat against Moab; the date of this place is explained, perhaps, by the fact that Jehoshaphat of Judah could have had his son Joram as a coregent for some time (around 5 years).

Chapter Two

1–12. The ascension of the prophet Elijah into heaven. 13–25. The beginning of the prophetic service and public activity of the prophet Elisha: his first miracles.

2 Kings 2:1. At the time when the Lord was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. The first verse in its first half has the character of a heading to the entire section on the “ascension of Elijah”—an event, evidently, completely well-known in the circle of readers of the 4th Book of Kings; among the Hebrews this event, like the entire life of the prophet Elijah, was surrounded by a whole network of traditions. The time of the event of the ascension of the prophet Elijah relates to the time after the death of King Ahaziah of Israel (2 Kgs 1:17) and, probably, to the very beginning of the reign of Joram of Judah (to whom the prophet Elijah, per (2 Chr 21:12-15), wrote a letter of denunciation). In significance, the mysterious ascension of the prophet Elijah is akin to the mysterious taking away of the patriarch Enoch (Gen 5:24; compare Sir 48:12; see “Commentary Bible,” vol. I, p. 42–43): both events assured the Old Testament man of the existence of the afterlife and foretold the future general resurrection of the dead. Gilgal (Hebrew gilgal). Of the two places of this name, here is understood not the so-called “Hill of Circumcision”—Gilgal between the Jordan and Jericho to the east of the latter in the tribe of Benjamin, known from the history of Joshua (Josh 4:19); Samuel and Saul (1 Sam 6:16 and following) and David (2 Sam 19:15, now Jeljul (Onomasticon, 287)), but Gilgal near Bethel (compare 2 Kgs 4:38; Amos 4:4; Hos 4:5); to the southwest of Shiloh, in the tribe of Ephraim, now Jiljiljeh (Onomasticon, 319).

2 Kings 2:2. And Elijah said to Elisha: Stay here, I pray; for the Lord sends me to Bethel. But Elisha said: As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. And they went to Bethel. 2 Kings 2:3. And the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel went out to Elisha and said to him: Do you know that the Lord will take your master from over your head today? And he said: I know it also; be silent. 2 Kings 2:4. And Elijah said to him: Elisha, stay here, I pray; for the Lord sends me to Jericho. And he said: As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. And they came to Jericho. 2 Kings 2:5. And the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came near to Elisha and said to him: Do you know that the Lord takes your master from over your head today? And he said: I know it; be silent. 2 Kings 2:6. And Elijah said to him: Stay here, I pray; for the Lord sends me to the Jordan. And he said: As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. And they went both. It appears that the prophet Elijah had only a general presentiment, based on the general character of the revelation, that the time had come for his departure from earthly life: in such a general form could be informed of him both the prophet Elisha and the sons of the prophets (verse 3); but the circumstances and details of the forthcoming event were not learned not only by the latter and prophet Elisha, but, probably, by the prophet Elijah himself: this is indicated by the conditional form of speech of prophet Elijah to Elisha (2 Kgs 2:10): “if you see how I am taken from you…” Given this, not knowing whether God would please for even Elisha to be a witness to the last moments of his earthly life, and also from an understandable desire for solitude in these moments from all worldly, from the world and people, the prophet Elijah not once declines even from Elisha; by this he could also be testing the love and devotion of this nearest to him student, long predetermined as his successor (1 Kgs 19:16). Here also is outlined that peculiarity of all the future activity of prophet Elisha, that it was accomplished in constant communion with the “sons of the prophets” bene-nebi’im (2 Kgs 2:3), appearing everywhere also in the subsequent activity of prophet Elisha (2 Kgs 4:1), whereas the prophet Elijah acted alone (1 Kgs 19:14). Perhaps the development of the institution of “sons of the prophets” (see the remark about this institution in 1 Kgs 20:35) at this time was caused by special tension in the struggle of the true religion of Jehovah with pagan cults, and also with the cult of the calves; the struggle with the latter is indicated by the concentration of the “sons of the prophets” in Bethel and Gilgal—the chief (along with Dan and other cities) points of service to the golden calves (compare Amos 4:4; Hos 4:5 and others). The very visitation by the prophet Elijah of these localities in the last moments of his life had the purpose, probably, of further strengthening the sons of the prophets in the theocratic task of their service (the character of reassuring exhortation to the sons of the prophets has also the words of Elisha to them: “I also know; be silent” verse 3).

2 Kings 2:7. Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood at a distance opposite them; and the two of them stood by the Jordan. 2 Kings 2:8. And Elijah took his cloak and wrapped it together, and struck the waters, and they parted here and there, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. But the sons of the prophets were witnesses-eyewitnesses not of the principal miracle in this account—the ascension of the prophet Elijah into heaven, but only of the miraculous crossing of the two prophets over the Jordan—a crossing that recalled the miraculous crossing of the Hebrews through the Red Sea (Exod 14:16; compare Josh 4:23): then Moses in the sight of the whole people with his staff, a symbol of his dignity as a leader, strikes and divides the water, and the people believed in his divine calling (Exod 14:31); now Elijah, as a second Moses (compare 1 Kgs 19:1), before an assembly of the sons of the prophets with his cloak, a symbol of his prophetic service (now to be transmitted to Elisha, compare 1 Kgs 19:19), divides the water and thus for the last time before parting with his students testifies to himself as a true leader of prophecy. Only upon receiving the cloak of Elijah (2 Kgs 2:13) does Elisha become filled with his spirit of power, the successor of the great prophet. (Concerning the holiness of priestly garments compare Ezek 44:19).

2 Kings 2:9. And when they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha: Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you. And Elisha said: I pray, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me. 2 Kings 2:10. And he said: You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me being taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so. To clarify the meaning of Elisha’s request (verse 9), which at first sight might seem to cast a shadow on his humility and modesty, it is necessary to keep in mind the relationship that existed between the two prophets: the prophet Elijah was the spiritual father (2 Kgs 2:12) of Elisha, as well as of many “sons of the prophets.” Parting with his spiritual father, the prophet Elisha, as it were, begs him to recognize him as his firstborn spiritual son: by law (Deut 21:17) the firstborn son has the advantage over other brothers in that he receives a double portion (Hebrew pi-shnayim, as here, verse 9, compare (Zech 13:8) where this expression means “two-thirds of the whole”) in comparison with each of them; and the prophet Elisha, numbering himself together with the sons of the prophets as a spiritual son of the prophet Elijah, begs him to recognize him as firstborn and from his gracious inheritance—“spirit” (Hebrew ruach) or “spirit and power” (Luke 1:17) of Elijah, the spirit of prophecy and miracle-working—to give him a superior portion, and not a double, twofold portion compared to the spirit of Elijah, as in the texts of the LXX, Vulgate, Slavonic, and Russian synodal versions: how could the prophet Elijah have communicated to his successor more than he himself had? The prophet Elijah finds Elisha’s request difficult (verse 10), inasmuch as the fulfillment of it depends on whether God will deign to allow Elisha, whether He will open to him spiritual eyes (compare 2 Kgs 6:17) to see the glorious departure of the prophet Elijah. The prophet Elisha with his spiritual eye saw (2 Kgs 2:11-12) this, and it was a sign for him that his request (verse 9) was heard and granted; on the contrary, the sons of the prophets standing near (2 Kgs 2:7) evidently saw nothing, as Elijah departed from this life, which is why they searched for him on earth (2 Kgs 2:16-18). Compare blessed Theodoret, question 7 on 4 Book of Kings.

2 Kings 2:11. And as they went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 2 Kings 2:12. And Elisha saw it, and he cried out: My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen! And he saw him no more. And he grasped his garments and tore them in two pieces. The image of the departure of the prophet Elijah was clothed in symbolic images of a whirlwind, fire, chariots, and horses—the usual symbols of Old Testament theophanies (Isa 66:15; Hab 3:8; Ps 49:3). In this case the symbols of the whirlwind and fire corresponded to the fiery zeal of Elijah’s spirit (Sir 48:1-12); the chariots and horses, as the chief force, support and glory of a people (Exod 14:9; Deut 20:1; 1 Kgs 10:29; Isa 31:1; and further) denoted the departure of the prophet as his glorification, his triumphal passage into the world of the heavenly inhabitants (LXX, Slavonic verse 1, 11: ōs eis ton syranon, like into heaven). The symbolic meaning indicated here of chariots and horses serves also to explain the exclamation of the prophet Elisha (verse 12) with regard to the disappeared prophet Elijah: “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”: kings of other nations in war used horses and chariots. “Therefore Elisha called the great Elijah the chariot of Israel and its horseman, because he alone was sufficient to strike down the enemies and give victory to his countrymen” (blessed Theodoret, question 8). The expression of the prophet Elisha at the death of his student was used by King Joash of Israel in regard to him (2 Kgs 13:14). As a sign of grief over parting with the prophet Elijah, Elisha tears his garments.

2 Kings 2:13. And he picked up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan; 2 Kings 2:14. And he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said: Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah—He Himself? And he struck the water again, and it parted here and there, and Elisha crossed over. The cloak now taken by Elisha was a sign of the prophetic service that Elisha was from now on to receive (compare verses (2 Kgs 2:8) and (1 Kgs 19:19)), a pledge of the fulfillment of Elisha’s request (2 Kgs 2:9-10). With this symbol of his prophetic calling, the prophet Elisha goes back to the Jordan and, like Elijah (2 Kgs 2:8), strikes it (according to the LXX, Vulgate, and Slavonic texts—“twice”),—with the words of a prayerful question: “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah—He Himself?”, Hebrew aph-hu; the Seventy, not understanding this expression, wrote it down merely in Greek letters: aphō, Slavonic: “affo.” Accepting the reading of the LXX, blessed Theodoret says in explanation of verse 14: the prophet, having resolved to cross the Jordan, imitated the teacher, and struck the water with the cloak, saying nothing at this, but thinking that for the accomplishment of the miracle the cloak alone was sufficient. Since, however, the waters did not obey him, he called upon God the teacher, invisible and inaccessible to men. For the word ‘affo’ according to the exposition of other translators is interpreted ‘hidden’ (blessed Theodoret, question 9 on 4 Book of Kings). As for Elisha himself, so for the sons of the prophets standing near, the miracle of the division of the Jordan was a sign that the spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha; in a prefigurative sense this miracle, like the crossing of the Hebrews through the Red Sea and through the Jordan, foretold the saving waters of baptism (see Troparian January 5 in the vigil of Epiphany).

2 Kings 2:15. And when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him from afar, they said: The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed down to him to the ground, The sons of the prophets, upon seeing this miracle, recognize in Elisha the true successor of Elijah, the bearer of his spirit, and reverently bow (compare 1 Kgs 18:7) before the prophet.

2 Kings 2:16. And they said to him: Behold, there are with us, with your servants, fifty mighty men; let them go, I pray, and seek your master; perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has caught him up and cast him on one of the mountains, or in one of the valleys. And he said: Send them not. 2 Kings 2:17. But they urged him until he was ashamed, so he said: Send them. And they sent fifty men, and they searched three days, and did not find him. 2 Kings 2:18. And they returned to him, while he remained at Jericho, and he said to them: Did I not say to you: Do not go? But not being witnesses to the miraculous departure of the prophet Elijah and thinking, like Obadiah (1 Kgs 18:12), that the Spirit might have temporarily snatched away the great prophet, they search for him in the mountains and valleys for three days, but in vain, as the prophet Elisha had told them beforehand.

2 Kings 2:19. And the men of the city said to Elisha: Behold, I pray, the situation of this city is good, as my lord can see; but the water is bad and the land is barren. 2 Kings 2:20. And he said: Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it. And they brought it to him. 2 Kings 2:21. And he went out to the source of the water, and cast salt in it, and said: Thus says the Lord: I have made this water wholesome; there shall not be from it any more death or barrenness. 2 Kings 2:22. And the water became wholesome to this day, according to the word of Elisha, which he spoke. Elisha miraculously makes wholesome in Jericho the water that had the power to produce death and barrenness (miscarriages in humans and miscarriages in animals). “The great Moses, by putting wood, changed the bitter property of water to sweet: and Elisha by salt freed the water from the harmful effect, because the Lord God both by willing and by word and by whatever pleases Him easily transforms the properties of the elements” (blessed Theodoret, question 10).

2 Kings 2:23. And he went from there to Bethel. As he was going along the way, small children came out of the city and mocked him, saying to him: Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead! 2 Kings 2:24. He turned around and saw them and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the forest and tore apart forty-two of the children. Wicked children, wicked inhabitants of Bethel, the chief center of the cult of the calves—children who, perhaps with the knowledge of their fathers, who had reason to be hostile to the true prophet of God, dared to insult the prophet, suffer a terrible punishment for the words of the prophet for their frivolous mockery of him (“baldness”—a symbol of shame (Isa 3:17 and others)). * * * According to the Talmud, Moed dalon 26 a., “Elijah lives forever.” The Talmud and Midrash present the prophet Elijah as present in the gatherings of the wise and holy, in schools of Hebrews, in synagogues at circumcision and other rituals; he is the forerunner of the messianic time, he is an inhabitant of paradise, whom Adam’s death did not overtake; Elijah will once resolve all difficult questions, Bava mezia 37-a; will explain difficult sections of the Bible, as Ezek 45:18 a., Menachoth 45-a. Compare lebamoth 102 b. Berachoth, 58-a.—Josephus Flavius (Jewish Antiquities 9:2, 2) speaks of the death of the prophet Elijah thus: “About the time of Joram he vanished from the face of the earth, and no one to this day knows the details of his death…” Concerning Elijah, as concerning Enoch who lived before the flood, there is data in Holy Scripture, whereas concerning their death no one learned anything precise.

Chapter Three

1–27. The allied war of the Kings—Joram of Israel, Jehoshaphat of Judah, and the King of Edom—against the Moabites.

2 Kings 3:1. Now Joram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. 2 Kings 3:2. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, although not like his father and his mother: he took away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. 2 Kings 3:3. Nevertheless, he held fast to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he caused Israel to sin; he did not depart from them. Concerning the year of the beginning of the reign of Joram of Israel (verse 1) see the remark on 2 Kgs 1:17. With regard to the “sin of Jeroboam,” that is, the cult of the calves introduced by Jeroboam (1 Kgs 12:28), Joram shared (verse 3) the general policy of the kings of the Kingdom of Israel (1 Kgs 15:26 and others), but he made attempts to abolish the cult of Baal (verse 2), to which his father Ahab and his mother Jezebel were so devoted (1 Kgs 16:31-33 and following), and his brother—Ahaziah (1 Kgs 22:53-54).

2 Kings 3:4. Now Mesa, king of Moab, was a sheep-breeder, and he would render to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. 2 Kings 3:5. But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. The rebellion of Moab from the kingdom of Israel immediately after the death of Ahab, with the accession of Ahaziah (2 Kgs 1:1); here it is repeated about this rebellion (verse 5), as the occasion for the allied war described in this chapter; the rebellion was expressed in the cessation of the annual tribute, which previously the Moabite king Mesa, Hebrew Mesha, LXX: Mōsa—a major stock-breeder, Hebrew nokēd; according to some Greek codices pomniotrophos (accepted, LXX text: nokēd), paid to Ahab annually in accordance with the custom of antiquity in kind, from the chief products of the country (according to Strabo, the Cappadocians paid annually to the Persians tributes: 1500 horses, 2000 mules, 100,000 sheep): the fertile and water-rich plains of Moab were very well suited for stock-raising (Winer. Bibli. Real. – Woerterboch. Vol. I, 5, 99), as, in accordance with the Bible, says the inscription of the Moabite king Mesa, discovered in 1868 by the missionary Klein and now in the Louvre Museum. (From the extensive literature on this inscription one can chiefly name: Smend and Socin. The Inscription of King Mesa of Moab. 1886; in Russian literature: Professor D. A. Khvolson. A Newly Discovered Monument of the Moabite King Mesa, Contemporary with the Judean King Jehoshaphat. Christian Readings. 1870, nos. 7–8). The content of the inscription (it has 34 lines) comes into very close contact with the account of this chapter: the inscription relates the advantages gained by Mesa from the struggle with the son of Omri, (that is, Ahab) and the liberation of Moab from 40 years of slavery to Israel (Isa 16:1); but the inscription says nothing of the siege of Kir-Hareset, the capital of Moab, of which the Bible speaks (2 Kgs 3:5-8), though from the inscription (2 Kgs 3:25-27), one may think that the campaign of Joram with the unsuccessful goal of again subjecting the Moabites falls on a time closely following the facts of recapture by this king of various Moabite cities described in the inscription.

2 Kings 3:6. So King Joram went out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. 2 Kings 3:7. And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, saying: The king of Moab has rebelled against me; will you go with me to war against Moab? And he said: I will go; as you are, so am I; as your people, so is my people; as your horses, so are my horses. 2 Kings 3:8. And he said: By what way shall we go up? And he said: By the way of the wilderness of Edom. 2 Kings 3:9. So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they went around seven days’ journey, and there was no water for the army and for the animals that followed them. 2 Kings 3:10. Then the king of Israel said: Alas! The Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab. Having decided to undertake a campaign to subdue the Moabites and having prepared his own army (verse 6), King Joram of Israel invites with him Jehoshaphat of Judah, as once Ahab had called him to join him against the Syrians (1 Kgs 22:2), and Jehoshaphat, as at that time (1 Kgs 22:4), responds to this invitation too with complete readiness (verse 7), although he has already received more than one indication from prophets that his alliance with the wicked kings of Israel was displeasing to God (2 Chr 19:2-3); it seems that, both under Ahab and under his sons, the kingdom of Judah was in a certain dependence on the kingdom of Israel. The question “By what way shall we go up” (verse 8) belongs, probably, to Jehoshaphat, as a subordinate participant in the campaign. Instead of the near path to the land of Moab—through the Jordan, on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea, and then to the northern borders of Moab through the stream Arnon,—the allied army chooses a more difficult roundabout path: along the western border of the Dead Sea to its southern border, then through the Edomite desert, so that the attack from the south would strike the Moabites with complete unexpectedness. Invasion into Moabite territory from the north could present two difficulties for the Kingdom of Israel and its army: there would be danger from the Syrians, who from the time of Ahab had become firmly established in Gilead, and besides, from the northern side of the Moabite country Mesa, as is evident from his inscription, had fortified a series of strongholds, which hindered invasion from the north; moreover, when moving in the first direction, both kingdoms would have remained undefended from the side of Edom: therefore the king of Edom, his vassal (1 Kgs 22:47), Jehoshaphat takes with him in the campaign (verse 9), although confidence in his loyalty was slight (1 Kgs 3:26). Upon the joining of the Edomites to the allied Hebrew kings, the armies, over the course of 7 days, marched through the desert, which was without water, to the south of the Dead Sea, “for the guides had lost their way” (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 9:3, 1), and the kings, especially Joram, fell into despair.

2 Kings 3:11. And Jehoshaphat said: Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, so that we may inquire of the Lord through him? And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said: Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah. 2 Kings 3:12. And Jehoshaphat said: The word of the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. The pious Jehoshaphat in difficult circumstances, as he had done under Ahab (1 Kgs 22:5), requires that they consult the prophet of Jehovah, and such a one they point out in the prophet Elisha (though his presence in the Israeli camp had not been mentioned until now for some reason), “who poured water on the hands of Elijah” (verse 11), that is, was the regular servant of the prophet Elijah, and therefore appears to be a prophet deserving full confidence, as Jehoshaphat said about him (verse 12), evidently having already heard about the prophet Elisha. “Concerning Elisha, in his praise it was said: he poured water on the hands of Elijah. So much did they marvel at the great prophet. But need and the wickedness of the kings forced them to resort to the famous Elisha” (blessed Theodoret, question 11).

2 Kings 3:13. And Elisha said to the king of Israel: What have you to do with me? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother. But the king of Israel said to him: No, because the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab. 2 Kings 3:14. And Elisha said: As the Lord of hosts lives, before Whom I stand! If it were not that I regard Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor even see you; Not the prophet is summoned to the kings, but the kings themselves come to him (1 Kgs 3:12), and Joram, the initiator of the campaign and the one guilty of the common misfortune of the allied army, hears a sharp, impartial denunciation from the lips of the prophet Elisha; “the prophets of your father” of Joram, that is, Ahab—known from (1 Kgs 22), the prophets of the cult of the calves at the court of Ahab, “the prophets of your mother” (Jezebel)—the prophets-priests of Baal and Astarte (1 Kgs 18:19 and following),—the contrast between true and false prophecy appears here with no less force than in the history of the prophet Elijah and the prophet Micaiah. Despite Joram’s demonstrated attempts to abolish the cult of Baal (1 Kgs 3:2), the priests nevertheless remained (compare 2 Kgs 10:19), and thus the cult of Baal continued to hold. Joram’s repetition of the phrase: “The Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab” (verse 13; compare 1 Kgs 3:10) indicates, perhaps, that before the campaign, probably at the requirement of Jehoshaphat, they inquired of Jehovah. The prophet Elisha directly declares that he will give a prophetic word only for the sake of the piety of Jehoshaphat. “Thus the denunciation was timely made, when necessity had humbled the arrogance of the ruler” (blessed Theodoret, question 11).

2 Kings 3:15. But now bring me a musician. And when the musician played, the hand of the Lord came upon Elisha, In the fact that the prophet Elisha, in order to prepare his spirit for receiving revelation, or to calm his spirit from anger at Joram (1 Kgs 3:13-14), resorts to the action of stringed music, after which “the hand of the Lord was upon him” (compare 1 Kgs 18:16; Jer 1:9), one sees, first, the custom known to antiquity of resorting to music (compare 1 Sam 16:16) to distract the spirit from the external world, to calm or excite it (Cicero spoke of this concerning the Pythagoreans); secondly, the use of music (with singing of hymns) in prophetic schools (1 Sam 10:5 and further), with which, as mentioned, the prophet Elisha was in close connection. According to blessed Theodoret, “priests, according to the Law of Moses, used trumpets, and Levites—harps, psalteries, cymbals and other musical instruments. In use with them was David’s spiritual song. One of these singers the prophet commanded to be called. And when the singer sang, the grace of the Spirit showed what should be done” (question 12 on 4 Book of Kings).

2 Kings 3:16. And he said: Thus says the Lord: You shall make this valley full of ditches, 2 Kings 3:17. For thus says the Lord: You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so you shall drink, you and your livestock and your animals. By the valley (Hebrew nahal), in which the prophet Elisha commands to dig ditches or cisterns, according to the opinion of commentators, is meant the valley Wadi-el-Ahsa, on the southern border of Moabite territory, called in (Isa 15:7) nahal ha-arabim; perhaps this locality had the property that rainwater accumulated beneath the soil on a rocky subsoil: perhaps the prophet Elisha gives advice to take measures which the native inhabitants also employed (compare blessed Theodoret, question 12).

2 Kings 3:18. And this is a light thing in the sight of the Lord; He will also deliver Moab into your hands, 2 Kings 3:19. And you shall strike down every fortified city and every choice city, and you shall fell every good tree, and stop up all the springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones. 2 Kings 3:20. And in the morning, when the grain offering is offered, behold, water came from the direction of Edom, and the land was filled with water. After the supply of necessary water to the allied armies, the Lord is to grant Israel a complete victory over the Moabites, with the picture of destruction that, according to the prophet, the victors will produce in the land of Moab (verse 19), without doubt, having the character of command: in (Deut 20:19-20) Israel is directly forbidden during war or siege to commit senseless destruction of fruit-bearing trees; here the prophet simply foretells a future fact, not touching upon its moral evaluation. Abundant water appeared, from the direction of Idumea, “at the time of the offering of the morning sacrifice” (Hebrew mincha, properly bloodless sacrifice—cereal offering and libation) (compare Exod 29:39; 1 Kgs 18:29).

2 Kings 3:21. When all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to bear arms, from the youngest to the oldest, were called up, and they took their stand on the frontier. 2 Kings 3:22. And when they rose early in the morning, the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. 2 Kings 3:23. And they said: This is blood; the kings have surely fought with one another and destroyed each other; now then, Moab, to the spoil! 2 Kings 3:24. So when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and attacked the Moabites, who fled before them, and the Israelites continued to advance, striking the Moabites. 2 Kings 3:25. And they destroyed the cities, and on every good piece of land each man threw a stone and filled it; and they stopped up all the springs of water and felled all the good trees, until in Kir-Hareset only stones were left; and the slingers surrounded it and attacked it. The second and main part of Elisha’s prediction was fulfilled (1 Kgs 3:18-19). And here, as in the supply of water to the allied army, a purely natural circumstance served the allies for good and for the destruction of the Moabites: the latter, at the rising sun, mistakenly take the color of the water for the appearance of blood (verse 22) and with equal mistaking make a not impossible, however, supposition about mutual destruction among the allied armies (verse 23; compare Judg 7:22; 2 Chr 20:33),—and instead of expected spoil met defeat and complete devastation of the country including down to the fortified capital of Moab—the city of Kir-Hareset (LXX, verse 25: tous lious tou toichoucou, Vulg.: muri fictíles, Slavonic: “stones of walls”), otherwise called Kir-Moab (Isa 15:1) or Kirgherem (Isa 16:1); now it is identified with el-Kerak, to the east of the southern part of the Dead Sea (Onomasticon, 389; Winer, Bibl. Keal Worterbuch, I, 658). The king of Moab was besieged in Kir-Hareset.

2 Kings 3:26. And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was going against him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew the sword, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not. 2 Kings 3:27. Then he took his firstborn son who was to reign in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. So there came great anger upon Israel; and they withdrew from him and returned to their own land. After the unsuccessful attempt of the king of Moab to break through with a detachment of armed men to the position of the King of Edom (the besieged rushed toward this side either because they expected to meet less resistance there, or hoped to persuade him to defect from the Hebrews and Israelites), Mesa resorted to a desperate means of saving his own state: wishing to placate the deity—the god of war Chemosh worshipped by him (compare commentaries on 1 Kgs 11:7) and to have a softening effect on the besiegers—he, according to the widely spread custom of antiquity (compare Mic 6:7) to offer the most precious human sacrifices in state and public disasters (Eusebius, Praeparat. Evang. IV, 16), offered his firstborn son, the heir to the throne, as a burnt offering on the city walls, in the sight of the enemies (the rabbis and Philippson believed that Mesa offered not his own son, but the son of the Edomite king, whom he had captured in a sortie, verses 26 or before; as proof they cited Amos 2:1, but this explanation is completely arbitrary, and the reference is inconclusive). “There came great anger upon Israel” (LXX: kai egeneto metameos megas epi Israēl, Vulg.: et facta est indignatio magna in Israel, Slavonic: “and there was great repentance in Israel”): Hebrew ketseph, properly “anger,” cannot mean here either the anger of the Edomites on the Israelites (the opinion of Dereseer, Philippson, which stands in connection with the supposition rejected above), nor the anger of Jehovah on Israel (Keil), since there was no direct guilt of the latter, nor, still less, the anger of Chemosh (Kittel), since if individual Jews were not unfamiliar with recognizing the actual existence of pagan gods and their real power (Judg 11:24; 1 Sam 26:19), then, without doubt, the divinely inspired writer could not have thought and judged so. Rather, here it is a matter of profound agitation of Israel, which by threat of death was forbidden to make human sacrifices (Lev 18:21) and to which the sight of the desperate deed of the Moabite king caused horror and fear of disaster in his own land (compare Ps 105:37-39), and the allies hastened to withdraw from the borders of Moab and returned to their own countries. The displeasure of the whole undertaking by God and in particular the displeasure by Jehovah of the pious Jehoshaphat’s alliance with the wicked Joram were the hidden causes of the allies’ failures (compare blessed Theodoret, question 13).

Chapter Four

1–7. The miraculous multiplication of oil for a prophet’s widow. 8–37. The birth of a son to a pious Shunammite woman by the prophet’s word and his resurrection by the latter. 38–41. The prophet renders poisonous food harmless. 42–44. He miraculously feeds a large number of people with a small amount of bread.

2 Kings 4:1. One of the wives of the prophets’ sons cried out to Elisha: “Your servant, my husband, has died; and you know that your servant feared the Lord. Now the creditor has come to take both of my children as slaves.” 2 Kings 4:2. Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” 2 Kings 4:3. He said, “Go, borrow vessels for yourself from all your neighbors, empty vessels; gather many.” 2 Kings 4:4. “Go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these vessels. Set aside the full ones.” 2 Kings 4:5. She went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. They brought the vessels to her, and she poured. 2 Kings 4:6. When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” He said to her, “There are no more vessels.” And the oil stopped. 2 Kings 4:7. She came and told the man of God. He said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. With what remains, you and your sons shall live.” From this account it is evident that the “sons of the prophets” included not only young unmarried men, but also married men and fathers of families; consequently this institution was not like monastic orders. Not living together with other members of the society of “sons of the prophets,” such family men were united with others by the person of the prophet-leader. In the deceased “son of the prophet,” the “God-fearing man,” tradition (the rabbis, Josephus, cf. the blessed Theodoret, question 14) pointed to the well-known Obadiah from the history of the prophet Elijah, the God-fearing man (1 Kgs 18:3 and further), steward of Ahab, who devoted great care to providing for the prophets and subsequently fell into debt. The creditor’s intention to sell the widow’s children into slavery was justified by the letter of the law (Lev 25:39; Exod 21:2) and the harsh practice of life (Matt 18:25). The miracle of the multiplication of oil by Elisha, certainly, bears similarity to the miraculous provision of the prophet Elijah for the Zarephath widow (1 Kgs 17:8-16), but does not at all compel us to see in the account of Elisha’s miracle an unsuccessful duplicate of the Elijah story, especially since each account, besides the general features, has its own distinctive characteristics.

2 Kings 4:8. One day Elisha passed through Shunem. There a wealthy woman urged him to have a meal; and whenever he passed that way, he stopped there to eat. 2 Kings 4:9. She said to her husband, “I know that this man who constantly passes by us is a holy man of God.” 2 Kings 4:10. “Let us make a small room on the roof and set up a bed for him there, a table, a chair, and a lamp. When he comes to us, he can turn in there.” 2 Kings 4:11. One day he came there and turned into the room and lay down there. 2 Kings 4:12. He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call this Shunammite.” He called her, and she stood before him. 2 Kings 4:13. He said, “Tell her, ‘You have taken all this trouble for us; what can be done for you? Would you like me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the military commander?’” She replied, “I dwell among my own people.” 2 Kings 4:14. He said, “What then is to be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “Well, she has no son and her husband is old.” 2 Kings 4:15. He said, “Call her.” He called her, and she stood in the doorway. 2 Kings 4:16. He said, “In due season, when the time comes around, you will embrace a son.” But she said, “No, my lord, man of God, do not mislead your servant.” 2 Kings 4:17. The woman became pregnant and bore a son at the same season the following year, as Elisha had promised her. 2 Kings 4:18. The child grew, and one day he went out to his father among the reapers. 2 Kings 4:19. He said to his father, “My head, my head!” The father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 2 Kings 4:20. He picked him up and carried him to his mother. The child sat on her lap until noon, and then died. 2 Kings 4:21. She went up, laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door on him, and left. 2 Kings 4:22. She called to her husband and said, “Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so that I may quickly go to the man of God and return.” 2 Kings 4:23. He said, “Why go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath.” But she said, “It will be all right.” 2 Kings 4:24. She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; do not slow down unless I tell you.” 2 Kings 4:25. She went and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her from afar, he said to his servant Gehazi, “Here comes the Shunammite.” 2 Kings 4:26. “Run at once to meet her and say to her, ‘Are you well? Is your husband well? Is the child well?’” And she answered, “It is well.” 2 Kings 4:27. When she came to the man of God at the mountain, she caught hold of his feet. Gehazi approached to push her away; but the man of God said, “Let her alone, for she is in deep distress; the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me.” 2 Kings 4:28. Then she said, “Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, ‘Do not mislead me’?” 2 Kings 4:29. He said to Gehazi, “Gird up your loins, take my staff in your hand, and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet them; and if anyone greets you, do not answer; and lay my staff on the face of the child.” 2 Kings 4:30. Then the mother of the child said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he rose and followed her. 2 Kings 4:31. Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was no sound or response. He came back to meet him and told him, “The child has not awakened.” 2 Kings 4:32. When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. 2 Kings 4:33. He went in, closed the door on the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. 2 Kings 4:34. Then he got up on the bed and lay upon the child, putting his mouth upon his mouth, his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands; and as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. 2 Kings 4:35. He got down, walked once to and fro in the room, got up on the bed and stretched himself upon him; the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 2 Kings 4:36. He summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” He called her. When she came to him, he said, “Take your son.” 2 Kings 4:37. She came in and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground; then she took her son and left. Indeed, the account of the birth of the Shunammite’s son, his death, and his resurrection shows obvious similarity to the parallel account (1 Kgs 17:17 and further) of the resurrection of the Zarephath widow’s son by the prophet Elijah, and once again each account has its own distinctive features, and one cannot be regarded as a repetition of the other. The prophet Elisha came from Gilgal to Mount Carmel (2 Kgs 2:25), the beloved dwelling place of the prophet Elijah (cf. v. 25), and from there comes to nearby Shunem (v. 8; regarding the location of Shunem, see the commentaries to 1 Kgs 1:3). The account of the Shunammite, apart from other things, is interesting for its account of domestic, social-civic, and religious peculiarities of ancient Hebrew life from that era. In the domestic regard, the description of furnishings or furniture even of a well-to-do ancient Hebrew house is characteristic: in the room arranged by the pious Shunammite for the prophet Elisha (v. 10) – “a small room on the roof” (a kind of mezzanine, frequently built on the flat roofs of the East (cf. 1 Sam 9:25; 2 Sam 16:22)), were to be things evidently customary in an ancient Hebrew house: a bed (Heb. mittah), a table (Heb. shulchan, often in the Bible means, as it still does among Bedouins, a simple cloth or skin spread on the floor for a meal), but equally a table in our sense (cf. 1 Kgs 13:20; Num 4:7. See Gesemi. Thesaurus linguae hebr, p. 1417), a chair (Heb. kisseh), a lamp (menorah). In the civil-legal sense, the answer given by the Shunammite to the prophet Elisha’s offer to intercede for her with the king or the military commander (the power the prophet Elisha had with both Hebrew kings is evident from (2 Kgs 3:12) and following), that she had no need for this because she “dwells among her own people” (v. 13; Cf. the blessed Theodoret, Question 15), is typical, that is, she belonged to quite a strong and distinguished clan. This sheds some light on the power and significance of kinship bonds and relations in ancient Israel. “If we knew more about these clans, probably many events in the history of Israel would appear before us in a different and clearer light. For example, it is highly probable that the continual revolutions and changing politics in the Israelite kingdom – now friendly to Assyria, now to Egypt – are connected with these clans, which had their representatives in cities” (Buhl. Die Sociale Verhaltnisse des Israel, 1899, s. 39). Finally, in the religious-liturgical regard, the present account is instructive in that it bears witness (v. 25) that Sabbaths and new moons were celebrated in the Israelite kingdom not only with sacrifices, as prescribed in the law (Num 28:9), but also with special assemblies (cf. the blessed Theodoret, question 16), and that the center of these religious-edifying assemblies in the ten-tribe kingdom, in the absence of a lawful temple, served the houses of the prophets. All the Shunammite’s relations to the prophet in the account are pervaded with deep reverence (v. 9, 15, 22, 27, 37); she directly calls (v. 9) the prophet “holy” (Heb. kadosh, Gr. ἄγιος, Lat. Sanctus: this is the first time in the Bible that a living person is called holy not merely in concept, as in (Lev 11:44) and many others, but in reality). Regarding why and when the prophet Elisha chose Gehazi as his servant (v. 12 and following), he who did not distinguish himself by moral qualities (2 Kgs 5:20 and following), nothing is known. The prophet’s prophecy regarding the birth of a son to the Shunammite (v. 16) is entirely similar to the promise to Abraham regarding the birth of Isaac (Gen 18:10; cf. the blessed Theodoret, question 16). The illness of the son of the pious woman (verse 19) was apparently sunstroke (Jdt 8:2-3; Ps 120:6). From the words of the prophet (v. 27): “The Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me,” it is evident that “not all prophets foresaw everything, but only what God’s grace revealed to them” (the blessed Theodoret, question 17); the same is shown in the sending of the prophet Elisha of Gehazi instead of himself (verse 29), which proved fruitless (verse 31). As the woman distressed with grief hastily avoided long conversations (v. 23, 26), so the prophet commands Gehazi to value time (perhaps suspecting merely apparent death of the child) and to avoid the usually long Eastern greetings at meetings (verse 29, cf. Luke 10:4); moreover, “the prophet knew” that Gehazi was ambitious and vain and that those he met on the way would tell him the reason for his journey, and vanity hinders miracle-working (the blessed Theodoret, question 17); according to the Talmudists (Pirke Elieser, 33), Gehazi did not obey the prophet’s command, and therefore could not revive the Shunammite’s son (v. 31). The actions of the prophet himself in raising the dead child (v. 35–36) are closely similar in essence to the actions of the prophet Elijah in raising the Zarephath widow’s son (1 Kgs 17:19-23), the particular difference being: a) a more vivid depiction in this case of the gestures of the prophet Elisha (v. 34–35): “the prophet himself applied his own sense organs to the sense organs of the dead; eyes to eyes, mouth to mouth, hands to hands, so that the dead might partake of the life of the living, evidently through the action of spiritual grace that bestows life” (the blessed Theodoret, question 18); b) there is no mention of words of calling upon God, as in the prophet Elijah (1 Kgs 17:21); but, without doubt, the prophet Elisha likewise prayed when performing the miracle along with other things, prefiguring the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ ((2 Kgs 4:8-37) is read as the 12th paremia at the services of Great Saturday).

2 Kings 4:38. When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets sat before him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” 2 Kings 4:39. One of them went out into the field to gather herbs; he found a wild vine and gathered from it a lapful of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were. 2 Kings 4:40. Then they poured out some for the men to eat. But as they were eating the stew, they cried out, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it. 2 Kings 4:41. He said, “Then bring some flour.” He threw it into the pot, and said, “Pour it out for the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot. Gilgal, the dwelling place of the “sons of the prophets” (cf. 2 Kgs 2:1 and further), was one of the usual places where the prophet Elisha dwelt, the leader of the society of sons of the prophets; the latter (v. 38) “sat before him” – as pupils, at his feet (cf. Acts 22:3): they gathered to the prophet Elisha to listen to him (cf. Ezek 8:1; Zech 3:3), but did not necessarily live in one house (cf. 2 Kgs 6:1). The famine mentioned here was probably the same as the seven-year famine during the time of the prophet Elisha (2 Kgs 8:1). Caring for the sustenance of his pupils, the prophet orders his servant to prepare them food from vegetables (Heb. orot, LXX: ἀριωθ, Vulg.: herbas agrestes, Slav.: “wild herbs”). “Those who gathered them unknowingly mixed in poisonous fruits. But the prophet, commanding flour to be poured into the pot, destroyed thereby the effect of the poison. This was accomplished not by the property of the flour, but by the grace of the prophet” (the blessed Theodoret, question 19). The poisonous fruits in the Hebrew text are called pakkuot – “wild cucumbers” (cf. ornaments 1 Kgs 6:18), cucumeres agresti, asiuini, by appearance mixed with the cucumbers beloved by the Hebrews (Num 11:5).

2 Kings 4:42. A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing food from the first fruits to the man of God: twenty loaves of barley bread, and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, “Give it to the people and let them eat.” 2 Kings 4:43. But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” So he repeated, “Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’” 2 Kings 4:44. He set it before them, they ate, and had some left, according to the word of the Lord. Baal-shalishah (cf. 1 Sam 9:4) – a city, supposedly in the tribe of Ephraim, according to Eusebius – Βαιθσαρισάθ, according to Jerome – Betsarisa – fifteen miles from Diospolis (Onomast. 206), now identified with Kafr-Sils. According to the Law of Moses, all grain firstfruits the Hebrews were to deliver to the sanctuary, from where priests and Levites received them (Num 18:13; Deut 18:4). In the absence in the Israelite kingdom of legitimate priests and Levites (1 Kgs 12:31), a certain pious man brought the grain firstfruits to the prophet of God. The latter, invoking the name of God (v. 43), miraculously multiplies the food for one hundred people (cf. the blessed Theodoret, question 19): this miracle was probably caused by the famine mentioned above in Israel.

Chapter Five

1–14. The healing of Naaman, the Syrian military commander, by the word of the prophet Elisha. 15–19. Naaman’s gratitude and conversion to the true God; the disinterestedness of the prophet. 20–27. The greed of Gehazi and his punishment.

2 Kings 5:1. Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. 2 Kings 5:2. The Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 2 Kings 5:3. She said to her mistress, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 2 Kings 5:4. So Naaman went and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. To what time the miraculous healing of Naaman is to be assigned, whether to the time of Joram or already to the reign of the dynasty of Jehu, is not evident from the text; it is only clear that it falls in a time of peaceful relations between the Syrian and Israelite kingdoms. The rabbis identified Naaman with the Syrian warrior who once mortally wounded Ahab (1 Kgs 22:34) and who is called by Josephus (Antiq. 8:15, 5) Amanos (παῖς δε τις βασιλικὸς τοῦ ᾿Αδωνος ᾿Αμανος ᾿όνομα). In contrast to the strict exclusion of the leprous among the Hebrews (Lev 13:45-46. See Tolkovaya Bibliya, vol. 1), Naaman, having distinguished himself by a victory he gave to his country, seemingly continued to serve even after the disease befell him. But fate, or more precisely, God’s providence, made the man who once gave the Syrians a victory over the Israelites now turn to the land of the Israelites for healing, to the prophet of God. The latter Naaman learns from a Hebrew captive girl, seized by Syrian marauders during one of their raids on border Israelite lands. On the advice of the captive girl, Naaman turns to the Syrian king requesting permission to go to Samaria (according to (2 Kgs 5:8 and others), the prophet at that time indeed lived not in Gilgal and not on Carmel, but in Samaria).

2 Kings 5:5. The king of Aram said, “Go then; and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.” He departed, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. 2 Kings 5:6. He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 2 Kings 5:7. When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just see – he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.” From the fact that the Syrian king sends Naaman to the Israelite king without hesitation with a forceful demand in the letter (the content of the letter is briefly conveyed, v. 6), one can conclude that the Syrian kings after Ahab’s defeat continued to regard the Israelites as their vassals; in the very demand of the king to cure leprosy from Naaman is seen the view of a miracle as a matter of magic. According to Eastern custom, whose etiquette requires the presentation of rich gifts to important persons, Naaman takes with him (v. 5) much silver and gold and, besides, also according to Eastern custom (Gen 41:14; 1 Sam 28:8; 2 Sam 12:20), ten sets of garments. Despite this, the Israelite king, understanding the letter of the Syrian king as an address to himself and, evidently, not thinking at all of the great prophet Elisha, falls into despair (v. 7): from sorrow he tears his clothes (cf. 2 Kgs 2:12), acknowledges that only God has the power to kill and make alive (cf. Deut 32:39) – leprosy was considered a calamity almost equal to death (Num 12:12) – and suspects in the demand of the Syrian king a seeking of a pretext for war.

2 Kings 5:8. But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.” 2 Kings 5:9. So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. 2 Kings 5:10. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.” Now the prophet himself reminds the king of himself, of Him who gives death and life, and is ready to show mercy to them through His prophet, despite the apostasies of the people and king. However, when Naaman arrived at the house of the prophet Elisha, “he, observing the law, as one living under the law would not consent to see Naaman, as a leper (according to the law Lev 13-14), but ordered him to wash seven times in the river Jordan” (the blessed Theodoret, question 19), promising him “renewal of body” and “cleanness” (v. 10, cf. Luke 17:11), as was usually said of healing from leprosy.

2 Kings 5:11. But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy.” 2 Kings 5:12. “Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?” He turned and went away in a rage. 2 Kings 5:13. But his servants approached and said to him, “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 2 Kings 5:14. So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean. Angry at what he perceived as the prophet’s disrespect, Naaman expresses the common view among ancient and modern Eastern peoples that healing from disease requires, besides calling upon God, also the laying on of hands of the healer on the sick place (v. 11). The Syrian rivers Abana (according to another reading in the Keri – Amana) and Pharpar (Heb. Parpar), according to general opinion, flowed from the Anti-Lebanon and watered Damascus. The first is identified with the present Nahr-Barada, the ancient Chrysorrhoas (Onomasticon, 7); the second – with Nahr-el-Awaj to the south of Damascus (Onomasticon, 923). See Badecker. Palastina u. Syrien. A. 7; s. 334. Naaman’s obedience to the prophet (v. 14) was rewarded by the exact fulfillment of the prophet’s word (v. 10), healing and, as it were, complete renewal of Naaman.

2 Kings 5:15. Then Naaman returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel; please accept a present from your servant.” 2 Kings 5:16. But he said, “As the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing.” He urged him, but he refused. By the miraculous healing of Naaman was achieved also his spiritual healing – conversion to the True God, whom he confesses as the Only One on all the earth, at the same time he offers the prophet gifts (Heb. berakah, blessing, as in (Gen 33:11; 1 Sam 25:27)). But the prophet, wishing to show the newly converted foreigner that Jehovah gives healing without any compensation to His servants, decisively refuses to accept any gift from him. “The prophet preferred complete poverty to all wealth and fulfilled the gospel law even before the law was given. For it is said: ‘Freely have you received, freely give’ (Matt 10:8)” (the blessed Theodoret, question 19).

2 Kings 5:17. Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant be given two mules’ load of earth; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offerings and sacrifices to other gods but only to the Lord.” In Naaman’s request to the prophet to give him a certain amount of earth from the land of Israel to construct an altar to Jehovah in his own Syria, many have seen a sharp contradiction to Naaman’s own profession of the oneness of Jehovah (2 Kgs 5:15); here Jehovah seems to be recognized by him only as the God of Canaan. But Naaman’s action expresses simply a deep reverence toward Jehovah – he regards the very land of His worship as sacred and takes a portion of the land, sanctified by the blessing of the prophet of Jehovah. His intention to perform private (not public, cf. 2 Kgs 5:18) service to Jehovah is entirely consistent with this feeling. (Even among Christians with their unconditional faith in the Unity of God there has always been the desire, for example, to take earth from Palestine).

2 Kings 5:18. “But may the Lord pardon your servant on one count: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow down in the house of Rimmon, when I do this in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord please pardon your servant on this one count.” Alert in conscience, Naaman foresees an inevitable test for his faith: the duty, by virtue of his position as military commander, to accompany the king at worship in honor of Rimmon; Rimmon (Heb. rimmon – pomegranate), probably identical to the Assyrian storm god Ramman; the Hebrew name (confirmed by Telkoa-marna cuneiform evidence) may denote the idea of sun, fertility (the pomegranate – a symbol of both); further significance of the god Rimmon (seemingly greatly revered among the Syrians, as shown by the use among them of names with this god: Hadad-rimmon, (Zech 12:11); Tabrimmon, (1 Kgs 15:18)). Naaman asks that, through the prayers of the prophet, Jehovah forgive him his coming forced bowing before the idol, speaking as though thus: “I must enter with the king, when he wishes to worship a false god. But, entering with him, I shall worship the True God, beseeching Him for forgiveness in that by royal requirement I am compelled to enter the temple of the false god” (the blessed Theodoret, question 19).

2 Kings 5:19. He said, “Go in peace.” He went from him a short distance. The prophet with his farewell greeting “go in peace” as it were condescends to the anxieties of Naaman’s conscience. Regarding the distance of a kibrat-ha’aretz see the commentaries to (Gen 35:16).

2 Kings 5:20. When Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, the man of God, thought, “My master has let that Aramean Naaman off too lightly. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” 2 Kings 5:21. So Gehazi went after Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he jumped down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is everything all right?” 2 Kings 5:22. He replied, “All is well. My master sent me to say, ‘Two members of a company of prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim; please give them a talent of silver and two sets of garments.’” 2 Kings 5:23. Naaman said, “Please accept two talents.” He urged him, and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of garments, and gave them to two of his servants; they carried them ahead of Gehazi. 2 Kings 5:24. When he came to the citadel, he took the bags from them, and stored them inside; he sent the men away, and they left. 2 Kings 5:25. He went in and stood before his master; and Elisha said to him, “Where have you come from, Gehazi?” He said, “Your servant has not gone anywhere.” 2 Kings 5:26. He said to him, “Did not my heart go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is this a time to accept money and to accept clothing, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and cattle, and male and female slaves?” 2 Kings 5:27. Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you, and to your descendants forever. When he left his presence, he was leprous, as white as snow. “In the prophet is worthy of admiration both the power of grace and the truth of judgment, because, learning of what Gehazi took secretly, he gave him to inherit also the leprosy of Naaman” (the blessed Theodoret, question 19).

Chapter Six

1–33. New miracles of the prophet Elisha: the floating of the axe, the prophet’s disclosure of Syrian military plans, the revelation to the prophet of heavenly warriors, the striking of the Syrians with blindness, foresight of danger from Joram.

2 Kings 6:1. Now the company of prophets said to Elisha, “As you see, the place where we live under your supervision is too small for us.” 2 Kings 6:2. “Let us go to the Jordan, and let us collect logs there, one for each of us, and build a place there for us to live.” He answered, “Do so.” 2 Kings 6:3. Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.” “I will,” he answered. 2 Kings 6:4. So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 2 Kings 6:5. As one was felling a log, his ax head fell into the water; he cried out, “Alas, master! It was borrowed!” 2 Kings 6:6. The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick, and threw it in there, and made the iron float. 2 Kings 6:7. He said, “Pick it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it. The connection of the beginning of chapter VI to the end of the preceding the blessed Theodoret establishes thus: “Gehazi, this lover of gain, became a leper, while the company of prophets loved extreme poverty. They did not even have a house, but lived in shelters. Therefore they asked the great prophet to go with them to cut wood to build shelters. And such was their poverty that they could not afford to buy their own ax” (question 19). According to its circumstances and content, this section (v. 1–7) is directly connected to the account (2 Kgs 4:38-44). The miracle of the floating of the ax, according to the blessed Theodoret, “prefigured the economy of our Savior. For as light wood sank while heavy iron floated, so by the descent of Divine nature was accomplished the ascent of human nature”.

2 Kings 6:8. The king of Syria was at war with Israel; he took counsel with his officers, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” 2 Kings 6:9. But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Take care not to pass by this place, for the Arameans are laying an ambush there.” 2 Kings 6:10. The king of Israel sent someone to the place of which the man of God had warned him. More than once or twice he saved him there. 2 Kings 6:11. The mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this; he called his officers and said to them, “Now tell me who among us sides with the king of Israel?” 2 Kings 6:12. One of his officers said, “No one, my lord king. But the prophet Elisha in Israel knows all the words that you speak in your bedchamber.” 2 Kings 6:13. He said, “Go and find where he is, so that I may send and capture him.” When it was told him, “He is in Dothan,” 2 Kings 6:14. he sent horses and chariots there and a great army; they came by night, and surrounded the city. 2 Kings 6:15. When an attendant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. His servant said, “Alas, master! What shall we do?” 2 Kings 6:16. He replied, “Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than there are with them.” 2 Kings 6:17. Then Elisha prayed: “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw; the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:18. When the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this people, please, with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked. 2 Kings 6:19. Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city; follow me, and I will bring you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to Samaria. 2 Kings 6:20. As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of these men so that they may see.” The Lord opened their eyes, and they saw that they were inside Samaria. 2 Kings 6:21. When the king of Israel saw them he said to Elisha, “Father, shall I kill them?” 2 Kings 6:22. He answered, “No! Did you capture them with your own sword and spear that you would kill them? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink; and let them go to their master.” 2 Kings 6:23. So he prepared for them a great feast; after they ate and drank, he sent them on their way to their master. And the Aramean raiders did not come again into the land of Israel. The chronological date of the armed attacks of the Syrians on the Israelite kingdom described here cannot be determined with certainty: the unifying idea here is not temporal sequence, but the miracle-working of the prophet Elisha. Apparently, these raids preceded the account of Naaman, where there is mention of these raids (2 Kgs 5:2); probably these events took place during Joram, the “son of a murderer,” and these words of the verse (2 Kgs 6:32) could apply only to him, not to subsequent kings. The prophet Elisha, possessing superhuman knowledge, uses it to reveal the treacherous plans of the Syrians and thereby provokes their persecution (verses 9–12), directed at the prophet’s dwelling place – Dothan, Heb. Dothan (v. 13) – a city on the trade route from Gilead to Egypt, where Joseph was once sold (Gen 37:17), to the north of Samaria (cf. Jdt 3:6 and others). Now Tell-Dothan to the north of Nablus (Onomasticon, 396. Cf. Tolkovaya Bibliya, vol. I, p. 101). The gracious heavenly protection over Israel in the form of fiery horses and chariots, like the heavenly host that once encouraged Jacob (Gen 32:1-2), was, by the prayer of the prophet, revealed even to one of his servants (verses 15–17). Elisha performs the miraculous blinding of the Syrian detachment, then again heals it, brings it to Samaria to the Israelite king, but turns away the latter from his intention to perform over the Syrians the dangerous ancient herem (verses 19–23; cf. (1 Sam 27:11)), commanding him to let the Syrian soldiers go, as having been captured without battle: and if they were killed, the miracle would not be known; but if they return whole to the one who sent them, then he too will know the power of our God (the blessed Theodoret, question 20). Temporary peace was achieved.

2 Kings 6:24. After this Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army, marched up, and besieged Samaria. 2 Kings 6:25. There was a great famine in Samaria, as they besieged it. Indeed, a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and one-quarter of a kab of dove dung for five shekels of silver. 2 Kings 6:26. As the king of Israel was walking on the city wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help, my lord king!” 2 Kings 6:27. He said, “No! Let the Lord help you. How can I help you? From the threshing floor or from the wine press?” 2 Kings 6:28. But then the king asked her, “What is your complaint?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son so we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’” 2 Kings 6:29. “So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Now give your son so we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.” 2 Kings 6:30. When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes—now he was walking on the city wall—and all the people could see that he had sackcloth on under his clothes. 2 Kings 6:31. He said, “So may God do to me, and more, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat stays on his shoulders today.” 2 Kings 6:32. Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a man ahead, but before the messenger reached him, Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent someone to take off my head? When the messenger comes, see that you shut the door and hold it closed against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?” 2 Kings 6:33. While he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the Lord! Why should I hope in the Lord any longer?” Now begins the open war of the Syrian king against the Israelite kingdom. Regarding Ben-hadad see the commentary to (1 Kgs 15:18) and (1 Kgs 20:1). During the siege of Samaria there was a great famine, which forced the inhabitants to eat even foods not permitted by law, even dove dung (used by the besieged instead of salt, the blessed Theodoret) and to buy them at high prices (v. 25). A terrible case (v. 26–30), learned by the king, though it threw him into great sorrow (verse 30), but then this feeling was replaced by irrational rage of the king toward the prophet Elisha (v. 31), and only the miraculous power of his foresight saved the prophet (v. 31–33; cf. the blessed Theodoret, question 21–22). To those around the prophet he advises to detain the royal messenger, evidently in the thought that the ill-considered royal command should soon be revoked, which indeed happened. * * * The grievous famine during the siege of Samaria and accompanied by a terrible phenomenon: the murder of a child by his mother for food, which Moses had already predicted, Deut 28:53, was merely a foreboding of those immense horrors of famine and death that accompanied the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and, finally, by Titus. About the latter Josephus says (Jewish War 5:13,7) and others.

Chapter Seven

1–20. The miraculous cessation of the siege of Samaria and the famine by the word of the prophet Elisha.

2 Kings 7:1. But Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord: thus says the Lord, ‘Tomorrow about this time a measure of choice meal shall be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’” 2 Kings 7:2. Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, “Even if the Lord were to make windows in the sky, could such a thing happen?” He said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat from it.” “The prophet, when threatened with death, besought the Lord, and immediately ended the siege” (the blessed Theodoret, question 22). The prophet speaks to the king and elders of the people (cf. 2 Kgs 6:32-33) of the coming extraordinary cheapness of bread namely “at the gates of Samaria” – at the gates, where in the East all public life was concentrated, among other things, also commerce. A measure, Heb. seah, Gr. τριστάτης, see the note to (1 Kgs 9:22). In the accepted Hebrew text stands lammeleḵ – “to the king,” which makes no sense; in many codices: “hammelek,” i.e., “king” (codices 70, 149, 174, 224 at Kennicott and others). The question of the captain to the prophet – the voice of unbelief and mockery, soon heavily punished (2 Kgs 7:19-20).

2 Kings 7:3. Now there were four leprous men outside the city gate. They said to one another, “Why should we sit here until we die?” 2 Kings 7:4. “If we say, ‘Let us enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; but if we sit here, we shall also die. Now then, come, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans; if they spare us, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.” 2 Kings 7:5. So they arose in the twilight to go to the camp of the Arameans; when they came to the edge of the camp of the Arameans, there was no one there. 2 Kings 7:6. For the Lord had caused the army of the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, and of horses, and of a great army; so they said to one another, “The king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites and the king of Egypt to fight against us.” 2 Kings 7:7. So they fled away in the twilight and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, leaving the camp as it was, and fled for their lives. 2 Kings 7:8. When these leprous men came to the edge of the camp, they went into one tent, ate and drank, carried off silver, gold, and clothing, and went and hid them. Then they came back, entered another tent, carried off things from it, and went and hid them. According to the Talmud (Sanhedr. 107, b.), the four lepers mentioned here were Gehazi and his three sons (cf. 2 Kgs 5:27). According to the law, lepers were strictly isolated from society (Lev 13:46; Num 5:2 and following), so these four lepers sat only at the gates of the city; now, during the famine, they were all the more left to die of hunger. This and prompted them to the desperate decision to go (in twilight so as not to be noticed in Samaria) to the Syrian camp, and they, to their surprise and joy, found it abandoned by the Syrians so suddenly and miraculously, just as after suddenly and miraculously lifted the siege of Jerusalem the Assyrian army (2 Kgs 19:7). Verses 6–7 constitute an inserted remark explaining the reason for the Syrian retreat. – “Kings of the Hittites” (v. 6): not Hittites – subjects of the Israelites (1 Kgs 9:20), but an independent and powerful people in the north of Palestine (1 Kgs 10:29), which even before the coming of the Hebrews to it had constituted a mighty kingdom, standing in vassal relations to Egypt, as is known from the Tells Amarna correspondence.

2 Kings 7:9. Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This is a day of good news; if we are silent and wait until the morning light, we will be blamed. Come therefore, let us go and tell the king’s household.” 2 Kings 7:10. So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and told them, “We went to the camp of the Arameans, but there was no one to be seen or heard there, nothing but the horses tied, the donkeys tied, and the tents as they were.” 2 Kings 7:11. Then the gatekeepers called out and proclaimed it to the king’s household. 2 Kings 7:12. The king got up in the night and said to his servants, “I will tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that we are starving; so they have left the camp to hide themselves in the open country, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive and get into the city.’” 2 Kings 7:13. One of his servants said, “Let some take five of the remaining horses. Behold, they are like all the multitude of Israel that has perished; let us send and see.” 2 Kings 7:14. So they took two pairs of horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army, saying, “Go and see.” 2 Kings 7:15. They went after them all the way to the Jordan; the whole way was littered with the garments and equipment that the Arameans had thrown away in their haste. The messengers returned and told the king. Having satisfied their own need for food and even the passion of greed (v. 8), the lepers remember their civic duty – to bring to the knowledge of the king and the population the joyful news of the danger passed and of the abundant supplies left by the Syrians. Against the disbelief expressed by the king of the reality of the fact and his suspicion of military deception on the part of the Syrians (v. 12), his attendants proposed to first verify the reality of the Syrian departure (verses 13–15).

2 Kings 7:16. Then the people went out, and plundered the camp of the Arameans. So a measure of choice meal was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. 2 Kings 7:17. The king appointed the captain on whose hand he had leaned to have charge of the gate; the people trampled him in the gate, and he died, just as the man of God had said when the king came down to him. 2 Kings 7:18. For when the man of God said to the king, “Two measures of barley shall be sold for a shekel, and a measure of choice meal for a shekel, about this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria,” 2 Kings 7:19. the captain had answered the man of God, “Even if the Lord were to make windows in the sky, could such a thing happen?” And he had said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat from it.” 2 Kings 7:20. It did indeed happen to him; the people trampled him in the gate, and he died. When the enemy’s retreat was no longer in doubt, the hungry people rushed to plunder the enemy camp, and the appointed captain, who had not believed the prophet Elisha’s prediction (v. 19; cf. 2), perished.

Chapter Eight

1–6. The mercy of the king of Israel toward the Shunammite woman for the sake of Elisha. 7–15. The prophet Elisha in Damascus predicts to Hazael the kingship and foretells the death of Ben-Hadad. 16–24. The 5th king of Judah, Joram. 25–29. The 6th king of Judah, Ahaziah.

2 Kings 8:1. And Elisha said to the woman whose son he had raised to life, “Go away, you and your household, and settle somewhere else for a while, because the Lord has called for a famine, and it will come upon this land for seven years.” 2 Kings 8:2. And the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God; and she went, she and her household, and dwelt in the land of the Philistines seven years. 2 Kings 8:3. At the end of seven years the woman returned from the land of the Philistines and came to appeal to the king about her house and her field. 2 Kings 8:4. Now the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me, please, all the great things that Elisha has done.” 2 Kings 8:5. And just as he was telling the king how he had restored to life someone who was dead, the woman whose son he had raised to life came to appeal to the king for her house and her field. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha raised to life.” 2 Kings 8:6. And when the king asked the woman, she told him. And the king appointed an official for her, saying, “Restore to her all that was hers, and all the income from her field from the day she left the land until now.” The seven-year famine predicted by the prophet Elisha was the same as that mentioned in (2 Kgs 4:39). Soon after the prophet raised to life the son of the Shunammite woman (2 Kgs 4:35-37), he predicts to her the coming of the seven-year famine, advising her to depart with her family to one of the neighboring countries (as the family of Elimelech once did (Ruth 1:1) and following). “This word gives ground for suspecting that the Israelites were punished by famine. And if the famine were general upon the land, he would not have sent her to another place. From this it is clear that by this punishment sent from God the Israelites were instructed, living wickedly as they did after such provision for them,” (Blessed Theodoret, question 22). The Shunammite chooses the neighboring land of the Philistines, which bordered on Israel and was distinguished by its fertility, where she remained with her family during the time of famine. Returning, she found her house and field in the hands of others: either confiscated into the king’s estates (cf. 1 Kgs 21:15) or seized by a private person – contrary to the spirit of Moses’ law and ancient practice (Ruth 1:4). The Shunammite with her petition for the return of her property appeals to the king, who at that time was conversing with Gehazi about the wonders of the prophet Elisha. (From the fact that in verse 4 Gehazi is called the servant of Elisha and, being healthy, converses with the king, while after a certain transgression following the healing of Naaman he was smitten with leprosy, (2 Kgs 5:27) and certainly as a result of his transgression and disease could no longer remain the servant of the prophet, many interpreters place the conversation of the king with Gehazi described here at a time before the healing of Naaman; but for lepers it was not excluded that they could converse with people (Matt 8:2; Luke 17:12, and others). Gehazi could speak with the king while already leprous; moreover, the rearrangement of events proposed by this conjecture introduces even greater confusion into the history of the prophet Elisha, which without this presents chronological uncertainty). In the wonders of Elisha, Gehazi names to the king the chief wonder—the raising to life of the son of the Shunammite—all the more since she herself then came to the king, and he fulfills her petition—not without the influence of the charm of the prophet’s person and the fresh impression of the memory of his wonders.

2 Kings 8:7. And Elisha came to Damascus, and Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, was sick. And it was told him, saying, “The man of God has come here.” 2 Kings 8:8. And the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand, and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord through him, saying, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’” 2 Kings 8:9. And Hazael went to meet him, and took a gift with him—all the finest things of Damascus, carried by forty camels—and came and stood before him, and said, “Your son Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, has sent me to you, asking, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’” 2 Kings 8:10. And Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You will surely recover’; however, the Lord has shown me that he will indeed die.” 2 Kings 8:11. And Elisha fixed his gaze upon him, and remained silent until Hazael was ashamed; and the man of God wept. 2 Kings 8:12. And Hazael said, “Why does my lord weep?” And he said, “Because I know the evil you will do to the children of Israel: you will burn their strongholds, and you will kill their young men with the sword, and dash their children in pieces, and rip open their pregnant women.” 2 Kings 8:13. And Hazael said, “What is your servant, a dead dog, that he should do this great thing?” And Elisha said, “The Lord has shown me that you will be king of Syria.” 2 Kings 8:14. And he departed from Elisha and came to his master. And he said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he said, “He told me that you will surely recover.” 2 Kings 8:15. But the next day he took the bedcover, dipped it in water, and spread it over his face, and he died. And Hazael reigned in his place. The prophet Elisha, mindful of the command of God that the prophet Elijah was supposed to carry out on Mount Horeb—to anoint a certain Hazael as king of Syria (1 Kgs 19:15) – a command that was not executed by the prophet Elijah himself and was probably handed on by him to Elisha, set out for Damascus at a time when Ben-Hadad was ill (as a result of the unsuccessful outcome of the siege of Samaria, (2 Kgs 7), as Josephus notes. Antiquities of the Jews 9:4, 6). Learning of the arrival of the respected prophet, Ben-Hadad sends a certain Hazael to meet him (according to Josephus: “the trusted one of the servants”) with a question about the outcome of the illness and certainly with a prayer for its favorable outcome; according to Eastern custom, such an embassy necessarily had to bring gifts to the prophet (cf. 1 Sam 9:7; 1 Kgs 14:3), arranged with Eastern splendor and arrogance and spread across forty camels. “The prophet who came to Hazael predicted both his kingship and the death of the one who sent him, though he commanded him not to report the death of Ben-Hadad, so that in despair he might not end his life” (Blessed Theodoret, question 23). The Hebrew text of verse 10 in the written form (“Ketib”) has the negation “lo,” so that the sense becomes: and say (to Ben-Hadad): you will not recover; but in the reading (“Keri”) and in many manuscripts “lo” is taken as the pronoun “to him” (“say to him: he will recover”). The cause of the prophet’s indirect answer is satisfactorily indicated by Blessed Theodoret, and likewise, in agreement with him, by Josephus. The reign of Hazael was to bring in the future (cf. (2 Kgs 10:32) and others; (2 Kgs 13:3-4)) great misfortunes upon the kingdom of Israel, such as were customary in ancient times during devastating wars (verse 12, cf. Isa 13:15 and others; Hos 10:14; Amos 1:13; Nah 3:10 and others; Ps 136:9), and the prophet grieves deeply and weeps over the misfortunes awaiting his homeland from the hand of Hazael. As a messenger of God’s will, the prophet Elisha does not hide from Hazael this ruinous activity for Israel that Hazael will undertake in the future, nor does he hide the impending death of Ben-Hadad and the subsequent kingship of Hazael (verse 13), although he knew that Hazael would attain the throne over the corpse of his master (verse 15): the prophet (as earlier 2 Kgs 3:19), merely predicts future facts, not in the least obliging Hazael to act criminally. The false humility of Hazael (verse 13; cf. 1 Sam 24:15; 2 Sam 16:9) did not prevent him from murdering the sick Ben-Hadad (verse 15, according to Josephus, he strangled him, which does not entirely agree with the Biblical text), after which he became king of Damascus (cf. Blessed Theodoret, question 24).

2 Kings 8:16. In the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, became king. 2 Kings 8:17. He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 2 Kings 8:18. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for a daughter of Ahab was his wife; and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 2 Kings 8:19. But the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of his servant David, because he had promised to give him a lamp among his descendants forever. 2 Kings 8:20. In his days Edom broke away from under the rule of Judah, and they set up a king for themselves. 2 Kings 8:21. And Joram went to Zair with all his chariots, and he rose up at night and attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him and the commanders of the chariots; but his army fled to their tents. 2 Kings 8:22. Thus Edom broke away from the rule of Judah to this day. At that time Libnah also rebelled. 2 Kings 8:23. The rest of the acts of Joram and all that he did—are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 2 Kings 8:24. And Joram rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Ahaziah his son reigned in his place. Concerning the reign of Joram, the 5th king of Judah, the parallel narrative (2 Chr 21:1) contains, besides what is indicated in the given section (2 Kgs 8:16-24), three new details: a) the accusatory letter of the prophet Elijah to Joram (2 Kgs 8:12-15); b) an invasion of Judah by Philistines and Arabians in the time of Joram, who seized his property and his children as captives (verses 16–17) and c) a severe illness of Joram lasting two years, and his burial outside the royal tombs (verses 18–21). Concerning the year of Joram’s becoming king (verses 16–17), see the commentary to (2 Kgs 1:17). His wickedness (verse 18) was the result of the influence of his relative, the ruling house of Israel: he was the son-in-law of Ahab and Jezebel (2 Chr 18:1), married to their daughter Athaliah. Only the faithfulness of the Lord to his covenant with David (2 Sam 7:12; cf. 1 Kgs 11:36) preserved this unworthy offspring of his line. From external matters, an account is given here of Joram’s unsuccessful campaign against Edom (verses 20–22; 2 Chr 21:8-10), where during his reign a king appeared, clearly self-governing, not a viceroy of the Judahite king, as had been before (1 Kgs 22:48; 2 Kgs 3:9 and following); according to Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews 9:5, 1, “the Edomites killed the previous king, who was a vassal of Joram’s father, and chose a king for themselves according to their own will”; the attack on Zair – probably an Edomite city (in the LXX and Slavic: Sior, cf. Onomasticon 625, 626) undertaken by Joram and the defeat of the Edomites did not bring benefit, and together with the defection of Edom (cf. Ps 3:7), the city of Libnah also rebelled – an ancient Canaanite city (Josh 10:22) that fell to the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:42) after the present attack once again returned to the Judahite kingdom (2 Kgs 19:8; Isa 37:8; cf. Onomasticon 634). In the defection of Edom from Judah, Blessed Theodoret sees (question 25) the fulfillment of Jacob’s prophecy to Esau: “And it shall come to pass… that you will break his yoke from off your neck.” (Gen 27:40)

2 Kings 8:25. In the twelfth year of Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel, Ahaziah son of Joram, king of Judah, became king. 2 Kings 8:26. Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, daughter of Omri, king of Israel. 2 Kings 8:27. And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahab, because he was related to the house of Ahab. 2 Kings 8:28. And he went with Joram son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram. 2 Kings 8:29. And King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel from the wounds that the Syrians had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah son of Joram, king of Judah, came down to see Joram son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick. The one-year reign of the 6th king of Judah, Ahaziah, son of Joram (cf. 2 Chr 22:1-9), was as wicked as the reign of his father, and under the same influence: of Ahaziah’s mother, Athaliah, named here (verse 29) as the daughter of Omri (rather than Ahab): Omri was the founder of the dynasty that brought so much harm not only to Israel but to Judah as well. Following the example of his grandfather Jehoshaphat (1 Kgs 22:1), who took part in the disastrous campaign against Ramoth Gilead conquered by the Syrians, Ahaziah also participated in a similar campaign of Joram of Israel against the same city. Ramoth was recovered by the Israelites (2 Kgs 9:2), but Joram of Israel was wounded and was healed in Jezreel, where Ahaziah of Judah also went to visit his relative (verse 29; 2 Kgs 9:15), but there together with Joram (2 Kgs 9:24) he met his death from the hand of Jehu (2 Kgs 9:27).

Chapter Nine

The judgment of God upon the house of Ahab. 1–10. The anointing of Jehu as king of Israel. 11–29. The conspiracy of Jehu against Joram and his murder of Joram and Ahaziah of Judah. 30–37. The terrible death of Jezebel.

2 Kings 9:1. The prophet Elisha called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Gird your loins, and take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth Gilead.” 2 Kings 9:2. When you arrive there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi; go in and get him to leave his companions, and take him into an inner room. 2 Kings 9:3. Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door, and flee; do not delay. 2 Kings 9:4. So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead. 2 Kings 9:5. And when he arrived, behold, the commanders of the army were sitting; and he said, “I have a message for you, commander.” And Jehu said, “For which one of us?” And he said, “For you, commander.” 2 Kings 9:6. And he arose and went into the house. And the young man poured the oil on his head, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I anoint you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel,” 2 Kings 9:7. and you shall strike down the house of Ahab, your master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, shed by the hand of Jezebel; 2 Kings 9:8. and the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab all who urinate against the wall—the imprisoned and the free—in Israel, 2 Kings 9:9. and I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah; 2 Kings 9:10. and Jezebel shall be eaten by dogs in the field of Jezreel, and no one shall bury her.’ And he opened the door, and fled. In carrying out the latter part of the command that the Lord gave to the prophet Elijah (1 Kgs 19:16), the prophet Elisha commands one of the sons of the prophets (according to the rabbis, the prophet Jonah) to anoint as king over Israel one of the military commanders of the army of King Joram of Israel—Jehu, who at that time was defending Ramoth Gilead with his forces against the Syrians (verses 1–2, cf. 2 Kgs 8:28). The entire act of anointing Jehu, the avenger of the house of Ahab, had to take place hurriedly and in secret. “It was necessary for this to happen in secret, so that Joram would be killed as quickly as possible. And if he had learned of this beforehand, he would have entered into battle, and in battle it would have been necessary for many from both sides to fall” (Blessed Theodoret, question 26). Having performed the anointing, the prophet, in accordance with the command of the prophet Elisha (verse 3), immediately withdraws, “so as not to be seized and subjected to danger” (Blessed Theodoret, question 27). In the anointing of Jehu as king (cf. 1 Kgs 1:34), the prophet indicates that the new anointed one will be an instrument of God’s judgment (verse 7) upon the house of Ahab (in fulfillment of the prophecy of the prophet Elijah, 1 Kgs 21:21-22), which will be destroyed completely, just as the wicked dynasties of Jeroboam and Baasha (1 Kgs 15:29). Apart from the blood shed by the house of Ahab, especially by Jezebel, of prophets and other innocent people (verse 7), a grave sin of the entire dynasty was the cult of Baal and Astarte that it had officially introduced (1 Kgs 16:31-33): its eradication was also the task of Jehu, which he carried out exactly (2 Kgs 10:18-30). Without doubt, the mention of earlier wicked dynasties was a warning to Jehu himself. The very name of Jehu (Hebrew: Yehu, “the Lord is God”) may indicate devotion to the theocratic idea, although this did not exclude his own criminality and liability to God’s judgment (Hos 1:4). The name of Jehu in the form Iaua is found also in the cuneiform Assyrian documents of Shalmaneser II (860–825), as a tributary of that king.

2 Kings 9:11. And when Jehu came out to his master’s servants, they said to him, “Is all well? Why did this madman come to you?” And he said to them, “You know the man and how he speaks.” 2 Kings 9:12. And they said, “It is not true; tell us.” And he said, “Thus and thus he said to me, ‘Thus says the Lord: I anoint you king over Israel.’” 2 Kings 9:13. Then they hurried and each took his garment and spread it under him on the bare steps; and they blew the trumpet, and said, “Jehu is king!” The appearance and rapid disappearance of the prophet, his agitated demeanor prompt the other military commanders to ask about the purpose of the visit of the “madman” (Hebrew: meshugga, Greek: epileptos, Vulgate: insanus), a derisive or disapproving term used to describe prophets (Hos 9:7; Jer 29:26; cf. Blessed Theodoret, question 28). After Jehu’s unsuccessful attempt to avoid answering, he discloses to his comrades the fact of both the anointing, and they immediately proclaimed Jehu king, announcing his kingship by trumpet blasts (cf. 1 Kgs 1:39) and showing him royal honors by spreading garments under his feet (verse 13), just as the people later received Christ during his entry into Jerusalem (Matt 21:8).

2 Kings 9:14. So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. Now Joram was keeping guard at Ramoth Gilead with all Israel against Hazael king of Syria. 2 Kings 9:15. But King Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel from the wounds that the Syrians had inflicted on him when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Jehu said, “If this be your will, then let no one escape from the city to go tell it in Jezreel.” 2 Kings 9:16. And Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, where Joram was lying [the king of Israel, healing from the wounds that the Syrians had inflicted on him at Ramoth when he fought against Hazael king of Syria, mighty and powerful], and where Ahaziah king of Judah had come to visit Joram. 2 Kings 9:17. Now a watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the company of Jehu as they approached, and said, “I see a company coming.” And Joram said, “Take a horseman and send to meet them, and say, ‘Is it peace?’” 2 Kings 9:18. So a horseman went to meet him and said, “Thus says the king: ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu said, “What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me.” And the watchman reported, saying, “He came to them, but does not return.” 2 Kings 9:19. And another horseman was sent, and he came to them and said, “Thus says the king: ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu answered, “What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me.” 2 Kings 9:20. And the watchman reported, saying, “He came to them, but does not return; and the driving is like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.” 2 Kings 9:21. And Joram said, “Harness my chariot.” So they harnessed his chariot. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah rode out, each in his own chariot, to meet Jehu; and they met him at the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. 2 Kings 9:22. And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” And he answered, “What peace can there be while the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft are so many?” 2 Kings 9:23. And Joram turned his chariot away and fled, saying to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!” 2 Kings 9:24. But Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and shot Joram between his shoulders; and the arrow pierced his heart, and he fell in his chariot. 2 Kings 9:25. And Jehu said to Bidkar, his officer, “Take him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember how, when you and I were riding together behind Ahab his father, the Lord uttered this prophecy against him:” 2 Kings 9:26. ‘Surely I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, says the Lord, and I will repay you on this field.’ Now therefore take him up and throw him into the field, according to the word of the Lord. 2 Kings 9:27. When Ahaziah king of Judah saw this, he fled by the road to Beth Haggan. And Jehu pursued him, and said, “Also shoot him down in his chariot.” This occurred at the ascent of Gur, which is near Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo and died there. 2 Kings 9:28. And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb with his fathers, in the city of David. 2 Kings 9:29. In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah became king of Judah. 2 Kings 9:30. And Jehu came to Jezreel. And when Jezebel heard of it, she painted her eyes with antimony and adorned her head, and looked out of the window. 2 Kings 9:31. As Jehu entered the gate, she said, “Is it peace, Zimri, murderer of his master?” 2 Kings 9:32. And he looked up at the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three eunuchs looked out at him. 2 Kings 9:33. And he said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down; and some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and they trampled her underfoot. 2 Kings 9:34. And he went in and ate and drank; and he said, “Now look after that cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king’s daughter.” 2 Kings 9:35. And when they went to bury her, they found nothing of her except her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands. 2 Kings 9:36. And they returned and told him. And he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘On the field of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel,” 2 Kings 9:37. and the corpse of Jezebel shall be like dung upon the field in Jezreel, so that none can say, “This is Jezebel.”’ The bloody retribution of Jehu upon the house of Ahab began with the chief, royal representatives: Joram, Ahaziah of Judah, and Jezebel. The ease and rapidity of Jehu’s becoming king (verse 13) and the execution of his conspiracy (verses 14–15; the circumstance of Joram being at this time in Israel is repeated here after mention in 2 Kgs 8:29) show that there was strong dissatisfaction among the people and the army with Joram and the entire house of Ahab (not without influence here was the murder of Naboth: 1 Kgs 21; cf. 2 Kgs 9:25 and following), and on the other hand, that Jehu had probably earned, through his personal deeds, the confidence of the army and the people. At the same time, both the determination of Jehu and the carelessness of Joram (verses 17–20) are evident; it is characteristic of both ancient and modern East to have a guard—watchtowers and watchers who give signals to the authorities and population about the appearance of danger (cf. Ezek 33:2). Anxiety increasingly gripped Joram, as shown by his repeatedly asked question: “Is it peace?” (see verses 17, 19, 22). The fateful meeting with Jehu took place at the former field of Naboth, which foreshadowed the doom of both kings of the house of Ahab (cf. 1 Kgs 21:19). The harsh answer of Jehu (verse 22) points to the “harlotry” and “witchcraft” of Jezebel as the reason for the impossibility of peace: these names, apart from their direct meaning, in the Old Testament often mean idolatry (Jer 3:2-3; Ezek 23:27; Mic 5:11), and the first of these names is applicable to Jezebel both in the literal sense and in connection with her introduction into Israel of the cult of Astarte; at the same time Joram was accused both of permitting and even assisting in this. In the murder of Joram accomplished by Jehu, the first view, in accordance, perhaps, with the general opinion of the people, is the fulfillment of the prophetic word of Elijah concerning Ahab and his house (1 Kgs 21:19 and following) – all the more since he, with the official now accompanying him, was a witness to Ahab’s criminal seizure of Naboth’s vineyard. Death came also to Ahaziah of Judah, the grandson of Ahab and Jezebel (verse 27; cf. 2 Chr 22:9); he was mortally wounded at a height called Gur (LXX: Gai, Vulgate: Gaver; Eusebius: Ger, Jerome: Ger, Onomasticon 356) near Ibleam, a city in the tribe of Manasseh (Josh 17:11; Judg 1:27) and died in Megiddo, but was buried royally in Jerusalem (2 Chr 22:9). Jezebel, learning of the fate of her son and grandson and seeing no escape from the sword of Jehu, resolved at least to die with dignity: she performs the usual cosmetic preparation of Eastern women, wishing to impress Jehu with her royal bearing, then she sharply rebukes Jehu for the murder of the legitimate ruler, calls Jehu’s deed by its true name, and calls him Zimri, recalling the failure and death of the latter (1 Kgs 16:9). After this she was shamefully murdered, and now the sacred writer himself testifies (verses 26–27) that the death of Joram fulfilled the prophecy of the prophet Elijah (1 Kgs 16:19; cf. Blessed Theodoret, question 31).

Chapter Ten

1–17. The destruction by Jehu of the nearest descendants of Ahab. 18–28. The destruction of the priests of Baal, his temple in Samaria, and all the remaining traces of the cult of Baal. 29–36. The zeal of Jehu for the worship of calves, God’s judgment upon the house of Jehu, the beginning of the reduction of the boundaries of the Israelite kingdom, and the death of Jehu.

2 Kings 10:1. Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, the elders, and the guardians of the children of Ahab, saying: 2 Kings 10:2. “When this letter reaches you, since your master’s sons are with you, and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and weapons, 2 Kings 10:3. choose the best and most worthy of your master’s sons and place him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.” 2 Kings 10:4. But they were exceedingly afraid and said, “Behold, two kings could not stand before him; how then can we stand?” 2 Kings 10:5. So the steward of the royal household, the governor of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent word to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants; all that you command us we will do; we will not make anyone king; do what you think best.” 2 Kings 10:6. And he wrote them a letter the second time, saying, “If you are on my side and will obey my voice, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow at this time.” [Now the royal sons numbered seventy; the leading men of the city were rearing them.] 2 Kings 10:7. And when the letter reached them, they took the royal princes and slaughtered them—seventy of them—and put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel. 2 Kings 10:8. And a messenger came and told him, “They have brought the heads of the royal princes.” And he said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.” 2 Kings 10:9. The next morning he went out, and standing there, he said to all the people, “You are innocent. Behold, I conspired against my master and killed him; but who killed all these?” 2 Kings 10:10. Know then that not one word that the Lord has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail; the Lord has done what he promised through his servant Elijah. 2 Kings 10:11. So Jehu struck down all who were left of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, all his great men, his close friends, and his priests, so that not one of them was left. The cruel wholesale destruction of Jehu of not only all the relatives of the house of Ahab but also all those close to him is partly explained by the general custom, still maintained, in the East that a usurper of the throne mercilessly destroys all male offspring of the overthrown royal house (cf. Judg 9:1 and following; 2 Kgs 11:1): the seventy sons of Ahab (verse 1, 6) were indeed all the male descendants of Ahab, including grandsons and so forth. In the Israelite kingdom, with its frequent revolutions, such bloody reprisals were not uncommon. However, Jehu’s monstrous bloodthirstiness (verse 8) and his hypocritical attempt to shift the murder of members of the royal house from himself (verse 9) show that much depended in this case on Jehu’s personal qualities, his natural severity and cruelty. These qualities of Jehu explain the calculation of his actions, by which he did not dare to directly attack Samaria, but first intimidated the elders and guardians (Hebrew: omanim—“uncles,” cf. 2 Chr 11:23) of the royal children by a threatening and sarcastic letter (verses 2–3), then by the following letter (verse 6) demands from the leaders and guardians the personal murder of members of the house of Ahab, the bringing of the heads of the murdered—a common trophy in the East (1 Sam 17:54; 2 Macc 15:30). When this was done, Jehu found it necessary to clear himself before the people of the murder of the king’s relatives and at the same time to dispose the people to fully go over to Jehu’s side by pointing out that the fall of the house of Ahab is the fulfillment of a terrible judgment of God (1 Kgs 21:19 and following); after which he committed yet another series of murders (verse 11) of trusted people of Joram.

2 Kings 10:12. And he arose and departed, and went to Samaria. On the way at the Shearing House of the Shepherds, 2 Kings 10:13. Jehu encountered the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, “Who are you?” They answered, “We are the relatives of Ahaziah; and we go down to greet the sons of the king and the queen mother.” 2 Kings 10:14. And he said, “Take them alive.” And they took them alive, and slaughtered them at the well of the Shearing House—forty-two men—and he left not one of them. Now Jehu proceeds unimpeded to Samaria. But on the way there, at a place called Beth Eked (in the LXX: Beibakath, Vulgate: camera pastorum, cf. Onomasticon, 203), called the Shearing House (probably from the folds for livestock that existed here), he committed another murder of forty-two relatives of Ahaziah of Judah (cf. 2 Chr 22:8).

2 Kings 10:15. And when he departed from there, he encountered Jehonadab son of Rechab, coming to meet him; and he greeted him, and said to him, “Is your heart true to my heart as my heart is to your heart?” And Jehonadab said, “Yes.” “Then give me your hand.” And he gave him his hand. And he took him up with him into the chariot, 2 Kings 10:16. and said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord.” And they rode on together. 2 Kings 10:17. When he came to Samaria, he struck down all who remained of the house of Ahab in Samaria, until he had completely destroyed it, according to the word of the Lord that he had spoken through Elijah. Now, having met the pious Jehonadab son of Rechab, known for his godly zeal and ancient patriarchal simplicity of life (he was the founder of the Rechabites, who were a kind of Nazirites, Jer 35:1-19), Jehu hastens to express his favor to him and show before the people that his own zeal for the Lord is approved by so authoritative a figure in the eyes of the people as the pious Jehonadab; therefore he takes him on his chariot so that together with him he might for the first time enter the capital (cf. Blessed Theodoret, question 33).

2 Kings 10:18. And Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much.” 2 Kings 10:19. Now therefore summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let none be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal; whoever is missing shall not live. But Jehu was acting with cunning in order to destroy the servants of Baal. 2 Kings 10:20. And Jehu said, “Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal.” And they proclaimed it. 2 Kings 10:21. And Jehu sent throughout all Israel; and all the servants of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And they entered the temple of Baal, and the temple of Baal was filled from one end to the other. 2 Kings 10:22. And he said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring out vestments for all the servants of Baal.” And he brought them out. 2 Kings 10:23. And Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab son of Rechab, and said to the servants of Baal, “Search and see that no servants of the Lord are here among you, but only the servants of Baal.” 2 Kings 10:24. Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu stationed eighty men outside the house and said, “If any of the men whom I deliver into your hands escapes, the one who lets him escape shall forfeit his own life.” 2 Kings 10:25. And when the burnt offering was finished, Jehu said to the guard and to the officers, “Go in and strike them down; let none escape.” So they put them to the sword. The guard and the officers cast them out and then went to the interior of the house of Baal. 2 Kings 10:26. And they brought out the sacred pillars from the house of Baal and burned them. 2 Kings 10:27. And they demolished the pillar of Baal, and destroyed the house of Baal, and made it a place for refuse, until this day. 2 Kings 10:28. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal from Israel. Now Jehu carries out an act of zeal for the Lord by destroying the priests, temples, and statues of Baal and defiling his worship (cf. Blessed Theodoret, question 34); his cunning succeeds all the more readily because the people probably regarded Jehu only as a usurper of the throne, not as a religious reformer. From verse 22 it is clear that special garments were assigned to the priests of Baal.

2 Kings 10:29. However, Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who made Israel sin—the golden calves at Bethel and the golden calves at Dan. 2 Kings 10:30. And the Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in my heart, your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” 2 Kings 10:31. But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart; he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin. 2 Kings 10:32. In those days the Lord began to cut off parts of Israel; and Hazael defeated them throughout the territory of Israel, 2 Kings 10:33. from the east of the Jordan, all the land of Gilead, the land of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh, from Aroer, which is on the Arnon, as far as Gilead and Bashan. 2 Kings 10:34. Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his mighty deeds, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 2 Kings 10:35. So Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And his son Jehoahaz reigned in his place. 2 Kings 10:36. The length of Jehu’s reign over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years. The zeal of Jehu for the Lord did not extend beyond the overthrow of the cult of Baal. Then he stopped at the general politico-religious cult of the calves, which was common to all the kings of the Israelite kingdom and was intended to prevent the union of the Israelite kingdom with the Judahite, but actually served only for the ruin of the first kingdom, the beginning of which was laid during Jehu himself, when the best eastern provinces of the Israelite kingdom were cut off by Hazael of Syria (verses 32–33). After the twenty-eight-year reign of Jehu and his death, his son Jehoahaz ascended the throne (verse 35).

Chapter Eleven

1–3. The preservation of the house of David in the person of the sole survivor—young Joash. 4–12. The enthronement of the seven-year-old Joash. 13–16. The death of Athaliah. 17–21. The religious character of the early period of Joash’s reign.

2 Kings 11:1. Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose up and destroyed all the royal offspring. 2 Kings 11:2. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and secretly removed him from among the royal princes being put to death, along with his nurse, into the bedroom; and they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not put to death. 2 Kings 11:3. And he remained hidden with her in the house of the Lord for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land. Athaliah (Hebrew: Atalia—according to one suggestion, “the Lord is great”), mother of Ahaziah, wife of Joram, the worthy daughter of Ahab and Jezebel (cf. 2 Kgs 8:26), after the death of Ahaziah (2 Kgs 9:27), does not hesitate, in pursuit of her ambitious desires for power, to completely destroy the reigning house of Judah (according to the common custom of Eastern usurpers). However, for the sake of the Lord’s covenantal promise to David—to leave a lamp on the throne (2 Sam 7:16; 1 Kgs 11:36; 2 Kgs 8:19)—by a miracle one was saved in one of the rooms of the temple; he was saved by his own aunt—Jehosheba (Hebrew: Jehosheva), who, according to (2 Chr 22:11), was the wife of the high priest Jehoiada. Thus, as Blessed Theodoret remarks (question 35), “the all-wise Lord who rules all things providentially arranged it so that the sacred tribe entered into union with the royal tribe, and the wise priest took in marriage Jehosheba, daughter of Joram, for the preservation of a spark of the royal line.”

2 Kings 11:4. In the seventh year, Jehoiada summoned the commanders of hundreds of the guards and the runners, and brought them to him in the house of the Lord, and made a covenant with them and took an oath from them in the house of the Lord, and showed them the royal prince. 2 Kings 11:5. And he gave them the command, saying, “This is what you shall do: one third of you who come off duty on the Sabbath shall keep watch over the royal palace;” 2 Kings 11:6. and one third shall be at the gate of Sur; and one third at the gate behind the runners; and you shall keep watch over the palace to prevent its violation; 2 Kings 11:7. and the two-thirds of you who are free on the Sabbath shall keep watch over the house of the Lord for the king; 2 Kings 11:8. and surround the king on every side, each with his weapon in hand; and whoever approaches the ranks is to be put to death. And be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in. 2 Kings 11:9. The commanders of hundreds did all that the priest Jehoiada commanded; and each took his men who were coming off duty on the Sabbath, with those coming on duty on the Sabbath, and came to the priest Jehoiada. 2 Kings 11:10. And the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and shields of King David which were in the house of the Lord. 2 Kings 11:11. And the runners, each with his weapon in hand, stood from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, by the altar and by the house, surrounding the king. 2 Kings 11:12. And he brought out the royal prince, and put the crown on him, and gave him the testimony, and they made him king and anointed him; and they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!” After the six-year reign of the wicked and bloodthirsty Athaliah, the high priest Jehoiada (in (2 Kgs 11:15) he is called “the high priest”) orchestrates a change in government in the Judahite kingdom, which was facilitated, of course, by the ancient love of the people for the house of David, as well as by the authority of the high priestly power, which for the first time since the days of Solomon (chapters 1 Kgs 1-2) appears in political action. According to (2 Chr 23:2), Jehoiada had previously inclined five commanders in favor of the young prince Joash, who went throughout Judah and assembled in Jerusalem the Levites and the heads of the families. With these representatives of the people, Jehoiada establishes a sworn covenant of loyalty to the future king (whom he showed them at this time, verse 4), divides the Levites into three companies, assigns each a special post at the royal palace (verse 5) and temple (verse 7), which were probably connected by a covered passage (2 Kgs 11:19; cf. 1 Kgs 7:1-12). Among other things, at some gates—the gate of Sur (Vulgate: at the gate of Sur) or Jesod (2 Chr 23:6), according to the LXX: en te pule ton hodon, Slavonic: “at the doors of the way”—probably at the side gates of the temple leading to the royal palace. The main force of this militia consisted of “guards” and “runners,” Hebrew chari, racim (verses 4, 11, 19), LXX: Chorri and Rasim, according to Blessed Theodoret (question 36), shield-bearers and spear-bearers, probably identical with the known Celetians and Peletians (2 Sam 8:18; 1 Kgs 1:38). They were armed with the weapons stored in the temple, donated here by David and other kings (verse 10); “the Levites, forming a crescent, with the ends of their formation adjoining the temple, kept watch over the king, who was in the center; the armed regiment stood outside, preventing those who tried to enter” (Blessed Theodoret, question 37). Now Jehoiada could proceed to the main act—the enthronement of young Joash (verse 12), during which the royal crown (Hebrew: nezer) was placed on Joash, and he was given a certain eduth (in the LXX: martyrion, Vulgate: testimonium, Slavonic: “witness”), probably the Decalogue (called the “witness,” eduth in Exod 25:21; Exod 16:34), as the foundation of rule of a theocratic king according to (Deut 17:19) (the Russian translation “ornaments” would be accurate only if one accepts the emendation proposed by Wellhausen, Bull, Benzinger and others in verse 12: instead of eduth, to read ceadoth, as in (2 Sam 1:10), but the history of the text does not justify such an emendation); then the high priest anointed Joash as king (cf. 1 Kgs 1:39). The proclamation of the new king aroused the rejoicing of hand-clapping from the people (cf. Isa 55:12), probably gathered at the temple in large numbers because of some festival.

2 Kings 11:13. And when Athaliah heard the noise of the runners and of the people, she went to the people in the house of the Lord. 2 Kings 11:14. And she looked, and behold, the king was standing on the platform, according to the custom, and the captains and the trumpets were beside the king; and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. And Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, “Treason! Treason!” 2 Kings 11:15. And the priest Jehoiada commanded the commanders of hundreds who were in charge of the army, and said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks, and if anyone follows her, put him to death with the sword,” because the priest did not want her to be put to death in the house of the Lord. 2 Kings 11:16. And they made a way for her, and she went through the gate of the horses to the royal palace, and she was killed there. 2 Kings 11:17. And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, that they should be the people of the Lord; and also between the king and the people. 2 Kings 11:18. And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and broke down his altars and his images, and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars. And the priest appointed men to oversee the house of the Lord. Attracted by the unusual noise of popular acclaim, Athaliah, as a worshiper of Baal (verse 18) who had never been in the temple, now rushed to the temple, and here she saw an astonishing sight that presaged the end of her reign and her life; she was put to death (verse 16), according to Josephus, in the Kidron Valley (Antiquities of the Jews 9:7, 3; cf. Blessed Theodoret, question 38); “the gate of the horses to the royal palace” (verse 16) probably is the same as “the horse gate” (Jer 31:40; Neh 3:28) on the eastern side of the temple and the city. Having restored the throne of Judah to its rightful heir of the house of David, Jehoiada hastens to restore in Judah the religion of the Lord, trampled upon by the wickedness and paganism of Athaliah, Joram, and Ahaziah, renews the covenant of the people and the king with the Lord, so that the first should be the people of the Lord (verse 17, cf. Exod 19:1; Deut 4:20), and then regulates the relations between the people and the king. The consequence of the first covenant was the special zeal of the people for the Lord, which prompted him to destroy the temple of Baal (unknown who built it in Jerusalem; probably Athaliah even during Joram, cf. (2 Kgs 8:18)), eliminate all attributes of the cult of Baal, and kill the chief priest of Baal Mattan (verse 18). After this, Jehoiada could freely establish control (Hebrew: pekudoth, “supervision”) over the temple, that is, restore the order instituted by David (1 Chr 24:1) for the service in the temple of the sacred and Levitical families, an order that fell into disuse during the time of Joram, Ahaziah, and Athaliah; and at the same time, it was important to establish a definite staff of overseers of the temple to prevent in the future those encroachments on the temple’s property that had taken place during Athaliah (2 Chr 24:7).

2 Kings 11:19. And he took the captains, the guards, the runners, and all the people of the land; and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, and came by the way of the gate of the guards to the royal palace; and he sat on the throne of the kings. 2 Kings 11:20. And all the people of the land were glad, and the city was quiet. And Athaliah had been put to death in the royal palace. The new king, after the death of Athaliah, was led now in a large and solemn procession from the mount of Moriah, from the temple, to Zion—to the royal palace, “through the gate of the runners” (cf. 2 Kgs 11:6), which apparently led from the temple to the palace.

Chapter Twelve

1–17. The righteous direction of the first part of Joash’s 40-year reign. 17–18. The invasion of Jerusalem by Hazael of Syria. 19–22. The death of Joash.

2 Kings 12:1. In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king and reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah, from Beer-sheba. 2 Kings 12:2. And Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all his days, as long as Jehoiada the priest guided him; 2 Kings 12:3. only the high places were not removed; the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places. 2 Kings 12:4. And Joash said to the priests: All the silver that is brought into the house of the Lord—the silver from those who pass by, the silver assessed by persons, and all the silver that any one’s heart prompts to bring into the house of the Lord, 2 Kings 12:5. let the priests take for themselves, each from his acquaintance, and let them repair the broken places in the temple, wherever any breach is found. (Heb 1-6). General remarks on Joash’s 40-year reign: his relative faithfulness to God did not attain the desired height and purity of worship, for Joash, like for example Asa (1 Kgs 15:14), did not dare to abolish the service to God at the high places. But this relative piety of his lasted only as long as the high priest Jehoiada lived and guided Joash (v. 2, Heb. v. 3). After Jehoiada’s death, Joash completely gave in to the influence of the pagan party at court, permitted the introduction in the Kingdom of Judah of the former idolatry, and was responsible for the martyrdom of Zechariah son of Jehoiada in the very court of the temple (2 Chr 24:17-22). But his first acts of rule were directed toward the restoration of church life, which had fallen into decay in the previous reigns. Thus, in order to maintain the dignity of the temple, which had been plundered by Athaliah (2 Chr 24:7), Joash ordained that the priests should apply all monetary offerings brought into the temple to the repair of the temple, namely: 1) the head tax from every Israelite who had reached twenty years and was being enrolled (Exod 30:13); 2) redemption money from persons dedicated to the sanctuary in place of actual service in the temple (Exod 27:2 and following), as well as redemption for the firstborn animals belonging to God; 3) voluntary offerings of the people to the temple (Exod 25:2; Exod 35:5; cf. blessed Theodoret, question 40). At the same time the king demanded from the priests and Levites to immediately organize for this purpose a nationwide collection and for this to go throughout all the cities of Judah (2 Chr 24:5).

2 Kings 12:6. But as of the twenty-third year of King Joash the priests had not repaired the broken places in the temple, 2 Kings 12:7. King Joash called the priest Jehoiada and the priests and said to them: Why are you not repairing the broken places in the temple? Now therefore take no more money from your acquaintances, but hand it over to repair the broken places in the temple. 2 Kings 12:8. And the priests agreed that they would neither take money from the people for repairing the broken places in the temple. 2 Kings 12:9. And the priest Jehoiada took a chest, made a hole in its lid, and placed it beside the altar on the right side, at the entrance to the house of the Lord. The priests who kept watch at the threshold put all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord into it. 2 Kings 12:10. And whenever they saw that there was a large amount of money in the chest, the king’s scribe and the high priest came up and counted the money found in the house of the Lord, and tied it up in bags, 2 Kings 12:11. and they gave the counted money into the hands of the workers who were appointed over the house of the Lord, and these spent it on carpenters and builders who worked in the house of the Lord, 2 Kings 12:12. and on workers who repaired the walls and on stonecutters, as well as on the purchase of timber and hewn stones for the repair of the broken places in the house of the Lord, and for all that was spent for the maintenance of the temple. 2 Kings 12:13. But from the money brought into the house of the Lord, no silver vessels, knives, bowls for sprinkling, trumpets, or any vessels of gold or silver were made, 2 Kings 12:14. but they gave it to the workers and they repaired the house of the Lord with it. 2 Kings 12:15. And they did not ask for a reckoning from the men into whose hand they gave the money to distribute to the workers, because they acted faithfully. 2 Kings 12:16. The money from the trespass offering and the money from the sin offering was not brought into the house of the Lord; it belonged to the priests. (Heb 7-17; cf. 2 Chr 24:6-14). But neither the priests (v. 6) nor the Levites (2 Chr 24:5) showed particular zeal and accuracy in carrying out the king’s command, and the king had, together with the high priest Jehoiada, to decide to introduce a different order for collections intended for the repair of the temple, namely: to set up in the court of the temple a special collection box (Heb. aron, LXX: κινωτόν, Vulg.: gazophylacium, v. 9, Heb. v. 10) for the gathering of all donations for the restoration of the temple (in v. 7 Heb. bedes, “repairs,” in the LXX: τὺ βέδεκ, Slavonic vedek) with strict accounting for the collected funds (v. 10, Heb. v. 11) and careful distribution of what was collected for the purchase of wooden and stone materials and for payment to the workers (verses 12, 14). Such a box was later placed also outside the temple (2 Chr 24:8; cf. Luke 21:1-4). Besides general repairs in the temple, new vessels for the temple service were made (v. 13 cf. 2 Chr 24:14), cf. (1 Kgs 12:50). Only the money brought into the temple for sin offerings and trespass offerings (Num 5:8; Lev 5:16) constituted the inalienable property of the priests (v. 16, Heb. v. 17).

2 Kings 12:17. Then Hazael king of Syria marched out and fought against Gath and took it; and Hazael was determined to march against Jerusalem. 2 Kings 12:18. But Joash king of Judah took all the offerings that had been dedicated, and what his predecessors Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own offerings, and all the gold that was found in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the house of the king, and sent them to Hazael king of Syria; and he withdrew from Jerusalem. (Heb 18-19). The invasion of the Syrian Hazael (cf. 2 Kgs 8:12) into Judah and Gath (cf. 1 Kgs 2:39), probably simultaneous with his invasion into the Kingdom of Israel under Jehu (2 Kgs 10:32) or under Jehoahaz (2 Kgs 13:3), was a punishment from God upon Joash for his unfaithfulness to God after Jehoiada’s death and for the murder of Zechariah (2 Chr 24:23-24, cf. 2 Chr 24:17-22). Only by a heavy tribute to Hazael, which Joash, following the example of Asa (1 Kgs 15:18), borrowed from the treasuries of the temple and the royal palace, did Joash save Jerusalem, although he suffered several defeats earlier and the plundering of the land by Syrian forces (2 Chr 24:23-24).

2 Kings 12:20. His servants rose up and made a conspiracy and killed Joash in the house of Millo, on the road to Silla. 2 Kings 12:21. His servants killed him: Jozacar son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad son of Shomer; and he died, and they buried him with his fathers in the City of David. And Amaziah his son became king in his place. After the Syrian invasion, Joash, probably wounded, fell into a serious illness (2 Chr 24:25), and soon a conspiracy against his life was made by the faction avenging him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada, and he was killed at Millo (cf. 1 Kgs 9:15) on the way to the unknown locality of Silla (in the LXX: Σελᾶ, Vulg.: Sella, Slavonic: Saala, cf. Onomast. 850). He was denied the honor of burial with the kings, whereas the pious high priest Jehoiada who rendered many services to the Kingdom of Judah was buried in the royal tombs (2 Chr 24:25).

Chapter Thirteen

1–25. The reign of Jehoahaz (1–9) and Joash (10–25) of Israel.

2 Kings 13:1. In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria and reigned seventeen years, 2 Kings 13:2. and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from them. 2 Kings 13:3. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He gave them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben-Hadad son of Hazael, continually. 2 Kings 13:4. And Jehoahaz prayed before the Lord, and the Lord heard him; for He saw the oppression of the children of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them. 2 Kings 13:5. And the Lord gave Israel a deliverer, so that they escaped from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel lived in their tents as formerly. 2 Kings 13:6. Nevertheless they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin; they walked in them; and the Asherah stood in Samaria. 2 Kings 13:7. For Jehoahaz did not have an army left except fifty horsemen and ten chariots and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them and made them like dust at threshing time. 2 Kings 13:8. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz and all that he did and his mighty deeds are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 2 Kings 13:9. And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Joash his son became king in his place. The struggle with Syria, which began earlier with the dynasty of Omri (Ahab (1 Kgs 20:1) and (1 Kgs 22:1) and Jehoram (2 Kgs 8:28-29)), continued under the dynasty of Jehu: both under Jehu himself (2 Kgs 10:32-33) and under his son Jehoahaz (2 Kgs 13:3), and throughout all this time it was unfavorable for the Kingdom of Israel; only because of the penitent prayer of Jehoahaz did God later give the Israelites a deliverer (moshia, v. 5) from the same dynasty of Jehu—in the person of Jeroboam II (2 Kgs 14:26-27): the time of this king was a period of flourishing and peaceful condition of the Kingdom of Israel. But the Kingdom of Israel could not have complete prosperity, since all its kings held to the godless worship of calves, and at times heathendom appeared here as well; despite the reform of Jehu (2 Kgs 10:26), traces of heathendom remained in Samaria, for instance, the Asherah planted there by Ahab (v. 6, cf. 1 Kgs 16:32). This increasingly led the power of the Kingdom of Israel toward decline (v. 7), under the constant blows of the Syrian Hazael (v. 22). The determination of the years of Jehoahaz’s reign in v. 1: he became king in the 23rd year of Joash of Judah and reigned 17 years (consequently until the 40th year of Joash of Judah) does not accord with the date in v. 10, according to which already in the 37th year of Joash of Judah, Joash his namesake, son of Jehoahaz, became king in Israel (consequently Jehoahaz could have reigned only 14 years); it seems that of the two numbers 23 and 37 the first is erroneous and perhaps should be corrected to 21 (see K. Bahr. Die Bucher der Konige, s. 358).

2 Kings 13:10. In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Joash son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria and reigned sixteen years, 2 Kings 13:11. and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he walked in them. 2 Kings 13:12. Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did and the might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah are written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 2 Kings 13:13. And Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. And Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Here are combined: a) the usual introduction (verses 10–11) and b) the conclusion (verses 12–13), which should have been at the end of the chapter (after v. 25). The war of the Israelite Joash with the Judean Amaziah is told.

2 Kings 13:14. Now Elisha had become ill with the illness of which he was to die. And Joash king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him, saying: My father, my father! The chariot of Israel and its horsemen! 2 Kings 13:15. And Elisha said to him: Take a bow and arrows. So he took a bow and arrows. 2 Kings 13:16. And he said to the king of Israel: Put your hand on the bow. And he put his hand on it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands, 2 Kings 13:17. and he said: Open the window eastward. And he opened it. And Elisha said: Shoot. And he shot. And he said: A arrow of deliverance from the Lord, an arrow of deliverance against Syria; and you shall strike Syria in Aphek until you have destroyed it. 2 Kings 13:18. And he said: Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said to the king of Israel: Strike the ground. And he struck three times, and stopped. 2 Kings 13:19. And the man of God was angry with him, and said: You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria until you had completely destroyed it, but now you will strike Syria only three times. 2 Kings 13:20. So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites came into the land in the following spring. 2 Kings 13:21. And as they were burying a man, behold they saw a band of raiders; and they cast the man into the tomb of Elisha; and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood on his feet. At the time of the Israelite Joash, the great prophet of God, Elisha, died. The text contains two accounts: of the death of the prophet and his prediction before death of victory to Joash over the Syrians (verses 14–19) and of a posthumous miracle of the prophet Elisha—the resurrection of a dead man from contact with the bones of the prophet (verses 20–21). The address of Joash to Elisha (v. 14) is identical in both letter and meaning to the address of the prophet Elijah himself to the prophet Elisha at his ascension (2 Kgs 2:12). To the question: “why did the prophet announce the future victory through the bow and arrow?” (v. 15), blessed Theodoret (question 42) answers: “They did not believe so much in words as in predictions through deeds”; in this case the symbolic action directly expressed the reality of war and victory which it signified. The placing of Elisha’s hands upon the king’s hands (v. 16) could indicate the prayer help of the prophet, consequently also of God, to the king of Israel in the coming struggle with the Syrians; the direction of the arrow toward the east (v. 17) referred to the Syrians, who occupied the east-Jordan cities and territories of the Kingdom of Israel (2 Kgs 10:33). Regarding the location of Aphek, see comments to (1 Kgs 20:26); the mention of Aphek here was all the more appropriate in that it brought to mind the victory of Ahab over the Syrians at Aphek (1 Kgs 20:26-29). The further symbolic action commanded to the king by the prophet is explained at once (v. 18–19); instead of “was angry” (Heb. ikkos, v. 19), LXX: ἐλυπὶθη, Slavonic “grieved”.

2 Kings 13:20. So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites came into the land in the following spring. 2 Kings 13:21. And as they were burying a man, behold they saw a band of raiders; and they cast the man into the tomb of Elisha; and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood on his feet. The prophet Elisha died in old age, about 100 years old: he entered upon his prophetic ministry under Ahab (1 Kgs 19:19)—around 900 BC, and died under Joash in the thirties of the 9th century (around 835 BC). According to blessed Jerome (Epit Paulae), his tomb was pointed out near Samaria (cf. 2 Kgs 5:9). The posthumous miracle of the prophet, according to blessed Theodoret, had this meaning: “The prophet, even after death, raised to life one brought to him, so that this miracle also would testify to the double grace he had received beyond his teacher.” Besides this, the temporal purpose of the miracle might have been to inspire Israel to struggle with enemies, while the eternal and essential purpose was to testify to the truth of the general future resurrection of the dead (in particular, here one can see a justification for the Church’s veneration of the relics of the saints).

2 Kings 13:22. Now Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 2 Kings 13:23. But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them; nor has he cast them off from his presence to this day. 2 Kings 13:24. And Hazael king of Syria died; and Ben-Hadad his son became king in his place. 2 Kings 13:25. Then Joash son of Jehoahaz took again from the hand of Ben-Hadad son of Hazael the cities which he had taken from the hand of his father Jehoahaz in war. Three times Joash defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel. Despite the continuous onslaught of the Syrian’s conquering ambitions, God, for the sake of his covenant with Israel, showed him mercy: under Ben-Hadad III (Ben-Hadad I is in (1 Kgs 15:18); Ben-Hadad II is (1 Kgs 20:1) and following), the son of Hazael, Joash succeeded in recovering from the Syrians some of the cities captured from them under Jehoahaz (according to cuneiform inscriptions, the Syrian king of this time Mari, probably identical with Ben-Hadad III of the Bible, was defeated by the Assyrian king Adad-nirari III, and this could have facilitated the victory of Joash over the Syrians). But the complete, although brief, restoration of the ancient boundaries of the Kingdom of Israel occurred only under Joash’s son, Jeroboam II (2 Kgs 14:25).

Chapter Fourteen

1–22. 9th king of Judah Amaziah. 23–29. 13th king of Israel Jeroboam II.

2 Kings 14:1. In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah became king: 2 Kings 14:2. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. 2 Kings 14:3. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like his ancestor David; in all things he did as his father Joash had done. 2 Kings 14:4. But the high places were not removed; the people still offered sacrifice and burned incense on the high places. 2 Kings 14:5. And as soon as the royal power was firmly in his hand, he killed his servants who had killed his father the king. 2 Kings 14:6. But he did not put to death the children of the murderers; according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the Lord commanded, “The parents shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the parents; but every one shall be put to death for his own sin.” The accession of the ninth Judean king Amaziah falls on the 2nd year of the Israelite Joash, that is, approximately on 837 BC, and lasted until 808 BC. In the general character of his reign, Amaziah was similar—in respect to the duality and instability of religion toward God—to the reign of his father Joash; like the latter, he served God “not with a whole heart” (2 Chr 25:2), and just as with Joash, the first half of Amaziah’s reign was marked by faithfulness to God and his law, but then his reign was darkened by idolatrous (Edomite) worship (2 Chr 25:14-16). To the first half of Amaziah’s reign belongs his act of humanity toward the children of the murderers of Joash, his father (see John 12:21-22); in this case Amaziah was perhaps one of the first (cf. 2 Kgs 9:26) to deviate from the demands of the law of universal blood vengeance and followed the humane law (Deut 24:16; Ezek 18:20).

2 Kings 14:7. He defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and took Sela by war, and gave it the name Joktheel, which it bears to this day. About the war of Amaziah with Edom, (2 Chr 25:5-13) speaks in detail, telling mainly about Amaziah’s hiring of 100,000 Israelites to help him in the war against Edom and their dismissal by the word of a prophet, after which the enraged Israelites on the return journey committed a series of robberies and murders within the borders of Judah. The purpose of Amaziah’s campaign into Edom was the new subjugation of this region, which had revolted from Judah under Jehoram (2 Kgs 8:20). With 300,000 troops (2 Chr 25:5) Amaziah fought the Edomites in the so-called Valley of Salt (Heb. gay-hammelah, LXX: Γεμελέδ, Vulg.: in valle Salinarum, Slavonic: in gemele), to the southwest of the Dead Sea, in the western part of el-Gor, between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Eilat on the Red Sea (cf. Onomast. 666; Robinson. Palast. III, 22–24). Here once Joab defeated the Edomites (2 Sam 8:13; 1 Chr 18:12; Isa 59:2): here too Amaziah won a complete victory over the Edomites: 10,000 of them were slain in battle, and 10,000 were taken prisoner and barbarously executed by being cast from a cliff (2 Chr 25:11-12). Moreover, the Judeans took the Edomite city of Sela (Heb. sela, LXX: ή πετρα, Vulg.: petra, Slavonic: “stone”), later known by the Greek name Petra (both Hebrew and Greek names mean “rock”), according to Eusebius, lying 10 miles from Elath (Onomast. 763, 474). The victor gave the city a new name in the theocratic spirit: Joktheel (Heb. yokthel, LXX: Ιεκθοὴλ, Vulg.: Iectehel, Slavonic: Joktheel). From the remark (verse 7) that this new name persists “to this day,” we can conclude that the source from which the sacred writer of 2 Kings took this account was produced around the time of Amaziah or shortly after him, since already under Ahaz Edom fell away from Judah (2 Kgs 16:6), and with it, of course, the new name did not persist, which expressed the idea of subjugation (according to Gesenius, Joktheel—from God subdued, brought into servitude). Upon his return with victory, Amaziah, however, did not give thanks to God, but instead began to perform the worship of the gods of the conquered Seir or Edom, and a prophet vainly tried to turn him from this (2 Chr 25:14-16).

2 Kings 14:8. Then Amaziah sent messengers to Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, saying: Come, let us look one another in the face. 2 Kings 14:9. And Joash king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, saying: A thistle in Lebanon sent word to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, “Give your daughter to my son for a wife.” A wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. 2 Kings 14:10. You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Be content with the glory of that; stay at home; for why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you? 2 Kings 14:11. But Amaziah would not listen. So Joash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 2 Kings 14:12. And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 2 Kings 14:13. And Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, son of Joash son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits, from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate. 2 Kings 14:14. And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the king’s house, and hostages also, and returned to Samaria. Elated by the success of his war with the Edomites, Amaziah, apparently without any cause, sends a military challenge to Joash of Israel. (According to Josephus, Iud.Antiq. 9:9, 2, Amaziah demanded that Joash and all the people submit to Amaziah as the ten tribes had submitted to his ancestors David and Solomon; according to the rabbis, Amaziah through wars wanted to take revenge on the Israelites for the outrages committed by the hired Israelites in Judah, 2 Chr 25:13). He attempted to warn the proud Amaziah with a parable about the thistle and cedar on Lebanon (v. 9; cf. blessed Theodoret, question 43), showing him the superiority of the forces of the Kingdom of Israel over Judah (in the history of the relations of the Judean Jehoshaphat with the Israelite Ahab and Jehoram (1 Kgs 22:1), and (2 Kgs 3:1), we already noted that the Kingdom of Judah appears to have been dependent on the Kingdom of Israel, and in general, in the quantity of population and extent and abundance of territory, the latter significantly surpassed the former), and advising him to abandon the ruinous scheme (v. 10). Amaziah, nevertheless, went to war, and already within the borders of Judah, in the city of Beth-shemesh, Heb. Beth-Shemesh, on the border with the tribe of Dan (Josh 15:10; 1 Sam 6:19; 1 Kgs 4:9), near the Philistine lands, now Ain-Shemesh in the Sorek valley on the road from Ashkelon to Jerusalem, see Onomast. 366), Joash met him, completely routing his army and capturing Amaziah himself, and, according to Josephus (Iud.Antiq. 9:9, 3), Joash, under threat of death, forced Amaziah to demand from the inhabitants of Jerusalem to allow Joash with his army into the city, which was done. Upon entering Jerusalem, Joash broke down part of the Jerusalem wall from the Gate of Ephraim (see (Zech 14), on the north, near the present Damascus Gate) to the Corner Gate (on the northwest for 400 cubits), this was a factual testimony to the dependence of Judah on the Kingdom of Israel. Then, having seized much treasure from the temple and palace, as well as hostages (in place of the released Amaziah), the victorious Joash returned to Samaria.

2 Kings 14:15. Now the rest of the acts of Joash which he did, and his might, and how he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 2 Kings 14:16. And Joash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his son became king in his place. The concluding remarks about the Israelite Joash, already made in (2 Kgs 13:12-13), are repeated here, especially appropriate in connection with (v. 17), from which it is clear that after the death of the Israelite Joash, the Judean king Amaziah reigned for another 15 years (cf. 2 Kgs 14:1-2).

2 Kings 14:18. Now the other acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 2 Kings 14:19. And they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. And they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. 2 Kings 14:20. And they brought him on horses; and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David. The end of Amaziah was as inglorious as that of his father: he too fell victim to a conspiracy made in Jerusalem, from which he fled to Lachish (once a Canaanite city (Josh 10:31), later in the tribe of Judah: (Josh 15:39); fortified by Rehoboam (2 Chr 11:9), now Umm-Lahis to the southwest of Begeubira—Eleutheropolis, Onomast. 647), where he was killed. Amaziah was granted royal burial.

2 Kings 14:21. And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 2 Kings 14:22. He rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers. Instead of the killed Amaziah, all the people appointed as king one of the sons of Amaziah (from this it is evident how great was the devotion in the Kingdom of Judah to the dynasty of David) Azariah (v. 21; cf. 2 Kgs 15:1), otherwise Uzziah (Heb. Uzziah, (2 Kgs 15:13); cf. Hos 1:1; Amos 1:1; Isa 1:1): both names express almost the same idea: “help of God” and “son of God.” In the first half of his reign, Uzziah completed the work of conquest of Edom begun by his father and rebuilt the port city of Elath on the Red Sea (cf. note to 1 Kgs 9:26). This was probably the most distinguished deed of this king, which is why it is related here; about the other deeds of this king it is related in (2 Kgs 15:1-7); cf. (2 Chr 26:1).

2 Kings 14:23. In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Joash king of Israel became king in Samaria and reigned forty-one years, 2 Kings 14:24. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 2 Kings 14:25. He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher, 2 Kings 14:26. For the Lord saw that the distress of Israel was very bitter; for there was no one left, bond or free, and no helper for Israel. 2 Kings 14:27. And the Lord did not will to blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Joash. 2 Kings 14:28. Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he fought and how he recovered for Israel Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, are written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 2 Kings 14:29. And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, with the kings of Israel. And Zechariah his son became king in his place. The date of the accession of the Israelite Jeroboam II is consistent with (2 Kgs 14:1-2), according to which the Judean Amaziah reigned 29 years, of which 14 years were contemporaneous with the Israelite Joash, and 15 years with his son Jeroboam II. But the duration of the reign of Jeroboam II indicated in (2 Kgs 14:21), 41 years, does not accord with the testimony (2 Kgs 15:8), that the son and successor of Jeroboam II, Zechariah, became king only in the 38th year of the Judean Azariah-Uzziah: if Jeroboam reigned 15 years simultaneously with the latter and another 38 years with Uzziah, then the total number of years of Jeroboam II’s reign would be 53 years or, accepting that 15 and 38 were incomplete years, 51 years, not 41 years; therefore one can suppose an error from confusion of numerals (the letter nun with mem: 50 and 40). The duration of Jeroboam II’s reign is also supported by the chronological date of the prophetic ministry of Hosea in the inscription to his prophetic book (Hos 1:1; cf. verses 4–5; cf., however, in Prof. I. A. Brodovich. Book of the prophet Hosea, Kyiv. 1901, p. XI-XVI.) About such a long and undoubtedly glorious reign of the Israelite Jeroboam II, the sacred writer reports, however, only the most general information (perhaps on account of the iniquity of this king from the theocratic point of view, 4, cf. verse 24 and (2 Kgs 13:2), or rather, due to lack of a detailed biography of this king); he mentions the significant and, for the first time after Solomon (1 Kgs 8:65), realized restoration of the ancient promised boundaries of the land of Israel from the Syrian Hamath (2 Sam 8:9; Onomast. 52) to the Sea of the Arabah (Heb. yam haarava, Vulg.: mare solitudinis, v. 25), that is, the Dead Sea (Deut 3:17; Josh 3:16): θάλασσα τῆς Ἀραβα, Slavonic: “to the sea of Arabia”, Onomast. 495). Jeroboam, who completed the work of his father Joash in this regard (2 Kgs 13:25), was able to take advantage of the weakness of Damascus after the victories over it by the Assyrian kings Shalmaneser III and Ashur-dan III (Meyer, Geschichte des Alterth. I, s. 146). The well-known prophet Jonah foretold this feat of Jeroboam II, he whose name is known from the prophetic book (Jonah 1:1), of course, not containing this specific prediction, only containing the prophecy of Jonah about Nineveh (cf. blessed Theodoret, question 45). The prophet Jonah came from the city of Gath-hepher (Heb. Gat-Haheper, LXX: Γεθχοφέρ, Gath quae est in Opher), a city in the tribe of Zebulun (Josh 19:13); according to Jerome, the village of Geth, 2 miles from Sepphoris—Diocaesarea on the way to Tiberias, now el-Meshhed (Onomast. 335). The reason for such a fortunate turn of events for the Kingdom of Israel lies in the long-suffering and mercy of God, who because of his faithfulness to the covenant with Israel still did not decide to put an end to the existence of the Kingdom of Israel and even allowed the restoration of the ancient territory of Israel (verses 26–28) (v. 29, cf. 2 Kgs 15:8). * * * According to Josephus, Iud.Antiq. 9:10, 1, Jeroboam II “was a man of extreme lawlessness, worshipped idols and indulged in various completely inappropriate habits”

Chapter Fifteen

1–7. The reign of the 10th Judean king Azariah-Uzziah. 8–12. Zechariah, 15th king of Israel. 13–16. Shallum, 16th Israelite king. 17–22. 17th Menahem. 23–26. 18th Pekahiah. 27–31. 19th Pekah. 32–38. 11th king of Judah Jotham.

2 Kings 15:1. In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah became king: 2 Kings 15:2. He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 2 Kings 15:3. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. 2 Kings 15:4. Nevertheless the high places were not removed; the people still offered sacrifice and burned incense on the high places. 2 Kings 15:5. And the Lord smote the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and he lived in a separate house. And Jotham the king’s son was in charge of the palace and ruled over the people of the land. 2 Kings 15:6. Now the rest of the acts of Azariah and all that he did are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 2 Kings 15:7. And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the City of David. And Jotham his son became king in his place. The prolonged (52 years) and flourishing reign of Azariah-Uzziah, to which the Fourth Book of Kings devotes only a few verses, while the Second Book of Chronicles devotes an entire chapter (2 Chr 26). There it is related that the piety of Azariah-Uzziah was particularly firm, and the successes of his reign were especially notable during the time of his guidance by the God-illumined high priest Zechariah (2 Chr 26:5). Of the deeds of this king, which contributed to the well-being and prosperity of the Kingdom of Judah and gave Uzziah a wide reputation even among other peoples, there are named: military successes in conflicts with the Philistines, Arabs, and Ammonites; the strengthening of the Jerusalem walls with towers and specially invented machines for hurling arrows and stones; the erection of watch-towers in the desert, the hewing of water pools for cattle, extensive livestock raising and grape cultivation, and the best equipping of the army of 307,500 men with 2,600 officers (v. 6–15). But these rare successes inclined Azariah-Uzziah toward self-exaltation and sacrilege, which was punished by leprosy that struck him in the very temple, where he dared to usurp the high-priestly functions (2 Chr 26:16-21; cf. blessed Theodoret, question 46). Smitten with leprosy and, being such, obliged by the law to live outside the city (Lev 13:46; 2 Kgs 7:3), Uzziah settled in a “separate house” (v. 5; 2 Chr 26:21), Heb. be-bet hahofshim, LXX leave the Hebrew term untranslated: εν οἴκω ᾿αφφσυσώθ (so too blessed Theodoret, question 46, Slavonic: “in the house of apphusosoth”); the Hebrew hofshit contains the notion of remoteness and freedom, hence in the Vulg: in domo libera seorsum. Probably Uzziah now lived in a separate country house, perhaps specially erected for him (not “in a hospital,” as Gesenius, Prof. Gulyaev, etc.). The affairs of government were managed by his son Jotham until Uzziah’s death (v. 5, 2 Chr 26:21). He was buried, as a leper, separately from the other kings, though near to them (2 Chr 26:23).

2 Kings 15:8. In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in Samaria and reigned six months. 2 Kings 15:9. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his fathers had done; he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 2 Kings 15:10. And Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him down before the people and killed him, and became king in his place. 2 Kings 15:11. Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah are written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 2 Kings 15:12. This was the word of the Lord which he spoke to Jehu, “Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” And so it was fulfilled. Regarding the date in verse 8, compare the comments to (2 Kgs 14:23). In verse 10, in the Hebrew text there is an obscure and perhaps corrupted expression kebal-am (otherwise kabalaim, codex 174 of Kennicott); the LXX convey it as a proper name of a person: Κεβλαάμ, Slavonic “Kevlaam,” but better—as in the Russian Synodal and Prof. Gulyaev: “before the people” (Vulg. palam). With the death of Zechariah, this fourth successor of Jehu, the dynasty of the latter on the Israelite throne ended, according to the prophecy given to Jehu himself (v. 12, cf. 2 Kgs 10:30).

2 Kings 15:13. Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah; he reigned one month in Samaria. The reign of the 19th Israelite king Shallum, who, according to Josephus, was a friend of Zechariah and treacherously killed him, lasted only 1 month. If Zechariah, who reigned 6 months, became king in the 38th year of the reign of the Judean Azariah (2 Kgs 15:8), and Shallum in the 39th, then evidently the former began his reign in the second half of the 38th year.

2 Kings 15:14. And Menahem son of Gadi came up from Tirzah and came to Samaria; he struck down Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria and killed him; then he became king in his place. 2 Kings 15:15. Now the rest of the acts of Shallum and his conspiracy which he made are written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 2 Kings 15:16. At that time Menahem smote Tiphsah and all who were in it and its territory, from Tirzah onward; because the city did not open to him, he smote it, and he ripped open all the women who were pregnant in it. 2 Kings 15:17. In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king over Israel and reigned ten years in Samaria; 2 Kings 15:18. and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin, throughout his days. 2 Kings 15:19. Pul the king of Assyria came against the land; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, so that his hand might be with him and so that he might confirm him in his kingly office. 2 Kings 15:20. And Menahem exacted this money from Israel, that is, from all the wealthy men, fifty shekels of silver from each man, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and did not stay there in the land. 2 Kings 15:21. Now the rest of the acts of Menahem and all that he did are written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 2 Kings 15:22. And Menahem slept with his fathers. And Pekahiah his son became king in his place. The new usurper of the Israelite throne, the 16th king Menahem, established himself on the throne not without protest from the population, which is why the bloodshed produced by Menahem in Tiphsah (v. 16) occurred, an unknown trading city on the Euphrates (1 Kgs 4:24; Heb. v. 4): a campaign there at this time for Menahem was unthinkable given the troubled circumstances (see to the contrary in the book of Brodovich “Book of the Prophet Hosea,” p. 214, note), perhaps Tappuah (Josh 16:8), on the northern border of the tribe of Ephraim and the southern—of Manasseh (now supposedly Yasuf south of Nablus, Onomast. 511), the region of which, beginning from Tirzah (see 1 Kgs 16:17 and note), Menahem subjected to cruel devastation and bloodshed. In a religious respect, the reign of Menahem was not distinguished from the others (v. 18). But it is noteworthy as the moment of the first appearance on the territory of Palestine of the world conquerors of that time, the Assyrians, with king Pul at the head (v. 19). This Pul, as is now generally recognized by Assyriologists, is identical to Tiglath-Pileser (Heb. Tiglat-Pileser) of the Bible, Tillat-Pilezer of the Assyrian cuneiform inscriptions, in which under 738 this king names Menahem among his tributaries (Tiele, Babyl.-asbyr. Gesch., s. 110 ff. 226. Gommel. Gesch. Babyl. s. 648 ff.), although in the Bible sometimes these two names are distinguished as the names of two different kings (cf. verse 29 and 1 Chr 5:26). But this is explained by the fact that Pul was a Babylonian (in the canon of Ptolemy: υῶος) name of the Assyrian Tiglath-Pileser. The invasion of the Assyrian king into Palestine (some suppose that Menahem himself invited Pul to pacify the land; in this they point to the intensified attempts noted by the prophet Hosea and blamed by him of the Kingdom of Israel to seek help from the Assyrian king: Hos 5:3) presupposes that Syria, through which the Assyrian king had to pass, coming to the Kingdom of Israel, was already conquered by the Assyrian king (indeed, in the Assyrian inscriptions together with the Israelite Menahem are mentioned the king of Damascus and Tyre as tributaries of Tiglath-Pileser), who thus at this time, in the words of the prophet (Hos 8:10), was “King of kings.” From the mighty Assyrian king, Menahem ransomed himself with a rich tribute of 1,000 talents of silver (about half a million rubles), distributing this sum among the wealthier (Heb. gibore-hail, as called in the book of Ruth the rich Boaz, (Ruth 2:1)) inhabitants: judging by the distribution of 50 shekels (about 40 rubles) to each man, there were only 60,000 such people in the Kingdom of Israel, whereas in the days of David there were 800,000 adults (2 Sam 24:9). (In a talent there are 3,000 shekels; the total sum of the tribute is 3,000,000 shekels). Menahem reigned 10 years (v. 17).

2 Kings 15:23. In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king over Israel in Samaria and reigned two years; 2 Kings 15:24. and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 2 Kings 15:25. And Pekah son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him and struck him down in Samaria, in the citadel of the king’s house, along with Argob and Arieh; he had with him fifty men of the Gileadites. And he killed him, and became king in his place. 2 Kings 15:26. Now the rest of the acts of Pekahiah and all that he did are written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. The two-year reign of the 18th Israelite king, the son of Menahem, Pekahiah (Heb. Pekahiah, LXX: Φακεσίας, Vulg.: Phaceia), which, according to the testimony of Josephus Flavius (Iud.Antiq. 9:11, 1), did not yield to his father, was not marked by anything either in internal affairs (was distinguished by the usual worship of calves by the Israelite kings, v. 24) or in external affairs, and ended with his violent death from the hand of his adjutant Pekah (Heb. Pekah, LXX: Φακεέ, Vulg.: Phacee) in the chambers of the royal palace (v. 25; cf. 1 Kgs 16:18). Pekah became king (19th king).

2 Kings 15:27. In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king over Israel in Samaria and reigned twenty years; 2 Kings 15:28. and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord: he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 2 Kings 15:29. In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria. 2 Kings 15:30. And Hoshea son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah son of Remaliah, and struck him down, and killed him, and became king in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah. 2 Kings 15:31. Now the rest of the acts of Pekah and all that he did are written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. The reign of Pekah, who was distinguished, according to Josephus, by extreme ungodliness and lawless propensities, according to v. 27 lasted 20 years, but in reality appears to have been 30 years (when using alphabetic numerals, the Hebrew letter kaph—20 and lamed—30 can be confused): according to verses 32–33, Pekah reigned with Jotham of Judah 2 years, and simultaneously with him 16 years (18 years), but from (2 Kgs 17:1), the murderer and successor of Pekah, Hoshea, became king only in the 12th year of the Judean Ahaz: thus Pekah reigned 30 years. During the reign of Pekah, the invasion of the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser into the territory of the Kingdom of Israel took place (v. 29), Tiglath-Pileser III of the cuneiform inscriptions. As is evident from the following chapter, this king appeared with conquering aims toward the Kingdom of Israel, at the invitation of the Judean king Ahaz, who was forced to do so by the threat of the allied forces of Pekah of Israel and Rezin of Syria (2 Kgs 16:5-9; cf. Isa 7:1 and following), who had concluded an alliance, probably not against Judah alone (as successful were the military actions of Pekah against the Kingdom of Judah, as is evident from (2 Chr 28:5-15)), but also against Assyria itself. But this was the last unsuccessful attempt by the two weakened kingdoms to throw off the Assyrian yoke; for both kingdoms it ended equally miserably. From the Syrians, the Assyrian king took Damascus, deported its inhabitants to Kir, and killed Rezin (2 Kgs 16:9). In the Kingdom of Israel, he similarly took the northern cities and provinces (v. 29; once temporarily occupied by the Syrian king Ben-Hadad I, who came at the invitation of Asa, 1 Kgs 15:19-20), and in part also the Trans-Jordan—“Gilead”. Kedesh—in the tribe of Naphtali (Josh 20:7; Onomasticon, 583), which was already a portent and beginning of the universal captivity of Israel. Tiglath-Pileser in the inscription reports of himself that in his 733 campaign he killed Pekah and set Hoshea as king of Samaria: this apparently accords with the testimony of v. 30, which seems to relate to the invasion of the Assyrian king mentioned in v. 29 and speak of Pekah’s murder by Hoshea, who thus became king of Israel; one can think that the supporters of Assyria hastened to set up the Assyrian-dependent Hoshea to please the Assyrian king (compare, however, 2 Kgs 17:3). His year of accession could not have been the 20th year of the reign of Jotham of Judah (v. 30), since the latter reigned only 16 years (v. 33, cf. 2 Chr 27:3).

2 Kings 15:32. In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah became king. 2 Kings 15:33. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. 2 Kings 15:34. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. 2 Kings 15:35. Nevertheless the high places were not removed; the people still offered sacrifice and burned incense on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord. 2 Kings 15:36. Now the rest of the acts of Jotham and all that he did are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 2 Kings 15:37. In those days the Lord began to send Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah. 2 Kings 15:38. And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father. And Ahaz his son became king in his place. About the reign of Jotham (cf. 2 Kgs 15:5), the 11th Judean king, (2 Chr 27:1) also tells. Regarding the religious activity of Jotham, besides what is said in v. 34–35 of the present chapter of the Fourth Book of Kings, in (2 Chr 27:2) it is noted: “only he did not enter the temple of God,” that is, he did not repeat the sacrilegious attempts of his father Uzziah (2 Chr 26:16). Jotham built the upper, that is, the northern gate of the temple (v. 35; cf. Ezek 9:2) called also the Benjamin Gate (Jer 20:2); made many buildings on the south-eastern wall of the city, at the so-called Ophel; built cities and fortresses; conquered and forced the Ammonites to pay tribute (2 Chr 27:3-5). His fortunate reign, however, contributed to the development of luxury and other vices in Judah, against which were directed the prophetic utterances of Isaiah (Isa 1:23). * * * The date of Uzziah’s accession in (2 Kgs 15:1) does not accord with the testimony (2 Kgs 14:17), according to which Jeroboam II reigned simultaneously with the Judean Amaziah only 15 years, not 26–27; consequently, the son of Amaziah, Uzziah, could have become king not in the 27th year of the reign of Jeroboam II, as is stated in (2 Kgs 15:1), but earlier: in the 15th–16th year of the reign of Jeroboam

Chapter Sixteen

The reign of Ahaz, the 12th king of Judah (see 2 Chr 28). 1-4. The general (pagan) character of Ahaz’s reign. 5-9. The invasion of the kingdoms of Syria and Israel into Judea and Ahaz’s subjection to the king of Assyria. 10-14. A new altar in the Jerusalem temple, built by Ahaz after the pattern of the Damascus altar. 15-18. Other changes introduced by Ahaz in the Jerusalem temple and worship in deference to the king of Assyria. 19-20. The death of Ahaz and the accession of Hezekiah.

2 Kings 16:1. In the seventeenth year of Pekah, son of Remaliah, Ahaz, son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 Kings 16:2. Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, like David his father. 2 Kings 16:3. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and even passed his son through the fire, imitating the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the children of Israel. 2 Kings 16:4. And he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree. The chronological data regarding Ahaz’s age—twenty years old at his accession and a sixteen-year reign, and thus death at age thirty-six (v. 2)—presents the difficulty that Ahaz’s son Hezekiah ascended the throne at twenty-five years of age (2 Kgs 18:2), and therefore was born when Ahaz was only ten or eleven years old. This inconsistency can be resolved by accepting the reading of certain Greek manuscripts, as well as the Syrian and Arabic translations, according to which Ahaz began to reign at twenty-five (not twenty) years of age. Ahaz’s imitation of the kings of Israel (v. 3)—or Jeroboam, son of Nebat, king of Israel (Greek manuscripts in Hildesheim: 11, 44, 52, 55, 56, 74, 92, 106, 119, 120, 121, 134, 144, 158, 236, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246; cf. Slavonic translation)—did not consist in introducing the worship of calves in Judah, of which nothing is known and which seems utterly improbable given the hostile relations of that time (2 Kgs 15:37 and following) between the two Hebrew kingdoms, but in the same violation as those kings committed of the fundamental theocratic law of absolute faithfulness to the Lord, and in involvement, like, for instance, the kings of the house of Ahab (1 Kgs 16:32; 2 Kgs 3:2), in pure paganism, such as the worship of Baal (2 Chr 28:2) and Molech (v. 3, 2 Chr 28:3). Although the present passage in the Fourth Book of Kings does not directly mention the latter, the parallel passage (2 Chr 28:3) clearly states that Ahaz burned his son, certainly in honor of Molech (cf. 2 Kgs 23:10; Lev 18:21; Jer 32:35 and others; cf. Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities” 9:12, 1), and not as a simple purification by fire (cf. Num 31:23)—a custom that was very widespread in ancient times in Western Asia, India, Africa and America, as well as among the Greeks (blessed Theodoret, question 47), and in Russia, for instance, on the night of Ivan Kupala: to see in this either this symbolic act or simply a superstitious custom (as blessed Theodoret, Grotius, Spencer, professor Gulyaev and others do) is not permitted by the general sense of the passage (characterization of Ahaz’s impiety) and the biblical parallels mentioned (see Commentated Bible, vol. I, pp. 207-209; compare M. Palmov, “Idolatry Among the Ancient Hebrews,” pp. 257 ff.). The custom of the Semites to offer human sacrifices to the gods, especially of children, in the most critical moments (cf. 2 Kgs 3:27), could among the Hebrews be particularly sustained under the influence of the harsh circumstances of the time, when ordinary means of service and the appeasement of God seemed insufficient to placate Him (Mic 6:7).

2 Kings 16:5. Then Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to wage war against Jerusalem, and they besieged Ahaz, but could not defeat him. 2 Kings 16:6. At that time Rezin, king of Syria, recovered Elath for Syria and drove the Jews from Elath. And the Edomites came to Elath, and have dwelt there to this day. 2 Kings 16:7. And Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, saying: I am your servant and your son. Come and save me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me. 2 Kings 16:8. And Ahaz took the silver and gold that were found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal house, and sent it as a tribute to the king of Assyria. 2 Kings 16:9. And the king of Assyria listened to him. The king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried its inhabitants captive to Kir, and put Rezin to death. The hostile relations between the kings Rezin of Syria (LXX: ῾Ραασσών; Slavonic: “Raassan,” which is closer than the Hebrew form to the reading in inscriptions: “Razunnu”) and Pekah of Israel (2 Kgs 15:37), which had begun already under Jotham, now, under Ahaz, expressed themselves in a campaign by the allies against Judah and the siege of Jerusalem (v. 5, (2 Chr 28:5) and others; (Isa 7:1) and others), with the aim of conquering Judah, overthrowing the reigning house of David and setting up as king of Judah some son of Tabeal (Isa 7:6), perhaps one of the Syrian military commanders. Concerning the conquests and devastations of the allies within the boundaries of the Judean kingdom, the transition of Ahaz into a state of vassalage to the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III, and the devastations made by the latter within the boundaries of the Israelite and Syrian kingdoms, see the remark on (2 Kgs 15:29). In Assyrian inscriptions Ahaz appears under the name Iahuhazi. Here in v. 6 is mentioned the loss to Judah, as a consequence of the Syrian-Israelite war, of Edom, which had been seized and fortified by the Judeans under Amaziah and Uzziah (2 Kgs 14:7). Judah lost Elath, taken by Rezin of Syria—an important and the only commercial port (cf. 1 Kgs 9:26; 2 Kgs 14:22). Having driven the Jews from here, Rezin assigned Elath to its original masters—the Edomites (in the received Hebrew text v. 6 it literally reads: Arameans, Hebrew eromim, but in manuscripts: 1, 4, 89, 112, 128, 149, 150, 160, 174, 176, 182, 187, 195, 206, 210, 224, 225, 227, 253, 297, 319, 335, 337, 342, 356, 366, 403, 423, 428, 431, 434, 451, 459, 471, 475, 477, 490, 505, 514, 526, 531, 540, 543, 559, 562, 587, 590, 596, 598, 601, 606, 612, 614, 616, 636, 648 in Kennicott’s recension: Edomites, i.e., Edomites—thus also in general in the context of this verse (LXX: ῾Ιδουμαῖοι, Vulg.: Idumaei)—the Edomites, taking advantage of Judah’s difficulties, sought in every way to harm the Jews (2 Chr 20:17), probably in alliance with the Syrians; at the same time the Philistines, who had been subdued by Uzziah (2 Chr 26:6), recovered their freedom and carried out raids on Judean cities (2 Chr 28:18). According to Josephus (“Jewish Antiquities” 9:12, 1), the Syrian king, “having destroyed the Hebrew garrisons in the border (on the route from Elath) fortresses and in the surrounding regions and having seized enormous plunder, then returned with his army to Damascus.” At the same time the siege of Jerusalem must have ceased, and Ahaz had the opportunity to send an embassy for help to the Assyrian king (vv. 7-8). To this moment belongs the famous prophecy of the prophet Isaiah concerning the birth of Immanuel from a virgin (Isa 7:14): against all dangers from both external and internal enemies the prophet pointed Ahaz to the heavenly help and miraculous protection of the house of David (Isa 7:4), but for seeking help from the Assyrian king threatened Ahaz with grave calamities (Isa 7:17-25). However, the wicked and fainthearted Ahaz disregarded the prophetic admonitions and sent an embassy to the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III with a humiliating declaration of vassalic submission (“I am your servant and your son,” v. 7) along with a rich tribute (“gift,” Hebrew shohad, literally: “bribe”), for the composition of which he had to seize the treasures of the temple and his own palace (v. 8). “And Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, came to him, but was a trouble to him instead of helping him” (2 Chr 28:20), and nonetheless the vassalic dependence of the Judean kingdom on Assyria became a fact. Concerning the conquests of the Assyrian king within the boundaries of the Israelite kingdom the biblical text of the present chapter does not repeat what was said in the previous one (2 Kgs 15:29) and speaks only of the Assyrian king’s action against the ally of the Israelite king—Rezin of Syria: the latter was put to death, and the population of Damascus, according to the usual Assyrian policy regarding conquered regions and peoples (cf. 2 Kgs 15:29), was resettled in the place of the original dwelling of the Syrians (Amos 9:7), the region of Kir. The location of this country, mentioned in the Bible almost only in connection with references to the Syrians, (2 Kgs 16:9; Amos 1:5; cf. Isa 22:6), is not entirely clear. The LXX and Slavonic completely omit this name; the Vulgate: Cirene, Eusebius: Κυρίνη, blessed Jerome: Cirene (Onomasticon, 623)—in all three cases Kir is completely mistakenly identified with Cyrenaica, the city in North Libya in Africa, very well-known in the post-exilic history of the Jews (1 Macc 15:23; Matt 27:32; Acts 2:11). Josephus (Jewish Antiquities 9:12, 3) places Kir in Upper Media, in favor of which the nearness of Kir to Elam in the prophet Isaiah’s words (Isa 22:6) may speak (Greek Susia). It is now identified with Gülistan or in general with the region along the Kura River (Κῦρις, Κύῥῤος). Professor Gulyaev says: “on the maps of the ancient East there are indicated two rivers with the name Kira. One is the present Kura, flowing from the Caucasus mountains and emptying into the Caspian Sea in the south of Russian Transcaucasian territories, in the region of Shirvan; the other is a small desert river to the south of Tehran, now indicated on maps under the name Kanch. Certainly, the latter is meant here, since, on the one hand, there is no basis for supposing too great a spread of the dominion of the Assyrians to the north from the central point where all the biblical events took place; on the other hand, near this location are found the other places mentioned in this story. This river is located, by approximate calculation, at about 1500 versts to the northeast of Damascus” (p. 341). In this resettlement of the inhabitants of Damascus to Kir the terrible prophecy of Amos (Amos 1:5) concerning Damascus and the people of Aram was literally fulfilled. Both the fall of Damascus and the fact of Ahaz’s submission and tribute to Tiglath-Pileser are confirmed by cuneiform inscriptions: according to them, the taking of Damascus occurred after a long siege, in 732 (B.C.) (Keilinschriftt. Bibl. II, 32 ft.); regarding the campaign of the Assyrian king it is said that it extended to the land of the Philistines, which may shed light on the passage cited above (2 Chr 28:20) and following, according to which the campaign of the Assyrian king and king of Assyria even to the kingdom of Judah, despite the tribute paid by Ahaz, brought many misfortunes instead of the protection sought by Ahaz.2 Kings 16:10. And King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, and he saw the altar that was in Damascus, and King Ahaz sent to the priest Uriah a pattern of the altar and a model of its complete structure. 2 Kings 16:11. And the priest Uriah built an altar according to the pattern that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus; and the priest Uriah made it before the arrival of King Ahaz from Damascus. 2 Kings 16:12. And the king came from Damascus, and the king saw the altar, and the king drew near to the altar and offered a sacrifice on it; 2 Kings 16:13. and he burned his burnt offering and his grain offering, and poured out his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offering on the altar. 2 Kings 16:14. But the bronze altar that was before the Lord he moved from the front of the house, from the place between the new altar and the house of the Lord, and put it on the north side of his altar. 2 Kings 16:15. And King Ahaz commanded the priest Uriah, saying: Upon the great altar offer the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering, and the burnt offering of the king and his grain offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the land and their grain offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offerings and all the blood of the sacrifices; but the bronze altar shall remain for my inspection. 2 Kings 16:16. And the priest Uriah did all as King Ahaz commanded. 2 Kings 16:17. And King Ahaz cut off the borders of the stands, and removed the basins from them, and took down the Sea from the bronze oxen that were under it, and set it on a stone pavement. 2 Kings 16:18. And he removed the covered Sabbath canopy which had been built at the temple, and removed the outer royal entrance to the house of the Lord, on account of the king of Assyria. And yet the fainthearted Ahaz, with his disbelief in the power of the Lord and his devotion to idolatry, considered it his duty to go personally to the Assyrian king to thank him for his help, to demonstrate his loyalty and to secure his favor (of course, by bringing new rich gifts for the future). This journey of Ahaz to Damascus, where the Assyrian king had his temporary residence, aside from being extremely humiliating to the previously independent Judean kingdom, had the consequence not only of simple cultural borrowing from foreigners—such as, for instance, sundials or the “steps of Ahaz” (2 Kgs 20:9-11; Isa 38:8)—a mechanism that was in any case based on the astronomical calculations of Assyro-Babylonia and was brought by Ahaz, perhaps from Damascus, to his Jerusalem palace. Ahaz became especially devoted to borrowing elements of religious worship from the victorious pagans—the Syrians and Assyrians. Above all, in Damascus itself “he offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, (thinking that) they were smiting him, and he said: Since the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel” (2 Chr 28:23). Not content with this personal apostasy (reminiscent of the action of Amaziah, 2 Chr 25:14), Ahaz decided to introduce elements of Syrian, or more precisely Assyrian, pagan worship into the public worship of the Jerusalem temple itself. Captivated by the structure of the pagan altar he saw in Damascus (was it the portable campaign altar of Tiglath-Pileser, as the historian Duncker thinks [Geschichte des Alterthums. Bd. II, 2. Leipzig, 1886. S. 318; cf. Kittel, Die Bucher der Konige, s. 270], or the main altar of Damascus and the king just put to death, as Stade supposes [Geschichte des Volkes Israel, 1, s. 598], is not stated in the biblical text; the supposition of Stade is supported by the cited passage (2 Chr 28:23)), and finding it superior to the burnt offering altar in the Jerusalem temple, Ahaz sends to Jerusalem to the high priest Uriah (probably identical with the one mentioned by the prophet Isaiah (Isa 8:2)) a drawing and model of the Damascus altar with an order to build a new altar exactly to the given scale. Although the altar of Solomon’s temple (the “bronze altar,” v. 14, cf. (2 Chr 4:1)) was built according to the pattern of the ancient altar of the tabernacle, created by direct command of God (Exod 27:1 and following), and consequently was not subject to arbitrary replacement with a new one, and a pagan type of altar at that, nevertheless the high priest Uriah, appearing in the prophet Isaiah as a “faithful witness” (Isa 8:2), in this case showed inexcusable complacency and deference to the king’s arbitrary will: perhaps to avert greater horrors from the king’s terror and even worse pagan innovations on the part of Ahaz. Uriah hastily, before the return of Ahaz from Damascus, built a new, “great” (v. 15) altar, on which Ahaz, upon his arrival, personally (like Jeroboam I of Israel, 1 Kgs 12:32-33) offered sacrifices: “drew near to the altar and went up on it” (v. 12): this expression alone indicates a special form of the altar for which ascending it was necessary to offer sacrifices. Moreover, it is further directly called great, in comparison with the former, which was twenty cubits long and wide (about 15 yards) and ten cubits high (about 7 1/2 yards) (professor Gulyaev, p. 342). “Who commanded Ahaz to set up an altar in God’s temple?” asks blessed Theodoret (question 48) and answers: “I think that the altar was constructed not for God Almighty, but for a falsely-named god. The book of Chronicles gives us cause to suspect this… (2 Chr 28:22-24)… He brought out from the temple the bronze altar constructed by Solomon, and in its place put the desired new one.” Apparently, however, Ahaz at this time did not intend and did not dare to directly remove the worship of the true God from Solomon’s temple: he left this worship in force and in accordance with the law of Moses (v. 15), but only for the sake of his caprice commanded to move the altar (the “bronze” one), made under Solomon (2 Chr 4:1), to the north side (v. 14), and to place the new one, constructed after the Assyrian model, in the central place of the temple’s priestly courtyard previously occupied by it, and on it to perform all the offerings of the sacrificial worship. Ahaz apparently did not wish to appropriate to himself priestly functions entirely and permanently: perhaps from fear of the judgment that fell upon Uzziah for such sacrilege, having himself once offered sacrifices on the newly built altar (v. 13), he then gives a command to Uriah (and through him to the priesthood in general) to perform on this altar all sacrifices—constant or daily offerings, morning and evening (v. 15, cf. Exod 29:38-42; Num 28:3-8), and special private sacrifices, both from the people and from individual members of it, and from the king (cf. (Lev 4:22) and others; (Ezek 46:17) and others). This passage (v. 15, cf. 13) is important for the characterization of the sacrificial practice of that time (8th century B.C.) and, in particular, may be adduced as one of the historical proofs against the supposed origin of the complex sacrificial ritual only after the exile, as many Western biblical critics maintain, and of part of the Pentateuch (in the middle books of it, the so-called “priestly code”), containing the legislation about this ritual, are likewise supposed to have originated no earlier than the Babylonian exile. Against this, vv. 13 and 15 incontestably prove that 1) even under the wicked Ahaz in the Jerusalem temple regular morning and evening sacrifices were offered in exact accordance with the law (Exod 29:1; Num 28:1) and 2) that there were distinguished by fixed terms sacrifices: bloody (Hebrew ola, burnt offering; shlamim, peace offering) and bloodless (Hebrew mincha, gift—“grain offering”, nesekh—“drink offering”)—also in correspondence with the law of Moses (Num 15:2-12), and overall the whole sacrificial rite appears here as a matter of ancient historical, liturgical tradition (cf. Stade, Gesch. d. Volk, Jsr. I, s. 598: Kittel, Bucher d. Konige, s. 270–271). His hesitation in introducing a pagan element into the structure of Judean worship Ahaz demonstrated in the command that (v. 15) the “bronze (Solomon’s) altar” should “remain for my inspection” (Hebrew lebaqqer, Vulg. ad. volimtatem meam (erit paratum)). The LXX confused the Hebrew verb baqar with the noun boqer—“morning”: ‘ έσται μοι είς το πρωί, Slavonic: “shall be for me in the morning,” which makes no sense in this context: apparently Ahaz did not dare immediately and entirely to remove from the temple the ancient altar, certainly revered by the people, but wanted to wait and see what impression the innovation allowed by him in the temple would make on the people, and only then to make further departures from the purity of the Old Testament worship. But the path of religious syncretism, a mixing of revealed religion with paganism, which Ahaz, the first of the Judean kings, took, proved very seductive: Ahaz brought more and more elements of various pagan cults into worship: emblems, idols, altars, and high places for the worship of various pagan gods Ahaz spread in great numbers throughout Jerusalem and in other Judean cities (2 Chr 28:24-25). Besides native, Canaanite cults, such as, for instance, Molech (v. 3 of the chapter in question) and Baal (2 Chr 28:3), as well as Canaanite superstition—consulting the dead (Isa 8:19)—forbidden in the law (Lev 19:31; Deut 18:15), Ahaz with especial zeal practiced the Assyro-Babylonian worship of “all the host of heaven” and “the constellations” (signs of the Zodiac) with the dedication of altars to these luminaries on the rooftops of palaces, and to the sun special horses were dedicated, set up by Ahaz in the outer court of the temple (see 2 Kgs 23:5; Jer 19:13; Zeph 1:5). Thus, the reign of Ahaz, as in the civil and political life of the Judean kingdom it marks the beginning of the vassalic dependence of that kingdom on Assyria, so in the religious sphere represents a new degree of the fall of true religion in the Judean kingdom, namely the invasion here of Assyro-Babylonian Sabeeism (Compare M. Palmov, “Idolatry Among the Ancient Hebrews,” pp. 513-517). Both dependencies on Assyria continued until the death of Ahaz. But if in the civil sphere Ahaz’s faithfulness to the obligations taken upon himself (v. 7) as a vassal of the Assyrian king could be necessary and beneficial for the weak Judean kingdom, then Ahaz’s attraction to the pagan worship of his conquerors could only lead to the destruction of his kingdom. Perhaps by imitation of the structure of Assyrian temples, and also to extract new values from Solomon’s temple to pay a new tribute to the Assyrian king, Ahaz broke off (v. 17) the decorations and other appurtenances of the washbasins set up by Solomon in the inner courtyard—and the bronze sea (cf. 1 Kgs 7:23-28), and also abolished the “covered passage (Hebrew musach, in the variant reading musakh) of the Sabbath” and “the outer royal passage to the house of the Lord” (v. 18). Both latter structures were probably erected already after Solomon: the character and purpose of these buildings is difficult to establish with precision given the considerable obscurity and perhaps corruption of the text of v. 18. By the covered entrance (Hebrew musach, Vulgate: musach) was commonly understood, following the rabbis, a special royal place in the front courtyard in which the king stood on the Sabbath (the LXX, apparently, read not musach, but musad—“foundation,” when they rendered: θεμέλιον τῆς καθεδρας (τῶν σαββάτων), Slavonic: “foundation of the seat (of the Sabbaths)”). By the “outer royal passage” is understood with greater basis in the biblical text (1 Kgs 14:27 and following; 2 Kgs 11:4; Ezek 46:1-2) a special covered passage, a colonnade gallery, from the royal palace on Zion to the temple on Moriah (cf. professor Gulyaev, pp. 343-344). All this Ahaz destroyed both out of neglect for the temple’s honor and from a desire to bring gifts to the Assyrian king (perhaps destroyed structures could, in Ahaz’s fear, arouse the wrath of the Assyrian king for some reason). The wickedness of Ahaz was finally completed by the closing of the doors of the temple of the Lord (2 Chr 28:24). According to Josephus (Jewish Antiquities 9:12, 3), Ahaz reached such a contemptuous and bold attitude (toward the Lord God) that he finally ordered the temple to be completely shut, forbade bringing to the Eternal the established sacrifices and appropriated to himself all the sacrificial offerings.

2 Kings 16:19. Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 2 Kings 16:20. And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead. For his wickedness Ahaz, like Jehoram (2 Chr 21:19-20) and Joash (2 Chr 24:25), was denied the honor of burial in the royal necropolis (2 Chr 28:27). * * * Many scholars consider Tiglath-Pileser (2 Kgs 15:29) to be the same person as Pul (there, see v. 19). See, for instance, professor I. S. Yakimov, Attempts at Reconciling Biblical Evidence with the Testimony of Cuneiform Monuments (Christian Readings, 1884, vol. II, p. 21 et seq.; professor A. P. Lopukhin, Biblical History, vol. II. St. Petersburg, 1890, p. 548. “According to the present Hebrew text,” says professor M. Gulyaev, one should translate “Arameans,” as some newer translations do; but even the Masoretes noticed that instead of “asheoyim” one should read: “ashoim”; this translates as Edomites. Finally, the composition of the words itself shows that not Arameans are meant, the name of which in Hebrew plural is written “ashoim” (p. 341). Professor Gulyaev (pp. 342-343) says: The Seventy read: let it remain for me in the morning. Some of the newer ones, turning to the primary meaning (the root “baqar”) “to open,” translate: let it be for me for inquiring of the Lord (that is, for receiving from Him a revelation). But the first translation cannot be accepted after what was said above, that Ahaz ordered to bring all both morning and evening sacrifices on his great altar; the second is impossible both because of its contrivedness and because Ahaz, a stubborn pagan, not only himself did not express a desire to ask revelation from the Lord in times of need, but even when they offered him this, he refused (Isa 7:11-12). Meanwhile this same word is used in the sense of “to look attentively, to reflect.”

Chapter Seventeen

1-6. The fall of the kingdom of Israel and the captivity of its inhabitants to Assyria. 7-23. The internal causes of the destruction of the kingdom of Israel. 24-41. New settlers in the territory of the former kingdom of Israel.

2 Kings 17:1. In the twelfth year of Ahaz, king of Judah, Hoshea, son of Elah, began to reign in Samaria over Israel, and he reigned nine years. 2 Kings 17:2. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him. The date of the accession of the last Israelite king Hoshea, “in the 12th year of Ahaz, king of Judah” (v. 1) is confirmed by (2 Kgs 18:9), where the 4th and 6th years of the reign of Hezekiah, king of Judah, son of Ahaz (Ahaz reigned 16 years), are equated with the 7th and 9th years of the reign of Hoshea of Israel. On the other hand, the date (2 Kgs 15:30), according to which Hoshea began to reign in the 20th year of Jotham, the father of Ahaz, must be recognized as completely erroneous both because Jotham reigned only 16 years (2 Kgs 15:33), and even more—by the clear evidence that Pekah, the predecessor of Hoshea, was already warring not with Jotham but with his son Ahaz (2 Kgs 16:5 and following; Isa 7:1 and following), consequently the murderer and successor Hoshea could in no way be co-regent with Ahaz’s father Jotham; an error in the letter-numerical designation of chronological dates, in the general opinion of scholars of the Old Testament text, is quite possible. It was remarked above (in the commentaries to 2 Kgs 15:30) that the slaying of Pekah defeated by Tiglath-Pileser and the elevation of Hoshea to the throne was, probably, the work of the Assyrian-inclined party at the Israelite court. The accession of Hoshea, as was seen, should be dated to 733 B.C. In the character of Hoshea’s reign the sacred writer notes a peculiarity: “he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him” (v. 2, cf. (2 Kgs 3:2)). What consisted the lesser degree of wickedness of Hoshea, of course, in regard to religious worship, is not stated in the text. According to the rabbis (Seder Olam, ch. XXII), Hoshea did not allow building new golden calves in Bethel, after the earlier ones had been taken captive by the Assyrians (Hos 10:6; compare, however, with professor Brodovich, “The Book of the Prophet Hoshea,” p. 352), and also did not prevent his subjects from going to worship the Lord in Jerusalem, for instance, when Hezekiah invited the Israelites to Jerusalem for the Passover festival (2 Chr 30:1-11). But if this supposition has some probability, nevertheless, one cannot think (as Thenius believes) that Hoshea entirely abolished the worship of the calves, since this would destroy the long-standing barrier between the two Hebrew kingdoms, about which the biblical text could not have been silent; in reality, this worship probably survived even the kingdom of Israel itself (see P. Krasin, State Worship of the Israelite (Ten-Tribe) Kingdom, pp. 227-229). It is rather possible to think that Hoshea proved to be an opponent of pure paganism that spread in Israel under his immediate predecessors. One way or another, the sacred writer in the sources (“Chronicles of the Kings of Israel”) found data that prompted him to present Hoshea in a more favorable light than his predecessors.

2 Kings 17:3. Against him came up Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute. 2 Kings 17:4. But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent envoys to So, king of Egypt, and did not deliver tribute to the king of Assyria as he had done year by year. So the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison. Set up as king with the knowledge of Tiglath-Pileser and, of course, with the obligation to pay tribute to the Assyrian king, Hoshea apparently decided to take advantage of the change of throne in Assyria that occurred in 727: Tiglath-Pileser III was succeeded by Shalmaneser IV (Assyrian Sulmanu-asir), who reigned, according to the so-called “list of eponyms,” from 727 to 722 B.C. From Assyrian documents about Shalmaneser IV we know only that in the last 3 years of his reign he undertook conquering campaigns to the west (the exact name of the countries toward which these campaigns were directed is unknown, as the tablets in these places proved to be damaged). With this one may compare the testimony cited by Josephus (Jewish Antiquities 9:14, 2) of the Phoenician historian Menander, that the Assyrian king Shalmaneser first undertook war against all of Phoenicia, then made peace, and then after some time besieged Tyre for five years (perhaps this siege is prophesied about in (Isa 23)). Comparing these non-biblical testimonies with (2 Kgs 17:3-6), some scholars (Ewald and others) suppose that Hoshea’s refusal to pay tribute to Shalmaneser is connected with a coalition of Western Asian states, including Phoenicia with Tyre at the head, with the support of Egypt against Assyrian dominion; however, other researchers (Knobel, Schopoade, Smith) date the formation of the mentioned coalition and the siege of Tyre (according to Menander and Josephus) to a later period—to the reign of Sennacherib in Assyria and several years after the fall of Samaria and the Israelite kingdom. Not insisting on the first supposition, we must, however, say that the fact itself of Hoshea’s deviation from vassalic tribute to Assyria and appeal for help to Egypt closely reminds us of the supposed coalition against Assyria. The name of the Egyptian king to whom Hoshea sent gifts hoping for his help (v. 4), in Hebrew So or in another reading Sebe; the latter is close to Ζεβεχος of Manetho; Vulgate: Sua; LXX: σιγωρ; Slavonic-Russian: “Sigor.” According to the most common supposition, this is the name Shabako, Egyptian Shabaka, the first pharaoh of the XXV dynasty of Egypt (according to Manetho, reigning 12 years: 728-717 B.C.). Many inhabitants of the Israelite kingdom fled to Egypt seeking protection (Isa 11:11). Thus, as when the Israelite kingdom first separated from the Judean one the future Israelite king Jeroboam I sought and found refuge in Egypt (1 Kgs 11:40), so at its end the Israelite kingdom sought support in the same Egypt; but this time in vain: Shabako did not decide on this occasion to enter into a struggle with the universal conqueror for the sake of the kingdom of Israel (only later in 720, when Sargon suppressed in 720 an uprising of Syrian states and began to threaten Egyptian possessions, Shabako fought with him at Gaza and was defeated). The kingdom of Israel was left to itself, and immediately appearing within its limits was Shalmaneser, who apparently as the first thing punished his treacherous vassal, the Israelite king Hoshea, imprisoned him and, perhaps, sent him to Assyria (in 2 Kgs 18:10 Hoshea appears, however, reigning until the very fall of the Israelite kingdom and its capital), and then besieged Samaria.

2 Kings 17:5. And the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it. The unassailable natural position of Samaria and the firm fortification of this city (cf. the remark on 1 Kgs 16:24) made it possible for this capital of the Israelite kingdom to hold out for about 3 years (incomplete, according to 2 Kgs 18:9-10—the siege began in the 7th year of Hoshea’s reign, ended in the 9th year); namely, according to the general opinion in biblical scholarship, from 724 to 722 B.C.

2 Kings 17:6. In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. Shalmaneser was not fated to end the siege of Samaria and the conquest of the Israelite kingdom: in 722 he died (perhaps by violent death: his successor started a new dynasty), and his work in the same year of 722 was completed by his successor on the Assyrian throne Sargon (cf. Isa 20:1), Assyrian Sarrukin, who reigned from 722 to 705; in the biblical tradition the predecessor, having conducted the siege of Samaria so long, naturally overshadowed the actual conqueror of Samaria who resettled part of the Israelite population within the limits of Assyria. In his triumphal inscription (see Schrader, Keilinschr. und Alt. Test. 2, s. 271 ft.) Sargon recounts that he plundered the city (Samaria) and took captive and resettled in Assyria 27,280 of its inhabitants. Of course, this is a small figure compared to the whole mass of the Israelite population. One must suppose, however, that such mass resettlements of Israelites, begun earlier by Tiglath-Pileser with regard to the northern parts of the Israelite kingdom (2 Kgs 15:29), were conducted by Sargon (perhaps also by Shalmaneser) several times, so that the land, although not completely depopulated, was extremely thinned out in population: the political and even national existence of the Israelite kingdom ceased. The fall of Samaria and all the kingdom of Israel were an exact fulfillment of the terrible prophecies (Hos 5:9; Isa 28:1-4 and others). The separate existence of the Israelite kingdom from the Judean kingdom lasted about 2.5 centuries (according to the usual view, 257 years: from 980 to 722; according to Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities,” 9:14, 1, 240 years 7 months 7 days; according to I. Spasskii, “An Investigation of Biblical Chronology,” pp. 125-243 years). From the points to which masses of Israelite prisoners were resettled by the Assyrians only some of the most densely populated were named, obviously: Halah, Habor, Gozan, cities of the Medes (v. 6) Halah (LXX: ῾Αλαε, Vulgate: Hala). The LXX consider Halah a river (ποταμοῖς Τωοσάν), but according to cuneiform documents it is a region to the north of Nineveh and to the south of Lake Van, known to the Greeks by the name Χολκίτις (cf. Schrader, op. cit. s. 275 ff.). Habor—the Χαβῶρας of the Greeks, a river which empties into the Euphrates, flows from the mountain Maznya near the city of Nisibia; its chief tributary is the Migdonius; it empties into the Euphrates at Circesium, now the Khabur, Gozan (cf. 2 Kgs 19:12; Isa 37:12). Eusebius and blessed Jerome mistakenly took (Onomasticon, 66) it for a river, but in fact it is a region that probably lay between the rivers Habor and Saokos (Ξαοκόρας), called Tansanitis by Ptolemy, Gutanu in cuneiform inscriptions, near Nisibia (between the Tigris and Euphrates), now Katan (see Orthodox Palestine Collection, issue 37, pp. 152-153; professor Gulyaev, p. 345). Cities of the Medes. LXX: ὅρη Μήδων, Slavonic: “in the regions of Media,” among which were, for instance, those mentioned in the book of Tobit (Tob 1:14 and others). Rages of Media, apparently, form the north-eastern boundary of the territory of settlement of the captive Israelites. But they undoubtedly scattered quickly to other countries as well, not excluding even European ones (Isa 11:11). Thus was fulfilled over half of the chosen people of God the terrible word of God through the lawgiver (Lev 26:38). Attempts to find traces of the scattered 10 tribes of Israel are almost as numerous and as fruitless as quests for the location of paradise; there is no country where learned curiosity or interest has not placed them (cf., for example, the article by Mr. Kolechitsky on this subject in the “Stranger” for 1901).

2 Kings 17:7. Now this occurred because the children of Israel sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and feared other gods; 2 Kings 17:8. and walked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the children of Israel, and in the customs of the kings of Israel, as they did. 2 Kings 17:9. And the children of Israel did things secretly against the Lord their God which were not right, and they built high places in all their cities, from the watchtower to the fortified city; 2 Kings 17:10. and they set up pillars and Asherahs on every high hill and under every green tree; 2 Kings 17:11. and there they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom the Lord had driven out from before them, and did evil things provoking the Lord; 2 Kings 17:12. and they served the idols, of which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this.”; 2 Kings 17:13. Then the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah, by all his prophets and all his seers, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” 2 Kings 17:14. Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the necks of their fathers, who believed not in the Lord their God; 2 Kings 17:15. and despised his statutes and his covenant that he had made with their fathers, and his warnings which he gave them. They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves, and went after the nations which surrounded them, though the Lord had commanded them, “Do not do as they do.” 2 Kings 17:16. They cast away all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made for themselves cast images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal; 2 Kings 17:17. and made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and used divination and sorcery, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him. 2 Kings 17:18. Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah alone. 2 Kings 17:19. Judah also did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked according to the customs of Israel as they did. 2 Kings 17:20. And the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel, and afflicted them, and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he had cast them out of his sight. 2 Kings 17:21. For when Israel was torn away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drove Israel away from the Lord, and made them commit a great sin. 2 Kings 17:22. The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did. They did not depart from them, 2 Kings 17:23. until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, as he had spoken by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was taken into captivity out of their own land to Assyria, where they are to this day. Before concluding the history of the northern Israelite kingdom, the sacred writer casts a retrospective glance over the whole history of that kingdom, examines it from a religious-pragmatic point of view, gives a philosophy of all this history—discusses the causes of the destruction of the people and kingdom of Israel. The primary cause of this destruction—the sin of Israel against the Lord, who had been beneficent to Israel from the moment of his deliverance from Egypt (v. 7; cf. Exod 19:4-6; Hos 13:4-6); the sacred writer defines more particularly: 1) as idolatry (vv. 8-12), including here the worship of calves (vv. 16-21); 2) as extreme hardening of the people’s heart to the pronouncements and warnings of the prophets of God (vv. 13-14, 23); 3) as deep moral corruption and depravity of the people (vv. 15-17), a vivid portrayal of which we find also in the contemporaneous prophets, for instance, in the prophet Hoshea (Hos 4:2).

2 Kings 17:24. And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Avva, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria, and dwelt in its cities. According to the custom of all conquerors of antiquity, the Assyrian king, in the opinion of some relying upon (Ezra 4:2), Esarhaddon or Asarhaddon, son of Sennacherib (2 Kgs 19:37), who ruled, according to Assyrian data, from 681 to 668, brought people displaced from Israel from various cities and provinces of Assyria to resettle them instead. One must suppose that this resettlement occurred more than once according to (Ezra 4:2); part of the new population of Samaria arrived here already under Asarhaddon—this third successor of Shalmaneser. But the beginning of this colonization of the depopulated country most likely belongs to the first period after the Assyrian captivity, that is, to the reign of Sargon. The geographical position of the regions mentioned in v. 24 of the Assyrian kingdom, except for Babylon and Hamath, is not entirely reliably known. Babylon is here understood, probably, in the sense of the entire region (as in Ps 135:1), not the city only. Cuthah (LXX: Χοοθα, Vulgate: Cutha, Slavonic: Khupha, in cuneiform: Kutu)—according to Josephus (“Jewish Antiquities,” 9:14, 3), lies in Persia (τὸ Χονθαίων ᾿έθνος, οἴ πρότερον ενδοτέρω τῆς περσιδος καὶ τὴς Μηδίας ῆσαν). Now identified either with the north-eastern part of Khuzistan (ancient Susia), or with better justification to Cuthah or Tell Ibrahim to the north-east of Babylon, in Babylonian Iraq near the Nahr-Malka (Onomasticon, 972, Palestine Collection, issue 37, p. 326). Apparently, the colonists from Cuthah constituted the predominant number in the mass of colonists: by the name Cuthim, Cutheans, the Hebrew tradition called the Samaritans, who were formed from the mixing of the Israelites who remained in the country with Assyrian colonists, and this name became fully common in Rabbinical and Talmudic literature (Josephus says: “in Hebrew they are called Cuthim (Cutheans), but in Greek they are called Samaritans”). Avva (perhaps identical with “Ivva,” 2 Kgs 18:34); LXX: Αίά, Vulgate: Avah, Slavonic: “Aia,” identified with the river Agava or Auy, (Ezra 8:15); and compared with the present Hito tributary of the Euphrates, to the east of Damascus (Onomasticon, 39). In favor of the position of Avva-Ivva in Syria speak the comparison with Hamath (cf. 1 Kgs 8:65; 2 Kgs 14:25); a Syrian city on the Orontes. Likewise in Syria probably lay the city of Sepharvaim (cf. 2 Kgs 18:34; Isa 36:19); LXX: Ξετιφαροναιμ, Vulgate: Sepharvaim, Slavonic: “Sepharvaim”), perhaps conquered by Shalmaneser IV (according to the Babylonian chronicle—Sabarain). About all these resettlements into the depopulated Israelite country of Assyrian colonists there are apt records in the inscriptions of Sargon (Schrader, Keilinschrift und A.T. 2 A. s. 276 ff). The newly-settled from different regions of Syria and Mesopotamia inhabitants of the former Israelite kingdom, apparently spoke one and the same Aramaic dialect, very close at that time to Hebrew (2 Kgs 18:26), and therefore could easily and quickly assimilate both with one another and with the Israelites. The center of the colonies was Samaria and the whole surrounding region.

2 Kings 17:25. And when they first dwelt there, they did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which slew some of them. 2 Kings 17:26. So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which you have carried away, and have placed in the cities of Samaria, do not know the law of the God of that land; therefore He has sent lions among them, and now they are killing them, because they do not know the law of the God of that land. 2 Kings 17:27. So the king of Assyria commanded, saying: Send there one of the priests whom you carried away from there; let him go and live there, and let him teach them the law of the God of that land. 2 Kings 17:28. Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord. The depopulated land met the new colonists unfavorably: it was filled with wild beasts, lions, which in the law of Moses appeared as a special token of God’s permitting (Lev 26:22; Exod 23:29). Thus, from their pagan point of view, namely in the conviction that each country has its own god (1 Kgs 20:23), the pagan colonists from Assyria understood this calamity, and in this thought they asked the Assyrian king to send them a teacher of the law of the God of the Israelite country (v. 26). The priest sent for this purpose by the Assyrian king (according to Josephus, several priests were sent) was, apparently, from the priests of the calf worship introduced by Jeroboam I, as shown by the fact that he settled in Bethel (v. 28), the center of that worship (1 Kgs 12:29); the worship of the Lord he taught the new inhabitants, of course, according to the book of the law.

2 Kings 17:29. Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt. 2 Kings 17:30. And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima, 2 Kings 17:31. and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. As in its ethnic composition the new population of the territory of the former Israelite kingdom presented a union of Hebrew and foreign elements, so also in religion, in the worship of the new population, there existed a duality: alongside the Lord (for a long time under the form of a calf—until the time of Josiah, 2 Kgs 23:15) the different tribes that entered into its composition each worshipped its own tribal god: the Babylonians—Succoth-benoth, the Cutheans—Nergal, the Hamathites—Ashima, the Avvites—Nibhaz and Tartak, while the Sepharvites practiced the burning of their own children (that is, a cult similar to Molech’s) to their gods Adrammelech and Anammelech. The character of the worship of each of these deities is little known. Translating literally succoth-benoth: “tents of daughters,” some (Selden, Münter, professor Gulyaev) saw in this name an indication of the worship of Babylonian Astarte, in which maidens sacrificed to her their virginity (last Jer 42-43). But the reading of the LXX: Σωκχώθ Βενίθ (Slavonic: “Sokkhof Venif”) gave Assyrologists (Jensen, Schrader) reason to see in the second component of the name the Assyrian banitu epithet of the same Babylonian Astarte or Ishtar (“Ishtar-banit” or “Zarpanit”). Still other Assyrologists consider this name an epithet of the god Merodach or Marduk and translate it “supreme judge of the universe” (cf. Onomasticon, 204). Nergal, according to some, means “swirling light” (from Hebrew ner—“light,” and galal—“to turn”); under this name, it is said, the Persians and some other peoples deified fire, which was constantly maintained in oil wells (professor Gulyaev, p. 350). According to Assyrologists (Fr. Delitzsch), Nergal (LXX: Εργελ, Vulgate: Nergel, Slavonic: “Gigel”), called in cuneiform inscriptions the god of Cuthah, was for the Assyrians the god of lions and was depicted in the form of a lion, and by his astronomical significance corresponded to Mars (Onomasticon, 748. Cf. in Palmov, Idolatry Among the Ancient Hebrews, 353-355); according to the rabbis, Nergal was revered in the form of a rooster. Of the Hamathite deity Ashima nothing is mentioned in cuneiform inscriptions; the name Ashima, LXX: Ασιμάθ, Vulgate: Asima, Slavonic: “Asimaph” (Onomasticon, 160); is compared with the Phoenician deity Eshmun (the 8th planet), the Persian Asuman, the Zendish Asmano, consequently is considered a planetary deity; on the other hand, following the rabbis, the emblem of Ashima is considered a goat, and the worship is considered to have similarity with the Egyptian Mendes and the Greek Pan (Palmov, 365-367). Nibhaz (LXX: ῾εβλασερ, Vulgate: Nebahaz, Slavonic: “Avlazer” (Onomasticon, 743))—the deity of the Avvites, is now compared either with the Egyptian Anubis (it is supposed, like the latter, that the idol had a dog’s head, as the rabbis said), or is regarded as an evil demon. A similar significance of an underworld evil deity apparently had Tartak. LXX: Θαρτάκ, Slavonic: “Farfak”; according to the rabbis, was depicted in the form of a donkey (Onomasticon, 507). Adrammelech and Anammelech (Onomasticon, 25)—solar deities. Adrammelech—an Akkadian deity, called in cuneiform monuments a terrible lord of fire, personified the destructive power of the sun. Anammelech—the beneficial; the second component “melech,” as well as the fiery worship of human sacrifice, reminds of Molech, a common Semitic deity (cf. in Palmov, 345-350).

2 Kings 17:32. So they feared the Lord, and made to themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places. 2 Kings 17:33. They feared the Lord, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations of whom they were carried away. 2 Kings 17:34. to this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the Lord, neither do they after the statutes and the ordinances, and the law and the commandment, which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel. 2 Kings 17:35. And the Lord made a covenant with them, and charged them, saying, you shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them: 2 Kings 17:36. But the Lord, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall you fear, and him shall you worship, and to him shall you do sacrifice. 2 Kings 17:37. And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, you shall observe to do for evermore; and you shall not fear other gods: 2 Kings 17:38. And the covenant that I have made with you you shall not forget; neither shall you fear other gods; 2 Kings 17:39. But the Lord your God you shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies. 2 Kings 17:40. Howbeit they hearkened not, but did after their former manner. 2 Kings 17:41. So these nations feared the Lord, and served their graven images, both their children and their children’s children: as did their fathers, so do they to this day. The mixed, or dual-faith, character of the religion of the Samaritans, remaining such even until the time of the sacred writer, that is, until the middle of the 6th century B.C., is described in detail, cf. blessed Theodoret, question 49. * * * According to Josephus (Jewish Antiquities, 9:13, 1), Hoshea, on the contrary, throughout the 9 years of his reign was distinguished by vile behavior in general and a contemptuous attitude toward the Eternal in particular. This Shalmaneser probably is meant by the name Shalman, Hebrew Shalmam, in the prophet Hoshea (Hos 10:14) “Shalman destroyed Bet-Arbel,” according to the most probable explanation of this passage. See in professor Brodovich, cited work, pp. 372-374. See the article by Ebersa “So” in Handworterbuch des biblischen Alterthums, by Ep. Riehm, vol. II (A, 2, 1894), p. 1528. On Shalmaneser and Sargon see the articles by Schrader in the same Handworterbuch d. biblischen Alterthums, Riehm’s, vol. II, pp. 1350-1351 and 1387-1392. The traveler Ker-Porter found on one of the hills between Babylon and Hamadan (probably the ancient Ecbatana) a sculpture depicting 10 captives, one of whose prominent figure treads with his foot. By supposition, this is Sargon and 10 Israelites, as representatives of the 10 tribes, headed by their king, trampled by Sargon. (Philippson, Jsraelit. Bibel II, p. 663). On Rages and Ecbatana see in professor N. M. Drozdov’s study of the origins of the Book of Tobit, Kyiv, 1901, pp. 131 et seq. Detailed and fully scientific information on the Samaritans in Russian can be read in the essays on them by professor V. P. Rybinsky, “Proceedings of the Kyiv Theological Academy,” 1895.

Chapter Eighteen

The history of the Kingdom of Judah, following the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel, until the Babylonian captivity. 1–7a. Hezekiah, the thirteenth king of Judah, his years of reign, and his pious character. 7b–37. Hezekiah’s defection from Assyria, the campaign of Sennacherib against Judah, and the siege of Jerusalem by his commanders.

2 Kings 18:1. In the third year of Hoshea, son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, king of Judah, became king. 2 Kings 18:2. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Abi, daughter of Zechariah. 2 Kings 18:3. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done; 2 Kings 18:4. he removed the high places, broke the pillars, cut down the Asherah, and destroyed the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the children of Israel had burned incense to it until those days, and called it Nehushtan. 2 Kings 18:5. He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel; and there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either after him or before him. 2 Kings 18:6. And he held fast to the Lord and did not depart from Him, and he kept the commandments that the Lord had commanded Moses. 2 Kings 18:7. And the Lord was with him; wherever he went, he prospered. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 2 Kings 18:8. He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and within its territory, from the watchtower to the fortified city. Concerning the reign of the most pious Hezekiah, besides 2 Kgs 18-20 in the Bible there are two other extensive parallel accounts: in the book of Isa 36:1-39 and in 2 Chr 29:1. Compared to the account in the book of the prophet Isaiah, the account in the Fourth Book of Kings partly contains something not found in the prophet Isaiah, such as 2 Kgs 18:14-16, and partly lacks the prayer of King Hezekiah contained there (Isa 38:9-20), from which some scholars reasonably conclude that both accounts were taken by two sacred writers from one common source—a chronicle of the religious and social life of that time (sources of this kind are named in 2 Chr 32:33: “the vision of Isaiah, son of Amoz, the prophet”; here also are indicated the documents usually cited in the third and fourth books of Kings, “the chronicles of the kings of Judah and Israel”: for the history of Hezekiah both of these sources served; since his activity affected the Kingdom of Israel, the destruction of which occurred in the sixth year of Hezekiah’s reign (2 Kgs 18:10), though one may suppose a direct influence of the recension of the prophet Isaiah on the Fourth Book of Kings). The account of 2 Chr 29:1-32 examines Hezekiah’s reign not so much from a political and theocratic standpoint, as does the Fourth Book of Kings and the book of the prophet Isaiah, but from the perspective of this king’s ecclesiastical activity and therefore reports primarily about Hezekiah’s restoration of various religious and cultic observances, especially the feast of Passover, and thus significantly supplements the account of the Fourth Book of Kings. The date of Hezekiah’s accession is determined as 727 BC (cf. verse 2, compare 10: six years before the fall of Samaria). Concerning the reconciliation of the date of Hezekiah being twenty-five years old (2 Kgs 18:2) at his accession with the date of his reign and the years of his father Ahaz’s life, see the commentaries on 2 Kgs 16:2 (cf. Professor Gulyaev, p. 352). The general pious reign of Hezekiah and such direction of his reign (verse 5) the sacred writer, in his usual manner, indicates in relation to worship: Hezekiah was the first of all the kings of Judah who dared to remove even those ancient high places, sacred in the eyes of the common people, the worship at which God permitted even the pious kings of Judah (1 Kgs 3:2) 15, but which were not reconciled with the idea of the unity of the place of worship, with the law of centralization of the worship of Jehovah in the one temple in Jerusalem (Deut 12:5-6); in the name of this latter law, wishing, it seems, to destroy every semblance of polytheism in the worship of God’s people, Hezekiah “removed the high places and the altars” throughout the land (verse 22). Further, in his zeal for the purely spiritual worship of Jehovah, Hezekiah without hesitation destroyed even such a relic sacred in the eyes of the people as the bronze serpent—Nehushtan—once made by Moses as a saving symbol (Num 21:4-9; cf. Wis 16:10 and others; see “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. I, p. 557), preserved for many centuries, perhaps by the tabernacle and later by the temple, but then it became an object of pagan deification by the Jews (see in Palmov, cited work, pp. 143–152). Some, for instance, Kleinert in Riehm’s Handwörterbuch, II, 1425, connect this cult of Nehushtan among the Hebrews with the Egyptian worship of Serapis on the basis that in Num 21:6 poisonous snakes are called in Hebrew seraphim—“burning ones”. But it is far more probable that this superstition and idolatry arose among the Hebrews in connection with the pagan belief in the supernatural power of serpents, as this belief is found among the Phoenicians, Egyptians, and Assyro-Babylonians. The destruction of idolatry and superstition accomplished by Hezekiah (verses 3–4), however, would not yet give the right to recognize him alone in piety among all the descendants of David (verse 5), had he not carried out those reforms in the restoration of the temple worship in all its purity and splendor, of which the Second Book of Chronicles tells; namely: 1) the cleansing of the temple from all unclean pagan cults (2 Chr 29:1-19); 2) the restoration of the regular performance of true worship according to the law of Moses and according to the statutes of David and the contemporary prophets (2 Chr 29:20-36); 3) an unprecedented, in its solemnity, celebration of the Passover with the participation of even the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Israel (2 Chr 30:1) and 4) the restoration of the institutions established by David through the priesthood and the return to the priests of the means and sources of their support (from offerings to the temple), which had been taken from them during the time of the rule of idolatry. These deeds of piety earned for Hezekiah the mercy of Jehovah (verse 7), which manifested itself in two external successes of Hezekiah’s reign: a) Hezekiah’s defection from Assyria, to which Ahaz had subjected Judah (2 Kgs 16:7), this defection expressed itself, of course, in Hezekiah’s refusal to pay the known tribute to the Assyrian king (cf. 2 Kgs 17:3-4; see in Professor Gulyaev, p. 353) b) in Hezekiah’s victory over the Philistines (verse 8), who under Ahaz had made a series of conquests in the territory of the Kingdom of Judah (2 Chr 28:18).

2 Kings 18:9. In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, that is, the seventh year of Hoshea, son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, came up against Samaria and besieged it, 2 Kings 18:10. and took it at the end of three years; in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is, the ninth year of Hoshea, king of Israel, Samaria was taken. 2 Kings 18:11. And the king of Assyria carried Israel away captive to Assyria, and placed them in Halah and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 2 Kings 18:12. because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God and violated His covenant, everything that Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded; they did not listen to it or do it. Here with almost complete accuracy is repeated what was said in 2 Kgs 17:3-6 about the fall of the Kingdom of Israel: perhaps the account of this memorable event was recorded not only in Israelite but also in Judean chronicles, and the purpose of the repetition was to indicate that the piety of Hezekiah and the religious reforms he carried out saved Judah from the fate of Samaria and gave the Kingdom of Judah the strength to withstand the pressure of the Assyrians.

2 Kings 18:13. In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. The campaign of the Assyrian king against Judah under Hezekiah was probably caused, among other things, by Hezekiah’s refusal to pay tribute (verse 7) to the new king of Assyria, Sennacherib (Hebrew Sanhérib; Assyrian sin-ahi-riba; in Herodotus II, 141: Σαναχάριβος), son and successor of the conqueror of Samaria, Sargon. According to Assyrian chronology (the so-called “canon of eponyms”), Sennacherib reigned 705–681 BC, which is why his campaign against Judah is now commonly dated to 701 BC. According to biblical chronology, the years of Hezekiah’s reign are 727–698 BC, in view of the testimony of 2 Kgs 20:6 that Hezekiah after Sennacherib’s campaign and his own contemporary illness lived another 15 years, the event of Sennacherib’s invasion falls approximately on 713 BC (cf. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 10:1, 1, 16). Given that Sennacherib sent his messengers to Hezekiah from Lachish (verse 17, cf. 2 Kgs 14:17, Onomasticon, 647), which lay to the southwest of Jerusalem, one may conclude that the purpose of the campaign was also the land of the Philistines and perhaps the border regions of Egypt; one may also think that at this time, as before the fall of Israel, there was again a coalition of various small Asiatic kingdoms against Assyria, awaiting help from Egypt: Judah under Hezekiah, as is evident from the reproachful speeches of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 31:1-3), was strongly inclined toward an alliance with Egypt, and according to Assyrian monuments, entered into alliance with Sidon, Ascalon, and others; connected with this, probably, stands the mentioned in the history of Hezekiah the embassy to him from the Babylonian king Merodach-Baladan, 2 Kgs 20:12 and further, Isa 39:1 and further. In general, Sennacherib’s invasion was a typical conquest campaign. First under the arms of Sennacherib fell, according to Assyrian data, Sidon, and after it the surrounding cities; then Sennacherib along the seacoast reached the Philistine cities of Ekron (Acaron) and Ascalon and, conquering them, came to the Judean city of Lachish (Schrader op. cit., s. 291 ff. cf. in Bishop Platon, “The Ancient East in the Light of Divine Revelation”, Kiev, pp. 236 ff.), Hezekiah and his officials awaited help from Egypt (verse 21), but at the same time strongly fortified Jerusalem and in case of a prolonged siege plugged up the springs outside the city (2 Chr 32:2-5).

2 Kings 18:14. And Hezekiah, king of Judah, sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have offended; withdraw from me; whatever you impose on me I will pay.” And the king of Assyria imposed upon Hezekiah, king of Judah, three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 2 Kings 18:15. And Hezekiah gave all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house. 2 Kings 18:16. At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the house of the Lord and from the door posts, which Hezekiah, king of Judah, had overlaid with gold, and gave it to the king of Assyria. In view of the devastations which the Assyrian armies had inflicted within the Kingdom of Judah (Isa 33:8-9), Hezekiah, acknowledging his guilt before the Assyrian king, decided to pay Sennacherib an enormous tribute (according to Professor Gulyaev, p. 354, 300 talents of silver = 450,000 rubles in silver, and 30 talents of gold = 45,000 rubles in gold; the exact amount of all the tribute is difficult to determine in view of the unknown proportional value of gold and silver among the ancient Hebrews), for the collection of which Hezekiah had to resort to compromising the integrity of the temple, something which even his impious predecessors had not done: Joash (2 Kgs 12:19)—he gave to Hazael only the donations to the temple) and Ahaz (2 Kgs 18:17): who parted with only some of the temple vessels). However, this great sacrifice did not save Jerusalem from further encroachments by the Assyrians.

2 Kings 18:17. And the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rab-saris, and the Rab-shakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a large army to Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem; and when they had come, they took up a position by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the road to the Fuller’s Field. 2 Kings 18:18. And they called for the king. And there came out to them Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder. Josephus Flavius (Jewish Antiquities 10:1, 1) completes the biblical account in this way: “the Assyrian took the money, but did not think of keeping his promise, but going himself to war against the Egyptians and Ethiopians, left his military commander (στρατηγόν) with two other generals in command of a huge army under Jerusalem for its destruction.” Tartan, Rab-saris, and Rab-shakeh are appellative, not proper names, of Assyrian military commanders and courtiers. Tartan (cf. Isa 20:1), Assyrian turtanu, is the highest general or commander; Rab-saris, from Hebrew: chief of eunuchs (cf. 2 Kgs 25:19, cf. Gen 37:36); from Hebrew the name Rab-shakeh is also explained: chief of the cupbearers (Gen 40:2). The place where the Assyrian commanders took their stand—by the conduit of the upper pool (verse 17, Isa 36:2), according to common opinion, lay to the west of Jerusalem in the Valley of Hinnom and is now identified with the pool Birket-Mamilla (in distinction from the “lower pool”, Isa 22:9), identified with the present Birhet-Sultan to the southwest of Jerusalem, cf. Stade, Geschichte I, 591–593 Anmerk); here likewise one should probably look for the field of the fuller or washer (kóbes). “Jerusalem was surrounded by settlements of artisans. Thus, to the south of it was the settlement of the potters. To the east and west were settlements of the fullers. There were, of course, others, of which there was no occasion to mention in the holy books. The fullers not only fashioned rough woolen materials, but also engaged in the washing of goods previously made. Their settlements, by necessity, were placed near streams or significant water flows” (Prof. Gulyaev, pp. 354–355). Regarding this blockade of Jerusalem by a part of the Assyrian army, Sennacherib in his inscription says that he “shut up Hezekiah in Jerusalem, like a bird in a cage.” Proud of their lord’s successes, the commanders of Sennacherib demanded for negotiations the king of Judah himself, but Hezekiah, considering this beneath his dignity (according to Josephus, ὑπό δειλίας, out of cowardice), sent to them three of his highest officials for this purpose (on the significance of the positions of the household manager, secretary, and clerk see the remark from 1 Kgs 4:3 and following), concerning Eliakim and Shebna see Isa 22:15 and further.

2 Kings 18:19. And the Rab-shakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah: Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: What is this confidence in which you trust?” 2 Kings 18:20. “You say you have strategy and might for war, but these are mere words. In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me?” 2 Kings 18:21. “Behold, you are relying on Egypt, on that broken reed of a staff, which, if a man leans on it, will pierce his hand. Such is Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to all who rely on him.” 2 Kings 18:22. “But if you say to me, ‘We rely on the Lord our God,’ is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?” 2 Kings 18:23. “Now make an agreement with my lord the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders upon them.” 2 Kings 18:24. “How then can you turn back a single captain of the least of my lord’s servants? Yet you rely on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen!” 2 Kings 18:25. “Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’” Verses 27–35. The speech of the Rab-shakeh—a specimen of ancient diplomatic oratory, is constructed with great skill. It was delivered in the Hebrew language (yehudit—in the Judean manner, verse 26—as applied to the Kingdom of Judah), not in the usual diplomatic language of that time, Aramaic—deliberately—in order to produce the appropriate impression on the largest possible mass of people (most of whom did not understand Aramaic speech, verses 26–27). The rabbis and blessed Theodoret (question 52) believed that the Rab-shakeh was a Hebrew or one devoted to the Assyrians, or taken by them as a captive and later raised to the position of an official. The indication of the Rab-shakeh to the weakness of Egypt and the uselessness of an alliance with it or even its harm (verse 21) even in the letter reminds one of the prophetic comparison (Ezek 29:6 and following), and in substance completely coincides with one of the speeches of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 30:1-7). Very skillful is also the reference to the removal of the high places of the altars of Jehovah by Hezekiah (verse 22): expressing an actual fact (verse 4), the Rab-shakeh by this reference wished to cast a shadow on the sincerity of Hezekiah’s religiosity, his devotion to Jehovah (2 Chr 32:7), to shake his authority in the eyes of the people, for whom those high places had always been dear. In verses 23–24 is indicated the complete disproportion between the forces of the Assyrians and the Judeans, especially the cavalry; the latter from the days of Solomon (1 Kgs 4:27 following) was among the Hebrews (Isa 2:7), but, compared to the Assyrian cavalry and chariots, appeared insignificant. The mention by the Rab-shakeh, verse 25, that he is an instrument in the hands of Jehovah, though it reminds one of the speech of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 10:5 following), yet one cannot suppose that the Assyrian commander (if he was not a Hebrew) was acquainted with this prophecy or that he attributed the Assyrian victories to the help of Jehovah (cf. verse 35). Wishing to incline the inhabitants of Jerusalem toward surrender and complete submission to Sennacherib, the Rab-shakeh, on the one hand, points out to the people the threatening or already approaching extremity of hunger (verse 27, cf. 2 Kgs 6:25 and following), on the other—paints a picture of prosperity in case of Jerusalem’s surrender, though at the same time hints that the Assyrian king, by custom, will resettle part of the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Judah in another country (verses 31–32); the speech concludes with a sacrilegious apotheosis of the power and might of Assyria, before which the glory fades and the might of the gods of all nations comes to nothing: in proof of this he refers to indisputable facts of the fall of various cities and kingdoms (verses 33–35). Concerning Hamath, Ivvah (Avvah), and Sepharvaim see the commentaries on 2 Kgs 17:24. Arpad (verse 34) (LXX: ῾Αρφάδ, Vulgate: Arphad, Slavonic: “Arfad” in cuneiform inscriptions Arpadda) is mentioned in the Bible always in connection with Hamath (2 Kgs 19:13; Isa 10:9; Иер.99:23) and therefore, probably, lay in northern Syria, near Shapha, and to it, perhaps, corresponds the present Tell-Erfad, to the north of Damascus, near Carchemish, in 7 hours from Aleppo (Onomast. 133. Palestinian Miscellany vol. 37, p. 169). Ena (Hebrew Gena, LXX: Ανα, Slavonic: “Ana”), also in 2 Kgs 19:13; Isa 37:13) mentioned in connection with Ivvah, probably, like the latter, lay in Mesopotamia, on the Euphrates, perhaps identical with the present Ana (Onomast. 91). The mockery contained in the last words of the Rab-shakeh of Jehovah (verse 35; cf. blessed Theodoret, question 52), quite contradictory to what he expressed earlier (verse 25), had an especially depressing effect on the people and on Hezekiah’s messengers, completing the painful impression of the whole speech. Deathly silence was the answer to the Rab-shakeh, who perhaps expected direct action on the minds and wills of the listeners. The people were silent—simply under the heavy impression of what they had heard, and the king’s messengers, moreover, had a special royal command not to give any answer to the Rab-shakeh (Hezekiah, perhaps, reserved the decision for himself and feared that by opening negotiations on his part his messengers would increase the demands of the Assyrians). In torn garments—as a sign of deep national mourning (cf. 2 Kgs 6:30)—they appeared before Hezekiah and communicated to him the speech of the Rab-shakeh. * * * Notes A comprehensive historical-archaeological sketch of “Worship on the High Places” among the ancient Hebrews is given in the book by Palmov “Idolatry among the Ancient Hebrews”, pp. 152–176 Concerning the difference between biblical and Assyrian chronology in the question of the time of the Palestinian campaign of Sennacherib. See in Bishop Platon, The Ancient East in the Light of Divine Revelation. Kiev, 1898, p. 256, note 1

Chapter Nineteen

1–4. Hezekiah in his distress turns himself to prayer and sends a mournful embassy to the prophet Isaiah with a request for him to pray for Jerusalem and the people of Judah. 5–7. Encouragement from the prophet. 8–13. A new threatening embassy of the Assyrian king. 14–19. A new prayer of Hezekiah. 20–34. The answer of the prophet Isaiah to this prayer. 35–37. The defeat of the Assyrian army and the death of Sennacherib.

2 Kings 19:1. When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. 2 Kings 19:2. And he sent Eliakim, the one over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the elder priests, clothed in sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz. 2 Kings 19:3. And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah: This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth.” 2 Kings 19:4. “It may be that the Lord your God heard all the words of the Rab-shakeh, whom his master, the king of Assyria, sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.” Perceiving in the invasion of the Assyrians and the siege of Jerusalem that Hezekiah, like his officials (2 Kgs 18:37), put on the garment of mourning and repentance (verse 1, cf. 1 Kgs 20:32; 2 Kgs 6:30) and goes to the temple with a prayer of repentance and entreaty (the rabbis derived from this passage the rule that when blasphemies are heard, both the one who hears them and the one to whom they are reported should rend their garments). At the same time Hezekiah in this critical moment remembers the prophet Isaiah, who from the time of the memorable Syro-Israelite invasion of Jerusalem (2 Kgs 7:3 and following) was the sole counselor of the king and people, and they therefore now turned their eyes to him. In the composition of the embassy (cf. Jer 21:1) to the prophet entered also the “elders of the priests” (apparently, the priesthood at this time was combined into a complex organization): here the distinction between priestly and prophetic ministry in Israel appears: priests were professional servants of worship, predestined by their very origin to serve religion and worship, while prophets were extraordinary chosen ones of God, divinely inspired organs of Him, to whom naturally the gaze of the people turned in critical moments. In Hezekiah’s words “children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth” (verse 3) is contained “in the highest degree an imaginative representation of the hopeless, agonizing state in which the Judeans must have found themselves awaiting the approaching danger. Such a position was expressed in no way more vividly than by comparison with the state of a woman in labor, in the last moments before the child comes into the world, when the mother grows weak in the pangs of childbirth and despairs of relief” (Prof. Gulyaev, p. 357). This comparison has the form of a common proverb (cf. Isa 13:8; Hos 13:13; see in Prof. Brodovich, cited work, p. 452–453). Hezekiah calls the Lord the God of the prophet (verse 4) in the sense of God’s special closeness to the prophet, as to His chosen one, and upon this closeness is based the belief in the effectiveness of his intercession before God (cf. Gen 18:17 and further, Gen 20:7; Exod 32:31 and further). “The remnant that remains,” i.e., the inhabitants of Jerusalem and other cities, not yet conquered by the Assyrians.

2 Kings 19:6. And Isaiah said to them, “Thus shall you say to your lord: Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me.” 2 Kings 19:7. “Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.” The reassuring answer of the prophet Isaiah foretells a happy outcome for Judah and a sad one for Assyria and its king of Sennacherib’s invasion, which soon was fulfilled in complete accuracy (verses 35–37). The expression “Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he shall hear a report” (verse 7) is understood in different ways. Some understand “spirit” (Hebrew ruach) figuratively: either in the sense of a guardian angel of the Judeans (verse 35) or, on the contrary, in the sense of a spirit of deception (cf. 1 Kgs 22:20-23), which inspired Sennacherib with false news, which forced him to return to Assyria. Others understand it in the sense of an intention inspired in Sennacherib, or more particularly, as a spirit of fear: blessed Theodoret (question 52) writes: “what is said: ‘I am giving him a spirit,’ I think means fear (πνεῦμα τὴν δειλίαν οἴμαι δηλοῦν). For the divine apostle also said: ‘God did not give us a spirit of fear’.” Finally, others, taking the Hebrew ruach in its primary meaning of wind, see here an indication of a plague-bearing wind, like a samum, which destroyed a large part of the Assyrian army (verse 35), see in Prof. Gulyaev, p. 353. Of these opinions, the most acceptable is the opinion of blessed Theodoret, but it should be supplemented, in accordance with the context of verse 9 (cf. verse 7), that fear was inspired in Sennacherib precisely by the news of the campaign of Tirhakah the Ethiopian against him (similarly to the lifting of the siege of Samaria and the flight of the Syrians, 2 Kgs 7:6).

2 Kings 19:8. And the Rab-shakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah; for he had heard that the king had left Lachish. 2 Kings 19:9. And when the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, “Behold, he has set out to fight against you,” he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying, 2 Kings 19:10. “Thus shall you say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by saying, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’” 2 Kings 19:11. “Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered?” 2 Kings 19:12. “Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations which my fathers destroyed—Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?” 2 Kings 19:13. “Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena and Ivvah?” Not receiving the desired answer from Hezekiah, the Rab-shakeh, probably with his army (cf. 2 Kgs 18:17), leaves the walls of Jerusalem and with news of the results of the negotiations heads toward the fortress city of Libnah (Beit-Jibrin now. Onomast. 634, see the commentaries on 2 Kgs 8:22), also in the tribe of Judah, but to the southwest of Jerusalem and north of the conquered and already abandoned Lachish, midway between these cities. Apparently, Sennacherib in his direction toward Egypt made a turn back, leaving in his rear a strong fortress—Lachish, near which he received news of the campaign of Tirhakah, king of Ethiopia, Hebrew Kush (verse 9). The name Kush or Hush (Hus) sometimes meant also a region to the north of the Persian Gulf (cf. Gen 2:13 and others; 1 Chr 1:8 and others), the ancient name of which is preserved even today in the name of the Persian region Khuzistan. But usually this name, well known in Egyptian monuments (Kas, Kis, Kes) and Assyrian (Kassu), means the country, people, and then the state to the south of Egypt along the Nile, in the territory of present-day Nubia, the country called in the Bible usually in connection with Egypt (Isa 20:3-5; Jer 46:9 and others; Onomasticon, 317, 344; 807): namely this latter Ethiopia, without doubt, is meant here (verse 9). Tirhakah (in Manetho: Ταρακύς, in Strabo: Τε όρκων ὁ Αιθίψ; on Egyptian monuments: Tahark or Taharka, Assyrian: Tarku, LXX: θαρακά, Vulgate: Tharaca, Slavonic: “Pharaka”). Egyptian monuments know Tirhakah, the third and last king of the Ethiopian dynasty of Egypt, more as a builder (the renewal and expansion of the famous Karnak temple in Thebes belongs to him) than as a conqueror. More so from this latter side does Tirhakah appear in the Assyrian inscriptions of Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, and Ashurbanipal; in particular concerning Sennacherib, according to these, as with the Bible, it is said that in his third campaign against Phoenicia and Palestine he was attacked by the king of Meroe (Ethiopia) and defeated him (the latter the Bible does not mention) (see Brogsch, Gesch. Aegyptens 1877, s. 715 ff., cf. Ebers in Riehm “Handwörterbuch des Biblischen Altertums”, II, 1698–1699). The campaign of Tirhakah was probably a retaliatory movement against Sennacherib’s raid (cf. Prof. Gulyaev, p. 359). His letter (verse 96 and following) Sennacherib now directs directly to Hezekiah, hoping, of course, to achieve better results, but uses the same argumentation (verse 10; cf. 2 Kgs 18:30) as the Rab-shakeh, only names an even larger number of conquered by him countries and cities (verses 12–13), of course, in order to produce a stronger impression. Concerning Gozan see the commentaries on 2 Kgs 17:6. Haran, LXX: Ξαρράv, Slavonic-Russian: “Harran” (Gen 11:31), in the classics Κάῤῥαι, Carrae, in northwestern Mesopotamia to the southeast of Edessa (Onomasticon, 951; cf. “Commentary on the Bible” vol. I, p. 49). Rezeph, LXX: ᾿Ραφίς, Vulgate: Reseph, Slavonic “Phares”, is identified with Ρησὰφα or Ρεσκίφα of Ptolemy, between Palmyra and the Euphrates (Onomast. 773). “The sons of Eden” (ὑιοὺς ᾿Εδέμ, Vulgate: filios Eden, Slavonic: “sons of Edomli”), Hebrew: bene-Eden, probably a region known in the cuneiform inscriptions as Bit-Adini to the north of Rezeph, on both banks of the middle course of the Euphrates. Telassar, LXX: θαεσθέν, Hebrew and Vulgate: Thelassar—perhaps one of the prominent points of the region just named (Onomasticon, 494).

2 Kings 19:14. And Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord, 2 Kings 19:15. and prayed before the Lord and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.” 2 Kings 19:16. “Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God.” 2 Kings 19:17. “It is true, O Lord, that the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,” 2 Kings 19:18. “and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone; therefore they were destroyed.” 2 Kings 19:19. “So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.” Symbolically presenting before Jehovah (in the form of the unfolded letter) the full weight of the mockeries and threats of Sennacherib, Hezekiah pronounces a prayer which can serve as a model of Old Testament theocratic confession of faith. Concerning the expression “enthroned above the cherubim” (verse 15, cf. 1 Sam 4:4; Ps 98:1) cf. “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. I, pp. 356–357.

2 Kings 19:20. And Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Your prayer to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.” 2 Kings 19:21. “This is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him: She despises you, she scoffs at you—the virgin daughter of Zion; she wags her head behind you—the daughter of Jerusalem.” 2 Kings 19:22. “Whom have you mocked and reviled? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel!” 2 Kings 19:23. “Through your messengers you have mocked the Lord, and you have said, ‘With my many chariots I have gone up the heights of the mountains, to the far reaches of Lebanon; I felled its tallest cedars, its choicest cypresses; I reached its remotest height, its densest forest;” 2 Kings 19:24. “I dug wells and drank foreign waters, and I dried up with the sole of my foot all the streams of Egypt.” 2 Kings 19:25. “Have you not heard that I determined it long ago? I planned from days of old what now I bring to pass, that you should turn fortified cities into heaps of ruins,” 2 Kings 19:26. “while their inhabitants, shorn of strength, are dismayed and confounded; they have become like plants of the field and like tender grass, like grass on the rooftops, blighted before it is grown.” 2 Kings 19:27. “But I know your sitting down and your going out and coming in, and your raging against me.” 2 Kings 19:28. “Because you have raged against me and your arrogance has come to my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back on the way by which you came.” 2 Kings 19:29. “And this shall be the sign for you: this year you shall eat what grows of itself, and in the second year what springs of the same. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.” 2 Kings 19:30. “And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward.” 2 Kings 19:31. “For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” 2 Kings 19:32. “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there, or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it.” 2 Kings 19:33. “By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the Lord.” 2 Kings 19:34. “For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.” The whole prophetic answer of Isaiah falls into three parts: a) the rebuke of Sennacherib’s pride and boastfulness, verses 21–28; b) the turn to Hezekiah, verses 29–31; and c) an indication of the outcome or result of the Assyrian invasion, verses 31–34. Sennacherib’s arrogance and boastfulness are opposed (verse 21) by the calm confidence of the “virgin daughter of Zion” (i.e., Jerusalem, cf. Isa 23:12; Jer 1:15 and others), scornfully and mockingly shaking her head (cf. Ps 21:8; Isa 16:4), and this scorn is fully deserved, because Sennacherib reviled the “Holy One of Israel” (verse 22)—an epithet of Jehovah, very frequently used by the prophet Isaiah (Isa 1:4 and many others), here especially appropriate: the holiness of Jehovah is precisely that His property by which the greatness of God cannot be despised with impunity (cf. Isa 5:16). To clarify the figurative speech of Sennacherib, verses 23–24, one may note that “in the poetic and animated speech of the Hebrews, the expressions Lebanon, cedar, and the ascent of Lebanon, the highest mountain in that region, are very often used as a symbol of the most powerful pride, which deems all things possible to itself”; that “in hot countries, water and a well constitute the most precious possession (cf. Prov 5:15; Num 20:17 and following); to dig a well on another’s land or to drink another’s water meant to seize complete possession of that other’s property” (Prof. Gulyaev, p. 361); if verse 23 relates to Palestinian territory, which the campaign of Sennacherib first touched, then verse 24 relates to Egypt, also being the goal of his conquest campaign. In verses 25–28 the omniscience of God’s providence is opposed to Sennacherib’s self-reliance, especially concerning Israel (verses 25–26), and then, after reminding that God knows all the details of Sennacherib’s life and behavior (verse 27, cf. Ps 120:8; Deut 28:6), the complete arranging of his fate according to the almighty will of God is announced (in verse 28 is the image of tamed animals, cf. Ps 31:9; Isa 30:28). In verses 29–31 Hezekiah is given a reassuring sign (cf. Exod 3:12) that the Assyrian invasion will end for Judah not only without harm, but will serve for some renewal of the Judean people—the race, for the sake of the delivered remnant, the better part of God’s people; in verse 29, perhaps there is an indication, though very indefinite, to the sabbath and jubilee years (Lev 25:1, cf. in Prof. Gulyaev, p. 362–363). In verses 32–34 complete safety for Jerusalem, guarded by God, is announced against Sennacherib, who will vainly return by the same road. At this time, one should suppose, there took place the battle of Sennacherib with Tirhakah near Altaku, of which the cuneiform inscriptions speak; Altaku, according to Schrader (Keilnischriften und das Alte Testament, ss. 171, 289), is identical with the biblical Eltekeh in the portion of Dan (Josh 19:44), identified, by supposition, with the present Beit-Lukia (Onomast. 416–217). In the battle Tirhakah was defeated (cf. in Bishop Platon, cited work, pp. 242–243, 254). This victory, of course, further emboldened Sennacherib, filling him with confidence in the forthcoming destruction of Jerusalem, but heavenly punishment was already near.

2 Kings 19:35. And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. 2 Kings 19:36. Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived in Nineveh. 2 Kings 19:37. And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons struck him down with the sword, and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place. “The Lord, having heard the prayer, on that very night, in the blink of an eye, struck with death 185,000 Assyrians” (blessed Theodoret, question 52). What was the plague that caused the death of such a mass of the army that forced Sennacherib to hurriedly depart to Assyria? Herodotus (History. II, 141) tells that upon the army of the Assyrians during their Egyptian campaign fell an innumerable number of mice, which gnawed through the bowstrings of the bows and the straps of the shields and thereby deprived the Assyrian army of the ability to continue the war. Josephus (Jewish Antiquities 10:1, 5) considers the plague a pestilence; this opinion predominates even now in historical, explanatory, and medical science (see in Bishop Platon, p. 254, note 4; in I. Popov, “Biblical Information on Various Diseases”, p. 114). But from the biblical perspective, the supernatural character of the plague is beyond doubt; it was inflicted by an angel of death (Hebrew hamashchit), who once struck the firstborn of Egypt (Exod 12:12), and also inflicted massive punishment on Israel after David’s census of the people (2 Sam 24:15 and following). Sennacherib returned to Nineveh (the capital of Assyria on the eastern bank of the Tigris, now the villages of Kuyunjik and Nebi Yunus, Onomast. 749), where, according to the account in the book of Tobit, he poured out his malice on the captive Israelites ((Tob 1:15), cf. in Prof. I. M. Drozdov, cited work, p. 111). According to Assyrian monuments, Sennacherib after the Palestinian campaign lived another 20 years. He died a violent death: while worshiping the god Nisroch (see about Nisroch in Palmov, cited work, pp. 472–476) in the temple of this god, he was killed by his own sons (their names apparently are identical with the names of Assyrian gods; concerning Adrammelech cf. 2 Kgs 17:31), who then fled from the people’s wrath to the land of Ararat (Isa 37:38) according to the LXX—to Armenia (Onomast. 111, 129, cf. “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. I, pp. 37–38). * * * In the book of Bishop Platon (cited work, p. 236–237) the reverse order of events is allowed: the embassy of Merodach-Baladan is placed in direct causal and chronological connection with the West-Asian coalition formed against Sennacherib. But coalitions of this kind were formed against Assyria several times. The order of the biblical narrative in any case speaks for the sequence we have indicated.

Chapter Twenty

1–11. The illness of Hezekiah, his prayer and miraculous healing with the miraculous return of the shadow on the sundial. 12–21. The embassy of the Babylonian king, the vanity of Hezekiah; the threatening prediction of the prophet Isaiah concerning the Babylonian captivity and Hezekiah’s humbling.

2 Kings 20:1. In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.” The illness of Hezekiah is usually dated to the time of Sennacherib’s invasion, namely before his defeat and withdrawal, since, according to verse 6, Hezekiah, while still ill, is only promised the withdrawal of the Assyrian king from Jerusalem. However, there is no need to suppose that the biblical account in its triple recension (2 Kgs 20; Isa 39 and 2 Chr 32:24 and others) departs from the historical sequence of events, placing a later event (the withdrawal of Sennacherib) before an earlier one (Hezekiah’s illness). Josephus Flavius (Jewish Antiquities 10:2, 1) directly says that the illness befell Hezekiah a little while (μετ᾿ οὐ Πολύ) after the invasion of Sennacherib; after this event, there also occurred the embassy of the Babylonian king (verses 12–13) to Hezekiah for the purpose (among other things) of congratulating him on his recovery and inquiring about the heavenly sign that accompanied this recovery (Isa 39; 2 Chr 32:31). The promise of verse 6 regarding the salvation of Hezekiah and his kingdom and Jerusalem from the hand of the Assyrian king (cf. 2 Kgs 19:34) had all the meaning and full force even after Sennacherib’s campaign, of which chapters 2 Kgs 18 and 2 Kgs 19 tell, since the power of Assyria continued to remain a threatening force to the integrity of Judah, and the Assyrian king could always undertake a new campaign against Judah (as, according to Assyr-Babylonian data, Sennacherib around this time undertook a campaign against the revolted Babylon). In view of the impending death, Hezekiah was to make the necessary arrangements for his house and family—a kind of known “will” (cf. 2 Sam 17:23).

2 Kings 20:2. And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying, 2 Kings 20:3. “O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Seized by ardent prayer, Hezekiah turns his face from the surroundings (not from despair, like Ahab, 1 Kgs 21:4) to the wall, perhaps toward the temple, that he might pray more freely. Perceiving in his illness the consequence of his own sin and divine punishment, Hezekiah humbly beseeches God to look upon his good deeds as his faithfulness to the theocratic ideal, of course, not in the sense of absolute moral purity (which Hezekiah could not claim for himself), but in the sense of Hezekiah’s zeal for the proper ordering of worship and the eradication of all forms of idolatry. Josephus Flavius adds: “to the illness (of Hezekiah) was also added a terrible spiritual disorder (ἀθυμία) of the king, which was caused by his thought of his childlessness and that he would have to die without leaving behind descendants and not having given the throne a legitimate heir. Suffering especially heavily and cruelly from this thought, the king turned to the Most High with a petition to grant him some more time of life, so that he could await descendants, and allow him to part with life no sooner than he becomes” (Jewish Antiquities 10:2, 1). In proof of this understanding, which was shared by blessed Jerome and some earlier interpreters, they pointed to the fact that Manasseh, the son and successor of Hezekiah, upon his accession to the throne was only 12 years old (2 Kgs 21:1), consequently, was born only 3 years after Hezekiah’s illness. But there is no need to consider Manasseh the first and only son of Hezekiah: he could have had other sons (Isa 38:19), either who died during his father’s lifetime, or excluded by him from the throne at his discretion. The true cause of Hezekiah’s burning sorrow and strong weeping is depicted in his thanksgiving hymn after his recovery (Isa 38:10-20).

2 Kings 20:4. And Isaiah had not yet left the middle court when the word of the Lord came to him: 2 Kings 20:5. “Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord,” 2 Kings 20:6. “and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.” 2 Kings 20:7. “And Isaiah said, “Take a lump of figs.” And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.” Having announced to Hezekiah (cf. verse 1) the determination of God concerning Hezekiah’s death, the prophet Isaiah departed. But the ardent prayer of the pious king (verses 2–3) was already heard by God, and He was pleased to reverse the former decision before the prophet had time to leave the middle or inner court adjoining the royal palace (verse 4; cf. 1 Kgs 7:8): the present Hebrew text in the Ketib has in verse 4: “from the middle of the city” (gair gattichona, Russian Synodal: “from the city”), but in codex 93; 180 according to Kennicott and in the Keri of codices 70, 112, 115, 149, 150, 153, 174, 225, 240, 252, 253 and others it reads: “from the middle court” (“chatzér” instead of “gair”), and in favor of the latter reading, besides its greater naturalness, speaks the authority of ancient translations: LXX: ἐν τῆ αὐλῆ τῆ μέσῆ, Vulgate: mediam partem atrii, Slavonic: “(Isaiah was still) in the middle of the court” (in Prof. Gulyaev: “from the inner court”). The prophet receives a new command to announce to Hezekiah as the theocratic king (“leader of my people,” verse 5) about his forthcoming quick healing, granted by God Himself, and about the prolongation of his life another 15 years (verses 5–6). Concerning the mentioned in verse 6 deliverance from the Assyrian yoke, see the remarks on verse 1 (cf. 2 Kgs 19:34; Isa 37:35). What was the sickness—shchin (verse 7), LXX: ἕλκος, Vulgate: ulcus, Slavonic: “injury”, Russian: “boil”, for the treatment of which the prophet advised to apply dvelet-tenim, LXX: παλαθην σύκων, Vulgate: masa ficorum, Slavonic: “binding of figs”, Russian: “lump of figs”, that is, a pressed mass of figs—a kind of poultice? Usually it is seen in this boil of Hezekiah a plague bubo, while allowing the possibility of Hezekiah’s infection from the plague that struck the Assyrian army (Knobel, Winer, and others). Of course, this last assumption is completely arbitrary: the Bible says nothing of any plague epidemic and infection at this time; besides, with plague there appears not one boil, but many boils on different parts of the body; finally, the remedy indicated by the prophet, although sometimes used, for instance, by Arab doctors for plague growths (see remark p. 364), cannot be considered specific against plague. More probable is the opinion (of Bennett, Brunton, Pyassetski, and others) that this was a carbuncle (anthrax) and inflammation of the tonsils, with which the symptoms indicated by Hezekiah in his prayer (Isa 38:13-14) supposedly agree (aching of the bones, general organic weakness, difficult, throaty and nasal voice, compression of the respiratory tract); the brief duration and nature of the treatment (See A. Pyassetski, “Medicine in the Bible and the Talmud”. St. Petersburg 1902, p. 68; cf. T. Popov, “Biblical Information on Various Diseases”, 1904, p. 115. Cf. Smith, A dictionary of the Bible, vol. II, p. 302. Hastings. A dictionary of the Bible, vol. II, p. 324). But the precise determination of Hezekiah’s illness, due to the very indefiniteness of the term shchin (in Exod 9:9) the word means “suppurating boils”, and in Job 2:7)—“leprosy”) is not established.

2 Kings 20:8. And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?” Not yet free from the sense of fear of death, the sick Hezekiah asks for some external sign to strengthen his faith in the truth of the prophet’s word about his healing; in view of the difficulty of the promised miracle, such a desire is quite natural (Isa 7:11; 2 Kgs 19:29), and the prophet Isaiah once proposed to Ahaz to ask for some miracle as an assurance of the truth of the prophetic word.

2 Kings 20:9. And Isaiah said, “This is the sign from the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?” 2 Kings 20:10. And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to go forward ten steps. Nay, but let the shadow go backward ten steps.” 2 Kings 20:11. And Isaiah the prophet cried to the Lord, and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz. See Isa 38:8. This reassuring sign of Hezekiah’s forthcoming healing was a miracle analogous to the miraculous standing still of the sun in the days of Joshua (Josh 10:12-14), namely, the return of the solar shadow “on the steps of Ahaz” (Hebrew: maalot Ahaz, LXX: αναβοθμοί Αχαζ, Vulgate: horologium Achaz), “ten steps back” (verse 11). For interpreters here, from ancient times, two difficulties or two questions, solved differently, have presented themselves: 1) how did it happen, what was the nature of this miracle? 2) what was the kind and structure of the mechanism of the “steps of Ahaz”? The solution to the first question in the sense of the actual turning back of the sun is favored by parallel biblical passages from the books of the prophet Isaiah and the Second Book of Chronicles. Philaret notes: Did only the shadow turn back, or did the sun also return? The latter is affirmed in Isaiah, Isa 38:8, and also is concluded from the question of the Babylonian envoys about the miracle that took place on earth, 2 Chr 32:31. In the affirmative sense, the question of the sun’s turning back was resolved even by blessed Theodoret, when he writes (question 52): “the miracle accomplished with the sun was heard of throughout the whole universe. For it became known to all that the sun went backward. Therefore the king of Babylon, having heard of the destruction, and also knowing that a miracle had been accomplished with the sun, sent ambassadors and gifts to the king of the Judeans.” How this turning of the sun happened, more precisely, of the earth in its motion around the sun, nothing definite can be said (cf., however, the remark on Josh 10:12-14). As to the second question, i.e., the structure of Ahaz’s sundial, by the movement of the shadow along the steps (Vulg. lineae) of which one could determine the time of day, we have already noted in the remark on 2 Kgs 16:10 and further, that this mechanism, without doubt, could have been borrowed by Ahaz from Assyro-Babylon, the birthplace of astronomy and time-reckoning. And the Greeks, among whom the mechanism of the sundial first appeared under Anaximander, who traveled through Chaldea, attributed the invention of primitive sundials (σκάφη) to the Babylonians. Although the structure of Ahaz’s hours cannot be determined with precision, and we must inevitably move about in a circle of various suppositions, the most probable of these seems to be the following. The mechanism, perhaps, represented a column or obelisk on a certain base, set on a completely open place, so that the shadow from it was visible on all the surrounding steps: the latter appeared in the form of divisions on the shadow side of the obelisk, and by the number of steps captured by the shadow one could determine the time of day, and quite accurately, since the position of the ecliptic was known to the Assyr-Babylonians from ancient times. Various forms of sundials in antiquity are depicted in Philippson’s, D. Israelitische Bibel II, s. 679). The miraculous return of the solar shadow to the sun’s zenith was the most expressive symbol that the evening of Hezekiah’s life was not yet near with its shadow (Ps 101:12; Eccl 12:2; Jer 6:4). Concerning the division of the day into hours, here there could be no question, since it appeared among the Hebrews only later.

2 Kings 20:12. At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 2 Kings 20:13. And Hezekiah listened to them and showed them all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his armory, and all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. The account of the embassy of the Babylonian king to Hezekiah in all three parallel narratives (the Fourth Book of Kings, the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, the Second Book of Chronicles) has a direct connection with Hezekiah’s illness, his miraculous recovery, and the astronomical miracle that took place at this time. Of course, these purposes—congratulation of Hezekiah on his recovery (Isa 39:1) and inquiry about the astronomical miracle (2 Chr 32:31)—served only as a respectable pretext for the true purpose of the embassy—the desire of the Babylonian king to draw Judah into a coalition with Babylon and other states against Assyria. The spelling of the name of the Babylonian king in the Fourth Book of Kings—“Berodach” (Hebrew Brodach), probably occurred because of the confusion of Hebrew letters mem and bet: in Isa 39) this name reads Merodach, so it stands in the variants on 2 Kgs 20:12) (codices 93, 115, 145, 154, 172, 174, 240, 418, 476, 531 by Kennicott, 701 by Rossi). The name Berodach cannot be explained either etymologically or historically. Meanwhile, Merodach or Marduk was a well-known god of the ancient Babylonians (Jer 50:2, according to the LXX—27:2), especially honored by Nebuchadnezzar (Concerning Merodach see M. Palmov, Idolatry among the Ancient Hebrews, pp. 362–364), but, of course, by other kings as well. In the Bible are found the names of two Babylonian kings with the name Merodach in the composition of these names: 1) Merodach-Baladan (Isa 39:1)—in the inscriptions Mardukhabal-Iddina (“Merodach gave a son”) and 2) Evil-Merodach in inscriptions Avil Marduk (“man of Merodach”). According to the explanation of orientalists, the word Merodach, by its root meaning, meant a warlike, destructive deity, corresponding to the Roman Mars (Prof. Gulyaev, p. 366). According to Assyr-Babylonian monuments, Merodach-Baladan, “son of Yakin,” a Chaldean commander, seized Babylon under Sargon in 720 and reigned until 710, when he was again driven out by Sargon, and then again, already under Sennacherib in 702, seized Babylon, but held it here for only 9 months. “Son of Yakin”—probably the name of the dynasty to which Merodach-Baladan belonged. His embassy to Hezekiah is usually dated to the first period of his reign in Babylon (720–710), which would agree with the Bible (713–712: 15 years before Hezekiah’s death), except that at this time, according to the Bible, the king of Assyria was Sennacherib, but according to Assyrian monuments, Sargon. This difficulty is apparently resolved when one supposes that Merodach-Baladan sent the given embassy to Hezekiah already in his second, brief reign in Babylon, under Sennacherib (about 703); but then the event will be pushed back 10 years from the time of Hezekiah’s illness, which contradicts the three recensions of the biblical account of Hezekiah (cf. Schrader in Riehm, Handwörterbuch des biblischen Alterthums, vol. II, p. 995–996. Cf. Bishop Platon, “The Ancient East in the Light of Divine Revelation”, pp. 236–237). The embassy of the Babylonian king exceedingly gladdened Hezekiah (instead of the standing in the accepted Hebrew text of verse 13 (2 Kgs 20:13) “listened”—Hebrew shama, Isa 39:2) has “was glad”—samach; the latter reading is also found in variants (2 Kgs 20:13), codices 195, 530, 541, 587, 201, 451 and others), flattered his vanity; wishing, probably, to show himself worthy of an alliance with the Babylonian king, he hurried with unwise candor and courtesy to show to the messengers all his treasures personal and state (verse 13; Hebrew nechot—“aromatics”, cf. 1 Kgs 10:10), LXX leave without translation: νεχωθα; Chaldean, Syrian, and Arabic: “house of treasures”), and also “his armory,” i.e., probably, the well-known “house of the forest of Lebanon” (cf. 1 Kgs 7:2) and remarks). In this case “Hezekiah did not render to the Lord according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. And there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem” (2 Chr 32:25). According to blessed Theodoret (question 53), “Hezekiah ought to have made known to the messengers the power of God and that care with which he himself was treated, but he showed wealth, in which there is nothing permanent.”

2 Kings 20:14. Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They came from a far country, from Babylon.” 2 Kings 20:15. And he said, “What have they seen in your house?” And Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my storehouses that I have not shown them.” 2 Kings 20:16. And Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord:” 2 Kings 20:17. “Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left, says the Lord.” 2 Kings 20:18. “And some of your own sons, who are born to you, shall be taken away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” The prophet Isaiah, who clearly foresaw the present and future state of affairs in Judah and the surrounding countries and who therefore negatively regarded all attempts of the Kingdom of Judah to enter into alliances with Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon (Isa 30-31), did not delay in opening the eyes of deluded Hezekiah and pronounced to him a completely clear and threatening prophecy that this present alliance of the Judean king with the Babylonian one would be a harbinger of the captivity of the Kingdom of Judah and its people in Babylon, when all the treasures royal and state from Judah would be carried to Babylon, and the royal descendants of Hezekiah would serve as eunuchs at the court of the Babylonian king.

2 Kings 20:19. And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good.” And he thought, “For there will be peace and security in my days.” The pious Hezekiah immediately recognized his sin and “humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem” (2 Chr 32:26). The threatening word of the prophet Hezekiah, in his complete submission to the will of God (as once the high priest Eli, 1 Sam 3:10)) calls even good; completely submitting himself to the determination of God’s judgment concerning the people and the kingdom of Judah, he beseeches Jehovah only that the coming calamities overtake his kingdom not during his reign. Many interpreters, following the example of the rabbis, saw in Hezekiah’s last words the expression of a selfish craving for personal well-being and indifference to the fate of his people. But perhaps it was precisely love for this people that prompted Hezekiah to wish—not to survive its prosperity, not to see its fall and captivity; Hezekiah spoke these words with sorrow (according to Josephus Flavius λυπηθείς). However, Hezekiah, as a son of the Old Covenant, could not show true courage of faith here, although for his righteousness he is in Sir 49:5) blessed alongside David and Josiah.

2 Kings 20:20. Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and all his might and how he made the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 2 Kings 20:21. And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and Manasseh his son reigned in his place. In the concluding remarks of the sacred writer concerning Hezekiah’s reign, besides the usual stereotyped formula, Hezekiah, like a few other kings, for instance, Asa (1 Kgs 15:23), is credited with military and political “exploits” (Hebrew gebura), but what is especially important from a biblical-archaeological point of view is the testimony that Hezekiah “made the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city” (verse 20). More clearly about this important undertaking of King Hezekiah it is stated in 2 Chr 32:30: “This same Hezekiah stopped the upper spring of the waters of Gihon, and brought them down straight on the west side of the city of David.” The same important matter of state significance is spoken of by Sirach, adding a new feature: “And Hezekiah fortified his city and brought water into the midst of it; he cut out the rock with iron and built reservoirs for the water” (Sir 48:19). From the comparison of all these testimonies, biblical science rightfully concludes that under Hezekiah, namely about the time of Sennacherib’s invasion, the drilling of the so-called Siloam tunnel or canal in Jerusalem was accomplished. The purpose of the canal, connecting the spring of the Holy Virgin with the pool of Siloam, to preserve water in the city in case of a siege, which Hezekiah was so concerned about before Sennacherib’s invasion (2 Chr 32:3-4): instead of the plugged up underground springs, Hezekiah saw to the drilling of an underground tunnel to constantly supply the city with water, for which purpose the mentioned water reservoirs were connected (cf. Prof. Gulyaev, p. 367; Stade Geschichte Isr. 1, 593, Anm). Concerning the location of Gihon or Gihon see the commentaries on 1 Kgs 1:39. In this Siloam canal in 1880 was found the most ancient inscription in Hebrew—the so-called “Siloam inscription,” consisting of 6 lines (190 letters, of which only 170 were read) and telling about the method of drilling the Siloam tunnel (see Prof. I. G. Troitski, “The Siloam Inscription”, Christian Reading, 1887, II). According to the testimony of 2 Chr 32:33), Hezekiah was buried “in the ascent of the tombs of the sons of David”, bemale kibrei bene-David, ἐν ἀναβασει τῶν τάφων, Slavonic: “on the ascent of the tombs of the sons of David”, from which one can conclude that the family crypt of the kings of the David dynasty consisted of several floors or tiers. * * * Cf. Kamphausen Riehm. Handworterbuch d. bibl. Alterthums, vol. II, p. 1724. The number of steps on Ahaz’s hours, judging by 2 Kgs 20:9-11), could not be less than 20, but probably there were many more. Clericus notes to verse 19: bonum vocatur id, in quo acquiescere par est, quippe ab eo profectum, qui nihil facit, quod non tantum justissimum, sed quod summa bonitate non sit temperatun, etiam cum poenas sumit.

Chapter Twenty-One

Pagan reaction and religious syncretism under the successors of Hezekiah: Manasseh (verses 1–18) and Amon (verses 19–26).

2 Kings 21:1. Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 Kings 21:2. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, imitating the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the people of Israel. 2 Kings 21:3. And he rebuilt the high places which his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he erected altars to Baal, and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done; and he worshipped all the host of heaven and served them. 2 Kings 21:4. And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my name.” 2 Kings 21:5. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord, 2 Kings 21:6. and he made his son pass through fire, and practiced divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists; he did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. 2 Kings 21:7. And he set an image of Asherah, which he had made, in the house, of which the Lord had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever; 2 Kings 21:8. and I will not again cause the feet of Israel to wander out of the land which I gave to their fathers, if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them, and the whole law that my servant Moses commanded them.” 2 Kings 21:9. But they did not listen; and Manasseh led them astray to do worse than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the people of Israel. After the death of Hezekiah, his twelve-year-old son Manasseh ascended the throne of Jerusalem (regarding whether he might not have been Hezekiah’s eldest son, see the commentary on 2 Kgs 20:2-3) and reigned fifty-five years—according to the chronology accepted in biblical scholarship, from 698 to 643, and now from the Bible “we know almost nothing for an entire century concerning the external history of Judah. Manasseh was an obedient captive of the great king, and this was prudent, since during his fifty-year reign Assyria reached the height of its political power. Esarhaddon, the son of Sennacherib, and Ashurbanipal, the son of Esarhaddon, held undisputed dominion over all the land from the depths of the Tigris to the depths of Egypt, and neither in Jerusalem nor anywhere else could there arise the thought of rebellion. But this faithfulness to the Assyrians was accompanied by fateful consequences for the internal life of Judah and especially for the worship of God. After the favorable religious awakening under Hezekiah came a time of weakening of this feeling…” (History of the Israeli People. Moscow, 1903. p. 101–102). In the absence of clear biblical testimony about the external relations of Judah under Manasseh (except for the evidence of 2 Chr 33:11-13, which we shall discuss below), the hypothesis that Manasseh joined the alliance organized by the Egyptian Pharaoh Tirhakah of Western Asian states against Assyria has equal hypothetical value with the opinion just presented concerning Manasseh’s complete loyalty to the Assyrian king, and even an advantage over it, and this could have resulted in his temporary captivity (2 Chr 33:11 and further). Not touching upon the political side of Manasseh’s reign of more than half a century, the sacred writer of 4 Kings focuses exclusively on the profound religious and moral decline of Judean life under Manasseh: according to this account (vv. 2–16) the reign of Manasseh appears as the darkest epoch in the history of the southern kingdom of Judah. Manasseh not only restored all the high places that his father Hezekiah had removed (2 Kgs 18:4); not only, like Ahab (cf. 1 Kgs 16:32 and further), permitted and encouraged the performance of Canaanite cults in the land (cf. 1 Kgs 14:24; 2 Kgs 17:8), but also implanted Assyro-Babylonian cults of the heavenly bodies in Jerusalem and Judah (vv. 2–3), particularly the cult of the “Queen of Heaven” now widely practiced (see Jer 7:18; Zeph 1:5 and others). Pure paganism entered even into the very temple of Jehovah, where altars were erected “to all the host of heaven,” that is, to the heavenly bodies (see Deut 4:19; 2 Kgs 17:16). “By ‘the host of heaven’ the writer means the sun, moon, and stars” (blessed Theodoret, question 53). Besides the altars to the Assyrian deities (the heavenly bodies), the cult of the latter also included horses placed at the entrance to the temple in honor of the sun (2 Kgs 23:10-11). Like Ahaz (2 Kgs 16:3), Manasseh also performed the abominable and terrible worship of Moloch (v. 6), and was no less inclined than Ahaz to witchcraft and divination (v. 6, cf. Isa 8:19). By all this, especially by establishing pagan worship in the very temple of Jehovah (v. 7, cf. 1 Kgs 8:15), the very election of the people of Judah as the people of God was effectively destroyed, and their right to the protection and care of God was lost (v. 8, cf. 2 Sam 7:10). The people of Judah under Manasseh conducted themselves even worse than the Canaanite nations whom Jehovah had destroyed on account of his people (v. 9): the profound religious syncretism that manifested itself now with greater force than under Ahaz (cf. note on 2 Kgs 16:10), in the judgment of the sacred writer, proves to be worse than pure paganism (cf. 2 Chr 33:2-9). How are we to understand, what explains the fact that a pious, truly theocratic king had a son and successor whose direction was so sharply opposite, so that all the beneficial reforms of the former were destroyed and overthrown by the reaction of the latter? Former commentators explained this merely by pointing to Manasseh’s own wicked will and to the corrupting influence on him of the court party that had survived from the time of Ahaz. Blessed Theodoret says: “that in living beings it is not nature but will that prevails is witnessed by Manasseh, who abandoned his father’s pious example and went the opposite way” (question 53). Other commentators suppose that, upon taking the throne, Manasseh (as once Joash upon the death of Jehoiada, 2 Chr 24:17-18) fell under the influence of an impious court party that had opposed the authority of the prophets even under Hezekiah (Isa 28:7), and after his death resolved to establish pure paganism in Jerusalem and Judah. (Keil. Die Bucher der Konige. 1865, s. 348; Kleinert. Richm Handworterbuch des Biblicshen Altertums, Bd. II, s. 962). In recent times, biblical theorists of development explain the religious syncretism introduced by Manasseh by the political situation of Judah, and his time by complete vassal dependence, which completely effaced from Manasseh and his people the impression of the power of Jehovah and his victory over the Assyrian gods (in Sennacherib’s unsuccessful campaign) and led to the cultural, spiritual, and religious influence of Assyria on Judah; at the same time, Manasseh is not only carefully whitewashed of stains supposedly unjustly lying on his memory, but he is also attributed with positive merits before the history of the Israeli people, for example, with respect to the borrowing by the Hebrews of cosmogonic and other ideas from the religion, mythology, and legislation of Assyro-Babylon (Stade, Gesch. Jsr. I, s. 625–640. Cf. in Prof. A. P. Smirnov “New construction of the history of the Israeli people and new judgments on its historical persons. Addition to the works of the Holy Fathers”, 1887, part 40, p. 198 ff.). The extremeness of this view and its contradiction to the Bible are evident in themselves.

2 Kings 21:10. And the Lord spoke through his servants the prophets, saying: 2 Kings 21:11. “Because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations, worse than all that the Amorites did who were before him, and has led Judah into sin with his idols, 2 Kings 21:12. therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle; 2 Kings 21:13. and I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria, and the plumb line of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish—wiping it and turning it upside down; 2 Kings 21:14. and I will cast off the remnant of my inheritance, and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their adversaries, 2 Kings 21:15. because they have done what is evil in my sight and have provoked me to anger, from the day their fathers came out of Egypt even to this day.” 2 Kings 21:16. Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, so that he filled Jerusalem from one end to the other with innocent blood, besides the sin which he caused Judah to commit, doing what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Manasseh showed himself not only as a zealous pagan, but also as a cruel tyrant, whose reign was first in biblical-Hebrew history to be marked by martyrdom for the religion of Jehovah. The guardians of the house of Israel—the prophets—did not remain silent even in this dark time of the decline of religion, enlightenment, and development of the people of God: despite the opposition of false prophets (Isa 30:10; Mic 3:3-4), they proclaimed the dreadful determinations of God’s judgment upon the kingdom of Judah, whose fate was completely equated (cf. blessed Theodoret, question 54) with that which had already befallen the kingdom of Israel, vv. 12–13, (cf. 1 Sam 3:11; Jer 19:3; Amos 7:7): “the cord and plummet are instruments used for measuring straight. By threatening to measure Jerusalem with the same cord and plummet that measured Samaria, Jehovah reveals that Jerusalem will suffer the same disasters as Samaria” (Prof. Gulyaev, p. 369) “The remnant of the inheritance of Jehovah” (v. 14), that is, the kingdom of Judah, consisting of only two tribes, will be abandoned by Jehovah and, as such, will be subjected to plunder and spoliation by other nations (cf. Isa 42:22). The response to the prophetic rebukes from Manasseh was a reign of bloodshed: Jerusalem from end to end was flooded with torrents of innocent, martyred blood (v. 16, cf. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 10:3, 1). According to Jewish tradition (Gemara, Jebamoth 4, 13; Sanhedr. f. 103), adopted by some church fathers (Tertullian. De patientia, 14. Augustine. De civitate Dei, 18, 24) the great prophet Isaiah died a martyr’s death under Manasseh, being sawn asunder with a wooden saw (cf. (Heb 11:37); blessed Theodoret, question 54). It is unknown from the Bible whether Isaiah’s prophetic ministry continued under Manasseh (cf. (Isa 1:1), where Hezekiah is named as the last king of Judah, and Manasseh is not mentioned), but the antiquity of the tradition is beyond doubt, and it possesses an inner spiritual reliability.

2 Kings 21:17. As for the other acts of Manasseh and all that he did, and the sin that he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 2 Kings 21:18. And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son reigned in his stead. (2 Chr 33:11-20) furnishes information that substantially supplements the account in 4 Kings concerning Manasseh, namely, that Jehovah punished Manasseh for his sins with an invasion by the military commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh captive and, with fetters (probably with a ring pierced through the lip (see 2 Kgs 19:28): as depicted in Assyrian monuments of captured kings), carried him away to Babylon; in captivity Manasseh repented and asked forgiveness from God and was returned to Judah, where he sought to make amends for the consequences of his grave errors: he abolished various forms of idolatry, and also restored Jerusalem and other fortified cities. This account, long subjected to doubt and dispute in scholarship (by Wiener, Hitzig, and others), is now recognized (by Ewald and others) as fully historical, as confirmed by data from Assyriology (Schracler, Kalinschr. and Alexander. comb. T., s. 366 ff. Vigouroux, Bibel und die neueren Entdeckunogen B. IV, s. 232 ff.). According to these sources, Manasseh, being a faithful tributary of Assyria under Esarhaddon (681–669), joined with other petty kings under his successor Ashurbanipal with the brother of Ashurbanipal Shamash-shum-ukin, who seized Babylon, which was then subject to the Assyrians, and rebelled there against his brother. This event is usually dated to 647 BC, thus four years before Manasseh’s death. It is probable that Ashurbanipal had the captured Manasseh brought not to Nineveh, but to Babylon (cf. Isa 39:6; 2 Kgs 20:18), where he himself was at that time after the conquest of the city and victory over his brother (cf. in Bishop Platon, cited work, pp. 260–262). A monument to the repentance and conversion of Manasseh is the non-canonical Prayer of Manasseh (not present in the Hebrew Bible, but only in the Greek and later translations; in the Slavic-Russian Bible it is placed at the end of 2 Chronicles; in the Greek text of the Bible it is placed after the Psalter among 14 hymns extracted from various places of Scripture, cf. Prof. Gulyaev, p. 578). The people, it seems, repented along with the king (2 Chr 33:17), though this repentance was short-lived. In his political activity after his return from captivity, the sacred writer (2 Chr 33:14) notes the building of an outer wall of the City of David on the western side of the Gihon, through the ravine and to the entrance of the Fish Gate, and its extension around Ophel. This is the so-called second wall of Jerusalem, traditionally associated with the names of Hezekiah (cf. 2 Chr 32:5) and Manasseh. As is evident from the points mentioned in the passage just cited from 2 Chronicles—Gihon (cf. 1 Kgs 1:39; 2 Chr 32:30), the Fish Gate (Neh 3:3; Zeph 1:10), and Ophel (2 Chr 27:3; Neh 3:26)—this wall began at the western (Gihon) or northwestern part of Jerusalem, then surrounded the entire north of the city to the Fish Gate on the northeast, and, turning then toward the south, encompassed the southeastern spur of Mount Moriah—the so-called Ophel, (cf. in Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 10:3, 2). Besides the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel (in (2 Kgs 20:17)—“of the Kings of Judah”) the sacred writer of 2 Chronicles cites as a source for the history of Manasseh the records of a certain Hozai (Hebrew dibrei-Hozai), probably one of the contemporary prophets of this king. He was buried in his own garden, in the garden of a certain Uzza (v. 18; (2 Chr 33:20); Josephus “Jewish Antiquities.” Book X, ch. 3, 2), whom some (Benzinger, Kittel) identify with the well-known king Uzziah-Azariah (2 Kgs 15:1 and others), while others (Keil, Beer) see here the name of an unknown person, a former owner of the garden, in which a palace was later built; it is conjecturally placed in the Tyropoeon valley (Onomast. 700) at the foot of Ophel.

2 Kings 21:19. Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 2 Kings 21:20. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasseh his father had done; 2 Kings 21:21. and he walked in all the way in which his father walked, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them; 2 Kings 21:22. and he abandoned the Lord, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the Lord. 2 Kings 21:23. And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and killed the king in his own house. 2 Kings 21:24. But the people of the land struck down all those who had conspired against King Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead. 2 Kings 21:25. Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 2 Kings 21:26. And he was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza. And Josiah his son reigned in his stead. Compare (2 Chr 33:21-25). The fifteenth king of Judah, Amon, son and successor of Manasseh, throughout his short reign, 643–641, was an adherent of the impiety of his father in its first and greater part, but did not imitate his repentance. Some saw evidence of his pagan thinking and disposition in his very name, Amon (in Josephus “Amos”), bringing it (Ewald and others) into connection with the name of the well-known Egyptian deity Amon; more likely, however, is that this is a Hebrew name (cf. 1 Kgs 22:26; Neh 7:59). Jotbah (in the LXX: ῾Ιετέβα, Vulg.: Jeteba, in Josephus: Jovata, Slav. Ieteva, Onomast. 547) is an unknown village, probably in the tribe of Judah. The king’s impiety found response and sympathy in the people, doubtless. The conspiracy of the palace officers (“servants,” v. 23) against Amon and his assassination certainly did not arise from a struggle on the ground of religious beliefs, since these palace officers were probably as alien to the religion of Jehovah as the king himself (against Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, 10:4, 1). The people of the land (Hebrew am-ha-aretz; (cf. 2 Kgs 11:14)—later among the rabbis and Talmudists meant “common people”; cf. John 7:49) did not sympathize with this crime (as also with the murder of Amaziah, 1 Kgs 14:19), and placed on the throne the young son Josiah (v. 24). Amon, like Manasseh, was buried in the garden of Uzza (v. 26).

Chapter Twenty-Two

1–7. The accession of the sixteenth king of Judah, Josiah, the pious character of his reign, and the beginning of the restoration of religious and ecclesiastical order; 8–11. The discovery of the “Book of the Law” in the temple and its impression upon the king; 12–20. An embassy to the prophetess Huldah and her answer concerning the future fate of Judah and its king.

2 Kings 22:1. Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. 2 Kings 22:2. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. The last pious king of Judah (by count the sixteenth), Josiah, “who turned his heart to the Lord and established piety in the days of lawlessness,” and praised alongside David and Hezekiah for his righteousness and zeal for the law (Sir 49:3-5), ascended the throne as an eight-year-old boy (LXX: ὑιὸς ὀκτὼ ἐτῶν, Slav.: “a boy of eight years”—a literal rendering of the Hebrew ben, which in combination with a numeral indicating years means age) in 641 or 640. His father Amon, dying at twenty-four years of age, had a son of sixteen years, and Josiah, dying after a thirty-one-year reign—at thirty-nine years—left his eldest son Jehoiakim at twenty-five years (2 Kgs 23:36); consequently he had a son at fifteen years: with the early sexual maturity in the East, these figures should not surprise us. His mother was from Bozkath, LXX: Βαβηδώθ, Vulg.: Baschath, Slav.: “Vasurov,” (Onomasticon, 199, 225)—a city in the tribe of Judah near Lachish (Josh 15:39). The general characterization of Josiah’s reign (v. 2), in which his idealistic faithfulness to the law is noted (cf. 2 Kgs 23:25), surpasses the assessments of all other kings: only Josiah is described as “not turning aside to the right or to the left” (cf. Deut 5:32) from the way of David. This characterization also serves as a transition to the account of Josiah’s theocratic activity. Comparing the account (2 Kgs 22:1-23)—of Josiah’s reign with the parallel account in the book (2 Chr 34-35), one sees the difference that 4 Kings considers Josiah’s activity from a theocratic pragmatic point of view and accordingly devotes the most space to (2 Kgs 23:4-20), an account of the eradication by Josiah of idolatrous cults and unlawful worship of Jehovah, and generally presents Josiah as unmatched in religious zeal and strict observance of theocratic principles among the kings (2 Kgs 23:24-25), whereas the sacred writer of 2 Chronicles views the reign and activity of Josiah chiefly from a ritual point of view and therefore gives the greatest attention to the celebration of Passover under Josiah (in the eighteenth year of his reign) with exceptional observance of all the ceremonial prescriptions of the law, with exceptional solemnity, (2 Chr 35:1-19). Connected with this is the different chronological order of events in both versions of the sacred narrative, with 4 Kings taking as its starting point the fact of the discovery of the book of the law in the temple in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign and then proceeding sequentially to the measures undertaken by Josiah consequent to this fact, such as: renewal of the national covenant with God, the eradication of unlawful cults, the celebration of Passover, and others, while 2 Chronicles presents these same events apparently in a less natural order. On the whole, both accounts not only confirm, but also supplement each other.

2 Kings 22:3. In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, the secretary, to the house of the Lord, saying: 2 Kings 22:4. “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the silver which has been brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people, 2 Kings 22:5. and let them give it to the overseers of the work who are appointed over the house of the Lord; and let them pay it to those who work in the house of the Lord, for the repair of the damages in the house, 2 Kings 22:6. to the carpenters and the builders and the stonemasons, and for the purchase of timber and hewn stone for the repair of the house; 2 Kings 22:7. only, an accounting shall not be required from them for the money entrusted to their hand, for they deal faithfully.” “In the eighteenth year of King Josiah…” The LXX more precisely determine the time of this important event of the discovery of the book of the law, adding: ἐν τῶ μηνὶ τῶ ὁγδοῶ, or according to codices 52, 64, 72, 92, 106, 119, 121, 123, 134, 144, 236, 242, 245, 247 and others—ἐν μηνὶ τῶ ἑββόμφ, Slav.: “in the seventh month.” The book of the law was discovered during the restoration of the temple that now followed, some two hundred thirty years after the similar restoration under King Joash (2 Kgs 12:5 and further), necessarily brought about by the need to cleanse the temple of the pagan abominations introduced into it under Manasseh and Amon. The account of this new restoration of the temple closely resembles the narrative in chapter XII about the former one, and in chapter XXII is related more briefly, only presupposing what is directly stated in chapter XII; moreover, the account of the temple restoration here is only the occasion for the narrative about the book of the law found during it. The restoration of the temple probably began not only in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, but much earlier, since according to (2 Chr 34:3) Josiah already in the eighth, and even more in the twelfth year of his reign, began to show particular zeal toward God. Concerning the office of secretary, Hebrew sopher, LXX: γραμματεύς, Vulg.: Scriba, see commentary on (1 Kgs 4:3). According to (2 Chr 34:8), besides Shaphan, the king sends to the temple also the city governor Maaseiah and the secretary Joah. Hilkiah is the high priest (cf. v. 8, (2 Kgs 23:4)) from the line of Zadok (1 Chr 9:11). Following the suggestion of Clement of Alexandria, some commentators identified him with the priest Hilkiah, (Jer 1:1), the father of the prophet Jeremiah (Eichhorn, Bogen, and others), but against this speaks both the complete silence of the book of the prophet Jeremiah concerning the priestly rank of the prophet’s father, and also that in Anathoth, the native city of the prophet, priests lived not from the line of Eleazar and Zadok, but from the line of Ithamar and Abiathar (cf. 1 Kgs 2:26).

2 Kings 22:8. And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 2 Kings 22:9. And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, saying, “Your servants have collected the silver that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers of the work who are appointed over the house of the Lord.” 2 Kings 22:10. And Shaphan the secretary told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king. 2 Kings 22:11. When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. What was this “Book of the Law” ([ha] sefer [ha] torah, in the LXX: βιβλίον τοῦ νομου, Vulg.: liber legis) that was found by Hilkiah in the temple, and how could it have been hidden or lost here? What explains the profound impression it made on Josiah (verse 2 Kgs 22:11)? “This passage is remarkably significant. If it were possible to satisfactorily explain what this discovery means, much would be explained about the history of the Hebrews. Modern non-Orthodox scholars like to assert that the books known by the name of Moses appeared much later than Moses; according to some, namely after Hilkiah found an ancient copy in the temple” (Prof. Gulyaev, p. 371). Against the latter supposition of so-called development theorists concerning the origin of certain parts of the Pentateuch, namely Deuteronomy, in this period (see e.g. Stade, Geschichte Isr. I, p. 650 and further) stands already the fact that the book of the law found in the biblical text appears not as a newly appearing book, but as one that was long known (hence—the definite article: (ha) sefer—(ha) torah), and in the parallel passage (2 Chr 34:14) it is directly called “the Book of the Law of the Lord (given) by the hand of Moses” (sefer torat Yhwh beyad Moshe). The expression “book of the law” was, beyond doubt, a technical term for the entire collection of the writings of Moses, which all under the general name “book of the law” Moses commanded the Levites (the priesthood under the high priest) to keep in the very Ark of the Covenant (Deut 31:24-26). If the book found by Hilkiah is further called the “Book of the Covenant” (sefer-habberit, 2 Kgs 23:2-3; 2 Chr 34:30-31), then this name, like the previous one, is far more applicable to the entire Pentateuch than to any separate part of it, for instance, to Deuteronomy. If against the recognition of the found book as the entire Pentateuch it is objected that it was read by Shaphan (2 Kgs 22:8) and later by Josiah (2 Kgs 23:2) in a brief time, then in (2 Chr 34:18) it is said that Shaphan read from it (Hebrew bo), that is, there is no need to think that the entire book was read; if further it is said that the threats of God, evidently contained in the book and so struck the king (v. 11, 16) and the people (2 Kgs 23:2-3), most resemble the threats in (Deut 28 and others), then threats of this kind are found also in other parts of the Pentateuch, for example, (Lev 26). Most important, however, is the fact that as the covenant of the people with Jehovah could be concluded and could only be concluded on the basis of the entire law (2 Kgs 23:2-3), not a separate part of it, so the subsequent reform of worship (2 Kgs 23:4-20) and the culminating lawful celebration of Passover (vv. 21–24) could be carried out only on the basis of the laws of the entire Pentateuch (2 Kgs 23:24-25), in particular the Passover feast—on the basis of chapter Exod 12 (Exod 23:15; Lev 23:5-8; Num 28:18-24). The real reason impelling many modern biblical scholars to see in the book of the law discovered under Josiah not the entire Pentateuch but only a certain part of it (chiefly something resembling the present Deuteronomy, but not identical with it), is one: the supposition of the non-existence of the Pentateuch and its present redaction before the time of Josiah and even before the Babylonian captivity (according to the supposition of these scholars, the Pentateuch received the form and content it now has no earlier than the time of Ezra, about 444 BC; see in Prof. A. P. Smirnov, “New construction of the history of the Hebrew people,” p. 197; cf. Prof. F. Ya. Pokrovsky, “Regarding the objections of modern criticism against the existence of Mosaic law before the ancient prophet-writers,” Kyiv, 1890). Of course, the precise extent of the book of the law discovered with absolute certainty cannot be established (St. Chrysostom and blessed Theodoret considered it to be Deuteronomy). But it is undeniable that the Bible knows nothing of any promulgation of a newly composed “book of the law” through the efforts of, supposedly, now united priestly and prophetic parties (in proof of the participation, for instance, of the prophet Jeremiah in this matter, chapters Jer 11 and Jer 34 of his book are cited), and the supposition of the diverse temporal origin of separate parts of the Pentateuch, and in particular of Deuteronomy under Josiah, is a pure hypothesis, and in no way a postulate of scientific truth. Granting that Hilkiah found the entire Pentateuch, we nevertheless do not see the necessity to consider the book found, relying on the narrow literal understanding of (2 Chr 34:14) (“by the hand of Moses,” beyad-Moshe, can mean even a simple intermediary role of Moses in the giving of God’s law, cf. Jer 37:2), as an autograph of Moses himself. Clericus rightly observes: “Satis est exemplar quoddam Legis antiquum fuisse irique anthenticum.” The copy found in the temple was obviously an official temple copy (perhaps distinguished from those used by private Jews in quality, handwriting, or material), which according to Moses’ prescription was supposed to be kept in the Ark of the Covenant and be read to the people every seventh year, at the feast of Tabernacles (Deut 31:10-12), but which, obviously through the negligence of the priests and under the influence of harsh conditions for the religion of Jehovah under the impious kings Manasseh and Amon, was lost or intentionally concealed from Manasseh, who, according to Jewish tradition, ordered all copies of the Torah to be seized and burned. “Nevertheless, although the king (Josiah), born of an unclean father, did not know the prophecies contained in the Holy Books, yet from this one cannot think that there were no copies in the hands of other righteous Jews” (Philaret, p. 270–271 note). Religious practice was conducted by the priests in this time apparently according to the written law and according to the always faithful oral tradition. All the more powerful must have been the impression from the book, striking perhaps with its archaic appearance. The impression of reading it, in particular upon the king, was shattering: like Hezekiah, (2 Kgs 19:1-2), in terror for the fate of his people Josiah tore his garments. The evident and continuous violation by the people of the laws prescribed in the book naturally led to thoughts of the nearness of those punishments and disasters with which God threatened the people for breaking those laws. The contemporary political circumstances and international relations inspired even greater fear in Josiah for Judah’s future. The once-terrible Assyria was now falling under the blows of newly formed independent states: the Neo-Chaldean kingdom, which would decide the fate of the Judean kingdom, the Median kingdom, Egypt, and especially from wild roving hordes of Scythians, who swept devastatingly (about 630 BC) from northern Mesopotamia and the Caspian Sea to Egypt itself and on the return journey plundered the land of the Philistines (Jer 5:15-17; Zeph 2:4-5. Herodotus I, 105; Dunker M. “Geschichte des Alterthums,” Bd. I, 1863, 5, p. 750 and further; Stade, Gesch. I, 643 and further; Bp. Platon, cited work, p. 266 and further; “History of the Israeli People,” 1902, 104–105). All these symptoms of coming political catastrophes in connection with Josiah’s repentant feeling could deeply shake his pious soul, although Assyria’s weakness could also favor the free implementation of religious reform not only in Judah itself, but also in the former territory of the Israelite kingdom (cf. 2 Kgs 23:15).

2 Kings 22:12. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Michaiah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying: 2 Kings 22:13. “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” 2 Kings 22:14. So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter), and they spoke with her. Shaken by all he had heard from the law, Josiah (like Hezekiah, 2 Kgs 19:2-4) desired to “inquire of the Lord,” that is, to hear a prophetic word concerning whether it was possible and by what means to avert the coming calamities and judgments of God upon Judah for the violation of God’s law. The delegation, headed by the high priest, turns not to the contemporary prophets—Jeremiah (Jer 1:1) and Zephaniah (Zeph 1:1), perhaps not in Jerusalem at that time—but to a certain prophetess Huldah, Hebrew Hulda, in the LXX: Ολδαν, Vulg.: Holda (one of four women prophetesses in the Old Testament, according to Jewish tradition—together with Miriam (Exod 15:20), Deborah (Judg 4:4), and Hannah (1 Sam 2:1 and further)), the wife of the keeper of the royal or temple garments (cf. 2 Kgs 10:22); “and she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter,” Hebrew: bemishne, Vulg.: in secunda. The LXX leave the last word without translation: ἐν τῆ Μασενᾶ, Slav.: “in Masena”; probably, as also in (Zeph 1:10), the northern part of Jerusalem is meant, including the so-called Akra, between the first (of David—Solomon) and the second (of Hezekiah—Manasseh) walls of the city (ἄλλη πόλις in Josephus).

2 Kings 22:15. And she said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me, 2 Kings 22:16. ‘Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will bring evil upon this place and upon its inhabitants—all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. 2 Kings 22:17. Because they have forsaken me, and have made offerings to other gods, so as to provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched.’ 2 Kings 22:18. But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, regarding the words which you have heard: 2 Kings 22:19. ‘Because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord, when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, says the Lord. 2 Kings 22:20. Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place.’” And they brought the word back to the king. “The original answer given to the king, some say, has not been preserved to us; the answer as recorded in (2 Kgs 22:15-20) scholars refer to a later time” (“History of the Israeli People,” p. 105; cf. Benzinger, p. 191; Kittel, p. 300), on the ground that if Huldah announced the destruction of Judah and its inhabitants in fulfillment of the curses of the law (vv. 16–17), but to the pious king who repented before God there was promised a peaceful death before the coming disasters (vv. 19–20), then the religious reform undertaken by Josiah (ch. XXIII) would have no meaning: after such an answer (2 Kgs 22:15-20) one could expect anything, except a decisive reform of the state: was it worth the effort if its ruin was inevitable? One could sooner expect that Josiah would merely thank God for his mercy to himself, like Hezekiah (2 Kgs 20:19). (Stade, Gesch. Isr. I, 651–652). The extreme subjectivism of modern biblical critics is evident of itself. From the standpoint of normal religious psychology, however, it is entirely understandable that a pious king, even upon learning of the inevitable fate of his kingdom, nevertheless considers it his duty and resolves to do all that is possible to place the life of his people in accordance with the requirements of the law, and to do this, first of all, he restores the true covenantal relationship of the people of God with Jehovah (2 Kgs 23:1-3). “A pious king benefits his subjects as much as impious ones harm them” (blessed Theodoret, question 54). * * * In the aforementioned “History of the Israeli People” (Moscow, 1902), which generally popularizes the latest views of biblical criticism on the Old Testament Bible and on the history of biblical Israel, it is said about the book of the law found: “This Book of the Law constituted the main part of the present fifth book of Moses (Deut 5:21-26). This is all that can be said on this subject based on investigations of the Old Testament” (p. 105)

Chapter Twenty-Three

1–3. The reading of the discovered book of the law before the people and the conclusion of a covenant between the king, the people, and God. 4–14. The destruction of the objects of pagan cults and also of the “high places of Jehovah” in the temple, in Jerusalem, in its environs, and in other cities of the Judean kingdom. 15–20. The destruction of the Bethel altar and the remnants of paganism in the territory of the former Israelite kingdom. 21–25. The celebration of Passover according to the book of the law and a general note on Josiah’s absolute faithfulness to the law. 26–30. The inevitability of God’s wrath upon the kingdom of Judah and the death of Josiah. 31–37. Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim—the 17th and 18th kings of Judah.

2 Kings 23:1. And the king sent, and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem were gathered to him. 2 Kings 23:2. And the king went up to the house of the Lord, with all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. 2 Kings 23:3. Then the king stood on the platform and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord and to keep his commandments, his decrees, and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant. The first act of the king upon the return of the delegation from Huldah was to gather in the temple, as much as possible, all classes of the people (“prophets” in verse 2 might be—perhaps—Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Baruch, but more likely—in general sense: “teachers of the people”; according to 2 Chr 34:30—the Levites) to hear all passages of the discovered “Book of the Covenant” that had attracted the king’s attention. Then, imitating former theocratic leaders of the people of God, such as Joshua (Josh 24:25), the prophet Samuel (1 Sam 6:3-4), and his pious grandfather Hezekiah (2 Chr 29:10), Josiah solemnly renewed, to be exact, the theocratic covenant of the Judean people with God, with Josiah himself personally, standing in a special royal place in the temple (gahammud, cf. 2 Kgs 12:14, see Prof. Gulyaev, p. 374), pronouncing all the essential requirements and obligations of the covenant, while the people affirmed them by an act of consent and acceptance (cf. 2 Chr 34:31-32).

2 Kings 23:4. And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels made for Baal and for Asherah and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. As once upon the conclusion of the covenant at the time of Joash there immediately followed the eradication of pagan worship (2 Kgs 11:17-18), so now the same occurred: according to Jesus the Son of Sirach (Sir 49:3), Josiah “acted successfully in turning the people and destroyed the abominations of wickedness,” although, of course, the reform, carried out through violent and purely external measures, without means of persuasion and spiritual re-education of the masses, could not be either deep or lasting. The cleansing begins with the temple and is entrusted to Hilkiah—the high priest ([ha] kohen—[ha] gadol in 2 Kgs 25:18; Jer 52:24; the high priest in Hebrew kohen—[ha] rosh—“the chief priest”), “the priests of the second order” (kohanim—[ha] mishne, cf. 2 Kgs 25:18), that is, subordinate to the high priest, and “those who kept the threshold” (cf. 2 Kgs 22:4; 1 Chr 23:5)—from the Levites. All the vessels dedicated to Baal, to all the host of heaven (see 2 Kgs 21:3 and commentary), and to Asherah-Astarte (cf. 1 Kgs 14:23) were brought out of the temple, and, according to the commandment (Deut 7:25), all this was burned, as unclean, outside Jerusalem in the fields (Hebrew shadmot—“fields,” LXX and Slav. leave without translation: ἐν σαδημωθ, “in sadimofe”) of the Kidron, where objects of idolatry had been destroyed under Asa (1 Kgs 15:13) and Hezekiah (2 Chr 29:16). But the ash of the burned idols was not to remain in the Kidron valley, near Jerusalem: it was carried to Bethel—to express decided contempt and loathing for this center of unlawful worship of the calves (1 Kgs 12:29-33), which served as the beginning and source of all the subsequent apostasies of Israel into paganism.

2 Kings 23:5. And he deposed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to make offerings on the high places in the cities of Judah and around Jerusalem; those also who made offerings to Baal, to the sun, the moon, the constellations, and all the host of heaven; 2 Kings 23:6. And he brought out the Asherah from the house of the Lord, outside Jerusalem, to the Wadi Kidron, burned it at the Wadi Kidron, beat it to dust, and scattered the dust on the graves of the common people; 2 Kings 23:7. He also broke down the houses of the male temple prostitutes that were in the house of the Lord, where the women wove robes for the Asherah. The religious service personnel of unlawful cults is removed. The king “deposed” (Hebrew hisshbit, “removed”—not “burned,” as in the LXX and Slavonic: κατέκυασε, “burned”; in the Alexandrian codex: κατέπαυσε, Vulgate not precisely: delevit) the idolatrous priests (Hebrew kemarim; in LXX: Χωμοριμ; codices 19, 82, 93, 108 in Holmes: τοὺς ιερεῖς; Vulg.: amspices, Slav.: “homarimy” (priests, sorcerers))—appointees of the kings of Judah and Israel, (cf. Ps 10:5; Zeph 1:4), that is, non-Levitical priests, such as, for instance, the priests of the cult of the calves (1 Kgs 12:31; 2 Chr 11:15), and which are distinguished from the priests of idols, or priests of Baal, sun, moon, constellations, and all the host of heaven (2 Kgs 23:5), on the one hand—from the priests of the high places, who, although performing service on the high places, were nevertheless from the tribe of Levi (2 Kgs 23:8) (see Prof. Brodovich, “The Book of the Prophet Hosea,” p. 350). The constellations (Hebrew mazzalot; μαζουρώθ; Slav.: “planets,” blessed Theodoret (question 54): “stars”) according to the interpretation of the rabbis (Levy, Neuhebraisches und chaldaisches Worterbuch Bd. III, p. 65), “mazzalot,” like the Assyrian “manzaltu,” means the 12 signs of the Zodiac; Vulgate: duodecim signa. Asherah (v. 6; Hebrew asherah, in LXX: ἄλσος, Slav.: “idol”), here in verse 6 means properly the idol, not the goddess herself (v. 4). The ash of the burned statue of this goddess is also cast into the Kidron valley, but precisely “on the common burial ground” (kever-bene-ha-am, cf. Jer 26:23), most open to trampling by all (the tombs of the rich were built separately, in gardens or caves, and these graves were not as accessible to wild beasts as common graves, cf. Prof. Gulyaev, p. 375, and such are still preserved in the Kidron or Jehoshaphat valley, from the Mount of Olives side, an ancient Jewish cemetery). The brothels and appurtenances of the cult of “qadeshim”—the hierodules, male (Deut 23:18) and female (cf. 1 Kgs 14:24 and commentary), in LXX: καδησίμ, Slav. “kadisimov,” Vulgate: ef feminatorum; according to blessed Theodoret, question 55), “holy ones (because the word “qadesh” means “holy”) in a direct sense the writer called demons here.” In verse 7 it is told that the servants of Asherah performed weaving and embroidery in honor of her (for arranging the tents of her servants) in the premises of the temple itself; here also the abominable worship of the goddess was conducted.

2 Kings 23:8. And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and desecrated the high places where the priests had made offerings, from Geba to Beer-sheba; and he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, and those on the left side of the city gate. 2 Kings 23:9. However, the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their fellow priests. Following the example of his pious grandfather Hezekiah (2 Kgs 18:4), Josiah abolished and from ancient times the “high places” honored by the true God, tolerated by many pious kings—throughout the Judean kingdom “from Geba (a city, probably the same as Geba, which Asa fortified with stones from Ramah, 1 Kgs 15:22), in the tribe of Benjamin, cf. Onomast. 293; Orthodox Palestinian Collection issue 37, p. 204) to Beer-sheba” (concerning its location see commentary on (1 Kgs 19:3)), including certain known high places in Jerusalem—at the house of the governor and at the city gates (perhaps mentioned in (Neh 2:13) the “Gate of the Valley” on the western (main entry) side of Jerusalem, approximately at the site of the present Jaffa Gate). The fate of the priests of these high places—priests descended from the tribe of Levi—was different from that of the idolatrous priests (v. 5): Josiah forced these Levitic priests to leave their places of former service and to settle in Jerusalem, but in the temple there was already a fixed body of priests, and for the newcomers there might be neither priestly duties nor priestly support, and thus naturally they were reduced to the status of Levites (v. 9; cf. Ezek 44:10-14): like the latter, they could not independently offer sacrifices in the Jerusalem temple, but the eating of unleavened bread and, probably, other offerings to the altar was permitted them equally with members of the priestly class excluded from actual priestly service due to various physical defects (Lev 21:21-23).

2 Kings 23:10. And he desecrated Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, so that no one would make his son or his daughter pass through fire to Molech; 2 Kings 23:11. And he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance to the house of the Lord, by the chamber of the eunuch Nathan-melech, which was in the precincts; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. “In the valley of the son of Hinnom,” LXX: λάραγξ ᾿Εννόμ, Vulgate: convailis filii Ennom, Slav.: “the ravine of the sons of Ennom” (cf. Josh 15:8)—a valley, which began on the west of Jerusalem, near the Jaffa Gate, and going first southward, then eastward until its junction with the Kidron valley—now Wadi-er-Rababi (Onomast. 313). From the bloody and fiery sacrifices to Molech performed here under Ahaz (2 Kgs 16:3) and Manasseh (2 Kgs 21:6) (cf. Jer 7:31), the valley of Hinnom afterwards became the image of eternal torment under the name γεὲννα τοῦ πυρός, “Gehenna of fire.” Topheth, in the LXX: Ταφέθ, Vulg.: Topheth, Slav.: “Tafef”—the specific name for the place of those sacrifices to Molech in the valley of Hinnom (Onomast. 508). Earlier commentators derived the word “Topheth” from Hebrew toph—“drum” (a musical instrument like a tambourine), with reference to that characteristic, according to rabbinic accounts, feature of Molech worship, that the screams of the burned victims were drowned out by the priests’ playing of drums (Philaret, p. 271; the name Topheth, according to the common explanation, means “drum place”). In modern times Topheth is derived either from the Assyrian-Persian root meaning “to bury” (related to Greek θάπτειν), in particular through cremation, or from the Hebrew verb “tuf”—meaning “to spit,” so that Topheth means an object of disgust (Gesenii, Thesaur. p. 1497), or meaning “to burn” (Furst), hence Topheth—place of burning. In favor of the latter speaks (Isa 30:31), where “Tiphtah” means a place of burning (cf. Prof. Gulyaev, p. 376). The horses, which in their running as it were depicted the apparent movement of the sun, were among many pagan peoples considered dedicated to the sun. In many places before temples there were sculpted horses, but before the Jerusalem temple (v. 11) in the times of pagan-inclined kings, living horses were kept, which is why Josiah only “removed” them, while the chariots of the sun he burned (cf. Prof. Gulyaev, p. 376). The eunuch Nathan-melech was probably an overseer of those sacred horses. Parvarim (Hebrew Parvarim) the rabbis and some earlier commentators (see Prof. Gulyaev, p. 377) considered the name of an urban suburb, but given the apparent identity of this name with “parbar” (1 Chr 26:16)—the name of the portico on the western wall of the temple—one should rather see in “parvarim” certain annexes—small rooms for officials (Jer 41:12) on the rear, western side of Solomon’s temple.

2 Kings 23:12. And the altars on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars that Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord, he pulled down and broke in pieces there, and cast the dust of them into the Wadi Kidron. 2 Kings 23:13. And the king desecrated the high places that were east of Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Corruption, which King Solomon of Israel had built for Astarte, the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites; 2 Kings 23:14. and he broke in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Asherot, and filled their places with human bones. Verses 12–14 continue the account (of verses 4, 6) of the cleansing of the Jerusalem temple and also the Mount of Olives from the abominations of idolatry. The altars on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz—not the palace of the king, but the temple, in its upper story of the annexes (cf. Jer 35:4); the altars of these chambers were dedicated to the host of heaven (Jer 19:13; Zeph 1:5). Josiah also destroyed the ancient high places, erected as far back as Solomon on the Mount of Olives or Mount of Oil (1 Kgs 11:7), here called (cf. 13) Hebrew mashit (a word that plays on mishat—“anointed”)—“the Mount of Corruption,” probably in view of the idolatrous shrines erected here; Vulg. mons Offensionis; in the LXX without translation: Μοσθάθ, Slav. “Mosphath.” The name “corruption,” mons offensionis was subsequently applied properly to the southern spur of the Mount of Olives (the northern is known as virgalilaei); the present name of the Mount of Olives is Jebel-Ettur (Onomast. 716). The idolatrous high places of Solomon and others destroyed by Hezekiah (2 Chr 31:1) could have been restored by Manasseh and Amon. Josiah defiles them with dead bones: (v. 14, cf. 6, 8, 20).

2 Kings 23:15. Moreover, the altar at Bethel, the high place erected by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin—he pulled down that altar as well as the high place; he burned the high place, crushing it to dust, and burned the sacred pole. 2 Kings 23:16. As Josiah turned around, he saw the tombs there on the mountainside; and he sent and took the bones out of the tombs, and burned them on the altar, and desecrated it, according to the word of the Lord that the man of God proclaimed, who had predicted these things. [When Jeroboam stood by the altar at the festival, he turned and looked up at the tomb of the man of God who had predicted these things.] 2 Kings 23:17. Then he said, “What is that monument that I see?” The people of the city told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and predicted these things that you have done against the altar of Bethel.” 2 Kings 23:18. He said, “Let him rest; let no one disturb his bones.” So they left his bones undisturbed, along with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria. 2 Kings 23:19. Josiah also removed all the shrines of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which kings of Israel had made, provoking the Lord to anger; he did to them just as he had done to the altar at Bethel. 2 Kings 23:20. He sacrificed all the priests of the high places who were there, on the altars, and burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem. After completing the cleansing of the Judean kingdom from all remnants of unlawful worship and pure idolatry, Josiah performs a similar cleansing in the territory of the former Israelite kingdom, above all and mainly in the center of the calf cult—in Bethel (cf. 1 Kgs 12:29 and further), and in all exactness and even in the details, the prediction of a well-known Judean prophet concerning the fate of the Bethel cult and its priests came true (1 Kgs 13:1 and further), a prediction pronounced over three centuries before. The words of verse 16, placed in brackets in the Russian translation—a later gloss from the LXX; the execution of the priests of Bethel (in accordance with the law: Deut 13:5), like all of Josiah’s reformatory activity in the territory of the former Israelite kingdom, presupposes that the Assyrian authority over this land at that time almost did not exist, and this gave the Judean kings (Hezekiah: 2 Chr 30:1 and Josiah: 2 Chr 34:6) the ability to act in the Israelite territory, even though inhabited, alongside Israelites, by many foreign tribes (2 Kgs 17:24 and further), as over a part of their own state. According to the Talmud, the prophet Jeremiah contributed to the return to God of many from the population of the ten-tribe kingdom (Megilla, 146).

2 Kings 23:21. And the king commanded all the people, “Celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” 2 Kings 23:22. For no such Passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, during all the days of the kings of Israel and of the kings of Judah; 2 Kings 23:23. but in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was kept to the Lord in Jerusalem. Having fulfilled with such merciless rigor all the prohibitions and penalties of the book of the law, Josiah insisted with equal strictness on the most precise celebration of the chief festival prescribed in the law, the festival of Passover (cf. 2 Chr 35:1-18), and previously the Ark of the Covenant was placed in its former place (2 Chr 35:3), perhaps removed from the Holy of Holies into one of the buildings at the temple during the persecutions of the religion of Jehovah by Manasseh or Amon. According to (2 Chr 35:1), the Passover was celebrated on the fourteenth of Nisan.

2 Kings 23:24. Moreover, Josiah put away the mediums and the wizards, the teraphim and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, so that he might establish the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord. 2 Kings 23:25. Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him. A summary of the entire account of Josiah’s reform, indicating its complete correspondence with the requirements of the Law of Moses. Concerning mediums and wizards, see in A. Glagolev’s book, “Old Testament Biblical Teaching on Angels,” pp. 600–610. Concerning teraphim—Commentary Bible, vol. I, p. 180 (cf. Prof. Gulyaev, p. 378). By idols—Hebrew gillulim (from the verb galal—“to roll”), perhaps are meant various shaped pebbles, which from ancient times, before artificial images of various supposed gods were made, were among peoples at a low level of development symbols of divinity, as is encountered even now among savage inhabitants of the islands of the Pacific Ocean (Prof. Gulyaev, p. 379).

2 Kings 23:26. Still, the Lord did not turn from the fierceness of his great wrath, by which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him. 2 Kings 23:27. The Lord said, “I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel; and I will reject this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, “My name shall be there.”” “The turning to God here was less internal and constant than external and temporary, for which reason He did not turn aside His wrath toward them” (Metropolitan Philaret): judgment was drawing near upon Judah, judgment that had already more than a century before struck the kingdom of Israel (2 Kgs 17)—in accordance with the repeated warnings of the prophets of God (e.g., chapters 1–10; Zeph 1:2-6), which repeated the ancient threats of the law (Lev 26; Deut 28 and other passages) to the people of God.

2 Kings 23:28. Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 2 Kings 23:29. In his days, Pharaoh Neco of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the River Euphrates. King Josiah went to meet him; and Pharaoh Neco killed him at Megiddo, when he saw him. 2 Kings 23:30. His servants carried him dead in a chariot from Megiddo, brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. The people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah, anointed him, and made him king in place of his father. What is said here is repeated more fully and in greater detail in (2 Chr 35:20-25). Neco (Hebrew Neho, in the LXX and Josephus: Νεκαώ), according to Herodotus (II, 158), who calls him Νεχώς (according to Egyptian monuments—“Neku”), son of Psamtik I, the 6th king of the XXVI Sais dynasty in Egypt (ruled 609–594 BC), known for building a large fleet both on the Mediterranean and Black seas. The Assyrian monarchy was at that time on the eve of its fall (in 606 BC Nabopolassar the Chaldean and Cyaxares the Mede united their forces and destroyed Nineveh, thus ending Assyria’s existence), and Neco probably wished to take advantage of the weakness of the once-formidable neighboring kingdom and to annex to Egypt some part of Assyria, such as Syria, which is why he undertakes a campaign beyond the Euphrates, to the city of Carchemish (2 Chr 35:20), in the LXX: χερμείς, in Josephus: καρχαμησά, Vulg.: Charcamis, on the cuneiform inscriptions: Gargamis—at the mouth of the Habor into the Euphrates, now Kirkessia Jerabulus or Djerba (Onomast. 954); here Neco suffered defeat from Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 46:2). When Neco arrived by fleet to the shores of Palestine and landed at the seaside city of Akko (according to the account of Herodotus II, 16)—Ptolemais (Onomast. 64). Josiah either as a vassal of the Assyrian king or from fear for the integrity of his territories felt obliged, despite the reassuring explanations of Neco (2 Chr 35:21), to go out with his army to meet him and do battle, and in the battle at Megiddo (cf. 1 Kgs 4:12 and commentary; in Herodotus Μάγδωλος), on the field or at the place called Gad-ad-rimmon (Zech 12:11), Egyptian archers mortally wounded Josiah, and he died in Jerusalem, mourned by all Judah and Jerusalem. The king’s piety and repentance were mourned by the prophet Jeremiah in his elegy, as well as by other singers and singers in sorrowful songs—kinot (2 Chr 35:24-25). This lamentation expressed that the days of Judah’s political existence were now numbered: after Josiah’s death the kingdom of Judah existed for two more decades, but this was a miserable existence as a tributary to Babylon. Josiah’s successor was chosen by the people, strangely, not the eldest son (cf. v. 36) but the younger—Jehoahaz or, according to (Jer 22:11 and further)—Shallum (cf. 1 Chr 3:31), perhaps considering him more worthy, but he did not at all justify these hopes (Jer 22:11 and further).

2 Kings 23:31. Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king; he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 2 Kings 23:32. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his ancestors had done. 2 Kings 23:33. Pharaoh Neco confined him at Riblah in the land of Hamath, so that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and imposed on the land a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 2 Kings 23:34. Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away; and he came to Egypt and died there. 2 Kings 23:35. Jehoiakim gave the silver and gold to Pharaoh, but he had to tax the land in order to meet Pharaoh’s demand for the money. He exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land, from all according to their assessment, to give to Pharaoh Neco. Concerning Libnah, see note on (2 Kgs 19:8). Riblah (in the LXX: Βῆλα, ᾿Ρεβάαμι, Vulg.: Rebla, Slav.: “Revlaham,” “Vila”—Onomasticon, 274)—a city on the northeastern border of the promised land (Num 34:11), on the Orontes, now Riblah, between Homs (Emesa) and Baalbek. Here Neco brings the deposed Jehoahaz (after his three-month reign) (v. 33); here also after Nebuchadnezzar blinded Zedekiah (2 Kgs 25:6), then killed the nobles of Judah (2 Kgs 25:21). Apparently Riblah was the main headquarters of Neco, and afterwards of Nebuchadnezzar. In place of Jehoahaz, Neco places as king of Judah the elder son of Josiah, Eliakim, changing his name to Jehoiakim as a sign (cf. Gen 41:45; Dan 1:7) of his vassalage to himself (so Nebuchadnezzar did later with Mattaniah-Zedekiah, 2 Kgs 24:17). The tribute imposed by the Egyptian pharaoh on Judah was distributed (as once in the Israelite kingdom under Menahem, 2 Kgs 15:19) among the owners of land parcels, even the poor (Hebrew am-ha-aretz).

2 Kings 23:36. Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king; he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. Rumah (in the LXX: ῾Αρημὰ, Vulg.: Ruma), probably the same as Arumah, near Shechem (Judg 9:41; Josephus, Jew. War 3:7, 21), now Khirbat Ruma south of the plain of Asochis (Onomast. 793). Jehoiakim reigned eleven years, from 609 to 593 BC (v. 36; 2 Chr 35:5). His impious reign, full of infidelity to true religion and abounding in every kind of unrighteousness (Jer 7:9 and further; Jer 17:2 and further; Jer 22:13-17; Ezek 8:9-17; Hab 2:9-14), was a true disaster for Judah, fatefully drawing it toward ruin.

2 Kings 23:37. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his ancestors had done. * * * Notes Josephus considers this fall of Assyria already an accomplished fact at this time; according to him, Neco marched to the Euphrates with the intention of “waging war with the Medes and Babylonians, who had destroyed the Assyrian kingdom” (Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities,” Book 10, Chapter 5, Section 1), compare in Bishop Platon, “The Ancient East in the Light of Divine Revelation,” pp. 274–275

Chapter Twenty-Four

1–6. The submission of Joiakim to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, his rebellion against him, and his death. 7–16. The three-month reign of Jehoiachin, his impiety and captivity. 17–20. The 20th and last king of Judah—Mattaniah-Zedekiah.

2 Kings 24:1. In his days Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came up, and Joiakim became subject to him for three years; but then he rebelled against him. In the year 605 there occurred the battle at Carchemish: Necho of Egypt was utterly defeated by the Babylonians under their leader Nebuchadnezzar, then still a general of his father Nabopolassar, king of Babylon. Because of this battle Syria and all the lands west of the Euphrates were lost to Egypt (v. 7); Egypt itself was even threatened with destruction by Nebuchadnezzar (cf. Jer 46:2-20), but he at that time was forced to pause his campaign of conquest due to the death of his father Nabopolassar (604 BC), which compelled Nebuchadnezzar to hasten to Babylon and secure the throne for himself; Nebuchadnezzar reigned from 604 to 561 BC. When and under what circumstances Joiakim came under the dominion of Nebuchadnezzar is difficult to determine precisely: according to the book of the prophet Daniel (Dan 1:1-2), Nebuchadnezzar in the 3rd year of Joiakim’s reign besieged Jerusalem, took it and seized some of the vessels of the Jerusalem temple (in accordance with 2 Chr 36:6), and there Joiakim was placed in chains “to bring him to Babylon.” The 3rd year of Joiakim’s reign according to accepted chronology would correspond approximately to the year of Nebuchadnezzar’s accession (604 BC), but it is impossible to assume that Joiakim’s submission to Nebuchadnezzar occurred in this year, since then the period of Joiakim’s reign would be reduced from 11 years (2 Kgs 23:36; 2 Chr 35:5) to 5–6 years, since in any case after submitting to the Babylonian king Joiakim reigned no more than 3 years (v. 1). In this sense Josephus Flavius establishes the chronological dates of this period. Referring the battle at Carchemish and Nebuchadnezzar’s accession to the 4th year of Joiakim’s reign, Josephus says: “Only after four years of his reign had passed, when Joiakim had already been ruling the Hebrews for eight years, did the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar march with a large army against the Jews, demanding tribute from Joiakim or threatening him with war otherwise. Joiakim was frightened by this threat and, preferring peace to money, began to pay tribute” (Ant. 10:6, 1). In accordance with this testimony, and in modern biblical scholarship, the year of Judah’s submission under Joiakim to Nebuchadnezzar is considered to be 600 BC (Stade, Gesch. Isr, p. 678. Kittel, D. Bucher d. Konige, p. 306). Already within 3 years, in 597, after Joiakim ceased paying tribute to Nebuchadnezzar, he had to pay for his faithlessness to the Babylonian king with his throne and his life.

2 Kings 24:2. And the Lord sent against him raiding parties of Chaldeans, and raiding parties of Arameans, and raiding parties of Moabites, and raiding parties of Ammonites—He sent them against Judah to destroy it according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke through His servants the prophets. 2 Kings 24:3. This came upon Judah by the command of the Lord, to remove him from His presence on account of the sins of Manasseh, for all that he had done; 2 Kings 24:4. and for the innocent blood that he shed, filling Jerusalem with innocent blood—the Lord was unwilling to forgive. 2 Kings 24:5. As for the rest concerning Joiakim and all that he did, it is written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. 2 Kings 24:6. And Joiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. 2 Kings 24:7. The king of Egypt did not come out of his land anymore, because the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the Stream of Egypt to the River Euphrates. Presumably incited by the Egyptian faction at court, Joiakim rebelled against Babylon. But whereas Hezekiah, in his rebellion against Assyria (2 Kgs 18:7), could rely on his Asian neighbors, at the head of whose coalition he might stand, Joiakim not only received no such support but found in the Arameans, Moabites, and Ammonites faithful servants of the Babylonian king, active helpers of Nebuchadnezzar: hordes of these peoples, led by the Chaldeans, began the devastation of Judah. Egypt, of course, rendered Judah no help whatsoever, being helpless and restricted in its domains (v. 7). Under such circumstances Joiakim died without witnessing, apparently, the siege of Jerusalem by the regular forces of Nebuchadnezzar himself. Joiakim died (v. 6) a dishonorable death, according to the prophecy of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 22:13-23), deprived of a royal burial with the kings of Judah (Jer 36:30) and buried “with an ass’s burial” (Jer 22:19; cf. Josephus Flavius, Ant. 10:6,3). In verse 5 there is the last reference to the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.

2 Kings 24:8. Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan, from Jerusalem. 2 Kings 24:9. And he did what was displeasing in the sight of the Lord, in all respects as his father had done. Jehoiachin, son and successor of Joiakim, Hebrew Yeho-yakin, demonstrated during his three-month reign the same non-theocratic attitude as his father Joiakim. But Judean tradition, mindful of God’s mercy toward Jehoiachin—in preserving him in captivity for 37 years and his release from prison under Nebuchadnezzar’s successor Evil-merodach (2 Kgs 25:27; cf. Jer 52:31 and following)—preserved a memory of Jehoiachin’s good deeds as well (Josephus Flavius 10:7, 1, remarks in the Talmud; cf. Bar 1:2 and following).

2 Kings 24:10. At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came up against Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. 2 Kings 24:11. And Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to the city while his servants were besieging it. 2 Kings 24:12. And Jehoiachin, king of Judah, went out to the king of Babylon, he and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his eunuchs—and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. In the 8th year of his reign (v. 12) or, according to Jer 52:28, in the 7th year of his reign, consequently in 598 or 597 BC, Nebuchadnezzar, without any apparent reason on Jehoiachin’s part (according to Josephus Flavius, Ant. 10:7, 1: “Nebuchadnezzar feared that Jehoiachin [in Josephus—Joiakim] might rebel in revenge for the death of his father”), besieged Jerusalem, probably completing the campaign of the Chaldeans begun earlier in alliance with other peoples (v. 2). “The king [Jehoiachin], being a man of propriety and justice, did not wish to allow the city to be endangered because of him, but took his mother and relatives and gave them as hostages” (Josephus Flavius). Such obedience of Jehoiachin (with his mother and chief ministers) and voluntary surrender of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar prompted the latter to grant Jehoiachin his life, but it did not save the city from plunder, nor the kingdom of Judah from the actual beginning of captivity.

2 Kings 24:13. And he brought out from there all the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces, as the Lord had declared, all the gold vessels which Solomon, king of Israel, had made in the house of the Lord; 2 Kings 24:14. and he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valor—ten thousand captives—and all the craftsmen and the smiths; no one remained except the poorest people of the land. 2 Kings 24:15. And he took Jehoiachin to Babylon; and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his eunuchs, and the mighty men of the land he brought into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 Kings 24:16. And all the troops, numbering seven thousand, and the craftsmen and blacksmiths, a thousand, all of them mighty men fit for war, the king of Babylon brought into captivity to Babylon. The king of Babylon plundered the precious vessels of the Jerusalem temple (Jer 27:18-20) and of the royal palace (he could not “cut in pieces” the vessels of the temple, as the Hebrew verb katzatz is rendered in the Russian and other translations; LXX: συνεκοψε, Vulgate: concidit, Slavonic: “broke in pieces”—otherwise Cyrus could not have returned these vessels to the Jews later: Ezra 1:7). At the same time, wishing to completely weaken the kingdom of Judah, to deprive it of military, material, and cultural strength, Nebuchadnezzar, together with King Jehoiachin (v. 15), took into captivity to Babylon the noblest officials, the finest warriors, members of the wealthy classes, and finally representatives of the arts necessary for the national economy (cf. Jer 29:1-2). The total number of those taken into captivity at this time is given by two figures: 10,000 (v. 14) and 7,000 (v. 16), consequently more than seventeen thousand. However, it is very difficult to determine the number of those taken to Babylon in this first captivity and in the subsequent ones (cf. Jer 52:28-30) in view of the differing numerical data in the books of 4 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Jeremiah (cf. in the work of E. Blagonravov, “The Babylonian Captivity and Its Significance in the History of the Jews,” Moscow, 1902, p. 121 ff.). Among the captives taken with Jehoiachin were prophets and priests (Jer 29:1), and the prophet Ezekiel was also there (cf. Ezek 1:1-3), as Josephus Flavius directly states (“Among the military captives was the prophet Ezekiel, who was at that time still a young man,” Ant. 10:6, 3). Only the poor population of the land was left in the country (v. 14, cf. Jer 39:10).

2 Kings 24:17. And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, uncle of Jehoiachin, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah. 2 Kings 24:18. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Hamutal, daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah. 2 Kings 24:19. And he did what was displeasing in the sight of the Lord, in all respects as Joiakim had done. 2 Kings 24:20. The wrath of the Lord was upon Jerusalem and Judah, so that He cast them out from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. The 20th and last king of Judah—Mattaniah, renamed Zedekiah by Nebuchadnezzar (Hebrew Tzidkiyahu), was the uncle of Jehoiachin, the youngest son of Josiah, born of the same mother as Jehoahaz (cf. v. 18 with 2 Kgs 23:31-36; cf. Jer 37:1). The fact itself of Nebuchadnezzar’s changing the name of the new king of Judah (cf. 2 Kgs 23:24) indicated that the royal power the latter received was only under the condition of absolute vassal dependence on the Babylonian king. But Nebuchadnezzar, moreover, took from Zedekiah an oath by the name of God, or a pledge of loyalty to himself (2 Chr 36:13; Ezek 17:13); this oath, however, he subsequently violated (the year of his rebellion against the Babylonian king is not indicated in the biblical text). Zedekiah’s general attitude and conduct were displeasing to God (v. 19, cf. Jer 37:3); the kingdom of Judah, as a result of its internal decay, was ready to become the object and victim of God’s wrath (v. 20, cf. v. 3). Apparently, with the aim of bringing back some of the captive Jews from Babylon, Zedekiah first sent an embassy there (Jer 29:3 and following), and then in the 4th year of his reign, probably with the same purpose, undertook a journey there (Jer 51:59), but both efforts were in vain. Meanwhile, neighboring peoples—the Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, and Phoenicians—determined to unite and jointly throw off the yoke of Babylon, and they encouraged Zedekiah as well, inviting him to join their coalition (Jer 27:3). Having resolved to do so (Ezek 21:20), contrary to the exhortations of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 27:4 and following) and under the influence and encouragement of false prophets (Jer 28:1), Zedekiah sent to the Egyptian pharaoh Apries for help and alliance (26th Saitic dynasty, 589–570 BC) (Ezek 17:15 and following). Subsequently came an open rebellion of Zedekiah against the Babylonian king, which provoked a new and fatal campaign by Nebuchadnezzar against Jerusalem and Judah (2 Kgs 25:1). The account (2 Kgs 24:18–2 Kgs 25) is almost word-for-word identical with the last (Jer 52) chapter of the book of the prophet Jeremiah, except that the latter contains no notice (2 Kgs 25:22-26), while 4 Kings does not have the calculation (Jer 52:28-30). The mutual relationship of these parallel accounts, the sacred-historical and prophetic, is completely analogous to the relationship between (2 Kgs 18:13-20) on one hand and (Isa 36-39) on the other, that is, each of the parallel accounts had at its base the same source—the sacred chronicle of events, compiled by one of the contemporary prophets who were historiographers. * * * See the dissertation by M. I. Skaballanovich, “The First Chapter of the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel,” Mariupol, 1904, p. 68 ff.

Chapter Twenty-Five

The fall of the kingdom of Judah. 1–3. The siege of Jerusalem and famine in the city. 4–7. The taking of the city, Zedekiah’s flight, the slaying of his sons and his captivity to Babylon. 8–17. The invasion of Nebuzaradan, the burning of Jerusalem, the plundering of the temple, and the captivity of the people to Babylon. 18–21. The execution of Judean officials at Riblah. 22–26. The population remaining in Judea; the murder of Gedaliah and the mass flight of Jews to Egypt. 27–30. A notice of Jehoiachin’s liberation in the 37th year of his captivity, under Evil-merodach.

2 Kings 25:1. In the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came with all his army against Jerusalem, and besieged it, and built siege works around it. 2 Kings 25:2. And the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 2 Kings 25:3. On the ninth day of the month the famine was severe in the city, and there was no food for the people of the land. Angered by Zedekiah’s oath-breaking and the rebellion of other peoples, Nebuchadnezzar (according to Ezek 21:18 and following, after first casting lots, which fell on Jerusalem) invaded Judea again and besieged Jerusalem (“in accordance with all the rules of the art,” as Josephus Flavius remarks) in the 9th year of reign (not of Nebuchadnezzar, as the Russian Synodal translation has “his,” but of Zedekiah; LXX: αὺτοῦ, Slavonic: “his”) in the 10th month, on the 10th day of the month. Such precision in the date of the beginning of Jerusalem’s siege, as well as other memorable moments of this event so grievous to Jewish national feeling (cf. v. 3, 8), is explained by the fact that the Jews in captivity, in remembrance of this and other days of sad memory, established and observed specific fasts (Zech 8:19; cf. 2 Kgs 7:3). The 10th month, which subsequently acquired the name in the Babylonian reckoning of months used by the Hebrews in captivity, was called Tevet (Esth 2:16). From v. 6 it is evident that Nebuchadnezzar did not personally conduct the siege of Jerusalem, since his headquarters and residence were in the city of Riblah, but through one of his military commanders. From the verse (4Цар.34:7) it is evident that the Babylonians were besieging other Judean cities as well, such as Lachish and Azekah. The siege as a whole lasted about a year and a half (except for a brief pause when, hearing of the approach of the Egyptians to aid the Jews, the Chaldeans briefly lifted the siege of Jerusalem, (Jer 37:5-8)), namely 1 year, 5 months, 27 days; the extreme worsening of famine in the city and the first breach of the city wall occurred on the 9th day of the fourth month (as is directly stated in Jer 39:2) (“Tammuz,” corresponding to most of our July) in the 11th year of Zedekiah’s reign (v. 2–3). How great were the sufferings of famine and others which the besieged endured can be seen from (Jer 2:11-12), cf. (Ezek 4) and other places.

2 Kings 25:4. And the city was broken through, and all the soldiers fled at night by the way of the gate between the two walls, near the king’s garden; the Chaldeans were around the city, and the king went by the way toward the Jordan Valley. 2 Kings 25:5. And the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. 2 Kings 25:6. And they took the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they passed sentence upon him: 2 Kings 25:7. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and then put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with bronze fetters, and took him to Babylon. The breach of the wall and the invasion of the Chaldeans into Jerusalem occurred on the north side, at the “middle gate” (Jer 39:3), ordinarily identified with the Ephraim Gate on the north of Jerusalem (Neh 8:16; 2 Kgs 14:13). Learning of this, Zedekiah and his army fled by night toward the east through the so-called “gate between the two walls, near the king’s garden,” presumably identical with the “Gate of the Fountain” (Neh 2:14) (the royal gardens were on the south-eastern side beyond the walls of the city by the Pool of Siloam) on the eastern side of the city, and were heading toward Jericho and beyond the Jordan, but on the way Zedekiah was seized by the Chaldeans, after which his army scattered, and he was taken to Riblah to Nebuchadnezzar, who passed a cruel military judgment upon him. The last thing he saw with his eyes was the execution of his sons (perhaps they seemed to the Babylonians to be instigators of rebellion, and their killing may have been intended to exterminate the entire ruling dynasty of Judah. However, according to Jer 39:6, along with Zedekiah’s sons some Judean nobles were also killed); then Zedekiah was blinded—an ancient Chaldean and Persian punishment (Herodotus, History VII, 18), still used in Persia and Turkey for throne pretenders. Then Zedekiah was taken in fetters to Babylon.

2 Kings 25:8. In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month—that is, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the chief of the guard, servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem 2 Kings 25:9. and he burned the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and all the houses in Jerusalem, and every great house he burned with fire; 2 Kings 25:10. and all the walls around Jerusalem the army of the Chaldeans, under the chief of the guard, demolished. 2 Kings 25:11. And the rest of the people who remained in the city, and the deserters who had gone over to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan, the chief of the guard, carried into captivity. 2 Kings 25:12. But from the poor of the land Nebuzaradan, the chief of the guard, left some to work in the vineyards and fields. In (Jer 52:12) the date of Nebuzaradan’s arrival (his office in Hebrew is called rab-tab-bachim—“chief of executioners”: cf. (Gen 37:36), that is, of the bodyguard: “those who carried out executions always made up the immediate guard,” Prof. Gulyaev, p. 384) is given not as the seventh, as here, but as the 10th; the latter is also indicated by Josephus Flavius (“The Jewish War” 6:4,8; in “Jewish Antiquities” 10:8,5 he, however, considers the date of the burning of the temple to be the 1st of the 5th month). The fifth month, Ab, corresponds to most of our August. According to Josephus Flavius (“The Jewish War,” cited passage) the Temple of Solomon was burned by the Babylonians on the very same day of the fifth month (Ab, “loose” in Josephus Flavius) on which subsequently (70 AD) the Temple of Herod was burned by the Romans. Talmudic tradition refers the destruction of both temples to the ninth of Ab (Taanit, 29a), and a fast was established on this day. Besides the temple and the royal palace, Nebuzaradan burned all the somewhat significant palaces of the city, and the walls of the city, which constituted its stronghold, were demolished (see 2 Chr 32:5). Having expelled from Judea the last remnants of the somewhat wealthy people, in Judea Nebuzaradan left only the very poorest inhabitants—farmers and gardeners.

2 Kings 25:13. And the pillars of bronze that belonged to the house of the Lord, and the stands, and the bronze sea that was in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried the bronze to Babylon; 2 Kings 25:14. and the pots, and the shovels, and the knives, and the spoons, and all the bronze vessels that were used in the service, they took; 2 Kings 25:15. and the firepans, and the bowls, whatever was made of gold and whatever was made of silver, the chief of the guard took: 2 Kings 25:16. The pillars, numbering two, the sea, one, and the stands, which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord—the bronze in all these vessels was beyond weight. 2 Kings 25:17. Eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar; a capital of bronze upon it, and the height of the capital was three cubits, with a network and pomegranates all around the capital, all of bronze. And the second pillar had the same, with the network. There are enumerated the furnishings of the temple vessels taken by Nebuzaradan to Babylon, beginning with the largest and most important: the “pillars of bronze,” that is, the well-known columns Jachin and Boaz in front of the temple’s front; the “bronze sea” with “stands” and so forth, cf. (1 Kgs 7:15-39).

2 Kings 25:18. And the chief of the guard took Seraiah the high priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three guardians of the threshold. 2 Kings 25:19. And from the city he took one officer who was in command of the soldiers, and five men of those who saw the king’s face, who were in the city, and the chief secretary of the army, who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were in the city. 2 Kings 25:20. And Nebuzaradan, the chief of the guard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 2 Kings 25:21. And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah, in the land of Hamath. And Judah was carried away out of its land. After the destruction of Jerusalem, Nebuzaradan took from there the chief officials of the church and state, and, like Zedekiah, sent them to Riblah, where, brought before Nebuchadnezzar, all of them were executed. With that the expulsions of the Jews to Babylon were concluded. The land, of course, did not remain completely empty (cf. in E. Blagonravov, The Babylonian Captivity, p. 128 ff.), but the sparse and impoverished population remaining in it did not prevent the terrible desolation of Judea (2 Chr 36:21), in complete accordance with the prophecy of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 25:11). The prophet himself was given freedom by the Chaldeans, by command of their king, to go to Babylon or remain in his homeland. The prophet chose the latter (Jer 39:11). After v. 21 in the parallel account of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 52:28-30) there is a list of those taken into captivity to Babylon.

2 Kings 25:22. And over the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had left, he appointed Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, as governor. 2 Kings 25:23. And when all the captains of the forces heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—namely, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth of Netophah, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, they and their men. 2 Kings 25:24. And Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid of the Chaldeans; dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.” 2 Kings 25:25. But in the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men, and struck down Gedaliah so that he died, and also the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. 2 Kings 25:26. And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans. A condensed account of the narrative which is contained at length in the book of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 39:11-43:7). Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, was the most prominent among the prudent citizens of the kingdom of Judah who believed and were ready to follow the advice of the prophet Jeremiah to Zedekiah—to voluntarily surrender to the Babylonian king (Jer 38:17). As a man of noble spirit (Jer 40:16), Gedaliah received the commission to free Jeremiah (Jer 39:14) and was invested with the title of Babylonian governor over the remaining population of Judea (Jer 40:7). Making Mizpah his residence (a city in the territory of Benjamin (Josh 13:26) northwest of Jerusalem), Gedaliah formed around himself a guard of Jews and Chaldeans, and with the support of the prophet Jeremiah and Baruch attempted to organize the poor population of Judea into a settled community (Jer 40:6), but was wickedly assassinated two months later (v. 26; Jer 41:2 and following). Netophah was a town in the territory of the tribe of Judah, near Bethlehem (Neh 7:26; Ezra 2:22; 1 Chr 2:54), identified with the present Bett-Nitiz (Onomasticon, 747). The region of Maacah lay in the north of the Transjordan land at the foot of Mount Hermon (Deut 13:14; Josh 13:13).

2 Kings 25:27. In the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach, king of Babylon, in the year of his accession, released Jehoiachin, king of Judah, from prison; 2 Kings 25:28. and he spoke kindly to him, and set his throne above the thrones of the other kings who were with him in Babylon; 2 Kings 25:29. and changed his prison clothes. And Jehoiachin ate bread regularly before him all the days of his life. 2 Kings 25:30. And his allowance, a regular allowance, was given him by the king, day by day, all the days of his life. See (Jer 52:31-34). Jehoiachin’s release fell in 561 BC. The reign of Evil-merodach spans 561–559 BC. Josephus Flavius (Against Apion I, 20), basing himself on Berossus, gives an unfavorable account of this king. The event of Jehoiachin’s release is the last recorded in 4 Kings, and the writing of 3 and 4 Kings took place, probably, soon after this event. * * * According to Josephus Flavius (“Jewish Antiquities” 10:8,5), the Temple of Solomon was burned 470 years 6 months and 10 days after its construction. According to accepted chronology, this figure should be reduced: the construction of the temple is placed in 1012 BC, and its destruction in 586 BC, consequently the temple existed 426–425 years (cf. I. Spassky, “An Inquiry into Biblical Chronology,” p. 131).

The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Introduction

About the Books of Chronicles

The name of the books. The two books of Chronicles that follow the Books of Kings in the Greek Bible constitute a single work in the ancient (Josephus, Against Apion 1:8; Origen in Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History VI, 25) and modern Hebrew text, known by the name “Divrei Hayamim” and classified not among the historical books, but among the so-called “Kethuvim” (Greek: “Hagiographa”), that is, “Writings.” The Hebrew designation, before which, according to the indication (1 Kgs 14:19; 1 Kgs 15:7), the word “sefer” (book) should stand, literally means: “book of daily events,” which corresponds to our “Chronicles,” that is, it points to the form of presentation of the material, and the inclusion of the book in the section “Kethuvim” is explained, as some think, by its exhortatory character. The inscription “Divrei Hayamim” is rendered with complete precision in Jerome’s Latin translation by the term “Libri Chronicorum,” but in the Greek text is replaced by something entirely different: “Paralipomenon Basileon Ioudá.” The origin of the Greek designation is explained by the fact that at the time of the translation the published book had no definite name in the Hebrew Bible, and therefore the Septuagint, seeing in it a supplement, an addition to the Books of Kings (Synopsis scripturae sanctae, In Athanasii op. II, p. 83; Jerome – letter to Paulinus; Isidore of Seville, Origin, lib. VI, c. 1), gave it this name. With the new name the Book of Chronicles received from the Septuagint also a new division: the single book of the Hebrew text was divided by them into two, probably in imitation of the division of the Books of Kings. Just as in them the second book is devoted to the history of David’s reign, and from the third begins the history of Solomon’s rule, so also in Chronicles the accounts of the deeds of these two kings are placed in different books: at the end of the first about the deeds of David, from the beginning of the second – about the deeds of Solomon.

The time of writing of the books and the author. As can be seen from the mention of the edict of Cyrus, which permitted the Jews to return to their homeland (2 Chr 36:22), as well as from Persian names of coins (1 Chr 29:7) and measures (2 Chr 3:3), the Book of Chronicles was written during the period of Persian rule. According to the indications of other data, the origin of the Book of Chronicles can be established with certainty as no later than the time of the priest Ezra. The first place among them is held by a consideration derived from the history of the canon. According to the unanimous opinion of the Sacred Scriptures themselves (2 Macc 2:13), of Jewish scholars, for example Josephus, of the Fathers and Teachers of the Church, Irenaeus of Lyons, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, John Chrysostom, the Old Testament canon received its present form under Ezra and Nehemiah. “To books written before Artaxerxes (Artaxerxes – contemporary of Ezra and Nehemiah, Ezra 7-8; Neh 2:5),” says Josephus, “nothing can now be added or taken away from them.” In accordance with this, the Book of Chronicles, as included in the canon, appeared no later than the given time. The view that the Book of Chronicles originated at the indicated time is further supported by the identity of its conclusion with the beginning of the first book of Ezra (2 Chr 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-3). Examining these two passages, scholars come to the conclusion that the author of the Book of Ezra compiled the beginning of his work from the Book of Chronicles, but not the reverse: consequently, the latter were already in existence. Precisely in the Book of Chronicles these passages are in a direct and unbroken connection with the preceding chapters 18–21, form the second member of the sentence, which guarantees their originality; whereas in the Book of Ezra they stand in fragments.

The opinion about the origin of the Book of Chronicles under Ezra was held by all Jewish and Christian antiquity. Only from the time of Spinoza have there been attempts to assign it to later centuries. And first of all Spinoza himself put forward the supposition that it was written after Ezra, even after the purification of the Temple by Judas Maccabaeus (10th ch. Tractatus theologico-politicus). Similarly, scholars of later times – Bertheau, Bleek, Gramberg, and others do not hesitate to assign it to the period of the rule of the Lagids and Seleucids. To this very period, in their view, points the supposedly fanatical hatred toward the kingdom of Israel that is observed in the Book of Chronicles, which arose only after the “Israelites” built a temple on Mount Gerizim. But negative criticism does not indicate, and indeed cannot indicate, in what this hatred manifests itself, since in reality it does not exist. “The fact that the writer of Chronicles does not have hatred toward the kingdom of Israel is evident from the fact that he omitted the history of this kingdom from his work; he would have accomplished his purpose of presenting it in an unfavorable light far more readily if he had simply recounted the deeds of its kings.” Another proof that the Book of Chronicles originated during the period of Macedonian rule, in the view of negative criticism, is the genealogy of Zerubbabel (1 Chr 3:19-24). According to Bertheau, Wette, Schrader, Zockler, and others, it breaks down into six generations and extends to the time of Alexander the Great. Without dealing at present with the details of Zerubbabel’s genealogy, let us note only that this passage in the Book of Chronicles is recognized by both ancient and modern exegetes (Carpzov, Clericus, Eichhorn, Keil) as a gloss later than Ezra, which originally was placed by someone in the margin of the Book of Chronicles and later was entered into the text itself. This conclusion is reached by the fact that while all the remaining genealogies of the Book of Chronicles extend at most to the Babylonian captivity, this last one (Zerubbabel’s) extends at least two hundred years beyond the end of the captivity. In confirmation of their opinion, the mentioned scholars further cite the twenty-first chapter of the first book of Chronicles, asserting that the view expressed in it of Satan as an independent evil spirit acting upon men independently of God was borrowed by the Jews after Ezra from Medo-Persian theology. But as is evident from the content of chapter XXI, it does not give grounds for speaking of any kind of relations of Satan to God; and if it is compared with chapter XXIV of the second book of Kings, which tells of the same event, it turns out that the evil spirit acted upon David by God’s permission. According to the testimony of Ps 108, a similar understanding of him was known to the Jews of the time of David. The assertion of negative criticism is also not convincing, that the public fast appointed in the time of Jehoshaphat on the occasion of an invasion of enemies against Judah, which resulted in God granting victory without battle (2 Chr 20), originated from the time of Antiochus Epiphanes (164 B.C.). Books of Sacred Scripture from the pre-captivity period mention fasts established to express sorrow on the occasion of some misfortune, but say nothing of fasts with such a purpose and such consequences. The difference pointed out by negative criticism between the fast of the time of Jehoshaphat and the fast of the pre-captivity period is its own fabrication. In reality they are similar both in character and in consequence. In the time of Jehoshaphat, during the fast, the Jews “besought the Lord” (2 Chr 20:4), “cried to him out of their distress” (2 Chr 20:9), that is, they were in a state of sorrow, the expression of which, as in preceding times, was fasting. The fast in the time of Jehoshaphat was accompanied by the striking down of enemies; the same were its consequences in the period of Judges (Judg 20 and following; 1 Sam 7:6 and following). Finally, the mention found in the Book of Chronicles of the Persian coin darics (1 Chr 29:7), which derived its origin and name from Darius Hystaspis, cannot serve as an indication of the later post-Ezra origin of the Book of Chronicles. The 50–60 years that passed between the first year of Darius Hystaspis and the seventh year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, the contemporary of Ezra, are sufficient for the spread of darics among the Jews, a Persian province. According to them, having come into use by the time of the author of Chronicles, the account is reckoned in it (see also concerning darics in the explanation of 1 Chr 29:7).

If the time of origin of the Book of Chronicles can be established with comparative accuracy, then the question of its author is not subject to definite resolution. The Talmud, the majority of rabbis, teachers of the Church, for example Theodoret and many Western exegetes – Eichhorn, Lange, Hävernick, Michaelis, Keil, and others, consider Ezra to be the author of the Book of Chronicles. In proof of this, they refer mainly to the identity of its conclusion with the beginning of the Book of Ezra, as well as to the similarity noted in these two books both in individual words and names of various things, and in whole narratives. Namely, in both books there are genealogical tables (1 Chr 1-9; Ezra 7), descriptions of the arrangement of the divine service and everything relating to it (1 Chr 23 and so on; Ezra 7-10), identical Persian names of the vessel (1 Chr 28:17; Ezra 1:10), of the drachma (1 Chr 29:7; Ezra 2:69), and so forth. But since these data do not contain direct indications of Ezra’s authorship, and the Bible knows of no other person to whom the composition of the Book of Chronicles could be attributed, some scholars leave the question of its author open.

The content of the Book of Chronicles and their relation to other Old Testament books, particularly to the Books of Kings. In terms of content, the Book of Chronicles is divided into two parts, distinct from one another in character. The first – genealogical – comprises nine initial chapters of the first book and contains genealogical tables of ancient peoples from Adam, and then of the Hebrews, especially the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi with some historical and geographical remarks. In the second part, comprising the remaining chapters of the first book and the whole of the second, there is narrated, after the account of the death of Saul (1 Chr 10), the history of the reign of David (1 Chr 11-29), Solomon (2 Chr 1-9), and his successors until the return of the Jews from captivity by the edict of Cyrus (2 Chr 10-36). In the first part, the Book of Chronicles coincides chiefly with the Books of Genesis and Joshua, from which certain sections are taken (see below in the explanations); in the second – with the Books of Kings in more than 40 passages. But despite all similarity with the latter, sometimes literally exact, the Book of Chronicles presents significant peculiarities in comparison. The principal ones consist in omissions and additions. Namely, the Book of Chronicles omits the reign of Saul, except only for the account of his death, and all information from the reign of David concerning Saul and his descendants, such as: David’s sorrow at the death of Saul and Jonathan, the execution of Saul’s murderer, the enthronement of Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, and the civil war that resulted, ending in Ishbosheth’s death (2 Sam 1-4), David’s kindness to Mephibosheth (2 Sam 9), and the surrender of seven descendants of Saul to the Gibeonites for atonement on account of famine. Further, the Book of Chronicles omits information concerning the family life of David and Solomon and in general the private affairs of both kings: accounts of Michal’s reproaches (2 Sam 6:20-23), of David’s transgression with Bathsheba (2 Sam 11:2-12), of Amnon’s incest and the events it caused up to Absalom’s rebellion and his death (2 Sam 13-20), of David’s old age weakness, Adonijah’s conspiracy, Solomon’s anointing, and of David’s deathbed secret testament to Solomon (1 Kgs 1-3), of Solomon’s marriage to Pharaoh’s daughter (1 Kgs 3:1), of Solomon’s wise judgment (1 Kgs 3:16-28), of the court officials and expenses for maintaining the palace (1 Kgs 4:1-6), and of the construction of the palace itself (1 Kgs 7:1-12), of Solomon’s fall into sin and its consequences (1 Kgs 11). From the accounts in the Books of Kings of David’s state affairs the account of war with the Philistines is omitted (2 Sam 21:15-17), and from events after Solomon’s time the entire history of the ten-tribe kingdom is passed over in silence, and of its kings only so much is recounted as it touched upon the kingdom of Judah. In place of these omissions there are many additions in the Book of Chronicles that fill gaps in the history of the Jewish people. Some of them concern wars and other matters of particular character, others worship. The former include a list of men who came to David at Ziklag when he was fleeing from Saul (1 Chr 12:1-22); a list of warriors who proclaimed David king in Hebron (1 Chr 12:23-40); information about Solomon’s construction of the bronze sea, bronze pillars, and vessels for the temple from the bronze that David took from Hadadezer (1 Chr 18:8), about Abishai’s striking of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt (1 Chr 18:12), about the Ammonites’ hiring of Syrians for one thousand talents for war against the Jews (1 Chr 19:6); a list of David’s armies, their commanders, the leaders of the tribes, and court officials (1 Chr 27:5-34); an account of Solomon’s horsemen and wealth (2 Chr 1:14-17), of his campaign against the Edomites of Seir (2 Chr 8:3), of Rehoboam’s fortification of cities, of the Levites and godly people who transferred from the ten-tribe kingdom to Judah in the time of Jeroboam, of Rehoboam’s wives and children (2 Chr 11:5-23), of Abijah’s war with Jeroboam and the defeat of the latter (2 Chr 13:3-20), of the Egyptian Shishak’s invasion of Judah (2 Chr 12:9-15), of Asa’s activity in strengthening his kingdom and his victory over the Ethiopian Zerah (2 Chr 14:3-14), of the rebuke of Asa by the prophet Hanani (2 Chr 16:7-10) and the burial of his remains (2 Chr 16:13-14), of Jehoshaphat’s piety, his war against Ammonites, Moabites, and other barbarous peoples, his arrangement of his sons, and their killing by his successor Jehoram (2 Chr 17:2-18), of the threatening letter of the prophet Elijah to Jehoram (2 Chr 21:11-20), of the invasion of the Philistines, Jehoram’s sickness and his death (ibid); of Uzziah’s war with the Philistines, Arabians, his construction of cities (2 Chr 26:6-18), of Jotham’s war with the Ammonites and his constructions (2 Chr 27:4-6), of the disastrous battle of Ahaz with Pekah of Israel and the difficult times for the kingdom of Judah in his reign (2 Chr 28:5-25), of Hezekiah’s wealth (2 Chr 32:27-30), of Manasseh’s captivity, his repentance, and his release from captivity (2 Chr 33:11-17). To accounts of a worship character belong: a list of Levites who carried the ark of the covenant (1 Chr 15:2-28); David’s hymn of praise at the transfer of the ark to Zion, a list of Levites appointed for service at the tabernacle (1 Chr 16:4-43); David’s arrangements regarding the construction of the temple (1 Chr 22:1); the division of Levites for service in the temple (1 Chr 23:1-26:1); David’s final arrangements in the presence of the elders (1 Chr 28:1-29); a description of the lampstands, tables, and courts at the temple (2 Chr 4:6-9); the singing and playing of Levites at the dedication of the temple (2 Chr 5:12-14); a description of the bronze platform on which Solomon prayed (2 Chr 6:12-13); the consumption of sacrifices and burnt offerings by fire falling from heaven (2 Chr 7:1-3); Solomon’s sacrifice and the courses of priests and Levites in their service in the temple (2 Chr 8:13-16); the restoration of the lawful worship under Asa through the speech of the prophet Azariah (2 Chr 15:1-15) and under Jehoshaphat (2 Chr 19); idolatry after the death of Jehoiada, the rebuke speech of the prophet Zechariah and its consequences (2 Chr 24:15-22); the destruction of idolatry under Hezekiah (2 Chr 29-31) and under Josiah (2 Chr 34:3-7). All the indicated cases of divergence in the Book of Chronicles give full right to consider them, at least in the sphere of additions and omissions, as independent of the Books of Kings. But independence in this regard compels us to suppose that even the parallel sections of the Book of Chronicles are not extracted from the Books of Kings, as Wette and Schrader think. This is guaranteed in particular by the difference in plan and distribution of similar material in these books (cf. 1 Chr 10 and 1 Sam 31; 2 Chr 2 and 1 Kgs 5:15-32). Not representing a compilation of the Books of Kings, the Book of Chronicles was composed on the basis of sources common to them, which explains their mutual similarity. As for the differences, they are explained by the fact that the author of Chronicles used sources unknown to the writer of the Books of Kings, which he cites at the end of the reign of each king (the records of Samuel the seer, the prophets Nathan and Gad, the records of Nathan, the prophecy of Ahijah of Shiloh, and the visions of the seer Jeddo, the book of the kings of Judah and Israel).

The purpose of writing the book. As seen from the outline of the relation of the Book of Chronicles to the Books of Kings, it sets forth not the history of the Hebrew people, but the history of a single two-tribe kingdom and moreover in its most brilliant moments, marked by the flourishing of theocracy. Namely, the author dwells with especial love on the reigns of the pious kings – David, Solomon, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah, and Josiah, and notes the measures taken by them to elevate true worship; likewise, from the deeds of other kings, he describes chiefly those which had relation to religion. The state of the latter was shown by the cult. Hence the author’s extensive descriptions of the order of divine service, the duties of Levites and their ministry. In full correspondence with this is the silence of the author concerning the dark periods of theocracy – the times of the decline of true religion, which are the last years of Solomon’s reign and the entire time of the reign of the post-captivity kings. In setting forth the history of theocracy from David to the Babylonian captivity, and noting in parallel its state – successes in keeping faith with religion and failures in violating it (2 Chr 12:12 and so on), the author wished to show his contemporaries how God rewards faithfulness to Himself and punishes unfaithfulness, and thereby to inspire in them feelings of fear and faithfulness to the law of Jehovah.

Chapter One

1–23. Ten antediluvian patriarchs from Adam to Noah, three sons of Noah and 70 nations that came from them. 24–42. Ten descendants of Shem to Abraham, sons of the latter from Hagar, Keturah, and Sarah. 43–54. Kings of Edom.

1 Chronicles 1:1. Adam, Seth, Enosh, 1 Chronicles 1:2. Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, 1 Chronicles 1:3. Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, 1 Chronicles 1:4. Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The enumeration of the ten antediluvian patriarchs with an indication of the years of life of each is found in the fifth chapter of Genesis. The author of Chronicles cites only the names without any connection, probably because he considered the descent of the patriarchs and the length of their lives to be known to his readers from Genesis.

1 Chronicles 1:5. The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, [Elishah,] Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 1 Chronicles 1:6. The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 1 Chronicles 1:7. The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 1 Chronicles 1:8. The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 1 Chronicles 1:9. The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 1 Chronicles 1:10. And Cush fathered Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 1 Chronicles 1:11. And Mizraim fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 1 Chronicles 1:12. Pathrusim, Casluhim, from whom the Philistines came forth, and Caphtorim. 1 Chronicles 1:13. And Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn, Heth, 1 Chronicles 1:14. The Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite, 1 Chronicles 1:15. The Hivite, the Arkite, the Sinite, 1 Chronicles 1:16. The Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. 1 Chronicles 1:17. The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. [The sons of Aram:] Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. 1 Chronicles 1:18. And Arphaxad [fathered Cainan, and Cainan] fathered Shelah, and Shelah fathered Eber. 1 Chronicles 1:19. Two sons were born to Eber: one was named Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. 1 Chronicles 1:20. And Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 1 Chronicles 1:21. Hadoram, Uzal, Dikla, 1 Chronicles 1:22. Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, 1 Chronicles 1:23. Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. The descendants of the sons of Noah are also listed in the tenth chapter of Genesis. But in the Book of Chronicles the introductory and concluding remark is omitted (Gen 10:1), as well as the historical notes in Genesis about Nimrod’s founding of the kingdom in Nineveh (Gen 10:10) and the settling of the Japhethites and Hamites in their places of dwelling (Gen 10:5). Besides this difference, and also the insignificant peculiarities in the pronunciation of names and the omission of some words in verse 17 (see below), both lists resemble each other in both the names listed and in form. Thus in verses 5–9, as in (Gen 10:2-7), the members of the list are joined through the expression “sons”; from verse 10, as in the Genesis account, – through “fathered”; in (1 Chr 17) again through “sons”, as in verse 22, and in verse 18 again through “fathered”, as in verses 24 and 25 of Genesis. In view of this, the list of the descendants of Noah in Chronicles can be considered as taken from Genesis.

1 Chronicles 1:5. The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, [Elishah,] Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 1 Chronicles 1:6. The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 1 Chronicles 1:7. The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. The names of 14 descendants of Japheth – seven sons and seven grandsons.

1 Chronicles 1:6. The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The reading “Riphath” instead of the Hebrew “Diphath” has behind it, besides the authority of the Septuagint and the Vulgate, ethnographic names: the Riphateans, the Paphlagonian people, in Josephus (Antiquities 1,6). The transformation of Riphath to Diphath took place under the influence of the similarity of the Hebrew letters resh (ר) and daleth (ד).

1 Chronicles 1:7. The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. Instead of the name “Rodanim” in the Hebrew text (Gen 10:4), the reading is Dodanim; in the Septuagint in both cases “Rhodian”, in the Vulgate in both “Dodanim”. The Greek reading and the Hebrew text of Chronicles should be recognized as more correct, since it finds its explanation in the name of the island of Rhodes, whose inhabitants were descendants of Javan.

1 Chronicles 1:8. The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 1 Chronicles 1:9. The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 1 Chronicles 1:10. And Cush fathered Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 1 Chronicles 1:11. And Mizraim fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 1 Chronicles 1:12. Pathrusim, Casluhim, from whom the Philistines came forth, and Caphtorim. 1 Chronicles 1:13. And Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn, Heth, 1 Chronicles 1:14. The Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite, 1 Chronicles 1:15. The Hivite, the Arkite, the Sinite, 1 Chronicles 1:16. The Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. The names of 30 descendants of Ham – 4 sons, 24 grandsons, and 2 great-grandsons (Sheba and Dedan – v. 3). Nimrod is not included in the number of grandsons, since he is considered not as a founding ancestor of a separate generation, but only as a hero. The remark: “he began to be a mighty one on the earth,” provides his sufficient characterization, so that there is no need to repeat further information about him from Genesis (Gen 10:9-12).

1 Chronicles 1:17. The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. [The sons of Aram:] Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. 1 Chronicles 1:18. And Arphaxad [fathered Cainan, and Cainan] fathered Shelah, and Shelah fathered Eber. 1 Chronicles 1:19. Two sons were born to Eber: one was named Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. 1 Chronicles 1:20. And Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 1 Chronicles 1:21. Hadoram, Uzal, Dikla, 1 Chronicles 1:22. Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, 1 Chronicles 1:23. Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. 26 descendants of Shem, not including Hebrews: five sons, five grandsons, and sixteen further descendants. In verse 17, before the name Uz, the expression (Gen 10:23): “sons of Aram,” is absent, because of which he, and likewise the further persons – Hul, Gether, and Meshech – are presented in Chronicles as sons of Shem, whereas according to Genesis they are children of Aram, that is, grandsons of Shem. But this difference is explained by the fact that here too, as in the list of the first four verses, the author of Chronicles omitted the words “sons of Aram,” being confident that the relationship of Uz, Hul, and so on to Aram was known to his readers from Genesis. Given the author’s familiarity with it, Knobel’s supposition that he considered Uz a son of Shem is inadmissible. Instead of Meshech in the Hebrew text (Gen 10:23) stands Mash. Which reading is more correct is difficult to say. But since the name Meshech is applied to a son of Japheth (Gen 10:2; 1 Chr 1:5), it is more natural to suppose that the people descended from Shem bore a different name – “Mash,” that is, to recognize the reading of Genesis as correct.

1 Chronicles 1:18. And Arphaxad [fathered Cainan, and Cainan] fathered Shelah, and Shelah fathered Eber. The Greek text in both the first book of Chronicles and in (Gen 10:24) inserts Cainan between Arphaxad and Shelah, whereas in the Hebrew text neither in this nor in the other place is there this mediating name, which the evangelist Luke puts among the ancestors of the Savior (Luke 3:36). The question of the predominant correctness of one or the other text is resolved on the basis of the consideration that neither the earliest Greek translators nor Christians of the first centuries had any reason to introduce into the genealogical lists of Hebrew patriarchs such a person as never existed. It is more natural to suppose an omission in the Hebrew text precisely in Genesis, where the error of a scribe could have been caused by the identical number of years (130) of Cainan and Shelah before the birth of their firstborn (Gen 11:12). The implausibility of the Hebrew reckoning is evident from the fact that with the omission of Cainan, Shem must have lived until the confounding of languages and the scattering of peoples.

1 Chronicles 1:24. [And the sons] of Shem: Arphaxad, [Cainan,] Shelah, 1 Chronicles 1:25. Eber, Peleg, Ragau, 1 Chronicles 1:26. Serug, Nahor, Terah, 1 Chronicles 1:27. Abram, that is, Abraham. The descendants of Shem to Abraham, also enumerated in (Gen 11:10-26). The author of Chronicles again cites only the names, whereas in Genesis the descent of one patriarch from another and the number of years of life of each is indicated. It is very probable that this list too is taken from Genesis.

1 Chronicles 1:28. The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael. 1 Chronicles 1:29. Here is their genealogy: the firstborn of the Ishmaelites was Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 1 Chronicles 1:30. Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, 1 Chronicles 1:31. Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael. 1 Chronicles 1:32. The sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: she bore Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan. [The sons of Dedan: Raguel, Navdiel, Assurim, Astusim, and Asomin.] 1 Chronicles 1:33. The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah. 1 Chronicles 1:34. And Abraham fathered Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel. 1 Chronicles 1:35. The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jeglom, and Korah. 1 Chronicles 1:36. The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz; [and Timna, Eliphaz’s concubine, bore to him] Amalek. 1 Chronicles 1:37. The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. 1 Chronicles 1:38. The sons of Seir: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. 1 Chronicles 1:39. The sons of Lotan: Hori and Hemam; and Timna was Lotan’s sister. 1 Chronicles 1:40. The sons of Shobal: Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. 1 Chronicles 1:41. The children of Anah: Dishon [and Oholibamah daughter of Anah]. The sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 1 Chronicles 1:42. The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 1 Chronicles 1:43. These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before there reigned a king over the children of Israel: Bela the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dinhabah; 1 Chronicles 1:44. And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in his place. 1 Chronicles 1:45. And Jobab died, and Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 1 Chronicles 1:46. And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad reigned in his place, and he struck down the Midianites in the field of Moab; and the name of his city was Avith. 1 Chronicles 1:47. And Hadad died, and Samla from Masrekah reigned in his place. 1 Chronicles 1:48. And Samla died, and Saul from Rehoboth by the River reigned in his place. 1 Chronicles 1:49. And Saul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place. 1 Chronicles 1:50. And Baal-hanan died, and Hadad reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Pau; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel the daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezahab. 1 Chronicles 1:51. And Hadad died. And the chiefs of Edom were: Chief Timna, Chief Aliah, Chief Jetheth, 1 Chronicles 1:52. Chief Oholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon, 1 Chronicles 1:53. Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, 1 Chronicles 1:54. Chief Magdiel, Chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom. The descendants of Abraham are divided into three groups: from Hagar (Ishmael), Keturah, and Sarah. The first two groups are enumerated before the last, apparently so that subsequently one could move to the genealogy of the God-chosen people without disrupting its connected exposition by reference to other peoples descended from Abraham.

1 Chronicles 1:29. Here is their genealogy: the firstborn of the Ishmaelites was Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 1 Chronicles 1:30. Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, 1 Chronicles 1:31. Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael. The names of the 12 sons of Ishmael and the order of their enumeration are the same as in (Gen 25:12-16). Similarly, the introductory remark: “here is their genealogy,” the phrase: “the firstborn of the Ishmaelites was Nebaioth,” and the concluding formula: “these are the sons of Ishmael,” leave no doubt that the author again repeats Genesis (Gen 25:12).

1 Chronicles 1:32. The sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: she bore Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan. [The sons of Dedan: Raguel, Navdiel, Assurim, Astusim, and Asomin.] 1 Chronicles 1:33. The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah. The descendants of Abraham from Keturah – 6 sons and 7 grandsons, are enumerated not quite in agreement with the indication in (Gen 25:1-4). Namely, the author of Chronicles omits the peoples descended from Dedan, the grandson of Abraham (Gen 25:3), according to the explanation of some exegetes (Keil), because he wished to indicate only sons and grandsons, according to others, because the descendants of Dedan were not listed in the Genesis text that the author had before him.

1 Chronicles 1:34. And Abraham fathered Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel. Isaac is called the son of Abraham already in verse 28; but here before the exposition of his genealogy a remark is made about his birth from Abraham in analogy with (Gen 25:19), where the genealogy of Isaac is preceded by exactly the same phrase: “Abraham fathered Isaac.”

1 Chronicles 1:35. The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jeglom, and Korah. 1 Chronicles 1:36. The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz; [and Timna, Eliphaz’s concubine, bore to him] Amalek. 1 Chronicles 1:37. The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. The list of Esau’s descendants from (Gen 36:10) differs by the absence of mention of his wives and insignificant peculiarities in the pronunciation of names: Jeush instead of Jeish (Gen 36:14), Zepho instead of Zephi (Gen 36:11).

1 Chronicles 1:38. The sons of Seir: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. 1 Chronicles 1:39. The sons of Lotan: Hori and Hemam; and Timna was Lotan’s sister. 1 Chronicles 1:40. The sons of Shobal: Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. 1 Chronicles 1:41. The children of Anah: Dishon [and Oholibamah daughter of Anah]. The sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 1 Chronicles 1:42. The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. Seven sons of Seir and their descendants, constituting the first population of Edom, although they do not belong to the generation of Abraham, yet by virtue of the union with the tribe of Esau (Oholibamah, who became Esau’s wife, was from the Seirites (Gen 36:18)) are included in Chronicles, as also in Genesis (Gen 36:20 and following), among the peoples descended from the latter. The names of the seven sons of Seir correspond with the names in Genesis (Gen 35:20-21); a similar correspondence is observed in the names of their descendants – 19 men and one woman. The author omits only the name of the second Seirite woman mentioned in Genesis – Oholibamah (Gen 36:25).

1 Chronicles 1:43. These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before there reigned a king over the children of Israel: Bela the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dinhabah; 1 Chronicles 1:44. And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in his place. 1 Chronicles 1:45. And Jobab died, and Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 1 Chronicles 1:46. And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad reigned in his place, and he struck down the Midianites in the field of Moab; and the name of his city was Avith. 1 Chronicles 1:47. And Hadad died, and Samla from Masrekah reigned in his place. 1 Chronicles 1:48. And Samla died, and Saul from Rehoboth by the River reigned in his place. 1 Chronicles 1:49. And Saul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place. 1 Chronicles 1:50. And Baal-hanan died, and Hadad reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Pau; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel the daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezahab. The list of Edomite kings presents an almost verbatim repetition of (Gen 36:31-39). Except for insignificant peculiarities in the pronunciation of the same name (Hadad – verse 46 and Pau – verse 50, instead of Hadar and Pai (Gen 36:35), as well as the omissions of certain additions from Genesis (“and he was king in Edom” – (Gen 36:32) and “son of Achbor” – Gen 36:39), a more significant difference between the lists is the absence in Genesis of the remark of Chronicles about the death of the last king Hadad (verse 51). It is explained by the fact that this king was alive in the time of Moses.

1 Chronicles 1:51. And Hadad died. And the chiefs of Edom were: Chief Timna, Chief Aliah, Chief Jetheth, 1 Chronicles 1:52. Chief Oholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon, 1 Chronicles 1:53. Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, 1 Chronicles 1:54. Chief Magdiel, Chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom. The list of Edomite chiefs with fuller introduction and conclusion than here is found in (Gen 31:40-3). The shortening of the Genesis text was done by the author of Chronicles on the consideration that the additions were known to the readers. The leaders are named after their domains; the undoubtedly feminine names Timna and Oholibamah, as well as the names of places – Elah, Pinon, Teman – prove this. The expression standing before the enumeration of chiefs: “and Hadad died,” gives some scholars (Bertheau) the right to consider them successors to the kings and to see here an indication of the transition from monarchical power to democratic. Others (Keil) allow for the concurrent rule of kings and chiefs.

Chapter Two

1–41. The twelve sons of Jacob and offspring Jude 42-55. Three lines of descendants of Caleb.

From the beginning of the second chapter to the ninth are set forth the genealogical tables of the twelve Israeli tribes. First of all are enumerated the generations of Judah, which genealogy is found in (1 Chr 2) and (1 Chr 4). Of the five nearest descendants of Judah—three sons and two grandsons, the founders of the tribe by this name—the author dwells only on the line of Zerah (1 Chr 2:6-8), Hezron (1 Chr 2:9-55), and Shelah (1 Chr 4:21-23); the line of Hamul (son of Perez) is altogether omitted, while of the offspring of Perez mention is made in the exposition of the genealogy of the Hezron line. This latter is enumerated with particular detail; to it belongs the succession listed in (1 Chr 3) of the descendants of David from the time after the exile, as well as a considerable part of the genealogies in (1 Chr 4:1-23), which serve as a supplement to (1 Chr 2:9-55).

1 Chronicles 2:1. Here are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, 1 Chronicles 2:2. Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. This list of the sons of Jacob differs from (Gen 35:23-26) only in the puzzling separation of Dan from his brother Naphtali—between them are inserted the children of Rachel. In explanation of this, it is customary to point out that Dan, born of Rachel’s handmaid Bilhah, was adopted by her (Gen 30:3), and therefore as her son is enumerated before her own children. But if such an explanation were correct, then the second son of Bilhah, Naphtali, would have been mentioned by the same reasoning (Gen 35:8) right after Dan.

1 Chronicles 2:3. The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah—three were born to him from the daughter of Shua, a Canaanite woman. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was not pleasing in the sight of the Lord, and He put him to death. 1 Chronicles 2:4. And Tamar, his daughter-in-law, bore to him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all. The sons of Judah are enumerated in the same order as in (Gen 46:12); the book of Genesis is indicated as the direct source, and the remark about Er, which literally repeats the expression in (Gen 38:7), confirms this.

1 Chronicles 2:5. The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. Compare Gen 46:12; Num 26:21.

1 Chronicles 2:6. The sons of Zerah: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara; all five of them. Ancient and modern exegetes—Grotius, Clericus, Lightfoot, and Movers—identify the last four sons of Zerah with the wise men mentioned in (1 Kgs 4:31), whom Solomon exceeded in wisdom and whom the Talmudic book “Seder Olam” calls prophets of the time when the Hebrews were in Egypt. But this opinion loses its force in view of the complete absence of any data for recognizing the wise men of 3 Kings as the natural brothers, as the persons in the present verse are. On the contrary, the first of them—Ethan is called an Ezrahite, while Calcol and Darda are the sons of Mahol. Against the identity of these persons speaks further (1 Chr 6:33-42) and (1 Chr 15:17-19), where Heman and Ethan are mentioned as leaders of singers in David’s time, the first of whom in (1 Chr 25:5) is called “the king’s seer in the words of God.” The probable contemporaneity of the life of these singers with the same-named wise men of 3 Kings and especially the designation of Heman as a seer lead one to recognize them as identical persons. But Heman and Ethan in (1 Chr 6:33-42) and (1 Chr 15:17-19) came from the tribe of Levi, consequently between the persons in (1 Chr 2:6) and (1 Kgs 4:31) there is nothing in common except the name, since the former are descendants of Judah, not Levi. Ewald’s supposition that Heman and Ethan, yough descended from the tribe of Judah, were assigned to the tribe of Levi by reason of their education in the Levitic singing school has no basis whatsoever.

1 Chronicles 2:7. The sons of Carmi: Achar, who brought trouble upon Israel by violating the curse. The remark attached to the name of Achar: “he who brought trouble upon Israel by violating the curse” indicates that in this case it refers to Achan from the book of Joshua (Josh 7:1). His name in the form Achor was already known to the author, as he puts it in etymological connection with the name of the valley of Achor (Josh 7:26). As for Carmi, the father of Achar, it is believed that an intermediate person is omitted between him and Zerah. But since in the book of Joshua (Josh 7:1) he is called the son of Zabdi (according to the Greek reading Zimri), and this latter is considered the same person as Zimri, son of Zerah (1 Chr 2:6), because the difference between the names Zabdi and Zimri is only in two letters similar in Hebrew writing (bet and mem, resh and dalet), other exegetes recognize Carmi as the son of Zimri, grandson of Zerah (1 Chr 2:6), that is, they do not allow an omission.

1 Chronicles 2:8. The son of Ethan: Azariah. The name of the son of Ethan is found nowhere else in Scripture.

1 Chronicles 2:9. The sons of Hezron, who were born to him: Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai. 1 Chronicles 2:10. Ram fathered Amminadab; Amminadab fathered Nahshon, prince of the sons of Judah; 1 Chronicles 2:11. Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz; 1 Chronicles 2:12. Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse; 1 Chronicles 2:13. Jesse fathered his firstborn Eliab, the second Aminadab, the third Shammah, 1 Chronicles 2:14. the fourth Nethanel, the fifth Raddai, 1 Chronicles 2:15. the sixth Ozem, the seventh David. 1 Chronicles 2:16. Their sisters: Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three. 1 Chronicles 2:17. Abigail bore Amasa; and the father of Amasa was Jether, an Ishmaelite. 1 Chronicles 2:18. Caleb, son of Hezron, had children by his wife Azubah and by Jerioth; and these were her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. 1 Chronicles 2:19. When Azubah died, Caleb took Ephrath [as a wife], and she bore to him Hur. 1 Chronicles 2:20. Hur fathered Uri, and Uri fathered Bezalel. 1 Chronicles 2:21. After this Hezron went to the daughter of Machir, father of Gilead, and took her, being sixty years old; and she bore to him Segub. 1 Chronicles 2:22. Segub fathered Jair, and he had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead. 1 Chronicles 2:23. But the Geshurites and Syrians took from them the settlements of Jair, Kenath and its dependent cities—sixty cities in all. All these were the cities of the sons of Machir, father of Gilead. 1 Chronicles 2:24. After the death of Hezron in Caleb-Ephrathah, Hezron’s wife Abijah bore to him Ashur, father of Tekoa. 1 Chronicles 2:25. The sons of Jerahmeel, the firstborn of Hezron, were: the firstborn Ram, and after him Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. 1 Chronicles 2:26. Jerahmeel had another wife, named Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. 1 Chronicles 2:27. The sons of Ram, the firstborn of Jerahmeel, were: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker. 1 Chronicles 2:28. The sons of Onam were: Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai: Nadab and Abishur. 1 Chronicles 2:29. The name of Abishur’s wife was Abihail, and she bore to him Ahban and Molid. 1 Chronicles 2:30. The sons of Nadab: Seled and Appaim. Seled died wiyout children. 1 Chronicles 2:31. The son of Appaim: Ishi. The son of Ishi: Sheshan. The son of Sheshan: Ahlai. 1 Chronicles 2:32. The sons of Jada, the brother of Shammai: Jether and Jonathan. Jether died wiyout children. 1 Chronicles 2:33. The sons of Jonathan: Peleth and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel. 1 Chronicles 2:34. Sheshan had no sons, but only daughters. Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha; 1 Chronicles 2:35. Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to Jarha [his servant]; and she bore to him Attai. 1 Chronicles 2:36. Attai fathered Nathan, Nathan fathered Zabad; 1 Chronicles 2:37. Zabad fathered Ephlal, Ephlal fathered Obed; 1 Chronicles 2:38. Obed fathered Jehu, Jehu fathered Azariah; 1 Chronicles 2:39. Azariah fathered Helez, Helez fathered Eleasah; 1 Chronicles 2:40. Eleasah fathered Sisamai, Sisamai fathered Shallum; 1 Chronicles 2:41. Shallum fathered Jekamiah, Jekamiah fathered Elishama. The offspring of Hezron.

1 Chronicles 2:9. The sons of Hezron, who were born to him: Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai. The name Ram in the New Testament genealogies is pronounced Aram (Matt 1:3; Luke 3:33), and Chelubai is another form of the name Caleb (1 Chr 2:18) and Chelub (1 Chr 4:11).

1 Chronicles 2:10. Ram fathered Amminadab; Amminadab fathered Nahshon, prince of the sons of Judah; 1 Chronicles 2:11. Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz; 1 Chronicles 2:12. Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse; 1 Chronicles 2:13. Jesse fathered his firstborn Eliab, the second Aminadab, the third Shammah, 1 Chronicles 2:14. the fourth Nethanel, the fifth Raddai, 1 Chronicles 2:15. the sixth Ozem, the seventh David. 1 Chronicles 2:16. Their sisters: Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three. 1 Chronicles 2:17. Abigail bore Amasa; and the father of Amasa was Jether, an Ishmaelite. The lineage of Ram, the first of the three lines descended from Hezron. Its placement in the first position is sufficiently explained by the descent of David from it. The descendants of Ram down to Jesse, the father of David, are enumerated also in the book of (Ruth 4:19-21), with only the difference that in that book at the name of Nahshon there is no remark as in Chronicles: “prince of the sons of Judah.” This latter refers to the book of Numbers (Num 1:7), from which we see that Nahshon was the leader of the tribe of Judah at the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. Since between Hezron, contemporary with the settlement of the Hebrews in Egypt (Gen 46:12), and Nahshon, contemporary with Moses, no less than 430 years elapsed (see the Expository Bible, vol. 1, commentary on (Exod 12:40-41)), it is reasonable to suppose that during this time more than two generations changed (Ram and Amminadab), since between Hezron and Nahshon intermediate links are omitted. Likewise, for the period between Moses and David four generations are insufficient (Salmon, Boaz, Obed, Jesse).

1 Chronicles 2:13. Jesse fathered his firstborn Eliab, the second Aminadab, the third Shammah, 1 Chronicles 2:14. the fourth Nethanel, the fifth Raddai, 1 Chronicles 2:15. the sixth Ozem, the seventh David. At the place parallel to this passage (1 Sam 16:8-12) only three of Jesse’s elder sons are mentioned, while the remaining three are not found in Scripture elsewhere. Moreover, according to both this passage and (1 Sam 17:12), Jesse had eight sons, not seven, as stated in verse 15, with David being the eighth, the youngest. The omission of one in Chronicles is explained by the fact that he left no offspring. However, the Syriac and Arabic translations of this passage follow the enumeration of 1 Samuel; “Elihu the seventh, David the eighth.”

1 Chronicles 2:16. Their sisters: Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three. 1 Chronicles 2:17. Abigail bore Amasa; and the father of Amasa was Jether, an Ishmaelite. David’s two sisters—Zeruiah and Abigail—are known for their heroic sons. Zeruiah, as mother of Abishai, Joab, and Asahel (1 Sam 26:6; 2 Sam 2:18), who are called by their mother’s name (“sons of Zeruiah”—(2 Sam 3:39)), but not by the name of their less famous father. Abigail as mother of Amasa, who took part in the revolt of Absalom (2 Sam 17:25). The father of the latter is called in (2 Sam 17:25) “Ithrah an Israelite,” but in the present verse 17 “Jether an Ishmaelite.” Which reading is correct cannot be said. But if Jether were an Israelite, it would not have been worth noting; on the contrary, it deserves mention that he was an Ishmaelite: even in the days of David the Hebrews were not adverse to marriages with foreigners, were not an exclusive nation. In view of such reasoning, the reading of Chronicles appears more probable. Finally, the last difference, and even a contradiction between (1 Chr 2:16-17) and (2 Sam 17:25) is that in the latter place Zeruiah and Abigail are called “daughters of Nahash,” but not of Jesse, as in the former. But this discrepancy is resolved by the supposition that they had one mother but different fathers, were stepdaughters to Jesse.

1 Chronicles 2:18. Caleb, son of Hezron, had children by his wife Azubah and by Jerioth; and these were her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. 1 Chronicles 2:19. When Azubah died, Caleb took Ephrath [as a wife], and she bore to him Hur. 1 Chronicles 2:20. Hur fathered Uri, and Uri fathered Bezalel. 1 Chronicles 2:21. After this Hezron went to the daughter of Machir, father of Gilead, and took her, being sixty years old; and she bore to him Segub. 1 Chronicles 2:22. Segub fathered Jair, and he had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead. 1 Chronicles 2:23. But the Geshurites and Syrians took from them the settlements of Jair, Kenath and its dependent cities—sixty cities in all. All these were the cities of the sons of Machir, father of Gilead. 1 Chronicles 2:24. After the death of Hezron in Caleb-Ephrathah, Hezron’s wife Abijah bore to him Ashur, father of Tekoa. The offspring of Caleb—the second of the three Hezronite lines.

1 Chronicles 2:18. Caleb, son of Hezron, had children by his wife Azubah and by Jerioth; and these were her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. Caleb is the same as Chelubai in (1 Chr 2:9), but not Caleb, the contemporary of Joshua, the famous spy, who is called “the son of Jephunneh” (Num 13:6; Josh 15:13). The Hebrew text of verse 18 is very obscure and gives rise to different interpretations. In the LXX text, to which rabbi Kimchi inclines, Jerioth appears as a wife or concubine of Caleb. But later nothing is said about any of her sons, and the word “baneyah” (“her sons”) points to the fact that previously only one wife of Caleb was named. Jerome, not adhering to the literal sense of the Hebrew text, translates: “and Jerioth gave birth,” thus regarding her as the daughter of Caleb, from whom the subsequently enumerated descendants came. To such a translation, as the most probable, both Keil and Zöckler incline. The names of the three sons of Jerioth are found nowhere else.

1 Chronicles 2:20. Hur fathered Uri, and Uri fathered Bezalel. Hur is the grandfather of the famous builder of the tabernacle, Bezalel (Exod 31:2).

1 Chronicles 2:21. After this Hezron went to the daughter of Machir, father of Gilead, and took her, being sixty years old; and she bore to him Segub. “After this,” that is, after the birth of the three sons mentioned in (1 Chr 2:9), Hezron begets Segub from the daughter of Machir—Abijah (1 Chr 2:24). The remark both of this verse and those following until (1 Chr 2:25) represents a somewhat awkwardly placed insertion: it disrupts the consecutive exposition of the genealogy of the sons of Hezron. But its presence in this place is explained, as is yought, by the very close kinship of the offspring of Hezron from Abijah with the generations of Caleb and his brothers Ram and Jerahmeel.

1 Chronicles 2:22. Segub fathered Jair, and he had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead. 1 Chronicles 2:23. But the Geshurites and Syrians took from them the settlements of Jair, Kenath and its dependent cities—sixty cities in all. All these were the cities of the sons of Machir, father of Gilead. Jair, grandson of Hezron and son of Segub, belonged by his mother to the tribe of Manasseh, and therefore sometimes is also called a son of Manasseh (Num 32:41; Deut 3:14). His line received at the time of Moses the region of Argob in Bashan as its inheritance and gave to the conquered cities the name “cities of Jair” (Deut 3:14; Num 32:41; Josh 13:30; 1 Kgs 4:13). Their number was twenty-three; the remark that follows about sixty cities does not contradict the first statement. As is clear from the words: “the Geshurites took the settlements of Jair, Kenath and dependent cities,” into the total of sixty cities enter the regions of Kenath. These latter, judging by the reference in (Num 32:42), were conquered not by Jair but by Nobah, and did not belong to the settlements of Jair. Since Jair had twenty-three cities, the cities dependent on Kenath should be reckoned as thirty-seven. Of the conquest of those and the other by the Geshurites, who lived on the northern border of Bashan near Hermon, other Old Testament books say nothing, and therefore it is impossible to determine the time of the event.

1 Chronicles 2:24. After the death of Hezron in Caleb-Ephrathah, Hezron’s wife Abijah bore to him Ashur, father of Tekoa. Instead of the Hebrew reading, the Greek and Latin texts give another reading: “after the death of Hezron, Caleb went to Ephrath.” Some exegetes also follow this, among the Russian scholars Professor Gulaev (“Historical Books of the Old Testament,” p. 399), rejecting the Hebrew reading on the ground that Ephrath (Bethlehem) is nowhere called the land of Caleb. Of course, the phenomenon noted in the Greek and Latin translations has a parallel in (Gen 35:22), but their reading can hardly be recognized as correct in view of the lack of connection between the two halves (verse 1 Chr 2:24): “after the death of Hezron, Caleb went to Ephrath—Abijah bore to him Ashur.” Moreover, the Hebrew reading is supported by the case marking at the end of the name Ephrath (the sign of the accusative case—to the question: where?), added to the names of places, not persons. As for the name Caleb-Ephrath, its origin is explained differently. According to Keil, it was given to the dwelling place of Caleb after his wife Ephrath, who brought her husband this region as a marriage gift (Josh 15:18), by analogy with the fact that one part of southern Judea, populated by the descendants of Caleb, was called “the southern side of Caleb” (1 Sam 30:14). According to Bertheau’s supposition, the name Caleb-Ephrath distinguished the northern part of the settlement from the southern—Bethlehem. “Ashur, father of Tekoa” is the founder of the native place of the prophet Amos, lying two hours’ journey south of Bethlehem.

1 Chronicles 2:25. The sons of Jerahmeel, the firstborn of Hezron, were: the firstborn Ram, and after him Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. 1 Chronicles 2:26. Jerahmeel had another wife, named Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. 1 Chronicles 2:27. The sons of Ram, the firstborn of Jerahmeel, were: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker. 1 Chronicles 2:28. The sons of Onam were: Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai: Nadab and Abishur. 1 Chronicles 2:29. The name of Abishur’s wife was Abihail, and she bore to him Ahban and Molid. 1 Chronicles 2:30. The sons of Nadab: Seled and Appaim. Seled died wiyout children. 1 Chronicles 2:31. The son of Appaim: Ishi. The son of Ishi: Sheshan. The son of Sheshan: Ahlai. 1 Chronicles 2:32. The sons of Jada, the brother of Shammai: Jether and Jonathan. Jether died wiyout children. 1 Chronicles 2:33. The sons of Jonathan: Peleth and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel. 1 Chronicles 2:34. Sheshan had no sons, but only daughters. Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha; 1 Chronicles 2:35. Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to Jarha [his servant]; and she bore to him Attai. 1 Chronicles 2:36. Attai fathered Nathan, Nathan fathered Zabad; 1 Chronicles 2:37. Zabad fathered Ephlal, Ephlal fathered Obed; 1 Chronicles 2:38. Obed fathered Jehu, Jehu fathered Azariah; 1 Chronicles 2:39. Azariah fathered Helez, Helez fathered Eleasah; 1 Chronicles 2:40. Eleasah fathered Sisamai, Sisamai fathered Shallum; 1 Chronicles 2:41. Shallum fathered Jekamiah, Jekamiah fathered Elishama. The lineage of Jerahmeel—the third line of Hezron.

1 Chronicles 2:25. The sons of Jerahmeel, the firstborn of Hezron, were: the firstborn Ram, and after him Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. The last proper name (Ahijah) is recognized by Clericus, Zöckler, and others as the name of the wife of Jerahmeel, not a son. The basis for this is the translations of the Syriac and LXX, which count only four sons of Jerahmeel, as well as the fact that the following verse speaks of a second wife of his.

1 Chronicles 2:26. Jerahmeel had another wife, named Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. The offspring of Atarah (“diadem,” “crown”—Prov 31:10; Sir 7:21) through her son Onam is enumerated in (1 Chr 2:28-33).

1 Chronicles 2:31. The son of Appaim: Ishi. The son of Ishi: Sheshan. The son of Sheshan: Ahlai. Ahlai is called the son of Sheshan; but in fact this is the name of Sheshan’s daughter, since according to (1 Chr 2:34) he had no sons, but only daughters; perhaps Ahlai was given in marriage to the Egyptian Jarha (1 Chr 2:34).

1 Chronicles 2:34. Sheshan had no sons, but only daughters. Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha; 1 Chronicles 2:35. Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to Jarha [his servant]; and she bore to him Attai. 1 Chronicles 2:36. Attai fathered Nathan, Nathan fathered Zabad; 1 Chronicles 2:37. Zabad fathered Ephlal, Ephlal fathered Obed; 1 Chronicles 2:38. Obed fathered Jehu, Jehu fathered Azariah; 1 Chronicles 2:39. Azariah fathered Helez, Helez fathered Eleasah; 1 Chronicles 2:40. Eleasah fathered Sisamai, Sisamai fathered Shallum; 1 Chronicles 2:41. Shallum fathered Jekamiah, Jekamiah fathered Elishama. The lineage of the Egyptian Jarha, the servant of Sheshan. The name Jarha is found nowhere else. Since Sheshan descended from Judah in the ninth generation from Judah, he lived before Moses, it is very probable that Jarha was his servant at the time of the Hebrew sojourn in Egypt. The possibility of marriage between an Egyptian and a Hebrew woman is confirmed.

1 Chronicles 2:42. The sons of Caleb, the brother of Jerahmeel: Mesha, his firstborn—he is the father of Ziph; and the sons of Mareshah, the father of Hebron. 1 Chronicles 2:43. The sons of Hebron: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema. 1 Chronicles 2:44. Shema fathered Raham, the father of Jorkoam, and Rekem fathered Shammai. 1 Chronicles 2:45. The son of Shammai: Maon, and Maon was the father of Beth-Zur. 1 Chronicles 2:46. Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran fathered Gazez. 1 Chronicles 2:47. The sons of Jahdai: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph. 1 Chronicles 2:48. Caleb’s concubine Maacah bore Sheber and Tirhanah; 1 Chronicles 2:49. she also bore Shaaph, the father of Madmannah, Sheva, the father of Machbenah and the father of Gibea. And the daughter of Caleb was Acsah. 1 Chronicles 2:50. These are the sons of Caleb: the son Hur, the firstborn of Ephrath; Shobal, the father of Kiriath-Jearim; 1 Chronicles 2:51. Salma, the father of Bethlehem; Hareph, the father of Beth-Gader. 1 Chronicles 2:52. Shobal, the father of Kiriath-Jearim, had sons: Haroeh, Hazi, Manuhai. 1 Chronicles 2:53. The clans of Kiriath-Jearim: the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites. From these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites. 1 Chronicles 2:54. The sons of Salma: the Bethlehemites and the Netophathites, the crown of the house of Joab, and half of the Manahethites—the Zorathites, 1 Chronicles 2:55. and the families of the scribes dwelling at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, the Suchathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab. Addition to the genealogy of the house of Judah: three lines of descendants of Caleb with names predominantly of a geographical character.

1 Chronicles 2:42. The sons of Caleb, the brother of Jerahmeel: Mesha, his firstborn—he is the father of Ziph; and the sons of Mareshah, the father of Hebron. 1 Chronicles 2:43. The sons of Hebron: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema. 1 Chronicles 2:44. Shema fathered Raham, the father of Jorkoam, and Rekem fathered Shammai. 1 Chronicles 2:45. The son of Shammai: Maon, and Maon was the father of Beth-Zur. The lineage of Mesha. The remark about Caleb: “the brother of Jerahmeel” leaves no doubt that this Caleb is the same person as Caleb, son of Hezron in verse (1 Chr 2:18). Therefore, the further genealogy of Caleb can be considered an addition to the previously set forth genealogy of the house of Judah. If the name Mesha is personal (2 Kgs 3:4), the name Ziph, mentioned in the book of Joshua as a city neighboring Hebron (Josh 15:55-57) and known from the history of David’s wilderness (1 Sam 23:14; 1 Sam 25:2), is recognized as a geographical term. From this the expression: “Mesha—father of Ziph” is equivalent to: Mesha was the founder of the settlement of Ziph (cf. verse 1 Chr 2:24: “Ashur—father of Tekoa”). Under the name Mareshah is known the city mentioned by Joshua and 2 Chronicles (Josh 15:44; 2 Chr 11:8); but since there are no indications of the dependence of the ancient city of Hebron on it (according to verse (1 Chr 2:42), Mareshah is the father of Hebron), it is more natural to regard these two names as personal, especially since Hebron as a personal name occurs in (Exod 6:18).

1 Chronicles 2:43. The sons of Hebron: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema. The names Korah and Shema everywhere are used in the sense of personal names; Rekem—once as the name of a city (Josh 18:27) and twice as a personal name (Num 31:8; 1 Chr 7:16); and finally, Tappuah exclusively as the name of a city (Josh 12:17).

1 Chronicles 2:45. The son of Shammai: Maon, and Maon was the father of Beth-Zur. Maon and Beth-Zur are cities of the Judean hill country (Josh 15:55; 1 Sam 23:24; 2 Chr 11:7). Maon, son of Shammai, can be regarded as the founder of the city of the same name and its dependent colony of Beth-Zur.

1 Chronicles 2:46. Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran fathered Gazez. 1 Chronicles 2:47. The sons of Jahdai: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph. 1 Chronicles 2:48. Caleb’s concubine Maacah bore Sheber and Tirhanah; 1 Chronicles 2:49. she also bore Shaaph, the father of Madmannah, Sheva, the father of Machbenah and the father of Gibea. And the daughter of Caleb was Acsah. The lineage of Ephah and Maacah—the concubines of Caleb. The names of the two sons of Ephah—Haran and Gazez—are mentioned nowhere else; the name Moza is known from the book of Joshua (Josh 18:26) as the name of a city of the tribe of Benjamin; but it has no relation to the son of Caleb. “Haran fathered Gazez” is not in the LXX translation.

1 Chronicles 2:47. The sons of Jahdai: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph. The kinship relationship of Jahdai to the above-mentioned descendants of Caleb is unknown; likewise nothing is known about his six sons.

1 Chronicles 2:49. she also bore Shaaph, the father of Madmannah, Sheva, the father of Machbenah and the father of Gibea. And the daughter of Caleb was Acsah. Madmannah is the name of a city mentioned in the book of Joshua (Josh 15:31), and perhaps identical with the modern Miniyah, lying south of Gaza. Shaaph is its father, that is, founder. The location of Machbenah is unknown, while Gibea is marked in the book of Joshua (Josh 15:57) as one of the cities of the hill country of Judea. The last remark of the present verse: “And the daughter of Caleb was Acsah” indicates that in this case it refers to Caleb, contemporary with Moses (Num 13:7) and Joshua (Josh 14:6-14), son of Jephunneh, who gave his daughter Acsah in marriage to Othniel (Josh 15:16-17; Judg 1:12-13). Therefore, he cannot be identified with the Caleb mentioned in (1 Chr 2:18) and (1 Chr 2:42), the son of Hezron, the brother of Jerahmeel. The latter, as the great-grandson of Judah, should be older than Moses and Joshua and their contemporary Caleb. If we thus distinguish two persons named Caleb, then it is necessary to assume that Caleb in verse (1 Chr 2:49), contemporary with Moses, belongs to the same generation as Caleb (1 Chr 2:18), the great-grandson of Judah, and therefore his genealogy is set forth together with, or after, the genealogy of his elder relative. Other exegetes, finding in verse 49 the continuation of the genealogy of Caleb, descendant of Hezron, consider the expressions: “And the daughter of Caleb was Acsah,” a later insertion (Movers), or understand the word “daughter” not in the proper sense, but in the sense of “granddaughter,” or any other more distant female relation.

1 Chronicles 2:50. These are the sons of Caleb: the son Hur, the firstborn of Ephrath; Shobal, the father of Kiriath-Jearim; 1 Chronicles 2:51. Salma, the father of Bethlehem; Hareph, the father of Beth-Gader. 1 Chronicles 2:52. Shobal, the father of Kiriath-Jearim, had sons: Haroeh, Hazi, Manuhai. 1 Chronicles 2:53. The clans of Kiriath-Jearim: the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites. From these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites. 1 Chronicles 2:54. The sons of Salma: the Bethlehemites and the Netophathites, the crown of the house of Joab, and half of the Manahethites—the Zorathites, 1 Chronicles 2:55. and the families of the scribes dwelling at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, the Suchathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab. The offspring of Hur, son of Caleb.

1 Chronicles 2:50. These are the sons of Caleb: the son Hur, the firstborn of Ephrath; Shobal, the father of Kiriath-Jearim; The expression: “these are the sons of Caleb” does not quite correspond to the following enumeration: they are the sons of Hur, but not of Caleb. The right to consider Shobal, Salma, etc. as sons of Hur is given by the LXX text: “these are the sons of Hur, firstborn of Ephrath.” Whether Shobal of the present verse is the same as Shobal (1 Chr 4:1) is unknown. He was the father, that is, the founder of the settlement of Kiriath-Jearim, or Kirjath-Baal (Josh 9:17), a city lying in the northwestern corner of the tribe of Judah.

1 Chronicles 2:51. Salma, the father of Bethlehem; Hareph, the father of Beth-Gader. Salma is the founder, that is, progenitor of the Bethlehemites. Beth-Gader is the name of a city mentioned (Josh 12:13) under the name of Geder.

1 Chronicles 2:52. Shobal, the father of Kiriath-Jearim, had sons: Haroeh, Hazi, Manuhai. Both the Hebrew reading of this verse: “haroe hazi hammenahot” and the LXX: Αραὰ καὶ Αἰσὶ καὶ Ἀμμανίθ, and the Vulgate: “qui videbat dimidium requietionum” are equally considered corrupted. The present reading is reconstructed as follows. According to (1 Chr 4:2), which speaks of Reaiah, son of Shobal, instead of Haroeh, Reaiah is read, and instead of Hammenahot, according to the indication in (1 Chr 2:54)—“Hammanahot,” that is, Reaiah and half (hazi) of the Manahathites—the sons of Shobal. From him, consequently, descended two lineages, the second of which is identical with the population of the city of Manahat (1 Chr 8:6). As is clear from (1 Chr 2:54), it lay in the vicinity of Zorah, and therefore its location is indicated on the border of the tribes of Judah and Dan.

1 Chronicles 2:53. The clans of Kiriath-Jearim: the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites. From these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites. The last three descendants of Shobal are mentioned nowhere else. The name “Ithrites” is found also in (1 Chr 11:40). From this clan came the heroes of David—Ira and Gareb. The Zorathites are the inhabitants of the city of Zorah, the homeland of Samson (Judg 13:2); the Eshtaolites—the inhabitants of the city of Eshtaol neighboring Zorah (Judg 16:31).

1 Chronicles 2:54. The sons of Salma: the Bethlehemites and the Netophathites, the crown of the house of Joab, and half of the Manahethites—the Zorathites, The city of Netophah, after which its inhabitants are named, is mentioned in (2 Sam 23:23; 2 Kgs 25:23; Ezra 2:22; Neh 7:26), but its location is unknown. The Zorathites of this verse apparently made up the second half of the population of Zorah; the first was from the descendants of Shobal (1 Chr 2:53).

1 Chronicles 2:55. and the families of the scribes dwelling at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, the Suchathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab. The location of Jabez is unknown, but like the cities (1 Chr 2:53), it could have been located in the northern part of the tribe of Judah. The population of Jabez is given the common name of Kenites with an indication of their descent from Hammath, the father of Beth-Rechab (Jer 35:1), and subdivision into three lineages: Tirites, Shimeathites, Suchathites. These last names sound like proper names in the Hebrew text, but in the Vulgate they are replaced with common nouns: “caneutes et resonantes et in tabernaculis commorantes.” The Latin translation thus ascribes to the Kenites the liturgical functions possessed by the Levite tribe. How far this is justified is difficult to say, but in any case, it is certain that both the Kenites and the Rechabites appear either directly in the role of priests, or in any case in the role of persons who kept the vows of Old Testament priesthood. Such was the Kenite Jethro, priest of Midian, the father-in-law of Moses (Exod 2:15;); such also were the descendants of Rechab, strictly observing the vow of Old Testament priesthood about abstaining from strong drink (Jer 35; cf. Lev 10:8-9) and called “those who stand before the face of the Lord” (Jer 35:19). The remark about the Kenites in the exposition of the genealogy of the house of Judah is explained by their kinship with the lineage of Salma.

Chapter Three

1–24. Descendants of David down to Eliohenai and seven sons of the latter.

The genealogy of David presented in the current chapter is a continuation of the line of Aram, traced in 1 Chr 2:10-17 down to Jesse and then interrupted by the genealogy of Caleb and Jeraheel. The generation of David is divided by the author into three groups: the sons of David, except the children of concubines 1 Chr 3:1-9; the kings of the house of David from Solomon to Jeconiah and Zedekiah 1 Chr 3:10-16; and the descendants of Jeconiah, ending with the seven sons of Eliohenai 1 Chr 3:17-24.

1 Chronicles 3:1. The sons of David, born to him in Hebron, were: the firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelite; the second Dalia, of Abigail the Carmelite; 1 Chronicles 3:2. the third Absalom, son of Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth Adonijah, son of Haggith; 1 Chronicles 3:3. the fifth Shephatiah, of Abital; the sixth Ithream, of Eglah, his wife; 1 Chronicles 3:4. six born to him in Hebron; but he reigned there seven years and six months; and he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem. The six sons of David, born during his reign in Hebron (v. 4), are also listed in 2 Sam 3:2-5. The difference between the two lists is that the second son is called in the Book of Samuel not Daniel, as here according to the Hebrew and Greek texts, but Chileab, or according to the LXX, Dalia. According to Keil’s explanation, the difference in the name of David’s second son is due to the fact that he had two names. Others suppose that in the Book of Samuel Chileab is not a proper name but a common noun—“resembling the father.” But in that case, the question arises: why was only one son not named with a proper name? Finally, still others, taking into account that the names of the Greek text Dalia and Daniel are more similar in Hebrew spelling to each other than Chileab and Daniel, suppose a corruption of the Hebrew text in the Book of Samuel. Concerning Amnon’s mother Ahinoam and concerning him, see 1 Sam 25:43 and 2 Sam 13:1. Concerning Abigail, mother of Daniel, see 1 Sam 25:3.

1 Chronicles 3:2. the third Absalom, son of Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth Adonijah, son of Haggith; see 1 Kgs 1-2.

1 Chronicles 3:4. six born to him in Hebron; but he reigned there seven years and six months; and he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem. see 2 Sam 2:11.

1 Chronicles 3:5. And these were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon, four of them of Bathsheba, daughter of Ammiel; 1 Chronicles 3:6. Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, 1 Chronicles 3:7. Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 1 Chronicles 3:8. Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet—nine. 1 Chronicles 3:9. All the sons of David, besides the children of the concubines. And Tamar was their sister. Thirteen sons of David, of which four from Bathsheba, born in Jerusalem, are listed also in 1 Chr 14:7-11 in the account of his reign, as well as in 2 Sam 5:14-16. In the latter place only 11 sons are shown; the last two are omitted, as it is thought, because they died very young. The mother of the first four sons is called in the Hebrew text of this verse Bat-Schua, but in the parallel place 2 Sam 11:3 Bat-Sheba; her father is Hamiel, but there Eliam, and finally the eldest here is Shimea, but in 2 Sam 5:14 and 1 Chr 14:4 Shammua. As for the names of the father, their meaning is the same: both are composed of two words: “am”—“people” and “El”—“God,” but these component parts are arranged in reverse order in the names. The form Bat-Sheba is considered more ancient compared to Bat-Schua; the name Shammua is more correct, as it occurs twice. The peculiarity of the reading of the Chronicles arose from the omission of one letter—“e.”

1 Chronicles 3:6. Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, 1 Chronicles 3:7. Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, The name Elishama, replaced in 2 Sam 5:15 and 1 Chr 14:5 with Elishua, is considered erroneous. Among the names of David’s sons it recurs in chapter 3 twice 1 Chr 3:8, whereas the name from the Book of Samuel is completely omitted. Eliphelet and Nogah are omitted in 2 Sam 5:14-16, either because these children of David died young, or because similar-sounding names—Nepheg and Eliphelet appear somewhat below.

1 Chronicles 3:8. Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet—nine. Instead of the name El-yada of the present verse and 2 Sam 5:16 in 1 Chr 14:7 stands another form—Begel-yada; but it is hardly correct, since the Alexandrian and Syrian translations 1 Chr 14:4 read El-yada.

1 Chronicles 3:9. All the sons of David, besides the children of the concubines. And Tamar was their sister. The existence of concubines among David’s women is confirmed by 2 Sam 5:13. Tamar was hardly the only daughter of David; rather, she is the only one known to history.

1 Chronicles 3:15. The sons of Josiah: the firstborn Joahaz, the second Joiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. As is evident from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah Jer 22:11, the name Shallum was borne by Josiah’s son Joahaz, who reigned immediately after his father’s death 2 Kgs 23:30; 2 Chr 36:1. Besides Shallum-Joahaz, the historical books of the Old Testament know two other sons of Josiah—Joiakim and Zedekiah 4Цар.33:34,24:17, and nowhere mention an older Johanan, either because he died young or because there was nothing to say about him. However, some scholars, both ancient (Sebastian Schlidt) and modern (Hitzig), doubt the correctness of the enumeration of Josiah’s sons in this verse, considering Joahaz to be the same person as the firstborn Johanan. But against such identification speak 2 Kgs 23:31 and 2 Chr 36:2. From the comparison of these two places it is evident that Joahaz was two years younger than Joiakim (Joahaz was 23 years old upon becoming king; Joiakim, who succeeded him three months later, was 25 years old), and therefore could not be the firstborn. As evidence of the author of Chronicles’ error, they point to the fact that, by placing Joahaz-Shallum in the last place among Josiah’s sons, he considers him the youngest, whereas in reality Zedekiah was the youngest: he was 13-14 years younger than Joahaz. Shallum was 23 years old upon ascending the throne; 11 years after him (the years of Joiakim’s and Jeconiah’s reign) Zedekiah, upon becoming king, was only 21; therefore Joahaz was at that time 34 years old 2 Kgs 23:31. But the distribution of Josiah’s sons observed in the author’s work is explained not by error or lack of knowledge, nor by particular considerations. Zedekiah is enumerated immediately after Joiakim and before Shallum, first because both of them—Joiakim and Zedekiah—reigned the same number of years, namely 11; and second, because Zedekiah and Shallum had the same mother—Hamutal 2 Kgs 23:31, whereas Joiakim was the son of Zebidah 2 Kgs 23:36. According to age they should be distributed thus: Johanan, Joiakim, Shallum, and Zedekiah; and taking into account the time of Shallum’s reign, he should be placed before Joiakim 2 Kgs 23:31. But in either case the children of Hamutal would be separated, to avoid which Shallum is enumerated after his brother by the same mother, Zedekiah.

1 Chronicles 3:16. The sons of Joiakim: Jeconiah his son; Zedekiah, his son. Jeconiah—the son of Joiakim and his successor on the throne 2 Chr 36:8. “Zedekiah, his son.” Since the expression “his son” throughout the preceding genealogy indicates a certain person as the son of the previously named, and such a person is Jeconiah, it is evident that Zedekiah is the son of Jeconiah, grandson of Joiakim, and great-grandson of Josiah. If Zedekiah of verse 16 is the son of Jeconiah, then he must be distinguished from Zedekiah of verse 15—the third son of Josiah, who occupied the throne after his nephew Jeconiah and received this name from Nebuchadnezzar 2 Kgs 24:17. As the comparison of verses 16 and 17 shows, Zedekiah is enumerated separately from his brothers. This circumstance is supposedly meant to convey that he, perhaps the firstborn of Jeconiah, was not taken away captive with his father 2 Kgs 24:15, but died before that event.

1 Chronicles 3:17. The sons of Jeconiah: Assir, Shealtiel, his son; 1 Chronicles 3:18. Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Hezekiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. 1 Chronicles 3:19. And the sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei. And the sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah, and Shelomith, their sister; 1 Chronicles 3:20. and five others: Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed. 1 Chronicles 3:21. And the sons of Hananiah: Pelatiah and Isaiah; his son Rephaiah, his son Arnan, his son Obadiah, his son Shechaniah. 1 Chronicles 3:22. The son of Shechaniah: Shemaiah; and the sons of Shemaiah: Hattush, Igeal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat, six. 1 Chronicles 3:23. The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hezekiah, and Azrikam, three. 1 Chronicles 3:24. The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani, seven. Descendants of Jeconiah down to the seven sons of Elioenai.

1 Chronicles 3:17. The sons of Jeconiah: Assir, Shealtiel, his son; Taking into account the meaning of the name Assir—“the captive,” Luther, Bertheau, Zöckler propose instead of the accepted reading: “the sons of Jeconiah: Assir, Shealtiel his son,” another reading: “the sons of Jeconiah, the one taken captive.” In favor of the reliability of such a translation are brought the following considerations: the absence of Assir as an intermediary figure between Jeconiah and Shealtiel in the genealogy in Matthew’s Gospel; the absence after the name Assir of the expression “his son” (of Jeconiah), which, however, is found after the name Shealtiel; at the same time this latter, as standing in the singular form, shows that Assir and Shealtiel cannot be considered brothers—children of Jeconiah.

1 Chronicles 3:19. And the sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei. And the sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah, and Shelomith, their sister; Zerubbabel (“born in Babylon”)—the leader of the Jews who returned from Babylonian captivity and one of the builders of the second temple Ezra 3:8 and others. In Ezra 3:2; Hag 1:1; Matt 1:13; Luke 3:27 Zerubbabel is called the son of Shealtiel, but in the present verse—the son of Pedaiah. To remove this disagreement, exegetes make various suppositions. Some think that he was the son of Pedaiah by birth and of Shealtiel by the right of levirate marriage; others—Tremellius, Hitzig consider Pedaiah and all the persons mentioned in 1 Chronicles 3 not brothers of Shealtiel but his sons. With this assumption, Zerubbabel will be the grandson of Shealtiel—a son not in the proper sense. Which of these conjectures is true is difficult to say. The name of Pedaiah’s second son is nowhere found, but the names of Zerubbabel’s children express the faith and hope of the Jews who returned from captivity: Meshullam—friend of God; Hananiah—mercy of the Lord. Shelomith is called the sister of Meshullam and Hananiah by birth from the same mother. She divides Zerubbabel’s family into two groups: one consisting of two sons and another of five 1 Chr 3:20. It is possible that the second is more junior: its members were born after the return from captivity.

1 Chronicles 3:21. And the sons of Hananiah: Pelatiah and Isaiah; his son Rephaiah, his son Arnan, his son Obadiah, his son Shechaniah. Both grandsons (Pelatiah and Isaiah) of Zerubbabel are unknown, but their lives must fall upon the time of Ezra. In what relation to Zerubbabel and his grandsons stand the persons enumerated further is difficult to say. True, the literal reading of this place: “sons of Rephaiah, sons of Arnan, sons of Obadiah, sons of Shechaniah”—Bertheau understands in the sense that all these persons, ending with Shechaniah, are sons of Hananiah, i.e., grandsons of Zerubbabel. “Since the sons of Rephaiah, Arnan, and so on,” he says, “stand on one line with the preceding names—Pelatiah and Isaiah, and since the continuation of the line 1 Chr 3:22 is joined to the named at the end 1 Chr 3:21 Shechaniah, then we are forced to accept that Pelatiah, Isaiah, Rephaiah, Arnan, Obadiah, and Shechaniah without distinction are sons of Hananiah.” Further taking into account that in the following verses 1 Chr 3:22-24 the line of Shechaniah is traced through four generations (Shechaniah, Shemaiah, Neariah, Elioenai), and therefore the entire line of Zerubbabel consists of six generations, so Bertheau and others assert that the last representatives of his line lived around 350 B.C., before which time the Chronicles itself could not have been written. But Bertheau’s reasoning and the conclusions based upon it would be valid only if instead of the words: sons of Rephaiah, sons of Arnan, stood only the names Rephaiah, Arnan, and so on. But nothing of the sort is there: Pelatiah and Isaiah and the sons of Rephaiah, sons of Arnan, stand far from on one line. The first may be sons of Hananiah, but by no means can the sons of Rephaiah, Arnan, and so on be so. The latter may be grandsons of Hananiah if only one supposes that Rephaiah and Arnan were brothers of Pelatiah and Isaiah—sons of Hananiah. But this supposition has no foundation in view of the corruption of the Hebrew text recognized by many exegetes in this verse. Specifically, in it four times to one proper name the word “son” refers in the plural form (benei), whereas by analogy with the preceding verses it should stand “his son.” Because of this, the reading “sons of Rephaiah,” “sons of Arnan,” contains an indication of certain impersonal, nameless sons, offers such an enumeration of descendants, similar to which is not found elsewhere in the Chronicles. Corruption of the Hebrew text is presumed also by the LXX translation, offering its own reading: “sons of Hananiah: Phaletia and Iessias—his son, Raphal—his son, Orna—his son,” and so on. But the Greek text is not free from incorrectness: judging by the expression “sons,” Hananiah should have two sons—Pelatiah and Isaiah; but the addition to the latter name of the remark “his son” makes one consider Isaiah the son of Pelatiah,—Hananiah turns out to have one son.

1 Chronicles 3:22. The son of Shechaniah: Shemaiah; and the sons of Shemaiah: Hattush, Igeal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat, six. The true Hebrew reading of this verse is thus: “the sons of Shechaniah—Shemaiah and the sons of Shemaiah: Hattush,” and so on. The sons of Shemaiah are named by individual names—five, and the total number of them is indicated as six. To explain this discrepancy, some presume an omission of a name, while others insist on a corruption of the text, manifested in the designation of Hattush and the other five below-listed persons as “sons” of Shemaiah. He is not their father, but their brother; and then indeed there are six sons of Shechaniah. If it is difficult to establish the familial relationship between Zerubbabel and the “sons of Rephaiah, sons of Arnan,” then with probability one can say that the persons of verse 22 and the following verses are not his direct descendants. This is guaranteed by the fact that in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, according to the evangelist Matthew, not a single name is found similar to those enumerated here. True, in genealogical tables the middle members are often omitted. But to assert that the evangelist, who set himself the goal of presenting a fuller genealogy of the Savior, skipped a whole series of names, is hardly possible.

Chapter Four

1–23. Genealogy of the house of Jude 24-43. Generation of Simeon.

The fourth chapter, containing genealogical fragments of the descendants of Judah, represents, on the one hand, a supplementation of the genealogical tables of the second chapter, and on the other, is (from v. 24) a transition to the genealogical lists of the tribes of Israel.

1 Chronicles 4:1. The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. Besides Perez, the son of Judah in the proper sense Gen 46:12; 1 Chr 2:4, all the other persons enumerated in this verse are his more distant descendants. Hezron is the son of Perez Gen 46:12; 1 Chr 2:5, grandson of Judah; Carmi is probably the grandson of Zorites 1 Chr 2:7, great-grandson of Judah; Hur is the son of Caleb and grandson of Hezron 1 Chr 2:16, great-great-grandson of Judah, and Shobal is the son of Hur 1 Chr 2:50, an even more distant descendant of Judah. The generations descended from the enumerated persons are the main ones in the tribe of Judah, but not all. Thus, to some researchers it seems strange the mention of Carmi alongside Hezron and Hur, and therefore they presume that instead of Carmi one should read: Caleb. If such a reading were correct, then we would have in this verse a series of descendants descended from each other in the line of Hezron (Hezron, his son Caleb, son of Caleb Hur and son of Hur Shobal: 1 Chr 2:5), and this in turn would suggest that chapter 4 is devoted to the enumeration of the descendants of Hezron, not mentioned in chapter 2 of 1 Chronicles.

1 Chronicles 4:2. Reaiah, the son of Shobal, fathered Jahath; and Jahath fathered Ahumai and Lahad: these are the families of the Zorites. Reaiah is the same son of Shobal, named in 1 Chr 2:52 Haroeh. Jahath, a descendant of Judah through Shobal, is not mentioned anywhere else: on the contrary, this name is known as the name of one of the Levites 1 Chr 23:10; 2 Chr 34:12. Similarly, the names of his sons are nowhere found. And only the remark: “these are the families of the Zorites,” gives understanding that together with other sons of Shobal they were the founders of the population of Zorah 1 Chr 2:50-53.

1 Chronicles 4:3. And these were the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash, and their sister Hazzelelponi, 1 Chronicles 4:4. and Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem. Verses 3–4: descendants of Hur. Etam is a city in the tribe of Judah, south of Bethlehem, at a short distance from it 2 Chr 11:6, mentioned also in the history of Samson Judg 15:8. The name of the father is given to it, as the main city of the district: from it, perhaps, colonies went out that founded the cities named below. Of them only Jezreel is known—a city of the hill country of Judah Josh 15:56. The last three names are found only here.

1 Chronicles 4:4. and Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem. The name Penuel appears also as the name of a person from the tribe of Benjamin 1 Chr 8:25 and as the name of a city Gen 32:33; Judg 8:8, lying on the east side of Jordan. Gedor is the name of a city Josh 15:58, located almost in the middle of the tribe of Judah. The location of Hushah, founded by Ezer, is unknown. The phrase “These are the sons of Hur, the father of Bethlehem,” referring to 1 Chr 2:51, gives understanding that in the present case his descendants are being enumerated, previously not mentioned.

1 Chronicles 4:5. And Ashur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives: Helah and Naarah. From 1 Chr 2:24 it is evident that Ashur was the firstborn of Hezron by his wife Abijah.

1 Chronicles 4:6. And Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and the Hahashtar. These are the sons of Naarah. The name of Naarah’s first son, Ahuzzam, is nowhere found. But Hepher, which of course has nothing in common with Hepher the Gileadite Num 26:32; 1 Chr 11:36, may be viewed as the founder of the population of the southern Judean district of Gopher 1 Kgs 4:10, where in earlier times a Canaanite petty king ruled Josh 12:17. Temeni (“man of the south”) means, in all probability, the population of Judah living near Gopher. The name of Hahashtar is nowhere mentioned.

1 Chronicles 4:7. The sons of Helah: Zereth, Zohar, and Ethnan. The names of Helah’s sons are found only here.

1 Chronicles 4:8. And Koz fathered Anub and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel, the son of Harum. The connection of the generation of Koz enumerated in this and the following verses with the preceding families remains unknown. The names of his descendants are nowhere found, except for Anub. This latter is identified with the name of the southern Judean city of Anab Josh 11:21, especially since the LXX reads Ἀνιόβ.

1 Chronicles 4:9. Jabez was more honored than his brothers. His mother had called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” Judging from the fact that the name Jabez is joined with the preceding names by the particle “and,” its bearer can be considered a descendant of Koz, and the city mentioned in 1 Chr 2:55 of the same name is his work. From this it follows the supposition of the kinship of Jabez and the persons of verse 8 with Shobal. The name Jabez—“son of pain,” given to the child according to the mother’s exclamation at his birth, recalls similar exclamations of women of the patriarchal period Gen 4:25.

1 Chronicles 4:11. And Chelub the brother of Shuah fathered Mehir; he is the father of Eshton. 1 Chronicles 4:12. And Eshton fathered Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, the father of the city of Nahas [the brother of Shalom the Kenizzite and the Ahazite]; these are the men of Recah. The name of the locality—Recah, its position, as well as the names of the peoples dwelling in it, are nowhere found. One thing is certain, that “Chelub, brother of Shuah” cannot be identified with Caleb-Chelub 1 Chr 2:9.

1 Chronicles 4:13. The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah. The son of Othniel: Hathath. 1 Chronicles 4:14. And Meonothai fathered Ophrah, and Seraiah fathered Joab, the father of the Valley of the Craftsmen, for they were craftsmen. Verses 13–14: descendants of Kenaz. In Judg 1:13 Kenaz is called the “younger brother” of Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, the famous spy and contemporary of Moses. And since Caleb belonged to the line of Hezron (see the commentary on 1 Chr 2:49), it is evident that his brother came from the same generation. Othniel, son of Kenaz, is the nephew and at the same time the son-in-law of Caleb Judg 1:12-13, the first judge of Israel Judg 3:9-10. The name of Kenaz’s second son is found only here; in the time of Zerubbabel it is given to one of the returned Jews from captivity Ezra 2:2.

1 Chronicles 4:14. And Meonothai fathered Ophrah, and Seraiah fathered Joab, the father of the Valley of the Craftsmen, for they were craftsmen. Although the name Meonothai is not joined with the preceding “Hathath” by the particle “and,” the Hebrew expression standing before the first (“benei”—sons) gives the right to consider both persons as sons of Othniel; neither, however, is mentioned anywhere else. Ophrah cannot be identified with the city of Ophrah of the tribe of Benjamin Josh 18:23; 1 Sam 13:17 and Manasseh Judg 6:11. The name “Valley of the Craftsmen,” of which Joab is the founder of the population, is found in Neh 11:35 to designate a locality lying in the northern direction from Jerusalem.

1 Chronicles 4:15. The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Ir, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah: Kenaz. Concerning Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, see the note on 1 Chr 2:49. Although he is the older brother of Kenaz 1 Chr 4:13, the genealogy of the latter for some reason is presented after the genealogy of the younger family. The reason for this may be that the generation of Kenaz, which had such a representative as Judge Othniel, is more glorious than the descendants of Caleb. And indeed, the names of his descendants are nowhere mentioned.

1 Chronicles 4:16. The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. Of the sons of Jehallelel only Ziph is known as the founder of the population of the city mentioned by Joshua in the tribe of Judah Josh 15:24.

1 Chronicles 4:17. The sons of Ezra: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Jether fathered Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. 1 Chronicles 4:18. And his wife Jehudijah bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Socho, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. These are the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took. The descendants of Ezra. The name of Ezra, unless he is identified with Ezer, the father of Hushah 1 Chr 4:4, is nowhere found; the names of his sons—Jether and Epher—are assigned to members of other generations 1 Chr 2:32; 1 Chr 5:24. As for Mered, it is presumed that the persons of verse 17, except for his three brothers (Jether, Epher, and Jalon), as well as verse 18, are his children, born by two wives—Jehudijah and the pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah (verse 18). This guess is based on the following. Verse 18 concludes with the remark: these are the sons of Bithiah, daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took. And since the Hebrew expression standing after the name of verse 17, “Jalon,” “vayttar” represents a verbal form of the feminine gender (she bore), which has no meaning in the absence of a subject in the feminine gender (the LXX and Russian Synodal text without any basis translate “vayttar” in the masculine gender “bore” and as a subject add to it a superfluous word “Jether” compared with the Hebrew text), Bertheau, Keil, and others insert before it the concluding words of verse 18: “these are the sons of Bithiah…” and read the entire place thus: “these are the sons of Bithiah, daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took. She bore Miriam, Shammai, and so on.” With this correction, we will have two generations from Mered: one from his wife Egyptian Bithiah (verse 17), another from the Jewess Jehudijah. The son of the first, Ishbah, the father of Eshtemoa, located in the southern part of the territory of the tribe of Judah Josh 21:14; 1 Sam 30:28. The children of the second were the founders of the inhabitants of Gedor (see the commentaries on 1 Chr 4:4), Socho, located in the lowland southwest of Jerusalem Josh 15:35, and Zanoah Josh 15:34; Neh 3:13.

1 Chronicles 4:19. The sons of the wife Hodiah, the sister of Naham, father of Keilah: Garmi and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. The Russian reading: “the sons of his wife Hodiah,” considers Hodiah to be a woman. But, as the name of many Levites of the post-captivity period Neh 8:7, Hodiah is a masculine name, not feminine. The identity of him, his wife, the names Garmi and Eshtemoa the Maachathite are completely unknown. Likewise, the position of Keilah, located in the Judean lowland, is not precisely determined.

1 Chronicles 4:20. The sons of Simeon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth. The identity of Simeon and his children is completely unknown; nothing can be said about their position in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah. Wellhausen without sufficient grounds supposes that they belong to the line of Hezron. Ishi is mentioned above, in 1 Chr 2:31, as a descendant of Jerahmeel and below, 1 Chr 4:42, as a descendant of Simeon; but neither of the two has a son Zoheth. Apparently, these are completely different persons.

1 Chronicles 4:21. The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er, the father of Lecah, and Laadah, the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of the linen workers of the house of Ashbea, 1 Chronicles 4:22. and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled over Moab but came back to Bethlehem (but the records are ancient). 1 Chronicles 4:23. These were the potters and dwelt at Netaim and Gederah; there they dwelt with the king for his work. Descendants of Shelah, the third son of Judah by the Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua 1 Chr 2:3; Gen 33:5, which for some reason are omitted in 1 Chr 2. Ir, the father of Lecah, must not be confused with Ir, the brother of Shelah, the firstborn of Judah, the uncle of the Ir of the present verse. Identical names in the uncle and nephew among the generation of Judah is a common phenomenon 1 Chr 2:9. Mareshah is a city of the tribe of Judah, lying in the Shephelah valley Josh 15:44; 2 Chr 11:8; 2 Chr 14:8; Mic 1:15. What the “house of Ashbea” (“house of Asba” according to the reading of the LXX and “house of oath” according to the Vulgate, which replaces a proper name with a common noun) is cannot be said.

1 Chronicles 4:22. and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled over Moab but came back to Bethlehem (but the records are ancient). The names “Jokim, men of Cozeba” do not lend themselves to explanation. It is presumed that Cozeba is the same as Chezib Gen 38:5—the native place of Shelah himself. Likewise, it is unknown when the descendants of Shelah had dominion over Moab. Judging by the remark: “these are ancient deeds,” the author himself did not know the time and circumstances of the event he noted.

1 Chronicles 4:23. These were the potters and dwelt at Netaim and Gederah; there they dwelt with the king for his work. The reading “at Netaim and Gederah” represents a translation of the Hebrew proper names “Netaim and Gederah.” What they mean cannot be said. It is also disputed which king is meant: Hebrew or Babylonian and Persian. If the latter, then the meaning of the verse is thus: some descendants of Judah remained in Babylon after their relatives received permission to return home. The section devoted by the author to the tribe of Simeon 1 Chr 4:24-43 is divided into three parts: in the first 1 Chr 4:24-27 five sons of Simeon and a generation of the last are enumerated; in the second 1 Chr 4:28-33 the places of settlement of the Simeonites are indicated before the time of David 1 Chr 4:31, and in the third 1 Chr 4:34-43 there is an account of two of their campaigns, of which one—against the Hamites—took place in the time of Hezekiah 1 Chr 4:41, and the other at an unknown time—against the land of Seir 1 Chr 4:42.

1 Chronicles 4:24. The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Saul. Five sons of Simeon are enumerated also in Num 26:12-14, with the only difference that the third son is called there Jachin, but here Jarib, which peculiarity is explained by the error of a scribe. On the other hand, in Gen 46:10 and Exod 6:15 six sons of Simeon are indicated. Of them the third, Ohad, is omitted both in the Book of Numbers and in the Chronicles, probably because he had no descendants. Further, Jemuel is in the first place, whom we have Nemuel, and in the penultimate place instead of Zerah—Zockhar. Which form of these names is ancient and original is difficult to say; but in any case they are synonymous. Zockhar means “brightness,” Zerah—“sunrise,” Nemuel and Jemuel—“garden of God.”

1 Chronicles 4:25. Shallum his son; his son Mibsam; his son Mishma. 1 Chronicles 4:26. The sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son; his son Zaccur; his son Shimei. Six generations of Saul, son of Simeon.

1 Chronicles 4:27. And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many sons, and all their clan did not increase in number as much as the sons of Judah. The statement about the small number of the tribe of Simeon compared with Judah is confirmed by the evidence of the Pentateuch. Namely, in the second year after the exodus from Egypt, the tribe of Simeon had 59,300 men from age twenty, and it ranked third in number, after the tribes of Judah and Dan; but before entering the promised land it had only 22,200 men, so that it turned out to be less numerous than all the tribes Num 1:22. Therefore, the Simeonites were always in close union with the tribe of Judah, and their allotment formed as it were a part of the allotment of Judah Josh 19:1. This circumstance is the reason that the number of Simeonites is compared with the number of the tribe of Judah.

1 Chronicles 4:28. They dwelt in Beersheba, Molada, Hazar-shual, 1 Chronicles 4:29. in Bilhah, in Ezem, in Tolad, 1 Chronicles 4:30. in Bethuel, in Hormah, in Ziklag, 1 Chronicles 4:31. in Beth-marcaboth, in Hazar-susim, in Beth-birei, and in Sharaim. These were their cities until the reign of David, 1 Chronicles 4:32. with their villages: Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five cities. 1 Chronicles 4:33. And all their villages that were around these cities as far as Baal. These were their dwellings, and they kept a genealogical record. The enumeration of most of the cities belonging to the Simeonites coincides with the enumeration of them in Josh 19:2-8 both in the names and in the division into two groups: the cities of verses 1 Chr 4:28-31 correspond to the cities 1 Chr 4:2-6; the cities of verses 1 Chr 4:32 correspond to the cities Josh 4:7. But with this general similarity a certain difference is noted. And first, among the cities of the first group, we do not have Sheba after Beersheba (see verse Josh 4:2). But in view of the remark Josh 19:6, that there were 13 cities altogether, whereas in fact, if we count Sheba, they amount to 14, we can suppose that the name Sheba denotes not a city distinct from Beersheba, but was entered into the text of the Book of Joshua by mistake, by repetition of the last component part of the word Beersheba. Further, the second, smaller group consists of four cities Josh 4:7, but not five, as in the Chronicles 1 Chr 4:32—the name Tochen is omitted, but not by mistake, as in both places the number of cities is specifically named. Finally, instead of “Bilhah” 1 Chr 4:29 in the Book of Joshua stands “Baalah” Josh 4:3, instead of “Tolad”—“Eltolad,” instead of “Bethuel”—“Bethul.” Which of these readings is more correct is difficult to say.

1 Chronicles 4:31. in Beth-marcaboth, in Hazar-susim, in Beth-birei, and in Sharaim. These were their cities until the reign of David, The remark: “These were their cities until the reign of David,” placed at the end of verse 31, but not verse 33, may be because the changes that occurred from the time of David affected only the above-enumerated cities, whereas the villages and hamlets noted in verses 32 and 33 after David remained the inalienable property of the tribe of Simeon.

1 Chronicles 4:32. with their villages: Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five cities. The names Ain and Rimmon are used both in this place and in Josh 19:7 (compare Josh 15:32) as the names of two different cities. Meanwhile in Neh 11:29 En-rimmon is the name of one city. Keeping this in mind, Movers and Bertheau suppose that these names in the Chronicles also denote one city. But the combination of Ain and Rimmon into En-rimmon in the Book of Nehemiah is explained either by the proximity of these places or by their merger at a later time into one settlement. Rimmon lies four hours’ journey north of Beersheba, Ain is the name of the well adjacent to Rimmon. Etam is a city of southern Judah, in the territory of the tribe of Simeon Judg 15:8.

1 Chronicles 4:33. And all their villages that were around these cities as far as Baal. These were their dwellings, and they kept a genealogical record. From the place parallel to this verse Josh 19:8 it is evident that the name Baal represents a shortened form of the name Baalath-beer, and that the group of villages extending to this point bore the name of southern Rama, with which, without doubt, is identical the southern Ramoth 1 Sam 30:27. Keil places this locality not far from Hebron, and modern geographers on the southwestern shore of the Dead Sea, at the caravan road leading to Hebron. “These were their dwellings, and they kept a genealogical record”—although the tribe of Simeon was given an allotment in the region of the tribe of Judah, it had its own cities and a separate from Judah enumeration of its generations.

1 Chronicles 4:34. Meshobab, Jamlech, and Joshiah the son of Amaziah, 1 Chronicles 4:35. and Joel, and Jehu son of Joshibiah, son of Seraiah, son of Asiel, 1 Chronicles 4:36. Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, and Benaiah, 1 Chronicles 4:37. and Ziza son of Shiphi, son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah. 1 Chronicles 4:38. These mentioned by name were princes of their families, and their fathers’ houses increased greatly. These verses hardly present a new genealogy of the generations of the tribe of Simeon; between them and 1 Chr 4:24-27 there is no connection. It is more natural to suppose that the persons enumerated in them (“princes of their families”—verse 38) were leaders of the Simeonites in their below-noted campaign 1 Chr 4:39-41. This is guaranteed by 1 Chr 4:41. By its expression: “and these were the ones mentioned by name came,” it refers to the words of verse 38: “these mentioned by name were princes of their families.” The mentioned ones were at the head of the campaign, and they are persons 1 Chr 4:34-37. The immediate cause of the campaigns, which ended in the settlement of the Simeonites in the conquered places 1 Chr 4:41, is, as may be supposed, their increase in number and the lack of free places in the original places of settlement: “and their fathers’ houses increased greatly” (verse 38).

1 Chronicles 4:39. They sought pasture for their flocks in the region of Gerar, as far as the eastern side of the valley, 1 Chronicles 4:40. and found rich, good pasture, and the land was very broad, quiet, and peaceful; for the former inhabitants there belonged to Ham. The locality to which the Simeonites reached is called in the Hebrew text “Gedor,” in the LXX—“Gerara.” The former is known as a city of the hill country of Judah Josh 15:58, but to understand it in the present case is impossible: this is prevented by the remark of verse 40, that the Simeonites occupied a plain, a locality open on all sides, which cannot be a hill country of Judah. The character of the conquered region corresponds more to the Greek reading “as far as Gerara.” Gerar is the capital of the Philistines Gen 26:6, dwelling in the lowland, the plain. The supposition about the invasion of the Simeonites into the territory of the Philistines is in complete harmony with the indication 1 Chr 4:41, that this campaign took place in the time of Hezekiah. As is known, the latter dealt a terrible blow to the Philistines 2 Kgs 18:8; and therefore there is nothing improbable that the Simeonites also took advantage of their weakness for their conquest.

1 Chronicles 4:42. Some of them, five hundred men of the sons of Simeon, went to Mount Seir, having as their leaders Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi; 1 Chronicles 4:43. and they destroyed the remnant of the Amalekites that had escaped, and they have dwelt there to this day. It is impossible to determine the time of the second campaign. If one judges by the fact that the account of it is placed after the narrative of the campaign from the time of Hezekiah, then one can suppose that it fell upon a later period. The Simeonites defeated “the remnant of the Amalekites that had escaped in Seir,” that is, those Amalekites who in one way or another escaped the defeat inflicted upon them by Saul and David 1 Sam 14:48; 2 Sam 8:12. “To this day” means not the day of the author of the Chronicles’ life, but the day of the life of the compilers of the sources from which the former draws his information.

Chapter Five

1–10. The descendants of Reuben. 11–17. The descendants of Gad. 18–22. The war of the tribe of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh with Arabian tribes. 23–24. The half-tribe of Manasseh. 25–26. The captivity of the three trans-Jordanic tribes.

1 Chronicles 5:1. The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel—he was the firstborn; but because he defiled the bed of his father, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, son of Israel, so that he is not reckoned as the firstborn; The remark of this verse, that Reuben lost the right of firstborn for defiling the bed of his father, is found in (Gen 49:4), but nowhere is it said that the birthright was transferred to Joseph, though this is implied (Gen 48:5-6), where to his two sons is given an inheritance, so that Joseph, in his two sons, received, as one possessed of the right of the firstborn, a double portion (Deut 21:17).

1 Chronicles 5:2. But Judah prevailed above his brothers, and from him came the ruler; yet the birthright belonged to Joseph. The sons of Joseph were not reckoned as firstborn because they did not possess the elements for such a right of firstborn, namely the right of authority. It is founded on strength, and the strongest in number and influence was Judah (Gen 49:8; Judg 1:2), and from his tribe came the representatives of power—the kings (1 Sam 13:14).

1 Chronicles 5:3. The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. The sons of Reuben are listed in the same order in (Gen 46:9; Exod 6:14; Num 26:5-7).

1 Chronicles 5:4. The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son; his son Gog, his son Shimei, 1 Chronicles 5:5. His son Micah, his son Reaiah, his son Baal, 1 Chronicles 5:6. His son Beera, whom Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, carried away into captivity. He was a chief of the Reubenites. The descendants of Joel—the only line preserved in a known period through several generations. The seven names listed here are encountered in other places of the Old Testament, but nowhere as names of the descendants of Reuben. Similarly, it is unknown from whom Joel descended.

1 Chronicles 5:4. The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son; his son Gog, his son Shimei, The Hebrew word «beno» (his son) standing after the name «Shemaiah,» the Septuagint understood as a proper name Banaia, and therefore inserted between Shemaiah and Gog a new descendant of Reuben.

1 Chronicles 5:6. His son Beera, whom Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, carried away into captivity. He was a chief of the Reubenites. Beera, carried into captivity by Tiglath-Pileser (see below, verse 1 Chr 5:26), was a chief not of the whole tribe, but only of that family from which he descended.

1 Chronicles 5:7. And his brothers, by their families, in their genealogy, were: the head Jeiel, then Zechariah, 1 Chronicles 5:8. And Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel. He lived in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baal-meon; Although the persons named in these verses are called brothers of Beera, in fact they are his senior relatives. This is evident from the remark about Bela. He descended from Joel in the third generation, while Beera was in the seventh. But why the older line is enumerated after the younger cannot be determined. Aroer—modern Araoer on the stream Arnon (Deut 3:12). Nebo—a mountain in the range of Abarim across from Jericho (Num 32:38). Baal-meon—a place mentioned by Moses together with Nebo (Num 32:38). In the Book of Joshua (Josh 13:15-20) the extent of the territory of the tribe of Reuben in the northern direction appears more extensive, since north of Baal-meon the Reubenites possessed a whole series of cities. The eastern border of the territory of the tribe was adjoined by the wilderness separating Gilead from the Euphrates.

1 Chronicles 5:9. And on the east he lived as far as the entrance to the wilderness that extends from the river Euphrates; for their cattle were very numerous in the land of Gilead. 1 Chronicles 5:10. In the days of Saul they made war on the Hagrites, who fell by their hand; and they settled in their tents throughout all the eastern side of Gilead. According to (1 Chr 5:20), the Hagrites were enemies of all the trans-Jordanic tribes. The similarity of names makes them descendants of Hagar, the concubine of Abraham. This is confirmed by the fact that in (1 Chr 5:20) they are mentioned alongside the undoubted descendants of her son Ishmael (see note on 1 Chr 5:20). In the Syriac and Arabic translations instead of “Hagrites” stands “Arabs, inhabitants of Sakka”; in the LXX—“strangers.” Both readings are identical. The word Sakka is connected with the Hebrew “suka”—“hut.” Bedouin Arabs lived in tents, why they could be strangers to the borders of the Reubenites’ possessions. If one follows the context, then the victors over the Hagrites should be counted not all the Reubenites, but only the generation of Bela. But this is prevented by the fact that about Bela in (1 Chr 5:8) it is said in the singular, while in verse 10 the plural is used.

1 Chronicles 5:11. The sons of Gad lived opposite them in the land of Bashan, as far as Salcah; 1 Chronicles 5:12. Joel was chief in Bashan, and Shaphan second, then Janai and Shaphat. 1 Chronicles 5:13. Their brothers, according to their families, seven in number: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jaakan, Zia, and Eber. 1 Chronicles 5:14. The sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz. 1 Chronicles 5:15. Ahi, the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was chief of his household. 1 Chronicles 5:16. They dwelt in Gilead, in Bashan, and in its towns, and throughout all the pastures of Sharon, to their limits. 1 Chronicles 5:17. All of them were inscribed in the genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel. The genealogy of Gad. The joint dwelling of the tribe of Gad with Reuben on the trans-Jordanic side, their common wars with the Hagrites (1 Chr 5:10), and similar fate (1 Chr 5:26) are the reason why the genealogy of Gad is presented following the genealogy of Reuben.

1 Chronicles 5:11. The sons of Gad lived opposite them in the land of Bashan, as far as Salcah; The tribe of Gad lived in the middle of Gilead, which constituted the southern part of the possessions of Og of Bashan (Deut 3:12-13), north of Reuben. Salcah lies six to seven hours’ journey from Bosra and thirty hours’ journey east of the Jordan. Regarding the territory of the tribe of Gad, see (Josh 13:24-28).

1 Chronicles 5:12. Joel was chief in Bashan, and Shaphan second, then Janai and Shaphat. It remains completely incomprehensible why the immediate descendants of Gad (Gen 46:16) are not enumerated, and in what relation to them stand the persons of this verse. Only one thing is certain: that both they and those mentioned below lived either in the beginning of the VII century before Christ under Jeroboam II, or half a century later—under Jotham of Judah (1 Chr 5:17).

1 Chronicles 5:16. They dwelt in Gilead, in Bashan, and in its towns, and throughout all the pastures of Sharon, to their limits. According to (Deut 3:12), the tribe of Gad lived not in all of Gilead, but only in one half of it; the other was given to the half-tribe of Manasseh (Deut 3:13). As for Bashan, according to (Josh 13:30), it was entirely given to the descendants of Manasseh, which brings the evidence of this verse into contradiction with this testimony. To remove it, it is commonly asserted that the settling of Gadites in part of Bashan falls on a later time. As shepherds, they could occupy places that proved surplus for the Manassites. “Sharon,” of course, is not the Plain of Sharon lying on the Mediterranean Sea between Caesarea and Joppa, since there is nowhere any indication, not only of a permanent settlement here of the descendants of Gad, but even of a temporary sojourn as nomads, but a place of the same name on the trans-Jordanic side. Some identify it with Sirion (Deut 3:9).

1 Chronicles 5:17. All of them were inscribed in the genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel. To what period of the reign of Jeroboam and Jotham the enumeration of the Gadites relates, history does not indicate. The first is attributed to the time after the victory over the Syrians (2 Kgs 14:25); the second to the time after the defeat of the Ammonites (2 Chr 27:5).

1 Chronicles 5:18. The sons of Reuben and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had warriors, men bearing shield and sword, drawing the bow, and trained for battle—forty-four thousand seven hundred sixty, ready to march to war. The remark about the warlike character of the descendants of Reuben, Manasseh, and Gad is confirmed by (1 Chr 12:8), and the number able to wage war (44,760) coincides with the number shown in (Josh 4:12-13) (about 40,000), and is much less than that noted in the Book of Numbers: 46,500—Reubenites, 45,650—Gadites, and 32,200—Manassites (Num 1:21; cf. Num 26:7). But this disagreement can be reconciled by the consideration that at the time of Moses all those able to wage war were listed absolutely, as the conquest of Canaan required, whereas in the Book of Joshua and 1 Chronicles only the most brave and warlike were mentioned.

1 Chronicles 5:19. And they made war on the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. Jetur and Naphish—two nations descended from Ishmael (1 Chr 1:31; Gen 25:15). Judging from (1 Chr 5:10), the war with these tribes falls on the time of the reign of Saul. In his history no mention is made of this event, because he did not take part in it. But, judging from the fact that Saul defeated the Moabites and Ammonites neighboring on Gilead (1 Sam 14:47), one can assume that the victories of the two and a half tribes over the wandering Arabian tribes also fall on this same time.

1 Chronicles 5:21. And they took their livestock: fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep, two thousand donkeys, and one hundred thousand people, 1 Chronicles 5:22. For there were slain many, since the war was of God. And they dwelt in their stead until the captivity. The enormous amount of booty reminds one of the victory over the Midianites (Num 31:11) and is explained by the multitude of the slain. In the places they occupied, the two and a half tribes lived “until the captivity,” that is, until their deportation by Tiglath-Pileser (1 Chr 5:26).

1 Chronicles 5:23. The sons of the half-tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land from Bashan to Baal-hermon and Senir and Mount Hermon; they were very numerous. According to the testimony of (Josh 13:30), the half-tribe of Manasseh received the whole of Bashan in its inheritance; in this verse the northern boundary of its possessions is indicated. They extended to Baal-hermon, or, according to (Josh 13:5), Baal-gad, which was located at Mount Hermon, Senir, which name, according to (Ezek 27:8), denotes one part of Hermon, and according to (Deut 3:9) is the Amorite name for all of Hermon. The extent of the territory occupied by the half-tribe of Manasseh (see Josh 13:30-31) corresponds to its numerousness: “they were very numerous.” Indeed, at the second census in the time of Moses in the tribe of Manasseh there were 52,700 men able to wage war.

1 Chronicles 5:24. And these were the heads of their families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of valor, famous men, heads of their fathers’ houses. The names of the descendants of Manasseh do not appear anywhere else.

1 Chronicles 5:25. But they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God destroyed before them, 1 Chronicles 5:26. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, and he carried them away—namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh—into exile to Halah, Habor, Ara, and to the river of Gozan, where they remain to this day. The account of the deportation of the trans-Jordanic tribes into captivity by Tiglath-Pileser is a reproduction of the narrative (2 Kgs 15:29) about the conquest by these kings of Gilead, which ended in the resettlement of its inhabitants in Assyria. As is evident from the same (2 Kgs 15-16), this event falls on the time of the reign of Ahaz of Judah and Pekah of Israel: to protect against the invasion of the latter in alliance with Rezin upon Judah, the first invited Tiglath-Pileser (2 Kgs 16:7). Besides him, our verse mentions, in agreement with (2 Kgs 15:19), also Pul, king of Assyria, a contemporary of Menahem. From the viewpoint of the Books of Kings and 1 Chronicles, these are two different kings. But in the Assyrian Canon of the Eponyms, which presents a list of Assyrian kings of this period, Pul does not appear, and Assyrologists recognize as beyond doubt the fact that under these names lies one and the same person. Regarding the places of settlement of the captives, see note on (2 Kgs 17:6).

Chapter Six

1–15. The descendants of Aaron, or the high priestly line until the time of the Babylonian captivity. 16–30. The descendants of Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. 31–49. The ancestors of Heman, Asaph, and Ethan—the leaders of the Levitical choirs in the time of David. 50–53. The descendants of the high priest Eleazar to Ahimaaz. 54–81. The dwelling places—settlements of the Levites.

1 Chronicles 6:1. The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. 1 Chronicles 6:2. The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 1 Chronicles 6:3. The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. The descent of Aaron from Levi. The names of the sons of Levi, Kohath, Amram, and Aaron are enumerated in (Gen 46:11; Exod 6:18; Num 3:2-4).

1 Chronicles 6:4. Eleazar begat Phinehas, and Phinehas begat Abishua; 1 Chronicles 6:5. Abishua begat Bukki, and Bukki begat Uzzi; 1 Chronicles 6:6. Uzzi begat Zerahiah, and Zerahiah begat Meraioth; 1 Chronicles 6:7. Meraioth begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub; 1 Chronicles 6:8. Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Ahimaaz; Verses 1 Chr 6:4-15. The descendants and successors of Eleazar, son of Aaron, in the high priesthood. Regarding the line of Eleazar as the only legitimate one, the author enumerates the high priests descended from it and completely disregards the line of Ithamar, although he is aware of its existence (1 Chr 24:3 and below). By virtue of this alone, the list of Old Testament high priests presented by him differs in incompleteness. It is further increased by the omission of some high priests from the line of Eleazar. Jehoiada—a contemporary of Joash (2 Kgs 11), Uriah—a contemporary of Ahaz (2 Kgs 16:10), Azariah—a contemporary of Hezekiah and certain others. In general, out of 28 high priests of the pre-captivity period (Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities,” 5:15), the author marks only 23. According to Keil’s opinion, all these omissions were probably in the sources of the Book of Chronicles itself.

1 Chronicles 6:9. Ahimaaz begat Azariah, and Azariah begat Johanan; Since Ahimaaz is the son of Zadok (1 Chr 6:8), a contemporary of David (1 Chr 24:3), the time of his life should fall on the reign of Solomon. During his time the great-grandson of Zadok, Azariah, could also perform his service, which is confirmed by (1 Kgs 4:2).

1 Chronicles 6:10. Johanan begat Azariah, who served as a priest in the house that Solomon built in Jerusalem. The remark about Azariah cannot be understood in the sense that he was the first high priest in the temple of Solomon, since at its construction the high priest was Ahimaaz. The Azariah of this verse is not Azariah, a contemporary of Solomon, but a contemporary of Uzziah the leper, known for the fact that he opposed the King when the latter, appropriating to himself the priestly right, “wished to burn incense on the incense altar” (2 Chr 26:16-20).

1 Chronicles 6:11. And Azariah begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub; Amariah—a contemporary of Jehoshaphat (2 Chr 19:11).

1 Chronicles 6:15. Jehozadak went into captivity when the Lord carried Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. The captivity of Jehozadak, father of Jeshua, the high priest of the post-captivity period (Ezra 3:2; Hag 1:1), took place before the destruction of Jerusalem, since at the fall of the city the high priest was Seraiah, his father (2 Kgs 25:18).

1 Chronicles 6:17. These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei. 1 Chronicles 6:18. The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 1 Chronicles 6:19. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses. Two sons each of Gershom and Merari, and four of Kohath with the same names, are enumerated in (Num 3:17-20).

1 Chronicles 6:20. Of Gershom: Libni, his son; Jahath, his son; Zimmah, his son; 1 Chronicles 6:21. Joah, his son; Iddo, his son; Zerah, his son; Jeatherai, his son. The generations of Gershom from his son Libni; that of the other son, Shimei, is given below when enumerating the ancestors of Asaph (1 Chr 6:39-43). In both lines, the identity of names (Jahath, Zimmah, Zerah) is observed, which does not, however, indicate the identity of persons. The last of the descendants of Gershom, Jeatherai, is not mentioned anywhere else. Verses (1 Chr 6:22-28): the line of Kohath, brought down to Samuel. Below (verses 1 Chr 6:33-38), this same tribe is presented in ascending order to indicate the descent of Heman, the singer of the time of David. However, both lists have their own characteristics, consisting either in the omission of some members, or in different forms of one and the same name.

1 Chronicles 6:22. The sons of Kohath: Amminadab, his son; Korah, his son; Assir, his son; In the place parallel to this verse—verses (1 Chr 6:18) and (Exod 6:18)—Amminadab does not appear among the sons of Kohath. And since in each of these places, and likewise in (1 Chr 6:38), the connecting member between Kohath and Korah is Izhar, most exegetes regard the name Amminadab as a surname (another name) of Izhar.

1 Chronicles 6:23. Elkanah, his son; Ebiasaph, his son; Assir, his son; According to this verse and (1 Chr 6:22), Ebiasaph is the great-great-grandson of Korah, but if you compare them with verse (1 Chr 6:37), it will be clear that he is the son of Korah and brother of Assir, as is directly stated in (Exod 6:24), where Assir, Elkanah, and Ebiasaph are named as sons of Korah. Regarding the descent of Assir and Tahath from Ebiasaph, it is confirmed by the same (1 Chr 6:37).

1 Chronicles 6:24. Tahath, his son; Uriel, his son; Uzziah, his son; Saul, his son. The names Uriel, Uzziah, and Saul are replaced in (1 Chr 6:36) by others: Zephaniah, Azariah, and Joel. In view of the existence of a known custom of giving one person two names, it is supposed that these are double names.

1 Chronicles 6:25. The sons of Elkanah: Amasai and Ahimoth. Among the ancestors of Heman, Amasai is also called the son of Elkanah (1 Chr 6:35-36). In view of this, Elkan (1 Chr 6:36) should be considered as one person with Elkanah of verse (1 Chr 6:25), and the latter should be recognized, in accordance with the indication of (1 Chr 6:36), as the son of Joel, or the same as Saul according to the reading of (1 Chr 6:24).

1 Chronicles 6:26. Elkanah, his son; Zophai, his son; Nahath, his son; 1 Chronicles 6:27. Eliab, his son; Jeroham, his son; Elkanah, his son; [Samuel, his son]. Zophai is recognized as one person with Zuph, son of Elkanah (1 Chr 6:35); Nahath—with Toah (1 Chr 6:34), and Eliab with Elihu of the same verse. In (1 Sam 1:1) these names are pronounced also with certain peculiarities: Zuph, Tohu, Elihu. Jeroham, both in (1 Sam 1:1) and in (1 Chr 6:34), appears as the grandfather of the prophet Samuel.

1 Chronicles 6:28. The sons of Samuel: the first-born Joel, the second Abijah. In the Hebrew text, the name of the first son of Samuel is omitted: that is, after the word «gabbekhor» (the first-born) stands the expression «vashni» («the second»). The Septuagint and Jerome receive this latter as a proper name. Other translators do likewise, except the Syriac, Arabic, and Slavonic, which introduce the name «Joel,» as evidently omitted here (cf. 1 Sam 8:2; 1 Chr 6:33).

1 Chronicles 6:29. The sons of Merari: Mahli; Libni, his son; Shimei, his son; Uzza, his son; 1 Chronicles 6:30. Shimea, his son; Haggiah, his son; Asaiah, his son. The descendants of Merari (six generations) in the line of Mahli are not mentioned anywhere else. Bertheau attempts to identify them with the ancestors of Ethan (1 Chr 6:45-47), but these latter belong to the generation of Mushi, son of Merari, but not Mahli.

1 Chronicles 6:31. Now these are the ones whom David appointed over the service of song in the house of the Lord, after the ark came to rest there. Verses (1 Chr 6:31-49): The ancestors of the leaders of the Levitical choirs in the time of David—Heman, Asaph, and Ethan. In the generation of Heman down to Levi, the author counts 23 members, Asaph—15, and Ethan—14 members. This inequality in the number of members, despite the fact that all three genealogies embrace one and the same period, clearly shows that the writer of Chronicles transmitted as many names as were in the ancient table at his disposal. If the first tribe of Heman, numbering to Jacob (1 Chr 6:38) 23 generations, can be considered sufficiently complete, then in the two others, clearly, many members are lacking. Cf. (1 Chr 15:17), (2 Sam 6:2).

1 Chronicles 6:32. They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the congregation, until Solomon had built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. And they served in their office according to their order. The Levitical choirs were arranged in the courtyard of the tabernacle of the congregation, where worship was performed, consisting of sacrifice and the reading of psalms, according to the order prescribed by David. Specifically in the middle stood with his choir Heman, on his right Asaph (1 Chr 6:39), and on his left Ethan (1 Chr 6:44). The remark: “until Solomon had built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem,” suggests that by the tabernacle, in the courtyard of which the Levites performed their service, is meant the tabernacle of David on Zion (2 Sam 6:17 etc.; 1 Chr 21:22), not the tabernacle of Moses in Gibeon (1 Chr 21:29).

1 Chronicles 6:33. So these were the ones who stood together with their sons: from the sons of Kohath, Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, The names of the sons of Heman, Asaph, and Ethan are enumerated below in (1 Chr 25:2-4). In the present and following verses, the ancestors of these persons are named, and first and foremost Heman, who, as the leader of the singing, is given the designation “singer,” which distinguishes him from Asaph and Ethan. From the standpoint of chronology, it is quite permissible that Heman, a contemporary of David, was the great-grandson of Samuel.

1 Chronicles 6:34. The son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, 1 Chronicles 6:35. The son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, 1 Chronicles 6:36. The son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, 1 Chronicles 6:37. The son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, 1 Chronicles 6:38. The son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; See comments on (1 Chr 6:22-28).

1 Chronicles 6:39. And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand—Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea, Since Heman is a descendant of Kohath (1 Chr 6:33), and Asaph—of Gershom, it is evident that the term “brother” is used not in the proper sense, but in the meaning of “relative.”

1 Chronicles 6:44. And on the left of them were their brothers, the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, Ethan had another name, Jeduthun (1 Chr 16:4).

1 Chronicles 6:48. Their brothers, all the Levites, were appointed to all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God. The duty of singing lay upon the generations of Heman, Asaph, and Ethan; the rest of the Levites performed in the tabernacle what was prescribed to them by Moses (Num 3:8).

1 Chronicles 6:49. Now Aaron and his sons were burning incense on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. After the indication of the duties of the singers (1 Chr 6:32) and the other Levites, the author notes the functions of the priestly and high priestly service: the offering of sacrifices, the performance of rites for purification (Lev 16), and various purifying actions upon the Hebrews.

1 Chronicles 6:50. These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son; Phinehas his son; Abishua his son; 1 Chronicles 6:51. Bukki his son; Uzzi his son; Zerahiah his son; 1 Chronicles 6:52. Meraioth his son; Amariah his son; Ahitub his son; 1 Chronicles 6:53. Zadok his son; Ahimaaz his son. The enumeration of the high priests, heads of the priestly tribe of Aaron, quite naturally follows the indication of the duties of the priests. Likewise, the above remark about the service of the singers is accompanied by an enumeration. In the present case, the succession of high priests of the generations of Asaph, Heman, and Ethan is brought only down to Solomon, but not to the Babylonian captivity, as above (1 Chr 6:4-14), probably because for the whole section from verse (1 Chr 6:34), the author used such a source in which the distinguished families of Levi are brought only down to the time of David—Solomon.

1 Chronicles 6:54. Now these are their dwelling places according to their settlements within their borders: to the sons of Aaron of the families of the Kohathites, for theirs was the lot, The list of cities (1 Chr 6:55-81) that fell to the descendants of Kohath, Gershom, and Merari at the division of the Promised Land. The enumeration of cities with greater detail is found in (Josh 21). The coincidences in both lists suggest that both authors used one source, but the latter with less precision.

1 Chronicles 6:55. So they gave them Hebron in the land of Judah, and its surrounding pasture lands; This verse almost exactly coincides with (Josh 21:11-12). Only Hebron is there given the ancient name Kirjath-arba, and its geographical location is defined by the expression: “on the mountain of Judah.” “Pasture lands”—places for the grazing of cattle.

1 Chronicles 6:56. But the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. Cf. (Josh 14:6-14).

1 Chronicles 6:57. And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge: Hebron and Libnah with their pasture lands, Jattir and Eshtemoa with their pasture lands, After “Jattir” in (Josh 21:13) stands the remark: “and its pasture lands.”

1 Chronicles 6:58. And Hilen with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, Instead of “Hilen” in (Josh 21:15) stands “Holon.”

1 Chronicles 6:59. And Ashan with its pasture lands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands; 1 Chronicles 6:60. And from the tribe of Benjamin: Geba with its pasture lands, and Allemeth with its pasture lands, and Anathoth with its pasture lands; all their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities. After Anathoth in (Josh 21:16), Juttah is mentioned, and before Geba—Gibeon (1 Chr 6:17). These two cities in the Book of Chronicles are for some reason omitted, and the certainty of the omission is confirmed by the last words of verse 60: “all their cities were thirteen.” Only eleven are enumerated by name. Finally, instead of Allemeth stands in Joshua Alemmon. Which reading is correct is difficult to say. In correspondence with (Josh 21:5-7), here is indicated the total number of cities allotted to the remaining Levite descendants of Kohath, Gershom, and Merari; the enumeration of them by name begins from (1 Chr 6:67).

1 Chronicles 6:61. Now to the rest of the sons of Kohath, from the families of the tribe, they gave ten cities out of the half tribe of Manasseh. Before the words “out of the half tribe of Manasseh,” should stand, in accordance with (Josh 21:5), the expression: “from the tribe of Dan.”

1 Chronicles 6:64. So the children of Israel gave the Levites their cities with their pasture lands. 1 Chronicles 6:65. And they gave by lot from the tribe of the children of Judah, and from the tribe of the children of Simeon, and from the tribe of the children of Benjamin, those cities which are named by name. The remark contained in these verses appears in (Josh 21:8-9) before the detailed enumeration of the cities that fell to the priests, the descendants of Kohath. In the present place, it disrupts the sequence of the narrative: after the indication of the total number of cities, it naturally follows their detailed enumeration.

1 Chronicles 6:66. Now some of the families of the sons of Kohath were given cities from the tribe of Ephraim. In (Josh 21:20), it is clearly stated that the cities mentioned below were given to the Levite descendants of Kohath. Instead of this, the Book of Chronicles uses an indefinite expression: “some of the families of the sons of Kohath.”

1 Chronicles 6:68. And Jokmeam with its pasture lands, and Beth-horon with its pasture lands, The name Jokmeam (“gathered in a heap by the people”) is replaced in (Josh 21:22) by the name of a completely unknown city Kibzaim (two heaps). The reading in Chronicles is confirmed by the Septuagint, which has Ἰεκμαάν.

1 Chronicles 6:69. And Aijalon with its pasture lands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands; According to the indication of (Josh 21:23), both the mentioned cities and two omitted ones—Eltekeh and Gibeon—belonged to the territory of the tribe of Dan. In the present case, the author omits a whole verse from the Book of Joshua: “and from the tribe of Dan: Eltekeh with its pasture lands, Gibeon with its pasture lands.” The omission corresponds to the omission in (1 Chr 6:61).

1 Chronicles 6:70. From the half tribe of Manasseh: Aner with its pasture lands, and Bileam with its pasture lands. This was for the rest of the families of the sons of Kohath. According to the indication of (Josh 21:25), the descendants of Kohath from the half tribe of Manasseh received Taanach and Gath-rimmon. Since the name “Aner” of our verse does not appear anywhere else, and Taanach is mentioned in (Judg 1:27; 1 Kgs 4:12), the reading of the Book of Joshua should be recognized as more correct. As for the second, it should be an error in the Book of Joshua. A city of this name lay in the territory of the tribe of Dan and was just named (Josh 21:24). But the name Bileam in Chronicles should be replaced, according to (Josh 17:11) and (Judg 1:27), by the name Ibleam.

1 Chronicles 6:71. And to the sons of Gershom, from the family of the half tribe of Manasseh, they gave Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands, and Ashtaroth with its pasture lands. Both in the Book of Deuteronomy (Deut 1:4) and in Joshua (Josh 13:12), Ashtaroth is called the capital of Og of Bashan. With the name Ashteroth-karnaim, this city is mentioned also in the Book of Genesis (Gen 14:5). The name (Josh 21:27) Beeshterah results from an incorrect reading of the group of Hebrew letters בעשתרה: if one omits the first letter, one can read either Ashtaroth or Beeshterah, depending on what vowels one supplies.

1 Chronicles 6:72. From the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands, Instead of Kedesh in (Josh 21:28), and likewise in (Josh 19:20)—Kishion.

1 Chronicles 6:73. And Ramoth with its pasture lands, and Anem with its pasture lands; According to Joshua, in (Josh 19:21) and (Josh 21:29), this name is written En-gannim, “garden spring.” “Anem” of Chronicles (“two springs”) does not appear anywhere else.

1 Chronicles 6:75. And Hukok with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands; In the parallel place in (Josh 21:31) stands Helkath, but in the enumeration of the cities of the tribe of Asher (Josh 19:34), as well as here, Hukok.

1 Chronicles 6:76. From the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, and Hammon with its pasture lands, and Kirjathaim with its pasture lands. According to Joshua, Hammon is shown in the enumeration of the cities of the tribe of Asher (Josh 19:28); in the enumeration of the cities of Naphtali—Hammath-dor (Josh 21:32). In (Josh 21:32), instead of Kirjathaim, stands Kartah. The meaning of both names is the same—“two cities,” and the difference is only in form. Kartan—ancient, obsolete, dual form; Kirjathaim—later.

1 Chronicles 6:77. And to the rest of the Merarites, from the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmon with its pasture lands, and Tabor with its pasture lands. In comparison with (Josh 21:34), in this verse two cities are omitted: Jokneam and Kartah, and two others are given different names—Rimmon-dinah, Tabor-nahalal. The reading Dinah is scarcely correct, for according to the indication of the Book of Joshua itself, in the region of the tribe of Zebulun there lay a city Dimon (Josh 19:13), not Dinah. The name Nahalal, only in a somewhat different form (Nahallol), is mentioned in the Book of Judges (Judg 1:30) as the name of a city given to the descendants of Zebulun. The reading of Chronicles—Tabor arose, as it is thought, because the author indicates instead of the city the locality where it lay.

1 Chronicles 6:78. Beyond the Jordan, opposite Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, from the tribe of Reuben they gave Bezer in the wilderness with its pasture lands, and Jahzah with its pasture lands, 1 Chronicles 6:79. And Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaath with its pasture lands; 1 Chronicles 6:80. From the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, and Mahanaim with its pasture lands, 1 Chronicles 6:81. And Heshbon with its pasture lands, and Jazer with its pasture lands. Cf. (Josh 21:37-39).

Chapter Seven

1–5. The generation of Issachar. 6–11. The generation of Benjamin. 14–19. The half-tribe of Manasseh. 20–29. The generation of Ephraim. 30–40. The generation of Asher.

1 Chronicles 7:1. The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four. These same names of the sons of Issachar are encountered also in (Num 26:23), but in (Gen 46:13) the third son is called Job.

1 Chronicles 7:2. The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Samuel, heads of their fathers’ houses, mighty men of valor in their generations; their number in the days of David was twenty-two thousand and six hundred. 1 Chronicles 7:3. The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah; and the sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Ishiah, five. All of them were heads. 1 Chronicles 7:4. They had, according to their families, according to their generations, ready for battle thirty-six thousand; for they had many wives and sons. 1 Chronicles 7:5. And their brothers, in all the generations of Issachar, mighty men of valor, were eighty-seven thousand, entered in the genealogical records. The names of six sons of Tola, of five his descendants from the son Uzzi; the number able to bear arms in the generation of Tola (22,600), of Uzzi (36,000), and in the whole tribe of Issachar are never mentioned elsewhere. But the numbering might have been compiled on the basis of a census of the people conducted in the time of David (2 Sam 24; 1 Chr 21) and generally appears plausible. And indeed, if in the time of Moses at the first numbering the tribe of Issachar is recorded as 54,400 (Num 1:29) and at the second – 64,300 (Num 26:25), then there is nothing strange that in the period from Moses to David the number of Issacharites increased from 64,300 to 87,000, that is, by only 23,000 men.

1 Chronicles 7:6. For Benjamin: Bela, Becher, and Jediael, three. The enumeration of only three sons of Benjamin stands in direct contradiction with (Gen 46:21), where ten sons are listed, (Num 26:38) – five sons, with (1 Chr 8:1) – also five, but only with different names. The simplest explanation of these differences consists in the supposition that the writers of these three different works speak of different persons: Moses – of the immediate descendants of Benjamin, and the author of Chronicles – of the further ones, who were representatives of their clans at the time of the census of the people in the days of David. But besides such a manner of reconciling genealogies, there exist also others. Namely, they suppose that Jediael of this verse is either a corruption of Ashbel from the three other lists or else a synonymous name with it. With the acceptance of such a supposition the verse in question enumerates the three sons of Benjamin known from Genesis: Bela, Becher, and Ashbel. Becher is omitted in Numbers and (1 Chr 8:1) (in the latter it is mentioned in verses 8–9) because in the time of Moses he did not yet have considerable posterity; it appeared in the age of David-Solomon. Naaman and Ard are not listed in the three genealogies except Genesis, on the ground that, according to (Num 36:40), they were his grandsons – children of his son Bela. Gera and Rosh (Gen 46:21) are omitted in other genealogies on account of their childlessness. Ehi (Genesis), Ahiram (Numbers), and Ahray (1 Chr 8:1) are different pronunciations of one and the same person. Muppim (Genesis) – Shephupham (Numbers) and Huppim (Genesis) – Hupham (Numbers).

1 Chronicles 7:7. The sons of Bela: Etzbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, five, heads of fathers’ houses, mighty men of valor. In the genealogical records twenty-two thousand thirty-four are recorded of them. The names of the sons of Bela do not coincide with those listed in (Num 26:40) and (1 Chr 8:3) perhaps because in this verse are noted not the sons of Bela, but his further descendants.

1 Chronicles 7:8. The sons of Becher: Zemira, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth: all these were sons of Becher. The two latter names are usually employed as names of Levite cities: Alemeth – 1 Chr 6:60; Anathoth – Jer 1:1.

1 Chronicles 7:11. All these sons of Jediael were heads of fathers’ houses, mighty men of valor; seventeen thousand and two hundred were those going out to war. The total number of Benjaminites able to bear arms is, probably, reckoned to the time of David as 59,434 men (22,034 from the descendants of Bela – (1 Chr 7:7); 20,200 from Becher – (1 Chr 7:8) and 17,200 – from Jediael, that is, 13,834 men more than in the time of Moses (45,600 – (Num 26:41)). So insignificant an increase in the number of Benjaminites (compare note to (1 Chr 7:2-5)) over 4 centuries is sufficiently explained by their civil war with the other tribes in the period of the Judges, as a result of which only 600 men were left (Judg 20:47).

1 Chronicles 7:12. And Shuppim and Huppim, sons of Ir; Hushim, son of Aher. The names Shuppim and Huppim are identical with the names of two sons of Benjamin (Gen 46:21), but since the father of the persons of this verse is Ir, probably a son of Bela (1 Chr 7:7), they turn out to be grandsons of Benjamin. Who such Aher is and to which generation he and his son Hushim belong, the text does not say. But certain considerations lead us to reckon him as the one sole son of Dan – Hushim (in (Num 26:42) he is called, through transposition of letters, Shuham), of whom (Gen 46:23) makes mention. Namely, both in Genesis (Gen 46:23) and in Numbers (Num 26:42) the tribe of Dan is enumerated immediately after the tribe of Benjamin, more precisely, as also in Chapter 7 of 1 Chronicles, between Benjamin and Naphtali. The remark standing at the end (1 Chr 7:13): “children of Bilhah,” indicates, according to (Gen 46:25), both her sons – Dan and Naphtali, and therefore here too, as in Genesis, the first should be mentioned. The silence regarding Dan, its concealment under the name “Aher” (“another”) is natural for the author in view of the twofold omission of his name in (1 Chr 6:61) and (1 Chr 6:69).

1 Chronicles 7:13. The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem, children of Bilhah. From the tribe of Naphtali only his sons are designated. This phenomenon is explained, it is thought, by the fact that the author could not find genealogical records of this tribe and gave as many names as he had (Gen 46:24; Num 26:48).

1 Chronicles 7:14. The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his concubine, the Aramean woman, bore; she also bore Makir, father of Gilead. 1 Chronicles 7:15. Makir took as his wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim, – the name of their sister was Maacah; the name of the second was Zelophehad. Zelophehad had only daughters. 1 Chronicles 7:16. Maacah, wife of Makir, bore a son and called his name Peresh, and the name of his brother was Sheresh. His sons were Ulam and Rekem. 1 Chronicles 7:17. The son of Ulam: Bedan. These are the sons of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh. 1 Chronicles 7:18. His sister Moleketh bore Ishod, Abiezer, and Mahlah. 1 Chronicles 7:19. The sons of Shemida were: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam. Genealogy of the half-tribe of Manasseh that dwelt on the west side of the Jordan; concerning the half-tribe that inhabited the east side, the matter was discussed in (1 Chr 5:23-26). From the six generations of Manasseh noted in (Num 26:29) and (Josh 17:2), the author mentions only two – Asriel and Shemida.

1 Chronicles 7:14. The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his concubine, the Aramean woman, bore; she also bore Makir, father of Gilead. According to (Num 26:29-31), Asriel is not a son of Manasseh, but his great-grandson, – the son of his grandson Gilead. As a further descendant of Manasseh, but not a son, he is presented in this verse through the remark that his mother, an Aramean woman, bore to Manasseh Makir.

1 Chronicles 7:15. Makir took as his wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim, – the name of their sister was Maacah; the name of the second was Zelophehad. Zelophehad had only daughters. Verse 15 in the Hebrew text is so obscure and incomprehensible that its corruption, in the common opinion of exegetes, is beyond all doubt. The literal translation of the Hebrew reading we have in Jerome and in the Slavonic Bible: “And Makir took a wife of Ophir and Saphir, and the name of his sister was Mocha.” Mocha (Maacah), called in the present case the sister of Makir, according to (1 Chr 7:16) turns out to be his wife, from which it is concluded that the pronoun “his” is wrongly placed in the singular instead of the plural “their,” that is, of Ophir and Saphir (Huppim and Shuppim). Further, the particle “le,” standing before the latter names, is understood with the verb “took” not in the sense of a dative particle, but of an accusative, and depending on this they read: “Makir took a wife from Huppim and Shuppim (two Benjaminites – 1 Chr 7:12); the name of their sister was Maacah.” “And the name of another – Zelophehad.” After the word “another” something is evidently omitted. Michaels reads this place thus: “and the name of the second son of Manasseh was Zelophehad” (cf. Num 26:33; Josh 17:3).

1 Chronicles 7:16. Maacah, wife of Makir, bore a son and called his name Peresh, and the name of his brother was Sheresh. His sons were Ulam and Rekem. The names of the sons of Maacah are encountered nowhere else.

1 Chronicles 7:18. His sister Moleketh bore Ishod, Abiezer, and Mahlah. The name of Makir’s sister, “Moleketh,” and the name of her first son are not encountered elsewhere in the Old Testament, but the name of the second, “Abiezer,” is identical with the one mentioned in (Josh 17:3), the name of the head of that generation of Manasseh from which Gideon was descended (Judg 6:11). The identification is hindered only by the circumstance that in this place in Joshua “Abiezer” is a son of Manasseh himself, but not of his sister, as here.

1 Chronicles 7:19. The sons of Shemida were: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam. Shemda is a son of Manasseh (Josh 17:2), more precisely of Gilead (Num 26:30). The names of his sons, except Shechem, son of Gilead (Num 26:31) are not encountered anywhere else.

1 Chronicles 7:20. The sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah, and Bered his son, and Tahath his son, and Eleadah his son, and Tahath his son, 1 Chronicles 7:21. and Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead. And the men of Gath, native to that land, killed them, because they came down to take away their cattle. 1 Chronicles 7:22. And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brothers came to comfort him. 1 Chronicles 7:23. Then he went in to his wife, and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Beriah, because calamity had come upon his house. 1 Chronicles 7:24. And he had a daughter Sheerah. She built Lower and Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah. 1 Chronicles 7:25. And Rephah his son, and Resheph, and Telah his son, and Tahan his son, 1 Chronicles 7:26. Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, 1 Chronicles 7:27. Non his son, Joshua his son. 1 Chronicles 7:28. Their possessions and their settlements were: Bethel and its dependent cities; to the east Naaran, to the west Gezer and its dependent cities; Shechem and its dependent cities as far as Gaza and its dependent cities. 1 Chronicles 7:29. And on the side of the sons of Manasseh: Beth-shean and its dependent cities, Taanach and its dependent cities, Megiddo and its dependent cities, Dor and its dependent cities. In them dwelt the sons of Joseph, son of Israel. The generation of Ephraim from his son Shuthelah, representative of the chief, according to (Num 26:35-36), clan of the Ephraimites, is traced through six generations, ending in Shuthelah (verse 21), to which are added also his brothers Ezer and Elead.

1 Chronicles 7:21. and Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead. And the men of Gath, native to that land, killed them, because they came down to take away their cattle. The remark of verse 22, that those killed in Gath were mourned by their father Ephraim, makes it clear that the raid of the Ephraimites on Gath took place during the lifetime of the Hebrews in Egypt (see commentary to (Exod 1:9-10)), but not earlier, since according to (Gen 46:20) Ephraim himself was born in Egypt. On the other hand, in view of the fact that, according to verse 23, Ephraim is the name of a person, not a collective name for the whole tribe, one cannot refer this event to a later period, as does, for example, Bertheau, understanding by Ephraim the whole tribe, not a person.

1 Chronicles 7:24. And he had a daughter Sheerah. She built Lower and Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah. Sheerah is a daughter or granddaughter of Ephraim, but not of the accidentally mentioned Beriah in (1 Chr 7:23). Upper and Lower Beth-horon lay on the southern border of the tribe of Ephraim, on the road from Jerusalem to Jaffa.

1 Chronicles 7:25. And Rephah his son, and Resheph, and Telah his son, and Tahan his son, 1 Chronicles 7:26. Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, 1 Chronicles 7:27. Non his son, Joshua his son. Ancestors of Joshua son of Nun. Judging from (Num 26:35) and others, Rephah and Resheph can hardly be considered sons of Ephraim. In (Num 26:35) the name Tahan is attributed to a son of Ephraim, but Tahan of the present verse is evidently his further descendant.

1 Chronicles 7:26. Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, The name Ladan as an Ephraimite is encountered only here. In (1 Chr 23:7) and (1 Chr 26:21) it is the name of one of the Levites. The son of Ammihud, Elishama, was in the time of Moses the leader of the tribe of Ephraim (Num 7:48), and his grandson, the son of Nun, or, according to the reading of the Pentateuch, Nun, is the renowned Joshua.

1 Chronicles 7:28. Their possessions and their settlements were: Bethel and its dependent cities; to the east Naaran, to the west Gezer and its dependent cities; Shechem and its dependent cities as far as Gaza and its dependent cities. 1 Chronicles 7:29. And on the side of the sons of Manasseh: Beth-shean and its dependent cities, Taanach and its dependent cities, Megiddo and its dependent cities, Dor and its dependent cities. In them dwelt the sons of Joseph, son of Israel. An indication of the territory occupied by the Ephraimites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, similar to the same kind of indication encountered after the exposition of the genealogy of the tribe of Simeon (1 Chr 4:28), of Levi (1 Chr 6:54) and others. Bethel, which lay on the border of the tribes of Benjamin and Ephraim (Josh 16:2), originally fell to the former (Josh 18:22); Naaran, perhaps identical with the small place called Neara found north of Jericho (Josephus. Antiquities 17:13, 1). Gezer lay, according to Joshua (Josh 16:3), between Bethhoron and the sea, on the south-western border, while the Shechem named below – on the north-western.

1 Chronicles 7:29. And on the side of the sons of Manasseh: Beth-shean and its dependent cities, Taanach and its dependent cities, Megiddo and its dependent cities, Dor and its dependent cities. In them dwelt the sons of Joseph, son of Israel. According to (Josh 17:11), the cities enumerated in this verse lay in the lot of Issachar and Asher, but belonged to the tribe of Manasseh.

1 Chronicles 7:30. The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, and Serah their sister. 1 Chronicles 7:31. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel, who is the father of Birzaith. An enumeration of the sons and grandsons of Asher identical with the present is found in (Gen 46:17) and (Num 26:44). In the latter place only Ishvi is not mentioned; likewise only in 1 Chronicles is the name Birzaith encountered.

1 Chronicles 7:32. Heber fathered Japhlet, Shomer, and Hotham, and Shua their sister. 1 Chronicles 7:33. The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the sons of Japhlet. 1 Chronicles 7:34. The sons of Shomer: Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram. Descendants of Heber, consisting of three generations.

1 Chronicles 7:35. The sons of Helem, his brother: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal. The descendants of Helem, who is identified by some exegetes with Hotham, son of Heber (1 Chr 7:32); the names of the members of both generations, that is, of Heber and Helem, are encountered only here.

1 Chronicles 7:40. All these sons of Asher, heads of fathers’ houses, select men, mighty men of valor, chief of the leaders. They were enrolled by genealogy for war, a total of twenty-six thousand men. The number of descendants of Asher noted is more than half less than the number according to (Num 26:47) (53,400). But this disagreement does not constitute a contradiction, since both enumerations belong to different times, and in the present case is indicated, as may be supposed, only the number of the clans of Heber, while in Numbers is given the number of all descendants of Asher in the time of Moses.

Chapter Eight

1–28. The generation of Benjamin. 29–40. The family of Saul.

1 Chronicles 8:1. Benjamin fathered Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, Aharah the third, 1 Chronicles 8:2. Nok the fourth and Rapha the fifth. See the note to (1 Chr 7:6). The names Nok and Rapha are not encountered anywhere else.

1 Chronicles 8:3. The sons of Bela were: Addar, Gera, and Abihud, 1 Chronicles 8:4. Abishua, Naaman, and Ahoah, 1 Chronicles 8:5. Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram. Addar is the same name as Ard (Gen 46:22 and Num 26:40). Transposition of letters was made, probably, in 1 Chronicles for the sake of ease of pronunciation. In the latter place, as well as in this verse, he is called a son of Bela, not of Benjamin, in contrast to (Gen 46:41). The same observation is made concerning Naaman. The name Gera, encountered in verses 3 and 5, is spelled identically in the Hebrew text. The LXX distinguish two names – Γηρὰ (verse 3) and Γερὰ (verse 5). In Genesis it is mentioned only once, as the name of a son of Benjamin (Gen 46:21), and in Numbers it is not encountered at all. Shephupham and Huram are not counted in Numbers, and likewise here, in contrast to Genesis, as sons of Benjamin (Gen 46:21). Abihud, Abishua, and Ahoah as descendants of Benjamin are not mentioned anywhere else.

1 Chronicles 8:6. These are the sons of Ehud who were heads of fathers’ houses of the inhabitants of Geba, and they were carried into exile to Manahath: Some identify the name Ehud with the name of the Israeli judge “Aod” (more precisely in Hebrew “Egud”). But since Ehud and Egud are names different in their roots, in the opinion of others, identity cannot be admitted. If the place “Manahath” has no relation to Manohah (1 Chr 2:54), then its position is completely unknown, as are also the persons and events mentioned below.

1 Chronicles 8:8. Shaharaim fathered children in the land of Moab after he had sent away Hushim and Baara, his wives. 1 Chronicles 8:9. And he fathered by Hodesh, his wife, Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, 1 Chronicles 8:10. Jeuz, Shakia, and Mirma: these are his sons, heads of fathers’ houses. 1 Chronicles 8:11. By Hushim he fathered Abitub and Elpaal. 1 Chronicles 8:12. The sons of Elpaal: Eber, Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod and its dependent cities, – The identity of Shaharaim, his children, and their relation to the previously enumerated descendants of Benjamin remain completely unknown. Concerning the cities built by Shemed, mention is made of the first in (Ezra 2:33; Neh 6:2); of the second – Lydda, or Diospolis, which lay to the north of Carmel, on the road from Jerusalem to Jaffa, in (Ezra 2:33; Neh 7:37; 1 Macc 11:34; Acts 9:32). Judging from the location of these cities, far beyond the bounds of the tribe of Benjamin, on the borders of the ancient lot of Dan, one may suppose that here the discussion is of later times, when tribal distinctions lost their force for obtaining the right to own one or another piece of land.

1 Chronicles 8:13. and Beriah and Shema. They were heads of fathers’ houses of the inhabitants of Aijalon. They put to flight the inhabitants of Gath. 1 Chronicles 8:14. Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth, 1 Chronicles 8:15. Zebadiah, Arad, and Eder, 1 Chronicles 8:16. Michael, Ishpah, and Joha – sons of Beriah. 1 Chronicles 8:17. Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, and Heber, 1 Chronicles 8:18. Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab – sons of Elpaal. 1 Chronicles 8:19. Jakim, Zichri, and Zabdi, 1 Chronicles 8:20. Elienai, Zillethai, and Eliel, 1 Chronicles 8:21. Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath – sons of Shimei. 1 Chronicles 8:22. Ishpan, Heber, and Eliel, 1 Chronicles 8:23. Abdon, Zichri, and Hanan, 1 Chronicles 8:24. Hananiah, Elam, and Anthothijah, 1 Chronicles 8:25. Iphdeiah and Penuel – sons of Shashak. 1 Chronicles 8:26. Shamsherai, Shehariah, and Athaliah, 1 Chronicles 8:27. Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri, sons of Jeroham. 1 Chronicles 8:28. These were heads of fathers’ houses, by their generations, chief men. They lived in Jerusalem. The family relationship of Beriah and Shema, as well as of all the subsequently enumerated persons with the preceding ones is unknown. According to the ancient division of the land of Israel, Aijalon – a city of the tribe of Dan, ceded to the Levites (Josh 10:12). But as is evident from this verse, the population of it in later times belonged to the descendants of Benjamin.

1 Chronicles 8:29. In Gibeon lived: [Jeiel,] the father of Gibeon, – and the name of his wife was Maacah, – The father of the inhabitants of Gibeon, a city lying to the north-west of Jerusalem, about seven versts from it, according to (1 Chr 9:35), is Jeiel. His name is not encountered anywhere else; nor is the origin from Benjamin indicated.

1 Chronicles 8:30. and his son Abdon was the firstborn, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, [Ner,] 1 Chronicles 8:31. Gedor, Ahio, Zecher, and Mikloth. In comparison with (1 Chr 9:36), in the present place the sixth son of Jeiel – Ner – is omitted: mention of him is necessary in view of the fact that (1 Chr 7:33) presents his generation. Instead of the name Zecher in (1 Chr 9:37) stands Zechariah.

1 Chronicles 8:32. Mikloth fathered Shimeam. And they too lived with their brothers in Jerusalem, together with their brothers. Instead of the name Shimeam in (1 Chr 9:38) stands Shimeam.

1 Chronicles 8:33. Ner fathered Kish; Kish fathered Saul; Saul fathered Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal. Since in (1 Sam 9:1) the father of Kish and grandfather of Saul is Abiel, then Ner of this verse is evidently a more distant ancestor. Instead of four sons of Saul, (1 Sam 14:49) names only three: Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. But Ishvi, as is evident from (1 Sam 31:2) and (1 Chr 10:2), is only another name for Abinadab. In (2 Sam 2:8) there is mentioned yet another son of Saul – Ishboseth (Ishbaal), whom some reckon as one person with Eshbaal. The replacement of the word “baal” with the expression “boshet” (“shame,” “disgrace” – one of the designations of idols (Jer 3:24; Hos 9:10)) – is not a single occurrence; compare Jerubbaal (Judg 6:32) – Jerubesheth (2 Sam 11:21).

1 Chronicles 8:34. The son of Jonathan: Merib-baal; and Merib-baal fathered Micah. In (2 Sam 4:4) the son of Jonathan is called Mephibosheth, but not Merib-baal. But these names have the same meaning: Merib-baal – resisting the idol, and Mephibosheth – destroying the idol.

1 Chronicles 8:35. The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz. The names of the sons of Micah (2 Sam 9:12) are the same as in (1 Chr 9:41). Only Tarea in the latter place is called Tahrea; the difference is in the replacement of one guttural letter (aleph) with another (het), which has a stronger aspiration.

1 Chronicles 8:36. Ahaz fathered Jehoaddah; Jehoaddah fathered Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; Zimri fathered Moza; The name Alemeth is used in (1 Chr 6:60) as the name of a city in the lot of the tribe of Benjamin; Azmaveth – as the name of a person (1 Chr 11:33; 1 Chr 12:3).

1 Chronicles 8:38. Azel had six sons, and these are their names: Azrikam, Bochru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan; all of them were sons of Azel. Both in this verse and in (1 Chr 9:44) after the name Azrikam stands the expression “bochru.” Jerome and later translators from the Hebrew text recognize this word as a proper name, because without it there would be only five sons of Azel, while there should be six. The LXX, however, read this word as a common noun – his firstborn, and to make up the count they added the name Asa, which, however, is not found in the Sinaitic list edited by Tischendorf. In the Slavonic text at this place the name Azariah is inserted, and in (1 Chr 9:44) – Asa.

1 Chronicles 8:40. The sons of Ulam were mighty men who drew the bow, having many sons and grandsons: one hundred fifty. All of them were from the sons of Benjamin. Cf. (Judg 20:16; Gen 49:27).

Chapter Nine

1–34. Population of Jerusalem. 35–44. Repetition of Saul’s genealogy.

1 Chronicles 9:1. Thus all Israel was enumerated by genealogies; and behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel. And the Jews were carried away captive to Babylon for their transgressions. 1 Chronicles 9:2. The first inhabitants who dwelt in their possessions, in the cities of Israel, were the Israelites, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim. 1 Chronicles 9:3. And in Jerusalem dwelt some of the sons of Judah and of the sons of Benjamin, and of the sons of Ephraim and Manasseh: Verses 1–3 comprise the conclusion to the genealogies of chapters I–VIII and at the same time form a transition from the genealogical lists of the twelve tribes to the enumeration of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the capital of that theocratic state whose history is related hereafter. Before the detailed enumeration of them, the author prefixes a general remark about the composition of the population of the cities of Israel (priests, Levites, Nethinim), and then about Jerusalem itself. To the inhabitants of the first he assigns the designation “Garinonim” (verse 2), which means “former,” “early,” that is, inhabitants of the pre-exile period, but not the time after the exile, as Bertheau, Deuler, and others claim. In accordance with this, the population of Jerusalem, as placed in parallel with the population of the cities of Israel, cannot be regarded as post-exilic. Likewise, the general composition of it does not correspond to that which is noted in the book of Nehemiah. In it, among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Ephraim and Manasseh are not listed (Neh 11:4).

1 Chronicles 9:4. Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the sons of Perez the son of Judah; 1 Chronicles 9:5. And of the sons of Shiloh: Asaiah the firstborn and his sons; 1 Chronicles 9:6. And of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel and his brothers—six hundred and ninety; 1 Chronicles 9:7. And of the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah; 1 Chronicles 9:8. And Ibnijah the son of Jeroham, and Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam the son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah; 1 Chronicles 9:9. And their brothers according to their generations: nine hundred and fifty-six; all these men were heads of fathers’ houses in their generations. The detailed enumeration of the descendants of Judah and Benjamin. From the sons of Perez and from the Shilonites (verses 4–6) no name matches those in (Neh 11:4-6). Among the names of the sons of Benjamin, in both books the name Sallu is the same, but their ancestors are entirely different.

1 Chronicles 9:10. And of the priests: Jedaiah, Joiarib, Jachin; 1 Chronicles 9:11. And Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God; 1 Chronicles 9:12. And Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah; and Maasai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer; 1 Chronicles 9:13. And their brothers, heads of their fathers’ houses: one thousand seven hundred and sixty; they were mighty men of valor in the work of the service in the house of God. The names of the Jerusalem priests. According to (1 Chr 24:7), the names of verse (1 Chr 9:10) are not names of individuals, but of entire priestly families, and they appear also in (Neh 11:10). Instead of Azariah son of Hilkiah (verses 11–17), (Neh 11:11) calls Seraiah son of Hilkiah. Their ancestors are the same; but Seraiah could have been a post-exile descendant of these persons. The genealogies of Obadiah and Maasai are set forth in both books with differences in the number and names of their ancestors. Finally, the book of Chronicles lacks the genealogy of Zabdiel (Neh 11:14). The number 1760 (verse 13) is not the number of heads of priestly families, but of all priests belonging to the six priestly divisions.

1 Chronicles 9:14. And of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari; 1 Chronicles 9:15. And Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Micah, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph; 1 Chronicles 9:16. And Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who dwelt in the villages of Netophah. The descendant of Merari, Shemaiah with the same name, is mentioned also in (Neh 11:15). However, the first three names of verse 15 are absent in Nehemiah. Of the names of verse 16, only one—Obadiah—can be identified with Ovadyah (Neh 11:17). Berechiah is not mentioned in Nehemiah, but neither are the names in the book of Chronicles (Neh 11:16): Shavfay and Yozavad. Since Berechiah dwelt in Jerusalem (1 Chr 9:4), the remark “who dwelt in the villages of Netophah” (Netophah near Bethlehem—Neh 7:26) refers not to him, but to his ancestor Elkanah.

1 Chronicles 9:17. And the gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, and Ahiman, and their brothers; Shallum was the chief. As is evident from (1 Chr 9:24-26), the four persons named in this verse, of whom the book of Nehemiah knows only two—Akkub and Talmon (Neh 11:19)—were not mere guards of the gates, but chiefs over the gatekeepers. The comparison just made between the names in the book of Chronicles and Nehemiah clearly shows that the difference between the two lists is so great that it is impossible to suppose that they enumerate the same persons and the same time. If, however, some names do actually coincide in both lists, this coincidence is very simply explained by the fact that after the exile the same families that had formerly, or whose ancestors had, dwelt there came back to Jerusalem, and chiefly by the custom common to the Hebrews of repeating the same names in family lines, so that children were called after the names of their ancestors (see, for example, the genealogy of Aaron—(1 Chr 6:4-15)).

1 Chronicles 9:18. And until now these gatekeepers were at the gates of the king’s house, to the east, keeping the watch of the sons of Levi. 1 Chronicles 9:19. And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brothers of his father’s house, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent; and their fathers had been over the camp of the Lord, keepers of the entrance. 1 Chronicles 9:20. Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in time past; the Lord was with him. 1 Chronicles 9:21. Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was gatekeeper of the entrance of the tent of meeting. 1 Chronicles 9:22. All those who were chosen as gatekeepers at the thresholds were two hundred and twelve. These were enrolled by genealogies in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had ordained them in their office of trust. 1 Chronicles 9:23. So they and their sons were in charge of the gates of the house of the Lord, that is, the house of the tent, by watches. 1 Chronicles 9:24. The gatekeepers were on the four sides: east, west, north, and south. 1 Chronicles 9:25. And their brothers in their villages were obliged to come in every seven days, in turn, to be with them; 1 Chronicles 9:26. for the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were in an office of trust, and they had charge of the chambers and the treasures of the house of God. 1 Chronicles 9:27. And they lodged around the house of God; for the duty of watching belonged to them, and they had charge of opening it every morning. 1 Chronicles 9:28. Some of them had charge of the serving vessels, for by count they were brought in and by count they were taken out. 1 Chronicles 9:29. Others of them had charge of the furniture, and of all the holy vessels, as well as of the fine flour and wine and oil and incense and spices. 1 Chronicles 9:30. And some of the sons of the priests prepared the anointing oil for the spices. 1 Chronicles 9:31. Mattithiah, one of the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with the making of the flat cakes. 1 Chronicles 9:32. And some of their brothers of the sons of Kohath had charge of the showbread, to prepare it for every Sabbath. 1 Chronicles 9:33. These are the singers, the heads of fathers’ houses of the Levites, who lodged in the chambers of the temple; for they were on duty day and night. 1 Chronicles 9:34. These were heads of fathers’ houses of the Levites, heads throughout their generations; they lived in Jerusalem. Duties and service of the Levites in the temple.

1 Chronicles 9:18. And until now these gatekeepers were at the gates of the king’s house, to the east, keeping the watch of the sons of Levi. The men of (1 Chr 9:17) were gatekeepers at that main entrance into the court, which was intended only for the king (2 Kgs 16:18; Ezek 46:1).

1 Chronicles 9:19. And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brothers of his father’s house, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent; and their fathers had been over the camp of the Lord, keepers of the entrance. In accordance with the instruction (1 Chr 9:19) about the appointment of gatekeepers at the threshold by David, it may be supposed that Shallum, the chief of the chiefs over the gatekeepers (1 Chr 9:17), serving at the thresholds of the tent, was David’s contemporary. Indeed, he is identified with Meshelemiah (1 Chr 26:1) on the grounds, among others, that both names are similar in meaning: Shallum means “recompense,” Meshelemiah means “Jehovah will repay.”

1 Chronicles 9:21. Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was gatekeeper of the entrance of the tent of meeting. The identity of Zechariah son of Meshelemiah with Zechariah (1 Chr 26:2) is beyond doubt; consequently, he too, like Shallum, was David’s contemporary. But what distinguished his service from that of the other gatekeepers, why is he mentioned specifically, this is not explained either by the present verse or by (1 Chr 26:2).

1 Chronicles 9:22. All those who were chosen as gatekeepers at the thresholds were two hundred and twelve. These were enrolled by genealogies in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had ordained them in their office of trust. The total number of gatekeepers—212—does not correspond to either the number in the time of David (93, see (1 Chr 26:8-11)), or in the time of Zerubbabel (139—(Ezra 2:42)), or in the time of Nehemiah (172—(Neh 11:19)). In all probability, this number is from the pre-exile period.

1 Chronicles 9:24. The gatekeepers were on the four sides: east, west, north, and south. See (1 Chr 26:14) and others.

1 Chronicles 9:28. Some of them had charge of the serving vessels, for by count they were brought in and by count they were taken out. See (1 Chr 28:13; Dan 1:2).

1 Chronicles 9:29. Others of them had charge of the furniture, and of all the holy vessels, as well as of the fine flour and wine and oil and incense and spices. See (Lev 2:1; Exod 30:23).

1 Chronicles 9:30. And some of the sons of the priests prepared the anointing oil for the spices. See (Exod 30:23). 1 Chr 9:32. Some of their brothers of the sons of Kohath had charge of the showbread, to prepare it for every Sabbath. See (Num 4:7).

1 Chronicles 9:35. And in Gibeon dwelt Jeiel the father of Gibeon; and the name of his wife was Maacah; 1 Chronicles 9:36. and his firstborn son Abdon, and Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, and Nadab, 1 Chronicles 9:37. Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. 1 Chronicles 9:38. And Mikloth begat Shimeam. And they also dwelt beside their brothers in Jerusalem with their brothers. 1 Chronicles 9:39. And Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul, and Saul begat Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal. 1 Chronicles 9:40. And the son of Jonathan was Meribaal; and Meribaal begat Micah. 1 Chronicles 9:41. And the sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, and Tahrea [and Ahaz]. 1 Chronicles 9:42. And Ahaz begat Jarah; and Jarah begat Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza; 1 Chronicles 9:43. And Moza begat Binea; Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son. 1 Chronicles 9:44. And Azel had six sons, and these are their names: Azrikam, Bochru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel. The genealogy of Saul, which reproduces the genealogy of (1 Chr 8:29-40) (see the commentary), is placed here as a transition to chapter (1 Chr 10), which concerns one of the moments of Saul’s reign—his unsuccessful war with the Philistines and his death.

Chapter Ten

The battle with the Philistines on Mount Gilboa and the death of Saul.

The tenth chapter, which tells of the death of Saul and his sons, serves as an introduction to the account of the history of David’s reign set forth subsequently, since the fall of the house of Saul predetermined the anointing of David first over the tribe of Judah (2 Sam 2:2), and then over all Israel (2 Sam 4:1-5:1). In its content, the tenth chapter is, with few exceptions, a literal repetition of (1 Sam 31:1).

1 Chronicles 10:6. And Saul died, and his three sons, and all his household died together with him. The phrase: “and all his household died together with him,” replaces the words of 1 Samuel: “died with his armor-bearer and all his men.” If the latter indicate the men closest to Saul, then the former does not necessarily mean all his family: Saul’s surviving son Ishbosheth is equally known to the author of Chronicles and to the author of the books of Samuel (1 Chr 8:33). The concept of “household” includes the concept of “servants” (Gen 50:7); they are what is meant here.

1 Chronicles 10:7. And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them. In comparison with the book of Samuel, the author lacks the phrase “and beyond the Jordan” (those who dwelt). In general, in the book of Samuel the surroundings of Mount Gilboa are represented more fully—to the west lies the extensive Jezreel Valley, and to the east the region beyond the Jordan. However, the accuracy of the historical account is on the side of Chronicles, because the inhabitants of the trans-Jordanian city of Jabesh not only did not flee, as is represented in the book of Samuel, but even came to save the body of the king from desecration (1 Chr 10:11-12).

1 Chronicles 10:10. And they put his armor in the temple of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon. In 1 Samuel it is directly and clearly stated that the armor was placed in the temple of Ashtaroth (1 Sam 31:10); the book makes no mention of bringing Saul’s head to the temple of Dagon, but this remark in Chronicles points to an actual fact. The armor and the severed head of Saul (1 Chr 10:9), being the chief trophies, were naturally brought into the temple. Supplementing 1 Samuel, the author of Chronicles omits its account of Saul’s body hung on the walls of Bethshan (verse 10). In consequence of this, the subsequent narrative (1 Chr 10:12) is not as clear and understandable as in 1 Samuel.

1 Chronicles 10:13. So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord; and also because he inquired of a woman who was a medium, 1 Chronicles 10:14. and did not inquire of the Lord. Therefore He put him to death and transferred his kingdom to David the son of Jesse. The reflections on the reasons for Saul’s death, which are not found in the book of Samuel, represented a repetition of the thoughts of Samuel, repeatedly expressed to Saul (1 Sam 13:13-14).

Chapter Eleven

1–9. The anointing of David over all Israel in Hebron. 10–47. A list of the mighty men, the companions of David.

In this chapter, with insignificant changes, the content of (2 Sam 5:1-10) is repeated (corresponding here to verses 1 Chr 11:1-9) and (2 Sam 23:8-39) (corresponding here to verses 1 Chr 11:10-47).

1 Chronicles 11:1. And all Israel gathered together to David at Hebron, and said, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. 1 Chronicles 11:2. In time past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel; and the Lord your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of My people Israel, and you shall be ruler over My people Israel.’” 1 Chronicles 11:3. So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord through Samuel. The anointing of David as king over all Israel took place not after the death of Saul, as might be inferred from the narrative of Chronicles, but after the death of Saul’s successor on the throne—Ishbosheth (2 Sam 3-5). The history of his reign, marked by a civil war between the house of Saul and David, is omitted by the author of Chronicles, perhaps because it forms a dark page in the history of the latter’s reign.

1 Chronicles 11:3. So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord through Samuel. In comparison with (2 Sam 5:3), this verse contains an insignificant addition: “according to the word of the Lord, through Samuel.” The following verses (2 Sam 5:4-5), which give David’s age at his anointing and the length of his reign in Hebron and Jerusalem, are omitted by the author of Chronicles in order not to disturb the continuity of the narrative. The dates in 1 Samuel are given by him at the end of the review of David’s reign (1 Chr 29:27).

1 Chronicles 11:5. And the Jebusites said to David, “You cannot come in here.” However, David took the stronghold of Zion; that is the city of David. In his tendency to abbreviations, the author of Chronicles omits the words of 1 Samuel: “the blind and the lame will repel you, as if to say, ‘David shall not come in here’” (2 Sam 5:6).

1 Chronicles 11:6. And David said, “Whoever smites the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and became chief. In accordance with the omission in verses 5 and 6, verse 6 reads quite differently than the parallel passage (2 Sam 5:8). But both David’s proposal and its fulfillment by Joab find their explanation: the former in the presumption of the Jebusites, the latter in the bravery of Joab.

1 Chronicles 11:8. And he built the city all around from the Millo even all around, while Joab restored the rest of the city. The book of Samuel does not mention Joab’s participation in the work of fortifying Jerusalem; but it is entirely natural in view of the role he played in the conquest of the city.

1 Chronicles 11:9. And David went on growing greater and greater, and the Lord of hosts was with him. 1 Chronicles 11:10. Now these are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who showed themselves strong with him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel; The enumeration of the heroes and companions of David, who contributed to the glory of his reign, at the beginning of the account of his rule finds its explanation in the author’s desire to note the most brilliant pages of his activity. Therefore, it is placed in the foreground. The above-mentioned persons “showed themselves strong to make David king,” or more precisely, to establish his throne.

1 Chronicles 11:11. And these are the numbers of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, the chief of the thirty. He wielded his spear against three hundred whom he killed at one time. In (2 Sam 23:8) this person is called Josheb-basshebeth. “Son of Hacmoni”—“the Hacmonite.” The latter name, as far as can be judged from 1 Samuel, is the name of a place, not a person. In (1 Chr 27:2) Jashobeam is called the son of Zabdiel. He killed “three hundred” men, but not eight hundred, as is stated in 1 Samuel (2 Sam 23:8). The number three hundred is thought to have been placed in Chronicles in correspondence with (1 Chr 11:20), which speaks of Abishai.

1 Chronicles 11:12. After him came Eleazar the son of Dodo, an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men. The name of the third hero, as is evident from 2 Samuel (2 Sam 23:11), is Shammah. An omission in Chronicles is beyond question, since the three mighty men are constantly mentioned below, although only two are named. Chronicles also omits the account of Eleazar’s exploit (2 Sam 23:10).

1 Chronicles 11:13. He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley, and the people fled from the Philistines; 1 Chronicles 11:14. but they took their stand in the midst of the plot and defended it, and defeated the Philistines. And the Lord wrought a great deliverance. According to the account in (2 Sam 23:11-12), the exploit described here was accomplished not by Eleazar, as follows from Chronicles, but by Shammah.

1 Chronicles 11:23. And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits tall; and in the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam, and he went down to him with a staff, and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear: Five cubits equal approximately three and three-fourths arshin. In 1 Samuel (2 Sam 23:21) the height is not given, and the expression “distinguished” is used. “A spear like a weaver’s beam” is an addition in Chronicles.

1 Chronicles 11:27. Shammah the Haroderite; Herez the Pelonite; Before the name Herez should stand “Elika the Haroderite” (2 Sam 23:25). The homeland of Herez is called in 2 Samuel (2 Sam 23:26) Palti. The reading in Chronicles indicates that Peloni lay in the territory of Ephraim.

1 Chronicles 11:41. Uriah the Hittite; Zabad the son of Ahlai; The names following Uriah the Hittite are not in (2 Sam 23), and the designation of places of origin for these persons, except Aroer, do not occur in the Old Testament.

Chapter Twelve

1–22. A count of warriors from the tribe of Benjamin (2–7), Gad (8–15), Judah and Manasseh (19–22), who defected to David’s side during the period of David’s reign in Hebron.

The content of chapter XII in its details has no parallel in the Book of Kings, but the fact of the defection to David’s side, which it records, is confirmed by the testimony of (1 Sam 22:2).

1 Chronicles 12:1. And these also came to David at Ziklag, when he was still hiding from Saul son of Kish, and they were mighty men, helping in battle. The duration of David’s stay in Ziklag is reckoned in (1 Sam 27:7) as one year and four months.

1 Chronicles 12:2. Armed with bows, able to shoot with either the right hand or the left; they could sling stones and shoot arrows with bows – from the brothers of Saul, of Benjamin: Cf. (1 Chr 8:40) and (2 Chr 17:17).

1 Chronicles 12:4. Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty and a leader over the thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Josabad of Gederah. The absence of the name “Ishmaiah” among the names of those (1 Chr 11) is explained by the death of this companion of David by the time of the compilation of this list. “Ishmaiah,” a resident of Gederah, a city of the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:36), can scarcely be reckoned among the tribe of Benjamin, as (1 Chr 12:2) requires.

1 Chronicles 12:6. Elkanah, Isshiah, Azariel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, Korahites; “Korahites” – a Levitical family: its representatives could have lived even in the tribe of Benjamin. Others identify Korah, the ancestor of the men enumerated here, with Korah of the tribe of Judah (1 Chr 2:43); then he, as well as the men of the verse (1 Chr 12:7), will be Judahites.

1 Chronicles 12:8. And from the Gadites there defected to David in the stronghold, in the wilderness, mighty and valiant men, trained for war, bearing shield and spear; their faces were like the faces of lions, and they were swift as gazelles on the mountains. The defection of the Gadites to David’s side may have occurred in the early years of his persecution by Saul, when he was sheltering himself from him in the fortified places of the wilderness of Judah (1 Sam 23:14). Regarding the characterization of the Gadites cf. (2 Sam 1:23) and (2 Sam 2:18).

1 Chronicles 12:16. There also came men of the Benjamites and Judahites to the stronghold to David. The names of the Judahites and Benjamites who defected to David are not given, either because they were not in the source which the author of Chronicles used, or because they were mentioned in the chapter (1 Chr 11).

1 Chronicles 12:17. David went out to meet them and said to them: If you have come to me in peace to help me, then my heart shall be united with yours; but if you have come to betray me to my enemies, though there is no wrong in my hands, then may the God of our fathers see and judge. David’s question is quite understandable in light of the facts of betrayal known from the history of his persecution by Saul (1 Sam 23:19).

1 Chronicles 12:18. And the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the thirty, and he said: Peace to you, David, and peace to those who help you, son of Jesse; peace to you, and peace to your helpers; for your God helps you. Then David received them and made them commanders of his troops. Amasai was a brother of Abigail, the sister of David (1 Chr 2:17). “Your God helps you” – hardly fails to indicate (1 Sam 23:12).

1 Chronicles 12:19. And from the tribe of Manasseh there defected to David when he went with the Philistines to war against Saul, though he did not help them, for the rulers of the Philistines, taking counsel, sent him away, saying: He will desert to his master Saul at the cost of our heads. 1 Chronicles 12:20. When he returned to Ziklag, there defected to him from the Manassites: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, leaders of thousands in Manasseh. 1 Chronicles 12:21. And they helped David against the bands, for they were all mighty warriors and became commanders in his army. The joining of the Manassites to David occurs at the end of Saul’s reign, at the time before the battle on Mount Gilboa (1 Sam 28:1-2). They helped him in the destruction of the Amalekites (1 Sam 30:8), as can be inferred from the fact that the term “bands” is applied to them in the indicated passage.

1 Chronicles 12:23. Here is the number of the leaders of the armed forces who came to David at Hebron to transfer to him the kingdom of Saul, according to the word of the Lord: 1 Chronicles 12:24. Of the sons of Judah, bearing shield and spear, six thousand eight hundred ready for battle; 1 Chronicles 12:25. Of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor, for the army: seven thousand one hundred; 1 Chronicles 12:26. Of the sons of Levi four thousand six hundred; 1 Chronicles 12:27. And Jehoiada, ruler of the house of Aaron, and with him three thousand seven hundred; 1 Chronicles 12:28. And Zadok, a young man mighty and strong, and of his father’s house twenty-two rulers; 1 Chronicles 12:29. Of the sons of Benjamin, the kinsmen of Saul, three thousand, but the majority of them still held themselves loyal to the house of Saul; 1 Chronicles 12:30. Of the sons of Ephraim twenty thousand eight hundred mighty warriors, men renowned in their families; 1 Chronicles 12:31. Of the half-tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were designated by name to come and make David king; 1 Chronicles 12:32. Of the sons of Issachar men who had understanding of the times and knew what Israel ought to do – two hundred chiefs, and all their kinsmen followed their counsel; 1 Chronicles 12:33. Of the tribe of Zebulun fifty thousand ready for battle, equipped with all the implements of war, marching in formation with a single mind; 1 Chronicles 12:34. Of the tribe of Naphtali a thousand commanders and with them thirty-seven thousand bearing shields and spears; 1 Chronicles 12:35. Of the tribe of Dan ready for battle twenty-eight thousand six hundred; 1 Chronicles 12:36. Of Asher warriors ready for battle forty thousand; 1 Chronicles 12:37. From beyond the Jordan, from the tribe of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, one hundred twenty thousand, equipped with all the implements of war. 1 Chronicles 12:38. All these armed warriors, keeping their formation, came to Hebron with full heart of purpose to make David king over all Israel. And all the rest of Israel were of one mind to make David king. 1 Chronicles 12:39. And they remained there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had prepared for them; 1 Chronicles 12:40. And also their neighbors, even as far as the tribe of Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, brought food on donkeys and camels and mules and oxen – flour, cakes of figs and raisins, wine and oil, and cattle and sheep in abundance, for there was joy in Israel. The enormous number of warriors who participated in the making of David king at Hebron (339,000) presents nothing strange if one takes into account the number of men able to bear arms in the time of Moses – 600,000 (Exod 12:37) and in the time of David – 800,000 Israelites and 500,000 men of Judah (2 Sam 24:9). What is somewhat striking is only the disproportion in the numbers of those who came from different tribes: 120,000 from the east-Jordan tribes (verse 37), 50,000 from the tribe of Zebulun (verse 33), 37,000 from Naphtali (verse 34), and 40,000 from Asher – numbers several times exceeding the number of warriors from the tribe of Judah (6,800 – v. 24), Simeon (7,100 – v. 25), Levi, etc. But as to the Benjamites, their small number is explained by their loyalty to the house of Saul (verse 29). The reason for the small numbers from Judah and Simeon is that the warriors of these two tribes had long been on David’s side, and therefore there was no need to enumerate them again. The tribe of Ephraim, which numbered at Sinai only 40,500 warriors (Num 2:19) and on the plains of Moab 32,500 (Num 26:37), had been even more weakened by the wars of Saul with the Philistines and partly by Abner’s wars with the same people, and therefore could not put forth as large a number as other tribes. Moreover, Ephraim, always not particularly friendly towards Judah, had no special motive for promoting the making of David king. Finally, the tribe of Zebulun, which numbered in Moses’ time 57,400 and 60,500 warriors, and Naphtali 53,400 and 45,400 (Num 2:8), could easily have supplied in David’s time the first 50,000 and the second 33,000 armed men.

Chapter Thirteen

1–14. The bringing of the covenant ark to Jerusalem.

1 Chronicles 13:1. And David consulted with the commanders of thousands and hundreds and with all the leaders, 1 Chronicles 13:2. And [David] said to all the assembly of Israel: If it seems good to you, and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send abroad to our other kinsmen throughout all the land of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites in their cities and rural areas, that they may gather to us; 1 Chronicles 13:3. And let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul. 1 Chronicles 13:4. And the whole assembly said, “Let it be so,” because the thing seemed right in the eyes of all the people. Verses 1–4 present a more detailed account than in chapter (2 Sam 6) of David’s assembly of the people’s representatives in Jerusalem for the bringing of the covenant ark. As one chosen as king by the people themselves, he takes counsel with them on this matter, leaving its decision to the judgment of his commanders of thousands, while at the same time advancing his own reasoning, which should have predetermined the bringing of the ark in advance: “Since the days of Saul we have not sought it” (v. 3).

1 Chronicles 13:5. So David assembled all Israel, from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. “From Shihor” (that is, “black river” – the Nile (Isa 23:3); (Jer 2:18)) “of Egypt to the entrance of Hamath” (an ancient Canaanite settlement on the southern slope of the Anti-Lebanon (Gen 10:18)) – this is the same definition of the boundaries of Palestine from south to north (Num 34:5); (2 Kgs 14:25), just as the expression “from Beersheba to Dan” (2 Sam 3:10).

1 Chronicles 13:6. And David and all Israel went up to Kiriath-jearim, which is in Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, the Lord, enthroned upon the cherubim, which is called by his name. 1 Chronicles 13:7. And they carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab; and Uzza and Ahio were driving the cart. 1 Chronicles 13:8. David and all Israel were playing before God with all their might, with singing, with lyres and harps, and tambourines, and cymbals and trumpets. 1 Chronicles 13:9. When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzza put out his hand to steady the ark, for the oxen had stumbled. 1 Chronicles 13:10. But the Lord became angry with Uzza and struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark; and he died there before God. 1 Chronicles 13:11. And David was grieved because the Lord had broken out upon Uzza. And he called that place the Breaking-Out of Uzza; so it is called to this day. 1 Chronicles 13:12. And David feared God that day, and said, How can I bring the ark of God into my house? 1 Chronicles 13:13. And David did not take the ark to himself, to the city of David, but turned it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 1 Chronicles 13:14. And the ark of God remained in the house of Obed-edom for three months, and the Lord blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that he had. The account of these verses presents an almost literal repetition of (2 Sam 6:2-11).

1 Chronicles 13:9. When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzza put out his hand to steady the ark, for the oxen had stumbled. Instead of the name Kidon in (2 Sam 6:6) stands “Nacon.” The discrepancy is explained by the similarity of the consonant letters of these names in the Hebrew writing.

Chapter Fourteen

1. Building of a palace by David. 2–7. The increase of his family. 8–17. Two victories over the Philistines.

The content of the chapter represents a repetition of (2 Sam 5:11-25). While reproducing its details, the author only changes the order of events. According to the Book of Kings, David’s building of his palace preceded the bringing of the covenant ark (2 Sam 5:10-11 and foll.), but according to the Book of Chronicles, it took place after this event. A sufficient motive for such rearrangement could be the author’s desire to show that David is truly a king of the theocratic state: the bringing of the covenant ark gave, from a theocratic point of view, something more important than the building of a palace, and concerns him before he concerns himself with personal comforts.

1 Chronicles 14:8. When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went out against them. 1 Chronicles 14:9. And the Philistines came and spread out in the valley of Rephaim. 1 Chronicles 14:10. And David inquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand? And the Lord said to him, Go up, and I will give them into your hand. 1 Chronicles 14:11. And they went up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there; and David said, God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like a bursting flood. Therefore they called the name of that place Baal-perazim. 1 Chronicles 14:12. And they left their gods there, and David commanded, and they were burned in the fire. 1 Chronicles 14:13. And the Philistines came again and spread out in the valley. 1 Chronicles 14:14. And David inquired of God again, and God said to him, You shall not go up after them; turn away from them and come upon them opposite the mulberry trees; 1 Chronicles 14:15. And when you hear the sound like footsteps marching on the tops of the mulberry trees, then go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines. 1 Chronicles 14:16. And David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer. 1 Chronicles 14:17. And the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord made him a terror to all nations. Verses 8–17: According to the author’s understanding (1 Chr 13:14) cf. (1 Chr 15:25), the victories over the Philistines occurred during the three months when the covenant ark remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

1 Chronicles 14:8. When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went out against them. Instead of “went out to meet them,” in (2 Sam 5:17) stands a less definite expression: “withdrew into the stronghold.”

1 Chronicles 14:17. And the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord made him a terror to all nations. The remark of this verse is absent from the Book of Kings. Cf. similar remarks (2 Chr 17:10).

Chapter Fifteen

1–29. The bringing of the covenant ark from the house of Obed-edom the Gittite to Zion.

Instead of the brief description of the bringing of the covenant ark in (2 Sam 6:11-23), the author of Chronicles offers a detailed account of this event. It comprises: 1) an enumeration of the preliminary actions – the setting up of a tent (1 Chr 15:1), David’s consultation with the priests and Levites (1 Chr 15:2-16), and the appointment of some of them for the bringing of the ark (1 Chr 15:16-24); 2) the description of the act of bringing itself (1 Chr 15:25)–(1 Chr 16:3) and the first solemn worship before the ark (1 Chr 16:4-43), which consisted of the performance of a special song composed by David himself.

1 Chronicles 15:1. And he built houses for himself in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and set up a tent for it. The author does not explain what these houses built by David were. It is supposed that they were intended for his wives (1 Chr 14:3). Since the tent of Moses was in Gibeon (1 Chr 16:39), and for particular reasons David did not move it to Zion, it is obvious that a new one was built here according to its model.

1 Chronicles 15:2. Then David said: No one shall carry the ark of God except the Levites, for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of God and to serve him forever. Explaining the death of Uzza (1 Chr 13:10) by the failure to follow the law concerning the carrying of the tent and its furnishings by the Levites (1 Chr 15:13), David now issues a corresponding order in accordance with the ordinances of Moses (Num 4:15).

1 Chronicles 15:3. And David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring the ark of the Lord to its place, which he had prepared for it. The Israelites – not the whole people, but its representatives, the elders and commanders of thousands (1 Chr 15:25) – were merely present at the bringing of the covenant ark; they did not take a direct part in it; this was the work of the Levites and priests, of whose summons there is now to be spoken.

1 Chronicles 15:4. And David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites: 1 Chronicles 15:5. Of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief and his brothers – one hundred twenty men; 1 Chronicles 15:6. Of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief and his brothers – two hundred twenty men; 1 Chronicles 15:7. Of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief and his brothers – one hundred thirty men; 1 Chronicles 15:8. Of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief and his brothers – two hundred; 1 Chronicles 15:9. Of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief and his brothers – eighty; 1 Chronicles 15:10. Of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief and his brothers – one hundred twelve. Having determined to bring the covenant ark according to the prescriptions of the law of Moses, David invites for this purpose those Levitical families who were obligated by Moses’ ordinance to carry the tent and its furnishings. Namely, the family of Kohath with its representative Uriel (1 Chr 6:24), whose duty was the preparation for carrying and the actual carrying of the holy furnishings (Num 4:4-15); the family of Merari under the leadership of Asaiah (1 Chr 6:30), obligated to carry the bars of the tent, their bases – poles and such-like (Num 4:31-32); and, finally, the descendants of Gershom, with their chief Joel (1 Chr 6:28), who carried the coverings of the tent, curtains, and such-like (Num 4:25-26). To them David joins also Levites from three other families descended from Kohath: Elizaphan, grandson of Kohath (1 Chr 6:22), Hebron, the third son of Kohath (1 Chr 6:18), and Uzziel, the fourth son of Kohath (1 Chr 6:18). For the bringing of the covenant ark, therefore, four families of Koathites (verses 5, 8–10) and one family each of the descendants of Merari and Gershom are assembled.

1 Chronicles 15:11. And David called for the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and for the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, 1 Chronicles 15:12. And said to them, You are the heads of the Levitical families. Sanctify yourselves, you and your brothers, and bring the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it; The bringing of the covenant ark – the dwelling place of God himself (Exod 25:22) – required from the Levites and priests cleanness, among other things, the washing of their clothes (Exod 19:10); (2 Chr 30:3).

1 Chronicles 15:13. For as we did not seek him the first time, the Lord our God broke out upon us, because we did not inquire of him as was fitting. See the comments on (1 Chr 15:2).

1 Chronicles 15:17. And the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel, and from his brothers Asaph son of Berechiah, and from the sons of Merari, their brothers, Ethan son of Kushaiah; See (1 Chr 6:33).

1 Chronicles 15:18. And with them their brothers of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and Obed-edom and Jeiel, the gatekeepers. Jaaziel is Aziel (1 Chr 15:20), Jeiel (1 Chr 16:5).

1 Chronicles 15:19. Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals loudly, 1 Chronicles 15:20. And Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play on harps, in a high key. 1 Chronicles 15:21. Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead on lyres, to make it louder. The division of the aforementioned men (1 Chr 15:17-18) into three choirs according to the musical instruments on which they played. The second choir played “on harps in a high key,” literally from the Hebrew (“alamoth”) “like maidens,” in maiden-like, thin voice – soprano or alto. The third choir – “on lyres, to make it louder” (“al-hassheminith”) “on the eighth, the last and lowest string,” that is, in the lowest voice.

1 Chronicles 15:22. And Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in music, was the instructor of the singing, because he was skillful in it. “Chenaniah… was the instructor of the singing” – the reading of the LXX. From the subsequent narrative it is not evident that the bringing of the covenant ark was accompanied by singing. Therefore, some (Prof. Gulyaev) render the whole passage thus: “Chenaniah was the leader of the Levites in this undertaking. He began the music because he was skillful in it.” Others (Zockler) assign him the role of the principal conductor of the entire procession of bringing the covenant ark.

1 Chronicles 15:23. Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark. Since there was no need for gatekeepers at the bringing of the ark and no need for them when it was set in place, it is supposed that the term “gatekeeper” has in this passage, as well as in the next verse, some special meaning. Did not two of them lead the procession and two close it?

1 Chronicles 15:24. Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were gatekeepers for the ark. The command to blow the trumpets was given, evidently, in fulfillment of the prescription (Num 10:10).

1 Chronicles 15:26. And when God helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. The word “helped” hardly indicates success at the beginning of the procession. Contrasting the second bringing of the ark with the first, as is evident from the chapter (1 Chr 13), which was unsuccessful, the author wishes to indicate by the word “helped” the favorable outcome, the completion of it. In that case, the sacrifices mentioned in the present verse occurred at the end of the bringing. In this respect, the narrative of Chronicles differs from the account of the Book of Kings. According to the latter, every six steps a bull and a calf were sacrificed (2 Sam 6:13). But if it is difficult to suppose that with a great multitude of people it was possible to count such a small number of steps, it will be more natural to consider the probability on the side of Chronicles. The sevenfold number of sacrifices mentioned in it indicates a special solemnity.

1 Chronicles 15:27. David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the singers. And on David was a linen ephod. The author omits the statement (2 Sam 6:14) that David “danced” before the covenant ark, but as is evident from (1 Chr 15:29), he was aware of this fact. Omitting the statement of the Book of Kings, he supplements its account with a remark that David and all the Levites were clothed in a linen ephod. Since the meile was the clothing of priests (Exod 28:31), this remark indicates that the entire procession had an ecclesiastical and liturgical character.

Chapter Sixteen

1–3. The placing of the ark of the covenant in the tent and the offering. 4–6. The appointment of Levites to serve at the Zion tent. 7–36. The song sung on the day of the transfer of the ark of the covenant. 37–42. The Levites at the tent of Gibeon.

1 Chronicles 16:1. And they brought the ark of God and set it in the middle of the tent, which David had pitched for it; and they offered to God burnt offerings and peace offerings. 1 Chronicles 16:2. When David had finished the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 1 Chronicles 16:3. And he distributed to all the Israelites, both men and women, to each one a loaf of bread and a piece of meat and a cup of wine. These verses represent a literal repetition 2 Sam 6:17-19.

1 Chronicles 16:4. And he appointed some of the Levites before the ark of the Lord to minister, to invoke, to give thanks, and to praise the Lord God of Israel: 1 Chronicles 16:5. Asaph was chief, second to him was Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattaniah, Eliab, and Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel with harps and lyres, and Asaph playing on cymbals, 1 Chronicles 16:6. And Benaiah and Oziel, the priests, continually to blow the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God. Of the three leaders of the musicians mentioned in 1 Chr 15:17-18 and 1 Chr 15:19-21 and the 14 persons subject to them, in this case only Asaph and nine musicians are mentioned; likewise of the seven priests appointed to blow the trumpets 1 Chr 16:24, only two are noted. The explanation of such a phenomenon is given in 1 Chr 16:39-42. From it we see that the two other leaders of the Levite choirs—Heman and Ethan (Jeduthun), and likewise the rest of the persons mentioned in 1 Chr 16:17-18 together with the priest Zadok were appointed to serve at the tent of Gibeon. Asaph and the persons of verses 5–6 were, consequently, left at the tent of Zion.

1 Chronicles 16:8. Praise the Lord, proclaim his name; make known his deeds among the peoples; 1 Chronicles 16:9. Sing to him, play music for him; tell of all his wonders; 1 Chronicles 16:10. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice; 1 Chronicles 16:11. Seek the Lord and his strength, continually seek his face; 1 Chronicles 16:12. Remember the wonders that he has done, his signs and the judgments of his mouth, 1 Chronicles 16:13. You, the offspring of Israel, his servants, the children of Jacob, his chosen ones! 1 Chronicles 16:14. He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 1 Chronicles 16:15. Remember forever his covenant, the word he commanded for a thousand generations, 1 Chronicles 16:16. Which he made with Abraham, and his oath to Isaac, 1 Chronicles 16:17. And which he established to Jacob as a statute, and to Israel as an everlasting covenant, 1 Chronicles 16:18. Saying: “To you I will give the land of Canaan, as your inheritance portion.” 1 Chronicles 16:19. When they were few in number, and as strangers in it, 1 Chronicles 16:20. And they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people; 1 Chronicles 16:21. But he did not permit anyone to oppress them, and he reproved kings because of them: 1 Chronicles 16:22. “Do not touch my anointed ones, and do no harm to my prophets.” 1 Chronicles 16:23. Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation from day to day. 1 Chronicles 16:24. Declare his glory among the nations, his wonders among all peoples, 1 Chronicles 16:25. For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, he is to be feared above all gods. 1 Chronicles 16:26. For all the gods of the peoples are nothing, but the Lord made the heavens. 1 Chronicles 16:27. Glory and majesty are before him, might and joy are in his place. 1 Chronicles 16:28. Ascribe to the Lord, families of peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and honor, 1 Chronicles 16:29. Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the Lord in holy splendor. 1 Chronicles 16:30. Tremble before him, all the earth; the world is firmly established, it cannot be shaken. 1 Chronicles 16:31. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations: The Lord reigns! 1 Chronicles 16:32. Let the sea roar, and all that fills it, let the field exult, and all that is in it. 1 Chronicles 16:33. Let all the trees of the forest shout for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. 1 Chronicles 16:34. Praise the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever, 1 Chronicles 16:35. And say: Save us, O God, our Savior! Gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise! 1 Chronicles 16:36. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from eternity to eternity! And all the people said: Amen! Hallelujah! As far as can be judged from the content and character of the song set forth in these verses, it does not represent a single unified composition. Between verses 22 and 23, and 34 and 35, there is almost no connection. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that this song was composed from passages of three psalms. Namely, in verses 8–22 it is literally identical with Ps 104:1-15, in verses 23–33 with Ps 95:1-12, and in verses 34–36 with Ps 105:1.

1 Chronicles 16:8. Praise the Lord, proclaim his name; make known his deeds among the peoples; 1 Chronicles 16:9. Sing to him, play music for him; tell of all his wonders; 1 Chronicles 16:10. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice; 1 Chronicles 16:11. Seek the Lord and his strength, continually seek his face; 1 Chronicles 16:12. Remember the wonders that he has done, his signs and the judgments of his mouth, 1 Chronicles 16:13. You, the offspring of Israel, his servants, the children of Jacob, his chosen ones! 1 Chronicles 16:14. He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 1 Chronicles 16:15. Remember forever his covenant, the word he commanded for a thousand generations, 1 Chronicles 16:16. Which he made with Abraham, and his oath to Isaac, 1 Chronicles 16:17. And which he established to Jacob as a statute, and to Israel as an everlasting covenant, 1 Chronicles 16:18. Saying: “To you I will give the land of Canaan, as your inheritance portion.” 1 Chronicles 16:19. When they were few in number, and as strangers in it, 1 Chronicles 16:20. And they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people; 1 Chronicles 16:21. But he did not permit anyone to oppress them, and he reproved kings because of them: 1 Chronicles 16:22. “Do not touch my anointed ones, and do no harm to my prophets.” The glorification of God through the proclamation of his deeds—his wonders—should proceed from the thought that the Israeli people, the descendants of Jacob, is his chosen people, and in its history the guidance of Providence is evident. The Israeli people, in the person of their patriarchal ancestors, were promised the possession of the promised land, and therefore the Lord protected the small patriarchal family, from which this future possessor of Canaan should arise, from various dangers threatening its existence.

1 Chronicles 16:23. Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation from day to day. 1 Chronicles 16:24. Declare his glory among the nations, his wonders among all peoples, 1 Chronicles 16:25. For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, he is to be feared above all gods. 1 Chronicles 16:26. For all the gods of the peoples are nothing, but the Lord made the heavens. 1 Chronicles 16:27. Glory and majesty are before him, might and joy are in his place. 1 Chronicles 16:28. Ascribe to the Lord, families of peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and honor, 1 Chronicles 16:29. Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the Lord in holy splendor. 1 Chronicles 16:30. Tremble before him, all the earth; the world is firmly established, it cannot be shaken. 1 Chronicles 16:31. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations: The Lord reigns! 1 Chronicles 16:32. Let the sea roar, and all that fills it, let the field exult, and all that is in it. 1 Chronicles 16:33. Let all the trees of the forest shout for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. 1 Chronicles 16:34. Praise the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever, 1 Chronicles 16:35. And say: Save us, O God, our Savior! Gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise! 1 Chronicles 16:36. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from eternity to eternity! And all the people said: Amen! Hallelujah! In the glorification of God, the whole earth with all the peoples inhabiting it should take part. The foundation for such universal praise of Jehovah is his infinite greatness and power. They are especially clear when compared with the gods of the peoples: the latter are “nothing,” mere nothings without real existence, while he is the almighty Creator of the heavens, surrounded by glory and majesty partly in the heavenly sanctuary and partly in the earthly (Jerusalem). Universal praise of the Lord is the manifestation of his universal kingdom, and the happy result of this is that the world governed by him will be firm and unshakeable, for righteousness will prevail everywhere. Even creatures will find in God a righteous ruler and king, and therefore they too should rejoice in view of his coming. The verses 1 Chr 16:34-42 – see comments on 1 Chr 16:4-6.

Chapter Seventeen

1–2. David’s intention to build a temple. 3–15. The revelation to him through the prophet Nathan. 16–27. David’s prayer.

The seventeenth chapter represents, with few exceptions, a literal repetition of the content of 2 Sam 7.

1 Chronicles 17:1. When David lived in his house, David said to the prophet Nathan: Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent. The author of Chronicles omits the expression 2 Sam 7:1: “when the Lord gave him rest from all his enemies on all sides,” in order to remove the contradiction of these words with the subsequent narrative, since David’s bloodiest wars with the surrounding peoples fell in the following period.

1 Chronicles 17:4. Go and say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord: It is not you who shall build me a house to dwell in, In 2 Sam 7:5 the words of the Lord have the form of a question, even of doubt: “Shall you build me a house?” Here they are replaced by an expression of a positive character: “It is not you who shall build me a house to dwell in.”

1 Chronicles 17:6. Wherever I have moved about with all Israel, did I ever speak a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to be shepherds of my people, saying: Why have you not built me a house of cedar? The title “judge” is replaced in 2 Sam 7:7 by the title “leader,” “commander.” Judges were the supreme rulers of one or several tribes in the period from the death of Joshua until the reign of Saul. A leader-chief, the commander of each tribe separately, for the entire time of the preservation of the separation of the tribes.

1 Chronicles 17:10. In the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I have subdued all your enemies. And I declare to you that the Lord will build you a house. In 2 Sam 7:11 the verb “I declare” stands in the second person and directly refers to Jehovah: “The Lord declared.”

1 Chronicles 17:11. When your days are fulfilled and you go to your ancestors, then I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own children, and I will establish his kingdom. In a literal translation from the Hebrew: “Since your days are fulfilled for you to go to your ancestors,” the verse gives the impression that the revelation was communicated to David shortly before his death. In the book of Kings 2 Sam 7:12 there is a different expression: “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors.” The correct reading is, undoubtedly, on the side of the book of Kings, since the revelation through Nathan was communicated to David at the beginning, not at the end of his reign.

1 Chronicles 17:13. I will be his father, and he will be my son. And I will not remove my steadfast love from him, as I removed it from him who was before you. The author omits the words constituting the second half of the verse 2 Sam 7:14: “If he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human hands,” perhaps in order to emphasize the unceasing mercy of Jehovah toward the house of David and thereby put the latter in a favorable light, or in order to point to the direct relation of the promise about David’s descendant to the Messiah alone: “who was before you,” that is, Saul. He is directly named in 2 Sam 7:15.

1 Chronicles 17:14. I will establish him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever. The reading of the book of Chronicles more strongly emphasizes the messianic character of the promise than the diverging reading of 2 Kings. The descendant of David will be “eternal in my house and in my kingdom,” that is, in the theocracy, whose existence did not end in Old Testament times.

1 Chronicles 17:17. But even this seemed too little in your sight, O God; for you have also spoken of your servant’s house for a great while to come. May I be regarded by you, O Lord God, as a man of high standing! The phrase: “and you regard me as a man of great importance, O Lord God,” replaces the unclear expression 2 Sam 7:19: “this is according to the manner of human beings, O Lord God.”

1 Chronicles 17:18. What more can David say to you regarding the honor due to your servant? You know your servant. The second book of Kings, conveying in the parallel place 2 Sam 7:20 the idea that David does not know how to thank the Lord, gives a reading more understandable than the book of Chronicles, which indicates that David does not know what he should desire for his own glory.

Chapter Eighteen

1. David’s war with the Philistines. 2. With the Moabites. 3–8. War with Hadadezer, king of Zobah, and the Arameans. 9–11. An embassy from Tou, king of Hamath. 12–13. The defeat of the Edomites by Abishai. 14–17. David’s chief officials.

Like the others, the eighteenth chapter represents a repetition with minor peculiarities 2 Sam 8.

1 Chronicles 18:1. After this, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its villages from the hand of the Philistines. Instead of the unclear expression 2 Sam 8:1: “and he took the bridle of the mother city from the hand of the Philistines,” the book of Chronicles uses clarifying words: “Gath and its dependent cities.” Gath was one of the five chief Philistine cities and by its position, as being on the border of the Israeli and Philistine lands, could indeed be the bridle over opponents for either side.

1 Chronicles 18:2. He also defeated the Moabites, and the Moabites became subject to David, bringing him tribute. The author, for unknown reasons, omits the remark 2 Sam 8:2 about the harsh treatment of the Moabites by David. It is hardly likely that he was motivated by a desire to present David in a favorable light; otherwise he should have remained silent also about the similar treatment of the Ammonites 1 Chr 20:3. It was in this, it seems, war with the Moabites that Abishai, son of Zeruiah, defeated two sons of Ariel the Moabite 1 Chr 11:22.

1 Chronicles 18:4. And David took from him one thousand chariots, seven thousand chariot drivers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, except for one hundred that he kept. In the book of Kings only 1,700 horsemen are mentioned, and about chariots nothing is said at all, although the subsequent words presuppose their destruction.

1 Chronicles 18:8. From Tibhath and Kun, cities of Hadadezer, David took a great amount of bronze. From it Solomon made the bronze sea and the pillars and the bronze vessels. In 2 Sam 8:8 these cities are called Betah and Berothai. What caused the discrepancy cannot be determined. Neither of these names occurs elsewhere in the Holy Scripture. In the book of Kings there is no mention of the use made by Solomon of the bronze captured by David.

1 Chronicles 18:12. And Abishai, son of Zeruiah, defeated eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt; The second book of Kings 2 Sam 8:13 attributes this victory to David himself, noting that it was achieved over “Arameans.” But the war with Edomites waged by David himself, in which Joab took part among others, ended, according to the testimony of 1 Kgs 11:15-16, in the slaughter of all the male population. Meanwhile, both 2 Kings and 1 Chronicles speak only of the slaughter of part of the Edomites. Therefore, the reading of the latter should be recognized as more correct. The attribution of the victory over the Edomites to David is perhaps explained by the fact that Abishai acted in his name, by virtue of which the deed of the military commander is attributed to his sovereign king. As for the difference in the names: Arameans and Edomites, it is explained by the similarity of their Hebrew spelling.

Chapter Nineteen

1–15. David’s war with the Ammonites and their allies. 16–19. War with the Arameans (see chapter 2 Sam 10).

1 Chronicles 19:3. But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun: Do you think David is honoring your father by sending men to you to express sympathy? Have not his servants come to you to search out the land, to spy it out, and to overthrow it? In 2 Sam 10:3 the words: “to examine, to destroy, and to go around,” are arranged in better order: “to examine, to look at, and to destroy.” Furthermore, according to the indication in the book of Kings, the object of examination, etc., is not the whole land, but only the city, that is, the capital of the Ammonites.

1 Chronicles 19:6. When the Ammonites realized that they had become odious to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent one thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and chariot drivers from Mesopotamia Aram, and from Aram-Maacah, and from Zobah. The book of Kings 2 Sam 10:6 does not mention the amount of money the Ammonites spent to hire their allies. But there it is more probably represented the number of hired troops – 33,000 warriors, whereas here 32,000 chariots and a whole people are mentioned 1 Chr 19:7.

1 Chronicles 19:7. And they hired thirty-two thousand chariots and the king of Maacah with his forces, who came and pitched camp before Medeba. And the Ammonites mustered from their cities and came out for battle. In the book of Kings there is entirely lacking the indication of the position of the hired troops before Medeba, and likewise about the mustering of the Ammonites from their cities for war. Both pieces of information are borrowed, as it seems, from an ancient source common to the authors of both books. According to the indication of Josh 13:16, Medeba is a city in the territory of the tribe of Reuben.

Chapter Twenty

1–3. Capture of Rabbah of the Ammonites. 4–8. Two wars with the Philistines.

1 Chronicles 20:1. After a year, at the time when kings go forth to war, Joab led out the army and ravaged the land of the Ammonites, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. And Joab defeated Rabbah and destroyed it. 1 Chronicles 20:2. And David took the crown of their king from his head, and in it was found a talent of gold, and precious stones were on it; and it was placed upon David’s head. And he brought out a great amount of spoil from the city. 1 Chronicles 20:3. And the people who were in it he brought out and set them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes. Thus David dealt with all the cities of the Ammonites; and David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. The account of the capture of Rabbah presents a variation of the narrative in the book (2 Sam 11) concerning the same subject. The first verse down to the words “And Joab defeated Rabbah and destroyed it” reproduces (2 Sam 11:1). But this statement is in direct contradiction with the testimony (2 Sam 12:29) that Rabbah was taken by David himself, not by Joab. Apart from the contradiction with the book of Kings, the book of Chronicles exhibits an internal contradiction. According to the first verse, David remained in Jerusalem during the siege and capture of Rabbah, yet according to verse 3 he participated in this deed. “Thus David dealt with all the cities of the Ammonites and returned to Jerusalem.” Finally, the author omits the story of David and Bathsheba (2 Sam 11:2) that occurred during the Ammonite war, as it casts a shadow upon his character.

1 Chronicles 20:4. After this war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Safa, one of the descendants of the Rephaim. And they were subdued. 1 Chronicles 20:5. And again war broke out with the Philistines. Then Elhanan son of Jair struck down Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear shaft was like a weaver’s beam. 1 Chronicles 20:6. And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature who had six fingers on each hand, that is, twenty-four in all. And he also was descended from the Rephaim. 1 Chronicles 20:7. He taunted Israel, but Jonathan, the son of Shimea, David’s brother, struck him down. 1 Chronicles 20:8. These were descended from the Rephaim at Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants. According to the book of Chronicles, the wars with the Philistines described in these verses occurred after the capture of Rabbah (“after this”—verse 4); meanwhile according to 2 Kings they took place much later—after the Gibeonites gave up the descendants of Saul (2 Sam 21:18 and following).

1 Chronicles 20:4. After this war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Safa, one of the descendants of the Rephaim. And they were subdued. Sibbecai the Hushathite—see (1 Chr 11:29).

1 Chronicles 20:5. And again war broke out with the Philistines. Then Elhanan son of Jair struck down Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear shaft was like a weaver’s beam. Compare (2 Sam 21:19).

Chapter Twenty-One

1–6. Census of the Israelites. 7–17. The plague. 18–30. David’s purchase of Ornan’s threshing floor and his sacrifice.

1 Chronicles 21:1. And Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to number the Israelites. In (2 Sam 24:1) the impulse to number Israel is attributed to God Himself; here to Satan. As a power dependent on God, he acts by His permission and is noted by the author of Chronicles as the chief cause of the deed that brought harm to Israel. According to the book of Kings the census of the people is one of the events at the end of David’s reign; according to the book of Chronicles it followed David’s victorious wars, which increased the glory of his kingdom and fostered in the king an inexcusable feeling of pride and self-exaltation in a theocracy. The author follows not a chronological order of events, but an ideological one.

1 Chronicles 21:3. And Joab said: “May the Lord multiply his people a hundredfold as they are. Are they not all, my lord the king, the servants of my lord? Why does my lord require this? Will it not bring guilt upon Israel?” Joab’s response in Chronicles presents certain features compared to the book of Kings. Namely, David’s commander adduces two considerations, not noted in the latter, against the census. It is unnecessary, first, because all the subjects are loyal to the king. Why then should he know their number? Second, a census of the people, as the fruit of pride, may bring calamity upon Israel.

1 Chronicles 21:4. But the king’s word prevailed over Joab; and Joab went out and traversed all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. In the book of Chronicles the description of the procedure of the census is omitted. According to the indication of 2 Kings (2 Sam 24:5-7), it began on the east side of the Jordan, continued in the region of the northern tribes and ended in the south.

1 Chronicles 21:5. And Joab gave David the count of the census of the people, and there were of all Israel one million one hundred thousand men drawing the sword, and of Judah four hundred and seventy thousand drawing the sword. The number of Judah is shown as approximately the same as in 2 Kings (500,000, according to 2 Sam 24:9), but of Israelites much greater: (1,100,000) instead of (800,000). It is difficult to say what accounts for such a difference.

1 Chronicles 21:6. But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, because the king’s word was distasteful to Joab. As can be seen from the order of conducting the census (2 Sam 24:5-7), the tribe of Benjamin was to be counted last. But Joab’s awareness of the criminal nature of the deed was so strong (“the king’s word was distasteful to him”) that he could not complete the census (cf. 1 Chr 27:24). The Levites, dwelling in the portions of all the tribes, could be counted together with the inhabitants of these latter. And if Joab does not do this, it is in fulfillment of the prescription of the law of Moses, which exempted them from a census of a political nature (Num 1:47-49).

1 Chronicles 21:12. Either three years of famine, or three months during which you shall flee before your enemies and the sword of your enemies shall reach you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord, plague on the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel. Now decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me with this word. The addition compared to 2 Kings: “the sword of the Lord” and “the angel of the Lord” was introduced in the text in accordance with the subsequent narrative (1 Chr 21:14-16).

1 Chronicles 21:16. And David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between the earth and the heavens, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem; and David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. The detail mentioned in this verse is not found in 2 Kings. David’s and his elders’ feelings of repentance are quite understandable in view of their previously shown remorse (1 Chr 21:8).

1 Chronicles 21:20. And Ornan turned around and saw the angel, and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat. The second book of Kings makes no mention either of Ornan’s fear and his sons, nor of them hiding themselves. But this fact, noted in Chronicles, is presupposed also by the book of Kings, namely by its remark: “Ornan went out” (2 Sam 24:20), that is, from the threshing floor.

1 Chronicles 21:22. And David said to Ornan: “Give me the place of the threshing floor, that I may build an altar to the Lord. Give it to me at the full price, that the plague may be stopped among the people.” The particulars of David’s conversation with Ornan (2 Sam 24:20-21) do not alter the essence of the matter.

1 Chronicles 21:25. And David gave Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold. According to the statement (2 Sam 24:24), the threshing floor was bought for 50 shekels, which in our money equals approximately 25 rubles. But it seems more probable to accept the reading of Chronicles: 600 shekels. From the history of Abraham it appears that in antiquity a cave was valued at 400 shekels.

1 Chronicles 21:26. And David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings; and he called upon the Lord, and he answered him by sending fire upon the altar of burnt offering. The sending of fire upon David’s sacrifice is a sign of its acceptableness to God (1 Kgs 18:37-38).

1 Chronicles 21:28. At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered a sacrifice there. If the first sacrifice served as an expression of the feeling of repentance, then the second was one of gratitude for the cessation of the calamity.

1 Chronicles 21:29. But the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time at the high place at Gibeon. 1 Chronicles 21:30. And David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was terrified by the sword of the angel of the Lord. According to the law of Moses (Deut 12:5) sacrifice should be offered only at the place which the Lord Himself designates. A sacrifice not at Gibeon, where the tabernacle of Moses and the altar were, but at Ornan’s threshing floor, violated this ordinance. But the justification for David was in this case the fact that he was “terrified by the sword of the angel,” that is, the appearance of the angel called forth in him a feeling of reverential awe before the holiness of the place, and therefore it was deemed entirely appropriate for sacrifice.

Chapter Twenty-Two

1–4. Preparation for the building of the Temple. 6–16. Testament to Solomon. 17–19. Testament to the elders.

1 Chronicles 22:1. And David said: “Here shall be the house of the Lord God, and here shall be the altar for the burnt offerings of Israel.” Ornan’s threshing floor, marked by the appearance of the angel and the acceptance of the sacrifices (2 Sam 21:16) and following, became in David’s eyes the dwelling place of God Himself—“here shall be the house of the Lord God” (cf. Gen 28:17). In this same circumstance he saw the highest permission for the establishment here of a permanent temple in honor of Jehovah.

1 Chronicles 22:2. And David commanded to gather the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, and he set stonecutters to cut down stones for building the house of God. 1 Chronicles 22:3. And David prepared great quantities of iron for the nails of the doors of the gates and for clamps, and David prepared a great amount of bronze, exceeding measure, 1 Chronicles 22:4. and cedar logs without number, because the Sidonians and Tyrians brought great quantities of cedar wood to David. 1 Chronicles 22:5. And David said: “Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, but the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, renowned and honored throughout all lands. I will make preparations for it.” And David made extensive preparations before his death. The choice of a place for the Temple is accompanied on David’s part by preparation of building materials. The motive for this is the consideration that the builder of the future Temple, Solomon, is young (he was born during the Ammonite war—(2 Sam 12:24), and was now in his twenties) and therefore inexperienced, while the Temple must be exceedingly magnificent (verse 5). For the work of preparing materials, David appointed “foreigners”—descendants of those natives of Canaan who had not been destroyed at its conquest (Judg 1:27) and following. Under Solomon they numbered 153,600 (2 Chr 2:17).

1 Chronicles 22:7. And David said to Solomon: “My son, my heart was set on building a house for the name of the Lord, my God, 1 Chronicles 22:8. but the word of the Lord came to me, and said: ‘You have shed much blood and fought great wars; you shall not build a house for my name, because you have shed much blood before me on the earth. As he prepared materials, David, having shed much blood, was not able to carry out his longstanding (1 Chr 17:1), cherished thought of building the Temple. Its construction required a large number of workers, and in David’s reign they were not available, since the entire adult population capable of labor was needed for constant wars. Of course, one could have halted the wars and turned soldiers into workers, but this threatened danger: David’s enemies could have taken advantage of the weakening of the military forces of the Israelites.

1 Chronicles 22:9. Behold, a son shall be born to you; he shall be a man of peace. I will give him peace from all his enemies round about, for his name shall be Solomon. And I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. 1 Chronicles 22:10. He shall build a house for my name, and he shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne over Israel forever.’” 1 Chronicles 22:11. Now, my son, may the Lord be with you, so that you may be successful and build the house of the Lord your God, as he spoke about you. Unable to build the Temple, David entrusts the fulfillment of this task to his son Solomon, since he refers to him the divine promise given through the prophet Nathan (1 Chr 17:11-13).

1 Chronicles 22:12. May the Lord give you discretion and understanding, and may he put you in charge of Israel and help you to keep the law of the Lord your God. 1 Chronicles 22:13. Then you will prosper, if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules which the Lord commanded Moses to give to Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Upon Solomon, as the son of God, rests divine favor, which ensures the successful completion of a great work. But in order to keep it with him, he must remain faithful to the commandments of the law of Moses: their observance attracts divine mercy upon a person (Deut 7:12).

1 Chronicles 22:14. Now behold, in my poverty I have made provision for the house of the Lord a hundred thousand talents of gold and a million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weighing, for it is so abundant. Moreover I have prepared timber and stone, and you may add to them. Solomon should not be troubled by the thought of the difficulty of the task before him: it is to some extent made easier by David, who has gathered an enormous quantity of building materials, including gold and silver. Of the former a hundred thousand talents were prepared, which on our weight system amounts to about 150,000 puds, or on the money side more than two billion rubles; of silver—a thousand thousand talents, more than one and a half million puds, about one and a half billion rubles. Such an enormous quantity of gold and silver has caused some to doubt the accuracy of the author of Chronicles. But current knowledge about the wealth of ancient peoples makes his testimony close to the truth. Thus Cyrus on conquering Athens received as plunder 500,000 talents of silver; Alexander the Great on taking Susa—40,000 talents of gold, Persepolis—120,000.

1 Chronicles 22:17. And David commanded all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon his son, 1 Chronicles 22:18. saying: Is not the Lord your God with you? And has he not given you peace on every side? For he has delivered all the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the Lord and before his people. 1 Chronicles 22:19. Now set your heart and soul to seek the Lord your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God may be brought into the house that is to be built for the name of the Lord. Solomon’s youth and inexperience impels David to invite the elders of Israel to participate in the building work as advisers and helpers. By their assistance they will repay God for the peace granted to their country.

Chapter Twenty-Three

1–32. Census of the Levites and their division by kinds of service.

1 Chronicles 23:1. And David, having grown old and being satisfied with life, made his son Solomon king over Israel. Freed from part of his ruling duties because of Solomon’s coronation, which had not yet taken on a public character (1 Chr 29:22), and undisturbed by enemies (1 Chr 22:18), David devotes the last days of his life to the internal ordering of the state. His first task in this regard is the organization of worship by dividing the priests and Levites into shifts, with instructions for their corresponding duties.

1 Chronicles 23:3. And the Levites were numbered, from thirty years old and upward, and their number, counting individually, was thirty-eight thousand men. The numbering of Levites preceded their division into the so-called shifts; those who were thirty years old, the age limit for entering service according to Mosaic law, were counted (Num 4:3). But since those of twenty-five years old were also engaged in fulfilling the duties (Num 8:23-26), David later took this provision into account as well (1 Chr 23:24 and following).

1 Chronicles 23:4. Of these, twenty-four thousand were appointed for work in the house of the Lord, and six thousand were scribes and judges, The circle of “work in the house of the Lord” did not include work that was specifically priestly (1 Chr 24:1-19), judicial (1 Chr 26:29-32), the duties of gatekeepers (verse 5; 1 Chr 26:1-19), and singers and musicians (1 Chr 25:5).

1 Chronicles 23:6. And David divided them into shifts according to the sons of Levi—Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Judging by the fact that the names listed below do not appear among the names of the 24 classes of singers (1 Chr 25:1), gatekeepers (1 Chr 26:1-19), and judges (1 Chr 26:29-32), one may suppose that in the present and following verses the text speaks of the division into shifts only of the 24,000 Levites designated for “the work of the house of the Lord.” The division of the tribe of Levi into three main lines—Gershon, Kohath, and Merari—was placed at the basis of their division (cf. 1 Chr 6:16).

1 Chronicles 23:7. From the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei. 1 Chronicles 23:8. The sons of Ladan: the first Jehiel, Zepham and Joel, three. 1 Chronicles 23:9. The sons of Shimei: Shelomith, Haziel and Haran, three. They were the heads of the houses of Ladan. 1 Chronicles 23:10. Other sons of Shimei: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei, four. 1 Chronicles 23:11. Jahath was the chief, Ziza the second; Jeush and Beriah did not have many children, so they were counted as one house in the father’s family. The heads of the Gershonites. The family of Gershon in the time of David divided into two main branches: Ladan, a descendant of Libni, son of Gershon (1 Chr 6:17; Exod 6:17; Num 3:18) and Shimei. The first numbered six representatives: three sons of Ladan (verse 8) and three of Shimei, a descendant of Libni (verse 9); the second (the branch of Shimei, brother of Ladan) had only three, since two sons of Shimei—Jeush and Beriah, because of the smallness of their descendants, formed one family (verse 11). Thus, from the Gershonites of the time of David, nine families were chosen for the work of the “house of the Lord.”

1 Chronicles 23:12. The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel, four. 1 Chronicles 23:13. The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to sanctify the most holy things—he and his sons, forever—to burn incense before the Lord, to serve him and to bless in his name forever. 1 Chronicles 23:14. But Moses, the man of God, and his sons were counted among the tribe of Levi. 1 Chronicles 23:15. The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. 1 Chronicles 23:16. The sons of Gershom: the first was Shebuel. 1 Chronicles 23:17. The sons of Eliezer were: the first Rehabiah. And Eliezer had no other sons; but Rehabiah had very many sons. 1 Chronicles 23:18. The sons of Izhar: the first Shelomoth. 1 Chronicles 23:19. The sons of Hebron: the first Jeriah, the second Amariah, the third Jahaziel and the fourth Jekameam. 1 Chronicles 23:20. The sons of Uzziel: the first Micah and the second Isshiah. The heads of the Kohathites. The family of Kohath belonged to the family of Amram, represented by his sons Aaron and Moses. But the family of Aaron, to whom belonged the rights of priesthood, is not taken into account in the division of Levites appointed to the work of the “house of the Lord” (verse 13), and conversely, such an exception is not made for the family of Moses, counted among the ordinary Levites (verse 14). In accordance with this, in the line of Kohath are counted the Levitical families of Moses, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel—the three sons of Kohath (1 Chr 6:18; Exod 6:18; Num 3:19). The first gave two representatives (verses 15–17), the second—one (verse 18), the third—four (verse 19) and the fourth—two (verse 20), consequently the whole family of Kohath—nine.

1 Chronicles 23:21. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. 1 Chronicles 23:22. And Eleazar died, and had no sons, only daughters; and the sons of Kish, their brothers, took them. 1 Chronicles 23:23. The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jeremoth—three. The heads of the family of Merari from his sons Mahli and Mushi (1 Chr 6:19; Exod 6:19; Num 3:33). The line of Mahli from his son Eleazar, in view of the latter’s childlessness (absence of sons) in David’s time, did not exist; the representatives of the family of Kish, another son of Mahli, are not named (verse 22). For the work of the “house of the Lord” three Levitical families of Merari are appointed from his son Mushi (verse 23). Together with the nine families of Gershon and nine families of Kohath, they will make twenty-one families. But according to the testimony of Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews 7:4, 7), the Levites appointed to the “work of the house of the Lord” were divided into 24 classes or shifts, in accordance with the 24 classes of priests and singers, so to reach this number, to the 21 families of Gershon, Kohath and Merari, three more families, arising from the one named in (1 Chr 24:26) and supposedly omitted in the chapter (Exod 23), a third son of Merari—Jaaziah, namely the families of Shogam, Zakur and Ivri (1 Chr 24:27), are added. But the translations of the LXX, Peshitta and Vulgate count only two sons of Merari here as well. The Pentateuch and the whole Old Testament know nothing of a third son of his and the descendants of the latter, and finally, the text (1 Chr 24:26-27) bears the mark of undoubted corruption (see below). All this together does not permit insisting on the omission of Jaaziah in (1 Chr 23:21 and following). Moreover, with the addition of three of his descendants to the families of Kohath, Gershon and Merari, we will receive not 24 classes of Levites, but 25, since there is no ground to exclude the family of Kish (1 Chr 23:22), although its representatives are not named by the author of Chronicles. In view of this, one must recognize that from the family of Merari, four families were appointed to the “work of the house of the Lord”; consequently, all Levitical classes, shifts were established as 22.

1 Chronicles 23:24. These are the sons of Levi by their fathers’ houses, the heads of the families, by their number, by enrollment, who did the work of the service in the house of the Lord, from twenty years old and upward. 1 Chronicles 23:25. For David said: The Lord, God of Israel, has given rest to his people and has settled them in Jerusalem forever, 1 Chronicles 23:26. and the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all the vessels used in its service. Besides the Levites of thirty years old, the age limit for entering service, David appointed also Levites of twenty years old, on the ground that service at the Jerusalem Temple, being easier than in the wilderness, could be performed even by those not yet fully mature physically. And since the Levites of thirty years old in David’s time numbered 33,000, it is evident that the Levites of twenty years old were not included in this number. The reason for this was supposedly that they were appointed to lower positions and were assistants to their older brothers.

1 Chronicles 23:28. that they might be with the sons of Aaron, for the service of the house of the Lord, in the courts and in the chambers, for the cleansing of all the holy things and for the work of the service in the house of God, 1 Chronicles 23:29. for the care of the showbread and the fine flour for the grain offering and the unleavened cakes, the baked offering and the fried offering and every measure and weight, 1 Chronicles 23:30. and to stand every morning, thanking and praising the Lord, and likewise in the evening, 1 Chronicles 23:31. and at all the burnt offerings offered to the Lord on the Sabbaths, at the new moons, and at the appointed feasts, by number, as is ordered concerning them, continuously before the Lord, 1 Chronicles 23:32. and that they should keep charge of the tent of meeting and the sanctuary and the sons of Aaron, their brothers, for the service of the house of the Lord. The enumeration of the duties of the Levites appointed for the “work of the house of the Lord.” The duties of the above-enumerated Levitical classes included care of the temple court and its structures, their cleanliness; the preparation of showbread (1 Chr 9:32), but not the placing of it, the latter belonging to the priests (Lev 24:8 and following), oversight of the preparation of grain offerings, the quantity of honey, oil and wine, added to the offerings (Exod 29:40; Lev 19:35-36), oversight of the number of sacrificial animals, their age, quality and the like (verse 31).

Chapter Twenty-Four

1–19. Division into shifts of the priests, descendants of Aaron. 20–31. Their nearest assistants, the Levites.

1 Chronicles 24:1. Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron: The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 1 Chronicles 24:2. But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar became the priests. 1 Chronicles 24:3. And David distributed them—Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, alternately for their service. 1 Chronicles 24:4. Since there were more chief men found among the sons of Eleazar than among the sons of Ithamar, he divided them so: of the sons of Eleazar sixteen heads of families, and of the sons of Ithamar eight. By the time of David, two priestly lines had been preserved, tracing their origin to the two younger sons of Aaron—Eleazar and Ithamar, since his two older sons, Nadab and Abihu, died childless (Lev 10:1). The representative of the first line was Zadok, of the second—Ahimelech. And since the family of Eleazar numbered sixteen houses, and the family of Ithamar—eight, accordingly all the priestly classes numbered 24 (cf. Neh 12:1-7).

1 Chronicles 24:5. And he divided them by lot, for there were chiefs of the sanctuary and chiefs before God among both the sons of Eleazar and the sons of Ithamar. 1 Chronicles 24:6. And Shemaiah the son of Nethanel, a scribe from the Levites, wrote them down before the king and the officials and Zadok the priest and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the priests and of the Levites: one house from Eleazar was assigned by lot, and then one was assigned to Ithamar. Among the 24 priestly classes or groups, the service at the temple was distributed for the whole year, and the order of each class was determined by the drawing of lots, drawn alternately by representatives of each line. Such an arrangement was the best means of avoiding all sorts of misunderstandings, inevitable if the times of service had been appointed according to the discretion of David and the high priests. In particular, such misunderstandings would have arisen because some weeks (those with festivals) were more profitable, others less profitable. Priests obliged by the authorities to serve during less profitable times would have been dissatisfied; and conversely, discontent could not have arisen with the lot. The equality achieved by it was further strengthened by alternating drawing. If at first only the 16 chief families of Eleazar had been admitted to the lot, it is very possible that a greater part of the best weeks would have fallen to their share, and the families of Ithamar would certainly have been offended. But by drawing the lot alternately, both groups could receive both bad and good times. The order of the service of the priestly groups, determined by the lot, was written down by the scribe Shemaiah, apparently so that it would be permanently recorded and thus prevent the possibility of any misunderstandings arising later.

1 Chronicles 24:7. And the first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, 1 Chronicles 24:8. the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, 1 Chronicles 24:9. the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, 1 Chronicles 24:10. the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, 1 Chronicles 24:11. the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, 1 Chronicles 24:12. the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, 1 Chronicles 24:13. the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, 1 Chronicles 24:14. the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, 1 Chronicles 24:15. the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez, 1 Chronicles 24:16. the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel, 1 Chronicles 24:17. the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul, 1 Chronicles 24:18. the twenty-third to Delaiah, the twenty-fourth to Maaziah. From the names of the persons enumerated in these verses, the heads of the priestly families, the priestly shifts took their names. Such is the shift of Jehoiarib (verse 7), to which belonged the priest Mattathias with his sons, known as the Maccabees (1 Macc 2:1); the Abijah shift (verse 10), from which came Zechariah, father of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5); the Immer shift (verse 14), from whose members the priest Pashhur, a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah, was known (Jer 20:1).

1 Chronicles 24:20. As for the rest of the sons of Levi: of the sons of Amram: Shubael; and of the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah; 1 Chronicles 24:21. Of Rehabiah: the sons of Rehabiah, Isshiah was the first; 1 Chronicles 24:22. Of Izhar: Shelomoth; and of the sons of Shelomoth: Jahath; 1 Chronicles 24:23. The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth. 1 Chr 24:24. Of the sons of Uzziel: Micah; and of the sons of Micah: Shamir.

1 Chronicles 24:25. Isshiah the brother of Micah; and of the sons of Isshiah: Zechariah. 1 Chronicles 24:26. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi; of the sons of Jaaziah: Beno. 1 Chr 24:27. Of the sons of Merari of Jaaziah: Beno and Shogam, and Zakur and Ivri.

1 Chronicles 24:28. Of Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons. 1 Chronicles 24:29. Of Kish: of the sons of Kish: Jerahmeel; 1 Chronicles 24:30. The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth. These are the sons of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses. 1 Chronicles 24:31. These also cast lots, even as their brothers the sons of Aaron, before King David and Zadok and Ahimelech and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the priests and of the Levites: the chief father’s house, even as the youngest brother. The list of Levitical families presented in these verses does not include the names of representatives of the Gershonites, and therefore it cannot be considered, as some suppose, a list of all Levitical families. The names of the Levites enumerated here coincide with the names of the heads of the Levites appointed to the “work of the house of the Lord” (1 Chr 23:6-23). And since the latter participated in worship (1 Chr 23:28-32), one can suppose that in the present case the Levites, nearest assistants of the priests in this respect, are enumerated. In favor of such a supposition speaks the fact, among others, that they drew lots after the sons of Aaron (verse 31).

1 Chronicles 24:20. As for the rest of the sons of Levi: of the sons of Amram: Shubael; and of the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah; Shubael was the grandson of Moses, son of his son Gershom, named in (1 Chr 23:16) as Shebuel. The representative of the family descended from him in the time of David was a certain Jehdeiah, a completely unknown person.

1 Chronicles 24:21. Of Rehabiah: the sons of Rehabiah, Isshiah was the first; 1 Chronicles 24:22. Of Izhar: Shelomoth; and of the sons of Shelomoth: Jahath; 1 Chronicles 24:23. The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth. 1 Chr 24:24. Of the sons of Uzziel: Micah; and of the sons of Micah: Shamir.

1 Chronicles 24:25. Isshiah the brother of Micah; and of the sons of Isshiah: Zechariah. 1 Chronicles 24:26. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi; of the sons of Jaaziah: Beno. 1 Chr 24:27. Of the sons of Merari of Jaaziah: Beno and Shogam, and Zakur and Ivri.

1 Chronicles 24:28. Of Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons. 1 Chronicles 24:29. Of Kish: of the sons of Kish: Jerahmeel; 1 Chronicles 24:30. The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth. These are the sons of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses. Cf. (1 Chr 23:17-23).

1 Chronicles 24:26. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi; of the sons of Jaaziah: Beno. 1 Chr 24:27. Of the sons of Merari of Jaaziah: Beno and Shogam, and Zakur and Ivri. The name “Beno” (“his son”) can in no way be recognized as a proper name. The mention of someone’s son presupposes the disappearance of the name of his father. Another sign of textual corruption is the repetition of the phrase of verse 26: “the sons of Merari” at the beginning of verse 27: an enumeration that has no parallel in the preceding verses.

Chapter Twenty-Five

1–31. Division of the Levites.

1 Chronicles 25:1. And David and the commanders of the army set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun, to prophesy with lyres, harps and cymbals; and they were assigned to their service: For the temple singing, Levites of three families are appointed: of Kohath—Heman with his sons, of Gershon—Asaph and of Merari—Ethan, or Jeduthun (1 Chr 6:33: see commentaries). Their selection is made, among other things, by the “commanders of the army,” not army in the literal sense, but the assembly of elders, since the Hebrew word “tsava” means not only an army waging war, but also any assembly of beings of any kind subject to one law and serving one goal, in the present case—an assembly of Levitical elders, who distributed together with the king the duties of the Levites.

1 Chronicles 25:2. Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asharelah, sons of Asaph, under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king. As is evident from the ninth and subsequent verses, each of the sons of Heman, Asaph and Jeduthun was appointed as the head of a separate choir.

1 Chronicles 25:3. Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Isaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattaniah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord. Following the letter of the modern Hebrew text, the word standing after the name Mattaniah, “shisha,” should be taken as a proper name. But according to the indication of the LXX translation, this is the numeral six. The missing number of sons of Jeduthun is supplied by the name Shimei, of whom there is indeed mention in (1 Chr 25:17).

1 Chronicles 25:5. All these were the sons of Heman, the king’s seer, in the words of God, to exalt his horn. And God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. The title “seer” is ascribed to Heman, which in meaning and usage in Scripture is equivalent to the word “prophet.” But since this quality is nowhere else ascribed to Heman, some translators understand the term “seer” in the sense of “skilled,” “learned,” or, as the LXX, in relation to his art, “musician.”

1 Chronicles 25:7. And the number of them with their brothers, trained to sing to the Lord, all who were skillful, was two hundred eighty-eight. The number 288 is obtained as follows. The three chief singers had 24 sons (Asaph had 4, Jeduthun had 6 and Heman had 14, verses 2–4), and each was the head of a separate choir consisting of 12 people. 24 x 12 equals 288. Thus, in accordance with the 24 priestly shifts, 24 Levitical choirs were organized. All these singers are called “trained to sing to the Lord, knowing their work,” which distinguishes them from the rest of the singers (1 Chr 23:5), apparently less experienced.

1 Chronicles 25:9. And the first lot fell for Asaph to Joseph; the second to Gedaliah, him and his brothers and his sons, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:10. the third to Zaccur, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:11. the fourth to Izri, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:12. the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:13. the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:14. the seventh to Jesarelah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:15. the eighth to Isaiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:16. the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:17. the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:18. the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:19. the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:20. the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:21. the fourteenth to Mattathiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:22. the fifteenth to Jeremoth, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:23. the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:24. the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:25. the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:26. the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:27. the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:28. the twenty-first to Hothir, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:29. the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:30. the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 1 Chronicles 25:31. the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer, his sons and his brothers, twelve. As is evident from these verses, the turns were distributed among the singers in the following order: the four sons of Asaph received the first, third, fifth and seventh; the six sons of Jeduthun—the second, fourth, eighth, tenth, twelfth and fourteenth; the first four sons of Heman—the sixth, ninth, eleventh and thirteenth, and the remaining ten—the others, that is, 15–24.

Chapter Twenty-Six

1–19. Appointment of Levites to guard the gates. 20–28. Levites as keepers of the temple treasures. 29–32. Levites as scribes and judges.

1 Chronicles 26:1. Here is the distribution of the gatekeepers: from the Korahites: Meshelemiah, son of Kore, from the sons of Asaph. 1 Chronicles 26:2. The sons of Meshelemiah: the firstborn Zechariah, the second Jediah, the third Zebadiah, the fourth Jathni’el, 1 Chronicles 26:3. the fifth Elam, the sixth Jehohanan, the seventh Elioenai. 1 Chronicles 26:4. The sons of Obed-edom: the firstborn Shemaiah, the second Jehozabad, the third Joah, the fourth Sachar, the fifth Nathaniel, 1 Chronicles 26:5. the sixth Ammiel, the seventh Issachar, the eighth Peullethai, because God blessed him. 1 Chronicles 26:6. Also to his son Shemaiah were sons born who ruled in their father’s house, because they were men of strength. 1 Chronicles 26:7. The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad, and his brothers were strong men, Elihu and Semachiah. 1 Chronicles 26:8. All these were from the sons of Obed-edom; they and their sons and their brothers were men of strength capable for service: sixty-two were the sons of Obed-edom. 1 Chronicles 26:9. And to Meshelemiah were born sons and brothers, men of strength, eighteen in number. Levite gatekeepers from the tribe of Korah of Kohath (1 Chr 6:22) belonged to two lines. One line was represented by Meshelemiah (verses 1–3), or according to the reading (1 Chr 9:19) Shallum, son of Asaph, but not the singer, because the latter came from the tribe of Gershon (1 Chr 6:39), while Meshelemiah was a Korahite from the line of Kohath (1 Chr 6:22). The firstborn of Meshelemiah, Zechariah, is mentioned both in (1 Chr 9:21) and later in (1 Chr 26:14). The second line was represented by Obed-edom with his eight sons and grandsons (verses 4–8). That Obed-edom should be counted among the descendants of Korah is required by the fact that another group of gatekeepers, the descendants of Merari, begins to be counted from the tenth verse. In (1 Chr 16:38) Obed-edom is called the son of Idithun (Ethan), but not the singer, since the latter belonged to the line of Merari (1 Chr 6:44-47). Sixty-two gatekeepers from the descendants of Obed-edom (v. 8) and eighteen from the line of Meshelemiah comprise 80 gatekeepers from the line of Kohath.

1 Chronicles 26:10. And Hosah, from the sons of Merari, had sons: Shimri the chief (though he was not the firstborn, his father made him the chief), 1 Chronicles 26:11. the second Hilkiah, the third Tebaliah, the fourth Zechariah; all the sons and brothers of Hosah were thirteen. Gatekeepers from the line of Merari, numbering thirteen. The name of one of them—Hozai—is mentioned together with the name of Obed-edom in (1 Chr 16:38). With 80 gatekeepers from the line of Kohath, the 13 gatekeepers from the line of Merari make 93 gatekeepers in total.

1 Chronicles 26:13. And they cast lots, both small and great, according to their fathers’ houses, for every gate. As is evident from the following verses, there were temple gates corresponding to the four directions—four in all.

1 Chronicles 26:15. To Obed-edom the south, and to his sons at the storehouses. The storehouses, designated for keeping vessels, treasures, and the like, were located near the southern gates and had, according to (1 Chr 26:17), two guarded entrances.

1 Chronicles 26:16. To Shuppim and Hosah the west, at the gate of Shalleketh, on the ascending road, where guard was against guard. The gate of Shalleketh was located on the road that led from the lower part of Jerusalem to the temple situated on the elevation.

1 Chronicles 26:17. To the east six Levites, to the north four, to the south four, and at the storehouses two. 1 Chronicles 26:18. To the west at the portico on the road four, and at the portico itself two. According to (1 Chr 26:14), the house of Meshelemiah furnished ten gatekeepers, six to the east and four to the north; the house of Obed-edom had eight—four to the south and four at the storehouses (1 Chr 26:15), and Hosah six—four to the west and two at the portico. Thus the entire temple guard consisted of 24 men.

1 Chronicles 26:20. And their brothers the Levites were in charge of the treasures of the house of God and the treasuries of the dedicated gifts. More detailed indications of which Levites took charge of “the treasures of the house of God,” that is, all items necessary for worship, and which took charge of “the treasuries of the dedicated gifts,” that is, treasures consecrated to God, are found in the following verses. Namely, the former were supervised by Zepham and Joel—heads of the house of Laadan belonging to the line of Gershon (1 Chr 26:21-22; cf. 1 Chr 23:8), and the latter by a descendant of Moses from his second son Eliezer—Sholomith together with his brothers (1 Chr 26:26; cf. 1 Chr 23:15). The head of both groups of keepers was Shebuel, grandson of Moses (1 Chr 26:24; cf. 1 Chr 23:16). As is evident from comparing the data of these verses with (1 Chr 23:7 and following, 1 Chr 24:20 and following), those Levites to whom were entrusted the “matters of the house of the Lord” were appointed to keep the belongings of worship and treasures dedicated to the temple. And this is quite understandable: according to (1 Chr 24:20 and following), some of them were assistants to the priests in conducting worship, and therefore it was entirely natural to entrust them with supervision of the vessels and so forth.

1 Chronicles 26:29. From the Izharites: Chenaniah and his sons were assigned to external duties for Israel as scribes and judges. 1 Chronicles 26:30. From the Hebronites: Hashabiah and his brothers, men of valor, one thousand seven hundred, had charge of the affairs of Israel on this side of the Jordan, westward, in all the work of the Lord and the service of the king. 1 Chronicles 26:31. And of the Hebronites Jeriah was the chief of the Hebronites. In the fortieth year of David’s reign they were sought out, and there were found among them men of great valor in Jazer of Gilead. 1 Chronicles 26:32. And his brothers, men of valor, were two thousand seven hundred, the heads of families. David the king assigned them to the administration of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, for every matter of God and the affairs of the king. Scribes and judges were Levites of three lines of the house of Kohath: one was composed of the descendants of his son Izhar (1 Chr 6:18) and two others of the descendants also of Kohath’s son Hebron (1 Chr 6:18). Of the latter on the western and eastern sides of the Jordan there were 4,400 (verses 30, 32), consequently, the remaining 1,600 judges (there were 6,000 in all—1 Chr 23:4) belonged to the line of Izhar. The appointment of Levites as judges conformed to the ordinance of the law of Moses (Deut 17:9), but in the hands of David it was a means of centralizing power: the Levites were subject to the high priest, and the high priest to the king.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

1–15. Organization of the army: division into twelve divisions. 16–24. Leaders of the twelve tribes. 25–31. Twelve administrators of property and various branches of the king’s estate. 32–34. The nearest counselors of the king.

1 Chronicles 27:1. Here are the sons of Israel according to their number, the chiefs of families, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and the officers who served the king in all the business of the divisions that came and went every month during all the months of the year. Each division had twenty-four thousand men. The organization of worship is accompanied in the last years of David’s reign by the creation and organization of a standing army. For these purposes it was divided into 12 divisions, of 24,000 warriors each. Each division was placed under a particular commander, chosen during David’s time from his nearest companions-in-arms from the wars, and together with him presented itself in Jerusalem each month for duty.

1 Chronicles 27:2. Over the first division for the first month was Jashobeam, son of Zabdiel; and his division had twenty-four thousand men, 1 Chronicles 27:3. of the sons of Perez, who was the chief of all the commanders of the army for the first month. Jashobeam—the same as Jeshobeam (1 Chr 11:11), descended from a prominent Judean family of Perez, to which David himself also belonged (1 Chr 2:4 and following).

1 Chronicles 27:4. Over the division for the second month was Dodai the Ahohite; and his division also included the chief Mikloth, and his division had twenty-four thousand men. Dodai was the father of Eleazar, one of the three outstanding companions-in-arms of David (1 Chr 11:12; 2 Sam 23:9). The name Mikloth appears in (1 Chr 8:32) and (1 Chr 9:37) as the name of a Benjaminite. Whether he or someone else is meant in the present case is difficult to say.

1 Chronicles 27:5. The third commander of the army, for the third month, was Benaiah, son of Jehoiada the priest, and in his division were twenty-four thousand men; 1 Chronicles 27:6. this Benaiah was one of the thirty mighty men and commander over them, and in his division was his son Ammizabad. See (1 Chr 11:25; 2 Sam 23:23).

1 Chronicles 27:7. The fourth, for the fourth month, was Asahel, the brother of Joab, and after him Zebadiah his son, and in his division twenty-four thousand men. The expression “and after him Zebadiah his son” indicates the early death of Asahel, who was killed by Abner (2 Sam 2:18-23).

1 Chronicles 27:8. The fifth, for the fifth month, was the chief Shamhuth the Izrahite, and in his division twenty-four thousand men. 1 Chronicles 27:9. The sixth, for the sixth month, was Ira, son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, and in his division twenty-four thousand men. 1 Chronicles 27:10. The seventh, for the seventh month, was Helez the Pelonite, of the sons of Ephraim, and in his division twenty-four thousand men. 1 Chronicles 27:11. The eighth, for the eighth month, was Sibbecai the Hushathite, of the line of Zerah, and in his division twenty-four thousand men. 1 Chronicles 27:12. The ninth, for the ninth month, was Abiezer the Anathothite, of the sons of Benjamin, and in his division twenty-four thousand men. 1 Chronicles 27:13. The tenth, for the tenth month, was Maharai the Netophathite, of the line of Zerah, and in his division twenty-four thousand men. 1 Chronicles 27:14. The eleventh, for the eleventh month, was Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the sons of Ephraim, and in his division twenty-four thousand men. 1 Chronicles 27:15. The twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Heldai the Netophathite, from the descendants of Othniel, and in his division twenty-four thousand men. 1 Chronicles 27:16. And over the tribes of Israel—of the Reubenites, the chief officer was Eliezer, son of Zichri; of the Simeonites, Shephatiah, son of Maachah; See (1 Chr 11:27-31).

1 Chronicles 27:16. And over the tribes of Israel—of the Reubenites, the chief officer was Eliezer, son of Zichri; of the Simeonites, Shephatiah, son of Maachah; 1 Chronicles 27:17. of the Levites, Hashabiah, son of Kemuel; of Aaron, Zadok; 1 Chronicles 27:18. of Judah, Elihu, of the brothers of David; of Issachar, Omri, son of Michael; 1 Chronicles 27:19. of Zebulun, Ishmaiah, son of Obadiah; of Naphtali, Jerimoth, son of Azriel; 1 Chronicles 27:20. of the sons of Ephraim, Hosea, son of Azaziah; of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joel, son of Pedaiah; 1 Chronicles 27:21. of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo, son of Zechariah; of Benjamin, Jaasiel, son of Abner; 1 Chronicles 27:22. of Dan, Azarel, son of Jeroham. These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel. 1 Chronicles 27:23. David did not take a census of those who were twenty years of age or younger, because the Lord had said he would multiply Israel like the stars of heaven. 1 Chronicles 27:24. Joab, son of Zeruiah, began to count them, but did not finish. And there came wrath upon Israel for this, and the count was not entered into the account of King David’s chronicles. The appointment of Levites as judges (1 Chr 26:29 and following) served in David’s hands as a means of centralizing power. But in order that this measure would not seem burdensome to the tribes, disrupting the tribal organization of the people of Israel, David left them some self-governance: each tribe had, as in the time of Moses (Num 2:3 and following), its own immediate chief.

1 Chronicles 27:18. of Judah, Elihu, of the brothers of David; of Issachar, Omri, son of Michael; Instead of “Eli” the LXX reads “Elihu,” understanding the eldest brother of David. The granting of authority to him as chief over the tribe of Judah is entirely understandable.

1 Chronicles 27:23. David did not take a census of those who were twenty years of age or younger, because the Lord had said he would multiply Israel like the stars of heaven. For David it was important to count those capable of war; but such were those older than twenty years; therefore those of younger age did not enter into the census.

1 Chronicles 27:24. Joab, son of Zeruiah, began to count them, but did not finish. And there came wrath upon Israel for this, and the count was not entered into the account of King David’s chronicles. See (1 Chr 21:6).

1 Chronicles 27:32. Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, an intelligent man and a scribe; Jehiel, son of Hachmoni, was a tutor to the king’s sons; 1 Chronicles 27:33. Ahithophel was the king’s counselor; Hushai the Archite was the king’s friend; 1 Chronicles 27:34. after Ahithophel came Jehoiada, son of Benaiah, and Abiathar, and Joab was the military commander of the king. In (1 Chr 18:15-17; 2 Sam 8:15-18 and 2 Sam 20:23-26), besides Joab, other persons are named as the first officials of David. Such a difference is explained by the fact that in the present case are indicated not officials of David in general, but persons close to him, his counselors, as it were part of his family. At least, Jonathan is his uncle (according to 1 Chr 20:7—his nephew), Jehiel is the tutor of his children, Ahithophel, no less than Hushai, was a close friend of the king: “a man of my peace, who ate bread with me,” as David himself expresses it of him (Ps 40:10). By the relations of these persons to David is sufficiently explained the fact that they are enumerated after those who held not general state duties, but served the king himself.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

1–21. Final instructions and exhortations of David to Solomon concerning the building of the temple.

1 Chronicles 28:1. And David assembled in Jerusalem all the leaders of Israel, the chiefs of the tribes, the commanders of the divisions that served the king, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, and the administrators of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, with the officers and the mighty men, and all the brave men. Since the exhortations addressed to Solomon regarding the construction of the temple were to be accompanied, in David’s view, by an invitation to the people’s representatives to make donations to the temple (1 Chr 29:5 and following) and the enthroning of Solomon in their presence (1 Chr 29:22), they were given at a gathering of “all the leaders of Israel.” Among them were named the “chiefs of the tribes” (1 Chr 27:16-22), the “commanders of divisions,” that is, of the 12 army corps that served David (1 Chr 27:1-15), the subordinate commanders of thousands and hundreds, those “who administered all the property and livestock of the king” (1 Chr 27:25-31), eunuchs (1 Sam 8:15), and all the mighty men.

1 Chronicles 28:2. And King David rose to his feet and said: Listen to me, my brothers and my people! It was in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and as a footstool for the feet of our God, and I had made preparations for building. 1 Chronicles 28:3. But God said to me, “You shall not build a house for my name, because you are a man of war and have shed blood.” 1 Chronicles 28:4. Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever, because he chose Judah as prince, and in the house of Judah my father’s house, and among the sons of my father he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel; 1 Chronicles 28:5. And of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. 1 Chronicles 28:6. He said to me, “Solomon your son shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father; 1 Chronicles 28:7. and I will establish his kingdom forever, if he continues steadfast in keeping my commandments and my rules, as he is this day.” 1 Chronicles 28:8. Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever; 1 Chronicles 28:9. And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you abandon him, he will abandon you forever. 1 Chronicles 28:10. Take heed now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong, and do it. Weak from old age, the king rises to address the gathering with a speech. In the first half of it, indicating the unfulfillability of the king’s desire to build a temple to the Lord, in which the ark of the covenant would always dwell, explaining the reasons for this (verse 3), the general and principal idea is developed that the main role in David’s life was played not by his intention and strength, but by the will and determination of God. The prosperity of all Israel depends equally on Him. Therefore, Israel, now represented by its leaders, must be faithful to God. Faithfulness to Him is the only condition for eternal possession of the land of Canaan (v. 8). Likewise, Solomon’s fate depends entirely on God (v. 9). Faithful to him in all things, Solomon, in particular, must fulfill the obligation laid upon him by God himself to build the temple (v. 10, 16). The strength necessary for this Solomon should draw, as is explained in the second part of the speech, from the thought that at present the work of building the temple is made easier by his father David, who has prepared and is now transmitting to his son the plans of the temple and its annexes, descriptions of its furnishings and the materials needed for their preparation (vv. 11–18), and in the future will be eased by the help of God himself (v. 20) and the assistance of skilled builders, as well as all the people, ready to obey the commands of their king (v. 21).

Chapter Twenty-Nine

1–5. David’s donations to the building of the temple from his personal resources. 6–8. Donations of the people. 9–21. Prayer of David and sacrifice. 22–25. Second coronation of Solomon and general characterization of his reign. 26–30. Conclusion to the history of David’s reign.

1 Chronicles 29:1. And King David said to all the assembly: Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced, and the work is great; for the building is not for man but for the Lord God. 1 Chronicles 29:2. So with all my might I have provided for the house of my God the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and the bronze for the things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, onyx stones, stones to be set, stones of varied colors, and all sorts of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance; 1 Chronicles 29:3. Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a private treasure of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God: 1 Chronicles 29:4. three thousand talents of gold, gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for overlaying the walls of the houses; 1 Chronicles 29:5. for the work to be done by craftsmen, gold for the things of gold and silver for the things of silver. Who then will offer willingly, consecrating themselves to the Lord today? Occupied with the same thought about building the temple, David says to the people’s assembly that in view of the greatness of this work and the inexperience of Solomon, he has prepared throughout his life the materials necessary for the building of God’s house, and now is donating for its construction approximately 180,000 pounds of gold and 420,000 pounds of silver.

1 Chronicles 29:7. And they gave for the building of the house of God five thousand talents and ten thousand drachmas of gold, and ten thousand talents of silver, and eighteen thousand talents of bronze, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. Among the donations of the people are mentioned, in particular, 10,000 darics of gold or, according to the Hebrew text, 10,000 “adarkonims.” The Greek translation of this word with the expression Δάρεικος gives reason to think that the issue and coining of this coin belongs to Darius Hystaspes. But according to the researches of Duncker and Mommsen, it is older than Darius, was known to the Greeks of the time of Solon. Likewise it received its name not from the name of Darius, but from the image that was on it and represented an archer shooting from a bow. The root of the word “darkon,” or “adarkon”—“darak”—means “to step,” “to advance forward,” which is usually done when drawing a bow. In view of this, the term “darak” came to be used in the meaning of “to draw a bow,” and the noun formed from it, “darkon” or “adarkon,” means “an archer” (Lévi. Geschichte der Judischen Münzen. p. 19, note 4). In view of all this, the mention of darics in the book of Chronicles cannot serve, as some think, as a sign of their origin after Ezra.

1 Chronicles 29:10. Then David blessed the Lord before all the assembly, and David said: Blessed are you, O Lord, God of Israel, our father, forever and ever! 1 Chronicles 29:11. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 1 Chronicles 29:12. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might; and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all. 1 Chronicles 29:13. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. 1 Chronicles 29:14. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to give so willingly as this? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. 1 Chronicles 29:15. For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our ancestors were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. 1 Chronicles 29:16. O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. 1 Chronicles 29:17. I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness; in the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offer freely and joyously to you. 1 Chronicles 29:18. O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our ancestors, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you. 1 Chronicles 29:19. Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart to keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, performing all of them and building the house for which I have made provision. 1 Chronicles 29:20. Then David said to all the assembly: Bless the Lord your God. And all the assembly blessed the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the Lord and before the king. The value of the people’s donations lies not in the quantity of treasures collected. These latter belong not to man but to God, as the Lord of all that exists, and the surrender of them does not constitute a merit for the former. Donations are precious from the side of the love and zeal of the people toward God that were expressed in them. Such a disposition is the source of the people’s happiness (1 Chr 28:8-9), and can be preserved through the help and assistance of God himself.

1 Chronicles 29:22. They ate and drank before the Lord on that day with great rejoicing. And they made Solomon, the son of David, king a second time; they anointed him as the Lord’s prince, and Zadok as priest. The second coronation of Solomon differs from the first (1 Chr 23:1) in that it is connected with anointing. The anointing of Zadok was the beginning of his elevation above Abiathar, the descendant of Ithamar. The latter in the very first years of Solomon’s reign was stripped of his office and removed to Anathoth (1 Kgs 2:26).

1 Chronicles 29:23. Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of his father David. He prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. 1 Chronicles 29:24. All the leaders and the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon. 1 Chronicles 29:25. The Lord highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king of Israel before him. The general characterization of the reign fully corresponds to the author’s tendency to note only the bright aspects (cf. verse 1 Chr 29:24 with 1 Kgs 1:5 and following). However, the remark that he surpassed in his glory the kings before him, that is, Saul and David, is not an exaggeration.

1 Chronicles 29:27. The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years: he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. According to (2 Sam 5:5), David reigned in Hebron for 7½ years.

The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Introduction

The Second Book of Chronicles, Hebrew דברי הימים ב, Greek Παραλειπομένων β, Chronicorum II—in the original Hebrew biblical text formed one whole with 1 Chronicles, just as in the church’s reckoning of the canonical books of the Old Testament, both books are accepted as one. Only the LXX, having given these books a new distinct name, divided the originally unified sacred book into two, and this division was adopted in the printed editions of the Hebrew Bible following the lead of the Bomberg edition (1517). The basis for the division could lie in the content of both books themselves, of which 1 Chronicles, after genealogical tables (chapters 1–9), contains the complete, finished history of David’s reign (chapters 10–29), while 2 Chronicles contains the reign of Solomon (chapters 1–9) and the subsequent kings of Judah down to the very Babylonian captivity (chapters 10–36). Evidently, the content of 2 Chronicles is in general covered by or coincides with the scope of the content of 3 and 4 Kings. The character of the narrative of Chronicles is sufficiently defined by the Hebrew title divrei ha-yamim – the words or deeds of days, that is, of the past, and by the Latin of the blessed Jerome: Chronicon, chronicle: these are annals, chronicles, compiled on the basis of historical records of the prophets (see (2 Chr 9:29) and others), partly common with those records which served to compile 3 and 4 Kings (see Commentary Bible vol. II, p. 164), partly exclusively only in the sacred writer of Chronicles, for example, the “account from the book of the kings,” midrash sefer hamalakim (2 Chr 24:27); the “prayer (tefillah) of Manasseh” (2 Chr 33:18-19). Related to this is the great documentary quality or statistical precision of the exposition of Chronicles in comparison with 3 and 4 Kings.

Regarding the purposes of the books of Chronicles, basing themselves on the inaccurate name of these books in the LXX (Παραλειπόμενα—“omitted” or “forgotten”), the purpose was often seen as presenting a supplement to other historical books of the Old Testament, in particular—regarding 2 Chronicles—to 3 and 4 Kings, or else giving a shortened account of their content. In reality, however, in the book of Chronicles narratives are often repeated that were described rather fully before, sometimes important historical accounts are entirely omitted. Rather, adhering to the Hebrew title of Chronicles, one should see in them annals or chronicles of primarily religious, theocratic, liturgical character: the idea of theocracy and the cult of Jehovah is the dominant idea of Chronicles, hence the special detail of narrative about pious kings, and similar detail in the description of various institutions in public worship, in remarks about the sacred Levitical tribe and its individual families. The religious-theocratic idea governing the book of Chronicles gave occasion for the blessed Jerome to say: “The Book of Chronicles, that is, ἐπιτομή (epitome) of ancient documents, is such that if anyone, not knowing it, wishes to claim knowledge of the scriptures for himself, he ridicules himself. In almost every name and in nearly every combination of words are touched upon the histories omitted in the Books of Kings, and are set forth countless evangelical questions.” (“Letter to Paulinus. On the Study of Holy Scripture.” Works of the blessed Jerome of Stridon in Russian translation pt. 3, Kiev, 1894, p. 83). Important practical significance in the life of the Jews returned from captivity could have had the genealogical Hebrew tables placed in the chapters (1 Chr 1-9), giving the possibility of exact determination of who descended from the sacred tribe and who was a layman (Ezra 2:59-63; Neh 7:61-65). Even more important significance should have had the remarks of religious-cultic character in the restoration of the religious-liturgical life of the Jews in the building of the Second Temple of Jerusalem. Most important of all is that in Chronicles breathes the same divinely exalted spirit as in the other sacred books (compare, for example, (2 Chr 6:18) and (Acts 7:48) and others).

Patristic commentaries on Chronicles—those of the blessed Theodoret and St. Ephrem the Syrian. From Western scholars, earlier: Calmet, Le Clerc, Cornelius a Lapide, and modern: Bertheau (1873), Keil (1870), and others. In Russian literature on Chronicles see Metropolitan of Kiev Arseny. Introduction to the Sacred Books of the Old Testament (Kiev, 1873), Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky. Instructive information about the Old and New Testament Scripture from the works of Church fathers and teachers (St. Petersburg, 1894); also by him, The State Chronicle of the Kings of Judah or the forgotten books (Παραλεπόμενα). Works of the Kiev Theological Academy 1879, Nos. 8 and 12; Prof. Proto-Priest A. S. Tsarevsky, The Origin and Composition of the First and Second Books of Chronicles (Kiev, 1878); Prof. P. A. Yungerov, Origin and Historicity of the Books of Chronicles, Orthodox Interlocutor 1905, September; Expository Notes—in Prof. Gulyaev, Historical Books of the Old Testament Scripture (Kiev, 1866) and others.

* * *

Notes

In the Alexandrian codex of the LXX there is the heading: Παραλειπομένων β. των βασιλειων Ιουδα – 2 Chronicles “on the kingdoms of Judah.”

Chapter One

(Compare 1 Kgs 3) 1–6. Solomon’s sacrifice at Gibeon. 7–12. A nocturnal theophany to Solomon and the granting to him of wisdom. 13–17. Solomon’s wealth.

2 Chronicles 1:1. So Solomon son of David established himself firmly in his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and exalted him greatly. 2 Chronicles 1:2. And Solomon commanded all Israel—the commanders of thousands and hundreds, the judges, and all the leaders of all Israel, the heads of the families. 2 Chronicles 1:3. And Solomon and all the assembly with him went to the high place at Gibeon, for God’s tent of meeting was there, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness. 2 Chronicles 1:4. But David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it, for David had set up a tent for it in Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 1:5. And the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, was there before the Lord’s tabernacle; and Solomon and the assembly sought it out. 2 Chronicles 1:6. And in front of the Lord, at the bronze altar that was before the tent of meeting, Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings. 2 Chronicles 1:7. That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” 2 Chronicles 1:8. And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. 2 Chronicles 1:9. Now, O Lord God, let your promise to David my father be fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 2 Chronicles 1:10. Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can govern this great people of yours?” 2 Chronicles 1:11. And God said to Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for riches, possessions, or honor, or for the life of your enemies, or even for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself so that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, 2 Chronicles 1:12. wisdom and knowledge are given to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings before you have had, and none after you shall have.” (2 Chr 1:1-13) relate the same facts that (1 Kgs 3:4-15) also narrates, and transmit them essentially in agreement with 3 Kings. The differences are particular, marking either the distinctive style of the sacred writer of Chronicles, or his unique perspective on the same facts, or, finally, supplementing the narrative of 3 Kings with new features. So, in the place under consideration, 2 Chronicles verse 2 states that Solomon in his pilgrimage journey to Gibeon was accompanied by the leaders and chiefs of the people (which is not said in (1 Kgs 3:4), compare, however, there in the same verse 15, which, without doubt, actually took place at that time, as also later at the transfer of the ark to the temple and the dedication of the latter (1 Kgs 8:1; 2 Chr 5:2). Then, if in (1 Kgs 3:4) it is said generally that “the chief altar stood” (properly: “high place,” Hebrew bama), then in verses 3–5 of the chapter under consideration it is stated with all clarity that: 1) in Gibeon dwelt Moses’ tabernacle (verse 3, compare (Exod 40:18)); 2) before this tent of meeting there stood the altar made during Moses’ time by the artist Bezalel (verse 5, compare (Exod 37:1)), on which Solomon performed 1,000 burnt offerings (verse 6), and 3) the ark of God or the ark of the covenant from Kiriath-jearim (compare (1 Sam 7:1)) was transferred by David to the tent which he had built in Jerusalem. The latter is told of in (2 Sam 6:1-23), especially in verse 17 (see Commentary Bible, vol. II. St. Petersburg, 1905, p. 424–425), and also in 1 Chronicles in chapters 15 and 16. The reality of the existence down to Solomon’s time of Moses’ tabernacle with its sacred furnishings is confirmed by the testimony of (1 Kgs 8:4) (see Commentary Bible, vol. II, p. 461). On the location of Gibeon see Commentary Bible, vol. II, p. 317–318 and 450–451. On the location of Kiriath-jearim (Josh 9:17; Jer 26:20), otherwise Baal-judah (2 Sam 6:2; Josh 15:9) see Commentary Bible, vol. II, p. 318 and 424; according to Eusebius and the blessed Jerome (Onomast. 596, compare 192), this city lay 9 miles from the road from Aelia (Jerusalem) to Diospolis (Lydda); now the Muslim village Karyet-el-ineib. Regarding the point of view, the sacred writer of 2 Chronicles does not mention the worship of Solomon and the people to God on the high places, which was not entirely in accord with the law, as is said in (1 Kgs 3:2) (Commentary Bible II, 450): distinctions were made between the high places consecrated to God from of old, and those later arbitrarily chosen (see there, p. 439). The altar before Moses’ tabernacle could not belong to the latter, prohibited by the law: that is why the sacred writer of 2 Chronicles does not mention here the worship on “high places.” Finally, in one expression 2 Chronicles differs from 3 Kings in the account of Solomon’s nocturnal theophany: the extraordinary wisdom granted by God to Solomon in (1 Kgs 3:9) is denoted concretely: “a wise and discerning heart,” Hebrew lev hakam venabun, while in (2 Chr 1:10) it is denoted abstractly: “wisdom and knowledge,” Hebrew gahokma vegamadda. The abstract representation may indicate a comparatively later origin of Chronicles (madda belongs to later Hebrew, is found in (Dan 1:4)).

2 Chronicles 1:13. And Solomon came from the high place at Gibeon, from the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem, and he reigned over Israel. 2 Chronicles places Solomon’s journey to Gibeon at the beginning of his reign, which was probably the case (it is possible that the events described in 3 Kings, II, took place after this journey). Slavonic: “from the high Gibeon” (compare verse 3), as in the LXX (ὑψηλὴ) and in the Vulgate (excelsus),—an inexact rendering of Hebrew bama, high place.

2 Chronicles 1:14. Solomon accumulated chariots and horsemen; he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 1:15. The king made silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone, and cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the lowlands. 2 Chronicles 1:16. Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; the king’s traders received them from Kue at a price. 2 Chronicles 1:17. A chariot was imported from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150; and thus through them they were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Arameans. Compare (1 Kgs 10:26-29). See the commentaries to these places (Commentary Bible II, p. 453 and 468). In the Masoretic Hebrew text to chapter 1, verse 18 of chapter 2 is appended and becomes the 18th verse. From chapter 2 to 7 inclusive, the narrative concerns the building of the temple and its dedication.

Chapter Two

Preparations for building the temple.

(Compare 1 Kgs 5)

1–2. The number of burden-bearers, stonemasons, and overseers. 3–10. An embassy to Hiram of Tyre with a request for builders and building materials for the temple of Jehovah which Solomon was planning to build. 11–16. Hiram’s agreement to Solomon’s requests. 17–18. Concluding remark on the number of all workers and their overseers.

2 Chronicles 2:1. Solomon decided to build a temple for the name of the Lord and a royal palace for himself. 2 Chronicles 2:2. Solomon assigned 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 overseers over them. (Compare verse 1 of the Hebrew text.) The number of overseers according to this passage (verse 2 and 18)—3,600 differs from that indicated in the parallel passage (1 Kgs 5:16)—3,300. The rabbis explained this difference by saying that in Kings the 300 overseers standing over all were not yet included, but against this speaks the indication in (1 Kgs 9:23) of another 550 foremen, while in the parallel passage (2 Chr 8:10) only 250 are shown. Also unsuccessful is the explanation of Prof. M. S. Gulyaev (“Historical Books of the Scripture of the Old Testament,” p. 493), according to which the difference (3,300 and 3,600) arose from the omission or insertion of one letter: שש six, שלש three 2. There is no need for such an assumption; the total figure in both books—3 Kings and 2 Chronicles is the same: (1 Kgs 5:16)—3,300 and (1 Kgs 9:23)—550 persons, totaling 3,850; (2 Chr 2:2)—3,600 and (2 Chr 8:10)—250 persons, total 3,850 persons. Compare Commentary Bible II, 455–456 and 455–466.

2 Chronicles 2:3. Solomon sent word to Hiram king of Tyre: As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedar for the building of a house to dwell in, so do the same with me. 2 Chronicles 2:4. Here I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God, to consecrate it to him, to burn before him fragrant incense, to set out the showbread regularly, and to offer burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths and the new moons and the fixed festivals of the Lord our God, which are ordained forever for Israel. 2 Chronicles 2:5. The temple I am building is great, for our God is greater than all other gods. 2 Chronicles 2:6. But who has the ability to build a house for him, since heaven, even the highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him. 2 Chronicles 2:7. So now send me a man skilled to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics, trained also in engraving, to join the skilled workers who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided. 2 Chronicles 2:8. Send me also cedar, cypress, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut the timber of Lebanon. My servants will work with your servants, 2 Chronicles 2:9. to prepare timber for me in abundance; for the temple I am building will be great and wonderful. 2 Chronicles 2:10. And now I will give to your servants, the woodcutters who cut the timber, 20,000 cors of crushed wheat, 20,000 cors of barley, 20,000 baths of wine, and 20,000 baths of oil. (Compare verses 2–9 of the Hebrew text.) The differences of 2 Chronicles from the parallel narrative (1 Kgs 5:1-7) (Hebrew 15–21) are not substantial, concerning only style or form of expression. The name of the Tyrian king in 2 Chronicles is read as Huram, while in 3 Kings it is Hiram, sometimes Hirom. The reading in 3 Kings more closely corresponds to the Phoenician Hirom or Ahirom, Εῖρωμος of Josephus (compare Commentary Bible II, 454); the LXX in both books render Χιράρι or Χειρὰμ (codices 64, 119, 158, 243). Further, according to 3 Kings, the first embassy belonged not to Solomon but to Hiram, probably greeting Solomon upon his accession to the throne (compare 2 Sam 10 and following). The words (verse 6) “heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain him” (Jehovah) are taken, apparently, from Solomon’s prayer (1 Kgs 8:27; 2 Chr 6:18).

2 Chronicles 2:11. Then King Hiram of Tyre answered in a letter sent to Solomon: “Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you king over them.” 2 Chronicles 2:12. And Hiram continued, saying: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, endowed with prudence and understanding, who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal palace for himself. 2 Chronicles 2:13. So now I have sent you a skilled man, endowed with understanding, Huram-abi, 2 Chronicles 2:14. the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father a Tyrian. He is trained to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and to do all sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be assigned to him, with your artisans and with the artisans of my lord David your father. 2 Chronicles 2:15. Now, the wheat, barley, oil, and wine of which my lord has spoken, let him send to his servants; 2 Chronicles 2:16. and we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa; you will carry it up to Jerusalem.” (Compare verses 10–15 of the Hebrew text.) Such also are the further differences between the two Sacred Books in chapter 2 of 2 Chronicles. While 3 Kings speaks simply of a response (to Solomon’s request) by Hiram’s embassy, (2 Chr 2:11) mentions a letter (ktav) written by Hiram and setting forth his obligations. Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews VIII, 2, 8), perhaps not without the influence of this passage, asserts that between Solomon and Hiram there was a formal contract, copies of which were kept both in Jerusalem and in Tyre (See Commentary Bible II, 455). Further, the name of the craftsman sent by the Tyrian king to Solomon in 2 Chronicles is read differently than in (1 Kgs 7:13-14): not Hiram, as in the latter, but Huram-abi. The second part of this name the translations of the LXX (Χιρὰμ τόν πετέρα μου), Vulgate: Hiram patrem meum, understand as an appellative: “my father” or, according to some LXX codices (XI, 19, 52, 56, 60, 64, 71, 74, 93, 106, 108, 119, 120, 121, 134, 236, 243) παῖδα μου, Slavonic: “Hiram my servant.” At the same time, some commentators (Calmet) understand the name father in the sense of indicating the experience and skill of Hiram, others (Le Clerc, Prof. Gulyaev) render it: “who belonged to Huram my father.” But it is much more natural to take “avi” in the sense of a proper name: “Huram-abi,” as in the Russian Synodal translation. The mother of the craftsman in 3 Kings is named as coming from the tribe of Naphtali, and in 2 Chronicles—from the tribe of Dan. By the fair remark of Prof. Gulyaev (Hist. Books, p. 495), both indications may be true. The territory of Naphtali to the northwest bordered on Phoenicia. In its northern confines was a settlement of Danites (Josh 19:47; Judg 18:27-29). The foreign origin of Hiram the craftsman’s father is stated according to both 2 Chronicles and 3 Kings (see Commentary Bible II, 463–464). The products which Solomon bound himself to pay to Hiram (3 Kings), or to his Phoenician workers sent by him, are enumerated with greater fullness in (2 Chr 2:10) (3 Kings do not mention wine and barley at all). Joppa, Hebrew Jaffo, LXX: ᾿Ιόππη, Vulgate: Ioppe, Slavonic: “Ioppiya,”—an ancient Philistine city on the Mediterranean Sea, in the tribe of Dan (Josh 19:46), near Lydda (Acts 9:38), celebrated from antiquity for its harbor (compare Jonah 1:3; 1 Macc 11:6), now Jaffa (compare the description in Josephus, The Jewish War III, 9, 3. Compare Onomasticon, 579).

2 Chronicles 2:17. Solomon took a census of the foreigners who were residing in the land of Israel, after his father David had taken a census of them; and there were found 153,600. 2 Chronicles 2:18. He assigned 70,000 of them to be burden-bearers and 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hills, with 3,600 overseers to direct the people at their work. (Hebrew 16–17.) Compare (1 Kgs 5:15; 1 Chr 22:2). See Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, The Old Testament Temple, p. 214. * * * Notes However, in codex 71 of Kennicott, indeed, in (2 Chr 2:2) (Hebrew 3) the reading is שלש (three)

Chapter Three

The building of the temple.

(Compare 1 Kgs 6)

1–2. The place and time of the building of the temple. 3–9. The size and division of the temple and its internal arrangement and furnishings. 10–17. The most outstanding ornaments of the temple: carved cherubim, the veil, and two monumental pillars.

2 Chronicles 3:1. Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, on the site that David had designated, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 2 Chronicles 3:2. He began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign. While (1 Kgs 6:1) does not name the place of the building of the temple at all, and the year of its foundation is determined as the 480th from the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt (compare, however, (1 Kgs 6:37)), 2 Chronicles in both respects provides information bearing the marks of documentary accuracy, as generally the abundance of documentary reports distinguishes the books of Chronicles from the books of Kings (see Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, The State Chronicle of the Kings of Judah or the forgotten books, Παραλεπόμενα. Works of the Kiev Theological Academy. 1879, No. 8, p. 412 and following). The time of the beginning of the building of the temple is the second month of the fourth year of Solomon’s reign (verse 2, compare (1 Kgs 6:37)) on the 2nd day of the month, as evidently was noted in the chronicle contemporary to the events. The place on which Solomon’s temple was erected was the eastern hill of Jerusalem, the so-called Moriah, specially planned for that purpose (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book VIII, Chapter 3, 2; Antiquities of the Jews, Book XV, Chapter 11, 3; Onomasticon, 72; Olesnitsky, The Old Testament Temple, p. 214–215, 401 and many others; compare Commentary Bible, vol. II, 456; Orthodox Theological Encyclopedia, vol. VI, St. Petersburg, 1905, p. 449); this place was chosen by David himself as a result of a theophany of an angel to him there (2 Sam 24:18; 1 Chr 21:18).

2 Chronicles 3:3. These are the foundations that Solomon laid for the house of God: the length was 60 cubits, measured by the former cubit, and the width 20 cubits; 2 Chronicles 3:4. and the vestibule in front of the house was 20 cubits long, corresponding to the width of the house, and its height was 120 cubits. He overlaid it on the inside with pure gold. The dimensions of the temple in two measurements—length and width—are given in 2 Chronicles in agreement with (1 Kgs 6:2)—60 cubits in length and 20 in width, with the remark (verse 3) that the cubit is taken of the ancient measure (Hebrew midda garishona; LXX ἡ διαμέτρησις ἡ πρώτη, Vulgate in mensura prima, Slavonic “first measure”)—of the larger size, that is, seven-handbreadths, while the later, Babylonian, had 6 handbreadths, consequently was 1/7 smaller (compare Ezek 40:5; Deut 3:11). As for the height of the temple, the total height of the building (according to 3 Kings—30 cubits) is not shown in 2 Chronicles, but the height of the vestibule is shown (verse 4) as disproportionately large: 120 cubits, that is, four times greater than the total height of the temple. Apparently, here is an error in the Hebrew text (easily explained: two words could have been confused—האמ hundred and המא cubit): according to the Alexandrian codex of the LXX and codex 158 of Holmes, as well as to the Syriac and Arabic translations, the height of the vestibule was not 120 but only 20 cubits (see Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, The Old Testament Temple, p. 234–237, 370, 375; Compare Fr. Böttcher, Neue exegetisch – Kritische Aehrenlese zum Alten Testamente. 3-te Abth. Leipzig, 1865, 229–230) 3. (Compare Commentary Bible, vol. II, p. 456).

2 Chronicles 3:5. The main building he lined with cypress wood and overlaid it with fine gold, and made palms and chains on it. 2 Chronicles 3:6. He adorned the building with settings of precious stones. The gold was gold from Parvaim. “Main building,” Hebrew (gab) bayit (gag) gadol, LXX τόν οῖκον τὸν μἐγαν, Vulgate domum majorem, Slavonic “great house,” that is, the temple proper—the holy and holy of holies, in distinction from the vestibule, was lined on the inside on ceiling, walls, and floor with cypress (and cedar: (1 Kgs 6:15)) wood, then with gold and precious stones (compare 1 Kgs 6:21, see Commentary Bible II, 456, 457). Gold, as is well known, brought to Solomon from Ophir (1 Kgs 9:28; 2 Chr 8:18), is named here “Parvaim gold,” Hebrew parvaim, LXX Φαρουίμ, Slavonic “Pharuim.” This name, occurring only once in the Bible, the Vulgate understands in an appellative sense: aurum erat probatissimum. But the majority of commentators consider this a proper name for a gold-bearing locality: a) or see here a corrupted spelling of the word Ophir (see Prof. Gulyaev, p. 466); b) or derive (Gesenius and others) from Sanskrit “purva,” front, eastern; c) or perceive (Sprenger, Alte Geographie v. Arab. s. 54) here the name of a rich gold-mining region Furva in Yemen; according to Calmet—the same as Sepharvaim (2 Kgs 17:24); according to Bochart—the same as Taprobane or the island of Ceylon.

2 Chronicles 3:7. He covered the building, its beams, thresholds, walls, and doors with gold, and carved cherubim on the walls. 2 Chronicles 3:8. He made the most holy place: its length, corresponding to the width of the house, was 20 cubits, and its width 20 cubits; he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to 600 talents. 2 Chronicles 3:9. The weight of the nails was 50 shekels of gold. He also overlaid the upper rooms with gold. Compare (1 Kgs 6:16), Commentary Bible II, 457.

2 Chronicles 3:10. In the most holy place he made two cherubim of sculptured work and overlaid them with gold. 2 Chronicles 3:11. The wings of the cherubim together extended 20 cubits: one wing of the one cherub, five cubits long, touched the wall of the building; and its other wing, five cubits long, touched the wing of the other cherub; 2 Chronicles 3:12. and similarly the wing of the other cherub, five cubits long, touched the wall of the building, and the other wing, five cubits long, was joined to the wing of the first cherub. 2 Chronicles 3:13. The wings of these cherubim stretched out 20 cubits; they stood on their feet, facing the nave. Compare (Exod 25:18-20), especially (1 Kgs 6:23-29). Commentary Bible I, 443; II, 457–456.

2 Chronicles 3:14. He made the curtain of blue, purple, and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and worked cherubim into it. Compare (Exod 26:1). Commentary Bible vol. I, p. 444.

2 Chronicles 3:15. In front of the house he set up two pillars 35 cubits high, with a capital of five cubits on the top of each. 2 Chronicles 3:16. He made chains like in the inner sanctuary and put them on the tops of the pillars; he made 100 pomegranates and attached them to the chains. 2 Chronicles 3:17. He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right, the other on the left; the one on the right he called Jachin, and the one on the left, Boaz. (Compare 1 Kgs 7:15-22), Commentary Bible II, 459). Theological Encyclopedia. Vol. VI, col. 186–191. The chief distinction of 2 Chronicles in the description of the pillars Jachin and Boaz lies in the indication (verse 15) of the length or height of each pillar as 35 cubits, while according to all other parallel biblical passages (1 Kgs 7:15; 2 Kgs 25:17; Jer 52:21) each of the pillars had in height (without capital) only 18 cubits (with capitals—23 cubits). Probably, 2 Chronicles gives the height of the pillars inclusive of their base (See Fr. Böttcher, Op. cit., p. 231). * * * Josephus recognizes the figure of 120 cubits as the true height of the vestibule, presenting it as two-storied (Antiquities of the Jews, Book VIII, Chapter 2), but this is the result of confusing by the Jewish historian the temple of Solomon with that of Herod, which indeed had two stories (Mishnah. Middot. IV, 6). See Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, “The Old Testament Temple,” p. 492 and following.

Chapter Four

1–8. The arrangement of the furnishings for worship in Solomon’s temple: the bronze altar, the bronze sea, 10 basins, 10 lampstands, 10 tables, and 100 bowls. 9–22. The priests’ court and the great court of the temple; remarks on various vessels of the temple.

2 Chronicles 4:1. He made an altar of bronze, 20 cubits long, 20 cubits wide, and 10 cubits high. While 3 Kings does not mention the altar for burnt offering among the vessels made by the craftsman Hiram, 2 Chronicles not only mentions it but sets it at the head of the external furnishings of the temple. In its dimensions—20 cubits in length and width and 10 in height—Solomon’s altar was almost four times larger than that of Moses (5×5×3 cubits, (Exod 27:1)). Commentary Bible I, 446), and while the latter was made of wood, Solomon’s altar is expressly called bronze, that is, had at least bronze walls, while its interior, according to the requirements of the law of Moses, was filled with uncut stones, and the upper platform for burning fire was covered with earth (Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, The Old Testament Temple, p. 321–322; Compare Commentary Bible, vol. I, p. 435).

2 Chronicles 4:2. He made the molten sea: it was round, 10 cubits from rim to rim, and 5 cubits high. A line of 30 cubits would encircle it completely; 2 Chronicles 4:3. under it were panels of oxen all around, each of 10 cubits, surrounding the sea; the oxen were cast as part of the sea. 2 Chronicles 4:4. It stood on 12 oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; the sea rested on them. Their hindquarters were turned inward. 2 Chronicles 4:5. Its thickness was a handbreadth; its rim was shaped like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It could hold 3,000 baths. The description of the bronze or molten sea in 2 Chronicles is almost entirely, even word-for-word, identical with the parallel description of this basin in (1 Kgs 7:23-26) (see Commentary Bible II, p. 459–460). Two differences: 1) according to 3 Kings the capacity of the bronze sea was 2,000 baths, according to 2 Chronicles—3,000 baths; 2) in 3 Kings under the rims of the bronze sea in two rows ran balls shaped like gourds (wild cucumbers), according to 2 Chronicles, these reliefs had the form of oxen. See the place named in Commentary Bible, vol. II; see Prof. Olesnitsky, The Old Testament Temple, p. 329.

2 Chronicles 4:6. He made 10 basins; he put five on the right side and five on the left. In them the burnt offering was rinsed; the sea was for the priests to wash in. The “bronze sea” served for the ablutions of priests before sacred rites; for rinsing the sacrificial parts before they were burned there served 10 vessels—the basins, Hebrew kiyrot, LXX λουτῆρες, Vulgate conchae. The arrangement of these vessels and especially their bases is described with greater detail in (1 Kgs 7:27-39). (Commentary Bible II, 458–460).

2 Chronicles 4:7. He made 10 golden lampstands as prescribed, and set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. 2 Chronicles 4:8. He made 10 tables and put them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. He also made 100 bowls of gold. Instead of one lampstand in the holy shrine of Moses’ tabernacle (Exod 25:31-37) (Commentary Bible I, 358), in Solomon’s temple, owing to its greater dimensions and the need for greater illumination, the number of lampstands was increased to ten, and all of them were cast by Hiram from gold—“as prescribed” (Hebrew kemishpatim—according to law, that is, according to the just-mentioned (Exod 25:31-37); LXX κατὰ τὸ κρίμα αὐτῶν, Slavonic “according to their measure”; Vulgate secundum speciem, qua jussa erant fieri), consequently, for example, each lampstand had 7 lamps, so that the total number of lamps was 70 (see Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, The Old Testament Temple, p. 317–318). And the number of tables in the holy temple was 10 (verse 8), although the table for the showbread could be served by only one of them, named in (1 Kgs 7:48), while the others could serve for non-liturgical furnishings and secondary vessels of the temple, for example, the 100 gold bowls mentioned here (Olesnitsky, The Old Testament Temple, p. 319).

2 Chronicles 4:9. He made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court; and he overlaid the doors with bronze. Unlike Moses’ tabernacle, which had one court, Solomon’s temple had two courts: one was the place for the performance of worship or the court of the priests, and the other was designated for the people who gathered in the temple (compare Ezek 40:17). The supposition of some scholars that Solomon’s temple also had a third, the court of the gentiles (as the temple of Herod, which also had a court of women), lacks foundation.

2 Chronicles 4:11. Hiram made the pots, the shovels, and the bowls [and the censers and all the vessels for sacrifice]. Thus Hiram finished the work that he had done for King Solomon on the house of God: Compare (1 Kgs 7:45).

2 Chronicles 4:12. the two pillars, the two capitals on top of the pillars, and the two networks to cover the two capitals of the pillars; 2 Chronicles 4:13. and the 400 pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two capitals that were on the pillars. Compare (1 Kgs 7:15; 2 Chr 3:16).

2 Chronicles 4:14. He made the stands, and the basins on the stands, 2 Chronicles 4:15. the one sea, and the twelve oxen under it. Compare verses 4–5. In the Hebrew text of verse 14, the verb עשה, asa, “made,” is twice erroneously written instead of the numeral עשד, asár (esár), “ten” in the parallel passage (1 Kgs 7:43); this error is repeated in the Vulgate (fecit, superposuit) and the Russian Synodal (“made… made”), but is properly emended in the LXX (ἐποίησε δέκα) and in the Slavonic text (“made ten”).

2 Chronicles 4:17. The king cast all these in the Jordan valley in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah. The place where Solomon cast the ornaments of the temple (baavigaadama, in argillosa terra, in clay ground; LXX ἐν τῶ πάκει τῆς γῆς, Slavonic “in the thickness of the earth”) is located between Succoth and Zeredah. Succoth ((Ps 59:8); Onomasticon, 884)—a city in the tribe of Gad (Josh 13:27), in Transjordan. Zeredah (in (1 Kgs 7:46) “Zartan” (compare Judg 7:22; 1 Kgs 4:12), Slavonic: “Saridaf” or in 3 Kings—Siram, LXX Σαρηδαθά, Vulgate Saredatha)—on the western side of the Jordan, not far from Jericho; identified with present-day Karan-Sartaba (Onomasticon, 832). Zeredah, according to (1 Kgs 11:26) (Slavonic: “Sarira”), was the homeland of Jeroboam I.

2 Chronicles 4:18. Solomon made all these vessels in great quantities, so that the weight of the bronze could not be determined. 2 Chronicles 4:19. Solomon made all the vessels for the house of God: the golden altar also, and the tables on which the bread of the Presence was set; 2 Chronicles 4:20. and the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold, to burn before the inner sanctuary as prescribed; 2 Chronicles 4:21. the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of purest gold; 2 Chronicles 4:22. and snuffers, basins, dishes, and censers of finest gold, and the doors of the temple, the inner doors to the most holy place and the doors of the main hall of the temple, of gold. Compare (1 Kgs 7:46-50). Commentary Bible, vol. II, 398–399.

Chapter Five

The transfer of the ark of the covenant from David’s tabernacle into the temple

(Cf. 1 Kgs 8:1-11)

1–3. Assembly of the elders of Israel in the seventh month for the celebration of the transfer of the ark. 4–6. Transfer of the ark and Solomon’s numerous sacrifices. 7–10. Placement of the ark in the Holy of Holies. 11–14. Singing of Levites and playing of musical instruments; a theophanic cloud fills the temple.

2 Chronicles 5:1. So all the work that Solomon produced for the house of the Lord was completed. And Solomon brought in the things dedicated by David his father, and the silver and gold and all the furnishings he deposited in the treasuries of the house of God. 2 Chronicles 5:2. Then Solomon gathered the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chiefs of the fathers’ houses of the people of Israel, in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the city of David, that is, from Zion. 2 Chronicles 5:3. And all the men of Israel assembled before the king at the feast in the seventh month. The remark in verse 1 about Solomon’s placing the treasures of David in the temple is a repetition (1 Kgs 7:51) (cf. 2 Sam 8:7-12; 1 Chr 18:7-11). These treasures were probably placed in the three-story annexes of the temple. Verses 2–3 cf. (1 Kgs 8:1-2). In 2 Chronicles the name of the 7th month “Ethanim” or “Aphraim” (later “Tishri”) is not given, as it is in 3 Kings. According to Blessed Theodoret, the assembly of the people took place at the Feast of Tabernacles (Migne, “Patrologiae Cursus Completus. Series graeca”, vol. 80, p. 822).

2 Chronicles 5:4. And all the elders of Israel came. The Levites took up the ark 2 Chronicles 5:5. and they carried the ark and the tent of meeting and all the holy things that were in the tent – the priests and the Levites carried them. 2 Chronicles 5:6. And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him at the ark, were sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered, because of their multitude. According to (1 Kgs 8:3) the ark was lifted and carried by the priests, as also required by (Num 4:15). Yet here, verse 4, as well as in (1 Chr 15:2) and (2 Sam 6:15), the right to carry the ark is presented as belonging to the Levites or “priests-Levites”, as one should properly translate from the Hebrew: (gak) koganim (ga) leviim; “Levites” is the generic concept, “priests” is the specific one (cf. Deut 10:8). See Prof. F. G. Eleonskiy, “The Theocratic and Economic State of Old Testament Levitism and Priesthood according to the Laws of the Pentateuch”, Christian Readings, 1875, August, pp. 192–207; cf. Fr. G. Titov, “History of Priesthood and Levitism of the Old Testament Church”, Tiflis, 1876, pp. 63–64, note 2.

2 Chronicles 5:7. And the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, into the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. 2 Chronicles 5:8. And the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles from above. 2 Chronicles 5:9. And the poles extended so that the ends of the poles of the ark were visible from the inner sanctuary, but were not visible from outside; and they are there to this day. 2 Chronicles 5:10. There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel, after they came out of Egypt. The remark about the poles of the ark and their presence here down to this day (verse 9, cf. (1 Kgs 8:8)) belongs to the composer of the ecclesiastical-state chronicles who was contemporary with Solomon, not to the sacred writer of the Books of Chronicles himself, presumably Ezra: already under Rehoboam the precious vessels of the temple were stolen by the Egyptian Pharaoh Shishak (1 Kgs 14:25-26; 2 Chr 12:9), and after the captivity, in the Temple of Zerubbabel there was not even the ark itself. Thus, this remark, like other features of the narrative, points to the documentary character of the accounts in the Book of Chronicles (Cornelius a Lapide ad hoc locum. Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, “The State Annals of the Kings of Judah”, Works of the Kiev Spiritual Academy, No. 8, pp. 420–421; Prof. P. A. Yungerov, “The Origin and Historicity of the Book of Chronicles”, 1905, September, pp. 15–16; Cf. “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, p. 461). From the remark of verse 10: “there was nothing in the ark (of Solomon’s temple) except the two tablets” (cf. (1 Kgs 8:9)) one can already conclude that in Moses’ tabernacle the ark contained something else as well: namely, according to (Heb 9:4) there were, besides the tablets of the covenant (cf. Deut 10:1), also the golden pot of manna (Exod 16:32-34) and Aaron’s staff that had budded ((Num 17:10); see “Explanatory Bible”, I, pp. 328 and 546; Prof. Olesnitsky, “The Old Testament Temple”, p. 151).

2 Chronicles 5:11. When the priests came out of the sanctuary, for all the priests who were there had sanctified themselves without regard to their divisions; 2 Chronicles 5:12. and the Levite singers, all of them, that is, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and their brothers, clothed in fine linen, with cymbals and lyres and harps, stood on the east side of the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priests sounding trumpets, 2 Chronicles 5:13. and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord; and when the sound of the trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments rose up, and they praised the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever; then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 2 Chronicles 5:14. and the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God. In comparison with the parallel verses (1 Kgs 8:10-11) there is here a considerable insertion of a documentary character: testimony about the Levite choirs, established by David while at the tabernacle on Zion and Gibeon (1 Chr 16:4) and further, 37; 1 Chr 25:7-31), their principal leaders: Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun, and the solemn singing with the playing of the temple orchestra at the dedication of the temple (see in Fr. G. Titov, “History of Priesthood and Levitism”, pp. 94–98). Regarding Asaph and Heman, cf. (1 Kgs 4:31) and the commentaries in the “Explanatory Bible”, II, 382–383. Concerning the cloud of glory of Jehovah – “Explanatory Bible”, II, p. 401.

Chapter Six

The dedication of the temple (continuation)

(Cf. 1 Kgs 8:12-53)

1–11. Solomon’s speech to the people. 12–42. Solomon’s prayer before the altar.

2 Chronicles 6:1. Then Solomon said: The Lord said that he would dwell in thick darkness, 2 Chronicles 6:2. but I have built a house of habitation for you, [O Holy One,] a place for your dwelling forever. Cf. (1 Kgs 8:12-13) and the commentaries in the “Explanatory Bible”, II, 401.

2 Chronicles 6:3. And the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, – and all the assembly of Israel stood, – 2 Chronicles 6:4. and he said: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his own mouth spoke to David my father, and with his own hand has fulfilled it, saying: 2 Chronicles 6:5. “Since the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my name might be there, and I chose no man to be a ruler over my people Israel; 2 Chronicles 6:6. but I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.” 2 Chronicles 6:7. Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 Chronicles 6:8. But the Lord said to David my father: “It is true that it is in your heart to build a house for my name; you did well in having this in your heart. 2 Chronicles 6:9. Nevertheless, it is not you who shall build the house, but your son who shall be born to you, he shall build the house for my name.” 2 Chronicles 6:10. And the Lord has fulfilled his word that he spoke: I have risen in the place of David my father, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 Chronicles 6:11. And I have set the ark there, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with the people of Israel. Cf. the commentaries on verses 14–21 in the “Explanatory Bible”, II, 401–402. In verses 5 and 6 the words of Jehovah: “and I chose no man to be a ruler over my people Israel, but I have chosen Jerusalem” are not found in 3 Kings according to the Hebrew text; only according to the LXX text, the Slavonic and Russian versions is the name Jerusalem found there as well. Apparently the priority in this case belongs to 3 Kings. The connection of this passage to the promise and law of Jehovah concerning the unity of the place of worship is undoubted (Deut 12:13-14), and there this place, then still unknown to the Hebrews, is not named.

2 Chronicles 6:12. And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands, – 2 Chronicles 6:13. for Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long and five cubits wide and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, and knelt down on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven, – Cf. (1 Kgs 8:22-23). In 3 Kings there is no mention of a “bronze platform” (kiyyor-nechoshet, βάσις χαλκή, basis aenea, Slavonic: “a bronze stand”), as a specially royal place in Solomon’s temple. Yet such a royal place undoubtedly existed in this temple, according to the testimony of (2 Kgs 11:14), where it is called according to the Hebrew text ammud, “a pillar”; it was located at the eastern, so-called “royal” (1 Chr 9:18), probably because the king entered the temple by these gates, and the very place for the king, or the platform, was located near these gates. The dimensions of the place are given in 1 Chronicles exactly: length and width of 5 cubits each (about 3 yards and 17 inches), height of 3 cubits (2 yards and 10 inches); cf. “Explanatory Bible”, II, pp. 402 and 568; cf. Prof. Olesnitsky, The Old Testament Temple, pp. 36 and 355. According to rabbinic testimonies, the king never sat in the temple during worship, and on his platform either stood, or knelt, or lay prostrate. Migne, Scripturae Sacrae Cursus Completus, vol. XI, p. 117.

2 Chronicles 6:14. and said: O Lord, God of Israel! There is no God like you, in heaven or on earth. You keep the covenant and show steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart: 2 Chronicles 6:15. You have fulfilled to your servant David my father what you promised him. By your mouth you spoke it, and with your hand you have brought it to pass today. 2 Chronicles 6:16. Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying: “There shall not fail you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children keep their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.” 2 Chronicles 6:17. Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David. Cf. (1 Kgs 8:23-26). In verse (2 Chr 6:14) the expressions “above” and “below” used in (1 Kgs 8:23) are omitted. In verse (2 Chr 6:16) stands the expression “in my law” (Hebrew: betorati, “in my law”), instead of the corresponding expression in (1 Kgs 8:25): “before me.”

2 Chronicles 6:18. But will God indeed dwell with people on the earth? If heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built! 2 Chronicles 6:19. Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, hearing the cry and the prayer that your servant prays before you. 2 Chronicles 6:20. Let your eyes be open day and night toward this house, the place where you have promised to set your name, to hear the prayer that your servant prays toward this place. 2 Chronicles 6:21. Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place; hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive. Cf. (1 Kgs 8:27-30).

2 Chronicles 6:22. If someone sins against another and is required to take an oath and comes and swears before your altar in this house, 2 Chronicles 6:23. then hear from heaven and act and judge your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing his conduct down on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness. 2 Chronicles 6:24. If your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and they turn back and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, 2 Chronicles 6:25. then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to them and to their fathers. 2 Chronicles 6:26. When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, because you have humbled them, 2 Chronicles 6:27. then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants and your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land that you have given to your people as an inheritance. 2 Chronicles 6:28. If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locusts or caterpillars, or if enemies of the land besiege the cities of the land, – or any plague or disease, – 2 Chronicles 6:29. whatever prayer or plea is made by anyone among all your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own sorrow and spreading out his hands toward this house, 2 Chronicles 6:30. then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and forgive and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart you know, – for you alone know the hearts of mankind, – 2 Chronicles 6:31. that they may fear you and walk in your ways all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers. 2 Chronicles 6:32. Likewise, when a foreigner who is not of your people Israel comes from a distant land for the sake of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm, when they come and pray toward this house, 2 Chronicles 6:33. then hear from heaven, from your dwelling place, and do all that the foreigner calls to you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that your name has been invoked on this house that I have built. 2 Chronicles 6:34. If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you send them, and they pray to you, turning toward the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, 2 Chronicles 6:35. then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause. Cf. (1 Kgs 8:31-45). Remarks about Solomon’s prayer, its character and the meaning of its individual petitions, see in the “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, pp. 403–404.

2 Chronicles 6:36. If they sin against you – for there is no one who does not sin – and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that the enemy carries them captive to a land far off or near; 2 Chronicles 6:37. yet if they come to themselves in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity, saying: “We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly;” 2 Chronicles 6:38. and turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity to which they have been taken captive, and pray, turning toward their land that you gave to their fathers, toward the city that you have chosen, and toward the house that I have built for your name, – 2 Chronicles 6:39. then hear from heaven, from your dwelling place, their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause, and forgive your people who have sinned against you. Cf. the commentaries on (1 Kgs 8:46-50), “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, p. 405.

2 Chronicles 6:41. And now, O Lord God, arise to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. Let your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let your saints rejoice in your goodness. 2 Chronicles 6:42. O Lord God, do not turn away the face of your anointed one; remember your steadfast love for David your servant. These last two verses of Solomon’s prayer are not found in 3 Kings, but have a close, partly literal resemblance to the words of the psalm (Ps 131:8-10). Cf. “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, p. 405.

Chapter Seven

(Cf. 1 Kgs 8:54; 1 Kgs 9:1-9)

1–11. The concluding moment of the dedication of the temple – sacrifices and the feast of the people. 12–22. A solemn warning received by Solomon in a vision that appeared to him.

2 Chronicles 7:1. When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. 2 Chronicles 7:2. And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. 2 Chronicles 7:3. When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the house, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the floor, and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying: “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” Having mentioned the end of Solomon’s prayer (verse 1) (cf. (1 Kgs 8:54)), 2 Chronicles omits the speech of Solomon’s blessing to the people (1 Kgs 8:54-61), but instead notes the miracle not mentioned in 3 Kings of the sending down of fire from heaven upon Solomon’s sacrifices: this miraculous manifestation, both in character and in significance, is entirely identical to the one that took place in Moses’ tabernacle at Aaron’s offering of the first sacrifices in it (Lev 9:24, see commentaries in “Explanatory Bible”, vol. I, p. 436), that is, it pointed to the acceptability of Solomon’s and the people’s sacrifices (cf. Judg 6:20-21; 1 Kgs 18:38; 1 Chr 21:26), as did the filling of the temple with cloud (cf. 1 Kgs 8:10-11), it was a symbol of God’s presence in it (cf. Exod 40:34; Exod 14:19-20; Exod 24:15-17; Exod 33:9).

2 Chronicles 7:4. Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the Lord. 2 Chronicles 7:5. King Solomon offered as a sacrifice twenty-two thousand oxen and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 2 Chronicles 7:6. The priests stood at their posts; the Levites also with the instruments for music to the Lord that King David had made for giving praise to the Lord – for his steadfast love endures forever – whenever David offered praises through them; the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood. 2 Chronicles 7:7. Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the Lord; for there he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar that Solomon had made could not hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat. 2 Chronicles 7:8. At that time Solomon held the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt; 2 Chronicles 7:9. and on the eighth day he held a solemn assembly, for they had observed the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days. 2 Chronicles 7:10. On the twenty-third day of the seventh month the king sent the people home to their tents, rejoicing and glad in heart for all the goodness that the Lord had shown to David and to Solomon and to Israel his people. Cf. (1 Kgs 8:62-66), “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, pp. 407–408. Verse 6 has no parallel in the Third Book of Kings; with respect to the detail in describing the ceremonial aspect of the dedication of the temple, as well as the priestly and Levitical personnel, the account in 2 Chronicles draws near to the account (Ezra 3:10-12) of the laying of the foundation of the second Jerusalem Temple and (Ezra 6:16-20) – of the dedication of this latter. See also (Ps 135:3).

2 Chronicles 7:11. Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s house; and all that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the Lord and in his own house he successfully accomplished. 2 Chronicles 7:12. Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him: I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. 2 Chronicles 7:13. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people, 2 Chronicles 7:14. if my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:15. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place. 2 Chronicles 7:16. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever; my eyes and my heart will be there for all time. 2 Chronicles 7:17. As for you, if you walk before me as your father David walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my laws, 2 Chronicles 7:18. then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father, saying: “There shall not fail you a man to rule Israel.” 2 Chronicles 7:19. But if you turn away and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 2 Chronicles 7:20. then I will pluck you up by the roots from my land that I have given you, and this house, which I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 2 Chronicles 7:21. And regarding this house – though it is exalted – everyone passing by will be astonished and ask: “Why has the Lord dealt thus with this land and with this house?” 2 Chronicles 7:22. And they will say: “Because they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped and served them – for this reason he has brought all this calamity upon them.” Cf. (1 Kgs 9:1-9), see “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, pp. 408–409.

Chapter Eight

The administrative activity of Solomon

(Cf. 1 Kgs 9:10-27)

1–6. Building and construction of cities. 7–9. State taxes and obligations. 10–11. Solomon’s chief officers; settlement of the Pharaoh’s daughter in a special palace. 12–16. Organization of the worship personnel. 17–18. Solomon’s fleet and voyage to Ophir.

2 Chronicles 8:2. Solomon built the cities that Huram had given to him, and settled the people of Israel in them. While according to (1 Kgs 9:11) Solomon gave Huram twenty cities in northern Palestine or the land of Galilee, in payment for works and materials for the construction of the temple, 2 Chronicles here says, on the contrary, that Huram gave Solomon twenty cities. In explanation of this, some commentators (for example, Calmet, Philippson) believed that this refers precisely to the return of the cities by Huram, which were ceded to him by Solomon, but did not please him (“Kabul” – (1 Kgs 9:10-12)). But the biblical text speaks of a gift, a giving of cities, not a return, and therefore it is more natural to see here (in 2 Chronicles) a completely different event. “Although it can be noted that in the Book of Chronicles in general all the statements appear to the benefit and glory of the Jews, it is hardly fair to presume here any deliberately false statement. Could not the two discrepant accounts in the Books of Kings and Chronicles be accepted as two parts of a whole? Could not the giving of certain cities have been a mutual exchange on both sides, as a new pledge of friendship?” – Prof. M. S. Gulyaev, “Historical Books of the Sacred Scripture of the Old Testament”, p. 509.

2 Chronicles 8:3. And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and took it. In this verse 2 Chronicles reports a fact unknown from the Third Book of Kings – Solomon’s campaign against Hamath-zobah, Hebrew: Hamat-Tsova, Vulgate: Emath Suba, LXX according to the Alexandrian manuscript: Αιμιὰθ Σωβά, Slavonic: “Hamath-Zobah”. Only here is Hamath-zobah identified with the known Syrian city of Hamath (cf. (Num 13:22; 1 Kgs 8:65); Onomasticon 52, 424, 425, 425; See “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, p. 407), later known to the Greeks as Epiphania. Generally, Zobah (or Zoba, Tsoba) (1 Sam 14:47; 2 Sam 8:3) and other places are conjecturally considered a state in Syria between the Orontes and the Euphrates (Onomasticon, 889; “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, pp. 404 and 317). By mentioning the conquest of Hamath, finally conquered only by Jeroboam II (2 Kgs 14:23), the sacred writer of 2 Chronicles intended to designate the northern frontier of Solomon’s possessions (cf. 1 Kgs 4:21).

2 Chronicles 8:4. And he built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the store-cities that he built in Hamath. 2 Chronicles 8:5. He built Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon, fortified cities, with walls, gates, and bars, 2 Chronicles 8:6. and Baalath and all the store-cities that belonged to Solomon, and all the chariot-cities and the cities for his horsemen, and whatever Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the territory of his dominion. Regarding the cities mentioned here, see (1 Kgs 9:17-19) and the “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, pp. 410–411.

2 Chronicles 8:7. All the people who were left of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not of Israel, – 2 Chronicles 8:8. their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the people of Israel had not destroyed – Solomon made them liable for forced labor to this day. 2 Chronicles 8:9. But Solomon did not make the people of Israel slaves for his work; they were soldiers, and his officers, and commanders of his chariots and cavalry. Cf. (1 Kgs 9:20-22).

2 Chronicles 8:10. And these were the chief officers of King Solomon, two hundred fifty of them, who had charge of the people. See (1 Kgs 9:23) and the commentaries on (2 Chr 2:1-2).

2 Chronicles 8:11. Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh up from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said: “A woman shall not live in the house of David, king of Israel, for the places to which the ark of the Lord has come are holy.” Cf. (1 Kgs 9:24). In 2 Chronicles the fact of the settlement of the Pharaoh’s daughter is conveyed, in contrast to 3 Kings, with an indication of the religious motives of Solomon that prompted this decision. Cf. at Olesnitsky, “The Old Testament Temple”, pp. 646–647.

2 Chronicles 8:12. Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord that he had built in front of the vestibule, 2 Chronicles 8:13. as the duty of each day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses for the sabbaths, the new moons, and the three appointed festivals – at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles. 2 Chronicles 8:14. And he appointed, according to the order of his father David, the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their offices of praise and ministry alongside the priests as the duty of each day required, and the gatekeepers in their divisions for the several gates, for so David the man of God had commanded. 2 Chronicles 8:15. And they did not depart from the commandment of the king regarding the priests and Levites in any matter, including the treasuries. 2 Chronicles 8:16. Thus all the work of Solomon was accomplished from the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid until it was finished – the house of the Lord. The brief account in (1 Kgs 9:25) is here considerably expanded and supplemented with new details: instead of the general indication in 3 Kings of Solomon’s three annual sacrificial offerings, here are definitely named the three great annual festivals: Unleavened Bread (Passover), Weeks (Pentecost) and Tabernacles, and, besides, there is also mention of the sabbaths and new moons (cf. Lev 23; Num 28-29), and it is noted that the sacrificial practice here corresponds strictly to the law of Moses (verse 13); on the other hand, there is shown the same exact fulfillment by Solomon of David’s regulation regarding the service of priests and Levites (verse 14, cf. 1 Chron. chapters 24–27).

2 Chronicles 8:17. Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and Elath on the shore of the sea, in the land of Edom. 2 Chronicles 8:18. And Huram sent him, by the hand of his servants, ships and servants experienced in the sea. And they went to Ophir, together with the servants of Solomon, and imported from there four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought it to King Solomon. Cf. (1 Kgs 9:26-28) and the commentaries in the “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, p. 412.

Chapter Nine

(See 1 Kgs 10:1-25)

1–12. The visit of Solomon by the Queen of Sheba. 23–28. The riches, luxury and glory of Solomon. 29–31. Concluding remarks on Solomon’s reign.

2 Chronicles 9:1. The Queen of Sheba, having heard of the fame of Solomon, came to test Solomon with hard questions in Jerusalem, with a very great retinue, and with camels bearing spices and a great amount of gold and precious stones. And she came to Solomon and spoke with him about all that was on her mind. 2 Chronicles 9:2. And Solomon explained to her all that she asked, and there was nothing hidden from Solomon that he did not explain to her. 2 Chronicles 9:3. And the Queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon and the house that he had built, 2 Chronicles 9:4. and the food at his table, and the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, and their clothing, and his cupbearers, and their clothing, and the staircase by which he went up to the house of the Lord, and she was overwhelmed. 2 Chronicles 9:5. And she said to the king: It is true what I heard in my land about your deeds and your wisdom, 2 Chronicles 9:6. but I did not believe the words about them until I came and saw with my own eyes. And behold, not even half was told to me of the abundance of your wisdom: you surpass the fame that I heard. 2 Chronicles 9:7. Blessed are your people, and blessed are these servants of yours, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! 2 Chronicles 9:8. Blessed be the Lord your God, who was pleased to set you on His throne as king for the Lord your God. Because of the love of God for Israel, to establish it forever, He has made you king over it to execute justice and righteousness. 2 Chronicles 9:9. And she gave to the king one hundred twenty talents of gold and a great abundance of spices and precious stones; and there were no such spices as those that the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. 2 Chronicles 9:10. And the servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought also red sandalwood and precious stones. 2 Chronicles 9:11. And the king made from the red sandalwood staircases to the house of the Lord and to the house of the king, and lyres and harps for the singers. And nothing like it had been seen before in the land of Judah. 2 Chronicles 9:12. And King Solomon gave to the Queen of Sheba all that she desired and asked for, besides what she had brought to the king. And she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants. The account in 2 Chronicles of the visit to Solomon by the Queen of Sheba is almost verbatim the same as the parallel account 1 Kgs 10:1-13 (see “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, pp. 413–414). In the Hebrew text the structure made by Solomon for the temple and for the palace is named differently in the two books: according to 2 Chr 9:11 mesillot means “staircases,” LXX: ἀναβάσεις, Vulgate: Gradus, translated as “steps”; according to 1 Kgs 10:12 it is misad, “railings.” The archaeology of the Old Testament temple decides this question in favor of the terminology of 2 Chronicles (Olesnitsky, “Old Testament Temple”, p. 248).

2 Chronicles 9:13. The weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold. 2 Chronicles 9:14. Besides, merchants and traders brought gifts, and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the regions brought gold and silver to Solomon. 2 Chronicles 9:15. And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold, using six hundred shekels of beaten gold for each shield, 2 Chronicles 9:16. and three hundred shields of beaten gold, using three hundred shekels of gold for each shield; and the king placed them in the house of the Forest of Lebanon. 2 Chronicles 9:17. And the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold, 2 Chronicles 9:18. and six steps to the throne and a golden footstool attached to the throne, and armrests on both sides of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests, 2 Chronicles 9:19. and moreover twelve lions standing there on the six steps, on both sides. No such [throne] had ever been made for any kingdom. 2 Chronicles 9:20. And all the drinking vessels of King Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels in the house of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon, Compare 1 Kgs 10:14-21. On the structure of the throne or royal seat of Solomon according to Jewish tradition see the commentaries to 1 Kgs 7:7 in “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, p. 394.

2 Chronicles 9:21. for the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram, and once every three years the ships from Tarshish returned, bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks. Compare 1 Kgs 10:22. In this passage of 2 Chronicles, as also in 2 Chr 20:36-37, it appears that Solomon’s fleet made voyages to Tarshish; but in fact it went to Ophir, and the name “Tarshish” has a different meaning. See “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, p. 415.

2 Chronicles 9:25. And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem; 2 Chronicles 9:26. and he ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. 2 Chronicles 9:27. And the king made silver and gold as common as stone in Jerusalem, and cedarwood as plentiful as the sycamores that are in the lowlands. 2 Chronicles 9:28. And horses were brought to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands. Here only verse 26 presents a new thought (compare 1 Kgs 4:21), while verses 25 and 27–28 represent a repetition of what was said in 2 Chr 1:14-17. Compare also 1 Kgs 10:26-27 and 1 Kgs 4:26. The number of stalls or chariots that Solomon had varies in different places and according to different texts: according to this passage in 2 Chronicles and 1 Kgs 4:26 – 40,000 stalls (according to some LXX codices and the Vulgate, as well as the Slavonic text – 40,000 horses); according to 2 Chr 1:14 and 1 Kgs 10:26 – 1,400 chariots. But for 1,400 chariots there would be no need for 40,000 horses; probably one should read: 4,000 horses (Prof. Gulyaev “Historical Books of Sacred Scripture of the Old Testament”, p. 514; Prof. Olesnitsky, “Old Testament Temple”, p. 646; “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, p. 382).

2 Chronicles 9:29. The rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are written in the records of the prophet Nathan, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of the seer Iddo concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 2 Chronicles 9:30. And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. 2 Chronicles 9:31. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead. Compare 1 Kgs 11:41-43. The fall of Solomon and the judgment of God upon him and his house, of which 3 Kings tells (1 Kgs 11:1-40), are not included in the narrative of 2 Chronicles: the historical character of the books of Chronicles and the special purpose of these books apparently did not permit the inclusion of this material in the narrative (just as the political affairs of the court, described in chapters 1–11 of 3 Kings, were not included in Chronicles)⁴. The historical and documentary character of the books of Chronicles is noted here (verse 29) by the detailed mention of the works of famous prophets and historians: Nathan, Ahijah, Jeddo, whereas in the parallel verse 1 Kgs 11:41 only the “book of the acts of Solomon” is named generally. “The prophet Nathan belongs to those persons about whom the book of Chronicles mentions more than once, but whose writings have not come down to us. The prophet Nathan is mentioned in 2 Sam 7:2-17; 1 Kgs 1:8-45; Ps 50:1; 1 Chr 17:1-15; 2 Chr 9:29. From these passages it is evident that he had considerable influence both on political and on church affairs” (Prof. Gulyaev “Historical Books of Sacred Scripture of the Old Testament”, pp. 514–515). Ahijah the Shilonite is known only by his prophecies: concerning the division of the Hebrew kingdom into two (1 Kgs 11:29-39) and concerning the destruction of the house of Jeroboam (1 Kgs 14:4-16; 2 Chr 10:15); besides, according to this passage, he kept chronicles. The same is known of Iddo, mentioned also in 2 Chr 12:15. Chapters 11–36, forming the second and larger part of 2 Chronicles, contain an account of all the kings of the Kingdom of Judah from the moment of the separation of the Kingdom of Israel from it until the fall of the former in the Babylonian captivity. * * * It is precisely the particular character and purpose of the narrative of Chronicles, rather than arbitrary and tendentious distortion of ancient records by a postexilic writer, as for example J. Wellhausen maintains, that gave rise to the noted differences in the narrative between 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles about Solomon’s reign. According to Wellhausen (Wellhausen J., Prolegomena zur Geschichte Israels. Berlin, 1886, pp. 192–193), in 2 Chronicles the ancient image (of Solomon’s reign) is so dimmed that all dark and unpleasant features are destroyed and new and brilliant colors are inserted in their place, not in the spirit of the original, but in the taste of the age: priests and Levites, fire from heaven, the fulfillment of all the righteousness of the law and much music, besides that, all sorts of legendary anachronisms and exaggerations. The material of the “tradition is refracted through an alien environment – the spirit of postexilic Judahism.”

Chapter Ten

The secession of the ten tribes of Israel from the house of David

(See 1 Kgs 12:1-19)

1–14. The behavior of the newly enthroned Rehoboam increases the long-standing discontent of the ten tribes of Israel toward the house of David. 15–19. The actual secession of the 10 tribes from the house of David and the failure of Rehoboam’s attempt to recover them.

2 Chronicles 10:1. And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 Chronicles 10:2. And when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 2 Chronicles 10:3. And they sent and called him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 2 Chronicles 10:4. “Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke that he put on us, and we will serve you.” 2 Chronicles 10:5. And he said to them: “Come back to me after three days.” And the people went away. 2 Chronicles 10:6. And King Rehoboam took counsel with the elders who had stood before Solomon his father during his lifetime, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 2 Chronicles 10:7. They said to him, “If you will be kind to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” 2 Chronicles 10:8. But he abandoned the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who attended him; 2 Chronicles 10:9. and he said to them, “What do you advise me that we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” 2 Chronicles 10:10. And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to the people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, and you make it lighter for us’: thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins. 2 Chronicles 10:11. And now, whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.” 2 Chronicles 10:12. And Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come to me again on the third day.” 2 Chronicles 10:13. And the king answered them harshly, for King Rehoboam rejected the counsel of the elders and answered them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, 2 Chronicles 10:14. “My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.” 2 Chronicles 10:15. And the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of events brought about by God that the Lord might fulfill His word which He spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 2 Chronicles 10:16. When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel! Now look to your own house, David.” And all Israel departed to their tents. 2 Chronicles 10:17. But Rehoboam remained king over the people of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah. 2 Chronicles 10:18. Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the levy, and the people of Israel stoned him with stones, so that he died. And King Rehoboam hastily mounted his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 10:19. So Israel revolted against the house of David to this day. The account in 2 Chronicles here is almost verbatim the same as the narrative in 1 Kgs 12:1-19, see “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, pp. 423–425. With the death of Solomon, the undivided Hebrew kingdom ceased to exist, united until then not only by the ruling royal dynasty of the house of David, but also by one sanctuary – the temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem. And whereas the sacred writer of 3 and 4 Kings presents a synchronistic history of both Hebrew kingdoms even after their division, for the sacred writer of Chronicles only the Kingdom of Judah remained a theocratic community with one legitimate temple and one legitimate cult and priesthood at it. The Northern Kingdom of Israel, as lacking these conditions of normal religious and church life, appears to him as if it had ceased to exist, at least for the Old Testament Kingdom of God. Hence almost all the accounts about the Northern Kingdom that are in the books of Kings are omitted in 2 Chronicles. Thus, for example, there is no mention at all of the reign of Jeroboam I of Israel, while in the account of the contemporary Judean king Rehoboam (chapters 10–12), a whole series of new documentary details are added in comparison with 3 Kings: concerning Rehoboam’s fortification of certain cities, concerning the resettlement of priests and Levites in Judah from the Northern Kingdom; a detailed genealogy of the royal family of Rehoboam (chapter 11). In the subsequent reigns, 2 Chronicles dwells at greater length on the reigns of Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah, and Josiah, when legitimate service to the Lord flourished in the temple in Jerusalem and the cult with its manifestations occupied the first place in the life of the people of Judah.

Chapter Eleven

(See 1 Kgs 12:21-24)

1–4. The prevention, through the word of the prophet, of a fratricidal war between the two Hebrew kingdoms. 5–12. The fortification by Rehoboam of the cities of Judah and the establishment of public grain storehouses. 13–17. The resettlement of priests and Levites in Judah from the Kingdom of Israel. 18–23. The family of Rehoboam.

2 Chronicles 11:1. And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight against Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. 2 Chronicles 11:2. But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, the man of God, saying, 2 Chronicles 11:3. “Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin: 2 Chronicles 11:4. ‘Thus says the Lord: You shall not go up or fight against your kindred. Every man return to his home, for this thing is from me.’” And they listened to the word of the Lord and turned back from marching against Jeroboam. See 1 Kgs 12:21-24, “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, p. 426.

2 Chronicles 11:5. Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem; and he built cities for defense in Judah. 2 Chronicles 11:6. He built Bethlehem, Etam, and Tekoa, 2 Chronicles 11:7. Beth-zur, Soco, and Adullam, 2 Chronicles 11:8. Gath, Mareshah, and Ziph, 2 Chronicles 11:9. Adoraim, Lachish, and Azekah, 2 Chronicles 11:10. and Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and Benjamin. 2 Chronicles 11:11. He fortified the strong cities, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine. 2 Chronicles 11:12. And he put shields and spears in every city, and made them very strong. And Judah and Benjamin remained with him. The cities, which Rehoboam converted into fortresses or fortified generally, for the most part existed from ancient times and were only rebuilt by him. Such is Bethlehem (Gen 35:16; Gen 48:7; Ruth 1:1); concerning its location see the commentaries to Josh 15:59; Ruth 1:1 in “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, pp. 98–99 and pp. 211–212. Etam (LXX: Αιτάν, Vulgate: Etam) lay, like Bethlehem, in the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:59), about 12 miles from Jerusalem; because of its fine location, gardens and abundance of water, according to the testimony of Josephus (“Antiquities of the Jews”, VIII, 7, 3), was a favorite summer residence of Solomon (the remains of aqueducts that were here still exist), now – Ain-Attan, between Bethlehem and Urtas (Onomasticon, 487). Tekoa – in the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:59), to the north of Hebron, now Khirbet Tekua (Onomasticon, 417; cf. Explanatory Bible, vol. II, pp. 336–337 and 430). Beth-zur (LXX βαιθσουρὰ) – in the tribe of Judah, in the hills of Judah (Josh 15:58; Neh 3:16); became especially known in the time of the Maccabees as a strong fortress, which was the site of several fierce battles (1 Macc 4:29; 1 Macc 6:7); according to Josephus (“Antiquities of the Jews”, VIII, 5, 6), it was the most fortified stronghold in the land of Judah; now Bat-Sur on the road from Jerusalem to Hebron, at a distance of about 20 miles from the former (cf. Onomasticon, 234), lies on a site at the foot of which flows the abundant spring of Ein ed-Dirye, where, according to tradition, the Apostle Philip baptized the eunuch of Candace. Soco: (LXX: Σοχώθ) – the name of two cities in the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:35; 1 Sam 17:1; 1 Kgs 4:10 and others, Onomasticon, 881), to the southwest of Jerusalem, see “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, pp. 96–98. Adullam (Hebrew: adullam) is mentioned already in Gen 38:1. Captured by Joshua (Josh 12:15) fell by lot to Judah (cf. 2 Macc 12:38), about 5 miles to the northeast of Soco (Onomasticon, 24; cf. commentaries in “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, pp. 76–77). Gath (Hebrew: gat) – to the west of Soco, about 5 miles away; before the reign of David it was one of the five chief Philistine cities (1 Sam 6:17), David conquered it (2 Sam 8:1; cf. “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, pp. 240–241 and 317; cf. Onomasticon, 301). Mareshah (LXX, Slavonic text: “Marisan”) to the south about 5 miles from Gath (Josh 15:44); (“Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, p. 97) the birthplace of the prophet Micah (Mic 1:1), the site of the battle of Asa with Zerah the Ethiopian (2 Chr 14:9); during the time of the Maccabees and afterwards frequently passed from hand to hand (Josephus, “Antiquities of the Jews”, XII,8,6; XIII,9,1; XIII,15,4; XIV,4,4; XIV,5,3), until it was finally destroyed by the Parthians under Herod (“Antiquities of the Jews”,XV,13,9; “Jewish War”,I,13,9; cf. Onomasticon, 673). Ziph (Josh 15:55) – about 1 3/4 hours’ journey to the south of Hebron (Onomasticon, 464); in the wilderness around Ziph David hid from the persecutions of Saul (1 Sam 23:14), “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, pp. 98 and 282). Adoraim to the east of Ziph ((1 Macc 13:20); Onomasticon, 165), now Dar’at. Concerning the location of Lachish (2 Kgs 14:19) see “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, p. 523. Concerning the location of Azekah (Josh 10:10); (Onomasticon, 34), see also “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, pp. 62–63. Concerning the location of Zorah (LXX: Σαραὰ, Slavonic: “Salaa”, (Josh 15:33); Onomasticon, 830) – see there, p. 96; this is the northwesternmost of the cities fortified by Rehoboam. Concerning Aijalon (Josh 10:12), see “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, pp. 63 and 117. Like Zorah, Aijalon originally belonged to the portion of the tribe of Dan, but later both cities could have passed to the tribe of Judah; this transition could be related to the resettlement of priests and Levites from the Northern Kingdom to the Judean kingdom (verses 13–14 of the chapter under consideration; see Prof. Gulyaev, “Historical Books”, p. 519). Hebron, formerly Kiriath-arba (Gen 13:18; Num 13:23; Josh 10:36; Judg 1:10) and others, – one of the most ancient cities in the world (according to Num 13:23, built 7 years before Zoan in Egypt); when Canaan was divided, it fell to Caleb (Josh 14:13), and after about 7 years was the capital of David (2 Sam 2:1). In Gospel times, according to tradition, it was the place of residence of Saint Zacharias and Elisabeth. Concerning the location of Hebron (Onomasticon, 113) see “Explanatory Bible”, vol. I, pp. 93 and 536–537, vol. II, pp. 88. Besides the fortresses, in all these cities Rehoboam established public storehouses of food (verses 11–12).

2 Chronicles 11:13. And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel resorted to him from all their territory, 2 Chronicles 11:14. for the Levites left their common lands and their possessions and came to Judah and to Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons cast them out from serving as priests of the Lord, 2 Chronicles 11:15. and he appointed his own priests for the high places, and for the goat idols, and for the calves that he had made. 2 Chronicles 11:16. And those who set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 2 Chronicles 11:17. So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, for three years; for they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon. The brief account in 1 Kgs 12:31 that Jeroboam appointed priests from among the people, not from the tribe of Levi, is here (verses 13–15) expanded with the details that Jeroboam dismissed from the priesthood those members of the tribe of Levi who did not accept as legitimate the cult that he had introduced, and these, faithful to the former true worship of the Lord, priests and Levites either voluntarily or under compulsion migrated to the borders of the Kingdom of Judah. There is no ground for seeing (as Calmet and many modern interpreters do) these priests and Levites in those condemned by the prophet Ezekiel and deprived of the right to perform priestly functions, the Levites who became unfaithful to the Lord (Ezek 44:10-14) – because in the passage of 2 Chronicles under consideration, the account speaks on the contrary of priests and Levites faithful to the Lord, who out of faithfulness to Him and from unwillingness to serve a godless cult withdrew to Judah. The cult of the calves here (verse 15) is named, besides its own name, by the term seirim, LXX: μάταια, Vulgate: daemonia, the Russian Synodal translation renders the Hebrew term literally: “goats,” but nothing is known of service to goats in Jeroboam’s cult; and it is much more natural to understand seirim in the sense of idols or evil spirits (cf. Isa 13:21). See in Prof. F.G. Eleonsky, “History of the Israeli People in Egypt from Settlement in the Land of Goshen to the Egyptian Plagues”, St. Petersburg 1884, pp. 136–140; in A. Glagolev, “Old Testament Biblical Teaching on Angels”, Kiev 1900, pp. 591–595. That pious Israelites also, after the division of the kingdoms, continued to visit Jerusalem and Solomon’s temple (verses 16–17), is stated also in 1 Kgs 12:27-28, and according to the latter passage, this circumstance served as the occasion for Jeroboam to establish a special cult in Bethel and Dan. “Three years” (verse 17) continued the faithfulness of Rehoboam and his people to the Lord, and then (cf. 1 Kgs 14:22-24) idolatry began in Judea as well (cf. 2 Chr 12:1). Cf. “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, p. 436.

2 Chronicles 11:18. And Rehoboam took a wife, Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse; 2 Chronicles 11:19. and she bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 2 Chronicles 11:20. After her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom, and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 2 Chronicles 11:21. And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines, for he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 2 Chronicles 11:22. And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maachah as chief prince among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. 2 Chronicles 11:23. And he dealt wisely, and distributed some of his sons through all the districts of Judah and Benjamin, in all the fortified cities; and he gave them abundant provisions and procured many wives for them. The royal genealogy of Rehoboam is supplemented here as compared with 1 Kings (cf. “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, p. 437). Concerning the different spelling of the name of Rehoboam’s third wife, the mother of Abijah, and of her father, in verses 20 (1 Kgs 15:2); 2 Chr 13:2), see “Explanatory Bible” vol. II, pp. 437–438. Of his 28 sons (verse 21), Rehoboam kept by him only the one designated for succession to the throne, Abijah, and dispatched the others to various cities in order to prevent fratricidal strife, providing each with provisions and entrusting them with government service.

Chapter Twelve

1–12. The apostasy of Rehoboam from the Lord and his punishment by an Egyptian invasion; the temporary repentance of Rehoboam. 13–16. The duration and general character of Rehoboam’s reign, his successor.

2 Chronicles 12:1. When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and he became strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. Rehoboam’s unfaithfulness to the Lord (cf. verses 5 and 14) is depicted in more detail in 1 Kgs 14:21-24, “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, p. 436.

2 Chronicles 12:2. In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak the king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, 2 Chronicles 12:3. with twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. And the people were without number who came with him from Egypt, Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites; 2 Chronicles 12:4. and he took the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. Concerning Shishak’s invasion as a punishment for the transgressions of Rehoboam, the account is given also in 1 Kgs 14:25-26 (see “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, pp. 436–437), but in 2 Chronicles this narrative is supplemented with several particulars. Thus the numbers of Shishak’s chariots (1,200) and horsemen (60,000) are given, and the multinational composition of this army is noted: besides native Egyptians, it included representatives of other peoples, apparently African peoples subject to Egypt: Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites. The Libyans (Hebrew: luvim or legavim), (Gen 10:13; Nah 3:9; Dan 11:43) inhabited the northern coast of Africa, near modern Algeria and further to the east (cf. “Explanatory Bible”, vol. I, p. 326). Cushites (Hebrew: kutim) are usually called in the Bible the inhabitants of a country corresponding to modern Nubia and Abyssinia, though sometimes this name refers to a territory and people to the north of the Persian Gulf. (See “Explanatory Bible”, vol. I, p. 71; vol. II, p. 549). Sukkites Hebrew: sukhkim, not well known (LXX, Vulgate, Slavonic: “troglodytes”), dwellers in caves and tents, according to the most accepted opinion – a nomadic tribe on the western shore of the Red Sea (related to the Cushites).

2 Chronicles 12:5. Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered together in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the Lord: You abandoned me, so I will abandon you into the hand of Shishak.” 2 Chronicles 12:6. Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is righteous.” 2 Chronicles 12:7. When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: “They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak; 2 Chronicles 12:8. nevertheless they shall be his servants, that they may know what it is to serve me and what it is to serve the kingdoms of the earth.” The activity of the prophet Shemaiah – a contemporary and chronicler of Rehoboam (verse 15) – concerning the reproaching preaching of this prophet and the beneficial consequences of this preaching – is known only from 2 Chronicles and has all the marks of a documentary testimony of an eyewitness or a participant in the events, a prophet.

2 Chronicles 12:9. And Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house. He took everything. He also took the golden shields that Solomon had made. 2 Chronicles 12:10. And King Rehoboam made shields of bronze instead of them, and committed them to the care of the captains of the guard, who kept the door of the king’s house. 2 Chronicles 12:11. Whenever the king went into the house of the Lord, the guard came along and brought them back to the guardroom. A literal repetition of 1 Kgs 14:25-28 (cf. “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, pp. 436–437).

2 Chronicles 12:13. So King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. His mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonite. 2 Chronicles 12:14. And he did evil, because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord. 2 Chronicles 12:15. Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are written in the chronicles of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer. And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. 2 Chronicles 12:16. And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. And his son Abijah reigned in his stead. See 1 Kgs 14:21.

Chapter Thirteen

1–22. War of Abijah king of Judah with Jeroboam I of Israel.

2 Chronicles 13:1. In the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign, Abijah became king over Judah. 2 Chronicles 13:2. He reigned three years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Micaiah, daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. See (1 Kgs 15:1-2) (“Commentary on the Bible”, vol. II, pp. 437–438) and (2 Chr 11:20) (compare the note to that passage, namely “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. III, p. 117).

2 Chronicles 13:2. He reigned three years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Micaiah, daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 2 Chronicles 13:3. And Abijah went out to war with an army of brave men, four hundred thousand men picked for valor; and Jeroboam arrayed against him eight hundred thousand men who were also picked men and brave warriors. “Whereas in the book of Kings only a general remark is made about Abijah, that he imitated the sins of his father (1 Kgs 15:3), the books of Chronicles, in place of this general characterization, present a documentary account of the war of Abijah with Jeroboam, of his conquest of some Israelite cities, and, as is the custom, add testimony concerning the royal genealogy” (Prof. Olesnitsky, “State Chronicle of the Kings of Judah”, Proceedings of the Kiev Theological Academy, 1879, No. 8, p. 424). The historical reliability of the account in 2 Chronicles concerning the war of considerable dimensions between the king of Judah and the king of Israel is not open to doubt, especially since (1 Kgs 15:6) briefly mentions this war as well. Certain details in the 2 Chronicles account of the war raise questions. Thus, the size of both opposing forces—400,000 from Judah and 800,000 from Israel (verse 3, cf. (2 Chr 25:5-6)) and especially the number of those killed in Israel (v. 17)—500,000 (half a million!)—seem greatly exaggerated and could have arisen from scribal error, for example they could have been transferred here from (2 Sam 24:9) (the census under David) or from (2 Chr 25:5-6) (the war of Amaziah of Judah with Joash of Israel). At any rate, the Hebrew manuscript 180 in Kennicott’s collection reads fourteen thousand instead of “four hundred thousand”; correspondingly, the other numbers shown in the text could have been smaller.

2 Chronicles 13:4. And Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said: Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! 2 Chronicles 13:5. Do you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? 2 Chronicles 13:6. Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master. 2 Chronicles 13:7. And men, base and worthless men, gathered themselves together with him and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon; and Rehoboam was young and of tender heart and could not stand against them. 2 Chronicles 13:8. And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and you have with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made as gods for you. 2 Chronicles 13:9. Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams becomes a priest of these false gods. 2 Chronicles 13:10. But we have the Lord our God; we have not forsaken Him, and priests who serve the Lord are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties. 2 Chronicles 13:11. And they burn to the Lord every morning and every evening whole offerings and fragrant incense; and the showbread is set in order on the clean table, and the golden lampstand and its lamps are lit every evening, because we keep the ordinance of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken Him. 2 Chronicles 13:12. And behold, God is with us at our head, and His priests and the trumpets of alarm to sound the alarm against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you cannot prevail. Some commentators note the dissimilar character of Abijah’s speech in its first part (verses 5–8) and in its second (verses 9–12), in which in the first Abijah speaks as a king—descendant of David, but in the second as a zealous champion of the cult of Jehovah and all the ritual prescribed in the Law; the latter they find particularly perplexing because, according to (1 Kgs 15:3), Abijah was an impious king, not averse to turning to pagan cults. Finally, they note the unnaturalness of the speech itself of the king of Judah to the hostile army, which had the appearance of a kind of proclamation, as well as the setting of the speech from the top of a mountain. These difficulties, which have a certain measure of validity, however, do not belong to the class of inexplicable: the sacred writer could regard Abijah here as the (political) head of the Kingdom of Judah, which, in contrast to the Kingdom of Israel, which introduced the unlawful cult of calves, remained faithful to the true worship of Jehovah, which was performed in Jerusalem in Solomon’s temple. Mount Zemaraim (LXX: Σομόρων Σομαρίμ, Slavonic: “Somori”, Vulgate: Somenon) in the hills of Ephraim (verse 4) probably lay near the city of this name in the territory of Benjamin ((Josh 18:22), compare “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. II, p. 110); the mention of this mountain among the hills of Ephraim and the path by which Abijah pursued Jeroboam shows that it lay on the border between the tribes of Ephraim and Benjamin (now Sumra, Onomasticon, 861), and the Israelite army was stationed to the east of it (see Prof. Gulyaev, “Historical Books”, p. 524). Covenant of salt (LXX: διαθήκη ἀλός, Vulgate: pactum salis), meaning eternal (as in Church Slavonic and Russian) appears in the Bible twice: here and in (Num 18:19) (compare (Lev 2:13)), where the eternal covenant of Jehovah with the priesthood of God’s people is spoken of (compare “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. I, p. 549). In both cases the meaning of the figurative expression can be explained from the property of salt, which preserves food from decay. Arabs even now, when making covenants with each other, confirm them by partaking of bread and salt (see Prof. Gulyaev, cited loc.). Thus “salt” served as a fitting symbol of the covenant of Jehovah with the people of Israel, whereas the general expression of this covenant was found in the sacrifice, hence the mandatory use of salt with every sacrifice (Lev 2:13). In particular, this covenant was expressed in the divinely appointed priesthood (Num 18:19) and in the theocratic royal power (2 Chr 13:5). Rehoboam is called (verse 7) “young and of tender heart” not on account of his actual youth (he was already 41 years old upon assuming the throne) (1 Kgs 14:21; 2 Chr 12:13), but on account of his inexperience in government (see “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. II, p. 424). Concerning the driving out of the priests of the Lord (verse 9) from the Kingdom of Israel, see (2 Chr 11:14-15) (compare (1 Kgs 12:31)). Regarding the appointing of new priests, Abijah reproves the Israelites not for the illegality of the method of appointing priests—the method of consecration indicated here does not differ from that indicated in (Exod 29:1-9) and (Lev 8:1-13) for the consecration of priests of the line of Aaron—but for the reason that in the ten-tribe kingdom the consecration was performed not in the name of Jehovah and those consecrated were not from the chosen line of Aaron and generally not from the tribe of Levi ((1 Kgs 12:31); compare further verse 10). In contrast to the Israelite apostasy from Jehovah, the Kingdom of Judah remained faithful to Him in its pure and complete cult and all its details: the divinely appointed priesthood, properly fulfilling its duties, the normal and continuous performance of worship according to the ordinance of Moses, according to the law of Jehovah (compare verses 11–12 with (Exod 27:21; Lev 8:35; Num 10:9; Deut 20:4)).

2 Chronicles 13:13. But Jeroboam sent an ambush around to come behind them; so they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 2 Chronicles 13:14. And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was in front of them and behind them; and they cried to the Lord, and the priests blew the trumpets. 2 Chronicles 13:15. Then the men of Judah raised the war cry. And when the men of Judah raised the cry, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 2 Chronicles 13:16. And the sons of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand. 2 Chronicles 13:17. And Abijah and his people inflicted a great slaughter upon them; and five hundred thousand men of Israel fell, all slain. 2 Chronicles 13:18. Thus the men of Israel were humbled at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers. The favorable outcome of the war for the Judeans was wholly the consequence of their faithfulness to Jehovah and their unshakeable trust in Him. In the picture of victory, according to Prof. Olesnitsky (“The Old Testament Temple”, p. 424), “there is something reminiscent of the ancient chronicle of the book of Joshua (verse 15): indeed, the sound of the priests’ trumpets (verse 14; compare (Num 10:9)) and the victorious shouts of the Judean army closely recall the circumstances of the fall of Jericho (Josh 6:3-20)”.

2 Chronicles 13:19. And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him: Bethel with its villages, and Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron with its villages. Concerning the location of Bethel ((Gen 28:19) and others) see “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. I, p. 166 and vol. II, pp. 45 and 427. The capture by the Judeans of Bethel, the center of Jeroboam’s cult of calves (1 Kgs 12:29), was clear testimony to both warring sides of the godlessness of this cult. Jeshanah (compare 1 Sam 7:12) is a city of the tribe of Judah; now, according to the supposition of C. Hannay, Ain-Sinia, about 5 versts to the north of Beitin, the ancient Bethel. Ephron or Ephraim ((John 11:54); Onomasticon, 459 and 183) is a city of the tribe of Benjamin to the northeast of Bethel (according to Eusebius, 5 miles from Bethel and 20 from Jerusalem); now et-Tayyibeh. Together with the cities their dependent villages (from the Hebrew “daughters”) of each were taken (compare Josh 15:45).

2 Chronicles 13:22. The rest of the acts of Abijah, and his way and his words, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo. Abijah reigned less than three years (“Commentary on the Bible”, vol. II, pp. 437–438). Concerning the chronological dates of the peace and the war of King Asa with Baasha (2 Chr 15:19), see the note to (1 Kgs 15:16-22). “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. II. The events of Asa’s reign, which are told in 3 Kings (1 Kgs 15:9-24) in a few verses, in 2 Chronicles comprise three entire chapters (XIV–XVI), due to the addition of factually documentary material. * * * “It is impossible on the basis of (2 Chr 13:11), which speaks of the lighting of one lampstand, to draw the conclusion that only one of the ten lampstands was used in worship; the mention of one lampstand here is made in relation to the law of Moses, which for the period of the tabernacle prescribed the use of one lampstand, but did not forbid the multiplication of lampstands with the further development of the solemnity of worship” (Prof. A.A. Olesnitsky, “The Old Testament Temple”, p. 318).

Chapter Fourteen

1–8. (Hebrew XIII, 23 – XIV, 1–7) The general character of Asa’s reign: pious zeal for the purity of the cult of Jehovah; the building of fortresses and Asa’s military strength. 9–15. (Hebrew 8–14) The invasion of Zerah and Asa’s brilliant victory over him.

2 Chronicles 14:1. And Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land had rest for ten years. 2 Chronicles 14:2. And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 2 Chronicles 14:3. For he removed the foreign altars and the high places, broke down the pillars, and cut down the Asherim. 2 Chronicles 14:4. And he commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment. 2 Chronicles 14:5. Also he removed from all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun-images. And the kingdom was quiet under him. 2 Chronicles 14:6. And he built fortified cities in Judah; for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years, for the Lord gave him peace. 2 Chronicles 14:7. Therefore he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls, towers, gates, and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us peace on every side.” And they built and prospered. 2 Chronicles 14:8. And Asa had an army of shields and spears from the tribe of Judah, three hundred thousand, and from the tribe of Benjamin, two hundred and eighty thousand, mighty men of valor. The characterization of Asa’s internal policy given in these verses is in general similar, sometimes even literally, to the parallel account (1 Kgs 15:9-13); see, for example, verses 2–3 with verses 11–12 of 3 Kings. What high places were destroyed by Asa (verse 5) and what were left by him (2 Chr 15:17), see “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. II, p. 439. The account of Asa’s construction of new fortifications and strengthening of his army (verses 6–7) does not appear in 3 Kings, and in 2 Chronicles has a documentary character, analogous to the account (2 Chr 11:5-11) of the state activity of Rehoboam.

2 Chronicles 14:9. And Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. 2 Chronicles 14:10. And Asa went out against him, and they drew up in battle formation in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 2 Chronicles 14:11. And Asa cried to the Lord his God, saying, “Lord, there is none like You to help, between the mighty and those who have no strength. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; let no man prevail against You.” 2 Chronicles 14:12. And the Lord defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 2 Chronicles 14:13. And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell, so that none remained alive; for they were destroyed before the Lord and before His army. And the Judeans carried away very much spoil. 2 Chronicles 14:14. And they destroyed all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the Lord fell upon them; and they plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. 2 Chronicles 14:15. They also attacked the tents of those who had livestock and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem. The name “Zerah the Ethiopian”, in Hebrew: Zerach Kuschi, LXX: Ζαρὲ ὁ Αἱθίοψ, Vulgate: Zara Aethiops, usually refers to Osorkon, the pharaoh of Egypt from the XXII dynasty, the successor of the well-known Susak or Shishak (1 Kgs 14:25-26; 2 Chr 12:2-12). That the Cushites and Zerah were from Egypt, in general from Africa, not from Asia, is evident from the fact that according to (2 Chr 16:8) they had Libyans participating in the campaign along with the Ethiopians now, as they did under Shishak (2 Chr 12:3), who had many military chariots (2 Chr 16:8). Egypt is indicated as the home of the enemy also by the fact that, according to verse 14, when the defeated enemy fled, they rushed through Gerar—a city on the southern border of Canaan (Gen 20:1), through which both Abraham and Isaac had journeyed to Egypt (compare Onomasticon, 344). The Egyptian monuments which preserved the account of the campaign of Shishak-Susak do not mention the campaign of Zerah-Osorkon. But the very name Osorkon (in Manetho—Osorton or Osorthos) was read on Egyptian monuments by Egyptologists Champollion, Lepsius and others, as the name of the pharaoh of the XXII dynasty, the son of Shishak. In favor of the identification of Osorkon and Zerah speaks not only the chronological coincidence, but also the Libyan origin of the XXII-named, so-called Bubastite, Egyptian dynasty: hence it is understandable the deliberate mention in (2 Chr 16:8) of the Libyans (verse 6). The decisive battle between the Judeans and the enemy took place at the fortified city of Mareshah (verses 9 and 10), which Rehoboam had strengthened (compare (2 Chr 11:8) and the comments to this passage, “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. III, p. 115), and ended, thanks to the miraculous help of God (verse 12), compare (2 Chr 13:15), in the complete defeat of the Egyptians; and the Judeans obtained rich plunder from this (verses 13–15). Zephathah—a valley near the city of Mareshah (Vulgate: in valle Sephata, quae est juxta Maresa). The LXX read differently, instead of the Hebrew Zephathah—another word Tsephona, to the north, and rendered: ἐν τῆ φάραγγι κατά Βορρᾶν Μαρησά, Slavonic: “in the defile to the north of Marisa”. It is possible that the LXX reading—which is a common noun—is closer to the meaning of the Hebrew original. In any case, the valley of Zephathah is entirely different from the city or Hormah of Zephath (Josh 12:14; Judg 1:17), which lay also within the territory of the tribe of Judah (Onomasticon, 445, 863; “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. II, pp. 76 and 154), now Sebet. * * * Notes In a different manner, and not without apparent validity, Zerah is discussed by Prof. Gulyaev, “Historical Books”, pp. 527–528.

Chapter Fifteen

1–7. The prophetic teaching of Azariah to Asa and the people concerning the dependence of the prosperity of the Kingdom of Judah on the faithfulness of Judah to Jehovah. 8–19. Asa’s pious zeal in putting in order the worship of Jehovah.

2 Chronicles 15:1. And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. 2 Chronicles 15:2. And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: “Hear me, O Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you are with Him; and if you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.” 2 Chronicles 15:3. For many days Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without the law. 2 Chronicles 15:4. But when in its distress it turned to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them. 2 Chronicles 15:5. In those days there was no peace for those who went out or came in, for great disturbances befell all the inhabitants of the lands. 2 Chronicles 15:6. Nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress. 2 Chronicles 15:7. But you—be strong and do not let your hands grow weak, for your work shall be rewarded. The prophet Azariah, besides being mentioned in this chapter, is also mentioned in (2 Chr 23:1), moved by the Spirit of God, addresses the people and King Asa—under the fresh impression of the miraculous victory (14)—with an exhortation to faithfulness to Jehovah and with a warning against apostasy from Him; verses 3–6 depict the state of confusion of the Kingdom of Judah during the invasion of Zerah, and the picture of God abandoning His people and the spiritual deprivation of the latter closely resembles the prophetic depictions of the state of Israel’s rejection (compare verse 3 with (Hos 3:4; Amos 8:11)).

2 Chronicles 15:8. When Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded the prophet, he took courage and removed all the abominations from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities that he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim, and he renewed the altar of the Lord that was before the vestibule of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 15:9. And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were sojourning with them, for great numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. 2 Chronicles 15:10. And they were gathered together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. 2 Chronicles 15:11. And they sacrificed to the Lord on that day, from the spoil that they had brought, seven hundred cattle and seven thousand sheep. 2 Chronicles 15:12. And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul. 2 Chronicles 15:13. And if anyone would not seek the Lord God of Israel, he should be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. 2 Chronicles 15:14. And they swore an oath to the Lord with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets, and with horns. 2 Chronicles 15:15. And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with their whole desire, and He was found by them. And the Lord gave them rest on every side. 2 Chronicles 15:16. And King Asa removed his mother Maacah from being queen mother because she had made an obscene image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image, crushed it, and burned it at the Wadi Kidron. 2 Chronicles 15:17. But the high places were not removed from Israel; nevertheless the heart of Asa was wholly devoted to the Lord all his days. 2 Chronicles 15:18. And he brought into the house of God the dedicated gifts of his father and his own dedicated gifts: silver, gold, and vessels. 2 Chronicles 15:19. And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa. The prophetic speech encouraged Asa and impelled him to zeal for the glory of Jehovah, to the renewal of a national covenant with Jehovah, and to the destruction of the remains of idolatry that had been preserved from the time of previous kings. In verse 8, according to the Hebrew Masoretic text, it reads: “Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded,” LXX: Ἀδάδ, so that some suppose that the impression made on Asa was produced not by the prophecy of Azariah, but by that of Oded (verse 1), his father: “it can be supposed,” says Prof. Gulyaev (“Historical Books of the Old Testament Scripture,” p. 530), “that here, besides the word of Azariah, some prophetic message from his father Oded, known in its time, is also meant.” But it is far more natural to see here a reference to the prophecy just related, (verses 1–7) of Azariah, son of Oded. Many manuscripts of the LXX, such as: XI, 52, 55, 60, 64, 71, 119, 121, 158, 243 (in Holmes’ edition), indeed insert the name of Azariah in verse 8; so do the Syriac translation and the Vulgate: prophetiam Azariae, filii Oded propheti (compare the Church Slavonic–Russian text). The twofold victory of the Judeans: under Abijah over the Israelites, and under Asa over the Egyptians, attracted many Israelites to settle in Judah (verse 9). The internal consequence of the prophetic preaching was all of Asa’s activity in the renewal of the altar (verse 8), in the restoration of the covenant of faithfulness to Jehovah with the obligation to impose the ban or theocratic penalty on apostates ((verses 12–14); compare (Deut 13)), in the organization of magnificent sacrifices (see 11) and solemn religious celebrations (verses 14–15). This is not directly stated in 3 Kings. Verses 16–18, on the other hand, repeat (1 Kgs 15:13-15). Concerning the high places removed and not removed by Asa, see the comments to (2 Chr 14:2); compare “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. II, p. 439.

Chapter Sixteen

1–6. Asa’s war with Baasha, king of Israel, and his alliance with the king of Syria. 7–10. The reproach of Asa by the seer and the latter’s imprisonment in jail. 11–14. Asa’s final days, his illness, and death.

2 Chronicles 16:1. In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 2 Chronicles 16:2. And Asa brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house, and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying: 2 Chronicles 16:3. “Let there be a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I send you silver and gold. Now, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.” 2 Chronicles 16:4. And Ben-hadad hearkened to King Asa, and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan, and Abel-maim, and all the store-cities of Naphtali. 2 Chronicles 16:5. And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah and ceased his work. 2 Chronicles 16:6. Then King Asa gathered all Judah, and they carried away the stones and timber of Ramah with which Baasha had been building, and with them he built Geba and Mizpah. Compare (1 Kgs 15:16-22). Concerning the chronological dates of Asa’s war with Baasha, see “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. II, pp. 439–440; compare Prof. Gulyaev, “Historical Books of the Scripture of the Old Testament”, p. 531. Concerning the location of the Israelite cities taken by the Syrian king, see the comments to (1 Kgs 15:20). “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. II, p. 441.

2 Chronicles 16:7. At that time the seer Hanani came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand.” 2 Chronicles 16:8. Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with exceedingly many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. 2 Chronicles 16:9. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose heart is wholly devoted to Him. You have done foolishly in this. For from now on you will have wars. 2 Chronicles 16:10. Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in the stocks, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa also oppressed some of the people at the same time. The seer Hanani lived and worked also under Asa’s son and successor, Jehoshaphat (2 Chr 19:2 and further). The cause and essence of his reproofs to Asa lay in the latter’s lack of faith in the protective action of God’s providence and in superstitious reliance on the help and power of a pagan king (see similar prophetic reproofs to the Israelite king Ahab (1 Kgs 20:35-43); the prophet Isaiah’s reproofs to the Judean king Hezekiah (2 Kgs 20:15-19)). Asa was all the more guilty of cowardly disbelief in God’s providence because in the war with Zerah he had a strikingly clear example of God’s miraculous help (verse 8; cf. chapter 14), which was explicitly taught to him by the prophet Azariah (2 Chr 15:1-7). In the words of the seer Hanani (verse 9) there is given a clear expression of the biblical teaching concerning God’s providential action, particularly in relation to pious people. The fact that Asa responded to the prophetic reproof with violence to the person of the prophet, as well as the other oppressions that he inflicted on some of the people (verse 10), shows that despite all his piety, Asa was not a typical truly theocratic king; for this reason Jesus Sirach does not include him among the best theocratic kings (Sir 49:5).

2 Chronicles 16:11. And behold, the acts of Asa, from first to last, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 2 Chronicles 16:12. And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but sought physicians. 2 Chronicles 16:13. And Asa slept with his fathers, dying in the forty-first year of his reign. 2 Chronicles 16:14. And they buried him in his own tomb which he had hewn out for himself in the city of David. And they laid him on a bed that was filled with various kinds of spices and fragrant ointments, which had been compounded in a perfumer’s art; and they made a very great burning for him. In the description of Asa’s illness (verse 12) attention is drawn partly to the particular acuteness of it (the illness—rheumatism of the legs or gout, see “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. II, p. 441), but chiefly to his already known (cf. verse 7) sin—the sin of self-reliance: the preference of human medical help over the all-healing power of God. In the account of Asa’s burial (verse 14) mention is made, first, of Asa’s own special tomb, which he himself had prepared, and second, there is a remarkable biblical-archaeological description of the burial rites of Hebrew kings (compare below (2 Chr 21:19) and (Jer 34:5)). Some scholars (among them Prof. Gulyaev, “Historical Books of the Scripture of the Old Testament”, pp. 533–534) on the basis of the burning of spices in honor of the king mentioned here and in the cited passages, supposed that there was a cremation of the king’s body, and that Hebrew kings and nobles in general were buried by cremation. But the only clear testimony to this method of burial is in the account (1 Sam 31:12) of the burial of Saul and his sons, who fell in battle, by the inhabitants of Jabesh: the case of burning of corpses was entirely exceptional here, brought about by a pious desire to protect the bodies from desecration at the hands of the Philistines. The reign of Asa’s son and successor, Jehoshaphat, to which 3 Kings devotes an extraordinarily brief account in a few verses (1 Kgs 22:41-50), 2 Chronicles devotes four chapters (2 Chr 17-20), supplementing the information in 3 Kings with both external events of Jehoshaphat’s reign and especially by depicting the internal—governmental and religiously-theocratic—activity of this pious king.

Chapter Seventeen

1–6. The distribution of troops by Jehoshaphat to the fortified cities; God’s help to Jehoshaphat for his piety. 7–9. The officials and Levites sent by Jehoshaphat teach the people the law of God. 10–12. Tribute from peoples subject to Jehoshaphat and the increase of his wealth and power. 13–19. The names of Jehoshaphat’s commanders and the number of his army.

2 Chronicles 17:1. And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place; and he strengthened himself against Israel. 2 Chronicles 17:2. He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which his father Asa had captured. The permanent army (verse 2) among the biblical Hebrews originates from the time of David (2 Sam 8:14-18): from that time, “besides the general obligation of every citizen of a certain age to go out to war, the kings had standing armies” (Prof. Gulyaev, “Historical Books of the Scripture of the Old Testament”, p. 554). Jehoshaphat had such a large regular force, according to verses 14–18, up to 1,160,000 men, and he could more easily provide a strong garrison not only to the properly Judean fortified cities, but also to the cities that belonged to the territory of the northern Kingdom of Israel, but had been taken from the Israelites by Jehoshaphat’s father Asa (2 Chr 15:8). Nevertheless, Jehoshaphat’s hostile relations to the Kingdom of Israel (verse 1) could have taken place only at the beginning of his reign, but then were replaced by friendly and allied relations on the basis of kinship between the ruling houses of both kingdoms and the commonality of political interests (see below (2 Chr 18:1-3); compare (1 Kgs 22:2-4); see “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. II, pp. 472–473), although the alliance of the pious king of Judah with the impious house of Ahab of Israel did not bring prosperity to the Kingdom of Judah.

2 Chronicles 17:3. And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and did not seek the Baals. 2 Chronicles 17:4. But he sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel. 2 Chronicles 17:5. And the Lord established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought him gifts, so he had very great wealth and honor. 2 Chronicles 17:6. And his heart was elevated in the ways of the Lord; moreover he also removed the high places and the Asherim from Judah. The piety of Jehoshaphat, which attracted God’s mercy to him and the Kingdom of Judah under him, was expressed, as it was with Asa, especially in zealous care for the purity of the worship of Jehovah not only from pagan elements that had been attached to it from the time of Solomon (1 Kgs 11:4-8), but also from the remnants of ancient superstition: “he also removed… the high places and the Asherim from Judah” (verse 6). However, like Asa (compare (2 Chr 14:3) and (2 Chr 15:17)), Jehoshaphat removed only pagan high places, not those dedicated from ancient times to Jehovah.

2 Chronicles 17:7. In the third year of his reign he sent his princes Benhail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah. 2 Chronicles 17:8. And with them the Levites: Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah; and with them the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 2 Chronicles 17:9. And they taught in Judah, having the book of the law of the Lord with them; and they went about through all the cities of Judah and taught the people. Here there is an exceptionally noteworthy account of Jehoshaphat’s measures to promote religious education among the people of Judah through the agency of a commission of royal officials, priests, and Levites sent by the king throughout all the cities with the book of the law. On the part of the king this was as much an act of political wisdom as it was, or even more, the fruit of his deep personal piety and religious zeal, in virtue of which he also organized the judicial branch in his state on religiously-theocratic principles (see below (2 Chr 19:5-11)). The priests and Levites, appearing here in religious instruction, fulfilled merely their direct duty of their office according to the law of Moses (Deut 33:9-10); although in the Old Testament generally little is said of the teaching activity of priests and Levites, their constant fulfillment of the mentioned important service duty cannot be doubted (the authenticity of the accounts (2 Chr 17:7-9) and (2 Chr 19:5-11) is questioned, for example, by Wellhausen because of his prejudiced view of the post-exilic origin of the so-called “Priestly Code”, that is, among the books of the Pentateuch, in particular the Levitical priesthood: Wellhausen, “Prolegomena zur Geschichte Israels”, 3rd edition, Berlin, 1886, p. 196. But Wellhausen’s theory no longer has the former credit and influence even in the West). As it is, the section (verses 14–18) with the roster of troops and military commanders, as is evident from the names of the latter, has undoubtedly the character of a documentary account. The simplicity and naturalness inherent in it in turn speak to the historical reliability of the fact related here. The participation of officials in the commission for popular education in the spirit of religion and law is explained by the high state significance of the measure undertaken by Jehoshaphat; besides, it was foreign to biblical-Hebrew antiquity to make a sharp distinction or antagonism between civil and religious relations, state and church, secular and spiritual education, as is the case in most European states; the idea of theocracy, which prevailed among the Hebrew people, on the contrary, very closely united all these, in the modern world often opposite, spheres of life. From the fact that the commission of priests takes with them the “book of the law of the Lord” (verse 9) and travels about the country with it, one can conclude that copies of the Bible were not yet widely distributed among the people.

2 Chronicles 17:10. And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, and they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. 2 Chronicles 17:11. And from the Philistines they brought gifts to Jehoshaphat and silver tribute; the Arabs also brought him flocks: seven thousand seven hundred sheep and seven thousand seven hundred goats. 2 Chronicles 17:12. And Jehoshaphat became increasingly great, and he built fortresses and store-cities in Judah. The consequence of Jehoshaphat’s internal measures for the promotion of religious education was the elevation of the authority of the Kingdom of Judah among the surrounding peoples—the Arabs and Philistines, who paid tribute to Jehoshaphat: thus internal organization of the state was accompanied by the same raising of the external prestige of the state as was the brilliant victory of Asa over Zerah (2 Chr 14:14).

2 Chronicles 17:13. Great numbers of stores were in the cities of Judah, and brave warriors in Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 17:14. And this is the enrollment of them by their fathers’ houses: Of Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, with three hundred thousand mighty men of valor. 2 Chronicles 17:15. Next to him was Jehohanan the commander, with two hundred eighty thousand. 2 Chronicles 17:16. Next to him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, who offered himself to the Lord, and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valor. 2 Chronicles 17:17. Of Benjamin: Eliada a mighty man of valor, and with him two hundred thousand men armed with bow and shield. 2 Chronicles 17:18. Next to him was Jehozabad, and with him one hundred eighty thousand armed men. 2 Chronicles 17:19. These were in the service of the king, besides those whom the king had placed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah. The number of active troops of Jehoshaphat shown here, more than a million (verses 14–18), raises serious questions and suggests scribal error in the numerical data of this passage. But the section itself (verses 14–18), with a list of troops and military commanders, as is evident from the names of the latter, has indisputably the character of a documentary account. Characteristic is the detail (verse 16): “Amasiah the son of Zichri, who offered himself to the Lord” (Hebrew hamitnaddeb lajhovah). According to the opinion of some commentators, this expression denotes his Nazirite vow; however, the parallel (Judg 5:2) (where the same verb “nadab” in the Hithpael form appears) permits us to see here the idea of military prowess, of military valor of the mentioned person.

Chapter Eighteen

Compare (1 Kgs 22:2-40)

The war of Jehoshaphat in alliance with Ahab the king of Israel against Syria is set forth with substantial similarity in 3 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Only a few minor differences in specific expressions can be pointed out.

2 Chronicles 18:1. And Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor; and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab. 2 Chronicles 18:2. And after some years he went down to Ahab to Samaria; and Ahab sacrificed much livestock for him and for the people who were with him, and incited him to go up to Ramoth-Gilead. 2 Chronicles 18:3. And Ahab the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah: Will you go with me to Ramoth-Gilead? And he said to him: As you are, so am I; as your people, so my people: I will go with you to war! Compare (1 Kgs 22:2-4). Jehoshaphat’s kinship with Ahab consisted in that the son of the former, Joram, was married to the daughter of the latter, Athaliah (2 Kgs 8:18; 2 Chr 21:6). Jehoshaphat’s alliance with the impious Ahab appears all the more rash in that his father Asa could have warned him by his own example, having been rebuked by the prophet Hanani for his alliance with the king of Syria, mentioned above (2 Chr 16:7). Later the seer Jehu the son of Hanani rebuked Jehoshaphat for this alliance, below (2 Chr 19:2).

2 Chronicles 18:4. And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel: Please inquire today what the Lord will say. 2 Chronicles 18:5. And the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them: Shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to war, or shall I refrain? And they said: Go up, and God will give it into the hand of the king. 2 Chronicles 18:6. And Jehoshaphat said: Is there not here another prophet of the Lord, that we might inquire of him? 2 Chronicles 18:7. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: There is still one man by whom we can inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, for he does not prophesy good about me, but always evil—this is Micaiah the son of Imlah. And Jehoshaphat said: Let not the king say so. 2 Chronicles 18:8. And the king of Israel called one of his eunuchs and said: Go quickly, bring Micaiah the son of Imlah. 2 Chronicles 18:9. Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, clothed in their royal garments, on the threshing floor at the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them. 2 Chronicles 18:10. And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made himself horns of iron and said: Thus says the Lord: With these you shall push Syria until they are destroyed. 2 Chronicles 18:11. And all the prophets prophesied the same, saying: Go up to Ramoth-Gilead; you shall prosper, and the Lord will give it into the hand of the king. Compare (1 Kgs 22:5-12). In verse 5 of 2 Chronicles the number of prophets is determined exactly: “four hundred men,” whereas in (3 Kings 22:6) it is stated approximately: “about four hundred men.”

2 Chronicles 18:12. The messenger who went to call Micaiah said to him: Behold, the prophets speak with one accord in favor of the king; let your word also be like one of theirs, and speak favorably. 2 Chronicles 18:13. And Micaiah said: As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me, that I will speak. 2 Chronicles 18:14. And he came to the king, and the king said to him: Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to war, or shall I refrain? And he said: Go up, you shall prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand. 2 Chronicles 18:15. And the king said to him: How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord? 2 Chronicles 18:16. Then Micaiah said: I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd, and the Lord said: These have no master; let them return each to his house in peace. 2 Chronicles 18:17. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but only evil? Compare (1 Kgs 22:14-18), “Explanatory Bible,” vol. II, pp. 474–475.

2 Chronicles 18:18. And Micaiah said: Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. 2 Chronicles 18:19. And the Lord said: Who will entice Ahab the king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead? And one spoke saying one thing, and another spoke saying another. 2 Chronicles 18:20. And one spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said: I will entice him. And the Lord said to him: By what means? 2 Chronicles 18:21. And he said: I will go out and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said: You shall entice him and shall prevail. Go forth and do so. 2 Chronicles 18:22. Now then, behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the Lord has spoken evil against you. 2 Chronicles 18:23. And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came up and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said: Which way did the Spirit of the Lord go from me to speak to you? 2 Chronicles 18:24. And Micaiah said: Behold, you shall see this in that day, when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself. 2 Chronicles 18:25. And the king of Israel said: Take Micaiah, and bring him to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son, 2 Chronicles 18:26. and say: Thus says the king: Put this man in prison and feed him with bread and water of affliction, until I return in peace. 2 Chronicles 18:27. And Micaiah said: If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me. And he said: Hear, all you people! Compare (1 Kgs 22:19-28), “Explanatory Bible,” vol. II, pp. 475–476.

2 Chronicles 18:28. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-Gilead. 2 Chronicles 18:29. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you put on your royal garments. So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. 2 Chronicles 18:30. And the king of Syria had commanded the commanders of his chariots, saying: Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel. 2 Chronicles 18:31. And when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said: It is the king of Israel! And they turned to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; God drew them away from him. 2 Chronicles 18:32. And when the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 2 Chronicles 18:33. And a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. And he said to the driver: Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded. 2 Chronicles 18:34. But the battle grew fierce that day. And the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening; and at sunset he died. Compare (1 Kgs 22:29-35). In verse 31 of 2 Chronicles there is a noteworthy addition to the words “Jehoshaphat cried out” (compare 1 Kgs 22:32); namely: “and the Lord helped him, and God drew them away from him.” This addition accurately characterizes Jehoshaphat’s cry as a prayer-filled outcry to the Lord, and the subsequent deliverance of Jehoshaphat presents itself as a direct work of the Lord.

Chapter Nineteen

1–3. Rebuking of Jehoshaphat by the seer Jehu for his allied participation with the king of Israel. 4–7. The appointment of judges by Jehoshaphat in the provincial cities of Judah. 8–10. Organization of the court in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 19:2. And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat: Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? For this, wrath has come upon you from the face of the Lord. Concerning the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani (perhaps this Hanani is the same as the prophet of this name who rebuked Asa (2 Chr 16:7-10)), he is mentioned in (1 Kgs 16:1) as a contemporary of the king of Israel Baasha. See “Explanatory Bible,” vol. II, pp. 442–443.

2 Chronicles 19:4. And Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. And again he went out among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers. 2 Chronicles 19:5. He appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, in each city, 2 Chronicles 19:6. and said to the judges: Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord; he is with you in the matter of judgment. 2 Chronicles 19:7. Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Act carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice, no partiality, and no bribery. Instead of the usual designation of the boundaries of all Palestine from north to south: “from Dan to Beersheba” (2 Sam 17:11; Judg 20:1), here (v. 4) for the territory of the southern kingdom of Judah alone a different expression is used: “from Beersheba (in the south) to the hill country of Ephraim” (in the north). According to the law of Deuteronomy (Deut 16:18) (see “Explanatory Bible,” vol. I, p. 620) the appointment of judges in provincial cities pertained to the sphere of local self-government: judges were elected by the local population itself. Jehoshaphat apparently replaced the elective principle with a system of judge appointments by royal authority (cf. Prof. Gulyaev, “Historical Books of the Sacred Scripture of the Old Testament,” p. 539). In this the king’s exhortations to the newly appointed judges were drawn up in phrases borrowed from the same book of Deuteronomy (cf. vv. 6–7 with (Deut 1:17)). The pious king laid at the foundation of the undertaken reform the beginning of the law of God. The bureaucratic system of managing the country had already been introduced by David ((2 Sam 8:13-18); “Explanatory Bible,” vol. II, pp. 317–318) and under Solomon received very complex development ((1 Kgs 4:2) and further; “Explanatory Bible,” vol. II, pp. 378 and further). Jehoshaphat’s reform was probably called forth partly by the major changes in the life of the ancient Hebrew people which were connected with the fact that at the time of his great-grandfather Rehoboam there occurred the division of the heretofore united Hebrew kingdom into two: the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom of Israel; it could also be conditioned by the internal development of the people and country; the Mosaic laws respecting the civil organization of the Hebrew people in no way intended to determine once and for all the entire order of national life; rather, the lawgiver gave full and broad opportunity for life itself to work out, as needed, new forms. Therefore there is nothing more natural than the religious-legal reform of King Jehoshaphat, and the doubts of some Western biblical scholars (Graf, Wellhausen, Stade, see at the latter in his History of the People Israel, Vol. I, pp. 18, 81–83; cf. W. Nowack, Textbook of Biblical Archaeology, Vol. I, p. 323) about the historical reliability of this account in 2 Chronicles chapters 17 and 19, as well as other reports of Chronicles which are not confirmed by parallel accounts in the books of Kings, are entirely without foundation.

2 Chronicles 19:8. And in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests and heads of the families of Israel for the judgment of the Lord and for disputes. And they returned to Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 19:9. He commanded them, saying: You shall do so in the fear of the Lord, in faithfulness, and with a whole heart: 2 Chronicles 19:10. and in every case that comes to you from your brothers who live in their cities concerning bloodshed, law, commandment, statutes, and ordinances, you shall instruct them, that they may not incur guilt before the Lord, and wrath may not come upon you and your brothers; so you shall do, and you will not incur guilt. 2 Chronicles 19:11. And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the Lord, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the leader of the house of Judah, is over you in all the king’s matters. The Levite officers shall serve before you. Act with courage, and the Lord will be with the good. In the same principles Jehoshaphat organized a national tribunal in Jerusalem, perhaps subordinating to it the provincial courts as lower instances. The rabbis in the Jerusalem tribunal (cf. Deut 17:8-13) saw the prototype of the later great Jerusalem Sanhedrin, and in the provincial courts (cf. Deut 16:18) the foreimage of the so-called Lesser Sanhedrins of a later time (see Prof. Gulyaev, pp. 539–540; cf. “Explanatory Bible,” vol. I, p. 630). Verse 8 at the end is read differently in the Russian Bible as “and they returned to Jerusalem,” otherwise in the Slavonic: “let them judge those who live in Jerusalem.” The latter is the precise translation of the LXX κρίνειν τοὺς οἰκοῦντας ἐν Ιερουσαλημ, and the Vulgate translation agrees with the LXX: judicerent habitatoribus ejus. Evidently the LXX read instead of the Hebrew verb schuw (to return) the verb jaschaw—to dwell, to remain. The latter reading is also quite acceptable, but the Hebrew-Russian is better supported by the context (in verse 4 it is said that Jehoshaphat went among the people, consequently, he left Jerusalem, and according to verse 8 he returned to it). In favor of the Hebrew-Russian reading the testimony of Josephus, “Antiquities of the Jews,” Book IX, 1, 1 also speaks.

Chapter Twenty

1–28. The allied war of the Moabites, Ammonites, and Edomites against Jehoshaphat and its fortunate outcome for him. 29–37. The duration, piety, and glory of Jehoshaphat’s reign; another ill-advised alliance with the house of Ahab and prophetic rebuke to him.

2 Chronicles 20:1. After this the Moabites and the Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for war. 2 Chronicles 20:2. Some men came and told Jehoshaphat: A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Edom; and behold, they are in Hazazon-Tamar (that is, Engedi). The campaign of Jehoshaphat described here some researchers (for example, Gesenius) identified with the account given in (2 Kgs 3) of the allied campaign of Jehoshaphat together with Joram and the king of Edom against the Moabites. But, while there are some points of similarity in both accounts, each of them has its distinctive features which do not permit identifying them. Thus here one must see an independent fact, not mentioned in the books of Kings. Its indication is found not without reason in the psalm (Ps 82) (Heb. 83), where verses (Ps 82:7-9) just as in (2 Chr 20:1), among the enemies arrayed against the people of God, Moab, Ammon, and Edom are named, as well as in the psalm (Ps 47:4-7) (Heb. 48), where also one can see indications of Jehoshaphat’s victory over allies (see N. I. Troitsky, “Psalter. Consecutive Explanation of the Slavonic Text,” Tula, 1904, pp. 226–227). The allied forces undertaking war against Jehoshaphat (v. 1) consisted of Moabites, Ammonites (v. 1), inhabitants of Seir (that is, Edomites) (vv. 10–23), and “some from the country of Moab” (v. 1). The last expression in Hebrew, in the Vulgate and Slavonic texts reads: some of the Ammonites (Heb.: Mehaammonim, Vulgata: de Ammoniis, Slav.: “from the Ammonites”), which does not give a satisfactory sense: the Ammonites have already been mentioned earlier in the same verse. The LXX renders: ἐκ τῶν Μιναίων (however, in codices 44, 74, 106, 120, 121, 134, 234: ἐκ τῶν Ἀμμανίτων). The Minaeans were called the inhabitants of the region of Maon, found in the southern part of the portion of the tribe of Judah, to the southeast of Hebron ((Josh 15:55; 1 Sam 23:25); “Explanatory Bible,” vol. II, pp. 98, 285 and 287; Onomasticon, 696). In this region there still remained descendants of the former inhabitants, who, when the opportunity arose, rebelled against the Judeans who had subjugated them. Accepting thus the correctness of the LXX reading, as well as of the Russian Synodal translation—“from the country of Moab,” the difference between them and the Hebrew-Masoretic text can be explained from the transposition of one Hebrew letter: עמק and מעק (see Prof. Gulyaev, pp. 540–541; cf. Fr. Böttcher, “New Exegetical-Critical Gleaning from the Old Testament,” 1865, p. 233). The enemies came “from beyond the sea, from Syria” (v. 2), that is, from the eastern side of the Dead Sea, where the Moabites and Ammonites dwelt. Instead of “from Syria” (Heb. me—Aram) Calmet read “from Edom” (me—Edom): such a substitution of one word for another, possible in view of the closeness of the Hebrew letters daleth and resh, makes the subsequent participation of the Edomites in the coalition clearer (vv. 10, 23). The ancient Chaldean translation, guided perhaps by this consideration, in v. 1 replaces the word Ammon with the word Edom. Hazazon-Tamar (LXX: Ἀσασὰν Θαμάρ, Slav.: “Asasan-Tamar”)—a designation found also only in (Gen 14:7), (cf. “Explanatory Bible,” vol. I, pp. 94–95)—the ancient name of a locality and city, later known by the name En-Gedi (“spring of the wild goat”; (Josh 15:62; 1 Sam 24:1)) in the so-called Wilderness of Judah, on the western shore of the Dead Sea, now Ain-Jidi (Onomasticon, 401, 143. “Explanatory Bible,” vol. II, pp. 100, 285); the ancient name Hazazon-Tamar indicated the wealth of this locality in palm trees.

2 Chronicles 20:3. Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 2 Chronicles 20:4. And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. 2 Chronicles 20:5. And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 2 Chronicles 20:6. and said: O Lord, God of our fathers! Are you not God in heaven? And do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In your hand is power and might, and no one is able to withstand you! 2 Chronicles 20:7. Did you not, O God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the offspring of Abraham your friend? 2 Chronicles 20:8. And they have dwelt in it and built you there a sanctuary for your name, saying: 2 Chronicles 20:9. If disaster comes upon us, the sword of judgment, or pestilence, or famine, then we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear and save. 2 Chronicles 20:10. Now behold, the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir, whom you did not allow Israel to invade when they came from the land of Egypt, but whom they avoided and did not destroy— 2 Chronicles 20:11. behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. 2 Chronicles 20:12. O our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless against this great multitude that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. 2 Chronicles 20:13. And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their sons. The account given here of a public fast instituted by Jehoshaphat in consequence of the invasion of Judah by the mentioned enemies (as a result of which God granted the Judeans a miraculous victory without battle—vv. 22–25) seems to some researchers (for example, C. P. Gramberg, “The Chronicle Examined Anew According to Its Historical Character and Its Credibility,” Halle 1823, pp. 15–17) to be unreliable and is considered an argument for the too-late origin of the books of Chronicles on the ground that supposedly in the books of Sacred Scripture written before the Captivity, mention is made only of fasts undertaken to express mourning, sorrow (e.g., (Judg 20:26; 2 Sam 12:16)), but not of fasts with the purposes and consequences indicated in (2 Chr 20:3); such “superstitious” fasts among the Hebrews allegedly became customary only in the 2nd century before Christ. But such an objection is conditioned by Protestant denial of fasting in general, as well as by deistic understanding of the relationship of God to the world and people. With an unbiased view, the biblical accounts of fasting, both those before the Captivity (for example, (Lev 16; Judg 20:26; 2 Sam 12:16; Joel 2:12) and others) and those after the Captivity, such as (2 Chr 20:3), prove to be identical in essence and meaning of the events reported: everywhere one understands fasting joined with prayer, repentance, contrition of heart, and correction of sinful life (see Rev. Prof. A. S. Tsarevsky, “The Origin and Composition of the First and Second Books of Chronicles,” Kiev, 1878, pp. 7–10). Just such a character of fasting appears in this case, v. 3–4: here the fast is joined with universal (v. 13) prayer in the temple “before the new court” (v. 5). By the latter is understood, probably, not the third court, the so-called court of women and gentiles (opinion of Cleric), concerning the existence of which in the first Jerusalem temple nothing is known, but the same outer or “external” (Ezek 10:5), otherwise “lower” (Ezek 40:19), built by Solomon and perhaps slightly renewed by Asa, in distinction from the “upper” (Jer 36:10) or “internal” (1 Kgs 6:36), that is, priestly court ((2 Chr 4:9); see Prof. Olesnitsky, “The Old Testament Temple,” p. 335; cf. “Explanatory Bible,” vol. II, p. 392). The prayer of Jehoshaphat itself (vv. 6–12), like the prayer of Solomon at the dedication of the temple (1 Kgs 8:22-53; 2 Chr 6:12-42), with which it is in some places almost word-for-word identical (cf. v. 9 and (2 Chr 6:28)), expresses a pure biblical understanding of the relationship of God to the world and especially to the chosen people of God and true faith in the gracious providence of the Lord over his people, the founder of which Abraham was “the friend of God” v. 7, (Isa 41:8; Jas 2:23). In verse 10 there is a reference to the historical fact of the Hebrews’ passage through the land of Edom by the command of God upon their entry into Canaan ((Deut 2:4-8); “Explanatory Bible,” vol. I, p. 598).

2 Chronicles 20:14. Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly; 2 Chronicles 20:15. and he said: Hear me, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: Do not fear and do not be dismayed at this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:16. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley, before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 2 Chronicles 20:17. You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord, granted to you. Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you. 2 Chronicles 20:18. And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord to worship the Lord. 2 Chronicles 20:19. And the Levites, of the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord the God of Israel with a very loud voice. 2 Chronicles 20:20. And they rose early in the morning and went out to the Wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said: Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed. According to verse 14, the prophet Jahaziel descended from the line of Asaph (cf. 1 Chr 25:2), which, as is known, came from the Levites and was one of the chiefs of the choir under David (1 Chr 6:39; 2 Chr 5:12). The name of Asaph stands at the heading of 12 psalms (49, 72–82), including the already-mentioned 82nd psalm, in which, as has been said, one can see a reflection of the fact of the invasion of the allies against Jehoshaphat and his victory over them. Thus, the prophet Jahaziel, an Asaphite (a descendant of Asaph in the 4th generation (1 Chr 25:2)), could have been the composer of Psalm 82, and consequently the historical reliability of the account (2 Chr 20) is beyond all doubt. Filled with the Spirit of God (v. 14), Jahaziel declares the impending war against the Judeans to be God’s war (v. 15), accordingly, the means of struggle must be spiritual weapons of prayer (vv. 19–21). Verse 16. The location of the height of Ziz (or Hazaziz) and the Wilderness of Jeruel cannot be determined with precision. The former is indicated in the present Wadi hasasa to the southeast of Tekoa (v. 20). In any case, both localities lay on the southern border of Judah—with Edom.

2 Chronicles 20:21. After consulting with the people, he appointed singers to the Lord and praisers in holy attire, to go before the armed forces, saying: Give thanks to the Lord, for his mercy endures forever! 2 Chronicles 20:22. And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were routed. 2 Chronicles 20:23. For the Ammonites and Moabites rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, destroying and annihilating them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they also destroyed one another. 2 Chronicles 20:24. And when Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness and looked out toward the multitude, behold, they were lying dead on the ground with no survivors. 2 Chronicles 20:25. And Jehoshaphat and his people came to carry away their spoils, and they found among them, in great abundance, goods, clothing, and precious jewels, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more. And the plunder was so great that it took them three days to carry it away. 2 Chronicles 20:26. On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, because there they blessed the Lord. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Beracah to this day. 2 Chronicles 20:27. Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at their head, returned to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies. 2 Chronicles 20:28. And they came to Jerusalem with harps and lyres and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. The actual event fully justified the prophecy: division arose among the allied enemy forces and they destroyed themselves (cf. (Judg 7:22)); see “Explanatory Bible,” vol. II, pp. 174–175, 490). In verse 25, in the enumeration of the spoils taken by the Judeans, according to the Hebrew text the bodies (Heb. pegarim) are named. Such a juxtaposition seems strange and suggests a clerical error in the accepted Masoretic text. Indeed, in codices 80, 155, 157, 178, 270, 271, 283, 288, 300 at Kennicott and codices 554, 590, 737, 789 at Rossi instead of pegarim (bodies) is read begadim (garments) (the confusion of these two words in ancient Hebrew script was very possible due to the similarity of bet to pe and daleth to resh). The latter reading is accepted by the LXX (ἀποσκευήν), the Vulgate (vestes) and the Slavonic text (“garments”). It should be considered the original (cf. Prof. Gulyaev, p. 544). “Valley of Beracah” (Heb. emeq-berachah): (v. 25), or, according to Josephus (“Antiquities of the Jews,” vol. IX, ch. 1, 3), “valley of praise,” is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible, but its trace is indicated in the present Wadi Barekut, to the south of Tekoa.

2 Chronicles 20:29. And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the Lord himself had fought against the enemies of Israel. 2 Chronicles 20:30. And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, and his God gave him rest on all sides. Compare (2 Chr 14:14).

2 Chronicles 20:31. So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. 2 Chronicles 20:32. And he walked in the way of his father Asa and did not depart from it, doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 20:33. Nevertheless, the high places were not removed, and the people did not yet set their hearts firmly on the God of their fathers. 2 Chronicles 20:34. The rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, are written in the records of Jehu the son of Hanani, which are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel. 2 Chronicles 20:35. After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly. 2 Chronicles 20:36. And he joined with him in building ships to go to Tarshish, and they built the ships in Ezion-Geber. 2 Chronicles 20:37. Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying: Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy your works. And the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish. Here is given an account parallel to that contained in (1 Kgs 22:41-50) (see “Explanatory Bible,” vol. II, pp. 477–478). Only in (2 Chr 20:37) is added the prophetic rebuke of Eliezer to Jehoshaphat for the impious alliance with Ahaziah of Israel, as a consequence of which the destruction of the naval enterprise (fleet) of the allies resulted. Cf. (Ps 47:8). Concerning the Hebrew fleet see commentaries in “Explanatory Bible,” vol. II, pp. 412, 415, 416.

Chapter Twenty-One

1–20. The impious reign of Joram, the 5th king of Judah.

2 Chronicles 21:1. And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Joram his son reigned in his place. 2 Chronicles 21:2. And he had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat, king of Israel. 2 Chronicles 21:3. And their father gave them large gifts of silver, gold, and precious things, together with fortified cities in Judah; but the kingdom he gave to Joram, because he was the firstborn. 2 Chronicles 21:4. And Joram established himself over the kingdom of his father, and he strengthened himself and slew all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the princes of Israel. Verse 1 is a literal repetition of (1 Kgs 22:50) (cf. (2 Kgs 8:16)). The following accounts (vv. 2–4) concerning the sons of Jehoshaphat, their reward by the father, and the fratricide of Joram are found only in 2 Chronicles, as pertaining to the sphere of the family records of the royal house. In rewarding his younger sons with gifts and properties (v. 3), Jehoshaphat could have been guided by the example of Rehoboam (above (2 Chr 11:23)), but, in contrast to the latter and David (1 Kgs 1:32-35), he appointed his firstborn Joram as heir to the throne (v. 3), although the succession to the throne did not necessarily belong to the elder of the king’s sons (cf. “Explanatory Bible,” vol. II, pp. 362–363). In verse 2, according to the Hebrew and Russian texts, Jehoshaphat is called “king of Israel”: he was called thus only in the general sense: Hebrew, but not in the special sense: king of the ten-tribe kingdom. Codices 71, 82, 150 and many others at Kennicott and Rossi, as well as the translations LXX, Vulgate, and the Slavonic, call Jehoshaphat (verse 2) “king of Judah.” The cruel slaughter of all his brothers undertaken by Joram with ambitious and avaricious motives is not unusual in the history of ruling dynasties of the East, ancient and modern: in a similar manner subsequently acted the bloodthirsty wife of Joram, Athaliah (2 Kgs 11:1; 2 Chr 22:10); see “Explanatory Bible,” vol. II, p. 513.

2 Chronicles 21:5. Joram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 21:6. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab did, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife, and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 21:7. Yet the Lord was unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and since he had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever. 2 Chronicles 21:8. In his days Edom revolted from the rule of Judah, and set up their own king. 2 Chronicles 21:9. And Joram went out with his commanders and all his chariots with him. He arose by night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded him and his chariot commanders. 2 Chronicles 21:10. So Edom revolted from the rule of Judah to this day. At that time Libnah also revolted from his rule, because he had abandoned the Lord, the God of his fathers. Literally similar to (2 Kgs 8:17-22), (“Explanatory Bible,” vol. II, pp. 505–509).

2 Chronicles 21:11. Moreover, he made high places in the hills of Judah and led the inhabitants of Jerusalem into unfaithfulness, and seduced Judah. 2 Chronicles 21:12. And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying: Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 2 Chronicles 21:13. but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel and have led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem into unfaithfulness, as the house of Ahab did, and have killed your brothers, members of your father’s house, who were better than yourself, 2 Chronicles 21:14. behold, the Lord will strike a great blow to your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions, 2 Chronicles 21:15. and you yourself shall be struck with a severe disease, a disease of your bowels, so that your bowels will come out because of the disease, day after day. The letter of rebuke from the prophet Elijah to Joram of Judah occasioned much perplexity and gave rise to various exegetical conjectures in view of the fact that, according to the common opinion (though directly unsupported in the biblical text), the rapture of the prophet Elijah to heaven (2 Kgs 2:1-11) occurred while Jehoshaphat was still alive. To remove this apparent inconsistency, ancient rabbis supposed that the letter was sent by the already-deceased prophet from heaven through an angel; others (Kimchi, Buddei, Michaelis, Dereser, Keip) conjectured that the prophet Elijah, still during his lifetime, by foreknowledge wrote a letter of rebuke to Joram and entrusted it for safekeeping to one of his disciples, who in due time sent it to its destination. Grotius, on the contrary, supposed that Joram received the letter from Elijah only in a vision, while Cleric allowed an error in the biblical text of v. 12: the name of Elijah, according to him, was inserted later in place of the original name of Elisha. But in all these rather shaky and risky suppositions there is hardly any real necessity: it is possible that the prophet Elijah was still alive at the very beginning of Joram’s reign in Judah—in the chronology of the latter’s reign this supposition encounters no difficulties (cf. commentary to (2 Kgs 1:17) in “Explanatory Bible,” vol. II, p. 482); the year of the rapture of the prophet Elijah is unknown (see G. K. Vlastov, “Sacred Annals,” vol. four, part II, SPB, 1893, p. 91). That the prophet Elijah does not appear to Joram of Judah personally (as he appeared to the kings of Israel Ahab and Ahaziah), but writes to him, is self-evident: the prophet Elijah lived and worked only in the kingdom of Israel, and even in the moment of persecution against him, he did not move to Judah for any protracted time. As for the content of the letter, the prophet rebukes the king of Judah for two crimes: 1) apostasy from the Lord and leading the people into the sin of idolatry (vv. 12–13, see v. 11), and 2) fratricide (v. 13, see v. 4), and accordingly foretells him and his house and people twofold punishment: 1) a great strike to the people and family of Joram (v. 14) and 2) a terrible, chronic, incurable, fatal disease of the intestines to Joram himself (v. 15). Both parts of the prophecy were fulfilled in full exactness.

2 Chronicles 21:16. And the Lord stirred up against Joram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabians who are next to the Ethiopians; 2 Chronicles 21:17. and they came up against Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions found in the king’s house, along with his sons and his wives; so that no son was left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons. Concerning the raid of the Philistines and Arabians, neighbors of the Ethiopians (according to the context of speech here the Ethiopians—not the African inhabitants or inhabitants of Ethiopia, but the Asiatic—inhabitants of Arabia), on Judah under Joram, 2 Chronicles alone speaks. The enemies captured not only possessions, but almost the entire family of the king, except for his wife (Athaliah) and the youngest son Joahaz, as he is called in the accepted Masoretic text and in the Vulgate, or Ahaziah, as more accurately render the LXX and the Slavonic text. In (2 Chr 22:1) and in the Hebrew text stands the designation Ahaziah (the latter is also read in v. 17 according to codex 332 at Kennicott).

2 Chronicles 21:18. And after all this the Lord smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease. 2 Chronicles 21:19. In the course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels fell out because of the disease, and he died in severe agony; and his people made no fire in his honor, as they had done for his fathers. 2 Chronicles 21:20. He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he departed without being lamented, and was buried in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. The nature and essence of the chronic disease of the bowels that befell Joram (an account of which is found only in 2 Chronicles) can scarcely be determined in the terms of modern medical science. However, the majority of researchers see here a chronic dysentery with general peritonitis and perforation of the intestines, wherein often part of the intestines affected with gangrene becomes separated and issues through the anus (cf. v. 19—on the falling out of the bowels). See T. Popov, “Biblical Data on Various Illnesses and Their Treatment,” Kiev, 1904, p. 102. The biblical view places foremost the perspective that Joram’s disease was a punishment for his impiety. According to the Blessed Jerome, “to waste away from prolonged disease and infirmity is a sign of the wrath of God. Therefore Joram, son of Jehoshaphat, dies from prolonged disease” (Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, Russian translation, part 7, ed. 2, Kiev, 1906, p. 347). A manifestation or consequence of God’s judgment upon Joram was also the contempt of him by the people, who did not render to his remains the usual royal honors (vv. 19–20), in a similar manner later Joash (2 Chr 24:24-25) and Jehoiakim (Jer 22:18) were deprived of royal burial; the latter was buried with “the burial of a donkey” (Jer 22:19). Joram died at the age of 40 (v. 20).

Chapter Twenty-Two

1–9. The reign of Ahaziah, the 7th king of Judah, his impious alliance with the king of Israel and his death at the hand of Jehu. 10–12. The bloody reign of the cruel Athaliah.

2 Chronicles 22:1. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his younger son, king in his place, because the raiding party that came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the older sons; therefore Ahaziah son of Joram, king of Judah, became king. See above (2 Chr 21:17) and the commentary on this verse in “Expository Bible,” vol. III, p. 139.

2 Chronicles 22:2. Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Athaliah, daughter of Omri. According to the Hebrew text and the Vulgate, Ahaziah was 42 years old when he became king, yet according to verse 20 of chapter 21, his father Joram was forty years old when he died; consequently his son would have been considerably younger at that time. According to (2 Kgs 8:26) Ahaziah became king at twenty-two years. The date “22” appears in the marginal annotations of the Rossi codex 500. The same date is accepted by the LXX in the Alexandrian codex and manuscripts 19, 55, 93, 108 (in the accepted Greek text we have: ὢv ἐτῶν εἴκοσι – about 20 years); it is retained in the Slavonic and Russian texts, and the parallel passage (2 Kgs 8:26) fully confirms this reading. The error in the Masoretic text could easily have arisen from the confusion of letters כ (kaph, 20) and מ (mem, 40).

2 Chronicles 22:3. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in wicked deeds. 2 Chronicles 22:4. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahab; for they were his advisors after the death of his father, to his ruin. The impious character of Ahaziah’s one-year (cf. v. 4) reign is depicted here in the same manner as in the parallel passage (2 Kgs 8:27), but with the additional remark that his impiety was formed under the influence of Athaliah and other family members of the house of Ahab.

2 Chronicles 22:5. Following their counsel, he went with Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel, to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead. And the Syrians wounded Joram, 2 Chronicles 22:6. and he returned to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds he had received at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah son of Joram king of Judah went down to see Joram son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick. Concerning the fatal journey of Judah’s Ahaziah with Israel’s Joram to war against the Syrians, the account here is the same as in (2 Kgs 8:28-29). At the end of verse 5, the Hebrew word harammim, rendered in the Chaldean, Vulgate, and Russian texts as the proper name “Aramites,” that is, Syrians, is taken by the LXX as a common noun from the root ramah, “to throw,” and rendered as τοξόται; in the Slavonic text: “archers.” In verse 6, in the accepted Hebrew text Ahaziah is called Azariah (Calmet therefore supposes that this king had three names: Ahaziah, Jehoahaz, Azariah), but probably in error by a copyist. In codices 2, 17, 80, 82, 219, 224 (marginal note), 235 (marginal note), 246, 531, 602, 607, 228, 590 in Kennicott; 196, 554, 737, 380 in de Rossi stands the name Achazijahu – Ahaziah; so also in the LXX, in the Vulgate, Slavonic, and Russian texts.

2 Chronicles 22:7. And it was God’s doing that Ahaziah came to his ruin by going to Joram. For when he arrived, he went out with Joram against Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. 2 Chronicles 22:8. When Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers attending on Ahaziah, and he killed them. 2 Chronicles 22:9. And he searched for Ahaziah, and they captured him (for he was hiding in Samaria) and brought him to Jehu, and killed him. They buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart.” And the house of Ahaziah had no one able to rule the kingdom. Cf. (2 Kgs 9:21-28). See “Expository Bible,” vol. II, p. 511.

2 Chronicles 22:10. Now when Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, she set about to destroy all the royal family of the house of Judah. 2 Chronicles 22:11. But Jehoshabeath, the king’s daughter, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes being killed, and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus Jehoshabeath, daughter of King Joram, wife of the priest Jehoiada, sister of Ahaziah, hid Joash from Athaliah, so that she did not kill him. 2 Chronicles 22:12. And he remained hidden with them in the house of God for six years; while Athaliah reigned over the land. Cf. (2 Kgs 11:1-3). “Expository Bible,” vol. II, p. 513. From verse 11 we learn for the first time that Jehoshabeath was the wife of the high priest Jehoiada; this is not mentioned in (2 Kgs 11:2). The spelling of the name Jehoshabeath is not uniform in the Hebrew text of 4 Kings (Iehoscheva) and 2 Chronicles: Iehoschavath. This mention is entirely consistent with the documentary character of the book of Chronicles, particularly in its genealogical aspect.

Chapter Twenty-Three

1–11. The reign of Joash, the 8th king of Judah. 12–15. The destruction of Athaliah. 13–21. The first steps of the young king and his piety and devotion to the theocracy.

2 Chronicles 23:1. But in the seventh year Jehoiada took courage and entered into a covenant with the commanders of hundreds: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri. While the narrative in the chapter (2 Chr 23) about the political revolution in the Kingdom of Judah carried out by the high priest Jehoiada shows general and often word-for-word similarity with the narrative in the chapter (2 Kgs 11) concerning this same event (see “Expository Bible,” vol. II, p. 513–515), the narrative of 2 Chronicles has certain distinctive features in content and especially in presentation compared with 4 Kings. These features relate partly to the documentary character that particularly distinguishes the book of Chronicles, and partly to the theocratic and priestly perspective equally characteristic of these books. In the first respect, it is significant that in verse 1 all the participants in Jehoiada’s conspiracy are named. As for the chronological date of the event, in the accepted text of the LXX it is designated as the eighth year of Athaliah’s reign (ἐν τ῀ ἔτει τῶ ὀγδόω), but in codices XI, 19, 52, 55, 60, 64, 71, 74, 93, 106, 108, 119, 120, 121, 134, 158, 236, 243 in Holmes, in the Alexandrian, Aldine, and Complutensian codices, in the Vulgate, Slavonic, and Russian texts, in agreement with the Hebrew text, the seventh year is named.

2 Chronicles 23:2. And they went through Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the heads of the families of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. Here two new circumstances, not noted in 4 Kings, concerning the revolution undertaken at the initiative of the high priest Jehoiada. First: the preparatory agitation in favor of this revolution by the commanders named in verse 1; the Levites and priests, together with the heads of the people’s families, who came to Jerusalem for this purpose, became involved in the movement. Such participation of priests and Levites in the political movement organized at the initiative of the high priest was quite natural and merely happened to be omitted in 4 Kings. The invitation of all the mentioned persons to Jerusalem could have been connected with some festival, so the secrecy of the state enterprise could remain unbroken. In codex 240 in Kennicott, to the words (v. 2) “came to Jerusalem” is added: “the whole assembly” (kol qahal).

2 Chronicles 23:3. And the whole assembly made a covenant in the house of God with the king. And he said to them: “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the Lord has spoken concerning the sons of David.” 2 Chronicles 23:4. This is what you shall do: a third of you, those coming on the Sabbath, priests and Levites, shall be gatekeepers at the thresholds, 2 Chronicles 23:5. and a third at the king’s house and a third at the Gate Foundation; and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 23:6. And let no one enter the house of the Lord except the priests and those of the Levites who minister; they may enter, for they are consecrated. But all the people shall keep watch over the Lord. 2 Chronicles 23:7. And the Levites shall surround the king on every side, each with his weapons in his hand; and whoever enters the temple shall be put to death. And you shall be with the king in his coming and going. 2 Chronicles 23:8. And the Levites and all Judah did according to all that the priest Jehoiada commanded; and they each took his men, those coming on the Sabbath with those going off on the Sabbath, for the priest Jehoiada did not dismiss the courses. 2 Chronicles 23:9. And the priest Jehoiada distributed to the commanders of hundreds the spears and the small and large shields that had been King David’s, which were in the house of God; 2 Chronicles 23:10. and he stationed all the people, each with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, near the altar and near the temple, all around the king. 2 Chronicles 23:11. And they brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him and gave him the covenant; and they proclaimed him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said: “Long live the king!” 2 Chronicles 23:12. And when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she went into the house of the Lord to the people, 2 Chronicles 23:13. and behold, the king was standing by his pillar at the entrance, with the commanders and the trumpets beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and the singers with their musical instruments leading in praise. And Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out: “Treason! Treason!” 2 Chronicles 23:14. And the priest Jehoiada brought out the commanders of hundreds who were set over the army and said to them: “Bring her out between the ranks; and whoever follows her shall be put to death with the sword.” For the priest said: “Do not put her to death in the house of the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 23:15. And they made way for her, and she went into the entrance of the Horse Gate of the king’s house, and they put her to death there. 2 Chronicles 23:16. And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king, that they should be the people of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 23:17. And all the people went to the temple of Baal and broke it down; they broke in pieces his altars and his images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 2 Chronicles 23:18. And Jehoiada assigned the care of the house of the Lord to the priests and the Levites, [and restored the courses of the priests and the Levites,] as David had organized them in the house of the Lord, for the offering of burnt offerings to the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, according to the order of David. 2 Chronicles 23:19. And he stationed the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord so that no one who was in any way unclean should enter. 2 Chronicles 23:20. And he took the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, and came through the upper gate to the king’s house, and set the king on the royal throne. 2 Chronicles 23:21. So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet. And Athaliah had been put to death by the sword. Cf. (2 Kgs 11:4-20) and “Expository Bible,” vol. II, p. 514. In verse 5 are mentioned the “Gate Foundation,” that is, the foundation gate (Vulgate: ad portam, quae appellatur Fundamenti); in (2 Kgs 11:6) they are called the “Gate of Sur” (Schaar-Sur), and in verse 19 of the same chapter – “the Gate of the Guards” (schaar harazim). They are called the “gate of the foundation” because of their low level compared with other gates (Prof. Olesnitsky, “The Old Testament Temple,” p. 354). Of course, both names “may be correct, one enclosed within the other” (Prof. Gulyaev, p. 549–550). The LXX render Foundation: ἐν τῆ πύλη τῆ μέση; Slavonic: “in the middle gates.” They were located on the western side of the temple. In verses 6–7 is emphasized the distinction between clergy and laypeople with respect to approach to the sanctuary (cf. (Num 8:6; Ezra 8:28-29)). Moreover, in contrast to 4 Kings, it stresses the more active participation of the entire clergy – priests, Levites (verses 7–8), singers (verse 13) – in the matter of elevating Joash to the throne. “It seems there is no reason to doubt that to involve all the Levitical tribe in the conspiracy, the high priest, who burned with passion to restore pure worship of the God of the covenant, recruited them; moreover, both accounts easily agree, since it is evident from both that the chief conspirators were the commanders of the guard” (Vlastov, “Sacred Chronicle,” vol. IV, pt. II, p. 188). In verse 16 it says: “Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king.” In place of the words we have marked in italics, in the parallel verse (2 Kgs 11:17) there are the words “with the Lord” (bein Iehova). But the substance of the matter remains the same in both cases: the high priest according to 2 Chronicles acts as the representative of Iehova in virtue of his preeminent position in theocratic society. By its nature, the covenant of the king and people with Iehova, like other covenants of this kind, for example, that made under Asa (2 Chr 15:10-14), consisted in the solemn oath-bound promise of the people and king to faithfully observe the obligations determined by the nature of the theocracy (cf. (1 Sam 10:25; 2 Sam 5:3). See A. Mirolyubov, “The Life of Hebrew Kings,” Kazan, 1898, p. 10–11).

2 Chronicles 23:20. And he took the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, and came through the upper gate to the king’s house, and set the king on the royal throne. Jehoiada accompanied the young (seven-year-old) king with the guard and people from the temple to the palace and arranged his household. Without doubt, Jehoiada was regent of the kingdom during the king’s minority (Vlastov, “Sacred Chronicle,” vol. IV, pt. II, p. 189). * * * “The heads of the families of Israel” (v. 2): “Israel” here has that general meaning which this term had before the division of the Hebrew kingdom into two, and which it acquired again after the fall of the Northern Israelite kingdom.

Chapter Twenty-Four

1–2. The pious character of Joash’s reign before the death of the high priest Jehoiada. 4–14. The repair of the temple damage. 15–18. The death of Jehoiada and the appearance of paganism in Judah. 19–22. Prophetic rebukes and the stoning for them of Zechariah, son of Jehoiada. 23–27. The Syrian invasion; the illness and violent death of Joash.

2 Chronicles 24:1. Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Zibiah from Beersheba. 2 Chronicles 24:2. And Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of the priest Jehoiada. The narrative of 2 Chronicles on the reign of Joash, namely the main events of that reign: the restoration of the temple (v. 4–14), the king’s marriage (v. 3), the corruption of the people and the king’s transgression after Jehoiada’s death (v. 15–22), finally, the attack of the Syrians on Judah (v. 23–24) and the details of his death (v. 25–27), differs considerably in content and presentation from the parallel narrative (2 Kgs 12). Only verses 1–2 show word-for-word similarity with (2 Kgs 12:1-2). In the subsequent narrative the advantage in detail, completeness, and documentary character of the chronicle clearly lies with 2 Chronicles.

2 Chronicles 24:3. And Jehoiada found two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters by them. The information about Joash’s marriage, at the instigation of Jehoiada, to two wives is found only in 2 Chronicles. The accepted text of the LXX (and also the Alexandrian codex and some others, together with the Arabic translation and some Hebrew rabbis) express the thought that Jehoiada himself took two wives. But such an idea, already inconsistent with the context of the chapter (the whole of chapter 24 relates the story of Joash, while Jehoiada’s life and activities are introduced into the narrative only episodically), contains an obvious impropriety in view of Jehoiada’s advanced age. Therefore, in other LXX manuscripts, for example, in codices 71, 93, 108 in Holmes, the Complutensian, and also in the Vulgate, Syriac, Slavonic, and Russian texts, we read of Joash’s marriage.

2 Chronicles 24:4. And after this it came into Joash’s heart to restore the house of the Lord, 2 Chronicles 24:5. and he gathered the priests and Levites and said to them: “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect from all Israel money to repair the house of your God year by year; and see that you do the work quickly.” But the Levites did not hurry. 2 Chronicles 24:6. And the king summoned Jehoiada, their chief, and said to him: “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem the tax levied by Moses, the servant of the Lord, on the congregation of Israel for the tent of meeting?” 2 Chronicles 24:7. For the wicked Athaliah and her sons broke up the house of God, and also used all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord for the Baals. 2 Chronicles 24:8. So the king commanded, and they made a chest and set it outside the gate of the house of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 24:9. And proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring in to the Lord the tax that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness. 2 Chronicles 24:10. And all the officials and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until it was full. 2 Chronicles 24:11. And whenever the chest was brought to the king’s officers by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money in it, the king’s secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and take it and return it to its place. Thus they did day by day, and collected money in abundance. 2 Chronicles 24:12. And the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of service on the house of the Lord, and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of the Lord, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 24:13. And the workmen labored, and the repair work progressed under their hands, and they restored the house of God to its proper condition and strengthened it. 2 Chronicles 24:14. And when they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, and from it were made articles for the service of the house of the Lord, vessels for making offerings and pouring libations, and vessels of gold and silver. And burnt offerings were continuously offered in the house of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada. Cf. (2 Kgs 12:5-16). In this section there are several additional details beyond the facts presented in the chapter (2 Kgs 12) about the organization of the work of repair and improvement of the temple. From these details we see how the moral level of the priests had declined, in whose hands the temple contributions of silver were concentrated and squandered by them. (Vlastov, “Sacred Chronicle,” vol. IV, pt. III, p. 189). The money for temple restoration, according to the king’s words, was to come from the regular collection of the “tax levied by Moses for the tent of meeting” (v. 5–6, 9), that is, the half-shekel redemption, compulsory for every male who had reached twenty years of age and who entered the people’s census, the so-called “redemption of souls” according to the law (Exod 30:13-16) (see “Expository Bible,” vol. I, p. 380). Under Moses “every one who paid this tax participated in the construction of the tabernacle, in that common work which created the religious and political unity of the nation” (Vlastov, “Sacred Chronicle,” vol. II, 1878, p. 211). And although the book of Exodus does not state that this was an annual tax, it is evident that it was considered such (cf. (Neh 10:32-33; Matt 17:24); Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities,” III, 8,2; Vlastov, “Sacred Chronicle,” vol. IV, p. 189, note 15). To the money from the poll tax could be added redemption money from persons who had dedicated themselves to temple service in place of actual service there (Lev 27:1-7), and also offerings for the temple (cf. (Exod 25:2; Exod 35:5); see “Expository Bible,” vol. I, p. 354,396, vol. II, p. 516). Moreover, according to (2 Chr 24:5) the priests and Levites were obliged not only at the temple to receive all these monetary contributions (2 Kgs 12:5), but also to go throughout not just Jerusalem but all Judah for this purpose. Furthermore, in view of the insufficient energy of the priests and Levites in this matter (2 Kgs 12:6-7) a special collection box was set up at the temple gate (at the northern gate of the inner court) to receive offerings (v. 8), the inflow of which then quickly began (v. 10). This was “the first historical collection, which subsequently had great development in the Second Temple” (Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, “The Old Testament Temple,” p. 355). The report in verse 14 that the workmen, after completing all the repair work on the temple, made various temple vessels from the remaining silver, appears to contradict (2 Kgs 12:13-14), where it is stated that no vessels were made from the donated silver. But the seeming contradiction is easily explained by the fact that the king and high priest did not make the vessels by their command; the workmen, however, at the completion of the repair work, contributed from their own zeal some of the silver, from which, at their desire, some things were made (Prof. Gulyaev, “Historical Books of the Old Testament,” p. 553). Thus, the negation in 4 Kings and the assertion in Chronicles refer to different moments of one and the same fact, and both are entirely correct.

2 Chronicles 24:15. And Jehoiada grew old and full of days and died; he was one hundred thirty years old when he died. 2 Chronicles 24:16. And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel and for God and his house. 2 Chronicles 24:17. But after the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king; and the king listened to them. 2 Chronicles 24:18. And they abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols. And the anger of the Lord came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of this guilt of theirs. 2 Chronicles 24:19. Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord; they testified against them, but they would not listen. 2 Chronicles 24:20. And the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of the priest Jehoiada, and he stood above the people and said to them: “Thus says the Lord: Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have abandoned the Lord, he has abandoned you.” 2 Chronicles 24:21. And they conspired against him and stoned him with stones at the command of the king [Joash] in the court of the house of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 24:22. And King Joash did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, his father, had shown him, but killed his son. And as he was dying, he said: “May the Lord see and avenge!” Here we find very important information, substantially supplementing and explaining the fragmentary account in the chapter (2 Kgs 12) of the second half and end of Joash’s reign. The burial of Jehoiada with the kings (v. 16), that is, in the royal tombs of Jerusalem, is motivated by the services rendered to Judah (“Israel” in verse 16, as also in (2 Chr 23:2) – in a general sense: God’s people) for both state and religious good by the high priest Jehoiada. As is evident from verses 17–18, Jehoiada held true worship in Judah, and with his death, open idolatry began in the Judahite kingdom under the influence of officials devoted to paganism. To rebuke the latter, the Lord now raised up many prophets (verses 19–20, 27), among whom (cf. above (2 Chr 20:14)) was the son and successor of Jehoiada, the high priest Zechariah, who rebuked the king and people in the temple before all for their apostasy and foretold their punishment. For this, at the king’s command, not remembering the kindnesses of Jehoiada, he was stoned in the court of the house of the Lord (v. 19–21). Concerning the killing of “Zechariah son of Berachiah” (Matt 23:35), between the altar and the temple (Luke 11:51), the Lord Jesus Christ also spoke in his rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees, who concealed in their hearts their plan to murder him. “The killing of a high priest who spoke the words of admonition to that people by the command of God’s Spirit, the very people among whom the Messiah was to be born, and to that king, who was a descendant of David and in the flesh the Son of God, certainly has high prophetic and prefigurative significance regarding the coming sacred events of the killing of Christ the Savior by that same people for speaking words of grace and truth” (Vlastov, “Sacred Chronicle,” vol. IV, pt. II, p. 192). Therefore many, both ancient and modern, commentators have believed and continue to believe that the Lord in (Matt 23:35; Luke 11:51) speaks precisely of Zechariah (2 Chr 24:20-22) – the Old Testament martyr and confessor of Iehova. From of old, however, two differences in the passages being compared have raised doubt. 1) In (Matt 23:35) Zechariah is called “son of Berachiah” (not of Jehoiada). 2) According to (Matt 23:35; Luke 11:51) Zechariah was killed “between the temple and the altar” – a place considered the most important and most sacred after the temple (cf. Olesnitsky, “The Old Testament Temple,” p. 321) – whereas according to (2 Chr 24:21) the killing of Zechariah occurred “in the court of the house of the Lord.” True, these differences are not so significant as to hinder the identification of the Gospel Zechariah with Zechariah of 2 Chronicles. The words “son of Berachiah” are not present at all in Luke’s Gospel; nor are they in some ancient manuscripts of Matthew’s Gospel, for example, according to Tischendorf, in the Sinai codex of Matthew’s Gospel (Novum Testamentum Graece. Revised by Constantine de Tischendorf. Leipzig. 1869, p. 44). According to the testimony of the blessed Jerome (regarding (Matt 23:35)) in Matthew’s Gospel which the Nazoreans used, instead of the words: “son of Berachiah” stood the words “son of Jehoiada.” Much less significant is the difference in the specification of the place of killing: it is quite possible that the Lord more precisely and closely defines and clarifies the general and indefinite indication of 2 Chronicles. Nevertheless, from of old, in the Gospel Zechariah, scholars attempted to see other persons bearing this name, such as one of the minor twelve prophets (Zech 1:1) or the father of John the Baptist (see “Works of the Blessed Jerome,” Russian translation, part 16: Four Books of Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. Kyiv. 1901, p. 244–245).

2 Chronicles 24:23. And at the end of the year an army of the Syrians came up against him, and invaded Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the officials of the people from among the people, and sent all their plunder to the king in Damascus. 2 Chronicles 24:24. Though the army of the Syrians came with few men, the Lord delivered into their hand a very great army, because Judah had abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers. And they executed judgment on Joash. 2 Chronicles 24:25. And when they had withdrawn from him, leaving him in severe illness, his servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son of the priest Jehoiada, and killed him on his bed. So he died; and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. 2 Chronicles 24:26. Those who conspired against him were Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonite, and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabite. The punishment for Joash’s transgressions consisted of: partly the invasion of the Syrians on Judah and Jerusalem (v. 23–24, cf. (2 Kgs 12:18-19)), and then the severe illness of Joash and his violent death at the hands of conspirators (v. 25–26, cf. (2 Kgs 12:20-21)). In 2 Chronicles the causal connection of these misfortunes with the king’s impiety and transgressions is evident; therefore the narrative itself is fuller and more intelligible than in (2 Kgs 12), which makes no mention of Joash’s impiety. In this case, as in many others, the book of Chronicles supplements the bare outline of events in 4 Kings with living substance and pragmatic connection. Joash was buried, like Joram (2 Chr 21:20), outside the royal tombs.

2 Chronicles 24:27. Concerning his sons and the great number of prophecies against him and the repair of the house of God it is written in the book of the kings. And his son Amaziah reigned in his place. The details about Joash and his reign were contained in the “book of the kings,” Hebrew: bemidrashamalekhaim, LXX ἐπὶ τὴν γραφὴν τῶν βασιλέων, Vulgate: in libro regum, Slavonic: “in the chronicle of kings.” The Hebrew “midrash” (cf. (2 Chr 13:22)) in the language of postexilic Judaism meant commentary or exposition of some biblical book or part of it (e.g., “Midrash Mekhilta” – commentary on part of the book of Exodus, “Midrash Sifra” – on the book of Leviticus, etc.), often with predominance of allegorical interpretations (cf. Cleric to 2 Paral. XIII, 22). In this case we may understand a prophetic postexilic or even earlier reworking of the history of the Jewish kings, which served together with the canonical books of Kings as a source in the composition of Chronicles (Stade, “History of the People Israel,” I, p. 84; cf. in Prof. P.A. Yungerov, “Origin and Historical Nature of the Book of Chronicles,” p. 16–17).

Chapter Twenty-Five

Amaziah, the 9th king of Judah

(Cf. (2 Kgs 14:1-20))

1–4. The beginning of the reign, punishment of Joash’s murderers. 5–13. War with Edom. 14–16. Amaziah’s worship of the gods of Seir and prophetic rebuke. 17–24. Amaziah’s war with Israel’s Jehoash, Amaziah’s defeat and capture, plundering of the temple and palace. 25–28. The second half of Amaziah’s reign, his violent death.

2 Chronicles 25:1. Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 25:2. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart. 2 Chronicles 25:3. As soon as the royal power was firmly in his hand, he put to death his servants who had murdered his father the king. 2 Chronicles 25:4. But he did not put their children to death, according to what is written in the law, in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded: “The parents shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the parents; but all shall be put to death for their own sin.” Cf. (2 Kgs 14:2-6). In the characterization of Amaziah’s religious ambivalence in (2 Chr 25:2) it states that he “did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet,” instead of that which stands in (2 Kgs 14:3), “not with a whole heart” (Slavonic: “not with a perfect heart”). Amaziah was more faithful to the Lord in the first half of his reign (See “Expository Bible,” vol. II, p. 520–521).

2 Chronicles 25:5. And Amaziah assembled the people of Judah, and organized them by families under commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He mustered those twenty years old and upward, and found three hundred thousand picked warriors, equipped to go to war with spear and shield. 2 Chronicles 25:6. He also hired one hundred thousand mighty warriors from Israel for one hundred talents of silver. 2 Chronicles 25:7. But a man of God came to him and said: “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel, with all the Ephraimites.” 2 Chronicles 25:8. But go yourself, act courageously in battle. Otherwise the Lord will make you fall before the enemy; for God has power to help and to cast down. 2 Chronicles 25:9. And Amaziah said to the man of God: “But what shall we do about the hundred talents I have given to the army of Israel?” And the man of God answered: “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.” 2 Chronicles 25:10. Then Amaziah discharged the army that had come to him from Ephraim, to go home again. And they became very angry with Judah and returned to their own place in hot anger. 2 Chronicles 25:11. Amaziah took courage, and led out his people, and went to the Valley of Salt, and struck down ten thousand men of Seir. 2 Chronicles 25:12. The men of Judah also captured ten thousand alive, brought them to the top of a cliff, and threw them down from the top of the cliff so that all of them were dashed to pieces. 2 Chronicles 25:13. But the soldiers of the army whom Amaziah had sent back, not letting them go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth-horon, killed three thousand people in them, and took much spoil. Concerning Amaziah’s war with the Edomites in (2 Kgs 14) there is only a brief mention in a single verse – verse 7; here the event is related with full detail (cf. our explanatory remarks to (2 Kgs 14:7), “Expository Bible,” vol. II, p. 521). 2 Chronicles first of all adds the information that Amaziah, having ascertained the number of his own combat army of the Kingdom of Judah – 300,000 soldiers (v. 5), hired, in addition, 100,000 Israeli troops for 100 talents of silver (approximately 150,000 rubles) (v. 6). This is the first and only case in biblical-Hebrew antiquity of hiring foreign troops to aid one’s own army. Among classical nations, as well as among the Jews in their last centuries of independence, such hiring was often practiced and usually consisted of payment to the king or general of the troops, the soldiers themselves receiving nothing except booty and plunder. It is clear what an evil such hired troops represented for a country. And already for this reason, and even more because of the guilt of the Israelite kingdom from a theocratic perspective and the ungodly nature of the alliance of the Kingdom of Judah with it (cf. (2 Chr 20:37)), God’s prophet demanded that Amaziah dismiss the hired Israeli army (v. 7–8), which was done by Amaziah, though with regret at the money lost to pay the Israeli army (v. 9). The latter were extremely angered by the refusal (v. 10) and on the return path compensated themselves with great plundering and murder within the borders of the Kingdom of Judah (v. 13). The historical reliability of all this information in 2 Chronicles about the hiring of the Israeli army by King Amaziah and the subsequent dismissal cannot be doubted: in favor of the reliability of the fact speak its consequences: the war initiated at Amaziah’s instigation with Israeli Jehoash (v. 17 and f.), the underlying cause of which can only lie in Amaziah’s desire to avenge the outrages of the Israeli soldiers in Judah (v. 13), as well as to compensate himself for the money lost on hiring troops (v. 6, 9). Verses 11–12. In the description of Amaziah’s brilliant victory over the Edomites, 2 Chronicles adds, compared with (2 Kgs 14:7), that besides 10,000 slain in battle, Amaziah threw another ten thousand captives down a cliff – a manner of execution particularly cruel; a similar execution once the inhabitants of Nazareth wanted to apply to Jesus Christ (Luke 4:29); among the Romans it was customary to throw those being executed from the Tarpeian Rock. In this case there is the following difference between (2 Kgs 14:7) and (2 Chr 25:12): whereas according to 4 Kings Amaziah took the Edomite city of Sela (Greek: Petra), 2 Chronicles mentions only a cliff (Hebrew: sela, LXX: τοῦ κρημνοῦ, Vulgate: petrae, Slavonic: “precipice”). Evidently, both books here mutually supplement each other.

2 Chronicles 25:14. When Amaziah came from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of the people of Seir, set them up as his gods, and bowed down before them and made offerings to them. 2 Chronicles 25:15. Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Amaziah and he sent to him a prophet, who said to him: “Why have you resorted to a people’s gods that could not rescue their own people from your hand?” 2 Chronicles 25:16. As he was speaking, the king said to him: “Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should I strike you down?” So the prophet stopped, but said: “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.” The report about Amaziah’s worship of some gods of Seir, found only in 2 Chronicles, characterizes Amaziah’s weakness in faith in Iehova, all the more culpable because it appeared soon after the victory God had granted him over the Edomites. It is possible that at first Amaziah took the “gods of the people of Seir” and set them up only as war trophies, monuments to his victory over Seir, and then descended to actual worship before them, for which he was rebuked by the prophet who foretold his destruction because of his pride.

2 Chronicles 25:17. Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying: “Come, let us look one another in the face.” 2 Chronicles 25:18. And Jehoash king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thornbush on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying: Give your daughter to my son for a wife. But a wild animal of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thornbush.” 2 Chronicles 25:19. You say, I have defeated the Edomites, and your heart has made you proud. Now stay at home; why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, and Judah with you? 2 Chronicles 25:20. But Amaziah would not listen; for it was God’s doing, to give them into the hand of Jehoash, because they had sought the gods of Edom. 2 Chronicles 25:21. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 2 Chronicles 25:22. And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 2 Chronicles 25:23. And Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, son of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits. 2 Chronicles 25:24. And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God in the keeping of Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, also the hostages, and returned to Samaria. Cf. (2 Kgs 14:8-14), see “Expository Bible,” vol. II, p. 522. The only reason for Amaziah to send a military challenge to Jehoash of Israel (v. 17) could have been, as already stated, the desire to avenge the Kingdom of Israel for the robberies and murders committed by Israeli soldiers on the territory of the Kingdom of Judah. Verse 20: “for it was God’s doing…” – this remark found only in 2 Chronicles here establishes the religious pragmatism of events: the causal connection of Amaziah’s defeat with his godless worship of the idols of Seir (v. 14 ff.): here occurred God’s permission with respect to evil human actions, similar to the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart (cf. (Exod 14:4) and other passages), or regarding Rehoboam’s foolishness (cf. (1 Kgs 12:15), see “Expository Bible,” vol. II, p. 424). More strongly and, it seems, too harshly, the sacred writer of 2 Chronicles expresses this thought in Josephus: “In my opinion, the Eternal himself urged Amaziah to begin the war in order to punish him for all his lawlessness” (“Jewish Antiquities,” bk. IX, ch. 9, 2). Rightly do scholars point out in Josephus traces of his Pharisaic worldview, namely the Pharisaic doctrine of fate (cf. H. Scardonitsky, “Pharisees and Sadducees,” Kyiv, 1905, p. 79 ff.). Concerning the location of Beth-shemesh (v. 21). See commentaries to (Josh 15:10) and to (2 Kgs 14:13). Expository Bible vol. II, p. 92,522. Concerning the location in ancient Jerusalem of the Ephraim Gate and Corner Gate, see “Expository Bible,” vol. II, p. 522. In verse 23 Amaziah’s grandfather is called Jehoahaz – in the accepted Hebrew text Iehoachaz, LXX (Ἰοαχάζ), Vulgate: (Ioachaz), and Russian Synodal translation; meanwhile everywhere in 4 Kings and in 2 Chronicles, except (2 Chr 21:17) (Jehoahaz), this king is called Ahaziah (cf. commentary to (2 Chr 21:17), “Expository Bible,” vol. III, p. 139). In the Hebrew codices 117, 188, 224 in Kennicott and 31, 196, 737 in de Rossi stands the name Ahaziah, and likewise in the Greek codices 19, 93, 108, 121 in Holmes. Thus, the name Jehoahaz here arose, as also in (2 Chr 21:17), by accident, due to the transposition of the divine name Iehova from the end (Ahaziah) to the beginning (Jehoahaz) (cf. in Prof. Gulyaev, “Historical Books of the Old Testament,” p. 557). Obed-edom (Slavonic: “Abdedom”) – probably a person from the descendants of that Obed-edom to whom, when the duties of the Levites were first divided, oversight of the temple treasures was entrusted (1 Chr 26:15) (Gulyaev, “Historical Books of the Old Testament,” p. 557).

2 Chronicles 25:25. And Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 2 Chronicles 25:26. Now the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, from first to last, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel? 2 Chronicles 25:27. From the time that Amaziah turned away from the Lord, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. And they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. 2 Chronicles 25:28. And they brought him upon horses, and buried him with his ancestors in the city of Judah. Cf. (2 Kgs 14:17-20), “Expository Bible,” vol. II, p. 523.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Uzziah-Azariah, the 10th king of Judah

(Cf. 2 Kgs 14:21-22)

1–5. The time of Uzziah’s accession, the length of his reign, and his piety. 9–15. Uzziah’s military and civic activities, his army and the fortifications of Jerusalem. 17–20. Uzziah’s arrogant usurpation of priestly rights and his leprosy. 21–23. Jotham’s regency, the death and burial of Uzziah.

2 Chronicles 26:1. And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 2 Chronicles 26:2. He rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king rested with his fathers. 2 Chronicles 26:3. Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; the name of his mother was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 26:4. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done; 2 Chronicles 26:5. and he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God; and in those days when he sought the Lord, God caused him to prosper. On Uzziah’s double name of Uzziah-Azariah and the general character of his reign see the commentaries at (2 Kgs 14:21-22) (Tolkovaya Bibliya, vol. II, p. 523). Among Uzziah-Azariah’s enterprises in foreign policy, this passage (v. 5), as also in (2 Kgs 14:22), especially notes the recovery and strengthening of the port of Elath for Judah (on the location of Elath see the commentaries at (1 Kgs 9:26); Tolkovaya Bibliya, vol. II, p. 412), which under Joram had gone over to Edom together with all Idumea (2 Chr 21:8; 2 Kgs 8:20) and was permanently lost by the latter under Ahaz (2 Kgs 16:6). Furthermore, in (2 Chr 26:5) it is stated that the source or foundation of Uzziah’s pious disposition in the first half of his reign (v. 4) lay in the influence upon him of a certain prophet Zechariah, of whom nothing is known from the Bible; some erroneously identified him with Zechariah son of Jehoiada (2 Chr 24:20) or arbitrarily considered him the son of that Zechariah (see Calmet). Blessed Theodoret with good probability identifies this Zechariah with the one mentioned by the prophet Isaiah, from (Isa 8:2) Zechariah son of Berechiah. (Migne, Curs. Complet. Patrol. Ser. gr. t. 80, p. 845–846). In the accepted Hebrew text v. 5 Zechariah, the guide of Uzziah, is called: (gam) mebin bir’ot ha’elohim, skilled in the vision (or visions) of God, that is, a seer, a prophet. Similar in the Vulgate: intelligentis et videntis Deum. The LXX translation in only a few manuscripts has this reading, such as in codices 19, 93, 108: τοῦ συνιέτος τόν Κύριον ἐν ὀράσει τοῦ Θεοῦ. But many Hebrew manuscripts have a different reading. Thus codices 1, 3, 579, 593, 683, 789 and some others in Rossi have not bir’ot – in vision, but by’rat – in fear (of God). The accepted LXX text also has: τοῦ συνιόντος ἐν τῶ φόβω Κυρὶον; the Slavonic text: “understanding in the fear of the Lord”; the Russian Synodal translation: “instructing in the fear of God.” The authority of the LXX and a significant number of Hebrew manuscripts in agreement with the LXX gives reason to prefer this second reading, although the thought of the first has a complete parallel in (Dan 1:17).

2 Chronicles 26:6. And he went out and fought against the Philistines, and broke down the walls of Gath and the walls of Jabneh and the walls of Ashdod; and he built cities in the region of Ashdod and among the Philistines. On the location of the Philistine cities of Ashdod, Heb. Ashdod (Onomasticon, 36) and Gath, Heb. Gat (Onomasticon, 301) see the commentaries at (Josh 11:22) in the Tolkovaya Bibliya, vol. II, p. 74. Jabneh (Jabneel, Jamnia), Slavonic: “Jabner” or “Jamnia”, LXX: Λεβνά, Ἰαβνήρ, Ἰαμνία – also a Philistine city, forming the boundary of the tribe of Judah ((Josh 15:11); Onomasticon, 533), not far from Joppa (1 Macc 10:69), 240 stadia from Jerusalem, 12 miles from Diospolis (Lydda) and 20 from Ascalon (after the destruction of Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin sat here; in the Christian era there was a bishop’s seat here). This conquest of the Philistines by Uzziah, who had again freed themselves from Judean rule under Ahaz (2 Chr 28:18), – an event not mentioned at all in the Book of Kings, is probably referred to by the prophet Isaiah (Isa 14:28-29).

2 Chronicles 26:7. And God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabians who lived in Gur-Baal, and against the Meunites; 2 Chronicles 26:8. and the Ammonites gave tribute to Uzziah, and his name spread far, even to the border of Egypt, because he became very powerful. Uzziah had similar success in his conflicts with the Arabians living in Gur-Baal (location unknown, probably not the same as Gur (2 Kgs 9:27), where Ahaziah was slain, cf. Onomasticon, 356), and with the Meunites (inhabitants of Maon, according to the LXX: μιναίοι, Slavonic: “minei”, Vulgate: Ammonitae; cf. commentaries at (2 Chr 20:1)). The Arabians in the Book of Chronicles are mentioned more than once in connection with the Philistines (2 Chr 17:11). The LXX: τοὺς Ἀραβας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐπὶ τῆς πέτρας (Slavonic: “Arabians dwelling in the rocks”), apparently understood inhabitants of rocky Arabia with its principal city Petra ((cf. 2 Kgs 14:7); Cf. Blessed Theodoret, Quaestiones in II Paralipomenon, XXVI; Migne, “Patrologia Cursus Completus. Series Graeca”, t. 80, p. 846). According to the Targum, Gur-Baal is identical with Gerar.

2 Chronicles 26:9. And Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem over the Corner Gate and over the Valley Gate and at the corner, and fortified them. 2 Chronicles 26:10. And he built towers in the wilderness, and dug many cisterns, because he had many herds, both in the Shephelah and in the plain, and also farmers and vineyardmen on the hills and in the fertile lands, because he loved the soil. The numerous and grand constructions of King Uzziah are, in the opinion of some interpreters, what the prophets Hosea (Hos 8:14) and Isaiah (Isa 2:7), who began their activity during this reign, are referring to. Uzziah was the first of the kings of Judah to fortify Jerusalem thoroughly, building fortified towers “over the Corner Gate (on the northwest of Jerusalem) and over the Valley Gate (on the west of the city, near the present Jaffa Gate) and at the corner” (v. 9). The immediate reason for strengthening Jerusalem on its western side may have been the destruction of part of the city wall by the king of Israel, Joash, under Uzziah’s father Amaziah (2 Kgs 14:13; 2 Chr 25:23), and then such defensive measures were prompted in a wise ruler also by the general concern to protect the city from attacks. Furthermore, by encouraging with love the development of agriculture and stock-raising (the main sources of life and prosperity for ancient Hebrews), Uzziah promoted the most rational conduct of both branches – by constructing guard towers in the steppe, where cattle grazed, for protection from predators, and by hewing out cisterns both for watering the cattle and for artificial field irrigation (cf. Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities”, IX, 10,3). Professor Olesnitsky, on the basis of (2 Chr 26:10), attributes to the time of Uzziah the cutting of the Siloam tunnel and the composition of the well-known Siloam inscription (Olesnitsky, “The Old Testament Temple”, p. 814, note). “On the Shephelah” (Heb. Shefela, LXX: ἐν σεφηλᾶ, Vulgate: sephela, terra campestris, Slavonic: Sephila, level, low, field) – one of the three parts of the territory of the tribe of Judah (Josh 10:40; Judg 1:9; Jer 32:44), adjoined on the south from Joppa (Jaffa) to the plain of Sharon, extended down to Gaza, bordered on the west by the sea, on the east by the mountains of Judah (Onomasticon, 865. Cf. “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 68,158). “On Carmel.” In the Bible, as even Eusebius and Blessed Jerome note (Onomasticon, 602), there are known to be two different mountains and regions of this name: Mount Carmel in the north of Palestine, in the southern part of the tribe of Asher, where the prophet Elijah dwelled (now Jebel Carmil; on the location of this Carmel see in “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 453). Another Carmel – a region and city in the highlands of the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:55), mentioned in the history of Saul and David (1 Sam 15:12), southeast of Hebron; see “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 98 and 265. In this place (2 Chr 26:10) can only be meant this latter Carmel, since the northern Carmel, lying far in the north of the kingdom of Israel, was not part of the kingdom of Judah and therefore could not belong to Uzziah’s possessions. Some interpreters (Philippson, Kautzsch), however, consider the Heb. Karmel of this place a common noun: gardens, fruit orchards.

2 Chronicles 26:11. And Uzziah had an army of soldiers, who went out to war by companies, according to the number of their account kept by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the chief officials of the king. 2 Chronicles 26:12. The total number of the heads of the fathers’ houses of mighty men of valor was two thousand six hundred, 2 Chronicles 26:13. and under their command the military force consisted of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred, who fought with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. The numerical strength of King Uzziah’s military force is indicated. Among the compilers of the lists of the army, besides the court scribe Jeiel (on the office of court scribes, Heb. Soferim, see commentaries at (2 Sam 4:3) in Tolkovaya Bibliya, vol. II, p. 309), mention is also made of a certain Maaseiah the officer, Heb. shoter, LXX: κριτής, Vulgate: doctor, Slavonic: “judge”. Professor A.A. Olesnitsky sees in Maaseiah the chronicler of the period of Uzziah’s reign: “although Maaseiah is called here by the name ‘shoter’, the office of shoterim, or genealogy compilers, was sometimes combined in kings with the duties of a chronicler.” (“The State Chronicle of the Kings of Judah”, “Works of the Kiev Theological Academy”, 1879, no. 8, p. 427). True, the chronicle function of shoterim is still disputed (about it one can find only indefinite indications in passages in (Exod 5:6 and further; Deut 1:15) and others), but it cannot be doubted that for the rich information about Uzziah’s reign with which the sacred writer (2 Chr 26) supplements the brief and general account of Uzziah (Azariah) in the 4th Book of Kings, there must have been materials from a contemporary chronicler, namely from one close to the court, such as Maaseiah could have been.

2 Chronicles 26:14. And Uzziah prepared for them, for all the army, shields and spears, helmets and armor, bows and sling-stones. 2 Chronicles 26:15. And he made in Jerusalem ingeniously designed machines, to be placed on the towers and on the corners for shooting arrows and great stones. And his name spread far, because he was marvelously helped, and became strong. Here for the first time in the Bible there occurs the report of the invention of stone-throwing and siege engines – “catapults, ballistae, battering rams, siege hooks and the like” (Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities”, IX, 10, 3). This report, from which it follows that the introduction into military practice of all these engines was not an invention of the Greeks and Romans, but was earlier known in the East (Pliny attributes these engines to Syrian origin), raises some perplexity in view of the absence of external, non-biblical evidence of the use of the aforesaid projectiles in biblical times; according to the testimony of Diodorus Siculus, the siege of Nineveh lasted 7 years precisely because the besiegers lacked stone-throwing engines. Perhaps in this passage of 2 Chronicles only primitive engines of the mentioned kind are spoken of, which, precisely because of their primitive imperfection, did not become part of the history of military art. (Images of various kinds of ancient stone-throwing engines can be seen in Philippson, “Die Israelitische Bibel”, Bd. III, s. 1138). The fame of Uzziah’s power, just as in his time and that of his pious and powerful ancestors Asa and Jehoshaphat (2 Chr 14:14), spread far beyond the kingdom of Judah.

2 Chronicles 26:16. But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction, and he transgressed against the Lord his God, for he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. 2 Chronicles 26:17. And Azariah the priest went after him, and with him eighty priests of the Lord, men of valor; 2 Chronicles 26:18. and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him: It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord; this is the office of the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to make the offering of incense; go out of the sanctuary, for you have acted wrongly, and it will not be to your honor with the Lord God. 2 Chronicles 26:19. And Uzziah was angry – and in his hand was the censer for burning incense; and while he was angry at the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests, in the house of the Lord, beside the altar of incense. 2 Chronicles 26:20. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead. And they thrust him out from there, and he himself also hastened to go out, for the Lord had struck him. However, Uzziah did not continue in his former (v. 4–5) piety. Good fortune and prosperity in his reign blinded Uzziah: in this prosperity he did not see cause to give thanks to Jehovah (as befitted a truly theocratic king), but instead found occasion for self-exaltation and sacrilegious seizure of the gift of priesthood: perhaps having in mind the custom of the combination of royal power and priesthood among many peoples (e.g., in ancient Rome the king was also pontifex maximus), Uzziah attempted to perform the functions belonging exclusively to the high priest and priests – entry into the sanctuary (Heb. hehal, that is, “the holy” – the outer or great part of the temple) and burning incense there. Meanwhile, in the law of Moses it was forbidden to strangers, non-priests, under penalty of death (Exod 30:32; Num 8:7); (cf. “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. I, p. 548), and the factual evidence of the reality of such a threat for all ages remained examples: the sudden death of Nadab and Abihu ((Lev 10:1-4), see “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. I, p. 436–437), as well as the striking with leprosy of Miriam ((Num 12:10); see “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. I, p. 533–534). The same fate befell King Uzziah for his arrogance and sacrilege. Josephus, more fully than the Bible, apparently according to popular traditions recounting this event, supplements the biblical account: first, by the report that the fatal attempt of Uzziah “to clothe himself in priestly vestments” and perform priestly service occurred “on the day of a solemn national festival”; second, by the statement that, when Uzziah in answer to the exhortations of the high priest Azariah and the priests responded with threats, then “suddenly the earth was shaken by a violent earthquake, the clouds parted, and a bright ray of sunlight slipped between them and struck the eyes of the king, so that the latter immediately fell ill with leprosy, and near the city, in that place which is called Eroga, half of a rock facing west was torn off, rolled a distance of four stadia to the east and fell upon such a place where the royal roads and park were, and buried them” (“Jewish Antiquities”, IX, 10, 4). The supplement made by Josephus to the biblical account of Uzziah’s striking with leprosy, namely this historian’s mention of an earthquake that took place in this case, cannot be considered one of the poetic embellishments encountered in Josephus in his transmission of the biblical narrative, an attempt to introduce a natural element into the biblical account of the miraculous striking of Uzziah; rather the earthquake is a historical fact: the prophet Amos (Amos 1:1) speaks of an earthquake in the time of Uzziah, as a well-known event, considered a kind of epoch; an indication of this same earthquake, though an unclear and disputed indication, is seen also in the so-called Siloam inscription (discovered by Schick in 1880), where (line 3) some kind of appearance of seething in the rock is mentioned (Professor A.A. Olesnitsky, “The Old Testament Temple”, p. 813–814, note). The moral aspect of Uzziah’s transgression is revealed by the holy John Chrysostom: “Uzziah, forgetting himself because of the success of his deeds and becoming proud with good fortune, began to exalt himself above his station. Being a king, he thought it was permissible for him to perform priestly service, burst into the temple, entered the holy of holies, and when the priest opposed and forbade him to enter there, he did not stop, but continued to act madly, despising the words of the priest. For such shamelessness God struck him with leprosy on his forehead, so that, having desired greater honor than was fitting, he lost even what he had; for he not only did not receive the priesthood, but, becoming unclean, was deprived of the kingdom, and for shame lived hidden in a certain house all his days.” (Commentary on the 6th chapter of the prophet Isaiah, section 1. Homilies on Various Passages of Holy Scripture. St. Petersburg 1861, vol. I, p. 126).

2 Chronicles 26:21. And King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death, and lived in a separate house and was excluded from the house of the Lord. And his son Jotham was over the king’s house and judged the people of the land. 2 Chronicles 26:22. The rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz wrote. 2 Chronicles 26:23. And Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial of the kings, for they said: He is a leper. And Jotham his son reigned in his place. What sort of “separate house” (Heb. bet ha-hofshit or according to Ketib – ha-hofshot), in which Uzziah lived from the day of his striking with leprosy until his death, as well as generally about the reign of Uzziah and his sad end, see the commentary at (2 Kgs 15:1-7) (“Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 524,525). While in (2 Kgs 15:6) the source of information about the reign of Uzziah-Azariah is named as “the chronicle of the kings of Judah”, here (v. 22), as such a source, a certain writing of the prophet Isaiah is indicated. Of course, this writing was completely different from the canonical book of the prophet Isaiah, since in the prophetic book of Isaiah there is only a simple mention of Uzziah (Isa 1:1), and the work mentioned here contained detailed information about the long reign of Uzziah, was undoubtedly of a chronicle character, and could have formed part of “the chronicle of the kings of Judah”, which was, as we said, a work of the prophets (“Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 359).

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Jotham, the 11th king of Judah

(Cf. 2 Kgs 15:32-38)

1–2. The time of Jotham’s accession; the length and righteous character of his reign. 3–4. His building projects in the temple, Jerusalem, and other parts of Judah. A successful war with the Ammonites. 7–9. Concluding remarks on Jotham’s reign and his death.

2 Chronicles 27:1. Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; the name of his mother was Jerusha, daughter of Zadok. 2 Chronicles 27:2. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done, except he did not enter the temple of the Lord; and the people still acted corruptly. Cf. (2 Kgs 15:32-34), “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 528. In the characterization of Jotham’s piety in (2 Chr 27:2) there is a remark: “except he did not enter the temple of the Lord”, that is, he did not imitate his father Uzziah (2 Chr 26:16-20) in his criminal attempt to perform priestly service in the temple. Some rabbis (Kimchi and others) completely misunderstood this expression to mean that Jotham, frightened by the terrible punishment his father received in the temple, did not dare to enter the temple at all and performed his offerings on the high places; meanwhile in the text of v. 2 the sin of serving on the high places is attributed only to the people, not to the king.

2 Chronicles 27:3. He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord, and did much building on the wall of Ophel; 2 Chronicles 27:4. and he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and he built fortresses and towers in the forests. Jotham’s building activity first affected Jerusalem and the temple itself: he built (v. 3) the so-called “upper” (Heb. elyon, LXX: τὴν ὑψηλὴν, Vulgate: excelsam, Slavonic: “high”) gate of the house of the Lord, lying, according to the prevailing understanding in scholarship, on the northern side and identical with the Gate of Benjamin (Jer 20:2), see in Professor Olesnitsky, “The Old Testament Temple”, p. 669 8. In addition, Jotham reinforced Ophel (v. 3), cf. (2 Chr 33:14; Neh 3:26; Isa 32:14). By the name Ophel (properly: “hill”; see (2 Kgs 5:24; Mic 4:8)), as researchers of biblical antiquities believe, the eastern or southeastern part of the wall surrounding the temple and the tower standing upon it was called. This name may have derived from a suburb of Jerusalem, located on the eastern slope of Mount Moriah (see A.S. Norova, “Journey to the Holy Places”, edition 3, 1854, part III, p. 310; Professor Gulyaev, “Historical Books”, p. 561; Professor Olesnitsky, “The Old Testament Temple”, p. 572,642 and others; cf. Josephus, “Jewish War”, VI, 6, 2). Besides Jerusalem, Jotham, like Jehoshaphat (2 Chr 17:12), fortified the former and built new cities throughout the land (v. 4).

2 Chronicles 27:5. And he fought with the king of the Ammonites and defeated them. And the Ammonites gave him that year a hundred talents of silver and ten thousand measures of wheat and ten thousand measures of barley. This the Ammonites paid to him also in the second year and in the third. 2 Chronicles 27:6. So Jotham became strong, because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God. Similarly to Jehoshaphat (2 Chr 20:1-25), Jotham had a favorable war with the Ammonites, who again, as in Uzziah’s time (2 Chr 26:8) were forced to pay tribute to the king of Judah. The amount of tribute approximately: about 150,000 rubles and about 14,000 quarters of wheat and barley (Gulyaev, “Historical Books”, p. 561). However, this influx of rich tribute to the country had a harmful effect on the morality of its inhabitants, as is evident from the prophetic speeches of Isaiah (Isa 1-3) and others relating to this time.

2 Chronicles 27:7. The rest of the acts of Jotham and all his wars and his conduct are written in the book of the Kings of Israel and Judah: 2 Chronicles 27:8. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 27:9. And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Ahaz his son reigned in his place. Concerning the war of Jotham with the kings of Syria and Israel mentioned in (2 Kgs 15:37), 2 Chronicles does not speak directly, reporting only of the war with the Ammonites (v. 5), unknown from the 4th Book of Kings: evidently, both books in this case, as in many others, mutually supplement each other. However, that the sacred writer of 2 Chronicles also knew of other wars of Jotham besides the Ammonite one can be seen from the expression (v. 7): “all his wars… are written in the book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.” Although both sources mentioned here after the destruction of the kingdom of Israel, during the captivity or soon after it, could have been united and formed as it were a single historical document, yet the mention of the activity and wars of Jotham, king of Judah, in the chronicles of the kings of Israel was only possible if Jotham waged war with the king of Israel; consequently, the acquaintance of the sacred writer of 2 Chronicles with the Syro-Israelite war against Judah is beyond question. * * * In the second Jerusalem temple there were upper gates on the western wall in the women’s court (Mishnah, Sukkah V, 5), in Josephus these gates are called Corinthian (that is, made of Corinthian bronze – an alloy of gold, silver and copper, “Jewish War”, V, 5, 3, see in Professor A.A. Olesnitsky, “The Old Testament Temple”, p. 470–471).

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Ahaz, the 12th king of Judah

(Cf. 2 Kgs 16:1-20)

1–4. The length and impiety of the reign. 5–8. The defeat of the people of Judah by the Syrians and Israelites, with the capture of many captives. 9–15. The release of the captives at the word of the prophet Oded. 16–21. The defeat of Judah by the Edomites and Philistines, with painful aid from the Assyrian king. 22–27. Ahaz’s persistence in idolatry and his disgraceful death.

2 Chronicles 28:1. Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord, as his father David had done: 2 Chronicles 28:2. he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and even made molten idols of Baals; 2 Chronicles 28:3. and he burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and made his sons pass through the fire, imitating the abominations of the peoples whom the Lord drove out before the sons of Israel; 2 Chronicles 28:4. and he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree. Cf. (2 Kgs 16:2-4), “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 529. In this section there is an almost verbatim agreement between 4 Kings and 2 Chronicles, apart from some variations that do not change the essence. For example, in the accepted LXX text (2 Chr 28:1) the age of Ahaz when taking the throne is determined as 25 years: ἔικοσι καὶ πέντε ἐτῶν (in codices II, 19, 52, 60, 64, 93, 108, 119, 158, 236, 243 by Holmes: ἔικοσι ἐτῶν). And in codex 539 of Rossi in the Hebrew-Masoretic text there is 25. Given that this latter figure eliminates a chronological inconsistency in the acceptance of 20 years in relation to the age of Hezekiah when he took the throne (2 Kgs 18:2; 2 Chr 29:1), (see “Tolkovaya Bibliya” vol. II, p. 529), it should be considered original. Under the name of Baals (v. 2) are here probably meant heathen deities in general, or more specifically, judging from the molten images, it is probably meant the service of Astarte (Professor Gulyaev, “Historical Books of the Old Testament Scripture”, p. 562; cf. “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 418 and 436). On the valley of the sons of Hinnom and the fire cult of Moloch performed here see commentaries at (2 Kgs 16:3) and at (2 Kgs 23:10), “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 529 and 570–571.

2 Chronicles 28:5. And the Lord his God gave him into the hand of the king of Syria, and they defeated him and took from him a great number of captives and carried them off to Damascus. And he was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, and he inflicted a great defeat upon him. 2 Chronicles 28:6. And Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, slew in Judah one hundred and twenty thousand men in one day, all mighty men of valor, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. 2 Chronicles 28:7. And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king’s son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah the second to the king. 2 Chronicles 28:8. And the sons of Israel took captive from their brothers, Judeans, two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters; they also took much spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria. 2 Chronicles 28:9. There was a prophet of the Lord there, named Oded. He went out before the army that came to Samaria and said to them: Behold, the Lord God of your fathers, angry with Judah, has given them into your hand, and you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches up to heaven. 2 Chronicles 28:10. And now you think to subjugate the people of Judah and Jerusalem as slaves and bondmaids for yourselves. Are there not among you also sins against the Lord your God? 2 Chronicles 28:11. Now therefore listen to me, and send back the captives whom you have taken from your brothers, for the fierce anger of the Lord is upon you. 2 Chronicles 28:12. Then certain of the heads of the sons of Ephraim arose: Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, and Hezekiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai, against those coming from the war, 2 Chronicles 28:13. and said to them: You shall not bring the captives here, for you propose to bring on us guilt before the Lord. Do you think to add to our sins and to our guilt? For our guilt is great, and there is fierce anger against Israel. 2 Chronicles 28:14. So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the officers and all the assembly. 2 Chronicles 28:15. And the men who have been mentioned by name arose and took the captives, and from the spoil they clothed all the naked among them; they clothed them, gave them sandals, provided them with food and drink, and anointed them with oil. They set all the feeble on donkeys and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers, and returned to Samaria. There is this difference from (2 Kgs 16:5-6) in that according to the 4th Book of Kings, as well as (Isa 7:1), the allies: Rezin of Syria and Pekah of Israel besieged Jerusalem with armies, which they could not take, after which the Syrian king marched into Edom and captured Elath; according to 2 Chronicles Ahaz met the allies not at Jerusalem, but somewhere outside it, before the siege of Jerusalem: there he was defeated by each of the allies, there took place the capture by Israelites of 200,000 Judean women and children, who were later released at the insistence of the prophet Oded. But of course, 2 Chronicles here in no way contradicts 4 Kings, but only supplements the account of 4 Kings (Isa 7:1) by introducing the moment preceding the siege of Jerusalem: it is quite natural that Ahaz, not waiting for the arrival of the allies at Jerusalem, attempted to repel the Syrian army and the Israelite army somewhere on the border of Judah, but, defeated by each army, retreated then to Jerusalem and shut himself in it. The enormous figures of the killed (120,000) and captives (200,000) of Judah (v. 6 and 8) may indeed raise perplexity and suggest the possibility of corruption of the numerical data in the biblical text by copyists. The Hebrew Masoretic text, admittedly, has no variants in v. 6 and 8, but the Greek LXX has several, so in v. 6, in codices 74, 106, 120, 134, 236, 19, 60 by Holmes have: ἐίκοσι χιλιάδες – only 20,000, which is more natural than the figure stated in the accepted text. As for the fact, transmitted only in 2 Chronicles, of the generous sparing of the Judean captives, women and children, by the Israelites at the urging and exhortation of the prophet Oded (v. 9–15), this fact presents nothing improbable: the struggle between the two Hebrew kingdoms, which began soon after the division of the formerly united Hebrew kingdom, had far greater dynastic or governmental motives: the desire of the kings of Judah (e.g., Abijah, Amaziah (2 Kgs 14:8-13; 2 Chr 13:3-19), cf. “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 522) to subdue the northern Hebrew kingdom that had broken away, than tribal hostility between the two kingdoms; the latter is improbable by virtue of the natural kinship between the tribes of Israel and Judah; therefore brotherly feelings, especially under the influence of prophetic exhortations, could easily be awakened in the hearts of the victorious Israelites toward the Judean captives. And the very fact that the sacred writer of the Book of Chronicles, who usually omits everything concerning the kingdom of Israel, here deliberately presents the fact that took place within the latter, testifies to the historical authenticity of the fact. The Israelites delivered the captives with the greatest care and solicitude even to distant points of their homeland, for example to Jericho (v. 15, On the location of Jericho see the commentary at (1 Kgs 16:34); “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 446–447 and note 1).

2 Chronicles 28:16. At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help him, 2 Chronicles 28:17. for the Edomites had again come and struck Judah and taken captives; 2 Chronicles 28:18. and the Philistines had spread out in the cities of the Shephelah and the Negeb of Judah and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages, and they settled in them. 2 Chronicles 28:19. For the Lord brought Judah low because of King Ahaz of Judah, for he had cast off restraint in Judah and had been unfaithful to the Lord. 2 Chronicles 28:20. And Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came to him, but he oppressed him instead of strengthening him, 2 Chronicles 28:21. for Ahaz took treasure from the house of the Lord and from the house of the king and from the officials and gave it to the king of Assyria, but it did not help him. On the raids of Edomites and Philistines on Judah under Ahaz only 2 Chronicles speaks with certainty. But the report on the Edomites and their threatening actions against Judah finds confirmation in the account (2 Kgs 16:6): of the taking of the Edomite Elath from Judah by the Syrian king under Ahaz; an indication of the hostile and aggressive behavior of the Philistines under Ahaz is contained in the prophet Isaiah (Isa 14:28-29). The cities mentioned in v. 18, captured by the Philistines, were all located in the tribe of Judah, in its southwestern part, on the border with Philistine territory. Among them “Gimzo” appears here for the first time and only once in the Bible, LXX: Γαμζώ, (also Γαμεζαὶ, Γαμζαί), Vulgate: Gamzo, Slavonic: “Gamzon” – a city east of Lydda now Gimzu (Robinson, Palestina, III, 271). “Beth-shemesh” – on the location of this priestly city see commentaries at (Josh 15:10; 1 Sam 6:9; 1 Kgs 4:9) in “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 92, 239–240, 379–380. On the location of the Levite city “Aijalon” (in the tribe of Dan) see commentaries at (Josh 10:12), “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 117 and 63–64. “Gederoth” or Gedera – now the village of Katrah or Gadrah, cf. (1 Macc 15:39) and commentaries at (Josh 15:36), “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 96; cf. Guerin, Iudee II, p. 35 and following. “Soco” – there were two cities of this name, both in the tribe of Judah: one in the plain (Josh 15:35); cf. (1 Kgs 4:10; 2 Chr 11:7), another in the mountains of Judah (Josh 15:48), see “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 96 and 97. On the location of “Timnah” or Tamna (Onomasticon, 292) in the mountainous part of the tribe of Judah see commentaries at (Gen 38:12-14) (“Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. I, p. 215); this is the present Tibne, four hours’ journey west of Bethlehem. Another Timnah (Josh 15:10) in the original division was located in the tribe of Dan (Josh 19:43), but was mostly in the hands of the Philistines ((Judg 14:1); see comments on it in “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 92 and 189); this Timnah or Tamna is probably what is meant in the passage of 2 Chronicles under consideration. Furthermore, there is a similar name Timnath-serah ((Josh 19:50); Onomasticon, 500), where Joshua was buried (Josh 24:30-31) – a city on Mount Ephraim. The most detailed investigation of the location of this latter city was given by Professor A.A. Olesnitsky, The Holy Land, vol. II, p. 307–371 (cf. “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 120–121). On the cowardly embassy of Ahaz to the king of Assyria (in the accepted Hebrew text v. 16 it says “to the kings” – al malkhe, but in codex 188 of Kennicott, in the LXX, Vulgate, Slavonic text there is the singular: “to the king of Assyria”), that is, Tiglath-pileser for help against the Israeli king and on the rich gifts with which Ahaz bought this help from the Assyrian king. Verses (2 Chr 28:16) speak entirely in agreement with (2 Kgs 16:7-8) (see commentaries “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 530–531). At the same time (2 Chr 28:20) adds that the help of the Assyrian king was rather burdensome to Ahaz – as the prophet Isaiah warned the king of Judah (Isa 7:17), and as this is actually confirmed by (2 Kgs 15:29) by the evidence of Tiglath-pileser’s invasion into the territory of the kingdom of Israel and the taking of several cities, wherein he made no distinction between the cities of one and the other Hebrew kingdom (cf. “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 527–528).

2 Chronicles 28:22. And in his time of distress he became yet more unfaithful to the Lord, this same King Ahaz. 2 Chronicles 28:23. For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him and said: “The gods of the kings of Syria helped them; I will sacrifice to them so that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. 2 Chronicles 28:24. And Ahaz gathered the vessels of the house of God and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut the doors of the house of the Lord, and made him altars in every corner in Jerusalem, 2 Chronicles 28:25. and in every city of Judah he made high places for burning offerings to other gods, and provoked the Lord God of his fathers. The description here of Ahaz’s impiety and idolatry and persecution of the religion of Jehovah is more condensed than in (2 Kgs 16:10-18) (see “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 531–535). The temple that Ahaz closed (v. 24) remained in such a state until the death of Ahaz and only Hezekiah upon taking the throne opened the doors of the temple (2 Chr 29:3).

2 Chronicles 28:26. The rest of his deeds and all his conduct, first and last, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 2 Chronicles 28:27. And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, but they did not place him in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son reigned in his place. Cf. (2 Kgs 16:19-20). On the “book of the kings of Judah and Israel” see commentaries at (2 Chr 27:7). The history of the next, thirteenth king of Judah, Hezekiah, is devoted to four chapters in 2 Chronicles (2 Chr 29-32) inclusive, corresponding to (2 Kgs 18-20). Only in a few places are these parallel narratives verbatim similar; for the most part 2 Chronicles is very brief on matters that the 4th Book of Kings recounts in detail and very detailed on matters to which the 4th Book of Kings gives only a simple indication or brief mention. As a whole, (2 Chr 29-32) unlike chapters (2 Kgs 18-20) and (Isa 36-39) (also relating to the history of Hezekiah’s reign), regards and presents Hezekiah’s reign not so much from the point of view of state-theocratic and religious-pragmatic governance, as the 4th Book of Kings and the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, but rather from the aspect of ecclesiastical and liturgical activity and the liturgical reforms of King Hezekiah (cf. “Tolkovaya Bibliya”, vol. II, p. 542).

Chapter Twenty-Nine

1–36. The enthronement of Hezekiah, the 13th king of Judah; the god-pleasing character of his reign; the opening of the temple, its cleansing, the beginning of proper performance of worship and the first sacrifices.

2 Chronicles 29:1. Hezekiah began his reign at the age of twenty-five, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Abijah, daughter of Zechariah. 2 Chronicles 29:2. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, just as his father David had done. Compare (2 Kgs 18:2-3). Zechariah, the father of Hezekiah’s mother, some rabbis identified with the prophet and high priest Zechariah, who was killed during Joash’s reign (2 Chr 24:20-22) – an entirely arbitrary and clearly untenable supposition in light of the chronological absurdity it allows: the time span between the persons being compared is by no means less than over a hundred years. The comparison of Hezekiah (verse 2), as later of Josiah (2 Chr 34:2), with David in application to these two kings has special precision, because of all Judah’s kings only Hezekiah and Josiah most closely resembled David in matters of piety (Sir 49:5). It was precisely the reforms in the area of worship that Hezekiah and Josiah brought about that secured for them a good reputation.

2 Chronicles 29:3. In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them, The restoration of worship by Hezekiah begins with the opening of the temple of the Lord, which had been closed by Ahaz (2 Chr 28:24).

2 Chronicles 29:4. and he commanded the priests and the Levites to come, and he gathered them in the eastern plaza, 2 Chronicles 29:5. and said to them: Listen to me, O Levites! Now consecrate yourselves and consecrate the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and remove the uncleanness from the sanctuary. 2 Chronicles 29:6. For our fathers have acted unfaithfully and done what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God, and have forsaken him, and turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the Lord, and have turned their backs, 2 Chronicles 29:7. and they have shut the doors of the porch, and extinguished the lamps, and have not burned incense, and have not offered burnt offerings in the sanctuary of the God of Israel. 2 Chronicles 29:8. And the wrath of the Lord fell upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he has given them up to trouble, to desolation, and to ridicule, as you see with your own eyes. 2 Chronicles 29:9. And behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are now in captivity because of this. 2 Chronicles 29:10. Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, that his fierce anger may turn away from us. 2 Chronicles 29:11. My sons! Do not be negligent, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before him, to serve him and to be his servants and to burn incense. The cleansing of worship could happen only through the mediation of the priests and Levites; and it is to them that Hezekiah addresses the appropriate speech (verses 5–11) “in the eastern plaza” (verse 4), that is, from the entrance to the temple – in the temple court or before it. The servants of the altar were to (verse 5) first purify themselves, and then engage in cleansing the temple, which had fallen into deep neglect (verses 5–7) during the preceding reign. In verses 8–9 there is a reference to the troubles that the Judeans suffered under Ahaz from the Syrians, Israelites, Edomites, and Philistines (cf. 2 Chr 28:5-19; 2 Kgs 16:5-7; Isa 7:1). The end of verses 9 and 10, according to the LXX translation, are read somewhat differently in different manuscripts, and the existing duality here is reflected in the corresponding difference between the Slavonic and Russian translations of this passage. The accepted LXX text reads: δ καὶ νῦν ἐστιν. Ἐπι τούτοις νῦν ἐδτιν ἐπὶ καρδίας διαθέκην μοῦ, διαθήκην Κυρίου Θεοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Such a rendering corresponds fairly accurately to the Hebrew Masoretic text, and it agrees with the reading of the Russian Synodal translation: “sons, daughters and wives are now in captivity. Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel.” In other Greek codices (for example 74, 106, 120, 121, 134 in Holmes, cf. Origenis Hexaplorum Quae Supersunt) the reading is: καὶ νῦν είσι ἐπὶ τούτοις. Νῦν ούν θεσθε ἐπὶ καρδίας ῦμῶν, τοῦ διαθέσθαι διαθήκην μετὰ Κυρίου Θεοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Close to the latter reading stands the Slavonic translation “as now they are. Now therefore lay upon your hearts to make a covenant.” Thus, according to one reading (Hebrew, Vulgate, accepted LXX and Russian), verse 10 speaks of Hezekiah’s own intention to make a covenant with the Lord, while according to another (some LXX codices, Slavonic text) reading, Hezekiah directs this proposal or exhortation to the priests and Levites. The first reading, as more thoroughly attested textually and closer agreeing with the context of the speech (the address to the priests and Levites “my sons” concludes only in the following, 11th verse), deserves preference; the initiative of renewal of the theocratic covenant comes from the king.

2 Chronicles 29:12. And the Levites rose up: Mahath, son of Amasai, and Joel, son of Azariah, of the sons of Kohath; and of the sons of Merari: Kish, son of Abdi, and Azariah, son of Jehallelel; and of the family of Gershon: Joah, son of Zimmah, and Eden, son of Joah; 2 Chronicles 29:13. and of the sons of Elizaphan: Shimri and Jeiel; and of the sons of Asaph: Zechariah and Mattaniah; 2 Chronicles 29:14. and of the sons of Heman: Jehiel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun: Shemaiah and Uzziel. 2 Chronicles 29:15. They gathered their brothers and consecrated themselves, and went in obedience to the king’s command to cleanse the house of the Lord according to the word of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 29:16. And the priests entered into the inner part of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the Lord into the court of the house of the Lord, and the Levites took it to carry it out to the brook Kidron. 2 Chronicles 29:17. And they began to consecrate on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of that same month they entered the porch of the Lord; and they consecrated the house of the Lord for eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished. 2 Chronicles 29:18. And they came to King Hezekiah and said: We have cleansed the house of the Lord, and the altar of burnt offering, and all its vessels, and the table for the bread of the presence, and all its vessels; 2 Chronicles 29:19. and all the vessels that King Ahaz had abandoned during his reign in his unfaithfulness, we have prepared and sanctified, and behold they are before the altar of the Lord. In fulfillment of the king’s command, the priests and Levites hastily performed the cleansing of the temple from all the uncleanness of idolatry that had been brought into it during the preceding reign. In exact accordance with the Pentateuch (Gen 46:11; Exod 6:16; Num 3:27) and others, the Levites are grouped (verse 12) according to three patriarchs, the sons of Levi: Kohath, Merari, and Gershon. Similarly mentioned are the well-known families of singers and composers of psalms: Asaph (1 Chr 6:39; Ps 49) and others, Heman (1 Kgs 4:31; 1 Chr 6:33; Ps 88:1) and others, as well as the well-known family of the Levite Elizaphan (Num 3:30; Exod 6:22; Lev 10:4) and others. The cleansing and consecration of the temple was carried out quickly: after the eight-day cleansing of the porch, over eight days the temple itself was cleansed, and all the work of cleansing the sanctuary was completed on the sixteenth day of the month. The date “sixteenth day” follows naturally from what was said about the time of cleansing the main parts of the temple and thus has obvious advantages over the date adopted in the Greek textus receptus: τῆ ἡμέρα τῆ τρῖς και δεκάτη – on the 13th day. However, the date “16th day” appears also in many Greek codices, for example XI, 60, 74, 106, 134, 158, 243, 19, 55, 64, 71, 93, 108, 119 in Holmes, in the Aldine and Complutensian Bibles, in Saint Cyril of Alexandria, and Origenis Hexaplorum Quae Supersunt.

2 Chronicles 29:20. And King Hezekiah rose early in the morning and gathered the officials of the city, and went to the house of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 29:21. And he brought seven bulls and seven rams and seven lambs and seven goats as a sin offering for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah; and he commanded the sons of Aaron, the priests, to offer a burnt offering on the altar of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 29:22. So they killed the bulls, and the priests received the blood and sprinkled it on the altar; and they killed the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar; and they killed the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar. 2 Chronicles 29:23. Then they brought the goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them. 2 Chronicles 29:24. And the priests killed them, and made a sin offering with their blood on the altar to make atonement for all Israel, for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel. 2 Chronicles 29:25. And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres, according to the ordinance of David and of Gad, the king’s seer, and of the prophet Nathan, for the ordinance was from the Lord through his prophets. 2 Chronicles 29:26. And the Levites stood with the instruments of David and the priests with the trumpets. 2 Chronicles 29:27. And Hezekiah commanded the burnt offering to be offered on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also, with the trumpets and with the instruments of David, king of Israel. 2 Chronicles 29:28. And all the assembly worshiped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded, until the burnt offering was finished. 2 Chronicles 29:29. When the burnt offering was finished, the king and all who were with him bowed and worshiped. 2 Chronicles 29:30. And King Hezekiah and the officials commanded the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer, and they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed and worshiped. 2 Chronicles 29:31. Then Hezekiah said and spoke: “Now you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord; come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the Lord.” And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all who were willing-hearted brought burnt offerings. 2 Chronicles 29:32. The number of the burnt offerings that the assembly brought was seventy bulls, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs – all these were for a burnt offering to the Lord. 2 Chronicles 29:33. Other holy sacrifices were: six hundred out of the cattle and three thousand out of the small livestock. 2 Chronicles 29:34. But the priests were too few and could not skin all the burnt offerings, so their Levite brothers helped them until the work was finished and until the other priests had consecrated themselves, for the Levites were more conscientious in consecrating themselves than the priests were. 2 Chronicles 29:35. Moreover there were many burnt offerings with the fat of the peace offerings and the drink offerings for the burnt offering. Thus the service of the house of the Lord was restored. 2 Chronicles 29:36. And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because God had prepared the people, for the thing had come about suddenly. The subsequent moment was the restoration of regular temple worship. The latter began with a great sin offering (verses 21–24) precisely for all Israel (verse 24), and not for the two tribes of the kingdom of Judah alone, since by Hezekiah’s time the fall of the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel was only a matter of time and soon became an accomplished fact (cf. 2 Kgs 17:3-6), so that Hezekiah could regard the inhabitants of the kingdom of Israel as members of one Israel (hence he later invites them to Jerusalem for the celebration of Passover, (2 Chr 30:5-11)). The ritual of the sin offering in this case was distinguished by special, extraordinary solemnity, exceeding in the number of sacrifices the norm prescribed by the law (cf. (Lev 4), “Explanatory Bible”, vol. I, pages 418–421). The laying on of hands by the king and the assembly upon the goats of the sin offering (verse 23), being a general feature of sacrificial ritual (Exod 29:10; Lev 4:4), most nearly reminds us of the laying on of hands by the high priest upon the scapegoat on the day of atonement ((Lev 16:21); “Explanatory Bible”, vol. I, pages 463–465) Even greater solemnity distinguished the performance of the most important of the sacrifices – the burnt offering (verses 24–29). Apart from the ordinary ritual determined by the law of Moses for this sacrifice ((Lev 1); “Explanatory Bible”, vol. I, pages 409–413), its performance in this case was accompanied by an orchestra of temple music and singing – according to the ordinance of David and the prophets Nathan and Gad ((verse 25); see (1 Chr 23:5) and others). The ordinance of David and the two prophets close to him is here set as an equivalent, spirit-inspired addition to the provisions of the law of Moses about worship and sacrifices (on the use of instrumental music and singing in worship and sacrifices the law of Moses gives no binding ordinances: provisions on sounding the trumpets (Lev 25:9; Num 10:10) refer to exceptional cases); after the Babylonian captivity, music became a permanent feature of daily worship and sacrifice (Sir 50:18). Regarding what is said in verse 25 about David, the blessed Theodoret remarks: “this convicts the foolishness of the Jews, who do not allow themselves to call the great David a prophet, for here Scripture, having mentioned three, adds: for the ordinance was from the Lord through his prophets” (Quaestiones in II Paralipomenon. Patrologiae Cursus Completus. Series Graeca. T. LXXX. Col. 850–852). The musical instruments named here (verses 25–28) belong to three main classes of musical instruments of biblical antiquity, which knew stringed, wind, and percussion instruments. Of two types of the latter: the tambourine (Heb. tof) and the cymbal (Heb. metziltayim, Gk. κυμβαλον, κύμβαλα, Lat. Cymbala, named here (verse 25) as cymbal), which, unlike the tambourine, had only temple usage (and not secular, as the former), consisted of two metal bowls (“large flat copper plates” according to Josephus), which the player held in both hands and struck against each other. The stringed instruments: the harp (Heb. nevel, Gk. ψαλτήρ, Lat. psalterium) and the lyre or harp (Heb. kinnor, Gk. κίνυρα, κιθαρα, Lat. cithara) according to Josephus (“Antiquities of the Jews”, VII, 12, 3) had the following structure: “the cithara had ten strings, which were struck with a plectrum, the nebel was furnished with twelve strings, and it was played directly with the plectrum.” The number of strings, however, was not always the same. Both instruments are distinguished, as is thought on the basis of church father testimonies, by the different position of the resonating box: in the harp – above, in the lyre – below (cf. “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, page 312). The harp, like the cymbal, had only temple usage, while the lyre had widespread use in secular music as well. Of wind instruments (such as the pipe, Heb. ugab, flute khalil), here the trumpets are named (Heb. chatzotzerot, LXX: σάλπιγγες, Lat. tubae). The shape of the musical trumpets, invented by Moses himself, Josephus (“Antiquities of the Jews”, III, 12, 6) describes as follows: “the trumpet was somewhat less than a cubit in length; its tube was narrow, only slightly wider than a flute; its mouthpiece was sufficiently large to receive the mass of air that the player blows into it; and it ends with a wide opening, like a hunting horn.” The description given by Josephus of this instrument is supplemented by depictions of the musical trumpet on the triumphal arch of Titus in Rome and on Hebrew coins. The description of the end of the sacrifice (verse 29) fully agrees with the account of this in Sirach (Sir 50:19). “The words of David and Asaph,” by which, according to Hezekiah’s instruction, the Levites were to praise the Lord (Heb. hallel Yehova), can be only the psalms of both inspired composers of psalms: Asaph is credited in the Psalter, according to the inscriptions, with 12 psalms (49; 72–82, Heb.: 50, 73–83). Of the psalms of David the “hallelujah” or “songs of ascent” (99–125) and others could preferentially have been used here. Hezekiah addresses (verse 31) first the priests: “you have filled your hands” – a technical expression about the functions of priests at the altar (Exod 28:41; Lev 9:17), especially in the offering of the ordination sacrifice (2 Chr 13:9). Then (in the same verse) he invites those present to bring sacrifices to the Lord; zebahim – sacrifices in general, but here (as, for example, in (Lev 17:8)) – properly peace offerings, a characteristic feature of which was the making of sacrificial meals after them: hence the abundance of sacrificial animals (verses 32–33). Regarding the peace offering, its types, character, significance, and ritual, we read in the chapter (Lev 3) and (Lev 7:12-21) (“Explanatory Bible”, vol. I, pages 416–417, 428–430).

2 Chronicles 29:34. But the priests were too few and could not skin all the burnt offerings, so their Levite brothers helped them until the work was finished and until the other priests had consecrated themselves, for the Levites were more conscientious in consecrating themselves than the priests were. According to the laws of sacrificial ritual, the flaying of the sacrificial animal was the work of the priest ((Lev 1:6); “Explanatory Bible”, vol. I, page 411). Only with regard to the peace offering – a sacrifice of somewhat lesser holiness than the burnt offering and sin offering – could the participation of Levites in this work be permitted – because of the enormous number of sacrifices and the lack of those who perform the sacrifices – priests – who did not have time, either for lack of time (2 Chr 30:3) or negligence, to purify themselves and approach the altar in sufficient numbers. Regarding this account of 2 Chronicles, the blessed Theodoret provides such a historical analogy: “This, as we observe, happens even now. For, in the absence of a presbyter and in case of dire necessity, it is also the duty of a deacon to administer baptism to the one requiring it.” (Patrologiae Cursus Completus. Series Graeca. T. LXXX. Col 851–852).

Chapter Thirty

The celebration of Passover in the first year of King Hezekiah

1–12. The decision of the king and the nobles to postpone the celebration of Passover to the second month and the invitation to the festival of all the inhabitants of Judah and the kingdom of Israel. 13–22. The gathering of the people in Jerusalem, the destruction of idol altars, the seven-day celebration of Passover and Hezekiah’s prayer for those who had not purified themselves. 23–27. The abundance of sacrifices at the subsequent extension of the festival.

2 Chronicles 30:1. And Hezekiah sent throughout all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord, to Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 Chronicles 30:2. For the king and his officials and all the assembly in Jerusalem had agreed to keep the Passover in the second month, 2 Chronicles 30:3. for they could not keep it at its appointed time because the priests had not yet consecrated themselves in sufficient number and the people had not been gathered together in Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 30:4. And this pleased the king and all the assembly. 2 Chronicles 30:5. So they made a decree to send throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it in great numbers as prescribed. 2 Chronicles 30:6. So the couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah, according to the command of the king and the officials, and spoke according to the command of the king: Children of Israel! Return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you who have been left from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 2 Chronicles 30:7. And be not like your fathers and your brothers, who acted unfaithfully before the Lord God of your fathers; and he gave them up to desolation, as you see. 2 Chronicles 30:8. Now do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord and come to his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you. 2 Chronicles 30:9. For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your children will receive mercy from those who have carried them captive, and will return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him. 2 Chronicles 30:10. And the couriers passed from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and even to Zebulun, but they mocked and derided them. 2 Chronicles 30:11. Nevertheless, some of the men of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 30:12. And the hand of God came upon Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the officials commanded, according to the word of the Lord. The restoration of true worship by Hezekiah (2 Chr 29:21-36) necessarily had to find expression also in the solemn celebration of the festivals, as one of the most important elements of worship. We know that Solomon, when he dedicated the temple he had built, celebrated the Feast of Booths in it with great solemnity ((1 Kgs 8:65-66), (2 Chr 7:8-10); cf. “Explanatory Bible” vol. II, pages 407–408); similarly this festival was celebrated under Ezra after the dedication of the altar, rebuilt by those returning from exile (Ezra 3:4) and under Nehemiah – after the construction of the walls of Jerusalem (Neh 8:14). In this case, under Hezekiah, the restoration of worship took place in the first month (Nisan, the ancient Abib) of the year (2 Chr 29:17), on the 14th day of which, according to the law, the festival of Passover – unleavened bread – was celebrated (Exod 12:18; Lev 23:5-6; Num 28:16-17) (cf. “Explanatory Bible”, vol. I, pages 309–311 and 482–483). But since the cleansing and consecration of the temple was completed only on the 16th day of the first month (2 Chr 29:17), the Passover could not be celebrated in this year at the proper time, and with the common consent of the king, the elders, and the people, it was decided to postpone the celebration of Passover to the second month of the year (2 Chr 30:2-4), on the 14th day of this month, in exact accordance with the provision of the law about the celebration of Passover a month later by those ritually unclean, those on a journey, and for other valid reasons unable to celebrate on the 14th of Nisan ((Num 9:10-11), “Explanatory Bible”, vol. I, page 526). This is the so-called Second or Lesser Passover (Mishnah, tractate Pesachim IX, 1 and following; Rosh-Hashana I, 3). Quite arbitrarily some Talmudists saw in the postponement of Passover to the second month by Hezekiah the insertion of an extra, additional month, the so-called second Adar (Heb. adar scheni or veadar), a measure for regulating the Hebrew calendar, which was actually practiced in the so-called Metonic cycle; but in this case not only is there no indication in favor of this opinion, but on the contrary, the motive stated in verse 3, referring to (Num 9:10-11), directly excludes the thought of any calendar reform (Hebrew-Karaite Jews rightly reject the idea of Hezekiah inserting the second Adar). It is even more arbitrary the opinion of modern biblicists, adherents of the evolutionary theory as applied to biblical history, that the Passover of Hezekiah (chapter 2 Chr 30) – is not a historical fact, but an invention of the chronicler, created after the model of the Passover of King Josiah (2 Chr 35:1-19). Above we said that, on the contrary, there is nothing more natural than that the renewal of worship under Hezekiah was accompanied by especially solemn celebration of the Passover. Here we add that both reforms – of Hezekiah and Josiah, caused by the same causes and aims, inevitably reminded one of the other, and therefore the deliberate celebration of Passover in both cases does not represent anything incredible; this should be said, in particular, of the remark in verse 26 (cf. a similar remark about the Passover of Josiah (2 Kgs 23:22; 2 Chr 35:18)). As for Hezekiah’s letter and embassy to the inhabitants of the ten-tribe kingdom, first to the tribes nearest to the northern border of Judah – Ephraim and Manasseh (verse 1), and then to more distant ones (verses 5, 10) with exhortations to turn to the Lord and to come to Jerusalem for the festival (verses 5–9), such an intrusion by Hezekiah, which at first sight seems inexplicable, into the territory of another state, can be explained in part by the fact that such an intrusion had spiritual, religious motives, not political ones. Furthermore, the weakness of the kingdom of Israel under Hezekiah’s contemporary Hosea was evident, and its fall occurred only five years after the Passover described in chapter (2 Chr 30) (2 Kgs 18:10). Finally, if we trust Jewish tradition, Hosea, who was generally better than other Israelite kings (2 Kgs 17:2), removed restrictions on his subjects’ visits to Jerusalem (cf., however, what is said in “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, pages 535–536). From the fact that Hezekiah addresses the Israelites with written letters (Heb.: iggeroth, ἐπιστολαί, verses 1, 6), the prevalence of literacy and the art of writing among the Hebrews in Hezekiah’s time (i.e., in the VIII century B.C.) is clear, although the Hebrew word iggeret itself is of later and probably Assyrian origin (in Assyrian – egirtu): it occurs only in the books of the Hebrew Bible of post-exile origin and is used almost exclusively in royal, governmental letters or edicts (Neh 2:7-9) and others).

2 Chronicles 30:8. Now do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord and come to his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you. In the Slavonic text: “do not harden your hearts” – an exact rendering of the accepted Greek LXX text: μὴ σκληρόνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν. But the Hebrew (orpechem), Vulgate (cervices), and Russian texts (“stiff-necked”) have not hearts, but necks, the latter confirmed by the use of the same phrase in other parallel biblical passages (2 Kgs 17:14; 2 Chr 36:13) and others). Many Greek codices (19, 52, 60, 64, 74, 93, 106, 108, 119, 120, 121, 134, 236, 243 in Holmes, Bible Complutensian, Aldine, cf. “Hexapla” of Origen) also have: τούς τραχὴλους ύμιῶν. The embassy to the kingdom of Israel, despite the unfavorable reception in some places (verse 10), on the whole achieved its goal (verses 11–12).

2 Chronicles 30:13. And a very large assembly of people gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the festival of unleavened bread in the second month. 2 Chronicles 30:14. And they rose up and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for burning incense they threw down and cast into the brook Kidron; 2 Chronicles 30:15. and they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were put to shame and consecrated themselves and brought the burnt offerings to the house of the Lord, 2 Chronicles 30:16. and they took their accustomed places according to the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood that they received from the hands of the Levites. 2 Chronicles 30:17. For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves, so the Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all who were not clean, to consecrate it to the Lord. 2 Chronicles 30:18. Many of the people, the majority from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves; yet they ate the Passover otherwise than prescribed. 2 Chronicles 30:19. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying: “May the good Lord grant pardon to everyone who sets his heart to seek the Lord, the God of his fathers, even if not according to the sanctification of the sanctuary.” 2 Chronicles 30:20. And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. 2 Chronicles 30:21. And the people of Israel who were in Jerusalem kept the festival of unleavened bread for seven days with great gladness, and every day the Levites and the priests praised the Lord, singing with instruments for the praise of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 30:22. And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the Lord. And for the seven days they ate the festival food, offering sacrifice and giving thanks to the Lord, the God of their fathers. The Judeans and Israelites who gathered in Jerusalem in very great numbers before the beginning of the celebration of Passover completed (verse 14) an act of cleansing of the holy city, destroying the idol altars created at various places in it by Ahaz in former times (2 Chr 28:24). This example of sacred zeal prompted the priests and Levites, who previously had not shown particular energy in the matter of thoroughly cleansing worship (verse 3), (see (2 Chr 29:34) and note to the latter passage), to hasten and carefully “consecrate themselves” (Heb.: itkaddeshú, Vulgate: sanctificati). But the LXX in the accepted text has: ἥγνισαν, in the majority of other codices, as: XI, 44, 52, 60, 64, 74, 106, 119, 120, 121, 134, 158, 236, 243 in Holmes, and others: ἡγνίσθησαν, and only in a few codices (19, 93, 108, Complutensian): ἡγιάσθησαν. From verse 17 it can be seen that the slaying of the Passover lamb, according to both the original law regarding the Passover (Exod 12:6), as well as the slaying of any sacrifice in general, even at the sanctuary ((Lev 1:5); “Explanatory Bible” vol. I, page 411), was the deed of the owners-offerers themselves, except in cases of their ritual uncleanness, when the slaying was performed by the Levites. The eating of any holy thing, and consequently the eating of the Passover meal, in ritual uncleanness was directly forbidden by the law (Lev 15:31; Num 9:6). The Israelites who had not purified themselves (verse 18), having long since severed their connection with the legitimate worship of the Jerusalem temple, in eating Passover in such a state, showed themselves to be transgressors of the law. But Hezekiah, recognizing that their reunification with the temple was more important than the details of ritual, prayed to the Lord for forgiveness of their half-conscious sin; in this case the pious king resembled the great Moses in his intercession for the people of Israel who sinned at Sinai (Exod 32:30). In both cases the outstanding people of the Old Testament rose far above the average level of religious and moral consciousness, rose almost to the height of evangelical concepts. Correspondingly, in both cases there followed divine forgiveness of the people’s sins (“healed” – verse 20; Heb. “healed” – irpá; Gk. ἰάσατο, i.e., sin as a spiritual sickness; cf. (Ps 40:5)), as well as the turning away of punishment by death and the like.

2 Chronicles 30:23. And the whole assembly agreed to celebrate the festival for another seven days, and they celebrated the seven days with gladness, 2 Chronicles 30:24. for King Hezekiah of Judah had contributed a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for the assembly, and the officials had contributed a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; and many priests sanctified themselves. 2 Chronicles 30:25. And all the assembly of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, and the whole assembly that came from Israel, and the sojourners from the land of Israel and those dwelling in Judah, rejoiced. 2 Chronicles 30:26. And there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 30:27. And the priests and the Levites rose up and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, to heaven. The extension of the Passover festival for the next seven days (verse 23) could have had as its motive a similar example of Solomon at the dedication of the temple ((2 Chr 7:8-9), (1 Kgs 8:65), see “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, page 407). Such meaning is also present in the mention of Solomon in the account (verse 26) of the unusual solemnity of Hezekiah’s Passover: moreover, the mention of Solomon in the present narrative of chapter (2 Chr 30) about the participation in the Jerusalem festival of members of individual tribes of the kingdom of Israel has the significance also of a chronological date: after the death of Solomon, the ten tribes of Israel separated from the house of David and the Jerusalem temple, and only now have part of them been religiously reunited with the Judean people and the temple; it was natural on the occasion of this reunification to recall the time of the undivided existence of Judah and Israel, which ended with the death of Solomon. In verse 25, in the enumeration of the participants in the celebration, the accepted LXX text, instead of standing in the Hebrew, Vulgate, Russian text “those who came from Israel” (or according to Hebrew codex 259 in Kennicott “from the land of Israel”) has: “from Jerusalem”: ἐξ Ἰερουσαλήμ (Slav.: “those who were found from Jerusalem”). But many codices, as XI, 19, 55, 93, 119, 153, Complutensian have ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ (or ἐκ γῆς Ἰσραὴλ – codex 108 in Holmes). Both external, textual, and internal data urge us to prefer the reading of the Hebrew text: the mention of “those coming from Jerusalem” at a Jerusalem festival is itself little natural, whereas the account of pilgrims from the kingdom of Israel arriving at Jerusalem is intelligible in connection with what precedes. In addition to Judeans and Israelites, here also (verse 25) are mentioned sojourners (Heb. gerim, LXX: προσή λυτοι) – without doubt, those naturalized and admitted into the theocratic community through circumcision, for an uncircumcised foreigner was absolutely forbidden to eat the Passover ((Exod 12:43); “Explanatory Bible”, vol. I, page 315). The right and duty to bless the people (at the close of daily worship belonged exclusively to the priests (under the direction of the high priest), and by no means to the Levites: in this case (verse 27) the latter merely added solemnity to the atmosphere of the blessing through playing musical instruments and exclamations (cf. verse 22).

Chapter Thirty-One

1–21. The efforts of Hezekiah to restore the rotation of priestly service and to provide the sources of maintenance for the Levites and priests.

2 Chronicles 31:1. And when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the pillars and hewed down the sacred poles and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Israel returned to their own towns, every one to his possession. The religious zeal of Hezekiah for the destruction of the belongings of pagan worship, and not only within the boundaries of the kingdom of Judah (2 Kgs 18:4), but also in the territory of the kingdom of Israel (which was approaching its last days of independent political existence), could find sympathetic response from the last Israelite king Hosea. Both kings could with equal zeal carry out the corresponding prescription of the law (Deut 7:5).

2 Chronicles 31:2. And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, division by division, everyone according to his service, the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and offerings of well-being, to minister and to give thanks and to praise in the gates of the house of the Lord. The assignment of priests and Levites to the rotations of sacred service was carried out in its time by David (1 Chr 24:19), but under the impious successors of David on the Judean throne, like all the performance of the worship of the Lord, it could not remain intact, especially under Ahaz, when the temple itself was shut. Hezekiah, for the sake of the proper course of daily and festival worship, restored the priestly and Levitical rotations for serving “at the gates of the house of the Lord” (Heb. bishaare machineot Yehova, Vulgate: en portis castrorum Domini), i.e., the temple (LXX: ἐν ταῖς πύλαισ (ἐν ταῖς αὐλαῖς) ὄικου Κυρίου).

2 Chronicles 31:3. And the king assigned from his own resources meat for the burnt offerings: for the burnt offerings of morning and evening, and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths and the new moons and the appointed festivals, as prescribed in the law of the Lord. The custom of kings supplying materials for the sacrifices of the temple probably had its origin from David. Regarding Solomon, this is directly asserted in (2 Chr 8:12-13), and is equally presupposed in the account of the visit of the queen of Sheba to Solomon (1 Kgs 10:4-5). In the prophet Ezekiel, the supplying of sacrificial materials to the temple is spoken of as a duty of the prince (Ezek 45:16-17). After the exile, in the absence of a national king or prince, the Jewish community established an annual poll tax: one-third shekel for the maintenance of daily worship (Neh 10:32-33).

2 Chronicles 31:4. And he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, so that they might devote themselves to the law of the Lord. By ensuring the normal and continuous performance of sacrifices (verse 3), Hezekiah also cares for the support of the clergy (cf. Neh 13:10), in accordance with the requirements of the law on this matter ((Num 18:20-32); “Explanatory Bible”, vol. I, pages 549–550)

2 Chronicles 31:5. As soon as the word went out, the people of Israel gave abundantly of the firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. 2 Chronicles 31:6. The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the dedicated things that had been dedicated to the Lord their God, and laid them in heaps. 2 Chronicles 31:7. In the third month they began to lay down the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. 2 Chronicles 31:8. When Hezekiah and the officials came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord and his people Israel. 2 Chronicles 31:9. And Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps. Among the abundant theocratic offerings of the people, who responded with great readiness to the king’s appeal, honey is mentioned – probably fruit honey, forbidden by the law (Lev 2:11) only as material for sacrifice, but not as a kind of theocratic tribute (“Explanatory Bible”, vol. I, page 415). The collection of offerings began in the third month – called after the exile Sivan ((Esth 8:9); around the festival of Pentecost – the festival of harvest: (Exod 23:16)) and continued until the seventh month – Tishri, when among other things the Feast of Booths was celebrated, the festival of gathering in fruit (Exod 23:16) (see “Explanatory Bible”, vol. I, pages 483–486).

2 Chronicles 31:10. And Azariah the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said: “Since they began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and have plenty left over, for the Lord has blessed his people. Out of what is left we have this great abundance.” 2 Chronicles 31:11. And Hezekiah commanded them to prepare chambers in the house of the Lord. And they prepared them. “Of the house of Zadok” (verse 10) – the well-known from the beginning of history in chapter (1 Kgs 1-2) high priest Zadok, from the line of Eleazar, son of Aaron (1 Chr 24:3). Solomon built numerous side structures beside the temple, in which various storehouses were placed ((1 Kgs 6:5-6); “Explanatory Bible”, vol. II, page 388). By Hezekiah’s time some of them may have fallen into ruin or been completely destroyed, and Hezekiah had to build new ones to house the abundant offerings from the people for the benefit of the clergy.

2 Chronicles 31:12. And they brought in the offerings, the tithes, and the dedicated things; and Conaniah the Levite was the chief officer in charge of them, with his brother Shimei as second. 2 Chronicles 31:13. And Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the supervision of Conaniah and his brother Shimei, at the command of King Hezekiah and Azariah the chief officer of the house of God. 2 Chronicles 31:14. And Kore son of Imnah the Levite, gatekeeper on the east side, had charge of the freewill offerings to God, and to distribute the contributions reserved for the Lord and the most holy offerings. 2 Chronicles 31:15. Under him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah in the priestly cities, to distribute the portions to their brothers, both the great and the small, according to their divisions, 2 Chronicles 31:16. in addition to those enrolled by genealogies, all the males from three years old and upwards, to every one who entered the house of the Lord, according to the daily portion required for their service in their various offices, 2 Chronicles 31:17. to the enrolled priests by their fathers’ houses and the Levites from twenty years old and upwards, in their various offices according to their divisions, 2 Chronicles 31:18. and to those enrolled together with their little children, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, the whole multitude; for they were faithful in keeping themselves holy. 2 Chronicles 31:19. And for the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were in the fields of the common land belonging to their cities, men were appointed in every city to distribute portions to every male among the priests and every Levite enrolled. A similar collection of theocratic offerings into the storehouses of the temple is recorded in the book of Nehemiah (Neh 9:35-40) regarding the time after the exile. “Chief officer of the house of God” (verse 13), see (1 Chr 9:11) – the high priest (Vulgate: pontifex domus Dei) or a special official in charge of the reception and distribution of offerings. Verse 17. The initial age for Levitical service here and in (1 Chr 23:3) is determined as twenty years old; in the legislation of Moses it is set at thirty (Num 4:3) or twenty-five years old (Num 8:24). Apparently, David found it necessary to call the Levites into service at an earlier age (twenty), and such practice was maintained afterwards – not only under Hezekiah, but also after the exile (Ezra 3:8). However, independent responsible service of the Levites at the temple could begin according to the prescription of Moses, not before thirty years of age; until this age they could serve only as assistants to the senior Levites (see “Explanatory Bible”, vol. I, page 525). Verses 18–19. All of Hezekiah’s efforts regarding theocratic offerings were directed toward ensuring that they would be distributed among priests and Levites with belonging “with complete faithfulness” – to prevent possible wrongs and deceptions of the lower members of the clergy by the higher. In subsequent history such grievous phenomena sometimes occurred. Thus under the procurator Felix (see Acts 23-24), Josephus relates, “the high priests became so devoid of shame and reached such audacity that they dared send their servants to the threshing floors to take there the tithe intended for ordinary priests. Thus it happened that a number of poor priests died of hunger” (“Antiquities of the Jews”, book XX, chapter 8, 8). The entire section on the rotations of priestly and Levitical service introduced by Hezekiah and the sources of their maintenance, distinguished by punctually exact details and containing a whole series of names (verses 12–15), bears all the marks of documentary character and historical authenticity.

2 Chronicles 31:20. And Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. 2 Chronicles 31:21. And in every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did it with all his heart and prospered. Here is the highest praise of all of Hezekiah’s theocratic and worship activity, essentially identical to that given in (2 Kgs 18:3).

Chapter Thirty-Two

The invasion of Judah by Sennacherib during the reign of Hezekiah

1–8. The fortification of Jerusalem by Hezekiah and his encouragement of the people. 9–19. The conquering plans of Sennacherib and his mockery of the religion of the Lord. 20–23. The miraculous destruction of Sennacherib. 24–26. The illness and miraculous healing of Hezekiah, his sin of pride and repentance. 27–33. The wealth and power of Hezekiah, his death and burial.

2 Chronicles 32:1. After these deeds and his faithfulness, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came and entered Judah and besieged the fortified cities, intending to seize them for himself. 2 Chronicles 32:2. When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come with the intention of making war against Jerusalem, 2 Chronicles 32:3. he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop up the springs of water outside the city, and they helped him. 2 Chronicles 32:4. And a great multitude of people gathered together and stopped up all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land, saying: “Let not the kings of Assyria come and find much water.” 2 Chronicles 32:5. He became strong and rebuilt all the broken wall, and raised it up to the tower, and built another wall outside, and strengthened the Millo in the city of David, and prepared a great quantity of weapons and shields. 2 Chronicles 32:6. And he appointed military commanders over the people, and gathered them to him in the square by the city gate, and spoke to their hearts and said: 2 Chronicles 32:7. “Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid and do not dread the king of Assyria and all the multitude that is with him, for we have more with us than with him; 2 Chronicles 32:8. with him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were encouraged by the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah. 2 Chronicles 32:9. After this Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sent his servants to Jerusalem – he himself stood against Lachish, and all his force was with him – to Hezekiah, king of Judah, and to all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying: 2 Chronicles 32:10. Thus says Sennacherib, king of Assyria: On what do you rely, that you sit in a fortress in Jerusalem? 2 Chronicles 32:11. “Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by hunger and thirst, saying: The Lord our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria?” 2 Chronicles 32:12. “Is not this the same Hezekiah who destroyed his high places and his altars, and said to Judah and Jerusalem: Before one altar you shall worship, and upon it you shall make your offerings?” 2 Chronicles 32:13. “Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the peoples of the earth able to save their land from my hand?” 2 Chronicles 32:14. “Who among all the gods of the peoples whom my fathers destroyed was able to save his people from my hand? How then can your God save you from my hand?” 2 Chronicles 32:15. “And now do not let Hezekiah mislead you and turn you aside in this way; do not believe him, for if no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to save his people from my hand and from the hand of my fathers, then your God will not save you from my hand.” 2 Chronicles 32:16. And his servants said even more against the Lord God and against Hezekiah, his servant. 2 Chronicles 32:17. And he wrote letters blaspheming the Lord God of Israel and speaking against him, saying: “Just as the gods of the peoples of the earth did not save their peoples from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not save his people from my hand.” 2 Chronicles 32:18. And they cried out with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them and terrify them, in order to take the city. 2 Chronicles 32:19. And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of human hands. 2 Chronicles 32:20. And King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried out to heaven. Regarding Sennacherib’s invasion of the Second Book of Chronicles gives only brief accounts, entirely presupposing their readers are familiar with the detailed account of this matter (2 Kgs 18:13–2 Kgs 19; see “Commentary on the Holy Bible,” vol. II, pp. 544–552). However, some features of the account in 2 Chronicles contain something new in comparison with the account in 4 Kings, and obviously were taken by the sacred writer from chronicle sources that were at his disposal, as indicated by the archival and documentary character of these additional details. The occasion for Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah and Jerusalem (ver. 1) was probably Hezekiah’s refusal to pay tribute to the Assyrian king (2 Kgs 18:7). Regarding the chronology of this event, see the comments on (2 Kgs 18:13), “Commentary on the Holy Bible,” vol. II, p. 544. The object of Sennacherib’s conquering ambitions were generally the “fortified cities of Judah,” according to the Septuagint: ἐπὶ τὰς πόλεις τάς τειχήρεις, that is, those surrounded by walls (cf. Lev 25:29), in which towers were ordinarily built. The Fourth Book of Kings, mentioning, in agreement with 2 Chronicles, the siege of fortresses by Sennacherib, further says (ver. 14) that Hezekiah sent envoys to Sennacherib expressing submission, that Sennacherib imposed a heavy tribute on Hezekiah, which he paid (2 Kgs 18:14-16), but that Sennacherib, nevertheless, sent a large army against Jerusalem, which found the city locked and fortified. 2 Chronicles does not mention Hezekiah’s embassy or his tribute to the Assyrian king, but, supplementing the account of 4 Kings, relates that Hezekiah, evidently convinced of the futility of peaceful negotiations with Sennacherib, decided in case of a probable attack on Jerusalem to fortify that capital of the kingdom of Judah as much as possible (ver. 5), and also to make the siege of Jerusalem difficult for the Assyrians by means of a strategy known in antiquity – the destruction of drinking water on the territory of the surrounding enemy forces (in turn, the enemy usually tried to deprive the besieged of water, as Alexander the Great did, for example, in the siege of Babylon). For this purpose all springs outside Jerusalem were stopped up (in ancient Jerusalem there were many such springs (Ps 45:5); according to the Letter of Aristeas, water from them flowed into the temple through underground pipes), including “the stream (Hebrew nahal) that flowed through the land” (ver. 4), the stream of Kedron with the springs near it: Gihon (ver. 30), Siloam and others. (Regarding the location of Gihon – Siloam, see the comments on (1 Kgs 1:33), “Commentary on the Holy Bible,” vol. II, p. 365). This measure of Hezekiah and generally his works on the artificial irrigation of Jerusalem are mentioned, besides (2 Chr 32:3-4), by other biblical testimonies: (2 Kgs 20:20; Isa 22:9-11; Sir 48:19). The digging of the Siloam tunnel may also have been connected with these works, which, on the basis of biblical-archaeological data contained in the Siloam inscription discovered in 1880, are usually dated to the time of Hezekiah (see “Commentary on the Holy Bible,” vol. II, p. 558). Another important undertaking of Hezekiah – for defensive purposes – was (ver. 5) the restoration of the ancient wall or, in the terminology of Josephus, the “first” wall (cf. 1 Kgs 3:1) and the beginning of the construction of the “second” outer wall of Jerusalem, which was finished by Manasseh (2 Chr 33:14); this “second” wall, according to Josephus (Jewish War V, 4, 2), began at the Gennath Gate, which still belonged to the first Zion wall, embraced the northern part of Jerusalem, the so-called Acra, and extended on the north to the Fish Gate and on the northeast to the towers of Hananeel and Mea and the Sheep Gate (Neh 3:1; Zech 14:10; Jer 31:37); see “Theological Encyclopedia,” St. Petersburg, 1906, vol. VI, pp. 450 and following. Regarding the Millo fortified by Hezekiah (ver. 5), see the comments on (1 Kgs 9:15), “Commentary on the Holy Bible,” vol. II, p. 410. At the same time, Hezekiah made a great supply of weapons in Jerusalem. But, as a pious king, Hezekiah did not place his hopes in all these human means of defense; rather, he turned his thoughts and those of his subjects to God, in hope of divine aid from above, expressing (ver. 7), like the prophet Elisha (2 Kgs 6:16), the conviction of the superiority of the power of heavenly defenders of God’s people over earthly enemies, and expressing (ver. 8), like the prophet Isaiah (Isa 31:3), firm confidence in the incomparable advantage of the spiritual power of the Lord over the fleshly power of even the most mighty enemy (cf. Jer 17:5). In the address of the Assyrian king to the inhabitants of Jerusalem (ver. 9–19) there is distinguished on the one hand an oral discourse of Sennacherib’s envoys with the people of Judah (ver. 10–16) and, on the other hand, letters of the Assyrian king to Jerusalem (ver. 17–19). But both, in their essentials, coincide with the speech of Rabshakeh set forth in (2 Kgs 18:19-25) (see “Commentary on the Holy Bible,” vol. II, pp. 545–547), with numerous, however, differences in style and presentation. Regarding the prayer of Hezekiah (ver. 20), more is said in (2 Kgs 19:1); the prayer of the prophet Isaiah is, at least, presupposed by the general meaning of the account (2 Kgs 19:3-8) and the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 37:3-7).

2 Chronicles 32:21. And the Lord sent an angel, and he destroyed all the mighty men of valor, commanders, and officers in the army of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame to his own land; and when he came into the house of his god, those who came from his own loins struck him down there with the sword. 2 Chronicles 32:22. Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them round about. Compare (2 Kgs 19:35-37), see “Commentary on the Holy Bible,” vol. II, p. 552. The killers of Sennacherib in (2 Chr 32:21) are named by the general term: “those who came from his loins,” whereas in (2 Kgs 19:37) they are specifically named as his sons, and their names are indicated. The Septuagint, Vulgate, Slavic text, and in 2 Chronicles add “sons.”

2 Chronicles 32:24. In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And he prayed to the Lord, and He heard him and gave him a sign. Here in a brief note is encompassed the account given in detail in (2 Kgs 20:1-11) concerning Hezekiah’s illness, miraculous healing, and the heavenly sign that accompanied it (see “Commentary on the Holy Bible,” vol. II, pp. 553–556).

2 Chronicles 32:25. But Hezekiah did not repay what had been given to him for his good deeds; for his heart became proud. And the wrath of God came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 32:26. But when Hezekiah humbled himself in the pride of his heart – he himself and the inhabitants of Jerusalem – then the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah. 2 Chronicles 32:27. And Hezekiah had very great wealth and glory, and he made for himself treasures for silver and gold and precious stones and for spices and shields and for all kinds of precious vessels; 2 Chronicles 32:28. and storehouses for the produce of grain, wine, and oil, and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and flocks for sheepfolds. 2 Chronicles 32:29. And he built for himself cities. And he had a great quantity of flocks both small and large cattle, for God had given him very great wealth. 2 Chronicles 32:30. And this Hezekiah stopped up the upper spring of Gihon and directed the water down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. The account of 2 Chronicles here is extremely condensed and becomes clear only when compared with (2 Kgs 20:12-20), see “Commentary on the Holy Bible,” vol. II, pp. 556–558. What is said in ver. 25–26 concerning Hezekiah’s pride, God’s wrath upon him, his humiliation and God’s mercy relates to the history of the embassy to him by envoys of Merodach-Baladan of Babylon (Isa 39:1-8). The same historical event is associated with the account in ver. 27–29 concerning Hezekiah’s glory and riches. Regarding Hezekiah’s works to improve the water supply of Jerusalem (ver. 30), see above (ver. 4); also (2 Kgs 20:20) (see “Commentary on the Holy Bible,” vol. II, 558); cf. (Sir 48:19). From ver. 30 of this chapter, as well as from ver. 14 of the following chapter (2 Chr 33:14), it is rightly concluded that Gihon flowed on the eastern (not on the western side, as earlier researchers of Palestine and Jerusalem thought) side of Jerusalem, from which arose the identification of Gihon with the present spring of the Holy Mother (see “Commentary on the Holy Bible,” vol. II, p. 365). Blessed Theodoret identified Gihon with Siloam ((Questions on II Chronicles. Patrologia Graeca, vol. 80, col. 854–856).

2 Chronicles 32:31. Only when envoys of the kings of Babylon came, who were sent to inquire of him about the sign that had taken place in the land, did God leave him, in order to test him and to reveal all that was in his heart. In this verse 2 Chronicles indicates a different reason for the embassy to Hezekiah from the Babylonian king than that named in (2 Kgs 20:12) and (Isa 39:1) (the report of Hezekiah’s illness and his subsequent healing), namely: “to inquire about the sign that had taken place in the land,” that is, the astronomical miracle that accompanied Hezekiah’s healing (2 Kgs 20:11; Isa 38:9), or, according to another explanation (Grotius, Philippson), about the accomplished fact of the miraculous destruction of Sennacherib’s army (ver. 26). The latter motive most corresponded to the political aims of the Babylonian king, who at that time had recently revolted from Assyria, become independent, and become hostile to Assyria, and naturally was interested in the defeat of the Assyrian king in Judah, with which he wished to enter into a political alliance against Assyria (cp. Phillipson. Die Israelische Bibel, vol. II, pp. 680, 757). But in essence all three motives could be combined in the dispatch of the Babylonian embassy.

2 Chronicles 32:32. The other deeds of Hezekiah and his virtues are described in the vision of Isaiah, son of Amoz, the prophet, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 2 Chronicles 32:33. And Hezekiah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the tombs of the sons of David, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem gave him honor at his death. And Manasseh, his son, reigned in his stead. A detailed description of the reign of Hezekiah, as well as that of his grandfather Uzziah (2 Chr 26:22), was given in a special work by the prophet Isaiah, from which extracts are preserved in his prophetic book (Isa 36-39), in 4 Kings, chapters (2 Kgs 18-20), and in 2 Chronicles, chapters (2 Chr 29-32). Hezekiah was buried with great honor “in the tombs of the sons of David” (ver. 33), Septuagint: ἐν ἀναβάσει ταφων υιῶν Δαυιδ, Slavic: “in the tombs of the sons of David,” that is, in the upper tier of burial niches of the family vault of the kings of Judah of the dynasty of David (see “Commentary on the Holy Bible,” vol. II, p. 370).

Chapter Thirty-Three

Kings of Judah: 14th – Manasseh and 15th – Amon

(See 2 Kgs 21:1-26)

1–9. The time of Manasseh’s accession and the duration of his reign; the general – impious – character of the first half of his reign; the mixture of true worship with idolatry. 10–13. The punishment of Manasseh through captivity, his repentance and the restoration to him of his kingdom. 14–20. The fortification of Jerusalem, the elimination of idols, the renewal of legitimate worship, and the death of Manasseh. 21–25. The two-year impious reign of Amon and his violent death.

2 Chronicles 33:1. Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem, 2 Chronicles 33:2. and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, following the abominations of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the sons of Israel, 2 Chronicles 33:3. and he built again the high places that Hezekiah his father had torn down, and erected altars for the Baals, and made sacred poles, and worshipped all the host of heaven and served them; 2 Chronicles 33:4. and he erected altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said: In Jerusalem shall My name be forever; 2 Chronicles 33:5. and he erected altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 33:6. And he made his sons pass through fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom, and practiced divination and sought omens and sorcery, and appointed those who consult with mediums and spiritists; he did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. 2 Chronicles 33:7. And he set a carved image, which he had made, in the house of God, about which God said to David and to Solomon his son: “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; 2 Chronicles 33:8. and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them, according to all the law and the statutes and the commandments given through Moses.” 2 Chronicles 33:9. But Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray to do evil more than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel. 2 Chronicles 33:10. And the Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they did not listen. See (2 Kgs 21:1-16); “Commentary on the Holy Bible,” vol. II, pp. 559–561. “On the two courts of the house of the Lord” (ver. 5), that is, the outer and inner courts (see comments on (1 Kgs 6:36); “Commentary on the Holy Bible,” vol. II, p. 392). In (2 Chr 33:6) it adds (in comparison with ver. 2 Kgs 21:6): “in the valley of Ben-hinnom” (Septuagint: ἐν γέ (ge – untranslated Hebrew word meaning “valley,” Βενεννόμ, Vulgate: in valle Benennom, Slavic: “in the valley of Beennom”). The highest manifestation of Manasseh’s religious syncretism was the setting up of a carved image of Asherah in the temple itself (ver. 7), while at the same time, apparently, the ark of the covenant was removed from the holy of holies, and was brought back there only under Manasseh’s grandson, the pious Josiah (2 Chr 35:3). Some scholars, on the basis of the enigmatic speech of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 3:16), consider it probable that Manasseh destroyed the ark of the covenant, but (2 Chr 35:3) apparently presupposes its existence during the reign of Josiah (see Prof. A. Smirnov, A New Construction of the History of the Hebrew People and New Judgments Concerning Its Historical Figures. A New Construction of the History of the Hebrew People and New Judgments Concerning Its Historical Figures. Supplement to the Edition of the Works of the Holy Fathers in Russian Translation, 1887, part 40, p. 217). The expression of that same broad religious syncretism of Manasseh was also his introduction into the temple of Solomon the Assyrian cult of the heavenly bodies (ver. 5). With the latter is associated the penetration into Judah during Manasseh’s time of Babylonian mythology, cosmogony, and cosmology (see Prof. A. Smirnov, pp. 221–224). Such apostasy of the king and the people of Judah from the religion of the Lord inevitably had to lead to the destruction of the kingdom of Judah, as this was clearly spoken of by the prophets contemporary with Manasseh (ver. 10, 18; cf. (2 Kgs 21:10-16)). But these rebukes not only failed to produce the desired effect on the king and people (ver. 10), but also provoked from the king bloody persecutions of the prophets (2 Kgs 21:16).

2 Chronicles 33:11. And the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, and they bound Manasseh in chains and shackled him, and took him to Babylon. 2 Chronicles 33:12. And when he was in distress, he besought the face of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 2 Chronicles 33:13. And he prayed to Him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his prayer, and brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. And Manasseh knew that the Lord is God. 2 Chronicles 33:14. And after this he built an outer wall for the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, down the valley and to the entrance of the Fish Gate, and carried it round about Ophel, and raised it to a great height. And he put military commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah, 2 Chronicles 33:15. and removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. 2 Chronicles 33:16. And he restored the altar of the Lord and offered upon it sacrifices of peace-offerings and of thanksgiving, and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. 2 Chronicles 33:17. Nevertheless the people still sacrificed on the high places, though only to the Lord their God. What prophetic preaching could not accomplish in Manasseh was accomplished through the severe correction from God in the form of his captivity by the Assyrian king and his deportation to Babylon: there, amid the trials and sorrows of captivity, Manasseh was deeply humbled before the Lord, repented of his sins of idolatry, and through the prayer of faith was restored to his kingdom in Jerusalem, where he spent his remaining days in fortifying the city, in eliminating certain aspects of idolatry, and in restoring the practice of the cult of the Lord in complete purity and proper order (ver. 14–16). This account, found only in 2 Chronicles and absent in 4 Kings, has in modern times in Western European biblical scholarship been repeatedly doubted and denied as lacking not only historical testimony but also internal probability. It is said that already the absence of any account of Manasseh’s captivity and return in 4 Kings, as well as in the prophet Jeremiah, makes this account in 2 Chronicles very suspicious: if the author of 4 Kings had been aware of anything similar, he certainly would have included this event in his narrative; and the prophet Jeremiah not only knows nothing of Manasseh’s chastening and conversion, but indirectly denies the very possibility of this fact when he testifies that it was primarily Manasseh’s idolatry that brought about the captivity of the people of Judah in Babylon and the destruction of the kingdom of Judah (Jer 15:4). Among the internal inconsistencies of this testimony of 2 Chronicles are reckoned partly the mention in it of Babylon as the place of Manasseh’s captivity, and partly and especially the fact that, according to this testimony (ver. 15–16), the reform of the cult was begun not by Josiah, as (2 Kgs 22-23) and (2 Chr 34) testify, but already by Manasseh. The whole account (2 Chr 33:11-16), it is said, is merely an allegory of the fate of Israel, which for its sins was taken into captivity and then returned to its homeland. Nothing like this happened to Manasseh himself, and could not have happened: a faithful vassal of the Assyrian kings, he reigned peacefully for more than half a century on the throne of the kings of Judah. A later Jewish writer – the author of the Book of Chronicles – could not reconcile with his faith in retribution the fact that the most lawless of the kings of Judah reigned longer than all the other kings and died unpunished. This contradiction was resolved for the writer of 2 Chronicles by the account in question, though the occasion for it could have been provided by the prediction of the prophet Isaiah to Hezekiah about the deportation of his sons to Babylon (2 Kgs 20:18); (J. Wellhausen, Prolegomena zur Geschichte Israels. 3rd ed. Berlin 1886, p. 213; W. Stede, Geschichte des Volkes Israel, 1st vol. Berlin, 1897, pp. 639–664; cf. Prof. A. P. Smirnov, pp. 228–229). But all these objections have only an apparent foundation. In fact, the non-mention in the books of Kings of the fact of Manasseh’s captivity and return in no way can speak against the historical authenticity of this fact: in very numerous cases the book of Chronicles supplements the narratives of the books of Kings with new factual data drawn from chronicle documents; in particular, the account in (2 Kgs 21:1-16) of Manasseh’s reign is so noticeably fragmentary (cf. 2 Kgs 21:17-18) that it naturally requires supplementation, which is provided by (2 Chr 33:11-18). The prophet Jeremiah in his severe judgment concerning Manasseh (Jer 15:4) may have had in view the first, greater part of his reign, the baneful consequences of which extended to the time following Manasseh’s death. As for the supposed internal inconsistencies of the account, they are merely the fruit of misunderstanding on the part of biblical critics, a misunderstanding which is completely eliminated by the new data of Assyriology: according to the testimony of the latter, the captivity of the Judean king Manasseh by the Assyrian king, and specifically in Babylon, is a historical fact that stands above doubt (Ewald, Geschichte des Volkes Israel, 3rd ed., vol. 1852, p. 729). According to Assyrian records, among the vassals of the Assyrian king Esarhaddon (689–661 BCE) was Manasseh, king of Judah (Minasi sar Jahudi); Esarhaddon’s son and successor Ashurbanipal carried out a harsh suppression of a coalition that had formed against him of West Asian kings headed by Shamash-shum-ukin, Ashurbanipal’s brother, and with the participation of the Egyptian pharaoh. Among these kings, vassals of Assyria, but who had rebelled against Ashurbanipal, we may naturally presume Manasseh of Judah, who was captured by the victor of the coalition, and since the center of the latter was Babylon (after Merodach-Baladan again made an Assyrian province under Esarhaddon), occupied by Shamash-shum-ukin, it is understandable that Ashurbanipal, establishing himself in Babylon, ordered Manasseh to be brought not to Nineveh but to Babylon. The event of Manasseh’s captivity is usually dated to 647 BCE, and consequently occurred in the 51st year of Manasseh’s reign, four years before his death (years of Manasseh’s reign, according to the accepted chronology: 698–643 BCE). It is more difficult to understand, judging by the historically known relations of the Assyrian kings toward defeated and captured kings, the fact of Manasseh’s restoration from captivity (the duration of captivity cannot be imagined to be considerable; it is conjectured to be not more than a year); however, there is nothing impossible here. 2 Chronicles points out (ver. 12–13) Manasseh’s repentance and conversion (a memorial of which remained in his prayer, cf. ver. 18) as the inner cause of his pardon and restoration; alongside this there could have been external circumstances favorable to him, such as some political upheaval in Assyria. That, in any case, Manasseh’s restoration was not an act of the Assyrian king’s favor is evident from the fact that Manasseh’s first action upon his restoration was to fortify Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah (ver. 14). Regarding the question of Manasseh’s captivity and restoration, see, for example, Kleinert in Riehm. Handwörterbuch des biblischen Alterthums, vol. II, pp. 962–963 (see “Commentary on the Holy Bible,” vol. II, p. 561). Regarding the “second” wall of Jerusalem, begun by Hezekiah (2 Chr 32:5) and only completed and more strongly fortified by Manasseh (ver. 14), see the comments on (2 Chr 32:5). The part of the city embraced by this wall was called the “second” (Hebrew mishneh), (2 Kgs 22:14). Regarding Gihon, see the comments on (2 Chr 32:30). Regarding Ophel, see the note on (2 Chr 27:3). “The Fish Gate” (Hebrew shaar (had) dagim), cf. (Neh 3:3; Zeph 1:10), was located in the middle of the second wall of Jerusalem, on the north of the city, approximately in the place of the present Damascus Gate; they were named thus, perhaps because the common people brought fish into Jerusalem through them (Neh 13:16). Together with the external fortification of his capital and his kingdom, Manasseh, upon his return from captivity, gave special attention to the removal from the temple and Jerusalem of the accoutrements of idolatry (ver. 15) and to the restoration of proper and devout worship of the Lord in His temple (ver. 16). But it is understandable that the people, which had been engrossed in idolatry for half a century, could not be sufficiently receptive to the king’s pious undertakings and still inclined toward the cult of the high places, albeit to the Lord (ver. 17). And Manasseh’s reform itself – already due to the brevity of the time period (from Manasseh’s restoration until his death) – could not be either wholly complete or, even more so, thorough, which is why a new, radical reform was soon required under Josiah (cf. ver. 15 with (2 Kgs 23:5-15)).

2 Chronicles 33:18. The other deeds of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, behold, they are written in the records of the kings of Israel. 2 Chronicles 33:19. And his prayer, and that God was moved by his entreaty, and all his sins and his transgression, and the places on which he built high places and set up images of Asherah and idols, before he humbled himself, these are written in the records of the seers. 2 Chronicles 33:20. And Manasseh rested with his fathers, and they buried him in his house. And Amon his son reigned in his stead. Here, in ver. 18 and 19, are named the sources of information for the history of Manasseh’s reign, namely: a) a general source – “the records of the kings of Israel,” which contained the rebukes of the seers to Manasseh (see 2 Kgs 21:10-15); b) a particular source – “the records of a certain seer Hozai,” which portrayed all the manifestations of Manasseh’s impiety (ver. 19). The Septuagint and Slavic text, instead of one person, see in the name Hozai a collective: seers (Hebrew hozim); Septuagint: ἐπὶ τῶν λόγων τῶν ὁρώντων, Slavic: “in the words of the seers.” But it is more probable to see here a reference to a particular source – the work of an individual seer, just as such references to the writings of individual persons occur elsewhere in 2 Chronicles, namely: Ahijah and Joels (2 Chr 9:29); Shemaiah and Iddo (2 Chr 12:15); Addo (2 Chr 13:22). In the Syriac translation stands Nabal, in the Arabic Saphan; c) finally, a “prayer” (Hebrew: tefillah, Greek: προςευχή, Latin: oratio, obsecratio) of Manasseh – obviously of a penitential character (“his prayer and that God was moved to him,” ver. 19) – which is not preserved in the Hebrew Bible. In place of the original text, which has not been preserved, the Greek and other translations of the Bible have an apocryphal prayer of Manasseh, placed in the Greek Bible at the end of the Psalter among 14 songs extracted from various places of Sacred Scripture, and in the Slavic-Russian translation following immediately after the last 36th chapter of 2 Chronicles. In this form the prayer of Manasseh – is of later origin (in it there is noted, as inconsistent with biblical view and teaching, the thought (ver. 8) that the patriarchs had no need for repentance). But its composition was attributed to this mention of “prayer” in (2 Chr 33:18-19). Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, instead of the Hebrew tefillah (prayer), reads here: tifla (foolishness, temerity), and remarks: “As for the prayer of Manasseh mentioned in the citation according to the accepted reading (thephillah), it was inserted into the citation on a later correction, after the appearance of the well-known apocryphal prayer of Manasseh” (“State Chronicle of the Kings of Judah.” Works of the Kiev Spiritual Academy, 1879, No. 8, p. 455). But the correction admitted here has no support in textual tradition, and it seems more natural to explain the composition of the prayer on the basis of a general mention of it in the Bible than a tendentious correction of the text on the basis of the composed prayer. In spite of its apocryphal character, the prayer of Manasseh is an expression of ardent religious feeling, deep repentance, and humiliation, and therefore in the worship of the Orthodox Church is used as a model of a penitential prayer (the Service of the Great Compline). Manasseh was buried (ver. 20) in the garden of one Uzza, whom some identify with King Uzziah (cf. (2 Kgs 21:18); “Commentary on the Holy Bible,” vol. II, pp. 561–562).

2 Chronicles 33:21. Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 33:22. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as Manasseh his father had done; and Amon offered sacrifices to all the idols which Manasseh his father had made, and served them. 2 Chronicles 33:23. And he did not humble himself before the face of the Lord, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; instead, Amon multiplied his transgressions. 2 Chronicles 33:24. And his servants conspired against him, and they killed him in his house. 2 Chronicles 33:25. But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead. Concerning the reign of the 15th king of Judah, the son and successor of Manasseh – Amon (in many manuscripts of the Septuagint and in Josephus: Ἀμώς), which was very brief and apparently without significant content, 2 Chronicles reports the same information as (2 Kgs 21:19-26); see “Commentary on the Holy Bible,” vol. II, pp. 562–563. * * * Blessed Theodoret remarks “such benefit does punishment bring to those who desire it. For what (Manasseh) did not have while reigning, he acquired while being a slave.” (Questions on II Chronicles. Patrologia Graeca. vol. LXXX, col. 854, 856)

Chapter Thirty-Four

Josiah, the 16th king of Judah, and his religious reform

(See 2 Kgs 22:1-23:20)

1–7. The time of Josiah’s accession, the duration of his reign, and his pious character. 8–13. The renewal of the Temple in the 18th year of his reign. 14–28. The discovery in the Temple of the ancient book of the law, its reading before the king, an embassy to the prophetess Huldah regarding the threats in the book, and the prophetess’s response. 29–33. Public reading of the book of the law and the establishment of a covenant to keep strictly the commandments of Jehovah.

2 Chronicles 34:1. Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem, 2 Chronicles 34:2. and he did what was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of David his father, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 2 Chronicles 34:3. In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places and the Asherah poles and the carved and cast images. 2 Chronicles 34:4. And they broke down before him the altars of the Baals and tore down the incense altars that were above them; and he cut down the Asherah poles and shattered the carved and cast images, beating them to dust, and scattered the dust on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them, 2 Chronicles 34:5. and he burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem, 2 Chronicles 34:6. and in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, and in their ruined surroundings 2 Chronicles 34:7. he tore down the altars and the Asherah poles, and shattered the images to dust, and demolished all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel, and returned to Jerusalem. In contrast to 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles begins the account of Josiah’s reign by describing, though not in as much detail as in (2 Kgs 23:4-20), the purification of worship undertaken by Josiah through the removal of all apparatus and remnants of idolatry. Concerning the unequal sequence of the account of Josiah in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, see the commentary to (2 Kgs 22:1-2), “The Interpretive Bible,” vol. II, pp. 563–564.

2 Chronicles 34:8. In the eighteenth year of his reign, after purifying the land and the house of God, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the mayor, and Joah son of Joahaz the recorder to restore the house of the Lord his God. 2 Chronicles 34:9. And they came to Hilkiah the high priest and delivered the silver that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites who guarded the threshold had gathered from the hands of Manasseh and Ephraim and all the remaining Israelites, and from all Judah and Benjamin, and from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 2 Chronicles 34:10. and gave it into the hands of the workers who were appointed to the house of the Lord, so that they might give it to the workmen who worked in the house of the Lord in repairing and restoring the house. 2 Chronicles 34:11. And they gave it to the carpenters and builders to buy hewn stone and timber for binding and for the roof of the buildings, which the kings of Judah had destroyed. 2 Chronicles 34:12. The men worked faithfully at the work, and over them were set Jahath and Obadiah, Levites of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of Kohath, and all the Levites who were skilled in instruments of music. 2 Chronicles 34:13. They were overseers of the bearers of burdens and supervised all the workers in every task; some of the Levites were also scribes and officers and gatekeepers. 2 Chronicles 34:14. When they brought out the silver that had been brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the Lord given by the hand of Moses. What is said here about the circumstances of the discovery of the “book of the law of the Lord given by the hand of Moses” (verse 14), about the impression made by reading it on the king, has almost word-for-word agreement with (2 Kgs 22:3-13). Concerning the significance of the event itself, see the commentary to the latter passage in “The Interpretive Bible,” vol. II, pp. 564–567. The particular differences in the account of 2 Chronicles from the narrative in 2 Kings in this section are characteristic of the greater documentary character of the former. Thus, in (2 Chr 34:8) the king sends to the Temple with the silver not just one scribe, Shaphan (2 Kgs 22:3), but also the mayor (Heb. sar-hagir) Maaseiah and the recorder (reporter, Heb. mazkir) Joah, which apparently was required by the importance of the task. In verse 12, the overseers of the work being done in the Temple are named individually. In verse 14, with full concrete precision, it is stated that the book of the law was found “when they brought out the silver that had been brought into the house of the Lord” (in (2 Kgs 22:8) it is stated generally: “I found the book of the law in the house of the Lord” (Hilkiah)).

2 Chronicles 34:15. And Hilkiah began and said to Shaphan the scribe: I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. 2 Chronicles 34:16. And Shaphan brought the book to the king and also reported to the king: All that you have entrusted to your servants, they are doing; 2 Chronicles 34:17. and they have poured out the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and have delivered it into the hands of the overseers and into the hands of the workmen. Verses 15–17 are almost word-for-word identical with (2 Kgs 22:8-9); only in verse 16 is added: “All that was entrusted to your servants, they are doing.” (LXX awkwardly: πᾶν τὸ δοθὲν ἀργύριον χειπὶ τῶν παίδων σου τῶν ποιούντων; Slavonic: “all the silver given is in the hands of your servants, who are doing the work”).

2 Chronicles 34:18. And Shaphan the scribe also informed the king, saying: Hilkiah the priest has given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. 2 Chronicles 34:19. When the king heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes. 2 Chronicles 34:20. And the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying: 2 Chronicles 34:21. “Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for all those remaining in Israel and Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found, for great is the wrath of the Lord that has been kindled against us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book.” Verses 18–21 are also almost word-for-word identical with (2 Kgs 22:10-13); only in verse 20, among those sent to consult Huldah, is named “Abdon,” whereas in (2 Kgs 22:12) it is “Achbor” (in both recensions: “son of Micah”); evidently they are the same person. In verse 21: “they did not keep” (lo-shameru) instead of what stands in (2 Kgs 22:13): “they did not hear” (lo-shameu).

2 Chronicles 34:22. And Hilkiah and those sent by the king went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe—and she dwelt in the second quarter of Jerusalem—and they spoke with her about this matter. 2 Chronicles 34:23. And she said to them: Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me: 2 Chronicles 34:24. Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book that was read before the king of Judah, 2 Chronicles 34:25. because they have forsaken Me and have made offerings to other gods, to provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. My wrath shall be kindled against this place and shall not be quenched. Verses 22–25 correspond exactly to (2 Kgs 22:14-17); there are only stylistic differences, for example, in verse 25 (as also in 21): “My wrath was poured out” (Heb. tittak) instead of what stands in (2 Kgs 22:17): “My wrath was kindled” (nitzeta). The approach of this respected embassy headed by the high priest to Huldah, apart from the prophets among whom by that time the prophets Jeremiah (Jer 1:1-2) and Zephaniah (Zeph 1:1) were already active, speaks of the high authority of this woman prophetess, who indeed spoke a remarkable prophecy about the fate of the people of God (verses 23–28). Enjoying great respect during her lifetime, Huldah was honored after her death as well: according to rabbinical tradition, she was buried within the walls of Jerusalem itself (see Archimandrite Nikifor in “Biblical Encyclopedia,” Issue III, Moscow, 1892, p. 88).

2 Chronicles 34:26. But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, say thus: Thus says the Lord God of Israel concerning the words which you have heard: 2 Chronicles 34:27. Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words concerning this place and its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me and tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you, says the Lord. 2 Chronicles 34:28. Behold, I will gather you to your ancestors and you shall be laid in your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the evil that I will bring upon this place and upon its inhabitants. And they brought the king the answer. See (2 Kgs 22:18-20). The promise to Josiah by the prophetess: “you shall be laid in your grave in peace” (verse 28; (2 Kgs 22:20)) should not be considered unfulfilled because of Josiah’s violent death in conflict with the Pharaoh Necho (2 Chr 35:23-24; 2 Kgs 23:29), because in Huldah’s words is meant not the personal peace of the king, but the peace and (at least relative) prosperity of the entire kingdom of Judah under Josiah until the last days of his life: the political complications that led the kingdom of Judah to its doom began only after Josiah’s death.

2 Chronicles 34:29. And the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 Chronicles 34:30. and the king went to the house of the Lord, and with him all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests and the Levites, and all the people, from the greatest to the least; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 34:31. And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord to follow the Lord and to keep His commandments and His decrees and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that are written in this book. 2 Chronicles 34:32. And the king commanded all who were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand by it; and the inhabitants of Jerusalem kept the covenant of the God, the God of their fathers. See (2 Kgs 23:1-3).

2 Chronicles 34:33. And Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the people of Israel, and commanded all who were found in the land of Israel to serve the Lord their God. Throughout his lifetime they did not turn away from the Lord God of their fathers. Verse 33 briefly repeats once more (see above verses 3–7) the account of the reform of worship undertaken by Josiah through the complete removal of all apparatus of idolatry (2 Kgs 23:4-20).

Chapter Thirty-Five

(see 2 Kgs 23:21-30).

1–6. The celebration of Passover under Josiah according to the law of Jehovah and according to the statutes of David and Solomon. 7–17. The abundance of Passover sacrifices. 15–19. The participation of singers in the celebration, a general remark about the exceptional solemnity of the Passover under Josiah. 20–27. Josiah’s death in battle with the Egyptian pharaoh, the grief of the people, and the mournful song of the prophet Jeremiah.

2 Chronicles 35:1. And Josiah kept a Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem, and they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 Chronicles 35:2. And he set the priests in their positions and encouraged them concerning the service of the house of the Lord, 2 Chronicles 35:3. and he said to the Levites who taught all Israel and were holy to the Lord: Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon son of David, king of Israel, built; you need not carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and His people Israel; 2 Chronicles 35:4. Stand in your positions according to your divisions, according to the direction of David, king of Israel, and according to the direction of Solomon his son, 2 Chronicles 35:5. and stand in the sanctuary according to the divisions of the families of your kinfolk, the children of the people, and according to the divisions of the Levites, 2 Chronicles 35:6. and slaughter the Passover lamb, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare it for your brothers, according to the word of the Lord by Moses. The celebration of Passover under Josiah is devoted to only 3 verses in 2 Kings (2 Kgs 23:21-23); in 2 Chronicles it is described in great detail (verses 1–19), which fully corresponds to the exceptional solemnity of this festival under Josiah noted by both books (according to (2 Kgs 23:22) “no Passover like it had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel or of the kings of Judah”; according to (2 Chr 35:18) “no Passover like this had been kept in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel; none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept.” Of course, there is no need to insist on strict literalist precision of these remarks in application to the entire previous history of Israel). The greater detail of the account in 2 Chronicles is already evident in the indication (verse 1) of the day of the celebration of Passover: the 14th of Nisan, that is, on the day appointed for this by the law of Moses (Exod 12:6; Lev 23:5; Num 23:16). Then there follows the organization by Josiah of the priestly and Levitical orders (verses 2, 4–5) and an instruction to the Levites to put the ark of the covenant in its place in the Temple (verse 3). “But we must ask,” remarks Saint Theodoret, “how, when the ark of the covenant was inside in the Holy of Holies, did Josiah instruct the Levites to sanctify themselves in order to place the holy ark in the house of God? This, it seems, means the following (remark): ‘And they set the holy ark in the house which Solomon son of David built.’ I for my part believe that either the Assyrian, when he took the city under Manasseh, took the ark out, or one of the impious kings after Hezekiah did so—Manasseh or Amon—and then Josiah, learning of this circumstance, restored the ark to its place.” (Quaestiones in II Paralipomenon. Patrologia Graeca, T. 80, Col. 855–856). Some rabbis, on the contrary, arbitrarily interpreted Josiah’s words in verse 3 as an order to put the ark away—in view of impending dangers from the Chaldeans—in one of the annexes of Solomon’s Temple. The text, on the contrary, clearly speaks of the restoration of the ark to the Temple from some other place. Such a temporary abode of the ark was considered by some to be either some secret place in the Temple itself among its annexes, or else some private house (for example, the house of Shallum, the husband of the prophetess Huldah). This, of course, is only a supposition, which should decidedly be preferred to the indication of the text of verse 3: from Josiah’s words to the Levites: “you need not carry it on your shoulders” it is evident that for some reason the ark had also been carried by the Levites, as it had been in the time of the wandering of the Hebrews in the wilderness (cf. Prof. Gulyaev, “Historical Books,” p. 582).

2 Chronicles 35:7. And Josiah gave to the people, all who were present, from the flocks, lambs and young goats, all for the Passover offering, thirty thousand in number, and three thousand cattle. These were from the king’s own property. 2 Chronicles 35:8. And his officials contributed willingly to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the chief officers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offering two thousand six hundred sheep, goats, and lambs, and three hundred cattle; 2 Chronicles 35:9. and Conaniah, Shemaiah, and Nethanel his brothers, and Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, the leaders of the Levites, gave five thousand sheep, goats, and lambs, and five hundred cattle to the Levites for the Passover offering. The entire sum of sacrifices offered at the Passover festival in the 18th year of Josiah’s reign and designated by the general name “Passover sacrifice” (Hebrew plural pesachim, verse 9) consisted (verses 7, 8, 9) of 37,600 animals from the small livestock (sheep and goats) and 3,800 from the large livestock, which significantly exceeded even the number of sacrifices during the Passover of Hezekiah (2 Chr 30).

2 Chronicles 35:10. And when the service was arranged, the priests stood in their places and the Levites in their courses according to the king’s command; 2 Chronicles 35:11. and they slaughtered the Passover lamb. And the priests sprinkled the blood, receiving it from the hands of the Levites, while the Levites flayed the animals; 2 Chronicles 35:12. and set apart the burnt offerings to give them according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer to the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses. And they did the same with the cattle. 2 Chronicles 35:13. And they roasted the Passover lamb with fire according to the ordinance; and the holy offerings they boiled in pots, caldrons, and pans, and carried them quickly to all the people, 2 Chronicles 35:14. and afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were occupied in offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. To skin the sacrificial animal was the duty of the priests (Lev 1:6), but in this case, because of the multitude of sacrifices, the Levites performed this task (verse 11), as was also the case at the celebration of Passover during Hezekiah (2 Chr 30). Overall, the account in 2 Chronicles 35 concerning the Passover of Josiah, in comparison with the data in the Pentateuch about Passover ((Exod 12:1-20), (Deut 16:1-8), etc.), presents considerable differences that bring this festival closer to post-exilic and generally later Jewish practice of its celebration. This concerns first and foremost the fact that in this case (verse 11), as also after, following the return of the Judeans from exile (Ezra 6:20), the slaughtering of Passover lambs is performed by Levites and priests, whereas according to the original ordinance of Moses concerning Passover, the slaughtering of the lamb was left to each individual family (Exod 12:6). In connection with this, in (2 Chr 35:11) it is specifically stated that the priests performed the sprinkling of blood in this sacrifice, that is, the specifically sacrificial significance of the Passover lamb is emphasized (see commentary on blood sprinkling in (Lev 1:5), “The Interpretive Bible,” vol. I, p. 411). In the Mishnah (tractate Pesachim, V, 5–6), the sprinkling of blood is also represented as a necessary element of the Passover sacrifice. The sacrificial character of Passover is brought out even more clearly in (2 Chr 35:6-9) in that the Passover lamb is placed in direct connection with the festive peace offerings, so-called in later times chagiga (from Heb. chag, “festival,” “festive,” that is, sacrifice; cf. Mishnah Pesachim VI, 3–4). The only lawful place for the slaughter of both Passover and festive offerings in later times was recognized to be the Temple court (Mishnah Pesachim, V, 8). And in (2 Chr 35:10) only this place is in view. At the basis of all these peculiarities of the celebration of Passover under Josiah lies the increased centralization in religious and national life under him of the importance of the Jerusalem Temple—as a result of the religious reform carried out by this king ((2 Kgs 23:4-20); cf. W. Nowack, Lehrbuch der hebraischen Archaologie, 2-ter Bd. 1894, pp. 172–175).

2 Chronicles 35:15. And the singers, the sons of Asaph, remained in their places according to the ordinance of David and Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, the king’s seer, and the gatekeepers at each gate; they did not need to leave their service, because their brothers the Levites prepared for them. In the Hebrew Masoretic text and in the Russian Synodal translation, the name seer (Heb. chozeh) is applied only to Jeduthun, while the LXX, Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, and Slavonic versions apply this honorable title to all three singers or psalmists, collaborators of David and creators of inspired hymns similar to his psalms.

2 Chronicles 35:17. And the people of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. Concerning the duration of the Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread, see (Exod 12:15; Lev 23:6; Num 28:17).

2 Chronicles 35:18. No Passover like this had ever been kept in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel; indeed, none of the kings of Israel kept such a Passover as Josiah kept, with the priests, the Levites, all Judah, the Israelites who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 35:19. This Passover was kept in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign. See (2 Kgs 23:22-23).

2 Chronicles 35:20. After all that Josiah had done for the house of God [and how King Josiah burned out the mediums, the wizards, the household idols, the images, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and Jerusalem, to establish the words of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord—there was none like him before him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any arise after him like him. Yet the Lord did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, by which His anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. The Lord said, “I will remove Judah also from My sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will reject this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.”] Necho, king of Egypt, went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates; and Josiah went out to meet him. 2 Chronicles 35:21. And Necho sent messengers to him, saying: What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I have war; and God has commanded me to make haste. Cease opposing God, who is with me, or He will destroy you. 2 Chronicles 35:22. But Josiah did not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight with him, and did not listen to the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the Valley of Megiddo. 2 Chronicles 35:23. And the archers shot King Josiah; and the king said to his servants: Take me away, for I am severely wounded. 2 Chronicles 35:24. So his servants took him out of the chariot and put him in the other chariot that was his, and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died and was buried in the tombs of his ancestors. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 2 Chronicles 35:25. Jeremiah also lamented for Josiah; and all the singers and the singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations, which have become customary in Israel, and they are recorded in the Book of Lamentations. The circumstances of Josiah’s death are described here in considerably more detail than in (2 Kgs 23:29-30), and indications are given of the unanimous grief with which the country, led by the prophet Jeremiah, honored the memory of the best of the kings of Judah. Concerning the location of Carchemish (verse 20, Onomasticon, 954), see the commentary to (2 Kgs 23:29) (“The Interpretive Bible,” vol. II, p. 573), where, however, this city is not named, and not without reason: the defeat of Pharaoh Necho by Nebuchadnezzar at Carchemish on the Euphrates occurred four years after Josiah’s death—in the fourth year of Jehoiakim king of Judah’s reign (Jer 46:2); at that time, Carchemish may not have been and probably was not the objective of Necho, who in general was directing his movement only toward the territories of Assyria (verse 21), with which Egypt had military conflicts continuously since the time of Sennacherib. The name Carchemish does not appear here (verse 20) in the accepted Greek text of the LXX, but only in codices 19, 108 in Holmes and in the Complutensian Bible, as well as in the Vulgate, Slavonic, and Russian texts. The accepted LXX text (verse 19), the Slavonic, and Russian Synodal translations (verse 20) have, compared to the Hebrew text, a large addition (in the Russian Synodal text in brackets), which in content corresponds to (2 Kgs 23:24-26), in form somewhat different from the biblical passage just mentioned, but probably borrowed from the latter, as suggests the apparently generalizing character of this addition. In this addition, it is said, among other things, that Josiah “burned… the idols and the groves” (LXX: τὰ καρησίμ). The latter word is clearly a mistake instead of κασησίμ; in codex 121, καδησείμ actually appears, which serves (for example, in (2 Kgs 23:7) according to the LXX translation) as a transcription of Heb. kedeshim, the sacred prostitutes of Astarte-Asherah, whose cult was concentrated in groves or woods (which is why in LXX, Slavonic, and Russian languages, the proper name Astarte-Asherah is often replaced by the common noun ἄλσος, grove). Blessed Theodoret similarly explains the word καρησίμ: “I believe that Κερεσίμ (so Blessed Theodoret reads this word) is a special type of divination, because it stands in connection with ventriloquists, sorcerers, and teraphim” (Patrologiae Cursus Completus. Series graeca, vol. LXXX, col. 857–858). As for Necho’s reference (verse 21) to the will of God, which impelled him to go against Assyria and necessarily required him to pass through the territories of Josiah, this reference is directly confirmed by the sacred writer himself in verse 22, and besides is very probable in itself in view of the historically known great significance of oracles in ancient Egypt. Because some commentators (Keil) justly discern in this characteristic feature of the narrative proof of its authenticity. Concerning the location of Megiddo, see the commentary to (1 Kgs 4:12), “The Interpretive Bible,” vol. II, p. 380. The description of Josiah’s last moments (verses 23–24) is particularly characterized by vivid truth (according to verse 22 from the Hebrew original, gitkhapass—hid himself, changed appearance, Josiah before battle changed his clothes, probably into the clothes of a common soldier, that is, used the same precaution that Ahab once had (1 Kgs 22:30)) and touching sincerity. But the last quality is especially evident in the subsequent remarks of the sacred writer (verses 24–25) about the universal mourning of the people, the capital, and the country over the fallen king (cf. Zech 12:11). “Such was the virtue of this king, that even the prophet Jeremiah wrote a lamentation (συνέγραψε Θρῆνον) and transmitted it to the male and female singers, so that they would sing it, commemorating his memory year by year” (Theodoret, Patrologia Cursus Completus. Series Graeca, vol. LXXX, col. 858). In the words just quoted from Blessed Theodoret, the existence of a lamentation song written by the prophet Jeremiah is acknowledged. Josephus affirms the same and testifies that this writing existed in his time: “The prophet Jeremiah composed a funeral elegy on the death of Josiah, which has been preserved to this day” (“Jewish Antiquities,” book X, 5, 1). On this basis, many ancient and modern commentators (J. Lire, Michaelis, Datie, Calovius, and others) identified the elegy of the prophet Jeremiah on Josiah’s death with the book of “Lamentations” ascribed by tradition to this same prophet, in the Talmud called Kinot, qinoth (Berach 57b; Baba Batra 15a; in the LXX: Θρῆνοι or Θρῆνοι Ἰερεμίου), as the collection of lamentation songs by male and female singers (LXX: οἱ ἄρχοντες καὶ αἱ ἄρχοσαι, Slavonic: “princes and princesses”) about Josiah is called here (verse 25) Kinot, Θρῆνοι. But such identification has no basis and must be abandoned. Strictly speaking, at this place in 2 Chronicles one cannot see any indication of the existence of a written work by the prophet Jeremiah: the general expression “lamented” (Heb. jeqonen) may denote either the oral delivery of the prophet’s elegy or only those imitative elegies of male and female singers (concerning the wide development of elegy among professional male and female singers among the Hebrews, see (Amos 5:16; Jer 9:16-19)), for which the elegy of the prophet Jeremiah served as a model. And even if we admit that the elegy of the prophet Jeremiah on Josiah’s death was recorded in this collection, then in any case this collection, dedicated to the memory of King Josiah, had content completely different from the book of “Lamentations,” which is entirely concerned with the destruction of Jerusalem and the fall of the Judean kingdom. Thus, together with other exegetes (Grotius, Cornelius a Lapide, Calmet, and others), it must be recognized that (2 Chr 35:25) concerns a special work of the prophet Jeremiah, distinct from the book of “Lamentations,” not preserved to our time, similarly to many other sacred Hebrew writings, only cited in the Bible (see Prof. Gulyaev, p. 585; especially M.D. Blagoveshchensky, “The Book of Lamentations. An essay of historical-exegetical research,” Kiev 1899, pp. 78–83). The attempt itself to identify two completely different works has emerged from an illegitimate desire to find in the Old Testament canon all ancient works of the Hebrews which history mentions; in reality, the number of lost ancient Hebrew writings known from the Bible only by name is very great (see “The Interpretive Bible,” vol. II, p. 301). In character and content, the elegies of the prophet Jeremiah and his imitators on Josiah’s death must have resembled the elegies of David preserved in the Bible: on Saul and Jonathan—the so-called “bow,” qesheth (2 Sam 1:18-27), and on Abner (2 Sam 3:33-34).

2 Chronicles 35:26. The rest of the acts of Josiah and his faithfulness, in accordance with what is prescribed in the law of the Lord, 2 Chronicles 35:27. and his deeds, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. But if the elegy of the prophet Jeremiah was perhaps not preserved by the time of the writing of the book of Chronicles, then his historical records concerning the time of Josiah, as also concerning the later kings of Judah, doubtless were included in the composition of the “Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah” (verse 27) and thus were one of the sources for the writing of both 2 and 3 Kings (see “The Interpretive Bible,” vol. II, p. 360), as well as both books of Chronicles. That the prophet Jeremiah wrote, in addition to his prophetic (his own name) and poetic (book of “Lamentations”) books, also historical notes, is evident from (2 Macc 2:1-7) and from the Talmud (Baba batra 15a; Prof. Olesnitsky, “The State Chronicle of the Kings of Judah,” p. 464). * * * Notes The LXX, Slavonic text, instead of the imperative mood in the Hebrew, Vulgate, Russian Synodal translation: “set it,” has the aorist: καὶ ἐθηκαν, “and he set”

Chapter Thirty-Six

(see 2 Kgs 23:30)

1–3. The 17th king of Judah, Jehoahaz, his three-month reign, and his deposition by the pharaoh. 4–6. The eleven-year impious reign of the 18th king of Judah, Jehoiakim, and his deportation to Babylon. 9–10. The three-month reign of the 19th king, Jehoiachin. 11–20. The eleven-year impious reign of the last, 20th king of Judah, Zedekiah, his rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar; the plundering and burning of the Temple and Jerusalem and the deportation of the Judeans to Babylon. 21–23. The seventy-year captivity of the Judeans and the decree of Cyrus for their return home. (The Prayer of Manasseh).

2 Chronicles 36:1. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah, and made him king in place of his father in Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 36:2. Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. [The name of his mother was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord according to all that his ancestors had done. And Pharaoh Necho bound him in Debir, in the land of Hamath, so that he should not reign in Jerusalem.] 2 Chronicles 36:3. And the king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem [and brought him to Egypt], and laid on the land a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. Jehoahaz had another and probably his original name, Shallum, Heb. Shallum (Jer 22:11). His appointment as king, bypassing his older brother Jehoiakim (cf. verse 5), is explained, probably, by the fact that the people considered Jehoahaz in some respect more worthy than the firstborn of Josiah, which, however, proved completely unjustified (see Jer 22:11-17). And yet, perhaps it was precisely this violation by the Judean people of the order of succession “that gave Pharaoh Necho a plausible pretext to intervene again in the affairs of Judah” (Prof. Gulyaev, “Historical Books of the Sacred Scripture of the Old Testament,” p. 586). On his return journey from the territories of Assyria (see Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities,” book X, 5, 2), Necho demanded Jehoahaz to come to him in Syria, in the city of Riblah ((2 Kgs 23:31-33); see “The Interpretive Bible,” vol. II, p. 574) where, as can be inferred from the allegorical portrayal of Jehoahaz by the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 19:3-4)—under the image of a young lion satiated with the blood of sacrifices, wounded, caught, and carried off to Egypt—Jehoahaz did not voluntarily give himself into the hands of the Egyptian pharaoh, not without struggle, but rather after a desperate but fruitless attempt at armed resistance to the Egyptian army. The words of verse 2, “the name of his mother… in Jerusalem,” placed in brackets in the Russian Synodal translation, do not appear in the Hebrew Bible and in some editions of the LXX translation (for example, in the Complutensian Bible) and constitute, probably, an insertion by the Greek translators, taken from (2 Kgs 23:31-33). Libnah is the same as Livnah (2 Kgs 19:8); see “The Interpretive Bible,” vol. II, pp. 549, 574. Debir is the same as Riblah (2 Kgs 23:33); Onomasticon, p. 274; “The Interpretive Bible,” vol. II, p. 574. Having deposed King Jehoahaz of Judah, the pharaoh laid a heavy tribute on Judah (verse 3); according to the LXX: καὶ ἀπέθανέν ἐκεῖ (verse 4), Slavonic and Russian text, Jehoahaz died in Egypt.

2 Chronicles 36:4. And the king of Egypt made Eliakim, his brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Necho took his brother Jehoahaz and brought him to Egypt. [And he gave silver and gold to the pharaoh; then the land began to give silver according to the pharaoh’s word, and each one, according to his power, demanded silver and gold from the people of the land as a tribute to Pharaoh Necho.] 2 Chronicles 36:5. Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem [; the name of his mother was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah]. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God [according to all that his ancestors had done. In his days came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to the land, and he served him three years and broke faith with him. And the Lord sent against them Chaldeans and bands of the Syrians, bands of the Moabites, and the Ammonites and Samaritans, and he stopped them according to this word, according to the word of the Lord by the mouths of His servants the prophets. Yet the anger of the Lord was against Judah, so as to remove it from His sight, because of all the sins of Manasseh, which he had committed, and because of the innocent blood which he shed and filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. And He would not consent to destroy them]. 2 Chronicles 36:6. Against him came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and bound him with fetters to take him to Babylon. 2 Chronicles 36:7. And some of the vessels of the house of the Lord Nebuchadnezzar carried to Babylon and put them in his temple in Babylon. 2 Chronicles 36:8. The rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim and the abominations which he committed and which were found in him, are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. [And Jehoiakim slept with his ancestors and was buried in Ganoza with his ancestors.] And his son Jehoiachin became king in his place. The book of Chronicles describes the reign of Jehoiakim here in considerably shorter form than is related in the parallel passage (2 Kgs 23:34-37); see “The Interpretive Bible,” vol. II, pp. 574–576. As a sign of complete vassalage of the Judean king to the Egyptian pharaoh, the latter changes (cf. Gen 41:45; Dan 1:7) the name of Eliakim to Jehoiakim. The tribute laid by the pharaoh on Judah (verse 3) was exacted with harshness and extortion, without distinguishing between rich and poor (the words placed in brackets in the Russian Synodal translation of verse 4 are found only in the LXX text and were probably transferred here from (2 Kgs 23:34); similarly in verse 5 there is an insertion from (2 Kgs 24:1-3)), in which agents of the Egyptian king, perhaps, were actively assisted by Jehoiakim himself, who announced his unfortunate and miserable reign especially through violence and oppression of the people (Jer 22:13-19). In the second half of his reign, probably in the 8th year of it (cf. Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities,” book X, 6, 1; see “The Interpretive Bible,” vol. II, p. 575), Jehoiakim had to exchange Egyptian vassalage for Babylonian: he submitted to the founder of the Neo-Chaldean kingdom Nebuchadnezzar (around 600 B.C.). An attempt by Jehoiakim, under the influence of the Egyptian faction, to free himself from the tribute to the Babylonian king, proved fatal for Jehoiakim: “Against him came Nebuchadnezzar… and bound him with fetters to take him to Babylon” (verse 6). This information from 2 Chronicles, in view of other kinds of testimonies (the book of 2 Kings and the book of the prophet Jeremiah) about Jehoiakim’s death and burial, namely the testimony (2 Kgs 24:6) (Jehoiakim slept with his ancestors, that is, in Jerusalem, but according to (Jer 22:19) Jehoiakim’s corpse was thrown outside the walls of Jerusalem and lay there for a long time like carrion)—is understood by commentators either so that Nebuchadnezzar, after taking Jehoiakim captive to Babylon, soon returned him to Jerusalem, where he died; or so that Nebuchadnezzar merely gave orders to bring Jehoiakim as a prisoner to Babylon, but later cancelled this order and commanded Jehoiakim to be killed in Jerusalem, and his corpse was thrown outside the city. The latter would be simpler and more acceptable, but in favor of the former speaks the fact that according to other biblical data (Jer 25:1; 2 Kgs 24:1; Dan 1:1), the Babylonian king attacked Jerusalem twice during Jehoiakim’s reign: the first time shortly after the battle of Carchemish (Jer 46:2), not earlier than the 4th and not later than the 8th year of Jehoiakim’s reign: this period is the date of the so-called first deportation of the Judeans to Babylon (Dan 1:1-4), and with it the beginning of the seventy-year captivity of the Judeans in Babylon (Jer 25:11-12). Thus, “the book of Kings speaks of the first invasion of Nebuchadnezzar into Judah, after which Jehoiakim remained on the throne, although he paid tribute to Babylon, as well as the subsequent robberies by bands of Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites against the weakened Judeans. The books of Chronicles, not having these reports, contain a brief notice of another invasion of Nebuchadnezzar, as a result of which Jerusalem was plundered and Jehoiakim was taken captive” (Prof. Olesnitsky, “The State Chronicle of the Kings of Judah,” p. 430). At this “second deportation,” 3,023 men of Judah were taken captive (Jer 52:28), and at the first—some vessels of the Jerusalem Temple (verse 7), which were placed in the sanctuary of one of the Babylonian gods (cf. Dan 1:2) and were kept there until the return of the Judeans from captivity under Cyrus (Ezra 1:7). Jehoiakim was the last of the Judean kings who died in his native country, and also was the last king whose reign was described in the chronicle of the kings of Judah, which recorded the deeds of the kings from Rehoboam (1 Kgs 14:29) to Jehoiakim. By the “abominations of Jehoiakim which he did and which were found in him” (verse 8), Hebrew commentators understood special marks or carvings in honor of idols on Jehoiakim’s body, supposedly discovered on his corpse lying unburied. But it is much more correct to see here a general idea about the idolatry and moral depravity of Jehoiakim (see Calmet ad locum, Migne, “Patrologia Cursus Completus. Series Graeca,” vol. XI, col. 1452–1453). In the “chronicle of the kings” there could have been contained and a report—preserved only in the LXX translation and in the Slavonic and Russian texts—of Jehoiakim’s burial in a certain Ganoza (textus receptus: ἐν γανοζαῆ; codices: 55, 60, 64, 119, 243, Alexandrian: ἐν γανοζάν; Aldine: ἐν γανοζανὶ). It is possible that these Greek expressions are a transcription of the Hebrew be-gan-Uzza—“in the garden of Uzza” (2 Kgs 21:18), that is, probably in the garden of King Ozias-Azarias, where were buried: 1) the king Ozias himself (2 Chr 26:23); 2) Manasseh (2 Kgs 21:18; 2 Chr 33:20) and Jehoiakim—all impious kings, deprived of the honor of burial in the royal tombs.

2 Chronicles 36:9. Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king; and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem, and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 36:10. In the spring of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, together with the precious vessels of the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem. “The reign of Jehoiachin in the books of Chronicles instead of a chronicle has only a general formula which ordinarily begins chronicle reports, and in the LXX translation is not expanded. Evidently, the state chronicle was discontinued and the note was made by a private person” (Prof. Olesnitsky, “The State Chronicle of the Kings of Judah,” p. 431). In comparison with (2 Kgs 24:8-16), the report of 2 Chronicles on the three-month reign of Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin is extremely abbreviated. In the accepted Masoretic text and the accepted LXX text, verse 9 shows Jehoiachin’s age at his accession as 8 years. But in Hebrew codex 525 by Kennicott and Greek codices: 19, 44, 64, 71, 74, 106, 108, 120, 121, 134, 158, 55, 60, 119, 243 by Holmes, in the Aldine and Complutensian Bibles is the date: 18 years, which is much more probable, in agreement with the testimony (2 Kgs 24:8), that is more probable. Despite Jehoiachin’s declared loyalty toward the Babylonian king (Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities,” book X, 7, 1), the latter, with the opening of the season for military campaigns ((verse 10); cf. (2 Sam 11:1)), hastened to make a new invasion of Jerusalem, deposed Jehoiachin, capturing him prisoner along with a very significant number of Hebrews from the rich and educated classes and many treasures ((Jer 29:1-2); see “The Interpretive Bible,” vol. II, p. 577). As the successor to Jehoiachin, the last (20th) king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah (formerly called Mattaniah (2 Kgs 24:17)), the son of Josiah, consequently, not the brother of Jehoiachin (as in the Hebrew text, verse 11, and in the Russian translation), but his uncle (LXX, Vulgate, Slavonic). The complete dependence of this last king of Judah on the Babylonian king is evident from the very fact of the change of his name by the latter (2 Kgs 24:17); cf. (2 Chr 36:4) and commentary to the latter passage; besides, Nebuchadnezzar took an oath from Zedekiah of loyalty in the name of Jehovah (Ezek 17:13).

2 Chronicles 36:11. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem, 2 Chronicles 36:12. and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. He did not humble himself before the prophet Jeremiah, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord, 2 Chronicles 36:13. and he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God; he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel. Among the events of Zedekiah’s eleven-year impious reign, besides his disobedience to the prophet Jeremiah (verse 12), is noted, evidently, as one of Zedekiah’s crimes—his breach of oath toward Nebuchadnezzar (verse 13), from whom he openly rebelled, contrary to the will of God through the prophet Jeremiah. “The remark of the books of Chronicles concerning Zedekiah has no character of chronicle reports and consists of an account having the nature of prophetic speech. Two mentions of the name of the prophet Jeremiah in this account (verses 12 and 21) may serve as indicators that it was either written by Jeremiah himself or compiled on the basis of his prophetic speeches, which it resembles” (Prof. Olesnitsky, “The State Chronicle of the Kings of Judah,” p. 431).

2 Chronicles 36:14. Moreover, all the leaders of the priests and the people likewise transgressed greatly following all the abominations of the nations; and they polluted the house of the Lord which He had made holy in Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 36:15. The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent persistently to them by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; 2 Chronicles 36:16. but they mocked the messengers of God and despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against His people, so that there was no remedy. Here is given a general indication of the internal causes of the ruin of the kingdom of Judah (cf. (2 Kgs 17:7-23), where in a similar manner the internal causes of the decay and ruin of the northern, ten-tribe kingdom are indicated). Concerning the activity of the prophets in the Judean kingdom and the attitude of the people toward them, cf. prophetic portrayals, for example (Jer 25:4; Ezek 33:32; Dan 9:10).

2 Chronicles 36:17. And He brought upon them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or young woman, old man or aged, but He gave all of them into his hand. 2 Chronicles 36:18. And all the vessels of the house of God, large and small, the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and his officials, all these he brought to Babylon. 2 Chronicles 36:19. And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious vessels. 2 Chronicles 36:20. And those who escaped from the sword he deported to Babylon, and they became slaves to him and to his sons until the rule of the king of Persia, Concerning the plundering and destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem, the deportation of the Judeans to Babylon—in more detail in (2 Kgs 25:9-17), “The Interpretive Bible,” vol. II, pp. 580–581. In Babylon the Judeans were slaves of Nebuchadnezzar “and his sons” (verse 20), that is, his successors on the throne of the Neo-Chaldean kingdom: Evil-merodach (561–559 B.C.), Labashi-marduk (552 B.C.), Nabonidus (552–539 B.C.), and Darius the Mede (539–537 B.C.), until the kingdom passed to Cyrus the Persian (537 B.C.)—altogether, according to the biblical reckoning, 70 years (verse 21; (Jer 25:11-12; Zech 1:12); see Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities,” book X, 11, 2).

2 Chronicles 36:21. until the fulfillment of the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the land rested and enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years. From a biblical-theocratic perspective, the seventy-year Babylonian captivity is a strictly appropriate punishment of the people of God for their violation of the foundations of theocracy, in particular, for their neglect of the theocratic law concerning the Sabbath year ((Lev 25:1-7); “The Interpretive Bible,” vol. I, pp. 489–491): the land of Palestine, abandoned now by the Judeans, received that rest which it had been deprived of as a result of the wickedness and greed of its inhabitants (cf. Lev 26:34-35). “From the reign of Saul,” says Blessed Theodoret (question 37 on Leviticus), “to the captivity is counted four hundred ninety years; the seventh part of this is seventy. Therefore, what is said (Lev 26:34-35) means that the land will remain unsown and untilled, because you will live in a foreign land for breaking, along with other laws, the commandment concerning the Sabbath.” See “The Interpretive Bible,” vol. I, p. 500.

2 Chronicles 36:22. In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, both by word of mouth and in writing, saying: 2 Chronicles 36:23. “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has charged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you, of all His people, may the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.” These concluding verses of 2 Chronicles are read word-for-word at the beginning of the book of Ezra (Ezra 1:1-3); there, the present location of these verses (Prof. Olesnitsky, “The State Chronicle of the Kings of Judah,” p. 431). But the information contained here about the time of return from the Babylonian captivity (the 1st year of the reign of Cyrus the Persian, see Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities,” vol. XI, 1, 1) is important for a correct understanding of the books of Chronicles in two respects. First, here is given a precise indication of the end of the captivity: the 1st year of Cyrus’s reign, 537 or 536 B.C., consequently, the possibility is given of a precise determination of the beginning of captivity 607–606 B.C., that is, according to the accepted chronology—the 4th year of Jehoiakim’s reign, when the first deportation of a party of Judeans to Babylon took place ((Jer 25:1) and further) or the first year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. Thus, the boundaries of the seventy-year (verse 21) captivity of the Judeans are precisely marked out and the supposition of some commentators is eliminated, according to which the beginning of the 70-year captivity should be counted from the final destruction of Jerusalem in 589 B.C., and its end recognized in the decree of Darius Hystaspes in 520 B.C. for the restoration of the Jerusalem Temple (Ezra 4:24). Second, according to the remark of Blessed Theodoret, “the end of the book (2 Chronicles) shows that the sacred historian collected (σνγή γαγε) this (content of 2 Chronicles) from many prophetic books a long time later, inasmuch as it mentions here the king of the Persians Cyrus and the return of the captives (of Judeans)” (“Quaestiones in II Paralipomenon. Patrology Graeca,” vol. LXXX, col. 855, 858). As for Cyrus’s profession in his manifesto (verse 23) of “Jehovah, the God of heaven,” it is not without significance the report of Josephus (“Jewish Antiquities,” book XI, 1, 1) that “Cyrus learned this upon reading a book in which the prophet Isaiah left his predictions two hundred ten years before,” that is, those passages of the prophetic book of Isaiah (Isa 44:28) in which the future liberator of the Judeans from captivity is named by name (Heb. Koresch, LXX: Κύρος, Persian Kurus (Kuru), Babylonian Kuras); the Judeans themselves could have contributed to this acquaintance of Cyrus with the Bible (Cleric). There can, of course, be no question of a Hebrew proselytism of Cyrus (cf. the remark on the alleged proselytism of Hiram of Tyre, to (1 Kgs 5:7), “The Interpretive Bible,” vol. II, p. 385). Concerning the non-canonical Prayer of Manasseh, placed in the Slavonic-Russian Bible immediately after (2 Chr 36), see the commentary to (2 Chr 33:19). * * * However, in codex 168 by Kennicott and in codices 31, 940 by Rossi it reads: “the son of his brother, ben-achiv” An extremely thorough and extraordinarily interesting in its originality investigation into the origin and sources of the books of Chronicles is given in the much-cited talented work of Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, “The State Chronicle of the Kings of Judah” or the Forgotten Books (παραλεπομενα). Proceedings of the Kiev Theological Academy, 1879, nos. 8 and 12. However, the author’s main thesis about the greater antiquity of the books of Chronicles compared to 2 and 3 Kings stands alone in the scientific world and is only a hypothesis, though quite useful for comparative study and explanation of the books of Chronicles on the one hand and the books of Kings on the other. The full force of persuasiveness is possessed, in any case, by such a conclusion of Prof. Olesnitsky, for example: “The information of the books of Chronicles about the kings of Judah (except the last ones) is distinguished by a chronicle choice of material and in all respects greater, than the information of the books of Kings, documentary character, becoming in many cases a bare collection of documents and lists and breathing the freshness of information taken directly from the treasury of the kings of the people of God.” Op. cit., p. 481.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Introduction

The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah

In our biblical texts, the name of Ezra designates three books, of which one (the first) is considered canonical, while two (the second and third) belong to the section of non-canonical writings. In ancient times the canonical book of Ezra was joined with the book of Nehemiah. This can be concluded from the testimony of the Talmud (Baba Bathra 15-a), Josephus (Contra Ap. I, 8), Melito of Sardis (Eusebius, Church History IV, 26), and from the lists of biblical books provided by church fathers and councils. This is supported by the fact that the Masoretic notes, which usually appear at the end of books, are placed after Neh 13:31, and in many Hebrew codices as well as in the Greek Vatican manuscript, the beginning of the book of Nehemiah follows in one line with the end of the book of Ezra (De Rossi, Variae lectiones V. T. IV, 157). In the Christian church, the book of Ezra was early separated from the book of Nehemiah, as is evident from the testimonies of Origen and Jerome (Orig. in Ps 1, Hier., Prol. galeat). Gradually this separation became universally accepted, and from 1525 onwards, from the time of the publication of the Bomberg edition, it entered Hebrew Bibles as well. Among Catholics, however, the book of Nehemiah is still regarded as the second part of the book of Ezra. Likewise, in scholarly bibliological works, both of these books are ordinarily examined together, in view of their undoubted close connection.

By its content, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah present an account of the history of the restoration of the Jewish community after the end of the Babylonian captivity. In particular, the book of Ezra is divided into two parts: chapters I-VI and VII-X. The book begins with the decree of Cyrus concerning the liberation of the Jews from captivity and an account of how, according to this decree, a group of captives consisting of members of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, as well as priests and Levites, returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Sheshbazzar (ch. 1). In chapter II a list of the returned captives and donations for the temple is given. Then, in chapter III, it is narrated how the altar was rebuilt, worship was restored, and the foundation of the temple was laid. In chapter IV, the author reports on obstacles to the construction of the temple from the Samaritans and their allies, and letters are cited that the enemies of the Jews sent to the Persian kings. In chapters V-VI, there is discussion of the resumption of temple construction that had been halted by the enemies’ accusations, its completion, and the dedication of the temple around 516 B.C. The second part of the book of Ezra describes events from the time of Ezra. In particular, it reports on the arrival in the 7th year of king Artaxerxes at Jerusalem of Ezra with a colony of returned captives, and cites the royal decree that specified Ezra’s authority (chapter VII); then (chapter VIII), a list is given of the captives who returned with Ezra, and finally, an account is made of Ezra’s activity in Jerusalem (chapters IX and X).

The book of Nehemiah, by its content forming a direct continuation of the narrative of the book of Ezra, is divided into three parts: chapters I-VII, VIII-X, XI-XIII. In the first part there is discussion of the circumstances of Nehemiah’s arrival at Jerusalem (I-VIII), the building of the walls by him (III-IV), the difficulties he encountered from the Samaritans and the Jews themselves (IV-VI), and a list of those who returned from captivity is provided (VII). In the second part, Ezra’s reformatory activity is described, directed toward establishing the dominion of the Law of Moses in life (VIII-X). Finally, in the third part are presented lists of inhabitants of Jerusalem, priests, and Levites (Neh 11:1 – Neh 12:1-24), an account is given of the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem (Neh 12:27-47), and of Nehemiah’s activity during his second arrival in the city after his journey to the court of the Persian king (XIII).

Thus, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah describe events that occurred in the period from 537–432 B.C. From their content it is evident that they do not relate everything that happened during this time. It is particularly important to note here that the period of Jewish history from the completion of the temple construction in 516 B.C. to Ezra’s arrival at Jerusalem in the seventh year of Artaxerxes, that is in 458 B.C., is entirely omitted. Clearly, like other biblical authors, the writers of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah intend to speak primarily of what is important from the theocratic viewpoint, in which, according to their understanding, God’s care for the chosen people was especially manifest after the Babylonian captivity.

Concerning the form of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, it should be noted that in Ezra 7:1-11 and at the conclusion of chapter 10 about Ezra it is spoken of in the third person, while in the section Ezra 7:27-9:15 it is in the first person; likewise, concerning Nehemiah, sometimes it is spoken in the first person (I-VII, XII-XIII), sometimes in the third (VIII-X). Moreover, a peculiarity of the book of Ezra is that the sections Ezra 4:8-18 and Ezra 7:12-26 are written in Aramaic (Chaldean) language, while the rest is in Hebrew.

The question of the origin of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah is at present difficult to resolve with complete certainty, both because of the absence of clear indications in the books themselves and because of the lack of firm guidance in tradition. Regarding the book of Ezra, the tradition attested in the Talmud (Baba Bathra 15-a: “Ezra wrote his book”), in the synopses of St. Athanasius and St. Chrysostom (“Ezra himself, having been a priest and a reader, tells and records in it the return from captivity, etc.”), asserts, apparently, that the book was written by Ezra. In favor of this tradition, the name of the book can speak in part, as also the established understanding of the history of the Old Testament canon. The content of the book of Ezra, and especially its second part (chapters 7–10), also confirms the tradition’s testimony. The discussion here concerns Ezra, and most of it is spoken directly in his person (Ezra 7:27 – Ezra 9:1). Although in chapter X and at the beginning of XI Ezra is spoken of in the third person, these parts too may be considered as written by Ezra: the change of persons in one and the same work is permissible for a single writer, and examples of such a literary device can be cited both in biblical writings (Dan 1:7; Jer 20:1) and in non-biblical. Moreover, chapter X is most closely connected with chapter IX, and the section Ezra 7:1-11 presents a natural introduction to what follows, where Ezra is narrated about in the third person. If the section being considered contains praises of Ezra and his genealogy, it is hardly possible to see in this a striving for self-exaltation, and therefore to regard it as incompatible with the tradition of the section being written by Ezra himself.

The second part of the book of Ezra (Ezra 7:1) begins with the words: “after these events.” This indicates, apparently, the close connection of the second part with the first (chapters I-VI), and therefore points to the writing of the latter also by Ezra. But Ezra was not an eyewitness of the events described in chapters I-VI, and therefore could only relate them on the basis of written documents. These documents may be represented either as raw materials which Ezra independently worked over, or else as already-worked-out compositions which Ezra merely published, adding without change to the part he himself composed. In favor of the latter view may speak the remark Ezra 5:4 (“then we said to them the names of those men”), which would hardly be used by Ezra if he were the compiler of chapters I-VI; yet the first view also has its defenders in scholarship.

The book of Nehemiah, on the basis of its inscription (Neh 1:1) and some – though not entirely clear – indications of tradition (2 Macc 2:13; Baba bathra 15-a), is considered by many scholars to be the work of Nehemiah. The chief proof of the book’s belonging to Nehemiah is that, in relating the events of the time of Nehemiah, the book in most of its extent (I-VII, XII-XIII) speaks of Nehemiah in the first person. In opposition to this view is ordinarily raised the passage Neh 12:1-11, where the genealogy of the high priest Jeshua is continued down to Jaddua, and Neh 13:28, where it is related that Nehemiah expelled from Jerusalem the son-in-law of Sanballat, the governor of Samaria. According to the testimony of Josephus (Antiquities 11:8, 5), Jaddua was high priest during the time of Alexander the Great; to the same time Josephus (Antiquities 11:7, 2) dates the fact of the expulsion of Manasseh. In view of Josephus’s testimony, the passages Neh 12:10-11 and Neh 13:28 (and consequently the entire section XII-XIII) are thought to have been unable to be written by Nehemiah. But the fact is that Josephus’s reports relating to the 4th century are very confused, and they cannot be used to verify biblical statements. On the other hand, if we accept the veracity of Josephus’s reports, the mentioned verses could be considered a later addition. As for Neh 12:10-11, besides, it is possible to suppose that here, in the genealogy of Jeshua, are indicated not four successive high priests serving over a hundred years, but only members of one and the same family, from which Nehemiah saw only the youngest contemporary of Alexander the Macedonian.

The origin of chapters VIII-X is less clear. In view of the fact that the named section speaks properly of Ezra, and also considering some peculiarities of the section compared with the rest of the book, some Protestant and Catholic exegetes consider the section to have been composed by Ezra, who was responsible for the final redaction of the book. Yet it is not without foundation indicated that too great a difference between chapters VIII-X and the rest does not exist. If the section speaks chiefly of Ezra, this is because the section narrates religious activity, in which the leading role belonged precisely to Ezra, not to Nehemiah, who was first in civil matters. This can also explain the distinction of the section from others in expressions – namely, that Nehemiah in the section is given the title of Tirshatha (Neh 8:9 and Neh 10:1), whereas earlier (Ezra 1:8; Neh 12:26) he was called pechah (governor).

To the foregoing should be added that even modern negative criticism recognizes in the foundation of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah genuine records (“memoirs”) of Ezra and Nehemiah, reproduced in the books partly literally. The difference in the views of criticism from traditional ones in this case is that the final redaction of the books is pushed back to a later time than the era of Ezra, and both books are considered to have been edited by the author of the book of Chronicles, and numerous interpolations are admitted. The chief basis for such a view is ordinarily the unity that many scholars presume between the books of Ezra and Nehemiah and the book of Chronicles. As proof of this unity, reference is made to: a) the common tone of the language of the books, b) the similarity of individual expressions, and c) the identity of the end of 2 Chronicles and the beginning of Ezra 1. But similarity in language and expressions with the same subject matter of both books is entirely natural and can testify only to the fact that the books considered belong to one epoch and perhaps were composed by one author, but not that they are parts of one whole. The identity of the end of 2 Chronicles and the beginning of Ezra (the decree of Cyrus) is more easily understood on the assumption of the independence of both works. As for those historical errors which induce representatives of negative criticism to push the final redaction of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah back to a very late time and to admit many interpolations in them, then (as will be evident from the commentary) the references to these errors are either unjust or very debatable.

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah have always enjoyed high regard in the Church and possessed the authoritative standing of inspired works as strictly historical compositions. Since the latest theories concerning the origin of the Pentateuch shifted the center of gravity of biblical history and biblical literature to the post-exilic period, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, as an important source for studying the post-exilic period, naturally became the subject of numerous investigations. In the process, many authors subjected the historical veracity of the narrative of the books in whole and in part to doubt. Thus, Schrader rejected the historical accuracy of the testimony Ezra 3:8 concerning the laying of the temple foundation in the second year of Cyrus, removing this event to the second year of Darius Hystaspes. Guanacer rejected the accuracy of the chronological sequence of the books’ narrative, attempting to prove that Nehemiah’s arrival at Jerusalem preceded Ezra’s arrival. Many scholars rejected the authenticity of the royal decrees cited in the books, of the Aramaic documents Ezra 4, as well as the list of those returned from captivity, attributing all this to the inventions of the chronicler, i.e., the editor of the books, who lived long after the events described. Finally, Costers and Torrey rejected the fact of the return of the Jews under Cyrus, the testimony about the building of the temple by the returned Jews, and much else. By the most recent works, however, especially the work of Meyer (Meyer, Entstehung des Judentums. Halle. 1896), many of the objections against the books of Ezra and Nehemiah have been refuted with sufficient persuasiveness. Especially important in this regard is the fact that from parallels in non-biblical literature the accuracy of those documents that are cited in the book of Ezra can be considered established. This to a considerable extent confirms the exactness of the author’s testimonies in other respects as well. The chronology of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah raises perplexity only. In naming the names of Persian kings (Artaxerxes, Darius) under whom certain events occurred, the author does not give these names closer definitions. And since Persian history knows several kings bearing these names, from this it is difficult to say with certainty which king the author means in one or another case. The chronological order of the events described in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah is therefore indicated by exegetes differently and can only be indicated with probability.

Literature: 1) Russian: Doroshkevich, Chronology of the books 1 Ezra and Nehemiah, Christian Readings 1886, July – Aug. Also. How the books 1 Ezra and Nehemiah were composed. Readings of the Society of Lovers of Spiritual Enlightenment 1891 December; Yanitsky, Origin and composition of the book of Nehemiah. Oryol Eparchial News 1881; Yungerov, Origin and historicity of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Orthodox Interlocutor 1905, 10; V. Popov, The Return of the Jews from Babylonian Captivity. Kiev, 1905. 2) Foreign: From the extremely extensive Western literature on the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, the most valuable are: The commentaries of Ryssel on Esra, Nehemia und Ester 1887, Bertholet on Die Bücher Esra und Nehemia. 1902, Keil on Bibl. Komment über Chronik, Esra, Nehemia und Ester. A detailed list of foreign literature can be found in the aforementioned books by Bertholet and V. Popov.

* * *

Examples see Readings in the Society of Lovers of Spiritual Enlightenment 1891, 2, 553–559

Chapter One

1–4. The decree of Cyrus for the liberation of the Jews from Babylonian captivity. 5–6. Donations given to the liberated Jews. 7–11. The delivery of the temple vessels to the Jews. 22–23. The date of the liberation of the Jews from captivity.

Ezra 1:1. In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in fulfillment of the word of the Lord from the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, and he commanded that it be proclaimed throughout his entire kingdom, both orally and in writing: “The first year of Cyrus” was his first year of rule over Babylon and coincides with 538 B.C. (cf. Bolotov, Belshazzar and Darius the Mede. Christian Readings 1896). This was the year of the “fulfillment of the word of the Lord from the mouth of Jeremiah,” that is, the prophecy of Jeremiah about the seventy-year duration of the captivity (Jer 25:11 and Jer 29:10).

Ezra 1:2. Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth has the Lord God of heaven given me, and He has commanded me to build for Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Ezra 1:3. Whoever among you from all His people – may his God be with him – let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, that God who is in Jerusalem. Ezra 1:4. And all who remain in all the places where they dwell, let the people of each place help him with silver and gold and other property and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the house of God, which is in Jerusalem. Cyrus’s decree for the liberation of the Jews. The decree about the liberation of the Jews, besides the passage in question, is encountered in the Bible two more times: in 2 Chr 36:22-23 and Ezra 6:3-5; and in the latter place there is given a special version of the decree. Some scholars are inclined to consider Cyrus’s decree a false document fabricated by the author of the book (Meyer 49; Seineke 89, 84). The basis for this is the Judaic character of the decree, expressed in the fact that Cyrus is attributed in the decree with the recognition of Jehovah as the God of heaven, the designation of the Jerusalem temple as the house of God, and so on. But these expressions will be understandable if we assume that Cyrus in his decree took up the Jewish perspective. In a similar manner, in his other decrees he speaks of Babylonian gods as if he recognizes them as true. In a well-known inscription on the Cyrus Cylinder, Cyrus, a worshipper of Ahura-Mazda, calls the Babylonian Marduk the king and lord of the gods, and attributes to his help not only the conquest of Babylon, but also the subjection of the land of Kush and the Medes (Schrader, Keilinschr. Bibliothek, III, 2, S. 1201). As is evident from verses 2–6, Cyrus’s decree granted all Jews the following rights: 1) the return to Palestine (Ezra 1:3); 2) the construction of the temple with subsidy from state funds (Ezra 3:7); 3) the return of the gold and silver vessels taken from the Jerusalem temple by Nebuchadnezzar (Ezra 6:5). Besides, the decree invited all inhabitants of the state (verse 4 “all who remain”) to make donations in favor of the returning settlers. It should be thought that in chapter 1 of the book of Ezra the decree is cited not in full, but in excerpt: from it are taken only the main points concerning the religious and national life of the Jews. How should one explain such a benevolent attitude of the pagan Cyrus toward the Jews? The author of the book of Ezra sees in this attitude of Cyrus toward the Jews a manifestation of divine providence for the chosen people. “The Lord stirred up,” he says, “the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia” (Ezra 1:1). This divine inspiration, however, need not be represented as a direct inspiration. The medium of this inspiration could have been the natural course of historical events, which in their totality are directed by God. In the opinion of some scholars, the liberation of the Jews was accomplished by Cyrus for political reasons – it was prompted by Cyrus’s desire to secure the southwestern borders of his kingdom by settling loyal Jews in Palestine (Stade), to create a bulwark against Egypt, and a base for the already-contemplated invasion of Egypt (Rosenzweig). Josephus (Antiquities 11:1, 12) indicates that what led Cyrus to the idea of liberating the Jews from captivity was the prophecy of Isaiah about his conquests that had been shown to him.

Ezra 1:5. And the heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred up, rose up to go and build the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem. The decree of Cyrus gave all Jews the right to return to Palestine. But not all availed themselves of this right, but only those whose spirit God had stirred up, to go and build the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem. Many, as Josephus remarks (Antiquities 11:1, 3), “remained in Babylon, unwilling to abandon what they had acquired.”

Ezra 1:6. And all their neighbors assisted them with vessels of silver, with gold, with other property and livestock, and with costly gifts, beyond any freewill offering for the temple. “All their neighbors.” Apparently, not only Jews (Köhler), but also foreigners (Hitzig). Some analogy noted by the author between the fact recorded here and what took place at the departure from Egypt (Exod 3:22) gives no basis, contrary to the opinion of some authors (Bertholet, Kosters), to consider the fact as invented in imitation of the historian’s account.

Ezra 1:7. And King Cyrus brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of Jerusalem and placed in the house of his god, – Besides voluntary donations of “vessels of silver, with gold, with other property and livestock, and with costly gifts” (verse 6), the Jews also received the temple vessels that had once been taken from Jerusalem (cf. 2 Kgs 24:13; Jer 27:16; 2 Kgs 25:14; Jer 52:18; Dan 5:2; Deut 1:8) by Nebuchadnezzar and had been kept in one of the Babylonian temples as trophies of the victory of the pagan gods over Jehovah.

Ezra 1:8. And Cyrus, king of Persia, caused them to be brought out through Mithredates, the treasurer, and he delivered them by count to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. The vessels are handed over to the prince of Judah Sheshbazzar, who in Ezra 1:11 and Ezra 5:14-15 is presented as the leader of the Jews returning under Cyrus, the governor in Palestine, and the founder of the Jerusalem temple. Yet at the same time, in other places in the book of Ezra (Ezra 2:2), in the book of Nehemiah (Neh 7:7), and also by the prophet Haggai (Hag 1:1-14) and Zechariah (Zech 4:9), the leader of the first caravan of Jews, the founder of the house of the Lord (Zech 4:6), and the ruler of Judea (Hag 1:1) is called Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel. From this arises the question: who was the Sheshbazzar mentioned in Ezra 1:8 and Ezra 5:14-15, and in what relation did he stand to Zerubbabel? Many scholars consider Sheshbazzar to be a different person from Zerubbabel, and believe that he was a Persian official appointed to represent Persian authority in Judea and made prince of the Jews (Stade, Rosenzweig, Smend). After the completion of his mission, Sheshbazzar supposedly was recalled to the Persian court and his position was filled by Zerubbabel. Other scholars, also distinguishing Sheshbazzar from Zerubbabel, are inclined to consider him not a Persian, but a Jew. Thus Meyer (Entstehung I, S. 79), Imbert, Renan (see in Bertholet) identify Sheshbazzar with Shenazzar mentioned in 1 Chr 3:18, the son of Jeconiah; Nickel (Wiedeherst j. G. S. 50) considers Sheshbazzar simply an outstanding Israelite, perhaps a distant relative of the royal house; and Sellin (Serubabel S. 7; Entst II, 239; II, 35) is inclined to see in Sheshbazzar Jeconiah himself. Yet the view of those bibliologists must be recognized as more just, who consider Sheshbazzar the same person as Zerubbabel, wearing thus two names (Ewald, Keil, Kuenen, M. Filaret, Popov). The grounds for this view are as follows: 1) In Ezra 1:8 Sheshbazzar is called “the prince of Judah.” Consequently, he was a Jew and specifically a descendant of David. And in the period of the return of the Jews from captivity, as is evident from Ezra 3:2; Hag 1:14, Zerubbabel was the only descendant of David, with whom therefore Sheshbazzar must be identified. 2) In Ezra 1:11 it is reported of Sheshbazzar that he departed with the settlers from Babylon to Jerusalem, and in Ezra 5:16 that he “laid the foundation of the house of God.” The same activity is attributed in Ezra 2:2; Zech 4:9 to Zerubbabel. Clearly, the biblical writers consider Sheshbazzar and Ezra 2 to be the same person. 3) In Ezra 5:14 Sheshbazzar is called pecha, and in Hag 1:1 this title is attributed to Zerubbabel at the same historical moment. As for the meaning of the stated names, it is not entirely clear. The name Zerubbabel probably comes from the Hebrew zeru and babel and means in Russian translation “born in Babylon.” The name Sheshbazzar (1 Esd 2:12 – Samanasser) is considered either Babylonian – Sin-bal-usur or Samas-bal-usur, Shamash or Sin protects the son – or Persian (Ryssel, Kepper). The custom of giving two names is known also from the book of Daniel.

Ezra 1:9. And here is their number: thirty golden dishes, one thousand silver dishes, twenty-nine knives, Ezra 1:10. thirty golden cups, four hundred ten silver cups, other vessels one thousand: Ezra 1:11. all the vessels of gold and silver, five thousand four hundred. All these Sheshbazzar took with him when the captives went up from Babylon to Jerusalem. The number of vessels (whose Hebrew designations are not entirely clear) returned to the Jews through Mithredates, keeper of the treasures, is indicated here. The total number of vessels in verse 11 is determined by the figure 5400. But if one adds the figures by which in verses 9–10 the individual types of vessels are designated (30+1000+29+30+410+1000), the resulting total is not 5400, but only 2499. In view of such a discrepancy between the sum and the summands, some scholars (Bertheau, Nickel), basing themselves on the testimony of 1 Esd 2:13-14, consider the figures of the individual types of vessels to be erroneous, while others (Keil) presume an error in the designation of the total number of vessels. It is possible, however, to do without assuming errors in the text. In verse 11, it may be thought, the quantity is indicated that was made up not only of the vessels delivered by Mithredates, but also of those that were donated by private individuals. Hence it came to be that the figure of verse 11 does not correspond to the sum of the figures of verses 9–10. * * * so in the text – Editor

Chapter Two

1–64. A list of those who returned from captivity with Zerubbabel and the enumeration of them. 65. The number of slaves, male and female singers. 66–67. The number of horses and camels. 68–69. Donations for the temple.

Ezra 2:1. These are the people of the province who went up out of the captivity of those whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had carried away to Babylon, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own city, “The people of the province” – bnej hammedina, more precisely province. The name is given to Judea, which had ceased to be an independent state and had become merely one district of the vast Persian empire. The returned captives settled “each to his own city,” that is, each in an assigned place. In resettlement, of course, account was taken of the place where the ancestors of a particular family had lived. But it was not possible to conform to this in all cases both because not all of the former territory came into the possession of the Jews, and also because some of the returned captives “were not able to show the genealogy of their fathers’ houses” (Ezra 2:59).

Ezra 2:2. the ones who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel: Ezra 2:3. the sons of Parosh, two thousand one hundred seventy-two; Ezra 2:4. the sons of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy-two; Ezra 2:5. the sons of Arah, seven hundred seventy-five; Ezra 2:6. the sons of Pahath-moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred twelve; Ezra 2:7. the sons of Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four; Ezra 2:8. the sons of Zattu, nine hundred forty-five; Ezra 2:9. the sons of Zaccai, seven hundred sixty; Ezra 2:10. the sons of Bani, six hundred forty-two; Ezra 2:11. the sons of Bebai, six hundred twenty-three; Ezra 2:12. the sons of Azgad, one thousand two hundred twenty-two; Ezra 2:13. the sons of Adonikam, six hundred sixty-six; Ezra 2:14. the sons of Bigvai, two thousand fifty-six; Ezra 2:15. the sons of Adin, four hundred fifty-four; Ezra 2:16. the sons of Ater, of the house of Hezekiah, ninety-eight; Ezra 2:17. the sons of Bezai, three hundred twenty-three; Ezra 2:18. the sons of Jorah, one hundred twelve; Ezra 2:19. the sons of Hashum, two hundred twenty-three; Ezra 2:20. the sons of Gibbar, ninety-five; Ezra 2:21. the people of Bethlehem, one hundred twenty-three; Ezra 2:22. the people of Netophah, fifty-six; Ezra 2:23. the people of Anathoth, one hundred twenty-eight; Ezra 2:24. the people of Azmaveth, forty-two; Ezra 2:25. the people of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty-three; Ezra 2:26. the people of Rama and Geba, six hundred twenty-one; Ezra 2:27. the people of Michmas, one hundred twenty-two; Ezra 2:28. the people of Bethel and Ai, two hundred twenty-three; Ezra 2:29. the people of Nebo, fifty-two; Ezra 2:30. the people of Magbish, one hundred fifty-six; Ezra 2:31. the sons of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four; Ezra 2:32. the sons of Harim, three hundred twenty; Ezra 2:33. the people of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty-five; Ezra 2:34. the people of Jericho, three hundred forty-five; Ezra 2:35. the people of Senaa, three thousand six hundred thirty. Ezra 2:36. The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy-three; Ezra 2:37. the sons of Immer, one thousand fifty-two; Ezra 2:38. the sons of Pashur, one thousand two hundred forty-seven; Ezra 2:39. the sons of Harim, one thousand seventeen. Ezra 2:40. The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, seventy-four; Ezra 2:41. the singers: the sons of Asaph, one hundred twenty-eight; Ezra 2:42. the sons of the gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, – in all one hundred thirty-nine. Ezra 2:43. The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, Ezra 2:44. the sons of Keros, the sons of Siaha, the sons of Padon, Ezra 2:45. the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Akkub, Ezra 2:46. the sons of Hagab, the sons of Shamlai, the sons of Hanan, Ezra 2:47. the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, the sons of Reaiah, Ezra 2:48. the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, the sons of Gazzam, Ezra 2:49. the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, the sons of Besai, Ezra 2:50. the sons of Asna, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephusim, Ezra 2:51. the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, Ezra 2:52. the sons of Bazluth, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, Ezra 2:53. the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, Ezra 2:54. the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha; Ezra 2:55. the sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Hassophereth, the sons of Peruda, Ezra 2:56. the sons of Jaalah, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, Ezra 2:57. the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of Ami, – Ezra 2:58. in all, the temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants, three hundred ninety-two. Ezra 2:59. And these were the ones who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer; but they could not show their fathers’ houses and their descent, whether they were of Israel: Ezra 2:60. the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred fifty-two. Ezra 2:61. And of the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name. Ezra 2:62. These sought their register among those enrolled in the genealogies, but it was not found; so they were excluded from the priesthood. Ezra 2:63. And the Tirshatha said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things, until there should stand up a priest with Urim and Thummim. Ezra 2:64. The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred sixty persons, The list of those who returned with Zerubbabel from exile, besides the passage in question, is given also in Neh 7 and 1 Esd 5. The fact that this list is found in three places in the Bible shows that it had an extraordinarily important significance in the life of the post-exilic Israel. This same fact decidedly speaks against the opinion of Torrey, who considers the list a mere “fabrication of the chronicler” (Torrey, p. 39–41). Some scholars (Wellhausen, Elhorst, Marquardt), not denying the historical basis of the list, nevertheless believe that it could not relate to the time of Cyrus, was compiled long after this, and was wrongly placed by the editor in chapter II. Yet the list itself contains signs that it was compiled either at the very arrival of the Jews in Palestine or soon after. This is indicated by the superscription of the list (“these are the people of the province out of the captivity of those whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, carried away to Babylon”), from which it is evident that the list refers to the returned captives. Then in the description of the property of the captives in verses 66–67, there are mentioned horses, mules, camels, and asses, that is, pack animals necessary on the journey. But mention is not made of domestic animals, necessary for settled life. From this it can be concluded that the list was compiled before the beginning of this life. The total number of returned in all three lists is determined by the figure 42,360 (cf. Ezra 2:64; Neh 7:66; 1 Esd 5:41). But if one adds the indicated in the lists the quantities of returned individuals of separate classes, then for each list one obtains its own figure and moreover smaller than the one indicated above – namely, for Ezra 2 – 29,818, for Neh 7 – 31,089, and for 1 Esd 5 – 30,143. In general opinion of exegetes, the disagreement of the general sum with the summands from which it is composed can be explained only by the admission of errors in the text. That errors indeed penetrated into the lists in question is evident from comparison of the names mentioned in them. Thus, the same persons in Ezra 2:2 are called Seraiah, Bani (verse 10), Jorah (verse 18), and in Neh 6:15 – Binnu, Harif (verse 24). Yet errors are more readily admitted for the figures designating separate classes of returned. The general sum of the returned, in view of the fact that it is identically transmitted in all three lists, may be recognized as correct. Since ordinarily the Jews counted male persons and moreover those who had reached twenty years of age, this sum (42,360) must be thought to encompass only males. Adding to this sum the number of women and children, the figure of all the returned from Babylonian captivity with Zerubbabel can be provisionally determined as 150,000 (Smend) or even 200,000 (Herzfeld, Keil). Some scholars (Costers, Wellhausen) consider the said figure of the returned from captivity under Cyrus of males to be too high because, in their opinion, only about 14,000 Jews were carried away into captivity by the Chaldeans. However, on the basis of general considerations about the population of Judea before the Babylonian captivity, as well as because of biblical testimonies about the campaigns of Nebuchadnezzar (2 Chr 36:6; Jer 25:1; 2 Kgs 24:11-16; 2 Chr 36:9-10; 2 Kgs 25:7; 2 Chr 35:17-19; 2 Kgs 25:19-20; 2 Chr 36:19-20), with greater justice the number of captives can be determined by the figure of 40–50,000.

Ezra 2:22. the people of Netophah, fifty-six; Netophah (cf. 2 Sam 23:28; 1 Chr 2:54) is the present-day Beit-Nettif to the west of Bethlehem.

Ezra 2:24. the people of Azmaveth, forty-two; Azmaveth or Beth-azmaveth (Neh 7:28) is the present-day El-Chizmeh, a region to the north of Jerusalem on the way from Anathoth to Gibeah.

Ezra 2:29. the people of Nebo, fifty-two; Nebo, possibly Nubai or Beit-Nuba.

Ezra 2:30. the people of Magbish, one hundred fifty-six; A place of this name is unknown. Therefore it is supposed that Magbish is the name of a person, not a place, and that instead of “the people of Magbish” one should read the sons of Magbish.

Ezra 2:33. the people of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty-five; Lod mentioned in verse 33 is the Lod of the apostolic history (Acts 9:32), the present-day Ludd (cf. 1 Chr 8:12). Near Lod were located Ono and Hadid, mentioned also in Neh 11:35 and 1 Chr 8:12, the present-day Ein-Hadit (cf. 1 Macc 12:38).

Ezra 2:35. the people of Senaa, three thousand six hundred thirty. Senaa – a place whose exact location is unknown. Apparently it lay not far from Jerusalem. The enumeration of the cities settled by the captives shows that the territory occupied by the returned Jews was slight.

Ezra 2:40. The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, seventy-four; The number of Levites who returned (74) appears too insignificant in comparison with the number of priests (4,289). It is to be thought that in the captivity there were few Levites in general, since those scattered throughout Judea could not be carried away in large numbers. Moreover, to the returned captives among the Levites must be added those who belonged to them – the singers (Ezra 2:41; Neh 7:44; cf. 1 Esd 5:27) and gatekeepers (Ezra 2:42; Neh 7:45). Then the number of Levites will not be striking in its disproportionality in relation to the number of priests.

Ezra 2:43. The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, The temple servants, along with the “servants of Solomon,” held the lower positions at the temple. According to the most widely accepted view in the literature, the temple servants were descendants of those inhabitants of Gibeon who, by resorting to deception, made a covenant with the Hebrews at the time of Joshua (Josh 9:3-18) and were appointed afterwards to the lowest servile work for the altar of the Lord (Josh 9:21-27). The ranks of the temple servants were subsequently filled with workers who were donated to the temple by David and his princes (Ezra 8:20).

Ezra 2:58. in all, the temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants, three hundred ninety-two. Alongside the temple servants are set the “servants of Solomon.” By “servants of Solomon” may be understood either workers who were given by Solomon to the temple, or captives of foreign nations who were given by him also to the temple (cf. 1 Kgs 9:20-21). As is evident, they constituted a small separate society in the temple personnel.

Ezra 2:59. And these were the ones who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer; but they could not show their fathers’ houses and their descent, whether they were of Israel: Tel-melah and Tel-harsha, as is evident from the context, are names of Babylonian cities or regions. As for Cherub-Addan-Immer mentioned in verse 59, it is not clear whether this is a designation of people who could not show their genealogy, or a designation of places; and in the latter case – whether it is the name of one place or three. Usually the designation in question is understood in the geographical sense, and from comparison of verse 59 with verse 60 it is concluded that Cherub-Addan-Immer is the name of one place.

Ezra 2:60. the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred fifty-two. The question concerning the sons of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda concerned their belonging to the people of Israel. In particular, regarding the sons of Nekoda the question could arise whether they belong to the temple servants, among whom also are mentioned the sons of Nekoda (verse 48).

Ezra 2:61. And of the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name. Ezra 2:62. These sought their register among those enrolled in the genealogies, but it was not found; so they were excluded from the priesthood. Ezra 2:63. And the Tirshatha said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things, until there should stand up a priest with Urim and Thummim. The sons of Habaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai, who had not presented a genealogical record by which they could prove their priestly descent, were “excluded from the priesthood,” that is, they were forbidden to eat the most holy offering (cf. Lev 2:3; Num 18:9), to perform sacrifices (Exod 29:37), to enter into the sanctuary (Num 18:10). This prohibition was imposed upon them by the “Tirshatha.” The Tirshatha (probably identical with the Persian tarsata, a participial form from tars, to fear), is an honorable title – reverendus, your excellency, bestowed on the pecha – governor (Ezra 5:14; Neh 8:9; cf. Neh 12:26). In the passage in question, by the Tirshatha is meant Zerubbabel. From the expression “until there should stand up a priest with Urim and Thummim” one concludes that at that time there was no high priest. But the matter is not that there was no high priest, but that in the absence of the temple the will of God was not revealed through the Urim and Thummim. About the Urim and Thummim see the note to Exod 28:30; Num 27:21; 1 Sam 28:6. “In hope that with the restoration of the altar and the temple to the Lord, His gracious presence would again be in the reborn community, Zerubbabel awaited the appearance of the high priest with Urim and Thummim, who was to give a final decision concerning the priests who were unable to indicate their descent from Aaron” (Keil, Comment. 423). But according to the view of later Jews (Buchstorf), in the post-exilic age God no longer revealed His will through Urim and Thummim, although on the basis of Sir 36:3 and Antiquities 3:8–9 some consider this (Bertholet) to be probable.

Ezra 2:65. besides their male servants and their female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven; and they had two hundred male and female singers. The singers and female singers mentioned here must be understood, in distinction from the temple singers named in verse 41, as persons who served for entertainment and probably belonged to foreigners.

Ezra 2:66. Their horses were seven hundred thirty-six, their mules two hundred forty-five; Ezra 2:67. their camels were four hundred thirty-five, and their donkeys, six thousand seven hundred twenty. From the mention of only pack animals it can be concluded that the enumeration of those returning to their homeland was made either before the arrival or soon after, when settled life had not yet begun.

Ezra 2:68. And some of the heads of the families, when they came to the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem, made freewill offerings for the house of God, to restore it in its place. Ezra 2:69. According to their ability they gave to the treasury for the work sixty-one thousand darics of gold, five thousand talents of silver, and one hundred priestly garments. In the book [of Nehemiah] Neh 7:70-72, different sums are indicated for the donations for the temple in comparison with the given passage. The more complete testimony is considered to be the text of the book of Nehemiah. The sum of the donations in both stated passages is reckoned in coins called in the Hebrew text darkonim. Some scholars interpret the darkonim as Persian darics; and since these coins appeared only during the time of Darius Hystaspes, from this it is concluded that the lists Ezra 2 and Neh 7 were compiled long after the events and therefore are inaccurate. But darkonim in Ezra 2:69 must be distinguished from the adarknim mentioned in Ezra 8:27. Since adarknim undoubtedly serves as the designation of darics, under darkonim should be understood other coins – namely drachmas. According to Meyer’s calculations, a gold drachma by value equals 12 German marks (approximately 5 rubles 50 kopeks), and a silver talent equals 10 gold drachmas; in total the sum of donations made up more than half a million rubles in current money. * * * However, De Lagarde derives the word from the Bactrian antarekhshatru and understands it to mean “deputy of the king’s person” (Symm I, 60)

Chapter Three

3–1–3. The rebuilding of the altar by the returned Jews. 4–6. The restoration of lawful worship. 7–11. The beginning of the temple construction in Jerusalem. 12–13. A characterization of the people’s mood.

Ezra 3:1. When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were already in the cities, then the people gathered together as one man in Jerusalem. The year of the altar construction is not specified. But it is certain that it was the same year in which the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity occurred. From verse 6 it is evident that the altar was erected before the foundation of the temple, and the latter, according to verse 8, took place already in the second year after the return. The seventh month was chosen for the public assembly and the construction of the altar because it was pre-eminently the month of worship and the most important festivals. The assembly on the first day of this month was appointed in the law of Moses (Num 29:1).

Ezra 3:2. Then Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and his brothers rose up and built the altar of the God of Israel, in order to offer burnt offerings upon it, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. Everything necessary for the construction of the altar was, without doubt, prepared in advance; therefore the construction could be completed in one day and in the presence of the assembled people. By the brothers of Zerubbabel, who alongside Jeshua and the priests are named as the leaders of the construction, we must understand the representatives of the community, the heads of families.

Ezra 3:3. And they set the altar on its foundations, so that they were in fear of the foreign peoples; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening. “And they set the altar on its foundations,” that is, on the place where it was in Solomon’s temple. It is possible that in addition, material from the old altar was laid into the foundation of the newly erected altar. The immediate motive for the construction of the altar was, according to verse 3, fear before the foreign peoples. The Jews hastened to construct the altar in order to “seek divine help for themselves” (Keil).

Ezra 3:4. And they celebrated the feast of booths, as prescribed, with daily burnt offerings in the prescribed number, according to the ordinance of each day. Ezra 3:5. And after that they offered the regular burnt offering, and at the new moons, and at all the festivals dedicated to the Lord, and every voluntary offering of the Lord from everyone who was willing-hearted. Ezra 3:6. From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. But the foundation of the temple of the Lord had not yet been laid. With the construction of the altar, proper performance of the worship ordained in the law was restored, and the celebration of festivals was begun.

Ezra 3:7. And they gave money to the stonecutters and carpenters, and food and drink and oil to the Sidonians and Tyrians, so that they would bring cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea to Jaffa, with the permission of Cyrus, king of Persia. Ezra 3:8. In the second year of their coming to the house of God in Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and their other brothers, the priests and Levites, and all who came from captivity to Jerusalem began the work and appointed the Levites from twenty years old and upward to oversee the work of the house of the Lord. Following the construction of the altar, they began to prepare material for the building of the temple, and in the second year after the return (that is, in 536), the laying of the temple foundation was accomplished. To this testimony of the passage under discussion, other biblical indications appear to contradict it. Thus, the prophet Haggai, who came forth in the 2nd year of Darius Hystaspes, speaks of how in his time the temple was “in desolation” (Hag 1:4); the people said: “it is not the time to build the house of the Lord” (Hag 1:2), and the prophet himself therefore had to turn to the Jews with an appeal: “go up to the mountain and bring wood, and build the temple” (Hag 1:8). Only after this speech did Zerubbabel and Jeshua, according to the words of the prophet Haggai, “come and begin to do works in the house of the Lord of hosts” (Hag 1:14). On the basis of (chiefly) the cited testimony of the prophet Haggai, Schrader (Die Dauer zweiten Tempelbaues. Theol. Stud. und Kritik. 1864. p. 460–504, and after him a whole series of scholars, suppose that the laying of the temple foundation was accomplished not in the second year after the return from captivity (536 B.C.), but in the second year of Darius Hystaspes, when the prophet Haggai appeared) (520–519 B.C.). In view of the testimony of Haggai the indications Ezra 3:7-8 are considered unreliable. However, it is scarcely the case that the testimony of the prophet Haggai contradicts Ezra 3:7-8. The word “desolation,” used by the prophet of the temple (Hag 1:4), does not mean that the temple was absent (desolation = empty, vacant). As can be concluded from the contrast of the Lord’s house to the paneled (boarded up) houses of the Jews themselves, by “desolation” the prophet indicates only the incompleteness of the construction. Likewise, the saying used by the prophet’s contemporaries: it is not yet the time, it is not the time to build the house of the Lord, does not have the meaning that the Jews down to 520 B.C. had not begun the construction, “considering themselves still under God’s wrath” (Wellhausen). The said proverb by which the Jews sought to explain the stoppage in the construction of the temple and to justify their indifference to this matter arose naturally from those obstacles that the poor and weak community had to overcome. In view of this, the prophet Haggai’s invitation: “go up to the mountain and bring wood, and build the house” (Hag 1:8) must be understood as an invitation to continue the construction, not to begin it. The prophet uses in this passage not the verb “to found,” as in Ezra 3:6, but the more general “to build.” Moreover, the prophet speaks of timber (“bring wood”), which is needed for the continuation of the construction, not of stone, which is needed for the laying of the foundation. Thus, the book of the prophet Haggai does not refute the testimony of the passage we are examining about the laying of the temple foundation under Cyrus in the second year after the return of the Jews. This fact is confirmed also by Ezra 5:15-16, where in the testimony from the time of Darius, after mentioning the decree of Cyrus concerning the construction of the temple (verse 15), it is noted: “then (that is, in the reign of Cyrus) that Sheshbazzar (Zerubbabel) came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem, and from then until now (that is, until the time of Darius) it is being built and is not yet finished.”

Ezra 3:12. But many of the priests and Levites and chiefs of the fathers, the elders who had seen the former temple, when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes, wept aloud, but many also shouted aloud for joy. Ezra 3:13. And the people could not distinguish the shout of joy from the weeping of the people, because the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far off. Since from the destruction of the first temple (586 B.C.) to the laying of the new one (536 B.C.) only 50 years had passed, among those gathered for the celebration, among the priests, Levites, and elders, there were many such people who had seen the former temple. The national celebration aroused in them a feeling of deep sorrow, which could arise in some from the consciousness of the insignificance of the future temple compared with Solomon’s (Hag 2:3), in others from the memories of the sufferings of captivity that emerged with special force in the solemn hour. But many, and first of all, of course, the young priests, “shouted aloud for joy.”

Chapter Four

4–1–3. The offer by the Samaritans of participation in the building of the temple and the refusal of the Jews. 4–10. The hostile actions of the Samaritans against the Jews. 11–16. A copy of the letter sent by Rehum and Shimshai to the Persian king. 18–22. The king’s reply. 23–24. The stopping of the work on the temple.

Ezra 4:1. And when the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple to the Lord God of Israel; Ezra 4:2. and they came to Zerubbabel and to the chiefs of the families, and said to them: Let us build with you, because like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esarhaddon, king of Syria, who brought us here. “And the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard.” From verse 2 it is evident that by “enemies of Judah and Benjamin” the writer means the Samaritans. On the origin of the Samaritans see the note to 2 Kgs 17. Learning of the beginning of the construction, the Samaritans wished to take part in it and with a request for this turned to Zerubbabel and to the chiefs of the families. The Samaritans put forward as the motive for their request that they seek the God of the Jews and bring sacrifices to him “since the days of Esarhaddon, king of Syria.” According to the opinion of some researchers, these were indeed the motives of the Samaritan request: the Samaritans wished to serve Jehovah. However, the subsequent behavior of the Samaritans shows that the religious motives they put forward were not sincere and were not the main ones. In their complaints to the Persian king, the Samaritans do not mention religious feelings at all and clearly express their view of the Jerusalem enterprise as a political act. Probably, they themselves expressed a desire to take part in the construction of the temple, chiefly from political motives, intending to take advantage of the patronage that the Persian kings showed to the Jews and to derive benefits from it for themselves. “From the days of Esarhaddon, king of Syria.” By the name of Esarhaddon in this passage, researchers (contrary to our Russian text) understand the Assyrian king Esarhaddon (681–668), who, according to the testimony of the cuneiform inscriptions (Schrader. Keil. Bibl. II, 215), after his victory over the king of Sidon, sent colonies to the Phoenician coast. Some of the colonists could have settled in the Samaritan region, which is why the Samaritans sometimes called themselves Sidonians (Josephus, Antiq. 12:5, 5).

Ezra 4:3. Then Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the other chiefs of the families of Israel said to them: You may not build with us a house for our God; we ourselves alone will build it for the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus, king of Persia, commanded us. “You may not build with us a house for our God; we ourselves alone will build it.” Thus, the request of the Samaritans was rejected. There is no basis in the refusal of Zerubbabel and the elders for discerning a display of “cowardly fear” (Ewald) or “Jewish arrogance” (Seineke). The refusal was rather motivated by the desire to preserve the purity of Jewish religion and nationality. Since the Samaritans had a mixed religion, by entering into a union with them, the Jews would have risked being contaminated by syncretism and polytheism. The consciousness of this danger prompted the representatives of the Jewish people to reject the Samaritan proposal, sacrificing the benefits that might have resulted from accepting it.

Ezra 4:4. And the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah and discouraged them from building; Ezra 4:5. and they hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, during all the days of Cyrus king of Persia and until the reign of Darius king of Persia. The refusal of the Jews offended the Samaritans and again awakened the enmity that in pre-exile times had penetrated into the relations of the ten-tribe kingdom toward the southern. By bribery and slander, the Samaritans sought to obtain from the Persian government an official prohibition against the building of the temple. Such an official prohibition they apparently did not obtain, because the biblical writers do not mention it (cf. Ezra 5:7-17), and the prophet Haggai attributes the stopping of the temple construction directly to the negligence of the Jews themselves, not to the prohibition of the authorities (ch. I). But nevertheless, the intrigues of the Samaritans weakened the energy of the Jews and, probably, by the time of the accession of Darius Hystaspes to the throne (521–486), the construction of the temple had stopped. Ezra 4:6-23. In verses 6–23 the writer recounts the intrigues of the Samaritans against the Jews during the reign of Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes. Which kings does the writer of 1 Ezra have in mind under these names? Since the first chapters of 1 Ezra concern events of the time of Cyrus, and at the end of chapter IV Darius Hystaspes is mentioned (verse 24), many researchers refer the section of verses 6–23 to the period of Cyrus’s successors and predecessors of Darius Hystaspes, the kings Cambyses and the Pseudo-Smerdis. Under the name of Ahasuerus they understand Cambyses, and under the name of Artaxerxes the Pseudo-Smerdis. But this opinion cannot now be accepted. The Hebrew Ahasuerus corresponds to the Persian Ksajarsa or Khschyarscha and should denote Xerxes. By the name of Artaxerxes, corresponding to the Persian Artakhsarta or Artakschathra, Artaxerxes is named in verse 7. Thus, in verses 6–23 the writer deviates from the chronological order of the narrative and recounts events that occurred later than those described in chapters V-VI, namely during the time of Ezra. There is no need to suppose, as some researchers do, that this occurred through a misunderstanding on the part of the writer, who erroneously referred the document he had at hand to the time between Cyrus and Darius Hystaspes, and in doing so failed to notice that the document deals with obstacles to the building of the city walls, not the building of the temple, of which the narrative is in chapter IV. Having begun to speak of the opposition of the Samaritans to the building of the temple, the writer, apparently, for the sake of supplementing this and to illustrate his speech, points out also the later facts of the opposition of the Samaritans to the Jews, opposition to the building of the walls (see in more detail Christian Reading 1904, no. 12, p. 833 et seq.).

Ezra 4:6. And in the reign of Ahasuerus, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. “They wrote an accusation.” The content of this accusation is not specified by the writer.

Ezra 4:7. And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language. “And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their associates” (cf. 1 Esd 2:16). These persons, who belonged to the Samaritan people, apparently sent a second letter.

Ezra 4:8. Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter concerning Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows: “Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter.” Apparently, this was already a third letter from the Samaritans. The author – Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe – were officials serving with the Persian governor in Samaria.

Ezra 4:9. Then Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates – the Dinaites and Apharsathchites, Tarpelites, Apharsites, Archevites, Babylonians, Susanchites, Dehavites, Elamites, The letter was written not only on behalf of Rehum and Shimshai, but also on behalf of their associates or, more properly, allies. In the names listed below (Dinaites, Apharsathchites, etc.), we must see not the titles of officials of various classes, as some researchers suppose (Bertheau), but the names of tribes, which, however, are little known. The Dinaites were a tribe which, judging from the cuneiform inscriptions, lived on the borders of Cilicia and Cappadocia in the western part of Armenia. The Apharsathchites were perhaps the inhabitants of the Median cities Partakka and Partukka mentioned in the inscriptions of Esarhaddon (Delitzsch, Wo lag das Paradies, p. 327). The Tarpelites were either the Ταπουροι mentioned by Ptolemy, who lived to the east of Elymais, or the Tuplai of the Assyrian inscriptions. The Apharsites were, according to Delitzsch, the inhabitants of the Median region of Parsua. The Archevites were probably the inhabitants of the city of Erech mentioned in Gen 10:10, which lay in the place of present-day Warka, on the left bank of the lower Euphrates, to the southeast of Babylon. The Dehavites were probably the Δάοι of Herodotus (I, 125). The other tribes named in verse 9 are well known from history.

Ezra 4:10. and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnappar brought and settled in the cities of Samaria and the rest of the cities beyond the river, and so forth. “And the rest of the nations whom Asnappar, the great and noble, brought and settled.” Under the name of Asnappar in this passage, researchers (contrary to our Russian text) understand the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (663–626), who conquered the Susians and penetrated deep into Elam. “Great and noble” is a customary title of Assyrian kings, especially fitting for Ashurbanipal. “And in the rest of the cities beyond the river,” that is, beyond the Euphrates, to the west of it, in Syria and Phoenicia.

Ezra 4:11. And here is a copy of the letter that they sent to him: To King Artaxerxes – your servants, the men who live beyond the river, and so forth. Ezra began his activity in Jerusalem with the prohibition of mixed marriages and the command to send away wives of foreign nations (Ezra 9:12). Such strictness angered the neighboring peoples, and this anger was increased further by those who, not wishing to submit to Ezra’s command, left Judea. The fear of attack by neighbors was the incentive to begin fortifying Jerusalem. But if the construction of the temple was already hateful to the Samaritans, then all the more the fortification of the walls around Jerusalem. Therefore, the Samaritans directed all their efforts to stop the construction, and with this aim they send a complaint, the contents of which are conveyed in verses 12–16.

Ezra 4:12. Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us in Jerusalem, and they are building the rebellious and evil city, and they are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations. Ezra 4:13. Let it be known now to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, they will not pay tribute, tax, or customs duty, and it will bring loss to the royal treasury. Wishing to arouse the king’s suspicion against the enterprise of the Jews, the Samaritans point out that Jerusalem is a “rebellious and evil city” (verse 12) and that with the restoration of the walls the Jews will not pay tribute, tax, or customs duty, thereby causing loss to the royal treasury.

Ezra 4:14. Since we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king’s dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king; “Since we eat the salt of the palace.” The expression “to eat salt” in the usage of Syriac and Persian languages means, first, to be a guest of another, and second, to be in the service of him. In verse 14 the said expression has the last meaning. Thus, the Samaritans cover their slander with the duty of royal service.

Ezra 4:15. that search may be made in the book of the records of your ancestors – and you will find in the book of records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, and that seditions have been made in it from ancient times, on account of which this city was destroyed. Ezra 4:16. We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are completed, then after this you will have no possession beyond the river. By pointing to the experience of former history, the Samaritans call to the king’s attention the possibility of losing, thanks to the Jews, all the possessions west of the Euphrates. “In the book of the records of your ancestors.” About the existence of court chronicles of Persian kings, mention is also made in Ezra 6:2; Esth 6:1 and in Diodorus Siculus (II,32). “Seditions have been made in it from ancient times, on account of which this city was destroyed.” Apparently, the reference is to the time preceding Persian rule, namely, to the time of Nebuchadnezzar.

Ezra 4:17. The king sent a reply to Rehum the commander, to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their associates who live in Samaria and in the rest of the cities beyond the river: Peace… and so forth. Ezra 4:18. The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read in my presence; Ezra 4:19. and by me a decree has been issued – and search was made, and it was found that this city from of old has lifted itself up against kings, and rebellions and seditions have been made in it, Ezra 4:20. and that there have been mighty kings over Jerusalem who ruled everything beyond the river, and they received from them tribute, taxes, and customs dues. Ezra 4:21. Therefore issue an order that these men be made to cease, and that this city be not rebuilt, until I make a decree. The decree of Artaxerxes, issued in response to the complaint of Rehum and Shimshai. In the memory books, Artaxerxes indeed found that the suspicion of the Jews of seditious designs had basis in the past history of this people, and therefore he sent to his governor in Samaria a command to hinder the construction of the walls of Jerusalem. Such an attitude toward the Jews by Artaxerxes does not contradict what is known about him from other sources (Ezra 7 and Neh 2). According to ancient accounts, Artaxerxes appears as a man who was influenced by his wives and his favorites and one who could easily change his commands (Nöldeke Aufsätze zur Pers. Geschichte p. 56).

Ezra 4:23. As soon as the letter of King Artaxerxes was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their associates, they went in haste to the Jews in Jerusalem and by force stopped their work. Rehum and Shimshai stopped the construction by force (according to the LXX ἐν ίπποις καὶ δυνάμει, Peshitta: cum magno exercitu). As is evident from Neh 1:2-3, at this time the city wall in some places was torn down, and the gates were burned.

Ezra 4:24. Then the work on the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. The writer returns to the interrupted narrative in verses 6–23 about the construction of the temple, and notes the duration of this stoppage. However, the writer does not specify when the construction stopped.

Chapter Five

5–1–2. The coming forth of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah and the resumption of the temple construction. 3–5. The intervention of the trans-river regional governor Tattenai. 16–17. Letters of Tattenai to Darius.

Ezra 5:1. Then the prophet Haggai and the prophet Zechariah, son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judea and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel. “Then the prophet Haggai and the prophet Zechariah, son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews.” Some researchers (especially Meyer, Entstechung Iudenthums. p. 80) attribute the cause of the coming forth of the prophets at the beginning of the reign of Darius to the political turmoils in Persia, expressed in the uprising of many provinces. These turmoils supposedly gave the Jews the hope of obtaining complete independence. The prophet Haggai and Zechariah come forth as heralds of this hope, as political agitators. However, the Bible says nothing about political ferment that seized Judea. From the book of the prophet Haggai, it is clearly evident that the motive for his coming forth was the stopping of the construction of the temple. This motive cannot be considered unimportant, since the temple had extremely important significance in the theocratic life of the people.

Ezra 5:2. Then Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, son of Jozadak, arose and began to build the house of God in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them, strengthening them. The encouragement of the prophets, as is evident also from Hag 1:1, was successful, and the construction of the temple began again. The statement of verse 2 that alongside Zerubbabel and Jeshua “the prophets of God began to build the house of God and strengthened them” must be understood not so much as an indication of the physical participation of the prophets in the construction, as of their moral support for it.

Ezra 5:3. At that time Tattenai, the governor of the region beyond the river, and Shethar-Bozenai and his associates came to them and said: Who gave you a decree to build this house and to complete this wall? The narrative begins of the opposition to the construction on the part of the Persian regional governor. “At that time.” The works for the restoration of the temple began in the middle of the 2nd year of Darius and ended in the 6th year (Ezra 6:15), and thus continued no more than 4 1/2 years; within this period Tattenai sent word to the king about what was happening in Jerusalem, received a response order, and managed to take part in the construction of the temple. Therefore, the writer’s statement “at that time” should point to the moment nearest to the beginning of the construction. Instead of the name Tattenai in 2 Ezra the names Σισίννης and in the LXX Θανθαναι are read. Apparently, Tattenai held authority over the entire region west of the Euphrates, and Zerubbabel, to whom was entrusted the administration only of Judea, was subject to him. “Who gave you a decree to build this house and to complete this wall.” Apparently, the Jews did not have a written decree from Cyrus. However, it is difficult to suppose that Tattenai, the chief governor of the region, did not know of the permission given to the Jews for the construction. As can be concluded from what follows, Tattenai’s question concerns precisely the lawfulness of the construction in this particular form rather than another form. Clarifying this passage, Josephus says that the officials “asked the rulers of the Jews who permitted them to build the temple in such a way that it resembles a fortress more than a sanctuary.”

Ezra 5:5. But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until a report should reach Darius and then an answer be returned concerning this matter. Suspecting the Jews of anti-governmental intentions, Tattenai turned to the king for clarification. But since he was aware of the existence of permission for the construction, he apparently did not consider himself authorized to stop it.

Ezra 5:6. A copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor of the region beyond the river, and Shethar-Bozenai and his associates, the Apharsachites who were in the region beyond the river, sent to King Darius. The Apharsachites were probably identical with the Apharsathchites mentioned in Ezra 4:9.

Ezra 5:8. Let it be known to the king that we went to the province of Judea, to the house of the great God; and it is being built with large stones, and timber is laid in the walls; and this work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands. “To the house of the great God.” This expression represents nothing unnatural even in the mouths of Persian officials, since Jehovah was honored by many. “Timber is laid in the walls.” The reference is probably to the laying of beams.

Ezra 5:13. But in the first year of King Cyrus of Babylon, King Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God; “But in the first year of Cyrus, King of Babylon.” The designation of Persian kings as Babylonian kings from the time of Cyrus is encountered also in other, non-biblical documents. Apparently, the title of King of Babylon sounded to the peoples of western Asia the same as the title “Roman Emperor” sounded to the peoples of the Middle Ages.

Ezra 5:16. Then that Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem; and from then until now it is being built and is not yet completed. “And from then until now it is being built.” By these words the Jews wish to show that the newly begun construction is only a continuation of the work permitted by Cyrus.

Ezra 5:17. Therefore, if it seems good to the king, let search be made in the house of the treasuries of the king that are there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was issued by King Cyrus for the building of this house of God in Jerusalem, and let the will of the king concerning this matter be sent to us. “Let search be made in the house of treasures.” 1 Esd 6:21 the same expression is conveyed as “let search be made in the royal archives.” If there is no error in the text of verse 17, from it we can conclude that important documents were kept in the house of treasures by the Persians.

Chapter Six

6–1–5. The reply of Darius with a copy of the decree of Cyrus. 6–12. The command of Darius to assist the construction of the temple and worship. 13–15. The completion of the construction. 16–18. The consecration of the temple. 19–22. The celebration of the Passover.

Ezra 6:1. Then King Darius made a decree, and search was made in Babylon in the archives where the treasures were stored. Ezra 6:2. And there was found in Ecbatana, in the palace that is in the province of Media, a scroll, and in it was written as follows: “For a memorial: The decree of Cyrus was apparently first sought in Babylon, but was found in Ecbatana. It is possible that it was brought there along with other records for safekeeping. It is also possible that it was issued in Ecbatana, which served as the summer residence of the Persian kings.

Ezra 6:3. In the first year of King Cyrus, the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: Let the house be built, the place where sacrifices are offered, and let its foundations be retained; its height shall be sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits; Ezra 6:4. with three courses of great stones and one course of timber; let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. Ezra 6:5. And also the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, let them be returned and brought to the temple in Jerusalem, each to its place; and deposit them in the house of God. A copy of the decree of Cyrus to the Jews is presented. If we compare this version of the decree of Cyrus with that given in chapter I, we cannot help but notice some difference between them. To explain this difference, we can suppose that both versions of the decree were issued simultaneously, that the decree given in chapter I was intended for the Jews living in various places in Babylonia, while the decree reported in chapter VI was specifically given to Sheshbazzar. In chapter VI, however, the decree is scarcely given in full: from the note of verse 2 “for a memorial” we can conclude that in the letter of Darius only that part of the decree is cited which provided a direct answer to the question of Tattenai. “Its height shall be sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits.” These specifications of the royal edict are understood by scholars Ewald, Keil, and Schick as the exact dimensions of the temple built by Zerubbabel. Therefore, these scholars suppose that the temple of Zerubbabel exceeded in size the temple of Solomon. But it is scarcely the case that the dimensions defined in the edict were binding and had the significance of an architectural plan that should have been followed exactly. This is evident from the fact that the length of the temple is not specified in the edict. The edict apparently determines only the maximum dimensions of the temple. “According to the then-Babylonian policy, the building of a sanctuary in one or another form had to correspond to a general measure of national life and the recognized rights of a nation. A nation, conquered and dependent, could not build temples that could eclipse the glory of the main temples of the empire of Bel, Nebo, Marduk and other gods of Sumer and Akkad… King Cyrus in his edict indicated the maximum of external magnificence which the Jerusalem temple could have” (A. A. Olesnitsky, The Old Testament Temple. p. 383–386).

Ezra 6:4. with three courses of great stones and one course of timber; let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. “With three courses of great stones and one course of timber.” From these words of the edict it is evident that Cyrus permits the Jews to build the temple after the model of the former temple of Solomon, and not after the model of the buildings of Susa and Persepolis.

Ezra 6:6. Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the region beyond the river, Shethar-Bozenai, and your associates who are in the region beyond the river – stay away from there. “Now therefore” – the exposition of the command of Darius himself begins, which is based on the decree of Cyrus.

Ezra 6:7. Leave off the work on this house of God; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. Ezra 6:8. And I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the building of this house of God: the cost is to be paid to these men in full from the royal revenue, from the tribute of the region beyond the river. Ezra 6:9. Whatever is needed – bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as the priests in Jerusalem require – let that be given to them day by day without fail, Darius not only confirms the permission given by Cyrus for the construction of the temple, but also gives a command to assist the construction from the royal treasury. At the same time, Darius commands that everything necessary for the sacrifices be provided.

Ezra 6:10. so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. “So that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.” Such a wish did not contradict the polytheism of the Persian kings. Without changing their loyalty to the gods of their fathers, they could honor Jehovah as one of the mightiest gods. On the other hand, the Jews could pray for the life of the king, since they saw in him a ruler appointed by God (cf. Jer 29:7). In later times in the Jerusalem temple, sacrifices were regularly offered at appointed times for the king (cf. 1 Macc 7:33; 1 Macc 12:11; 2 Macc 3:35; 2 Macc 13:23; Josephus, Antiq. 12:2, 5).

Ezra 6:11. And I make a decree: if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be lifted up and fastened upon it, and his house shall be made into a dunghill for this. In order to encourage compliance with his command, Darius appoints a strict punishment for “altering” or violating his decree. “If anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be lifted up and fastened upon it, and his house shall be made into a dunghill.” This type of capital punishment was used among the Assyrians (Diodorus Siculus, II, 1), among the ancient Persians, and among many other peoples. Impalement itself was also practiced among the Persians (cf. Dan 2:5).

Ezra 6:12. May the God whose name dwells there overthrow any king or people that shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.” The expression “the God whose name dwells there” (cf. Deut 12:11; Jer 7:12, Neh 1:9) may have been borrowed not from the decree itself, but belongs to the author himself. But the entire thought expressed in verse 12 is fully in the spirit of the Persian kings. At the end of the Persian inscription of Behistun, a curse from Ahura Mazda is also invoked upon anyone who would dare to destroy the image and inscription. The decree of Darius in the part set forth in verses 7–12 is considered by some scholars to be invented, and the commands contained in it to be unreliable. The grounds for such an opinion are: 1) the Judaic coloring of the speech in verses 8–12 in the expressions “house of God,” “God of heaven,” “God whose name dwells there”; 2) and the improbability of such a kind treatment of the Jews on the part of Darius. These grounds, however, cannot be considered solid. The indicated expressions, which may have arisen through the influence of Jewish ideas on Persian, do not contradict, as already noted, the polytheism of the Persian kings. As for the benevolent treatment of Darius toward the Jews, it is fully understandable if we take into account the difficult circumstances in which Darius found himself in the first years of his rule – namely, serious disturbances in the provinces, which could have induced Darius to win the favor of the Jews. Moreover, the benevolent treatment of Darius toward Jewish worship was not unique. Similarly, Darius treated the cults of other subject peoples. For example, in the inscription of Gadates of Magnesia found in 1889, Darius says: “Since you do not regard my attitude toward the gods, for this reason, if you do not act otherwise, I will make you feel at some time the anger which you have provoked against me, for you have brought under the tax and cultivation common land the sacred gardeners of Apollo, not recognizing the feelings of my ancestors toward the god, which said to the Persians” (Berthelet, p. 27). Similarly, the Egyptian physician Uzahor in one inscription about Darius recounts the following: “King Darius, may he live forever, commanded me that while he was staying in Ehane, I should go to Egypt and again restore the number of the sacred temple scribes and revive all that had come into decay… And the king ordered that all good things be done for them for the diligence with which they fulfilled all their work… The king did this because he knew that such a work would be the very best for the restoration of all that had come into decay, in order to preserve the names of all the gods, their temples, and the order of their festivals forever.” Brugsch, Ciesch. Aegyptens 1877, p. 748–751). Finally, the reliability of the decree of Darius is confirmed also by the attitude of this king toward the Greek sanctuaries during his campaign in Greece (Herodotus, History VI, 97). If from Neh 10:33 it is evident that the Jews themselves provided material for sacrifices, this does not contradict the account of verse 9, because the command of Darius concerning the provision of bulls, rams, and lambs from the royal possessions did not remove from the Jews the obligation to themselves care for the sacrifices.

Ezra 6:13. Then Tattenai, the governor of the region beyond the river, Shethar-Bozenai and his associates, did exactly as King Darius had sent. In addition to verse 13, Josephus reports that Tattenai and his associates joined with the elders of the Jews and the ruling elders and together with them began to oversee the sacred construction. The reliability of this account is, of course, difficult to establish.

Ezra 6:14. And the elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of the prophet Haggai and the prophet Zechariah, son of Iddo. They finished their building by the decree of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus, Darius, and King Artaxerxes of Persia. “And they finished their building by the decree of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus, Darius, and King Artaxerxes of Persia.” From the next verse, it is evident that the construction was completed already under Darius, before the accession of Artaxerxes I. The editor of the book, however, attributes to Artaxerxes also a role in the construction of the temple, probably in view of the assistance that was rendered by Artaxerxes for the adornment of the temple (Ezra 7:27).

Ezra 6:15. And this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. The time of the completion of the temple is given as the third day of the month of Adar of the sixth year of Darius. In 1 Esd 7:5, as the day of completion of the temple, the 23rd day of Adar of the same year is named, and in Josephus (Antiq. 11:4, 7) the 23rd day of Adar of the ninth year. How this discrepancy came about is difficult to say. But the date of 1 Ezra deserves preference over the others because of the generally strict historical character of this book. The same cannot be said of 2 Ezra or of the accounts of Josephus concerning the Persian period of the history of the chosen people. On the day of completion of the temple, apparently, its consecration also took place, so that by the beginning of the new year and the festivals falling at this beginning, the temple was fully prepared for worship.

Ezra 6:17. And they offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. Speaking of the circumstances of the dedication of the temple of Solomon, the chronicler reports that at that time sacrifices were offered which could not be counted and determined because of their multitude (1 Kgs 8:5), and that King Solomon offered in peace offerings twenty-two thousand head of cattle and one hundred twenty thousand head of flocks (verse 63). The amount of sacrificial offerings at the dedication of the temple of Zerubbabel mentioned in verse 17 shows how much the post-exile period differed from the time of Solomon. The sacrifice for sin, as is evident from the same verse, twelve male goats were offered according to the number of the tribes of Israel. This indicated that the temple was created for the whole covenant people, and expressed the hope for the return to the land of the fathers of all the scattered Israel (cf. Ezek 37:15-28; Jer 31:27).

Ezra 6:19. The returnees from the exile kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. From verse 19 the writer leaves the Aramaic language and again turns to the Hebrew language.

Ezra 6:20. for the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves. The practice of Passover preparations described here is very ancient (cf. 2 Chr 13:11-14). The Levites ordered Passover lambs both for the priests, who on the eve of the Passover were occupied with numerous sacrifices, and for the laymen, so that no one in a state of impurity would perform the slaughter.

Ezra 6:21. It was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and also by all who had separated themselves from the pollutions of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the Lord God of Israel. In the celebration of the Passover, as is evident from verse 21, not only the returned exiles participated, but also all who had separated themselves from the pollutions of the nations of the land, seeking to turn to the Lord God of Israel. By “the nations of the land” (goyim haretz) the writer means either the inhabitants of Palestine in distinction from the Jews who came from Babylon, or the inhabitants of other lands, for example, Egypt, Moab. By those “separated from the pollutions of these nations,” the writer could have meant first and foremost those who remained in Palestine after the destruction of the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel, who formerly mixed with the pagans and now joined the new community in Jerusalem. It is also possible that some pagans, joining the Jewish community as proselytes, separated from pagan impurity.

Ezra 6:22. And they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of the Lord God of Israel. “And had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them.” The Assyrian king here is called the Persian king Darius, as the ruler of the historically memorable Assyrian kingdom for the chosen people. By this name the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar is also called in 2 Kgs 23:29.

Chapter Seven

1–6. Ezra, his genealogy and character. 7–10. Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem. 11–26. The letter of Artaxerxes, given to Ezra with a definition of his authority and instructions concerning the Jerusalem temple. 27–28. Concluding remarks.

Ezra 7:1. After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, Ezra, son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, “After these things” (cf. Gen 15:1 and others) – a common expression among biblical writers indicating that the narrative that follows relates to events later than those described above. The exact time of these events, however, is not specified. “In the reign of Artaxerxes.” In the original text the Persian king in whose reign Ezra departed from Babylon is called Artahshasta. Josephus (Jewish Antiquities 11 and following) and after him some older scholars (Michaels, Fritsche) believed that by Artahshasta in ch. VII the writer of Ezra means Xerxes, of whom, according to Josephus, Ezra was a friend. Modern exegetes, like our Slavic and Russian translations, usually identify Artahshasta with Artaxerxes (cf. Ezra 4:6). But the name Artaxerxes was borne by three Persian kings: Artaxerxes I Longimanus (465–424), Artaxerxes II Mnemon (405–358), and Artaxerxes III Ochus (358–338). The question arises: in the reign of which of the three named kings did Ezra arrive in Jerusalem? Given that the writer of the book we are examining uses the name Artaxerxes without any qualifications, the question posed is decided differently. According to the traditional understanding of the book of Ezra, shared by our domestic exegetes as well as many Western scholars, Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem occurred during the reign of Artaxerxes I Longimanus around 459 B.C. Haneberg, Caulén, Masséro, De-Saulcy believe that Ezra came to Jerusalem in the reign of Artaxerxes II Mnemon. The question of the chronological relationship of Ezra’s activity to the activity of Nehemiah stands in close connection with the question just discussed. Specifically, according to Ezra 7:8, Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the 7th year of Artaxerxes. In the 20th year of Artaxerxes (Neh 2:1) Nehemiah came to Jerusalem, rebuilt the walls of the city, working together with Ezra, and returned to Susa in the 32nd year of the same king. A short time later Nehemiah came to Jerusalem a second time (Neh 13:6). According to the traditional view, all these facts belong to the time of Artaxerxes I Longimanus (465–424), and Ezra’s mission preceded Nehemiah’s mission. At the present time, however, this view has been subjected to serious doubt, and many scholars propose a different chronological order of the facts noted above. Thus, according to Honaeker, the first arrival of Nehemiah and the building of the Jerusalem walls falls in the 20th year of Artaxerxes I Longimanus (445 B.C.), while Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem was after this, specifically in the 7th year of Artaxerxes II Mnemon (398 B.C.). According to Bellanger, Lagrange, Imbert, Nehemiah’s first visit to Jerusalem, which occurred before Ezra’s arrival, took place in the reign of Artaxerxes III, and Ezra’s arrival occurred in the 7th year of Artaxerxes III. The testimony of the sources seems to favor the more traditional representation of the course of events and the recognition first of all that Ezra’s activity preceded Nehemiah’s arrival in Jerusalem (rather than the reverse). Thus, 1) in the narrative of the writers of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, which appears to be set forth in chronological order, Ezra is discussed first (ch. VII-X), and then Nehemiah (Neh 1:1). 2) When Ezra arrived in Palestine, as is evident from ch. VII-X, he did not find a provincial governor of Judea there. This cannot be explained either by the fact that Ezra arrived during Nehemiah’s journey to the Persian king’s court, since this journey falls in the 20–32 years of Artaxerxes, and Ezra arrived in the 7th year, nor by the fact that Ezra arrived after the end of Nehemiah’s second governorship, since the persons who came with Ezra according to ch. VII could not have been in Jerusalem under Nehemiah’s time (Neh 2:1). For these reasons, the non-mention in Ezra 7-10 of a governor of the Persian king in Judea is most naturally understood to mean that Ezra arrived earlier than Nehemiah. 3) In favor of the traditional view of Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem before Nehemiah can be the honorable position which Ezra held already during Nehemiah’s first governorship (Neh 2:1). This position, one would naturally think, was created by the activity described in Ezra 7-10, and which thus falls before Nehemiah’s arrival. 4) In opposition to the traditional view of the chronological sequence of Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s missions, Honaeker puts forward the fact that Jerusalem at the time of Ezra appears (Ezra 7-10) to be settled and populated. Honaeker believes that the city was brought into such a state, as is evident from the source (Neh 3-4), only by Nehemiah, whose activity therefore preceded Ezra’s arrival. But this consideration cannot be deemed to carry particular weight. In Ezra 7-X there is no mention of Jerusalem’s lack of order, but this does not mean that Jerusalem was already finally settled. The expression Ezra 9:9 (“and they gave us protection in Judea and Jerusalem”) does not indicate the existence of Jerusalem’s walls. 5) In Ezra 4:7-23 it is reported that Persian officials together with representatives of certain peoples lodged a complaint with Artaxerxes about the building by the Jews of the walls of Jerusalem. From the expression Ezra 4:12 “the Jews who came from you” – it should be concluded that the complaint is about settlers who arrived during the reign of Artaxerxes. But from the sources it is known that during Artaxerxes’ reign only one group of settlers returned – namely that which came with Ezra (Ezra 7:1-8). Consequently, the attempt at restoration of the walls of Jerusalem mentioned in the complaint belongs to Ezra himself. This attempt did not succeed because the building of the walls was stopped “by a strong armed force” (Ezra 4:23). This testimony must be compared with the account Neh 1:2-4. Here it is reported that Hanani brought word to Nehemiah of the trouble and disgrace of the Jews and that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and its gates were burned with fire. This report prompted Nehemiah to petition for permission to go to Jerusalem (Neh 2). From the comparison of Ezra 4:7-23 and Neh 1:1, it should therefore be concluded that Ezra arrived in Jerusalem earlier than Nehemiah. According to the traditional representation of the course of events, the time of Ezra’s arrival was the reign of Artaxerxes I Longimanus (465–424). This is evident from the fact that among the contemporaries of Ezra and Nehemiah is named the high priest Eliashib, grandson of Jeshua. Since Jeshua served as high priest around 520 B.C., there is no reason to place the time of his grandson’s service (and consequently the time of Ezra’s activity) earlier than 465–424, that is, earlier than the reign of Artaxerxes I. The mention in the book of Ezra of the name Artaxerxes without further qualification is also more understandable if Artaxerxes I is meant. A writer who knew of several kings of this name could not have failed to indicate more clearly which king he was speaking of. The name Ezra, according to the explanation of Origen, means helper (βοηθός), and according to Jerome, helper (adjutor). The genealogy of Ezra is intended to prove that he was descended from Aaron. Comparison with 1 Chr 6:2-14, which lists the descendants of Aaron, shows that in the genealogy Ezra 7:1-5 some ancestors are omitted, perhaps through the error of copyists. Ezra is called the son of Seraiah. But between Ezra and Seraiah lies a period of about 130 years, since Seraiah according to 1 Chr 6:14 was the father of the high priest Jozadak taken captive, and according to 2 Kgs 25:18-21 was put to death in Riblah by order of Nebuchadnezzar. Therefore, Seraiah was obviously not Ezra’s father, and thus Ezra’s immediate ancestors are omitted, perhaps because they were not high priests.

Ezra 7:6. This Ezra went out from Babylon. He was a scribe, skilled in the law of Moses, which the Lord, God of Israel, had given. And the king granted him all he requested, because the hand of the Lord his God was upon him. “He was a scribe, skilled (sopher mahir) in the law of Moses.” In the earliest biblical books the word scribe (sopher) means writer and is used as the title of a state office (cf. 2 Sam 8:17; 2 Kgs 12:10). In later literature sopher means a scholar, a lawyer (cf. Jer 8:8) and is sometimes used as an honorable title (cf. Ezra 7:11). Some exegetes, considering it improper to find this honorable title on Ezra’s own lips, regard it as a later insertion. But there is no basis for seeing “unseemly boasting” (Schrader, Blake) on Ezra’s part in the use of this title, already because the title is given to Ezra in the royal decree and in this passage appears on his lips as a quotation from the decree.

Ezra 7:9. For on the first day of the first month was the beginning of the departure from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him, “On the first day of the first month was the beginning of the departure.” Probably (cf. Ezra 8:31) on the first day of the first month the decision about departure was made, and the actual departure followed later. More detailed information about Ezra’s journey is given below.

Ezra 7:11. And this is a copy of the letter which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, one learned in the words of the commandments of the Lord and his laws for Israel: V. 11 is a heading of the content of the decree of Artaxerxes that follows, provided in vv. 12–26 in Aramaic, defining the powers of Ezra. In the decree 1) permission is given to the Jews remaining in Babylon to go with Ezra to Jerusalem; 2) the powers of Ezra are defined, and 3) the king’s donations to the temple are listed. Negative criticism tends to consider the decree unreliable and sees in it a document invented by the writer of the book himself. Against the authenticity of the decree it is argued that its general content, testifying to an incredible benevolent attitude of Artaxerxes toward the Jews, as well as individual expressions revealing an improbable acquaintance of Artaxerxes with Jewish religion and worship. But the benevolent attitude of Artaxerxes toward the Jews does not contradict the policy of the Persian kings, as has been noted above also regarding the decrees of Cyrus and Darius.

Ezra 7:12. Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe, the teacher of the law of the God of heaven, perfect (and so forth). The epithet “king of kings” is very often used by Persian kings in their inscriptions. In the Bible it is attributed also to Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 2:37; Ezek 26:7). In the letter of the king a series of epithets is attached to the name of Ezra. According to the Russian text Ezra is called “teacher of the law of the God of heaven, perfect,” in the Vulgate – most learned (Esdrae doctissimo). But the meaning of the Aramaic gemir standing here (Russian rendering “perfect”) is not entirely clear. The familiarity of Artaxerxes with Judaism that troubles researchers, evident in the decree, can very simply be explained either by the consideration (Herzfeld, Rosenzweig, Bertholet) that the decree was composed by Ezra himself and Artaxerxes merely signed it, or else by the fact (Köhler) that the writer sets forth the content of the decree from memory and conveys its content in his own words.

Ezra 7:14. Since you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to make inquiries concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your God which is in your hand, Concerning the seven counselors of the Persian king mention is also made in Esth 1:14. “According to the law of your God which is in your hand.” There is no basis to see in the cited expression an indication of some special copy of the law in Ezra’s possession and brought by him to Jerusalem. Corresponding to biblical usage (Num 31:4; 1 Sam 14:34), the expression is of a general character and indicates the law in general.

Ezra 7:16. And all the silver and gold that you find in the whole province of Babylon, together with the freewill offerings of the people and priests that are willingly offered for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem; Ezra 7:17. Therefore buy at once with this money bulls, rams, lambs, and their grain offerings and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem. The reference is to extraordinary sacrifices, whereas in vv. 21–23 the usual sacrifices are in mind.

Ezra 7:22. Silver up to one hundred talents, wheat up to one hundred cors, wine up to one hundred baths, oil up to one hundred baths, and salt without fixed limit. “One hundred talents of silver” – the maximum amount which Artaxerxes orders to be given for the needs of the temple – amounts on our money to about 360,000 rubles. This sum, designated as is evident from the context properly for the purchase of sacrificial animals for public worship, seems too large and does not correspond to the temple’s needs. Köhler therefore considers the figure 100 in the passage in question to have arisen erroneously from the figure 10. However, given the wealth of the treasury of the Persian kings, it is hardly possible to see anything incredible in the cited figure. Moreover, the figure is specified as a maximum. “Wheat up to one hundred cors and wine up to one hundred baths.” Cor, a measure of dry goods, is mentioned also in 1 Kgs 5:11; Ezek 45:14; one hundred cors equal 660 quarters; one hundred baths of wine make up 3,637 liters.

Ezra 7:23. Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done with diligence for the house of the God of heaven; [let no one lay a hand on the house of the God of heaven,] so that his wrath may not come upon the kingdom, the king, and his sons. The decree of Darius Hystaspes ordered that the expenses for sacrifices be taken from the income of the region beyond the Euphrates (Ezra 6:9-10). But this order apparently was soon repealed (Ezra 4:6). Whether the decree of Artaxerxes was observed is unknown. From Neh 10:33-35 it is evident that 13 years after Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem the people themselves made contributions for the needs of sacrifices.

Ezra 7:25. And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people beyond the river – all those who know the laws of your God. And teach those who do not know them. Ezra 7:26. And whoever will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, judgment shall be executed upon him, whether for death or for banishment or for a fine of money or for imprisonment. The magistrates and judges appointed by Ezra possessed the right of judgment “over all the people beyond the river,” that is, over the Jewish people living in Palestine and generally on this side of the Euphrates. The judgment and administration were to be conducted according to the law of God. “And teach those who do not know” – the reference is probably not to the propagation of Judaism, but in general to the treatment of foreigners living among the Jews. The law of God, after the king had given the order concerning its observance, became also the law of the king. Therefore, violators of the law were assigned punishment according to civil law. As is evident from v. 26, Ezra and the judges appointed by him were given the right to condemn the guilty to death. Some researchers question the reality of this authority. But Ezra condemned no one to death, and therefore there would be no reason to invent the authority contained in v. 26 if it had not been mentioned in the decree.

Chapter Eight

1–14. A list of those who departed from Babylon with Ezra. 15–20. The recruiting of Levites and Nethinim. 21–23. Preparation for the journey. 24–30. Gifts for the temple. 31–32. A brief account of the journey of the settlers. 33–36. Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem.

Ezra 8:1. And these are the heads of the fathers’ houses and the genealogy of those who came up with me from Babylon, in the reign of King Artaxerxes: In enumerating raschte beith-avetham, “heads of fathers’ houses,” the writer not only names them but also indicates the families to which they belonged.

Ezra 8:2. Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; of the sons of David, Hattush; Gershom and Daniel mentioned in v. 2 were heads of priestly families. Since in Ezra 7 Ezra himself is numbered among the descendants of Phinehas, it is evident that the Gershom mentioned in v. 2 was the head of Ezra’s family. The writer does not indicate the total number of all priests who arrived with Ezra in Jerusalem, although he does specify precisely the number of laymen. However, from the mention in v. 2 of only two priests (Gershom, Daniel) it cannot be concluded that there were only two. According to v. 24 the number of priests was considerable, since Ezra was able to set aside twelve men from among them to supervise the safeguarding of the gifts for the needs of the temple. Hattush of the sons of David is mentioned also in 1 Chr 3:22, where he is called the son of Shechaniah. He is also mentioned in 1 Esd 8:29: Lattus, son of Sekenias (Λαττους ὁ Σεκενίου). In view of this, and also on the basis of comparison with the following, the opening words of v. 3 of the chapter under consideration “of the sons of Shechaniah” should be referred to the end of v. 2 as designating the genealogy of Hattush (“Hattush of the sons of Shechaniah”).

Ezra 8:3. Of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him 150 men of the male gender; Ezra 8:4. Of the sons of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai, son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men of the male gender; Ezra 8:5. Of the sons of [Zaphoi] Shechaniah, son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men of the male gender; Ezra 8:6. Of the sons of Adin, Ebed, son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men of the male gender; Ezra 8:7. Of the sons of Elam, Isaiah, son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men of the male gender; Ezra 8:8. Of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah, son of Michael, and with him 80 men of the male gender; Ezra 8:9. Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah, son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men of the male gender; Ezra 8:10. Of the sons of [Bani] Shelomith, son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men of the male gender; Ezra 8:11. Of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah, son of Bebai, and with him 28 men of the male gender; Ezra 8:12. Of the sons of Azgad, Johanan, son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men of the male gender; Ezra 8:13. Of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, and these are their names: Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men of the male gender; Ezra 8:14. Of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud, and with them 70 men of the male gender. The numbers cited in vv. 3–14 in general agree with those given in 1 Esd 8:30-47. The difference concerns the sons of Adin, whose number in v. 6 is set at 50, and in 1 Esd 8:32 at 250; the sons of Joab, who according to v. 9 were 218, and according to 1 Esd 8:35-212, and finally the sons of Adonikam, who according to v. 13 were 60 men, and according to 1 Esd 8:39-70. It is difficult to say which numbers in the cited cases should be considered exact. As for the names of the persons listed by the writer, they in 1 Esd 8 are often rendered in a different form (compare Ezra 8:8 Zebadiah, 1 Esd 8:34 – Zerahiah; Ezra 8:9 Obadiah, son of Jehiel, 1 Esd 8:35 Avadiah, son of Jezila, etc.). This difference in names can most often be attributed to the error of copyists. But in some cases it can be recognized that in 2 Ezra there are preserved more ancient readings.

Ezra 8:5. Of the sons of [Zaphoi] Shechaniah, son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men of the male gender; “Of the sons of Shechaniah, son of Jahaziel.” In 1 Esd 8:32 instead of this is read: “of the sons of Zaphoi – Sekhenia, son of Jezila.” Evidently, the name Zaphoi, the ancestor, is omitted in the Hebrew text in v. 5 and should be inserted.

Ezra 8:9. Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah, son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men of the male gender; The sons of Joab mentioned in v. 9 are in Ezra 2:6 numbered among the sons of Pahath-Moab. Apparently, the family of Pahath-Moab later divided into two lines – Pahath-Moab and Joab.

Ezra 8:10. Of the sons of [Bani] Shelomith, son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men of the male gender; “Of the sons of Shelomith, son of Josiphiah.” According to the LXX: ἀπο τῶν Βαανί, Σελιμουθ ὑιος Ιωσεφία. In 1 Esd 8:36: “of the sons of Bani – Asalomoth, son of Josaphiah.” Evidently, in the Hebrew text in v. 9, the name Bani is omitted and should be inserted.

Ezra 8:13. Of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, and these are their names: Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men of the male gender; “Of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, and these are their names.” The meaning of the word “last ones” (Hebrew acharonim) in this verse is not entirely clear. Michaels understood it as the writer’s indication that the remaining members of the family of Adonikam returned earlier with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:13). However, with regard to other families, some of whose members also returned earlier, the writer does not use the expression last ones. According to the opinion of other commentators (Rissel), by this expression the writer may have meant to indicate either that the descendants of Adonikam mentioned by him decided to return from captivity later than others, or that they later than other relatives acknowledged their belonging to the family of Adonikam.

Ezra 8:14. Of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud, and with them 70 men of the male gender. From the list of those who returned, ending in v. 14, it is evident that with Ezra, in addition to the priests Gershom and Daniel and the Davidite Hattush, there arrived in Jerusalem 12 “heads of fathers’ houses” with their families. The total number of all Jews who returned was 1486 (according to 2 Ezra – 1690), not including priests and descendants of David, whose number is not specified.

Ezra 8:15. I gathered them to the river that runs to Ahava, and there we stayed three days. Then I looked among the people and the priests and found none of the sons of Levi there. The place of gathering of those returning with Ezra were the banks of the river flowing into Ahava. V. 21 and 31 speak directly of the river Ahava as the place of gathering of those returning. According to the LXX the river is called Θερα (καὶ συνήγαγου αὐτόυς ἐπὶ τὸν λεγομενον Θερὰν ποταμόν); in 1 Esd 8:41 Thera (“and I gathered them at the river called Thera”). According to Ewald (Geschichte V. J. IV, 154), the river Ahava may be identified with the river Pallakopas mentioned by Greek writers, which flowed south of Babylon. According to Rawlinson, the river Ahava is the river Is of Herodotus (I, 179), called among the Babylonians, according to the Talmud, Jhi. In any case, v. 15 refers to a locality close to Babylon, and by the river Ahava the writer could only mean some tributary of the Euphrates or canal. According to this, Josephus notes that Ezra gathered those returning εἰς τὸ πέραν του Εὐθράτου (Jewish Antiquities 11:5, 2). “And we stayed there three days.” In the course of three days it became evident that there were no Levites among those returning. Apparently, the independent and secure life in Babylon, on the one hand, and the subordinate and dependent position in Jerusalem, on the other, prevented the Levites from moving to their native country. Measures were taken to invite the Levites (vv. 16 and following), and other preparations were also made, which took 8 days, so that the journey itself began (v. 31) on the 12th day of the month (Keil).

Ezra 8:17. And I commissioned them to go to Iddo, the chief in the place Casiphia, and I put in their mouth the words what to say to Iddo and to his brothers the Nethinim in the place Casiphia, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God. “And I commissioned them to go to Iddo, the chief in the place Casiphia.” According to the LXX instead of the proper name Casiphia a general term τόπος γαζοφολακίον is read. It is most natural to understand by the name Casiphia some locality either in the city of Babylon itself or near it. The position of Iddo and his status in Casiphia are not clearly indicated by the writer. But it is evident that Ezra attributed great influence to him over the Levites and that only through this influence was it possible for a fairly large number of Levites to agree to return to Jerusalem. It is reasonable to suppose that Levites and Nethinim under the leadership of Iddo formed in Casiphia a united community, a kind of school dedicated to studying the past fortunes of the people and its law (Rissel). “To Iddo and his brothers, the Nethinim.” According to v. 20 the Nethinim were servants of the Levites. Hardly could they be called the brothers of Iddo. Therefore the cited expression is unclear and suggests a possible omission. “That they should bring to us ministers for the house of God,” that is, Levites (1 Chr 6:48) and Nethinim.

Ezra 8:18. And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought to us a man of understanding of the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, 18 men; “And they brought to us… a man of understanding of the sons of Mahli.” “A man of understanding” (according to LXX Vat. in the plural). The Hebrew isch schechel standing here, by context may be understood as a proper name. Thus understood in some Greek texts and in our Slavonic, where it is read “a man Sahon, of the sons of Moolites.” The Sherebiah mentioned in v. 18 appears again in Neh 8:7.

Ezra 8:19. And Hashabiah and with him Isaiah of the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, 20 men; Hashabiah is mentioned again in v. 24 and Neh 10:11.

Ezra 8:20. And of the Nethinim, whom David and his princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, 220 Nethinim. All of them were mentioned by name. In specifying the total number of Nethinim, the writer makes a remark: “all of them were mentioned by name.” Evidently, the writer had before him a list of Nethinim, to which he directs the readers.

Ezra 8:21. And I proclaimed a fast there at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods, “And I proclaimed a fast there at the river Ahava.” Fasting from ancient times was considered among the Jews a means of appeasing the Lord (cf. Joel 1:14; Jer 36:9; 2 Chr 20:3).

Ezra 8:22. For I was ashamed to ask the king for a force of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against enemies on the journey, because we had said to the king, “The hand of our God is for good upon all who seek Him, and the power of His wrath is against all those who forsake Him!” “For protection against enemies on the journey.” The danger facing the caravan, for the prevention of which it was necessary to ask for soldiers, came from Arab and Syrian bandit tribes.

Ezra 8:32. And we came to Jerusalem, and we stayed there three days. “And we came to Jerusalem.” The time of Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem, as is evident from Ezra 7:9, was the first day of the fifth month (Av). Thus, the journey lasted four months from the departure from Babylon and 3.5 months after leaving the river Ahava (cf. Ezra 7:9). The distance from Babylon to Jerusalem by direct road equals, according to Rawlinson’s calculations, 750 miles. But armies and large caravans had to make significant detours around Carchemish in the valley of the Orontes River. Due to this, the path lengthened to 1,300 miles. Nevertheless, the time spent by Ezra’s caravan for the journey seems too long. What caused this length is difficult to say with certainty. Here could have been stops for celebrating the festivals of the first and third months, the collection of gifts for the temple and provisions for the journey (prolonged stays in places where there were many Jews, and so forth). “And we stayed there three days.” Nehemiah (Neh 2:11) also began to fulfill his service three days after his arrival.

Ezra 8:33. On the fourth day we weighed out the silver and the gold and the vessels in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth, son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar, son of Phinehas, and with them Jozabad, son of Jeshua, and Noadiah, son of Binnui, the Levites, Ezra 8:34. Everything by number and weight. And all the weight was recorded at that time. To prevent suspicion, the silver, gold, and vessels were delivered to a special commission of two priests and Levites. The Meremoth, son of Uriah, mentioned in v. 33 also appears in Neh 3:4. Of another priest Eleazar, son of Phinehas, no further information is given in the post-exilic books. The Levite Jozabad can be identified with Jozabad mentioned in Ezra 10:23. Noadiah is not named anywhere else.

Ezra 8:35. The returned exiles offered as a burnt offering to the God of Israel twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male goats as a sin offering – all as a burnt offering to the Lord. The quantity of sacrifices offered by the returning exiles has symbolic significance. Twelve bulls and twelve goats are offered for all Israel. The idea of the twelve tribes appears also in the offering of 96 rams (96 12 x 8). The writer’s remark all this as a burnt offering to the Lord indicates that no part of the sacrifice went for a meal.

Ezra 8:36. And they delivered the king’s commissions to the king’s satraps and to the governors beyond the River, and they assisted the people and the house of God. “And they delivered the king’s commissions to the king’s satraps and to the governors beyond the River.” In a similar way Nehemiah acted (Neh 2:9). The position of satraps and their relationship to the governors beyond the River is difficult to determine precisely. It is probable that the former were principally military officials and the latter civil officials. According to Rawlinson’s opinion, satraps were the highest commanders appointed over entire Persian provinces, and the governors beyond the River – the commanders of small regions.

Chapter Nine

1–2. Ezra’s receipt of information about the existence of marriages with foreigners. 3–5. Ezra’s sorrow. 6–15. Ezra’s prayer.

Ezra 9:1. After these things, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites, “After these things.” An indefinite indication meaning that after the previously described events there occurred soon what the writer goes on to relate. From the fact that Ezra learned of the existence of mixed marriages from others and from the description of the strong impression these reports made on Ezra (vv. 3–5) it can also be concluded that the event described in ch. IX happened soon after Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem. “Did not separate themselves from the peoples… with their abominations,” – more precisely according to the Hebrew in view of their abominations. From the enumeration of pagan peoples in v. 1 it cannot be concluded that Canaanite peoples still existed at that time; the enumeration is made following the pattern of the Pentateuch (cf. Deut 7:1-11). The law of Moses forbade marriages only with Canaanite women (Exod 34:12-16; Deut 7:2 and following; Judg 3:5 and following). The violation of this law in the period described was substantially caused by necessity, since in settlements and colonization the number of men always exceeds the number of women.

Ezra 9:3. When I heard this word, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled out the hair from my head and my beard, and sat appalled. The rending of the lower and upper garment served among ancient Jews as a sign of deep sorrow (cf. Josh 7:6); the pulling out of hair on the head and beard was a sign of strong anger and moral indignation (cf. Neh 13:25).

Ezra 9:4. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel because of the faithlessness of the exiles gathered around me, and I sat appalled until the evening offering. “Because of the faithlessness of the exiles.” In view of the Greek text reading, the cited words are better assigned to the end of v. 3. The reference is to the exiles who had arrived earlier than Ezra.

Ezra 9:5. And at the evening offering I rose from my fasting, and with my garment and robe torn, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God “And with my garment and robe torn.” By these words the writer indicates a new expression of Ezra’s sorrow, not what was described in v. 3 (Slavonic: “and when I tore my clothes”). This expression of sorrow could make a strong impression on the people gathered for the evening offering.

Ezra 9:6. And I said, “My God, I am too ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.” Beginning with v. 6, the prayer of Ezra is set forth. From its content it is evident that Ezra prays not for the forgiveness of sins: his intention is to point to the people’s heavy transgression and to encourage them to do all they can to prevent sin and to mitigate divine wrath. In ch. X is described how the people responded.

Ezra 9:7. From the days of our fathers we have been in great guilt until this day, and because of our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of foreign lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to plundering and to shame, as it is even today.” In v. 7 Ezra expresses the conviction that the Jewish community has not been cleansed from old sins and continues to bear punishment for them (“as it is even today”). Meanwhile, the people add new transgressions to the old ones.

Ezra 9:8. But now for a brief moment grace has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a firm place in His holy place, and to brighten our eyes, our God, and to grant us a little reviving in our bondage. “But now for a brief moment.” The expression, as in Isa 26:20 denotes a relatively brief period, namely the time from the liberation of the community from Babylon by Cyrus until the moment of Ezra’s speech. This period, compared to the time of troubles that began with the Assyrians, is called brief. In this brief period Israel was granted mercy, consisting in the preservation of a remnant (peletah) of the people and the granting by the Lord to the people of firmness (“and give to us jathed a peg for fastening a tent, a peg, metaphorically a support) in the place of His holiness. “Brighten our eyes,” that is, after the darkness of troubles to give them the ability to see the dawn of the day of salvation (cf. Prov 29:13; 1 Sam 14:27-29; Ps 14:4). “Grant us a little reviving in our bondage”: the meaning is the restoration of the life of Israel as a small community enjoying some degree of independence. A sign of this life was the restoration of the temple. But compared to ancient times, this life was only meat, a trifle, a nothing.

Ezra 9:9. We are slaves, yet our God has not abandoned us in our slavery, but has extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us some reviving, to raise up the house of our God and to restore its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.” “Gave us a wall (gader) in Judah and in Jerusalem” (cf. Isa 5:2-5). Gader – a fence, a fortified place. The expression does not indicate the walls of Jerusalem, which had not yet been restored at that time, but has a general meaning. Ezra wishes to say that, thanks to the protection of the Persian kings, the Jews obtained a peaceful and safe residence in their former homeland.

Ezra 9:10. And now, what shall we say, our God, after this? For we have turned away from Your commandments, “What shall we say, our God, after this?” that is, after the manifestation of the aforementioned mercies to the transgressing people. We can say nothing except that (Hebrew ki, Russian Ibo) “we have turned away from Your commandments.”

Ezra 9:11. Which You commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying: “The land that you are entering to occupy is an unclean land, unclean through the filthiness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness.” “Which You commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying” and following. The words brought through the end of v. 12, being close to Deut 7:1-3, do not occur literally in the prophetic books. But the thought expressed in them about the necessity of separation from communion with pagan peoples is the thought of all prophets, beginning with Moses.

Ezra 9:12. Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, and do not take their daughters for your sons, and do not seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong, eat the good things of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever. The words “do not seek their peace and prosperity forever” appear in Deut 23:6-7, where the requirement contained in them is limited only to the Moabites and Ammonites.

Chapter Ten

1. The impression made by Ezra’s prayer on the people. 2–4. The speech of Shecaniah. 5. Oath to observe the law. 6–7. Gathering of the returnees. 10–15. Decisions made regarding the mixed marriages. 16–19. Investigation of the matter. 20–44. List of those who violated the law against mixed marriages.

Ezra 10:1. When Ezra prayed and confessed, weeping and falling before the house of God, a very large assembly of the people of Israel gathered to him—men, women, and children—for the people wept greatly. Ezra’s prayer took place before the house of God, that is, in the front courtyard. Since many others were also seized with a consciousness of the people’s sin, a very large assembly gathered around Ezra, and the temple courtyard was filled with weeping.

Ezra 10:2. Then Shecaniah, the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra: “We have acted treacherously toward our God and have taken foreign wives from the peoples of the land, but there is still hope for Israel in this matter;” The spokesman for the people’s feelings was “Shecaniah, the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam.” This Shecaniah is distinct from the one mentioned in Ezra 8:5; likewise his father is different. Jehiel cannot be identified with the Jehiel mentioned in verse 26. The sons of Elam, to whom he belonged, are mentioned also in Ezra 2:7. Shecaniah was neither a priest nor a prince. Therefore his speech was an expression of the community’s penitent feeling. Shecaniah recognizes mixed marriages as the people’s chief sin. But contrary to Ezra 9:10, he believes that hope still remains for Israel. Instead of the words “in this matter” from the Hebrew (al-zoth), it would be better to render: “in spite of this.”

Ezra 10:3. “Now let us make a covenant with our God to send away all these women and the children born to them, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who revere the command of our God; and let it be done according to the law!” Shecaniah proposes to enter into a sworn covenant with God (2 Chr 15:12; Neh 10:29)—and to send away the foreign wives and also the children born to them. As is evident from verse 44 and from Neh 13:23 and following, Shecaniah’s proposal was carried out completely. However, adult children, particularly sons, if they consented to submit to the law, could probably remain in Judea. “According to the counsel of my lord”: instead of the adonai standing here, many manuscripts read Jehovah; in the Vulgate, “juxta voluntatem Domini,” according to the will of the Lord. The connection with what follows would then be: according to the will of the Lord as understood by those who revere God’s commandments (Schultz). In the Russian text, adonai (my lord) is understood as a reference to Ezra. In the same way, the second Ezra renders ὡς ἐκριτθη σοι. By the counsel of Ezra in verse 3 is then meant Ezra’s prayer (Ezra 9:6-16), which inspired the people to take the decision.

Ezra 10:5. Then Ezra rose and made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel swear that they would do as had been said. And they swore an oath. Ezra took advantage of the moment’s feeling and extracted an oath from the leaders of the people that they would carry out what Shecaniah had said.

Ezra 10:6. Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Johanan, the son of Eliashib. He spent the night there, but ate no bread and drank no water, for he was in mourning over the transgression of the exiles. After the people’s oath, Ezra left the temple courtyard and went to the dwelling (LXX γαζαφυλάκιον, Slavonic “treasure house”) of Johanan, the son of Eliashib. This appears to have been an annex to the temple for storing sacred garments and items belonging to the worship, and also for temporary residence of priests and Levites. Since the writer provides no explanation regarding the person of Johanan, after whom one of the temple’s rooms was named, one may conclude that his identity was well known. In the book of Nehemiah (Neh 12:23), mention is made of Johanan the high priest, who appears to be the grandson of Eliashib and a contemporary of Nehemiah. Probably the temple room was named after this Johanan. However, this name could have arisen later than the time spoken of in Ezra 10, since Johanan was not yet high priest at that time. But the writer, for clarity of narrative, uses this later, obviously well-known name. “He ate no bread and drank no water” (cf. Exod 34:28; Deut 9:9)

Ezra 10:7. A proclamation was issued throughout Judea and Jerusalem to all the exiles that they should gather in Jerusalem; Ezra 10:8. and that whoever did not come within three days would forfeit all his property according to the decision of the officials and elders, and he himself would be excluded from the congregation of the exiles. Since the final formal decision on the matter of the foreign wives depended on the whole community, the officials and elders, sympathizing with Ezra’s plans, summoned an assembly of the exiles in Jerusalem.

Ezra 10:9. All the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. And all the people sat in the open space before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain. The assembly took place four months after Ezra’s arrival, on the twentieth day of the ninth month, corresponding to our December. The place of assembly was the open space before the temple. In characterizing the state of those gathered, the writer says that the people sat trembling both because of the matter at hand and because of the rain. Thus the people were moved by the importance of the expected decision, and moreover they suffered from bad weather, which occurs in Palestine in December.

Ezra 10:10. Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them: “You have been unfaithful and have married foreign women, and so have increased the guilt of Israel.” Ezra 10:11. “Now make confession to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from your foreign wives.” Ezra 10:12. Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice: “It is so; we must do as you have said.” To Ezra’s proposal to separate from “the peoples of the land,” that is, from the heathen, and from foreign wives, the entire assembly, “with a loud voice,” that is, with full determination, expressed its consent.

Ezra 10:13. But the people are numerous, and it is a time of heavy rain; we cannot stand in the open. Moreover, this task cannot be finished in one or two days, for many of us have transgressed in this matter. Having agreed with Ezra’s proposal, the assembly nonetheless postpones its implementation, because to accurately establish the facts of mixed marriages, apart from the inconvenience of conducting it in a large assembly (“the people are numerous”), considerable time was needed (verse 13: “this task cannot be finished in one or two days”), and the rainy season made it impossible to remain in the open for long.

Ezra 10:14. Let our officials represent the whole assembly, and let all in our towns who have taken foreign wives come at appointed times, and with them the elders and judges of each city, so that the fierce anger of our God over this matter may be turned away from us. The assembly entrusts the completion of the reform decision to the “officials.” To them must come in appointed times the men who have foreign wives, accompanied by the elders and judges of the city, for clarification of the matter.

Ezra 10:15. Only Jonathan, son of Asahel, and Jahzeiah, son of Tikvah, opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them. “Then (ach) Jonathan… opposed this” (amdu al zoth). The Hebrew ach expresses a limitation of the thought expressed earlier, and in this verse it is better rendered by Russian no, only. The expression amdu al, corresponding to 1 Chr 21:1; 2 Chr 20:23; Dan 8:25, is more properly rendered not as “stood over this” but as “opposed this.” Thus the persons named in verse 15 came forward with a protest against the decision accepted by the assembly. The writer does not indicate what their protest consisted of.

Ezra 10:16. Then the people who had returned from exile did so. Ezra the priest selected men, heads of the patrilineal houses, all designated by name; and they sat down on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter. Ezra 10:17. By the first day of the first month they had investigated all the men who had taken foreign wives. Ezra and the heads of the patrilineal houses were chosen to carry out the decision of the people’s assembly. The first session of this commission took place on the first day of the tenth month, that is, only ten days after the general assembly. The commission’s work continued for nearly three months. By the first day of the first month—of course, the following year—it was completed. Because of the difficulty of the Hebrew text’s construction in this verse, some scholars (Rissel) consider it corrupted: the words “who had taken foreign wives” are regarded as a heading for the following list, transferred by scribal error to the middle of the verse.

Ezra 10:18. Among the priests, those found to have taken foreign wives were: of the sons of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah; Ezra 10:19. They pledged themselves to send away their wives, and offered a ram as an offering for their guilt. Ezra 10:20. Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah; Ezra 10:21. Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah; Ezra 10:22. Of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah; Ezra 10:23. Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, and Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer; Ezra 10:24. Of the singers: Eliashib; of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri; Ezra 10:25. Of Israel: of the descendants of Parosh: Ramaiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Miamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah; Ezra 10:26. Of the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah; Ezra 10:27. Of the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza; Ezra 10:28. Of the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai; Ezra 10:29. Of the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeramoth; Ezra 10:30. Of the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh; Ezra 10:31. Of the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Simeon, Ezra 10:32. Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah; Ezra 10:33. Of the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei; Ezra 10:34. Of the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel, Ezra 10:35. Benaiah, Bedeiah, and Keluhi, Ezra 10:36. Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, Ezra 10:37. Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau, Ezra 10:38. Bani, Binnui, Shimei, Ezra 10:39. Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, Ezra 10:40. Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, Ezra 10:41. Azareel, Shelemelah, Shemariah, Ezra 10:42. Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph; Ezra 10:43. Of the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. Ezra 10:44. All these had taken foreign wives, and some of them had children by these wives. List of those guilty of violating the law against mixed marriages. In this list there are 17 priests (verses 18–22), 10 Levites (verses 23–24), and 86 lay Israelites (verses 25–43), making a total of 113 persons. First on the list are the sons of Jeshua (verse 18), by whom should be understood the high priest Jeshua, contemporary of Zerubbabel, and his brothers—probably (cf. Ezra 2:36-39), the sons of Jedaiah.

Ezra 10:19. They pledged themselves to send away their wives, and offered a ram as an offering for their guilt; “And they pledged themselves.” The members of the high-priestly house solemnly (cf. 2 Kgs 10:15; Ezek 17:18; Lam 5:6) bound themselves to send away the foreign wives and, in expiation for their guilt, offered a ram as a sacrifice. The basis for this could have been the prescription in Lev 5:14-19.

Ezra 10:20. Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah; Ezra 10:21. Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah; Ezra 10:22. Of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah; Some of the names mentioned in verses 20–22 are found also in Neh 8:4 and Neh 10:2-9 (cf. the note on Ezra 2:19-39).

Ezra 10:23. Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, and Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer; Ezra 10:24. Of the singers: Eliashib; of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri; The name Kelaiah is usually found in the form Kelita (Neh 8:7)

Ezra 10:25. Of Israel: of the descendants of Parosh: Ramaiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Miamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah; Ezra 10:26. Of the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah; Ezra 10:27. Of the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza; Ezra 10:28. Of the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai; Ezra 10:29. Of the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeramoth; Ezra 10:30. Of the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh; Ezra 10:31. Of the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Simeon, Ezra 10:32. Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah; Ezra 10:33. Of the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei; Ezra 10:34. Of the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel, Ezra 10:35. Benaiah, Bedeiah, and Keluhi, Ezra 10:36. Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, Ezra 10:37. Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau, Ezra 10:38. Bani, Binnui, Shimei, Ezra 10:39. Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, Ezra 10:40. Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, Ezra 10:41. Azareel, Shelemelah, Shemariah, Ezra 10:42. Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph; Ezra 10:43. Of the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. “And of Israel,” that is, of lay Israelites. The persons named in verses 25–43 belong to ten families mentioned in Ezra 2. In the list, two families (verses 29 and 34) are called descendants of Bani, and in the second instance (verse 31) they are counted as 27 persons. Further, it is noteworthy that the list makes no mention of inhabitants of the cities named in Ezra 2:21-28, whereas (according to verses 7, 14) the investigation of mixed marriages should have concerned them also. It may therefore be supposed that the 27 persons listed in verses 34–42 were inhabitants of various places in Judea.

Ezra 10:44. All these had taken foreign wives, and some of them had children by these wives. In verse 44, the second half of the verse attracts attention: “And some of them had children by these wives.” The Hebrew construction of the verse occasions difficulty (masculine form of the verb vayaschimu, had borne). The purpose of the remark is also unclear, since it is difficult to regard as such the desire to point out the difficulty of implementing the assembly’s decision (Rawlinson) or the care taken in investigating the matter (Keil). In the parallel text 1 Esd 9:36, it reads: “and they sent them away, with their children.” This reading can be preferred to the reading of Ezra 10:44. The thought of the latter, in that case, would be as follows: whereas most men sent away only their wives, some, showing greater zeal, also divorced their children.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Introduction

The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah

In our biblical texts the name of Ezra designates three books, of which one (the first) is considered canonical, while two (the second and third) belong to the section of non-canonical books. The canonical book of Ezra in ancient times was joined with the book of Nehemiah. This can be concluded from the testimony of the Talmud (Baba Bathra 15-a), Josephus (Contra Ap. I, 8), Melito of Sardis (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History IV, 26), and from the lists of biblical books provided by Church Fathers and church councils. This is also confirmed by the fact that the masoretic notes, which usually appear at the end of books, are placed after Neh 13:31, and in many Hebrew manuscripts, as well as in the Greek Codex Vaticanus, the beginning of the book of Nehemiah follows on the same line as the ending of the book of Ezra (De Rossi, Variae lectiones V. T. IV, 157). In the Christian Church the book of Ezra was early separated from the book of Nehemiah, as is evident from the testimony of Origen and Jerome (Origen, in Ps 1, Jerome, Prol. galeat). Gradually this separation became generally accepted, and since 1525, with the appearance of the Bomberg edition, it entered also the Hebrew Bible. Among Catholics, however, even to this day the book of Nehemiah is regarded as the second part of the book of Ezra. Likewise, in scholarly bibliological works, both these books are ordinarily reviewed together, in view of their undoubted close connection.

In its content the books of Ezra and Nehemiah present an account of the history of the restoration of the Jewish community after the end of the Babylonian captivity. In particular, the book of Ezra is divided into two parts: I-VI and VII-X. The book begins with a decree of Cyrus concerning the liberation of the Jews from captivity and a report that according to this decree a band of captives, composed of members of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin and of priests and Levites, returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Sheshbazzar (chapter 1). In chapter II a list of the returned captives and contributions for the temple is given. Then in chapter III the narrative describes the building of an altar, the restoration of worship, and the founding of the temple. In chapter IV the writer reports on obstacles to the building of the temple from the Samaritans and their allies, and includes letters by which the enemies of the Jews appealed to Persian kings. In chapters V-VI there is an account of the resumption of the temple construction, which had been interrupted by the accusations of enemies, its completion, and the dedication of the temple around 516 BC. The second part of the book of Ezra describes the events of the time of Ezra. In particular, it reports the arrival in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes of Ezra in Jerusalem with a group of returned captives, and a royal decree is given that determined the authority of Ezra (chapter VII); then (chapter VIII) a list of the captives who returned with Ezra is provided, and finally there is an account of Ezra’s activity in Jerusalem (chapters IX and X).

The book of Nehemiah, in its content a direct continuation of the narrative of the book of Ezra, is divided into three parts: I-VII, VIII-X, XI-XIII. In the first part there is an account of the circumstances of Nehemiah’s arrival in Jerusalem (I-VII), of his building the walls (III-IV), of the difficulties he encountered from the Samaritans and the Jews themselves (IV-VI), and a list of those who returned from captivity is provided (VII). In the second part is described the reformatory activity of Ezra, which was directed toward establishing the authority of the law of Moses in life (VIII-X). Finally, in the third part there are lists of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, priests, and Levites (Neh 11:1 – Neh 12:1-24), an account is given of the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem (Neh 12:27-47), and there is an account of Nehemiah’s activity after his second arrival in the city following a journey to the court of the Persian king (XIII).

Thus the books of Ezra and Nehemiah recount events that occurred in the period 537–432 BC. From their content it is evident that they do not record everything that happened in that time. It is especially important to note that the period of Jewish history from the completion of the building of the temple in 516 BC until the arrival of Ezra in Jerusalem in the seventh year of Artaxerxes, or in 458 BC, is entirely omitted. Clearly, like other biblical authors, the writers of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah were concerned primarily with what is important from a theocratic point of view, in which, according to their understanding, the care of God for the chosen people after the Babylonian captivity became especially evident.

With regard to the form of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah it should be noted that in Ezra 7:1-11 and at the conclusion of chapter 10 about Ezra the narrative is in the third person, while in the section Ezra 7:27–9 it is in the first; likewise, about Nehemiah it is sometimes spoken in the first person (I-VII, XII-XIII) and sometimes in the third (VIII-X). Furthermore, a characteristic of the book of Ezra is that the sections Ezra 4:8-18 and Ezra 7:12-26 are written in Aramaic (Chaldaic) language, while the rest of the book is in Hebrew.

The question of the origin of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah is difficult to answer with complete certainty at the present time, both because there are no clear indications of it in the books themselves and because there is no firm guidance in tradition. Regarding the book of Ezra, the tradition, attested in the Talmud (Baba Bathra 15-a: “Ezra wrote his book”), in the synopses of Saint Athanasius and Saint Chrysostom (“Ezra himself, being a priest and reader, narrates and writes down in it the return from captivity, etc.”), seems to affirm that Ezra was the writer of the book. In favor of this tradition one can cite to some degree the name of the book, as well as the established understanding of the history of the Old Testament canon. The content of the book of Ezra, and especially the second part of it (chapters 7-10), also confirms the testimony of tradition. The narrative here concerns Ezra, and for the most part it is directly from his perspective (Ezra 7:27 – Ezra 9:1). Although in chapter X and at the beginning of XI Ezra is spoken of in the third person, even these parts may be considered to have been written by Ezra: the change of person in one and the same work is permissible even for a single writer, and examples of such a literary device can be found in both biblical literature (Dan 1:7; Jer 20:1) and non-biblical literature. Besides, chapter X is most closely connected with IX, and the section Ezra 7:1-11 represents a natural introduction to what follows, where Ezra is narrated about in the third person. If the section under consideration contains praises of Ezra and his genealogy, it is hardly possible to see in this a striving for self-aggrandizement, and therefore to consider it incompatible with the tradition of the writing of the section by Ezra himself.

The second part of the book of Ezra (Ezra 7:1) begins with the words: “After these events.” This seems to indicate the close connection of the second part with the first (chapters I-VI), and thus the writing of the latter also by Ezra. But Ezra was not an eyewitness of the events recounted in chapters I-VI and therefore could have related them only on the basis of written documents. These documents may be imagined either as raw materials which Ezra independently processed, or as an already processed work which Ezra merely published, joining it unchanged to the part which he himself had composed. In favor of the latter conception one can cite the remark at Ezra 5:4 (“then we said to them the names of those men”), which would hardly have been used by Ezra if he were the compiler of chapters I-VI; but the first conception also has its defenders in scholarship.

The book of Nehemiah, on the basis of its inscription (Neh 1:1) and some—although not entirely clear—indications of tradition (2 Macc 2:13; Baba bathra 15-a), is considered by very many scholars to be a work of Nehemiah. The principal proof of the book’s authorship by Nehemiah is that, in recounting the events of the time of Nehemiah, the book in the greater part of it (I-VII, XII-XIII) speaks of Nehemiah in the first person. As an objection to this view there is ordinarily put forward the passage at Neh 12:1-11, where the genealogy of the high priest Jesus is continued to Jaddua, and Neh 13:28, where it is reported that Nehemiah expelled from Jerusalem the son-in-law of Sanballat, the governor of Samaria. According to the testimony of Josephus (Antiquities 11:8, 5), Jaddua was high priest during the time of Alexander the Great; to this same time Josephus (Antiquities 11:7, 2) also dates the expulsion of Manasseh. In view of the testimony of Josephus, the passages Neh 12:10-11 and Neh 13:28 (and consequently the entire section XII-XIII) could not, it is thought, have been written by Nehemiah. But the fact is that the accounts of Josephus, relating to the 4th century, are very confused, and by them the biblical statements cannot be verified. On the other hand, if the accuracy of Josephus’ accounts is acknowledged, the indicated verses could be considered a later addition. Regarding Neh 12:10-11, moreover, it is possible to suppose that here, in the genealogy of Jesus, are listed not four priests who served successively over a hundred years, but only members of one and the same family, from which—at the time of Alexander the Great—Nehemiah saw only descendants.

Less clear is the origin of chapters VIII-X. In view of the fact that in this section the narrative concerns itself with Ezra, and also taking into account certain peculiarities of the section compared with the rest of the book, some Protestant and Catholic exegetes consider the section to have been composed by Ezra, to whom belonged the final editing of the book. But it is not without reason that it is indicated that there is not too great a difference between chapters VIII-X and the rest. If in this section the narrative concerns itself mainly with Ezra, this is because the section narrates religious activity, in which the foremost role belonged precisely to Ezra and not to Nehemiah, who was first in civic matters. This can explain also the distinction of the section in expressions—namely the fact that in the section Nehemiah is given the title Tirsatha (Neh 8:9 and Neh 10:1), whereas previously (Ezra 1:8; Neh 12:26) he was called pechah (governor of a province).

It should also be added that even modern negative criticism recognizes in the foundation of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah genuine records (“memoirs”) of Ezra and Nehemiah, reproduced in the books partly literally. The difference between the views of criticism and traditional views in this case is that the final editing of the books is placed at a later time than the age of Ezra, and the editor of both books is considered to be the writer of the book of Chronicles, and numerous interpolations are allowed. The principal basis for such a view is ordinarily the presumed unity of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah with the book of Chronicles, which many scholars assume. In proof of this unity they cite: a) the general coloring of the language of the books, b) the similarity of individual expressions, and c) the identity of the end of 2 Chronicles and the beginning of Ezra 1. But similarity in language and expressions with the identity of the subject matter of the narrative of both books is entirely natural and can testify only to the fact that the books under consideration belong to one age and perhaps were composed by one author, but not that they are parts of one whole. The identity of the end of 2 Chronicles and the beginning of Ezra (the decree of Cyrus) is easier to understand on the supposition of the independence of both works. As for those historical errors which impel representatives of negative criticism to place the final editing of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah at a very late time and to allow many interpolations in them, (as will be seen from the commentary) the references to these errors are either unjust or highly disputed.

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah have always enjoyed high respect in the Church and have had divine authority as strictly historical works. Since the newest theories concerning the origin of the Pentateuch moved the center of gravity of biblical history and biblical literature to the post-exilic period, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, as the most important source for studying the post-exilic age, naturally became the subject of numerous investigations. In doing so, many authors have questioned the historical reliability of the narrative of the books as a whole and in particular parts. Thus, Schrader rejected the historical reliability of the testimony at Ezra 3:8 about the founding of the temple in the second year of Cyrus, placing this event in the second year of Darius Hystaspes. Guanaquer rejected the accuracy of the chronological sequence of the narrative of the books, attempting to prove that Nehemiah’s arrival in Jerusalem occurred before Ezra’s arrival. Many scholars rejected the authenticity of the royal decrees cited in the books, the Aramaic documents Ezra 4, as well as the list of those who returned from captivity, attributing all of this to fabrications of the chronicler—the editor of the books who lived long after the events described in the books. Finally, Costers and Torrey rejected the fact of the return of the Jews under Cyrus, the accounts of the building of the temple by the returned Jews, and much else. By more recent works, however, especially the work of Meyer (Meyer, Entstechung des Judenthums. Halle. 1896), very many objections against the books of Ezra and Nehemiah have been refuted with sufficient persuasiveness. It is particularly important in this case that by parallels from non-biblical literature the reliability of those documents which are cited in the book of Ezra can be considered established. This in considerable measure confirms the accuracy of the author’s testimony in other parts as well. Only the chronology of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah raises uncertainty. In naming the names of Persian kings (Artaxerxes, Darius) under whom certain events took place, the writer does not give these names closer definitions. And since Persian history knows several kings bearing these names, from this it is difficult to say with certainty which king the writer speaks of in one case or another. The chronological arrangement of events described in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah is therefore indicated by exegetes differently and can be indicated only with probability.

Literature: 1) Russian: Doroshkevich, Chronology of the books of 1 Ezra and Nehemiah, Christian Readings 1886, July-August. The same author. How the books of 1 Ezra and Nehemiah are composed. Readings of the Society of Lovers of Spiritual Enlightenment, 1891 December; Yanitsky, Origin and composition of the book of Nehemiah. Oryol Diocesan Gazette, 1881; Yungerov, Origin and historicity of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Orthodox Conversations, 1905, 10; V. Popov, Return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity. Kyiv, 1905. 2) Foreign: From the extremely extensive Western literature on the books of Ezra and Nehemiah the most valuable are the commentaries of Ryssel’s Esra, Nehemia und Ester 1887, Bertheau’s Die Bücher Esra und Nehemia. 1902, Keil’s Bibl. Komment über Chronik, Esra, Nehemia und Ester. For a detailed index of foreign literature see the above-mentioned books of Bertheau and V. Popov

* * *

Examples are found in Readings in the Society of Lovers of Spiritual Enlightenment, 1891, 2, 553–559

Chapter One

1–3. A report about the condition of Jerusalem and the Jewish people received by Nehemiah from Hanani. 4–11. Nehemiah’s sorrow and his prayers.

Nehemiah 1:1. The words of Nehemiah, son of Hacaliah. In the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year, I was in Susa, the capital city. “The words of Nehemiah, son of Hacaliah.” The Hebrew word debarim (words) in the inscription of historical works has a broad sense; compare (1 Chr 29:29) dibrej David; (1 Kgs 11:41; 2 Chr 9:29), meaning words and deeds—that is, history in general. The words of Nehemiah—the history of Nehemiah. The name Nehemiah was common among the Jews. In the post-exilic period persons bearing this name are mentioned further (Ezra 2:2; Neh 7:7). The origin of Nehemiah is not precisely known. The report of Eusebius and Jerome that Nehemiah belonged to the tribe of Judah can be considered very probable, since the majority of those who returned from captivity belonged to this tribe. But there is no basis for considering Nehemiah a descendant of David, merely because he held in Judea a position analogous to that of Zerubbabel, who was descended from the house of David. It is also incorrect to call Nehemiah a priest in the text of the Vulgate (2 Macc 1:2). The father of Nehemiah, Hacaliah, is also mentioned at (Neh 10:1) (Gachaliah). “In the month of Kislev.” According to Hebrew reckoning, Kislev is the ninth month, corresponding to our November-December. The name of the month is borrowed from the Babylonians and came into use after the return from captivity (cf. Schrader, Keilinschr. und A. T. 2 Aufl. I, S. 379). “In the twentieth year.” From (Neh 2:1) of the same book it is evident that in the given passage the twentieth year of the reign of Artaxerxes is meant, and precisely Artaxerxes I Longimanus (462–427), that is, 445 BC. “I was in Susa, the capital city.” Susa (Hebrew Shuschan and in cuneiform texts Susaan)—a city which served as the autumn residence of the Persian kings (Esth 1:2; Dan 8:2). Here Nehemiah was, of course, in the position of the king’s cupbearer.

Nehemiah 1:2. And Hanani came, one of my brothers, he and several men from Judah. And I asked them about the surviving Jews who remained from the captivity and about Jerusalem. “And Hanani came, one of my brothers.” Although Hanani could be called a brother of Nehemiah in the broader sense, as his fellow countryman, yet in view of (Neh 7:2), he should be considered a brother in the proper sense. From this the journey of Hanani to Jerusalem and then his return to Susa is evidence that the whole family of Nehemiah was filled with love for the sacred city and concern for the fate of the Jewish people. Nehemiah began to ask the returning brother about the surviving Jews, who remained from the captivity—that is, about members of the restored community, about the descendants of those who survived the captivity.

Nehemiah 1:3. And they said to me: The survivors who remained from the captivity are there in their land in great distress and in shame; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire. Hanani and those who came with him told Nehemiah that the Jewish community was in great distress and shame “and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.” Clearly in verse 3 the narrative does not refer to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, as some suppose, for then it would be unclear why they would report to Nehemiah about an event which he knew; furthermore, such an ancient report could not have affected Nehemiah so deeply as is described further. To refer with Ewald these words to the presumed destruction of the walls during the time of Zerubbabel is also impossible, both because we have no report of their building, and because from that event seventy years had already passed, and about it Nehemiah would have had no need to ask. Apparently in the verse under consideration the narrative refers to a recent event—that destruction of the wall of Jerusalem which was probably made by the governor of Samaria Rehum on the basis of a royal order he received to stop the building of the walls (Ezra 4:23).

Nehemiah 1:4. When I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and was sad for several days, and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven The report of the calamities of Jerusalem deeply grieved Nehemiah. He wept, was sad for several days, fasted and prayed “before the God of heaven” (verse 4).

Nehemiah 1:5. And he said: O Lord, God of heaven, God great and awesome, keeping covenant and mercy toward those who love you and keep your commandments! Nehemiah 1:6. Let your ears be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant, which I now pray day and night before you on behalf of the sons of Israel, your servants, and I confess the sins of the sons of Israel, which we have committed against you—I and the house of my father have sinned. Nehemiah 1:7. We have become unfaithful before you and have not kept the commandments and statutes and ordinances which you commanded to Moses, your servant. Nehemiah 1:8. But remember the word which you commanded to Moses, your servant, saying: if you become unfaithful, then I will scatter you among the nations; Nehemiah 1:9. but when you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, then even if you were driven away to the edge of heaven, from there I will gather you and bring you to the place which I chose to establish my name there. Nehemiah 1:10. Now they are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed with your great power and your mighty hand. Nehemiah 1:11. I pray you, O Lord! Let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name. And prosper your servant now, and grant him mercy before this man. I was cupbearer to the king. The content of the prayer is set forth. The distinctive feature of this prayer is that its content and individual expressions are borrowed from Deuteronomy (cf. Deut 7:9). The prayer is addressed to the God of heaven. The designation of God as the God of heaven came into use from the time of the captivity, when in the consciousness of the people, who had finally broken with idolatry, the idea of God’s transcendence, his superiority over all earthly things, became especially evident. In conclusion, Nehemiah (verse 11) prays that the Lord would grant him mercy before the king (“before this man”), since the fate of the Jewish people was directly in the hands of the Persian king.

Chapter Two

1–5. Nehemiah’s request for permission to go to Judah. 7–8. Royal letters given to Nehemiah. 9–10. Nehemiah’s arrival in Jerusalem. 11–16. Nehemiah’s inspection of the ruined walls of Jerusalem. 17–18. The decision to rebuild the walls. 19–20. The attitude of the enemies of the Jewish people toward Nehemiah’s undertaking.

Nehemiah 2:1. In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, wine was before him. And I took wine and gave it to the king, and I appeared not sad in his presence. Nehemiah 2:2. But the king said to me: Why is your countenance sad? You are not ill—this is not the case—but surely there is sadness in your heart? I became very afraid. Nehemiah 2:3. And I said to the king: May the king live forever! How should my face not be sad when the city, the place of the tombs of my fathers, is in ruin, and its gates are burned with fire? Nehemiah 2:4. And the king said to me: What do you desire? I prayed to the God of heaven. Nehemiah 2:5. And I said to the king: If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, send me to Judah, to the city where the tombs of my fathers are, that I may rebuild it. Nehemiah 2:6. And the king said to me, and the queen who was sitting beside him: How long shall your journey take, and when will you return? And it pleased the king to send me, after I had specified a time. The event recounted in verses 1–6 happened in the same year, but a month later than what is mentioned in chapter I. According to the Jewish calendar, Kislev was the ninth month and Nisan the first; according to the civil calendar, however, Kislev was the third month and Nisan the seventh. Apparently Nehemiah uses civil reckoning. From the biblical account it is not evident why Nehemiah turned to the king with his request only four months after receiving the news about the sad condition of affairs in Jerusalem. It is possible that the duty of cupbearer was not performed by him constantly, but in turn with others, and therefore he had to wait for a time when he could see the king. Nehemiah addressed his request to the king during a feast (“wine was before him”; the LXX and Syriac read: “wine was before me,” ἐνώπιον ἐμοῦ), while serving him wine from a cup. The conversation was begun by the king himself, who noticed that Nehemiah, contrary to the customs of the court (Esth 4:2), had a sad appearance, though he was trying to hide his sorrow. In the LXX instead of the Hebrew: “and I appeared not sad in his presence,” καὶ ὀυκ ἤ ἕτεπος ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, Slavonic: “and it was not otherwise before him.”

Nehemiah 2:2. But the king said to me: Why is your countenance sad? You are not ill—this is not the case—but surely there is sadness in your heart? I became very afraid. In spite of the king’s sympathetic question, Nehemiah, by his own account, “became very afraid”—perhaps for the outcome of his request, which could anger the king. Parallel to verse 2 is the account by the historian Herodotus about Darius and Xerxes, that they put to death courtiers suspected of unwillingness to accompany them on campaigns and of desire to withdraw from court.

Nehemiah 2:3. And I said to the king: May the king live forever! How should my face not be sad when the city, the place of the tombs of my fathers, is in ruin, and its gates are burned with fire? The words “May the king live forever!” constituted the usual expression of good wishes which was ordinarily used when addressing the king (cf. Dan 2:4; 1 Kgs 1:31). In answer to the king’s question, Nehemiah states the cause of his sorrow—the ruin of Jerusalem. By the “place of the tombs of his fathers” he designates Jerusalem itself, wishing to convey how close the fate of the city was to his heart. He does not mention a higher, religious significance of the city, perhaps because it would not have been fully understood by the pagan king. The word beith “place” is used in the expression instead of ir “city” in a broad sense, as it is used in names of cities like Beth-Galchol, Beth-Nimrah and others.

Nehemiah 2:4. And the king said to me: What do you desire? I prayed to the God of heaven. Nehemiah 2:5. And I said to the king: If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, send me to Judah, to the city where the tombs of my fathers are, that I may rebuild it. Nehemiah 2:6. And the king said to me, and the queen who was sitting beside him: How long shall your journey take, and when will you return? And it pleased the king to send me, after I had specified a time. In response to the king’s question about Nehemiah’s desire, the latter, having silently offered a prayer to God, addresses a request to the king to send him to Judah to rebuild Jerusalem. After he indicated the time necessary for the journey, the king gave his consent to grant the request. The brief does not tell exactly what time was fixed by Nehemiah. But from the course of the narrative it can be concluded that Nehemiah fixed a short time, and if he stayed in Jerusalem for 12 years (Neh 5:14), it was probably at the request of subsequent extensions of his time away.

Nehemiah 2:7. And I said to the king: If it please the king, let him give me letters to the governors beyond the river, that they may grant me passage until I come to Judah, Nehemiah 2:8. and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber for the gates of the fortress which is at the house of God, and for the city wall, and for the house in which I will live. And the king gave to me, for the hand of my God was good upon me. In order to achieve his goals more successfully, Nehemiah asks the king for letters to the governors beyond the river, that is, beyond the Euphrates, and to the keeper of the king’s forest Asaph. These letters given to Nehemiah evidently contained detailed explanations of the matter Nehemiah had planned. “To the keeper of the king’s forest” (pardes), compare (Song 4:3; Eccl 2:5). What forests are meant here is not known. According to ancient interpreters, here is meant regio a Libano ad Antilibanum protensa et arboribus amoenissimis consita—the northern end of Coele-Syria. But this is hardly correct, since the forest spoken of in the passage under consideration must have been near Jerusalem. Keil thinks that in (Neh 2:7) is meant the forest of olives and sycamores mentioned in (1 Chr 27:28) in the valley, which belonged to David and later, probably, passed into the possession of the conquering kings. But it is hardly possible that verse 7 refers to this forest, since it could not have provided material for the building undertaken by Nehemiah. Josephus (Antiquities VIII, 7, 3) speaks of beautiful gardens of Solomon in Etham, not far from Jerusalem to the south. It is possible that the passage in the book of Nehemiah refers to these gardens, which once belonged to the royal house. It is probable that the whole country from Etham to the so-called mountain of the Franks or Jebel el-Ferdis (pardes) was once covered with forest. The keeper of the king’s forest was to supply Nehemiah with material 1) for the gates of the fortress (birah), which was at the house of God, 2) for the city wall, and 3) for the building of his own house. The fortress of the temple mentioned in verse 8, birah, or in Greek pronunciation βᾶρις, was probably built where later the fortress was built by kings and high priests from the family of the Maccabees (Antiquities XV, 11, 4) and which later, at the restoration of the temple by Herod, was called Antonia. About the location of Antonia, which was a large four-sided fortress with towers, courts, and broad squares for soldiers, it is known precisely only that it was north of the temple square. Whether the birah of Nehemiah’s time was the same as the βᾶρις of the Maccabean princes and Antonia is not known. From the passage we are considering, we only know that it had many gates leading into it and that its walls enclosed, consequently, a considerable area. 2) The narrative is about one wall of the city. Wood was not used for the wall, but for the gates in the wall (Neh 3:3). Nehemiah’s request for material for the building of a house for himself is probably explained by the fact that Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem in the capacity of governor (pechah), (Neh 5:14).

Nehemiah 2:9. And I came to the governors beyond the river and gave them the king’s letters. The king also sent with me military commanders and horsemen. “And I came to the governors beyond the river.” Josephus (Antiquities XI, 5, 6–7) tells us that the governor of the regions—Syria, Phoenicia, and Samaria—at that time was Adaios. As an official and occupying a high position, Nehemiah was accompanied by a detachment of horsemen, who later, without doubt, remained with him also in Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 2:10. When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite, a servant, heard of this, it was very displeasing to them that someone had come to promote the welfare of the sons of Israel. Nehemiah’s arrival with the intention to arrange the affairs of the Jews alarmed the enemies of the Jews, and especially those persons who stood at their head. Sanballat—a name of Assiro-Babylonian origin (“Sin grants life”). The surname Horonite was given to him from the name Beth-horon. These names are known from two cities lying on the way from Jerusalem to Lydda, which once belonged to the tribe of Ephraim (Josh 16:3), and in the time of Nehemiah were part of the Samaria region (III, 34). Tobiah, “the Ammonite servant” was probably an official appointed by the Persian king over the Ammonites. He was, it seems, the favorite of Sanballat and his chief advisor. The reason for the displeasure of the named persons at Nehemiah’s arrival was the fear that Samaria, which had risen after the fall of Jerusalem, would lose its importance with the restoration of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 2:11. So I came to Jerusalem. And I was there three days, Nehemiah 2:12. and I rose up in the night, I and a few men with me, and I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem; there was no animal with me except the one on which I rode. Nehemiah 2:13. And I went out by night through the Valley Gate toward the Dragon’s Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been burned with fire. After three days of rest, Nehemiah, intending to carry out his plans for the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem, first made an inspection of them. Fearing treachery from the enemies, Nehemiah made the inspection secretly—at night and without companions. “The Valley Gate,” mentioned also in (2 Chr 26:9; Neh 3:13), received its name from the fact that it led into the Valley of Hinnom (II, 20), which surrounded Jerusalem from the west and south. Most archaeologists point to this gate on the west, at the site of the Jaffa Gate, while others place it on the south, at the site of the so-called Gate of the Essenes. The Valley Gate probably corresponds to the present-day Jaffa Gate on the western side. The mention of the Dragon’s Spring (the LXX πρὸς στόμα πηγῆς τῶν συκῶν, Slavonic: “toward the mouth of the spring of figs”) is found only here. The location of this spring is not precisely known. Various authors have placed it in different locations and identified it with the present-day Birket Hammam Sitti Mariam, or with the spring of Rogel mentioned in (1 Kgs 1:9), with the Virgin’s Spring, or with the Siloam Spring, or with the Upper Pool (Birket Mamilla) or with the Lower Pool (Birket es-Sultan). The Dung Gate lay on the western side of the city. Thus Nehemiah first directed attention to the western wall, since, by the nature of the terrain, it had particular importance.

Nehemiah 2:14. Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no place for the animal that was under me to pass,— “And I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool.” The “Fountain Gate” was on the southeastern side of the city. By the “King’s Pool” is probably meant the pool which Josephus (Jewish War V, 4, 2) calls Solomon’s Pool and which lay, according to his account, to the east of the Siloam Spring. According to Thenius, this is the present-day “Virgin’s Spring,” which is located where the Valley of Kidron forms a gorge. Here, because of this, the rubble of walls and houses could easily block the way, so passage was impossible.

Nehemiah 2:15. and I went up in the night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate. “And I went up (vachi oleh) in the night by way of the valley.” According to the meaning of the Hebrew text, Nehemiah arose or rose up to inspect a part of the wall (Slavonic: “and I went up to the wall”). The Hebrew participle (went up—oleh) standing in the given place indicates time spent by Nehemiah inspecting a part of the wall. Probably Nehemiah traveled through the entire Valley of Kidron or the Valley of Jehoshaphat to the northern end of the city and then, having inspected the northern wall, returned by the same “Valley Gate” by which he had left.

Nehemiah 2:16. And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the rest who were to do the work. Nehemiah 2:17. Then I said to them: You see the trouble we are in; Jerusalem is desolate and its gates are burned with fire; let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer reproach. Nehemiah 2:18. And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. And they said: Let us rise up and build. And they strengthened their hands for the good work. The inspection of the wall, done secretly to avoid premature disclosure of the plan to all, convinced Nehemiah of the possibility of restoring the wall, and so he apparently convened an assembly of representatives of the people and proposed that they undertake the building. To arouse the energy of his future co-workers, Nehemiah pointed out to them the divine favor manifested in regard to the undertaking by the king. After this, those assembled gave their consent to begin the building and, by the writer’s expression, “strengthened their hands for the good work,” that is, firmly resolved to complete it.

Nehemiah 2:19. But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite, a servant, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us and said: What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king? Nehemiah 2:20. Then I answered them and said: The God of heaven, he will cause us to prosper, and we his servants will arise and build; but you have no portion or claim or memorial right in Jerusalem. Word of the Jews’ intention reached their enemies—Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem. The latter (according to (Neh 6:1) – Gashmu) was probably the chief of some Arab tribe living in the south of Palestine not far from Jerusalem. The enemies treated Nehemiah’s undertaking with mockery and contempt, but at the same time tried to cast a shadow on it, as an undertaking directed against the king. By such a presentation of the matter the enemies showed how to create great obstacles for the work in the future. And so Nehemiah expresses his hope in God.

Chapter Three

1–32. Nehemiah’s restoration of the walls of Jerusalem and a list of the people who labored on this work.

Chapter III of the Book of Nehemiah, which describes the construction of the so-called second wall of Jerusalem and names many locations in it, has extremely important significance for studying the topography of the holy city in the biblical period. But, unfortunately, the indications of the chapter under consideration are not everywhere definite. Similarly, not at all points are the views about the topography of ancient Jerusalem, which have been formed on the basis of other testimonies and especially on the basis of excavations, firm. The investigations of Wilson on the southwest hill, the excavations of Warren near the temple courtyard, Guthe on Ophel, the Russian Palestine Society on the northwest side of the ancient city, the work of the English Palestine Society and the many years of work of architect Schick have clarified many disputed questions connected with the location of Jerusalem. But even now in this area much remains problematic. Because of this, and also because of the incompleteness of the text of Chapter III of Nehemiah and its probable corruption, the topographical indications of the chapter are not understood equally by all researchers and some individual points of the wall of Nehemiah, mentioned in the place under consideration, can be indicated only provisionally.

The description of the wall in Chapter 3 begins with the Sheep Gate, which lay on the northern side, not far from the north-east corner of the temple courtyard. Further, moving in the western direction, individual points of the wall are noted (the towers of Meah and Hananeel, the Fish Gate, the Old Gate), which all were located on the northern side. Turning to the southwest, the wall, as is evident from the subsequent description, approached the old (Solomonic) northern wall, with which it apparently came into contact near the present Tower of David, identified with the Furnace Tower mentioned in Nehemiah. From there the wall ran directly south to the south-west end of the southwest hill and ran along its edges. Near the said end were the Valley Gate, and to the east of them, at the south-east corner of the aforementioned hill, the Dung Gate. On the southern side of the city, crossing the Tyropoeon Valley, the wall approached the south-east hill, at the southern end of which, probably, were the Fountain Gate. From this point it turned north and ran parallel to the Kedron Valley. In this (eastern) part of the wall, to the southeast of the temple, there were apparently the Horse Gate. Having reached the north-east corner of the temple courtyard near the corner chamber (v. 31), the wall turned west and approached the Sheep Gate, which was not far from the corner.

For the purpose of carrying out the work, the space of the wall, as it seems, was divided into 42 sections, which were not of equal size and obviously were arranged according to the amount of work on the wall. The sections were undertaken by private individuals, families, associations, and settlement groups (residents of one locality). According to the opinion of Schick, in some places a double wall was built. Hence the remarks found in vv. 11, 19, 24: “on the second section,” which Schick understands as indications of the outer wall.

For clarifying Chapter 3, an extensive literature on the topography of Jerusalem is important. See Theological Encyclopedia, vol. VI, pp. 443–484 (Jerusalem); prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, Jerusalem and its Surroundings (Holy Land part 1), Kiev 1875; He also, on the question of excavations in 1883 on the Russian site in Jerusalem. A brief but thorough overview of the results of the most recent research as applied to the indications of Chapter 3 of Nehemiah is presented in the commentary of Ryssel.

Nehemiah 3:1. And Eliashib the high priest rose up, and his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and set its doors, and from the tower of Meah they consecrated them up to the tower of Hananeel. The high priest Eliashib mentioned in v. 1 was the son of Joiakim and grandson of Jeshua, the contemporary of Zerubbabel (cf. Neh 12:10). From the very fact that the high priest and his brothers were building the Sheep Gate (shaar hazzon), one can conclude that these gates were located near the temple. Such a conclusion is confirmed by the passage (Neh 12:39). The name was given to the gates either because flocks of sheep for food and for sacrifices were driven through them into the city, or because not far from them was a sheep market. According to many indications, the Sheep Gate was located approximately at the site of the gate which is now called by Christians the Gate of Stephen (since, according to tradition, not far from it the protomartyr Stephen was stoned to death), or the Gate of Mary (as leading into the Valley of Kedron or Valley of Mary), and by other residents the Dragon Gate. “And from the tower of Meah they consecrated them up to the tower of Hananeel.” The idea expressed in the text not entirely clearly seems to be this: they built the wall up to the tower of Meah, which they consecrated, and then built from the tower of Meah to the tower of Hananeel. Mention is not made of the consecration of the latter, probably because its construction did not lie within the obligation of the priests. The name of the tower of Meah, mentioned also in (Neh 12:39), probably arose from the fact that it had some relation to the number 100—perhaps was 100 cubits in height, or held 100 people. The tower of Hananeel is mentioned also in (Neh 12:39; Jer 31:38; Zech 14:10). According to these indications, the tower formed an angular point of the city, opposite the so-called “corner gates,” and was a prominent point precisely in the north-east part of the wall. The name of the tower probably came from the name of its builder.

Nehemiah 3:2. And beside him the people of Jericho built; and beside them Zaccur the son of Imri built. Nehemiah 3:3. And the Fish Gate built the people of Senaah; they covered it and set its doors, its bolts and its bars. “The Fish Gate was built by the people of Senaah.” The gate received its name either from its proximity to the fish market, on which Tyrian merchants traded in sea fish (cf. Neh 12:39; 2 Chr 33:14; Zeph 1:10) or from the fact that in a pool located not far from it fish were found. The gate was on the northern side of the wall, west of the tower of Hananeel, at a distance of two sections built according to v. 2 by the Jericho people and Zaccur.

Nehemiah 3:4. Beside them Meremoth the son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired. And beside them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, repaired. And beside them Zadok the son of Baana repaired. Meremoth, son of Hakkoz, mentioned in v. 4, as is evident from v. 21, worked also on another section of the wall. Meshullam, son of Berechiah, according to (Neh 6:18), belonged to a very prominent family in Jerusalem and, according to the opinion of Herzfeld (Geschichte Isr. I, 384), was the then head of the descendants of David (1 Chr 3:19).

Nehemiah 3:5. And beside them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles did not bend their neck to serve their Lord. The refusal of the men from across the river of Tekoa from working “for the Lord” may have been due to the fact that the southern regions of Judea were subject to the rulers of neighboring tribes (like Tobiah the Ammonite and Geshem the Arab) and by them were prevented from participating in the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 3:6. And Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they covered it and set its doors, its bolts and its bars. The Old Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. The name of the gate “Old” probably arose from the fact that it led to the old part of the city or to the part located to the west of the temple. According to (Neh 12:39) this gate lay between the Ephraim Gate and the Fish Gate, that is, on the northern side of the city.

Nehemiah 3:7. Beside them Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon from Meronoth, with the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, under the authority of the governor of the region beyond the river. The builders mentioned in v. 7 were from places not far from Jerusalem, in the region of the tribe of Benjamin. “Gibeon,” the present Ed-Djib, is 2.5 hours’ journey to the north-west of Jerusalem. “Mizpah” is the present Nabi-Samwil at a distance of 3-4 miles to the north. As for “Meronoth,” its location is unknown. Probably it was some small place near Mizpah, which is why part of the inhabitants of the latter worked under the direction of the Meronothite. “With the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, under the authority of (Lekisse) the governor of the region beyond the river.” The end of the verse in the Russian translation is translated provisionally, since the meaning of the original is unclear. In the opinion of Osiander, Kpericus, Ryssel, the expression indicates that the named workers did not belong to the region of Judea subject to Nehemiah, but to Syria, and therefore their participation in the work was entirely voluntary. Other exegetes (Ewald, Keil, Guthe), basing themselves on the testimony of ancient translations, understand the Hebrew kisse (in the Russian translation “under the authority of”) in the sense of the name of an official residence or place of presence of the Syrian satrap (cf. LXX: ἕως θρόνου τοῦ ἄρχοντος, Syriac “throne,” Slavonic: “even up to the throne of the prince [which was] on the other side of the river”) and therefore see in the expression under consideration an indication of a point of the wall where the work of the Gibeonites and inhabitants of Mizpah continued. Schick even supposes that he discovered this point on the Jerusalem wall (Zeif. D. Pal. Ver. 1885, 279). In the opinion of prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, the verse under consideration speaks of an ancient judicial throne of Jerusalem at the Old Gate, which also served as a place of judgment for Persian satraps and their officials. The place of the “throne” A. A. Olesnitsky indicates there where the Russian building stands (Excavations 27–29). In the opinion of Schultz, the disputed words of the Hebrew text should be transmitted: “in the name of the representative of the authority of the governor of the region beyond the river” and contain an indication that the inhabitants of Gibeon and Mizpah were sent by the governor to carry out the king’s order brought by Nehemiah concerning assistance to the Jews. In view of the difficulty of interpreting the passage, Siegfried thinks the text is corrupted.

Nehemiah 3:8. Beside him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, a goldsmith, repaired. And beside him Hananiah, a member of the perfumers, repaired. And they restored Jerusalem up to the Broad Wall. Uzziel and Hananiah are named, of course, as representatives of a group working under their supervision. “And they restored (vajjazbu) Jerusalem up to the Broad Wall.” The meaning of the Hebrew vajjzabu (Russian “restored”) is unclear, since the meaning of the verb is not known. In the LXX it is transmitted as καὶ κατέλιπον, in the Vulgate dimiserunt, that is, “and they left” Jerusalem (cf. Isa 6:12). This translation is accepted by some exegetes and they understand the expression (“they left Jerusalem”), as an indication that the builders of the wall, in view of the sparse population of the city, did not enclose the entire former area, namely did not fence with a wall the part of the city extending to the “Broad Wall” (Ryssel). In the opinion of Schultz, the expression “they left Jerusalem” means that the builders, constructing the wall near the houses, at this point drew back from them and led the wall in the direction of the “Broad Wall,” well preserved. But the accepted understanding of the verb asab in the sense of restore, repair has more defenders among exegetes. In kindred languages the verb is indeed used in the sense of a building term (Bertheau, p. 54). Up to the Broad Wall, that is, up to the remains of the pre-exilic (Solomonic) wall, which is called broad either because it had greater extent than the post-exilic wall, or in view of its special thickness. It is thought that in v. 8 is meant properly that part of the wall which lies between the present Tower of David and the ancient Ephraim Gate (cf. Neh 12:38-39). This is the same part of the wall which, according to the testimony of (2 Kgs 14:13; 2 Chr 25:23), was destroyed over a distance of 400 cubits by the Israelite king Joash and then was restored by Uzziah (2 Chr 26:9); Josephus Antiquities IX, 10, 3.

Nehemiah 3:9. Beside them Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of the half-district of Jerusalem, repaired. “Ruler of the half-district of Jerusalem,” that is, of the region which, according to the division of the land introduced, belonged to Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 3:10. And beside them and over against his house Jedaiah the son of Harumaph repaired. And beside him Hattush the son of Hashabniah repaired. The name of Hattush mentioned in v. 10 is found again in (1 Chr 3:22; cf. Ezra 8:2; Neh 10:4).

Nehemiah 3:11. On the second section Malchijah the son of Harim and Hashub the son of Pahath-Moab repaired. And they also repaired the Tower of the Furnace. “On the second section,” Hebrew midda schenith, Slavonic: “and near them.” It is unclear what the writer calls the “second section.” Bertheau understands schenith in the sense of “other” and sees an indication that the people named in v. 11 worked on two sections (cf. vv. 19, 21, 24, 27, 30). Keil considers the words cited as an indication of the second section of the part of the wall mentioned above. The latter understanding seems more natural. The Furnace Tower mentioned in v. 11, as is evident from (Neh 12:38-39), was located between the Ephraim Gate and the Valley Gate. One can suppose that the Furnace Tower formed the north-west gate or was very close to it (2 Chr 26:9). Schick identifies it with the present Tower of David.

Nehemiah 3:12. And beside them Shallum the son of Hallohesh, the ruler of the half-district of Jerusalem, repaired—he and his daughters. “Beside them Shallum repaired… and his daughters” (ubenotha). The words: “and his daughters” are understood by many researchers (Schultz, Ryssel) as a figurative indication of the inhabitants of the villages which formed part of the Jerusalem half-district, at the head of which stood Shallum. But nothing prevents understanding the words cited in the literal sense.

Nehemiah 3:13. The Valley Gate repaired Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and repaired a thousand cubits of the wall up to the Dung Gate. “The Valley Gate repaired Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah,” which can be understood as the present Zanua, Ismail, at a distance of three German miles from Jerusalem. “And they repaired a thousand cubits of the wall up to the Dung Gate.” The words “repaired” are not in the original, and they represent a guess of the translators. From the text it is not clear whether the passage indicates the extent of the wall built by the inhabitants of Zanoah (which would be too great), or whether it designates the part of the wall (between the Valley Gate and the Dung Gate) which did not require repair (Ryssel)—or, finally, the sum of breaks which needed to be filled in the existing wall (Schick). The Dung Gate, or guttural gate, distant 1,000 cubits to the south of the Valley Gate, led to the present Lower Pool, Birket es-Sultan. The gate probably received its name from the fact that through it city dung was carried out. According to the opinion of Schick, the name was given to the gate because it led to the place of Topheth, considered unclean.

Nehemiah 3:14. And Malchijah the son of Rechab, the ruler of the Bethcar region, repaired the Dung Gate; he built it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. “The Dung Gate repaired Malchijah son of Rechab,” perhaps a Rechabite. Although, according to (Jer 35:5-7), the Rechabites were forbidden to build houses, but of course only for themselves. Beth-Carem (cf. Jer 6:1), of which Malchijah was the ruler of the region, is identified with the Hill of the Franks, to the south-east of Bethlehem.

Nehemiah 3:15. And Shallum the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of the region of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate; he built it and covered it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars—and he also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam by the king’s garden and up to the stairs that go down from the City of David. “The Fountain Gate” probably received its name from its proximity to the Siloam spring and therefore it is sought at the south-east end of the hill of the city. Shallum, who worked on these gates, also repaired, according to v. 15, “the wall by the Pool of Siloam opposite the king’s garden and up to the stairs descending from the City of David.” The Pool of Siloam is usually identified with the Siloam pool (cf. Isa 8:6; John 9:7), although this identification is not without dispute (Guthe). The stairs or staircase which descended from the City of David is mentioned also in (Neh 12:37). Schick and Guthe indicate traces of them in the place where the ancient rock surface of that time is still preserved, not far from the wall (Zett. D. Pal. Ver. 1882, 315).

Nehemiah 3:16. After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half-district of Beth-Zur, repaired—up to the tombs of David and to the artificial pool and to the House of the Mighty. “Nehemiah son of Azbuk” (cf. Neh 1:1) was the ruler of the Beth-Zur half-district. Beth-Zur (Josh 15:58; 2 Chr 11:7), often mentioned in the Maccabee books, is identical with the present Beit-Sur, distant three German miles to the south of Jerusalem, to the west of the Hebron road. Here even now the remains of an ancient tower are preserved. Nehemiah repaired the section of the wall “up to the tombs of David and to the artificial pool and to the House of the Mighty.” The tombs of David or the tombs of the royal house of David were located to the east of Mount Zion. In present-day Jerusalem their location is indicated in various ways (Commentary on the Bible, note to 1 Kgs 2:10). By the artificial pool in v. 16 is meant, probably, some pool dug in recent time, shortly before Nehemiah, and therefore well known to all. The House of the Mighty was called, it may be supposed, some barracks (cf. 2 Sam 16:6) or a house in which were stationed guards of the temple gates, cf. (1 Chr 9:26) and (1 Chr 26:6). Guthe indicates this place to the south-west of the source of Mary (Zeit. D. Р. V. 1882, 332).

Nehemiah 3:17. After him the Levites repaired: Rehum the son of Bani. And beside him Hashabiah, the ruler of the half-district of Keilah, repaired for his district. Keilah mentioned in v. 17 (“half-district of Keilah”) is identical with the present village of Kila, lying to the east of Beit-Djibrina (Eleutheropolis), four German miles to the south-east of Jerusalem (cf. Josh 15:44; 1 Sam 23:1; 1 Chr 4:19).

Nehemiah 3:18. After him their brothers repaired: Bavvai the son of Henadad, the ruler of the half-district of Keilah. “Their brothers,” that is, the inhabitants of the other half-district of Keilah.

Nehemiah 3:19. And beside him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, repaired the second section, opposite the ascent to the armory at the corner. “On the second section.” Probably not Ezer himself repaired the second section, but the inhabitants of Mizpah standing under his supervision (cf. v. 7). “Opposite the ascent to the armory at the corner” (Slavonic: “the measurement of the second column of the ascent, touching the corner”). Neshek means an armory or arsenal. The location of this armory at the corner is difficult to determine.

Nehemiah 3:20. After him Baruch the son of Zabbai zealously repaired the second section, from the corner up to the door of the house of Eliashib, the high priest. “After him zealously (hecherah) repaired Baruch.” The Hebrew hecherah, omitted in the LXX, is transmitted in the Russian text provisionally, since it is difficult to give the word a definite meaning in this place. In the Lucian version it is transmitted as Εἰς τὸ ὄρος, also in the Vulgate in monte, on a mountain; by some commentators: angrily (at the slowness of the construction). Ryssel prefers the Vulgate reading “in monte,” as corresponding to the position of the part of the wall on which Baruch worked. In that case Baruch repaired at the place where the wall, turning east and rising uphill, formed an angle. “On the second section.” The first section, however, is not indicated. The house of the high priest Eliashib mentioned in vv. 20 and 21 was apparently located southwest of the corner of the temple courtyard, not too far from the wall which rose on the western side of Ophel in an eastward direction. As is evident, the house of the high priest occupied considerable space.

Nehemiah 3:22. After him the priests from the surrounding region repaired. “After him the priests from the surrounding region” (hakikkar) repaired. Instead of the indefinite hakikkar, ordinarily used in the Bible as the name of the Jordan Valley (Gen 13:12; Deut 34:1), the Vulgate reads: “men from the fields of the Jordan,” Slavonic: “men from the field [of the Jordan].”

Nehemiah 3:23. After them Benjamin and Hashub repaired opposite their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, repaired beside his house. Benjamin and Hashub were probably priests, since in the vicinity south of the temple courtyard were, as is evident, the houses of priests.

Nehemiah 3:25. After him Palal the son of Uzai, opposite the corner and the tower projecting from the upper house of the king, which is by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh. “Opposite the corner and the tower projecting from the upper house of the king.” From the original, according with the LXX, where it reads: ὁ πύργος ὁ ἀνώτερος, it is also translated: opposite the corner and the higher tower projecting from the house of the king. The house of the king is not the palace of the king, which lay in the City of David, but some government building near the temple courtyard, with a prison courtyard at it. According to the indication (Jer 32:2), the prison courtyard is mentioned by Jeremiah. Based on (Neh 12:39), one can suppose that the prison courtyard was located on the southern side of the temple courtyard, and precisely in the eastern half of this side. The corner mentioned in v. 25 was formed by the eastern side of the prison courtyard and the southern side of the temple courtyard.

Nehemiah 3:26. And the Nethinim who lived on Ophel repaired opposite the Water Gate on the east, and the projecting tower. The Russian translators inserted in the given verse the word “repaired.” In the original the discussion is only of the place of residence of the Nethinim, which is indicated “on Ophel opposite the Water Gate on the east up to the projecting tower.” “The Water Gate,” according to the Talmudic tradition, received its name from the fact that on the Feast of Tabernacles water drawn from the spring was carried through it into the temple. Some indicate its location not far from the Spring of Mary (Schultz). Bertheau, however, supposes that these were not city gates, but gates of the royal palace. “Up to the projecting tower.” See the note to v. 25.

Nehemiah 3:27. After them the Tekoites repaired the second section, from opposite the great projecting tower up to the wall of Ophel. “After them the Tekoites repaired:” from the original “after him”—apparently after Pedaiah (v. 25), “on the second section.” The first section of the Tekoites is mentioned in v. 5. The projecting tower opposite which the section of the Tekoites began, it is supposed (Robinson, Ryssel), was located at the south-east corner of the temple courtyard, where even now traces of a structure are visible.

Nehemiah 3:28. Above the Horse Gate the priests repaired, each opposite his house. “Above (more precisely: higher than) the Horse Gate the priests repaired.” Some explain the name of the Horse Gate from the fact that it was located not far from the stables dedicated to the sun-god (2 Kgs 23:11). According to Josephus, the gates were called Horse Gates because through them lay the shortest path to the royal stables (Josephus Antiquities IX, 7, 3). According to (Jer 31:40; 2 Kgs 11:16; 2 Chr 23:15), the gate had relation to the royal palace and consequently should be sought on the south-east of the temple courtyard, from where it led into the Kedron Valley.

Nehemiah 3:29. After him Zadok the son of Immer repaired opposite his house. And after him Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, keeper of the East Gate, repaired. “Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, keeper of the East Gate,” that is, the Water Gate mentioned in v. 26. The section of Shemaiah is not indicated. Probably, as keeper of the East Gate, he repaired this gate and the adjacent part of the wall.

Nehemiah 3:30. After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph repaired the second section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah repaired opposite his chamber. The words “the sixth son of Zalaph” raise uncertainty, since in other places in the chapter such indications are not made. It is possible that an error has crept into the text. Meshullam, son of Berechiah, is mentioned (cf. Neh 3:4) as having repaired “opposite his chamber” (Slavonic: “opposite his treasury”). Probably this was a chamber serving the purposes of worship.

Nehemiah 3:31. After him Malchijah, the son of the goldsmith, repaired up to the house of the Nethinim and the merchants, opposite the Gate of Miphkad and to the corner chamber. “Malchijah the son of Harsofi” (hazzorphi). Guthe reads the latter word as hazzarphi and understands it as an indication of Malchijah’s origin from Sarepta (“Sarepta native”); but usually the word is understood in the sense of an appellative, indicating that Malchijah belonged to the craft of goldsmiths. “Up to the house of the Nethinim and the merchants.” According to v. 26, the Nethinim lived on Ophel. In v. 31, one must think, the discussion is not of their residence, but of a place of service, which apparently was located on the north-east of the temple. The merchants placed in connection with the Nethinim were, of course, sellers of objects needed for worship (cf. Matt 21:12; John 2:14). They obviously were given, near the temple, a building in which the Nethinim also had their abode. “Opposite the Gate of Miphkad and to the corner chamber.” The Gate of Miphkad (Slavonic: “the gate of judgment”) did not belong to the city wall, because, as noted, they were building the wall opposite them. Probably they formed the entrance to the place mentioned in (Ezek 43:21) mipkad habst (Slavonic: “in the separated temple”)—the place of burning of the sin sacrifice (from the Hebrew: “raising of the corner”). The corner chamber—perhaps something like a tower, located at the north-east corner of the temple courtyard, on the site of the present “Throne of Solomon.” It should be noted that the text of v. 31 is not transmitted the same by all. Instead of the reading of our translation, some (Bertheau, Ryssel, Kautzsch) read: After him Malchijah repaired, up to the house of the Nethinim and (after him the merchants repaired). The text of the Greek and Slavonic also gives an idea different from the reading of the Russian translation.

Nehemiah 3:32. And between the corner chamber and the Sheep Gate the silversmiths and the merchants repaired. “Silversmiths” (according to Perles, Analekta, p. 78, money-changers).

Chapter Four

1–8. The impression produced on the enemies of the Jews by the beginning of the construction of the wall, and their plans. 9–23. The measures taken by Nehemiah to protect those working on the construction.

Nehemiah 4:1. And when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he ridiculed the Jews. Nehemiah 4:2. And he said before his brothers and the army of Samaria, “What are these miserable Jews doing? Will they be permitted? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of dust, and those burned?” The first 6 verses of Chapter IV in many editions of the Bible form the conclusion of Chapter III. The beginning of the construction of the wall provoked among the enemies of the Jews hostile feelings and a desire to hinder the construction. Sanballat, intending to weaken the energy of the Jews, mocked their undertaking in the circle of Samaritan nobility, presenting it as an impossible dream. The words of Sanballat: “Will they be permitted this” (hajaazbu lachem) are not clear, since the subject of the verb hajaazbu (to allow) is not indicated. According to the context of his words and correspondingly to the meaning of the verb asab in other places (Isa 10:14), in Sanballat’s words one must see mockery of the Jews’ faith in the help of God: “Will they (the Jews) commit themselves (in the work of construction) to God,” that is, will they hope that God will accomplish for them an impossible undertaking? Will they think to help themselves with sacrifices?

Nehemiah 4:3. And Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “Even what they build, if a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.” Like Sanballat, Tobiah also pointed to the impossibility of the undertaking planned by the Jews.

Nehemiah 4:4. Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn their reproach on their own head and give them up as a prey in a land of captivity. Nehemiah 4:5. And do not forgive their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out before you, for they have provoked the builders. The historical narrative is similarly interrupted by prayer in (Neh 5:19).

Nehemiah 4:6. So we built the wall, and all the wall was joined together to half its height. And the people had a mind to work. The mockery of the enemies, thus, had no effect, and the wall was soon raised “to half its height,” that is, to half the height of it.

Nehemiah 4:7. But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem was advancing and that the breaches were beginning to be filled, they were very greatly enraged. Nehemiah 4:8. And they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. The successful course of the construction impelled the enemies of the Jews to act by force, and they planned to suddenly (v. 11) attack the Jews engaged in construction, kill them, and destroy Jerusalem. In v. 7 the enemies of the Jews are named as Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites. Robinson supposes that the writer means not entire tribes, but specifically those individual people from these tribes who were part of Sanballat’s detachment, since an armed attack on Jerusalem by entire tribes, given the good organization of the Persian monarchy, is difficult to admit. But there is hardly reason to deny the possibility of such an attack.

Nehemiah 4:12. When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, “From all the places where you are turning back toward us, they will come up against us,” “When the Jews living near them came,” that is, in places neighboring the Samaria region, etc. They came, obviously, those who did not themselves participate in the work, but were concerned for their relatives and friends who were at work. The end of the verse in the Hebrew text is unclear, and our Russian translation in this case gives its own interpretation (“from all the places where you are, they will come up against us”).

Nehemiah 4:13. Then I stationed the people in the low places behind the wall, at the open spots, and I set the people according to their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. The exact meaning of the original is not clear, and Russian translators again give their interpretation, inserting the word “city” and translating the verb amad instead of twice only once. Supposing an error in the text and correcting it, Ryssel transmits the verse thus: “then I stationed the throwing engines at the place behind the wall at protected points and posted people” etc.

Nehemiah 4:15. And when our enemies heard that their plan was known to us, and that God had brought their counsel to nothing, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. The construction of the wall stopped for a time. But the enemies of the Jews, having seen that their plan of sudden attack was exposed, abandoned it, and the work of construction could continue. However, to prevent a sudden attack, Nehemiah nevertheless found it necessary to take a series of measures, which are discussed in v. 16.

Nehemiah 4:16. And from that day half of my servants worked on the construction, while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. And the officials were stationed behind all the house of Judah. “From that day half of the young men (nearim) with me,” that is, half of his retinue, that body which was at his disposal for police duties (cf. Neh 5:10).

Nehemiah 4:21. So we continued the work, and half of them held spears from the rising of the dawn until the stars came out. “So we continued the work,” that is, Nehemiah and his retinue, bearing special labors.

Nehemiah 4:22. At the same time I said to the people, “Let every man with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, so that they may be a guard for us at night and may work during the day.” As a further precautionary measure, Nehemiah gave an order that the people should not disperse at the end of the day’s work, but should remain overnight in Jerusalem, providing a guard. By this measure it was intended not only to protect the city, but also to give rest to the people bearing the greatest burden, namely, Nehemiah and his retinue.

Nehemiah 4:23. So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes; each had his weapon at his side and water. “Did not take off our clothes, each had his sword and water at his side.” The last proposition is omitted in the LXX and is transmitted differently in other translations. In the Syriac text the expression is transmitted in the sense that the defenders of Jerusalem did not take off their clothes for a period of a month. In the Lucianic recension: “and the men whom he sent for water, a man and a weapon for the water.” In the Vulgate: “only each was bathed for purification,” each took off his clothes only for washing. Exegetes also interpret the expression in question differently: “each had his weapon and water at his side, so as not to abandon his post” (Clericus); “each had his bow in his right hand” and each bared his body only for nighttime ablutions (maim—water).

Chapter Five

1–5. Murmuring among the Jews. 6–11. Nehemiah’s impact on the nobles and those in authority. 12–13. The oath given by the people. 14–15. A characterization of Nehemiah’s work as governor.

Nehemiah 5:1. And there arose a great murmuring among the people and their wives against their brothers, the Jews. “And there arose a great murmuring among the people and their wives.” The circumstances described at the beginning of chapter 5 apparently took place during the period of building the walls. The murmuring arose among the lower classes of the people. As is evident from what follows, the cause of the murmuring was the difficult situation created, on one hand, by the obligation to work without pay on the city walls, and on the other, by exploitation from the “nobles and those in authority” (v. 7). It was precisely against the latter that the murmuring arose (“against their brothers, the Jews”).

Nehemiah 5:2. There were those who said, “We, our sons, and our daughters are many; and we want to obtain grain and eat and live.” In verse 2, the discourse is about proletarians who had no fields of their own and, at the same time, being occupied with unpaid public work, could not earn bread for themselves. They therefore asked to be given grain.

Nehemiah 5:3. There were also those who said, “Our fields, our vineyards, and our houses we are mortgaging in order to obtain grain during the famine.” But the owners of fields and vineyards also suffered want because of the high price of grain that had begun, which was apparently caused by a) the concentration of people in Jerusalem, b) the lack of transport from neighbors with whom there were hostile relations, and c) the inability to engage in proper cultivation of fields and vineyards. Fearing to give all their property as a pledge, small landowners also turned with a request for grain.

Nehemiah 5:4. There were also those who said, “We have borrowed silver for the king’s tax against our fields and our vineyards;” Nehemiah 5:5. Our bodies are like the bodies of our brothers, and our sons are like their sons; and see, we are about to surrender our sons and our daughters to slavery, and some of our daughters are already enslaved. We have no means for redemption in our hands; and our fields and our vineyards are in the hands of others. Even more difficult was the situation of those who, having already mortgaged their fields and vineyards, were forced to sell their sons and daughters into slavery in order to obtain grain (cf. Lev 25:14-17; Exod 21:7; Jer 34:8-11).

Nehemiah 5:6. When I heard their murmuring and such words, I was very angry. “I was very angry,” – that is to say, at the rich and the noble who had violated the law.

Nehemiah 5:7. My heart was troubled, and I rebuked the nobles and those in authority and said to them, “You are taking interest from your brothers.” And I called a great assembly against them Nehemiah immediately turned to the nobles and the rich with a reproach that they were taking interest from their brothers. The law of Moses forbids charging interest to a fellow countryman (Exod 22:25; Lev 25:36; Deut 23:20). Therefore the action of the Jerusalem rich was a violation of the law.

Nehemiah 5:8. And I said to them, “We, as much as we were able, redeemed our brothers, the Jews, who had been sold to the nations; and yet you are selling your brothers so that they might be sold back to us?” They were silent and did not find an answer. Nehemiah 5:9. And I said, “It is not good that you are doing. Should you not walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of the nations, our enemies?” In rebuking the violators of the law, Nehemiah, as an example, pointed to himself and those near him. “We redeemed,” that is, Nehemiah and those near him, – redeemed, evidently, in Babylon. Along with this, Nehemiah reminds them of the need to observe the law as the condition by which the disgrace of the people would cease and blessings might be sent to them from the Lord.

Nehemiah 5:10. Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants have been lending them silver and grain. Let us forgive this debt. Nehemiah 5:11. Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, and the one hundredth part of the silver, grain, new wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them. From verse 10, it is clear that Nehemiah reproaches the creditors for the fact that they took pledges, which he himself and those near him did not do. In conclusion, he invites the creditors to forgive the debts (Slavonic: “let us forgive the usury”), return the pledges, and the interest that was taken.

Nehemiah 5:12. Then they said, “We will return them and will not demand anything from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear that they would do this. Nehemiah 5:13. Also I shook out my garment and said, “So may God shake out everyone who does not keep this promise from his house and from his labor, and may he be thus shaken out and emptied!” And all the assembly said, “Amen.” And they praised God; and the people kept their word on this. Those who were reproached expressed their agreement to submit to Nehemiah’s admonition, and in order to make this decision binding for the future, Nehemiah took from them a solemn oath. – “And I called the priests and made them swear” – them – not the priests, but the creditors. After the oath, the decision of the nobles and the rich was confirmed by a symbolic action (cf. Acts 18:6) and the pronouncement of “Amen,” which confirmed all that had been said. – “And they praised God” – because, on one hand, the situation of the poor was eased, and on the other, peace and unity in the community were restored.

Nehemiah 5:14. Moreover, from the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. The reference to his own example, made in the address to those who had violated the law (v. 8), gives occasion for Nehemiah to characterize his work in general for the benefit of the people. (“Moreover,” that is, in addition to what was said in v. 10). Here also is noted the duration of Nehemiah’s work. – “Did not eat the food allowance of the governor,” that is, did not take the sum that is allotted for the governor’s table.

Nehemiah 5:15. But the earlier governors, who were before me, had oppressed the people and had taken from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants ruled over the people. But I did not do so because of the fear of God. The unselfishness of Nehemiah is all the more remarkable in that the former governors, not known to us, burdened the people with exactions, and this, evidently, had become recognized by all as a custom. “Took from them bread and wine, besides (achar) forty shekels of silver.” These last words are not clear, and the meaning of the Hebrew achar, rendered in the Russian as “besides,” is rendered differently in other texts – among the Septuagint as eschaton (last), in the Vulgate as quotidie (daily), and in the Syriac it is omitted entirely. The Slavonic text, combining the reading of the Septuagint and the Vulgate, translates as “besides the silver (daily) forty drachmas.” Accordingly, the meaning of the expression is determined differently among exegetes. Apparently the thought of the expression is that the governors demanded more than 40 shekels, which were assigned to them for the table. 40 shekels equal about 46–48 rubles in our money.

Nehemiah 5:16. Moreover, I devoted myself to the work on this wall; and we did not acquire fields, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. “And we did not acquire fields.” The meaning of the words is not entirely clear. The thought is either that Nehemiah did not take advantage of the difficult time and did not buy fields for himself (Ryssel), or that although Nehemiah and his immediate associates were not property owners with fields, nevertheless they took part in building the wall.

Nehemiah 5:17. There were at my table one hundred fifty of the Jews and the officials, besides those who came to us from the neighboring nations. “Besides those who came to us from the neighboring nations.” These refer to Jews who lived outside the small territory occupied by the returned community.

Nehemiah 5:18. And there was prepared for me each day one ox, six choice sheep, and birds; and once every ten days all kinds of wine were furnished. Yet in spite of all this, I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the heavy service weighed upon this people. “And once every ten days all kinds of wine were furnished.” The indication of ten days without the designation of a definite quantity of wine is unclear. The thought of the expression may be that the wine supply was replenished every ten days.

Chapter Six

1–14. The schemes of enemies against Nehemiah and their failure. 15–16. The completion of the wall of Jerusalem and the impression this made on the neighbors. 17–19. Tobiah’s relationship with Nehemiah and his relationship with some of the Jerusalem nobles.

Nehemiah 6:1. When Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not yet set up the doors in the gates,) For information about the persons named in verse 1, see the note on (Neh 2:10). “And the rest of our enemies”: probably the Azotians and other inhabitants of the Philistine coast.

Nehemiah 6:2. Then Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” They were planning to do me harm. Perhaps with the aim of clarifying rumors, Sanballat and Geshem invite Nehemiah to meet in one of the villages (kephirim) on the plain of Ono. Kephirim, with the article, is taken by some exegetes as a proper name and is identified with Kephira mentioned in (Ezra 2:25), which served as a boundary point of the Judean territory at that time. The ruins of Kephira, according to Robinson (N. bibl. Forsch. 190), are located at a distance of 3 hours’ journey from Gibeon. According to (1 Chr 8:12; Neh 11:35), the plain of Ono lay near Lod and therefore can be identified with the present Kefr-Ana (or K.-Andi), which is located two hours’ journey from Lod and 40 versts to the northwest of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 6:3. But I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” Nehemiah 6:4. They sent to me four times with the same invitation, and I answered them the same way. The reason for Nehemiah’s refusal to comply with the invitation that was repeated four times from the enemies was not only the unwillingness to delay the building by his absence, as is indicated in verse 3, but also fear of the treacherous schemes of the enemies.

Nehemiah 6:5. Then Sanballat sent his servant to me the fifth time with an open letter in his hand. For the fifth time, Sanballat sent a servant to Jerusalem with an open letter in his hands. Evidently Sanballat wished that the accusations contained in the letter be known to all in Jerusalem, and that these accusations – either by terrifying them, would cause the building of the wall to stop (v. 9), or would induce Nehemiah to go to the plain of Ono for explanations.

Nehemiah 6:6. In it was written: “A report is circulating among the nations, and Geshem says that you and the Jews are planning to rebel, for which reason you are building the wall and want to be their king, according to these reports;” Nehemiah 6:7. and you have also appointed prophets to proclaim about you in Jerusalem, saying, “There is a king of Judah!” Now such matters will be reported to the king. So now, come, let us take counsel together. “Rumors are circulating among the nations” – of course, among the neighboring nations. “And Geshem says”: in the Hebrew text instead of Geshem, Gashmu is read, which is evidently the same as Geshem. Apparently, Geshem is presented as a particularly authoritative person.

Nehemiah 6:8. But I sent word to him, saying, “None of these things that you are saying have happened; you are inventing them out of your own mind.” Nehemiah 6:9. For they all were trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now I strengthened my hands all the more. The schemes of Sanballat, as is evident from verses 8–9, not only did not achieve their goal – to stop the building of the walls – but on the contrary, gave more vigor to Nehemiah (“I strengthened my hands all the more”).

Nehemiah 6:10. I came to the house of Shemaiah, son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, and he was shut in and said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple, because they will come to kill you, and they will come to kill you at night.” After unsuccessful attempts to destroy Nehemiah, Sanballat devised a scheme to induce him through trickery to violate the law and thereby undermine his authority with the people. He used for this purpose the assistance of the prophet Shemaiah, who was apparently one of the strongest (v. 14) opponents of Nehemiah. When Nehemiah came to the house of Shemaiah, the latter, in the name of the Lord, announced to Nehemiah that his enemies intended to kill him that night. To avoid the danger, Shemaiah proposed to Nehemiah to go with him to the temple and to shut themselves in. By agreeing to this proposal, Nehemiah, on one hand, would have shown fear of the enemies, and on the other, would have violated the precepts of the law, for as a layman, he had no right to enter the temple. Both would have lowered Nehemiah’s authority in the eyes of the people. – “And he was shut in,” Hebrew vehu azur, “and he was closed,” – a remark whose exact meaning is difficult to establish. Bertheau understands this remark to mean that Shemaiah was in a state of inspiration; Ewald and Robinson – that Shemaiah was in a state of uncleanness. According to Keil, Shemaiah’s confinement had a symbolic significance – it indicated what Nehemiah was to do. But more simply to understand the expression vehu azar to mean that Shemaiah was withdrawing from public activity, and the visit of Nehemiah was prompted by a desire to learn the reason for this withdrawal.

Nehemiah 6:11. But I said, “Should a man like me run away? And should a man like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go.” Nehemiah 6:12. I perceived that God had not sent him, and that he had pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. Nehemiah 6:13. For this reason he was hired, so that I would be frightened and act accordingly, and sin, and so that they might have an evil report about me to discredit me. Nehemiah, as is evident from verse 11, understood the hidden purpose of Shemaiah’s proposal and therefore answered him with a refusal, having convinced himself that Shemaiah had been bribed by the enemies.

Nehemiah 6:14. Remember me, my God, concerning Tobiah and Sanballat and what they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to frighten me! As is evident from the comparison of verses 7 and 14, among the prophets, as indeed among all the people, there were two directions: some of the prophets aided Nehemiah, while others, including Shemaiah and the prophetess Noadiah, were opposed to separation from the neighbors and reform in a strictly lawful manner. These two directions in Judaism, having begun in the time of Nehemiah, persisted in the subsequent history (see about this M. Posnov, Judaism. On the Characteristics of the Internal Life of the Jewish People in the Post-Exilic Period. Kiev, 1906. P. 5–104).

Nehemiah 6:15. So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul, in fifty-two days. The year in which the walls of Jerusalem were completed is not mentioned, probably because it was assumed to be known from earlier indications (cf. Neh 1:1). This was the 20th year of Artaxerxes, and most likely of Artaxerxes Longimanus (cf. note on (Ezra 7:1)) or 445 (444) B.C. Elul was the 12th month of the year. In verse 15, what draws attention is the fact that for the construction of the wall, an extremely short period is specified (52 days). In view of the brevity of the period, as well as the testimony of Josephus (Jewish Antiquities XI, 5, 7), that the building of the wall lasted 2 years and 4 months, some exegetes are inclined to suspect a textual corruption in verse 15. But with the general course of the account of the building of the wall, the indication in verse 15 of a short period is entirely consistent. The account notes that the building was carried out rapidly, that there were many builders, and they worked with zeal. Moreover, it is evident from the account that the wall was not being built anew, but only repaired, and for some parts of the wall (cf. Neh 3:13-15), repair was not even needed. According to Ryssel’s calculations, of the 12,978 English feet of the wall’s extent, not more than 8,000 were repaired. As is evident from chapter 3, this space was divided into 40 sections, averaging about 200 feet for each. With a significant number of workers and with the facilitation of work by the fact that the building material was at hand, since the stones of the destroyed wall had not been carried away, – it is not surprising that the wall was completed in 52 days. The walls of Athens were built even faster under Themistocles, and the walls of Alexandria under Alexander the Great.

Nehemiah 6:16. When all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. The impression produced on the neighbors by the completion of the building of the walls is greatly heightened in the Greek and Slavonic texts: “and they feared greatly all the nations which were around us, and fear fell before their eyes”). In the first sentence, apparently instead of the Hebrew raah (to see), the Septuagint read jareh (to fear), and in the second sentence they freely rendered a rare turn of phrase that exists in the original.

Nehemiah 6:17. Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and letters from Tobiah came to them. Nehemiah 6:18. For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah, son of Arah, and his son Johanan had married the daughter of Meshullam, son of Berechiah. In the last verses of chapter 6, several remarks are made about Nehemiah’s relationship with Tobiah. Probably, Tobiah, who bore, like his son Johanan, a purely Israelite name, by origin belonged to one of the tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and perhaps championed the interests of the survivors of that kingdom who remained in Palestine. He maintained frequent relations with Jerusalem, for many in Judah “were bound by oath to him” (v. 18). From the last remark one can conclude that at the conclusion of marriages, relatives gave an oath obligation to support one another. – The names Arah and Meshullam, into whose houses Tobiah was connected by marriage, are mentioned again in (Ezra 2:5; Neh 3:4). It is supposed that Tobiah’s father-in-law Shecaniah and Johanan’s father-in-law Meshullam belonged to the descendants of Zerubbabel (1 Chr 3:19-21). As is evident from (Neh 13:4), Tobiah was also a relative of the high priest Eliashib.

Nehemiah 6:19. Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and my words were reported to him. Tobiah sent letters to me in order to frighten me. “Also they spoke of his good deeds before me,” – apparently with the aim of bringing Nehemiah closer to Tobiah. Since the meaning of verse 19 is not entirely clear and the parallelism in it is not maintained, not without reason do some exegetes (Heine, Bertholet) suspect a textual corruption in this case.

Chapter Seven

1–3. Measures taken by Nehemiah to maintain safety and security in the city. 4–5. Census of the population. 6–66. Lists of persons who returned from captivity. 67–69. Inventory of property of those returning. 70–73. Donations.

Nehemiah 7:1. When the wall had been built, and I had set the doors in place, and the gatekeepers and singers and Levites had been appointed to their service, In view of the plots of enemies, Nehemiah took strict measures to guard the city and the temple. “And the gatekeepers and singers and Levites had been appointed to their service.” According to ancient ordinance, the gatekeepers were to guard the temple and supervise the opening and closing of the gates through which was the entrance to the temple courtyard (1 Chr 9:17-27). The enumeration of the posts occupied by gatekeepers in postexilic times is given in the tractate of the Mishnah Middot I, 1. As is evident, on account of the troubled times, Nehemiah drew upon the singers and other Levites in addition to the gatekeepers to guard the temple, although temple guard was not part of their duties as prescribed by law. Probably the work was divided so that the gatekeepers were charged with guarding the temple gates, while the singers and other Levites together with the inhabitants of Jerusalem watched over the safety of the city.

Nehemiah 7:2. Then I appointed my brother Hanani and Hananiah the governor of the fortress over Jerusalem, because he was a faithful man and feared God more than many others, From verse 2 it can be concluded that Nehemiah’s brother Hanani and Hananiah the governor of the fortress of Jerusalem were placed in charge of the guard. Hananiah was in charge of the fortress (birah) situated to the north of the temple and was probably in the service of Persia, commanding the Jerusalem garrison.

Nehemiah 7:3. And I said to them: Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun grows hot, and while they are on guard, let them shut and bar the doors. And I appointed guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, each at his post and each opposite his own house. While the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites guarded the city during the day, the watch was kept at night by the inhabitants themselves. The remark of verse 3 “while they are on guard” (vead hem omdim) is unclear in its purpose, and so some exegetes suspect corruption in the text. Bertheau reads it as vead hachom omed, “and while the heat still stands” (until sunset), which would be a good supplement to what follows—“let them shut and bar the doors.”

Nehemiah 7:4. But the city was spacious and great, and the people in it were few, and the houses had not been rebuilt. Nehemiah 7:5. And my God put it into my heart to gather the nobles, the officials, and the people to be registered by genealogy. And I found the genealogical record of those who first came back, and it was written in it: The sparse population of Jerusalem prompted Nehemiah to convene an assembly in order to clarify the situation and take measures to settle the city. Although with Zerubbabel there returned, according to (Ezra 2:64; Neh 7:66) 42,360 people (not counting women and children), and with Ezra (Ezra 8:1-20) another 1,500, they were scattered throughout the entire land, while only a few remained in Jerusalem itself. The remark of verse 4 about Jerusalem “and the houses had not been rebuilt” apparently means that the city within was not yet sufficiently built up, and there remained many vacant places in it.

Nehemiah 7:5. And my God put it into my heart to gather the nobles, the officials, and the people to be registered by genealogy. And I found the genealogical record of those who first came back, and it was written in it: Nehemiah 7:6. These are the people of the province who came back from the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own city, Nehemiah 7:7. those who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The total number of the men of the people of Israel: Nehemiah 7:8. The sons of Parosh, two thousand one hundred seventy-two. Nehemiah 7:9. The sons of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy-two. Nehemiah 7:10. The sons of Arah, six hundred fifty-two. Nehemiah 7:11. The sons of Pahath-Moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred eighteen. Nehemiah 7:12. The sons of Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four. Nehemiah 7:13. The sons of Zattu, eight hundred forty-five. Nehemiah 7:14. The sons of Zaccai, seven hundred sixty. Nehemiah 7:15. The sons of Binnui, six hundred forty-eight. Nehemiah 7:16. The sons of Bebai, six hundred twenty-eight. Nehemiah 7:17. The sons of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty-two. Nehemiah 7:18. The sons of Adonikam, six hundred sixty-seven. Nehemiah 7:19. The sons of Bigvai, two thousand six hundred seven. Nehemiah 7:20. The sons of Adin, six hundred fifty-five. Nehemiah 7:21. The sons of Ater, of Hezekiah, ninety-eight. Nehemiah 7:22. The sons of Hashum, three hundred twenty-eight. Nehemiah 7:23. The sons of Bezai, three hundred twenty-four. Nehemiah 7:24. The sons of Hariph, one hundred twelve. Nehemiah 7:25. The people of Gibeon, ninety-five. Nehemiah 7:26. The people of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred eighty-eight. Nehemiah 7:27. The people of Anathoth, one hundred twenty-eight. Nehemiah 7:28. The people of Beth-Azmaveth, forty-two. Nehemiah 7:29. The people of Kiriath-Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty-three. Nehemiah 7:30. The people of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty-one. Nehemiah 7:31. The people of Michmas, one hundred twenty-two. Nehemiah 7:32. The people of Bethel and Ai, one hundred twenty-three. Nehemiah 7:33. The people of Nebo, the other, fifty-two. Nehemiah 7:34. The sons of Elam, the other, one thousand two hundred fifty-four. Nehemiah 7:35. The sons of Harim, three hundred twenty. Nehemiah 7:36. The people of Jericho, three hundred forty-five. Nehemiah 7:37. The people of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty-one. Nehemiah 7:38. The people of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred thirty. Nehemiah 7:39. The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy-three. Nehemiah 7:40. The sons of Immer, one thousand fifty-two. Nehemiah 7:41. The sons of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred forty-seven. Nehemiah 7:42. The sons of Harim, one thousand seventeen. Nehemiah 7:43. The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of the house of Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodevah, seventy-four. Nehemiah 7:44. The singers: the sons of Asaph, one hundred forty-eight. Nehemiah 7:45. The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, one hundred thirty-eight. Nehemiah 7:46. The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hashupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, Nehemiah 7:47. the sons of Kiros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Phadon, Nehemiah 7:48. the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai, Nehemiah 7:49. the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, Nehemiah 7:50. the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, Nehemiah 7:51. the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, Nehemiah 7:52. the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephushesim, Nehemiah 7:53. the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhar, Nehemiah 7:54. the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, Nehemiah 7:55. the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, Nehemiah 7:56. the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha. Nehemiah 7:57. The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida, Nehemiah 7:58. the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, Nehemiah 7:59. the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-Hazzebaim, the sons of Amon. Nehemiah 7:60. All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants were three hundred ninety-two. Nehemiah 7:61. And these were the ones who came up from Tel-Melah, Tel-Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer; but they could not give evidence of their fathers’ houses or their offspring, whether they were from Israel. Nehemiah 7:62. The sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred forty-two. Nehemiah 7:63. And of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name. Nehemiah 7:64. They sought their genealogical records, and they were not found, and so they were excluded from the priesthood. Nehemiah 7:65. And the governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things, until there should be a priest with Urim and Thummim. Nehemiah 7:66. The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred sixty people, Nehemiah 7:67. besides their male slaves and female slaves, of which there were seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven; and they had two hundred forty-five singers and singers. Nehemiah 7:68. They had seven hundred thirty-six horses, two hundred forty-five mules, Nehemiah 7:69. four hundred thirty-five camels, six thousand seven hundred twenty donkeys. Nehemiah 7:70. Some of the heads of the fathers’ houses gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury in gold one thousand drachmas, fifty bowls, five hundred thirty priestly garments. Nehemiah 7:71. And some of the heads of the fathers’ houses gave to the treasury for the work twenty thousand drachmas of gold and two thousand two hundred minas of silver. Nehemiah 7:72. And the rest of the people gave twenty thousand drachmas of gold and two thousand minas of silver and sixty-seven priestly garments. The list beginning from verse 6 of those who returned from captivity and of donations to the temple is essentially identical to the list in (Ezra 2:1-67). The difference between the two lists consists in certain names and in numerical data.

Nehemiah 7:7. those who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The total number of the men of the people of Israel: In (Ezra 2:2) instead of Azariah named in verse 7 is named Saraiah, instead of Raamiah—Reelaiah, instead of Mispereth—Mispar, instead of Nehum—Rehum.

Nehemiah 7:10. The sons of Arah, six hundred fifty-two. According to (Ezra 2:5) the sons of Arah were 775.

Nehemiah 7:11. The sons of Pahath-Moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred eighteen. Instead of the number 2,818 in (Ezra 2:6) it reads 2,812.

Nehemiah 7:13. The sons of Zattu, eight hundred forty-five. The sons of Zattu according to (Ezra 2:8) were 945.

Nehemiah 7:15. The sons of Binnui, six hundred forty-eight. Instead of Binnui in (Ezra 2:10) is named Bani and the number is given as 642 (instead of 648 in verse 15).

Nehemiah 7:16. The sons of Bebai, six hundred twenty-eight. In (Ezra 2:11) is given the number 623 (instead of 628).

Nehemiah 7:17. The sons of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty-two. According to (Ezra 2:12) – 1,222.

Nehemiah 7:18. The sons of Adonikam, six hundred sixty-seven. According to (Ezra 2:13) – 666 (instead of 667).

Nehemiah 7:19. The sons of Bigvai, two thousand six hundred seven. According to (Ezra 2:14) – 2,056 (instead of 2,607).

Nehemiah 7:20. The sons of Adin, six hundred fifty-five. According to (Ezra 2:15) – 454 (instead of 655).

Nehemiah 7:22. The sons of Hashum, three hundred twenty-eight. According to (Ezra 2:19) – 223 (instead of 328).

Nehemiah 7:24. The sons of Hariph, one hundred twelve. Instead of Hariph in (Ezra 2:18) is named Jorah.

Nehemiah 7:25. The people of Gibeon, ninety-five. “The people of Gibeon.” (Ezra 2:20) – “the sons of Gibbar.”

Nehemiah 7:26. The people of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred eighty-eight. According to (Ezra 2:21-22) the people of Bethlehem and Netophah were 179 (instead of 188).

Nehemiah 7:28. The people of Beth-Azmaveth, forty-two. “The people of Beth-Azmaveth.” According to (Ezra 2:24) – “Azmaveth.”

Nehemiah 7:32. The people of Bethel and Ai, one hundred twenty-three. According to (Ezra 2:28) the people of Bethel and Ai were 223 (instead of 123).

Nehemiah 7:36. The people of Jericho, three hundred forty-five. In (Ezra 2:33-34) – they appear in reverse order.

Nehemiah 7:37. The people of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty-one. Instead of “Lod” in (Ezra 2:33) it reads “Lydda” and the total number of inhabitants of the three places is indicated as 725 (instead of 721).

Nehemiah 7:38. The people of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred thirty. According to (Ezra 2:35) – 3,630 (instead of 3,930).

Nehemiah 7:44. The singers: the sons of Asaph, one hundred forty-eight. According to (Ezra 2:41) – 128 (instead of 148).

Nehemiah 7:45. The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, one hundred thirty-eight. According to (Ezra 2:42) there were 139 gatekeepers (instead of 138).

Nehemiah 7:47. the sons of Kiros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Phadon, “The sons of Sia.” According to (Ezra 2:44) – “the sons of Siaha.”

Nehemiah 7:48. the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai, Instead of Shalmai in (Ezra 2:45) is named Akkub.

Nehemiah 7:57. The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida, Instead of “Perida” in (Ezra 2:55) it reads “Feruda.”

Nehemiah 7:59. the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-Hazzebaim, the sons of Amon. “The sons of Amon.” In (Ezra 2:57) – “the sons of Ami.”

Nehemiah 7:62. The sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred forty-two. According to (Ezra 2:60) – 652 (instead of 642).

Nehemiah 7:70. Some of the heads of the fathers’ houses gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury in gold one thousand drachmas, fifty bowls, five hundred thirty priestly garments. Nehemiah 7:71. And some of the heads of the fathers’ houses gave to the treasury for the work twenty thousand drachmas of gold and two thousand two hundred minas of silver. Nehemiah 7:72. And the rest of the people gave twenty thousand drachmas of gold and two thousand minas of silver and sixty-seven priestly garments. See the note on (Ezra 2:69). The text of (Neh 7:70-72) is fuller than in the parallel passage (Ezra 2:69). The sum of gold contributions in the book of Nehemiah is determined as 41 thousand (1+20+20) drachmas, whereas in (Ezra 2:69) – it is 61 thousand. Verse 70. “Five hundred thirty priestly garments.” The Hebrew text gives grounds to assume that there were only 30 priestly garments, and the number 500 refers to something else, apparently omitted through scribal error—perhaps to minas of silver.

Chapter Eight

1–2. Gathering of the people for reading the Book of the Law. 3–8. Reading of the Law on the first day of the seventh month. 9–12 The impression made upon the people. 13–18. Celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles.

Nehemiah 8:1. When the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel lived in their cities, then all the people gathered together as one person, at the square in front of the Water Gate, and said to the scribe Ezra that he should bring the book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord commanded to Israel. “When the seventh month came.” The writer does not precisely designate the time of the accomplishment of the important events described in ch. VIII-X. In the content of ch. VIII-X itself, there are also no clear indications of the year to which these chapters belong. Because of this, there is disagreement among scholars on this point. In 1 Esd 9:37-55 the account of the reading of the Law in the seventh month follows the report of the exile, at the insistence of Ezra, of women of foreign nations, which is discussed in the first book of Ezra IX-X. Taking this into account, some scholars consider the section under examination (Nehemiah VIII-X) a direct continuation of the first book of Ezra IX-X. The course of events in this case appears as follows: in the 5th month of the 7th year of Artaxerxes I Longimanus (458 before Christ) Ezra arrived in Jerusalem Ezra 7:8; on the 20th day of the ninth month of the same year, a popular decree was made regarding the removal of women of foreign nations Ezra 10:9; the implementation of the decree occupied time until the end of the year Ezra 10:17; in the seventh month of the following year, i.e. the second after Ezra’s arrival, were the gathering and events described in Nehemiah VIII-X (Fritsche, Winckler). Against the stated view on the chronological date of Nehemiah VII-X it is rightly pointed out, however, that the following: a) according to the stated view, the events described in Nehemiah VIII-X occurred before Nehemiah’s arrival. Yet in Neh 8:9 we have a report of Nehemiah’s participation in the events, and there is no reason to consider these reports: “then Nehemiah, who is Tirsata” Neh 8:9; “Nehemiah-Tirsata” Neh 10:1 as later glosses; b) according to the stated view of the book of Nehemiah VIII-X, the placement of these chapters in the book after the description of Nehemiah’s activity is not very understandable. In view of this, other authors (Ryssel, Kohler) believe that there is no reason to break the connection of ch. VIII-X of the book of Nehemiah with those immediately preceding. The absence of designation of the year at the beginning of the 8th chapter (“when the seventh month came”) gives reason to conclude that the writer speaks of the same year, of which was spoken earlier, i.e. the year of the completion of the wall Neh 6:15. “The seventh month” (v. 1) is the one following (Tishri) the sixth (Elul). With such an understanding of the chronological date of v. 1, it may raise perplexity that Ezra came forth with the preaching of the Law, which according to Ezra 7:10 was the purpose of his arrival in Jerusalem, only after 12 years. But this perplexity is satisfactorily explained if we take into account the unfavorable conditions under which Ezra had to act upon his arrival in Jerusalem, his struggle with enemies of the people, cares for the arrangement of the external life of the community, etc. Only the arrival of Nehemiah and the construction of the walls of the city, securing the position of the people, made it possible for Ezra to come forth with the work of establishing the spirit of lawfulness in the people. Of importance in this case was, without doubt, the desire of Ezra that the ground for the assimilation of the Law be gradually prepared in the people, for which time was certainly needed. The place of gathering of the people, according to v. 1, was the square before the Water Gate (cf. Neh 3:26). In 1 Esd 9:38 the place of gathering of the people is represented as the space before the eastern gates of the temple. If the Water Gate is to be identified with the present-day Golden Gate, then the place of gathering was the square between the Golden Gate and the eastern gates of the temple, which led to the outer court. “And said to the scribe Ezra that he should bring the book of the Law of Moses.” Thus, the initiative for the study of the Law came from the people themselves, and Ezra could now proceed to the fulfillment of the purpose of his arrival in Jerusalem with hope for success.

Nehemiah 8:2. And the priest Ezra brought the Law before the assembly of men and women, and all who were able to understand, on the first day of the seventh month; From v. 2 it is evident that not only men and women but also children were present at the gathering. The latter are understood in the remark: “all who were able to understand.” “On the first day of the seventh month” – the first day of the seventh month from ancient times was a great feast Lev 23:23-25; Num 29:1-2; probably, therefore, the gathering was appointed for this day.

Nehemiah 8:3. and he read from it at the square in front of the Water Gate, from daybreak to noon, before the men and women and all who were able to understand; and the ears of all the people were inclined to the book of the Law. The reading of the book of the Law by Ezra continued “from daybreak to noon,” i.e. 6–7 hours. From the subsequent narrative it is evident (v. 4–8) that the reading was not continuous: it was interrupted by the explanations that the Levites added to the portions that had been read.

Nehemiah 8:4. The scribe Ezra stood on a wooden platform which they made for this purpose, and beside him, to his right, stood Mattithiah and Shema, and Anaiah and Uriah, and Hilkiah and Maaseiah, and to his left Pedaiah and Mishael, and Malchijah and Hashum, and Hashbadana, and Zechariah and Meshullam. As is evident from v. 4, Ezra read the Law while standing on a wooden platform made for this purpose (Heb. Laddabar – “for this work,” Russ. “for this”). On this platform beside Ezra there also stood 7 men to the left side and 6 to the right. These were probably priests who were present as witnesses. At any rate, according to Neh 3:4 the persons named in v. 4 appear as belonging to priestly families. It raises perplexity that the high priest was absent during the solemn reading of the Law. Bertheau explains this by the condition of the high priestly house, – namely, by its strong secularization.

Nehemiah 8:5. And Ezra opened the book before the eyes of all the people, because he stood above all the people. And when he opened it, all the people stood up. When Ezra opened the book of the Law, then “all the people stood up.” According to rabbinical tradition, the custom of standing during the reading of the Law was observed from the time of Moses until Gamaliel. But in the Bible there is no indication of the existence of this custom in pre-exilic times (cf. Judg 3:20).

Nehemiah 8:6. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered: Amen, Amen, raising their hands upward, and they bowed down and fell before the Lord face to the ground. V. 6 gives important indications concerning the worship practice of the post-exilic period. “And Ezra blessed the Lord,” – either as David (did) 1 Chr 29:10, or with the words of some psalm (cf. 1 Chr 16:8).

Nehemiah 8:7. Jesus, Banaiah, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbetai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah and the Levites explained the Law to the people, while the people stood in their place. “Jesus and the Levites explained the Law to the people.” From the expression “and the Levites” (Vehaleviim) one might conclude that Jesus and the other persons named in v. 7 were not Levites. But these persons were certainly Levites; therefore, instead of haleviim, it is better, in view of 1 Esd 9:48, to read leviim (“Levites”). In the text of the book of Nehemiah, 13 names of Levites who explained the Law are named; the same number of names is cited in 1 Esd 9:48, although the names are different. In the Greek, only the first 3 names (Jesus, Banaiah, Sherebiah) are named, and the rest are omitted. It is not evident from the text exactly how the persons named in v. 7 participated in the reading of the Law. Schultz represents the matter as follows: the people were divided into 13 groups and each group was offered an explanation of the Law. According to Ryssel’s opinion, the Levites explained the Law in turn to the entire assembly.

Nehemiah 8:8. And they read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and added explanation, and the people understood what was read. “And they read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly” (meporasch). According to the Talmud, Heb. meporash in this place has the meaning: separately, clearly, and specifically indicates that the Law was translated into Aramaic. But in view of Lev 24:12; Num 15:34 it is hardly possible to understand Heb. parasch in the sense of translating. Besides, for the society of the time of Nehemiah there was no need in translating the Law, since it was certainly still speaking Hebrew, as is evident from the fact of the appearance of the books of Malachi, Ezra and Nehemiah, and also from the remark Neh 13:24. Siegfried and Bertheau accept Heb. meporasch in the sense: “by sections,” “separately.” But apparently, it is more justified to see in Heb. meporasch together with some exegetes (Keil, Schultz) an indication that the Levites made paraphrastic explanations of what Ezra had read.

Nehemiah 8:9. Then Nehemiah, who is Tirsata, and the scribe Ezra, the priest, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people: This day is holy to the Lord our God; do not mourn and do not weep, because all the people wept when they heard the words of the Law. “Then Nehemiah, who is Tirsata.” In v. 9 we have evidence of Nehemiah’s participation in the gathering of the people. However, in the parallel place 1 Esd 9:49 there is no mention of Nehemiah, and instead of the words cited, it reads: “and said Athirates to Ezra.” Apparently, the Greek Ἀτθαράτης represents an alteration of Heb. Tirshapha. The omission in 1 Esd 9:49 of Nehemiah’s name prompts some scholars to consider the words of v. 9 “then Nehemiah” (Nechernjahu) a later insertion. In this case, the mention of Nehemiah in the book of Nehemiah VIII-X disappears, and the time of the accomplishment of the events described in the section must be determined independently of Nehemiah’s arrival in Jerusalem. Other exegetes consider the words “who is Tirsata” (Stade, Smend, Wellhausen), and Bertheau – the whole remark of v. 9 about Nehemiah. There is no reason to deny the possibility of the appearance of such a gloss in the Old Testament biblical text. But at the same time there are no data to assert the presence of a gloss in the place under examined. – Tirsata, as has been noted above, is a Persian title of a governor (pechah).

Nehemiah 8:10. And he said to them: Go, eat the rich and drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared, because this day is holy to the Lord our God. And do not grieve, because the joy before the Lord – strengthening for us. “And he said to them,” – from the course of speech, Nehemiah spoke, which of course does not exclude the possibility that Ezra and the Levites also addressed the people with exhortation. Send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared, i.e. to acquaintances and especially to the poor (Cf. Deut 16:14; 1 Sam 6:13; 2 Sam 6:19; Esth 9:19). – “The joy before the Lord – strengthening for us” – in the Greek, ἐστὶ κύριος ἰσχυς ὑμῶν, “the Lord is strength for us.”

Nehemiah 8:11. And the Levites quieted all the people, saying: Be still, for this day is holy; do not grieve. The consciousness of sins against the Law aroused in the people a sense of sorrow, expressed in weeping. But in this sorrow there was also hope for a bright future, that the Law would finally gain for the people that significance which belonged to it according to the intention of the lawgiver. This is why Ezra and the Levites took measures to calm the people and cared that the day of reading the Law receive the significance of a day of joy.

Nehemiah 8:12. And all the people went to eat and drink, and to send portions, and to celebrate with great gladness, for they understood the words which were said to them. “For they understood the words which were said to them”: not the words of the Law, but the invitation to joyful celebration.

Nehemiah 8:13. On the next day, the heads of the fathers of all the people, the priests and Levites, gathered together with the scribe Ezra, so that he would teach them the words of the Law. As is evident from v. 13, the people dispersed to their homes after the reading of the Law, but the heads of the fathers on the next day appeared before Ezra that he might teach them the words of the Law. Probably, in view of the approach of the Feast of Tabernacles, there arose a desire to celebrate the feast properly, and the representatives of the people came to Ezra so that they might learn exactly the commandment of the Law concerning the feast. – “The heads of the fathers of all the people, the priests and Levites” – from the Heb. the last two words should be translated in the genitive case. Thus, from the priests and Levites only representatives were present at the private gathering with Ezra.

Nehemiah 8:14. And they found written in the Law which the Lord gave through Moses, that the sons of Israel should dwell in booths in the seventh month, at the feast. “And they found written in the Law”: the ordinance is meant (Lev 23:39-43; Deut 16:13-15) concerning the Feast of Tabernacles.

Nehemiah 8:15. And therefore they proclaimed and announced in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying: Go to the mountain and bring branches of the olive tree, and branches of the wild olive, and branches of myrtle, and branches of palm, and branches of other leafy trees, to make booths according to what is written. The invitation given in v. 15, which – according to the Heb. text – the heads of the fathers, but according to the Greek – Ezra – addressed to the people, is not a literal quotation from the Law. “Go to the mountain”: there is no need to see in these words an indication of the Mount of Olives. Reference is made to mountains in general, as places which are covered with trees. “And branches of other leafy trees”: Slavonic “branches of oak-forest trees.” “To make booths according to what is written.” In the Law of Moses, the trees which are enumerated in v. 15 are not named as material for booths. Therefore, the remark “according to what is written” must be applied to the general sense of the command to celebrate the feast in booths, and not to the construction of booths.

Nehemiah 8:16. And the people went, and brought them, and made booths for themselves, each on his own roof and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and at the square at the Water Gate, and at the square at the Gate of Ephraim. According to v. 16, booths were set up not only in private courts but also in the courts of the house of God. Here, probably, the priests lodged to celebrate. Regarding the Water Gate see the note to (Neh 3:26). – The Gate of Ephraim, according to the opinion of the newest scholars (Guthe), belonged not to the second wall (of Nehemiah), but to the first (cf. 2 Kgs 14:13) and was located where the main streets now intersect, from west to east and from south to north.

Nehemiah 8:17. All the assembly of those who had returned from exile made booths and dwelt in booths. From the days of Joshua the son of Nun, the sons of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness. “From the days of Joshua the son of Nun, the sons of Israel had not done so.” According to Michaelis, the words “son of Nun” represent a guess of a later copyist, and the writer had in mind not Joshua the son of Nun, but Joshua the high priest, a contemporary of Zerubbabel. But there are no grounds for this opinion. – The remark of the writer that “from the days of Joshua the sons of Israel had not done so” cannot be understood in a strictly literal sense, since the Bible repeatedly mentions the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles after Joshua (Cf. 1 Kgs 8:65; 2 Chr 7:8-9; Ezra 3:4). This remark, evidently, aims to emphasize the special character of the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles under Nehemiah. According to Kohler’s opinion, the peculiarity of the celebration consisted in the fact that for the first time since ancient days the command (Lev 23:42) was fulfilled and actual booths were built from green trees, rather than simple tents.

Nehemiah 8:18. And they read from the book of the Law of God every day, from the first day to the last day. And they celebrated the feast seven days, and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly according to the ordinance. “And they read”, from the Heb. “and he read,” – evidently, Ezra.

Chapter Nine

1–5. A day of national repentance. 6–38. The penitential prayer of Ezra. 39. A commitment to observe the Law.

Nehemiah 9:1. On the twenty-fourth day of this month, all the sons of Israel gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and with ashes upon their heads. The day of repentance, spoken of in ch. IX, was not a fixed day of “atonement” established by the Law (Lev 16:29-34): it was a special day appointed to express those feelings of repentance which stirred the people when hearing the Law. Outward signs of these feelings among the Hebrews from ancient times were fasting, sackcloth and the sprinkling of ashes on the head (cf. 1 Sam 4:12; 2 Sam 1:2; Joel 1:13).

Nehemiah 9:2. And the seed of Israel separated itself from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. “And the seed of Israel separated itself from all foreigners.” Some exegetes (Keil, Schultz, Bertholet) understand this remark as an indication of a final break with all the heathen, while others, more rightly, as an indication that admission to the gathering described on the 24th day of the seventh month was allowed only to Israelites (Ryssel).

Nehemiah 9:3. And they stood in their place, and for a quarter of a day they read from the book of the Law of the Lord their God, and for a quarter of a day they confessed and worshipped the Lord their God. “And they stood in their place”: more precisely, “and they rose in their place” (each), – evidently, to listen to the book of the Law of God. For a quarter of a day the reading of the book of the Law lasted, and for a quarter of a day, according to v. 3, they “confessed and worshipped the Lord their God.” The form of confession and worship is described further in v. 4–37.

Nehemiah 9:4. And they stood on the platform of the Levites: Jesus, Banaiah, Kadmiel, Shebania, Bunni, Sherebiah, Banaiah, Chenani, and they cried aloud to the Lord their God. Nehemiah 9:5. And the Levites said – Jesus, Kadmiel, Banaiah, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebania, Pethahiah: Stand up and bless the Lord our God from everlasting to everlasting. And blessed be Your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise! Instead of the eight names of Levites enumerated in v. 5, the Greek (and in Slavonic) names only five, since the names Banaiah, Bunni and Banaiah, the Greek apparently understood in the sense of the nomen rectum bnej, ben, sons, son. Hence, instead of reading the Heb. text Jesus, Banaiah, Kadmiel, Shebania, the Greek received: Jesus sons of Kadmiel, Shebania and so on. But undoubtedly, Banaiah is a proper name of the lineage of Levites (Neh 3:17). According to v. 4, the Levites, standing on the platform, “cried aloud to the Lord their God,” i.e., probably, they pronounced aloud some penitential prayer. Following this, as is evident from v. 5, the Levites called the people to prayer. In v. 5 the names of these Levites are given. From the identity of the majority of the names (five out of eight) with those named in v. 4, it should be concluded that both verses refer to the same persons. Three different names (Bunni, Banaiah and Chenani in v. 4, Hashabniah, Hodiah and Pethahiah in v. 5) may have arisen from scribal error.

Nehemiah 9:6. [And Ezra said:] You, O Lord, are alone; You created the heavens, the heavens of heavens and all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve all of them; and the heavenly host worship You. The penitential prayer beginning from v. 6 in the Greek text is preceded by a remark not found in the Masoretic text, καὶ ἔιπεν Εσδρας, and Ezra said. Thus, the Greek translators understood the narrative in the sense that after the Levites, Ezra came forward and pronounced the prayer given in v. 6–37. Keil objects to such an understanding and considers the remark of the Greek καὶ ἔιπεν Εσδρας an unsuccessful conjecture. In his opinion, the prayer is not the speech of one person, but the confession of the whole community, since the praying one speaks of himself in the plural (v. 9: “our fathers,” v. 33 “we”). But such a form of speech is intelligible if one keeps in mind that the one praying speaks on behalf of the community. The accidental omission of the brief remark “and Ezra said” in the Heb. text is also quite understandable. The prayer set forth in v. 6–37 is commonly called penitential. But strictly speaking, its main subject is the praise of God for His covenant with the people of Israel and His mercies toward them. In the prayer are pointed out the greatest blessings which the people received in the name of the covenant. Together with this are shown the relations of the people toward Jehovah. In v. 6–8 the theme of the prayer is indicated: the Lord, Creator and Almighty, chose Abraham and made a covenant with him – to give to his seed the land of Canaan and fulfilled His promise. This theme is unfolded in four stanzas (9–15, 16–25, 26–31, 32–37), and to unfold it, facts from the past history of Israel are cited, and at the conclusion the mercy of God toward the people in their present situation is shown. “Heaven, the heavens of heavens.” To more distinctly set forth the divine power, the concept of heaven is strengthened by the addition – “the heavens of heavens” (cf. Deut 10:14; 1 Kgs 8:27; 2 Chr 2:6), and the concept of earth – by the words “the seas and all that is in them” (cf. Ps 145:6). “All their host” – indication of the heaven (cf. Gen 2:1). “And the heavenly host worship You.” In this expression, already the heavenly host, as in (Ps 148:2), are called angels.

Nehemiah 9:7. You, O Lord, God, chose Abram, and brought him from Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name Abraham, Nehemiah 9:8. and found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him, to give to him and to his seed the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites and the Girgashites. And You have fulfilled Your word, because You are righteous. Cf. (Gen 12:1). “Because You are righteous”: the divine righteousness (zadik) in v. 8 is understood in a special sense, as faithfulness to promises.

Nehemiah 9:9. You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea, Nehemiah 9:10. and showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and against all his servants, and against all the people of his land, for You knew that they acted arrogantly against them, and You made a name for Yourself to this day. Nehemiah 9:11. You divided the sea before them, and they passed through the midst of the sea on dry land, and those who pursued them You cast into the depths, as a stone into mighty waters. V. 9 represents a brief reproduction of what is described in (Exod 3:7).

Nehemiah 9:12. By a pillar of cloud You led them in the day and by a pillar of fire in the night, to light for them the way in which they should go. Nehemiah 9:13. And You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them just statutes, true laws, good ordinances and commandments. Nehemiah 9:14. And You made known to them Your holy Sabbath and commanded them ordinances, statutes and law through Your servant Moses. Cf. (Exod 13:21; Num 14:14; Deut 4:36).

Nehemiah 9:15. And You gave them bread from heaven in their hunger, and brought water forth from the rock for them in their thirst, and told them to go and take possession of the land which You swore to give them, raising Your hand. Cf. (Exod 16:4; Num 20:10; Ps 77:24).

Nehemiah 9:16. But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not listen to Your commandments; Nehemiah 9:17. they refused to obey and did not remember Your wonders which You did for them, and stiffened their neck, and according to their stubbornness, appointed a leader to return to their slavery. But You are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and You did not abandon them. Cf. (Exod 32:9; Deut 9:6). “According to their stubbornness, appointed a leader to return to their slavery.” Slavonic: “gave a beginning (Greek ἕδωκαν ἀρχήν) to return to their service in Egypt.” In this remark there is an indication (Num 14:4). However, the fact when the Hebrews appointed a leader instead of Moses is unknown. Hence it is rightly proposed that the Heb. vaittnu rosch “appointed a leader” be understood in a general sense: “and turned their heads,” i.e. made a decision, resolved. A translation by Gulyaev: “and in their stubbornness turned their heads to their former slavery.”

Nehemiah 9:18. Even when they made themselves a molten image and said: This is your god who brought you out of Egypt, and committed great blasphemies, Concerning the worship of the golden calf, see (Exod 32:4).

Nehemiah 9:19. but You, in Your great mercy, did not abandon them in the wilderness; the pillar of cloud did not depart from them in the day, to lead them in the way, and the pillar of fire in the night, to give them light in the way in which they should go. There is meant the place (Num 14:14), according to which even after the sin of the people, the miraculous pillar continued to precede it.

Nehemiah 9:20. And You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst. The words of v. 20 have in mind the fact when the Lord, to raise the authority of Moses, granted the spirit of prophecy to seventy elders (Num 11:17). “And did not withhold Your manna from their mouth” (cf. Num 11:6-9, Josh 5:12). “And gave them water for their thirst” (cf. Num 20:2-8).

Nehemiah 9:21. Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing; their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell. In v. 21, there is a summary of all that was done by the Lord for the chosen people in the wilderness (cf. Deut 2:7).

Nehemiah 9:22. And You gave them kingdoms and peoples and divided them, and they took possession of the land of Sihon, the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og, king of Bashan. “You gave them kingdoms and peoples, and divided them.” In the Greek (and in Slavonic) λαοὺς (peoples) is an object of the verb εμέρισας (“and divided peoples among them”). But the expression of the original vattchlkem lepeah (Russ. “and divided them”; lepeah left untranslated) is not fully clear. It is not clear to whom the suffix of the 2nd person masculine in the verb vattchlkem “and divided them” refers, – to the Canaanites or to the Hebrews. If the verb chalak is understood (in the form piel) in the sense of “scatter” (Gen 49:7; Lam 4:16), then the reference will be to the Canaanites (Aben Ezra). Concerning the conquest of the land of Sihon and Og, see (Num 21:21-26).

Nehemiah 9:23. And You multiplied their sons like the stars of heaven, and brought them into the land of which You said to their fathers that they should enter to possess it. “And You multiplied their sons like the stars of heaven.” There is meant the numbering of the people on the plains of Moab (Num 26).

Nehemiah 9:25. And they captured fortified cities and fertile land, and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns hewn out of stone, vineyards, olive groves and many trees with fruit for food. They ate, were satisfied, grew fat and delighted in Your great goodness; “Fortified cities” – Jericho, Ai (Josh 6:1).

Nehemiah 9:26. and they became stubborn and rebelled against You, and despised Your law, killed Your prophets who had warned them to turn back to You, and committed great blasphemies. “Killed the prophets” (cf. 2 Chr 24:21; 1 Kgs 18:13). According to later Jewish tradition (cf. Matt 5:12; Luke 11:47), the majority of the great prophets were killed.

Nehemiah 9:27. And You gave them into the hand of their enemies who afflicted them. But when, in their time of distress, they cried out to You, You heard them from heaven, and according to Your great mercy, You gave them saviors, and they saved them from the hand of their enemies. Nehemiah 9:28. But when they rested, they began again to do evil before You, and You abandoned them into the hand of their enemies, and they dominated over them. But when they cried out to You again, You heard them from heaven, and according to Your great mercy, You rescued them many times. The time of the judges is recalled (Judg 2:11-23). “You gave them saviors” (moschiim), i.e. judges (cf. Judg 3:9).

Nehemiah 9:29. You warned them to turn back to Your law, but they acted presumptuously and did not listen to Your commandments, and turned away from Your statutes, by following which a person would live if he kept them, and stiffened their necks and did not listen. Nehemiah 9:30. For many years You bore with them and warned them by Your Spirit through Your prophets, but they would not listen. And You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. In v. 29–30 the period of the kings is recalled. “And You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.” According to v. 32, the dominion of these peoples began from the time of the invasion of the Assyrians, who destroyed the ten-tribe kingdom.

Nehemiah 9:37. And its fruits are abundant and they are given to the kings whom You have appointed over us because of our sins. And they have power over our bodies and over our livestock at their pleasure, and we are in great distress. “And they have power over our bodies.” It is believed that the reference is to the requirement for the Jews to perform military service in the Persian armies (cf. Herodotus, Histories VII, 89).

Nehemiah 9:38. Because of all this, we make a firm covenant and write it, and on the sealed document are the seals of our princes, our Levites and our priests. V. 38 in the original text is attached to the beginning of the next chapter. Conscious of the discrepancy between their deeds in the past and their calling as a people chosen by God, the Jews make a solemn commitment to observe the law. At this time a document is prepared and its seals are affixed by representatives of the people. Because of this, the Heb. becol zoth is better translated – “on account of this,” “on the basis of all that has been said” (in the penitential prayer). And on the sealed document are the seals (chattum) of our princes. Chattum – a sealed document (Jer 32:11). The document was usually folded for sealing, and then on the outer surface, where perhaps the content of the document was briefly set out, signatures were made or seals were affixed. Thus the representatives of the people did with the document, in which they set forth the decision of all the people.

Chapter Ten

1–23. A list of those who affixed seals. 29–39. Obligations undertaken by the people.

Nehemiah 10:1. Those who affixed seals were: Nehemiah the Tirshapta, son of Hachaliah, and Zedekiah, “Those who affixed seals were.” From the Hebrew, the same expression could more precisely be rendered as: “And upon the sealed documents were” (seals). From the plural form chattumim, one concludes that several documents were written containing the obligations of the people—at least two (Meyer, Bertholet). Among those who affixed their seal after Nehemiah is named Zedekiah, who belonged neither to the priests (Nehemiah and Zedekiah) nor to the heads of families. It is possible that this was a person who held a high position, perhaps the scribe of the governor (Ezra 4:9). Rawlinson identifies him with Zadok the scribe (Neh 13:13).

Nehemiah 10:2. Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Nehemiah 10:3. Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, Nehemiah 10:4. Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, Nehemiah 10:5. Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, Nehemiah 10:6. Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Nehemiah 10:7. Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, Nehemiah 10:8. Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah: these were the priests. The list of priests who affixed their seal (v. 8: “these were the priests”). The list contains 21 names, but it is commonly assumed that one name is missing, since in (Neh 12:1-7) 22 names are counted. Of these names, 15 appear in (Neh 3:2-7) as names of heads of priests who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel, and in (Neh 3:11-20) as names of heads of priestly families. Consequently, in (Neh 10:2-8) not individual persons are mentioned, but entire priestly courses (divisions), on behalf of which representatives acted. It is noteworthy that among those who affixed their seal, the high priest is not named. Perhaps Seraiah, who in (Neh 11:11) is called the chief officer of the house of God, signed in place of him. The list of priests, apart from (Neh 10:2-8), is also given in (Neh 12:1-7), but it is very difficult to form a clear picture of the organization of the Old Testament priesthood after the exile based on these lists. From (Ezra 2:36-39) it can be seen that with Zerubbabel four priestly families (Keil) or four divisions returned from exile: Jedaiah, Immer, Pashhur, and Harim. Meanwhile, in (Neh 10:2-8) we have an indication of 21 divisions, and in (Neh 12:1-7) of 22. According to Jewish tradition, after the exile until the destruction of Jerusalem, there were 24 divisions of David (Luke 1:5-8); Jewish Antiquities VII, 14, 7. How these divisions were formed and when is difficult to say with certainty. According to Jewish tradition, the four families (or divisions) that returned from exile were divided by the prophets into 24 parts, in order to give the priesthood the organization of David’s time. At this time the first division received its own name (Jedaiah), while the rest by lot received the names of the courses that did not return (Herzfeld, Geschichte III, 393). The indication in Nehemiah of 22 divisions (instead of 24) can be understood in this way: that 2 divisions were not filled, so that those who needed to prove their right to the priesthood could be included (Ezra 2:61-63). The newly formed divisions partly bore ancient names: in (Neh 12:1-7) eight names coincide with (1 Chr 24:1-19). But some received new names, for example, Iddo (v. 4). On the priesthood in the post-exilic period, see Prof. G. Titov (History of the Priesthood. 1878) and Fr. G. Klyucharev (History of the Old Testament Priesthood. Antiquity. 1903).

Nehemiah 10:9. The Levites: Jeshua, son of Azaniah, Binnui, of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel, Nehemiah 10:10. and their brothers: Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, Nehemiah 10:11. Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah, Nehemiah 10:12. Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, Nehemiah 10:13. Hodijah, Bani, Beninu. The list of Levites who affixed their seal. The list contains 17 names, which again should be considered names of Levitical classes or divisions. Jeshua mentioned in v. 9 and Kadmiel returned (with their families) already with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:40; Neh 7:43). The sons of Henadad also appear already in (Ezra 3:9). “Binnui, son of Henadad,” according to (Neh 3:24), built part of the wall. Most of the names mentioned in vv. 9–13 appear already in (Neh 8:7).

Nehemiah 10:15. Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, Nehemiah 10:16. Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, Nehemiah 10:17. Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, Nehemiah 10:18. Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai, Nehemiah 10:19. Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, Nehemiah 10:20. Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, Nehemiah 10:21. Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, Nehemiah 10:22. Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, Nehemiah 10:23. Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, Nehemiah 10:24. Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, Nehemiah 10:25. Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, Nehemiah 10:26. Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, Nehemiah 10:27. Malluch, Harim, Baanah. The list of heads of the people, that is, the laypeople. The list names some names known from (Ezra 2:1-35) and (Neh 7:5-24). There are 44 names in total, while in (Ezra 2:1-35) only 33. Therefore, it must be assumed that the number of heads between the time of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah (537–444) increased due to the community’s growth by new settlers and the joining of foreigners to the community. Some of those named in the first book of Ezra (Shephatiah, Arah) (Ezra 2:4-5) are not found in the verses we are considering—either because their families ceased to exist, or because representatives of these families did not sign the decision of the entire people. The Ater mentioned separately from Hezekiah in v. 17, according to (Ezra 2:16), belonged to the house of Hezekiah.

Nehemiah 10:28. And the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who could understand, Nehemiah 10:29. joined with their brothers, their leaders, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given by the hand of Moses, the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our God, and his ordinances and his statutes, The whole people joined the obligation undertaken by the representatives, taking an oath to walk in God’s Law. It is possible that this oath of the people was accompanied by special ceremonies similar to those described in (Gen 15:10). In view of modern theories about the origin of the Pentateuch, a question arises: what should be understood by the book of the Law of Moses which was read in the assembly, which the people obligated themselves to observe? By certain indications, it is first necessary to conclude that the entire Pentateuch was not read. The writer notes that it was specifically the Law that was read. Then, the priests who read and explained the book had already by the second day (Neh 8:13) reached the Law about the Feast of Booths (Lev 23:33-43), which would scarcely be possible if the reading had begun with the book of Genesis. According to the opinion of modern scholars, Ezra read the so-called “Priestly Code” (Leviticus, Numbers, and certain sections of Exodus), compiled during the exile and shortly after the return from exile. The solemn reading described in Nehemiah VIII-X was an introduction of this new code into the life of the people. Some allow that the new code was already joined at that time with the remaining parts of the Pentateuch, and therefore the entire Pentateuch was proclaimed (Wellhausen); others think that only the “Priestly Code” was proclaimed (Kautzsch). Regarding these opinions, it must first be said that, as is evident from the text of Nehemiah VIII-X, not only the Priestly Code was read, but also other parts of the Law (cf. Neh 13:1; Deut 23:3); cf. (Neh 10:30) and (Exod 34:15-16; Deut 7:3-4). Furthermore, the narrative of Nehemiah VIII-X does not give the impression that Ezra for the first time proclaimed some part of the Law or the entire Law, which represented something new to the people. The acceptance of laws that weighed heavily on the people and did not correspond to its sentiments (cf. Mal 1:6-14) can only be understood if one recognizes that the laws were ancient, long known, and only temporarily fallen into disuse. In general, the entire reading of the Law undertaken by Ezra aimed at raising the significance of the ancient laws, adapting the ancient precepts to new circumstances, and emphasizing some of them with particular force in view of the new conditions of life.

Nehemiah 10:30. and not to give their daughters to the peoples of the lands, nor to take their daughters for their sons; After the general obligation to observe the entire Law, in view of the conditions of the time, a special obligation was given to observe certain individual precepts of the Law. Regarding the prohibition of marriages with foreign women, see (Exod 34:16; Num 33:52; Deut 7:3-4).

Nehemiah 10:31. and when the peoples of the lands bring wares and all kinds of goods to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day; and in the seventh year we will forego the debt of every kind. In the Law there is no prohibition of trading on the Sabbath. But this prohibition naturally flows from the commandment concerning Sabbath rest. “And in the seventh year we will forego the debt of every kind.” The seventh or Sabbath year, according to the Law (Exod 23:10-11; Lev 25:2-4), was a year of rest for the land, and in this year one could not engage in agriculture or horticulture. Given the resulting difficulty of paying debts, the Law commanded the creditor not to require debts in the Sabbath year, and according to Deut 15:12 even to forgive them.

Nehemiah 10:32. And we have imposed on ourselves the obligation to give each year a third of a shekel for the needs of the house of our God: According to v. 32, the Jews established an obligatory annual contribution to the temple, and probably specifically for the needs of the temple worship, of one-third of a shekel. According to (Exod 30:13), each male of age 20 and above was to give to the temple one-half shekel. Rabbi Ibn Ezra thinks that v. 32 refers to a new tax accepted by the community in addition to that established in (Exod 30:13). But the text rather gives grounds to think that v. 32 refers only to the restoration of the tax established in (Exod 30:13). Probably, even in Nehemiah’s time, this tax was considered obligatory for males of age 20 and above, although v. 32 does not specify who actually had to pay the tax. The reduction of the tax from one-half shekel to one-third is explained by the difficult circumstances of the Nehemiah-era community. However, it is also possible to think that the value of the shekel in Nehemiah’s time was higher than in the pre-exilic period, and therefore the contribution was reduced to one-third (Herzfeld). Bertheau supposes that v. 32 presupposes a calculation according to the Persian monetary system (p. 78). In the time of the Savior’s earthly life, the temple received 2 drachmas (Matt 17:24)—somewhat more than a shekel.

Nehemiah 10:33. for the showbread, for the regular grain offering and the regular burnt offering, for the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. From v. 33 it is evident that the tax restored by the community was designated for the needs of worship, namely: “for the regular grain offering,” that is, for the showbread (Lev 24:5-8); “for the regular burnt offering” (tamid), that is, for the grain offering (mincha) in the evening and morning burnt offering (olah) (cf. 2 Kgs 16:15; Ezra 9:4); for offerings on the Sabbath, new moons, and feasts (Num 28:16), “for the holy things” (Hebrew velakkadaschim, compared with the following vellahatoth [“and for sin offerings”], refers to offerings, namely, peace offerings (cf. 2 Chr 29:33), offered on behalf of all the people (Lev 23:19; Exod 24:5)); “for sin offerings” (cf. Lev 4:13-21) “and for all the work of the house of our God.” The establishment of special contributions for the needs of worship does not contradict (Ezra 7:20), where it is reported that an order was given by the king to give for the needs of the Jerusalem temple. If the king’s order was even carried out, which is not certain, the Jews could still wish to participate themselves in the maintenance of the temple and increase the resources of the temple.

Nehemiah 10:34. And we cast lots—the priests, the Levites, and the people—for the procurement of wood to be brought to the house of our God according to our fathers’ houses at appointed times, year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law. In the Law of Moses there is no provision regarding who was to supply wood for the altar. Until the time of Nehemiah, probably the supply of wood was voluntary. Now the responsibility for this was placed on the entire community (cf. Neh 13:31)—on the priests, Levites, and people. The time of delivery for each family was determined by lots, which were probably drawn by representatives of the family. According to the Talmud (Taanit IV, 5), nine times were appointed for the delivery of wood, but it occurred chiefly on the 14th of Ab, and the day of delivery was considered a festive day (ή τῶν ξυλοφορίων ἑορτή. Jewish Wars II, 17, 6).

Nehemiah 10:35. And we obligated ourselves to bring each year the firstfruits of our land and the firstfruits of every fruit of every tree to the house of the Lord; Nehemiah 10:36. and to bring to the house of our God, to the priests serving in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our animals, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and flocks. Regarding the firstfruits of the field (bikkurim—firstfruits), cf. (Exod 23:19; Deut 26:2); regarding the firstfruits of fruit trees (Num 18:12; Lev 19:23); regarding the firstborn of sons, which were to be redeemed according to the priest’s valuation—(Num 18:15). The firstborn of unclean animals were also to be redeemed (Exod 13:13; Num 18:15). The firstborn of clean animals were, according to the Law, to be brought to the temple and given to the priests, who offered them as sacrifice, burning the fat and keeping the meat for themselves (Num 18:17).

Nehemiah 10:37. And the firstfruits of our meal, and our contributions, and the fruit of every tree, new wine and oil, we will bring to the priests in the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithe of our land to the Levites. They, the Levites, will take the tithe in all the cities of our agricultural area. Now the reference is not to the firstborn (bikkurim) but to firstfruits (terumah), the first fruits of the given year, the best (cf. Num 18:12; Exod 23:19). The community obligated itself to bring firstfruits of the ground grain (LXX σίτων ἡμῶν, Slavic “of our grain”), then firstfruits of terumoth (“our contributions”), that is, of everything obtained from the field. What portion of the firstfruits collected in the chambers by the temple was given to the priests is unknown, since the Law contains no provision regarding this.

Nehemiah 10:38. And the Levite shall be with the priests of Aaron when the Levites take the tithe; and the Levites shall bring up a tithe of the tithe to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse. The collection of the Levitical tithe was to be carried out by the Levites themselves. But to protect the interests of the priests, the priests also attended when the Levites were collecting the tithe. The tithes and contributions were also collected in the chambers by the temple.

Chapter Eleven

1–2. Efforts to increase the population of Jerusalem. 3–36. A list of the heads of the country who lived in Jerusalem and in the cities of Judah.

Nehemiah 11:1. And the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots so that one out of every ten would come to live in the holy city Jerusalem, while the nine would remain in the other cities. In (Neh 7:4) it is reported that after the completion of the wall Nehemiah turned his attention to the small population of Jerusalem and was concerned with increasing it. With this purpose, he decided to conduct a census of the people. But before this could be done, the seventh month of the year arrived and the solemn assemblies mentioned in chapters VIII-X took place. Only after the completion of these solemn assemblies could Nehemiah proceed with implementing his concerns about increasing the city’s population. Verses 1 and 2 report Nehemiah’s measures. This account is very brief and not entirely clear. “And the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem.” Interpreters understand this remark differently. It seems there is no need to accept it in a strictly literal sense, as if no one else but the leaders lived in Jerusalem. The writer’s remark is intended only to emphasize that the common people, engaged in agriculture, preferred to live outside Jerusalem. Because of this, it was decided to increase the population by compulsion, and one-tenth of the inhabitants were to be moved here. According to later accounts (Sir 49:15), Nehemiah on his part contributed to increasing the city’s population by building houses in Jerusalem, and even at his own expense for priests and Levites (Jewish Antiquities XI, 5, 8). In ancient times, recourse was often made to artificial population increase in a city. Similar accounts are mentioned of Syracuse, Megalopolis, and Tigranocerta. In v. 1 Jerusalem is called the holy city, as the city in which the temple was and to which the prophecies referred (Isa 48:2).

Nehemiah 11:2. And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to live in Jerusalem. Those who were to be moved to Jerusalem were determined by lot. But from v. 2 it is evident that before they proceeded to casting lots, some agreed to move to Jerusalem voluntarily. Since by doing so they freed others from an enforced, and perhaps disadvantageous, move, they were blessed by the people.

Nehemiah 11:3. These are the chiefs of the province who lived in Jerusalem—and in the cities of Judah everyone lived in his own property, in their cities: Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants;— The beginning of v. 3 serves as a heading for the list that follows of the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the entire area occupied by the Jews. “These are the chiefs of the province” (hammedinah), that is, of Judea, as a province (medinah) of the Persian kingdom (Ezra 2:1). The construction of the Hebrew text in this verse is not clear, and therefore it is translated differently. Instead of our translation “and in the cities of Judah,” a more correct translation would be “and in the cities of Judah” and to regard these and the following words not as an introductory clause. Then the heading would show that the following list includes not only the inhabitants of Jerusalem but also the inhabitants of other cities. Both in the general structure and in individual names, the list (Neh 11) is similar to the one given in (1 Chr 9:1-44). Some authors (Movers, Herzfeld) think that both lists refer to the same post-exilic period, with the list (1 Chr 9:1-44) edited somewhat later (Neh 11). The similarity between the lists is explained by the fact that they come from one source, and the difference by the relatively later revision of the list (1 Chr 9:1-44). More accurately, however, in this case is the opinion of Keil, who attributes the list in 1 Chronicles to the pre-exilic period and the book of Nehemiah to the time of Nehemiah. Keil explains the difference between the lists by the change in the composition of the population of Jerusalem and Judea by the time of Nehemiah. Instead of three families of Judah (Uthai, Asaiah, and Juel) named in (1 Chr 9:4-6), in (Neh 11:4-5) only two are mentioned—Athaiah and Maaseiah, which can be identified with Uthai and Asaiah (1 Chr 9:4-5). Of the four families of the tribe of Benjamin named in (1 Chr 9:7-8), in (Neh 11:7) again only two are mentioned. This is probably explained by the fact that some families remained in Babylon and had no representatives in the post-exilic Jerusalem. The total number of priests in (1 Chr 9:13) is determined as 1760, while in (Neh 11:12-14) it is 1192. The number of Levite names in Nehemiah is also smaller than in 1 Chronicles. Of the four families of gatekeepers ((1 Chr 9:17)—Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, and Ahiman) in (Neh 11:19) only two are mentioned. On the other hand, individual persons belonging to the time of Nehemiah are not named in 1 Chronicles: such are Joel, Judah (Neh 11:9), Uzzi (v. 22), Shavfay, Yozavad (v. 16). Confusion is also caused by the fact that the numbers indicated in (1 Chr 9:1-44), relating to the pre-exilic period, do not exceed significantly the numbers (Neh 11).

Nehemiah 11:4. In Jerusalem lived from the people of Judah and from the people of Benjamin. From the people of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah son of Zechariah son of Amariah son of Shephatiah son of Mahalalel, from the sons of Perez, The list begins with the tribe of Judah, whose representatives were divided into two families—Athaiah from the line of Perez and Maaseiah from the line of Shelah. The line of the third son of Judah, Zerah, appears to have ended by Nehemiah’s time.

Nehemiah 11:5. and Maaseiah son of Baruch son of Colhozeh son of Hazaiah son of Adaiah son of Joiarib son of Zechariah son of Shiloni. Instead of “Shiloni,” a name impossible in the tribe of Judah (from the Ephraimite city of Shiloh), Ryssel proposes to read “Shelanite” (from Shelah—cf. (Num 26:20)).

Nehemiah 11:7. And these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam son of Joed son of Pedaiah son of Kolaiah son of Maaseiah son of Ithiel son of Isaiah, Nehemiah 11:8. and after him Gabbai, Sallai—nine hundred and twenty-eight. In vv. 7–8 are named two families of the tribe of Benjamin living in Jerusalem—the family of Sallu and the family of Gabbai Sallai. In (1 Chr 9:7-8) four lines of the tribe of Benjamin are named, with Ibnia mentioned instead of Gabbai. Bertheau and Ryssel propose to read this name in v. 8 as well, assuming that Gabbai Sallai arose from a mistake. The number 928 mentioned in v. 8 probably refers only to the family of Gabbai.

Nehemiah 11:9. Joel son of Zichri was the chief officer over them, and Judah son of Senuah was the second ruler of the city. In v. 9 are named the heads of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin separately (“over them,” that is, over those mentioned above): Joel son of Zichri, and Judah son of Senuah. Probably Joel belonged to the tribe of Judah, while Judah was a Benjaminite (1 Chr 9:7-8). Regarding Judah, it is noted that he was al hair mishne. Some interpreters understand this remark to mean that Judah was the second ruler of the city of Jerusalem, that is, over the part of the city west of the temple area and north of the middle city (2 Kgs 22:14; Zeph 1:10; 2 Chr 34:22); cf. Jewish Antiquities XV, 11, 5). But in this sense mishne would have the article (as in (2 Kgs 22:14) and (Zeph 1:10)), and it is ordinarily used of persons of the second rank (2 Kgs 23:4; 1 Sam 8:2; 1 Chr 15:18). In view of this, the remark about Judah is more correctly understood to mean that he was in the city a ruler of the second rank (LXX and Slavic: “of the city, the second”).

Nehemiah 11:10. From the priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jachin, The list of priests begins here. “Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jachin.” According to (1 Chr 9:10), Jedaiah was not the son of Joiarib. Therefore, the word ben (son) is considered an error that has crept into the text of v. 10. In this way, v. names not two, but three priestly families who were already active in pre-exilic times (1 Chr 24:7). Further, in vv. 11–14 are named more recently created families of Seraiah, Adaiah, and Amashai.

Nehemiah 11:11. Seraiah son of Hilkiah son of Meshullam son of Zadok son of Meraioth son of Ahitub, chief officer of the house of God, Instead of Seraiah, in (1 Chr 9:11) Azariah is named. According to Ryssel’s opinion, the reading in (1 Chr 9:11) is more correct. But the difference in names is better explained by the fact that in the pre-exilic period, which the list of 1 Chronicles 9 has in mind, the family was called by the name Azariah, and after him began to bear the name Seraiah (cf. Neh 10:2).

Nehemiah 11:12. and his brothers, those doing the work in the house of God—eight hundred and twenty-two; and Adaiah son of Jeroham son of Pelaliah son of Amzi son of Zechariah son of Pashhur son of Malchijah, In v. 12 is given the number of those belonging to the family of Seraiah. The name Adaiah, it is supposed, replaces the name Malchijah (1 Chr 24:9), and in (Neh 12:6-7) he should be understood as one of the two Jedaiahs.

Nehemiah 11:13. and his brothers, heads of families—two hundred and forty-two; and Amashai son of Azarel son of Ahzai son of Meshillemoth son of Immer, The number 242 does not just apply to “heads of families,” because then the number would be too large. The family of Amashai or according to (1 Chr 9:12) Maaseiah in (Neh 12:6), it is supposed, is mentioned under the name Shemaiah.

Nehemiah 11:14. and his brothers, mighty men of valor—one hundred and twenty-eight. And the chief officer over them was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim. In (1 Chr 9:13) the total number of priests is determined as 1760, while according to (Neh 11:12-14) for the post-exilic period this number decreased to 1192. In v. 14 it is noted that the chief officer over the priests “was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim.” The last name is understood by the LXX as an adjective (gadol—great), from which came: ὑιὸς τῶν μεγάλων or in Slavic “Sohriil son of the great.” What Zabdiel’s authority consisted of is unknown (cf. Jer 20:1-7).

Nehemiah 11:15. And from the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub son of Azrikam son of Hashabiah son of Bunni, Nehemiah 11:16. and Shavfai and Yozavad from the chief Levites over the work of the house of God, Nehemiah 11:17. and Mattaniah son of Mica son of Zabdi son of Asaph, the leader of the song of praise at prayer, and Bakbukiah, the second in rank among his brothers, and Abda son of Shammua son of Galal son of Jeduthun. Nehemiah 11:18. All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred and eighty-four. The list of Levitical families, from which six are named.

Nehemiah 11:16. and Shavfai and Yozavad from the chief Levites over the work of the house of God, The Levitical families of Shavfai and Yozavad are mentioned in (Neh 8:7). According to v. 16, their duty was the external affairs of the house of God; according to (1 Chr 26:29), this included record-keeping, judgment, and concern for the needs of the cult and temple personnel. The remark “from the chief Levites” indicates that the writer is speaking of Shavfai and Yozavad not as individual persons, but as representatives, by whose names known families were called.

Nehemiah 11:17. and Mattaniah son of Mica son of Zabdi son of Asaph, the leader of the song of praise at prayer, and Bakbukiah, the second in rank among his brothers, and Abda son of Shammua son of Galal son of Jeduthun. The descendant of Asaph, Mattaniah, is mentioned again in (1 Chr 9:15), where his grandfather is given as Zichri (not Zabdi, as in v. 17). He was “the leader of the song of praise at prayer.” The latter remark in the Greek Vatican edition is absent, while in the texts of Alexandria and in our Slavic edition the Hebrew jehode is understood as a proper name, from which came the nonsensical reading in Slavic: “and Judah of prayer.”

Nehemiah 11:18. All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred and eighty-four. In (1 Chr 9:14-16) from the Levites are mentioned Shemaiah, Bakbakar, Heresh, Galal, Mattaniah, Obadiah—that is, also six names, of which only two agree with those mentioned in (Neh 11:15-17). Probably the names Bakbukiah and Abda mentioned in the latter place correspond to Bakbakar and Obadiah (1 Chr 9:15-16). The indication of the total number of Levites in 1 Chronicles 9 is absent.

Nehemiah 11:19. And the gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon and their brothers, who kept watch at the gates—one hundred and seventy-two. The names of the gatekeepers Akkub and Talmon are mentioned in (1 Chr 9:17), where some information is also given about the gatekeepers (1 Chr 9:17-26). In (1 Chr 9:22) the number of gatekeepers is determined as 212 (instead of 172), (Neh 11:19); probably in 1 Chronicles gatekeepers living in other cities are also included.

Nehemiah 11:20. The other Israelites, priests, and Levites lived throughout all the cities of Judah, each in their own possession. “The other Israelites, priests, and Levites lived throughout all the cities of Judah.” Those who returned from the Babylonian exile were chiefly members of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, but they are given the name Israelites, since they are considered representatives of the 12 tribes, of all Israel (Ezra 2:70; Neh 2:10). They lived throughout all the cities of Judah, not only in the territory of the tribe of Judah, but throughout all Judea, each in their own inheritance.

Nehemiah 11:21. And the temple servants lived in Ophel; and Ziha and Gishpa were over the temple servants. The residence of the temple servants is indicated in accordance with (Neh 3:26). One of those in charge of the temple servants, “Ziha,” is mentioned again in (Ezra 2:43; Neh 7:46). The name Gishpa, not found elsewhere, can probably be identified with the name Hashupha, who in (Ezra 2:43; Neh 7:46) is placed after Ziha.

Nehemiah 11:22. The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani son of Hashabiah son of Mattaniah son of Mica, from the sons of Asaph, who were the singers in the service of the house of God, Nehemiah 11:23. because the king’s decree was about them, and provision was established for the singers, a fixed due each day. As is evident from v. 23, Uzzi not only had authority over the Levitical service but also distributed the provisions to the singers assigned by the king. The reference to the king should be related to the Persian king, not to David, who organized the Levitical service.

Nehemiah 11:24. And Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah son of Judah, was the king’s representative for all matters of the people. “And Pethahiah… was the king’s representative (lejad hammelech) for all matters of the people.” Judging by this remark, Pethahiah was the royal commissioner in Jerusalem, who maintained constant relations with the king and his government. What his relation to pechah (the provincial governor) was is unknown. His official duties perhaps consisted in watching over the payment of taxes in kind and money from the province that were to go for the benefit of the Jews (Ryssel). Pethahiah was from the tribe of Judah, but not from the line of Perez, from which the family of David descended (1 Chr 2:3-14).

Nehemiah 11:25. As for the towns, on the agricultural lands: the people of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba and its dependent villages, in Dibon and its dependent villages, in Jekabzeel and its villages, Nehemiah 11:26. in Jeshua, in Moladah and in Beth-pelet, Nehemiah 11:27. in Hazar-shual, in Beersheba and its dependent villages, Nehemiah 11:28. in Ziklag, in Meconah and its dependent villages, Nehemiah 11:29. in En-rimmon, in Zorah and in Jarmuth, Nehemiah 11:30. in Zanoah, in Adullam and its villages, in Lachish and its surrounding area, in Azekah and its dependent villages. They settled from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom. According to v. 3, one would expect to find in vv. 25–35 a list of the heads or families of the country. But the writer, apparently for brevity, limits himself to naming the localities occupied by the Jews, not mentioning the heads of the districts. “As for the towns, on the agricultural lands” (veel hachazerim bisedotham), from the Hebrew more precisely: “and regarding the towns and fields.” All the localities named in vv. 25–29, with the exception of the unknown Jeshua (v. 26) and Meconah (v. 28), are mentioned already in (Josh 15:20-62) as cities of Judah. The boundaries of the territory occupied by the Jews are indicated in v. 30 as Beersheba on the south and the Valley of Hinnom on the north of Jerusalem. According to (Josh 15:8) the Valley of Hinnom in ancient times also served as a boundary between Judah and Benjamin.

Nehemiah 11:31. The people of Benjamin from Geba, in Michmash, in Geba, in Bethel and its dependent villages, Nehemiah 11:32. in Anathoth, Nob, and Ananiah, Nehemiah 11:33. in Hazor, in Rama, in Gittaim, Nehemiah 11:34. in Hadid, in Zeboim, and Neballat, Nehemiah 11:35. in Lod, in Ono, in the Valley of the Craftsmen. The localities occupied by the tribe of Benjamin. Most of them are mentioned as already being named in (Ezra 2:21-35). The enumeration begins with Geba. According to (2 Kgs 23:8, Zech 14:10) Geba lay on the northern boundary of the southern kingdom, at a distance of about three hours’ journey north of Jerusalem. This is present-day Jibiya in Wadi El-Jib. It is noteworthy that among the cities occupied by the Jews in the verses under consideration, Jericho, Mizpah, and Gibeon are not mentioned (cf. Neh 3:2). In general, the list of occupied localities mentioned in (Neh 11:25-35) differs from the list in (Ezra 2:21-35; Neh 7:25-38). This difference can be explained not only by probable corruption of the text, but also by the fact that the population had not yet firmly settled in certain places and was still moving to others.

Chapter Twelve

1–7 A list of priests who came with Zerubbabel. 8–26. A list of Levites. 27–44. The consecration of the walls of Jerusalem

Nehemiah 12:1. Now these are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Regarding the priests and Levites as the main bearers of the spirit which animated the post-exilic community, the writer devotes special attention to their lists. From (Ezra 2:62-63) it is evident how carefully the genealogical lists of priests were maintained. According to the testimony of Josephus (Against Apion 1:7), genealogical lists were kept even by the Jewish priests who lived in Egypt, Babylon, and other places. Later, these lists were presented in Jerusalem, where, probably, the Sanhedrin compiled them into a single genealogical book. In addition to this, Eusebius reports that the genealogical records mentioned were destroyed by Herod. From verse 7 it is evident that the writer names the actual chiefs of the priestly divisions and their brothers. By analogy with chapter XI, one should think, however, that the writer names not separate individuals, but divisions which bore the names of those or other persons. The writer enumerates 22 names. Of these, 15 names are the same as those already cited in (Neh 10:3-9), while the others are different. This difference of names is unclear. It is very probable that when signing the obligation to observe the law, some divisions (Neh 10:3-9) signed not by their exact name, but by the name of the then-current representative. The Ezra mentioned by name (in verse 1) some scholars identify with Ezra the scribe. But apparently, this is the Ezra who in (Neh 10:2) is called Azariah.

Nehemiah 12:3. Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, “Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth.” Instead of the name Rehum according to (Ezra 2:36-39; Neh 10:5) it is better to read: Harim.

Nehemiah 12:7. Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the priests and their brothers in the days of Jeshua. “These were the chiefs of the priests and their brothers,” that is, the representatives of individual priestly families and the brothers who followed them.

Nehemiah 12:10. Jeshua became the father of Joiakim, Joiakim became the father of Eliashib, Eliashib became the father of Joiada, Nehemiah 12:11. Joiada became the father of Jonathan, Jonathan became the father of Jaddua. A list of high priests. The list is a continuation of (1 Chr 6:10-14), where the high priests up to Jozadak, the father of Jeshua, are enumerated. The Eliashib mentioned in verse 10 was the high priest in the time of Nehemiah (see Neh 3:1). Concerning the high priest Joiada, called by Josephus Judah (Jewish Antiquities XI, 2, 1), in (Neh 13:28) it is reported that his son entered into a marriage relationship with Sanballat and for this was expelled from Jerusalem. Instead of the name of Joiada’s son Jonathan, in view of verses 22 and 23, it is better to read the name Johanan or John (Jewish Antiquities XI, 7, 1). Josephus tells that this Johanan killed his brother Jesus, and this served as the occasion for the siege of Jerusalem by Bagoses, the general of Artaxerxes II. The last high priest mentioned in verse 11 is Jaddua. Josephus represents him as a contemporary of Alexander the Great (336–323). On this basis, some scholars even deny the attribution of Nehemiah chapter XII, and with it the entire book. But from the time of Nehemiah to Alexander the Great (433–330) not more than 100 years passed. There is nothing improbable in the fact that Nehemiah saw Jaddua in early childhood – and names him in the genealogy as a candidate for the high priesthood. If such an assumption is rejected, then it can be admitted that the high priestly genealogy in verse 11 was continued after Nehemiah and extended to Jaddua.

Nehemiah 12:12. In the days of Joiakim there were priests, the chiefs of the families: from the house of Seraiah Meraiah, from the house of Jeremiah Hananiah, Nehemiah 12:13. from the house of Ezra Meshullam, from the house of Amariah Johanan, Nehemiah 12:14. from the house of Melicu Jonathan, from the house of Shebaniah Joseph, Nehemiah 12:15. from the house of Harim Adna, from the house of Meraioth Hilkiah, Nehemiah 12:16. from the house of Iddo Zechariah, from the house of Ginnethon Meshullam, Nehemiah 12:17. from the house of Abijah Zichri, from the house of Miniamin, from the house of Moadiah Piltai, Nehemiah 12:18. from the house of Bilgah Shammua, from the house of Shemaiah Jonathan, Nehemiah 12:19. from the house of Joiarib Mattenai, from the house of Jedaiah Uzzi, Nehemiah 12:20. from the house of Sallai Kallai, from the house of Amok Eber, Nehemiah 12:21. from the house of Hilkiah Hashabiah, from the house of Jedaiah Nathaniel. A list of priests, the chiefs of the families, from the time of high priest Joiakim. The Zechariah of the house of Iddo mentioned in verse 16 is probably identical with the prophet Zechariah (Zech 1:1; Ezra 5:1). In verse 17, after the words “from the house of Miniamin,” the name of the chief of the family is undoubtedly missing.

Nehemiah 12:22. The Levites, the chiefs of the families, were recorded in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, and also the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian. Nehemiah 12:23. The sons of Levi, the chiefs of the families, were recorded in the chronicles until the days of Johanan, the son of Eliashib. Nehemiah 12:24. The chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua, the son of Kadmiel, and their brothers, standing opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving according to the commandment of David, the man of God, division following division. Nehemiah 12:25. Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub – the gatekeepers, the guards at the thresholds of the gates. Nehemiah 12:26. They were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and in the days of the governor Nehemiah and of Ezra the priest and scribe. A list of Levites. According to verse 22, the Levites were recorded in the days of Eliashib, but according to verse 26, already in the time of Joiakim the divisions of Levites were established. Evidently, in the days of Eliashib only a record was made, which, probably, was corrected in the time of the following high priests. In (Ezra 2:40), besides the six divisions of gatekeepers of which in (Neh 12) there is no mention, only three classes of Levites are named: Jeshua, Kadmiel, the sons of Asaph. In (Neh 12:8-9) from the time of the same Zerubbabel are also named Binnui, Sherebiah, Judah, Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Unni. Evidently, after the arrival of Zerubbabel, representatives of Levitical classes also returned, about the organization of which we have no precise information. The remark of verse 22: “and also the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian” is unclear. The mention of Darius the Persian is also indefinite. It is possible that in this remark we have a later gloss.

Nehemiah 12:27. And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres. From verse 27 begins a description of the solemn dedication of the walls of Jerusalem accomplished by Nehemiah. The time of this event is not specified. But there are no grounds for placing the event far from the building of the walls, – to the time of, say, Nehemiah’s second arrival (Robinson). According to a letter of Palestinian Jews to Egyptian Jews, preserved in (2 Macc 1:18), the solemn dedication of the walls took place on the 25th day of Kislev. If the construction of the walls was completed in Elul (Neh 6:15), then, apparently, the dedication was performed three months later. Probably, the dedication was performed immediately after the measures concerning the increase of the population of Jerusalem (Neh 7:5) were accomplished, and the community gave a solemn oath to observe the law. In verse 27, the text speaks of preparation for the dedication, namely, the summoning of the Levites, who for the most part did not live in Jerusalem itself, but near it.

Nehemiah 12:28. And the singers gathered together from the surrounding district of Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites, “And the singers gathered together from the surrounding district of Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites.” The singers – participants in the Levitical musical choirs, who came to Jerusalem on appointed days. Netophah is the present-day Ben-Netaf, about 3 miles southwest of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 12:29. and from Beth-Haggilgal and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built themselves villages in the vicinity of Jerusalem. Beth-Haggilgal may be identified with the present-day Jiljilia, lying at a distance of 4 miles north of Jerusalem, to the west of the road to Nablus. The locations of Geba and Azmaveth are also to be sought not far from Jerusalem to the north.

Nehemiah 12:30. And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall. Before the beginning of the celebration, the priests and Levites not only purified themselves, but also purified the people, the gates, and the wall. The latter consisted, as is thought on the basis of (2 Chr 29:20-24), of the offering of sin offerings and burnt offerings. There is also an opinion (Reuss) that the purification of the people consisted of preliminary ablutions and fasting, while for the walls and gates – sprinkling. Rashi supposes that it consisted in the removal of bones from caves within the city.

Nehemiah 12:31. Then I brought the officials of Judah up on the wall and appointed two large choirs that gave thanks. One went to the right on the wall toward the Dung Gate. For the dedication two choirs were formed, which went in opposite directions so that they would meet at the temple. The starting point of the processions is not indicated. But from the context one can conclude that the procession began from the Valley Gate, the present-day Jaffa Gate. From here one choir went to the right, that is, southward, the other northward. Behind one choir went Ezra, and behind the other Nehemiah.

Nehemiah 12:32. And behind them went Hoshaiah and half of the officials of Judah, Hoshaiah occupied, apparently, a position near Nehemiah similar to that of Zedekiah (see Neh 10:1).

Nehemiah 12:33. Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam, Nehemiah 12:34. Judah and Benjamin, and Shemaiah and Jeremiah, The names mentioned in verses 33–34 Keil considers the names of the mentioned above “officials of Judah.” But both the construction of the verses (verse 33: from the Hebrew “and Azariah”) and the character of the names rather give grounds to see in verses 33–34 a list of heads of priestly families who participated in the procession as representatives of the priesthood.

Nehemiah 12:35. And of the priests’ sons with the trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, Nehemiah 12:36. and his brothers Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nathanael, Judah, and Hananiah, with the musical instruments of David, the man of God. And Ezra the priest the scribe was before them. The priests who performed certain duties in the procession. “And Ezra the priest the scribe was before them,” that is, before the entire procession, and thus directly behind the choir.

Nehemiah 12:37. By the Fountain Gate, in front of them, they went up by the stairs of the City of David, on the stairway of the wall, above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east. Regarding the topographical indications of verse 37, see the note to (Neh 3:15).

Nehemiah 12:38. The other choir went to the left, and I followed them with half of the people, on the wall, above the Tower of the Ovens, to the Broad Wall, Nehemiah 12:39. and past the Gate of Ephraim, and by the Old Gate, and by the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate. And they came to a stop at the Gate of the Guard. Regarding the places mentioned in verses 38–39, see the note to chapter 3.

Nehemiah 12:40. So the two choirs of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I and half of the officials with me, The two choirs came together at the house of God, or at the plaza to the east of the temple buildings.

Nehemiah 12:41. and the priests Eliakm, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; Nehemiah 12:42. and Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malchijah and Elam and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah as their leader. Probably, in verses 41–42 are named the participants in the second procession, not mentioned earlier in the description of the procession of the second choir.

Nehemiah 12:43. And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, because God had made them rejoice with great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away. An indication of further celebrations on the day of the dedication of the walls.

Nehemiah 12:44. And on that day men were appointed over the storerooms, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions required by the law for the priests and the Levites. For Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered. “And on that day men were appointed over the storerooms.” The note: “on that day” does not necessarily indicate the day of the dedication of the wall; the note is indefinite in character and means: “at that time.” Some exegetes therefore suppose that from verse 44 begins a description of Nehemiah’s activity during his second arrival in Jerusalem (Neh 13:7). But the context of speech rather gives grounds to conclude that the writer has in mind the time which is near, when in the people there was still that spiritual uplift which was experienced during the dedication of the wall. As is evident from verse 44, the storage of contributions had not previously been properly organized.

Nehemiah 12:47. And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah contributed the portions of the singers and the gatekeepers, as each day required. They also set apart the portions for the Levites, and the Levites set apart the portions for the descendants of Aaron. “And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah contributed the portions of the singers and the gatekeepers on each day.” By this it is certainly not excluded that in respect to individual persons, as is evident from (Neh 10:38), it was sometimes necessary to resort to measures of compulsion.

Chapter Thirteen

1–3. Separation from foreigners. 4–9. The expulsion of Tobiah. 10–14. Measures undertaken by Nehemiah to ensure the support of the clergy. 15–22. Safeguarding the Sabbath rest. 23–28. Measures against marriage with foreign women. 29–31. Other dispositions of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah 13:1. On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, The separation from foreigners, which Ezra endeavored to accomplish (Ezra 9:12), proved to be only temporary. Marriages with foreign women again became a common practice in the Jewish community (verse 4, 23 etc.), and Nehemiah had to wage a struggle against them. – “On that day” – a note which has, as in (Neh 12:44), the sense of indefiniteness. It apparently points to the time between the first and second arrival of Nehemiah (see verse 4–6). “They read from the Book of Moses”: from the following, it is evident that the writer has in mind the place (Deut 23:3-6), which he does not quote in full.

Nehemiah 13:3. When the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent. “When the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent.” In what exactly the separation of the foreign element consisted in this case is not specified: this was either the dismissal of foreign wives (Robinson), or the exclusion of foreigners from participation in worship and festivals (Reuss).

Nehemiah 13:4. Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, was connected by marriage to Tobiah. Under the “priest Eliashib” mentioned in verse 4, one must understand the high priest Eliashib (Neh 3:1), who, apart from his usual duties, also had supervision of the chambers of the temple. Using his authority, Eliashib provided a large chamber, or, as can be concluded from verse 9, a series of chambers to his relative Tobiah – without doubt, Tobiah the Ammonite, one of Nehemiah’s enemies. How Tobiah was related to Eliashib, the writer does not indicate. From (Neh 6:18) it is evident that Tobiah’s son Jehohanan was married to the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. One can suppose that the latter (Neh 3:30) was in a marriage relationship with Eliashib, and thus arose the relationship of Eliashib with Tobiah.

Nehemiah 13:6. But during all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king The fact mentioned above occurred during Nehemiah’s absence from Jerusalem, when Nehemiah went to the court of the Persian king. Nehemiah’s absence began in the 32nd year of Artaxerxes I. The writer does not indicate the exact duration of this absence. But from the note “after some time” it is concluded that Nehemiah’s stay at the court of the Persian king was brief, and that he returned to Jerusalem under the same Artaxerxes, and probably in the same year 433–432. Artaxerxes in verse 6 is called the king of Babylon, as the ruler of the conquered Babylonian kingdom.

Nehemiah 13:8. And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. Nehemiah 13:9. Then I gave orders to cleanse the chambers, and I brought back the utensils of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense. From verse 8 it is evident that the chamber in the court of the temple served Tobiah as a dwelling – perhaps during his visits to Jerusalem. After the chamber was cleansed, its former purpose was restored to it.

Nehemiah 13:10. I also discovered that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, for the Levites and the singers who did their work had fled each to his field. Nehemiah 13:11. So I contended with the officials and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. Nehemiah 13:12. And all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. Nehemiah 13:13. And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were considered reliable. And it was their duty to distribute to their brothers. Nehemiah 13:14. Remember me, O my God, for this, and do not blot out my loyal deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for its service. In verses 10–14 are described the cares of Nehemiah to provide the Levites with the means of support determined by law.

Nehemiah 13:15. In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of produce, and they were bringing them into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. Nehemiah 13:16. Tyrians also, who lived there, brought in fish and all kinds of wares and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Nehemiah 13:17. Then I remonstrated with the nobles of Judah and said to them, What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? Nehemiah 13:18. Did not your ancestors do the same, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath. Nehemiah 13:19. When the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I set some of my servants over the gates to prevent any load from being brought in on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah’s efforts to safeguard the Sabbath rest. The Sabbath rest was violated by field work and trade, which was conducted by Tyrians who lived in Judea. After his remonstration to the nobles, upon whom the duty of maintaining order rested, Nehemiah undertook strict measures to prevent the violation of the Sabbath. He ordered that the city gates be shut in the evening on the eve of the Sabbath and not be opened until the morning after the Sabbath. And since the exit from the city was still permitted, in order to prevent the carrying of any load through the gates, a guard was stationed near them.

Nehemiah 13:20. So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. Nehemiah 13:21. But I warned them and said to them, “Why do you lodge in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath. “And the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.” Evidently, the sellers who were driven from the city began to stop by the walls on Sabbaths and continued to conduct business there as before. This ceased only after Nehemiah threatened to lay hands on them, that is, to use force against them.

Nehemiah 13:22. And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love. “And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day.” What exactly was this last disposition of Nehemiah, directed to the protection of the sanctity of the Sabbath, is difficult to say. It is supposed (Keil) that on the eve of the Sabbath the usual gate guard was reinforced by guards from the Levites, who were to remain at the gates throughout the entire Sabbath. By this reinforcement of the guard with persons serving at the temple, Nehemiah perhaps intended to indicate clearly the high importance and sacred character of the Sabbath, and at the same time to move the inhabitants of Jerusalem to observe the Sabbath law.

Nehemiah 13:23. In those days also I saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. Nehemiah 13:24. And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke the language of various peoples. Nehemiah 13:25. So I contended with them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair; and I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take any of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. Nehemiah 13:26. Did not King Solomon of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. Nehemiah 13:27. Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women? Nehemiah 13:28. And one of the sons of Joiada, son of the high priest Eliashib, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. I drove him away from me. Nehemiah’s struggle against mixed marriages. “In those days also I saw Jews who had married women.” The article standing before “Jews” in the Hebrew indicates that the text speaks not of chance meetings but of such whom Nehemiah knew and sought out.

Nehemiah 13:24. And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke the language of various peoples. “And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod,” that is, Philistine, or the language of other peoples – probably of the Ammonites and Moabites, into whose family alliances the Jews entered. The languages of these peoples were close to the Hebrew language, representing only a dialect of it.

Nehemiah 13:26. Did not King Solomon of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. See (1 Kgs 3:12-14; 2 Chr 1:12).

Nehemiah 13:28. And one of the sons of Joiada, son of the high priest Eliashib, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. I drove him away from me. Strict measures taken against all who contracted mixed marriages were applied to one of the sons of the high priest Joiada, who was married to the daughter of Sanballat (Neh 2:10). Since Joiada’s son apparently refused to submit to Nehemiah’s demand and to send away his wife, he was expelled from Jerusalem. Alongside this account in the Book of Nehemiah, we have the account of Josephus that the name of the son of Joiada was Manasseh, and the fact itself of his removal from Jerusalem occurred under Darius Codomannus (331 B.C.), and at that time the Samaritan temple was also built, in which Manasseh was appointed as priest (Jewish Antiquities XI, 7, 2; VIII, 2, 5). Thus, an event which, according to the Book of Nehemiah, occurred during the reign of Artaxerxes I, according to Josephus, took place 100 years later – under Darius Codomannus. However, in view of the acknowledged inaccuracy of Josephus’s accounts relating to the 5th century B.C., the testimony of the Book of Nehemiah should be preferred (see Rybinsky, Essays on the History of the Samaritans. Proceedings of the Kiev Theological Academy. 1895).

Nehemiah 13:29. Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, the covenant of the priesthood, and the Levites. “They defiled the priesthood”: the defilement is understood as the defilement by marriage with foreign women. “The covenant of the priesthood and the Levites,” that is, the covenant which God made with the tribe of Levi, choosing this tribe to serve Him (Exod 28:1; Mal 2:8).

Nehemiah 13:31. and the supply of wood at appointed times and the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good. “Remember me, O my God, for good.” This prayer, repeated several times (see Neh 13:22), reveals the piety of Nehemiah. The book concludes with this prayer. We have no further information in the Bible concerning the later life of Nehemiah. Josephus reports that Nehemiah died at an advanced age. The memory of him lived long in Jerusalem (Sir 49:15). The respect for him was so great that tradition ascribed to him the restoration of the temple and altar (2 Macc 1:18), as well as the collection of the canon of sacred books (2 Macc 2:13).

1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Introduction

Preface

The non-canonical book of Ezra, called in our Bible the Second Book of Ezdras, bears other names in other texts. In the translations: the Old Latin, the Syriac, and in the Vatican codex of the LXX it is called the first book of Ezra and is placed before the canonical book of Ezra – apparently because its narrative covers a more ancient period than the narrative of the canonical book of Ezra. In the Vulgate, where the books of Ezra and Nehemiah are called the first and second books of Ezra, the non-canonical book of Ezra is called the third (liber tertius). In the Codex Alexandrinus and some other manuscripts of the LXX text, the book bears the title “ό ιερεύς” (the priest), by which is intended to indicate that Ezra was a priest in a special sense (κατ εξοκήν). Apparently, Jerome in the Prologus Galeatus assigns to the book under consideration the designation Pastor. But in ancient times already, where the books of Ezra and Nehemiah were considered as one and were called “the book of Ezra,” the book under consideration was known also under the name of second Ezdras (Compare Aug., De doctrina Christ. II, 8; Isidore, Orig. VI, 2), which has been accepted into our Bible. Among modern scholars the book is also called: “Pseudo-Ezra,” “Apocryphal Ezra,” and more often “the Greek book of Ezra.” By this last name the book is distinguished, on the one hand, from the canonical book of Ezra, which exists in the Hebrew text, on the other – from “the Apocalypse of Ezra” (the Third book of Ezdras), which was preserved in the Latin text.

The Second Book of Ezdras begins with a narrative of the solemn celebration of Passover under King Josiah in the eighteenth year of his reign and an outline of the subsequent history of the Judean kingdom down to the Babylonian captivity (ch. 1). From ch. 2 onward, the book reviews the post-exilic period of the history of the Jewish people from the return of the Jews under Cyrus to the reform of Ezra inclusive (ch. II-X:55). In this connection, in ch. III,1-V is found an inserted episode: a narrative of the dispute of the three bodyguards of King Darius and of the victory won in this dispute by Zerubbabel. The mentioned episode represents, properly speaking, something original. In the remaining parts, the Second Book of Ezdras sets forth with insignificant changes the narrative of the canonical books of 2 Chronicles, 1 Ezdras, and Nehemiah, namely:

Ch. 1 2 Chr 35-36.

Ch. II, 1–14 Ezra 1.

Ch. II, 15–25 Ezra 4:7-24.

Ch. V:7–70 1 Ezra II:1, IV:5.

Ch. VI, 1, VII:15 Ezra 5-6.

Ch. VIII, 1-IX Ezra 7-10.

Ch. IX:37–55 Neh 7:37-8.

From where the compiler of the book took the section III, 1-V:6 is unknown. It is possible both that the narrative of these chapters is based on some Persian court tale, and that the author uses a Jewish tradition in his narrative. As for the remaining parts of 2 Ezra, the question arises: what texts of his sources (Chronicles, 1 Ezra and Nehemiah) did the author use in writing the mentioned parts. The exegetes Michaellis, Trendelenburg, Berthold, Fritzsche, Nöldeke, Kautsch and others believe that the author of 2 Ezra had before him the Hebrew text of the named sources and moreover in a recension more correct than that in which these sources have come down to us. In the opinion of scholars Daan, Langen, Keil, Schürer, Zöckler, the writer of 2 Ezra used only the Greek text of his sources, which he subjected to reworking. More arguments are on the side of the defenders of the first opinion. Some readings of 2 Ezra can be explained only by the supposition of a Hebrew original. Thus, in II, 16 the author reads the name of one of the enemies of the Jews as Βήλεμος (Belem), which could only arise from the Hebrew bischlam (Ezra 4:7), not from the Greek εν ειρήνη (the LXX understood bischlam in the sense of the common noun beschlom – “in peace”). In I:10 the reading έχοντες τα αζυμα (“holding unleavened cakes”), differing from the parallel 2 Chr 35 κατά τήν έντολήν τού βασιλέως (“according to the king’s command”), could have arisen due to erroneous confusion of Hebrew mizvath (command) with the completely similar in appearance mazhoth. In II, 17 the reading κριται (“judges”) instead of the proper name Dinaeans could only arise from erroneous understanding of the Hebrew dinaje in the sense of dajjane, “judges,” whereas in the LXX the word is correctly rendered by the proper name Δειναιοι. (Other examples in Nestle, Marginalien und Materialien, Tübingen 1898, p. 24–26). But the references of the defenders of the opinion about the author of 2 Ezra using a Greek original to the similarity of 2 Ezra with the LXX text in the use of rare words (VIII, 86; compare Ezra 9:13; compare Neh 8:10), as well as in deviations from the Hebrew original (I:3, compare 2 Chr 35:3, compare 2 Chr 35:9 and others) have no significance, as this has been shown by Nestle (Marginalien, p. 26–27). But, supposing a Hebrew original for 2 Ezra, there are no grounds to assert, as some authors do, that this original represented a better recension of the Hebrew text of the books of Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah than that which has come down to us: the better readings of the presumed original pointed to by Trendelenburg do not actually surpass the Masoretic ones (Bissell, The Apocrypha, p. 66–68).

As for the author’s relationship to his originals, the following can be said. The author uses the Hebrew text freely, caring for the clarity of thought and ease of exposition. Correspondingly, he avoids Hebraisms (VIII, 6. Compare Ezra 7:9) abbreviates the original (I:10 compare 2 Chr 35:10-12; II, 16; compare Ezra 4:7-11; VI:3–4; compare Ezra 5:3-4), makes additions (I:56; compare 2 Chr. XXXVI:20; II, 5; compare 1 Ezra I:3; II, 9; compare 1 Ezra I:4; V:46; compare Ezra 2:70 and many others), clarifications (II, 17, 24–25; VI:3; compare Ezra 4:8; II, 19; compare Ezra 4:13; II, 20; compare Ezra 4:14), changes the form of proper names (compare V:8 and following, Ezra 2; Neh 7). In some cases the author shows even erroneous understanding of the original, representing, for example, Zerubbabel as a contemporary of Darius Hystaspis (ch. 5), incorrectly interpreting the section Ezra 4:7-23 (compare 1 Esd 2), and some individual reports (compare V:70; VI:27; IX:49).

The narrative of 2 Ezra does not have a finished character. On account of this, it is supposed that the end of the book, which probably set forth Neh 8-9, has not come down to us (Zunz). In the opinion of Trendelenburg and Eichhorn, we do not have the beginning of the book either, since the author probably did not limit himself to a review of events from the eighteenth year of Josiah, but also mentioned the first years of Josiah, including in his exposition the XXXIV ch. of 2 Chronicles. But such suppositions have no firm ground (see, however, the note to IX:55).

As to the time of origin of 2 Ezra, it is difficult to say anything definite. The first historical reference to the book is found in Josephus, who in his exposition of the events of the beginning of the post-exilic period (Antiquities X and XI) follows precisely 2 Ezra. From this one can conclude that the book was written no later than the first century of our era – but when exactly, is unknown. Fritzsche considers the author of the book to be some Hellenist living in Palestine. Daan, Langen, and Bissell believe that the book originated in Egypt. Bissell sees the indication of Egypt in the remark IV:23 (“ready to sail over sea and rivers”), and other authors – in the peculiarities of the language of the book. On general grounds, the need for a Greek text of the book of Ezra could have arisen in Egypt rather than in Palestine.

The first writer to use the Second book of Ezdras, as noted above, was Josephus. Treating the book with trust, attempting to eliminate some difficulties which it raised, Josephus, however, in places departs from it and follows its originals in transmission (I:9; I:38; II, 15). Among the Church Fathers, 2 Ezra is quoted very frequently. References to the book are found, for example, in Clement of Alexandria (Strom., I, 21), in Origen (Homilies XI, Commentary on John, vol. VI, 1), in Cyprian (Epistle 74, 9), in Jerome (Preface in the books of Ezra) and Augustine (City of God XVIII, 36; On Christian Doctrine II, 8). Diggel (History of the Old Testament in the Church of Christ, vol. 182) says that the majority of the Church Fathers, with the exception of Jerome, considered the Second book of Ezdras to be canonical. But from the Patristic quotations, which relate mainly to the episode of the dispute of the bodyguards, one sees only that the book enjoyed respect, was regarded as Holy Scripture, and was quoted with the formula ut scriptum est (Cyprian, Origen). In the canons of canonical books, the Second book of Ezdras is not listed. Only Jerome recognized in the book, namely in the discourse on truth (IV:34–40) a messianic-prophetic significance and apparently numbered it among the canonical. Jerome, on the contrary, valued the book low, classing it among the apocrypha. Explaining why he translated only the canonical book of Ezra-Nehemiah, Jerome says in particular: “Let no one be moved because only one book of Esdras is published by us, and let him not delight in the dreams of the apocryphal third and fourth [books]” (Preface to the book of Ezra). Following the view of Jerome, the Council of Trent did not accept the book into the canon, and in official editions of the Vulgate it is either not included at all, or is placed as an appendix. The view of Jerome was followed by Luther, who said that in the 2nd and 3rd books of Ezra there is nothing that could not be found in better form in Aesop or in other less important books. Many Protestant exegetes therefore attach no significance to the 2nd book of Ezdras and in investigating the post-exilic period do not use it at all.

Contrary to the noted views, modern criticism, as already indicated, has elevated the significance of the book and tends to give it preference before the canonical books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Undoubtedly, as a non-canonical book containing obvious errors, 2 Ezra does not deserve the trust which the canonical books of Ezra and Nehemiah deserve. But at the same time it is hardly just to reject, as some authors do, all significance of it: as a translation from a Hebrew original, 2 Ezra can help restore this original in those places where its readings raise difficulties.

Literature: Trendelenburg, On the apocryphal Ezdras (in Eichhorn, Aug. Bibliothek bibl. Literatur, vol. 1. 1787). Fritzsche, Concise exegetical handbook to the Apocrypha of the Old Testament, First part. Leipzig 1851. Bissell, The Apocrypha of the Old Testament, 1880. Zöckler, The Apocrypha of the Old Testament, Munich 1891. Kautsch, The Apocrypha, vol. I, Tübingen 1900. Schürer, Geschichte des jüdischen Volkes im Zeitalter Jesu Christi, 2nd and 3rd edition. Fischer, The Apocryphal and the Canonical Book of Esdras. (Bibl. Zeitschrift 1904). Moulton, On the Transmission and Text-critical Value of the Third Book of Ezdras (Zeitschrift für Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 1899, vol. II). See also the commentary on the books 1 Ezra and Nehemiah in vol. III of the Expository Bible.

Chapter One

1–22. Celebration of Passover in the eighteenth year of King Josiah. 23–24. General remark on Josiah’s reign. 25–34. War of Josiah with the Egyptian Pharaoh and the death of Josiah. 34–36. Reign of Jeconiah. 37–42. Reign of Joiakim and the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar. 43–45. Reign of Jeconiah. 46–58. Reign of Zedekiah and the beginning of the Babylonian captivity.

1 Esdras 1:1. And Josiah celebrated a Passover to the Lord his God, and slew the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month, 1. On the fourteenth day of the first month, that is, Nisan, the first month of the ecclesiastical year. The first month of the civil year was Tishri.

1 Esdras 1:2. Having set the priests in their orders in their vestments in the temple of the Lord. 1 Esdras 1:3. And he said to the Levites, the sacred ministers of Israel: sanctify yourselves to the Lord, to place the holy ark of the Lord in the house which king Solomon son of David built. 3. And he said to the Levites, the sacred ministers (ίεροδουλοις) of Israel. The writer uses the designation ίεροδουλος in a general sense, not having in mind the Nethinim, who are usually called by this name. In the corresponding passage of 2 Chronicles the LXX reads: “the mighty ones.”

1 Esdras 1:4. You will not need to carry it on your shoulders; serve now the Lord your God, and care for his people Israel, and arrange yourselves by families and by generations according to the order of David, king of Israel, and according to the magnificence of Solomon his son, 3–4. “Sanctify yourselves to place the holy ark of the Lord in the house.” “You will not need to carry it on your shoulders.” The ark of the covenant had already been in the temple since the time of Solomon (1 Kgs 8:6). Therefore the statements of verses 3–4 raise a question. This question Michaellis and Movers resolve by the supposition that the ark of the covenant, in the time of Josiah’s ungodly predecessors Manasseh and Amon, to prevent its desecration, was removed somewhere from the temple.

1 Esdras 1:5. And standing in the sanctuary, in the divisions of the Levitical families in front of your brothers, the sons of Israel, 1 Esdras 1:6. Slay the Passover lamb according to the ordinance and prepare the sacrifices for your brothers and perform the Passover according to the command of the Lord given to Moses. 1 Esdras 1:7. And Josiah gave as a gift to the people who were gathered there thirty thousand lambs and goats and three thousand cattle; these were given from the royal herds to the people and to the priests and to the Levites. 1 Esdras 1:8. And Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, who were in charge of the house, gave to the priests for the Passover two thousand six hundred sheep and three hundred cattle. 8. The Hilkiah mentioned in verse 8 is the high priest Hilkiah, who found the book of the Law in the time of King Josiah (2 Kgs 22). Zechariah and Jehiel, named in verse 8, were in charge of the house. In other places it is usually spoken of only one who was in charge.

1 Esdras 1:9. And Jehoniah and Shemaiah and Nathanael his brother, and Hashabiah and Ochiel and Joram, commanders of thousands, gave to the Levites for the Passover five thousand sheep and seven hundred cattle. 9. In 2 Chronicles XXXV different names are listed: Conaniah (instead of Jehoniah), Shemaiah (instead of Shemaiah), Nathanael (instead of Nathanael), Hashabiah (instead of Hashabiah), Jehiel (instead of Ochiel), Jozabad (instead of Joram). These persons are called commanders of thousands. But according to 2 Chr 35:9, they were chiefs of the Levites.

1 Esdras 1:10. And when this was happening, the priests and Levites stood in proper attire by families and hereditary divisions, holding the unleavened cakes before the people, 1 Esdras 1:11. To offer sacrifices to the Lord as prescribed in the book of Moses. And this was in the early morning. 11. “And this was in the early morning.” The reference is to the sacrifice.

1 Esdras 1:12. And they roasted the Passover lamb with fire as it should be, and the sacrifices they boiled in bronze vessels and kettles with spices, and distributed them to all the people. 1 Esdras 1:13. And afterwards they prepared for themselves and for the priests, their brothers, the sons of Aaron. 1 Esdras 1:14. For because the priests were offering the fat until late, the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, their brothers, the sons of Aaron. 1 Esdras 1:15. The singers, the sons of Asaph, were at their stations according to the command of David, and Asaph and Zechariah and Eddinus, who was from the king. 15. And Asaph and Zechariah and Eddinus. In 2 Chronicles XXXV the names are in the genitive case (“according to the command of David, Asaph” etc.), and instead of Zechariah are mentioned Heman and instead of Eddinus – Jeduthun. Instead of “who was from the king” (ό παρά τού βασιλ.) it is better according to manuscripts 11, 44, 55, 58, 71, 74, 106 and the Syriac to read “who were from the king” (οί παρά τού βασ.).

1 Esdras 1:16. And the gatekeepers at each gate were not permitted to leave their post, because their brothers the Levites prepared for them. 1 Esdras 1:17. And on that day was completed all that belonged to the sacrifice to the Lord at the celebration of the Passover, 1 Esdras 1:18. And to the offering of burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord according to the command of King Josiah. 1 Esdras 1:19. And the sons of Israel who were there at that time celebrated the Passover and the feast of unleavened cakes for seven days. 1 Esdras 1:20. Such a Passover had never been celebrated in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel. 1 Esdras 1:21. And none of all the kings of Israel celebrated such a Passover as Josiah did, and the priests and Levites and Judeans and all the Israelites who were dwelling in Jerusalem at that time. 1 Esdras 1:22. In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this Passover celebrated. 1 Esdras 1:23. And the affairs of Josiah were directed rightly before the Lord from a heart full of piety. 1 Esdras 1:24. And what occurred in his time is described in the former chronicles of those who sinned and acted godlessly against the Lord more than any people and kingdom, and how they knowingly provoked him, and for which reason the words of the Lord rose up against Israel. 24. “And what occurred in his time.” Josiah reigned thirty-one years. – “In the former chronicles,” in the Greek εν τοις έμπρθσοεν χρόνοις – in former times. – “And for which reason the words of the Lord rose up against Israel,” that is, the divine threats were fulfilled.

1 Esdras 1:25. And after all these deeds of Josiah, it happened that Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, marched to make war at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. 25. From verse 25, the circumstances of Josiah’s death are related. – “Pharaoh, the king of Egypt” – Pharaoh Necho (Neco of Herodotus, Necu of the monuments). – “Carchemish” (“fortress of Chemosh”), a city that served as the key to the entrance into Palestine.

1 Esdras 1:26. The king of Egypt sent word to him, saying: What have you to do with me, O king of Judea? 1 Esdras 1:27. I am not sent against you from the Lord God; my war is against the Euphrates, and now the Lord is with me and the Lord urges me on; stand aside and do not oppose the Lord. 27. “I am not sent against you from the Lord God… Now the Lord is with me.” Hardly is the Lord – Jehovah – meant in these words. The Egyptians also recognized a single Supreme Being who guides their actions. In an inscription from 750 B.C. one of the Egyptian kings says: “Do you not know that the shadow of God was upon me. I do not act without his command. He directs my deeds” (Bissell).

1 Esdras 1:28. But Josiah did not return to his chariot, but decided to fight with him, not heeding the words of the prophet Jeremiah from the mouth of the Lord. 28. “But Josiah did not return to his chariot,” that is, did not abandon his intention. In some manuscripts: “and Josiah did not turn from him his weapon.”

1 Esdras 1:29. And he engaged him in battle at the field of Megiddo. And the commanders gathered toward King Josiah. 29. “At the field of Megiddo,” the modern El-Lessun on the caravan road from Egypt to Damascus. – “And the commanders gathered toward King Josiah”: according to 2 Chr 35:22 – “and the archers shot at King Josiah.”

1 Esdras 1:30. And the king said to his servants: Take me away from the field of battle, for I am very weak. And his servants immediately carried him out of the line. 1 Esdras 1:31. And he mounted his second chariot and, returning to Jerusalem, died and was buried in the tomb of his fathers. 31. “And he mounted his second chariot,” – apparently, a chariot more suitable for travel. According to 2 Kgs 23:29-30, Josiah died on the field of Megiddo.

1 Esdras 1:32. And they wept for Josiah throughout all Judea, and the prophet Jeremiah wept for Josiah, and the leaders with women lamented him to this day. And this was ordained as a lasting memorial to all the house of Israel. 1 Esdras 1:33. This is written in the chronicles of the kings of Judea, and the things which Josiah did and his glory and his understanding of the law of the Lord; what he did formerly and the things now mentioned are described in the book of the kings of Israel and Judea. 1 Esdras 1:34. And the people took Jeconiah [Joahaz], son of Josiah, and made him king in place of Josiah his father, when he was twenty-three years old. 34. “And the people took Jeconiah, son of Josiah, and made him king.” The successor of Josiah was not Jeconiah, but Joahaz, who was also called Shallum (2 Kgs 23:30). In many manuscripts there is the reading Ί εχονίαν (55, 68, 93, 236 Vat., Latin, Vulgate), but in other manuscripts (as also in the Slavonic) according to the Hebrew Joahaz is read.

1 Esdras 1:35. And he reigned in Judea and Jerusalem three months, and the king of Egypt deposed him so that he should not reign in Jerusalem. 35. “And he reigned in Judea,” in some Greek manuscripts: “in Israel.”

1 Esdras 1:36. And he imposed a tribute on the people of a hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold. 36. The relatively small monetary tribute imposed by the victor was, of course, only a supplement to the territory that had been taken.

1 Esdras 1:37. And the king of Egypt made Joiakim, his brother, king of Judea and Jerusalem. 1 Esdras 1:38. And he imprisoned the nobles, and Zarak, his brother, he took away into Egypt. 38. “And he imprisoned the nobles, and Zarak, his brother, he took away into Egypt.” In the Vatican codex, which our Slavonic follows, the same passage reads: “and imprisoned Joiakim the noble Zarak, his brother, having captured [him], brought from Egypt” (Slavonic “Zarak even his brother seizing brought out of Egypt”). The report is obscure and evidently erroneous. According to the reading accepted in the Russian text, the discussion is apparently about the Egyptian king, whereby it is reported that he imprisoned the nobles of Joahaz and took his brother Zarak away to Egypt. Zarak, however, is not mentioned in other places in the Bible.

1 Esdras 1:39. Joiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king over Judea and Jerusalem, and he did what was evil before the Lord. 1 Esdras 1:40. Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and bound him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon. 40. According to 2 Kgs 24:6; Jer 22:19, Joiakim died in Jerusalem. One can reconcile these accounts with verse 41 by supposing that Nebuchadnezzar did not carry out his original intention, and Joiakim was not taken to Babylon, but was released on the way. Later, for a new revolt, Joiakim was killed and denied burial.

1 Esdras 1:41. And taking some of the sacred vessels of the Lord, Nebuchadnezzar carried them away and placed them in his temple in Babylon. 1 Esdras 1:42. The accounts concerning him, his wickedness and impiety, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings. 1 Esdras 1:43. And Jeconiah, his son, reigned in his place; he was eighteen years old when he was appointed king. 43. “And Jeconiah, his son, reigned in his place.” This means Jehoiachin or Jeconiah.

1 Esdras 1:44. And he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days, and he did what was evil before the Lord. 44. In determining the length of Jeconiah’s reign, 2 Ezra follows 2 Chronicles XXXVI:9, not 2 Kgs 24:8, where a round number is given.

1 Esdras 1:45. And after a year Nebuchadnezzar sent and took him to Babylon along with the sacred vessels of the Lord, 45. “And after a year Nebuchadnezzar sent and took him to Babylon.” “After a year” is an absurd statement (compare verse 44), which is understood to mean: “at the end of the year” (Michaellis), or “in the spring, when campaigns begin” (Bissell).

1 Esdras 1:46. And appointed king of Judea and Jerusalem Zedekiah, who was twenty-one years old. He reigned eleven years. 1 Esdras 1:47. And he did what was evil before the Lord, not heeding the words spoken by the prophet Jeremiah from the mouth of the Lord. 1 Esdras 1:48. And when he was bound by an oath from King Nebuchadnezzar in the name of the Lord, he broke the oath, rebelled, and hardening his neck and his heart, transgressed the laws of the Lord God of Israel. 1 Esdras 1:49. Also the leaders of the people and the priests acted very impiously, exceeding all the uncleanness of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord which was made holy in Jerusalem. 1 Esdras 1:50. The God of their fathers sent his messengers to them calling them to repentance, for he spared them and his dwelling place; 50. “Sent his messengers”: in larger manuscripts in the singular: “sent his messenger.”

1 Esdras 1:51. But they mocked his messengers: on the very day when the Lord spoke, they scoffed at his prophets, 1 Esdras 1:52. Until he became angry with his people for their impiety, he commanded the kings of the Chaldeans to rise up against them. 1 Esdras 1:53. They slew the young men with the sword around their holy temple and did not spare young or old, nor maiden or aged, but all were delivered into their hands. 1 Esdras 1:54. And all the holy vessels of the Lord, both great and small, and the vessels of the ark of the Lord and the royal treasures, they took and carried away to Babylon. 1 Esdras 1:55. And they burned the house of the Lord and tore down the walls of Jerusalem and burned its towers with fire, 1 Esdras 1:56. And all its splendor they turned to destruction; and those who were spared from the sword they carried away to Babylon. 1 Esdras 1:57. And they were slaves to him and to his sons until the dominion of the Persians, in fulfillment of the word of the Lord from the mouth of Jeremiah: 1 Esdras 1:58. Until the land had made up for its sabbaths, throughout all the time of its desolation, for seventy years, it shall keep sabbath. 58. The literal words of verse 57 (“from the mouth of Jeremiah”) are not found in the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah spoke only of 70 years of captivity (XXV:11–12; XXIX:10). The words of verse 58 more closely align with Leviticus XXVI:34–35. The seventy-year captivity is considered as granting the land the rest which it lacked because of the breach by the Jews of the law concerning the sabbatical year.

Chapter Two

1–7. The Edict of Cyrus for the Liberation of the Jews from Captivity. 8–9. The Departure of the Jews. 10–15. The Return of the Vessels. 16–24. Opposition to the Building of the Temple: Letter to Artaxerxes. 25–31. Reply of Artaxerxes and Cessation of the Building of the Temple.

1 Esdras 2:1. In the first year of the reign of Cyrus king of Persia, in fulfillment of the word of the Lord from the mouth of Jeremiah, 1. Verses 1–15 represent an exposition of Ezra 1, very similar down to literal correspondence. See note to Ezra 1.

1 Esdras 2:2. The Lord moved the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he made proclamation throughout all his kingdom, both orally and in writing: 1 Esdras 2:3. Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord of Israel, the Lord Most High, has appointed me king of the world, 1 Esdras 2:4. And has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judea. 1 Esdras 2:5. Whoever, therefore, of you is of his people, may the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judea, and build the house of the Lord of Israel: he is the Lord that dwells in Jerusalem. 1 Esdras 2:6. Wherever, therefore, any are dwelling in the land, let the men of that place aid them with gold and silver, 1 Esdras 2:7. With horses and cattle and with other gifts promised for the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. 1 Esdras 2:8. And the chiefs of the fathers’ houses of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites and all those whose spirit the Lord had stirred up rose to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem; 1 Esdras 2:9. And all their neighbors aided them with silver and gold and horses and cattle and very many gifts, very many of those whose spirit was moved to give. 1 Esdras 2:10. And King Cyrus brought forth the sacred vessels of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in his temple. 1 Esdras 2:11. And Cyrus king of Persia brought them out and gave them to Mithradata, his treasurer, 1 Esdras 2:12. And through him they were given to Sheshbazzar, the governor of Judea. 12. “And through him they (the vessels) were given to Sheshbazzar (Σαμανασσάρω).” In VI:17 the same person is called Sheshbazzar (Σαβανασς). In 1 Ezra I:8; V:14, 16 – in the LXX the same name appears in the forms Σασαρασάρ and Σαβανασάρ. From IV:13; V:6 it is evident that the writer of 2 Ezra understands by this name Zerubbabel.

1 Esdras 2:13. The number of them was: golden bowls a thousand, silver bowls a thousand, silver censers twenty-nine, golden cups thirty, silver cups two thousand four hundred ten, and other vessels a thousand. 1 Esdras 2:14. All the vessels of gold and silver that were brought amounted to five thousand four hundred sixty-nine. 13–14. The total number of all the vessels is given as 5,469. In 1 Ezra I:11 a different number is given. “Golden bowls” σπονδεία, in 1 Ezra “cups” ψυκτήρες, Russian “platters.” “Censers” (θυίσκαι) in 1 Ezra according to the Russian translation “knives.” The figures in 2 Ezra are by some authors considered more accurate than those in 1 Ezra. But the general character of the book under consideration hardly gives grounds for this.

1 Esdras 2:15. And they were brought by Sheshbazzar and those who returned with him from the Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem. 1 Esdras 2:16. Now in the time of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Bishlam and Mithradata and Tabeel and Rehum and Beeltethmus and Shimshai the scribe and the others who were with them, dwelling in Samaria and other places, wrote to him a letter as follows: 16–31. Verses 16–31 present a reproduction of Ezra 4:1-23. See notes to 1 Ezra. Different names of the people who opposed the Jews are given. Bishlam Belem. Tabeel Tabeel. Rehum Rehum. Beeltethmus: it is supposed that the author took for a proper name the title of Rehum beelteem, “counselor,” as also the LXX in Ezra 4:9, Ρεούμ Βαλτάμ. Shimshai Shimshai (Ezra 4:9). On the chronology of this section, see note to Ezra 4:7.

1 Esdras 2:17. To King Artaxerxes, our lord, your servants Rehum the recorder and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their council and the judges who are in Coele-Syria and Phoenicia. 17. “And the judges.” Probably an erroneous translation of the proper name Dinaeans (the name of a people), taken for a common noun.

1 Esdras 2:18. Be it now known to our lord the king that the Jews who have come up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem, to that rebellious and wicked city, and are rebuilding its squares and repairing the walls and laying the foundation of the temple. 18. “And laying the foundation of the temple.” In the version of the letter in Ezra 4 only the walls are mentioned; the temple is not mentioned. By the time of Artaxerxes the temple was already rebuilt. The author understood the document in his own way.

1 Esdras 2:19. Now if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, they will not only refuse to pay tribute but will also rebel against the kings. 1 Esdras 2:20. And since the building of the temple has begun, we think it right not to neglect this matter, 1 Esdras 2:21. But to notify you, our lord the king, whether it is pleasing to you to look into the books of your fathers. 1 Esdras 2:22. You will find in the records and will learn that this city was a rebel and troubled kings and cities, 1 Esdras 2:23. And the Jews were rebels and always caused dissensions in it, and for this reason that city was laid waste. 1 Esdras 2:24. Therefore we now inform you, our lord the king, that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, you will have no passage into Coele-Syria and Phoenicia. 1 Esdras 2:25. Then the king sent in reply to Rehum the recorder and Beeltethmus and Shimshai the scribe and the rest who were with them and dwelling in Samaria and Syria and Phoenicia, the following: 1 Esdras 2:26. I have read the letter you sent to me, and I have ordered examination, and it has been found that this city has a long history of rebellion against kings, 1 Esdras 2:27. And that the men in it are rebellious and start wars, and that there have been strong and mighty kings in Jerusalem who ruled over all Coele-Syria and Phoenicia and collected taxes from them. 1 Esdras 2:28. Now therefore I command these men to cease building this city and to see that nothing more is done, 1 Esdras 2:29. And that the wicked designs against the peace of the kings shall not go further. 1 Esdras 2:30. When the letter of King Artaxerxes was read, Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and those with them hurried to Jerusalem with cavalry and a large military force 1 Esdras 2:31. And they stopped those who were building. And the construction of the temple of Jerusalem ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. 31. Verse 31 shows that the author of the book saw in the letter a protest against the building of the temple.

Chapter Three

1–3. Darius’s banquet. 4–13. Contest of the bodyguards. 14–24. Speech of the first bodyguard about the power of wine.

1 Esdras 3:1. And King Darius held a great banquet for his subjects and his household and all the nobles of Media and Persia, 1. And King Darius held a great banquet. This refers to the Persian king Darius Hystaspis (521–485 BCE). – And his household: the Greek “oikogenes” means a slave born in the king’s own house.

1 Esdras 3:2. and all the satraps and commanders and governors of the lands subject to him, from India to Ethiopia, in one hundred twenty-seven satrapies. 2. In one hundred twenty-seven satrapies: from Judea (in the text of Ezra, “from India”) to Ethiopia. Cf. Daniel 6:1; Esther 1:1; 8:9. In the book of Daniel (6:1) it is said: 120 satrapies; but Herodotus (III, 89) mentions only 20. Apparently Herodotus had a different division in mind.

1 Esdras 3:3. And they ate and drank and, when satisfied, departed; and King Darius went to his bedroom and slept, and afterward awoke. 3. And King Darius… slept and then awoke (exypnos egeneto). Some authors render this last expression: “fell into deep sleep.” With such a translation, the conversation of the king’s bodyguards that follows would be understandable. But the expression exypnos egeneto undoubtedly carries the meaning given in the Russian translation. Darius, evidently, after the banquet slept restlessly. This kept the bodyguards awake and, perhaps, to drive away sleep, they conducted the conversation described below.

1 Esdras 3:4. Meanwhile three young men who were bodyguards, keeping watch over the body of the king, said to one another: 1 Esdras 3:5. let each of us state one word about what is strongest? And whose word proves wiser than the other’s, King Darius will give him great gifts and great reward. 4–5. In reproducing the account of chapter III, Josephus gives it a somewhat different character. In his view, the contest of the bodyguards occurred at the initiative of Darius himself. Awaking before dawn and unable to fall back asleep, Darius entered into conversation with the bodyguards and gave a promise to reward generously that one of them who would speak the wisest word on the theme set by him.

1 Esdras 3:6. And he shall be dressed in purple and drink from golden vessels, and sleep on gold, and ride in a chariot with horses in golden bridles, wear on his head a fillet of fine linen and a necklace on his neck, 1 Esdras 3:7. and he shall sit second after Darius for his wisdom, and shall be called a kinsman of Darius. 7. As a reward to the winner, it is promised that he shall be called a kinsman of Darius. A royal kinsman (synchenes) is a high honorific title (1 Macc 10:89; 2 Macc 2:1).

1 Esdras 3:8. And immediately, each having written his own word, they sealed and placed it under the pillow of King Darius and said: 1 Esdras 3:9. when the king wakes, let this writing be brought to him, and whoever the king and the three nobles of Persia recognize as having the wisest word, to him shall the advantage be given, as it is written. 9. And whoever the king and the three nobles of Persia recognize. At the head of Persian governance stood seven nobles – representatives of seven noble houses (cf. Ezra 7:14, Esth 1:14). It is possible that from the seven, three were distinguished as the noblest. To them the writer is referring.

1 Esdras 3:10. One wrote: wine is strongest of all. 1 Esdras 3:11. Another wrote: the king is strongest. 1 Esdras 3:12. A third wrote: women are strongest, but truth conquers everything. 1 Esdras 3:13. And when the king awoke, they brought him this writing, and he read it. 1 Esdras 3:14. And sending for them, he summoned all the nobles of Persia and Media, and the satraps and commanders and governors of the provinces and his advisers, 1 Esdras 3:15. and sat in the council hall, and the writing was read aloud to them. 1 Esdras 3:16. And he said: summon these young men, let them explain their words. And they were called and came in. 1 Esdras 3:17. And he said to them: explain what you have written. And the first began, he who spoke about the power of wine, and spoke thus: 17. And he said to them. In the Greek: kai eipan, and “they said.”

1 Esdras 3:18. O men! How mighty is wine! It brings confusion upon the minds of all who drink it; 18. It brings confusion upon the minds of all who drink. The word “minds” (dianoia) in the Greek text belongs to the following verse, and in verse 18 it has been inserted by the translators.

1 Esdras 3:19. it makes the mind of the king and of the slave, the free man and the poor man, the rich man, all alike; 1 Esdras 3:20. and it turns every mind toward gaiety and joy, so that a person does not remember any sorrow or any debt, 1 Esdras 3:21. and it makes all hearts rich, so that no one thinks of the king or the satrap, and it causes everyone to speak of his own talents. 21. And it causes everyone to speak of his own talents, that is, to imagine himself possessing talents.

1 Esdras 3:22. And when they are drunk, they forget their goodwill toward friends and brothers and quickly draw swords, 1 Esdras 3:23. and when they sober up from wine, they do not remember what they did. 1 Esdras 3:24. O men! Is not wine the strongest of all when it causes such deeds? And having said this, he fell silent.

Chapter Four

1–12. Speech of the second bodyguard about the power of the king. 13–32. Speech of the third bodyguard Zerubbabel about women and 34–41 about truth. 42–46. The king’s decision and Zerubbabel’s request about the Jews. 47–57. Darius’s kindness toward the Jews. 58–60. Zerubbabel’s prayer of thanksgiving. 61–63. Joy of the Jews at the granting of freedom.

1 Esdras 4:1. And the second began to speak, he who spoke about the power of the king. 1 Esdras 4:2. O men! Are not men powerful who have dominion over land and sea and all that is in them? 1 Esdras 4:3. But the king overpowers and is master over them, and gives commands to them, and in all that he commands them, they obey. 1 Esdras 4:4. If he says to them to make war against each other, they do it; if he sends them against enemies, they go and destroy mountains and walls and towers, 1 Esdras 4:5. and they kill and are killed, yet they do not transgress the king’s word; and if they conquer, they bring everything they have taken as plunder to the king, and all the rest. 1 Esdras 4:6. And those who do not go out to war and do not fight, but till the ground, after sowing, gathering the harvest, also bring to the king 1 Esdras 4:7. and, compelling one another, they bring tribute to the king. 1 Esdras 4:8. And he alone, if he says kill, they kill; if he says release, they release; if he says strike, they strike; 1 Esdras 4:9. if he says lay waste, they lay waste; if he says build, they build; if he says cut down, they cut down; if he says plant, they plant; 1 Esdras 4:10. and all his people and his army obey him. Moreover, he reclines, eats and drinks and sleeps, 1 Esdras 4:11. and they stand guard around him and no one is able to go away and do his own business, nor can they disobey him. 1 Esdras 4:12. O men! Is not the king mightier than all when such is his obedience? – And he fell silent. 1–12. The speech of the second bodyguard is more extensive than the speech of the first. Its meaning is that the king is the mightiest of all, since all people obey him.

1 Esdras 4:13. And the third, who spoke of women and of truth – this was Zerubbabel – began to speak: 13–32. The third bodyguard’s speech is the longest. It falls into two halves. In the first it is demonstrated that women are stronger than wine and stronger than the king, since they gave birth to the king, nursed those who tend the vineyards, prepare clothes and all things needed for adornment, and cause men to forget everything for their sake. In the second half of the speech, the power of truth is extolled. 13. The writer’s note about the third bodyguard: this was Zerubbabel; in the Syriac, Old Latin and manuscripts 108, 121, it is given with the addition ό tou Salachiēl ex phylēs Ikouda.

1 Esdras 4:14. O men! Is the king not great, and are not many men mighty, and is not wine strong? But who has dominion over them and possesses them? Are not women? 1 Esdras 4:15. Women gave birth to the king and all the people who have dominion over land and sea; 1 Esdras 4:16. and from them were born and by them were nourished those who plant vineyards, from which wine is made; 1 Esdras 4:17. they make clothes for people and provide adornment for people, and people cannot exist without women. 1 Esdras 4:18. If they gather gold and silver and all kinds of precious things and then see a woman beautiful in appearance and lovely, 1 Esdras 4:19. they abandon everything, keep their eyes fixed on her, and gaze upon her with mouths open, and all cling to her more than to gold and silver and every precious thing. 1 Esdras 4:20. A man leaves the father who raised him and his country and cleaves to his wife, 1 Esdras 4:21. and with his wife he leaves his soul, and does not remember neither his father, nor his mother, nor his country. 21. And with his wife he leaves his soul (aphiēsi tēn psychēn), that is, he remains with his wife until death (Cf. Gen 35:18).

1 Esdras 4:22. And from this you ought to know that women have dominion over you. Do you not toil and labor and bring and deliver everything to women? 1 Esdras 4:23. A man takes his sword and goes out to the roads to rob and steal, and is prepared to sail across seas and rivers, 1 Esdras 4:24. he meets a lion and wanders in darkness; but as soon as he has stolen and plundered and robbed, he brings it to his beloved. 24. He meets a lion and wanders in darkness. Cf. Prov 22:13; Sir 4:30; 1 Pet 5:8. In the Old Latin: leonem contemnit, he disdains a lion. The idea is that a man, for the sake of his beloved, disregards every fear.

1 Esdras 4:25. And a man loves his wife more than his father and mother. 1 Esdras 4:26. Many have lost their minds because of women and became slaves through them. 1 Esdras 4:27. Many have perished and gone astray and sinned because of women. 1 Esdras 4:28. Do you not believe me now? Is not the king mighty in his power? Do not all countries fear to touch him? 1 Esdras 4:29. I saw him and Apamea, daughter of the celebrated Bartacus, the king’s concubine, sitting at the right hand of the king; 29. Daughter of the celebrated Bartacus. The name is read differently in manuscripts and appears to be corrupted. In Josephus it reads: Rabezacou tou Themassou. The name Alami (Alamin) occurs very frequently in monuments as the name of Syrian princesses.

1 Esdras 4:30. and she took the crown from the head of the king and placed it on herself, and with her left hand she struck the king on the cheek. 1 Esdras 4:31. And at all this the king looked at her with his mouth open: if she smiled at him, he smiled; and if she became angry with him, he caressed her so that she would be reconciled to him. 1 Esdras 4:32. O men! Why then are women not mighty when they conduct themselves thus? 1 Esdras 4:33. Then the king and the nobles looked at one another, and he began to speak about truth. 33. Then the king and the nobles looked at one another – evidently expressing astonishment at what Zerubbabel had said.

1 Esdras 4:34. O men! Are not women mighty? Great is the earth and high the heavens, and swift in its course is the sun, for it completes its circle through the heavens in one day and returns again to its place. 1 Esdras 4:35. Is not He great who does this? And truth is great and stronger than all things. 1 Esdras 4:36. All the earth cries out to the truth, and the heaven blesses it, and all the works tremble and shudder before it. And there is no unrighteousness in it. 1 Esdras 4:37. Wine is unrighteous, the king is unrighteous, women are unrighteous, all the children of mankind are unrighteous, and all their deeds are such, and there is no truth in them, and they will perish in their unrighteousness; 1 Esdras 4:38. but truth remains and is strong forever, and lives and has dominion forever and ever. 1 Esdras 4:39. And with her there is no partiality and no distinction, but she does what is just, departing from all that is unjust and evil, and all approve of her deeds. 1 Esdras 4:40. And there is nothing unjust in her judgment; she is the strength and the kingdom and the power and the glory of all the ages: blessed is the God of truth! 35–40. Zerubbabel glorifies truth, representing it as more powerful than everything, and not God. It is possible that he has in mind non-Jewish listeners. Moreover, in Zerubbabel’s speech is reflected the influence of the age in which the author of the book lived. The idea of God in later Jewish theology was broken down into individual concepts (sophia, logos, pneuma theou, alētheia); these concepts were hypostatized and took the place of ancients in signifying the conception of Godhead.

1 Esdras 4:41. And he stopped speaking. And all exclaimed and said: great is truth and mightier than all things. 1 Esdras 4:42. Then the king said to him: ask what you wish, beyond what is written, and we will give it to you, since you have shown yourself the wisest, and you shall sit beside me and be called my kinsman. 41–42. Recognized as the winner, Zerubbabel receives permission to ask what he wishes and appeals with a petition for the Jews.

1 Esdras 4:43. Then he said to the king: remember the vow you gave on the day when you received your kingdom, that you would rebuild Jerusalem 1 Esdras 4:44. and send all the vessels taken from Jerusalem, which Cyrus took when he made a vow to destroy Babylon and promised to send them there. 1 Esdras 4:45. And you promised to build the temple which the Edomites burned when Judea was laid waste by the Chaldeans. 45. You promised to build the temple which the Edomites burned. On the participation of the Edomites in the plunder of Jerusalem there is mention in the prophet Obadiah and in the book of Ezekiel 26:5.

1 Esdras 4:46. And now I ask this of you, O lord the king, and I beseech you, and in this is your greatness: I ask you to fulfill the promise which you made with your mouth to the King of Heaven. 1 Esdras 4:47. Then King Darius, rising, kissed him and wrote letters for him to all the governors and commanders of the provinces and commanders and satraps, to allow him and all who were with him going to build Jerusalem to pass. 1 Esdras 4:48. And he wrote letters to all the local governors in Coelesyria and Phoenicia and those on the Lebanon, to bring cedar wood from the Lebanon to Jerusalem and to help him build the city. 1 Esdras 4:49. And he wrote concerning freedom for all the Jews departing from the kingdom into Judea, that no one of those having authority, the governor of the region and the satrap and the governor, should come to their doors, 49. Not come to their doors, that is, not interfere in their internal affairs.

1 Esdras 4:50. but all the land that they possess shall be exempted from tribute, and the Edomites shall abandon the villages of the Jews which they held; 1 Esdras 4:51. and for the building of the temple there shall be given annually twenty talents, until it is completed; 1 Esdras 4:52. and for the sacrifices on the altar daily burnt offerings, in addition to the seventeen prescribed, were to be given ten talents per year; 52. The mention of the seventeen prescribed burnt offerings is unclear. In the Syriac, Old Latin and Vulgate it is omitted. Cf. Exod 29:38; Num 28:8.

1 Esdras 4:53. and that all those departing from Babylon shall be free to build the city, both themselves and their descendants and all the priests who will go. 1 Esdras 4:54. And he wrote also concerning their support and the priestly garments in which they serve. 1 Esdras 4:55. And he wrote to provide support for the Levites until the day when the temple is completed and Jerusalem is rebuilt; 1 Esdras 4:56. and to all who guard the city, he ordered to give wages and provisions. 56. Ordered to give wages and provisions – klerorous kai opsoñia, estates and support.

1 Esdras 4:57. And he released all the vessels which Cyrus had taken out of Babylon; and all that Cyrus commanded to be done, he also ordered to be done and sent to Jerusalem. 1 Esdras 4:58. And when the young man came forth, he turned his face toward the sky opposite Jerusalem, thanked the King of Heaven and said: 58. And when the young man came forth – he came forth, evidently, from the royal palace. – He turned his face toward the sky opposite Jerusalem. Cf. Daniel 6:10. To pray, having turned one’s face toward Jerusalem, was a common custom.

1 Esdras 4:59. from You comes victory and from You wisdom, and Your is the glory, and I am Your servant. 1 Esdras 4:60. Blessed are You, You who have granted me wisdom, and I give You thanks, O God, Father of our fathers. 1 Esdras 4:61. And having taken the letters, he departed and came to Babylon and told all his brothers. 1 Esdras 4:62. And they gave thanks to the God of their fathers because He had granted them freedom and permission 1 Esdras 4:63. to go and build Jerusalem and the temple, which is called by His name. And they rejoiced with music and gladness for seven days. Our Telegram channel

Chapter Five

1-3. Return from captivity. 4-44. List of those who returned with Zerubbabel. 45-49. Building of the altar. 50-52. Festival of Booths and restoration of sacrifices. 53-62. Building of the temple. 63-70. Obstacles from the Samaritans.

1 Esdras 5:1. After this, the clan heads according to their families were chosen to go forth, with their wives and sons and daughters, and their male and female servants with their livestock. 1. Verses 1-5 contain information that is not found in the canonical books. The source from which the author drew this information is unknown. The Greek text of the verses Fritzsche finds to have Hebraic coloring, and Ewald and Bertheau suggest that verses 1-5 once existed also in Ezra 2-3 the words of verse 2 with music, with timbrels and trumpets, some interpreters ascribe to verse 3, understanding it as an indication of the solemn sending off of those departing by the brothers who remained.

1 Esdras 5:2. Darius sent with them a thousand horsemen, until they brought them into Jerusalem in peace, with music, with timbrels and trumpets. 1 Esdras 5:3. All their brothers rejoiced, and the king allowed them to go together. 1 Esdras 5:4. These are the names of the men who went forth by their families in their orders: 1 Esdras 5:5. the priests, the sons of Phineas, the sons of Aaron, Jeshua son of Jozadak, son of Seraiah, and Joiakim son of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel from the house of David, from the tribe of Judah, 5. Seraiah, Seraiah. Joiakim the son of Zerubbabel. In 1 Chr 3:9 Joiakim is not named among the sons of Zerubbabel. In view of 4:58, where Zerubbabel himself is presented as a young man, mention of his son Joiakim can also raise questions. Fritzsche and Reuss, on the contrary, believe that the story of the contest related in chapters 2-4 refers precisely to Joiakim and only later, by error, was a remark about the third bodyguard—which is Zerubbabel—inserted in 4:33, and he was made the hero of the narrative.

1 Esdras 5:6. who spoke before Darius king of Persia wise words in the second year of his reign, in the month Nisan, the first month. 1 Esdras 5:7. These are the Judeans who came forth from captivity of the exile whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had exiled, 1 Esdras 5:8. and who returned to Jerusalem and to the rest of Judea, each to his own city, those who came with Zerubbabel and Jeshua, Nehemiah, Zaraiah, Reshaiah, Enhaniah, Mordecai, Beelsarus, Aspharsus, Reeliah, Roimus, Baanah, their leaders. 8. See Ezra 2:2: Neh 7:7. The transliteration of names in 2 Esdras differs from that in the parallel passages in 1 Esdras and Nehemiah.

1 Esdras 5:9. The number of the people with their leaders: of the sons of Phoros two thousand one hundred seventy-two; of the sons of Saphat four hundred seventy-two; 9. Instead of Phoros in 1 Esdras and Neh 7:8 Parosh is named. The number of the sons of Shatia in 1 Esdras and Nehemiah is determined as 372, not 472 as in 2 Esdras.

1 Esdras 5:10. of the sons of Aras seven hundred fifty-six; 10. In Ezra 2:5 and Neh 7:10 instead of Aras is named Arah. The number of his sons was according to 1 Esdras 775, according to Nehemiah 662 (instead of 756 in 2 Esdras).

1 Esdras 5:11. of the sons of Pahath-Moab with the sons of Jeshua and Joab two thousand eight hundred twelve; 11. In Ezra 2:6 and Neh 7:11—sons of Pahath-Moab. The number of his sons according to Neh 7:11 was 2818.

1 Esdras 5:12. of the sons of Elam one thousand two hundred fifty-four; of the sons of Zathuia nine hundred seventy-five; of the sons of Xorva seven hundred five; of the sons of Bannaia six hundred forty-eight; 12. Elam: according to Ezra 2:7; Neh 5:11-12—Elam. Zathuia: according to Ezra 2:9—Zathuia, according to Nehemiah 7:13—Zattu. Instead of the number 975, it is better with many manuscripts to read 945 as in 1 Esdras. According to Neh 7:12 the number of sons of Zattu—845.—Instead of Xorva in Ezra 2:9 and Neh 7:14 the name is Zaccai, the number of whose sons is determined as 760 (not 705). The number of sons of Bannaia or Binnui according to Ezra 2:10-642. The book of Nehemiah gives the number in agreement with 2 Esdras.

1 Esdras 5:13. of the sons of Bivaia six hundred thirty-three; of the sons of Arge one thousand three hundred twenty-two; 13. Sons of Bivaia or according to 1 Esdras and Neh 7:16—Bevaia—was according to 1 Esdras 623, according to Nehemiah 628 (instead of 633 in 2 Esdras). Sons of Arge according to Ezra 2:12 was 1322, the sons of Azgad—1222. The family of Arge is not mentioned in the book of Nehemiah.

1 Esdras 5:14. of the sons of Adonikam six hundred thirty-seven; of the sons of Vagoia two thousand six hundred six; of the sons of Adina four hundred fifty-four; 14. The number of sons of Adonikam according to Ezra 2:13 was 666, and according to Neh 7:18-667. Sons of Vagoia (according to 1 Esdras and according to Neh 7:19—Bigvai) was according to 1 Esdras 2056, according to Nehemiah 2607.

1 Esdras 5:15. of the sons of Atir from Hezekiah ninety-two; of the sons of Kilan and Azinana sixty-seven; of the sons of Azara four hundred thirty-two; 15-17. Verses 15-39 are not in the Syriac text. Sons of Atir according to 1 Esdras and according to Neh 7:21 was 98. Instead of the names Kilan, Azinana, Annis, Aroma, Vassaia, Arsiphurisa and Betirus in Ezra 2:17-20 and in Neh 7:22-24 completely different names stand.

1 Esdras 5:16. of the sons of Annis one hundred one; of the sons of Aroma thirty-two; of the sons of Vassaia three hundred twenty-three; of the sons of Arsiphurifa one hundred two; 1 Esdras 5:17. of the sons of Betirus three thousand five; of the sons of Bethlemonians one hundred twenty-three; 17. Sons of Bethlemonians: according to Ezra 2:21 and according to Neh 7:26 inhabitants or residents of Bethlehem.

1 Esdras 5:18. from Netophah fifty-five; from Anathoth one hundred fifty-eight; from Bethsamona forty-two; 18. From Netophah according to Ezra 2:22 was 56 people, and according to Neh 7:26-65. From Bethsamona according to Ezra 2:24 and Neh 7:28 from Beth-Azmaveth.

1 Esdras 5:19. from Kiriathirim twenty-five; from Kafir and Virog seven hundred forty-three; 19. Kiriathirim—Kiriatharim. The number of inhabitants of the city in Ezra 2:25; Neh 7:29 is not indicated. Virog, or in other manuscripts Beeroth—Beeroth Ezra 2:25; Neh 7:29.

1 Esdras 5:20. Hadiaseans and Ammideans four hundred twenty-two; from Kiram and Gabbis six hundred twenty-one; 20. The words of the first half of verse 20 are not found in 1 Esdras and Nehemiah. By Hadiaseans are understood the inhabitants of Kedesh (Josh 15:23), by Ammideans the inhabitants of Humtah (Josh 15:54).—Kiram, probably, is Ramah; Gabbis is Geba.

1 Esdras 5:21. from Macalon one hundred twenty-two; from Betolia fifty-two; sons of Niphis one hundred fifty-six; 21. Makkalon—Michmash. Betolia—Bethel. Niphis—Nebo. According to Ezra 2:29 and Neh 7:33, inhabitants of Nebo were 52 (not 152).

1 Esdras 5:22. sons of Kalamolala and Onus seven hundred twenty-five; sons of Ierechi two hundred forty-five; 22. Regarding the sons of Kalamolala and Onus there is no mention in 1 Esdras and Nehemiah. Sons of Ierechi: probably the inhabitants of Jericho are meant. Instead of the number 245, the best manuscripts read 345 as in Ezra 2:34 and Neh 7:36.

1 Esdras 5:23. sons of Sanaas three thousand three hundred one. 23. Sanas—Senaa Ezra 2:35 and Neh 7:38. Instead of the number 3301 the majority of manuscripts read 3330. According to 1 Esdras the inhabitants of Senaa were 3630, and according to Неем 3930. Regarding a city that had such a large number of inhabitants, however, nothing is known.

1 Esdras 5:24. Priests, sons of Ieddu son of Jeshua, with the sons of Sanasiv, nine hundred seventy-two; sons of Emmirufa one thousand fifty-two; 24. Ieddu, according to Ezra 2:36 and Neh 7:39—Jedaiah. Their number according to 1 Esdras and Nehemiah was 973. Emmirufa—probably Immer (Ezra 2:37; Neh 7:40).

1 Esdras 5:25. sons of Phassur one thousand forty-seven; sons of Charmi one thousand seventeen. 25. Phassur—Pashur. The sons of Pashur according to 1 Esdras 2:38 and Nehemiah 7:41 were 1247. Charmi—Harmi (Ezra 2:39; Neh 7:42).

1 Esdras 5:26. Levites, sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel and Bani and Sudia, seventy-four. 26. Bani and Sudia: in Ezra 2:40 instead of these words it says: “of the sons of Hodaviah” (Neh 7:43: Hodevim).

1 Esdras 5:27. Temple singers, sons of Asaph, one hundred forty. 27. Many manuscripts instead of the number 140 read 148, as in Neh 7:44. According to Ezra 2:41 the sons of Asaph were 128.

1 Esdras 5:28. Gatekeepers, sons of Salum, sons of Atar, sons of Tolman, sons of Dakuv, sons of Atit, sons of Tovis, all one hundred thirty-nine. 28. The number of gatekeepers is indicated in agreement with Ezra 2:42, but the names of their representatives are given in an altered form. According to Neh 7:45, the number of gatekeepers was 138. Tovis—Shobai in 1 Esdras.

1 Esdras 5:29. Temple servants, sons of Isava, sons of Asifa, sons of Tavaofus, sons of Kiras, sons of Sudas, sons of Falai, sons of Lavanus, sons of Agrava, 1 Esdras 5:30. sons of Akuda, sons of Uta, sons of Kitava, sons of Akkava, sons of Sivaia, sons of Anan, sons of Kafua, sons of Geddur, 1 Esdras 5:31. sons of Iaira, sons of Desan, sons of Noeva, sons of Haseva, sons of Kazira, sons of Ozii, sons of Finoe, sons of Asara, sons of Vasfaia, sons of Assana, sons of Mani, sons of Nafisi, sons of Akufa, sons of Akhiva, sons of Asuva, sons of Farakema, sons of Vasalema, 1 Esdras 5:32. sons of Meeddus, sons of Kufa, sons of Kharea, sons of Varkhuе, sons of Serara, sons of Thomai, sons of Nasi, sons of Atefa, 29-32. The names of the Nethinim, compared with Ezra 2:43 and following, Neh 7:46 and following, are given in a different transliteration or are entirely different.

1 Esdras 5:33. sons of the slaves of Solomon, sons of Assapfiousfius, sons of Pharir, sons of Ieili, sons of Lozones, sons of Isdail, sons of Saphia, 1 Esdras 5:34. sons of Agia, sons of Fakharef, sons of Savia, sons of Sarophi, sons of Miseia, sons of Gasus, sons of Addus, sons of Suva, sons of Aferre, sons of Varodis, sons of Safaga, sons of Alloma, 33-34. Sons of the slaves of Solomon, that is, descendants of ancient Canaanite peoples reduced to temple service. The names given in 2 Esdras again differ from those named in Ezra 2:55-57; Neh 7:57-59.

1 Esdras 5:35. all the temple servants and the sons of the slaves of Solomon three hundred seventy-two. 1 Esdras 5:36. These are those who came from Thermeleth and Theleris: their leader was Charraphalan and Allar. 36. Thermeleth—Tel-Melikh Ezra 2:59. Theleris—probably Tel-Harsha in 1 Esdras. Instead of the words their leader is Charraphalan and Allar in Ezra 2:59 and Neh 7:61 is a place-name.

1 Esdras 5:37. But they could not show their fathers’ houses and lineage, whether they were from Israel: the sons of Delias son of Baenanus, the sons of Nekodanus, six hundred fifty-two. 37. In Ezra 2:60 instead of Delias is read Delaiah, instead of Nekodanus—Nekoda. In verse 37 there is no mention of the sons of Tobiah named in Ezra 2:60.

1 Esdras 5:38. Among the priests were those performing the priestly service, but not found on the register: the sons of Obdia, the sons of Akuos, the sons of Iaddu, who took as wife Agia, from the daughters of Berzellias, and was named after his name. 38. Among the priests were those performing the priestly service (those seeking the priesthood). Fritzsche translates: “those coveting the priesthood.” Instead of the words: sons of Obdia, sons of Akuos, in Ezra 2:61 is read: “sons of Habaiah (Neh 7:63; Hobavim) sons of Hakkoz.” Iaddu in 1 Esdras and Nehemiah is not named.

1 Esdras 5:39. And since their family records were not found on the register when searched out, they were set apart from the priesthood. 1 Esdras 5:40. And Nehemiah and Atharia said to them that they should not participate in the holy things until there should arise a high priest clothed in the Urim and Thummim. 40. And Nehemiah and Atharia said to them. In Ezra 2:63; Neh 7:65: “and the Tirshatha said to them.” Instead of the Persian title of the governor, which in this passage refers to Zerubbabel in 2 Esdras, the names of Nehemiah and Atharia are mentioned, obviously in error.

1 Esdras 5:41. All the Israelites from twelve years and upward, besides male and female slaves, were forty-two thousand three hundred sixty; their male and female slaves were seven thousand three hundred forty-seven; singers and psalm-singers two hundred forty-five. 41. All the Israelites from twelve years upward: from the age of twelve a Hebrew boy became a “son of the law” (see Luke 2:42). The total number of those who returned is given in agreement with Ezra 2:64 and Neh 7:66. But if one counts the separate numbers, the sum is 33,934—greater than in 1 Esdras (29,818) and in Nehemiah (81,101). This discrepancy is very difficult to explain. The number of singers, according to Ezra 2:65, was 200.

1 Esdras 5:42. Camels four hundred thirty-five, horses seven thousand thirty-six, donkeys two hundred forty-five, pack animals five thousand five hundred twenty-five. 42. The horses of those who returned were according to Ezra 2:66 and Neh 7:68-736. The same number is in some manuscripts of 1 Esdras. The pack animals according to 1 Esdras were 6,720 (instead of 5,525). The discrepancy in numbers, often observed in biblical texts, is explained by the fact that this was where scribal errors most readily occurred.

1 Esdras 5:43. Some of the clan leaders, when they came to the house of God in Jerusalem, made a vow to erect this house in its place according to their ability. 43. When they came to the house of God (to the place where the temple once was). The words “according to their ability” are better connected with verse 44.

1 Esdras 5:44. and to give into the treasury of the temple for its construction one thousand minas of gold and five thousand minas of silver and one hundred priestly garments. 44. In Ezra 2:69 and Neh 7:70-72 a different amount of offerings is indicated.

1 Esdras 5:45. And the priests and the Levites and some of the people settled in Jerusalem and its district, and the singers and the gatekeepers and all Israel in their villages. 1 Esdras 5:46. When the seventh month came and the sons of Israel were each in their own possession, they all gathered with one mind to the open place at the first gate to the east. 46. Apparently verse 46 is based on Neh 8:1. The gathering of the people took place at an open place at the first gate to the east. The First Gate is mentioned in Zech 14:10. It is identified with the ancient gates on the eastern side of the city (Nehemiah 3:6), with the Corner Gate (2 Chr 26:9), or with the present-day Damascus Gate. But it is possible that we are speaking not of gates of the wall, but of the temple gates.

1 Esdras 5:47. And Jeshua son of Jozadak and his priestly brothers and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his brothers rose up and built the altar of the God of Israel, 1 Esdras 5:48. to offer upon it the whole offerings as prescribed in the book of Moses, the man of God. 1 Esdras 5:49. And there gathered to them people from the other nations that were in the land, and they built an altar on its place, because they were at enmity with them, and all the peoples of the land overpowered them; and they offered sacrifices at their time and whole offerings to the Lord, morning and evening. 49. And there gathered to them people from the other nations that were in the land. The words apparently represent a faulty rendering of the remark of the writer of 1 Esdras: “they were fearful of the foreign peoples.”—And they built an altar—the reference is to the Judeans.

1 Esdras 5:50. And they kept the feast of Booths as prescribed by the law, offering the daily sacrifices as was appropriate, 1 Esdras 5:51. and afterward the continual offerings and the sacrifices of the Sabbaths and the new moons and all the sacred festivals. 1 Esdras 5:52. And all those who made vows to God began to bring sacrifices to God from the new moon of the seventh month, although the temple had not yet been built. 1 Esdras 5:53. And they gave silver to the stonemasons and carpenters and food and drink, and carts to the Sidonians and the Tyrians, so that they would bring cedar logs from Lebanon, to be conveyed by sea to the port of Joppa, in accordance with the command given them by Cyrus king of Persia. 1 Esdras 5:54. And in the second year in the second month, upon arriving at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak and their brothers and the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity, 1 Esdras 5:55. laid the foundation of the house of God at the new moon of the second month of the second year after their arrival in Judea and Jerusalem. 1 Esdras 5:56. And they appointed the Levites from twenty years old to oversee the work of the Lord: and Jeshua and his sons and brothers, and Kadmiel and his brother and the sons of Imadabun and the sons of Joda son of Eliahud, with their sons and brothers, all the Levites, with one mind urged forward the work in the house of the Lord. And the builders built the temple of the Lord. 1 Esdras 5:57. And the priests stood in their vestments with musical instruments and trumpets and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, singing to the Lord and praising him according to the ordinances of David king of Israel. 1 Esdras 5:58. and they proclaimed in songs, praising the Lord, that his mercy and his glory were forever over all Israel. 1 Esdras 5:59. And all the people sounded the trumpets and cried out with a loud voice, praising the Lord for the restoration of the house of the Lord. 1 Esdras 5:60. But the elders of the priests and the Levites and the clan leaders, who had seen the former temple, came to the building site weeping and crying out loudly, 1 Esdras 5:61. and many with trumpets and joyful loud acclamations, 1 Esdras 5:62. so that the people could not hear the trumpets because of the clamor of the people; although the assembly sounded the trumpets loudly, so that it was heard from afar. 1 Esdras 5:63. And the enemies of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin heard it and came to learn what the trumpet sound meant. 61-63. Unclear description of the days of celebration. In verse 62 it is reported that the shout of the people drowned out the sound of the trumpets, but at the same time it says that the sound of the trumpets was heard so far that it attracted the attention of the neighbors. 63. The enemies of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin—the Samaritans.

1 Esdras 5:64. And they learned that those who had come from the captivity were building the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel. 1 Esdras 5:65. And they came to Zerubbabel and Jeshua and to the clan leaders and said to them: Let us build together with you; 1 Esdras 5:66. for we also, like you, obey the Lord your God and bring him sacrifices from the days of Asvacapha king of Assyria, who brought us here. 66. From the days of Asvacapha king of Assyria. According to Ezra 4 “from the days of Asardan,” that is, Esarhaddon.

1 Esdras 5:67. Then Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the leaders of the tribes of Israel said to them: You shall not build the house of the Lord our God together with us; 1 Esdras 5:68. we alone will build it for the Lord God of Israel, according to what Cyrus king of Persia has commanded us. 1 Esdras 5:69. Then the peoples of the land attacked those living in Judea and besieged them, hindering the building. 1 Esdras 5:70. and by deceit drawing away the people and stirring up disturbances, they prevented the completion of the building during all the time of the life of King Cyrus and stopped the building for two years until the reign of Darius. 69-70. The presentation of the events is different from 1 Esdras. The statement in verse 70 that the building was stopped for two years is inaccurate, since according to Ezra 4 the building was stopped until the second year of Darius, that is, approximately for 15 years.

Chapter Six

1-2. Renewal of the building of the temple. 3-6. The involvement of the governor of Syria Sisinni. 7-22. The text of the letter sent by him to King Darius. 23-34. The reply of Darius.

1 Esdras 6:1. In the second year of the reign of Darius the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Addo prophesied to the Judeans who were in Judea and Jerusalem, in the name of the Lord God of Israel. 1. Chapter 6 presents an account of chapters 5-7 of the book of Ezra.—Zechariah son of Addo. According to Zechariah 1:1, 7, the prophet was the son of Berechiah and grandson or descendant of Iddo (see Nehemiah 12:16, 4).

1 Esdras 6:2. Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak arose and began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, in the presence of the prophets of the Lord who helped them. 1 Esdras 6:3. At that time Sisinni the governor of Syria and Phoenicia appeared to them, along with Shathruzanai and his colleagues, and said to them: 1 Esdras 6:4. By whose permission do you build this house and complete this work and all these other things? And who are the builders accomplishing this? 4. The name of the governor of Syria and Phoenicia who sent a report to the king about the Judeans was according to Ezra 5 Tattenai. According to some interpreters, this name sounded like Shammai in Greek pronunciation, from which Sisinni arose. Shathruzanai: according to Ezra 5 Shethar-Bozenai.

1 Esdras 6:5. But the elders of the Judeans received mercy from the Lord, who had regard for their captivity, 1 Esdras 6:6. and they were not forbidden to build, until a report should be made to Darius about them, and an answer should be received. 1 Esdras 6:7. Here is a copy of the letter which Sisinni sent and which was sent to Darius: Sisinni the governor of Syria and Phoenicia, and Shathruzanai and his colleagues, the commanders in Syria and Phoenicia, greetings to King Darius. 1 Esdras 6:8. Let all this be known to our lord the king: we came into the province of Judea and entered the city of Jerusalem and found the returned elders of the Judeans in the city of Jerusalem, 1 Esdras 6:9. who were building a new great house for the Lord out of costly hewn stones, laying beams in the walls; 1 Esdras 6:10. and this work is being pursued with zeal, and the work is progressing favorably in their hands and is being completed with great magnificence and care. 1 Esdras 6:11. Then we asked these elders, saying: By whose permission are you building this house and doing this work? 1 Esdras 6:12. So we asked them to inform you and to write to you the names of their leaders, and we requested from them a written list of the leaders. 1 Esdras 6:13. They answered us saying: We are servants of the Lord who made the heaven and the earth. 1 Esdras 6:14. And this house was built many years ago by a mighty and great king of Israel, and it was completed. 1 Esdras 6:15. But because our fathers sinned against the heavenly Lord of Israel, he handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of the Chaldeans. 1 Esdras 6:16. They destroyed this house and burned it, and the people were taken captive into Babylon. 1 Esdras 6:17. But in the first year of the reign of Cyrus over the land of Babylon, King Cyrus commanded this house to be built. 1 Esdras 6:18. And the sacred vessels, golden and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and placed in his temple, King Cyrus took them out from the temple of Babylon and gave them to Prince Sheshbazzar Zerubbabel. 1 Esdras 6:19. And he commanded him to take all these vessels and place them in the temple in Jerusalem and to build the temple of the Lord at his place. 1 Esdras 6:20. Then Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and from that time to the present it has been under construction and has not been completed. 1 Esdras 6:21. Now therefore, O king, if it pleases you, let a search be made in the royal archives of Cyrus, 1 Esdras 6:22. and if it is found that the building of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem was done by order of King Cyrus, and if it pleases our lord the king, let him send us word. 1 Esdras 6:23. Then King Darius commanded a search in the record office located in Babylon, and a record was found in Ecbatana, the city in the Median province, in which it was written: 1 Esdras 6:24. In the first year of the reign of Cyrus, King Cyrus commanded the house of the Lord in Jerusalem to be built, where they offer sacrifices on a perpetual fire. 1 Esdras 6:25. The height of the temple shall be sixty cubits, and its width shall be sixty cubits, with three stories of hewn stone and one story of new timber from the country, and the expenses shall be paid from the treasury of King Cyrus. 1 Esdras 6:26. And the sacred vessels of the house of the Lord, golden and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the house in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be restored to the house in Jerusalem and placed in their appointed place. 1 Esdras 6:27. And I have commanded Sisinni the governor of Syria and Phoenicia and Shathruzanai and his colleagues and the appointed officials in Syria and Phoenicia to keep away from this place and to leave the servant of the Lord Zerubbabel the prince of Judea and the elders of the Judeans to build this house of the Lord at its place. 27. In 1 Esdras 6:6 the decree of Darius begins. The author of 2 Esdras attributes this to Cyrus, which creates a contradiction: Sisinni lives in the time of Darius and receives his command from Cyrus.

1 Esdras 6:28. I have commanded to rebuild it completely and to see to it that full aid is given to those who have returned from the captivity of Judea for the complete building of the house of the Lord. 1 Esdras 6:29. And that from the taxes of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia a portion be given to these men without hindrance for sacrifices to the Lord, to the prince Zerubbabel, for bulls and rams and lambs. 1 Esdras 6:30. In like manner also, so that grain, salt, wine, and oil may continually be given year by year without any hindrance, as the priests in Jerusalem may request, as needed for each day; 1 Esdras 6:31. so that they may bring offerings to the Most High God for the king and his children and pray for their lives. 1 Esdras 6:32. And let it be made known that whoever violates or changes anything written here shall have timber taken from his own property and be hanged upon it, and his property shall be forfeited to the king. 1 Esdras 6:33. May the Lord, whose name is invoked there, destroy every king and people who shall stretch out their hand to hinder or damage this house of the Lord in Jerusalem. 1 Esdras 6:34. I, King Darius, have determined that this be done with precision.

Chapter Seven

1–3. Assistance from the governor of Syria in building the temple. 4–9. Dedication of the temple. 10–15. Celebration of Passover.

1 Esdras 7:1. Then Sisinnis, governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, and Sathrabuzanes and their associates, following the command of King Darius, 1. Chapter VII presents an account of 1 Esdras 6:13–22.

1 Esdras 7:2. eagerly undertook the holy work, helping the elders and priests of Judea. 1 Esdras 7:3. And the holy work progressed well, under the prophecies of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. 1 Esdras 7:4. And they accomplished all things according to the command of the Lord, God of Israel, and according to the will of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. 1 Esdras 7:5. The holy house was completed on the twenty-third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of King Darius. 5. In 1 Esdras 6:15 the completion of the temple is placed on the 3rd day of the month of Adar.

1 Esdras 7:6. And the sons of Israel, the priests and Levites and the rest who had returned from captivity, those who had been set over the work, did everything according to what was written in the book of Moses. 1 Esdras 7:7. And they offered as sacrifices for the dedication of the Lord’s house one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, 1 Esdras 7:8. twelve goats for the sins of all Israel, according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel. 8. The Greek text in the first half of the verse is unclear; in the Russian text the translation is free.

1 Esdras 7:9. And the priests and Levites stood by their divisions, in their vestments, doing the work of the Lord God of Israel, according to the book of Moses, and the gatekeepers at each gate. 9. Verse 9 differs from the parallel account in 1 Esdras 6:16.

1 Esdras 7:10. And those who had returned from captivity, the sons of Israel, celebrated Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, when the priests and Levites had been purified together, 1 Esdras 7:11. and all the sons of the captivity, because they were purified, for all the Levites together were purified. 11. The thought of the verse is unclear. It is possible that the text is corrupted. The words “because they were purified” (ότι ήγνίσόθησαν) are absent in manuscripts 58, 71; and the words “for the Levites all together were purified” (ότι οί λευίται άμα πάντες ήγνίσθησαν) are also absent in manuscripts 52, 64, 74, 106, 119, 120, 121, 134, 276, 278. Thus, from verse 11 only the words “and all the sons of the captivity” remain, which could easily be joined with verse 10. In the Syriac, old Latin, Vulgate, and manuscripts 55, 19, 108, instead of ότι ήγνίσθησαν (because they were purified), one reads ούχ ήγνισθ, “they were not purified.”

1 Esdras 7:12. And they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the sons of the captivity, for their brothers the priests, and for themselves. 1 Esdras 7:13. And the sons of Israel, those who had returned from captivity, everyone who had separated himself from the abominations of the peoples of the land and sought the Lord, 1 Esdras 7:14. and they celebrated the feast of unleavened bread for seven days, rejoicing before the Lord, 1 Esdras 7:15. because He turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the Lord God of Israel. 15. The king of Assyria, that is, Darius, who ruled over the territory of the Assyrian kingdom memorable to the Jews. Justin the Martyr, in his conversation with the Jew Trypho, cites, among other things, the following passage from the book of Ezra, as if deliberately omitted by the Jews: “And Ezra said to the people: This Passover is our Savior and our refuge. And if you consider and it enters into our heart, what we should humble Him upon a sign, and afterward we shall hope on Him, then this place will not be laid waste forever, said the God of hosts; but if you do not believe in Him and do not obey His preaching, you will become a laughingstock to the peoples” (chapter 72 according to Preobrazhenskii’s translation). If the words cited by Justin were ever in the text of the book of Ezra, they probably were found in 1 Esd 7. However, it is certain that these words could have been inserted only by some Christian copyist. Undoubtedly they are not authentic, both because they are in no manuscript of 2 Esdras and in Josephus, and because they contradict known facts: Ezra could not have participated in the Passover described in Ezra 6 and 1 Esd 7, since it took place before his arrival.

Chapter Eight

1–2. Genealogy of Ezra. 3–7. The arrival of Ezra in Jerusalem. 8–24. The decree of Artaxerxes in the name of Ezra. 25–26. Ezra’s prayer of thanksgiving. 27–48. List of those who came with Ezra. 49–60. Description of Ezra’s journey to Jerusalem. 65–67. The question of marriages with foreign women. 68–70. Ezra’s sorrow. 71–87. Ezra’s prayers. 88–91. The oath of the people.

1 Esdras 8:1. After these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, came Ezra, son of Azariah, of Zechariah, of Hilkiah, of Salum, 1. Chapter VIII represents the reproduction of Ezra 7-10:5. – After these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes. On the time of Ezra’s arrival see the note to Ezra 7. The genealogy of Ezra in chapter VIII, as well as in Ezra 6, is incomplete.

1 Esdras 8:2. Sadoc, Ahitov, Amarias, Oziah, Memerof, Zarea, Sauya, Vokka, Abisai, Phinehas, Eleazar, Aaron the high priest. 1 Esdras 8:3. This Ezra came from Babylon, a learned man, well-versed in the law of Moses, given by the Lord God of Israel, 1 Esdras 8:4. and the king granted him honor, for he obtained from him favor for all his petitions. 1 Esdras 8:5. And some of the sons of Israel came with him to Jerusalem, some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers and servants of the temple, 1 Esdras 8:6. in the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes, in the fifth month of that same seventh year of his reign; for they went out from Babylon in the new moon of the first month and came to Jerusalem, by the prosperous guidance given them by the Lord in the journey, in the new moon of the fifth month. 1 Esdras 8:7. Ezra applied great diligence to omit nothing from the law of the Lord and the commandments, to teach all Israel the statutes and judgments. 7. Ezra applied great diligence (πολλήν έπιστήμην περιείχεν), more accurately: “possessed much knowledge,” understanding (έπιστήμη).

1 Esdras 8:8. A written decree, given by King Artaxerxes to Ezra, the priest and reader of the law of the Lord, came as follows: 1 Esdras 8:9. King Artaxerxes to Ezra the priest and reader of the law of the Lord, greeting. 9. Reader of the law. In Ezra 7:12 better: “teacher of the law.”

1 Esdras 8:10. Having resolved humanely, I have commanded that those who wish from the people of Judea and from the priests and Levites in our kingdom shall go with you to Jerusalem. 1 Esdras 8:11. Therefore, whoever wishes, let them gather and go, as it has seemed good to me and to my seven closest counselors; 1 Esdras 8:12. let them see what is being done in Judea and Jerusalem according to the law of the Lord, 1 Esdras 8:13. and let them carry to Jerusalem the gifts for the Lord of Israel, which I and my counselors have vowed, and all the gold and silver that shall be found in the land of Babylon for the Lord in Jerusalem, together with the offerings from the people for the temple of the Lord their God that is in Jerusalem; 1 Esdras 8:14. and the gold and silver shall be for bulls, rams, and lambs and everything else pertaining to these, 1 Esdras 8:15. so as to offer sacrifices to the Lord on the altar of the Lord their God in Jerusalem. 1 Esdras 8:16. And whatever you and your brothers wish to do with the gold and silver, do according to the will of your God. 1 Esdras 8:17. And the sacred vessels of the Lord, which are given to you for use in the temple of your God in Jerusalem, place before the Lord, your God. 1 Esdras 8:18. And the rest that you shall need for the needs of the temple of your God, provide from the royal treasury. 1 Esdras 8:19. And I, King Artaxerxes, command the treasurers of Syria and Phoenicia that whatever Ezra, the priest and reader of the law of the Most High God, requires, they shall provide promptly for him, even up to one hundred talents of silver, 1 Esdras 8:20. and wheat up to one hundred cors, and wine up to one hundred measures. 1 Esdras 8:21. And everything else according to the law of God shall be carefully offered to the Most High God, so that there may be no wrath upon the kingdom of the king and his sons. 1 Esdras 8:22. And I further command you, that no tribute or other tax be imposed upon all the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, the servants of the temple, and the scribes of this temple, and that no one have authority to impose anything upon them. 1 Esdras 8:23. But you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of God, appoint magistrates and judges to judge all those in Syria and Phoenicia who know the law of your God, and teach those who do not know it: 1 Esdras 8:24. and all who transgress the law of your God or the king’s law shall be punished without fail, either by death or by bodily punishment, or by fine of money, or by exile. 1 Esdras 8:25. Then the learned Ezra said: Blessed is the Lord alone, God of my fathers, who has put it in the heart of the king to glorify His house in Jerusalem, 25. The words “then the learned Ezra said” are not in 1 Esdras and in some manuscripts 1 Esd 8:25 (55, 108); furthermore, manuscripts 44, 58, 245, and the Vulgate do not have the word “learned” (γραμματεύς) at this place, which is generally not used by the writer of 2 Esdras concerning Ezra.

1 Esdras 8:26. and honored me before the king and his counselors and all his mighty officials. 1 Esdras 8:27. And I was strengthened by the help of the Lord my God, and I gathered men from Israel to go with me. 1 Esdras 8:28. And these are the leaders by their families and their ranking who went out with me from Babylon in the reign of King Artaxerxes: 1 Esdras 8:29. Of the sons of Phinehas, Gerson; of the sons of Ithamar, Gamaliel; of the sons of David, Lattus, son of Shechaniah; 29. Instead of the name Gamaliel in Ezra 8:2 one reads Daniel: instead of Lattus – Hattum. Son of Shechaniah: the name of this son is omitted.

1 Esdras 8:30. of the sons of Phoros, Zechariah, and with him one hundred fifty men were enrolled; 1 Esdras 8:31. of the sons of Paath-moab, Elioenai, son of Zerah, and with him two hundred men; 31. Compare Ezra 8:4, where instead of the names mentioned in verse 31 stand: Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai, Zerahiah.

1 Esdras 8:32. of the sons of Zathua, Shechaniah, son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred men; of the sons of Adin, Obeth, son of Jonathan, and with him two hundred fifty men; 32. Compare Ezra 8:5. Shechaniah Shekhaniah; Jahaziel Yehaziel; Obeth Ebed; Jonathan Yonatan. The number of members of the clan of Adin mentioned in verse 32 according to Ezra 8:6 was 50 (instead of 250 in verse 32).

1 Esdras 8:33. of the sons of Elam, Jesia, son of Atholiah, and with him seventy men; 33. Compare Ezra 8:7. Elam Elam; Jesia Jesiah; Atholiah Athaliah.

1 Esdras 8:34. of the sons of Shephatiah, Zaraia, son of Michael, and with him seventy men; 34. Compare Ezra 8:8. Zaraia Zebadiah. Instead of the number 70 in Ezra 8:8 stands 80.

1 Esdras 8:35. of the sons of Joab, Obadiah, son of Jahziel, and with him two hundred twelve men; 35. Compare Ezra 8:9. Obadiah Obadiah; Jahziel Jehiel. Instead of the number 212 in Ezra 8:9-218.

1 Esdras 8:36. of the sons of Bani, Assalimoth, son of Josaphias, and with him one hundred sixty men; 36. Compare Ezra 8:10. Assalimoth Shelomith; Josaphias Josiphiah.

1 Esdras 8:37. of the sons of Baani, Zechariah, son of Bebai, and with him twenty-eight men; 37. Compare Ezra 8:11. Baani Bebai.

1 Esdras 8:38. of the sons of Azgad, Joannes, son of Hakkatan, and with him one hundred ten men; 38. Compare Ezra 8:12. Azgad Azgad; Joannes Johanan; Hakkatan Hakkatan.

1 Esdras 8:39. of the sons of Adonikam, the last, and these are their names: Eliphalet, son of Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them seventy men; 39. Compare Ezra 8:13. Eliphalet Eliphelet; Jeuel Jeiel; Shemaiah Shemaiah. Instead of 70 in Ezra 8:13 the figure is 60.

1 Esdras 8:40. of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai, son of Istalcurus, and with him seventy men. 40. Compare Ezra 8:14. Bigvai Bigvai; Uthai Uthai. Instead of the words “son of Istalcurus” in Ezra 8:14 one reads “and Zabbud.”

1 Esdras 8:41. And I gathered them by the river called Pherath, and we remained there three days, and I reviewed them. 41. And I gathered them by the river called Pherath. In Ezra 8:15, as the gathering place of the captives to return to their homeland, a tributary of the Ava River is mentioned. And Josephus, while generally following 2 Esdras, in this point departs from it, noting that the gathering place was near the Euphrates (εις το πέραν τού Εύθράτου).

1 Esdras 8:42. And I found there none of the priests and Levites, 1 Esdras 8:43. so I sent to Eleazar and Iduel, Maasmas, Alnathan, Mamai, Shemeia, Jovibos, Natan, Enatan, Zechariah, and Mosollam, the leading men and the learned, 43. Compare Ezra 8:16. Eleazar Eliezer; Iduel Ariel. Instead of the names Maasmas and Mamai in 1 Esdras only Shemaiah. Alnathan Elpahan. Jovibos Jarib. The name Shemeia is not in 1 Esdras. In 1 Esd 8:43 the Jarib mentioned in 1 Esdras is omitted.

1 Esdras 8:44. and I told them to go to Dodi, who was leader in the place Casiphia, 44. Compare Ezra 8:17. Dodi Iddo.

1 Esdras 8:45. and I instructed them to tell Dodi and his brothers and those in charge in Casiphia to send us priests for the house of the Lord our God. 1 Esdras 8:46. And they brought to us by the mighty hand of the Lord our God learned men of the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel, Asebias and his sons and his brothers, eighteen men; 46. Compare Ezra 8:18. Mahli Mahli. Instead of the name Asebias in 1 Esdras – Sherebiah.

1 Esdras 8:47. and Asebias and Anias and Oseas their brother from the sons of Chanuneus, and their sons twenty men; 47. Compare Ezra 8:19. Instead of the three names (Asebias, Anias, and Oseas) in 1 Esdras only Hashabiah and Isaiah are mentioned, and they are called the sons of Merari, not of Chanuneus.

1 Esdras 8:48. and from the servants of the temple, whom David and the princes appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred twenty servants, with a list of all their names. 48. Compare Ezra 8:20.

1 Esdras 8:49. And I announced a fast there before the Lord our God, 1 Esdras 8:50. to seek from God a prosperous journey for us and our companions and our children and our livestock, 1 Esdras 8:51. because I was ashamed to ask the king for infantry and cavalry and guards for protection against our adversaries; 1 Esdras 8:52. for we said to the king that the power of the Lord our God is with all who seek Him in every good endeavor. 1 Esdras 8:53. Therefore, we again prayed to the Lord, our God, about all this and received great mercy from Him. 1 Esdras 8:54. And I separated twelve of the leaders of the priests and Levites, Sherebiah and Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers with them. 54. Sherebiah and Hashabiah. According to Ezra 8:24 – Sherebiah and Hashabiah.

1 Esdras 8:55. And I weighed out to them the silver and gold and the sacred vessels of the house of the Lord our God, which the king and his counselors and his officials and all Israel had given as gifts. 1 Esdras 8:56. And weighing them out, I gave into their hands six hundred fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels of one hundred talents, and one hundred talents of gold, twenty vessels of gold, and twelve vessels of fine bronze, brilliant as gold. 56. In Ezra 8:27 it is added that the value of the 20 gold vessels equaled 1000 drachmas. The number of vessels of brilliant bronze according to Ezra 8:27 was not 12, but two.

1 Esdras 8:57. And I said to them: “You are also holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the gold and silver are a vowed gift to the Lord, God of our fathers. 1 Esdras 8:58. Be watchful and guard them until you deliver them to the chief priests and Levites and the heads of the families of Israel in Jerusalem, to the treasuries of the house of our God.” 1 Esdras 8:59. And the priests and the Levites, receiving the silver and gold and the vessels that had been brought to Jerusalem, brought them into the temple of the Lord. 1 Esdras 8:60. And, setting out from the river Pherath on the twelfth day of the first month, we traveled to Jerusalem under the mighty hand of the Lord over us, and He saved us from every enemy along the way, and we came to Jerusalem. 1 Esdras 8:61. And there, after three days, on the fourth day, the weighed silver and gold were handed over in the house of the Lord to Marmofes, son of Urias, the priest. 61. Marmofes: according to Ezra 8:31 – Meremoth

1 Esdras 8:62. And with him was Eleazar, son of Phinehas; and with him were Josabdos, son of Jesus, and Moeth, son of Sabannias, Levites; and they counted everything by number and weight, and the whole weight was recorded at the same time. 62. Compare Ezra 8:32. Josabdos Jozabad. Instead of the words “Moeth, son of Sabannias” in Ezra 8:32 one reads “Noadiah, son of Binnui.”

1 Esdras 8:63. Then those who had come from captivity offered sacrifices to the God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-two lambs, twelve goats for sin: all this was a sacrifice to the Lord, 63. Seventy-two lambs. According to the old Italian manuscripts 76, according to Ezra 8:35-77. Twenty goats for the sins, according to Ezra 8:35 – “for sin.”

1 Esdras 8:64. and they delivered the king’s orders to the king’s governors and the magistrates of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, and they honored the people and the temple of the Lord. 1 Esdras 8:65. And when this was done, the officials came to me and said: 1 Esdras 8:66. “The people of Israel and the officials and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the foreign peoples of the land and their abominations, from the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Jebusites and the Moabites and the Egyptians and the Edomites; 66. Compared to 1 Esdras 9 verse 66 omits the word “Ammonites,” but names the Edomites.

1 Esdras 8:67. for they have entered into marriage with their daughters, both themselves and their sons, and the holy seed has been mixed with the foreign peoples of the land, and the officials and magistrates have been participants in this transgression from the very beginning.” 67. In conveying the thought of verse 67, Josephus softens it with the indication that only τινές, “some,” violated the law.

1 Esdras 8:68. As soon as I heard this, I tore my garments and my priestly vestment, and pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat down grieved and troubled. 1 Esdras 8:69. And while I was grieving over this transgression, there gathered to me all who were moved by the word of the Lord, God of Israel, and I sat troubled until the evening sacrifice. 1 Esdras 8:70. Then, rising from my fast, with my garments and my priestly vestment torn, and falling on my knees and stretching out my hands to the Lord, I said: 1 Esdras 8:71. Lord, I am ashamed and confused before Your face, 1 Esdras 8:72. because our sins have risen above our heads, and our transgressions have reached to heaven; 72. Our sins have risen above our heads. See old Latin manuscript 19, 103; the quoted words convey: “above the hairs of our head,” that is, have become more numerous than the hairs of our head. – And our transgressions (καί αί ᾿άγνιάι ήμών) – άγνοια – the sin of ignorance, and then transgression, sin in general (compare 1 Macc 13:39, Tob 3:3).

1 Esdras 8:73. from the time of our fathers even to this day we are in great sin; 1 Esdras 8:74. and for our sins and the sins of our fathers, we and our brothers and our kings and our priests have been handed over to the kings of foreigners, to the sword, to captivity, and to plundering with shame until this day. 1 Esdras 8:75. But now what great mercy has been shown us by You, O Lord God, that You have left us a remnant and a name in Your holy place, 75. Compare Ezra 9:8. – You have left us a remnant (compare verses 85, 86). A figurative expression, very well corresponding to the small number of those who had returned.

1 Esdras 8:76. and You have given us a light in the house of the Lord, our God, and provided us with food during our captivity! Even when we were in bondage, we were not abandoned by the Lord, our God; 76. You have provided us with food during our captivity. The thought does not correspond to the context and the original which the writer used (compare Ezra 9:8).

1 Esdras 8:77. but He has granted us favor in the sight of the kings of Persia, so that they would give us food 1 Esdras 8:78. and to glorify the house of the Lord our God, and to raise up the desolate Zion, and to give us a firm position in Judea and Jerusalem. 1 Esdras 8:79. And now, what shall we say, Lord, having all this? We have transgressed Your commandments, which You gave by the hand of Your servants, the prophets, saying: 1 Esdras 8:80. “The land which you are entering to inherit is defiled with the defilement of foreigners, and they have filled it with their uncleanness. 80. Compare Deut 7:1 and further on.

1 Esdras 8:81. And now do not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, 1 Esdras 8:82. and do not seek peace with them at any time, so that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever. 1 Esdras 8:83. And everything that happens to us happens because of our evil deeds and our great sins. You, Lord, have lightened our sins, 1 Esdras 8:84. and given us such a remnant; but we have again turned to transgress Your law by mixing with the uncleanness of the peoples of the land. 1 Esdras 8:85. Were You not angry with us so as to destroy us and leave us no remnant, no seed, no name? 1 Esdras 8:86. You, Lord, are faithful, God of Israel! for we remain a remnant until this day. 1 Esdras 8:87. But now we stand before You in our transgressions; and because of them we would not be able to stand before You.” 1 Esdras 8:88. And while Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and lying upon the ground before the temple, a very great crowd from Jerusalem gathered to him: men, women, and children; for there was great weeping among the people. 1 Esdras 8:89. And crying out, Jechonias, son of Joelis, of the sons of Israel, said: “Ezra! we have sinned against the Lord, we have taken foreign women from the peoples of the land; and now here is all Israel:” 89. And crying out, Jechonias, son of Joelis, of the sons of Israel, said. In Ezra 10:2 the following words are attributed to Shekaniah, son of Jehiel. In Josephus the name is A χώνιος Ί εήλου.

1 Esdras 8:90. “let us make a covenant with the Lord to put away all foreign women, as you have decided and as those who obey the law of the Lord have decided.” 1 Esdras 8:91. “Rise up and act! for this is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.” 1 Esdras 8:92. And Ezra arose and made the chiefs of the priests and the Levites of all Israel swear to do this, and they swore.

Chapter Nine

1–6. A public assembly convened by Ezra. 7–9. Ezra’s speech. 10–17. Appointment of people to investigate mixed marriages. 18–36. A list of people who entered into mixed marriages. 37–55. The reading of the law.

1 Esdras 9:1. And Ezra rose from before the temple porch and went to the dwelling of Johanan, the son of Eliashib, 1. Verses 1–36 present a narrative of Ezra 10:6-44.

1 Esdras 9:2. and, remaining there, he did not eat bread or drink water, grieving over the great wickedness of the people. 1 Esdras 9:3. And a proclamation was made throughout Judea and Jerusalem to all who had returned from exile, calling them to assemble in Jerusalem; 1 Esdras 9:4. and those who did not appear within two or three days were to have their property confiscated by the judgment of the ruling elders, and they themselves were to be excluded from the assembly of those who had been in exile. 1 Esdras 9:5. And within three days all from the tribe of Judah and Benjamin who had returned gathered in Jerusalem—this was in the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. 5. This was in the ninth month, that is, the month of Kislev, corresponding to our December.

1 Esdras 9:6. And all the people sat in the courtyard of the temple, trembling at the onset of winter. 1 Esdras 9:7. Ezra, standing up, said to them: You have done wickedness and dwell with women of foreign peoples, adding to the sins of Israel. 1 Esdras 9:8. Therefore, now give confession and glory to the Lord, the God of our fathers, 1 Esdras 9:9. and do his will, and separate yourselves from the peoples of the earth and from foreign women! 1 Esdras 9:10. And the entire assembly cried out, and they spoke in a loud voice: as you have said, so we will do. 1 Esdras 9:11. But the assembly is numerous, and the season is winter, and we are not strong enough to stand in the open air, and this matter is not for us one day or two days, for we have sinned very greatly in this: 1 Esdras 9:12. therefore let officials be set over the assembly, and let all those from our settlements who have foreign wives come to them 12. The assembly proposes that only the officials remain in Jerusalem, and the responsibility for investigating mixed marriages should be entrusted to them. – At their time: Greek λαβόντες χρόνον, “having chosen a time”; also (v. 13) “taking the elders and judges of each place”.

1 Esdras 9:13. with the elders and judges of each place, until God’s anger is turned away from us in this matter. 1 Esdras 9:14. And Jonathan, the son of Asaph, and Hezekiah, the son of Theocanus, took on this responsibility, while Meshullam and Levi and Sabbateus assisted them. 14. Cf. Ezra 10:15. Instead of Hezekiah, son of Theocanus, in 1 Ezra it is called Yahziah, son of Pikthai. The words Levi and Sabbateus in 1 Ezra correspond to: “and Shavfai the Levite.” It is not clear what duties the named people had. Since, as is evident from vv. 16–17, people were chosen by Ezra himself for the investigation of the matter of mixed marriages, the people named in v. 14 apparently took on some other duty, perhaps that of conducting relations with those coming to Jerusalem.

1 Esdras 9:15. And those who had returned from exile carried this out completely. 1 Esdras 9:16. And Ezra the priest chose the chief fathers of all by name, and they met on the new moon of the tenth month to examine the matter. 16. And Ezra the priest chose. In Ezra 10 the matter is presented differently: Ezra himself was chosen along with other people. The meaning of v. 16 apparently arose from an erroneous reading Ezra 10:16.

1 Esdras 9:17. And the examination of the men who held foreign wives was completed by the new moon of the first month. 1 Esdras 9:18. And there were found among the assembled priests those who had foreign wives: 1 Esdras 9:19. of the sons of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and of his brothers—Mathithiah and Eleazar and Joriv and Joadan, 19. Cf. Ezra 10:18. Mathithiah (instead of Maaseiah); Joadan (instead of Jedeliah).

1 Esdras 9:20. who pledged themselves to send away their wives, and they brought rams as a sacrifice for their sin; 1 Esdras 9:21. and of the sons of Immer—Hanani and Zebediah, and Manis and Samey, and Jeraiel and Azariah; 21. Cf. Ezra 10:20, where instead of the six listed in v. 21, only Hanani and Zebediah are mentioned.

1 Esdras 9:22. and of the sons of Pashhur—Elioenai, Maseia, Ishmael and Nathanel and Okodil and Saloya; 22. The sons of Harim named in Ezra 10 in 2 Esdras are omitted. Of the sons of Pashhur, instead of Iozavad and Elas (Ezra 10:22), Okodil and Saloya are listed.

1 Esdras 9:23. and of the Levites—Iozavad and Semeis and Koliy, who is also called Kalita, and Patheus and Judah and Iona; 23. Cf. Ezra 10:23. Semeis (instead of Shimei); Koliy (instead of Kelaiah); Patheus (instead of Pethahiah). Instead of Iona in Ezra is called Eliezer.

1 Esdras 9:24. of the singers—Eliasiv, Bakkhur; 24. Cf. Ezra 10:24. Eliasiv (instead of Eliashib). The name Bakkhur is not in 1 Ezra.

1 Esdras 9:25. of the gatekeepers—Shallum and Tolvan; 25. Cf. Ezra 10:24. Of the gatekeepers, Shallum and Tolvan in 1 Ezra “of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uriah”.

1 Esdras 9:26. of the people of Israel, of the sons of Pharos—Jerma and Jeziah, and Melchia and Mail, and Eleazar and Asebiah and Vaneja; 26. Cf. Ezra 10:25, where of the sons of Parosh are listed Ramaiah, Izziah, Malchiah, Miamin, Eleazar, Malchiah and Benaiah.

1 Esdras 9:27. of the sons of Ila—Matthania, Zacharias and Jezriel, and Joavdiy and Jeremoth and Aidiah; 27. Cf. Ezra 10:26. Ila (instead of Elam). Instead of Jezriel and Aidiah in 1 Ezra are listed Jehiel and Eliah.

1 Esdras 9:28. of the sons of Zamora—Eliada, Eleazim, Ophonia, Jarimoth and Savat and Zeralia; 28. Cf. Ezra 10:27: “and of the sons of Zaphu—Elioenai, Eliashib, Matthania, Jeremoth, Savad and Azisa”.

1 Esdras 9:29. and of the sons of Bivaia—Joann and Hanania and Iozavad and Amatia; 29. Cf. Ezra 10:28: “and of the sons of Bevai—Johanan, Hanania, Zasvai and Atlai”.

1 Esdras 9:30. of the sons of Mani—Olam, Mamuh, Yedei, Yasov and Yasail and Jeremoth; 30. Cf. Ezra 10:29: “and of the sons of Vania—Meshullan, Malluch, Adaiah, Yasov, Sheal and Jeramoth”.

1 Esdras 9:31. and of the sons of Addi—Naaf and Mooseia, Lakkun and Naid, Matthania and Sesfil and Valnuy and Manassia; 31. Cf. Ezra 10:30, where there are other names.

1 Esdras 9:32. and of the sons of Anan—Eliona and Asaia, and Melchia and Savvei, and Simon Hosamei; 32. Cf. Ezra 10:31-32, where there are other names,

1 Esdras 9:33. and of the sons of Asom—Altanei and Mattathia, and Savanei and Elifalet, and Manassia and Semei; 33. Cf. Ezra 10:33.

1 Esdras 9:34. and of the sons of Vania—Jeremia, Momdiy, Ismair, Yuil, Mafday and Pedia and Anos, Ravasion and Enasiv and Mamnifanem, Eliasis, Vannus, Eliali, Somei, Selemeia, Nafania; and of the sons of Ezora—Sesis, Ezril, Azail, Samat, Zamri, Yosef; 1 Esdras 9:35. and of the sons of Efma—Maziteia, Zavadei, Idei, Yuil, Vaneia. 34–35. Cf Ezra 10:34-43, where there are other names.

1 Esdras 9:36. All of these had taken foreign wives and sent them away along with their children. 1 Esdras 9:37. And in the new moon of the seventh month the priests and Levites and the Israelites who had been in Jerusalem and in the surrounding region, and the sons of Israel in their places, took their positions. 37. From v. 37 to the end follows a narrative of Neh 7:73-8. – In the new moon of the seventh month, that is, the month of Tishrei.

1 Esdras 9:38. And all the people gathered with one accord in the open space before the eastern gate of the temple, 38. Before the eastern gates of the temple – according to Neh 8:1 before the Water Gate.

1 Esdras 9:39. and they said to Ezra the priest and reader to bring the law of Moses given by the Lord, the God of Israel. 1 Esdras 9:40. And the high priest Ezra brought the law before all the people—from man to woman, and before all the priests, so that they might hear the law, on the new moon of the seventh month, 1 Esdras 9:41. and he read it aloud in the open space before the gates of the temple from morning until midday, before the men and women, and all the people listened to the law. 1 Esdras 9:42. And Ezra the priest and reader stood upon a prepared wooden platform; 1 Esdras 9:43. and beside him stood on the right Mattathia, Sammus, Hanania, Azaria, Uriah, Hezekiah and Baalsam, 1 Esdras 9:44. and on the left—Faldey and Misael, Malchiah, Aofasov, Navaria, Zacharia. 43–44. Cf. Neh 8:4 vv. 43–44 indicate, as in Neh 8:4 13 people standing beside Ezra: seven on the right side and six on the left. According to the book of Nehemiah—seven stood on the left side and six on the right.

1 Esdras 9:45. And taking the book of the law before the people, Ezra sat down with dignity before them all; 1 Esdras 9:46. and when he explained the law, all stood; and Ezra blessed the Lord God Most High, God of Hosts, the Almighty. 1 Esdras 9:47. And all the people cried out: Amen! and, raising up their hands to heaven and falling down to the earth, they worshiped the Lord. 1 Esdras 9:48. Also Jesus and Anniuf, and Saraveia and Yedin and Yakuv, Sabateia, Avtey, Meanna and Kalita, Azaria and Yozavd, and Hanania and Faleia, the Levites, taught the law of the Lord and read the law of the Lord before the people, explaining the reading. 48. Cf. Neh 8:7.

1 Esdras 9:49. And Atfarath said to Ezra the high priest and reader, and to the Levites who taught the people, to all: 49. And Atfarath said to Ezra. According to Neh 8:9: “then Nehemiah, who is also the Tirsatha, and the scribe Ezra, said to the people”.

1 Esdras 9:50. this day is holy to the Lord, and all wept as they heard the law; 1 Esdras 9:51. go and eat rich food and drink sweet wine, and send portions to the destitute, 1 Esdras 9:52. for the day is holy to the Lord, and therefore do not grieve, for the Lord will glorify you. 1 Esdras 9:53. The Levites also exhorted all the people and said: the day is holy, do not grieve. 1 Esdras 9:54. And all went to eat and drink and make merry and to send portions to the destitute, and they made great rejoicing, 1 Esdras 9:55. because they were filled with the words which they had been taught in the assembly. 55. At the end of v. 55 in the Russian text, the words are not translated: καί έπισυνηλθησαν, “and they gathered.” This word indicates that the book ends mid-phrase, therefore the Vulgate adds: “all in Jerusalem celebrate the joy according to the covenant of the Lord, God of Israel.” Josephus (Antiquities XI, 5, 5), following in his account of Ezra the book we are considering, reports that the people, after the described events, fasted for 8 days and then all returned to their homes, singing hymns to God and giving thanks to Ezra for his labors, and that Ezra died in old age and was buried in Jerusalem. There is no basis for asserting that these accounts were ever at the end of Esdras, rather than being borrowed by Josephus from tradition. Professor of the Kiev Spiritual Academy, Master of Theology V. P. Rybinský.

The Book of Tobit

Introduction

Preface

Immediately after the “Second Book of Ezra” and before the “Book of Judith” in the Slavic and Russian Bible is placed the “Book of Tobit” (in the LXX and Vulgate, the books of Tobit and Judith ordinarily stand between the books of Nehemiah and Esther). Like both of these named books and some others, the Book of Tobit is not found in the Hebrew Bible but only in the Greek and other translations. All these books, which did not enter into the sacred canon of the Palestinian Jews, accepted also by the Christian Church, although they were present in the Alexandrian canon of the Hellenistic Jews, are called non-canonical in the Orthodox Church; and the Orthodox-ecclesiastical view of these books equally avoids the extremes of Catholicism (which calls non-canonical books deuterocanonical) and Protestantism (where the view prevails of these books as apocrypha): while not recognizing these books as completely equal to the divinely inspired canonical writings, the Orthodox Church, however, esteems the non-canonical books to be close in spirit to the canonical ones, composed in the light of books from divinely illumined writers, and therefore highly important and useful; according to Saint Athanasius the Great, the non-canonical books “are appointed by the fathers for reading to the newly converted and those desiring to be instructed in the word of piety” (S. Athanasii Opp. t. 1. Colon. 1686, pag. 39–40). Such high authority belonged from ancient times and continues to belong in the Christian Church, particularly, to the Book of Tobit. Although there are no direct testimonies about Tobit and the Book of Tobit in Josephus, Philo, or the Talmud, and likewise no such testimony in the New Testament (where only separate expressions have similarity in thought or in form of expression with passages from the Book of Tobit, e.g., Matt 7:12; Luke 6:31, cf. Tob 4:15; Luke 14:13, cf. Tob 4:7-16; John 16:5, cf. Tob 12:20; 1 Thess 4:5, cf. Tob 7:7; 1 Tim 6:19, cf. Tob 4:9; Rev 8:2-4, cf. Tob 7:15; Rev 21:18-19, cf. Tob 13:16-17), nevertheless in the ancient Christian Church the Book of Tobit enjoyed general fame and high respect, and in separate churches even had liturgical use on a par with the books of Sacred Scripture. Many Fathers and teachers of the Church highly valued the Book of Tobit, for example, Saint Athanasius the Great and Saint John Chrysostom each lists this book, without any restrictions, in his “Overview” (Synopsis) of the books of Sacred Scripture. Such significance of the Book of Tobit in the Christian Church is based on the purely historical character of this book, in its entirety and individual dates fully consistent with other Old Testament and other undisputed historical data, and on the moral purpose of the narrative of the book.

As is evident from the very name of the book in the LXX Τωβίτ, Τωβείθ (Τοβείτ, Τοβιτ), in the Vulgate Tobi, Tobias, liber Tobiae, liber utriusque Tobiae, its content consists of a narrative about the fate, trials, and happiness of the pious Israelite Tobit of the time of the Assyrian captivity and his son Tobias. The ecclesiastical-traditional view ascribes, according to the testimony of Tob 12:20, to Tobit himself—either alone or jointly with his son—both the writing of the book itself, except for its concluding 14th chapter. And indeed, the entire situation of the book becomes incomparably more understandable on the assumption of the book’s origin soon after the events described in it and precisely from the principal persons of the narrative or, at the very least, from someone close to Tobit’s family, than on the basis of the numerous assumptions of Western biblical scholars of the critical school, who date the writing of the Book of Tobit not only to the period after the Babylonian captivity but even to the first centuries of Christianity.

Originally the Book of Tobit was written in Hebrew or Biblical Aramaic, as is clearly testified by Jerome, calling the Book of Tobit Librum, chaldaeo sermone conscriptum (Migne. Patrol, curs. Compl. lat. t. XXIX, col. 23–26), and by Origen (Epist. ad African, c. 13. Migne. Patrol, c. c. gr. t. XI, col. 80). But the existing Hebrew texts of the book: a) Hebraeus Munsteri, published by Sebastian Münster in 1516 in Constantinople (then in 1542 in Basel and several times later, e.g., by Neubauer in Oxford in 1978) and b) Hebraeus Fagii, published by Paul Fagius in Isny in 1542, are clearly of later origin (Jerome did not know them), reflect the views of Talmudism and Rabbinism, and for the study of the text and content of the book have far less significance than the Greek text of the book, especially according to the Sinaiticus manuscript of this text—the Latin texts—the pre-Jerome ancient Latin translations and Jerome’s translation—the Vulgate, the Syrian text, and the Chaldean or Aramaic text. Of very late origin are the translations: Ethiopic, Coptic, Armenian, Georgian, Slavic, and others.

In the Russian language, until recently there were only a few short treatises on the Book of Tobit: 1) Rev. G. I. Smirnov-Platonov. Essay on the Book of Tobit—in “Orthodox Review,” 1862, No. 10; 2) and 3) brief historical information about the Book of Tobit was given in academic lectures—by Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow. On the so-called apocryphal books—in “Readings of the Society of Lovers of Spiritual Enlightenment,” 1876, May,—and by Metropolitan Arseny of Kiev. Introduction to the sacred books of the Old Testament—in “Proceedings of the Kiev Spiritual Academy” for 1872 and separately. Kiev 1873; 4) and 5) notes on the Book of Tobit of an interpretive character—in Rev. M. Kheraskov. Overview of the historical books of the Old Testament. Vladimir-on-Klyazma. 1879; pp. 398–411 and in D. Afanasyev. Historical books of Sacred Scripture of the Old Testament, Stavropol 1886, pp. 369–335. In 1901 a special study on the Book of Tobit was published by professor of the Kiev Spiritual Academy N. M. Drozdov. On the Origin of the Book of Tobit. A Bibliological Study. Kiev 1901, p. 640. This is the most substantial and in all respects superior scholarly work, representing the latest word of science on the textual-critical, historical-exegetical, historical and other aspects of scientific study of the Book of Tobit. By the respected work of Prof. Drozdov we make considerable use in composing our “Commentary on the Book of Tobit.”

Chapter One

The piety of Tobit and the trials sent upon him

1–9. Introduction to the narrative of the book about Tobit: the genealogy of Tobit, the faithfulness of this Israelite to the one lawful Jerusalem worship during the universal religious separation and fall of the ten Israelite tribes from the house of David. 10–14. The piety and charity of Tobit in Assyrian captivity under the favor of King Shalmaneser (Enemsesar). 15–20. Flight and misfortunes of Tobit under the cruel Sennacherib. 21–22. Return of Tobit to Nineveh under Esarhaddon (Sacherdanus).

Tobit 1:1. A record of Tobit, son of Tobiel, son of Ananiel, son of Aduel, son of Gabel, of the tribe of Asiel, of the tribe of Naphtali, Tobit 1:2. who in the days of the Assyrian King Shalmaneser was taken captive from Thisbe, which is on the right side of the Kedis of Naphtali, in Galilee, above Asher. I, Tobit, walked all the days of my life in the paths of truth and righteousness Tobit 1:3. and did much charity to my brothers and to my people, who came with me into the land of Assyria, to Nineveh. 1–3. Superscription of the book, indicating its principal subject. The name “Tobit,” without doubt, identical in origin and meaning with the name “Tobias,” Hebrew Tobiyahu, Tobiya (2 Chr 17:8; Neh 4:3; Zech 6:10), from the Hebrew means: “the goodness of Jehovah,” “Jehovah is good,” and the like; in its present form represents a Hellenized form of the Hebrew name (similar to Elisabet in Hebrew Elisheva). The long genealogy of Tobit in ascending line may indicate the nobility of the family of Tobit in the tribe of Naphtali (in the Vulgate the genealogy of Tobit is omitted). The expression “record of the words” of Tobit, Slavonic “book of words” of T., LXX βίβλος λόγων Τωβίτ, in modern times is usually understood in the sense of genitive object “a narrative about Tobit,” but this expression is entirely admissible also in the sense of genitive subject: “a narrative by Tobit,” a written work of T.: the evidence for the latter understanding is provided both by the consistently maintained form of the narrative in the first person to III 6 verse, and by the direct testimony of the book that Tobit and Tobias, according to the command of the Angel, not only orally praised God for all his blessings but also were to write down everything that happened (LXX: γράψατε, Vulg. scribite XII:20 cf. verse and Tob 13:1), which, without doubt, was accomplished by them, so that to Tobit and Tobias might belong, at least, some of the initial records that formed the basis of the content of the book (cf. in Prof. Drozdov, pp. 250–257). The place of Tobit’s former residence in Palestine is determined by the expression “from Thisbe, which is on the right side of the Kedis of Naphtali in Galilee above Asher” (verse 2). The Thisbe mentioned here, or, according to the Sinaiticus manuscript of the LXX, Thibe in the tribe of Naphtali (in the Vulgate the name Thisbe is omitted), consequently, in the north of Palestine—the later Galilee and to the west of the Jordan should be distinguished from Tishbe, the birthplace of the prophet Elijah (1 Kgs 17:1)—a city on the eastern side of the Jordan in Gilead (cf. Onomast, 517): perhaps precisely to prevent confusion between these two cities or in view of the obscurity of that Thisbe in which Tobit lived before his deportation to captivity, the location of the latter city is determined (verse 2) very thoroughly: it lay on the right side, i.e., to the south (in determining the position of lands and places the Hebrews took the east as their starting point, so that the eastern side was considered the front, the western the back, the southern the right, and the northern the left), from the Kedis of Naphtali in Galilee above Asher, έκ δεξιών Κυδίων (Κοδίως) τής Νεφθαλείμ έν τη Γαλιλαία υπεράνω Ασήρ. Under the name Kedis here is understood the city, which in the Hebrew text of the Bible is called Qedesch, in the LXX Ka δής, or Κέδες, in Josephus Κεδέση, Κέδαδα, Κύδισα), namely, as distinct from cities of this name in the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:23) and Issachar (1 Chr 6:72), here Kedis or Kedesh is called a Galilean city belonging to the tribe of Naphtali. It was one of the chief and most ancient cities of northern Palestine or Galilee: is mentioned already in the Tel-Amarna letters and Egyptian inscriptions: was the capital of one of the Canaanite kings defeated by Joshua (Josh 12:22), then became a lot of Naphtali (Josh 19:37), was given to the Levites (1 Chr 6:72) and became a city of refuge for involuntary manslayers (Josh 20:7: in both of these places it is named “Kedesh in Galilee”), was the birthplace of Barak (Judg 4:6); was laid waste along with other adjoining cities under the Israeli king Pekah by Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria (2 Kgs 15:29), but afterward was settled after the captivity and is mentioned in the era of the Maccabees (1 Macc 11:63). According to Josephus, K. lies in Upper Galilee (northern or heathen Galilee, Isa 9:1; 1 Macc 5:15), between the region of Tyre and Galilee (Antiquities V, 1, 24, XVIII, 5, 6), representing a boundary fortress of the Tyrians (Jewish War, IV, 2, 3). See Onomast, 583; in Prof. Drozdov, pp. 417–418; Commented Bible, vol. II, pp. 327 and 516. Now at the place of Kedesh, to the northwest of Lake Semakhonitensis or Lake Huleh—the ancient Lake Merom—there is a small village Kades with many ancient sarcophagi. Robinson, Palast. III, 622. Buhl, Geogr. d. alt. Palast., 8, 235. Under Asher (verse 2) commentators usually understand the city of Hazor, taken by Joshua upon the death of its king Jabin (Josh 11:1 ff. Book Judg 4:2), then belonging to the tribe of Naphtali (Josh. XIX:36–37); it was fortified by Solomon 1 Kgs 9:15, afterward together with Kedesh was taken by Tiglath-Pileser (2 Kgs 15:29). According to Josephus (Antiquities V, 5, 1), it lay on Lake Semakhonitensis (Merom), now—the hill Tell-el-Harawi with remains of ancient structures. See Onomast. 167; Prof. Olesnitsky, Holy Land, vol. II, p. 479; Prof. Drozdov, pp. 419–421; Commented Bible, vol. II, p. 324. Some commentators, on the basis of the Vulgate reading: post viam, quae ducit ad occidenten (in the Sinaiticus Codex this corresponds to: οπίσω δυσμών ηλίου, by analogy with Deut 11:30), not unreasonably perceive here a determination of the location of Thisbe near a road, or on the west of the road, running through Upper Galilee in a direction from east to west, i.e., from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea (one such road ran from Akko in a northern direction through the mountains of Naphtali to Caesarea Philippi, another ran near Kedesh, Hazor, and Thisbe). See in Prof. Drozdov, p. 424. The captivity of Tobit with his countrymen is attributed in the Book of Tobit to the Assyrian king Shalmaneser (according to the texts of LXX and Slavic Russian) or Shalmaneser (according to the Vulgate, Chaldean, Hebrew Munster): the latter fully agrees with the testimony of 2 Kgs 17:3-6 about the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel and the captivity of its inhabitants by Shalmaneser (ordinarily called Shalmaneser IV), so that the carrying away of Tobit into captivity falls on the time of the complete destruction of Samaria and the Kingdom of Israel under its last king Hoshea, or in the 6th year of the reign of Hezekiah. Both 4 Kings and the Book of Tobit here literally diverge from the testimony of Assyrian records, according to which the final conquest of Samaria and the resettlement of the Israelites in Assyria was accomplished not by Shalmaneser but by Sargon, but this apparent contradiction is easily resolved partly by the consideration that one of these kings—namely Sargon—merely completed what was begun by the other—Shalmaneser—in the siege of Samaria and the captivity of the Israelites, and partly—by the possibility that these two names belong to one and the same Assyrian king (see in Prof. Drozdov, pp. 432–440; cf. Commented Bible, vol. II, p. 519). The testimony in question of the Book of Tobit likewise does not contradict the testimony of 2 Kgs 15:29, according to which the predecessor of Shalmaneser IV—Tiglath-Pileser III under the Israeli king Pekah and Ahaz, among other things, “took Hazor, and Gilead, and all Galilee, the whole land of Naphtali, and carried them away to Assyria,” since in this case there might have been a partial deportation of the inhabitants from the territory of the tribe of Naphtali. The place of residence of Tobit and some of his countrymen in Assyria was, according to the Book of Tobit, Nineveh (Tob 1:3). This testimony, contrary to the opinion of some researchers of the Book of Tobit, is easily compatible with the testimony of 2 Kgs 17:6 about the territory of the settlement of the Israelites in Assyrian captivity,—and this all the more because, according to the Book of Tobit, as according to 4 Kings, the Israeli settlers were also in the cities of Media: Rages or Rages (Tob 5:1) and Ecbatana (Tob 3:7). 2b-3 (LXX verse 3). The distinctive property and basic virtue of Tobit was his lifelong faithfulness to the ways of truth, αληθείας, i.e., the faith and worship of the fathers, and righteousness, δικαιοσύνης—active love and charity toward poor countrymen, for which in captivity there were very many occasions (cf. verse 17).

Tobit 1:4. When I lived in my country, in the land of Israel, being yet a youth, then all the tribe of Naphtali, my father, was in rebellion from the house of Jerusalem, which was chosen from all the tribes of Israel, that they might offer sacrifices there, where the temple of the dwelling of the Most High is sanctified and firmly established for all generations. Tobit 1:5. As all the rebelling tribes were making sacrifice to Baal, and the calf, so also the house of my father Naphtali. Tobit 1:6. But I alone often went to Jerusalem on the feasts, as prescribed to all Israel by an everlasting ordinance, with the first fruits and tithes of the produce of the earth and the first fruits of the fleece of sheep, Tobit 1:7. and I gave these to the priests, sons of Aaron, for the altar: a tithe of all the fruits I gave to the sons of the Levites serving in Jerusalem; a different tithe I sold, and each year I went and expended it in Jerusalem; Tobit 1:8. and a third I gave to those to whom it was due, as Deborah, the mother of my father, commanded me when I was left an orphan after my father. 4–8. The faithfulness of Tobit to the pure faith of the fathers and the lawfully ordained worship was expressed in his youth, while he was in his native land, in the fact that, in the midst of the universal dominance in the Israeli kingdom of the worship of the calves introduced by Jeroboam I (verse 5, see 1 Kgs 12:19, see Commented Bible, vol. II), and amid the universal turning away of the Israelites from Jerusalem, as a religious-political center,—Tobit alone, with but few others, constantly visited the Jerusalem temple, zealously performing there the sacrifices and theocratic offerings established by the law (verses 4, 6–8, cf. Exod 22:29; Deut 16:16-17). The possibility for Tobit to make these pilgrimage journeys in the last days of the existence of the Israeli kingdom is confirmed by the report of 2 Chr 30 chapter, that at the call of the Judean king Hezekiah to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem, some inhabitants of the Israeli kingdom came there, to which the last king of Israel Hoshea made no opposition (2 Kgs 17:1-2, see Commented Bible, vol. II, cf. in Prof. Drozdov, pp. 430–431). In distinction from the texts of the LXX and others, the Vulgate relates about Tobit in the third person, not in the first, as the other texts. In the accepted Greek, Slavic-Russian texts there is a twofold historical-archaeological inaccuracy in verses 5–8. In the Israeli kingdom they offered sacrifices, according to verse 5, τή Βαάλ τή δαμάλει, Slavonic: to the Baal calf, Russian synodal: to Baal, the calf. But nowhere in the Bible is mention made of the worship of Baal-calf, and such a worship never existed among them: it is evident that two different religious cults have been confused into one: the worship of the golden calves introduced by Jeroboam I (1 Kgs 12:28 ff.), and the worship of Baal, which developed in the Israeli kingdom from the time of Ahab (1 Kgs 16:31 ff., see Commented Bible, vol. II). In reality here, in Tobit 1:5, the state (since the time of Jeroboam!) worship of the Israeli kingdom is meant—the worship of the calves; in the Sinaiticus Codex of the LXX in verse 5 stands the correct expression: τώ μόσχώ Chaldean as calves, in the Vulgate with explanatory expansion: ad vitulos aureos, quos Ieroboam fecerat, rex Israel. Likewise, the accepted text of the LXX, Slavic-Russian in verses 6, 8 poorly transmits the prescriptions of the law, which offerings Tobit performed in Jerusalem. Thus here, in verse 6, completely different theocratic duties are incorrectly combined into one: 1) a tithe of cattle, δεκάται τών κτηνών (Lev 27:32-33 and 2) first fruits of the fleece of sheep, πρωτοκουραί τών προβάτων (Deut 18:4). In verse 7 about the so-called second tithe (τήν δευτέραν δεκάτην) in the accepted Greek text it is said indefinitely (it was brought 4 times in the course of a sabbatical cycle). In verse 8 the so-called tithe of the poor, given to the poor in every third year instead of the second tithe, is transformed, according to the accepted text of the LXX, Slavic-Russian, into a third tithe, which the Hebrews did not have at all (probably, the giving of the tithe of the poor in the 3rd year gave occasion to call it a third tithe), and its purpose is expressed generally: δίδουν, οίς καθήκει, Slavonic: I gave to those to whom it belonged, Russian: “I gave to those to whom it was due, as Deborah commanded me.” All these inaccuracies in the designation of the theocratic offerings established by law and given by Tobit are avoided by the text of the Sinaiticus manuscript, and the Vulgate entirely omits all these details of a ritual nature (Jerome limits himself only to the general remark: haec et his similia), as well as the mention found in the other texts of Tobit’s pious grandmother Deborah (verse 8).

Tobit 1:9. When I came of age, I took for a wife Anna from our paternal lineage and had a son Tobias. Tobit 1:10. When I was taken captive to Nineveh, all my brothers and kinfolk ate from the food of the gentiles, Tobit 1:11. but I kept my soul pure and did not eat, Tobit 1:12. for I remembered God with all my soul. 9–12. The marriage of Tobit with Anna and the birth of a son occurred, it seems, already in Assyrian captivity (according to the Vulgate, on the contrary, Tobit was carried into captivity already with his wife and son: igitur, cum per captivitatem devenisset cum uxore sua et filio in civitatem Niniven cum omni tribu sua), since in his native land Tobit was only in childhood (verse 4). In the Vulgate, verse 9, there is an addition that Tobit, according to the Vulgate—Tobias—gave his own name also to his son Tobias: nomen suum imponens ei,—and another addition about the religious-moral education of the son by the father: quem ab infantia timere Deum docuit et abstinere ab omni peccato. The piety of Tobit in captivity, like later that of Daniel (Dan 1:8), Judith (Jdt 10:5), Eleazar and the Maccabees (2 Macc 7, ch.), was expressed (verses 10–12) first of all in abstinence from pagan food, έκ των άρτων των εθνών,—in accordance with the important significance of the dietary laws in the legislation of Moses (Lev 11, Deut 14 chs.; cf. Lev 7:23; Deut 15 and others). Nineveh (Jonah 3 ch. Onomast. 748)—the capital of Assyria, lay on the left, eastern bank of the Tigris, opposite Mosul: now on its ruins lie the villages of Kuyunjik and Nebi Yunus.

Tobit 1:13. And the Most High granted me mercy and favor with Shalmaneser, and I was his purveyor; Tobit 1:14. and I went to Media, and left in safekeeping with Gabael, the brother of Gabriel, in Rages of Media, ten talents of silver. Tobit 1:15. And when Shalmaneser died, his son Sennacherib reigned in his place, whose ways were not steady, and I could no longer go to Media. Tobit 1:16. In the days of Shalmaneser I did much charity to my brothers: Tobit 1:17. I gave bread to the hungry, and garments to the naked, and if I saw any of my tribe dead and cast out beyond the wall of Nineveh, I buried him. Tobit 1:18. And I secretly buried also those whom King Sennacherib slew, when he was turned back in his flight from Judea. For he killed many in his wrath. And the king sought their bodies, but found them not. Tobit 1:19. And one of the Ninevites went and informed the king about me, that I buried the dead; then I hid myself. And when I learned that the king sought me to put me to death, I fled from the city in fear. Tobit 1:20. And all my substance was plundered, and nothing was left to me except Anna, my wife, and Tobias, my son. 13–20. The favor of God toward the pious Tobit was expressed in the merciful treatment by King Shalmaneser—Shalmaneser, who made Tobit his “purveyor,” LXX: αγοραστής, Slavonic: merchant; this occupation gave Tobit the opportunity to acquire some wealth and to entrust a certain amount to some Gabael in Rages of Media. In the Vulgate, this account is replaced by a remark more in keeping with the moral tendency of that translation, that the Assyrian king granted Tobit the freedom to go wherever he wished and to do whatever he pleased; dedit illi potestatem quocumque vellet ire, habens libertatem quaecumqe facere voluisset. But the thought of the Greek text, as more simple and natural, deserves decided preference before the obviously artificial construction of the Vulgate, the fact that in the Book of Tobit, I:14; IV:1; V:5 and others, the Median city of Rages is presented as existing at the time of the Assyrian dominion, gave rise to some scholars (Jahn, Bertholdt, and others) to deny the historical authenticity of the book—on the grounds that, according to the testimony of Strabo (Geograph. XI, 13, 6), the city was built much later, and precisely by Seleucus Nicator. But in reality, Rages-Ecbatana existed in deep antiquity, according to some for a thousand years before our era, as is testified by mentions of this city in the Avesta (Spigel Fr. Avesta, I Bd. 565) and in Medo-Persian traditions and cuneiform inscriptions (cf Rilter. C. Die Erdkunde von Asien. Bd. VI. I Abtl. s.s. 29 ff. 601, 604), and the testimony of Strabo, as well as the similar testimony of Pliny the Elder (Nat. Hist. liv. VI, c. 14) about the construction of Rages-Ecbatana by Seleucus should be understood in the sense of a report about the restoration, renovation of the city, which had long existed. See in Prof. Drozdov, pp. 404, 447–450. The Vulgate alters the thought of the Greek text in verses 15–17 in accordance with the moral tendency of the translation: about the ten talents acquired by Tobit here (verse 16) it is noted that they were received by Tobit as a reward from the king, quibus honoratus fuerat a rege (hence not through commercial enterprises). The leaving of this sum by Tobit with Gabael in the Vulgate is turned into an act of charity by Tobit toward Gabael, who is named as needy (egentem, verse 17). Likewise, to the journeys of Tobit to Media is given in the Vulgate through the remark that Tobit went to his countrymen, giving them salutary instruction (monita salutis, verse 15). But in reality, as is testified by other passages of the Book of Tobit, verses 13 and following of the first chapter depict the social and material position of Tobit in captivity and, in relation with other data of this kind contained in the Book of Tobit itself, this position appears, on the whole, quite favorable. Only with the accession to the Assyrian throne of the famous figure known from 2 Kgs 18-19; Isa 36-37; 2 Chr 32 Sennacherib (Hebrew Sancherib) did the position of Tobit, as well as in general that of the captive Israelites in Assyria, deteriorate. Tobit apparently lost his position as a court purveyor and could no longer go to Media, while his countrymen underwent persecution from Sennacherib, who, apparently, after his flight from Judea (2 Kgs 19:35-36; 2 Chr 32:21; Isa 37:36-37) vented his spite on the captive Israelites and killed many of them “in his wrath” (verse 18). (Cf. Commented Bible, vol II, p. 525). Tobit could not now go to Media (verse 15), probably as a result of political complications in that country—the beginning of the unification of the Median tribes for the purpose of overthrowing the Assyrian yoke, so that access to Media for peaceful relations was closed (verse 15). Special hatred and persecution from Sennacherib were brought upon Tobit by the fact that he, while ordinarily doing charity to his countrymen (verses 16–17a), did not fear to perform an act of charity even toward the executed Hebrews, burying the slain (17b-18). From the execution threatening Tobit he saved himself by flight from Nineveh, in which all his property was plundered (verses 19–20).

Tobit 1:21. But not fifty days passed when two of his sons killed him and fled to the mountains of Ararat. And in his place his son Esarhaddon reigned, who appointed Achiacharus son of Aniel, my brother’s son, over all the accounting office of his kingdom and all its household administration. Tobit 1:22. And Achiacharus interceded for me, and I returned to Nineveh. And Achiacharus was cupbearer and keeper of the signet ring and steward and treasurer; and Esarhaddon appointed him second to himself; for he was the son of my brother. 21–22. The forced flight of Tobit from Nineveh lasted only about fifty days (these fifty days elapsed precisely from the day of Tobit’s departure from Nineveh, and not from the moment of Sennacherib’s return from his Palestinian campaign, as, for example, Koenig, Kohler, Reuss maintain, seeing in such an indication of time a contradiction to history from the moment of the unsuccessful campaign of Sennacherib until his violent death, in reality, however, neither can there be any contradiction of this sort) as if in punishment for Sennacherib’s cruelty toward the captive Israelites and, in particular, toward Tobit, this king was killed by two of his sons (verse 21, see 2 Kgs 19:37; Isa 37:33), who fled to the mountains of Ararat. This testimony of the Book of Tobit, entirely consistent with the testimony of 2 Kgs 19 chapter and Isaiah XXXVII chapter, is at variance, seemingly, with external data—in Berossus, Abydaenus, in the Babylonian chronicle and in the inscription of the Babylonian king Nabonidus—according to which Sennacherib was killed by only one son, but this disagreement in no way has the character of a contradiction, and is easily resolved by careful analysis of the external testimonies (see in Prof. Drozdov, pp. 467–173). After Sennacherib his son Sarhedon (the 3rd son of Sennacherib, after his assassins Adrammelech and Sharezer, called by Arrian Axerdes), ordinarily known under the name Esarhaddon or Esarhaddon. During the reign of this ruler of Assyria, known for his magnanimity and gentleness, Tobit again returned to Nineveh, thanks to the intercession of his nephew Achiacharus, to whom Esarhaddon restored that high position at court which he held under Sennacherib, but in the latter days of that king lost as a result of the intrigues of his nephew Nadan or Aman (XIV:10). The offices entrusted to Achiacharus were important in the arrangement of the life of the Assyrian kings, he was a) chief cupbearer, οινοχόος b) keeper of the king’s ring or royal seal (with which state documents were sealed), ό επί τού δακτυλίου; c) steward, διοικηεής, i.e., probably, not only in the sense of a modern minister of the court, but also as administrator of the country—like a minister of internal affairs (cf. 1 Kgs 4; Commented Bible, vol. II) and d) chief treasurer, εκλογιστής—like a minister of finance (cf. in Prof. Drozdov, pp 475–479). Although the history of Achiacharus enters the Book of Tobit purely episodically (Tob 1:21-22), yet some researchers (e.g., Harris, Cosquin) are inclined to see in the narrative about Achiacharus the first source for the entire content of the Book of Tobit and to refer both one and the other to the realm of fiction. But in reality the narrative about Achiacharus, belonging to the class of so-called wandering tales, existed and exists under different names and in various versions among many peoples, precisely in the languages: Syriac, Arabic, Armenian, Ethiopic, Greek, Slavic-Russian, and Romanian, all the details of the narrative about Achiacharus coincide with the indications in the Book of Tobit about Achiacharus: about his position as an official under Sennacherib (Tob 1:21-22); about his charity to Tobit (Tob 2:10), and about his rescue from the nets of death set for him by Nadan or Aman (XIV:10), although the name of Tobit is not mentioned in any recension of the narrative about Achiacharus. The ideological similarity of this narrative to the Book of Tobit, of course, does not necessitate the assumption of mutual dependence of these two works: both could independently arise from a common source-tradition. But in favor of the fact that Achiacharus was not an invented but a historical person, speaks both the position of Achiacharus under the historically known Assyrian kings Sennacherib and Esarhaddon, the non-mention of the name Achiacharus in the Assyrian canon of eponyms can be explained by his having another, Assyrian name, A., and the widespread fame of Achiacharus as a wise man or philosopher in the East and the West (see in Prof. Drozdov, pp. 337–344). Thanks to Achiacharus, Tobit was able to improve his material means and live in comfort, as is evident from verse 1 of chapter II.

Chapter Two

1–5. On the feast of Pentecost, Tobit sends his son to invite one of the poor coreligionists to dinner. 3–8. Tobias brings word that a strangled Jew lies on the square, and Tobit buries him. 9–14. The blindness befalling Tobit, the poverty of the family, and the reproaches of his wife.

Tobit 2:1. And when I returned to my house, and my wife Anna and my son Tobias were given to me, on the feast of Pentecost, which is the holy week of weeks, there was prepared for me a good meal, and I reclined to eat. Tobit 2:2. And when I saw much food, I said to my son: Go, and bring, whom you can find, of the poor of our brothers who remembers God, and I will wait for you. 1–2. Upon his return to Nineveh, at the intercession of Achiacharus (I:22), Tobit not only was able to live again with his wife and son, but apparently received possession of his house and had such adequate means of livelihood that he was able to hold a festive meal on the feast of Pentecost, according to the prescriptions of the law (Deut 16:11) (LXX: αριστον καλόν, Vulg.: prandium bonum, Slavonic: a good meal). “Pentecost”—Πεντηκοστή—a later name for “the feast of weeks” (Deut 16:10); this name first appears in 2 Macc 12:32 and then in the New Testament (Acts 2:1; 1 Cor 16:8), in the greater part of the ancient texts of the Book of Tobit this name does not appear: in the Sinaiticus Codex the feast is named “the fiftieth day of our feast,” i.e., of Passover (‘εν τή Πεντηκοστή τής εορτής ημών, ή εστίν αγία εβδομάδων), in Chaldean and Hebrew Munster—according to the biblical text, “the feast of weeks.” The lack of mention of sacrificial offerings, divine service and the like in the account of Tobit’s strict piety in captivity is explained by the absence among the Israelites in Assyrian captivity of all the appurtenances of the lawful worship according to the prescriptions of Moses. All the more scrupulously Tobit performs (verse 2, cf. I:16–17) the commandment of the law concerning charity to needy coreligionists at festive meals (Deut 12:18-19 and others).

Tobit 2:3. And he came and said: Father, one of our tribe has been strangled and lies on the market place. Tobit 2:4. And at once, before I tasted food, I rose hastily and took him up to a place until the setting of the sun. Tobit 2:5. And having returned, I washed myself and ate my bread in sorrow. Tobit 2:6. And I remembered the prophecy of Amos, when he said: “Your feasts shall be turned into mourning, and all your merriment into lamentation.” Tobit 2:7. And I wept. And when the sun had set, I went and dug a grave and buried him. Tobit 2:8. And the neighbors ridiculed me and said: he is no longer afraid to be put to death for this deed; he already fled, and behold, he is burying the dead again. 3–8. From the fact that when Tobias made a chance exit to the street, the case of the execution of a Jew immediately came to light (verse 3), it is reasonably concluded (e.g., by Calmet), that the persecution of the Israelites, begun by Sennacherib, had not completely ceased even under Esarhaddon, despite the relative gentleness of this king and his closeness to Achiacharus, a relative and protector of Tobit, who was probably generally well-disposed toward the captive Israelites. The course of action of Tobit in this case, and in many others, reveals in him a true observer of the law: having fulfilled the requirements of love for the deceased coreligionist—through burying his body,—which Tobit did very frequently in the grievous time for the captive Hebrews (I:18; XII:12),—he hastens to fulfill also the prescription of the law concerning ritual purity (Num 19 ff.), although, for the lack of sacrificial worship in captivity and, of course, purifying ashes of the red heifer, he performs purification by a simple washing (LXX: ‘ ελουσάμην). The fact that in the Book of Tobit it is told more than once that Tobit buried the dead, left without burial,—as the principal kind of charity of this man (I:17–18; II:3–4, 7–9; IV:17; XII:12),—gave some researchers (e.g., Zimrock, Kuhler, Cosquin) cause to perceive a similarity between the Book of Tobit and the legend widespread in many lands (Armenia, Italy, Turkey, Serbia, Russia) of the grateful dead, where the burial of an unburied corpse is a source of good fortune for the one who performed the burial, and the counterpart to which in the Book of Tobit would be the beneficence of the Angel to Tobit’s family. But the features of similarity indicated have a purely external and accidental character and in no way give ground to speak of mutual dependence of the Book of Tobit and the aforementioned legend (see in Prof. Drozdov, pp. 312–318). The hardships of captivity, the weight of which was acutely felt during the great feasts, which for the theocratic consciousness of the people of God were a source of great joy, naturally brought to the remembrance of Tobit, who doubtless well knew the law and the prophets,—the corresponding prophecy of Amos (Amos 8:10 verse, in similar manner the author of the 1 Maccabees recalls this prophecy, 1 Macc 1:39-41, in depicting the hardships of the Jews under the dominion of the Syrians), this is one of the few direct quotations in the biblical books.

Tobit 2:9. And that very night, returning after the burial and being unclean, I lay down to sleep behind the courtyard wall, and my face was not covered. Tobit 2:10. And I did not perceive that there were sparrows on the wall. When my eyes were open, the sparrows dropped their droppings on my eyes, and white scales formed on my eyes. And I went to physicians, but they did not help me. But Achiacharus provided for me until he went away to Elymais. 9–10. In the completion of the sorrow and grief of Tobit, a great misfortune befell him—the loss of his sight: when, after the burial, Tobit lay at night in the courtyard with an “uncovered face” (πρόσωπον μου ακάλυπιον ην, verse 9), bird droppings (στρουθία, hirundines; Slavonic-Russian: sparrows; the corresponding Hebrew word—“tzipporim”—means small birds in general, cf. Ps 8:9; Gen 15:10; Lev 14 ff.); here—birds, near human habitation: sparrows or Vulg.: swallows, as a consequence of which white scales (λευκώματα) formed on both eyes, and then, as a result of unsuccessful treatment by unskilled physicians, perhaps (medicine in ancient Assyria and Babylon stood low, bordering on magic) complete blindness ensued (verse 10). This fact, for an unbiased mind, presents nothing incredible, physically impossible, contrary to the objections of negative criticism (see in Prof. Drozdov, pp. 344–348, 480–481). Having lost all his property and all means of livelihood as a result of disease and treatment, Tobit received sustenance for some time from the aforementioned (I:21–22) Achiacharus, until the latter departed to Elymais (it was Achiacharus who departed to Elymais, as it stands in the Sinaiticus manuscript of the LXX and the Vet. latin, not Tobit, as (επορεύθην) stands in the accepted Greek text and Slavonic translation. Elymais—the biblical-Hebrew Elam, Greek Susiana (Gen 10:22; Isa 11:11 and others).

Tobit 2:11. And my wife Anna did women’s work of spinning wool Tobit 2:12. and sent it to the rich, who gave her wages, and once they also gave her a kid. Tobit 2:13. And when they brought it to me, it began to bleat; and I said to my wife: Where did this kid come from? Perhaps it is stolen? Return it to its owners! For it is not lawful for us to eat what is stolen. Tobit 2:14. And she said to me: It was given to me as a gift beyond my wages. But I did not believe her and insisted that she return it, and I was angry with her. But she answered me: Where now is your charity and your righteous deeds? See how all these have appeared on you! 11–14. When, with the departure of Achiacharus to Elymais (verse 10), the last source of means for Tobit had dried up, his wife began to earn sustenance by the usual women’s work (‘ εν τοις γυναικείοις, i.e., έργοις, in the Sinaiticus manuscript; consequently,—women’s work, not women’s chambers or apartments, as in Slavonic-Russian)—spinning wool and weaving (Cf. Prov 31:13), receiving payment for her labor from her employers (verses 11–12a). In addition to the usual payment, Tobit’s wife was once given as a gift a kid (according to the text of Vet. Lat., as well as according to the Sinaiticus Codex of the LXX, this happened on the 7th day of the month of Dystros, which some researchers (Graetz, Ant. Scholz, and others) identify with the Syro-Macedonian Dystros (Hebrew Adar), but it is possible that “Dystros”—δύστρος, here represents a Greek transcription of Hebrew Tishri—the name of the 7th month, consequently, the kid was given to Anna, Tobit’s wife, shortly, a week before the Feast of Tabernacles (cf. Lev 23:34), precisely to give the poor family the opportunity to have a better table at the approaching feast (see in Prof. Drozdov, pp. 483–486). In the reproachful answer of Anna (verse 14) to Tobit’s suspicions (verse 13) there is a similarity to the speech of the wife of Job to him Job 2:9 (especially in the LXX text of the Book of Job): this circumstance, as well as the general similarity in the fates of suffering and deliverance from suffering of Tobit and Job, gave some researchers (Eichhorn, Bertholdt, Waigeninger, and others) cause to perceive in the Book of Tobit a free imitation of the Book of Job. But such similarity (deliberately, moreover, emphasized in the Vulgate text, verse 15) between the two works does not present anything artificial, and the conclusion of some researchers mentioned now is entirely arbitrary.

Chapter Three

1–6. Prayer of Tobit to God for deliverance from suffering. 7–15. A similar prayer of Sarah, daughter of Raguel in Ecbatana of Media. 16–17. The prayers of both were heard, and the Angel Raphael was sent for their salvation.

Tobit 3:1. Being grieved, I wept and prayed in sorrow, saying: Tobit 3:2. Just are You, O Lord, and all Your deeds and all Your ways are mercy and truth, and You judge with true and righteous judgment forever. Tobit 3:3. Remember me and look upon me: do not punish me for my sins and the mistakes I have made and the errors of my fathers, which they committed before You. Tobit 3:4. For they did not listen to Your commandments, and You delivered us to plunder and captivity and death, and as a byword and a reproach to all the nations among which we are scattered. Tobit 3:5. And now, in truth, many and righteous are Your judgments—to deal with me according to my sins and the sins of my fathers, because they did not keep Your commandments and did not walk in righteousness before You. Tobit 3:6. And therefore, do with me what seems good to You; command my spirit to be taken, that I may be freed and return to the dust, for it is better for me to die than to live, for I heard deceitful reproaches, and there is deep sorrow within me! Command me to be freed from this burden into the eternal dwelling, and do not turn Your face away from me. 1–6. Under the weight of misfortunes: blindness, poverty, and reproaches from his wife—Tobit makes a fervent prayer. This prayer as a whole and in its individual details has a strictly biblical character and in many instances has considerable parallels in other biblical passages, especially in the various prayers of known sacred-historical persons contained in the Bible. Thus the humble confession by Tobit of the justice and mercy of all God’s deeds and ways (verse 2) and in thought and partly in wording resemble, e.g., the words of the psalmist Ps 24:10; the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 22:1); the prophet Daniel (Dan 4 and others). The belief that sometimes descendants are punished for the sins of their fathers (verse 3), as is well known, runs through the entire Old Testament, found expression in the Mosaic legislation (Exod 20:5; Num 14:18), was confirmed by various historical facts (e.g., for the sin of Ham his son Canaan was cursed, for the sin of David his son by Bathsheba died; the grave consequences of the sins of Solomon his son Rehoboam had to bear), and, although the extremes and abuses of this belief provoked prophetic condemnation and refutation (Jer 31:29; Ezek 18:1-4), it continued in the Jewish people down to the times of the New Testament, as is evident from the judgment of the apostles about the man born blind (John 9:2). In relation to the fates of Israel this belief had special significance (verse 4, cf. Deut 23:15), as this, e.g., was confessed, like Tobit (verses 4–5), by the prophet Daniel (Dan 9:4-13). Finally, Tobit’s request for death (verse 6) has a parallel for itself in the prayers of: Job (Job 7:15), the prophet Elijah (1 Kgs 19:4, cf. Commented Bible, vol. II) and others, although, of course, this request has only relative value and significance (cf. Jonah 4 ff.). It is self-evident, however, that these features of similarity of the Book of Tobit with other biblical books cannot speak in favor of the opinion (of Eichhorn and others), that in the Book of Tobit we have a free imitation or elaboration of the accounts of other biblical books.

Tobit 3:7. And on that very day it came to pass that Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, in Ecbatana of Media, also suffered reproaches from the maidservants of her father Tobit 3:8. because she had been given to seven husbands, and Asmodeus, the evil spirit, had slain them before she was married to them as a wife. They said to her: Did you not kill your husbands? Already seven you have had, and you have not been called by the name of any of them. Tobit 3:9. Why do they beat us for them? They are dead: go after them too, so that we never see your son or your daughter forever! Tobit 3:10. Hearing this, she was greatly grieved, so that she resolved to end her own life, but she thought: I am alone with my father; if I do this, it will be a shame to him, and I will bring down his old age with sorrow to the grave. Tobit 3:11. And she stood at the window and prayed, saying: Blessed are You, O Lord my God, and blessed is Your holy and glorious name forever: let all Your creatures bless You forever! Tobit 3:12. And now to You, O Lord, I turn my eyes and my face; Tobit 3:13. I ask, take me from this earth and do not let me hear reproach anymore! Tobit 3:14. You know, O Lord, that I am clean from all sin with a husband Tobit 3:15. and I have not defiled my name, nor the name of my father in the land of my captivity; I am the only child of my father, and he has no son, and no near brother, nor a son of my brother’s, to whom I might preserve myself as a wife: already seven have perished for me. For what reason should I live? But if it is not pleasing to You to kill me, then be merciful and look upon me, so that I may not hear reproach anymore! 7–15. Equally, the coincidence in time and content of the prayer of Tobit and the prayer of Sarah, daughter of Raguel (verses 7 ff.), presents nothing artificial or fabricated, nor does the general similarity in the fates of these persons: piety, suffering, undeserved reproaches and the like. “This similarity… is not so great that life could not present analogous cases. There is nothing impossible about the simultaneity of the prayers of Tobit and Sarah for deliverance from suffering or the sending of death” (Prof. Drozdov, p. 306). Instead of Ecbatana (verse 7 according to Greek, Slavonic, Russian) in the Vulgate Rages are named (in Rages, civitate Medorum), about which in the Vulgate it is noted that Rages are located on the mountain of Ecbatana (quae posita est in monte Ecbatanis). Sarah’s sevenfold marriage (verse 8) represents a rare but not impossible occurrence (Matt 22:25-32); although, as an extraordinary event, it served as a subject of reproach from Sarah’s servants, falsely accusing her of killing her husbands (verses 8–9). The true cause of the immediate death of each of the seven husbands of Sarah (every time before actual marital relations with her) was an evil spirit or demon Asmodeus (‘Ασμοδαίος τό πονηρόν δαιμόνιον), verse 8. The meaning of this name was attempted to be explained from an Aryan root, but such attempts are doubtful and purposeless, since the word Asmodeus is satisfactorily explained from the Hebrew-Aramaic root: shamad—to destroy, devastate, so that Asmodeus—destroyer, devastator, which fully corresponds to the destructive activity of Asmodeus according to the description in the Book of Tobit (Tob 3:8), and finds full analogy in the name of the evil spirit destroyer Abaddon, in Greek Apollyon, Rev 9:11. The fundamental moment in the conception of Asmodeus, according to this etymology, is harmfulness to people—a fundamental feature in the biblical conception of the evil spirit—Satan and demons. Not lacking, however, a certain degree of probability and a certain amount of significance is the attempt of some scholars (Benfey, Dillmann, Langin, Rim, Kogug, and others) to establish a connection between the name Asmodeus and one of the evil spirits or demons of the Avesta—aeshma-daeva, the demon of fleshly passion,—since it is precisely such a one that Asmodeus appears in the Book of Tobit (VI:14). (See in A. Glagolev, Old Testament Biblical Teaching on Angels. Kiev, 1900, pp. 690–695; in Prof. Drozdov, cited work, pp. 381–393.). Sarah performed her fervent prayer “by the window” (verse 11), Slavonic: at the small window, Greek: προς τη θυρίδι, “in a chamber,” είς το υπερώον (according to the Sinaiticus Codex of the LXX), i.e., in a mezzanine on the flat roof of a house, which room ordinarily served for rest, privacy, and prayer (Dan 6:10; Acts 20:8-9). Standing in prayer at an open window (Dan 6:10, Hebrew 11) in the direction of the holy land, Jerusalem and the temple (1 Kgs 8:44) was an ancient custom, established especially during the captivity, and authorized by the traditional law of Judaism (see Commented Bible, vol, II, p. 463). The content of Sarah’s prayer (verses 11–15), besides general biblical ideas, contains direct references to the individual features of Sarah’s life and suffering (verses 14–15), especially to her preservation of chastity (verse 14).

Tobit 3:16. And the prayer of both was heard before the glory of the great God, and Raphael was sent to heal both: Tobit 3:17. to remove the cataracts from the eyes of Tobit and to give Sarah, daughter of Raguel, as a wife to Tobias, son of Tobit, and to bind the evil spirit Asmodeus; for Tobias was destined to inherit her. And at that very moment Tobit returned into his house and Sarah descended from her chamber. 16–17. The prayers of both sufferers, Tobit and Sarah, were heard. In the accepted Greek text of the LXX and Slavonic in verse 16 it is erroneously read ενώπιον τής δόξης τού μεγάλου Ραφαήλ καί απεστάλη—“and the Lord heard the prayer of both, before the glory of the great Raphael, and was sent…”. But in codices 64, 243, 248, in the Complutensian and Aldine editions, as well as in the Sinaiticus manuscript, after μεγάλου stands Θεού, and the conjunction και stands before Ραφαήλ or before απεστάλη. The Russian synodal translation correctly conveys the thought of the authentic text. The name of the angel Raphael, as one of the highest seven angels standing before God (Tob 12:15), is found only in the Book of Tobit and later—in the so-called Book of Enoch (chs. IX:1; X:4; XX:3; XL:9) (see Das Buch Henoch, translated and explained by A. Dillmann and—“The Book of Enoch: A Historical-Critical Study, Russian translation and explanation of the apocryphal Book of Enoch” (Kazan, 1886) Prof. Prot. A.V. Smirnov). The pre-captivity biblical literature did not know the names of angels. Only in the Book of the prophet Daniel (chs. VIII, IX, X, XII) for the first time are mentioned two names of angels—Gabriel and Michael. As these two names, while being proper names, have, nevertheless, in their meaning, a predicative significance—expressing different aspects of the relationship of angels to God, the world and people (see in A. Glagolev. Old Testament Biblical Teaching on Angels, pp. 361–377), so also the name Raphael, derived from Hebrew “rapha,” “to heal, cure,” and “el,” “God,” indicates the mission for which Raphael was sent by God to earth (III:17; XII:14), namely, to healing (ίασασθαι) (verse 17) or the deliverance of Tobit from blindness, Sarah from the soul-sickness or suffering caused her by the demon. And in the Book of Enoch (ch. XL:9) Raphael is described as the one set over all diseases and all wounds of the children of men. But in the Book of Enoch the conception of the angel Raphael is confused with the later angelological views of Judaism, while in the Book of Tobit the pure biblical teaching on angels is preserved, with the addition of some details concerning their external appearance on earth (ch. V:4 ff.) and the position of Raphael in the heavenly hierarchy (XII:15). See in A. Glagolev. Old Testament Biblical Teaching on Angels, pp. 407–410, and in Prof. Drozdov, pp. 368–381.

Chapter Four

1–21. While in dire circumstances and expecting death, Tobit recalls the money he entrusted to Gabael for safekeeping (I:14), informs Tobias about it, and uses this occasion to impart a series of moral instructions to him: about reverence for his mother (v. 3–4), about the fear of God and piety (5–6), about charity and almsgiving (7–11), about purity and chastity (12–13), about justice and honesty, goodwill and generosity (14–17), about humility, prudence, and submission to God’s will (18–19).

Tobit 4:1. On that day Tobit remembered the silver that he had given to Gabael for safekeeping in Rages of Media, Tobit 4:2. and he said to himself: I have asked for death; why do I not call my son Tobias so that I may tell him about this before I die? 1–2. Instead of money, the book of Tobit everywhere speaks of silver, argentum (4:1; 5:2–3; 9:2; 10:2; 12:3), just as in cuneiform documents money is often called silver: this is explained by the absence of coined money in Assyro-Babylonia before Persian rule; instead of coins, pieces or ingots of metal were used, the relative value of which was determined by weight; therefore, in Assyro-Babylonian business documents one often encounters the expression “weighed out” such-and-such amount of money, just as among the ancient Hebrews, among whom the coining of money appeared only after the Babylonian captivity, and in relation to money—ingots or plates—the term “to weigh, weighed, weigh out” was customarily applied (Hebrew schaqal, Gen 23:16; Isa 44:6; Jer 32:10. See Commentary on the Bible, vol. I). Ten talents of silver placed with Gabael by Tobit (in the previous chapter) represented a considerable weight—more than 25 poods—which is why Gabael, when returning the sacks of silver to Tobit (9:2), loaded them on two camels—and the value of this silver amounted, in our currency, to more than 23,000 rubles (see Prof. Drozdov, pp. 490–491).

Tobit 4:3. And, calling him, he said: My son! when I die, bury me and do not abandon your mother; honor her all the days of your life, do what pleases her and do not cause her sorrow. Tobit 4:4. Remember, my son, that she suffered many sorrows on account of you while carrying you. When she dies, bury her beside me in one grave. Tobit 4:5. All your days remember, my son, the Lord your God, and do not wish to sin and transgress His commandments. All the days of your life do what is right and do not walk in the ways of unrighteousness, Tobit 4:6. for if you conduct yourself in truth, your deeds will prosper, as will the deeds of all who act in righteousness. Tobit 4:7. Give alms from your substance, and do not let your eye begrudge when you give alms. Do not turn your face from any poor person, and then God’s face will not turn from you. Tobit 4:8. When you have much, give alms from it, and when you have little, do not fear to give alms even in small measure; Tobit 4:9. you will store up for yourself a great treasure for the day of need, Tobit 4:10. for alms deliver from death and does not allow one to fall into darkness. Tobit 4:11. Alms is a rich gift for everyone who practices it before the Most High. Tobit 4:12. Beware, my son, of every kind of immorality. Take a wife from among the people of your father, but do not take a foreign wife, who is not from the tribe of your father, for we are descendants of the prophets. From ancient times our fathers—Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—all took wives from among their kinfolk and were blessed in their children, and their offspring inherited the land. Tobit 4:13. Therefore, my son, love your brothers and do not be arrogant in heart toward your brothers and toward the sons and daughters of your people, lest you take a wife from among them, for from arrogance comes ruin and great disorder, and from profligacy comes poverty and ruin: profligacy is the mother of famine. Tobit 4:14. Do not withhold the wages of those who work for you, but pay them at once: and you will be repaid if you serve God. Be careful, my son, in all your conduct and be wise in all your behavior. Tobit 4:15. What you hate for yourself, do not do to anyone. Do not drink wine to excess, and drunkenness should not accompany you on your journey. Tobit 4:16. Give to the hungry from your bread and clothe the naked from your garments; from all your abundance give alms, and do not let your eye begrudge when you give alms. Tobit 4:17. Distribute your bread at the graves of the righteous, but give nothing to sinners. Tobit 4:18. Seek advice from everyone who is wise, and do not despise any useful counsel. Tobit 4:19. Bless the Lord your God at all times, and ask Him that your ways may be right and all your deeds and intentions may prosper, for no nation has power in the success of its endeavors, but the Lord Himself grants all good, and whom He wills He humbles according to His will. Remember then, my son, my commandments, and let them not be blotted out from your heart! 3–19. Tobit’s instructions to his son, vv. 3–19, have the character of general biblical moral teaching; many parallels to individual instructions may be found in other biblical books, but there are also individual and historical features here which do not permit us to see (with Fritzsche and others) in these instructions a tendentious selection of moral teachings, freely compiled in imitation of other biblical books. So, Tobit’s instruction to his son about reverence for his mother (vv. 3–4) is supported by the entire Old Testament teaching on honoring parents, first of all in the Law of Moses (Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16), then in the wisdom books (Sir 3:1-16) and other parts of Holy Scripture; likewise, Tobit’s desire to be buried together with his wife was characteristic of the Hebrew patriarchs (Gen 25:10) and other biblical figures and naturally flows from the true biblical concept of the matrimonial union as an indissoluble bond (Gen 2:24; 1 Cor 6:16). But this instruction at the same time characterizes the matrimonial union of Tobit and Anna precisely in terms of the moral strength of their marriage, despite the wife’s reproaches toward her husband (2:14). The instruction about constant fear of God and keeping His commandments (vv. 5–6), expressing the essence of piety according to Old Testament teaching (Deut 6:2; Eccl 12:13), is quite appropriate in the address of the God-fearing Tobit to his son entering life. The instruction about almsgiving (vv. 7–11), while having a clear resemblance—in view of the fundamental significance of the teaching on almsgiving in biblical moral instruction—to the teaching on this subject in other sacred books of the Old and New Testaments (see, for example, Prov 3:9; Sir 4:8; Luke 14, etc.), had particular significance and application during the captivity, where there were so many needy Jews (see 1:16 ff). The idea of the sin-atoning significance of almsgiving, also found in the book of the prophet Daniel (Dan 4:24; cf. Sir 29:15; Luke 11:41), is expressed here with particular strength: “alms deliver from death and does not allow one to fall into darkness” (v. 10): this speaks, evidently, of post-mortem, otherworldly retribution, and in view of the latter, the great significance of almsgiving is affirmed in the matter of delivering man from “the second death” (Rev 20:4) and “utter darkness” (Matt 8:12), and not from the first death and the grave—which are inevitable even for the righteous. The commandment on chastity (12a), as a marital virtue, is connected with Tobit’s counsel to his son to take a wife necessarily from his own people and tribe, and he indicates the purity of Tobit’s lineage and that of his kinfolk: “we are descendants of the prophets” and of the patriarchs, who likewise guarded the purity of their lineage in marriages (12b, cf. Gen 24 ff), and this instruction is raised to a general rule—not to neglect one’s kinfolk, not to be haughty before the sons and daughters of one’s people (v. 13)—a rule which without doubt had great practical importance in view of the ancient tendency of the Jews to marry outside their kinfolk, with women from foreign peoples; it rightly points out arrogance, from which comes ruin. The instruction about justice toward hired workers (14a) is twice given in the Mosaic legislation (Lev 19:13; Deut 24:14), and in Assyrian captivity, where poor Jews undoubtedly earned their bread through day labor, there was particular need for strict observance of this rule (cf. Jas 5:4). The rule, “what you hate for yourself, do not do to anyone” (v. 15a), is expressed by the Lord Savior in positive form: “in everything, as you want people to do for you, do so for them” (Matt 7:12; Luke 6:31),—according to the Lord’s word—“in this is the law and the prophets.” The prohibition of drunkenness (v. 15b) may have had in mind the prevalence of this vice in Assyria (Nah 1:10). Further, in the repetition of the instruction about almsgiving to the needy (v. 16), a special instruction is also given: “distribute your bread at the graves of the righteous, but give nothing to sinners” (v. 17): this refers to the widespread custom among biblical Jews of bringing bread of mourning and a cup of comfort to those grieving the dead, distributing alms to the poor for the deceased, and offering prayers and expiatory sacrifices for them (2 Sam 3:35; Jer 9:16; Ezek 24:17; Hos 9:4; Sir 7:36; 2 Macc 12:42-45); and thus Jews are forbidden to participate in funeral rites of the Assyrians, who, as seen from certain inscriptions of Ashurbanipal, had the custom of bringing food and drink to the shades of the dead. (See Prof. Drozdov, pp. 61–65 and 468). This instruction may also have had a wider scope, including the advice generally not to give alms to pagans—an instruction quite understandable in the mouth of an Old Testament man (cf. Matt 5:43) and especially in the difficult time of captivity, when the Jews suffered great hostility from pagan Assyrians and naturally harbored the same feeling toward them (cf. Ps 136).

Tobit 4:20. Now I will reveal to you that I have given ten talents of silver for safekeeping to Gabael, son of Gabrias, in Rages of Media. Tobit 4:21. Do not be afraid, my son, that we have become poor: you have much if you fear the Lord and, departing from every sin, do what is pleasing before Him.

Chapter Five

1–17. The departure of Tobias to Rages of Media in the company of the angel Raphael, who appeared in the form of the young man Azariah. 18–22. Anna’s sorrow at the separation from her son and Tobit’s comfort to her.

Tobit 5:1. And Tobias answered him: Father, I will fulfill all that you command me; Tobit 5:2. but how can I obtain the silver if I do not know that man? Tobit 5:3. Then his father gave him a receipt and said: Find yourself a man who will travel with you; I will pay him a wage while I still live, and go fetch the silver. 1–3. In the accepted Greek text, as in the Slavonic-Russian translations, the speech of vv. 2–3 is condensed to obscurity: thus the indication of the time when the money was left by Tobit with Gabael is omitted (1:14; 4:20), namely: twenty years ago (Codex Sinaiticus, Vet. Latin.); similarly, from the accepted text it is not clear what kind of receipt Tobit gave to his son and for what purpose: the report found in the Sinaiticus Codex and the Vet. Latina is omitted, namely that besides the receipt written by Gabael and kept by Tobit, there was another receipt written by Tobit and “placed with the money at Gabael” (χειρόγραφον αυτού έδωκεν μοι καί χειρόγραφον έδωκα αύτφ, καί διείλον εις δύο. καί ελάβομεν εκάτερος έν, καί έθηκα μετά τού αργυρίου v. 3 according to the Sinaiticus list of the LXX). This very version is justified by historical data. In Assyro-Babylonia, as is evident from the many surviving so-called contract tablets or private legal and business documents, the custom of protecting property rights with written documents was very common, and these documents were compiled with such care as to evoke amazement even from contemporary jurists. In particular, when giving money to someone for safekeeping, besides the person receiving the money for safekeeping, a receipt by the owner of the money was also written, which was usually placed together with the money. Thus, the report of the book of Tobit (according to the Cod. Sin. and Vet. Lat.) about two money receipts completely corresponds to the customs of Assyro-Babylonia, to which the captive Israelites must have more or less conformed. And the report of the book of Tobit that Tobit only in the reign of Esarhaddon sent his son Tobias to Media to retrieve the money left with Gabael 20 years ago is also historically confirmed—by the absence of safe routes and peaceful relations with Media during the turbulent reign of Sennacherib (cf. 1:15), as well as in the first years of Esarhaddon’s reign, which were taken up with a series of wars aimed at suppressing uprisings. But even in the peaceful time that followed, such a distant journey, as was generally true in antiquity, could not be undertaken without a companion, about whom Tobit therefore concerns himself in v. 3 ff.

Tobit 5:4. And he went to seek a man and met Raphael. This was an angel, but he did not know Tobit 5:5. and he said to him: Can you go with me to Rages of Media and do you know these places? Tobit 5:6. The angel answered: I can go with you and I know the way; I have already stayed with Gabael, our brother. Tobit 5:7. And Tobias said to the angel: Wait for me, I will tell my father. Tobit 5:8. He said: Go, but do not delay. Tobit 5:9. He came and said to his father: I have found myself a companion. His father said: Call him to me; I wish to know of what tribe he is and whether he is a reliable companion for you. Tobit 5:10. And he called him, and he came in, and they greeted each other. Tobit 5:11. Tobit asked: Tell me, brother, of what tribe and family are you? Tobit 5:12. He answered: Are you seeking tribe and family or a hired worker to travel with your son? And Tobit said to him: Brother, I wish to know your family and your name. Tobit 5:13. He said: I am Azariah, of the family of the great Ananias, of your kinfolk. Tobit 5:14. Then Tobit said to him: Brother, go with my blessing, and do not be angry with me for asking about your tribe and family. You are my brother, of an honorable and good family. I knew Ananias and Jonathan, sons of the great Shemaiah; we went together to Jerusalem to worship, with the firstborn and the tithes of the earth’s produce, for we were not led astray by the error of our brothers: you, brother, are of good stock! Tobit 5:15. But tell me: what wages should I give you? I will give you a drachma a day and all that is necessary for you and for my son, Tobit 5:16. and I will also add to your wages if you return in safety. Tobit 5:17. Thus they agreed. Then he said to Tobias: Be ready for the journey, and may you go in safety. And his son made ready what was necessary for the journey. And his father said to him: Go with this man; may the God who dwells in heaven prosper your journey, and may His angel accompany you!—And they both went, and the young man’s dog with them. Tobit 5:18. His mother Anna wept and said to Tobit: Why have you sent our son away? Is he not the support of our hands, when he goes out and comes in before us? 4–18. The account in the book of Tobit concerning the manner of the angel Raphael’s appearance on earth and his relationship to Tobit and Tobias is fully confirmed by similar examples found in the canonical writings of the Old Testament (Gen 18-19 ch., Judg 13:1-21, etc.). In Raphael’s assumption of precisely the form of a person who could be a companion to Tobias, we see that adaptation to the circumstances of the time and to the condition of the people which many biblical accounts of angelic appearances testify to (see A. Glagolev, Old Testament Biblical Teaching on Angels, p. 148, cf. Prof. Drozdov, pp. 373–378). Regarding the troubling appearance of Raphael’s actions, namely that he presented himself as Azariah, son of Ananias (v. 13), it can be said that “what Raphael said about himself was true (as fully corresponding to the form he had assumed), but he did not tell the whole truth, because Tobit was not to know it until a certain time” (cf. Prof. Drozdov, p. 375); if he had appeared in angelic form, he would have filled Tobit and Tobias with fear and would not have fulfilled his assigned mission, as blessed Augustine explains (Curs. Comp. S. Scr. v. XII, col. 546).

Tobit 5:19. Do not prefer silver to silver; let it be like rubbish compared to our son! Tobit 5:20. For as long as the Lord has granted us to live, we have enough. Tobit 5:21. Tobit said to her: Do not grieve, sister; he will come in good health, and your eyes will see him, Tobit 5:22. for a good angel will accompany him; his journey will be successful, and he will return in good health. 19–22. As with all of Raphael’s activity on earth, so also Tobit’s faith in a good angel accompanying Tobias, v. 22, cf. Gen 24:7, testifies to the deep vitality of faith in angels and their redemptive activity for men—throughout all periods of Old Testament history (see A. Glagolev, cited work, p. 489). Subscribe to our Telegram channel

Chapter Six

1–9. An adventure on the way of Tobias and Raphael to Media. 10–18. The angel’s advice to Tobias about marriage with Sarah and about the means to be saved from the malice of the demon Asmodeus.

Tobit 6:1. And she ceased weeping. 1. In the accepted Greek text, as in the Slavonic and Russian translations, the remark found in the Sinaiticus Codex of the LXX about the dog following the travelers is omitted (καί ό κύων ᾿εξήλθεν μετ᾿ αυτού καί επορεύθη μετ αύτων Sinaiticus Codex), which remark was probably erroneously transferred (in the accepted Greek text, Slavonic-Russian) to 5:17 (cf. 11:3). The dog, belonging to Tobias, was evidently a domestic animal and received from its owner a certain kind of attention: this was the case only in Assyro-Babylonia (and later in Greece), but not at all among the Hebrews in Palestine, where until a later time dogs were half-wild, stray animals (Ps 21:17), were considered unclean and despised (1 Kgs 14:11; 2 Kgs 9:35-36, etc.; see Prof. Drozdov, pp. 502–507). Tobias and Raphael, departing from Nineveh to Media, spent the first night on the bank of the Tigris River (v. 2): there is nothing impossible about this (contrary to the opinion of Ewald and others), since although Nineveh itself lay on the Tigris River and precisely on its left, eastern bank, and the direction of Tobias and Raphael’s journey—toward Rages and Ecbatana—had of necessity to be eastward—but the Tigris in its course had many very significant turns, and it is quite understandable that travelers heading east (or southeast) could encounter the Tigris or one of its tributaries on their way (for example, the Great or Upper Zab). See Prof. Drozdov, pp. 505–508.

Tobit 6:2. And the travelers came in the evening to the Tigris River and encamped there for the night. Tobit 6:3. The young man went to bathe, and a great fish leaped out of the water and tried to swallow the young man. Tobit 6:4. Then the angel said to him: Seize the fish. And the young man caught the fish and drew it onto the land. Tobit 6:5. And the angel said to him: Cut open the fish, take out its heart, liver, and bile, and keep them. Tobit 6:6. The young man did as the angel told him; and they roasted the fish and ate it; and they went on and came to Ecbatana. Tobit 6:7. And the young man said to the angel: Brother Azariah, what are this liver and heart and bile of the fish for? Tobit 6:8. He answered: If a demon or evil spirit troubles anyone, the heart and liver must be burned before such a man or woman, and the torment will cease; Tobit 6:9. and the bile is to be rubbed on a person who has cataracts on his eyes, and he will be healed. 3–9. By the ravenous fish that rushed at Tobias as he approached the river (v. 2), some understand the fish known to the Arabs as sabot, or alsabut, others identify it with pike: the latter may be supported by the particular prevalence of this fish among the Jews, as it satisfied the requirements of a clean fish according to the Law of Moses (Lev 11:9-12). Regarding the healing significance of the fish’s entrails—heart, liver, and bile—of which the angel speaks (v. 9)—it can be said as follows: their utility from the standpoint of organotherapy is quite admissible; the main point is: the healing of the sick is placed here in dependence on prayer (vv. 16–17) (see A. Glagolev, cited work, p. 694, Prof. Drozdov, pp. 352–360).

Tobit 6:10. When they drew near to Rages, Tobit 6:11. the angel said to the young man: Brother, now we shall lodge with Raguel, your kinsman, who has a daughter named Sarah. Tobit 6:12. I will speak to him about her, so that he may give her to you as wife, for to you belongs her inheritance, as you are the only one of her family; and the maiden is beautiful and sensible. Tobit 6:13. So listen to me; I will speak to her father and, when we return from Rages, we will celebrate the wedding. I know Raguel: he will by no means give her to any other husband against the Law of Moses; otherwise he will be guilty of death, for the inheritance belongs to you, and not to another. Tobit 6:14. Then the young man said to the angel: Brother Azariah, I have heard that this maiden has been given to seven husbands, but all died in the bridal chamber; Tobit 6:15. and I am the only son of my father and I am afraid lest, when I enter her chamber, I die like those before me; for a demon loves her, who harms no one except those who approach her. And therefore I fear lest I die and bring the life of my father and mother to the grave in sorrow on account of me; and they have no other son to bury them. Tobit 6:16. The angel said to him: Have you forgotten the words which your father commanded you, to take a wife of your own kindred? Listen to me now, brother: she is to be your wife, and do not be concerned about the demon; on this very night she will be given to you as wife. Tobit 6:17. But when you enter the bridal chamber, take a censer, place in it the heart and liver of the fish, and burn them; Tobit 6:18. and the demon will smell the odor and depart, and will never return again. But when you come to her, both of you rise up, call upon the merciful God, and He will save and have mercy on you. Do not be afraid; for she was destined for you from the ages, and you will save her, and she will go with you, and I know that you will have children from her. Having heard this, Tobias loved her, and his soul was strongly drawn to her. And they arrived in Ecbatana. 10–18. In the angel’s speech, containing his counsel to Tobias about entering into marriage with Sarah, as she comes from the same family as him (vv. 12–13, 16), there is disclosed not only the relation to the corresponding instruction of Tobit to his son (Tob 4:12-13), but also to that view of the Mosaic legislation by which daughters—heiresses of their father’s portion—in the absence of sons—had to marry only within the bounds of “the tribe of the family of their father” (Num 36:7; Commentary on the Bible, vol. I). Tobias’s words about Sarah in v. 15 (Greek 14) “a demon loves her, who harms no one except those who approach her,” δαιμόνιον φιλεί αυτήν, ό ούκ αδικεί ούδένα, πλην τών προσαγογόντων αυτή,—are commonly understood by interpreters to mean that Asmodeus was inflamed with unclean love toward Sarah (or even had carnal relations with her) and, as if from jealousy and revenge, killed her husbands before they were with her as a wife (3:8). Against such an understanding of v. 15 may be said the fact that the words δαιμόνιον φιλεί αυτήν are absent in the Sinaiticus list of the LXX, in the Vulgate, the Chaldean, and the Hebrew Massoretic text, as well as the fact that according to v. 8 note 18 the demon tormented Sarah (hence did not love her), and according to 3:14 Sarah remained chaste and virginal. Independently of this, however, it must be acknowledged that the idea that demons or angels can be in carnal relations with women, as a popular belief, was undoubtedly present among the Jews, as shown by the history of the interpretation of the passage Gen 6:2 (see A. Glagolev, Old Testament Biblical Teaching on Angels, pp. 201–205), and therefore Tobias—an unenlightened man—could express, especially as a rumor or guess, a superstitious opinion about the carnal passion of Asmodeus toward Sarah (cf. Prof. Drozdov, pp. 386–389). In reality, the action of Asmodeus on Sarah was expressed in the extremely painful, oppressed state of Sarah, similar to that which the evil spirit brought upon Saul (1 Sam 16:14-15), impelling her to strike her servants (3:9) and even driving her to the decision to take her own life (3:10; cf. Commentary on the Bible, vol. II). 17–18. The counsel given by Raphael to Tobias here was subsequently carried out exactly by him (Tob 8:2-3).

Chapter Seven

1–9. The arrival of Tobias and Raphael in Ecbatana, a family reunion in Raguel’s household. 10–14. The proposal to Tobias to marry Sarah, Raguel’s consent, a warning about the death of Sarah’s previous suitors, and hope in God’s mercy. 15–17. The preparation of the bridal chamber.

Tobit 7:1. And they came to the house of Raguel. Sarah met them and greeted them, and they greeted her, and she brought them into the house. Tobit 7:2. And Raguel said to Edna, his wife: How like this young man is to Tobit, my brother’s son! Tobit 7:3. And Raguel asked them: Where are you from, brothers? They answered him: We are from the sons of Naphtali, captive in Nineveh. Tobit 7:4. And he asked them further: Do you know our brother Tobit? They answered: We know him. Then he asked: Is he in good health? They answered: He is alive and in good health. Tobit 7:5. And Tobias said: He is my father. Tobit 7:6. And Raguel ran to him and embraced him and wept. Tobit 7:7. And he blessed him and said: You are the son of an honorable and good man. But hearing that Tobit had lost his sight, he became sad and wept; Tobit 7:8. and Edna, his wife, wept, and Sarah, his daughter, also wept. And they received them with great joy, Tobit 7:9. and slaughtered a ram and set before them an abundant meal. Tobias said to Raphael: Brother Azariah, speak of what you spoke of on the way; let this matter be arranged! 1–9. The name of Raguel’s wife (v. 2 ff) in the Vulgate is read as Anna, not Edna. The entire narrative of the book of Tobit concerning Tobias’s meeting with Raguel’s family and the subsequent marriage of Tobias with Sarah closely reminds one of the patriarchal account, namely the journey of Abraham’s servant Eliezer to Mesopotamia, and later Jacob’s journey to Mesopotamia and his meeting with Laban’s household (Gen 22 and Gen 29 ch.). This resemblance in places has been brought to the degree of literal coincidence (compare, for example, v. 2,—v. 10 according to Vulg. Tobias dixit: hic ego hodie non manducabo, nec bibam, nisi prius petitionem meam confirmes…—and Gen 24:33). Such resemblance of life scenes in such distant periods of biblical history is satisfactorily explained by the remarkable stability and immobility of life forms in the ancient and even modern East.

Tobit 7:10. And he conveyed this to Raguel, and Raguel said to Tobias: Eat, drink, and be merry, for you must take my daughter. However, I will tell you the truth: Tobit 7:11. I have given my daughter to seven husbands, and when they entered to her, on that same night they died. But now be merry! And Tobias said: I will eat nothing here until you agree and make a covenant with me. Raguel said: Take her now according to the law; you are her brother, and she is yours. May the merciful God grant you the best of blessings! Tobit 7:12. And he called his daughter Sarah, and, taking her hand, gave her to Tobias as wife and said: Here, according to the Law of Moses, take her and lead her to your father. And he blessed them. Tobit 7:13. And he called Edna, his wife, and, taking a scroll, wrote a marriage contract and sealed it. Tobit 7:14. And they began to eat. Tobit 7:15. And Raguel called Edna, his wife, and said to her: Sister, prepare another bedroom and bring her there. Tobit 7:16. And she did so; and she brought her there, and wept, and received her tears mutually, and said to her: Tobit 7:17. Be of good cheer, my daughter; the Lord of heaven and earth will give you joy instead of your sorrow. Be of good cheer, my daughter! 10–17. Similar traits of stability and resemblance to ancient biblical antiquity are presented in particular by the ceremonial aspect of Tobias’s marriage. To this belong: the consent of the parents or guardians of the bride to her marriage (vv. 10–12, cf. Gen 24:50-51) and the pronouncement of blessing by them (vv. 12–13, cf. Gen 24:60), the leading of the newlyweds into the bridal bedroom on the wedding evening (v. 17, cf. Gen 29:28), the wedding feast with guests lasting several days (8:19; 9:1, cf. Gen 29:22; Judg 14:10), the assignment of half of the property by the father-in-law to the son-in-law as a dowry for his daughter (8:21; 10:11, cf. Josh 15:13; 1 Kgs 9:16) and the transfer of rights to inherit the remainder of the property after the death of the father and mother-in-law (8:21; 14:13, cf. Num 36:8-9). But at the same time, the marriage of Tobias is not limited to a verbal contract or condition (cf. Gen 34:12-17), but is accompanied, according to Assyro-Babylonian custom, by the composition of a written document—συγγραφή, Vulg. conscriptio conjungii, v. 13. This document served to determine the conditions of the joint life of the married persons and their property relations, particularly—the size of the bride’s dowry and her rights and those of her husband to inherit. The document was written by Raguel on papyrus (Βιβλίον, charta), with a seal affixed to it (εσφραγίσατο, v. 13). This kind of marriage document has obvious similarity to the custom that appeared later, in the 1st century BC—during the time of the rabbi Simon ben Shetah—among the Jews of the marriage contract—the “ketubah,” which is a kind of debt obligation and is intended to provide material security for the wife by the husband (see the Mishnah tract—“Ketubot” in the translation of N. Perefierkovich, “Talmud…” vol. III, book 5, pp. 110–176). But it would be completely arbitrary to attribute—in view of this custom—the very origin of the book of Tobit to the 1st century BC, as Graetz does (Prof. Drozdov, p. 537, cf. pp. 509–510). In all his actions Raguel shows traits of truly patriarchal nobility and deep piety, such as: tender friendliness and hospitality toward his kinsman Tobias (v. 6), desire to strictly fulfill the law (vv. 10, 12), openness and directness of speech to his future son-in-law (v. 11), and finally, firm hope in God’s mercy (vv. 11–17).

Chapter Eight

1–8. The expulsion of the demon (Asmodeus) and the mutual prayer of the newlyweds—Tobias and Sarah. 9–14. Raguel prepares a grave for his son-in-law. 15–21. Raguel’s thanksgiving to God for the salvation of the newlyweds and a two-week wedding celebration.

Tobit 8:1. When they had finished supper, they brought Tobias to her. Tobit 8:2. But as he went, he remembered the words of Raphael, and took the censer, and put in it the heart and liver of the fish, and burned them. Tobit 8:3. When the demon smelled the odor, he fled to the upper regions of Egypt, and the angel bound him. 1–3. The deliverance of Sarah from the evil spirit of course cannot be attributed to the physical properties of the fish’s heart and liver or to the burning itself or to the odor emanating from the burning of these parts: such material means could not have a direct effect on a bodiless spirit—Asmodeus. The meaning of this account, vv. 1–3, of Sarah’s deliverance from Asmodeus is simply that this deliverance was miraculous and was mediated by a certain material means. In this respect this miracle does not contradict the character of other biblical miracles, which are usually combined with external actions and material means (see, for example, Num 21:8-9; cf. Commentary on the Bible, vol. I or 2 Kgs 2:19 and Commentary on the Bible, vol. II). Likewise, the thought in v. 3 about the departure of Asmodeus to Upper Egypt, that is, to the desert, and his binding by the angel (Raphael) can be brought into agreement with biblical angelology and demonology, insofar as the desert appeared in the conception of the Hebrews to be the dwelling place of evil spirits (Lev 16:9-10; cf. Matt 12:43), and also the concept of “binding,” that is, depriving of the ability to act, is more than once used by the sacred writers with respect to evil spirits (Matt 12:29; 2 Pet 2:4; Jude 1:6 vv.), and in the Apocalypse the binding of Satan for 1,000 years is assigned to an angel having the key to the abyss (Rev 20:1-3, cf. 12:9) (see A. Glagolev, Old Testament Biblical Teaching on Angels, pp. 591, 695).

Tobit 8:4. When they were left alone in the room, Tobias rose from the bed and said: Arise, sister, so that we may pray that the Lord may have mercy on us. Tobit 8:5. And Tobias began to say: Blessed are You, God of our fathers, and blessed is Your holy and glorious name forever! May the heavens and all Your creatures bless You! Tobit 8:6. You created Adam and gave him a helper and support—a wife. From them came the human race. You said: It is not good for man to be alone; let us make a helper for him similar to him. Tobit 8:7. And now, Lord, I take this my sister not to satisfy lust, but truly as a wife: grant me, I beseech You, to grow old with her! Tobit 8:8. And she said with him: Amen. 4–8. The burning of the fish’s heart and liver (v. 2) was only a symbol of the prayer of Tobias and Sarah that followed (cf. Ps 140:2; Rev 8:4). This prayer is remarkable as one of the few surviving examples in the Bible of an Old Testament man’s prayer, and is marked by a pure biblical spirit, containing: a) a theocratic confession of faith in God (v. 5; cf. Exod 3:14-15 vv.) b) the biblical teaching on the creation of man and the origin of all mankind (v. 6a, cf. Gen 1-2) and c) the biblical teaching on the essence and purpose of true marriage (vv. 6b–7, cf. Gen 2:23-24).

Tobit 8:9. And they both slept peacefully that night. Meanwhile Raguel rose and dug a grave, Tobit 8:10. saying: Did he also die? Tobit 8:11. And Raguel came to his house Tobit 8:12. and said to Edna, his wife: Send one of the servants to see whether he is alive; if not, we will bury him and no one will know. Tobit 8:13. The servant, opening the door, went in and found both of them sleeping. Tobit 8:14. And coming out, she reported to them that he was alive. 9–14. In the actions and arrangements of Raguel toward both his previous sons-in-law and Tobias, some scholars (for example, Zöckler) have discerned signs of unnatural coldheartedness, strange inconsistency, etc. But this objection clearly suffers from subjectivity and has no support in the text of the book itself.

Tobit 8:15. And Raguel blessed God, saying: Blessed are You, God, with every blessing pure and holy! May Your holy ones, and all Your creatures, and all Your angels, and all Your chosen ones bless You forever! 15. Unlike the accepted Greek text, in which the doxology is attributed to Raguel alone, in other Greek manuscripts it is attributed to Raguel together with Sarah.

Tobit 8:16. Blessed are You, who have gladdened me, and it has not happened to me as I thought, but You have dealt with us according to Your great mercy! Tobit 8:17. Blessed are You, who have had mercy on two only children! Show them mercy, Master, and grant them to finish their lives in health, with joy and compassion! Tobit 8:18. And he commanded his servants to fill in the grave. Tobit 8:19. And he prepared a wedding feast for them for fourteen days. Tobit 8:20. And Raguel said to him with an oath before he finished the wedding feast: Do not go away until these fourteen days of the wedding feast are completed; 19–20. Fourteen days or two weeks of wedding celebration—a period double the usual duration of this celebration in the ancient and modern East (Gen 29:27-28; Judg 14:17; in present-day Syria, according to the testimony of Wetzstein, the wedding celebration lasts likewise 7 days: the “royal week” of the newlyweds).

Tobit 8:21. but then, taking half of my property, go in peace to your father: the rest you will receive when I and my wife die.

Chapter Nine

Raphael’s Journey to Rages

1–4. Tobias’ request to the angel Raphael (called Azariah) to go to Rages in Media to collect the debt of Gabael. 5–6. Raphael fulfills the request and brings Gabael himself to Tobias and Sarah’s wedding celebration.

Tobit 9:1. And Tobias called Raphael and said to him: Tobit 9:2. Brother Azariah, take with you a servant and two camels and go to Rages in Media to Gabael; bring me the money and bring him himself to my wedding; 9:2. Camels were required for Azariah (Raphael) both because of the money Gabael would send—ten talents of silver (1:14; 4:20) weighed no less than 25 puds—and for the travel of Azariah himself, Gabael, and the servants of Raguel.

Tobit 9:3. For Raguel bound me with an oath not to depart; Tobit 9:4. And my father counts the days and if I delay much, he will be greatly grieved. Tobit 9:5. And Raphael departed and stopped at Gabael’s and gave him the receipt; and he brought out the bags sealed and delivered them to him. 9:5. The money was kept sealed in bags; the bags themselves were placed on the camels.

Tobit 9:6. And early in the morning they rose together and came to the wedding. And Tobias blessed his wife. 9:6. The accepted Greek text: καί ευλύγησεν Ταβείας γυναίκα αυτού, Slavonic: “And blessed Tobias his wife” (as in the Russian Synodal) gives an awkward thought inconsistent with the context. According to the Sinaiticus Codex and other texts, it is not Tobias, but Gabael (upon his arrival at Raguel’s house for the wedding celebration) who blessed God and invoked God’s blessing upon Tobias and his wife. The Vulgate (verses 9–11) contains the text of the blessing given to the newlyweds by Gabael.

Chapter Ten

1–7. The grief of Tobit and his wife over Tobias. 8–14. Raguel and Edna, at Tobias’ urgent request, release him with his wife and send them off with blessings and good wishes.

Tobit 10:1. Tobit, his father, counted every day. And when the days of the journey were fulfilled, and he did not come, Tobit 10:2. Tobit said: Perhaps they have been delayed? Or has Gabael died, and there is no one to give them the money? Tobit 10:3. And he was very sorrowful. Tobit 10:4. His wife said to him: Our son has perished, for he does not return. And she began to weep over him and said: Tobit 10:5. Nothing occupies me, my son, because I have let you go, the light of my eyes! Tobit 10:6. Tobit said to her: Be quiet, do not worry, he is well. Tobit 10:7. But she said to him: Say nothing, do not deceive me; my child is lost. And she went out every day to the road by which they had departed; she ate no bread by day and did not cease weeping for her son Tobias throughout the night, until the fourteen days of the wedding feast were fulfilled, which Raguel had sworn he should spend there. Then Tobias said to Raguel: Release me, for my father and my mother do not hope to see me again. 1–7. In verse 2, according to the accepted Greek text, there stands an inappropriate word κατάσχονται, Slavonic: “are shamed”; here is an obvious error, which can easily be corrected from other texts: in the Sinaiticus Codex of the LXX stands κατεσξέθη, in Vet. Lat. and Vulgate: detentus est, detained; that is, according to Tobit’s supposition, his son could have been detained by some difficulties in receiving the money from Gabael. Similarly, in verse 5, in the accepted Greek text there stands a completely inappropriate expression: ού μέλει μοί, Slavonic: “I have no care.” The correct reading is again in the Sinaiticus Codex: ουαί μοι, and in Vet. Lat.: vale mini, or in the Vulg.: Heu heu me.

Tobit 10:8. His father-in-law said to him: Stay with me; I will send to your father and they will inform him about you. Tobit 10:9. But Tobias said: No, release me to go to my father. Tobit 10:10. And Raguel rose and gave him Sarah, his wife, and half of all his possessions, servants, cattle, and silver, Tobit 10:11. And blessing them, he released them and said: Children! May the God of Heaven prosper you before I die. Tobit 10:12. Then he said to his daughter: Honor your father-in-law and your mother-in-law; now they are your parents; I desire to hear a good report of you. And he kissed her. And Edna said to Tobias: Beloved brother, may the God of Heaven raise you up and grant me to see children from Sarah, my daughter, that I may rejoice before the Lord. And behold, I entrust my daughter to you; do not grieve her. Tobit 10:13. After this, Tobias departed, blessing God that He had prospered his way, and he blessed Raguel and Edna, his wife. And he continued on his journey, and they drew near to Nineveh. 8–13. In the accepted Greek text, as in the Slavonic-Russian translation, in verse 11 there is an omission of words found in other Greek manuscripts: καί ίδοιμι υμώνπαιδία – “may I see your children,” – with the result that a strange thought appears as if Raguel asked God to prosper the blessed only until his death. On the whole, the blessing given by Raguel and Edna to their daughter Sarah and son-in-law Tobias (verses 11–13) presents the finest example of parental blessing to newlyweds in the Old Testament. Not without reason is the marriage of Tobias considered and still is considered among the Jews a perfect model of a holy and pious marriage, therefore to imitate in the arrangement of marriage the wedding celebration of Tobias is considered a rule among the Jews. The lofty biblical view of marriage as a divinely ordained monogamous union of man and woman (Gen 2-3 chapter) in the book of Tobit is carried through and realized in the actual life of the righteous Tobit and Tobias. Our Telegram channel

Chapter Eleven

Tobias’ Arrival in Nineveh

1–3. Preparation to meet the parents. 4–9. The joyful meeting of Tobit and Anna with their son. 10–14. Tobit’s recovery of sight. 15–18. Tobit meets Sarah and a new seven-day wedding celebration in Nineveh.

Tobit 11:1. And Raphael said to Tobias: You know, brother, the condition in which you left your father; Tobit 11:2. Let us go ahead before your wife and prepare lodging; Tobit 11:3. And do you take in your hand the gall of the fish. And they departed; the dog also ran along after them. 1–3. In the Sinaiticus Codex of the LXX, verse 1 names the locality to which the travelers—Raphael and Tobias with Sarah—were approaching on the way to Nineveh: εις Κασερείν, ή έστιν κατέναντι Νινευή, but in another manuscript εις Καισαρειαν. Certainly, one cannot see in this any of the Caesareas, which appeared only in the time of Roman rule. Similarly, the name of Charan placed in the Vulgate, verse 1, cannot be the Mesopotamian city of Haran known from the history of Abraham (Gen 11:31, cf. Commentary Bible v. I), southeast of the city of Edessa, which later entered the Assyrian kingdom (2 Kgs 19:12; Commentary Bible, v. II), since the latter Haran lay in the northwest of Mesopotamia, and therefore west of the Tigris River, whereas the locality mentioned in the book of Tobit (11:1) lay in any case to the east of the Tigris (Nineveh itself lay on the eastern bank of the Tigris, and Ecbatana and Rages in Media were even further east). Without doubt, there is meant some locality unknown to the translators of the book (perhaps Kisiri on the canal of the Kosera River—Husur, see in Prof. Drozdov, p. 507–508).

Tobit 11:4. Meanwhile Anna sat watching on the road for her son, Tobit 11:5. And when she saw him coming, she said to his father: Behold, your son comes, and the man who went with him. Tobit 11:6. Raphael said: I know, Tobias, that your father’s eyes will be opened; Tobit 11:7. You only anoint his eyes with the gall, and he, feeling the burning, will rub them, and the white spots will fall away, and he will see you. Tobit 11:8. Anna, running to him, threw herself on his neck and said to him: I have seen you, my child, and now I can die. And both wept. Tobit 11:9. And Tobit went to the door and stumbled, but his son ran to him and supported his father, Tobit 11:10. And applied the gall to his father’s eyes and said: Take courage, my father! Tobit 11:11. His eyes became dimmed, and he rubbed them, 6–7, 9–11. The gall, which was to serve as a healing remedy for Tobit’s sight (cf. 6:9), could be preserved by Tobias either in powder form, in which form, it must be supposed, he used it for burning the heart and liver of the fish (6:7; 8:2–3), or else in the form of an ointment with the addition of other substances. The very possibility of the healing action of gall on sight, apart from the gracious, miraculous character of Tobit’s recovery of sight, can be confirmed by the data of ancient and modern medicine (see in Prof. Drozdov, p. 353–360).

Tobit 11:12. And the white spots fell from the edges of his eyes. Seeing his son, he fell on his neck Tobit 11:13. And wept and said: Blessed are You, God, and blessed be Your name forever, and blessed are all Your holy Angels! Tobit 11:14. Because You have chastened me and pitied me. Behold, I see my son Tobias. And his son entered in gladly and recounted to his father the great deeds that had happened to him in Media. Tobit 11:15. And Tobit went out to meet his daughter-in-law at the gate of Nineveh, rejoicing and blessing God. Those who saw that he could see were amazed. Tobit 11:16. And Tobit confessed before them that God had shown him mercy. When Tobit approached Sarah, his daughter-in-law, he blessed her and said: Welcome, daughter! Blessed be the God who has brought you to us, and blessed be your father and your mother! Rejoiced all his brothers in Nineveh. 13–16. The gratitude and hymn of praise to God uttered by Tobit has an exalted pious, truly theocratic tone and character. With firm faith in God the Providence, here (verse 13) is expressed the faith of the Old Testament righteous in the Angels and prayerful glorification of them, in connection, probably, with thought or presaging of the kindness shown to Tobias by the Angel Raphael.

Tobit 11:17. And Ahikar and Nasbas, his nephew, came; 11:17. Together with Ahikar, of whom there was mention in 1:21–22, there is mentioned here a certain Νασβάς (according to the Sinaiticus Codex Ναβάδ), undoubtedly the same person as Νάδάβ verse 10, chapter 14, the nephew of Ahikar.

Tobit 11:18. And they celebrated the wedding of Tobias joyfully for seven days. Subscribe to our Telegram channel

Chapter Twelve

Instructions of the Angel Raphael to Tobit and Tobias

1–5. Tobit offers Raphael a reward for service to Tobias. 6–10. The angel instructs Tobit and Tobias to confess the greatness and blessings of God, praises prayer and almsgiving. 11–15. Raphael reveals himself to Tobit and Tobias, announces to them his heavenly nature and his service received from God and, in particular, his mission regarding Tobit and Sarah. 16–22. The angel comforts father and son, commands all that has happened to be written in a book, and then becomes invisible.

Tobit 12:1. And Tobit called his son Tobias and said to him: Prepare, my son, payment for the man who traveled with you; and it is necessary to give him even more. Tobit 12:2. He answered: Father, I will not lose if I give him half of all that I have brought; Tobit 12:3. Because he has brought me to you healthy and cured my wife and brought my money and healed you as well. Tobit 12:4. The old man said: It is fitting for him. Tobit 12:5. And he called the Angel and said to him: Take half of all that you have brought and go in peace. Tobit 12:6. Then, calling them both aside, the Angel said to them: Bless God, praise Him, acknowledge His greatness and confess before all the living what He has done for you. It is good to bless God and exalt His name and proclaim the deeds of God with reverence; and do not cease to praise Him. 6. The glorification of the wonderful works of God’s mercy toward Tobit and his family, out of zeal for the glory of God and the spiritual benefit of neighbors, was, according to the angel’s instruction, the duty of Tobit and Tobias, and they, according to his instruction (verse 20), were to preserve the miraculous events that had occurred in their fate in writing.

Tobit 12:7. It is good to keep the secret of a king, but the works of God should be declared with praise. Do good, and evil will not overtake you. 7. The meaning of the saying, repeated also below (verse 11) and perhaps being a proverb,—to present in image and antithesis the moral teaching about the glorification of the wonderful works of God.

Tobit 12:8. Good is prayer with fasting and almsgiving and righteousness. Better is a little with righteousness than much with unrighteousness; better to practice almsgiving than to gather gold, Tobit 12:9. Because almsgiving delivers from death and can cleanse every sin. Those who practice almsgiving and acts of righteousness will have long life. 8–9. The angel’s teachings concerning virtues: almsgiving, prayer, fasting, righteousness have a general biblical character, are essentially identical with the teaching of the Old and New Testaments regarding these virtues and do not constitute any teaching on the part of the author of the book of Tobit. It is completely unfounded to assert, as Graetz does, that the angel Raphael’s statement that almsgiving (ελεημοσύνη) cleanses or atones for sins (verse 9, chapter 12) and that, thus, besides sacrifice, there is another means of cleansing or reconciliation—represents a new teaching first expressed by the famous Johanan ben Zakkai in Judaism after the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem to console his countrymen who grieved at the impossibility, owing to the absence of the temple, of bringing sacrifices for the cleansing of sins (Gratz H. Das Buch Tobias oder Tobit, siene Ursprache, seine Abfassungszeit und Tendanz, 1879, see in Prof. Drozdov, p. 541–542). Similar thoughts and expressions concerning the conditions for the efficacy of sacrifices and the preferability of good works and especially almsgiving before sacrifices are found in many sacred Old Testament books, for example, in the prophet Hosea (Hos 6:6) and Isaiah (Isa 1:11-13), and specifically about almsgiving (ελεεμοσύνη) as a virtue cleansing sins, it is said in Prov 16:6, Dan 4 and Sir 3:30.

Tobit 12:10. But sinners are enemies of their own life. Tobit 12:11. I will not hide anything from you; I have already said: It is good to keep the secret of a king, but the works of God should be declared with praise. Tobit 12:12. When you prayed and your daughter-in-law Sarah, I brought the memory of your prayer before the Holy One, and when you buried the dead, I was also with you. Tobit 12:13. And when you did not hesitate to rise and leave your food to go and bury the dead, your charity was not hidden from me, but I was with you. Tobit 12:14. And now God has sent me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah. Tobit 12:15. I am Raphael, one of the seven holy Angels who present the prayers of the saints and stand before the glory of the Holy One. 11–15. Now the Angel, until now considered by Tobit and Tobias to be the man Azariah, reveals to them his true essence and dignity. In this—according to the general development of biblical angelology—first (verses 12–14) he informs them of his activities toward Tobit and Sarah (cf. 3:16–17)—of his earthly mission (verse 14)—then reveals to them his heavenly dignity, his position in the heavenly hierarchy. Having mentioned the hidden, invisible side of the history described in the book of Tobit—that as the prayer of Tobit and Sarah (3:2–6, 11–15) in its time was presented by the Angel before the Holy One (cf. Rev 8:3-4), so also the charity of Tobit in burying the dead fellow countrymen (1:17–19; 2:1–5) was accomplished with the invisible aid of the Angel (verses 12–13)—then of his activity as a heavenly messenger for healing the infirmities of Tobit and Sarah (verse 14). The Angel finally announces to Tobit and Tobias his true nature: “I am Raphael, one of the seven holy Angels who present the prayers of the saints and stand before the glory of the Holy One” (verse 15). Instead of the words standing in the accepted Greek text of the book: ‘oi προσαναφέρουσιν τάς προσευχάς των αγίων—who present the prayers of the saints—words that seem to have been transferred to verse 15 from verse 12—in the Sinaiticus Codex are the words: οι παρεσιήκασι, “who stand (before the glory of the Holy One)”; equally in the Vulgate: qui adstamus ante Dominum. The expression “to stand” before someone is taken from the practice or customs at ancient Eastern royal courts and in the Bible is often used both of earthly relationships—the standing of the king’s servants before his throne (1 Sam 22:7; 1 Kgs 10:8)—and to express the conception of the heavenly service of angels to God (for example, see 1 Kgs 22:19; Isa 6:2; Dan 7:10). Of course, this “standing” of the angels before God should be understood in a completely general sense of their service to God, which service cannot be limited to only the heavenly sphere of the angels’ existence, but embraces their mission from God to earth for the purposes of human salvation. Therefore, the division among the rabbis of angels into those properly “standing” (assistentes) and those “serving” (ministrantes) God, of which only the latter could be sent by God into the world, while the former exclusively stood before the glory of God, is false. The book of Tobit speaks against this assumption: “standing” before God the Angel Raphael is sent by God to earth for the purposes of human salvation. In the general conception of the “standing” or service of angels to God enter, of course, the presentation by angels of the prayers of people before God, verse 12: the intercession of angels before God for people is presupposed both in the Old Testament biblical angelology (see, for example, Job 5:1; Zech 1:12) and—especially in the New Testament—in the classical passage of the Revelation chapter 8, verses 2–4. Therefore, the reading in verse 15 in the accepted Greek text (“who present the prayers of the saints”), although it is comparatively less textually attested, but has all the force of internal certainty (cf. in A. Glagolev, Old Testament biblical teaching on angels: p. 269, 274–275). As for the seven-fold number of angels standing before God—of which the book of Tobit speaks (12:15)—in the Old Testament canonical writings before the time of exile there are no clear testimonies of seven specifically angels. But in the book of the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 9:1-2) there appear seven men-executioners, evidently angels (cf. Zech 4:10), and in the Revelation it is repeatedly said of seven spirits or angels standing before the throne of God (Rev 1:4). Moreover, both the book of Tobit and the book of Revelation present these seven angels as the highest, i.e., archangels. Thus, in its essential features the angelology of the book of Tobit coincides with biblical angelology in general (cf. in Prof. Drozdov, p. 368 and forward in A. Glagolev, p. 408–409).

Tobit 12:16. Then both were terrified and fell on their faces, because they were afraid. Tobit 12:17. But he said to them: Do not fear, peace be with you. Bless God forever. Tobit 12:18. For I came not by my own will, but by the will of our God; therefore bless Him forever. Tobit 12:19. All these days I have appeared to you, but I neither ate nor drank—it only seemed so to your eyes. 16–19. The description of the impression produced by the angel’s revelation on Tobias and Tobit is quite analogous with other biblical narratives of how biblical figures received the appearances of angels (for example, Judg 6:22). But here, however, it is more clearly emphasized (verse 19) that the angels, although in their appearances to people acted like people whose form they assumed, nevertheless their eating of food was only an apparent action, not accompanied by the transformation of food and drink into blood—the essential process of nourishment. (The words of the Angel in verse 19 Hugo Grotius paraphrases thus: non vertebantur cibi et potus in meam substantiam).

Tobit 12:20. Now therefore glorify God, because I go up to Him who sent me, and write in a book all that has come to pass. Tobit 12:21. And they rose up and saw him no longer. Tobit 12:22. And they began to tell of the great and wonderful works of God, and how the Angel of the Lord appeared to them. 20–22. By the command of the Angel, Tobit and Tobias both orally confessed the great works of God accomplished in them, and in writing they fixed these events for the glory of God and for the benefit of their neighbors and posterity.

Chapter Thirteen

1–18. A hymn of thanksgiving (προσευχή) of Tobit to the Lord for His mercies, his hope for the better future of God’s people and Jerusalem.

Tobit 13:1. In joy Tobit wrote a prayer with these words: Blessed is God, who lives eternally, and blessed is His kingdom! 1. Tobit exactly fulfills the angel’s command (12:20) to preserve the wonderful works of God.

Tobit 13:2. For He chastens and has mercy, brings down to the grave and raises up, and there is no one who escapes His hand. Tobit 13:3. Sons of Israel! praise Him before the nations, for He has scattered us among them. Tobit 13:4. There proclaim His greatness, exalt Him before all the living, for He is our Lord and God, our Father forever: Tobit 13:5. He will chasten us for our wickedness, and again have mercy on us and gather us from all the nations wherever you have been scattered among them. Tobit 13:6. If you turn to Him with all your heart and with all your soul to act righteously before Him, then He will turn to you and will not hide His face from you. See what He will do with you. Praise Him with all your voice and bless the Lord of righteousness and exalt the King of ages. In the land of my captivity I praise Him and declare His power and majesty to a sinful people. Turn, sinners, and do righteousness before Him. Who knows whether He will have compassion on you and show you mercy? Tobit 13:7. I exalt my God, and my soul rejoices in the King of Heaven and in His greatness. Tobit 13:8. Let all proclaim His greatness and praise Him in Jerusalem. Tobit 13:9. Jerusalem, holy city! He will chasten you for the deeds of your children and again have mercy on the sons of the righteous. Tobit 13:10. Glorify the Lord earnestly and bless the King of ages, that His tabernacle may be rebuilt in you with joy, that He may make glad among you those who are captive and love in you the afflicted for all generations forever. Tobit 13:11. Many peoples from far will come to the name of the Lord God with gifts in their hands, gifts to the King of Heaven; generations of generations will praise you with joyful cries. 2–11. From his own personal pious feelings and experiences, Tobit, as a true righteous one and authentic bearer of the covenants of Israel, turns his spiritual gaze to the fate of the whole people of God and teaches them lessons of edification drawn from the terrible punishment (exile) that befell both Hebrew kingdoms, and he more concentrates his attention on the more important in the fate of the Old Testament church—the kingdom of Judah with its capital Jerusalem—and foretells to Jerusalem in the future—after the Babylonian exile—complete restoration together with the sanctuary of the city and people—the temple (verses 9–10)—and furthermore, the glorification of the religion of Israel among other peoples (verses 11–14). This cannot be called prophecy in the strict sense, since throughout the book Tobit is never called a prophet and, on the contrary, bases his judgments on the prophecies that preceded them (2:6; 14:5) and generally speaks as one who has carefully studied all the Sacred Writings of the prophets.

Tobit 13:12. Cursed are all who hate you, blessed forever will be all who love you! Tobit 13:13. Rejoice and be glad for the sons of the righteous, for they will be gathered and will bless the Lord of the righteous. Tobit 13:14. O blessed are those who love you! they will rejoice in your peace. Blessed are those who mourned over all your calamities, for they will rejoice over you when they see all your glory and will be glad forever. Tobit 13:15. Let my soul bless God, the great King, Tobit 13:16. For Jerusalem will be built with sapphires and emeralds and precious stones; your walls, towers, and fortifications will be of pure gold; Tobit 13:17. And the streets of Jerusalem will be paved with beryl, carbuncle, and stone of Ophir. Tobit 13:18. In all his streets there will be heard: Alleluia, and they will praise, saying: Blessed be God, who has exalted Jerusalem, forever! 15–18. The depiction of the glory of the future Jerusalem has a mystical-symbolic character; many features of this depiction are not applicable to the historical post-exile Jerusalem; on the contrary, they have great resemblance to the depiction of Jerusalem descending from heaven in the Revelation of the Apostle John (Rev 21:10-24).

Chapter Fourteen

Tobit’s Deathbed Testament

1–4. In view of the destruction of Nineveh that Tobit foresees, he persuades Tobias to move from Nineveh to Media for safety. 5–8. Prophecy of the restoration of the temple and the conversion of the gentiles to the religion of Jehovah. 9–11. Exhortation to justice and mercy and Tobit’s testament concerning his burial. 12–15. The death of Tobit and his wife, the removal of Tobias to his father-in-law Raguel; the death of both.

Tobit 14:1. And Tobit completed the prayer. Tobit 14:2. He was eighty-eight years old when he lost his sight, and after eight years he recovered it. And he continued to practice almsgiving and remained reverent before the Lord God and praised Him. Tobit 14:3. Finally, having grown very old, he called his son and his six grandsons and said to him: My son, take your sons; behold, I am old and at the end of my life. Tobit 14:4. Go to Media, my son, for I am sure that Nineveh will be destroyed, as the prophet Jonah spoke; and in Media it will be more peaceful for a time. Our brothers in the land of our fathers will be scattered from that good land; Jerusalem will become a waste, and the house of God in it will be burned and will be empty for a time. 2–4. In the determination of the number of years of Tobit’s life, there are great differences between different texts of the book of Tobit; the same must be said of other chronological dates of the book of Tobit according to various texts. So, according to the accepted Greek text (verse 2), Tobit lost his sight at fifty-eight years of age, but according to the Alexandrian manuscript (and Slavonic translation)—at eighty-eight years of age, and recovered it after eight years; the total number of years of Tobit’s life in the accepted text is determined (see verse 11) as 158 years (according to manuscripts 44, 55, 106 of Holmes—150 years). On the contrary, according to the Sinaiticus manuscript of the LXX and the Vet. Lat.—112 years, and according to the Vulgate and Syriac text—102 years, while in the determination of particular epochs of Tobit’s life in these texts there are in turn great differences (for example, according to the Vulgate verses 1–3, Tobit went blind at fifty-six years of age, recovered at sixty years of age, lived after that for forty-two years, died at one hundred two years, etc.). These differences, arising from erroneous readings or omissions of some letters serving as numerals, and deliberate changes on the part of translators and editors in order to harmonize individual chronological data with one another (see in Prof. Drozdov, p. 148–149). Consequently, the use of the book of Tobit for the purpose of establishing the date of contemporary historical events, for example, the destruction of Nineveh (verse 4), is extremely difficult (cf. in M. Simashkevich (now Bishop Mitrofan). The Prophecy of Nahum about Nineveh. Exegetical Research with an Outline of the History of the Assyrian State and a Historical-Critical Solution of the Question of the Origin of the Book of the Prophet Nahum. St. Petersburg, 1875, p. 338–339). The prophecy concerning the coming destruction of Nineveh (verse 4) in the accepted Greek text is attributed to the prophet Jonah. But since the prophecy of Jonah concerning the destruction of Nineveh (Jonah 3:4) due to the repentance of its inhabitants (ibid., verses 5–10) was not fulfilled in the time of the prophet Jonah, and there is no reason to recognize the fulfillment of this prophecy as not canceled, but only postponed for a certain time, one should recognize the reading of the Sinaiticus manuscript as more correct, according to which this prophecy is attributed to the prophet Nahum, the prophetic book of which is indeed chiefly devoted to the prediction of the destruction of Nineveh and all Assyria (see, for example, Nah 3:7; Zeph 2:13-15). In the Vulgate, the name of the prophet is not given, but a general reference is made to the inevitability, immutability (of the prophetic) word of God: non enim excidit verbum Domini.

Tobit 14:5. But God will again have mercy on them and will bring them back to the land; and they will rebuild the house of God, not like the former one, until the times of the age are fulfilled. And afterward they will return from captivity and rebuild Jerusalem gloriously, and the house of God will be restored in it for all generations forever—a magnificent building, as the prophets spoke. Tobit 14:6. And all peoples will turn and will truly fear the Lord God and destroy their idols; Tobit 14:7. And all peoples will bless the Lord. And His people will praise God, and the Lord will exalt His people; and all those who truly and righteously love the Lord God will rejoice, showing mercy to our brothers. 4–7. Likewise, his faith in the coming temporal desolation of Jerusalem and in its subsequent restoration, as well as his faith in the conversion of the nations to Jehovah (cf. 13:9–18), Tobit bases on the utterances of the prophets concerning this subject (see, for example, Isa 3:8 chapter: Zeph 2:11; Zech 8:8).

Tobit 14:8. Therefore, my son, go out from Nineveh, for surely all will come to pass that the prophet Jonah spoke. 8. Cf. verse 4.

Tobit 14:9. But you keep the law and the commandments and be merciful and just, so that it may go well with you. Tobit 14:10. Bury me properly, and your mother with me, and then do not remain in Nineveh. My son, see what Anam did to Ahikar, who raised him: how he brought him from light into darkness, and how he repaid him. Ahikar was saved, but the other received his due reward—he descended into darkness. Manasseh practiced almsgiving and was saved from the death trap that was set for him; but Anam fell into the trap and perished. Tobit 14:11. So, children, know what almsgiving does and how justice saves. When he said this, his soul departed from him on his bed; he was one hundred fifty-eight years old, and his son buried him with honor. 9–11. Tobit’s deathbed admonitions to his son, contained here, briefly repeat the admonitions given to Tobias before his departure to Rages in Media (chapter 4) regarding almsgiving verses 9 and 11, cf. 4:7–11; 16–17; regarding Tobit’s burial together with his wife verse 10, cf. 4:3–4. The commandment concerning mercy and almsgiving is illustrated in verse 10 by a reference to a certain episode with the well-known Ahikar (1:22; 2:10; 11:17). The meaning of this episode is clear: the mercy of Ahikar saved him from destruction by a certain ungrateful and treacherous pupil of his, who in the Sinaiticus manuscript of the LXX and in Vet. Lat. is called Nadab, which is evidently identical with the name Nasbas, the nephew of Ahikar—in 11:17. But in the accepted Greek text of this episode it is obscured and complicated, first, by the fact that instead of Nadab, a certain Anam (or Adam) is named—probably due to confusion of this episode with the history of Mordecai and Haman in the book of Esther; second, moreover, a new case of the salvation of Manasseh—a person unknown (some old interpreters arbitrarily saw in him the husband of Judith, see Jdt 8:2)—from the snares of Anam is cited.

Tobit 14:12. When Anna died, he buried her also with his father. After this, Tobias with his wife and his children departed to Ecbatana to Raguel, his father-in-law, Tobit 14:13. And reached an honored old age, and buried his father-in-law and mother-in-law properly, and inherited their estate and that of Tobit, his father. Tobit 14:14. And he died at one hundred twenty-seven years in Ecbatana of Media. 11–14. Tobias exactly fulfilled his father’s testament: he moved to Ecbatana not before the death of his mother Anna, whom, according to his father’s testament (verse 10, cf. 4:3–4), he buried together with Tobit. The years of Tobias’ life (verse 14) are shown differently in different texts of the book of Tobit: in the accepted Greek text—127 years, according to other manuscripts—107 years; in the Sinaiticus manuscript and in Vet. Lat.—117 years, in the Vulgate—99 years. In the Vulgate, it is added about Tobias that he saw the fifth generation of his sons’ sons, and that all his relatives and descendants were distinguished by piety (Viditque quintam generationem filios filiorum suorum… Omnis autem cognatio ejus el omnis generatio ejus in bona vita, et in sancta conversatione permansit, ita, ut accepti essent tam Deo, quam hominibus et cunctis habitantibus in terra).

Tobit 14:15. But before he died, he heard of the destruction of Nineveh, which was captured by Nebuchadnezzar and Ashuir, and he rejoiced in his death over Nineveh. 15. After his removal to Ecbatana, probably not long before his death, Tobias heard of the destruction of Nineveh—perhaps from captive Assyrians brought to Ecbatana by the Median king. The destroyer of Nineveh, according to the Sinaiticus manuscript of the book of Tobit (verse 15), is represented as Ahikar—A χιάχαρος, ό βασιλεύς της Μήδειας (in Vet. Lat. Achicar, rex Medorum): here the name of Ahikar, or Ahikar, repeatedly encountered in the book of Tobit (even in chapter 14 itself, verse 10), appeared as a result of confusion with the similarly-sounding name of the Median king Kyaxares, Κυαξάρής, of whom, as the conqueror of Assyria, Herodotus speaks (Histor. I, 106). The reports of other ancient historians (Abydinus, Alexander Polyhistor, Ctesias) about the participation of the Babylonians, led by Nabopolassar, in the destruction of Nineveh, can be fully reconciled with these data—of the book of Tobit (according to the Sinaiticus manuscript) and the history of Herodotus (see in Prof. Drozdov, p. 516–525). Principally, however, the testimony of the book of Tobit (and Herodotus) is confirmed recently, in 1894, by the discovered inscription of the Babylonian king Nabonidus, according to which “the king of the Medes,” that is, the Medes, appears as the helper of Nabopolassar, and the destruction of Assyria itself is attributed to the Medes. In this same inscription, the chronological date of the destruction of Assyria and Nineveh is indicated—fifty-four years before the restoration of the temple of the god Sin in the city of Haran in 553 B.C., that is, the destruction of Nineveh took place in 606 B.C.—a date which at the present time can be considered generally accepted (see there, p. 525–527). In the accepted Greek text of the book of Tobit (verse 15), the name of Kyaxares is replaced by the name of the conqueror known to every Jew from the time of the Babylonian exile—Nebuchadnezzar, while the name of the country—Assyria (A σσυρίας or A σσυρ)—was unsuccessful changed to the name of a person—the supposed second conqueror—Ashuir ( Ασυήρος or: according to manuscripts 23, 58, 64, 76, 106, 236, 243, 246, 249, Complutensian, Aldine: A σσουήρος; according to manuscripts 44, 106: A σσύριος). Thus, the book of Tobit, beginning with a narrative of the exile of the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Israel to Assyria and in particular to Nineveh (1:1–8), ends with testimony of the destruction of this world empire and its famous capital (14:15). Such is the sacred, biblical pragmatism of the historical fate of Assur—a people that was “the rod of God’s wrath” (Isa 10:5) for the punishment of Israel! Professor of the Kiev Spiritual Academy, Master of Theology Priest A. A. Glagolev. Our Telegram channel

The Book of Judith

Introduction

Preface

The book “Judith” takes its name from the main heroine of its narrative – a beautiful and pious Israelite woman Judith, who became renowned for saving her homeland from Holofernes, sent by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Assyria, to devastate and conquer Judea.

The authenticity of the book and its historical reliability have been the subject of considerable scholarly debate, owing to the great number of historical, archaeological, geographical and other important errors contained in the book. Nevertheless, the Book of Judith has enjoyed the highest respect from ancient times, reaching the point of being granted canonical status. Jerome grants it such status, appealing to the Council of Nicaea, although among the canons of that council there is not one that discusses this book, and Jerome himself nowhere cites such a canon. Augustine and the entire African Church also recognized this book as canonical. In general, however, the Church later came to affirm the non-canonical status of this book.

The author of the book is not known with certainty, though some scholars have named him. According to Jerome, the book was written by Judith herself; according to others, the author was the high priest Eliakim; still others attribute it to Achior the Ammonite, mentioned in the book, or to Jesus, son of Josedek, colleague of Zerubbabel at the return from Babylonian captivity, and so forth. Among the various texts of the book, the most well-known are: the Greek Septuagint, ancient translations – the Syriac and Latin, known as the Old Latin (Vetus Latinus) and Jerome’s in the Vulgate, which he made from a Hebrew text now lost. According to authorities, the original text of the book was Hebrew.

The time of writing of the book is determined by researchers only approximately and in two ways – depending on how one resolves the major historical confusion raised by the book, which casts its own light on the entire course of its narrative: either after the return from Babylonian captivity (Jdt 4:3), and in that case the name of Nebuchadnezzar must be struck from the narrative or corrected, and he is even called king of Assyria, or else – if one recognizes the unassailable force and plausibility of the latter, then it is possible to assign the writing of the book to pre-captivity times, and in that case recognize as misplaced the references of the narrative to later post-captivity times, such as the place cited above, Judith 4:3. Which of these opinions has the weightier arguments and should be preferred is not easy to say, just as it is impossible to point to a king who would satisfy all the extremely tangled details of the account given by the author of the book.

More precisely, many researchers assign the time of writing of the book to the Maccabean period, and a further reworking even later – to the time of early Christianity. From this it is understandable why the renown of Judith in the written records of antiquity begins rather late. Philo, Josephus and generally the writers of Old Testament times say nothing of this book. The first mention of the book belongs only to Clement of Rome (in his First Letter to the Corinthians, ch. 55). The subsequent Church Fathers and teachers – Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Tertullian, Ambrose, Augustine and others, while making use of the Book of Judith for purposes of edification, do not provide any accounts or traditions about its origin.

As for the event itself constituting the content of the book, some saw in it a simple metaphor – a depiction of the victory of pious Judaism over the impiety of pagan polytheism. Others regarded the story of Judith as a pious poem, presenting a mixture of fact and fiction, written to move the religious and patriotic feelings of the Jews. Finally, still others agreed to recognize even the actual historicity of the entire event – however – only on condition of correcting in the narrative all the erroneous names and inaccuracies and assigning the event to the times of the dominion of the Syrian kings (the Maccabean era).

The whole body and details of the account in any case bear an indelible imprint of the actual historicity of the event, independent of individual inaccuracies of description. The narrative provides much valuable information on history, geography, chronology, gives a detailed genealogy of Judith, mentions a festival established in memory of the victory of this heroine; finally, ancient Jewish prayers in the first and second Sabbaths of the Feast of Dedication, which present an abbreviated exposition of the essence of the Book of Judith, also show that the Hebrews believed in the reality of the facts transmitted in it, for they could not have thanked God for a fictitious deliverance. To this must be added the existence of several ancient midrashim, independently of the Book of Judith recounting the same events. Universal tradition from ancient times allowed a strictly historical character to the book, and no one until Luther doubted this. And even now – all objections raised against the truth of the facts of the Book of Judith must be counted among the unconvincing and unimportant. As for, finally, the king himself (called the Assyrian Nebuchadnezzar), to the time of whom the described event should most probably be assigned, then all attempts to point out more precisely in history such a king, most probable and corresponding to all the details of the account in the Book of Judith, are doomed to hopeless doubtfulness and insoluble groundlessness. And not without reason – there has remained, it seems, not a single king – neither before nor after captivity – who has not been thought to be the most identical person with Nebuchadnezzar – with equal plausibility and groundlessness at one and the same time: we do not set forth here individual opinions and arguments in favor of them and do not enter into fruitless polemics, preferring to hold to the precise indications of Scripture and allowing each one to adapt himself to them by his own convictions.

Chapter One

1–12. The Assyrian king Nebuchadnezzar declares war on the Median – Arphaxad, with the peoples allied to him. 13–16. The defeat of Arphaxad and his death. The destruction of his capital (Ecbatana). The triumph of Nebuchadnezzar.

Judith 1:1. In the twelfth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, who reigned over the Assyrians in the great city of Nineveh,– in the days of Arphaxad, who reigned over the Medes in Ecbatana: 1. The beginning of verse 1 has its direct continuation in verse 5, while the insertion about Arphaxad (from the second half of verse 1 through verse 4 inclusive) – is as it were an introductory sentence, more precisely acquainting us with some secondary circumstances and the time of the narrated event. Instead of the “12th” year the Syriac text has the 13th. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Nineveh, is – perhaps – Assurbanipal (667–647). True, none of the Assyrian kings bore the name Nebuchadnezzar (the meaning of the name: “may Heaven protect the crown!”), because the god Heaven was revered only in Babylonia. However, since Assurbanipal reigned over both lands, Assyria and Babylonia, it would have been natural, if he, as a Babylonian king, took the name Nebuchadnezzar as well, serving as an expression of reverence to the god of that country. The inscriptions of that time, discovered in excavations and read, tell of Assurbanipal that he it was who defeated the Medes and then, after this victory, desired to restore his power over all western Asia, which had revolted against him – from Lydia, where Gyges ruled († 650 B.C.), to Memphis in Egypt, where Psamtik I ruled († 617 B.C.), son of Necho I († 666 B.C.). Arphaxad – is, perhaps, a name altered by copyists from Phraortes or Aphraates (617–625), successor of Deioces (700–647), king of the Medes.

Judith 1:2. And he built around Ecbatana walls of hewn stones, three cubits thick, and six cubits long; and he made the height of the wall seventy, and the width fifty cubits, Judith 1:3. And he set over the gates towers one hundred cubits high, which had at their base a width of sixty cubits; Judith 1:4. And the gates which he built for the passage of his mighty troops and for the marching of his infantry, rose to a height of seventy cubits, and had a width of forty cubits: 2–4. The strength of the walls of the city Ecbatana is represented generally as extraordinary and even fabulous. Nevertheless, other ancient writers and recent excavations confirm the biblical testimony. It should only be noted regarding the width of the towers and walls, that the width of 50–60 cubits indicated by the Bible designates, probably, the maximum width which the towers and walls had at the bottom, at the foundation, for the higher up, the narrower and less massive the walls became. The number of towers that studded the walls of Ecbatana is not indicated. Probably there were no fewer than in the walls of Nineveh, where, according to Diodorus Siculus, there were 1500 towers, rising to a height of 200 feet. Excessively wide and high gates in walls were made so that troops could pass through them completely freely and quickly, in full formation and with all military equipment.

Judith 1:5. In those days the king Nebuchadnezzar made war against the king Arphaxad on the great plain, which is in the region of Ragau. 5. “In the region of Ragau” (verse 15: “on the mountains of Ragau”) – Greek Ρagaaí, or Ráa, – a very significant and ancient city of Media in the province of Ragia, ten days’ journey from the city Ecbatana (cf. Tob 1:14 – “in Rages of Media”).

Judith 1:6. To him gathered all that dwelt in the hilly country, and all that dwelt by the Euphrates, and Tigris and Idapisus, and on the plain Arioch, king of the Elamites, and they came together very many nations into the battle of the sons of Cheleoud. 6. “Idapisus” (the Vulgate has Iadason) – this, probably, is Eulaeus (cf. Arrian. Anab. 7, 7. Plin. h. n. 6, 31; Dan 8:2) – the present Absal or Desphul, according to others – Kuran, or perhaps – Choaspes in the region of Susiana (cf. Strabo, 15, ch. 3). “Arioch” – a name also mentioned in Moses, Gen 14:1, as well as in Dan 2:14. “King of the Elamites” – Elymaíoi – inhabitants of the Persian region of Elima. “Sons of Cheleoud” (Cheleoud; Vet. Lat. has helleuth, the Syriac – on the contrary – Chaldeans). According to the conjecture of Ewald (Gesch d. V. Isz. III. 2 c. 543), here, probably, should be read “children of the mole” – a nickname given in mockery by the ancients to the Syrians. “Into the battle of the sons of Cheleoud.” More precisely and correctly to read, together with the Syriac: “into battle,” or “for fighting with the sons of Cheleoud.”

Judith 1:7. And Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, sent to all that dwelt in Persia, and to all that dwelt on the west, to those dwelling in Cilicia, and Damascus, and Lebanon, and Antilebanon, and to all that dwelt in the sea coast, Judith 1:8. And among the peoples of Carmel, and Gilead, and in upper Galilee, and in the great plain of Esdraelon, Judith 1:9. And to all that dwelt in Samaria and its cities, and beyond Jordan to Jerusalem, and Betane and Chelo, and Kadesh and the river of Egypt, and Taphnes and Ramesses, and all the land of Goshen, Judith 1:10. To the entrance of upper Tanis and Memphis, and to all that dwelt in Egypt, to the entrance of the borders of Ethiopia. 7–10. The localities enumerated here are all more or less well-known. Only a few require explanation. Betaní and Chellús – these are Hebrew: ??? and ???, mentioned in Josh 15:59. – Kádis – ???, cf. Josh 15:23.

Judith 1:11. But all that dwelt in all that land despised the word of the king of Assyria, Nebuchadnezzar, and did not come to him for war, for they were not afraid of him, but he was as one man to them: they sent back his ambassadors empty, in disgrace. Judith 1:12. And Nebuchadnezzar was exceeding angry at all this land, and swore by his throne and his kingdom, that he would avenge himself upon all the borders of Cilicia and Damascus and Syria, and that he would slay with his sword all the inhabitants of the land of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and all Judea, and all the inhabitants of Egypt, even to the borders of the two seas. 11–12. In the preceding verse 7 it is said indefinitely that Nebuchadnezzar “sent” to all that dwelt in Persia and other countries enumerated further. Why did he send? – this determination we learn from verse 11. He was sending to call them with him for war against Arphaxad. But they all refused. A curious explanation of this refusal is given by the Bible: they refused because they did not fear him (Nebuchadnezzar). In ancient international relations, it seems, moral principles and obligations had little significance. Force appeared to be the chief and sole arbiter and regulator of the destinies and relations of nations: whoever was feared, whoever knew how to inspire fear, was obeyed and those sought his favor. Examples of one nation heroically standing for another of its confederates are seen in ancient history rarely. “The borders of the two seas” (verse 12) – here two chief branches of the Nile are meant (Astaboras and Astapus), called by the Arabs – the white and blue sea.

Judith 1:13. And in the seventeenth year he raised an army against the king Arphaxad and routed him in the battle, and he turned to flight all the army of Arphaxad, all his cavalry and all his chariots, Judith 1:14. And took his cities, came to Ecbatana, took the fortified places, stripped the streets of the city and turned its beauty to shame. Judith 1:15. And he caught Arphaxad on the mountains of Ragau, and smote him with his spear and slew him that same day. Judith 1:16. Then returned he back to Nineveh, he and all his company, a great multitude of men of war; and he rested there, and made a feast with his army one hundred and twenty days. 13–16. The preparations for war with Arphaxad, begun in the 12th or 13th year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, took several years; a considerable part of this time was taken up by embassies to the inhabitants of the west, which gave so unsuccessful results. This, however, did not cool the determination of Nebuchadnezzar, and in the 17th year of his reign he settled the matter with Arphaxad by his own forces. It may be supposed that Nebuchadnezzar did not have a real need to turn to the inhabitants of the west for help in fighting Arphaxad, and his embassy to them was aimed not at a humble request for help, but at the same high-handed invitation with the consciousness of his own power – to submit and by some demonstrations not to interfere with the task he had planned. The latter aim of the embassies was, as it can be seen, nevertheless achieved, at least to the extent that those who refused to ally with Nebuchadnezzar are not seen on the side of Arphaxad, left to struggle with the enemy by his own forces alone. The advantage in forces was, undoubtedly, on the side of Nebuchadnezzar, around whom nonetheless many nations gathered (verse 6), which formed “very many multitudes of men of war” (verse 16).

Chapter Two

1–13. Nebuchadnezzar entrusts Holofernes with avenging the peoples who refused to obey him voluntarily and to conquer them by force. 14–28. Holofernes sets out on campaign with a huge, select army and through his successes and cruelty spreads terror over Judea.

Judith 2:1. In the eighteenth year, on the twenty-second day of the first month, there was a decree in the house of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, to accomplish, as he said, vengeance upon all the land. Judith 2:2. And he called together all his ministers and all his nobles, and communicated to them the secret of his counsel, and pronounced with his own mouth the final condemnation of all the land. Judith 2:3. And they resolved to destroy all that would not obey the word of his mouth. 1–3. Instead of the “18th” year the Vulgate gives the “13th” (tertio decimo). This would be plausible only by ignoring verses 13–16 of chapter I and is allowable in connection with 1:1. The date in verse 13 of chapter I makes the date of verse 1 of chapter II of the Greek text – “in the eighteenth year” (en tō etei tō oktōkaidekatō) more plausible and allowable. “The first month” = Nisan, corresponding to our April. – “As he said” – (see above 1:12): the intention of Nebuchadnezzar to avenge the disobedient nations is expressed in 1:12 much more forcefully. He did not simply “say” and “swear by his throne and his kingdom to avenge” the disobedient. This intention was preserved, as can be seen from verse 2, in secrecy, which Nebuchadnezzar now reveals to his nobles. Intoxicated by the successes in the war with Arphaxad, they with great readiness give themselves over to the execution of his will – “to destroy all who did not obey the word of his mouth.”

Judith 2:4. And when he had finished taking counsel, Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, called Holofernes the chief captain of his army, who was second only to him, and said to him: Judith 2:5. Thus says the great king, the lord of all the earth: Behold, you will go forth from my presence, and will take with you men that trust in their own strength, of footmen one hundred and twenty thousand, and of horsemen with horses twelve thousand, Judith 2:6. And you will go forth against all the west country, because they have not obeyed my commands. Judith 2:7. And you will declare to them, that they prepare for me earth and water: for I will come forth in my wrath against them, and I will cover all the face of the earth with the feet of my army, and I will give them up to be spoiled by them. Judith 2:8. And their slain shall fill their valleys and their rivers, and the river shall be filled with their dead, Judith 2:9. And I will carry away their captives to the uttermost parts of all the earth. Judith 2:10. But you will go and take possession of all their borders for me: and such as yield themselves to you you will keep for the day of their condemnation; Judith 2:11. But as for the rebels, let not your eye spare them: give them up to slaughter, and to spoiling throughout all your land. Judith 2:12. For as I live, and by the power of my kingdom, whatsoever I have spoken, that will I do by my hand. Judith 2:13. And take heed that you do not transgress any of the commandments of your lord, but accomplish them fully, as I have commanded you, and do not fail to do them. 4–13. The name Holofernes is known from Polybius (III, 5, 2) under another form, Orophernis. “That they prepare for me earth and water” (verse 7) – a customary formula used by Persian kings to those from whom they demanded submission, accordingly the expression – “to give earth and water” – meant to express complete submission. “The river” (potamos), mentioned in verse 8, is not some specific river, but a collective designation of all local rivers in general. “Throughout all your land” (verse 11) – is meant all the region subject to the attack and conquest by Holofernes. “As I live, and by the power of my kingdom!” – a kind of oath and the most decisive confirmation of the truth of the words (cf. Num 14:21; Jdt 11:7).

Judith 2:14. So Holofernes went forth from the presence of his lord, and called together all the governors, and the captains, and the officers of the army of the Assyrians, Judith 2:15. And he mustered the chosen men for the battle, as his lord had commanded him, one hundred and twenty thousand, and twelve thousand horsemen with their bows. Judith 2:16. And he arranged them in order as a great army is set in array for the fight. Judith 2:17. And he took a very great number of camels and asses and mules for the baggage, and herds of sheep and oxen and goats without number for the provision, Judith 2:18. And much food for every man, and a great quantity of gold and silver out of the king’s treasure. Judith 2:19. And he went forth with all his army, to go before the king Nebuchadnezzar, and to cover all the face of the earth on the west with his chariots, and horsemen, and his chosen foot soldiers. Judith 2:20. And a multitude of the allied nations went with him like the locusts, and like the sand of the earth, so that for the multitude there was no number. 14–20. The enormous army of Holofernes, composed of “chosen men,” supplied with provisions and everything necessary for a distant campaign, was only to “go before” (verse 19) the king Nebuchadnezzar himself, who intended (verse 7) to come himself immediately upon the conquered territories with an even greater army and complete over them his dread and inexorable judgment. This is made clear also from verse 10, where Holofernes is ordered – all those who surrender to him, to keep “for the day of their condemnation.”

Judith 2:21. And he journeyed three days’ journey from Nineveh to the plain of Bectileth, and he pitched his camp near Bectileth, by the mountain which is on the left of the upper Cilicia. Judith 2:22. Then he took all his army, his foot soldiers, his horsemen, and his chariots, and went up into the hill country, Judith 2:23. And spoiled Phutim and Ludim, and plundered all the children of Rasis, and the children of Ismael, who dwelt in the wilderness on the south of the land of Chellon. 21–23. Despite the comparative abundance of, apparently, “precise” designations of the whole campaign, it is difficult to determine many of them more closely and clearly. “Bectileth” – Greek Baikileth, otherwise Bektilath, Latin Bethulia, shorter Bithila. – Judging from the distance of “3 days’ journey from Nineveh,” this was a locality in northern Mesopotamia, in the fertile Antimusias, – Migdonia. “Near the mountain” – in Greek precisely the mountain Aggios, Latin Agge and Ange (Vulgate) – a name found nowhere else. “The Phutim” (verse 23) are the Libyans (Jer 46:9; Ezek 30:5). “The Ludim” – an inaccuracy that makes it difficult to say who is meant here. It may be supposed that if this was an independent nation, it was certainly not in this area. May it not be that they appeared here as mercenaries in military service (Ezek 27:10)? “The children of Rasis” – Rassis. Vet. Lat. – Thiras et Rasis, Vulgate – Tharsis, i.e. Tarsus. Perhaps Rassis is from Rhosos, or Rhos, a mountain range and city, south of the Ammonites. “The children of Ishmael” – various Bedouin tribes – had very significant places of settlement in northern Arabia south of Babylon. “To the land of Chellon,” some texts attempt to correct and explain – “to the land of the Chaldeans.” The success of such a correction, however, is very questionable.

Judith 2:24. Then, having crossed over the Euphrates, he went through Mesopotamia, and broke down all the fortified cities on the brook Abron, even to the sea. 24. “Fortified cities,” i.e. cities that are fortified, strongholds. “By the brook Abron” – Abrwona, otherwise Arwonai, Chevron or Cheuron, according to some, the river Chaboras (Chabur or Habur). Other scholars supposed that in the original text of the book there stood the Hebrew – “on this side of the river,” i.e. the Euphrates, but the translator mistakenly took ??? for the name of a river, to which he added a Greek ending.

Judith 2:25. And he took the coasts of Cilicia, and killed all that resisted him, and came to the borders of Iapheth, which are towards the south, over against Arabia, 25. “To the borders of Iapheth” – Iapeth. According to some scholars, this Iapeth came from Nabataíoi, which makes the further explanation of the Bible – (to the borders of the Nabataeans) “towards the south, over against Arabia” more consistent.

Judith 2:26. And he compassed about all the children of Maadim, and burnt their tabernacles, and spoiled their flocks. Judith 2:27. And he went down to the plain of Damascus in the time of the harvest of wheat, and burnt all their fields, and destroyed their flocks and herds, and spoiled their cities, and laid waste their lands, and smote all their young men with the edge of the sword. Judith 2:28. And fear and trembling fell upon the inhabitants of the sea coast, them that dwelt in Sidon and Tyre, and them that dwelt in Sur and Ocina, and all the inhabitants of Jamnaa, and they that dwelt in Azotus and Ascalon were exceedingly afraid of him. 28. “The inhabitants of Sur and Ocina” – Zour, otherwise Zoud, Hebrew ???, Dora 1 Macc 15:11 – a coastal city near Carmel. Instead of “and Ocina” (kai Okeina) – some manuscripts have “and beyond” (kai epekeina) (the Kinnaeans). If we accept the first reading as more correct (kai Okeina), then under Okeina one may understand the Hebrew ???, perhaps with ??? at the end – Accaho or Accon, the well-known seaport, Ptolemais, north of Dora. “The inhabitants of Jamnaa” – Iemnaan, otherwise Iamnian, a Philistine city on the Mediterranean (2 Chr 26:6; cf. 1 Macc. 5:58, 4:15). On the basis of more or less precise designations of the localities visited by Holofernes, it becomes possible to form a general picture of the activities of Holofernes. First, he made a kind of raid on Cappadocia and part of Asia Minor. Then he moved to the east of the Euphrates, which the revolt of the inhabitants of Babylon and Mesopotamia drove him to. Stationed with his huge army from the river Chaboras to the Persian Gulf, he suppressed the rebellion of Chaldea and took part in the defeat of Babylon and its allies, which is described in detail in the history of Assurbanipal. The joining of the Arabs to the rebels against Nebuchadnezzar caused Holofernes to pay special attention to this troublesome element, scattered throughout all the lands mentioned in the Bible along Holofernes’ route. The astonishing energy and success with which Holofernes subdued the rebels against his supreme ruler scattered terror and dread everywhere before the formidable commander, who knew no mercy or compassion for anything that came in his way.

Chapter Three

1–5. An embassy of the frightened inhabitants of the coastal country to Holofernes with expressions of submission. 6–10. The arrival of Holofernes in the lands adjacent to Judea and the introduction of the cult of Nebuchadnezzar in them.

Judith 3:1. And they sent messengers to him with words of peace, saying: Judith 3:2. Behold, we the servants of Nebuchadnezzar the great king lie before you: use us as it shall please you. Judith 3:3. Behold, our villages, and all our country is before you; all things that are in them, and our fields with their fruits, and our flocks and herds, and all the tents of our dwelling: do with them as it shall please you. Judith 3:4. Behold our cities and the dwellers in them are your servants: come and deal with them as it shall please you. 1–4. “Deal (with us and all our possessions) as it shall please you!” – in a placatory sense, with a view to arousing compassion. And indeed, in the description of Holofernes’ actions in the coastal country there are not such terrible details as those given above, in Chapter II, verses 26–27. It appears that Holofernes limited himself here only to destroying the former worship of the coastal dwellers and imposing on them a new god – Nebuchadnezzar, which must have inspired fear above all in neighboring Israel, who feared the same fate for themselves.

Judith 3:5. So the men came to Holofernes, and delivered all these words to him. Judith 3:6. Then he came down to the sea coast with his army, and set garrisons in the fortified cities, and took out of them chosen men for allies to himself. Judith 3:7. And they and all the country round about them received him with garlands, with dances and with timbrels. 5–7. While in other nations Holofernes “smote” even “all their young men with the edge of the sword,” toward the coastal dwellers even here he appeared to be more humane, allowing himself to supplement his army with them. These coastal dwellers might have disposed Holofernes toward this humanity, and by their appealing attitude, receiving him everywhere with garlands, with dances and with timbrels.

Judith 3:8. Nevertheless he destroyed all their sanctuaries, and cut down their groves: for he was given commandment to destroy all the gods of the earth, that all nations should worship Nabuchodonosor only, and that all their tongues and tribes should call upon him as god. 8. “Groves” – with trees consecrated to Astarte (2 Chr 14:2).

Judith 3:9. And he came to Esdraelon near to Dothaim, which is beside the great ridge of Judea, 9. “Near to Dothaim.” Instead of “Dothaim” (Dotaia) – it stands in other places (Jdt 4:6), Hebrew ??? (Gen 37:17; 2 Kgs 6:13).

Judith 3:10. And he pitched his tents between Geba and the city of Scythopolis, and he remained there a whole month, that he might gather together all the baggage of his army. 10. “Between Geba” – Gaibai – Gebal, Gabai – corrupted Hebrew ??? – a mountain chain and village. “The city of Scythopolis” – Scythopolis, ancient Hebrew ???.

Chapter Four

1–3. The fear of the Jews before Holofernes. 4–8. Desperate preparations for defense. 9–15. Prayer to God for help.

Judith 4:1. When the children of Israel who lived in Judea heard of all that Holofernes, the commander of the Assyrian king Nebuchadnezzar, had done to the nations, and how he had plundered all their sanctuaries and devoted them to destruction, Judith 4:2. they were greatly frightened and trembled for Jerusalem and the temple of the Lord their God; Judith 4:3. because they had only recently returned from captivity, all the people of Judea had been gathered together, and the sacred vessels, the altar, and the house of the Lord had been sanctified after defilement. 1–3. The fear of the Jews before Holofernes, as is plainly indicated, was primarily aroused by the fact that he plundered and destroyed the sanctuaries of the conquered peoples. The same danger obviously threatened the sanctuary of Jehovah, which had only recently been restored after the return from captivity.

Judith 4:4. They sent messengers throughout all the border of Samaria and Coni, and Betheron and Belmain, and Jericho, and to Choba and Esora, and to the plain of Salem, 4. “Coni”—Κωνάς, otherwise Κωνά, and according to some manuscripts even Κώμας (without the following καί), with this κώμας (village) establishing the dependent status of the following “Betheron” and so forth as a definition (in the villages of Bethoron, etc.). As an independent place by such a name it is difficult to identify anything. “Betheron”—Βαιθωρών—this is the present-day Beit-Ur. “Belmain”—Βελμέν, Alexandria Βελμαιν, otherwise ‘ Αβελμαείν, Latin Abelmam: a place somewhere near Dothan (further mentions of it: Jdt 7:3 — either Βελθεμ, or Βελβαίμ and Βελμέν, as well as ‘ Αβελμαεν, Vet. Lat. Abelme, Vulgate Belma, and Jdt 8:3 — Βελαμών) and Lamon. “To Choba”—Χωβά, or Χωβαι (Jdt 15:5)—north of Damascus (Gen 14:15). “Esora”—Αίσωρα, A σσαρών—this is probably the Hebrew corresponding to A σώρ—Azor. “The plain of Salem.”—Σασλήμ, the valley of Sharon—according to some; others understand here a region in the vicinity of Jerusalem.

Judith 4:5. they took possession of the summits of the high mountains, fortified with walls the villages standing on them, and laid up stores of grain in preparation for war, since their fields had recently been harvested, Judith 4:6. And the high priest Joiakim, who was in Jerusalem at that time, wrote to the inhabitants of Bethulia and Bethomesthem, which lay opposite Esdraelon, before the plain near Dothan, 6. The high priest Joiakim—according to some manuscripts bears the name Eliakeim (Ί λιακείμ). “Bethulia”—Βετυλούα, Βατυλώα, Βαιτουλία, Vulgate Bethalia—a place not mentioned anywhere else in this book. It is difficult to identify it with any known places. This uncertainty and obscurity of Bethulia gave some reason to suspect even its existence and to regard it as pure fiction, yet Modein, where Mattathias took refuge, is likewise mentioned nowhere else in the Bible and cannot easily be found among known places today, and yet to explain everything here as fiction would be quite unconvincing. Certain details in the Bible’s description of Bethulia help somewhat to determine, at least approximately, its position. It was adjacent to Israel and Dothan (Jdt 4:6), was situated on a mountain at the foot of which was a spring (Jdt 6:13); among present places, Sheik Shebel may most substantially fit this description. “Bethomesthem”—Βαιτομεσθαίμ, also mentioned in Jdt 15:4.

Judith 4:7. that they might occupy the mountain passes in the highlands, because it was through them that the entrance to Judea lay, and it was easy for them to prevent those coming, since the passage was narrow even for two men. Judith 4:8. The children of Israel did as the high priest Joiakim and the elders of all the people of Israel, who dwelt in Jerusalem, commanded them. 8. “The elders of all the people of Israel”—γερουσία, mentioned further on—Jdt 11:14. Some wanted to see here a reference to the Sanhedrin, and since the latter did not exist before the captivity, they dated the whole history of Judith to a time significantly later than the captivity. This, however, is poorly founded, since γερουσία here represents simply a translation of the frequently occurring biblical expression “the elders of Israel.”

Judith 4:9. And all the men of Israel cried out to God with great earnestness and humbled their souls with great earnestness: Judith 4:10. they and their wives and children and their cattle; and every foreign resident, and every hired laborer and every slave bought for money put sackcloth around their loins. Judith 4:11. And every man of Israel and every woman and the children and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the temple, put ashes on their heads, and spread their sackcloth before the Lord, Judith 4:12. and covered the altar in sackcloth and fervently and with one accord called upon the God of Israel that He would not deliver their children to spoiling, nor their wives to captivity, nor the cities of their inheritance to destruction, nor their holy places to profanation and contempt. 9–12. “And they cried out… and humbled their souls… they (all the men of Israel) and their wives and children and their cattle…” How the cattle were to take part in the sorrow of Israel is explained by a similar passage in the book of the prophet Jonah (Jonah 3:7-8), where it is told how the king of Nineveh, touched by the preaching of the prophet and himself the first to exchange his royal robes for penitential sackcloth, commanded his subjects “that neither people nor cattle nor oxen nor sheep taste anything, do not feed on grass or drink water, and that both people and cattle be covered in sackcloth and cry out to God with great strength.” The sorrow and grief of all that surrounded should have accompanied the sorrow of Israel and deepened his cry to God for mercy and hope for being heard. The altar itself—the sacred vessel of the people’s prayers and the mercies of Jehovah—was clothed in sackcloth, and with its heart-rending appearance it deepened the streams of repentant sorrowful tears and prayers.

Judith 4:13. And the Lord heard their voice and regarded their affliction; and throughout all Judea and Jerusalem the people fasted many days before the sanctuary of the Lord Almighty. Judith 4:14. And Joiakim, the high priest, and all the priests who stood before the Lord, the servants, girded their loins with sackcloth and offered constant burnt offerings and vows and voluntary gifts of the people. Judith 4:15. On their turbans was ash, and they with all their strength cried out to the Lord, that He would visit with mercy the whole house of Israel. 13–15. The religious enthusiasm of the Jews, rare in its touching and universal character, was not only aroused by their helplessness and fear of the desperate position, but was at the same time a sign of their strong inner religious vitality, which the calamities of the last years of the Kingdoms had especially nurtured in the Jewish soul. This is what lent to the expressions of the Jews’ sorrow a special touching quality and moved the Lord to hear their voice and regard their affliction.

Chapter Five

1–5. Surprised by the news of the Israelites’ preparations for resistance, Holofernes inquires about them from Achior, the leader of the Ammonites. 6–21. The speech of Achior concerning the Israelites. 22–24. The unfavorable impression of the speech upon the whole assembly.

Judith 5:1. Holofernes, the commander of the Assyrian army, was informed that the children of Israel had prepared for war: they had closed the passages to the highlands, fortified every summit of the high mountain with walls, and on the plains had set up barriers. 1. The preparations of the Jews for resistance were, of course, absurdly insignificant compared to the enormous forces of Holofernes and the multitude of kingdoms and peoples he had already conquered and overthrown victoriously. There is no doubt that for the Jews this was glaringly obvious. But the more evident the insignificance of their defensive preparations, the more ideal and touching was this feeble attempt at bloody struggle for their sacred possessions—an attempt that with all its powerful force was expressed in such a touching appeal for divine help.

Judith 5:2. He was very angry and, calling together all the rulers of Moab and the leaders of Ammon and all the governors of the seacoast, said to them: Judith 5:3. Tell me, sons of Canaan, what is this people that dwells in the highlands, what cities do they inhabit, how large is their army, and what is their strength and power, who is set over them as king and commander of their forces, Judith 5:4. and why have they more than all those who dwell in the west refused to come out to meet me? 2–4. Desiring, apparently, to obtain unknown information about Israel, its country, military strongholds and forces, and the reasons for its obstinacy, Holofernes gathers “all the rulers of Moab and the leaders of Ammon and all the governors of the seacoast” and demands these reports from them. As the nearest neighbors of Israel, they are better informed than others about all this, and by their numbers and diversity they should lend to these reports special value, comprehensiveness, and detail. Many considered it incredible that Holofernes himself had never heard of or known about Israel before. Yet there is nothing unnatural in this in view of the general seclusion and insignificance of Israel among the rest of the world at that time. Even the campaigns of Assyria into Samaria and Judea contributed little to closer acquaintance with them on the part of other Eastern peoples, since Assyria itself constituted barely one-twenty-second of the kingdoms of Western Asia. Judging by the fact that Holofernes, as his name indicates, was of Aryan rather than Semitic origin, one can have no doubt that he was even less aware than other Assyrians of all that concerned the Israelites. The address in Holofernes’ speech “sons of Canaan” properly applies only to the satraps of the coastal region and does not entirely fit the other members of the assembly, such as, for instance, the rulers of Moab and the leaders of Ammon. Therefore, one must suppose that either Holofernes made no distinction between them and did not know of any, or had in mind precisely the coastal peoples of Canaanite origin, to whom he counted even the Hebrews.

Judith 5:5. Achior, the leader of all the sons of Ammon, said to him: Listen, my master, to a word from the mouth of your servant; I will tell you the truth about this people living near you in this highlands, and no falsehood will come from the mouth of your servant. 5. The name Achior (Αχιώρ) is mentioned again in Num 36:27, though in an altered form. The true form of the name means friend or brother of light.

Judith 5:6. This people came from the Chaldeans. 6. Achior points out to Holofernes first of all the Chaldean origin of the Jews, apparently in order to dispose Holofernes favorably toward them, since he himself was a subject of the Assyrian monarchy.

Judith 5:7. Formerly they were settled in Mesopotamia, because they were unwilling to serve the gods of their fathers, which were in the land of the Chaldeans, Judith 5:8. and departed from the way of their fathers and began to worship the God of heaven, the God whom they had come to know; and the Chaldeans drove them out from the sight of their gods—and they fled to Mesopotamia and dwelt there for a long time. 7–8. The end of the second of these verses attaches to the very beginning of the previous one, extended by a long introductory clause, and as a result the sequence of the events described is somewhat confused and obscured. The matter is this. First the Israelites lived in the land of the Chaldeans, from whom they descended (verse 6). But then, when they refused to serve the gods of their fathers the Chaldeans (verse 7) and began to worship the God of heaven (Jehovah), the Chaldeans deprived them of their homeland, and their wandering life began (verse 8). At first they were settled in Mesopotamia (the beginning of verse 7, which should connect directly and consecutively to verse 9; the end of verse 8 is merely a repetition of the beginning of verse 7—“they fled to Mesopotamia and dwelt there for a long time”), and then they went forth to the land of Canaan, etc. (verse 9 and following verses).

Judith 5:9. But their God told them to depart from their dwelling and go to the land of Canaan; they settled there and became very rich in gold and silver and cattle. Judith 5:10. From there they went down to Egypt, for famine had covered the face of the land of Canaan, and there they remained while they found sustenance, and multiplied there so greatly that their nation could not be numbered. Judith 5:11. But the king of Egypt rose up against them and dealt cunningly with them, burdening them with hard labor and the making of bricks, and made them slaves. Judith 5:12. Then they cried out to their God, and He struck down the whole land of Egypt with terrible plagues, and the Egyptians drove them from before them. Judith 5:13. God dried up the Red Sea before them, Judith 5:14. and led them by the way of Sinai and Kadesh-Barnea; they drove out all the inhabitants of that desert; Judith 5:15. and settled in the land of the Amorites, destroyed all its inhabitants by their might, crossed over the Jordan, and inherited all the highlands, Judith 5:16. and drove out from before them the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Shechemites, and all the Girgashites, and dwelt in it many days. Judith 5:17. As long as they did not sin against their God, they prospered, because the God who hates iniquity was with them. Judith 5:18. But when they departed from the way He had prescribed for them, they suffered severe defeats in many wars, were led captive to a foreign land, the temple of their God was destroyed, and their cities were captured by their enemies. Judith 5:19. Now, having turned back to their God, they have returned from the dispersal in which they were, have taken possession of Jerusalem, where their sanctuary is, and have settled in the highlands, because it was desolate. Judith 5:20. And now, my lord governor, if this people is deluded and they sin against their God, and we observe that there is an offense in them, then we shall go and overcome them. Judith 5:21. But if there is no transgression in this people, then let my lord withdraw, that the Lord may not protect them, and their God may not be for them—and then we shall be a reproach to the whole world. 9–21. Achior’s speech is remarkably accurate, intelligent, and in a strictly orthodox manner represents the history of Israel. What is particularly striking here is how well Achior discerns the secret of the indomitable strength and vitality of the Israelite people through all the vicissitudes of its fate and trials. This secret is fidelity to Jehovah and the path prescribed by Him. Achior notes throughout the whole history of the Israelites a strict correspondence between their prosperity and the degree of this fidelity, and dispassionately yet convincingly and justly concludes that in the present moment it is not military strength, however reliable it may be, that can decide this in favor of Holofernes, but solely and only the degree of fidelity to Jehovah at which the Israelite people is struck by the attack from Holofernes.

Judith 5:22. When Achior finished this speech, all the people standing around the tent murmured, and the mighty men of Holofernes and all who inhabited the seacoast and the land of Moab spoke, saying: let him be killed immediately; Judith 5:23. for we will not fear the children of Israel: they are a people who have neither army nor strength for a strong force of resistance. Judith 5:24. Therefore, come, lord Holofernes—and they shall become the prey of all your army. 22–24. For all its remarkable restraint and good judgment, Achior’s speech displeased the assembly precisely because it made the success of such enormous and battle-tested forces dependent on some mystical power of an insignificant and weak people. His voice remained completely isolated and produced the opposite effect: the assembly of commanders unanimously and earnestly begged Holofernes to lead them against Israel as certain prey, and Achior was demanded to be put to death immediately.

Chapter Six

1–9. Holofernes’ angry reply to Achior’s speech. 10–17. Achior is taken to Bethulia and, seized by the Israelites, informs them of all that has just occurred in Holofernes’ camp. 18–21. A warm reception of Achior from the moved people.

Judith 6:1. When the murmur around the assembly had subsided, Holofernes, the commander of the Assyrian army, said to Achior before all the foreign people and all the sons of Moab: Judith 6:2. Who are you, Achior, with the mercenaries of Ephraim, that you have prophesied to us this day and told us not to wage war against the race of Israel because their God defends them? Who is God, if not Nebuchadnezzar? He will send his might and will wipe them from the face of the earth—and their God will not save them. Judith 6:3. But we, his servants, shall strike them down like a single man, and they will not withstand the power of our horses. Judith 6:4. We shall trample upon them; their mountains shall be drunk with their blood, their plains shall be filled with their corpses, and their feet shall not stand before us, but they shall utterly perish, declares the king Nebuchadnezzar, lord of all the earth. For he has spoken, and the words of his command will not be in vain. Judith 6:5. But as for you, Achior, the mercenary of Ammon, who has spoken these words on the day of your iniquity, you shall not see my face again from this day, until I have avenged myself on this people coming from Egypt. Judith 6:6. And when I return, the sword of my army and the hosts of my servants shall go through your ribs—and you shall fall among the slain of them. Judith 6:7. My servants shall take you to the highlands and leave you in one of the cities on the heights, Judith 6:8. and you shall not die there until you are destroyed with them. Judith 6:9. But if you hope in your heart that they will not be taken, let not your face fall. I have spoken, and none of my words shall be void. 1–9. Holofernes’ retort attempts first of all to put his god—Nebuchadnezzar—in place of the God of Israel; second, it expresses complete confidence in the success of the attack on the Israelites. The very manner of Achior’s punishment was the expression of this confidence. Having condemned him to death, Holofernes releases him freely to the enemy side, thereby showing the highest degree of confidence that he will not escape his fate and will fall again into their hands together with all that country. “Let not your face fall”—that is, from sorrow, doubt, or faint-heartedness (1 Sam 17:32). These words should be understood, it seems, in an ironic sense. Holofernes presents Achior here as if still wishing the subjugation of the Israelites despite the expressed doubts in their defeat and the fact that this subjugation, which should decide the fate of Achior, could hardly give him particular joy. Holofernes, who did not permit Achior’s doubts, tries to “console” him with his own confidence, and this consolation, in view of the condition mentioned above that made the subjugation of the Israelites equivalent to Achior’s execution, could of course sound to the latter only as bitter irony. How can one explain such treatment of Achior for an action that showed nothing treacherous or unpatriotic in him, and on the contrary distinguished itself by such devoted truthfulness and judgment? One can explain this solely by Holofernes’ extreme arrogance to the point of morbidity, and that of his accomplices, who rated their forces so highly that doubt itself of their success seemed to be presumption and insult, especially given the extreme insignificance of the opponent’s strength. This same arrogance of Holofernes alone could have suggested such a bitter revenge on Achior as his being handed over to the enemy—with the prospect of certain death whether from them or with them, about whom he had given such flattering praise.

Judith 6:10. And Holofernes commanded his servants who were standing in his tent to seize Achior, take him to Bethulia, and hand him over to the hands of the children of Israel. Judith 6:11. His servants took him and led him out beyond the camp into the plain, and from the middle of the plain they went up to the highlands and came to the springs of water beneath Bethulia. Judith 6:12. When the inhabitants of the city saw them on the summit of the mountain, they took up arms, and going out of the city to the top of the mountain, all the men slingers guarded their ascent and threw stones at them. 12. “When the inhabitants of the city saw them on the summit of the mountain.” The last words “on the summit of the mountain” at a careless reading of this verse sound like a modifier of place to the verb “saw” (where?). In fact, these words are a definition of the word “city” and should be read in conjunction with it (“the city on the summit of the mountain”). As is clear from the following verse 13, those accompanying Achior could scarcely bring him only to the foot of the mountain, where they left him bound, and according to the Vulgate—scarcely bound to a tree by his hands and feet.

Judith 6:13. And they came up to the mountain and bound Achior, leaving him at the foot of the mountain, and went to their master. Judith 6:14. The children of Israel came down from their city and, untying him, brought him to Bethulia and presented him to the rulers of their city, Judith 6:15. who at that time were Uzziah, son of Micah, of the tribe of Simeon, Chavaias, son of Gothoniel, and Charmis, son of Melchiah. Judith 6:16. They called together all the elders of the city, and all the young men and women ran together, and they set Achior in their midst and asked him what had occurred. Judith 6:17. He answered and recounted to them all the words of Holofernes’ assembly and all that he himself had spoken in the midst of the princes of Assyria, and all the boastful speeches of Holofernes concerning the house of Israel. Judith 6:18. Then the people fell down and worshiped God and cried out: Judith 6:19. Lord God of heaven! Behold their arrogance and have mercy on the humility of our race, and look upon the faces of those dedicated to you on this day. 19. “Look upon the faces of those dedicated to you”—By these “dedicated” ones should be understood not only the priests and Nazirites, but all the Jewish people as the chosen people of God.

Judith 6:20. And they comforted Achior and praised him. 20. The comforting of Achior and praise for his behavior before Holofernes from the side of the people, instead of the torment expected by Holofernes, gave as it were a hint of future disappointments that were to befall the enemies of Israel. On the other hand, it becomes necessary to establish that the truthfulness of Achior, manifested in the assembly of Uzziah no less than in the assembly of Holofernes, was the result of a marked disposition toward the people of Jehovah—a disposition later completed by formal and convinced adherence to Judaism through circumcision.

Judith 6:21. Then Uzziah took him from the assembly into his house and made a feast for the elders—and that entire night they called upon the God of Israel for help.

Chapter Seven

1–7. Holofernes approaches Bethulia and besieges it. 8–18. Following the advice of the commanders, to avoid unnecessary loss of soldiers, the city is cut off from the springs that sustained it. 19–22. Suffering from thirst. 23–29. The people’s demand to surrender the city. 30–32. Uzziah’s last effort to defend it.

Judith 7:1. On the next day Holofernes commanded all his army and all the people who had come to help him to march against Bethulia, to seize the heights of the highlands, and to begin war against the children of Israel. Judith 7:2. And on that very day all their mighty men arose: their army consisted of one hundred and seventy thousand foot soldiers, and twelve thousand cavalry, apart from the baggage and the foot soldiers who attended them—and these too were a great multitude. 2. The number of troops varies in different manuscripts: sometimes 170,000, sometimes 172,000, sometimes 120,000; the last figure appears also in the parallel passage in the book itself—Jdt 2:15. The same variation in the count appears in the reckoning of cavalry—according to some manuscripts 12,000, according to others even 22,000.

Judith 7:3. They encamped in the valley near Bethulia at the spring, and spread out in breadth from Dothan to Belbaim, and in length from Bethulia to Kiamon, which lies opposite Esdraelon. 3. Besides the already mentioned names we encounter a new locality designation—“Kiamon”—Κυαμώνος. Some scholars understood by this Kiamon the Hebrew word mentioned in 1 Kgs 4:12; others pointed to a place corresponding to the present-day village of Kumieh or Jamon.

Judith 7:4. When the children of Israel saw the multitude of them, they were greatly alarmed, and each said to his neighbor: Now they will devour all the land, and neither the high mountains, nor the valleys, nor the hills will bear their weight. Judith 7:5. Taking each his own weapons of war and lighting fires on their towers, they spent the whole night on guard. Judith 7:6. On the next day Holofernes brought out all his cavalry before the face of the children of Israel in Bethulia, Judith 7:7. examined the approaches to their city, occupied their water springs, took possession of them with armed men, and returned to his people. 7. The “springs of water” mentioned here, which were occupied and taken by Holofernes, apparently did not have significant importance for the inhabitants of Bethulia, who drew water from another source flowing from the foot of their mountains, which soon receives the attention of Holofernes from his companions. This latter spring held both the salvation and the ruin of the fortress, which, being cut off from it, must fall without any loss on the enemy’s side (verses 8–15).

Judith 7:8. But all the rulers of the sons of Esau and all the leaders of the Moabites and all the commanders of the seacoast came to him and said: 8. The “sons of Esau”—the Edomites, who dwelt on the border of Palestine and the Moabites neighboring them—had from ancient times been the most hostile peoples toward the Israelites. In this passage they show themselves as could not be better as true to themselves and invent so treacherous and powerful means to satisfy their racial hatred and revenge against Israel. In verses 17–18 the accomplices in the Edomites’ and Moabites’ treacherous plan are named as also “the sons of Ammon”—the Ammonites, who fully shared the feelings of the first in regard to the Hebrews and undoubtedly deserve to share with them the sad glory of inventing and executing an inhumanly cruel and barbarously treacherous plan.

Judith 7:9. Listen, our master, to a word so that there be no loss in your army. Judith 7:10. These children of Israel trust not in their spears, but in the heights of the mountains on which they dwell, because it is not easy to climb the summits of their mountains. Judith 7:11. Therefore, master, do not fight them as ordinary war is waged—and not a single man of your people will fall. Judith 7:12. You stay in your camp to preserve every man of your army, and let your servants take control of the spring of water that flows from the foot of the mountain; Judith 7:13. because from there all the inhabitants of Bethulia draw water—and thirst will torment them, and they will surrender their city; and we with our people will go up to the nearest summits of the mountains and position ourselves on them to guard, so that not a single man comes out of the city. Judith 7:14. And they will perish from hunger and thirst, and their wives and children and the young ones, and before the sword reaches them they will lie dead in the streets of their dwellings; Judith 7:15. and you will repay them with evil because they rebelled and did not come to meet you in peace. Judith 7:16. These words pleased Holofernes and all his servants, and he resolved to do as they had said. Judith 7:17. And a detachment of the sons of Ammon moved out with five thousand of the Assyrians, and they took up position in the valley and seized the waters and the springs of the children of Israel. Judith 7:18. And the sons of Esau and the sons of Ammon went up and took possession of the highland region opposite Dothan, and sent part of their forces south and east against Ekrebel, which is near Hushan at the Wadi Mochmus; the rest of the Assyrian army was positioned on the plain and covered the entire face of the land: their tents and baggage with the multitude of people stretched out over a very large space. 18. “Ekrebel”—the name of a place, Greek Ἐκρεβήλ, also A κραβήλ—mentioned by Josephus in the “Jewish War” III, 3, 5—Akrabah (Ακραβαττά) by Eusebius and Jerome—Acrabi, lying 3 hours’ journey east of Neapolis on the road to the Jordan and Jericho. The entire monarchy of Akrabitis in the central part of Palestine took its name from this Acrabi. “Hushan”—Greek Χους, otherwise Χουσί, or Ούζ, Vet. Lat. Chus—some read here less successfully χουσεί as Kutei-Samaritans. Closer to the truth are those who explained this reading from Χουρίς, bringing it close to the present-day Dshurish. “Mochmus” (the name of the stream), Greek Μοχμούρ, Vet. Lat. Machur, according to Code. German 15. Pochor—this is probably the present-day Wadi Makhfurijeh.

Judith 7:19. The children of Israel cried out to the Lord their God, because they had come into despondency, for all their enemies surrounded them, and there was no way for them to escape. 19. The hopelessness and disaster of the position of the inhabitants of Bethulia, deprived of water and fainting from one of the most terrible torments—thirst—was brought to the utmost extremity of desperation by the impenetrable blockade of the fortress by Holofernes’ multitudes, who encircled it in a solid iron ring. The slight reserves of water in the cisterns and reservoirs must have been exhausted quickly, despite the most careful saving. It was barely possible to hold out 34 disastrous days of siege; further existence of the fortress was becoming in the highest degree critical. Death of all from mortal thirst or surrender of the city were inevitable. And—as nothing is stronger than the thirst for life, the besieged decided to choose the latter and urgently demanded from the leaders the surrender of the city.

Judith 7:20. Around them stood all the army of Assyria—foot soldiers, chariots and cavalry—for thirty-four days; all the vessels of water of the inhabitants of Bethulia were depleted, Judith 7:21. and the cisterns were emptied, and on no day could they drink water to satisfaction, because it was given to them by measure. Judith 7:22. And their children lost heart and their women and youths, and in their weakness from thirst they fell in the streets of the city and in the passageways of the gates, and there was no strength left in them. Judith 7:23. Then all the people gathered to Uzziah and to the rulers of the city—the youths and women and children—and with a great cry they said to all the elders: Judith 7:24. May God judge between us and you; you have done us great wrong, because you did not propose peace to the sons of Assyria; Judith 7:25. and now we have no helper: God has delivered us into their hands to be destroyed by thirst and great ruin. 25. “God has delivered us into their hands to be destroyed by thirst and great ruin…”—the last clause (dependent) should more naturally be placed not in direct dependence on the main “God has delivered” but on “into their hands,” so that these hands would destroy… etc. The matter of the inhumane destruction of the Israelites by thirst is thus presented as more properly the work of human hands, and only as an act of divine permission.

Judith 7:26. Now invite them and surrender the whole city to plunder by the people of Holofernes and all his army, Judith 7:27. for it is better for us to become their plunder: though we shall be slaves to them, our life will be preserved, and our eyes will not see the death of our infants and our wives and children as they breathe their last. Judith 7:28. We call heaven and earth to witness against you, our God and the Lord of our fathers, who punishes us for our sins and the sins of our fathers, that He may do according to these words on this day. 28. “That He may do [the Lord] according to these words on this day.” The Greek text gives a different expression of this thought—instead of the affirmative “that He may do”—the negative ‘ίνα μή ποιήση (“that He may not do”). The latter seems to correspond better to what follows (verse 27), which foreshadows an especially bitter fate of “the infants, wives and children” of the city in the case of further obstinacy of its leaders in an unequal struggle. The whole thought would thus receive more precisely the following sense: “that He may not do (the Lord) according to these words (otherwise: “according to these fears”) on this day,” that is, “that He may not allow us and our dear infants, wives and children to perish.”

Judith 7:29. And they raised a great lamentation in the assembly together and cried out loudly to the Lord God. Judith 7:30. Uzziah said to them: Take courage, brothers! Let us wait yet five more days, in which the Lord our God will turn his mercy toward us, for He will not completely forsake us. 30. Uzziah’s request not to lose courage and to endure for five more days in the hope of God’s mercy was prompted first of all by the hope that during these five last days it might be possible somehow to move the Lord to pity on the unfortunate, and He might send rain (Jdt 8:31), which would fill the cisterns, and not only prevent the terrible death from thirst, but would also make possible further resistance of the fortress.

Judith 7:31. But if those five days pass and help does not come to us—I will do as you say. 31. From what follows we learn that Uzziah’s promise after five days to surrender the city (in case of disappointment in the last hopes for help) was not a simple promise but a sworn oath (Jdt 8:9). Judith rightly condemns in this an overstepping of the leader’s authority and a great sin against God, to whom, as it were, a challenge was made by such an oath, and an attempt was expressed to limit His unlimited power and subject it to narrow human considerations and conditions.

Judith 7:32. And he dismissed the people to their camps, and they went to the walls and towers of their city, and sent the women and children to their houses; and they remained in the city in great sorrow.

Chapter Eight

1–8 Judith’s genealogy and brief information about her. 9–27. Her appearance with a rebuking and exhorting speech in the assembly of the city elders. 28–31. Uzziah’s response. 32–36. Judith declares her intention to save the people from the enemy.

Judith 8:1. In those days Judith heard, daughter of Merari, son of Ox, son of Joseph, son of Oziel, son of Hilkiah, son of Ananias, son of Gideon, son of Raphain, son of Akiphon, son of Elijah, son of Eliav, son of Nathanael, son of Salamiel, son of Salasadai, son of Jeil. 1. By the common custom of Hebrew genealogies, Judith’s lineage is traced through twenty generations back to Israel; individual generations are mutually supplemented in various manuscripts; Simeon is missing, the last patriarch before Israel, of whom Judith herself speaks clearly elsewhere (Jdt 9:2 verse; cf. Num 1:6). Already this providential exactness and full harmony of Judith’s genealogy with other biblical data eliminates any possibility and right to deny her actual existence and treat her entire history as one continuous fiction. For a fiction this would be too much—to see it adorned with such thorough and genuinely vivid details, with which the Book of Judith constantly accompanies its narrative at every turn (such are, for example, the following 2–3 verses of the chapter in question, and many others).

Judith 8:2. Her husband Manasseh, from the same tribe and family as she, died during the barley harvest; Judith 8:3. for when he stood in the field near those binding sheaves, heat struck his head, and he fell ill and died in his city Bethulia; they buried him with his fathers in the field between Dothan and Balamon. Judith 8:4. And Judith was widowed in her house three years and four months. 4. The time of Judith’s widowhood (3 years and 4 months) is indicated here, clearly, before the events described, and particularly before the moment when Judith, preparing to go to Holofernes, for the first time after her husband’s death removed her “garments of her widowhood” and put on again “garments of gladness,” into which she had dressed herself during her husband’s life (Jdt 10:3).

Judith 8:5. She made a tent for herself on the roof of her house, put sackcloth on her loins, and wore garments of her widowhood. 5. “Garments of widowhood”—plain ones, without any ornaments (Jdt 10:3; Gen 38:14).

Judith 8:6. She fasted all the days of her widowhood, except the days before the Sabbaths and the Sabbaths themselves, the days before new moons and the new moons, and the feasts and festivals of the house of Israel. 6. The “days before the Sabbaths” and “days before new moons” mentioned here (prosabbata and pronoumania) gave some grounds for recognizing the relatively late dating of the Book of Judith, on the grounds that “pre-Sabbaths” and “pre-new-moons” supposedly came to be honored by Jews as festivals at a rather late time. This would be convincing, however, only if we knew precisely when the observance of such vigils began; but since this does not admit of exact determination, it naturally cannot serve as a measure for establishing the date. The force of this refutation and the weakness of the objection are further increased by the fact that the mention of “pre-Sabbaths” and “pre-new-moons” in the Book of Judith bears the character of incidentality and suspicion; at least the Vulgate makes no mention of them whatsoever, which makes one suspect that the original text did not speak of them either.

Judith 8:7. She was beautiful in appearance and very attractive in countenance; her husband Manasseh left her gold and silver, servants and slave-women, cattle and fields, which she possessed. 7. After the mention of Judith’s husband Manasseh, Vet. Lat. also gives Manasseh’s genealogy: filius Joseph filii Achitob f. Melhis f. Elia f. Nathanahel f. Syrrasadac f. Simeon f. Israel, but this genealogy is clearly drawn from verse 1 of the chapter (from Judith’s own genealogy), which was suggested by verse 2’s mention of Manasseh’s descent from the same tribe and family as Judith.

Judith 8:8. And no one spoke an evil word against her, for she was very God-fearing. Judith 8:9. She heard the harsh words of the people against their rulers, because they were despairing due to lack of water, and Judith heard all the words which Uzziah said to them, how he swore to them that within five days he would deliver the city to the Assyrians, Judith 8:10. and she sent her maidservant, who managed all her property, to summon Uzziah, Chabris, and Charmi, the elders of her city. Judith 8:11. They came, and she said to them: “Listen to me, rulers of the inhabitants of Bethulia! The word you spoke today before the people was wrong, and you have made an oath between God and yourselves, and said that you would deliver the city to our enemies unless within these days the Lord helps us.” 9–11. In the corresponding place of Uzziah’s discourse with the people, we find only his simple promise to deliver the city to the enemy (“I will do as you say,” Jdt 7:31) if help does not come (within five days). In the present verse we encounter an important feature that Uzziah “swore that within five days he would deliver the city to the Assyrians.” In the further verse 11 we find a new feature: the unwise oath is attributed not only to Uzziah, but to all the “rulers of the inhabitants of Bethulia,” concerning whom, by the way, mention is also made in Jdt 7:26 verse and further. In the further verse 30 Uzziah himself, apparently, confirms the truth of this, expressing in Jdt 7:31 as if personally in his own name (“I will do…”), but now he prefers to speak in the language of a representative of others (“the people forced us to act as we said to them and bound us with an oath, which we will not break”). All these supplements must have force in their evident naturalness and sufficient attestation. In verse 10 the names of the city elders according to the Russian Bible are given somewhat differently than in the parallel passage Jdt 6:15: there—Chabri and Charmi (Gr. Χαβρίς and Χαρμίς), but here and further in Jdt 10:6—Chabrin and Charmin. These same names in other parallel biblical passages are also given differently: Gen 46:9—Charmi (precisely from Heb. ???), and in Josh 7:1—there Charmi (in gen. “Charmius”). The correct, in accordance with the Hebrew, spelling and pronunciation of these names should be such as one of them is given in the indicated passage of Genesis 46:9: Charmi—???, and means Chabri—???. The forms Chabri and Charmi likewise represent precision and accordance, but of a lesser degree, and not with the Hebrew, but with the Greek spelling (Χαβρίς and Χαρμίς). As for the forms Chabrin and Charmin, this is already a complete misunderstanding. In both cases, where according to the Russian Bible these names are given in such forms (Jdt 8:10), these names stand in the accusative case, whereupon the Greek endings naturally change into “ίν” (Χαβρίν and Χαρμίν). The translator into Russian did not stop to think about this metamorphosis, completely understandable in the Greek text, nor did he trouble himself to recall the forms of names already used by him (Jdt 6:15), and, supposing—in Jdt 8:10—that he was dealing with names of unchangeable endings, translated literally the Greek accusatives, attaching to them Russian accusative endings. From this came—instead of Chabriya and Charmiya—Chabrin and Charmin (Χαβρίν᾿ а and Χαρμίν᾿ а).

Judith 8:12. “Who are you that test God today and stand in the place of God among the children of men?” Judith 8:13. “Behold, you test the Lord Almighty, but you shall never know anything;” Judith 8:14. “for you cannot probe the depths of the human heart, nor understand the words of its thoughts: how then can you test God, who made all these things, and know His mind, and understand His thought? No, do not anger the Lord, our God!” Judith 8:15. “For if He does not wish to help us in these five days, then He has the power to protect us in whatever days He pleases, or to strike us before the eyes of our enemies.” Judith 8:16. “Do not pledge the counsels of the Lord our God: God cannot be threatened as a man, nor can we direct Him as one would a son of man.” Judith 8:17. “Therefore, waiting for His salvation, let us call upon Him for help, and He will hear our voice if it pleases Him.” Judith 8:18. “For there has never been in our generations, nor is there at the present time, a tribe or family or people or city among us that worships gods made by hands, as was in former days,” Judith 8:19. “for which reason our fathers were delivered to the sword and to plunder and fell with a great fall before our enemies.” Judith 8:20. “But we know no God but Him, and therefore we hope that He will not despise us and none of our race.” Judith 8:21. “For with our captivity Judah will fall, and all our sanctuaries will be plundered, and He will demand an accounting for their desecration from our lips,” Judith 8:22. “and the slaughter of our brothers and the captivity of the land and the desolation of our inheritance will turn upon our heads among the nations to which we shall be enslaved, and we shall be a reproach and shame in the sight of those who conquer us;” Judith 8:23. “for slavery will not bring us honor, but the Lord, our God, will account it as dishonor for us.” Judith 8:24. “Therefore, brothers, let us show to our brothers that our lives depend on us, and on us rest the sanctuaries, and the house of the Lord, and the altar.” Judith 8:25. “For all this let us give thanks to the Lord, our God, who tests us as He tested our fathers.” Judith 8:26. “Remember what He did to Abraham, how He tested Isaac, what happened to Jacob in Syrian Mesopotamia, when he tended the flocks of Laban, his mother’s brother:” Judith 8:27. “for He did not test them for the punishment of their hearts, but the Lord chastises those who approach Him only for correction, not for revenge.” 11–27. Judith’s speech, most animated, touching, and reasonable, bears in its first part (verses 11–16) a rebuking character, and in the second part (verses 17–27) an exhorting character. Looking more deeply into the matter, one cannot help but feel that the form which Uzziah gave to his promise to deliver the city indeed bore a provocative and demanding character in relation to the Lord God and His free self-determination. If Uzziah had expressed himself simply: “I will deliver the city if within 5 days there is no change for the better in its situation,”—then this would have been entirely in order of human deliberation. But when he first voiced his entire hope in the Lord’s help, and then arbitrarily by his own human reckoning set a term for this help, which was exclusively the matter of Divine self-determination, then this was clearly an infringement upon that self-determination, a limitation of the Unlimited and All-Powerful, the All-Wise and All-Good Being: it was what the similar action of Moses in the wilderness was, when, not bearing to the end the faint-hearted despair of the people, he “tested” the Lord with an equally faint-hearted cry: “Listen, you rebels, must we bring water out of this rock for you?” (Num 20:10). This was a “testing” of the Lord, a “trial” or “proof” of His power, a “challenge” to His all-powerfulness, wisdom, and goodness. It was, by the subtle definition of Judith herself (verse 16), as it were a “pledging” of the counsels of the Lord our God, a “threatening” of Him as one would a man, a prompting of His actions, an extortion of His miracles. All this deserved the rebuke and admonition with which Judith first addresses the rulers of the city. The second, exhorting part of the speech, expressing hope that the Lord will not abandon His people, firmly and elaborately affirms this hope through deeply subtle considerations. The chief of these considerations was also brought forward by Achior (Jdt 5:21) as a warning to Holofernes: this is the faithfulness of the people to the Lord their God and the knowledge of no other God but Him (verse 20). In confirmation of this consideration, mention is made (in the form of an introductory sentence—verses 18–19) of a reminder that all the former misfortunes of the people were caused by apostasies from God, which have not happened in recent times and are not happening. Another consideration for patient waiting for Divine help is that the fall of their city would be the fall and captivity of all Judah with all her sanctuaries, and they would appear as if especially responsible for this misfortune and the desecration of the sanctuaries. And conversely—by winning through patient prayer the help and courageously enduring the present trial, they would appear as the mediators of salvation for the rest of Israel and the sanctuaries of God’s house. This latter was so undoubted for Judith that she already in advance calls for giving thanks to God. “For all this let us give thanks to the Lord, our God, who tests us as He tested our fathers!” (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob)—concludes this wonderful woman, with inspiration and burning faith, whose very appearance at such desperate moments with such presence of mind was already a miracle that made one believe in the near possibility of other miracles necessary for the salvation of the afflicted city. Uzziah was waiting for one such miracle in the sending of rain, and now, seeing before him this wonderfully courageous and inspired woman, he hopes through her prayer to obtain from the Lord the saving gift of rain and asks her to present this prayer. (Verses 28–31). However, even this was a “subjecting” of the Lord to limited human considerations, a “prompting” of His actions, which often exceed all human considerations, expectations, and suppositions. Wherefore Judith responds to Uzziah’s request (about rain) with a completely different action, which truly was more miraculous than rain and justly deserved to be carried forward “by the sons of our race to generation after generation.” (Verse 22.)

Judith 8:28. Uzziah said to her: “All that you have spoken you have spoken from a good heart, and no one will oppose your words,” Judith 8:29. “for your wisdom has been known not only from this day, but from the beginning of your days all the people have known your understanding and the good disposition of your heart.” Judith 8:30. “But the people are exhausted from thirst and forced us to do as we said to them, and bound us with an oath which we will not break.” Judith 8:31. “Therefore pray for us, for you are a devout woman, and the Lord will send rain to fill our water cisterns, and we will no longer faint from thirst.” Judith 8:32. Judith said to them: “Listen to me, and I will accomplish a deed which will be passed down by the sons of our race to generation after generation.” Judith 8:33. “Stand tonight at the gates, and I will go out with my maidservant, and during the days after which you have decided to deliver the city to our enemies, the Lord will visit Israel by my hand.” 33. Although the designation of the term (5 days) for the salvation of the city seemed in the eyes of God, from Judith’s point of view, to be objectionable, nevertheless Judith does not alter this term, clearly not finding it convenient that an oath once given could be broken, and she goes about her deed in full assurance that during the indicated days the Lord will visit Israel through her hand. Having decided to go to the enemy camp that very night, Judith asks the rulers to come to the gates. This was probably necessary in order to immediately obtain their urgent permission to open the gates, which were watched with special vigilance by the guard (Jdt 10:9); to request such permission beforehand was not convenient in view of the fact that her plan could become known and arouse unnecessary and dangerous curiosity. The presence of the rulers here may have been necessary also so that they could see with their own eyes that the work of saving the people had begun, and so they could with great patience and hope endure the especially difficult final days of the city perishing from the siege, awaiting the end of what had been begun.

Judith 8:34. “Only do not ask me about my undertaking, for I will not tell you until I have accomplished what I intend to do.” Judith 8:35. And Uzziah and the rulers said to her: “Go in peace, and may the Lord God go before you to avenge us on our enemies!” Judith 8:36. And they departed from her tent and went to their troops. 34–36. Judith does not inform anyone, not even the rulers, about the plans of her undertaking. Filled with deep faith that her deed is the deed of God, she expects help from no one, has need of no one’s advice and instruction, and therefore does not consider it necessary to divulge this Divine deed to anyone beforehand. It is enough that this wonderful woman, acting throughout this entire history in the spirit and power of true inspired chosen ones of God, manages to inspire such trust in herself that the rulers, feeling the nearness of deliverance from enemies, send her off with such a relieved heart: “Go in peace, and may the Lord God go before you to avenge us on our enemies!”

Chapter Nine

1–14. Judith’s prayer.

Judith 9:1. And Judith fell on her face, cast ashes upon her head, and removed the sackcloth in which she was clothed; and at the very hour when the evening incense was being offered in the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, Judith cried out to the Lord with a loud voice and said: 1. “Sackcloth”—σάκκος—rough mourning garment, which Judith wore over her garments of widowhood. These two garments are mentioned separately later: Jdt 10:3 verse. According to Jdt 8:5 Judith’s sackcloth was on her loins, and therefore under her garments of widowhood. “The evening incense”—in contrast to the “morning” incense. Incense was burned twice—morning and evening (Exod 10:7-8). In preparing for prayer, Judith removes her sackcloth, showing that her personal sorrow for her husband is now eclipsed by sorrow for Israel, and that she completely devotes her entire soul to this sorrow and the desire to help it, even at the risk of her own life.

Judith 9:2. “Lord God of my father Simeon, to whom You gave a sword for vengeance against the foreigners, who uncovered the bosom of a virgin for defilement, bared the thigh for shame, and defiled the womb for dishonor! You said: It shall not be done, and they did it.” Judith 9:3. “Therefore You delivered their rulers to slaughter, and their bed, which was defiled by deceit, to blood, and struck the slaves beside their masters, and the masters upon their thrones,” Judith 9:4. “and gave their wives to plunder, their daughters to captivity, and all their spoils to division among Your beloved sons, who were zealous for Your zeal, and loathed the defilement of their blood, and called upon You for help. O God, my God, hear me, a widow!” Judith 9:5. “You made what happened before this, and this and what comes after, and You foreknew the present and the future, and the thoughts came to You, and what You intended was accomplished;” Judith 9:6. “for what You have determined came to be, and the things You foresaw said: Here I am. For all Your ways are ready, and Your judgment is foreknown to You.” Judith 9:7. “Behold, the Assyrians boast in their strength, take pride in horse and rider, are arrogant in the power of their infantry, trust in shield and spear and bow and sling, but do not know that You are the Lord who crushes wars.” Judith 9:8. “Lord is Your name; break their strength by Your power, and shatter their force in Your anger, for they have devised to desecrate Your sanctuary, to defile the dwelling place of Your glorious name, and to strike down the horn of Your altar with iron.” Judith 9:9. “Look upon their arrogance, send Your wrath upon their heads, and give the strength of the widow’s hand to accomplish what I have devised.” Judith 9:10. “Strike the slave by the hand of a woman, and the commander by the cunning of my lips, and shatter their pride through a woman’s hand;” 10. “Strike the slave before (Gr. επί) the commander, and the commander before his slave…” This expression is a direct parallel to the thought of verse 3, where to the Greek επί a different, more precise sense is given: “You struck the slaves beside the masters (i.e., together and simultaneously with the masters) and the masters upon their thrones.”

Judith 9:11. “for not in the multitude is Your strength, nor in the mighty is Your power; but You are God of the humble, You are the helper of the oppressed, the upholder of the weak, the protector of those cast down, the savior of the hopeless.” Judith 9:12. “Yes, yes, God of my fathers and God of the inheritance of Israel, Master of heaven and earth, Creator of the waters, King of all Your creation! Hear my prayer,” 12. “Master of heaven and earth, Creator of the waters…” Heaven, earth, and water are presented here as encompassing the totality of all things; this is generalized further: “King of all Your creation…”

Judith 9:13. “and make my word and my cunning a wound and a blow to those who have devised cruelty against Your covenant, Your holy house, the height of Zion, and the house of the inheritance of Your children.” 13. “The house of the inheritance of Your children”—a collective designation of all the houses of Israel received not by ordinary inheritance alone from ancestors, but by inheritance from the Lord Himself, which was given upon their deliverance from Egypt. Having decided to employ cunning, deception, and guile against the enemy, Judith calls upon the Lord for help, as if for a deed unworthy and improper, and even hopes to show in this deed the special glory and greatness of the God of Israel. Is this not too bold and unworthy of the Lord God? Some interpreters say that since Sacred Scripture praises Judith’s heroism, the means by which she destroyed Holofernes (deception) is excused by the motives that animated her conduct, her good-hearted faith. Such an explanation, however, is rather unsatisfying, and no better than the Jesuit principle: “the end justifies the means.” The explanation of Thomas Aquinas is more careful. He remarks that “Scripture praises Judith not for her lie, but for the devotion which she had toward her people, for whom she exposed herself to danger.” However, if Scripture does not condemn Judith for her cunning and even allows her to pray so convincingly and boldly to the Lord to use this cunning for the glory of His Name, it is evident that this cunning of hers is not quite like the common notion of lies and should be treated from the point of view of other dimensions. Judith’s cunning would be disreputable if all success depended only on it, were exhausted by it, and had significance only as her clever display. Upon deeper reflection into the matter, we must feel that the main factor in all this history is not Judith, not her cunning, boldness, etc., but—the Lord with His Justice and all-powerful Wisdom. He, apart from Judith, determined Holofernes’ fate and could, without her aid, resolve it in any other way. Yet He employs feminine cunning for the greater shame of the enemy, exalted in his boasts beyond proper limits, not to glorify cunning, not to encourage it, but to crush human pride—by human weakness and artifice itself. This, of course, casts no shadow on that Most Pure Essence, which employed human cunning here not to hide Its weakness, as people use cunning, but precisely to display and glorify Its power, which destroys the arrogant presumption of man by his own fragile weapon.

Judith 9:14. “Give understanding to all Your people and every tribe, that they may see that You are God, the God of all strength and power, and that there is no other protector of the race of Israel but You alone.” 2–14. Judith’s prayer pours forth from the memory of the famous deed in the history of her ancestors—Simeon (Gen 34:30), who together with another son of Jacob—his brother Levi—savagely avenged the outrage done to his sister (Dinah) by Shechem and all the inhabitants of his city. Having recalled this event with noble pride and a confession of God’s righteous all-powerfulness (verses 1–6), Judith turns to the present calamitous condition of her people, sets forth the arrogant and daring threats and intentions of the Assyrians against the sanctuary and people of God, sees in these threats and intentions, quite correctly and wisely, as it were a new, similar to Shechem’s, attempt on the honor and integrity of God’s treasure (verses 7–8), and, just as in the deed of that famous ancestor of hers cunning was used as an instrument of vengeance for lawless daring, so now in that same cunning she sees the most fitting means to crush the daring of the enemy and prays to God that by just such a worthy path He would help her glorify His Name and the Power of His Justice against those who dared to assail His sanctuaries (verses 9–14). It is curious that the significance of the deed of Judith’s famous ancestor—Simeon, so praised by Judith, appears in Genesis 34 and 49 and following in a completely different light. According to the text of Genesis, Jacob was deeply disturbed by Simeon’s action. And this was not merely from fear of the consequences of such a harsh reprisal; if only fear of revenge for the slaying of Shechem had guided Jacob in his disapproval of Simeon’s deed, he would certainly not have recalled it with the same sharp censure many years later, when all danger had passed (in the second of the indicated biblical passages). Evidently, Jacob was also principally opposed to Simeon’s deed, in which he saw excessive cruelty, narrow self-interest, and needless inhumanity, especially given Shechem’s sincere repentance. Judith’s representation presents the matter of Simeon in a completely different light. For her, this deed appears first and foremost as one of the most glorious deeds of the Lord, defender of the innocent and punisher of arrogant oppressors of innocence. Simeon was in this case a mere instrument of God’s righteous wrath and carried out this calling apart from any personal interests and narrow considerations. His deed—was not his alone, but of all those zealous for the Name of God and His glory, which is why thereafter the name of Simeon merges with all the sons beloved by God, whose representatives in this deed were Simeon and Levi. The question now arises: which of these two representations of Simeon’s deed should we accept as more true and acceptable? It seems to us that neither one excludes the other, and both should retain their force, mutually supplementing and correcting each other. In our life it is very common for events and phenomena that appear to be entirely ordinary and revolving in the sphere of the life of one known person to reflect universal, broad, and deep significance for all times and all peoples. To the number of such events belongs the matter of Simeon, which in its full significance and all-sided light appeared only at a later time. The deed of the “foreigners,” which provoked such severe and deserved vengeance from Simeon, appears as a criminal violation of a clearly expressed prohibition of God: “You said: It shall not be done, and they did it” (verse 2). In the report of this deed in the above-mentioned passage of Genesis (Gen 34:7) these words correspond to something like: “but it should not be done so.” Perhaps both expressions represent a free paraphrase of a known original prohibition of God, set forth in Deut 23:17: “there shall be no harlot among the daughters of Israel…” Moses, as the author not only of Deuteronomy but also of Genesis, certainly allows one to understand this prohibition also in the obscurely expressed thought of the said passage of Genesis. Some interpreters, however, justly suppose that Moses employed this obscure expression of thought on purpose and shows his strict adaptation to the views and condition of the time being narrated. That time perhaps did not yet have a clear and direct judgment of God on the indicated question, but was guided only by custom and establishing moral conceptions at that time. Nevertheless, these customs and conceptions, many of which later received Divine sanction at Sinai, had sacred significance for the children of Jacob, because they were based on the fundamental requirements of natural moral feeling, belonged to the realm of those moral principles by which, according to the Apostle, “the gentiles who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires” (Rom 2:14), and all the more should have been embraced by the sensitive souls of the children of Israel, in view of their Divine election. It is not surprising therefore that it was so close to their hearts, the unfortunate incident with Dinah and moved them to such a terrible deed of vengeance. The immediate continuation of the address “Lord God of my father Simeon” (verse 2) is in verse 9 the prayer: “give the strength of the widow’s hand to accomplish what I have devised.” In this is thought all wherein Divine help should be expressed. Judith expresses this general content of her prayer more specifically: “break their strength… and shatter their force” (verse 8); “look upon their arrogance, send Your wrath” (verse 9); “strike the slave… shatter their pride” (verse 10); “make my word and my cunning a wound and a blow to those who have devised cruelty…” (verse 13); “give understanding to all Your people and every tribe” (verse 14). From certain hints in the prayer itself (and earlier, see Jdt 8:32-34) one can establish that Judith already had a complete and ready plan and method of action. As a worthy daughter of Simeon, she chose the sword for vengeance against those who dishonored Israel, and as the means for the successful achievement of her goal she decided to employ cunning: she decided, to a certain degree, to become a new “Dinah,” to allow herself to be drawn even to the bed of the enemy and, remaining alone with him, to present him instead of the expected caresses with a mortal blow of the sword. Dazzling beauty, enhanced by magnificent garments with adornments and outstanding understanding of Judith, would allow one to hope for a good half of the success of the devised deed; the rest—or rather: everything—this wonderful woman hoped to accomplish only with Divine help and the power of her strong faith in the Savior of the hopeless and Protector of the oppressed. How little she attributed significance to herself in this is evident from the fact that by her weakness she even further emphasized the greatness of the Divine deed to be accomplished through her: “shatter their pride through a woman’s hand!” (Verse 10 and following).

Chapter Ten

1–5. Judith’s preparation for her journey. 6–10. Meeting with the rulers at the gates. 11–17. Meeting with the Assyrians. 18–19. Judith in the enemy camp. 20–23. Judith is presented to Holofernes in his tent.

Judith 10:1. When she ceased crying out to the God of Israel and finished all these words, Judith 10:2. she rose to her feet, called her maidservant, and went into the house in which she observed the Sabbaths and her feasts. 1–2. “She went into the house in which she observed the Sabbaths and her feasts,” meaning she went from the “tent” which “she had made for herself on the roof of her house,” for solitude after the loss of her husband (Jdt 8:5). Such tents, or otherwise “upper chambers” for solitary secret prayer and communion with God are often mentioned in other biblical passages and were evidently a feature of all devout Israelite houses (Tob 3:17; Acts 10:9 and others).

Judith 10:3. There she removed the sackcloth which she had put on, took off her garments of widowhood, washed her body with water, anointed herself with fragrant oil, combed her hair, and put a tiara on her head; she dressed in the garments of her gladness, in which she had dressed herself during the days of the life of her husband Manasseh; 3. According to Jdt 9:1 Judith had already before the prayer “removed the sackcloth,” so the second mention of this, after the conclusion of the prayer, should either be understood as a repetition of the first, or perhaps Judith put the sackcloth back on after the prayer and, having descended from the chamber into the house, had to remove it again along with the other garments—for her complete change of clothing, which she carried out with full care.

Judith 10:4. she put sandals on her feet, put on her anklets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and all her ornaments, and adorned herself to captivate the eyes of all who should see her. 4. “She put sandals on her feet,”—as one of the means to captivate Holofernes (Jdt 16:9). At home she was able to do without them, but in this case they naturally had special significance, completing the beauty of her attire and the power of her charm.

Judith 10:5. She gave her maidservant a skin of wine and a vessel of oil, and filled a bag with parched grain and dried figs and pure bread, and wrapped all these provisions and placed them on her. 5. “Pure bread”—in contrast to pagan bread, which was forbidden to a Jew (Jdt 12:1-2).

Judith 10:6. They went out to the gate of the city of Bethulia and found standing by it Uzziah and the elders of the city, Chabris and Charmi. 6. See the explanation above on Jdt 8:10.

Judith 10:7. When they saw her and beheld the change in her face and dress, they greatly marveled at her beauty and said to her: Judith 10:8. “God, God of our fathers, grant you grace and complete your purposes for the joy of the sons of Israel and for the exaltation of Jerusalem.” She bowed down to God 8. “Grant you favor”—Gr. δώη σε εις χάριν, Slav. more precisely and in accordance with the Greek: “give you into favor,” that is, grant that you be in the full disposition and keeping of God’s favor and benevolence—in other words, “may God help and protect you by His grace!” “She bowed down to God and said to them…” According to the opinion of some interpreters, after the word “bowed” in the original should read ??? (“them”), but the translator took Heb. ??? for ??? and translated “bowed to God,” when it should have been translated “bowed to them,” that is, to the elders. Many manuscripts indeed have such a variation in this place. Other interpreters dispute the appropriateness of such a correction and, referring to how earlier Judith conducted herself toward the elders—far from in such a way that they could expect a bow from her (Chapter VIII)—say that a bow to God was far more appropriate here on the part of Judith, constituting as it were her “amen” to the wishes of the elders.

Judith 10:9. and said to them: “Order the gates of the city to be opened for me; I will go out to accomplish the deed of which we spoke together.” And the young men were ordered to open for her, as she said. Judith 10:10. They did so. And Judith went out with her maidservant; and the men of the city watched after her as she descended the hill, passed through the valley, and disappeared from their sight. Judith 10:11. They walked straight through the valley, and the advance guard of the Assyrians met Judith, Judith 10:12. and they took her and asked her: “Whose are you, where are you coming from, and where are you going?” She said: “I am a daughter of the Hebrews and I am fleeing from them, for they are about to be delivered to you for destruction.” Judith 10:13. “I am going to Holofernes, the commander of your army, to bring him words of truth and to show him a path by which he will go and conquer all the hill country, so that not one of his men will fall and not one soul will be lost.” 13. “Not one soul”—πνεύμα ζωής (Gen 6:17)—this expression is used here to strengthen the thought: “not one of his men will die in any way whatsoever.”

Judith 10:14. When they heard her words and gazed upon her face, they marveled greatly at her beauty and said to her: Judith 10:15. “You have saved your life by making haste to come to our lord; go to the tent of our commander, and some of our men will escort you and deliver you into his hands.” 15. “You have saved your life,” that is, your life (see Ps 71:13 and Mark 3:4).

Judith 10:16. “When you stand before him, do not fear in your heart, but speak your words, and he will treat you well.” Judith 10:17. And, choosing one hundred men from among them, they assigned them to her and to her maidservant, and they led them to the tent of Holofernes. 17. The number of escorts provided for Judith is somewhat large (100 men). This was probably needed not only for Judith’s protection, but also to express the special importance which the enemy felt in this unusual occurrence. Perhaps the regal bearing of Judith immediately inspired such a regal respect, which at once suggested assigning her a regal retinue for formal presentation to Holofernes. Finally, the fact that the enemy was in a foreign territory naturally explains the large number of Judith’s escorts, for the advance guard where Judith was captured was certainly not so close to the rest of the camp that communication with it would be entirely safe from all accidents; in all important cases communication naturally had to be conducted by entire detachments.

Judith 10:18. There was great commotion throughout the camp, for news of her coming spread through the tents; the soldiers gathered around her as she stood outside Holofernes’ tent, until he was informed about her; Judith 10:19. and they marveled at her beauty, and through her they marveled at the sons of Israel, and each said to his neighbor: “Who could despise a people that has such women? It is foolish to leave one man of them alive, for if left they could deceive the whole earth.” 19. “Who could despise a people that has such women? It is foolish to leave one man of them alive, for if left they could deceive the whole earth.” The first of these sentences has a questioning character and expects no answer, because the second sentence replies with a completely different thought. Both sentences are presented as two independent extremes to which the conversations and judgments of the enemy reached upon seeing Judith. Some said that this people, the people of Judith, must probably be distinguished by outstanding virtues and deserve respectful treatment rather than contempt. The historian expressed this thought in the form of a question, implying an answer confirming the justice of what is asked (“who?…”—“no one”). Others, on the other hand, saw precisely in the virtues of this people an extreme danger to themselves and made the opposite conclusion—about the necessity of the complete destruction of the Jewish men. The historian opposed this as a response that destroys the persuasive force of the direct answer and accords more with the representation of the terrible danger threatening the Jews. “Deceive the whole earth”—κατασοφίσασθαι πάσαν τήν γήν—Vet. Lat. possidere totam terram. The ancient Latin text explains more precisely the meaning of the Greek, expressing “the survivors would be able to occupy (possidere) the whole earth.”—However, such an explanation takes from the original a very characteristic shade of thought. In the expression “deceive” is specially emphasized an outstanding property of the Jewish people, which made it, from the enemy’s viewpoint, a force difficult to overcome: this property is the power of their mind, reasonableness, strength of spirit, sufficient representations, of which could be given by the enchanting speeches of Judith. Here, thus, is confirmed once more that for victory over the Jews numerical superiority and physical strength are not sufficient (the thought of Achior): for this a special art is needed—“cunning”—the highest work of mind and spiritual powers generally, of which there is so much on the side of the Jews that, even defeated by their own weapon, they can extricate themselves from difficulty and hold the decisive significance of victory for themselves.

Judith 10:20. And those on guard at Holofernes’ side and all his servants went out and brought her into the tent. 20. “Those on guard at Holofernes’ side and all his servants,” that is, those who made up his guard, kept watch beside him.

Judith 10:21. Holofernes was resting on his bed under a canopy woven with purple and gold and emeralds and precious stones. Judith 10:22. When he was told about her, he came out to the front portion of his tent, and silver lamps were borne before him. 22. “Silver lamps were borne before him.” This was necessary not only according to the requirements of, perhaps, etiquette, but also by actual need for light—for a better examination of the captured Jewess, since the matter took place at night (Jdt 11:3, and earlier Jdt 8:33).

Judith 10:23. When Judith appeared before him and his servants, they all marveled at the beauty of her face. She fell on her face, prostrated herself before him, and his servants lifted her up. 23. “She fell on her face and prostrated herself before him.” Jews generally avoided such expressions of respect to mere mortals, especially to pagans, considering such homage appropriate only to Jehovah—God. In the history of Esther we have an example of a sharp and decisive refusal on the part of Mordecai to render such honor to Haman. But in the same history we see that Esther herself falls at the feet of Artaxerxes with her petition (Esth 8:3). Evidently, this action of falling and prostration allowed different interpretations and some distinction in application to God and man, and was not applied by all with the scrupulousness we see in Mordecai.

Chapter Eleven

1–4. Holofernes interrogates Jdt 5-19. Judith falsely explains the reason for her departure and offers Holofernes her services for conquering Judea, claiming to rely on God’s revealed will. 20–23. Holofernes believes and expresses approval toward Judith.

Judith 11:1. Holofernes said to her: Take courage, woman; do not fear in your heart, for I have done no harm to anyone who chose willingly to serve Nebuchadnezzar, king of all the earth. 1. “Do not fear in your heart…” Fear in one’s heart is the highest degree of fear (cf. 1 Sam 27:5: Saul “was afraid and his heart trembled greatly”); therefore the reassurance directed toward it is the highest reassurance.

Judith 11:2. Now, if your people living in the highland country had not despised me, I would not have raised my spear against them; but they brought this upon themselves. 2. “I would not have raised my spear against them” to make war with them, “but they brought this upon themselves,” that is, they themselves provoked me to raise my spear against them and make war with them.

Judith 11:3. Tell me, why have you fled from them and come to us? You will find salvation here; do not be afraid: you will live this night and after, 3. Holofernes’ question “why have you fled from them and come to us?” shows that Holofernes was already substantially prepared and informed by servants about Judith through her own words (Jdt 10:12 and following) about her motives and purpose in coming, and by asking her a direct question about this, he expresses the desire to question her once more personally from her own lips and in greater detail about everything. This was a strong assurance of success for Judith’s plans.

Judith 11:4. for no one will harm you; on the contrary, everyone will treat you well, as happens to the servants of my lord, King Nebuchadnezzar. Judith 11:5. Judith said to him: Hear the words of your servant; let your servant speak before you: I will not speak a lie to my lord this night. 5. In setting forth her motives and purpose in coming to the enemy camp, Judith deliberately allows and, it seems, not quite befittingly for her moral character, allows falsehood, deception, and cunning, permeating her entire long and ingratiating speech to Holofernes with them. At the very beginning of her speech she solemnly assures: “I will not speak a lie to my lord this night,” then she promises him: “God will accomplish a deed through you, and my lord will not fail in his undertakings.” After a few more flattering compliments to Holofernes’ vanity, Judith presents what may be a genuine fact from the life of the besieged, though making of it also material for deceiving Holofernes. She reports that extreme food shortage will soon force the besieged to turn to unclean food forbidden by law, and further to sacrilegious contact with the sacred firstfruits of wheat, wine, and oil, though with the permission of the assembly of Jerusalem elders. Judith herself, however, views the matter more strictly and, expecting the strictest punishment from God especially for the latter crime (sacrilege), foresees both the instrument of this punishment, namely in Holofernes, for whose assistance a revelation itself sent her, obliging her to rise to the height of duty and obedience, stronger and stricter than the feelings of patriotism and natural compassion. Appeal to the revelation, especially disposed to trust in Judith, carries her falsehood to the extreme degree, bordering closely on blasphemy, and compels her to devise especially strong grounds for the justification and excusing of Judith. It has already been noted above (see comment to Jdt 7:13 verse) that Judith’s cunning in itself had its justifications and its exculpating significance in all this adventure with Holofernes. The final result of this cunning—the mortal blow to Holofernes by Judith’s hand and by God’s judgment. But once this result is viewed under such illumination, it is evident that all that preceded and prepared the success of this result must also have in it the same justification and common significance. To take separately each phase in which Judith’s affair developed, so artfully and entirely woven from seduction, cunning and treachery of this supreme manifestation of women’s weakness, chosen by God to put to shame human pride and arrogance, one cannot do. Otherwise, we, though correctly discussing the individual details of Judith’s affair in themselves, will still sin against its general significance, as we have indicated—sufficiently excusable and even so glorious for Judith. The culpability of Judith’s conduct is much weakened in those places where she more or less obviously permits the ambiguity of speech (Jdt 11:16 and others) or represents as actual—only the possible, using the vivacity of speech, characteristic especially of prophetic description of the future and the possible. In any case, all of Judith’s conduct must finally be justified by her highly worthy person, solemnly attested by many passages of the book, and by the entire course and so glorious for all the Jewish people success of her daring deed, important also for the salvation of the most sacred treasures of the religion of the Jews.

Judith 11:6. If you follow the words of your servant, then God will accomplish the deed through you, and my lord will not fail in his undertakings. Judith 11:7. Let Nebuchadnezzar, king of all the earth, live, and let his power live, he who sent you to set in order every soul; for not only will men serve him through you, but also the beasts of the field and the cattle and the birds of heaven will live under the power of Nebuchadnezzar and all his house through your strength. Judith 11:8. For we have heard of your wisdom and the cunning of your mind, and all the earth knows that you alone are good in all the kingdom, mighty in knowledge and wonderful in military deeds. 7–8. The extraordinary praises and flattering words that Judith abundantly spreads before Holofernes represented nothing, of course, strange or suspicious to the flattered and flattery-pampered Eastern court official. And Judith here is still far from entering, so to speak, into the “fervor” of her cunning, allowing herself to over-salt in praises for the moment entirely in the spirit of the sons of the East, who sharpen to this day their fantasy to such pearls of eloquent flattery in dealing with those to whom they need to show signs of high respect.

Judith 11:9. Now what Achior spoke in your assembly we have heard, his words, because the men of Bethulia left him alive, and he told them all that he had spoken to you. Judith 11:10. Therefore, my lord and master, do not disregard his words, but lay them to heart, for they are true: our people is not punished, the sword has no power over us, if they do not sin against their God. 9–10. Showing special truthfulness, impartiality, directness, and sincerity, Judith confirms the truth of Achior’s words about the Jews, that “the sword has no power over us, if they do not sin against their God.” And as if hastening to avoid, by her open profession of this truth, the fate of Achior, Judith reassures Holofernes with the assurance that this condition has ceased to have positive force for the Jews, and on the contrary—now gives all power and time for Holofernes to act.

Judith 11:11. Therefore, so that my lord may not be repelled and unsuccessful, and death may come upon them—sin has seized them, which they provoke against their God, doing what should not be done; Judith 11:12. for they have a food shortage and all the water is exhausted, and now they have decided to seize their livestock and are thinking to eat everything that God strictly forbade in His law to eat; Judith 11:13. Indeed, the firstfruits of wheat and the tithes of wine and oil, which, after being sanctified, are kept for the priests who stand before the face of our God in Jerusalem, they have decided to consume, though no one from the people should touch them with their hands. Judith 11:14. They sent to Jerusalem, since the inhabitants there were doing the same thing, to bring permission from the assembly of elders to do this. Judith 11:15. And when they receive word and do this, then that very day they will be given over to you for destruction. 11–15. The Jews have allowed what alone could make them helpless and did make them helpless, ensuring complete victory for Holofernes over them. Sin has already “seized them, which they provoke against their God, doing what should not be done” (deciding to eat food forbidden by God or permitted only to the consecrated servants of God). However, in fact they have not yet carried out their sinful decision, and one must wait for the moment when the transgression is committed and they are finally doomed to destruction.

Judith 11:16. For this reason I, your servant, having learned all this, have fled from them, and God sent me to do with you deeds that will astonish all the earth, wherever they hear of them, Judith 11:17. for your servant is pious and day and night serves the God of Heaven. Now, my lord, I will remain with you; only let your servant go out at night to the valley to pray to God, and He will reveal to me when they have committed their transgression. Judith 11:18. I will come and tell you, and then you go out with all your army, and none of them will be able to stand against you. Judith 11:19. I will lead you through Judea until we reach Jerusalem; I will set your throne in the midst of it, and you will drive them like sheep without a shepherd, and not a dog will dare move his tongue against you. This has been told me by revelation and announced to me, and I am sent to tell you. 16–19. Judith’s somewhat premature departure from the Jews, as follows from her words, she undertakes to avoid any participation in the expected transgression of the people; on the other hand, this prematurity promises to help Holofernes choose more precisely the moment ensuring the success of the attack with Judith’s assistance, she who is to receive the revelation about the people’s fallen state from God Himself. All this was too plausible, so that in conjunction with the bewitching beauty of the Jewess, it would not act upon Holofernes and explain his credulity toward her and the absence of any caution.

Judith 11:20. Her words pleased Holofernes and all his servants. They marveled at her wisdom and said: Judith 11:21. there is no such woman from one end of the earth to the other in beauty of face and in wise words. Judith 11:22. Holofernes said to her: God has done well to send you before this people, so that strength may be in our hands, and destruction among those who have despised my lord. Judith 11:23. You are beautiful in face, and good in your words. If you do as you have said, your God will be my God; you will live in the house of King Nebuchadnezzar and will be renowned throughout all the earth. 23. The first stage of Judith’s undertaking ends in complete success. The recently so arrogant pagan now declares that the fulfillment of the words about victory over the Jews will be his submission to the God of Israel: “Your God will be my…” Admittedly, many commentators believed that Holofernes wished only to flatter Judith with this promise, which was important for his dishonorable intentions toward her; however, it could hardly have been especially necessary. And it is much more natural to represent the matter in such a way that Holofernes completely yielded to the irresistible convincingness and force of the charm of Judith’s speech and quite seriously imagined that after such a brilliant result the recognition of Judith’s God would be for him quite natural and pleasant. Our Telegram channel

Chapter Twelve

1–9. Three days in the camp of Holofernes. 10–20. A feast with an invitation to Judith.

Judith 12:1. And he ordered her to be brought to the place where his silver vessels were kept, and he commanded her to eat from his table and to drink of his wine. 1. “To the place where his silver vessels were kept,” that is, to the dining room, for which these vessels were also a rich decoration.

Judith 12:2. But Judith said: I will not eat of these, lest there be a stumbling block, but let them serve me what was brought with me. 2. It should be noted here Judith’s wise caution in explaining the reasons for her refusal of Holofernes’ food. She avoids revealing her disinclination toward the food of pagans, as unclean from the point of view of a later Jew, but shifts the center of gravity to the nature of the food itself, forbidden by God in the Jewish law. This was bound to strengthen even more the confidence in Judith, who had just explained her flight from the Jews precisely by zeal for the law, which was endangered by a similar violation through consumption of the sacred, inviolable.

Judith 12:3. Holofernes said to her: But when what you have brought is used up, where shall we get the like for you? For there is no one of your nation among us. 3. “There is no one of your nation among us,” that is, who could obtain lawful food and know how to prepare it for Judith according to her tastes and convictions.

Judith 12:4. Judith answered him: As your soul lives, my lord; your servant will not consume what she has with her before the Lord accomplishes by my hand what He has determined. 4. “As your soul lives, my lord!”—a special kind of oath, strengthened by the force of the wish for health to the one before whom one swears and whom one desires to see as the necessary witness of the fulfillment of what is confirmed by this oath. “Your servant will not consume what she has with her before the Lord accomplishes by my hand what He has determined.” By such an artfully ambiguous expression, Judith designates the very subject or content of the oath, dispelling Holofernes’ remaining doubts. It is also noteworthy here the confidence with which Judith treats the deed she has planned, as the deed of the direct hand and determination of God. Evidently, only a true chosen one and messenger of God can speak and act thus, however one may reason about the intentions of her historian, who gave such an edifying and captivating account of her.

Judith 12:5. And the servants of Holofernes brought her to the tent, and she slept until midnight; and before the morning watch she arose 5. “The servants of Holofernes brought her to a tent”—this was apparently a completely separate, unoccupied tent, not far from the tent of Holofernes (cf. Jdt 14:17). The latter is confirmed by the fact that Holofernes’ bodyguards were also bodyguards for Judith (verse 7).

Judith 12:6. and sent word to Holofernes: Let my lord give orders that your servant be allowed to go out to pray. 6. “Let my lord give orders that your servant be allowed to go out to pray.” Judith makes this request earlier to Holofernes also—Jdt 11:17: “let your servant go out at night to the valley to pray to God,” and there is indicated an important explanation of both these outings and the prayers themselves: “He (God) will reveal to me, when they (the Jews) have committed their transgression” (cf. Jdt 11:13-15). “Your servant,” “your servant”—are expressions not only of the utmost politeness, but also of actual dependence, finding its pleasantness in the magnanimity and good intentions of the one appearing in relation to this servant as “my lord.”

Judith 12:7. Holofernes commanded his bodyguards not to hinder her. And she remained in the camp three days, and at night she went out into the valley of Bethulia, washed at the spring of water in the camp. 7. “Washed at the spring of water in the camp”—for cleansing from the inevitable contact with pagans and the pagan, which violated the purity of a Jew, in his view.

Judith 12:8. And, going out, she prayed to the Lord, God of Israel, that He would direct her way to the deliverance of His people. 8. “Going out, she prayed,” that is, going out from the water of the spring used for her ablutions.

Judith 12:9. Upon her return she remained in the tent pure, and in the evening they brought her food. Judith 12:10. On the fourth day Holofernes made a feast for his own servants and did not call any of those appointed to the service. 10. At the feast arranged for the sake of Judith, Holofernes invited “only his own servants and did not call any of those appointed to service,” that is, he invited only the nearest, most important persons of his retinue, and excluded from participation in the feast official persons, officials appointed to office (προς ταίς χρείαις). This was clearly done because a large gathering of guests and numerous witnesses would have been quite inconvenient for achieving his dishonorable designs on Judith, whom he decided to seduce.

Judith 12:11. And he said to the eunuch Bagoas, who was in charge of all his affairs: Go and persuade the Hebrew woman who is with you to come to us and to eat and drink with us: 11. The name of the eunuch—Bagoas (Βαγώας)—is Persian—quite often appears precisely in denoting the name of eunuchs. “Persuade the Hebrew woman who is with you”—that is, under your care and supervision.

Judith 12:12. It is disgraceful for us to leave such a woman alone, without speaking with her; she will mock us if we do not invite her. 12. “It is disgraceful for us to leave such a woman alone, without speaking with her; she will mock us if we do not invite her.” By justifying such an obvious stretch to persuade Bagoas of the invitation of Judith, Holofernes either wished to hide from Bagoas and others his real intention toward Judith, or simply was prompting Bagoas in what delicate form he should make the invitation to Judith, so as not to embarrass her too much and to avoid the need to use obvious force against her.

Judith 12:13. Bagoas, going out from Holofernes, came to her and said: Do not hesitate, beautiful young woman, to come to my lord, so that you may receive honor before him, and drink wine with us in gladness, and become this day like one of the daughters of the Assyrians who wait upon Nebuchadnezzar. 13. The invitation of Judith by Bagoas is indeed made in expressions sufficiently delicate, though sufficiently transparent in hinting at what may await Judith (“to become… like one of the daughters of the Assyrians who wait upon Nebuchadnezzar”).

Judith 12:14. Judith said to him: Who am I that I should disobey my lord? I will hasten to perform all that will be pleasing to my lord, and this will be a joy to me until the day of my death. 14. For her own purposes, nothing could be better and more desirable for Judith than the invitation made to her, and she could fully express joy at this invitation and full readiness for everything, showing the appearance of slight resistance as if from desire to observe at least a shadow of feminine modesty and delicacy: “Who am I that I should disobey my lord?” Some commentators, admittedly, understood Judith’s answer differently, understanding by the Greek κύριος the Lord God (“I will hasten to perform all that will be pleasing to my lord”—to my God) and adding to the word “all” the limitation “insofar as this will be consistent with my honor and duty”; but there is no need for the indicated distortion of Judith’s words; she could fully have spoken as she did, not promising anything more than what was actually part of her plans and was ambiguous for Holofernes to be “until the day of my death” her “joy.”

Judith 12:15. She rose and dressed in her clothing and all her woman’s adornment; and her maidservant went and spread out for her on the ground before Holofernes the carpets that she had received from Bagoas for her everyday use, to eat while reclining on them. Judith 12:16. Then Judith came and reclined. The heart of Holofernes was moved toward her, and his soul was greatly stirred: he desired greatly to lie with her, and had been seeking an opportunity to seduce her from the very day he saw her. 16. “His soul was greatly stirred”: the soul here—as the seat of sensuality, lust.

Judith 12:17. And Holofernes said to her: Drink and be merry with us. Judith 12:18. And Judith said: I will drink, my lord, for my life has been magnified in me more than on all the days since my birth. 18. “My life has been magnified in me more than on all the days since my birth.” A remarkable subtlety of ambiguity that combines in itself complete non-ambiguity—different and diametrically opposite for the speaker and the listener. For Holofernes, these lofty flattering words were unambiguous, promising him the successful achievement of his lustful desires. For Judith, these words were unambiguous, expressing her solemn confidence in the imminent death of Holofernes and the deliverance of the Jews from him by her hand.

Judith 12:19. And she took and ate and drank before him what her maidservant had prepared. Judith 12:20. And Holofernes gazed upon her and drank a great quantity of wine, more than he had ever drunk on any day since his birth. 19–20. “And she took and ate and drank before him what her maidservant had prepared.” In this way, even at the feast, Judith remained faithful to her former strictness with regard to food. But Holofernes forgets all caution, and, flattered by the imagined victory over Judith’s heart, drinks so much as he had “never, on any day since his birth.” Our Telegram channel

Chapter Thirteen

1–3. Judith remains alone with the drunken Holofernes. 4–9. The slaying of Holofernes. 10–12. A successful departure from the enemy camp. 13–16. Arrival at Bethulia and the account of the deed. 17–20. The people’s exultation and Uzziah’s joy.

Judith 13:1. When it became late, his servants hastened to withdraw, and Bagoas dismissed those who attended upon his lord, and he shut the tent from without, and they went to bed, as all were worn out from the length of the feast. 1. “His servants hastened to withdraw, and Bagoas, dismissing those who attended upon his lord, shut the tent from without.” The servants mentioned here and “those who attended upon his lord,” apparently, are the same persons, not different. This is clear from the parallel passage in Jdt 6:10, where we read: “and Holofernes commanded his servants who stood in his tent to take Achior.”

Judith 13:2. In the tent was left only Judith with Holofernes, lying upon his bed, because he was overflowing with wine. Judith 13:3. Judith had commanded her maidservant to stand outside her sleeping chamber and to wait for her exit, as she did every day, saying that she would go out to pray. She said the same thing to Bagoas. 3. The order to her maidservant to stand outside her sleeping chamber and wait for her exit was given by Judith, of course, beforehand, before the feast began (Jdt 12:15), about which she thoughtfully warned Bagoas as well.

Judith 13:4. When all had withdrawn from her and no one remained in the chamber, either small or great, Judith stood by the bed of Holofernes and said in her heart: Lord, God of all power! Look upon my actions at this hour to the exaltation of Jerusalem, 4. “No one remained, neither small nor great”—Greek: άπο μικρού έως μεγάλου—“from small to great,” as this is translated further, Jdt 12:13 verse. “Said in her heart”—cf. 1 Sam 1:13: Hannah (mother of Samuel) spoke in her heart, but her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. The Vulgate adds that Judith’s prayer was also accompanied by tears: cum lacrymis et labiorum motu in silentio.

Judith 13:5. for now is the time to defend Your inheritance and to accomplish my purpose, to strike down the enemies who have risen up against us. Judith 13:6. Then, going to the post at the head of the bed, she took his sword from it Judith 13:7. and, coming close to the bed, she seized him by the hair of his head and said: Lord, God of Israel! Give me strength in this day. 7. “Seized him by the hair of his head”—literally: “grasped by handfuls” (εδράζατο, from the root δράζ—“handful”), in order to strike more conveniently and surely.

Judith 13:8. And with all her might she struck his neck twice and cut off his head. Judith 13:9. Then she rolled his body off the bed and took down the curtain from the posts. Soon after she went out and gave Holofernes’ head to her maidservant, Judith 13:10. who placed it in her food bag, and both of them together went out as was their custom to pray. After passing through the camp, they went around the ravine, ascended the mountain of Bethulia, and proceeded to its gates. 9–10. “Rolling his body off the bed.”—From what follows (Jdt 14:15) we see that this body even remained at the threshold, where Judith had dragged and thrown it for greater shame and contempt, taking with her the head as a splendid trophy “of her victory.” “She took the curtain from the posts,” to wrap his head in it and conceal the blood oozing from it. “Soon after she went out.” Some delay in carrying out her deed was necessary for Judith, who, from the conceptions of those who had left her in the tent with Holofernes, could certainly not be expected to be released so quickly by him. Apparently, Judith managed to pass completely unnoticed by anyone, so that even Bagoas, when morning came, thought that Holofernes was still sleeping with Judith, and did not decide to look into the tent (Jdt 14:14-15). If the guards, perhaps, did see her exiting the camp, they looked at it calmly at this time, like her usual exit to pray, without any suspicion, especially since the feast at Holofernes was barely known to many, being attended only by a few trusted companions of Holofernes.

Judith 13:11. And Judith cried out from afar to those keeping the gates: Open, open the gates! For the Lord our God is with us, that He may still grant strength to Israel and victory over our enemies, as He granted it to us today. Judith 13:12. When the men of the city heard her voice, they hastened to go to the city gate and called together the elders of the city. Judith 13:13. And all ran out, from the smallest to the greatest, for her coming was unexpected to them, and, opening the gate, they received them, and kindling a fire for light, they surrounded them. 11–13. Deep night reigned over the land not only at the time when Judith acted in the tent and as long as she was passing through the camp—as people are accustomed to think, going to pray—but also at the moment when she was already far from the enemy and was approaching the gates of her native city. The nighttime explains why Judith cries out from afar to the guards at the city gates, that they open them and, recognizing her by her voice, do not take her for an enemy. Of course, the desire to share joyful feelings sooner with her countrymen (as well as fear of pursuit) had a not insignificant role here, especially since the procedure of opening the gates required the necessary calling and presence of the city elders. While the elders were informed and a multitude of people, whom the news of Judith’s arrival swept through with the speed of lightning, ran to the gates (“all—from the smallest to the greatest”), Judith was already at the gates. It was still so dark that they met her “kindling a fire for light.”

Judith 13:14. She spoke to them with a loud voice: Praise the Lord, praise, praise the Lord, for He has not withdrawn His mercy from the house of Israel, but this night He crushed our enemies by my hand. Judith 13:15. And, taking the head out of the bag, she showed it to them and said: Behold the head of Holofernes, commander of the Assyrian army, and behold the curtain in which he lay in his drunkenness, and the Lord struck him down by the hand of a woman. Judith 13:16. As the Lord lives, who has preserved me in the way on which I went! For my face deceived Holofernes for his destruction, but he committed no vile and shameful sin with me. 14–16. “Praise the Lord, praise, praise the Lord…”—expressions of the most rapturous joy and highest magnificence of what had transpired. “In this night (the Lord) crushed our enemies by my hand.” The death of Holofernes, Judith here (and above, Jdt 13:5 and cf. also verse 17) presents as the striking down of all the multitude of Israel’s enemies, who now, even with their superiority of force, could not continue the war, being consumed with shame and disgrace for their so ignominiously perished leader. The head of Holofernes in Judith’s hands and the curtain “in which he lay in his drunkenness”—hinted to the people at the possible terrible price for which Judith, apparently, could only gain such splendid trophies (the possibility of sacrificing chastity). Anticipating these suspicions, Judith solemnly assures with an oath that God preserved her unharmed in her chastity, and all her self-sacrifice was limited only to enduring the lustful glances of the lecher upon her face, the seduction by which brought him to his doom.

Judith 13:17. All the people were struck with great amazement; they bowed down and worshipped God and said with one accord: Blessed are You, our God, who have brought to nothing the enemies of Your people this day! 17. “All the people were struck with great amazement”—on the one hand—by the extraordinarily subtle and artful plan of Judith, on the other—by the fact that it was accomplished for her so easily and successfully, with all its extreme riskiness and boldness.

Judith 13:18. And Uzziah said to her: Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God, blessed are you above all women on the earth, and blessed is the Lord God, who created the heavens and the earth, who directed you to the crushing of the head of the leader of our enemies; 18. After the people, Uzziah praises God and blesses Judith specially, as the chief representative of the people, calling her “daughter,” showing a specially affectionate and friendly manner of address.

Judith 13:19. for your hope will not depart from the hearts of men who remember the power of God forever. 19. “For your hope will not depart from the hearts of men who remember the power of God forever,” that is, your hope in God, which so animated you in this wondrous deed, will never cease to be the object of living heartfelt grateful remembrance of all who treasure the memories of every manifestation of God’s power.

Judith 13:20. May God count this for you as an eternal honor and reward you with blessings for that you did not spare your life at the humiliation of our race, but came forward when we were falling, you who have walked rightly before our God. And all the people said: Amen, Amen! 20. “You did not spare your life at the humiliation of our race.”—The magnitude of the risk and the terrible danger truly made Judith’s deed truly heroic in not sparing her life, though good fortune and returned this life, voluntarily offered to death, to former safety and integrity. The people confirmed the blessing of Uzziah upon Judith with a concluding “Amen, Amen!”—as in other cases of similar importance, for instance, Jdt 15:10 (cf. also 1 Esd 9:47 and others).

Chapter Fourteen

1–4. Judith’s counsel about going against the enemy. 5–10. Scene with Achior. 11–13. The advance of the Jews and Assyrian preparations. 14–19. The discovery of Holofernes’ death and the impression this event had on the Assyrian army.

Judith 14:1. Then Judith said to them: “Listen to me, brothers. Take this head and hang it on the battlements of your wall.” Judith 14:2. And when morning comes and the sun rises over the earth, each of you take your war equipment, go out armed beyond the city, and give them a leader, as if you were about to come down on the plain against the Assyrian advance guard, but do not come down. Judith 14:3. Then they, taking all their equipment, will go to their camp, awaken the commanders of the Assyrian army, and run to Holofernes’ tent, but will not find him; then fear will seize them, and they will flee from you. Judith 14:4. And you and all who dwell in every part of Israel, pursuing them, strike them on the way. 1–4. Judith does not yet consider her deed finished. The further events that contributed to the success of her exploit and its brilliant completion, and now she continues to act with the same confidence and prophetically true accuracy, calculation and conviction as before. Having given the advice to display Holofernes’ head on the battlements of the city wall, she proposes that all the strong men arm themselves, go out of the city early in the morning in battle order, and by no means advance onto the plain yet—showing only the appearance that they went out for a decisive attack. This will force the enemy to discover their leader’s death at the most opportune moment for the Jews, a moment of realizing the utmost necessity for a leader, which will intensify the impression of discovering his death to such an extreme degree that they will flee from fear alone, and the Jews will need only to pursue them in complete confusion to their complete defeat.

Judith 14:5. But before you do this, call to me Achior the Ammonite: let him see and know the one who despised the house of Israel and sent him to us as if to his death. 5. Judith orders Achior to be called so that—on the one hand—the head’s belonging to Holofernes would be better confirmed, and on the other—so that he might be at peace about his fate and in general, so that what Judith was convinced would happen—and what indeed happened immediately—would occur: Achior’s final belief in the power and greatness of the God of Israel and his joining “the house of Israel.”

Judith 14:6. And they called Achior from Uzziah’s house. When he came and saw Holofernes’ head in the hand of a man in the midst of the assembly of the people, he fell on his face and fainted. 6. The sight of Holofernes’ head made the strongest impression on Achior: he “fell on his face and fainted” so completely that others “lifted him up” (verse 7). He is not gladdened by the death of a man who treated him so unjustly and inhumanely, who condemned him to death—but he is struck by the greatness of the event, in which the faith he had expressed in the special protection of the God of Israel for His people and in the special power and greatness of this God was so clearly vindicated, having accomplished so terrible and scarcely credible a deed through the hand of a weak woman. In Achior’s ears there must have still resounded the proud and presumptuous speeches against the God of Israel and His people, and the contrast between bitter reality and these speeches, combined with the offensive sight of the recent blasphemer, naturally had to produce in his spirit a most decisive and complete revolution, preceded by the strongest emotional shock.

Judith 14:7. When they lifted him up, he fell at Judith’s feet, bowed to her, and said: “You are blessed in every settlement of Judah and in every people; all who hear your name will be amazed.” Judith 14:8. Tell me now, what have you done in these days? And Judith in the midst of the people told him all she had done from the day she went out until the day she spoke with them. 8. “Tell me now, what have you done in these days?”—Judith’s account to Achior of her exploit was at the same time an account to the whole people (“in the midst of the people”), who had not yet heard a detailed and complete report of this event.

Judith 14:9. When she finished speaking, the people cried out loudly, and their joyful cry was heard throughout the city. Judith 14:10. And Achior, seeing all that the God of Israel had done, truly believed in God, circumcised the foreskin of his flesh, and joined the house of Israel, even to this day. 9–10. Judith’s detailed account of her wondrous exploit drew from the relieved breasts of the people joyful shouts of joy, which echoed throughout the entire city. As for Achior, he “truly believed in God, was circumcised, and joined the house of Israel even to this day.” Comparing this account with the parallel passage Deut 23:3 (“An Ammonite and Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord, and even to the tenth generation none of them shall enter the assembly of the Lord forever”)—we must, apparently, reconcile them in their apparent contradiction as follows: the restriction mentioned in Deuteronomy to the tenth generation apparently applies only to the descendants of those Ammonites who at that time directly provoked this restriction by their hostility to the people of God going into the land promised to them. Beyond the tenth generation from these Ammonites, contemporary with the time of the Exodus, this restriction and prohibition could naturally lose its force; this is precisely what we see in this case in Achior joining the house of Israel. Other considerations do not allow us to view the matter otherwise: the Jews, who at this very time had become especially sensitive to all such precepts of the law, would by no means have set aside this law in favor of even Achior if this restriction and prohibition regarding the Ammonites had the same force for all times and generations. “He joined (Achior) the house of Israel even to this day.” This last expression could mean not only that Achior himself was alive at the moment when the author wrote these lines, but also, for example, that he lived on in his descendants, who continued to consider themselves members of the assembly of Israel, in no way different from the true descendants of Abraham.

Judith 14:11. When morning came, they hung Holofernes’ head on the wall; each man took his weapon, and they went out in companies to the slopes of the mountain. Judith 14:12. The sons of Assyria, seeing them, sent to their leaders, and they went to their commanders, to the captains of thousands, and to every one of their officers. Judith 14:13. When they came to Holofernes’ tent, they said to him who was steward of all his property: “Awake our lord, for these slaves have dared to come out to battle with us, to be completely destroyed.” 13. “Said to him who was steward of all his property.” Some manuscripts directly name the steward himself—Bagoas. This is confirmed by the following verse 14, where Bagoas, fulfilling the leaders’ demand, goes to awaken his master. “These slaves have dared…” According to some scholars, the word “slaves” (hoi douloi) appears here as a result of the translator mixing words in the Hebrew original, “Hebrew” and “slaves,” which differ in spelling by only one letter, so similar to each other. Such confusion is indeed very possible, and it is not surprising that in some manuscripts, such as the Old Latin (Vet. Lat.), in the indicated place, instead of the word “slaves,” we actually find the expression: “sons of Israel” (filii Israel), although this was done—as is believed—not because the translator wished to be more accurate in translation, but simply by willful change, wishing to be clearer. In any case, the word “slaves” is quite appropriate and no less fitting here than any other. It particularly well emphasizes the presumptuous and contemptuous, arrogant feeling of the Assyrians toward the Hebrews, whom they considered as already delivered into the power of Nebuchadnezzar, and they wished to regard their warlike ardor only as the most trivial madness. Against the theory that “Hebrew” was confused with “slaves” argues, apparently, the fact that in the following verse 18 the translator could not help but notice and correct his oversight, translating in conjunction with the doubtful expression, and quite correctly, a similar expression by Bagoas about “the Hebrew woman who brought shame upon the house of King Nebuchadnezzar by killing Holofernes”: mia gyne ton Hebraion. “Have dared to come out to battle with us, to be completely destroyed”—another example of the extreme presumption and contemptuous attitude of the Assyrians toward the offensive movement of the Hebrews.

Judith 14:14. Bagoas entered and knocked on the tent door, for he thought that he was sleeping with Judith. 14. “Bagoas… thought that he (Holofernes) was sleeping with Judith.” See above the commentary to Jdt 13:9-10. Bagoas had been the last to withdraw from Holofernes’ tent, having closed him inside with Judith, and, like others tired out by the length of the feast, probably quickly fell into deep sleep on his own bed (Jdt 13:1 verse). It is quite possible that neither he nor anyone else among the participants and witnesses of what happened noticed Judith’s suspiciously quick exit from the tent. Those who might have seen her already at a distance from the tent could find nothing suspicious in this, being accustomed for several nights in a row to similar excursions by her (see above, to Jdt 13:9-10 verse).

Judith 14:15. When no one answered him, he opened the door and went into the sleeping chamber, and found Holofernes lying dead at the threshold with his head cut off from him. Judith 14:16. Then he cried out with a loud voice, with weeping, groaning, and a strong cry, and tore his clothes. Judith 14:17. Then he went into the tent where Judith was staying, and did not find her. So he rushed out to the people and cried out: Judith 14:18. “The slaves have acted treacherously; one Hebrew woman brought shame upon the house of King Nebuchadnezzar, for behold, Holofernes is on the ground, and his head is not on him.” 16–18. From Holofernes’ tent, when the murder is discovered, Bagoas goes to Judith’s tent, whose absence in the dead man’s tent immediately led thought to her as the guilty party. Judith’s absence in her own tent left no doubt whatsoever, which Bagoas immediately announced—“with weeping, groaning, and a strong cry,” having torn his clothes as a sign of the greatest sorrow. “The slaves have acted treacherously.” Bagoas here either actually represents Judith’s exploit as the fulfillment of a treacherous and cunning plan of all the Jews, or simply expresses himself in general, considering Judith alone to be the real perpetrator of the murder, but accusing all the Hebrews along with her, as those to whom such a calamitous and shameful event for the Assyrians was needed and pleasant. “A Hebrew woman brought shame upon the house of King Nebuchadnezzar.” It would not have been so shameful to fall in open, honorable battle, as to be outwitted and destroyed by a mere woman, under such inglorious circumstances and conditions. The shame fell all the more grimly upon the entire “house of King Nebuchadnezzar,” the more confidence and authority from that house Holofernes, as the most experienced and chief leader of the Assyrian army, had been given, being “second” to Nebuchadnezzar (Jdt 2:4).

Judith 14:19. When the commanders of the Assyrian army heard these words, they tore their clothes, and their souls were greatly troubled, and there was a loud cry and a very great outcry throughout the camp. 19. The impression produced by the terrible revelation of Holofernes’ death—to such an extent that they could not offer energetic resistance to the Jews—is not entirely explicable by psychological laws alone. Undoubtedly, Judith, who correctly foresaw this confusion, did not base herself on psychological considerations alone. Her confident prediction of events (Jdt 14:3-4) was based much more on inspired faith in God’s aid, which many times before in similarly critical circumstances had brought the faithful followers of Jehovah to just as victorious and glorious resolution of difficulties. And indeed, with the loss of Holofernes, in fact nothing was lost for the enemy. His death should have, it would seem, only further enraged the Assyrians, and remaining still immeasurably superior in strength and numbers and position advantages, they still had all the means to inflict a terrible vindictive blow on the treacherous city. Clearly, if instead of all this they flee in complete confusion from the comparatively insignificant handful of Jews, falling in multitudes from their blows, then—they flee driven and struck by another higher force, having no need for its victory in a large number of soldiers. Thus again was vindicated so brilliantly the great Divine truth: “The wicked flees though no one pursues” (Prov 28:1)—a truth especially brightly expressed in the whole series of Israel’s glorious victories in the epoch of the Exodus, in the conquest of the Promised Land, in the times of Joshua, the Judges, the Kings, and throughout the entire history of Israel generally.

Chapter Fifteen

1–7. The Jews pursue and strike the enemy. 8–10. The high priest and elders of Jerusalem come “to see Judith and greet her” with blessings. 11–14. Popular celebrations on account of the victory.

Judith 15:1. When those in the tents heard what had happened, they were troubled, Judith 15:2. and fear and trembling came upon them, and no one among them remained in the sight of another, but they all rushed off fleeing along all the roads of the plain and the hill country. 1–2. “No one among them remained in the sight of another.” Each saw in the other an increase of his own fear, and in solitary flight thought to find the surest salvation, making it easier for the Jews to complete the defeat in separate small groups. Such is the meaning these words may convey. One may understand them also to mean that the flight was universal, with no exceptions and equally hasty and disorderly in all.

Judith 15:3. And those camped in the hill country about Bethulia also turned to flight. Then the sons of Israel, each of them a warlike man, pursued them. 3. “Those camped in the hill country about Bethulia”—that is, the Idumeans and Ammonites; see Jdt 7:18.

Judith 15:4. Uzziah sent to Betomasthem, Bebai, Khoba, and Khola and all the borders of Israel, to report what had happened and so that all would pursue the enemy to destroy them. 4. “Uzziah sent to Betomasthem, Bebai, Khoba, and Khola”—see above, to Jdt 4:4.

Judith 15:5. As soon as the sons of Israel heard of it, they all fell upon them and struck them down all the way to Khoba; likewise those coming from Jerusalem and from all the hill country—for they had been told what had happened in the camp of their enemies—and those from Gilead and Galilee fell upon them from all sides and dealt them a great blow, as long as they had not passed beyond Damascus and its borders. Judith 15:6. The remaining inhabitants of Bethulia fell upon the Assyrian camp, plundered it, and became very rich. Judith 15:7. And the sons of Israel, returning from the slaughter, took possession of the rest; and the villages and towns in the hill country and on the plain received great spoils, because there was very much plunder. Judith 15:8. The great priest Joiakim and the elders of the sons of Israel living in Jerusalem came to see what good the Lord had done for Israel, and to see Judith and greet her. 8. The high priest and elders of Jerusalem “came to see what good the Lord had done for Israel,” that is, they came to the place to learn about the deed, especially “to see Judith and greet her”—Greek: lalēsai meta autēs eirēnēn—literally: “to speak with her peace” (peaceful, friendly)—to converse with her friendly and kindly, and also: “to pronounce a blessing upon her.”

Judith 15:9. As soon as they came to her, they all blessed her with one accord and said to her: “You are the glory of Israel, you are the great joy of Israel, you are the great honor of our people.” Judith 15:10. All this you have done with your own hand; you did good to Israel, and God has approved it; may you be blessed by the Lord Almighty forever. And all the people said: “Amen!” 10. The name “the Lord Almighty” in later Hebrew books commonly constitutes a replacement for the proper name Jehovah, which, out of reverence, was not pronounced or used by the post-exile Jews.

Judith 15:11. For thirty days the people plundered the camp, and they gave to Judith the tent of Holofernes and all his silver vessels and beds and cups and all his furniture. She took them, loaded them on her mule, hitched her chariots, and loaded them upon them. 11. “For thirty days the people plundered the camp.” Some critics considered this report incredibly exaggerated. However, there is nothing impossible here. One must not forget how many lands and cities Holofernes passed through on the way to Bethulia, carrying away all the best from them as military spoils. It was these spoils that could have provided enough for the plundering by the not so numerous inhabitants of Bethulia for a whole month, especially since they were undoubtedly scattered over a very vast area and could be found only by a kind of search, not all at once. “Beds”—tas klinas—couches, sofas, on which they reclined at meals and which were an ornament of the dining room and the tent of Holofernes generally.

Judith 15:12. And all the women of Israel came to see her, and blessed her, and formed a choir for her; and she took in her hands vine-wreathed wands and gave them to the women with her, 12. “Vine-wreathed wands” (thyrsous)—these could have been simple shoots of grape vines, for holding in the hands during dances. Such “wands” (thyrsae) were also used at pagan celebrations, such as at the festivals of Bacchus, where the “wands” were made of ivy or grape vine wrapped at the top with ivy.

Judith 15:13. and crowned themselves with olive wreaths—she and those with her. She went before all the people leading the choir and bringing all the women with her; after her followed all the men of Israel, armed, with wreaths and with triumphant songs on their lips. 13. “Olive wreaths”—as signs of peace and joy. “The men of Israel” took part in the celebrations “armed” as a sign that the festival of victory was being celebrated.

Judith 15:14. Judith began singing a hymn of thanksgiving before all Israel, and all the people joined in singing this hymn. Our Telegram channel

Chapter Sixteen

1–17. Judith’s hymn of praise. 18–20. The conclusion of the celebrations. 21–25. The subsequent fate of Judith.

Judith 16:1. And Judith said: “Begin a song to my God with tambourines, sing to the Lord my God with cymbals; strike up a new song to Him, exalt and invoke His name;” 1. “Begin a song to my God… sing to the Lord my God…” Judith here expresses her special right to name and consider the Lord as hers—as He who alone could preserve her life in her so desperate an undertaking, who alone by His aid granted her to accomplish this terrible deed of His righteous judgment, and to whom alone she is indebted for her entire life and wellbeing, in the special and preeminent sense of the word.

Judith 16:2. for He is God the Lord, who crushes wars; because He established His camp for me in the midst of the people and rescued me from the hand of those who pursued me. 2. “He established His camp for me in the midst of the people and rescued me from the hand of those who pursued me”—Greek: eis parembolus autou en mesō laou exeilato me ek cheiros katadiokontan me, that is, more literally: “in His camp in the midst of the people He took me from the hand of those who pursued me,” in other words: “to show His camp’s power (the power of His defense for the people), He separated me from the rest of the people and showed this power of His by rescuing me from the hand of those who pursued me.” Actually, Judith, thanks to her cunning, avoided all pursuit; therefore, here she either understands what could have been in her position, or simply imagines herself pursued insofar as she belonged to the people, threatened with destruction by the Assyrians. And the entire hymn of Judith generally—it should be noted—represents as much a confession of her own joyful feelings as, on the other hand, a confession of similar feelings applicable to every other individual person and to the whole personified community of the Jews. This is particularly clearly expressed in those places of Judith’s hymn where everything personally relating to her and not able to be adapted to another person—is expressed in the third person, not the first (see Jdt 16:2 verse with verses 5–10 of this same chapter).

Judith 16:3. Assyria came from the mountains of the north; he came with myriads of his army, and their multitude blocked the water sources, and their cavalry covered the hills. 3. “Their multitude blocked the water sources, and their cavalry covered the hills”—a poetic hyperbole, to which the lively imagination of Eastern peoples likes to resort.

Judith 16:4. He said that he would burn my borders, put my young men to the sword, dash my nursing infants to the ground, make my children captives, and take my virgins as spoil. 4. “He said that he would burn my borders…” Judith’s expression is on behalf of the entire personified land or community of the Jews (“my, my, my”—verse 12, “my”—verse 13, “my”—verse 17, and so forth).

Judith 16:5. But the Lord Almighty brought them low by the hand of a woman. Judith 16:6. For their mighty one fell not by the hands of the young men, and not the sons of the Titans struck him, and not the tall giants attacked him, but Judith, daughter of Merari, undid him by the beauty of her face; Judith 16:7. for she took off the widow’s weeds for the relief of those distressed in Israel, anointed her face with precious ointment, Judith 16:8. and adorned her hair with a tiara, put on a linen dress to seduce him. Judith 16:9. Her sandal captivated his eyes, and her beauty took captive his soul; the sword passed through his neck. Judith 16:10. The Persians trembled at her boldness, and the Medes were dismayed at her courage. 5–10. In adapting her song in this way so that each could pour out their own personal feeling of joy in it, Judith, coming to the mention of her exploit, expresses herself about herself in the third person. “The Persians trembled at her boldness, and the Medes were dismayed at her courage.” Persians and Medes are pointed out here as the most courageous and bold people, so that thereby the superior boldness and courage of Judith may be all the more clearly shown, bringing fear and confusion even to such peoples.

Judith 16:11. Then the lowly raised their voices, and my enemies were frightened; the weak raised a cry, and my enemies were routed; the sons of my adversaries fled. 11–17. From verse 11, the song again takes on its former personified and collective character, maintaining it through the end (through verse 17 inclusive).

Judith 16:12. The sons of young women pierced them through, and wounded them like the children of fugitive slaves; they perished before the army of the Lord my God. 12. “The sons of young women,” that is, of particularly weak, powerless women, and therefore themselves weak, young, powerless, “pierced them,” that is, the enemies, who became like “children of fugitive slaves,” that is, especially timid, faint-hearted, helpless, completely losing all their former formidability and danger to the Jews. Both served to magnify the greatness of the miracle of God’s aid to His people.

Judith 16:13. I will sing to the Lord my God a new song. O Lord, you are great and glorious, wonderful in strength and invincible! Judith 16:14. Let all your creatures serve you; for you spoke and they came into being; you sent your spirit and they were created, and there is no one who can resist your voice. 14. “You spoke and it came to pass… you sent your Spirit and it was created”—a thought closely reproducing the verses of the psalms (Ps 103:30 and 148:5).

Judith 16:15. The mountains shall be shaken from the foundations with the waters; the rocks shall melt like wax before you; but to those who fear you, you show mercy. Judith 16:16. A small sacrifice for a sweet smell is little, and all the fat is very little for a whole burnt offering to you; but whoever fears the Lord is great forever. Judith 16:17. Woe to the nations that rise up against my people! The Lord Almighty will take vengeance on them on the day of judgment; He will send fire and worms on their flesh, and they shall weep and feel pain forever. Judith 16:18. When they came to Jerusalem, they bowed down to God, and when the people had purified themselves, they offered their whole burnt offerings and their free-will offerings and their gifts. Judith 16:19. And Judith gave to the Lord all the vessels of Holofernes which the people had given her, and the curtain which she had taken from his sleeping chamber, as an offering to the Lord. Judith 16:20. The people rejoiced at Jerusalem before the sanctuary for three months, and Judith remained with them. 18–20. The people’s celebrations ended with a journey to Jerusalem, where rich thanksgiving sacrifices were offered to God. Judith “gave to the Lord” everything that had come to her, down to the curtain taken from Holofernes’ sleeping chamber, showing thereby that all her deed was the deed of the Righteous God Himself, for whom she had served only as an instrument. Instead of “three months” of the people’s celebrations in Jerusalem, the Syriac text indicates only “one month.”

Judith 16:21. After these days everyone returned to his inheritance, and Judith went to Bethulia, where she remained on her estate, and was in her time renowned throughout the land. 21. “After these days everyone returned to his inheritance, and Judith went to Bethulia.” The Jerusalem celebrations were celebrations not only of the inhabitants of Bethulia alone, but of all the people of Israel (Jdt 15:12-14 verse), who took the most active part in the pursuit and defeat of the enemy (see Jdt 15:3-5 verse and further), enemies not only of Bethulia but of all the heritage of Jehovah. Naturally, people from all around flocked to the Jerusalem celebrations, and it is not strange that these celebrations lasted three months, renewed by ever new streams of people. It is also natural that Judith “remained with them” in Jerusalem all this time, submitting obediently to the understandable desire of all to see their savior, having thus become “renowned throughout the land.”

Judith 16:22. Many desired her, but no man knew her all the days of her life from the day when her husband Manasseh died and was gathered to his people. 22. “Many desired her,” that is, with their love, wished to have her as their wife, sought her hand. “Was gathered to his people”—the customary biblical expression for denoting the righteous death of the faithful Israelites (see Gen 25:8 etc.).

Judith 16:23. She gained great fame and grew old in her husband’s house, living to one hundred five years, and freed her female servant. She died in Bethulia, and they buried her in the cave of her husband Manasseh. Judith 16:24. The house of Israel mourned her for seven days. Before her death she had distributed her estate among the relatives of her husband Manasseh and among those of her own family. 24. “Mourned her for seven days”—the customary period of mourning for the dead (Gen 50:10; 1 Sam 31:13; see Sir 22:10).

Judith 16:25. And no one ever again terrified the people of Israel in the days of Judith, nor for many years after her death. 25. Those who relate the history of Judith to later (Maccabean) times, particularly to the reign of Antiochus III, find in this verse a refutation of their theory, and they think to dispose of it very simply: they recognize here either a panegyrical, exaggerated depiction of complete (though poorly timed) prosperity granted to his homeland by Judith, or simply an expression of hope for lasting peace, or finally a later addition. All this is obvious distortion, losing all necessity for itself with the admission of a much more natural representation of the matter: namely, that the event of the book of Judith took place at the very time which the book itself indicates: in other words—soon after the captivity (Jdt 4:3), whoever one might understand by the name “Nebuchadnezzar of Assyria.” At the end of the book of Judith, the Vulgate makes one more addition about the establishment by the Jews of a new festival in memory of her victory: “And indeed the day of the victory of this celebration was accepted by the Hebrews among the number of holy days and is celebrated by the Jews from that time until the present day.” The absence of any such additions in the Greek manuscripts gives full reason to see here an arbitrary addition either by the author of the Vulgate himself or by one of the copyists of its text. Master of Theology, Professor Archimandrite Joseph.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Introduction

The book of Esther is named after its protagonist, a Jewish woman named Esther, who became a Persian queen—the wife of King Artaxerxes—and who rendered an immortal service to her people in that position by saving them from the plot of the courtier Haman to exterminate them. This remarkable event in the history of the Jewish people provided the occasion for the establishment of a special Jewish festival (Purim), and so the history of Esther is also the history of the origin of the festival of “Purim” (Purim, a lot or portion). According to the Second Book of Maccabees, this festival was already celebrated by the Jews in 160 BC (in the time of Nicanor); Josephus also mentions it, and to this day the festival is solemnly celebrated by Jews in synagogues on the 13th and 14th of the month of Adar. All this serves as proof—on the other hand—of the reality of the event related in the Book of Esther, particularly when one considers the internal marks of historical trustworthiness of the narrative, that is, the complete agreement of the description of Persian customs and practices with all that we know of Persian customs during the period being described.

The author of the book is not precisely known. Clement of Alexandria and some rabbis attribute it to Mordecai; the Talmud attributes it to the Great Synagogue. The attribution to Mordecai seems to be confirmed in Esth 9:20, though from the same chapter Esth 9 it might be concluded that the very end of the book apparently does not belong to Mordecai. In any case, the majority of the book probably belongs to Mordecai. Many indications of this can be found in the book itself: the narrator undoubtedly lived at court, because he knows Persian customs, manners, and the court thoroughly; he speaks of contemporary events of the Persian empire (which existed from 536–330 BC), and he refers to the chronicles of the Medes and Persians (Esth 10:2); the account was written, by all indications, in Persia, in Susa itself, which is confirmed by the absence of references to Judea and Jerusalem; the attribution to Mordecai can also be indicated by other detailed circumstances, for example, in the description of Ahasuerus’s feast, as well as the mention of the names of great officials and eunuchs, the wives and children of Haman, and so on.

The Book of Esther, though counted among the canonical books, has, however, considerable later insertions or additions, which constitute its non-canonical portion (in the LXX and Vulgate) and have no place in the original (Hebrew) text. There are seven such insertions:

1) Mordecai’s dream and the revelation of a plot against the king (LXX before Esth 1:1; Vulgate: XI-XII);

2) Haman’s decree (mentioned in Esth 3:12) against the Jews (LXX after Esth 3:13; Vulgate. XIII, 1–7);

3) Mordecai’s appeal to Esther (LXX: after Esth 4:8; Vulgate: XV, 13);

4) The prayers of Mordecai and Esther (LXX after Esth 4:17; Vulgate: XIII, 8-XIV);

5) The details of Esther’s visit to King Ahasuerus (LXX: Esth 5:1-2; Vulgate: XV, 4–19);

6) Mordecai’s decree, mentioned in Esth 8:9 (LXX, after Esth 8:12; Vulgate: XVI);

7) The explanation of Mordecai’s dream (LXX: after Esth 10 with mention of the introduction of the festival of Purim in Egypt; Vulgate: X, 4–13).

Chapter One

First addition to the book: Mordecai’s dream and the revelation of a plot against the king. 1–9. Ahasuerus’s feast. 10–22. The refusal of Queen Vashti to come to the assembly of guests at the king’s summons and her removal by the king.

“Esther 1. Est.1:0a. [In the second year of the reign of King Artaxerxes the Great, on the first day of the month of Nisan, Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, had a dream,” In the story of Mordecai’s dream, one must first note the following contradiction: the narrator says that the dream appeared to Mordecai “in the second year” (Esth 1:0a) of Artaxerxes, with Mordecai already mentioned as “serving at the royal court.” Yet, according to the Hebrew text of Esther, the girl was taken to the king only “in the seventh year of his reign” (Esth 2:16, cf. Esth 2:19), when Mordecai was brought to the court and could render the known service to the king by revealing a conspiracy plotted against him. One can resolve the perplexity caused by this contradiction by either admitting an error in the indication of the year of Artaxerxes’s reign, or allowing for different circumstances under which Mordecai could learn of and report to the king the conspiracy against him, or, finally, by assuming a greater interval of time between the dream and the conspiracy. The story of the conspiracy appears in four different forms according to various manuscripts (Hebrew text, two Greek texts, and that of Josephus). According to the Hebrew text (Esth 2:21-23), the conspiracy serves as the reason for Mordecai’s advancement to court, whereas according to the basic Greek text (the first addition), Mordecai was already at court and he himself, not through the queen, informs the king of the conspiracy. Josephus generally follows this Greek text, but supplements it with the information that Mordecai does not learn of the conspiracy himself but through a certain Barnabas, a Jewish slave of one of the conspirators. Other Greek variants also allow for a repetition of the conspiracy, placing the first in the second year of Artaxerxes and the second in the seventh year, and thus trying to reconcile the disagreements and contradictions of the texts with the indicated different dates and representations of the conspiracy, or they adopt one version, eliminating the other.

“Esther 1. Est.1:0b. A Jew living in the city of Susa, a man of great importance, serving at the royal court.” “Mordecai” is a Persian name meaning “worshipper of Merodach.” According to Ezra 2:2 and Neh 7:7, Mordecai is mentioned as one of those who came from captivity with Zerubbabel after the captivity under Nebuchadnezzar. In the addition, Mordecai is also called a “man of great importance” (ἄνθροπος μέγας), that is, great in power and significance for the Jews (cf. Esth 10:3), and in Josephus (Jewish Antiquities, Book 11, Chapter 6, 2), he is designated as one of the foremost among the Jews. In the Hebrew text, the name of Mordecai first appears with Esth 2:5-6.

“Esther 1. Est.1:0c. He was among the captives whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, took captive from Jerusalem with Jeconiah, king of Judah.” “Esther 1. Est.1:0d. And his dream was as follows: behold, a terrible noise, a roaring and an earthquake and tumult upon the earth;” “Esther 1. Est.1:0e. and behold, two great dragons came forth, ready to fight one another;” “Esther 1. Est.1:0f. and great was their cry, and at their cry all nations prepared for war, that they might overthrow the nation of the righteous;” “The nation of the righteous”—the righteous nation, that is, the Jews.

“Esther 1. Est.1:0g. and behold—a day of darkness and gloom, sorrow and distress, suffering and great confusion upon the earth;” “Esther 1. Est.1:0h. and the entire righteous nation was troubled, fearing evils for themselves, and prepared themselves to perish” “Esther 1. Est.1:0i. and they began to cry out to the Lord;” “Esther 1. Est.1:0j. and from their cry, as it were from a small spring, a great river came forth with a multitude of water;” “Esther 1. Est.1:0k. and light shone forth and the sun rose, and the humble were lifted up and the proud were destroyed.—” The detailed explanation of Mordecai’s dream is given in a special seventh addition to the book (after Esth 10:3), to which we refer the reader.

“Esther 1. Est.1:0l. Mordecai, upon awakening from this vision, which represented what God wished to accomplish, kept this dream in his heart and wished to understand it in all its parts, until night, that is, until the next night, the whole day.” “Esther 1. Est.1:0m. And Mordecai remained in the palace together with Gabatha and Tharra, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the palace,” “Esther 1. Est.1:0n. and he heard their conversation and learned their intentions and discovered that they were preparing to lay hands upon King Artaxerxes, and he reported them to the king;” “Esther 1. Est.1:0o. and the king questioned these two eunuchs, and when they confessed, they were put to death.” “Esther 1. Est.1:0p. The king recorded this event in his memory, and Mordecai wrote down an account of this event.” “Esther 1. Est.1:0q. And the king commanded Mordecai to serve in the palace and gave him gifts for this.” “Esther 1. Est.1:0r. But at that time Haman, son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, was great with the king, and he sought to harm Mordecai and his people because of the two eunuchs of the king.]” “Haman”—according to Esth 3:1 of the main text—the Agagite—הָאֲגָגִי. The Greek texts, unlike the Hebrew, call him sometimes a Macedonian, sometimes a Bugaean (Βουγαῖος). The latter, however, is neither the name of a people, nor of a place, and still less a personal name. It is rather a nickname (Βουγαῖος) with the meaning “a great braggart.” As for the designation of Haman as “the Agagite,” it was long thought on this basis that Haman was an Amalekite, because one of the kings of the Amalekites was called Agag. And since already in antiquity the names of Esau and Amalek were taken as designations of the pagans of Europe, the LXX translated the Hebrew “Agagi” as Μακεδῶν, a Macedonian. However, the name of Haman, like the name of his father, has Mede-Persian origin. And we know now from the Carzabad inscriptions that the land of Agag indeed constituted a part of Media—a new circumstance showing the historical significance of the Book of Esther even in the smallest details. From this it is evident that the objection made against Есф.16.10—according to the Vulgate—and derived from the fact that in this place Haman is named “in spirit and race a Macedonian” (animo et gente macedo), has no weight. This passage is not contradicted by (as has been claimed) Esth 3:1. The word “Macedonian” in Chapter 16 arises from the fact that the Greek translators, after which the Latin translation of Chapter 16 was made, wrongly translated here, as also in Esth 9:24, the word “Agagite” as “Macedonian” (Vigouroux, Guide to Reading and Study of the Bible, Book of Esther). The names of the eunuch conspirators are not the same in different recensions. In the accepted Greek text they are named “Gabatha and Tharra” (Γαβαθά and Θάρρα); in Josephus Flavius—Βαγαθῶος and Θεόδεστος; in other variations Ἄστβγος (Ἀστυάγης) and Θεδευτός. The Vulgate has Bagatha instead of Γαβαθά.

Esther 1:1. And it came to pass in the days of Artaxerxes,—this Artaxerxes reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India even to Ethiopia,— The king’s name, according to the Hebrew text—אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ, according to one of the Greek variations Ἀρταξέρξης—“Artaxerxes”; according to others—Ασυηρος (cf. Tob 14:15, Ezra 4:6, Dan 9:1); according to the Vulgate—Assuerus. It is debatable which king is actually meant here. In any case, it is most reliable that only either Artaxerxes Longimanus or Xerxes can be meant here. The designation of this Artaxerxes as “great” in Addition 1 (τοῦ μεγάλου—Esth 1:0a) should be understood as the usual designation of Persian kings, and not as a particular distinction of Artaxerxes. Recent research has led to the idea that this “Artaxerxes” is none other than Ahasuerus (Xerxes I, 485–465 BC, son of Darius I, son of Hystaspes). “One of the very first results of reading Persian inscriptions,” says one of the researchers (Oppert), “was the identification of Ahasuerus (Assuerus) with Xerxes. Already Grotefend more than fifty years ago expressed this opinion, and the progress of science left not even a shadow of doubt about the truth of it.” And the biblical image of “Artaxerxes” is supremely consistent with “Ahasuerus” of history and the circumstances of his reign. Thus, all that is said about the extent of the Persian empire (Esth 1:1), about the customs of the court, about the capricious, lustful, cruel, vengeful, and whimsical nature of Ahasuerus—all of this is most applicable to Xerxes as described by Herodotus. The one hundred twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia over which Artaxerxes reigned should not be confused with the twenty satrapies established by Darius, son of Hystaspes, in his realm. The basis of the former lay in geographical and ethnographic peculiarities for their division, whereas the satrapies were more general administrative units for facilitating the collection of tribute.

Esther 1:2. at the time when King Artaxerxes sat upon his royal throne, which was in Susa, the capital city, The action takes place “in Susa, the capital city,” where the king usually spent several months of the year.

Esther 1:3. in the third year of his reign he made a feast for all his princes and his servants, for the chief captains of the army of the Persians and Medes and the governors of the provinces, “In the third year of his reign”—approximately around 482 BC.

Esther 1:4. showing the great wealth of his kingdom and the splendid glory of his majesty for many days, one hundred eighty days. The duration of the feast—without any exaggeration—is indicated as one hundred eighty days. This was, more precisely, a whole series of feasts, opened for new and new guests of the king, who came at his summons from the most distant regions of the vast kingdom. Herodotus provides a remarkable confirmation of this, relating that, preparing for his campaign to Greece after the conquest of Egypt, Xerxes invited to his court all the dignitaries of his kingdom for deliberation with them about this war, and spent four years preparing for it.

Esther 1:5. After the completion of these days, the king made a feast for the people who were in the capital city of Susa, from the greatest to the least, a feast of seven days in the courtyard of the garden of the king’s palace. Esther 1:6. White, fine linen and blue fabrics were hung on silver rings and marble pillars. Esther 1:7. Gold and silver couches stood upon a pavement of green stones and marble and pearls and black stone. Esther 1:8. Drinks were served in golden vessels and vessels of various kinds, valued at thirty thousand talents; and there was much royal wine according to the wealth of the king. The drinking was done properly, no one was forced, for the king gave such an order to all the stewards of his household, to do according to the will of each. All that is related about the magnificence of the Persian kings, about the great wealth of their kingdom and the beauty of palace decorations is sufficiently confirmed by the results of excavations conducted at the site of Susa in 1884–1886.

Esther 1:9. And Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal house of King Artaxerxes. The queen’s name, according to Hebrew: וַשְׁתִּּי, according to the LXX: Αστιν, according to the Vulgate: Vasthi, in the ancient Persian language: Vahista—excellent. The queen was ordinarily able to dine with the king, but she could not be present at public feasts according to Persian conceptions of female honor.

Esther 1:10. On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he said to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas—seven eunuchs who served before King Artaxerxes, Esther 1:11. to bring Queen Vashti before the king in her royal crown, so that he might show to the peoples and the princes her beauty; for she was very beautiful. Esther 1:12. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command, announced through the eunuchs. The whimsical thought of the king—“to show to the peoples and princes the beauty” of Queen Vashti makes his refusal all the more sympathetic, for it was in the very height of the feast and the sensuality of the king and his guests: “on the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine.”

Esther 1:13. And the king was greatly angry, and his wrath burned within him. And the king said to the wise men who knew former times,—for the king’s matters were done before all who knew law and justice,— “And the king asked the wise men, who know the times—for the king’s matters were done before all who knew law and justice,” that is, the king consulted with the wise men (natural philosophers or mages) present with him about this matter, for such was his custom—to render judgments and sentences openly, before the eyes of all who knew and respected the laws and justice.

Esther 1:14. and those who were near him were: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memucan—seven princes of the Persians and the Medes, who had access to the king’s presence and sat first in the kingdom: “Had access to the king’s presence,” that is, had access to him in the performance of his royal duties. The number of these privileged persons was very limited (Esth 1:10); the king’s own consort, the queen, did not even belong to them, as we see later with Esther (Esth 4:11 and further).

Esther 1:15. how to deal according to law with Queen Vashti, because she had not done the word of King Artaxerxes, announced through the eunuchs? Esther 1:16. And Memucan said before the king and the princes: Queen Vashti has done wrong not only against the king, but against all the princes and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Artaxerxes; Esther 1:17. for the deed of the queen will come to all the women, and they will despise their husbands and say: King Artaxerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not go. Esther 1:18. Now the princesses of Persia and Media, who have heard of the deed of the queen, will say the same thing to all the princes of the king; and there will be much contempt and wrath. In the judgment of the king’s courtiers on the matter of Vashti, any indication of circumstances mitigating her guilt is entirely absent; it is evident that the slavishness of the courtiers placed above all—acting in accordance with the mood of the king and to appease this mood; moreover, the courtiers even heightened the colors, exaggerated the matter, and unnecessarily generalized it, expressing the fear that “the princesses of Persia and Media” and all Persian women in general “will despise their husbands,” ruling out any possibility of cases where such despising might be a matter of a woman’s life and honor, and thus delivering women into complete slavish submission to all the caprices of a man.

Esther 1:19. If it please the king, let a royal edict go forth from him and be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it is not altered, that Vashti shall not come before King Artaxerxes, and the king will give her royal position to another who is better than she. “Let a royal edict go forth from him and be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes and not be altered.” A very literal similar expression is found in the Book of Daniel—Dan 6:8, confirming the close connection of the authors of both books with Persian life and their exact knowledge of Persian legislative formulas and customs.

Esther 1:22. And he sent letters to all the provinces of the king, written in the script of each province and in the language of each people, “Letters,” that is, decrees. that every man might be master in his own house and speak in the language of his own people. A more exact translation: “that every man might be master in his own house and the speech of his people,” that is, in case of marriage unions between persons of different nationalities—the speech and life customs of the husband should be dominant in the household. This is something like how nowadays the law establishes that in mixed marriages the religion of the country should be taken as a guide in the education of the children.

Chapter Two

1–4. The counsel of the king’s courtiers to proceed to the selection of a new queen. 5–7. Information about Mordecai and Esther. 8–15. Esther in the harem of Artaxerxes. 16–18. Esther as queen. 19–23. Mordecai and the conspirators.

Esther 2:1. After this, when the wrath of King Artaxerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her. Esther 2:2. And the servants of the king, who attended upon him, said: Let there be sought for the king young maidens, fair to look upon, “He,” that is, Artaxerxes, “remembered Vashti.” This was no ordinary remembrance. A feeling of pity for his removed wife and an emotional void gnawed at the king; this makes wholly natural and understandable the counsel which “the servants of the king, who attended upon him” (that is, his closest courtiers) consider it necessary to give, in order to cure the king of the tormenting and unwelcome “remembrance.”

Esther 2:5. There was in Susa, the capital city, a Jew named Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin. Esther 2:6. He had been taken into exile from Jerusalem along with the captives who were carried away with Jeconiah, king of Judah, by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Some commentators have tried to establish the age of Mordecai on the basis of these verses. Taking the words Esth 2 to refer to Mordecai, they believed that Mordecai was taken into exile from Jerusalem in the time of Jeconiah, that is, in 599 BC, and reckoned him to be now over one hundred twenty years old. Other commentators more probably referred the date of the sixth verse not to Mordecai but to the last-mentioned ancestor of Mordecai before this—Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, the grandfather of Mordecai. In support of this, they point also to the name of Mordecai itself—Babylonian, not Palestinian, which apparently suggests that Mordecai was born in Babylon.

Esther 2:7. And he was foster father to Hadassah, that is, Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. And this maiden was beautiful in form and lovely to look upon. And when her father and mother died, Mordecai took her to himself as his own daughter. The Hebrew name of Esther is Hadassah, which means “myrtle.” The Persian meaning of the name Esther is “star.” She was “the daughter of his uncle,” that is, she was his cousin (cf. Esth 2:15).

Esther 2:10. Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had charged her that she should not make it known. By the command of Mordecai, Esther does not reveal to anyone either “her people or her kindred.” This precaution makes it clear that the Jews even then had to reckon with prejudice against them; all the more so, as a captive people, they only rarely managed to gain the confidence and favor of the higher classes, and especially at court.

Esther 2:18. And the king made a great feast for all his princes and his servants,—a feast for Esther,—and he remitted taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal liberality. “A feast for Esther,” אֵת מִשְׁתֵּה אֶסְתֵּר—more literally: “by the feast of Esther,” that is, more precisely (in consecutive order): “following Esther’s feast (nuptial),” the king held another feast.

Esther 2:19. And when the maidens were gathered together a second time, and Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, “When the maidens were gathered together a second time,” this is precisely the time that was just mentioned, and in which from all the maidens Esther was chosen as a replacement for Vashti. After the selection of Esther, there was no need for any further gathering of maidens. This gathering was “second” in distinction from the former (first), in which Vashti was once chosen, as maidens were gathered for the king at all whenever it was necessary to choose a queen. The second gathering of the maidens and the happy change in Esther’s fate, which made her queen, brought about a change also in Mordecai’s position. He “now sat at the king’s gate,” that is, he became one of the royal officials, owing to the fact that, while keeping her Jewishness secret, Esther did not hide her foster relationship to Mordecai.

Esther 2:21. At that time, as Mordecai sat at the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Gabatha and Tharra, who guarded the threshold, became angry and plotted to lay hands on King Artaxerxes. Esther 2:22. Learning of this, Mordecai told Queen Esther, and Esther reported it to the king in the name of Mordecai. Esther 2:23. The matter was investigated and found to be true, and both of them were hanged on a gallows. And it was recorded in the book of the chronicles before the king about the kindness of Mordecai. “Who guarded the threshold”: designation of a special office of those closest to the king; what precisely this office consisted of is not known. The circumstances of the conspiracy, the names of the conspirators, and other details in general present all the same things as are repeated in Addition 1 to the book (Esth 1:0m-0r). The difference is only that—according to the meaning of the addition—Mordecai’s reward, besides gifts, was also some special advancement to the palace, different from what he already had since the elevation of Esther to the position of queen; whereas—according to the meaning of the main text of the book (in this place)—there was only “recorded in the book of the chronicles before the king about the kindness of Mordecai” (cf. Esth 6:3). The latter representation of the matter seems to harmonize better with the main text and makes the use of the conspiracy unnecessary for explaining Mordecai’s advancement to the royal court, the success of which itself presupposes already a closeness of Mordecai to court life, which is sufficiently justified by his closeness to his foster daughter, the queen. Besides, Esth 8:1 seems to suggest that Mordecai’s initial advancement to the court was not directly connected either with his relationship to Esther, unknown to anyone at that time, nor with the conspiracy, which brought nothing special to Mordecai and presupposes already a sufficient closeness of Mordecai to the king.

Chapter Three

1–2. The elevation of Haman. 3–7. His plan to destroy the Jews because of Mordecai’s opposition. 8–15. The obtaining of the king’s decree for this—(After verse 13)—Second addition to the book: the text of Haman’s decree against the Jews.

Esther 3:1. After this the king Artaxerxes elevated Haman, son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, and promoted him, and set his seat above all the princes who were with him; Regarding Haman, see above, under Addition 1.

Esther 3:4. And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they reported to Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. Mordecai’s statement that he was a Jew (obligated to render divine worship to God alone) not only explained why he did not bow down before Haman, but also meant the strongest firmness that he would not act otherwise. This naturally inflamed the informers, who wanted “to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand,” or whether the power of Haman would prevail.

Esther 3:5. And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down and did not prostrate himself before him, Haman was filled with rage. Esther 3:6. And it seemed to him to lay his hand only on Mordecai; but since they told him of what people Mordecai was, Haman planned to destroy all the Jews who were in the whole kingdom of Artaxerxes, as the people of Mordecai. Haman’s intention to destroy not only Mordecai alone but the entire people of his nation was born not simply from the force of anger, contempt, and malice against Mordecai’s deed; that alone would have been too unnatural even for Haman’s inhumanity. The latter apparently had in the people marked for destruction its own independent justifications separate from Mordecai, in the words of Haman. Among such justifications, the first place, justly, is given to the ancient tribal hatred of the Amalekites toward the Jews, if Haman is indeed to be considered an Amalekite as a descendant of Agag (1 Sam 15:8).

Esther 3:7. [And he held a council] in the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of the reign of King Artaxerxes, and they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day and from month to month, [to determine the day on which they would destroy the people of Mordecai, and the lot fell] on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. There is another translation of this verse, which is not entirely clear—translating more literally the expression of the original: “from the first month (this is the month of Nisan) of the twelfth year of the reign of Ahasuerus, they cast the lot before Haman on each day, that is, the lot, from month to month, until the twelfth month (this is the month of Adar).”

Esther 3:8. And Haman said to King Artaxerxes: There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; and their laws are different from the laws of all peoples, and they do not keep the laws of the king; and it is not suitable for the king to tolerate them. “And it is not suitable for the king to tolerate them”—a more correct understanding of the original is given by other translations of this passage: “and they are not afraid to change against the king.”

Esther 3:9. If it please the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the treasurers, to bring it into the king’s treasury. “Ten thousand talents of silver”—an enormous sum of millions of rubles in our money. Such a promise was not impossible for Haman: the promised sum could be amply paid for through the confiscation of the property of those killed (Esth 3:13).

Esther 3:12. And the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written, according to all that Haman commanded, to the satraps of the king and to the governors of every province [from India to Ethiopia, over one hundred twenty-seven provinces], and to the princes of each people, in each province in its own script and to each people in its own language: all was written from the name of King Artaxerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring. The distinction in this verse between different ranks of rulers is worthy of note; such are the “satraps”—royal governors of larger administrative units, who reviewed their provinces from time to time to inspect the administration; then “the governors of each province,” that is, the pashas—the direct rulers, and finally—“the princes of each people,” these are—the tribal chiefs of predominantly nomadic peoples scattered throughout the different provinces of the realm.

Esther 3:13. And letters were sent by couriers to all the provinces of the king, to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews, small and great, children and women, on one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, and to plunder their property. “Est.3_13a) [A copy of the letter, to be issued as a law in every province: to the rulers from India to Ethiopia over one hundred twenty-seven provinces and to the governors subordinate to them.” “Est.3_13b. Reigning over many nations and having dominion over all the world, I wished, not being elated by pride of power but always governing gently and quietly, to make the life of my subjects perpetually peaceful and, maintaining my kingdom in tranquility and passable to its borders, to restore the peace desired by all men.” “Est.3_13c. When I asked my counselors how this might be accomplished, he who was distinguished among us for wisdom and enjoyed unchanging favor and proved firm in loyalty and obtained the second honor after the king, Haman,” “Est.3_13d. explained to us that among all the peoples of the world there is mingled one hostile nation, by its laws contrary to every people, constantly disregarding the royal commandments, so that the blameless government we conduct together might not be established.” “Est.3_13e. So, knowing that this one people alone always opposes every man, conducts a way of life foreign to the laws, and, opposing our actions, commits the greatest crimes so that our kingdom might not attain prosperity,” “Est.3_13f. we have commanded that all those designated to you in the letters of Haman, who is placed over our affairs and is a second father to us, together with their wives and children, be utterly destroyed by the sword of enemies, without any mercy and compassion, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, of this year,” “Est.3_13g. so that these hostile men, whether of old or of now, being violently cast down to the depths in a single day, may not hinder us in the future from living life peacefully and serenely until the end.]” Addition 2—contains the text of Haman’s decree against the Jews, supplementing the mere mention of the original regarding this decree in this and the following verses. The name of the people condemned for destruction is not directly mentioned in the decree; however, it can be easily guessed from the description given in the decree (it is directly mentioned in Esth 3:6). For those who received this decree to know and execute, the name of the people must be presumed to have been directly named in some additional instructions or perhaps in the actual original decree itself. “Co-reign”—(συναρχίαν)—that is, the king with Haman. The king allows his relationship with Haman to be characterized in this way to please him and not to the detriment of his own supreme and unlimited power, just as he later grants him the honorable title “second father to us,” expressed in accordance with what Haman should be, by the king’s will, to his subjects. The Greek text of the decree names the day of slaughter of the Jews as the 14th of Adar, whereas the Hebrew original of the book everywhere indicates the 13th (Esth 3:13). This uncertainty could have arisen either from insufficient knowledge of the tradition itself or from the absence of an authentic version of the decree. According to the usual tradition of the Jews, the 13th is remembered as the day of slaughter, and the 14th and 15th are celebrated as festivals of deliverance from the 13th, although it was possible that the 14th, appointed for the slaughter of the Jews, became a festival as a day of salvation from that slaughter.

Esther 3:14. A copy of the decree is to be issued as a law in each province, made known to all the peoples, so that they might be ready for that day. Esther 3:15. The couriers went out speedily with the king’s command. The decree was proclaimed also in Susa, the capital city; and the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion. The extreme cruelty and bloodthirstiness of the decree is nothing completely incredible for the time. If in later, even Christian, times the Sicilian Vespers and Bartholomew’s Night were possible, and even now the horrors of Jewish pogroms sometimes recur, then for those times and for those kings such bloody hecatombs were completely a usual phenomenon. History knows of another similar case of the repetition of a decree for the destruction of an entire people: this occurred under King Mithridates, who in a secret decree once commanded the murder in a single day of all the Romans (up to 150,000 people) living in Asia Minor. The decree for the slaughter of the Jews was accompanied by a decree of universal mobilization, in execution of which all the male population capable of bearing arms (except the Jews) was commanded to be ready by the appointed day to take up arms (“that they might be ready for that day”). The alarm caused by this mobilization was not simply limited to the Jews of the capital city (“the city of Susa was in confusion”), but was general and understandable, because—in the absence, apparently, of a direct indication of the purpose of such a grand mobilization, the ignorance of the actual situation of many caused reflection: “why the summons of soldiers? Is a new unfortunate war not renewing itself? Will not new military levies follow from this, will not new burdens not be imposed upon the country?”

Chapter Four

1–3. Mordecai’s grief and that of the Jews. 4–14. Esther is informed and the demand for her intercession before the king. 15–17. Third addition to the book: Mordecai’s appeal to Esther (end of verse 8). Three-day fast of the Jews. Fourth addition to the book: prayers of Mordecai and Esther.

Esther 4:1. When Mordecai learned all that was being done, he tore his robes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city and cried out with a loud and bitter cry: [a people innocent and undeserving is being destroyed!] By virtue of his proximity to the court, Mordecai learned and understood sooner than others the full horror of what was being prepared, and—although it had remained hidden from others what the universal, agitating mobilization was for, he already knew everything. The original does not record what Mordecai cried out in his anguish, he who had such a pitiful, penitential-mournful appearance—in sackcloth and ashes. The reader can easily imagine this for himself. The words given in brackets represent a borrowing from the Greek text.

Esther 4:2. And he came to the king’s gate [and stopped,] for no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate in sackcloth [and with ashes]. The words in brackets are borrowed from the Greek text.

Esther 4:3. Likewise in every province and place to which the king’s command and decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; sackcloth and ashes served as a bed for many. “Sackcloth and ashes served as a bed”—a more precise translation is: “many clothed themselves in sackcloth and ashes.”

Esther 4:4. Then Esther’s maidens and eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was greatly distressed. And she sent garments so that Mordecai might put them on and take off his sackcloth from himself. But he would not accept them. Esther 4:5. Then Esther called Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, whom he had appointed to attend her, and sent him to Mordecai to learn what this was and why. Esther, it seems, remained in complete ignorance about what had brought Mordecai in such a sorrowful state to the palace gates. This shows both how much Mordecai’s ability to quickly enter into the “course of affairs” being conducted at court, and also the secrecy and mystery in which this bloodthirsty and monstrous enterprise of Haman was born. Mordecai’s refusal to change his garment from sackcloth served as a sign to Esther of the most intense mourning, which could not be interrupted for a moment given the severity of the grief. This prompts Esther to employ another means to learn the cause of his sorrow—by sending a special eunuch, perhaps also one of the Jews—for detailed questioning of Mordecai.

Esther 4:8. And he gave him a copy of the decree issued in Susa for the destruction of them, so that he might show it to Esther and inform her of everything; moreover, he instructed her to go to the king and beg mercy from him and intercede with him for her people, [remembering the days of her humiliation, when she was brought up under my care, because Haman, second to the king, has condemned us to death, and you must call upon the Lord and speak of us to the king, so that he may deliver us from death]. Mordecai gives the messenger a copy of Haman’s decree as well—further proof of Esther’s complete ignorance about it. The words in brackets convey details from the Greek text (the third addition), where Mordecai’s appeal to Esther is expressed directly (forms of the first and second person, which the translation has only partly preserved in the expressions “my,” “us,” etc.).

Esther 4:11. All the servants of the king and the peoples of the king’s provinces know that for anyone, man or woman, who enters the king’s inner court without being called, there is but one law—death; only the one to whom the king extends his golden scepter shall live. And I have not been called to come to the king for thirty days. Some variations in place of “thirty” days indicate three days of Esther not being invited to the king. Either version may have its own greater or lesser probability.

Esther 4:14. If you keep silent at this time, then deliverance and salvation will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether it is not for such a time as this that you have come to the dignity of queen? All scholars draw attention to the fact that the Hebrew original of the book nowhere mentions the name of God, and seems even intentionally to avoid it. So, in this very place, though it would be natural and even necessary to mention God, the book masks him with vague expressions (“another place”), and perhaps does not even truly mean him here. To explain this strange phenomenon, it is suggested that the author of the book probably borrowed his narrative from some Persian court chronicle, which he indeed references at the end of his work (Esth 10:2), and that only later—from a Jewish, perhaps Mordecai’s, hand—was this event somewhat embellished and adapted to Jewish-religious conceptions.

Esther 4:16. Go, gather all the Jews found in Susa, and fast for me, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I too with my maidens will fast likewise, and then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish—I perish. “Fast for me”—that is, for the success of the matter for which Esther has devoted herself.

Esther 4:17. And Mordecai went and did all that Esther had commanded him. “The prayers of Mordecai and Esther” (the fourth addition)—represent the rhetorical expression of their mood in such tragic moments, like those speeches which Greek writers so love to put into the mouths of the heroes they depict, sometimes achieving a remarkable perfection in this art. The general idea of the prayer is deliverance from terrible danger; moreover Esther—more specifically—prays first of all for the success of her bold intention—to appear before the king without his calling—contrary to law. A characteristic feature of Mordecai’s prayer, in contrast to Esther’s, is a justification of his opposition to Haman, which served as the immediate cause of the present misfortune and as it were made Mordecai responsible for everything.

“Esther 4_17ä) [And he prayed to the Lord, remembering all the works of the Lord, and said:” “Esther 4_17b Lord, Lord, King, Almighty! All things are in your power, and there is no one who can resist you when you wish to save Israel;” “Esther 4_17d You have made heaven and earth and all the wonderful things in the universe; You are the Lord of all, and there is no one who can oppose you, Lord.” “Esther 4_17ë) You know all things; You know, Lord, that it was not for pride or arrogance or love of glory that I did this—that I did not bow down to the vain Haman, for I would gladly have kissed the soles of his feet for the salvation of Israel;” “Esther 4_17f but I did this so as not to give the glory of a man higher than the glory of God, and I will not bow down to anyone but You, my Lord, and I will not do this out of pride.” “And I will not do this out of pride”—a repetition of what Mordecai said above about it not being from pride alone (without other more important motives) that he refused so stubbornly to bow down to Haman, which brought such danger upon all the people.

“Esther 4_17g And now, Lord God, King, God of Abraham, have mercy upon your people; for they are plotting our destruction and wish to wipe out your ancient inheritance;” “Esther 4_17h do not despise your possession, which you redeemed for yourself from the land of Egypt;” “Esther 4_17ï) hear my prayer and have mercy upon your inheritance, and turn our mourning into joy, so that we, remaining alive (in defiance of Haman’s design), may sing the praises of your name, Lord, and do not destroy the lips that praise you, Lord.” “So that we, remaining alive (ζῶντες)—that is, surviving contrary to Haman’s design—may sing the praises of your name.”

“Esther 4_17j And all Israel cried out with all their might, for death was before their eyes.” “Esther 4_17k And Queen Esther turned to the Lord, seized with mortal anguish, and, taking off her robes of glory, put on garments of mourning and lamentation, and in place of costly perfumes, she strewed ashes and dust upon her head, and greatly afflicted her body, and every place that she adorned in rejoicing she covered with her unbound hair, and prayed to the Lord God of Israel, saying:” “Taking off her robes of glory”—that is, her royal garments.

“Esther 4_17l My Lord! You alone are our King; help me, who am alone and have no helper but you; for my distress is near me.” “Esther 4_17m I have heard, Lord, from my father, in my native tribe, that you, Lord, chose for yourself Israel from among all peoples, and our fathers from among all their ancestors as an eternal inheritance, and did for them what you promised them.” “Esther 4_17n And now we have sinned against you, and you have delivered us into the hands of our enemies because we glorified their gods: you are righteous, Lord!” “Esther 4_17ö) But now they were not satisfied with our bitter bondage, but have put their hands into the hands of their idols, so that they might overthrow the commandment of your lips, and destroy your inheritance, and stop the mouths of those who sing your praises, and extinguish the glory of your temple and your altar,” “They have put their hands into the hands of their idols”—that is, they have completely surrendered themselves to the power of their idols, have given themselves over to idolatry and mockery of the One True God.

“Esther 4_17p and open the mouths of the nations to proclaim the glory of vain gods, and let a mortal king be exalted forever.” “A mortal king”—that is, a human, Persian king, in contrast to the Heavenly King, God.

“Esther 4_17q Do not give your scepter, Lord, to gods that do not exist, and let them not rejoice in our fall, but turn their plot against themselves: and deliver the adversary against us to disgrace.” “The adversary against us—that is, Haman—deliver to disgrace.”

“Esther 4_17r Remember, Lord, reveal yourself to us in the time of our distress, and give me courage. King of gods and Lord of all authority!” “King of gods”—God of Gods (ὁ θεὸς τῶν θεόν, Ps 85:8)—gods, not in the sense of living beings, but in the sense of τῶν μὴ ὄντων, as they are referred to above (“do not give your scepter, Lord, to gods that do not exist”—τοῖς μὴ οὖσι).

“Esther 4_17s Grant to my lips a word agreeable before this lion, and turn his heart to hatred of the one who pursues us, that he may perish, him and those who are of his mind;” “Before this lion”—that is, before the Persian king. The lion is a symbol of strength and terror, of dreadfulness. “To hatred of the one who pursues us”—that is, Haman.

“Esther 4_17t And deliver us by your hand and help me, who am alone and have no helper but you, Lord.” “Esther 4_17ü) You have knowledge of all things, and you know that I hate the glory of the lawless and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised and of every foreigner;” “Esther 4_17w You know my necessity, that I abhor the sign of my pride, which is on my head in the days of my appearing, I abhor it as a garment stained with blood, and I do not wear it in the days of my solitude.” “The sign of my pride… on my head—that is, the royal diadem—in the days of my appearing,” that is, either before the king or generally in ceremonial cases that require it.

“Esther 4_17x And your servant has not eaten at Haman’s table, and did not treasure the king’s feast, and did not drink wine offered to idols,” “Esther 4_17y and your servant has not rejoiced from the day of the change of my fate until now, except in you, Lord God of Abraham.” “Esther 4_17z O God, mighty over all! Hear the voice of the hopeless, and save us from the hand of the evildoers, and deliver me from my fear.]”

Chapter Five

1–2. Fifth addition to the book: details of Esther’s visit to King Ahasuerus. 3–8. First feast for the king and Haman at Esther’s. 9–14. Another clash of Haman with Mordecai and preparations for the latter’s execution by the former.

Esther 5:1. On the third day Esther [ceased praying, took off her garments of mourning and] dressed in her royal robes, “Esther 5_1ä) [and became resplendent, invoking the all-seeing God and Savior, took two maidens with her, and leaned upon one as though abandoned to pleasure, while the other followed her, supporting her garment.” “Esther 5_1b She was lovely in the bloom of her beauty, and her face was joyful, as if full of love, but her heart was constricted with fear].” “Esther 5_1c And she stood in the inner court of the king’s house, before the house of the king; the king was sitting then upon his royal throne in the royal house, directly opposite the entrance to the house, [clothed in all the garments of his majesty, all in gold and precious stones, and was most terrible].” “Esther 5_1d [Turning his face, blazing with glory, he looked with great anger; and the queen lost heart and changed color from weakness, and leaned her head upon the maid who accompanied her.” “Esther 5_1d1 And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she found favor in his sight.” “Esther 5_1ë) And God changed the spirit of the king to gentleness, and in haste he rose from his throne and received her in his embrace until she recovered. Then he comforted her with kind words, saying to her:” “Esther 5_1f What is it, Esther? I am your brother; take courage, you shall not die, for our dominion is shared; come close.]” Esther 5:2. And the king extended his golden scepter to Esther, which was in his hand, and Esther approached and touched the end of the scepter, “Esther 5_2’’ [and the king laid the scepter upon her neck and kissed her and said: speak to me.” “Esther 5_2ä) And she said: I saw in you, my lord, something like an Angel of God, and my heart was troubled by fear of your glory, for you are wonderful, my lord, and your face is full of grace. –” “Esther 5_2b But during her speech she fainted from weakness; and the king was troubled, and all his servants comforted her].” The words in brackets in verses 1 and 2 of this chapter represent the fifth major insertion into the book, which attempts by its details to more worthily depict the majestic moment of Esther’s appearance before Ahasuerus, which was so dryly conveyed by the original (Hebrew) text that, for example, it is not at all clear from it whether Esther experienced any shock or fear from the king before speaking with him. The “favor” of the king here precedes everything, completely coinciding with the moment when the king “saw” Esther.

Esther 5:3. And the king said to her: What is it, Queen Esther, and what is your petition? It shall be given to you, even to half the kingdom. Esther 5:4. And Esther said: [Today is my festival day;] if it pleases the king, let the king come with Haman today to the feast which I have prepared for him. Esther 5:5. And the king said: Bring Haman quickly, so that we may do as Esther wishes. And the king came with Haman to the feast which Esther had prepared. Esther 5:6. And the king said to Esther at the drinking of wine: What is your desire? It shall be satisfied; and what is your petition? Even to half the kingdom, it shall be granted. Esther 5:7. And Esther answered and said: Here is my desire and my petition: Esther 5:8. If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my desire and fulfill my petition, let the king come with Haman [tomorrow as well] to the feast which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will fulfill the word of the king. By not declaring her request at once, Esther invites the king together with his worst enemy to her feast: since royal caprice decided the fates of persons and peoples at table, and important state difficulties were usually resolved at table, so over wine—after the banquet in Esther’s palace—the king inquires about the wishes of the queen. However, Esther—as it appears—felt herself on the first day not yet sufficiently firm to make such a risky attempt at overthrowing the king’s favorite, and appoints another feast for the next day, at which she promises to state her case. The writer does not tell us what other means came to Esther’s aid to shake the established position of the king’s favorite; but it is in any case probable that the monarch was being influenced from another side as well, to weaken his disposition toward Haman, and therefore the sleeplessness of Ahasuerus in the night following Esther’s banquet could hardly be, as it seems, a mere chance.

Esther 5:9. And Haman went out that day joyful and in good spirits. But when Haman saw Mordecai at the king’s gate, and he did not rise up or move from his place before him, then Haman was filled with anger toward Mordecai. Already after Mordecai’s refusal to bow to Haman had given the occasion and as it were the indirect cause of the mortal danger to the Jews, Mordecai remains consistent and true to himself, confirming the truth of his words (see his prayer—Esth 4:17) that he does not act so from “pride,” but from religious conviction.

Esther 5:10. However, Haman restrained himself. But when he came to his house, he sent and called his friends and Zeresh, his wife. Esther 5:11. And Haman recounted to them the greatness of his wealth and the multitude of his sons and all that the king had magnified him and how he had exalted him above the princes and the servants of the king. Esther 5:12. And Haman said: Moreover, Queen Esther invited no one to the feast with the king but me; and tomorrow too I am invited to her with the king. Esther 5:13. Yet all this means nothing to me, as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate. Esther 5:14. And Zeresh, his wife, and all his friends said to him: Let them prepare a stake fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak to the king, and let them hang Mordecai upon it, and then go gladly with the king to the feast. And this pleased Haman, and he had the stake prepared. Haman’s pride and ambition gnawed at him so much that he could no longer endure the disobedient Mordecai—he could not wait until the fate prepared for him along with the other Jews would overtake him, and he seeks to hasten this fate and make it as shameful as possible. At a gathering of friends and relations, Haman gives full vent to his bitter feeling of wounded pride, contrasts with his exalted position at court such a sharp contrast—the insolent behavior of Mordecai—and complains that he cannot be at peace as long as he sees Mordecai “sitting at the king’s gate.” The gathering of friends, led by Haman’s wife, responds with advice most pleasing to Haman himself; prepare a gallows for Mordecai and obtain from the king permission to hang the disobedient one the very next morning.

Chapter Six

1–3. The king remembers Mordecai’s favor and expresses a desire to reward him. 4–11. Haman, unsuspecting, invents the highest reward, and thus becomes himself the executor of the king’s will to exalt Mordecai. 12–14. Haman’s disappointment.

Esther 6:1. On that night the Lord took sleep away from the king, and he commanded [a servant] to bring the memorial book of daily records; and they read them before the king, A more precise translation (without mention of God’s name): “that night sleep fled from the king”…

Esther 6:3. And the king said: What honor and distinction has been given to Mordecai for this? And the servants of the king who attended him said: Nothing has been done for him. “Nothing has been done for him”—say the “servants” of the king in response to his question about rewarding Mordecai. The Greek addition (before the first chapter), by contrast, among the consequences of Mordecai’s service points out that “the king commanded Mordecai to serve in the palace and gave him gifts for this” (Esth 1:1). It has already been said above that Mordecai’s advancement to the court is sufficiently justified by other reasons as well (Esther’s advancement), and therefore, while acknowledging in any case the greater naturalness of the way things are presented in this passage, one can make but some effort to reconcile this apparent contradiction with the Greek addition. It can be supposed that Mordecai did indeed receive something and some gifts at the time for his service, but this “something” and the “gifts” were so insignificant compared with the greatness of the service that they could easily be forgotten by this time and gave full grounds to say that “nothing has been done for him” (Mordecai).

Esther 6:4. [When the king was asking about the favor of Mordecai, Haman came into the court,] and the king said: Who is in the court? And Haman had come then to the outer court of the king’s house to speak with the king to have Mordecai hanged on the stake which he had prepared for him. Esther 6:5. And the servants said to the king: See, Haman is standing in the court. And the king said: Let him enter. Esther 6:6. And Haman came. And the king said to him: What shall be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor? Haman thought in his heart: Whom else would the king wish to honor but me? Esther 6:7. And Haman said to the king: For the man whom the king wishes to honor, Esther 6:8. let them bring royal robes in which the king dresses, and a horse on which the king rides, and let them place a royal crown upon his head, Esther 6:9. and let the robes and the horse be put into the hands of one of the king’s chief nobles,—and let them clothe the man whom the king wishes to honor, and lead him on horseback through the public square, and proclaim before him: This is what is done for the man whom the king wishes to honor! Esther 6:10. And the king said to Haman: [You have spoken well;] at once take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do this for Mordecai the Jew, sitting at the king’s gate; omit nothing of what you have said. Esther 6:11. And Haman took the robes and the horse and clothed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the public square and proclaimed before him: This is what is done for the man whom the king wishes to honor! It would be hard to imagine a more burning wound to pride and self-love than the king’s command to Haman with respect to Mordecai. The man who the king himself had exalted to such a height that he called him “second” (Esth 4:8) to himself, “father” (Esth 3:13) and so forth, and distinguished with such honors as the prone worship of subjects before him,—had to play the role of servant in the triumph of his mortal enemy, for whom he had even already prepared a gallows. Aside from the explanation of this unexpectedly incomprehensible exchange of roles by the arrangement of Divine Providence, punishing Haman’s pride and presumption that had gotten out of hand, we can also allow the supposition that the royal favorite was already falling sharply in the king’s eyes by this time, and therefore Esther’s complaint was only the final blow to his overthrow, though the most strong and decisive.

Esther 6:12. And Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman hastened to his house, sorrowful and with his head covered. Esther 6:13. And Haman recounted to Zeresh, his wife, and all his friends everything that had befallen him. And his wise men and Zeresh, his wife, said to him: If Mordecai, of the race of the Jews, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not prevail against him, but will surely fall before him, [for the living God is with him]. Esther 6:14. They were still speaking with him, when the king’s eunuchs came and began to hurry Haman to go to the feast which Esther had prepared. The extraordinary fate which the Jews experienced from the time of Cyrus the Persian aroused among other peoples at various times envy and enmity, which seized every opportunity to manifest itself, and on the other hand—a vague and mysterious fear before some special enigmatically persistent force, protected moreover by another irresistible higher power (Divinity). This is exactly what is heard in the warning expressed to Haman at his second family council—after the adventure with Mordecai just described: “If Mordecai, of the race of the Jews, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not prevail against him, but will surely fall before him [for the living God is with him].”

Chapter Seven

1–6. The second feast at Esther’s: statement of her petition. 7–10. Condemnation and execution of Haman.

Esther 7:4. For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed and to perish. If we had been sold merely as slaves and servants, I would have held my peace, although the enemy would not have compensated the damage to the king. “Although the enemy would not have compensated the damage to the king”—another translation of the thought of the original: “but our enemy would not have compensated the damage to the king,” that is, the damage which would follow from the destruction of so many subjects. And it is this, and chiefly the fact that her people is sold not into slavery, but for complete destruction, that compels Esther not to “keep silence,” but to speak in defense of the innocent, with whom she herself is condemned to perish, she for whose petition the king had just promised not to spare even half his kingdom.

Esther 7:5. And King Artaxerxes answered and said to Queen Esther: Who is it and where is the one who has dared in his heart to do so? Esther’s clear, it would seem, hint could hardly leave the possibility of such surprised blessed ignorance in which the king inquires further for details of Esther’s report. Does he not remember (perhaps drunkenly uttered) the bloody decree, or did not wish to suspect its connection with Esther, but in any case, at the first mention of Esther’s “enemy” involved in this, he considers it necessary to inquire: “Who is it and where is the one who has dared” to do so?

Esther 7:6. And Esther said: The enemy and adversary is this evil Haman! And Haman was stricken with terror before the king and queen. Esther 7:7. And the king rose up in his anger from the feast and went into the garden of the palace; Haman meanwhile remained to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king. Esther’s sharp and bold pointing out of Haman seems to the king not at all too unexpected, striking, or revealing, and easily produces the desired reversal in his opinion and attitude toward his recent favorite. This again seems to confirm the conjecture that the king’s disillusionment in Haman began somewhat earlier, prepared by other means and made it easier for Esther to accomplish such a delicate and risky task.

Esther 7:8. When the king returned from the palace garden into the banquet hall, Haman was falling upon the couch on which Esther was lying. And the king said: Does he even dare to assault the queen in my house! The word came out of the king’s mouth,—and they covered Haman’s face. In the moment of the king’s return to the hall from the garden, where he had gone to calm himself from his angry agitation, Haman overflowed the cup of the king’s wrath. In begging the queen for his life, he showed careless insufficient respect for her, a proximity too close to her couch (“Haman was falling upon the couch”), and this, being noticed by the king, finally ruined him and decided his fate. “Does he even dare to assault the queen in my house!”—an undoubted ironic hyperbole, inspired by the king’s intense angry mood and of course having no accurate correspondence to reality: neither Haman, nor Esther, nor all the surroundings and what was happening could in any way be such as to make anything like this possible. “They covered Haman’s face”—as a sign that, having fallen into disfavor, he could no longer see with his eyes the face of the king.

Esther 7:9. And Harbona, one of the eunuchs before the king, said: Behold the stake which Haman prepared for Mordecai, who had spoken good on behalf of the king, stands at the house of Haman, fifty cubits high. And the king said: Hang him on it. “For Mordecai, who had spoken good on behalf of the king”—that is, who had done service to the king by a known warning of the plot.

Esther 7:10. And they hanged Haman on the stake which he had prepared for Mordecai. And the king’s wrath was appeased. The swift resolution of Haman’s fate could hardly be allowed and considered natural without supposing, as mentioned above, that the king’s disillusionment in Haman had already begun earlier.

Chapter Eight

1–2. The exaltation of Mordecai. 3–6. Esther’s requests for the revocation of Haman’s edict. 7–12. A new edict to the Jews. 13–17. The sixth addition to the book: the text of the edict to the Jews. The distribution of the edict and its reception.

Esther 8:1. On that day King Artaxerxes gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews; and Mordecai came before the king, because Esther revealed what he was to her. “He came before the king,” that is, he became the king’s closest servant, in place of Haman. “Esther revealed what he was to her,” that is, she disclosed her kinship with Mordecai and all the benefits he had shown her as her guardian.

Esther 8:3. And Esther continued to speak before the king and fell at his feet, and wept and pleaded with him to turn aside the malice of Haman the Agagite and his scheme, which he had devised against the Jews. Esther 8:4. And the king held out to Esther the golden scepter; and Esther arose and stood before the king, Esther 8:5. and said: if it please the king, and if I have found favor before him, and if this matter is right before the king, and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote for the destruction of the Jews in all the provinces of the king; Esther 8:6. for how can I endure to see the evil that shall come upon my people, and how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred? Esther 8:7. And King Artaxerxes said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew: behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the tree, because he laid his hand upon the Jews; Esther 8:8. now you also write concerning the Jews, as you see fit, in the name of the king and seal it with the king’s ring; for a letter written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be changed. The fall of Haman and the favors shown to Esther and Mordecai did not avert the terrible fate threatening the Jews under Haman’s edict. According to Persian law, once an edict issued in the king’s name had been sent out, it could not lose its force (Esth 8:8). Therefore the king, yielding to Esther’s pleas, had to devise only such a compromise by which the edict already issued would weaken its effects, if not completely nullify them. He entrusted this to Mordecai and Esther themselves, giving them the right to write concerning the Jews (condemned to destruction) “as you see fit”—these words directly hinted at and authorized them to write concerning the Jews the same thing that had been written of their enemies, who on the appointed day were to rush upon the Jews with weapons in hand.

Esther 8:9. And the royal scribes were called at that time in the third month, that is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day of it, and all was written as Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors, and the rulers of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, one hundred twenty-seven provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and to the Jews in their own script and in their own language. Esther 8:10. And he wrote in the name of King Artaxerxes and sealed it with the king’s ring, and sent the letters by couriers on horseback, on dromedaries and mules of the king, Esther 8:11. wherein the king permitted the Jews who are in every city to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all the mighty people of the peoples and provinces who are hostile to them, their children and women, and to plunder their possessions, Esther 8:12. on one day throughout all the provinces of King Artaxerxes, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, that is the month of Adar. Esther 8:13. A copy of the edict to be delivered in every province, as a law proclaimed to all peoples, so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves upon their enemies. Esther 8:14. The couriers riding upon the swift horses of the king went forth with haste and speed, with the king’s command. And the edict was proclaimed also in Susa, the capital. The account of the circumstances of the writing of the first (Haman’s) edict (Esth 3:12) is repeated almost verbatim in the account of the writing of the second edict (Esth 8:9-10). It should be noted that there seems to be a somewhat longer interval than one might expect between the issuance of the first edict and the writing of the second. For the first edict “the royal scribes were called in the first month” (the 13th day), whereas for the writing of the second “the royal scribes were called in the third month” (the 23rd day). Almost three months—which seems too long for such an urgent important matter, which Mordecai could learn of sooner and together with Esther could attempt to change in his favor much earlier. However, we must take into account that the time of summoning the scribes did not precisely indicate the date of the edict’s release: the scribes, once “called in the first month,” could only complete their immense task of copying the edict into many copies over the course of more than a month. It may also be that Mordecai did not learn of Haman’s edict immediately, and when matters turned in his favor, he could not so quickly prepare everything necessary for his new edict, so that the scribes the second time may not have been called immediately after Haman’s execution. All this makes it sufficiently plausible that the second edict (Mordecai’s) was separated from the first (Haman’s) by nearly three months. The substance of Mordecai’s edict reproduces that of Haman’s almost verbatim, only reversing the roles, or more precisely—assigning to the Jews the very same role that was granted in Haman’s edict to their destroyers alone: according to Esth 3:13—it was prescribed: “to kill, to annihilate and to destroy all the Jews, young and old, little children and women… and to plunder their possessions.” The same thing is said in Esth 8:11 concerning the king’s permission to the Jews—“to gather and to defend their lives, to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all the mighty people of the peoples and provinces who are hostile to them, their children and women, and to plunder their possessions.”

“Esther 8. Esther 8:12a) [A copy of this edict is as follows:” “Esther 8_12b The great King Artaxerxes to the governors from India to Ethiopia of one hundred twenty-seven provinces and to those who are loyal to us, greetings.” “Esther 8_12c Many, being elevated by the abundant kindness of their benefactors and lavishly honored, have become excessively arrogant and not only seek to harm our subjects, but, being unable to satiate their pride, attempt to devise schemes against their very benefactors,” “Esther 8_12d not only do they lose all sense of human gratitude, but, puffed up by the insolence of the foolish, wickedly think to escape the judgment of the all-seeing and eternal God.” “Esther 8_12e But often also many, being clothed with power to manage the affairs of their trusted friends, by their persuasion make them responsible for the shedding of innocent blood and subject them to irredeemable calamities,” “Esther 8_12f deceiving the innocent and righteous intentions of the rulers by the craftiness of deceitful lies.” “Esther 8_12g This can be seen not so much from ancient histories, as we have said, as from the deeds wickedly committed before you by the malice of those unworthy of power.” “Esther 8_12h Therefore it is necessary for us to be concerned for the future, in order to establish our kingdom in peace for all people everywhere,” “Esther 8_12i not tolerating changes, but examining what presents itself with due foresight.” “Esther 8_12k Thus Haman, son of Hammedatha, a Macedonian, truly alien to Persian blood and far removed from our goodness, having been received by us as a guest, attained such favor as we have toward every people,” “Esther 8_12l so much so that he was proclaimed our father and honored by all, representing the second person at the royal throne;” “Esther 8_12m but, not restraining his pride, conspired to deprive us of power and life,” “Esther 8_12n and sought by various deceitful means to destroy our savior and perpetual benefactor Mordecai and the innocent consort of the kingdom Esther, together with all their people.” “Esther 8_12o Thus he intended to make us without people and to deliver the power of Persia to the Macedonians.” “Esther 8_12p We find the Jews, condemned by this wicked man to destruction, to be not harmful, but living according to the most just laws,” “Esther 8_12q children of the Most High, the greatest living God, who has given us and our fathers the kingdom in the best condition.” “Esther 8_12r Therefore you will do well not to execute the letters sent by Haman, son of Hammedatha; for he, who committed this crime, has been hanged at the gates of Susa with all his house, by the will of God who rules over all, having speedily inflicted upon him a just judgment.” “Esther 8_12s Publish a copy of this edict openly in every place and permit the Jews to use their own laws and aid them, so that those who attack them in the time of distress may be repaid by them on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of Adar, on that very day.” “Esther 8_12t For God, who rules over all, has instead of destruction brought joy to the chosen race.” “Esther 8_12u And you, among your honored festivals, celebrate this glorious day with great rejoicing, so that both now and in the future it may be a memorial of salvation for us and for those Persians favorably disposed to us, and a destruction of those who plotted against us.” “Esther 8_12x Any city or region in general that does not comply with this shall be ruthlessly laid waste by sword and fire and shall become not only uninhabitable for men, but also forever detestable to beasts and birds.]” “Esther 8. Addition 6 (Esther 8:12a-12x) gives the exact text of the edict in favor of the Jews, conceived and issued by Mordecai to nullify the power of Haman’s edict. The text of the edict provides several remarkable details that do not appear with obvious clarity in the Hebrew text. Thus, at the beginning of the edict, it is hinted that Haman’s intention to harm the Jews, the king’s subjects, was in a sense an attempt against the king himself (“attempt to devise schemes against their very benefactors”—Esther 8_12c). Later this thought is stated even more clearly; Haman is directly accused of conspiring to “deprive us—i.e., the king himself—of power and life… to make us without people and to deliver the power of Persia to the Macedonians” (Esther 8_12m-12o). We have already said above that the idea of Macedonian origin for Haman presents a great stretch; there is no doubt that the accusation of Haman of attempting “to deliver the power of Persia to the Macedonians” should only be explained as an unfortunate adaptation by the book’s author to the contemporary significance, growth and success of Greek culture and dominance. It is also notable that the edict’s composer over-exerted himself in praising the Jews and rewarding them in the king’s name with every expression of his favor. In contrast to Haman (“truly alien to Persian blood and far removed from our goodness”—Esther 8_12k), the edict presents Mordecai as “our savior and perpetual benefactor” (Esther 8_12n), and the Jews as “living according to the most just laws, children of the Most High, the greatest living God, who has given us and our fathers the kingdom in the best condition” (Esther 8_12p-12q). All this, of course, presented nothing exaggerated or unnatural for Jewry, but—placed in the mouth of a heathen despotic king—seems not entirely natural and plausible. Such is also the command to all subjects (not just the Jews)—to “aid” (Esther 8_12s) the Jews in the destruction of their enemies, to celebrate this day of destruction “with great rejoicing… among your honored festivals” (Esther 8_12u), with the threat proclaimed that “any city or region in general that does not comply with this shall be ruthlessly laid waste by sword and fire and shall become not only uninhabitable for men, but also forever detestable to beasts and birds” (Esther 8_12x). This is already purely Jewish intolerance, yielding perhaps only to the later human-hating sentiments of the Talmud and having, undoubtedly, a common origin with it.” Esther 8:15. And Mordecai came forth from the king in royal apparel of blue and white and with a great golden crown and a mantle of fine linen and purple. And the city of Susa rejoiced and was glad. Esther 8:16. And for the Jews there was light and joy and gladness and honor. Esther 8:17. And in every province and in every city, in every place to which the king’s command and his edict came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. And many from among the peoples of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them. “For the Jews there was light.” Light, that is, an abundance of illumination in houses, among all peoples served as an expression of joy. Esth 8:14-15 correspond almost verbatim to Esth 3:14-15, placing Mordecai in place of Haman and the joy that had come in place of the former sorrow. Especially emphasized is the difference in the mood of the capital Susa, which upon the issuance of the first edict was “in confusion,” but upon the issuance of the second “rejoiced and was glad.” This, of course, first of all refers to the Jews, whose joy and gladness did not dispel the fear and confusion of others, who at this time had the misfortune of being under suspicion in the eyes of the Jews.

Chapter Nine

1–5. The bloody day throughout the empire. 6–11. The bloody day in Susa. 12–15. Continuation of the bloodshed in Susa on the following day. 16. The results of the killings in the provinces. 17–32. The establishment of the time and manner of celebrating Purim,

Esther 9:1. On the twelfth month, that is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of it, when the time came for the king’s command and his edict to be executed, on that day, when the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, but it turned out the opposite, for the Jews themselves gained power over their enemies,— “Gain power over them,” or rather “gain the upper hand,” to prevail, to overcome, to overcome them.

Esther 9:2. the Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Artaxerxes to lay hands on those who sought their harm; and no one could stand against them, because fear of them fell upon all the peoples. Esther 9:3. And all the princes in the provinces and the satraps and the governors and the officials of the king’s service supported the Jews, because fear of Mordecai fell upon them. “The Jews gathered in their cities”—that is, each united with other Jews in the city where he lived and which was “his own.” These were probably cities with a predominant Jewish population. This predominance, with the aid of the fear that fell upon all (especially princes, satraps and other officials) before Mordecai and the Jews in general, helped the latter to ward off their enemies so successfully.

Esther 9:4. For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces, for this man Mordecai continued to grow in power. “His fame spread throughout all the provinces, for this man Mordecai continued to grow in power.” Another translation of this passage: throughout all the provinces spread the report that Mordecai was growing and becoming great.

Esther 9:5. And the Jews struck down all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, killing and destroying, and they did as they pleased with those who hated them. “They did as they pleased with those who hated them,” that is, as they wished.

Esther 9:13. And Esther said: if it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in Susa to do tomorrow also as they did today, and let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the tree. Esther asks the king’s permission for the Jews in Susa to do on the 14th of Adar the same as they did on the 13th (that is, “to gather and defend their lives” (Esth 8:11))—probably because their enemies in Susa wanted to renew their attacks on the next day against those whom they hated not only for their nationality but also for their religion (which is why the text of the edict also prescribes leaving the Jews “to use their own laws” (Esth 8:12)). This considerably alleviates the accusation against the Jews of cruelty and vengefulness, if they were not the attacking side but only an energetically defending one and were protecting not only their lives but also their most sacred possession—their religion.

Esther 9:14. And the king commanded it to be done so; and an edict was given in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged. The ten sons of Haman who were killed were also hanged (at Esther’s request) as offenders against the king’s majesty. This was meant to justify the Jews in the eyes of the people and for all the rest, showing that their action was the action of someone dealing with the accomplices of the king’s enemies.

Esther 9:15. And the Jews who were in Susa gathered also on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed three hundred people in Susa, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder. Esther 9:16. And the other Jews who were in the king’s provinces gathered to defend their lives and to be relieved of their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of their adversaries, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder. The number of those killed in Susa—over two days of slaughter—is 800 people, and throughout all the provinces—up to 75,000 people. Despite its horror, this number presents nothing incredible, for it is distributed across the vast expanse of the empire. The threefold remark about the Jews that they “did not lay their hands on the plunder” (Esth 9:10)—is meant to show that the Jews were guided by a higher idea than enrichment by the spoils of war. On the other hand, they wished to show their exceptional honesty toward the state, whose interests the possessions of the executed persons served.

Esther 9:17. This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same month they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. Esther 9:18. But the Jews who were in Susa gathered on the thirteenth day of it and on the fourteenth day of it, and on the fifteenth day of it they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. Esther 9:19. Therefore the Jews of the villages, those living in the open settlements, keep the fourteenth day of the month of Adar in joy and feasting, as a festival day, sending gifts to one another; [but those living in the capitals keep the fifteenth day of Adar in good cheer, sending gifts to their neighbors]. Esther 9:20. And Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews who were in the provinces of King Artaxerxes, both near and far, Esther 9:21. to enjoin them to keep the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and the fifteenth day of it, every year, Esther 9:22. as the days on which the Jews obtained relief from their enemies, and as the month which was turned for them from sorrow to joy and from mourning into a festival day,—so that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, sending gifts to one another and alms to the poor. Esther 9:23. And the Jews accepted and undertook to do as Mordecai had written to them, Esther 9:24. how Haman, son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, thought to destroy the Jews and cast the lot, that is the lot, for their destruction and annihilation, Esther 9:25. and how Esther came before the king, and how the king commanded by letter that the wicked scheme which Haman had devised against the Jews should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the tree. Esther 9:26. Therefore they called these days Purim, after the name: pur, that is the lot, for on their language the lots are called purim. Therefore, in accordance with all the words of this letter and with what they themselves saw and what came to pass among them, Esther 9:27. the Jews ordained and took upon themselves and upon their descendants and upon all who should join them, an unchangeable decree, to celebrate these two days according to their regulation and at their appointed time, every year; Esther 9:28. and these days shall be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation in every family, in every province and in every city; and these days of Purim shall not pass away from among the Jews, nor shall the memory of them cease among their descendants. Esther 9:29. Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim; Esther 9:30. and he sent letters to all the Jews to keep these days of Purim at their appointed time, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had decreed for themselves and their descendants, in the matter of their fasting and their lamentation. Esther 9:31. The command of Esther confirmed the word about Purim, and it was written in a book. The second half of Esth 9 speaks of the establishment of the festival of Purim in memory of the described event of the deliverance of the Jews from their enemies. This establishment was accomplished unanimously and simultaneously throughout all the provinces of the kingdom at the initiative of the Jews themselves, in the abundance of their natural feelings of joy, preceding the special instructions on this matter from Mordecai and Esther, who, in order to better perpetuate the celebrated event, also informed all the Jews in the one hundred twenty-seven provinces of Artaxerxes’ kingdom about it through special letters.

Chapter Ten

1–3. Conclusion of the book. Addition 7 to the book: interpretation of Mordecai’s dream (after verse 3)

Esther 10:1. After this King Artaxerxes imposed a tax upon the land and upon the islands of the sea. Esther 10:2. Moreover, all the deeds of his power and of his might and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia, Esther 10:3. as also that Mordecai the Jew was second to King Artaxerxes and great among the Jews and held in favor by the multitude of his people, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke for the peace of all his race. Esth 10:1-3, promising as if to continue the history of Artaxerxes after Esther, suddenly breaks off with a simple reference to the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia, where all this is described, along with everything connected with the name of Mordecai. It is possible that the book’s author drew his narrative from these chronicles, breaking it off with such a disclaimer where it ceased to be necessary and adapting it better to the tastes of Jewish readers.

“Esther 10. Esther 10:3a. [And Mordecai said: From God was this,” “Esther 10_3b for I remembered the dream which I saw concerning these events; nothing in it remained unfulfilled.” “Esther 10_3c A small spring became a river, and there was light and sun and much water: this river is Esther, whom the king took to wife and made queen.” “Esther 10_3d And the two serpents—these are I and Haman;” “Esther 10_3e the nations—these are those gathered to destroy the name of the Jews;” “Esther 10_3f and my people—these are the Israelites, who cried to God and were saved. And the Lord saved His people and delivered us from all these evils, and God wrought signs and great wonders, which have not occurred among the heathen nations.” “Esther 10_3g Thus God ordained two lots: one for the people of God, and the other for all the nations,” “Esther 10_3h and these two lots came forth in the hour and season and on the day of judgment before God and all the nations.” “Esther 10_3i And the Lord remembered His people and justified His inheritance.” “Esther 10_3k And these days of the month of Adar shall be celebrated on the fourteenth and fifteenth day of this month, with solemnity and rejoicing and joy before God, for all generations in His people Israel.” “Esther 10_3l In the fourth year of the reign of Ptolemy and Cleopatra, Dositheus, who said he was a priest and a Levite, and Ptolemy his son, brought this letter about Purim to Alexandria; and Lysimachos, son of Ptolemy, who was in Jerusalem, is said to have translated it.]” The Greek text gives a special seventh addition, offering in it an interpretation of Mordecai’s dream mentioned at the beginning of the book (see Addition 1—Esth 1:0), which becomes fully clear after the account of this entire history, which served as the basis for the establishment of the festival of Purim. The interpretation of the dream is attributed to Mordecai himself, who remembered this dream as the events that fulfilled it occurred. The addition concludes with a mention of informing Egyptian Jews about the circumstances of the establishment of Purim through a special “letter,” which can be understood as the book of Esther itself, in a form more or less close to the present. This acquainting occurred about a hundred years after the book was written, during the joint reign of Ptolemy XII and his sister and wife, the famous Cleopatra (52–30 B.C.). The festival of Purim (2 Macc 15:37, “the day of Mordecai”) is celebrated to this day with special solemnity in synagogues on the 13th of Adar; the eve of the festival is a day of fasting. In the evening of that day the festival itself begins—with the reading of the entire book of Esther. At this time the reader pronounces very quickly the place Esth 9:7-9 where the names of Haman and his sons are given, so far as possible—without taking a breath, to signify that all of them were hanged together. At this time the listeners raise an unimaginable noise, as also at each announcement of Haman’s name, thereby showing their strong indignation. On the morning of the 14th of Adar the reading is repeated, and the evening of the day is spent in great joy. To this day the custom of exchanging gifts is also observed, and necessarily gifts of a particular form—poppy cakes known as “Haman’s ears.” The time of celebrating Purim usually falls on the last days of our February or the first days of March, making it as it were the Jewish carnival.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Introduction

The Wisdom Books

The third division of the Old Testament sacred books in the Greco-Slavonic Bible consists of the “wisdom” books, of which five—Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs—are recognized as canonical, while two—the Wisdom of Solomon and the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach—are considered non-canonical. In contrast to this, the Hebrew Bible does not contain these two latter books, as it does not contain any non-canonical works, and the first five do not bear the name “wisdom” books, nor do they form a separate division; rather, along with Ruth, Lamentations, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, First and Second Chronicles, they are classified as the so-called “ketubim,” “hagiographa,”—“the writings.” The name “ketubim,” which became a technical term among the Talmudic rabbis for the third part of Scripture, was replaced in antiquity by other designations that pointed to the wisdom character of the works contained in it. Thus, in Josephus the contemporary wisdom books, except Job, are known by the name “the other books containing hymns to God and rules of life for people” (Contra Apionem, 1:4); Philo calls them “hymns and other books by which knowledge and piety are ordered and perfected” (On the Contemplative Life), and the author of 2 Maccabees—τὰ τοῦ Δαυὶδ καὶ ἐπιστολὰς βασιλέων περὶ ἀναθημάτων—“the books of David and letters of kings concerning votive offerings” (2 Macc 2:13-15). The designation τὰ τοῦ Δαυὶδ is equivalent to the Gospel designation of the wisdom books as “psalms” (“it is necessary that everything written in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms about me be fulfilled” Luke 24:44), and this latter designation, according to the testimony of Gesenius, was also used among the rabbis. Among the Church Fathers and teachers who, following the LXX translation, distinguish the wisdom books as a separate division, they do not bear the modern designation but are known as “poetic” books. This is how they are called by Cyril of Jerusalem (his fourth catechetical lecture), Gregory the Theologian (Σύνταγμα. Ralli, IV, p. 363), Amphilochius of Iconium (ibid, p. 365), Epiphanius of Cyprus and John of Damascus (An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, IV, 17). However, already Leontius of Byzantium (sixth century) calls them “wisdom” books—παραινετικά (On Sects, actio II. Migne 86 v., p. 1204).

Given the didactic character of all of Holy Scripture, the bestowal of the designation “wisdom” books on only certain works indicates that they were written with the special purpose of teaching, instructing, showing how one should think about a given subject, how it should be understood. The wisdom books do indeed pursue this goal as applied to religious and moral truths. Their view, the basic perspective on the teaching of faith and piety—is the same as in the Law; the distinctive feature lies in the effort to bring revealed truth closer to human understanding, to lead people through various reflections to the conviction that it must be understood in precisely this way, and not otherwise. Thanks to this, proposed in the Law in the form of commandment and prohibition, truth appears in the wisdom books as the living conviction of the one to whom it was given, who thought and reflected on it, expressed as truth not only because it was revealed in the Law, as truth, but also because it fully agrees with human reason, has become, so to speak, the people’s own possession, their own thought. Bringing revealed truths closer to human understanding, the wisdom books indeed “perfect consciousness and piety.” As for examples of such illumination, they are observed first of all in the book of Job. Its principal question, the matter of the relationship of God’s righteousness to human righteousness, is treated by the author from the standpoint of its acceptability to human consciousness. Initially doubtful about God’s justice, Job is found, as a result of conversations, to have believed in the immutability of divine righteousness. The objective proposition: “God is just” is elevated to the level of personal subjective conviction. The book of Ecclesiastes is distinguished by a similar character. Its goal consists in imparting to people the fear of God (Eccl 12:13), compelling them to keep God’s commandments. The means to this is, on the one hand, the explanation of the truth that everything that draws people away from God, leading to forgetting him—the various goods of this life—do not constitute true happiness for people, and therefore one should not pursue them, and on the other hand—the revelation of the truth that keeping the commandments gives them true good, since it leads to the blessedness granted for a good life after death, to this everlasting good. Likewise, the book of Proverbs contains reflections on the principles of revealed religion, the Law and theocracy, and their influence on the formation of the intellectual, moral, and civil life of Israel. The result of this reflection is the proposition that only the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of the Most Holy constitute true wisdom, which brings peace to mind and heart. And since the expression of such wisdom consists of various rules of religious and moral conduct, at their foundation lies the conviction that revealed truth is in harmony with the demands of the human spirit.

By revealing the revealed truth from the side of its agreement with human understanding, the wisdom books are indicators of the spiritual development of the Jewish people under the guidance of the Law. In the persons of their best representatives, they were not merely passive recipients of revealed truths, but rather more or less pondered them, assimilated them, that is, brought them into agreement with their inner convictions and beliefs. Immersing heart and mind in the realm of revelation, they either presented the objects of their contemplation as instruction for the development of religious knowledge and support for the purity of morality required by the Law, as we see in the books of Job, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, and certain psalms (Ps 77; Ps 104; Ps 105 and so forth), or else marked and expressed the impression that this contemplation produced on their heart, in the lyric form of religious feeling and heartfelt meditation (the Psalms). A fruit of divinely enlightened reflection on Divine revelation given to the Jewish people in the Law, the wisdom books bear, by preference, a subjective character, in distinction from the objective presentation of truths of faith and piety in the Law and the objective description of the life of the Jewish people in the historical books. Another distinction of the wisdom books is their poetic form with its characteristic feature—parallelism, defined by researchers of Hebrew poetry as the correspondence of one verse with another. This is a kind of rhyme of thought, symmetry of idea, expressed usually twice or sometimes three times in different terms, either synonymous or opposite. According to the various relationships among the verses, parallelism is synonymous, antithetic, synthetic, and rhymic. The first type of parallelism occurs when the parallel members correspond to each other, expressing with equivalent terms one and the same meaning. Examples of such parallelism are found in Ps 113:1-4—“When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion. The sea saw and fled, the Jordan turned back, the mountains skipped like rams, and the hills like young sheep.” Antithetic parallelism consists in the correspondence of two members through the opposition of expressions or feelings. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. A sated soul tramples on the honeycomb, but to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet” (Prov 27:6-7). “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought down and fall, but we rise and stand upright” (Ps 19:8-9). Parallelism is synthetic when it consists only in the similarity of construction or measure: words do not correspond to words and phrases to phrases, as equivalent or opposite in meaning, but the turn and form are identical; subject corresponds to subject, verb to verb, adjective to adjective, and the meter is one and the same. “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Ps 18:8-9). Finally, parallelism is sometimes merely apparent and consists only in a certain analogy of construction or in the development of thought in two verses. In these cases, it is purely rhymic and admits of endless combinations. Each member of the parallelism in Hebrew poetry constitutes a verse, consisting of a combination of iambs and trochees, the most common Hebrew verse being heptasyllabic, or of seven syllables. The book of Job is written in verses of this meter (Job 3:1—Job 42:6), as is the entire book of Proverbs and most of the Psalms. Verses of four, five, six, and nine syllables are also encountered, sometimes alternating with verses of different meter. Each verse, in turn, is part of a stanza, the essential property of which is that it contains a single, or principal, thought, whose complete expression is given by the sum of its constituent verses. However, in some cases either two different thoughts are united in one stanza, or one and the same thought develops and continues beyond this limit.

Concerning the Book of Job

The name of the book. The place and time of Job’s life. The book of Job (Hebrew איוב, Greek Ιώβ) received its name from the principal person whose story of suffering provided the author with the occasion for addressing the question of the causes of the suffering of the righteous.

In his own book, Job appears with all the marks of a historical person: it indicates his origin, the time and place of his life, its duration, gives a characterization of the suffering man’s family life, social position, and the like. In contrast, Theodore of Mopsuestia already denied Job’s existence, considering his book to be a collection of fables. The Hebrew rabbis Resh-Lakish and Samuel bar-Nahman expressed a similar view. “Job,” remarks the latter, “never existed; he was not a real person, but a parable, like the one Nathan proposed to David” (Talmud. Baba. Bathra, 15a). This extreme view, later repeated by Salmasius, Michaëlis, Augusti, and De Wette, was recognized as excessive even by the rabbis themselves; Hai Gaon (in the year 1000) altered the words of Samuel bar-Nahman as follows: “Job existed, but he was created to become a parable.” And indeed, denying Job’s existence does not accord with the testimony of Holy Scripture, Old and New Testament. “Son of man,” the Lord says to the prophet Ezekiel, “if a land sins against me…and I send a famine on it and destroy men and beasts in it; and if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in it, they would deliver only their own souls by their righteousness…they would not deliver sons and daughters; they alone would be delivered” (Ezek 14:13-16). The mention of Job on equal terms with undoubtedly historical persons—Noah and Daniel—permits no doubt about the historical character of his personality. The historical reliability of Job’s sufferings, and therefore of Job himself, is also recognized by the well-known words of the Apostle James: “Behold, we count those happy who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job and have seen the purpose of the Lord” (Jas 5:11). It is noted further that the name Job is a symbolic name meaning “one who opposes”; it could have been given to him because of the writer’s conception that he opposed God and his friends, and therefore in accordance with the character depicted in the book, that is, it is a fictitious name. But, as we see from the Bible, among the Hebrews many names—Abraham, Israel—had symbolic character, since they denoted certain circumstances, and therefore from the symbolism of the name one cannot conclude about the unhistoricity of the person. In the people’s memory, Job may have received this name after his misfortune, owing to the character revealed in his sufferings. The note in the margin of the LXX text may perhaps be referring to this, when it remarks that he was formerly called Jobab.

If Job is completely a historical person, then a natural question arises about the place and time of his life. According to the book itself, he lived in the land of Uz, “in the land of Ausitis,” as the LXX translators call it (Job 1:1). But where exactly this region was located cannot be said with certainty. The note found at the end of the book according to the LXX reading: “on the borders of Edom and Arabia” (Job 42:17) is as vague as the indication Job 1:3 that Job was “more renowned than all the sons of the east,” that is, the Arabs (see the commentary on this verse); and the mention of the land of Uz in the book of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 25:20) and in the book of Lamentations (Lam 4:21) does not clarify its position. True, the words of Lamentations: “rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, dweller in the land of Uz,” seem to give reason to think that Uz was located in Edom, formed its region. But such an assumption is refuted by verses 20 and 21 of chapter 25 of the book of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 25:20-21), from which it appears that the land of Uz, mentioned separately from Edom, did not fall within its bounds. But if the prophet attributes it to the Edomites, then this is explained, according to Ewald, by the fact that the land of Uz was given to them by Nebuchadnezzar as a reward for the help they rendered to the Chaldeans in the conquest of Judea. As for Jer 25:20 and following, some see in these verses an enumeration of neighboring countries and accordingly locate Uz between Egypt and Judea, to the southeast of the latter and to the east of Edom. The correctness of such reasoning is weakened by verses 21 and 22 of this chapter, which testify that in enumerating lands the prophet was not guided by the principle of being neighboring.

The absence of biblical indications regarding the location of the land of Uz compels exegetes to resort to various conjectures. It is supposed that the land of Uz received its name from the name Uz, attributed by the Bible to three persons: the eldest son of Aram, grandson of Shem (Gen 10:23), the eldest son of Nahor, brother of Abraham (Gen 22:21), and the firstborn of Dishon, youngest son of Seir the Horite (Gen 36:28). Explaining in this way the origin of the name Uz, the location of this land is indicated either in Syria, the land of Aram, or in Mesopotamia, on the banks of the Euphrates, where Nahor lived, or finally in Edom. As for the latter view, it cannot be considered correct for the reasons indicated above. The opinion about the location of the land of Uz within Mesopotamia found a place in the Alexandrian version of the Greek note to the book of Job. In it he is called living on the banks of the Euphrates, and his friend Bildad is called the son of Ammon of Chobar (Chobar is a tributary of the Euphrates). In spite of its antiquity (the note is already known to Origen) this view can scarcely be considered correct. It does not accord with the statement in the book of Job Job 1:19 that a wind, which destroyed my oldest son’s house, came “from the desert,” or more precisely, “from beyond the desert,” and with the words of Elihu “the tempest comes from the south” (Job 37:9). Taken together, these two expressions make it clear that the land of Uz was located near the northern limits of the desert or in them themselves. Mesopotamia, however, cannot be considered a desert. As for the supposition about the location of the land of Uz within Syria, it is confirmed by the testimony of ancient writers. Thus Eusebius of Caesarea, repeating the words of Josephus that Uz, son of Aram, was the founder of Trachonitae (all the basalt expanse on the eastern side of the Jordan, bounded on the south by the mountains of Gilead, and on the north adjacent to Damascus) and Damascus (Antiquities 1:6, 4), adds: “from this came Job” (De originibus. XI, 2, 6). According to another of his works (Onomasticon), Job lived in Batanea, ancient Bashan, in a region called in his time “Astaroth Karnaim.” The same view is held by Jerome (Book on the Situation and Names of the Hebrews), noting that the Greek name of the region “Ausitis” is the same as “Usitis,” given to it after Uz, son of Aram, who settled the Trachonitae with his descendants (commentary on chapter 10, verse 23 of the book of Genesis). Arab writers—the historians Mugir-ed-din el Hambeli and Abulfeda, and the geographer Muhammed el Makdesi—also indicate Batanea as the dwelling place of Job. “Job,” they say, “possessed the Damascus province of Batanea.” A visible expression of this tradition was the monastery built in the Damascus region in honor of the suffering Job (Volck. Calendarium Syriacum, p. 29).

Indicating in general terms Job’s dwelling place, the note found at the end of the book according to the LXX text determines also the time of his life. According to it, he was the fifth from Abraham, that is, lived in the patriarchal period, but later than Abraham. The correctness of the latter remark is confirmed by the fact that two of Job’s friends, Eliphaz and Bildad, descended from Abraham, the former through Teman, grandson of Esau, the latter through Shuah, son of Abraham by Keturah (see the note on Job 2:11). The general determination of the time of Job’s life—in the patriarchal period—is no less reliably attested. At least, the features of his way of life fully remind us of the patriarchal way of life. And first of all, like the patriarchs, Job combines in his person the rights of a family head with the duties of a priest. In the absence of a priestly class, he himself offers sacrifices (Job 1:5; cf. Gen 8:20). The character of the pre-Mosaic patriarchal time is fully reflected in the particular feature that the sacrifice of burnt offering presented by Job is a sin offering. Although according to the law of Moses this significance is attributed to every bloody sacrifice, including burnt offerings (Lev 1:4), for cleansing from sin two special sacrifices are appointed, unknown to the book of Job—the sin offering (Lev 4:29) and the guilt offering (Lev 5:6). The simplicity of public relations typical of ancient times corresponds to the undeveloped state of worship. In the absence of ruling authority in the form of kings or judges, judgment is administered by the elders of the people (Job 29:7-25; cf. Gen 23:5-6). An indicator of great antiquity is further the manner of writing, the engraving of letters on stone (Job 19:24), the use of the coin “shekel” (kesita), referred by the Pentateuch to patriarchal times (Job 42:11; Gen 33:19), the same musical instruments as among the patriarchs (Job 21:12; Gen 4:21), the longevity of Job, and finally, the passing over in silence of events after the time of Moses while being familiar with the events of early times—the destruction of Sodom (Job 18:15), the flood (Job 24:18).

The time of the writing of the book of Job and its author. The usual data for determining the time of writing and the author of this or that sacred book are the book’s own statements and the testimony of other sacred writers. But the book of Job itself does not contain strictly defined indications about the time of its composition, and from external testimony we know only the testimony about it of the prophet Ezekiel. His words: “Noah, Daniel, and Job…they would not deliver sons and daughters…from four great plagues—the sword, famine, wild animals, and plague” (Ezek 14:14-21) represent an almost literal repetition of the words of Eliphaz (Job 5:20) and thereby indicate that the book of Job existed by his time. Because of such conditions, the question about the time of its writing and its author has provoked and continues to provoke in exegetical literature the most varied responses. During the entire period from Moses to the prophet Ezekiel and beyond, there is not a single period or epoch to which exegetes have not found it possible to assign the writing of our book. And first of all, according to the opinion of the Talmud (Jerusalem. Sola V, 8, 6. Bathra 15a), which is shared by Origen, Jerome, Polychronius, and expressed in modern times by Carpzov, Eichhorn, Jahn, Bertholdt, and Ebrard, the book of Job was written in the age of Moses. In support of such a view, they point not only to its ignorance of the Law, the prophets, the history, and the religious terminology of Israel, but also to its similarity to the Pentateuch in language. Certain Hebrew words and entire phrases are used only in these two books and nowhere else. Such are—“semez”—“rumor,” “report” (Job 4:12; Exod 32:25); “maschasch”—“feel,” “grope” (Job 5:14; Deut 28:29), “Kesita” (Gen 33:19; Job 42:11), “as long as…his breath is in me and the breath of God is in my nostrils” (Job 27:3; Gen 2:7), “Job died…old and full of days” (Job 42:17; cf. Gen 15:15).

According to another view, to whose defenders belong the rabbi Nathan, Church Fathers—Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, and orthodox Protestant as well as Catholic exegetes—Gesenius, Han, Keil, Delitzsch, Calmet, Cornely, Vigouroux, Knabenbauer, and others—the book of Job was written in the period of the flourishing of Hebrew literature and poetry, in the age of Solomon. It corresponds to this age in character, content, form, and language. Didactic in spirit, it fits perfectly with the wisdom direction expressed in psalms, proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and with them coincides in certain points of doctrine. Such is the teaching about divine wisdom, its transcendence, and its participation in the creation of the world (Job 28; Prov 1-9, especially Prov 8), and about human existence after death. Regarding the question of the latter, the book of Job expresses the same views as the psalms of the time of David and Solomon. In them, the author appears as a son of that epoch to which Heman, the compiler of Ps 87, belonged (Job 14:13; Ps 87:6; Job 14:12; Ps 87:11; Job 14:21; Ps 87:13 and so forth). Coinciding with Ps 87 in the view of existence after death, the book of Job is similar to Ps 87 in the name of the inhabitants of Sheol—“rephaim” (Job 26:5; Ps 87:11); the underworld—“abaddon” (Job 26:6; Ps 87:12) and with Ps 88 in the designation of angels as “holy ones” (Job 5:1; Ps 88:8). Common to all three are also individual thoughts and expressions (cf. Job 7:7; Ps 88:48; Job 14:14; Ps 88:49; Job 16:19; Ps 88:38; Job 19:8; Ps 87:9; Job 26:12; Ps 88:10). Likewise, in the unfolding of similar teaching, identical expressions are used in Job 14:2 and in Ps 36:2; Job 15:35 and in Ps 7:15; Job 17:9 and in Ps 55:2-7; Ps 62:8-9; Ps 72:26-28; Ps 93:16-19; Job 15:25-26 and in Ps 72:3-9; Ps 74:5-6; Job 22:11 and in Ps 17:17; Job 22:13 and in Ps 72:11; Job 36:16 and in Ps 17:20; Job 5:3 and in Prov 24:30; Job 5:17 and in Prov 3:11; Job 18:5; Job 21:17 and Prov 13:9; Prov 20:20; Prov 24:29; Job 28:18 and in Prov 3:15 and so forth. Finally, certain Hebrew expressions, such as “alak”—“to rejoice” (Job 20:18; Prov 12:18), “tachbulot”—“plans” (Job 37:12; Prov 1:5), are found only in the book of Job and the works of Solomon. As written in the age of Solomon, the book of Job was known, say the defenders of this view, to subsequent biblical writers who borrowed from it certain expressions. Thus the words of Amos (Amos 5:8): “who made the Pleiades and Orion,” are taken from Job 9:9; the words of Isaiah (Isa 40:2): “his struggle has ended” from Job 7:1; Isaiah 44:24–25: “The Lord…alone stretched out the heavens” from Job 9:8; Isa 19:5: “the waters fail from the sea, and the river wastes and dries up” from Job 14:11; Isa 19:11: “the princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the wise counselors of Pharaoh are senseless” from Job 12:24 (cf. also Job 10:16 and Isa 38:13; Job 38:17 and Isa 38:10 and so on). If the book of Job was known to Amos and Isaiah, then it appeared no later than Solomon and his age, since from the death of Solomon to Jeroboam II, the contemporary of Amos, no Old Testament books appeared, and there was no one to write them.

While the correspondences of the book of Job with the Psalms, Proverbs, and the books of the prophets Amos, Isaiah, and Jeremiah (Job 3:1, Jer 20:1) give the above-mentioned exegetes the right to consider it written in the age of Solomon, in the hands of other scholars these data are transformed into proofs of its later origin. It was not Amos, Isaiah, and Jeremiah who were familiar with the book of Job, but, on the contrary, the author of the latter with their works. It is later than they, written after Hezekiah, as reasons Rigm, or at least in the age of Isaiah, as Strachey asserts. Among other exegetes, Ewald and Renan date the composition of the book of Job to the times of Manasseh; Gritzel to the times of the captivity of Jehoahaz, since its author shows familiarity with Egypt; Schrader, Nöldecke, Reuss to the period of the Assyrian captivity, to which Job 12:14-24 of the book of Job allegedly points. The latest date for the composition of the book of Job is considered by scholars of the negative direction (Grotius, Clericus, Schrader, Dillmann) to be the period after the Babylonian captivity. It supposedly belongs to this time because it bears in its language strong Aramaic coloring, characteristic only of post-captivity biblical writers; in grammatical forms and expressions it has parallels in Ps 136, in Daniel and the Targums, and finally, in certain points of doctrine (concerning Satan, guardian angels—Job 1-2; Job 5:1) it is similar to the book of Daniel (Dan 4:10) and Zechariah (Zech 3:1-3).

The just-enumerated opinions of Western biblical scholars have found their place also in Russian literature devoted to the book of Job. Thus, Metropolitan Philaret (The Book of Job in Russian Translation with Brief Explanations), Bishop Agathangel (The Holy Job the Sufferer), and Archbishop F. Bukharev (The Holy Job the Sufferer) assign it to the most ancient works of biblical literature. “By conjecture,” says the first, “the book of Job is assigned to the time of the patriarchs.” “It,” remarks the latter, “originated before the Mosaic legislation” (p. 4). Bishop Irenaeus (Orda) considers the book of Job written in the time of Hezekiah (A Guide to Sequential Reading of the Wisdom Books of the Old Testament); Metropolitan Arseny of Kiev (Introduction to the Holy Books of the Old Testament. Works of the Kiev Theological Academy, 1873, II) and Professor Yungerov (A General Historical-Critical Introduction to the Sacred Books of the Old Testament, p. 25. The Origin of the Book of Job. Orthodox Interlocutor, 1906. March, p. 334) before the Babylonian captivity; Mr. Pisarev (On the Origin of the Book of Job. Orthodox Review, 1865. May) and Afanasyev (The Wisdom Books of the Old Testament) in the age of Solomon, while Bishop Philaret of Riga (The Origin of the Book of Job), basing himself on its similarity to all the canonical books, declares it the very latest work of biblical literature.

The book of Job is one of the earliest and very latest works of Old Testament canonical literature—such are the two extreme opinions about the time of its origin. But as for the first, it admits an impossible and improbable fact—the appearance at the beginning of literature of such a work which in content is the height of religious reflection, and in form—one of the greatest poetic works of all the world, a poem perfect in design and magnificent in execution. The period of legislation is not characterized by abstract theoretical discussions, still less those encountered in the book of Job. In particular, the works of Moses are pervaded by faith in divine justice and strict correspondence between piety and earthly prosperity, while the book of Job not only expresses doubt about this, but reaches direct negation of righteousness in the matter of divine governance (see chapters Job 9; Job 10; Job 12). According to the teaching of Moses, the happiness of the righteous, the reward for piety, consists in the enjoyment of earthly goods (Deut 28:1). Job, however, just as he did not rejoice greatly in his great riches and the gains of his hands (Job 31:25), so too did not sink into despair when deprived of them (Job 1:21). For him, a pious man, earthly goods do not constitute the highest reward; this is God himself (Job 22:25), the highest good being the consciousness of devotion to him (Job 6:10). In short, in the matter of the development of religious and moral consciousness, the book of Job represents an undoubted step forward compared to the Pentateuch. Their appearance in one age is impossible. The second opinion also cannot be admitted. The pre-captivity origin of the book of Job is confirmed by the above-quoted words of the prophet Ezekiel. By repeating verses 20–22 of chapter 5 of the book of Job, they presuppose its existence. As for the marks of its post-captivity origin noted by exegetes (teaching about Satan and guardian angels), they do not have such significance. Teaching about good spirits, in particular about guardian angels, is already encountered in the book of Genesis (Gen 28:12-22; Gen 32:1-2; Gen 48:16) and is fully developed in Ps 90:1, while the books of Kings speak of an evil, lying spirit (1 Sam 16:14-15; 1 Sam 22:19-23). In view of this, there are insufficient grounds for considering such teaching in the book of Job as borrowed from the Persians in the post-captivity period.

The book of Job was compiled in the interval between Moses and the Babylonian captivity, most likely in the age of Solomon.

If the time of the writing of the book of Job can be determined more or less plausibly, then the personality of its author remains completely unknown. It was certainly not Moses, and to consider Solomon the author, as Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom suggest, there is as much reason as for any sage of his time. Keil, for example, conjectures that the author was Heman. To an unknown Hebrew author belongs, however, only the contemporary edition of the book of Job; at its foundation lies, as is thought, a record not of Hebrew but of Arab-Edomite origin. “The origin of the book in Arabia is confirmed,” says Professor Yungerov, “by the close familiarity revealed in it with the life of the peoples inhabiting Arabia; for example, the detailed description of the extraction of gold, practiced in Arabia (Job 28:1-11); the description of Arabian horses, intelligible to his audience (Job 39:19-25), the ostrich, the wild ass, the unicorn, the peacock (Job 39:1-18). Among the biblical writings of the Hebrews nothing similar is encountered, since in densely populated Palestine these animals, which love the Arabian steppe and desert expanse, could not dwell. Job’s wealth consisted, among other things, of camels (Job 1:3), and they are recognized as the property of inhabitants of deserts (Isa 30:6), steppes, nomads and wanderers (Judg 6:5; 1 Chr 5:21; Jer 49:29). In none of the biblical books is there a description of crocodiles, or leviathans, as in the speech of the Lord (Job 40:1—Job 41:1). This can be explained from the supposition that the Hebrews, having not seen anything like this in their Jordan, might not understand such a description, while the Arabs, having traveled to Egypt with their caravans (Gen 37:25-28) and seen these animals in the waters of the Nile, could understand it. In general, the foreign, non-Hebrew origin of the book is evident from the silence of the writer and the persons described about the Hebrews, Hebrew Old Testament law, events of Hebrew history, and so forth” (Orthodox Interlocutor, 1906. March, p. 336–337). If, however, despite its non-Hebrew origin, the book of Job sets forth purely biblical teaching about God, the creation of the world, Sheol, good and evil spirits, and coincides in language with other Old Testament books, then this is explained by the fact that the original record of the history of Job’s sufferings and beliefs (Job 19:24-27) became known to some Hebrew divinely inspired writer who was familiar with the Arabic language. He translated it into Hebrew, perhaps made certain revisions, brought it into agreement with biblical Old Testament views, and with the assistance of divine inspiration compiled the canonical book (Ibid., p. 339). Traces of such reworking are indicated, among other things, in the symmetrical enumeration of Job’s children and possessions: seven sons and three daughters, seven thousand sheep and three thousand camels; five hundred oxen and five hundred female donkeys—in the assignment of calamities to one day, and also in the strictly executed plan, gradualness in the flow of thoughts, constant parallelism of members, and so forth.

The composition and fundamental idea of the book of Job. Consisting of 42 chapters, the book of Job is divided into five parts: prologue—Job 1:1—Job 2:1; conversations of Job with his friends—Job 3:1—Job 31:1; the speeches of Elihu—Job 32:1—Job 37:1; the speeches of the Lord—Job 38:1—Job 42:6; epilogue—Job 42:7-36. Of these, the prologue contains, as in any drama, the beginning of the action—a dispute of Job with his friends, renewed three times. Not having led to a resolution of the question about the causes of his suffering, as the disputants remained in their views, it approaches its end, thanks to the speeches of the younger friend Elihu: they provoke the intervention of the Lord, accompanied by the resolution of the action in the epilogue. Into such a framework is inserted the content of the book of Job, unfolding the principal idea that the sufferings of the righteous, constituting a manifestation of the struggle between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent (prologue), are at the same time indicators of its results—the final triumph of righteousness, the victory of good over evil. Stricken according to Satan’s slander with all manner of calamities, Job remains faithful to God when deprived of material things (Job 1:21-22; Job 2:10), does not abandon him even when subjected to temptations of a spiritual nature. These consist in the possibility of losing faith in God as a righteous being, in renouncing him. And indeed, Job comes close to such a state. In moments of greatest agitation, deepest despair, he represents God as an arbitrary being, destroying equally the righteous and the wicked (Job 9:22-24), supporting the wicked and the ungodly (Job 12:6-10; Job 21:1-16). The Almighty, tolerating no objections and accepting no reproaches, the Lord (Job 9:4-12) violates righteousness both toward individual persons and entire peoples. The divine wisdom governing their fates manifests itself and is revealed in various kinds of catastrophes, leading to the destruction of entire nations (Job 12:16-25). Such a view of divine governance is for Job equivalent to abandoning his former religious worldview, one of the principal points of which was the conception of God as a righteous being (Job 29:1-5). But to abandon what has become one with the soul, what constituted its life, cherished convictions, cannot be done without a struggle. The mind and heart of the sufferer cannot reconcile themselves with the new conception of God, formed under the influence of suffering and especially conversations with his friends. The latter yearns to see in God a merciful, just Judge (Job 14:13-15; Job 23:3-7); reason comes to its aid, devising a whole series of reflections, by means of which Job attempts to justify God’s treatment of him, to present him as a righteous being (Job 10:2-12). As a result of such a struggle, faith conquers doubt (Job 16:19; Job 19:25-27). Job’s own words prove true of him, that the sufferer “will hold fast to his way, and the clean of hands will become stronger and stronger” (Job 17:9). Because of the age-long struggle between good and evil, the sufferings of the righteous—representatives of righteousness—are inevitable. As a fact of personal, subjective life, they find justification, compensation in their results—in the strengthening of the righteous in good—“I was comforted in my relentless anguish, because I did not reject the sayings of the Holy One” (Job 6:10).

The authenticity of the book of Job. Biblical introductory literature does not know an example of denying the authenticity of the entire book of Job. Only certain parts are questioned: the prologue (Job 1; Job 2), the epilogue (Job 42:7-17), Job’s speech about divine wisdom with the preceding discussion of the punishment of the wicked (Job 27:7 and following; Job 28), the description of Behemoth and Leviathan (Job 40:10—Job 41:1), and finally, the speeches of Elihu (Job 32:1—Job 37:1).

The authenticity of the prologue and epilogue is first of all rejected on the main ground that, in contrast to the rest of the book, they are written in prose. But if, by Keil’s just remark, the middle of the book without historical introduction and conclusion would be a torso without head and legs, on the other hand, written in prose, the prologue and epilogue bear undoubted poetic character. This is vouched for by the proportionality in the enumeration of animals (Job 1:3), the description of the heavenly council (Job 1:6), poetic parallelism in Job’s speech (Job 1:21). Another basis for rejecting the prologue and epilogue consists in the supposed contradiction of their idea to the book’s idea. While it expresses its own particular, profound view of suffering, the author of the introduction, especially the conclusion, adheres to the usual Old Testament (Mosaic) theory of retribution. But as for the prologue, the teaching contained in it about the mystery of Job’s sufferings (the heavenly council unknown to him or his friends) constitutes an undoubted indication that when compiling it the author took into account the book’s views on this subject. The epilogue indeed conducts the Mosaic theory of retribution and applies it to Job. But this is explained by the fact that verbal justification of Job without the restoration of earthly prosperity is not able to satisfy an Old Testament person. As signs of the prologue and epilogue’s inauthenticity, finally, they point to the use in them of the divine name Jehovah—in the poetic part it is not found, and is replaced by the names Elohim, Shaddai, to the contradiction between Job 1:18-19 and Job 19:17, and the teaching about Satan—a product of Persian influence. The first objection is based on a simple misunderstanding. The name Jehovah appears twice in the poetic part (Job 12:9) and no fewer than five times in the speeches of the Lord (Job 38:1; Job 40:1; Job 42:1). The more frequent use in the speeches of Job and his friends of the names Elohim, Shaddai, is explained by the author’s striving to communicate to the entire action the color of the patriarchal, pre-Mosaic period, in view of which he avoids the name of God of the covenant—Jehovah (cf. Exod 6:3. Commentary Bible. Volume 1, p. 291). Regarding the second objection, see the explanation of Job 19:17, and the third—the end of the “Introduction” section, “on the time of writing of the book of Job.”

The basis for questioning the authenticity of Job 27:7 and following, and Job 28:1, is the apparent contradiction of the teaching contained in them with Job’s fundamental views. In Job 27:7 and following, the sufferer himself expounds the very theory of retribution—the punishment of sinners—which he himself vigorously and persistently refutes in many speeches (see, for example, Job 21:7 and following; Job 24:1). Chapter Job 28:1, by depicting divine, incomprehensible wisdom, seeks to awaken a sense of humility before God, which does not correspond to Job’s proud confidence in his righteousness and the resulting unwillingness to repent (see, for example, Job 9:21). But in recognizing in Job 27:7 and following the fact of divine punishment of sinners, Job wishes to correct his former one-sided view, which reduced to denying divine justice (see also the commentary on these verses). One cannot entirely reject it, and at the same time it is impossible to deny cases of the unpunished wickedness of sinners (Job 21:7 and following). To emphasize this thought, Job describes in Job 28:1 the incomprehensible to mankind divine wisdom: its activity in the distribution of happiness and misery in the lives of people presents much that is mysterious.

As interpolations, chapters Job 40:10 and following, and Job 41, constitute, in the opinion of Ewald, Meyer, Dillmann, and Fürst, the work of some Jew of the sixth century who had been in Egypt and described two animals of the Nile. The following considerations serve as the basis for considering them a later insertion. 1) The meaning and purpose of the speeches of Jehovah do not permit the description of animals at this place. An illustration by means of its depiction of divine omnipotence is appropriate in the first speech, but not in the second, which unfolds the thought of divine justice. 2) The very way of proving divine omnipotence does not achieve its goal. If all animals, not excepting Behemoth and the crocodile, are subject to man (Gen 1:26), what then is remarkable about their obedience to God? Second, Behemoth and the crocodile are Egyptian animals, unknown to the inhabitants of Palestine, and therefore their description is not able to produce the particular, necessary in this case, impression. 3) The lengthy description of animals is entirely superfluous for the purposes of the second speech, fully completed in Job 40:1-9. And conversely, Job 41:26 does not constitute a conclusion, does not contain an indication that now Job must answer (Job 42:1 and following).

As to the first objection, it overlooks the circumstance that it is foreign to the author to separate divine omnipotence from justice. Already from the first speech it is evident that the Almighty, who by his power introduces order and harmony into visible nature, the Lord, is at the same time also just. Likewise, the description of two colossal animals, symbols of an evil, rebellious against God force, makes it clear that the almighty and perfectly just Lord subdues the manifestations of evil. The inappropriateness and weakness of the second objection is seen from the fact that on the same grounds we would have to suspect the authenticity of the description of earthquakes, solar eclipses (Job 9:5-6), the mention of Orion (Job 38:31), and so forth: not all inhabitants of Palestine were witnesses to the first phenomena, not all are familiar with the arrangement of stars in the constellation Orion (see the commentary). The third objection also has no force. If the second speech of the Lord embraced only the first nine verses of chapter 40, it would be too brief compared to the first and could not awaken in Job the consciousness of his insignificance and divine omnipotence (Job 42:2). And conversely, with the present composition of the book it is excellently prepared both by the remark Job 40:2-3 and the concluding touches in the description of the crocodile (Job 41:26).

The grounds on which scholars—Eichhorn, De Wette, Schrader, Meyer, Ewald, Dillmann, Davidson, Renan, and others, of more recent ones Ley—suspect the authenticity of the speeches of Elihu are as follows. 1) Nothing is said about Elihu in either the prologue or the epilogue, and in both places only three friends are mentioned. He appears quite unexpectedly. In reality, the silence about Elihu in the prologue and epilogue is not proof that he was not with the friends, that this person was fictitious and inserted into the book by another writer later. Elihu was young in comparison to the three friends and came, according to his own words, not to speak but to listen to the speeches of the elders (Job 32:3-7). In view of this, the author does not mention him until the necessity arises to introduce him into the course of the action. Mention of Elihu is also unnecessary in the epilogue: he was not guilty for his speeches before God and Job. The divine anger extends only to the three elder friends (Job 42:7). 2) The speeches of Elihu allegedly violently interrupt the connection between Job’s last speech and the speeches of Jehovah. The introduction to these latter necessarily presupposes that Job spoke directly before the Lord, and the fragmentary end of his last speech (Job 31:33-40) is explained only by the fact that he was suddenly interrupted by Jehovah. But if the speech of the Lord has a direct relation to Job’s last speech, and not to the speeches of Elihu, this still does not speak to the fact that the latter were inserted later. God enters into conversation with Job according to his own desire (Job 31:35), and therefore his words should directly relate to the last speech of the sufferer. Moreover, Job remained silent throughout the speeches of Elihu, in accordance with which they stand quite separately, not like the speeches of the first three friends, to each of which Job gave a response. The silent Job is called upon by God to answer (Job 38:1). Having not given an answer to an equal being (Job 33:4-7), can he make objections to the Lord? The transition from the speeches of Elihu to the speeches of Jehovah is entirely natural and clear. On the external side, it is prepared by the fact that the last speech of Elihu is pronounced before the onset of the storm (Job 37:2-4), and immediately after, in the storm, the Lord appears. Vainly, finally, is the assertion that Job’s speeches are not completed, so that the Lord interrupts them. On the contrary, his final protective speech refers to all that he had previously said about his innocence, as a sealing, confirming letter with a signature—it is the same as “tav,” the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, used to certify something (see commentary Job 31:35). 3) A sharp contrast is noted between the lengthy introduction to the speeches of Elihu (Job 32:2-6) and the brief notice of the arrival of the friends. The introduction to the speeches of Elihu is necessary for determining the personality of the new interlocutor, clarifying his relation to the preceding speakers. In them he appears in the role of an arbiter between the disputants. Elihu seeks to clarify the errors that Job made in his speeches, and does not touch the question of his sinfulness. And from this side he prepares the speeches of the Lord, pointing out to the sufferer new shortcomings in his judgments, not noted by Elihu. Therefore, in the introduction to the speeches of Elihu, his wisdom is noted. 4) In accordance with Job’s response to the speeches of his friends, it would be natural to expect that he not leave without objection the speeches of Elihu, yet this is not observed. Job’s silence represents nothing special if one takes into account the contrast observed between the friends who dispute with Job and the standing above party concerns Elihu. His reasoning prepares the resolution of the action—in the exposure of Job’s incorrect judgments, they point to the way in which his faith can be maintained. And if the author’s goal is to show how Job’s doubts are resolved, how faith in God triumphs in him over doubt, and the speeches of Elihu are directed to this end, then it is strange to require that he involve Job in a dispute with a new friend. This would mean delaying the resolution of the question. 5) The inauthenticity of the speeches of Elihu is finally proved, they say, by their Aramaic coloring and peculiarities in style—the use of words and expressions unknown to the speeches of the other friends. But the Aramaisms in the speeches of Elihu are explained by his Aramaic origin from the family of Buz (Job 32:2). A representative of another tribe than the friends, Elihu speaks differently. That the author intentionally gave the speeches of Elihu an Aramaic coloring is evident from the fact that it is noticeable only in two cases (Job 32:6 and following; Job 36:2 and following).

* * *

The contemporary arrangement of the wisdom books in the Greco-Slavonic Bible differs somewhat from the ancient. Namely, in the Sinai Codex they are arranged in the following order: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Job; in the Vatican manuscript, after the book of Song of Songs follows Job and then Wisdom of Solomon and Sirach.

Chapter One

1–5. Job’s piety and complete prosperity as a reward for it. 6–12. The reasons for Job’s suffering. 13–19. The disasters that befell the righteous man. 20–22. The patience of the sufferer.

Job 1:1. There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and this man was blameless, righteous, God-fearing, and he turned away from evil. Revealed at the beginning in the first five verses through a concrete example—the life of Job—the general thought about the correspondence of piety to earthly prosperity begins with a characterization of the religious and moral life of the main figure of the book. “Blameless,” that is, devoted with all his heart to God and to good (Job 2:3; cf. Job 1:21; Job 23:11-12; Job 31:1), Job was irreproachable in this regard, which is confirmed by his “righteousness” and “truthfulness” (Slavonic), the correspondence of thoughts to deeds. More specifically, at the basis of Job’s religiosity—his relationship to God—lay “fear,” the reverent conception of God, aroused by consciousness of His greatness and perfections (Job 15:4; Job 37:23-24), and passing into awe when to it was joined the thought of God as the righteous Judge and Rewarder, who does not tolerate evil (Gen 3:10; Ps 64:9). By the conception of God as not tolerating evil, Job’s morality was determined: it came down, like that of all Old Testament people, to avoidance of evil (Ps 33:15; Prov 14:16). Regarding the place of Job’s dwelling, see the Introduction.

Job 1:2. And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. Job 1:3. His possessions were: seven thousand head of livestock, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred female donkeys, and very many servants; and this man was more famous than all the sons of the East. For piety, according to Old Testament teaching, a man was rewarded with temporal, earthly goods (Deut 28:1-13). Such a point of view is entirely shared by the author of our book. Putting into the mouth of Satan the words: “Is Job God-fearing for nothing? Is it not you who have hedged him about,…the work of his hands…blessed him?” (Job 1:9-10), he indicates that the abundance of children of Job noted by him, the abundance of livestock, which provided food and clothing (sheep), which served for carrying burdens and tilling fields (camels, oxen and female donkeys (Job 1:15; cf. Gen 42:26; 1 Sam 25:18)), as well as the multitude of servants inevitably necessary in this case (Hebrew “ebudda,” δουλεία of Aquila, while the LXX simultaneously give this word a twofold meaning: ὑπηρεσία πολλὴ σφόδρα , “very many servants,” and ἔργα μεγάλα ἦσαν αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς , “great works were his on the earth,” meaning, it seems, under works agriculture, since the Hebrew “ebudda” in Gen 26:14 they render by the term γεωργία ) are a reward for piety. According to Deut 28:13, by such requital for righteousness one can also count Job’s fame among “all the sons of the East,”—the descendants of Abraham from concubines sent by him to the East (Gen 25:6) and inhabiting Arabia, as well as the population of Mesopotamia, since it is called “the eastern land” (Gen 29:1; Num 23:7).

Job 1:4. His sons went about making feasts, each in his own house on his appointed day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. Job 1:5. When the round of feasting days was completed, Job would send for them and sanctify them and, rising early in the morning, would offer whole-offerings according to the number of all of them [and one bull as a sin offering for their souls]. For Job said: Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. Thus Job did on all such days. The characterization of Job’s piety is completed with a new trait. He was concerned not only for his own moral righteousness, but also for that of his children, expressing this in the offering of a whole-offering (the note of the Synodal text about the sin offering is borrowed from the translation of the LXX; the Hebrew text mentions only the whole-offering) for possible sins on their part on the days of feasting. The feasts were arranged by his sons, “each in his own house, on his appointed day” (v. 4), that is, either on their birthdays, as some suppose, citing in support of this view Job 3:1: “he cursed his day” and Gen 40:20 (the custom of celebrating birthdays), or else daily, as others think. The latter understanding seems more probable. Seven days of feasting, falling, according to the days of birth, at different times of year, and therefore separated from each other by such or other intervals, can hardly be called a “round” (v. 5). The second view does not necessarily require the admission of the improbable thought that the children of Job spent all their time, throughout the year, in feasts. After a seven-day feast there could be a break.

Job 1:6. And it was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord; and Satan came among them. Given Job’s piety, the reason for the disasters that befell him lay not in him; it lay outside him, in the slander of the evil spirit (vv. 9–11), which gave Divine Justice occasion to prove, on the example of Job, the triumph of righteousness and good over evil. In the poetic language of the book’s author, this thought is expressed figuratively: he drew a heavenly picture of the appearance before God’s face of the “sons of God,” that is, angels (Ps 28:1; Dan 3:92), so called because of their God-created and God-like nature, and along with them Satan (cf. 1 Sam 22:19-22). The latter name, expressing the idea of a malicious, deceitful being, in the appellative sense denotes in general an opponent, a slanderer (Num 22:22; 1 Sam 29:4; 1 Sam 5:18; Ps 108:6), and in the proper sense—an evil spirit (1 Chr 21:1; Zech 3:1). “Ha-Satan” (with the definite article)—the enemy in the absolute sense,—the enemy of God, of divine plans and creations—people, their salvation.

Job 1:7. And the Lord said to Satan: From where have you come? And Satan answered the Lord and said: I have been going about on the earth and have walked through it. To the question directed at Satan by the Lord: “From where have you come?,” a question that testifies not to the absence of omniscience in God, but to the complete moral opposition between Him and the evil spirit, reaching as it were to the Lord’s not knowing the deeds of Satan (cf. Job 21:14), the latter answers with a general phrase: “I have been going about on the earth” (Hebrew “shut” denotes a quick going about from one end of a place to another—2 Sam 24:2; Amos 8:12; Zech 4:10) “and walked through it”—for the purpose of observation (1 Pet 5:8).

Job 1:8. And the Lord said to Satan: Have you considered my servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth: a man blameless, righteous, God-fearing, and turning away from evil. Job 1:9. And Satan answered the Lord and said: Is Job God-fearing for nothing? Job 1:10. Is it not you who have hedged him about and his house and all that he has? The work of his hands you have blessed, and his flocks spread out on the earth; Job 1:11. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has—will he not curse you? The evil spirit, wandering on the earth for observation, is now asked a natural question: Has he paid attention to the exceptional piety of Job (v. 8, cf. Gen 6:9; Gen 7:1), and in Satan’s quick response shows forth his complete opposition to the Lord. According to Satan, in Job’s piety there is nothing outstanding, worthy of praise, as God does—it is mercenary. Job honors the Lord only because it is advantageous for him: in reward for piety he is protected by God from all disasters (“hedged him about,” cf. Isa 5:5) and enjoys success in all his undertakings. The true, that is, mercenary, character of Job’s piety will appear if the Lord “stretches out his hand against him” (v. 11)—smites him with disasters (Exod 3:20; Ps 31:4). Under such circumstances there will be no motivation for piety. It will disappear, and worse, be replaced by cursing “to his face,” that is, cursing bold and shameless (Isa 65:3). The Synodal reading: “will he not curse you?” conveys from the entire Hebrew phrase: “im-lo al-paneyaka yebarekeka” only the last word. “Yebarekeka”—a verb form from “barak,” meaning both “to bless” and “to curse,” “to revile” (Job 1:5; 1 Sam 21:10), the latter meaning being assigned to this verb by all in the present case. Closer to the original the Slavonic reading: “if he does not curse you to your face.”

Job 1:12. And the Lord said to Satan: See, all that he has is in your hand; only do not lay your hand upon him. And Satan went away from the presence of the Lord. Satan’s answer, representing a slander against Job, cast a shadow at the same time on Divine Justice: the Lord rewards a man of notoriously insincere piety. In order for righteousness to triumph, all the righteous man’s wealth is now delivered into the hands of the evil spirit. He is given the opportunity to test Job’s piety in the very way he himself indicated (v. 11).

Job 1:13. And it was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their oldest brother. Job 1:14. And behold, a messenger came to Job and said: Job 1:15. The oxen were plowing and the female donkeys were grazing beside them, when the Sabeans fell upon them and took them, and killed the young men with the edge of the sword; and only I alone have escaped to tell you. Job 1:16. While he was yet speaking, another came and said: Fire from God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the young men and consumed them; and only I alone have escaped to tell you. Job 1:17. While he was yet speaking, another came and said: The Chaldeans formed three bands and rushed upon the camels and took them, and killed the young men with the edge of the sword; and only I alone have escaped to tell you. Job 1:18. While he was yet speaking, another came and said: Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of your oldest brother; Job 1:19. And behold, a great wind came from the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and the house fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and only I alone have escaped to tell you. According to Satan’s oath (v. 11), struck by misfortune, Job will curse God. To achieve this goal are directed the disasters listed in the present verses. As such, they present certain features, designed to provoke on Job’s part a curse. First, the disasters fall on the day of the festive gathering of Job’s children in the house of his eldest son (v. 13). On a day of joy, of mirth, as the present day was, every sorrow is felt by the law of contrast far more intensely than at ordinary times. Under the influence of intense sorrow, discontent can arise all the more easily. Second, the disasters follow one after another with extraordinary speed: Job has no time to recover from news of one misfortune before he is told of another (“while he was yet speaking, another came,” vv. 16, 17). The speed of the disasters was to act on Job in a crushing manner, and indeed, by the sufferer’s own expression, it “shook him” (Job 16:12). Depression of spirit and the confusion of mind inseparable from it provide the most favorable ground for complaint. And third, God Himself is the cause of the disasters; Job’s great cattle are burned by “fire from God” (v. 16, see below). This detail could constitute the most powerful test for the righteous man’s faith. Is it worth being pious, devoted to the Lord, if He Himself punishes His faithful servant?

Job 1:15. The oxen were plowing and the female donkeys were grazing beside them, when the Sabeans fell upon them and took them, and killed the young men with the edge of the sword; and only I alone have escaped to tell you. Under the name Sabeans in the book of Genesis and Chronicles two peoples are known: one, descended from the son of Ham, Cush (Gen 10:7; 1 Chr 1:9); another—from the descendant of Shem, Joktan (Gen 10:28; 1 Chr 1:22). But if the first dwelt in Africa (Commentary on the Bible, vol. 1, p. 71–72), then in the present case is clearly meant the second, settling in northern Arabia from the Persian Gulf to Idumea.

Job 1:16. While he was yet speaking, another came and said: Fire from God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the young men and consumed them; and only I alone have escaped to tell you. The expression “fire from God” recalls identical expressions: “fire from the Lord” (Gen 19:24), “fire of the Lord” (Num 11:1; 1 Sam 18:38), “fire of God” (2 Sam 1:12), and therefore must be understood in the literal sense. Others, citing vv. 18–19, see in this expression an indication either of the lightning which accompanies a storm, or of the killing wind and animal-destroying samum.

Job 1:17. While he was yet speaking, another came and said: The Chaldeans formed three bands and rushed upon the camels and took them, and killed the young men with the edge of the sword; and only I alone have escaped to tell you. The name Chaldeans (ancient Babylonian “Kashdu,” later “Kardu” and “Kaldu,” from which the Greek Χαλδαιοι ) is assigned to the people inhabiting the region between the Euphrates and the Arabian desert, from Borsippa in the north to the Persian Gulf in the south, as well as the mouths of the Tigris and Euphrates. It is preserved in three ancient biblical expressions: Ur of the Chaldeans (Ur Kashdim), Arphaxad (Arpakeshad), and Kesed (Gen 22:22). The credibility of the account of the robber raids of the Chaldeans on the eastern Trans-Jordan side is confirmed by the testimony of the so-called Tel-el-Amarna inscriptions on the existence of active relations between Mesopotamia and all of Palestine in the patriarchal period.

Job 1:20. Then Job arose and tore his mantle and shaved his head and fell upon the earth and worshipped Job 1:21. And he said: Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; [as it pleased the Lord, so it has come to pass;] blessed be the name of the Lord! Job 1:22. In all this Job did not sin and did not speak anything unreasonable about God. After bearing patiently the loss of his possessions, Job could not help but express deep distress (“rose,” cf. Jonah 3:6) and sorrow (“tore his mantle,” cf. 2 Sam 1:11; “shaved his head,” cf. Isa 15:2-3) at news of his children’s death. But it not only does not pass into despair and complaint, but is united with deep submission to God’s will, expressed both in action (“worshipped”) and in words: “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, naked and I will return” there (shamma). Having nothing, Job is ready to return “there,” that is, by the context, “to my mother’s womb,” not to mother in the literal sense (Jonah 3:4), but to the bosom of mother-earth. She is called “mother” (Sir 40:1), as the beginning, all-productive, giving birth, even to man in view of his creation from earth. In accordance with this, the Hebrew word “eretz” (earth) is of the feminine gender, and individual countries, lands, bear feminine names: Palestine—the designation of “the virgin daughter of Israel” (Amos 5:2), Phoenicia—“the maiden, daughter of Sidon” (Isa 23:12), Idumea—“daughter of Edom” (Lam 4:21), Chaldea—“the maiden, daughter of Babylon” (Isa 47:1), and so forth. The source of Job’s submission, patience, is the consciousness that He who gave him all blessings has the right to take them away (v. 21).

Chapter Two

1–5. The second appearance of angels and Satan before God’s face and the new slander of the devil. 6–3. Job’s sickness and his removal beyond the limits of the city. 9–10. The speech of his wife and Job’s answer to it. 11–13. The arrival of friends.

Job 2:3. And the Lord said to Satan: Have you considered my servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth: a man blameless, righteous, God-fearing, and turning away from evil, and he still holds fast to his integrity; and you moved me against him, to destroy him without cause. Compared with the Lord’s first commendation of Job (Job 1:8), the second contains a small addition: “and he still holds fast to his integrity.” It is made for the purpose of exposing Satan in his slander against Job (Job 1:9-11). He lost everything, but remained faithful to God, while, according to Satan’s assurance, he should have cursed the Lord (Job 1:9-11).

Job 2:4. And Satan answered the Lord and said: Skin for skin; and all that a man has will he give for his life; Job 2:5. But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh—will he not curse you? The custom of ancient barter trade to get for sold goods not coins, money, but an item of corresponding value created among nomads acquiring their needed things for animal hides a proverb: “skin for skin,” that is, equal for equal, without any profit. Using this proverb, the devil says that Job’s patience shown cannot be called disinterested, and therefore there is no reason to praise it (v. 3). Knowing that cursing threatens with death (Job 2:9), Job by his patience preserved himself life—the greatest good for man. He lost in comparison with it little—possessions and children; with calculation he patiently surrendered, gave up these things, but in exchange gained for himself the greater—life. And only the taking away of this latter can provoke on his part a curse.

Job 2:7. And Satan went away from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with severe leprosy from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. Judging by the manifestations of the sickness noted in the book itself (Job 7:4-6), Job was struck with leprosy. This disease begins with the appearance on the body of pustules in the form of clusters. In further development the disease covers the entire surface of the body and eats it away so that all the limbs appear as though detached. The legs and shins swell and become covered with growths, resembling growths on elephant skin, from which comes its name “elephantiasis,” the elephant disease. The face becomes bloated and shiny; the gaze—fixed and gloomy; the voice—weak. The sufferer, tormented by severe pain, deprived of sleep, or rather, tormented by nightmares, finds no rest either day or night.

Job 2:8. And he took a potsherd to scrape himself with, and he sat in the ashes [outside the settlement]. Struck by an unclean (Lev 13:3 and so forth) and, perhaps, contagious disease (see Commentary on the Bible, vol. 1, p. 448, vv. 33–34), Job had to remove himself “beyond the limits of the settlement” (an addition of the LXX, in accord with Lev 13:46; Num 5:2-3; 2 Sam 7:3), where he sat in ashes, according to the Slavonic text, “in a dunghill.” The disagreement observed in the present case between the texts is tried to be reconciled by the consideration that, according to existing Eastern custom, waste matter carried out of the city and various refuse subject to decay were gradually burned, resulting in ash, which from rains became a hardened mass. By its origin, in its essence, the ash was indeed a dunghill.

Job 2:9. And his wife said to him: Are you still holding fast to your integrity! His wife’s speech, inspired, in the opinion of John Chrysostom, by the devil, presents a new trial of Job’s patience in that, by depicting (according to the translation of the LXX) his complete helplessness, it troubles souls not yet healed, suggests to the sufferer’s mind a seductive thought not yet arisen there—to speak one cursing word and forever free himself from the terrible disease. The outcome indicated by his wife is the only one possible for Job: no matter how much he blesses God, he will die anyway; piety is useless.

Job 2:10. But he said to her: You speak as one of the foolish women speaks: should we accept the good from God and not the evil? In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Struck by disasters, but not yet knowing their true cause, a man has no reason to abandon God. To do so can only an unreasonable person (Eccl 7:14).

Job 2:11. And when Job’s three friends heard of all these troubles that had come upon him, they came each from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, and they made an appointment together to come and sympathize with him and comfort him. According to Genesis 36, “Eliphaz” is one of the ancient Edomite names, and Teman is one of the regions of Idumea (Gen 36:4; Gen 36:34; Jer 49:20; Ezek 25:13; Amos 1:12), known for the wisdom of its inhabitants (Jer 49:7; Bar 3:22-23). “Bildad the Shuhite”—a Shuhite. The region with the name Shuah remains unknown; some, Gesenius, Winer, identify it with the Σακκαία mentioned by Ptolemy, lying in the eastern part of Batanea (ancient Bashan). In Gen 25:2 the name Shuah is assigned to one of the sons of Abraham from Keturah, sent by him together with his brothers to the East. “Zophar the Naamathite”; Naamah is the name of a city that fell to the tribe of Judah in the distribution of the promised land (Josh 15:41) and lay by the Mediterranean Sea; but whether Zophar came from here is difficult to say.

Job 2:12. And they lifted their eyes from afar and did not recognize him; and they raised their voices and wept; and each tore his mantle and threw dust over his head toward heaven. In the sick man struck with leprosy, forsaken by all and sitting in the ashes, it was difficult, especially from a distance, to recognize the former healthy, surrounded by a large family, and wealthy man. Words of comfort (v. 11) give way to deep sorrow, expressed in the scattering of ashes over their heads (1 Sam 4:12).

Job 2:13. And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights; and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great. The seven-day (seven—the number of fullness) silence testifies to the strength of the friends’ sorrow (Ezek 3:15).

Chapter Three

1–10. Job’s curse on the day and night of his birth. 11–26. Regret that life was given to him, and the motives for this.

Job 3:1. After this Job opened his mouth and cursed his day. In his first speech expressing regret about his birth and desire for death—a dead rest, peace in Sheol—Job begins it with a curse—a wish for evil (2 Sam 16:7-8; Jer 20:14) to the day and night of his birth, which served as the source, the beginning of so many disasters.

Job 3:2. And Job opened his mouth and said: “And spoke,” literally from the Hebrew—“answered.” Job’s speech, in which he does not acknowledge himself guilty, indeed serves as an answer to the secret thoughts of the friends, convinced of the sufferer’s sinfulness.

Job 3:3. Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night on which it was said: A man has been conceived! Job 3:4. Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, nor let light shine upon it! Day consists in the presence of light; the disappearance of the latter (“let that day be darkness”—v. 4) is equivalent to the perishing of the day (“let the day perish”—v. 3). The alternation of darkness with light, that is, the existence of day is established by God Himself (Gen 1:4); to Him Job addresses with a request so that He does not allow this alternation in the day of his birth and thereby fulfills the request for the day’s perishing.

Job 3:5. Let darkness and deep darkness claim it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let what blackens the day terrify it! An intensification of the thought in v. 4. Let in the hours allotted for light there reign a dense, sepulchral darkness (Job 10:21-22).

Job 3:6. That night—let darkness seize it; let it not be counted among the days of the year; let it not enter the number of the months! The night of Job’s birth should not pass into day; the darkness reigning throughout it should never give way to light. And since night makes up a certain number united with day, then by itself, taken apart from day, not having passed into it, it cannot enter either into the sum of the numbers of the year or the month.

Job 3:7. Oh, let that night be barren; let no joyful cry come into it! Luckless for Job, it should not be the time of birth (“unfruitful”) for anyone else; he will be unhappy, like Job. Under the condition of the fulfillment of this wish in the night of his birth there will be no joy which accompanies the coming of a man into the world (John 16:21).

Job 3:8. Let those curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse Leviathan! The fulfillment of Job’s wish can be helped by sorcerers, able by their power to rouse Leviathan. The expression “Leviathan” used in the Bible to denote terrible creatures (Ps 73:14; Isa 27:1) indicates, as some think, in the present case a constellation hostile to the sun and moon, swallowing them, thanks in part to the charms of sorcerers, and thereby producing an eclipse. The absence of biblical statements of the existence among the Hebrews of belief in such a constellation does not speak against the possibility of the given explanation: the author could use a popular belief not noted in the Bible. Among other peoples—the Chinese and Indians—it existed.

Job 3:9. Let the stars of its dawn be dark; let it look for light, but have none; and let it not see the eyelids of the morning! The night of Job’s birth should forever remain in darkness; it should never see the glimmering of the morning dawn—the “eyelids of the morning.”

Job 3:11. Why did I not die at birth, not expire when I came out of the womb? Job 3:12. Why did the knees receive me? Why did the breasts give me to drink? Forced to make peace with the thought of birth as an inevitable fact, Job still expresses regret for why he survived the initial moments of his existence: the moment of coming into the world (“coming out of the womb,” cf. Jer 20:18), the reception by his father on his knees as a sign that he was his son (Gen 50:23) and the time of nursing with the mother’s milk.

Job 3:13. For now I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept; then I would have been at rest, Job 3:14. with kings and counselors of the earth, who rebuild ruins for themselves, Job 3:15. or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver; Job 3:16. or like a miscarriage that is hidden, I would not exist, or as infants who never see the light. Job 3:17. There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary rest. Job 3:18. There the prisoners are at ease together; they do not hear the voice of the taskmaster. Job 3:19. The small and the great are there; and the slave is free from his master. The ground for such regret is the consideration that death is better than life, and being in the grave is preferable to being on the earth. The grave is a place of complete rest, cessation of spiritual and physical suffering. In it rest the kings and princes, of whom the former tired themselves on the earth with cares for the settlement of desolate places—deserts (Hebrew “haraboth” ruins. Cf. Isa 44:26; Ezek 36:10), the latter—gathering treasures (vv. 14–15). In the grave there is an end to the cruelties of some and the sufferings of others: in it those who bore unbearable labor find rest, and those who never saw the light—prisoners in darkness—and slaves, whose life is one continuous labor (Job 7:2).

Job 3:20. Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in? Job 3:21. For I would choose strangling and death rather than this body. Job 3:22. I would rejoice exceedingly, be in raptures, if I could find the grave? Job 3:23. Why is light given to a man whose path is obscured, and whom God has surrounded with darkness? For Job personally death is desirable because it would deliver him from a distressing state—loss of understanding of the meaning of life. Life is a time of possible joys for a man: “light is sweet” (Eccl 11:7); but this sweetness is not accessible to him, troubled in soul; he cannot live and enjoy life. Why then continue to exist? Some relief in his current sad condition could be provided to Job by knowing the cause of his sufferings; but this is hidden from him; he is in the darkness of ignorance (v. 23).

Job 3:24. For my sighing comes before I eat, and my groanings are poured out like water, Struck by disease, having lost the meaning of life, Job experiences a state of mental turmoil, whose expression is constant sighing and groaning.

Job 3:25. For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me. To this turmoil is added something else terrible, which he fears and from which he cannot free himself. In the present case Job alludes, perhaps, to those nightmares which he speaks of below (Job 7:14).

Job 3:26. I have no peace, nor am I quiet; nor do I have rest: but trouble comes. Experiencing turmoil, suffering from nightmares, Job cannot settle down for a moment.

Chapter Four

The first half of Eliphaz’s speech. 1–2. Introduction to the speech. 3–6. Motivation for speaking. 7–21. Eliphaz’s main theme: on earth only sinners are punished.

Job 4:1. And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: Job 4:2. If we attempt to speak a word to you, will it be burdensome to you? Yet who can refrain from speaking! Eliphaz’s speech, in his conviction, will not only fail to comfort Job but will further grieve him. But however unpleasant the truth may be, it must be spoken. And Eliphaz, apologizing for the grief he brings to Job, cannot restrain himself from speaking.

Job 4:3. Behold, you have instructed many and supported the drooping hands, Job 4:4. your words have restored the falling, and you strengthened the bending knees. Job 4:5. But now it has come upon you, and you are exhausted; it has touched you, and you are dismayed. The first drop of bitterness in Eliphaz’s speech is a reproach to Job for his despair. This is all the more uncharacteristic of him, since he used to comfort and encourage people with words of comfort, and support those with “drooping hands” and “bending knees”—and those completely “falling,” that is, weak in spirit (2 Sam 4:1; Isa 13:7). One who encouraged others cannot encourage himself (verse 5), Eliphaz notes ironically (compare Matt 27:42).

Job 4:6. Should not your godliness be your hope, and the integrity of your ways be your confidence? Reproaching Job’s despair, Eliphaz sees in it sufficient reason and motivation to address the sufferer with the question: “Is not your hope in your piety? Is not your confidence in the integrity of your ways?” In Eliphaz’s view, Job’s murmuring and complaints stem from his assurance of his own piety. He murmurs and complains because he, a man of piety and integrity, considers himself unjustly punished. This false, in Eliphaz’s judgment, thought of Job, compelling him to address his friend in this way, predetermines his main position from the outset. In contrast to Job, Eliphaz asserts that misfortunes befall only sinners; consequently, Job, having been subjected to calamities, cannot consider himself pious, innocently punished.

Job 4:7. Remember, did any innocent ever perish, and where have the righteous ever been destroyed? Job 4:8. For as I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow evil reap the same; Job 4:9. from the breath of God they perish and from the spirit of his wrath they vanish. In confirmation of the justice of his view, Eliphaz first appeals to the experience and knowledge of Job himself, who has apparently never witnessed the ruin of a righteous person in the course of his life (verse 7); and second, to his own experience. The latter testifies that only those are punished who prepared the ground for evil (“those who plow iniquity”) and commit it (“sow evil”; compare Hos 10:13). The comparison of evildoers to farmers in their deeds suggests a corresponding image for expressing the thought of their punishment by divine wrath. The plants of evildoers perish, like the labor of farmers, from the scorching wind (verse 9; compare Jer 4:11; Ezek 17:10; Hos 13:15).

Job 4:10. The roar of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion are silenced, and the teeth of the young lions are broken; Job 4:11. the mighty lion perishes without prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered. The destruction of an entire family of lions represents, in the opinion of exegetes, an allusion to the fate of Job’s household. Job 4:12-21. To lend greater conviction and authority to his view, Eliphaz appeals to a revelation that came to him, first describing the form in which it was communicated (verse 12), then the time of its reception (verse 13), the state he experienced in the process (verses 14–16), and finally its very content (verses 17–21).

Job 4:12. And behold, a word was brought to me secretly, and my ear received a whisper of it. Job 4:13. Amid troubled thoughts from night visions, when sleep falls upon men, The word communicated in the form of a whisper (Hebrew “semetz,” rendered in the Synodal text as “a whisper,” which Symmachus translates as “ψιθυρισμός,” and the Vulgate as “sussurus”—“a whisper”), which penetrated Job’s soul apart from his consciousness and will (“the word was brought to me secretly,” literally: “a word crept to me”), was received by Eliphaz “amid troubled thoughts from night visions.” The Hebrew “bishifim,” which corresponds to the Synodal “amid troubled thoughts,” properly means “branches” or “branches of thought,” in relation to mental activity “tangled thoughts,” “confusion of thought” (Dillmann). The revelation came at the time when Eliphaz awoke with his soul troubled by restless thoughts.

Job 4:14. terror seized me and trembling, and shook all my bones. Job 4:15. And a spirit passed before me; the hair of my flesh stood up. Job 4:16. It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance—only a form was before my eyes; there was a still whisper, and I heard a voice: The immediate precursors of the revelation—the “spirit” that passed before Eliphaz—the wind (the “still whisper” of verse 16, compare 1 Sam 19:11; Acts 2:2) and the appearance of a mysterious being whose appearance could not be discerned—caused the usual feelings of terror and fear experienced in visions (Gen 15:12; Dan 7:15).

Job 4:17. Is a man more righteous than God? Is a mortal more pure than his Maker? Job 4:18. Behold, he puts no trust even in his servants, and finds fault with his angels: Job 4:19. how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is dust, who are destroyed more quickly than the moth. Job 4:20. Between morning and evening they are broken; they perish forever without anyone heeding it. Job 4:21. Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom. To the question asked by the one who appeared: “Is a man more righteous than God?” (“mezlach”—“before God”—see Num 32:22) he himself gives a negative answer. In the eyes of God, even angels are impure and imperfect, much more so man. He is sinful. The mark of his sinfulness is, first, the brevity of existence (“between morning and evening… they are broken,” compare Ps 89:6; “destroyed more quickly than the moth,” compare Job 13:28; Isa 50:9), and second, death in the state of ignorance: “they die, and that without wisdom,” that is, without the fear of God (Job 28:28). Both of these characteristics—the transience of life and death without being made wise—are attributed, chiefly, even exclusively, to sinners alone (Job 15:32; Ps 89:6-9; compare Ps 90:1; Prov 5:13).

Chapter Five

The second half of Eliphaz’s speech. 1–7. Job’s stubbornness, his continued murmuring may bring upon him the divine wrath. 8–27. Job must humble himself before God; under this condition his fate will change—he will be rewarded.

Job 5:1. Call now, if there is anyone to answer you, and to whom among the holy ones will you turn? The “holy ones,” that is, angels (Job 15:15; Ps 88:7-8; Dan 8:13) are impure in the eyes of God (Job 4:18); consequently, they cannot entertain the thought of the sinlessness of a being lower than themselves—man. Therefore, not one of them will vouch for him, Job, for his innocence, the undeservedness of his punishments. Job has no defenders either among men (Job 4:7-9) or among the heavenly beings.

Job 5:2. For wrath kills the fool, and anger slays one who goes astray. If, nevertheless, he will continue to murmur, to show impatience, then he will meet the fate of a fool, who brings upon himself by his murmuring the divine wrath (compare Eccl 10:4). The following (verse 8) description of the “fool” by the same characteristics as the wicked (Ps 36:35-36) indicates that by fool Eliphaz understands a sinner.

Job 5:3. Indeed, as I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble harvest the same. Examples of the destruction of the wicked are known to Eliphaz. Having repeatedly observed it, he was able to predict the misfortune awaiting the sinner (“he cursed his dwelling”) even at a time when there were as yet no obvious signs of disaster—when the “sinner took root” (compare Ps 36:35-36), was in the time of his strength and might.

Job 5:4. His children are far from safety, crushed in the gate, with no one to rescue them. Job 5:5. The hungry eat what he has harvested, and take it even out of the thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth. The manifestation of his prosperity and happiness are children and property (Job 21:8 and following). But the former, with time, suffer punishment from the representatives of justice (“crushed in the gate,” — Gen 34:20; Deut 22:24; Prov 22:22; Amos 5:10); the latter is plundered: the harvest, protected from plundering by a hedge of thorns (“take it even out of the thorns”), is enjoyed by the poor and hungry (compare Ps 36:25), and all his property—by “the thirsty,” that is, various robbers (Job 18:19).

Job 5:6. For affliction does not come from the dust, nor does trouble spring from the ground; Job 5:7. but man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. The cases of the ruin of the wicked, observed by Eliphaz, give him the right to establish the general principle that the cause of suffering and misfortune lies not outside man but within him. His nature is such (“man is born to trouble”) that he commits transgression, which is inevitably followed by retribution. This property is as inherent in man as in the spark—the property of flying upward (Hebrew “reshef” is used and translated in various meanings: in Ps 77:48 — by the word “lightning,” in Ps 75:4 — “arrows”; “reshef.” Deut 32:24 and Hab 3:5 The LXX, Onkelos, Aquila, and Symmachus render by the word “bird.” The latter meaning is adopted in the Greek and Slavonic readings of the present verse: “birds of Hor,” that is, “of the hawk”).

Job 5:8. But I would seek God, and to God I would commit my cause. If sinfulness is rooted in the nature of man, then it should not be difficult for Job to confess his sinfulness before God and ask him for forgiveness. Thus the reasoning of verses 6–7 prepares the position of verse 8: instead of murmuring, Job must humble himself and turn to God.

Job 5:9. He does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number, The immediate motivation for such a turning, assuring its success, is the thought, on the one hand, of the goodness and mercy of God toward the unfortunate, and on the other—of the punishments with which the Lord strikes all the proud, those who resist him.

Job 5:10. who gives rain on the earth and sends water on the fields; Job 5:11. setting on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. The Lord, who waters the earth with waters (Ps 103:10-13; Jer 14:22) and transforms regions struck by drought into fertile lands (compare Ps 106:35-36), transforms human suffering and grief into joy (1 Sam 2:7-8).

Job 5:12. He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. Job 5:13. He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end: Job 5:14. in the daytime they meet darkness, and at noon they grope about as though it were night. God is the avenger of the proud, those who trust in their own strength. He brings their intentions and enterprises to nothing, so that “their hands achieve no success,” literally from the Hebrew: “they will accomplish nothing lasting.” (The Hebrew word “tushiya,” here translated as “success,” is rendered differently in three other places in the book of Job: in Job 6:13 — “strength,” in Job 11:6 — “it should have been borne,” in Job 12:16 — “wisdom.” Derived by exegetes from the Arabic verb “yasa”—“to stand firm, to be lasting,” “tushiya” means: “firmness, permanence, lasting happiness, success”). The wicked perish from their own wickedness (verses 12–13; compare 2 Sam 17:1-7; 1 Cor 3:20); their successfully begun deeds encounter subsequently insurmountable obstacles that lead to their destruction (verse 14; compare Deut 28:29; Ps 34:5; Jer 23:12).

Job 5:15. He saves the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty. Job 5:16. So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth. The Lord is the protector of the oppressed and the poor (verse 15; compare Ps 56:5), saving them from harm inflicted upon them by the mighty both in word and deed (compare Ps 106:42). Job 5:17-27. Application of the thoughts of verses 9–16 to Job.

Job 5:17. Happy is the man whom God reproves; therefore do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. Job 5:18. For he wounds and his hands also heal; he strikes, and his hands also make whole. From the connection of the second part of verse 17 with the first, it is clear that God reproves man through punishments. Reproof consists in the fact that the one being punished does not become angry, like a fool (verse 2), but comes to a consciousness of his sinfulness and humbles himself before God. The result of this is the blessedness and happiness of the one reproved. God raises up the humble and saves them; a similar fate awaits the one who has been reproved. God, who has inflicted wounds upon him, will himself heal them (verse 18; compare Deut 32:39; Lam 3:32; Hos 6:1). Having in mind the saving consequences of reproof, Job should not resist the calamities that have befallen him (Prov 3:11; Heb 12:5), murmur and become angry, as he has been doing until now.

Job 5:19. He will deliver you from six troubles; in seven no evil will touch you. If Job follows the advice of Eliphaz, the Lord will save him from calamities an unlimited number of times (“six-seven” — Prov 6:16; Prov 30:15).

Job 5:20. In famine he will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword. Job 5:21. You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and you will not fear destruction when it comes. Job 5:22. At destruction and famine you will laugh, and you will not fear the wild animals of the earth, Job 5:23. for you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals of the earth will be at peace with you. The Lord will save him from death caused by hunger and the sword; from harm inflicted by the tongues of slanderers (verse 21; compare verses 15–16; Ps 56:5; Sir 28:20); from hostile relations with both inanimate and animate nature: stones will not harm the fertility of his fields (2 Sam 3:19; Isa 5:2), and wild animals will pose no threat to him and his herds (Lev 26:22; Deut 32:24; 1 Sam 20:36; 2 Sam 2:24; Ezek 5:17; Hos 2:20). Job 5:24-26. Job will be rewarded with blessings of a positive character.

Job 5:24. You will know that your tent is safe, and you will visit your fold and miss nothing. Not troubled by either men or external nature, he will enjoy peace: “your tent is safe” and abundance in all things: “you will visit your fold and miss nothing,” more precisely, “you will not lack anything,” since the Hebrew “lo-tehetah,” translated as “you will miss nothing,” comes from the verb “hata”—“to lack,” “to miss” (Judg 10:16; Prov 19:2).

Job 5:25. You will know that your offspring will be many, and your descendants like the grass of the earth. Job 5:26. You will come to the grave in a full age, as a shock of grain comes in in its season. In place of his dead children, he will have numerous, like the grass (Ps 143:12), offspring, and he himself will die in deep old age, satisfied with days.

Chapter Six

Job’s answering speech to Eliphaz’s speech. 1–7. The naturalness of lamentation. 8–27. The desire for death in view of the impossibility of bearing suffering, especially without support from friends. 28–30. A request to his friends to pay closer and more careful attention to his words.

Job 6:1. And Job answered and said: Job 6:2. Oh, that my vexation were weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances! Job 6:3. For then it would be heavier than the sand of the seas; therefore my words are rash. Since Eliphaz begins his first speech with a reproach to Job for his despair (Job 4:5), the latter first of all tries to free himself from such an accusation. His “words are rash” (“ρήματα φαῦλα” LXX—evil; “λόγοι κατάπικροι” Symmachus—full of bitterness), but in no way “foolish” or “senseless,” as Delitzsch translates; compare verses 28–30); they are full of heat and irritability (verse 1, Hebrew “kasi,” “ὀργή” LXX; compare Job 5:2), but this is entirely understandable. Job’s complaints are natural in view of extraordinary suffering; their weight exceeds the weight of the sand of the sea (Prov 27:3; Sir 22:15), is more innumerable than the latter (Gen 22:17; Jer 33:22; Hab 1:9). Therefore, if one compares his impatience and heat with the calamities, it will appear to be small in comparison with them.

Job 6:4. For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; my spirit drinks their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me. The cause of such extraordinary suffering is that against him, Job, God himself has risen up. He, as a “warrior” (Jer 20:11), inflicts such terrible suffering upon him as is caused by poisoned, “burning” arrows (Ps 7:14).

Job 6:5. Does the wild donkey bray when it has grass, or does the ox bellow over its fodder? Job 6:6. Can something tasteless be eaten without salt, or is there any taste in the white of an egg? Job 6:7. My soul refuses to touch them; they are like food that makes me sick. A figurative expression of the thought of the naturalness of complaints. If irrational animals (the donkey and the ox) do not express discontent without reason, then even more so will not a man, a rational being. As bread without salt and egg white are unpleasant, so too are complaints. And if nevertheless Job complains, it is obviously because he is forced to. He is forced by the fact that all the time he lives with an unbearably difficult (“loathsome”—verse 7) thought about the befallen sorrow, whose possibility he did not even imagine (“my soul refuses to touch”—verse 7) in the days of past happiness (Job 29:18-20).

Job 6:8. Oh, that I might have my request, and that God would grant my desire! Job 6:9. That it would please God to crush me, that he would let loose his hand and cut me off! In view of the weight of suffering, Job’s complaints are natural and understandable, and the desire for death connected with them (Job 3:3-11 and following) is also natural. The sooner it comes, the better, therefore Job wishes to die from the swift blow of God’s hand (verse 9; compare Isa 38:12-13).

Job 6:10. This would still be my consolation; I would even exult in unrelenting pain, for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One. Speedy, imminent death would be a consolation for Job: he would die with the consciousness that he “has not concealed the words of the Holy One,” that he has remained true to his commandments (Job 23:12); and this consciousness is for him, as a godly man, a consolation (Ps 118:50).

Job 6:11. What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is my end, that I should prolong my life? Job 6:12. Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh bronze? Job 6:13. Have I any help in me, and is wisdom driven quite from me? The desire for speedy death expressed in verse 9 is further motivated by the fact that Job lacks the strength to bear the suffering (verse 13). He is an ordinary mortal man with flesh sensitive to pain (“not stone” and “not bronze”—verse 12); his patience may be exhausted. He could still bear and wish for life to continue if some way out of sorrow were foreseen; but there is none (verse 11). Patience cannot be supported by either physical or spiritual strength. Job 6:14-21. Finding no strength within himself to bear the suffering, Job hoped to draw them from the sympathetic attitude toward him on the part of friends, but was disappointed. The desire for death does not weaken.

Job 6:14. To the one who is fainting, kindness is owed from a friend, even if he has forsaken the fear of the Almighty. The Synodal reading of the second half of the verse represents an incorrect rendering of the text; the conjunction “ve” “and” is translated as “if only,” and an absent-in-the-original negation “not” is inserted (“did not forsake”). In a literal translation, the whole verse reads: “to the one who is fainting, kindness is owed from a friend, and he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.” The remaining obscurity even with such a rendering compels exegetes to resort to various interpretations. Delitzsch understands the conjunction “and” in the sense of “otherwise” and translates the whole passage thus: “kindness is owed from a friend to the fainting, otherwise he will forsake the fear of the Lord,” that is, a fainting person without support from friends may fall into despair. Others propose such a reading: “kindness is owed to the fainting, even (and) to one who has forsaken the fear of the Almighty,” that is, was actually guilty (Vigourou. A Manual for the Reading and Study of the Bible. Translated from the French edition with additional notes by V. V. Vorontsov. 2 vols., issue 2, p. 265). But such an understanding is not confirmed in the book of Job. His friends directly assert that the sufferings of the guilty cause not compassion but feeling of horror and trembling (Job 18:20). And if they hold such a view even at the moment of Job’s speech in chapter VI (Job 6:20), then he would hardly have asked them for compassion. It is more natural to adopt Delitzsch’s reading and understanding: Job seeks sympathy and support from friends so as not to fall into complete despair; he is close to it, since he himself is unable to encourage himself (compare verses 11–18).

Job 6:15. But my brothers have been treacherous as a torrent, as a torrent in a desert that runs dry. Job 6:16. that are dark because of ice, and where the snow hides, Job 6:17. but when the time grows warm, they cease to flow, and when it is hot, they disappear from their place. Job 6:18. The caravans turn aside from their way; they go up into the waste and perish. Job’s hope in his friends has not been fulfilled: they are “unfaithful”—they deceived his expectations. Their inconstancy in feeling reminds one of the inconstancy of desert torrent beds (χειμάρρους LXX—“winter torrent”), which are full of water only during the time of snow-melt, but when warmth sets in, they become shallow, and in heat they completely disappear, without a trace, lost in the sands of the desert.

Job 6:19. The caravans of Tema look to them, the travelers of Sheba hope for them; Job 6:20. but they are disappointed in their expectation; they come there and are ashamed. Waterless in summer, they disappoint the caravans expecting to find water in them (Hebrew expressions “archot” and “galakhot,” translated as “roads,” “paths,” mean “a train of travelers,” “a caravan”) of the Sabeans (see the commentary on verse 15 of chapter 1) and of Tema (the descendants of Ishmael from his son of this name, who lived in Arabia and traded with Egypt) (Gen 25:15; Isa 21:14).

Job 6:21. Thus you are nothing; you see something fearful and are afraid. Thus his former friends’ friendship has turned to nothing: upon seeing Job struck by terrible disease, they became frightened, recognized him as a sinner (Job 18:10), whose condition cannot evoke compassion.

Job 6:22. Did I say, ‘Bring something to me’? Or, ‘From your wealth offer a bribe for me’? Job 6:23. Or, ‘Save me from the hand of the adversary’? Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the ruthless’? Job has done nothing to cause such a change in the attitude of his friends toward him: he neither has demanded nor demands any sacrifice of them that would put an end to friendship (Prov 25:17).

Job 6:24. Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand how I have erred. Job 6:25. How painful are honest words! But what does your criticism prove? Job 6:26. Do you think to reprove words, when the speech of the desperate is wind? Job 6:27. You would even cast lots over the orphan, and bargain over your friend. His friends are wrong, having changed their feelings of friendship; they are also wrong in the role of accusers of Job. Job would agree with his friends if they pointed out actual faults in his words and utterances. He would remain silent before the truth (verses 24–25). But do his friends not condemn words belonging to the wind, the words of the desperate (the exact translation of verse 26 will be thus: “do you think to reprove words? But the words of one in despair belong to the wind”), that is, they think to prove his guilt from words that were accidentally uttered in a state of despair and excessive emotion, the exaggeration of which is obvious. Basing themselves only on such expressions, his friends treat Job as merciless creditors treat a young orphan, the heir of their debtor (“you would even cast lots over the orphan”—verse 27, more precisely: “you would cast lots regarding the orphan”); they are ready even to sell him (the Hebrew “tikru,” translated as “bargain,” comes from the verb “kara,” meaning both “to buy” — Deut 2:6; Hos 3:2. The comparison of friends to merchants in the second part of verse 27 fully corresponds to the comparison of them to creditors in the first).

Job 6:28. But now, please, look at me; for it is not fitting that I should lie to your face. Job’s words are full of heat, but they are entirely just.

Job 6:29. Turn back, let there be no injustice; turn back, my vindication is in this. Job 6:30. Is there injustice on my tongue? Cannot my mouth taste the difference between bad and good? Confident in his own rightness, fully able to distinguish falsehood from truth (verse 30), Job demands that his friends “turn back”—change their attitude toward him.

Chapter Seven

1–10. The second half of Job’s response to Eliphaz 11–21. The impossibility of hope for happiness. Complaints against God, who has punished Job without cause

Job 7:1-10. In the second half of his speech Eliphaz expressed confidence that Job, upon the condition of humble turning to God, would be restored to earthly prosperity (Job 5:8-26). Against this declaration of the senior friend the second part of Job’s speech is directed, proving the impossibility of happiness for himself.

Job 7:1. Is there not a fixed time appointed to man upon the earth, and are not his days like the days of a hired laborer? Job 7:2. As a servant longs for the shadow, and as a hired laborer waits for the end of his work, Job 7:3. so I have inherited empty months, and nights of sorrow are allotted to me. Job 7:4. When I lie down, I say: when shall I arise? and the evening drags on, and I toss restlessly until dawn. Happiness is impossible at the present time. Human life on earth is hard, like military service (“tsaba,” cf. Isa 40:2 – “time of struggle”), like an unfree existence full of toil like that of a hired laborer; Job’s condition is even more difficult. The servant finds rest in the evening, and the laborer receives pay for his work (cf. Prov 21:6), but Job awaited relief – alleviation of his disease – and hoped in vain for entire months (v. 3). During them he suffered continuously, even by night. Sleepless nights that brought no relief from disease (“nights of sorrow,” in the LXX – “νύκτες ὀδύνης” – “nights of pain” v. 3; “I toss restlessly until dawn” – v. 4), they made him think: “when will the evening pass” (Hebrew; “unidad areb,” rendered in the Synodal text with the phrase: “and the evening drags on” – v. 4, may mean: “the evening will pass”) and wait for the coming of day (“when shall I arise?” – v. 4) at the moment when he was only just lying down.

Job 7:5. My body is clothed with worms and dust; my skin cracks and festers. Job 7:6. My days run swifter than the shuttle and come to an end without hope. Job 7:7. Remember that my life is but a breath, and my eye will not return to see good. Job 7:8. The eye of him who sees me will not see me; your eyes are upon me, and I am no more. Job 7:9. A cloud dissolves and departs; so he who descends into the grave does not come up, Job 7:10. nor shall he return to his home, and his place shall know him no more. Job’s present condition is such that it deprives him of the ability to think of future happiness. And it is truly impossible. He is a living corpse covered with worms which breed in the body which has taken on the color of earth (“my body is clothed… with dust” – v. 5, more precisely – “with an earthen crust”). The decomposition of the body is a harbinger of death: days flashing with the speed of a weaver’s shuttle (v. 6, cf. Isa 38:12) arouse no other hope, Job will die, disappear for all who have known and seen him (v. 8, 10 cf. Job 20:9; Ps 38:14), descend into the grave from which there is no return for coming back to earth to its blessings.

Job 7:11. I will not restrain my lips; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Job has no hope for an end to his sufferings, for a restoration of happiness, and therefore has no reason to cease his complaint, as Eliphaz advised (Job 5:17).

Job 7:12. Am I a sea or a sea monster, that you have set a guard over me? In contrast to the complaint of ch. III, his complaints are now directed against God, the cause of Job’s undeserved sufferings. He is not a harmful sea or river monster (“tannin”) and not the sea, whose destructive actions are limited by shores (Ps 103:7; Prov 8:29; Jer 5:22), that is, he is dangerous to no one. But then what reason is there to keep him under guard? Not to be freed from suffering for even a moment?

Job 7:13. When I think: my bed will comfort me, my couch will ease my sorrow, Job 7:14. you terrify me with dreams and frighten me with visions; Job 7:15. and my soul chooses suffocation, death rather than the preservation of my bones. They, contrary to expectations (v. 13), do not cease even at night. During sleep he is subject to nightmares – hallucinations so terrible and oppressive that he wishes the bouts of asphyxia accompanying his disease to end in strangling (v. 15).

Job 7:16. Life is loathsome to me. I do not wish to live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are a vapor. Life becomes a burden for Job under continuous suffering (cf. Job 10:1). And since his existence cannot continue indefinitely, one day he must die (“I do not wish to live forever”), then in view of approaching death (“my days are a vapor,” – “hebel” – breath, vapor) God ought to give him relief from his sufferings.

Job 7:17. What is man, that you esteem him so highly and turn your attention upon him, Job 7:18. that you visit him every morning and test him every moment? Job 7:19. How long will you not leave me, how long will you not depart from me, until I can swallow my own spittle? Job 7:20. If I have sinned, what have I done to you, O keeper of mankind! Why have you made me your target, so that I am a burden even to myself? Job 7:21. And why do you not forgive my sin and take away my iniquity? For now I shall lie in the dust; you will seek me, and I shall be no more. There are other grounds on the part of the Lord to ease Job’s torments even for the shortest time – for a single moment (“until I can swallow my own spittle?” – v. 19). Like every man, Job is a insignificant, weak being (“enosh”), upon which in view of the Lord’s greatness it is not worth paying attention (v. 17, 18 cf. Ps 8:5). By his sins, if only they exist, he does not cause God harm; so that He, the keeper of men, in the sense of avenger, has no grounds to see in Job his enemy, to make him the target of his arrows (v. 20). Finally, Job will soon die, and therefore why not out of compassion forgive sins – deliver from suffering and thereby give him the possibility to die peacefully (v. 21)?

Chapter Eight

The speech of Bildad. 1–2. Preface. 3–22. Bildad’s main idea: God is an absolutely righteous being, and the considerations confirming it.

Job 8:1. And Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: Job 8:2. How long will you speak thus? – the words of your mouth are like a rushing wind! Bildad’s impatience (“How long?”) is caused by Job’s vehemence and the emptiness of his words: “the words of your mouth are like a rushing wind.” Without touching on the first quality noted and condemned by Eliphaz (Job 5:2 and following), he dwells only on the second.

Job 8:3. Does God pervert judgment, and does the Almighty pervert righteousness? The emptiness of Job’s words shows itself in his denial of Divine Justice (Job 7:12). One cannot allow that God the Almighty has perverted righteousness. As the Almighty, that is, the providential ruler conducting all existence to its destiny and maintaining order, God cannot be unjust (Job 34:10-17).

Job 8:4. If your sons have sinned against Him, then He has delivered them into the hand of their transgression. God’s justice shows itself in facts of punishment. Not without cause and not by God’s arbitrary will did Job’s children perish. If they sinned, were in the hands of – in the power of – transgression, then the dominion of the latter brought them to their ruin (Job 18:7 and following Job 20:12 and following, Job 20:18-21; Prov 11:5-6).

Job 8:5. If only you would seek God and make supplication to the Almighty, Job 8:6. and if you are pure and upright, surely He will even now rouse Himself for you and restore the habitation of your righteousness. Job 8:7. And though your beginning was small, yet your latter end will be very great. God is righteous also in facts of reward. If Job turns to Him with all his heart, then He will guard him (“rouse Himself for you”), deliver his house, in which righteousness dwells, from every misfortune and reward him with blessings innumerable compared with his former ones.

Job 8:8. For ask now the former generations and consider the findings of their fathers; Job 8:9. for we are of yesterday and know nothing, because our days on the earth are a shadow. Job 8:10. Behold, they will teach you, tell you, and speak from their heart: To give his thoughts greater persuasiveness, Bildad attributes them not to his personal view: to him, having lived little (“we are of yesterday,” “our days are a shadow on the earth,” v. 9; cf. Job 14:2; 1 Chr 29:15) and therefore knowing little, one need not believe, but to a deep, sincere (“from the heart” – v. 10) conviction of ancestors made wise by long life and experience (cf. Job 12:12).

Job 8:11. Does the papyrus grow up without moisture? Does the reed grow without water? Job 8:12. While yet fresh and not cut down, yet before all other grass it withers. Job 8:13. Such are the ways of all who forget God, and the hope of the godless will perish; Job 8:14. his trust is broken, and his confidence is a house of a spider. Job 8:15. He leans upon his house and it does not stand; he grasps it and it does not hold. On behalf of the ancestors Bildad brings two proverbial sayings. In the first of them the life and fate of the wicked is compared with the fate of two Egyptian plants: – “gome” – papyrus, and “ahu.” This name appears only elsewhere in Gen 41:2 and means, according to blessed Jerome, any greenery growing in the marsh. As “gome” and “ahu” cannot grow without moisture and water and perish before their time in the absence of it, so exactly the similar fate awaits those who forget the Lord, who constitute the hope of man (Prov 3:26). Their endeavor to ensure their existence by personal forces is in vain; confidence in this is unstable (“house of a spider” cf. Isa 59:5-6).

Job 8:16. It grows green before the sun, its branches spread over the garden; Job 8:17. its roots are wrapped around a heap of stones; it grasps rocks between them. Job 8:18. But when it is torn from its place, that place denies it, saying: “I have never seen you!” Job 8:19. Behold, such is the joy of his way! and out of the earth others grow. The second proverbial saying of the ancestors, comparing fate with the fate of a creeping vine plant, aims to note the fact of its destruction despite its strength and firmness. The vine is an undemanding plant and at the same time possesses such force that if it meets a heap of stones, it weaves them with its numerous roots: “its roots are wrapped around a heap of stones, between them it grasps rocks” (v. 17). But when it is torn up, not a trace of it remains (v. 18, cf. Job 7:10). Such exactly is the result of the flourishing at first life of the wicked (v. 19).

Job 8:20. See, God does not reject the blameless, nor does He strengthen the hand of evildoers. Job 8:21. He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with a shout of joy. Job 8:22. Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will cease to be. Conclusion from the experience of ancestors and its application to Job. God does not reject the blameless man and does not support the evildoer – “does not strengthen his hand” (Isa 41:13; Jer 23:14). On the condition of Job’s turning to God his further life will be full of joy (v. 21; cf. Ps 125:2-3), and his enemies will prove shamed (“clothed with shame”; cf. v. 13–15; Ps 34:26) and even disappear from the face of the earth (“their tent will cease to be,” cf. v. 18–19; Ps 51:7).

Chapter Nine

The first half of Job’s response to the speech of Bildad.

Job 1:1-35. God’s justice is the justice of a powerful being, who violates the demands of righteousness in relation to all people, and in particular in relation to Job.

Job 9:1. And Job answered and said: Job 9:2. Truly, I know that it is so; but how can a man be righteous before God? Agreeing with Bildad’s opinion about Divine Justice (Job 7:3), Job at the same time does not allow, like the psalmist (Ps 142:2), the thought of the possibility of justification of man before God (“how can a man be righteous before God?”). From this it follows of itself that Divine Justice appears to him in a different light than to his friends.

Job 9:3. If he wishes to contend with Him, He will not answer him one of a thousand. Job 9:4. God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? In Job’s view, man must acknowledge God as righteous because He excels him in two respects: wisdom and all-powerful might – strength. God is wise; man is not able to answer even one of a thousand of His words, and therefore each of them is forced to acknowledge as true and just. The wise in heart, the Lord possesses sufficient strength to make people fulfill His commands. And however much man may resist them, in the end he is compelled to submit to them, to agree that this is as it should be (“who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?” v. 4). God’s righteousness is the righteousness of a being strong in wisdom and, thanks to all-mightiness, immovable in His determinations.

Job 9:5. He moves mountains, and they do not know it; He overturns them in His anger; Job 9:6. He shakes the earth from its place, and its pillars tremble; Job 9:7. He says to the sun, and it does not rise; and He seals up the stars. This strength that allows no opposition (v. 4) manifests itself above all in the physical world, in such phenomena as earthquakes and eclipses. During the former mountains move and are destroyed, the earth is shaken from the place (Isa 13:13) that it occupies in world space (Job 26:7), and its foundations quake (Ps 103:5; Job 38:6), during the latter the sun gives no light, seeming as though not risen, and the brightness of the stars grows weak (“to seal” in the sense of limiting strength in Dan 9:24).

Job 9:8. He alone spreads out the heavens and walks upon the heights of the sea; Job 9:9. He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south; The evidence of divine all-mightiness are further the heavens spread out, like a scroll, (Isa 40:22; Ps 103:2); the storms arising at the Lord’s will (Ps 106:25-26; Hab 3:15) and finally the constellations of the northern and southern hemisphere: “Bear” – the Great Bear, “Orion” – Orion (cf. Amos 5:8), “Pleiades” (“heap”) – the constellation of the Pleiades and the chambers of the south – all the stars of the southern hemisphere.

Job 9:10. He does great things which we cannot comprehend, and innumerable wonders! All the facts adduced by Job constitute an insignificant part of the incalculable mighty deeds of God (cf. Job 5:9).

Job 9:11. Behold, He passes by me, and I do not see Him; He goes by me, and I do not perceive Him. Job 9:12. If He takes, who will hinder Him? Who will say to Him: what are you doing? The same incomprehensible and unlimited all-mightiness appears also in God’s dealings with men. He acts with them without their knowledge (v. 11), much more without asking their assent or dissent (v. 12; cf. Isa 40:9; Jer 49:19; Jer 50:44); acts solely according to His own judgment (cf. Ps 77:38).

Job 9:13. God will not turn away His anger; beneath Him the helpers of pride bow down. The irresistible will of the all-mighty Lord tramples the will of “helpers of pride” (Hebrew “ragav”), all the proud and haughty. As is evident from Ps 88:11, Isa 51:9, “ragav” means sea monsters, hence the reading of the LXX: “ὑπ αὐτοῦ ἐκάμφθη κήτη τὰ ὑπ οὐρανῶν”, – “the whales under heaven humbled themselves under Him.”

Job 9:14. How much less can I answer Him and choose my words before Him? Job 9:15. Although I were righteous, I could not answer; I would have to plead with my Judge. Before the face of a wise God and immovable in His determinations, who turns to nothing human reasoning, count for nothing the considerations brought forward by man to prove his righteousness. Such a God cannot be convinced, but only entreated, asked to turn away His anger to mercy. A similar outcome pointed to Bildad (Job 8:5), and Job himself inclines toward it.

Job 9:16. Even if I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He heard my voice, Job 9:17. for He breaks me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause, Job 9:18. and does not let me catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness. One can entreat God, but cannot reckon on the entreaties reaching their goal. The Lord in His anger strikes Job (v. 16), and for not a moment does He give him relief from suffering. And if anger is irresistible (v. 13), then the entreaties are in vain and the hope created by them for forgiveness.

Job 9:19. If it is a matter of strength, behold, He is mighty! If it is a matter of judgment, who will set me a time? Job 9:20. Though I am righteous, my own mouth will condemn me; though I am blameless, it will pronounce me guilty. One cannot even compel God to hear entreaties: all-mightiness is not subject to the pressure of a weak man. Eliphaz advised Job to commit his cause to God (Job 5:8). But, first, no one is able to compel the all-mighty Lord to enter into examination of his case. Second, if judgment were to take place, its results would be unfavorable for Job. Job’s self-justification the wise God will turn into an accusation. If he should even manage to justify himself, to prove his innocence, yet the Lord who does not turn away His anger will declare him guilty; and to such a sentence of the all-mighty God Job must submit.

Job 9:21. I am blameless; I do not care about myself; I despise my life. Job 9:22. It is all one; therefore I say: He destroys both the blameless and the guilty. Job 9:23. If the scourge slays suddenly, He laughs at the despair of the innocent. Job 9:24. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it? In such a position Job cannot avail himself of the counsel of his friends to await an improvement in his condition (Job 5:19 and following; Job 8:21). As an innocent man (v. 21), he might hope for this, and yet he does not wish even to care about his life – to be concerned for it (Hebrew “yada,” see Gen 39:6), he feels aversion to it. The reason for this phenomenon lies in the fact that under Divine injustice the innocence and sinfulness of man are indifferent (“it is all one,” v. 22) to his fate. If the Lord equally destroys the guilty and the innocent, in the violation of righteousness goes so far as to find pleasure in prolonging the suffering of the righteous, and makes the representatives of righteousness incapable of distinguishing good and evil (v. 24; cf. Isa 29:10), then Job’s innocence will not save him from suffering, and such a life is repugnant to him (Job 6:7).

Job 9:25. My days are swifter than a runner; they flee, they see no good, Job 9:26. they pass like swift boats, like an eagle swooping on its prey. Life inspires Job only with aversion; the desire for its continuation is out of place. This desire is not supported by present reality: in Job’s life, passing so swiftly that it cannot be compared with the swift pace of a runner, a papyrus boat made light (Hebrew “ebeh”; cf. Isa 18:2) and an eagle (Job 7:7; Ps 89:10), there is nothing cheerful; all has remained behind.

Job 9:27. If I say: I will forget my complaint, I will put aside my sad demeanor, and be cheerful; Job 9:28. I am afraid of all my suffering, knowing that You will not hold me innocent. The desire for life can be supported artificially, by way of creating a cheerful disposition, by way of encouraging oneself (v. 27). But even this is impossible in view of the fact of suffering. They are indicators of God’s irresistible anger (v. 17–18), indicators that God considers Job a sinner and will not free him from punishment.

Job 9:29. But if I am guilty, why do I weary myself in vain? Job 9:30. Even if I washed myself with snow water and thoroughly cleansed my hands, Job 9:31. then even then You would plunge me into the mire, and my own clothes would loathe me. Nor is life desirable in the role of guilty. It is “torment” (v. 29), tormenting expectation of punishment. The latter is inevitable in view of the impossibility for the guilty to justify themselves before God. Even at the highest cleanness, such as that achieved by washing with snow-water (Ps 50:9; Isa 1:18) and lye (“I washed my hands with soap,” more precisely; cf. Jer 2:22), God would find him so unclean that even his clothes would feel loathing toward him.

Job 9:32. For He is not a man, as I am, that I might answer Him, that we should come together in judgment! Job 9:33. There is no umpire between us, who might lay his hand upon us both. Such an unarguable judgment on the part of Job is the result of the fact that he and the Lord are two unequal parties in judgment. God is a wise and unlimited in strength being; he is a weak, insignificant mortal, not having the possibility to answer anything to even one of a thousand divine words (v. 3), much more to free himself from submission to the will of the Lord (v. 4). An end to such a relationship could be put by an umpire, a third disinterested party, a representative of righteousness, having the power to limit the injustice of God. But there is none; nor is there a possibility to escape from the role of the guilty; nor is continuation of life desirable.

Job 9:34. Let Him take His rod away from me, and let His terror not make me afraid, Job 9:35. then I would speak and not fear Him, for I am not so in myself. There is no umpire between God and Job; however, an equal judgment ensuring him the opportunity to prove his innocence might take place even under the condition that the Lord for a time puts an end to suffering – ceases to be his enemy (cf. Job 23:3-7). For his own part Job is able to prove his innocence, so that he “is not so in myself” – his conscience does not make such reproaches as would put him in an defenseless position before God. * * * Notes Constellations corresponding to present names: the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades.

Chapter Ten

Continuation of Job’s response to the speech of Bildad. 1–12. Job’s attempts to explain the cause of his suffering and their inadequacy. 13–19. New perplexities arising from this. 20–22. Request for mercy.

Job 10:1. My soul is weary of my life; I will give vent to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. Job 10:2. I will say to God: Do not condemn me; let me know why you contend with me? Job does not feel the desire to continue life (Job 9:21 and following); it is repugnant to him, arousing only complaints. To dispel, to destroy such a disposition and thereby to arouse the desire for life could the Lord by His answer to the question why Job suffers and is punished (cf. Job 3:20-23). But He appears only in the role of avenger, does not explain his guilt.

Job 10:3. Is it good for You to oppress, to despise the work of Your hands, while you smile on the counsel of the wicked? Job 10:4. Have You eyes of flesh, and do You see as a man sees? Job 10:5. Are Your days as the days of man, and Your years as man’s years, Job 10:6. that You search out my iniquity and seek out my sin, Job 10:7. although You know that I am not wicked, and there is none who can deliver me from Your hand? Vain too are the personal efforts of Job to comprehend the cause of the calamities that befell him and thereby to ease his grief. He knows no guilt for himself, but the suppositions he makes in order to clarify why the Lord punishes him cannot be recognized as satisfactory, since they are incompatible with the concept of God. First, it is inadmissible that the Lord would punish the creation of His hands (Gen 2:7; Ps 138:15) because it brings Him pleasure (v. 3). Such a supposition contradicts the divine love to which man owes his existence. Second, it is impossible to think that punishment is a result of error, ignorance (v. 4). It is inherent in one limited in mind, man, judging by appearance, but not to the all-knowing God, knowing the hearts of men (1 Sam 16:7; Sir 23:27-28). Finally, one cannot suppose that the life of the Lord is as short as human life and therefore He, fearing to miss the time for punishment, does not give Job’s sin to appear but deliberately seeks out his guilt and unjustly and without necessity subjects the innocent one to punishment before his time (v. 5–7).

Job 10:8. Your hands have made me and fashioned me altogether; will You then turn and destroy me? Job 10:9. Remember that You have made me like clay; and will You turn me to dust again? Job 10:10. Did You not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese, Job 10:11. clothe me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews, Job 10:12. grant me life and steadfast love, and Your care has kept my spirit? All the suppositions brought forward have no place and cannot have place. But in that case a new perplexity arises. As the first man created from clay, so also Job is the creation of God, the direct work of the Lord’s hands. By God’s will from human seed (“milk”) there began in the womb of his mother his organism, by God’s power there were created the various members one by one (“Your hands… have fashioned me altogether” – v. 8), and by that same power he was then made into a complete man (“clothe me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews,” v. 11; cf. Ps 138:13), over whom during the rest of his life God’s providence constantly watched (v. 12). And if now the Divine Creator destroys His creation (v. 8), much more, the object of His care and concern, then He performs an incomprehensible, unfathomable act of self-annihilation.

Job 10:13. Yet these things You hid in Your heart; I know that this was with You: Job 10:14. that if I sin, You mark it, and will not acquit me of my iniquity. Having shown His love to Job in the act of creation, God at the same time predetermined, established as a rule, not to forgive him even the smallest sin (Hebrew “hata” in contrast to great sins committed “with a bold hand” Num 15:30). How can one reconcile these two mutually exclusive principles: love and absence of forgiveness?

Job 10:15. If I am guilty, woe is me! And if I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head. I am full of disgrace and look upon my affliction. Job 10:16. Increase and grow against me, like a lion You hunt me and show again Your terrible power in me. Job 10:17. You renew Your witnesses against me and increase Your anger toward me; hard things come against me in succession. In such a relationship of God to Job the position of the latter proves to be completely hopeless. If he is guilty, he has no reason to expect mercy and forgiveness; if he is righteous, there is no grounds to “lift up his head” (v. 15), that is, to take courage. The latter is impossible because in the eyes of God Job remains a sinner deserving punishment. The evidence of such a relationship of the Lord to him is the increasingly growing disease, it is a witness to his guilt (Job 16:8), for which God pursues Job as a lion pursues its prey (Isa 38:13; Hos 5:14), in the infliction of suffering manifests His all-mightiness.

Job 10:18. Why then did You bring me out of the womb? Would that I had perished, no eye had seen me! Job 10:19. I would be as though I had not been, carried from the womb to the grave! Asserting that the Lord even at creation decided not to forgive him his sin (v. 13–14), Job does not understand how God could grant him life. The latter presupposes and requires love, but it was not, and the determination “not to leave sin without punishment” answers for this. There was no love, Job could not come into existence. So a new perplexity arises.

Job 10:20. Are not my days few? Then cease, and let me alone, that I may brighten up a little, Job 10:21. before I go, and I shall not return, to the land of darkness and the shadow of death, Job 10:22. a land of gloom, of deep shadow and disorder, where the light is as darkness. Troubled by all these unresolvable questions, having lost faith in God as a righteous, man-loving being, Job in view of his approaching death (“are not my days few?”) asks the Lord to withdraw from him, to stop manifestations of His anger (v. 15–17). Then he will die peacefully, not troubled by doubts. And this comparatively bright end will be compensation for the darkness that awaits him in the grave, where there is not even a trace of sunlight (“ophel” v. 22, cf. Exod 10:22), where reigns the shadow of death.

Chapter Eleven

Zophar’s speech. 1–3. Introduction—the occasion for the speech. 4–12. Complete lawfulness and justice of the punishment that befell Job. 13–20. Counsel to Job to repent, and then he will be comforted.

Job 11:1. And Zophar the Naamathite answered and said: Job 11:2. Can a multitude of words go unanswered, and is a man full of talk to be justified? Job 11:3. Shall your empty talk reduce men to silence? Will you mock, and no one shame you? Verbosity is not a sign of wisdom and truth (Prov 10:19), which brings listeners to silence through the power of its truth (Job 6:25); rather, it testifies to foolishness (Eccl 5:2). Considering Job’s lengthy speech to be unconvincing empty talk, Zophar does not allow the possibility of answering it with silence. Such silence would testify to the friends’ inability to understand and refute the emptiness of Job’s words, would speak of their foolishness.

Job 11:4. You say: “My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in Your eyes.” Job 11:5. But if only God would speak and open His lips against you— Job 11:6. and He would reveal to you the secrets of wisdom, that they are manifold in effect! Know therefore that God exacts of you less than your iniquity deserves. In contrast to Job, who is sure of the rightness of his judgments, his innocence (Job 10:7) and the undeservedness of his punishment, Zophar asserts that Job suffers not only fully deserved punishment, but even less than deserved: some of his sins are not revealed to him by God (v. 5), are consigned by God to oblivion (cf. Job 14:17)—forgiven.

Job 11:7. Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? Job 11:8. It is higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? Job 11:9. Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea. And as in the present case, so also in cases of greater sufferings Job has no right to dispute their justice. His protest is unreasonable, since it is a protest of a human limited in wisdom against God, whose wisdom, taken in all its scope, in all its depth and breadth (v. 8–9), surpasses human understanding (v. 7; cf. Rom 11:33). If man is not capable of comprehending in his vision and thought the heavens, sea, and earth, how then can he grasp their Creator? Job will condemn what he does not understand.

Job 11:10. If He passes through and imprisons and convenes a court, who can hinder Him? Job 11:11. For He knows deceitful men and sees iniquity; will He not consider it? Protest is not only unreasonable but also futile. Divine decrees, based on comprehensive knowledge of transgression even when concealed and covered up with falsehood, are just and therefore irresistible. Man must submit to them.

Job 11:12. But a hollow man will gain understanding, though man is born like a wild ass’s colt. So the wise man will act; but as for the hollow man, a donkey would sooner become human than he would come to reason (Delitzsch).

Job 11:13. If you direct your heart right and stretch out your hands to Him— Job 11:14. if iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and do not let wickedness dwell in your tents— Job 11:15. then you will lift up your face without blemish, and you will be steadfast and will not fear. Job 11:16. You will forget your trouble; you will remember it as waters that have passed away. Job 11:17. Your life will be brighter than noon; its darkness will be like the morning. Job 11:18. You will be secure, for there is hope; you will look around you and take your rest in safety. Job 11:19. You will lie down, and no one will make you afraid; and many will entreat your favor. God’s decrees are wise and irresistible; therefore they must be obeyed, not resisted. Humility is rewarded, pride is punished. When Job ceases his complaint, “directs his heart correctly”—gives it true direction (v. 13, cf. 1 Sam 7:3; 2 Chr 20:33; Ps 77:8), which will express itself in prayer and removal from all evil (v. 14, cf. Job 8:5-6), then God will reward him. He will be healed of his diseases, his face will become clean, freed from pustules (v. 15); not experiencing fear of loss, he will enjoy stable, uninterrupted happiness, happiness so complete and encompassing his entire existence that memories of past sufferings will leave no bitterness in his soul (v. 16). Not darkened by either anxiety about the future (v. 15) or sad memories of the past, Job’s life will be brighter than noon—the brightest time of day (v. 17). Even in case of danger, he, confident in divine help and protection, can enjoy peace, not fearing calamity; it will not touch him (v. 18–19; cf. Job 5:21-24; Lev 26:6; Zeph 3:13). Finally, God’s favor toward Job will make him an object of respect for many: they will seek, strive for his goodwill (v. 19 cf. Prov 19:6).

Job 11:20. But the eyes of the wicked will fail; and they will have no refuge, and their hope will perish. A completely different fate awaits the wicked. Not only will he not see anything good (“the eyes of the wicked fail” — Deut 28:32), but he will not be able to escape dangers—hope for deliverance from them will vanish (cf. Job 8:22).

Chapter Twelve

The first half of Job’s reply to Zophar’s speech. 1–10. The wisdom of the friends is unsound; their main proposition—that strict retribution rules on earth—is unjust. 11–25. Divine wisdom, which according to the friends’ words supposedly follows the principles of justice, in reality manifests itself in destructive phenomena—catastrophes.

Job 12:1. And Job answered and said: Job 12:2. No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you! Zophar’s speech began with blaming Job for empty talk—foolishness. Accordingly, Job first replies to this reproach. The ironic remark: “No doubt you are the people”—only you are worthy of bearing the title of people (Hebrew ‘am’—“people”; cf. Isa 40:7), and since you, the sole representatives of them, will die, then wisdom will also disappear from the face of the earth, testifies how little Job agrees with Zophar’s accusation.

Job 12:3. But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. And who does not know such things as these? It is entirely a misunderstanding. Job is a human being like the friends; one cannot take from him “a heart”—the capacity for intellectual and theoretical activity, including wisdom (Gen 27:41; Deut 7:17; Prov 16:9; Sir 3:9 and so on). In intelligence he is in no way inferior to them: what is known to them is known to him.

Job 12:4. I have become a mockery to my friend, I who called upon God and whom He answered. A righteous and blameless man has become a mockery. Having no right to deny intelligence and wisdom to Job, Zophar unjustly appropriates these qualities for himself and his friends. And indeed, what sort of wisdom is this when they are unable to distinguish a sinner from a righteous person and have made the pious Job an object of mockery? The truly wise person treats the sorrow and misfortune of his neighbor not with contempt and mockery, but with full compassion. Laughter at misfortune is a sign of foolishness (Eccl 5:2-4).

Job 12:5. The lamp held cheap in the thought of one at ease is despised—a torch prepared for those whose feet slip. The friends’ wisdom is as unsound as the judgments of those who have never been in darkness and nonetheless reject the need for a lamp. This is the meaning of the Synodal translation, which renders the Hebrew word “lapid” as “lamp,” with which meaning it is used in Gen 15:17; Judg 15:4 and in other places (13 in total), and which is given to it by the Targum, the Vulgate, and Luther. Modern exegetes, however—Fürstenau, Delitzsch—consider “lapid” composed of “le” and “pia,” and suppose that in this verse it has an abstract sense, the meaning of “misfortune” (cf. Job 30:24; Prov 24:22), and accordingly translate the whole passage thus: “misfortune awakens contempt in the thoughts of the prosperous; it meets those whose feet slip.” Translated in this way, the fifth verse will be in the closest connection with the fourth. Job asserts that the contempt with which his friends treat him is a common phenomenon, a well-known lot of the righteous, despised and rejected by the world.

Job 12:6. The tents of robbers are at peace, and those who provoke God are secure, who carry their god in their hands. After general arguments about the unsoundness of the friends’ wisdom, particularly Zophar’s, Job points out the error of their main proposition, in the establishment and substantiation of which all their wisdom is displayed. The theory of the friends, that tranquility and security are the lot of the pious alone (Job 5:19-21), is refuted by life. Life irresistibly testifies that these blessings are enjoyed by those who trample upon divine and human laws (“robbers,” “those who provoke the Lord”), by those who recognize no divinity except the power of their own hands (Hab 1:11).

Job 12:7. But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; Job 12:8. or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Job 12:9. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? Job 12:10. In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. And such a phenomenon—the flourishing of the wicked—is not a matter of chance but the work of God’s hands. Animate and inanimate nature clearly testifies that everything in the world is done by the will of the Lord (v. 9). In His hand, His power, is the life (“nephesh”) of every living creature—the lower, elementary side of psychic life—and the spirit (“ruach”) of “all mankind”—that which distinguishes them from animals—reason and higher ideal strivings and needs. If everything depends on God, then clearly He allows and permits even the flourishing of the wicked.

Job 12:11. Does not the ear test words as the palate tastes food? Job 12:12. Is not wisdom with the aged? And does not length of days bring understanding? Job 12:13. With Him are wisdom and strength; His are counsel and understanding. To justify their theory, the friends appeal to the authority of their ancestors (Job 8:8). And no one, certainly, will deny that a long life is a school of wisdom (v. 12). But, first, one cannot accept on faith everything they say. This is contrary to the capacity inherent in man to personally know the truth, to distinguish right from wrong (“does not the ear test words?” cf. Heb 5:14), just as personally by means of the tongue to distinguish taste in food (v. 11). On the other hand, although the aged do possess wisdom, the question still remains whether they are capable of understanding the governance of an absolute being (cf. v. 12 with Job 21:22), who possesses all necessary qualities for ruling the world: wisdom—the ability to know things and phenomena in their essence; might—the ability to carry out his plans without any difficulty; counsel—the ability to find the best paths and means to achieve given goals, and understanding—the ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood, beneficial and harmful (1 Sam 3:9). Job 12:14-25. The indications of personal experience and the testimony of tradition (Job 13:1) confirm the justice of the doubt Job has just expressed. According to the opinion of the elders and friends, divine wisdom, even when exposing masked evil (Job 11:11), does not leave it without punishment (Job 8:11-20) and always rewards good. It follows only the principles of justice and thereby maintains the moral world order. But according to Job’s own observation and the experience of others known to him, divine wisdom not only does not bring order into world life, but manifests itself in destructive actions, from which both the good and the evil suffer equally. Its manifestations do not comply with, as the friends assert, the principles of justice and are not determined by them.

Job 12:14. If He tears down, no one can rebuild; if He shuts a man in, no one can open. A general remark on the inevitability of the destructive actions of divine power and wisdom: Instead of “if He shuts a man in, no one can open,” the literal translation from the Hebrew should read: “a restraint (presumably a prison) against a man, and it does not open.” The image of speech is borrowed from the Eastern custom of using pits and cisterns as prisons, the opening of which was closed by something from above (Gen 37:20; Jer 38:6; Lam 3:53; Dan 6:16).

Job 12:15. If He withholds the waters, they dry up; if He sends them out, they overwhelm the land. One manifestation of destructive divine power is droughts and floods. Striking equally the righteous and the guilty (1 Sam 18:2-5; cf. Ps 106:33-34), they present an example of the fact that in the matter of world governance divine wisdom is not guided by the principles of strict, absolute justice (cf. Bildad’s proposition that external nature causes no harm to the righteous. Job 5:22-23).

Job 12:16. With Him are strength and sound wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are His. Similar phenomena in meaning are observed in human life as well. And, first of all, God not only does not restrain the deeds of the evil (cf. Job 5:12-14), but also uses them for purposes of world governance known only to Him: “the deceived and the deceiver”—more precisely: “His deceiver and one who is deceived.” They live and act by the will of God Himself, for so long, of course, as this is permitted by divine wisdom.

Job 12:17. He leads counselors away stripped, and judges He makes fools. Job 12:18. He looses the bonds of kings and binds a waistcloth on their loins; Job 12:19. He leads princes away stripped and overthrows the mighty; Job 12:20. He deprives the trusted advisors of speech and takes away the discernment of the elders; Job 12:21. He pours contempt on princes and loosens the belt of the strong; Job 12:22. He uncovers the depths out of darkness and brings utter darkness to light; Job 12:23. He makes nations great, and He destroys them; He enlarges nations, and He leads them away. Job 12:24. He deprives of intelligence the chiefs of the peoples of the earth and makes them wander in a pathless waste; Job 12:25. “They grope in the dark without light, and He makes them stagger like a drunkard.” God—further—is the sole cause of those calamities and disorders which arise from the absence or disruption of governmental power and, striking the whole nation, cause all to suffer without distinction. Thus, “He leads counselors away stripped” (v. 17), or in the literal translation from the Hebrew: “He leads away captive the counselors of peoples,” to which corresponds also the reading of the LXX: “leading counselors captive,” and judges He makes fools (v. 17; cf. Isa 19:11-15). He deprives kings of power (his bonds)—they are led away into captivity bound with ropes (v. 18), and with them priests also go there (instead of “princes He deprives of honor”—v. 19, literally from the Hebrew: “He leads priests into captivity,” to which the LXX follows: “leading priests as prisoners”), and all the stalwart, those strong in spirit perish. God also deprives those who are dependable (Neemanim) of speech, of the gift of persuasiveness in speech—the strength and mainstay of the nation—and the “elders” (v. 20)—those made wise by life—of discretion (“taam”)—the ability to follow the truth and persuade others to do so (cf. 1 Sam 25:33); He covers with shame the renowned (v. 21; cf. Ps 106:40), “weakens the strength of the mighty” (v. 21; literally “loosens the belt of the strong”; cf. Ps 108:19), takes from them the ability for such or such activity, in particular, for struggle (Isa 5:27), depriving the rulers of mind (v. 24; cf. Ps 106:40), brings them into a state of complete spiritual disruption, paralysis—“stagger like a drunkard” (v. 25, cf. Isa 19:14; Jer 23:9; Ezek 23:32). In short, the Lord brings peoples into such a state that within the state there is no one to uphold and restore order (“judges become fools”), no one even to give good counsel: counselors are led away captive, those made wise by life experience are forced to be silent. In the state weakened by internal dissolution there are no forces to resist enemies, to organize defense to repel them: kings are led away captive, the stalwart perish, and so forth. (Cf. Isa 3:1-3). And the state, created by God Himself (Prov 8:15-16), is destroyed by Him as well (v. 23). If divine wisdom and power are not guided in their manifestations by the distinction between the good and the evil—strike both equally—then for Job there is nothing comforting in the friends’ advice to commit himself and his fate to God. It is very possible that He struck him just as violently and unjustly as He has struck many others.

Chapter Thirteen

Continuation of Job’s reply to Zophar’s speech. 1–14. Job’s desire to bring his case to God’s judgment and the reasons for this. 14–28. Job’s confidence, under certain conditions, in his vindication.

Job 13:1. Behold, my eye has seen all this, my ear has heard and understood it. Job 13:2. What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. Job 13:3. But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God. Job knows no less than his friends and yet is unable to understand the reason for his sufferings; that reason is therefore incomprehensible to them as well. Therefore, to resolve the question: why did God condemn him, he decides to turn to Him Himself, as the only being who knows this.

Job 13:4. But you are forgers of lies; you are all physicians of no value. Job 13:5. Oh that you would keep silent, and it would be your wisdom! When Job makes the decision to bring his case to God’s judgment, the friends should remain silent. Their silence would be pleasant (“oh that you would”) for the sufferer, since by their lies—direct accusations of him in sins (Job 11:6) and suspicion of them (Job 5:17)—they cause him suffering (Job 19:2), and their discussions about divine wisdom, their advice to commit himself to it give as little comfort (Job 16:2) as a physician who does not understand the disease gives relief to the patient. Besides, silence, as evidence of the friends’ consciousness of their own wrongness, would testify to their wisdom (Prov 10:19), which they boast about so much.

Job 13:6. Hear now my argument, and listen to the pleadings of my lips. Job 13:7. Will you speak falsely for God, and speak deceitfully for Him? Job 13:8. Will you show partiality to Him? Will you plead the case for God? Job 13:9. Will it be well when He examines you? Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man? Job 13:10. He will surely rebuke you if you secretly show partiality. Job 13:11. Does not His majesty terrify you, and does not the dread of Him fall upon you? Job 13:12. Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay. But since such exhortations to silence might appear unconvincing to the friends, Job points out another reason—fear of divine punishment (v. 11) for attempting to defend God’s justice by unjustly accusing Job of sins (v. 7–8). The Great in justice God, great to the point of not respecting persons (Deut 10:17), and considering lying lips an abomination (Prov 12:22), will not leave them without punishment for their lies (v. 10; cf. Ps 30:19). It is inevitable: one cannot deceive God (v. 9), even with hidden hypocrisy (Job 11:11); one cannot prove the truth of his judgments when they are weak, like fortresses made of clay (v. 12). Job 13:13-19. Considerations supporting Job’s resolve to bring his case to God’s judgment (v. 3).

Job 13:13. Let me have silence, and I will speak whatever comes to me. Job 13:14. Why do I take my flesh in my teeth and put my life in my hand? Job 13:15. Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him; But I will defend my ways before Him. According to the testimony of Judg 12:3; 1 Sam 19:5; Ps 118:109, the expression “put my life in my hand” means “expose oneself to the greatest dangers.” The same sense, as is thought, is connected with the first, which occurs nowhere else in Scripture, half of v. 14: “Why do I take my flesh in my teeth.” Accordingly, v. 13–14 have the following sense. Job’s intention to “contend with God” (v. 3) is weakened by fear of being punished for bold speech. But this feeling is in turn eliminated by the consideration that he will not experience greater calamities than those he now endures. Therefore he has nothing to fear and dread: “I will speak whatever comes to me” (v. 13). Job waits fearlessly even for death; it would be terrible for him only if he had to die without vindication (v. 15 cf. Job 6:10).

Job 13:16. This itself will be my salvation, for a godless man would not come before Him. Job 13:17. Listen carefully to my speech, and let my declaration be in your ears. Job 13:18. Behold, I have prepared my case; I know that I will be vindicated. Job 13:19. Who is he that will contend with me? For then I would be silent and expire. Job’s resolve to bring his case to God’s judgment testifies to his innocence: “a godless man would not come before Him” (cf. v. 7–11). On the basis of this consciousness, there arises confidence in vindication (v. 18); a confidence so strong that Job is willing to die if anyone proves him guilty of transgression (v. 19).

Job 13:20. Only grant me two things, then I will not hide myself from Your face: Job 13:21. Withdraw Your hand far from me, and let not the dread of You terrify me. Job is confident in his innocence, confident as well that he will be vindicated before God. An obstacle to this can come only from the Lord’s side. If He “does not withdraw His hand from Job,” that is, does not ease or cease the sufferings altogether, then the latter will the whole time be in a state of trembling, of spiritual agitation (Job 9:28), which paralyzes clarity of thought and thereby prevents the clarification of innocence. Hence “the withdrawal of God’s hand,” the granting of peace—appears as the first condition, upon which Job can prove his righteousness. The second—is the granting to him during the entire trial with God the right to speak, therefore he asks that God not bring him to silence through fear of His divine majesty (v. 21; cf. Job 9:34-35).

Job 13:22. Then call, and I will answer; or let me speak, and You reply to me. Upon the condition of fulfilling his request, Job is ready to appear both in the role of the accused (“then call, and I will answer”) and in the role of the accuser (“or let me speak, and You reply to me”).

Job 13:23. How many are my iniquities and sins? Make known to me my transgression and my sin. Job 14:13. Facts on the basis of which Job counts on his vindication.

Job 13:24. Why do You hide Your face and consider me Your enemy? Not counting himself entirely without sin (v. 26), Job nonetheless does not know of such great sins within himself that would provoke God’s hostile relations toward him, such heavy sufferings.

Job 13:25. Will You frighten a leaf driven to and fro? And will You pursue dry chaff? Job 13:26. For You write bitter things against me and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth, Job 13:27. You put my feet in the stocks and watch all my paths; You set a limit for the soles of my feet. Job 13:28. “Man decays like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.” God acts toward Job as a strict, merciless judge. Without declaring to Job his guilt, He directly pronounces upon him a harsh judicial verdict (“you write bitter things” cf. Job 10:1; Hos 8:12); He imputes to one who has not committed any significant offenses in recent years the sin of youth—that is, recklessness (v. 26; cf. Ps 24:7), He does not allow to move from one place without pain (“you put my feet in the stocks”—v. 27) to one whose body is eaten up by disease, ready to fall apart (v. 28).

Chapter Fourteen

The conclusion of Job’s response speech to Zophar’s speech. 1–17. Job’s hope in God’s mercy, which allows him to vindicate himself. 18–22. Considerations that weaken it.

Job 14:1. A man born of woman is short-lived and full of troubles: Job 14:2. like a flower, he comes forth and withers; he flees like a shadow and does not remain. Job 14:3. And upon him do You open Your eyes, and bring me into judgment before You? God is too harsh toward Job (Job 13:23-36), yet he stirs compassion and deserves mercy. The life of a man born of a weak woman (Gen 3:16; Jer 51:30) and therefore by nature powerless is short, like the existence of a flower (Ps 36:2; Isa 40:6-8), the standing of a shadow (Ps 101:12; Eccl 8:13; Wis 2:5), and in itself sorrowful. Therefore there is no need to watch him carefully and then punish him for the slightest transgressions (“open Your eyes,” v. 3; cf. Zech 12:4).

Job 14:4. Who can be born clean from the unclean? No one. Born of parents infected by sin (Ps 50:7), man by his nature is inclined toward sin (Job 15:14). He sins involuntarily (Job 15:16) and is entirely guiltless in some sins. Is it worthy, given this, to punish him?

Job 14:5. If days are appointed to him, and the number of his months is in Your hand, if You have set him a limit which he does not pass, Job 14:6. then turn away from him: let him rest until he finishes his day, like a hired worker. Earthly life is the only time for man to enjoy the blessings of happiness (Job 7:7), within the limits and bounds set for him by God (v. 5; cf. Ps 38:5-6). If now, by the Lord’s will, Job’s existence draws to a close, then He should “turn away from him” (from the Hebrew “avert Your gaze,” cf. Job 7:19; Job 10:20), “until he rejoices in his day, like a hired worker,” that is, He should stop the punishments so that Job can experience, in the final moments of his life, a sense of joy (cf. Job 10:20-22).

Job 14:7. For there is hope for a tree that if it be cut down, it will live again, and its shoots will not cease to come forth: Job 14:8. though its root grow old in the earth, and its stump dies in the dust, Job 14:9. yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth branches like a newly planted tree. Job 14:10. But a man dies and is laid low; he departs, and where is he? Job 14:11. The waters depart from a lake, and a river dries up and withers: Job 14:12. so a man lies down and does not rise; until the heavens are no more, he will not awake, nor be roused from his sleep. A continuation of the former thought. In respect to the enjoyment of life, man’s lot is more sorrowful than the lot of a tree. Cut down or withered, it continues to exist in shoots and sprouts under favorable conditions (v. 9). A dead man, on the other hand, will not return to life “until the heavens are no more” (v. 12), that is, never, for the heavens are eternal (Ps 88:30; Jer 31:35); at the end of the world they will undergo change but not destruction (Isa 65:17; 2 Pet 3:13). The irretrievable disappearance of a man full of life resembles the trackless disappearance of waters (v. 11; cf. Isa 19:5).

Job 14:13. O, if only You would hide me in the grave and conceal me until Your wrath passes, set me a term and then remember me! The circumstances which Job has enumerated, by means of which he counts on vindicating himself before God, will not, however, be accepted by Him while He remains in a state of wrath (Job 9:13). Job will die as a sinner rejected by the Lord. Not allowing himself to think this before (Job 13:15), he cannot reconcile himself to it now and expresses a wish to die only for a time, while the Lord’s wrath continues, on the condition of rising again and returning to earth with all the signs of God’s favor.

Job 14:14. When a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my appointed time I would wait, until my relief comes. Job 14:15. You would call, and I would answer You, and You would show favor to the work of Your hands; In spite of doubt about the fulfillment of the expressed wish (“when a man dies, will he live again?” cf. Ps 88:49), Job presents it as accomplished and as if contemplates the fact of his vindication. Temporarily hidden in Sheol, he would wait for the end of his appointed time there, would wait for a change (“until my relief comes”) in his condition, his relation to God. “God would call, and he would give Him an answer,” called not in order to accuse, but in order to give the opportunity to vindicate himself (cf. Job 13:22), would manifest mercy instead of wrath.

Job 14:16. for then You would count my steps, and would not watch for my sin; Job 14:17. my transgression would be sealed in a scroll, and You would cover my iniquity. Job would then experience complete blessedness, whose power is clarified by contrast with his present condition. “But now,” says the sufferer, in precise translation from the Hebrew, “You count my steps, You watch my deeds. You have sealed my transgression in a bag and placed a seal upon my iniquity.” Job’s enumerated sins are “sealed in a bag,” kept in perfect preservation for the corresponding punishment, will not be forgotten and will not go unpunished.

Job 14:18. But the mountain falls and crumbles, and the rock moves from its place; Job 14:19. water wears away stones; its torrents wash away the dust of the earth: so You destroy the hope of man. What constitutes the need of Job’s whole soul—the wish for temporary dwelling in Sheol—is destroyed by the arguments of reason. The doubt: “when a man dies, will he live again?” (v. 14) prevails. If solid objects—mountains, stones, and rocks—are destroyed and do not remain immovable, then much less can the weak hope of Job for a return to life after temporary dwelling in Sheol have a place.

Job 14:20. You press him forever, and he departs; You change his face and send him away. Indeed, the calamity brought about by death is eternal (“You press him forever,” Hebrew “lanezah” = “for eternity”; Job 20:7). Like every man, Job will die with his face disfigured by death (“You change his face”), will depart and no more return to earthly life (cf. “I will go and no more return” Job 10:21).

Job 14:21. Whether his children are honored—he does not know, or if they are brought low—he does not perceive; Job 14:22. but his own flesh suffers pain, and his own soul grieves within him. Death breaks all connection with the earth: the dead know nothing of the fate of those near to him (v. 21; cf. Eccl 9:5-6); his flesh feels only what concerns itself directly, his soul grieves only for itself (v. 22).

Chapter Fifteen

The second speech of Eliphaz. 1–16. Reproach to Job for the lack of wisdom. 17–35. A description of the destruction of the wicked.

Job 15:1. Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: Job 15:2. Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the hot east wind, Job 15:3. and justify himself with words without value, and speeches that profit nothing? Job 15:4. Indeed, you cast off the fear and diminish devotion toward God. In reproaching his friends for lack of wisdom (Job 12:1-6), Job himself deserves the same accusation. That he lacks wisdom is evidenced by the emptiness (see note on Job 11:2), heat, and irritability of his speeches (“fills his belly with the hot east wind,” more precisely “with the wind of the east”), while the words of a wise man are penetrated by calm (Prov 14:29; Eccl 9:17), and finally by the denial of the fear of God—the beginning of all wisdom (Job 28:28; Prov 1:7; Prov 9:10; Ps 110:10; Sir 1:15-16). Those who deny the fear of God and are not firm in piety are, in Eliphaz’s view, why Job appears because he rejects God’s Justice in regard to himself, thinking himself innocently punished, and in regard to all people (Job 9:22 etc.). With the loss of the fear, the feeling of reverence toward God, there is no proper respect for the Lord seen in Job’s speeches: “you diminish devotion toward God” (v. 4).

Job 15:5. Your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the tongue of the crafty. Job 15:6. Your own mouth condemns you, not I; and your lips testify against you. The denial of the fear of God is a direct manifestation of wickedness (Ps 9:25). Consequently, Job himself bears witness to his own sinfulness and guilt, becomes his own accuser: “your own mouth condemns you, not I.”

Job 15:7. Were you the first man born, and were you brought forth before the hills? Job 15:8. Have you listened in the council of God, and do you limit wisdom to yourself? In his speeches, Job has not demonstrated the ordinary wisdom belonging to man. Much less does he have grounds to claim for himself some special wisdom that compels his friends to complete silence (Job 12:13). He is not the first man, and therefore is not endowed with those higher qualities that were characteristic of the latter. He was not created before the hills, as if from eternity (Ps 89:3; Prov 8:25), does not stand in direct relations with God, and has not been initiated by Him into the plans of God’s rule (Wis 9:13).

Job 15:9. What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not also ours? Job 15:10. Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, older in days than your father. Job is an ordinary mortal man; his knowledge is in no way above the knowledge of his friends. But since the latter cite in their speeches the experience of ancestors, older than Job’s ancestors, and therefore wiser, he must agree with them.

Job 15:11. Is the comfort of God too small for you? And is there anything unknown to you? Job 15:12. What do your impulses carry you away with, and what do your proud eyes look to? Job 15:13. That you turn your spirit against God and allow such words to proceed from your mouth? Job 15:14. What is man, that he should be clean, and he who is born of woman, that he should be righteous? Job 15:15. Behold, He does not trust even His holy ones, and the heavens are not clean in His sight: Job 15:16. how much less a man who is abominable and corrupt, who drinks iniquity like water. According to his knowledge, Job is an ordinary mortal man. Therefore, first of all, it is inappropriate on his part to show contempt (Job 12:1-6) toward the reasoning of his friends, their gentle speeches (“Is the comfort of God too small for you, and the gentle words addressed to you?” v. 11); second, bold, full of pride speeches to God (v. 12–13) are not allowed. In them he accuses Him of injustice, thinking himself innocently punished. Job has no right to reason thus, because the inclination toward sin is, for him as for all men, a necessity of nature (v. 16). He cannot be clean in God’s eyes (v. 14): the calamity that has befallen him is fully deserved.

Job 15:17. I will tell you, hear me; I will recount what I have seen, Job 15:18. what the wise have declared, and have not concealed from their fathers, Job 15:19. to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them. Eliphaz’s confidence in Job’s lack of wisdom gives him the right to express his view on the disputed question of earthly retribution. Contrary to Job’s judgments, the teaching set forth by the elder friend is distinguished by absolute certainty. It is not his personal view, but the view of the wise men of former times, handed down to him by his ancestors and compiled by the latter on the basis of personal experience and observation; there are no foreign influences in it: the ancestors lived at a time when strangers had not invaded their land (v. 19).

Job 15:20. The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden from the oppressor; Job 15:21. a dreadful sound is in his ears; in peace the destroyer comes upon him. Job 15:22. He does not believe he can escape the darkness; he sees the sword before him. Job 15:23. He wanders for bread wherever; he knows that darkness is ready at hand. Job 15:24. Distress and anguish terrify him; they overcome him like a king ready for battle, According to the teaching of the ancestors set forth by Eliphaz, the wicked never enjoys peace; his conscience, burdened by transgressions, constantly makes him fear calamities. The torments are heightened by the fact that the sinner does not know their end: “the number of years is hidden from the oppressor” (v. 20). The premonitions of calamity arising from the torment of conscience are justified: the wicked hears dreadful sounds that foretell his destruction. Although it overtakes him at a time when he is enjoying prosperity (v. 21), escape is impossible: the sword of God’s vengeance strikes the sinner (v. 22). The misery to which the wicked is doomed—for the rich it is complete poverty (v. 23)—overtakes him with irresistible force (v. 24).

Job 15:25. because he has stretched out his hand against God and boasts himself against the Almighty, Job 15:26. and rushes against Him with a stiffened neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers; Job 15:27. for he has covered his face with his fat, and gathered fat upon his loins, The cause of the wicked’s destruction is the haughty, arrogant resistance to God (v. 25; cf. Isa 23:11; Ezek 25:7; v. 26; cf. 1 Sam 2:3; Ps 72:3-9) combined with insensitivity to God’s dealings (v. 27 cf. Deut 32:15; Ps 72:7). Like a fattened, indifferent person, the sinner does not wish to see and understand the admonitions directed at him.

Job 15:28. He dwells in ruined cities, in houses where no one lives, which are destined for ruin. One manifestation of such a disposition is the settlement of the wicked in places associated with the memory of God’s punishment, and which, as visible monuments of righteous wrath, keep the God-fearing from attempting to settle in them. Based on the following v. 29, it seems that the settlement of the wicked in places destined for desolation is caused by greed, passion for acquiring riches.

Job 15:29. He will not become rich, and his wealth will not endure, and his possessions will not spread out over the land. Job 15:30. He will not escape from darkness; the flame will dry up his branches, and his breath will carry him away. Job 15:31. Let not the deceived trust in emptiness; it will be his recompense. Job 15:32. It will be accomplished before his time, and his branches will not flourish. Job 15:33. He will shake off his unripe grapes like the vine, and cast off his blossoms like the olive tree. Job 15:34. For the house of the wicked will be childless, and fire will consume the tents of bribery. Job 15:35. He conceives mischief and brings forth falsehood, and his belly prepares deceit. The end of the wicked man.

Job 15:29. He will not become rich, and his wealth will not endure, and his possessions will not spread out over the land. Job 15:30. He will not escape from darkness; the flame will dry up his branches, and his breath will carry him away. The prosperity created by the aforementioned path (v. 28) is unstable. His acquisition is not destined to flourish and reach maturity: “his possessions will not spread out over the land” (the figure is borrowed from a branch weighed down by fruit). It will perish like a tree thrown into fire. The “branches” are not Job’s children, since the speech about descendants comes later, but parts of accumulated growing wealth, which is compared to a tree.

Job 15:31. Let not the deceived trust in emptiness; it will be his recompense. In places destined for desolation and ruins (v. 29) one cannot establish oneself firmly: hope for this is vain, empty. Ruin awaits the one who thinks and acts otherwise (“the deceived”).

Job 15:32. It will be accomplished before his time, and his branches will not flourish. Job 15:33. He will shake off his unripe grapes like the vine, and cast off his blossoms like the olive tree. Job 15:34. For the house of the wicked will be childless, and fire will consume the tents of bribery. The fattened, indifferent sinner who has despised the divine decree is punished not only by the destruction of his possessions but also by premature death (v. 32; cf. Ps 54:24) and likewise destruction of his children (v. 33).

Job 15:35. He conceives mischief and brings forth falsehood, and his belly prepares deceit. A metaphorical summary of the preceding speech. Sin always and inevitably is accompanied by misery (Job 4:8; Ps 7:15-17; Isa 59:4).

Chapter Sixteen

Job’s reply speech to Eliphaz’s speech in the second conversation. 1–6. Job cannot console himself either with his friends’ reasoning or with his own speeches and silence. 7–17. No one but the earth can confirm his innocence. 19–21. An appeal to God.

Job 16:2. And Job answered and said: Job 16:2. I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all! Job 16:3. Will there be an end to windy words? Or what provokes you to answer like this? Job 16:4. I could speak like you, if your soul were in place of my soul; I would array words against you and shake my head at you; Job 16:5. I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the movement of my lips would assuage you. Eliphaz’s speech, representing a repetition of the view earlier expressed by his friends about the inevitable punishment of the sinner (Job 4:7-9; Job 8:11 etc.; Job 11:6 etc.), provokes a just remark from Job: “I have heard many such things” (v. 2). By repeating the old, which brings Job no comfort, the friends remain in their former position as “miserable comforters” (cf. Job 13:4), who would do better to be silent (Job 13:2). Not wishing to follow this advice, they drive Job to exasperation: “will there be an end to windy words?” (v. 3). Indeed, his friends’ speeches are not needed by the sufferer. “Windy”—not substantial in content, they are unable to settle the disputed question; containing no trace of tenderness, rather combined with mockery (“shake my head at you,” v. 4; cf. Ps 21:8; Isa 37:22), they bring Job no comfort (v. 5). And were the sufferer in the place of his friends, faithful to his view (Job 6:14), he would never act thus.

Job 16:6. When I speak, my pain is not eased; and when I am silent, does it not pass away from me? Not finding sympathy from his friends, Job, as never before, is in need of comfort. He seeks it but does not find it. He is unable to console himself. Neither speeches nor silence diminish his anguish. By God he has been brought to a state of “exhaustion” (v. 7)—a wasting of the ability by either means (speeches and silence) to ease his sorrow. Not explaining why speeches do not bring comfort, Job points out how his silence is accompanied by such consequences. Job 16:7-11. Silence on Job’s part appears as agreement with the facts that testify to his sinfulness.

Job 16:7. But now He has exhausted me; You have laid waste all my family. The first of these is the destruction of his family—an undoubted, according to the friends’ assertion, sign of sinfulness (Job 4:10-11).

Job 16:8. You have shriveled me, which is a witness against me; my leanness rises up against me, it testifies against my face. Such indicators of Job’s guilt are his sufferings (cf. Job 10:17), which he cannot escape as a prisoner cannot escape his chains. Instead of “You have shriveled me to witness against me,” according to the Hebrew verb “fattighmetini” = “you have bound me with chains,” this passage is usually read as: “You have bound me to testify against me.” To sufferings, as witnesses, are added the friends, these traitors, who have abandoned the bonds of friendship and justice (Job 6:14 etc.; Job 13:7). The word “kahshi,” rendered in the Synodal text as “leanness,” also means “liar, traitor,” so the second half of this verse is translated: “a traitor (friends) rises up before my face and accuses me.”

Job 16:9. His wrath has torn me, and He has pursued me; He gnashes His teeth at me; my adversary sharpens his gaze upon me. Job 16:10. They gape at me with their mouth; they strike me on the cheek with reproach; they band themselves together against me. Job 16:11. God has given me over to the wicked and cast me into the hands of the unrighteous. The last witnesses to Job’s sinfulness are those lawless men into whose hands he has been given by God. Based on the fact that God’s wrath not only does not cease but continues to intensify, so that God in His dealings with the sufferer is like a wild animal rushing at its prey (v. 9), they unite hostile treatment of Job with mockery and contempt (“strike on the cheek,” v. 10; cf. Ps 3:8; Mic 5:1; as well as Isa 50:6).

Job 16:12. I was at ease, but He shattered me; He has taken me by the neck and dashed me in pieces; He has set me up as His target. Job 16:13. His archers surround me; He pierces my loins without pity, He pours out my gall upon the ground, Job 16:14. He breaks me with breach upon breach; He rushes upon me like a warrior. Job cannot be silent, that is, cannot agree with these testimonies of his guilt, because calamity fell upon him at the time when he “was at ease” (v. 12), enjoyed the favor of God, was undoubtedly in His eyes a righteous man (cf. Job 29:1-6). There is no unrighteousness in his hands; his relations toward God are beyond reproach (v. 17), and yet the Lord during times of peace “shattered” him (v. 12)—made calamities especially felt. Like a wrestler grasping his opponent by the neck, He has cast him from a state of happiness into the depths of calamity (v. 12). And still he remains the object upon which the Lord practices His wrath. He strikes him with arrows (v. 13; cf. Job 6:4), piercing the inner parts, that is, causing terrible suffering through calamity (v. 13). In order to finally finish him, the Lord makes a final assault as it were (v. 14).

Job 16:15. I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and laid my horn in the dust. Job 16:16. My face is red with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death, As a result of such dealings of God toward Job, the latter is in a state of deep sorrow: mourning garments, “sackcloth,” do not leave him, wasted away (“laid my horn in the dust” v. 15, literally from the Hebrew “wrapped my horn in dust.” The horn is a symbol of strength. 1 Sam 2:1; Ps 74:5). His face from constant tears has taken on a reddish hue, and his eyes, weakened by sorrow and clouded by tears, are covered with darkness, a forerunner of death.

Job 16:18. O earth, cover not my blood, and let my cry find no rest place! Job is innocent; he cannot be silent. At the same time, it is useless to turn with speech to God and friends: they do not believe him. Given such circumstances, he turns with a request to the earth, that it “cover not” his blood. Innocent blood, shed wrongfully, demands vengeance, especially when it remains on the surface of the earth (Isa 26:21; Ezek 24:7-8). By turning to the earth with a request not to hide his blood, not to absorb it, Job wishes, at least, that it acknowledge his innocence, worthy of vengeance, restoration of violated rights, which God and friends refuse to do. “Let my cry find no rest place,” in literal translation: “let my cry not be suppressed” (concerning vengeance); the former thought expressed in another form.

Job 16:19. Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and He who vouches for me is on high. Job’s request is based on his deep conviction of his innocence, of which God Himself is a witness (Job 23:10). As a witness to the innocence acknowledged also by inanimate nature, He cannot but be his advocate. The faith of Job in God’s Justice, weakened before by various considerations, manifests itself in full force.

Job 16:20. My mockers are my friends; my eye pours out tears to God. Job 16:21. O, if man could have his plea heard by God, like the son of man with his neighbor! The Hebrew expression “melitzay rehay,” rendered in the Synodal text as “mockers are my friends,” should be translated according to Ps 118:51 with the phrase “scoffers are my friends.” Let the friends laugh and mock (v. 4) Job’s confidence in his innocence. He remains in his conviction. Certain of it and of God’s ultimate justice, the sufferer wishes only one thing: to see its manifestation now. Therefore, he asks that the Lord permit, give him the opportunity to maintain his righteousness before Him, as he could do so in a dispute with a man (v. 21; cf. Job 9:32 etc.).

Job 16:22. For the years of my life are few, and I go the way from which I shall not return. The motivation for such a request is approaching death: Job wishes to die vindicated.

Chapter Seventeen

The second half of Job’s response to Eliphaz’s speech. 1–9. A request directed toward God to testify to Job’s innocence, and the motivation for it. 10–16. The inappropriateness of friends’ counsel to hope for a better future.

Job 17:1-9. Verse 1 represents a repetition of the thought of Job 16:22, while 2–9 contain a more detailed development of the thought of Job 16:19-21.

Job 17:1. My breath is weak; my days are failing; the grave is before me. Job’s life is coming to an end, fading like a lamp.

Job 17:2. If not for their mockery, then among their disputes my eye would remain at peace. The approach of death does not frighten the sufferer. He would die peacefully if not for the mockery of his friends.

Job 17:3. Stand surety, pledge yourself on my behalf before yourself! Otherwise, who will pledge on my behalf? The all-knowing Lord alone can give Job the ability to die peacefully by clarifying his innocence (Job 16:19). Only He is capable of pledging for the righteousness of the sufferer. “Give a pledge, be surety for me before you; who else will strike hands with me?” (literal translation of this verse). “To strike hands” as a sign of obligation and “to give a pledge” are synonymous expressions (Prov 6:1). Job 17:1-9. The motives behind the request for intercession stated in verse 3.

Job 17:4. For you have closed their hearts from understanding, and therefore you will not let them triumph. Job 17:5. Whoever hands over friends for plunder—his children’s eyes will waste away. Only God and no one else can testify to and pledge for Job’s innocence. Friends are incapable of this. With their theory of earthly retribution, they are unable to rise to the thought of the possibility of innocent suffering. This is beyond their understanding. But God, having deprived them of wisdom (Matt 11:25), will not allow their false view of Job’s sinfulness to triumph, just as He does not permit the triumph of one who condemns his neighbor to misfortune (Job 11:20; Ps 7:16; Ps 56:7; Prov 26:27; Eccl 10:8); “his children’s eyes will waste away” means the traitor will be punished with the misfortunes of his descendants (cf. Isa 20:5). “Waste away”—see Job 11:20.

Job 17:6. He has made me a byword for the people, and a mockery before them. Others are not capable of pledging for Job’s innocence either. In their eyes, Job is a sinner and, as such, a “byword”—that is, an object of ridicule and mockery (Job 16:10-11; 2 Chr 7:20; Ezek 14:8; Ps 68:12), and a “mockery,” in Hebrew “wetophet lefanim,” “a man” whom one spits upon (“tophet” from “tuph”—to spit) in the face, that is, to reproach—the highest insult (Num 12:14; Deut 25:9; Isa 50:6).

Job 17:7. My eye has grown dim from sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow. As a result of such treatment of Job by his friends and all people, his eyes have lost their brightness and grown dim from grief (Ps 6:8), which weakens even bodily strength: “my members are as a shadow” (cf. Ps 30:11).

Job 17:8. The righteous will be astonished at this, and the innocent will rise up against the hypocrite. Job 17:9. But the righteous will hold firmly to his path, and the pure in hands will increase and increase in strength. The sufferings of the righteous, awakening in the pious feelings of astonishment and indignation against the wicked who enjoy happiness (verse 8; cf. Ps 36:1), strengthen faith in God in him (verse 9). Rejected by all (verses 4–6; cf. Job 12:5), knowing that only God can be his defender (verse 3), he cleaves more firmly to Him (cf. Ps 55:2-7). Thus the accusation brought by Eliphaz (Job 15:4) that he lacks fear of God falls, and the words of the devil are not justified, that under the influence of calamities Job would curse God. When “his heart was troubled, he was foolish” (Ps 72:21-22; cf. Job 6:26), but now, having calmed down, he places his trust in God (Ps 72:28).

Job 17:10. Listen, all of you, and come forward; I will not find wisdom among you. The speeches of Job’s friends amount to proofs of his guilt and promises of blessings on condition of repentance. They do not display wisdom in arguments of the first kind (verse 4), nor do they show it in judgments of the second kind.

Job 17:11. My days have passed; my plans—the possession of my heart—are broken. Job 17:12. And they want to turn night into day, to bring light close to the face of darkness. Job’s life, the plans he cherished: “my days will be many as the sand” (Job 29:18), proved to be unattainable (verse 1), and yet they assert that the night of sorrow will turn into a happy day! (Job 5:24-26).

Job 17:13. If I even were to wait, then Sheol is my house; in darkness I will spread out my bed; Job 17:14. I will say to the grave: you are my father, and to the worm: you are my mother and my sister. “If I even wait, then only to have Sheol as my dwelling.” The grave—that is the future on which Job can count. The grave and the worms that fill it are those with whom Job will soon be in closest communion: “I will say to the grave, you are my father, and to the worm: you are my mother and my sister.”

Job 17:15. Where then after this is my hope? and what I await—who will see it? Job 17:16. Into Sheol it will go, and it will rest with me in the dust. There is no hope for life and its joys, nor is it foreseen. It disappears (“goes down into Sheol”—verse 16) just as Job himself does. Instead of the rest on earth promised by friends (Job 5:24), Job faces rest in Sheol. Instead of “and it will rest with me in the dust,” literally from the Hebrew it should be translated: “there, at least in the dust, I will find rest.”

Chapter Eighteen

Bildad’s speech in the second conversation. 1–3. Introductory remarks. 4. The stability of the laws of retribution. 5–21. The destruction of the wicked—his inevitable fate.

Job 18:1. And Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: Job 18:2. When will you put an end to such words? Consider, and then we will speak. Job 18:3. Why are we counted as beasts and become vile in your sight? Bildad’s call (cf. Job 8:2) to a cool-headed, thoughtful (“consider, and then we will speak”—verse 2) discussion of the question is motivated by the fact that in the heat of dispute, in a state of irritability, the friends reproach each other for lack of judgment (“why do you count us as beasts and regard us as creatures without sense”—verse 3; Job 12:2-3). A preconceived notion of “mutual foolishness” prevents one from agreeing with another; it hinders the clarification of truth.

Job 18:4. O you, who tears your soul in your anger! Will the earth be emptied for you, and a rock move from its place? The harmful consequences of such a disposition are evident in Job himself. Not agreeing with his friends, being confident in his own righteousness and meeting only objections, he “tears his soul in anger,” becomes irritated and tormented (cf. Job 17:2). But however passionate his words may be, they are not able to change the law of moral world order, according to which sinners are punished on earth. It is as unchangeable as the laws of the physical world. The earth appointed by God for human habitation (Isa 45:18) will always remain inhabited; at man’s word a rock will not move from its place; likewise the law of retribution for sins will not be annulled.

Job 18:5. Yes, the light of the wicked will go out, and no spark will remain from his fire. Job 18:6. The light in his tent will grow dark, and his lamp will be extinguished over him. The law of retribution is manifested in the fact that the happiness (“light,” “lamp”—cf. Job 21:17; Prov 13:9) of the wicked is never lasting. It disappears completely: “no spark will remain from his fire” (verse 5), or in literal translation: “the flame of his hearth will cease to shine.”

Job 18:7. The steps of his strength will be shortened, and his own scheme will cast him down, Job 18:8. for he will be caught in a net by his feet, and he will walk in snares. Job 18:9. A snare will catch him by the heel, and a robber will seize him. Job 18:10. Hidden snares are spread for him on the ground, and traps are on the road. All manifestations of the wicked’s strength and might will come to nothing, and the cause of this is his own deeds (verse 1). Without noticing it (verse 10), he will become entangled in them like a bird in snares and traps (cf. Prov 5:22).

Job 18:11. Terrors will frighten him from all sides and will make him run to and fro. Job 18:12. His strength will be exhausted by hunger, and ruin is ready at his side. The closer his ruin approaches, the stronger grows its presentiment, and greater efforts are made for deliverance (“will make him run to and fro”—verse 11). But the latter is impossible: on all sides of the wicked there are terrors—forewarnings of disaster. The effort to escape from them only weakens him, as hunger weakens a man: and ruin is ready.

Job 18:13. His limbs will be eaten by disease, and the first-born of Death will devour his members. In preparing destruction for himself, the wicked dies in terrible agony. “His limbs will be eaten, the first-born of Death will devour…,” that is, his body will be destroyed by the most terrible diseases (cf. Isa 14:30: “the first-born of the poor”—the poorest), in which, as it were, all the destructive power of death is concentrated, just as in the first-born the strength of his parents is concentrated (Gen 49:3).

Job 18:14. His hope will be driven from his tent, and this will bring him down to the king of terrors. According to the exact translation from the Hebrew, the first half of this verse should read: “he will be driven from his tent, which served as his safety.” Stricken by an incurable disease, the wicked dies (“descends to the king of terrors”—death, cf. Job 10:21-22) in that very tent in which, dwelling, he thought himself safe. Job 18:15-21. Punishment overtakes not only the wicked himself but his dwelling and family.

Job 18:15. They will dwell in his tent, for it is no longer his; his dwelling will be sprinkled with sulfur. Since regions sprinkled with sulfur are uninhabitable for people (Deut 29:22-23), by those who will dwell in the wicked’s tent it is more natural to understand not people but wild animals, including jackals, with which the prophets fill the ruins smitten by God’s anger (Isa 13:20-22).

Job 18:16. His roots will wither below, and his branches will wither above. The complete destruction of a tree with branches and roots (Isa 5:24; Amos 2:9) is an image of the destruction of the wicked’s family, which is discussed below (verse 19).

Job 18:17. The memory of him will disappear from the earth, and his name will not be on the city square. Job 18:18. He will be driven from light into darkness and swept from the face of the earth. From the wicked, as from his dwelling, no trace remains: the memory of him disappears, which was considered the greatest misfortune (Deut 25:6; Sir 46:14-16), and his name falls into oblivion “on the city square,” literally from the Hebrew “on the face of the field”—“on the fields” (Job 5:10; Prov 8:26), in regions lying outside the country in which the wicked lived. Verse 18 is a figurative expression of the thought of verse 17.

Job 18:19. Neither a son of his nor a grandson will be among his people, and no one will remain in his dwellings. From the wicked, no descendants remain.

Job 18:20. Those of his day will be appalled, and his contemporaries will be seized with terror. Forever, only the day of the wicked’s destruction will be remembered by both his descendants and his contemporaries, or according to the explanation of others (Delitzsch), by the peoples of the east and the west, because the Hebrew word “aharonim” (“descendants”) is used in the sense of “west,” and “kadmonim” (“contemporaries”) means “east.” Such an interpretation finds confirmation in the remark of verse 17, that the name of the wicked falls into oblivion in regions lying outside his homeland.

Job 18:21. Such are the dwellings of the lawless, and such is the place of the one who knows not God. In view of Job’s perhaps claim (Job 17:11-16), Bildad does not find it necessary to conclude his speech with words of comfort, as he did the first time (Job 8:21).

Chapter Nineteen

Job’s response to Bildad’s speech in the second conversation. 1–22. Job’s position should evoke feelings of compassion and regret in his friends, but certainly not accusation and rebuke. 23–29. Job’s faith in future bodily resurrection.

Job 19:1. And Job answered and said: Job 19:2. How long will you torment my soul and break me in pieces with words? Job 19:3. Look, already ten times you have put me to shame and do not hesitate to mistreat me. The friends’ reasoning about the destruction of the wicked and his descendants contains rather clear allusions to Job’s fate (see Job 15:29-34). In their eyes he is a sinner, which was directly stated by Eliphaz (Job 15:4-5). Such accusations, combined with a lack of compassion, bring torment to the innocent sufferer (cf. Job 17:2). And since in their repeated speeches (“ten” is a round number), the friends have apparently exhausted all their arguments, it is time for them to be silent and stop the torment (verse 2).

Job 19:4. If I have indeed transgressed, my transgression remains with me. Indeed, the friends have no right and no sufficient grounds to treat Job so mercilessly. If he has sinned, he has brought harm only to himself, but certainly not to them. Why then do they arm themselves against him so?

Job 19:5. If you want to boast over me and reproach me with my shame, Job 19:6. then know that God has overthrown me and surrounded me with his net. The apparent reason for the friends’ haughty behavior (“to boast”; cf. Ps 34:26) is Job’s terrible disease, which testifies to his impiety. But in this case, we must take into account the fact that God is treating him more strictly than he deserves. Job 19:7-22. The friends treat Job mercilessly, and yet his position should awaken feelings of compassion.

Job 19:7. Behold, I cry out: “There is wrongdoing!” but no one hears; I cry for justice, and there is none. Job 19:8. He has walled up my way, and I cannot pass; and he has set darkness on my paths. Innocently punished, Job demands impartial judgment (Job 9:35), but does not find it. And while such a state lasts, he has no way to escape the great misfortunes that contain him (“he has walled up my way, and I cannot pass,” verse 8; cf. Lam 1:6-7), or even to understand their cause: “and he has set darkness on my paths” (verse 8; cf. Job 3:23).

Job 19:9. He has stripped me of my glory and taken the crown from my head. Job 19:10. He has broken me down on every side, and I am gone; my hope is uprooted like a tree. Job 19:11. He has kindled his anger against me and counts me among his enemies. Job 19:12. His armies have come together and made a road for themselves to me and camped around my tent. These misfortunes consist first of all in being deprived of what once created his glory, gave him honor and respect in society (verse 9; cf. Job 39:7, and especially verse 14, according to which righteousness was his crown, in which he is now accused of being false); secondly, in being struck with grievous disease (verse 10), which destroys flesh (verse 20), even bones (Job 30:17), and leads to death (“and I am gone,” verse 10; cf. Job 10:21), so that Job is like a demolished house: “he has broken me down on every side,” Hebrew “yattetzeni,” from “tatat,” used to denote a destroyed building—Judg 9:45; Jer 39:8, and thirdly, in the unceasing divine anger down to the present time (verses 11–12). God treats him as a hostile fortress: “His armies”—the misfortunes that have befallen Job—make assault after assault (cf. Job 6:4). Job 19:13-19. As a result of such God’s treatment of Job, he, once respected, now receives from nowhere manifestations of love, faithfulness, respect and attachment. Everyone avoids him, and some even despise him.

Job 19:13. He has removed my brothers far from me, and those who know me have estranged themselves from me. Job 19:14. My close ones have forsaken me, and those who knew me have forgotten me. Job has been abandoned by his own brothers (“ach”—brothers in the literal sense, as in Ps 68:9) and forgotten by those who knew and were close to him—persons who stood in the most intimate relations with him (Ps 37:12).

Job 19:15. Those lodging in my house and my servant girls regard me as a stranger; I have become an alien in their sight. Job 19:16. I call to my servant, but he does not answer; I must entreat him with my own mouth. Even further removed from him are those who did not stand in such relations with him. He has become completely alien to those who found shelter in his house (cf. Job 31:31-32); “those lodging,” Hebrew “garey beyti” (cf. Exod 3:22); servants who had been benefited before, who received the most humane treatment from him (Job 31:13), now do not respond to his call, and he, their master, must entreat them to obtain any service.

Job 19:17. My breath has become repulsive to my wife, and I must entreat her for the children of my womb. Job has become unbearable even to his closest companion, his wife; the foul breath of the leper is repulsive to her, and he must ask for her help for the sake of “the children of my womb.” Who is meant by “the children of my womb” remains unclear. Job could not have meant actual children, since they had died. Children from concubines, as the LXX understands it: “huios pallakidon,” “sons of concubines,” also does not apply, because there is no mention of them in the book, and besides, Job was an example of chastity (Job 31:1). According to Dillmann, Knabenbauer, and others, “the children of my womb” means the children of the womb that was his own, that is, the children of his mother’s womb, his brothers. But if “the children of my womb” is understood in the literal sense, then the meaning and force of this passage is in no way diminished: Job begs his wife to offer him help in memory of the former love that united them as spouses and of which the dead children were the manifestation.

Job 19:18. Even young children despise me; when I stand, they mock me. The example of adults acts upon children too. Incapable of distinguishing good from evil, but more cruel than their elders, they mock the sufferer (cf. 2 Sam 2:23) when he rises, that is, makes unnatural movements, as one exhausted by disease.

Job 19:19. All my intimate friends abhor me, and those I loved have turned against me. Job arouses feelings of disgust in his intimate friends—persons to whom he had once entrusted all his secrets (Ps 54:15)—and feelings of enmity in those who enjoyed his love.

Job 19:20. My bones cling to my skin and flesh, and I am left only with skin about my teeth. Apart from all else, the very appearance of the sufferer involuntarily arouses compassion. Disease has destroyed everything: nothing remains of him but bones clinging to skin; flesh exists only near his teeth, in the form of gums.

Job 19:21. Have pity on me, have pity on me, you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me. Job 19:22. Why do you also persecute me as God does, and are not satisfied with my flesh? Job’s bodily strength is exhausted, and the leprosy with which God has struck him (Hebrew “naga,” used to denote leprosy, Lev 13:23) is sufficient for him. Therefore, his friends should not increase his sufferings by “consuming his flesh,” through new calamities (Ps 26:2; Mic 3:3), that is, through accusations and slander (Dan 3:8).

Job 19:23. Oh, that my words were written down! If only they were inscribed in a book, Job 19:24. with an iron tool and lead, carved in stone for all time! The request directed to his friends for a sympathetic and compassionate attitude (verse 21) remains unanswered. In view of this, Job expresses a wish that, at least, future generations might regard him with sympathy and compassion. This is possible only on condition that they become acquainted with his innocence and faith in God, the means to which is the recording of his words on stone with an iron tool (on this see the Introduction)—not all that he has said, since not all of it testifies to his righteousness, but only the words of verses 25–27.

Job 19:25. But I know that my Redeemer lives, and on the last day He will raise up from the dust this decaying skin of mine, “I know,” says Job, “my Redeemer, more precisely, my Go’el, lives.” Among the Hebrews, Go’el was called a person who had the right to avenge not only murder, but also honor and property, to demand justice and even to execute it himself (Lev 25:25; Num 35:19; Deut 19:6; Ruth 3:13). The title “Go’el” is also applied to God as the deliverer of the Hebrew people from Egyptian slavery (Exod 6:6; Ps 73:2) and Babylonian slavery (Isa 43:1), and in general, as the judge and avenger of all the oppressed and downtrodden (Ps 118:154; Lam 3:58). And as shown by the expression “lives,” applied to God (Deut 5:26; Judg 8:19; 1 Sam 17:26; Isa 37:17, etc.), God is also the Go’el of Job, his protector and deliverer. “And at last” is an incorrect translation of the Hebrew phrase: “ve-aharon al-afar yaqum,” which literally means “and the last will stand over the dust.” As the protector of Job, God will “stand,” that is, appear (“qum” in the sense of “to stand” is used of a witness—Deut 30:5; Ps 26:12 and of God the judge—Isa 2:19; Ps 11:6) over the dust (al-afar), Job’s ashes and his grave (Job 7:21) as “the last,” that is, at the end of the existence of this world (“the last” is the one who outlives all—Isa 44:6). “And will raise up from the dust my decaying skin,” is an incorrect translation of the Hebrew text: “ve-ahar ori nikfu zot.” “Ahar” means behind, after, following (Ps 72:24). “Nikfu” is a Piel form of the verb “nakaf,” meaning to surround (Isa 15:8; Ps 16:9; Josh 6:3, etc.), encountered only in the prophet Isaiah with the meaning “to cut down,” “to destroy” (Isa 10:34, cf. Job 17:6). “Ori” means my skin; “zot” means this. With the addition of the words of verse 26: “and from my flesh I will see God,” this whole passage (“ve-ahar ori nikfu zot”) can be translated as: “after my skin is destroyed, from my flesh I will see God.”

Job 19:27. I myself will see him; my own eyes will behold him, and not another’s eyes. My heart grows faint within me! Job is fully confident in the fulfillment of his words, and this confidence turns into an ardent expectation: “my heart grows faint within me,” more precisely: “my inner being has grown weak” (“kalu,” from “kalah,” denoting ardent expectation: cf. Ps 68:4). Job is convinced that God will appear as his protector at the end of the existence of this world. By that time, his body will have decayed, and nevertheless, he will “from his own flesh,” with his own eyes, see the Lord. The possibility of beholding God with bodily eyes after the decay of the flesh is conditioned only by the fact of bodily resurrection and the reunion of the body with the soul. The expression of Job’s faith in future bodily resurrection is discerned in this passage by the ancient translations. “I know,” we read in the LXX text, “that eternal is He who shall redeem me and shall raise me up on the earth, my skin suffering this, for from the Lord have come these things with me, which I myself know, which my eyes have seen, and not another.” “I know,” says the Syriac Peshitta translation, “that my redeemer lives, and at last upon the earth he will be revealed, and upon my skin surrounding this and upon my flesh.” Even more clearly does the Vulgate translation express it: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and on the last day I shall be raised from the earth. I shall be clothed again with my skin, and in my flesh I shall see my God. I shall see him myself, my eyes will behold him, and not another.” The understanding of the ancient translations accords with the understanding of the Fathers and teachers of the Eastern and Western Church, Clement of Rome, Origen, Cyril of Jerusalem, Epiphanius, Ambrose of Milan, Augustine the Blessed, and others.

Job 19:28. You ought to say: “Why do we persecute him? The root of the matter is found in me.” Job 19:29. Fear the sword, for the sword is the avenger of iniquity, and know that there is a judgment. A warning directed to his friends. The right to judge Job belongs to God the Go’el (verse 25): He will prove his innocence. But if the friends, in spite of the sufferer’s words full of faith, continue to act in the role of judges and accusers, to point out the causes of his misfortunes in supposed sins, then they should fear the sword—divine punishment (Job 15:22; Zech 13:7). Regarding the inevitability of the latter (verse 29), see Job 13:7-10.

Chapter Twenty

Zophar’s response to Job’s speech in the second dialogue. 1–3. Introduction. 4–11. General principle of the instability and transience of the wicked’s happiness. 12–29. Description of the destruction of the godless.

Job 20:2. My thoughts compel me to answer, and I hasten to express them. Job 20:3. I heard a reproach that brought shame to me, and the spirit of my understanding answers for me. Zophar is prompted to speak by the reproach of Job, which dishonors him and agitates him, accusing him of lack of wisdom (Job 12:2 and following; cf. Job 18:8).

Job 20:4. Do you not know that from of old, from the time man was placed on earth, Job 20:5. the joy of the wicked is brief, and the happiness of the hypocrite momentary? The law of moral retribution, rejected by Job, according to which the prosperity of the wicked is fleeting, is as ancient as “man” himself, the human race (Heb. adam not in the sense of the proper name of the first man, but in the sense of mankind—Deut 4:32).

Job 20:6. Though his height reaches to the heavens and his head touches the clouds, Job 20:7. like his dung he perishes forever; those who saw him will say: where is he? However mighty and grand the wicked person may be at first (v. 6, cf. Isa 14:13-15), in the end he perishes with shame—he perishes like dung (cf. 2 Sam 9:37; Jer 8:2), and such destruction bewilders those around him (v. 7, cf. Isa 14:9-12).

Job 20:8. Like a dream, he flees away and is not found; like a night vision, he vanishes. Job 20:9. The eye that saw him will not see him again, and his place will behold him no more. The prosperity of the wicked has neither permanence nor reality: like dreams, it is—a fleeting fantasy (Ps 72:20; Isa 29:8), and it leaves no trace behind (v. 9; cf. Job 7:8-10; Ps 36:35-36).

Job 20:10. His sons will seek favor from the poor, and his hands will return what he seized. Such a fate befalls not only the wicked man himself but also his descendants. Since the wealth acquired by wicked means will pass into the hands of others (cf. v. 18), the children of the sinner will be brought to such poverty that they will seek favor from those who are as poor as themselves.

Job 20:11. His bones are full of the sins of his youth, and they will lie with him in the dust. The expression in the Synodal text: “the sins of his youth” represents the translation of one Hebrew word “alumav.” In Ps 18:13 and Ps 89:8 “alum” indeed means “secret sins,” but in the Book of Job, Job 33:25—“youth.” According to the latter meaning verse 11 should read: “his bones are full of the vigor of his youth, and they will lie with him in the dust.” The personal strength on which the wicked relied, by which he created his prosperity, comes to nothing and does not secure his happiness.

Job 20:12. If wickedness is sweet in his mouth and he hides it under his tongue, Job 20:13. and he keeps it and does not abandon it, but holds it in his mouth, Job 20:14. then this food of his will turn to venom of asps within him. The law of retribution is as ancient as mankind itself (vv. 4–5) and at the same time wholly natural. Sin and lawlessness themselves bring about retribution. Pleasant at first, like savory food, which for the sake of continuing the taste is not swallowed at once but deliberately held in the mouth, they ultimately become, like it, harmful bitterness—“the venom of an asp” (bitter and poisonous—concepts that are synonymous—Deut 32:32).

Job 20:15. The wealth he swallows, he vomits forth: God will extract it from his belly. Job 20:16. The venom of serpents he sucks; the tongue of the viper will slay him. Since it contains poison, the food of the wicked (the wealth he acquires) will not only fail to benefit him (“he will vomit”), but will prove torturous (“God will extract”), and as a result deadly (v. 16; cf. Ps 139:4; Prov 23:32; Jer 8:14; Jer 23:15). Job 20:17-21. An explanation of the figurative speech of the preceding verses, in particular v. 15: “he will vomit,” “God will extract.”

Job 20:17. He will not see the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and milk! Job 20:18. What he toiled for he will return and not devour; according to the measure of his wealth will be his requital, and he will not rejoice. The wicked cannot enjoy his pleasant food—the accumulated wealth (v. 17; cf. Exod 3:8). He will not benefit from what he has gained (“will not devour”), because it will return (“he will vomit”) to its original owners—it will go to satisfy those he wronged: “according to the measure of his wealth will be his requital.” Wealth will not serve as a source of joy (“will not rejoice,” cf. Job 31:25).

Job 20:19. For he oppressed, he drove away the poor; he seized houses that he did not build; Job 20:20. he never knew satiation in his belly, and in his greed spared nothing. Job 20:21. Nothing escaped his gluttony, so his happiness will not endure. The reason for this lies in the unlawful character of the wicked person’s acquisitions. Prosperity created through the oppression of the poor, the seizure of another’s property, which knew no bounds of greed, cannot be stable: “so his happiness will not endure” (v. 21; cf. Isa 5:8-9; Prov 10:2; Sir 5:10; Ezek 7:19).

Job 20:22. In the fullness of abundance he will be in straits; every hand of the wronged will rise against him. Insatiable greed, gluttony (vv. 20–21) will not only fail to secure the prosperity of the wicked, but will increase the number of misfortunes that accompany its loss. The multiplication of goods is accompanied by an increase in the number of the wronged. And all of them will raise their hands against their former oppressor, avenge themselves on him through, perhaps, forcible seizure of his property. He who oppressed others now experiences the weight of oppression himself. Thus the food of the wicked becomes for him a source of torment (“God will extract”). Job 20:23-25. The misfortunes that befall the evildoer are not limited to the loss of property (v. 18). His lot is inevitable death at the hand of God.

Job 20:23. When he has filled his belly, God will send upon him the fury of His wrath and will rain upon him His blows in his flesh. The Synodal text contains a word in excess of the original: “blows.” But even with the omission of the latter, scholars interpret this verse differently depending on how to translate the Hebrew expression “bilhmo” (from “lechem”). Occurring in the Bible only one other time (Zeph 1:17), it is derived from “lakham”—“to eat”—and is understood in the sense of “food,” and then, like the related Arabic “lachum,”—flesh. Accordingly, some translate the end of this verse thus: “God will rain upon him (disasters) as his food (“bilhmo”).” The rain of divine punishments, expressing “the fury of divine wrath” (cf. Lam 1:13), will become food for the sinner (cf. Job 9:18; Jer 9:15). Insatiable in his greed (v. 20), he will be satiated with misfortunes. Others, holding to the translation “will rain upon his flesh,” see here an indication that the Lord will rain upon the sinner a fiery rain that will consume his body (Keil).

Job 20:24. If he escapes the iron weapon, the bronze bow will pierce him; Job 20:25. when he pulls out the arrow, it will come forth from his body, it will come out gleaming through his bile; terrors of death find him! The destruction of the wicked is inevitable. Trying to escape one danger, he exposes himself to another (cf. Isa 24:18; Jer 48:44; Amos 5:19), and this latter strikes him to death, like an arrow piercing the inner organs of a man (v. 25; cf. Judg 3:22).

Job 20:26. All darkness is stored up for him; a fire not blown by man will devour him; what is left in his tent will be consumed. Instead of the expression “within him” in accordance with the Hebrew “litsuneav” it should say “for his treasures” (cf. Ps 16:14). The wicked man becomes rich and gathers treasures not for God, and therefore their fate is destruction (cf. Jas 5:3). They are consumed by fire “not blown by man,”—fire that does not require human efforts to appear and sustain it, the fire of God (Job 1:16). It destroys also what survived and escaped in the tent of the wicked from the hands of avengers (18, 22).

Job 20:27. Heaven will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him. Job 20:28. His possessions will vanish; all will be swept away in the day of His wrath. The wicked person portrayed by Zophar is such a moral monster that even the visible, inanimate nature cannot bear him. Its two principal spheres, called upon by Job to witness his innocence (Job 16:18-19), unite to avenge the evildoer (29, cf. Job 18:21).

Chapter Twenty-One

Job’s response to Zophar’s speech in the second dialogue. 1–6. Job’s demand for attentive hearing of his words. 7–34. Description of the prosperity of sinners with a refutation of possible objections from his friends.

Job 21:2. Listen carefully to my speech, and let this be your consolation to me. The careful attention of the friends to Job’s words is a sign that they consider them significant, do not regard them as empty words thrown to the wind. This will provide consolation to the sufferer, grieving from the contradictions of his friends, their mockery of him (Job 17:2).

Job 21:3. Bear with me, and I will speak; and after I speak, mock. Perhaps even Zophar, having listened carefully to Job’s speech, might stop his mockery: “after I speak, mock.”

Job 21:4. Is my complaint toward a man? How should I not be impatient? The friends interrupt Job’s speech, oppose him, and partly do so because they consider it unfit on his part to lapse into despondency and irritability, which borders on complaint (Job 4:3-5). In reality, such a state of mind is quite natural. The suffering usually seek sympathy from the people around them. But Job’s speech, more precisely, his lamentation (Heb. sihi, cf. Job 7:13) is not addressed to the people—his friends; he does not expect help from them (Job 13:2) but to God (Job 13:3). And since He, from whom the sufferer expects the resolution of the question about the cause of his misfortunes, does not listen to his cries (Job 9:32; Job 19:7), how can he not fall into despair?

Job 21:5. Look at me and be appalled, and put your hand over your mouth. Instead of reproaching Job for despondency, the friends ought to “put their hand over their mouth,” that is, to be silent (Job 29:9; Prov 30:32; Wis 8:12; Sir 5:14). To this should incline the very feeling of horror which the sight of the sufferer inspires. Job 21:6-13. Now, as before, Job’s speech will be full of impatience and agitation. And yet it should be heard attentively. Job’s agitation is understandable: it is caused by the fact that is insoluble for human reason and disturbing to the righteous—the prosperity of sinners (Ps 72:2-3; Jer 12:1 and following).

Job 21:7. Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and become mighty in strength? Contrary to Zophar’s assurance (Job 20:5), this appears first in longevity and strength (cf. Ps 72:4), which is the portion of the righteous (Job 5:26).

Job 21:8. Their children are with them before their face, and their grandchildren before their eyes. Besides this, the wicked have the happiness to see themselves, like the righteous (Ps 126:3; cf. Job 18:19), surrounded by a numerous family. Among their generations there is no high mortality (“their children and grandchildren are before their face,” cf. Job 5:25), there are no occasions for grief.

Job 21:9. Their houses are safe from fear, and the rod of God is not upon them. And in general the “houses” of the wicked—families, including wives, children, and servants (Gen 7:1)—do not experience, as is common among the pious (Job 5:24), fear—they do not suffer the blows of divine wrath (cf. Ps 72:5).

Job 21:10. Their ox impregnates without fail; their cow bears without miscarriage. The happiness of sinners is evident in the successful conduct of their household—in the increase of herds (Ps 143:13), thanks to the absence of cases of unfortunate births among domestic animals (Gen 31:38).

Job 21:11. Like a flock, they send out their little ones, and their children leap. Job 21:12. They sing at the sound of the tambourine and the lyre and rejoice at the sounds of the pipe; Making the most of their success in all things, the wicked lead a merry, carefree life. Their children amuse themselves with appropriate games, and their elders delight their hearing with song and playing on musical instruments (Isa 5:12).

Job 21:13. they spend their days in happiness and go down to Sheol in an instant. The happy life ends with an easy death: suddenly, without illnesses, the sinners descend to Sheol (cf. Job 18:13).

Job 21:14. Yet they say to God: Depart from us, we do not wish to know your ways! Job 21:15. What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit would we get from seeking Him? Job 21:16. Behold, their prosperity is not in their hands. The counsel of the wicked be far from me! By their conduct sinners do not deserve happiness (“their prosperity is not in their hands” v. 16), because they deliberately (“we do not wish to know”) reject God, the way of life He has appointed for man (“way,” cf. Isa 58:2), and consider service to Him useless (v. 15; cf. Mal 3:14). And if prosperity is given to them, then clearly it contradicts the theory of the friends about earthly retribution. By the very fact of the prosperity of the wicked, it is wholly refuted. Happiness is given to sinners easily, service to God is difficult, and yet Job would not wish to be in their place: “the counsel of the wicked be far from me” (cf. Job 17:9).

Job 21:17. How often does the lamp of the wicked go out? How often does disaster come upon them, and does He apportion anguish to them in His anger? Job 21:18. They are like straw before the wind and like chaff that the whirlwind carries away. The theory of earthly retribution denied by Job cannot be proved by cases of misfortunes befalling sinners. As shown by the interrogative form of speech (“how often?” Heb. kamma, cf. Job 7:19), in his opinion they constitute rare phenomena. The lamp of the wicked is rarely extinguished (Job 18:5-6); disaster comes upon them (Job 18:12), and God’s appointed lot of suffering overtakes them. Similarly, they are rarely subject to sudden destruction (v. 18; cf. Ps 1:4; Isa 40:24).

Job 21:19. You say: God stores up his iniquity for his children. Let Him repay the man himself, so he would know it. Job 21:20. Let his own eyes see his destruction, and let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty. Job 21:21. For what does he care about his house after him, when the number of his months is cut short? Job’s view cannot be refuted even by the position of his friends that sinners are punished in the person of their children (Job 5:4). The misfortunes of the children cannot be his misfortunes, since after death (“when the number of his months is cut short” v. 21) he knows nothing of the fate of his offspring (Job 14:21; Eccl 9:5-6). Therefore, whoever sinned must be punished (vv. 19–20; cf. Ezek 18:4), must himself drink the cup of divine wrath (v. 20, cf. Ps 74:9).

Job 21:22. But can man teach God wisdom, since He judges those on high? By insisting that there is a strict earthly retribution, maintaining its invariability (Job 18:4) and its primordial character in mankind (Job 20:4), the friends want to be wiser than God, they prescribe laws of governance to Him, who in His wisdom is immeasurably above mankind: “since He judges those on high”—the heavenly beings (Heb. ramim; cf. Job 4:18; Ps 77:69; Isa 24:21). They want to teach Him who governs the heaven how to govern the earth!

Job 21:23. One dies in the full vigor of his life, completely at peace and at ease; Job 21:24. his body full of vigor and his bones moistened with marrow. Job 21:25. Another dies with a bitter soul, never tasting any good. Job 21:26. And they both lie in the dust, and worms cover them. For divine governance follows completely different principles. It knows no retribution neither here on earth nor after death. One, the wicked man, dies in a state of complete outward well-being (“in the full vigor of his life”; cf. Ps 37:4), with all the marks of a happily lived life (v. 24; cf. Isa 58:11); the other—the righteous man goes to the grave, having experienced all the bitterness of a life condemned to suffering (“with a bitter soul,” cf. Job 3:20). For the righteous and the wicked there is no retribution on earth; there is none after death either. Both alike will rest in the grave, will become prey for worms (cf. Job 17:14; Eccl 9:2).

Job 21:27. I know your thoughts well, and the schemes which you weave against me. Job 21:28. You will say: Where is the house of the prince, and where the tent in which the wicked dwelt? Against the view expressed by Job is the repeated assertion of the friends that one of the proofs of the punishment of sinners is the destruction of his dwelling (Job 8:22). In view of the possibility of its repetition in the present case (“where is the house of the prince?”) Job brings forward data that weaken the force of this consideration.

Job 21:29. Have you not asked those who travel, and do you not regard their observations, Job 21:30. that the wicked man is spared in the day of calamity, that he is protected in the day of wrath? These are the testimonies of those who have seen and heard much—travelers—that is, data bearing the character of universality, ubiquity. They affirm that the wicked does not suffer misfortunes, escapes destruction.

Job 21:31. Who will declare his way to his face, and who will repay him for what he has done? And if God Himself spares the sinner, then all the more no one among men dares to reproach and convict him of his wrongs and punish him.

Job 21:32. He is borne to the grave and a watch is kept over his tomb. Not reproached by anyone during his lifetime, the wicked enjoys signs of respect and honor even after death. He is respectfully conducted to his grave, and his memory does not fade, as Bildad asserts (Job 18:17), but continues to live: “a watch is kept over his tomb”—either a monument of some kind, or simply preserving it from destruction.

Job 21:33. The clods of the valley are sweet to him; all men follow after him, and those who go before him are without number. Honorably buried, undisturbed by the ill-speaking of posterity, the wicked sleeps peacefully in the “clods of the valley” (Job 38:38)—the favorite burial place in the East, and the happiness which he enjoyed throughout his life does not inspire in his descendants a feeling of horror (Job 18:20) but rather a desire to imitate him (cf. Eccl 4:15-16), just as he too followed in the footsteps of his predecessors.

Job 21:34. How then can you console me with emptiness? Your answers contain nothing but deception. The absence of retribution makes the counsel and promises of the friends unfulfilled—that under the condition of turning to God Job will obtain earthly happiness.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Eliphaz’s speech in the third dialogue. 1–5. Divine Justice as the basis for concluding Job’s sinfulness. 6–20. Two types of sins of Job. 21–30. Advice to reconcile with God and the consequences thereof.

Job 22:1. Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: Job 22:2. Can a man be of benefit to God? Or can the wise be of benefit to Himself? Job 22:3. Is it a pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Is it profitable to Him that your ways are perfect? Job 22:4. Is it because of your fear that He contends with you and enters judgment with you? Ignoring Job’s last speech, and not refuting the facts he points out, Eliphaz insists on the fact that his misfortunes are deserved, deducing this thought from the position of Divine Justice. In his relations with the righteous and the wicked, God is guided exclusively by the principles of strict justice. Absolutely perfect, He does not gain profit from the deeds of the “wise,”—“one who seeks God” (Heb. maskil; cf. Ps 13:2); similarly, the deeds of a sinner do not bring Him harm. Therefore, His attitude toward them and the others is not determined, as in a man, by the desire to gain profit for Himself and avoid harm. God punishes the sinner not because, fearing him, He seeks to protect Himself from a danger threatening from the sinner (v. 4; cf. Wis 6:7), and He rewards the righteous not under the influence of the desire to encourage him to greater virtue and thereby gain profit for Himself.

Job 22:5. Is not your wickedness great, and your iniquities without end? Given the absolute justice of God, one can find no other reason for Job’s terrible sufferings except great sinfulness.

Job 22:6. For you took pledges from your kinsmen without cause, and stripped the naked of their clothes. The supposed (“surely”) sins of Job consist in the absence of humanity, humaneness that is suggested by nature itself. He did not hesitate to take pledges (cf. Exod 22:26-27; Deut 24:10-13) from his “kinsmen,” that is, from people of his own tribe, and moreover “without cause,” that is, not needing them, as he himself was wealthy. He was motivated in those cases by nothing but greed (cf. Job 20:19-21), reaching the point that the last garment was taken as a pledge from the half-naked—those who possessed nothing.

Job 22:7. You did not give water to the weary to drink, and withheld bread from the hungry; An inhabitant of the desert who valued water, he was so greedy that he refused a drink of water to one dying of thirst and a piece of bread to the hungry (cf. Isa 58:10).

Job 22:8. The man with might—you gave him the land, and the eminent man dwelt on it. The Synodal reading does not quite accurately convey the Hebrew text. The literal translation of it, which is retained by Aquila and Symmachus, is as follows: “the man of hand—to him was the land, and the one high in position was settled on it.” The “man of hand,” that is, of strength (Job 40:9; Ps 76:16) and violence (Job 35:9), Job seized the land, expanded his possessions through forcible seizure (cf. Isa 5:8), not allowing the weak to settle on it.

Job 22:9. You sent widows away empty-handed, and the arms of the fatherless were broken. Among such persons were widows and orphans: their petitions and cries were left by Job unsatisfied.

Job 22:10. Therefore snares are all around you, and sudden terror overwhelms you, Job 22:11. or darkness in which you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you. The magnitude and strength of sin corresponds to the force of the misfortunes that have overtaken Job. He is “surrounded by snares”—struck by illness, sorrows, disgrace (Job 18:8-10); he does not see a way to escape from them (“darkness in which you cannot see,” cf. Job 17:12); he is close to destruction: “a flood of water covers you” (cf. Ps 41:8). Job 22:12-14. Sins against neighbors unite in Job with sins against God—denial of His omniscience and intervention in the life of people—His providence.

Job 22:12. Is not God high above the heavens? See how high the stars are! The dwelling of God is higher than the starry heavens, and from such a height God sees all the earth; before Him stretches its immeasurable expanse, incomprehensible to the human eye; God is all-knowing (cf. Ps 13:2).

Job 22:13. Yet you say: What does God know? Can He judge through the deep darkness? Job 22:14. Clouds are a veil to Him, so that He does not see, while He walks on the vault of heaven. Meanwhile, in Job’s opinion, God, hidden from the earth by clouds (“clouds are a veil to Him”; cf. Lam 3:44: “You covered Yourself with a cloud, that prayer might not reach you”), possesses knowledge only of what happens in the sphere of the heavens, and, not seeing what occurs on earth, does not manifest His judgment over men (v. 13; cf. Ps 72:11; Isa 29:15; Ezek 8:12).

Job 22:15. Do you hold to the ancient path which the wicked have trodden? Job 22:16. Who were cut off before their time, whose foundation was swept away by a flood? Job 22:17. They said to God: Depart from us! And what can the Almighty do to them? By such reasoning Job is compared to the ancient sinful (ἀρχαῖος κόσμος—2 Pet 2:5) antediluvian humanity (“their foundation was swept away by a flood”), representatives of which, just as he, rejected God (“Depart from us”), denied His intervention in their life for their benefit (v. 17) and for this reason perished prematurely, according to human reasoning (v. 18).

Job 22:18. Yet He filled their houses with good. But let the counsel of the wicked be far from me! Job 22:19. The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent mock at them: Job 22:20. Surely our adversaries are cut off, and the fire has consumed what remained of them. This dark ingratitude of these blasphemers stirs up a feeling of deep disgust in Eliphaz, and the destruction of sinners, at once enemies of God and of the pious (“our adversaries,” cf. Ps 138:20-22; Rom 11:28), filled the hearts of the latter with joy (v. 19). They saw in it a manifestation of Divine Justice (cf. Ps 57:11-12; Ps 63:10-11).

Job 22:21. Reconcile yourself to Him, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. The destruction of antediluvian humanity should serve as a warning to Job. If he wishes to avoid it, he is obliged to “reconcile himself” with God—to abandon his hostile feeling toward Him (Heb. sakan—to be in friendship, in intimate relations with someone—Ps 138:3). As a result, Job’s soul will cease to be tormented: “be at peace,” and he will receive a reward.

Job 22:22. Receive the law from His mouth and lay up His words in your heart. Presenting his advice as if it were the advice of God Himself, Eliphaz proposes that Job receive it as an inviolable truth (“receive the law from His mouth,” cf. Prov 2:6) and penetrate it wholly, to the depths of his soul: “lay up His words in your heart.”

Job 22:23. If you return to the Almighty, you will be established; if you put away iniquity far from your tent, Job 22:24. and lay dust for your treasure, and gold of Ophir among the rocks of the valleys, The fate of such a man is blessedness (Ps 93:12-13). So too, Job, on condition of fulfilling the given advice—“putting away iniquity from his tent,” will not only have his former happiness restored (“be established”; Heb. bana in the sense of bestowing former happiness—Jer 24:6, granting greater happiness—Mal 3:15), but will receive more than he had. Job will become so rich that polished metal (unrefined gold and silver) will be of no more value to him than dust, and the finest Ophir gold will be like a common stone.

Job 22:25. Then the Almighty himself will be your gold and your silver for precious things. Do not value earthly riches; Job will consider his greatest, most precious treasure the One who gave them to him, that is, God. He will be “refined silver”—silver purified of all impurity.

Job 22:26. Surely then you will delight in the Almighty and raise your face to God. As the greatest good, God will become for Job a source of spiritual joy and comfort (cf. Ps 36:4; Isa 58:14). The latter will manifest themselves in the fact that he, forgiven and rewarded by God, will lose the tormenting feeling of being rejected by God. Forgiven by God, he will boldly and trustingly raise his face to Him (cf. Gen 4:6).

Job 22:27. You will make your prayer to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows. The prayer of Job that flows from trusting love will be heard by the Lord, and the vows, fruit of zeal rather than compulsion, will be fulfilled.

Job 22:29. When they are brought low, you will say: “Lift them up!” and the one with downcast eyes He will save. Job 22:30. He will rescue even the one who is not innocent; he will be delivered by the cleanness of your hands. Job will be so firm in his piety that the misfortunes of the innocent will not shake his righteousness (Ps 72:2-3). At the sight of them, on the basis of personal experience, he will say that they—are not a manifestation of Divine injustice, but lead the sufferer to exaltation and establishment in goodness: “you will say: Lift them up!” By such reasoning he will encourage the suffering themselves, not allow them to fall into the sin of despair, unbelief; they will be saved, thanks to him: “he will be delivered by the cleanness of your hands” (v. 30).

Chapter Twenty-Three

Job’s response to Eliphaz in the third dialogue. 1–2. General characterization of the speech. 3–7. The desirability of drawing near to God in light of the inevitability of vindication. 8–14. The unfeasibility of such a desire. 15–17. New torments of Job.

Job 23:2. Even now my complaint is bitter; my sufferings are heavier than my groans. From all of Eliphaz’s speech, only the counsel to draw near to God (Job 22:21) brings comfort to Job: it coincides with his own desire (Job 16:21). But the drawing near to God that the sufferer desires is not permitted by Him (vv. 6 and 9), and so Job’s new speech is full of bitterness and complaints. Yet these are nothing in comparison with his sufferings; these latter cannot be expressed in words: “my sufferings are heavier than my groans.” Such is the meaning of the Synodal reading, in which the expression “sufferings” represents a translation of the Hebrew word “yadi”—“my hand.” The possibility of such a rendering is explained by the fact that “yad” means both “hand” and “afflictions, sufferings” (Job 1:11; Ps 31:4 and so forth). The literal translation of the Hebrew reading of this place is thus: “my hand is heavy over my sighing,”—I am forced to continue my cries and complaints. The LXX and Peshitta, instead of “yadi”—“my hand”—read “yado”—“his hand,” that is, God’s.

Job 23:3. Oh, if I knew where to find Him and could come before His throne! Drawing near to God is possible only on condition of clearing Job’s case. And he, desiring such nearness, strives for judgment (“could come before His throne”) with Him who has so far not been found by him and hides from him (Job 13:24).

Job 23:4. I would lay out my case before Him and fill my mouth with arguments; Job 23:5. I would learn the words He would answer me and understand what He would say to me. For his part, Job would do everything at trial to put an end to the enmity. Recognized by God as a sinner and therefore as an enemy (Job 7:20), he would try to scatter such a view by presenting evidence in favor of his innocence: “fill my mouth with arguments” (“tokahot”),—proofs of the rightness of one and the wrongness of the other (Ps 37:15). He would lay them out in opposition to those objections from God, which so far remain unknown to him (v. 5; cf. Job 10:2).

Job 23:6. Surely He would not contend with me in the fullness of His power? Oh, no! If only He would turn His attention to me. Job 23:7. Then a righteous man could contend with Him,—and I would forever gain my freedom from my Judge. Doubts about the possibility of reconciliation with God. Certainly, those arguments that Job intends to bring at his trial with God would lose their force and significance if He should appear in the role of an angry, threatening judge (Job 9:20; cf. Job 9:33-35). But such a supposition is eliminated by the confidence that the Lord will mercifully hear the sufferer. And if God, as an angry, arbitrary Judge, condemns even a righteous man (Job 9:20), then under the presumed condition, the innocence of the righteous man will be taken into account, and he, the righteous man (Job 9:35) will cease to be considered by God as an enemy, “would gain freedom” (cf. Job 7:12).

Job 23:8. But look, I go forward—and He is not there, backward—and I do not find Him; Job 23:9. Does He do something on the left side, I do not see it; does He hide on the right, I do not perceive it. Against Job’s drawing near to God stands God Himself. He does not allow him to the trial with Him, which would provide grounds for reconciliation. The sufferer seeking the Lord (v. 3) finds Him nowhere.

Job 23:10. But He knows my path; let Him test me,—I will come out as gold. Job 23:11. My foot follows firmly the path He has marked; His ways I have kept and have not turned aside. Job 23:12. From the commandment of His lips I have not departed; the words of His lips I have treasured more than my own ordinances. God hides from Job in order not to give him the opportunity to justify himself (a manifestation of enmity), because He knows that from trial he would emerge as pure as gold from the furnace (v. 10; cf. Prov 17:3; Zech 13:9). The inevitability of the latter is explained by the fact that Job throughout all his life had remained steadfast in piety. He did not turn aside from the path indicated by God (v. 11; cf. Ps 16:5; Ps 124:5; Isa 30:11), preferred divine will to his own desires (“ordinances,” Heb. “hukki”—laws of sinful nature opposed to divine laws, cf. Rom 7:23).

Job 23:13. But He is firm; and who will turn Him aside? He does what His soul desires. Job 23:14. So He will accomplish what is appointed to me, and there is much of the like with Him. Despite Job’s innocence, the Lord’s decision not to allow him justification remains unchanged (“He is firm”), and no one is able to force Him to act otherwise (cf. Job 9:12). In consequence, He will fulfill to the end His decree concerning Job to subject him to sufferings and humiliation (“what is appointed to me”; cf. Job 10:13-14). There is nothing surprising in this; the Lord treats many others in the same way (“there is much of the like with Him”; cf. Job 9:23).

Job 23:15. Therefore I am terrified before His face; when I think of it, I fear Him. Job 23:16. God has weakened my heart, and the Almighty has terrified me. Meditation upon such inexplicable for man the relations of God disturbs and frightens Job, and is accompanied by complete collapse of mental activity: “weakened my heart.”

Job 23:17. Why am I not destroyed before this darkness, and He has not hidden the gloom from my face! The literal translation of this verse from the Hebrew is: “for I am perishing not from the presence of darkness, nor from the gloom which covers my face.” Job does not perish from the sufferings which promise him nothing comforting in the future, but from the strange behavior of the Lord.

Chapter Twenty-Four

The second part of Job’s response. 1–25. The unpunished state of various kinds of sinners; examples of this.

Job 24:1. Why are the times hidden from the Almighty, and do those who know Him not see His days? As mysterious as the sufferings of the righteous, so incomprehensible is the unpunished state of the wicked. Since the Hebrew verb “tzafan” (“lo nitzpenu,” “why are they not hidden,” the Synodal reading) is used to express the thought of God’s preserving and keeping the deserved punishment (Job 21:19), it is evident that by “days and times” are understood the days of divine vengeance and judgment upon sinners (Ezek 30:3). These days “are not hidden from the Almighty,” more precisely and clearly, are not preserved by God,—they do not exist; and therefore “those who know Him,”—the righteous (Job 18:21; Ps 35:11)—do not see the manifestation of Divine Justice in regard to sinners (cf. Job 22:19). Job 24:2-4. The first series of examples proving that on earth reigns a worthy-of-curse but nonetheless unpunished oppression of the weak by the strong.

Job 24:2. They move boundary stones; they steal flocks and pasture them. First to be punished are those “who move boundary stones,”—those who rob others of land ownership by moving the boundaries that separated the possessions of one person from those of another (Deut 19:14; Deut 27:17; Prov 22:28; Hos 5:10). The robbers (cf. Job 20:19) also remain unpunished, emboldened so much by this that without fear they pasture openly before everyone the stolen livestock.

Job 24:3. They take the donkey of the orphan; they take the ox of the widow as a pledge; Even those who oppress widows and orphans, despite God’s promise to protect the latter (Exod 22:22-24; Ps 67:6), do not receive recompense.

Job 24:4. They push the poor off the roads; all the afflicted of the land are forced to hide. The oppressions reach the point that the poor are deprived of the ability to walk the roads and are forced to hide. According to the testimony of the Book of Judges, the Hebrews experienced such a state during Shamgar from the invasion of the Philistines (Judg 5:6). This circumstance makes the supposition of certain exegetes (Delim and others) quite plausible that in the present and further verses there is discussion of those primitive tribes inhabiting the land of Uz, whose possessions were taken from them by invaders who entered their country. As for the invasion, it is known to Job’s friends (Job 15:19). Job 24:5-12. A description of the state of the enslaved tribes.

Job 24:5. Look at them, like wild donkeys in the desert, going out to do their work, rising early for prey; the wilderness provides bread for them and for their children; Their life resembles that of animals both in place (“like wild donkeys in the desert”—Job 6:5 and following) and in food. Their sustenance consists of steppe grasses, roots and berries of plants (cf. Job 30:4), which they gather for their soon-hungry children, which is why they “go out to do their work” (cf. Ps 103:23) in early morning.

Job 24:6. They reap in a field not theirs, and gather grapes from the vineyard of the wicked; Having obtained food for their children, they set out to gain their own sustenance in the fields of their oppressors—wealthy men. They are given the feed destined for cattle (“belilo,” cf. Job 6:5) and grapes remaining after the present harvest.

Job 24:7. The naked sleep without covering and without garment in the cold; Job 24:8. They are wet from mountain rains and, having no shelter, huddle against the rock; The resemblance to animals is completed by the lack of clothing and dwellings (cf. Job 30:6) and defenselessness against the harmful effects of the atmosphere.

Job 24:9. They snatch the orphan from the breast and take a pledge from the poor; Job 24:10. They make them walk naked, without clothing, and the hungry they feed with stalks of grain; Job 24:11. Between the stones they press out olive oil; they tread the winepresses yet go thirsty. After the description of the plight of enslaved tribes, Job returns to enumerating unpunished evils. They consist in the strong taking from the weak infants for enslavement (cf. Job 31:17-18), taking pledges from the poor and, using their poverty, forcing them to work in their fields, yet not even feeding them—denying what one cannot refuse to animals (Deut 25:4; 1 Tim 5:18). “They feed the hungry with stalks” literally means “they are hungry and carry sheaves.” Likewise, when the unpaid laborers of the oppressors “between the stones press,” that is, under strict supervision, olive oil and “tread” grapes, they are not permitted to quench their thirst.

Job 24:12. In the city men groan, and the soul of the wounded cries out, and God does not forbid it. Having enslaved one part of the indigenous population, the oppressors have beaten another. The blood of the slain cries out for vengeance, but God pays no attention to this.

Job 24:13. There are among them enemies of light, who do not know its ways and do not walk on its paths. Job 24:14. At dawn the murderer rises, kills the poor and the needy, and by night he becomes a thief. Job 24:15. And the eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, No eye will see me,—and he conceals his face. Job 24:16. In darkness they tunnel under houses, which by day they had marked for themselves; they do not know the light. A special kind of criminal, committing their deeds under the cover of night, children of night, enemies of light (cf. Rom 13:12). Among them are, first, murderers, rising “at dawn,” more precisely “before dawn” (Heb. “layor”), when the deed is favored by semi-darkness; second, adulterers, waiting for the darkness of evening (Prov 7:8-9) and for greater safety concealing their face, and finally, thieves, easily tunneling under the walls of eastern houses, thanks to the absence of foundations.

Job 24:17. For to them the morning is as a shadow of death, for they are familiar with the terrors of the shadow of death. Murderers, adulterers and thieves shun the light; it is terrible to them as the shadow of death. In the daytime they face the danger of being exposed and punished. Job 24:18-21. These verses contain a description of the destruction of the sinner, which Job so far had not acknowledged. In view of this, most exegetes see in them a presentation of the view of the friends, to which the sufferer himself relates ironically. And indeed, otherwise Job falls into a strange self-contradiction (cf. v. 12). According to the text of the LXX, Vulgate and Peshitta, the destruction of the sinner appears to Job only as something to be wished for.

Job 24:18. Light is like him on the surface of water; his portion is cursed upon the earth, and he does not look upon the way of the vineyards. The wicked man “is light upon the surface of water”—his happiness has no permanence, passing as swiftly as is swept away by water a light object (cf. Job 9:26; Hos 10:7); his property is subjected to curse (Job 5:3), and he cannot enjoy peace and quiet: “does not look upon the way of the vineyards” (cf. 1 Sam 4:25; Mic 4:4; Zech 3:10).

Job 24:19. Drought and heat consume the snow water: so the underworld—sinners. The lot of the sinner is inevitable destruction, like the inevitable disappearance of snow under the influence of heat (cf. Job 6:16-17; Ps 67:3).

Job 24:20. Let the womb forget him; let the worm feast on him; let there be no remembrance of him; like a tree, let the evildoer be broken, Job 24:21. who oppresses the barren woman, who has not borne children, and does no good to the widow. And such a fate causes no pity in anyone: he is forgotten even by his own people,—his mother, and all memory of him completely disappears (cf. Job 18:17). Job 24:22-24. To the view of the friends, Job opposes his own view.

Job 24:22. He also drags away the strong with his power; he rises, and no one is certain of his life. Throughout his life the wicked man displays such power that even the strong fear him.

Job 24:23. He gives him all for security, and his eyes watch over their ways. God Himself helps the evildoers. He sees their crimes and nevertheless gives all that serves their security.

Job 24:24. They are raised high—and then, they are no more; they fall and die, like everyone else, and like the top of grain, they are cut down. Relying on their power (v. 22), supported by divine help, the wicked reach the height of power, and then die such a death as all other men die. “Like the top of grain they are cut down.” Alluding to the oriental custom of cutting the tip of the stalk at harvest and leaving the stubble on the root, Job means that the stalks and root of the wicked—his offspring—continue to exist, do not disappear, as the friends assert (cf. Job 15:32).

Job 24:25. If this is not so,—who will convict me of falsehood and bring my speech to nothing? Job’s view cannot be refuted.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Bildad’s response to Job’s speech in the third dialogue.

Bildad’s short speech amounts to two points: before the all-just and almighty God, to whom the heavenly powers submit, man cannot uphold a supposedly violated right; before the all-holy God, in whose eyes not even the stars are pure, man cannot be pure either; justification is not possible for him. Both points are directed against the desire, confident in his own righteousness, of Job to dispute with God (Job 23).

Chapter Twenty-Six

Job’s response to Bildad’s speech in the third dialogue. 1–4. Characterization of Bildad’s speech. 5–14. Job, like Bildad, knows of God’s almighty power.

Job 26:2. How you have helped the powerless, and supported the arm of one without strength! Since Bildad’s speech provides nothing for resolving the question that troubles and “weakens” Job’s heart (Job 23:16)—the question of the cause of the righteous man’s sufferings, the unjust treatment of him by God (XXIII) and the prosperity of sinners (Job 24:25)—it provokes from him a justified ironic remark: “How you have helped the powerless!” Bildad’s reasoning did not help Job, the powerless one unable to solve the riddle of his existence, and therefore did not comfort him at all (“supported the arm of one without strength”).

Job 26:3. What counsel you have given to the foolish, and how fully you have explained the matter! Job 26:4. To whom did you speak these words, and whose spirit came out of you? With even greater sarcasm Job speaks of the arguments brought by Bildad in favor of the idea of divine almighty power. How full and comprehensive his illumination of this question (“how fully you have explained the matter”). Did he not receive revelation from above? (“whose spirit came out of you?”). Everything Bildad said is known to Job, this fool (“foolish” in the opinion of the friends).

Job 26:5. The shades tremble beneath the waters, and those dwelling in them. Job knows of God’s almighty power no less, if not more than Bildad. He knows that it is restricted by nothing; for it there exist no obstacles. Proof of this is the trembling before the Lord of the shades (cf. Ps 87:11), the inhabitants of Sheol. Although the latter is separated from heaven, God’s dwelling place, by a watery expanse, it does not stop the action of divine almighty power: “the shades tremble.” “Shade” means weak, like a shadow, a name applied to the inhabitants of Sheol—the dead,—because the latter was imagined as a place of rest, sleep (Job 3:13; Isa 26:19), a semi-conscious state, from which its inhabitants emerge only under external influence (Isa 14:9).

Job 26:6. Sheol is naked before Him, and Abaddon has no covering. For divine almighty power not only Sheol is open, but also “Abaddon” (Ps 87:12; Prov 15:11; cf. Heb 4:13),—the lowest and deepest part of the abyss ( ἄβυσσος—the abyss; cf. Rev 9:11: “angels of the abyss”).

Job 26:7. He has spread the north over the void, hanging the earth on nothing. The almighty power of God is manifest in the establishment of laws of gravity, by which enormous heavenly bodies of the northern hemisphere are sustained in the air (the word “spread” applies only to the heavenly vault—Job 9:8; Ps 103:2; Isa 40:22, but never to the earth, and therefore “the north” cannot mean the northern hemisphere,—part of the earth) and the whole terrestrial globe.

Job 26:8. He binds up the waters in His clouds, and the cloud does not burst beneath them. From Him also proceed the laws determining the phenomenon of rain (cf. Ps 103:3; Jer 10:13).

Job 26:9. He has established His throne, spreading over it His cloud. The almighty God “has established His throne,” more precisely, “covers the face of His throne.” God’s throne is heaven (Isa 66:1); its forward, facing-the-earth side (“the face”) is covered with clouds like a veil (cf. Job 22:14; Ps 17:12; Amos 9:6), through which He is invisible (cf. Job 22:14). The reflection reaching to earth is the clear sky freed from clouds (Exod 24:10).

Job 26:10. He has drawn a line upon the surface of the waters, at the boundary of light with darkness. By the power of His might the Lord “has drawn a line upon the surface of the waters” (cf. Prov 8:27). According to the conception of ancient peoples, the earth is washed round (encircled) on all sides by the ocean, above which rises like a hemisphere the heavenly vault (cf. “the heavenly circle”—Job 22:14). Within this space lies the region of light emanating from the sun and stars; beyond it—the region of darkness: “at the boundary of light with darkness.”

Job 26:11. The pillars of heaven tremble and are afraid at His rebuke. Job 26:12. By His power He stirs up the sea and by His understanding He shatters Rahab. Divine almighty power is manifested in earthquakes, at which mountains tremble (cf. Job 9:5-6; Ps 28:5-6; Nah 1:5), which with their peaks as it were support heaven and are therefore called “pillars” of heaven, as well as in sea storms and their subduing: “by His understanding He shatters its arrogance” (v. 12; cf. Ps 88:10). The Synodal reading “its arrogance,” conveying the Hebrew word “rahab,” cannot be accepted because with “this” word there is no possessive suffix “o,”—its. “Rahab”—something self-subsistent in relation to the sea, although connected with it. The same is confirmed by Ps 88:10-11 and Isa 51, in which “rahab” is mentioned at the same time as the sea. In view of this, there are sufficient grounds to understand “rahab” in the sense of a sea monster. The Lord “shatters it” in order to prevent it from doing harm to people.

Job 26:13. By His Spirit the heavens are made beautiful; His hand has formed the swift serpent. The almighty power of God is witnessed by “the beauty of heaven”—all the heavenly bodies, and the divine hand—formed “the swift serpent,” Heb. “nahash bariah.” What should be understood by this expression, found also in Isa 27:1, is difficult to say. Judging from context, it is some kind of constellation, but which precisely, is unknown. It is supposed that it lies between the Great and Little Bear, encircling halfway the Polar circle. The Hebrew expression “holla” (Synodal “has formed”) is understood differently. Some derive it from “hul”—“to form” (Deut 22:18; Ps 89:2), others, including the translations of the LXX and Peshitta, from “hapal”—“to pierce.”

Job 26:14. Look, these are but the outskirts of His ways; and how small a whisper do we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power, who can understand? What Job has said constitutes only a slight, brief outline of manifestations of divine almighty power, an outline of what is accessible to human understanding. But the full, nothing-weakened revelation of it is unbearable, intolerable for weak man: “the thunder of His power, who can understand?”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Job’s speech to all his friends. 1–10. The determination of Job to defend his innocence. 11–23. A description of the destruction of the sinner.

Job 27:1. And Job continued his majestic speech and said: Using the silence of his friends, Job continues his “majestic” speech—a figurative, parable-like address (Heb. “mashal”).

Job 27:2. As God lives, Who has taken away my right, and the Almighty, Who has troubled my soul, He begins it with an oath by God’s name (“as the Lord lives”; cf. 1 Sam 20:3),—with an appeal to God as a witness to the truth of his words. Although God has violated the requirement of justice in relation to him,—deprived him of the opportunity to prove his innocence and thus troubled him, plunged him into despair (Job 23:2 and following), nevertheless He remains the highest authority of justice.

Job 27:3. As long as my breath is in me and the Spirit of God is in my nostrils, Job 27:4. My lips will not speak falsehood, and my tongue will not utter deceit! The content and essence of the oath. God is a witness that Job will not cease to defend his righteousness as long as “the breath and the Spirit of God in my nostrils” (cf. Gen 2:7),—as long as he is a conscious being whose conscience speaks of his innocence.

Job 27:5. Far be it from me to declare you righteous; until I die, I will not give up my integrity. The testimony of conscience will not allow him to agree with the counsel of the friends to acknowledge himself as justly punished. As long as Job is alive, he will insist on the fact of his blamelessness.

Job 27:6. I hold fast to my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me in any of my days. He cannot act otherwise, because to do so would be to go against conscience (“heart,” cf. 1 Sam 24:6; 2 Sam 24:10). It reproaches him in nothing (cf. Job 23:10), and he would confess to sins!

Job 27:7. Let my enemy be as the wicked, and may he who rises against me be as the unrighteous. Depending upon Job’s innocence, all his enemies, persons who consider him a sinner, rise up against the righteous man, and therefore show themselves to be wicked.

Job 27:8. For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts off his life, when He takes away his soul? Job 27:9. Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him? Job 27:10. Will he find comfort in the Almighty and call upon God at all times? An oath by God’s name (vv. 3–4) and an appeal to conscience (v. 6)—sufficient proof of Job’s righteousness. But since the friends might have taken this for hypocrisy, Job now points to the impossibility of the latter on his part. If he were a hypocrite, he could not, upon dying (“takes away his soul”—from the body, its dwelling—cf. Job 4:19), harbor any hope for justification (cf. Job 13:16), but he is confident in it (Job 19:25-27). Similarly, the wicked man cannot count, like Job, on being heard by God (cf. Job 13:15; Ps 17:42) and finding his good in God and turning to Him (Job 16:19-20). By his disposition Job is not like the wicked man.

Job 27:11. I will teach you about the hand of God; what is with the Almighty, I will not hide. Job 27:12. Look, you have all seen it yourselves; why then do you speak such empty words? To further prove his righteousness and clarify the difference between himself and the wicked, Job turns to describing the lot that overtakes them. He proposes to the friends the teaching about “the hand of God”—about God’s relations to sinners. As is evident from the words “you have all seen it yourselves” (v. 12), as well as from vv. 13–23, these are the very views repeatedly expressed by the friends. And yet, according to him, the whole time they “spoke empty words” (“tagbalu”—from “gabal”—“to think and act groundlessly”—2 Sam 17:15),—groundlessly identified his fate with that of the wicked, when they are not alike.

Job 27:13. This is the portion of the wicked man with God, and the inheritance that oppressors receive from the Almighty. Reproducing in this case the words of Zophar (Job 20:29), Job, in the further description of the destruction of the wicked, repeats the views of the friends and thus falls into self-contradiction, since earlier he insisted upon the unpunished state of sinners (Job 21:7 and following). But the desire to accept the arguments of the friends, to use their arguments, compelled Job to come on the basis of parallel propositions to opposite conclusions. He turns the weapons of his friends against themselves. “They placed before his eyes, as in a mirror, the lot of the wicked, so that he might see himself in it and fear. He in turn places this mirror before their eyes, so that they might notice how much the character differs not only of his behavior in suffering, but of the sufferings themselves.”

Job 27:14. If his sons multiply, it is for the sword; and his offspring do not satisfy themselves with bread. Job 27:15. The survivors are brought down to death, and their widows do not weep. Sword, hunger, and the plague accompanying it (“mavet,” Synodal “death”)—three calamities (2 Sam 24:13; Jer 14:12) from which the numerous offspring of the wicked perish (cf. Job 5:20-21). A continuous succession of calamities deprives the widows of the ability to perform the burial rite of mourning the dead (Gen 23:2; Ps 77:64).

Job 27:16. If he heaps up silver like dust and prepares clothing like clay, Job 27:17. He may prepare it, but the righteous will put it on, and the innocent will divide the silver. The wealth of the wicked, in the form of a vast quantity of silver (“heaps up silver like dust”; cf. Zech 9:3) and many brilliant, splendid garments (cf. Josh 7:21; 2 Sam 7:8), will pass to the righteous (cf. Job 15:29; Ps 48:11).

Job 27:18. He builds his house like a moth, and like a watchman he makes himself a hut; Likewise, the dwelling of the wicked is as fragile as the work of a moth (cf. Job 4:19), like a temporary shelter made by a watchman (cf. Isa 1:8).

Job 27:19. He lies down a rich man and will not do so again; he opens his eyes and he is no more. The Synodal reading with its thought of the swift disappearance of the wicked man’s wealth can hardly be considered correct: the account of it was already in vv. 16–17. The translation of the LXX: πλούσιος κοιμηθήσεται καὶ οὐκ προσθὴσει , which the Peshitta follows, ancient-Italian text, Delitzsch, Ewald and others, contains an indication of the sudden, swift death of the sinner. The naturalness of such an understanding is proven, among other things, by the fact that the friends, whose view Job repeats, concluded the description of the lot of the lawless man with a depiction of his death (Job 15:32).

Job 27:20. Terrors overtake him like waters; the storm snatches him away in the night. Job 27:21. The east wind lifts him up and he is gone; it sweeps him away from his place. Job 27:22. It rushes upon him without pity; he flees desperately from its power. A figurative expression of the thought of the sinner’s death. He perishes like someone destroyed by all-crushing waters (Job 14:19), by the all-sweeping deluge (Isa 28:2), by the wind (Heb. “kadim”—simoom), not only scorching ( καύσων LXX), burning (Gen 41:23), but also destroying (Heb. “veyelak,” cf. Job 14:20), uprooting (Heb. “zeir,” cf. Ps 57:10). All efforts to escape destruction are vain (v. 22; cf. Job 20:24).

Job 27:23. Clapping their hands at him and whistling at him from his place! People, witnesses of the sinner’s destruction, “clap their hands” at him, marveling (Lam 2:15; Nah 3:19) and whistle in a sign of contempt and mockery (1 Sam 9:8; Jer 49:17; Zeph 2:15).

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Continuation of Job’s speech. 1–11. The display of human wisdom in acquiring precious metals and stones. 12–28. True wisdom is not accessible to mankind.

Having finished the preceding speech with a description of the destruction of the wicked, Job proceeds to clarify its causes. The wicked is destroyed because his prosperity is not secure in its foundation. It is created on the basis of wealth, the possession of gold and silver, and the latter are of earthly origin, perishable and unstable. The wisdom which is able to ensure human existence and is found in the fear of God is inaccessible to the wicked, for it is known only to God and is revealed to those who heed His teaching, consequently, not to the wicked. In view of such reasoning, Job proceeds to describe the extraction of precious metals as a manifestation of human wisdom.

Job 28:1. Indeed, silver has a source vein, and gold a place where it is refined. “Silver has a source vein” – Hebrew “mocha” – a place from which something emerges naturally (Job 38:27; 1 Sam 10:28), and “gold a place where it is refined” – Hebrew “yazoku” – they cleanse it from impurities (1 Chr 28:18; Ps 11:7; Mal 3:3).

Job 28:2. Iron is obtained from the earth; copper is smelted from stone. Iron is extracted from the depths of the earth, and “copper is smelted from stone,” from metal ore cast into the smelting furnace, by the force of fire, copper mass is smelted.

Job 28:3. Man sets a bound to darkness and thoroughly searches for stone in gloom and shadow of death. Metals are hidden in the earth, but man knows how to find them. For this he penetrates the depths of the earth, brings the necessary lighting for metal extraction into a place where darkness once reigned.

Job 28:4. They sink a mining shaft in places forgotten by foot, they descend into the depths, hang and sway far from people. Shafts or wells are dug far from inhabited places, and workers, descending into them by means of ropes or other devices, inevitably must hang in the air.

Job 28:5. The earth, on which grain grows, is internally hollowed out as if by fire. Job 28:6. Its stones are a place of sapphire, and in it are specks of gold. Since shafts are dug not only in the vertical direction relative to the earth but also horizontally, its interior appears hollowed out, as if burned by fire. Here, within the earth, in its rocks, they find transparent bluish sapphire and golden specks.

Job 28:7. The path to it a bird of prey does not know, and the eye of the hawk has not seen it; Job 28:8. the lions have not trodden it, and no jackal has walked upon it. They are hidden in such a depth that neither the far-sighted eagle (Synodal: “bird of prey”) nor the hawk can perceive it, and no jackals and lions, which roam everywhere seeking prey, have been in these remote places.

Job 28:9. On granite he lays his hand, he overturns mountains at their roots; Job 28:10. in rocks he cuts out channels, and his eye sees every precious thing; Job 28:11. he stops the flow of streams and brings hidden things to light. In extracting metals and precious stones, man is not hindered by spatial distances (vv. 7–8), nor do other difficulties and obstacles matter to him. He breaks granite stones, causes collapses where needed, “cuts out channels in rocks” (Hebrew “jeorim”) – galleries, so that it is possible to follow the ore veins of metal and divert water that hinders the work to the side.

Job 28:12. But where is wisdom found? And where is the place of understanding? The earth and earthly things give knowledge of earthly things; but that which is above the earth is not given by the earth. She cannot impart wisdom (Hebrew “chochmah”), knowledge of things in their essence, their ultimate foundations, and that highest religious-moral vision which indicates the norms of human existence.

Job 28:13. Man does not know its price, and it is not found on the land of the living. Job 28:14. The deep says: “Not in me”; and the sea says: “Not with me.” Wisdom will not be found by man on earth, even if he offered for possession of it all his treasures and explored the terrestrial globe in all directions: the surface of the earth (“land of the living” cf. Ps 26:13; Isa 38:11), the waters beneath (Hebrew “tegom”, cf. Gen 49:25), and the ocean surrounding the earth.

Job 28:15. It is not given for gold, nor is it acquired for weight of silver; Job 28:16. it is not valued with the gold of Ophir, nor with precious onyx, nor with sapphire; Job 28:17. it is not equal to gold and crystal, and it is not exchanged for vessels of pure gold. Job 28:18. Regarding coral and pearl – there is nothing to mention, and the acquisition of wisdom is more valuable than rubies. Job 28:19. The topaz of Ethiopia does not equal it; it is not valued with pure gold. As surpassing all earthly things in its value (v. 13; cf. Prov 3:14-15), wisdom cannot be acquired for riches and treasures: for the purest gold (Hebrew “degor” v. 15, cf. 1 Sam 6:20), for onyxes (Hebrew “togam” – beryl, emerald), for crystals (Hebrew “zekukit” – glass, reckoned in antiquity as precious objects; crystals – Hebrew “gabish” are mentioned below in v. 18), for pearls (Hebrew “ramot”, cf. Ezek 27:16), for crystals (Synodal – “pearls”) and red coral (Hebrew “peninim”, Russian ruby) and for the topaz of Ethiopia (Hebrew “tedat” – Exod 28:17; Ezek 28:13), a yellow-orange diamond, found, according to Pliny’s testimony, in Ethiopia and on the islands of the Red Sea (from which its Indian name, echoing the Hebrew “pita,” that is “pita”).

Job 28:20. Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? If man is not able by his own strength to find wisdom on earth, in the deep and the sea (vv. 13–14), cannot acquire it for earthly treasures (vv. 14–19), then in what manner can one comprehend it, and to whom should one turn for this?

Job 28:21. It is hidden from the eyes of all that lives and concealed from the birds of the air. Job 28:22. Abaddon and death say: We have heard a rumor of it with our ears. Preparing an answer to this question, Job again declares that no living thing, even the everywhere-flying birds with keener sight than man, can tell anything about wisdom. But while visible nature does testify to wisdom, only a rumor of it reaches the underground darkness (v. 22).

Job 28:23. God knows its path, and He knows its place. Job 28:24. For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. The fullness of knowledge of wisdom belongs to God alone, the omnipresent (Bar 3:31-32) and all-knowing.

Job 28:25. When He gave weight to the wind and measured out water, Job 28:26. when He made a statute for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt of lightning, Job 28:27. then He saw it and declared it, established it and tested it It has been known to Him since the time of creation of the world. When the Lord “gave weight to the wind,” that is, determined the degree of its strength and weakness, distributed the water mass across the earth, established the laws of rain, then He “saw wisdom” (v. 27) – contemplated it as an ideal, a prototype of what was being created; “declared it” – revealed, manifested it in created nature, which became its disclosure; “established it” – set it as an immutable law, thereby determining the character of the further existence of all that was created, and finally, “tested” its capacity for further self-development (cf. Prov 8:22-30; Wis 9:9).

Job 28:28. and said to man: Behold, the fear of the Lord is true wisdom, and the turning away from evil is understanding. Having realized in the creation of the world the substance of wisdom – the totality of His ideas about it, the Lord indicated wherein lies the norm of human life. Conforming to it, man conforms to his idea and participates in the universal wisdom. – “Behold, the fear of the Lord…” see the commentary on Job 1:1.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Job’s first speech to his friends. 1–25. Description of former happiness.

Job 29:1. And Job continued his lofty speech and said: The silence of his friends gives Job the opportunity to continue and finish his begun speech. Reviewing all that has been said before, the sufferer again affirms that he did not deserve misfortune and does not know its cause.

Job 29:2. Oh, that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me, Godliness (Job 28:28) is not able to destroy in the sufferer the feeling of bitterness arising from the recollection of past days of former happiness, the foundation of which was God and His protection. Oh, if only – he cries – someone would give me the chance to relive the past, to return former happiness!

Job 29:3. when His lamp shone upon my head, and by His light I walked through darkness; In this irrecoverable time, divine help and blessings poured upon Job like light from a lamp, and protected him from dangers.

Job 29:4. as I was in the days of my youth, when the favor of God was upon my tent, Job 29:5. when the Almighty was still with me, and my children were around me, Job 29:6. when my paths were washed with milk, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me! “In the days of his youth” (Hebrew “choref” – “winter” – Gen 8:22; Prov 20:4; Jer 36:22; Amos 3:15; time opposite to summer; a period of enjoying gathered fruit – autumn) more precisely in his time of maturity (v. 5) Job was in communion with God (Hebrew “sod” – the shortest acquaintance – Job 19:9; Ps 24:14; Ps 54:15; Prov 3:22), enjoyed, as a righteous man, family happiness (“my children were around me”, cf. Ps 126:3, etc.) and abundance of earthly blessings (v. 6; cf. Job 20:17; Gen 49:11-12; Exod 3:8; Deut 32:13).

Job 29:7. when I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the square – Job 29:8. young men, seeing me, hid themselves, and the elders stood and remained standing; Job 29:9. the princes refrained from speaking and laid a finger on their mouth; Job 29:10. the voice of the nobles ceased, and their tongue clung to the roof of their mouth. Apart from this, Job enjoyed universal respect, particularly evident at times when he participated in public, especially judicial affairs decided in the square before the city gate: “took his seat in the square” (cf. Job 5:4; Prov 31:23; Nehem 8:1). When Job appeared there, young men did not dare show themselves out of respect for him, elders stood, waiting for him to sit (cf. 1 Sam 2:19), princes – the city leaders, for the same reasons refrained from speaking, leaving him the first word (cf. Job 32:4, etc.), and the nobles fell silent, not knowing what to add to what he had said.

Job 29:11. The ear that heard me blessed me; the eye that saw me approved me, The impression produced by Job’s personality, his public and private activity was such that those who heard of him considered him worthy of all good things and called them down upon him, and those who saw him could not refrain from his praise (cf. Prov 31:28). Job 29:12-17. The reasons for such treatment of Job lay in his virtue, and especially his compassion and righteousness.

Job 29:12. because I saved the suffering one who cried out and the helpless orphan. Job 29:13. The blessing of the one perishing came upon me, and I brought joy to the heart of the widow. He not only did not oppress the helpless, widows, and orphans, as Eliphaz claimed (Job 22:9), but rendered them support and help, was not deaf to their cries (cf. Ps 71:12). Therefore he was blessed by those on the brink of ruin (“the perishing ones,” Hebrew “oved”, cf. Job 31:19-20; Prov 31:6), whom he saved (cf. Ps 71:12-15).

Job 29:14. I clothed myself in righteousness, and my judgment clothed me like a mantle and a turban. Another virtue of Job was righteousness, strict adherence to the will of God, and judgment (“mishpat”) – the determination to stand for righteousness against unrighteousness. He covered himself with the first (Hebrew “labash”) like with clothing (cf. Ps 131:9; Isa 11:5), the second formed his head covering, a turban, that is, Job was the bearer, the instrument of these virtues (cf. Judg 6:34: “The Spirit of the Lord clothed (Hebrew “labasha”) Gideon” – He made him its instrument).

Job 29:15. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame; Job 29:16. I was a father to the poor and carefully examined cases I did not know. Job 29:17. I broke the jaws of the evildoer and snatched the prey from his teeth. The obvious manifestation of righteousness, giving each his due, was help adapted to the needs of the unfortunate. It made up for their shortcomings, as if restoring lost organs: “I was eyes to the blind” (cf. Num 10:31). “Judgment” manifested itself in strict and impartial justice: Job carefully examined the cases of unknown persons, freed the suffering from unjust oppressors (“snatched the prey from his teeth” – v. 17) and deprived the latter of the ability to harm (“broke the jaws of the evildoer”, cf. Ps 3:8).

Job 29:18. And I said: I will die in my nest, and I will multiply my days like the sand; According to the doctrine of earthly retribution, the righteous Job expected a peaceful death surrounded by family (“I will die in my nest” – I will die like a bird surrounded by chicks; cf. Ps 83:4) after a long life: “I will multiply my days like the sand” (Hebrew “chol” – sand – a symbol of multitude: Job 6:3; Gen 22:17; Isa 10:22; Jer 33:22). Instead of “like the sand,” the LXX read: ὡς στέλεχος φοίνικος – “like the trunk of a palm” (“the stem of a palm” – Slavonic), the ancient Italian translation: “sicut arbor palmae”, the Vulgate: “sicut palma”; my life will be like the existence of a palm tree, a long-lived plant, often renewing itself in its roots. The Hebrew tradition, reproduced by the Talmud (Sanhedrin fol. 108), midrashim, and the rabbis Kimchi, Yarchi, and adopted by some of the newer exegetes – Delitzsch, Hitzig, and others – understands by “chol” the legendary bird phoenix, reborn after death to a new life. Indirect confirmation of such a view is served by the Egyptian name of this bird “chol” or “chul” and the coincidence of Job’s wish: “I will die in my nest,” with that detail reported by legends of the phoenix, that the phoenix brings the remains of its dead father to Heliopolis in the temple of the sun and there gives him final honors. Some even suppose that the original recension of the LXX had only: ὥσπερ φοῖνιξ (“like the phoenix”), and the modern reading: ὥσπερ στέλεχος … is a later phenomenon. The LXX could not connect with the Hebrew “chol” the meaning “palm,” since the palm is in Hebrew “tamar,” and the LXX knew the meaning of this word well (Ps 91:13; Song 7:8-9; Joel 1:12).

Job 29:19. my root was opened to water, and dew lodged on my branches; Job hoped for the same freshness of strength and vigor which falls to the lot of a plant, the moisture necessary for whose growth is supplied both from below (“my root was opened to water”; cf. Job 14:8-9) and from above (“dew lodged on my branches”; cf. Job 18:16; Gen 27:39; Prov 19:12),

Job 29:20. my glory did not grow old, and my bow remained strong in my hand. At the same time, Job expected constant respect from those around him (“my glory did not grow old”) and his own strength to maintain it (“my bow remained strong”; cf. 1 Sam 2:4; Ps 45:10, etc.). Job 29:21-25. The mention of former glory will give Job an opportunity to dwell on this subject again, to relive the past once more.

Job 29:21. Men listened to me and waited, and fell silent at my counsel. Job 29:22. After my words they spoke no more; my speech dropped upon them. Job 29:23. They waited for me as for the rain, and opened their mouth as for the late rain. No one listening to Job dared interrupt him; all awaited the end of his speech, and after it ended they fell silent (“spoke no more”), having no ability to add anything to what he said: Job’s thoughts completely exhausted the question being discussed. His speech satisfied, saturated all, as rain satisfies dry land (cf. Deut 32:2; Ps 71:6). Therefore they waited for it with the same passionate eagerness (“opened their mouth”; cf. Ps 118:131), with which they wait for the spring rain (“late rain”; cf. Deut 11:14; Jer 3:3; Hos 6:3; Joel 2:23), which falls before the sowing of summer crops.

Job 29:24. I smiled at them – they did not believe it; and they did not darken the light of my face. In his wisdom Job seemed so unattainably great that his smile was considered an honor; not everyone believed in such favor, condescension toward him from his side, and no one dared to grieve him (“did not darken the light of my face”; cf. Prov 16:15).

Job 29:25. I determined the way for them and sat as chief and dwelt like a king among his army, like a comforter of those who mourn. Universally respected for his wisdom, Job was the guide of his fellow citizens in life and was their leader.

Chapter Thirty

Job’s second speech to his friends. 1–11. Description of his present condition – contempt from the most worthless people. 12–28. Of diseases. 29–31. Of sorrow.

Job 30:1. But now those younger than I in years mock me, those whose fathers I would not have deigned to set with the dogs of my flock. Job 30:2. What could their strength avail me? Their time had passed. Complete contrast to the happy, glorious past is presented by Job’s present position. Respected formerly by elders and the noble (Job 29:3-10), he is now subjected to mockery from those younger in years and moreover from the dregs of society. Their “fathers I would not have deigned to set with the dogs of my flock” – with one of the most despicable animals in the east (1 Sam 17:43; 2 Sam 8:13; Eccl 9:4).

Job 30:3. Exhausted by poverty and hunger, they fled to the barren, gloomy, and desolate wilderness; Job 30:4. they pick herbs beside the bushes, and juniper berries are their food. Job 30:5. They are driven out from society, cried out at as thieves, Job 30:6. so that they dwell in gullies of ravines, in caves of the earth and in caves of rocks. Job 30:7. They roar among the bushes, they huddle together under the thorns. Job 30:8. The outcasts of society, men without name, the refuse of the earth! Job is mocked by persons whose way of life does not even deserve the name of humans. Dwellers of the deserts, exhausted by hunger, they feed, like animals, on saltbush (Hebrew “maluach”, Greek αλιμα; Russian “herbs beside the bushes”; cf. the remarks of Athenaeus about the poor Pythagoreans: αλιμα ψώγοντες καὶ κακὰ τοιαυτα συλλέγοντες ), and bitter roots of drosera. Rejected by society, driven out of it (v. 5), they have no human dwellings, live, like animals, in soil depressions (“gullies of ravines”), cavities of rocks (cf. Job 24:5-6) and in a purely animal manner express their needs – “they roar” (cf. Job 6:5).

Job 30:9. Now I have become their song, a byword to them. Job 30:10. They abhor me, they shun me, and do not refrain from spitting in my face. This “refuse of the earth” (v. 8) has made Job the subject of mocking songs (Hebrew “neginata” cf. Ps 68:13; Lam 3:14). With feelings of disgust (cf. Job 19:19) they flee from the sufferer and if they come to him, only in order to express their contempt by spitting (cf. Job 17:6).

Job 30:11. Because He has loosed my cord and afflicted me, they have cast off restraint before me. The reason for such treatment lies in Job’s sufferings. God “has loosed my cord,” more precisely, my “rope” (Hebrew “itri”) – vital force (cf. Jer 10:20; Eccl 12:6), took away vigor and strength of limbs. And people, seeing the calamitous position of the sufferer, have no least restraint in mockery (“cast off restraint”) toward the one who formerly enjoyed respect (cf. Job 12:5). The LXX translation, Slavonic, Vulgate, and some modern exegetes (Ewald), reading instead of “itri” “itro” – “my quiver” – translate the whole passage thus: “God opened His quiver” that is, afflicted Job with the arrows of His wrath (cf. Job 6:4). But even with such a translation, the meaning of this verse does not change: by diseases and sufferings, Job’s strength has been taken away.

Job 30:12. On my right side a brood rises up; they trip me and build a siege ramp against me. Job 30:13. They break up my path; they promote my calamity; no one stands beside them to help. Job 30:14. As through a wide breach they come; amid the crash they roll in. The subject of these verses is not the persons described above, but the diseases that have come upon Job. The account of sufferings in Job 16:9 serves as proof of this. Having spoken of the latter in v. 11 as the cause of mockery, Job now turns to their description. The marks of divine wrath, accusers of Job of sins (Job 10:15) and therefore called those standing on the right (cf. Ps 108:6; Zech 3:1), they in their multitude (“a brood,” more precisely, “a swarm”) are distinguished by such extraordinary strength (“they trip me”) that one, without outside help, can destroy Job (v. 13).

Job 30:14. As through a wide breach they come; amid the crash they roll in. And nothing hinders them in this: they rush upon Job as warriors on a besieged city after a wide breach has been made in its walls (cf. Job 16:14). – “Amid the crash they roll in,” more precisely: “amid the rubble (of collapsing walls) they are hurled.”

Job 30:15. Terrors have seized upon me; my dignity is swept away as by the wind, and my prosperity has passed away as a cloud. Although disease has not yet destroyed Job, its results are evident. He is in fear of approaching death (“terrors have seized”; cf. Job 18:14); in dependence on misfortunes, former greatness and happiness have vanished (v. 1, 11) without trace, like wind and cloud (cf. Job 7:9; Isa 44:22).

Job 30:16. And now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction have seized me. Furthermore, under the influence of sufferings, Job’s soul is full of sorrow and sadness: “my soul is poured out” (cf. Ps 41:4-6; Lam 2:19), and there is no hope for relief from grief; it holds him tightly.

Job 30:17. My bones ache in the night, and my sinews are never at rest. Even the night brings no peace (cf. Job 7:3): “the night gnaws at my bones” and the “gnawing” (Hebrew “orkai”; cf. v. 3; Russian “sinews”), that is, worms (cf. Job 7:5), do not sleep – do not give rest.

Job 30:18. With great effort my garment is removed; it binds me like the collar of my tunic. The Synodal translation presents an inaccurate rendering of the original text. The literal translation of it is thus: “by the almighty power (it is understood, of God) my clothing is deformed; He constricts me like the collar of my tunic.” Since the Hebrew “lebusti” (“my clothing”) is used in the sense of “my skin” (cf. Job 41:5), Job wants to say that his skin, ulcerated by worms (v. 17) and also by disease, has taken on a hideous appearance.

Job 30:19. He has cast me into the mud, and I have become like dust and ashes. Colored red at the beginning of the disease, it has now become black and scaly, has taken on the appearance of a crust of earthy, muddy color (Delitzsch).

Job 30:20. I cry to You, and You do not answer me; I stand, and You only look at me. Job 30:21. You have become cruel to me; with Your mighty hand You oppose me. Job 30:22. You lift me up and make me ride on the wind; You toss me about in the storm. Job 30:23. Yes, I know that You will bring me to death and to the house of assembly of all the living. God’s present cruel treatment of Job deprives him of the ability to hope for relief of his position in the future (cf. Job 7:5-10). Indifferent and unmoved to Job’s prayer (v. 20; cf. Job 19:7; cf. Job 22:27), God continues to let him feel all the power of His might (v. 21; cf. Job 10:16); by the calamities that have befallen him, he is seized, like by a strong wind, thrown to the ground and crushed (v. 22). The natural consequence of all this, the final act of enmity, will be death – descent into Sheol – “the house of assembly of all the living” (v. 23, cf. Job 3:18, etc.).

Job 30:24. Surely He does not strike down one who calls for help in his distress? Did not he cry out in his ruin? With Job’s death, the violence from God will surely end (“does not strike down”; cf. Job 2:5), and the bones being turned to dust (“in his ruin”) will not complain of oppression. But what profit is there from this, when in Sheol all find rest anyway (Job 3:17)? Such is the sense of the Synodal reading, which does not convey the thought of the original. According to the opinion of Delitzsch and other exegetes, it should be translated thus: “does the one perishing not stretch out his hand? does the one in calamity not cry out?” Job is certain of the inevitability of death (v. 23) and nevertheless cannot help but beg for mercy. His cries are the manifestation of the indestructible human sense of self-preservation.

Job 30:25. Did I not weep for those in trouble? Was not my soul grieved for the poor? Job 30:26. When I hoped for good, evil came; when I waited for light, darkness came. On the other hand, they are a protest of righteousness against obvious injustice. By his former conduct, sympathy and compassion for the unfortunate (v. 25; cf. Job 29:12, etc. Job 31:19-20) Job deserves not enmity and punishment by death, but mercy, preservation of life (cf. Ps 40:2-4). And yet his lot is nothing but misfortunes.

Job 30:27. My heart is troubled and will not be still; days of affliction have met me. Under the influence of this obvious injustice, Job comes into a state of extreme agitation (“my heart is troubled”; cf. Isa 16:11; Jer 31:20; Lam 1:20), falls into deep sorrow.

Job 30:28. I go about darkened, not by the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry out. He walks “darkened,” Hebrew “koder” – sorrowful, with bowed head (Ps 34:14) “without the sun,” without hope for any improvement of his lot, and loudly declares his grief before those gathered for his comfort.

Job 30:29. I am a brother to jackals and a companion to the ostriches. These declarations have the character of laments, and in them Job became like jackals, which utter a terrible howl during the night, and ostriches, whose whistle-like cry is replaced by mournful groans (cf. Mic 1:8).

Job 30:30. My skin has become black on me, and my bones burn from the heat. See v. 19.

Job 30:31. And my harp has turned to mourning, and my pipe to the voice of those who weep. For Job there are no joys: cheerful music (cf. Job 21:22) has turned into sorrowful weeping (cf. Ps 29:12; Lam 5:15; Amos 8:10).

Chapter Thirty-One

Job’s third speech to his friends. 1–40. Job has been punished without cause and unjustly, since in his previous life he represented an example of the purity that was possible for a person in moral and religious respects.

Job 31:1. I made a covenant with my eyes that I would not look at a young woman. First of all, Job was so chaste that he avoided lustful thoughts. He made an agreement with his eyes (“made a covenant”), through which corruption enters the soul (Gen 3:6; Prov 23:33), to not cast impure looks at a young woman (Prov 6:25; Sir 9:5).

Job 31:2. What then is my portion from God above? What inheritance from the Almighty from on high? Job 31:3. Is not destruction for the wicked, and calamity for those who do evil? Job 31:4. Does He not see my ways and count all my steps? The motive for suppressing sin in its inception was the thought of punishment (“portion,” “inheritance”; cf. Job 20:29) for unchastity (Gen 39:9), which, given the understanding of God as an all-knowing Judge (v. 4; cf. Ps 138:2), appeared to be inevitable.

Job 31:5. If I have walked with vanity and if my foot has hurried after deceit— Job 31:6. Let me be weighed on just scales, and God will know my integrity. Job was free from further falsehood in the form of hidden, masked lies (Hebrew “shav”; cf. Job 11:11; Synodal—“vanity”) and deception (Hebrew “mirma”). No such vices can be found in him by the most impartial judgment (“Let me be weighed… on scales”; cf. Dan 5:27); he will come forth from it with integrity (cf. Job 1:1).

Job 31:7. If my steps have turned from the way and my heart has followed after my eyes, and if anything unclean has clung to my hands, Job 31:8. Let me sow and another eat, and may my crops be uprooted. For turning aside from the path indicated by God’s truth (Job 23:11), beginning with the desire of the eyes (Gen 3:6; 1 John 2:16), which draw the soul onto the path of sin (Prov 23:33), which in turn affects the hands, forcing them to defile themselves with something unclean (“clung to my hands”; cf. Deut 13:17), in this case the acquisition of another’s property, Job is ready to bear the deserved punishment. His sowings should be enjoyed by another (v. 8: cf. Job 5:5; Lev 26:16; Deut 28:30 and following), and all the produce of the earth belonging to him should be destroyed altogether. The Synodal expression “crops” translates the Hebrew word “tzetza’im,” which means, first, “descendants” (Job 5:25), and second, “produce of the earth” (Isa 34:1). Judging by the context, it is used here in the latter sense.

Job 31:9. If my heart has been seduced by a woman and I have lurked at my neighbor’s door— Job 31:10. Let my wife grind for another, and let others bend over her, Avoiding lustful thoughts (v. 1), Job is all the more innocent in actual adultery. His heart was not seduced by the wife of another, and he did not seek cunning means (“lurked at”; cf. Prov 7:12) to defile his neighbor’s family hearth. The punishment for this was to be the loss of his own wife, her transformation into a slave—concubine of another: “grind for another” (cf. Exod 11:5; Isa 47:2).

Job 31:11. For that is a crime, an iniquity punishable by judgment; Job 31:12. It is a fire that consumes even to destruction, which would uproot all my gain. The inevitability of such punishment is explained by the fact that adultery is a crime (Hebrew “zimma”—sin of the flesh; Lev 18:17), subject to requital by God’s judgment (Lev 20:10). In its consequences it is an all-consuming, boundless (“consumes even to destruction”—to “avaddon”; cf. Job 26:6) fire (cf. Prov 6:26-29; Sir 9:9), accompanied by the ruin of the entire estate of the adulterer (Prov 5:9).

Job 31:13. If I have disregarded the rights of my male servant and my female servant when they filed a complaint against me, Job 31:14. What then would I do when God rose up? And when He looked on me, what would I answer Him? Job 31:15. Did not He, Who created me in the womb, create him also, and fashion us alike in the womb? Job never abused his rights as a powerful person with respect to his servants—he did not deny them fair judgment. The motive for this was fear of divine punishment. Despite all their inequality and difference in status, master and servant are equally creatures of God and children of one heavenly Father, brothers to one another (Mal 2:10; Eph 6:9). And God would not leave without vengeance those who wronged His children.

Job 31:16. Have I denied the desires of the poor and caused the widow’s eye to languish? Job 31:17. Did I alone eat my morsel and the orphan did not eat of it? Job 31:18. For from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow. Job 31:19. If I have seen anyone perishing without clothing and a poor person without covering,— Job 31:20. Did not his loins bless me, and was he not warmed with the fleece of my sheep? Not refusing to help those in need of various kinds (cf. Job 22:7), not exhausting the patience of a widow seeking help with empty promises (“languish”; cf. 1 Sam 2:33), Job was a protector of orphans, widows, and the poor. He shared bread with the former, was their father; for the latter from the earliest period of his life he took the place of a son; and the third group he warmed against the cold, providing clothing (cf. Job 29:13).

Job 31:21. If I have raised my hand against the orphan because I saw help for myself at the gate,— Much more so, Job was not an oppressor of orphans (“raise my hand”; cf. Isa 10:32; Zech 2:9), even though he could have done so, hoping for impunity from the judges (“because I saw help for myself at the gate”; cf. Job 29:7), over whom he had influence (Ibid., v. 8 and following).

Job 31:22. Let my shoulder fall away from its socket, and my arm be broken at the elbow, Let the violent person be deprived of the organ of violence—the hand.

Job 31:23. For the fear of God’s punishment was terrible for me; I could not prevail against His majesty. Violence was impossible for Job: he was restrained from it by fear before God’s majesty.

Job 31:24. Did I put my trust in gold and say to fine gold, “You are my confidence”? Job 31:25. Did I rejoice because my wealth was great and my hand had gained much? A generous philanthropist (v. 17–20), Job was free from greed, did not consider earthly treasures the greatest good, the foundation of his well-being (cf. Job 22:25; Ps 61:11; 1 Tim 6:17). Therefore, it was not in his nature to rejoice at the increase of wealth.

Job 31:26. If I have looked at the sun when it shone and the moon moving in splendor, Job 31:27. And have been secretly enticed in my heart, and my mouth has kissed my hand,— Free from the service of gold (Col 3:5), Job can all the more not be accused of actual idolatry, worship of the shining, like gold and silver, sun and moon. He was not “enticed” (cf. Deut 4:19) by their magnificent appearance, and as a sign of respect for them did not “kiss his hand.” “Kissing the hand” was a sign of reverence among the ancients. Lucian represents Indians worshipping the sun, having kissed the hand during the dance… Inter adorandum—remarks Pliny—we raise the right hand to the mouth.

Job 31:28. This also would have been iniquity punishable by judgment, for I would have denied God on high. The deification of creatures, the transfer to it of those honors which should be given to God alone, is a renunciation of Him, a crime subject to punishment (cf. Deut 4:24; Josh 24:19; Isa 13:3).

Job 31:29. Did I rejoice at the destruction of one who hated me, and did I exult when misfortune overtook him? Job 31:30. I have not allowed my mouth to sin by cursing his soul. The height of Job’s virtues was benevolence toward his enemies, which excluded malicious joy at the sight of their misfortunes (Prov 24:17) and a wish for evil at the sight of their prosperity. All of this, especially the calling of death upon a foe (v. 30), he avoided as sin.

Job 31:31. Did not the men of my tent say, “Oh, had we not been satisfied with his meat!”? Job 31:32. The stranger did not spend the night in the street; I opened my doors to the traveler. Benevolence toward his enemies was a manifestation of the humanity characteristic of Job, which extended to those completely alien to him (strangers) and was expressed in extensive hospitality. Witnesses to this were “the men of his tent,”—his servants, saying that there was no one who had not been satisfied by his dishes.

Job 31:33. If I have hidden my transgressions as Adam did, concealing my iniquity in my bosom,— Job 31:34. Then I would have feared the great throng, and the contempt of families would have terrified me, so that I kept silence and did not go out of doors. Job’s piety and morality were not merely show. If he, actually wicked, had hidden his transgressions like Adam (Hebrew “ke-adam”; Synodal—“like a man”) (Gen 3:12), then fear of being exposed, of incurring the contempt of his fellow citizens would have forced him to hide, would not have allowed him to go out of his tent (cf. Gen 3:8-10). But he enjoyed honor and respect, took part in deciding public affairs (Job 29:7-10), and consequently was free from hypocrisy.

Job 31:35. Oh, that one would hear me! Behold, here is my signature: let the Almighty answer me, and let my adversary write an indictment. Job’s defense speech relates to everything he previously said about his innocence as a seal, an authenticating signature. “Behold, here is my signature” in Hebrew is “gen tav,”—“here is my tav,” the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, used to authenticate something (Ezek 9:4). Having presented proofs of his innocence, Job desires that his opponent, that is, God, should appear to court with him bringing an indictment. Instead of “let my adversary write an indictment,” it should literally be translated from the Hebrew: “and let my opponent write his indictment.”

Job 31:36. Surely I would wear it on my shoulder and bind it like a crown upon me; Conscious of his innocence, Job cannot allow the thought that this “indictment” would prove his guilt. On the contrary, it would serve as a witness to his innocence: it would restore his dignity (“would wear it on my shoulder”; cf. Isa 9:6) and his honor (“bind it like a crown upon me”; cf. Zech 6:11).

Job 31:37. I would give him an account of all my steps; I would approach him like a prince. Therefore Job would answer God, not as a trembling Adam afraid of punishment, but as a prince, that is, boldly and fearlessly (“approach Him like a prince”).

Job 31:38. If my land has cried out against me and its furrows have wept together,— Job 31:39. If I have eaten its fruit without payment and caused the death of its owners,— Job 31:40. Then let thistles grow instead of wheat, and noxious weeds instead of barley. Job’s words are finished. If all that Job has said is false, if he is the greatest of sinners, whose punishment is demanded by inanimate nature (Job 20:27; Hab 2:11 and following)—the soil exhausted by his greed (cf. Ps 64:11); if he made life unbearable for its former owners (cf. Job 22:8), then let the curse that struck the first man (v. 40; cf. Gen 3:17-18) fall upon him in all its force. Let him be, like the first man, rejected by God.

Chapter Thirty-Two

1–22. The speeches of Elihu. A twofold introduction to them. One of them, the historical, written in prose, belongs to the author of the book (1–5); the other to Elihu himself (Job 32:6-33:7). The latter breaks down into three parts: 1) an explanation addressed to the friends of his previous silence (6–10); 2) the reason for his intervention in the conversation—the inability of the friends to refute Job (11–22); and 3) an exhortation addressed to Job to pay careful attention to his speeches (Job 33:1-7). The last part of the introduction serves as a transition to Elihu’s speeches.

Elihu’s appearance gives the action of the Book of Job a new direction, leading to its resolution. By defending the theory of earthly retribution, the friends could not convince Job of the justice of the calamities that befell him (see commentary Job 32:1). A continuation of the conversation in the same spirit was inconceivable, for under such circumstances disputes would drag on indefinitely and the purpose of the book would not be fulfilled—it would remain unclear how the suffering righteous Job, having concluded his speech with testimony to his innocence, overcame temptation, was strengthened in faith, as good triumphed over evil. And since his faith was shaken by false and one-sided views about God’s relation to him and to the world in general, their examination and refutation was necessary to support it. Such is the task which Elihu takes upon himself. Thus, in contrast to Job’s claim that God, having struck him with calamities, is hostile to him, he points to the educative significance of suffering (Job 33:8 and following); contrary to Job’s opinion about divine arbitrariness that violates justice, he proves that arbitrariness neither exists nor can exist (Job 36:5 and following), and finally, considering sin not as this or that particular deed, but as wrongness, the depravity of every person, he concludes that God’s justice can appear punishing and chastening every person, even though he does not notice any particular misdeeds of his own (Job 36:7 and following).

Job 32:1. When these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes, The speeches which Job addressed to his friends met with no objection from them, for they understood it was useless to dissuade the sufferer: he was “righteous in his own eyes” and no arguments on their part could make him admit his guilt, that his punishments were deserved. And this is entirely understandable. The friends regarded God’s justice as punishing sin in the sense of a separate transgression, but not as sin in the sense of sinfulness in general. But Job knows of no sins—separate transgressions.

Job 32:2. Then Elihu, the son of Barachel, the Buzite, of the clan of Ram, burned with anger. He was angry at Job because he justified himself rather than God, Job 32:3. And he was angry at his three friends, because they had not found an answer, and they had condemned Job. In place of the silent three older friends comes a fourth, younger, Elihu—a representative of a new, hitherto unrevealed point of view. His name, meaning “my God is He,” is found among the names of the Hebrew people (1 Sam 1:1; 1 Chr 12:20), and the name of his ancestor “Buz” is known, first, as the name of the second son of Nahor, the brother of Abraham (Gen 22:21), and second, as the name of one of the Arab tribes (Jer 25:23). In the tribe of Buz, Elihu belonged to the generation of Ram. The speeches which Elihu heard from Job and the three friends not only did not satisfy him, but also aroused feelings of indignation in him. He “burned with anger” at Job because the latter, considering himself innocent, accused God of injustice (IX), and at the friends—because while rebuking Job for sins, they were unable to refute his testimony to his innocence—to prove the correctness of their views (cf. v. 12, 15).

Job 32:4. Now Elihu had waited for Job to speak, because they were older than he. Job 32:5. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouths of the three men, he burned with anger. Aware of the errors of both the friends and Job, Elihu nonetheless remained silent because he was unwilling, out of respect for his elders, to interrupt their reasoning (Job 29:21). His speech begins only after it becomes clear, evident, that the conversation has ended, and he has the opportunity to take part in the dispute without violating Eastern rules of propriety.

Job 32:6. And Elihu, the son of Barachel, the Buzite, spoke and said: I am young in years, and you are old; therefore I was timid and afraid to declare my opinion to you. Job 32:7. I said, “Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom.” Reverence for the wisdom and practical experience of the elders (Job 8:8-9) led Elihu not to express his view until the proper time (cf. Sir 32:9-11). He was leaving the resolution of the question to the aged (v. 7).

Job 32:8. But there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. Job 32:9. It is not only the aged who are wise, nor do the old necessarily understand what is right. The reasons that explained Elihu’s silence proved, however, to be insufficiently sound and convincing. Wisdom depends not on age, but on the “spirit and breath of the Almighty” (Gen 2:7) dwelling in man, it is the property of man in general as a rational being, but not of the aged alone (cf. Ps 118:100; Dan 2:21).

Job 32:10. Therefore I say: Listen to me; I also will declare my opinion. Coming to such a view, Elihu decides to take part in the conversation.

Job 32:11. Behold, I waited for your words, I listened to your arguments, while you were thinking of what to say. Job 32:12. I paid attention to you, and behold, not one of you has refuted Job or answered his words. The change in Elihu’s former view of wisdom (v. 7) occurred under the influence of the friends’ speeches. Listening carefully to their reasoning and evaluating their arguments, he found nothing convincing in them, nothing that refuted Job (“not one of you has refuted Job”). Weak in this respect, the friends showed their mental helplessness, lack of wisdom, also in the fact that they were unable to answer all of Job’s positions (“nor answered his words”). The elders, bearers and expresser of wisdom, turned out to be far from wise.

Job 32:13. Beware of saying, “We have found wisdom”; God alone, not man, defeats him. Job 32:14. But he did not direct his words to me, so I would not answer him with your words. In their defense, the friends cannot say that to refute, to dissuade Job is beyond the power of man. God alone can do this. If Job’s speeches had been addressed to him, Elihu, then he would have known what to say.

Job 32:15. They are dismayed; they answer no more; words have escaped them. Job 32:16. And since I have waited but they do not speak, while they stand there and answer no more,— Job 32:17. I also will answer my part; I will declare my opinion. Elihu’s intervention in the conversation at this moment, but not earlier, is explained by two reasons. One lies in the cessation of the dispute between Job and the friends. Elihu begins to speak, unafraid of interrupting the reasoning of others and thereby violating the custom of courtesy. To observe it, he has done all that was in his power. He waited to see if the friends would answer Job’s last speeches, but no answer came—a sign that he could begin speaking.

Job 32:18. For I am full of speech, and the spirit within me compels me. Job 32:19. My belly is like wine that has no vent; it is bursting like new wineskins. Job 32:20. I will speak, that I may be relieved; I will open my lips and answer. The other reason is this Elihu’s readiness to speak. His mind is overflowing with thoughts that have already taken on verbal form (“I am full of speech”). They churn, tear out, like wine ready to burst the wineskins (Cf. Ps 44:2). Elihu will speak his mind, and it will be easier for him.

Job 32:21. I will not show partiality to anyone, nor will I flatter any man, Job 32:22. For I do not know how to flatter; else my Maker would soon take me away. Complete impartiality of Elihu’s judgments. If he speaks contrary to the truth, let God strike him with death.

Chapter Thirty-Three

The conclusion of the introduction and Elihu’s first speech. 1–7. An exhortation addressed to Job to pay careful attention to his speeches. 8–33. A discussion of one of Job’s erroneous views.

Job 33:1. But please, Job, hear my speeches, and listen to all my words. Job 33:2. Behold, I open my mouth; my tongue speaks in my mouth. Job 33:3. My words proceed from the sincerity of my heart, and my lips declare knowledge that is pure. Elihu’s speeches, impartial in content (Job 32:21) and containing nothing but truth (3), must be heard by Job from beginning to end (“listen to all my words”). He should approach them without the prejudice with which he met the reasoning of the friends (Job 13:4).

Job 33:4. The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Job 33:5. If you can, answer me; set your words in order before me. Job 33:6. Behold, I am toward God as you are; I too am formed from the clay. Job 33:7. Therefore, fear of me should not alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy upon you. On the other hand, Job can speak with Elihu with complete calm. Both in spiritual (v. 4) and in bodily nature, Elihu is perfectly like Job: “behold, toward God, before God (Hebrew “la-el”, cf. Job 12:16) I am, like you” (v. 6). Elihu is not an overpowering opponent; a dispute with him is perfectly equal, within Job’s power. The latter, without any confusion and fear (v. 7; cf. Job 9:34), can defend his case. The Synodal reading of v. 6: “Behold, I am, according to your wish, instead of God,” finds no justification either in the original text or in Job’s speeches. He, on the contrary, decidedly refuses to debate with men and is eager to bring his case before God’s judgment (Job 13:3-5); all the more does he have no desire whatsoever to see in Elihu the substitute of God.

Job 33:8. You have indeed spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the sound of your words: Job 33:9. “I am pure and without transgression; I am innocent and have no iniquity, Job 33:10. Yet God has found an accusation against me and considers me His enemy; Job 33:11. He has put my feet in the stocks and watches all my paths.” Job 33:12. Behold, in this you are not right; I will answer you, because God is greater than man. One of the erroneous opinions held by Job in his conversation with the friends, now being refuted by Elihu. He considered himself pure and blameless (Job 10:7 and following); as a limitation of such a view see Job 8:20-21, and God as “seeking reasons for hostility” (Hebrew “tenuot”; cf. Num 14:34; Job 32:7), a hostile being, binding him like a prisoner (Job 10:13-14). Job is wrong in this because God is “greater than man” (v. 12). To the latter, God’s relation to Job may indeed appear as a manifestation of hostility and anger. But this is because man, limited in understanding, is not capable of grasping the meaning of the actions of God, Who surpasses him in wisdom (“greater than man”). They appear to him hostile, but actually they are not.

Job 33:13. Why do you contend with Him, since He does not give account of any of His matters? Job deduces his thought about God’s hostility to himself, among other things, from the fact that God does not answer him, hides from him (Job 13:24). But in this case too he is also mistaken. God in general does not account for His deeds (cf. Job 9:12), does not explain the motives of His relations to people. To conclude on this basis that in His deeds He is necessarily guided by a feeling of hostility is more than strange.

Job 33:14. God speaks once, indeed twice, but a man does not notice it. What the causes of God’s relations to Job are, one can judge by the analogous ways He affects man.

Job 33:15. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while they slumber upon their beds,— Job 33:16. Then He opens the ears of men and seals His instruction upon them, Job 33:17. That He may turn a man aside from his deed and suppress pride in man, Job 33:18. To keep his soul back from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword. One of them is dreams. God uses them as a means of communicating a revelation to man (“opens the ears”: cf. 2 Sam 7:27; Ps 39:7) and preserving His instruction from being forgotten (“seals,” literally—“places a seal”: sealing in the sense of preserving Song 4:12; Dan 6:17; Matt 27:66). The purpose of these revelations is to turn a man away from unlawful deed (Russian “enterprise,” Hebrew “maase,” 1 Sam 20:19; Gen 20:3), to remove him from pride (Dan 3), and thus save him from death (“from the pit”; cf. Ps 15:10)—the natural punishment for sin (Gen 3:3).

Job 33:19. Or he is disciplined with pain upon his bed and with continual strife in his bones,— Besides dreams, the Lord uses illness for admonishing man, during which “constant struggle agitates his bones” (cf. Ps 37:4)—the balance and harmony of forces is disturbed, and the members of the body appear to be waging war with one another, fighting for their own existence at the expense of others.

Job 33:20. And his life abhors bread and his appetite the choicest food. Job 33:21. His flesh is consumed away, so that it cannot be seen, and his bones stick out prominently. Job 33:22. And his soul approaches the grave and his life to those who bring death. Natural consequences of illness: the loss of appetite, emaciation, the breakdown of the soul (the bearer of bodily life) and the consignment of life to “lammitim,”—angels who are given authority by God to cause death to man if he does not repent (2 Sam 24:16; Ps 77:49).

Job 33:23. If there is an angel, an interpreter, one of a thousand, to show to man his upright way,— As a corrective measure, the illness that overtakes a man becomes understandable to him with the help of an angel intermediary (Hebrew “melitz,” cf. Gen 42:33; 2 Chr 32:31; Isa 43:27), who shows the sick man the true way (“yashero,” cf. Prov 14:2), that is, the way of faith and repentance for sins as a means to escape death (cf. Gen 48:15; Ps 33:8).

Job 33:24. Then God has compassion on him and says, “Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for him.” The mediation of the angel, who brings the sick man back to consciousness of sin, inclines God’s mercy: in his repentance and suffering He sees a ransom and commands the angel to deliver the repentant from death (Isa 63:9).

Job 33:25. Then his flesh becomes fresher than a boy’s, and he returns to the days of his youth. Job 33:26. He will pray to God, and God will be favorable to him; he will see His face with joy, and God will restore to man his righteousness. The restoration of health to the sick man and the bestowal upon him of God’s righteousness is a thought belonging to Elihu alone in distinction from the friends (cf. Job 5:19 and following; Job 8:21 and following).

Job 33:29. Behold, God does all these things twice or three times with a man, Job 33:30. To bring his soul back from the pit and to illuminate him with the light of the living. The calamities that overtake a man are directed toward his correction and instruction, but do not serve as an expression of divine anger and hostility, as Job asserted.

Job 33:32. If you have anything to say, answer me; speak, for I desire your justification; Job 33:33. But if not, listen to me: be silent, and I will teach you wisdom. Since Elihu’s view of the educative, corrective significance of suffering is new to Job, it is desirable to hear his response to it.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Elihu’s second speech. 1–4. Introduction. 5–9. The position of Job as analyzed by Elihu. 10–30. Divine Justice. 31–32. The necessity of humility before God. 33–37. Job deserves punishment.

Job 34:1. And Elihu continued and said: Job’s silence in response to Elihu’s proposition (Job 33:32) gives him the right to continue speaking. Already his first speech, disclosing the thought about the educative, corrective character of sufferings, excludes the possibility of assuming divine injustice; accordingly, the second speech is devoted to substantiating the proposition that divine governance follows the principles of the strictest justice.

Job 34:2. Hear, wise men, my words; and listen to me, you discerning ones! Job 34:3. For the ear discerns words, as the palate distinguishes taste in food. Job 34:4. Let us decide between ourselves and learn what is good. If the mind possesses the capacity for judgment, as the palate possesses the capacity to discern taste in food (Job 12:11), then the “wise ones” – not Job and his friends, who lack wisdom (Job 32:8-12) – but those standing around listening can discuss how just Job’s words are.

Job 34:5. Behold, Job has said: I am righteous, but God has deprived me of justice. Job 34:6. Shall I lie about my righteousness? My wound is incurable without fault. According to his declaration, he is righteous (Job 9:15 and so forth), but God has deprived him of justice (Heb. “gzir” – right), the possibility to prove his innocence (cf. Job 27:2). In view of this, although truth is on his side, he appears in the position of a liar, because the very testimony of innocence loses its force – appears as a lie in view of the fact of suffering. They are a convincing proof of his sinfulness (Job 9:20). Job would find himself in the same position of a liar if, contrary to his consciousness of righteousness (Job 27:3-6), he acknowledged himself guilty. In view of the impossibility of justice, of vindication, his innocent wounds, inflicted by divine wrath – sufferings (cf. Job 6:4) are not subject to healing (cf. Job 23:13-14).

Job 34:7. Is there a man like Job, who drinks mockery like water, Job 34:8. keeps company with those who do wickedness and walks with evil men? Job 34:9. For he has said: It profits a man nothing that he should be pleasing to God. Job’s denial of divine justice (vv. 5–6) gives Elihu the right to attribute to him the thought of the uselessness of piety toward God (v. 9; cf. Job 22:2). Although Job has not directly expressed such a view, except (Job 21:15), his complaints that the Lord equally destroys the righteous and the guilty (Job 9:22; Job 21:7 and so forth), rewards sinners (Job 21:7 and so forth), provide sufficient ground for such a conclusion. In denying divine justice and the benefit of piety, Job has no equal in impiety; he finds complete satisfaction in it (“drinks mockery like water,” cf. Job 15:16). By his views Job is a partner in lawlessness (v. 8; cf. Job 21:14-15).

Job 34:10. So listen to me, wise men! God cannot have unrighteousness, nor the Almighty injustice. Job 34:11. For He deals with man according to his deeds and according to the ways of a man He repays him. Job 34:12. Truly, God does not do wrong, and the Almighty does not pervert justice. A general statement about divine justice (v. 12; cf. Job 8:3).

Job 34:13. Who besides Him cares for the earth? And who governs the whole universe? Job 34:14. If He were to turn His heart to Himself and take away His spirit and breath from it – Job 34:15. suddenly all flesh would perish, and man would return to dust. The Synodal reading of v. 13 represents not quite an accurate rendering of the original. Literally it should be translated thus: “Who entrusted the earth to Him and who set the universe on its foundation?” God cannot act unjustly, since the governance of the world is not an obligation imposed upon Him from the outside, but the deed of His free will. Equally, the world is not the possession of anyone else, but His own creation (Job 32:8). And how disinterestedly He governs it is evident from the fact that His life-giving spirit sustains all that exists and does not permit its destruction (vv. 14–15; cf. Ps 103:29). Divine love, which called the world into being and ensures its continuation, excludes the possibility of arbitrariness and vouches for justice.

Job 34:16. So, if you have understanding, hear this and listen to my words. The transition to further thoughts; its form is intended to arouse Job’s attention.

Job 34:17. Can one who hates justice rule? And can you condemn the Most Just One? Governance and justice are inseparably linked; without the latter, anarchy begins. If this is so, then how can one accuse of injustice the One who is the highest justice?

Job 34:18. Can one say to a king: You are wicked? And to princes: You are lawless? Job 34:19. But He does not show regard for princes, nor does He prefer the rich to the poor, because all of them are the work of His hands. If even among earthly kings one cannot strip away what is essential to their dignity – justice – then much more so with God. He, the Creator of all, makes no distinction between persons: both king and poor man are equally creatures of His hands, equal in His eyes (Wis 6:7; Rom 2:11). Strict impartiality (cf. Deut 10:17; 2 Chr 19:7) excludes the possibility of injustice.

Job 34:20. In an instant they die; in the middle of the night people are disturbed, and they disappear; the mighty are taken away not by human power. Factual proof of God’s lack of partiality toward people. He does not sustain, when He should not, their existence: they die suddenly and unexpectedly, perish not by human will, but by God’s (“the mighty are taken away not by human power”), from His hand (cf. Job 20:26; Dan 8:25; Zech 4:6).

Job 34:21. For His eyes are upon the ways of man, and He sees all his steps. Job 34:22. There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where those who do wickedness could hide. Divine justice is presupposed by disinterested love and impartial treatment by God toward people (13–19), and it is carried out by reason of divine omniscience. The All-seeing, All-knowing Lord, for whom there are no barriers in this respect (v. 22; cf. Ps 138:11 and so forth; Sir 23:28), cannot be mistaken in his judgment of man (cf. Job 10:4).

Job 34:23. Therefore He does not require of man that he go to trial with God. The literal translation of this verse from the Hebrew is thus: “He (God) has no need to look at man twice, in order to lead him before His judgment seat.” With God’s omniscience there is no need for lengthy investigation (“twice”; Heb. “od” “long” – Gen 46:29; “still” – Isa 5:4) of man (cf. Prov 5:21) in order to bring him to trial. God knows everything before investigation, and His verdict is pronounced at once. An allusion to Job’s desire to stand trial before God (Job 23).

Job 34:24. He breaks the mighty without investigation and sets others in their place; Without such lengthy investigation, God overthrows the mighty (is it not the same with Job?) and in their place sets others – better rulers (cf. Job 8:19; Isa 65:15).

Job 34:25. therefore He makes their deeds known and overthrows them in the night, and they are destroyed. Accordingly, the very overthrow is accomplished with the swiftness of night.

Job 34:26. He strikes them as wicked men, in the sight of others, Job 34:27. because they turned from Him and did not understand all His ways, Job 34:28. so that the cry of the poor reaches Him, and He hears the wailing of the oppressed. And with all this it is entirely just: the mighty are punished for deviation from the path indicated by God, for the oppression of the weak (v. 28; cf. Ps 9:13).

Job 34:29. When He gives peace, who can disturb? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Whether it be for a nation, or for one man, Job 34:30. that a hypocrite may not reign, to the snare of the people. Neither the peace granted by God to the poor (v. 28), nor His anger striking the oppressors (“hide His face,” cf. Job 13:24; Ps 103:29; Hos 13:11), are subject to revocation by reason of their justice. And indeed, how just the latter is can be judged by the fact that the overthrow of bad rulers is carried out with the purpose that by their example and rule they do not bring the people to ruin (“so that he may not be a snare for the people” – the literal translation of the second half of v. 29; cf. Hos 5:1; Exod 10:7; Jer 23:1; Ezek 34:1-6; Job 9:24; Job 12:6).

Job 34:31. One should say to God: I have borne punishment; I will no more sin. Job 34:32. What I do not know, You teach me; and if I have committed iniquity, I will do so no more. With divine justice there is no place for complaint on the part of man. Punishment must put an end to sin, and must stir up the desire and determination to turn away from it (Job 33:30).

Job 34:33. According to your reasoning shall He repay? And as you reject it, you must choose, not I; speak what you know. If complaint is inappropriate on the part of man, then it is all the more strange to think that it affects God. Can the Lord, for Job’s sake, abandon the laws of just governance of the world, annul them because Job rejects them, and establish new ones according to his instruction? But what are these new methods of world governance, these new principles of justice – let him say it himself.

Job 34:34. Men of understanding will say to me, and a wise man listening to me: Job 34:35. Job does not speak wisely, and his words are without understanding. The foolishness of Job’s answer is presumed by itself – such is the verdict of Elihu’s listeners.

Job 34:36. I would like Job to be fully tested, according to his answers, which belong to wicked people. Job 34:37. Otherwise he will add rebellion to his sin, will clap his hands among us and multiply his words against God. Since the final purpose of punishments is to bring the sinner to understanding (Job 33:30), Elihu in conclusion of his speech desires that it come about with respect to Job. A lawbreaker by his answers, he should be tested (cf. Ps 138:23), subjected to divine influence on his conscience until he recognizes his guilt and humbles himself before God. The ground for such a wish is the consideration that otherwise, to his former sins will be added the sin of turning away from God – in a sign of contempt and revolt he will “clap his hands.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

Elihu’s third speech. 1–16. The benefit of piety toward God; refutation of possible objections to this proposition.

Job 35:1. And Elihu continued and said: Job 35:2. Do you think it just that you said: I am more righteous than God? Job 35:3. You have said: What benefit is it to me? And what profit would I have beyond sinning? Of the two incorrect thoughts of Job outlined in the previous speech (Job 34:5-6), Elihu had so far refuted only one – the denial of divine justice. The investigation of the other – the proposition about the uselessness of piety – is devoted to the speech of the present chapter. Job is “more righteous than God” in the respect that he acknowledges the necessity of retribution, whereas God’s justice makes no distinction between the virtuous and sinners (Job 9:22-23 and so forth), from which proceeds the uselessness of piety.

Job 35:5. Look at the heavens and see; behold the clouds – they are higher than you. Job 35:6. If you sin, what do you do to Him? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him? Job 35:7. If you are righteous, what do you give Him? Or what does He receive from your hand? Job 35:8. Your wickedness affects a man like you, and your righteousness affects a son of man. Man is not able to change the clouds – to increase or diminish their brightness. Much more so, the infinitely great and all-perfect God receives nothing from the good and evil deeds of man (cf. Job 7:20 and so forth; Ps 15:2). He would not be God if He changed in dependence on man’s virtue and wickedness; their consequences – benefit and harm – are felt only among people (v. 8).

Job 35:9. From the multitude of oppressors men groan, and they cry out from the hand of the mighty. An objection to the view expounded by Elihu is the reference to the fact that the Lord does not hear the mournful cries of the oppressed (Job 24:12): piety is useless. To the discussion of this proposition Elihu now turns.

Job 35:10. But no one says: Where is God, my Maker, who gives songs in the night, One reason why God does not help all the oppressed is their unwillingness to turn to God; they do not seek Him (“where is God,” cf. Jer 2:6), whose help in a time of affliction (“in the night,” cf. Job 34:20) fills the lips of the sufferer with a song of praise (cf. Ps 39:2-4).

Job 35:11. who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens? Job 35:12. There they cry out, and He does not answer them, because of the pride of evil men. Job 35:13. But it is false that God does not hear, and the Almighty does not regard it. Another reason for God’s leaving unanswered the cries lies in their character. They are the same as the instinctive cries of animals, a manifestation of a hopeless situation created by the oppressors’ pride (v. 12), but not a humble prayer united with consciousness of sinfulness. As such, they are not heeded by God (cf. Prov 1:27-28): “God does not listen to lawlessness, and the Almighty does not regard him” (the literal reading of v. 13).

Job 35:14. Although you said that you do not see Him, yet judgment is before Him, and you must wait for it. Job 35:15. But now, because His anger has not visited him and He has not known him in all strictness, If God does not answer all prayers for entirely lawful reasons, then the cause that Job’s cries remain unheard (Job 19:7; Job 23:8-10) lies not in God, but in Job himself. And on the other hand, this does not give the right to assert that the matter will forever remain in the same position – there will never be judgment on Job. “Since His anger does not show itself at once, does it follow that He does not pay attention to transgression” (the literal reading of v. 15). Job should not comfort himself with the thought that God has, as it were, forgotten him: temporary forgetting will be replaced by strict judgment.

Job 35:16. So Job opens his mouth in lightness and multiplies words without understanding. Denying divine justice and its manifestation in the history of mankind (Job 24:1), Job reasons without good sense.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Elihu’s fourth speech. 1–33. God strikes man with sufferings in order to guard him from sin and to lead him to repentance.

Job 36:2. Wait for me a little, and I will show you that I have yet more to say for God. Job’s silence gives Elihu occasion to turn to him with the request to prolong his speech, since he has yet something else to say in defense of God, something better than what he had said before.

Job 36:3. I will begin my arguments from afar and will render justice to my Creator, Job 36:4. for my words are not false: one perfect in knowledge stands before you. Elihu’s new arguments are drawn from the distant realm – from the deeds of the Creator in the history of mankind and nature (“from afar” Heb. “lemerhok,” cf. Job 39:29; Isa 37:26) and, being distinguished by absolute justice, wholly correspond to their purpose of vindicating God.

Job 36:5. Behold, God is mighty, and does not despise the mighty of heart; In the literal translation from the Hebrew this verse should read thus: “God is mighty and despises none. He is mighty in the strength of heart.” Taking into account Job’s assertion that divine omnipotence passes into arbitrariness, violating the requirements of justice (Job 9:4-12), Elihu asserts that despite all His omnipotence, God does not trample on anyone’s rights – “despises none.” The reason and explanation for this is that His power is purely spiritual: “He is mighty in the strength of heart,” that is, of reason. By virtue of this He possesses the ability to distinguish right from wrong and to establish wise order everywhere (cf. Job 12:13). Job 36:6-15. Examples of impartial justice from the history of mankind.

Job 36:6. He does not support the wicked and renders justice to the oppressed; Job 36:7. He does not turn away His eyes from the righteous, but with kings forever He sets them on the throne, and they are exalted. Possessing the fullness of spiritual powers, God also supports spiritual perfection among people: He does not permit the triumph of evil (v. 6; cf. Job 34:19) and guards good – “does not turn away His eyes” (“righteous on the throne” cf. 1 Sam 2:8; Ps 112:7-8).

Job 36:8. If they are bound in chains and held in the cords of affliction, Job 36:9. then He declares to them their deeds and their transgressions, because they have behaved proudly, Job 36:10. and He opens their ear to discipline and commands them to return from iniquity. Divine justice is not violated by the sufferings of the righteous, whether these be chains in the literal sense – the conversion of former kings into captives, or any kind of afflictions (“chains of affliction” – cf. Job 13:27; Isa 28:22, Ps 106:10 and so forth). They are caused by the righteous falling into sin despite divine warnings (“because they behaved proudly” literally: “because they acted proudly” cf. Ezek 33:13), and are directed toward correction – enlightenment of reason and conscience (“opens their ear,” cf. Job 33:16) and strengthening of will (“return from iniquity,” Heb. “aven” nothingness, weakness sin; cf. Job 13:10; 1 John 1:9).

Job 36:11. If they listen and serve Him, they will spend their days in prosperity and their years in joy; Job 36:12. but if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword and die in lack of understanding. A twofold result of suffering: repentance restores to one who has fallen into sin his former well-being (cf. Isa 1:19; Ezek 33:14-16), but in the case of impenitence, afflictions lead man to ruin (Ezek 33:13; Isa 1:20); he dies “without understanding” – in sinfulness (in the Book of Proverbs, folly is a synonym for wickedness, sinfulness).

Job 36:13. But the hypocrites in heart harbor anger and do not cry to Him when He binds them; Job 36:14. therefore their soul dies in youth and their life with the male cult prostitutes. While afflictions in a righteous man who has fallen into sin may stir up repentance, they lead the wicked (the Synodal “hypocrites”) into a state of hardening, irritation (cf. Job 5:2), in which there cannot be a prayerful turning to God. In punishment for this they die in youth (cf. Job 5:26) and lead such a shameful life as the “kedesim” (“effeminati” Vulg.) – official prostitutes who dedicated themselves to shameful service in honor of pagan gods (Deut 23:18; 1 Sam 14:24).

Job 36:15. He delivers the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ear through distress. Job 36:16. And He would have drawn you from the mouth of the narrow place into a broad place where there is no constraint, and what is set on your table would be full of fatness; Application of what has been said to Job. In saving the suffering righteous man, the Lord would similarly deal with Job after his repentance: would deliver him from afflictions (“draw from narrowness to a broad place,” cf. Ps 4:2) and would restore his former happiness, wealth: “what is set on your table would be full of fatness” (cf. Ps 21:27; Prov 9:2).

Job 36:17. but you are full of the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice hold fast. Job 36:18. Let not anger entice you to scorn, and let the greatness of the ransom not turn you aside. A doubt regarding the fulfillment of what has just been said. In view of Job’s sinful attitude (“full of the judgment of the wicked,” cf. Job 34:7), manifesting itself in impious words which draw down divine anger (“judgment and justice hold fast”), Elihu doubts the possibility of fulfilling his promises and therefore warns Job against excessive irritability, which may lead to offending God. “Let anger not draw you into scorn” (the literal translation of the first half of v. 18; cf. v. 13; Job 34:37), and advises him to patiently bear sufferings, by which he may redeem himself (“let not the greatness of the ransom turn you from repentance” – the second half of v. 18).

Job 36:19. Will He regard your wealth? No, nor all the forces of your strength. The unsatisfactory nature of the Synodal reading is proven by the mention of riches which Job is ready to offer as ransom. All his possessions have perished, consequently there can be no question of them as existing. The correct reading of this verse is recognized as follows: “Will your cries bring you out of distress, along with all the efforts of your might?” The motivation for following Elihu’s advice (v. 18) is the uselessness in the matter of deliverance from affliction of Job’s cries (cf. Job 19:7), as well as turning to strength (cf. Job 9:19). Only the path of repentance and humility before God, which his friend indicates, can save Job.

Job 36:20. Do not long for the night, when people are taken away in their place. Among such cries belongs the repeated passionate (“do not long,” literally “do not sigh”; cf. Job 7:2) demand for “night,” that is, divine judgment (Job 34:20; cf. Job 13:18 and so forth; Job 16:21 and so forth). In the matter of Job’s vindication it is useless, since this “night” – judgment – ends in the destruction of whole nations (“taken away,” literally – “swept away like dust,” cf. Ps 1:4; Isa 5:26); will single individuals survive at this time?

Job 36:21. Beware, do not turn to iniquity, which you have preferred to affliction. By contrasting “iniquity” with “affliction,” Elihu evidently means by the former the complaint against God, the impatient bearing of afflictions. In view of the uselessness, even the obvious harm, of such an attitude, he once more advises Job to cease it, to humble himself before the just God. Job 36:22-33. The phenomena of visible nature – a revelation of divine omnipotence and wisdom – as proof of divine justice. The introduction to this new series of thoughts is served by vv. 22–25, of which the first begins as the beginning of a new section with the expression “behold” (cf. v. 5).

Job 36:22. God is great in His power, and who is a teacher like Him? God is all-mighty, the supreme ruler, and therefore He cannot be reproached for any of His actions (cf. Job 34:17-18). The Hebrew “more,” transmitted in the Synodal text, as well as in the Targum, Peshitta, and by modern Hebraists, Delitzsch and others, with the word “teacher,” should, it seems, by the meaning of the verse itself be translated with the word “ruler,” “δυνάοτης” – LXX.

Job 36:23. Who has prescribed His way for Him; or who can say: You have done wrong? As the supreme ruler, God has no need of external direction (“who prescribed His way for Him?” more precisely – “who has set His paths for Him?” cf. Job 34:13), and His actions, determined exclusively by His own all-perfect consciousness and will, are not subject to accusation of injustice.

Job 36:24. Remember to magnify His works, which men have seen. Job 36:25. All people can see them; man can look upon them from a distance. Being all-perfect in character, they should call forth from Job not censure, condemnation (cf. Job 12:15), but praise. He is obliged to join his hymn of praise to such songs (Ps 103:33) of other people (“deeds which are sung by other people,” instead of the incorrect Synodal: “deeds which men see”), seeing God’s deeds “from a distance,” looking at them with reverence.

Job 36:26. Behold, God is great, and we cannot comprehend Him; the number of His years is unsearchable. A feeling of this kind is aroused first of all by the inscrutableness of God’s being, and hence also of divine deeds, which is explained in turn by His eternity. Eternal, He cannot be grasped by the limited mind of man.

Job 36:27. He gathers the drops of water; they distill as rain from the mist: Indicators of God’s greatness – His wisdom and omnipotence – are the atmospheric phenomenon of rain. God “gathers,” literally “draws” (Heb. “yagara”; cf. Job 15:8) “drops of water.” By the power of His omnipotence and wisdom, the vapors carried over the earth’s surface rise upward, turn here into drops, and fall to the earth in the form of rain “through His mist” (Heb. “leedo,” cf. Gen 2:6; the Synodal “distill”), that is, when the air space is filled with vapor created by God. Not all vapors turn into rain, but only a part of them; it is given by clouds that pour out water for the benefit of people.

Job 36:29. Who can also understand the spreading of the clouds, the thunder of His tent? God’s greatness is further manifested in the manner by which the clouds spread out (cf. Ps 103:2; Ezek 27:7) in the atmospheric regions, and in the thunder occurring in those same clouds (“His tent,” cf. Ps 17:12).

Job 36:30. Behold, He spreads His light over it and covers the bottom of the sea. Making Himself known through the latter, God also governs lightning, which during a storm pierces through clouds and illuminates the ocean to its very “roots,” to its very depths.

Job 36:31. For by these He judges the peoples, and gives food in abundance. From His dwelling God appears both in the role of judge and in the position of benefactor, gives rain, sustains vegetation, and thereby provides food.

Job 36:32. He covers the lightning in His hands and commands it, striking whom He will. Job 36:33. The thunder of it declares Him; the cattle also perceive concerning it. By means of the lightning obedient to Him, He carries out His judgment, directing it against His enemies (cf. Ps 10:6 and so forth; Wis 19:12), and the fearful power of His judgment is felt even by unreasoning animals – an allusion to their anxiety before the onset of a storm.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

The conclusion of Elihu’s speech. 1–13. Description of a thunderstorm and other physical phenomena. 14–24. Conclusion.

Job 37:1-5. A continuation of the description of thunder and lightning. On the basis of verses 2 and the following verses, it is conjectured that Elihu is describing a thunderstorm that broke out at the very time when he was concluding his speech.

Job 37:1. And at this my heart trembles and is moved out of its place. A thunderstorm with its accompanying thunder and lightning – harbingers of the coming manifestation of God (Exod 19:9), and it awakens in Elihu, as in other people of the Old Testament, a sense of fear (Isa 6:5; Ezek 2:1; Dan 10:7-8).

Job 37:2. Hear attentively the noise of His voice, and the sound that goes out of His mouth. The voice of God, according to the view of ancient Eastern peoples, is thunder (Ps 28), and Elihu invites his interlocutors to listen attentively to it.

Job 37:3. He sends it forth under the whole heaven, and His lightning to the ends of the earth. The sounds of thunder fill all the space of the air, and the flash of lightning reaches the limits of the earth.

Job 37:4. After it a voice roars; He thunders with the voice of His majesty, and He does not restrain it when His voice is heard. Thunder follows lightning, and “it (the flash) does not cease when His voice is heard,” that is, lightning again follows the thunder, and so on. The rumbles of thunder and the appearance of lightning alternate continually.

Job 37:5. God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things, which we cannot comprehend. A concluding remark about the thunderstorm, which points to its astonishing character (“marvelously,” cf. Ps 64:6; Dan 8:24), God’s greatness (cf. Ps 28), and which serves as a transition to the description of other equally wondrous phenomena.

Job 37:6. For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’; likewise to the heavy rain and to the rain of His strength. Job 37:7. He seals the hand of every man, that all men may know His work. Job 37:8. Then the beasts go into dens and remain in their lairs. To these belong the falling of snow and abundant rain in a harsh season – between autumn and spring, with corresponding consequences for people and animals: the cessation of the activity of farmers and nomads (it is in this sense that the Hebrew verb “chatam” – “to seal” is used in Job 9:7; Rev 20:2-3) and the withdrawal of beasts shrinking from the cold into their lairs (Ps 103:20-22).

Job 37:9. From the south comes the whirlwind, and cold from the north. Winter is the time of strong storms and severe frost. The former are brought by winds blowing from the inner part of the south (Job 9:9), south of which lies the desert, and therefore the land of Hadrah Zech 9:1 is called in the Talmud the “land of the south,” – from the south (Isa 21:1; Zech 9:14) or the southeast (Hos 13:15), the latter comes from the “north.”

Job 37:10. By the breath of God ice is formed, and the surface of the water becomes solid. Under the influence of cold winds (“from the breath of God”; cf. Exod 15:10) ice appears, and the surface of the water becomes dense (“becomes solid”), freezes hard.

Job 37:11. By the moisture He loads the thick clouds; He scatters His bright cloud, Job 37:12. and they swirl around by His guidance, that they may do whatever He commands them on the face of the whole earth. Job 37:13. He causes it to happen, whether for correction or for His land, or for mercy. A new description of clouds and rain, brought on perhaps by the approach of the thunderstorm. In verse 13, instead of the Synodal “or for His favor” it should read: “or for His land”: rain is sent by God to increase the fertility of the earth.

Job 37:14. Listen to this, Job; stand still and consider the wonderful works of God. Job 37:15. Do you know when God arranges them, and causes the light of His cloud to shine? Job 37:16. Do you understand the spreading out of the clouds, the wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge? Job 37:17. Why is your clothing warm when the earth lies still under the south wind? Job 37:18. With Him, have you spread out the skies, strong as a cast metal mirror? Instead of contending with God, being hostile against Him, Job should draw from the wondrous incomprehensible works of God the appropriate conclusion about his sufferings. And indeed, if he cannot say how the clouds move in the air, in what way his clothing is warmed by the combined action of the sun and the south wind, how the heavens are arranged, similar in their brightness to mirrors made of shining bronze, then how can he dispute with God about the calamity that has befallen him?

Job 37:19. Teach us what we should say to Him; we cannot present our case because of darkness. Elihu himself and other people can say nothing about them because of the limitation of their own reason. On the other hand, even if they could do so, what guarantee is there that what is said will reach the ear of the Lord, will be accepted by Him in consideration (cf. Job 9:33). And finally, will not an attempt to enter into discussion with God lead to destruction, and does not this consideration in turn bring the thought of submission: “but does a man wish to be annihilated?” (a literal reading of the second half of the verse).

Job 37:21. Now men cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies, when the wind has cleared them clean. The correct reading of this verse is thus: “and now one cannot gaze at His light when it shines brightly in the heavens after the wind has blown and cleared them.” If man cannot bear the light of the sun, will he not be blinded when trying to penetrate the mysteries of divine wisdom? This is one of the considerations in favor of the thought about the necessity of entrusting oneself to the hands of the Lord.

Job 37:22. Golden splendor comes from the north, and awesome majesty surrounds God. Instead of “fair weather,” a literal translation from the Hebrew should read: “gold comes from the north.” People know the source of gold; it is mined in the north (Herodotus, III, 116; Pliny, VI, 11, 33). But as for the wisdom of God, divine determinations regarding man, knowledge of which is more valuable than possessing gold (Job 28:12-16), they are inaccessible to mortals – “awesome majesty surrounds God.”

Job 37:23. As for the Almighty, we cannot find Him; He is excellent in power, and in justice and great righteousness. He does not oppress. Although the determinations of the Lord are incomprehensible, they are absolutely just. Thus Job is forced to entrust his fate to God, humbly submit to His will.

Job 37:24. Therefore men fear Him; He shows favor to all who are wise of heart. And not only Job, but all people, even the wise, must bow before the inscrutable ways of God. “God does not regard any who are wise of heart” (the second half of the verse), their wisdom cannot turn aside His determinations.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

God’s first speech. 1–3. Introduction. 4–41. The wisdom of God in the phenomena of the physical world.

Job 38:1. [When Elihu had finished speaking,] the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, The repeatedly expressed desire of Job to be judged by God (see Job 36:20), his insistent demand that God Himself answer him (Job 31:35), is now being fulfilled. The Lord answers from the whirlwind, that is, in the usual manner indicating His greatness and power. But if Job could answer nothing to Elihu, what will he say now to the Lord?

Job 38:2. “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” The greatness of the one answering is shown in the question: “Who is this that darkens counsel?” God’s relationship to the world and to Job is a plan full of reason (Hebrew “etza”; Synodal “counsel”), but to an unreasonable man they appear as cruel, devoid of true wisdom, arbitrary action (Job 9:1 and following).

Job 38:3. Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you answer Me. Job, who has dared to judge God so, must gather his strength, prepare himself for combat (“gird up your loins,” cf. Job 12:21). And since truth is on God’s side, he will come forth as the defendant, and God will take the position of prosecutor. The trial will proceed in the order desired by Job (Job 13:22). Job 38:4-38. Job’s faith in divine justice wavered, among other things, because of the thought of a cruel, arbitrary relationship of God toward people. Therefore, through a series of questions about the phenomena of the physical world, God wishes to tell him that even visible nature presents a reflection not of wisdom and omnipotence that destroy, but of wisdom and omnipotence that arrange, that introduce harmony and order everywhere. Arbitrariness does not exist and therefore, among other things, some physical phenomena serve the aims of a higher moral world order.

Job 38:4. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.” Job 38:5. “Who determined its dimensions? Surely you know! Or who stretched the measuring line across it?” Job 38:6. “To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone,” Job 38:7. “When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” The beginning of the establishment of harmony and order was laid in the initial construction of the earth, which received, like a building, definite dimensions (“who determined its dimensions?”), a harmonious distribution of parts (“who stretched the measuring line across it?”) and a known position among other bodies in space (verse 6; cf. Job 26:7). The witnesses of the manifestation of this harmony laid in the primordial earth were not people, who had not yet been created, but the morning stars. They first saw the earthly sphere after the primordial darkness was replaced by light, and they first rendered praise to the Creator (cf. Ps 18:2; Sir 43:1). Together with them, the “sons of God” – the angels – shouted with joy, as happens at the laying of a building (Ezra 3:10; Zech 4:7) (Job 1:6).

Job 38:8. “Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst forth and issued from the womb,” Job 38:9. “When I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band,” Job 38:10. “When I prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors,” Job 38:11. “And said, ‘This far you may come, but no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’?” The introduction of similar harmony accompanied the ordering of the water element. It, having burst forth from the depths of the earth and ready to spread over its surface, was given insurmountable obstacles in the form of shores, beyond which it cannot go.

Job 38:12. “Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, and assigned the dawn its place,” Job 38:13. “That it might take hold of the edges of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it?” Job 38:14. “It takes on form like clay under a seal, and stands out like a garment,” Job 38:15. “And from the wicked their light is withheld, and the raised arm is broken.” The regular established order of the alternation of darkness and light is continually maintained (Gen 1:4). Morning comes at its proper time, and its harbinger – the dawn, grasps when it appears with its edges (literally: “wings,” cf. Ps 138:9) the earth on which the night had rested like a coverlet, and by vigorously shaking it, dispels the darkness. The harmonious alternation of physical phenomena serves at the same time the aims of the moral and aesthetic world order. With the coming of light, the dark deeds of the wicked cease (cf. Job 24:13), and the formless earth during the night, with the mass of objects that have lost their features, comes forth in all the splendor of beauty.

Job 38:16. “Have you explored the springs of the sea or walked about on the ocean floor?” Job 38:17. “Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Have you seen the gates of deep darkness?” Job 38:18. “Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this.” The law is preserved according to which the sources of the sea, Sheol with its inhabitants, are inaccessible to man, and the breadth of the earth does not submit to measurement.

Job 38:19. “What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside?” Job 38:20. “That you may take it to its territory, and know the paths to its home?” Equally, according to laws established by God, light and darkness – separated from each other (cf. Job 26:10), are physical forces introduced into the life of the world.

Job 38:22. “Have you entered the springs of the snow, or have you seen the treasures of the hail,” Job 38:23. “Which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle?” Just as light fulfills not only its natural purpose, but also serves the aims of the higher spiritual world – order (verses 12–13), so likewise the enormous reserves (Hebrew “otzarot” – storehouses) of snow and hail are in the hands of God instruments for the punishment of evil people (Exod 9:17 and following).

Job 38:24. “By what path is light distributed, or the east wind scattered over the earth?” The spread of light and the direction of the east, strong (Job 27:21) wind, these two elements analogous in their swiftness, are likewise subject to known laws.

Job 38:25. “Who carved out a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the lightning,” Job 38:26. “To water a land where no one lives, a desert with no one in it,” Job 38:27. “To satisfy the waste and desolate ground, and to cause the tender grass to spring forth?” The laws of all the above-described phenomena are not established by man, and likewise it is not his work, but that of wise Providence, to water with rain uninhabited regions with their vegetation. The goodness of the Lord sustains the existence of His creation – greenery (the lowest form of the plant kingdom; Synodal “tender grass”; Hebrew “deshe,” “greenery”; cf. Gen 1:11-12).

Job 38:28. “Does the rain have a father? Or who gives birth to the drops of dew?” To achieve this good purpose, the Lord has at His disposal all the necessary means. He is the father of rain and dew.

Job 38:29. “From whose womb comes the ice? And the frost from the heavens – who gives it birth?” Job 38:30. “The waters become hard as stone, and the surface of the deep is frozen.” Cf. Job 37:10.

Job 38:31. “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion?” The arrangement of the constellations “Chima” – the “Pleiades” and “Kesil” – the “Orion” rests on the principles of strict harmony. The first consists of 64 main stars, of which only six are visible to the naked eye. Close to one another, they form one group and seem to be connected by the tightest bonds. Orion is a constellation of 78 stars, forming a vast parallelogram, located half in one hemisphere, half in another. To unite the stars of the Pleiades, like separating the two parts of the parallelogram of Orion, is beyond the power of man.

Job 38:32. “Can you bring out the Mazzaroth in its season or lead out the Bear with her cubs?” The same regular lawfulness is observed in the movement of the constellation “Mazzaroth.” According to some, by “Mazzaroth” is meant Venus, Jupiter, or Mars, and the expression “bring out… in its season” indicates their periodic appearances. Others (Delitzsch, Lange) understand by “Mazzaroth” the twelve signs of the zodiac. With the latter understanding, the above-mentioned expression receives the following sense: can you for each month bring out a definite sign of the zodiac so that it be visible before and after the sunset. The LXX reading “μασουρώθ” is the Hebrew name of the constellation left without translation. “Ath” is the Great Bear; her children are three stars forming the tail of the constellation.

Job 38:33. “Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you establish their dominion over the earth?” Not only the constellations mentioned, but all heaven in general – its bodies are subject to definite laws, and besides, are in a certain relationship with the earth – exert influence upon it (cf. Gen 1:14). Thanks to this, the two spheres are brought into harmony.

Job 38:34. “Can you raise your voice to the clouds, that a flood of water may cover you?” Job 38:35. “Can you send forth lightning, and will it go and say to you, ‘Here we are’?” One of the manifestations of such a relationship is the fall of rain on the earth at a determined time (cf. Job 37:6) and the appearance of lightning (the expression: “here we are,” cf. Bar 3:35).

Job 38:36. “Who has put wisdom in the heart, or who has given understanding to the mind?” The Hebrew reading of this verse presents two expressions understood differently: “Batuchot” and “sekvi,” depending on which the whole verse is translated unequally. Some exegetes ascribe to the first the meaning: “kidneys” (cf. Ps 50:8), and the second, deriving from “saka” (“to observe”), they translate by the word “rooster” (Targum, Vulgate, Delitzsch, and others). In accordance with this the verse reads as follows: “Who has put wisdom in the kidneys (of man) and who gave the rooster understanding?” Others (Umbreit, Ghan, Dillmann, Lange) derive “tuchot” from the Arabic “taha” – “cloud,” and ascribe to “sekvi” the meaning “thing which is seen,” “phenomenon,” “meteor.” With such a derivation, this verse should read: “Who has put wisdom in the clouds and who has given understanding to meteors?” In opposition to Delitzsch’s reading, as well as to the Synodal, the latter is in complete agreement with the context. The sky with its clouds and meteors, God wishes to say to Job, obeys in its actions not blind force, but performs the commandments of God. The Greco-Slavonic: “who has given to women the weaving of wisdom or the skill to dye with cunning”; has no basis in the original text.

Job 38:37. “Who can number the clouds by wisdom, or pour out the bottles of heaven,” Job 38:38. “When the dust runs into a mass and the clods stick together?” As performers of God’s commandments, the clouds “are numbered with wisdom,” that is, at a known time they appear in a known number. According to need, their quantity is neither more nor less than required. That same God who numbers “the clouds,” who “pours water from the heavens,” – sends rain, which turns soil made dusty by heat into earth suitable for cultivation.

Job 38:39. “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,” Job 39:30. From the wondrous works of God in the world of inanimate nature, Job should have understood that it bears traces of strict order, a lawful plan. The facts noted subsequently from the life of animals give understanding that the omnipotence of God is joined with benevolence. Animals are the subject of special care and concern of the Lord. The instincts of reproduction and nutrition implanted in their nature sustain the being and strength of creatures and the characteristics of their kind.

Job 38:39. “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,” Job 38:40. “When they crouch in their dens, or lie in wait in their lairs?” Job 38:41. “Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God for food, wandering about for lack of food?” The goodness of God protects the life of both the mightiest representatives of the animal kingdom – the lions and their young, and the weak – the young ravens. The lioness and young lions, obeying the predatory instinct implanted in their nature, themselves hunt (“crouch in their lairs”) the prey appointed to them by God (cf. Ps 103:21); the young ravens also find themselves food. The latter, both here and in parallel passages (Ps 146:9; Luke 12:24), are presented as the subject of special divine protection, perhaps because more than other birds they stand out by their harsh, almost unceasing cry.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

1–30. Description of the animal kingdom. 31–35. Job’s submission.

Job 39:1. “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the deer are in labor?” Job 39:2. “Can you count the months they fulfill? Do you know the time when they give birth?” Job 39:3. “They crouch down and bring forth their young, they deliver their offspring.” Job 39:4. “Their young ones grow strong, they go forth in the open field; they depart and do not return to them.” The wild goats and gazelles, as if conscious of their helplessness during pregnancy and childbirth, withdraw at that time to places inaccessible to their enemies – humans and wild beasts – mountainous regions, and here they give birth to and raise their young. Therefore man does not know when they give birth, cannot “count the months of their pregnancy.”

Job 39:5. “Who sends out the wild donkey free, or who loosens the bonds of the wild ass?” Job 39:6. “Whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place?” Job 39:7. “He laughs at the commotion of the city, nor does he hear the shouts of a driver.” Job 39:8. “He ranges the hills as his pasture, and he searches after every green thing.” The wild ass – Hebrew “pere” from “para” – “to run swiftly,” the Asian “kulan,” belongs to those animals that cannot be tamed by man. An inhabitant of the steppes, he finds himself food in salt marshes, does not tolerate the noise of the city, and cannot be adapted, like the domestic ass, to carrying heavy loads.

Job 39:9. “Will the wild ox be willing to serve you? Will he stay by your manger?” Job 39:10. “Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes? Will he plow the valleys behind you?” Job 39:11. “Will you trust him because his strength is great? Will you leave your labor to him?” Job 39:12. “Will you rely on him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?” The animal “reem,” the “wild ox” of the Synodal reading, “μονοκέρως” of the LXX, ῥινοκέρως of Aquila and the Vulgate (a false interpretation of μονοκερως of the LXX). Recent exegetes – Delitzsch, Lange and others – on the basis of the Talmud, testimony of Pliny the Younger and Egyptian monuments about a single-horned antelope, understand by “reem” the white gazelle – the oryx – that inhabits and to this day in Syria. And finally, others: Gesenius, De Wette, Umbreit, see in it a wild ox. The latter opinion is scarcely other than the correct one. The wild ox is contrasted with a similar domestic animal used for tilling fields, that is, the ox; with the latter the wild ox is akin. Job 39:13-18. Description of the ostrich. Just as the wild ass and ox in contrast to the domestic ox and ass cannot be tamed, so the ostrich, similar to the stork, is distinguished by many characteristics.

Job 39:13. “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are her wings and feathers kind to the young?” The literal reading of this verse should be: “does the ostrich’s wing wave joyfully, is it a stork’s wing and feather?” Although the ostrich in the coloring of its feathers and its inclination to live in whole flocks resembles the stork, in many respects it is not like it.

Job 39:14. “For she leaves her eggs on the ground and lets them be warmed by the sand,” Job 39:15. “And forgets that a foot may crush them, or that a wild animal may trample them.” Job 39:16. “She treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers; her labor is in vain, without fear,” Job 39:17. “Because God has deprived her of wisdom, and has not given her a share of understanding.” One of such characteristics is the relationship of the ostrich to its offspring. While the stork is tender toward its young, which is why it is called “chasida” – “devout,” the ostrich is harsh (verse 16; cf. Lam 4:3). It leaves its eggs to the mercy of fate, not at all troubled that they may be crushed and eaten by animals. But this natural lack of reason of the ostrich, threatening the destruction of its offspring, is eliminated by the fact that the desert itself – the hot sand – warms its eggs and brings forth young. Its labor does not remain in vain (verse 16).

Job 39:18. “Yet when she lifts herself up on high, she laughs at the horse and his rider.” Apparently helpless on account of inability to fly, the ostrich possesses swift running, which saves it from pursuit by enemies, including people. Job 39:19-25. Following the description of the ostrich, this “half-camel, half-bird” as the Arabs say, comes the description of the horse, as if born, intended for battle.

Job 39:19. “Do you give the horse its strength? Do you clothe his neck with a mane?” And indeed, he is given strength, necessary for war (Hebrew “gevurah”; cf. Judg 8:21; 2 Sam 18:20).

Job 39:20. “Can you frighten him like a grasshopper? The glory of his nostrils is terrible.” Job 39:21. “He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength; he advances to meet the armed men.” The correct reading is: “will you make him leap like a grasshopper?” Prancing, breaking into a gallop, a horse makes leaps like a grasshopper (cf. Joel 2:4), and the spiritedness it displays in this case is manifested in its snorting, which frightens those around, and its habit of stamping, striking the ground with its hoof.

Job 39:22. “He mocks at fear and is not frightened; nor does he turn back from the sword.” Job 39:23. “The quiver rattles against him, the glittering spear and javelin.” Job 39:24. “He swallows the ground with fierceness and rage; nor does he stand still at the sound of the trumpet.” Job 39:25. “At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar, the thunder of captains and the shouting.” The spiritedness of the horse does not diminish with the circumstances of battle. For him – nothing the sword, the flash of the spear and javelin, but the sounds of the trumpet – used in war as a signal horn (Hebrew “shofar,” cf. Judg 3:27; 2 Sam 2:28), and the cries of commanders bring it into even greater excitement.

Job 39:26. “Does the hawk fly by your wisdom and spread its wings toward the south?” Like other birds, the “netz” – the “hawk” is endowed with the instinct to foresee the coming of cold and migrate to the south – to warm lands – for the duration of winter.

Job 39:27. “Does the eagle mount up at your command and make its nest on high?” Job 39:28. “On the rock it dwells and lodges, on the crag of the rock and the stronghold.” Job 39:29. “From there it spies out the prey; its eyes look from afar.” Job 39:30. “Its young ones suck up blood; and where the slain are, there it is.” The series of phenomena of the animal world begins with the description of the king of beasts – the lion (Job 38:39), and concludes with the description of the king of birds – the eagle. Its characteristic feature is the habit of building a nest on the summits of mountains, in inaccessible places (cf. Jer 49:16), in accordance with which it is given keen eyesight, which helps it to spy on prey from inaccessible heights unreachable to man.

Job 39:31. Then the Lord answered Job and said, Job 39:32. “Shall one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer for it.” Job 39:33. Then Job answered the Lord and said, Job 39:34. “Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth.” Job 39:35. “I have spoken once, but I will not answer; even twice, but I will not continue.” A whole series of questions showed Job how great is the amount of evidence testifying to the wisdom of God that arranges. Compared to them – nothing are the facts upon which he based his view of divine arbitrariness. To contend with God, therefore, is not possible, and in response to the challenge (verse 32) he answers with silence: “I lay my hand on my mouth” (cf. Job 21:5). It signifies a renunciation of his former views and constitutes the first step in the restoration of proper relationship to God. Job was brought to such a state by the revelation of the thought of the wise and beneficent God. God, who subdues the sea, waters the desert, provides food for the raven, is that same God who so unjustly punishes him. But can the latter be admitted? Is it not better to acknowledge that with the goodness of God this cannot be.

Chapter Forty

The second discourse of the Lord. 1–9. God is righteous. 10–27. Description of Behemoth (10–19) and the crocodile (20–27).

Job 40:1. And the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: Job 40:2. Gird yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Cf. Job 38:1-3.

Job 40:3. Do you want to overthrow my justice, condemn me so that you might be justified? The preceding discourse about the wise and perfectly good providence of God implicitly contains the thought that God cannot be unjust. The second discourse of the Lord is devoted to the final clarification of this truth. Therefore it begins with a question full of wonder: “do you want to overthrow my justice?” By insisting on how undeserved his sufferings are, Job was thereby accusing God of injustice. But is he right in this? Can he really take on the role and position of a defender of justice higher than the divine?

Job 40:4. Do you have an arm like God’s? Can you thunder with a voice like his? He who criticizes and rejects the divine justice is not able to take on himself the task of protecting justice among people. To be just, one must possess the corresponding power to defend truth. And, of course, Job does not have it. He does not have an arm like God’s (cf. Job 22:8) and a voice like his (cf. Job 37:2 and following), that is, he is not all-powerful (cf. Ps 28). The contrast between Job’s weakness in the matter of protecting truth and God’s all-mightiness in this respect is an undeniable proof that God is righteous.

Job 40:5. Adorn yourself with splendor and glory, clothe yourself with brightness and majesty; Job 40:6. pour out your fierce anger, look on all the proud and humble them; Job 40:7. look on all the arrogant and bring them low, and crush the wicked where they stand; Job 40:8. bury them in the dust together, and bind their faces in the hidden place. Job 40:9. Then I myself will acknowledge that your own right hand can save you. A continuation of the thought about Job’s inability to protect justice and destroy evil. The ironical character of the discourse (v. 5; cf. Ps 103:1) contains, though not directly, yet quite clearly an indication that God governs the world according to the laws of the strictest justice. Job 40:10-27. The description of Behemoth and Leviathan – clear examples of infinite divine creative power, joined in the governance of the world with justice. Despite all their enormous physical strength, these animals are creatures of God’s hand, subject to the divine will, which humbles all pride seeking to rule with tyranny (Job 41:2-3).

Job 40:10. See, Behemoth, which I created as I created you; he eats grass like an ox; According to the opinion of Delitzsch, Lange and others, “Behemoth” is a Hebraized Coptic-Egyptian word “p-ehe-mau” (p = the definite article; ehe = ox; mau = water) – a water ox, hippopotamus. The Septuagint understood “Behemoth” as a plural form of the word “behema” – animal, hence their reading: θηρία – beasts. Ancient exegetes understood “Behemoth” to mean an elephant, but certain details in the description of this animal (v. 11) do not apply to the latter. Created just as well as man (“which I created as I created you”), Behemoth belongs to the class of herbivorous animals, but stands out sharply from their midst by its strength.

Job 40:11. See, his strength is in his loins, and his power in the muscles of his belly; The seat of the Behemoth’s strength is in the loins and belly, which does not apply to an elephant, which has tender skin on its belly (cf. 1 Macc 6:46).

Job 40:12. He moves his tail like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are twisted together; Job 40:13. His legs are like bronze tubes; his bones are like iron rods; Thick at the base and tapering at the end, the tail of the Behemoth is straight, firm and elastic, like a cedar; its body is covered with intertwining sinews; the massive body with bones hard as iron is supported by strong legs like bronze tubes (cf. Song 5:15).

Job 40:14. He is the first of the ways of God; only his Maker can bring near his sword; By reason of its strength and colossal nature, Behemoth is the archetypal creation, God’s creation. “Reshit” – “firstborn” (the Synodal text: “the first of the ways of God”) – first in rank, in position (Amos 6:1). Instead of the Synodal: “only his Maker can bring near his sword to him,” the correct reading of the second half of this verse should be: “his Creator gave him his sword.” According to the nature of the Behemoth’s food (v. 15) he has been given teeth sharp as a sword.

Job 40:15. The mountains bring him food, and all the beasts of the field play there; Using sharp teeth, Behemoth feeds on crops and vegetation of the lands adjacent to the Nile (the heights near the river – “mountains” in comparison with the lowlands of the river), but by appearing there does not cause confusion among the animals (“and all the beasts of the field play there”): he is not carnivorous.

Job 40:16. He lies down under the shadowy trees, under the cover of reeds and in the swamps; Job 40:17. The shadowy trees cover him with their shade; the willows by the streams surround him; Away from the river (v. 15) the hippopotamus appears only when he feels a lack of food. His usual place of residence is in the water, among the lotus (Hebrew “tzelim” – “shadowy trees”) and other vegetation.

Job 40:18. See, he drinks from the river and is not disturbed; he remains calm, even if the Jordan should rush into his mouth. Instead of the Synodal: “see, he drinks from the river and is not disturbed,” the literal translation should be: “let the river swallow him, he is not afraid.” Water is the native element of the Behemoth; he does not fear the flooding of the Nile or the current of so swift a river as the Jordan. The Jordan in the sense of a proper name is used only as an example of a swift river. A literal understanding: “the Behemoth does not fear the Jordan” is impossible because in Job’s time there were no hippopotamuses in it. Other exegetes understand “Yarden” as a common noun: “the flow of water,” and connect it with the word “Yor” – “channel,” which serves to designate the Nile.

Job 40:19. Can anyone capture him by his eyes, or pierce his nose with a trap? A man cannot overcome Behemoth either by open force (“by his eyes”) or by means of cunning. Job 40– Job 41:26. Description of Leviathan.

Job 40:20. Can you pull out Leviathan with a hook, or pierce his tongue with a rope? By the name of Leviathan (Job 3:8; Ps 73:14) is meant, as scholars think, the crocodile. Hebrew expression in this verse gives support to such an understanding: “timsok” (“can you pull out”), which is an allusion to the Coptic name for the crocodile – “temsah” and the modern Arabic “timsah.” The Hebrew language has no special name for this animal, as it was not found in Palestine. A crocodile cannot be caught by the usual method employed in fishing – with a hook, nor can it be pulled from the water by grasping its tongue with a rope. The impossibility is explained by the fact that the crocodile’s tongue is attached by a membrane to the two edges of the lower jaw, by which means the animal cannot extend it or thrust it out. The ancients, following Herodotus (II, 68), believed that the crocodile had no tongue at all.

Job 40:21. Will you put a ring through his nose, or pierce his jaw with a hook? One cannot deal with it as with a caught fish. Fishermen would pass a ring through the gills of a caught fish, tie the ring to a rope fastened on shore, and lower the fish back into the water to keep it alive.

Job 40:22. Will he make a lot of pleas to you, or will he speak to you gently? The danger of being captured does not threaten the crocodile, and therefore on its part there cannot be pleas or requests for mercy for the return of lost freedom.

Job 40:23. Will he make a covenant with you, and will you take him forever as a slave? Job 40:24. Will you play with him as with a bird, and will you bind him for your daughters? Still less can one make from it an obedient instrument serving man (“will you take him forever as a slave?”) and, as from a caught bird, a plaything for children. “The crocodile often devours women and children drawing water from the Nile; who would think of turning into a toy such a terrible monster?”

Job 40:25. Will his companions sell him, will they divide him among the merchants? One man cannot overcome the crocodile; nor can “companions in hunting,” Hebrew “haverim” – “the united” – an entire party of fishermen do so. The attempt to catch it by united effort is useless, and the dream of dividing the catch among the participants, as the “Kena’anim” – Phoenicians did with large fish, is vain.

Job 40:26. Can you pierce his skin with spears, or his head with a fishing spear? Job 40:27. Lay your hand upon him, and remember the battle: never do it again. It is also useless to try to overcome the crocodile by another means – resorting to the help of a spear and a harpoon to pierce the skin and head (cf. Job 41:7-9, Job 41:18-21). For this it is necessary to engage in battle with the monster, but once having dared to make such an attempt, one will never repeat it.

Chapter Forty-One

The very look of the crocodile can fill the hunter with terror and forever destroy the desire to possess it.

Job 41:1. Hope is vain: will you not fall at the sight of him? Job 41:2. There is no one so bold as to dare to disturb him; who then can stand before my face? Job 41:3. Who has given to me first, that I should repay him? All under heaven is mine. Conclusion from what has been said. If the crocodile – a creature of God – inspires such terror that no one dares attack it, then who will dare contend with God, the creator of this monster? The correct reading of the first half of the third verse should be: “who has given me anything beforehand, so that I would repay him?” All of nature is a creation of the Lord, and all that man possesses is the property and gift of God. Therefore, on his part there cannot be any protests, whether God gives something or takes it away (cf. Job 2:10). Job 41:4-26. A more detailed description of the crocodile, confirming the thought Job 40:26-27 and Job 41:1.

Job 41:4. I will not pass over his limbs, his strength, and the grace of his proportion. Job 41:5. Who can uncover his outer garment, who can come close to his double jaws? Job 41:6. Who can open the doors of his face? His teeth round about are terrible; The first question of this verse: “who can uncover his outer garment?” – that is, expose the flesh of the crocodile from the scales covering it, is explained in verses 7–9. The impossibility of approaching “the double jaws,” literally the double row of teeth, as well as opening the jaws (“open the doors of his face”) is explained by the fact that “around his teeth is terror.” The 36 sharp and long teeth of the upper jaw and 30 of the lower, which are always visible because the crocodile has no lips, involuntarily inspire fear, preventing one from approaching the animal.

Job 41:7. His strong shields are a glory; they are sealed as if with a strong seal; Job 41:8. One touches another so closely that no air can pass between them; Job 41:9. One lies with another, they cling together and cannot be separated. Arranged in 17 symmetrical rows, the scales on the crocodile’s back are raised like bones or roof tiles; each of them has a convexity, which makes the animal’s back resemble a shield. Hard in themselves, they cannot be separated or parted from one another, as they fit together with extraordinary tightness.

Job 41:10. From his sneezing flashes of light shine; his eyes are like the eyelashes of the dawn; When the crocodile, with its mouth turned toward the sun, sneezes, the water and moisture issuing from its mouth and nostrils gleams with light. The eyes, which emit a strong reddish glow, visible even when the animal’s head is under water, remind one of the shining dawn. And indeed, for the Egyptians they were a hieroglyphic sign of the latter.

Job 41:11. Out of his mouth come burning torches, sparks of fire leap forth; Job 41:12. Out of his nostrils comes smoke, as from a boiling pot or kettle. Job 41:13. His breath kindles coals, and a flame comes out of his mouth. Rising to the surface of the water after a long stay beneath it, the crocodile appears to be throwing out smoke and fire. “He,” writes an English traveler describing a crocodile rushing into the lake, “was puffing out his monstrous body and moving his tail in the air. Thick smoke was issuing from his wide-open nostrils with a noise that shook the ground.” “At first,” continues the same traveler, “the crocodile swims with the swiftness of lightning, and then gradually slows its pace until it reaches the middle of the river. Here it stops, inhales air and water, its body becomes enormous, and at a certain time a loud noise is heard from its mouth. Then it shoots out a large jet of steam from its mouth with a crack, which appears like a cloud of smoke.”

Job 41:14. On his neck abides strength, and despair runs before him. The indicator of the monster’s strength is its massive neck, and at its appearance in terror the animals and people flee.

Job 41:15. The folds of his flesh stick together; they are firm on him, immovable. One of the peculiarities of the crocodile’s structure, which gives it extraordinary strength, lies in the fact that its muscular parts are not soft and loose as in other animals, but hard and firm.

Job 41:16. His heart is hard as stone, and hard as the lower millstone. To such a wonderfully constructed animal has been given extraordinary vitality. It depends on the activity of the heart, and this heart in the crocodile is as hard as the lower millstone is firm, which is made of sturdy stone in view of the greater pressure falling upon it.

Job 41:17. When he raises himself up, the mighty fear; they are at a loss in fright. Job 41:18. The sword that touches him does not avail, nor the spear, nor the dart, nor the coat of mail. Job 41:19. He regards iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood. Job 41:20. The arrow will not make him flee; sling stones turn into chaff for him. Job 41:21. The club is counted by him as straw; he laughs at the whistle of the javelin. A strong and terrible monster fills even the bravest in terror – “the mighty” (Hebrew “elim”): “frightened, they do not reach their goal” (the second half of the verse). An attempt to kill the crocodile only causes fear. And this is quite understandable, since, protected by its scales, an impenetrable strong armor (verses 7–9), it is invulnerable to any deadly weapon, beginning with the sword.

Job 41:22. Beneath him are sharp stones, and he lies on the sharp stones in the mud. The correct reading of this verse is: “beneath him are sharp tiles; he lies as a harrow upon the mud.” Nothing can pierce the crocodile’s back, nor does the belly yield to blows. The scales on it are less firm than on the back, but still sufficiently hard. Their impression remains on the ground when the monster crawls or rests.

Job 41:23. He makes the deep boil like a caldron, and the sea like a pot of ointment; Job 41:24. He leaves a luminous wake behind him; the deep appears white. An even greater trace is left by the crocodile in the water. From its swift, rushing movements (cf. v. 11–12) the water comes into such agitation as occurs during boiling. “The sea he turns into a vessel with boiling fragrances.” The waters of the “sea,” that is, the Nile (Isa 19:5; Nah 3:8) set in motion by the animal remind one of “boiling fragrances,” since it leaves behind it the scent of musk. The water disturbed by the animal is covered with foam, which by its whiteness reminds one of gray hair.

Job 41:25. There is nothing on earth like him, he is made without fear; Job 41:26. He looks on all high things boldly; he is king over all the children of pride. Terrible to people, the crocodile has no equal among the most ferocious animals (“the children of pride”; cf. Job 28:8): they tremble before it as before a king.

Chapter Forty-Two

1–6. Job’s second response. 7–16. Epilogue.

Job 42:2. I know that you are able to do all things, and no purpose of yours can be thwarted. The description of Behemoth and the crocodile reveals to Job all the power of divine omnipotence (cf. Job 41:2-3). And if this property is the foundation of justice (Job 40:3-9), then he must acknowledge that the sufferings sent to people are a normal phenomenon in the divine governance of the world.

Job 42:3. Who is this that obscures counsel, knowing nothing? Indeed, I have spoken about things too wonderful for me, things I did not know. Accordingly Job acknowledges that his previous speeches were unfounded reasonings about things he did not understand, an unjust denial of divine providence (cf. Job 38:2).

Job 42:4. Listen, I will speak; I will question you, and you will answer me. Job 42:5. I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear; but now my eyes see you; Job 42:6. therefore I repent in dust and ashes. God required a response from Job (Job 38:4), and now it is given by the sufferer. All that he had previously said – the product of imperfect outward experience (“heard of you by the hearing of the ear”) – true knowledge has been given to him through revelation, which has enlightened his mind. Not doubting it, Job abandons his former judgments, grieving that they were spoken by him: “I repent in dust and ashes” (cf. Job 2:8). Job 42:7-17. The vindication of Job

Job 42:7. And it was after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: My anger burns against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Job was mistaken only in his judgments about God’s attitude toward him (v. 2–3) and was absolutely right in defending his innocence. On the contrary, his friends were wrong in two ways: they accused him without any foundation of supposed sins (Job 22:5 and following) and based their argument about the divine justice on a false premise – the thought that sin is the cause of suffering. As openly insincere toward Job, they, especially Eliphaz, who set the tone for the speeches of his friends, bring upon themselves the divine anger (cf. Job 13:7 and following).

Job 42:8. Now therefore take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves; and my servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer, lest I deal with you according to your folly; for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. The Lord’s statement about Job (v. 7) serves as his vindication, proves the innocence of the sufferer. A vivid demonstration of this innocence is Job’s appearance in the role of priest, an intercessor for his friends before God. As such, he must be recognized by even their standards as a righteous man without sin (Job 22:30; cf. Gen 20:7; Exod 22:31; Num 12:13 and so on). The atoning offering is the same as at the beginning of the book (Job 1:5), a burnt offering, and the number of animals – fourteen – indicates its special solemnity.

Job 42:10. And the Lord restored the fortune of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. “God ended Job’s captivity” (instead of: “restored the fortune of Job”), that is, his disease (Job 7:12). Recognized as innocent, Job is healed of his disease, freed from what served in the eyes of people as proof of his sinfulness (cf. Job 10:15-17). The moment of healing coincides with the moment of the sacrifice: having forgiven his friends, forgotten all the injuries inflicted upon him, Job himself receives forgiveness from God.

Job 42:11. Then all his brothers and sisters and all those who had known him before came to him, and ate food with him in his house; they consoled him and comforted him for all the misery that the Lord had brought upon him; and each of them gave him a piece of money and a golden ring. Just as his disease before – a sign of supposed sinfulness – drove away from Job all his relatives and friends, beginning with his wife (Job 19:13 and following), so now his recovery – evident proof of righteousness – brings relatives and friends to him. Likewise his former mockeries (Job 19:18) and jeers (Job 30:1) are replaced by words of comfort and the bestowal of gifts – kesites (Gen 33:19; Josh 24:32) – a metal ingot of greater value than the shekel (Gen 33:19; cf. Job 23:16), and golden rings – ornaments for men and women (Exod 32:3). Thus the vanished respect for the sufferer is restored.

Job 42:12. And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys. Cf. Job 1:3.

Job 42:13. He also had seven sons and three daughters. With respect to children there is no doubling (v. 10) (cf. Job 1:2). But since in the Old Testament view the dead children are not considered permanently lost (2 Sam 12:23), in fact the recovered Job had twice as many children as before.

Job 42:14. He called the name of the first Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. “Jemimah” (from Arabic “yamama”) means “a dove,” “pure as a dove”; “Keziah” means “fragrant as the perfume of cassia”; “Keren-happuch” means “a painted horn” – graceful not so much by nature as by the use of cosmetics (cf. 2 Sam 9:30, Jer 4:30; Ezek 23:40), makeup.

Job 42:15. And in all the land there were no women as beautiful as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. The names of Job’s daughters fully corresponded to their appearance. According to the laws of the Israelites, daughters received the right to own land plots only in the absence of brothers (Num 27:8). The customs of the Arabs (Job 1:3), apparently were different.

Job 42:16. After this, Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his sons and his sons’ sons – four generations; The duration of Job’s life before his sufferings is unknown. The Greek-Slavonic translation determines it at 78 years: “and Job lived after the suffering one hundred and seventy years, and all his days were two hundred and forty-eight years.” “He saw his sons” (cf. Job 5:25).

Job 42:17. So Job died, old and full of days. Cf. Job 5:26; Gen 25:8. After verse 17 follows in the Greek-Slavonic text an appendix borrowed from the “Syrian book,” indicating the genealogy of Job (“son of Zares, and his mother was Bosorra, daughter of the sons of Esau”), the time and place of his life (“to be the fifth from Abraham”; “living in the land of Ausitis, on the borders of Idumaea and Arabia”) and identifying him with the Edomite king Jobab. As it is absent in the translations of Aquila and Symmachus, it cannot be recognized as original, but can most likely be regarded as the work of some Christian. Its words testify to this: “it is written again that he shall rise with those with whom the Lord will raise up.”

The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Introduction

Psalm 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151

Name of the book. Number of psalms

In the Hebrew Bible, this book is called “tehillim” or “sefer tehillim,” meaning praise or the Book of Praises, while in the Greek Bible it is called “ψαλτήριον.” This Greek name denoted a stringed instrument resembling our guitar, by which the songs of the Psalter were in ancient times accompanied during performance among the Jews. The entire Book of the Psalter consists of 151 songs, the first 150 of which are of canonical authority, while the last—the 151st—is of non-canonical authority. Each of these songs, despite many particular peculiarities in its content and external form of expression, shares in common with all others that the subject and source of their composition and the inspiration of their authors is God and His manifold properties and deeds, displayed in external nature and in human life. Therefore, the Hebrew name of the book indicates the essential, inner character of the content of the psalms as songs of praise to God, while the Greek title refers to the external manner of their performance with the accompaniment of a stringed instrument.

Writers of the psalms

All psalms have numerical designation, but in addition to this, over many of them are found the names of persons preceded by the Hebrew particle “le,” which indicates the attribution of that psalm to the named person—for example, “le David,” “le Shelomo,” and others. Such headings mean that the given psalms were written—one by David, another by Solomon, and so forth. Besides David and Solomon, the headings over the psalms also contain the names of Moses, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and the sons of Korah, preceded usually by the same particle “le.” This shows that among the writers of the Psalter were the persons just mentioned.

That the writers of the Psalter were many persons is testified to by the very content of the psalms themselves and by the diversity of external form in the expression of their thoughts. In the psalms, for example, there are indications of events from the pre-Davidic period (Ps 89), the Davidic period (Ps 2-5 and many others), the pre-exile period (Ps 90, Ps 94 and others), the time of the Babylonian captivity (Ps 84, Ps 105, Ps 104, Ps 136 and others), and the post-exile period (Ps 117, Ps 119, Ps 122, Ps 124 and others). Thus, the span of time encompassed by the content of the psalms exceeds the average duration of human life many times over, and a single person could not have been a witness to and depicter of the events indicated by the Psalter.

There is also a difference among the psalms in the manner of depicting similar subjects. If one compares, for example, Ps 4 with Ps 79 or with Ps 136, one cannot fail to notice that, though dealing with similar subjects in content (the depiction of enemies and one’s relation to them), they differ in the unfolding of these subjects and in the portrayal of the authors’ attitudes toward them. In Ps 4, the author, pursued by enemies, trusts in God’s help and addresses his enemies with gentle exhortation to reconsider, to examine the motives of their actions, and, while there is yet time, to bring repentance before God and reform themselves; in Ps 79, the author depicts his position as hopeless and the power of his enemies as irresistible, himself as completely forsaken by God; in Ps 136, however, the enemies awaken in the writer a feeling of hatred and a longing for their destruction. Such a difference in the way these psalms depict their relations to enemies, testifying to the dissimilarity of their authors’ feelings, indicates that they were written by different persons, not one person, because it would be impossible for one person to experience different and even opposing feelings in similar circumstances. The great diversity in the methods of expressing thoughts and in the literary devices employed (which will be discussed in more detail below) also points to the origin of the Psalter from several persons, not from a single writer. Moreover, in 2 Chr 29:30 we find direct indication that in the time of Hezekiah God was praised “by the words of David and Asaph the prophet.” By this testimony, Asaph is recognized as the author and is given importance in the composition of songs equal to David’s, which indicates that the writers of the Psalter were recognized to be more than one person.

An opinion existed in antiquity (held by Gregory of Nyssa, Ambrose of Milan, Jerome, John Chrysostom, and others), and was sometimes maintained in later times, that the Psalter belonged to David alone. In support of this opinion, they point to the fact that: 1) in certain places of Holy Scripture, in descriptions of worship conducted by the ancient Hebrews, only the name of David is mentioned as the creator of the church songs (for example, 2 Chr 7:6; Ezra 3:10); 2) in the New Testament, certain psalms that do not have headings in the Hebrew Bible are considered psalms of David (Acts 4:25); 3) among the ancient Hebrews and likewise in the early Christian church, it was customary to call the entire Psalter Davidic, that is, written by David alone. The names of other persons found in the headings over the psalms, besides David, and the content of the psalms, which points to times after David, they attempt to explain as indications of performers to whom David originally designated them, and as the gift of prophecy which he possessed and by which he was able to foresee and describe events even after his time.

The opinion opposite to the one just presented was not universal in antiquity. Many fathers and teachers of the church held the view concerning the Psalter that it was a work not of one person but of several (for example, Origen, Athanasius of Alexandria, Basil the Great, Jerome, and others), and this opinion is now the predominant one among scholars. The very passages of Holy Scripture which defenders of the first opinion bring forward in its support have a different meaning. For example, 2 Chr 7:6, as well as Heb 4, contain not a determination of the Psalter’s origin from David, not an indication of the name of the author of this book, but express the common designation of it which prevailed at that time; the First Book of Ezra (Ezra 3:10) gives only a general indication of the order of worship which was established by David and which the Hebrews in captivity could not observe, but which, now after their return from captivity, was restored in all its solemnity and fullness. Only the testimony of the Book of Acts, where its writer, citing a saying from the 2nd psalm, calls it the words “of David’s servant,” gives an exact indication of the name of the author of that psalm, but not of the entire Psalter. The explanation of the headings of persons other than David as indicating the first performers of the psalms is arbitrary; if before these names, as before the name of David, stands the particle “le,” and if psalms with David’s name in the heading are considered to be written by David himself, then by logical consistency all other psalms should be considered written by those persons whose names appear in the headings above them. The attempt of defenders of the first opinion to explain the content of the psalms which point to events after David’s time by the gift of prophecy possessed by David is erroneous: in the content of many songs in the Psalter are found features depicting the external, accidental position of the persons involved (Ps 136), or indication of new geographical localities (Ps 71:10), with which prophecy does not concern itself: the sphere of prophecy includes only that which has as its subject the revelation of the state of God’s Kingdom on earth, subjects from the realm of messianic and religious-moral life, to which much of the content of the Psalter has no relation. In view of all the foregoing, the reference to the universally established custom of calling the Psalter Davidic has a different significance: since the majority of psalms in the Psalter belonged to David, and since his poetic talent was diverse and powerful, subsequent writers sought to imitate him both in the content of their psalms and in the external form of expression; thus, David, both externally and internally, predominates in the Psalter. If the latter is called by his name, this should be understood not in a literal but in a relative sense, just as the Book of Proverbs is called Solomon’s, though he wrote only the greater part of it.

The following writers of psalms are known by name: Moses, David, Solomon, Asaph, Heman, Ethan, also called Jeduthun, and the sons of Korah. According to time and circumstances of their origin, as well as by the quantity of psalms they wrote, the latter are distributed among the mentioned persons as follows: To Moses belongs one (Ps 89), written by him at the conclusion of the forty years of wandering in the desert and in view of the promised land, into which at that time only a new generation of people born in the desert could enter, and from those who came out of Egypt only those who at the time of the exodus were not yet twenty years old. The death of all the rest was explained by their unfaithfulness and offense against Jehovah during this wandering. The content of the psalm is permeated with a feeling of gratitude to God for granting the Hebrews a blessed and fertile land, sorrow for the person who by his conduct provokes the wrath of God, and prayer to Him for mercy and intercession for mankind. These three motifs—grateful, sorrowful, and prayerful—become the predominant ones throughout the entire subsequent content of the Psalter, appearing sometimes in their pure form, sometimes combined with others. According to the headings of the Hebrew and Russian Bible, David wrote 73 psalms, while according to the Greek-Slavonic Bible, 87. This difference in the quantity of psalms attributed to David is explained by the fact that in determining the origin of psalms not marked with the names of writers in the Hebrew Bible, the Seventy translators were guided by the traditions which had come down to them from the Hebrews regarding these psalms, and tradition attributed them to David. But in view of the inconsistency of this tradition with the content of some of the psalms attributed to David, it cannot always be accepted as a guide in determining the writer and circumstances of their origin (for example, psalms 90, 92, 93, 94, and others). All the psalms belonging to David as author number 73. They are as follows: from those marked with his name in the Hebrew Bible 73 psalms: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 67, 68, 69, 70, 85, 100, 102, 107, 108, 109, 121, 123, 130, 132, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, and from those not marked in the Hebrew Bible but regarding which the origin from David can be established, the following five: 1, 2, 32, 105, 137.

All of David’s psalms, in their content, represent a lyrical account of the events of his life, beginning with his first anointing by Samuel and ending with the final years of his reign. There is no single important event to which David did not respond with his songs, and his life presented a great number and variety of such events, which explains the great number and variety of his psalms. In this respect, David’s psalms constitute a rich body of material, which supplements the accounts of his life found in the historical books, which for the most part relate the external history of his life, while in the psalms are contained depictions of his thoughts and feelings, which present an abundant source for understanding the spiritual character of this “sweet singer of Israel” (2 Sam 23:1).

The external history of David’s life is well-known. From the position of a simple shepherd in the family of Jesse from the tribe of Judah, he, through his talents and exploits, became a national hero, attained the crown of the Hebrew king, and acquired such popularity and love from his subjects that his name and deeds constitute and continue to form the brightest page in Hebrew history and an object of national pride. Such a great distance between the two poles of social position (that of simple citizen and crowned king) and historical fame (shepherd in his own family and national hero) was traversed by a series of outstanding exploits and extraordinary hardships, so that there are few figures in the history of mankind whose lives present a series of reversals similar to those experienced by David.

David’s first rise to public fame began at the time of his triumphant single combat with Goliath, the giant of the Philistines. When two armies—the Hebrews and the Philistines—met near the valley of Socoh, occupying the hills adjacent to it, neither one dared to descend into the valley to begin battle, because the local conditions made such an action risky for them. Therefore, both armies stood idle. Then Goliath came forth and challenged one of the Hebrews to single combat with him; none of them dared to engage with him in battle. For forty days Goliath mocked the Hebrews, and they were forced silently to endure his cutting remarks and insults to their national honor. When David, who had brought food to his brothers, heard these insults, a strong desire arose in him to wipe away this shame from the Hebrews, and he entered, apparently, into an unequal struggle for himself. It ended in victory. The name of David, who had wiped away the shame from the Hebrews, became popular and was set above that of Saul; he was celebrated everywhere in popular songs: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” From this time on, jealousy entered into Saul, and as the fame and popularity of the latter grew, based on a whole series of his brilliant military exploits, Saul’s jealousy turned into hatred and prompted him to make attempts on David’s life and to pursue him with a whole series of persecutions. David escaped by fleeing. During his flight David became known to the people for the gentleness of his character, sincere piety, practical resourcefulness, military foresight and courage, so that, with the death of Saul, he soon became king first of the tribe of Judah alone, and then of all twelve tribes. David’s reign was beneficial for the Hebrews. He expanded the boundaries of his kingdom, secured its borders by victories over neighboring foreign peoples, established greater cohesion among the previously dispersed and mutually hostile tribes, reorganized the army more properly, improved the administration of justice by eliminating arbitrary decisions on the part of tribal representatives through the granting of the right of appeal to the king, transferred the Ark of the Covenant from Kiriath-Jearim to Jerusalem, introduced and established proper order in the performance of worship, giving it an unexpected character of solemnity through the introduction of properly organized choirs and music, and began to prepare material for the construction of a new temple. But his reign was also darkened by some unfortunate events. David’s transgression with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah were accompanied by family misfortunes: the rebellion of Absalom, and later that of Adonijah, his sons. During the first rebellion he was forced to flee from Jerusalem and to endure the mockery of the adherents of his son. His people were struck by a plague that carried off many victims. These events, as we see, profoundly affected David.

David exemplified a nature richly endowed with physical and spiritual powers. Of modest height, solidly built, fair-haired, with blue eyes, he possessed great muscular strength and agility, which he often displayed even in his youth in struggles with lions, from whose mouths he could snatch sheep that they had stolen. At the same time, he was distinguished by great endurance and mobility. The frequent and prolonged persecutions by Saul, numerous military campaigns, and later in mature age, his flight from Absalom, when David had to keep moving from place to place without often having any provisions with him, provide vivid testimony to this. Furthermore, David’s ability to treat everyone kindly, his refusal to avenge personal offenses (the story of Saul and Shimei), his impartiality in judicial matters, the love shown him by priests, Levites, and prophets, his ability to unite into one the previously dispersed tribes, and his subsequent care for the construction of the temple and for worship, reveal in him a gentle character, deep respect for human dignity, administrative insight and tact, and sincere, heartfelt piety. The most outstanding and characteristic features in David are a highly developed emotional nature, a region of feeling and sentiment, and what appears to be an inexhaustible poetic talent. The first trait explains, apparently, strange actions, sometimes impractical, and sometimes direct transgressions, when David spares a known enemy of his (Saul), or when he enters into relations with Bathsheba, yielding to feelings of infatuation with her external, physical beauty. But to the extent that such feeling toward the latter was sincere and fleeting, to that extent was David’s consciousness of his sinfulness before God deep and enduring, and his repentance before Him. The latter was explained by the loftiness of David’s understanding of God and the corresponding strict attitude he took toward himself. Violation of God’s commandments seemed to him the greatest affront to the All-Holy Being, and therefore it aroused in David a consciousness of complete sinfulness before Him, in which his fall seemed so profound that he considered it beyond the power of a human being to raise himself from it. In such cases, David reached complete denial of any good deeds in himself, and his only prayerful appeal was: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, according to Your great compassion on mankind.”

David’s strong poetic talent explains the abundance of his songs, with which he responded to all outstanding events of his personal and public life. His poetry, belonging to the genre of pure lyric, is distinguished by the multiplicity of its forms. There are elegies here (penitential psalms—6, 31, 37, 50, and others), there are laudatory pieces approaching our odes (17, 18, 103, 104, and others), there are pieces resembling our songs, only with a religious subject (8, 44, and others), and there are messianic-prophetic ones (2, 15, 21, and others). One cannot fail to note the particular feature of the songs that David in all of them remains faithful to his teleological view of everything existing in the world, both in the life of people and nature and in the realm of God’s relations with mankind and mankind’s relations with God. The entire world, according to him, beginning with an ordinary phenomenon like the rising and setting of the sun, the order of day and night succession, the seasons, the arrangement of the inorganic, organic, and animal worlds, and especially mankind, is full of enchanting harmony, reasonableness, and beauty. That same reasonableness and beauty reign in God’s relation to mankind and mankind’s relation to God. God, bestowing upon mankind mercy and protection in the present, prepares him for great future blessings through the coming of the Messiah; mankind, on the other hand, by maintaining constant and firm faith in God, showing Him obedience, and cultivating in himself “a humble spirit and a contrite heart,” thereby includes himself in the realm of His great promises. Thus, David by his views was an aesthete, one able to find, point out, and appreciate beauty where the cold intellect sees only a series of ordinary phenomena, objects, and thoughts. By directing the human spirit toward the higher world of perceiving divine harmony, David’s songs had important social and political significance. They made his subjects familiar with the views and wishes of their sovereign, and therefore they were manifestations of the king to his people, a program of his reign, where each knew what to hold to and what was contrary to the will of their ruler.

The whole series of reversals experienced by David in his life never weakened his spirit but, on the contrary, provided rich material for his creative genius. A whole series of songs was composed by him at all the outstanding events of his life. Thus, for example, the psalms written by him, according to the events that prompted their composition, may be distributed as follows: psalm 8 was written after David’s anointing by Samuel, 143—after David’s victory over Goliath, 7, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 21, 26, 30, 33, 34, 35, 51, 52, 53, 55, 56, 58, 59, 68, 69, 70, 107, 108, 141—on account of persecutions by Saul; 5, 10, 25, 40, 54, 57, 63, 139 relate to the time of Absalom’s rebellion, before David’s flight from Jerusalem; 3, 4, 22, 24, 27, 36, 60, 61, 62, 85, 140—from the day of his flight from Jerusalem: 1, 2, 9, 19, 20, 67, 109, 123 were written on account of the wars conducted by David; 14, 23, 29, 121, 132, 130, 100—on account of the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant, in connection with care for the construction of the temple, and on account of circumstances related and attending thereto; 6, 31, 32, 37, 38, 50, 142 are connected mainly with David’s transgression with Bathsheba and indirectly with Absalom’s rebellion; 18, 28, 39, 102, 103, 64, 137, 138, 144—on account of the promises given to David by God and other events of his life.

Solomon wrote three psalms: 71, 126, and 131. This king, who represented an almost complete opposite to David in the structure of his character and thought (the latter was a man of active deed, public-minded, lyrical in the character of his literary works with feeling predominating over other faculties, an aesthete in his views; the former was a man of the study, a thinker, philosopher—an analyst, a keen observer with a strongly developed formal, logical ability to structure thoughts), in his youth and in the first years of his reign, when feeling in a person gets the upper hand over the cold rational side, paid tribute to the latter by the creation of the mentioned psalms.

Perhaps he was guided in his choice of this form of work by a desire to follow his father, whose songs captivated the entire people and provoked many imitations. These psalms were written: 71—at his accession to the throne after the prayer at Gibeon, 126—at the completion of the construction of the temple, and 131—on the occasion of the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant from the tabernacle into the temple. In these psalms there is a noticeable rational tone of exposition and more, in comparison with David’s songs, artificiality in the construction and development of thoughts.

The name of Asaph appears in the heading over the following 12 psalms: 49, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, and 82. The psalmist Asaph is known as a Levite of David’s time, descended from the tribe of Gershon, son of Berechiah. Together with his four sons, he presided over four choirs of David’s singers, was the chief director of sacred music and singing before the tabernacle on Mount Zion. This contemporary of David also possessed poetic talent and was the creator of some psalms which, on an equal footing with David’s songs, entered into ecclesiastical and public use (2 Chr 29:30). How original his talent was and how much it was valued both by his contemporaries and by subsequent generations of the Hebrew people is evident from the fact that his songs were valued equally with David’s songs, and his descendants, reverencing the name and genius of their ancestor, concealed their own names over the psalms they composed under the name of their progenitor. Asaph was extraordinarily devoted to David and linked his fate with David’s life; therefore, it is understandable that the chief material for his songs he took from the history and life of David. To Asaph, a contemporary of David, belong the following five psalms: 49, 72, 77, 80, and 81. The remaining seven psalms—73, 74, 75, 76, 78, 79, and 82—belong to the descendants of Asaph (the Asaphites).

All psalms with the name of Asaph are distinguished by a tone of insistent exhortation addressed to the Hebrews for their instruction. With this purpose, the author introduces much historical material into the content of the psalms and loves to depict God as an All-Righteous Judge. By pointing to the divine benefactions bestowed in the past history of the Hebrew people, the writer seeks to awaken in the people a feeling of attachment and gratitude to Him, and by depicting God as a Judge, to terrify the people in their present evil conduct and to urge them toward improvement.

To Heman, of the tribe of Kohath, belongs the 87th psalm; to Ethan, otherwise called Jeduthun, of the tribe of Merari, belongs the 88th psalm. Both these persons were contemporaries of David and singers at the newly established tabernacle by him. They trace their descent from the well-known Korah, who rebelled in the time of Moses. They were Levites and stood, like Asaph, at the head of David’s singers. In the Hebrew Bible they are called Ezrahites, that is, descended from the line of Zerah, son of the patriarch Judah, not because they were his direct descendants but because they lived for a long time in the tribe of Judah among the descendants of Zerah; in the same way, the Levite Zuph (one of the ancestors of Samuel) is called an Ephraimite on account of his residence in that tribe (1 Sam 1:1). These persons, as the psalms composed by them show, were independent singers and writers as much as Asaph and David were. Moreover, they distinguished themselves by wisdom, so that they are compared with Solomon (1 Sam 4:31). Both psalms are very similar in content. It is possible to determine with considerable precision the time and reason for their origin. They were written, as is evident from their content, in the time of David, when the latter received a revelation concerning the perpetuation of his descendants forever and when he experienced “reproach” from enemies. Such circumstances coincide with the time of persecution by Absalom. These psalms are distinguished by a strongly expressed individuality of their writers: their content is pervaded by a gloomy feeling. Evidently, the circumstances they were experiencing had a depressing effect upon them and aroused the most gloomy disposition.

The sons of Korah wrote the psalms: 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 83, 84, and 86, that is, 11 psalms. They were the descendants of Korah and preserved the designation by the name of this ancestor, probably as a lesson to themselves. It was their duty as Levites to watch over the piety of the conduct of worshippers in the temple courtyard and to maintain the cleanliness of the courtyard. Their family was distinguished by devotion to David and, together with him, shared his flight, so that in the psalms of this period the main subject of content is a sorrowful account of the feelings about the misfortunes experienced by David and, during the flight, the forced removal from the temple. The sons of Korah remained servants at the temple throughout the entire history of the Hebrew people, and throughout this entire period among them were found richly gifted natures who left behind poetic works that entered into the composition of the Psalter.

The remaining 44 psalms (65, 66, 90–99, 101, 104–106, 110–120, 122, 124, 125, 127–129, 133–136, and 145–151) belong to unknown writers.

Headings over the psalms

All psalms in the Psalter have numerical designation. Besides the last one, they have other headings, which can be distributed into the following five groups:

1) Indications of the kind of song or character of its content, for example:

a) “Prayer” (16, 85, 89, and 101) indicates petitionary content;
b) “Praise” (94, 144) shows by its very name the laudatory, God-glorifying content;
c) “Teaching” (31, 41, 87, and others), that is, in these songs the authors set forth their perplexities concerning the events they experience, their reflections;
d) “Stone inscription” Hebrew “miktam,” Greek στηλογραφία. This term is not sufficiently clear; it can be understood either in the sense of an indication of the value of the content which deserved to be written on a stone in remembrance for posterity, or in the sense of an indication of the external, epigrammatic manner of writing.

2) Headings indicating the manner of performance:

a) “Psalm,” the most common heading in the Psalter, indicates performance of the given song on the “Psaltery,” a stringed instrument resembling a guitar;
b) “Song” indicates vocal performance. The mixed designation “psalm of a song” or “song of a psalm” or “song psalm” indicates that in the first case the chief means of performance should be music with vocal accompaniment following it, while in the second case the reverse;
c) “Upon stringed instruments” (4, 53, and others), that is, “upon musical instruments,” means that the given work is appointed either for singing in general (Slavonic text) or for playing upon instruments (Russian translation);
d) “Upon the eight-stringed” (6 and 11) indicates singing in the octave, in a low voice, octavo voce;
e) “Upon the vinepresses” (8; 80, 83)—in the Russian translation “upon the Gethite instrument.” Probably this was the name of a zither borrowed by David from the Philistine city of Gath. At the same time, it can be thought that the first name “upon the vinepresses” also indicates the time of using the psalm during the harvest of grapes, for the pressing of which a hollowed-out trough with holes pierced in the bottom, called a vinepress, was employed;
f) Slavonic “upon the changed”—in the Russian translation “upon the musical instrument Shoshan” (44th Psalm). The Slavonic name indicates the changeable instruments by which the psalm should be performed, while the Russian refers to the instrument itself, resembling a lily (shoshan);
g) Slavonic “upon the secret of the son,”—(9th Psalm), in Russian “at the death of Labane.” The Slavonic heading is incomprehensible, while the Russian is explained as an indication of the reason for writing, the death of Ahithophel. Some from the Hebrew read: “upon the musical instrument alamoth,” with the latter word derived from “alma”—maiden, and this term means to sing like a maiden, in a thin voice, soprano. It is understood also in the sense of an indication of singing according to a known melody beginning with this word;
h) There are also headings “upon Mahalath,” “do not destroy” (56, 57, 58, and 74), “at the appearing of dawn” (21), and “upon the dove, silent in distant places” (55). These headings are explained as indications of songs beginning with the mentioned words, according to the pattern of which the indicated psalms should be performed. In the Psalter two terms frequently appear: (Slavonic Bible) “to the end” and “Selah.” The first name means in general “for ending,” for final performance in the manner which is indicated by another word of the heading, for example, “to the end psalm,” that is, for final performance upon the Psaltery. “Selah,” appearing in the midst of psalms, means a pause, after which the performance of the psalm should commence with another part of the choir or upon different instruments. This pause and change in the musical-vocal performance was usually indicated by a beat on the drum.

3) Indications of the writer or performer of the psalm, for example, “a psalm of David,” “Asaph,” “a prayer of Moses,” and others, where the name of the person is an indication of the author of the psalm; there is also sometimes a direct indication of the performer, for example, “to the chief musician, Jeduthun,” that is, for final performance by the chief of the choir Jeduthun.

4) Indications of the reason for writing the psalm, for example, “a psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom, his son” (Ps 3:1), “a song at the dedication of the house” (29), that is, at the dedication of the place for the construction of an altar (see also 17, 33, 50, and others).

5) Headings indicating the liturgical purpose, time, and place of performance of the psalms, for example, “a song on the Sabbath day” (91), “a psalm of David, at the completion of the Feast of Tabernacles” (28), that is, at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, and others. There is an entire section of psalms headed “a song of degrees,” translated in Russian as “a song of ascent” (119, 135). This name is explained as an indication that the mentioned psalms were performed by Levites on the steps of the temple during the procession carrying and sanctifying water from the Siloam spring by the high priest, or (in Russian) that the mentioned psalms were sung by Hebrews upon their return from captivity, from the Babylonian plain, to their native Palestine; it is also customary for all pilgrims to sing these psalms when they see Jerusalem and when ascending Mount Zion, to which they were directed at the great festivals.

Liturgical use of the psalms among the ancient Hebrews and in the Orthodox Church

The beginning of the public ecclesiastical use of the psalms was established by David in his care for the more solemn arrangement of worship. He built a new tabernacle in Jerusalem, to which the Ark of the Covenant was transferred.

For the first time David gave his psalm for liturgical performance after the transfer of the Ark to Jerusalem; subsequently the psalms composed by him received the same purpose. Besides David, psalms were also composed by other persons, Ethan and the sons of Korah, so that by the end of his life the number of new liturgical songs was very considerable and distinguished by diversity of content. The order of use of the psalms of the Psalter was established as follows: a special psalm was appointed for each day, and for days of festivals: Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles, and others—special psalms appointed for them. Thus on the first day of the week psalm 23 was sung, on the second—47, on the third—71, on the fourth—93, on the fifth—80, on the sixth—92, and on the seventh—the Sabbath—91 and the Prayer of Moses (89th Psalm). For the above-mentioned solemn festivals there were later appointed the so-called hallel or “Alleluia” psalms (112–117). They were also sung at the new months.

David introduced the use of musical instruments in worship. The purpose of these instruments was to enhance the power of the singers’ voices, so that it would be inaccurate to understand their significance only as accompaniment. All psalms were sung in the vocal range of the singers, and musical accompaniment was constructed in unison with the choirs, and both singing and music were distinguished by loudness, “played before God with all their might,” so as to “loudly proclaim the voice of rejoicing” (1 Chr 13:8).

The musical instruments were quite diverse: lyres, tympani, psalteries, cymbals, and trumpets. They can be divided into three types: A) stringed, B) wind, and C) percussion. To the first belong: 1) “Kinnor,” the most commonly used instrument. It represents a wooden triangle stretched lengthwise with the intestines of animals. The number of strings was 6, 10, 24, and 47; on the few-stringed ones they played with a bow, while on the many-stringed ones they played with the fingers. 2) “Kinir,” a later instrument, was used in times of mourning, while the first—in times of joy. 3) “Kitros” or “sambuca” in the form of ^ with sharp sounds. This is a kinnor of small size, used by women. 4) “Symphony”—an arch with three strings. 5) “Psaltery” (a more recent instrument, appearing around the time of the Babylonian captivity)—a resonant box, along whose opening were passed double or triple strings, numbering 10; they played with the fingers or with a bow. 6) “Nevel” differed from the kinnor in that playing on the first depended on the modification of sounds of one and the same strings, while on the kinnor it depended on the variety of strings. Nevel is a prototype of the Spanish guitar.

B) 1) “Keren”—a curved horn trumpet, which announced festivals, new moons, jubilees. 2) A straight trumpet, made of copper, silver, or wood. This trumpet had a more significant purpose in the temple than the keren: it was used at the sacrifice of peace and at the dispatch of soldiers into battle. After the destruction of Jerusalem, the Hebrews used the keren in memory of their humiliation, as a more crude and simple instrument. Wind music in general was poorly developed among the Hebrews.

C) 1) A hand drum in the form of a vase covered with skin, which was struck with iron rods. Most of all it was used for dances and merriment. 2) Like our tambourine—a board decorated with jingles. It was used by mourning women. 3) “Cymbals”—copper plates struck against one another. There were also small cymbals used in dances.

All the mentioned instruments, each having in itself a special purpose, as one can think from the saying of the Book of Chronicles quoted above, entered into the orchestra of the temple instruments and were used in worship. The whole orchestra, as we said, played in unison with the choir; from the content of some psalms (41, 42, 106, and others) it is evident that among the Hebrews there was also antiphonal singing, when one choir began and another continued the begun psalm or repeated after it some refrain. The people also took part in the singing.

In Christian worship, the Psalter enjoys the widest use. The beginning of this was established by Jesus Christ Himself, when He, after the completion of the Last Supper, “sang” and went to the Mount of Olives (Matt 26:30). Jesus celebrated Passover according to the custom of the Jews, which required the performance of the small hallel (laudatory psalms 112–117). Following the example of Christ, the apostles also, in establishing churches and arranging worship there, commanded the use of the Psalter as the best means in Christian prayer (Eph 5:18-19; Col 3:16; 1 Cor 14:15). In the first three centuries, as evidenced by the “Apostolic Constitutions” (book 2, chapter 59), the Psalter was an essential part of every worship service. In the fourth century, for convenience of use, the Psalter was divided into 20 kathismas (that is, sittings, because after the conclusion of singing the appointed psalms, when the patristic writings and lives of the saints were read, one could sit, while the psalms were heard standing), each kathisma was then divided into three doxa (the words: glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit).

The present use of the Psalter in the Orthodox Church is determined by a special ordinance concerning it. By this ordinance the use of the Psalter during the year is divided into four periods.

The first period extends from the Sunday of Antipassover to September 22 (to the end of the celebration of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross). At Vespers on the Saturday of Bright Week, the 1st kathisma is read (Psalms 1–8); at Matins of Thomas Sunday, kathismas 2 and 3 (Psalms 9–16 and 17–23); on other Sundays, the 17th kathisma is read (Ps 118). Kathismas are not appointed on Sunday Vespers throughout the year. For each six days of the week the remaining kathismas are read: one at Vespers, two at Matins. At Midnight prayers of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday throughout the year, the 17th kathisma is read, while on Saturday, always the 9th kathisma (Psalms 64–69).

The second period extends from September 22 to December 19. In this period at Matins from Monday to Saturday, three sequential kathismas are appointed, while at Vespers, the 18th kathisma (Psalms 119–133); at Matins on Sunday, to the two sequential kathismas (2 and 3), the singing of Psalms 134 and 135 are added.

The third period is from December 20 to the butter-milk week. At the beginning of this period until January 14 (the end of the celebration of the Epiphany), the Psalter is used as in the first period, that is, two kathismas at Matins and one sequential kathisma at Vespers. From January 15 to the Saturday before the week “of the prodigal son,” three kathismas are appointed at Matins and the 18th kathisma at Vespers. On Sunday of the week of the “prodigal son,” butter-milk week, and butter week, after the polieleon psalms (134 and 135), is sung (Ps 136)—“by the rivers of Babylon.” In the butter week and butter-milk week at Matins, two kathismas are appointed, while at Vespers one sequential kathisma.

The fourth period includes the Great Lent. During the six weeks of the fast, each week the Psalter is read twice, mainly at Matins and at the Hours. On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of the fifth week at Vespers, a special kathisma is appointed for each day, while on these five days of the other weeks of Lent, the 18th kathisma is appointed at Vespers. On Passion Week the kathismas are read up to Thursday at Matins and at the Hours; from Thursday the Psalter is set aside until Thomas Sunday; only on Great Saturday at Matins is the 17th kathisma sung with refrains.

Besides the kathismas, the following psalms are used at morning and evening worship: the “prefatory” 103 at Vespers—140, 141, and 129; at the small compline “penitential”—50, 69, 142; at the daily Midnight prayers, Psalms 50, 120, and 133; at Matins—19 and 20; at the six-psalm—3, 37, 62, 87, 102, and 142, and the laudatory (148–150). At the first hour—psalms 5, 69, and 100, which are part of the morning service; at the third hour—16, 24, and 59; at the sixth hour—53, 54, and 90; the last two hours are read during the performance of the proskomedia; at the ninth hour, which is part of the evening service, are read Psalms 83, 64, and 85.

In the Christian Church, the psalms are read and sung. Singing is of three types: “antiphonal” for two choirs or with a cantor proclaiming part of the psalm which the choir repeats after him; “notated,” distinguished by the diversity of its harmony and melody; and “simple,” resembling recitative singing. Instrumental music is not accepted in Orthodox worship. This is because in Orthodox worship they strive to distinguish the content of the songs, which can teach those praying, while instrumental music can hinder the understanding of the thoughts contained in the hymns; hence the task of the choir, besides proper execution of vocal music, is clarity and distinctness of pronunciation. In the Catholic Church and among Protestants, however, instrumental music has been introduced in worship as a necessary element of temple worship. By this introduction, the aim pursued is not so much to give definite content to the thought of one praying, as among the Orthodox, but rather to affect the disposition of one praying with harmonious and melodious musical sounds.

Collection of psalms into one body

The Psalter in its present form could not have appeared all at once. The time of origin of the songs comprising it occupies a space of about 8 centuries, from Moses to the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. This compels us to assume that at first there were among the Hebrews collections of certain psalms which were subsequently joined together. The existence of collections is indicated by the present composition of the Psalter. The entire collection is divided into five parts: the sign of division is the liturgical ending, which is encountered in the Psalter four times: after the 40th psalm, “Blessed is the Lord, God of Israel, from of old and to eternity! Amen, amen!” (Ps 40:14); after the 71st psalm, “Blessed is the Lord, God of Israel, the only one who does wonders; and blessed be His glorious name forever, and may all the earth be filled with His glory; Amen and amen” (Ps 71:18-19), before the 72nd psalm there is a note: “ended are the prayers of David, son of Jesse” (Ps 71:20). These last words clearly show that there were collections of songs of David, which bore the name of their author, probably in distinction from the collections of songs of other authors that existed then. After the 105th psalm—“Blessed is the Lord, God of Israel, from of old and to eternity! And may all the people say: Amen! Alleluia!” (Ps 105:48). The four liturgical endings just cited divide the entire Psalter into the following five parts: the first contains Psalms 1–40, the second 41–71, the third 72–88, the fourth 89–105, and the fifth 106–150. The time of appearance and formation of these collections can be determined with greater probability as follows: the first collection appeared in the time of David. Its composition was prompted by liturgical needs. David composed and gave the psalms he wrote for ecclesiastical and public use. In this case he needed to indicate which songs and to whom he was appointing them, when and how to perform them, which could be achieved only by collecting such songs in one collection. In the second collection there are psalms belonging to the sons of Korah and written no earlier than the time of King Jehoshaphat and no later than the age of King Hezekiah (for example, Psalms 45, 46, and 47); therefore, the second part of the Psalter could appear only after David. The collection of psalms in this part can be referred to the times of King Hezekiah, who was distinguished by a love for the collection of sacred works (during his time, for example, the Book of Proverbs was compiled). When the remaining groups of psalms were composed and added to the first two parts cannot be said with certainty; it is supposed, for example, that the third part of the Psalter also appeared during the time of Hezekiah; it is certain only that the joining together of all parts of the Psalter into the present form belongs to the times of Ezra and Nehemiah, when the canon of the Old Testament sacred books in general was established.

Division of psalms by content. Widespread use of the Psalter

The Psalter is the work of many authors and consists of 150 songs, each of which is a complete and finished lyrical work, written at a known historical occasion and containing the expression of the thoughts and feelings experienced and lived through by its creators under given circumstances. In dependence on the diversity of the historical circumstances of the origin of the psalms, the content of the latter is distinguished by such a wealth of thoughts and feelings that strict and precise division of all the psalms by content into definite groups is impossible. The multi-subject character of the Psalter’s content drew attention to itself in ancient times. We shall cite several assessments of the Psalter. St. Athanasius the Great says: “The book of psalms seems to me clearly and in detail to depict all human life, all states of the spirit, all movements of the mind, and there is nothing in a human being which it does not contain. Do you wish to repent, to confess, is sorrow and temptation pressing upon you, are you being pursued and plots are being made against you; does despair possess you or anxiety, or do you suffer something similar; do you strive for advancement in virtue and see that the enemy is hindering you, do you wish to praise, give thanks, and glorify the Lord, in the divine psalms you will find instruction concerning all this. St. Basil the Great writes: “Everything that is useful in all the books of Holy Scripture the book of psalms contains within itself. It prophesies about the future, brings to remembrance past events, gives laws for life, proposes rules for activity. In short, the Psalter is a common spiritual treasury of good instructions, and everyone will find in it abundantly what is useful for himself. It heals both old and recent wounds of the soul; it gives comfort to the recently afflicted; it strengthens the weak, protects the healthy, and destroys the passions that dominate human life. The psalm brings peace to the soul, produces peace, tames stormy and turbulent thoughts. It softens the angry soul and makes the lustful soul chaste. The psalm creates friendship, unites the scattered, and reconciles the warring. What will the Psalter not teach you? From it you will learn the greatness of courage, the strictness of justice, the honor of chastity, the perfection of prudence, the measure of repentance, the measure of patience, and every good that you can name. Here is perfect theology, here is prophecy of the coming of Christ in the flesh, here is the threat of God’s judgment. Here is taught hope of resurrection and fear of torment. Here is promised glory, mysteries are revealed. Everything is in the book of psalms, as in a great and universal treasury.” St. John Chrysostom says: “In the psalms we are taught very many useful things. David speaks to you both of the present and the future, of visible and invisible creation; he teaches you also about resurrection and about Jesus Christ, and about the future life, and about the rest of the righteous and the torments of the sinners; he imparts to you both moral and dogmatic teaching. In short, in the Psalter you will find countless blessings. Have you fallen into temptation? You will find in it the best consolation. Have you fallen into sin? You will find countless remedies. Have you fallen into poverty or misfortune? You will see there many harbors. If you are righteous, you will acquire the most reliable support; if you are a sinner, you will find the most effective consolation. If you are elated by your good deeds, you will there learn humility. If your sins cast you into despair, you will find great encouragement there. If you have upon your head a royal crown, or are distinguished by high wisdom, the psalms will teach you to be modest. If you are rich and renowned, the psalmist will convince you that there is nothing great on earth. If you are stricken by sorrow, you will hear consolation. Do you see that the righteous suffer misfortunes equally with sinners, you will receive an explanation of this. Do you see that some unworthy here enjoy happiness, you will learn not to envy them. Each word there contains within itself an endless sea of thoughts.” St. Ambrose of Milan, in his commentary on the first psalm, says: “Throughout all Scripture breathes the grace of God, but in the sweet song of the psalms it breathes predominantly. History instructs, the law teaches, the prophets foretell and predict, moral teaching persuades, while the book of psalms persuades in all this and is the most complete medical pharmacy of human salvation.”

The songs of the Psalter, as lyrical works in which the authors acquaint us with the feelings they experience, do not always distinguish themselves by strict logical sequence in exposition and consistency of tone, character of the expressed thoughts; often in the course of thoughts there is no connection observed, there are unexpected transitions from one subject to another, and in one and the same psalm a sorrowful tone of exposition passes over into a joyful one, and vice versa (Psalms 2, 4, 8–9, 21, and many others). This lack of connection in the course of thoughts is understandable: the voice of living, direct responsiveness of feeling and the logical demands of rational connectedness and precision in the formulation of thoughts cannot always be in agreement. Furthermore, the psalms, being written by many persons, distinguish themselves by great diversity in the external methods of construction and expression of thoughts, in word and in the character of depicting similar subjects (general indications were given above).

All the foregoing speaks to the fact that dividing the psalms into definite groups, whichever criterion we might accept into consideration—whether the subject matter of the psalms or the external features of their construction—is impossible, as we would obtain almost as many parts as there are psalms. In view of this, when dividing the psalms, attention is paid to the “relatively predominant” character of their content, and in this case the psalms are divided into 1) laudatory and thanksgiving ones, 2) prayerful ones, and 3) didactic ones. In consideration of the importance of content, there are also singled out as a separate fourth group the messianic psalms.

The first group includes those psalms in which reverence before God is expressed as Creator and Providence of the universe, gratitude for the various gifts of His bestowed upon the Hebrew people or the psalmist. Here are considered to belong all psalms with the heading “song,” “alleluia,” “praise,” and “in confession.” Such psalms number 55: 8, 17, 20, 29, 32, 33, 45–47, 64–67, 74, 75, 80, 86, 91, 92, 94–99, 102–107, 110, 112–117, 121, 123, 125, 128, 133–135, 137, 143–150.

“Prayerful” psalms are those in which the writers turn to God with some request, or with cries for help and protection, or with expression of deep sorrow about the corruption of the world, or with indignation at the wicked and prayer for their punishment, and so on. An external distinguishing feature is prayerful addresses: O Lord, have mercy, O Lord, save, hearken, hear, and others. To these belong: 3–7, 9, 12, 15, 16, 21, 24, 27, 30, 34, 37–40, 43, 50, 53–55, 58–60, 63, 68–70, 73, 76, 78, 79, 82–85, 87, 89, 93, 101, 108, 119, 122, 129, 139–142. Psalms 6, 31, 37, 50, 101, 119, 142, because of the feelings of penitent contrition over sins expressed in them, are called “penitential.”

“Didactic” psalms are those whose predominant content consists of reflections concerning the circumstances of the author’s personal life or the life of the people. All psalms with the heading “teaching” belong to them. The didactic psalms are as follows: 1, 2, 10, 11, 13, 14, 18, 19, 22, 23, 31, 35, 36, 41, 42, 48, 49, 51, 52, 57, 61, 67, 81, 100, 111, 118, 120, 124, 126, 127, 130, 131, 132, 136, 138.

“Messianic” psalms are those containing prophecy concerning the times of the New Testament and, especially, about Jesus Christ. These psalms do not form a separate group: messianic features are found in psalms of all groups. The following 23 psalms are considered messianic: 2, 8, 15, 19, 21, 39, 40, 44, 46, 50, 67, 68, 71, 77, 88, 94, 96, 101, 117, 118, 129, 131, 142. Messianic psalms by the method of depicting future times are divided into two categories—prophetic and typological. When the future times are depicted by the psalmist in a simple exposition of revelation given to the writer at a known historical event, such psalms are called prophetic; when the events of the future are set forth by the writer in the features of historical facts already accomplished, they are called typological. For example, the 109th psalm depicts the future universal dominion of the Son of God; the occasion for such a depiction was the revelation communicated to David after his brilliant victories obtained, this is a prophetic psalm; when, however, in the actual historical fact itself, as for example, in the glorification of God even by nursing babes at the passage of the Hebrews through the Red Sea (Ps 8), there is an exact reproduction of a future event (such a same glorification of Jesus Christ by small children at His entrance into Jerusalem), such psalms are called typological.

Besides extensive use in worship, the Psalter enjoyed wide dissemination in public and domestic life among the ancient Hebrews, so also among Christians of the first centuries and at the present time. Thus, among the Hebrews, at ordinary feasts they sang the 22nd psalm, at the entrance of pilgrims into the porch of the Jerusalem Temple—the 29th, at approach to Mount Zion—the 150th, during the lighting of lamps and the offering of incense by the priests—the 69th. There is reason to think that the 8th psalm (see the heading) was sung at the completion of the gathering of grapes, and the 44th—at wedding feasts.

In Christian society of the first centuries, when each strove toward building a life in the spirit of the instructions of the church and Christian teaching, the Psalter took the place of popular song. According to the testimony of Jerome: “among us Christians there is complete simplicity, and silence is broken only by the singing of psalms. Go wherever you will: the plowman going behind the plow sings the Alleluia; the reaper, covered with sweat, entertains himself with psalms; and the vintner, cutting grape vines with a curved knife, sings something from David. These are the favorite songs of the people. The psalm is the exclamation of shepherds; the psalm is the refrain of the farmer” (Letters to Marcella). St. Athanasius says: “in the marketplaces are heard exclamations from the psalms.” In Russian society, the Psalter was the handbook of every literate person, according to it, instruction in reading was conducted in schools, and it even served as an object of superstitious regard: by the place where the Psalter opened, people sought to guess the outcome of a contemplated deed or to find instructions how to act in difficulties encountered. Concerning St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, his cell attendant Chebotarev writes: “In the very middle of the night he would go out into the front cell, and sang quietly and piously the holy psalms. It was remarkable that when he was in gloomy thoughts, he would sing the psalm: “It is good for me that You have afflicted me.” When he was in cheerful thoughts, he would sing: “Praise the Lord from the heavens” and other consoling psalms, and always with pitying tears. He never went or traveled anywhere without the Psalter, but always carried it with him in his bosom, because it was small, and finally he knew it all by heart. On the road, wherever he traveled, he always read the Psalter, and sometimes sang it aloud, and would explain to me certain passages or would expound some text” (A Guide to Reading Holy Scripture by Fr. Solovyev, pages 190–191). In our time, too, one can meet many who know the Psalter by heart, and among pious people it continues to be read more than all other sacred books. To this day, the ancient custom has been preserved of reading the Psalter over the deceased, either for a period of forty days, or on the 6th, 9th, and 40th days after death.

We cited above the judgments of the Church fathers concerning the book of the Psalter, pointing out the multiplicity of its subject matter and its soothing and elevating effect on the human soul. This is the chief reason for the widespread use of the Psalter. Besides the mentioned features, the following peculiarities of the Psalter contribute to its wide use: sincerity and simplicity of expression, artistry of the form of expressing thoughts, the commonality of its content, and the loftiness of its subjects. The writers of the psalms set forth only what they themselves felt and experienced, and they set it forth in an easily comprehensible form, and therefore the reader could not help but understand the content of the songs; sincerity in the exposition of feelings compels the reader to sympathize with the writer and to experience what is read; the artistry of the form of exposition, when the thoughts and feelings of a human being are clothed in vivid and strong images, maintains attention to the book. Moreover, the Psalter could have become the common possession only if from its content had been excluded those features of temporary dependence on the circumstances of its origin and purely personal views of its authors which are understood only by the contemporaries of the psalms or by their authors, but not by the reader of another time and of other conditions of life. This very temporal dependence, these accidental features, are absent in the Psalter, that is, its content in the vast majority of psalms is distinguished by a universal human character and, consequently, by universal accessibility. The fact, too, that the main subject of the content of the Psalter is the appeal to God, removes the reader from the interests of everyday, earthly life and elevates his spirit, satisfying his highest aspirations. In this lies the explanation for why pious people and all the unfortunate and destitute find consolation and solace in the Psalter.

Chapter One

In the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles, this psalm is not inscribed with the name of David. The psalm contains no indications by which one could discern either the author of the psalm or the time and circumstances of its origin.

The content generally treats the fate of the righteous and the wicked, so this psalm may be regarded as an introduction to the entire Psalter, which is chiefly concerned with depicting the fate of the righteous and the wicked.

In many ancient Greek manuscripts, when the Book of Acts cites a passage from the present second psalm: “You are My Son; today I have begotten You” (Ps 2:7; Acts 13:33), it says that it is found in the first psalm (ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ ψαλμῷ). This indicates that at one time the present first and second psalms constituted one, the first psalm, and therefore the author of the latter was the same person as the author of the present second psalm, and it was written for the same reason as the latter—that is, in the time of David, by David, on account of his war with the Syrians and Ammonites (see Ps. 2).

Whoever does not walk wickedly but always follows the Law of God is blessed like a tree planted by water (1-3). The wicked, on the other hand, will be rejected by God (4-6).

Psalm 1:1. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked and does not stand in the way of sinners and does not sit in the assembly of scoffers, “Blessed” is synonymous with the expression “happy.” By the latter one must understand both external earthly prosperity (see verse 3) and reward at the judgment of God, that is, spiritual blessedness, heavenly blessedness. “Man,” a part for the whole (metonymy)—a person in general. “Wicked”—one who is internally separated from God, who has and lives with sentiments contrary to the elevated commandments of the law; “sinners”—those who reinforce their bad internal disposition in corresponding external actions; “scoffers” (Hebrew letsim, Greek λοιμός—a mocker)—not only those who act badly personally, but also those who mock the righteous manner of living. “Does not walk, does not stand, does not sit”—three degrees of inclination toward evil, whether in the form of internal, though dominant, but not constant attraction to it (“does not walk”), or in the reinforcement of evil through external actions (“does not stand”), or in complete inclination toward it, reaching the point of external opposition to divine teaching and the promotion of one’s own views.

Psalm 1:2. But in the law of the Lord is his delight, and on His law he meditates day and night! A characterization of the righteous man from the positive side. “In the law of the Lord is his delight.” “Delight”—the disposition, attraction of the righteous to the “law of the Lord,” not only to that which is expressed in the Ten Commandments of Moses, but to all divine revelation. “Meditates day and night”—always to harmonize one’s conduct with this revelation, which requires constant remembrance of it (see Deut 6:6-7).

Psalm 1:3. And he shall be like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in everything he does, he prospers. The consequence of the righteous man’s internal assimilation of the law and his life according to it will be his external prosperity and success in his deeds. Just as a tree growing by water always has moisture for its development and thus bears fruit, so the righteous man “prospers in everything he does,” because God gives him protection.

Psalm 1:4. Not so the wicked, [not so]: but they are like chaff which the wind blows away [from the face of the earth]. Psalm 1:5. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, and sinners in the assembly of the righteous. Psalm 1:6. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. The condition of the wicked is not the same. They, like “chaff”—dust, husks, easily blown away by the wind; their external position is unstable and insecure. Since the wicked are permeated with and live contrary to God’s commandments, they cannot “stand in the judgment” before Him and cannot be where the righteous will be gathered (“in the assembly”), because the Lord “knows” (in the sense of caring for, loving) and therefore rewards the conduct (“way”—activity, its direction) of the righteous, but destroys the wicked. In these verses there is no precise indication which judgment of God is meant—whether on earth, during a person’s lifetime, or after his death. But in either case the meaning remains the same—the Lord will reward only the righteous. The history of the Hebrew people presents many facts showing that even during earthly life, when the Lord acts as judge of a person, He punishes the wicked. But since a person’s existence is not limited to earth, the final judgment over him will be rendered on the last day, that is, at the terrible judgment (cf. Matt 3:12; 1 Cor 6:2).

Chapter Two

In the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles, this psalm does not have the name of David in its inscription; the existing inscription of this name in the Russian Bible is confirmed by the testimony of the Book of Acts (Acts 4:25), where the Apostle Peter, citing the words of verses 1 and 2 of this psalm, calls them words of God spoken “by the mouth of our father David, Your servant.”

In Ps 2:1-4 verse, the failure of the enemies’ assault on God’s anointed one is predicted. The cause of this failure is the great protection afforded to him by God and the promise that the power of this anointed one will extend even throughout the entire world (Ps 2:5-9); therefore his present reign over the holy Zion (Ps 2:6) will be unshakable. The holiness of Mount Zion depends on God’s presence upon it, the visible sign of which was the presence of the Ark of the Covenant upon it. Therefore one may think that the psalm was written after David’s removal of the Ark to Zion from Kiriath-Jearim.

David’s reign was a time of constant wars. The most powerful rebellion against him was the uprising of the combined forces of the Syrians and Ammonites. It is reasonable to think that the uprising of the peoples against David depicted in the psalm occurred during his war with the Syrians and Ammonites. The main content of the psalm is devoted to revealing the promise that was given by God to David about his future worldwide power over the world. Such a promise, as is evident from the historical books (2 Sam 7:12-16), was given to David through the prophet Nathan about his Descendant, whose kingdom will be eternal. From all that has been said, one can conclude that this psalm was written after the removal of the Ark to Zion, on the occasion of the promise given to David about the Descendant, during the war with the Syrians and Ammonites.

In the first part of the psalm (1-9), David expresses perplexity and regret that the kings of the earth have risen up against God and His anointed one, when such an uprising in its very nature cannot end successfully, like a rebellion of the weak against the strong (1-5). The power of the anointed one will remain unshakable, for he has received from God the promise not only to be king over Zion, but also over the entire world (6-9). Therefore the kings would have done more prudently if, instead of fighting against God and His son, they submitted to Him to avoid bringing complete destruction upon themselves from the Lord (10-12).

Psalm 2:1. Why do the peoples rage, and the tribes devise what is futile? Psalm 2:2. The kings of the earth rise up, and the princes take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed One. “Rage”—are disturbed, “devise what is futile”—devise what cannot be accomplished; “kings”—the highest rulers of a state, “princes”—military commanders. By the Anointed One, David could understand himself, for he received power over the Hebrew people from God through his anointing by the prophet Samuel.

Psalm 2:3. “Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast off their cords from us.” “To burst the bonds” and “to cast off the cords” clarify the goal of the uprising. David’s power had grown to a high degree. To put an end to its further development, the remaining independent neighboring pagan peoples stirred up against David the tribes already conquered by him and joined with them to break his spreading power by their combined forces. Such was the uprising of the Ammonites (2 Sam 10:6-13), who stirred up the Syrians against David (2 Sam 10:6), who had been conquered by David earlier (2 Sam 8:5-6).

Psalm 2:4. The One who dwells in the heavens will laugh; the Lord will mock them. Psalm 2:5. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His wrath: “The One who dwells in the heavens”—by the will of the Lord and with the direct help afforded by Him to David, this undertaking of the enemy, instead of bringing glory, will bring them shame and ridicule, that is, will end in failure, which indeed happened and was bound to happen, since the enemies were entering into struggle with God, David’s protector, an omnipotent being.

Psalm 2:6. “I have set My King on Zion, My holy mountain.” Psalm 2:7. I will declare the decree: the Lord said to Me, “You are My Son; today I have begotten You; David contrasts the unshakable stability of his throne with the failure of the enemies’ undertaking; the latter “voluntarily” rose up against him, while David is “anointed” by the Lord. The enemies must perish, for David has received such a promise from God: “You are My Son; today I have begotten You.” In the connection of the speech and in keeping with David’s historical situation in the struggle with the Syrians and Ammonites, this promise can be understood as David’s expectation of help from God precisely in this case, for he is God’s son, that is, he is under His special protection, and naturally a father protects his son, whom he has begotten (7).

Psalm 2:8. Ask of Me, and I will give the nations as Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as Your possession; Psalm 2:9. You will break them with a rod of iron; You will shatter them like a potter’s vessel.” God promises David the expansion of his power over all the earth (8), while his enemies before him will be as powerless as weak clay vessels are before an iron rod. “Rod”—a staff, as a necessary attribute of shepherds. Under the staff they would pass sheep for counting, and the staff in their hands was a sign of their power over the flocks. “The iron rod” is an image of the indestructibility of this power. Since the psalm was written because of the uprising of enemies against David, the shattering here must be understood as the destruction of those who would rise up against him.

Psalm 2:10. Now therefore, O kings, be prudent; receive instruction, judges of the earth! Psalm 2:11. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice [before Him] with trembling. Psalm 2:12. Honor the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in your way, for His wrath will quickly ignite. Blessed are all who trust in Him. The enemies of David, “judges of the earth”—the highest officials, can also be understood as kings, who possessed judicial power, should come to their senses (“be prudent and receive instruction”), that it is necessary for them not to fight against God, but with reverence to work before Him, that is, to serve Him, and for the mercies received from Him to rejoice before Him with reverent “trembling,” with humility, not with proud consciousness of their own merits and strength. Their continued resistance to God will provoke His anger and their destruction. We have shown the connection of thoughts in this psalm and its content as it applies to the circumstances of its origin and the reasons for its composition. But the entire content of the psalm cannot be applied with precision to the person of David and his time. For example, 1) in verse 1, the uprising against the anointed one of all the peoples of the earth is depicted, but there was no such universal uprising against David. 2) the begetting by God of David “now” (verse 7) obviously cannot be understood literally. 3) in verses 9-10, the spread of David’s power throughout the world is predicted, which did not historically come to pass for him. All this indicates that the content of the psalm cannot be confined within the historical limits of David’s time and the person of David. We have already indicated that a promise was given to David about the coming of a Descendant from him, whose power will be indestructible, eternal. This Descendant was the promised Messiah, and the words of verse 7, according to Acts 13, and according to the epistle to Heb 1:5, refer to the incarnation of the Son of God. The first two verses, according to the Book of Acts 4:27-28, according to the explanation of the apostles, are applied to the depiction of the uprising against Christ both by representatives of the power of the Hebrew people and by the Roman power, in the person of Pilate; at that time the Roman monarchy was worldwide; and the uprising against Christ by the Romans was the uprising of the entire world at that time. Thus the historical circumstances that gave occasion to the composition of the psalm also served as the occasion for David’s depiction of the future messianic times, and therefore this psalm is a prophetically messianic one. * * * Notes According to the translation of the Seventy: I am set by Him as King upon Zion, His holy mountain.

Chapter Three

Besides indicating the author of the psalm, the inscription tells of the reason and time of its composition, namely, during David’s flight from Absalom.

The external and internal state of David depicted in the psalm so well corresponds to his situation during the persecutions by Absalom that it fully matches and accords with the indication of the time of the psalm’s origin given in the inscription. It is impossible to indicate precisely at what moment this psalm was written, but it is reasonable to think that it was after his flight from Jerusalem, when only a small group of devoted followers was with David, while on the side of the enemies was a huge mass actively pursuing David, so that, apparently, there was no hope for his salvation (Ps 3:3), and he himself feared for his life (Ps 3:6).

In the first part of the psalm, David (2-3) speaks of the degree of danger to him from a multitude of enemies; in the second part (4-9), he expresses his faith in God and his confidence in obtaining salvation for himself and worthy punishment for the enemies.

Psalm 3:2. O Lord, how my enemies have multiplied! Many rise up against me; Psalm 3:3. Many say of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” “How my enemies have multiplied!”—an expression of David’s fear at the increasing number of his enemies. “Many say of my soul”—they speak of my life, my fate, they doubt the possibility of salvation for David, in view of his apparent helplessness and the hopelessness of his situation.

Psalm 3:4. But You, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts up my head. Psalm 3:5. With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears me from His holy mountain. David’s preceding life, full of vicissitudes and numerous wars, clearly convinced him that his true defender, who had given him glory and victories, was and is God, to whom he turns also in his present situation.

Psalm 3:6. I lie down and sleep; I wake up, for the Lord sustains me. Psalm 3:7. I will not fear the multitude of people who have arrayed themselves against me on all sides. In the fact that David, surrounded on all sides by enemies and expecting his death at any moment, nevertheless “lies down, sleeps and wakes up” alive, he sees immediate divine help, God’s protection (“for the Lord sustains me”), and therefore stops being afraid of the pursuers and enemies surrounding him on all sides, and the character of his prayer to God changes, from sorrowful, it becomes triumphant hymn. This salvation of David was the consequence of Absalom’s rejection of the counsel of Ahithophel, who proposed the immediate pursuit of David, and the acceptance of Hushai’s proposal for slowness and caution in actions, which made it possible for David to cross the Jordan and avoid the imminent danger. In this David saw help from God.

Psalm 3:8. Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For You strike all my enemies on the cheek; You break the teeth of the wicked. Psalm 3:9. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing be upon Your people. “Arise.” David prays to God not only for his own salvation, but also for the punishment of the enemies; “teeth” in animals are their strength; the teeth of enemies are the entire strength of the enemies. David is confident in the inevitable punishment of the enemies, whom he sees as though already punished, and he prays for mercy upon the righteous before God. This psalm is the first of the so-called hexapsalm, which is part of the morning service. The latter has as its purpose to give thanks to God for the preservation of life during the past night with a prayer for the bestowal of prosperity in the coming day, which is in accord with this psalm (“I lie down and sleep and wake up”; “Arise, O Lord! Save me”).

Chapter Four

The inscription indicates the purpose of the psalm for public use on stringed instruments (Hebrew neginot, Greek ἐν ὕμνοις; in Slavonic “to the end,” that is, for final performance; but in what manner is not indicated, but is clarified by the term “in songs,” that is, for vocal performance). In the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles, the psalm is ascribed to David. The close similarity of its content with Ps 3 (cf. Ps 3 and Ps 4:7), as well as the correspondence of its content with the circumstances of David’s flight from Jerusalem during Absalom’s uprising, confirm the authenticity of the inscription. David depicts himself “in distress,” and calls the enemies “those who love futility and seek lies” (Ps 4:2-3 verse), points to the lack of food for the people with him, to their despair and obtaining sustenance (Ps 4:7-8). In such a position was David during his flight from Absalom, when he was in the wilderness of Mahanaim and when the lack of food was supplied by a gift brought by Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai and consisting of flour, honey, barley, sheep, and grain (2 Sam 17:27-29).

After turning to God with a prayer for help, David offers his enemies to reconsider the motives of the persecutions they have raised against him and to repent before God (2-6). David himself, having already received help from God, sleeps peacefully. By the concluding words of the psalm, the latter can be called an evening prayer to God, complementing the third psalm as a morning prayer (cf. Ps 3:6).

Psalm 4:2. When I call, hear me, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Have mercy on me and hear my prayer. In his constrained position as one being persecuted, David asks for protection from the “Lord of his righteousness.” Absalom’s uprising was prepared by Absalom, who presented his father to the people as an unworthy ruler, one who did not love his people, did not care for its welfare, and was an unjust judge. The people that rose up against David believed these words. David, conscious of the injustice of these accusations, calls God the “God of his righteousness,” seeing the injustice of the persecution raised against him. The miseries experienced by a person are like bonds for him, shackles that constrain him; therefore “to bring relief” means to free from miseries. David here recalls the former acts of God’s goodness toward him, for instance, during the persecutions by Saul, when the Lord saved him, a righteous sufferer. Now David is suffering also unjustly, and he asks, “Have mercy and hear.”

Psalm 4:3. Sons of men! How long will my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love futility and seek lies? Psalm 4:4. Know that the Lord has set apart the righteous for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him. The consciousness of his righteousness and the resulting confidence in divine help evoke in David a bold address to the enemies and their exposure. “Sons of men”—sons of noble birth, that is, nobles. “My honor”—my royal dignity. “Love futility”—love the petty, vain, and unstable. David looks upon the nobles who have risen up against him as having acted from vain, power-hungry calculations, in the hope of currying favor with Absalom and occupying an honorable position upon his enthronement. Their attempts to overthrow the king are fruitless, for the Lord “has set apart the righteous for Himself,” whom He will also protect. By “righteous” David understands himself, an innocent sufferer in the adversities he is experiencing.

Psalm 4:5. Be angry, yet do not sin; ponder in your hearts on your beds, and be silent; Psalm 4:6. Offer sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in the Lord. David advises his enemies to reconsider and repent. “Be angry, yet do not sin.” The anger at David arose from the belief that David was an unworthy administrator and an unjust judge. Such anger, as a stand for the truth that had been trampled upon, is lawful, but it should not lead people to sinful actions, to injustices toward others, in this case toward David: it is necessary first to check whether the accusations brought against him are just, and this is possible in a calm state of mind, to which he invites them (“ponder on your beds and be silent”). The consequence of checking their actions in them will be repentance, which they should mark by bringing sincere sacrifice to God (“sacrifices of righteousness”) and place their hopes in the establishment of life in Him, not in their own strength.

Psalm 4:7. Many say, “Who will show us good?” O shine upon us the light of Your face, O Lord! Psalm 4:8. You have put gladness in my heart more than they have when their grain and wine were abundant. Psalm 4:9. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Sincere faith in God is always justified. The few devoted followers surrounding David were close to despair when they had no means of sustenance and called upon God: “shine upon us the light”—and then the Lord helped them (see the introduction to the psalm). In this David saw God’s hand upon himself, and therefore, entrusting himself to His protection, “in peace lies down and sleeps,” even though the enemies are near him.

Chapter Five

The inscription in the Slavonic Bible (“concerning the heir”) indicates the content of the psalm: it speaks of the portion, lot, inheritance of the righteous and the wicked. From the Hebrew language—“to the choirmaster; on wind instruments”—the inscription tells of the manner of the musical performance of the psalm.

The psalm was written during the time of the uprising of Absalom being prepared, before David’s flight from Jerusalem. This is evident from David’s description of the disturbances that were then occurring among the Hebrews: his enemies were preparing to commit “transgression” (Ps 5:6), stirred up the people against David by spreading “lies” and “deceitful promises” (Ps 5:10), while a violent upheaval with the shedding of blood was being prepared (Ps 5:7). David, however, went to the temple and prayed before the Lord (Ps 5:8), both for the punishment of the lawless ones and for the “correction of his path” before the Lord (Ps 5:9). All the content thus points to the beginning of Absalom’s uprising, when David was not yet removed from the temple, saw the connection between the beginning troubles and his transgression, and saw the means employed by Absalom to prepare the uprising.

David prays to God to receive his prayer amid the heavy sorrows that have befallen him (2-5), and to punish the wicked and bloodthirsty enemies (6-7). He asks God for constant guidance “in righteousness,” and the wicked to condemn for the sinful character of their actions (8-11). The salvation of the unjustly persecuted David will fill all other righteous ones with joy (12-13). “For my enemies’ sake,” so that the destruction of David should not give his enemies a cause to rejoice and to consider themselves right in all their evil deeds (Ps 5:9). “Level my path before me”—grant me a peaceful and safe life.

Psalm 5:2. Hear my words, O Lord; consider my meditation. Psalm 5:3. Heed the sound of my cry, my King and my God! For I pray to You. “Hear my words”—listen, receive my prayer; “consider my meditation”—listen attentively, receive my thoughts, my mental prayer. David saw the success of the evil being prepared and the degree of his danger, and therefore his prayer to God is distinguished not by the character of a simple request, but by the painful cry (“Heed the sound of my cry”).

Psalm 5:4. O Lord, in the morning hear my voice; early will I direct my prayer toward You, and I will watch, “Hear early,” “early will I direct my prayer toward You.” The expression “in the morning hear” thus means—grant help sooner. “I will direct my prayer toward You,” that is, I will present myself before You, in the temple, as the place of God’s direct presence.

Psalm 5:5. For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil shall not dwell with You; “Evil shall not dwell with You”—You will not patronize and preserve the evil, the bad. The expression is taken from the Eastern custom of hospitality, when one who came into the tent (into the “court”) enjoyed the protection of the host.

Psalm 5:6. The wicked shall not stand in Your sight: You hate all who practice iniquity. “Shall not stand in Your sight”—You will not watch over or protect them.

Psalm 5:7. You will destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit. “The man of bloodshed and deceit whom the Lord abhors.” By this bloodthirsty man one must understand Absalom, who, in preparing for a coup d’état, was not above resorting to violent measures and was ready to resort to murder of his opponents. Absalom craftily insinuated himself into the people’s confidence and tried to predispose them to himself with promises of caring, just, and loving treatment of them after he seized the royal throne, and therefore David calls him “deceitful.”

Psalm 5:8. But as for me, in the abundance of Your mercy I will come into Your house; I will worship toward Your holy temple in fear of You. By “house” and “temple” one must understand the tabernacle (see Exod 23:19; 1 Sam 1:9; 2 Sam 12:20).

Psalm 5:9. O Lord, guide me in Your righteousness for the sake of my enemies; make straight Your way before me. David’s prayer for guidance “from God’s righteousness” indicates his consciousness of some guilt before God; such guilt was his transgression with Bathsheba. In Absalom’s uprising, he found, thus, a connection with his transgression, and therefore does not employ any means to suppress the beginning disturbance other than repentance and prayer before God, from whom alone he expected mercy for himself.

Psalm 5:10. For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is destruction, their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue. “No faithfulness in their mouth”—the enemies spread false reports about David among the people (see 2 Sam 15:2-6); “their inward part is destruction”—they strive not for the true welfare of the people, but for petty and ambitious goals, for seizing the throne and honor (2 Sam 15:10); “their throat is an open grave”—by spreading lies they corrupt the people and destroy it, for they call the people to unlawful actions and actions contrary to God, whom will not allow unrighteousness to triumph.

Psalm 5:11. Condemn them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against You. “Condemn them, O God, let them fall from their plans”—condemn them, O Lord, so that they fall away from their thoughts, so that they are unable to accomplish what they have planned.

Psalm 5:12. But let all those who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and You will shelter them; let those who love Your name exult in You. Psalm 5:13. For You bless the righteous, O Lord; with favor You surround him as with a shield. The destruction of the enemies is prayed for by David not only for the punishment of the lawless, but also for the strengthening of faith in the righteous, when the latter, seeing the failure of all the enemies’ undertakings, will praise God as the only defender and protector. This psalm is part of the first hour (a part of the morning service), which in the East was the hour of sunrise. After giving thanks to the Lord for the passing night (see verse 4), the church prays with the words of this psalm for the believers before God at the very beginning of the day for their protection from danger, enemies, and in spiritual purity.

Chapter Six

The inscription indicates that the performance should be accompanied by stringed instruments.

The psalm was most likely written during the time of Absalom’s uprising being prepared. The latter, resting most directly on ambitious schemes, was at the same time an expression of God’s judgment upon David for the transgression he committed with Bathsheba and Uriah: as one who had destroyed the family happiness of another, he had to bear punishment in his own family. David saw the connection between his transgression and this uprising, and in most of the psalms from this time he, depicting himself as pursued unjustly by the people (Ps 3:2), repents before God of his sin and asks for His compassion, which we see also in this psalm.

David prays to God for compassion toward him in view of his severe soul and physical sufferings (2-8). In this repentance and prayer he gains confidence in God’s help, and therefore tells his enemies that their persecutions will be unsuccessful (9-11).

Psalm 6:2. O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, and do not chastise me in Your wrath. “Do not rebuke me in anger and do not chastise me in wrath.” David was acutely aware of his guilt before God, and the weight of the transgression he committed so oppressed him that he prayed to God only for compassion according to His great mercy, not because David acknowledged any merits before God.

Psalm 6:3. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled; Psalm 6:4. And my soul is greatly troubled; But You, O Lord—how long? David’s sufferings were both physical, in a deep illness that had seized his entire organism (“my bones are troubled,” see Ps 37:4-8), and mental, in the consciousness of his sins before God.

Psalm 6:6. For in death there is no remembrance of You; in the grave, who will give You praise? David presents a new reason why he asks God for his compassion. His present physical state and moral illness are such that, in his understanding, they should lead to death, to Sheol, and there “there is no remembrance of You; in the grave, who will give You praise?” Remembrance of God consists in being permeated by His commandments, which require external manifestation; to praise God means not only to compose hymns in His honor, but to glorify Him by one’s deeds. Both of these are denied to those living in Sheol, as a place of inactivity and spiritual tension in the expectation of the future judgment of God (Job 14:12-14). Thus the death of David in his present situation would not give him the opportunity to fulfill his purpose on earth, and it is for the granting of this opportunity that he prays.

Psalm 6:8. My eye has grown dim from grief; it has wasted away because of all my enemies. David mourns his sins; he no longer has tears enough, and his eyes are inflamed (“my eye has grown dim from grief”); “it has wasted away because of all my enemies”—has become weak, poorly distinguishing objects from tears caused by my misfortunes (“because of my enemies”).

Psalm 6:9. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping, Psalm 6:10. The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will accept my prayer. Psalm 6:11. Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; let them turn back and be suddenly ashamed. David’s penitential prayer to God was accompanied by some indication from God that it was accepted by Him, and therefore the character of its content changes; David turns with a demand to the lawless ones to depart from him, and believes that his enemies will be ashamed by the failure of their persecution. These lawless enemies were supporters of Absalom, gradually gathering around him and increasingly showing hostility toward David.

Chapter Seven

The meaning of the Hebrew inscription “shiggaion” is not precisely known. It is supposed that by this term is designated a song composed amid particularly difficult circumstances of the writer’s life and expressing the troubled state of his spirit, and therefore distinguished by the lack of strict sequence in the exposition of thoughts. The psalm is composed “concerning Cush, a Benjamite.” “Cush” or Kush means an Ethiopian, a resident of Middle Egypt. Who exactly is meant by this name cannot be definitively established. It is reasonable to agree with the supposition that under this name should be understood Saul, equally dark, hostile, and hostile in his disposition toward David, as is the dark skin of an Ethiopian. The origin of the psalm from the time of Saul’s persecution is confirmed by the psalm’s indication of David’s difficult situation, unjustly persecuted by enemies and in no way guilty before God (Ps 7:5). David’s confession of his innocence before God and the complete undeservedness of the persecution is a characteristic of all his psalms from this period.

David prays to God for protection in view of his complete helplessness before enemies and his innocence both toward the latter and toward God Himself (2-6). Let the Lord pronounce His judgment before all peoples so that David’s righteousness may be revealed (8-10). Since God is a righteous judge, David is confident that He will punish his enemies, those who dug a pit for him (11-18).

Psalm 7:2. O Lord, my God, in You I trust; save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me; Psalm 7:3. Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is no one to rescue [and save me]. “In You I trust.” David, pursued by Saul, was unable to offer any resistance, for his side was a negligible handful of people, while Saul came against him with a tried in battle and large army, and therefore his only defense could be only God, not human help or skill. “Lest he tear my soul like a lion.” The comparison to a lion indicates the degree of cruelty of David’s enemies, who sought to take his life (“soul”).

Psalm 7:4. O Lord, my God, if I have done this; if there is iniquity in my hands; Psalm 7:5. If I have repaid him who was at peace with me—I, who have rescued even those who without cause became my enemy— Psalm 7:6. Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; let him trample my life to the ground, and lay my glory in the dust. “If there is iniquity in my hands.” David denies having committed any wrongdoing against God or people, and therefore his present persecutions are entirely undeserved by him. David was never false, did not deceive his friends (“if I have repaid him who was at peace with me”), and even “rescued those who without cause became my enemy,” that is, Saul, toward whom David not only did nothing wrong, but even saved him from the shame of defeat, for instance, by his single combat with Goliath, and did not take his life, when during Saul’s persecutions of David, the latter had many opportunities to do so (see 1 Sam 26). Saul’s persecutions of David were the fruit of the latter’s morbid suspicion toward David concerning false accusations of power-hungry schemes, and therefore in the psalms from the epoch of these persecutions David always confesses both his complete innocence before God and people, and the complete undeservedness of the persecution. Verse 6 presents the form of a curse pronounced by a person upon himself. Such self-curse was very widespread in antiquity (see Job 31) and it had the character of a voluntary obligation imposed upon oneself before the face of God, the Supreme and Almighty Judge. Such an obligation, as voluntary, testified to the deep and sincere concern of a person for his own moral purity. The whole address of David to God thus has this meaning. Let the enemy destroy me if I am wrong in anything before people and God. To investigate the case of David with his enemies, a trial is needed, and it is about this trial that David prays further.

Psalm 7:7. Arise, O Lord, in Your anger; lift Yourself up against the rage of my enemies, and awake for me to the judgment You have commanded, Psalm 7:8. A throng of peoples shall surround You; over it rise on high. Psalm 7:9. The Lord judges the peoples. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to my integrity within me. Psalm 7:10. Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; You who test the hearts and minds, O righteous God! “Lift Yourself up against the rage of my enemies”—a precise characterization of Saul’s and his associates’ attitude toward David. Saul’s hatred had no justification or reason, it was blind and in its blindness menacing and indiscriminate in its means. “Awake for me to the judgment.” God seemed to have abandoned David, does not pay attention to him, as if asleep, and left him to his enemies unjustly persecuted, while He Himself had commanded “judgment,” that is, strictly just evaluation of the actions of each, which (justice) should guide everyone in their deeds and judgments. In the prevalence of the wicked, David sees the violation of God’s law, for the restoration of which he prays to God. If the Lord rises to the defense of the trampled justice in the person of David, then “a throng of peoples shall surround You,” all nations and, in particular, the Hebrews (“throng”—assembly) will reverence, bow down before Him, as the only Judge. The defense of the innocently persecuted will exalt God “on high” before the peoples, will instill and establish faith in the people that in Him alone is righteousness and protection. The Lord is judge not only of the individual man, but of all peoples. The history of the Hebrews’ conquests of Palestine and their struggle with pagan peoples clearly showed that the Lord powerfully rules all the world and His judgment, His sentence, no one can resist. Confessing before Him “his righteousness and integrity,” David prays to “let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,” that is, the persecution of his enemies.

Psalm 7:11. My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. Psalm 7:12. God is a righteous judge, [strong and patient,] and God who is angry every day, Since God is a righteous judge and patient, not immediately punishing enemies, David entrusts himself to Him and sees in Him his “shield,” his support and protection.

Psalm 7:13. If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready, Psalm 7:14. He has also prepared for him instruments of death; He makes His arrows fiery. Psalm 7:15. Behold, he conceives iniquity, and is pregnant with mischief, and gives birth to falsehood; Psalm 7:16. He has dug a pit, and hollowed it out, and has fallen into the hole which he made: Psalm 7:17. His mischief will return upon his own head, and his violence will come down upon his own pate. Psalm 7:18. I will give thanks to the Lord according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. The enemies of David, in their unjust persecution of him, are enemies of the Lord; God will not permit the triumph of unrighteousness, and therefore the wicked will inevitably be punished and perish, as they perish from “instruments of death,” instruments of death, that is, arrows that inflict the wounded “fiery,” inflamed, purulent, and deadly wounds. The deeper the hatred in relation (“he conceives iniquity, is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to falsehood”—an image of the strength of the enmity) toward David, the more terrible will be the wicked man’s punishment from God. Malice and iniquity will be turned upon “his own head,” upon him and become the cause of his destruction. This faith of David in the inevitable destruction of his enemies, the wicked, evokes in him an extraordinary uplift of spirit and serves as a source of composing in honor of God, as the defender of righteousness, a hymn of praise (“I will sing praise to the name of the Lord”).

Chapter Eight

The inscription in the Slavic Bible indicates either the manner of musical performance of the psalm on an instrument with openings like those in a winepress, or the time of the psalm’s use during the pressing of grapes, work which was ordinarily accompanied by songs (Judg 9:27; Jer 48:33). From the Hebrew: “on the gittith instrument” (gittith), that is, on an instrument borrowed by the Hebrews from the Philistine city of Gath, which might have resembled a winepress. The entire inscription can be understood as indicating that the aforementioned psalm is performed on the gittith instrument during the grape harvest as a folk song. The specified uses of the psalm correspond to the whole of its content, which presents a hymn of praise to God for His blessings granted to man in a rationally and beautifully ordered universe.

Since the main subject of the psalm’s content is the depiction of God’s greatness in nature, which presupposes in the psalm writer—David—prolonged observation and contemplation of it, and to this latter David could give himself only before his entry into public service, when first persecutions from Saul and then wars and the affairs of governing the state turned his attention in another direction, the composition of the aforementioned psalm should be attributed to the time of David’s life in his father’s house, after his first anointing by Samuel. Then he was still tending flocks and was among nature and could devote himself to its contemplation.

Psalm 8:2. O Lord, our God! How majestic is Your name throughout all the earth! Your glory is spread above the heavens! “Earth” and “heavens” can be understood in two ways. By earth is understood everything created on the terrestrial sphere, which by the diversity and beauty of its objects, by their rational arrangement, clearly speaks of the greatness of their Creator. The heavens speak the same—the heavenly lights and all atmospheric and astronomical phenomena. In patristic literature, by earth is understood mankind, by the heavens—the world of angels. Both praise God. The first understanding is more in accord with the subsequent content of the psalm.

Psalm 8:3. From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established praise, for the sake of Your enemies, to silence the enemy and the avenger. This Divine greatness is so powerfully diffused throughout the world and manifested so clearly that it is felt even by nursing infants, who “render praise to God.” By this ability to feel and perceive God in the phenomena of the world, they unintentionally and unconsciously, and therefore all the more powerfully, expose and reject the judgments of those who intentionally do not perceive this greatness, thus becoming enemies of God, and by their one-sided and erroneous judgments about the arrangement of the universe as it were avenging themselves on Him for their spiritual blindness. By infants here is understood nursing children. In the book (Wis 10:21) it is said that after the passage of the Hebrews through the Red Sea even the mouths of “the mute and the tongue of infants became clear.” This points not only to the fact that the Hebrews, previously silent and oppressed slaves in Egypt, now boldly speak and sing to God, but also to the fact that nursing children took part in the general joy, immediately and instinctively feeling the extraordinary and miraculous nature of this event. By infants can be understood not only nursing children, but also adults with uncorrupted and pure moral feeling, bringing them near to children. The fact mentioned by the book of Wisdom brings this passage close to (Matt 21:15-16), where it speaks of Hebrew children singing in the person of Christ, the son of David, that is, the promised Offspring, the Son of God, whom the Pharisees did not want to recognize as such. Thus, the fact that “Wisdom opened the mouths of infants” at the passage of the Hebrews through the Red Sea indicates to the fathers of these children that Wisdom, the power of God, is revealed to children as well, and not always does practical life experience and a person’s age serve as indicators of the accuracy of his judgments and actions, which was revealed in the history of the life of Christ, sung by children as the Son of God, while the fathers of these children, denying His divine dignity, at that time were making plans for His destruction. Thus, the aforementioned fact is a type, where in a historical event are indicated the features of a future event from the life of the Messiah, for which reason the given verse of the psalm, as a prediction, is cited in the Gospel of Matthew.

Psalm 8:4. When I look upon Your heavens—the work of Your fingers, at the moon and stars, which You have set, Psalm 8:5. then what is man, that You remember him, and the son of man, that You visit him? The writer of the psalm, struck by the greatness of God when contemplating His creations, stands in awe before Him. This awe is further intensified by the awareness that man is established by God as the head of the world, in which is seen an extraordinary benevolence of God.

Psalm 8:6. You have made him only a little lower than the angels: You have crowned him with glory and honor; Psalm 8:7. You have set him as ruler over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet: Psalm 8:8. all sheep and cattle, and also the wild beasts of the field, Psalm 8:9. the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, all that pass through the paths of the sea. Psalm 8:10. O Lord, our God! How majestic is Your name throughout all the earth! The exaltation of man by God is manifested both in the peculiarities of his spiritual nature and in his royal position in the world. In the first case, God “made him only a little lower than the angels,” that is, man by his spiritual nature stands only a little below the angels and, like them, is capable of infinite spiritual and moral development, which lower animals lack. In this capacity, bringing man near to the highest world of bodiless spirits and to God, lies his “glory and honor” before all the rest of the world. The expression “a little” in patristic literature is understood also in the sense of indicating the temporal state of fallen man in sin before his restoration through the sufferings of the Messiah, when man, directly taking Christ into himself in the mystery of the Eucharist, becomes through this even higher than the angels, since the latter do not partake of the Eucharist. According to this latter understanding, the expression “a little” is equivalent to “for a time,” that is, from the fall of Adam until the sufferings and resurrection of the Savior, man stood below the angels, but from the time of Christ he has come close to the latter. The royal position of man in the world is manifested in his dominion over all other kinds of the vegetable and animal kingdoms: both domestic and wild animals submit to him, as do predatory birds and fish in the seas. By his reason, discoveries, and inventions, man has not only made himself secure from all predatory animals but has also subjected them to himself, becoming himself the object of fear for them. Examples of such dominion of man are before everyone’s eyes. Verse 3, which contains a prophecy about the times of the Messiah contained in the very historical fact, shows that the aforementioned psalm is typologically messianic.

Chapter Nine

The inscription “at the death of Labenu” remains unexplained to the present day. It can be supposed that it indicates the manner or motif of the chanting of the psalm after the pattern of a song beginning with these words and not preserved until later times. The psalm is acrostic, beginning each verse with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, though not always in strict sequence and accordance with the true order. In the Hebrew Bible this psalm is divided into two: the ninth psalm of the Russian Bible ends in the Hebrew at verse 21, and from verse 22 there begins already Psalm 10, also acrostic. The Latin Bible follows the Hebrew order of division of the psalm, while the Greek and Slavic unite the Hebrew Psalms 9 and 10 into one, the ninth. The absence of an inscription over Psalm 10 in the Hebrew Bible, the uniformity of the acrostic order, and the similarity of both psalms in the expression of thoughts give reason to conclude the unity of their author, David.

The psalm was written on the occasion of a victory achieved by David over the Syrians (first part of the psalm, verses 1-21) and an attack at that time on Judea in the southern part by the Idumaeans, who produced enormous devastations among the defenseless population, since the warriors were then in the north under the command of David in the struggle against the Syrians (see Vishnyakov “On the Origin of the Psalter,” pages 206-210).

The first part of the psalm is thanksgiving and praise. David promises to praise God (verses 2-4), since He protected him from enemies and gave him strength to destroy their cities (verses 4-7). In this victory is manifested God’s judgment over the pagan nation in defense of the righteous one. Since God is eternal, the always oppressed righteous one will always find protection in Him (verses 8-11). For the help rendered, the One dwelling on Zion must be eternally praised (verses 12-13). May the Lord extend to David in future times the help which in the present war He has rendered; may all pagan nations forgetting God perish, may they in His dread judgment over them know that they are “mortal” (verses 14-21). The second half of the psalm has the character of petition. Why do You, Lord, give success to the wicked one, when he does not believe in Your providence on earth, is self-assured in his own power, and in his actions strives to cause as much harm as possible to the poor righteous one by cunning actions and ambushes? (verses 22-32). Rise up, Lord, in defense of the oppressed and punish the godlessness of the wicked (verses 33-34). You see how great are the sufferings of the righteous one; punish the wicked and thereby cause people to fear not man but Your righteous judgment (verses 35-39).

Psalm 9:2. I will praise You, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wondrous deeds. Psalm 9:3. I will rejoice and exult in You; I will sing praises to Your name, O Most High. “Tell of all Your wondrous deeds” means to sing of those victories which have been achieved by David over the Syrians with the help of God. “Exult in You” means to celebrate feasts in the name of God.

Psalm 9:5. for You have upheld my right and my cause; You have sat on the throne as the righteous judge. Psalm 9:6. You have rebuked the nations, destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever. The victory of David is an expression and execution of God’s judgment over the pagan Syrians. They, as wicked ones who do not honor the true God, have been rejected by Him and so weakened that they no longer had either cities or weapons (verse 6), and their political and military power was cast down for a long time (“You have blotted out their name forever and ever” (verse 6)).

Psalm 9:8. But the Lord abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, Psalm 9:9. and He will judge the world in righteousness; He will render judgment on the nations in uprightness. Psalm 9:10. And the Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of distress; In the fact that God of David is the true God and eternal Judge of all nations lies the foundation of the faith of all oppressed righteous ones, that they will always find protection in Him. Probably, by the oppressed righteous one David understood the Hebrew nation, to whom he wished to instill his faith in God as their ever-present protector and sole defender.

Psalm 9:11. and those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not abandoned those who seek You. “Those who know God’s name.” To know God’s name means to recognize Him as the sole true God and to serve Him.

Psalm 9:12. Sing to the Lord, who dwells on Zion; declare among the peoples His deeds, God is called dwelling on Zion because there was found the Ark of the Covenant, where He always abided.

Psalm 9:13. for He inquires into bloodshed; He remembers them, does not forget the cry of the afflicted. God “inquires into bloodshed.” The wars of David were defensive; he led them under compulsion, when neighboring pagan nations made attacks on the borders of his state, shed the blood of his subjects, in defense of whom he rose up. This was also the case during the attack of the Syrians described in the psalm; the struggle against them was caused by their attacks.

Psalm 9:15. so that I may recount all Your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in Your salvation. “In the gates of the daughter of Zion” means in the gates of the city of Jerusalem. Ordinarily the gates were the most visited place for the city’s inhabitants; hence to sing in the gates of the city means to sing loudly and openly.

Psalm 9:20. Rise up, O Lord, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged before You. Psalm 9:21. Instill fear in them, Lord; let the nations know that they are mortal. “Rise up, Lord, do not let man prevail” means let the Lord be the sole arbiter of the fate of nations; let from Him alone, as the true Judge, depend their happiness or misery, and not from human artifice and military successes, which may belong even to the wicked. The dominion of the latter would appear to be the strengthening and spreading of wickedness on earth. Therefore David prays to God that by His certain special deeds He would show all the world that power over it belongs only to Him, and that all nations might know that they are “mortal,” from the Hebrew enosh—weak, powerless.

Psalm 9:22. Why do You stand far off, Lord, and hide Yourself in times of distress? The character of the psalm’s content is petitionary. Since the southern regions of Judea were at that time being devastated by the Idumaeans, and those living in these localities had no strength to fight them, because all those able to bear arms were in the north engaged in the struggle against the Syrians, they were defenseless. It is this helplessness that David portrays when he says that the Lord “stands” far from them, hides “His help.”

Psalm 9:25. In his arrogance the wicked despises the Lord: “He will not call him to account”; in all his scheming: “There is no God!” As in the preceding verses, so in the following ones, David portrays the self-confidence of enemies in their victory and in impunity from the devastations they commit; the wicked says of God: “He will not call me to account,” the God of the Hebrews is not able to do anything to me now.

Psalm 9:27. He says in his heart: “I will not be shaken; throughout all generations no disaster will touch me”; The successes of the Idumaeans over the Hebrews instilled in them the confidence that now they will not be shaken, and “throughout all generations no disaster will touch them,” that is, the weakened Hebrews will not be able to recover for several generations from the harm done to them, and during this time the Idumaeans will retain the military and political advantage.

Psalm 9:29. He sits in ambush in the village, in hidden places he murders the innocent; his eyes watch in secret for the helpless; Psalm 9:30. he lurks in hiding like a lion in its den; he lurks to catch the poor; he catches the poor and drags them off in his net; Apart from the arrogance reaching the point of contempt for Jehovah, of which David spoke earlier (see Ps 9:25), enemies are distinguished by morally unclean methods of their actions: they are deceitful, false, and vindictive.

Psalm 9:32. He says in his heart: “God has forgotten; He hides His face and will never see.” The enemy explains his success by the fact that “God has forgotten” the Hebrews and “will never see,” that He has turned away from the Hebrew nation and will no longer pour out His mercies upon it.

Psalm 9:33. Rise up, Lord, lift up Your hand, do not forget the afflicted. Psalm 9:34. Why does the wicked despise God, saying in his heart: “You will not call me to account”? Psalm 9:35. You see, for You observe affliction and agony, that You may take them into Your hands. To You the poor commend themselves; You are the helper of the orphan. David prays to God to rise in defense of the oppressed Hebrews to punish the arrogance of the enemy, confident that “You will not call me to account,” will not be able to protect Your oppressed and orphaned people committed to You.

Psalm 9:36. Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call him to account for his wickedness that will not be found out. “Break the arm” means to cast down the power; “so that his wickedness will not be found out” means that no trace will remain of him, that he, as an opponent of God, will be utterly destroyed.

Psalm 9:37. The Lord reigns forever; the nations vanish from His land. Psalm 9:38. Lord, You hear the desire of the afflicted; You strengthen their heart; You incline Your ear Psalm 9:39. to bring justice to the orphan and the oppressed, so that mortal man may no more inspire fear on earth. Since power over all the world belongs to God and He is the protector of the pious, David is confident that the Lord will destroy all pagan nations on earth, and of the partial fulfillment of this future David now prays to God: let the Lord hear the prayer of the afflicted Hebrews and protect them, and this protection will clearly show all people that they should fear only God and not man (“so that mortal man may no more inspire fear on earth”).

Chapter Ten

The psalm can be considered as written during the preparation of the rebellion of Absalom, which was noticed both by David and by those close to him, who advised him to flee from Jerusalem. But David differently evaluated the seriousness of his situation and continued to live in Jerusalem.

David’s friends advised him to save himself in the mountains, since they considered the conspiracy of Absalom to be already completely organized and David’s situation dangerous (verses 1-3). David, aware of his purity before Absalom and the people, continues to remain in Jerusalem, believing that the Lord will punish the wicked (verses 4-7).

Psalm 10:1. In the Lord I take refuge; how then can you say to me: Flee to your mountain like a bird, “In the Lord I take refuge.” David became accustomed to arranging and conforming his life to the indication of the Lord, from which he does not wish to depart now, entrusted himself to His guidance and not to the advice of his friends, though sincere, but perhaps not in accord with God’s decision concerning David. “Flee to your mountain,” that is, the Judean mountains, where it would be easy to hide in the many caves from enemies. “Say to me” is a Hebraism meaning “say to me.”

Psalm 10:2. For see, the wicked bend their bow; they fit their arrow to the string, to shoot in darkness at those upright of heart. Their advice to flee was justified by their view of the conspiracy as completely organized and ready to act.

Psalm 10:3. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? “Foundations are destroyed” means the foundations of political and public life are shaken, since the conspirators did not recognize David as king and desired his overthrow and strived to establish a new direction in life. What else can a righteous one, that is David, do when for fighting against the armed rebellion that is about to break out he has only the awareness of his own purity before his enemies, but no external means of defense?

Psalm 10:4. The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord—His throne is in heaven; His eyes observe the poor; His eyelids test the children of mankind. Psalm 10:5. The Lord tests the righteous, but His soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. To this advice David opposes his faith in God as the protector of the righteous. The Lord from heaven watches over people; He sends to the righteous one, as now, trials in the temporal success of the wicked, but the latter He hates as trampling on His Law.

Psalm 10:6. On the wicked He will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. Psalm 10:7. for the Lord is righteous, He loves righteous deeds; the upright will see His face. The Lord will pour upon the wicked “fiery coals and burning sulfur.” By fiery coals can be understood lightning; by fire and sulfur—destruction through the medium of special upheavals of nature, such as the destruction of Sodom and other cities of the Pentapolis (see Gen 19:24). A scorching wind probably refers to the sirocco wind, well known to the Hebrews for its destructive effects. “Their lot from the cup” means their portion designated by God, who does not allow the triumph of wickedness, since the Lord “loves righteous deeds; the upright will see His face,” that is, always provides for him and protects him.

Chapter Eleven

Ps 11-13 were written during the persecutions by Saul. This is confirmed both by the severity of the sufferings portrayed in the psalm, the duration of the dominion over him by the wicked, and by the open and widespread circulation against him of slander by his enemies, as well as by David’s bitter cry about the destruction on earth of righteousness and the spread of falsehood. All this corresponds to the time of persecutions by Saul, but not to the rebellion of Absalom, which was being prepared secretly and did not have a prolonged advantage over David. The bitter lamentation in these psalms of David about the decline in the people of moral purity presupposes in David himself the consciousness of his complete righteousness before God, which, as we have said, is also a particular characteristic of the psalms from the epoch of persecution by Saul.

David prays to God to help him, since he is surrounded on all sides by false people (verses 2-3). David believes that the Lord will not allow these people to triumph and will save those whom they wish to destroy (verses 4-6). God’s promise of protection for the righteous is as immutable and true as refined silver, and it is effective even though the wicked temporarily gain the advantage (verses 7-9).

Psalm 11:2. Save me, Lord, for there is no longer anyone godly; the faithful have vanished from mankind. “There is no longer anyone godly” can be understood not only in the sense of indicating that during Saul’s persecutions the predominant and active mood of both the people and the highest officials in the circle of the king was “unrighteous,” unjust and hostile treatment of David, but also as David’s indication of his own weakness, his weariness from incessant persecutions. There is no longer anyone godly—he lacks the strength (in the Vulgate—the sanctified are diminished) to continuously run from enemies and invent ways to save himself from them; he has grown weak from pursuit.

Psalm 11:3. Everyone speaks lies to his neighbor; they flatter with smooth lips, speaking from deceitful hearts. As one being persecuted by the king, David could not meet with sincere sympathy and open help anywhere. The latter would inevitably incur the wrath of the king toward such a person. David could not rely on anyone for fear of being betrayed; in his relations he saw only hypocrisy and lies.

Psalm 11:5. those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are with us—who is lord over us?” The Lord will punish those who say: “With our tongue we will prevail, … who is lord over us?” Saul’s hostile treatment of David was sustained by slanders against him from the courtly flatterers, for whom the personality of David, who had created popularity for himself among the common people, was dangerous due to his possible elevation above them; therefore they lied to David before Saul, brought all kinds of accusations against him, confident in their impunity—who could expose them? (“Who is lord over us?”).

Psalm 11:6. “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord, “I will place them in the safety they long for.” Psalm 11:7. The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. Psalm 11:8. You, Lord, will keep them; You will preserve them from this generation forever. But what people cannot do the Lord will accomplish, who says that He “will now arise in defense” of the wronged and persecuted righteous ones. This promise of God is as infallible and valuable as refined silver, freed from alloy. On this purity and infallibility of God’s promise is based the confidence that the Lord will always, and thus during the present persecutions, preserve the righteous one.

Psalm 11:9. The wicked prowl on every side when baseness is exalted among mankind. This faith in God sustains David amid conditions favorable to the spread of corruption: since people morally base (meaning slanderers and courtly flatterers) have been exalted and received honor in society, the wicked hold sway “on every side” throughout the land.

Chapter Twelve

David, tormented and weakened by persecutions from Saul, with anguished cry turns to the Lord: when will they end? (verses 2-3). Protect me, Lord, do not give the enemy victory over me, grant me the ability to praise You in hymns (verses 4-6).

Psalm 12:2. How long, O Lord, will You forget me—forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? Psalm 12:3. How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? “Forget me forever” means to abandon to ultimate destruction. “Hide Your face” means to turn away Your mercy and refuse help. “Wrestle with my thoughts” means to devise ways of salvation. “Enemy triumph over me” means to gain the advantage. David portrays his situation during the persecutions by Saul as so exhausting and full of such reversals that he loses himself and becomes incapable of devising anything new for his salvation.

Psalm 12:4. Look on me and answer, O Lord my God! Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; “Give light to my eyes” means to give brightness to my eyes, instill courage and confidence that I will not perish (“or I will sleep in death”).

Psalm 12:5. or my enemy will say, “I have overcome him.” My foes will rejoice if I stumble. Do not allow my enemy to triumph, for such a triumph could serve for him as proof either of his rightness over David, whom God has abandoned to help because of his guilt, or of God’s powerlessness to protect His righteous one.

Psalm 12:6. But I trust in Your mercy; my heart rejoices in Your salvation; I will sing to the Lord, who has dealt bountifully with me, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. The salvation from God, long desired by David, will fill him with jubilation and praise of God in thanksgiving hymns.

Chapter Thirteen

Saul and his companions became so corrupt that the Lord does not find among them even one “doing good” (verses 1-8). Will not these wicked ones take heed? The Lord will strictly punish them because they mocked the faith of the righteous one in Him (verses 4-6).

Psalm 13:1. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good. “The fool says in his heart: ‘There is no God.”’ The fool here is understood to be Saul. “To say in one’s heart” means to believe sincerely and to decide. Saul’s denial of God is not a denial of His existence but a non-recognition of God’s determination over David, by which the latter was anointed to be king over Israel. In his persecutions of David, Saul was guided by the view of him as a power-seeker, a greedy aspirant to the throne, and therefore a revolutionary. Saul was mistaken about David but was sincere in his error; his courtly companions, however, consciously and selfishly supported this false view in him and therefore in their slanders against the innocent sufferer they “do abominable deeds.”

Psalm 13:2. The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Psalm 13:3. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. Around Saul gathered people who used their influence over him for personal goals. These goals, as well as the means for their accomplishment, were so unclean that there remained “not even one” “doing good.” The expression is hyperbolic, indicating the degree of widespread abuse and violence in the people.

Psalm 13:4. Will they not learn—all these evildoers, who devour my people as they eat bread, and do not call on the Lord? “Devouring my people like bread and not calling on the Lord.” The enemies of David were not concerned for the welfare of the people but sought to obtain from it all that they considered valuable in life: they devoured it like bread. They did not apply moral evaluation to their actions; they needed only what was advantageous, not what was in accord with God’s Law: they did not call on Him and did not listen.

Psalm 13:5. There they will be seized with dread, for God is with the company of the righteous. Psalm 13:6. You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge. God, who watches carefully over mankind (“The Lord looks down from heaven” Ps 13:2), will not leave them unpunished: there, where the righteous have no fear, the wicked will tremble (“will be seized with dread”). The final judgment over all living belongs to God, and therefore the word “there” means before God, at His judgment, when the Lord will punish the wicked and reward the righteous, since for the latter He is their “refuge” and His favor is only “with the company of the righteous.”

Chapter Fourteen

This psalm, similar in content to Psalm 23, was written on the occasion of David’s transfer of the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Abinadab to the newly constructed tent on Zion. The incident with Uzzah, who touched this great sanctuary without reverence, caused the Ark of the Covenant to be placed temporarily in the house of Abinadab, and filled David with deep sorrow: he thought that the Lord did not favor him. When, however, blessings from the Lord began to be poured out upon the house of Abinadab, David saw that the Lord was returning His favor to him. This filled David with a sense of reverent rejoicing, expressed in the composition of this hymn—a vow.

Who can dwell in the dwelling of the Lord? Who is pure in thoughts and deeds (verses 1-2), who neither by word nor by deed does harm to his neighbor (verses 3-5)?

Psalm 14:1. Lord, who may dwell in Your sacred tent? Who may live on Your holy mountain? The “dwelling” of God is the tent; the “holy mountain” is Mount Zion.

Psalm 14:2. The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is right, and who speaks the truth in his heart; “To walk blamelessly and do what is right” means the purity of deeds and their accord with God’s law; “to speak truth in one’s heart” means to be blameless in one’s thoughts and desires, not only in external deeds.

Psalm 14:3. who does not slander with his tongue, who does not do harm to his neighbor, and who does not accept reproach against his fellow man; Psalm 14:4. in whose eyes the vile are rejected, but he honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps his oath even when it hurts; Psalm 14:5. who does not put his money at interest or accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever conducts himself in this manner will never be shaken. The qualities of the righteous are determined in the negative. The righteous one is he who neither by word nor by deed does harm to his neighbor and who does not listen to slanders against the latter from others; righteous is he who despises “the vile one.” The latter is opposed to “those who fear the Lord,” that is, those who worship reverently; therefore by the vile one is understood the blasphemer, who does not recognize and honor God. Despising him involves not cruel treatment or persecution of the vile one’s person, but contempt for the ideological, spiritual side of his life. The righteous one “keeps his oath even when it hurts,” to one who is wicked. Evil means wicked. An oath is always given with invocation of God’s name and, as such, cannot be directed toward anything morally evil and unclean. Such an oath binds the one swearing to do only good, and therefore, though it was given even to an evil man, a wicked one, it demands fulfillment and constitutes no transgression before God, since it does not contain sympathy or cooperation with the wicked in his wickedness. “Put his money at interest” means to practice usury, which was strictly forbidden by the law of Moses (Exod 22:24; Lev 25:36). “Accept a bribe against the innocent” means to take bribes in court. “Whoever conducts himself in this manner will never be shaken” means he will enjoy an unshakeable, constant benevolence of God. The indication is general; it can mean both blessings of external, earthly life and eternal closeness with God, that is, heavenly life.

Chapter Fifteen

The Hebrew inscription miktam—“Golden poem”—and the Slavonic—“pillar inscription”—indicate the value of the psalm’s content. Among all peoples, ancient and modern, customs have existed and still exist to perpetuate the memory of important events and persons by erecting various structures in their honor. “Pillar inscription” indicates that the psalm’s content, by its value and importance, deserves to be written upon a pillar for universal knowledge and for preservation in the memory of posterity. From the Russian language, “song” indicates the vocal performance of the psalm. Both by its inscription and by the testimony of the Acts (Acts 2:25-28), the psalm belongs to David. Regarding the time of the psalm’s writing, one can find indications in its content. In Ps 15:2, God does not ask of David any “good things.” By this latter expression, one may understand sacrifices, which constituted the chief and obligatory part of Old Testament worship. When God did not demand sacrifices from David, we find an indication in Ps 15:3. By “the holy ones” here are meant the Hebrews, as the chosen people of God, who received from God great promises and were called to great service. David in this psalm distinguishes himself from the Hebrews living on His land, that is, the land appointed to him by God—Palestine: thus, at this time he is among those outside the Hebrews, not in Palestine, but beyond its borders. In Ps 15:4, David depicts the impiety of the people surrounding him, but in this impiety, in the service of false gods, he takes no part. All this portrays David as living outside his people, without the possibility of bringing sacrifices to God, surrounded by pagans. David’s situation was the same when he was persecuted by Saul and forced to flee to Ziklag, to the Philistine king Achish (1 Sam 27:1-7).

Keep me, O Lord! I cry to You, and seek to be with the holy ones on Your land (1–3). I will not take part in the service of idols, because my portion is You (4–6). I bless You, who taught and strengthened me always (7–8). I am confident that You will not abandon me in Hades, will not let me decay, but will send blessedness (9–11).

Due to insufficient clarity and completeness in the development of thoughts and the brevity of their expression, this psalm is considered one of the most difficult for interpretation.

Psalm 15:1. Keep me, O God, for I trust in You. The thought of this verse, repeated in most of David’s psalms, testifies to the extraordinary strength and depth of his faith and devotion to God. David placed all hope, all reliance for life, in God alone, and only from Him did he await help, both always and especially in this case, when he was outside his people, among pagans, foreign to him by blood and faith.

Psalm 15:2. I have said to the Lord: You are my Lord; my good things are not needed by You. By “good things,” as we have mentioned, sacrifices may be understood. Their purpose was to awaken in a person a consciousness of his sinfulness before God and thereby a longing for reconciliation with Him; therefore they constituted the most important and essential part of Old Testament worship. All Hebrews were obliged to offer sacrifices, and deviation from them was a transgression before God and was punished by law. God does not require of David “good things,” that is, sacrifices; He does not count against him the non-offering of the latter, and this is because He has required him to serve Him with all his being—in thoughts and deeds. In this exemption, granted to David regarding the observance of the universal Law of Moses, was foreshadowed that the Law of Moses is not something eternal and unchangeable, but merely a temporary means to educate the Hebrews in a certain direction, and that it could be replaced by a higher form of pleasing to God.

Psalm 15:3. To the holy ones who are on the earth, and to Your wonderful ones—all my desire is for them. The “holy ones” here are called the Hebrew people, as the chosen of God, standing under His special protection and guidance and called to be a holy people. The earth is Palestine; “Your wonderful ones” are either the elders of the people or the priests. “Wonderful” here means illustrious, renowned, as the priests certainly were, as ministers of the Lord, who were held in honor and respect among the people. To the native land, the native people, the true shepherds—all of David’s desire, all his longing is from the foreign land.

Psalm 15:4. Let sorrows multiply for those who run to another god; I will not pour out their libations of blood nor take their names upon my lips. Psalm 15:5. The Lord is my portion of inheritance and my cup. You hold my lot. Since Jehovah alone is the true God, mercy is deserved by those who worship Him, and “sorrows,” deprivations shall fall to those who believe and run to strange gods. By these running to strange gods, David here means principally the surrounding pagans, whose gods were “strange,” not true. David refuses to take part in their “bloody libations” and will never pronounce “their names,” because his “inheritance,” his portion is God alone. From this contrast of his “inheritance,” that is, God, to the “names” of pagans, one can conclude that the surrounding pagans sought to draw David to the worship of their gods and to bloody sacrificial offerings (“bloody libations”) in their honor. This was indeed the case. Achish, who valued David’s military talents highly, greatly desired to win him over to his side, to force him to renounce both his people and his faith in Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews.

Psalm 15:6. My boundaries have passed through beautiful places, and my inheritance is pleasant for me. “My boundaries,” that is, the limits, borders of my holdings, my fields, have passed through beautiful places, and such a portion of holdings is pleasant to David. By this portion David previously named God. He gives himself entirely to Him in service; apart from this service he considers it impossible to exist. The “pleasantness of the portion” here is the same as the excellence of the object of attachment, its extraordinary strength and greatness.

Psalm 15:7. I will bless the Lord who has instructed me; even at night my inward part teaches me. Probably David, during his stay among the Philistines, received a revelation from God, which is not related in the historical books, and by this revelation he “was instructed” as to how to act. “My inward part teaches me”—I, says David, “even at night” meditated and reflected upon the revelation given.

Psalm 15:8. I have always seen the Lord before me, for He is at my right hand; I shall not be moved. David recalls the history of his life, in which he sees constant help to him from God (“saw… at my right hand”), protecting him from all misfortunes and falls, which is why he is confident that even now, among the pagans, he will be saved and will not perish (“shall not be moved”).

Psalm 15:9. Therefore my heart has rejoiced and my tongue has made merry; even my flesh will rest in hope, Psalm 15:10. for You will not abandon my soul to Hades nor will You let Your Holy One see corruption, The consciousness of constant protection by God was the source of his deep, inner joy, which showed itself also outwardly (“my tongue has made merry”) in the composition of thanksgiving and prayer songs to God. This same constant protection of David by God in his past instilled in him the assurance that even now, among the Philistines, he will not perish bodily (“my flesh will rest in hope”—in firm confidence); even more, that his body will not see corruption, and his soul will not remain in Hades, separated from God, removed from Him. Apparently, this assurance of David was not fulfilled; he, like all men, died, his body decayed, as testified by the book of Acts 2:29, and his soul descended to Hades (Sheol), whither descended the souls of all the dead; therefore the Acts relates these words to Christ, whose body rose and did not see corruption and whose spirit did not remain in Hades after His descent there. Indeed, David’s words found complete fulfillment in Christ, but for him they did not remain an empty sound or erroneous, since they were inspired by God and had relation to his own person, as the context of the speech clearly indicates. The vindication of these words of David has already been partial in his own person, and complete vindication belongs to the time of the distant future. Christ rose in body. In Him, as a descendant of David, was a portion of the physical nature of the latter; with the resurrection of Christ’s body was also resurrected in him a portion of the physical nature of His ancestor. David’s faith in his own non-corruption in body thus found its partial fulfillment, but complete fulfillment will be in the future, of which the very fact of Christ’s resurrection is assurance, serving as a sign that in the future the bodies of men will rise, which will be before the time of the Last Judgment. David’s faith in the non-corruption of his body is unusual in that at his time the teaching on this question had not been revealed to the Hebrew people. But David’s faith in his “non-abandonment in Hades” has already found complete vindication: at the descent of Christ to Hades, from it were brought forth the souls of all Old Testament righteous ones (1 Pet 3:18-19), and with them also David.

Psalm 15:11. You will show me the path of life: fullness of joys in Your presence, blessedness at Your right hand forever. This verse presents the conclusion of the entire content of the psalm. Since You, O Lord, are my possession, then from You I will know the true paths of life: only before You (“before Your face”), near You do I experience joy, and the true, inalienable reward, eternal (“blessedness… forever”) is given only by You. By verse 10, this psalm should be considered typologically messianic.

Chapter Sixteen

According to the inscription in the Hebrew and Slavonic Bibles, this psalm belongs to David and presents in its content a prayer to God for deliverance from the trials he was experiencing. The psalm was written during the persecutions by Saul, as indicated both by David’s confession of his innocence before God (Ps 16:1-4) and by the indication of the impiety (Ps 16:9) and fury of enemies who sought to take his life (Ps 16:11) and by their persecutions opposed themselves to the Divine determination concerning him (Ps 16:4).

Hear, O Lord, my prayer for help and save me, righteous both in thoughts and in deeds (1–4). Save me, as the apple of the eye, from numerous, cunning, and mighty enemies (5–9). They are everywhere and strive to take my life (10–12). Arise, O Lord, and cast them down, and I will sing Your praise (13–15).

Psalm 16:1. Hear, O Lord, my righteousness, give heed to my cry, receive my prayer from lips that do not lie. “My righteousness”—my justice, my innocence before You and men in the trials I am undergoing. My prayer “from lips that do not lie,” is sincere; there is no falsehood or exaggeration in it.

Psalm 16:2. Let judgment on my behalf go forth from Your face; let Your eyes look upon righteousness. “Judgment”—determination, decision. Pronounce, O Lord, Your judgment upon me and my enemies, and since I suffer undeservedly, then by Your condemnation of my enemies, let righteousness triumph (“let Your eyes look upon righteousness”).

Psalm 16:3. You have tested my heart, visited me at night, tried me and found nothing; from my thoughts my lips do not depart. “You visited me at night”—night is a symbol of trials; despite the trials he was experiencing, David remained faithful to “righteousness,” to his longing and devotion to God, and did not turn away from His commandments. His words were a true expression of his thoughts; there was no hypocrisy in him.

Psalm 16:4. In human matters, according to the word of Your lips, I have kept myself from the paths of the oppressor. “In human matters.” By human matters, as is usual in the Bible, are meant a man’s attachments to the earthly, to what only in the eyes of men has special value, for example, wealth, the patronage of the powerful, and the like. “According to the word of Your lips”—according to Your commandments, “I have kept myself from the paths of the oppressor”—David in his ordinary, everyday relations with men watched over himself carefully so that he might never become an oppressor of his neighbor. Such an attitude toward one’s neighbor was exceptional, as in the East violence was the ordinary course of life. By “words of the lips” one may also understand the Divine appointment of David to the kingdom, which served as the chief reason for Saul’s persecution of him. In this case, the verse may be rendered as follows: because of Your anointing and appointment of me to the throne, I could form factions and gather supporters around myself for the forcible overthrow of Saul, but I avoided being an oppressor, a tyrant.

Psalm 16:5. Establish my steps on Your paths so that my feet will not be shaken. David entreats God that in the time to come the Lord would not abandon him with His protection, thus giving him the ability to grow steadfast in his devotion to Him (“establish my steps on Your paths”—on His commandments), so that he might follow Him firmly and without wavering, and not “human matters.”

Psalm 16:7. Show Your wonderful mercy, O Savior of those who hope in You, from those who oppose Your right hand. “Show Your wonderful mercy”—is equivalent to miraculously deliver, which indicates the grave and hopeless situation of David during these persecutions. By “God’s right hand” is meant the determination of God concerning David, by which he received anointing for the kingdom and was to be king of the Hebrew people. Those opposing this right hand were Saul and his followers, who saw in David not the anointed of God for the kingdom, but an illegal pretender to the throne.

Psalm 16:10. They have enclosed themselves in their wealth, proudly speaking with their mouths. The enemies attacking David, that is, those who caused him suffering and sought to take his life; “they have enclosed themselves in their wealth,” closed off their fatness; “proudly speaking.” By these words the enemies of David are characterized—those who enjoyed complete satisfaction, from which they gave nothing to the poor (“enclosed themselves in their wealth”). Because of their concentration in their hands of satisfaction and strength, they became proud and arrogant.

Psalm 16:11. At our every step now they surround us; they have set their eyes to cast me down to the earth; “They have set their eyes to cast me down to the earth”—they strain their sight, devise ways to knock David down to the earth, to overthrow and destroy him. The various attempts of Saul to capture and kill David are well known.

Psalm 16:12. They are like a lion thirsting for prey, like a young lion sitting in secret places. Among these attempts, apart from open persecution, there were also hidden, secret surveillance and waylaying of David, equating David’s enemies to predatory beasts that stalk their prey.

Psalm 16:13. Arise, O Lord, confront them, cast them down. Deliver my soul from the wicked with Your sword, “Arise, O Lord, confront and cast them down,”—arise, O Lord, to my defense, confront the attacks of my enemies and thereby hinder their success against me.

Psalm 16:14. from men—by Your hand, O Lord, from men of the world whose portion is in this life, whom You satisfy from Your treasures; their children are full and leave a remainder for their offspring. O Lord, save me “from men of the world whose portion is in this life,” that is, the enemies of David pursue him not from lofty motives, but from earthly and worldly interests; they are all attached and striving for temporal and personal advantages; their portion is the earth, even when You “satisfy their bellies” with Your treasures, when they are already full of wealth and satisfaction. They have so much of these goods that they themselves enjoy them, and after themselves leave a great quantity of them to their heirs. Thus, the entire content of the verse represents David’s prayer to God to save him and his followers from enemies, however numerous and possessed of strength and wealth they might be, from which David is now deprived.

Psalm 16:15. But I in righteousness will behold Your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with Your likeness. The persecution by Saul and David’s forced flight deprive him of the ability to fearlessly and openly visit the sanctuary (“behold Your face”). The impossibility for David to attend worship was a great and heavy deprivation for him as a pious man; in salvation from enemies he will obtain the ability to satisfy his religious longings—“be satisfied with Your likeness,” to be and pray at the sanctuary.

Chapter Seventeen

This psalm is cited in 2 Sam 22 with major alterations. The inscription of the psalm coincides with the indication of the historical book regarding the time of its origin—after the end of Saul’s persecutions and after David’s numerous victories over neighboring pagan peoples, which secured peace in his kingdom from attacks by external enemies. David’s designation of himself as a “servant” of Jehovah corresponds to that place in the psalm where he testifies to his complete innocence before God and constant adherence to His commandments (verse Ps 17:21-25).

I will love the Lord who has saved me from the dangers that threatened death (1–6). At my cry for help, the Lord appeared in terrible majesty, when all nature helped Him crush my enemies (7–16). He brought me out into freedom because I never turned aside from His commandments and was blameless before Him (17–25). The Lord deals with each as he deserves (26–28). The Lord has preserved me all my life, was an invincible weapon for me, striking both my inner enemies and my outer ones, whom I have turned to flight and whose cities I have destroyed (29–46). May the Lord live, and may my Helper and Deliverer be exalted, whom I will praise not only throughout my life but in my offspring (47–51).

Psalm 17:3. The Lord is my rock and my refuge, my Deliverer, my God—my rock; I trust in Him; my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my stronghold. “The Lord is… the horn of my salvation.” The comparison is taken from animals, whose horns serve as a means of defense and through which the strength of the animal is manifested. As horns are for an animal, so God was the instrument that protected David from enemies.

Psalm 17:5. The pangs of death enclosed me, and the torrents of iniquity terrified me; “The pangs of death enclosed me”—from all sides surrounded dangers that threatened death. “Torrents of iniquity,” from the Hebrew “torrents of Belial.” This designation means a wicked man, that is, I was surrounded by torrents of impious people and evil men.

Psalm 17:7. In my distress I called upon the Lord and cried to my God. And He heard from His holy palace my voice, and my cry came to His ears. “In my distress”—in grievous circumstances. From verse 8 onward, David describes very vividly the help rendered to him by God, when all nature obeyed His command and went to the defense of the persecuted righteous one. Perhaps the manifestations of Divine power described here are only images by which David wished to designate His dominion over all the world and men, or perhaps he meant here the fact of actual help given to him by God, manifested in the actions of forces and phenomena of nature. In the struggles with what enemies and when such help was rendered to David, the historical books give no indication.

Psalm 17:8. The earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the mountains were disturbed and shaken, because He was angry; Depiction of a violent storm. “The foundations of the mountains”—from the thunderbolt the earth shook in its deep interior, down to which, according to ancient conceptions, reached the roots, the foundations of the mountains.

Psalm 17:9. Smoke rose from His anger and consuming fire from His mouth; coals burned up before Him. “Smoke from His anger,” “consuming fire” and “burning coals”—images of clouds and lightning.

Psalm 17:10. He bent the heavens and came down—and darkness was under His feet. The usual image of God’s appearance to Old Testament man—in clouds and mists, therefore “bending of heavens… and darkness under God’s feet”—the appearance of a cloud.

Psalm 17:11. And He sat upon the Cherubim and flew; He was carried upon the wings of the wind. The Cherubim are heavenly bodiless spirits, the nearest and swiftest executors of His will, which is why they were usually depicted with six wings. Here the expression “He sat upon the Cherubim” is explained by the following—“He was carried upon the wings of the wind,” that is, the cloud approached with extraordinary speed.

Psalm 17:12. And He made darkness His covering, a tent around Him—the darkness of waters, the clouds of air. This cloud was the dwelling place of God, as a tent serves as a dwelling place for man, see verse 10.

Psalm 17:14. The Lord thundered in the heavens, and the Most High gave forth His voice—hail and coals of fire. The crashes and roars of thunder—the terrible voice of God.

Psalm 17:16. And the fountains of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid bare from the terrible voice of Yours, O Lord, from the breath of the spirit of Your anger. “The foundations of the world were laid bare”—the bed of the seas became exposed. By this expression—a hyperbole—David wished to designate the strength of the streams of rain, the abundance of water: there was so much of it that as though water had poured from all the seas and flooded the earth.

Psalm 17:17. He stretched His hand from on high and took me, and drew me out of many waters; “Drew me out of many waters.”—Water here, as often in the Bible, means numerous troubles: God freed me from them.

Psalm 17:20. He brought me forth into a spacious place and delivered me, because He takes delight in me. “He brought me forth into a spacious place”—freed me from distress, troubles, gave me freedom.

Psalm 17:21. The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He rewarded me, “The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness”—according to my inner purity, the purity of my thoughts and intentions, “according to the cleanness of my hands”—according to the purity of my deeds.

Psalm 17:22. for I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not been wicked before my God; “I have kept the ways of the Lord”—did not depart from the commandment appointed by God to man.

Psalm 17:26. With the merciful You show Yourself merciful, with the upright man You show Yourself upright, Psalm 17:27. with the pure You show Yourself pure, and with the perverse You show Yourself perverse, The Lord deals with each according to what he deserves: the pure and righteous He rewards, and the perverse He punishes.

Psalm 17:33. God girds me with strength and makes my way perfect; “To gird”—to prepare for occupations, for work. The Lord girded David with strength—gave him the means to overcome enemies. “To make the way perfect”—to point out a reliable way, unerring means to achieve the goal.

Psalm 17:34. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and sets me on my high places; “He sets me on my high places”—the height, the might which I have achieved now, is the work of Divine help.

Psalm 17:37. You give me a broad step in my walking, and my feet do not slip. “You give me a broad step”—you spread my feet, give me firm footing.

Psalm 17:44. You have delivered me from the rebellion of my people, made me the head of the nations; a people I did not know serves me; “Delivered me from the rebellion of my people”—indication of internal strife that occurred in the kingdom of Israel at the time of David’s ascension to the throne.

Psalm 17:50. For this I will praise You, O Lord, among the nations, and will sing to Your name, “I will praise You, O Lord, before all the nations,” more precisely—before all the nations. Each victory of David was concluded with a solemn thanksgiving to God, in which David, before all men both from his own people and from captive pagans, did not hide the name of Jehovah, but openly sang His praise as the one true God. In these words the Apostle Paul sees an indication of the preaching of the teaching of Christ among the pagans (see Rom 15:9).

Psalm 17:51. He is a tower of salvation to the king, and shows steadfast love to His anointed, to David and to his offspring forever. “To his offspring… forever,” this is the one that was revealed to David through the prophet Nathan (see 2 Sam 7:12-16).

Chapter Eighteen

By its inscription and resemblance to other psalms of David, the authorship of this psalm by the latter is confirmed. The exact time of its writing cannot be determined because of the general nature of its content. This psalm is a solemn hymn to God as the Creator of the magnificent external world and of moral law, whereby it supplements the preceding one, which also is a hymn to God, but as the protector of the oppressed righteous one. “Kant did not perhaps recall this psalm when he said: there are two things that constantly excite my wonder—the starry heaven above my head and the moral law in my heart!” (Vigouroux. Guide to Reading the Bible, vol. 2, first half, p. 477).

The heaven, magnificent by day and by night, testifies to God’s glory before all that lives (2–5). On this heaven is the greatest light-giver—the sun, which passes around, vivifies, and illuminates the whole world (6–7). As beneficial is the sun for the earth, so beneficial is God’s moral law for man, purifying and enlivening his spiritual nature (6–10), which is why it is above all earthly treasures (8–12). Therefore David entreats the Lord to guard him from the action of sinful inclinations, often not realized by man himself, but upon their development and strengthening capable of destroying him (13–15).

Psalm 18:2. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of His hands. Heaven, covered with an infinite multitude of lights, especially bright in the East, all this expanse above man’s head clearly testifies to the extraordinary greatness and power of the Creator. Man knows that these lights are beyond his power; he sees their extraordinary orderly course and beauty. What else, other than the greatness of God’s creative glory, does all this speak by the very fact of its existence?!

Psalm 18:3. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night shows knowledge. These lights and all the expanse of heaven from day to day, from night to night, constantly and unceasing speak and proclaim this greatness of God.

Psalm 18:4. There is no speech, and there are no words; their voice is not heard. The heavenly vault is everywhere, and therefore this proclamation is everywhere. Whatever peoples (“nations”) and tribes (“languages”) live on the earth and wherever they are found, this voice is heard by all. The expression “there is no speech, and there are no words” is understood (by Hengstenberg) also in this sense: although these phenomena are silent, do not possess the gift of speech, nevertheless everywhere eloquently, though silently, they proclaim the glory of the Creator.

Psalm 18:6. and it comes forth like a bridegroom from his wedding chamber, rejoicing like a strong man to run his course: Psalm 18:7. from the edge of the heavens is its coming forth, and its path is to the edge of them, and nothing is hidden from its heat. Among the lights, especially magnificent on the starry heaven, the sun stands out, which each day comes forth “from the edge of the heavens”—from the east, in extraordinary splendor, reminding one of a bridegroom in his adornment, or “a strong man” in competition in running. It traverses the whole earth and nothing is hidden from its heat and light: it warms and vivifies everything.

Psalm 18:8. The law of the Lord is perfect, it revives the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, it makes the simple wise. Psalm 18:9. The precepts of the Lord are right, they gladden the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, it enlightens the eyes. Psalm 18:10. The fear of the Lord is pure, it endures forever. The judgments of the Lord are true, they are all righteous; “The law of the Lord,” “testimony,” “precepts of the Lord,” “fear of the Lord,” “judgments of the Lord”—synonymous expressions, designating the revelation of God given to man for his benefit. In this revelation man obtains “revival” of the soul, since the Divine law always corresponds to its loftiest, ideal impulses and by the authority of its higher origin sanctifies and strengthens man in following it. As a revelation given to man in various circumstances of life in which man finds it difficult to discern for himself, it “makes the simple wise,” giving him true knowledge and understanding of objects and phenomena; the revelation “gladdens the heart,” since it speaks of the fact that the Lord sees all and cares for all, that nothing good remains without His care and protection. “Enlightens the eyes”—synonymously expressed “makes wise.” The revelation, being given and proceeding from God, contains nothing sinful in itself, and therefore is not subject to change or purification: it is eternal and unchangeable. In the revelation is contained “truth”; therefore it is righteous.

Psalm 18:11. they are more desirable than gold and much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb; If such is the generative and renewing power of revelation, it is understandable that its givenness is incomparably higher than any ingots of gold and more pleasant than “honey,” higher than all external, material values.

Psalm 18:12. and Your servant is warned by them; in keeping them there is great reward. “Your servant”—David; “is warned by them”—strives to bring his actions into accord with the indications of revelation and to guard himself from turning to sin.

Psalm 18:13. Who can discern his errors? From my hidden sins, cleanse me, Psalm 18:14. and from presumptuous sins keep Your servant, so that they may not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless and innocent of great transgression. But in the nature of man there are hidden, often not realized by him, sinful inclinations; there are sinful “thoughts” (“presumptuous”). Both may pass into action and lead to great “transgression,” to a turning away from God if they gain mastery over man. The timely clarification by man of the true meaning of these impulses and thoughts, as well as of their destructiveness, protects him from sin. Of such early enlightenment David entreats God, as an all-knowing being, from whom nothing is hidden.

Chapter Nineteen

These psalms represent two parts of a work devoted to one and the same subject. In Psalm 19 is set forth a prayer to God on behalf of the people for the granting of David victory over enemies possessing large fighting forces (Ps 19:8). The Ark of the Covenant at that time was on Zion (Ps 19:3). In Psalm 20 is presented a song of thanksgiving to God for the victory granted, so brilliant that David, having destroyed enemies in great number (Ps 20:10), placed upon his head the crown from the head of his opponent—the king, a crown adorned with precious stones (Ps 20:4). Such an event occurred during David’s struggle with the Syro-Ammonites, when he, after victory over enemies, upon taking Rabbah of the Ammonites, took the crown of the king of the Ammonites and placed it on his own head, and the people in the city were utterly destroyed (2 Sam 12:30-31).

Psalm 19:1. To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. In both psalms David is spoken of in the third person. We have said that the psalms represent a prayer on behalf of David by the people. One may also consider these psalms as a prayer of David concerning himself. To speak of oneself in the third person presents no peculiarity or exception; we encounter such, for example, also in Ps 17:51 and elsewhere.

Psalm 19:2. May the Lord answer you on the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May the Lord hear the prayer of the king for help in struggle with the enemy (2–6)! The people hope not in their own strength, but in God, and the enemies are cast down (7–10).

Psalm 19:4. May He remember all your offerings and turn your burnt sacrifice to ashes. “May He remember all your offerings… turn your burnt sacrifice to ashes,”—let every sacrifice offered by David kindle favor from God toward him. A fattened animal, offered in sacrifice, testified to the piety and reverence of the one offering, since it showed that the man was sacrificing to God the most precious of his animals.

Psalm 19:5. May He give you according to your heart and fulfill all your plans. “Plans”—a plan; may the Lord give David the ability to successfully execute his plan of struggle with enemies.

Psalm 19:7. Now I know that the Lord has saved His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving power of His right hand. “Now I know”—past tense instead of future; now, that is, in this present war with the Syro-Ammonites, will be revealed how much (“saves… answers”) the Lord loves His anointed one. The Hebrews thirst for divine help, since the military forces of the warring sides are unequal: “some” (Ps 19:8), that is, the enemies, possessed a large number of battle chariots, to which the Hebrews could only oppose their faith in God and hope in His help.

Chapter Twenty

Psalm 20:2. Lord, the king rejoices in Your strength and is immensely glad in Your salvation. “In Your strength the king rejoices” – the king is gladdened by that almighty power which You, O Lord, displayed in granting him an extraordinary victory. Lord, You heard the king and placed upon his head the crown of his enemy (2–4). You crowned him with glory! and because of his faith in You he will not be shaken (5–8). You turned his enemies to flight, for which we will glorify Your might (9–14).

Psalm 20:3. You gave him what his heart desired, and You did not reject the petition of his lips. “You did not reject the petition of his lips” – You fulfilled his prayer.

Psalm 20:4. For You met him with blessings of goodness, You placed upon his head a crown of pure gold. You, O Lord, received David’s prayer mercifully and granted him victory so that he placed upon his own head a crown of pure gold taken from his enemy’s head.

Psalm 20:5. He asked You for life; You gave him length of days forever and ever. Psalm 20:6. Great is his glory in Your salvation; You have bestowed upon him honor and majesty. Psalm 20:7. You have placed upon him blessings forever, You have made him glad with the joy of Your presence. The Lord rewarded David with great mercy: not only did He preserve his life in this war, but He granted him “length of days forever and ever.” His fame and glory depend on God’s favor, which sends success to all of David’s undertakings. By eternal life here is understood not David’s fame in history as a great conqueror—for biblical figures and pious people did not value such fame, however esteemed in human eyes—but his fame in posterity as the bearer of a great promise; the latter was the prophecy given to David of a descendant born from him, the Messiah.

Psalm 20:8. For the king puts his trust in the Lord, and through the mercy of the Most High he will not be shaken. Psalm 20:9. Your hand will find all Your enemies, Your right hand will find all who hate You. Psalm 20:10. In the time of Your anger You will make them like a furnace of fire; in His wrath the Lord will destroy them, and fire will consume them. Psalm 20:11. You will destroy their offspring from the earth and their seed from among the children of men. Psalm 20:12. For they devised evil against You, they plotted schemes but could not succeed. Since the king always trusts in God, he will not lack His mercy; therefore the hand of God will be directed also against all those who become adversaries of the king, and thus adversaries of his protector—God. His enemies will be destroyed as in a furnace of fire, their fields destroyed, their children struck down, and none of their plans against David will be accomplished. Clearly, David’s brilliant victory over mighty enemies filled his soul with extraordinary joy and jubilation; in this victory David and his people saw a pledge of their invincibility in the future as well.

Psalm 20:13. You will set them as a target, from Your bows You will shoot arrows in their faces. “You will set them as a target” – the Lord Himself will make enemies the object of His aim, therefore inevitable destruction threatens them. Psalms 19 and 20 are part of the morning service. Since the welfare of a people is closely linked with the success of their rulers’ undertakings that care for this welfare, the Church, on behalf of the faithful, prays for the king in the words of these psalms, asking for God’s blessing upon him.

Chapter Twenty-One

“Upon the help of the morning” – (according to the Slavonic text) understood in its literal sense, this superscription indicates the petition-like content of the psalm for “morning,” or possibly speedy help. This superscription is also understood to mean an indication of the time for the liturgical performance – in the morning, which the Hebrew superscription confirms – “at the appearance of dawn.” (There is a translation: “upon the morning hart,” that is, the motif of the vocal performance should resemble the motif of a song beginning with the words “morning hart”). David depicts his situation as hopeless: he becomes the object of mockery and finds himself in humiliation (Ps 21:3-9); his enemies are numerous and strong (Ps 21:13-14); they are “crafty,” wicked, and David is alone (Ps 21:22), so that he considers his destruction inevitable and foresees how he will be subjected to execution through crucifixion (Ps 21:17-19). In this psalm David nowhere speaks of his guilt before God, and therefore his sufferings, being undeserved, are especially grievous. Such hopelessness in David’s situation relates to the times of Saul, when he was surrounded on one side by mountains and on the other by wilderness, and Saul with his army was advancing toward him. This was in the wilderness of Maon. David’s destruction seemed inevitable, but news of an attack at that time upon the southern borders of the state by the Philistines (1 Sam 23:24-28) prompted Saul to go out to defend the state, and David was thus saved.

My God! Why have You forsaken me? (2–3). I will still cry out to You (4–6). I am despised among the people: everyone mocks me (7–10). My only hope is in You, my Creator, to whom I have been attached since childhood. Do not turn away from me, but protect me from enemies ready to crucify me, abandoned by all (11–23). I bless You, Lord, for Your protection. Let all who seek Him praise Him! May His name become great among all peoples and be sung throughout the world (24–32).

Psalm 21:2. My God! My God! [hear me] why have You forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my cry. David points to the hopelessness of his situation in this case. By human understanding and the natural course of events, David’s destruction seemed inevitable, which is why he sometimes found himself utterly abandoned by God, and thus cries out: “Why have You forsaken me?” Such a state, bordering on despair, was not prolonged. David later says that “such words,” words of “cry,” bordering on despair, are sinful, for they show wavering faith in a person; because of this revealed lack of faith in God, a person does not deserve the salvation he asks of God.

Psalm 21:3. My God, I cry out in the day, and You do not hear me; at night, and there is no rest for me. Psalm 21:4. But You, O Holy One, dwell in the praises of Israel. Psalm 21:5. In You our fathers trusted; they trusted, and You delivered them. Psalm 21:6. They cried to You and were saved; they trusted in You and were not put to shame. Yet such a state of insufficient faith, as we have said, was an expression of temporary spiritual despondency from the hard conditions in which David was placed. He condemns himself for this cowardice and then prays to God: I will cry to You day and night, that is, constantly; I do this, although I do not see Your help immediately (“You do not hear me”) and do not consider such constant and, apparently, fruitless prayer – to be unnecessary, unwise. I am convinced of this, first, by the fact that “You, O Holy One, dwell in the praises of Israel,” that is, You are holy, and therefore You appear as the protector and defender of holiness, righteousness, innocence; for which Israel continually gives You glory. As the Holy One, You will not leave me, innocent as I am, without Your protection. The meaning of these words is that David justifies the sleeplessness of his prayer to God and faith in His protection by the fact that his present misfortunes are undeserved and by His justice, which will not permit the destruction of a righteous person; second – by historical facts from the life of the Hebrew people: when the latter cried out to God in their misfortunes, He showed them His protection. Such facts fill Hebrew history. The words of verse 2, expressing in David a feeling of abandonment by God, were literally repeated later by Jesus Christ on the cross (Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34). And as David further expresses complete faith in God and, consequently, submission to His will, so Jesus Christ also showed the same obedience on the cross to the Father’s will, when He said: “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46).

Psalm 21:7. But I am a worm, not a man, scorned by people and despised by the nation. Psalm 21:8. All who see me mock me, they speak with their mouths, wagging their heads. Psalm 21:9. “He trusts in the Lord; let Him deliver him, let Him save him, if He is pleased with him.” In all the subsequent content up to verse 24, David depicts the severity of his situation. He is mocked, as an enemy of the king; he is helpless and weak, like a worm which one can easily crush. But David’s helplessness not only fails to awaken a natural feeling of compassion in anyone, but even provokes mockery of his faith in God. David underwent the same humiliation as Christ, when, hanging on the cross and turning to God, he uttered a dying cry: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” to which those surrounding his cross answered with disbelieving and mocking curiosity (Matt 27:41-50).

Psalm 21:10. But You brought me forth from the womb, You gave me hope while I was at my mother’s breast. Psalm 21:11. On You I have been cast since my birth; from my mother’s womb You have been my God. The meaning of these verses explains why the Lord is the only object of hope and trust for David. “You brought me forth from the womb,” that is, I was born by Your special favor; by my birth, the beginning of my life, I was indebted to You; “You gave me hope while I was at my mother’s breast” – I was raised by my mother with attachment to You. Probably, David’s mother, when she still nursed him with her own milk, spoke to him of God and together with his mother’s milk he received lofty notions of Him, reverence and devotion to Him. The more ancient such attachments are in a person, the deeper and more durable they are; laid in David since childhood and strengthened in him by subsequent facts of his life, they became an unshakeable treasure of his spiritual life and consciousness.

Psalm 21:12. Do not turn away from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. Psalm 21:13. Many bulls have encircled me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me. Psalm 21:14. They have opened their mouths against me, like a lion, hungry for prey and roaring. Psalm 21:15. I am poured out like water; all my bones are disjointed; my heart is like wax, melted within me. Psalm 21:16. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; my tongue clings to my jaw, and You have brought me down to the dust of death. God’s help is all the more necessary to David as danger draws closer and becomes more threatening. David has nowhere a defender; his enemies, on the other hand, are so numerous and so secure in their wellbeing, like the numerous and well-fed cattle of Bashan, and they are also as terrifying to him as lions are to ordinary animals. Bashan had rich pastures, and therefore the primary occupation of its inhabitants was cattle-raising, and there was especially much livestock. David’s strength has wasted away, disappeared like water poured on dry ground is invisibly absorbed; “his bones,” being the harder part of the human organism and therefore – a symbol of his strength, are disjointed, that is, the persistent persecution by Saul, which forced David into constant flight, has so exhausted him that he finds no more strength in himself to continue this flight. “His heart” has melted like “wax” from the action of fire; he has lost courage at the sight of the hopelessness of his situation, like a figure made of wax turns into a shapeless mass when heated by fire; his strength has wasted away like water evaporates from a clay vessel when the potter heats it; his “tongue clings to his jaw,” which is a sign of his exhaustion. His situation is so hopeless that he considers himself already at the threshold of death (in the “dust of death”).

Psalm 21:17. For dogs have surrounded me, a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and my feet. Psalm 21:18. I can count all my bones; they stare and gaze upon me. Psalm 21:19. They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. David calls his enemies “dogs” and a “company of evildoers,” indicating by this both their multitude and their moral worthlessness. They are crafty, false, incapable of acting for any higher ideal and justice, but for personal gain, turning in whatever direction has strength and benefit; they also deserve contempt like “dogs,” which the Hebrews regarded as despised animals. The danger to David is so great, and his destruction seems so inevitable, that he already envisions the picture of his execution. He, as a state criminal who has attempted to seize royal power, as an enemy of the ruler, is to be subjected to the cruelest and most shameful execution – crucifixion on the cross. David already sees blood flowing from his wounds; on his body, from the stretching of muscles, his bones stand out especially clearly, so that they can be counted. Although these sufferings from muscle strain are terrible in their duration and the pain associated with them, his enemies regard his sufferings with contempt, without sympathy. Everything upon him, his clothing – they divided into equal parts; “for my clothing they cast lots,” probably – for his upper garment, his tunic, which was not sewn but woven as a single piece and was made of finer material. The sufferings depicted by David throughout the content of the psalm, especially in these verses, were fulfilled in full and with complete accuracy in Christ, as witnessed by all the evangelists (Matt 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24). What David experienced in his imagination, what was the possession of his thought, found complete external factual expression in the actual sufferings of the Messiah.

Psalm 21:20. But You, O Lord, do not turn away from me; my strength, come quickly to my aid. Psalm 21:21. Deliver my soul from the sword and my solitary self from the dogs. Psalm 21:22. Save me from the mouth of the lion and from the horns of the wild oxen, hear me and deliver me. Psalm 21:23. I will declare Your name to my brothers, in the midst of the congregation I will praise You. In view of the inevitability of such a fate, if his enemies were to capture David, the latter begs God for deliverance: “deliver my soul from the sword, from the dogs – my solitary self,” that is, me, alone, save me from enemies; “from the horns of the wild oxen” – from the horns of the wild ox, the rhinoceros, with which David figuratively depicts the strength and cruelty of his enemies. For his deliverance, David promises to sing of God “in the midst of the congregation,” that is, publicly, in poetic songs, and will praise God as the only protector of every suffering righteous person. From verse 24 onward, the content of the psalm changes: previously it was sorrowful and supplicatory in character; now it is grateful and hymnic. One may suppose that the second part of the psalm was written by David after the end of the persecutions.

Psalm 21:24. You who fear the Lord, praise Him. All descendants of Jacob, glorify Him. Reverence Him, all you descendants of Israel. Psalm 21:25. For He has not despised or scorned the affliction of the suffering; He has not hidden His face from him, but has heard him when he cried out to Him. In view of the extraordinariness of the misfortunes and deliverance from them, David together with himself invites all Hebrews to glorify God for the fact that the Lord heard the prayer of the “suffering,” powerless in his own strength, person.

Psalm 21:26. My praise is of You in the great congregation; I will pay my vows in the presence of those who fear Him. “My praise is of You in the great congregation.” The protection which the Lord has shown to David serves as a source of praise to God before the assembled people. In this lies the fulfillment of the vow which David made in the moment of danger (23).

Psalm 21:27. Let the poor eat and be satisfied; let those who seek the Lord praise Him; may your hearts live forever! David’s deliverance serves as a testimony that all the wretched will find protection in God: He will give them what is necessary for life and will always feed them; therefore one must reverence and honor Him. In this verse, the Holy Fathers see an indication of the mystery of the Eucharist, because here the partaking of some kind of banquet from God has as its consequence eternal life, a quality which ordinary food cannot possess. Under a banquet, therefore, they understand not ordinary food or a meal, but the partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, which give eternal life to those who partake worthily.

Psalm 21:28. They will remember and turn to the Lord, all the ends of the earth, and all the families of the nations will bow before You. Psalm 21:29. For the kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations. Psalm 21:30. All the prosperous of the earth will eat and bow down; all who go down to the dust will bow before Him, and those who cannot keep alive their own souls. Psalm 21:31. Posterity will serve Him, and will be called His forever. Psalm 21:32. They will come and will declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born, what the Lord has done. David speaks of the conversion of the entire world to God: all peoples will remember the help which the Lord has shown to His righteous ones and will bow before Him as the one true God, which is right, since the whole earth and all peoples belong only to the Lord; the recognition by the heathen nations of this inalienable right of His is only a matter of time. David even depicts a picture of the conversion of all peoples to God. When “all the prosperous of the earth,” all the mighty on earth – rulers of peoples – will bow before Him: all mortals “who go down to the dust” will bow, will reverence the One to Whom I, says David, live in my soul, am attached with my whole being. My posterity will serve the Lord. By posterity one cannot understand the ordinary descendants of David, who were not always faithful to God, but that seed which was born from him according to the Divine promise, that is, the Messiah. The mercies shown to David by God will be kept in the memory of subsequent generations of people; each of them will glorify God and declare the deeds which He has accomplished among men, protecting the righteous and punishing the wicked. This prophecy of David has already been fulfilled and will be fulfilled: his songs, as well as the history of the life of the Hebrews and all their sacred books in general, have been read and will always be read by people, thereby passing down knowledge from generation to generation of the great deeds of God. In the first part of the psalm we already saw that everything experienced by David during his persecution by Saul found a complete and precise repetition and expression in the life of the Messiah Christ, and therefore this part should be called prefiguring. In the second part of the psalm David depicts a picture of the universal conversion to God of all peoples. The latter became possible only since the Messianic times, when the preaching of the teachings of Christ spreads among all countries and peoples. As a prediction in word of future events of the Messianic period, this part of the psalm is prophetic.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The psalm might have been written for the same reason as Psalm IV, that is, during David’s flight from Jerusalem from Absalom, when Sobi, Machir, and Berzellai, in the face of Absalom’s forces, brought provisions for David and his companions (see Ps 22:5, compare Ps 4:8). There is here an indirect hint that David feels some guilt before the Lord (Ps 22:3). We have noted that in the majority of psalms originating from the time of the Absalom persecution, either directly or indirectly, David expresses consciousness of his guilt before God.

My Lord is my shepherd, resting me and protecting me even in the valley of the shadow of death (1–4). He has prepared a table before me in the sight of my enemies, He has shown mercy, which may guard me all the days of my life (5–6).

Psalm 22:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want of anything. “The Lord is my shepherd” – the fundamental thought of the psalm, elaborated in detail throughout its entire content. As a shepherd, the Lord guards and feeds David.

Psalm 22:2. He makes me lie down in verdant pastures and leads me beside still waters. “Verdant pastures” – meadows, covered with rich grass, onto which shepherds drive their flocks. “Still waters,” calm, not flowing turbulently, formed by heavy rains, which then quickly dry up, but springs never drying up, always flowing and providing water.

Psalm 22:3. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. “He restores my soul” – by His care for David the Lord sustains him, “my soul” – a Hebrew idiom – “me.” – “He guides me in the paths of righteousness” – by various events in his life or revelations of His will through the prophets, He indicates, in cases of deviation, the true path of life. Thus, for example, it was after the transgression with Bathsheba, which the prophet Nathan exposed. – “For the sake of His name” – an expression often repeated in the psalms and throughout the Bible. It means that the Lord, Who is holy and has no deficiency in Himself, requires also from His servants – people – moral purity, and therefore “guides [me] in the paths of righteousness,” so that man, as a servant and son of God, might not disgrace his Lord and Father God by his unworthiness.

Psalm 22:4. Even if I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear evil, because You are with me; Your rod and Your staff – they comfort me. “Valley of the shadow of death” – a valley full of dangers to life from possible attacks by enemies. This is the very valley in which he found himself at this time, full of dangers from the nearness of enemies. David believes that the Lord will save him from mortal dangers. – “Your rod and Your staff” – instruments by which shepherds protect their flocks from wild beasts. The Lord protects me by His strength, as a shepherd protects sheep with a staff.

Psalm 22:5. You have prepared a table before me in the sight of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. “You have anointed my head with oil,” thanks to the help sent, I experience a joyful mood, the outward sign of which in the East was the anointing of the head with oil.

Chapter Twenty-Three

According to its superscription, the psalm belongs to David, and by the similarity of its content with Psalm 14 (compare Ps 23:3-4 with Ps 14:1), one can consider the occasion of writing to be the same, that is, the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Abinadab to the tabernacle on Zion, when already the procession was approaching the narrow and small gates of Jerusalem, which is why David exclaims “lift up your gates, O heads of yours” (Ps 23:7).

The supplement to the superscription – “on the first day of the week,” borrowed from the Greek Bible, indicates the time for the liturgical performance of the psalm on the first day, beginning the week, which corresponds to our Sunday, since the week ended for the Hebrews on Saturday.

The Lord is great: the earth and all that is on it belong to Him (1–2). Near God on Zion can therefore dwell the one who is pure in thoughts, deeds, and words, who seeks Him (3–5). O gates of the city! Lift up your heads so as to make a free entrance for the Lord, Who comes through you! He is the King of glory, mighty in war, He is the Lord of hosts (6–10)!

Psalm 23:1. The earth is the Lord’s and its fullness, the world and all who dwell in it. Psalm 23:2. For He has established it upon the seas and founded it upon the rivers. Since the Lord is the Creator of the earth, it belongs to Him, as does all that fills it, that is, the animal and plant kingdoms, the organic and inorganic world, the visible and invisible. He founded it “upon the seas and upon the rivers.” The earth, by its volume, is smaller than the quantity of water on the earth’s surface. The power of God and His omnipotence is displayed vividly in the fact that the earth occupies a firm and stable position, despite being surrounded by a moving element.

Psalm 23:4. The one whose hands are clean and whose heart is pure, who has not sworn by his soul to vanity and has not sworn falsely [to his neighbor]. To dwell near the Lord on Mount Zion is worthy one who has not committed an evil external act (“hands are clean”), who is pure also in thoughts (“heart is pure”) and who has not sinned in words: has not given false oaths and has not falsely invoked God.

Psalm 23:6. Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O God of Jacob! Such, worthy of dwelling on Zion, David considers those “who seek Your face.” In the immediate sense, this refers to the Hebrews as the sole bearers and servants of Jehovah.

Psalm 23:7. Lift up your gates, O heads, and be lifted up, everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall enter! Psalm 23:8. Who is this King of glory? – The Lord, mighty and strong, the Lord, mighty in war. “Lift up your gates, O heads of yours.” Gates in ancient cities were constructed very low, with a raised ceiling. They are called everlasting because of their very ancient origin. The procession approached Jerusalem and consisted of the Levites bearing upon their shoulders the Ark of the Covenant, on the lid of which were ornaments made of cherubim. The gates of Zion, with their unraised ceiling, were not sufficient for the One Who sits upon the Cherubim, the Lord, to pass through. The more prominent the person entering through the gates, the more unobstructed must be the entrance into them. Here, now, enters the very “King of glory.” This King of glory is the Lord of hosts, “mighty in war,” He Who is the victor over all peoples and to Whom David owes the taking of Mount Zion from the Jebusites.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Each verse of this psalm begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which is why it is called an acrostic. This method of writing was quite common not only among the Hebrews but also among the peoples of the East in general, representing one form of artistic composition of speech, which facilitated its memorization.

The psalm was written during the persecutions by Absalom, which is indicated by the duality of its content: on one hand, David calls his enemies lawbreakers, unjustly persecuting him (Ps 24:3), on the other – he asks God for forgiveness of his sin, which he considers very great (Ps 24:7). Other parts of the psalm, depicting David as solitary, abandoned (Ps 24:16), with only a small number of faithful servants (Ps 24:19) and in the face of great, threatening danger (Ps 24:1), correspond to his situation under Absalom, during his flight from Jerusalem.

Save me, O Lord, from my enemies and teach me to follow righteousness (1–6). You are merciful, forgive my sins and instruct me (7–10). Cleanse and save me from surrounding enemies and heavy sufferings, for I hope only in You (11–21).

Psalm 24:3. May all not be put to shame who hope in You: may those who act lawlessly be put to shame for nothing. “Those who act lawlessly for nothing” – those attacking me without grounds, without cause from my side.

Psalm 24:4. Show me, O Lord, Your ways and teach me Your paths. Psalm 24:5. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God of my salvation; I hope in You all the day. “Ways” and “paths” – these are the Divine commandments. David asks God to teach him both these commandments and His “truth,” that is, justice, law. By this teaching is understood not merely the external assimilation of these commandments, not simply the study of the written Mosaic law, which was not difficult for David to do, but the development within himself of the inner strength of unwavering adherence to the precepts of the law, from which, as David says later, he has turned aside. – “I hope in You all the day” – I spend all my life in hope in You, that is, amid all sufferings I seek and await help only from You.

Psalm 24:6. Remember Your mercies, O Lord, and Your compassions, for they are from everlasting. Psalm 24:7. Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; according to Your mercy remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O Lord! “Mercies” and “compassions,” for the most part, mean – the first word – the external expressions of divine love for man in the sending of material blessings, and “compassions” – spiritual ones, for example, spiritual peace from the consciousness of God’s nearness, purity and loftiness of views, and so forth. – “The sins of my youth… and my transgressions” – sin with Bathsheba. David acknowledges his guilt and the illegality of this act, but calls it not an intentional and conscious violation of the Divine commandment, but a fruit of infatuation (“youth”), an unconscious one. This sin was the result of the temporary dominance over David of carnal inclination, by that impulse to which a young age is given over, when the ability for a strict evaluation of one’s actions and thoughts has not yet developed, but when man is guided more by the realm of feelings, directing the will, and therefore often his deeds are not directed as they would be if illuminated by reason. Depending on what lies at the foundation of the latter – elevated motivations, or base ones – his actions are correspondingly either deeds of heroism, self-sacrifice, or, conversely, gross egotism and base passions. Such an impulse, which darkened in David the consciousness and evaluation of his deed, was his act with Uriah and Bathsheba. David’s clarification of the inner, psychological side of his sin was not, however, an attempt at self-justification and a desire to remain unpunished, but such a profound consciousness of his fall and his guilt before God, that he asks Him for mercy only on the basis of God’s extraordinary condescension toward man, His unusual mercy and compassion toward the unworthy, which God often showed toward the Hebrews (6).

Psalm 24:8. Good and righteous is the Lord; therefore He instructs sinners in the way. Psalm 24:9. He guides the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble His ways. Psalm 24:10. All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth toward those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. “He instructs sinners in the way.” The Law represents the directives with which human activity must accord if it aims at his spiritual perfection and his drawing near to God. Yet man often departs from this lofty calling and directs his energies toward satisfying base and debased inclinations. In such cases, the Lord grants him admonitions that expose the error of the path he has chosen. These admonitions may be general, inherent and present in every person, or particular, given not to all and not always. By the former is meant the moral feeling in man which approves or condemns his deeds—the voice of conscience; by the latter are meant special admonitions given by God to man for his correction, as, for example, concerning David—the rebuke delivered through the prophet Nathan. All this the Lord does out of love for man, with the aim of easing his standing “at judgment” before “God,” and thereby delivering him from the heavy responsibility before Him for his conduct. “All the ways of the Lord”—all God’s actions; “those who keep His covenant and His testimonies”—those who yearn for union with Him and for closeness with Him; that is, the Lord always helps man in his striving toward Him through special actions and admonitions. David here understands the rebuke through the prophet Nathan, which opened David’s eyes to his deed and moved him to repentance and greater spiritual vigilance over himself.

Psalm 24:11. For Your name’s sake, Lord, forgive my transgression, for it is great. Cleansing for the sake of God’s great name points to the height of David’s reverence before Him. God is all-perfect; in Him there is and cannot be any deficiency; accordingly, His worshippers should also be people of high moral purity; those unworthy, as it were, diminish the greatness of His name. This is the same as we see in ordinary life: the higher the position of a person, the more worthy should be his appearance; an insignificant person, as it were, defiles and degrades his own calling. David calls his sin grievous (“for it is great”) and himself a great sinner before God, degrading Him through his worship in the case that he does not take care of his own cleansing.

Psalm 24:12. Who is the person who fears the Lord? He will show him the way which to choose. Psalm 24:13. His soul will dwell in good, and his seed will inherit the land. Psalm 24:14. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and His covenant He reveals to them. Here is a paraphrase of the main thought of Deuteronomy, according to which the one faithful to God will enjoy both spiritual blessings and external material ones.—“The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and His covenant He reveals to them,” that is, the Lord becomes so close to those who revere Him that He communicates to them all that is hidden from others. Here one must understand the direct action of God upon man through the communication of revelation to him and internal guidance of him.

Psalm 24:18. Look upon my suffering and my weakness and forgive all my sins. “Look upon my suffering”—behold my humiliation and “forgive all my sins”—that which caused these calamities. David connects his transgression with Bathsheba to the present afflictions.

Psalm 24:20. Guard my soul and deliver me, that I may not be ashamed that I put my trust in You. “That I may not be ashamed that I put my trust in You”—save me from enemies, so that my faith in protection from You might not be mocked by enemies. My destruction could be interpreted by enemies as an indication of Your powerlessness to save those who believe in You; by granting protection do not allow Your great name to be insulted.

Psalm 24:21. Let integrity and uprightness guard me, for I hope in You. After my sin is forgiven and I am cleansed, “let integrity and uprightness guard me,” let me never deviate from the truth and never fall into sin.

Psalm 24:22. Deliver, God, Israel from all his sorrows. This verse represents a liturgical addition, perhaps appearing during the Babylonian captivity, when the Jews in the position of the oppressed and repentant David could see the image of their own sufferings in captivity and pray for deliverance from them with the words of their sincerely repenting pious ancestor. In divine service this psalm is part of the 3rd hour, supplementing the content of the XVI psalm with sincere and earnest prayer to God for spiritual cleansing of the one praying (Ps 24:1) for worthy presence at the celebration of the liturgy.

Chapter Twenty-Five

David in this psalm is portrayed as living near the Tent, which he could freely visit according to his will (Ps 25:6); around him were enemies who were deceitful and treacherous (Ps 25:4), and malicious (Ps 25:5), thirsting for blood and evil deeds (Ps 25:9). Such a position of David could only be during the beginning of Absalom’s revolt before his flight from Jerusalem, but not during the persecutions from Saul, when he could not visit the Tent not only freely and openly, as is depicted in this psalm, but even in secret: he was constantly being watched and found himself in perpetual flight. David’s testimony in that psalm to his «own innocence» (Ps 25:1) before God means here not a confession of complete innocence before Him, but his non-participation, his blamelessness and the injustice of those accusations which were brought against him by Absalom and his supporters, as an unjust judge, a bloodthirsty man, and a bad administrator.

Judge and examine my case, O Lord, so that I might show the injustice of my sufferings (1–2). I trust in Your mercy, since I have never been a participant in the deeds of wicked people (3–5). As one innocent, I will walk to Your altar, that I might sing praise to You and speak of Your wonders (6–8). Do not destroy me along with bloodthirsty and corrupt men, for I am innocent and act in truth (9–12).

Psalm 25:1. Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in my innocence, and trusting in the Lord, I will not be moved. “Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in innocence”—render judgment both upon me and my enemies, so that before all people I might show my innocence in those crimes which they bring against me. “Trusting in the Lord, I will not be moved”—my faith in God as a righteous Judge is the basis of my confidence that I will not be destroyed by my enemies.

Psalm 25:2. Test me, O Lord, and prove me; burn through my innermost thoughts and my heart, “Burn through my innermost thoughts and my heart”—test and examine me not only in terms of my deeds, but of my thoughts and feelings.

Psalm 25:4. I have not sat with deceitful people, and with the treacherous I will not go; Psalm 25:5. I have hated the assembly of the malicious, and with the wicked I will not sit; “Evil, treacherous,” “malicious and wicked”—David calls his enemies by these names because of their manner of acting toward him, when they plotted against him and spread slander. “I will not sit with the wicked” (see Ps 1:4).

Psalm 25:6. I will wash my hands in innocence and go about Your altar, O Lord, The washing of hands served as an external sign of innocence (see Exod 30:17-21).

Psalm 25:8. O Lord! I have loved the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells. “I have loved the habitation of Your house.” David was marked by a strongly developed piety, so that attendance at worship and presence in the Tent was for him not merely the fulfillment of duty, but also a matter of personal affection.

Psalm 25:9. Do not destroy my soul with sinners and my life with bloodthirsty men, Psalm 25:10. in whose hands are evil deeds, and whose right hand is full of bribes. The enemies are called bloodthirsty and evildoers, for they were ready to resort to rebellion and bloody retaliation against David to bring about his downfall. “Their right hand is full of bribes”—an indication that David’s enemies acted not disinterestedly, but took bribes; that is, they were purchased or acted from mercenary calculations and ambition. There were many such among those close to David, including his former friend Ahithophel.

Psalm 25:12. My foot stands on a right path; in the assemblies I will bless the Lord. “My foot stands on a right path”—I am right before my enemies. “In the assemblies I will bless”—for the mercies shown to me, for protection I will sing God’s praises in songs before all people and in all assemblies, that is, in religious gatherings.

Chapter Twenty-Six

The superscription “before his anointing” is not found in the Hebrew Bible, but is in the LXX and the Vulgate. This superscription may be understood as an indication that the psalm was written by David before his anointing before the people as king of Israel. Since the psalm depicts David’s position as oppressed and abandoned by all, even by his parents (and this happened during the time of persecutions from Saul, when David’s relatives were afraid to enter into relations with him), then with good reason the psalm should be considered as written during the persecutions from Saul, rather than from Absalom, by which time David’s parents could hardly have been alive.

Since the Lord is my light and my strength, I do not fear the attack of enemies and their multitudes: they will perish (1–3). I beseech the Lord to give me the ability to dwell in His Tent, where I will not fear enemies, but will sing the Lord (4–6). But now, when enemies surround me and I am abandoned even by my relatives, I beseech You, O Lord, to protect me (7–12). I believe that I will remain alive and am strengthened in heart (13–14).

Psalm 26:2. If evildoers come upon me to devour my flesh, my enemies and my foes, they themselves will stumble and fall. “Devour my flesh”—to eat my body, to destroy me, to kill me. This was the goal that Saul sought in his many persecutions of David.

Psalm 26:3. If an army should encamp against me, my heart will not fear; if war should rise against me, yet will I trust. Whatever number of enemies might rise up against David, and however completely alone David remained in struggle with them, his “heart will not fear”; he will not lose courage, for his protector is the Lord.

Psalm 26:4. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that only do I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to visit His holy temple, “To behold the beauty of the Lord,”—that is, to be present at the performance of worship, in which all of David was filled with exalted thoughts. The Hebrew “noham” can be translated “goodwill,” that is, David desired to live at the temple and to enjoy the goodwill of the Deity.

Psalm 26:5. For He will hide me in His Tent in the day of trouble, He will conceal me in the hidden place of His dwelling, He will lift me up upon a rock. “He will conceal me in the hidden place of His dwelling”—there, in the inner chambers, where the Lord is constantly present. The comparison is taken from the custom of storing treasures in especially hidden and secure places. “He will lift me up upon a rock”—He will change my lowly state for firm and unshakeable existence, as if placing me upon a rock, inaccessible and unbreakable.

Psalm 26:6–8. Then my head shall be lifted up above my enemies who surround me; and I will offer in His Tent sacrifices of shouts of joy, I will sing and make melody to the Lord. Hear, O Lord, my voice, which I raise in prayer, have mercy on me and listen to me. My heart says to You: “Seek my face”; and I will seek Your face, O Lord. The form of dialogue. God as it were speaks in David’s heart: “Seek my face,” that is, strive to be closer to Me, for in God alone is truth and strength.

Psalm 26:10. For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. “My father and my mother have forsaken me.” David’s relatives avoided relations with him, for David was pursued by Saul as his personal enemy, as an enemy to the king, and close relations with him even on the part of David’s kinfolk could be interpreted by suspicious Saul as help to him, and thus draw the king’s wrath.

Psalm 26:11. Teach me, O Lord, Your way and lead me on a straight path, for the sake of my enemies; David begs God to help him remain pure in his deeds, and however difficult his present situation may be, not to allow him even out of necessity to commit any crime and transgress His Law. This is necessary for David “for the sake of his enemies,” so as not to give them the opportunity to accuse him of anything.

Psalm 26:13. But I believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord on the land of the living. “Land of the living.” David trusts that the Lord will protect him and will not allow him to perish, to enter Sheol, where all the dead descend; rather, he will live and move about among living people.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The psalm may have been written by David during the persecutions from Absalom, when he fled from Jerusalem and was far from the sanctuary (Ps 27:2); he was already anointed king over all the people (“the anointed one” Ps 27:8), and his enemies under the pretext of concern for the people’s welfare and peace actually concealed and pursued personal goals (Ps 27:3). Such was David’s position during his flight from Jerusalem from Absalom.

O Lord! Hear my prayer, which I direct to Your temple (1–2). Do not let me perish along with the wicked, but punish them for their contempt of Your deeds (3–5). In confidence that the Lord will protect me, David blesses Him and asks for mercies for his people (6–9).

Psalm 27:1. To You, O Lord, I cry; my rock! do not be silent to me, lest I become like those descending to the grave. “Do not be silent to me”—do not be inattentive to my prayer, listen and render me aid.

Psalm 27:2. Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry to You, when I lift up my hands toward Your holy temple. “I lift up my hands toward Your temple”—the custom of praying with uplifted hands in the direction of the temple, as the place of the Lord’s dwelling.

Psalm 27:3. Do not take me away with the wicked and with those who do wrong, who speak peace with their neighbors but harbor evil in their hearts. Because God is righteous and just, and David’s enemies act unworthily and sinfully, he is confident that they will be punished by God. David’s present position, pursued by these enemies, is so difficult and dangerous that it threatens his life. His destruction at the hands of lawless enemies would as it were equate his fate to theirs, and he would appear impure. Accordingly, David’s present prayer has the following meaning: do not destroy me, so I may not be equated with the wicked.

Psalm 27:5. Because they are inattentive to the deeds of the Lord and to the work of His hands, He will tear them down and not rebuild them. “Inattentive to the deeds of the Lord and to the work of His hands”—David’s enemies in their actions are guided by personal inclinations, unconcerned that their deeds may go against and oppose God’s deeds. By the latter are meant God’s determinations regarding David, whom He anointed king (see v. 8) and to whom, therefore, the people have been commanded to show obedience. David’s enemies do not wish to heed this “deed” of the Lord, but desire to overthrow him, and thus provoke God’s wrath upon themselves, and He will “tear them down.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

According to the superscription of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin (Vulgate) Bibles, the psalm belongs to David. To indicate precisely the time and occasion of its writing, in the absence of any specific indications, is impossible. The addition to the Hebrew superscription “at the completion of the Feast of Tabernacles” is made according to the Greek Bible and indicates the time of use of this psalm by the Hebrews in worship: at the completion of the Feast of Tabernacles. At present the Hebrews use this psalm on the Feast of Pentecost.

David invites all the sons of God to give the Lord glory in His sanctuary (1–2). In the manifestations of thunder, the glory and power of the Lord are revealed, crushing the cedars of Lebanon, shaking the wilderness, causing the deer to give birth prematurely, and majestically seated over the waters of the flood (3–10). This Lord is the God of Israel, to whom He gives strength and peace (11).

Psalm 28:1. Give to the Lord, you sons of God, give to the Lord glory and honor, “Sons of God”—they are invited to give God praise in the sanctuary, which indicates that they are not bodiless spirits, but people (compare Ps 81:1). By “sons of God” should be understood all those endowed with authority over other people, that is, kings, nobles, princes, and priests.

Psalm 28:3. The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord over many waters. In the extraordinary torrents from rain and in the terrifying storms of the East is heard the majestic voice of the Deity; these phenomena happen according to His will.

Psalm 28:5. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon Psalm 28:6. and makes them leap like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion, like a young wild ox. The mighty cedars of Lebanon, famous for their sturdiness and strength, are shattered by the voice of the Deity, like reeds, and scattered by the powerful storm on the mountainsides just as calves leap on Lebanon and Sirion (the Sidonite name for Mount Hermon, one of the most magnificent mountains in the northeast of Palestine).

Psalm 28:7. The voice of the Lord strikes with a flash of fire. “The voice of the Lord strikes with a flash of fire”—refers to lightning.

Psalm 28:8. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The Lord shakes the wilderness—in the wilderness from the storm a mass of sand and dust rises, and the animal kingdom of the wilderness trembles and flees.

Psalm 28:9. The voice of the Lord causes the deer to give birth and strips the forests bare; and in His temple all declare His glory. “The voice of the Lord causes the deer to give birth”—a common phenomenon in the East, when these timid animals give birth prematurely to their offspring at strong storms. “Strips the forests bare”—or strips them of their leaves, or uproots many trees, from which the forested area becomes bare, the thicket becomes sparse and transparent.

Psalm 28:10. The Lord sat enthroned over the flood, and the Lord will sit enthroned as king forever. “The Lord sat enthroned over the flood”—in the mass of water that falls during these rains, the power of the Lord is revealed, at whose will it falls. The Lord, as on a throne, is enthroned over the clouds.

Psalm 28:11. The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace. If the word of the Lord is so magnificent and powerful, then the people who honor Him are assured of peace forever: the Lord is able to protect them from enemies.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The psalm belongs to David and is superscribed “at the dedication of the house.” By the latter should be understood the setting up of an altar on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, after the conclusion of the plague (2 Sam 24; 1 Chr 21).

Such an understanding of the superscription is consistent with the content of the psalm, in which it is said that the Lord punished David for his overconfidence in the immovability of his greatness and strength (Ps 29:7), but at his repentance “turned his mourning into joy” (Ps 29:12). The plague, moreover, was sent by God after David’s counting of his subjects, and in this counting was expressed David’s temporary intoxication with his own might and greatness, for which the Lord punished him.

I exalt You, O Lord, because You did not let me perish (2–4). Let all the holy ones join in my praise (5–6). I received greatness from You, but became overconfident, for which You, O Lord, punished me (8). I turned to You in prayer and You heard me; for this I will praise You forever (9–13).

Psalm 29:2. I will exalt You, O Lord, because You lifted me up and did not let my enemies triumph over me. “I will exalt You, O Lord”—is explained in v. 13, where David promises to praise the Lord eternally. “Did not let my enemies triumph over me”—it may be that David here meant neighboring nations who did not take advantage of this occasion of the people’s misfortune to attack them, and in this David saw God’s mercy toward him.

Psalm 29:4. O Lord! You brought my soul up from Hades and kept me alive, so that I would not go down to the grave. The plague sent by God upon the Hebrews could have touched even David himself. David even prayed to the Lord for this: since the plague was a consequence of his sin, let it fall upon him and his house. Such a humble prayer of David appeased God’s wrath and the plague ceased. David was filled with gratitude toward God.

Psalm 29:6. For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts for a lifetime: weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. “His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts for a lifetime.” David considered his deed before God a grave offense to Him, for which a severe and prolonged punishment ought to follow. The Lord, however, has shown mercy to him, and the punishment He sent, in its duration and consequences, is insignificant, a moment compared to those mercies with which the Lord always blessed him.

Psalm 29:7. And I said in my security: “I will never be moved.” Psalm 29:8. By Your favor, O Lord, You established me as a mighty mountain; but when You hid Your face, I was terrified. The sin of David, for which the Lord punished him, consisted of the following. Having secured the borders of his state from enemies, intoxicated by military success and internal tranquility, he resolved to conduct a census of his subjects. An act in itself neutral became a crime before God due to the inner motives behind it: David fell into self-worship, forgot the Lord, to whom he owed his success in his victories. For this the Lord “hid His face,” sent punishment.

Psalm 29:10. “What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the grave? Will the dust praise You? Will it proclaim Your truth? Psalm 29:11. Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me; O Lord, be my helper.” David prayed for mercy because his death, untimely demise, would deprive him of the opportunity to fulfill his purpose on earth—to praise and worship the Lord, which is impossible in Sheol.

Psalm 29:12. And You turned my mourning into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, “You removed my sackcloth”—the coarse and rough cloth worn to express sorrow. “And clothed me with joy”—by His mercy and cessation of the plague, He filled David with feelings of gladness.

Chapter Thirty

The content of the psalm is consistent with David’s situation during the persecutions from Saul. David speaks of his innocence (Ps 30:2), humiliation and persecution by his enemies (Ps 30:5-11), humiliation by the people (Ps 30:12). David was hiding in a fortified city (Ps 30:22), and yet despite remaining in the latter, he hates the “worshippers of vain idols” (Ps 30:7). The latter two expressions indicate the fact of David’s salvation in the Philistine Ziklag (see Ps 15).

The addition in the Russian Bible “in a time of confusion”—is taken on the basis of Ps 30:23 verse. The same addition is found in the Vulgate, in the LXX, and in the Slavonic Bible.

Since You, O Lord, are the God of truth, I trust in You alone and ask You to free me from all dangers and snares by which my enemies have surrounded me (2–5). I entrust my life to You, I hate idols, and for the mercies shown to me will sing Your praise (6–9). My present afflictions are severe; my strength is exhausted, everyone avoids me, and I hear from all sides curses and attempts to take my life (10–14). I look to You alone for protection: do not let my enemies triumph over me (15–19). Blessed is the Lord for the mercy He grants to the faithful and which He poured out upon me in my confusion. May all who hope in the Lord be courageous and strengthened (20–25)!

Psalm 30:2. In You, O Lord, I trust; let me never be ashamed; deliver me in Your righteousness; “Deliver me in Your righteousness”—because You, O Lord, love righteousness, deliver me from my enemies. Here David confesses his complete innocence before God, which is the basis of his confidence and plea for protection.

Psalm 30:4. For You are a rock of mine and a stronghold of mine; for the sake of Your name guide me and lead me. Psalm 30:6. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord, God of truth. “For the sake of Your name guide me and lead me.” God’s name is the God of truth. David is pure before Him. So that God’s name would not be scorned and mocked by enemies, David asks to “guide him,” that is, to save him from afflictions, for his ruin could be interpreted by enemies as evidence of God’s inability to save those devoted to Him (6). “Into Your hand I commit my spirit”—I entrust my life to You.

Psalm 30:7. I hate those who hold to idols, but I trust in the Lord. David found refuge in Ziklag under the protection of King Achish and the Philistines. But this protection, without depriving David of grateful feelings toward his protectors, could not bind him to them by religious conviction: they worship idols, false gods, and thus offend the one true God—the Deity. David hates these beliefs, and they cannot bring him closer to the Philistines or inspire in him love and respect for them.

Psalm 30:9. And You did not deliver me into the hand of the enemy; You set my feet in a spacious place. “You set my feet in a spacious place”—You brought me out from a confined situation into a relatively free and safe place, namely to Ziklag.

Psalm 30:11. My life is consumed by sorrow and my years by sighing; my strength fails me because of my affliction, and my bones waste away. David prays to God in the subsequent time of persecutions, after leaving Ziklag, to save him from his enemies. “My strength fails me because of my affliction”—an imprecise translation from the Hebrew; it should say “because of hardships,” or as in the Vulgate “in paupertate,” and in the LXX—“in poverty.”

Psalm 30:12. I am scorned by all my enemies and even by my neighbors; I am a dread to my acquaintances; those who see me on the street flee from me. David was avoided by those who knew him. This is understandable: Saul pursued him as his personal enemy, and close relations with David or dealings with him by anyone among the Hebrews could arouse suspicion on Saul’s part of supporting him and thus bring down the king’s wrath.

Psalm 30:13. I am forgotten as though I were dead; I am like a broken vessel. “I am forgotten as though I were dead”—no one remembers me, as they do not remember a dead man, with heartfelt and active sympathy.

Psalm 30:14. For I hear the slandering of many; fear is on every side, when they conspire against me, they plot to take my life. “To take my life”—to deprive me of life.

Psalm 30:18. O Lord! let me not be ashamed, for I call upon You; let the wicked be shamed; let them be silent in Hades. “Let me not be ashamed, for I call upon You”—synonymous with v. 4.

Psalm 30:23. In my alarm I said: “I am cut off from Your sight”; yet You heard my voice, the voice of my prayer, when I cried to You. “In my alarm”—in a severe, disturbed state, when David found and saw protection nowhere from people.

Psalm 30:24. Love the Lord, all you His faithful; the Lord preserves the faithful and abundantly repays the proud. The help received by David from the Lord fills him with gratitude to Him. In this fact he sees a comforting indication for all the righteous, that the Lord will keep them, and those acting with pride, guided in their actions not by God’s will but by their own considerations, He repays “abundantly,” heavily, that is, severely, as severe is the very transgression of disobedience and rejection of God’s guidance.

Chapter Thirty-One

The psalm belongs to David. Its content is the revelation of that satisfied inner state of the author, which resulted from the Lord’s forgiveness of his sin. If we compare this psalm with Psalm 50, in which repentance and prayer for forgiveness are set forth, then the present psalm should be considered as written after Psalm 50, once this forgiveness had been received. The sin to which the historical books point regarding David and similar to the present psalm—Psalm 50—should be considered his sin with Uriah and Bathsheba.

The superscription in the Hebrew Bible “maskil”—can be translated “instruction, teaching,” or as in the Russian Bible—“a psalm of instruction.” This superscription points to the character of the psalm’s content, which presents instruction to a person in true conduct, to which David came through his personal experience and reflection. The psalm, like the sixth, is one of repentance.

Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered (1–2). When I hid my sin, I experienced severe torment (3–4). When I revealed it before the Lord, I felt relief and found in Him protection (5–7). The Lord is merciful to people and commands them not to resist His will and influence, as wild horses resist taming, and then the righteous will be glad before Him, and the wicked will experience many sorrows (8–11).

Psalm 31:1. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! Psalm 31:2. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit! “To whom transgression is forgiven,” “whose sin is covered,” “imputes no iniquity”—should be understood in the sense of complete moral purification of a person, not merely external or juridical justification, by which a person is recognized merely as not subject to punishment, but free from that moral defect for which he is responsible before God. Complete purification is indicated by the last phrase of the verse—“in whose spirit there is no deceit,” that is, blessed is only he who has purified his spirit, who has undergone a moral rebirth, and is not merely externally justified.

Psalm 31:3. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long, Psalm 31:4. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as by the heat of summer. “When I kept silent”—David’s repentance for the sin he committed occurred after a year, as can be seen from the comparison of chapters 11 and 12 of 2 Samuel. “My bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.” The voice of conscience tormented David, and he was daily anguished by the consciousness of the transgression he had committed. This anguish of conscience he regarded as “the heaviness of the Lord’s hand,” the consequence of which was David’s physical wasting away—the loss of vigor and vitality.

Psalm 31:5. Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Psalm 31:6. For this let everyone who is godly pray to You at a time when You may be found; surely in the flood of great waters, they will not reach him. To the degree that David felt oppressed by hiding his transgression before God, to that same degree it became easy for him after repentance, for the Lord “forgave the iniquity of my sin.” By the guilt of sin here should be understood not freedom from responsibility, not juridical justification, since David bore punishment in the death of his son born of Bathsheba and subsequently in the revolt of Absalom, but moral and complete purification from the transgression. From the juridical aspect, in David’s marriage to Bathsheba there was even no crime: her husband was killed, she became free, and David could marry her, and if there was no juridical crime, then there could be no juridical justification either; instead there was a complete, actual, and moral purification. “Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You”—better translated as “therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You.” On the basis of the suffering of conscience experienced by David, he counsels every “righteous man,” one on whom the voice of conscience acts, “at a time when it is proper,” at a time needed for the relief of conscience, that is, at its first call, to repent before God, so that thereby he might achieve both moral peace, and prevent the “flood of great waters,” the force of afflictions with which the Lord will punish him. (“Waters”—in the Bible constantly means numerous and severe afflictions, as in the flood that washed away all the wicked).

Psalm 31:8. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” Psalm 31:9. “Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding; they must be controlled with bit and bridle, or they will not come to you.” God is speaking. The Lord constantly watches over and provides for a person, directing him on the path of truth. One such manifestation of God’s influence upon a person is the voice of conscience, which must be obeyed, and not resisted, like wild horses and mules, whose jaws must be held by bridle to make these animals fit for human service. Such a bridle should be regarded as the afflictions sent by God upon a person for the purpose of instructing him, restraining him, bridling his wild sinful inclinations. God desires and awaits from a person voluntary obedience to Him, sincere repentance before Him.

Chapter Thirty-Two

This psalm has no heading in the Hebrew Bible. But its position among the psalms inscribed with David’s name, as well as its close connection with the content of the previous psalm, in which David invites the righteous to rejoice in God but does not clarify or give them a respectable basis for following such instruction, and in this psalm the previously unstated reasons are indicated, all this compels us to consider it a continuation Ps 31 and attribute it to David. This is how it is considered in the LXX and in the Vulgate.

The righteous must praise the Lord and sing to Him with instruments (1–3), for He is infallible in His ordinances. He is the creator of all the world, of earth and waters (4–8). He is almighty, all His commands are fulfilled; before Him the nations are powerless (9–11). Blessed is the nation whose Lord watches over! He observes all who live on the earth and no one can struggle against Him (12–17). The Lord protects those who fear Him and will save them from afflictions. May His mercy be upon us (18–22).

Psalm 32:1. Rejoice, O righteous, in the Lord: it is fitting for the upright to praise Him. “It is fitting for the upright to praise Him.” Expressions of this kind are very common in the Psalter. Since God is an all-holy being, those who worship and praise Him can only be those who stand closer to Him in their moral purity, that is, righteous people; sinners cannot worthily praise Him (Sir 15:9).

Psalm 32:2. Praise the Lord on the harp, sing to Him on the ten-stringed psaltery; Harp, ten-stringed psaltery—see about instruments in the introduction to the Psalter.

Psalm 32:3. Sing to Him a new song; sing to Him skillfully with a loud cry, “Sing to Him a new song.” According to the changed subject of the song, the very character of the singing should change. Earlier, when David brought before God the expression of his repentant feeling regarding his sin with Bathsheba and psalms of this kind were distinguished by a sorrowful character, now he invites all to praise God as the Creator and Lawgiver of the world, the Protector of all the righteous, and therefore the song must be “new,” triumphant and grateful.

Psalm 32:4. For the word of the Lord is right and all His works are faithful. Psalm 32:5. He loves righteousness and judgment; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord. “The word of the Lord is right”—sincere, pure; “His works are faithful”—fully consistent with His word, His command: there is no contradiction between His word and its fulfillment. As the Lord Himself is faithful to righteousness, so on earth “He loves righteousness and judgment,” justice, life according to the highest guidance, and the proper, impartial, assessment of human actions in accordance with the highest truth.

Psalm 32:6. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host: The Lord is almighty: He created the heavens with His word and “their host,” that is, the luminaries. In patristic literature, “the Word” is understood to mean the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, “the Lord”—the First, and “the Spirit of His mouth”—the Third Person. Such an understanding of this passage is probably explained by the fact that these terms received a strictly defined meaning in the New Testament revelation, with a definite concrete content pointing to the Divine Persons. However, the Psalter does not actually present such a distinction and content of these terms, for “the psalmists in their teaching about the Word of God, as the second Person of the Holy Trinity, wavered between personal and impersonal representation of Him. By the name of the Word of God they called both a Divine Person and God’s revelation to people, and God’s commandment. Similar to the teaching about the Word of God in the psalmists is the teaching about the Spirit of God” (The Doctrine of the Psalter. P. Yungerov, p. 11).

Psalm 32:7. He gathered the waters of the sea as if into heaps, He put the deep waters into storehouses. God is almighty, for by His command such a movable element as water is gathered in one place “as if into heaps.” He preserves it as if in storehouses, in special reservoirs.

Psalm 32:9. For He said, and it was done; He commanded, and it came to pass. Since God is almighty, His word encounters no obstacles: His command finds infallible and exact fulfillment.—“He commanded, and it came to pass,”—this refers to His creation of the world.

Psalm 32:11. But the counsel of the Lord stands forever; the thoughts of His heart are for all generations. Insofar as the plans of people are weak and unfulfilled and are destroyed by God, so eternal and unshakable is every word of the Lord; His counsels and plans (“thoughts”) are immutable and inviolable.

Psalm 32:16. A king is not saved by the multitude of his warriors; a giant will not be protected by great strength. Psalm 32:17. A horse is not reliable for salvation; it will not save by its great strength. If the Lord is always faithful to Himself and almighty, then the most reliable protection can be found by a person only in Him. No means devised by man to secure his well-being can be considered sufficient; “a horse is not reliable for salvation,” man cannot and should not think that by abundance of military force (“horse,” abundance of cavalry) he can win victory: everything depends on God.

Psalm 32:18. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear Him and those who hope in His mercy, Psalm 32:19. That He may save their souls from death and feed them in time of famine. God loves (“the eye of the Lord”) only those who fear Him, and to such He will offer sure protection in all their heavy circumstances; “He will save their souls from death” and will feed them during famine.

Chapter Thirty-Three

By the unanimous inscription of the Hebrew, Greek Bible, and Vulgate, the psalm belongs to David and was written for the reason indicated in the inscription: David pretended to be mad before Abimelech (the title of Philistine kings, as Pharaoh of Egyptian kings, though his own name was Ankus), and so, recently a victor over Goliath, he was released free.

The psalm is alphabetical.

I sing praises to the Lord and invite all the righteous to praise Him, for He is always their protector in times of affliction. He sends angels to protect His people (2–8). Everyone can be assured by experience that the Lord guards those who fear Him (9–11). To deserve such mercy from the Lord, one must fear Him and neither say nor do anything evil (12–15). The Lord has mercy and protects the righteous, no matter what difficult circumstances they find themselves in, while he who does evil perishes (16–23).

Psalm 33:3. My soul shall boast in the Lord; the meek shall hear and be glad. “My soul shall boast in the Lord”—a Hebraism that can be rendered as “I shall boast,” that is, I will always sing praises for the mercies He has shown me. “All the meek”—the righteous, who are in a difficult situation. In God’s protection of David, they will find strength and courage to bear afflictions, for they will gain the confidence that the Lord will help them as well.

Psalm 33:6. Those who looked to Him were enlightened, and their faces were not ashamed. “Their faces were not ashamed”—faith in Him will never remain unjustified.

Psalm 33:8. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them. “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him”—the Lord appoints a guardian angel to each person, who serves the same purpose for him as troops of soldiers in struggle with enemies: he protects him from afflictions. Here is revealed the peculiarity of the psalmists’ teaching about angels, that they are defenders of people, whereas in other books of the Old Testament angels are depicted as servants and messengers of Jehovah, appearing “temporarily” to him, rather than as his constant protectors and companions.

Psalm 33:9. Taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! David transfers this truth about God’s protection of a righteous person from the realm of faith into the realm of experiential knowledge: “Taste and see”—try and see, convince yourself of the truth of my words.

Psalm 33:10. Fear the Lord, all you His saints, for there is no want among those who fear Him. Psalm 33:11. The young lions grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Psalm 33:12. Come, children, listen to me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. “There is no want among those who fear Him”—explained by the words of the next verse: “those who seek the Lord lack no good thing,” that is, the Lord gives the righteous also earthly well-being. From verse 12 onward, the conditions are set forth that determine God’s help to a person.

Psalm 33:16. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. Psalm 33:17. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off their memory from the earth. “The eyes of the Lord,” “His ears,” “the face of the Lord”—human-like representation of God, as a being attentively disposed toward man.

Psalm 33:23. The Lord will redeem the souls of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him will be destroyed. “The souls of His servants”—the lives of His servants, that is, the righteous.

Chapter Thirty-Four

The psalm belongs to David and was written during his persecutions by Saul. For instance, David speaks here of his complete innocence before God (Ps 34:7) and the undeservedness of his persecution; enemies sought to take his life (Ps 34:4), they plotted against him (Ps 34:7). David’s situation was similar to this when he was persecuted by Saul.

O Lord! Come forth to my defense against my enemies, who plot evil against me (1–6). Let my enemies perish by the angel You send, and I with all my being will praise You (7–10). My enemies repay my goodness and compassion with only evil and hypocrisy (11–16). Do not let my solitary enemies triumph over me, who plot against me (17–21). You have seen my undeserved suffering and the joy of my enemies in my afflictions; rise up in my defense and grant me the ability to always praise You (22–28).

Psalm 34:1. Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me; “Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me”—the image is borrowed from human judgment, where each side was given the right to prove their innocence by the facts of their activity. David testifies that the strictest judgment would not find such guilt in him and would not justify his enemies.

Psalm 34:2. Take hold of shield and armor, and rise up for my help; Psalm 34:3. Draw Your sword and block the way of those who pursue me; say to my soul: “I am your salvation!” The images of God rising up in David’s defense are borrowed from the order of a warrior’s armor going to battle.

Psalm 34:5. Let them be like chaff before the wind, and let the angel of the Lord drive them; Psalm 34:6. Let their path be dark and slippery, and let the angel of the Lord pursue them, “Let the angel of the Lord drive” and “pursue them”—a reference to one aspect of the activity of the guardian angel: he drives out and pursues wicked people, thus protecting the righteous from their attacks.—“Let their path be dark and slippery”—their plots against the righteous shall be unsuccessful, shall meet obstacles, just as a traveler meets them on a dark night on a slippery path.

Psalm 34:10. All my bones shall say: “O Lord! Who is like You, who deliver the weak from the strong, the poor and needy from those who plunder them?” “All my bones shall say.” Bones, as the hardest part of the organism and the bearer of the whole body, hidden within, signify the depth of grateful feeling that fills the entire being of the saved person.

Psalm 34:11. Unjust witnesses rise up against me: they ask me about things I do not know; Unjust accusations were brought against David before Saul, as can be seen from 1 Sam 24:8-10.

Psalm 34:12. They repay me evil for good, and my soul is orphaned. “My soul is orphaned”—the abandonment of David by those close to him.

Psalm 34:13. But I, when they were sick, clothed myself in sackcloth; I afflicted my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned into my bosom. Psalm 34:14. I behaved as though it were my friend, my brother; I went about in grief, bowing down as one mourning for a mother. David’s depiction of the compassion he formerly found in those now his enemies, and certainly in Saul. He was always grieved by their afflictions.—“My prayer returned into my bosom”—an unclear expression. It can be understood as an external manner of prayer with the head bowed to the chest (“bosom”), or in the sense that my prayer came forth from within and returned to within, that is, it was silent but deep and internal.

Psalm 34:15. But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered; they gathered scoffers against me, whom I did not know; they slandered me without ceasing; Psalm 34:16. With hypocritical mockers gnashing their teeth at me. Entirely opposite to David were the acts of his enemies: they rejoiced in his misfortune and were hypocritical toward him.

Psalm 34:17. O Lord! How long will You look on this? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my life from the lions; “Lions”—representation of the bloodthirstiness of enemies, “my soul”—me, solitary.

Psalm 34:20. For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful things against the peaceful of the earth; “Peaceful of the earth”—David and his few followers, they are peaceful, not plotting against anyone and not stirring up strife among the people.

Psalm 34:21. They open their mouths wide against me; they say: “Aha! Aha! Our eyes have seen it!” “They open their mouths wide”—they smile broadly at the sight of my afflictions.

Psalm 34:23. Rise up and come to my aid, to my judgment, my God and my Lord! “Come to my aid in my judgment”—rise up in my defense and in the condemnation of my enemies.

Psalm 34:24. Judge me according to Your righteousness, O Lord, my God, and do not let them triumph over me; “Judge me according to Your righteousness”—according to all Your justice. David boldly appeals to God’s judgment, for he is conscious of his complete innocence before Him.

Psalm 34:25. Do not let them say in their hearts: “Aha! [Aha!] We have satisfied our desire!” Do not let them say: “We have consumed him.” Do not let triumph over me those who try to consume me and for whom my destruction would be complete satisfaction of their evil desire (“according to our desire”—according to our will).

Psalm 34:27. Let those who desire my vindication rejoice and be glad, and let them say continually: “The Lord be magnified, who desires peace for His servant!” “Let those who desire my vindication rejoice and be glad”—save me from enemies so that I may bring joy to those who wish my righteousness to triumph over the unrighteousness of my enemies.

Chapter Thirty-Five

In the first half of Psalm XXXV (Ps 35:1-5), an unrighteous person is described who constantly plots against the righteous and lays snares for him; he cannot find rest even at night, which he spends planning evil schemes. Such a characterization is very fitting for Saul, the relentless persecutor of David, which is why this psalm, in the absence of other concrete references, can be considered written during the era of persecution by this king.

True piety is possible in one who has the fear of God, so the unrighteous, as lacking this fear, always strives only toward evil (2–5). But however great the strength of the unrighteous, the mercy and truth of the Lord toward a person are his true and unshakable support, for only from Him comes the light of life (6–10). Extend this mercy of Yours, O Lord, to the upright in heart and the unrighteous will perish (11–13).

Psalm 35:2. Iniquity speaks to my heart about the ungodly: there is no fear of God before his eyes, Psalm 35:3. For he flatters himself in his own eyes, in seeking out his iniquity and hating it; David clarifies for himself the basic, psychological source and cause of the unrighteous person’s wickedness. The cause is the absence in him of “the fear of God before his eyes.” The fear of God is a reverent feeling before God, obligating a person to strive not to offend Him by any evil thought or deed. At the foundation of such fear lies a person’s acknowledgment of the purity of His commandments and their high and beneficial significance for man. If such consciousness and such fear of God exist in a person, then all his efforts will be directed toward harmonizing his actions and inner strivings with the Lord’s commandments. If such a disposition is absent in a person, there cannot be concern for the purity of his deeds: the guiding principle and foundation of his activity becomes his own good and the satisfaction of his earthly desires. That is why the small self-restraint which the unrighteous person imposes on himself, or more accurately, some moral self-assessment of his actions to which he sometimes resorts, cannot be understood as a concern for moral regeneration; this is self-deception, a lie of the unrighteous person before himself, as if he “seeks out his iniquity in order to hate it.”

Psalm 35:4. The words of his mouth are falsehood and deceit; he will not understand so as to do good; Psalm 35:5. On his bed he plans iniquity; he stands on the path of evil and does not abhor wickedness. From the absence of fear of God in the unrighteous person follows the fact that all his words, deeds, and thoughts are directed toward untruth, deceit, and evil. Since the activity of the unrighteous person aims at personal interest, petty interest, his methods of action are based on lies, plotting, which he engages in even at night—the time of rest for other people.

Psalm 35:6. Your mercy, O Lord, reaches to heaven; Your truth reaches to the clouds! Psalm 35:7. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God, and Your judgments are a great deep! O Lord, You preserve man and beast! God governs the world according to the laws of mercy and righteousness. “His mercy and truth reach to the clouds and heaven; His righteousness is like the mountains; and His judgments are a great deep!” The comparisons used by the author aim to show that in God is all truth and all righteousness and that only by them does He govern the entire world, man and beast.

Psalm 35:8. How precious is Your mercy, O God! The children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings: “Children of men”—all people. “In the shadow of Your wings”—under the shelter, protection of God—the same as under the wings of a hen, which jealously guards her chicks. So God cares for all who live and especially for man.

Psalm 35:9. They are filled with the fatness of Your house, and You give them to drink from the river of Your delights, “The fatness of Your house,” “the river of Your delights”—images pointing to the rich gifts of nature that are given for man’s use.

Psalm 35:10. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light. “In Your light we see light.” Since earlier it was spoken about external rich sources of happy existence on earth, which are received from God, this expression should be understood, according to the context of the speech, as follows: our well-being (“we see light”) is owed to Your mercy (“in Your light”).

Psalm 35:12. Do not let the foot of pride overtake me, and let the hand of the wicked not drive me away: “Do not let the foot of pride overtake me.” The source of a person’s righteousness lies in the fear of God. Pride is a quality opposite to it. It sustains in a person the desire to live by his own will and inclinations, rather than in agreement with the Lord’s commandments. The meaning of the expression then would be: preserve me, O Lord, from willfulness as a cause of man’s alienation from You, for then You will not preserve me. One can understand by pride an unrighteous person in general, and the whole verse would be a prayer to God for salvation from unrighteous enemies.

Psalm 35:13. There the workers of iniquity have fallen; they have been cast down and cannot rise. If the Lord rises up in defense of the righteous, then there, where He strikes the unrighteous, the latter “will not rise up,” that is, will be completely destroyed.

Chapter Thirty-Six

By the inscription of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin (Vulgate) Bible, the psalm belongs to David. From the reference Ps 36:25, it can be seen that the psalm was written by David in his old age and represents instruction which he offers to every man as guidance in life. This instruction is based on his experience and observations. In the psalm’s indication of the swift destruction of the unrighteous man, who for a time triumphed (Ps 36:35-36) but unexpectedly soon perished, one can see a depiction of the fate of Absalom. And the entire content of the psalm does not contradict the given time of David’s flight from Jerusalem, when he had occasion to witness the swift rise of his enemies and the dejected state of those around him. In memory of this time, the psalm was written.

The psalm is alphabetical.

Do not be angry when you see the prosperity of the unrighteous, for it is not lasting, like grass (1–2). Rely on the Lord, and He will save you and reward you (3–6). All the wealth of the unrighteous and all their plots against the righteous will be destroyed by the Lord; the righteous shall be planted and supported by Him in time of their fall, they will inherit the earth, from which the Lord will destroy the unrighteous (7–24). The Lord loves righteousness and will not abandon the righteous. However quickly the power of the unrighteous may grow, the Lord will crush him (25–40).

Psalm 36:1. Do not be angry with evildoers, do not envy those who work iniquity, Psalm 36:2. For like grass they will soon be mown down and like the green herb they will wither. “Do not be angry”—do not be vexed, do not be disturbed at the sight of the prosperity of the unrighteous.

Psalm 36:3. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness. “Dwell in the land and keep the truth”—strive during the course of your earthly life toward the pursuit and observance of truth, for in it lies the pledge of your well-being.

Psalm 36:4. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. “Delight yourself in the Lord”—find comfort in your activity and life not in external success, but in the harmony of its direction with the Lord’s guidance. Such conduct will deserve reward from God: He will fulfill “the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 36:5. Commit your way to the Lord and trust in Him, and He will do it, Psalm 36:6. And He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noonday. Whoever entrusts his life to God’s guidance, the Lord will reward for his righteousness and justice, bringing it into the light, that is, will reward.

Psalm 36:8. Cease from anger and abandon wrath; do not be angry, it only brings trouble, “Do not be angry to do evil”—do not be angry at the successes of the unrighteous to such a degree that you proceed to cause them harm.

Psalm 36:9. For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord will inherit the land. Psalm 36:10. Yet a little while and the wicked will be no more; you will look carefully at his place and he will not be there. Psalm 36:11. But the meek will inherit the land and will delight in abundant peace. “Those who wait for the Lord” is the same as “the meek” (Ps 36:11), for waiting on God is submission to His guidance, the yielding of one’s will to His direction. They “will inherit the land”—a paraphrase of all Deuteronomy, in which the possession of Palestine as the promised land, God appoints only for those who morally deserve reward from God, for the righteous.

Psalm 36:16. A little that a righteous man has is better than the abundance of many wicked; Psalm 36:17. For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord sustains the righteous. The expression in verse 16 is explained by the content of verse 17. Since the unrighteous perish, their strength (“arms”) is crushed by God, what they have acquired cannot be lasting, no matter in what quantity it has been gathered. On the other hand, the little that the righteous possess is not only not lost, but gradually increases, for the Lord “sustains” them.

Psalm 36:18. The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will last forever: By “the inheritance of the blameless,” as can be judged from the context, is meant their material well-being. It “will last forever”—a reference to the durability of this good: it will pass from generation to generation, whereas with the wicked their goods are taken away in one generation.

Psalm 36:21. The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives, The unrighteous person’s treatment of people in general differs from the treatment of the righteous. The unrighteous is guided not by moral principles, but by material calculation. For him the meaning of life is the acquisition of external power and material good, so when he “borrows and does not repay,” he tries to delay or not make payment at all, for payment, in his understanding, harms his external good. The righteous, on the other hand, is guided by moral obligations to people and by love, and so shows mercy to his debtors (“shows mercy”) and gives to the needy from his abundance.

Psalm 36:25. I have been young and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned nor his descendants asking for bread: The necessity of following truth and living according to God’s law David justifies by his own observations: he is now old “and I have not seen the righteous abandoned,” that is, he does not know an example of when a righteous person was completely abandoned by the Lord, was rejected by Him, although he had to experience various afflictions in his life. The latter were only temporary, but never, according to David’s observation, decisive and final positions in the life of the righteous.

Psalm 36:27. Depart from evil and do good; and you will dwell forever: Psalm 36:28. For the Lord loves righteousness and does not abandon His saints; they are preserved forever; [and the children of the wicked shall be cut off] and the offspring of the wicked will be destroyed. “Dwell forever” depends on turning away from evil and doing good, for “the Lord loves righteousness and does not abandon His saints; they are preserved forever.” By “dwelling forever” here can be understood eternal life beyond the grave in the closeness and unity with God. David, like all the psalmists and generally the writers of the Old Testament, considered the death of the body to be an inevitable end of human existence on earth, so a literal understanding of the expression “dwell forever,” in the sense of eternal physical life on earth, cannot be admitted in this place. The Lord is eternal, He loves righteousness and does not abandon the righteous; when the latter dies on earth in body, he is still not abandoned by God, for the Lord stands close to his soul, that is, the righteous person after death exists in eternal closeness to God. This place of the psalm is one of the few in the Psalter that reveals the features of the righteous person’s existence after life.

Psalm 36:29. The righteous will inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. Here David again turns to the depiction of what was expressed earlier in verses 10–12 and 18.

Psalm 36:37. Mark the man of integrity and observe the upright, for the future of that man is peace; “Mark the man of integrity and observe the upright”—learn from observation of their conduct and fate how you should act. “The future of the upright is peace”—a general indication, either in the sense of well-being in earthly life (see verse 25) or in the afterlife (see verses 27–28).

Chapter Thirty-Seven

“In remembrance of the Sabbath” is understood either as an indication of the time of liturgical performance of the psalm—on the Sabbath—or in a figurative sense corresponding to the literal meaning of the word (Sabbath = rest) and the content of the psalm—“in remembrance of rest,” that is, this psalm is a supplicatory prayer to God for the granting of rest, which points to the grievous condition that David was experiencing at that time. Some, proceeding from the position that the Sabbath was established after the completion of the days of creation, interpret this inscription literally, that is, that the psalm was written by David in remembrance of the completion of creation. But the latter understanding cannot be accepted: the completion of creation, when all appeared “very good” (Gen 1:31), was a solemn and magnificent act, with which the sad and supplicatory content of the psalm is not in harmony.

The entire content of the psalm is distinguished by a penitential character: in it David vividly depicts the picture of his sufferings, both physical (from illness) and moral, from his awareness of his transgression before God. This transgression of David, as is known, was his sin with Uriah and Bathsheba. In this same psalm David depicts himself as lonely, and his former friends begin to withdraw from him. Both of these features give grounds to suppose that the psalm was written at the beginning of Absalom’s uprising (to the connection of his transgression with his son’s uprising, as we have already mentioned, David himself pointed), which explains the perfidy of the king’s friends.

Lord! Condescend to my sufferings and the illness of body and soul (2-5). I am covered with wounds and have grown weak (6-11). Friends have abandoned me, and my enemies have grown strong (13-15). I rely only on You. The awareness of my sin weighs on me and enemies multiply. Do not abandon me, Lord, and hasten Your help (16-23).

Psalm 37:2. Lord! Do not reprove me in Your fury, and do not chasten me in Your anger, Psalm 37:3. For Your arrows have pierced me, and Your hand presses down upon me. Psalm 37:4. There is no whole place in my flesh from Your anger; there is no peace in my bones because of my sins, Psalm 37:5. For my iniquities have gone over my head, like a heavy burden they weigh heavily upon me, David prays to God that He would not punish him with the full force of His righteous anger, although he considers it deserved. David’s sufferings are great: into him “have pierced… arrows,” that is, the sufferings that he is now experiencing and which he describes in great detail below; from the pain he is experiencing he compares his sufferings to the pain of arrows in war. “Hand… presses down,” that is, the hand of anger, or—the Lord punishes severely. This punishment was some kind of illness that struck David and, by his figurative expression, caused not only his body and muscles to suffer but also his bones, that is, it penetrated very deeply. The force of his physical sufferings fully corresponds to David’s consciousness of the depth of his fall and the gravity of the transgression he had committed, which in his sorrowful and penitential mood he depicts figuratively as having swallowed him whole and pressing down like a heavy burden.

Psalm 37:6. My wounds stink and fester from my folly. Psalm 37:7. I am bowed and utterly brought low; all the day I go about mourning, Psalm 37:8. For my loins are full of inflammation, and there is no whole place in my flesh. Representation of the illness. “From my folly,” because of my sin, my body has been covered with wounds that emit a foul smell; my sufferings are grievous and I am utterly brought low, I go about all day and “mourn,” languish, condemn myself. My loins are full of inflammation and there is no healthy place in my body. What kind of illness this was, according to the signs indicated here, is difficult to determine. According to the Hebrew text, many commentators (for example, Jerome, and among more recent ones—Cramer, Ewald) and rabbis considered this illness “a kind of leprosy.” But such a determination cannot be made from the signs indicated in the Bible. If David’s bones were already affected, then with such a development of the illness he could not walk, to which, according to the given psalm, this illness, however, did not prevent. Moreover, if it were leprosy, then it is hardly likely that it, as an important phenomenon, would be passed over in silence in the historical books, since in the view of that time this illness as a sign of rejection by God, it is hardly likely that it would pass for the king without a trace and would not cause political disturbances among the people. This illness, as is evident from the psalm, provoked mockery at David for his infirmity of loins. The latter were recognized as bearers of productive force, the source of offspring, in which they saw a sign of divine favor; therefore they thought that the loss of this force and consequently the ability to procreate was a sign of rejection by God and provoked reproach. The Russian text thus gives a general indication that David’s illness affected his entire organism and was so exhausting that it completely drained his strength, but does not make it possible to determine its kind precisely.

Psalm 37:9. I am exhausted and utterly broken; I cry out from the anguish of my heart. “I cry out from the anguish of my heart”—from internal, spiritual torments, I “cry out,” I let out a cry.

Psalm 37:11. My heart trembles; my strength has abandoned me, and the light of my eyes—I no longer have it. With the loss of courage (“my heart trembles”) and strength the “light” has also gone out for David’s eyes. This expression, understood literally, points to the development of illness which also affected his vision: or, if under light is understood figuratively as happiness, well-being in general, then it means—I have been deprived of all blessings and there are none with me—neither health nor strength nor respect from people nor even friends. It can also be understood in the sense that “light” means God, who formerly poured out His mercies upon David and shone for him in his life, but now has ceased. All these interpretations can be accepted without violating the meaning of the expression, the context of the speech and the entire content of the psalm.

Psalm 37:12. My friends and my sincere ones have withdrawn from my wound, and my relatives stand afar off. Psalm 37:13. Those seeking my soul set snares, and those desiring evil for me speak of my ruin and scheme mischief all the day; My illness has separated my friends from me, and my enemies have grown bolder. My sincere ones became against me in a certain distance, like simple observers, but they did not approach me. This was done by the very people closest to me, and ordinary friends—so they stood afar. But David’s enemies did not sleep. His sufferings prompted them, who desired his ruin and evil for him, to spread false reports about him and to scheme against him.

Psalm 37:14. But I, as a deaf person, do not hear, and as a mute who does not open his mouth; Psalm 37:15. And I became as a man who does not hear and who has no reply in his mouth, David saw what was happening around him, but took no measures to put an end to the schemes and false words, both because his illness seemed to confirm the truth of what his enemies said, and because he did not consider himself justified in coming forward as an avenger and defender of truth when his continuing illness, in his opinion, served as a sign that he was not yet forgiven by God.

Psalm 37:16. For in You, Lord, I hope; You will hear, Lord, my God. Psalm 37:17. And I said: Let my enemies not triumph over me; when my foot falters, they exult over me. Psalm 37:18. I am near to falling, and my sorrow is always before me. Psalm 37:19. I acknowledge my iniquity, and I am sorrowful about my sin. Psalm 37:20. But my enemies are alive and grow strong, and those who hate me without cause are multiplied; Psalm 37:21. And those who repay me evil for good are opposed to me because I follow what is good. Psalm 37:22. Do not abandon me, Lord, my God! Do not withdraw from me; Psalm 37:23. Hasten to help me, Lord, my Savior! Therefore David first of all appeals to God for forgiveness of his sin as a great mercy and a pledge of His help. I trust in You, Lord: do not allow them (my enemies) to triumph over me. My weakness, my misfortunes are a source of malicious joy for them (17). But I am now in such a helpless and defenseless position that I am “near to falling,” ready to perish, I cannot resist the attacks upon me and sin weighs me down. David repents before God of his sin and promises public repentance for it (which he fulfilled by writing this and the Lth Psalm, dedicated to his penitential mood). In this psalm he says: “I acknowledge my iniquity, and I am sorrowful about my sin.” So far as David is full of consciousness of his sinfulness and humility, just so, conversely, his enemies are strong, who hate him without cause (“without cause”); they repay him evil for the good he, David, has done, they slander, they are opposed to him for his fidelity to the good, the true in his prior life. By the good that David did, is understood both his humane, just treatment toward each of his subjects, and all his reforms in the internal and state life, which established order and restrained the arbitrariness and self-will that reigned before him. The degree of David’s sufferings, his consciousness of sin and repentance for it, the injustice of persecutions from his enemies, all this arouses in him a fervent prayer to God: “Do not abandon me, Lord, my God! Hearken to my help!” The thirty-seventh psalm occupies the second place in the Hexapsalm. With the words of this psalm each believer brings repentance before God for his sinfulness with a confession of complete submission and devotion to His will (16 verse). A person here expresses the desire in the coming day to atone for the evil deeds he did before (19 verse).

Chapter Thirty-Eight

The psalm was designated for performance by Jeduthun, one of the leaders of the choir at David’s time. The psalm was written by David. From its close similarity in content with Ps 37, it can be considered as written for the same reason and at the same time as the first, Ps 37, that is, at the beginning of Absalom’s uprising, when together with the awareness of his sin before God David could expect ruin from his enemies.

Lord, I will keep and have kept silence before my wicked enemies. But this silence caused a focusing of thought on my position; I feared: should not my life end in the near future? (2-6). I see the insignificance of man before You, Lord, and my hope is only in You (7-8). Forgive my iniquities and save me from my enemies. Stop punishing me with Your rebukes, but hear my cry for mercy, do not punish me with misfortunes until the coming of death, but put an end to them (9-14).

Psalm 38:2. I said: I will watch my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will keep guard over my mouth, while the wicked one is before me. Psalm 38:3. I was mute and silent, and refrained even from good; and my sorrow was stirred up. David, stricken by illness (see Ps 37), which he regarded as a deserved consequence of his sin, resolves not to answer all the unjust rebukes that his enemies brought against him (see Ps 37:13) “while the wicked one is before me,” while the anger of God, which permits the dominion of the wicked over him, does not cease. David, in submission to Divine Providence, resolves to be silent even when he could speak of the “good” that he had done and which his enemies forgot, who sought to find only evil in him.

Psalm 38:4. My heart grew hot within me; in my thoughts a fire kindled; I began to speak with my tongue: “My heart grew hot,” “in my thoughts a fire kindled”—David was tormented by burning, restless fears concerning the outcome of his illness.

Psalm 38:5. Tell me, Lord, my end and the number of my days, what it is, that I may know what my lifetime is. Psalm 38:6. Behold, You have made my days a span, and my lifetime is nothing before You. Surely all those living are but vanity. Psalm 38:7. Surely man walks about like a phantom; in vain he busies himself, he gathers and knows not who will have it. David’s awareness of his sin was so deep, the illness so strong, that he was convinced of his imminent death. Evidently, there remained to him in the way of life a “span,” the width of a hand, that is, about seven centimeters. David means by this expression that he has only a negligible number of days left to live. The entire duration of human life before God is absolute nothing; it is like a phantom, a shadow quickly vanishing, and all the activity of man, directed toward acquiring and establishing his own good, is vain, useless and pitiful. In this sermon about the vanity of life David pronounced condemnation of his past activity: he found nothing valuable in it, and therefore he looks with fear at the outcome of his life.

Psalm 38:8. And now what do I wait for, Lord? My hope is in You. What else, Lord, but rejection can I expect from You at my end? I am aware of my sin and guilt before You, but I cannot atone for it because of my speedy death; therefore all my hope is in You, Your mercy toward me and Your forbearance.

Psalm 38:9. From all my iniquities deliver me; do not hand me over to the scorn of the fool. Forgive me my iniquities, cleanse me of them, and do not give the wicked (“fool”) to triumph over me.

Psalm 38:10. I became mute; I do not open my mouth; because You have done this. Psalm 38:11. Turn away from me Your blows; I am perishing from the beating of Your hand. David depicts his complete submission to the will of God and to the sufferings sent to him.

Psalm 38:12. If with rebukes You chastise a man for his transgression, then his beauty will waste away like a moth. Surely every man is vanity! “The beauty of man will waste away from God’s rebukes.” By God’s rebukes are understood not only rebukes by word, but also the sending upon a man of external punishments according to his sins. A man sins constantly before God and by his behavior is capable of arousing His strong anger. If God were to relate to man only as His strict Judge, then no one of men would stand before His justice and all would perish.

Psalm 38:13. Hear, Lord, my prayer and give ear to my cry; be not silent to my tears, for I am a sojourner with You and a stranger, as all my fathers were. Mercy and forbearance from God preserve man, and for this forbearance toward himself David prays to Him. “For I am a sojourner with You and a stranger.” Earthly life of man is a journey, that is, it is temporal. The true life begins after the end of earthly life. As a sojourner, each man is subject to dangers from his sinful passions and attachments to earthly interests leading him astray on his path. From God are needed for man guidance on this path and forbearance toward the weaknesses of the sojourner. Such guidance David found in his misfortunes and the illness he was experiencing, which revealed to him his guilt. But for the correction of the path, David had enough of instructive guidance alone: he needed forbearance and mercy from God.

Psalm 38:14. Depart from me, that I may be refreshed, before I go away and am no more. David prays to God for this mercy: “Depart from me, that I may be refreshed,” that is, do not kill me in my illness, end my sufferings and thereby give me the possibility to “be refreshed,” to care for my moral regeneration and the expiation of my sin. This prayer of David is identical with the prayer of Job (Job 16:6).

Chapter Thirty-Nine

The entire content of the psalm can be divided into three parts. In the first (2-9) David recalls the dangers he has experienced, from which the Lord delivered him; in the second (10-11) he speaks of the revelation that came to him from God, which he proclaimed before all the people, and in the third (12-18) he prays to God for deliverance from the newly-experienced misfortunes, and he points to his sinfulness before Him (13). By the former misfortunes, as already past, we must understand the persecutions from Saul, to which there is an indirect indication in Ps 39:7, and by the newly-experienced misfortunes we must understand the persecutions from Absalom. The entire psalm, thus, was written because of the latter persecutions.

Psalm 39:2. I waited patiently for the Lord, and He inclined to me and heard my cry; Psalm 39:3. He drew me out of the horrible pit, out of the muddy bog, and set my feet on a rock and made my steps firm; Psalm 39:4. And He put a new song in my mouth—praise to our God. Many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord. “I waited patiently for the Lord,” David says, I suffered much, but these sufferings did not weaken my faith in Him, I endured much, but remained faithful to the Lord and the Lord heard my “cry” for help: He freed me from misfortunes. “Horrible pit”—a pit of suffering, deep, grievous misfortunes; “muddy bog”—that is, unstable, wavering ground found in marshes, means a troubled and full of dangers life for David. The Lord brought him out of this pit and mire, gave him firm and safe existence. As the situation changed, so David’s songs changed: instead of former, prayerful-supplicatory ones, he began to compose new ones—thankful-laudatory. By these misfortunes David understands the persecutions from Saul. The miraculous help, frequently shown to David by God at this time, and his extraordinary fate, which raised him to the throne, were so striking as to inspire reverence before God and faith only in Him, and not in one’s own strength, in all people who knew the history of his life.

Psalm 39:5. Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust and does not look to the proud, nor to those who turn aside to falsehood. Therefore blessed is he for whom the Lord is the only hope and who does not turn his attention “to the proud and to those who turn aside to falsehood.” By the latter are understood the wicked, possessed, however, of means valuable in the eyes of men for protection, whether in the form of wealth or their high position. Hope in them, according to David, is deceptive.

Psalm 39:6. Many things You have done, Lord, my God: Your wonders and Your thoughts toward us—who is like You!—I would proclaim and speak of them, but they are beyond number. The Lord manifests His mercies over people in a multitude of wonderful deeds. He has created and creates them both in the life of David and among the Hebrews in such a quantity that it is impossible to count them. God’s deeds are inexplicable by human reason, they surpass his limited understanding, and no one of men is able in thought, in reason, to imagine the degree of love and the quantity of mercy which He pours out upon man.

Psalm 39:7. Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; You have opened my ears; Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require. Psalm 39:8. Then I said: Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: Psalm 39:9. I desire to do Your will, my God, and Your law is within my heart. It is also incomprehensible to man that God did not require of David the observance of the ceremonial Mosaic law; He did not require of him either sacrifice (bloody) and offerings (bloodless), nor burnt offerings (peaceful), nor sin offerings, but instead “opened my ears.” This refers to the custom of the Hebrews of piercing the ears of that Hebrew slave who, upon the completion of the Sabbatical year, wished to remain with his former master. The mentioned expression points to the voluntary dedication of oneself entirely to the service of God, which dedication is higher than ceremonial sacrifice. In the LXX: “You have prepared me a body” (σῶμα), that is, You made for me a body, demanded of David not service to Yourself in the ceremonies of the law, but service with all his body, all his being—with thoughts, feelings and deeds. The word σῶμα means man with soul and body. Both expressions—the Hebrew and the Greek—thus mean one and the same thing. The time when God did not count it as sin against David for his not offering sacrifices was the time of his flight from Saul to Ziklag (cf. Ps 15). To this call of God to serve Him with his whole being David responded with joy: “Then I said: Behold, I come.” About this obedience “it is written in the scroll of the book,” in the scroll of the book of the law, by which this obedience was prescribed to man by God as an external requirement and command. For David, however, this obedience was not only an external requirement of the law, but also an internal inclination of his spirit, (“I desire to do Your will”); in his activity and life he was always guided by this obedience—“Your law is within my heart,” it constitutes his inseparable inner possession, which cannot fail to be expressed outwardly. The replacement of sacrifices with respect to David by service to God in thoughts and deeds pointed out that for God are valued not the objects of offering themselves, but for man is beneficial not the process of performing the ceremony itself, but the elevated, inner disposition of the one offering, which should be aroused by understanding the meaning of the ideological side of the external action. By this fact of God not counting it as sin against David for his non-observance of the ceremonial side of the law and the replacement of the latter by another kind of service to God, it was already foreshadowed that the law itself has not an inviolable, eternal significance, but a temporal one, which should be replaced by a higher kind of divine worship than ceremonies. With the coming of the Messiah this came to pass: the Mosaic law lost its obligatory significance and was replaced by service to God “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). As an indication of the abrogation of the Old Testament law this place is also explained in the Letter of Apostle Paul to the Hebrews (Heb 10:5-10). In the very content of the psalm there is a clear indication of its messianic meaning. In verse 8 David says that “in the scroll of the book it is written of me.” If we understand here only David, then in no place of the sacred books is there any such prophecy about him. Meanwhile, already in the Book of Genesis it was said of the Seed of the woman, so strong and pure that It will crush the head of the serpent, will destroy his power over the world. In subsequent revelations this Seed of the woman was described more fully: He is a prophet like Moses, a great Descendant of David, God incarnate. And only to the latter can the words be applied with literal exactness that He always carried the law “in His heart,” was always faithful to God. The person of David in this case was prefigurative: his sincere striving toward God, his yearning for dedication to complete service to Him and his constant endeavor for unwavering following of His law, all this found its full and exact realization in the service of the Messiah—Christ, the seed of David according to the flesh.

Psalm 39:10. I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness in the great assembly; I did not restrain my lips; You, Lord, know this. Psalm 39:11. I have not hidden Your righteousness in my heart; I have proclaimed Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your mercy and Your truth from the great assembly. By “righteousness,” “mercy” and “truth” here can be understood both David’s glorification in his songs, which had church-public use, of the Lord for the mercies shown to him in unjust persecutions by his enemies, and also the promise which he received from God about the birth from him of the promised Descendant, that is, the Messiah.

Psalm 39:12. Do not withhold, Lord, Your compassions from me; let Your mercy and Your truth continually guard me, Psalm 39:13. For innumerable evils have surrounded me; my iniquities have overtaken me, so that I cannot look up; they are more than the hairs on my head; my heart has failed me. Psalm 39:14. Be pleased, Lord, to deliver me; Lord! Hasten to help me. Psalm 39:15. Let all those seeking my soul be ashamed and dishonored! Let those desiring evil for me be turned back and scorned! Psalm 39:16. Let those saying to me, “Good! Good!” be dismayed at their shame. Psalm 39:17. Let all those seeking You rejoice and be glad in You, and let those loving Your salvation continually say: “The Lord is great!” Psalm 39:18. But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord cares for me. You are my help and my deliverer, my God! Do not delay. All the remaining content of the psalm represents David’s prayer for salvation from the dangers he was experiencing during the persecutions from Absalom. “Let Your mercy and Your truth continually guard me.” As we have pointed out above, the persecutions of Absalom and the sympathy of the people for him were fed by slander against David by his enemies, and therefore were undeserved, they were not “true.” God—as the bearer and defender of truth—is the only defender to whom David can boldly turn with prayer, that He would not allow his enemies to trample on truth and triumph. “My iniquities have overtaken me as well as the hairs on my head.” David here understands not the number of various crimes committed by him, for then he could not be God’s chosen one, moreover, such crimes are not known to and not indicated in the historical books, but the degree of his awareness of the weight of his sin with Bathsheba (see Ps 37). The stronger were David’s misfortunes, the more hopeless his position seemed, the greater jubilation was aroused in his enemies (16 verse). Therefore David prays to God to protect him and not allow the falsehood of his enemies to triumph over truth, and by this protection to fill the righteous with joy, who, like David, will see that the only source of salvation, “helper and deliverer” is the Lord. According to verses 7-9 this psalm is of a prefigurative messianic character. * * * According to the translation of the Seventy: You have prepared me a body.

Chapter Forty

This psalm was written during the persecutions from Absalom, to which is indicated by David’s confession of his sinfulness before God (Ps 40:5) and especially the indication of the betrayal by a man close to him (Ps 40:10), who must be understood as Ahithophel.

May the Lord strengthen him who remembers and cares for the poor and the wretched (2-4). Abandoned during my illness I prayed to the Lord for mercy. My enemies greatly rejoiced over me; even my friend abandoned me (5-10). Heal me, Lord, do not let my enemies triumph over me, establish me before You forever (11-13).

Psalm 40:2. Blessed is he who considers the poor and needy! The Lord will deliver him in the day of trouble. Psalm 40:3. The Lord will protect him and keep him alive; he will be blessed on the earth. And You will not hand him over to the will of his enemies. Psalm 40:4. The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness. You will change his entire bed in his illness. These verses depict the condition of David even before his flight from Jerusalem, at a time when he was physically ill and when friends were gradually abandoning him, and the uprising of Absalom that was being prepared was growing. Then he himself experienced how difficult the position of a lonely sufferer is, how precious to him is sympathy from other people and how high is the virtue of compassion. Therefore David prays to God to send “blessedness”—a reward to those who sympathize with and help every sick and needy person. “May the Lord deliver them,” prays David, “from misfortunes, from enemies and make their life happy, help them in illnesses by sending them recovery (“You will change his entire bed in his illness”—You will turn the bed of illness into a bed of health).”

Psalm 40:5. I said: Lord! Have mercy on me, heal my soul, for I have sinned before You. After praying for others David turns to prayer for himself: he asks God to “heal his soul,” to forgive his sin (with Bathsheba) and to save him from his enemies.

Psalm 40:6. My enemies speak evil of me: “When will he die and his name perish?” Psalm 40:7. And if anyone comes to see me, he speaks lies; his heart gathers unrighteousness, and when he goes out, he speaks about it. Psalm 40:8. All those hating me whisper together against me; they devise evil against me: Psalm 40:9. “A word of ruin has come upon him; he has lain down; he shall not rise again.” Psalm 40:10. Even the man at peace with me, on whom I relied, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. The enemies are waiting impatiently for his complete ruin. They visited David hypocritically during his illness, came in order to make sure of his weakness, and when they left him, they discussed what they had seen, scheming evil against David. They saw in David’s illness a curse from God (“a word of ruin has come upon him”), and therefore thought that the illness (which they believed to be incurable) should lead to his death. A cruel illness, incurable, was being endured by him. David can now only hope in God: even the man who was obligated to support him, the one close to him (“a man at peace with me”), upon whom David relied and who shared his table (the highest signs of closeness), strengthened the heaviness of his position (“lifted his heel against me”) through his betrayal. It is known from the historical books what trust David had in Ahithophel and what impression his betrayal made on him. By his deed Ahithophel foreshadowed Judas, a close disciple of the Savior, to whom He entrusted care for the material provision of Himself and His disciples, and who, although he enjoyed signs of love from his Teacher, especially at the Last Supper, nevertheless betrayed Him to His enemies (John 13:18).

Psalm 40:11. But You, Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up, and I will repay them. Psalm 40:12. From this I will know that You favor me, if my enemy does not triumph over me, Psalm 40:13. And You will preserve me in my wholeness and set me before Your face forever. David prays to God for forgiveness of his sin, for healing from illness and for the punishment of his enemies. In this deserved punishment of his enemies David will see a sign of God’s favor toward him and forgiveness of his sin (the past tense of verbs stands instead of the future). “And You will preserve me in my wholeness and set me before Your face forever”—that is, I will serve You eternally, throughout all the duration of my earthly life, or in the sense—this Your favor will serve as a pledge to me that beyond the grave I will stand before You, live near You.

Psalm 40:14. Blessed is the Lord, God of Israel, from ages past and to ages to come! Amen, amen! It represents a liturgical addition. The word “so be it, so be it” (Slavonic) (“amen, amen”) concludes the first collection of David’s psalms.

Chapter Forty-One

With psalm XLI the second collection of psalms begins and ends with LXXI. Both psalms, from the similarity of their content and structure of speech, represent a mutual complement. The refrain “Why are you downcast, my soul,” divides both psalms into three parts, of which the first two, representing the outpouring of the sorrowful feelings of the psalmist about abandonment by God, are complemented by the third, containing prayer to the Lord for salvation from misfortunes. This similarity of the external structure of speech and content indicates that the writer of both psalms was one and the same person. According to the inscription above the XLI psalm in the Hebrew Bible, the author is called the sons of Korah, and to them the psalm XLII must be attributed.

In the psalms is depicted the sorrowful feeling of the writer, forced to live in separation from the temple (Ps 41:3), the memory of visiting which, for him, living in exile near the mountains of Hermon and thus deprived of this blessing (Ps 41:7), serves as a source of suffering (Ps 41:5). The reason for his flight was the uprising of “an evil people” and “a wicked and unjust man” (Ps 42:1). Such a condition of the psalmist is in harmony with the epoch of the persecutions and flight of David from Jerusalem, from Absalom, when he had to hide in the land beyond the Jordan, in the wilderness of Mahanaim, located near the mountains of Hermon, the border of the land of Judah from the north. Therefore in the Greek Bible after the name of the sons of Korah is placed the name of David. The same is also above the XLII psalm in the LXX and in the Vulgate. These additions can be explained by the fact that the writer of the psalms, belonging to the family of the sons of Korah, was a defender of David and together with the latter shared the dangers of exile. He well understood the mood of the royal exile, distinguished by religiousness and piety, but now forced to live far from the temple, and he depicted this mood in the mentioned psalms.

As the doe longs for the water brooks so my soul longs for You, my God, as the doe longs for the spring (2-3). I moisten my bread with tears and grieve over the impossibility, as before, of going together with the people to Your holy temple (4-5). My soul is downcast among the mountains of Hermon and cries out to the Lord, why have You abandoned me and given my enemies occasion to mock me? (6-12) Judge my cause against my wicked enemy and send me Your light, that I may go to Your altar and praise You, God. Do not be downcast, my soul, but trust in the Lord (Ps 42:1-5)!

Psalm 41:2. As a doe longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for You, O God! Psalm 41:3. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: when will I come and appear before God? A vivid characterization of the feeling of oppressive longing and dissatisfaction that the writer was experiencing in separation from the temple. Life near the latter was for his soul such a necessary need as water is for quenching the thirst of a doe. “To God the strong, the living”—almighty in power and eternal. “Before God”—before the altar of the temple, or in the sanctuary, as the place of special and constant presence of God.

Psalm 41:4. My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day: “Where is your God?” “My tears have been my food day and night”—I was fed only by my tears, that is, I could not take any food without being oppressed by the bitter feeling of consciousness of abandonment by God, which was maintained by the people surrounding me, with bewilderment and despair asking each day: “Where is your God?” Why is the help of Him whom you serve not evident?

Psalm 41:6. Why are you downcast, my soul, and why are you troubled? Trust in God, for I will praise Him yet, my Savior and my God. This state of spiritual oppression, naturally caused by the difficult position of the psalmist, however, did not turn into despair. He found in himself sufficient living faith in God and comforted himself with hope: “Trust in God: for I will praise Him, my Savior and my God.” He believes that God will not abandon His righteous one.

Psalm 41:7. My soul is downcast; therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan, from Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Mount Mizar—should be read—Mount Mizar. It is not known precisely where this mountain is located, but it is certain that it was one of the lower peaks of Mount Hermon near Mahanaim, where the writer of the psalm was. This locality was very far from Jerusalem and the tent, and therefore it is understandable the feeling of downheartedness that grew in the writer as he moved away from the temple.

Psalm 41:8. Deep calls to deep at the voice of Your waterfalls; all Your waves and billows have swept over me. The main peaks of Mount Hermon rose above sea level to a height of 12 thousand feet and were covered with snow. The melting of the latter formed streams of water that fell noisily down the cliffs. These streams took on formidable dimensions when they were strengthened by heavy rains. Then they fell with a terrible noise, tore up trees and carried with them enormous stones. The noise of these waters was especially great and terrible because the water fell from steep cliffs. “Deep calls to deep”—after one mass of water, after one terrible stream, another rushes. By this comparison of the picture observed by the writer, he wanted to denote the force and impetuosity of the present calamities of exile that he was experiencing: “water and billows of Yours”—sent by You, the misfortunes are numerous and terrible, like the streams of Hermon.

Psalm 41:9. By day the Lord commands His loving-kindness, and by night His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. But these misfortunes could not shake the faith of the exile in God. He waits for mercy from Him and by this faith lives day and night.

Chapter Forty-Two

Psalm 42:1. Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation. Deliver me from the deceitful and unjust person, “Plead my cause against an ungodly nation.” The writer is conscious of his innocence before his persecutors and asks God to review his case. “The nation… ungodly”—all those who rose up against David and his followers, that is, the supporters of Absalom. By “the deceitful person,” we can understand Absalom, who stirred up the people with false accusations against David.

Psalm 42:3. Send Your light and Your truth; let them guide me and bring me to Your holy mountain and to Your dwelling places. “Send Your light and Your truth”—send Your mercy (“light”), protect from enemies. “Truth”—faithfulness to promises and revelation, by which the righteous deserves reward and the sinner deserves punishment. When this promise is fulfilled, the writer hopes to be again on Mount Zion in the “dwelling places” of the Lord, that is, at the tabernacle, in the places of the Lord’s dwelling.

Chapter Forty-Three

The psalm was written by the sons of Korah and represents a meditation (Hebrew “maskil,” Russian “teaching”) concerning events they experienced. These events are sorrowful. The Hebrew people are abandoned by God (Ps 43:10), and so suffered defeat from enemies and were given over to plunder and dispersal among nations (Ps 43:11-12). These sufferings and defeat are all the more grievous for the Hebrews because they “did not forget… Him and did not depart from His way” (Ps 43:18-19), that is, remained faithful to the true God. This condition of the Hebrews occurred during David’s war with the Syrians in the north, when the southern borders of his kingdom were attacked by Edomites, who plundered the southern regions of the Judean kingdom, killed many Hebrews, and took captive a large number of them for sale into slavery to neighboring nations, an activity in which the Edomites engaged. This occasion for writing is indicated by the similarity of this psalm’s content with psalm 9 (Ps 9:22) and especially with Ps 59, where the occasion of writing is precisely indicated and the reason for Joab’s attack on the Edomites.

O God! The past history of our people is full of glorious victories over the heathens, the inhabitants of Palestine. We owe these victories not to our military skill, but to Your protection and defense (6–9). Now God has abandoned us: we are defeated by enemies, we are led into captivity, mocked by them, while we preserve loyalty to You and do not depart from Your commandments (10–23). Rise up, O Lord, to our defense and deliver us by Your mercy (24–27).

Psalm 43:4. For they did not acquire the land by their own sword, and their own arm did not save them, but Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your face, because You were pleased with them. The acquisition and conquest of Palestine the Hebrews owe to “the light of God’s face”—the favor and protection that He showed toward them. The historical books of the Hebrew people are full of numerous facts of this kind.

Psalm 43:6. With You we will gore our enemies with horns; in Your name we will trample those who rise up against us. “With You we will gore our enemies with horns.” The strength of an animal lies in its horns, which it uses to fight and defend itself from attack. For the Hebrews, such horns, such an instrument of their invincibility, is God; with His name the Hebrew was invincible.

Psalm 43:10. But now You have rejected and shamed us, and do not go out with our armies. “Now You have rejected… do not go out with our armies.” God is the supreme commander of the Hebrew people’s forces. An external sign of such command was the custom of carrying the Ark of the Covenant with the armies. The plundering of the southern regions of the kingdom by enemies, the writer explains by the fact that the Lord ceased to lead the Hebrews.

Psalm 43:12. You have delivered us like sheep for slaughter and scattered us among the nations. “Scattered us among the nations.” The Edomites, like their neighbors the Phoenicians and Philistines, sold Hebrew captives into slavery to Greeks and Egyptians (Amos 1:6; Joel 3:2-8). It is such sale of Hebrew captives that the writer has in mind here.

Psalm 43:13. You have sold Your people for nothing and not increased the price for them. “You have sold Your people for nothing and not increased the price for them.” The sale of Hebrews into slavery and captivity is compared to an unprofitable trade exchange: “for nothing,” or at a loss. When the Edomites plundered the borders of Judea, they paid very little in return; the Hebrews could not offer them any significant resistance, since the best forces capable of warfare were at that time in the north in David’s armies, and so losses on the enemy’s side could be minimal. “Not increased the price”—a continuation of the comparison. There were no buyers who, by offering demand for them, could have increased their price. This means that the number of captives taken by the Edomites was so vast that they sold them for a pittance.

Psalm 43:14. You have given us as an object of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those dwelling around us. Psalm 43:15. You have made us a proverb among the nations, a shaking of the head among the foreigners. Psalm 43:16. All day long my shame is before me, and the shame covers my face, Psalm 43:17. at the voice of the reviler and slanderer, from the sight of the enemy and the avenger. As slaves, the Hebrews could not expect and did not meet humane treatment; they were mocked and scorned by those who sold them and those who bought them.

Psalm 43:20. When You have crushed us in the land of dragons and covered us with the shadow of death. “In the land of dragons” or jackals. These animals love to feed on corpses. The Hebrews fallen into slavery were such corpses, and their captors were the jackals. An image of the powerless and helpless condition of Hebrews in slavery.

Psalm 43:22. Would God not search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. The Lord “knows the secrets of the heart”—He knows that the Hebrews were His true worshipers and did not turn to false gods.

Psalm 43:24. Arise, why do You sleep, O Lord! Awake, do not reject us forever. “Arise, why do You sleep, O Lord!” The waking of God over the Hebrews means active help on His part, while the withdrawal of this help is described as the opposite state of waking, compared to sleep.

Psalm 43:26. For our soul is brought down to the dust, our belly cleaves to the ground. “Our soul is brought down to the dust, our belly cleaves to the ground”—we are bowed down to the earth, oppressed with sorrow and the suffering we have endured.

Chapter Forty-Four

The inscription “upon an instrument of Shoshannim,” in the form of a lily, indicates the type of musical instrument on which the psalm should be performed: “a teaching”—on the character of the content: the psalm represents the author’s meditation concerning the event described in the psalm; “of the sons of Korah”—on the writers from the family of Korah, who served as Levites in the Jerusalem Temple. “A Song of loves”—the psalm is an expression of the writer’s feeling of love toward the subject of the song.

Whom the psalm is dedicated to, and hence when it was written, answers to these questions are found in the features by which the person to whom the psalm is dedicated is described here. This person is a king (Ps 44:2); he surpassed all people in his qualities and especially in wisdom (Ps 44:3); His reign is a reign for the establishment of peace and righteousness, but not for military exploits, although he has a strong army (Ps 44:5-7); he lives in luxurious palaces (Ps 44:9) and he, along with the queen, receives worship from kings and princes of nations (Ps 44:13). All the indicated qualities of the king being praised apply precisely to Solomon at the beginning of his reign, when he lived in luxurious palaces, amazed everyone with his wisdom and magnificence, strove to establish in his kingdom peace and righteousness, and from all nations received signs of extraordinary respect and wonder.

The occasion for writing the psalm can be considered Solomon’s marriage with the daughter of the Egyptian Pharaoh. There are indications of this in Ps 44:10-11, where the writer, addressing the queen, advises her to forget her nation and her parents, which would be unnecessary if the queen were a Hebrew.

I praise the king (2). You are the most beautiful of all the sons of men; gird Yourself in glory and beauty, and reign for the establishment of truth (3–5). All enemies will fall before You; You are the king of righteousness and the hymn sings of You from Your palaces (6–9). You, O queen, renounce your family and homeland: then the king will love you especially, and to you will come for worship all the noble of people (10–13). All the glory of the queen is in her inner qualities. She, and after her the other daughters of kings, goes to the king in his palace (14–16). Your sons will be princes over all the earth and Your name will be glorified forever (17–18).

Psalm 44:2. Good words pour forth from my heart; I speak: a song of mine concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a swift scribe. “Good words pour forth from my heart”—from my heart, as from an overflowing vessel, naturally and irresistibly flows this solemn and joyful song, full of goodwill toward the king; the present good word of the writer is a sincere song, poured forth from the fullness of feeling, in honor of the King. “My tongue is the pen of a swift scribe.” Swiftness in writing was a great quality; the author wishes that his tongue would express, as swiftly and accurately as the pen of a swift scribe, his thoughts and feelings in precise, corresponding to his will, words. The aforesaid verse represents the introduction to the content of the psalm and to the praise of the King described in it.

Psalm 44:3. You are more beautiful than the sons of men; grace has poured out of Your lips; therefore God has blessed You forever. “You are more beautiful than the sons of men.” Beauty is a general designation of many qualities; it is a generic characteristic; grace “has poured out of Your lips”—from the lips of the king comes speech that is wise, bringing benefits to the listener. Solomon indeed amazed his contemporaries with his speech—in judicial matters with particular penetration, in ordinary conversations with apt expressions, depth of thought, and in general with extensive knowledge of all branches of human learning. “Therefore God has blessed You forever”—the extraordinary qualities of Solomon evoked blessing upon him from God. This blessing is not limited only to the historical fame of Solomon, whose name became a common noun for designating anyone endowed with extensive and deep learning, but also indicates that by his initial activity, his striving to establish and confirm peace and righteousness on earth, he is a prototype of His great Descendant—the Messiah, Who gave fully to the world what for Solomon was an unattainable ideal. The eternal blessing upon Him from God cannot but be seen also in the fact that this king was the organ of Divine, and therefore eternal, revelation, set forth in his books.

Psalm 44:4. Gird Yourself at Your side with Your sword, O Mighty One, in Your glory and Your beauty, Psalm 44:5. and in this adorning of Yours, make haste; sit upon the chariot on behalf of truth and meekness and righteousness, and Your right hand will show You marvelous deeds. Psalm 44:6. Your arrows are sharp, O Mighty One,—the peoples fall before You—they are in the heart of the enemies of the King. The writer of the psalm invites the king to gird himself with a sword for battle with enemies. But this sword should consist of His glory and beauty, and therefore the enemies are not men, not enemies in a socio-political sense, but spiritual enemies—falsehood, malice, hatred, injustice, and the like. To destroy these enemies, the king should strain his strength (“make haste”) and perform marvelous deeds. It is known that in judicial matters, where experienced judges were at a loss, Solomon gave judgments that amazed everyone with their obvious righteousness and extraordinary ingenuity. But in addition to this spiritual power, Solomon possessed a well-organized and battle-experienced army, inherited from David, which was always ready to protect the king and destroy his enemies. It is known that Solomon stationed it on the borders of his kingdom to protect against attacks. This thought about Solomon’s military power in the words of verse 6 can be expressed as follows: Your, O Mighty One, sharp arrows—into the hearts of enemies (that is, they penetrate), and peoples will fall before You (that is, enemies will not stand against your armies).

Psalm 44:7. Your throne, O God, is forever; the rod of righteousness is the rod of Your kingdom. This military might and invincibility of the king is given to him, however, not because he is an experienced strategist and skilled politician, but because by his rule for the establishment of righteousness and peace on earth, he is realizing on earth the kingdom of God, “whose throne is righteousness,” and therefore all peoples rising against such a king as opponents of God’s kingdom must perish.

Psalm 44:8. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of joy beyond Your companions. God anointed for kingship and preferred this king for his love of righteousness “beyond His companions.” Such companions (from the Slavonic “participants,” which is very accurate)—competitors for the throne after David’s death, such as Adonijah, who attempted to seize the crown not destined for him through cunning. “Anointed… God”—refers to the ancient custom of pouring oil on the head of the king chosen by the prophet. This anointing served as an external sign indicating the legality of the election and the enjoyment of special rights corresponding to the new position.

Psalm 44:9. All Your clothes are like myrrh and aloe and cassia; from palaces of ivory, rejoicing comes to You. “Myrrh,” “cassia,” and “aloe” are types of aromatic substances with which distinguished people were anointed in the ancient East. These aromatics were extracted from the resin of aromatic shrubby plants. “Myrrh” is a kind of gummy resin from a tree, “cassia” is an aromatic bark, “aloe” is a tree, native to India, with a very delicate aroma. “From palaces of ivory”—probably from the palaces which Solomon built and in which there were ornaments of expensive ivory. From these palaces rejoiced Solomon with those rejoicings which were then accepted in the East among kings. For Solomon, as a magnificent and luxurious king, objects of luxury achieved extraordinary value, and kinds of amusements reached great variety.

Psalm 44:10. The daughters of kings are among those honored by You; the queen stood at Your right hand in Ophir gold. “The daughters of kings are among those honored by You.” These were the companions of the king’s bride and, being noble by birth, they enjoyed honor in Solomon’s palace. Of all of them, however, one stood out, who received royal dignity, that is, became a crowned queen, spouse (“at Your right hand”—on the right side, meaning to receive full right, power, and honor). “In Ophir gold”—among Eastern women, especially in ancient times, bright colors were favorites, and their costumes were striking in their variety of colors. At the same time, gold and silver threads were woven into the fabric of their clothing, which, adding luster and variety to the garment, made it very valuable. Such clothes were available only to wealthy and noble people, such as the bride, who apparently came from royal lineage (2 Sam 13:18), since her companions were “daughters of kings.”

Psalm 44:11. Hear, O daughter, and see, and incline your ear, and forget your people and your father’s house. Psalm 44:12. And the King will desire your beauty; for He is your Lord, and you shall worship Him. Psalm 44:13. And the daughter of Tyre with gifts, and the richest of the people will entreat Your face. The speech of the writer is now addressed to this queen, and the author of the psalm asks for her especially intense attention to his words, giving them special importance (“Hear,…see, and incline your ear”). “Forget your people,” (your nation) “and your father’s house,” that is, your parents. This new queen could not be Hebrew, since her marriage to the king would not only not separate her from her nation, but would attach her even more strongly to it and could not harm the people. Similarly, there would be no need to renounce her parents, that is, her family; marriage of Hebrew kings with daughters of their own people was not only a common occurrence but also lawful by Moses. Therefore, the bride must be understood as the daughter of a heathen king, whose continued attachment to her family and nation could be harmful to the Hebrew people. To forget the house of the father and one’s own people—this means to merge with the Hebrews in their beliefs, to become a Jewess in life, language, and faith. Such renunciation of former attachments will be a sacrifice that will not remain unappreciated: the king will especially love her (“will desire your beauty”), will draw her close; but you, bride, must remember that He is your master, and therefore must show Him signs of respect and obedience (“and you shall worship Him”). As queen, you will enjoy the same respect as the King Himself, and not only among your own people, but also among foreigners. The Tyrians (Tyre is a trading city, located on one of the islands of the Mediterranean Sea) will come to you with gifts, as an expression of respect; “the richest of the people”—that is, the noble and powerful among men, kings and princes of nations, will entreat you for mercy and attention. Under this heathen bride we must understand the daughter of the Pharaoh, the beloved wife of Solomon, concerning whom there is a tradition preserved among the Hebrews that she accepted the law of Moses with her marriage and was a royal proselyte.

Psalm 44:14. All the glory of the daughter of the King is within; her garment is woven with gold. Psalm 44:15. In varied garments she is led to the King; after her, maidens, her companions, are brought to You, Psalm 44:16. they are brought with joy and gladness; they enter into the palace of the King. But the merit of this spouse of the King is not in external beauty, wealth, and noble birth—all this is nothing compared to her inner, spiritual qualities, which explains why she stands out from the other maidens. After this bride of the King, her companions are led into his palace, who follow her with joy, rejoicing in such closeness to the bride, and through her to the King Himself. Earlier (Ps 44:11) the writer proposed that the bride renounce her family and homeland, so that this attachment might now be transferred to her sons, who will become princes over all the earth. The writer’s final address and his prophecy concerning the universal dominion of Solomon’s successors should be understood not as a prediction of their great historical significance, accomplished in fact, but as the ideal of the king and his successors, remaining faithful to which (to this ideal), they could be princes of the whole world. And it is to this, to dominion over the world, the spreading among it of true knowledge of God, that the Hebrew people was called.

Psalm 44:18. I will make Your name remembered in generation and generation; therefore the peoples will praise You forever and ever. This song of his, which praises the King and queen for their high qualities and contains depictions of the ideal of reign, the writer passes on to posterity, who by his words will praise them among all peoples. The psalm thus has this historical meaning, but it is not exhausted by it. Those features by which the author describes the personality of Solomon and the character of his reign were not accomplished by the latter during all the time of his life. In the later years of Solomon’s reign, the Hebrews suffered from many disorders, both in their internal life and in relations with heathen peoples. Solomon’s successor not only did not become king of the whole world (see verse Ps 44:17), but even lost more than half of his people, who chose for themselves king Jeroboam the first. In verse 8, the reign of this king occasions the eternal establishment of God’s throne, eternal favor from Him to the King and people, which is entirely inapplicable to Solomon, since the latter even underwent reproofs from Him. The literal understanding of the text, where the king is directly called God (such comparison, understood as a poetic depiction, as hyperbole, could not be permissible to a Hebrew writer, who revered before Jehovah, to Whom there is no likeness “neither on the earth beneath, nor in the waters, nor above” (Deut 5:8; Exod 20:4), already clearly indicates that it could not be applied to Solomon-the-man. All this gives grounds to think that the personality of Solomon, the beginning of his reign, and the celebrated occasion from his life elevated the author’s thought to a depiction of such a state in the life of mankind, when his ideal will find historical realization. The establishment on earth of complete peace and the dominion of righteousness is beyond the power of man, as a limited and sinful being; this can only be done by God. In Ps 44:7, the author directly transfers his thought to Him; therefore Solomon, as depicted by the author at the beginning of his reign, when he devoted himself to the care of establishing peace and righteousness on earth, is only a prototype in his activity of the future state of the world. When did God establish or will establish on earth the triumph of righteousness described in the psalm? The answer to this is the earthly ministry of the Savior, Who reconciled man with God, established the law of love and peace in relations among men themselves. His kingdom increasingly spreads throughout the world, subjecting all peoples to itself, and the princes of this world at first were His disciples, who guided and established the laws of Christian-church life, and then their successors—bishops and in general the pastors of the church. The spreading of this kingdom over the whole universe, predicted here by the writer of the psalm, is now in the period of its realization, and its complete completion will come at the time of the Last Judgment, when there will already be the kingdom of truth and righteousness. If under Solomon we must understand the Messiah, then under his marriage with a foreign woman—an indication of the union of Christ with the pagan church, which will reach such a spiritual and moral height that the first members of it (the primitive Christians) by their conduct and life will draw multitudes of people after them. This has been justified and continues to be justified. The small number of believing Christians from among the pagans in the age of the apostles and after them were “the first fruits of believers,” a number which then became immeasurably great and is found in all parts of the world. This psalm is typological.

Chapter Forty-Five

Ps 45, as well as Ps 46 and Ps 47, belong to one writer from the family of Korah, as is indicated both by the inscription of the Hebrew Bible, the LXX, and the Vulgate, and by the similarity of these psalms in their content, structure of speech, and language. On the basis of the similarity of these psalms in content, it can be supposed that they were also written on the same occasion. All the psalms point to an attack on the Hebrews by nations and kingdoms (Ps 45:7) and their defeat; the Hebrews went out to battle with their enemies with the Ark of the Covenant (Ps 46:6); Jerusalem is presented as a flourishing and strong city with many towers (Ps 47:13-14); the destruction of the ships of Tarshish is mentioned (Ps 47:8). All these features coincide with the time of king Jehoshaphat, when the combined forces of the kings of Ammon, Moab, and the people of Mount Seir (Edomite tribes) attacked Judah. Disputes among these nations led to internal warfare and such bloodshed that when the Hebrews went out to meet them with their armies, they found an enormous quantity of corpses in the place of their camp, while those remaining alive fled (2 Chr 20:1-24). The destruction of the ships of Tarshish also occurred during Jehoshaphat’s time, who made an alliance with the godless king of Israel, Ahaziah, for which he was condemned by a prophet, and the ships, designated for trade relations with Tarshish, perished, not leaving the harbor, from a strong storm (2 Chr 20:37).

The inscription above psalm 45, “Upon Alamoth,” is understood as an indication of the method of vocal performance of the psalm—to sing in a thin voice, soprano (from the word “Almah”—maiden).

God is our refuge, and therefore no dangers, even the movement of mountains into the sea, can frighten us (2–4). God, as a river, waters Zion and guards it from enemies (5–6). See, nations have risen up, but God has crushed and destroyed them (7–10). Remember, all peoples, that the God of Jacob is the one true God (11–12).

Psalm 45:3. Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth be shaken, and the mountains be moved into the heart of the seas. The movement of mountains into the sea should be accompanied by flooding of the land by a mass of waters. Waters signify calamity. However great the consequences may be, they will not frighten the worshipers of Jehovah. The waters here signify the movement of combined nations, flooding Judea with a vast number of troops.

Psalm 45:5. The river streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. A river stream, or for clarity a river flowing, is here called God. A river is not loud like the waves of the sea, but it flows constantly and peacefully, watering people and the earth. So also the Lord is the constant protector of “the city of God,” that is, of Zion, watering it with his mercy and protection, and with them granting victory over enemies.

Psalm 45:6. God is in the midst of it; it will not be shaken: God will help it in the early morning. “In the early morning”—the Lord grants help most speedily, at the time most needed.

Psalm 45:7. Nations roared; kingdoms were moved: the Most High gave His voice, and the earth melted. A picture of the menacing and tumultuous movement of nations against Judea and their swift destruction.

Psalm 45:10. Who brings wars to an end to the ends of the earth; He has broken the bow and shattered the spear; the chariots He has burned with fire. “Bringing wars to an end to the ends of the earth”—the destruction and flight of the enemies of the Hebrew people secured the borders (“ends of the earth”) of the kingdom from their invasions for a long time.

Psalm 45:11. Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The wondrous destruction of these nations should serve as an instructive lesson for all enemies of the chosen people. “Be still and know”—cease your hostile relations and be convinced by this fact that Jehovah is the one true God. He will be worshiped by all peoples.

Chapter Forty-Six

All nations must revere God, Who showed His strength in the trampling of the enemies of Jacob, whom He loved (2–5). The Lord ascended to Zion with trumpet sounds. Sing praise to Him, the King of all the earth (6–8). By defeating the princes of the heathen nations, the Lord showed that He is “exalted” over them (9–10).

Psalm 46:2. Clap your hands, all peoples; shout to God with a voice of joy. In the defeat of the heathen nations, the writer of the psalm saw clear proof that the God of the Hebrews is the true God. In this, according to him, all heathen peoples should be actually convinced, which is why the writer invites them to rejoice along with him, since they have now learned where the true God is.

Psalm 46:4. He has subdued peoples and tribes under our feet. “Subdue… under feet”—to completely disable, to make an enemy powerless and harmless.

Psalm 46:5. He chose for us our inheritance, the beauty of Jacob, whom He loved. “Chose for us our inheritance,” that is, Palestine, which God designated for the possession of the Hebrew people. This inheritance is “the beauty of Jacob,” in which the Hebrew takes pride, as a rich and fertile (region) portion.

Psalm 46:6. God ascended with shouts of joy, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. The ascent of God—the carrying of the Ark of the Covenant after the campaign against enemies into the Jerusalem Temple. This procession was usually accompanied by the singing of hymns with the accompaniment of musical instruments.

Psalm 46:8. For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises, all of you with understanding. “Sing praises all of you with understanding”—thoughtfully, worthily of God.

Psalm 46:10. The princes of the peoples have gathered to the people of the God of Abraham, for to God belong the shields of the earth; He is greatly exalted. “The princes of the peoples have gathered to the people of the God of Abraham” with conquering aims. These peoples were ruled by their “shields”—the military commanders and kings, whose skill and strength the armies relied upon. But since these shields are “God’s,” receiving this power with the knowledge and permission of the Lord, that is, depending on Him, then in a struggle with this God they, as the weaker and dependent, naturally must perish, which is what happened: “He is greatly exalted over them.”

Chapter Forty-Seven

How great is the Lord in His royal city, of which He is the Protector (2–4)! The enemies gathered, but perished, as perished also the ships of Tarshish (5–8). We ourselves saw one of the wonders of which we heard from our ancestors; we are filled with reverence before You (9–11). Let all the cities of Judah rejoice. Let them examine Jerusalem, saved by God from enemies and unharmed. This is God our Lord forever and ever (12–15).

Psalm 47:3. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion; on its north side is the city of the great King. Mount Zion is a beautiful elevation because on its north side is located the city of the great King, that is, the city of Jerusalem, where the temple is, and in it—the Lord Himself.

Psalm 47:4. God in her dwellings is made known as a refuge. All the dwellings of this city are under the protection of the Lord, and in them (the dwellings) it is known that He is their Protector.

Psalm 47:8. You have crushed the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. After speaking earlier of the defeat of the heathen nations, the writer points to the destruction of his own king’s ships, as a work of great protection and divine favor. In this fact the writer sees a punishment for his king’s alliance with the godless Ahaziah. This alliance and undertaking, had they succeeded, could have brought the kings closer together. Since Ahaziah was a godless king, this closeness could threaten the spread of godlessness among the Hebrew people. The destruction of the ships, therefore, is a sign of God’s care. The care of the Lord for His people and is the expression of His great preventive love and mercy, deserving praise.

Psalm 47:9. As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it forever. The wonders which the Lord accomplished in the past history of the Hebrew people and of which oral accounts were preserved, were repeated now. This wonder is the deliverance of the city from the attacks of numerous and formidable enemies.

Psalm 47:11. As is Your name, O God, so is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness. “Your right hand is full of righteousness”—You dealt with the enemies as they deserved.

Psalm 47:12. Let Mount Zion rejoice, and let the daughters of Judah be glad because of Your judgments, O Lord. “The daughters of Judah”—the cities of Judea. “Because of Your judgments”—because of those determinations which You pronounced over our enemies.

Psalm 47:13. Go around Zion and encircle it; count its towers. Psalm 47:14. Set your heart upon her fortifications; consider her palaces, so that you may tell the next generation, The writer with admiration draws the attention of his contemporaries to the integrity of the fortifications and towers of Jerusalem. This fact is significant. By personal inspection, be convinced that the enormous armies of enemies caused no harm to Jerusalem. God did not permit anything to suffer from them.

Chapter Forty-Eight

The aforementioned psalm does not contain such indications that would make it possible to determine with approximate precision the time of its origin. By unanimous inscription of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles, the writers were the sons of Korah. In the Greek Bible, the inscription contains the name of David, which shows the connection of this psalm’s content with the age of King David. Indeed, if we assume that the psalm originated in the time of the persecutions from Absalom, we will find nothing in its content that contradicts that time. There is even one indication of a particular character, which apparently confirms this supposition. The godless, in order to perpetuate the memory of themselves, liked to give their own names to their lands. From 2 Sam 18:18, it is evident that Absalom himself during his lifetime also erected a monument for himself to transmit and preserve his name in history.

All, O people, listen to the instruction of wisdom (2–5). One should not fear persecutions from the godless, for these people will die and no one can escape death (6–11). The godless, thinking to live in posterity, calls his lands by his name. In doing this, however, he does not escape death, after which he will be consigned to the netherworld; the grave is his dwelling, while the righteous will be received by God (12–16). Do not be afraid when you see the increase of strength and glory of the godless: after death, he will go to his fathers, who never saw light, he will perish for his lack of understanding, like an animal (17–21).

Psalm 48:2. Hear this, all peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world, Psalm 48:3. Both low and high, rich and poor alike. The writer invites all who dwell on the earth to listen to the statement which he intends to communicate. The appeal to all living ones indicates the importance of this communication. Such a method of calling is quite common in the Bible (see (Deut 32:1; Isa 1:2) and others).

Psalm 48:5. I will incline my ear to a proverb; on the harp I will expound my dark saying. The writer listens carefully to the voice speaking within him. This indicates both that what he is communicating is not the fruit of human invention, but of Divine revelation, and that this “dark saying,” unclear at first hearing, requires special attention.

Psalm 48:6. “Why should I fear in days of calamity, when the iniquity of those who persecute me surrounds me?” The very dark saying is brought forth in the aforesaid verse, while the rest of the psalm’s content represents its elucidation and confirmation of its truth. The Hebrew translation is not particularly clear. The expression “paths,” in Hebrew “hageb,” properly means “heel,” and from this “persecutor, one who trips up.” Then the entire expression takes on the following form: “Why should I fear in days of calamity, when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me?” It makes no sense; one should not be afraid, even if enemies surround me from all sides, and I must perish from them.

Psalm 48:7. Those who trust in their own strength and boast of the abundance of their wealth! Psalm 48:8. A man cannot redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him, Psalm 48:9. For the redemption of their soul is costly, and cannot be had forever, Psalm 48:10. That he might live forever and not see the pit. Death, which overtakes me, will inevitably overtake the godless and strong persecutors of mine. This death will overtake you, self-assured rich ones! From this death, it is impossible for anyone to redeem himself, since “the redemption of their soul is costly”—since too costly, beyond the power of man, is the price which would free (“redemption”) life (“soul”) from death. This is not in man’s power to do. Of all men, all must die.

Psalm 48:11. Everyone sees that the wise die, and so too the fool and the senseless perish and leave their wealth to others. Psalm 48:12. In their hearts they think that their houses are forever, and their dwellings to all generations, and they call their lands by their own names. If death is the inevitable lot of all living things, then pitiful is man’s attachment to the earthly, pitiful his faith in the indestructibility of his material possessions, pitiful his striving to perpetuate himself by naming his lands with his own names. Such concern for immortality in posterity is a painful self-deception and harmful.

Psalm 48:13. But man in honor does not abide; he is like the beasts that perish. Psalm 48:14. This is their way, their folly; yet those who follow them approve of their pronouncements. The godless man does not receive during his lifetime the fame which he cares for so much. After death, he becomes like the beasts, perishing without fame, even though others follow and imitate the conduct of these godless men.

Psalm 48:15. Like sheep they will be shut up in the grave; death will be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning; their strength will vanish away; the grave is their dwelling. Psalm 48:16. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, when He takes me to Himself. When the godless die, God will consign them to the netherworld, where death will guard them like sheep. They will remain forever in the grave. The righteous man, on the other hand, “in the morning,” that is, immediately after death, will “rule,” will be rewarded, for God will redeem his soul from the power of the netherworld and take him to Himself. In these verses is expressed the doctrine of the post-mortem existence of men after death. The godless always remain in a dark place, while the righteous are in God’s presence and freed from this heavy darkness. There is no clear conception of life beyond the grave, but there is opposition between existence in sheol and life before God: the first is the grave, the power of death, while the second is life, closeness to God.

Psalm 48:17. Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house is multiplied. Psalm 48:18. For when he dies, he will take nothing with him; his glory will not descend after him. It is clear that if just judgment is rendered on earthly life after death, then on earth one should not fear the expansion of the power of the godless, for what is great on earth becomes insignificant after death.

Psalm 48:19. Although during his lifetime he pronounces a blessing on his own soul, and they praise you, as you satisfy yourself, This verse, because of the thought it contains, might be presented in such a distribution of expressions: “although during his lifetime he pronounces a blessing on his own soul” (meaning speeches which he hears about himself): “and they praise you, as you satisfy yourself,” that is, the godless man during his lifetime receives much flattery from those around him, that he does well when he lives in the satisfaction of his desires.

Psalm 48:20. He will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never see light. From these praises, there is no benefit for him: after death, he goes with his ancestors, who never saw light, and will remain in the darkness of sheol. Here, in the doctrine of post-mortem existence, a new feature is introduced: life in sheol is a life of darkness, opposed to the light which man enjoyed on earth. On earth, however, his life was full of well-being, glory, and honor, and therefore in sheol there will come days of sorrows, forgetfulness, and humiliation, days of suffering, which are not experienced (according to verse 16) by the righteous living near God. In sheol, there is no action or help from God for those found there.

Chapter Forty-Nine

The author of the psalm was Asaph (see the discussion of him in the introduction to the Psalter). It may be supposed that this Asaph was a contemporary of David and the psalm therefore should be considered as written during the reign of David. The psalm presents a rebuke of the Hebrews for the spread among them of a view of worship and the pleasing of God as a merely external form, as only the observance of the law from the outside, which is why the one offering sacrifices, for instance, lacked a penitent, spiritual disposition (Ps 49:4). Indeed, the solemn establishment of external worship, introduced by David, could dazzle with its magnificence and splendor a Hebrew, generally inclined to everything external and sensuous, and thus impart the conviction that in the observance of the external side of worship lies the whole substance of the pleasing of God. This false view it was necessary to dispel, toward which end this psalm of Asaph is directed. David expressed the same concern when, at the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to Zion, he required of its inhabitants moral purity and internal illumination (see Ps 14). Agreement of this psalm with the epoch of David’s time, as well as the similarity of its content with the psalms of David, confirms the supposition concerning its origin in the epoch of David and the author Asaph – as a contemporary of that king.

God of gods calls upon His people – the Hebrews – to judgment before Himself (1-6). He speaks to them threateningly: “I reprove you not for the sacrifices which you offer, but for your disposition. In your sacrifices I have no need. They are not necessary to Me for food, since all beasts and birds belong to Me and are in My power (7-13). Offer to Me praise and pay your vows, then in the time of tribulation I will deliver you (14-15). But you are sinful: you observe only outwardly My statute, yet you live with adulterers, you act deceitfully, you hate your brother. For this I will punish you. He who honors Me inwardly and follows My commandments in his life will receive a reward” (16-23).

Psalm 49:1. God of gods, the Lord has spoken and calls the earth, from the rising of the sun to the west. “God of gods.” The repetition of one and the same word is used for emphasis of its meaning, as for instance, vanity of vanities, song of songs, and the like. “God of gods” means the most high God. By gods one must understand the pagan deities, which though the true Hebrew did not recognize as possessing real being and living power, yet could not disregard the belief in them, since these beliefs in false gods were widespread among the neighboring pagans, and the Hebrews themselves often became carried away by them. By indicating that the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, is the God of gods, the psalmist establishes the truth and height of Hebrew beliefs in the Lord as the one and highest over all the earth. By this same indication is determined the importance and seriousness of obedience to Him and the great transgression of offending Him through disobedience to His commandments. – “Calls the earth” – The judgment of God over the Hebrews that is depicted takes place before all the earth, since the Lord is God and Master of all living things. – “From the rising of the sun to the west” – two opposite sides of the light are taken to signify all the light.

Psalm 49:2. From Zion, which is the perfection of beauty, God appears, “From Zion, which is the perfection of beauty.” – Mount Zion, which by its appearance is a crown of beauty especially because the Lord Himself dwells in it.

Psalm 49:3. Our God comes, and not in silence: a fire consumes before Him, and around Him a mighty storm. “Before Him a fire consumes, and around Him a mighty storm.” A picture reminiscent of the appearance of the Lord in the 17th psalm. These images signify Divine Justice, which does not permit evil to triumph and destroys the latter as fire frees metals from alloy. “Mighty storm” – a symbol of His power.

Psalm 49:5. “Gather to Me My saints, those who have entered into a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” “My saints,” that is, the Hebrews, who are called by God to be a holy people (Exod 19:6). – “Those who have entered into a covenant with Me by sacrifice” – these are understood to be the sacrifices offered by the Hebrews at Sinai, as an external sign of the solemnity of the moment.

Psalm 49:8. Not for your sacrifices will I reprove you; your burnt offerings are always before Me; God reproves the Hebrews not for the “sacrifices” which they offered, but for the disposition and meaning which they connected with this sacrifice. – “Your burnt offerings are always before Me” – probably a reference is made to the continual burnt offering, which was offered daily in the temple morning and evening.

Psalm 49:12. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the whole world is Mine and all that fills it. Psalm 49:13. Do I eat the flesh of bulls and drink the blood of goats? Psalm 49:14. Offer to God a sacrifice of praise and pay your vows to the Most High, Psalm 49:15. And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will glorify Me. God has no need of sacrifices for His sustenance. If they had only such external significance, then to the Lord, in whose power the whole world is, they would not be necessary. What is important in a sacrifice is not the substance offered, but the “praise” and the “vows” with which this offering should be accompanied. By praise is understood reverent feeling before God, that feeling which lies at the foundation of vows, as obligations assumed by a person voluntarily before the face of the Lord, and therefore with awareness of their importance. Prayer to God with such sacrifices is pleasing to Him and He will deliver the one praying in the day of trouble. Such a person is righteous before Him.

Psalm 49:16. But to the sinner God says: “Why do you proclaim My statutes and take My covenant in your mouth, Psalm 49:17. Yet you yourself hate My instruction and cast My words behind you? Psalm 49:18. When you see a thief, you run with him, and you keep company with adulterers; Psalm 49:19. You open your mouth for slander, and your tongue weaves deceit; Psalm 49:20. You sit and speak against your brother, you slander the son of your mother; He who is sinful before Him and deserves punishment is “he who proclaims His statutes, takes His covenant, … yet himself hates His instruction and casts His words behind him.” Mere outward piety, an appearance of it, but without corresponding deeds, is an offense to God, a disregard of His commandments (“casting them aside”).

Psalm 49:21. You did this, and I kept silence; you thought I was like you. I will convict you and set before your eyes your sins. “You did this, and I kept silence,” that is, God does not immediately punish the sinner in His longsuffering, but gives him the opportunity to repent and amend his behavior. From this “silence” of God, the slowness in sending punishment, the wicked draw an absurd conclusion that God is like them, that is, content only with external worship, external sacrifices, but not with the inward disposition and corresponding behavior of a person. God will convict such a person and punish him.

Psalm 49:23. He who offers a sacrifice of praise honors Me, and to him who watches his way I will show the salvation of God.” The true worshiper of God is one who offers Him sacrifices with sincere reverence before Him and takes care that both his outward behavior and his deeds accord with this disposition. “Never,” says Fénelon, “could any Greek or Latin ode reach the height of the psalms. For instance, the one that begins with the words ‘God of gods, the Lord has spoken and called the earth’ surpasses all human imagination” (Vigouroux).

Chapter Fifty

The superscription of the psalm indicates the occasion of its writing – the rebuke by the prophet Nathan of David for his transgression with Bathsheba and Uriah, and the whole content is a penitential prayer.

O Lord! Forgive and cleanse according to Your great mercy my sin, which weighs upon me. I deeply recognize my guilt before You (3-6). I was conceived and born in sin. You have given me revelations, loved me. Show Your mercy by cleansing and forgiving my sin and make me joyful from the forgiveness received (7-14). Open my mouth for the proclamation and praise of You. Such worship is more pleasing to You than external sacrifices (15-19).

Psalm 50:3. Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your compassions blot out my transgressions. Psalm 50:4. Wash me thoroughly from my transgression, and cleanse me from my sin, Psalm 50:5. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. David’s consciousness of his sin and his guilt before God was so profound that he, in praying for forgiveness and his cleansing, appeals only to God’s great mercy. These verses characterize to us very vividly David as a man with a highly developed moral sense: every sin of his awakened in him profound self-condemnation and tormented dissatisfaction with himself. David fell low in his own eyes and judged himself so strictly that in this case he remembered only one thing – how deeply he had fallen, how greatly he had offended God and how unworthy he was before Him. This force, the height of moral feeling and the strictness of self-analysis show that David’s fall, possible as it was for him as a man, could not be a manifestation in him of a bad “disposition,” the dominion in him of “sinful and lustful desires,” could not be a “conscious” offense against God and violation of His commandments, but a moment of passion, a temporary infatuation, after which there followed a period of prolonged repentance and self-chastisement (which we mentioned earlier; see (Ps 24)). This consciousness of his sinfulness prompts David to ask God to wash him and cleanse his soul, since sin before Him is “always.” By this cleansing David understood, as is evident from what follows, not merely the forgiveness of sin, but the cleansing of his spirit with the bearing of “punishment,” to satisfy that Divine Justice of which His law speaks in the commandments of Moses. David’s longing for cleansing before God is expressed very clearly in the Hebrew text, where Ps 50:4 is read as: “Wash me thoroughly from my transgression.”

Psalm 50:6. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified in Your verdict and pure in Your judgment. Psalm 50:7. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother bore me. The gravity of David’s sin lies in the fact that he sinned against God “only” and did “evil in His sight.” This does not mean that David did not regard himself as guilty before Uriah, for below he prays to God for forgiveness of the sin for shedding blood (the slaying of Uriah), and does not mean that he approved of the means used for that, but that these actions of his were grave chiefly in that they offended God. In His law are given direct commandments forbidding deceptions, murders and violations of the purity of family life. By this commandment of the law such phenomena were driven from community and private life which before this commandment all the eastern peoples not only did not regard as crimes, but ranked as virtues. For instance, lewdness was illumined by religious cult, deception for the achievement of one’s purposes was considered cleverness, and the life of a person, if he hindered another’s personal well-being, was valued as nothing (for instance, the customs of tribal revenge, military glory measured by the number of slain enemies). God gave a law by which these phenomena were declared crimes, which is why David says that he was chiefly and especially guilty before God alone. For the sin committed by David, God through the prophet Nathan imposed punishment upon him (2 Sam 12:10-14). David considers such a verdict over himself fully deserved by him (“The Lord is righteous in His verdict… and pure in His judgment”), since his sin is an offense against God requiring retribution to teach the guilty party and to maintain the authority of the Law given in His commandments before men. Such a prayer for cleansing, with confession and acknowledgment of the deserved punishment, besides a desire to ease his conscience by bearing the latter, could be prompted by another motive – on the example of David, punished by God for his sin committed, to show to all the people the importance of observing God’s commandments and the necessity of care for the purity of their lives. However, the sin committed by David is not an intentional and conscious desire to offend God, but is a consequence of the temporary dominion in him of that sinful inclination which was implanted in him from birth, that is, of inherited original sin.

Psalm 50:8. Behold, You have loved truth in the heart and inwardly have made known to me wisdom. “You have loved truth in the heart,” that is, spiritually illuminated me, communicated that revelation through a prophet which I could not have learned by my own strength. – “Behold, You have loved truth.” The Lord loves only truth, which is why He desires to see this truth also in people. To maintain in them the inclination toward truth, revelations are given to people by Him.

Psalm 50:9. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 50:10. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that You have broken rejoice. Psalm 50:11. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Psalm 50:12. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 50:13. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Psalm 50:14. Return to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. To serve truth and be worthy of subsequent revelations from God, David prays for the cleansing of his sin, as by sprinkling with hyssop (juice of a plant) garments and objects and faces that had been defiled were made fit for use (Lev 14:6-7), and for that moral enlightenment which would make him whiter than snow. Such mercy from God filled him with joy and gladness. For the restoration in himself of purity and former righteousness (12), for the drawing near and reconciliation with God, David prays to God. By “the Holy Spirit” can be understood either generally the good will of God toward David, or the sending of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity (13). – “Let me hear joy and gladness” – give me the ability to rejoice in salvation, in forgiveness from You. – “With a willing spirit” – the same as with the Holy Spirit (14). “Uphold” – make me steadfast in following Your commandments.

Psalm 50:15. I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You. The cleansing of David from sin will serve as an incentive for him to take care of the conversion to God of the wicked and sinners.

Psalm 50:16. Deliver me from blood, O God, God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness. Psalm 50:17. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise: Psalm 50:18. For You do not desire sacrifice – I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. Psalm 50:19. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. “Deliver me from blood, O God” – from the sin of shedding blood, the murder of Uriah. – “My tongue will sing of Your righteousness,” so that David might praise God with clean lips for the justification sent by Him (“righteousness”). For such a clean prayer and reconciliation with God, it is not enough merely to bring sacrifices – David brought very many – for this it is necessary to have the corresponding disposition “a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart,” that is, a consciousness of one’s sin, grief and suffering for it and “contrite,” submissive before the judgment of God heart. David here clearly indicates in what case the ritual law is sufficient for appeasing God: what is important is not the kinds of sacrificial animals and the abundance of sacrifice, but it is also necessary to have the corresponding penitent disposition in the one offering them; in this very spiritual disposition of the one offering does the special value of the sacrifice consist. This same indication shows that the ritual law of Moses is not an eternal, unchanging and forever and for all binding form of worship of God, but that it can and will be replaced by a higher kind of service to God – service in spirit, that is, here is predicted the replacement of the Old Law by the New. We saw this same truth in a clearer and more precise exposition in the 39th psalm.

Psalm 50:20. Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem: Psalm 50:21. Then they will delight in sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offering and whole offering; then they will offer bulls upon Your altar. These verses were probably appended to the psalm during the Babylonian exile, since their content does not correspond to the historical situation of Jerusalem and the Hebrew people during the reign of David. At that time the walls of Jerusalem had not been destroyed and the worship in the temple had not ceased. The Hebrews experienced such a condition only during the captivity. This psalm, representing the penitent and prayerful contrite state of David, reminded the captive Hebrews of their past sinful life and could awaken in them repentance for their sins, so they could pray with the words of this psalm, adding to it a petition for their return to their homeland and for the restoration of the former greatness of the Jerusalem temple. This psalm, like Ps 37, is called penitential and is used more frequently than others in worship, being part of the small compline, the midnight office and the third hour. It depicts very vividly both the penitent state of a sinner, which every person is, and the feeling of humility with which every one praying should turn to God. The power of humility expressed in it and the depth of repentance have contributed to such widespread use of the psalm.

Chapter Fifty-One

The occasion of the writing of the psalm is indicated in Ps 51:2. This is the denunciation by Doeg of the high priest Ahimelech for the hospitality shown by the latter to David.

Why do you boast of your denunciation, which contains treachery and brings harm (3-6)? For this the Lord will punish you, root you out from the land of the living and on your example will show openly the destructiveness of relying only on your own strength rather than on God (7-9). But I, for my faith in God, will be like a flourishing olive tree, for which I will glorify Him (10-11).

Psalm 51:2. After Doeg the Edomite came and informed Saul and said to him, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.” Psalm 51:3. Why do you boast of your evil, O mighty man? The mercy of God endures with me; David calls Doeg’s denunciation to Saul wickedness because it was intended to incriminate Ahimelech for giving David help, as an enemy of his king, that is, for showing sympathy to a rebel and complicity with him. In this case he deliberately falsely interpreted the deed of Ahimelech, who did not know the real history of David’s flight and if he showed him kindness, he was guided by the sacred custom of hospitality, not by an evil plot against his king. Doeg’s denunciation, as one that destroyed an innocent man, was wickedness. – “The mercy of God endures with me.” David believes that the Lord will not abandon him with His protection and Doeg’s denunciation, calculated to harm David, will be fruitless.

Psalm 51:7. Therefore God will destroy you utterly; he will snatch you away and tear you out of your tent and root you out of the land of the living. “Therefore God will destroy you utterly” – an expression that is indefinite, referring either to his complete ruin on earth, to the loss of his outward well-being and the destruction of his offspring (“your root from the land of the living”), or to his eternal ruin and condemnation by God, when Doeg will be deprived of closeness to God, of eternal life before Him (“land of the living,” that is, the righteous), but will descend into the land of forgetfulness, into Sheol.

Psalm 51:10. But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever, “I am like a green olive tree in the house of God.” The wicked will perish, but David’s position will be firm and good, like a tree flourishing with abundant moisture. David finds this strength for his flourishing “in the house of God,” that is, from God, who dwells in the sanctuary.

Chapter Fifty-Two

This psalm is literally similar (except verse 6) to Ps 13. See the explanation on the last page.

Chapter Fifty-Three

The superscription of the psalm indicates first, the manner of performance (“to stringed instruments”), second, the character of the content (“a teaching”), representing David’s reflection on the occasion of what happened to him, and third, the reason for its writing – the betrayal by the Ziphites. The psalm was written when David was hiding in the wilderness of Ziph on a mountain from Saul who was pursuing him. The Ziphites, in order to ingratiate themselves with Saul, indicated to him David’s location, whereupon Saul went, but David was forced to flee to the wilderness of Maon, which was separated from Saul’s troops by only one hill. At this time David wrote the psalm known to us as Ps 21.

O Lord! Save me by Your power from enemies who seek my life (3-5). I believe that You will protect me, the innocent one (6-7) and for the salvation granted I will glorify You (8-9).

Psalm 53:3. O God, save me by Your name, and vindicate me by Your might. “Save me by Your name, and vindicate me by Your might.” David’s persecution by Saul was, as is known, undeserved: Saul persecuted David because he saw in him an ambitious and fortunate rival in the search for the throne, whereas David harbored no such designs, but received appointment to the throne of the Hebrew kingdom from God. By virtue of the latter, David undertakes no means of struggle with Saul, but commits his life to the will of God. David’s prayer to God in this case has the following meaning: save me, O Lord, for my destruction, as Your chosen one, will be a humiliation of Your name, which is great in the eyes of men. “Vindicate me by Your might” – display Your power now, when the danger is great and the position of Your chosen one seems hopeless.

Psalm 53:5. For strangers have risen against me, and ruthless men seek my life; they do not keep God before them. “Strangers have risen… and ruthless men seek my life.” – The behavior of the Ziphites toward David was marked by such hatred that it ranked them with strangers; that is, with gentiles, enemies of the Hebrews; “ruthless men” – these are the warriors of Saul, with whom he stood not far from David. “My life” – my existence; enemies strove to destroy David. – “Do not keep God before them.” The enemies of David did not think about whether such persecution accords with the will of God, whether it is right and whether it was deserved by David, but were guided by foreign and selfish calculations – the desire to ingratiate themselves with Saul.

Psalm 53:7. God will repay them for their evil; in Your faithfulness, put an end to them. “God will repay them for their evil.” David believes that the Lord will turn aside from him the evil which his enemies are preparing for him and send it upon his enemies. – “In Your faithfulness, put an end to them” – since You, O Lord, love truth, and before You I am right, so, as the protector of truth, destroy the enemies.

Psalm 53:8. I will offer You a willing sacrifice; I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good, Psalm 53:9. For You have delivered me from all trouble, and my eye has seen the defeat of my enemies. “I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good” – I will praise You, of course, in prayers and psalms for the good granted to me. – “My eye has seen the defeat of my enemies.” Simple help was shown to David, for Saul learned of an attack on the southern borders of his kingdom by the Philistines, went out to meet them and David was able not to flee from his enemies, but to watch them depart from him.

Chapter Fifty-Four

If we take into account the vividness of the details in the author’s depiction of his state given the sentiments revealed in Jerusalem and the calamities that threatened the writer, and that all these persecutions were directed against the person of the author of the psalm, then David must be considered as such an author; persecutions were directed against him and no one better than he could know his spiritual state in this position, and all the upheavals in Jerusalem mentioned by the psalm coincide with the known and described in the historical books events from David’s life. The psalm was written during David’s persecution by Absalom, when Ahithophel had already turned against him (Ps 54:14-15) and when he prepared to flee from Jerusalem (Ps 54:7-9).

O Lord! Hear my prayer and help me, oppressed by the wicked (2-4). I have lost courage and am ready to flee to the wilderness (5-9). Confound the union and cohesion of my enemies, who have seized the city and bring wickedness and treachery into it (10-12). My friend has become my enemy (13-15). Punish them, O Lord. I will call upon You constantly (16-18). The Lord will save me and destroy my enemies for their constancy in treachery and wickedness (19-22). The Lord will save the righteous, and his enemies will be brought low (23-24).

Psalm 54:4. From the voice of my enemies, from the oppression of the wicked, for they bring malice upon me and in anger they persecute me. The verse introduces the reason for “the sorrow… and the trembling” (Ps 54:3) of David, that is, the dejected state of his spirit. This is the hostile attitude toward him from his opponents and the disorders in public life that already became clearly evident during the dominant position of his enemies in Jerusalem. The enemies of David not only spoke against him (“the voice of my enemies”), but also proceeded to hostile actions against him (“in anger they persecute” – manifest their enmity through actions). For example, they “bring malice upon” David, that is, accusations of violation of the law by him. Such violations were spoken of in those slanders which Absalom spread among the people about his father, as a bad, unjust and negligent ruler.

Psalm 54:5. My heart is in anguish within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me; Psalm 54:6. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me. Psalm 54:7. And I said, “Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; Psalm 54:8. I would wander far away and lodge in the wilderness; Psalm 54:9. I would hasten to find shelter from the wind, from the tempest.” The disturbance of the inhabitants and their dissatisfaction with David had assumed such proportions that the latter wished with the swiftness of a dove to go away to the wilderness to find rest from the constant oppressive expectation of a rude attack from his enemies. Comparison with a dove, the swiftest of birds in its flight, indicates the degree of danger to which David was exposed. He awaited a “storm” and “tempest,” that is, an outbreak of the disturbance which had already been well prepared.

Psalm 54:10. Confuse them and divide their tongues, for I see violence and strife in the city; The strength of the enemies and, consequently, the degree of danger to David, depended on their cohesion, which is why David prays to the Lord to “confuse” his enemies. He also prays that the Lord would sow discord and strife among them, and make fruitless their efforts to achieve the goal of their evil wishes (David’s destruction), as fruitless was the attempt of the post-flood people, through the confusion of their languages, to finish the Tower of Babel (“divide their tongues”). The enemies deserve such destruction. David already sees how their temporary dominion in Jerusalem was accompanied by the development of “violence and strife” in the city, that is, the disorders which they brought into life,

Psalm 54:11. Day and night they prowl around upon its walls; malice and trouble are in its midst; Psalm 54:12. Destruction is in its midst; oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets: A more specific indication of the sentiments that prevailed at that time in life is given by David in the words: “malice and trouble,… oppression and deceit” in his city. By malice must be understood a general indication of the self-will of David’s enemies, manifested in a gross violation of the Law of Moses, to which every disposition and administration should have conformed; “trouble” – suffering, which indicates both the defenselessness of each one seeking justice and that David’s enemies pursued personal advantage without regard to whether this would be grievous to others. “Oppression” – bribery, treachery, flattery, partiality. On the walls, as well as in the squares and at the gates of the city, judicial proceedings and discussion of public affairs were ordinarily conducted among the Hebrews, as among all eastern peoples: thus, both in public and in judicial matters, arbitrariness and self-will then reigned in Jerusalem.

Psalm 54:13. For it is not an enemy who taunts me – then I could bear it; not one who hates me who magnifies himself against me – from him I could hide; Psalm 54:14. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion and my intimate friend, Psalm 54:15. With whom we shared sweet fellowship, and walked together to the house of God. These public sentiments had a heavy effect on David, who had all his life labored for its good ordering and now saw the destruction of his reforms. But not in this alone lay the special grief, the soul’s heaviness: if David had merely encountered insults and haughty speech from his enemies, he could have endured them or withdrawn, but David’s suffering is broader and deeper: he encountered betrayal from the very closest and trusted person, upon whom, like all his enemies, he prays to God to send punishment (16). – “But it is you, a man like myself,” that is, a trusted person from whom David hid nothing; “my companion and my intimate friend” – one upon whom David was accustomed to rely and from whom he hid nothing (“we shared sweet fellowship”); “walked together to the house of God,” that is, the union and closeness of David with this person also found expression in their similar religious disposition, which is why they went together to the house of God. One cannot but recognize in such a person Ahithophel, David’s close friend, but then his traitor.

Psalm 54:16. Let death come upon them; let them go down alive to Sheol, for there is evil in their dwellings and in their hearts. “Let death come upon them; let them go down alive to Sheol” – may the Lord strike them with death and bring them alive down to Sheol, that is, not having reached a natural end of life, having perished prematurely, since they not only rule wickedly (see 11, 12), but deception reigns in their family life also (“in their dwellings”). The swift destruction of such people, thoroughly corrupted and harmful, is fully desirable.

Psalm 54:17. But I call upon God, and the Lord will save me. Psalm 54:18. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice, Psalm 54:19. And he will bring my soul to safety from the attacks upon me, for many oppose me. Since even his close friend turned against David, the latter can seek help only from God, which is why he promises to call upon Him constantly, both in the morning, at noon, and in the evening. In this threefold prayer some see an indication that David, even in exile, continued strictly to observe the custom of threefold prayer before the temple, which was required of every pious Hebrew.

Psalm 54:20. God will hear and humble them, he who is enthroned from of old, because they do not change and do not fear God. David is confident that his prayer to God for the destruction of his enemies will be heard, since there is “no change” in them in their behavior and thoughts; there is in them no fear, arising from the consciousness of responsibility before God for their evil deeds, and therefore there can be no mercy for them.

Psalm 54:21. He stretches out his hand against his allies; he violates his covenant. The enemies of David are depicted by this verse as oppressors of the peaceable inhabitants of Jerusalem. From the Hebrew text, moreover, this verse should more precisely be understood as relating to Ahithophel. The exact translation would be: “He lays his hand on those who were with him in peace,” that is, on David and his devoted followers.

Psalm 54:22. His speech is smoother than butter, but war is in his heart; his words are softer than oil, but they are drawn swords. The terrible judgment of God which the enemies of David have deserved by their deeds, their evil disposition: they speak flatteringly, with false sympathy (“his speech is smoother than butter”), yet in their heart is evil; their words are gentle, but they are spoken to deceive the trusting person into ruin him (“they are drawn swords”). Such treachery David experienced from his false friends and the same he saw firmly established in public life. From the Hebrew text this verse refers to Ahithophel: “his speech is smoother than butter, but in his heart is war.”

Psalm 54:23. Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalm 54:24. But you, O God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction; the bloodthirsty and deceitful will not live out half their days. But I put my trust in you. David encourages himself and, at the same time, every one innocently suffering and persecuted – with the hope in God, Who “will never permit the righteous to be moved,” will not allow the righteous to become a subject of ridicule, of shameful speech that would pass from generation to generation, but will always protect him, will not permit his destruction. The enemies and persecutors of the righteous the Lord will bring down to the “pit of destruction,” that is, into a pit which was ordinarily dug deep in the earth in the form of a jug, with a relatively narrow opening, into which criminals were cast and from which there could be no escape, that is, the Lord will destroy them irretrievably. All in general “the bloodthirsty and deceitful will not live out half their days,” – all who rose up against David, thirsting to bring about a state revolution even through violence, with the shedding of blood (here are understood Ahithophel, Absalom and his friends, who did not scruple at and did not fear even civil strife) and acted through deceptions, as indeed Absalom acted, drawing popular sympathy to himself by spreading false reports about David, will not survive half the span of their appointed life. This last was literally fulfilled in Absalom, who perished in the flower of his years. Ps 53 and Ps 54 are used in worship as part of the sixth hour, commemorating the crucifixion of Christ, when His enemies in their enmity toward Christ “did not set God before them” (Ps 53:5) and when a person close to Him (Judas) turned out to be a traitor (Ps 54:14-15). By this reminder the Church admonishes believers not to become like these enemies, but with sincere faith and purity of heart to approach the hearing and participation in the celebration of the Great Sacrifice of Christ.

Chapter Fifty-Five

According to the inscription, the psalm was written by David during his flight from Saul to the Philistines at Gath, where they recognized in him the recent victor over Goliath, and therefore probably treated him with suspicion. This last circumstance could have prompted David to feign madness before them (1 Sam 21:10-15). “O dove, silent in distance” refers either to David’s position in a hostile land as a lonely and defenseless exile—that is, it is a gentle, figurative expression denoting his external and inner state at that time—or points to the motive of performance, after the manner of a song beginning with these words.

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am surrounded on all sides by enemies seeking to destroy me (2–3). I trust in You and believe in the reality of Your determination concerning me (4–5). My enemies watch me closely. Will You not punish them? (6–8) My afflictions are recorded with You and You are my defender, therefore I do not fear the attacks of my enemies and for the salvation You have sent I will render to You my vows (9–14).

Psalm 55:2. Have mercy on me, O God! for a man seeks to devour me; pressing hard every day, he oppresses me. “A man seeks to devour me.” By the word “man” David denotes the Philistines, among whom he had to move and who could not be favorably disposed toward him as the recent victor over Goliath. They could regard him with suspicion and see in him a spy on behalf of the Hebrew people hostile to them, and therefore watched his words and deeds closely.

Psalm 55:5. In God I will praise His word; in God I trust, I will not be afraid; what can flesh do to me? “In God I will praise His word.” By “word” is understood God’s determination concerning David, by which he was destined to become the king of the Hebrew people. “To praise” means to give thanks and glorify. David thanks God for such a determination concerning him, not because he finds satisfaction for his vanity here, but because he sees in it God’s favor toward him, and therefore he, living among Philistines, the evil enemies of his people, does not waver in his faith in his salvation: God, having made such a word concerning him, will not leave it unfulfilled and will therefore save David, which is why David says: “I will not be afraid; what can flesh do to me?”

Psalm 55:8. Will they not escape vengeance for their unrighteousness? In Your anger, O God, bring down the peoples. God is righteous. In the attitudes of the Philistines surrounding David, he sees unjust enmity, undeserved by him as an innocent and involuntary exile from his homeland. The hostile attitude was nourished not only toward him but also toward all Hebrews, and not only by the Philistines but by all pagans, therefore David’s prayer for his own salvation passes into a prayer also for his people: “In Your anger, O God, bring down the peoples” (pagan peoples).

Psalm 55:9. You have recorded my wanderings; put my tears in Your vessel—are they not in Your book? A characterization of God’s vigilant attention to humanity. All the sufferings of the latter are as it were recorded by the Lord (“my wanderings are recorded”); the Lord preserves them as if in a vessel: He as it were writes down all by which the human being is unjustly wronged.

Psalm 55:13. Upon me, O God, are Your vows; I will render praise to You, The vows made by David before God are indicated in the following verse.

Psalm 55:14. For You have delivered my soul from death, [my eyes from tears,] and my feet from stumbling, so that I walk before the face of God in the light of the living. To walk “before the face of God in the light of the living” means by one’s deeds neither to offend nor to violate God’s commandments, and to be always guided by the remembrance that the Lord sees you, His face is turned toward you. “In the light of the living” can be rendered as “for the enlightenment of the living,” that is, a person’s activity in accordance with God’s will is important not only as an expression of the sincerity of his convictions but also as a means of religious and moral enlightenment of other people.

Chapter Fifty-Six

The psalm was written by David while staying in a cave. Probably the cave of Adullam is meant here, where David found refuge upon his return from the Philistines to his native land from the continued persecutions by Saul (1 Sam 22:1). “Do not destroy,” corresponding to the supplicatory content of the psalm, at the same time points to the motive of the song, after the manner of which the psalm is to be performed.

I cry out to You, Lord, for help while among enemies breathing malice against me; I believe that You will save me, for which be exalted over all the earth! (2–6) Enemies have set snares for me, but I, confident in Your protection, have prepared to meet these attacks (7–8). Rise up, Lord! I will sing among the peoples of all Your boundless greatness in Your blessings (9–12).

Psalm 56:2. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for my soul trusts in You, and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge, until these troubles pass away. “In the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge.” An image of God’s providential care for His righteous one; just as under a hen’s wings a chick will always find sure protection, so the Lord cares for and preserves those devoted to Him.

Psalm 56:4. He will send from heaven and save me; He will put to shame the one who seeks to devour me; God will send forth His mercy and His truth. The Lord will send “His mercy and His truth”—two attributes often indicated together to characterize God’s relationship with humanity. “Mercy” is His condescension; “truth” is His faithfulness to His promises concerning the fate of the righteous, which is why He protects and favors them, and such was David, unjustly persecuted by Saul.

Psalm 56:5. My soul is among lions; I lie among those breathing flame, among the children of mankind, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and whose tongue is a sharp sword. A characterization of David’s enemies: they breathed flame (that is, malice), resembled lions whose teeth were spears and arrows, and whose tongue was a sword. Features that point to the strength and degree of cruelty of the persecutions.

Psalm 56:6. Be exalted above the heavens, O God, and let Your glory be over all the earth! David’s salvation under such grave circumstances cannot be achieved by ordinary human efforts, and therefore deliverance from them is the work of the Lord Himself, for which He should be exalted not only throughout the earth among people but also “above the heavens,” above the visible starry world, where God’s constant presence and that of His angels dwell.

Psalm 56:8. My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready: I will sing and praise. David’s faith in God’s help and protection changed his anxious and despondent mood of spirit into firm confidence in his salvation—“his heart is ready” without wavering and fear to meet all dangers and persecutions from enemies.

Psalm 56:10. I will praise You, Lord, among the peoples; I will sing of You among the tribes, David’s praise of the Lord among the peoples is fulfilled by his very composition of psalms, which, both during David’s time and after him, entered into liturgical and private use, and wherever the Psalter is sung or read, there the Lord is praised. And the Psalter found wide distribution among all peoples.

Psalm 56:11. For Your mercy is great, reaching to the heavens, and Your truth to the clouds. “Your mercy reaching to the heavens” and “Your truth to the clouds”—images pointing to the great degree of God’s love for humanity and to the strength of the protection He sends.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

The psalm was written by David during the beginning of the preparation of Absalom’s revolt, when he could observe in Jerusalem both the degree of animosity of his enemies against him (Ps 57:4-5) and the beginning of disorder in life: they (the enemies) were abusing their authority.

You judges act unjustly, for you always commit wickedness (2–3). These judges are ungodly; from birth they love evil and are incapable of reform, as an asp cannot be charmed by enchantments (4–6). Crush, O Lord, their strength, make them harmless and scatter them (7–10). Then the righteous will rejoice from the consciousness that there is God judging on earth! (11–12)

Psalm 57:2. Do you indeed speak righteousness, you judges? And do you judge justly, O children of mankind? It is known that Absalom sought to dispose the Hebrews toward himself by pointing out those injustices which he alleged David was permitting because of his inability to govern the people and his lack of love for them. Since the ingratiating words of Absalom had their effect, the popularity of him and his followers grew, while David’s influence diminished. Power thus gradually and de facto passed to the side of unrecognized and unlawful rulers. How the latter conducted affairs is clarified further.

Psalm 57:3. You devise injustice in your heart; you put on the scales the wickedness of your hands upon the earth. “To devise injustice in your heart” means to love and harbor evil, to be internally disposed toward what is wrong. “To put on the scales wickedness”—to tilt the scale of justice, to outweigh righteousness with an evil deed. An evil deed in judicial decisions results from guidance in the examination of a case not by the essence of the act but by outside considerations, as for instance bribery. A bribe, as a dishonorable deed and wickedness, tilted the judge’s scales.

Psalm 57:5. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent, like a deaf asp that stops its ears Psalm 57:6. and does not hear the voice of the charmer, the most skilled in enchantments. The corruption of these new judges is so great that they are inaccessible to the reception of what is good and honorable. They resemble serpents, like an asp, which does not yield to the influence of the best enchanters of the East, who by whispers and whistlings were able to bewitch even the most venomous of them so that they became powerless to strike.

Psalm 57:7. O God! crush their teeth in their mouth; break, O Lord, the jaws of the lions! “To crush their teeth,” “to break their jaws” means to take away that by which ferocious animals are especially strong, that is, to remove the power of the ungodly to cause harm.

Psalm 57:9. Let them vanish like a snail melting away; like the miscarriage of a woman, may they not see the sun. “Let them vanish like a melting snail,” which, as it comes out of its shell, becomes defenseless not only against wild beasts or birds but even against insects. “May they not see the sun like a miscarriage”—may their influence not be established, may it have no success and no predominance, as harmless as a stillborn child.

Psalm 57:10. Before your pots feel the heat of the thorns, whether fresh or burned, may a whirlwind sweep them away. The destructive effect of the ungodly is compared with a pot in which food is ordinarily cooked. To heat the pot requires material, which especially comes from dry thorns or dry brush. The dry or burned thorns are the evil desires of the ungodly. Insofar as these desires find application and actual expression in deeds, the pot is heated, the amount of harm they cause increases, and David petitions the Lord not to give the ungodly the strength and ability to cause harm but to scatter them.

Psalm 57:11. The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will wash his feet in the blood of the ungodly. “He will wash his feet in the blood of the ungodly”—an image taken from military operations when the earth is soaked with the blood of the defeated and persecuted enemies over which (the earth) their victors pursue them. The meaning of the expression is: may the ungodly perish and the righteous remain victorious.

Psalm 57:12. And a person will say: “Truly there is a reward for the righteous! Surely there is a God who judges on the earth!” The ruin of the ungodly will strengthen in people the consciousness that “there is a God who judges on the earth!” which will incite them to hold fast to righteousness and to struggle against wickedness, expecting protection and strengthening from God, who watches over the earth.

Chapter Fifty-Eight

The psalm was written concerning Saul’s attempt to kill David, described in 1 Sam 19. The content of the psalm does not contradict the stated inscription, and Ps 57:4-5, where David speaks of his innocence and the undeservedness of the persecutions, directly confirm the correspondence of the inscription to the circumstances of the psalm’s origin.

Protect me, Lord, from those who unjustly attack me and lie in wait to kill me (2–5). Punish the lawbreakers who, like dogs, roam about the city searching for me; who speak slanders and do not fear answering for them (6–8). You, Lord, are my hope; scatter them, but do not kill them at once; rather weaken them so that when the Hebrews see them they may learn to remember You (9–14). Let them go about weakened, and I will sing praise to You, my defender (15–18).

Psalm 58:3. Deliver me from those who do wickedness; save me from the bloodthirsty, By “those who do wickedness” are understood David’s enemies—the followers of Saul who persecuted him at the time when they themselves were conscious of the innocence and undeservedness of these persecutions: they were consciously committing wickedness. These enemies were “bloodthirsty,” they sought to kill David, to violently take away his life.

Psalm 58:4. For behold, they lie in wait for my soul; mighty men gather against me, not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord; David confesses his complete innocence before God, and from this flows the undeservedness of the persecutions. Such a declaration is usually made by David in psalms from the period of persecutions by Saul, when neither David himself nor any of his enemies could point to any fault of his either before God or before people.

Psalm 58:6. You, Lord, God of Hosts, God of Israel, rise up to visit all the nations; do not spare any of the ungodly lawbreakers: The “nations” which David petitions God to punish are called further “ungodly lawbreakers.” These are not pagan tribes but the same followers of Saul and enemies of David, who for their hostility toward him are compared with enemies of the Hebrew people—the pagans. The latter harbored the most hostile feelings toward the Hebrews, based not only on a struggle for political predominance but also on religious and social peculiarities of the way of life of both, which is why this enmity was deep and almost primordial. Such in its strength and depth was the hatred of David’s enemies.

Psalm 58:7. In the evening they return; they howl like dogs and prowl about the city; Eastern cities even now strike travelers with the abundance of homeless dogs, which usually lie on the streets during the day, but in the evening gather in packs, fight over food, and are dangerous to people. Dogs were despised animals among the Hebrews. The comparison of his enemies to them points both to the predatory, full of evil intention character of their pursuit of David and to the moral worthlessness of the enemies themselves.

Psalm 58:8. Behold, they belch out with their mouths; swords are in their lips: “For,” they think, “who will hear?” David’s enemies “belched out slanders” against him, that is, they insulted him with harsh words and insults, and they believed in their complete impunity (“who will hear?”), and they did not think about accountability before God. Their slanders contained blasphemy and disbelief.

Psalm 58:11. My God, showing me mercy, will go before me; God will let me see my enemies. “My God will go before me”—will guard me from enemies, will prevent their intentions and thwart them. Perhaps David here meant the cunning of Michal, who, to give David time to escape, placed a dummy on his bed and covered it, telling Saul’s messengers that David was lying sick. By this opportunity David used his escape in flight. “To see my enemies”—not to flee from them but to stand boldly before them in the consciousness of one’s strength and invincibility.

Psalm 58:12. Do not kill them, lest my people forget; scatter them by Your power and bring them low, O Lord, our defender. “Do not kill them,” that is, do not subject them to immediate and complete ruin, but weaken their strength (see verse 14), make them harmless to David, but not unpunished: inflict upon them punishment in the form of prolonged suffering, poverty, sickness, and the like, which would be visible to all people. This is necessary “lest my people forget,” so that by their sight they constantly remind the Hebrews of the necessity of obedience to God and of the punishment that threatens from Him the wicked: immediate and complete ruin of enemies, though it produces an acute and strong impression, is of short duration. The people will soon forget what happened, and with it will lack the needed prolonged reminder “to remember God.”

Psalm 58:14. Scatter them in Your anger, scatter them so that they are no more; and let them know that God rules over Jacob to the ends of the earth. “Scatter them so that they are no more”—not in the sense of complete and immediate destruction (see verse 12), but in the sense of weakening their predominance over David and the people, of their disorganization and neutralization of their actions, so that they no longer have that superior strength which they now possess.

Psalm 58:16. Let them wander about seeking food, and if they are not satisfied, let them spend the night. Deprive them of material sufficiency and outward strength on which their influence rested. This verse clarifies and supplements verse 12. The outward humbled and distressed condition of David’s enemies, formerly wealthy and honored, will serve as a living reminder to the Hebrews of what wickedness and disobedience to God lead to.

Chapter Fifty-Nine

In Ps 59:2 the occasion for the composition of the psalm is indicated—the campaign of Joab, David’s commander, against the Edomites, which ended with their defeat. This campaign took place after the end of the first war with the Syrians in the north (2 Sam 8:1-16), during which the Edomites, taking advantage of the defenselessness of the southern borders of Judah, produced complete devastation there. David was grieved by this event and wrote the psalm, which fully corresponds both to the situation of his military operations at that time and to the future state of affairs.

O God, You have cast us off, You have sent upon the people a cruel trial (3–5). Gather and inspire again those who fear You and deliver them (6–8). David is confident of his victory over enemies, the Moabites and Edomites submit to him by divine revelation, and the Lord Himself will lead him to their capital, with whom David will bring low all his enemies (9–14).

Psalm 59:4. You have made the earth quake; You have split it open: heal its fractures, for it shakes. The attacks of the Edomites on the southern borders of Judah are depicted by David as a “quaking of the earth,” its shaking, that is, as a threat and danger to the very existence of Judah in the sense of an independent political entity. These concerns are not an exaggeration. War in the north and the concentration of all military forces for the struggle with the Syrians opened a free passage to the Edomites up to Jerusalem, which was only two days’ journey from the borders of Edom. An unobstructed movement of the Edomites to the north would have compressed David’s army: on one side stood the forces of the Syrians, and from behind came the forces of the Edomites. The danger was great, and with the possible destruction of David’s army it threatened the political independence of the entire Hebrew people.

Psalm 59:5. You have given Your people a hard test; You have made us drink wine that makes us stagger. “You have made us drink wine that makes us stagger”—wine mixed with intoxicating substances that produce dizziness. David expresses here the feeling of amazement at the events taking place, which seemed to testify to the abandonment of the Hebrews by God.

Psalm 59:6. Give to those who fear You a banner, that they may rally to it because of the truth, “Give a banner.” The comparison is taken from military operations when a raised banner gathers around it defenders, concentrates strength, and a fallen banner means defeat. The meaning of the expression is: inspire and gather the defenders of the people against the Edomites. “For the sake of truth”—for the restoration of the true, correct, assured existence of the Hebrew kingdom.

Psalm 59:8. God has spoken in His sanctuary: “I will triumph; I will divide Shechem and measure out the Valley of Succoth: “God spoke in His sanctuary.” Probably the revelation is meant which David received from the Lord in the temple through the urim and thummim of the high priest. The following words: “I will triumph, I will divide” and so on belong to David and indicate that under the influence of this revelation there arose in him boldness and faith in victory over his enemies. These words cannot be referred to God, for all their content speaks of military victory and political predominance over enemies, which is not characteristic of God and in which He has no need (see especially verses 10, 11, 12). “Shechem” (modern Nablus) was located in the center of the trans-Jordan Palestine, and the Valley of Succoth was in the Jordan valley.

Psalm 59:9. Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is the strength of my head, Judah is my scepter, Gilead (the tribes of Reuben and Gad) was the trans-Jordan part of Palestine, Manasseh (the tribe of Manasseh) was located there as well; Ephraim’s tribe is called “the strength of my head” for its preponderant influence in Judea because of its numerical superiority; “Judah is my scepter” because kings of the Hebrew people were chosen from it. The two latter tribes were in the cis-Jordan region—the first tribes were in the north of Palestine, the latter in the south. Thus here are indicated all the boundaries of Palestine and the then kingdom of Judah, to show the firmness of the kingdom of Judah and the fruitlessness of enemy attacks.

Psalm 59:10. Moab is my washbasin; over Edom I will cast my shoe. Shout to me, O land of the Philistines!” Moreover, David’s authority will expand through the subjugation and conquest of the Moabites and through victory over the Edomites, actually soon won by David (2 Sam 8:2; 1 Chr 18:1-6) in the Salt Valley. “Moab is my washbasin”—a basin used for washing the feet of travelers. The expression shows that the Moabites will occupy a subordinate, servile position in relation to the Hebrews, which came to pass: they were forced to pay tribute to the Hebrews after their defeat. “I will cast my shoe over Edom.” To cast a shoe means to trample; the Edomites were defeated by Joab and trampled, humiliated. “Shout to me, O land of the Philistines!”—greet me as your master, and may the land of the Philistines. The greeting of the defeated by the victor could soften their fate. Many wars of David with neighboring peoples ended with victories, and this was true in the struggle with the Philistines.

Psalm 59:11. Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? Psalm 59:12. Is it not You, O God, who have cast us off, and do You not go forth, O God, with our armies? The same Lord who has now cast off the Hebrews will lead David against the Edomites, and this means victory is his.

Psalm 59:14. With God we will accomplish mighty deeds; He will tread down our enemies. “With God we will accomplish mighty deeds”—David’s strength lies not in his military skill but in God’s favor and protection of him.

Chapter Sixty

The psalm was written by David during the persecution from Absalom, when he was already fleeing from Jerusalem. This is pointed to both by the very appeal to God—“Hear, O God, my cry” (Ps 60:2), testifying to the difficult situation of the writer, and by his naming himself king (Ps 60:7), who at that time was not in Jerusalem but far from it (Ps 60:3). David, as king, was persecuted only once, and precisely by Absalom.

Hear, O Lord, my prayer and save me, for I find refuge only in You. Grant me to live forever under Your protection (2–5). You will hear my prayer and will restore to me my inheritance. May the Lord lengthen the days of the king; may he enjoy eternal mercy from God, and then he will thank the Lord with prayers and vows (6–9).

Psalm 60:3. From the end of the earth I cry to You in distress of heart; lead me to a rock that is too high for me, By the “end of the earth” where David was, one can perhaps understand Mahanaim. The writer calls this place the “end of the earth” or border of Palestine to show how distant his present place of residence is from Jerusalem and the temple, which for the devout king was a matter of first necessity: there he could be closer to the Lord and devote himself to prayer before Him. David often calls the Lord a “rock.” To be led to a rock means to be given firm protection.

Psalm 60:5. May I dwell forever in Your house and rest under the shelter of Your wings, “To dwell forever in the house” of God can mean most nearly David’s hope to remain at the tabernacle until the end of his days and to live in Jerusalem, and also the desire to enjoy “forever,” beyond the grave, “closeness to God.”

Psalm 60:6. For You, O God, have heard my vows and have given me the inheritance of those who fear Your name. “Have heard,” “have given” are past tenses in place of future (prophetic past). “The inheritance of those who fear Your name”—the Lord preserved for David that inheritance which is promised by Him to those who fear Him. This inheritance is the return to him of the unjustly taken throne. In agreement with verse 5, one can also understand the granting of eternal life beyond the grave as the portion appointed generally for the righteous.

Psalm 60:7. Add days to the days of the king; let his years endure for all generations, “Add days to the days”—lengthen his life, “let his years endure for all generations”—throughout all time that human generations exist. May the name of David be preserved in the generations not in the sense of mere remembrance of him as a historical figure, but in the generations descended from him. Such a descendant was the promised Messiah, the eternal King.

Psalm 60:8. May he dwell forever before God; command mercy and truth to guard him. “To dwell forever before God”—to enjoy eternal mercy, closeness to Him after death.

Psalm 60:9. And I will sing to Your name forever, fulfilling my vows every day. David’s request for mercy from God was accompanied by a promise on his part to “fulfill my vows every day.” Among such vows belongs the daily praise of His name.

Chapter Sixty-One

This psalm, like the previous one, can be attributed to the time of David’s flight from Jerusalem during Absalom’s revolt. This agrees with the indication that enemies planned to overthrow David “from a height” (Ps 61:5), understood as his social position, that is, his throne, which he did not have under Saul. To achieve their success, enemies resorted to hypocritical falsehood (Ps 61:5), and their predominance was accompanied by robberies and plunder. The last two characteristics coincide with that time, as the revolt against David was prepared by hypocritical external displays of respect toward him and at the same time by the spreading of false reports about him; after the temporary seizure of power by his enemies, they gave themselves over to all sorts of plunder. David spoke of this often already in other psalms from that same time.

I trust only in the Lord, and therefore all my enemies will be brought down, whatever lies they resort to (2–5). My sole and true protection, like that of all people, is only the Lord. Flee to Him, and do not hope in people, for only with the Lord is strength and mercy (6–13).

Psalm 61:3. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress: I shall not be shaken. “He is my rock,” usually translated “He is my rock,” points to the unassailability of God’s help. “I shall not be shaken anymore”—David can no longer have doubt that the attacks of his enemies will be successful, therefore the fear of the possibility of his ruin disappears in him and is replaced by faith in deliverance.

Psalm 61:4. How long will you assault a person? Will you all fall down together, like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence? The ruin of enemies will be unavoidable by any means. They will climb on a crumbling wall which cannot be supported by any effort.

Psalm 61:5. They have plotted to thrust him down from his height; they delight in lies. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Regarding David’s conduct as king toward his people, the enemies could point to nothing criminal and harmful to them. His authority stood high not only by his rank as king but also by his actual worth, testified to by all his previous activity as a ruler. To overthrow him from his throne (“from a height”) enemies “resorted to lies.” To lull David’s vigilance and to achieve their end, they showed false respect before him, “but in their heart they curse.” Such methods are usual where there is no truth in deeds and purity in intentions.

Psalm 61:9. O people! trust in Him at all times; pour out your heart before Him: God is our refuge. By the “people” can be understood those people who accompanied David in his flight and who despaired of the possibility of his salvation. “Pour out your heart before Him”—turn to Him with sincere, unhypocritical prayer and firm faith.

Psalm 61:10. Children of mankind are but a breath; children of men are a lie; if placed on a scale, together they are lighter than a breath. “Children of mankind”—ordinary people, common folk; “children of men”—people of noble rank. Trust in both of them on the day of one’s salvation is “vanity and a lie,” for the degree of their influence on the final fate of a person, compared to divine guidance, if placed on a scale, will prove “lighter than a breath,” a person in determining his fate is nothing.

Psalm 61:11. Do not trust in extortion and do not vain yourselves in plunder; when wealth increases, do not set your heart on it. One should not think that impunity for plunder and robberies, as well as material wealth in the hands of a person, can serve him as protection and support and as an impregnable stronghold. The temporary advantage on the side of the wicked and their outward predominance should not incite imitation: “do not set your heart on it.” All the content of verses 9–11 is directed by David to those around him in exile, whom despair overwhelmed and who lost faith in the possibility of David’s salvation and of their own, because they saw the material advantage on the side of his plundering enemies.

Psalm 61:12. Once God spoke, and twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, Psalm 61:13. and that to You, O Lord, belongs mercy, for You will repay everyone according to his deeds. “Once God spoke, and twice have I heard this”—I have heard a twofold truth, spoken once by God as a guide for humanity: 1. “Power belongs to God”—the authority to govern all that exists belongs to God alone as the supreme sovereign of the world; 2. “Mercy” is sent also by Him. The meaning of the whole expression is that true and reliable protection exists only with the merciful Lord.

Chapter Sixty-Two

This psalm was written by David during his flight, when he was in the wilderness (2 Sam 15:28). By this flight one must understand the time of Absalom, since in verse 12 David directly calls himself king, one who had already occupied the throne, by whose name people swore—that is, having subjects, which he certainly did not have during the life of Saul.

From this wilderness I strive toward Your sanctuary, O God! (2–4). I will bless You all my life and now I constantly remember You (5–7). You are my strength and hope and You will preserve me, and those who seek my destruction will be annihilated; their unjust mouths will be silenced. But the king will rejoice in God.

Psalm 62:2. O God! You are my God; from early dawn I seek You; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You in a barren land, dry and waterless, Psalm 62:3. to see Your power and Your glory, as I saw You in the sanctuary: “I seek You from early dawn”—to You, O Lord, I turn with prayer from early morning. This prayer, as is evident from the subsequent content of the psalm, has as its object the request for the punishment of enemies and for my return to Jerusalem, as the center of religious life and the place of God’s special presence. For David, a devout man and religiously-minded, accustomed to sanctifying each day with prayer at the tabernacle, the forced removal from Jerusalem, and thereby from the tabernacle, was a heavy deprivation. In this separation he experiences extraordinary longing for the tabernacle; for David to see the triumph of worship and to hear the reading of the law (“to see Your power and glory”) is the same as for one thirsting in the wilderness to find a spring of water.

Psalm 62:4. For Your mercy is better than life. My lips will praise You. Psalm 62:5. Thus I will bless You in my life; in Your name I will lift up my hands. Psalm 62:6. As my soul is satisfied with marrow and fat, my lips will praise You with a joyful voice, “For Your mercy is better than life.” David prefers God’s mercy to him above life itself. By mercy, as is customarily understood in Scripture, are meant spiritual blessings, such as, for example, purity of conscience, religious disposition, closeness to God, and the like. In this expression the thought is conveyed that David would prefer closeness to God, the possibility of intimate communion with Him in prayer at the tabernacle, over a life full of every external comfort but lacking this blessing—communion with God. For granting such mercy David will praise the Lord all his life, and his joy will be as deep and exalted as the value of a sacrifice when animals, healthy and well-fed, are slain (“with marrow and fat”).

Psalm 62:7. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the watches of the night, Psalm 62:8. for You are my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice; From his previous life David knows that the Lord constantly protected him, and he constantly remembers these instances of His help to him at night (“on my bed”) and during the “watches,” which continued until the breaking of day—that is, David remembers both at night and in the morning. One might also understand that David had the custom of, both in the morning and when going to sleep, “learning the law”—that is, reading or remembering the law, the commandments of God.

Psalm 62:9. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. Psalm 62:10. But those who seek my soul’s destruction will go down into the depths of the earth; Psalm 62:11. they will be struck down by the sword; they will become prey for foxes. Psalm 62:12. But the king will be glad in God; everyone who swears by Him will be praised, for the mouths of those who speak lies will be shut. Since David’s soul “clings to the Lord”—that is, seeks protection and places his trust only in Him—he is born the confidence that those “who seek” his soul do so in vain, fruitlessly attempting to destroy him, since the Lord will take him under His right hand, protect him with His strength. David’s enemies will perish (“go down into the depths of the earth”—to Hades, which the Hebrews imagined to be in the earth’s depths), and their bodies will lie unburied and become the property of jackals (in the Slavonic text “portions for foxes”—prey for foxes). The destruction of enemies will be accompanied by the joy of the king for his salvation, and not only the king, but also those who “swore by him”—that is, the king. To swear by the king (cf. Gen 42:15-16) means to remain faithful to him, to guard his rights. Those who remained loyal to David during his persecution by Absalom, together with the king’s return to the throne, will be “praised,” honored by the king, will receive the reward due them, which no one will be able to take away, since even “the mouths of those who speak lies” will be shut, intrigues against the king will be destroyed and the king’s enemies annihilated. The psalm holds the 3rd place in the six-psalm cycle, constituting a prayer to God at the coming of day that the prayer be pleasing to God (verse 6) and that the Lord receive the one praying under the “shadow of His wings” (verse 8) throughout the coming day.

Chapter Sixty-Three

The psalm can be considered as written by David at the beginning of the rebellion of Absalom, before his flight from Jerusalem, when David saw the means that his enemies were using for their purpose. They, as those who had revolted against the anointed king seated on the throne, were “rebels” (Ps 63:3); their chief instrument was not external violence, but “wounding words, spread in secret” (Ps 63:4-5), and although they “became firm in… their intent” to overthrow the king, nevertheless they acted still “secretly” (Ps 63:6).

Such a picture of hostile actions against David corresponds to the beginning of the rebellion and the preparation of the revolt before its open disclosure.

Protect me, O Lord, from the terrible and rebellious enemy, secretly preparing an attack against me (2–7). But my enemies will not succeed: their unrighteousness will be the cause of their own destruction, and then (after their destruction) all people will see that the punishment of wicked enemies is God’s work, and the righteous one will rejoice in the Lord (8–11).

Psalm 63:2. Hear me, O God, in my prayer; preserve my life from the fear of the enemy; “Preserve my life from the fear of the enemy”—a Hebraism—from the terrible enemy, such as Absalom was, ready to take David’s life in order to seize the throne.

Psalm 63:4. who have sharpened their tongue like a sword; they drew their bow—a wounding word, “Sharpened their tongue like a sword.” David’s enemies spoke and held intercourse with the people not to investigate the truth, but to cause harm to the king through the falsehood that they instilled in the people about David. Their tongue was a “sword.”

Psalm 63:5. to shoot in secret at the blameless; they suddenly shoot at him and fear nothing. “To shoot in secret at the blameless.” The actions of David’s enemies at first were hidden, since direct and open revolt against him could easily arm the people, not against the king, whom he still loved and in whom he believed, but against his enemies. “Blameless”—David calls himself completely “unspotted,” not guilty of that which they accused him.

Psalm 63:6. They set firm their evil intention, they consult to conceal their net, saying: “Who will see them?” “(David’s enemies) said: who will see them?” In the secrecy of their actions they found strength to spread lies about the king. The enemies reckoned that no one close to the king sees their schemes, and therefore cannot expose them. They feared only people, but forgot about God.

Psalm 63:7. They search out iniquity, they investigate thoroughly, even searching into the inner life of a person and the depths of the heart. All of David’s activity and life was subjected by his enemies to strict investigation not for evaluation, but for the discovery of facts that could be used to accuse the king. Since no such facts were found, David’s enemies tried to penetrate into his inner world, his disposition—that is, lacking external factual material for his condemnation, they resorted to discrediting his inner aspirations, his disposition, for example, saying of the king that he “did not love” the people.

Psalm 63:8. But God will strike them with an arrow: suddenly they will be wounded; Psalm 63:9. their own tongue will strike them; all who see them will flee from them. Psalm 63:10. And all people will fear and will declare the work of God, and they will understand that it is His work. Psalm 63:11. And the righteous will be glad in the Lord and will put their trust in Him; and all the upright in heart will be vindicated. In their calculation that “no one will see them” (Ps 63:6), the enemies forgot the Lord. But He knows and sees the actions of man, and the evil deeds of enemies will serve only to their punishment and destruction; then everyone will see the manifestation of God’s terrible judgment, “the work of God,” and the righteous David will rejoice (verses 10–11).

Chapter Sixty-Four

The psalm is unanimously attributed to David in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles according to its superscription. When it was written and for what reason, the psalm does not give definite indications. In its content it represents a hymn to God for His mercies to the Hebrew people; it depicts His almightiness over all the earth, manifested especially in granting the earth extraordinary fruitfulness. One may think that it was written toward the end of David’s reign, when there was peace on his land and when the Lord granted the Hebrew people a bountiful harvest.

Praise belongs to You, O Lord, for all the mercies You show Your chosen people (2–5). Hear us, O God, the hope of all the universe, almighty Master of the earth and seas (6–9). You pour rain upon the earth, moisten it and cover it with rich vegetation (10–14).

Psalm 64:2. Praise awaits You, O God, in Zion, and to You a vow will be paid [in Jerusalem]. “Praise awaits You, O God, in Zion.” On Zion, as the place of God’s immediate and constant presence, songs of praise are offered to the Lord. An introduction pointing to the general thanksgiving and laudatory content of the psalm.

Psalm 64:4. Deeds of iniquity overwhelm me; You will cleanse our transgressions. David does not pray for any particular sin of his before God, but appears as the spokesman of the penitent disposition of the whole people, which is why later he merges his own person with theirs when he says: “You will cleanse our transgressions.”

Psalm 64:5. Blessed is the one whom You have chosen and brought near, to dwell in Your courts. May we be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple. The chosen one of God is the Hebrew people. “May we be satisfied with the goodness of Your house.” All the benefits received by the Hebrews were figuratively thought of as flowing from the temple (more precisely—the tabernacle), that is, from God.

Psalm 64:6. Awesome in righteousness, hear us, O God, our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea, “The hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea.” The Lord is the only and true bulwark of everyone, wherever in the world he may be. Since the earth belongs to the Lord, there can be no external boundaries to His influence and power: everywhere the true worshiper of His will find in Him protection.

Psalm 64:7. You who establish the mountains by Your strength, girded with might, Psalm 64:8. who still the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves and the tumult of the peoples! Manifestations of Divine almightiness: mountains are established by Him, the seas by His will grow calm, and the peoples are pacified in their rebellions and tumults.

Psalm 64:9. And those who dwell at the ends of the earth fear Your signs. Morning and evening You cause [them] to sing of Your glory. “Morning and evening You cause [them] to sing of Your glory”—Your deeds of almightiness and Your governance of the world are so constant and numerous that they inspire the praise of You every day.

Psalm 64:10. You visit the earth and water it; You greatly enrich it: the river of God is full of water; You prepare the grain, for thus You have established it; “The river of God is full of water”—one understands a heavy rain, which even now the Arabs call the river of God.

Psalm 64:12. You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance, “You crown the year with Your goodness.” The manifestations of this goodness are enumerated further: abundance of pasture, and hence good feed for the livestock, making it fat and rich in wool.

Chapter Sixty-Five

The writer of the psalm invites all peoples to render praise to God, who has manifested His power in extraordinary deeds (Ps 65:2-3). After enumerating examples of God’s guidance of the Hebrews from their exodus from Egypt, the writer dwells on describing the present calamity (Ps 65:10-12) from which the Lord delivered His people through the prayer of the psalm writer (Ps 65:18-19). All peoples saw this deliverance and it should fill them too with a sense of awe before God. Such content of the psalm applies most to the time of King Hezekiah, when the Lord destroyed the army of Sennacherib under the walls of Jerusalem through his prayer. The destruction of his army was also a relief for all the peoples of Asia Minor, since the military campaigns of this king had brought under his power almost all the tribes of the East, and the sad end of his campaign against Jerusalem could not fail to fill them with a sense of grateful admiration before the Savior.

All peoples should praise God at the sight of His deeds (1–5). He wondrously helped the Hebrews in their past history (6–7)—and now, although He has sent them a powerful enemy, He has not deprived them of freedom (8–12). I have brought God abundant sacrifices and through my pure prayer He sent mercy by delivering me from the enemy (14–20).

Psalm 65:1. Shout joyfully to God, all the earth. “Shout joyfully to God, all the earth.” By “earth” are meant not the products of the earth, not physical nature, but its—conscious inhabitants, people.

Psalm 65:3. Say to God: “How awesome are You in Your deeds! By the greatness of Your power, Your enemies will submit to You.” “By the greatness of Your power, Your enemies will submit to You.” The subjection and submission of enemies to the Lord depends on the fact that He has “greatness” of power; all-mightiness is in His hands, and therefore no one from among men is able to resist Him.

Psalm 65:5. Come and see the works of God, awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men. To worship and render praise to God are invited “all peoples”—that is, even gentiles. The latter could determine the degree of God’s greatness and His almightiness not through His spiritual and gracious influence on the Hebrew and the Hebrew people, since such influence, touching the inner side of a person’s life, may be both unknown and inarticulate for the unbeliever, but they judged from external facts demonstrating His indestructible power. Therefore the “awesome” deeds of the Lord first of all attracted the attention of the pagan. Such awesome deeds fill the history of the Hebrew people, both in the past, when the Lord wondrously showed His protection in what seemed inevitable destruction—for example, at the exodus from Egypt—and now in the destruction of the army of the Assyrians.

Psalm 65:7. You rule by Your power forever; Your eyes keep watch on the nations—let not the rebellious rise up against You. The Lord is eternal, and eternal and unshakeable is the power of His dominion over all peoples.

Psalm 65:10. You have tested us, O God; You have refined us, as silver is refined. Psalm 65:11. You brought us into the net; You placed shackles on our loins, Psalm 65:12. You set a ruler over us. We went through fire and water, and You brought us out to a place of abundance. A figurative description of the recent siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrians, when the Hebrews were in “fire” (an image of the force of calamities) and in “water” (a symbol of the abundance of calamities), but from all of them the Lord delivered them.

Psalm 65:17. I have cried out to Him with my mouth; His praise is on my tongue. The prayer pronounced by Hezekiah in the temple before the Lord was a confession of His greatness and truthfulness (2 Sam 19:15-19).

Psalm 65:18. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have heard me. Hezekiah’s prayer was heard by the Lord because there was no “iniquity” in his heart; it was a sincere outpouring of his faith and pure feeling.

Chapter Sixty-Six

In the Hebrew Bible the psalm is not attributed to any author in its superscription; the Septuagint and the Vulgate, however, point to David. The connection of this psalm’s content with the previous one is in the same tone of praise and triumph; likewise the invitation to all peoples to glorify God is found in both psalms; and the similarity of content with the circumstances of Hezekiah’s life, when after his miraculous deliverance from the Assyrians (Ps 66:5-6), he received through the prophet Isaiah promises of a great harvest (Ps 66:7 verse), see Isa 37:30, all this prompts us to consider the writer of the psalm to be King Hezekiah himself or one of his contemporaries, who sang the praises of the Lord in the king’s name.

Pour out Your mercies upon us, O Lord, so that all peoples may know You and praise You (2–4). May all tribes rejoice and praise You as the righteous Judge of all peoples (5–6). You have sent great mercy; the earth has given an abundant harvest. May the Lord prolong His mercies upon us and may all the ends of the universe hold Him in awe (7–8)!

Psalm 66:2. O God! Be merciful to us and bless us; let Your face shine upon us, “Light”—a symbol of good. “To illuminate… with Your face”—to turn the face of good will, to grant mercy.

Psalm 66:3. so that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. “That Your way may be known”—not in the sense of studying the law and the ways of moral perfection, but the study of God’s deeds, showing that He—the only and true God, from whom alone depends salvation.

Psalm 66:5. Let the peoples be glad and sing for joy, for You judge the peoples justly and guide the nations on earth. “For You judge the peoples”—a reference to the fact of the destruction of the Assyrian army under the walls of Jerusalem, which became known to all the inhabitants of Asia Minor. In this fact was revealed the just judgment of the Lord over those unworthy of Him who mocked Him, and in it an indication that God rules over all peoples.

Chapter Sixty-Seven

The psalm’s superscription indicates both the writer—David—and the manner of performance, the vocal-musical performance, in which music plays the chief role (“A Psalm. A Song.”). The time and occasion of writing can be determined from the content of the psalm. The psalm describes a solemn procession (Ps 67:25-27) before the Ark of the Covenant, in which all the Hebrew people participated (Ps 67:27-29). In this bearing of the Chest to Jerusalem (Ps 67:19) from the east (Ps 67:5), the Lord is praised for all His numerous blessings granted to the Hebrew people: the assignment to them of Palestine for habitation, the giving of the law of Moses, and especially victories over enemies. The singing of God as the Almighty, a being terrible and invincible to enemies, and the portrayal of the rejoicing of the Hebrews over some victory accompanied by rich plunder (Ps 67:12-15), constitute the main content of the psalm and its fundamental tone. This characteristic indicates that the psalm was written after some defeat of powerful enemies, and therefore one cannot see here the portrayal of a peaceful triumph, such as the transfer of the Ark from Kiriath-jearim. Such a victory could have been won by David over the Syro-Ammonites, his most powerful enemies.

This psalm, because of its extraordinary conciseness of expression, insufficient clarity of text, and abundance of images, was considered the most difficult to explain, and even insurmountable, which is why it was called “a cross for minds and a reproach for interpreters.”

May God arise and scatter His enemies like smoke. Let the righteous be glad (2–4). Sing to the Lord, who is the Father of orphans (5–6). He freed prisoners from bonds, led them through the wilderness to Sinai (7–8). God in time of need sustained His people, turned the enemies’ flight and appointed settlements for peaceful and happy life to His people (9–15). The envy of high mountains toward Zion is vain, for the Lord will dwell on it forever (16–17). God is almighty: He has myriads of chariots and entered the high place having led captivity captive (18–19). Let us bless the Lord, our Savior, who will crush all His enemies, wherever they hide (20–24). This terrible and great Lord solemnly enters Jerusalem, accompanied by a choir of singers and music, surrounded by the leaders of the tribes (25–28). Establish, O Lord, Your protection over Jerusalem. To You here will the Egyptians and other kings bring gifts (29–32). Kingdoms of the earth! Sing to the Lord, the protector of Israel, to whom He will give strength and might (33–36).

Psalm 67:2. May God arise and His enemies be scattered; may those who hate Him flee before Him. “May God arise.” Here is meant the custom of the ancient Hebrews to take the Ark of the Covenant with them in their military campaigns. The latter inspired the Hebrews, since the Ark had God Himself present on it, and therefore He appeared as a military commander, the leader of the people.

Psalm 67:3. As smoke is driven away, so You drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so the wicked perish before God. Psalm 67:4. But the righteous are glad, they rejoice before God and exult in gladness. Since God, who protects the Hebrews, is an almighty being, no enemies can withstand Him: they will scatter, disappear like smoke in the air, lose their strength and firmness just as wax changes its appearance and loses its form from fire. Thus will it be “with the wicked,” the gentiles, enemies of the true God, as those who do not honor Him. “The righteous,” that is, the Hebrews, over the destruction of enemies will be glad and rejoice.

Psalm 67:5. Sing to our God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises to the One who rides on the clouds; His name is the Lord; rejoice before Him. David invites all Hebrews to sing hymns of praise to God, the great victor and their protector. From verse 6 onward, David enumerates the numerous benefactions with which the Lord has showered the Hebrews from the beginning of their historical life.

Psalm 67:6. Father of orphans and judge of widows is God in His holy dwelling. Psalm 67:7. God sets the solitary in families; He leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land. Enemies will be confounded before God’s face, who is the Father of orphans and the righteous Judge of widows because He lives “in His holy dwelling,” that is, according to literal translation—on Zion. By “orphans” and “widows” whom the Lord protects, one can see not only the general designation of God’s justice and protection for all those who suffer wrongfully, but also the depiction of the condition of the Hebrew people at that time among the surrounding gentiles, hostile toward it and constantly waging war with it, so that the Hebrews among them appeared solitary and defenseless, receiving no support from any people, just as defenseless are widows and orphans. But this same external helplessness of the Hebrew people, the sole worshipers of the One God, finds protection in Him as the protector of the innocently suffering, such as the Hebrews were. Thus God settles them, as “solitary,” in a “home,” that is, Palestine, having first brought them out from the yoke of slavery, from their bonds through His might, supernatural aid. By “bonds” is meant Egyptian slavery. “But the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land,” which refers to the known fact of the destruction in the forty-year wandering of all who showed lack of faith in God before the moment of entering Palestine.

Psalm 67:8. O God, when You went out before Your people, when You marched through the wilderness, Psalm 67:9. the earth trembled, the heavens poured rain before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. The Sinai lawgiving is described: the Hebrews journeyed to Mount Sinai under direct divine guidance (“when You went out before Your people, when You marched through the wilderness”), the external, visible sign of which was pillars—a cloud by day and fire by night. These extraordinary signs of God’s guidance appeared on Mount Sinai in terrible phenomena of earthquakes and storms accompanied by heavy rain (“the heavens poured rain”—down from heaven in clouds). This lawgiving had special meaning for the Hebrew people—from that time on, God of Sinai, who had given the law to the Hebrews on that mountain, became the God and protector especially of the Hebrew people.

Psalm 67:10. You sent abundant rain, O God; You invigorated Your inheritance when it was weary. Psalm 67:11. Your people dwelt in it; by Your goodness, O God, You provided for the poor. The Sinai lawgiving, which gave the Hebrew people precise laws encompassing their life from all sides, consolidated the former slaves into an independent unit, a separate nation. By itself, this was a great blessing for them. But the Lord continued to shower them with His mercies. He sent them abundant “rains” at the right time, one means such rains as fell not in the ordinary period of rains, but outside its boundaries, according to their need (“Your inheritance”). When the Hebrews were in need of something, whether struggling with enemies or from lack of external well-being, when the Hebrew “was weary,” the Lord came to him with His help and “invigorated,” that is, raised him up. Such instances of God’s protection of His chosen people are extraordinarily numerous in Hebrew history. The very assignment to the Hebrews of Palestine, a fertile land, was an expression of God’s goodness.

Psalm 67:12. The Lord gave the word; great was the company of those who proclaimed it. Psalm 67:13. Kings of armies flee, they flee! She who remained at home divides the spoil. Psalm 67:14. Though you sleep among the sheepfolds, you will be like a dove whose wings are covered with silver, with feathers of yellow gold. Psalm 67:15. When the Almighty scattered the kings on the land, it gleamed like snow on Zalmon. “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those who proclaimed it.” The Lord especially clearly showed His help to the Hebrews in their numerous and dangerous wars. These wars always ended happily because the Lord Himself was the commander, and His unconquerable power no one can resist; therefore the hostile “kings of armies flee, they flee” from Him in panic fear, leaving the Hebrews rich plunder, which they divide among themselves, and with these military trophies their women adorn their homes, which was customary in ancient wars. The further prosperity of the Hebrews is possible under the following condition: if, having conquered Palestine and each tribe having settled in the territory assigned to it, the Hebrews live peacefully (“remaining,” that is, resting), in accordance with the prescriptions of the Law, God’s will, then they will be like Egyptian doves, with their special plumage—silver, white feathers above and golden, yellowish under the wings, that is, the Hebrews will also be full of every external comfort and blessing of life, even in the form of abundance of gold and silver, just as rich and beautiful is the plumage of Egyptian doves. The meaning of this verse is thus: the Hebrews, on the condition of faithfulness to the law of God, will secure for themselves further prosperity in life. Such understanding stands in closer connection with the subsequent content, which also speaks of victories. One can also understand it thus: the Hebrews are invited to harbor no military designs after settling in Palestine, but to devote themselves to peaceful occupations and trades, which will bring them complete material well-being, though such understanding has less connection with the entire content of the psalm. When the Lord scattered the pagan kings who previously dwelt in Palestine, the latter gleamed like snow on the summit of Mount Zalmon in winter. (The past tenses of the verbs stand in place of future tenses). Following the destruction of the pagan kings, the former rulers of Palestine, the latter ceased to present obstacles to the settling of the Hebrews there, just as falling snow on the summit of Zalmon levels out its protuberances and fissures, and became (Palestine) as suitable and attractive for settling on and for working it as the snowy summit of Zalmon attracts attention by its brilliance (in the tribe of Ephraim, a mountain not high and otherwise, in ordinary time, dark, but covered with snow all the more attracting the sight of the viewer).

Psalm 67:16. O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan! O mountain of many peaks, mountain of Bashan! Psalm 67:17. Why do you look with envy, you mountains of many peaks, at the mountain where God desired to dwell, where the Lord himself will dwell forever? The writer calls the mountain that became the place of God’s constant presence the Mountain of God; in this case, Mount Zion. David calls it rich and fertile not in the sense that it is full of moisture and covered with rich vegetation, but rich from the presence of the Ark of the Covenant on it, fertile from the abundant grace found on it, so that in this case it can be equated with Mount Bashan, rich in moisture and pastures, but at the same time it surpasses Bashan, for its value is not merely in external moisture, but in spiritual wealth. This mountain (Zion) is envied in vain (“look with envy”) by other rich, one understands, with the grace of God (in agreement with verse 16) mountains, because Mount Zion is the mountain on which the Lord will dwell “forever”—always. This latter expression clarifies the reason for the indignation of other mountains—namely, the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to Zion for its permanent residence there. Hence, under the other mountains envying the first, are understood those localities where the Ark of the Covenant previously stood, such as, for example, Nob, Gibeon. The transfer to Zion of the Ark apparently provoked fruitless murmuring and discontent of the inhabitants of these localities with David for depriving them of such a holy relic.

Psalm 67:18. The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them, in Sinai, in the sanctuary. Zion, which became the place of the Almighty’s presence, became at the same time the place of special concentration of His invincible power. God has troops (“chariots,” which had great importance in military operations, by which the ancients determined the strength of an enemy) of which there are myriads upon myriads. “Myriads upon myriads, thousands upon thousands”—round numbers, that is, containing an undefined magnitude, whereby thousands properly means a very great quantity, and myriads upon myriads (a myriad = 10,000) an immeasurably great quantity. By God’s army David understands a great host of spirits, angels, as His strength and His warriors. Now this great power of God is concentrated on Zion “in the sanctuary,” just as it was concentrated and manifested itself in the miraculous action on Sinai.

Psalm 67:19. You ascended on high, You led captivity captive; You received gifts among men, even the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there. Mount Zion, before its conquest by David belonged to the Jebusites and was considered by them an unconquerable fortress (2 Sam 5:6-7), but David took it and conquered the Jebusites, who were previously unconquered masters of this mountain; moreover, they themselves had inflicted defeats and subjugated other tribes. Since this victory was accomplished through divine aid, David, recalling the war with the Jebusites, depicts the victorious procession of the Lord to Zion. You, O Lord, ascended on high, on a mountain steep and high—Zion; You conquered the ones who previously conquered others, that is, the Jebusites; To You with submission bring tribute, as an expression of subjection, those people who previously hindered You from dwelling here. By these latter words David indicates the complete subjection of the Jebusites to him and the laying of tribute upon them after their conquest. (The Russian translation: “You received gifts for men” is inaccurate: it should say “from men.”) But this passage, representing a hymn to God for His great aid in David’s conquest of the fortress of Zion, through its portrayal of God’s victorious procession brings together this fact with Christ’s descent into Hades and His ascension into heaven, when from Hades, as the unconquerable fortress which held captive and kept all the dead, Christ through His descent freed the souls of the righteous, destroyed its power and made it harmless to the devout person. In this sense this passage is explained by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians (Eph 4:8-10), which indicates the prefigurative character of the psalm.

Psalm 67:20. Blessed be the Lord day by day. The God of our salvation bears our burdens. Selah. Psalm 67:21. Our God is a God of salvation; from the Lord God comes escape from death. Psalm 67:22. But God will crush the heads of His enemies, the scalp of him who goes on still in his guilt. Psalm 67:23. The Lord said: I will bring them back from Bashan; I will bring them back from the depths of the sea, Recollection of God’s mercies toward the Hebrews fills David with grateful and prayerful feeling. He invites praise to God day after day and begs God, for the future as well, not to abandon His people with His mercy, as He did previously He sent salvation in times of calamities and enemy attacks. In God’s hands are both life and death. The latter will not escape the one who is an enemy of God, sunk in his sins (“the scalp of him who goes on still in his guilt”). It is impossible for such opponents of God to hide from His omniscience and ubiquity. If they should hide in Bashan, on the heights, covered with dense forests of oak, where brigands and robbers usually fled and where they were difficult to find, or if God’s enemies hid in the depths of the sea, the Lord would extract them from there to punish them. So many enemies will be destroyed that Hebrew warriors will trample them and dogs will lick their blood, since the bodies of enemies will not have time to be buried. All this will be fulfilled because this promise was given to the Hebrews by God Himself (“the Lord said”). Probably the occasion for such a picture of the destruction of the enemies of the Hebrew people was not only David’s victory over the Syro-Ammonites, but also the previous conquests of the Hebrews, for example, in the time of Joshua, when Bashan itself became their possession.

Psalm 67:25. They see Your processions, O God, the processions of my God, my King in the sanctuary: Psalm 67:26. singers go before, musicians follow after, in the midst young women playing tambourines: Psalm 67:27. “In the assemblies, bless God, the Lord, O descendants of Israel!” Psalm 67:28. There is Benjamin, the youngest, their prince; the princes of Judah in their robes, the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. David depicts the procession of bearing the Ark of the Covenant (“saw Your processions… of God”). The core of the procession was formed by a choir of singers, surrounded by young women with tambourines in their hands, who probably accompanied the singing; in front of the singers and further on went the princes, representatives of the tribes. This entire mixed choir, as well as the princes of the people, invited all people to bless and praise the Lord in each of the groups following the procession of spectators; all Hebrews in general were also invited to this (“O descendants of Israel”). Thus the picture of bearing the Ark of the Covenant represents a general public celebration, where everyone is invited to be a participant in grateful singing to God, not merely a spectator. And indeed, all the tribes were present here, as the Benjamite and Judean tribes, living in the south of Palestine, and also the northern ones—Zebulun and Naphtali. Only four tribes are indicated here to denote all tribes in general, for if even the most distant tribes from Jerusalem participated in this celebration, then for other tribes, more closely located to the place of celebration, such participation was even easier to accomplish. And in general, in the Bible, two opposite sides—east and west, or north and south—are often used to denote all lands.

Psalm 67:29. Your God has ordained strength for you. Show Your strength, O God, the strength You have displayed for us. Psalm 67:30. Because of Your temple in Jerusalem, kings will bring gifts to You. In verses 29–30, David prays to God to establish for the Hebrews for all subsequent time such victorious existence as has been theirs until now, with the result that the kings of the Hebrew people will always bring before His temple grateful and rich gifts. “Because of Your temple”—before Your temple.

Psalm 67:31. Rebuke the wild animals in the reeds, the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples, trampling under foot those who lust for tribute; scatter the peoples who delight in war. For the peaceful existence of the Hebrew people, it is necessary to secure it from powerful neighboring peoples. “Rebuke the wild animals in the reeds” (one understands crocodile and hippopotamus). By beasts in the reeds, one must understand the country abundant in water, reed plants, giving shelter and food to numerous predatory animals living in them. Such a country can be considered Egypt, with its rich water resources of the Nile River and its luxuriant aquatic vegetation along the banks. Under “beasts in the reeds” one then must understand the Egyptians, the inhabitants of this locality, always hostile toward the Hebrews. David here uses a poetic device, so-called metonymy, when instead of a country one takes its prevailing characteristic (here the abundance of water and reeds), and instead of inhabitants—a class of animals (beasts in the reeds). “Herd of bulls among the calves of the peoples” one means “rebuke.” Bulls are called the Egyptian kings and princes who ruled despotically over the peoples subject to them, “trampling under foot those who lust for tribute”—their wealth. Rebuke and humble, O Lord, Egypt, a country powerful in wealth and invincibility (see the comparison to crocodile and hippopotamus—images of unconquerable force (Job 40:10-27)). “Scatter the peoples who delight in war.” O Lord, all those who thirst for war with Your people and thereby are a constant threat to its peaceful existence, scatter them.

Psalm 67:32. Let nobles come from Egypt; let Cush stretch out its hands to God. Psalm 67:33. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; sing praises to the Lord, Psalm 67:34. to Him who rides across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens; behold, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice. Psalm 67:35. Ascribe power to God; His majesty is over Israel, and His power is in the clouds. Psalm 67:36. Awesome is God in His sanctuary. The God of Israel—He gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God! David foresees that a time will come when even the Egyptians will turn to God as supplicants before Him, that is, will believe in Him. Ethiopia—a locality in upper Egypt—is indicated to denote Egypt in general, part instead of the whole. “Stretch out hands”—will raise hands to God, will turn to the knowledge and true worship of Him. Together with Egypt, David invites all other kingdoms of the world to glorify Him, that is, God, the eternal king of the heavens of heavens, that is, the One to whom all the starry universe is subject. This Lord gives to His voice power, every word of His is distinguished by its efficacy, finds fulfillment. “His majesty is over Israel, and His power is in the clouds.” The victories of the Hebrew people, its happy life under divine protection, are a visible sign, clear proof of the reverence which He involuntarily evokes in men. God’s power is manifested not only in the victories of the Hebrews, but also directly in various atmospheric phenomena of miraculous aid, with which the history of the life of the Hebrews is full—God has done many miraculous deeds among the Hebrews, which is why David concludes the psalm with a reverent appeal to Him.

Chapter Sixty-Eight

According to the heading, the psalm belongs to David. “On the shoshannims” refers to a musical instrument on which the psalm may be performed. By some, the word shoshannims is translated as “lily,” which denotes a kind of instrument resembling the appearance of this flower. The psalm was written during the persecutions from Saul, as indicated by David’s confession of his complete innocence before God (Ps 68:6), the severity of the persecutions (Ps 68:2-4), and their injustice (Ps 68:5). The psalm presents a general depiction of the severity of persecution and was written in general as a remembrance by David of this difficult time already after it had passed.

Save me, O God, from the calamities that threaten my life (2–3). I am exhausted from waiting for help; the enemies who are persecuting me unjustly have grown stronger (4–5). Help me, O Lord, and thereby encourage all those who seek You (6–7). For Your sake I bear reproach and suffering: my brothers have turned away from me, my enemies hate me for my zeal for Your house, and they mock and jeer at me (8–13). Bring me swift help, and deliver me from the deep waters of calamity. Hear me, for You see my reproach and my suffering: they feed me gall and give me vinegar to drink (14–22). Let my enemies perish from Your wrath for their cruelty toward me. Punish them for all they have done (23–29). Then I will praise You for my salvation and all those who suffer will rejoice. Let the earth, the seas, and all that lives in them praise His name (30–35)!

Psalm 68:2. Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my soul. Psalm 68:3. I am sunk in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into the depths of the waters, and the flood overwhelms me. Psalm 68:4. I am weary from crying out; my throat is dry; my eyes fail from waiting for my God. “The waters have come up to my soul.” Waters represent an abundance of calamities; “to my soul” means to his life. David’s calamities are so numerous that they threaten his life. This was indeed the case during the time of Saul, who was very indiscriminate in his means and most inventive in the methods of persecuting David, so the latter could never be at peace or confident even for a single day. “I am sunk in deep mire, where there is no standing” – David is immersed in calamities as in muddy ground, and beneath his feet there is no firm support; throughout the time of persecution from Saul, David had no peace or confidence in his safety. “The depths of the waters, and the flood” – images of the strength of the calamity, capable of destroying the one it overtakes, as a storm at sea swallows its victims without a trace. In the face of such numerous and threatening calamities, David cried out to God without cease for help, so that he grew weary from this prayer, exhausted from watching to see if Divine help was approaching him. The latter expressions point to the high degree of urgency in David’s prayer to God, which was prompted by the danger of his situation.

Psalm 68:5. Those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head; my enemies who unjustly pursue me have grown strong; I am forced to restore what I never took. After the preceding figurative and general description of his situation, David now turns to a more particular depiction. He points to the abundance of his enemies, who are greater in number than the hairs of his head; they hate him, but undeservedly, without cause (“without cause” and “unjustly”); David is forced to answer for what he did not do (“I am forced to restore what I never took”). It is known that Saul imputed to him ambitious schemes, saw in him a dangerous rival seeking the throne, which David was not, for his elevation among the people, and thus his advancement toward the throne, was not the result of his ambitious plots, but the fulfillment in him of Divine predestination. Jesus Christ was subjected to a similar persecution, whom the Pharisees presented to trial before Caiaphas and Pilate as the instigator of the fact that He presumptuously claims for Himself sonship from God and seeks to become king over Judea (Matt 26:63-65), whereas both belonged to Him by His very nature, so that this passage of the psalm has also a typological meaning.

Psalm 68:6. God, You know my foolishness, and my sins are not hidden from You. Psalm 68:7. Let all who hope in You, O Lord, God of hosts, not be ashamed because of me. Let those who seek You, O God of Israel, not be put to shame because of me. Psalm 68:8. For Your sake I bear reproach, and shame covers my face. David justifies the urgency and vigilance of his prayer to God with a fervent confession before Him of his innocence and the severity of his calamities. You know, O Lord, all my conduct and my sins; You know, therefore, how undeservedly I suffer what I endure. Help me, so that my ruin may not trouble those who are close to me and who do not doubt that You can save the righteous. “For Your sake I bear reproach” – David suffers because of the Lord. The Lord anointed him king over the Hebrews. Saul, however, pursued him as a seeker of the throne, so David could and must seek help only from God.

Psalm 68:9. I have become a stranger to my brothers and a foreigner to the children of my mother. Psalm 68:10. For zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who revile You have fallen upon me. “I have become a stranger to my brothers” – even his own family turned away from David. Saul regarded with suspicion all who entered into communication with David and hindered this, to deprive him of any support. Such support could most naturally come to David from his family, which, out of fear of bringing greater calamities on itself and on David, apparently avoided entering into communication with him. Another cause of David’s calamities and persecutions from Saul was the piety of the former and the impiety of the latter. David always enjoyed the favor of the Hebrew priests, as they saw how David was “consumed with zeal for” God’s “house,” saw in him a ardent and sincere piety, the manifestations of which at this time are not mentioned in either this psalm or in the historical books. They probably were expressed in his respect for the priestly class, his love of worship at the tabernacle, and, given his position, his solicitude for the beauty of the latter. Saul and his attendants did not possess this piety. They relied on their power and were supporters of its crude application; they mocked David’s piety, and in mocking it they mocked God. The less faith they had in God, the more intensely they persecuted and hated David. This extraordinary piety of David, his “zeal for God’s house” – the tabernacle – manifested itself with particular power also in his descendant – Christ, who was zealous for the restoration of the holiness of the Jerusalem temple by driving out the merchants (John 2:13-17).

Psalm 68:11. I weep, fasting my soul, and this they count as a reproach against me. Psalm 68:12. I made sackcloth my garment, and I became a byword to them. Psalm 68:13. Those who sit at the gate gossip about me, and I am the song of those who drink wine. The strength and abundance of the calamities suffered by David did not meet with natural, even purely natural compassion and active manifestation of sympathy among the people, but rather provoked mockery of him. When he laid upon himself a special fast or clothed himself in sackcloth, the customary signs among the Hebrews of expressing the sorrows they experienced, David was mocked. He was jeered at by the noble, the judges (“those who sit at the gate”) and the idle (“those who drink wine”). Hostile attitudes toward David spread widely. All the subsequent content of the psalm (14–35 verses) represents David’s prayer for his salvation.

Psalm 68:14. But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord; at an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of Your mercy hear me in the truth of Your salvation. “In the truth of Your salvation” – true salvation, that is, not only ease my present situation, but give me lasting, true, and unshakeable salvation from external enemies.

Psalm 68:16. Do not let the flood sweep over me, do not let the deep swallow me up, and do not let the pit close its mouth over me. “Do not let the pit close its mouth over me,” do not let me perish in the depths of the waters of calamity, do not allow the surface of the water to become level over me. An object thrown into the water disturbs it, creating a whirlpool. As the object sinks deeper and air is displaced from this whirlpool, the latter narrows and finally the water surface returns to its former level state (“closes its mouth”). The meaning is: do not allow me to perish without a trace and without escape.

Psalm 68:18. Do not hide Your face from Your servant, for I am in distress; hear me quickly. David calls himself a “servant,” either in the sense that he is young, inexperienced, and in need of support, or in the sense that he is God’s servant, devoted only to Him, and therefore expecting protection only from Him, as his master.

Psalm 68:19. Draw near to my soul and redeem it; save me because of my enemies. “Save me because of my enemies” – do not let my enemies triumph over me, for such triumph would contribute to the growth in them of even greater unbelief toward You, affirming in their minds the idea of Your powerlessness to protect Your worshippers.

Psalm 68:21. Reproach has broken my heart, and I am in despair; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. Psalm 68:22. They gave me gall for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. “Reproach has broken my heart” – I am surrounded by enemies on all sides and I, finding no sympathy anywhere, could expect only mockery (reproach) and suffering, from which I lost courage. The attitude of David’s enemies toward him is full of malevolence. As one worn down by persecution, he needs sympathy, encouragement, and active help, but instead he is given, in his thirst, “vinegar,” and in his hunger – “gall.” Gall is a plant of bitter taste, resembling wormwood; vinegar is a stupefying beverage, sour and vinegary in taste, possessing the property of dulling consciousness for a time: David is given what weakens his strength and makes him even more helpless. This image for characterizing the attitude of David’s enemies toward him found its complete, actual fulfillment in the person of Christ, when on the cross both gall and vinegar were offered to Him (Matt 27:34).

Psalm 68:23. Let their table before them become a snare, and their feasting a trap. Psalm 68:24. Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and make their loins shake continually. “Let their table before them become a snare.” By their table one can understand all external prosperity and wealth of David’s enemies. Let their happiness turn into misery, that is, punish them by taking away external blessings; since they see value in life in these external blessings and do not scruple about the means of acquiring them, let this be requited to them, and let their prosperity bring upon them punishment. “Their eyes be darkened,” “make their loins shake” – deprive them of a joyful, happy appearance and bend their backs under the weight of calamities.

Psalm 68:26. Let their dwelling place be desolate, and let no one dwell in their tents. “Let their dwelling place be desolate” – deprive them of external wealth; “let no one dwell in their tents” – deprive them also of children.

Psalm 68:27. For they persecute those whom You have struck down, and they add to the pain of those whom You have wounded. All this is because they further increase the heavy situation that God sent upon David, as if thereby correcting God in His treatment of David and as if condemning Him for His partiality toward His chosen one.

Psalm 68:28. Add guilt to their guilt, and let them have no share in Your vindication. To add “guilt to guilt” is to impose upon them punishment corresponding to the full sum of their sins. “Let them have no share in Your vindication” – may they not receive justification from You. David’s prayer for such punishment of his enemies is a prayer to God for justice, for retribution to enemies in accordance with their deeds.

Psalm 68:32. And this will be more pleasing to the Lord than a bull, than a calf having horns and hooves. The punishment and destruction of the enemies and the salvation of David fill the latter with a grateful feeling, which he will express in composing songs. Such a kind of praising God, full of sincere reverence, will be more pleasing to Him than the external sacrifice of a bull being burned with horns and hooves.

Psalm 68:33. The afflicted will see it and be glad. And your hearts will live, you who seek God. Psalm 68:34. For the Lord hears the needy, and does not despise His own who are captive. Psalm 68:35. Let the heavens and the earth praise Him, the seas and all that moves in them. Verses 33–35 are written by David, and therefore the entire psalm, after the persecutions had ended, because here the writer invites the whole world to praise God for His mercy toward the righteous, shown by granting them help and saving them from calamities.

Psalm 68:36. For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah, and they will dwell there and possess it. Psalm 68:37. The offspring of His servants will inherit it, and those who love His name will dwell in it. Verses 36–37, depicting Zion and the cities of Judah as destroyed, with the Hebrews dwelling outside of Palestine, which did not occur in the time of David, were apparently added to the psalm during the exile, when the Hebrews prayed to God using the words of this psalm. According to verses 5, 10, and 22, the psalm is called messianic-typological.

Chapter Sixty-Nine

This psalm represents a repetition of the content of psalm 39 from the 14th verse, almost without any changes. Its content is petitionary in character, as the heading indicates. “For a memorial,” that is, to remind the Lord of the need for swift help. It belongs to David and was written, as the indicated part of psalm 39, on account of persecutions from Absalom. For the content, see psalm 39. The psalm is used during worship in the small compline before sleep, when a person is helpless and powerless before enemies, from whom he asks God for protection in this psalm.

Chapter Seventy

This psalm has no author attribution in the Hebrew Bible. In the LXX and Vulgate, however, it is attributed to David, with the note “of the sons of Jonadab and the first exiles” (see the note in the Slavic Bible). The authenticity of the attribution to David rests on the borrowed material it contains from psalms belonging to David. Thus it resembles Psalms 21, 30, 34, 40, 68, and 108. Moreover, the entire content is nothing other than a detailed supplement to Ps 69, of which it forms the second half, much like the familiar Ps 1 and Ps 2, or Psalm 9, which is divided into two in the Hebrew Bible, and others. The circumstances of David’s life fully accord with the descriptions in the psalm of its author’s state, and the borrowings from the songs of the time of persecution by Absalom indicate that this psalm should also be dated to that period.

By the “sons of Jonadab” mentioned in the inscription, are meant the Rechabites (2 Sam 10:15; Jer 35:6-19), distinguished by their piety. They probably sang this psalm after the destruction and devastation of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. It was sung also by the first exiles, that is, the additional note in the LXX and Vulgate points to the time of particularly widespread use of this psalm, in which people found content that answered their mood.

Psalm 70:2. In Your righteousness deliver me and free me; incline Your ear to me and save me. Psalm 70:3. Be to me a firm refuge, where I might always find shelter; You have commanded to save me, for You are my fortress and my strength. Cf. Ps 30:2-4.

Psalm 70:5. For You are my hope, Lord my God, my confidence from my youth. Psalm 70:6. Upon You I have relied from the womb; You brought me forth from my mother’s womb; my praise shall not cease for You. Cf. Ps 21:11-12.

Psalm 70:10. For my enemies speak against me, and those who seek my life take counsel together, Psalm 70:11. Saying, “God has abandoned him; pursue and seize him, for there is no one to deliver him.” Cf. Ps 40:6-9.

Psalm 70:16. I will enter into meditation on the mighty deeds of the Lord God; I will remember Your righteousness—only Yours. By “the mighty deeds of the Lord” are meant the miraculous acts of His help granted to David during his life, which was full of reversals and persecution by enemies.

Psalm 70:19. Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens; You have done great things; O God, who is like You? “Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens”—to the highest heavens, that is, immeasurably great; “righteousness”—justice, confidence in which sustained David during the numerous persecutions he endured from enemies.

Psalm 70:20. You have sent me many severe troubles, but again You have given me life, and again You have brought me up from the depths of the earth. Cf. Ps 68:17.

Psalm 70:22. And I will praise You on the harp for Your truth, my God; I will sing to You on the lyre, O Holy One of Israel! Cf. Ps 68:31.

Chapter Seventy-One

According to the inscription in the Slavic Bible, this psalm belongs to David and was written by him concerning Solomon, thus appearing as the prayer of a king for his son, the heir to the throne. In the Hebrew Bible, however, it bears the inscription “A Psalm of Solomon” (the Russian translation is incorrect). From the fact that the historical books say nothing of David’s deathbed prayer for Solomon, silence concerning such an important event—the testament of the Hebrew beloved king—would be incredible had such a fact actually occurred; further, from the fact that localities such as Tarshish and Sheba are mentioned here, unknown in David’s time but becoming known only in Solomon’s, when he began lively commercial relations with the first (1 Sam 10:22; 2 Chr 9:21), and from the second came to him a queen (1 Sam 10:1-10)—David could not have known of them and could not have spoken of them outside the conditions and setting of his own time; and finally, from the fact that, differing in its style of reasoning, which David’s psalms do not possess, it shows great similarity to Solomon’s prayer at Gibeon (1 Sam 3:5-10), we must conclude that the author of the psalm was Solomon. The psalm itself presents in its content a depiction of that ideal of a king and kingdom which Solomon pictured to himself and which he desired to realize.

If he prays about himself in the third person, this is not unusual in the Psalter. For example, David in Ps 17 prays about himself in the third person; Psalms 19 and 20 are written by him about himself from the perspective of the people. The LXX inscription, attributing this psalm to David, is probably explained by the fact that after this psalm there is a note, “Here end the prayers of David,” that is, this psalm concludes the collection of David’s songs, and so they changed the inscription to mean “a psalm concerning Solomon.” But one cannot understand this note literally. In the collections preceding the LXX psalm there are psalms belonging to the sons of Korah (43–48), to Asaph (49), and this inscription merely indicates the predominant, principal abundance of psalms of David in this collection, with him as the writer a potiori, rather than the sole author.

O God! Grant the king’s son the strength to establish justice and peace; may his reign be as beneficial as rain is to the earth (1–6). His kingdom will be eternal and will spread throughout the world and over all nations, for he will protect the needy from violence (7–14). They will pray for him constantly; his reign will be full of outward blessings and all tribes will congratulate him (15–17). Blessed be the Lord forever! (18–19).

Psalm 71:1. O God! Grant the king Your judgment and the king’s son Your righteousness, Psalm 71:2. That he may judge Your people with righteousness, and Your poor with justice; “Judgment” and “righteousness” are synonymous expressions, meaning Solomon’s desire to be strictly just in judicial matters, making his decisions in accordance with the substance of the matter, rather than from any external, accidental considerations, however much they might serve to influence him. Such, for example, was his decision of the disputed case of the two harlots (see 1 Sam 3:16-28). His decisions, since they rest only on justice, must therefore be impartial: they are the same for all people, both the noble and the strong and the weak and poor (“the poor”).

Psalm 71:3. Let the mountains bring peace to the people and the hills righteousness; Psalm 71:4. He will judge the poor of the people, save the children of the needy and crush the oppressor,— “Let the mountains bring peace to the people and the hills righteousness”—may peaceful life and justice govern the life of people, may everyone feel secure in the confidence that his justice will always find protection, and the “oppressor” living by fraud and injustice—will receive punishment. “Mountains” and “hills” are elevated localities, visible from afar; may legality govern everywhere, as mountains and hills are visible from all places. By analogy with 6:1-2 of the Prophet Micah (Mic 6:1-2) by mountains and hills one can understand the noble classes of the Hebrew people, who, by virtue of their dominant position, are able to oppress those beneath them. Then this expression will mean—may the sense of law and justice be adopted also by the upper class.

Psalm 71:5. And they will fear You, while the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. Psalm 71:6. He will come down like rain on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth; Psalm 71:7. In his days the righteous will flourish, and there will be abundance of peace until the moon is no more; “While the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.” The sun and moon, which outlive generations of people and always remain unchanged, are symbols of stability and eternity. May the reign of this king be eternal and unchanging, as the sun and moon eternally and unchangeably shine; may the principles of his reign (legality, peace, and justice) be inviolably passed down from generation to generation, throughout all ages. May his reign be the same sign of God’s favor toward the king and people as the fleece was for Gideon; may his reign be as beneficial as rain is useful to the plant and animal world. “The righteous will flourish, and there will be abundance of peace”—may the predominant, governing characteristic of his reign be justice and fullness of peace (“abundance of peace”).

Psalm 71:8. He will rule from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth; Psalm 71:9. The inhabitants of the wilderness will bow before him, and his enemies will lick the dust; Psalm 71:10. The kings of Tarshish and the islands will bring him tribute; the kings of Arabia and Sheba will bring him gifts; “From sea to sea”—from the Mediterranean Sea, the western boundary of Palestine, to the “sea,” probably the Indian Ocean on the east; “from the river,” thus called as the Euphrates—the northern boundary of the world known to the ancient Hebrew, “to the ends of the earth”—to the extreme, final boundary of the world on the south. The meaning is—may the possessions of this king embrace the entire world. “The inhabitants of the wilderness will bow before him,”—that is, wild peoples, independent of any rulers and self-governing tribes. “Lick the dust.” Among Eastern peoples (Assyrians, Egyptians, and Indians) there was a custom of kissing on the ground the footprints of a ruler as a sign of special respect. May enemies show the king the signs of the deepest respect. “The kings of Tarshish”—Tarshish is a city in Spain; “of the islands”—the Phoenician islands in the Mediterranean Sea, west of Palestine. “Sheba”—from Hebrew Sheva. Some place this locality in happy (southern) Arabia (which, by the parallelism of contrasting speech is more probable), others in Africa, namely in present-day Abyssinia. May the power of this king extend not only to the lands of peoples but also to the peoples themselves; may all peoples and kings submit to him. Here geographic points of east and west are taken as the extreme points for depicting lands of the entire world.

Psalm 71:12. For he will deliver the needy who cry out and the oppressed who has no helper. Psalm 71:13. He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and save the lives of the needy; Psalm 71:14. From fraud and violence he will deliver their souls, and precious will be their blood in his sight; Psalm 71:15. And he will live, and they will give him gold from Arabia, and they will pray for him constantly, every day they will bless him; The spread of the dominion of this king will be achieved, however, not through conquests, not through violent means, but through peaceful—by the voluntary submission to him of all peoples, because of the conviction rooted in them that only his reign is a kingdom of peace and justice. “Precious will be their blood in his sight”—he will protect the righteous from violence and will preserve and cherish their life (“blood” is the bearer of life); that is, in his kingdom the righteous will prevail and will be supreme. Therefore the name of this king will always be honored, he will live in the memory of the people, he will be brought gifts of Arabian gold, distinguished for its value because of the abundance of nuggets, and day after day people will pray for him and his reign.

Psalm 71:16. There will be abundance of grain in the land, on the tops of the mountains; its fruit will wave like the forest on Lebanon, and in the cities people will flourish like the grass of the earth; Psalm 71:17. His name will be blessed forever; as long as the sun endures, his name will be transmitted; and through him they will be blessed—all the peoples of the earth will congratulate him. Because the reign of the king will be peaceful and will take possession of all countries and peoples, the hostile relationships between them must cease. All the efforts of man will then be directed toward the development of a peaceful culture, which will reach such a height that “there will be abundance of grain… on the tops of the mountains.” Man will find a way to work the previously bare and barren summits, where vegetation will appear so valuable in its fruits that it will surpass the rich cedar forests of Lebanon, which were famous throughout the world as the best material for building ships and which brought the Hebrews considerable income. “In the cities people will flourish like the grass.” The population in the cities under peaceful conditions of existence will increase so that it will be numerous as grass. “And through him they will be blessed”—through this king, through the adoption of the principles of his reign prosperity (“be blessed”) will pass to all the inhabitants and peoples of the earth.

Psalm 71:18. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, the only one who does wonders, Psalm 71:19. And blessed be the name of His glory forever, and may His glory fill all the earth. Amen and amen. Verses 18–19 do not belong to the writer of the psalm; they are an addition by the compiler of the collections of psalms, such as we find at the end of each collection of psalms in the Psalter. Psalm 71, as we have said, presents a depiction of that ideal of a king and kingdom which Solomon pictured to himself and toward whose possible approximation he directed his efforts. But the historical, known Solomon only began his reign in the spirit indicated by the psalm. There were no wars during his time, the Hebrews enjoyed external well-being—each had his own vineyard and his own tent, and also respect among foreigners; his judicial decisions astounded his contemporaries and his name became known throughout the world. In the second half of his life, however, he, as is known, earned even condemnation from God. And in fact, the ideal depicted here is beyond the capacity of man in general. The king is depicted as eternal (verse 5), his possessions—the entire earth and peoples (verses 8–11), his kingdom—the complete embodiment and realization of peace (verses 12 and 16). Such a reign can belong only to God. The ideal of the kingdom depicted by Solomon found realization in Jesus Christ, whose teaching is a teaching of love and forgiveness, whose kingdom is a kingdom of peace and righteousness and whose purpose is to spread throughout all the earth and forever. The historical Solomon only partially, at the beginning of his activity, realized his ideal, which will be fully achieved and only can be achieved in the kingdom of Christ. Therefore, all the content of the psalm has a typological-messianic meaning. Then verse 16, apart from the direct meaning already indicated by us, can have the following. The bare summits can denote the pagan nations in general, which, because of the falsity of their religions, had neither proper teaching about God nor elevated morality, and almost had no righteous people. With the adoption and assimilation of Christianity by them, the righteous will appear among them more than on Lebanon, that is, among the Hebrews, which indeed has already been realized, since the Hebrews did not accept the teaching of Christ, but the pagans readily followed and follow Him. * * * Notes The Euphrates.

Chapter Seventy-Two

The psalm belongs to Asaph, a contemporary of David. In the circumstances of the life of this king, especially in the history of Absalom, his rapid rise and fall, the writer could find material both for the basic thought of the content of the psalm and for some of its specific positions (Ps 72:3).

The Lord is good to the pure in heart. I doubted this truth at the sight of the prosperity of the wicked, by which they become arrogant and bold (1–9). Following them is the people, who comes to the denial of the Providence of God on earth (10–13). I also experienced wavering—why should I care for my purity? But me from preaching these waverings was held back by the consciousness of responsibility before the people (14–15). When I began to think deeply and entered the sanctuary, I understood how quickly such wicked people fall (16–20). My waverings were an expression of my ignorance; now I know that only in God and approach to Him is true life and reward, and those who turn away from Him—will perish (21–28).

Psalm 72:1. How good God is to Israel, to those pure in heart! This is an introduction to all the content of the psalm, containing the conclusion to which the author came through his doubts and waverings.

Psalm 72:6. Pride, like a necklace, has clothed them, and violence, like a garment, covers them; The pride of the wicked and their haughty attitude toward other people are the result of their external prosperity.

Psalm 72:7. Their eyes bulge from fatness, their thoughts wander in their hearts; “Their thoughts wander in their hearts”—they freely give themselves over to their desires, not caring to check their purity and harmony with the indications of God’s will.

Psalm 72:9. They lift their mouths to the heavens, and their tongue walks about on the earth. “They lift their mouths to the heavens”—they arrogantly look down on God’s Commandments, considering themselves entitled to evaluate and criticize them, that is, they test God’s will by their judgment, thereby elevating themselves to the place of supreme lawgiver.

Psalm 72:10. Therefore his people turn there and drink water from a full cup, Psalm 72:11. And say: “How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?” The impunity of the wicked and their external predominance provoke imitation among the people. The latter also begin to “drink from a full cup,” give themselves irresistibly to their evil desires, while coming to doubt: “How does God know?” and “Is there knowledge in the Most High?” that is, whether man is under Divine influence and whether there is justice on earth?

Psalm 72:13. [And I said:] Is it in vain that I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence, Psalm 72:14. And have afflicted myself all day long and been rebuked every morning? Psalm 72:15. But if I had said, “I will speak thus,”—then I would have betrayed the generation of Your children. “To keep my heart pure,” “to wash my hands in innocence,” “to afflict myself… and be rebuked”—means to watch carefully not only one’s actions, but also the purity of one’s thoughts. Such care for spiritual cleanliness requires constant and strong restraint of one’s sinful impulses, which causes pain. The facts of the prosperity of the wicked, living according to their desires and not caring about their moral purity, however, posed to the writer the question—is there meaning in his self-restraint? Doubts tormented him, but he considered himself not entitled to proclaim these doubts and plant them in others; if one himself lacks firmness in convictions, then it is a direct duty not to sow wavering in others. An action of the latter kind makes him “guilty before the generation of Your children,” that is, before the Hebrews, whom the Lord loves and cares for as a father for his children. To plant his doubts in them would mean to turn the children away from the Father, to deprive them of His beneficial and loving care, to deprive others of blessing to which oneself does not have the right.

Psalm 72:16. And I thought, how to understand this, but it was difficult in my eyes, Psalm 72:17. Until I entered the sanctuary of God and understood their end. The author’s doubts were resolved “in the sanctuary.” Probably here is meant prayer, with which he turned before the altar to the Lord and when he received from Him in revelation the resolution of his doubts.

Psalm 72:18. Indeed! You have set them on slippery ground, and You cast them down to destruction. Psalm 72:19. How suddenly they are brought to desolation, consumed, they perish from terrors! Psalm 72:20. Like a dream after waking, so You, Lord, when You awake, will destroy their phantoms. The writer in his observations on reality was one-sided; he judged only on the basis of the facts of the prosperity of the wicked, and did not pay attention to how quickly and unexpectedly they perish, how often their dreams of happiness are deceived.

Psalm 72:25. Who have I in heaven? And on earth I desire nothing but You. “Who have I in heaven?” What can heaven give me if I will not be there with God? “And on earth I desire nothing but You”—except You I want nothing else on earth. The meaning of the whole expression—except God the writer wishes to have no other attachments, since except Him nothing can give him satisfaction.

Psalm 72:26. Though my flesh and my heart fail, God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 72:27. For behold, those who turn away from You will perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. Psalm 72:28. But it is good for me to be near God! I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may declare all Your works [in the gates of the daughter of Zion]. Since those living apart from God perish, true blessing is to draw near to Him. Then man receives “portion… forever” (26), that is, an eternal, inalienable reward, which remains after his death, or—eternal life.

Chapter Seventy-Three

According to this psalm the Hebrew people appears to be rejected by God (Ps 73:1), the sanctuary, that is, the temple, is destroyed (Ps 73:3), on earth enemies rule everywhere (Ps 73:4), the temple itself is burned (Ps 73:7), among the people there are no prophets as messengers of God’s will (Ps 73:9), violence reigns everywhere (Ps 73:20). Such features of the state of the Hebrew people found complete fulfillment after the attack and destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, when all the land was devastated, the temple was burned, Chaldeans ruled everywhere and there was no prophet among the Hebrews. According to the inscription in the Hebrew Bible the writer of the psalm was Asaph, certainly not a contemporary of David, but one of his pious descendants, upon whom the national misfortune and destruction of the sanctuary weighed heavily.

Remember, Lord, the people whom You have chosen from of old, which You have now rejected (1–3). Enemies have destroyed everything, have taken possession of all, have destroyed and burned the sanctuary and meeting places. We have no prophet (4–9). How long, Lord, will You hold back Your helping hand (10–12)? You delivered them from slavery and wonderfully protected them from destruction afterwards. In Your power are all moments of time and all the earth (13–17). Remember the oppressed people and defend them from fierce enemies, deliver from mockery (18–23).

Psalm 73:1. Why, O God, have You rejected us forever? Does Your anger burn against the sheep of Your pasture? “You have rejected us forever”—not in the sense of a complete and eternal alienation of God from his people, but in the sense of the duration of the trial sent upon them. A common exaggeration employed by writers and poets. One can understand “forever” literally as well, confining the meaning here to the indication of the eternal deprivation of the Hebrew people of its sanctuary—the Ark of the Covenant, which with the destruction of the temple disappeared forever.

Psalm 73:2. Remember Your congregation, which You acquired long ago, which You redeemed as the rod of Your inheritance,—this Mount Zion, where You have dwelt. “Congregation”—an assembly of people, a people. The Hebrew people were acquired by God long ago, from the time of the choice of Abraham, whom He patronized and from whom He produced an entire nation. “You redeemed as the rod of Your inheritance,” more precisely “You redeemed as the tribe of Your inheritance,” that is, the Lord made the Hebrew people His special possession, a generation of people whom He loved and upon whom He poured numerous mercies.

Psalm 73:3. Direct Your steps to the perpetual ruins: the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary. “Direct Your steps to the perpetual ruins,” understood to be the ruins of Jerusalem and the temple. The name of these ruins “perpetual” testifies that the psalm was written not immediately after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, but considerable time later, when it became clear to the writer of the psalm that the misfortune could not be repaired by the efforts of the few Hebrews who still remained here. Evidently, over the unhappy and devastated Palestine time itself had a destructive effect. The Temple of Solomon was an extensive structure and possessed enormous treasures, so it is understandable that “the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary,” not only took its treasures but destroyed all the structures around the temple.

Psalm 73:4. Your enemies roar in the midst of Your assembly; they set up their emblems as signs. By “assemblies” one should understand those religious-educational institutions like prophetic schools, which had long existed among the Hebrews and from which perhaps toward the beginning of the Babylonian captivity were beginning to develop the beginnings of future synagogues. Amid these assemblies the “enemies roar” like beasts of prey. They are hostile to these prayer and educational circles, perhaps suspecting them of a political character, concealing their aspirations for the restoration of the nation. As conquerors, the Babylonians set up “their emblems as signs,” that is, not only introduced their institutions and their rule, but also destroyed everything that reminded people of the former sacred images. Instead of them they introduced their own signs.

Psalm 73:7. They have set fire to Your sanctuary; they have profaned the dwelling place of Your name to the ground. The burning of the temple indicates that the destruction of the temple described in the psalm cannot be attributed to Antiochus Epiphanes, when only its gates were destroyed. “They have profaned the dwelling place”—they mocked the holiness of the place and the holy things of Israel by the most diverse and crude means, which was customary in those times.

Psalm 73:9. We do not see our signs; there is no longer a prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long this will be. “We do not see our signs,” everything that reminded of the worship of Jehovah—the altar, sacred services and Divine revelations. “There is no longer a prophet.” Prophets were heralds of God’s will to the people, mediators between them and God, who clarified to the people and pointed out the tasks of its immediate activity. Now this is no more. The prophet Jeremiah has already died in Egypt (the psalm was written considerable time after the destruction of Jerusalem; see verse 3; the prophet Jeremiah soon after this event was taken to Egypt, where, according to tradition, he died four years later); the prophet Daniel entered into service not in Palestine but much later, and besides, his prophecies did not concern the Hebrew people specifically and did not provide the Palestinian Hebrews with guidance at that time; the prophet Ezekiel also lived in captivity and also did not give instructive teachings to the Palestinian Hebrews. The calamities of devastation are so terrible and the deprivations so great that the oppressed writer laments: there is no one who would say how long such a state of ruin would last, which he now observes around him. Will there be no slight improvement? To understand this “how long” as ignorance of the duration of Babylonian captivity is impossible, since the writer could not have been unaware of the prophecy of the prophet Jeremiah about seventy years of servitude to Babylon.

Psalm 73:11. Why do You hold back Your hand, even Your right hand? Take it from Your bosom and destroy them. “From Your bosom destroy” the enemies. The bosom is the lap, a place close to the heart. Destroy from the heart, according to Your will and full deservingness of punishment, since the enemies, who have profaned the sanctuary, are also enemies of the Lord, offending Him.

Psalm 73:13. You split the sea by Your power; You crushed the heads of the monsters in the water; Psalm 73:14. You crushed the head of the sea monster, and gave it as food to the creatures of the wilderness, [the Ethiopians]; Psalm 73:15. You broke open the spring and the stream; You dried up the mighty rivers. “You split the sea”—the Red Sea, at the passage of the Hebrews through it. “You crushed the heads of the monsters in the water”—You drowned the Egyptians, who destroyed the Hebrews with hard labor, as the bites of serpents kill people; “You crushed the head of the sea monster,” that is, a crocodile. The Pharaoh who pursued the Hebrews is meant. “And gave it as food to the creatures of the wilderness”—the corpses of drowned Egyptians, when the waves cast them on shores, became food for wild beasts of the wilderness, particularly jackals. The name of “people” of a pack of wild beasts in the Bible is used, for example, in the Book of Proverbs where a swarm of ants, hares, is called a people (Prov 30:25-26). “You broke open the spring and the stream”—the miraculous bringing forth of water in the wilderness; “You dried up the mighty rivers”—the River Jordan under Joshua.

Psalm 73:16. The day is Yours, and the night is also Yours; You have set up the heavenly lights and the sun; Psalm 73:17. You have set all the boundaries of the earth; You have made the summer and the winter. Indication of other deeds of Divine omnipotence, consisting of the establishment of the laws of the change of day and night and the seasons of the year.

Psalm 73:18. Remember this: the enemy insults the Lord, and a foolish people revile Your name. “Foolish,” probably the Chaldeans, who mocked and insulted the name of Jehovah.

Psalm 73:19. Do not give the soul of Your turtledove to the beasts; do not forget forever the assembly of Your afflicted ones. Beasts also mean Chaldeans for their cruel treatment of the Hebrews. “Turtledove”—the Hebrew people. An image of solitude and defenselessness.

Psalm 73:20. Look upon Your covenant; for the dark places of the earth are full of dwellings of violence. Palestine has many mountains and caves where all kinds of robbers can easily hide. After the destruction of Jerusalem such bands could freely form, and from hidden places they could hunt for their prey.

Psalm 73:21. Let not the oppressed turn away in shame; let the poor and needy praise Your name. “Let not the oppressed turn away in shame,” may Your prayer of the oppressed people for liberation from captivity and restoration of the former greatness of Palestine be heard by You, O Lord.

Chapter Seventy-Four

The psalm was written by Asaph, or rather by one of his descendants who lived in a time later than David. The content of the psalm corresponds to the time of King Hezekiah, when the attack of Sennacherib the Assyrian on Jerusalem was already near, but when the king had not lost hope in God’s protection. This time period is indicated precisely by the anxious disturbance that, according to the psalm, Judea was experiencing (Ps 74:4), the complete defenselessness of the Hebrews, the enemy attack was directed at Judea from the north (Ps 74:7), and they were distinguished by arrogance and contempt toward the Lord (Ps 74:5). Such characteristics coincide with the condition of Judea at the time of Sennacherib’s attack on Jerusalem.

Your help is near, O Lord (2). You yourself promise to appoint a time for judgment over the enemies (3–4). Therefore I speak to the wicked, so that they do not dishonor God, since He will give them drink from the cup of wrath, and the righteous will then praise the Lord (5–11).

Psalm 74:2. We praise you, God, we praise; for your name is near; they declare your wonders. The approach of the enemies and the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem were met by the Hebrews with solemn hymns in honor of God, where they “declared” His wonders in the past history of their people. They expected the same help from God in the present near danger, which is why they said that “the name of the Lord is near,” that the day was near when He would marvelously display His help over the people.

Psalm 74:3. “When I choose the time, I will judge with righteousness. Psalm 74:4. The earth and all who dwell in it tremble: I will establish its pillars.” In verses 3–4 God is presented as the speaker. He will pronounce His judgment at the time He appoints, and it will be righteous judgment, when each will receive what he deserves. On whom God’s wrath should be poured out is evident from the following words, “the earth trembles,” that is, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem came into terror at the appearance of the terrible and numerous forces of Sennacherib. The Lord “establishes its pillars,” does not allow the enemies to shake the power and strength of Judea. Since the “pillars” of Judea, upon which her greatness and significance rested, were the name of the Lord, to establish the pillars means not to allow this great name and those who hold to it to be mocked. It is known that Rabshakeh, the commander of Sennacherib, mocked the faith of the Hebrews in the Lord.

Psalm 74:5. I say to the foolish: “Do not be foolish,” and to the wicked: Do not raise the horn, The “foolish” are the Assyrians, who blasphemously reviled the Lord. “Do not raise the horn” means do not think much about your strength and invincibility. The horn is a symbol of strength.

Psalm 74:7. For exaltation comes not from the east and not from the west and not from the desert, Psalm 74:8. But God is the judge: He humbles one and exalts another; The faith of the Hebrews in receiving protection (“exaltation”) rested not on expecting human help from nations living to the east, west, or desert of Judea (more precisely it could be translated as “not from the rocks of the desert,” that is, from Edom), but on faith in the Lord alone, from whom alone depends “humiliation” or “exaltation.” In the listing of the directions of the world north is not mentioned because from there the Assyrians came. It was impossible for the Hebrews to expect protection from any neighboring peoples, because these always had hostile relations toward them, and these feelings, of course, did not change with the attack of the Assyrians.

Psalm 74:9. For the cup is in the Lord’s hand, and the wine is hot in it, full of mixture, and He pours from it. Even its sediment all the wicked of the earth will wring out and drink. By “the cup of mixture”—the cup of wine with admixtures of various spices, which in the East were customarily added to wine to strengthen its intoxicating property—is meant the cup of the Lord’s wrath, with which He will make the enemies of Jerusalem drink, that is, the Assyrians. The enemies will drink even the “sediment,” the residue in the cup, the strongest and most stupefying.

Psalm 74:10. And I will declare forever, I will sing of the God of Jacob, Psalm 74:11. All the horns of the wicked I will break, and the horns of the righteous will be exalted. From this cup their strength will be broken (“the horns of the wicked”), and the righteous will be exalted. Indeed, the destruction of the enemies at Jerusalem made the name of the Lord and the Hebrew people fearful, and many pagan nations then brought gifts to Hezekiah (2 Chr 32:23).

Chapter Seventy-Five

This psalm is a direct continuation of the previous one. In the first, threats were made against the enemies of Jerusalem, and here the fulfillment of this threat is described, when the Lord became “known” everywhere, His name became great (Ps 75:2), when numerous enemies perished (Ps 75:6-7) and the earth was quieted (Ps 75:9) through God’s miraculous help (Ps 75:10). The descriptions of the psalm correspond with the account of the destruction of the Assyrians at Jerusalem as set forth in (2 Sam 19). In the LXX and in the Vulgate a note was added in the heading “against the Assyrian.”

The name of the God of the Jews is great: He crushed the terrible enemies, who perished at His command (2–7). He is terrible in His exalted command from heaven, when He rose to defend His people. The enemies perished and the earth was quieted (8–11). May all peoples render Him worship (12–13).

Psalm 75:2. God is known in Judea; His name is great in Israel. “God is known in Judea,” the name of Him who rules and protects Judea has become known, that is, the name of the Lord has become known everywhere.

Psalm 75:3. And His dwelling was in Salem and His abode on Zion. “Salem” is the ancient name of Jerusalem, where the Lord constantly dwells in the Holy of Holies of the temple.

Psalm 75:5. You are glorious and more mighty than the mountains of prey. “More mighty than the mountains of prey.” The mountain is an image of unshakability. Mountains of prey are the Assyrians, who attacked Jerusalem in hope of rich plunder. Among the peoples of the East of that time they were the most terrible enemies, but the Lord showed that He is “mightier than them.”

Psalm 75:6. The stout-hearted became spoil, they slept their sleep, and none of the men of might found their strength. “The stout-hearted” are the brave and courageous enemies. “They slept their sleep” means a sleep from which they do not wake, that is, death. “None of the men of might found their strength” means their destruction was unexpected and unavoidable; they had no means to resist it, and their personal courage and military skill proved fruitless in the struggle against the Lord’s command. In that night 185,000 Assyrians perished.

Psalm 75:8. You are terrible, and who can stand before your face in the time of your wrath? “To stand before your face in the time of God’s wrath” means to struggle with God; no one is able to do this.

Psalm 75:9. From the heavens you declared judgment; the earth feared and was silent, “The earth feared and was silent,” the terrible punishment that befell the enemies filled the hearts of the Jews with terror, and at the same time brought peace to the life of the country.

Psalm 75:11. And the wrath of man shall turn to your praise: you will restrain the remainder of wrath. “The wrath of man shall turn to your praise,” the wrath against God from man not only cannot cause Him any harm, but serves His glory. In the person of Rabshakeh the enemies mocked the Lord and threatened the Hebrews, but this threat ended in their own defeat and the increase of the glory of the Lord. “You will restrain the remainder of wrath.” You will not allow your wrath to be fully poured out on the enemies, that is, although the destruction of the Assyrians was terrible, it was not the complete expression of the wrath of the Lord that they deserved; God was merciful to them. It is also understood this way: You, O Lord, have kept back the remainder of wrath to pour it out on the enemies in case of new attacks from them, that is, to protect us from them forever.

Psalm 75:12. Make vows and fulfill them to the Lord your God; all those around Him shall bring gifts to Him who is fearful: “All those around Him” means the pagan nations living around Palestine. The growing military power of Assyria and the independence of these peoples posed a constant threat, and therefore the destruction at the walls of Jerusalem of the military force of Assyria should bring peace to them and fill them with feelings of reverent gratitude toward the God of the Hebrews.

Chapter Seventy-Six

The psalm was written during grave circumstances (Ps 76:3), by which the author was shaken (Ps 76:5). He does not see God’s help; events unfold one more terrible than the next, so the writer in bewildered terror asks: “Has the Lord rejected us forever and has His mercy ceased for all generations?” (Ps 76:8-9). Since the writings make no mention of the destruction of the temple, the chief sanctuary and treasure of Jerusalem and all Judea, about which the author would certainly have mentioned if this event had occurred in his time, the composition of the psalm should be dated to the period before the destruction of Jerusalem. Most likely the psalm was written during the time of King Jehoiakim, when Judea had already experienced a whole series of terrible events, such as the captivity of Manasseh, the death of Josiah in battle with Pharaoh Necho, the twofold campaign of Nebuchadnezzar through Judea. All these events were accompanied by the devastation and ruin of Judea, and the writer of the psalm could have witnessed how these calamities increased steadily, while hopes for their cessation or prevention appeared from nowhere. The writer was a singer from the family of Asaph, who designated his psalm for performance by the choir of Jeduthun.

In the day of great calamities I turn with prayer to the Lord. I have lost sleep and give myself over to reflection: Has the Lord turned away from His people forever and will He no longer pour His mercies upon it (2–11)? Then I began to remember Your great deeds, displayed over the Hebrew people in its past (12–13). You, Holy One, then displayed Your omnipotence over the nations, freed Jacob and Joseph, by Your command the clouds poured water and the earth trembled from the thunders. You led Your people through the sea and, like a flock, guarded them by the hand of Moses and Aaron (14–21).

Psalm 76:2. My voice is to God, and I will cry out; my voice is to God, and He will hear me. “I will cry out” means I will constantly beg God to render help to my people. “He will hear me” means the writer trusts that his sincere prayer will call forth God’s favor. This faith determines the further content of the psalm, when the author moves from depicting the grave events of his time to pointing out God’s benefits in the past life of the Hebrew people, and by recounting these benefits concludes the psalm. His cry, therefore, is not a cry of despair and hopelessness, but a bitter prayer warmed by hope.

Psalm 76:3. In the day of my distress I seek the Lord; my hand is stretched out at night and does not rest; my soul refuses comfort. “My hand is stretched out at night and does not rest” means a prayer position with hands raised to God. This prayer is constant (“my hand does not rest”). “My soul refuses comfort” means that the author is either so overwhelmed by grief that nothing can turn his attention elsewhere, or that the author, upon careful observation of the course of events, sees nothing cheering anywhere, no glimpse of a better future (verse 11).

Psalm 76:7. I remember my songs in the night, I commune with my heart, and my spirit inquires: “My spirit inquires” means it examines everything that happens, and on the basis of this tries to foresee the course of events.

Psalm 76:8. Has the Lord rejected us forever, and will He not be favorable anymore? Psalm 76:9. Has His mercy ceased forever, and is His word cut off to all generations? Psalm 76:10. Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has He in wrath shut up His compassion? The result of this searching attitude toward reality is the saddest: he sees the complete abandonment of the Hebrew people by God. From this arises the bewilderment: “Has the Lord rejected us forever?” “Has His word been cut off to all generations?” By “word” here is meant not God’s revelation to the people, since such was then communicated through the preaching of the prophet Jeremiah, but, in agreement with the subsequent content, which recounts the facts of God’s miraculous help to His people, the word means God’s general favor, God’s protection and help.

Psalm 76:11. And I said: “This is my grief—the change of the right hand of the Most High.” “This is my grief—the change of the right hand of the Most High,” the change in God’s relationship toward His people. This change is assumed not by one misfortunate event, misfortune in the life of the people, but by a whole series of them. The author grieves not about a chance occurrence, however terrible, but about God’s continual permission for calamities to pour down upon the Hebrews one after another. The latter is what frightens the writer. Since present life offered nothing cheering for the author, he wished to find consolation in the past and from there draw for himself a source of comfort. He saw the latter in the miraculous guidance of his people by God, which is why he briefly relates some of these facts.

Psalm 76:20. Your way is in the sea, and Your path is in the great waters, and Your footprints are not known. The miraculous passage of the Hebrews through the Red Sea is depicted. “Your path is in the great waters” means the trace of Your omnipotence, the display of it in the dividing of the deep waters; “Your footprints are not known” means in the ordinary way, by natural forces such a fact cannot be explained; it is the work of Your incomprehensible power. The indication by the author of God’s miraculous help to His people in the past apparently comforts the writer and instills faith that sincere turning by the Hebrews to God will be a source for the pouring down of the Lord’s mercy upon them in the present time as well. This is why the author of the psalm said at the beginning: “He will hear me.”

Chapter Seventy-Seven

The psalm was written to find in facts from the past life of the Hebrew people an explanation of certain events of the present time (Ps 77:67-72) and guidance for the future (Ps 77:4-8). Among such facts the writer dwells on the faithlessness of the tribe of Ephraim, its ingratitude before the Lord (Ps 77:9-12). It concludes by pointing out that in this neglect of the commandments of the Lord and the unworthiness of Ephraim lies the reason why the Lord rejected him and chose Judah, Mount Zion, and King David to rule the people (Ps 77:67-71). The last words indicate the apologetic purpose of the psalm—to justify the necessity and usefulness of the choice of Mount Zion for the capital, the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant there, and the choice of David as king not from the tribe of Ephraim, but from the tribe of Judah. The populous, wealthy, and proud tribe of Ephraim enjoyed enormous influence over the entire Hebrew people before David. The removal of the Ark of the Covenant from it under David, as well as the choice of a king from another tribe, caused discontent among the Ephraimites and was probably a source of some internal strife. To prevent and eliminate the latter, the writer wrote this psalm. From this one should conclude that he was a contemporary of David, the same Asaph who enjoyed great authority among the people as a “seer” and who was one of the leaders of David’s choirs.

Listen, all people, to my word, in which I will communicate what was learned from the fathers for our instruction and for passing to descendants, so as not to forget God and not to resemble the stubborn and rebellious fathers (1–8). The sons of Ephraim did not keep God’s Covenant, they forgot His many wonders at the time of the exodus and after the exodus from Egypt (9–16). They continued to provoke the Lord in the wilderness, demanding the food they desired. The Lord fed them wondrously and they perished from satiation (17–31). Nevertheless they continued to sin. When the Lord sent calamities upon them and they cried to Him, He saved them (32–40). After deliverance they again dishonored the Lord and did not remember the great mercies He had shown them from the time of their liberation from Egypt and after their settlement in Palestine (41–55). And in this land they dishonored Him with their high places, which is why He rejected the dwelling in Shiloh and delivered the Ark of the Covenant into captivity (56–66). Then the Lord rejected the tribe of Ephraim, and chose Judah, Mount Zion, and King David, who was pure in heart and gentle (67–72).

Psalm 77:1. Listen, my people, to my law, incline your ear to the words of my mouth. “Listen, my people,” “incline your ear” means listen attentively, since what the author is communicating is of great importance. Such it is indeed in the content of the psalm, which, apart from the importance of its moral and religious instruction, was directed toward calming society and all the people, for whom the dispute over the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and the choice of David as king was bearing very heavily.

Psalm 77:2. I will open my mouth in a parable and will utter dark sayings of old. “Parable” means a brief saying; “dark saying” also means a brief, obscure speech due to its figurative nature not readily understood. But the author did not keep his promise: the subsequent content of the psalm, although consisting of a brief recounting of facts, presents nothing mysterious.

Psalm 77:5. He established a statute in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children, “He established a statute in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel” means God issued laws for all the Hebrew people not for the purpose of their constant change, but for immutable and accurate observance.

Psalm 77:8. And not to be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, an unruly generation and unfaithful in spirit to God. The facts from the past history of the Hebrew people that the writer subsequently presents have instructive significance: they communicate the evil from the life of the ancestors which descendants should avoid.

Psalm 77:9. The sons of Ephraim, armed and shooting with the bow, turned back in the day of battle: Psalm 77:10. They did not keep the covenant of God and refused to walk in His law; Psalm 77:11. They forgot His deeds and the wonders which He had shown them. Such instructive facts are the behavior of the Ephraimites, who renounced God despite all the numerous wonders He had performed. This renunciation, however, as is evident from the facts of the same Ephraim’s return to God in moments of calamity, was not theoretical, conscious rejection of the truths of God-revealed law, but a lack of living and active faith; it was practical unbelief.

Psalm 77:12. He worked wonders before their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan: “The field of Zoan” is the chief city of Lower Egypt, where Moses performed his many wonders before Pharaoh.

Psalm 77:18. They tested God in their heart, demanding food for their desire, Despite the miraculous liberation from Egypt, the Ephraimites “tested God in their heart” in the wilderness—they displayed deep unbelief in the Lord when they doubted His power to feed them.

Psalm 77:24. And He rained down on them manna to eat, and gave them the grain of heaven. Psalm 77:25. Man ate the bread of the angels; He sent them food to the full. Manna is called “the grain of heaven” because it was sent from heaven. “Man ate the bread of the angels,” that is, manna. It is called the bread of the angels not because the angels, bodiless spirits, needed it, but because it “was given by the angels” (the Blessed Theodoret), as the immediate executors of God’s will. The name “angelic,” therefore, indicates the supernatural origin of the manna.

Psalm 77:27. And He rained meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea: “Like dust He rained meat on them, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea”—the abundance of quail sent by God to the Hebrews in the wilderness.

Psalm 77:34. When He killed them, they sought Him and turned, and in the early morning they fled to God, As soon as calamities struck the Hebrews, they “in the early morning,” immediately turned to God. Their devotion to the Lord was unstable and inconstant.

Psalm 77:36. And they flattered Him with their mouth and lied to Him with their tongue; “They flattered Him with their mouth and lied to Him with their tongue” does not mean that the prayer of the Hebrews before the Lord in moments of danger and calamity was consciously hypocritical, since the Lord, as all-knowing, would know this and would not accept it as an insult, but means that the moments of repentance were brief, they were short-lived flashes, after which, when the danger passed, the period of willfulness and forgetfulness of God returned.

Psalm 77:49. He sent upon them the fire of His wrath, and indignation, and wrath, and trouble, a host of evil angels; “A host of evil angels” means not by nature evil, but executors of God’s terrible will over sinful people.

Psalm 77:60. He rejected the dwelling in Shiloh, the tent in which He dwelt among men; Psalm 77:61. And He gave His strength into captivity and His glory into the hand of the enemy, “He rejected the dwelling in Shiloh… and gave His strength into captivity,” that is, the Ark of the Covenant, which for the Hebrews served as a sign of the presence of the Lord among them and with which they went out to war. Here is meant the fact of the capture of the Ark of the Covenant by the Philistines in Ashdod (1 Sam 4:21).

Psalm 77:63. His young men were consumed by fire, and his maidens were not praised in marriage songs; “His maidens were not praised in marriage songs” means in this unfortunate war with the Philistines so many young men perished that there was no one for the maidens to marry.

Psalm 77:64. His priests fell by the sword, and his widows could not weep. “His priests fell by the sword” means the death of Hophni and Phinehas.

Psalm 77:67. And he rejected the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, Psalm 77:68. But he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved. Such behavior of the tribe of Ephraim was the reason for its rejection by the Lord, who chose Mount Zion for His dwelling and the tribe of Judah.

Psalm 77:69. And He built His sanctuary like the high heavens, and like the earth which He has established forever, “He built His sanctuary like the high heavens.” The tent built by David on Zion surpassed in its beauty, dimensions, and riches the tent in Shiloh, which is why the writer calls it comparatively with the former as heavenly. The dwelling of the Lord on Zion is eternal, therefore no tribe should dream of the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to another place at any time.

Psalm 77:70. And he chose David, His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds Psalm 77:71. From following the nursing ewes He brought him to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. Psalm 77:72. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them with his skillful hands. In the person of David are noted the simplicity of his former life (“took him from the sheepfolds”), moral purity (“integrity of his heart”) and wisdom (“guided them with his skillful hands”). These qualities are opposite to what Ephraim displayed in its behavior—pride, disobedience to the Lord, and concern for its external dominance and rule over all the people, which is why David was chosen and preferred to him, one who understood how to serve the people and understood wherein their true benefit lay.

Chapter Seventy-Eight

This psalm, like (Ps 73), was written after the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and after his devastation of the land of Judea. The temple is here presented as defiled, Jerusalem as in ruins (Ps 78:1), everywhere lie unburied corpses of slain Hebrews (Ps 78:2), which became a mockery in the eyes of neighboring peoples (Ps 78:4). The writer was one of the descendants of Asaph the seer.

O God! The nations have devastated the land, destroyed Jerusalem, drenched the earth with the blood of the Hebrew people, neighboring peoples mock and jeer at them (1–4). Pour out Your wrath on the nations for the devastation of the land of Jacob: do not remember our sins and deliver us (5–9). Do not allow the nations to mock Your name; punish them for reviling You, and we will proclaim to all generations praise to You (10–13).

Psalm 78:2. They gave the bodies of Your servants as food to the birds of the heavens, the flesh of Your holy ones to the beasts of the earth; “The flesh of Your holy ones” means the Hebrews, as the chosen people of God, designated to be a holy people and servants of the true God.

Psalm 78:3. They poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them. “They poured out their blood like water” means the abundance of the slain.

Psalm 78:4. We have become a mockery to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those around us. A conquered people became the plunder of the enemy, which he disposed of at his whimsical pleasure, subjecting it to all manner of violence and mockery. This custom of the enemy’s treatment of the conquered in ancient times was universal and depended on that deep isolation of the life of peoples, which scarcely allowed any relations even with a neighboring tribe. Each people, therefore, was isolated in its language, rights, customs, and religious beliefs, and regarded another people only as its enemy, whose destruction was for it a matter of sincere longing. This explains the mockery to which the vanquished were subjected by the victor.

Psalm 78:8. Do not remember against us the iniquities of our fathers; let Your compassion come quickly to meet us, for we are brought very low. “Do not remember against us the iniquities of our fathers” means do not hold us responsible or punish us for sins inherited from our ancestors. This prayer indicates that the degree of moral degradation of the Hebrew people that brought about such strict judgment from the Lord was not a temporary decline in the height of life of the Hebrew people, but a prolonged vicious tendency.

Psalm 78:9. Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of Your name; and deliver us, and forgive our sins for the sake of Your name. “Help us for the glory of Your name; deliver us for the sake of Your name.” When religious beliefs prevailed among the ancient peoples, affecting the structure of their civil life, family life, and social relations and determining their attitude toward other peoples, the significance and power of each tribe was determined by the power of its national god. The victory of one people over another meant that the god of the victor was stronger than the god of the vanquished people, and they considered it right to mock the defeated. The same fate befell the Hebrew people after the victory of the Babylonians over them; the Hebrew God appeared in the eyes of the victors as weaker than their national god, which is why mockeries of the Hebrew God were natural. The writer grieves at such humiliation of the true God and prays to help his people so that His name would not be blasphemed by the nations.

Psalm 78:10. Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let the avenging of the blood of Your servants be known among the nations before our eyes. “Where is their God?” is an ironic question. The conquering nations ask—where is that God on whose power the Jews relied?

Psalm 78:11. Let the groan of the prisoner come before You; according to Your great power preserve those who are doomed to death. “Let the groan of the prisoner come before You” means look with mercy; do not turn away from Your people, who are now deprived of political independence, who are in the chains of slavery.

Psalm 78:12. Return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom the reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord. “Return sevenfold to our neighbors.” The number seven is a round number, meaning completeness in general. Repay the enemies, O Lord, fully what they deserve for their mockeries of You; do not diminish Your justice with lenience.

Chapter Seventy-Nine

The psalm is appointed for performance on a musical instrument resembling a lily (shoshannim – lily). “Eduth” – records, announcement, indicating the special attention that should be given by contemporaries to this psalm in view of its importance.

The psalm was written by a singer from the generation of Asaph. The writer prays for the kingdom of Israel, concerning which he asks God to manifest His favor (Ps 79:2-6). The Hebrews suffer humiliation from neighboring peoples (Ps 79:7), who freely lay waste their land (Ps 79:13-14). The writer implores protection for his people from threatening dangers (Ps 79:15-18).

Most likely the psalm was written after the destruction of the kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians (which is why the LXX adds: “against the Assyrian”), when Judea also began to face imminent destruction, although it still existed, since the psalm gives no indication of the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. Such a condition of Judea cannot be attributed to the reign of Hezekiah, since at that time Judea, despite the captivity of the northern kingdom, was in a fairly prosperous situation, especially after the destruction of Sennacherib’s forces at the walls of Jerusalem. The writer’s concerns about the possible destruction of the Judean kingdom could only be based on a series of ominous and severe events in the life of his people: these events begin especially with the reign of Manasseh and become particularly clear during the times of Jehoiakim (see their indication in v. Ps 79:13-14).

Shepherd of Israel! Display Your strength over Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Restore us and we will be saved (2–4). How long will You abandon us? You have fed us with tears and made us a mockery for our enemies (5–8). You brought a grapevine out of Egypt, which took deep root and spread its branches wide. But You broke down its fence, and wild animals devour it (9–14). Turn toward us, Lord, and protect with Your strength Your offspring! May Your right hand be over it and we will not turn away from You (15–20).

Psalm 79:2. Shepherd of Israel, hear us; You who lead Joseph like a flock, You who dwell upon the Cherubim, show Yourself. God’s relationship to the Hebrew people is depicted as the relationship of a shepherd to sheep, whom the former protects and feeds. – “Dwelling upon the Cherubim.” Images of these we find above the cover of the Ark of the Covenant. Since the cherubim serve as a symbol of swiftness, the prayer “show Yourself” means – hasten to come with Your help.

Psalm 79:3. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh raise Your strength, and come to save us. The tribe of Ephraim was the most numerous, wealthy, and influential in the kingdom of Israel, which is why the name Ephraim often designates the entire ten-tribe kingdom. Before David and after the division of the Hebrew kingdom, it held predominant influence in the course of life first of all the people, then of Israel. Manasseh is mentioned here as the founder of the tribe, descended from Ephraim’s brother. The tribe of Benjamin was divided when David became king; one part recognized him as king, the other did not, and later, after Solomon, one half of this tribe entered into the kingdom of Israel. The prayer for Israel indicates that the latter was helpless to aid itself. Here one must understand the destruction of this kingdom by the Assyrians.

Psalm 79:4. God! Restore us; let Your face shine, and we shall be saved! A refrain, repeated in the psalm three times – in v. 4, 8, and 20. – “Restore” – a prayer by the writer on behalf of Israel and for Israel, which is presented as having lost strength and significance, having lost its independence, concerning the restoration of which the author prays.

Psalm 79:5. Lord, God of hosts! How long will You be angry at the prayers of Your people? “Angry at the prayers” – You do not grant the requests expressed in prayers.

Psalm 79:6. You have fed them with bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in great measure, “To feed with bread of tears, and give drink with tears” – to allow no respite in life, to overwhelm with only misfortunes.

Psalm 79:9. Out of Egypt You brought a grapevine, You cast out nations and planted it; “A grapevine” – the Hebrew people, brought out of Egypt. – “You cast out nations and planted it” – signifies the conquest of Palestine by the Hebrews, cleansing it from the pagan tribes that inhabited it, and establishing here the political significance and strength of the Hebrews.

Psalm 79:11. The mountains were covered with its shadow, and its branches were like the cedars of God; Psalm 79:12. it sent out its branches to the sea and its offshoots to the river. The Hebrews multiplied in Palestine and the boundaries of their possessions were vast; “the mountains were covered with its shadow” – they touched the mountains of Edom from the south; “its branches were like the cedars” which grew mainly on Lebanon, the northern boundary of the Judean kingdom. “Its branches to the sea” – the Mediterranean, the western boundary; “its offshoots to the river” – the Euphrates – the eastern boundary.

Psalm 79:13. Why have You broken down its walls, so that all who pass by the way pluck its grapes? Psalm 79:14. A wild boar from the forest ravages it, and a field animal feeds on it. By those passing along the way, the forest boar, and the field animal are meant the hostile neighboring peoples, who became masters of Palestine. Thus, for example, Israel under the reign of Hezekiah was destroyed by the Assyrians, who inflicted considerable devastation also in Judea; under Manasseh, the same Assyrians attacked Judea and carried even the king into captivity; under Josiah, there was devastation from the Pharaoh, and under the successors of Josiah, attacks by the Babylonians became more frequent. The enemies are compared to “a wild boar,” a wild pig, which caused tremendous devastation in vineyards by uprooting the vines. It takes only one pig to get into a vineyard, and in a single night it can destroy a large vineyard.

Psalm 79:15. God of hosts! Turn back to us, look down from heaven, and behold and visit this vine; “Turn back” – look favorably upon us, protect us.

Psalm 79:16. protect what Your right hand has planted, and the offshoots which You have strengthened for Yourself. “Offshoots” – that is, the Hebrew people, as a shoot from the root chosen by God, that is, Abraham.

Psalm 79:18. Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, upon the son of man whom You have strengthened for Yourself, “The man of the right hand” – the beloved man, standing beside the right hand, was “Benjamin” (Deut 33:12). Benjamin is here taken to denote the entire kingdom of Israel. “The son of man” – the entire Hebrew people. The name of son was given to them by God while in Egypt (Exod 4:22; Hos 11:1). – “Whom You have strengthened for Yourself” – chose for Your special guidance. This guidance and protection were indeed rendered by God to the entire Hebrew people during its life and settlement in Palestine. This same protection was the source of the political and external strength that the Hebrews gained in the eyes of all neighboring pagan peoples. To the entire Hebrew people the writer prays that the Lord would send “His hand,” that is, help.

Psalm 79:19. and we will not turn back from You; give us life, and we will call upon Your name. “Give us life.” This expression relates to Israel, which is depicted as dead, of course, in the political sense, since it was carried into captivity by the Assyrians. This destruction of the kingdom of Israel was an evil portent for Judea, which was already dying during the time of the writer, which is why he prays for “the merciful hand of the Lord,” which would give life and resurrect this kingdom.

Chapter Eighty

The psalm was written, probably during the time of David by his contemporary prophet Asaph, and represents a Passover song. This is indicated by the author’s recollection of the exodus from Egypt, on account of which the Passover was established (Ps 80:6), as well as the mention of wheat (Ps 80:17), which recalls the commandment of the Law of Moses, according to which at Passover one was obliged to bring to God the firstfruits of the earth (Lev 23:5-11), since at that time the first harvest ripened. The mention Ps 80:7 of the new moon does not contradict this understanding, because it refers to the first day of the month of Nisan, on which Passover was celebrated, and which, constituting the beginning of the ecclesiastical year, was so celebrated and proclaimed by trumpet as the first day of the month of Tishri, the beginning of the civil year.

Celebrate the festival joyfully and with gladness, the festival which the Lord established when He brought you out of the land of Egypt, performed numerous miracles, and commanded you to serve faithfully only Him (2–11). But the people did not listen to the Lord, did not obey Him. If they had listened to Him, the Lord would have humbled all their enemies and satisfied the Hebrews with the fat of wheat and honey from the rock (12–17).

Psalm 80:3. Take a psalm, give a tambourine, a sweet-sounding harp together with a psaltery; Psalm 80:4. blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the appointed time, on the day of our festival; Music was commonly used by the Hebrews in their worship services (concerning musical instruments, see the introduction to the Psalter).

Psalm 80:6. He established this as a testimony for Joseph, when he came out of the land of Egypt, where he heard a sound of a language that he did not know: “He established this as a testimony.” The festival of Passover was established by God as a testimony of that turning point in the life of the Hebrews which was accomplished by His supernatural power. The celebration of Passover, therefore, was always supposed to remind the Hebrews of God and strengthen their faith in Him as their only and almighty protector.

Psalm 80:8. In distress you called upon Me, and I delivered you; I heard you from the midst of thunder, I tested you at the waters of Meribah. “Out of the midst of thunder I heard you” – one may understand this as the sending by the Lord of a storm with strong hail upon the Egyptians, which destroyed all vegetation (Exod 9:23-25).

Psalm 80:11. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt; open your mouth, and I will fill it. “Open your mouth, and I will fill it.” If the Hebrews, remaining faithful to the Lord, turned to Him with any prayer, it would be heard.

Psalm 80:13. therefore I gave them over to the stubbornness of their hearts; let them walk in their own devices. Psalm 80:14. O, if only My people would listen to Me and Israel would walk in My ways! Psalm 80:15. I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their oppressors: Psalm 80:16. those who hate the Lord would submit to Him, and their well-being would last forever; Psalm 80:17. I would feed them with the fat of wheat and satisfy them with honey from the rock. God gave over the Hebrews to “the stubbornness of their hearts,” to their own devices. Since the Hebrews did not wish of their own accord to submit and obey God’s guidance, the Lord allowed their lives to take their natural course. The latter was accompanied by grievous consequences for them – failures in struggle with enemies, weakening of well-being, and crop failures in the fields (15–17). – “Honey from the rock” (17) – honey of bees that nested in the cracks of rocks.

Chapter Eighty-One

Despite the general content of the psalm, there are no obstacles to considering it written during the time of David by his contemporary singer Asaph. The psalm condemns the injustice of judges. At the beginning of the reign of David, such facts could not have been rare, since the era of the reign of Saul, especially in his final years, when the king himself in his relations with David grossly violated the elementary requirements of justice, could only corrupt the judges, giving them freedom to manifest their arbitrary will, which is why their decisions could not stand at the proper and required by law level of impartiality.

Similar phenomena could occur in the subsequent years of David’s reign, as is indicated by the fact of the spread among the people by Absalom of complaints about the injustice of judges. Evidently Absalom had several such facts in hand, which he used excessively, generalizing casual phenomena to the level of a dominant and authorized by the king direction of judicial activity, that is, he created a slander. To what time – the beginning of David’s reign or the time of Absalom’s revolt – the writing of the psalm should be attributed, cannot be established with certainty.

God stood in the assembly of gods and sternly rebuked them for partiality in judgment, since from this the foundations of the inner life of the people are shaken. For this the judges, despite the height of their service, will perish like any ordinary person (1–7). The writer prays the Lord to arise for this judgment not only over the Hebrews, but over the entire earth (8).

Psalm 81:1. God stood in the assembly of gods; in the midst of the gods He pronounced judgment: “God stood in the assembly of gods.” By gods, as is evident from the context, are meant people engaged in judicial affairs, that is, judges: they allow partiality like ordinary people (2–4); they do not understand and do not know the responsibility placed upon them; they are also subject to death, like any person (5–7). If they are called gods, it is because of the function which has been given to them by the Lord (6). The name of gods is applied to judges, as is evident from (Exod 21:6), because in their decisions the will of God should be heard, their verdicts should be distinguished by impartiality, accordance with the Law of God, so that they appear as it were as God’s representatives on earth and through them God Himself speaks (Deut 1:17). God is represented in the psalm as having come forth in the midst of earthly judges to evaluate their activity and having found that the latter deserves condemnation (“pronounced judgment”).

Psalm 81:3. Give judgment for the poor and the orphan; do justice to the oppressed and the destitute; Psalm 81:4. deliver the poor and the destitute; rescue him from the hand of the wicked. When determining judgment, one should be guided not by the property or social position of a person, but by the essence of the case being investigated, therefore both the rich and the poor, the noble and the commoner should be equal before the judges.

Psalm 81:5. They do not know, they do not understand, they walk in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. “They do not know, they do not understand, they walk in darkness” – not in the sense of incomprehension of the law or difficulty of the case being investigated, but in the sense of intentional violation of the law, conscious partiality, which leads to the shaking of the earth, to the disturbance of the foundations of inner life, to the destruction of lawfulness, and through that – to arbitrariness and violence in relations between people. If such transgressions of judges were unconscious and accidental, the Lord would not have condemned them.

Psalm 81:6. I said: “You are gods, and children of the Most High – all of you;” “You are gods, and children of the Most High” – in the sense that you are representatives and immediate executors on earth of God’s will in judicial decisions.

Psalm 81:7. but you will die like mortals, and fall like any of the princes. The height of a judge’s position among the people and the sacred importance of his service cannot prevent the heavy responsibility for wrong conduct: an unjust judge will die and fall (be deposed) like an ordinary prince or ordinary person.

Psalm 81:8. Arise, O God, judge the earth; for You shall inherit all the nations. Concerning the restoration of justice, the writer prays to God not only for the land of Judea, but for the whole world, since “all nations” – are God’s inheritance, in His power.

Chapter Eighty-Two

From the content it is clear that the psalm was written on account of an attack on the Hebrews by an alliance of hostile peoples under the leadership of “the sons of Lot” (Ps 82:9), that is, the Ammonites and Moabites, as descendants of the sons of Lot. Such a period in the life of the Hebrew people was the reign of Jehoshaphat, during which Moabites and Ammonites attacked him with some from the “land of Maon” and inhabitants of Mount Seir (2 Chr 20:1-2). Mount Seir, or the Edomite mountain, in its various parts was inhabited by different tribes, which included, for example, Edomites (“sons of Edom”) (Ps 82:7), Amalekites and Gebal, who dwelt on the northern slope of the Seir ridge, to the south of the Dead Sea. By the “Maonites” mentioned in the book of Chronicles, one may understand the Arabs, to whom belonged the Ishmaelites and Hagarites mentioned in the psalm.

The Philistines mentioned in the psalm, always hostile in their disposition toward the Judeans, could easily take part in the coalition of these peoples, as could also the Tyrians, whose peaceful relations after the death of Solomon completely ceased. Thus the time of Jehoshaphat coincides with the indications of the psalm concerning the peoples who then pressed the Hebrews. The name of Asaph in the inscription of the psalm also fits this time. When the inhabitants of Judea prayed before the Lord for salvation from enemies, the prophet Jahaziel (from the descendants of Asaph) received a revelation from God, which encouraged the Hebrews with a promise of miraculous help (2 Chr 20:14-17). He was probably the writer of this psalm.

God! Protect us from enemies, united for our complete destruction (2–5). Numerous tribes under the leadership of the sons of Lot conspired together (6–9). Strike them as You once struck the Canaanites and Midianites; scatter them like dust, burn them like fire burns all things; may they be put to shame, perish, and know You, the only ruler over all the earth (10–19).

Psalm 82:2. God! Do not keep silent; do not be quiet and do not remain at rest, God, The meaning of these figurative expressions is – do not delay, O Lord, Your help to us.

Psalm 82:4. against Your people they have devised a cunning plan and have conspired against those protected by You; “Devised a cunning plan” – in the sense of hidden, since their attack on Judea was completely unexpected for Jehoshaphat (2 Chr 20:2).

Psalm 82:5. they said, “Come, let us wipe them out from the nations, so that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” The attack was all the more threatening in that the enemies aimed at the complete destruction of God’s people – “so that the name of Israel may be remembered no more” (2 Chr 20:11).

Psalm 82:6. They have united with one purpose, made a covenant against You: “United with one purpose” – that is, a coalition was formed, an alliance, and the attack was simultaneous. The mention of an alliance testifies that the psalm cannot be attributed either to the time of David, or to the time of the Babylonian captivity, or to the times of the Maccabees, since at none of these times was there such an alliance with such a composition of tribes.

Psalm 82:7. the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagarites, Psalm 82:8. Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre. Psalm 82:9. Assyria also joined with them: they became the strong arm of the sons of Lot. See the introduction to the psalm.

Psalm 82:10. Do to them as You did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the brook Kishon, Psalm 82:11. who were destroyed at Endor, they became dung for the ground. Psalm 82:12. Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, Jabin was a Canaanite king, Sisera was his general, destroyed by the judge Barak. The Midianites with kings Zebah and Zalmunna and generals Oreb and Zeeb were defeated by Gideon. Endor lay not far from Tabor, near the place of Barak’s victory.

Psalm 82:13. who said, “Let us take for ourselves the dwelling places of God.” “Let us take for ourselves the dwelling places of God” – let us seize and settle in the land of the people whom God protects. The rich spoil which fell to Jehoshaphat after the destruction of the enemies showed that their movement against Judea was a migration with all their possessions and families. Evidently the enemies were confident of victory and aimed not only at conquest for the purpose of extending their political influence and enrichment, but also at the complete destruction of the Judean kingdom.

Chapter Eighty-Three

The inscription attributes the psalm to the sons of Korah, Levites, in accord with which are found Ps 83:3 and Ps 83:11 verses, where the writer expresses a desire to be not in the sanctuary itself, where only priests had access, but in the court of the temple, the care of which lay with the Levites. The psalm indicates a forced separation from the temple together with the Levites and the anointed of God (Ps 83:10). By the latter one may mean the king, since from the time of the anointing of Saul to the throne the term “anointed” began to be predominantly applied to kings (1 Sam 12:3; 2 Sam 1:14; Ps 17:51). The king, according to the depiction of the psalm, is devout and belongs to the number of “those walking in integrity” (Ps 83:12). This king should be considered David, and the circumstances of the writing of the psalm – his flight from Jerusalem during persecutions from Absalom, when David was accompanied by Levites who loved him and sympathized with him. The latter understood well the condition of David in his separation from the tabernacle, which they depicted in the psalm. – “Upon the Gittith,” that is, an instrument borrowed from the Philistine city of Gath. The content of the psalm presents a depiction of the grave spiritual condition of a righteous person, forced to live outside the usual and beloved sphere of close communion with God in the place of His special presence, that is, in the tabernacle.

How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord, to which my soul strives and which are to me what a nest is to birds (2–4). Blessed are those who live in Your house or those who journey toward it, strengthening themselves as they approach Zion (5–8). Hear us, God, and look upon Your anointed. A single day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside them, for the Lord is a sun and shield bestowing good on the upright (9–13).

Psalm 83:2. How lovely are Your dwellings, O Lord of hosts! Psalm 83:3. My soul longs and even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out to the living God. Psalm 83:4. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself where she may lay her young, at Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God! Psalm 83:5. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house: they will praise You continually. “How lovely are Your dwelling places” – how dear and pleasant to me are Your, O Lord, dwellings! By dwellings one means not only the sanctuary, but also the court of the temple with all its structures. I, says the writer, cry out in soul and body for them (“my soul longs”). I wish to be there where You, O Lord, dwell, and to rejoice in closeness to You. Just as a nest is a place of rest and protection for a bird, so the dwellings of the Lord are a place of rest for every suffering righteous person, where he may in worship, sacrifices, and prayer draw encouragement and strength.

Psalm 83:6. Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, and in whose heart are the paths directed toward You. Psalm 83:7. Passing through the valley of weeping, they make it a place of springs; also the rain covers it with blessings; Psalm 83:8. they go from strength to strength; they appear before God on Zion. But not deprived of blessing will be the one who draws his strength in You, even though he be far from the temple: from the valley of tears which is appointed to him by God, that is, from the place of his exile, he strives to go forth, to ascend the mountain on which stood the Ark of the Covenant, that is, Zion. Such sincere, heartfelt longing for the temple the Lord will bless: all the exiles will be strengthened and the Lord will appear to them in Zion, that is, they will be returned and their exile will end.

Psalm 83:11. For a single day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. The awareness of separation from the temple, the impossibility of taking part in worship was felt so deeply by the exiles that they preferred “one day” in the tabernacle to a thousand outside it, they wished to be even the last, despised (“a doorkeeper in the house of God”), but only to be in the court of the temple, rather than to live among sinful people in an outwardly happy life.

Psalm 83:12. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; He does not withhold good from those who walk in integrity. Psalm 83:13. O Lord of hosts! Blessed is the man who trusts in You! The writer is confident that his desire to return “to the courts of the Lord” will be fulfilled, because the Lord is “a sun and shield,” that is, He rewards (“bestows favor and honor”) “those who walk in integrity,” which these involuntary exiles were. The awareness of their innocence and the strength of their faith in God creates confidence in receiving protection, which is why the writer calls such people blessed, happy.

Chapter Eighty-Four

The first verse clearly indicates the time and reason for the writing of the psalm. This is the return of the Hebrews from Babylonian captivity. It is impossible to say precisely when after the captivity it was written. From the fact that in Ps 84:5-8 the condition of those returning from captivity is depicted as rather disastrous, and in Ps 84:10-14 there is expressed confidence in receiving mercy from God, one may suppose that the psalm was written during the ministry of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, when the Hebrews suffered crop failures for their negligence in building the temple, and when the inspired words of the prophets filled them with enthusiasm and determination to devote themselves to this work, and from this arose the confidence that the mercies of the Lord would not depart from them. Thanksgiving to God for liberation from captivity, prayer for deliverance from present troubles, and confidence in obtaining what is asked – these constitute the main content of this psalm full of meaning.

You, O Lord, have restored us from captivity and turned away the fierceness of Your anger (2–4). Restore to us again Your former mercy and Your salvation (5–9). To this the Lord will answer by sending peace to His people, if the latter does not “fall into foolishness,” and then “mercy and truth will meet, righteousness and peace will embrace,” then good and righteousness will be established on the earth (9–14).

Psalm 84:2. Lord! You have been favorable to Your land; You have restored the captivity of Jacob; Psalm 84:3. You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin, Psalm 84:4. You have taken away all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger. The Hebrew people are filled with grateful feeling toward God for their liberation from heavy captivity. The very fact of their return to their homeland testifies that the Lord has “forgiven” them their sins, does not count (“covered”) and those transgressions which they committed during the captivity. The stay of the Hebrews in captivity, deprivation of their land, their defenseless and insecure economic and civil condition testified to the strength of God’s anger against them; the return of the land and the rights of an independent people pointed already to the cessation of this anger.

Psalm 84:5. Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your anger toward us to cease. Psalm 84:6. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? Psalm 84:7. Will You not again give us life, that Your people may rejoice in You? Psalm 84:8. Show us Your mercy, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation. The Hebrew people pray to God for the continuation of His mercies at this present time. “Restore our prosperity and do not extend Your anger forever. Give the people the ability to rejoice before You.” “Restore,” “again give life,” in accord with verses 10–12, indicate the desire for the return of such mercies from God as the Hebrew people enjoyed in the best moments of their pre-captivity life, when righteousness and peace reigned on earth, and when the Lord poured abundant blessings on the people. Such a flourishing period of Hebrew life was the era of the reign of David.

Psalm 84:9. I will hear what God the Lord will speak. He will speak peace to His people and to His godly ones, but let them not turn to foolishness. Psalm 84:10. So indeed, salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land! Psalm 84:11. Mercy and truth have met; righteousness and peace have kissed each other; Psalm 84:12. Truth will spring up from the earth, and righteousness will look down from heaven; Psalm 84:13. yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will give its produce; Psalm 84:14. Righteousness will go before Him and will make His footsteps a path. Such sincere prayer gives confidence that the Lord will answer it with the satisfaction of the people’s request, the Lord will pour out mercies (“peace”) on all the righteous (“to His godly ones”) before Him, on all those who sincerely turn to Him. Such chosen ones were all Hebrews by their very descent from Abraham, who was called from among the nations, and by their liberation from captivity, by which the Lord separated them from all other peoples. “Mercy” – the general merciful relation of God to the Hebrews, expressed through the satisfaction of their prayer; “truth” – the true, faithful, and penitent renewal of the Hebrew people; (one may also understand by “truth,” as some do, the faithfulness of God to His promises concerning the liberation of the Hebrews from captivity); “righteousness” – justification, the forgiveness by God of the sins of the people; “peace” – reconciliation with God, and from this – a calm, content, and peaceful life. This “truth” on earth will arise, appear among people, among Hebrews, and “justification,” cleansing from sins will be given from heaven by God. By this union of “mercy and truth,” “righteousness and peace,” the bestowal of all blessings from God will be assured, the fertility of the land will be assured. Justification (“righteousness”) will always go before God, that is, the Hebrew people are promised to be faithful to God, which is why this mercy of God will be established for the Hebrew people (“will make His footsteps a path” – will walk firmly, live among the people). Such fullness of good can be given to the Hebrew people on condition that they do “not turn to foolishness,” for which they were punished with captivity, that is, they will not reject the Lord, will not offend Him by disobedience to His commandments, will not arrange their life according to their own desires alone. Verses 11–14 depict the fullness of spiritual and external, material blessings which the Hebrews may receive by observing the aforesaid condition – not falling into foolishness. The very fact of the return from captivity and the external renewal of the Hebrews shows that the state of captivity awakened in them a consciousness of their sins and a correction of their behavior, and with their complete submission and obedience to God, the Lord will pour out on them the fullness of His mercies; then “truth will spring up from the earth,” from among people, and “righteousness will look down from heaven,” that is, from heaven forgiveness of their sins will be given and through it – reconciliation with Him. This is a brief but powerful depiction of the inner meaning of the fact of the return of the Hebrews from captivity, as well as the writer’s expectation of complete reconciliation with God, which the Church Fathers (St. Athanasius) apply to Christ and His ministry. In His earthly life and death the mercy of God to the sinful human race was manifested; through His death every person was justified and reconciled with God; Christ is truth, shone forth from the earth, was born on earth of the Ever-Virgin.

Chapter Eighty-Five

This psalm contains David’s prayer to God for deliverance from the dangers he experienced during persecution by enemies. The commonality of describing his condition and the absence of any exact historical references to when the psalm originated give equal grounds to consider it written either during the persecution from Saul or from Absalom. The latter is more probable, because David calls those who rose against him a “mob of rebels” (Ps 85:14), which were all his enemies in the rebellion of Absalom, because they marched against their lawful king.

Hear and protect me, O Lord, who places hope only in Your mercy, for You are good to all who call upon You (1–6). In the day of sorrow I turn to You, as the one true God, before whom all nations shall bow (7–10). Teach me, O Lord, to follow Your truth and I will praise You for Your salvation (11–13). Rebellious enemies have risen against me and I turn to You, most merciful: have mercy, save me and shame my enemies (14–17).

Psalm 85:1. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear me, for I am poor and needy. “Poor and needy” – I find myself in a calamitous, materially destitute condition and helpless.

Psalm 85:4. Gladden the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul, Grant me joy, save me from enemies. I seek protection from You, for I have dedicated my life to You alone (“to You I lift up my soul”) and entrust it to You.

Psalm 85:7. In the day of my sorrow I call upon You, because You will hear me. Because my hope in You is sincere and deep, I am confident that You will hear my prayer.

Psalm 85:8. There is none among the gods like You, O Lord, and there are no deeds like Your deeds. Psalm 85:9. All nations whom You have made shall come and bow down before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name, Psalm 85:10. for You are great and work wonders, – You, God, are You alone. Contain a clear and precise confession of David’s faith – You, O Lord, are the one and true God, immeasurably surpassing the gods of the pagans. This truth, held now only by the Hebrews, will in time become the possession of the whole world and all nations.

Psalm 85:11. Teach me, O Lord, Your way, and I will walk in Your truth; make firm my heart in the fear of Your name. “Teach me, O Lord, Your way” (Church Slavonic) – teach me to follow Your commandments. – “Make firm my heart in the fear of Your name” – let reverence before You be the foundation of my inner life. In these few words is vividly expressed David’s pious disposition, which finds happiness and joy of life in constant and unbroken piety. The word “make firm” gives grounds to suppose that David was not always “firm,” i.e., sometimes departed from God’s commandments. An allusion to the transgression with Bathsheba and indirect confirmation of the origin of the psalm from the era of persecutions by Absalom.

Psalm 85:13. for Your mercy toward me is great: You have delivered my soul from the depths of Hades. “Delivered my soul from Hades” – saved, or more precisely, rescued my life from destruction several times.

Psalm 85:14. O God! the proud have risen against me, and a mob of rebels seeks my soul: they do not regard You before them. “They do not regard You before them” – see Ps 53:5.

Psalm 85:16. Look upon me and have mercy on me; grant Your strength to Your servant, and save the son of Your handmaiden; “Grant strength” – strength to endure persecution. “Grant” – this strength is God’s gift, not something David merited. Psalms 83, 84, and 85 comprise the content of the 9th hour, dedicated to the remembrance of the Savior’s death. The Savior’s cross freed man from the power of the devil and sin, led him out of the “valley of tears” (Ps 83:7), out of the bondage of sin (Ps 84:2), granting him the new covenant blessings and goods (Ps 84:11). The great work of man’s redemption will be accompanied by the conversion to God of all the nations (Ps 85:9) and will be worthily praised “forever” (Ps 85:12). These psalms, by explaining the meaning of Christ’s sacrifice, which was to be offered at the liturgy, through the example of Hebrews led out of captivity, serve as good guidance for creating appropriate reverence in those who pray and are present at the liturgy.

Chapter Eighty-Six

According to the inscription in the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles, the psalm belongs to the sons of Korah. In the psalm are described the great glory that will fall to the lot of Jerusalem: it will become an object of praise among all nations to such a degree that for a man it will be honorable to be listed among those born in it, and the Lord will especially strengthen it and be its protector (Ps 86:3). This faith in the future greatness of Jerusalem rests on facts of the contemporary reality for the writer: he can now point to Egypt, Babylon, Tyre, and Ethiopia among those already paying homage to it (Ps 86:4). Such glory of Jerusalem, resting on the protection the Lord gave it and which made it known, relates to the times of Hezekiah, when after the miraculous destruction of Sennacherib’s army near Jerusalem, glory concerning it spread among the pagan nations and provoked signs of great attention to it. Then there were embassies from Babylon, from Tyre, and Egypt was in friendly relations with Judah (2 Chr 32:23).

The Lord loves Zion and announces its glorious future to it (2–3). Now it is possible to name several nations that know the Lord, and a time will come when it will be especially honorable to be listed among those born in Jerusalem, from which the sources of all joys will proceed (4–7).

Psalm 86:2. Its foundation is on the holy mountains. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. “Its foundation on the holy mountains.” Jerusalem is situated on the summits of the mountains of Zion and Moriah. The latter are called holy because the Ark of the Covenant was on them, under David in his palace on Zion, and under Solomon transferred to the temple on Mount Moriah. – “The gates of Zion” – the whole of Jerusalem, a part for the whole (synecdoche). – “More than all the dwellings of Jacob.” The dwellings of Jacob – the other cities of Judah, devastated by the Assyrians under Hezekiah, when Jerusalem alone remained undestroyed.

Psalm 86:4. I will mention Egypt and Babylon to those who know me; see, the Philistines and Tyre, with Ethiopia, – they will say: “This one was born there.” The speech is conducted from the perspective of Jerusalem. A brilliant future awaits it. Even now it can point to several nations that bow before it. For example, Egypt. This word means pride, stubbornness, and it was the usual name for Egypt, as a country where creatures like the hippopotamus and crocodile dwell, unconquerable and proud, and thus they served as symbols of this country. The king of this country, Tirhakah, was then in alliance with Hezekiah and could not but sympathize with and express his attention to such a fact. An embassy came from Babylon from the king. It is true that it relates to the time of Hezekiah’s miraculous recovery, but since the latter occurred in the same year as the destruction of Sennacherib, this latter fact could not have been unknown to the Babylonians and perhaps even served as the initial reason for sending the embassy. Among the peoples who will revere Jerusalem, the writer points to Tyre, a trading city on an island in the Mediterranean Sea, the neighboring Philistine people, and Ethiopia, the country of central Egypt. It may be that these peoples too, threatened by the Assyrians in the case of Jerusalem’s destruction, were among those who greeted Hezekiah. All these peoples will praise the one about whom they will say that he “was born there,” i.e., in Jerusalem. Genealogical tables for the Hebrews had great significance and value as documentary evidence of the nobility and antiquity of a family. But these tables will lose their significance: the worth of a person will be determined not by the nobility and antiquity of the family, but by a new measure – the place of birth. Only those born in Jerusalem are great and noble.

Psalm 86:5. And of Zion it will be said: “This one and that one were born in it, and the Most High Himself has established it.” Psalm 86:6. The Lord in the registration of nations will write: “This one was born there.” Since “the Most High Himself established it,” i.e., Jerusalem, this shows that the Lord protects it, and one born in Jerusalem thereby becomes protected by God. But for the latter, as King of the whole world, it is of course important not the very place of a person’s birth, not the physical connection with Jerusalem solely as a place of origin, but the moral and spiritual closeness to God, and therefore this expression is a foreshadowing of such a future state of Jerusalem, when it becomes a place of religious and moral renewal and the birth of men, the source of new life in God and union with Him. And since God Jehovah is the one and true God, to be recorded in the book of His subjects means to receive the right to blessings in His kingdom. From the fact of the exaltation of Jerusalem in the times of Hezekiah, the writer arrives at the prophecy of the future conversion of all pagans to the true God.

Psalm 86:7. Both singers and players – all my sources are in you. Singing and playing, as an expression of joyful disposition of spirit and contentment, will proceed from Jerusalem, since it alone will be the center of new life. What for the writer of this psalm was the object of a distant dream has now found historical realization since the time of the Messiah – Christ, when from Jerusalem the teaching of the new life resounded, spreading rapidly throughout the world and continuing to spread. In this teaching and in subjection to King Christ lies the assurance of eternal good, the highest and most worthy object of man’s search for true happiness. To be counted as born in Jerusalem is the same as to be renewed for another higher life, and to be recorded in the book means to become an heir of the heavenly kingdom and eternal blessedness. * * * Jerusalem. Concerning Egypt.

Chapter Eighty-Seven

“Song. Psalm” – indicates the musical and vocal performance of “the sons of Korah.” “The teaching of Heman the Ezrahite” points to the writer Heman, a Levite of the family of Korah, contemporary of David and leader of the choir. He is called an Ezrahite because he dwelt for a long time among the descendants of Zerah from the tribe of Judah. – “Teaching” – this work represents meditation on the events being experienced. “On Mahalath” – this word, having lost its original meaning, is left untranslated. It is supposed that this word began some folk song, and therefore the inscription indicates the character of the melody – according to the pattern of a song beginning with this word.

This given psalm is the saddest and most comfortless in the Psalter by the degree of sorrow and heavy feeling depicted here by the writer. It is difficult to indicate the time and occasion of its composition. Since the writer was Heman, a contemporary of David, devoted to him and sharing with him the vicissitudes of his life, one may suppose that it was written on the occasion of some grave misfortune experienced by David, perhaps the persecution from Absalom, which is confirmed by the content of the psalm, where David is depicted as abandoned by friends, despised by them, he is in misfortunes from which he sees no escape; all this accords with David’s situation in the times of Absalom’s rebellion. The psalm is full of complaint about the hopelessness of the writer’s situation, about the nearness of destruction from enemies, and about consciousness of complete helplessness.

Hear my prayer, O Lord, for I am covered with sorrows and misfortunes, threatening me with death (1–7). You pour out Your wrath upon me: You have separated from me my friends; I am worn out from waiting for Your help (8–10). If I die, how can I praise You in Sheol? (11–13). I constantly call upon You, for Your misfortunes have crushed me, I am abandoned even by my closest friends (14–19).

Psalm 87:2. O Lord, God of my salvation! I cry out day and night before You: “I cry out day and night before You” – constantly, without ceasing, the writer cried out to God for help in view of his grave and hopeless situation.

Psalm 87:4. for my soul is sated with misfortunes, and my life has drawn near to the underworld. “For my soul is sated with misfortunes, and my life has drawn near to the underworld” – I am full of sufferings both spiritual and physical. By “spiritual” sufferings one can understand either the internal torment of David for his transgression with Bathsheba, which was the cause of disorder in his family life in the person of the rebellious Absalom, or, what is more probable (since the writer was Heman, not guilty of this sin), in general the spiritual, oppressed state from the misfortunes he experienced. By “physical” – the external, physical misfortunes of David, first and foremost his illness.

Psalm 87:5. I am reckoned with those who go down into the grave; I have become like a man without strength, Psalm 87:6. abandoned among the dead, – like the slain lying in the grave, whom You no longer remember and who are rejected from Your hand. “I am reckoned with those who go down into the grave” – I appear to be destined to share the fate of those who approach death, Sheol. I am helpless “abandoned among the dead” – hopelessly forsaken, condemned to death. You have abandoned me “like the slain lying in the grave,” whom You have abandoned and do not visit with Your mercy. Dwelling and life in Sheol is, by this conception, dwelling outside God’s mercy; those who are there He does not protect and leaves outside His care.

Psalm 87:7. You have placed me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the abyss. Psalm 87:8. Your wrath weighs heavily on me, and You have struck me with all Your waves [of trouble]. Psalm 87:9. You have separated me from my acquaintances, made me abhorrent to them; I am shut in, and cannot go out. Psalm 87:10. My eye is worn out from sorrow: I cry to You all day long, O Lord, I stretch out my hands to You. You, O Lord, have sentenced me to death, abundantly pour out Your wrath upon me (“wrath… and… waves”) in my many sufferings; I have become lonely, abandoned even by friends (“separated from my acquaintances”). They consider association with me as defilement (“made me abhorrent to them”), which probably indicates some grave illness of David, considered by others as contagious and abominable, like leprosy. Probably this is the same illness David spoke of in Psalm 37 (Ps 37:6-9), and therefore the psalm can be considered written at the same time, i.e., during the beginning of Absalom’s rebellion. I am shut in by these misfortunes and see no way out. – “My eye is worn out from sorrow” – my eyes have weakened from misfortunes and suffering, either in the sense that vision has physically dulled from David’s tears over his situation, or figuratively – in that his sufferings have lasted so long that his vision has dulled from waiting and watching for help from God.

Psalm 87:11. Will You do wonders for the dead? Will the dead rise up and praise You? Psalm 87:12. Or will Your mercy be proclaimed in the grave, and Your truth – in the place of decay? Psalm 87:13. Will Your wonders be known in darkness, and Your justice in the land of forgetfulness? The writer’s prayer for deliverance from misfortunes takes on a different character here. If a man has died, he has vanished irrecoverably from earthly existence, has gone to that world where the Lord no longer performs wonders. The dead cannot be healed by medical skill so he might live and praise God; in Sheol (“in darkness… in the land of forgetfulness” – i.e., deprived of physical light and as if forgotten by God) no one can know of the wonders accomplished by God and the deeds of His great justice. This means that one who dies untimely, not a natural death, as the writer of the psalm fears for himself, cannot achieve the purpose of man’s designation on earth – to sing the deeds of the Lord and reverently honor His name.

Psalm 87:14. But I cry to You, O Lord, and my prayer comes before You in the early morning. Psalm 87:15. Why, O Lord, do You reject my soul, do You hide Your face from me? The consciousness that the Lord will not allow a man to die without letting him accomplish his purpose encourages the writer and gives him strength to ask God again for mercy and to ask God – why do You, O Lord, “reject my soul” – why do You not fulfill the desires of my soul, my prayer for Your help?

Psalm 87:16. I am miserable and wasting away from youth; I endure Your terrors and am overcome. “I am miserable and wasting away from youth” – I have suffered from youth. This can be understood in relation to David during persecution by Saul, when he was young. These misfortunes do not leave him and now, in the persecutions from Absalom that he is experiencing. By indicating the degree and depth of his misfortunes, the writer concludes the psalm. This psalm is the fourth in the hexapsalm. Nighttime darkness reminds us of Hades, sleep of death. The purpose of this psalm in morning worship, before the approach of day, the Church reminds man of the necessity of efforts on his part to avoid rejection from God, which is possible only with the help of God and prayer to Him (5, 14), so as not to be subject to eternal night, eternal destruction.

Chapter Eighty-Eight

In the Vulgate, Hebrew, and Greek Bibles the psalm is ascribed to Ethan the Ezrahite. Ethan or Jeduthun was a contemporary of David and leader of one of his choirs (see about him in more detail in the introductory information). The time of Ethan’s life determines the time of the psalm’s composition. In the psalm is depicted a calamity that befell one of the descendants of David, this is an attack on Judah by enemies and the plundering carried out by them in Jerusalem (Ps 88:39-46). Such an event must be considered the attack on Judah and Jerusalem by Shoshenq, the Egyptian Pharaoh, which occurred in the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign. Then he entered Jerusalem, plundered the treasures of the temple and palace, and only Rehoboam’s repentance before God saved him (1 Sam 14:25-26; 2 Chr 12:1-12). Ethan, having entered upon his service under David, could have lived to the time of Rehoboam, witnessed this event, and wrote the psalm on its account.

O Lord, I will praise You forever for the mercy granted to David in the promise that You will establish his seed forever (2–5). This promise will be praised in heaven even by the angels for its immutability, since it will certainly be fulfilled, because You, O Lord, are almighty: the seas submit to You. You have humbled Egypt, and all the earth is in Your power (6–15). Blessed is that nation which is faithful to You, for only You are its sole and faithful protection (16–19). Once You gave a promise about David, that You would make him terrible to enemies, would expand his rule over peoples and seas, would make him the firstborn among all kings. If his sons abandon You, You will punish them, but will not deprive David of the promise granted to him by You (20–33). But now You have deprived Your anointed of Your mercy: his enemies plunder him, he is humiliated and has become an object of mockery to the nations (39–46). How long, O Lord, will Your wrath continue? Remember the brevity of human life, show mercy to the people who have been outraged and to Your anointed (47–52).

Psalm 88:2. Your mercies, O Lord, I will sing forever, from generation to generation I will proclaim Your truth with my mouth. By mercy and truth, as is clear from the subsequent content of the psalm, are meant the great promises given by God to David about eternal goodwill and mercy toward him and his descendant, and the faithfulness, immutability of the fulfillment of these promises.

Psalm 88:3. For I say: Your mercy is established forever, on the heavens You have established Your truth, when You said: Truth is “established on the heavens.” The expression is figurative: heaven for man, a weak and inconstant being, is inaccessible, and therefore all that is founded on it cannot undergo any changes or fluctuations, i.e., this truth, the promise will be fulfilled.

Psalm 88:4. “I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to David, My servant: Psalm 88:5. forever I will establish your seed, from generation to generation I will prepare your throne.” The promise set forth here is the same as was communicated to David through the prophet Nathan (2 Sam 7:12-14).

Psalm 88:6. And the heavens will praise Your wonderful works, O Lord, and Your truth in the assembly of the saints. Psalm 88:7. For who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord? who among the sons of God resembles the Lord? “The heavens,” “assembly of the saints,” “sons of God” mean the angels, who revere the greatness of the promise given to David.

Psalm 88:11. You have humbled Egypt like the stricken; with Your mighty arm You have scattered Your enemies. “Egypt” – the designation of Egypt (Ps 86:4). There is mention of the miraculous deliverance from Egypt, as a manifestation of God’s omnipotence and goodwill toward the Hebrews.

Psalm 88:13. The north and south You have created; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name. “Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.” These mountains, located in Palestine, serve as a symbol of all this mountainous country. The mountains rejoice, i.e., all the inhabitants of Palestine are full of grateful feeling toward God for His blessings abundantly poured out upon them during their dwelling in this country.

Psalm 88:16. Blessed is the nation that knows the joyful sound! They walk in the light of Your face, O Lord, Psalm 88:17. in Your name they rejoice all day, and in Your justice they are exalted, If the Lord is so merciful toward the Hebrews and almighty, then that nation which listens to the “trumpet sound” is blessed. The trumpet was used by the Hebrews to gather the people to prayer. To listen to the trumpet – to precisely fulfill God’s prescriptions about reverent relationship to Him and the fulfillment of His commandments. “To be exalted by justice” of God – to enjoy His protection and defense, and through this also glory among all nations for righteous conduct before Him.

Psalm 88:18. for You are the beauty of their strength, and by Your favor our horn is exalted. Psalm 88:19. From the Lord is our shield, and from the Holy One of Israel is our king. “By Your favor our horn is exalted,” “from the Lord is our shield” – expressions that are synonymous. The might (“horn”) of the Hebrew nation, its protection (“shield”) is not in military force, not in the courage of troops and the experience of commanders, but in God’s goodwill toward it. “The Holy One of Israel” – the Lord.

Psalm 88:20. Once You spoke in a vision to Your saint, and said: “I have given help to a mighty one, I have exalted a chosen one from the people. By the saint, that is, by a man, is here understood the prophet Nathan, through whom the Lord gave the promise to David. This is the same promise, only in a more detailed exposition, as also the one found in 2 Chr 7:12-16, which is further cited.

Psalm 88:26. And I will place His hand on the sea, and His right hand on the rivers. “The sea” – the Mediterranean, which was to the west, “the rivers” – the Tigris and Euphrates, to the east of Palestine. Two parts of the world are taken here to denote the whole world, i.e., the spread of David’s dominion over the entire universe is foretold to him. Since the eternity of God’s covenant with David concerns His “seed,” the latter, i.e., the seed, possesses such worldwide power. By this seed is understood the Messiah.

Psalm 88:27. He will call Me: You are My father, My God, and the rock of My salvation. Psalm 88:28. And I will make Him the firstborn, exceeding the kings of the earth, The relationship between God and man was not one of slave to master, based on slavish and blind obedience, but were full of love, like the relationship of a father to children. The “firstborn,” the first son enjoyed special love from his parents and special rights connected with this firstborn status. David is such a firstborn among pagan kings, whom the Lord especially loves and whom He prefers before all other rulers of the nations.

Psalm 88:37. His seed shall endure forever, and His throne, like the sun, before Me, Psalm 88:38. will be established forever, like the moon, and a faithful witness in the heavens.” The sun and moon appeared to the ancients as eternal and unchanging, and so the promise given by God to David is eternal and unchanging. – “A faithful witness in the heavens” – i.e., God the Lord swears by Himself, for there is for Him no other higher object of oath.

Psalm 88:40. You have rejected the covenant with Your servant, You have cast his crown to the ground; “Cast his crown to the ground” – knocked the crown off the head of David’s descendant. The image of Rehoboam, who was to humble himself before Pharaoh Shoshenq.

Psalm 88:45. You have taken away the splendor and cast his throne to the ground; Psalm 88:46. You have shortened the days of his youth and covered him with shame. “You have taken away the splendor” – the splendor of independent, sovereign reign. – “You have shortened the days of his youth” – reduced, annihilated the days of carefree and careless life. We have noted that Rehoboam was saved by his repentance before God, i.e., sincere and strict condemnation of his former inconsiderate, careless, and impious conduct. The time of carefree youth was shortened.

Psalm 88:48. Remember, what my lifetime is like: for what vanity have You created all the sons of men? Psalm 88:49. Who among men lived and did not see death, who delivered his soul from the hand of the underworld? With insufficient clarity in the teaching about the afterlife, the chief attention of the ancient Hebrew was concentrated on the improvement of earthly life. The misfortunes and trials experienced by man on earth intensify the weight of his brief existence, therefore the writer implores the Lord to deliver from the present misfortunes of the invasion of Shoshenq, not to crush their life with the infliction of suffering and premature violent death: each of the living cannot in any case escape Sheol.

Psalm 88:51. Remember, O Lord, the reproach of Your servants, which I bear in my bosom from all the mighty nations; “To bear reproach in one’s bosom from nations” – to grieve deeply for the loss of prestige, the significance of one’s homeland, one’s kingdom in the eyes of neighboring pagan kingdoms and nations. This sorrow of the writer is the sorrow of a true patriot, who suffers both for each of his compatriots (see verses 48–49) and for the entire nation.

Psalm 88:53. Blessed be the Lord forever! Amen, amen. A liturgical addition concluding the third collection of the Psalter.

Chapter Eighty-Nine

This psalm belongs to Moses, the well-known leader and lawgiver of the Hebrew nation, as is evident from the epithet “man of God” attached to this name, which has been ascribed especially to Moses from deep antiquity (see Deut 33:1; Josh 14:6; Dan. 9, etc.). In this psalm Moses, first confessing the extraordinary greatness of God, depicts the nothingness and sinfulness of man before Him, speaks of the deserved misfortunes experienced by the Hebrews, and implores God to be merciful to them. From the content of the psalm, one can conclude that it was written at the end of Moses’ life, after forty years of wandering, before the entry of the Hebrews into Palestine, when they had already borne punishment from God for their disbelief in Him.

You, O Lord, are eternal and unchanging: You existed before the formation of mountains; generations of men succeed one another, thousands of years before You are like one day, but You are one and the same (1–6). We perish from Your wrath for our sins: our life is shortened (7–11). Teach us, O Lord, wisdom, have mercy on us and pour out Your favor upon us (12–17).

Psalm 89:2. O Lord! You are our refuge from generation to generation. “Refuge from generation to generation” – the Lord, from the time of Abraham’s election, has always been favorably disposed toward the Hebrews, and since only God is eternal, firm and lasting protection can be found only in Him.

Psalm 89:4. You return man to dust and say: “Return, sons of men!” Man before Him is complete nothingness. The Lord “returns man to dust” – by God’s law man, with death, again returns to the earth from which he was taken.

Psalm 89:5. For before Your eyes a thousand years are like yesterday when it has passed, and like a watch in the night. Psalm 89:6. You like a flood sweep them away; they are like a sleep, like grass, which grows in the morning, blossoms in the morning and is green, in the evening is cut down and withers; The Lord is eternal, before Him a thousand years are like yesterday, i.e., without a trace, and therefore imperceptibly, have disappeared; like “a watch in the night” (a night guard), divided into three parts (shifts), which for one sleeping pass completely unnoticed. Therefore the years of human life are nothing before God’s eternity; human life can be compared with grass, which appears in the morning and by evening is dried up. Human generations are destroyed, they are swept away as if by a flood.

Psalm 89:7. for we perish from Your wrath and are troubled by Your anger. Psalm 89:8. You have set our iniquities before You, and our secret sins in the light of Your face. Psalm 89:9. All our days have passed in Your wrath; we waste away our years like a whisper. Psalm 89:10. The days of our years are seventy years, and if by reason of strength eighty years; and the best of them are labor and sorrow, for they pass quickly, and we fly away. On behalf of the people Moses confesses before God the sinfulness and the deservedness of the misfortunes sent upon him for punishment. The people were perishing from divine wrath (probably referring to the death of Hebrews during the forty years of wandering in the wilderness); because the Lord knows both all their actions (“our iniquities before You”) and even thoughts and feelings (“our secret sins in the light of Your face” – our life is clear, open before You). The consequence of the sins of the Hebrews and punishment for them from God was poverty, the instability of their external well-being, and the shortening of life expectancy. Their life became poor and shortened; it became as brief as a whisper compared to the life of previous generations. The duration of life is now determined by seventy years, those of stronger constitution reach eighty. But even this final period of human life, which ought to be the best time, since here man should quietly enjoy the fruits of his previous laborious life, nevertheless, is characterized by complete weakness, helplessness, and illness (“labor and sorrow”).

Psalm 89:11. Who knows the power of Your wrath, and Your anger according to the measure of Your fear? Psalm 89:12. Teach us to count our days, so that we may gain a wise heart. The Hebrew nation formerly provoked divine wrath by its conduct, and if it does not reform even now, then “who knows the power of Your wrath, and Your anger according to the measure of Your fear?” Who can know in what else Your wrath will be manifested toward it? Who can predict and in advance calculate the types of misfortunes? To avoid possible future misfortunes, Moses implores God to teach him to “count our days” – to value the days of life to acquire piety and strengthen himself in wise and worthy adherence to His commandments.

Psalm 89:13. Turn, O Lord! How long? Have mercy on Your servants. Psalm 89:14. Satisfy us in the morning with Your mercy, and we will be joyful and glad all our days. Psalm 89:15. Make us glad for the days You have afflicted us, for the years we have seen trouble. Now Moses implores God to hear the nation’s prayer for mercy, so that the Lord might fill their subsequent life with His blessing in exchange for the misfortunes they have endured up to this time. In worship, this psalm is used at the 1st hour. As the entry into Palestine was for the Hebrews the beginning of a new life, so the sunrise begins a new day of man’s life: as then Moses prayed for the weak Hebrews before God, so in Orthodox worship the Church with his words implores God for the well-being of the believer in the coming day, being aware of the weakness of his strength in accomplishing salvation.

Chapter Ninety

This psalm in the Hebrew Bible has no designation of the writer’s name, but from certain features of its content, the occasion and time of composition can be definitively indicated. In Ps 90:1-4 is depicted a righteous person living solely by faith and hope in God, protected by Him from numerous enemies who are mysteriously destroyed around the righteous one (Ps 90:7-8). To this righteous person the Lord miraculously extends his life (Ps 90:16). All these characteristics apply to Hezekiah, who when the Assyrians attacked sought help only from God, who destroyed 185,000 of the enemy’s forces. Hezekiah’s life, as is known, was miraculously extended by 15 years. The psalm should be considered as written during the reign of Hezekiah, but by whom is unknown—perhaps by the king himself. The inscription over the psalm in the LXX (and in the Slavonic and Russian Bibles) should therefore be understood as an indication that the psalm was written in imitation of the hymns of praise of David. As written after God had already provided help to the pious king, the psalm contains praise of the righteous one living solely by faith and hope in God, in which (in faith and hope) lies the assurance of salvation from all minor and major misfortunes of life.

He who lives by faith and hope in God will find in Him a Defender who will save him from all misfortunes and evils of life (1–6). Even military attacks of enemies will bring no harm: the enemies will all perish (7–8). Since you have chosen God as your refuge, He will protect you by His angels (9–13). Every prayer of such a righteous one will be heard by the Lord, who will glorify him and “satisfy him with length of days” (14–16).

Psalm 90:1. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty, Psalm 90:2. will say to the Lord: “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust!” “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High”—he who lives by hope in God, so profound that he seeks intercession from Him alone, he will “rest in the shadow of the Almighty”—will enjoy His protection. The comparison is taken from the custom of ancient Near Eastern hospitality, when a foreigner, having entered the tent of a native, found complete rest and protection there.

Psalm 90:3. He will deliver you from the snare of the hunter, from the deadly pestilence, Psalm 90:4. He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will be safe; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart. Psalm 90:5. You will not fear the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, Psalm 90:6. nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. Psalm 90:7. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you: Psalm 90:8. you will only look with your eyes and see the retribution of the wicked. However many, numerous, and great the misfortunes threatening this righteous person may be, the Lord will deliver him from all of them. He will deliver “from the snare of the hunter”—in general from any danger caused by cunning; “from the deadly pestilence”—from all that causes destruction and harm. The Lord will protect him with the same caring love as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, where they feel completely safe (“under His wings you will be safe”). This is because “His faithfulness” will be a protective instrument for the person. Since God loves truth, He will protect the one who is truthful before Him. “Terrors of the night”—hidden secret attacks; from “the arrow that flies by day”—from open attacks; from “the pestilence that stalks in the darkness”—from actions hidden in the darkness of intrigues and schemes; (from “calamity” in the Slavonic Bible—sudden illness); from “the plague that destroys at midday”—from the effects of the scorching southern wind that dries up all vegetation. If enemies attacked the righteous person in an extraordinarily large number, the Lord would destroy them—“a thousand and ten thousand” (round numbers)—in a vast multitude, however none of the destructive calamities sent by God upon the enemies would touch the righteous one.

Psalm 90:10. no evil will befall you, and no plague will come near your dwelling; “No evil will befall you”—misfortune will not touch you personally, “and no plague will come near your dwelling”—nor your possessions. All this was fulfilled in Hezekiah when the Assyrians attacked.

Psalm 90:11. for He will command His angels concerning you—to guard you on all your ways: Psalm 90:12. they will lift you up in their hands, so that you do not strike your foot against a stone; Psalm 90:13. you will tread upon the asp and the cobra; you will trample the lion and the dragon. Psalm 90:14. “Because he loves Me, I will deliver him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name. Psalm 90:15. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him, Psalm 90:16. with long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.” The Lord will protect His righteous one with miraculous power. He will send him a guardian angel who will carry him through dangers as if on his hands. The asp and the cobra (types of poisonous snakes, the cobra being the Egyptian cobra) will not harm him; neither will the lion nor the dragon (probably a boa constrictor or python) harm him, because the righteous one loves Me, and the Lord will always hear him. The Lord will fill him “with long life”—not only will He not cut his life short, but will miraculously extend it beyond the natural span of life, which is what happened to Hezekiah. Since it was previously said that God miraculously protects the righteous one, “long life” can be understood not as the natural, ordinary span of human life, but as a miraculous extension of it. In this psalm the speaker’s voice often changes: sometimes he speaks generally of the righteous one, sometimes addresses him personally (verses 3–8), sometimes mingles with him in prayer before God. This psalm is the concluding psalm of the sixth hour. Having instructed each believer through the two preceding psalms of this hour regarding proper participation in the liturgy, here the Church through the words of this song promises them the same reward from God that Hezekiah received for his faith in Him. They are promised the “gift of salvation” (16), which is obtained through worthy reception of Christ in the Eucharist.

Chapter Ninety-One

This psalm has no inscription naming the author. Given the general nature of its content, there are no precise facts by which it could be attributed with certainty to any particular time, so about the latter one can only speculate.

The psalm indicates the destruction of numerous enemies (Ps 91:8-10), the salvation of the righteous from them and his exaltation (Ps 91:11-13), and the miraculous character of this protection (Ps 91:14). Such indications in the psalm and the joyful and grateful feeling toward God that permeates it bring the psalm very close to Psalm 90, where the same thing is expressed (Ps 90:1), which is why one can think that it was written for the same reason and at the same time as Ps 90—that is, during the reign of Hezekiah, because of the miraculous destruction of Sennacherib’s forces near Jerusalem. Who was its author cannot be stated precisely; perhaps it was Hezekiah himself.

The inscription “a song for the sabbath day” indicates the time for its liturgical performance in the temple on Sabbaths. Such designation of the psalm is preserved among the Jews to this day.

How joyful it is to praise the Lord and throughout the day to sing of His mercies (2–4)! You have filled me with gladness at Your wonderful works, which are often beyond human understanding (5–6). The wicked multiply and flourish, but only to perish, while You exalt the righteous, like the palm and the cypress (7–13). As these trees are fruitful and vigorous even in old age, so the righteous one, planted in the house of the Lord, will always praise You.

Psalm 91:2. It is good to praise the Lord and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High, Psalm 91:3. to proclaim Your love in the morning and Your faithfulness at night, “It is good to praise.” The glorification of God, the composition and singing of hymns of praise and thanksgiving to Him, provides the writer with soul’s comfort. He is full of a religiously ecstatic feeling, and the expression of the latter in words and songs is his life and happiness. “To proclaim Your love in the morning … and … at night”—constantly, throughout the entire day to be filled with such a mood.

Psalm 91:5. For You have made me glad, O Lord, by Your works; I sing for joy at what Your hands have done. Psalm 91:6. How great are Your works, O Lord! How profound Your thoughts! Psalm 91:7. The senseless do not know, nor do the foolish understand this. Psalm 91:8. Though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed— Psalm 91:9. but You, O Lord, are exalted forever! Psalm 91:10. Surely Your enemies, O Lord, surely Your enemies will perish; all evildoers will be scattered; Psalm 91:11. But my horn You have exalted like that of the wild ox; I am anointed with fresh oil; Psalm 91:12. My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries; my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes. Psalm 91:13. The righteous flourish like the palm; they grow like a cedar of Lebanon; Such a feeling and disposition of the writer is sustained by the greatness and incomprehensibility to human understanding of the works accomplished by God. Many events, by natural human understanding, can inspire in him fear and anxiety, when in reality they lead to a different result and outcome. For instance, the multiplication and flourishing of the wicked appears as a threat to the righteous, yet in reality they perish by the will of God, while the righteous is exalted, which clearly shows how unknown and profound are the works and thoughts of the Lord. The writer here probably means the fears and apprehension that seized the Jews and Hezekiah from the numerous and blasphemous forces of Sennacherib that mocked his faith in God. By natural reasoning, the destruction of Hezekiah and Jerusalem seemed inevitable; by divine determination and action, however, the enemies perished, and the “horn” of the “righteous” was exalted, and through this attack of enemies, the significance of Hezekiah not only did not diminish, but his name became so well known among other peoples and the position of the Jewish state became so strengthened, as the palm is renowned in the East for its fruitfulness, or as the cedar is strong, the beauty and pride of the forests of Lebanon.

Psalm 91:14. planted in the house of the Lord, they flourish in the courts of our God; “Planted in the house of the Lord” are the righteous, living by faith in Jehovah and flourishing through this faith. Here there is an indication that every righteous person, as in this case Hezekiah, earnestly seeking divine help, is never abandoned by Him but receives from Him unexpected and supernatural aid. So it was with the Assyrians, who in one night by the will of God perished to the number of 185,000.

Chapter Ninety-Two

The entire group of psalms from 92 to 99 in the Hebrew Bible has no inscription naming the author; in the Greek Bible and in the Vulgate, however, seven consecutive psalms beginning with 92 and ending with 98 are attributed to David, while the 99th psalm in these Bibles too has no inscription naming the author. In all these psalms there are no historical indications of the time of their composition. But among them there is much in common: a grateful and praiseworthy tone in the presentation, the singing of the greatness of God, the depiction of the anticipated coming of His kingdom, and from this the appeal to people to follow and obey Him. All this indicates the origin of the psalms from one era and suggests a single author. From the fact that the content of the psalms presents great similarity with the prophecies of Isaiah set forth in the latter part (chapters 40–66) of his book (see on this matter Father Vishnyakov: Origin of the Psalter, pages 441–442), the composition of the psalms should be referred to a time close to the prophet Isaiah. The psalms nowhere speak of the destruction of Jerusalem, the devastation of Judah by pagan nations, the destruction of the temple; on the one hand, on the other—in the writer of the psalms is seen an elevation of religious feeling combined with faith in the coming of the kingdom of the Lord, which faith he preaches to the whole people, with the aim of instilling and fostering it in his countrymen and thereby contributing to their spiritual regeneration; from all this one can think that the time of composition of the psalms could have been such an era when there were as yet no signs of the impending destruction of Judah and when in the religious and moral life of the people there was an elevation that provoked and made possible the appearance of the aforesaid psalms. Only one such era was there, namely the time of the reign of Josiah, during which the autograph of the law of Moses was found and read publicly to the people, with the preaching of which the prophet Jeremiah went to the people, and during which the intensified efforts of the king were directed toward the restoration of true worship and the religious and moral regeneration of the people. For pious poets this time was the most favorable for psalmody and the composition of hymns.

Psalm 92 according to the Greek text, as well as in the Vulgate, is called the pre-sabbath psalm, which indicates the time of its liturgical performance. The psalm even now stands in Jewish prayer books as the morning prayer on Friday. The further continuation of the inscription—“when the land is inhabited”—which seems to indicate a connection of the psalm’s content with the biblical narrative of the fifth day of creation, when the crown of creation—man—appeared, in reality does not have such a connection.

The Lord Almighty and eternal is the King of the world, therefore the Universe “shall not be moved” (1–2). Rivers and seas raise their waves, but they are insignificant before God (3–4). All His promises will be fulfilled and the house of God will not be shaken (5).

Psalm 92:1. The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is firmly established, it cannot be moved. Psalm 92:2. Your throne was established long ago; You are from all eternity. The Lord is depicted as a powerful King of the Universe, which exists and is governed by His immutable laws. No one but the Lord Himself can change these laws, therefore the Universe is “firmly established.” It cannot “be moved,” no change can be produced upon it by any limited being, except by the will of the Lord, and since in His omnipotence the Lord is also eternal, such an order of the world’s life is also eternal and unchanging (2).

Psalm 92:3. The rivers raise their voices, O Lord; the rivers raise their voices, thundering. Psalm 92:4. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea—the Lord on high is mighty. By the raisings of the waves of rivers and the waves of seas, one should understand the hostile movements during the reign of King Josiah, which could threaten many dangers and military conflicts with them and Judah. Josiah was conscious of the weakness of his military forces to repel the enemy and the successful struggle with him, but faith in the help of the Lord strengthened him, and this faith he wanted to impart, through the author of the psalm, to all the people, when he said that the Lord is “mighty… beyond the roar… of the waves,” that with divine help the Hebrews have nothing to fear from numerous and mighty enemies.

Psalm 92:5. Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns Your house for all the days, O Lord. If the Hebrews remain faithful to the covenant with God, then the enemies are not able to cause harm either to the people themselves or to the holy temple. This is because the Lord is faithful to His promises given to the Hebrews and possesses, as Almighty, the power to always fulfill them; the forces of the enemies are nothing before Him.

Chapter Ninety-Three

According to the inscription, the psalm was sung on the fourth day of the week, that is, on Wednesday. The words of the law of Moses, read before Josiah and the people, filled this pious king with a zealous desire to restore among his subjects a life in accordance with the commandments of the Lord, grossly trampled upon and forgotten by that time. The unknown writer of this psalm is imbued with the same holy zeal, which is why he addresses the Jews with words of rebuke and exhortation.

Rise up, O Lord, and judge the wicked, who perform violence against the weak and helpless in the hope that the Lord does not see them (1–7). Such hope is ignorant: does not God, who has given man sight, hearing, and reason, know the vain thoughts of the wicked and see their deeds (8–11)? Blessed is the one who listens to the rebuke of the Lord, for he will receive a reward, and the wicked will perish (12–13). If the people will live in accordance with the law, then it will not be rejected by the Lord, who loves righteousness (14–15). And on whom else can hope be placed except the Lord? If it were not for Him, the persecuted righteous would perish. With the increase of afflictions, even the consoling promises of the Lord are able to strengthen the righteous (16–19). Where the Lord appears in defense, all those opposing His law will disappear. In Him the righteous will find a firm foundation, and the wicked for their wickedness He will destroy (20–23).

Psalm 93:1. Rise up, O God of vengeance, O Lord; rise up and shine forth. The writer begs the Lord to show Himself before the wicked as “God of vengeance,” that is, not to allow their deeds any longer, not to be merciful to the wicked, but to appear before them as an avenger of the justice constantly trampled upon by them.

Psalm 93:3. How long will the wicked, O Lord, how long will the wicked be jubilant? Psalm 93:4. They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting; Psalm 93:5. They crush Your people, O Lord; they oppress Your inheritance; The wicked dominate the earth; they meet no obstacles in expressing and manifesting their predatory and sinful inclinations, so that all of God’s inheritance, that is, the righteous, suffer from them.

Psalm 93:6. They slay the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless. Psalm 93:7. They say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.” Against the poor and defenseless (“the widow and the foreigner”) they commit violence, and they believe in their impunity, denying divine omniscience and the action of His judgment on earth. They say “The Lord does not see and God does not know.” The wicked here are depicted as knowing the law concerning widows and foreigners given through Moses, therefore by them one should understand not the pagan nations that oppressed the Jews, as this is sometimes interpreted and on the basis of such understanding the psalm is referred to the times of the advent of the Babylonian captivity, but corrupted Jews who consciously trampled upon God’s law. This wickedness was widely spread and was the chief evil that undermined the peace of the internal life of the Jewish people.

Psalm 93:8. Consider, you senseless among the people; you fools, when will you become wise? Psalm 93:9. Does He who planted the ear not hear? Does He who formed the eye not see? Psalm 93:10. Does He who disciplines nations not punish—He who teaches mankind knowledge? Psalm 93:11. The Lord knows the thoughts of men; he knows that they are futile. The writer addresses the wicked with a stern word of correction. They count on impunity in their deeds because they think that the Lord will not see their actions. Such reasoning shows only their extreme ignorance. Man possesses sight, hearing, and reason, which he uses as means and instruments for knowing the world and accordingly arranges his life and actions. If man knows, sees, and understands everything around him, then how can one think that the Lord, who gave him these means of knowledge, does not see and does not know what his creation does?

Psalm 93:12. Blessed is the one You discipline, O Lord, the one You teach from Your law; Psalm 93:13. You grant him relief from days of trouble; a pit is dug for the wicked. Faith that the Lord sees and knows everything instills in the writer a conviction that the prevalence on earth of the wicked is temporary, as is also the suffering of the righteous, that calamities will come upon the earth as an expression of God’s wrath and judgment, and then the wicked will perish and the righteous will be at peace, that is, rewarded by God.

Psalm 93:15. Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it. “Judgment will again be founded on righteousness.” The purpose of judgment on earth is to proclaim justice in its decisions and protect the innocent. Under the dominance of the wicked on earth, this purpose of judgment has been distorted: there is no justice in it. When the Lord comes, He will restore to judgment the justice that has been trampled upon by punishing the wicked and establishing on earth the dominion of the pious, who will then become worthy judges and conductors of it.

Psalm 93:17. Unless the Lord had been my help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. In his own example the writer proves the manifestation of divine action in the world: if the Lord had not helped him, he would have long ago perished (“to dwell in the silence of death”—to descend into Sheol, that is, to die). Evidently, the writer was a zealous rebuker of the wicked, for which he incurred constant persecution from them and attempts on his life. His deliverance from them he ascribes to the direct protection of the Lord, which is for him factual proof that the Lord governs life and watches over its course. If this is indeed so, then the restoration of justice on earth and the true judgment he spoke of earlier will be both possible and inevitable (see verse 15).

Psalm 93:19. When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought me joy. “Your consolations bring joy to my soul”—the promises given by God in the law that the wicked will certainly be punished and the righteous rewarded, served the writer with encouragement and strengthening during the time of his increased afflictions. In advocating for his faith in the restoration of justice on earth and judgment, he tries to instill this faith in others also, when in the following verses he says that the Lord will destroy all those who live by wickedness.

Chapter Ninety-Four

This psalm in the Hebrew Bible has no inscription naming the author, which is indicated in the Slavonic Bible as well, with the addition “praise, a song to David,” which, as we shall see, should be understood to mean: a hymn of praise in the manner of David.

In the psalm is depicted an extraordinary popular jubilation of a religious character, expressed in the singing of hymns of praise and thanksgiving to God. The essence and cause of the triumph lay in the revelation of divine will to all the people (see the end of Ps 94:7 and Ps 94:8). Such an elevation of religious enthusiasm in the people can be found only during the reign of Josiah, when he restored true worship and when the autograph of the law of Moses found by the high priest Hilkiah was read publicly. Under the reign of David (as some think), the content of the psalm has no connection: then there was no public revelation of divine will and no such general, purely religious jubilation for this reason. Who was the writer of the psalm, is not exactly known; perhaps Josiah himself.

The entire psalm is a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God for the revelation of His will to the people, and the latter is invited by the author to sincere and constant adherence to His commandments.

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord, the King over all gods, the Creator of the earth, mountains, and seas (1–5). Let us bow in prayer before this great Lord, who is our God, and we are the sheep of His pasture (6–7). If we would only hear His voice now: “Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, as in the day of testing in the wilderness!” (8–11).

Psalm 94:1. Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Psalm 94:2. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song. Full of religious fervor, the author invites all Jews to hasten to confess, glorify God with hymns in solemn praise.

Psalm 94:3. For the Lord is the great God and the great King above all gods. Psalm 94:4. In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him; Psalm 94:5. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land. Psalm 94:6. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; Psalm 94:7. for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. Oh, that today you would hear His voice: The subject of the singing is great: this is God, the Creator of the whole world and its Lord. He is also God especially of the Jews, whom He tends like a shepherd tends sheep. Such a relation of God to the Jewish people is revealed from all its previous history, as well as from the giving of the law, which was given only to them, which clearly testifies how much the Lord loves and distinguishes the Jews from all other peoples.

Psalm 94:8. Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness, Psalm 94:9. where your fathers tested and tried Me, though they had seen what I did. Psalm 94:10. For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known My ways,’ Psalm 94:11. So I declared on oath in My anger, “They shall never enter My rest.” For this reason the Jewish people must cherish the benevolence of such a great Being, and (“Oh, that today you would hear His voice”) when they hear the reading of the law, they should assimilate it deeply and obediently submit to the directions of divine will, but not act according to the example of their ancestors, who proved to be crude and unresponsive (“do not harden your hearts”) to His words, and therefore incurred His wrath through their actions after the exodus from Egypt (understood as their repeated murmuring against Moses and against God), when the Lord performed many wonders for them (“they had seen what I did”). “Meribah”—the name of a place where the Jews rebelled in the wilderness of Rephidim (Exod 17:1-7), which Moses called “Meribah,” meaning murmuring. The Lord condemned them to forty years of wandering, and appointed to die all who “go astray in their hearts,” constantly showing a lack of faith. Regarding the latter, the Lord pronounced a severe, but just and compelled by their behavior judgment—they shall not enter Palestine (“that they shall never enter My rest”), appointed as the place of their permanent, peaceful, and independent existence. Inheritance of Palestine was conditioned by the exact and constant observance by the Jews of all of Moses’s law. The public reading of the law under Josiah made it possible for every Jew to become acquainted with the will of God, and it already depended on his desire whether to follow it or not, and together with this whether to inherit Palestine or be deprived of it. In the Letter to the Hebrews (Heb 3:7-11) the aforesaid fact is given a messianic meaning. In the public preaching of Josiah is prefigured the times of grace of the Christian era, when the teaching of Christ is proclaimed publicly, when everyone can know the will of the Lord, and according to his relation to this will will either inherit or lose the place of rest, the New Testament Palestine—bliss with God, paradise.

Chapter Ninety-Five

This psalm is cited with significant variations in (1 Chr 16:7-36) as sung by David during the carrying of the Ark of the Covenant. At the conclusion of the psalm the people answered: “Hallelujah.” The latter term became known only from the Book of Chronicles, where it is first introduced, and it entered into Jewish liturgical use no earlier than before the time of the Babylonian exile, if not during the exile itself. This circumstance indicates that the people could not have answered David’s prayer with such an expression, that is, the Book of Chronicles in this case does not demonstrate literal accuracy in its testimony, and therefore the prayer of David transmitted above, which shows such great similarity to Psalm 95, cannot serve as irrefutable proof that it, Ps 95, is necessarily a work of David, especially also in view of its great similarity to the prophecies of the prophet Isaiah (Ps 95—Isa 42:10; Ps 95—Isa 42:12; Ps 95—Isa 43:15; Ps 95:11-12—Isa 42:10-11) and in view of the fact that before it there is no word “thus” (replacing the expression “the following”), usually used before the actual words of some person. It may be that the writer of Chronicles (probably Ezra), by citing the content of this ecstatic hymn of praise, only wished to indicate the character of David’s glorification, as well as by ascribing to the people the pronouncement of hallelujah only testified to the enthusiastic mood of the latter. Therefore the inscription of the Greek and Latin Bibles, calling David the author, can be understood as an indication that the composer of this psalm imitated the hymns of praise and thanksgiving of David. The further words of the inscription “for the building of the house” (in the Vulgate and in the LXX it is added “after the captivity”) only indicate the especially intensified use of the psalm after the captivity when building the second temple. Incidentally, this inscription is applicable to the times of King Josiah as well, when there was also a renewal and restoration of the proper order of worship in the temple, as if a new building of it.

The entire earth is invited by the writer to sing and praise the Lord as the one and true God, before whom the idols of the pagans are insignificant. All tribes and all peoples are invited to this praise of the Lord (1–7). Bring gifts to the Lord in His sanctuary and proclaim to the peoples that the Lord has reigned, and with Him righteousness (8–10). Let therefore all the earth rejoice, the groves, the seas, and the fields, for the Lord comes to judge the earth (11–13).

Psalm 95:1. Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. By the “new song” to which the writer of the psalm invites all Jews, one should understand hymns of praise and thanksgiving. They are new because they fill the Jews with a new joyful disposition, inspiring faith in a better future. This faith is the beginning of a new life, a life in accordance with the divine law, which was forgotten before, but now, with the reign of Josiah, began to be preached and put into practice.

Psalm 95:2. Sing to the Lord and praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day. Psalm 95:3. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples; Psalm 95:4. for great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods. Psalm 95:5. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Psalm 95:6. Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and glory are in His sanctuary. Familiarity with this law, as well as with the history of the past life of the Jews, reveals clearly before men the greatness of God’s promises to His chosen people, and together with it the innumerable facts of miraculous guidance, which show how great the Lord is and how much He loves His people. From a true Jew is now required to “proclaim,” to announce these deeds (“His salvation”) of the Lord among all peoples, to declare His marvelous deeds, since the latter clearly testify that Jehovah alone is the one true and fearsome God in might, while the gods of other peoples are simple products of human hands, lifeless idols. Faith and devotion to this great God will assure the peaceful existence of the people and prompts the writer to invite to new songs, to a new disposition not gloomy and fearful for his political well-being and independence, but full of faith in God and praiseworthy.

Psalm 95:7. Ascribe to the Lord, you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength; Confidence that God will protect His people motivates the writer to invite all pagan nations to willingly submit to God and a reverent relation to Him.

Psalm 95:11. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; Psalm 95:12. let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy Psalm 95:13. before the Lord, for He comes, for He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness. Since the Lord is the King of the whole world, then when He comes to judge the whole world, justice will be restored on the earth, now trampled upon by men and peoples. The writer expects and prays to God for this coming and invites all of nature to share in his joy: the seas, rivers, fields, forests. Such an invitation speaks of the extraordinary depth and power of the feeling experienced by the writer. All this joyful and brave content of the psalm corresponds to the time of King Josiah, when the discovered and read by him autograph of the law of Moses filled him on the one hand with a feeling of sorrow at the sight of the disorder of the present life of his subjects, far from the ideal depicted in the law, on the other hand—filled him with zeal for the purification of life, instilled a confidence that the Lord would not allow this repentant and reforming people to perish before Him.

Chapter Ninety-Six

Psalm 96 shows great similarity with Psalms 94 and 95 both in content and in the tone of presentation, full of enthusiastic praise to God. Its similarity with the content of the book of the prophet Isaiah indicates its dependence on the first and determines the time of the psalm’s origin not earlier than the writing of the prophet’s latter part. Since there is no mention here of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, it was written before the time of the Babylonian captivity. The psalm is full of solemn rejoicing, an elevation of religious feeling, which speaks to corresponding joyful facts from the religious life of the people. Such a time was the reign of Josiah, who restored true worship, and the inscription “on the arrangement of the earth” can be understood as religious arrangement, not political.

The Lord is the king of the whole world. Let all peoples rejoice. Around Him is darkness; righteousness is the foundation of His throne (1–2). He will destroy all his enemies, all the earth trembles before Him (3–5). The heavens declare His righteousness, visible to all peoples (6–7). The Hebrew people rejoice in the majesty of the Lord over all gods (8–9). All should love God, since He is the source of every good (10–12).

Psalm 96:1. The Lord reigns: let the earth rejoice; let the many islands be glad. The Lord is king over all gods and the whole world. This should bring joy not only to the Hebrews, but to the “islands,” all pagan peoples, often designated by this image.

Psalm 96:2. Cloud and darkness surround Him; righteousness and judgment are the foundation of His throne. Psalm 96:3. Fire goes before Him and burns up His enemies all around. Psalm 96:4. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees it and trembles. Psalm 96:5. The mountains melt like wax before the face of the Lord, before the face of the Lord of all the earth. Psalm 96:6. The heavens declare His righteousness, and all peoples see His glory. Psalm 96:7. Let all who serve idols, who boast in their images, be ashamed. Bow down before Him, all you gods. 6 A description of the extraordinary greatness of the Lord. “Cloud and darkness surround Him.” He dwells in clouds and mist, the usual images of God’s appearance to ancient people, indicating the incomprehensibility of His nature; “righteousness and judgment are the foundation of His throne” – justice and determination form the basis of His power (“throne”), that is, at the foundation of His dominion lies the fitting reward to each, which is strictly defined and cannot be changed. “Fire goes before Him” – fire has the property of destroying all, and at the same time it is a symbol of purification, that is, the Lord will destroy all His enemies, but only those who deserve it, will destroy all that is unclean, contrary to Him. One of the manifestations of such power and judgment of God over His adversaries is lightning and thunder, from which the earth was shaken. Mountains melted from Him, probably understood as strong streams of rain from the mountain, carrying many stones. “All peoples see His glory” – the appearance of a thunderstorm as an expression of Divine Justice (“the heavens declare His righteousness”) was known to all people. These appearances clearly showed the almightiness of God and His dignity; before Him idols are insignificant, which is why the writer invites all peoples to acknowledge and confess the One God Jehovah alone. To the worship of the One God, the writer invites both people and gods. By gods are understood the kings and princes of nations. In the LXX, the Angels are invited to bow down. Since the angels, as incorporeal beings, constantly and invisibly always serve God and bow down to Him, the worship of which the psalmist speaks must be understood as worship visible, before the whole world, and this will happen only at the Last Judgment. From this, the given place of the psalm in the understanding of its writer broadens its meaning, acquiring a prophetic character: the power of God over the world, manifested in thunderstorms, contains a prefigurement of the general judgment of God over the whole world and all His adversaries.

Psalm 96:8. Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice because of Your judgments, O Lord, Psalm 96:9. For You, O Lord, are high above all the earth, exalted far above all gods. Such a miraculous manifestation of Divine help to the Hebrews, revealed in the threatening phenomena of nature against their pagan enemies, as witnessed by their history, granted them victory, filled all Zion with extraordinary joy, in which young women took part by composing and performing songs of praise and thanksgiving. (By Zion one can understand Jerusalem, and by the daughters – other cities of Palestine, that is, the joy was universal).

Psalm 96:10. You who love the Lord, hate evil! He guards the souls of His holy ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Psalm 96:11. Light shines on the righteous, and joy on the upright of heart. Psalm 96:12. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, and give praise to the memory of His holiness. From these facts of Divine protection, the writer of the psalm draws the appropriate moral instruction: all righteous people (perhaps here understood only as Hebrews, as at that time the only people who had preserved true knowledge of God) should love God, be faithful to Him, since this is the pledge of their happiness (“light shines”); the described cases of miraculous help, as monuments of Divine holiness (“the memory of His holiness”) and the insignificance of idols should be sung (“give praise”). Evidently, the reading during the reign of Josiah of the history of the Hebrew people, full of facts of miraculous guidance and protection from the side of God, filled the writer with an exalted feeling of reverence and gave content to this psalm. * * * * According to the LXX: all His Angels

Chapter Ninety-Seven

This psalm, almost repeating Psalm 95, presents a song of praise and thanksgiving to God for some mercy of His. According to Ps 97:2 this mercy is presented as already granted (“the Lord revealed His salvation, opened His righteousness before the eyes of the peoples”), but according to Ps 97:9 this righteousness, the restoration of which the writer desired and about which he prayed in Ps 95, is here depicted as expected only good, but not yet arrived (“He comes to judge the earth… He will judge… the peoples”). Probably, the writer of the psalm was so confident in the inviolability of God’s promises and penetrated by the expectation of the nearness of the coming of the kingdom of the Lord that the future appeared to him as if already being realized.

Chapter Ninety-Eight

The unknown writer of the psalm tries to arouse in the people reverence before Jehovah and devotion to Him by pointing to both His greatness and justice and to His compassionate relationship toward people.

The Lord, seated on the Cherubim, is the king over the whole world and all peoples, therefore all people should praise Him (1–3). He is righteous and His works of justice fill the history of the life of Jacob (4–5). The Lord hearkened to His chosen ones, protected all the people, forgave them, but also punished when the latter aroused His wrath. Thus the Lord is eternal and compassionate, and worthy of praise and exaltation (6–9).

Psalm 98:1. The Lord reigns: let the peoples tremble! He is seated on the Cherubim: let the earth shake! The Hebrew people – the people chosen by God, under His special protection. The Lord, as king of the whole world, rewards only those people in His love who belong to His subjects, who acknowledge His power and confess Him as their king and God. Of all peoples, only one is such – the Hebrew, in whose temple the Lord is seated on the Cherubim of the Ark of the Covenant. The remaining peoples, who do not acknowledge Him as their God, cannot expect mercy from Him: they should tremble awaiting punishment.

Psalm 98:3. Let them praise Your great and awesome name: it is holy! The name of God is “great and awesome” through the works that the Lord performs in the world, when by His will entire nations disappear and the formidable enemies of Jacob perish. The history of the latter confirms this with numerous facts.

Psalm 98:4. And the power of the king loves judgment. You have established justice; You have executed judgment and righteousness in Jacob. “The power of the king loves judgment.” In the actions of God there is no arbitrariness, as happens in the affairs of people: He loves judgment, His decisions are based on strict justice, as the history of Jacob also testifies.

Psalm 98:5. Exalt the Lord, our God, and bow down at His footstool: it is holy! “His footstool” – the Ark of the Covenant, the lid on it (the mercy seat) and the cast images of the cherubim, on which the Lord is seated.

Psalm 98:6. Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among those who call on His name, they called on the Lord, and He answered them. Psalm 98:7. He spoke to them in a pillar of cloud; they kept His commandments and the statute that He gave them. The Lord relates mercifully and attentively to every sincere prayer of those turning to Him. The prayers of Moses, Aaron, and Samuel were accepted by God and fulfilled because they “kept His commandments and the statute.” The same awaits anyone who would act as these mentioned persons. Moses is called here “among His priests” because he, by God’s command, more than once offered sacrifices (Exod 24:6; Lev 8:6). Samuel also called on the Lord and offered Him sacrifices (1 Sam 7:9-10) and even as a boy served before the Lord, wearing a linen ephod (1 Sam 2:18).

Psalm 98:8. O Lord, our God! You answered them; You were a God who forgave them, but also punished them for their deeds. The people whom the Lord “forgave and punished” most likely refer to the Hebrew people, since the Bible does not indicate cases in which Samuel provoked God’s wrath and was punished by Him.

Psalm 98:9. Exalt the Lord, our God, and bow down on His holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy. If the Lord is so great, righteous, and compassionate, it is natural that the Hebrew people should serve Him alone zealously and offer Him worship on His holy mountain. This entire psalm is an enthusiastic call of the Hebrew people to spiritual repentance and service to the One Jehovah, the bulwark of their strength and happiness.

Chapter Ninety-Nine

In the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles, this psalm has no inscription with the name of its author. By the close connection of its content with the preceding psalms, beginning with Ps 92, it should be considered written at the same time as the latter, that is, during the reign of King Josiah.

Sing praise to the Lord and serve before Him (1–2). Be assured that He is our Creator and Shepherd, and therefore enter His temple to glorify His great name, since the eternity of His great promises to His people depends on your service and faithfulness to Him (3–5).

Psalm 99:2. Serve the Lord with joy; come before His face with a shout of praise! “Come before His face with a shout of praise” – come to His altar with songs of praise.

Psalm 99:3. Know that the Lord is God, that He made us, and we are His, His people and the sheep of His pasture. “Know that… we are… His people and the sheep of His pasture,” that is, from all the history of God’s guidance, be assured that He especially favors you and especially cares for you, as a shepherd cares for his sheep.

Psalm 99:5. For the Lord is good: His mercy is forever, and His truth endures forever. The Lord is unchanging and constant in His great promises made to His people. The non-fulfillment of them depends not on God, but on man. If the latter will always be faithful to Him, then his well-being is assured, inalienable. Here, as in the preceding psalm, the writer, full of religious enthusiasm and faith in Jehovah, invites the people to unite with him in faithfulness to His law and reverence before His great name. The constancy of such a mood in the people will be the source of their well-being on earth and the bulwark of their power.

Chapter One Hundred

In the psalm, David depicts the image of his future reign, the ideal of his kingship, with the portrayal of a painfully yearning mood, from waiting “when will You, O Lord, come to me?” (Ps 100:2) The content of the psalm is consistent with the circumstances of David’s bringing of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. It is known that the death of Uzzah, who touched the Ark without proper reverence, saddened David, who did not dare to bring it further. The Ark was placed in the house of Obed-Edom. In the death of Uzzah, David saw an indication that he was not worthy of God’s mercy, that the Lord cannot come to Jerusalem at this time, probably due to some moral impurity of the latter. Therefore, David in the psalm makes a vow before God to take care of the purification of Jerusalem, to make it a place worthy for the dwelling of the all-holy Being.

Psalm 100:1. I will sing of mercy and judgment; to You, O Lord, I will sing. David promises to sing the Divine mercies, His judgment, that is, the righteousness that is given in His law. Since the entire content of the psalm represents an exposition of the general foundations of David’s future transformative activity, the expression “mercy and judgment” will mean: I, O Lord, will take care of the purification and elevation of the inner, moral side (“mercy”) of the life of Jerusalem, as well as of the enlightenment of the people in the commandments of the law and of bringing their life into harmony with the directions of Your will. In a less logical, but not contradictory connection with the entire content of the psalm, there will be also this understanding: I will make the people know and teach them attachment to You by revealing to them those many benefits (“mercy”) that You have poured upon them throughout their entire life, so that thereby to incline them to follow Your commandments (“I will sing judgment”).

Psalm 100:2. I will consider the path of integrity: “When will You come to me?” I will walk in the integrity of my heart in the midst of my house. “I will consider the path of integrity” – I will take care to make my deeds pure, to find out when I will be worthy to receive the Ark of the Covenant (“When will You come to me?”). I will take care (past tense used instead of future) about the path of integrity not only in the sense of watching my thoughts and feelings, but also in regard to my deeds as both a private person and a ruler of the people.

Psalm 100:3. I will not set before my eyes anything wicked; I hate deeds of transgression: they will not cling to me. Everything wicked I will hate (“I will not set before my eyes” – I will not admire or imitate), as well as wicked people.

Psalm 100:4. A perverse heart will be removed from me; I will not know evil. Psalm 100:5. Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor I will put to silence; I will not tolerate the proud eye and the arrogant heart. “A perverse heart will be removed from me” – a proud heart will not be in me; there will be no acts prompted by personal, willful desire, but I will humbly follow the directions of Your will; I will purify the city from slanderers and not enter into close relations with people who despise others and are insatiably ambitious, that is, David promises to elevate and draw near to himself only the worthy.

Psalm 100:6. My eyes are on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; the one who walks in the way of integrity will serve me. Psalm 100:7. The one who practices deceit shall not dwell in my house; the one who speaks lies shall not remain before my eyes. Psalm 100:8. Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off from the city of the Lord all those who commit iniquity. All David’s goodwill will be toward those who believe in God, are pious (“faithful of the land”), are pure in deeds (“who walks in the way of integrity”). “The one who speaks lies shall not remain before my eyes” – will not be just, will not be encouraged and rewarded by me. “Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land” – with possible and full swiftness (“morning”) and persistently will I take care of purifying the city from all lawbreakers. This prayer of David concludes the psalms of the first hour. Here, in addition to Psalms 5 and 8, the Church provides man with general directions for guidance in his activities at the coming day.

Chapter One Hundred One

The first verse presents a general indication of the content of the psalm, as a prayer of the righteous, addressed to God during his afflictions. The righteous here is understood not as a separate person, and the afflictions not as deprivations and life failures of a private individual, but the first is taken to designate an entire people, appears as a collective personality, and therefore his afflictions are the afflictions and sufferings of the entire people. The latter, according to the psalm, is depicted as lonely and covered with reproaches from enemies (v. Ps 101:7-9). Zion appears destroyed and the Hebrew people can only lament its stones, but cannot proceed to its restoration, about which they pray to the Lord (Ps 101:14-15). Such a picture of the condition of the Hebrew people and Jerusalem points to the time of Babylonian captivity, when the Hebrews lived among other peoples and when the time appointed by the prophet Jeremiah for the end of it was already drawing near. The author of the psalm is unknown.

O Lord, hear me in the day of my distress and heavy afflictions (2–3), which have dried me up. I am alone like a pelican, and my enemies curse me. My food is dissolved with tears (4–10). Because of Your wrath and Your indignation, I am dried up like grass (11–12). Arise, O Lord, have compassion on Zion, whose stones are lamented by us; send Your help, whose time has come, that the nations may fear Your name (13–16). The Lord will hear the prayer of the prisoners and will return them to Zion, that they may declare the name of the Lord before all peoples (17–23). Although this deliverance from captivity will undoubtedly occur, the writer fears that his generation, exhausted by afflictions, will not live to see this happy time. For the eternal God, the flow of time is insignificant, but not so with man, whose life is short, and under heavy conditions of captivity may be even shorter. The writer thus prays to the eternal and merciful God to let him see the time of salvation, when the sons of His servants will begin a new life (24–29).

Psalm 101:4. My days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like a hearth; From this verse and continuing to verse 6 is a general description of the heaviness of the position experienced by the author. “My days vanish like smoke” – life passed in fruitless sighs and waiting for God’s mercy, as smoke without a trace disappears in the air. “My bones burn like a hearth.” The afflictions of the writer and all the people are so severe and exhausting that his muscles and skin have clung to his bones, and he looks like a hearth, dried and burned by fire.

Psalm 101:5. My heart is stricken and withered like grass, so that I forget to eat my bread; “My heart is stricken” – the righteous lost courage. “My bones clung” – see verse 4.

Psalm 101:7. I am like a pelican in the wilderness; I have become like an owl in the ruins; From verse 7 begins a concrete description of the position that the righteous experienced. He is like a “pelican in the wilderness” or “an owl on the ruins.” The first bird loves desolate places and avoids inhabited localities. The owl is a night bird and a solitary one. The comparison indicates the solitary position occupied by the Hebrew people in Babylonian captivity. They could not become close to other peoples subject to the same Babylonian monarchy, since this closeness was hindered by the peculiarities of their religious beliefs, their way of life, their culture. Moreover, for a true Hebrew, the Babylonian captivity was not the concluding stage of his political life, but a temporary phenomenon, after which a period of new and renewed life in beloved Palestine should come. To take care of establishing and improving their external position in this case was useless and senseless, which further contributed to the separation of the Hebrew tribe from other peoples. He was “a pelican and an owl.”

Psalm 101:8. I lie awake and am like a solitary bird on a roof. “A solitary bird on a roof” – probably what is called a blue thrush, which makes its nests on top of dwellings and cliffs.

Psalm 101:9. All day long my enemies taunt me; those who speak against me curse by me. “They curse by me.” The tragic fate of the Hebrew people made them the object of a curse for others. When wishing to express ill will to someone, nothing more expressive is found than to say “may it happen to you as it happened to the Hebrews.”

Psalm 101:10. I eat ashes as my bread, and I mingle my drink with weeping, Psalm 101:11. because of Your anger and Your wrath, for You have lifted me up and cast me down. To eat bread dissolved with tears means always to be in an oppressed mood. “You have lifted me up and cast me down.” At one time, the Hebrew people, enjoying the protection of the Lord, reached an unusual magnitude among the peoples of the East, now their position is full of humiliation. One can see in this expression also a comparison: the afflictions sent by the Lord upon the Hebrews were a whirlwind, which twirled and turned them, and then scattered them throughout the East, as dust is scattered.

Psalm 101:12. My days decline like a shadow, and I wither like grass. “My days decline like a shadow.” A shadow does not have a definite magnitude, just as the life of a captive Hebrew does not have stability: in the surrounding afflictions, it can as easily disappear and end, as the shadow of an object disappears when a passing cloud covers the sun.

Psalm 101:13. But You, O Lord, endure forever, and the memory of You extends to all generations. The compassion of God for the righteous is a condescension to the latter. God is eternal, His promises of deliverance from captivity will undoubtedly be fulfilled, but the righteous Hebrew, in particular the generation of people now in captivity, is not eternal; their life is limited. The writer thus prays to the Lord to fulfill His promises to this generation of people, who have suffered so much in captivity.

Psalm 101:14. You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to favor her, the appointed time has come; “The appointed time has come” to have compassion on the Hebrews. This passage indicates that the psalm was written not long before the end of the captivity, foretold by the prophet Jeremiah, probably during the Medo-Persian rule, when the best of the Hebrews, for example, the prophet Daniel, pondered over the fate awaiting their people (Dan 9:2).

Psalm 101:16. And the nations will fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Your glory. The people, formerly serving as an object of a curse, as rejected by God, with their return from captivity and the compassion granted to them by the Lord, will be exalted again in the eyes of all the tribes of the East. The fulfillment of the prediction concerning them and the pardon granted to them will show the greatness of His name and will arouse fear of Him in the nations, as an all-powerful Being.

Psalm 101:17. For the Lord will build up Zion; He will appear in His glory; Psalm 101:18. He will regard the prayer of the helpless; He will not despise their prayer. Psalm 101:19. This will be written for the generation to come, and the people yet to be born will praise the Lord, Psalm 101:20. For He looked down from His holy height; from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, Psalm 101:21. to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to set free those appointed for death, Psalm 101:22. that they may declare the name of the Lord in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem, Psalm 101:23. when peoples gather together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord. The writer believes in the fulfillment of God’s promises and already sings the expected great moment of Israel’s renewal. Upon the restoration of Jerusalem, “peoples will gather together and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.” The writer’s expectation of universal dominion of Jehovah and the universal greatness of Jerusalem shows how deeply he has studied the books of the prophets, which usually depict the post-captivity period of the life of the Hebrews as the beginning of a new era of life in the world, when all peoples will be united under the power of the Messiah and peace will spread throughout the world. Such expectations are, for example, full of the prophecies of Isaiah (chapters 2, 9, 11, 40–66), the prophet Jeremiah (chapter XXXI) and other prophets.

Psalm 101:26. In the beginning You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands; Psalm 101:27. they will perish, but You will endure; they all will wear out like a garment; as a robe You will change them, and they will be changed; Psalm 101:28. but You are the same, and Your years will not end. A lofty teaching about the eternity and immutability of God. The Lord is the Creator of all the world. He is primordial, without time and without a beginning of origin. All that exists in the world, as well as the world itself, owes its origin to God, received the beginning of its being from Him. As being limited by its origin, it is also limited in duration: everything that received a beginning in time has a temporal existence, and therefore the world can and certainly will perish. Limited in time, the world is limited in power, and therefore is subject to constant changes: it, like a garment, wears out and changes. The Lord, existing eternally, has no end to His existence, and as existing outside the limits of time, He is not subject to the changes imposed on all objects of the world by time itself: He is self-existent, eternal, and immutable. This magnificent confession of God’s self-existence, eternity, and immutability, in connection with the indication of the insignificance, brevity, and inconsistency of human existence (see verses 24–25), is a gentle prayer to God to grant mercy to the writer and his generation through deliverance from captivity.

Psalm 101:29. The children of Your servants will dwell, and their descendants will be established before You. The future post-captivity life is depicted to the writer in the features of the realization of that ideal purpose to which the Hebrew people were called by the prophets. “The seed of Your servants will be established before You” – will firmly believe in You, will steadily fulfill Your commandments, and therefore will constantly enjoy Your favor. The history of the life of the Hebrew people shows that they deviated from their ideal purpose, and the glory expected for them by the writer of the psalm passed to the new Israel – the Christians.

Chapter One Hundred Two

These psalms, as well as Psalms 18 and 19, 69 and 70, and others, are called paired, since while belonging to one author, they differ and have similarity of content, mutually complementing each other.

Psalm 102 belongs to David, as seen from the inscription in the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles, and speaks about Divine Providence in the life of man and in the moral world, while Psalm 103 speaks about providence in the physical world. Therefore, both psalms, distinguished by unity of content and manner of exposition, belong to one author, David, although his name is not placed over Ps 103 in the Hebrew Bible, but is present in the Vulgate and in the LXX.

When these psalms were written cannot be stated with certainty. One should assume that it was in a more peaceful, quiet time of his reign, when David could devote himself to contemplation of human life and the life of nature, which could have been in the last years of his life and reign.

Bless, my soul, the Lord, who cleanses your spiritual ailments and covers you with outward blessings (1–5). The Lord is merciful: He protects the wronged, does not anger forever, and does not reward us according to the full severity that we have deserved (6–10). His mercy to us is immeasurable: He, as a father, condescends to us, weak and helpless (11–16). His mercies are eternal to those who fear Him (17–18). Let all Angels, all creatures in all places of the earth, bless Him, the King of the whole world (19–22).

Psalm 102:1. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Psalm 102:2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all His benefits. Psalm 102:3. He forgives all your iniquity; He heals all your diseases; Psalm 102:4. He redeems your life from the grave, He crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Psalm 102:5. He satisfies your desire with good things; your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. David urges himself to worthy praise of the Lord. “And all that is within me” – my entire being. The benefits of God to man are great and diverse: He cleanses iniquity (sins) of man, heals him of spiritual diseases (“ailments”), thereby saving from temporal and eternal destruction (“from the grave”), rewards man with spiritual and material blessings, fulfills every good desire, and, as with the eagle, which according to ancient views underwent complete renewal every 10 years and became young, preserves and maintains in man spiritual vigor and physical strength. Probably, in this last expression David had in mind examples of the longevity of the patriarchs, distinguished by spiritual vigor and physical strength up to an advanced age.

Psalm 102:6. The Lord executes righteousness and judgment for all the oppressed. Psalm 102:7. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. The Lord pours His blessings upon all people; to all the oppressed He gives protection (“righteousness and judgment”). The Law given by Him through Moses, where He indicated how the Hebrew should live and in agreement with what he should direct his will (“ways”), as well as the miracles accomplished at that time, are an expression of the love and care of God for man. By this Law He protected the weak from the self-will and unlimited arbitrariness of the strong, and by His miraculous help sustained and nourished attachment to Him.

Psalm 102:8. The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love: Psalm 102:9. He does not contend forever, nor does He hold His anger indefinitely. Psalm 102:10. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities: Psalm 102:11. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; Psalm 102:12. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us; Psalm 102:13. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. The Lord is gracious, patient, and compassionate. His wrath is never eternal in relation to a guilty person; on the contrary, the punishments He sends are always less than the offense that provoked them. As great is the distance between heaven and earth, so abundant are the blessings of God upon those who reverence Him, and as far is the East from the West, so far from God is the punishment of man for each of his sins, or – so deeply does God forgive and not reckon against man many of his shortcomings. Therefore, God’s relationship to man can be called the relationships of a father to his children.

Psalm 102:14. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. Psalm 102:15. As for the days of man, they are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. Psalm 102:16. When the wind passes over it, it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. Psalm 102:17. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting toward those who fear Him, Psalm 102:18. and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments. Psalm 102:19. The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. Man is weak and helpless by his very nature: he can be compared to a one-day flower, withering by evening. A slight breeze, wind (“When the wind passes over it”) – and he perishes. Man would quickly perish if God did not sustain him; His mercy to man is eternal and unchanging. Help from Him is unshakeable support, because He is the King of the whole world – King over heaven and over all that exists on earth.

Psalm 102:20. Bless the Lord, O His angels, mighty in strength, who perform His word, hearkening to the voice of His word; Psalm 102:21. Bless the Lord, all His hosts, who serve Him, doing His will; Psalm 102:22. Bless the Lord, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul! Such a King should be praised by the angels, more than man “mighty in strength” in listening and fulfilling His will; they better than man know God, since through them, as His nearest servants, He manifests His power in the world. “Mighty in strength,” “His hosts,” “who serve Him” – the Angels of God. It is possible that different names of them indicate different degrees and types of their service, divisions into several ranks, understanding of which was not foreign to the beliefs of the Hebrews. This King should be praised by the entire world, all creation. The depiction of God’s compassionate relationship toward man is distinguished here by extraordinary touching quality.

Chapter One Hundred Three

Immediately after a sincere, inspired, and touching depiction of God’s providence in human destiny, in the moral world, David paints a highly poetic picture of God’s providential activity in the life of the physical world.

Bless, my soul, the Lord, the good Creator and Provider over the world. You have created light, cloud, fire, and all the elements of the physical world (the first and second days of creation, 1–4); you have formed water and earth, and assigned boundaries to both (5–9); you have produced springs, plants, and animals (10–13); you have created what is necessary for the nourishment of cattle and humans, and you have appointed proper dwelling places for all existing things (14–18). By day and night the waters and earth are full of life and movement (19–26), and everything existing lives and is nourished by your gifts and is sustained by your merciful power (27–32). I will always sing praise to the Lord, and let there be no more lawless people on the earth (33–35).

Psalm 103:1. Bless, my soul, the Lord! O Lord, my God! You are wonderfully great; you are clothed in glory and majesty; Psalm 103:2. You clothe yourself in light as in a garment; you stretch out the heavens like a tent; Psalm 103:3. You establish your chambers above the waters; you make clouds your chariot; you stride upon the wings of the wind. Psalm 103:4. You make your angels spirits; your ministers are flaming fire. The Lord is great in all his creation; all objects of the visible world speak of his “greatness and glory”—that is, by their existence, beauty, and variety they silently praise the Lord, appearing as a magnificent external expression of his power. Light appears as his garment, heaven as a tent spread over all the earth; you dwell above the waters (“chambers above”—an upper room, the most honored in Hebrew houses); you govern the clouds, over which you walk (the ancients saw in clouds an image of God’s manifestation), just as over the winds, as a human being over the earth. The elements of the world, such as wind and fire, are as swift and precise executors of your will as the angels themselves. Here are indications of the numerous miracles accomplished by God through external nature, for example, through earthquakes, storms, fire, and so on.

Psalm 103:5. You set the earth on firm foundations; it will not be shaken forever and ever. Psalm 103:6. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. Psalm 103:7. At your rebuke they flee; at the sound of your thunder they hurry away; Psalm 103:8. They go up the mountains, they go down into the valleys, to the place you appointed for them. Psalm 103:9. You set a boundary that they cannot pass, so they do not return to cover the earth. The history of the earth’s creation is briefly depicted. The earth is established by God immovably; nothing can destroy it and return it to its previous chaotic state, although at the beginning of world creation the solid mass of earth was surrounded by “the deep as with a garment,” so that the peaks of the mountains were covered by water. By the creative command (“at your rebuke,” “at the sound of your thunder”—images of the power of the Divine command) the waters withdrew from the earth, the mountains were revealed, and fields appeared in their appointed places; the waters themselves concentrated within set boundaries, from which they cannot of themselves overflow.

Psalm 103:10. You sent springs into the valleys; they flow between the mountains, Psalm 103:11. They give drink to all the wild animals; the wild asses quench their thirst. Psalm 103:12. Beside them dwell the birds of the sky; they sing from among the branches. Psalm 103:13. You water the mountains from your heights; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your works. But the earth was not completely deprived of water. Springs appeared in the valleys and among the mountains, giving water to all the animals living there and to the wild asses. The latter were numerous in the East and loved to live among the mountains. Around the water sources appeared trees as well, and various birds nest in them, enlivening all the mountains and valleys with their singing.

Psalm 103:14. You make grass grow for the cattle, and plants for human labor, to bring forth food from the earth, Psalm 103:15. and wine that gladdens the human heart, and oil that makes the face shine, and bread that strengthens the human heart. Psalm 103:16. The trees of the Lord are well-watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted; Psalm 103:17. In them the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the firs. Psalm 103:18. The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the rocky crags are a refuge for the badgers. The earth produces grain, wine, and oil for humans; gardens appear in the valleys, and luxuriant cedars on Lebanon; there birds nest, the stork builds its nest highest of all; on the mountains live wild goats, and among the rocks hide badgers. Thus everywhere is life and movement.

Psalm 103:19. He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time of setting. Psalm 103:20. You bring darkness and it becomes night; in it all the beasts of the forest stir about; Psalm 103:21. The lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God. Psalm 103:22. When the sun rises, they gather and return to their dens; Psalm 103:23. and humans go out to their work and to their labor until evening. Psalm 103:24. How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. The sun and moon fulfill their appointed purpose by God, serving as indicators of time, and the sun knows its time (“knows its setting”—knows when it sets, when it ceases to shine). When the sun stops shining, night comes, and with it a special kind of life begins; then the predatory animals (lions) and all creatures that dwell in forests and groves come out to seek food appropriate to their instincts and physical nature. With the rising of the sun they hide in their dens; then humans come out with their daily tasks. How majestic and wise is all the world thus arranged by God and full of teeming and diverse life at every moment of day and night!

Psalm 103:25. There is the great and wide sea, in which are creeping things without number, both small animals and great; Psalm 103:26. There the ships go, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it. The sea is likewise full of life: it is impossible to count all the reptiles and various creatures from the small to the great; ships sail upon its surface like great monsters, testifying to the great power of human creative intelligence, and beneath the water plays Leviathan (the crocodile) (see Job 40:20-27), for which neither other water creatures nor even the deep of the seas are fearful.

Psalm 103:27. All of them look to you to give them food in due season. Psalm 103:28. When you give it to them, they gather it; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things; Psalm 103:29. If you hide your face, they are terrified; if you take away their breath, they die and return to dust; Psalm 103:30. When you send your Spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the earth. All this diversity of creation depends on God; everything awaits from him food in its proper time, and the Lord gives it to them. But all this world of creatures inevitably perishes when the Lord “hides his face,” does not give them food, and is reborn when the Lord “sends his Spirit,” when he again returns his mercy to all that lives. Here is expressed the exalted teaching about God’s constant providence over the world, which by his power and the gifts he sends, sustains and nourishes all creation.

Psalm 103:31. May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works! Psalm 103:32. He looks upon the earth and it trembles; he touches the mountains and they smoke. Psalm 103:33. I will sing to the Lord throughout my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Psalm 103:34. May my meditation be pleasing to him; I will rejoice in the Lord. Psalm 103:35. Let the sinners vanish from the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless, my soul, the Lord! Hallelujah! Let there be glory to God from all his creation, which may delight him with its reverence (“may the Lord rejoice”) toward him as the Almighty Being who cares so much (“he looks”) for it (creation) and who is so mighty that he can shake and destroy the earth and raise up mountains, that is, form volcanoes. David concludes the psalm with the wish that this feeble depiction of God’s greatness would be pleasing to him, and that all that is unclean and sinful would vanish from the earth and not defile the holiness of creation. The 102nd psalm is the fifth in the six psalms. Having previously indicated and expounded (Ps 87) the severity and ruin of the state of one rejected by God, the Church here urges people to value and care for their salvation, pointing out through the words of this psalm the great love of God for humanity, his longsuffering and compassion, which gives every sinner the opportunity to hope and seek divine help. The 103rd psalm is called the opening psalm, because with it the beginning of Vespers is established. By pointing out the greatness of creation and God’s providence over it, every person praying is disposed toward serious and attentive regard for all the content of worship, as guidance from the Almighty, all-powerful and loving Being. By the power of its language, its precision, vividness, and imagery of expression, and hence by the special relief of the depiction of its subject, this psalm is considered by many ancient and modern scholars to be remarkable for its artistry as an epic work in all world literature. “Job, the Prophets, Ecclesiastes, and especially the Psalms, are filled with magnificent descriptions.” The Psalm “Bless, my soul, the Lord” represents a masterpiece of this kind… Horace falls far short of this poetry (Chateaubriand). “One can say that Psalm 103 contains the only sketch of the world” (A. von Humboldt).

Chapter One Hundred Four

The said psalm has no title in the Hebrew Bible, but in the LXX and Vulgate it is designated by the liturgical term “Hallelujah,” which did not come into use before the time of the last kings of Judah. This psalm sets forth the history of God’s guidance of the Hebrew people, concluding with an account of the Exodus from Egypt. The following, the 105th psalm, beginning with that last event, continues the account of further history by describing the wanderings of the Hebrews through the wilderness, the conquest of Palestine, their settlement in it, and their subsequent fate until the moment when the Hebrews were scattered among the nations, from which scattering the writer calls upon God to deliver his people. Thus the 105th psalm is in its content a continuation of the 104th; and if one adds to this that the language and style of both psalms are the same, then one must recognize as the author a single person. The time of the psalm’s origin is sufficiently clearly indicated by passages in the content of the 105th psalm where, for example, the writer calls upon the Lord to “visit… and save the Hebrew people” (Ps 105:4) and “to gather them from among the nations” among which he was scattered (Ps 105:47). Such scattering occurred once—the time of Babylonian captivity. Since the Hebrew people are depicted here as captive but hoping for the mercy of the Lord (Ps 105:44-45), the psalm was probably written when hope for the return of the Hebrews was renewed among the people; perhaps this occurred with the onset of Medo-Persian rule. The testimony of the Book of Chronicles (1 Chr 16:8-36), which quotes the first 15 verses of Psalm 104 with some variants, as sung by David at the bringing of the Ark of the Covenant, as we have already said (see introduction to Psalm 95), cannot be understood as precise historical testimony and therefore does not refute the origin of this psalm at the time indicated.

Who was the writer of the psalm cannot be said precisely.

Praise the Lord among the peoples and always seek his face (1–4). Remember, children of Jacob, about those signs and wonders which he poured out upon the seed of Abraham (5–7). He keeps and guards the covenant given to Abraham and all Israel when he appointed the land of Canaan as their inheritance (8–11). When, because of their small number, the patriarchs lived a nomadic life, the Lord did not allow anyone to wrong them (12–16). During the famine that came, when Joseph, delivered into Egypt, was set over all the possession of Pharaoh, Jacob migrated to the land of Ham (17–23). God multiplied his people, but the Egyptians began to oppress them, and the Lord sent Moses, who with terrifying wonders frightened the oppressors, and they let the Hebrews go (24–38). In their further wandering the Lord repeatedly performed miraculous deeds for them and brought them into the land of the nations, so that they might “keep his statutes and observe his laws” (39–45).

Psalm 104:3. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. “To glory in” God’s name—is the same as to praise the wonderful manifestations of his almightiness in the world and in the history of the Hebrew people, that is, to sing of him as the great and only true God. “Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.” The awareness that the Hebrew God is the almighty, true God should fill with joy the heart of everyone who strives to draw near to him, for in this drawing near lies the pledge of all blessings.

Psalm 104:4. Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Strive to become worthy of his divine protection, so as to deserve the manifestation of his almighty power over you; unfailingly follow his commandments and serve before him.

Psalm 104:5. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles and the judgments of his mouth, Remember “the judgments of his mouth”—remember and always be guided by the determinations pronounced by God, that is, his commandments. The further content of the psalm is devoted to depicting God’s faithfulness to the promise given to the Hebrew people through their patriarchs concerning the Lord’s constant protection over them and the appointment of Palestine as their inheritance.

Psalm 104:15. “Do not touch my anointed ones, and do no harm to my prophets.” The happy fate of Abraham, forced to wander among the lands of numerous and hostile peoples, is the work of God’s providence over him, preserving his promise: “Do not touch my anointed ones.” The anointed are called not just the patriarch Abraham, and not only prophets, but the entire people chosen by God, as one set apart by the Lord to serve him and to proclaim his name among the nations.

Psalm 104:23. Then Israel came into Egypt, and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. “The land of Ham”—Egypt, because Mizraim, the second son of Ham, is considered the founder of Egypt.

Psalm 104:28. He sent darkness and made it dark; they did not rebel against his words. Psalm 104:29. He turned their water into blood, and killed their fish. Psalm 104:30. Their land produced frogs in abundance, even in the chambers of their kings. Psalm 104:31. He spoke, and there came swarms of flies and gnats throughout their borders. Psalm 104:32. He sent hail instead of rain, and fiery lightning on their land. Psalm 104:33. He struck down their vines and fig trees, and broke the trees of their country. Psalm 104:34. He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number; Psalm 104:35. They ate up every plant in their land, and ate the crops of their soil. Psalm 104:36. And he struck down the firstborn of their land, the first fruits of all their strength. An enumeration of the plagues of Egypt.

Psalm 104:44. and gave them the lands of the nations, so they inherited the labor of peoples, Psalm 104:45. so that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Hallelujah! The Lord delivered into the hands of the Hebrews the rich and fertile land of Palestine, for the purpose that they would remain faithful to his covenant and prove themselves worthy of his anointed ones. Their faithfulness or faithlessness in keeping their appointed role determined further events—whether their prospering in Palestine or their exile from it.

Chapter One Hundred Five

Having concluded a detailed account of the history of the Hebrew people with their exodus from Egypt, the writer continues to describe the especially prominent events of their further history, their wandering and settlement in Palestine.

Praise the Lord for all his mercies, which are countless (1–3). Remember me, O Lord, and let me see the prosperity of your chosen ones, saved from the nations (4–5). We have constantly sinned against you. The people rebelled at the Red Sea, but you dried it up, led your people through on dry ground, and drowned the enemies (6–12). But this blessing was soon forgotten. In the wilderness, during murmuring, God miraculously sent food, but at the same time punished the grumblers (“graves of craving”). Those who rose up against Moses and Aaron were swallowed by the earth. The people angered God by worshipping an idol calf at Horeb, but at the intercession of Moses the Lord took pity on them (13–23). They sinned through unbelief when the spies returned, for which the Lord pronounced punishment on them (24–27). Having reached the eastern side of the Jordan valley they gave themselves over to idolatry, for which they were punished, and Phinehas the zealot for the Lord was rewarded. At the waters of Meribah they once more angered the Lord and even Moses, who erred with his mouth, was punished (he was not allowed to enter Palestine) (28–33). Many times after taking possession of Palestine they angered God by turning to idolatry, for which the Lord sent enemies against them, and at repentance—saved them (33–46). Save us even now, O God, from scattering among the nations, so that we may praise your name (47).

Psalm 105:1. Praise the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. The first verse probably represents a customary liturgical addition, as in Psalm 104.

Psalm 105:2. Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare his praise? Psalm 105:3. Blessed are those who always act justly, who do what is right. The question in the second verse is rhetorical. The answer to it flows from the entire account in the previous psalm of the history of God’s guidance of the Hebrew people and the numerous miracles which he performed for them: all of God’s great deeds cannot be recounted, and therefore there is no measure to the praise which should be offered to him. “Those who keep justice and do righteousness”—always following the prescriptions of his law.

Psalm 105:4. Remember me, O Lord, with the favor you show your people; come to my aid with your salvation, Psalm 105:5. so that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and glory with your inheritance. The writer calls upon the Lord to save his people and grant him together with it to rejoice at the manifestation of his favor. The people are presented here as being in a difficult situation and needing salvation. In comparison with verse 47 it becomes clear that the prayer is for “salvation,” which is the gathering from scattering among the pagan nations, that is, the return from Babylonian captivity.

Psalm 105:7. Our ancestors in Egypt did not understand your wonders; they did not remember your many kindnesses, but they rebelled at the sea, the Red Sea. The Hebrews “did not understand your wonders”—not in the sense that they did not see in all that God did toward the Egyptians the direct help of him, but that they, crushed earlier by the Egyptian bondage, helpless before the advancing armies of Pharaoh, considered their position hopeless and thereby showed a lack of faith in Jehovah, a lack of confidence in the constancy of his protection over them and his almighty power.

Psalm 105:12. And they believed his promise and sang his praise. The Hebrews were like children in their faith in God: at every help given to them by God, they came into rapturous ecstasy, as was the case after the drowning of the Egyptians, but when things went poorly and in difficult circumstances—they fell into despair and showed distrust of Jehovah.

Psalm 105:20. They exchanged their glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass. During Moses’ time on Sinai the Hebrews cast for themselves a golden calf, to which they bowed down. This calf reminded them of the god of the Egyptians, Apis, whose worship they were well acquainted with during their long stay in Egypt. When on high Sinai were being composed the commandments of the Ten Words, among which was the one that there could be no likeness of God either in heaven, on earth, or in general in any objects of the visible world, the Hebrews worshipped the works of their own hands as the true God. The true God, who made the name of the Hebrews glorious, was replaced by a bull. Here is indicated a characteristic trait of the Hebrews, as of peoples in general of Semitic origin, their inclination toward the material and tangible even in the realm of religious belief.

Psalm 105:23. And he would have destroyed them, if Moses, his chosen one, had not stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, so that he might not destroy them. “Moses… stood before him in the breach”—an image of God’s wrath, which wanted to destroy his people, like a hunter from behind rocks killing an animal he is hunting. Moses entreated the Lord, and the punishment earned by the Hebrews passed over them (Exod 32:11).

Psalm 105:24. Yet they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise; “They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise.” Reference is made to the fact that upon the return of the spies, who together with accounts of the fertility of Palestine spoke of the awesome giants inhabiting it, the Hebrews became frightened of the battle that awaited them and, in their opinion, was too difficult for them, and Palestine lost its value as the pleasant land. In this fact is expressed the disbelief in the promise which God gave them regarding the conquest of Palestine.

Psalm 105:28. They joined themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless idols, “They joined themselves to the Baal of Peor”—god of the Ammonites. This was after the victory over the Midianites, when the Hebrews provoked the displeasure of Moses because they did not kill the women of Midian, since the latter, on the advice of Balaam, became the means by which the sons of Israel were led astray from the Lord. “They ate sacrifices offered to lifeless idols”—they ate the sacrificial meat offered to idols.

Psalm 105:30. And Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked. The zeal of Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, served as the source of the cessation of God’s wrath upon the Hebrews for their attraction to Baal-Peor (Num 25:1-14).

Psalm 105:31. And it was reckoned to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever. The line of Eleazar, to which Phinehas belonged, retained the high priesthood until Eli, and from Solomon until the Maccabees, which was the reward for the zeal he demonstrated.

Psalm 105:41. and gave them into the hands of the heathen, and those who hated them ruled over them. “Gave them into the hands of the heathen”—probably here is meant the captivity by the Babylonians.

Psalm 105:45. and remembered his covenant with them and relented according to the abundance of his mercy; The Lord “relented” not in the sense of the awareness of error in his actions, for the Lord cannot make mistakes, but in the sense that—he showed compassion to the Hebrews and revoked the manifestation of his righteous anger upon them.

Psalm 105:48. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen!” Hallelujah! A liturgical addition.

Chapter One Hundred Six

This entire psalm is a song of thanksgiving to the Lord for the deliverance of the Hebrews from their dispersal among all the nations (Ps 106:3). The circumstances under which it was written are indicated in Ps 106:36-38. The Hebrews were occupied with the restoration of destroyed cities, the planting of vineyards, the sowing of fields, and received from their labors a bountiful harvest. Throughout the psalm there is no sense of disappointment or sorrowful feeling, nor is there mention of the building of the temple and obstacles to that work. From this one may conclude that the psalm was written after the return from Babylonian captivity but before the time of the building of the second temple, when the schemes of the Samaritans and certain disorders in the internal life of the Hebrews themselves had not yet had time to become apparent. The name of the writer is unknown.

In the psalm, a praising invocation of God, repeated four times, divides the entire psalm into five parts Ps 106:2-7; Ps 106:9-14; Ps 106:16-20; Ps 106:23-30; Ps 106:33-43.

Let those delivered from the enemy and gathered from all quarters of the earth praise the Lord! There they endured every kind of privation, but the Lord heard their cry and led them to a place of settlement (2–7). Because they did not obey the Lord, He humbled them with calamities, and when they turned to Him, He brought them out from their bonds (9–14). The weight of affliction was such that it threatened them with complete destruction, but repentance before God saved them (16–20). Their dwelling in captivity resembled the condition of sailors during a storm, when waves threatened to sink the ship and destroy all who were on it. By the will and mercy of the Lord the storm is calmed and they reach their desired haven (23–30). What was formerly transformed into a wasteland and devastated, now the land is settled again, built up with cities, its fields and vineyards worked, bringing forth abundant harvest. Its inhabitants increase in number, while their former oppressors perish. At the sight of such a fate the righteous rejoice, while the wicked hold their peace; everyone wise sees this and understands the mercy of the Lord (33–43).

Psalm 106:3. and gathered them from the lands, from the east and the west, from the north and the sea. By “sea” here is meant the Red Sea, through which the Hebrews passed at their departure from Egypt. In the entire verse all four cardinal directions are indicated to denote all places of Israel’s dispersal, from which it was gathered again to Palestine.

Psalm 106:4. They wandered in the desert on an uninhabited path and found no inhabited city; The picture presented here of the Hebrews’ wandering through the desert should be understood as an image of the oppressed moral condition of the Hebrews in captivity, from which they strove toward their native Palestine just as a traveler from the desert strives toward inhabited places. “Found no inhabited city” – more precisely one could say – they neither found nor sought a place for permanent settlement, since from the prophecies they knew that captivity was not eternal, and likewise the dependent condition of life from the authority of pagan rulers and dwelling among pagans aroused a thirst for the restoration of their former independence and independent life both in religious and in civil and political respects, which they had lost together with being taken from their native land. In such a condition of captivity and disposition, the plains of Babylon did not appeal to and attach themselves to them, but rather the mountains of Palestine.

Psalm 106:7. and led them by a straight path, so that they went to an inhabited city. The Lord gave the Hebrews a direct path for their return to their homeland with the reign of Cyrus, who permitted and facilitated the return of the Hebrews to Palestine.

Psalm 106:9. for He satisfied the thirsty soul and filled the hungry soul with good things. The joyful feeling of return to the homeland is compared with the feeling of satisfaction of the thirsty person quenching his thirst and the hungry person satisfying his hunger.

Psalm 106:19. But they cried out to the Lord in their distress, and He saved them from their afflictions; Psalm 106:20. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their graves. Dwelling in captivity is compared with confinement in a dark prison, where the condemned are destined to perish, if they had not been saved by the “word of the Lord,” that is, the promise given to the Hebrew people, by which the Lord promised to return them from captivity in case of their repentance, which He now fulfilled. The Hebrews, of course, could not count on recovering their lost independence by their own strength because of their small numbers, lack of organization, and weakness.

Psalm 106:23. Those who go down to the sea in ships, doing work on the great waters, Psalm 106:24. see the works of the Lord and His wonders in the deep: Psalm 106:25. He speaks, and a stormy wind rises and lifts high its waves: Psalm 106:26. they rise to the heavens, they descend to the depths; their souls melt away in distress; Psalm 106:27. they reel and stagger like drunkards, and all their wisdom vanishes. Psalm 106:28. But they cried out to the Lord in their distress, and He brought them out from their afflictions. Psalm 106:29. He turns the storm into a calm, and its waves are stilled. Psalm 106:30. And they rejoice because they are stilled, and He brings them to their desired haven. The helplessness of the captive Hebrews and the insecurity of their existence and life, left to the whim of the arbitrary Eastern pagan rulers, unaccustomed to taking into account the needs and requirements of their subjects, especially the captives, likened the Hebrews to sailors on ships caught in a storm on stormy seas, when any wave could easily threaten and sink their weak vessel. But the Lord saved them from this abyss and safely brought them to the longed-for haven, to Palestine.

Psalm 106:33. He turns rivers into a desert and springs of water into dry ground, Psalm 106:34. fruitful land into salt marshes, for the wickedness of those who dwell in it. A picture of the condition of Palestine devastated by wars and enemies. According to the customs of warfare in the ancient world, the entire enemy country with its springs, fields, forests, wells, and not just the warriors alone, was subject to devastation, and therefore where life had once thrived, with worked fields and springs, after an enemy attack a desert appeared, having neither springs nor wells; cultivated plants, without human support, perished, and salt marshes and the like grew up.

Psalm 106:35. He turns the desert into a lake, and parched land into springs of water; Psalm 106:36. and settles the hungry there, and they build a city for habitation; Psalm 106:37. they sow fields, plant vineyards, which yield them abundant fruit. Psalm 106:38. He blesses them, and they increase very greatly, and their cattle do not diminish. Entirely the opposite now occurs, when the former owners settled here again, beginning with love and persistence to work the abandoned fields: Palestine bloomed again and the Lord rewarded the laborers with a bountiful harvest.

Psalm 106:39. They were diminished and fell through oppression, affliction, and sorrow, Psalm 106:40. He pours contempt on princes and causes them to wander in the wasteland where there is no path. Psalm 106:41. But the poor He raises from their affliction and multiplies their families like flocks of sheep. Psalm 106:42. The righteous see this and rejoice, and all wickedness closes its mouth. Psalm 106:43. Whoever is wise will observe this and understand the mercy of the Lord. The former oppressors, that is, the Babylonians, perish, while the righteous, that is, the Hebrew people, are restored. In this whole history of captivity and deliverance from captivity the hand of the Lord is clearly visible, protecting the pious, and therefore in observing the course of historical events both from the life of the Hebrews and from the contemporary pagan monarchies, the righteous rejoices, the wicked is silent, and whoever is wise cannot fail to see here the manifestations of Divine mercy.

Chapter One Hundred Seven

In the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles Psalm 107 is inscribed with the name of David. All the content of it confirms the indication of the inscription, since the psalm consists of repetitions of the content of Psalms 56 and 59, which belong to David. The first six verses of the psalm are taken from Ps 56:8-12, and all the rest – from Ps 59:7-14. See the explanation of the mentioned psalms.

Chapter One Hundred Eight

In the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles the psalm is attributed to David, and there is nothing in its content, structure, or language that could give grounds for disputing its authorship by the person mentioned in the inscription.

David in the psalm points to the injustice of persecution by enemies and their cruelty (Ps 108:3-4); he especially singles out one from among them who holds a prominent position as an overseer (“bishop” – Ps 108:8 in the Greek Bible and the Vulgate) and against whom he prays for God’s judgment. This person may be understood to be Doeg, the Edomite, overseer of Saul’s herds, a man close to him, who became notorious for his denunciations against David and killed the priests in Nob, where David was hiding (1 Sam 22:6-19); that is, the psalm was written during the time of persecution by Saul. The entire psalm represents David’s depiction of the severity of his position, as one unjustly and cruelly persecuted, and his prayer to God both for retribution against Doeg for his betrayal and deliberate cruelty toward innocent sufferers, and for his own salvation.

God! Hear my prayer for help, since treacherous enemies surround me from all sides, ungrateful ones who have risen against me without cause (1–5). Punish and judge my enemy according to his deeds: let his life be shortened, let his children be left as orphans and begging (6–10). Let there be no one to show him mercy and let his offspring perish; let the sins of his fathers be sought against him; let him be denied mercy, since he himself did not show it; let the curse which he sent upon others come upon him. Such is the reward from the Lord to all my enemies (11–20). Me, the Lord, a poor man, abandoned, worn out from persecutions, save, so that enemies might know that You did this. Let them be ashamed, and let the righteous rejoice and praise the Lord for the salvation shown to him (21–31).

Psalm 108:1. O God of my praise! Do not be silent, “God of my praise” – Lord, the subject of my singing! Do not refuse me help now in view of the unjustified, numerous, and malicious persecutions.

Psalm 108:6. Set a wicked man over him, and let Satan stand at his right hand. Psalm 108:7. When he is judged, let him be found guilty, and let his prayer become sin; Among the enemies, one distinguished himself by particular hatred toward David, and for whom he prays for strict judgment from God. “Set a wicked man over him, and let Satan stand at his right hand” – let the sinner and Satan testify against him. Special weight is given to the testimony of the sinner here in view of the fact that, by virtue of his corruption, he can reveal in the conduct of the man against whom he testifies evil that the righteous, uncorrupted, and inexperienced in evil, could not, in his purity, presume to be evil motives or actions. Satan, as the source and originator of sin, knows all the inclinations of a person toward evil, and therefore can present to the court his conduct throughout his life. David’s demand for such testimony against Doeg is based on his desire for a strict and complete judgment against him. “Let his prayer become sin.” David is certain of Doeg’s condemnation. The punishment awaiting him may give rise in him to a prayer for mercy. Let this prayer, prompted by a feeling of fear, and therefore insincere, hypocritical, as forced, not only not be accepted by God, but also be counted against him as greater guilt: he only remembered God here, but not in order to reform his conduct before Him, but to escape the deserved punishment from Him. Such a prayer only increases his guilt.

Psalm 108:8. Let his days be few, and let another take his office; “Let his days be few, and let another take his office.” Let the Lord shorten his life, send premature death, and transfer his honorable position to one more worthy. The management of Saul’s herds was a prominent position, since in the hands of such a person was concentrated the whole material side of maintaining the king, he was close to the king and could influence him. In the book of Acts, chapter 1 (Acts 1:20), this verse is cited in the election of deacon Matthias in place of Judas, as a pre-indication in the Old Testament of this event. Thus, Doeg appears here as a type of Judas, who also managed the economic affairs of Jesus’ community and betrayed Him just as Doeg treacherously betrayed David to Saul. Apparently, Doeg, as can be concluded from the testimony of the book of Acts, was deprived of his position, just as Judas after betraying Christ ceased to be His apostle and was later replaced by another person.

Psalm 108:9. Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow; Psalm 108:10. Let his children be vagrants and beg for food from among the ruins of their homes; Psalm 108:11. Let a creditor seize all that he has, and let strangers plunder his labor; Psalm 108:12. Let there be no one to show him kindness, and let no one have pity on his orphans; Psalm 108:13. Let his posterity be cut off; in the following generation let their name be blotted out; Psalm 108:14. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out; Let Doeg’s punishment be reflected in the members of his family and their outward well-being: let his children and wife, having lost all their property, which will pass into the hands of creditors, move from house to house and live either on alms or on the chance payment for work which they will perform for others as their servants. Let no one offer protection not only to Doeg but to his children, who should leave no offspring after them, so that the memory (“name”) of him disappears in one generation. Let the Lord require of him not only for his own sins, but also for the sins of his ancestors. Such responsibility for the sins of ancestors is understandable: upbringing among the ancients was characterized by a tribal nature, that is, fathers raised their children not only in the manner of life and occupations of their ancestors, but also passed on and instilled in them their purely personal views, so that the son became a copy of his father (“when his father died, it was as if he did not die” (Sir 30:4-6)), and therefore the vices of the father passed to the son, and were in him not external and fleeting impulses, but an expression of his personality, why they answered for the sins of their ancestors, more precisely – for their own, acquired from their ancestors.

Psalm 108:15. Let them be always before the eyes of the Lord, and let Him cut off the memory of them from the earth, Psalm 108:16. inasmuch as he did not think to show mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy and the broken-hearted man, to put him to death; Psalm 108:17. He loved cursing – let it come upon him; he did not desire blessing – let it depart from him; Psalm 108:18. Let him put on cursing like a robe, and let it enter like water into his inmost being and like oil into his bones; Psalm 108:19. Let it be to him like a garment in which he is clothed, and like a belt with which he is always girded. Such severe punishment of Doeg and his family is the application to him of the law’s commandment – “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” (Exod 21:24; Lev 24:20; Deut 19:21), the law of corresponding retribution. Since Doeg loved to curse others, let him too be under a curse; he did not want to do good to others (“blessing”), but let him not receive it himself either. He never thought to show mercy to anyone; on the contrary, he pursued the weak and poor, persecuted the innocent and meek (“the broken-hearted,” perhaps also referring to the priests of Nob). Let Divine Justice then surround him with miseries from all sides, as a man’s garment embraces him, and so tightly as a belt binds him to his body.

Psalm 108:20. Such is the reward from the Lord to my enemies and those speaking evil against my soul! Such is the fate of all who slander and plot against me, says David, before the Lord!

Psalm 108:22. for I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. “My heart is wounded within me” – I have lost courage and am sick at heart from the unjustness of the persecutions and the wicked acts of the ungodly.

Psalm 108:23. I fade away like a passing shadow; I am driven away like a locust. Psalm 108:24. My knees are weak from fasting, and my body is emaciated from lack of oil. “They drive me away like a locust.” In the constant persecutions to which David was subjected, he was as helpless as a grasshopper that is easily crushed. This expression can also mean the degree of intensified persecutions and malice which fell to David’s lot. They hunted him so mercilessly and sought to utterly destroy him, as if he were harmful to people, as the locust is destructive, whose destruction is a great public benefit. From frequent starvation he became so weak that his legs could not move; his very appearance changed from the absence of oil, with which people on the East anointed their bodies, which made the skin more elastic, less dry, and less susceptible to cracking from the sun’s heat. Otherwise, the heat caused the skin to crack, into which dust entered, causing severe pain and changing a person’s appearance, which is what happened to David in this case. David concludes the psalm with a prayer for help with a vow to sing God’s praises among the people in his songs for the salvation shown to him.

Chapter One Hundred Nine

Psalm 109 is prophetic-messianic. All its content cannot be attributed to any historical person, since the subject of the psalm is depicted here as possessing Divine nature and attributes. Since every revelation is given by God in connection with and on account of some historical events, the following could have been the occasions for writing the psalm. In the first three verses of the psalm the Lord is depicted as the victor over all enemies, and in the last four – as the high priest. In accordance with the content of the psalm, the occasions for writing its first part could have been some victory won by David, and the second – the promise concerning the birth from him of a great Descendant, called to serve mankind. David’s thoughts moved from concrete historical facts into the realm of the distant future and here found clear and precise answers to questions about the ministry and ultimate result of the ministry of his Descendant. The words of verse 1 are directly applied by Christ to Himself (Matt 22:44; Mark 12:36), and other writers also refer them to Him (Acts 2:34; Heb 5:6)

The Lord said to another Lord: “I give You authority over enemies. The Lord will send You His scepter from Zion to rule, and the people will appear before You in the day of Your power in splendor; You, as dew, are born from Me” (1–3). The Lord appoints You to be a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. All Your enemies He will shatter. This Lord according to the order of Melchizedek will be glorified (4–7).

Psalm 109:1. The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. One God said to another God: Sit at my right hand. To sit “at the right hand” means to enjoy not only equal honor but also authority. “Until I make your enemies” – by the very content of this place the word “until” means an indefinite, or rather – endless stretch of time: if one Lord gives another equal authority with Himself at a time when it is contested by enemies, then naturally, after these enemies are defeated, when no one will any longer be able even to threaten to take away his authority, the latter remains with Him forever. “Until” is often used in the Bible to mean endless duration (Job 27:3-4; Gen 8:7).

Psalm 109:2. The Lord will send the scepter of your power from Zion: rule in the midst of your enemies. “Scepter of power” – the scepter is a symbol of authority, that is, the first Lord transfers to the second Lord authority over all enemies.

Psalm 109:3. In the day of your power your people will offer themselves willingly in the splendor of holiness; from the womb, before the morning star, I have begotten you like dew. “Day of power” – the day of the triumphant manifestation of Your authority and power over the world. “Your people will offer themselves willingly in the splendor of holiness,” that is, the people will meet You in solemn, sacred vestments and in a solemn religious ceremony, or – will display “holy splendor,” great moral excellence, bearing witness to deep and heartfelt seeking and service to You. Victory must belong to You: You are born from the substance (“from the womb”) of God before the appearance of light (“before the morning star”), that is, before the creation of the world. As dew contains in itself all the properties of moisture from which it comes, so the one born possesses the nature of the One who begat Him. This last expression indicates that the second Lord is the true God by His very nature; but He – not a separate and independent God, but the Son of God, the Second Person of the one God. Under “day of power” one can then understand the moment of the Last Judgment, when all enemies of the Lord will be destroyed, and the righteous before the whole world will receive their reward. This judgment will be a solemn manifestation and acknowledgment of the authority of this Lord over the whole world. As is evident from the last verses of the psalm, this victory and dominion of the Son of God is given to Him in His human nature.

Psalm 109:4. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind” – the Lord gives an oath which He does not revoke, that is, the Lord gives an irrevocable determination, a decree. It is – in the appointment of the Son of God to be a priest “forever according to the order of Melchizedek,” the ministry of the Son is to be a high priestly ministry after the pattern of Melchizedek. The latter was a minister of the true God, was king of Salem (later Jerusalem), and the Son of God likewise fulfilled the will of the one true God, and is king of heavenly Jerusalem, where under His authority all believers in Him will be gathered. The Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 7 (Heb 7), expounds at great length the typological significance of Melchizedek and the superiority of the ministry of Jesus Christ over his ministry.

Psalm 109:5. The Lord is at your right hand; He will shatter kings on the day of his wrath, Psalm 109:6. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; He will shatter the head in the wide land. Under “day of wrath” – is meant the universal judgment, when all kings and nations will see over themselves the manifestation of the power of the Son of God and of which the evangelists speak at length (Matt 25:31-46; Luke 13:27-30).

Psalm 109:7. He will drink from the brook along the way, and therefore he will lift up his head. “He will drink from the brook along the way.” “Way” – activity; to drink from the brook along the way – to be strengthened in activity for the achievement of the purpose of his ministry. One can also understand it as an indication of the sufferings of Christ, because He Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed to the Father: “if it is possible, let this cup pass from me” (Matt 26:39), understanding by the cup the sufferings awaiting Him. “Therefore he will lift up his head” (Church Slavonic) – either as a natural consequence of strengthening, when strength increases and victory is thereby won, or – as a contrast (in the second understanding): because He will endure sufferings, the Lord “will lift Him up,” will give Him victory, will exalt Him above the whole world and peoples. Both understandings of this passage found exact fulfillment in the activity of the Messiah – Christ: He steadfastly carried out His calling, receiving strengthening from the Father (voice from heaven: “I have glorified it and will glorify it again”) (John 12:28), the appearance to Him at the Transfiguration of Moses and Elijah, or the Angel in the Garden of Gethsemane; for His humble service on earth and shameful death He was deemed worthy of glory – sitting with God on the throne, the spread of His teaching, and subsequently the judgment over the whole world. * * * Notes According to the translation of the Seventy: from the womb before the morning star I have begotten you

Chapter One Hundred Ten

This psalm, like the one following it Ps 111, is alphabetic. All its content – joyful, from the memory of those great benefactions which the Lord had previously abundantly poured upon his people and from the “deliverance” (Ps 110:9) which this people has now received. By this deliverance is to be understood the deliverance from Babylonian captivity. The last verse of the psalm presents the theme, expounded in detail in the following psalm, which points to the close connection of these psalms with one another, to their origin from one author and at one time. Since the image of the pious person portrayed in Psalm 111 is fully realized in the personal character and activity of Nehemiah, taking into account both this and the indication of the deliverance, these psalms can be considered written during the time of Nehemiah by one of the pious Hebrews, who wished in the activity of this zealous champion of piety and servant of the Lord to point out an example for imitation by all Hebrews.

I praise the Lord for all the great deeds He has done for the Hebrew people. He is generous, firm in His promises, just and true. He has delivered His people and made His name feared (1–9). Before Him there must be reverence, and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, manifested in the fulfillment of His commandments (10).

Psalm 110:1. I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart in the council of the righteous and in the assembly. “Council of the righteous” – probably synagogal gatherings, which became established among the Hebrews after their return from captivity. In these gatherings, champions of piety and scribes primarily participated. “Assembly” – a public gathering, the assembly of all Hebrews. The writer invites the praise of the Lord everywhere, wherever there are people.

Psalm 110:2. Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. “The works of the Lord are delightful” – pleasant, desirable, as material, the study and understanding of which will give opportunity to acquire clear knowledge of God.

Psalm 110:4. He has made his wonders memorable; gracious and merciful is the Lord. In the life of the Hebrew people the Lord performed many miracles, not only such as had temporary significance for them and met their temporary needs, but also such as were turning points in their history. Because of the importance of the latter events they became “memorable,” the people will not forget them, since they are even perpetuated in their festivals, for example, the feast of Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles, and others.

Psalm 110:6. He has shown his might to his people, giving them the nations as an inheritance. Is meant not only the miraculous conquest of Palestine, but also that all these miraculous events had as their goal the giving to the Hebrews “as an inheritance” of all the nations, to make His people the head of the latter, their guide, of course, in the matter of the knowledge of the true God.

Psalm 110:9. He sent redemption to his people; he ordained his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name! Despite the constant apostasies of the Hebrews from their Lord, He was merciful to them, and now has sent deliverance from Babylonian captivity. All the past history of the Hebrews clearly testifies that the name of the Lord is “awesome” to those who offend it and is holy, and therefore requires from those who honor it purity of life and reverent attitude toward Him.

Psalm 110:10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all who do his commandments. His praise endures forever. “A good understanding have all who do his commandments.” True knowledge of the Lord is not found in the one who theoretically believes in Him, but in the one who lives in accordance with His commandments: theory and practice, faith and life must be united.

Chapter One Hundred Eleven

Blessed will be the one who fears the Lord and deeply loves His commandments. Both he himself and his descendants the Lord will reward, giving them abundance of external blessings, helping them in misfortunes (1–4). The true worshiper of the Lord – is merciful to others, honest in speech, does not fear rumor, firm in faith, and the Lord will reward him with eternal memory. The ungodly, seeing his blessedness, gnash their teeth and waste away from envy (5–10).

Psalm 111:2. Mighty on earth will be his offspring; the generation of the upright will be blessed. “His offspring will be mighty on earth” – his descendants will enjoy lasting good, since the Lord abundantly pours out His mercies also upon the descendants of those who love Him.

Psalm 111:3. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. “His righteousness endures forever” – either in the sense that because of the ancestor’s righteousness his descendants are abundantly rewarded, that is, the mercy of the Lord is abundant and lasting, or in the sense that righteousness is rewarded with eternal blessedness both in this life and beyond the grave.

Psalm 111:4. Light shines in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. “Darkness” – misfortunes. During times of misfortune the Lord will help him.

Psalm 111:5. Good is the one who is gracious and lends; he will conduct his affairs with justice. “He will conduct his affairs with justice” – to give truthful testimony, which serves as the basis for the judges’ verdict.

Psalm 111:6. Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous will be kept in eternal memory. The true righteous one never departs from the principles of his life; he is “unshaken” throughout his entire life, throughout its whole duration. He will be “kept in eternal memory” – memory of him will be preserved in his descendants and in history. One can see here, as in verse 3, an indication of eternal closeness to God, that is, of eternal life and reward beyond the grave.

Psalm 111:7. He will not be afraid of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. He does not fear bad report; in his activity he does not heed the judgments of others and their condemnation. The guidance for his life is not the opinion of people, but the eternal and unchanging law of the Lord, which is unchanging because of its infallibility and inviolable excellence, whereas the tastes and needs of people, and hence their opinions, do not possess constancy and stability.

Psalm 111:8. His heart is steadfast; he will not be afraid when he looks upon his enemies. Faith in the Lord and consciousness of the righteousness of one’s cause makes him brave and unafraid of the schemes of enemies. He believes that the Lord will protect him.

Psalm 111:9. He has given freely to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be exalted with honor. “He has given freely” – he helped abundantly all those in need. “His horn will be exalted” – his spiritual greatness, his moral strength will be exalted, will surely be rewarded.

Psalm 111:10. The wicked will see this and be vexed; he will gnash his teeth and waste away. The desire of the wicked will come to nothing. “The desire of the wicked will come to nothing” – the wicked man’s endeavor through his schemes to harm the righteous will not succeed. The righteous person described here suits very well Nehemiah with his broad educational activity among the returned Hebrew captives, with his benevolence, straightforwardness, and the intrigues that were waged against him at the Persian court.

Chapter One Hundred Twelve

The entire series of the psalms that follow, beginning with 112 and ending with 116, presents a continuous subject matter and revelation of one and the same theme—the guidance of the Hebrew people by God, from which the writer draws strength and confidence that his present prayer, to which he calls the entire people, will be heard by the Lord and He will help them in their present difficult circumstances (Ps 112 and Ps 113), which indeed came to pass, and therefore the author’s song passes into a hymn of praise and thanksgiving (Ps 114-116). The content indicated here for the psalms fits very well with the time after the return from the Babylonian captivity, when the Hebrews began the construction of the second temple and here encountered opposition from the Samaritans, who intrigued before the Persian court. This intrigue was exposed and condemned, and the work of constructing the temple and restoring Jerusalem was completed. For this reason the first psalms, in accordance with the circumstances of their composition, are distinguished by their petitionary character, while the second ones, with obstacles removed, are already characterized by thanksgiving—that is, the time of writing the psalms should be attributed to the epoch of the activity of Nehemiah.

The one hundred twelfth psalm among the Hebrews begins the hallel (that is, the Alleluia psalms), which encompasses Ps 112-117 and was used in worship on the new moon. It was also used at the Passover meal of the Hebrews, where it was divided into two parts—the first (Ps 112 and Ps 113:1-8) at the beginning of the meal, and the second (Ps 113:8-26; Ps 114; Ps 115; Ps 116; Ps 117) at the end of it.

Servants of the Lord, praise His name always and throughout the earth (1–3). The Lord presides over all nations. From heaven, the place of His dwelling, He looks upon the earth to exalt the poor from dust and seat him with princes, to cause the barren to rejoice in her children (4–9).

Psalm 112:1. Praise, you servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. “You servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.” Only His servants are invited to honor and praise the Lord—those who believe in Him and do His will—for every other person with impure lips only insults the Most High and is unworthy and cannot fittingly praise Him.

Psalm 112:4. The Lord is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens. The “height” of the Lord above all nations signifies His dominion, His authority over them. Nothing in the history of the life of these nations can occur without His will.

Psalm 112:5. Who is like the Lord our God, Who, dwelling on high, Psalm 112:6. stoops down to look upon the heaven and the earth; Heaven is the place of the Lord’s special dwelling, remote from the earth at a distance immeasurable for man. As high as heaven is above the earth, so immeasurably high is the Lord above all earthly things and mankind. However, the Lord does not abandon the earth without His care; He also “looks upon the earth” to send varied blessings to the weak and helpless person. In this lies the expression of His extraordinary mercy and love.

Psalm 112:7. He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the dunghill, Psalm 112:8. to seat him with princes, with the princes of his people; Psalm 112:9. He makes the barren woman a joyful mother of children. Alleluia! The actions of Divine mercy are indicated: He raises from nothingness (“dunghill”) and places with princes; to the barren He gives children. Probably, here are understood not only particular instances of such Divine mercy shown to individual people, like the healing of Job, the exaltation of David, Moses, Daniel and others, or, for instance, the granting of fruitfulness to Sarah, Rachel, Anna, but this image is applicable to the entire Hebrew people, at first insignificant and few in number, crushed and oppressed in Egypt, then multiplied and becoming the master of Palestine and having considerable political weight in the eyes of the ancient pagan monarchies and peoples.

Chapter One Hundred Thirteen

Beginning with verse 22, 9 of the psalm in the Hebrew Bible begins a new psalm so that Ps 10 of the Greek Bible is numbered 11 in the Hebrew, and the count proceeds one psalm ahead compared with the Greek count of the LXX up to psalm 113. This psalm, according to the Greek count 113, but according to the Hebrew 114, in the Hebrew Bible is divided into two psalms, so that beginning with verse 9 there already goes psalm 115, while psalm 114 of the Greek Bible is already counted in the Hebrew Bible as 116—that is, it advances the count by two psalms.

When Israel went out from Egypt, it became the holy possession of the Lord. Before it the sea fled, and like lambs the mountains skipped. Let all the earth tremble before the Lord, Who turns stone into a spring of water (1–8). Help us, O Lord, so that Your name may be highly honored, so that the nations may not say: where is their God? (9–10). Our God is great and almighty: He is in the heavens and on the earth does all that He wishes. The idols of the nations, however, are only lifeless works of human hands. They do not see, do not hear, do not walk, though they have all the organs of the human body fashioned (11–15). May those who make them become like the idols, powerless and those who revere them (16). But you, house of Aaron, house of Israel and all who fear the Lord, trust in Him, who blesses all who fear Him (17–21). May the Lord send mercy upon us and upon our children, so that we during life may praise and bless Him (22–26).

Psalm 113:1. When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, “A people of strange language”—the Egyptians, who descended from Ham, son of Noah, whereas the Hebrews have Shem as their ancestor.

Psalm 113:2. Judah became His sanctuary, Israel His possession. “To become the sanctuary of the Lord,” “to become His possession”—these are synonymous expressions, meaning that the Lord set apart the Hebrews from the rank of all other nations for special guidance and protection, which is attested by the entire history of their life.

Psalm 113:3. The sea saw and fled; the Jordan turned back. The manifestations of the miraculous Divine favor toward the Hebrews—the crossing of the Red Sea on dry ground under Moses and the crossing of the Jordan under Joshua.

Psalm 113:4. The mountains skipped like rams, and the hills like lambs. Psalm 113:5. What is with you, O sea, that you fled, and [with you], O Jordan, that you turned back? Psalm 113:6. Why do you skip, O mountains, like rams, and you, O hills, like lambs? Psalm 113:7. Tremble before the face of the Lord, O earth, before the face of the God of Jacob, Psalm 113:8. Who turns the rock into a pool of water and the stone into a spring of water. “The skipping of the mountains”—an earthquake that accompanied the Sinaitic lawgiving; the turning of stone into a spring—the miraculous bringing forth of water from a rock in the wilderness.

Psalm 113:9. Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for Your mercy and for Your truth. Psalm 113:10. Why should the nations say: “Where is their God?” The prayer of the writer for the sending of mercy to the Hebrews is a zeal for the glory of the name of Jehovah. The difficult position of the Hebrews at the given time, the failures they suffered in arranging their lives after the return from captivity and in the construction of the second temple, and their dependent position on foreign rulers could arouse in the nations contempt for God as being powerless to protect and support His worshippers. Such a conclusion from the civil-political weakness of the people to a judgment about the weakness and powerlessness of that people’s god was usual in the East, where military successes and the political power of a people were explained by the degree of strength of their national God. Such a national god of the Hebrews the nations considered Jehovah to be.

Psalm 113:12. But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. Psalm 113:13. They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; Psalm 113:14. they have ears, but do not hear; they have noses, but do not smell; Psalm 113:15. they have hands, but do not touch; they have feet, but do not walk; and they do not utter a sound with their throat. The description of the powerlessness of pagan idols is very reminiscent of a similar description in the epistle of the prophet Jeremiah, written soon after the beginning of the Babylonian captivity. It may be supposed that it was borrowed from the said source.

Psalm 113:16. Like them may be those who make them and all who trust in them. As the idols are helpless and powerless, so may their worshippers, that is, the nations, who at the time of the writer are ruling over the Hebrews, be powerless.

Psalm 113:18. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: He is our help and our shield. The house of Aaron, that is, the priests, who descended from the tribe and lineage of Aaron, the brother of Moses.

Psalm 113:21. blesses those who fear the Lord, small and great alike. Psalm 113:22. May the Lord increase you more and more, you and your children. The Lord “blesses those who fear Him, small and great alike,” pours out His mercy upon the entire people, upon the noble and rich in it, as well as upon the humble and poor. The said indication, as well as the words of verse 22, is a call for all Hebrews to unite on the basis of faith in the mercy of Jehovah for the ordering of life and the prosperity of the entire people.

Psalm 113:25. The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence; Psalm 113:26. but we [who live] will bless the Lord from now on and forever. Alleluia. The writer is confident that the Lord will hear the prayer of His people and will send mercy, so that they, “living, will bless Him,” that is, during their lifetime, rather than in the distant future, they will see the fulfillment of His promises concerning them and will enjoy prosperity and peace, for which they will praise the Lord.

Chapter One Hundred Fourteen

To this psalm in the Hebrew Bible is joined the following psalm according to the LXX count 115, and thus with psalm 116 according to the Greek Bible, but according to the Hebrew 117, the former count ahead by one psalm is restored.

The feeling of joy that is depicted in this and the following two (Ps 115-116) psalms shows that they were written after help had already been received from the Lord.

I rejoice, since the Lord helps me when I cried out to Him when weighed down by circumstances (1–4). The Lord is merciful and helps all who are simple before Him (5–6). I am at peace, since the Lord dried my tears and gave me in my lifetime to see the blessings sent by Him.

Psalm 114:6. The Lord guards the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. The Lord “guards the simple”—that is, those who believe simply and deeply, like children, in Him, or the helpless, as children, and therefore in need of protection. Such simple believers and helpless as children were the Hebrews of that time, who had returned from captivity, since they lived by faith and expectation of the fulfillment of the promises predicted by the prophets; they were also helpless, since they themselves, without any outside help and in poverty, had to begin anew the ordering of their land both politically and religiously and in civil and economic respects.

Psalm 114:7. Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has done good to you. “Return, O my soul, to your rest”—the period of suffering and danger has passed, the time of prosperity and favorable flow of life has come, since the Lord “has done good.”

Psalm 114:9. I will walk before the face of the Lord on the land of the living. “To walk before the face of God”—to serve Him with one’s life; on the “land of the living,” on the land of the people of His nation, now prosperous and blessed.

Chapter One Hundred Fifteen

In great distress from heavy circumstances, I said that man is deceit (1–2), and therefore I resorted only to Your, O Lord, help. What can I repay You for Your benefits? I will offer You libations and fulfill my vows (3–5). The death of the saints is precious in Your sight. You have loosed my bonds, delivered me from destruction, for which I will praise You in the house of the Lord (6–10).

Psalm 115:1. I believed, and therefore I spoke: I am greatly afflicted. Psalm 115:2. I said in my haste: all mankind is false. The complaint of the writer about his affliction before the Lord serves as an indicator of his deep faith. In his “haste” (more accurately rendered—in his frenzy), in the heavy restrictive circumstances of his life, when he saw help from nowhere but encountered only opposition and deceptions from people, he said that “all mankind is false,” that is, that reliance on human help is not only deceptive, but that people even live by deliberate and conscious deceptions of others. It is quite possible that the writer here makes an allusion to the intrigues of the Samaritans before the Persian court. This helplessness of the writer by his own strength to emerge from heavy circumstances prompted him to turn in prayer to God for help, being an expression of his faith that only the Lord alone is true and only in Him can one find protection.

Psalm 115:4. I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. “The cup of salvation”—a thanksgiving cup, which the Hebrews would drink at the Passover meal (then three cups were drunk: the cup of bitterness, the cup of joy, and the cup of blessing). Here is meant not the Passover cup of blessing, that is, not the postponement of the offering of thanksgiving to God until the Passover festival, but the setting apart of a special thanksgiving cup at present, similar to that which was drunk at Passover.

Psalm 115:6. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints! “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints!” The Lord prizes the death of the saints, sends it when it is needed, and therefore delivers the righteous from the heavy and apparently hopeless situation into which they fall (Ps 114:3). This is the meaning of this expression according to the context of the speech and by parallel with Ps 114. This is not opposed to the usual understanding that the Lord loves the righteous and prizes them at their death, that is, the Lord upon death receives the righteous to Himself and rewards them. Here then lies a clear teaching about the afterlife reward and the immortality of the human soul.

Chapter One Hundred Sixteen

The said psalm is a continuation of the preceding two, 114 and 115: there the writer thanked and praised the Lord on behalf of the entire people in his prayer, which is the prayer of all Israel, here, struck and moved by the help shown to him from the Lord, he invites all the tribes of people, foreign nations, to take part in the praise and thanksgiving of God. This invitation of the writer, this his call to the nations, testifies to such a depth of his faith in the true Lord, to such clarity of his conception and understanding that the events occurring in life clearly testify to the action of His providence in the world, that for him there remained no doubt that the nations would not come to know Him and understand the falseness of their gods. This period of conversion to the true God, certain for the writer but undefined in time of fulfillment, he desires to hasten by his present appeal to them. For this reason the Apostle Paul (Rom 15:11) sees here a prophecy of the conversion of the nations.

Chapter One Hundred Seventeen

The psalm presents the Hebrew people rejoicing because of the freedom gained (Ps 117:5), deliverance from enemies (Ps 117:10-13), and especially from the miraculous completion of the building, which was finished despite heavy circumstances (Ps 117:22-23). All the foregoing coincides with the time of the return of the Hebrews from the Babylonian captivity and the completion of the construction of the second temple, on account of the dedication of which, probably, the psalm was written.

May all classes and all Israel praise the Lord for His mercy (1–4). From distress I cried to the Lord and He freed me. If the Lord is my protector, whom should I fear (5–9)? All nations pressed upon me, but I defeated them in the name of the Lord, to Whom is the song (11–14). The voice of rejoicing is heard in the dwellings of the righteous, thanking the Lord for His judgment and salvation (15–18). Open the gates of righteousness, so that I may enter into the building, completed by the Lord’s favor. We will bless this day and celebrate it with sacrificial offerings and praises to the Lord (19–29).

Psalm 117:1. Praise the Lord, for He is good; His mercy endures forever. Psalm 117:2. Let Israel now say: His mercy endures forever. Psalm 117:3. Let the house of Aaron now say: His mercy endures forever. Psalm 117:4. Let those who fear the Lord now say: His mercy endures forever. The unknown writer of the psalm invites the entire Hebrew people to the confession and singing of the great mercy of God, which is spoken of in the entire subsequent content.

Psalm 117:5. From distress I called upon the Lord—and He answered me, and placed me in a broad place, the Lord. “From distress”—from a difficult situation, clearly the Babylonian captivity is meant. “He answered me”—He brought me out into a broad place, that is, to freedom from captivity, gave the opportunity to be governed and live according to His law.

Psalm 117:8. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. Psalm 117:9. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. The entire pre-captivity history of the life of the Hebrew people, which tried by alliances with neighboring pagan nations to maintain its political independence, showed how unsuccessful these attempts were. Bitter experience forced the Hebrews to acknowledge that it is better to rely on God for the strengthening of their prosperity than on human help or military might (“princes”—commanders).

Psalm 117:10. All nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I defeated them; Psalm 117:11. they pressed upon me, they encircled me, but in the name of the Lord I defeated them; Psalm 117:12. they surrounded me like bees around a honeycomb, and went out like a fire in thorns; in the name of the Lord I defeated them. Psalm 117:13. I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord supported me. Psalm 117:14. The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. The fruitfulness of such faith was justified even in the present circumstances of the building of the temple. “All nations surrounded me.” It is known that in addition to the poverty of the Hebrews who had returned, the building of the temple was greatly hindered by the Samaritans, who presented the construction of the temple to the Persian rulers as the building of a fortress for the purpose of revolting from the Persians and waging war with them. Only the preaching of the prophets, which inspired the builders, and faith in their righteousness and protection from God supported the builders and crowned their efforts with success. “I was pushed hard, so that I was falling”—the Hebrew people, abandoned by all, considered itself near destruction, but the Lord saved it both from captivity and helped in the present case of the building of the temple. Therefore the writer says: “The Lord is my strength and my song.”

Psalm 117:15. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the dwellings of the righteous: the right hand of the Lord performs with power! Psalm 117:16. The right hand of the Lord is exalted, the right hand of the Lord performs with power! Psalm 117:17. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. Apparently, the writer henceforth depicts a picture of popular rejoicing. The voices resound in the settlements of the righteous, that is, among the Hebrew people, as the only worshippers at that time of the One True God: “The Lord has wonderfully saved me.” This fills me with confidence that in the future I will not perish, will preserve political and religious independence (“will live”), so that I always praise the Lord.

Psalm 117:22. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone: Psalm 117:23. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Psalm 117:24. This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it! The manifest demonstration of Divine help is revealed in the building of the temple. Over the material (“stone”), from which it was being made, they even mocked those who were building it, but the temple was nevertheless completed. It is clear that God Himself helped, and therefore we will praise the Lord on this solemn day of the completion of the building. At the construction of the second temple, those who had seen and remembered the former, rich temple of Solomon, wept at the sight of the small dimensions and the poverty of the material from which the second temple was being built, considering this a sign of the rejection of the Hebrews by the Lord, which undermined the energy of the builders. But the significance of the temple as a religious center and therefore also a politically unifying point, probably, if not clearly understood, was nevertheless felt by many, and their rejoicing at the completion of the building is understandable.

Psalm 117:26. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord. Here is depicted a procession going to the temple and singing: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” to which the priests answer: “We bless you.”

Psalm 117:27. God is the Lord, and He has given us light; bind the sacrifice with cords, and bring it to the horns of the altar. Psalm 117:28. You are my God, and I will give thanks to You; You are my God, and I will exalt You, [I will give thanks to You, for You answered me and became my salvation]. Psalm 117:29. Praise the Lord, for He is good; His mercy endures forever. The Lord appeared to us—gave us the opportunity to complete the building of the temple. The writer invites all to solemnly celebrate this day with an abundance of sacrifices, laying the meat destined as sacrifice upon the horns of the altar, as required by the law, and then invites all to sing praises to the Lord. The image of the “stone” (verse 22) Jesus Christ applies to Himself (Matt 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17) and this expression is also referred to Him by other writers (Acts 4:11; 1 Pet 2:7). By the temple, whose walls the stone joins together, must be understood the Church founded on Christ, Who reconciled mankind with God; and it is also understood as the two natures in Jesus Christ, as two walls of a building are united on one stone. One can also understand this image as an indication that with the coming of Christ the Old Covenant found in His life, teaching and suffering its completion, a new life began, a new building was created. The psalm is a type and prefigurement.

Chapter One Hundred Eighteen

In the Hebrew Bible this psalm has no inscription, but in the Greek and Vulgate texts it, like all the psalms beginning with 110, is inscribed as “Alleluia.” The psalm is alphabetic, with each letter of the Hebrew alphabet beginning not a single verse, as in those psalms which we have already encountered, but a strophe of 8 verses, and therefore there are altogether 176 verses in the psalm and 22 strophes, corresponding to the number of signs in the Hebrew alphabet. The psalm can be considered written during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, since the indications in the psalm of the disorders of life, such as hostile relations of the government toward the Jews (Ps 118:23), the appearance among the Jews themselves of apostates (Ps 118:21), as well as the numerous indications that the righteous man struggled and found defense and support only in faith in the Lord and obedience to His law (v. Ps 118:1-8 and others) coincide with the situation of the Jews in the era of the activity of Ezra and Nehemiah, when the Persian kings hindered the Jews through the intrigues of the Samaritans in the ordering of their civil, political and religious life, when the Jews for their faithfulness to the law underwent direct persecution, for example, under Artaxerxes III, his military commander Bagoas imposed a tax on sacrifices; the well-known Artaxerxes Longimanus even issued an order through the intrigues of a courtier to destroy the Jews (Esth 3:8-14). In this time there were many apostates from the faith of the fathers among the Jews.

The content of the psalm is devoted to clarifying the loftiness of the content of the law of God and explaining its beneficial significance for man. Despite the extensiveness of the psalm and the apparent repetition of many thoughts, it, however, according to the expression of Bishop Theophanes (see the commentary on this psalm, introduction to it), is full of variety either in the clarification of the properties of the law, or different nuances of it, so that for one who delves into its reading it presents an inexhaustible material for instruction. The indicated work of the reverend author will acquaint those who desire it with the details and nuances of the content of the psalm, in its moral and educational understanding; we, however, here will dwell only on those passages which due to some obscurity need clarification of the direct, literal sense.

Psalm 118:1. Blessed are those blameless in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Psalm 118:2. Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole heart. Psalm 118:3. They do not commit iniquity; they walk in His ways. Psalm 118:4. You have commanded Your commandments to be kept firmly. Psalm 118:5. Oh, if only my ways were directed to the observance of Your statutes! Psalm 118:6. Then I would not be ashamed, beholding all Your commandments: Psalm 118:7. I would praise You with an upright heart, learning the judgments of Your righteousness. Psalm 118:8. I will keep Your statutes; do not forsake me entirely. The law of God here is called by different names, yet they express, in the unity of their inner content, its varied manifestations, expressions and significance. “Law”—a general indication, the fundamental generic concept, pointing to those immutable norms to which both physical nature and the spiritual life of man are subject in their structure and activity. “Testimonies”—special commandments communicated by God to man for his spiritual growth. They are “testified,” that is, not fashioned by man, hence they cannot have obligatory force if they are not authoritatively revealed, and can be erroneous, but they are sinless and holy, since they are opened and communicated by the Lord Himself, and therefore are universally binding. This law is a “way,” indicating the direction of man’s activity to achieve the purpose appointed him for his existence on earth. “Commandments”—particular precepts giving guidance to the direction of activity in various forms of life—family, social, religious and others. “Statutes,” that is, prescriptions which establish certain relations of man to God, obligations assumed by the former, the violation of which brings punishment in the form of various misfortunes and disorders of life, for such violation. “Precepts,” that is, limits indicating the boundaries of what is permitted and beneficial, within which boundaries the will of man and his activity should be confined. From the Greek and Latin “precepts” are understood as “justifications,” that is, commandments of the Lord which, when kept and followed, make man holy and righteous before God. “Judgment”—in the sense of impartiality and infallibility of its decisions: in the law there is nothing that panders to the passions of man or is ambiguous, there is only truth. The writer of the psalm praises and considers blessed the one who did not depart from this law and steadfastly followed it, and he prays to God to give him also the strength for such fulfillment of these commandments, since only in the latter lies the condition of spiritual peace and moral satisfaction.

Psalm 118:9. How shall a young man keep his way pure?—By guarding himself according to Your word. In comparison with verse 8, the youth mentioned here should be understood as the writer of the psalm, which is also indicated by verse 100. By this indication, one can partly explain the very extensiveness of the psalm, in which (extensiveness) one cannot fail to see the inquisitive effort of the writer to understand and clarify to himself all the content of the law and its great significance for man, to clarify it even in particulars; this is the first attempt of conscious thought and effort to determine and map out for himself the path of life. Together with this, in the psalm we will see many indications where its writer is permeated with a thirst for struggle and fervent, passionate indignation against all who do not follow the law. The latter trait, the trait of fervent desire for struggle and intention to follow steadily and directly that which is recognized as lofty, is a peculiarity and property particularly of youth. If the writer of the psalm was a youth, then the numerous suppositions which attribute its origin to David, who wrote the psalm to his son Solomon for his instruction, are thereby eliminated: David, when Solomon was born to him, was not a youth, but a mature and experienced man. “Word” is called here the same law of God, as communicated to man from the Lord through Moses and the prophets by means of word and speech. By following this word the youth will preserve his purity, since this law proposes instructions that elevate man, ennoble his soul and are holy.

Psalm 118:11. In my heart I have hidden Your word, so that I might not sin against You. “To hide…in the heart”—to love, to assimilate deeply, so that external behavior would be the expression of internal disposition. In such agreement of inner life and its external expression lies the fullness of personal life and the definiteness of its direction.

Psalm 118:13. With my mouth I have declared all the judgments of Your mouth. As a result of deep penetration of the law into the heart of the writer, it is that he constantly speaks of this law, preaches it, since there is no other subject, more lofty and valuable for him.

Psalm 118:14. In the way of Your testimonies I rejoice, as in all riches. “In the way of Your testimonies I rejoice,” I rejoice when I follow Your commandments, because here I find satisfaction of my inclinations. This following of the commandments does not mean only theoretical study of the law, but the varied manifestation of it in activity, which in all its forms and directions was the realization and actual, practical preaching of the statutes of the Lord.

Psalm 118:18. Open my eyes, and I shall see the wonders of Your law. “To see the wonders of the law of God”—to understand all its lofty content, to appreciate the transforming power of it, which makes of a sinful man a righteous man, of one weak in will—a great ascetic, of one insignificant—a hero. Such testimonies of wondrous transformation of man under the action of the law history points out by the thousands: all the prophets were martyrs for the law and unwavering preachers of it, and in the history of the Christian church such facts of great asceticism and martyrdom are impossible even to recount. To understand and know such power and action of the law of God upon man one can when the “eyes are opened,” when one does not turn away from it with a predetermined conviction, but carefully, concentrately, “with opened eyes,” studies it.

Psalm 118:19. I am a sojourner on the earth; do not hide Your commandments from me. Life on earth is a “sojourning,” a journey accomplished by man to reach his fatherland and permanent, eternal dwelling place. Clearly, the latter is not on earth, but beyond the grave. If this is so, then earthly life must be a preparation for the afterlife and can lead to it only the faultlessly chosen path on earth. How and where is the latter to be found? This path is indicated in the commandments of the law. Who does not follow them is deceived and will not reach the afterlife dwelling, that is, afterlife peace, as a reward for the labors undertaken to achieve it. Here is a rather clear teaching on the purpose of earthly existence, the immortality of the human soul and afterlife retribution.

Psalm 118:21. You have subdued the proud, the cursed, who turn aside from Your commandments. Psalm 118:22. Remove from me scorn and reproach, for I keep Your testimonies. Psalm 118:23. Princes sit and speak against me, but Your servant meditates on Your statutes. In these verses is an indication of the position of the Jewish people in the times of Ezra and Nehemiah, when they encountered opposition both from apostates from the faith of the fathers among the Jews themselves and from the Samaritans. The latter are called those who turned aside from God’s commandments because the Samaritans recognized only the Pentateuch of Moses, but rejected the remaining sacred books of the Jews, and consequently turned aside from the observance of the revelation communicated in these books. The Samaritans intrigued against the Jews before the Persian rulers, and the princes of the Persians, trusting their reports, issued decrees restricting the activities of the Jews, such as, for example, the prohibition of the building of the temple and Jerusalem. Such prohibitions were an undeserved scorn and reproach of the Jews, who cared only in these buildings for the satisfaction of their religious needs, and not for political secession, as falsely reported against them by their enemies.

Psalm 118:25. My soul is cast down to the dust; revive me according to Your word. “My soul is cast down to the dust”—I am tormented, torn to such a degree that I am near to death, turned to dust, to nothing—an indication that the circumstances contemporary with the writer were acting upon him in a depressing way, he was close to despair. “Revive me according to Your word”—help me with Your almighty assistance.

Psalm 118:29. Remove from me the way of falsehood, and grant me Your law. “Remove from me the way of falsehood”—preserve me from false and wicked deeds. It is possible that the writer, in order to weaken the intrigues of the Samaritans, was temporarily stopping at the thought of influencing the Persian court by indirect means, but then, realizing that such a method, being impure, might lead to a whole series of similar acts, developing in man indifference to the moral side of deeds, making its measure of worth only their external advantage, he became frightened of his thought and with a prayer of repentance turned to the Lord, so that He might establish him in following only righteousness, His law (see v. 30).

Psalm 118:33. Show me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I will keep it to the end. Psalm 118:34. Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law and guard it with my whole heart. Psalm 118:35. Lead me in the path of Your commandments, for I have desired it. Psalm 118:36. Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness. Psalm 118:37. Turn away my eyes, that they may not see vanity; give me life in Your way. Psalm 118:38. Establish Your word to Your servant, for the sake of Your reverence. The awareness of the writer of the loftiness of the law, its holiness and his own weakness and inexperience, aroused in him, in his resolve to follow steadily the directions of the law, a prayer to the Lord that He would not abandon him by His constant guidance and direction in the most varied circumstances and positions of life.

Psalm 118:39. Turn away my reproach, which I fear, for Your judgments are good. “Reproach”—is understood as coming from God for the sin of man, that is, for turning aside from His commandments. This reproach is expressed in the deprivation of man of the greatest blessing—closeness to the Lord. Such “reproach” for a pious man is the greatest calamity, the most severe punishment, which he fears and from which, in the event of violation of Divine commandments, he prays for the mercy of the Lord to have compassion on him.

Psalm 118:42. And I will answer the one who reproaches me, for I trust in Your word. The ordinary, everyday measure applied to the evaluation of the worth of various directions of life is, for the most part, narrowly materialistic: worth is measured by the degree of advantage and the quantity of practical conveniences. The writer of the psalm found himself in such a position with his deep faith in the fruitfulness of the law of God for those who keep it. His faith was deep, but his external position was calamitous. This brought ridicule upon him from both enemies of the Jewish people, pagans, and from his fellow tribesmen, unstable in their faith and apostates from it. Since the reproach of the hopes of the righteous passed into reproach of the Lord Himself, as if powerless to reward and deliver from misfortunes His worshippers, the writer prays to Him (see vv. 40 and 41) for the sending of mercies to believers in Him, so that thereby to give a factual refutation of the lies of those who reproach.

Psalm 118:43. Do not take the word of truth from my mouth entirely, for I hope in Your judgments. “Do not take the word of truth from my mouth entirely.” “Entirely” means forever, constantly, more precisely from the Hebrew “never,” that is, allow me never to depart from Your commandments.

Psalm 118:46. I will speak of Your testimonies before kings and will not be ashamed; “To speak of Your testimonies before kings”—to explain the true meaning of that which was being established by the Jews after the return from captivity, not fearing any false interpretations and distrust on the part of the rulers (see v. 29).

Psalm 118:51. The proud have greatly mocked me, but I did not turn aside from Your law. See v. 42.

Psalm 118:53. Horror seizes me because of the wicked, who abandon Your law. By the wicked, “abandoning the law of God,” are understood not the pagans, who did not observe this law, but the Jews who had turned away from it.

Psalm 118:55. At night I remember Your name, O Lord, and keep Your law. “Night…”—a time of misfortunes. In the difficult moments of life the writer was comforted only by the strength of his faith in the Law of God and the promises set forth there for all worshippers of the Lord.

Psalm 118:61. The nets of the wicked have surrounded me, but I have not forgotten Your law. “The nets of the wicked,” probably the schemes of the Samaritans.

Psalm 118:67. Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now I keep Your word. The misfortunes experienced by the Jews during the time of captivity showed them that the strength and might of their people consisted not in the ordering of life according to their own judgment, but according to the indication of the Lord. Although constant preaching of the prophets was heard, foretelling severe misfortunes for turning away from God, yet the people did not believe and “went astray” until the moment the calamities foretold by the prophets arrived, in the form of Babylonian captivity. Now, during the time of captivity, the Jew had learned, understood, that his well-being depended on the observance of “the word of God.” The writer of the psalm here is the exponent of the general mood of the pious Israelites.

Psalm 118:69. The proud have fabricated lies against me; I will keep Your commandments with my whole heart. Psalm 118:70. Their heart is thick as fat; but I delight in Your law. By “the proud” can be understood either pagan princes in general, who treated the Jews with contempt, or those among the Jews who directed all their efforts only to their own material welfare, not caring for the common needs of the people and their own moral purity. For all of them the Jew, devoted to his people and pious, was an obstacle, which they wished to remove.

Psalm 118:81. My soul faints for Your salvation; I hope in Your word. Psalm 118:82. My eyes fail for Your word; I say: when will You comfort me? Psalm 118:83. I have become like a wineskin in smoke, but I have not forgotten Your statutes. A depiction of the severity of the hardships experienced by the writer. “A wineskin in smoke,” more precisely, a wineskin in frost, which hardens from it, breaks and becomes smoke from it. “Frost” here is an image of the misfortunes of the Jews, which exhausted the latter.

Psalm 118:94. I am Yours, save me; for I have sought Your commandments. “I am Yours”—devoted to You alone and from You alone do I expect help and protection.

Psalm 118:96. I have seen the limit of all perfection, but Your commandment is exceedingly broad. “I have seen the limit of all perfection.” All deeds and undertakings of man, limiting their content and worth to the bounds of earthly life, can be perfect and finished, but “the commandment of the Lord is exceedingly broad,” it cannot be finished by man, no one can say that he has achieved perfection in the law, for the commandments of the latter are of such height that their measure and limit can be only the complete assimilation to God of man, that is, his infinite development not on earth only, but also beyond the grave.

Psalm 118:98. By Your commandment You have made me wiser than my enemies, for it is always with me. Psalm 118:99. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for I meditate on Your testimonies. Psalm 118:100. I am wiser than the elders, for I keep Your commandments. Guidance by the commandment of the Lord makes a young man wiser than teachers, more understanding than elders and wiser than enemies. Here is an indication that the psalm was written after the removal of some obstacles which the Jews encountered during the time of Ezra. Remaining devoted to the law of God, believing in His help, the true and pious zealots for the well-being of the people did not cease to care for the ordering of its life and these cares were often crowned with success, although they encountered direct opposition from the enemies of the Samaritans and disapproval from the elders-teachers (Hag 1:1-15), who were undermining the energy of the builders of the second temple and in some disorders of life saw signs of the rejection of their people by God, and therefore predicted failure to all their undertakings.

Psalm 118:109. My soul is continually in my hand, but I do not forget Your law. “My soul is continually in my hand,” that is, open to all, subject to the action of the enemy, or—in constant danger. Probably, by hand is meant here the open and direct activity of the writer of the psalm for the restoration of the people’s well-being and this activity was displeasing to the enemies of the Jewish people, who sought to find in it a basis for condemning the writer, perhaps through slander before the Persian government. But the writer was not troubled by the hostile attitude toward him, but steadfastly proceeded to fulfill and restore lawful service among his people.

Psalm 118:116. Strengthen me according to Your word, and I shall live; do not shame me in my hope; Psalm 118:117. Support me, and I shall be saved; and I will constantly look into Your statutes. Although the faith of the writer in the word of God was deep, yet the difficult circumstances in which he had to act placed such insurmountable obstacles in his way that he had recourse to God’s help and cried out for His direct assistance. An indicator of the strength of his faith here is the characteristic that even in moments of some spiritual depression he seeks support not from men, but from the Lord.

Psalm 118:120. My flesh trembles for fear of You, and I am afraid of Your judgments. “My flesh trembles for fear of You,” the writer is in trembling, in fearful expectation of what the determination of the Lord will be regarding the success of his activity, he is afraid that by the judgment of Divine righteousness the Jewish people may prove unworthy of His mercy, and along with this the restoration of their well-being. This fear is what causes him to tremble.

Psalm 118:121. I have done judgment and righteousness; do not leave me to my oppressors. Psalm 118:122. Be surety for Your servant for his good, so that the proud may not oppress me. Activity for the sake of the people’s well-being created for the author many enemies, who not only regard him with contempt, but also “persecute” him in various ways, which greatly harm the success of his good endeavors. He prays to the Lord for the cessation of these attacks.

Psalm 118:126. It is time for the Lord to act: they have broken Your law. Against the wicked apostates from the law the writer prays to the Lord to pronounce His judgment. Their impunity and well-being are harmful in that they instill in wavering souls distrust in the activity in accordance with the directions of the law, so that it alone will be crowned with success and will call forth the favor of God. The example of the well-being of the wicked seems to say otherwise. To strengthen the wavering, to convict the apostates and to encourage the pious, the writer prays to God to pronounce His judgment.

Psalm 118:134. Deliver me from the oppression of man, and I will keep Your commandments; Deliverance from “the oppression of man” is a condition of whole and constant service to the Lord and the fulfillment of His law. External misfortunes do not have the power to undermine man’s faith in God, but they can prevent such an arrangement of time and one’s conduct as would always be directed to the service of the Lord, diverting the strength and attention to the removal of these misfortunes.

Psalm 118:136. Rivers of waters run down from my eyes, because they do not keep Your law. Since the writer everywhere preaches about the extraordinarily elevating action of the law on the soul of man, and equally about the fact that obedience to the statutes of the Lord is the true source of both the spiritual and external well-being of man on earth, every violation of the commandments of God which he saw anywhere must have acted depressingly upon him: he laments with bitter sorrow those deceived people.

Psalm 118:141. I am small and despised, but I do not forget Your commandments. The writer of the psalm was not prominent in position among the Jewish people (“I am small and despised”), but he was one of those faithful Jews who sincerely loved their people, were devoted to the service of the Lord and ardently strived for the restoration of true worship of God and a pious life. Possibly the writer of the psalm was one of the pious Levites.

Psalm 118:147. I rise before dawn and cry out; I hope in Your word. “I rise before dawn and cry out,” that is, from early morning, “before the appearance” of dawn, I pray and cry out to You for protection and help.

Psalm 118:164. Seven times a day I praise You for the judgments of Your righteousness. “Seven times a day I praise You for the judgments of Your righteousness.” Seven times—in the sense of often. “The judgments of righteousness”—manifestations of Divine wrath upon the enemies of the pious writer and all the faithful Jews. Here can be seen an indication that the actions of the enemies of the Jewish people were not always successful: their intrigues could be exposed, improvement would occur and these moments of life fill the writer with feelings of grateful exultation.

Psalm 118:171. My lips will speak forth praise, when You teach me Your statutes. Instead of “when” it would be more precise to translate “since.” The meaning is: since only from You, O Lord, comes instruction in the law, therefore I am full of praise for You.

Psalm 118:176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep: seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commandments. “A wandering…sheep”—a lost, oppressed writer, as is every true worshipper of the Lord at that time, which indicates the general difficult situation of the Jewish people at that time. The content of the psalm presents little indication of the external position of the writer, but speaks much more of what feelings and thoughts are aroused in him by the reading of the law. In it alone he finds consolation and peace, draws faith in the triumph of righteousness and energy for his activity. Such content of the psalm clearly testifies to the fact that the hostile actions of the haters of the Jews placed obstacles before the latter, which impeded and hindered their endeavors. But the hardship of such a position was not without a gleam of light: the writer found it possible to rejoice and give thanks to the Lord for the manifestation of His judgments (v. 164), that is, there were moments when the activity of his enemies was fruitless. The general oppressive tone of the content of the psalm with gleams of light and joy in the writer confirms the supposition expressed at the beginning of the psalm concerning the time of its origin in the era of Ezra, when intrigues were waged against the Jews at court, which called forth a prohibition to the Jews to build the temple and other persecutions and when the leaders of the Jewish people had to intensively expose the lies and slanders of their enemies and partly to call forth gleams of favor from the Persian government.

Chapter One Hundred Nineteen

Under the name “song of ascents” or in Greek “song of degrees” is known an entire series of psalms, beginning with 120 and ending with 133. Most of these psalms were written either during the Babylonian captivity or shortly after it. They received their name because these psalms were ordinarily sung in the post-captivity period by Levites standing in two rows on the steps of the temple at the time when the high priest in a golden vessel carried water from the Siloam spring into the temple, that is, the “songs of degrees” were sung on the steps of the temple. The Hebrew name “song of ascents” is explained in the sense of indicating that psalms with such a heading were sung either by the Hebrews upon their return from captivity, that is, from Babylon, which is situated in a plain, upon their ascent to the mountains of Judea, or in general by pilgrims approaching and ascending Zion’s mountain during the great annual sacred festivals of the Hebrew people.

Ps 119 can be considered written during the captivity, before its end, when the Hebrews were full of expectations of returning to their homeland. The stay in captivity is indicated by verse 5.

When I cried to the Lord, He heard my prayer. Deliver me now from the wicked enemy (1–2). What wickedness can bring to the enemy? Only the arrows of the Mighty One and coals of broom (3–4). It is difficult for me to live among strangers. I am peaceful, but whenever I speak, my speech provokes hostile actions from their side (5–7).

Psalm 119:1. To the Lord I cried in my distress, and He heard me. Comfort for the captive Hebrew came from remembrance of the many mercies that the Lord showed the Hebrews in moments of their distress, when they turned to Him with prayer. This instilled in him confidence that in his present condition his prayer to the Lord would also be heard.

Psalm 119:2. O Lord! deliver my soul from lying lips, from a wicked tongue. By “lying lips” and “wicked tongue” are meant the pagan nations surrounding the Hebrews. They are lying and wicked because they could not sympathize with the Hebrews in their dreams of returning to their homeland, since they could see in this a threat to the dissolution of their own powerful monarchy, and therefore in dealings with the Hebrews they could be distrustful and false.

Psalm 119:3. What will a wicked tongue give you and what will it add to you? Psalm 119:4. Sharp arrows of the mighty, with burning coals of broom. The writer asks, what profit comes from lies to his enemies? What can it give them? Nothing but to provoke the wrath of the Mighty One, that is, the Lord, who will send upon them punishment (“arrows”) with coals of broom. Broom is a shrubby plant in Palestine. Its coals are distinguished by the property of burning slowly, which is why they long maintain fire and heat. Coals of broom here are an image of the prolonged misfortunes that for “lies” will be sent by God.

Psalm 119:5. Woe to me, that I dwell at Mosoch, that I live in the tents of Kedar. Mosoch or the Mosks, a region in Armenia, near the Black Sea. “Tents of the Kedarites”—a nomadic tribe, according to some roaming between Mesopotamia and the stony Arabia, according to others living in Egypt. In this verse there is an indication that the writer depicts in the psalm the condition of Hebrews who were still scattered among various pagan nations.

Psalm 119:6. Long has my soul dwelt with those who hate peace. Psalm 119:7. I am peaceful: but when I speak, they turn to war. The Hebrews complain that they have long lived among “those who hate peace,” that is, among the pagans; from this the time of origin of the psalm can be related to the end of the captivity. – “I am peaceful: but when I speak, they turn to war” – a general indication of the position of the Hebrew people in captivity: all deeds and words of the captive Hebrew were met with hostility and interpreted by his enemies in an evil way, which served as a cause of unfriendly actions from their side.

Chapter One Hundred Twenty

Psalm 120 can be considered written by the Hebrews during the captivity: with the words of this psalm they prayed, having turned to Zion.

I constantly turn to my native mountains and look for help only from the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth (1–2). Lord, your keeper does not slumber over you: He will preserve Israel from all evil, in all his deeds (3–8).

Psalm 120:1. I lift my eyes to the mountains, from where will my help come. Psalm 120:2. My help comes from the Lord, who created heaven and earth. A Hebrew in captivity raised his eyes in prayer to the mountains of his native Judea, and from there, from Zion, from God, the Creator and Lord of all the world, he waited for help for himself.

Psalm 120:3. He will not let your foot slip, He who guards you does not slumber; Psalm 120:4. He does not slumber nor sleep, He who keeps Israel. “He will not let your foot slip.” The writer encourages the praying and discouraged captive. He counsels not to waver in faith in God, not to despair in hope of salvation from captivity, since God watches over him, who will not let him perish.

Psalm 120:5. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. Psalm 120:6. The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon at night. Psalm 120:7. The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your soul [the Lord]. “The Lord will keep you from all misfortunes” – the sun will not burn you by day, and the moon will not [burn you] at night. The moon here is considered a source of the often burning cold of the night in the East (cf. Gen 31:40).

Psalm 120:8. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from now on and forever. “The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in” – He will preserve Israel, wherever he may be – whether in his house or outside it. The entire psalm represents a prayer to God for encouragement during the captivity and for liberation from it. This psalm is used at the vigil, which has at the basis of its origin the parable of Jesus Christ about the Bridegroom who came at midnight and the ten virgins. This parable indicates the unexpectedness of the onset of the Last Judgment, which is why the Church impresses upon the faithful watchfulness over their conduct, constant prayer to God, and faith only in Him alone.

Chapter One Hundred Twenty-One

According to the inscription of the Hebrew Bible (in the Vulgate and in the LXX no author is named) this psalm belongs to David. Its composition should be dated to the time when the Ark of the Covenant had already been moved to the newly built tabernacle in Jerusalem, when this city was built up and when the journeys of the Hebrews to this national sanctuary were begun and established, a journey that was supported and encouraged by David. The place of this psalm among that group of them, most of which were written during the captivity or shortly after it, does not contradict the inscription, since this psalm, as a national song, could be used by the Hebrews with particular intensity during the return from captivity and after the captivity when journeying to Jerusalem. To consider it written in a later era (of or after the captivity) is not permitted by those passages in the content of the psalm where it speaks of the complete order and greatness of Jerusalem, of the establishment in it of judgment and the strengthening of the house of David (Ps 121:2-5), which then did not exist, but there was much disorder. The name of the tabernacle “the house of the Lord” (Ps 121:1) does not contradict the origin of the psalm from David, since he frequently applies this name to the tabernacle and even to that of Moses (cf. Ps 5:8 and others).

I rejoiced when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord” (1). Here we stand in the gates of Jerusalem, a city built throughout, where the throne of David stands and to which all the tribes flow (2–6). Ask for peace and prosperity for Jerusalem for the sake of my brothers and for the sake of the house of the Lord, our God (7–9).

Psalm 121:1. I rejoiced when they said to me: “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” An indication of the custom of “three times a year during a journey to Jerusalem for the great festivals to worship the Lord.” This custom, observed even during the time of the Judges, was especially restored during the times of David. These words could, of course, be repeated also by the Hebrews returning from the captivity or even before the end of it, when they were filled with a burning desire to return to their native Palestine and to see the sacred places.

Psalm 121:2. Behold, our feet stand in your gates, Jerusalem, Psalm 121:3. Jerusalem, built as a city, joined in one, The city of Jerusalem is represented as being enclosed by a wall with gates constructed in it; it is joined in one, that is, built with buildings closely adjoining to each other. Jerusalem was not such at the return and for a considerable time after the return from the captivity, when its walls and houses were in ruins.

Psalm 121:4. To which the tribes go, the tribes of the Lord, according to the law of Israel, to praise the name of the Lord. The psalm’s indication of the tribal division of the Hebrew people also speaks in favor of an earlier composition than the time of the captivity; in David’s time the tribal division still existed, but after Rehoboam, and especially during the captivity, such division disappeared.

Psalm 121:5. There stand the thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. “Thrones of judgment, thrones of the house of David.” David established strict justice upon ascending to the throne, and to unite all his subjects under his authority, he granted the right to each one, dissatisfied with the decision of their case by the heads of the tribes, to appeal to the king in Jerusalem, by which Jerusalem became in the eyes of the people a city of true “judgment.” From David, a new royal line began, and the throne began to pass to his descendants, there stand the “thrones of the house of David.”

Psalm 121:6. Ask for peace for Jerusalem: may those who love you be blessed! Psalm 121:7. May peace be within your walls, prosperity in your palaces! Psalm 121:8. For the sake of my brothers and my neighbors I say: “Peace be with you!” Psalm 121:9. For the sake of the house of the Lord, our God, I desire good for you. The strength, power, and beauty of Jerusalem, peace in it as the central and chief city of the Hebrews, are the foundations of the prosperity of all Judea, the entire people, which is why each pilgrim prays to God for the preservation for Jerusalem of the indicated mercies both for the sake of his fellow Hebrews and “for the sake of the house of the Lord,” for the preservation of the holiness and greatness of this place as a pledge and sign of the people’s faithfulness to their Lord.

Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Two

The content of the psalm consists of a depiction of that intense prayer and expectation with which the Hebrews were filled before the end of the captivity and before their return to their homeland.

Only to You, O Lord, dwelling in the heavens, do we turn with prayer, and only from You do we expect mercy, just as a servant or servant girl expects reward from their masters (1–2). We expect forgiveness from You, because during the long time of our stay in captivity we are already saturated with contempt from the haughty and proud oppressors of ours (3–4).

Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Three

Just as with psalm 121, this psalm has the name of David in the inscription in the Hebrew Bible, but in the Vulgate and in the LXX there is no such inscription. In agreement with the inscription, one can think that the psalm was written by David during a war, probably with the Syrians, when there was an attack on the southern borders of Judea by the Edomites.

If it were not for the Lord being with us, we would have perished in the torrent of misfortunes (1–5). Blessed be the Lord, who sent us help; in His name is our protection (6–8).

It is known that during the struggle with Syria, to which all those capable of bearing weapons were drawn, the southern borders of Judea remained defenseless. The Edomites, having attacked Judea, encountered no opposition and, if they had wished, could easily have surrounded and cut off David from Jerusalem and destroyed his troops. The psalmist rightly compares such a dangerous position with the threat of being swallowed up (Ps 123:3).

Psalm 123:4. The waters would have drowned us, the stream would have gone over our soul; Psalm 123:5. The turbulent waters would have gone over our soul. “Waters” is an image of abundance of misfortunes, “turbulent waters” are strong misfortunes, capable of drowning, completely destroying.

Psalm 123:7. Our soul has escaped, like a bird, from the snare of the catchers: the snare is broken, and we are delivered. “Our soul has escaped, like a bird, from the snare of the catchers” – our life, which was threatened with destruction, escaped the latter through the intercession of the Lord.

Psalm 123:8. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who created heaven and earth. “Our help is in the name of the Lord” – our strength lies in the firmness of our trust in the Lord, who alone can save from the most dangerous situations and, by human understanding, from hopeless positions.

Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Four

The psalm can be considered written after the return from the captivity, during the first cares of the returned for the ordering of the city, the temple and their life, when the obstacles encountered on this path did not yet appear to be insurmountable, when in the Hebrew people the prevailing mood was – the mood of joy from the return from captivity and hope in the help of God in the further ordering of their life.

Psalm 124:1. He who trusts in the Lord, like Mount Zion, shall not be moved: he remains forever. Psalm 124:2. Mountains surround Jerusalem, and the Lord surrounds His people from now on and forever. He who trusts in the Lord finds in Him such firm protection as Jerusalem finds in the mountains surrounding it on three sides against attacks of enemies, he is as firm as Mount Zion, solid and immovable. The comparison indicates that trust in the Lord will never deceive the one who trusts in Him. This was tested by the Hebrews who fell into captivity, from which they could never free themselves by their own strength and whom nothing but their hope in the Lord extracted from there.

Psalm 124:3. For the Lord will not leave [the rod of the wicked over the lot of the righteous, so that the righteous do not stretch out their hands to wrongdoing. However great the misfortunes sent by the Lord upon the righteous, the latter will not remain unrewarded by Him: the Lord will save him, have mercy on him, and will not bring the righteous to despair, which could compel him to seek help and protection from the wicked. Such were the misfortunes of the captivity for the Hebrews, hard for them, but not destructive to their faith, and they had the character of cleansing it.

Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Five

The first verse of the psalm clearly indicates the time of its composition – upon the return from the captivity, when the Hebrew people were full of the most joyful feelings and expectations.

Upon the return from the captivity we were full of joy and thanksgiving to God for the great deed of liberation (1–3). Return, O Lord, from the captivity all those who remain there. We hoped that the Lord would abundantly reward our labor on the native fields by sending an abundant harvest (4–6).

Psalm 125:1. When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like dreamers: Those returning from the captivity were “like dreamers,” that is, there were presented to them pictures of extraordinary contentment and well-being, which they hoped to find on their native land. Since the return from the captivity was an act of God’s mercy, which was marveled at even by the pagans (verse 3), the Hebrews could dream that these mercies would be abundantly poured out on them especially in their land of blessing, and therefore those returning from the captivity were full of dreams, of dreams, were as if in a dream.

Psalm 125:4. Return, O Lord, our captives, as the streams on the south. Not all Hebrews returned from the captivity, but only the poorest part of this people, while the majority remained to live among the pagans. For the return of the latter those who came out of the captivity pray: return, O Lord, all that mass of fellow tribesmen that remain in foreign lands just as You return water to the earth through the south winds, which bring abundant and necessary water for the earth from the sea.

Psalm 125:5. Those who sow in tears will reap with joy. Psalm 125:6. He who carries seed with weeping will return with joy, bearing his sheaves. The content of the dreams and expectations of the Hebrews. Those returning from the captivity had a very insufficient quantity of seed for their fields, which is why the sowing they produced covered an insignificant area of land, from which by ordinary economic calculation could be obtained only an insignificant harvest, but the Hebrews hoped that the Lord would reward their labor far beyond their expectations, which is why “he who carries seed with weeping” into the earth when sowing “will return with joy” at harvest time.

Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Six

Only in the Hebrew Bible does this psalm have an indication of Solomon as the author, in the Vulgate and in the LXX there is no such addition, which can be explained by the fact that the 70 translators had difficulty placing the name of Solomon as the author over that psalm, which was placed in the category of “songs of ascents,” written upon the return or after the return from the Babylonian captivity. However, the content of the psalm, where the writer preaches complete submission of man to God and life according to His guidance, not by reliance on one’s own strength, completely agrees with the content of the works of Solomon (the Book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes), where he bases human conduct on “the fear of the Lord” (Eccl 12:13-14) and where he proves the meaninglessness of man’s attachment to the earth. The inclusion of this psalm, written by Solomon, by the composers of the canon in the category of songs of ascents is explained, probably, by the fact that this psalm, preaching complete devotion to the Lord, was most frequently used by the Hebrews returned from the captivity at the time when they were engaged in building the second temple and when they encountered many obstacles on this path, insurmountable by their strength, and when their perseverance in the work and confidence in its completion could be nourished only by faith and hope in God, of which this psalm speaks.

If the Lord does not show favor to man, then all his attempts and efforts to establish his well-being are in vain; quiet and peace the Lord gives only to the one whom He loves (1–2). Behold the expression of God’s favor – children, who are for parents such protectors as arrows for an archer, with which he will oppose the enemies of the people in the gates of the city (3–5).

Psalm 126:1. If the Lord does not build the house, those who build it labor in vain; if the Lord does not guard the city, the watchman wakes in vain. Psalm 126:2. In vain you rise up early and stay up late, eating bread of sorrow, for He gives to His beloved sleep. The words of these verses have special meaning in the mouth of Solomon, who became famous for his grandiose structures of the temple and palaces, over the construction of which many architects and craftsmen of that time labored, which would seem to suggest that human persistence and effort always lead to success. Yet Solomon says the opposite. The meaning of his words is that every work of man, begun with the blessing of the Lord, will succeed, but what is erected not with His blessing, and especially contrary to His will, no matter how great the efforts of man, will end in failure. An example of the latter is the construction of the Tower of Babel after the flood, which is an impressive monument not to how great human effort is and how fruitful his genius, but to how fruitless all his efforts are if they are directed against God or provoke His wrath. – “For He gives to His beloved sleep” – not in the sense that whom the Lord loves can do nothing, but in the sense that he who builds in accordance with God’s will and according to His command can be at peace about the successful completion of his work, since he finds himself protection in the Almighty Being. With respect to the position of the Hebrews after the captivity during their cares about building the second temple, these words could fill them with confidence that however great the obstacles they encountered on their way, the work of construction would be completed successfully, since it is in accordance with God’s will, and therefore the Hebrews drew strength and energy from here for its continuation.

Psalm 126:3. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord: the fruit of the womb is His reward. Psalm 126:4. As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the young sons. Psalm 126:5. Blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them! They shall not be put to shame when they speak with enemies in the gates. In abundance of children the ancient Hebrews saw a sign of God’s favor. The writer explains the significance, in what the external good consists in large families and in what God’s favor is seen here: children are the protection of their parents, children are also the protection of the city and the homeland from enemies, when they come out for the defense of both and others in the event of attacks.

Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Seven

The failures that befell the Hebrews in their undertakings upon returning from the captivity, such as, for example, the actions of the Samaritans, oppression from the pagans, insufficient harvests, undermined their energy in the work of building the temple and could cause some fear that the Lord was depriving them of His mercy, as a result of which some coldness of attitude toward the work could arise in them and attempts to improve their external situation by drawing closer to the pagans. All this presented a threat that the Hebrews might not abandon the true God and thereby not completely destroy themselves as the chosen people of God. To instill in them faith in God, to inspire them to continue the work of building the temple and to recreate their former greatness as a holy and chosen people was the need of the moment they were experiencing and served as the subject of the preaching of the prophets Haggai, Malachi, and Zechariah. With the content of the words of these prophets the present psalm has close similarity.

He who walks according to the commandments of the Lord will be rewarded by Him with success in his labors and family happiness (1–4). The Lord will bless him to see the well-being of Jerusalem and his grandchildren (5–6).

Psalm 127:3. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons like olive plants around your table: A wife is compared to a fruitful “vine in your house.” The Hebrews had the custom, as they do now in the East, of planting grapevines near their dwellings, so that the branches would wind around the building itself.

Psalm 127:5. The Lord will bless you from Zion, and you will see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life; “The Lord will bless you from Zion,” that is, from the sacred mountain of Jerusalem. The indication of Zion served as a warning – not to be carried away by pagan cults, but to strictly follow the commandments of the Lord, to whom the Temple is being built on Zion, that is, to the true God.

Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Eight

For the same purpose – the religious inspiration of Israel and the instilling of faith in God – not only promises of good in the future, as we saw in psalm 127, but also indications of the facts of his past life could serve, from which it is clearly seen that the Lord rewarded the Hebrews for their faithfulness to Him. Therefore, this psalm, as a continuation of 127, should be considered written also during the post-captivity period, during the activity of the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, during or about the time of the activity of Ezra and Nehemiah.

My enemies have greatly oppressed me, but the Lord has cut the bonds of the wicked and saved me (1–4). May all my enemies now be put to shame, may they turn back, and may the dried grass and may they not hear the wishes of success for their deeds (5–8).

Psalm 128:1. Many times have they troubled me from my youth, let Israel now say: By “youth” is meant here the earlier life of the Hebrew before the captivity period and especially the earliest period of his life after the exodus from Egypt, when he, as a young people devoted to God, often enjoyed His miraculous help in difficult moments of his life.

Psalm 128:3. Ploughers have ploughed upon my back, they have made long their furrows. “Ploughers have ploughed upon my back” – an image of heavy misfortunes that the Hebrew people had to endure, when upon his back sat enemies and bent him to the earth, that is, caused him to suffer greatly. One can also understand here the Babylonian captivity, a time of civil disenfranchisement of the Hebrews. Some understand by the back Mount Zion and Jerusalem, which was destroyed by the Babylonians.

Psalm 128:4. But the Lord is righteous: He has cut the bonds of the wicked. “He has cut the bonds of the wicked” – He has led them out of captivity.

Psalm 128:5. May all those who hate Zion be put to shame and turn back! “Be put to shame and turn back” – have no success. May even now all persecutions from enemies end in failure.

Psalm 128:6. May they be like grass on the roofs, which before it is plucked up withers, Psalm 128:7. by which the reaper cannot fill his hand, nor he that binds sheaves his bosom; The writer prays to God that He would turn enemies into withered grass on roofs. On the flat roofs of Hebrew houses, as is done now by the inhabitants of the East, a small, thin layer of earth was often spread, on which grass appeared, quickly growing and quickly drying, which therefore could not be reaped. May the enemies of the Hebrews be thus weakened, may they turn to dust and be scattered by the wind.

Psalm 128:8. And those who pass by do not say: “The blessing of the Lord be upon you; we bless you in the name of the Lord!” It is customary to say wishes of success to everyone working in his labors. May the activity of the enemies of the Hebrew people be so unsuccessful that no one will express to them wishes and blessings from the Lord.

Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Nine

This psalm too is a prayer to God by the Hebrews found in captivity, from which they longed for liberation and about this they urgently besought the Lord.

Psalm 129:1. Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord. “Out of the depths” is understood to mean the misfortunes of the captivity and rejection by God, which it represented.

Psalm 129:3. If You, O Lord, should mark wrongdoings – O Lord! who would stand? The captives beg God for leniency toward their sins. There is not a single sinless man on earth; if the Lord were to punish each person for every deed he has committed, no one would escape His condemnation (“if You, O Lord, should mark wrongdoings, who would stand?”). But the Lord can cleanse from sins and then have mercy, which is what the writer asks for (verse 4).

Psalm 129:5. I hope in the Lord, my soul hopes; and in His word do I trust. Psalm 129:6. My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning, more than the watchmen for the morning. “In His word do I trust,” that is, I believe that You, O Lord, will fulfill those promises given by You through the prophets about liberation from captivity; by Your mercy our wrongdoings will be forgiven and we with great desire and strain await liberation, just as the night watchman awaits the coming of morning, the end of his responsible and difficult service.

Psalm 129:7. Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is mercy and with Him is much redemption, Psalm 129:8. and He will redeem Israel from all his wrongdoings. Faith in the mercy of the Lord creates in the writer confidence that He will send “much redemption,” that is, complete liberation from captivity, and that He will not impute his wrongdoings to the Hebrew people, and this confidence gives a bold and joyful tone to the entire content of the psalm. The psalm is used at vespers, before the time of nightfall (which can be compared with the times of the Old Testament), when the believer prays to God for the preservation of himself in well-being and for leniency toward the “wrongdoings” he has done during the day.

Chapter One Hundred Thirty

According to the inscriptions in the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles, this psalm is attributed to David. From the circumstances of the life of this king, the occasion for its composition can be considered his response to the reproach of Michal during the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant into the tent in Zion. She saw in the king’s dancing before this holy object a diminishment of his royal dignity, which she apparently thought should be expressed in carefully calculated and methodically important actions of the king, rather than in such simple, sincere, and unaffected behavior as David displayed here. His answer to Michal (2 Sam 6:20-22) is very close to the content of this psalm, in which David speaks of his humility.

Lord, I have never been proud and artificially arrogant: this is foreign to me. I am like a child, humbly submitting myself to the will of the Lord. Let Israel also trust in Him (1–3).

Psalm 130:1. Lord! my heart has not been puffed up, and my eyes have not been lifted up, and I have not walked in things too great and too wonderful for me. “I have not walked in things too great and too wonderful for me” – the same as “my heart has not been puffed up,” that is, I have not tried artificially to maintain my dignity, to show myself to others as other than what I am, or to elevate my dignity in the eyes of others. David always lived according to what was in him, and in this case, sincerely rejoicing at the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant, he showed his joy in unaffected actions.

Psalm 130:2. Have I not humbled and quieted my soul, like a child weaned from its mother? My soul is in me like a weaned child. A child weaned from its mother’s breast, accustomed to other food, sits calmly in her arms, asking nothing from her. David compares himself with such a child, one who placed full faith in God’s help and made no demands upon Him.

Psalm 130:3. Let Israel trust in the Lord from this time forth and forever. This is probably a liturgical addition from a later time.

Chapter One Hundred Thirty-One

The mentioned psalm can be considered as written by Solomon during the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant from the tent of David into the temple newly constructed by him. This event is indicated, for example, by Ps 131:8, where the writer addresses the Lord with a prayer to stand with the Ark at a “place of rest,” by which the Lord would show favor to his anointed one “for the sake of David” (Ps 131:10). The verses Ps 131:8-10, moreover, are cited in the content of Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple (2 Chr 6:41-42). And indeed, the entire content of the psalm presents a solemn song, which corresponds most of all to the indicated time.

Lord, remember all the distress of David, who was concerned about building the tent of God, which then stood in the fields of Jearim (1–6). Now let us all go to the footstool of the place of God’s constant dwelling and let all rejoice (7–9). Do not turn away, Lord, Your face from Your anointed one, from the line of David, to whom You promised Your favor, if he is faithful to You (10–12). Behold, the Lord has chosen Zion as His dwelling place forever and will pour out His favor on all people. He will cause the horn of David to grow and will put to shame all his enemies (13–18).

Psalm 131:1. Remember, Lord, David and all his distress. “Distress” – David’s lamentation over the fact that he did not see the Ark of the Covenant, that greatest treasure of the Hebrew people, in a dwelling worthy of it, and over the establishment of a place suitable for God he was indeed distressed.

Psalm 131:3. “I will not enter the tent of my house, I will not go up onto my bed; Psalm 131:4. I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, Psalm 131:5. until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob”. These indicate David’s unwavering determination in seeking a place worthy of God for the construction of a tent for Him.

Psalm 131:6. Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah, we found it in the fields of Jearim. Ephrathah is the name of a city in the region of Kiriath-jearim, and Jearim, from the Hebrew Jachir, which means “forest,” is a place near Kiriath-jearim, from which David transferred the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.

Psalm 131:7. Let us go to His dwelling place, let us worship at the footstool of His feet. “The footstool of His feet” – the Ark of the Covenant, upon which the Lord Himself was invisibly present and which therefore served as the footstool of His feet.

Psalm 131:8. Arise, Lord, to Your place of rest – You and the ark of Your strength. “Place of rest” – the place of God’s constant dwelling (see verse 14). – “Ark of Your strength” – the Ark of the Covenant, with which the Hebrews went out to battle and from which the Lord granted the Hebrews miraculous help.

Psalm 131:9. Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Your holy ones rejoice. Let Your priests always be preachers of truth, steadfastly following Your commandments, and let them teach this truth, this knowledge of the law to all the people by explaining it, and by their life let them show an example of worthy fulfillment of the law. – “Holy ones” – the entire Hebrew people, called to be a holy nation. They “shall rejoice” because, being taught by their shepherds the knowledge of the law and living their lives in accordance with the commandments of the Lord, they will call forth from His side an outpouring of abundant mercies upon themselves.

Psalm 131:10. For the sake of David, Your servant, do not turn away the face of Your anointed one. “Your anointed one…” – Solomon. The expression that the Lord should not turn away His mercies from him “for the sake of David” shows the extraordinary humility of Solomon, by which he does not consider himself so valuable before God as to be able to claim any merits before Him and ask for reward as payment; for himself he asks these mercies for the sake of the merits of his father.

Psalm 131:11. The Lord has sworn to David in truth, and will not break it: “Of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne. Psalm 131:12. If your sons will keep My covenant and the revelations of Me, which I will teach them, then their sons also forever shall sit upon your throne”. The oath of the Lord “in truth, which He will not break,” consists in the promise to David of a continuous succession of kings descending from him. But this promise of God is conditioned on the constancy and firmness of the devotion of David’s descendants to the Lord, that is, the obligation of God rests not on external faithfulness to His promise, but on the moral worth of those to whom it is given. The history of the Hebrew people illustrates this promise beautifully, showing that the Lord rewarded all faithful descendants of David and sustained them on the throne, but afterward, when they turned away from Him, the royal line of David came to an end.

Psalm 131:14. This is My place of rest forever: here I will dwell, for I have desired it. Jerusalem is “God’s place of rest forever,” for all the time of the faithfulness to Him of the Hebrew people, to whom He will pour out His mercies. The expression “forever” has another meaning as well. With the rejection of ancient Israel and its replacement by the new covenant, Jerusalem has become a sacred city in the eyes of all Christians and, as long as Christianity lives and is active, and according to Christ’s promise it is eternal, this city remains a sacred place for all the world, the place of the manifestation and birth of new life, the place glorified by the works, teaching, and death of the Savior of the world.

Psalm 131:16. I will clothe his priests with salvation, and his holy ones will rejoice with joy. See verse 9.

Psalm 131:17. There I will cause the horn of David to grow, I will set in place a lamp for My anointed one. “Horn” – a symbol of strength and power. The horn of David consisted, of course, not in the military victories by which he made his people powerful and awesome to the neighboring nations, and not in internal reforms that brought order and peace to the life of the people, since both of these had only temporary significance and fleeting value, but by “horn” we must understand his eternal power and eternal value. The latter consisted in the descent from him of the Messiah, the founder of a new kingdom, unshakeable by any powers of hell and human schemes, and one that brought new light into life, drawing the whole world to itself. In this sense, Apostle Peter applies the words of the mentioned psalm directly to Christ (Acts 2:30).

Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Two

In the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles, the psalm is attributed to David. Its origin can be referred to the time of the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, when the latter became not only the administrative center for the entire Hebrew people, but also the religious center, which was intended to serve as the binding link for all the tribes and thus unite the entire Hebrew people into a strong and mighty nation. David understood well the significance of Jerusalem with the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to it, and the psalm written by him was not only a clarification of this significance, but also an invitation to all those discontented with the transfer of the Ark here (and there were such, see Ps 67:16-17 see explanation) to fraternal unity.

Life in unity among brothers is as good and beneficial as the precious oil poured on the head of Aaron, or as the dew of Hermon, which revives Zion.

Psalm 132:1. How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together! Psalm 132:2. It is like precious oil on the head, flowing down onto the beard, the beard of Aaron, flowing down onto the edges of his garment; When Aaron was consecrated as high priest, myrrh was poured on his head in such abundance (Lev 8:12) that it flowed down onto the edges of his garment. By the latter is probably understood the lower hems, which corresponds to the meaning of the image: just as the myrrh poured on Aaron flowed down from his head to the lower edge of his garment, so Jerusalem unites among itself the most divided and distant parts of the Hebrew people.

Psalm 132:3. As the dew of Hermon, coming down on the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord commanded the blessing and life forever. From the mountain of Hermon, very rich in moisture and heavy dews, the latter frequently were carried by winds to Zion as well, refreshing and sustaining vegetation upon it. As precious is the myrrh on the head of Aaron, as beneficial is the dew of Hermon, so precious and beneficial is the unification of all Hebrews around Jerusalem, the new center of religious and administrative life.

Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Three

Upon returning from captivity, the Hebrews took care to restore proper worship according to the law of Moses. A pious writer encourages the Levites and priests to worthily fulfill their duties of service in the temple. A form of this service should be also nighttime prayer before God, for which zealous service the Lord will reward those who honor Him appropriately (Ps 133:1-3). In the words “bless … the Lord … in the night,” calling for constant vigilance and glorification of God, lies the basis for its use in the midnight office.

Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Four

See the explanation of Psalm 135.

Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Five

The mentioned psalms are of identical content, although Psalm 134 concludes the Little Hallel among the Hebrews (Ps 112-117), while Psalm 135 begins the Great Hallel. Both psalms present a solemn hymn to God with an enumeration of His numerous benefactions granted to the Hebrews during their entire historical life and up to the last moment when these psalms were composed. The Lord is sung in them as the Creator of the world, the Protector of the Hebrew people, performing various miracles, miraculously delivering them from the yoke of Egypt and giving them Palestine as an inheritance. He is the living and all-powerful God; the idols of the nations are nothing before Him, and therefore all Israelites are invited to sing His praise.

The solemn tone of the content of the psalms, the elevated and praiseworthy-grateful feeling with which they are imbued, presume also an event of high importance that served as the occasion for their composition. This event could be considered the construction and consecration of the Second Jerusalem Temple.

Both psalms are called Polyeleos psalms because they are used in the celebration of the polyeleos at great feasts. The importance of the feast fully corresponds to the solemn tone of the content of the psalms.

Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Six

In the Hebrew Bible the psalm has no inscription with the author’s name, but in the Latin and Greek versions the name of David is given. The latter indication cannot be considered correct: the content of the psalm (Ps 136:1-3) represents a remembrance of the Babylonian captivity already after its end and the return of the Hebrews to their homeland, events of which David could not be a witness. The very character of the narrative is a vivid and touching account of the author about what he experienced, which could not have been experienced by David. A more precise determination of the time of composition of the psalm can be found in the indication of Ps 136:8 and Ps 136:9, where Babylon is presented as threatening and not yet despoiled. From the comparison of the content of the first three verses of the psalm with the last two, it can be concluded that the psalm was written soon after the return of the Hebrews from captivity under Cyrus the Persian, before the destruction of Babylon in 517 BC in the 6th year of Darius Hystaspis, that is, before the completion and consecration of the second temple.

In Babylonian captivity our songs became silent and our harps hung on the trees (1–2). Our oppressors asked us to sing some of the Zion songs. May my tongue become parched and my hand withered if I sing and play in a foreign land, and if I forget you, Jerusalem (3–6)! Lord, repay Edom for its malice toward Jerusalem. Blessed is he who shatters your children against the stones, daughter of Babylon, you devastator (7–9).

Psalm 136:1. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept when we remembered Zion; “By the rivers of Babylon” – the rivers referred to are the Tigris and Euphrates, with their tributaries and artificial channels made by the Babylonians for the irrigation of their fields.

Psalm 136:2. Upon the willows, in the midst of it, we hung our harps. “Upon the willows.” Along the banks of the numerous rivers and tributaries of the Babylonian lowland grew many willows. The banks of the rivers were a favorite place for the captives to visit.

Psalm 136:3. There those who carried us away captive asked us for words of songs, and those who oppressed us asked for gladness: “Sing to us from the songs of Zion”. The Hebrew people was one of the most musical peoples of the ancient East. The Hebrews were famous both for the abundance of poetic works and for the development of instrumental music. But the music and poetry of the Hebrew people was of a religious character: it concerned the singing of God and Zion and had prayerful content. It was closely tied to Palestine, the temple, and to the various manifestations of God’s guidance of the Hebrew people. The singing of these songs therefore had sacred and national significance. The request of the Babylonians that the Hebrews sing them some of the sacred Zion songs was merely simple curiosity, entertainment, and the fulfillment of this request by the captive Hebrews appeared in the eyes of the latter as a profanation, an offense against the sanctity of the content of their poetry and their religious feeling, wherefore it was indignantly rejected.

Psalm 136:5. If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill; Psalm 136:6. Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above the chief of my joy. “Let my right hand forget its skill” – cease to act, that is, wither. – “Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth” – likewise wither. “Set Jerusalem above the chief of my joy” – to rejoice only in what is a joy to all Jerusalem. While the Hebrews were in captivity, Jerusalem was laid waste and lay in ruins. Its repopulation and restoration to its former significance for the Hebrew people was the only dream and the chief joy of the captives.

Psalm 136:7. Remember, O Lord, what the children of Edom said on the day of Jerusalem, when they said, “Destroy it, destroy it down to its foundation”. Edom or the Idumaeans, a people related to the Hebrews, was always hostile to its brother people, and in all the sorrowful events of its life took an active and evil part. So it was also at the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, when the Idumaeans rejoiced at this national calamity (Amos 1:11; Obad 1:10-15).

Psalm 136:8. Daughter of Babylon, you devastator! Blessed is the one who will repay you for what you have done to us! Psalm 136:9. Blessed is the one who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock! In the prophet Isaiah (Isa 13:16-18) the terrible fate of Babylon is foretold by the very features indicated in this psalm. The severity of this judgment is the immutable will of God, which will likewise be immutably carried out and will find its executor. The latter is called by the writer of the psalm blessed because through him one of God’s determinations is fulfilled, and therefore just and beneficial, though it may seem cruel and harsh in the eyes of man. The entire psalm beautifully conveys the sorrowful and penitent mood in which the Hebrews lived in captivity, their longing for their homeland, and their dream of national renewal.

Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Seven

In ancient Hebrew editions of the Bible this psalm has an inscription with the name of David; it is likewise inscribed in the Vulgate and in the LXX, in which the latter has the addition of Zechariah and Jeremiah. The latter inscription indicates that this psalm was particularly intensively used by pious Hebrews during the time of the activity of these prophets. When the psalm was written by David, there are no precise indications in the psalm itself. But its general thanksgiving and praiseworthy content for the especially great mercies of the Lord to David, which give the latter grounds to expect all earthly kings to turn to the Lord (Ps 137:4), provides grounds to suppose that the psalm was written after the promise was given to David about the descent from him of a Great and Eternal Descendant.

I praise You, Lord, before all gods, for Your mercies toward me (1–2). You have helped and saved me in times of trouble, and You have granted me great mercy. Your name will become glorified and all kings will worship You (3–5). The Lord will protect the humble: He will destroy his enemies and save him without effort on his part. Do not abandon, Lord, the works of Your hands (6–8).

Psalm 137:1. I praise You with all my heart; before the gods I will sing to You, [for You have heard all the words of my mouth]. By “gods,” (in the Greek and Latin versions, “angels”), are meant the priests (Exod 22:28; Mal 2:7). David comes forth with his thanksgiving and praiseworthy word before all the people.

Psalm 137:2. I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your mercy and for Your truth, for You have magnified Your word above all Your name. “You have magnified Your word above all Your name” – You have given a great promise, which fills me with such grateful feeling toward You, which exceeds and surpasses all that I previously received from You and which served for the praise of Your name, that is, above Your former benefits and mercies. By such a benefit, mercy, that is most valuable and dear to David, we must understand the promise of the descent from him of the Messiah.

Psalm 137:4. All the kings of the earth will praise You, Lord, when they hear the words of Your mouth, Psalm 137:5. and they will sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. The great promise given by God to David will become the possession of the whole world. All kings will learn of it and will understand that with its fulfillment new ways of life will come, which will renew all people and the whole world, and these ways they will praise. Here is a brief indication of what is disclosed more fully in the prophet Isaiah (Isa 2:1-4).

Psalm 137:6. The Lord is high: yet He sees the humble, and the proud He knows from afar. Psalm 137:7. If I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me. Psalm 137:8. The Lord will accomplish this for me! Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever: do not abandon the work of Your hands. The Lord always shows favor to the weak and defends him. However great the dangers, He will preserve and by His strength defend him. The faith expressed here by the righteous in the constancy of help and protection from the Lord could serve as comfort for the pious Hebrew in difficult times of life during the ministry of the prophets Jeremiah and Zechariah and be a constant prayer on his lips, which explains the addition to the psalm’s inscription of the names of these prophets alongside the name of David. * * * In the Septuagint: before the Angels.

Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Eight

According to the inscriptions of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles, the psalm belongs to David. There are no precise indications in the content of the psalm as to the time and occasion of its composition. Because the content of the psalm is imbued with the feeling of awe before the omniscience of the Lord and expresses fervent faith and devotion of David to the Lord, it can be supposed that it was written around the time of the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, when this religious celebration filled him with a high sense of awe and strengthened his devotion to the Lord. The addition in the LXX to David’s name of the name of Zechariah points to the time of the latter prophet as a period when this psalm was particularly widely used among the Hebrew people.

Lord, You know all my thoughts, my words, and my deeds, and Your knowledge evokes reverence in me (1–6). Wherever I may go – into Sheol or to heaven, to the end of the universe, even if I were to hide myself in darkness, You see and know all (7–12). You have woven me in my mother’s womb, wonderfully formed me, and all the days of my life are written in Your book (13–16). How wonderfully You have formed everything, and how marvelous are all the manifestations of Your creative thought, which cannot be counted (17–18)! Your greatness evokes in me hatred for all the wicked who dare to slander Your name (19–22). Test me, God, and do not let me turn away from You (23–24).

Psalm 138:1. Lord! You have tested me and know me. Psalm 138:2. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thoughts from afar. “Tested” – in the sense of examined, studied, and therefore You know all that I can think, say, or do. – “You know when I sit down and when I rise up,” that is, the facts of my ordinary, everyday life. – “You understand my thoughts from afar” – beforehand, even before my thoughts are formed and clarified to myself, You know them.

Psalm 138:3. Whether I walk or rest – You surround me, and all my ways are known to You. Psalm 138:4. Even before a word is on my tongue – You, Lord, already know it completely. Psalm 138:5. Behind and before You embrace me, and You lay Your hand upon me. “Walk,” “rest,” “my ways” – manifestations of my external activity outside the home – they are known to You. You know beforehand my future words, my speech. – “Behind and before You embrace me” – either in the sense that You have examined me completely from all sides, or in the sense that You know not only what I am doing now, but also my past and future.

Psalm 138:6. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me – it is high, I cannot understand it! Your knowledge is so all-embracing and profound that it naturally evokes a feeling of awe before You and a consciousness of the impossibility for man to comprehend it.

Psalm 138:7. Where can I go from Your Spirit, and where can I flee from Your face? You, Lord, are all-knowing and omnipresent. Nothing, nowhere, and at no time can be hidden from You.

Psalm 138:8. If I ascend to heaven – You are there; if I descend to Sheol – and there You are. Psalm 138:9. If I take the wings of the dawn and settle on the far side of the sea, – Psalm 138:10. even there Your hand will guide me, and Your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 138:11. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will become night”; Psalm 138:12. but even darkness will not be dark to You, and night is as bright as day: as darkness, so is light. If a man should try to hide from You in the high spheres of heaven or in the underworld, in Sheol – You are there. To take the “wings of the dawn” – to move with extraordinary speed, like the swift rays of the rising sun illuminating the entire earth from east to west. – “Far side of the sea” – the Mediterranean Sea, which was located to the west of Palestine. According to the understanding of ancient inhabitants of the East, the waters of this sea limited the entire ancient world from the west. “Your hand will guide me, and Your right hand will hold me fast” – the same as in verse 5, “You lay Your hand upon me,” that is, You know what I will do and see that I will act in the direction known to You by foresight, that is, a man at all times, in all places, and in all his deeds is the executor of God’s predestinations concerning him, not in the sense of God compelling man, but in the sense of man’s free choice of the path which God foresaw. – “If darkness will hide me” – if I should try to act secretly, this is useless: everything is known to You, night for You is as clear and bright as day is for man.

Psalm 138:13. For You have formed my inward parts and woven me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 138:14. I praise You, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. Psalm 138:15. My bones were not hidden from You when I was being made in secret, fashioned in the depths of the womb. Psalm 138:16. Your eyes saw my unformed body; in Your book all my days were written down, even though not one of them had yet come to pass. “You have formed my inward parts” – You know my nature, my composition, both in the psychological and emotional sense, as well as in the external physical sense. – “Woven me together in my mother’s womb” – the human organism with all its members is presented as being composed in a complex and intricate manner, like skillfully woven and patterned fabrics, where each thread and line serves the overall pattern and the strength of the fabric. You know my “bones … when I was being made … in the depths of the womb.” Your knowledge of me is complete and profound; it encompasses not only my external structure, my outward appearance, but also my internal organs, my bones from the very moment of their formation and development in my mother’s womb. – “Your eyes saw my unformed body” – You know my initial state, which, like a seed for a plant, contains in itself its future form and value, that is, You know all that should come from me. – “In Your book all my days were written down” – You know the span, the duration of my life even before I was born.

Psalm 138:17. How exalted to me are Your thoughts, O God, and how great is their number! “Thoughts” of the Lord – the entire diversity of creation in its composition, powers, and purpose amazes man and is too much for him to fully study; to God all is known perfectly, since each of His creations owes its origin to Him and is a bearer and fulfillment of the divine thought with which it was created; it can be said that each creation has its own ideal, toward the fulfillment of which it is endowed with appropriate powers. To understand these thoughts, ideals, and to know them is impossible for man because of their exaltedness and infinite diversity. They are more numerous than the sand, and each morning and each day of the psalmist, when he devotes himself to the study of God’s creation, reveals the entire diversity of the latter and God’s creative power, so that he is always with Him. The meaning is that the author of the psalm always and everywhere finds new manifestations of the great thoughts of the Lord in His creations, always sees Him (verse 16).

Psalm 138:19. O that You would destroy the wicked, O God! Depart from me, you bloodthirsty men! Psalm 138:20. They speak wickedly against You; Your enemies take Your name in vain. Psalm 138:21. Do I not hate those who hate You, Lord, and abhor those who rise up against You? Psalm 138:22. I hate them with complete hatred: they are enemies to me. If in the author of the psalm there is developed such a deep understanding of the greatness of God in all creation, then everyone who “speaks wickedly against Him,” who slanders and degrades the Lord, is his enemy, with whom he desires to have no fellowship.

Psalm 138:23. Test me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts; Psalm 138:24. and see if there is any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way eternal. These verses are the conclusion of all the content of the psalm. If the Lord holds all things in His power, then the true conduct of man should be expressed in devotion to Him and submission to His guidance, wherefore the author prays to the Lord to test him and direct him onto the proper path, if he has deviated from it in any way. The psalm presents a vivid and artistic depiction of Divine omniscience and omnipresence.

Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Nine

The psalm according to the inscription in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles belongs to David. Its content is similar to Ps 57 and Ps 63. The conclusion in all three psalms is almost identical word for word. The depiction in the psalm of David’s enemies as deceitful, oppressive, crafting schemes and slandering him is similar to the characteristics we have already encountered repeatedly in the psalms from the period of persecutions by Absalom; therefore this psalm should be considered as written at that time, when David had not yet fled from Jerusalem, but saw all that his enemies were planning against him.

Preserve me, O Lord, from the enemy, flattering in speech, evil in heart, my oppressor, who has laid snares and nets for me (2–6). Cover me from him and let my enemy perish, as it were in fire (7–11). I believe that the Lord will not allow the wicked to triumph, will protect the innocent and the blameless will find in Him shelter (12–14).

Psalm 139:3. they devise evil in their heart, every day they array themselves for battle, “Every day they array themselves for battle” – they spend each day in enmity toward me and persecutions through schemes.

Psalm 139:4. they sharpen their tongue like a serpent; the venom of an asp is under their lips. An indication of the means that David’s enemies employed against him. They stirred up the people against him through slander and flattering ingratiation toward him.

Psalm 139:8. O Lord, O Lord, the strength of my salvation! You covered my head in the day of battle. “The strength of my salvation” – in You is my strength; only from You, and not from man, do I await help and protection. “To cover the head… in the day of battle” – to protect from the stroke of the enemy, to save.

Psalm 139:9. Do not grant, O Lord, the desire of the wicked; do not let the success of his evil plot: they shall exalt themselves. Since my enemies do evil, let the latter cover their heads, that is, let my enemies bear what they deserve: as my righteousness shall appear to me as protection from them, so let their evil deeds destroy them.

Psalm 139:12. A man of evil tongue shall not be established on the earth; evil shall hunt the oppressor to destruction. David’s faith in the destruction of his enemies rests on faith in the triumph of righteousness: evil cannot be rewarded by God, and therefore my evil-tongued enemies will surely perish.

Psalm 139:14. So! the righteous shall praise Your name; the blameless shall dwell in Your presence. “To dwell in the presence” of the Lord means either to always enjoy His protection, as if living under the roof of His dwelling, or – to give thanks to Him for the protection afforded, through prayer before the place of His dwelling, before the Ark of the Covenant, in His tabernacle.

Chapter One Hundred Forty

It is possible to relate the writing of this psalm by David to the time of persecution by Absalom. This is indicated by David’s description of himself as persecuted by enemies, and nowhere does he speak of his complete innocence before God, but only that the hostility of his enemies’ actions was not caused by deeds on his part that would justify the force of this hostility. On the contrary, his prayer to God that He preserve him from all that is bad and the words “let the righteous strike me” (Ps 140:5) make it possible to presume that David did not always follow God, and that he received rebuke from a righteous man. Such understanding of these words of the psalm points to a well-known transgression of David with Bathsheba and his rebuke by the prophet. The consequence of David’s aforesaid transgression was, as we have said before, family discord and, in particular, the rebellion of Absalom.

In Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles the psalm is attributed to David.

Hasten, O Lord, to me with Your help; let my prayer be directed to You, as incense at the evening offering (1–2). Keep me from bad words and crafty thoughts; let the righteous rebuke me, but I am always against evil deeds (3–5). Enemies fiercely pursue us, as though with a plow they split the earth, while I am innocent toward them and meek (6–7). I trust in You and believe that You will protect, while the wicked enemies shall fall (8–10).

Psalm 140:2. Let my prayer be directed as incense before Your face, the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. The psalm presents a prayer to God for salvation from enemies. Let my prayer be as pleasing to You, O Lord, as the evening offering and incense, offered before You according to the law of Moses, are pleasing. David, evidently, was outside Jerusalem, when he could not offer to God the prescribed sacrifice and the place of the latter is now taken by his spoken prayer and the lifting up of his hands to the Lord.

Psalm 140:3. Set, O Lord, a guard upon my mouth, and a door of protection upon my lips; Psalm 140:4. do not let my heart turn aside to words of evil for the justification of sinful deeds together with men who do iniquity, and do I not taste of their delights. Psalm 140:5. Let the righteous strike me: it is kindness; let him rebuke me: it is the finest oil, which shall not harm my head; but my prayer is against their evil deeds. “Set, O Lord, a guard upon my mouth, and a door of protection upon my lips” – do not let me transgress Your commandments by word, give me strength for worthy use of the gift of speech, directing it toward serving You. Keep me, preserve me from turning aside to deceitful, seductive and sinful words, keep my path straight, do not permit “my heart to turn aside to words of evil for the justification of sinful deeds” – to fabricate, to resort to justifications, to shift and evade in seeking artificial excuses, as wicked people do; do not count me among their chosen ones, their accomplices. Let every deed of mine be rebuked by the righteous; this rebuke is beneficial and useful, like oil upon the head. Factual confirmation is provided by David’s rebuke by the prophet Nathan, which brought about in him deep repentance and served toward his moral renewal and reconciliation with God. – “But my prayer is against their evil deeds” – not only do I not wish to be an accomplice to evil, but I pray to You to stop, to arrest their evil deeds.

Psalm 140:6. Their rulers have been scattered over the rocks, and they hear my words, that they are gentle. Psalm 140:7. As though the earth is split and torn apart for us; our bones scatter into the jaws of the underworld. “Their rulers have been scattered over the rocks” – the rulers of my wicked enemies are everywhere watching me, they are scattered even across all the hills and cliffs. – “They hear my words, that they are gentle” – my exhortations to them are gentle and heard by them. The malice of enemies was not caused by my treatment of them: I was gentle, they sought to destroy us as they would break ground for sowing.

Psalm 140:8. But to You, O Lord, O Lord, my eyes are turned; in You do I trust, do not cast away my soul! Psalm 140:9. Keep me from the snares that are set for me, from the nets of the wicked. Psalm 140:10. The wicked shall fall into their own nets, and I shall pass through. David here points out that those who persecute him can find nothing evil or bad in him for which he should be driven as they do. Such malicious persecution of David on their part will find due punishment from God. The Lord will punish them with severe, final outcome of their life, rejection by Him. Faith in his own righteousness and awareness of the sinfulness of the enemies’ actions instill in David the confidence that they will perish in those schemes (“snares,” “nets”) which they set for him; he, David, will remain unharmed (“I shall pass through”). This faith of David, as the outcome of Absalom’s persecutions shows, was vindicated.

Chapter One Hundred Forty-One

According to the inscription, the psalm in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles belongs to David and depicts that state which he experienced in a cave. Here is understood David’s stay in the cave of Odollam (1 Sam 22:1-2) during the persecutions by Saul.

During times of trouble I cried out to the Lord and sought protection only in Him, for there was no protector around me (1–4). I cried out to the Lord: hear my cry, deliver from oppressors, and then the righteous shall gather around me (5–7).

Psalm 141:2. I poured out my supplication before Him; I declared my trouble to Him. “I poured out my supplication” – indicates the constant, intensified prayer of David to God.

Psalm 141:3. When my spirit grew faint within me, You knew my path. On the way by which I walk, they have secretly set a snare for me. Psalm 141:4. I look to the right and see; there is none who recognizes me: refuge has failed me, no one cares for my life. Psalm 141:5. I cried to You, O Lord, I said: You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. Psalm 141:6. Hear my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from those who persecute me, for they are stronger than I. “When my spirit grew faint within me,” You, O Lord, “knew my path” – You loved, approved my actions, gave me protection and favor. – “No one recognizes me” – there was no one among men who would be close to me, everyone shunned me. – “Refuge has failed me” – I had nowhere to flee to hide from enemies, therefore I seek protection only in You.

Psalm 141:7. Bring my soul out of prison, so that I may praise Your name. The righteous will gather around me, when You show me kindness. “Bring my soul out of prison” – deliver me from heavy sorrows, from constrained circumstances, so that I may praise You. Then (when troubles have passed) the righteous ones, who wait and watch the course of my fate, will join me, so that when You “show me kindness” – protect me and render to my enemies what is due – they will join with me for Your praise. Psalms 140 and 141 are used at evensong. As in Ps 129 psalm, here is laid out a prayer to God for salvation from troubles, for the correction of prayer in the manner of “an evening sacrifice” (Ps 140:2) and for deliverance from the position abandoned by all, defenseless, as a man is during sleep – (an image of the Old Testament).

Chapter One Hundred Forty-Two

Written, according to the inscriptions of the Greek and Latin Bibles, during the persecutions by Absalom, the psalm presents a prayer to God for the speediest possible help and inner enlightenment of the persecuted writer.

O Lord! Hear me and do not enter into judgment with Your servant (1–2). The enemy persecutes me; I lose courage and am comforted only by meditation on Your deeds (3–5). I wait for Your help, as thirsty earth waits for rain. Grant me Your mercy and deliver from enemies (6–9). Teach me to fulfill Your will and destroy my enemies (10–12).

Psalm 142:1. O Lord! Hear my prayer, listen to my supplication in truth; hear me in Your righteousness Psalm 142:2. and do not enter into judgment with Your servant, because no one living is righteous before You. “Listen to my supplication in truth; hear me in Your righteousness.” Protect me, O Lord, unjustly persecuted and punish the persecutors, for they act wickedly; for You, O Lord, are the defender of righteousness.

Psalm 142:3. The enemy pursues my soul, crushes my life to the ground, forces me to live in darkness, like those long dead, – “Crushes my life to the ground” – danger threatens me with death, descent into the earth, into the grave.

Psalm 142:5. I remember the days of old, I meditate on all Your deeds, I ponder the works of Your hands. “I remember the days of old, I meditate on all Your deeds, I ponder the works of Your hands.” In the difficult circumstances of persecution David remembered the extraordinary mercy that the Lord showed in the history of the Hebrew people, reflected, as much as circumstances allowed, on all that He did, reflected also on all His creation. Evidently, these reflections had a soothing effect on David, as they revealed the extraordinary love of God toward all creation, therefore in the following verses David continues to turn to Him with a prayer for speedy help (6–7 vv.).

Psalm 142:8. Let me hear Your mercy in the morning, for in You do I trust. Show me, [O Lord,] the way in which I should walk, for to You I lift up my soul. Psalm 142:9. Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; to You I have fled. Psalm 142:10. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; let Your good spirit lead me into the land of righteousness. “Let me hear Your mercy in the morning” – see speedy help. – “Show me… the way in which I should walk,” “Teach me to do Your will,” “let Your good spirit lead me into the land of righteousness” – these expressions are synonymous. Teach me, O Lord, unswerving adherence to Your commandments, so that I may be worthy to dwell in that land (Palestine) which You appointed only for the righteous.

Psalm 142:11. For Your name’s sake, O Lord, revive me; in Your righteousness bring my soul out of distress. “For Your name’s sake, O Lord, revive me” – so that I may be worthy to praise Your name, revive me through justification, inner purification from my shortcomings. Here – David’s acknowledgment of a certain uncleanness of his before God during his flight from enemies, – one of the signs of the psalm’s origin during the persecution by Absalom, which we have mentioned above. This psalm is the last in the hexapsalm. Having strengthened man in hope of obtaining salvation (Ps 102), the Church on behalf of the believers prays to God to show him the way of action (8 v.), teach him to fulfill His will and grant him the “land of righteousness” (10).

Chapter One Hundred Forty-Three

In the Greek and Latin Bibles, compared with the Hebrew inscription, the name of David is further supplemented with “against Goliath,” which indicates the occasion for writing the psalm. The content of the psalm has nothing that could be in contradiction with this indication of the inscription, and therefore it can be considered as a prayer before the single combat with the Philistine giant, written only after the victory was won.

In the psalm there are many passages that we have encountered before in other psalms, for instance, in 8, 17, 37, 101, and others.

Blessed is the Lord, my shield and my stronghold (1–2). O Lord, man is insignificant before You, his life is like a shadow, yet You remember him (3–4). O Lord! Bow Your heavens and flash lightning, stretch out Your hand and save me from foreigners, who are full of lies (5–8). For my salvation I will sing You a new song, as also for the deliverance of my people from foreigners (9–11). Let there be a life in my people full of both family happiness and external, material abundance (12–15).

Psalm 143:1. Blessed is the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle, David attributed his victory over Goliath to divine help, which he had prayed for before entering into battle.

Psalm 143:3. O Lord! What is man, that You know about him, and the son of man, that You pay attention to him? The choice of David and his anointing by the prophet Samuel as king over Israel filled David with a sense of awe before God, who him, insignificant among men, yet deemed worthy of a great choice and destiny. In the latter – the manifestation of God’s great mercy toward David. David’s victory over Goliath made his name the most popular among the Hebrew people. In honor of him they composed songs and set him above Saul. The hearts of the Hebrews noticeably inclined toward David, which David noticed and in which he saw the beginning of the fulfillment of his divine calling to be king over Israel, therefore he says that the Lord “subjects to him the people” (Ps 143:2).

Psalm 143:4. Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. It may be that the words of this verse refer to Goliath, who, in his confidence in his strength and victory over David, did not foresee how near his destruction was.

Psalm 143:5. O Lord! Bow Your heavens and come down; touch the mountains, and they shall smoke; Psalm 143:6. flash lightning and scatter them; send Your arrows and confuse them; Psalm 143:7. stretch forth Your hand from on high, deliver me and save me from great waters, from the hand of foreigners, The Lord is almighty: the mountains obey Him and tremble before Him, He sends forth lightning. Show me also protection in the struggle with my enemy, send from heaven miraculous help to me (“stretch forth Your hand from on high”).

Psalm 143:8. whose mouths speak falsehood and whose right hand is a right hand of deception. A characterization of the Philistines. The Hebrews waged frequent wars with them and for complete securing of their territory from their attacks, one victory of David over Goliath was not sufficient, but the complete scattering of this whole people was necessary. David prays to the Lord to help him scatter the enemies, so hostile to the Hebrews and deceitful in their dealings with them.

Psalm 143:12. May our sons be as fully grown plants in their youth; our daughters as cornerstones carved for a palace; Psalm 143:13. May our granaries be full, overflowing with all kinds of grain; may our sheep multiply by thousands and ten thousands in our pastures; Psalm 143:14. may our cattle be fat; may there be no breach, no exile, no cries of distress in our streets. Psalm 143:15. Blessed is the people to whom this belongs. Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord. David desired that with the victory over the Philistines a new era of happy and satisfied life would open for the Hebrews.

Chapter One Hundred Forty-Four

According to the inscriptions of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles the psalm belongs to David. The time and occasion of its writing are unknown. It is possible only to conjecture on the basis of its grateful and laudatory content that it was written on the occasion of great mercies shown to him during the time of his life.

The psalm is alphabetical; only one verse, or rather one couplet is missing (the letter “nun” is omitted), which is supplied in the Vulgate and in the LXX as a supplement to verse 13.

I will praise and exalt the name of the Lord every day for His greatness, deeds, and might (1–7). The Lord is merciful and compassionate, His kingdom is eternal (8–14). The Lord sustains all the falling, according to His good pleasure feeds each one, is near to all who call upon Him, preserves those who love Him, and will destroy the wicked. Let all flesh bless the Lord. (15–21).

Psalm 144:1. I will exalt You, my God, my King, and bless Your name forever and ever. “Bless Your name forever and ever” – always, eternally. David praised the Lord throughout his entire life, and his psalms, having become the property of the Church, sound forth in her constantly and now, and will be heard all the time as long as the Church exists, that is, eternally.

Psalm 144:7. They shall declare the memory of Your great goodness and sing of Your righteousness. “Declare the memory… of Your goodness” – to proclaim, continually speak of those miraculous deeds of the Lord in which His goodness toward David and all living things was manifested.

Psalm 144:15. The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due season; Psalm 144:16. You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor. The mentioned verses form a prayer before a meal. “You give them their food in due season” – at the proper time, all living things receive from You what is necessary for the support of their existence. – “You satisfy every living thing with favor” – this satisfaction is the work of Your mercy toward what exists.

Chapter One Hundred Forty-Five

All the following group of psalms, beginning with 145 and ending with 150, are laudatory, alleluia, devoted to the Lord for the mercies granted by Him to the Hebrew people. All of them closely adjoin one another and mutually complement themselves. Thus psalm 145 speaks of the return of the Hebrews from captivity (Ps 145:7), 146, 147 – about the restoration and strengthening of Jerusalem (Ps 146:2), 149 – about the restoration of Hebrew nationality, therefore all peoples, all nature and all Jews are invited to a as solemn as possible glorification of His great deeds (149–150 psalms). The writing of these psalms should be referred to the time of the completion by the Hebrews of the building of the second temple and Jerusalem, when they, clearly conscious of all the great significance of what had happened to them, were filled with the best hopes for their future life under the shadow of God and when among them, believing in the sayings of the prophets about a happy life after captivity, thoughts could arise about vengeance upon all heathen peoples. This vengeance would be the execution of divine punishment upon them.

I will praise the Lord all my life. Do not put your hope in man, whose life is short and whose strength is weak, but hope in the Lord, the almighty Creator of all that exists, merciful to weak man and eternal, Zion, your king (2–10).

Chapter One Hundred Forty-Six

To this psalm, which in the Hebrew Bible is considered 147, is attached the one which in the LXX is designated with the numeral 147, so that the numbering of psalms in the Hebrew Bible no longer advances by one and becomes, beginning from psalm 148 until the end of the Psalter, the same as in both the Hebrew and Greek Bibles. The connection of psalms 146 and 147 (by the numbering of the Greek Bible) is clearly seen in the Vulgate, where although psalm 147 (by the Greek numbering) stands under a separate number, the verse numbering is peculiar: psalm 146 ends with verse 11; in the LXX, psalm 147 begins with verse 1, but in the Vulgate not with 1, but with 12, thus being a direct continuation of the verse numbering of psalm 146.

Praise the Lord who builds Jerusalem, gathering the exiles and healing their sorrows (1–3). All the starry world is subject to Him; He produces all plants and sends His special mercies only to those who fear Him (4–11).

Psalm 146:1. Praise the Lord, for it is good to sing to our God, for it is sweet – a praise that is fitting. The praise of the Lord in hymns and songs from the Hebrew people is “fitting praise,” that which is owed. It is called forth by manifestations of Divine favor, which abundantly pour out upon the Hebrew people, beginning from the fact of their return from captivity. This “praise” is not, however, cold or merely external thanksgiving rendered to God; it fills the entirety of the writer’s being, is warmed by feeling and is the expression of a deeply stirred heart, for which it is “good” and “sweet” to pour forth in these hymns of thanksgiving.

Psalm 146:2. The Lord builds Jerusalem, He gathers the exiles of Israel. Psalm 146:3. He heals the broken in heart and binds up their sorrows. The reason for praising the Lord – the return of the Hebrew people from captivity and the restoration of Jerusalem. These events, being the beginning of a new, nationally distinctive era of life, heal those sorrows in the Hebrews which were the consequence of knowing that in captivity they were slaves, having lost the political and civic independence for which they lamented and which they ardently desired. Now these lamentations are ended and the desires of the Hebrews are fulfilled.

Psalm 146:4. He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by their names. Psalm 146:5. Great is our Lord and great is His strength, and His understanding is infinite. The heaven is studded with an uncountable number of luminaries. It is impossible for a person to recount them. With God, however, they are all numbered, which points to the immeasurability and all-encompassing nature of Divine knowledge. “To call by names” – to give a specific purpose. God not only knows how many stars are in heaven, but each one of them carries out and fulfills its specific function according to His will, and therefore “His understanding is infinite,” His deeds in the world a person will never come to know or comprehend with his limited mind.

Psalm 146:6. The Lord lifts up the humble and casts the wicked down to the earth. The “humble” are the Hebrews, raised up by their return from captivity both in the eyes of the ancient nations, in relation to whom they again appeared as an independent political power, and in the eyes of the Lord, Who has now drawn them close to Himself. The “wicked” are the pagan nations, whose political might is unstable and fleeting: former rulers become slaves – the Babylonians are enslaved by the Medes, who fall under the dominion of the Persians (the succession of Eastern world monarchies was happening before the eyes of the Hebrews).

Psalm 146:7. Sing a responsive hymn of praise to the Lord; sing to our God on the harp. “Sing responsively” – or in separate groups of choirs, or by classes and ranks of the people.

Psalm 146:10. He does not look to the strength of the horse; He does not delight in the speed of human feet, Psalm 146:11. The Lord delights in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy. The greatness of a person and of an entire people depends not on the abundance of his military strength (“horse” – a symbol of military power, as the number of chariots and horses in ancient times on the East measured the strength of an enemy), physical dexterity and endurance of a warrior (“speed of human feet,” i.e., the ability to run quickly, long, and forcefully, which is very important in war), but on the degree of faith in God. The latter was borne out on the Hebrews. They – a people not military and not warlike – were in captivity slaves without honor or rights among powerful pagans, but they obtained freedom and independence not through successful external struggle with their enemies, but through the mercy of the Lord, on Whom alone they relied.

Chapter One Hundred Forty-Seven

Verses 2 and 3 clearly indicate that the psalm was written on the occasion of the restoration of Jerusalem after the return from captivity, when the city gates had already been set in place, i.e., when its construction was finishing and when the field labors of the Hebrews were repaid with abundant harvests.

Praise, Jerusalem, the Lord who strengthens you. The Lord has established peace within your borders. The Lord is great and all-powerful: cold, heat, rain, and hail happen according to His will. And this Lord gave law to Jacob, but not to any other nation (1–9).

Psalm 147:1. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem; praise your God, Zion, The entire Hebrew people is called to praise the Lord as a special Caretaker and Protector of only the Hebrews (cf. verse 9).

Psalm 147:2. For He strengthens the bars of your gates, He blesses your sons within you, Psalm 147:3. He establishes peace within your borders; He satisfies you with the finest of wheat, An indication of the immediate reason for praising the Lord – the strengthening of the “bars of your gates,” i.e., the completion of the building of Jerusalem, and the “blessing of the sons” of Zion (i.e., the Hebrews in general), i.e., the peaceful and carefree condition of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who were threatened neither by external enemies nor by lack of material means for existence (Hag 1:1-15).

Psalm 147:4. He sends His word to the earth; His word runs swiftly, A depiction of Divine omnipotence. “Word” – Divine command; “to run swiftly” – to be fulfilled unfailingly and immediately. All the commandments of the Lord as Ruler of the Universe are immediately carried out, whether they concern the life of nations or the external nature.

Psalm 147:5. He gives snow like wool; He scatters hoar-frost like ashes, Psalm 147:6. He casts down His hail in pieces; who can stand before His frost? Psalm 147:7. He will send His word and it will melt; He will blow His wind and the waters will flow. Snow, white like wool of sheep washed before shearing; hoar-frost, thick like ashes from a bonfire; strong frost, destroying vegetation in winter and dangerous to human health; ice in winter and streams in spring – all this happens according to the will of the Lord.

Psalm 147:8. He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His judgments to Israel. Psalm 147:9. He has not done this to any other nation, and they do not know His judgments. Alleluia. Jacob (the Hebrew people) should always stand in awe before Him and thank Him, for the Lord, the Almighty Ruler of the Universe, shows special favor only to the Hebrew people. The expression of the latter is the law given to it through Moses and the prophets, which no other nation possesses. “Word,” “statutes,” “judgments” – see explanation on psalm 118.

Chapter One Hundred Forty-Eight

This psalm is an expression of an extraordinary enthusiastic and grateful surge of feeling of the Hebrew people, calling upon both bodiless Angels (verses 1–2) and all heavenly luminaries (verses 3–6), and all that is on earth – the forces and phenomena of nature, the plant and animal world (verses 7–10), all people and all nations (verses 11–12) – to praise the Lord for the exaltation of His chosen one, His people (verses 13–14).

Psalm 148:1. Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights. Psalm 148:2. Praise Him, all His Angels, praise Him, all His hosts. “To praise… from the heavens,” “to praise… in the heights” – the Angels are called to praise the Lord as His nearest servants, dwelling primarily in heaven. – “Hosts” – the various ranks of Angels, constituting as it were the army of the King of heaven.

Psalm 148:5. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He spoke, and they came into being, He commanded, and they were created, Psalm 148:6. He established them forever and ever; He gave a decree that will not pass away. All the luminaries in the heaven fulfill the deeds appointed to them by the Lord. The law determining the course and movement of the luminaries “will not pass away” – it is immutable, as given by the Being Who is all-knowing and all-powerful, in Whose deeds and commandments there cannot be anything erroneous, imperfect, and therefore needing correction or annulment.

Psalm 148:8. Fire and hail, snow and fog, a stormy wind that fulfills His word, The movement of wind, so incomprehensible to a person as to the laws of its origin and action, and apparently completely free, fulfills “His word,” i.e., is subject to the will of the Lord just as all other forces and phenomena of nature.

Psalm 148:13. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and the heavens. All the earthly and heavenly world is called to praise the Lord, for He is the One True Lord, and everything existing in heaven and on earth owes its origin to Him and its rational arrangement, which thereby testifies to His glory.

Psalm 148:14. He has raised up a horn for His people, praise for all His saints, for the sons of Israel, the people near to Him. Alleluia. “Horn” – a symbol of strength. To raise up the “horn” of the Hebrews – to give them strength and significance which are recognized and valued by other nations. The return of the Hebrews from captivity, the building of Jerusalem, and the new, independent life began for them precisely from the moment of settlement in Palestine. This moment fills them with such joyful feeling and is so significant in their eyes that together with the Hebrews, the entire world is called to thanksgiving to the Lord.

Chapter One Hundred Forty-Nine

Let Israel sing to the Lord a new song with drums and harps for the manifestation to him of His favor (verses 1–5). Let the lips of Israel always be full of glorification to God, and let hands prepare the sword to carry out over the peoples “the judgment that is written” (verses 6–9).

Psalm 149:1. Sing to the Lord a new song; praise Him in the assembly of the saints. During the Babylonian captivity the songs of the Hebrews, corresponding to their repentant disposition and outwardly heavy and degraded position, bore a sad character. Now, however, after the return from captivity and the restoration of Jerusalem, their condition has changed; and their songs have changed as well – instead of sad ones, they became solemn hymns of praise and joyful. “Assembly of the saints” – an assembly of Hebrews in the temple.

Psalm 149:3. Let them praise His name with songs, let them sing to Him with the timbrel and the harp, “To praise… with songs” – to praise with a choir.

Psalm 149:4. For the Lord takes pleasure in His people, He adorns the humble with salvation. The “humble” are the Hebrews during captivity, which they endured in a repentant disposition, with a full understanding of its deservedness and in humility (see the book of the prophet Baruch), for which they were given by the Lord “salvation…” and deliverance.

Psalm 149:5. Let the saints exult in glory, let them sing for joy on their beds. Let the name of the Hebrews become glorious in the eyes of all nations; let the former triumph over the latter; let their life be peaceful and undisturbed, so that they could safely devote themselves to rest (“on their beds”).

Psalm 149:6. Let praise to God be in their mouths, and a two-edged sword in their hands, Psalm 149:7. To execute vengeance upon the nations, punishment upon the peoples, Psalm 149:8. To bind their kings in chains and their nobles in fetters of iron, Psalm 149:9. To execute upon them the judgment that is written. This honor is to all His saints. Alleluia. “Let praise to God be in their mouths,” i.e., let the Hebrews remain always the foremost worshippers of their Lord. In this lies the fundamental condition of their earthly greatness, strength, and invincibility. Then the sword in their hands will be terrible for their enemies, the pagan peoples, who will not stand before them, but will be defeated and turned into slaves. On the condition of faithfulness and devotion to the Lord, the Hebrews will appear as instruments in the hands of the Lord for the execution of that judgment upon the peoples which is written in the books of the law and proclaimed through Moses (Deut 32:35). This honor – to be judge over the pagans – belongs to all “His saints,” i.e., the Hebrews, under that condition. But, as is known, the Hebrew people did not preserve faithfulness to their Lord, by which they deprived themselves of this right and honor, which passed to and are now being fulfilled by the new Israel – Christians, and not in the form of crude, military predominance, but in the form of cutting off and destroying among the pagans their false beliefs and their coarse, sensuous way of life.

Chapter One Hundred Fifty

Praise God, dwelling in His sanctuary on the firmament of His might, for all His power and majesty (verses 1–2). Let all who live praise Him on the psaltery, harps, timbrels, cymbals, and in songs! (verses 3–6).

Psalm 150:1. Praise God in His sanctuary, praise Him in the firmament of His power. The “sanctuary” of the Lord – the holy place where He dwells, i.e., in the temple or in heaven, as places of His special presence.

Psalm 150:3. Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet, praise Him with the psaltery and the harp. Psalm 150:4. Praise Him with the timbrel and song, praise Him with stringed instruments and the organ. Psalm 150:5. Praise Him with the loud-sounding cymbals, praise Him with the cymbals of exultation. On musical instruments, their significance and use, see the introduction to the Psalter.

Chapter One Hundred Fifty-One

This psalm is non-canonical: it is not in the Hebrew Bible, but is in the LXX, which indicates the antiquity of its origin. Who was the author of the psalm is unknown. Hebraists (Ewald) consider the original language of the psalm to be Hebrew. One can suppose that it was written by some pious singer from among the Levites, was widely known among the people, which is why the LXX included it in the Psalter they translated.

The speech in the psalm is given from the mouth of David.

I was the youngest among my brothers, I kept the sheep and played on the psaltery I made (verses 1–2). I was in no way distinguished, but the Lord singled me out from my brothers (verses 3–5). I went forth against Goliath, cut off his head, and thus saved the sons of Israel (verses 6–7).

The entire psalm very truly conveys a distinctive trait of David – his humility. His election by the Lord he attributes not to any merits or accomplishments of his own, but to His favor. The victory over Goliath is depicted here not as a personal feat of brilliant strength and dexterity of David, but as a humble and obedient execution of the mission laid upon him by the Lord; the victory belongs not to David, but to God. Everything in the psalm from the life and deeds of David is attributed to the favor of the Lord. The author of the psalm rightly understood and skillfully noted this trait of humility of David and his devotion to Divine guidance.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Introduction

The Book of Proverbs of Solomon in the Hebrew Bible is placed in the third part of the biblical canon among the so-called Ketubim or Hagiographs, and among them occupies the second place—after the Book of Psalms and before the Book of Job. The Hebrew name of the Book of Proverbs: Mishle-Shelomo or more commonly simply Mishle, as is the Greek of the LXX: Paroimiai Salomontos, and the Latin of the Vulgate: Parabolae Salomonis or liber proverbiorum and similar terms—point to the predominant form of exposition of this sacred book, whose content consists precisely of proverbs, that is, in most cases, fragmentary, aphoristic, and sometimes connected, in sequential order (embracing entire sections) sayings, in which are proposed both speculative truths—principally of a religious character, for example about God, His attributes, His governance of the world, about Divine (Hypostatic) Wisdom and so forth, and—more frequently—various rules of practical wisdom, prudence, and good conduct in religious-moral, social, family, labor, and economic life, and so on, and—sometimes—empirical observations about the course of life, deeds, and destinies of humans and the world; in short, “proverbs” encompass or capture the entire sum of questions of knowledge and life that presented themselves to the observation and reflection of the ancient Hebrew—theocrat, whose spiritual character was defined by the law of Moses and the distinctive character of ancient Hebrew Old Testament history. The fundamental meaning of the Hebrew mashal: “comparison,” “likeness,” that is, speech not merely with literal meaning, but also with figurative, speech in which a phenomenon, for example, of moral world-order, is clarified through comparison with a phenomenon of the physical world (see Ezek 17:2; Prov 25:11). The comparison takes on different forms, from which arise various types of proverbs:

1) synonymous proverbs; the second half of the verse repeats the thought of the first, only in somewhat different form (Prov 11:15 and others);

2) antithetical, in which the second hemistich expresses the reverse side of the truth given in the first line, or its direct opposite (Prov 10:1);

3) parabolic proverbs, combining in themselves elements of both synonymous and antithetical proverbs: they present something similar in completely different kinds of phenomena, especially ethical and physical phenomena, and the first line of the verse presents some feature from scenes of nature, while the second—some ethical truth; the first hemistich presents, so to speak, an allegorical picture, while the second—an explanatory caption to it (for example, Prov 11:22).

From such an artificial form of proverbs it naturally follows that they can in no way be identified or compared with folk proverbs, of which there are many among every people (among the Greeks: a collection of proverbs of the seven sages, poets, and Pythagoras; among the Romans—Cato, Julius Caesar), and there were especially many among the peoples of the ancient East, for example among the Arabs (collections of proverbs, as products of folk wisdom, among the Arabs were known under the name—Abu Ubaidah and al-Maydani). On the contrary, in the collection of the Proverbs of Solomon are given the works precisely of one or several wise men—to embrace the truths of religion or general wisdom in application to the many diverse particular cases of life and express them in brief, clever, and easily memorized sayings (see Explanatory Bible, vol. II, p. 383), which, having no close logical connection among themselves, are arranged only in external connection with one another.

Although it is undoubtedly true that “proverbs” are, in a certain sense, a product of the subjective creativity of the wise man, a product of the independent exercise of the wise man in the law, nevertheless it is completely inadmissible to think, as some Western biblical scholars do, that the wisdom of the Book of Proverbs has no connection with the religion of the people of God, or even stands in contradiction with it; on the contrary, religion forms the basic foundation of all the sayings of the Book of Proverbs, the law of Moses—the fundamental presupposition of all the moral and other teachings of this book: Divine revelation—an unchanging source of all divinely-illuminated wisdom of the sacred proverb-maker. Hence the proverbs of Solomon are distinguished from other Eastern proverbs precisely by their religious direction and the character of revelation stamped upon them, from which they proceed, and as a result—the character of purity, definiteness, and inerrancy, with which all the relationships of life are understood here and raised to knowledge of the definite purpose appointed by God for humanity.

The aggregate of sayings contained in the Book of Proverbs constitutes the so-called “wisdom,” Hebrew hokhmah. This wisdom, spoken by various wise men, is an independent and autonomous Power, speaking through the wise men, giving them and all the knowledge of revealed truth (Prov 29:18: “without revelation from above the nation is not restrained, but he who keeps the law is blessed”). All the teaching of the Book of Proverbs is the word of Jehovah or the law of Jehovah: more specifically, it proceeds from the person of the eternal Wisdom that created the world (Prov 8:27-30; see Prov 3:19), and even before the creation of the world was with God (Prov 8:22-26), always near to the sons of men (Prov 8:31), and in Israel was especially proclaimed publicly to all the common gatherings (Prov 1:20-21), listening to the prayers of those who ask (Prov 1:28), pouring out the spirit of wisdom on those receiving her (Prov 1:23), in a word—the personal or hypostatic Wisdom of God.

“Psalm 36. The essential character of the wisdom taught by the Book of Proverbs, as well as all the so-called wisdom sacred biblical literature (some psalms: Ps. 36, Ps 49, Ps 72, the Book of Job, the Book of Ecclesiastes, the Book of Jesus, son of Sirach), is composed of two fundamental characteristics. This wisdom, in the first place, is wholly founded on a religious basis and is in its essence true knowledge of God and worship of God: “the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord” (Prov 1:7); “the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Prov 9:10). This wisdom, in the second place, has primarily and especially a practical character: whereas in the prophetic writings very much space is devoted to speeches about the fates of the people of God, about their beliefs and so forth, in the Book of Proverbs all this theoretical element appears only as the foundation, the presupposition of all the judgments of the sacred writer, while the main subject of his speech always forms the practical life of the theocratic community and the individual member of it according to the guidance of the law of Jehovah. There exists a way of the Lord and this way is a stronghold for the blameless, and a fear for those who work wickedness (Prov 10:29). The source of all true wisdom is in the law of Jehovah: “From the Lord are established the steps of a man; and He delights in his way” (Prov 20:24). Accordingly, as people follow the way of Jehovah or turn away from it, all humanity is divided into the wise and the foolish, that is, those disposed to receive the law of God and follow His ways—godly people, and those trying to place their partial will in place of the general will of God that applies to all, and thus disturbing the harmony of the world—ungodly and sinful people (see, for example, Prov 10:23). Moreover, as inevitable consequences by God’s judgment, virtue has as its consequence good and happiness, while wickedness and sin—all kinds of calamities (see, for example, Prov 12:21). From this fundamental principle flow all the numerous instructions of the Book of Proverbs, embracing all the diversity of the vital and everyday relationships of a person. As a whole, the aggregate of sayings of the Book of Proverbs presents itself as a kind of special moral legislation, parallel to the legislation of Moses. But if the books of Moses, by their very character as law-giving books, direct preeminent attention to the development of the national forms of the civil and religious life of the Hebrews, as an exclusively divinely-chosen people, then the legislation of the Book of Proverbs stands from a universal point of view (in the entire book the name of Israel is never mentioned) and aims at, alongside the specific traits of biblical Hebraism, also developing the general human aspects of spiritual life, a common humanitarian direction toward truth and good. The concept of wisdom—in the sense of the Book of Proverbs—is not limited to mere religiosity, piety, and godliness, but encompasses the life of the Hebrew theocrat in all its diversity, in all directions, and in all respects; for example, the concept of wisdom necessarily includes: prudence, discernment, caution, artistic talents, and much else. Agreeing in respect to the predominant legislative content with the books of the law of Moses and differing in this from the historical and prophetic writings, the Book of Proverbs has that similarity with the latter in that the moral element in it, as among the prophets, decidedly predominates over the cultic and ceremonial. But there can be no question of any so-called hostile relationship of the philosophy of the Book of Proverbs to the law of Moses (which some admitted, for example, I. F. Bruch, Weisheitslehre der Hebraer. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Philos. Strassburg. 1851). On the contrary, the law of Moses in the moral legislation of the Book of Proverbs found a new point of support, inasmuch as the development of general human humane virtues had to soften the hard-hearted spirit of the people and dispose them to the fulfillment of the commandments of the law, besides which the decision of moral questions in the Book of Proverbs gives only in the spirit of the law. It is therefore just that the Jewish tradition (Midrash on the Book of Song 3:2) asserts that Solomon, passing gradually from saying to saying, from comparison to comparison, in this way investigated the secrets of the Torah, and even that before Solomon no one understood the words of the Torah in the proper manner. If in Prov 21:3 righteousness and good deeds are placed above sacrifice, this is by no means a protest against the law of Moses (whose authority, on the contrary, is in every way protected in the Book of Proverbs, see Prov 28:9: “whoever turns his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination”), but merely a clarification of its meaning—the very same clarification that we find throughout and repeatedly in the prophets (see 1 Sam 15:22; Isa 1:10-20; Hos 6:6). Since, according to the view of the Book of Proverbs itself, for the understanding of its instructions and counsel there are required: a certain wisdom, a developed sense and feeling of human dignity, the legislation of the Book of Proverbs, like our moral-Christian philosophy, was originally intended for the intelligentsia of the people, first of all for the rulers of the people themselves (as is evident from many passages of the book, the heirs of Solomon were taught by its lessons before all and more than others).” Judging by all the content of the Book of Proverbs, as a teaching on wisdom, as well as by the very title of the book Prov 1:2-6, in which it is called, among other things, wisdom and words of the wise, one should consider the ancient name of the book, parallel to the accepted “Proverbs,” Hebrew Mishle, to be another: “book of wisdom or Wisdom,” Hebrew sefer Hokhmah. Under such a name the book was known already in ancient Hebrew tradition (in the Talmud see tosefta to tr. Baba batra 14b), and from there the name passed into Christian, ancient church tradition. Although Origen uses only the designation “Proverbs,” when he conveys Hebrew Mishle with Greek transcription Misloth, the more usual designation among ancient church teachers of our book was sophia, panareios sophia. Thus, Saint Clement of Rome (1 Epistle to the Corinthians 67:3), citing the passage Prov 1:23-33, expresses himself: “Thus says the all-virtuous wisdom.” Melito of Sardis (in Eusebius of Caesarea “Church History,” book IV, chapter 26, §13) cites both names of the book, as equally common: “Paroimiai Salomonos, and also Sophia.” According to the testimony of the church historian Eusebius (Church History, book IV, chapter 22, §9), not only Melito of Sardis, Hegesipos, and Saint Irenaeus of Lyon cited by him, but all ancient Christendom called the Proverbs of Solomon the all-virtuous wisdom, panareios sophia (“the whole choir of the ancients called the Proverbs of Solomon panareios sophia”) and, in the opinion of Eusebius, such a designation came “from the unwritten Jewish tradition.” The name “book of Wisdom,” without doubt, is more fitting for the Book of Proverbs of Solomon than for the two non-canonical wisdom books: “Book of the Wisdom of Solomon” and “Book of the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach.” And even in comparison with two canonical books—the Book of Job and the Book of Ecclesiastes, ordinarily counted among the wisdom biblical literature, that is, containing the revelation of the teaching on wisdom—the Book of Proverbs has the advantage of fullness, wholeness, and completeness of the revelation of the teaching on wisdom. In the Greek, Slavic, and Russian Bible, as in the Vulgate, the Book of Proverbs belongs to a sevenfold collection of sacred books—the Book of Job, the Psalter, the Proverbs of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, the Wisdom of Solomon, and the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach—which by their content are called wisdom books (Orthodox Catechism) or wisdom books, “because in them we are taught wisdom and true Wisdom” (Preface to the first-printed Slavic Bible), and by the form of their exposition are poetic (Saints Gregory the Theologian, Cyril of Jerusalem, John of Damascus, and others), that is, in the broad sense poetic, more specifically in their exposition everywhere presenting the so-called parallelism of members (concerning the types of this parallelism in the Book of Proverbs we have spoken above). The origin and composition of the Book of Proverbs. As the creator of the proverbs in Prov 1:1 King Solomon is named. And Christian antiquity recognized the Book of Proverbs as a single work of Solomon alone, just as the Book of Psalms was known by the name of David. Both external biblical testimony and the internal character of the proverbial wisdom of the Book of Proverbs speak in favor of Solomon’s authorship. According to 1 Sam 4:32, Solomon spoke three thousand proverbs (and his songs were one thousand five). Jesus, son of Sirach, praising the wisdom of Solomon, among other things, cries out to him: “Your soul covered the earth, and you filled it with dark sayings… for your songs and discourses, for your proverbs and interpretations the countries marveled at you” (Sir 47:17). The fame of Solomon’s wisdom, and according to the testimony of the 3rd book of Kings (1 Sam 4:34 following), spread very far, and his wisdom, serving as an object of wonder among the surrounding peoples, later became for them the subject of all sorts of legends and fabulous works of poetry. True, those 3,000 proverbs which, according to 1 Sam 4:32, Solomon spoke cannot be identified with the canonical Book of Proverbs, neither by their quantity nor by their character and content; in the entire Book of Proverbs there are no more than 915 verses, and consequently the majority of Solomon’s 3,000 proverbs could not enter the book: moreover, judging by 1 Sam 4:34, Solomon’s proverbs and wisdom in general were expressed most of all in knowledge of nature and its individual phenomena and so forth; on the contrary, in the Book of Proverbs there are no proverbs of such a kind, but there predominate vitally-practical and especially religious-moral motifs. It is therefore not without significance the supposition that the Book of Proverbs included only a certain, chosen part of all Solomon’s proverbs, of a character predominantly religious-moral. The threefold repetition in the Book of Proverbs of the inscription “Proverbs of Solomon” (Prov 1:1) represents, in any case, important testimony in favor of the origin, at least of the greater part of the Book of Proverbs from Solomon. Some particular features and indications of the content of the Book of Proverbs, in their correspondence with the person and circumstances of Solomon’s life, testify in favor of its origin from him. Here, for example, the advice is very often repeated to turn away from a dissolute woman and dissoluteness, in general to beware of the allurements of women (Prov 5:18). This advice reminds the reader of the history of Solomon’s fall through women (1 Sam 11:1 following): it is natural to see in these counsels a warning from the same danger to which the wise proverb-maker himself was subjected. In the Book of Proverbs, furthermore, there is much said about royal power, about the benefits of the rule of a wise king (Prov 28:16), God’s anointed and herald of God’s justice (Prov 21:1), mercy and truth (Prov 20:28), about his wrath upon the wicked and benefits for the righteous (Prov 19:12); about rulers both wise and foolish, about their counselors and the character of their rule (Prov 11:11-14). And here one can see the fruit of the governmental experience of the wise Hebrew king—Solomon, wholly devoted to governing the people and who experienced both the bright and dark sides of royal service. Likewise, the testimony of the Proverb-maker about himself, as the beloved son of his father and mother, as a son whom his father carefully taught to keep God’s law (Prov 4:3-4), is precisely applicable to Solomon: of Solomon being taught by David to keep the law speaks 1 Sam 3:3 (see Explanatory Bible, vol. II (St. Petersburg, 1905) p. 368). But alongside the indicated external and internal testimony of the origin of the Book of Proverbs from Solomon, there is another series of data, both external and internal, whose presence requires a limiting of Solomon’s authorship to only a certain, though very significant, part of the book. Namely, in the Book of Proverbs, besides the general inscription at the beginning of the book (Prov 1:1), there are six other inscriptions, by which the book is divided into several sections of unequal length and character, and some of these sections apparently do not belong to Solomon as a writer, but arose after Solomon and from other persons. There is some indication of these other writers already at the beginning of the book Prov 1:6, where mention is made of “words of the wise and their riddles” (divre-khakhamim ve-khidotam) as one of the constituent parts of the content of the Book of Proverbs. Then in chapter X, verse 1 (Prov 10:1) according to the Hebrew Masoretic text, and the Latin translation of Jerome, as well as according to the Russian Synodal and archimandrite Macarius, there is an inscription “Proverbs of Solomon”: by this inscription, apparently, a new period in Solomon’s proverbial creativity is marked, and the new section from Prov 10:1 to Prov 22:16 — is noticeably different from the first section of the book chapter Prov 1:1 — Prov 9:1; if in the first section the teaching on wisdom and the incentives to it are set forth in connected periodic speech, then in the second section the speech of the proverb-maker is constructed in the form of brief, aphoristic judgments according to the principle, mostly, of antithetical parallelism. Many Western biblical commentators (led by the well-known Ewald), on the basis of such an aphoristic form of speech in the section Prov 10:1-22:16, considered this section the most ancient part of the Book of Proverbs, belonging to the pen of Solomon himself, whereas the first section Prov 1-9 with its extraordinarily systematic development of thoughts, by Western biblical exegesis is considered the most recent part of the book, both in character and content, and chronologically close to the Book of Jesus son of Sirach. But the difference in form of speech, in itself, does not give grounds for considering the first and second sections of the book as belonging to different times and different writers; Solomon’s genius naturally disposed him to a multitude of forms of expressing thoughts: remaining on biblical ground, we must, in any case, recognize the entire part of the book chapter Prov 1:1-22 as Solomon’s work. The situation is different with the subsequent sections of the book. So, the sections: third, Prov 22:17 (Slavic 18) — Prov 24:22 and fourth, Prov 24:23-34, judging by the inscriptions, belong to some, unnamed wise men; it is possible that these wise men were contemporaries of Solomon, even belonging to his school, like those mentioned in 1 Sam 4:31 Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Darda. The fifth section of the book or the third main part of it is formed by chapters Prov 25:1-29:1, “Proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah collected (Hebrew: hetiku. LXX: exegrapsan, Vulgate: transtulerunt)” (Prov 25:1), in which one ordinarily sees the prophet Isaiah, as well as Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah (2 Sam 18:26); thus in this section are contained proverbs, although originating from Solomon, but receiving their present form only 300 years after Solomon—from the learned college of divinely-illuminated men of Hezekiah, who collected these proverbs from archival records (corresponding to the reading of the LXX) or even from oral tradition. In Prov 30:1, according to the Hebrew inscription, are contained the proverbs of Agur, son of Jakeh, to certain Ithiel and Ucal (Prov 30:1). In the LXX these names are transmitted figuratively, by which the meaning of the inscription of verse 1 of chapter XXX was lost. Jerome also transmits the Hebrew inscription figuratively: “Verba congregantis filii vomentis,” whereby the first is understood to mean Solomon as the gatherer of wisdom, and the second David, who belched out a good word (Ps 44:2). But the figurative understanding of a proper name of a person, moreover having a patronymic (“son of Jakeh”), is scarcely permissible. Solomon himself even in his allegorical name Ecclesiastes is called the son of David (Eccl 1:1); it remains to see in Agur an unknown wise man. Prov 31:9 contains the instruction of a certain king Lemuel, taught to him by his mother. In this name one ordinarily sees a symbolic name or of Solomon (Jerome) or of Hezekiah (Aben-Ezra, Professor Olesnitsky). Prov 31:10-31 contain praise of a virtuous wife, composed alphabetically (as an acrostic). In view of the testimony of 1 Sam 4:32, that Solomon wrote more than 1,000 songs, and the obvious similarity of the “song” of the virtuous wife with indisputably Solomonic proverbs (for example, compare Prov 31:10 and Prov 12:4; Prov 31:20 and Prov 19:17; Prov 31:22 and Prov 7:16; Prov 31:30 and Prov 11:22), it is natural to consider this praise as originating from Solomon, only its placement at the end of the book apparently indicates a later origin of this section. Thus, from the inscriptions of the book—these self-testimonies of the book about itself—we learn that the writers of it were Solomon, Agur, Lemuel, and some other, unnamed wise men. If, then, on the basis of the general inscription Prov 1:1, one calls the Book of Proverbs by the name of Solomon, then this inscription and this name—a metonymy, since the name of Solomon, the wisest of all men, has always been connected, as it is now for us, with the concept of “wisdom”; the Book of Proverbs may or can be called Solomonic in the same sense in which the entire Psalter is called and has been called Davidic, that is, in the sense of the preeminent and chief authorship of Solomon in this field. The entire composition of the present Book of Proverbs existed already by the time of King Hezekiah, the circle of friends of whom, according to the testimony of Prov 25:1, brought out in all the Book of Proverbs—according to the inaccurate expression of the Talmud (Baba Batra 15a), wrote the Book of Proverbs—more precisely, edited it, gave it its present form, by adding to the chapters collected, perhaps by Solomon himself (in the opinion of Saint Cyril of Jerusalem and Jerome) 1–24 the last seven chapters of the book, Prov 25:1-31:1, and included here proverbs that did not enter into Solomon’s own collection. The Fathers and teachers of the Church, not placing significance on the question of the origin of the present edition of the book, saw and praised in it the wisdom of Solomon. Indeed, the question of the participation alongside Solomon of other writers in its composition does not at all affect the understanding of the book, so long as faith in the divine inspiration of the book is preserved. Against the divine inspiration and canonical dignity of the Book of Proverbs individual voices were raised both among Jews and among Christians. The former were troubled by the apparent contradiction between the proverbs Prov 26:4 and Prov 26:5, and the allegedly inappropriate in a sacred book plastic description of a dissolute woman Prov 7:10-27. Both these objections were raised at the Jamnia Jewish council (c. 100 AD), but there received a satisfactory resolution, and the book in its entirety was recognized as canonical. In the Christian Church isolated voices were raised (in antiquity, for example, Theodore of Mopsuestia, in modern times—Clericus, Meyer, and others), claiming that the Book of Proverbs contains only earthly, purely human wisdom of Solomon, with earthly well-being of humanity in view. But although the rules, prescriptions, and instructions of the Book of Proverbs concerning the acquisition of wisdom do not yet reach the perfection and ideal purity of the moral teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles, nevertheless the divine inspiration and canonical authority are confirmed already by many citations of the Book of Proverbs in the New Testament. For example, Prov 1:16 and following are cited in Rom 3:15-17; Prov 3:11-12 — in Heb 12:6; Prov 3:34 — in Jas 4:6; 1 Pet 5:5. The apostolic men frequently cited the Book of Proverbs as divinely-inspired Old Testament writing (Apostle Barnabas, epistle chapter V, Saint Clement of Rome, 1 Corinthians chapters XIV, XXI, Ignatius the God-bearer, Eph 5, Polycarp of Smyrna, Филип.6). In the apostolic canons (canon 85) and in all canonical council enumerations of the Orthodox Church the Book of Proverbs has always been placed among the 22 canonical books of the Old Testament. The Christian Orthodox Church testifies to its high respect for the Book of Proverbs by the wide use of readings from this book in church worship. Readings or pericopes from this book are encountered in church services more often than from other Old Testament books: from the preeminent use of the Book of Proverbs in church worship, in Greek “pericopes,” this last designation has become common for all readings from sacred books taken for church use. Pericopes from the Book of Proverbs are offered daily except on Saturdays and Sundays at the evening services of the holy Lent, as the best edifying reading on these days of fasting and repentance (during the holy Lent almost the entire first 24 chapters are read, and Prov 31:8-31). Several readings of pericopes from the Book of Proverbs are appointed for feast days (from Prov 3-10 July, August 1, September 13 and 14: from Prov 8-1 January and March 25, from Prov 9 — on the feast days of the Mother of God and so forth) and on the days of commemoration of saints, as it were comparing the counsels of wisdom with examples of godliness, visibly presented through the lives of saints. Concerning the purpose of the Book of Proverbs, Saint Gregory of Nyssa says: “As those who labor in physical exercises in a gymnasium prepare themselves through this for bearing greater labors in actual struggles, so the proverbial teaching seems to me to be a kind of exercise, teaching our souls and making them flexible in spiritual endeavors” (Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Precise Commentary on Eccl 1:1). The two non-canonical wisdom books had a similar purpose and similar character: the Book of Jesus son of Sirach and the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon. By the composition of its content, the Book of Proverbs, as was already mentioned, presents three main parts, and the second and third parts have some additions. The first part is constituted by a collection of exhortatory speeches, embraced by the first nine chapters Prov 1-9; this—above all is the book of Wisdom, depicted as the highest good and the only worthy object of human aspiration. The first part can be subdivided into three sections, three chapters in each; in the first section are contained: negative and positive incentives to wisdom (Prov 1), the qualities of Wisdom and the good fruits and consequences of her for human life (Prov 2), and particular manifestations of wisdom in relation to God and neighbors (Prov 3); in the second section (Prov 4-6) are set forth more specifically and in detail the incentives to acquiring wisdom and the demands which it presents to a human being (Prov 4), then exhortations are offered—to avoid sensuality and curiosity (Prov 5), and also to be careful, honest, conscientious in the fulfillment of civic, communal, and other obligations (Prov 6); in the third section are depicted foolishness and wisdom, as thinking, living images or persons, each with its distinctive internal qualities and actions: in contrast to the seductions of foolishness, personified in the form of a harlot (Prov 7), there appears personified wisdom with authoritative calls to people to follow her as the sole true good (Prov 8-9). The second part of the book is formed by “Proverbs of Solomon” (Prov 10:1-22:16), with two additions: “words of the wise” — Prov 22:17-24:23-34. Here, on the foundation of the general concepts of wisdom and godliness set forth in the first part of the book, are proposed particular and diverse rules and instructions for religious-moral conduct and communal relationships of people. The third part of the book is constituted by the Proverbs of Solomon which the friends of Hezekiah, king of Judah, collected and inscribed in the book (Prov 25:1-29:1); here proverbs of a political character predominate (about the king and his rule and so forth) and practical ones (in relation to civic and social life). The conclusion of the book consists of two additions to the Proverbs of Solomon (Prov 29: a) proverbs of a certain Agur, in a very artificial and intricate form teaching true wisdom and its conduct in life (Prov 30:1), and b) instructions of the mother of Lemuel the king (Prov 31:1-9) and praise of the virtuous woman (Prov 31:10-31). General introductory information about the Book of Proverbs see in the “Survey of the Book of Proverbs of Solomon” in the synopses of Saint Athanasius the Great of Alexandria (Christian Readings, 1841, part 4, p. 355 and following) and Saint John Chrysostom (Homilies on Various Places of Holy Scripture, Russian translation, St. Petersburg, 1861, p. 537 and following); an extraction of patristic material about the Book of Proverbs can be read in the book of Professor A. A. Olesnitsky, Guides to Sacred Scripture of the Old and New Testament from the Writings of the Fathers and Teachers of the Church (St. Petersburg, 1894, p. 67 following). Scholarly investigations about the Book of Proverbs—Russian: 1) by the same Professor A. A. Olesnitsky, the Book of Proverbs of Solomon and its Newest Critics (Proceedings of the Kiev Theological Academy, 1883, nos. 11–12), 2) Bishop Michael, Biblical Science: The Wisdom Books of the Old Testament (Tula, 1900), p. 86 following, and 3) Professor P. A. Yungerov, The Origin of the Book of Proverbs (Orthodox Conversations, 1906, October, p. 161 following), 4) educational guides: Kh. M. Ordin (†Bishop Irenaeus), Kiev, 1871; D. Afanasyev, Stavropol, 1838, and others. Noteworthy is the Russian translation (from Hebrew) of the Book of Job made by Archimandrite Macarius (Glukharev), Moscow, 1861. Commentary on a large part of the Book of Proverbs was presented by the late bishop Vissarion (Nechayev) in his “Commentary on Pericopes,” vol. II (ed. 2, St. Petersburg, 1894). From foreign commentaries on the Book of Proverbs let us mention F. Mercerus (Geneva 1573), F. Umbrert (Heidelberg, 1826), E. Bertheau (Leipzig, 1847), F. Hitzig (Zurich, 1858), F. Keil, Delitzsch (1873), H. Ewald (1867), J. Lange—O. Zöckler (1867), the most recent W. Frankenberg (in Nowack’s Handkommentar) Göttingen, 1898. The views of Jewish tradition on the content of the Book of Proverbs expressed themselves, for example, in the midrash on this book, see Der Midrasch Mischle, translated by A. Wünsche, Leipzig, 1885, partly—in D. Israelitische Bibel, III (1859) by L. Philippson. * * * According to Jewish tradition, cited by a pilgrim of the 4th century, Solomon wrote the Book of Proverbs in one of the chambers of the temple. See Professor A. A. Olesnitsky, The Old Testament Temple (St. Petersburg, 1889), p. 851

Chapter One

1–6. Introduction to the book: its writer; the purpose, general content, and fundamental character of the book. 7. The fundamental principle of wisdom of godliness. 8–9. Concerning the authority of parents in teaching godliness—wisdom. 10–19. Warning against the temptations from the wicked. 20–33. An exhortatory and rebuking sermon of Wisdom

Proverbs 1:1. The Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, The first verse and those following, up to and including verse 6, form the inscription of the Book of Proverbs. The name Solomon, standing in verse 1, designates most closely the composer of the first nine chapters of the book, but, as we have already mentioned, metonymically the entire book can also be called the work of Solomon. The Midrash Jalkut on Proverbs (§929) draws attention to the capital initial letter of the verse (mem), and, based on the numerical value of this letter—40, sees here an indication that Solomon, asking God for wisdom (1 Sam 3:9), fasted, like Moses on the mount of legislation (Exod 34:28), for forty days (Midrash Mischle, translated by A. Wünsche, p. 1); here is expressed the view of Jewish tradition on wisdom and in general all the content of the Book of Proverbs as an interpretation of the Torah or the Law of Moses.—Concerning the etymology and meaning of the Slavic-Russian designation “Proverb” it must be noted that it is ordinarily derived from the root “flow” (go) or “knock” (meet) in both cases, according to the expression of Saint Basil the Great, it means “by-the-way” (corresponding to Greek “paroike,” “para hodos”) utterance, that is, such as serves as a guide on the path, guiding a person on the paths of life, giving him the means for favorable progress on these paths. In a similar manner the meaning of the designation “Proverb” is explained by Saints Athanasius the Great and John: the designation “Proverbs” (paroimoi) arose from the fact that such utterances were written on every path for the edification and instruction of those passing by the path, and they were written by the path so that people, unable to occupy themselves with the word of truth, at least in passing would notice what was written, would think about it, would receive instruction. Therefore some even define them thus: Proverbs is a by-the-way (paridon) utterance, transferring thought from one thing to many. In these last words is indicated one of the fundamental characteristics of a proverb: the applicability of the thought expressed in the proverb to many (similar) cases, the typicality of this thought. According to another opinion, the Russian-Slavic “proverb” is derived from the verb “pritykat’,” “pritachivat’” (for example, in weaving—at the end of a strip with threads different in color),—in such a case this designation will point to the ornamental, figurative external manner of expressing thought in proverbs. The internal and external character of the proverbs making up the content of the book of this name is clarified in the following verses, verses 2–6, which clarify the meaning and significance of the proverbs, and at the same time the purpose and designation of the book itself.

Proverbs 1:2. to know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight; Proverbs 1:3. to receive instruction in wise behavior, justice, judgment, and equity; Proverbs 1:4. to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth; Proverbs 1:5. the wise will hear and increase in learning, and the discerning will obtain guidance; Proverbs 1:6. to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles. It is indicated both as the purpose of the present collection of proverbs—the Book of Proverbs—and the character of the different types of proverbs, by which is concisely defined the entire content of the whole book. And first of all proverbs give knowledge of wisdom and teaching (verse 2a). “Since the heathen (Greeks) assert that they have wisdom, and heretics suppose that they have knowledge, Solomon shows in what true wisdom and true knowledge consist, so that someone, carried away by a similar designation of wisdom, might not fall into the speculations of heathens and heretics.” Having heard his divine utterances, every wise person will become still wiser (Saints Athanasius the Great and John Chrysostom). Wisdom, Hebrew hokhmah (LXX: sophia, Vulgate: sapientia), by the philological structure of the Hebrew word, means (according to Schultens): soliditas, firmness, fundamentality (properly density, pychnotes), then the highest understanding of life and things in their essence, finally, the ability to arrange one’s life in accordance with this knowledge, to properly determine relationships with God and neighbor and through this to attain happiness in life. Evidently, “wisdom” is broader than all the following concepts and includes them within its scope. The practical side of “wisdom” is represented by “teaching” or “instruction,” Slavic—instruction, Hebrew—musar, LXX: paideia, Vulgate: disciplina—the entire system of educational measures, not excluding punitive ones. According to the midrash, “wisdom” (hokhmah) and “teaching” (musar) are inseparably bound to one another, the latter being a consequence of the former. In the Book of Proverbs, furthermore, is contained understanding of words or utterances of wisdom, Hebrew binah, LXX: phronesis, Vulgate: prudentia (Hebrew binah by its root meaning includes the moment of discernment—for example, between good and evil (1 Sam 3:9), wisdom and foolishness, the higher and the lower, the useful and the harmful), that is (according to Saints Athanasius the Great and John Chrysostom) “the acquisition of knowledge of the one true God.” As for the heathen, some of them called matter god, while others likened it to idols; heretics also are in error concerning the true God. Against them Solomon sets forth the true concept of God, speaks of His ineffability (Prov 25:2); of His providence (Prov 15:3-21); of His justice (Prov 15:8-25), about creation speaking not simply, but affirming that the Lord created all by His Word and wisdom (Prov 3:19), since the characteristic of the true God is precisely that He is the Father of the Son. In verse 3 are indicated the first fruits of “wisdom” and “teaching”: both contribute to the assimilation of “rules of prudence” (Hebrew musar haskel), of justice (more precisely—righteousness, tsedeq), of judgment (mishpat), and of equity (honesty, mesharim), Vulgate: “to receive instruction in wise behavior, justice, judgment, and equity.” LXX otherwise transmit the first half of verse 3: “to receive turns of words,” and according to other manuscripts (codices 68, 109, 147, 157, 161, 248) by Holmes, Complutensian, Aldine, further: “and resolutions of riddles.” In the Slavic Ostrog and Elizabethan Bibles, corresponding to the last addition, the entire first half of verse 3 reads: “to receive the turning of words and the solution of riddles.” The turning of words, as the Saints Athanasius the Great and John Chrysostom explain, are “such utterances in which we discover the hidden meaning in them, turning our minds about, or investigating them through reflection (for example, Prov 10:5; Prov 27:25).” Thus, proverbs sharpen the mind of a person, make him resourceful, capable of guessing the meaning of enigmatic utterances.

Proverbs 1:4. to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth; Proverbs 1:5. the wise will hear and increase in learning, and the discerning will obtain guidance; The significance of proverbs indicated in verse 3 is above all for youth, but then also for adults, experienced and wise people. To the former proverbs give “prudence,” Hebrew orma, properly craft (Gen 3:1), as also the Greek panourgia, Latin astutia; here in a good sense (see Prov 8:5)—prudence or foresight, for the avoidance of the snares of cunning and ill-intentioned people (see Matt 10:16),—and also in general knowledge and prudence (Hebrew daath ve-zimma, LXX: aistheseos and ennoian, Vulgate: scientiam and intellectum). But proverbs, as ready-made rules of vital and spiritual wisdom, are also useful for mature and wise people: the wise man hearing these proverbs becomes even wiser, and the discerning will acquire “the art of governance” (especially of a state, see Prov 11:14), Hebrew takhbulot, LXX: kyberneseos (the governing of a ship), Vulgate: gubernacula, Slavic: governance, that is in general the art or skill of good ordering of life (see Prov 20:18). In verse 6 it is said that the discerning, with the aid of proverbs, not only will be able to order his life properly (religious, moral, family, and social), but will also acquire facility in understanding obscure and mysterious utterances, Hebrew melitza ve-khidot, LXX: skotenon logon and ainigmata. It appears that here are meant such special proverbs of a mysterious character, such as especially have place in Prov 30. The ancients, especially the inhabitants of the East, highly valued the art of proposing and solving riddles (see Judg 14:12-19). The queen of Sheba came to Jerusalem from a distant land to test Solomon with riddles and to learn the wisdom of Solomon contained in them (1 Sam 10:1). Nevertheless, in view of the fact that in the expression examined in verse 6, “intricate utterance” (melitza) and “riddle” (khida) are juxtaposed with more general expressions “proverb” (mashal) and “words of the wise” (divre khakhamim), one can suppose (Saints Athanasius the Great and John Chrysostom) that in verse 6 there are meant “not intricately-woven words, beguiling in appearance of plausibility, but accurate, as it were known by the speakers themselves and expressing as it were judgments pronounced by them” (for example, Prov 15:13-14). Ordinarily people determine deeds by their consequences, while the wise reveals the causes of actions, so that a person, knowing the causes of evils, would beware of them, and presents as it were a brief sketch of the movement of the soul (for example, Prov 10:12) “…If you investigate each utterance of the book, you will find that it is spoken and written so that those hearing, knowing the causes of evils and goods, would avoid the bad and do the good.” The Midrash sees in the whole verse an indication of the Torah.

Proverbs 1:7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; [but fools despise wisdom and instruction.] fools despise wisdom and instruction. It does not belong to the inscription (as Ewald, Philippson, Bertheau, Keil and others thought), but rather begins the first part of the book through the ninth chapter inclusive. In the Slavic and Russian Bible, the middle of the verse (in the Russian Synodal translation enclosed in brackets) is found only in the LXX and represents a borrowing from Ps 110:10, although this addition fits well with the content of the verse according to the texts of Hebrew and Vulgate, serving as a clarification of its meaning. The first words of verse 7 have the significance of an epigraph or theme of the entire book, especially of its first part (Prov 1-9). Fear of God, reverent awe before God is inseparable from the very concept of worship of God and piety; indeed, fear of God was the foundation of the Covenant of Jehovah with Israel (Deut 4:10). Fear of God is at the same time the beginning of true knowledge and true wisdom—in the sense that in the chain of knowledge needed for the acquisition of wisdom, reverence toward God should occupy the first, initial place, that it should be the principal and preeminent object of knowledge, as well as in that respect that piety—a constant reverent disposition toward God—should be the dominant spiritual state in the seeker of wisdom. In his striving to acquire wisdom he should be permeated with the conviction that wisdom in the strict sense belongs to God alone, that He is the source of wisdom (Prov 2:6; see Jas 1:5 following), that without the light of His revelation the human mind would eternally wander in the darkness of ignorance and delusion concerning the most important truths (see 1 Cor 1:20). From this conviction there proceeds for the seeker of wisdom the obligation to seek the blessing of God upon his labors for the acquisition of knowledge, to serve these labors to the glory of God and the good of neighbors, to accomplish this service with reverent fear of offending the Lord through false wisdom, and to be grateful for success in wisdom (Bishop Vissarion, Commentary on Pericopes, vol. II, p. 9–10). Both wisdom and piety are rejected, to their perdition, by wicked people whose wickedness darkens their sound mind (see Jer 4:22). The Book of Proverbs is not intended for them at all, and if about the wickedness—foolishness of such people much is said in it, then this is done with the purpose of instructing the wise and godly, since fear of God (and wisdom) with its reverse side is hatred of wrong and sin (see Prov 8:13).

Proverbs 1:8. Listen, my son, to the instruction of your father and do not reject the teaching of your mother, Proverbs 1:9. for they will be a graceful garland for your head and chains about your neck. Already in this section both positive and negative incentives to wisdom—piety are presented. Having spoken of fear of God (Prov 1:7) as the beginning or foundation of true Wisdom, the Wise Man in second place, according to the sequence of the commandments in the Mosaic Ten Commandments (Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16; see Eph 6:1-3), places the teaching authority of parents—father and mother (the Talmud understands “ab” “father” and “em” “mother” in a figurative sense, understanding by “father” God, and by “mother” the community of Israel, or, according to another opinion, wisdom, but this is already a reinterpretation of the grammatico-historical sense of both concepts in this text), and to the father is ascribed instruction (Slavic: instruction, Greek: paideia, Latin: discipline, Hebrew: musar),—sometimes accompanied by measures of physical punishment from the father to the son (Prov 23:13-14; see Prov 22:15),—to the mother, however, only teaching (Russian) or teaching (Greek: thesmoi, Latin: lex, Hebrew: torah). The one to whom Solomon addresses himself (here as also in Prov 1:10) with instructions he calls a son—partly in the physical sense (he may have had in mind Rehoboam), and then in general youth, by the right of teaching, as a sign of fatherly participation and good will; nothing can be concluded from here regarding age, in any case, the intimate form of address indicated is not merely a literary device, although it does not yet contain the New Testament understanding of being born into spiritual life, as in the Apostle (1 Cor 4:15; Phlm 1:10; Gal 4:19). The Midrash understands verse 8 in the sense of exhortation to observe all that was commanded on Mount Sinai regarding honor to parents.—Obedience to parents, to their counsel and teachings, serves as the finest adornment of youth—in the form of a fine garland on the head (see Prov 4:9) and a necklace on the neck (Prov 3:3).

Proverbs 1:10. My son! if sinners entice you, do not give in to them; Proverbs 1:11. if they say: “Come with us, let us set an ambush to shed blood, let us lie in wait for the innocent without cause, Proverbs 1:12. let us swallow them alive, like Sheol, and whole, like those going down into the pit; Proverbs 1:13. we will find all kinds of precious wealth, we will fill our houses with plunder; Proverbs 1:14. cast in your lot with us; we all will have one purse” — Proverbs 1:15. My son! do not walk in the way with them; keep your foot from their paths, Proverbs 1:16. for their feet run to evil and they hasten to shed blood. Proverbs 1:17. Surely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird, Proverbs 1:18. but they set an ambush for their own blood; they lurk for their own lives. Proverbs 1:19. Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its possessor. After the general address and exhortation to the disciple (verses 8–9), Solomon offers him a particular exhortation, a concrete warning against being led into evil by “sinners” (verse 10), Hebrew chattaim, Vulgate: peccatores, LXX: andres asebeis, Slavic—men of wickedness—evildoers, for whom transgression has become a custom (see Ps 1:1; Prov 16:29). Warning his disciple against the destructive influence of such evildoers, Solomon reveals the true nature and real motives of their criminal schemes (11–14): in attempting on the property and life of a neighbor, without any fault on his part, with the greatest audacity and cruelty, evildoers tried to entice the invited young man into complicity by the thought of impunity for the transgression (verse 12) and a large share in the anticipated plunder (13–14). Having depicted the seductive and criminal intentions of evildoers, the Wise Man from verse 15 (lowering of the period) in positive categorical form warns his listener against following in their “way”; this warning both in content and in form of speech reminds of the opening words of the Psalter: “Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked, and has not stood in the way of sinners” (Ps 1:1). Verse 16, repeated by the prophet Isaiah (Isa 59:7) and the Apostle Paul (Rom 3:15), is not found in the LXX: nevertheless, there is no grounds for considering this verse in the Hebrew, Vulgate, Slavic, and Russian texts borrowed from the prophet Isaiah; rather, in the prophet Isaiah the citation of older biblical books is not unusual; besides, in many codices of the LXX (23, 68, 157, 252, 254, 295, 296, 161, 248, etc., according to Holmes, Complutensian, Aldine) verse 16 is present. In verses 17–19 the listener is shielded from the influence of the seductive speeches of evildoers—by indication of the punishment awaiting them—final destruction, contrary to the impunity which they were counting on.

Proverbs 1:20. Wisdom cries out in the streets, in the plazas she raises her voice; Proverbs 1:21. at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, at the entrance of the city gates she speaks her words: Proverbs 1:22. “How long, you naive ones, will you love naiveté? How long will the scoffers delight in their scoffing? How long will fools hate knowledge? Proverbs 1:23. Turn to my rebuke: behold, I will pour out my spirit to you, I will make known to you my words. In contrast to the seductive words of wicked men (Prov 1 11–19), seeking like-minded companions, here Wisdom is brought forward also calling disciples to herself and urging them to repentance; but whereas the criminal words of evildoers are conducted under cover of deep secrecy, the proclamations and exhortations of Wisdom are heard publicly—“in the streets, in the plazas, … at the head of noisy streets” (20–21). This Wisdom, judging by the character of Her teachings and admonitions, as well as by the entire manner of Her coming forth, is not a limited human power, but the omnipotent power of God, which alone can speak with such authority, a power in obedience to which for humanity lies all good and happiness, and in resistance—ruin. It is completely arbitrary and erroneous the opinion of some Westerners, seeing in the depiction of Wisdom in Prov 1:20 following, Prov 8:22 following the influence of Zoroastrianism on biblical literature. In reality the concept of “Wisdom” arose on purely biblical, distinctive ground. In the Book of Job (Job 15:7-8 following) Wisdom is depicted very similarly to the Book of Proverbs. The very manner of Wisdom’s coming forth (20–21 following) fully reminds one of the preaching or teaching activity of folk teachers of the law (see 2 Chr 17:7-9), as well as of prophets and—later—apostles (Matt 10:27; Luke 14:21), all messengers of the same Wisdom (Luke 11:49). Further, from verse 22, the very content of Wisdom’s sermon is set forth. The first half of verse 22, the LXX and Slavic (“how long the gentle will hold to righteousness, will not be ashamed”) transmit not in a rebuking sense, as in the Hebrew, Vulgate, Russian, but in a positive—in the sense of praise of the “gentle.” But with the context of verse 22 the rebuking sense accords better (similarly as in Ps 4:3): three categories of people are rebuked: 1) the naive (simpletons, Hebrew petaim), 2) the scoffers—mockers, despisers of all holy things (Hebrew letzim) and 3) fools—people alien to knowledge, dull, and always ready to fall spiritually (Hebrew kessilim), in a word, all, whether intentionally or through ignorance, opposing the truth. And in verse 23 Wisdom, from the fullness of her spiritual riches, desires to pour out the spirit of wisdom (see Prov 18:4) to all without distinction, those in need of her; wisdom and piety, according to the view of the Wise Man, as also according to the teaching of the entire Bible, is not the possession of only selected natures, but is abundantly poured out into any mind, soul, and heart, once they are open to the influence from above (see John 7:37-39).

Proverbs 1:24. Because I called and you refused to listen; I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; Proverbs 1:25. you ignored all my counsel and would not accept my rebuke. But since such impressive, moving, and repeated proclamations of Wisdom had no success, her speech changes in tone and character: after prolonged, but fruitless, calls to repentance, Divine Wisdom threatens with destruction all who persist stubbornly in evil.

Proverbs 1:26. I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock you when panic comes to you; Proverbs 1:27. when panic comes to you like a storm, and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Proverbs 1:28. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me eagerly, but will not find me. Proverbs 1:29. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, Proverbs 1:30. they would have none of my counsel and despised all my rebuke. Proverbs 1:31. Therefore they will eat the fruit of their own way and have their fill of their own schemes. With all vividness and fullness is depicted the wretched, desperate condition of people who obstinately despised the command of Wisdom: the suddenness of destruction (verse 27, see 1 Thess 5:7), the absence of sympathy from others (verse 26), the fruitlessness of repentance (verse 28)—in all this the wicked will only reap the natural and inevitable fruits of their wickedness (verse 31, see Gal 6:7).

Proverbs 1:32. For the stubbornness of the naive will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them, Proverbs 1:33. but those who listen to me will dwell securely and will be at ease, without fear of harm”. In verses 32–33 is contained an eloquent contrast between the destructiveness of the condition of despisers of Wisdom and the stability of the happiness of those obedient to Her voice. The latter always remain calm because they do not attribute to external successes and deprivations, as well as to all earthly, temporal life, the exclusive importance which it has in the eyes of the wicked. The view of the pious toward life and its goods, in the Wise Man, as also in the Apostle, is defined by the rule: “piety is of value in all things, having the promise of the present life and of the life to come” (1 Tim 4:8). In the first half of verse 32 the reading of the Russian translation “stubbornness… (in archimandrite Macarius—disobedience) will kill them,” accurately conveying the Hebrew reading and corresponding to the Vulgate, should be preferred to the Greek and Slavic reading “because they abused the young, they will be destroyed.”

Chapter Two

The persistent, serious pursuit of wisdom as the path to the fear of God and virtue. More specifically: 1–9. After a brief exhortation to attention (1–2), the fruits of wisdom, both inner and outer, are depicted. 10–19. From the latter stands out the protection from dangers afforded by wisdom, especially from evil people, and particularly from the adulterous woman. 20–22. Only the lot of virtue is lasting happiness.

Proverbs 2:1. My son, if you will receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you, Proverbs 2:2. so that you make your ear attentive to wisdom and incline your heart to understanding; Proverbs 2:3. if you will call out for knowledge and lift up your voice for understanding; Proverbs 2:4. if you seek it as silver and search for it as hidden treasure, Proverbs 2:5. then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:6. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; Proverbs 2:7. He keeps salvation for the righteous; He is a shield for those who walk blamelessly; Proverbs 2:8. He protects the paths of justice and guards the way of His holy ones. Proverbs 2:9. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and straight dealing—every good path. Verses 1–4 present the rise (protasis) of a conditional period having its place in verse 1–9; verses 5 onward present the decline (apodosis) of it. The Wise Man expresses the high significance of wisdom, as the supreme good that is the object of human quest, by comparing it, in verse 4 (cf. Prov 8:11), to silver (Vulgate: precious things, wealth in general) and indeed to treasure in general (Hebrew: mammon; according to Gesenius, the Greek μαμμωνᾶς, mammon, wealth, derives from this word), and the persistent quest for wisdom to the relentless labor of miners—this figure with respect to Wisdom and human seeking appears also in the Book of Job (Job 28). Even if seekers of earthly treasures spare no effort or sacrifice to enrich themselves, though possession of these treasures is not lasting, then much greater effort and sacrifice would be worthy of acquiring wisdom, all the more because wisdom is closely joined with the even higher good of the fear of God and knowledge of God (verse 5), in part as the source of wisdom (Prov 1:7) and in part as its crown and completion. One pervaded by the fear of God and having faith in God and knowledge of Him, though at first only in beginning form—the zealot of wisdom, as he advances in it, advances also in the fear of God, or piety, and in knowledge of God. The source of such essentially religious wisdom is rooted in revelation. The Lord Himself gives wisdom to all who seek it, verse 6 (cf. 1 Sam 3:9; Job 32:8; Dan 2:21; Wis 7:15); wisdom, knowledge and understanding come forth from the mouth of God (cf. Job 22:22; Wis 7:25), that is, are contained in God’s revealed Word; in exceptional cases wisdom is imparted to a person through a mysterious touch upon his mind and heart by the enlightening grace of the Holy Spirit (the LXX, Slavonic in the second half of verse 6 instead of “from His mouth” have: “from His face” (ἀπὸ προσώπου—owing to confusion of the Hebrew milepiv, “from mouth,” with the similar word, milepanav, “from face”; both words in Hebrew writing differ only by the letter nun in the second word. Biblical parallels: Job 22:22; Wis 7:25 provide grounds to prefer the reading of the Hebrew Masoretic text of verse 6). Divine origin of wisdom and that closeness to God which possession of wisdom affords to humanity must all the more make it the object of constant human striving, for inseparably joined with it are blessing in earthly life, protection amid dangers: the Lord is shield and guardian for the pious seekers of wisdom. He guards them for their integrity on all paths of life (verses 7–8; cf. Ps 83:12). The fruit of following the paths of Divine wisdom will be progress for humanity in all forms of righteousness and virtue (cf. Prov 1:3).

Proverbs 2:10. When wisdom enters your heart and knowledge becomes pleasant to your soul, Proverbs 2:11. discretion will guard you, understanding will keep you, Proverbs 2:12. to deliver you from the way of evil, from those who speak lies, Proverbs 2:13. from those who abandon the straight path to walk in ways of darkness; Proverbs 2:14. from those who rejoice in doing evil, who delight in perverse evil— Proverbs 2:15. whose paths are twisted and whose ways are devious. Proverbs 2:16. to deliver you from the strange woman, from the outsider with her smooth words, Proverbs 2:17. who abandons the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God. Proverbs 2:18. For her house leads down to death, and her paths go down to the dead; Proverbs 2:19. none who go to her come back, and find again the paths of life. Wisdom and knowledge become, for the one who seeks and loves them, as it were friends and counselors who, by establishing humanity in good thought and life, protect him at the same time from the evil ways of the corrupt person (10–12), for whom doing evil is habit and pleasure (14; cf. Prov 6:14). The paths of such people are paths of darkness (verse 13; cf. Eph 5:11), for darkness is the native element of vice (John 3:19); these paths are also crooked paths (verse 15), full of intrigues and schemes at the expense of the inexperienced. The seductive but ruinous influence of loose women presents particular danger to young men (16–19; cf. Prov 5:3 and further). The adulterous woman, abandoning the guide (Vulgate: ducem) or friend (Hebrew: alluph) of her youth, thereby violates the covenant of her God (verse 17): this view is very characteristic of the biblical understanding, first of all, of marriage, and then also of covenant with God (berith elohim). Regarding marriage, the Old Testament maintains the ideal view that marriage is the closest union, a union of friendship and love, made between husband and wife (Joel 1:8; Mal 2:14)—a union made moreover before God, that is, with observance of certain religious rites (as Ewald rightly asserts regarding verse 17). But then this union, in view of its moral height, in view of the sanctifying power of God that rests upon it, serves in the biblical understanding as an image of the union or covenant of God with Israel (cf. Jer 3:1; Hos 1:1—Hos 3:1). Lawful marriage is thus a union made not only before God, but—in a mystical sense—with God. The adulterous woman despises all this (17), and therefore her fate and that of all seduced by her is premature destruction (by exhaustion of strength through immoral fleshly indulgence and such like).

Proverbs 2:20. Therefore, walk in the way of good people and keep to the paths of the righteous, Proverbs 2:21. for the righteous will dwell in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; Proverbs 2:22. but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be uprooted from it. All the more insistently and persuasively does the Wise Man appeal to the good sense (cf. Prov 2:11) and conscience of the hearer—to walk in life on the path of righteousness and goodness (verse 20). From following this path, for the righteous there flows true and highest good, designated by the Wise Man (verse 21), as in the Psalms (Ps 36:9)—in accordance with the general love of Old Testament biblical Hebrews for the Promised Land or Canaan—Palestine—to remain or dwell in the land (this form of expression from the Old Testament appears also in the Gospel—Matt 5:5). By contrast, the destruction awaiting the impious is presented in the concrete image of destruction from the land (cf. Ps 36:9; Job 18:17).

Chapter Three

1–18. More detailed depiction of the qualities of true wisdom in relation to God and one’s neighbor; wisdom as the supreme good. 19–26. The Lord, the Wise Creator and Providence, guards and protects the life of the wise and pious one. 27–35. Exhortation to be merciful and just toward one’s neighbor and warning against imitating the violent and lawless.

Proverbs 3:1. My son, do not forget my teaching, and let your heart keep my commandments; Proverbs 3:2. for length of days and years of life and peace will they add to you. Proverbs 3:3. Let mercy and truth not leave you: bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, Proverbs 3:4. and you will find favor and good will in the eyes of God and man. Cautioning his student (“my son”) against imitating people of corruption (Prov 2:10-19), the Wise Man first of all exhorts him (verse 1) not to forget his teacher (mora, melammed, Prov 5:13) teaching, law (Torah) and to keep all the individual commandments (mitzvot) of this teaching (understood as teaching concerning wisdom and piety). To encourage his student to fulfill his instructions, the Wise Man promises him reward for their fulfillment—a long and happy life, similar to how in the Pentateuch these goods are often promised to the keepers of the law of Moses (e.g., Exod 20:12; Deut 8:1 etc.). Such a reward is in part the gracious fruit of God’s blessing resting on zealots of true wisdom and pure piety, and in part represents the natural consequence proper to the wise and pious—their abstinence from all vices and passions that disrupt a person’s external well-being, undermine his health, and shorten his very life. Then, defining the essence of the law or teaching concerning wisdom—piety, the Wise Man commands (verse 3) keeping “mercy and truth.” Hebrew: hesed and emet; Greek: ἐλεημοσύνη and πίστις; Vulgate: misericordia et veritas. Both concepts are very often joined together in the Old Testament (Gen 32:10; Ps 24:10), likewise in the Book of Proverbs (Prov 3:3 etc.) and can denote both God’s mercy and grace, and God’s faithfulness to His covenant with people, as well as human virtues properly speaking: on the one hand, mercy, compassion toward needy neighbors, readiness to help them in their needs; on the other hand, faithfulness of a person to the promises and obligations given by him, readiness to render to each what is due—in short, both concepts taken together express the fulfillment by a person of his moral duty toward his neighbor, with “mercy” (hesed) being founded on a sense of brotherhood of all people and consciousness of the necessity of their mutual solidarity both in external life and in the work of spiritual development, and “truth” (emet) meaning inner stability and truthfulness, pectus rectum, directly opposed to all hypocrisy, pretended holiness—the striving to harmonize every form with the essence of the matter. From the viewpoint of these two virtues is determined human behavior toward neighbors in the latter part of this chapter (Prov 3:27 further). The thought of the duty of “mercy and truth” must always be present to a person. These commandments, according to the figurative expression of the Wise Man, should be as it were hung about one’s neck and written on one’s heart, like the custom among biblical Hebrews to wear on the chest (on a cord) a seal with an inscription of one’s own name and station (Gen 38:18; Song 8:6), and later Jews for the purpose of remembering God’s commandments wore and wear on arms and on the forehead the so-called phylacteries or tefillin, taking literally the words of Moses (Exod 13:16; Deut 6:8; Matt 23:5). Steadfast keeping of “mercy and truth” will result in God’s mercy and love from people (cf. 1 Sam 2:26; Luke 2:52) toward a person who always keeps this duty of love and justice on the tablet of his heart (by heart’s inclination, cf. Jer 31:33), not by external command alone. This motive of human moral activity—praise and approval from God and people—is often put forward in the Book of Proverbs. But since people’s judgments can also be wrong, the Wise Man then places above all the complete devotion of a person to God, and demands of a person, first, inner dedication to God in humility (Prov 3:4-8), and then complete readiness to sacrifice for God one’s external possessions and to commit to His hands one’s external fate (Prov 3:9-12).

Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:6. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will straighten your paths. Proverbs 3:7. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil: Proverbs 3:8. this will bring health to your body and strength to your bones. One who truly believes in God, the Creator and Providence of the world, cannot in his activity rely only on his own strength; rather, the truly believing person is distinguished above all by firm trust in God’s mercy and grace, and complete devotion and faithfulness to God (verse 5), with arrogance and desire to secure one’s well-being by one’s own strength having no place (cf. Jer 9:23; Ps 36:3 ff., Ps 118:8-9). Only under the condition of humble devotion to God’s will can a person boldly meet all the trials of life. But for this a person must precisely “know” God in all his ways (verse 6), that is, to be wholly pervaded by thought of God (cf. Ps 1:6); then God will “straighten” (“make even”—according to the more precise translation of Archbishop Macarius) all the ways of the person toward serving moral ends, truth, righteousness, goodness. But such direction of human will is possible only if a person, completely renouncing all self-conceit and arrogance (7a; cf. Eccl 7:16; Rom 12:16), makes fear of God and the resulting avoidance of all evil (7b) the foundation of his activity, which is where true wisdom of life consists (cf. Prov 1:7; Job 28:23). Wisdom—piety, necessarily joined with fear of God and turning from evil, is beneficial not only for the soul but also for the body (verse 8), inasmuch as fear of God and dread of falling into sin keep a person from various excesses destructive to the body.

Proverbs 3:9. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; Proverbs 3:10. and your barns will be filled with plenty, and your presses will burst with wine. Honor to the Lord from a person should be rendered not only by humility, reverence and fear before Him, not only by turning from sin—in general not only by spiritual means of worship of God, but also by material, external deeds of pleasing God, among which in the Old Testament belonged the obligation of each Hebrew to dedicate to the Lord the first fruits of the earth (Exod 23:19 ff., Exod 34:26; Lev 23:10-17; Num 18:12-18; Deut 18:4 ff.; Deut 26:2-10), as well as tithes of animals and all produce of the earth (Deut 14:21 ff.; Deut 26:12-14) and firstborn of animals (Exod 22:29; Num 18:15-18). Since fear of impoverishment resulting from generosity could restrain Hebrews at all times from keeping this law regarding theocratic offerings to the sanctuary (cf. Lev 25:20), the Wise Man, having in mind God’s promise of blessing for granting this law (see Lev 25:21-22), promises the diligent offerer an abundance of grain and wine (verse 10). If in other places in the Book of Proverbs little is said about ceremonial law, then offering to the Lord the first fruits of the earth was so natural an expression of gratitude to God for His gifts (for this reason the offering of, for example, a tithe to God was a custom even before Moses (Gen 28:22); likewise the custom of offering God the first and best produce was widely spread among other ancient peoples), that the Wise Man could not pass over in silence such a direct form of expressing religious feeling, and exhorts his listener to zeal in observing the aforementioned law, just as the prophet Malachi later does (Mal 3:10-12).

Proverbs 3:11. Do not reject the discipline of the Lord, my son, and do not tire of His correction; Proverbs 3:12. for whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and is well-pleased with as a father with his son. Teaching his listener to express devotion to God and worship—reverence, God, the Wise Man compares these calamities to the harsh methods of human Old Testament pedagogy: just as this latter, in the Wise Man’s view (Prov 19:18), necessarily includes a system of physical effects (such is the meaning of Hebrew musar; Greek: παιδία; Latin: disciplina; Slavonic and Russian: discipline), so all kinds of calamities in the hands of the God who sends them have a pedagogical purpose—the education of God’s people and all its members in true devotion to God and faithfulness to His covenant (cf. Deut 8:5; Ps 117:18; Lam 3:33). Only foolish children despise the lessons of parents, educators and teachers, and are not instructed by their severity. To such children are likened those who, accepting discipline from God’s hand for their sins, are not instructed, and even become angry at God. Warning his listeners and readers against such an attitude, the Wise Man teaches (verse 12) to see in the calamities sent by God signs of His fatherly love for humanity, desiring to turn him from the path of wrong and set him on the path of righteousness and virtue. The second half of verse 12 is read somewhat differently in the Hebrew Masorah, Vulgate and Russian: ukheav et ben irtzeh, quasi pater in filio complacet sibi, “and is well-pleased with as a father with his son,”—than in the LXX and Slavonic: μασιγοῖ δέ παντα υἱόν ὅν παραδέχεται, “but beats every son whom he receives.” In view of the fact that in the LXX and Slavonic reading much better maintains the natural parallelism of speech in verse 12 than in the Hebrew Masorah text, the LXX reading deserves preference (an analogy to verse 12 is presented in Job 5:17-18); all the more so because this reading is reproduced literally in the letter to the Hebrews, Heb 12:6. Having cited in Heb 12:5-6 the words Prov 3:11-12, the writer of the letter to the Hebrews in clarification of the words of the Wise Man appends: “If you endure discipline, God is dealing with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline…, then you are illegitimate children, not sons” (Heb 12:7-8).

Proverbs 3:13. Blessed is the person who has found wisdom, and the person who has gained understanding— Proverbs 3:14. for to acquire her is better than to acquire silver, and her gain better than fine gold: Proverbs 3:15. she is more precious than jewels; [nothing evil can oppose her; she is well known to all who approach her,] and nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 3:16. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and glory;— “Proverbs 3. Prov. 3:16a—[from her mouth comes forth righteousness; law and mercy she carries on her tongue;]” Proverbs 3:17. her ways are pleasant, and all her paths are peaceful. Proverbs 3:18. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her,—and blessed are those who hold fast to her! The Wise Man, as it were, sings a whole hymn to true wisdom, which here (verses 13 onwards), from the connection with the preceding (verses 11–12), is understood more closely as the experiential, based on patient bearing of the sorrows of life sent by God, understanding of the action within them of the punishing, chastening and at the same time merciful hand of Divine Providence—and then generally spiritual and life experience; the source and ultimate foundation of such wisdom is and always remains the complete devotion of a person to the will of the all-knowing and all-good Providence—God. Wisdom (hokhma, σοφία, sapientia) and prudence (tebuna, φρόνησις, prudentia) are such goods for acquiring which a person should labor more than those who labor seeking gold and silver, mining them from the earth’s depths and at great price acquiring regions rich in gold and silver deposits (cf. Job 28:15 ff.). Cannot compare with the good of wisdom are other precious items, such as, for example, precious stones or similar things, valuable only for their outward luster: all these valuables adorn only the human body, whereas wisdom is the adornment of soul and spirit. In the middle of verse 15, as well as at the end of verse 16, the LXX and Slavonic have additions. In verse 15 the addition reads thus: οὐκ ἀντιτάσσεται αὐτῆ οὐδέν πονηρόν εὐγωστόν ἐστιν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐργαζομένοις αὑτῆ, Slavonic: “nothing evil opposes her, she is well known to all who work with her.” Although this insertion somewhat disrupts the natural parallelism of speech in verse 15, yet the general thought of the superiority of true wisdom over all earthly goods acquired unrighteously—and of the attractiveness of close acquaintance with wisdom, fully and well accords with the teaching of the Book of Proverbs concerning wisdom. However, in some copies of the LXX (e.g., in the Complutensian edition), the aforementioned words are not found. In verses 16, and likewise in verses 17 and 18, wisdom is depicted personified—portrayed as a distributer of gifts both external, material and internal, spiritual. Wisdom is a bountiful source of both. She dispenses with both hands, right and left, to her zealots such goods as longevity, wealth and glory—with corresponding unequal worth of these goods, they are divided thus: in the right hand of wisdom is kept and given what is more important and essential—the good of a long life (cf. Prov 3:2), while less important, almost merely incidental aspects of wisdom—wealth and glory—the left hand. Further, according to the text of the LXX, at the end of verse 16 we read: ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτῆς ἐκπορεύεται δικαιοσύνη, νόμον δέ καί ἔλεος ἐπί γλώσσης φορεῖ, Slavonic: “from her mouth comes forth righteousness, law and mercy she carries on her tongue.” This discourse on spiritual, internal goods of wisdom is very apt as a supplement to the mention of external goods: the righteousness of wisdom is a gift or ability to act everywhere, and especially in judgment, righteously, impartially and without partiality; to carry law and mercy on one’s tongue means to pronounce sentence upon those judged not only according to the law’s righteousness but also infused with mercy and forbearance according to the spirit of the law. Verse 16 as a whole directly reminds of the beginning of Solomon’s reign and has in mind his own example. Upon ascending to the throne, Solomon, as is known, asked of God for himself wisdom for the work of governing, and the Lord gave him not only what he asked for, but also what he did not ask for—wealth and glory (1 Sam 3:6-13). The inner fruits of wisdom appear (verses 17): particular pleasantness of life—success in spiritual and worldly affairs—and a certain special peace of life, inasmuch as the wise person avoids all that could involve him in any danger or conflict with neighbors. The Wise Man, figuratively and quite meaningfully, calls wisdom “a tree of life” (verse 18; cf. Prov 11:30), having in mind, of course, the tree of life known from the Book of Genesis (Gen 2:9): the tree of life that existed in paradise protected humanity from disease and death; after the transgression of the ancestors and their expulsion from paradise, no human wisdom is able to save a person from death or even always successfully treat disease, but the Wise Man, calling Wisdom enlightened by God, grounded in fear of God (cf. Prov 1:7) and in God’s revelation, has in view the saving significance of precisely this wisdom for humanity—chiefly in relation to the spiritual life of humanity: this wisdom satisfies the highest longings of the human spirit, nourishes it, as the tree of life nourished the first person in paradise; it, this wisdom, at the same time serves as a pledge of eternal blessed life of humanity beyond the grave; likewise those in earthly life guided by the rules of wisdom and piety more often enjoy a long and happy life than those who foolishly and intemperately give themselves over to earthly goods. Therefore “blessed are those who hold fast” to Wisdom (18b), LXX: καί τοῖς ἐπερειδομένοις ἐπ’ αὐτὴν, ώς ἐπί κύριον, ἀσφαλής, Slavonic: “And those relying on her, as on the Lord, remain firm.” Those who hope in the Lord, seeking Wisdom in the Lord and seeking support and wisdom in His Wisdom, always remain firm like the impregnable fortress of Zion (cf. Ps 124:1). What is said in verse 18 concerning Wisdom as a tree of life, the Church applied to the tree of the cross of Christ: “lignum vitae crux Christi,” inasmuch as on the cross was crucified the very incarnate Wisdom (cf. Matt 11:19; Luke 11:49; 1 Cor 1:24), and in the event of the crucifixion of Christ the Savior the highest Wisdom of God was revealed, having found such an extraordinary means of reconciling people to God. Therefore the section Prov 3:11-18 is read as a paremie (reading) on feast days in honor of the cross of Christ—on August 1 (the Invention of the holy Cross of Christ) and September 14 (the Exaltation of the holy Cross).

Proverbs 3:19. The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; He established the heavens by understanding; Proverbs 3:20. by His wisdom were the depths broken open, and the clouds drip with dew. Proverbs 3:21. My son, do not let them depart from your eyes; keep sound judgment and discernment, Proverbs 3:22. and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. Proverbs 3:23. Then you will walk safely on your way, and your foot will not stumble. Proverbs 3:24. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; and when you sleep, your sleep will be pleasant. Proverbs 3:25. You will not fear sudden terror or the ruin of the wicked when it comes; Proverbs 3:26. for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from the snare. A person must all the more strive toward wisdom in that wisdom is not merely a human quality, but a power present—of course, in infinite degree—in God Himself: the highest wisdom constitutes the seal of all of God’s creative and governing activity. The highest wisdom of God, as Creator and Providence of the world, manifested itself in the fact that “the Lord by wisdom founded the earth, He established the heavens by understanding: by His wisdom were the depths broken open, and the clouds drip with dew” (verses 19–20). By Wisdom, through which God conceived and then realized the idea of the world, is understood the manifestation of the attribute of Divine Wisdom, but at the same time also the Hypostatic Wisdom of God (the Son of God in His pre-incarnate activity) in His world-creative activity (cf. Prov 8:22; Wis 9:9; Sir 24:10; John 1:3). The Wisdom of God, with complete clarity imaged forth in the creation of the world and always displaying itself in its preservation, must be the eternal archetype, the ideal for all who seek wisdom. But God-enlightened human wisdom—“sound judgment and discernment” (Hebrew: tushiyya and zimma, verse 21), inasmuch as its source is that same Divine Wisdom—must also be the object of attention and imitation by the young person. The fruits of wisdom, even for external human life alone, are beneficial and diverse: the rules of wisdom, put as the foundation of human activity, become for him a source of spiritual nourishment, moral strength—in short, of true life force (verse 22), of peace, quiet, and success in all affairs (verse 23), of untroubled rest and safety both from external enemies and from internal turmoil (verses 24–25; cf. Ps 90:5-6). This is because in all respects and circumstances of life the wise person places his trust in the Lord, and his hope will never deceive him (verse 26; cf. Ps 90:11-12).

Proverbs 3:27. Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in the power of your hand to do it. Proverbs 3:28. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back again, and tomorrow I will give it,” when you have it at hand. [For you do not know what the coming day will bring.] Proverbs 3:29. Do not devise evil against your neighbor, when he dwells securely with you. Proverbs 3:30. Do not quarrel with a person without cause, if he has done you no harm. Proverbs 3:31. Do not envy a violent person, and do not choose any of his ways; The manner of conduct of the truly wise and virtuous in relation to others is depicted from positive and negative aspects. Foremost in the concept of true righteousness, according to Old Testament biblical understanding (cf. Deut 15:1 and Isa 58:1 etc.) stands the virtue of mercy and beneficence toward one’s neighbor, and the Wise Man earnestly counsels not to withhold from the needy (ba’al) help (verse 27; cf. Sir 4:2): characteristic of the Old Testament-biblical view of almsgiving is the very name of the recipient—ba’al, owner or one to whom almsgiving is due by obligation or right (cf. Prov 16:22. See A. Glagolev, Ancient Hebrew Benevolence, Kiev 1903, p. 33–34), and included in the concept of the needy, in accordance with the law of Moses, are not only fellow countrymen and co-religionists, but also the stranger and the non-believer; likewise the words (27b) “when it is in the power of your hand to do it” make plain that only extreme poverty, absence of all means for beneficence, can free a person from the obligation of almsgiving (cf. 2 Cor 8:12). The one who has the ability to help a needy person immediately should not postpone it to another day, verse 28; the LXX add in this verse words (probably from Prov 27:1) ού γὰρ οἶδας τί τέξεται ἡ ἐπιοῦσα, Slavonic: “for you know not what the coming day will bring forth,”—words that accord well with the context of speech, strengthening the thought of the duty of a person to help immediately any who are in need (cf. Sir 4:1 ff.; Sir 12:1 ff.; Sir 29:1 ff.; Job 31:16). Verses 29–30 depict the negative side of love of neighbor—deceitfulness and perfidy against the trusting neighbor, quarrelsomeness and litigiousness without cause: from these manifestations of lack of love toward one’s neighbor the Wise Man cautions his listening student. But since for a young person the example of virtuous and wicked has great power in matters of good and evil, therefore in verse 31 the Wise Man cautions his student against imitating or rivaling the wicked, even though their external life were for a time successful (cf. Ps 36:1; Prov 24:19).

Proverbs 3:32. for the perverse are an abomination to the Lord, but He takes the righteous into His confidence. Proverbs 3:33. The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. Proverbs 3:34. Surely He mocks the scoffers, but He gives grace to the humble. Proverbs 3:35. The wise will inherit honor, and fools will inherit shame. They point to the foundation—most closely to what is said in Prov 3:27-31, and then generally to all the exhortations of chapter III. There is depicted, verses 32–34, the directly opposite relation of God to the righteous and to sinners. First of all, the spiritual disposition of a sinner is entirely foreign, contrary and hateful to God (32a), even if on the external side his deeds should seem legitimate, for example, even sacrifices offered by the wicked only anger God (cf. Isa 66:3)—and only the righteous can enjoy the gracious closeness to God (32b; cf. Ps 24:14). Then the external fate of the wicked and the righteous is essentially different: the well-being of the former is always unstable, over the fate and house of the wicked there always weighs God’s curse (verse 33a; cf. Deut 28:15; Zech 5:4; Mal 2:2), while on the dwelling of the righteous rests God’s blessing (33b; cf. Prov 4:13 etc.). Such different relation of God to the wicked and the righteous, and such different fate of one and the other, are constant phenomena, constitute as it were a law of moral life; therefore in verses 34–35 the Wise Man expresses these thoughts once more in brief, expressive statements, of which that given in verse 34 is cited twice (according to the LXX translation) in the New Testament (Jas 4:6; 1 Pet 5:5).

Chapter Four

1–3. The Wise Man will teach his listeners, as children, or more precisely will teach his own children and all others by the teachings which he once heard from his parents, especially from his father. 4–9. The essence of the teachings of the Wise Man’s father—exhortation to wisdom with indication of its goods. 10–19. Warning against deviations onto the path of wickedness. 20–27. Earnest exhortation not to forget the father’s commandments.

Proverbs 4:1. Listen, children, to a father’s instruction, and pay attention to gain understanding; Proverbs 4:2. for I give you good teaching. Do not abandon my instruction. Proverbs 4:3. For I was a son to my father, tender and only beloved of my mother, The teaching of wisdom and piety delivered by the Wise Man has all the greater force of truth and obligation in that it is not merely the possession and creation of a single teacher, but was received by him as an inheritance from his forebears, most closely from his parents, by whom he was a dearly beloved son (verse 3). Tradition (παράδοσις τῶν πατέρων) elevated the authority of all teaching of wisdom (cf. Job 8:8 ff.; Job 15 ff.; Sir 8:9). All the more could Solomon resort to such a means of exhortation, since already at the beginning of his discourse (Prov 1:8) he mentioned the duty of obedience to the testament of father and mother. Here (verse 1) and below (Prov 5:7 and Prov 7:24) the address is not to “son” but to “children,” since in the instructive speech the Wise Man refers to his own example and “as a son appears Solomon himself.” What his father taught the Wise Man is spoken of below from verse 4 onward.

Proverbs 4:4. and he taught me, saying, Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments and live. Proverbs 4:5. Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding; do not forget this and do not depart from the words of my mouth. Proverbs 4:6. Do not abandon her, and she will guard you; love her, and she will protect you. Proverbs 4:7. The beginning of wisdom is: acquire wisdom, and with all you possess acquire understanding. Proverbs 4:8. Esteem her highly, and she will exalt you; she will bring you honor if you embrace her; Proverbs 4:9. she will place on your head a garland of grace; she will bestow on you a crown of beauty. The exhortations of the father (David, according to the LXX, Slavonic—and mother: οἳ ἔλεγον καί ἐδίδασκον με, “who spoke and taught me”) to Solomon, both in content and character are similar to the exhortations of Solomon himself to young people, scattered throughout the Book of Proverbs. The chief subject of David’s speech and teaching to Solomon (verses 4 onwards; cf. 1 Chr 28:9), as also of Solomon himself to his listeners, was the law of God, contained in the Pentateuch of Moses; but then, received by human reason, the Law must be applied to his life and activity, and this demands special “wisdom” (hokhma), special “understanding” (bina), and fatherly instruction to Solomon repeatedly enjoins—somewhat like the cries of a merchant offering his merchandise, according to Umbreit’s expression (verses 6; cf. verse 8b), striving for wisdom and unwavering faithfulness to it (verses 5, 7; cf. Prov 3:14). Wisdom here is compared to a beloved wife (cf. Sir 15:2), who protects her loved husband from all evils; is presented as the supreme good, for which one must sacrifice all other goods: “the beginning of wisdom is: acquire wisdom, and with all you possess acquire understanding” (verse 7). Verses 8–9 speak of the beneficial and attractive fruits of acquiring wisdom (cf. Prov 1:9).

Proverbs 4:10. Listen, my son, and receive my words,—and the years of your life will be many. Proverbs 4:11. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in straight paths. Proverbs 4:12. When you walk, your steps will not be restricted, and when you run, you will not stumble. Proverbs 4:13. Hold fast to instruction, do not let it go; guard it, for it is your life. Proverbs 4:14. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil; Proverbs 4:15. leave it, do not walk in it; turn away from it and pass by; Proverbs 4:16. for they do not sleep if they do not do evil; they lose their sleep unless they bring someone to fall; Proverbs 4:17. for they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. Proverbs 4:18. The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, growing brighter until full day. Proverbs 4:19. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what they will stumble over. Continuing to depict the goods of following the paths of wisdom, David now also cautions Solomon against deviating onto the paths of wickedness (verses 14–19). Instructions about the paths of wisdom become more specific—they indicate the very character of living according to the paths of wisdom; wisdom opens for its zealot a long life (verse 10) and correct course of life—favorable life circumstances (verse 11) and absence of overwhelming obstacles on the life’s path (verse 12). Turning then to a new group of instructions—warnings—David again strongly urges (verse 13) the son to unwavering observance of his teachings of wisdom, for they contain true life for the one who keeps them—urges in view of dangerous temptations for a young person. The further depiction (verses 14–17) of the path of the wicked has much in common with their characterization in 1–19. If the paths of the wicked, encouraging unrestricted expansion and strengthening of base passions of human nature, forever deprive a person of peace of mind and tranquility and prepare for him every danger at each step (verses 16–17, 19), then, by contrast, the path of the righteous or their moral conduct is compared (verse 18) to the light of the rising and gradually approaching midday sun (cf. Isa 60:3; Prov 6:23). Like sunlight begins with the appearance of dawn, gradually intensifies, and at midday reaches its highest point, so similarly the life of the righteous presents a series of gradual successes in moral advancement: as they move along life’s path, their life activity becomes ever cleaner and brighter (cf. Matt 5:16), from lower stages of moral perfection they ascend to higher, until at last they reach the state of which the Savior prophesied: then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, Matt 13:43 (see Bishop Vissarion, p. 56–57).

Proverbs 4:20. My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to my sayings; Proverbs 4:21. let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart: Proverbs 4:22. for they are life to those who find them, and health to all one’s flesh. Proverbs 4:23. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it comes forth the springs of life. Proverbs 4:24. Put away from you a lying mouth, and put far from you devious speech. Proverbs 4:25. Let your eyes look directly ahead, and your gaze be fixed straight before you. Proverbs 4:26. Consider the path under your feet, and let all your ways be established. Proverbs 4:27. Do not turn to the right or to the left; keep your foot far from evil, Proverbs 4:28. [for the Lord observes the paths of the right, and the left are corrupt. Proverbs 4:29. He Himself will make your paths straight, and your ways He will guide in peace.] Again (verse 20) the listeners are urged (cf. Prov 3:21 etc.) to especially attentive reception of the teachings of wisdom, which for those who fulfill them appear not only as nourishing and supporting true spiritual life, but also beneficial for the body itself (verse 22: a thought similar to that expressed in the words of the Apostle, “godliness is profitable for all things, having the promise of life both in this present age and in the age to come,” 1 Tim 4:8). But so that a person may obtain proper steadfastness in good and invulnerability against evil temptations, to every zealot of wisdom—piety it is necessary with all care, more than any other treasure, to guard his heart (Hebrew: lev): “for from it comes forth the springs of life” (Hebrew: totze hayim, LXX: ἕξοδοι ζωῆς). The heart, according to biblical understanding, serves as the center, the focus both of the physically organic nature of a person (Ps 21:27; Isa 1:5; Jer 4:18) and of his soul and spiritual life (Ps 83:3; Jer 11:20), more particularly—not only of various sensations, feelings and emotions (Prov 31:11; Judg 16:15), but also of the highest manifestations of the spirit, such as: decisions of the will (1 Sam 14:7; 1 Sam 8:17 etc.), knowledge and the force of reason (1 Sam 10:2 Judg 16:17; Prov 17:16), and finally, as the center and bearer of moral life (Ps 50:12; 1 Sam 3:6; Prov 7:10 and many others). In this last sense, the Old Testament-biblical “heart” comes closest to the Christian concept of “conscience”; in this sense, as a pure moral consciousness (cf. the New Testament ἀγαθὴ συνείδησις 1 Tim 1:5; 1 Pet 3:16), the heart is used here Prov 4:23 (cf. Ps 50:12; Job 27:6; 1 Sam 25:31), as is shown by the further verses 24–25, warning against all deceitfulness, against all hypocrisy and such (cf. Prov 6:13; Sir 27:25; cf. Matt 6:22-23), which corrupt the normal flow of moral life, regulated by a good conscience. Only under the condition of an unimpaired moral conscience can the paths of the moral life of a person be firm (verse 26; cf. Ps 108:133; Heb 12:13). Verse 27 presents a compressed summary of all the fatherly exhortations toward the path of wisdom and virtue and in form of expression reminds of a similar exhortation of the lawgiver Moses, Deut 5:32. The LXX and Vulgate extend this verse in comparison with the Hebrew text with the words: ὁδούς γὰρ τὰς ἐκ δεξιῶν οἶδεν ὁ θεός, διεστραμμένοι δέ εἰσιν αἱ ἐξ ἀριστερῶν; αὐτὸς δέ ὀρθὰς ποιήσει τὰς τροχίάς σου, τάς δε πορείας σου ἐν εἰρήνη προάγει. This addition is also found in the Vulgate, as well as in the Slavonic and Russian—Synodal translation of the Book of Proverbs (in Archbishop Macarius’ translation these words are absent). In thought these words represent a repetition and development of the thought of verses 26–27. In view of the consistency of various Greek text manuscripts in the transmission of this addition, as well as in view of the authority of the Vulgate, one can suppose that these words could have been found in the Hebrew original from which the LXX translation was made (cf. Franz Delitzsch. Das Salomonische Spruchbuch. Leipzig. 1873, p. 39). * * * Solomon was not “only beloved” of his mother, that is, of Bathsheba: according to 1 Chr 3:5 David by Bathsheba had four sons (including Solomon). From this in many ancient Hebrew manuscripts (in Kenic and Rossi) the expression of verse 3: lipne-immi, before the face of my mother, is replaced by another expression: livne-immi, to the sons of my mother, that is, to brothers or among brothers, and the word yachid will mean not only-begotten (as in the Vulgate and Russian) but “beloved,” LXX: ἡγαπώμενος.

Chapter Five

1–6. General and preliminary warning against the temptations of unchastity. 7–14. Explicit and detailed warning against the seductions of unchastity, with depiction of its ruinous consequences. 15–20. Similarly detailed exhortation to the opposite virtue—conjugal fidelity and chastity in general. 21–23. In conclusion, attention is directed to God’s omniscience and supreme justice and recompense, from which no criminal act can hide unpunished.

Proverbs 5:1. My son! Listen to my wisdom, and incline your ear to my understanding, Proverbs 5:2. So that you may preserve prudence, and your lips may guard knowledge. [Do not listen to the flattering woman;] Proverbs 5:3. For honey flows from the lips of a strange woman, and her speech is smoother than oil; Proverbs 5:4. But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword; Proverbs 5:5. Her feet go down to death, her steps lead to the grave. Proverbs 5:6. If you were to trace the path of her life, her ways are unstable, and you will not know them. Turning now to a new group of exhortations, chiefly to persuade against licentiousness and the influence of licentious women, the Wise One here (v. 1–2), as well as below (Prov 6:20), where he repeatedly returns to this same subject, with particular intensity of fatherly love and goodwill, demands from his listeners special attention to his teachings and particular care in keeping the precious and sacred commandments, which ought to be the foundation of their prosperity. The words in brackets “Do not listen to the flattering woman” (v. 2, in the Slavonic text—the beginning of v. 3) are found only in the LXX and the Vulgate (in some LXX codices they are absent), and seem to be a later gloss placed at the beginning of the chapter as a kind of indication of the theme of Chapter V. In vv. 3–6 the Wise One merely makes an indirect warning to his listeners against the harmful influence of the “strange woman,” that is, the harlot (Prov 2:16), depicting, on the one hand, her external attractiveness and seductive power, and on the other hand, her final shameful ruin. The external attractiveness of this woman and the charm of her speech is expressed by comparing her words (as also the bride in the Song of Songs Song 4:11) with drops of the finest honeycomb (3a) and with oil (3b, cf. Ps 54:22); but the consequences of being drawn to her caresses are extremely harmful: he who is drawn to them will experience the same bitter and painful feeling as one who has tasted bitter wormwood (Hebrew laa’ana; Vulg.: absinthtum—so called in botany Artemisia absintium—a common image in the Old Testament of bitterness (Deut 29:18; Jer 9:15; Amos 5:17; Jer 9:14); in the LXX and Slavonic, not accurately: χολὴ, gall) or one who has received a deep and wide wound from a two-edged sword (v. 4). All the more natural and understandable, then, is the inevitable final ruin of the licentious woman herself: her lot is death (v. 5), first spiritual, since the spiritual principle in her is finally suppressed by the carnal, and then early and shameful bodily death with subsequent torments in Sheol—hades. However, given the deceitfulness inherent in such a woman, it is difficult for the seduced youth to discover the true nature and proper value of her actions (v. 6), for she always knows how to give her deeds a specious appearance.

Proverbs 5:7. Now then, children, listen to me and do not depart from the words of my mouth. Proverbs 5:8. Keep far from her the way of your path, and do not come near the door of her house, Proverbs 5:9. So that you do not give your health to others and your years to your tormentor; Proverbs 5:10. So that strangers may not be satisfied with your strength, and your labors may not belong to another’s house. Proverbs 5:11. And you will groan afterward, when your flesh and body are wasted away, Proverbs 5:12. And you will say: “Why did I hate instruction, and my heart despised correction, Proverbs 5:13. And I did not listen to the voice of my teachers, did not incline my ear to my instructors: Proverbs 5:14. I barely escaped falling into every evil in the midst of the assembly and community!” Given the characteristics of youth—the capacity for infatuation and the easy excitability of sensual inclinations by every kind of sensual temptation—the Wise One advises his young listener to avoid as much as possible any close encounter with the licentious woman (v. 6), for every kind of adultery inevitably leads for the perpetrator—the Wise One speaks only of the man, the perpetrator of adultery, not the woman, since he generally directs his teachings chiefly and almost exclusively only to the male half of Israelite society—to two kinds of grave consequences: 1) material losses—partly because of the particular demands of the licentious wife herself, partly as a result of forced slave service in the house of the husband of the woman who seduced the young man: to satisfy the anger and thirst for vengeance of the offended husband (cf. Prov 6:34), the youth could serve as a slave in his house (vv. 9–10), so that the youth would have to work for another’s house (v. 10); 2) to an actual public trial (v. 14), the result of which could even be the death penalty for those responsible (v. 14, note Lev 20:10; Deut 20:11, Deut 22; Ezek 16:40). Then all that remains for the unfortunate youth is late and fruitless, and therefore particularly torturous repentance. For a person who has given himself to debauchery and licentiousness, “there comes a time when one can no longer continue the dissolute life, when a body worn out by licentiousness grows weak from time and from the diseases accompanying licentiousness, and the heat of carnal lust dies out” (Bishop Vissarion, p. 62). Then the season of the sinner’s self-condemnation begins (vv. 11–12).

Proverbs 5:15. Drink water from your own cistern and flowing from your own well. Proverbs 5:16. Let [not] your springs overflow into the street, your streams of water into the squares; Proverbs 5:17. Let them belong to you alone, and not to strangers with you. Proverbs 5:18. Let your spring be blessed; and rejoice with the wife of your youth, Proverbs 5:19. A lovely doe and a beautiful gazelle: let her breasts satisfy you at all times, delight yourself in her love always. Proverbs 5:20. And why should you, my son, be drawn to a stranger and embrace the breasts of another? In contrast to the distortions of family and sexual instinct, the Wise One persuades his student to be content with the blessings of the conjugal union with one lawful wife, comparing her to his own domestic cistern and spring sources. For every householder, especially in water-scarce eastern lands, it was a matter of particular pleasure to have for his household use his own well or cistern and not to have recourse to neighbors for water. With such pleasure the Wise One compares (vv. 15–16) the possession of one lawful wife without violation of conjugal purity, whether one’s own or another’s. By the connection of speech with what precedes (Prov 5:3 ff., Prov 5:8 giving.), this comparison has chiefly the same meaning as the Apostle’s statement: “it is better to marry than to burn” (1 Cor 7:9). But this same comparison (vv. 16–17) has another aspect: it denotes numerous offspring from lawful, chaste conjugal union, since in other biblical passages (Num 24:7; Isa 48:1) children are depicted under the image of waters flowing from a source—that is, from parents. The LXX apparently understood vv. 16 only in the first sense—the use of conjugal pleasure with one wife, and therefore added at the beginning of v. 16 the negation μὴ—μῆ ὑπερεκχείσθω. But many Greek codices (29, 109, 147, 157, 161, 248, 252, 253, 254, 260, 295, 297 according to Holmes, also Alex., Ald. Complutensian) do not have the negation, nor do the Vulgate and Slavonic. Therefore, it seems preferable to choose the Hebrew Massoretic reading, although the understanding of v. 16 given in the LXX is consistent with the general context of the passage under consideration (cf. Prov 7:12). In v. 18 the teaching of v. 15 is repeated, but with the addition of the advice to “rejoice with the wife of your youth”; the mode of expression directly recalls the place from the legislation (Deut 24:5) about newlyweds. The lawful wife is thereby expressed (v. 19) in a comparison with a doe or gazelle: a common image in Eastern poetry of the graciousness and beauty of a woman (cf. Song 2:9). Reminding the husband of the duty of conjugal fidelity, the Wise One expresses the wish that the tender relations between husband and wife established at the beginning of their life together should not weaken over time, that mutual attachment of spouses should last a lifetime, and for the spouse there should be no need to seek conjugal pleasure elsewhere (vv. 19–20).

Proverbs 5:21. For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He weighs all his paths. Proverbs 5:22. The wicked man is caught by his own iniquities, and he is held fast by the cords of his sin: Proverbs 5:23. He dies without instruction, and in the abundance of his folly goes astray. As the highest and final motive to avoid every kind of unchastity, attention is directed to God’s omniscience and the comprehensiveness of God’s providential rule (cf. Job 24:23), from which it would be futile to think of hiding if one gives himself to licentiousness: according to God’s judgment, licentiousness, like every transgression in general, entails as a consequence partly natural, partly intentionally sent by God, ruinous consequences (cf. Prov 1:31-32; Ps 7:16 and many others). * * * Notes It must be noted, however, that the opinion adopted by some Western scholarly commentators (Ewald, Umbreit, Bertheau) concerning the punishment of the perpetrator of violation of conjugal integrity by slavery to the offended party is not confirmed by any testimony of the Mosaic law or biblical history, and is merely a supposition, against which, for example, Delitzsch reasonably objects (p. 97).

Chapter Six

The teachings about chastity and the warning against licentiousness, begun by the Wise One in Chapter V, continue in Chapter VI, vv. 20–35, and in Chapter VII. Only in vv. 1–19 is one connected discourse interrupted by teachings of different content and character: 1–5. The evil of thoughtless surety. 6–11. The ruin of idleness and a call to diligence and industriousness. 12–19. The ungodliness of cunning and deceit of the wicked toward their neighbors. The following section vv. 20–35 is divided into two smaller parts: vv. 20–24—exhortation to chastity, and vv. 25–35—warning against the temptations of an adulterous wife.

Proverbs 6:1. My son! If you have become surety for your neighbor and given your hand for another, Proverbs 6:2. You have bound yourself by the words of your mouth, caught by the words of your mouth. Proverbs 6:3. Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself, since you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, fall at his feet and beg your neighbor; Proverbs 6:4. Give no sleep to your eyes nor slumber to your eyelids; Proverbs 6:5. Escape, like a gazelle from the hand and like a bird from the hand of the fowler. The frequent teachings in the Book of Proverbs about the harm of surety (Prov 6:1) are explained by the fact that, according to the customs of ordinary ancient Hebrew law (not written down in the Mosaic law), one who became surety for an insolvent debtor was treated legally as replacing the latter and, given the usual hard-heartedness of creditors, often paid for his client not only with his own property (Sir 8:16), but also with his personal freedom (2 Sam 4:1; Matt 18:25. See in Ewald’s Die Alterthummer des Volkes Israel. 3rd ed. (1866), p. 246). But in this case the Wise One with all urgency warns his student precisely against thoughtless, hasty, and reckless acceptance of surety obligations, which was undoubtedly not uncommon among young men of that time (the eagerness to take on surety for another could in young men become a particular passion and turn into gambling, similar to dueling among European peoples). The surety itself was performed through a handshake: the surety giver gave his hand to the lender and creditor (cf. Prov 11:15; Job 17:3). Having pointed out to his student the great danger of surety (vv. 1–2), the Wise One then (vv. 3–5) advises him to use all means to free himself from the possible unpleasant consequences of his thoughtlessly accepted obligation. As such a means, it is recommended (v. 3) to earnestly, even humbly beseech the debtor to immediately repay the debt to the creditor; and then—it is advised with unrelenting vigilance—not giving sleep to your eyes and slumber to your eyelids (v. 4—apparently an ancient Hebrew proverb, cf. Ps 11:4), by all means, even at the cost of the greatest effort, to escape—just as sometimes a gazelle or bird escapes from a trap (v. 5, note Ps 123:7)—from his painful position created by unwise surety. The whole discourse about surety has the character of purely practical wisdom, indicating as the main motive for action—the feeling of self-preservation.

Proverbs 6:6. Go to the ant, sluggard, observe its ways and be wise. Proverbs 6:7. It has no chief, no overseer, and no ruler; Proverbs 6:8. Yet it provides its food in summer, gathers its sustenance in harvest. “Proverbs 6. Prov. 6:8a.—Or go to the bee and learn how industrious it is, what honorable work it does;—” “Proverbs 6. Prov. 6:8b.—Its labors are used for health by both kings and common people; it is beloved by all and honored;—” “Proverbs 6. Prov. 6:8c.—Though it is weak in strength, it is honored for its wisdom.]” Proverbs 6:9. How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? Proverbs 6:10. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of hands to rest: Proverbs 6:11. And poverty will come upon you like a wayfarer, and need like an armed man.— “Proverbs 6. Prov. 6:11a.—[But if you are not lazy, then like a spring your harvest will come; scarcity will flee far from you.]” The same feeling of self-preservation, according to the Wise One’s thought, should compel man to industriousness and draw him away from idleness, with the ant being set forth in vv. 6–8 as an example of industriousness (according to the LXX v. 8—also the bee), and in vv. 9–11 the ruinous consequences for man of his idleness are adduced. The ant, laboring at all times according to its own instinctive drive—without external compulsion (v. 7) and wisely gathering provisions for itself in summer for the winter (v. 8), is a very suitable and instructive symbol and lesson of industriousness; as such a symbol or model, the ant is very often encountered in the poetry of Arabic and Persian as well as in classical literature (in Aristotle, Virgil, Horace, see Zöckler. Die Spruche Salomionis, p. 69). The LXX (also the Slavonic and Russian Synodal) in v. 8, besides the ant, present as an exemplar of industriousness and craft also the bee (in the Complutensian edition of the Greek text the discourse about the bee is omitted): the honey gathered by the bee with the greatest craft is used for health not only by common people but by kings as well, and the bee is honored by all. Although beekeeping as a trade is not mentioned in the Old Testament (only later in Philo and in the Mishnah), under the name honey (Hebrew devash) (for example, in the expression: land flowing with milk and honey) is understood chiefly fruit honey (even now called in Syria dibs), but the biblical Hebrews undoubtedly knew about bee honey (see Deut 1:44; Judg 14:8; Ps 117:12; Isa 7:18), and therefore the LXX might have read in their Hebrew original this other comparison or personification of industriousness. From the comparison the Wise One passes (v. 9 and ff.) to direct censure of the sluggard, carelessly sleeping a deep sleep. To the invitation to wake up (v. 9, cf. note Eccl 4:5; note Eph 5:14), the sluggard responds with a request to let him sleep a little more or doze (v. 10, cf. note Prov 24:33). But the Wise One threatens him with inevitable consequences of negligence and idleness: poverty—destitution, which comes quickly, unexpectedly, like a wayfarer, like an armed robber (LXX: ὥσπερ κακος ὀδοὸπόρός ὤσπερ ἀγάθος δρομευύς, Vulg.: quasi viator, quasi vir armatus), see v. 11. At the end of v. 11 the LXX, Vulgate (Slavonic, Russian) have an addition expressing the opposite thought to that set forth in the first half of the verse (in the Complutensian Bible the addition is absent): the addition has the appearance of an expansionary gloss. In Prov 24:33-34 the verses 10–11 of the chapter under consideration are repeated, but this addition there is not present.

Proverbs 6:12. A man of deceit, an ungodly man, walks with deceitful lips, Proverbs 6:13. He winks with his eyes, speaks with his feet, and signals with his fingers; Proverbs 6:14. He has deceit in his heart: he devises evil constantly, he sows discord. Proverbs 6:15. Therefore his destruction will come suddenly, he will be broken suddenly—without remedy. Proverbs 6:16. Behold, six things the Lord hates, even seven things that are an abomination to His soul: Proverbs 6:17. A proud eye, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, Proverbs 6:18. A heart that devises evil schemes, feet that run quickly to wickedness, Proverbs 6:19. A false witness who testifies to a lie, and one who sows discord among family. In verses 12–15 the Wise One cautions his student against all kinds and manifestations of deceit and cunning, and in vv. 16–19 these vices and certain others are presented as particularly abhorrent to God. Already earlier (Prov 4:24-25) he had warned against deceit and called for direct and open conduct. Here he does the same, but while doing so, he gives a detailed portrayal of the cunning mimicry—of eyes, feet, fingers—of the deceitful and cunning man (v. 13), who is always scheming evil in his heart against his neighbor and society (v. 14, cf. Prov 2:12): but the final, incurable ruin of the evildoer is inevitable (v. 15. Prov 1:27). Then, to arouse in the student greater revulsion toward the vices of malice, deceit, and cunning, the Wise One names, vv. 17–19, seven (properly six) vices that constitute manifestations of the general depravity and corruption of the human heart. In the LXX (and in the Slavonic) the thought about six vices in v. 15 is absent. And in other places in the Book of Proverbs such things are denounced: proud eyes (Prov 30:13), hands that shed blood (Prov 1:11), and the like, but here these denunciations are grouped more completely and expressed in the particular form characteristic of the language of proverbs—numerical parallelism.

Proverbs 6:20. My son! Keep the command of your father, and do not reject the teaching of your mother; Proverbs 6:21. Bind them always upon your heart, tie them about your neck. Proverbs 6:22. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you wake up, they will speak with you: Proverbs 6:23. For a command is a lamp, and teaching is light, and corrective discipline is a path to life, Proverbs 6:24. To protect you from an evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a stranger. Proverbs 6:25. Do not desire her beauty in your heart, [and let yourself not be caught by her eyes,] and do not let her draw you in with her eyelashes; Proverbs 6:26. For because of a harlot woman one can become poor even to a piece of bread, but the wife of another ensnares a precious soul. Proverbs 6:27. Can a man take fire in his lap and not have his clothes burn? Proverbs 6:28. Can a man walk on burning coals and not burn his feet? Proverbs 6:29. The same is true of one who goes in to his neighbor’s wife: whoever touches her will not go unpunished. Proverbs 6:30. They do not excuse a thief when he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is hungry; Proverbs 6:31. But when caught, he will pay sevenfold, will give all the property of his house. Proverbs 6:32. Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does this destroys his own soul: Proverbs 6:33. Blows and disgrace he will find, and his shame will not be erased, Proverbs 6:34. Because jealousy stirs up a husband’s fury, and he will not spare on the day of revenge, Proverbs 6:35. He will accept no ransom, and will not be satisfied though you multiply your gifts. Now resuming the thread of reasoning and teachings about chastity and the harm of licentiousness, the Wise One here (v. 20), as well as at the beginning of the book (Prov 1:8), makes a deliberate exhortation to the student—to remember the commandments and teachings of parents, which according to the Mosaic law (Deut 6:7) not only had to keep and fulfill God’s commandments themselves, but also make known to their children. Such a general introduction before the exhortations to chastity is entirely analogous to similar introductions in (Prov 5:1-2) and Prov 7:1-5) to the discourse on the same subject. In view of the special importance of the precepts about chastity, the Wise One earnestly advises his student—always constantly to keep in thought, as if on his heart and neck (v. 21, cf. Prov 3:3) the parental precepts, which should protect the youth from temptations in all life situations and relations (vv. 22, cf. vv. 23–24), for such is the nature of the commandments transmitted by parents—God’s Law, which always serves as the true light and guiding principle of human life (v. 23, cf. Ps 123:105), and therefore, in particular, these commandments are always able to keep the inexperienced youth from criminal association with an evil, that is, adulterous woman (v. 24, cf. Prov 2:16). Now, in vv. 25–35, with the aim of more decisively protecting the youth from the temptations of adultery, the Wise One depicts the internal—psychological—and external—factual—side of adultery, pointing out the ruinous consequences. First of all, the Wise One cautions (v. 25) against the very beginning or root of the sin of adultery: one must beware of the arising of lust or passionate attraction in the heart to a harlot and generally to a strange woman under the impression of her beauty or seeming attractiveness of her outward appearance. In this indication by the Wise One of the need to guard first of all one’s own heart from desire, one cannot but see the further development of the commandment of the Decalogue “you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife” (Exod 20:17; Deut 5:21) and the preparation of the Gospel’s exalted understanding of this commandment (Matt 5:28). Mentioning further (v. 26) that the harlot, a despicable and insignificant being, can nevertheless ruin a respectable person, who, by falling into licentiousness, loses not only property (cf. Prov 29:3; Sir 9:6), but also honor and good name, the Wise One further (vv. 27–29) expresses the thought that any contact with the wife of another, committed with an unclean purpose, in no way can remain innocent: just as it is impossible to keep clothes intact if one takes fire in his lap, just as it is impossible to keep one’s feet from burning if one walks on burning coals (both questions in vv. 27 and 28 presuppose an absolutely negative answer, as in Amos 3:4-6), so it is unthinkable for a man to preserve innocence, an unblemished name, and freedom from guilt before the judge—with thoughtless and impermissible close association with another man’s unfaithful wife. In vv. 30–32 another everyday example is offered, from which the same thought is drawn—the inevitable responsibility of a man who has fallen into the sin of an adulterous wife: if a thief is not forgiven for his deed, even with the presence of mitigating circumstances (hunger)—on the contrary, they demand from him sevenfold (according to Mosaic law (Exod 22:1-2)), properly five times or four times; “sevenfold” here in v. 31, as in Gen 4:15)—a round number instead of an indefinite multitude, for in the second half of the verse the fine is determined even more broadly—even all his household property, then all the more does not the participant in adultery, toward whom nothing compelled him, deserve clemency. 33–35. Blows and shame, he will find, and his shame will not be blotted out, all the more so because the husband of the unfaithful wife will not want to take from him even monetary compensation or ransom. But the highest and most keenly felt punishment for an adulterer, according to Solomon’s views, as well as Sirach’s, is contempt from public opinion, indelible shame before society. * * * However, on philological grounds, Lagarde, Hitzig, Ewald, Delitzsch, and others consider the entire discourse about the bee to be properly a Greek interpolation.

Chapter Seven

1–6. Introductory exhortation to keep God’s commandments and to gain wisdom in general, as a bulwark against seduction by an adulterous wife. 6–9. The image of a foolish youth. 10–20. The harlot entices the foolish youth with caresses and cunning promises. 21–23. The consequences of seduction. 24–27. The concluding exhortation.

“Proverbs 7. Prov. 7:1a.—[My son! Revere the Lord, and you will be strengthened, and fear none other besides Him.]” Proverbs 7:2. Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of your eye. Proverbs 7:3. Bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 7:4. Say to wisdom: “You are my sister!” and call understanding your confidant, Proverbs 7:5. So that they guard you from another’s wife, from the stranger, who softens her words. The general introduction to the subsequent exhortation against the seductions of an adulterous wife has much in common in both content and form with the former similar introductory remarks of the Wise One (Prov 1:8); more particularly, compare v. 2 with Prov 4:4; v. 3 with Prov 3:3). In the text of the LXX and Slavonic at the beginning of v. 2 there is an addition: ύιέ, τίμα τόν Κύριον, καί ὶσχύσεις, πλὴν δέ αύτοῦ μὴ φοβοῦ ἄλλον, “My son, revere the Lord, and you will be strengthened! But besides Him, fear none other.” Although these words do not occur in other translations, and at first glance seem to somewhat interrupt the flow of speech, yet, given the analogous passages in the Book of Proverbs (Prov 1:7), it is possible that these words were in the Hebrew original that the LXX had. The instruction in v. 4—to call wisdom sister and understanding a relative (kinsman)—is characteristic both generally for the Semitic way of representing relations between persons and things (for example, Job 17:14); but especially for the Old Testament teaching about wisdom (cf. Wis 8:2; Sir 15:2): wisdom should become a beloved friend of the one who seeks it, an object of his love and desire. The purpose of wisdom is undoubtedly the good ordering of all human life, but here (v. 5) only one of the purposes and one manifestation of wisdom is indicated: wisdom makes it possible for a devotee of it to resist the seductions of an adulterous wife.

Proverbs 7:6. Behold, once I looked out the window of my house, through my lattice, Proverbs 7:7. And I saw among the simple ones, I noticed among the young men a foolish youth, Proverbs 7:8. Crossing the square near her corner, and going along the road to her house, Proverbs 7:9. In twilight, in the evening, in the dark of night and darkness. Contrary to the rules of wisdom, the conduct of the foolish youth is entirely different: he does not at all follow the rules prescribed by wisdom—to keep his path far from the adulterous wife and not to approach the door of her house (Prov 5:8), or—to banish from his heart every lustful infatuation with the beautiful outward appearance of the harlot (Prov 6:5); on the contrary, he deliberately heads toward her house (Prov 7:8), apparently filled with lust for her and criminal intentions, the gratification of which is facilitated by the chance of an apparently foreseen meeting (v. 9 seems to indicate that the youth was actively seeking an adventure) with the adulterous woman, whose seductive methods are now depicted, vv. 10–20.

Proverbs 7:10. And behold—a woman meets him, dressed as a harlot, with a cunning heart, Proverbs 7:11. She is loud and restless; her feet do not stay in her house: Proverbs 7:12. Sometimes in the street, sometimes in the squares, and at every corner she lays traps. Proverbs 7:13. She seized him, kissed him, and with a shameless face said to him: Proverbs 7:14. “I have a sacrifice of peace offering with me: today I have fulfilled my vows; Proverbs 7:15. That is why I came out to meet you, to seek you, and—I have found you; Proverbs 7:16. I have spread my bed with coverings, with colored fabrics from Egypt; Proverbs 7:17. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloe, and cinnamon; Proverbs 7:18. Come, let us revel in tender caresses until morning, let us delight ourselves in love, Proverbs 7:19. Because my husband is not at home: he has gone on a distant journey; Proverbs 7:20. He took a purse of silver with him; he will come home on the day of the full moon.” If in (Prov 5) the blessings of love with one lawful wife were set against disorderly adultery: if in (Prov 6:20-35) teachings were given chiefly to suppress internal unclean heart movements, as the root and beginning of the sin of unchastity, then here, Chapter 10–20, a detailed, concrete depiction is given of seductions coming from without toward violation of the seventh commandment of the Decalogue, and above all a detailed portrayal of the very guilty party of men’s falls—the adulterous wife. The extraordinarily concrete image of her disturbed both Hebrew and Christian interpreters of the Book of Proverbs, of whom the first even tended, in view of this, to exclude the Book of Proverbs from the canon, and some ancient Christian interpreters tried to explain the image of the harlot (Prov 7:1) in an allegorical sense—foolishness, impiety, in contrast to the image depicted in (Prov 8-9) of God’s Wisdom. But although one cannot deny the possibility of this allegorical understanding, yet the immediate literal understanding of the passage under consideration is entirely consistent with the divine inspiration of the Book of Proverbs, for the purpose of the picture in vv. 10–20 of Chapter VII is instructive: the Wise One, by means of this concrete image, desires to arouse in his student an aversion to the seductions of adultery and inspire steadfastness in chastity. The adulterous woman appears on the street dressed as a harlot, with a covering (LXX: εῖδος ἔχουσα πορνικόν, Vulg.: omatu meretricio, v. 10), so as not to be taken for a married woman (cf. Gen 38:14 ff.; Explanatory Bible, Vol. I, p. 216). Shamelessness, deceitfulness, and cunning are revealed in all the actions and gestures of the woman (vv. 11–13); especially in her words. Wishing to give her invitation an innocent appearance, she presents as the reason for her invitation (v. 14) a religious celebration—the offering of a sacrifice of peace offering, which was always accompanied by a feast (Lev. 7 ff.). Then, enticing the youth into her snares, she speaks (vv. 15–18) about the luxurious surroundings of the impending feast and carnal pleasures, and overcomes any last hesitation of the youth by mentioning the long absence of her husband from home (vv. 19–20).

Proverbs 7:21. With many flattering words she seduced him, with the softness of her lips she overcame him. Proverbs 7:22. At once he went after her, like an ox goes to the slaughter, [and like a dog—on a leash,] and like a deer—to an arrow, Proverbs 7:23. Until an arrow pierces his liver; like a bird hurrying into a snare, and does not know that it is—to his ruin. The cunning speech of the harlot, well calculated for the yielding nature of man’s sensuality, especially that of a youth, is crowned with success; after some hesitation the youth helplessly surrenders into the hands of his destroyer and gives himself to animal pleasures that ruin both body and soul.

Proverbs 7:24. So now, children, listen to me, and pay attention to the words of my mouth. Proverbs 7:25. Let not your heart turn away on her path, do not wander on her ways, Proverbs 7:26. For she has struck down many wounded, and those she has killed are very strong; Proverbs 7:27. Her house—ways to the grave, descending to the chambers of death. All the more persuasive, therefore, are the concluding exhortations to avoid every kind of adultery in general, the final results of which are always the same: temporal and eternal ruin.

Chapter Eight

The teaching activity of Divine Wisdom: the Wisdom of God calls to all through her proclamation, drawing them to herself with the wealth of her gifts. 22–31. The world-creating activity of Divine Wisdom. 32–36. Exhortation to follow…

Proverbs 8:1. Does not Wisdom cry out? Does not Understanding raise her voice? Proverbs 8:2. She takes her stand on the high places, by the way, at the crossroads; Proverbs 8:3. she cries out at the gates, at the entrance to the city, at the entrance to the doors: Earlier, at the beginning of the book Prov 1:20-21 seq., the Wise One introduced into his speech the proclamation of Wisdom from Wisdom’s own person, and in Prov 3:19-20 mentioned Wisdom’s participation in the creation of the world and providence. Now he does the same thing much more in detail: almost two whole chapters, Prov 8-9, are devoted to the revelation of Wisdom’s teaching about herself, her dignity—divine or the Divine nature of Wisdom, her world-creating, world-sustaining, and world-saving activity, her highest properties and richest gifts, her significance for humanity, etc. The Sacred Writer, as it were, intentionally in the preceding chapters (Prov 4-7) grouped together and exhausted all possible kinds and instances of temptations on the path of pious and wise living, so that here, in ch. Prov 8-9, he might display in a more complete way in a positive manner true wisdom according to the teaching of Hypostatic Wisdom herself. At the same time, naturally, there is a complete absence of any mention that this teaching came to the Wise One through tradition from his ancestors (as in Prov 4:3-4 and following). The form given by the reading of v. 1 in the LXX and the Slavonic form of address to the listener: σύ τήν σοφιάν κηρύξεις, ίνα φρόνησις σοι υπακούση, son, “proclaim wisdom, that understanding may obey you,” is less acceptable than according to the reading of the Hebrew Masoretic, the Vulgate, and the Russian: Wisdom herself comes forward as the one proclaiming. Like all preachers of God’s word—prophets and apostles—Wisdom proclaims herself in all public gathering places, and generally everywhere it is possible to meet listeners: on heights, on roads, at crossroads and intersections, at the entrance to the city—at the city gates, on streets, and at the entrance to houses (v. 2–3). However noisy such popular gatherings might be, yet even amid the tumult and noise of idle talkers and arguing people, there resound, like some hymn, the instructive and edifying words from the lips of the zealots and messengers of Divine Wisdom.

Proverbs 8:4. “To you, people, I call out, and my voice is to the sons of men! Proverbs 8:5. Learn prudence, you foolish ones, and you fools—wisdom. Proverbs 8:6. Listen, for I will speak of important things, and the utterance of my mouth—truth; Proverbs 8:7. for my tongue will speak truth, and wickedness—an abomination to my lips; Proverbs 8:8. All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is no deceit and falsehood in them; Proverbs 8:9. All of them are clear to the intelligent and righteous to those who have acquired knowledge. Proverbs 8:10. Accept my instruction rather than silver; choose knowledge instead of fine gold; Proverbs 8:11. for wisdom is better than pearls, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 8:12. I, Wisdom, dwell with understanding and seek the knowledge of prudent counsel. Proverbs 8:13. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and an evil way and deceitful speech I hate. Wisdom turns her call decisively to all people—to the righteous and the wicked, the noble and the common (Prov 8:5); she calls all, according to the guidance of Divine Wisdom, to develop their minds and hearts (Prov 1:4 Eccl 1:13), enriching the mind with every kind of useful knowledge of spiritual and practical wisdom (compare Matt 10:16), and giving the heart steadfastness in true goodness. Wisdom speaks something immeasurably important in human life (Prov 8:6; compare Matt 7:29), namely: pure truth, genuine righteousness, perfect justice; everything contrary to this is absolutely alien to her: all these teachings of Wisdom, despite their height and depth, are yet fully accessible to human understanding (Prov 8:7-9). Therefore, the acquisition of these teachings should be the object of greater longing and searching by man than the acquisition of riches and treasures (v. 10–11, note Prov 3:14-15; Job 28:15-16; Wis 7:9). The power of counsel and the ability to guide human thought toward the right decision in affairs are unchangingly inherent in Divine Wisdom; the foundation and very essence of the wisdom imparted by her consists of the fear of God and aversion from evil (v. 12–13, note Prov 1:7, Prov 9:10).

Proverbs 8:14. I have counsel and sound judgment; I am understanding, I have strength. Proverbs 8:15. By me kings reign and rulers make just laws; Proverbs 8:16. by me princes rule and nobles, all who govern rightly on the earth. Proverbs 8:17. Those who love me I love, and those who seek me find me; Proverbs 8:18. with me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and righteousness; Proverbs 8:19. my fruit is better than fine gold, and my yield than choice silver. Proverbs 8:20. I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, Proverbs 8:21. to bring to those who love me enduring good, and to fill their treasuries. “Proverbs 8. Prov.8:21a.—[When I speak what comes to pass daily, then I will not forget to recount what is from eternity.]” The high and precious gifts and advantages of true wisdom, whose source is in Divine Wisdom, are portrayed. All human works can have firm success only with the help of Divine Wisdom, since only she alone possesses perfectly the light, understanding, and strength needed to carry out her measures for man’s good; without her help human wisdom is powerless (v. 14). In particular, kings, rulers, all authorities and lawgivers can wisely govern their subject peoples and nations, can enact wise and beneficial laws only with the help of that same Divine Wisdom (v. 15–16, note Dan 2:21). All the abundance of blessings inherent in Wisdom, she is always ready to bestow on those who love her and understand the true value of her gifts (v. 17–21). These are the wondrous gifts of Wisdom. But the divine nature and dignity of Wisdom are expressed most strikingly in Wisdom’s participation in the work of creation of the world, and of this the Wise One now speaks, v. 22–31.

Proverbs 8:22. The Lord had me as the beginning of his way, before his creations of old; Proverbs 8:23. from ancient times I was appointed, from the beginning, before the earth came to be. Proverbs 8:24. I was born when there were yet no depths, when there were yet no springs abounding with water. Proverbs 8:25. I was born before the mountains were fixed in place, before the hills, Proverbs 8:26. when he had not yet created the earth, nor the fields, nor the first of the dust of the world. Proverbs 8:27. When he was preparing the heavens, I was there. When he was drawing the circle on the face of the abyss, Proverbs 8:28. when he was making firm the clouds above, when he was securing the springs of the abyss, Proverbs 8:29. when he was giving the sea its decree, so that the waters would not transgress his boundary, when he was laying the foundations of the earth: Proverbs 8:30. then I was beside him as a craftsperson, and I was his delight every day, rejoicing before him at all times, Proverbs 8:31. rejoicing in his habitable world, and my delight was in the children of mankind. In this section, the Fathers and teachers of the Church not without reason perceived in the preexistent and world-creating Wisdom the hypostatic Wisdom, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God, bringing together the concept of her with the concept of the Word of God, which, according to the teaching of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, was in God from the beginning, was himself God, through whom «all came into being, and without whom not one thing came into being that has come into being» (John 1:1-3, compare Heb 1:2; Rev 3:14). Without doubt, on Old Testament ground there could not have been such clarity and distinctness, such precision and definiteness in the teaching about the Logos or Word of God as it received in the teaching of the holy Evangelist John: for the Old Testament, even divinely inspired, sage, the world-creating Wisdom of God is, first and foremost, the idea of the world, preexisting in God before creation—it is that principle which appeared as the intermediary instrumental cause of all creation; this idea and principle are portrayed here in a personified manner. The Wise One could not speak deliberately about the Divine dignity of the second Hypostasis of Wisdom. Entirely erroneous, in the fourth century A.D., at the time of Christological councils, the Arians on the basis of the words of Wisdom: “The Lord created (LXX, έκτισε) me as the beginning of his ways” (v. 22) defended their false teaching that the Son of God is a creature. Against this, Orthodox theologians pointed to the Hebrew reading of this text, understanding the Hebrew verb “kana” in the sense: acquired (εκτήσατο, as in Philo and Origen, or έκτησέ με, as in codices 23, 252 in Helmer). Vulgate: possedit me, Russian Synodal: “The Lord had me as…”); or else referring the concept of creation properly to the incarnation of the Son of God. Both of these latter explanations have their significance and foundation. But in any case, one should remember that in the Old Testament there could not have been theological precision in the formulation of the idea of Logos, and therefore the concept of “creation” here could be applied to Divine Wisdom. In the Book of Jesus son of Sirach, whose teaching stands under the unquestionable influence of the Book of Proverbs, Wisdom is called created by God more than once: 1.4: προτέρα πάντων έκτισται σοφιά; 1.9: αυτός έκτισεν αυτήν; 24:8: ο κτίσας με. However, the pre-universal existence of Wisdom affirmed in Prov 8:22-31 itself constitutes a true foreboding of the New Testament teaching about the Word or Son of God. The whole address of Wisdom falls into two sections: v. 22–26 and v. 27–31, of which in the first is shown the pre-universal existence of Wisdom, and in the second is affirmed the active participation of Wisdom in the creation of the world and the individual kinds of creation. Wisdom was anointed (v. 23, compare Ps 2:6), that is, was appointed by God to be the mistress of creation (compare about the Son of God Rev 3:14: η αρχή τῆς κτίσεως τοῦ θεοῦ) before the appearance of the latter—before the creation of the earth itself in its primordial form (v. 23), before the appearance of the great cosmic abyss, all water-containers, mountains, hills, and the beginning of all organic life (24–25, compare Ps 89:2, Job 38:6 and others) Wisdom existed and was born by God (v. 24–25). Born before all creation (compare about the Son of God: πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως, Col 1:15), Wisdom was by no means a passive witness of the creation of the world itself; on the contrary, throughout the entire process of world-creation (v. 27–30, and compare Job 26:9, and following) she was an unchanging participant in God’s work, imprinting her heavenly image on the works of God’s creation. And as the completion and goal of the creation of the world was the creation of man (Gen 1:26 seq.), so the special object of Wisdom’s participation and joy was also precisely the creation of man—the crown of God’s creations, on whom, as the image and likeness of God, most perfectly was imprinted the seal of Wisdom itself (v. 30–31). This special participation of Wisdom in the work of creating man fully corresponds to the biblical account of the counsel held in the Holy Trinity before the creation of man (Gen 1:26, compare Comm. Bible vol. I, p. 11). The true and primordial source of the joy of Hypostatic Wisdom or Logos was contained precisely in her communion with God the Father (John 17:24), and her joy in creation and especially in men is a reflection of that celestial joy. The section Prov 8:22-30 is read in churches as a lesson on the festivals of the Theotokos, reminding the faithful that the incarnate Son of God existed from eternity in communion with God the Father.

Proverbs 8:32. And so, children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways! Proverbs 8:33. Listen to instruction and become wise, and do not turn away from it. Proverbs 8:34. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates and waiting at the posts of my doors! Proverbs 8:35. for whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord; Proverbs 8:36. but he who sins against me wrongs his own soul: all who hate me love death”. Now Wisdom turns her call to men, as the preeminent bearers of wisdom, stamped by the Creator on all creation. Wisdom exhorts them to listen and keep the teachings of wisdom, because in listening to and keeping them consists all blessedness and all of man’s life (v. 32, 34, 35, compare Ps 118:1-2; Luke 11:23), whereas those who turn away from communion with Wisdom, and especially those who hate her, prepare for themselves temporal and eternal death. * * * Notes The Midrash explains the difference in forms of address in v. 4—“men” or “males” (ishim) and—“sons of mankind” (bene-adam) like this: “if you will be worthy and keep the law, you will be called, like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—“men,” ishim, but if not, you will be “sons of mankind,” bene-adam, like Adam, who did not keep the Law and therefore was driven out of paradise” (Midr. s. 21)

Chapter Nine

1–11. Divine Wisdom as the establisher of the Kingdom of God on earth. 12–18. The opposite activity of wickedness, personified in the image of a wanton woman.

Proverbs 9:1. Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn her seven pillars, Proverbs 9:2. she has slaughtered her beasts, mixed her wine, and prepared her table; Proverbs 9:3. she has sent her servants to call from the highest places of the city: If in ch. VIII one spoke about Wisdom’s participation in God’s work of creation and providence (Prov 8:27-31), and people in general were called to obedience to Wisdom, then here in ch. IX is spoken—under the image of a house founded by Wisdom (v. 1)—about the establishment by Hypostatic Wisdom of the Kingdom of God or the Church among men for their spiritual nourishment, illumination, and sanctification, and all people are specifically invited into this house of Wisdom to the table prepared by her. Divine Wisdom—this great artist or builder (Prov 8:30) from the moment of the beginning of creation—in historical times founded on earth her great house (ibid. Prov 8:34), which is, of course, also the house of God (Ps 83:11). The house of God’s Wisdom is evidently the Kingdom of God or the Church, whose foundation was laid by Divine Providence even in paradise; this Kingdom of God, then in the multiformity of sacred biblical events and figures, theocratic institutions and ordinances, under the guidance of the Law and the prophets, unfolded throughout the entire Old Testament until the appearance of Christ the Savior, when it was replaced by the New Testament Church or the New Testament Kingdom of God (1 Tim 3:15; Heb 3:6; Rev 3:12). The house of Wisdom is founded on seven pillars (v. 1), that is, according to the general biblical significance of the number 7 in the sense of fullness, completeness, perfection (Gen 4:24; Ps 11:7; Matt 18:21-22). The Kingdom of God or the Church is furnished by Divine Wisdom with manifold gifts and graces—with everything needed for its good order, flourishing, and glory. The interpretation of the number of seven pillars in its exact sense has generally yielded unsuccessful attempts, such as the ancient Jewish interpretation—in the sense of 7 heavens from which the Torah descended and was given to men (Midr. S. 25), even less so in the sense of 7 free arts (Heidenheim) or the first 7 chapters of the Book of Proverbs (Hitzig), finally, 7 properties of the highest wisdom according to the reckoning of James (Jas 3:17). Only the Christian-ecclesiastical interpretation of the seven pillars in the sense of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit deserves attention (Isa 11:2-3, note Rev 1:4), then—seven sacraments and the like. The blessings of the Kingdom of God established by Wisdom are depicted here (v. 2) in the image of a table of meat of a peace offering (Heb.: tebah, LXX: θύματα, Vulg.: victimas) and wine mixed with water or spices (compare Isa 5:22; Prov 23:30), as in the Gospel the Lord depicted the blessings of the Kingdom of God on earth and of the Heavenly Kingdom in the image of a banquet (Matt 22:1; seq. Luke 14:16; seq. Luke 22:30). More particularly, in light of the New Testament, in this banquet of Wisdom one can understand the Eucharist or the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ. To this Divine banquet Wisdom calls men through her sent servants (v. 3), as in the Gospel parables about those invited to the royal supper guests are invited through royal servants (Matt 22:1 seq.; Luke 14:16 seq.). By these servant-heralds are to be understood all those ever sent by God and his Wisdom—preachers of God’s truth for the building of the Divine theocracy among men; in the Old Testament—the prophets, in the New Testament—the apostles (Isa 52:7; Rom 10:15-18).

Proverbs 9:4. “Whoever is simple, let him turn aside here!” And to the one lacking sense she says, Proverbs 9:5. “Come, eat my bread and drink the wine I have mixed; Proverbs 9:6. leave foolishness and live, and walk in the way of insight.”. The people to whom the call of Wisdom’s messengers is directed are named here (v. 4, 6) as foolish or lacking in understanding—not in an absolute sense, but in a relative sense—in the sense of being untaught in higher truths and, above all, of moral instability and weakness of character (v. 6, compare Prov 7:7). Such people, of whom there are especially many among the young, are still amenable to instruction and pedagogical influence (compare Ps 18:8). And at the time of the planting of Christianity, precisely such simple-hearted people proved to be especially receptive to the preaching of the Gospel (Matt 11:25; Luke 10:21; 1 Cor 1:27). Therefore Wisdom calls them to her spiritual table (v. 5), into the light of true understanding and piety.

Proverbs 9:7. Whoever corrects a fool brings on himself abuse, and whoever reproves a wicked person gets himself hurt. Proverbs 9:8. Do not correct a fool, or he will hate you; reprove the wise, and he will love you; Proverbs 9:9. give instruction to the wise, and he will become still wiser; teach the righteous, and he will increase in learning. Here a preliminary remark is made, which aims to limit the circle of people to whom the preaching of Wisdom’s messengers is directed: it is pointless and futile to teach wisdom to people who regard the truth with contempt, who are hostile to it and its preachers (compare Matt 7:6). Instead of useless and unsafe waste of words trying to convince a fool, the preacher should better direct his attention to the wise, that is, at least to one striving for wisdom, to whom the preaching of wisdom will always bring substantial benefit (compare Matt 13:12). It is understandable, of course, that the indicated limitation itself, v. 7–8, has only a relative and conditional significance: it does not suggest an unconditional prohibition against teaching the wicked the truth, but rather circumspection in dealing with scorners of the truth. Love, the highest principle of true life, obligates all possessors of truth everywhere to spread good and truth, caring for the salvation of all, after the example of God himself, who desires the salvation of all, not excluding sinners (Ezek 18:32; 2 Pet 3:9; 2 Tim 2:4).

Proverbs 9:10. The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord, and knowledge of the Holy One is insight; Proverbs 9:11. for through me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you. The speech of Wisdom is concluded with an indication of the main foundation on which the serious seeking of wisdom is built (v. 10)—and the gracious fruits or saving consequences of true wisdom for the one who has obtained it (v. 11). The beginning of wisdom is fear of God (10a, note Prov 1:7) and reverential knowledge of God: “knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (10b). (This translation should be preferred, according to the law of parallelism, to the Greek LXX: Βουλὴ αγίων σύνεσίς, Slavonic: “counsel of the holy is understanding.” It would be more acceptable to adopt the Vulgate translation: scientia sanctorum prudentia); the LXX and the Slavonic at the end of v. 10 have an addition: τὸ γάρ γνῶναι νόμον διανοίας ἐστὶν ἀγαθῆς; Slavonic: “to know the law is a mark of good understanding.” This addition is absent in many Greek codices (23, 68, 106, 109, 248, 252, 295 in Holm., in the Aldine and Alexandrian editions, in Clement of Alexandria), and is not present in the Vulgate: apparently—a later gloss, though answering the context of the speech. V. 11 presents one of the not uncommon in the Book of Proverbs promises of longevity for keeping the lessons of wisdom (note Prov 3:2). The examined section Prov 9:1-11 is read in churches as a lesson on the Feasts of the Mother of God, inasmuch as here is foreshadowed Hypostatic Wisdom not in her preexistent being, but in the state of incarnation; and the thought of the incarnation of the Son of God is inseparable from the thought of the Mother of God, who served as the instrument of the incarnation of the Son of God (see in Bp. Vissarion, p. 103–104).

Proverbs 9:12. [My son!] if you are wise, you are wise for yourself [and for those near you]; and if you are rash, you alone will suffer. “Proverbs 9. Prov.9:12a.—[Whoever is settled on falsehood tends the winds, pursues the birds flying:—” “Proverbs 9. Prov.9:12b.—for he abandoned the paths of his vineyard and wanders along the paths of his field;—” “Proverbs 9. Prov.9:12c.—he passes through a waterless waste and a land destined for thirst; he gathers with his hands barrenness.]” As an inducement to keep the teachings of wisdom and to avoid (described below) the temptations of foolishness and dissoluteness, the Wise One points out here that the beneficial consequences of wisdom have force properly for the one himself who maintains wisdom, not for God (a thought analogous to that expressed in Job 22:2-3), and not for neighbors. The LXX, Slavonic, however, adds: καί τοῖς πλησίον, “and for those near you.” Furthermore, the LXX and others have a three-line addition to v. 12, which is also found in the Syriac and Arabic translations, as well as in Slavonic and Russian Synodal (in the latter these additions are in brackets). Apparently, these are later glosses, though having signs of origin from a Hebrew original, transferred here from other places in the Book of Proverbs and other sacred books.

Proverbs 9:13. The foolish woman is loud; she is simple and knows nothing of shame. Proverbs 9:14. She sits at the door of her house on a seat in the high places of the city, Proverbs 9:15. calling to those passing by, to those who go straight on their way: Proverbs 9:16. “Whoever is simple, let him turn aside here!” And to the one lacking sense she said, Proverbs 9:17. “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant”. Proverbs 9:18. But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.— “Proverbs 9. Prov.9:18a.—[But you draw back, do not delay in the place, do not fix your gaze on her;—” “Proverbs 9. Prov.9:18b.—for thus you will pass over strange water.—” “Proverbs 9. Prov.9:18c.—Stay far from strange water, and do not drink from a strange spring,—” “Proverbs 9. Prov.9:18d.—so that you may live a long time, and that the years of your life may be increased.]” To strengthen the impression from the exhortations of Wisdom, here are portrayed in detail the temptations of lack of understanding coming from the wanton woman. By her outward appearance the latter’s invitation resembles the invitation of wisdom, but the traits of boldness, recklessness, and similar negative qualities that distinguish the wanton woman (v. 13–17), and especially the fatal end of those seduced by her temptations (v. 18, note Prov 7:27), should, according to the thought of the Wise One, once and for all protect his pupil from any seduction by dissoluteness and folly, however great at times may be the temptation and enticement to follow them.—At the end of v. 18 the LXX has an addition that bears the character of a later gloss (it is absent in the Complutensian edition).

Chapter Ten

From ch. X begin the “Proverbs of Solomon” (Prov 10:1) concerning the general character, content, purpose, and goal of which it was spoken at the beginning of the Book of Proverbs (Prov 1:2-6). If in ch. I-IX the development of the thought about the significance of wisdom proceeded through consecutive and connected periods, then from here, with ch. X through XXIX inclusive, there follows a series of proverbial sayings of miscellaneous content, so that almost every verse is an independent whole, a separate proverb, having no visible connection either with what precedes or with what follows. In content these proverbial sayings relate to all possible relations and conditions of life. Before the reader’s eyes, in the diversity proper to human life, here pass side by side: the rich and the poor, the wise and the foolish, the industrious and the lazy, the righteous and the wicked, father and son, husband and wife, master and slave, king and subject, etc. Relating each to separate phenomena of life, all the proverbs together, however, express a whole worldview on life, a finished worldview of the sacred writer. In form, these proverbs constitute rhyming couplets, both parts of which are usually in a relation of opposition (in ch. X-XV)—exclusively or represent what is called antithetical parallelism, in which one hemistich expresses the converse side of truth expressed in the other (see for example, also in Ps 2:6; Eccl 2:14).

Proverbs 10:1. Proverbs of Solomon. A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings sorrow to his mother. This very form is already possessed by this first verse, which evidently relates to the entire subsequent collection of proverbs. A particular shade of meaning in the opposition of father and mother: the grief of an unsuccessful son is perceived especially deeply by a mother’s heart (compare Prov 1:8).

Proverbs 10:2. Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death. Proverbs 10:3. The Lord will not let the righteous soul go hungry, but he thrusts aside the craving of the wicked. Proverbs 10:4. A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent brings wealth. Proverbs 10:5. He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a shameful son. Proverbs 10:6. Blessings rest on the head of the righteous, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked. Proverbs 10:7. The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot. For all the diversity of content of these six verses, they are somewhat unified by a thought common to all of them about the unequal earthly lot of the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the foolish, the industrious and the lazy. “Life and death” (v. 2)—a typical designation of good and misfortune in life running through the entire Book of Proverbs.—“Treasures gained by wickedness”—acquired by injustice, lawlessness—“do not profit”—are powerless to save from death, as well as from any deadly misfortune. What will save from this is only “righteousness” (Heb. tzedakah), that is, the rectitude of all intentions and acts of a man, the active fulfillment of “wisdom,” chokhma (according to traditional Hebrew interpretation, tzedakah that saves from death is almsgiving). The thought of v. 2 is repeated almost word-for-word in Prov 11:4. In v. 3 are opposed, first, the “soul” of the righteous, that is, the normal, balanced mental state (according to LXX ψυχὴ δικαία) of the righteous—and the “craving” or greed (Heb. gevah, compare Mic 3:7; according to LXX ζωὴ, life, in the sense of means of living) of the wicked; and second, the opposite fate of the one and the other: the Lord does not permit the righteous to hunger (compare Ps 32:19), but on the contrary, the evil and lustful desires of the wicked he does not allow to be satisfied, especially since they are often directed toward the harm of neighbors. Then, in v. 4–5, is expressed the thought that well-being or material scarcity depends on one’s own energy or, conversely, inactivity as a deviation from the universal law of labor (Gen 3:19). In the Vulgate, to v. 4 there is added: qui nititur mendaciis, hic pascit ventos idem autem ipse sequitur aves volantes. The LXX have an addition in v. 5, read in the Slavonic Bible as follows: “will be saved from the heat, a son of understanding, while chaffy is born on the harvest a son of lawlessness,” that is, the prudent, as a result of timely gathering of grain, does not suffer damage from hot winds, whereas the foolish and disorderly man misses the time of harvest, and over-ripe grain in the head is laid waste by heat and wind; in general, here as in the whole v. 4–5, is expressed the thought of the necessity of prudent use of time for success in temporal and spiritual matters. V. 6–7 speak of the good name, the unblemished reputation of the righteous and—the disgrace and ruin of the name of the wicked, both during their lifetime (v. 6) and after the death of the one and the other (v. 7) (compare Ps 111:6; Sir 44:13; note Matt 26:13).

Proverbs 10:8. The wise in heart accepts commands, but a babbling fool comes to ruin. Proverbs 10:9. Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever perverts his ways will be found out. Proverbs 10:10. He who winks with his eye causes trouble, but a babbling fool comes to ruin. They oppose one another in character and consequences of the actions of the wise and the wicked in relation to the teachings of wisdom (v. 8), in behavior or mode of life, opposite in one and the other (v. 9), and in the very manner of speech—deceitful and crooked in the wicked, and direct, though perhaps harsh, in the righteous (v. 10). The latter thought is expressed more clearly than in the Hebrew text in the Greek translation of the LXX in the second half of v. 10: ὁ δὲ ᾿ελέγχων μετὰ παρρησίας είρηνοποιεῖ; Slavonic: “but he who reproves with boldness makes peace”.

Proverbs 10:11. The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Proverbs 10:12. Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. Proverbs 10:13. In the mouth of one who has understanding is found wisdom, but a rod is for the back of one without sense. Proverbs 10:14. The wise lay up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near. The portrayal of the good and evil, wise and foolish, continues—in relation to their dealings with neighbors and their influence on them, chiefly from the side of speech or the ability and manner of using the word. If in general human speech is compared to waves and streams of waters (Prov 18:4), then the speech of the righteous—for its directness and instructiveness—is called here (v. 11) a fountain of life, while from the mouth of the wicked comes only violence. To this violence and its harmful influence on society is helped by the hatred filling it. On the contrary, “love covers all offenses” (v. 12, compare 1 Pet 4:8; Jas 5:20; 1 Cor 13:4), that is, is lenient toward the mistakes of a neighbor, does not spread ill repute about him (compare Prov 17:9), in general contributes in every way to peace. In v. 13–14 there is a new opposition of wise and foolish: the first is receptive to simple instruction in wisdom; the second requires physical action (v. 13); the first, having understood truth, does not hasten to communicate it to everyone and everyone, on the contrary, observes caution in speech, according with the degree of receptiveness of listeners; the fool, on the contrary, is talkative—to his own destruction (v. 14).

Proverbs 10:15. The wealth of the rich is his fortress; the poverty of the poor is their ruin. Proverbs 10:16. The earnings of the righteous lead to life, but the gain of the wicked to sin. Proverbs 10:17. Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but whoever ignores reproof goes astray. Proverbs 10:18. Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool. Proverbs 10:19. When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. Proverbs 10:20. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, the heart of the wicked is of little worth. Proverbs 10:21. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense. In these seven verses speech is made principally of earthly goods, their value and the way of acquisition and use. The raising of one’s self-confidence and self-reliance that wealth produces, the significance of wealth and the humbling effect that poverty has on a person (v. 15)—a fact of experience. The Wise One by this saying warns—the rich against the self-reliance born of wealth, and the poor against the idleness that leads to poverty and want. At the same time both wealth and poverty are regarded mainly from the moral point of view: wealth, it is supposed, should be acquired by life wisdom and in morally irreproachable ways and in turn should be used for works of wisdom, love, and piety; conversely, poverty, which is a consequence of laziness and other vices, can, in turn, lead to new vices. That the Wise One regards wealth and poverty mainly from the moral point of view is shown by the following verse—16th, which directly says that only the acquisitions of the righteous are lasting, while the gains of the wicked lead to sin—as well as v. 17, where the hortatory direction and content of the speech becomes fully evident: there is spoken about the salvation-giving nature of keeping the teaching of wisdom and about the ruinousness of scorning reproof (compare Prov 12:1): one who does not accept reproof not only perishes himself, but through the destructive force of example, ruins others (Matt 15:14). In the following v. 18–21 speech is made chiefly about correct, saving, and incorrect, ruinous use of the gift of speech: cursed is evil-speaking against a neighbor (v. 18), in general vain talk, which inevitably leads to sin (v. 19, compare Prov 13:3; Eccl 10:14; Sir 20:7; Matt 12:35), praised on the contrary is the deliberate word of the righteous (20a) as edifying to many (21a), in opposition to the empty, void word of the wicked (20b, 21b.)

Proverbs 10:22. The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and he adds no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:23. A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom. Proverbs 10:24. What the wicked dreads will come upon him, but what the righteous desire will be granted. Proverbs 10:25. When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever. According to the different disposition of the foolish wicked and the wise righteous (v. 23), their outward fate is also different: for the righteous all prospers, all is given to him without effort, cares, and worries, since the blessing of God rests on his life and works (v. 22, note Ps 126:2 seq.), all his desire is fulfilled (v. 24b); on the contrary, the lot of the wicked—eternal fear for his well-being (v. 24a, note Isa 66:4; Job 3:25), and his end—sudden and complete destruction, with the complete steadfastness of the righteous (v. 25; note Prov 1:27; Job 1:19).

Proverbs 10:26. Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him. In this verse is expressed, standing apart here, the thought about the harm of laziness (compare Prov 6:6 seq.; Prov 12:27).

Proverbs 10:27. The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. Proverbs 10:28. The hope of the righteous ends in gladness, but the expectation of the wicked comes to nothing. Proverbs 10:29. The way of the Lord is a fortress for the upright, but a terror to evildoers. Proverbs 10:30. The righteous will never be shaken, but the wicked will not remain in the land. Thoughts are repeated not infrequently already expressed about the unequal to the point of opposition fate of the righteous and the wicked (compare Prov 3:2; note Job 8:13; Ps 109:6).

Proverbs 10:31. The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out. Proverbs 10:32. The lips of the righteous know what is welcome, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse. Concerning the mouth of the righteous and the wicked and the fruits thereof.

Chapter Eleven

1–11. On the significance of justice in relation to one’s neighbors and on the destructiveness of injustice. 12–15. Against talkativeness, inclination to slander, lack of judgment in counsel, and frivolous pledges. 16–23. The different conduct and opposite fruits of the righteous and the wicked. 24–26. Against stinginess and lack of compassion. 27–31. Only the fruits of godliness are lasting.

Proverbs 11:1. False scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is pleasing to Him. Proverbs 11:2. When pride comes, disgrace follows; but with the humble is wisdom. [A righteous man in his death leaves remorse; but the destruction of the wicked is sudden and joyful.] Proverbs 11:3. The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them. Proverbs 11:4. Riches will not help in the day of wrath, but righteousness will save from death. Proverbs 11:5. The righteousness of the blameless makes their path straight, but the wicked fall by their own wickedness. Proverbs 11:6. The righteousness of the upright will save them, but the treacherous will be caught by their own greed. Proverbs 11:7. When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes, and the expectation of the godless comes to nothing. Proverbs 11:8. The righteous is delivered from trouble, and in his place comes the wicked. Proverbs 11:9. With his mouth the hypocrite destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous are delivered. Proverbs 11:10. When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; and when the wicked perish, there is jubilation. Proverbs 11:11. By the blessing of the upright a city is raised up, but by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down. The warning against the use of false scales and exhortation to conscientiousness in this matter (v. 1, cf. Prov 20:10) constitutes a repetition of the law’s ordinance (Deut 25:13-16); the frequent repetition of this rule was demanded by the common violations of it, especially in trade (Sir 26:27). The Wise One reinforces his teaching with the thought of an All-knowing and All-just God. Concerning the destructiveness of pride (v. 2), the Wise One speaks often (see Prov 16:18), as also concerning the benefit of the opposite virtue—humility (cf. Prov 3:34), which, according to the context of this passage (v. 2), is both wisdom and glory. The Seventy add here—in Slavonic: «a righteous man in dying left remorse, easy indeed and mocked was the destruction of the wicked»—expressing the thought that the opposite moral disposition of the righteous and wicked during life is accompanied by or results in a fundamentally different character both of death itself and of the posthumous memory of the one and the other. V. 3 continues the thought of v. 2 concerning the superiority of uprightness and righteousness over the deceit and wickedness of the ungodly—even for mere outward prosperity. V. 4 reinforces the thought of v. 2 of chapter X: not only wealth accumulated by unrighteous means and methods (Prov 10:2), but wealth in general will not benefit the wicked; salvation lies only in righteousness—salvation precisely «in the day of wrath,» that is, of God’s anger and judgment (cf. Ezek 7:19; Zeph 1:18; Sir 5:10). Vv. 5–6 are perfectly parallel both to each other and to v. 3 (cf. also Prov 10:3; Wis 5:15), expressing the opposition of the life’s lot of the righteous and wicked, corresponding to their opposite moral condition. From the distinctive features of the spiritual disposition of the righteous and wicked is explained, by vv. 7–8, their opposite fate, both in life and after death: the righteous man, valuing above all communion with God, passing into the life hereafter, in this very conviction of his has firm and good hope in the mercy of the Lord (cf. Prov 10:28); on the other hand, the wicked man, during life wholly devoted to earthly goods and neglecting communion with God, dying loses those earthly goods to which he was passionately attached (Ps 48:18), understands at last the true worth of spiritual goods, and in this belated understanding lies for him the source of new torments. The righteous man’s deliverance during life from grief, which instead falls upon the wicked (v. 8), had examples often in biblical history (according to the Book of Esther, the destruction awaiting the Jews in Mordecai’s case actually befell the nations and Haman Esth 7-9; according to the prophet Daniel, the wicked slanderers of this prophet perished instead of him Dan 6:25)—constituted rather a pious theocratic belief of God’s chosen people (cf. Isa 43:3) than a fact of experience, which indeed (experience) will always give far more examples of the opposite kind. On the basis of this passage could arise the conviction that public opinion always rejoices in the happiness of the righteous and delights in the ruin of the wicked (vv. 10–11, cf. Esth 8:15), though reality, of course, presents many phenomena contrary to that. In any case, the presence in a city of righteous people is a guarantee of the welfare of the society (cf. Gen 18:24 and following).

Proverbs 11:12. A foolish man shows contempt for his neighbor, but a discerning man holds his peace. Proverbs 11:13. A gossip reveals secrets, but a faithful person keeps a matter hidden. Proverbs 11:14. Where there is no guidance, people fall, but success comes with many advisers. Proverbs 11:15. Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to strike hands in pledge is safe. There follows a series of teachings of varied content, partly concerning personal moral life (vv. 12–13), partly connected with social (v. 15) and state (v. 14) matters. Namely, there is condemnation both of the haughty, contemptuous attitude toward one’s neighbor, which usually serves as a sign of the foolish pride (v. 12a cf. Prov 14:21), and of the frivolous attitude toward the honor and good name of one’s neighbor, expressed in the spreading of rumors and talk serving to discredit him (v. 13a, cf. Lev 19:16; Jer 9:3); praised, by contrast, are modesty and taciturnity (12b) and faithfulness in keeping an entrusted secret (13b, cf. Sir 19:10). Concerning popular governance, the presence of many counselors with the king is approved (v. 14, cf. Prov 15:22), understood of course if they are people of deep wisdom and good conscience. In v. 15 is repeated the warning already given in Prov 6:1 against thoughtless pledging, and practical caution in this matter is approved.

Proverbs 11:16. A kind woman gains honor [for her husband, and a woman who hates righteousness is the height of disgrace. The lazy are always in poverty,] but the diligent gain wealth. Proverbs 11:17. The merciful person does good to his own soul, but the cruel person brings trouble on himself. Proverbs 11:18. The wicked man earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness reaps a certain reward. Proverbs 11:19. Righteousness leads to life, but whoever pursues evil pursues it toward their own death. Proverbs 11:20. The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord, but those of blameless conduct are his delight. Proverbs 11:21. Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be saved. Proverbs 11:22. Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who lacks good judgment. Proverbs 11:23. The desire of the righteous is only good; the expectation of the wicked is wrath. The mutual relationship of the two halves of v. 16 according to the Hebrew-Masoretic text and the Vulgate appears unclear and can be better understood according to the LXX text (Slavonic, Russian Synodal), which has between these two sentences two others, the first of which contains the opposite of the first thought of the verse, and the other the opposite of its second half. The whole verse 16 according to the LXX reads: Γυνὴ εὐχάριστος ἐγείρει ἀνδρὶ δοξαν, θρόνος δε ἀτιμίας γυνὴ μισοῦσα δίκαια πλούτου ὀκνηροί ἐνδεεῖς γίνονται, οἱ δὲ ἀνδρεῖοι ἐρείδονται πλούτω. Slavonic and Russian Synodal literally translate the reading of the LXX, with words not present in the Hebrew text enclosed in brackets in Russian. Instead of this antithetic parallelism, the Vulgate is closer to the Hebrew text—it gives synthetic or comparative parallelism: mulier gratiosa inveniet gloriam et robusti habebunt divitias. The reading of the Seventy for v. 16 deserves preference over the Masoretic text and the Vulgate. The thought of the verse is: goods, even external ones, are acquired through human effort. In the following verses (17 and onward) is developed the thought that the goods of life are achieved precisely through moral effort, through a godly religious-moral disposition of man. Namely, as a source of man’s well-being is named first of all charity (v. 17, cf. v. 25), then righteousness (vv. 18–19), reverent integrity before God (vv. 20–21). At the same time the opposite vices: mercilessness, deception, cruelty, impiety, appear as sources of destruction for those who commit these vices. This is the thought, repeated so often in the Book of Proverbs, concerning the correspondence of man’s earthly lot to his religious-moral worth (cf. Gal 6:8; 1 Tim 4:8). In v. 22, in a figurative comparison, is expressed the thought of the impropriety of elegance or, in general, of good for moral ugliness, which from the joining of refined surroundings becomes even more starkly manifest its worthlessness (v. 22 is an example of the so-called emblematic proverb). V. 23 presents as it were a concluding generalization of the preceding thoughts—concerning the opposition of the life’s strivings and hopes of the righteous and wicked.

Proverbs 11:24. One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. Proverbs 11:25. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:26. Whoever hoards grain, the people will curse, but blessing rests on the head of one who is willing to sell. Highly valuing generosity and charity, the Wise One removes here a possible concern of the charitable—that of impoverishment—by pointing to God’s special providence for the charitable, among whom with the greater development of generosity there increases well-being (vv. 24–25, cf. Ps 111:9; 2 Cor 9:9); on the other hand, excessive stinginess (v. 24b), and especially immoderate greed, combined with cruel indifference to one’s neighbor’s need (v. 26a), do not create human well-being. In v. 26a is meant the case of national famine, when it happens that a greedy merchant deliberately holds back and does not put his grain reserves up for sale in order to have a great profit afterward: the fate of such avaricious and merciless people is a curse from the people (cf. Sir 5:4). In the LXX text and Slavonic, this thought is reinforced by means of an addition standing here at the beginning of v. 26: ὁ συνέχων σῖτον ὑπολείποιτο αὐτόν τοῖς ἕθνεσι, Slavonic: «he that withholds grain leaves it to the nations»—that is, in case of possible invasion of the country by enemies, the avaricious grain merchants, who had refused their countrymen necessary bread, would themselves become victims of plunder by foreign conquerors.

Proverbs 11:27. Whoever seeks good finds favor, but evil comes to one who pursues it. Proverbs 11:28. Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like leaves. The thought of v. 27 with a slight variation was expressed above—in Prov 10:24, and that of v. 28—in v. 2 of the same chapter. The comparison of the righteous man’s well-being to a flourishing tree (v. 28) is found more than once in Scripture (Ps 1:3; Isa 66:14).

Proverbs 11:29. Whoever brings ruin on his family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise. “Will inherit only wind,” that is, will be left with nothing (cf. Isa 26:18; Hos 8:7); the wasteful and foolish man, as a consequence of poverty and ruin (Lev 25:39), will be compelled to become the servant of one who is more prudent, which, according to the Wise One’s view, is in the order of things (Prov 17:2).

Proverbs 11:30. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise wins souls. Proverbs 11:31. If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner. The fruits of righteousness—life with its goods (v. 30, cf. Prov 3:18)—convince everyone of the reality of the moral order of the world. All the more undeniable is the terrible retribution upon the wicked (v. 31). V. 31 according to the LXX reading is literally repeated in 1 Pet 4:18 regarding Christian society. * * * The further words: διμιουλκῶν σῖτον δημοκάταρτος—are not in the accepted Greek text, but they are found in codices 2:23, 161 in Holmes, in the works of St. Basil the Great and John Chrysostom.

Chapter Twelve

1–3. On the inner and outer opposition of good and evil in general. 4–11. On the happiness and unhappiness of family life and the causes of one and the other. 12–22. On positive and negative phenomena in social life, mainly in connection with the proper or improper use of the tongue. 23–26. On wisdom, righteousness, and diligence with their opposites.

Proverbs 12:1. Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid. Proverbs 12:2. The good obtain favor from the Lord, but the Lord condemns those who devise wicked schemes. Proverbs 12:3. No one can be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted. The thought that the path to wisdom lies in instruction and careful attention to it (v. 1) represents a repetition of what was expressed in Prov 10:17; and the thought about the lasting nature of righteousness alone (v. 3) was expressed earlier in Prov 10:25.

Proverbs 12:4. A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful woman is like decay in his bones. Proverbs 12:5. The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful. Proverbs 12:6. The words of the wicked lie in wait to shed blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them. Proverbs 12:7. The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous stands firm. Proverbs 12:8. A person is praised according to their prudence, and one of perverted mind is despised. Proverbs 12:9. Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food. Proverbs 12:10. The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. Proverbs 12:11. Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies lack sense. “Proverbs 12. Prov.12:11a. [Whoever finds pleasure in idling over wine will leave shame in his own house.]” First among the goods of a man’s family life is placed the capable wife, called the crown of her husband (4a)—because her labor, diligence, prudence, and the like bring her husband wealth, honor, and glory (cf. Prov 31:10 and following); by contrast, the harm done by an evil wife is immeasurable: as a worm gnaws at wood and it dries and perishes, so an evil wife gnaws at her husband’s health and well-being and that of the whole family (cf. Sir 25:11 and following). Then, after a general opposition of the benefit of the thoughts, intentions, words and deeds of the righteous and the harmfulness of all this in the wicked (vv. 5–6) and indication of the opposition of the external ultimate fate of the wicked and righteous (v. 7, cf. Prov 10:25), as well as the different attitude of public opinion to the words and speech of the one and the other (v. 8), praise is given to the diligence of a humble poor man and condemnation of contempt for labor and idleness of a vain man (v. 9), more specifically, praise for the work of a farmer and condemnation of all idleness, which leads to various vices, for example, to drunkenness (v. 11 according to the LXX). To the characterization of the righteous belongs (v. 10) also the fact that he shows mercy even to animals, obeying the promptings of natural compassion and following the direct precepts of the law (Exod 20:10; Exod 22:4-5; Lev 22:28; Deut 25:4), which enjoined the Hebrew to treat animals humanely.

Proverbs 12:12. The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoing, but the righteous are rooted and unshaken. Proverbs 12:13. The wicked are trapped by their sinful talk, but the righteous escape trouble. “Proverbs 12. Prov.12:13a. [He who looks with a gentle eye will be shown mercy, but he who stands in the gate will distress others.]” Proverbs 12:14. From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. Proverbs 12:15. The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice. Proverbs 12:16. Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult. Proverbs 12:17. An honest witness tells the truth, but a false witness tells lies. Proverbs 12:18. The words of the rash pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:19. Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. Proverbs 12:20. Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy. Proverbs 12:21. No harm overtakes the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble. Proverbs 12:22. Lying lips are detestable to the Lord, but those who speak truthfully are his delight. The desires, words, and deeds of the wicked and righteous are essentially different; different too is the fruit, the consequence of them for one and the other: failure and utter destruction for the wicked, and salvation for the righteous (vv. 12–14, cf. Prov 18:7; Ps 61:13). Then are contrasted the self-conceit and impatience of the fool with the modesty (in accepting counsel from others) and patience and caution (when receiving injury) of the wise man (vv. 15–16), as well as the truthfulness and reliability of the testimony of the wise and the falsehood, deceit, and malice of the testimony of the fool and the wicked (vv. 17–22). Being in itself an evil, which always causes painful response in the heart of one’s neighbor, as if wounding him (v. 18), the testimony or false testimony of the wicked brings destruction upon himself as well (vv. 19–20); mainly the loss of the mercy of God, which is inseparable from those upright in heart, word, and deed (v. 22).

Proverbs 12:23. The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves, but the heart of fools blurts out folly. Proverbs 12:24. Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor. Proverbs 12:25. Anxiety weighs down the heart of a man, but a kind word cheers it up. Proverbs 12:26. The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. Proverbs 12:27. The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the wealth of the diligent. Proverbs 12:28. In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality. Praised are restraint in speech, which belongs to the wise man (v. 23a), his ability to comfort the sorrowful with a word (v. 25a), and in general the guidance he provides to his neighbor (v. 26); also diligence and industriousness (vv. 24a, 27b); condemned, by contrast, are the opposite vices of the wicked. The general conclusion of the chapter is: the way of righteousness leads to true life and immortality (v. 28).

Chapter Thirteen

1–3. Introductory remarks on the benefit to a young man of hearing the lessons of wisdom. 4–12. The correct view of the significance and use of wealth. 13–17. On the blessing of the word of God. 18–25. Exhortation to obedience to the word of God.

Proverbs 13:1. A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. Proverbs 13:2. From the fruit of their mouth a person enjoys good things, but the unfaithful have a craving for violence. Proverbs 13:3. Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin. The thought about a young man’s duty to give heed to the lessons of wisdom is a favorite thought of the Wise One (cf. Prov 15:12). Equally common in the Book of Proverbs are the thoughts about the value of the gift of speech and about responsibility for the misuse of this gift (vv. 2–3, cf. Prov 12:14).

Proverbs 13:4. The sluggard’s craving brings no result, but the appetite of the diligent is fully satisfied. Proverbs 13:5. The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves. Proverbs 13:6. Righteousness guards the person of blameless integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner. Proverbs 13:7. One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. Proverbs 13:8. Riches serve as ransom for a person’s life, but the poor hear no threat. Proverbs 13:9. The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out. “Proverbs 13. Prov.13:9a. [Deceitful souls wander in sin, but the righteous show compassion and mercy.]” Proverbs 13:10. Arrogance only breeds conflict, but wisdom is found among those who take advice. Proverbs 13:11. Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow. Proverbs 13:12. Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. The goods of life are of two kinds: spiritual, religious-moral, and material, often connected with one another; correspondingly in this section, together and alternately, one speaks of observations on the external life of people (vv. 7–8) and of practical requirements of material well-being, such as: abstention from laziness and diligence (v. 4), frugality (v. 11), the force and dangers of wealth (v. 8); then proper moral truths are set forth, such as: the benefit and glory of righteousness (vv. 5–6, 9, 12). In v. 9 according to the LXX text (not in all manuscripts) there is an addition: ψυχαὶ δόλιαι πλανῶνται ἐν ἁμαρτιάις, δίκαιοι δἐ οἰκτίρούσι καὶ ἐλεοῦσι, Slavonic: «deceitful souls go astray in sin, the righteous have compassion and show mercy» (in the Russian Synodal this addition is enclosed in brackets). These words, while having no direct connection with the preceding words of v. 9, still accord with the general moral tone of this section.

Proverbs 13:13. Whoever disregards the word brings harm upon himself; but whoever fears the commandment will be rewarded. Proverbs 13:14. [A wicked son has nothing good, but a wise servant has successful deeds, and his way is straight.] Proverbs 13:15. The teaching of the wise is a source of life, turning away from the snares of death. Proverbs 13:16. Good understanding brings favor, but the way of the lawless is harsh. Proverbs 13:17. Every prudent person acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his foolishness. Here are explained more fully the thoughts about the benefit and saving power of true wisdom that heeds the lessons of God’s word, and about the harm of disregarding it (cf. Prov 1:24 and others).

Proverbs 13:18. A bad messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful messenger brings salvation. Proverbs 13:19. Poverty and shame come to those who reject instruction; but whoever keeps admonition will be honored. Proverbs 13:20. A desire fulfilled is pleasant to the soul; but it is unbearable for fools to turn away from evil. Proverbs 13:21. Whoever walks with the wise will become wise, but whoever keeps company with fools will be corrupted. Proverbs 13:22. Evil pursues sinners, but good is repaid to the righteous. Proverbs 13:23. The good leave an inheritance even to their grandchildren, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. Proverbs 13:24. Much food is in the field of the poor; but some perish from lack of order. Proverbs 13:25. Whoever spares the rod hates his son; but whoever loves him disciplines him from childhood. Proverbs 13:26. The righteous eats to satisfaction, but the belly of the lawless suffers want. A series of varied judgments is presented, united only by the common relation to wisdom and its significance in daily life. Thus it speaks of opposite consequences—attention and inattention to the teaching of wisdom (v. 19–20, Heb. 18–19), of the influence on a person from the society in which he moves (v. 21, Heb. 20), of personal happiness and that of descendants—of the righteous and misfortune of the sinner (v. 22–23, Heb. 21–22), of the material contentment of the former and the deprivation of the latter (v. 24–26, Heb. 23–25); and here (v. 25, Heb. 24), as also below (Prov 23:13), a remark is made about the necessity of applying measures of physical discipline in the work of raising children.

Chapter Fourteen

1–7. On wisdom and foolishness in general. 8–19. A more detailed portrayal of the wise and foolish, mainly from the aspect of the difference in their life’s lot. 20–27. On riches and poverty in their causal connection with wisdom. 28–35. A parallel portrayal of the wise and foolish, rich and poor, finally, of masters and servants.

Proverbs 14:1. The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. Proverbs 14:2. Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly, but whoever despises him is devious in their ways. Proverbs 14:3. A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride, but the lips of the wise protect them. Proverbs 14:4. Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests. Proverbs 14:5. An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies. Proverbs 14:6. The scoffer seeks wisdom, but finds none, yet knowledge comes easily to the discerning. Proverbs 14:7. Stay away from a fool, for you will not find knowledge on their lips. A concrete expression of wisdom is the wise, home-building wife, and likewise a concrete example of folly is the senseless wife, destroying her house and all its prosperity with her own hands (v. 1, cf. Prov 12:4). Next, are contrasted the fear of God, which leads a person in straight paths, and bold neglect of the memory of God, conjoined with walking in crooked paths (v. 2), the pride of speech among the foolish and the modesty of speech among the wise (v. 3, cf. Prov 12:6), the true witness and the false one (v. 5, cf. Exod 23:1; Prov 12:17), the inaccessibility of wisdom to people devoid of the fear of God, and its complete accessibility to those filled with the fear of God and pure in heart (v. 6); hence also the counsel to avoid the fool, from whom there is nothing to learn (v. 7). Standing outside the apparent connection with the general thought of this section is the economic note of v. 4, which seems to have the purpose of teaching a person not to overestimate the significance of wealth (cf. Prov 10:15; Prov 13:8), but to proportion his efforts to increase his property with the extension of tools of production and generally of life’s means.

Proverbs 14:8. The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception. Proverbs 14:9. Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright. Proverbs 14:10. Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy. Proverbs 14:11. The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. Proverbs 14:12. There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14:13. Even in laughter the heart may ache, and rejoicing may end in grief. Proverbs 14:14. The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good person rewarded for theirs. Proverbs 14:15. The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps. Proverbs 14:16. The wise fear the Lord and shun evil, but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure. Proverbs 14:17. Those who are quick-tempered do foolish things, and those who devise wicked schemes are hated. Proverbs 14:18. The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. Proverbs 14:19. The evil bow down before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous. Here the internal and external properties and relationships of the wise—godly and foolish—wicked are set forth without distinction and without strict differentiation. Contrasted are the wise man’s knowledge of his path and the fool’s wandering on the life’s path (v. 8), the blasphemous attitude of the latter to the idea of sin and atoning sacrifice and goodwill in all such actions of the righteous (v. 9), the character of the way of the righteous and wicked and the ultimate fate of the one and the other (vv. 11–12; 14–19). Incidentally, there are inserted remarks: 1) on the inaccessibility of man’s inner world, his joys and sorrows, to an outside witness or observer (v. 10), and 2) an unhappy, almost pessimistic observation that all joy and happiness contains the seed of sorrow and misfortune (v. 13).

Proverbs 14:20. The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends. Proverbs 14:21. It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy. Proverbs 14:22. Do not those who plot evil go astray? [Do not those who plan good receive love and faithfulness?] But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness. Proverbs 14:23. All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 14:24. The wealth of the wise is their crown, but the folly of fools yields folly. Proverbs 14:25. A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is deceptive. Proverbs 14:26. Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge. Proverbs 14:27. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death. From two verses—20 and 21—in the first is pointed out a frequent, though morally abnormal, phenomenon—friendship only for the sake of gain; in the second is expounded the moral view on this point. There follow maxims: on the destruction caused by plotting evil against one’s neighbor and on the benefit of goodwill (v. 22), on the profit of labor and the harm of idle talk (v. 23), on wealth as the portion of the wise and poverty overtaking the foolish (v. 24), on the saving effect of true testimony and the destructiveness of false testimony (v. 25); finally, in connection with the latter and with the content of the entire section, is spoken of the fear of God as the source of all good in life and of life itself (vv. 26–27).

Proverbs 14:28. A large population is a king’s glory, but without subjects a prince is ruined. Proverbs 14:29. Those who are patient have great understanding, but those who are quick-tempered display folly. Proverbs 14:30. A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. Proverbs 14:31. Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. Proverbs 14:32. When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God. Proverbs 14:33. Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning and even among fools she lets herself be known. Proverbs 14:34. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people. Proverbs 14:35. A king’s favor rests on a wise servant, but his wrath falls on a shameful one. The content of this section partly touches on the realm of state life; the benefits to a king of numerous subjects are indicated and the misfortune in their small number (v. 28); the fundamental law of the rise and fall of nations is set forth—righteousness (v. 34); the king is presented as an ideal force, as it were the conscience of the people, administering justice to reward good deeds and punish wickedness (v. 35). On the other hand, and principally, the significance and benefit of personal virtue and the evil of its opposite—wickedness—are emphasized; contrasted are: long-suffering and quickness to anger (v. 29), gentleness and envy (v. 30), the final destruction of the wicked and the hope of salvation for a godly person (v. 32). Particular importance is recognized for acts of mercy; herein is expressed the thought, clearly repeated in the Gospel (Matt 25:36), that God regards and attributes to Himself the kindness or unkindness of man toward his neighbor (v. 31, cf. Prov 17:5).

Chapter Fifteen

1–7. Against the sins of speech. 8–15. God turns away from and hates every evil heart. 16–33. From the perspective of true wisdom, there is discussion of various virtues and vices, especially in religious life.

Proverbs 15:1. [Anger destroys even the wise.] A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:2. The tongue of the wise gives good knowledge, but the mouth of fools pours out folly. Proverbs 15:3. In every place the eyes of the Lord are watching: they see the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:4. A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but an unbridled tongue is a crushing of the spirit. Proverbs 15:5. A fool despises the instruction of his father; but whoever heeds correction is prudent. [In the abundance of righteousness is great strength, and the wicked will be cut off from the land.] Proverbs 15:6. In the house of the righteous there is great treasure, but in the increase of the wicked there is trouble. Proverbs 15:7. The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but the heart of a fool does not act so. Instruction is offered on gentleness and carefulness with words (v. 1, 4), while at the same time a warning is given against anger and mindless malice (v. 1–2). This is grounded in reference to God’s omniscience, from which neither good nor evil can be hidden (v. 3). Then the general thought about the benefit of wisdom and the harm of folly is developed (v. 5–7).

Proverbs 15:8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the righteous is pleasing to Him. Proverbs 15:9. An abomination to the Lord is the way of the wicked, but He loves those who pursue the way of righteousness. Proverbs 15:10. Severe punishment awaits the one who abandons the path, and whoever hates correction will perish. Proverbs 15:11. The underworld and Abaddon are open before the Lord; how much more the hearts of the children of men. Proverbs 15:12. A reckless person does not love those who rebuke him, and will not go to the wise. Proverbs 15:13. A cheerful heart makes the face cheerful, but when the heart grieves the spirit becomes dejected. Proverbs 15:14. The heart of the understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on folly. Proverbs 15:15. All the days of the miserable are sorrowful; but for the one with a cheerful heart there is always a feast. In verses 8–9 the Sacred Writers express a thought that is repeated often: that a necessary condition for sacrifice, prayer, and all external worship to be pleasing to God is a pure moral disposition and sincere attitude of the human heart, whereas in the absence of these conditions, sacrifices and prayers are detestable to God (Prov 21:27; Isa 1:11; Jer 6:20; Hos 5:6; Amos 5:21-22 and others). God loves only those who seek righteousness, and He turns away from the wicked and those who despise wisdom, and they face destruction (v. 9–10). To prevent evil deeds and even unclean thoughts, a person must always remember God’s omniscience, before which are open the regions inaccessible to human sight: the underworld, the abyss (Hebrew sheol) and destruction (Hebrew Abaddon) (v. 11), that is, the realm of destruction and death (compare Prov 27:20; Job 26:6); in the Apocalypse the name Abaddon, or in Greek Apollyon (meaning destroyer), is given to the angel who is king of the abyss (Rev 11:9). All the more open to God’s omniscience are all the secrets of the human heart (compare Ps 11:1). Further, several moral and psychological traits are indicated in the characterization of the wise and the wicked (v. 13–15).

Proverbs 15:16. Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it. Proverbs 15:17. Better is a dish of herbs with love than a fattened ox with hatred. Proverbs 15:18. A quick-tempered person stirs up strife, but the patient one brings peace to disputes. Proverbs 15:19. The way of the lazy is like a thorny hedge, but the way of the righteous is smooth. Proverbs 15:20. A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish person despises his mother. Proverbs 15:21. Folly is a joy to the senseless, but the person of understanding walks a straight path. Proverbs 15:22. Without counsel plans fall through, but with many advisors they succeed. Proverbs 15:23. Joy comes to a person from his own response, and how good is a word spoken at the right time! Proverbs 15:24. The way of life for the wise is upward, to turn away from the underworld below. Proverbs 15:25. The Lord will tear down the house of the proud, but He will establish the boundary of the widow. Proverbs 15:26. An abomination to the Lord are the thoughts of the wicked, but the words of the blameless are pleasing to Him. Proverbs 15:27. The greedy person brings ruin to his own house, but whoever hates bribes will live. Proverbs 15:28. The heart of the righteous considers its response, while the mouth of the wicked pours out evil.– “Proverbs 15. Prov.15:28a. –[Pleasant to the Lord are the ways of the righteous; through them even enemies become friends.]” Proverbs 15:29. The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous. Proverbs 15:30. A bright look gladdens the heart, good news fattens the bones. Proverbs 15:31. An ear that listens to instruction for life remains among the wise. Proverbs 15:32. The one who rejects instruction does not care for his own soul; but whoever listens to correction gains understanding. Proverbs 15:33. The fear of the Lord teaches wisdom, and before glory comes humility. The superiority of moral goods, peace, and love over material abundance joined with the absence of the fear of God and hatred of one’s neighbor is shown (v. 16–17, compare Ps 36:16); in connection with this, quarrelsomeness is condemned and peaceableness is praised (v. 18, compare Prov 26:21), and the harm of idleness and the benefit of diligence and courage are demonstrated (v. 19). Then the often-repeated thought is given that children, wise or unwise, are a source of pride or grief for their parents (v. 20, compare Prov 10:1); the difference is indicated, from the perspective of appropriateness, between the paths of the wise and the wicked (v. 21), and the benefit of the advice of many wise people is emphasized (v. 22, compare Prov 11:14) as well as the power of well-considered speech (v. 23). Then the conduct of the true sage is illuminated by the higher light of faith in the afterlife (v. 24. compare Prov 11:7), and in earthly life his characteristics are distinguished: traits of his internal disposition (thoughts and words, v. 26, incorruptibility, v. 27, prayer, v. 29, attentiveness to the lessons of wisdom, v. 32–32, and especially the fear of God, v. 33) and his external earthly lot, which is opposite to the fate of the wicked (v. 25, 27, 30).

Chapter Sixteen

1–3. About God as the Lord of all the life paths of humans. 4–9. About the wise and righteous recompense of God for human deeds, good and evil. 10–15. About kings as mediators or instruments of God’s governance of the world. 16–26. God’s righteousness in relation to the wise and to fools. 27–33. The unequal fate of the righteous and the unrighteous.

Proverbs 16:1. To humans belong the intentions of the heart, but from the Lord comes the response of the tongue. Proverbs 16:2. All the ways of a person seem pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits. Proverbs 16:3. Commit your deeds to the Lord, and your plans will be established. In view of the undoubted fact of the striking dependence of human fates on God (v. 1, compare Jer 10:23), and also given that only God possesses the true assessment of the actual worth of human intentions and actions (v. 2), the Wise One teaches his listeners to complete submission to the Providence of God, promising all success in their undertakings (v. 3, compare Ps 21:9).

Proverbs 16:4. The Lord has made everything for His own sake; even the wicked He guards for the day of calamity. Proverbs 16:5. An abomination to the Lord is every proud heart; surely, he will not go unpunished. [The beginning of a good way is to do what is right; this is more pleasing to God than to bring sacrifices. Those who seek the Lord will find knowledge together with righteousness; truly those who seek Him will find peace.] Proverbs 16:6. By mercy and truth sin is cleansed, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil. Proverbs 16:7. When a person’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He reconciles even his enemies with him. Proverbs 16:8. Better is a little with righteousness than much abundance with wrongdoing. Proverbs 16:9. The heart of a person plans his path, but the Lord directs his steps. From the general principle that everything created by God has its purposes and destinies (v. 4), with a warning against the destructiveness of arrogance (v. 5), the image of positive pleasing of God by a person is derived: mercy and righteousness toward neighbors (v. 6a), united with the fear of God (6b), the consequence of which will be peace, even reconciliation of enemies (v. 7). Then once again the thought is repeated that the life and intentions of a person depend entirely on God (v. 9).

Proverbs 16:10. In the mouth of a king is inspired speech; his mouth should not err in judgment. Proverbs 16:11. Honest scales and weights come from the Lord; all the weights in the bag are His doing. Proverbs 16:12. An abomination to kings is to do wrong, for righteousness establishes the throne. Proverbs 16:13. Righteous lips are pleasing to a king, and he loves those who speak the truth. Proverbs 16:14. The wrath of a king is a messenger of death; but a wise person will appease it. Proverbs 16:15. In the bright face of a king is life, and his favor is like a cloud with late rain. A series of sayings of political and social content follows: chiefly concerning royal authority. The king here, as in other places in the book of Proverbs (Prov 20:28), is presented as an ideal moral force, embodiment and guardian of the moral order of the world, an instrument of God’s governance of the world. The king is directly ascribed a supernatural, as it were prophetic power and force, Hebrew: gesem, Greek: μαντειον, Vulgate: divinatio, Slavonic: prophecy (v. 10): as the appointee and representative of God on earth, the theocratic king, in matters of governance and judgment, gives decisions that are unquestionable and above doubt (compare 1 Sam 3:27 7). In connection with this it is noted that all social relationships (for example, buying and selling) should be pervaded by a spirit of honesty and justice (v. 11, compare Prov 11:1). In v. 12–13 – in the first from a negative side, and in the second from a positive one – the thought is expressed that the king is an infallible measure of moral righteousness, and therefore every wrong is abhorrent to him, and he is favorable only to those who do what is right and speak the truth. Accordingly, in v. 14–15 the opposite relations are characterized: on one hand threatening and punishing, on the other benevolent and merciful regarding manifestations of evil and good. The expression “the wrath of a king is a messenger of death” (v. 14) is best explained from the customs of despotic rulers of the East (compare Esth 7:7).

Proverbs 16:16. The gaining of wisdom is far better than gold, and the gaining of understanding is more to be chosen than fine silver. Proverbs 16:17. The path of the righteous is to turn away from evil: whoever guards his way protects his own soul. Proverbs 16:18. Destruction is preceded by pride, and a fall by arrogance. Proverbs 16:19. Better to be humble in spirit with the meek than to share spoils with the proud. Proverbs 16:20. Whoever conducts matters wisely will find what is good, and whoever trusts in the Lord is blessed. Proverbs 16:21. The one wise in heart will be called prudent, and pleasant speech adds to learning. Proverbs 16:22. Understanding for those who have it is a source of life, but the learning of fools is folly. Proverbs 16:23. The heart of the wise makes his tongue wise and multiplies knowledge in his mouth. Proverbs 16:24. Pleasant speech is honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:25. There are paths that seem straight to a person, but their end is the way to death. Proverbs 16:26. The laborer labors for himself, because his appetite drives him to it. The high esteem of wisdom (v. 16) is found in the Wise One more than once (compare Prov 3:14). Among the individual manifestations of wisdom, righteousness and piety – turning away from evil – is placed first (v. 17). The destructiveness of pride, which inevitably leads to a fall (Esth 3:1), is especially emphasized (v. 16), and humility and gentleness, which secure for a person a peaceful state of mind and contentment, are praised. This moral happiness is secured partly by wise and well-considered labor in life, and chiefly by a person’s firm trust in God: these two factors, the human and the divine, mutually presuppose each other (v. 20). Furthermore, it is noted that in the matter of teaching wisdom the external form in which the teaching is presented has significance (v. 21). The high practical usefulness of wisdom is marked (v. 22), together with the pleasantness and salutary nature – like honey, which is pleasant and brings healing (v. 24). After this, a warning is given against self-deception (v. 25), and the drive to physical labor is noted – in the sense of self-preservation (v. 26).

Proverbs 16:27. A deceitful person devises evil, and his words are like a scorching fire. Proverbs 16:28. A treacherous person sows discord, and a gossip separates friends. Proverbs 16:29. A malicious person leads his neighbor astray and makes him go on a path that is not good; Proverbs 16:30. he squints his eyes to devise deceit; biting his lips, he carries out evil; [he is a furnace of malice]. Proverbs 16:31. A crown of glory is gray hair, found in the way of righteousness. Proverbs 16:32. The patient person is better than the brave, and the one who controls himself is better than the conqueror of a city. Proverbs 16:33. The lot is cast in the lap, but all its decision is from the Lord. In verses 27–30 a characterization is given of three types of malice: the person who plots harm against his neighbor (v. 27), the slanderer, agitator and stirrer of discord (v. 28), and the oppressor and violent person (v. 29), with their distinctive manner of behavior noted (v. 30, compare Prov 6:12-13). In contrast to the destruction awaiting all such people, the lot of the righteous and pious is honorable old age and long life (v. 31); the highest moral self-control – learning to control oneself is more difficult than demonstrating courage in battle and taking fortresses (v. 32). In the Mishnah (tractate Avot, ch. IV, §1) to the question: who is strong? the answer is given: the one who overcomes his yetzer (that is, the inclination toward evil), for it is said: “The patient person is better than the brave, and the one who controls himself is better than the conqueror of a city” (Prov 16:32). The concluding verse (v. 33), especially its second half, expresses the main thought of the entire chapter 16. * * * The Midrash (5, 50) here rightly sees an indication of the wisdom of the wisest of kings – Solomon.

Chapter Seventeen

1–19. Exhortation toward moderation in the use of life’s blessings and wise use of the gift of speech. 10–20. Exhortation toward peaceableness and warning against arrogance and inclination toward disputes. 21–28. Sayings of varied content, warning against talkativeness.

Proverbs 17:1. Better is a piece of dry bread with peace than a house full of slaughtered meat with discord. Proverbs 17:2. A prudent slave will rule over a son who acts shamefully, and among the brothers he will share the inheritance. Proverbs 17:3. A crucible is for silver and a furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts. Proverbs 17:4. An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar pays attention to a pernicious tongue. Proverbs 17:5. Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; whoever rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished [but the merciful will be shown mercy]. Proverbs 17:6. The crown of the elderly is their grandchildren, and the glory of children is their parents.– “Proverbs 17. Prov.17:6a. –[The faithful one has a whole world of wealth, the unfaithful one has not a penny.]” Proverbs 17:7. Fine speech is not fitting for a fool, much less false words for a noble. Proverbs 17:8. A gift is a precious stone in the eyes of its owner: wherever he turns, it brings success. Proverbs 17:9. Whoever covers up an offense seeks love; but whoever keeps bringing it up separates a friend. The good of peace is incomparable to any material blessings: in peace in the home, a piece of dry bread without wine and meat, even without vinegar (Ruth 2:14) and water (1 Sam 25:11) is more pleasant than abundant rich dishes in homes full of disagreement and discord (v. 1). And the good of wisdom, both theoretical and practical, is not dependent on a person’s external position. Even a slave – despite his lowly position in a Hebrew family – could through his wisdom achieve an exceptionally high position – even dominion, with the father’s knowledge, over his own children (v. 2). Just as the worth of precious metals is revealed in fire, so chosen souls are cast by the Lord into the fire of trials, which gives them opportunity to cleanse themselves of sins and show their generosity and love toward God (v. 3). On the contrary, a person with a morally corrupt heart is inclined only to listen to every slander and lie pernicious to his neighbor, while the morally blameless person turns away from all such things (v. 4). In the first part of v. 5 the thought of Prov 14:31 is repeated, in the second – the thought of Prov 11:21 and Prov 16:5. In v. 6 is expressed the high esteem for family and offspring, a branching family tree, characteristic of Old Testament biblical Hebrews (compare Ps 127:1). In v. 7–8 there is opposition between the worthlessness of foolishness and wickedness and the high value of wisdom and piety: the latter is here presented as a high reward or priceless gift given to a person. According to v. 9, a sign of true wisdom and love is the desire to conceal a known sin of one’s neighbor (compare Prov 10:12), whereas the opposite behavior further damages human relations (compare Prov 16:28-29).

Proverbs 17:10. A rebuke makes a stronger impression on the understanding than a hundred blows on a fool. Proverbs 17:11. A rebel seeks only evil; therefore a cruel angel will be sent against him. Proverbs 17:12. Better for a person to meet a female bear robbed of her young than a fool with his foolishness. Proverbs 17:13. Whoever pays back evil for good, evil will not depart from his house. Proverbs 17:14. The beginning of strife is like letting out water; abandon the dispute before it flares up. Proverbs 17:15. Whoever justifies the wicked and condemns the righteous – both are an abomination to the Lord. Proverbs 17:16. Why should treasure be in the hand of a fool? To gain wisdom he has no sense.– “Proverbs 17. Prov.17:16a. –[Whoever raises his house high seeks to break it; whoever turns away from instruction falls into trouble.]” Proverbs 17:17. A friend loves at all times, and as a brother, he comes forth in time of trouble. Proverbs 17:18. A foolish person gives his hand and becomes surety for his neighbor. Proverbs 17:19. Whoever loves strife loves sin, and whoever raises his gate high seeks a fall. Proverbs 17:20. A crooked heart will not find good, and a lying tongue will fall into trouble. There is noted the presence of a high sense of self-worth in the understanding, and the absence of this sense in the fool, whose sensitivity is only to physical force (v. 10). It is shown that every rebellion against lawfully acting authority calls forth God’s retribution to the rebel, for example, in the form of the sending of avenging angels against the wicked (v. 11, compare Ps 34:5-6). The image in v. 12 for the fool, the wicked, and the evil person – a female bear robbed of her young, and therefore desperately enraged – is reminiscent of the reverse portrayal of an evil wife in the book of Sirach (Sir 25:16-22). In v. 13 it is forbidden to repay evil for good under threat of a curse on the house of the guilty one (compare Prov 3:33). Verse 14 presents the development of a quarrel as like the breaking of a dam by water. In v. 15 – regarding the abuses in courts that are always possible – there is categorical condemnation of justifying the guilty and condemning the righteous (compare Prov 24:24; Isa 5:23). Verse 16 asserts the uselessness of wealth in the hands of a person lacking sense. In v. 17 is expressed a truth gained by the experience of all of humanity: among the classics expressed in the saying amicus certus in re incerta cernitor; the corresponding Arabic proverb says the same. Verse 18 repeats the Wise One’s negative judgment about becoming surety, compare Prov 6:1-5. In v. 19 quarrelsomeness and arrogance are presented as the source of sin and condemnation (compare Sir 28:9). For v. 20 compare Prov 6:14.

Proverbs 17:21. Whoever fathers a fool does it to his sorrow, and the father of a fool will not rejoice. Proverbs 17:22. A cheerful heart is beneficial, like medicine, but a depressed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:23. A wicked person takes a gift from the fold of his garment to pervert the paths of justice. Proverbs 17:24. Wisdom is before the face of the understanding, but the eyes of the fool are on the ends of the earth. Proverbs 17:25. A foolish son is a cause of grief to his father and sorrow to his mother. Proverbs 17:26. It is not good to punish the righteous or to strike the mighty for righteousness. A group of sayings of varied content often begins with a thought frequently repeated by the Wise One: that children are either a source of joy or a cause of great sorrow for their parents (v. 21, compare Prov 10:1). Verse 22 speaks of the undoubted influence of a cheerful or depressed state of mind on a person’s body (compare Prov 15:13). Verse 23 – about bribery in court (compare Prov 21:14). In v. 24 there is set in opposition the concentrated study of a matter by the understanding (compare Prov 4:25) and the scattered wandering of the fool’s attention over various distant matters. Verse 25 compare v. 21 and Prov 10:1. Verse 26 condemns the opposition of evil people to the righteous and to mighty ones or authorities, as representatives of justice.

Proverbs 17:27. The understanding is restrained in his words, and the prudent person is calm. Proverbs 17:28. Even a fool, when he keeps silent, may appear wise, and the one who closes his mouth may seem prudent. Praise for the moderate use of the gift of speech. Verse 27 recalls Prov 10:19 (compare Jas 1:19). The thought in v. 28 that silence is a sure means to appear wise, even for a fool, is found, for example, in Job 13:5.

Chapter Eighteen

1–10. Warnings against unmerciful disposition, passion for disputes, and other manifestations of inhumane and reckless attitude. 11–17. Seven proverbs teaching chiefly reliance on God and humility as the paths leading to true wisdom. 18–22. Warnings against passion for lawsuits and abuses of the gift of speech. 23–25. On various kinds of love.

Proverbs 18:1. One who is willful seeks pleasure and rebels against all that is wise. Proverbs 18:2. The fool does not love knowledge, but only desires to display his own mind. Proverbs 18:3. With the coming of a wicked person comes contempt, and with shame comes reproach. Proverbs 18:4. The words from a person’s mouth are deep waters; a fountain of wisdom is a flowing stream. Proverbs 18:5. It is not good to show partiality to a wicked person, to deprive a righteous person of justice in court. Proverbs 18:6. A fool’s mouth brings strife, and his words invite blows. Proverbs 18:7. A fool’s tongue is his ruin, and his lips are a snare for his own soul. Proverbs 18:8. [Laziness brings on decline, and slack hands result in poverty.] Proverbs 18:9. The words of a gossip are like delicacies, and they go down into the innermost depths of the belly. Proverbs 18:10. One who is slack in his work is a brother to the destroyer. Egoistic self-centeredness of a willful person is condemned, depriving him of the ability to hear and apply any useful advice (vv. 1–2), with a remark on the shame of wickedness in general (v. 3). Then a profound view is established of the inner nature of human speech, especially of the wise person: his speech, before being uttered, is shaped in the depths of his soul, similar to water hidden in the bowels of the earth; the depth and thoughtfulness of its content, the abundance of valuable thoughts, and the life-giving quality of the wise person’s speech—such are the points of comparison with flowing water (v. 4. See Prov 20:5; Eccl 7:24). From the individual maxims here, first of all, all partiality in court is condemned (v. 5): Moses himself made the elimination of this evil his goal among biblical Israel (Lev 19:15; Deut 10:17). Then—against abuses of the gift of speech, characteristic of the foolish and reckless (vv. 6–7), against slander, idleness, and wastefulness (8–10).

Proverbs 18:11. The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous run into it and are safe. Proverbs 18:12. A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination. Proverbs 18:13. Before a fall the heart of a person is haughty, and humility comes before honor. Proverbs 18:14. Whoever gives an answer before hearing the question is foolish and brings shame upon himself. Proverbs 18:15. The spirit of a person sustains his infirmities; but who can bear a broken spirit? Proverbs 18:16. The heart of a discerning person acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. Proverbs 18:17. A gift given in secret soothes anger, and a present hidden in the bosom turns away great wrath. On the one hand, an unshakeable fortress in the name of Jehovah is indicated as the sure refuge for those who trust in Him (v. 11); on the other hand, the deceptiveness and illusory nature of the rich man’s hopes for the help of wealth (v. 12); if in Prov 10:15 we spoke of the haughty pride that possession of wealth inspires in a person—in contrast to the oppressed spirit of the pauper, then here (v. 12; Heb. 11) it speaks of the worthlessness of a rich man’s hopes as a matter of experience (the Russian translation correctly conveys it—Synodal and Archbishop Macarius—Hebrew bemaskito—“in his imagination.” The accepted text of the LXX and Vulgate do not sustain this meaning). V. 13 see Prov 16:18 and Prov 15:33. The characteristic sign of a fool indicated in v. 14—the manner of answering without hearing the question—was considered among ancient Hebrew sages as very typical of a foolish and uneducated person, whereas the opposite quality was recognized as a sign of the learned and wise (Sir 11:8; Mishnah, Avot, V, 7). By v. 15 a person’s spirit can be both a source of strength and courage for his whole being, but also—in despondency—a source of weakness (in Hebrew the first half of the verse has ruach, “spirit,” masculine, and in the second half—feminine). V. 16 (Heb. 15) contains an indication that the teaching of wisdom, first and foremost the Torah itself, was always taught orally, and the extent of the student’s learning depended on the degree of his attention (cf. Prov 15:31; Avot VI, 5). V. 17 marks a typical feature of Eastern customs, according to which one cannot present oneself to a superior without a gift or win a case in court (cf. Prov 19:8).

Proverbs 18:18. In a lawsuit, the first to speak seems right, until the other comes forward and examines him. Proverbs 18:19. A drawing of lots settles disputes and decides between strong opponents. Proverbs 18:20. An angry brother is more unapproachable than a strong city, and disputes are like the bars of a fortress. Proverbs 18:21. From the fruit of a person’s mouth his belly is filled; the yield of his lips satisfies him. Proverbs 18:22. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. V. 18 contains, apparently, counsel to a judge—not to be deceived by the testimony of one of the disputing parties (cf. Avot I, 8–9). By v. 19 in disputes and lawsuits, when there is no other way out, drawing lots was a decisive means (cf. Prov 16:33). The meaning of v. 20 (Heb., LXX, Vulg.—v. 19) is rendered differently in Hebrew and Russian (Synodal and Archbishop Macarius)—“a brother made bitter (“by betrayal,” according to Archbishop Macarius) is more unapproachable than a strong city,” than in the LXX (ἀδελφός ὕπο ἀδελφοῦ βοηθούμενος, ὡς πόλις ὀχυρὰ καὶ ὑψηλή), in the Vulgate (frater qui adjuvatur a fratre, quasi civitas firma et alta), and in Church Slavonic: “a brother aided by a brother, as a firm and high city.” Although the image of a fortified city more usually signifies something protecting and providing sure refuge to those who seek it, and therefore the sense given by the LXX, Vulgate, and Church Slavonic could be accepted, yet the context of this passage—vv. 18–19, cf. the second half of v. 20—speaks in favor of the Hebrew-Russian reading. V. 21 see Prov 12:14. V. 22. On the important significance of the tongue, sometimes beneficial, sometimes fatal (cf. Sir 38:20-22), the Apostle James speaks in a similar way, but much more extensively (Jas 3:5-9).

Proverbs 18:23. Whoever finds [a good] wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.—[Whoever sends away a good wife sends away good fortune, and whoever maintains an adulteress is foolish and wicked.] Proverbs 18:24. The poor speaks with pleas, while the rich answers harshly. Proverbs 18:25. Whoever wishes to have friends must show himself friendly, and there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. The Wise One speaks here of various kinds of love and affection, and, first of all, recognizes as a great gift of God and happiness for a person the possession of a good wife (v. 23, cf. Prov 31:10 ff., Sir 26:1 ff.); then, intending to express negatively the duty of love and mercy toward the needy, depicts the humbly pleading figure of the poor on the one hand, and the rude arrogance and hardhearted cruelty of the rich man on the other (v. 24, see Prov 14:21); finally, he speaks of ideal friendship, capable of surpassing the strength of brotherly love (v. 25).

Chapter Nineteen

1–15. Proverbs of various content about wealth and poverty, about prudence and folly, and so forth. 16–29. Proverbs concerning almsgiving, education, and so forth.

Proverbs 19:1. Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than [a rich man] with deceitful lips and yet foolish. Proverbs 19:2. It is not good for a soul to lack knowledge, and whoever is hasty in his steps will stumble. Proverbs 19:3. A person’s folly twists his path, and his heart rages against the Lord. Proverbs 19:4. Wealth adds many friends, but the poor is abandoned even by his own friend. Proverbs 19:5. A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will not escape. Proverbs 19:6. Many seek the favor of the generous, and everyone is a friend to one who gives gifts. Proverbs 19:7. All the brothers of a poor man hate him; still more do his friends keep away from him. He pursues them with words, but they are not there. Proverbs 19:8. Whoever acquires wisdom loves his own soul; he who guards understanding finds what is good. Proverbs 19:9. A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will perish. Proverbs 19:10. Luxury is not fitting for a fool, much less is rule for a slave over princes. Proverbs 19:11. Prudence makes a person slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. Proverbs 19:12. The anger of a king is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass. Proverbs 19:13. A foolish son is the ruin of his father, and a quarrelsome wife is a leaking roof. Proverbs 19:14. House and wealth are inherited from parents, but a wise wife is from the Lord. Proverbs 19:15. Sloth plunges into drowsiness, and an idle soul will suffer hunger. V. 1 is almost word for word repeated in Prov 28:6—with the difference that in that latter place the second half of the verse has the word “rich”—ashir, not “fool”—kesil, as here. The context of the discourse corresponds only to the reading of Prov 28:6, which is why the reading of this place Prov 19:1 should be corrected in accordance with it, as the LXX, Vulgate, and Church Slavonic do. Vv. 2–3 emphasize the thought that well-being is possible for a person only through prudence and deliberation. V. 4, 6–7 note an always and everywhere existing phenomenon of life experience—the fact of universal bowing before wealth and the wealthy and contempt for the poor (see Prov 14:20). V. 5 contains an inserted thought about the criminality of false testimony (cf. Prov 6:19); the same also in v. 9. V. 10 has in mind not infrequent cases in the ancient and modern East of sudden elevation of a slave to the position of master; the Wise One condemns such a phenomenon not in itself, but to the extent that physical slavery can easily be combined with spiritual slavery, in particular with foolishness; the thought is that mastery of blessings—wealth, power, and the like—requires preparation in the form of education. Vv. 11–15 contain a series of practical observations from the realm of private, public, and political life.

Proverbs 19:16. Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his own soul; but he who disregards the path will die. Proverbs 19:17. Whoever is gracious to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his gift. Proverbs 19:18. Discipline your son while there is hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction. Proverbs 19:19. A hot-tempered person will pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do it again. Proverbs 19:20. Listen to counsel and accept discipline, so that you may become wise for the future. Proverbs 19:21. Many plans are in a person’s heart, but only the purpose of the Lord will be established. Proverbs 19:22. What a person desires is his kindness, and a poor person is better than a liar. Proverbs 19:23. The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it will rest satisfied; he will not be touched by harm. Proverbs 19:24. The lazy person buries his hand in the dish and does not bring it to his mouth. Proverbs 19:25. If you strike a mocker, the simple will become prudent; if you rebuke the wise, he will understand the instruction. Proverbs 19:26. He who brings ruin to his father and drives away his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace. Proverbs 19:27. Cease, my son, listening to discipline if it leads you to stray from the words of knowledge. Proverbs 19:28. A corrupt witness mocks justice, and the mouth of the wicked swallows wrongdoing. Proverbs 19:29. Judgments are prepared for mockers, and beating for the backs of fools. At the head of all precepts is the keeping of the commandments of the law (of Moses), in which, according to the lawgiver himself (Deut 31:15), true life, true good, and salvation for a person are indicated (v. 16). The chief commandment, the chief virtue, is mercy and charity toward the poor, in which a person makes himself, as it were, a debtor to God Himself (v. 17, cf. Ps 40:1; Matt 10:42; Matt 25:40). Second in importance—after charity—is the duty of raising and educating children (vv. Prov 1:8-20), about which the Wise One speaks frequently in other places (Prov 13:25). In accordance with the spirit of antiquity and the Old Testament, in the system of education the Wise One permits corporal punishments, but warns parents against extremes and abuses in this regard (v. 18)—the Apostle does likewise (Eph 6:4); all the more insistent is the exhortation to children-pupils (v. 20). V. 21 directs the thought of a person striving to order his life by all means and measures toward the one Sovereign of the world and life—God: human plans, however carefully considered, are subject to change and instability; only the command of God is unchangeable and immutable, by which He governs all (cf. Num 23:19; Prov 16:1). V. 22 depicts the inner side of charity—the feeling of sincere kindness of the giver toward the poor, whereas above (v. 17) only the recompense for charity was mentioned. V. 23 again presents a reminder of the fundamental (in the Old Testament) virtue—the fear of God and its saving power for a person (cf. Prov 16:27). V. 24 is almost literally repeated below in Prov 26:15 (cf. Prov 12:27) and refers to the Eastern custom of not using forks and knives when eating. The concluding verses (25–29) speak of those morally incapable of receiving the teaching of wisdom and contain a warning against being led astray by their examples (v. 27).

Chapter Twenty

1–5. Exhortations to prudence, temperance, honesty, diligence, and avoiding opposite vices. 6–11. On universal human sinfulness and constant inclination to fall. 12–19. Exhortation to rely on God, diligence, and modesty. 20–23. Against disrespect to parents, theft, vengefulness, and deception. 24–30. Various exhortations to fear of God and honesty.

Proverbs 20:1. Wine is an arrogant boaster, and strong drink is riotous; and everyone who is led astray by them is not wise. Proverbs 20:2. The wrath of a king is like the roar of a lion: whoever provokes him sins against his own life. Proverbs 20:3. It is an honor for a person to stay out of strife, but every fool bursts into quarreling. Proverbs 20:4. The lazy person does not plow in season; he looks for a harvest and it is not there. Proverbs 20:5. The purposes in a person’s heart are deep waters, but a wise person will draw them out. Warning against excessive use of wine is met more than once in the Wise One’s words (see Prov 23:29 ff.); as in other places in Holy Scripture (Isa 28:7; Eph 5:18), here also drunkenness is regarded as an irresistible obstacle to clarity of spirit and consciousness—as an evil that deprives spiritual life of its normal course, in particular—of spiritual wisdom and moral perfection. V. 2 see Prov 19:12: in all these and some other places in the book of Proverbs, the king appears as an ideal force, a moral standard of true lawfulness. Then opposite qualities to true wisdom are indicated: quarrelsomeness (v. 3) and laziness (v. 4), and then a positive property of wisdom is stated—penetration, the ability to see into the hearts of people, despite the mysterious nature of the realm of inner human life (v. 5, see Prov 18:4).

Proverbs 20:6. Many will proclaim their own loyalty, but who finds a trustworthy person? Proverbs 20:7. The righteous walk in their integrity; blessed are their children after them. Proverbs 20:8. A king sitting on his throne of judgment sifts out all evil with his eyes. Proverbs 20:9. Who can say, “I have made my heart clean; I am pure from my sin”? Proverbs 20:10. Differing weights and differing measures—both of them are an abomination to the Lord. Proverbs 20:11. A child is known by his deeds, whether his conduct will be pure and right. Pharisaic self-exaltation of a person through deeds of mercy and virtues is condemned (v. 6, see Matt 6:2; Luke 18:8): true worth of a person is known only after his death, chiefly in his children (v. 7, see Sir 11:28); an impartial, unbiased and authoritative judgment of a person is also pronounced by the king (v. 3, see Prov 16:10; 1 Sam 3:27). V. 9, expressing the main thought of the section (vv. 6–11), expresses the position on the universal sinfulness of mankind, which (position) belongs to the most frequently proclaimed teachings of faith in the Old Testament (cf. Gen 6:5; 1 Sam 8:46; Job 14:4; Ps 50:7; Eccl 7:20; Sir 7:5 and others). V. 10—a particular and everyday example of sinfulness—dishonesty in commerce (see below, v. 23; Prov 11:1). V. 11 develops the thought of v. 9.

Proverbs 20:12. The hearing ear and the seeing eye—the Lord has made both of them. Proverbs 20:13. Do not love sleep, or you will become poor; keep your eyes open and you will have plenty of food. Proverbs 20:14. “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, but when he goes away, he boasts. Proverbs 20:15. There is gold and an abundance of jewels, but lips of knowledge are a precious treasure. Proverbs 20:16. Take the coat of one who has pledged security for a stranger; and hold it as a pledge for foreigners. Proverbs 20:17. Food gained by fraud is sweet to a person, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel. Proverbs 20:18. Preparations are established by counsel, and by strategy wage war. Proverbs 20:19. Whoever walks around as a gossip reveals secrets; and whoever opens his mouth wide cannot be trusted. Indication of God’s all-knowledge (v. 12) is given as an incentive to fear God and trust in God (see Prov 15:5; Ps 93:9). Among a series of practically useful maxims (vv. 13–14, 17) stands out the praise of wise words (v. 15), reminiscent of the praise of wisdom in general (Prov 3:14-15). Instructions against acting as a guarantor (v. 16) repeat what was said by the Wise One earlier (Prov 6:1-6); the same must be said of the prohibition of slander and gossip (v. 19 see Prov 11:13).

Proverbs 20:20. Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in deep darkness. Proverbs 20:21. An inheritance claimed hastily at the beginning will not be blessed in the end. Proverbs 20:22. Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and He will help you. Proverbs 20:23. Differing weights are an abomination to the Lord, and false scales are not good. The prohibition of cursing father and mother, which is heavily punished by law (Exod 20:12; Lev 20:9), is here (v. 20) accompanied by a figurative representation (cf. Prov 13:9) of early death for the disrespectful to parents. In connection with disrespect to parents, wastefulness and dissipation by an unworthy heir regarding parental inheritance is also condemned (v. 21, see Prov 19:26). Anger at various villains, teaches the Wise One, should not serve as a basis for revenge (v. 22), since vengeance belongs to God (Prov 24:29 see Deut 32:35). V. 23 repeats the thought of v. 10.

Proverbs 20:24. From the Lord come a person’s steps; and how can a person understand his own way? Proverbs 20:25. It is a snare for a person to say rashly, “It is holy,” and only afterward to reflect on his vows. Proverbs 20:26. A wise king winnows out the wicked and drives the wheel over them. Proverbs 20:27. The lamp of the Lord is the human spirit, searching all the innermost depths of the heart. Proverbs 20:28. Mercy and truth protect the king, and by mercy he sustains his throne. Proverbs 20:29. The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is their gray hair. Proverbs 20:30. The blows and wounds of a beating purge away evil, and strikes to the innermost parts of the belly. The thought that a person’s path is governed by God (v. 24, see Prov 16:9; Ps 36:23) stands in connection with the Old Testament and ancient Jewish conviction that God punishes the evildoer and rewards the pious; however, biblical and later Jews by no means inferred from this that a person is not responsible for his actions, good and bad. On the contrary, a person always answers and must answer for his deeds; hence—disapproval of hasty, unconsidered vows (v. 25). V. 26 see v. 7 and 28. V. 27 see Job 32:8. The meaning of v. 29 is that each age has its own advantages, and therefore no age deserves contempt. V. 30 speaks of the inwardly transforming influence of stern pedagogy on a pupil needing physical correction.

Chapter Twenty-One

1–3. The universality of God’s Providence governing the paths of the world and human being. 4–8. Against arrogance, greed, deceptions, and violence. 9–18. Against lack of mercy and other vices in relation to neighbors. 19–26. Instructions of similar moral-teaching content. 27–31. Recompense from the Lord to the righteous and sinful.

Proverbs 21:1. The heart of a king is in the hand of the Lord, like channels of water: wherever He wishes, He turns it. Proverbs 21:2. All a person’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the hearts. Proverbs 21:3. To do righteousness and justice is more pleasing to the Lord than sacrifice. The image of “channels (or streams) of waters” (v. 1) is borrowed from the practice of Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and Chaldea—to fertilize the land for grains, fruits, and vegetables through artificial irrigation—through channels in gardens, orchards, and fields. The meaning of the comparison is that, just as these channels are entirely dependent on the will of their maker in their direction, so also the heart of the king in his undertakings for the benefit of the people is not left to his own willfulness, but receives inspiration from the All-Wise Ruler of the world—God. At the same time, the mention of channels of water suggests the thought of the benefits of royal power (cf. Ps 1:3; Isa 32:2)—a thought entirely in accord with the ideal conception of it in the Wise One’s mind (cf. Prov 20:2 and others). V. 2 see Prov 16:2). The thought of v. 3 regarding the preferability before God of deeds of righteousness and justice over sacrifices (see Prov 15:8) is common to the teaching books (see e.g., Ps 49:7 ff.) with the prophetic (Mic 6:6-8, Isa 1.11 ff. see 1 Sam 15:22) and constitutes a foretoken of the Savior’s teaching, that “the greater [things] of the law—judgment, mercy and faith” (Matt 23:23).

Proverbs 21:4. Haughty eyes and a proud heart, which mark the wicked, are sin. Proverbs 21:5. The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenty, but all hasty plans lead only to want. Proverbs 21:6. The getting of treasures by a deceitful tongue is a vanishing breath, a snare of death. Proverbs 21:7. The violence of the wicked sweeps them away, because they refuse to do what is just. Proverbs 21:8. The way of the guilty is devious, but the conduct of the pure is upright. Arrogance and pride are condemned (v. 4), whose fruits are pronounced to be altogether sin (the Church Slavonic translation “lamp,” corresponding to Greek λαμπτήρ, Latin lucerna, Hebrew Nir or Ner, more accurately Russian Synodal “which mark”; in Archbishop Macarius better, “lamp”), and from a practical point of view the result of the activity of a deliberate and diligent person is approved, and the conduct of a neglectful person is condemned (v. 5, cf. Prov 19:2), but from a moral point of view immediately unrighteous gain is condemned (v. 6) with an indication of the judgment of God awaiting the wicked and their ruin (vv. 7–8).

Proverbs 21:9. Better to live in a corner of the roof than with a quarrelsome wife in a large house. Proverbs 21:10. The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes. Proverbs 21:11. When the mocker is punished, the naive becomes wise; when the wise is instructed, he gains knowledge. Proverbs 21:12. The righteous considers the house of the wicked: how the wicked are brought down to ruin. Proverbs 21:13. Whoever stops his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be heard. Proverbs 21:14. A gift in secret calms anger, and a present hidden in the bosom turns away strong wrath. Proverbs 21:15. The execution of justice brings joy to the righteous and fear to those who do evil. Proverbs 21:16. A person who wanders from the path of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead. Proverbs 21:17. Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will not become rich. Proverbs 21:18. The wicked becomes a ransom for the righteous, and the faithless for the upright. According to the Wise One’s thought (v. 9), expressed by him more than once (Prov 17:1) and generally in Old Testament teaching literature (Sir 25:18), the moral blessings of family life: love, peace, and the like stand above all material blessings; hence living together with an evil wife cannot be compensated by any external comfort of life. V. 10. With the wicked in general, one should not enter into any friendship. V. 11. See Prov 19:25. Further it speaks: of the opposite external fate of the righteous and wicked (vv. 12, 18), of the sin of lack of mercy toward the neighbor (vv. 13, see Matt 25:41 ff. Matt 18:23-35), of justice and deviations from it (vv. 14–15, cf. Prov 17:8), of deviation from the path of true wisdom and the sad fate of those who deviate (v. 16: Russian Synodal translation “in the assembly of the dead,” in Archbishop Macarius more accurately: “in the society of Rephaim,” LXX: εν συναγωγῆ γιγάντων, Vulgate: in coetu gigantum, Church Slavonic: “in the multitude of giants,” cf. Gen 6:4; Prov 2:18), and finally of the harm of luxury and unrestrained living (v. 17, see Prov 23:29 ff.).

Proverbs 21:19. Better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and angry wife. Proverbs 21:20. Precious treasure and oil are in the house of the wise, but a foolish person squanders them. Proverbs 21:21. Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor. Proverbs 21:22. A wise person scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trusted. Proverbs 21:23. Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from distress. Proverbs 21:24. The arrogant and insolent person—a scoffer is his name—acts in the pride of his heart. Proverbs 21:25. The craving of the lazy person kills him, because his hands refuse to work. Proverbs 21:26. All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back. In v. 19 one of the frequently repeated images or comparisons in the book of Proverbs regarding evil women is found (see v. 9, Prov 25:24; cf. Sir 25:21). V. 20 see v. 17. V. 21 see Prov 19:17. The thought of v. 22 about the superiority of wisdom over strength is met again in Eccl 9:16. On guarding the tongue and the gift of speech—v. 23—was spoken of above: Prov 13:3; Matt 12:36. The depiction in v. 24 of the daring and mocker is similar to Hab 2:5. In vv. 25–26 there is a contrast between the lazy person on one side and the diligent, righteous, and merciful on the other (cf. Ps 36:26).

Proverbs 21:27. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, especially when brought with malice. Proverbs 21:28. A false witness will perish; but a person who speaks what he knows will speak forever. Proverbs 21:29. A wicked person is bold in his face, but the righteous holds firm his path. Proverbs 21:30. There is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord. Proverbs 21:31. A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is from the Lord. The thought regarding the unacceptability to God of the sacrifice of the wicked (v. 27a), already expressed earlier (Prov 15:6), is now strengthened by the addition that this sacrifice is usually joined “with wickedness” (v. 27b, Hebrew bez imma), that is, from impure motives, even with criminal objectives (LXX: παρανόμως, Vulgate: ex scelere), cf. Sir 34:18 ff. Mal 1:3. Further—speech about the shameless, false witness and the truthful witness (vv. 23–29, see Prov 19:5), about the absence of true wisdom in the wicked (v. 30, see Ezek 28:5; Job 5:13), finally, about the fact that the source of all wisdom and strength is in God and His aid (v. 31, see Ps 19:8-9).

Chapter Twenty-Two

1–16. Exhortations to acquire and preserve a good name. 17–21. A call to heed the words of the wise. 22–29. Instructions of partly moral, partly practical character.

Proverbs 22:1. A good name is better than great wealth, and a good reputation is better than silver and gold. Proverbs 22:2. The rich and the poor meet one another: the Lord has created both of them. Proverbs 22:3. The prudent sees danger and takes refuge; but the inexperienced go forward and are punished. Proverbs 22:4. Humility is followed by the fear of the Lord, riches and glory and life. Proverbs 22:5. Thorns and snares are in the way of the wicked; he that keeps his soul shall stay far from them. Proverbs 22:6. Train up a young man at the beginning of his way: he will not turn away from it when he grows old. Proverbs 22:7. The rich rules over the poor, and the debtor becomes a slave to his creditor. Proverbs 22:8. He who sows injustice will reap trouble, and the rod of his wrath will fail. “Proverbs 22. [A man who gives willingly, God loves; and the shortcoming of his works he will make up.]” Proverbs 22:9. The merciful will be blessed, because he gives to the poor from his bread. “Proverbs 22. [He who gives gifts wins victory and honor, and even gains dominion over the souls of those who receive them.]” Proverbs 22:10. Drive out the mocker, and quarreling will depart, and strife and insults will cease. Proverbs 22:11. He who loves a pure heart—to him favor of speech, the king is his friend. Proverbs 22:12. The eyes of the Lord guard knowledge, but he overturns the words of the transgressor. Proverbs 22:13. The sluggard says: “A lion is on the street! I will be killed in the public square!” Proverbs 22:14. A deep pit is the mouth of a loose woman: he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it. Proverbs 22:15. Foolishness is bound to the heart of a young man, but a rod of correction will drive it out from him. Proverbs 22:16. He who oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, and he who gives to the rich, will become poor. The preservation of one’s good name is recommended by the Wise (v. 1 and following) in the same sense—the absolute superiority of this moral good over material values (Sir 41:15, cf. Eccl 7:1). A good name is acquired chiefly through active love toward one’s neighbor, through charity: therefore at the forefront stands the duty of the rich to help the poor, and the motive for charity is that both rich and poor are equally creations of one God (v. 2, see Prov 14:31; Job 31:15), and are placed by Him on one path of life. Praise is given to practical wisdom (v. 3 and 5) with condemnation of lack of understanding, but especially humility and the fear of God are exalted—with an indication of the beneficial fruits of both in the outer life of man itself (v. 4). Then, in v. 6–12, are separately named the virtues that preserve and build a good name. Here, first of all, is emphasized the enormous importance of the training and instruction of a young man precisely from the earliest age (v. 6). In the Mishnaic treatise Avot (IV, 20), corresponding to this, it is said: “Who teaches a child to what is he compared?—to writing with ink upon new paper; and who teaches an old man to what is he compared?—to writing with ink upon paper that has been cleaned (of former writing).” Then, having mentioned the distinction in the worldly circumstances of rich and poor (v. 7), the Wise One points out that wealth and general well-being can be used both for good and for evil. In the latter respect are named: passion for quarreling and the doing of all kinds of evil (v. 8, “to sow injustice, evil,” as also “to sow righteousness”—is a customary biblical image: Job 4:8; Prov 11:18; Hos 10:12), mockery (v. 10) and treachery (v. 12). On the other side are placed—charity (v. 9), sincerity of heart (v. 11) and prudence (v. 12). Finally, the negative side of the discourse on a good name is made up of warnings against the vices of idleness (v. 13—here an example of senseless excuse of the lazy man is given, see Prov 26:13), debauchery (v. 14, see Prov 2:16, foolishness (v. 15) and greed combined with oppression of the poor (v. 16).

Proverbs 22:17. Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge; Proverbs 22:18. for it will be pleasing if you keep them in your heart, and they will be ready on your lips. Proverbs 22:19. That your hope may be in the Lord, I teach you today, yes, remember; Proverbs 22:20. Have I not written for you thirty sayings of counsel and instruction, Proverbs 22:21. that I might teach you true words, so that you can give an accurate answer to those who sent you? Proverbs 22:22. Do not rob the poor because he is poor, and do not crush the afflicted at the gate, Proverbs 22:23. because the Lord will plead their cause and rob those who rob them of their life. Proverbs 22:24. Do not make friends with an angry man, and do not associate with a man given to wrath, Proverbs 22:25. lest you learn his ways and entangle your soul in a snare. Proverbs 22:26. Do not be among those who strike hands and give pledges for debts: Proverbs 22:27. if you have nothing with which to pay, why should you let them take your bed from under you? Proverbs 22:28. Do not move the ancient boundary marker that your fathers set. Proverbs 22:29. Have you seen a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men. V. 17–21 form an introduction to a new group or new collection of proverbs, embracing the second half of ch. XXII, and chs. XXIII and XXIV. The proverbs of this section are distinguished by their length, often covering several lines (3 verses in Prov 23:1-3 v.—in Prov 23:31-35). In the introduction, v. 17–21, an exhortation to heed the words of the wise is expressed (v. 17), their worth is noted (v. 18), the chief importance—the awakening of hope in God (v. 19), and the essential content (v. 20–21). In v. 22–29, in three double proverbs: a) the oppression of the poor is condemned and forbidden (v. 22–23); b) a warning is made against closeness and association with an angry man (v. 24–25); and c) again an urgent warning against pledges (v. 26–27, see Prov 6:1 and ff.; Prov 17:18). The sin of removing the boundary marker of a neighbor, not unusual in ancient times, was considered one of the most shameful (cf. Deut 19:14; Prov 23:10). In v. 29, a rare, but possible circumstance in the condition of a laborer is indicated—elevation to the degree of closest service to the king.

Chapter Twenty-Three

1–8. A warning against greed for food and against dealing with ill-wishing people. 9–11. Against association with fools. 12–18. An exhortation to moral training of children. 19–25. A warning against excess in food. 25–28. Against seduction by unchastity. 29–35. Against drunkenness and its ruinous consequences.

Proverbs 23:1. When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you, Proverbs 23:2. and put a knife to your throat if you are prone to greed. Proverbs 23:3. Do not desire his delicacies; it is deceptive food. By connection with the last (29th) verse of the previous chapter, a man who through diligence has reached a high position at the royal court is advised to maintain moderation in food, and in general in the enjoyment of external goods, even in this new position (and also generally at the tables of the noble ones) (cf. Sir 31:13).

Proverbs 23:4. Do not labor to become rich; cease from your own understanding. Proverbs 23:5. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone; for suddenly it makes itself wings like an eagle and flies to the sky. Among these goods, wealth is named first of all, and with special force is noted its transitory character and unreliability (cf. 1 Tim 6:17),—even wealth acquired by honest means.

Proverbs 23:6. Do not eat the bread of an envious man, and do not desire his delicacies; Proverbs 23:7. for as he calculates in his soul, so is he; “eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. Proverbs 23:8. The morsel you have eaten you will vomit up, and you will waste your kind words. Proverbs 23:9. Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words. In the choice of acquaintances and in seeking goodwill from people, one should pay attention to the degree of sincerity of those offering hospitality (cf. Sir 14:10).

Proverbs 23:10. Do not move the ancient boundary marker, and do not encroach upon the fields of the fatherless, see Prov 22:28.

Proverbs 23:12. Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. Proverbs 23:13. Do not withhold discipline from a young man: if you strike him with a rod, he will not die; Proverbs 23:14. you will strike him with a rod and save his soul from the grave. Proverbs 23:15. My son! if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad; Proverbs 23:16. and my inmost parts will rejoice when your lips speak what is right. Proverbs 23:17. Let not your heart envy sinners, but always be in the fear of the Lord; Proverbs 23:18. for indeed there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Special attention is called to the necessity of good home education, and thereupon it is indicated (v. 13) as previously was indicated (13:25), the necessity of physical punishment in the system of education, as a pedagogical and entirely appropriate means (v. 14). In the following exhortation to wisdom, the ability of wisdom to make a person happy is brought to the fore (v. 15–16), and the first manifestation of wisdom is presented as the absence of envy toward prospering sinners (v. 17, see Prov 24:1), the presence, on the contrary, of the fear of God and hope for reward—here and beyond the grave (v. 10); in this case, as in others (Prov 11:7), the faith of the Wise One in the immortality of the human soul and in the judgment after death of the righteous and sinners is expressed.

Proverbs 23:19. Listen, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart on the right path. Proverbs 23:20. Do not be among those who drink wine, among those who gorge themselves on meat: Proverbs 23:21. for the drunkard and the glutton will become poor, and drowsiness will clothe one in rags. Proverbs 23:22. Listen to your father who begat you; and do not despise your mother when she grows old. Proverbs 23:23. Buy truth and do not sell wisdom and instruction and understanding. Proverbs 23:24. The father of a righteous man will be full of joy, and he who begets a wise man will delight in him. Proverbs 23:25. Let your father and mother be glad, she who bore you will rejoice. For the pursuit of wisdom, it is necessary first of all to remove the obstacles that stand in the way—passion for drunkenness and unchastity (v. 19–21). Then the persistent exhortation to hold fast to wisdom, truth, understanding (v. 23) is preceded (v. 22) and concluded with an exhortation to honor the authority of father and mother (v. 24–27) (cf. Prov 10:1 and others).

Proverbs 23:26. My son! give your heart to me, and let your eyes observe my ways, Proverbs 23:27. for a loose woman is a deep pit, and a foreign woman is a narrow well; Proverbs 23:28. she lies in ambush like a robber and increases the transgressors among men. It is very important to note that for the acquisition of wisdom, the disciple had to give himself entirely to the will and disposition of the teacher. The warning against the seductions of the loose woman (v. 27, 28) recalls the earlier discourses of the Wise One and the same subject (Prov 5:20).

Proverbs 23:29. Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaint? Who has wounds without cause? Who has dimmed eyes? Proverbs 23:30. Those who tarry long over wine, those who go seeking out mixed wine. Proverbs 23:31. Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly: Proverbs 23:32. in the end, like a serpent it will bite, and like a viper it will sting; Proverbs 23:33. your eyes will see strange women, and your heart will speak perverse things, Proverbs 23:34. and you will be like one sleeping in the heart of the sea and like one sleeping on the top of a mast. Proverbs 23:35. And you will say: “They struck me, but I felt no pain; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When I awake, I will seek it again.” In a form rare for its vividness is depicted the picture of the ruinous consequences of drunkenness (cf. Isa 56:12).

Chapter Twenty-Four

1–2. A warning against imitating wicked men. 3–6. Praise of wisdom and its beneficial consequences. 7–10. Against foolishness, treachery, and similar things. 11–12. An exhortation to defend those condemned to death. 13–14. An exhortation to strive for wisdom. 15–18. Against treachery and malicious joy. 19–22. A call to magnanimity and a warning against association with rebels. 23–29. A warning against partiality, prejudice, and injustice. 30–34. A depiction of the destructiveness of idleness and its consequences.

Proverbs 24:1. Do not envy evil men, and do not desire to be with them, Proverbs 24:2. for their heart plans violence, and their lips speak trouble. The thought of these verses represents a development of Prov 23:17.

Proverbs 24:3. By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established, Proverbs 24:4. and by knowledge its rooms are filled with all precious and beautiful possessions. Proverbs 24:5. A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increases his strength. Proverbs 24:6. For with thoughtful counsel you wage your war, and victory belongs to the abundance of counselors. In contrast to wickedness, wisdom-piety for those who possess it is combined with various kinds of material goods—in the domestic sphere (v. 3–4) and in public affairs, for example, in military matters (v. 5–6).

Proverbs 24:7. Wisdom is too high for a fool; he will not open his mouth at the gate. Proverbs 24:8. He who devises evil is called a schemer. Proverbs 24:9. The thought of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to men. The fool and the wicked man, by contrast, are powerless and helpless when they must come forward in any kind of public activity; all his energy is turned to treacherous schemes (v. 8) and is exhausted in deeds sinful before God and abominable before men (v. 9).

Proverbs 24:10. If you become weak in a day of distress, your strength is meager. Proverbs 24:11. Rescue those being led away to death, and save those stumbling toward slaughter. Proverbs 24:12. If you say, “Look, we did not know of this,” does not he who weighs hearts understand? And he who watches over your soul, does he not know? And will he not repay each person according to his deeds? Wisdom, on the other hand, possesses the art of saving itself (v. 10) and others, even from the most extreme misfortunes (v. 11), and thereupon the egoistic excuse of a callous heart “I do not know such a person, therefore I am free from obligations toward him” is refuted and done away with by pointing to the all-seeing and all-encompassing Providence of God, before which no one who allows his brothers to perish will be justified. In explanation of the instruction of verse 11, some pointed to the Pharisaic-Talmudic rules that obliged every person who knew anything in defense of one condemned to death to necessarily come forward with his testimony (Mishnah, Sanhedrin VI, 1). But it is hardly likely that this custom already existed in the biblical era; besides, the instruction of v. 11 pertains not only to judicial matters, but has a broader scope, referring to all possible cases of mortal danger of one’s neighbors.

Proverbs 24:13. Eat honey, my son, for it is good; and the honeycomb is sweet to your palate: Proverbs 24:14. so also is the knowledge of wisdom to your soul. If you find it, then there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Wisdom by its saving fruits is like the sweetness and usefulness of honey; and these fruits show themselves not only in the present, but reach even to the bounds of the future (v. 14, see Prov 23:18).

Proverbs 24:15. Do not plot evil against the dwelling of the righteous, and do not raid his resting place, Proverbs 24:16. for seven times the righteous man falls and rises up, but the wicked stumble into disaster. Proverbs 24:17. Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let your heart not be glad when he stumbles, Proverbs 24:18. lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and he turn away his anger from him. One is instructed at the misfortunes of the righteous and the wicked to pay attention to the final outcome, which is different for the sufferings of one and the other (v. 16). At the same time, a warning is made against malicious joy at an enemy’s misfortune, for this is displeasing to the Lord (v. 17–18, see Prov 18:5).

Proverbs 24:19. Do not fret about evildoers and do not envy the wicked, Proverbs 24:20. for the evil man has no future—the lamp of the wicked will go out. Proverbs 24:21. Fear the Lord, my son, and the king; do not associate with rebels, Proverbs 24:22. for disaster from them will rise suddenly, and calamity from both of them—who knows? The instruction is repeated (cf. v. 1) to not envy the wicked (see 19), for their final lot will be desolate (v. 20, see Prov 13:9). In conclusion, attention is called to the fear of God, but thereupon with the fear of God itself, the fear of the king is prescribed, as the representative of God’s rule in the society of men (v. 21–23, see 1 Pet 2:17; Rom 13:2).

Proverbs 24:23. These also are sayings of the wise: to show partiality in judgment is not good. Proverbs 24:24. He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” will be cursed by peoples and despised by nations; Proverbs 24:25. but those who rebuke him will be blessed, and a good blessing will come upon them. Proverbs 24:26. He who answers with true words receives a kiss on the lips. Proverbs 24:27. Prepare your work outside, and get ready in your field; and afterward, build your house. Proverbs 24:28. Do not be a false witness against your neighbor; and do not deceive with your lips. Proverbs 24:29. Do not say, “As he has done to me, so I will do to him; I will repay the man according to his work.” A new group of sayings of the wise begins with a condemnation of partiality (v. 23–24), against which is threatened a curse of peoples: the perversion of truth and justice in the court is everywhere a source of the ruin of the well-being of peoples. On the contrary, integrity and truthfulness in words, judgments, and deeds are highly approved (v. 25–25, see 28). Two other instructions of this section—one of a practical nature: before the internal ordering of the house and family, it is necessary to arrange the external aspect of life—field and household economy (v. 27), others—purely moral, and of such a character of evangelical purity and height: one must not repay evil with evil (v. 29, see Prov 17:13).

Proverbs 24:30. I passed by the field of a sluggard and by the vineyard of a man without sense; Proverbs 24:31. and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns, its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Proverbs 24:32. Then I looked and considered it well; I saw and learned a lesson: Proverbs 24:33. “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— Proverbs 24:34. and your poverty will come like a prowler, and your want like an armed man.” The ruinous consequences of idleness are depicted by the example of the condition of the field and vineyard of the lazy man. This—is not an allegory of spiritual dissoluteness, as some commentators supposed, but a direct depiction of the vice of idleness with its ruinous consequences—a lesson drawn by the Wise Ones from practical observation (v. 32). V. 33–34 present a reproduction of Prov 6:10-11.

Chapter Twenty-Five

1. Title of a new group of proverbs. 2–5. On kings, their necessary qualities and duties. 6–7. Warning against arrogance in dealings with kings and nobles. 8–10. Against quarrelsomeness and talkativeness. 11–15. On wisdom in speech, faithfulness, and patience. 16–20. Against intemperance, importunity, false witness, credulity, and thoughtlessness. 21–22. On beneficence toward enemies. 23–28. Against a passion for discord, lack of self-control, and so forth.

Proverbs 25:1. These too are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, collected. The group of proverbs embraced in chapters XXV–XXIX is identified (v. 1) as a collection made through the efforts of certain “men of king Hezekiah” (v. 1); these, clearly, refer to wise men and scholars of this king of Judah’s time: in these men of Hezekiah, the rabbis saw members of the so-called “great synagogue.”

Proverbs 25:2. The glory of God is to cover a matter in mystery; the glory of kings is to investigate a matter. Proverbs 25:3. As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable. Proverbs 25:4. Remove impurity from silver, and the silversmith will produce a vessel; Proverbs 25:5. remove the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established by righteousness. Concerning royal power, the Wise One here, as in many other places, spoke from an ideal viewpoint and at the same time gives practical counsel for strengthening the king’s authority.

Proverbs 25:6. Do not boast before the king, nor stand in the place of the great; Proverbs 25:7. for it is better when he says to you, “Come up here,” than when he puts you down before a noble, whom your eyes have seen. In connection with this, there is discourse here about propriety before kings and nobles, the required modesty at banquets being motivated here (v. 17) by the same consideration given similarly in the Gospel (Luke 14:8-10).

Proverbs 25:8. Do not hastily enter into a dispute; for what will you do at its end when your opponent puts you to shame? Proverbs 25:9. Contend with your adversary, but do not reveal another’s secret, Proverbs 25:10. so that he who hears it may not reproach you, and your shame will never depart.– “Proverbs 25. Prov. 25:10a. [Love and friendship set free: keep them for yourself, so as not to make yourself worthy of reproach; keep your paths well-ordered.]” Given the harmful consequences of quarrelsomeness and talkativeness, warning is issued against both.

Proverbs 25:11. Golden apples in silver transparent vessels – a word spoken at the right time. Proverbs 25:12. A golden earring and ornament of pure gold – a wise reprover for an attentive ear. Proverbs 25:13. What coolness from snow in time of harvest is, a faithful messenger is to the one who sends him: he brings refreshment to his master’s soul. Proverbs 25:14. What clouds and wind without rain are, such is a man who boasts of false gifts. Proverbs 25:15. By meekness a noble is inclined to mercy, and a soft tongue breaks a bone. In vv. 11–12, the same thought is developed in figurative and positive form. Then in images drawn from Palestinian nature – the custom of preparing a cool drink by means of snow or ice in summer and the usual waterless clouds in Palestinian summer (vv. 13–14) – a faithful messenger and a deceitful man are portrayed. V. 15 on the force of meekness echoes Prov 15:1.

Proverbs 25:18. What a hammer, sword, and sharp arrow are, such is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor. Proverbs 25:19. What a broken tooth and a lame leg are, such is reliance on an unreliable [man] in time of distress. Proverbs 25:20. What removing one’s cloak on a cold day, what vinegar on a wound, is, so is singing songs to a sad heart.– “Proverbs 25. Prov. 25:20a. –[As a moth to a garment and a worm to wood, so sorrow harms the heart of a man.]” Three kinds of men are characterized figuratively: false witnesses, false friends who abandon friends in misfortune, and people indifferent to the distress of their neighbors.

Proverbs 25:21. If your enemy is hungry, feed him with bread; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink: Proverbs 25:22. for by doing this you are heaping burning coals on his head, and the Lord will repay you. The exhortation to benefit a needy enemy is a development of the thought of the lawgiver Exod 23:4-5; in a somewhat condensed form it is also given by the Apostle (Rom 12:20; cf. Matt 25:35).

Proverbs 25:23. The north wind produces rain, and a secret tongue produces angry faces. Proverbs 25:24. Better to dwell in a corner of a roof than with a quarrelsome woman in a spacious house. Proverbs 25:25. What cold water to a thirsty soul is, such is a good message from a distant country. Proverbs 25:26. What a troubled spring and a poisoned well are, such is a righteous man who falls before a wicked man. Proverbs 25:27. Just as it is not good to eat much honey, so seeking glory is not glory. Proverbs 25:28. What a ruined city without walls is, such is a man who does not control his own spirit. In v. 23, the unpleasant consequences of secret conversations and gossip – suspicions and the like – are compared with the action of the north, or more precisely northwest (in Palestine), wind bringing clouds. V. 24, cf. Prov 21:9; v. 25, cf. Prov 15:30; v. speaks of the moral weakness of a righteous man before a wicked one, for instance in the form of the former’s yielding in relation to the latter’s judgments, or of the physical suffering of the righteous man from the sinner: both, as a sorrowful phenomenon, the Wise One compares with a murky spring that merely deceives the wayfarer. V. 27 is difficult to understand and has prompted many interpretations. Apparently, we should see here an indication that even in such an honorable matter as the search for truth, the investigation of exalted subjects, measure should be observed. A similar sense is given by the Vulgate translation: qui scrutator est majestatis, opprimetur a gloria. V. 28, summarizing what has been said in the preceding verses, expresses in negative form the thought of the necessity and benefit of self-control for a man: one who does not control himself, who cannot restrain his passions, is open to all external influences and temptations against his freedom and morality, and in this regard is like a city with broken walls (cf. 2 Chr 32:5; Nehem 2:13).

Chapter Twenty-Six

1–12. Against foolishness, its manifestations and consequences. 13–16. Against laziness. 17–19. Against immoderate jesting. 20–28. Against cunning, lies, and treachery.

Proverbs 26:1. As snow in summer and rain at harvest, so honor is unsuitable for a fool. Proverbs 26:2. As a sparrow flutters, as a swallow flies away, so an undeserved curse does not come about. Proverbs 26:3. A whip for a horse, a bridle for a donkey, and a rod for fools. Proverbs 26:4. Do not answer a fool according to his foolishness, so you do not become like him; Proverbs 26:5. yet answer a fool according to his foolishness, so he will not be wise in his own eyes. Proverbs 26:6. One who entrusts a message to a fool cuts off his own feet and brings trouble on himself. Proverbs 26:7. Unevenly do the legs rise in a lame man – and a proverb in the mouth of fools. Proverbs 26:8. Like one who sets a precious stone in a sling, so is he who gives honor to a fool. Proverbs 26:9. What a thorny thorn in the hand of a drunkard is, such is a proverb in the mouth of fools. Proverbs 26:10. Great is he who makes all things at will: he rewards a fool and he rewards every passer-by. Proverbs 26:11. As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness. Proverbs 26:12. Have you seen a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. The unnaturalness of snow in summer and rain at harvest (in Palestine) is taken (v. 1) as an image of the impropriety and, as it were, unnaturalness of honor and glory for a fool. Then are presented figuratively – the impotence of an oath or curse uttered by a fool (v. 2), as well as the necessity of physical intervention for his correction (v. 3). In vv. 4–5, the rabbis saw a direct contradiction, but this contradiction is only apparent: in v. 4, one moment of the manifestation of foolishness is meant, when any admonitions and rebukes are useless for a fool (v. 4b), – in v. 5, he is commanded to expose foolishness so as to prevent the fool’s exaltation through imagined wisdom; in one case, the worthlessness of the fool is self-evident; in the other, it requires special exposure. Further, foolishness is illuminated from the perspective of complete lack of skill and incapacity of the fool for any useful work (vv. 6–9), – of undeserved fortune (v. 10), of persisting in his unreason (v. 11), and again – of self-exaltation and self-confidence (v. 12). The expression of v. 11 is cited in 2 Pet 2:22.

Proverbs 26:13. The lazy man says: “There is a lion on the road! A lion on the streets!” Proverbs 26:14. A door turns on its hinges, and a lazy man on his bed. Proverbs 26:15. The lazy man dips his hand in a dish, and it is hard for him to bring it to his mouth. Proverbs 26:16. In his own eyes a lazy man is wiser than seven men who answer thoughtfully. In the depiction here of laziness, the features previously expressed by the Wise One are repeated word for word; see v. 13 and Prov 22:13; v. 15 and Prov 19:24.

Proverbs 26:17. He who seizes a dog by the ears, passing by and meddling in another’s quarrel. Proverbs 26:18. Like one pretending to be mad who throws fire, arrows, and death, Proverbs 26:19. so is a man who deceives his friend and then says: “I was only joking.” In v. 18, the thought of the extreme harm of untimely jesting and amusement is expressed figuratively through comparison.

Proverbs 26:20. Without fuel, fire goes out; and without a gossip, quarrel dies down. Proverbs 26:21. Charcoal is for burning coals and wood for fire, and a quarrelsome man is for kindling strife. Proverbs 26:22. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels, and they enter the innermost parts of the belly. Proverbs 26:23. What a clay vessel covered with cheap silver is, such are fervent lips and an evil heart. Proverbs 26:24. An enemy dissembles with his lips, but in his heart he harbors treachery. Proverbs 26:25. If he speaks with a gentle voice, do not believe him, for seven abominations are in his heart. Proverbs 26:26. If hatred is concealed, it will be revealed in the assembly. Proverbs 26:27. He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone uphill will have it roll back on him. Proverbs 26:28. A lying tongue hates those it wounds, and a flattering mouth brings about ruin. In figurative and direct speech (vv. 20–21), the harm of quarrels and discord is expressed. Vv. 24–25 – a warning against the danger of hypocrisy; in v. 26 – a motive for restraint from malice and hatred: the inevitability of revealing hidden hatred. V. 26 provides a summary of the preceding admonitions.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

1–6. Against boasting, jealousy, and hypocrisy. 7–14. Praise of temperance, true friendship, and prudence. 15–16. On the quarrelsome woman. 17–32. On discernment, care; on greed. 22–27. Exhortation to wise and thrifty household management.

Proverbs 27:1. Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. Proverbs 27:2. Let another praise you, not your own mouth – a stranger, not your own tongue. Proverbs 27:3. Stone is heavy and sand is weighty; but the anger of a fool is heavier than both. Proverbs 27:4. Wrath is cruel and anger is overwhelming; but who can stand before jealousy? Proverbs 27:5. Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Proverbs 27:6. Faithful are the wounds of one who loves; but the kisses of one who hates are deceitful. The thought of v. 1 concerning the unsuitability for man of any decisive presumptions about tomorrow is expressed more fully by the Apostle James (Jas 4:13-15). The teaching of v. 2 on the impropriety of self-praise has become a commonplace even of worldly wisdom. In vv. 3–4, phenomena of the moral world – anger and jealousy – are compared now with physical objects (stone, sand), now with the moral likewise (anger, jealousy). The thought of vv. 5–6 on the superiority of sincere rebuke of love over deceitful caresses of hidden hate is found further below in Prov 28:23.

Proverbs 27:7. A satisfied soul tramples on the honeycomb, but to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. Proverbs 27:8. Like a bird that strays from its nest, so is a man who strays from his place. Proverbs 27:9. Perfume and incense delight the heart; so does a friend with heartfelt counsel. Proverbs 27:10. Do not abandon your friend and your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in your day of distress: better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away. Proverbs 27:11. Be wise, my son, and gladden my heart; and I will have an answer for the one who reproaches me. Proverbs 27:12. The prudent one sees trouble and takes refuge; but the simple go on and are punished. Proverbs 27:13. Take his garment as security, for he has put up security for a stranger; take a pledge from him for strangers. Proverbs 27:14. He who praises his friend loudly in the morning will be counted as one who curses. The sayings of this section repeatedly reiterate thoughts already expressed by the Wise One earlier; cf. v. 11 with Prov 23:15; v. 13 with Prov 20:16.

Proverbs 27:15. A continual drip in a rainy day and a quarrelsome woman are alike: Proverbs 27:16. he who tries to hide her is trying to hide the wind and to grasp oil in his hand, which makes itself known. The comparison in v. 15 for a quarrelsome woman was already encountered above Prov 19:13, and v. 16 strengthens the thought with a new comparison.

Proverbs 27:17. Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens the keen perception of another. Proverbs 27:18. He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit; and he who attends to his master will be honored. Proverbs 27:19. As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man. Proverbs 27:20. Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.– “Proverbs 27. Prov. 27:20a. –[An abomination to the Lord is he who lifts up his eyes proudly, and those who are reckless with their tongue are unwise.]” Proverbs 27:21. What a crucible is for silver and a furnace for gold, such are mouths for praising a man.– “Proverbs 27. Prov. 27:21a. –[The heart of the wicked seeks evil; and the heart of the upright seeks knowledge.]” Proverbs 27:22. Beat a fool in a mortar with grain and a pestle, his foolishness will not depart from him. The saying of v. 18 has a wide meaning, but most closely may indicate discernment and energy in the mutual relations of friends (cf. Heb 10:24). In vv. 18–19, the mutual relations of people are depicted from a new perspective. V. 20 has the same comparison as was used earlier (Prov 15:11) but has a more particular sense here, meaning passion, especially greed, of the human heart (cf. Sir 14:9). Similarly, the comparison of v. 21 was already encountered in Prov 17:3. V. 22 presents a semi-humorous expression of the idea that foolishness ordinarily becomes, as it were, fused with the very being of a man who has had the misfortune to come under its influence.

Proverbs 27:23. Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds; Proverbs 27:24. for riches are not forever, and does a crown endure from generation to generation? Proverbs 27:25. When the grass withers and new growth appears and the herbs of the hills are gathered, Proverbs 27:26. Your sheep will be for clothing and the goats will bring the price of a field. Proverbs 27:27. And there will be enough goat’s milk for your food, for the food of your household, and for sustenance for your servants. In the concluding words of the chapter are given counsels to apply oneself to the two main occupations of ancient Hebrews – herding (vv. 23, 24) and agriculture (v. 25), and at the same time, given the transitory and changeable nature of riches (v. 24), simplicity and moderation of food and way of life are advised (v. 27).

Chapter Twenty-Eight

1–5. On contrasts between the righteous and the wicked (the violent). 6–12. Against the oppression of the poor and all unrighteousness generally. 13–18. Against hidden service to sin, abuses of power, and bloodthirstiness. 19–28. Against the passion for acquisition, violence, and so forth.

Proverbs 28:1. The wicked flee when no one pursues them; but the righteous are as bold as a lion. Proverbs 28:2. When a land transgresses, it has many rulers; but by a man of understanding and knowledge, it will be established long. Proverbs 28:3. A poor man who oppresses the weak is like a sweeping rain that leaves no food. Proverbs 28:4. Those who abandon the law praise the wicked; but those who keep the law contend with them. Proverbs 28:5. Evil men do not understand justice; but those who seek the Lord understand all things. At the beginning of the depiction of the wicked and the righteous, opposite states of soul of the one and the other are presented: the conscience of the wicked always torments him, pursues him in the absence of any external danger (v. 1a, cf. Lev 26:36; Deut 28:25). V. 2 expresses a truth justified by experience, for instance in the history of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, that the strength and prosperity of a state is possible only under firm authority of one lawful king (as was in the kingdom of Judah), and not under many usurpers of royal power (in the kingdom of Israel). In v. 3, the desire of a new popular ruler to become rich quickly at the expense of the people is equated to the destructive action of a heavy rain, from which in tropical lands usually form extraordinarily swift torrents, which then quickly disappear and leave behind them a destructive drought. In vv. 4–5 there is a sharp opposition of those who violate and those who keep the law (cf. Isa 5:20).

Proverbs 28:6. Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a man whose ways are crooked, although he is rich. Proverbs 28:7. The one who keeps the law is a son of understanding; but one who keeps company with gluttons shames his father. Proverbs 28:8. He who increases his wealth by interest and profit gathers it for one who is kind to the poor. Proverbs 28:9. If anyone turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. Proverbs 28:10. He who leads the righteous astray on an evil path will himself fall into his pit; but the blameless will inherit good things. Proverbs 28:11. A rich man is wise in his own eyes; but a poor man of understanding will expose him. Proverbs 28:12. When the righteous triumph, there is great glory; but when the wicked rise, people hide. V. 6 repeats the thought of Prov 19:1; v. 7 cf. Prov 23:20; v. 8 cf. Prov 13:22; Job 27:16-17; v. 9 cf. Prov 15:8; v. 10 cf. Prov 26:27; v. 11 cf. Prov 26:16. The thought of v. 12 on the beneficiality of the exaltation of the righteous and the ruinousness of the rise of sinners is repeated also further down Prov 29:2.

Proverbs 28:13. He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper; but he who confesses and abandons them will find mercy. Proverbs 28:14. Blessed is the man who always walks in reverence; but he who hardens his heart will fall into trouble. Proverbs 28:15. Like a roaring lion and a hungry bear, so is a wicked ruler over a poor people. Proverbs 28:16. A ruler lacking understanding will practice much oppression; but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days. Proverbs 28:17. A man burdened with bloodguilt will flee to the grave; no one will support him. Proverbs 28:18. He who walks in integrity will be delivered; but the one who goes in crooked ways will fall. In v. 13 is expressed the truth common to both Old and New Testaments (Ps 31:5 John 1:9) that free-hearted confession of his sins by a man brings him forgiveness from God, whereas stubborn concealment by a man of his sins or refusal to acknowledge them as such leads only to condemnation. V. 14 presents fear and reverence before God as a motive for repentance and confession of sins before God, the fear of offending His justice by the violation of His will. Vv. 15–16, like vv. 2–3, speak of negative and positive types of bearers of power; obviously, here is not the ideal viewpoint on royal power, but one derived from observations of experience. Vv. 17–18 speak of the defiled, stained conscience and the pure, blameless conscience, and of the different paths and fates of the one and the other.

Proverbs 28:19. He who tills his land will have plenty of food; but one who follows worthless pursuits will have poverty. Proverbs 28:20. A faithful man will be abounded with blessings; but he who hastens to be rich will not escape punishment. Proverbs 28:21. To show partiality is not good: a man will do wrong for a piece of bread. Proverbs 28:22. A man with an envious eye hastens after wealth, and does not know that poverty will come upon him. Proverbs 28:23. He who reproves a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue. Proverbs 28:24. He who robs his father and mother and says: “It is no sin,” is a companion to a destroyer. Proverbs 28:25. The arrogant one kindles strife; but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper. Proverbs 28:26. He who trusts in himself is a fool; but he who walks in wisdom will be safe. Proverbs 28:27. He who gives to the poor will not lack; but he who closes his eyes to him will have many curses. Proverbs 28:28. When the wicked rise, people hide; but when they fall, the righteous increase. The praise of labor offered in v. 19 and the condemnation of idleness have already been expressed in Prov 11:11. In v. 20, the truthfulness and righteousness of a man are extolled, and, in contrast with that, the excessive desire of a man for rapid enrichment is condemned, both for its own sake and because such desire is usually joined with morally questionable means of acquisition (cf. Prov 20:21). Partiality at judgment has been condemned many times before: Prov 18:5, and is condemned here as well – v. 21. V. 22 supplements what is said in v. 21, pointing to the consequences of immoderate passion for acquisition. The crime indicated in v. 24 is branded as the most shameful in Prov 19:26, and especially in the words of the Savior (Matt 15:5; Mark 7:11). The arrogance and self-confidence of v. 25 were condemned also in Prov 21:4; cf. Prov 13:10. V. 26, in contrast with that, points to wisdom in the absence of self-confidence and in reliance on God. V. 27 condemns a lack of mercy toward the poor (cf. Deut 15:7; 2 Cor 9:9). V. 28 repeats the thought of v. 12.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

1–7. Against various forms of moral insensitivity and hardness of heart. 8–11. Against the passion for discord, bloodthirstiness, and irritability. 12–17. Exhortation to rulers for just and merciful rule, and to educators for serious and strict education of children. 18–23. Against wickedness, unbridled behavior, anger, and pride. 24–27. Against association with the wicked in their transgressions, against flattery: teaching of fear of God and piety.

Proverbs 29:1. A man who, being reproved, hardens his neck will suddenly be broken, and there is no healing for him. Proverbs 29:2. When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan. Proverbs 29:3. A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father; but he who keeps company with harlots squanders his wealth. Proverbs 29:4. The king establishes the land by justice, but the one who loves gifts destroys it. Proverbs 29:5. A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet. Proverbs 29:6. In the transgression of an evil man lies a snare for him, but the righteous sings and rejoices. Proverbs 29:7. The righteous cares diligently for the cause of the poor, but the wicked has no understanding of it. In v. 1 there is a condemnation of the deep impenitence of a man who heeds no reproof from any quarter—this so often condemned in the Pentateuch, a “stiffness of neck” (Exod 32:9; Deut 9:6 and others), cf. Prov 28:14. V. 2, see Prov 28:12. V. 3, see Prov 6:26. In vv. 4–7, a manifestation of moral hardening appears especially in injustice (vv. 4, 7) and flattery (v. 5).

Proverbs 29:8. Scoundrels set a city in turmoil, but the wise calm anger. Proverbs 29:9. If a wise man goes to law with a fool, the fool rages or laughs, and there is no peace. Proverbs 29:10. Bloodthirsty men hate the blameless, but the righteous seek his life. Proverbs 29:11. A fool vents all his anger, but a wise man holds it back. Here the discourse turns to manifestations of sin and human malice in life.

Proverbs 29:12. If a ruler listens to false words, all his servants become wicked. Proverbs 29:13. The poor and the rich meet together; the Lord gives light to the eyes of both. Proverbs 29:14. If a king judges the poor with truth, his throne will be established forever. Proverbs 29:15. The rod and rebuke give wisdom; but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. Proverbs 29:16. When the wicked increase, transgression increases; but the righteous will see their fall. Proverbs 29:17. Correct your son, and he will bring you rest; he will bring delight to your soul. In vv. 12–14 the discourse continues with a depiction of social and, in part, political life; but in vv. 15 and 17 it speaks of the necessity of sound guardianship and proper establishment of the very foundation of social life—the education of children (cf. Prov 23:13).

Proverbs 29:18. Without a revelation from above the people are unrestrained, but blessed is he who keeps the law. Proverbs 29:19. A slave is not taught by words, for though he understands them, he does not obey. Proverbs 29:20. Have you seen someone hasty in their words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. Proverbs 29:21. If you pamper a slave from childhood, he will later want to be treated as a son. Proverbs 29:22. An angry man stirs up discord, and a hot-tempered man commits many sins. Proverbs 29:23. Pride brings a man low, but the humble in spirit gain honor. V. 18 affirms the necessity of a living prophetic word in explaining and protecting the law; the poverty of such a word, and still more its complete absence in certain times (cf. 1 Sam 3:1; Hos 3:4; Amos 8:12; Ps 73:9) is accompanied by a decline of true religion and morality among the people (cf. Exod 32:25). V. 19 concludes the application of Old Testament pedagogy with its physical measures of influence to the system of relations between masters and slaves. V. 20, see Prov 26:12. V. 21 supplements the thought of v. 19, cf. Sir 33:21. V. 22, see Prov 15:18. V. 23, see Prov 15:33.

Proverbs 29:24. Whoever shares with a thief hates his own soul; he hears the curse but does not tell. Proverbs 29:25. Fear of people brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. Proverbs 29:26. Many seek the favor of the ruler, but a person’s lot comes from the Lord. Proverbs 29:27. An abomination to the righteous is the unjust man, and an abomination to the wicked is the one who walks in uprightness. Reproducing and deepening the demands of the law, the Wise Man urges (v. 24) his listeners to avoid in every way any association with the wicked in their transgressions, even by merely concealing them (cf. Lev 5:1). Such concealment may be prompted by flattery and fear of people (v. 25); but for a believer and pious person, according to the teaching of the Wise Man, the highest concern must be the sense of fear of God (v. 25a), and it is only from God, as the perfectly just Judge, that a person should seek truth and righteousness (v. 26). The chapter (XXIX) concludes, together with the entire group of Proverbs in chaps. XXV-XXIX, with a thought of the deep moral opposition and complete separation and estrangement of the righteous and the wicked (v. 27, see Prov 11:20).

Chapter Thirty

1. The title. 2–6. Introduction to what follows, with reflections on the vastness of creation, on the greatness and omnipotence of God, and on the significance and immutability of God’s word. 7–10. A prayer of the sage to God for protection from extremes in material possessions and from temptations of disbelief and wickedness; connected with the preceding—an instruction (v. 10) forbidding slander of a slave before his master. 11–14. Four proverbs concerning various kinds of wickedness. 15–16. On the insatiability of various things. 17. An interjected judgment on the gravity of the sin of disrespect toward parents. 18–20. The incomprehensible in the physical and human world. 21–23. What is difficult to bear because of its apparent unnaturalness. 24–26. Small in appearance yet great in significance. 29–31. Analogies of the king in the animal kingdom. 32–33. Warning against pride and anger.

Proverbs 30:1. The words of Agur, son of Jakeh. An inspired utterance—the man said to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: The meaning and significance of this title, like the title in Prov 31:1, has been understood differently in ancient and modern times, depending on whether the Hebrew Agur is taken as a proper name, a common noun, or something else. The Targum recognizes this word as the proper name of an unknown king; the Midrash, on the contrary, considers it an allegorical name for Solomon, like Qoheleth or Ecclesiastes, as do many rabbis and also Jerome, who sees Solomon in Agur and David in Jakeh, verba congregantis filii vomentis (Vulg.). The LXX, in its translation, eliminate the very idea of any Agur-king. Slavonic: “he says these things, a man believing in God, and I rest.” In modern times many Western interpreters were ready to see in Agur, as also in Lemuel, a king or general ruler of the Edomite region Massa (Gen 25:14; 1 Chr 1:30), having in mind the term used in both cases—Prov 30:1 and Prov 31:1—Hebrew massa; both of these persons, Agur and Lemuel, are considered either pagans or proselytes to Judaism. The question can scarcely be decided with complete certainty and definitiveness. However, it is more reasonable to consider both names as proper names of certain teachers of wisdom, of whom Lemuel was undoubtedly a king (Prov 31:4), probably a ruler of the mentioned Massa. This is not directly stated about Agur—the Hebrew massa in Prov 30:1 has a common noun meaning: “utterance.” It is entirely possible to suppose that in the utterances of Agur (Prov 30:1) and Lemuel (Prov 31:1-9) we have a work or at least an echo of the intellectual culture of the “sons of the East”—Arabs, Edomites, and others, as in the book of Job (Job 1:3), but under the determining and transforming influence of biblical-Hebrew culture, so that neither in content nor in form of speech do both sections differ from the remaining parts of the book. The name Ithiel appears as a person’s name in Nehem 11:7. Like the name of Agur, Ithiel and Ucal must denote certain persons—perhaps pupils or disciples of Agur.

Proverbs 30:2. Truly I am more foolish than any man, and I do not have human understanding. Proverbs 30:3. I have not learned wisdom, nor do I have knowledge of the Holy One. Proverbs 30:4. Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his hands? Who has wrapped water in a garment? Who has set all the boundaries of the earth? What is his name? And what is the name of his son? Do you know it? At the foundation of his proverbial teaching, Agur places a decisive acknowledgment of the complete limitation of his own understanding and knowledge, and of course, of people in general—an acknowledgment full of truly religious humility (cf. Ps 72:22), and at the same time characteristic of true philosophy (one may recall the Socratic: “I know only that I know nothing”). The questions of v. 4, like the questions in the speech of Jehovah in the book of Job (Job 38:1), are an oratorical, poetic form of expressing the thought that no one is able to penetrate into the mysteries of God’s creative and providential activity: man is a complete ignoramus in understanding the wonders of nature; phenomena of the atmosphere, rain, snow, wind, clouds are merely objects of amazement for man, forming their own domain inaccessible to mortals, the realm of the Creator’s dominion. Nevertheless, man can of himself come to know the nature of the Creator himself, or—especially in Old Testament times—his Son (what is said in Prov 8:22 and following about the creative activity of the hypostatic Wisdom of God—the Son of God—evidently constituted rather a dim foreboding of the being and activity of the Son of God than a definite concept of him, which became possible only in the New Testament).

Proverbs 30:5. Every word of God is pure; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Proverbs 30:6. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you, and you be found a liar. Instead of fruitless and unsafe speculation about the inner life of the Godhead and about the mysteries inaccessible to human understanding, a person should carefully and sacredly guard the revealed word of God, which proclaims to man everything necessary for his good and salvation. The word of God is pure (v. 5, see Ps 11:7), that is, purified and free from the admixture of human speculation; and it should remain so: man should neither add to it nor take away from it (v. 6, see Deut 4:2; cf. Rev 22:18-19), because both would be a distortion of the holiness of God’s word, and whoever is guilty of distorting it would be a liar. The connection between v. 4 on the one hand and vv. 5–6 on the other is thus characterized by a transition from nature to revelation, from doubt and skepticism to positive faith and confidence in truth.

Proverbs 30:7. I ask you for two things; do not refuse me before I die: Proverbs 30:8. Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me my bread day by day, Proverbs 30:9. lest I become full and disown you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I become poor and steal, and profane the name of my God. In its distinctive numerical form (cf. Prov 6:16), the sage in his prayer to God points to two main causes of the sin of blasphemy and abandonment of God: this is, first, all sorts of emptiness and worthlessness, and especially lies of various kinds, and secondly, the temptations of extreme poverty and excessive wealth (v. 8), in exchange for which Agur asks God to grant him a moderate sufficiency of daily bread (cf. Matt 6:11). That indeed excessive wealth and extreme poverty can dispose a person toward those religious and moral offenses mentioned in v. 9 of the chapter under consideration is affirmed by other biblical passages, in which excessive satiation with worldly goods easily leads to forgetfulness of God—thus, for example, it happened more than once with the entire people of God (Deut 8:12-14 and following); in turn, extreme need also emitters people, inciting them to slander, complaint, and even blasphemy (Isa 8:21).

Proverbs 30:10. Do not slander a slave before his master, lest he curse you, and you be found guilty. Apart from the preceding and following context, one is forbidden to take part in disputes between master and slave, so that the aggravation of the guilt of the latter may not have unpleasant consequences for the person who interferes in their mutual relations.

Proverbs 30:11. There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother. Proverbs 30:12. There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed of its filth. Proverbs 30:13. There is a generation—oh, how lofty are its eyes and how raised are its eyelids! Proverbs 30:14. There is a generation whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are knives, to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among men. In this quatrain, each verse serves as a theme for the subsequent development. Thus, the thought of v. 11, speaking of the gravity of the sin of disrespect toward parents (cf. Prov 20:20; Exod 21:17), is repeated with greater force in v. 17; the thought of v. 12 concerning the moral impurity of a person who considers himself clean is more concretely unfolded below in vv. 18–20; not only is v. 13 about pride, but it is discussed in greater detail in vv. 21–23; the mention in v. 14 of the disorder caused by violent men in normal social life serves as it were as an occasion for a detailed unfolding of the thought about the good of social and political order—in vv. 24–31. Whereas in verses 11, 13, 14 the vices denounced by the sage are named directly, in v. 12 sexual depravity is designated by a general and properly metaphorical name—“filth,” Hebrew tso’ah, properly: feces, excrement (2 Sam 18:27; Isa 36:12), any excretion (Isa 28:8), and then also—moral depravity of women (Isa 4:4) and men.

Proverbs 30:15. The leech has two daughters: “Give, give!” Behold, there are three things that are never satisfied, and four that do not say “Enough!”: Proverbs 30:16. Sheol and a barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and fire that does not say “Enough!” In this couplet, on the example of the never-satiable: Sheol, the barren womb, the parched earth thirsting for water, and fire (v. 16)—the thought of the boundlessness of greed, insatiability is unfolded. This idea is symbolically presented in the name aluka (v. 15). The LXX render this name with the word: βδέλλη, the Vulgate—sanguisuga, Slavonic: “leech.” In this name interpreters see a reference to some female demonic being—a phantom (similar to the lilith mentioned in Isa 34:14)—one of those with which the popular belief and superstition of the Hebrews (especially in later times) and other peoples of the East (Arabs, Indians, Persians) populated deserts and regions of human habitation; judging by the meaning of the word (aluka from alak, elbow), the word aluka designated precisely a blood-sucking demonic creature (like a vampire in Western beliefs), to which corresponds the Latin “sanguisuga” and Slavonic: “leech.” It is not improbable (Zöckler and others) that both the name aluka and the entire utterance of vv. 15–16 are borrowed from foreign beliefs (Indian and others), traces of which are most naturally found among the utterances of Agur, as in the book of Job (see O. Zökler in Lange Bibelwerk. Die Sprüche Salomonis. pp. 211–212. Cf. A. Glagolev, Old Testament biblical teaching on angels. Kiev 1900. p. 626).

Proverbs 30:17. An eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother—the ravens of the valley will peck it out, and the young eagles will eat it! See Prov 20:20.

Proverbs 30:18. Three things are too wonderful for me, and four I do not understand: Proverbs 30:19. the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship in the sea, and the way of a man with a maiden. Proverbs 30:20. This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth, and says, “I have done nothing wrong.” In this three-verse unit, the chief thought, representing a development of the thought of v. 12, is expressed in v. 20: this is the thought about the abominableness and shamelessness of adultery. But this thought is prepared in vv. 18–19 by four comparisons: compared are—1) the way of an eagle in the sky; 2) the way of a snake on a rock; 3) the way of a ship in the sea; 4) and the way of a man with a maiden. The point of comparison of all these objects is partly imperceptibility of their movement, but mainly—their enigmatic quality, their incomprehensibility. The first trait connects v. 20 with these verses, coming closest to the last comparison in v. 19. Hebrew alma, rendered by the LXX usually as: παρθένος, by its root meaning—puella nubilis, virgo matura, a maiden who has reached sexual maturity (see Gen 24:43; Exod 2:8; Isa 7:14; Ps 67:26; Song 6:8).

Proverbs 30:21. From three things the earth trembles, from four it cannot bear: Proverbs 30:22. a slave when he becomes king; a fool when he is full of food; Proverbs 30:23. an unloved woman when she marries, and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress. Here the thought of v. 13 about the destructiveness of haughtiness and pride is developed, and it is further emphasized that pride is especially unbearable when people of low station reach a high economic and social position. All cases of this kind, mentioned in vv. 22–23, appear to the sage as abnormal, violating the moral order of human relations, and since the world of nature is connected with the human world, those anomalies of human life mentioned in vv. 22–23, according to v. 21, are unbearable even for the earth itself, and it trembles from them (cf. Amos 7:11).

Proverbs 30:24. Behold, four small things on the earth, yet they are wiser than the wise: Proverbs 30:25. ants—a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer; Proverbs 30:26. coneys—a people of no great strength, yet they set their homes upon the rock; Proverbs 30:27. locusts have no king, yet they all go forward in formation; Proverbs 30:28. the lizard can be caught with bare hands, yet it is found in the palaces of kings. The thought of the inner value of objects apparently small is here developed exclusively in comparisons from the animal and insect world, on the example of which is shown the necessity and benefit of wisdom, energy, orderly subordination, and persistence in achieving goals. In v. 28 the Hebrew word semamit, rendered in the Russian Synodal as “spider,” was understood by Hebrew tradition, confirmed also by archaeological data, as: “lizard” (see in Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky. The Old Testament Temple, p. 854), LXX: καλαβώτης, Vulg.: Stellio).

Proverbs 30:29. Behold, three things have a stately bearing, and four go stately: Proverbs 30:30. a lion, the mightiest among beasts, does not turn back before anyone; Proverbs 30:31. a horse and a he-goat, [the leader of the herd,] and a king over his people. Only at the end of this three-verse unit is the thought of the importance and significance of royal power for the well-being of society expressed—a thought expressed in vv. 30 and 31a only figuratively. And the connection with the preceding section (vv. 24–28) is as follows: if even without authority, private initiative of wisdom, energy, and cohesion can give favorable results, then with the presence of firm royal power, the benefit of all this increases extraordinarily.

Proverbs 30:32. If you have been foolish by boasting, or if you have planned evil, put your hand to your mouth; Proverbs 30:33. for as churning cream yields butter, and as punching the nose yields blood, so stirring up anger yields strife. An exhortation to restore broken peace represents a development of Prov 15:18.

Chapter Thirty-One

1–9. Instructions from a king to King Lemuel, taught to him by his mother. 10–31. Praise of the virtuous woman.

Proverbs 31:1. The words of King Lemuel. An instruction which his mother taught him: The name Lemuel, Hebrew Lemuel (v. 1) or Lemoil (v. 4), like the name Agur (XXX), was traditionally understood in the sense of a common noun (“dedicated to God”) and considered a symbolic name for Solomon. But in modern times it is usually seen as the proper name of a king of the Massa region in Edom (Gen 25:14).

Proverbs 31:2. What, my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows? Proverbs 31:3. Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to those who destroy kings. Proverbs 31:4. It is not for kings, Lemuel, not for kings to drink wine, and not for princes to crave strong drink, Proverbs 31:5. lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted. Proverbs 31:6. Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to the one whose soul is bitter; Proverbs 31:7. let him drink and forget his poverty and not remember his sorrow. Proverbs 31:8. Open your mouth for the silent, for the rights of all who are left desolate. Proverbs 31:9. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy. The instructions of the king’s mother (evidently dearly loved by him and loved by him in return, v. 2) contain, so to speak, a charge of royal service in its most compressed form. Similar to Moses’ law concerning the king (Deut 17:14 and following), this charge commands the king to be cautious and abstemious from two sources of spiritual and physical enfeeblement: attachment to women (v. 3) and to wine (vv. 4–5); instead it commands that above all he have concern for justice in general and for justice and mercy especially in the hearing of cases of the poor (vv. 8–9). If wine is capable of bringing only harm to kings and rulers, dimming their consciousness and depriving them of the ability to use properly and to exercise the most important aspects of their role, for example, the judicial (v. 5), then wine—by virtue of its power to make glad the human heart (Ps 3:15)—has a beneficial effect for all kinds of those troubled in soul, inasmuch as it grants the grieving one temporary relief from the anguish that oppresses him. Later Judaism applied this utterance of vv. 6–7 to the condemned, to whom they gave wine to drink during their sufferings—to quench unbearable thirst and to dull consciousness; this work of compassion was also applied to the Suffering Savior on the cross (Matt 27:34). In vv. 8–9 the king is not only commanded to hold strictly to justice, especially regarding the poor, according to the sense of Moses’ law (see Deut 1:17), but is advised to do more: to be for the helpless poor man in court not only a truthful judge, but also a defender, an advocate—to show on the bench not merely formal righteousness, but the highest mercy, as Job testified of himself (Job 29:15-16). Prov 31:10-31 The alphabetic poem of these 22 verses, containing praise of the virtuous woman, mother of the household and mistress of the home, constitutes, in the apt expression of one researcher (Dederlin), “a golden charter of women.” And indeed, here the elevated view of biblical Hebrews of the dignity and position of a woman in the family, of her relation to her husband, children, and household members, is expressed more fully and more typically. We shall find no parallel or similar praise in all the world literature of antiquity; the image of the “virtuous woman” of Proverbs is surpassed only in the New Testament by the image of the Christian wife. As in other alphabetic biblical works (Ps 33:118 and others, Lam 1:4), in the section under consideration the individual verses do not closely follow one another, yet all are united by a common theme: the perfections of the virtuous woman are unfolded from certain aspects—tireless activity, all-encompassing care, mercy, and wisdom.

Proverbs 31:10. Who can find a virtuous woman? Her worth is far above jewels. Proverbs 31:11. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will not lack gain. Proverbs 31:12. She does him good and not evil, all the days of her life. Proverbs 31:13. She seeks out wool and flax, and works willingly with her hands. Proverbs 31:14. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. Proverbs 31:15. She rises while it is yet night and distributes food in her household and a portion to her maidens. Proverbs 31:16. She sets her mind on a field and acquires it; from the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. Proverbs 31:17. She girds her loins with strength and strengthens her arms. Proverbs 31:18. She perceives that her labor is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. Proverbs 31:19. She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her fingers grasp the spindle. Proverbs 31:20. She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. Proverbs 31:21. She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with double garments. Proverbs 31:22. She makes coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. The virtuous woman (cf. Prov 15:4) is first depicted from the side of her domestic activity (vv. 11–22), and then from the side of her assistance and help to her husband in his public activity (v. 23 and following). The first virtue of a virtuous woman is the complete trust of her husband in her (v. 11); and here, as in what follows, housekeeping activity stands in the foreground. Out of love for her husband (v. 12), the wife-mistress of the house takes upon herself all kinds of housekeeping duties and performs them in the most perfect manner. First of all, according to the custom of antiquity, she herself prepares the materials—wool and linen—for the clothing of the household members (v. 13), just as she later—makes fabrics also for sale abroad (v. 24). Equally, the object of particular concern of the wife is the procurement and distribution to the household members of food; she distributes food to the servants early in the morning (vv. 14–15), giving them an example of her own diligence and hard work. The housekeeping activity of the worthy woman, not limited to the bounds of the home, extends further—to the acquisition of new pieces of land for planting grain and vineyards (v. 16). In her labor she feels herself strong, and meets with success in all things (vv. 17–18). Work, for example, spinning, for the wife-mistress often continues even at night (v. 19). With all her wealth, the virtuous woman satisfies not only her household, but shares also with the poor, extending a helping hand to all who have need of it; so that in regard to charity, as in other regards, the virtuous woman is an exemplary model. The household members of such a mistress fear neither winter nor frost, as all members of the family are clothed by her not only sufficiently warmly, but also beautifully (vv. 21–22).

Proverbs 31:23. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. Proverbs 31:24. She makes fine linen and sells it; she supplies merchants with sashes. Proverbs 31:25. Strength and dignity are her clothing; she laughs at the time to come. Proverbs 31:26. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. Proverbs 31:27. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. The husband of a worthy woman, not distracted by concerns about domestic and household matters, especially through the good reputation of the entire house created by the work of a good woman, acquires honorable prominence among the people, entirely dedicates himself to public activity—concentrated in the East at the city gates—and takes a place among the elders (v. 23). The wife-mistress produces by her hands so many products of spinning and weaving that she has them left over for sale to the Phoenicians (v. 24). Having success in the past and present (v. 18a), the talented and hard-working woman looks forward boldly to the future (v. 25). Not only in every deed, but in every word she thinks carefully, and speaks only what is useful and edifying (v. 26). She maintains strict order in her home, so that all household members, by her example, labor and by their labor acquire food (v. 27).

Proverbs 31:28. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also praises her: Proverbs 31:29. “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” Proverbs 31:30. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Proverbs 31:31. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her works praise her in the gates. The fruit and reward of the great virtues of a virtuous woman is the profound gratitude of her husband and children, who enthusiastically praise her various perfections. Among the latter, fear of God stands out especially, distinguishing the virtuous woman and constituting her true worth. With the honor of their worthy wife and mother, they make it known to all society (v. 31).

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Introduction

The Book of Ecclesiastes, as is evident from its opening, contains the words of the Ecclesiastes, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Since only one son of David was king, namely Solomon, it is clear that he is the one named Ecclesiastes here. Solomon was distinguished by great wisdom and, as the creator of many instructive proverbs, was a teacher of the people. With such a character he appears in this book. He “was wise and still taught the people knowledge,” remarks the writer of the book in Eccl 12:9. Corresponding to this characteristic, Solomon was given the Hebrew name Koheleth. It derives from the root kahal, which in verb form means: to assemble, to gather (Greek ekkaleo), cf. Lev 8:3; Num 1:18; Deut 4:10 and others; in noun form (like Greek ekklesia) it means assembly in general, religious assembly in particular, for example, Num 10:7; Ps 21:23; Nehem 5:7 and others. From this Hebrew koheleth, like Greek ekklesiastes, means: one who assembles an assembly, one who speaks in an assembly, a church orator, a preacher. A particular occasion for such a designation of Solomon could be given by a most significant fact, described in 1 Sam 8 (cf. 2 Chr 5-6), when Solomon at the dedication of his temple, having assembled (jakhel) the Israelites, pronounced his most remarkable prayer for the sending of God’s mercy to all who would come to the temple, both to the Hebrew people and to foreigners, then blessing the assembly (kahal) turned to it with a speech in which he entreated God that He would direct the heart of the people toward preserving the statutes and observing the commandments. Here, thus, in a visible, tangible form Solomon appeared to be that which he was for his people and in all subsequent times, that is, a koheleth, a preacher. The feminine form of the Hebrew name points either to the implied noun chokma (wisdom), or, more likely, to Solomon’s official mission as a teacher of the people, since names designating an office often took the feminine form among the Hebrews. Probably through this path, the symbolic name of Solomon thus formed – Koheleth – (Ecclesiastes) gave its name to the book itself.

The entire content of the Book of Ecclesiastes serves as a kind of answer to the question: wherein lies happiness on earth, is it possible for a person to attain complete, perfect happiness (Eccl 1:3)? To this question the Ecclesiastes gives a most decisive negative answer. Ithron – as he calls perfect happiness – in distinction from temporary and fleeting joys – is not possible for man. Nothing in the world and in human life can give such happiness. From this all is vanity, all is insignificant and futile.

“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” This is the conclusion to which the Ecclesiastes came through long and difficult seeking, and which he expresses with equal decisiveness both at the beginning and at the end of the book (Eccl 1:2). But why is absolute happiness unattainable, why does everything turn out, in this sense, to be futile and vain? The reason is that everything in the world is subject to immutable and, at the same time, uniform laws and as a result is in constant circular motion, giving nothing new, nothing that could in the future ensure the attainment of Ithron (Eccl 1:4-11). Motion not forward but around, non-progressive circular motion is observed not only in external nature but also in human life, where psychic phenomena alternate with the same sequence as natural phenomena, depend so little on human will, where also there is a time for everything (Eccl 3:1-8).

This inevitability of the natural course of things, the powerlessness of human will to change its direction, to subject it to itself, make happiness, available to man, unstable, inconstant, accidental, fleeting. Man cannot be assured for even one moment that happiness will not abandon him. Of course, such happiness is not Ithron. Investigating then particular cases from his own life and the lives of others, the Ecclesiastes becomes even more convinced that nothing can give man true happiness.

Wisdom? But it brings people suffering, exposing both in the world and in man ugliness and insignificance, covered by apparent beauty and purposefulness, generating in man a painful awareness of the limitation of his mind and the incomprehensibility of all that exists (Eccl 1:13-18).

Carefree joy, the enjoyment of all kinds of pleasures and entertainment? But it leaves in man’s soul a painful sensation of emptiness and meaninglessness (Eccl 2:1-2).

The joys of labor, of varied activity? But they fade from the awareness of the insignificance and chance quality of the results of labor (Eccl 2:4-11). The latter depend not so much on man himself, his talents and energy, as on time and chance (Eccl 9:11). Man has no power over the good of being able to eat and drink (Eccl 2:24). Wealth? But it belongs properly not to man but to life. At the death of the owner it passes to the heir, who may prove to be foolish and abuse the inheritance (Eccl 2:18-19). And even during life the wealthy often feel alone, are tormented by envy, quarrels, avarice (Eccl 4:4-8) or suddenly lose their wealth (Eccl 5:10-16).

But over all these human sorrows and vicissitudes reigns the greatest evil – death, which equally strikes down both the wise and the foolish (Eccl 2:14-16), both the righteous and the wicked (Eccl 9:1-3), thereby destroying any distinction between people and making their happiness illusory. And what follows death, existence in Sheol, is a life without knowledge, thought, without love, hope and hatred, a life compared to which even sad earthly existence is a good, as a living dog is better than a dead lion (Eccl 9:4-6). Where death reigns, there happiness cannot be. But what does this signify?

Should man fall into gloomy despondency, into a conscious aversion to life, which so mercilessly shatters all dreams of happiness? No!

Where, apparently, the darkest pessimism should have hung like an impenetrable fog, for the Ecclesiastes there gleamed a living hope for the possibility of some happiness, faith in some value of life. Ithron – perfect happiness – for the Ecclesiastes remained unattainable as before, but he found in life a comparative good, a relative happiness, something of which one can say with assurance that it is something better. In place of unattainable Ithron came possible Tob for man.

What is this Tob? In order to understand and be able to attain this Tob, one must look at the world and human life from a completely new point of view, from a religious point of view, one must replace worldly consciousness with God-consciousness, a living awareness of the Divine power acting in the world. Everything in the world is subject to certain immutable laws, but these laws are nothing other than the expression of Divine will.

Man is dependent not on blind fate but on Divine providence. All is from the hand of God. Without Him man cannot even eat and drink (Eccl 2:24-26).

Man is not able to contend with God (Eccl 6:10), to change what God does (Eccl 3:14; cf. Eccl 7:13). He does not know the ways of God (Eccl 3:16-17), knows neither the future nor the purposes of the present (Eccl 3:11). Although the ways of God are incomprehensible, they cannot be unjust. God will repay each according to his deeds, reward those who fear Him and punish the wicked (Eccl 8:12-13). As soon as man begins to regard the world from a religious point of view, his disposition fundamentally changes. Convinced that man’s fate is in God’s hands (Eccl 9:1), he abandons all anxious cares and fearful expectations of the future, all irritation, grief and vexation (Eccl 5:16), which, leading to nothing, spoil the present, poison all joys, and sees in the acquisition of God’s mercy through heartfelt prayer, reverent observance of rites, keeping of commandments and vows (Eccl 4:17) the most reliable means of ensuring the future. Calm about the future he serenely enjoys the joys which God sends to him (Eccl 7:14). He eats his bread with gladness, drinks his wine with joy, counting the one and the other as the gift of God (Eccl 9:7). He enjoys life with the wife whom God gave him for all the vain days under the sun (Eccl 9:9). At all times his clothes are white, and oil does not fail upon his head (Eccl 9:8). Sweet to him is the light and pleasant to him the sun (Eccl 11:7). If God sends him misfortune, he reflects (Eccl 7:14) and comes to terms with it, fully convinced of the purposefulness and justice of Divine providence, in the educating and purifying power of suffering. Knowing that by sorrow the heart is made better (Eccl 7:3), he intentionally seeks what arouses sorrow. He prefers the day of death to the day of birth, the house of mourning to the house of feasting, lamentation to laughter, rebuke by the wise to songs of fools (Eccl 7:1-6). In relation to others he is filled with a spirit of harmlessness, forbearance, kindness. He seeks moral unity with people, knowing that two are better than one (Eccl 4:9-10).

Convinced that the fate of others depends on his fate, he does everything to promote their well-being, generously distributing his possessions (Eccl 11:1-2).

Such a state of spirit, when man, having completely entrusted himself to Divine providence, serenely enjoys life, calmly and successfully bears all the trials sent to him, is the only possible happiness for him, his Tob. But this happiness is not complete, it cannot fully satisfy the desire for eternal happiness implanted in man (Eccl 3:10-11). Ithron is unattainable. All is vanity and striving after wind. This is the result to which the Ecclesiastes came. With his teaching about Sheol, with his uncertain conception of God’s judgment, with his complete ignorance of the resurrection of the dead, the Ecclesiastes could come to no other conclusion. He sought perfect happiness “under the sun,” that is, within the bounds of earthly existence, but it could not be there.

Below one can set forth one version (certainly not beyond dispute) about the origin and time of composition of the Book of Ecclesiastes.

The Book of Ecclesiastes in its superscription (Eccl 1:1) is attributed to Solomon. But the superscription of the book alone does not finally and unconditionally settle the question of its author. In ancient times it was customary to reproduce the thoughts and feelings of remarkable historical figures in dialogue or poetic form. This was a kind of literary device, a special literary form in which the author, concerned with the identity of spirit rather than the letter, took from history only the general thought, subjecting it to independent development. An example of such distinctive exposition of prophetic speeches can be found in the Books of Kings and Chronicles. Certain peculiarities of the Book of Ecclesiastes convince us that we are dealing with a similar literary device here as well. First of all, the language of the book unmistakably shows that it arose after the Babylonian captivity, when the Hebrew language had lost its purity and received a strong Aramaic coloring. The Book of Ecclesiastes is filled with Aramaicisms to an even greater degree than the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah and other post-exilic works, contains many abstract and philosophical expressions and even has something in common with Talmudic usage (see the linguistic peculiarities in M. Olesnitsky, Book of Ecclesiastes, p. 156–157). One scholar was right in saying that if Solomon had written the Book of Ecclesiastes, there would have been no history of the Hebrew language. In any case, one would not then attribute the Book of Proverbs to Solomon. And in the content of the book itself we will find many signs of its later editing. The Ecclesiastes says of himself: “I was king over Israel in Jerusalem” (Eccl 1:12). Before Solomon, only David was king in Jerusalem, consequently, during Solomon’s lifetime one could not speak of all the kings who had been in Jerusalem. According to Eccl 2:3-9 it appears that Solomon indulged in wine-drinking and various constructive and accumulative activities for the sake of philosophical experiments with ideal motives. Speaking of the religious shortcomings of contemporary society, our book remains completely silent about idolatry, and notes instead the Pharisaic, soulless observance of rites (Eccl 4:17 and following). It was during the height of Solomon’s reign that the greatest glorification of God the Almighty occurred, of whom the prophet Malachi speaks often. The warning against writing and reading many books is incomprehensible for the time of Solomon (Eccl 12:12). The very content of the book, complaints about the vanity of all things, a general sense of dissatisfaction, exhortation not to fall into gloomy despondency, to be content with little in life. This, probably, expresses the general discontent of the post-exilic period, the general weariness in the constant struggle with difficult political and socio-economic conditions of life. “Do not say, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’” the Ecclesiastes instructs. At no other time was this said as often as after the Captivity. All this leads us to recognize that the Book of Ecclesiastes was edited by someone who lived in the post-exilic period. Metropolitan Filaret himself admitted some doubt about its belonging to Solomon. “Unfortunately,” he wrote, “the conversion of Solomon is not as certain as his error. The Book of Ecclesiastes appears to be a monument to his repentance” (Outline of Church-Biblical History. Ed. 9. pp. 230–231).

As is evident from the content of the book and from the historical circumstances of its appearance, the goal which its author set for himself was to comfort contemporaries who were falling into despondency, on the one hand by clarifying the vanity and perishability of all earthly things, and on the other by pointing out the means by which, despite the existing difficult conditions, to create a more or less tolerable existence. This means consisted in living, laboring, enjoying all accessible joys, constantly, so to speak, feeling one’s dependence on Divine providence and drawing from it the source of moral courage and mental peace. Such a task of the book, like all its content, completely in accord with the God-revealed Old Testament teaching, provides no grounds for doubting the canonical authority of the book. If some ancient rabbis, and after them Christian writers (for example, Justin, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen) were completely silent about the Book of Ecclesiastes and doubted its canonical authority, this is explained by the fact that they took and interpreted certain passages that troubled them in fragments, without connection to the general content of the book, and as a result found in them signs of Epicureanism, fatalism, and pessimism. Nothing of the sort appears in the book with its proper understanding.

* * *

Greek ekklesia and Latin concilium share a common root with Hebrew kahal.

SHEOL (Hebrew, possibly “the inquired,” “the unsearchable”; in Greek it is translated as “the nether world,” “hades,” sometimes as “the grave”), in Jewish mythology the kingdom of the dead, the afterlife, the “lower” or “nether” world, opposed to heaven (Ps 138:8; Amos 9:2; Job 11:8). Sheol is depicted as an animate being, a terrible monster, in many ways analogous to Tiamat in Akkadian mythology. Sheol swallows the dead, closing over them its gigantic jaws, the belly of Sheol is eternally insatiable, and its soul expands and stirs in anticipation of prey (Isa 5:14; Hab 2:5; Ps 140:7; Prov 27:20; Job 24:19). Various names for Sheol – “the land of silence,” “the land of forgetfulness,” “the valley of the shadow of death,” “destruction” (cf. Abaddon), “the nether world,” “the source of extinction,” “the gates of death” (Ps 22:4 and others). Early biblical texts consider Sheol as the dwelling place of all the dead (Gen 37:35 and Gen 44:31). Only the most terrible sinners, such as Korah, who dared to rebel against Moses himself, sink through the earth and descend into Sheol alive (Num 16:30-33; cf. Ps 54:16; Prov 1:12). Later, however, ideas spread of Sheol as a place of confinement and punishment of sinful souls, which during life “became like the animals” (Ps 48:15). The souls of the wicked imprisoned in Sheol experience torments: they are “bound with sorrow and iron,” exist in impenetrable darkness, in chaotic “disorder” (Ps 17:6; Job 10:21-22). According to the prophetic books, transgressive tyrant kings in Sheol are devoured alive by worms (Isa 14:5-20; Ezek 32:21-27). God-opposers, dark powers of Sheol seize while they are still living, “the firstborn of death” is cast upon them and brings them down to the demonic “king of terrors” (Job 18:13-14). The haters of mankind are surrendered in Sheol to the fire of God’s wrath (Deut 32:22; Isa 66:24), while ordinary sinners God “brings down to Sheol and brings up” (1 Sam 2:6), purifying them from sins through punishment. Besides the dead sinners, in Sheol dwell the Rephaim, evil spirits “shedim,” as well as “angels of torment.” In Old Testament apocrypha Sheol is often identified with Gehenna, it appears as a “fiery abyss,” where blazing rivers flow for the “healing of the spirit” of sinners (“Book of Enoch” 10 and 61:8; 3rd Book of Ezra 7). In the “Covenant” of the Qumran community there is mentioned “the shame of destruction in the fire of dark regions,” which is opposed to “life in eternal light.” According to Talmudic legends, Sheol is not beneath the earth but as if in another space, beyond the “mountains of darkness,” so that from Sheol one can see paradise, and vice versa (“Eruvin” 32). Sheol is compared to a “fiery sword,” guarding the way to the tree of life (cf. Gen 3:24), so that the evil do not partake of eternity and thereby perpetuate evil. Three gates lead to Sheol: one near Jerusalem, the second in the wilderness, and the third at the bottom of the sea; at the same time Sheol has 40 thousand entrances and is 60 times larger than paradise and 3600 times larger than the earth (“Taanit” 10a). Travelers approaching the gates of Sheol in the sea or in the wilderness hear the heart-rending cries of sinners tortured there (“Shevet-Musar” 26). Sheol consists of seven divisions (a prototype of the “circles of hell” in Christian conceptions), and in each subsequent one the fire is 61 times hotter than in the previous one. The depth of each division is 300 years’ journey (“Sota” 10). Sheol is a kind of purgatory, and torments in it serve only to free one from malice and uncleanness. Only confirmed sinners are tormented in Sheol for more than a year, with half of this cleansing period the soul spends in fire and half in ice (“Berachot” 28; “Yalkut Devarim” Eccl 8:92). Types of punishment in Sheol symbolize the sins they punish. A fiery river flows from beneath the Throne of Glory, goes around the universe, and descends upon sinners in Sheol (Commentary of Avren-Ezra to Dan 7:9-10). The most criminal souls, sent into “exile” to two icy mountains, secretly bring snow from there and scatter it around, reducing the power of the flame, and thus manage to sin even in Sheol. On the Sabbath and other festivals souls are freed from the torments of Sheol. In the future (eschatological times) the great Archangels Michael and Gabriel, sent by God, will open the gates of Sheol and “lead by the hand” all who fell into it (Masekhat-Gihenem to 26:19).

Chapter One

1–3. Main thought of the book. 4–11. Circular motion of the world elements. 12–15. The personal experience of the Ecclesiastes. 16–18. The vanity of wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 1:1. The words of the Ecclesiastes, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Comparing the superscriptions of the Book of Proverbs and the Book of Ecclesiastes, some interpreters not without reason find in the latter signs of non-Solomonic origin. It is not entirely clear why Solomon is not named here by his own name, as in the Book of Proverbs, if he actually were the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes. Does not the historical Solomon appear here merely as a symbol, as does the name Koheleth itself? Also unclear is the expression “king in Jerusalem.” In the historical books Solomon is ordinarily called king of Israel (for example, 2 Sam 23:13; 1 Sam 4:1 and others), but never simply king in Jerusalem. This latter expression apparently indicates that time when Israel ceased to be an independent kingdom and had no more a king in Jerusalem.

Ecclesiastes 1:2. Vanity of vanities, said the Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities – all is vanity! “Vanity of vanities.” The Hebrew word hebel (from the Aramaic habal – to smoke, to evaporate) means: smoke, vapor, breath, and in a figurative sense: insignificance, a useless thing, perishability, vanity. By this name are called pagan gods (Deut 32:21; Jer 14:22), as not bringing any benefit to man (Jer 16:19), any useless thing, a futile, vain act (Isa 30:7), fantastic thoughts (Ps 93:11), a joyless, sorrowful life (Job 7:16). The expression “vanity of vanities” indicates the highest degree of insignificance, uselessness. Everything, according to the Ecclesiastes, is insignificant. But in Eccl 1 and the following verses this “everything” is limited to what exists and occurs “under the sun,” that is, within the bounds of earthly, finite existence. And even in this case the concept of vanity in the Ecclesiastes requires some limitation. All things and phenomena, according to the plans of providence, have their own purposes, and in fulfilling them they cannot be acknowledged as useless, insignificant (cf. Eccl 3:11): He has made everything beautiful in its time). They appear insignificant only in the consciousness of the Ecclesiastes in relation to the goal of human striving which consists in the attainment of perfect, absolute happiness – Ithron. In relation to this goal everything in the world is insignificant, useless, vain. Nothing is able to give man imperishable happiness.

Ecclesiastes 1:3. What profit does a man have from all his labors, by which he labors under the sun? “What profit does a man have.” The Hebrew word Ithron does not occur even once in the Bible. According to the opinion of Hebrew scholars it means: remaining, imperishable. The blessed Jerome renders the question of verse 3 with the words: quid superest, that is, what remains? Gregory of Nyssa expresses it even more clearly: “what of the visible goods remains always the same?” By the word Ithron, thus, is designated happiness that is constant, stable, eternal – in distinction from happiness that is temporary, fleeting, illusory. The Ecclesiastes leaves his question here unanswered – will all human efforts lead to any lasting happiness? But this answer was already given in the most decisive way in the second verse, in the acknowledgment of the vanity of all things.

Ecclesiastes 1:4. One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever. The impossibility of lasting human happiness is already expressed in the instability and constant change of human generations in the face of the unchangeability and permanence of inanimate nature. “What can be more vain than such vanity,” says the blessed Jerome, “that the earth, created for men, remains, while man himself, the lord of the earth, instantly turns to dust?”

Ecclesiastes 1:5. The sun rises, and the sun sets, and hastens to the place from which it rises. But also in the life of nature, as in the life of mankind, constant change is observed. Everything here moves, everything flows, but not forward, only around; consequently, always in the same path, eternally on the same pattern. This is true first of all of the sun’s motion. “Hastens to the place from which it rises,” more accurately from the Hebrew: “gasping, hastens to the place from which it rises.” The expression indicates weariness from the eternally monotonous motion.

Ecclesiastes 1:6. The wind goes toward the south, and turns toward the north; it whirls around, whirls about on its course, and returns the wind to its circuits. The apparently most free of the elements – air – actually eternally repeats one and the same motion, motion in one and the same orbit. It should be noted that the monotony in the wind’s movement was especially noticeable for a resident of Palestine. There, from the autumn equinox to November reigns the northwest wind; from November to February – western and southwestern winds, from February to June – the east wind, from July – the north wind mixed with others.

Ecclesiastes 1:7. All rivers run into the sea, but the sea is not full: to the place from which the rivers come, there they return again. Constant and monotonous motion is also subject to rivers, and this motion produces no extraordinary changes in the world. No matter how long rivers flow into the sea, the sea will never overflow and flood the land. “To the place from which the rivers come, there they return again.” This translation is imprecise, although it expresses the idea of circulation well. “Where” means “to where,” not “from where.” Similarly, “there” means “there,” not “thence.” The correct translation of this place should be: “to the place to which the rivers flow, there they always flow again.” The writer speaks only of the flow of rivers always in the same direction, not of the circular motion of the water element, although by that time they already knew that water, evaporating and forming clouds, falls again to earth (Job 36:27 and following).

Ecclesiastes 1:8. All things are full of weariness: man is not able to speak of them; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. “All things are full of weariness.” The Hebrew word dabar has two meanings: thing and word. Both meanings occur in the Book of Ecclesiastes as well. This gives reason for many translators and interpreters to translate the beginning of verse 8 as: all words are weak, powerless (to express the monotonous movement of things). So the Greek and Slavic translations render it: “All words are weary, man is not able to speak: and the eye is not satisfied to see, and the ear is not filled with hearing.” It is difficult to choose between these two understandings, since both fit the context well. The constant, monotonous motion of things is so great that it could provide endless material for human ability to speak, see and hear.

Ecclesiastes 1:9. What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; and there is nothing new under the sun. The constant, monotonous motion of things in one direction, motion in its own orbit, certainly cannot produce anything new. The results are always the same.

Ecclesiastes 1:10. Is there anything of which it can be said, “See, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages that came before us. If sometimes people think that something new has happened, that a step forward has been taken, in reality we are dealing with the repetition of what is old.

Ecclesiastes 1:11. There is no memory of the former things, nor will there be any memory of the things that will come after, among those who will come later. The error in this case arises from lack of historical memory, from the fact that subsequent generations forget about former ones. Instead of “about the former and about what will be,” one should translate: “about the former ones” and “about the later ones,” since the masculine plural in the Hebrew text evidently refers to people. In Slavic – “There is no memory of the first, and the last will not have memory of them with those who will come after.”

Ecclesiastes 1:12. I, the Ecclesiastes, was king over Israel in Jerusalem; The aimless circular motion of the world elements does not in itself prove that it is impossible for man to achieve higher happiness. Human life is more complex than the life of nature, follows its own independent path, and therefore may contain special capacities for satisfying man’s striving for eternal happiness. Therefore the writer considers it necessary to turn from observation of external nature to psychological experience. Solomon, in whom wisdom was united, apparently, with all the gifts of happiness, had more reason than all others to answer the question about the possibility of personal happiness; in his rich life experience there is an evaluation of all goods from the point of view of perfect happiness, there is a factual verification of what the writer of the book decides theoretically. It is understandable how useful it was for him to use Solomon’s experience. However, passing through the divinely illuminated consciousness of the sacred writer, this experience had to acquire certain new traits not characteristic of the historical Solomon; it naturally had to acquire the character of philosophical inquiry, of philosophical experiments: if the historical Solomon in seeking happiness acted by the impulse of the heart, by natural passion, like other men, then the ideal Solomon – the Ecclesiastes – was guided in this by ideal motives, by “wisdom” (Eccl 1:13), by the desire through experience to investigate the greatest question for mankind: what is good for the sons of men and what should they do under heaven in the days of their vain life.

Ecclesiastes 1:13. and I devoted myself to seeking and exploring by wisdom all that is done under heaven: this is a grievous occupation that God has given to the sons of men to be occupied with it. The purpose of the Ecclesiastes’ experience was to investigate all that is done under heaven, from the point of view of the question of happiness. The first result to which the Ecclesiastes came in his investigations was the consciousness that the very striving of men to know and to evaluate human deeds constitutes a grievous, torturous occupation, which, being placed by God Himself in man’s nature, as it were against his will, takes hold of him. Some interpreters relate the expression “grievous occupation” not to the investigation of human deeds, but to the deeds themselves. But it hardly corresponds to the expression: “all that is done under heaven.” Investigation of human deeds appears grievous and torturous as a result of the extremely discouraging nature of its results.

Ecclesiastes 1:14. I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun: and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind! The conclusion to which the Ecclesiastes came in his investigations was that all is vanity and a striving after wind. To his favorite expression hebel the Ecclesiastes adds a new one – reuth ruach. This expression is translated variously. Some (Chaldean translation, Syriac translation, Vulgate), deriving the word reuth, which occurs only in Ecclesiastes, from raah – to rage, to break apart, translate: turmoil, striving after wind (as in Russian). Others (Aquila, Theodotion and Symmachus), deriving from raah – to feed, to pasture, translate: feeding on wind. Still others, deriving from the same verb with the meaning to desire, translate: striving after wind, a windy undertaking (LXX – proairesis pneumatios) or pursuit of wind. The last two understandings correspond better to the context and have a very close parallel passage in the Book of the Prophet Hosea (Hos 12:1), in the words: “Ephraim feeds on wind (raah ruach) and pursues the east wind.” Calling all the deeds of man feeding on wind or pursuit of wind, the Ecclesiastes points to the insignificance, the illusory nature of their results in the sense of the attainment of lasting happiness.

Ecclesiastes 1:15. What is crooked cannot be made straight; and what is lacking cannot be counted. This verse explains the reason for the fruitlessness of human activity. The latter is not able to change the existing order, to correct all the defects and imperfections in external nature and in human nature, to recreate both.

Ecclesiastes 1:16. I said to myself, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were before me in Jerusalem; and my mind has observed much wisdom and knowledge.” If all the deeds and strivings of man are insignificant and fruitless, like smoke, like pursuit of wind, as a result of the irremovable defects and imperfections of the world, then, naturally, it is understandable that investigation of them by wisdom and wisdom itself cannot give moral satisfaction to man. By the expression “more than all who were before me in Jerusalem” some interpreters understand not kings, since before Solomon there was only one king in Jerusalem – David, but Israelites in general. However, the preposition “over” (al) contains the concept of rule and can therefore point only to the kings of Jerusalem. The Ecclesiastes attributes to himself the possession of wisdom, as both religious and moral-practical knowledge, and in general, knowledge, as theoretical, scientific understanding of things.

Ecclesiastes 1:17. and I devoted myself to knowing wisdom and to knowing madness and folly: I realized that this too is a striving after wind; Ecclesiastes 1:18. for in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow. The Ecclesiastes, from his own experience, became convinced that the acquisition of wisdom and knowledge turned out to be as much a vanity, as much a pursuit of wind as everything in human life. It not only did not give him happiness, but on the contrary increased his suffering, showing him the illusory nature of human hopes, the fruitlessness of human strivings, exposing the insignificance of all that is earthly.

Chapter Two

1–11. The vanity of worldly merriment. 12–17. The same fate of wise and foolish. 18–23. The vanity of labor. 24–26. Food as a gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 2:1. I said to myself, “Come now, let me test you with pleasure, and enjoy what is good”; but this too is vanity! Convinced that the pursuit of truth increases inner dissatisfaction, deprives man of peace and everyday joys, the Ecclesiastes decides to look at life with careless eyes, with complete thoughtlessness to give himself over to merriment, to seek happiness not in spiritual but in sensual pleasures. The Slavic “behold in delight” means: experience pleasure by trial.

Ecclesiastes 2:2. About laughter I said, “It is madness!”, and about pleasure: “What does it accomplish?” But this attempt too ended in failure. Careless gaiety, which amuses itself with essentially trivial and vulgar things, is nothing more than madness and cannot give anything positive for human happiness. Laughter and merriment appear here in the form of persons to whom the Ecclesiastes addresses speech. One should translate: “to laughter I said: madness! and to merriment: what does it do.” Slavic – “To laughter I said: transgression, and to merriment: what are you doing?”

Ecclesiastes 2:3. I undertook great works: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards for myself; and while my heart was guided by wisdom, I thought to try folly, to see what was good for the sons of men, what they should do under heaven in the few days of their life. The Ecclesiastes gave himself to sensual pleasures (in particular – wine-drinking) not by natural inclination of the heart but with a critical goal, as a researcher, as a philosopher; deciding to maintain folly, that is, carefree and lighthearted merriment, he did not cease to be guided by wisdom, philosophically weighing how truly the happiness he was experiencing could be.

Ecclesiastes 2:4. I undertook great works: I built myself houses and planted vineyards; “Houses,” that is, Solomon’s own dwellings, but not the temple built by him. Vineyards of Solomon are mentioned only in the Song of Songs (Eccl 8:11).

Ecclesiastes 2:5. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted every kind of fruit tree in them; The existence of royal gardens in Jerusalem is mentioned in 2 Sam 21:18; Jer 39:4; Nehem 3:15.

Ecclesiastes 2:6. I made myself pools from which to water the grove of growing trees; The royal pool is mentioned in Nehem 2:14 (cf. Isa 22:11). That this pool was built by Solomon is mentioned only in the Book of Ecclesiastes. Jewish tradition also attributes it to Solomon. At present, on the road from Jerusalem to Hebron, at a distance of 2½ hours’ journey, there are the so-called pools of Solomon. According to the testimony of Josephus Flavius, water from Solomon’s pools was brought into Jerusalem for the needs of the temple and the whole city. This testimony deserves full confidence, since these pools stand above the Haram plaza, on which Solomon’s temple stood, approximately 130 feet, and since there now remain fragments of aqueducts connecting Solomon’s pools with Jerusalem.

Ecclesiastes 2:7. I acquired servants and maidservants, and had slaves born in my house; I also had great herds and flocks, more than all who were before me in Jerusalem; “Slaves born in my house,” that is, those born from slaves in the master’s house.

Ecclesiastes 2:8. I gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasures of kings and provinces; I appointed for myself male and female singers, and the pleasures of the sons of men – various musical instruments. The receipt of gifts from kings is mentioned in 1 Sam 4:21. By provinces are meant the 12 districts into which Solomon divided all his land (1 Sam 4:7 and following). “The pleasures of the sons of men – various musical instruments.” The Hebrew word shiddah and plural shiddoth is translated variously. The LXX, Vulgate, Jerome (in his commentary) and the Slavic translation, deriving from Aramaic sheda, translate: “cupbearers and cupbearers.” Others, like the Russian translation, deriving the word from an Arabic root, translate: “various musical instruments.” Still others, deriving from shadad – to rule, translate: “lady and ladies.” Some, finally, deriving from Arabic shadid (fullness) or Hebrew shadah (to flow), translate: “fullness and abundance of pleasures of the sons of men,” that is, a multitude of women and concubines. The word shiddah occurs only in Ecclesiastes. Therefore, one cannot determine its meaning with confidence. However, apparently, one should give preference to the last two understandings, since, in the words of Michaelis, “it is almost incredible that Solomon in a narrative about his sensual pleasures could forget about women.” As is evident from 1 Sam 11:3 Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines.

Ecclesiastes 2:9. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; and my wisdom remained with me. “And my wisdom remained with me.” The Ecclesiastes did not forget about the ultimate goal of his experiments – to investigate the essence of true happiness and, at the same time, the meaning of human life (verse 3).

Ecclesiastes 2:10. Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor, and this was my reward for all my labor. The pleasures and delights of the Ecclesiastes were not diversions of an idle and inactive man. They were rest and reward for hard labor, and apparently should have given him complete moral satisfaction.

Ecclesiastes 2:11. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor by which I had toiled; and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no gain under the sun! The hope of the Ecclesiastes was not fulfilled. The joys of labor did not satisfy his striving for happiness. He saw that there is no complete happiness (Ithron) on earth.

Ecclesiastes 2:12. So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what can the man do who comes after the king? What has already been done! The experience of the Ecclesiastes gave him a full opportunity to make a comparative evaluation of wisdom and folly from the point of view of happiness. More gifted with wisdom than others, and having experienced all that folly enjoys, he could better than others know the difference between wisdom and folly. After him no one could add anything to his conclusions. This is how one should understand the second half of verse 12. The words: “for what man is there that comes after the king” (exact translation), many exegetes understand in connection with Eccl 2:18-19, where the Ecclesiastes expresses doubt about what his successor will be, wise or foolish, and translate thus: “for what man is it that comes after the king, in comparison with one long made king.” But in that case the second half of the verse would in no way explain the first; that is, it would be unclear why exactly the Ecclesiastes considered himself an authority on the question of wisdom and folly. Although the Russian translation of verse 12 is not literal, it correctly conveys the thought of the original. The Slavic translation: “for who is the man who will go in the footstep of counsel, as much as he has done in him,” as in the LXX, makes no sense because of text corruption. Instead of the counsel should be read the king, instead of “counsel” – “king.”

Ecclesiastes 2:13. and I saw that the advantage of wisdom over folly is the same as the advantage of light over darkness: The Ecclesiastes does not deny the enormous superiority of wisdom over folly, as of light over darkness.

Ecclesiastes 2:14. the wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness; yet I realized that the same fate overtakes them all. But illuminating all that remains dark to the fool, wisdom is powerless to change the natural order of things. Before him it is as powerless as folly. The irremovable power of the natural order of things over wisdom is particularly revealed in the fact that both the wise and the foolish are equally subject to death.

Ecclesiastes 2:15. Then I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will also befall me; why then have I been so very wise?” And I said to myself that this too is vanity; If death equally rules over the wise and the foolish, leaving to both of them as their portion life in Sheol, devoid of reflection, knowledge and wisdom (Eccl 9:10), then the value of wisdom is insignificant. It cannot give man happiness.

Ecclesiastes 2:16. for the wise man will not be remembered any more than the fool; in the days that come, both will be forgotten. And how the wise man dies – just like the fool! The wise man can find no comfort even in what is called historical immortality. With the passage of time, he, like the fool, will be forgotten. Death is equally heavy for both the wise and the foolish.

Ecclesiastes 2:17. So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind! The fact of death, which rules equally over the wise and the foolish, so struck the consciousness and moral sense of the Ecclesiastes that life lost its value, its meaning in his eyes, became for him an object of hatred and aversion. Whether the Ecclesiastes actually experienced such a state or came to this conclusion theoretically, through observation and reflection, is not important; it is certain that a man seeking complete happiness within the bounds of earthly existence, setting himself ideals within empirical facts, inevitably comes to complete disillusionment and, in the end, to extreme pessimism. Empirical, sensual worldview is not able to contain the eternal ideals of mankind and therefore generates in it a sense of insignificance, the purposelessness of existence. All these ideals are ruthlessly destroyed by the simple fact of death.

Ecclesiastes 2:18. So I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to someone who will come after me. Ecclesiastes 2:19. and who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will be master of all my labor with which I have labored and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity! Together with the thought of death, man could to some extent be reconciled by the assurance that what he has created will not die, but will serve as the foundation on which subsequent generations will build a lasting edifice of human happiness. But man has no such assurance, for he does not know what his heir and successor will be like, whether he will continue or destroy his work.

Ecclesiastes 2:20. So I turned myself to despair over all the labor which I had toiled under the sun. This circumstance deprives labor of all value, all meaning. The Ecclesiastes renounces labor, renounces all hope of finding satisfaction in it.

Ecclesiastes 2:21. For there is a man who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill, and yet he must leave his portion to a man who has not toiled for it. This also is vanity and a great evil! The mere fact that the fruit of the labors of one man benefits another who took no part in them is a crying injustice, a great evil.

Ecclesiastes 2:22. For what does a man gain from all the toil and the striving of his heart with which he toils under the sun? Ecclesiastes 2:23. For all his days his work is grievous, and his occupation is troubled; even at night his heart has no rest. This also is vanity! For the laborer himself labor gives nothing truly valuable. His constant companions are sorrows and anxieties.

Ecclesiastes 2:24. There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God; Ecclesiastes 2:25. for apart from Him, who can eat or find enjoyment? Ecclesiastes 2:26. To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and joy; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and heaping, only to give to the one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind! The result of labor is so insignificant that it cannot fully ensure for man even the most elementary goods. The Ecclesiastes from his life experience became convinced that even such goods as eating food and drinking depend on Divine providence, which takes them from the foolish and gives them to the wise. This order of things, which between human activity and its result introduces a new principle, makes human happiness on earth even more unstable, more precarious, increasing the vanity of earthly good. “There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink.” The Russian translation of this place is not precise. The literal translation of the Hebrew text should be: “there is no happiness (tob) for man to eat and drink.” The LXX gave this place such a meaning: “there is no happiness for a man who eats and drinks.” However, such a meaning would be in contradiction with many passages of the Book of Ecclesiastes, especially with Eccl 3:1, where directly expressed is the thought that there is nothing better (tob) than to eat and drink. The Vulgate translates in the form of a question: “is it not better for a man to eat and drink?” But in such a connection the word tob does not occur in the book. Most likely, this place by analogy with parallel passages (Eccl 3:1) should be understood as: “there is nothing better (or happiness) than to eat and drink” (that is, adding the particle mem). Some Greek codices, the Syriac translation, the Targum, Jerome in his commentary (nisi) read thus. “Apart from Him, who can eat or find enjoyment?” According to the present Hebrew text instead of “apart from Him” one should translate: “without me” (mimeni), that is, as I. So translate the Vulgate, Luther and some exegetes. But, first, the expression “without me” still cannot be understood in the sense of: “as I,” second, the thought expressed this way would stand outside any connection with the preceding and following verses, where the dependence of material goods on God is discussed. Instead of the present mimeni one should read mimenu, as the LXX, Syriac translation and others read.

Chapter Three

1–15. The dependence of human life on the divine order of the world. 16–22. The death like animals of those living without God.

Ecclesiastes 3:1. There is a time for everything, and a time for every purpose under heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:2. a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted; Ecclesiastes 3:3. a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build; Ecclesiastes 3:4. a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; Ecclesiastes 3:5. a time to scatter stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; Ecclesiastes 3:6. a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; Ecclesiastes 3:7. a time to tear apart, and a time to sew together; a time to be silent, and a time to speak; Ecclesiastes 3:8. a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. At the end of the second chapter, the Preacher came to the chief reason for the impossibility of human striving for happiness. Between human desire and its fulfillment stands Someone who can take bread from one and give it to another. Now, in chapter 3, he goes deeper into this thought and extends it to the whole sphere of human life. And here the Preacher finds the same non-progressive circulation, the same inescapable influence of laws, and here all human desires and enterprises stand in constant dependence on time and circumstances and, like natural phenomena, pass in strict succession. “There is a time for everything, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” The Hebrew word (hephez) means, properly: inclination, intention, enterprise. The Preacher speaks here not of objects of nature, but of human activity, of phenomena of human life, as is evident from the further development of the thought. He wishes to say that the facts of human life are not products of the human will acting in complete freedom, but lie outside the bounds of his conscious desires.

Ecclesiastes 3:9. What profit has the worker from that over which he labors? In this dependence of human life on external influences beyond the human will lies the chief reason for the fruitlessness of human efforts, the impossibility of human striving for happiness.

Ecclesiastes 3:10. I have seen the labor which God has given to the sons of men, that they might be exercised in it. And yet man cannot extinguish the thirst within him for the highest good. His striving for happiness, implanted in him by God Himself, constantly and irresistibly drives him to new labors, to new seeking.

Ecclesiastes 3:11. He has made everything beautiful in its time, and has put eternity in the hearts of men, though man cannot grasp the deeds which God does from the beginning to the end. The world is full of harmony, and the human spirit bears upon itself the stamp of eternity; however, the divine order of the world remains incomprehensible to man and cannot be brought into harmony with human will. “He has made everything beautiful in its time,” that is, all that God created is beautiful in its time and place, in the general system of the world’s existence. “And has put eternity in their hearts.” The Hebrew word olam is rendered variously in translations: “eternity” (LXX), “world” (Vulgate and translation), “reason,” “covering,” etc. But since this word generally in the Bible and particularly in the book of Ecclesiastes (Eccl 1:10 and others) means “eternity,” then in this place too we should hold to this meaning. Only in post-biblical literature did the word olam come also to denote the world, as perpetually continuing. “To put eternity in man” means to endow him with God-like properties, to impress upon human nature the stamp of eternity, of divinity. Man’s striving for the highest good, for eternal happiness, is an expression of his God-likeness.

Ecclesiastes 3:12. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in their life. Ecclesiastes 3:13. And if a man eats and drinks and sees good in all his labor, then this is a gift of God. The deep contradiction hidden in human nature, on one side the striving for eternity, on the other the limitation of his reason, is the chief cause of the dissatisfaction of the human spirit, its constant disappointments. In order to escape the latter more or less, man must once and for all reconcile himself to the thought that the highest happiness (Ithron) under the sun is impossible. He must, so to speak, lower his requirements for life and, casting aside the seeking of the highest good, content himself with relative good, that which is comparatively good, which is “better” (tob). If the highest good – Ithron – is impossible, then relative good – tob – is fully accessible to man. What then constitutes this tob? “I know that there is nothing better (tob) for them than to rejoice and to do good in their life.” Good labor and calm enjoyment of the earthly joys – these are the only happiness accessible to man. As long as man strives for absolute happiness on earth, he is condemned to constant disappointments. Even the best moments of his life are poisoned by the thought of the fragility of happiness, by the distressing care about the future. On the contrary, the man who has renounced the seeking of complete happiness is content with the little that life gives him, rejoices, is glad without care about tomorrow. Like a child, he gives himself to every joy sent by God, gives himself with his whole being, immediately, not destroying it by analysis, criticism, or pointless doubts. And these small joys, joined with good labor and a pure conscience, make life pleasant, relatively happy. Verses 12–13 in no way express an eudaemonistic view of life which makes the aim of life mere enjoyment. First, alongside earthly joys the Preacher places another necessary condition for a relatively happy life, namely – “doing good”; second, the use of earthly goods is joined with the consciousness of dependence on God’s will, with the grateful thought that “this is a gift of God.” Thus, the enjoyment of life to which the Preacher calls is based on a religious view of the world, presupposes as its necessary condition faith in divine providence.

Ecclesiastes 3:14. I know that everything God does will endure forever: there is nothing to add to it and nothing to take away from it, – and God does this so that men should fear before Him. At the beginning of the 3rd chapter the Preacher spoke of the constancy and immutability of the laws governing human life. Now he speaks of them more definitely. These laws are expressions of the eternal and unchanging will of God. Man is powerless to add anything to them or to take anything from them. The very purpose of divine providence is to show men their complete dependence on God and thus to teach them the fear of God.

Ecclesiastes 3:15. What was is now, and what will be has already been, – and God will bring back the past. “God will bring back the past.” The LXX and Syriac translate: God will seek out the oppressed (Church Slavonic “the hunted”). But, in accordance with the context, it is better to understand in the middle voice: what was cast out, removed, the past.

Ecclesiastes 3:16. Yet I saw under the sun: in the place of judgment there was wickedness; in the place of righteousness there was wickedness. Ecclesiastes 3:17. And I said in my heart: “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every thing and for every work there.” Divine providence manifests itself not only in natural phenomena but also in the moral life of man. In human judgment live injustice and lawlessness. But above human judgment there is God’s judgment, which will render to each the righteous and the wicked their due. For this judgment, as for everything else, its time will come. “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for everything and over every work there.” The word “there” (sham) is not entirely clear. The Vulgate renders it with “then” (tune), Jerome – “at the time of judgment” (in tempore judicii), but Hebrew sham is an adverb of place, not time. Probably it means here: in God’s judgment, in parallel with the word “there” in v. 16 to designate human judgment. Some exegetes instead of scham read sam and translate: God assigned a time to all things. The thought accords entirely with the context, but whether the Hebrew voweling is actually corrupt here is difficult to say.

Ecclesiastes 3:18. I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, that God tests them, and that they may see that they are beasts in themselves; Ecclesiastes 3:19. for the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts – their fate is one: as those die, so do these die, and one breath is in all, and man has no advantage over beasts, for all is vanity! Ecclesiastes 3:20. All go to one place: all came from dust and all return to dust. Ecclesiastes 3:21. Who knows: does the spirit of the sons of men go upward, and the spirit of beasts go downward into the earth? These verses explain in more detail the purpose of divine providence, indicated briefly in the words Eccl 3:14: “so that men should fear before Him.” The dependence of man on divine providence is intended to teach men that they themselves, with their natural powers, natural will and understanding, thinking to live without God, outside of divine providence, are like beasts and cannot have any grounds for confidence in the immortality of their spirit. If the facts of natural consciousness with invincible force convince man that both man and beast equally die, lose breath and the source of life, turning to dust, then, living without God, not acknowledging divine providence, how can he know that the spirit of the beast goes downward while the spirit of man goes upward? In vv. 18–21, as we see, the Preacher does not express his own view concerning human existence, his personal doubt about the spirituality and immortality of human nature. This would contradict Eccl 12:7, where it is directly stated that not everything in man goes to one place, but only the body turns to dust, while the spirit returns to God, who gave it. In the verses cited, the Preacher explains how man living “by himself,” guided only by a natural point of view, not acknowledging divine providence, should regard himself.

Daniel 11:35. “I said – to the sons of men.” The Russian translation is not precise. It should be rendered: “I said – (this) is for the sons of men.” For the benefit of men that order of things has been established by which human life stands in constant dependence on divine providence and judgment. “That God tests them.” Barar means: to separate, to test, to cleanse (cf. Dan 11:35: “some of the understanding will suffer for the testing (lebarer) of them, cleansing and brightening until the time of the end”). The purpose of divine providence is to bring men to the consciousness of their own nothingness and thus to cleanse them. “All go to one place” – not into Sheol, as some exegetes think, but into the earth, as is evident from the words that follow.

Ecclesiastes 3:22. So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to enjoy the works of his hands: for this is his lot; for who will bring him to see what will happen after him? Having explained the purpose of divine providence, the Preacher returns to the conclusion he had already drawn in Eccl 3:12-13. If man depends on divine providence in all things, if by himself he is powerless and insignificant, then one ought to abandon the thought of complete happiness on earth and content oneself with the joys of labor pleasing to God. “That a man should enjoy the works of his hands.” In this expression the Preacher unites two conditions of relative happiness: enjoyment of life and good activity (Eccl 3:12), for both, according to him, are inseparable. “For who will bring him to see what will happen after him.” Here the speech is not about the future, otherworldly life of man, as in Eccl 3:21, but about what will be “after him,” that is, how life on earth will develop after his death. Man should not burden himself and poison the joys available to him with excessive anxious cares about the distant future.

Chapter Four

1. Sad phenomena in the life of men. 2–3. Oppression. 4–6. Envy and anxiety. 7–12. Loneliness and stinginess. 13–16. The fragility of human attachment. 17. The conduct of the God-fearing man.

In the preceding chapters, in proving the vanity of human life, the Preacher drew chiefly on general grounds. Now he confirms his thought by particular facts which make human happiness unstable, temporary, and contingent.

Ecclesiastes 4:1. And I turned and saw all the oppressions done under the sun: and behold the tears of the oppressed, and there is no comforter to them; and in the hand of the oppressors – strength, and there is no comforter to them. Ecclesiastes 4:2. And I praised the dead, who had long been dead, more than the living, who are still alive; Ecclesiastes 4:3. yet more blessed than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil deeds done under the sun. Violence, the oppression of the strong and rich over the weak and poor, have so penetrated all society and infected the entire social order that the morally sensitive and impressionable Preacher felt revulsion at life and deemed the dead more fortunate than the living, and still more fortunate those who had never existed and were not witnesses to evil deeds on earth. The Preacher, of course, does not raise to a principle the superiority of non-being over being, but, depressed by the contemplation of moral evil, merely pours out his feelings of deep indignation and revulsion, like Job (Job 3:10-13) and Jeremiah (Jer 20:18). In another place, calmly reasoning, he says, on the contrary, that it is better to be a living dog than a dead lion (Eccl 9:4).

Ecclesiastes 4:4. I saw also that all labor and all skill in work come from mutual envy between men. And this is vanity and a chasing after wind! Ecclesiastes 4:5. The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh. Ecclesiastes 4:6. Better a handful with rest than both hands full with toil and striving after wind. Ecclesiastes 4:7. And I turned and saw another vanity under the sun; Ecclesiastes 4:8. there is one lonely man, and no other; he has neither son nor brother; yet all his labors have no end, and his eye is never satisfied with riches. “For whom then am I laboring and depriving my soul of good?” And this is vanity and a bad business! Ecclesiastes 4:9. Two are better than one; for they have a good reward for their labor: Ecclesiastes 4:10. for if one falls, the other will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, and there is no one to lift him up. Ecclesiastes 4:11. Again, if two lie together, they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone? Ecclesiastes 4:12. And if anyone can overcome one of them, two will stand against him: and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. The Preacher points out a new trait in the society of his time that ruins human well-being, namely – the inner isolation of men, their moral separation. A man is rich, but he is lonely; he has no “other,” that is, a sincere friend, neither son nor brother. He does not know for whom he labors and deprives himself of goods. Meanwhile, life lived two together has many advantages, as it gives each moral and material support.

Ecclesiastes 4:13. Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king, who no longer knows how to accept advice; Ecclesiastes 4:14. for he will come out of prison to reign, though he was born poor in his kingdom. Ecclesiastes 4:15. I saw all the living who walk under the sun, together with the young man who would take his place. Ecclesiastes 4:16. There was no number to all the people, all those before him, though those who come later will not rejoice in him. And this is vanity and a striving after wind! The Preacher gives an example that proves the changeability and inconstancy of human happiness. A poor but wise youth takes the place of a foolish king who cannot accept advice. All turn to the youth’s side, but, alas, the later generation will be cold and indifferent to him. “Better (tob) is a poor but wise youth.” The word tob should be understood in the sense of “more fortunate.” But this happiness is short-lived. It is vanity and a chasing after wind. Many commentators saw in these verses a hint at certain historical figures: some at Joseph, others at Saul and David, still others at Jeroboam and Rehoboam, etc. But most likely the Preacher had in mind here simply a possible case, to show more strongly the perversity of human happiness.

Ecclesiastes 4:17. Watch over your feet when you go to the house of God, and listen rather than to offer sacrifice; for they do not know that they do wrong. Until now the Preacher has reasoned, made his observations and conclusions known to the reader; now he addresses it with positive advice and exhortations in accordance with the positions he had set forth earlier. He describes in detail the disposition of a man seeking happiness in good labor and pure joys. Such a man should carefully watch over himself during worship, avoiding everything that might disturb a pious disposition of spirit, conforming even his external behavior to it. His piety should be expressed not so much in mechanical sacrifices without faith and repentance, but in reverent listening to and obedience to the word of God. “For they do not know that they do wrong.” The Preacher speaks of his contemporaries, whose sacrifices, devoid of faith and reverence, were “an abomination to the Lord” (cf. Prov 21:27).

Chapter Five

1–6. On prayer and vows. 7–8. Features of despotic rule. 9–16. The vanity of wealth. 17–19. The value of pure joys.

Prayer and vows are inseparable from worship. The Preacher gives instruction on these subjects too.

Ecclesiastes 5:1. Do not be hasty with your tongue, and let not your heart be quick to bring forth a word before God; for God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few. He warns the reader against hasty and verbose prayer. The consciousness of the greatness of God dwelling in heaven and the nothingness of man dwelling on earth should impel the latter to weigh each of his words, to speak from the depths of his heart, with humility and reverence. And in the New Testament the Savior warns against lengthy and irreverent prayer (Matt 6:7-8).

Ecclesiastes 5:2. For as dreams come with much care, so the voice of a fool is recognized by his many words. As excessive anxious care brings about many dreams that disturb the sleep of one asleep, so foolish fussiness during prayer gives birth to senseless and aimless verbosity.

Ecclesiastes 5:3. When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it, for He has no pleasure in fools: what you have vowed, fulfill. Ecclesiastes 5:4. Better is it for you not to vow than to vow and not to fulfill. Fulfillment of vows is obligatory, but not the making of vows themselves. “But if you have not made a vow, you will not be guilty” (Deut 23:22).

Ecclesiastes 5:5. Do not let your mouth lead your flesh into sin, and do not say before the angel [of God]: “It was a mistake!” Why should God be angry at your words and destroy the work of your hands? “To lead the flesh into sin” means either to incite the senses to sin (cf. Jas 3:6 et seq.) or to subject the body to trial, punishment. The latter understanding is more correct, for the expression “to lead the body into sin” does not fully correspond to biblical usage, by which sin is committed not by the body and not even by the flesh, but by human will. “Angel” or messenger here means a priest who was charged with oversight of vows. The word is used in the same sense in Mal 2:7. Greek and Syriac translation instead of “before the Angel” read: “before God” (Church Slavonic “before the face of God”). They either had a different Hebrew reading in this place or understood “Angel” in the sense of God’s self-revelation. The Preacher warns that, in case of non-fulfillment of a vow, one should not say to the priest: “It is a mistake,” that is, a sin of weakness, for such hypocritical self-justification will bring upon the guilty God’s wrath and punishment.

Ecclesiastes 5:7. If you see in some province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be surprised at this: for the high one is watched by a higher one, and there are yet higher ones above them; To understand the connection of verse 7 with the preceding, one should recall that in the collection of ordinary Hebrew wisdom, alongside the commandment to fear God stood the commandment to respect the king (cf. Prov 24:21). The Preacher wants to say here that injustices and oppressions should not diminish respect for the king, for they are quite natural where there are many rulers. The word “province” (medinah) occurs only in later books (2 and 3 Kings, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah) and denotes the provinces of Asian kingdoms, in particular of the Persian kingdom. In the book of Ezra (Ezra 5:8) and Nehemiah (Nehem 1:2) Palestine is called this, as a Persian province. It is in this sense, probably, that the word “province” is used in the book of Ecclesiastes. “And there are yet higher ones,” literally, from the Hebrew – “higher ones.” By this word many commentators understand God, seeing in the plural number an indication of God’s greatness. The sense of the verse is: do not be surprised at injustice, for God Himself watches over the higher ones, who will restore justice (cf. Eccl 3:16-17). However, such an understanding of the second half of verse 7 does not fully correspond to the context. The Preacher cautions here not against disturbance and complaint at the sight of injustices, but simply against surprise. He proposes, therefore, not comfort, but an explanation of the fact. The existence of God’s judgment does not explain injustice in human judgment. Besides, verse 8, which speaks of the advantage of a country governed by a king, is difficult to connect with such an understanding. There is more reason to see in verse 7 an indication of the features of despotic rule, namely the Persian, where authority over a province was entrusted to a satrap, the satrap was overseen by a special inspector, over both of them stood the king with his numerous court. By this complexity of governance in the despotic kingdom, in which each official pursues his own interests, injustices and oppressions are explained.

Ecclesiastes 5:8. Yet the advantage of a country lies in the king devoted to the field. Despotic rule is opposed to patriarchal rule with a king who personally governs the people and cares for their well-being. The exact translation of the verse should be: “Yet the advantage of a country is always in a king devoted to the field.” The expression “field” (lesadeh) refers to agriculture as the chief occupation of the people and the chief object of the care of the patriarchal king.

Ecclesiastes 5:9. Whoever loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, and whoever loves wealth will have no benefit from it. This also is vanity! The lover of money cannot satisfy his craving for wealth and, therefore, always remains unsatisfied and unhappy.

Ecclesiastes 5:10. When goods increase, those who eat them increase too; and what benefit is it to the one who owns them except that his eyes see? Ecclesiastes 5:11. Sweet is the sleep of the laborer, whether he eats little or much; but the satiety of the rich does not allow him to sleep. “Those who eat them.” According to some, this means members of the family; according to others – servants and companions, who squander the master’s wealth. In either case, the rich man has occasion not so much to enjoy his wealth as to watch how others enjoy it.

Ecclesiastes 5:12. There is a painful malady that I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm. Ecclesiastes 5:13. And that wealth is lost through some calamity: he has fathered a son, and there is nothing in his hands. Ecclesiastes 5:14. As he came forth naked from his mother’s womb, so he goes, as he came, and he takes nothing from his labor that he could carry away in his hand. Ecclesiastes 5:15. And this is a grievous evil: as he came, so he goes. What profit does he get from laboring for the wind? Ecclesiastes 5:16. And all his days he eats in darkness, with great vexation, with sickness and wrath. The Preacher cites a case when wealth not only fails to bring happiness but makes a man positively unhappy. An unexpected loss of wealth, especially when there are children, is the greatest misfortune, which is far heavier than perpetual poverty.

Ecclesiastes 5:17. Here now is what I have found to be good and pleasant: to eat and drink and enjoy good in all the labors one undertakes under the sun all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his lot. Ecclesiastes 5:18. And if God has given to a man wealth and property, and has given him power to use them and to take his share and to enjoy his labors, then this is a gift of God. Ecclesiastes 5:19. His days will not often be in his memory; for God answers him with the joy of his heart. After showing the vanity of wealth, the Preacher returns to his conclusion that the very best in life is to enjoy good labor and use earthly goods to the extent that God sends them, without burdening oneself with painful cares about increasing wealth. The Preacher’s thought is essentially the same as in the words of the Savior: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself: each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt 6:34).

Chapter Six

1–9. The inability to make use of wealth. 10–12. The powerlessness of man and the vanity of life.

Ecclesiastes 6:1. There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is widespread among men: Ecclesiastes 6:2. God gives to a man wealth, property, and glory, so that his soul lacks nothing that he desires; but God does not give him power to enjoy it, and a stranger enjoys it: this is vanity and a grievous evil! Ecclesiastes 6:3. If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, and the days of his years become many, yet his soul does not enjoy good, and moreover he has no proper burial, then I say: better is a stillborn child than he, Ecclesiastes 6:4. for it came in vain and departed into darkness, and its name is covered by darkness. Ecclesiastes 6:5. It has not even seen or known the sun: it would be more at peace than he. Ecclesiastes 6:6. But even if he had lived two thousand years and did not enjoy good, do not all go to one place? The Preacher continues to develop his favorite thought about man’s inability to enjoy wealth and life in general. Very often it happens that men, possessing great wealth, derive no joy from it. To their lot falls only labor and care, while the joys of life are given to others. These rich men, who saw neither light nor joy in life, are more unfortunate than stillborn children, for they go down into the grave with the bitter consciousness of a meaninglessly spent life. “Nor had he proper burial,” that is, not having tasted the joys of life, they did not meet with sympathy and honor at death.

Ecclesiastes 6:7. All the labor of man is for his mouth, yet his soul is not satisfied. All the labor of man aims at acquiring goods and satisfying his needs. But human desires are boundless, and instead of enjoying what he has, he strives only for new acquisitions.

Ecclesiastes 6:8. What advantage has the wise over the fool? What has the poor man who knows how to walk before the living? “A poor man who knows how to walk before the living,” that is, a poor man who knows how to live in communion with men and thus lead a pleasant and quiet life. The advantage of the wise over the fool consists in this: while a rich miser in gloomy seclusion avoids men, the wise man enjoys communion with men, thinking least of all about increasing wealth.

Ecclesiastes 6:9. It is better to see with one’s eyes than for the soul to wander. This also is vanity and chasing after wind! Better to see with one’s eyes what exists than for the soul to wander among unrealizable hopes and unfulfilled desires. Better to enjoy the little that you have than to live in constant cares about the future. The Preacher, however, does not forget that seeing with one’s eyes, that is, the joys available to man, by no means constitute complete happiness, Ithron. They are, in essence, also vanity, for they are fleeting.

Ecclesiastes 6:10. What exists already has a name, and it is known what man is, and that he cannot contend with one who is stronger than he. Ecclesiastes 6:11. There are many things that multiply vanity: what is better for man? Ecclesiastes 6:12. For who knows what is good for man in his life, all the days of his vain life, which he spends as a shadow? And who will tell man what will be after him under the sun? The unchangeability of the existing order, the impossibility for man to contend with its Creator, and many other things multiply the vanity of life. Man, perforce, has to content himself with little, for he does not know what is better, and the future is unknown to him.

Chapter Seven

1–23. Moral instructions of the Preacher. 24–29. The depravity of woman.

Ecclesiastes 7:1. A good name is better than fine ointment, and the day of death is better than the day of one’s birth. Ecclesiastes 7:2. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living will take it to heart. Ecclesiastes 7:3. Sorrow is better than laughter; for by sadness of the face the heart becomes better. Ecclesiastes 7:4. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; the heart of fools is in the house of merriment. Ecclesiastes 7:5. It is better to hear the rebuke of a wise man than to hear the song of fools; Ecclesiastes 7:6. for the laughter of fools is like the crackle of thorns under a pot. And this is vanity! Up to chapter 7, the relation to life which the Preacher had taught, the “best” he had found in life, was indicated by him briefly and generally. Due to this, his teachings might give rise to too one-sided an understanding. It might have seemed (and indeed has often seemed so) that the Preacher invites to epicurean enjoyment of life, to extracting from it all possible pleasures and especially sensual ones. His “eat, drink, and be merry” might be understood as an invitation to unbridled revelry at the feast of life, as an invitation to take as much pleasure as possible from life, not troubled by the thought of an unknown future. Chapter 7 eliminates any possibility of such a misunderstanding and establishes the true meaning of the Preacher’s teachings. In exhorting to “be merry,” he had in view not that frivolous, vulgar merriment amid worldly amusements and diversions which leaves behind a feeling of emptiness and moral dissatisfaction, but a bright, festive mood which sees in everything that happens a manifestation of divine reason and, therefore, knows how to extract moments of pure, serene joy even from suffering, whether of others or one’s own. Internal experience has taught the Preacher that the contemplation of human suffering and even death awakens in the soul that special fullness of moral feeling which creates a more lasting happiness than all vulgar entertainments, as fleeting as the crackle of thorns (v. 6). Man learns then to understand the true meaning of life, to reconcile himself with evil, not to fear death, to remain serenely joyful in all circumstances of life. In view of this, the Preacher advises to prefer the day of death to the day of birth, the house of mourning to the house of feasting, sorrow to laughter, the rebukes of the wise to the songs of fools. “By sadness of the face the heart becomes better,” more accurately from the Hebrew: becomes more cheerful, happier (cf. Eccl 11:9; Judg 19:9; Ruth 3:7).

Ecclesiastes 7:7. By oppressing others, a wise man becomes a fool, and gifts corrupt the heart. “And gifts corrupt the heart.” This refers mainly to gifts to public officials.

Ecclesiastes 7:8. The end of a thing is better than its beginning; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Ecclesiastes 7:9. Do not be quick to anger in your spirit, for anger rests in the heart of fools. Ecclesiastes 7:10. Do not say: “Why were the former days better than these?” for it is not from wisdom that you ask this. The Preacher warns against that dark and impatient discontent which strives to find something bad in everything.

Ecclesiastes 7:11. Wisdom is good with an inheritance, and beneficial for those who see the sun: “Wisdom is good with an inheritance, and beneficial for those who see the sun.” The particle here has, as in Eccl 2:16, the sense “just as,” “like.” Consequently, it can be rendered: wisdom is good like an inheritance, and more advantageous (than inheritance) for those who see the sun, that is, for men.

Ecclesiastes 7:12. for to live in the shadow of wisdom is like to live in the shadow of silver; but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it. The advantage of wisdom lies in the fact that it gives life – life not only truly moral but also physical, inasmuch as it turns man away from passions that destroy the body.

Ecclesiastes 7:13. Consider the work of God: for who can straighten what He has made crooked? Ecclesiastes 7:14. In the days of prosperity enjoy good, and in the days of adversity consider: God has made both one and the other so that man might not say anything against Him. “Not say anything against Him.” ויכצא (as in Eccl 3:22) means: after him. It should be rendered: not say anything after him. God sends man both prosperity and adversity so that he might not know the future and might feel constant dependence on God.

Ecclesiastes 7:15. All my vain days I have seen: a righteous man perishes in his righteousness; a wicked man lives long in his wickedness. Ecclesiastes 7:16. Do not be too righteous, and do not make yourself too wise; why should you destroy yourself? “Do not be too righteous,” literally: do not be excessively righteous. In these words some have seen an expression of the Stoic principle to live according to nature and the Stoic concept of virtue as the art of μεσος ἔχειν – holding to a middle way. But in reality, in continuing to develop his former thought about wise enjoyment of life, the Preacher cautions here only against excessive pedantry and narrow rigorism, which strives on account of mistaken moral views to drive out of life all innocent joys, entirely permissible pleasures.

Ecclesiastes 7:17. Do not be wicked, and do not be a fool: why die before your time? However, in his striving for happiness, man should not overstep the bounds of what is permitted, for every sin hastens not only moral but also physical death.

Ecclesiastes 7:18. It is good for you to grasp the one and also not to let go of the other; for whoever fears God will succeed in both. A wise man will find a middle way and avoid the extremes of soulless rigorism and moral depravity, wisely enjoying life while remaining righteous. Some commentators see here hints at Pharisaic rigorism and Sadducean depravity.

Ecclesiastes 7:19. Wisdom makes a wise man stronger than ten rulers who are in a city. Ecclesiastes 7:20. There is no righteous man on earth who does good and does not sin; Ecclesiastes 7:21. therefore do not give heed to all the words that are spoken, so that you may not hear your servant cursing you; Ecclesiastes 7:22. for in your heart you know many times when you yourself have cursed others. Ecclesiastes 7:23. All this I tested with wisdom; I said: “I will be wise”; but wisdom was far from me. Solomon expressed this same thought in his prayer – namely in the words: “for there is no man who does not sin” (1 Sam 8:46). This thought is easily connected with the following verses, in which kindness to men is taught; but its connection with what precedes is not clear. And yet verse 20 begins with the particle יכ (ki), which indicates that this verse contains the ground for the preceding thought. The course of thought is probably this: we need to strive for wisdom that preserves man from both excessive rigorism and moral depravity, for there is no man on earth who acts and does not sin.

Ecclesiastes 7:24. Far is that which exists, and deep-deep: who can grasp it? Ecclesiastes 7:25. I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and reason, and to know the wickedness of folly, ignorance and madness, – The opening of the verse is better translated: “Far is that which is, and deep-deep,” that is, far and deeply removed from human knowledge are all things that exist, “the deeds which God does” (Eccl 3:11). Cf. Job 28:12-22.

Ecclesiastes 7:26. and I found that more bitter than death is woman, because she is a snare, and her heart is a trap, her hands are fetters; the good man before God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her. In seeking deeper into the cause of sin, misery, and folly, the Preacher finds that it lies partly in woman. Woman is a snare and a trap for the weak man.

Ecclesiastes 7:27. Behold, this I have found, said the Preacher, examining one thing after another. Ecclesiastes 7:28. What more does my soul seek? – One man out of a thousand I have found, but a woman among all of them I have not found. From this the Preacher concludes that woman in general is in a moral sense more corrupt and depraved than man. The condemnation of woman in the Preacher is not absolute. In another place (Eccl 9:9) he considers life with a wife as one of the goods accessible to man.

Ecclesiastes 7:29. Only this have I found: God made man upright, but they have gone after many schemes. 2 Chronicles 26:15. The Preacher prevents a possible wrong conclusion from his foregoing reasoning. God, who created man upright, is not the author of the moral corruption of men in general and women in particular. God created man upright, that is, morally healthy, able to walk the right path and not to sin. “But they have gone after many schemes,” literally: inventions, imaginations (Cf. 2 Chron 26:15: “and he made skillfully devised machines in Jerusalem.”).

Chapter Eight

1–7. The conduct of the wise. 9–14. The fate of the righteous and the wicked. 15–17. The best things in life.

Ecclesiastes 8:1. Who is like the wise, and who understands the meaning of things? The wisdom of a person brightens his face, and the hardness of his face is changed. No one can understand the essence of things as the wise man does. This deep understanding of life creates in the wise a joyful, peaceful, all-reconciling disposition, which is reflected also in his appearance. The Hebrew dabar means both thing and word. For this reason the LXX, the Slavonic, the Syrian translation, and Jerome translated: “the meaning of the word”—precisely, the saying set forth in the following verse.

Ecclesiastes 8:2. I say: keep the word of the king, and this for the sake of the oath before God. Before the words “keep the word of the king,” in the Hebrew text stands the pronoun of the first person—“I,” with which is understood the verb: I say! Regarding the oath of allegiance, one speaks in 2 Sam 11:17 and elsewhere.

Ecclesiastes 8:3. Do not hurry to leave his presence, and do not persist in a bad matter; for whatever he wills, he is able to do. Ecclesiastes 8:4. Where the word of the king, there is authority; and who can say to him, “What are you doing?” The Preacher urges obedience and tact in relation to the king, motivating this by the latter’s power and irresponsibility. “Do not hurry to leave his presence.” According to some commentators, the Preacher warns here against willful defection from the king, against abandoning faithfulness and obedience to him. Others see here a counsel of the Preacher not to become irritated and not to leave the king in anger, should he show disfavor in something. In the latter case the word dabar is understood in the sense of “word” rather than “deed,” and the further expression is translated thus: “do not persist in a bad word.” The second interpretation is confirmed by Eccl 10:4. And who can say to him: What are you doing? This expression is commonly used for describing God’s omnipotence (Job 9:1-2; Isa 45:9; Dan 4:32; Wis 12:12). Here it is applied to the unlimited power of a despotic king.

Ecclesiastes 8:5. He who keeps the commandment will experience no evil; the heart of the wise knows both the time and the decree; Ecclesiastes 8:6. for every matter has its time and decree; and great is the evil of a man on account of— Ecclesiastes 8:7. that he does not know what will be; and who can tell him how it will come to pass? As in this, so in all other circumstances, wisdom will be able to avert evil. The wise man knows that all things have their time and decree, and for this reason he endeavors to understand everything, to adjust himself to everything, not attempting to engage in futile struggle with the inevitable and unknown course of things, which rule over life itself. Being unable to foresee the outcome of their enterprises, not thinking that every deed has its own time, its own judgment, people often fall into great misfortunes for their attempts to change the existing order of things, the existing forms of social life. By “commandment” in verse 5, it is best to understand the decrees and laws of the king, though as the Preacher’s thought progresses it is evident that he expands the idea and allows this word to take on a moral sense.

Ecclesiastes 8:8. Man has no power over the spirit to retain the spirit, nor power over the day of death, nor release from this struggle, nor will wickedness save the wicked. Man is not capable of struggling with the established order of things, for the latter rules over his very life. In this struggle he will never meet mercy, and no lawlessness, no departing from the law (from the rules of the struggle) will save him from the inevitable end.

Ecclesiastes 8:9. All this I have seen, and I applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time when man rules over man to his hurt. Ecclesiastes 8:10. Then I saw the wicked being buried, and those who had dealt righteously coming and departing from the holy place; and they were forgotten in the city where they had so acted. And this is vanity! The Preacher notes the fact of apparent injustice, when the wicked were accorded honorable burial, while the righteous were denied it. Verse 10 can be translated thus: “I saw then that the wicked were being buried and they came (namely to the grave, cf. Isa 62:2), but far departed from the holy place (Jerusalem, the temple, or the tomb) and were forgotten in the city those who acted righteously.” The LXX and Vulgate, incorrectly reading the original, translated “praised” (cf. Slav.) instead of “forgotten.” The Hebrew ken in this place means: “rightly,” “as it should be” (cf. 2 Sam 7:9; Num 36:5).

Ecclesiastes 8:11. (Eccl.8:11.) Judgment over evil deeds does not happen quickly; for this reason the heart of the sons of men is not afraid to do evil. Ecclesiastes 8:12. (Eccl.8:12.) Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and clings to it, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, who have reverence before His face; Ecclesiastes 8:13. (Eccl.8:13.) but it will not be well for the wicked, and, like a shadow, he will not last long who does not have reverence before God. Although the lawlessness of men remains unpunished for a long time, the Preacher still believes that in due course God will repay each according to his works. The faith in righteous retribution is expressed by him decisively, but is expressed dogmatically (“I know”) not as an indisputable fact of observed reality, but as an unconditional requirement of religious consciousness. The Preacher has no clear understanding of when, how, and under what circumstances divine retribution will be revealed; he does not say whether this will be in earthly or afterlife; he is convinced only of one thing—that God must repay each according to his works. The expression “he will not last long who does not have reverence before God” rather suggests that the Preacher believes in retribution on earth.

Ecclesiastes 8:14. And there is such vanity on the earth: the righteous experience what the works of the wicked deserve, and the wicked experience what the works of the righteous deserve. And I said: this too is vanity! Since the idea of righteous retribution in the Preacher flowed not from the data of experience, but from religious faith, he was unable to reconcile it with the facts of the sufferings of the righteous and the prosperity of sinners. These facts have not at all lost their obviousness in the eyes of the Preacher even after he expressed his unshakable faith in righteous retribution. He again stops upon them with bitterness, showing thereby that in his faith he had not yet found full peace.

Ecclesiastes 8:15. And I praised joy; for there is nothing better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and to be joyful: this accompanies him in his labors during the days of his life, which God has given him under the sun. Ecclesiastes 8:16. When I applied my heart to understand wisdom and to observe the works that are done on earth, and among which a man neither by day nor by night knows sleep,— Ecclesiastes 8:17. then I saw all the works of God and found that man cannot comprehend the works that are done under the sun. However much man labors in investigation, he still cannot comprehend it; and if any wise man says that he knows, he cannot comprehend it. The bitter consciousness of the impossibility of reconciling faith with the sad facts of life leads the Preacher to his favorite thought, that one should labor and enjoy life, not seeking to understand what cannot be understood.

Chapter Nine

1–6. Death is the lot of all. 7–10. The right use of life. 11–12. The power of chance. 13–18. The power of wisdom.

Looking more closely at the fate of the righteous, the Preacher finds new evidence of the vanity of human life and the necessity of being content with those few joys accessible to people.

Ecclesiastes 9:1. I have applied my heart to all this for examination, that the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God, and that man does not know either love or hatred in all that is before him. The righteous and the wise are in complete dependence upon God. Even their actions and feelings are not wholly determined by their free will, but are subjected to time and chance. Man cannot foresee where and when love or hatred will be born in him, and is unable to turn love into hatred or hatred into love. “In all that is before him,” that is, in all that is set before him, that will happen to him.

Ecclesiastes 9:2. All is the same for all: one lot befalls the righteous and the wicked, the good and the evil, the clean and the unclean, those who sacrifice and those who do not sacrifice; as the righteous, so the sinner; as he who swears, so he who fears an oath. “All is the same for all.” More literally from the Hebrew: “everything is as for all” (the LXX and Slavonic incorrectly translated: “vanity in all”), that is, everything happens to the righteous as to all men. One lot—death—for both the righteous and sinners. After the word “good” the LXX, Vulgate, and Syrian translation add “evil” (see Slav.—“One chance befalls the righteous and wicked, the good and evil, the clean and unclean… as he who swears, so he who fears an oath”). It is possible that such was the original reading in the text. “He who swears.” One should understand not simply one who pronounces an oath, for the Preacher, as is evident from Eccl 8:2, does not consider it sinful, but one who invokes the name of God in vain (Exod 20:7), needlessly, thoughtlessly, and even falsely. Such an oath in the prophet Zechariah is placed alongside theft (Eccl 5:3). Some exegetes understand by those who fear an oath and those who do not sacrifice the Essenes, who denied oaths and sacrifices. But we know nothing from historical documents about such early origins of the Essene sect.

Ecclesiastes 9:3. This is the evil in all that is done under the sun, that one lot befalls all, and the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart during their life; and after that they depart to the dead. It is a great evil that the lot of both the righteous and the wicked is one. Both alike die and depart to Sheol.

Ecclesiastes 9:4. (Eccl.9:4.) He who is alive among the living has hope yet, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. Ecclesiastes 9:5. (Eccl.9:5.) The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and there is no more reward for them, for the memory of them is forgotten, Ecclesiastes 9:6. (Eccl.9:6.) and their love and their hatred and their envy have already perished, and they have no more portion forever in anything that is done under the sun. In Sheol all are equal, all equally insignificant, so insignificant that the life of the most ordinary man is of greater value than the existence in Sheol of a great man, for the dead know neither hope nor reward, nor love, nor hatred, and in general have no part in anything that is done under the sun. All manifestations of man’s spiritual life—love, hatred, knowledge, wisdom, reflection (verse 10)—the Preacher places in an inseparable connection with the conditions of earthly existence as phenomena possible only “under the sun,” in union with the body. With the destruction of the body, the manifestations of life cease, a state of deep sleep ensues, a state of half-life. With such a conception of the afterlife, of course, there could be no question of a difference in the fate of the righteous and the wicked, of retribution beyond the grave; while asserting in general the existence of God’s judgment, the Preacher nowhere extends it to the life beyond; moreover, he describes it in features that exclude any thought of retribution.

Ecclesiastes 9:7. Therefore go, eat your bread with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, when God is pleased with your works. Ecclesiastes 9:8. Let your garments be white at all times, and let oil not be lacking on your head. Ecclesiastes 9:9. Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vanity, whom God has given you under the sun all your vanity days; for this is your portion in life and in your labors with which you toil under the sun. Ecclesiastes 9:10. All that your hand is able to do, do with all your might; because in the grave, where you are going, there is no work, no reflection, no knowledge, nor wisdom. The Preacher concludes his sad reflections, as usual, with a call to enjoy life. The darker the future of man, the more he should value the joys of earthly existence.

Ecclesiastes 9:11. And I turned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the mighty, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the skilled; but time and chance come to all of them. Ecclesiastes 9:12. For man does not know his time. As fish are caught in a destructive net, and as birds are trapped in snares, so the sons of men are caught in a time of calamity when it suddenly falls upon them. But while looking at life with joyful eyes, man should not for a moment forget his dependence on time and chance; he should prepare himself for every contingency, for it usually happens that external success does not correspond to a man’s inner worth. Because of complete ignorance of the future, man is unable to prevent sad circumstances from befalling him.

Ecclesiastes 9:13. I saw another wisdom under the sun, and it seemed important to me: Ecclesiastes 9:14. a small city, and few people in it; to it came a great king and besieged it and built great siege works against it; Ecclesiastes 9:15. and in it was found a poor wise man, and he saved the city by his wisdom; yet no one remembered this poor man. Ecclesiastes 9:16. And I said: wisdom is better than strength, yet the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded. Ecclesiastes 9:17. The words of the wise, spoken quietly, are heard better than the shout of a ruler among fools. Ecclesiastes 9:18. Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good. But even here wisdom saves man from many evils and sometimes knows how to direct the course of events to the good of men. Although wisdom is often an object of contempt, yet it is stronger than the shout of a ruler, stronger than weapons of war. “Yet no one remembered this poor man.” Some interpreters see in this an indication of the prior obscurity of the poor man before saving the city, others—his speedy forgetfulness of his merits by his contemporaries. The context and grammatical construction allow both understandings. It is hard to say whether the Preacher took a possible case or used a specific historical fact to illustrate his thought. Some commentators saw in the poor and wise man an image of despised Israel.

Chapter Ten

The qualities and behavior of the wise and the fool.

Ecclesiastes 10:1. Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to ferment and become foul; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor in the wise man. Not only can one sinner destroy much good, but even one foolish act, so to speak, a small dose of folly, can shake and destroy the moral worth of a man, his wisdom and honor, like a dead fly fallen into precious ointment. “A little leaven leavens the whole lump,” says the Apostle (1 Cor 5:6).

Ecclesiastes 10:2. The heart of the wise is on the right, and the heart of the fool is on the left. “Right,” “right side,” like in all languages, expresses the notion of truly good, just; “left,” “left side,” on the contrary—the notion of false, evil, unjust.

Ecclesiastes 10:3. Even as the fool walks on the road, his sense fails him, and he declares to all that he is a fool. “As the fool walks on the road, his sense fails him.” More accurately it should be translated: “and on the road, when the fool walks, he lacks sense,” that is, the fool does not take a single step without showing his foolishness. “And he tells all that he is a fool,” that is, he shows to all his foolishness. The translation of Jerome and Symmachus: “he considers everyone to be a fool.”

Ecclesiastes 10:4. If the anger of the ruler bursts upon you, do not leave your post; for gentleness covers great transgressions. The Preacher continues his characterization of the wise and the fool. The wise man should be calm when his ruler becomes angry, should not hasten to leave his post, knowing that unjustified anger of the ruler will pass, that calmness and gentleness disarms people even in cases of serious offenses.

Ecclesiastes 10:5. There is an evil which I saw under the sun, like an error proceeding from the ruler: Ecclesiastes 10:6. folly is set in great heights, and the rich sit in low places. Ecclesiastes 10:7. I saw slaves on horses, and princes walking like slaves on foot. Because of the fault of rulers, the foolish and those undeserving of respect remain in humiliation and contempt. Verse 5 can be otherwise conveyed thus: “there is an evil which I saw under the sun, like an error proceeding from the ruler” (Slavonic text—“There is wickedness which I saw under the sun, like it came unwillingly from the face of him who rules”). “The rich sit in low places”; those of noble and distinguished families are meant. The cases pointed out by the Preacher often occurred in the Persian kingdom.

Ecclesiastes 10:8. He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent. Ecclesiastes 10:9. He who moves stones may hurt himself, and he who chops wood is in danger from it. Ecclesiastes 10:10. If the ax becomes dull, and the blade is not sharpened, then one must exert more strength; wisdom has the advantage of success. The connection of these verses with those preceding is understood differently. Some find here a depiction of those intrigues by which lower and foolish people sought high positions. Others see in these verses a continuation of the characterization of the wise and the fool. Whoever carelessly undertakes risky and dangerous enterprises, whether for his own gain or to the harm of others, easily can damage himself. Wisdom, on the other hand, teaches man to proportion his desires to his abilities, not to waste energy unproductively. It foresees in advance all the danger and difficulty of every enterprise and knows how to prevent them in time. “Wisdom has the advantage of success”; more accurately from the Hebrew: “the advantage of successful action is wisdom.”

Ecclesiastes 10:11. If the serpent bites without being charmed, then the charmer has no advantage. This verse should be translated thus: “If the serpent bites when not charmed, then there is no benefit to the charmer” (Slavonic text—“If the serpent bites without a spell, and there is no benefit to him who charms”). Charming, according to these words, is supposed before the bite. Ps 57:5 speaks of a serpent which bites, not allowing itself to be charmed over. In figurative speech the Preacher points to the uselessness of belated action.

Ecclesiastes 10:12. Words from the mouth of the wise are grace, but the lips of the fool destroy him: Ecclesiastes 10:13. the beginning of his words is folly, and the end of his speech is madness. The talkativeness of the fool extends even to subjects of which a man cannot know, and about which no one will tell him.

Ecclesiastes 10:14. The fool speaks much, although man does not know what will be, and who can tell him what will be after him? Ecclesiastes 10:15. The labor of the fool wears him out, for he does not even know the way to the city. Ignorance of the matter, ignorance of the simplest things, for example, the way to the city, the inability to find protection for his interests from the city judge, makes the labor of the fool tiring and fruitless.

Ecclesiastes 10:16. Woe to you, land, when your king is a youth, and when your princes feast in the morning! Ecclesiastes 10:17. Blessed are you, land, when your king is of a noble house, and your princes feast for strength, not for drunkenness! Especially great is the misfortune that comes from foolish men when they turn out to be kings and rulers. “Your king is a youth,” that is, childish in mind, foolish. In Isaiah (Isa 3:12) bad rulers are called children and women. “Your princes feast in the morning,” that is, they lead a life of intemperance and carelessness (cf. Isa 5:11 and following).

Ecclesiastes 10:18. Through laziness the roof sags, and when hands grow slack, the house leaks. Ecclesiastes 10:19. Feasts are made for laughter, and wine makes life merry; but money answers for everything. As the house of a lazy owner falls into ruin, so a state is destroyed by lazy and intemperate rulers who plunder their people.

Ecclesiastes 10:20. Do not curse the king even in your thoughts, and do not curse the rich in your bedchamber; for a bird of the air may carry your voice, and a winged creature may report your words. Having said that foolish and lazy rulers are a misfortune for a country, the Preacher hastens to give practical advice not to condemn even such rulers, for disapproving remarks about them usually find their way by mysterious paths to their ears. * * * The exact translation of the second half of verse 1 should be thus: “heavier than wisdom and honor weighs a little folly,” that is, one foolish, dishonorable act can tarnish the moral worth of a man, turn his wisdom and honor to nothing.

Chapter Eleven

1–6. Exhortation to benevolence. 7–10. Call to enjoy life.

In chapters Eccl 9:1–12 is given as it were a summary of the Preacher’s preceding reflections on the conditions of a happy life. There are three such conditions: good deeds, innocent pleasures, and complete surrender to divine providence. The first condition is unfolded in Eccl 11:1-6, the second in Eccl 11:7-10, the third in Eccl 12:1-7.

Ecclesiastes 11:1. Send out your bread on the waters, for after many days you will find it again. In figurative expressions the Preacher urges the widest benevolence, free from any calculation of personal gain (“on the waters”). Every gift in time will bear its fruit to the giver. Some commentators think that the Preacher here encourages his contemporaries to commercial enterprise, to bold maritime operations. But, as is evident from other places in the book, the Preacher sought rather to restrain the excessive enterprise of wealthy men who spent their whole lives in care for increasing their wealth. From the following verse it is clear that the discourse is here about benevolence.

Ecclesiastes 11:2. Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune will fall upon the earth. “Seven and even eight” point to as comprehensive a number of people as possible with whom one should share one’s property.

Ecclesiastes 11:3. When the clouds are full, they pour rain upon the earth; and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, wherever the tree falls, there it remains. “When the clouds are full, they pour rain upon the earth.” Every gift in time returns to the giver just as water evaporating from the earth, filling the clouds, falls again upon the earth. The image of rain clouds is usual in the Bible and symbolizes mercy, benevolence (Prov 25:14; Sir 35:23). And if a tree falls to the south or to the north, there it remains where it fell. In the moral world, as in the physical, definite causes always produce definite effects, and generally speaking, a man reaps only where and what he has sown, with the same necessity as a fallen tree remains in the place where it fell.

Ecclesiastes 11:4. Whoever watches the wind will not sow, and whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. In doing good, man should not display excessive calculation, caution, and anxiety, so as not to be left without any harvest, like one who too assiduously watches the wind and clouds.

Ecclesiastes 11:5. Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how the bones form in the womb of the pregnant, so you cannot know the work of God, who does all things. Ecclesiastes 11:6. In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not let your hand rest, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or if both will be equally good. Not knowing the ways of God, and being unable to foresee where his activity will be fruitful, man should take advantage of every moment for good action.

Ecclesiastes 11:7. Sweet is the light, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. Ecclesiastes 11:8. If a man lives many years, let him rejoice in all of them, and remember the dark days, which will be many: all that comes is vanity! Ecclesiastes 11:9. Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart be glad during the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all this God will bring you into judgment. Ecclesiastes 11:10. And remove sorrow from your heart, and cast away evil from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity. In these verses the Preacher calls for joy and gladness while the dark days have not yet come. Man should enjoy all that is pleasant and beautiful in the world, remembering, however, the righteous judgment of God. “Remember the dark days.” The dark days, in contrast to all the years of one’s life, mean the days of stay in Sheol. “Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes,” that is, follow the promptings of your heart and eyes, while this does not contradict the truth of God. The LXX saw in these words a contradiction with Num 15:39, where it is forbidden to “walk after your heart and your eyes,” and therefore before the words: “in the sight of your eyes,” they added the negative μή (Slav.—“not”). This negative is, however, unnecessary, for from the context it is clear that the Preacher speaks only of such promptings of the heart that do not contradict God’s commandments.

Chapter Twelve

1–8. The final exhortation of the Preacher. 9. Epilogue to the book.

The two chief conditions of human happiness—doing good and healthy enjoyment of life—are possible only when joined with a religious disposition, with a feeling of complete surrender to God. Outside a religious disposition, enjoyment of life inevitably takes on a perverted form and leads in the end to grievous disappointment; likewise, the moral activity of man loses its rationality, its purpose, as soon as in the phenomena of the world and of life a man sees nothing but the action of blind chance. That is why the Preacher in his final exhortation calls the reader to constant remembrance of God as the Creator of the world, as the First Cause of all that exists, to remembrance throughout one’s life, not only in old age, when both soul and body already feel the swift approach of eternal night—death.

Ecclesiastes 12:1. And remember your Creator in the days of your youth, while the difficult days have not yet come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them!” While the difficult days have not yet come, literally: “days of evil,” not the days of existence beyond the grave, as in Eccl 11:8, but the days of old age, days of physical and mental decline.

Ecclesiastes 12:2. while the sun and light and moon and stars have not yet grown dark, and clouds have not returned after the rain. The coming of darkness and clouds, that is, winter—is an image not of death itself, but of its harbinger—old age.

Ecclesiastes 12:3. In that day the keepers of the house tremble, and strong men are bent; the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows grow dark; In these and the following verses is contained an allegorical description of old age. “The keepers of the house” are the hands, guarding the human body from external dangers. “Strong men” are the legs, supporting the body by the strength of their muscles. “The grinders” are the teeth. “Those who look through the windows” are the eyes.

Ecclesiastes 12:4. and the doors in the street are shut; when the sound of the mill grows low, and one rises at the chirp of the bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low; Job 41:6. “The doors on the street”—according to some, the mouth; according to others, the ears. The first is more correct (cf. Job 41:6: “Who can open the doors of his face? His teeth are terrible round about!”). “The mill”—the jaw and teeth. “One rises at the chirp of the bird,” that is, suffers from sleeplessness. “The daughters of song are brought low,” that is, the voice grows weak. Ecclesiastes 12:5. and high places are feared, and terrors are in the way; and the almond blossoms, and the grasshopper drags itself along, and the caper berry fails. For man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners are ready in the street; “High places are feared,” that is, are inaccessible. “And terrors are in the way,” that is, difficulties and dangers, both real and imagined. “The almond blossoms,” in winter white flowers on bare branches symbolizing old age. “The grasshopper drags itself,” that is, the body loses its suppleness and mobility. “The caper berry fails,” that is, will not produce its effect—the caper, whose fruit and buds were used in the East as a stimulant. “The eternal home,” that is, the grave (cf. Tob 3:9).

Ecclesiastes 12:6. while the silver cord is not broken, and the golden bowl is not crushed, and the pitcher is not shattered at the spring, and the wheel does not break over the well. Death itself is described in figurative language. “The silver cord is broken and the golden cup is shattered” (in the Russian Bible incorrectly—the band; the Hebrew word means a round-shaped object, a cup for oil, as in Zech 4:2), that is, the thread of life is broken, the source of light and warmth is gone; life has gone out. The following two images give another symbol of death, namely: the wheel over the well breaks and the pitcher is shattered at the spring. Both images probably mean the cessation of the activity of the heart, blood circulation, and breathing.

Ecclesiastes 12:7. And the dust returns to the earth as it was; and the spirit returns to God, who gave it. Body and spirit return to their source: the body returns to dust as it was (cf. Gen 3:19; Ps 103:29), and the spirit returns to God, who gave it. This return to God cannot be understood in the sense of the destruction of the personal, independent existence of the spirit, for the Preacher clearly speaks of the personal existence of man even beyond the grave. If in Eccl 3 he raises the skeptical question whether man has superiority over the beasts, and whether his spirit goes upward, then here both questions are answered in the affirmative, and consequently the continuation of man’s personal existence even after death is acknowledged. But, like other sacred sages, the Preacher could not imagine more or less full life apart from connection with the body; he did not know the New Testament teaching about resurrection from the dead, and therefore could not rise above the usual conception of Sheol; he was still far from the conscious faith in the blessed state of souls in communion with God.

Ecclesiastes 12:8. Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, all is vanity! It is understandable that the Preacher could not find full comfort in such a faith in the afterlife and had no grounds to abandon his reasonings about the vanity of life. On the contrary, he saw here new and the strongest proof of it. Therefore, in his concluding word he says again: “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” Only the joyful message of the New Testament could free man from vanity and give him hope for eternal blessedness. Eccl 12:9-14. Epilogue to the book. While heretofore all the discourse has been conducted from the perspective of the Preacher, who everywhere speaks of himself in the first person, in verses 9–14 we hear already another voice, which distinguishes itself from the Preacher, speaks of him in the third person, and as if approves his reasonings. However, this does not yet mean that the end of chapter 12 constitutes a later addition. The epilogue is written in the same language and imbued with the same spirit as the entire book. From this we have no grounds to seek for it another author, different from the author of the entire book.

Ecclesiastes 12:9. Besides the fact that the Preacher was wise, he also taught the people knowledge. He tested everything, investigated, and composed many sayings. In the biblical language, “wise” means a man who, on the basis of reason illuminated by revelation, investigated questions of a religious, especially moral-practical character, striving to apply general divinely revealed concepts to actual life, to resolve all arising doubts and contradictions. Among the Hebrews, since Solomon, there existed a whole class of wise men—chakamim (from the word “chokmah”—wisdom), alongside prophets and priests, who had strong influence on the people (1 Sam 4:30-31; Jer 18:18; Prov 1:6). Already in the time of Solomon there were known wise men—Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, whose wisdom was placed alongside the wisdom of the sons of the East and of Egypt (1 Sam 4:30-31). The contemporaries of the prophet Jeremiah said: “The law does not disappear from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet” (Jer 18:18). The usual form of expression of thought among Hebrew wise men, in distinction from the Greeks, was gnomic, consisting of brief sayings, aphorisms, and sayings.

Ecclesiastes 12:10. The Preacher sought to find pleasing words, and the words of truth were written by him correctly. Ecclesiastes 12:11. The words of the wise are like nails and like goads fixed in place, given by one shepherd. “The words of the wise are like nails and like goads.” The Hebrew original speaks here not of simple nails, but of those points which are on sticks used by drivers and shepherds. The LXX correctly translated βούκεντρα (Slav.—“oxen points”). The thought is that the words of the wise, like the shepherd’s staff, awaken people from moral indifference and sloth, compel them to fulfill their duty. “Given by one shepherd.” God is called here the one Shepherd (cf. Ps 22:1). Comparing the words of the wise to the staff of the shepherd and driver, the writer naturally employed the image of the Shepherd-God, who, pasturing Israel, gives staffs to the wise so that they may shepherd men (cf. Prov 10:21).

Ecclesiastes 12:12. And as for anything more than this, my son, be careful: composing many books has no end, and much reading is tiring for the body. Having pointed out the high significance of the works of the wise, the writer at the same time warns his student against the misuse of books, whether from composing or from reading many books. This advice he as it were hastens to apply to himself, in the following verses concluding his book.

Ecclesiastes 12:13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man; “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole discourse.” The commandment: “Fear God” (taken from Eccl 5:6) and “keep His commandments” (cf. Eccl 4:17) constitutes the essence of the book and, at the same time, the purpose of man. Only faith saves man from the extremes of pessimism on the one hand and base hedonism on the other.

Ecclesiastes 12:14. for God will bring every deed into judgment, and every hidden thing, whether good or evil. The thought of the final judgment of God, according to the expression of one commentator, is the thread of Ariadne that led the Preacher out of the labyrinth of his skepticism. There is no place for dark despondency, nor for lighthearted enjoyment of life, where there is deep faith in divine retribution. * * * In the period after the Captivity, the Jewish wise men, the chakamim (from the word “chokmah”—wisdom), pointed out that human wisdom comes from the Wisdom of God…

The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Introduction

In the Hebrew Bible, the book of the Song of Songs is placed in the third section of the sacred Old Testament books—among the so-called Writings (Hebrew: Ketubim), and follows immediately after three great Writings—the books of Psalms, Proverbs, and Job—and before the book of Ruth. In the Greek Bible, in the Latin Vulgate, and in the Slavonic and Russian Bible, the Song of Songs occupies a place among the didactic books after two other works of Solomon—the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes (before the non-canonical didactic books—the Wisdom of Solomon—and the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach).

The title of the book in the Hebrew original: Shir-ha-Shirim asher li-Shlomo is reproduced also in the Greek translation: Aisma asmatōn, ho estin Solomōn. The phrase “Song of Songs” (Greek: asma asmatōn, Latin: Canticum canticorum) in this case cannot be understood either in the sense of a collection or series of Solomon’s songs (as some modern interpreters held, those who saw the book as composed of many fragments—disparate poems, such as, for example, Kleiker, Paulus, especially Depke and Magnus), nor in that distributive sense which some Jewish rabbis gave to it (Abenezra, Kimhi): “one of Solomon’s songs.”

On the contrary, by the nature of Hebrew speech, in which the combination of a noun in the singular with the same noun in the plural ordinarily expresses the superlative degree of the concept expressed by the word (compare such expressions as “slave of slaves” Gen 9:25, “Holy of Holies” Exod 26:33-34 and others, “heaven of heavens” 1 Sam 8:27, “Vanity of Vanities” Eccl 1:2 and others), “Song of Songs” can mean only a song of the highest excellence, the best of all other songs (in his German translation of the Bible, Luther happily expressed the meaning of this phrase with the word “Hohelied,” “high song”), and such a title fully corresponds both to the form and content of this sacred book: as well as in the elegance of its poetical form and external presentation, as also in its internal, ideological content, in the richness of ideas in the development of its mysterious and exalted subject, the book of the Song of Songs appears as the most excellent work of sacred God-inspired wisdom and sacred poetry. An indication of the divinely exalted, doctrinal content of the book is contained in the Syriac translation, Peshitta, where the book has the title “Wisdom of Wisdoms.”

The Jewish synagogue and the ancient Christian Church agree in recognizing the immeasurably high dignity of the book of the Song of Songs. The Targum on the Song of Songs, comparing its content with other Old Testament songs or hymns (of Moses, Deborah, Hannah, and others), recognizes its superiority over all of them and brings it close to the song of the coming Messianic age (according to Isa 30:29). The Midrash on the Song of Songs (Song 1:10-11, Russian Song 1:9-10) says: “Under the ‘thread of pearls’ one should understand the Law, the five books of Moses; under ‘string of precious stones’—the prophets; under ‘golden pendants’—the Writings; under ‘silver pendants (spots)’—the Song of Songs itself.” In 3Ezr 5:24, clearly with the Song of Songs in view, the chosen people is called a “bride” and a “companion.”

In the Christian Church, this exalted view of the Jewish synagogue on the book of the Song of Songs was first clearly expressed by Origen, who at the same time expanded and deepened the Jewish interpretation, giving it a Christian meaning. As a lover of mystery, Origen with special love dwelt on the broad field of mystery that the Song of Songs presented, and wrote ten books of commentary on it, containing, according to Jerome’s account, up to twenty thousand lines and so elevated and profound in content that in them Origen, in Jerome’s words, surpassed even himself. But there have been preserved to our days only two other treatises of Origen on the Song of Songs, translated by Jerome into Latin and, according to his remark, more accessible to those who are still fed with milk as babes (Russian translation of the Works of Jerome, part 6, 2nd ed., 1906, Kiev, pp. 136–174). Origen’s exalted view of the book of the Song of Songs is expressed by him at the very beginning of the first of these treatises. “As we,” he says here, “have learned through Moses that there is not only a Holy place but a Holy of Holies, and that there is not only a sabbath but a sabbath of sabbaths; so now we learn through Solomon that there exist not only songs, but a Song of Songs. Blessed, certainly, is he who enters the holy place, but still more blessed is he who enters the Holy of Holies. Blessed is he who celebrates the sabbath, but still more blessed is he who celebrates the sabbath of sabbaths. In like manner, blessed also is he who understands and sings songs, but far more blessed is he who sings the Song of Songs. And as he who enters the holy place has need of many things to be worthy to enter the Holy of Holies, and as he who celebrates the sabbath, which was instituted by the Lord for the people, has need of many things to celebrate the sabbath of sabbaths; in like manner it is with difficulty that one is found who, having gone through all the songs contained in Scripture, would be able to rise to the Song of Songs” (p. 138). Together with the Jewish synagogue, Origen establishes an allegorical understanding of the book, saying, for instance: “If this (about kisses Song 1:1) did not have a spiritual meaning, would it not be an empty story? If it did not contain something mysterious, would it not be unworthy of God?” (pp. 141–142). However, while accepting from the synagogue, more specifically from the Targum, the general idea of allegorical understanding of the Song of Songs, Origen changes this idea to the extent that Jewish speech had to change when pronounced by a Christian, namely in place of the indefinite Targum’s Messiah he places the Lord Jesus Christ, instead of Israel—the society of Christians or the Church, otherwise the Christian soul: so, in explaining chapter 1, verse 1, Origen notes that by the kiss mentioned here one should understand not only the utterances of Moses and the prophets, as the Targum explains, but one must seek the kisses of Christ (compare also his explanation of verse 2).

The general thought of Origen’s commentary was adopted by all the known Church Fathers and teachers—Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Cyril of Jerusalem, Epiphanius of Cyprus, Macarius of Egypt, Athanasius of Alexandria, Theodoret, and others. In developing this interpretation, some Church teachers expressed their own particular views. Thus, blessed Augustine, in agreement with the Jewish synagogue, saw in the content of the Song of Songs an allegorical representation of the history of ancient Hebrews (“The City of God” book XVII, 8, 13, 20, Russian translation of the Works of Augustine, part 5, 2nd ed., 1907, Kiev). Saint Ambrose of Milan, on the contrary, gave a completely independent from synagogue traditions Christian allegorical interpretation of the Song of Songs: according to his opinion (in his Sermon on the perpetual virginity of Saint Mary), the Shulammite of the Song of Songs is an allegorical image of the Mother of God. This view is expressed many times by the Catholic Church in its liturgical services: using the Song of Songs in worship, it typically applies readings from it to the Feasts of the Mother of God (for example, at the Nativity of the Mother of God, the Annunciation, and the Dormition the first chapter of the Song of Songs is read). In the worship of the Orthodox Church, readings from the book of the Song of Songs are not used, but in canons and generally in services in honor of the Mother of God she is very often ascribed expressions from this book (“sealed fountain,” “enclosed garden,” “you are all fair and there is no spot in you” and others). But the common and distinctly expressed Orthodox Church interpretation of the Song of Songs is the explanation of the relations of the Beloved or Bridegroom and the Beloved or Bride of the book in the sense of the gracious mystery of the union of Christ-God and humanity-the Church, and according to Church understanding, the Song of Songs is the highest of all Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, even as it were not a prophecy but a historical portrayal of Christ incarnate, made man, and accomplishing the work of salvation of humanity. In the “Synopsis” or Survey of sacred books of Saint Athanasius the Great on the Song of Songs we read: All in it from beginning to end is written mysteriously, with enigmatic allegory, and the meaning of the doctrines contained in it is not in the letter but deeply hidden beneath it… Therefore only the wise can read this book; but even they, when reading it, must always keep allegory in mind, so that by the ignorance of the unlearned that which is expounded in it is not made subject to ridicule. It is called the Song of Songs because it follows after other songs, and after this song no other song can be expected… All Divine Scripture prophesies of the coming to us of the Word and his manifestation in the flesh. This constitutes a special object of God’s will, and the proclamation of this was the primary work of the prophets and all Divine Scripture… All these prophecies are songs, and the Song of Songs as it were no longer prophesies or foretells, but shows Him of whom others proclaimed, as though already come and having taken on human flesh. Therefore the Song of Songs sings as it were the bridal song at the wedding of the Word with the flesh. And although other Scriptures also speak of the Savior, yet they also proclaim something else, but this book sings of the union of the Word with the flesh alone. In other Scriptures, as containing something other than teaching about the Word, there are found expressions of anger, wrath, and threatening fear, but this book, singing only of the coming of the Word, speaks only of pleasantness, joy, and gladness, for in the presence of the bridegroom all should rejoice and it is not fitting for anyone to weep, as the Lord himself said (Matt 9:15). Therefore, as after the dispensation accomplished by the Savior we no longer expect a prophet, so after that which is signified in the Song of Songs we ought not expect anything else, any newer thing signifying something. Just as the law and the prophets ceased after John the Baptist pointed to the Lamb of God, so that which is sung in the Song of Songs is the end of all that is proclaimed in all Divine Scripture… As in the law there was a holy place, and beyond the holy place—the Holy of Holies, and beyond the Holy of Holies there was already no inner place, so after songs there is still the Song of Songs, and after the Song of Songs one ought not expect an inner and newer promise: for the Word once “became flesh and accomplished the work…” (Christian Reading 1841, part 4, pp. 370–374).

Thus, the common view of the ancient and subsequent Christian Church on the Song of Songs is the recognition in it of allegory or metaphor with the highest religious meaning, just as the ancient Jewish synagogue saw in the Song of Songs precisely an allegory, a parable—a mashal. Allegorical understanding of the Song of Songs was for the ancient Jewish and Christian interpreters and remains to this day naturally and even inevitably necessary in view of the following circumstances and considerations. Already the indicated meaning of the book’s title, in which the latter is recognized as surpassing in dignity other sacred books, of itself spoke and always inspires interpreters and readers of the Song of Songs that the author of the title—a person probably different from the sacred writer of the book (as is already shown by the form of the relative pronoun used in the title—asher, whereas in the book itself only the shortened form of this pronoun is found)—attributed the highest meaning to the content of the book and by no means could see in it—in its literal sense—a simple description of worldly sexual love; otherwise, could he, like any true Israelite, place a secular work above many divine Psalms, songs of Moses, Miriam, Deborah, and the God-inspired words of the prophets, which are all called simply songs? Then, it is beyond doubt that the Song of Songs owes its acceptance into the canon of Sacred books to the higher religious meaning of its content, which is given only by its allegorical interpretation. Contrary to the false understanding of biblical rationalism of the canon as a simple collection of ancient national Hebrew literature, the compilers of the Old Testament canon set two necessary conditions for the acceptance of a book into it: religious content and sanctity, founded on Divine inspiration. These two conditions the Song of Songs, thanks to its higher meaning, satisfied fully, as is evident from the following passage in the Mishna (tractate Yadaim, chapter III, §§ 4–5), where discussion is held on the correctness of the canonization of two books—Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs: “Said Rabbi Akiba: God forbid! no one in Israel ever disputed that the Song of Songs renders the hands unclean, for the whole world is not worth the day on which the Song of Songs was given to Israel, for all books are holy, but the Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies.” Finally, allegorical or metaphorical, not literal understanding of the Song of Songs was and is inevitable in any complete view of its content; in the latter—in literal understanding—a whole series of contradictions is noted in the position of the main characters and their mutual relationships. The Beloved or Bridegroom of the Song of Songs is at one and the same time both a shepherd (Song 1:6; Song 6:2) and a vintner (Song 5:1) and a crowned king (Song 1:11; Song 3:11); and the Beloved or Bride appears now as a shepherdess (Song 1:7) now as a vineyard keeper (Song 1:5), now as a royal daughter and queen (Song 6:7-8); in like manner in the mutual relationships they appear now as brother and sister (Song 4:12), now as bridegroom and bride or husband and wife (Song 1:14; Song 2:7); further in the character and actions of the Beloved there are also many mutually contradictory traits: she is both imperfect (Song 1:4) and perfect (Song 4:1); being near her Beloved as her husband, she nevertheless does not know his whereabouts (Song 1:6) and seeks him at night through the dark streets of the city (Song 3:2-4), with the participation of the crowd of Jerusalem women (Song 5:8-17), and the city watchmen meet her, beat her, and strip her (Song 5:7). All these differences and contradictions, which cannot be removed in a literal understanding of the content of the Song of Songs, of themselves point to another, higher or metaphorical interpretation of it.

It is true that the general concert of allegorical interpretations—both in the Jewish synagogue and already in the ancient Christian Church—was sometimes interrupted by the discord of individual voices, who attempted to understand and explain the content of the Song of Songs in a direct, literal sense, but these were precisely isolated opinions of people who in some way had broken with the general tradition—synagogal and Christian-ecclesiastical, and both the synagogue and the church met them with complete condemnation. Without mentioning various attempts of this kind in Judaism (belonging mostly to anonymous authors), among Christian literalists we may name Theodore bishop of Mopsuestia (5th century), condemned for literal interpretation of the Song of Songs by the Fifth Ecumenical Council. In literal understanding, the Shulammite of the Song of Songs was identified either with Abishag the Shunammite (1 Sam 1:1-4) or with the daughter of Pharaoh, wife of Solomon (1 Sam 3:1), or with some other bride or concubine of Solomon. In modern times, numerous advocates of literal understanding of the book among German biblical scholars, especially the renowned biblicist Ewald, developed a new theory, according to which in the Song of Songs is sung the steadfastness of pure passionate love and its triumph over all the enticements of honor and wealth; the object of the Shulammite’s love here is not Solomon but a simple shepherd, her fellow countryman, with whom she was temporarily separated, taken to the palace of Solomon, but here she, despite all the caresses and promises, remained faithful to her beloved and finally was released to him and united with him in marriage. That this hypothesis has no support in the text of the Song (namely in the places pointed to by its advocates: Song 1:3) and is generally groundless is clear.

The middle position between allegorical and literal interpretation is occupied by typological interpretation, developed in part by Hugo Grotius and Bossuet, and mainly by Hoffmann and Delitzsch, and among us by Kossovich, according to which the love depicted in the Song of Songs is an actual historical fact from the life of Solomon, but the depiction of this love has not as its goal that which is itself, but serves as a model of higher spiritual love and the relationship of man to God. According to this understanding, in Delitzsch’s opinion, the Song of Songs appears as a highly valuable sacred work in three respects: 1) in the religious-moral, as a depiction of the high idea of marriage, 2) in the ecclesiastical-historical—as a depiction of the fate of the Hebrew people and Church during the time of Solomon, and 3) finally, in the typological, insofar as in marriage it prefigures the union of Christ with the Church. Prompted by the desire to reconcile the extremes of the first two interpretations, typological understanding has its significance in the explanation of the mysterious book of the Song of Songs. But complete penetration into the content and original significance of it according to the intention of its sacred writer constitutes a difficulty hardly surmountable. The view of this by the Jewish synagogue was well expressed by the 10th century Jewish commentator Saadia: “Know, my brother, that there are various explanations of this book, and it could not be otherwise, because the Song of Songs is like a castle from which the key has been lost; some affirm that it refers to the Israelite kingdom, others—to the Law, others—to the times of captivity, still others—to the Messiah.” Therefore, as the testimony of Origen and Jerome shows, among the Hebrews it was forbidden to read this book (as well as the beginning of the book of Genesis and the beginning and end of the book of the prophet Ezekiel) before the age of thirty. That similar caution is obligatory in the Christian Church as well, we have seen from the words of Saint Athanasius the Great.

However, while preferring the allegorical method of explaining the book of the Song of Songs, as accepted by the holy Church, to any other, we must nevertheless avoid those extremes of baseless and removed from the actual content of the book allegorism, the presence of which is very evident in the works of many Orthodox German biblicists (Hahn, Hengstenberg, Schefer, and others). Allegory should be only a principle of explanation of the book, by no means displacing the content given in the book, but only regulating the overview of the latter and illuminating it with a higher light. The necessary duty of the interpreter in this consists in establishing as precisely as possible those mediating representations through which the literal content of the book is connected with the higher ideas of the allegory, which in any case must be supported by the data of the content of the book itself, and not borrow its material independently from the book, from outside it. Such significance and such application of the allegorical principle in explaining the book of the Song of Songs seems, apparently, to be outlined in the “Synopsis” of Saint Athanasius. “All this book,” he says, “is filled with conversations of the Old Testament Church with the Word, of all mankind with the Word, and of the Church from the pagans with Him, and again—of the Word with her and with mankind. Then the conversation of the pagans with Jerusalem and of Jerusalem—about the Church of the pagans and about itself. Further, an invocation of the serving Angels to those called into faith… Adapting oneself to such conversations in the Song of Songs, each one, examining the book itself, may combine according to the meaning similar events among themselves” (Christian Reading 1841, part 4, pp. 379–380).

As for the external, so to speak, literary form of the Song of Songs and its structure or composition, in this respect too it occupies a special, exclusive position among other Old Testament sacred books. It completely lacks a narrative element, the sacred writer of the book does not express from his own person a single thought, not a single explanatory remark; the entire book from the first verse to the last presents a series of emotional outpourings and generally the speeches of the persons acting in its content, whereas in the book of Job, which is close to it in this respect, the historical or narrative element not only has a place in the first two and the last chapters of the book, but also appears repeatedly in the middle of the book, at times interrupting the flow of speeches. Such a peculiarity of the Song of Songs could not fail to attract the attention of its interpreters. And even Origen appreciated, though hardly exactly, the significance of this circumstance. By the character of the book’s content, Origen calls it “a bridal song,” epithalamium, and indeed such a “bridal song, after the model of which also the pagans composed for themselves a wedding song and from which they took the content for this song. For the Song of Songs is a bridal song” (p. 140); as to literary form of exposition, Origen calls the Song a drama, fabula, drama. “Of what number of persons,” says Origen, “consists the society described in the Song of Songs, is unknown to me. But by your prayer and the revelation of the Lord, I seem to distinguish among them four kinds of persons: bridegroom and bride, with the bride a company of maidens—her companions, with the bridegroom a company of companions. One speaks as the bride, another—as the bridegroom, something—by the maidens, something by the companions of the bridegroom. For it is natural that at weddings there is with the bride a company of maidens, and with the bridegroom a crowd of companions. Seek all this not without, not outside those who are saved through the preaching of the Gospel. Under the bridegroom understand Christ, under the bride without spot or blemish—the Church—according to Eph 5:27. In the faithful maidens accompanying the bride, in the souls of the maidens,—understand those who, while being true to Christ, are not such as those of whom it was said above, and appear to have received salvation only in some measure, and under the men accompanying the bridegroom, understand the Angels and those who have attained to a perfect man” (p. 140). Recognizing the Song of Songs as a drama and indicating in it four mentioned groups of characters, Origen in his commentary divides the book into sections—as it were acts or scenes, and in the explanation always indicates to which character those or other words belong.

In his view that the Song of Songs was written in the manner of a drama, Origen was not alone in Christian antiquity: his point of view on this subject was shared not only by other teachers of the Alexandrian teaching school, but it is also cited in the Sinai manuscript of the LXX translation, where the Song of Songs has divisions into four acts, as well as inscriptions over smaller sections with indication of to whom this or that speech belongs (similar divisions and inscriptions were preserved also in the Ethiopic translation of the Song of Songs, made from the text of the LXX). However, all these ancient Church teachers did not have the idea that the Song of Songs was written for the stage or was even actually ever performed on it. Meanwhile, in modern times (in the 19th century) a whole series of Western scholars in their works on the Song of Songs developed precisely this idea of its stage purpose and of its actual performance on theatrical boards (Ewald, Fürst, Nöldeke, Bettcher, Renan, Kempf, and others). But in reality, the biblical Hebrews, like the Semites in general, had neither drama nor theater, on the contrary, always felt an organic aversion to both the one and the other. And no biblical critic, an advocate of the drama theory, has managed to prove the presence in the Song of Songs of all dramatic elements, a dramatically sustained dialogue, action, place of scene, uniform division of the play into acts and scenes, division of roles. The mentioned ancient divisions—in Origen, in the Sinai codex, and in the Ethiopic translation, without doubt, had nothing in common with the supposed stage purpose of the book, but indicated, probably, homiletic or exegetical use of the book (sections like our Church lessons).

But if in the book of the Song of Songs there is no actual dramatic action, there is in it a complete and living, organic unity of the basic idea, developing throughout its entire course: many sought to defend this unity of the book between, among others, supporters of the drama theory against supporters of the fragmentary theory, according to which the Song represents a series of disconnected fragments or pieces of a song character. The unity and wholeness of the book is indisputably proved by the following data:

1) The unity of the persons acting in the song: not only the main characters—the Bridegroom and the Bride, Solomon and the Shulammite, but also the secondary characters, the daughters of Jerusalem, appear in all parts of the book with the same characters, aspirations, and purposes and in the same setting. For example, the name of Solomon or “the king” (i.e., also Solomon) runs through the entire book (Song 1:3-4); similarly—“the daughters of Jerusalem” (Song 1:4); the mother of the Shulammite is mentioned repeatedly, but not her father (Song 1:5).

2) Unity of the author’s literary devices throughout all parts of the book. The sacred writer once developed his own special expressions and scattered them throughout all parts of the book; many expressions are repeated in different sections with almost literal exactness. Such, for example, are the epithets: “fairest among women,”—“he whom my soul loves”; or—three times repeated adjuration to the Jerusalem women not to awake love (Song 2:7), or—three times repeated question: “Who is she?” (Song 3:6) and others.

3) Finally, especially—the unity and gradual development of the basic content of the book and its particular details. The feeling of love of the Bride for the Bridegroom at the beginning appears as it were in embryo, uncertain and indefinite (Song 1:1-3), and in the end becomes strong as death, a true divine flame which nothing can quench (Song 8:6-8); and the Bride herself, previously imperfect (Song 1:4), now attains fullness and perfection (Song 8:10). One can observe in the song a change of seasons: winter, spring (Song 2:11-13), summer (Song 4:11), and autumn (Song 7:8-9).

If to the said about the internal unity of the Song of Songs we add that also in its language unity is observed in word usage in its different parts, then all grounds fall away for dividing the book into any, especially of different time origin, pericopes or fragments. With that, all sense is lost in the denial of the origin of the book from Solomon, so widespread in the West. (According to the opinion, for example, of König, there can be no question of the origin of the book from Solomon in view of the fact that allegedly the language and ideological content of the book indicate the beginning of the post-exile period, Orthodox science, on the contrary, has no reason to depart in this question from the testimony of tradition, according to which the author of the book was precisely the wise King Solomon. This tradition is expressed already in the very title of the book, as well as in the testimony of the Talmud (tractate Baba batra, fol. 14, b.), that the Song of Songs was written by Solomon, but collected and published by King Hezekiah. As a work of Solomon, sacred in Jewish synagogues, the Song of Songs has been read from ancient times and to this day on the eighth day of the Jewish Passover holiday. The Jewish tradition differed only in deciding when, at what age, Solomon wrote the Song of Songs: according to the Midrash, Solomon wrote the Song in his old age, whereas the prevailing view of Jewish tradition was that the “Song of Songs” was written by Solomon in his youth, whereas the “Proverbs”—in his mature age, and Ecclesiastes—in his old age. The latter view is preferable and prevails in the Christian Church as well.

In Russian there are: 1) A translation of the book from the Hebrew text—by Archimandrite Macarius (Glukharev) Christian Reading 1871, I; 2) A translation of it from the Greek LXX—by Bishop Porphyry (Uspensky)—Works (of the Neva Theological Academy 1869, June, pp. 103–118); 3) An explanation of the Song (Song 3 and Song 4:16)—in “Resurrection Reading,” chapter V (1841, 159–160) and chapter VII 1843), p. 64; 4) Professor of SPB. Theological Academy I. S. Yakimov, “On the Origin of the Song of Songs”—Christian Reading 1887, vol. I, pp. 569 et seq.; and 5) Professor of the Kiev Theological Academy A. A. Olesnitsky, “The Song of Songs and its Recent Critics”—in Works of the Kiev Theological Academy 1881–1882 and separately—Kiev 1882, p. 387. The work of Professor A. A. Olesnitsky is the most capital scholarly work on the Song of Songs, standing not only on the same level with the best works of Western scholarly bibliological literature, but far surpassing many of them. In this work the author not only very thoroughly set forth the traditional data on the canonical character and methods of explanation of the Song of Songs in the Jewish synagogue and Christian Church, and then established the relationship of the most important ancient texts of the book, especially the Hebrew—Masoretic and Greek—LXX; not only gave the fullest survey and critical analysis of the numerous views and theories of Western biblicists concerning the Song of Songs, but also presented in conclusion his own original and most talented attempt at explaining this book—“a new method of solving the Song of Songs” (pp. 336–337). Stopping on those places of the book (Song 4:1-5; Song 6:4-7; Song 7:2-6) in which is given the most detailed description of the Bride, Professor Olesnitsky finds here the following peculiarities: first, anatomical detail in the enumeration of individual parts of the figure (lips, palate, tongue, feet, thighs, navel); second, broad, exclusive use in describing the members of the bride’s body of various strokes from pictures of nature, whereby the latter decidedly overshadow purely human features (“your eyes are doves,” Song 1:14, “Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes coming up from the bath, each one bearing twins, and not one among them bereaved” Song 4:2; “your neck is like the tower of David, built for an arsenal” Song 4:4 and many others). From this, “since in the Song of Songs the purely human image of the bride contends with pictures of nature, and since in this contest for supremacy pictures of nature prevail by force and fullness of depiction, the first step toward solving the book should consist in a new illumination of it, which is given by transferring the center of gravity from the supposed foundation of the book or the human image of the bride to the overlooked by investigators actual foundation or depiction of nature” (p. 346). The possibility of comparing pictures of nature with the human figure of the bride in the mouth of the biblical poet is fully understandable. By the special poetical world-view of the ancient Hebrews, the earth, as mother and nourisher of all living, is represented as the feminine principle; hence the name of the earth eretz in the feminine gender. Individual countries or states are called its daughters or maidens, brides: maiden, daughter of Egypt Jer 46:11; maiden, daughter of Sidon Isa 23:12; maiden, daughter of Babylon Isa 47:1; but especially often biblical writers apply this image to the promised land: maiden, daughter of Israel, maiden, daughter of Judah, maiden, daughter of my people (of Jehovah) Jer 14:17; Isa 10:32; Amos 5:2 and so forth.

Thus, if the Song of Songs is devoted to the depiction of nature, then the introduction into this depiction of the human image of a Hebrew maiden will be fully intelligible, much more in the spirit of ancient Hebrew world-view than the reverse introduction of pictures of nature into the poetical depiction of human (feminine) beauty (p. 348). Grouping then all the strokes and pictures of nature joined in the Song of Songs (flora, fauna, the inorganic kingdom, products of national sustenance, changes of phenomena of day and night, seasons, etc.), as well as strokes depicting local human culture (watch and military towers, arsenals, cities with their various appurtenances), Professor Olesnitsky comes to the conclusion that the sacred writer of the Song of Songs intended to depict precisely Palestine, namely depicted in a similar way in Deuteronomy (Deut 6:10-11) and in the prophets. Correspondingly with this, the bridegroom of the Song of Songs (according to the depiction Song 5:10-16) must belong to visible nature, at least reveal himself in the phenomena of visible nature. But whereas the pictures and strokes depicting the bride completely gravitate toward the low earthly nature, the strokes collected in the image of the bridegroom, though they touch the earth, belong themselves to the higher ethereal region of light… As we gaze more at these light-flooded pictures, the human image of the bridegroom increasingly fades and finally transforms into a radiant image of the sun (p. 353). As precisely Palestinian nature, the bride of the Song of Songs strives toward her Palestinian sun (p. 358). But as the bride is not only Palestinian earth but also the Hebrew people inhabiting it, so the bridegroom is not only the beneficial for the earth physical force—the sun, but also the political force—the king, whom the prophet (Jer 15:9) poetically calls the sun; more specifically, King Solomon. But the highest force beneficial to the land of Palestine and to Israel was the Divine force, to which both the physical force of the sun and the political force of the king owed their being and action. In the sun and the azure rising above the earth King Solomon, as the beneficial genius of the country, of himself evoked in the poet’s mind the image of the glorified Messiah, destined to appear in the clouds of glory and complete all the highest supernal blessings to the people (p. 362).

Such is the explanation of Professor Olesnitsky, as he himself tells us, suggested to him by the Jew Tailard and by him merely developed. Like every human theory, it does not exclude objections against itself, but, in our conviction, it is founded on a deep understanding of Eastern, more specifically, biblical-Hebrew world-view, on deep penetration into the spirit and meaning of biblical images of sacred writers, and in any case points out the reliable path on which one should conduct the investigation and explanation of the Song of Songs.

The natural soil on which the sacred poet and sage depicted the incomparably beautiful and exalted image of the most perfect passionate love of man and society—the Church—to God is the mighty feeling of the joy of life, sexual love, and love of nature. One would hardly be wrong to say, as Gustav Karpeles does, about the subject of the Song of Songs: “There, amid the storms that swept through the people’s life, poured forth this song from a heart into which the cheerful surroundings cast their brightest rays and in which lived an wonderful capacity to see how clearly the flowers shine, how the date palm sends forth its shoots, how the vine rises upward and how the flower of the pomegranate trees opens… Neither Greece nor all the rest of the East ever produced, nor could produce such a song of love. If it rises so immeasurably above all its kindred creations, it is thanks to the wondrous harmonious union of passionate sensuality and the purest morality, which constitutes the invisible pulsing of the heart of the entire song. To depict more deeply and truly purely human love is impossible… And alongside these charms of love, charmingly affecting us in this poem are above all the idyllic scenes from life in the bosom of nature: we find here such a charming immersion in the external, surrounding nature as we will not encounter in all erotic poetry. The poet introduces us into blooming luxuriant nature” (“History of Hebrew Literature” vol. I, pp. 78–79). One must only remember that both the love of nature and the history of one’s native people, and sexual love and aesthetic feeling of beauty, and the enjoyment of the joys of life and even the aspiration toward wisdom in the sacred writer of the book “Song of Songs” as a true theocrat and servant of Jehovah were completed in religious feeling and reverence before Jehovah. Although the name of God in this book (as in the book of Esther) according to the accepted Hebrew text, as well as according to ancient translations of the book, is not found, but the religious spirit breathes throughout the entire content of the book and with complete clarity and force is expressed in those words of the Bride in Song 8:6-7, which constitute the main, basic thought of the entire book: “Set me as a seal upon your heart—as a ring upon your hand: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the arrows of it are arrows of fire; it is a very mighty flame (according to a more accurate translation by Archimandrite Macarius: it is the flame of God). Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers overflow it. If a man gave all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly despised.” Only the sacred flame of Divine love, which with its heavenly touch sanctifies every kind of earthly love (compare Jas 4:4-6), elevates the “bridal song” of the Song of Songs to the level of a high religious hymn, and makes the book itself an immortal creation of the inspired human spirit under the action of the Spirit of God.

From the countless attempts at dividing the content of our book, we accept, as more natural, the division of the entire picture of all the content of the book into the following sections or particular pictures. Section one: Song 1:1 – Song 2:1-7. Section two: Song 2:8 – Song 3:5) Song 3:6 – Song 5:1) Song 5:2 – Song 6:3) Song 6:4 – Song 7:6) Song 7:1 – Song 8:4) Song 8:5-14.

* * *

In both the Hebrew and Greek text the title of the book constitutes the first verse of the first chapter of it; in the Vulgate, however, as also in our Slavonic and Russian Bible, the title stands separately and does not form part of the first chapter.

According to rabbinic-Talmudic terminology, the term “render unclean the hands” with respect to sacred Books meant their canonical dignity. On the origin and meaning of this strange term one can read in Professor A. A. Olesnitsky’s “Song of Songs and its Recent Critics” Kiev 1882, p. 14.

Ed König Einleitung in das Alte Testament mit Einschluss der Apocryphen und der Pseudepigraphen Alten Testaments. Bonn 1893, p. 422 ff. Otherwise and closer to the truth judges about the time of origin of the Song of Songs another German scholar Gustav Karpeles. Comparing the “Song of Songs” with the well-known praise of the virtuous woman in the book of Proverbs chapter XXXI, G. Karpeles says “It cannot be supposed that this hymn in praise of the virtuous woman, and the “Song of Songs” could have originated at one and the same time. In the hymn, as in all the maxims of the “Book of Proverbs” concerning women and love, a fully ethical character predominates; in the “Song of Songs”—an aesthetic: in the first—a mood predominantly moral, in the second—deeply passionate. External and internal reasons force us to accept that the hymn was included in the collection of proverbs later, when more mature views on woman and her significance in social life prevailed; the composition of the “Song of Songs,” however, probably followed immediately after Solomon’s death, and was written in northern Palestine.” G. Karpeles. History of Hebrew Literature. Russian translation under the editorship of A. Y. Garkavi. Vol. I. SPB. 1896, p. 78. But what compels the researcher to consider the “Song of Songs” written only “immediately after Solomon’s death,” and not during his lifetime and not by himself? Serious grounds for this do not exist.

Chapter One

1–7. The Bride, named the Shulammite (Song 7:1), first in a monologue with herself (verses 1–3), and then, addressing the women of Jerusalem (verses 4–7) expresses her passionate love for the Bridegroom and her earnest longing for him. 8–16. The Bridegroom, who has just appeared, praises the Bride with commendation (verses 8–10, 14) and in turn hears enthusiastic praise directed to him from her side (verses 11–13, 15–16).

Song of Songs 1:1. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your caresses are better than wine Song of Songs 1:2. From the fragrance of your ointments, your name is like precious oil poured out; therefore the maidens love you. Song of Songs 1:3. Draw me after you; we will run after you; – the king has brought me into his chambers; – we will be glad and rejoice in you, we will extol your love more than wine; they love you with justice! Seized by the ecstasy of love for the Bridegroom, yielding with her whole being to the impulse and fervor of love, the Bride lives only in the thought of him, strives with all her soul to unite with him, and involuntarily expresses a desire for the Bridegroom to give her a tangible manifestation of love—a kiss: “let him kiss me,” says the Bride of her Beloved, not even naming him by name, for to her loving heart the object of love is too well known, “me with the kisses of his mouth!” (verse 1). Human sexual love is the mutual attraction of two polar opposites. But such polar opposites exist also in the kingdom of nature generally, in political and social life, and in religion; hence the passionate love and attraction to the Bridegroom that the Bride possesses—in a transferred or figurative sense may mean: 1) the yearning of the earth generally and of Palestinian nature in particular toward the sun, as the source of heat, light, and life; 2) the longing of a land, for instance Palestine, toward the King, as the moral sun of the land; 3) finally, and most importantly, the gracious and mystical yearning of humanity or the Church—both of the Old Testament and the New Testament—for union with God and Christ. In that case the Bride’s indicated yearning for union with the Beloved will signify the burning desire of the members of the Church of the Old Testament—the prophets and righteous people generally—to behold Christ Himself (see Matt 13:16-17). Thus Origen and Jerome explain the meaning of the words: “let him kiss me”: “The meaning of these words is this: as long as my Bridegroom will be sending me kisses through Moses, as long as he will be giving me kisses through the prophets? I already wish to touch his own lips: let him come himself, let him himself come down to me” (p. 140). That the thought of the Church or community of believers in its relation to God and the Messiah was already clearly understood by David is evident from the psalm parallel in content to the Song of Songs, Psalm 44 (Hebrew 45), which portrays (especially in its second half, verses 10–18) the gracious and mystical relationship of Christ and the Church (see “Commentary on the Psalter” of Euthymius Zigabenus, translated from the Greek, 3rd edition, Kiev, 1907, pp. 347–363). “For your caresses are better than wine.” These words and all of verse 2, as also verse 3, represent a justification of the passionate desire expressed by the Bride to receive a kiss from her Beloved. But here there is a difference between the Hebrew Masoretic text on the one hand and the Greek, Vulgate, Slavonic, and Russian on the other. The Hebrew dodekha—your caresses—in addressing a man, as the sequence of discourse requires. However, the reading dod—“caress”—most probably represents an intentional, tendentious correction of the original dada, the female breasts, virginal bosoms (cf. Ezek 23:3; Prov 5:19), as it appears in the LXX text: μαστοι σου, in the Vulgate: ubera tua, in Slavonic: “your breasts.” Before the Hebrew scribes stood here a difficulty scarcely surmountable. In accordance with the general view of the Hebrew synagogue concerning the Song of Songs as a depiction of God’s love for the community of Israel, they had to see here an address to a man (God), but the seeming inappropriateness of the word dada in such a context opposed this; therefore they either changed the concrete dada into the abstract “caress” or changed the masculine suffix (ha) to the feminine suffix (h), reading dadayh. Direct evidence of this is preserved in the Mishnah (tractate Avoda Zara, chapter II, § 5). But from the perspective of a broader symbolic and allegorical understanding of the idea of the book Song of Songs, the concrete meaning is entirely acceptable and accepted in the LXX, in the Vulgate, and in the Slavonic, as a symbol of the tenderness of love and the abundance of goods bestowed by the Beloved. The comparison of love with wine indicates the fullness of all kinds of joy and gladness (cf. Ps 103:15). “From the fragrance of your ointments (Archimandrite Makary: your ointments are pleasant to the sense of smell) your name, like precious oil poured out.” Slavonic: “the fragrance of your perfume surpasses all aromas, precious oil poured out—your name.” “Ointments” or “oil,” Hebrew shemen, oil—also a symbol of joy (Prov 21:17), but more often the joy of the higher kind bestowed by grace (cf. Ps 44:8-9; Isa 61:3). “The anointing with oil is the descent of the Holy Spirit. For the Holy Spirit gladdens the heart” (Euthymius Zigabenus, p. 354). Interpreters have been troubled by understanding the Hebrew turak, rendered in the LXX: εκκενωθεν, Vulgate effusum, Slavonic “poured out,” Russian “precious oil poured out.” It is not improbable that the view (Raabe, Professor Olesnitsky) that the root of this word should be sought in the Sanskrit taraka—star, so that the name of the Beloved will unite in itself all that is best in the world of stars. “Many,” we read in Origen and Jerome, “have had perfumes. The Queen of the South brought perfumes to Solomon, and many others possessed perfumes; but whatever perfumes one might have, they cannot be compared to the fragrances of Christ, of which the Bride now speaks: the fragrance of your ointments surpasses all aromas. I think that both Moses and Aaron and each of the prophets had perfumes. But if I behold Christ and perceive the pleasantness and fragrance of His ointments, then at once I will declare my opinion with the words: the fragrance of your ointments surpasses all aromas. The words: precious oil poured out—your name!—are a prophetic mystery…. As precious oil by its pouring forth spreads fragrance far and wide, so the name of Christ is also spread abroad. Throughout the whole earth Christ is glorified, throughout the whole world the Lord is proclaimed. For precious oil poured out is His name. Now the name of Moses is known, his fame once being limited to the narrow confines of Judea…. But as soon as Jesus shone forth in the world, he brought forth with himself from obscurity the law and the prophets, and truly the word was fulfilled: precious oil poured out is your name” (pp. 144–145). The comparison of a good name with fragrant oil and precious oil is found, probably not without the influence of the Song of Songs, also in Eccl 7:1; Hos 14:7-8; Sir 49:1 (the alliteration of the words shem—name and shemen—oil was not without significance here). The concluding words of verse 2: “therefore the maidens love you” partly express a conclusion from what was said before about the perfections of the Bridegroom, partly form a transition from the Bride’s monologue to the words of the chorus of women of Jerusalem—probably the handmaidens of Solomon (cf. verse 4). Verse 3, which constitutes a development and justification of the thought at the end of verse 2, presents a parallel to the latter: the passionate striving of the Bride toward the Bridegroom is expressed not only in her longing for his kisses (verse 1), but also in an active striving toward the closest union with him, and the Bride expresses her ecstasy and impulse of love and attraction to the Bridegroom both to the chorus of court women of Jerusalem that now appears. “When she was asking the father of the Bridegroom and addressing the Bridegroom himself directly, the maidens were not yet present. But during her conversation with the Bridegroom a chorus of maidens enters and is introduced to him by the words of the Bride” (Origen and Jerome, pp. 145–146). “The king has brought me into his chambers.” “He does not say: he brought many into his bedchamber. Many remain outside, into the bedchamber enters only the Bride alone, that she might see the hidden and secret treasures and announce to the handmaidens: the king has brought me into his bedchamber” (Origen and Jerome, there). Meanwhile the handmaidens… upon the Bride’s entering the Bridegroom’s bedchamber and while she is examining there the riches of her husband, while awaiting the Bridegroom’s coming, joyfully sing: we will be glad and rejoice in you. They rejoice in the perfection of the Bride. In virtue there is no envy. This love is pure, without stain…. Then, pointing to the Bride, to the Bridegroom: righteousness loves you. They praise the Bride, giving her from her own virtue the name of righteousness (there, p. 147). The end of verse 3, moreover, is not read the same in different LXX texts as in Origen—ευθυτης ηγαπησε σε, Slavonic “righteousness loved you.” Vulgate recti diligend te. But the Hebrew meshrim in the expression of the Hebrew Masoretic meshrim agevucha, conveniently can be rendered by the adverb: “with justice” (Russian Synodal translation) or: “by right” (Archimandrite Makary), in analogy with Ps 57:2.Song of Songs 1:4. O daughters of Jerusalem! I am dark, but beautiful, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon. Song of Songs 1:5. Do not look at me, that I am dark, for the sun has burned me: the sons of my mother were angry with me, they made me keeper of the vineyards; my own vineyard I have not kept. Song of Songs 1:6. Tell me, you whom my soul loves: where do you pasture? where do you rest at noon? why should I be like a wanderer beside the flocks of your companions? Song of Songs 1:7. If you do not know this, O most beautiful of women, go yourself in the footsteps of the sheep and pasture your goats beside the shepherds’ tents. The Bride’s remark addressed to the daughters of Jerusalem: “I am dark, but beautiful, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon” (verse 4) has the character of a sort of apology or explanation, perhaps provoked by a mocking remark from one of the “daughters of Jerusalem” regarding the Bride’s direct enthusiastic outpourings of feeling and her expressed certain unfamiliarity with court etiquette. From many features of the Bride’s conversation and circumstance she emerges as a provincial, recently arrived in the circle of Solomon’s court ladies. Explaining her darkness (verse 4) or swarthiness (verse 5), the Bride, first, compares it—in respect of color—to the dark felt (of goat hair) tents of the Kedarites—a people descended from Ishmael (Gen 25:13) and partly nomadic, partly living in open settlements between Petræan Arabia and Babylonia (Isa 60:7; Jer 49:28-29: Onomast. 614); and in respect of beauty and attractiveness—to the curtains or pavilions of Solomon (probably royal pavilions of Solomon during his out-of-town summer journeys, like the tents of modern Arab sheikhs). The cause of her darkness or swarthiness is indicated (verse 5) in the action of the sun. “She is beautiful, and one can even point out how the Bride is beautiful. But we ask, how is she, being dark and without whiteness, beautiful? She has brought repentance for her sins, conversion has given her beauty, therefore she is hymned as beautiful. But since she has not yet been cleansed from all the filth of sins, has not yet been washed in the water of salvation, she is called dark; yet she does not remain forever in dark color. She becomes white when she strives for greater things and from low places begins to ascend to higher, and then it is said of her: who is this rising, becoming white?” Song 8:5 (Origen and Jerome, p. 147). Similarly, the Midrash explains the opposition of darkness and beauty in relation to the manifold transgressions and uprisings of the Israeli community in the Old Testament, for example, concerning the resistance of the Hebrews to God in Egypt (Ezek 20:8) and—their purification by the blood of the Paschal Lamb and circumcision (Ezek 16:9), and the opposition of weekdays and the Sabbath, ordinary days of the year and the day of atonement, the present age and the age to come (Der Midrasch Schir-ha-Schirim, ubers. v. A. Wunsche, Leipz. 1880, p. 30). But the opposition of the Bride as a provincial to the “daughters of Jerusalem” allows one to see in her not only the Jewish synagogue, but also that “pagan barren church” which around the time of Solomon showed a particular striving for religious and every other kind of union with Israel (the visit to Solomon by the Queen of Sheba (1 Sam 10:1-9), who, according to the opinion of Blessed Theodoret, was an image of all well-disposed and honest pagans, who were justified without the law according to the Apostle Rom 11:14-15. Blessed Theodoret, Commentary on 3 Kings, question 33. See Commentary on the Bible, vol. II, p. 413), because of which Solomon prayed to Jehovah, that in the temple built by him God would be pleased to receive the prayers of pagans also. (1 Sam 8:41-43). “When the voice of the Savior is heard, saying: ‘the Queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and will condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon: and behold, a greater than Solomon is here’ (Matt 12:42), then be attentive to the mysteries offered in these words. From the ends of the earth the Queen of the South comes, the Church, and she condemns the people of this generation, namely the Jews, devoted to flesh and blood. She comes from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, not the one glorified in the Old Testament, but the one who in the Gospel is greater than Solomon,” Origen and Jerome, p. 149. In that case the opposition of outward deformity (pagan life) and inner beauty (the souls of the best pagans) stands out with special distinctness. Further, explaining why the sun had particularly destructively affected her outward appearance, the Bride points out that her “mother’s sons” (that is, half-brothers, Lev 18:9, or even full brothers, Gen 27:29; Deut 13:6) out of ill will gave her strange and alien work—to guard another’s vineyard, neglecting her own (verse 5). Only at the end of the book does the Bride speak of the wholeness and full belonging to her of her vineyard (Song 8:12). The history of the non-Christian world, both in Judaism and in paganism, is full of examples of how those near by blood often turned away true worshippers of God and zealous pursuers of God’s righteousness from the royal path of their elevated strivings toward low and unworthy affairs. The Midrash in explanation of the words: “they made me keeper of the vineyards” says: “they made me, says Moses, a judge of the disputes of the daughters of Jethro, and ‘my own vineyard I have not kept,’ that is, I did not have the opportunity to undertake the cause of my brothers in Egypt” (p. 34). Origen makes application from this place to the early history of the Christian Church: “Look at Paul, the persecutor of the Church, and you will understand how the son of her mother was hostile to her. The persecutors of the Church repented, and her opponents, returning again under the banner of the sister, preached the faith which they had previously opposed” (p. 150). After addressing the court women, the Bride turns her thought and whole being again toward her Beloved with renewed force of passion, and, despite his absence, speaks to him as if he were present, namely begging him to reveal to her the place where he pastures, where he rests at noon with the flocks, so that she might not be a wanderer (Archimandrite Makary: as if “covered,” which more accurately corresponds to the meaning of Hebrew ata, cf. Gen 38:4; Lev 13:46 etc.) beside the flocks of his companions (verse 6). To this comes a response not free from irony from the “daughters of Jerusalem,” that, since she is not informed concerning her Beloved, let her for the time remain with the flocks of other shepherds (verse 7). It is clear that the innocent Bride naively supposes Solomon to be staying with the flocks, even pasturing them, and this is precisely what gives the court ladies of Solomon occasion for their unfriendly irony. This is very reminiscent of the usually unfriendly attitude of the Jews toward proselytes. Only such God-enlightened men as the prophets: Elijah, Elisha, Jonah and others understood and realized the idea of the union of Israel with all the rest of humanity, at least with its best representatives (1 Sam 17:8-28; Luke 4:25-26; 2 Sam 5:1-19 etc.).

Song of Songs 1:8. To my mare in Pharaoh’s chariots I have likened you, my beloved. Song of Songs 1:9. Your cheeks are beautiful with ornaments, your neck with jewels. Song of Songs 1:10. We will make you golden ornaments with silver accents. Solomon, who has appeared unexpectedly, praises his beloved with commendations, comparing her to the cavalry of Pharaoh in respect of elegance, beauty, and liveliness, and adorning her with all manner of precious ornaments. “What then is the meaning: ‘to my mare in Pharaoh’s chariots I have likened you’? I know that the rider of these is the Bridegroom, as the prophet says: ‘and his ride is salvation’ (Hab 3:8). So you are like my mares in Pharaoh’s chariots. As much as the horses belonging to Me, the Lord, Who drowned in the rivers of Pharaoh, his captains and horsemen, his horses and his chariots (Exod 14), differ from the horses of Pharaoh, so much you, Bride, are better than all the daughters” (Origen, p. 153). In verse 9 (Hebrew 10) the Hebrew battorim in ornaments, the LXX (reading: kattorim) render as ως τρυγογες, Slavonic (your cheeks are beautiful) “like doves,” Vulgate sicut turturis. In aesthetic respect the latter reading has an advantage over the former, though the parallelism of discourse speaks for the Masoretic reading. Regarding verse 10, Origen remarks: “After this the Bridegroom is on his bed, he has rested like a lion, like a young lion he has fallen asleep (Gen 49:9), in order afterward to hear: who will awake him. Meanwhile, during his sleep, the companions of the Bridegroom—the Angels appear and comfort the Bride with these words: we cannot make you golden ornaments, for we are not as rich as your Bridegroom, who has given you a golden necklace” (p. 154).

Song of Songs 1:11. While the king was at his table, my nard gave forth its fragrance. Song of Songs 1:12. A bundle of myrrh is my Beloved to me, between my breasts it remains. Song of Songs 1:13. As a cluster of henna blossoms, my Beloved to me in the vineyards of En-gedi. Verse 11 was understood by proponents of the so-called “shepherd hypothesis” as the Bride’s address not to Solomon, but to another (Ewald, Weigerter, and others) her beloved—an unknown shepherd, interpreting the verse thus: while the king was absent (on a hunt, at war, in camp) and did not burden me with his caresses, I was happy with the memory of my distant friend. But in fact the text speaks not of absence but of the presence of King Solomon at his own table (LXX: εν ανακλισει αυτου, Vulgate in accubito suo. Slavonic “at his repose”). So the verse should be seen as the Bride’s speech concerning her love precisely for Solomon, and this love is presented figuratively under the aroma of nard. Nard (see also Song 4:13-14) is a fragrant plant found in northern and eastern India of the Valerianaceae family (Valeriana Nardostachys tatamansi), from which a strongly fragrant and very precious oil was prepared (John 12:3 sq.), with which people were anointed at feasts in the East. In the Bride’s mention of the fragrance of nard (verse 11), Origen and Jerome see a typological depiction of the anointing of the body of the Savior by Mary with nard myrrh shortly before His sufferings (pp. 156–157). But the source of her love’s fragrance the Bride represents as her Beloved, that is, Solomon, whom she compares to a bundle of myrrh at her bosom (verse 12) and to a cluster of henna blossom, resembling a grape cluster in the gardens of En-gedi (verse 13). Myrrh (Hebrew mor) or smyrna (Greek)—a strongly fragrant resin of yellowish-white and reddish color, in liquid and solid form; obtained from a tree (Balsamodendron Myrrha Nees) growing in India, Egypt, and Nubia, but perhaps cultivated by Solomon also in his gardens (cf. Song 4:6, see Eccl 2:5). It was used for incense and anointing at feasts and in the bedrooms of wealthy women (Song 5:5; Ps 44:9; Prov 7:17), and as a cosmetic means was placed (in powder) in the folds of clothing (Ps 44:9). Then, as with the Egyptians, myrrh was used among the Hebrews in embalming (for the preparation of the dead), at least in the time of Jesus Christ; corpses of the deceased were anointed with myrrh. A particularly high-quality sort of myrrh among the Greeks was called σταχτη (see Song 1:13 according to the LXX and Slavonic Song 1:12). Henna (Hebrew kofer, Greek κυπρος) (cf. Song 4:13), in Arabic Al-henna, a fragrant plant in Egypt, Persia, Arabia, East India, botanically Lawsonia alba. The flowers of henna resemble clusters of grape bunches, are of a whitish-yellow color, and have a fragrance reminiscent of reseda; favorite flowers of the Eastern woman. From the dried and ground petals are prepared the most common cosmetics used in the ancient and modern East. The henna bushes were probably planted by Solomon in the gardens of En-gedi. En-gaddi or En-gedi (I. Josh 15:62; Ezek 47:10; 1 Sam 24:1; Onomast. 401), now Ain-Jidi, is a city in the southeast of Palestine, on an oasis near the western shore of the Dead Sea (See Commentary on the Bible, vol. II, pp. 337 and 402).

Song of Songs 1:14. Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, behold, you are beautiful! Your eyes are like doves. Song of Songs 1:15. Behold, you are beautiful, my Beloved, and lovely! And our bed is green; Song of Songs 1:16. the beams of our houses are cedars, our rafters are cypresses. The tenderness of feeling toward the Bridegroom expressed by the Bride (verses 11–13) evokes in him (verse 14) an ecstasy at the contemplation of her beauty, wherein he compares her—in respect of her purity, mobility, and attractive simplicity and innocence—to doves (cf. Song 5:12, cf. “my dove” Song 2:14). (According to the Midrash, the pious Israelites in their visits to their temple on feast days and in many other respects are compared to doves, pp. 49–50). Origen says: “Why does the Bride not say: ‘behold, you are beautiful, my neighbor,’ but only: ‘behold, you are beautiful’? And why does he not merely say: ‘you are beautiful,’ but ‘you are beautiful, my neighbor’? The Bride, if she is far from the Bridegroom, is not beautiful; she becomes beautiful when she is united with the Word of God. And it is right that she is now taught by the Bridegroom to be completely near to him and not to depart from his side” (p. 160). (The Midrash explains this by the fact that the Beloved (God) has other peoples besides Israel, while the Bride—Israel—considers only Him worthy of love, p. 51). In verse 15, the Bride “hearing such praise concerning herself, in turn renders praise to the Bridegroom, by her laudatory speech not attributing to him what he does not have, but truly understanding and contemplating his beauty” (Origen and Jerome, p. 161). Namely, enraptured by the attention of the king, the Bride praises the beauty and loveliness of her Beloved, and calls him, with the aim of full enjoyment, to the bosom of nature, where the bed is green, the beams of the houses are cedars, and the rafters are cypresses. “Investigating what kind of trees these are, and observing that cedar is a tree that does not rot, and cypress has a very pleasant fragrance, strive you too to construct your house so that it might be said of you: the beams of our houses are cedars, and our rafters are cypresses.” (Origen and Jerome, p. 162). * * * Notes Slavonic: “into his bedchamber.” But neither the Hebrew heder nor the Greek ταμετον necessarily denote a bedchamber; they have a more general meaning: inner chambers (cf. 2 Sam 13:10). Hebrew kedar, like kidron, expresses the notion of darkness, blackness “Become white” λελευκανθισμενη is read in Song 8:5 only according to the LXX and Slavonic text.

Chapter Two

1–7. The third strophe of the first section of the book. The Bride and Bridegroom exchange mutual praises of each other; but then, overcome by the strong impressions of passionate love, the Bride languishes, as if experiencing the sickness of love, and finally, sinking into a semi-conscious state, adjures the daughters of Jerusalem not to awaken love until it awakens of its own accord. 8–17. A description of the Beloved from the perspective of the Bride, the spring greeting of his love for her and hers in return.

Song of Songs 2:1. I am the narcissus of Sharon, the lily of the valleys! Having spoken above (Song 1:15-16) a call for her Beloved to follow her into the bosom of nature, the Bride now humbly presents herself as a child of wild nature (as if in contrast to the artificial magnificence of Solomon’s palace), exclaiming of herself: “I am the narcissus of Sharon, the lily of the valleys.” The Hebrew habatzelet (found also in Isa 35:1), rendered in the Russian translation as “narcissus,” has, however, an indefinite and rather more general meaning, as it stands in the LXX: ανθος του πεδιου, Vulgate: flos campi. Therefore all attempts to define more precisely the name of this flower—narcissus (already the Targum renders it: narkos), rose (Bertheau), tulip (Vaihinger)—are matters of conjecture; according to Gesenius, it is—in Linnaean terminology—Colchium autumnale. Under the name of Sharon, Eusebius and Jerome (Onomast. 834) distinguish two places: one between Mount Tabor and the Sea of Tiberias (now Sharon to the north of Wadi el-Bire), and another—more famous along the coast of the Mediterranean and the mountains of Israel from Jonia to Caesarea (1 Chr 27:29; Isa 33:9). Perhaps, given the proximity of the first place to the city of Shunem, the birthplace of the Bride Shulammite (cf. Song 7:1), it is precisely this one that is meant. The Hebrew shoshan (cf. Song 2:16) is customarily rendered by translators (LXX: κρινον, Vulgate: lilium) and commentators as “lily,” although it likely meant in antiquity flowers of more than one kind and not only white ones (according to Song 5:13, the lily has a red or pink color—like lilium rubens in Pliny); according to Gesenius, Anemone coronaria. Origen, referring verse 1 to the words of the Bridegroom, comments on it thus: “For my sake, who dwell below, He descends into the valley, and having brought me into the valley, He became a lily. Instead of the tree of life, which was planted in God’s paradise, He became a flower of the whole field, that is, of the whole world and all the earth. For what can be the flower of the world so much as the name of Christ?” (p. 163).

Song of Songs 2:2. As a lily among thorns, so is my beloved among the maidens. If the Bride only from modesty calls herself a lily of the valleys (v. 1), then the Bridegroom takes the comparison with the lily as a portrait of her great beauty and incomparable superiority over all other court women (cf. Song 6:8-9). “Just as a lily cannot be compared with thorns, among which it always appears, so my beloved surpasses all the daughters as a lily surpasses thorns” (Origen—Jerome, p. 163).

Song of Songs 2:3. As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. In his shade I love to sit, and his fruit is sweet to my palate. The Bride’s answering words (v. 3a) present a complete parallel to the praises given to her by the Bridegroom (v. 2). By the apple tree (Hebrew tappuach, Greek μηλον, Latin malus), and likewise below by the apples (v. 5, see Song 8:5), is not meant our apple tree, which does not possess those qualities of fruit ascribed to this apple tree (v. 5), nor one that grows as a forest tree or is found at all in Palestine; rather, some other fruit-bearing tree: citron, lemon, or apricot. Staying in the shade of this apple tree and tasting its fruit here, as also below (v. 5, cf. Song 4:16), is an image of the attractive nearness and delights of the Beloved’s caresses. “All trees, all woody growth compared with the Word of God are considered barren forests. To Christ, everything you might name is a forest, and all is barren. For what, in comparison with Him, can be called fruitful? Even trees that appear bowed down by abundance of fruit, when compared with His coming, are shown to be barren” (Origen—Jerome, p. 163).

Song of Songs 2:4. He brought me into the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love. Song of Songs 2:5. Sustain me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love. “He brought me into the banquet hall”—an expression completely parallel to the words Song 1:3 “the king brought me into his chambers,” but unlike that passage, it has a metaphorical sense, a figurative expression of a kindred thought, as shown by the very expression (4b): “his banner over me is love.” The meaning is that passionate love, like a military standard, protects the Bride, waving over her head (see Song 6:4). The reading of v. 4 according to the Slavonic text is less clear: “Bring me into the house of wine, order love toward me,” representing an exact translation from the Greek text. “Wine” here is taken in association with Song 1:1 as an image of joy, and “house of wine” (Vulg. cella vinaria), contrary to the literal understanding of many modern commentators, is only an image of the fullness of love’s delights. The Midrash interprets v. 4 thus: “The congregation of Israel says: God brought me into a great vineyard at Sinai, and there gave me my banner—the law, commandments, and good deeds—and I received them with great love” (S. 59). Filled with the impressions of the Beloved’s loving caresses, as if intoxicated by their effect (cf. Song 5:8), the Bride experiences a peculiar sickness of love, as if wounded (LXX) or stricken (Slavonic) by love’s arrow; therefore, turning to the daughters of Jerusalem, she asks them to sustain her with wine (more precisely: “with cakes,” as in the translation of Archimandrite Macarius; Hebrew ashisha means precisely a cake made of pressed fruits and other fruits in general, cf. Hos 3:1) and refresh her with apples (v. 5). In the opinion of some (Bertheau and others), here are meant apples of a particular kind, concerning which Eastern women, especially inhabitants of harems, were convinced of their connection with sexual love. But something similar from the Bible is known only of “apples of love”—mandrakes (Gen 30:1; Song 7:14). The Midrash paraphrases the second half of v. 5 thus: “The congregation of Israel says before God: all the sufferings that the nations cause me come only from the fact that I love You” (S. 60). Origen and Jerome also understand the sickness of love in a moral allegorical sense: “How beautiful, how attractive to receive a wound from love! One has taken into himself the arrow of carnal love, another is struck by earthly passion; but you lay bare your limbs and offer yourself to the chosen arrow, the beautiful arrow, for the archer is God (Isa 49:2)… This arrow wounded those who reasoned among themselves: “Was not our heart burning within us when He spoke to us and explained the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32)” (p. 167).

Song of Songs 2:6. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me. This verse provides the foundation for the preceding and contains an indication of the source of the passionate and as if painful love intensely developed: the most tender love and solicitude from the Beloved embrace all of the Bride’s being and fill her entire life (cf. Song 8:3). “The Word of God holds wisdom in both left and right hand, and though this wisdom is manifold in its understanding, it is one in its source. Solomon himself teaches concerning the left and right hand of Wisdom: “For in her right hand are length of days and years of life, and in her left hand riches and honor.” (Prov 3:16)” (Origen—Jerome, p. 168. See Tolkovaya Bibliya, vol. IV, p. 904).

Song of Songs 2:7. I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field: do not stir up or awaken love, until it pleases. The first section of the book ends with a peculiar oath or adjuration, met three times in the Song of Songs (Song 2:7) and nowhere else in Scripture, an oath to the women of Jerusalem by the gazelles or the does of the field not to awaken love (not “the beloved,” as in the Vulgate and Russian Synodal and Archimandrite Macarius), until it awakens of its own. The formula of the oath “by the gazelles or by the does of the field” according to the Masoretic text is confirmed by the Syriac, Vulgate (per capreas cervosque camporum), and Russian texts, and deserves preference over the formula of the Greek and Slavonic “by the powers and strengths of the field.” The basis of this peculiar poetic form of oath lies in nothing other than the special grace and beauty of gazelles and does, by reason of which they are the most suitable image of female beauty and charm (Prov 5:19; Tolkovaya Bibliya, vol. IV, p. 908), and at the same time of female love; and such an oath is especially fitting and natural in the mouth of a woman and addressed to women (in all three mentioned cases: Song 2:7), whom the Bride earnestly warns against the temptation to prematurely and artificially kindle and inflame in themselves the flame of love; on the contrary, she advises allowing the awakening and development of this feeling to nature and to God. Here is the morality of the entire first section (Song 1:1—Song 2:7): the gradual development of the feeling of love—from the first seeking of the Beloved’s kiss to complete exhaustion of love—served as the foundation for the Bride to give her mentioned warning to her companions. The law of normal gradualness in love that she indicates has force also in the allegorical interpretation—in applying the content of the book to nature, to the history of Israel, and to the history of salvation. According to the explanation of Professor Olesnitsky, the first section of the Song of Songs can be called a winter or pre-spring song of lamentation of the promised land mourning the sun, which has declined in its winter course, and also a song of the first, sorrowful period in the history of Israel—the sojourn in Egypt and wandering in the desert (Cited work, p. 368–369).

Song of Songs 2:8. The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes, leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills. Song of Songs 2:9. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. A new scene opens as a series of recollections of the Beloved of blessed moments of her former union with the Beloved. The monologue of Shulammite, conveying this meeting (Song 2:5), in the opinion of some commentators, might be considered as written before the first section, since it speaks of the reason why Shulammite separated from her father’s house; “the author proceeded with great subtlety, using the events preceding the main action only as the first threads for the rest of the fabric” (Karpeles, p. 81). In the portrayal in vv. 8–9 of the Beloved, distinguished by extraordinary vividness, there is shown the greatest mobility and elusiveness of the Beloved, so that inevitably an analogy arises with the swiftly moving elements. “The second section of the Song of Songs 2:5, says Professor Olesnitsky, in distinction from the first, can be called the Song of Spring. The sun, hidden from the earth, now itself calls her to life. The section begins with fragmentary words ‘the voice of my beloved.’ The Bridegroom stands in such a relation to the bride that she hears only his voice, feels his breath, but does not know where he comes from or where he goes (John 3:8). Like the elusive wind and the swift-footed gazelle, he runs through the land, leaps over the mountains and hills. In relation to a human form such a representation would be very unnatural; but in relation to the free ray of the sun, knowing no obstacles in mountains or valleys, it is in the highest degree natural. It is also fitting here that which is said in the following verse (9) about the beloved, peering as he runs through windows, flickering through the lattices of houses” (p. 369). These characteristics become even more comprehensible in the typological interpretation of them concerning Christ, which Origen gives (p. 170; cf. Midrash, p. 67–68). In the LXX text and Slavonic in v. 9 there is an addition: επι τα ορη Βαιθηλ, “of Bethel”; in other texts and translations this addition does not appear.

Song of Songs 2:10. My beloved speaks and says to me: Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. Song of Songs 2:11. For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. Song of Songs 2:12. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. Song of Songs 2:13. The fig trees have put forth their leaves, and the vines, in bloom, give off fragrance. Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. Here we have a completed strophe, beginning and ending with the invitation of the Beloved to the Bride to enjoy the charms of the arrived spring, hidden in Palestine after the passing of “the time of the rains” (ethgeshamin Ezra 10:9), specifically the late rain (malkosh). The spring sunshine, piercing through nature, touching the high Palestinian mountains, does not forget to glance into the dwelling of man. Rise up, my fair one, he says to everything living in the holy land; it is time to leave the winter’s rest and step forth into the open for new life… Verses 12–13 depict the spring appearance of Palestinian nature at this time of year, particularly called the month of flowers, ziv, similar to our month of May. The sacred poet chooses such features of spring—flowers, singing, fragrance—as are capable of awakening love of nature and of people. In its tender love of nature and fresh fragrance, this “spring song” is a rare phenomenon in all of ancient times.

Song of Songs 2:14. My dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the cranny of the cliff! Show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is comely. Song of Songs 2:15. Catch us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vineyards, while our vineyards are in bloom. “O my dove, says the sun gazing upon Palestine, let me look upon your face and hear your voice,” plainly refers to the face of nature clothed with flowers, and to the same voice of migratory birds returned to Palestine, of which it was spoken immediately before. The appended expression: “from beneath the clefts and crags and rocks” (show me your face)—is the most exact description of the terrain of Palestine, covered with harsh rocks and only from valleys and water showing freshness and life (Olesnitsky, p. 370). Verse 15 is a completely unexpected insertion breaking the dialogue between bridegroom and bride; perhaps it is a fragment of a workers’ song from the vineyard, cited by Shulammite from memory of her compulsory service in guarding the vineyard (Song 1:5). The meaning of the verse is clear: “The power protecting Palestine cannot look indifferently upon its enemies, whoever they may be—whether simple foxes or political foxes” (Olesnitsky, p. 370).

Song of Songs 2:16. My beloved is mine, and I am his; he grazes among the lilies. Song of Songs 2:17. Until the day breathes and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle or a young stag upon the mountains of separation. From verse 16 of this chapter through verse 4 of chapter 3 is depicted the Bride’s answering—to the Beloved’s call in verses 8–14—longing for him. The epithet of the Beloved (v. 16, cf. Song 6:2-3) “who grazes among the lilies” best shows that the Bridegroom in the Song of Songs is only in an improper sense and in a metaphorical-poetic language called a shepherd. The Bride expresses firm confidence in the unshakeable steadiness of the mutual feelings, the love that binds her to the Beloved (v. 16, cf. Song 7:11). Yet immediately she foresees and anticipates the coming separation from him and therefore in v. 17, which has bearing on the early verses of the next chapter. She, in view of the approaching sunset of the sun, urges her Beloved to return quickly from the “mountains of separation” (Hebrew hare bather, LXX: τα δρη κοιλωματων, Vulgate: montes Bether, Slavonic: “on the mountains of the valleys”). A similar turn of speech occurs also below in Song 4:6.

Chapter Three

1–5. Shulammite in the night anxiously seeks her Beloved and finally finds him. 6–11. The triumphal procession of King Solomon and the celebration of his marriage.

Song of Songs 3:1. Upon my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but found him not. Song of Songs 3:2. I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but found him not. Song of Songs 3:3. The watchmen who go about the city found me; I asked them, “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?” Song of Songs 3:4. Scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother’s house and into the chamber of her that conceived me. Song of Songs 3:5. I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field: do not stir up or awaken love, until it pleases. All that is recounted here takes place in the deep night (v. 1) and pertains more to the dreams and visions of Shulammite than to reality, in which, according to biblical-Hebrew understanding, it would be improper for a bride to seek her bridegroom at night through the streets of the city (probably Jerusalem); cf. Prov 7:11. A much more satisfactory meaning is given to the allegorical explanation of this chapter. “The Beloved ones (sun and earth) parted with mutual longing and sorrow. Especially the earth cannot find peace, she is troubled, she cannot rest upon her bed. Verses 1–2 of the third chapter—a beautiful poetic depiction of that hidden struggle felt in Palestinian nature at night, of that trembling which stands in the very air and makes everything around seem to quiver. The earth seeks the sun—and will soon find it (the spring night is not long). The section ends, as did the preceding one, with an adjuration addressed to the inhabitants of Palestine—not to mar the harmony and love that reign in the Palestinian nature flowing with honey and milk” (Olesnitsky, p. 370–371). The Midrash interprets this section concerning the religious and civil life of Israel during the nights (i.e., captivities) of Egypt, Babylon, Media, Greece, and Rome (s. 82).

Song of Songs 3:6. Who is this coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the merchant’s finest powders? Song of Songs 3:7. Behold, it is the couch of Solomon; sixty mighty men are around it, of the mighty men of Israel. Song of Songs 3:8. All of them are armed with swords, trained for war; each has his sword upon his thigh, for fear of the night. Song of Songs 3:9. King Solomon made a palanquin for himself from the wood of Lebanon. Song of Songs 3:10. Its posts he made of silver, its back of gold; its seat is purple; the inside is inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem. Song of Songs 3:11. Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his marriage, on the day of the gladness of his heart. The magnificence of the scene depicted here prompts the sacred writer to introduce a new group of characters—namely, a chorus of the Bride’s companions, who express their feelings of admiration and wonder at the magnificent spectacle opening before them with the exclamation of v. 6. The general meaning of the scene depicted here is usually understood as follows: here is depicted the marriage of King Solomon with the chosen Bride of the Song of Songs, with verse 6 presenting the bridal procession of the Bride, verses 7–10 depicting the counter procession of King Solomon the Bridegroom, and verse 11 speaking of their marriage as already an accomplished fact. The question or exclamation of v. 6 naturally refers to the Bride and her movement, as may be confirmed by the parallels Song 6:10 and Song 8:5. As for verses 6–10, the description here of the litter (Hebrew mitta) or palanquin (Greek ψορειον) and the entire setting of the royal procession and all the courtly magnificence of King Solomon are fully confirmed by all that is known of Solomon from 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. But it should be mentioned here that Professor A. A. Olesnitsky gives an explanation of the passage in question Song 3:6-11 from the standpoint of his theory, already known to us, concerning the origin, meaning, and significance of the Song of Songs. “The essence of this strophe,” he says, “is a poetic depiction of the sunrise, by which, as we saw in the preceding strophe, the earth languished during the night… The description of the sixth verse cannot have any relation to a human form; comparison of a human being to columns of smoke would be inelegant and unnatural. But the Palestinian sun, rising precisely from the wilderness (the so-called mountainous region of Judea to the east of Jerusalem) amid the blue vapor eternally rising over the Moabite mountains, for one observing from the Jerusalem hills appears precisely in columns of smoke, which the poet calls fragrant smoke of myrrh and frankincense, that is, similar to the smoke which rose upon the altar of the temple (the rising of the sun was met by the offering of sacrifice in the Jerusalem temple)” (p. 371). An objection to this is the feminine gender of the pronoun in the question: “who is this…” (Hebrew mizot) and the noted parallelism of v. 6 to two other passages (Song 6:10), in which it is undoubtedly the bride who is meant. The first objection is easily removed in Professor Olesnitsky’s explanation by pointing out that the Hebrew shemesh (sun) in ancient Hebrew is of the feminine gender, which is confirmed by the frequent feminine construction with its verb, e.g., Gen 15:17, 19 Ktib, Nah 3:17 (p. 359). But a certain unexpectedness in the appearance in the sacred poet’s speech of the implied shemesh remains. However, an intermediate concept is the thought of the king of Israel, and then, as the summit of all, there is the thought of the Messiah. “The rising of the ‘promised’ (Isa 30:26) sun,” says Professor Olesnitsky in this sense, “can signify only the moment of appearance of the awaited executor of God’s judgments upon His land and people. And behold, this executor appears in the rays of the material sun and is none other than King Solomon, the political sun of the land (Solomon from Persian sol, sun). In Song 3:7-11 it is spoken precisely of Solomon’s ascent to the throne and of his triumphal appearance before the people. The extraordinary palanquins depicted here, like the chariots in Song 6:12, serve both as the king’s throne and as an attribute of the sun (2 Sam 23:11)… The marriage spoken of here is the covenant concluded between the king and the people when the king ascends the throne, and at the same time the poetic covenant of the sun and the earth, which poets of all times and nations have found in the spring relation of the sun to the earth. But that is not all. The union of the two images of the rising sun and the ascent to the throne of a great king was to bring to consciousness a new, higher image of the Messiah King, whose name is Sunrise, and the Sun of Righteousness. According to the Midrash’s explanation (Midr. III, 11, s. 99), the king mentioned in 3:11 is understood as the king—the Messiah, since only he can bring into harmony the manifestations of heat and cold, the actions of the Angel of Winter Michael and the Angel of Spring Gabriel” (p. 372–373). “Fear of the night” (v. 8)—fear of ghosts and such—existed among the Hebrews from the earliest times (Job 4:14; Ruth 3:8; Prov 3:23-25; Ps 90:5) to later times (Matt 14:26).

Chapter Four

1–7. The Bridegroom’s praises of his bride. 8–15. The Bridegroom’s confession of his feelings toward her and new praises of her. 16. The Bride’s answering word.

Song of Songs 4:1. Behold, you are beautiful, my love, behold, you are beautiful! Your eyes are doves behind your veil; your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead. Song of Songs 4:2. Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes that have come up from the washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them has lost its young. Song of Songs 4:3. Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your mouth is lovely. Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil. Song of Songs 4:4. Your neck is like the tower of David, built as an arsenal, on which hang a thousand shields—all of them shields of mighty men. Song of Songs 4:5. Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, grazing among the lilies. Song of Songs 4:6. Until the day breathes and the shadows flee, I will go away to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. To depict the beauty of the bride, the sacred poet combines into one image numerous and varied features and details of nature, with the latter decidedly predominating over purely human features and by no means serving as puncta comparandi, but rather belonging to the image of the bride itself, as is especially evident from verses 12–15, where the details of nature without the aid of a comparative particle are presented directly as predicates of the bride. Here precisely, as in other parts of the book, is validated the view of Professor Olesnitsky that the center of gravity of the content of the Song of Songs lies not in the portrayal of a human personality and its form, but in the portrayal of Palestinian nature in the biblical period, a period of abundance of natural goods and development of material and spiritual culture in the promised land. “If up to now the promised land has been depicted only in its relations to the sun and in still vague features, then now, in the period of its complete summer bloom, it is described for itself, and moreover in features fully revealed. The beauty of the bride depicted here consists in flocks of the best Gilead breed of goats, in flocks of prolific sheep, in pomegranate orchards and all sorts of fragrant shrubs, and in sources of living water now made especially charming, flowing from the mountains; the bride is infused with honey and milk and fragrant with the fragrance of Lebanon and the scent of fields blessed by God, adds the Midrash (IV, 11) on the basis of Gen 27:27” (Professor Olesnitsky, p. 373). Such is the general meaning and such is the overall content of the chapter being examined (chapter IV). Further, clarification is required of individual expressions, especially in places that were not fully understood even by the ancient translators of the book, and therefore were translated unequally by different translations. “Your eyes are doves” (v. 1), more precisely from the Hebrew: your eyes are doves—an expression literally repeating what stood before Song 1:14. But here with it stands a new definition—Hebrew mibbaaḏ letzammatekh, repeated (in a somewhat different combination) two more times in v. 3 of this chapter and v. 7 of chapter VI. This expression was incomprehensible even to the LXX, who rendered it in all three places with a dim and indefinite expression: εκτος της σιωπησεως σον, Slavonic “beyond your silence.” Similarly indefinitely rendered in the Vulgate: absque eo, quod intrinsecus latet (Song 4:1) or: absque occultis tuis (Song 6:7). Thus both the LXX and Vulgate give the examined passage a metaphorical meaning but express it too unclearly. The Midrash (s. 103) considers the word mibbaaḏ to be Arabic, corresponding to the Hebrew verb arakh, to go, but this etymology also does not give a definite sense; besides, it is better to look for analogy to the word tzamma in Aramaic damam or tzamtzam, to cover. Therefore not entirely successful is the Russian Synodal translation: “beneath your veil.” It is more correct to understand tzamma in the sense of “covering,” “veil,” which meaning this word undoubtedly has in Isa 47:2, and to render the whole expression, like Archimandrite Macarius: “from beneath your veil.” The hair of the bride is compared (v. 1) to a flock of goats on Mount Gilead. Gilead (cf. Onomast. 318) in the Bible designates the entire country east of the Jordan, from the stream Arnon to the southern slopes of Hermon (Deut 34:1; Josh 22:9; Judg 20:1), and also, more specifically, the mountainous region from the Yarmuk to the elevation of Heshbon in distinction from the plain of Bashan (Josh 17:1; 2 Sam 10:33); in a narrow sense, Gilead designated individual mountain ridges, e.g., Gen 31:21, such as the present-day Jebel Gilead, south of the Jabbok, Jebel Ajlun, and others. Gilead in general and especially its mountainous part were suitable for livestock raising, and cattle were always present in great numbers (Num 32:1; Jer 50:19; Mic 7:14). Goats were found here in great abundance. The comparison of hair to a flock of goats aims to note their black, lustrous color and silky softness. On the contrary, the whiteness of the teeth (v. 2) is clarified by the comparison with a flock of white (cf. Isa 1:18) and smoothly shorn, and previously washed sheep. Under the tower or pillar of David, with which is compared, probably as to slenderness and smoothness, the neck of the bride (v. 4), is meant a tower, designed to serve as a kind of arsenal, and built by David somewhere on the Zion hill. The purpose of the tower is indicated by the Hebrew word letalliyyot. The LXX did not understand the meaning of this word and left it without translation: εις θλπιωθ; Vulgate: cum propugnaculis. But already Rabbi Kimchi pointed to the relationship of the second part of this Hebrew word with pe mouth, plural piyyot, the point of a sword (cf. Prov 5:4; Judg 3:16); if, however, the first part of the word is brought into relation with the verb tala, to hang, then it is quite possible to accept the translation of Archimandrite Macarius: “a tower of David built for hanging weapons.” The words of v. 6 are completely parallel to Song 2:17 and represent as it were a response by the bridegroom to the proposal made by the bride there.

Song of Songs 4:7. You are all beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you. The verse forms the conclusion of the first half of the chapter and contains a summary of the praises of the bride’s perfections expressed thus far: here she is presented as free from any defect or blemish and full of all perfections. This depiction of the bride was reflected in the image of the perfection of the Church presented by the holy apostle (Eph 5:27), and in church liturgical usage, as was already mentioned, was transferred to the most pure image of the Immaculate Mother of God.

Song of Songs 4:8. Come with me from Lebanon, my bride; come with me from Lebanon. Hurry from the peak of Amana, from the peak of Senir and Hermon, from the dens of the lions, from the mountains of the leopards! Animated by love for the bride, the bridegroom earnestly calls her to himself “from Lebanon, from the peaks of Amana, Senir, and Hermon—from the dens of lions and leopards” (v. 8), that is, to leave the wild and majestic mountain heights near her homeland—the city of Shunem—and to strive to live life together with him. The mountains named in v. 8 represent separate mountain ridges in the mountain chain of Hermon (or Aermona) and Lebanon, with Hermon being the Hebrew name corresponding to the Phoenician-Canaanite Senir (Deut 3:9; Onomast. 30). To the word Amana the LXX gave a figurative meaning: απο αρχης της πιστεως, Slavonic: “from the beginning of faith,” which, in the opinion of Professor Olesnitsky, is justified by the tradition recorded in the Book of Enoch that the first believers in mankind lived on the mountains of Lebanon (p. 47).

Song of Songs 4:9. You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride; you have ravished my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. Song of Songs 4:10. How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice! Song of Songs 4:11. Honey drips from your lips, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue; the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon. These depict the enraptured impression made on the bridegroom—the king—by the bride through her attractive outward appearance, and even more, of course, through her spiritual virtues (to v. 10 cf. Song 1:1). In this, the especially close nearness of the beloved to the beloved is expressed not only through the name bride (v. 8, 11), but also doubly: “my sister, my bride” (v. 9, 10, 12). According to the note of the Midrash (IV, 10–11), Israel is called bride ten times in Scripture: six times in the Song of Songs, and four times in the prophets, namely: three times in Isaiah (Isa 49:18), and once in Jeremiah (Jer 7:34)—according to the number of the ten commandments; and this bride is adorned in 24 ornaments, named in Isaiah (Isa 3:18-28)—according to the number of the sacred books of the Old Testament (s. 123–124). The characterization of the bride in v. 11 as abounding in honey and milk itself recalls the biblical characterization of the Holy Land or Palestine as a land flowing with milk and honey (Exod 3:17 and others). About the fragrance of Lebanon cf. Hos 14:7.

Song of Songs 4:12. A garden enclosed is my sister, my bride, a spring enclosed, a fountain sealed. Song of Songs 4:13. Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates with all choicest fruits, henna with spikenard. Song of Songs 4:14. Spikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all choice spices. Song of Songs 4:15. A garden fountain, a well of living water, and flowing streams from Lebanon. Now the bridegroom begins to speak of the bride in the third person, but with even greater generosity bestows upon her praises. The meaning of the names “an enclosed garden,” “a closed spring,” “a sealed fountain” is clarified by analogy with Prov 5:15-18, where the fountain is a symbol of the marital love and affection of a wife, which her husband alone enjoys and no other man; consequently, these names characterize the absolute purity, chastity, and virginity of the bride. At the same time, as the following verses 13–15 show, these expressions signify fertility in general (cf. Isa 58:11), in a spiritual sense—the abundance of virtues of the bride. In v. 13 the garden is in the original text called pardes, a word found only 3 times in the Old Testament (also Eccl 2:5; Nehem 2:8). This word apparently derives from Sanskrit pairidaeza, preserved in Greek παραδεισος, paradise; literally “an enclosed place,” a park, etc.

Song of Songs 4:16. Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind! Blow upon my garden, that its fragrance may be wafted abroad. Let my beloved come into his garden and eat its choicest fruits. The verse contains the words of the bride hastening to prepare her garden for the reception of her friend: the north and south winds (Vulg.: Aquilo, Auster) are invited everywhere to scatter the fragrances of the bride’s garden, so that her glory might attract all nations (cf. Ps 44:14-17). In the spiritual, moral-psychological sense “this is a depiction of the holy soul, devoted to God. Gracious gifts, like fragrant flowers, adorn her; but they reveal their power to others not before the Spirit, who ‘bloweth where it listeth’ (John 3:8), blows upon the soul’s garden. When He is pleased, the graced soul gives forth fragrance—quickens and gladdens others; when He is not pleased, she is an enclosed garden, and no one knows what treasures lie hidden within” (“Resurrection Reading,” vol. V (1841–42), p. 160).

Chapter Five

1. A feast of the beloved. 2–7. The bride’s night impressions in seeking her friend. 8–16. In conversation with the maidens of Jerusalem, she praises her friend with encomiums.

Song of Songs 5:1. I came into my garden, my sister, my bride; I gathered my myrrh with my spice; I ate my honeycomb with my honey; I drank my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink; drink deeply, O lovers! In response to the bride’s invitation or wish (Song 4:16) the beloved comes into his garden and from all its fruits and spices prepares a feast for guests and friends. In the texts of the LXX, Slavonic, Vulgate, the second half of v. 16 of chapter IV is assigned to verse 1 of chapter V, which imparts greater wholeness to contiguous and kindred thoughts—one ending a chapter and the other beginning another.

Song of Songs 5:2. I slept, but my heart was awake. Hark! my beloved is knocking: ‘Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one! For my head is wet with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.’ Song of Songs 5:3. I have put off my garment; how can I put it on? I have washed my feet; how can I soil them? Song of Songs 5:4. My beloved put his hand to the latch, and my heart was thrilled within me. Song of Songs 5:5. I arose to open to my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh, upon the handles of the bolt. Song of Songs 5:6. I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave me no answer. Song of Songs 5:7. The watchmen found me as they went about in the city; they beat me, they bruised me; the guards of the walls took away my mantle from me. In the words “I slept, but my heart was awake” is given a true and accurate characterization of passionate love filling all the being of a loving creature even during sleep: a single word from the beloved is enough for the one who loves her to awaken from sleep. The Midrash (s. 134) paraphrases the words of v. 2 thus: “The congregation of Israel says before God: Lord of the world! I sleep and do not fulfill commandments, but my heart is awake, it is stirred by love for people; I sleep, I do not speak of charity, but my heart is awake to perform it; I sleep—I neglect sacrifices, but my heart watches, reverently set toward reciting the Shema and prayer; I sleep—I do not go to the temple, but my heart is awake—it longs for the synagogues and schools; I sleep—I do not count on the end of suffering, but my heart watches—it longs ardently for deliverance, and God’s heart watches—to deliver me.” What is then said: 1) of the slowness and as if unwillingness of the bride to open the door to one knocking in the night cold at her door—her bridegroom (v. 3), and 2) of the sudden disappearance of him after she had opened the doors (v. 6, cf. 5), is not fully comprehensible in the realm of human relations of mutual love. Therefore it is of interest and significance to clarify this passage in Professor Olesnitsky’s spirit in terms of his already known theory. “Early in the morning, when Palestine is still sleeping, the rising sun already knocks at her door with its rays, still as if wet from the night’s freshness and abundant summer dew. But now it finds not the light and mobile life of spring, but a life already seduced by prolonged exultation and lazily responding to the call of the day’s luminary. The sun took offense and, when the earth finally awoke, hid itself in gray sandy mist, it became the frequent phenomenon in Palestine at this time of year—the phenomenon of simoom, poetically depicted in verse 7. The earth is met by certain watchmen, who beat her and forcefully tear from her the beautiful covering of her vegetation: these are meant as those constellations which, according to ancient cosmogony, are the cause of storms and upheavals on the earth’s surface… Although earlier, in the spring song (Song 3:3), Palestine met such watchmen, but then they did not cause her such harm as now, amid summer, and passed silently by (in early spring the phenomena of simoom are weak)… Amid the unexpected storm, which changed and laid bare the face of the whole land, the bride with regret dreams of the hidden peaceful and beautiful sun and depicts him in the poetic image Song 5:10-16, whose features and colors vividly indicate the brilliance of the sun and the purity of its rays… Where now is your bridegroom—the sun?—ask Palestine. He descended into his ethereal gardens, but he is still mine, and I belong to him especially” (p. 375–376).

Song of Songs 5:10. My beloved is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand. Song of Songs 5:11. His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven. Song of Songs 5:12. His eyes are like doves beside the water streams, bathed in milk, sitting beside full pools. Song of Songs 5:13. His cheeks are like beds of spices, yielding fragrance. His lips are lilies, dripping with flowing myrrh. Song of Songs 5:14. His arms are rods of gold set with jewels. His body is polished ivory set with sapphires. Song of Songs 5:15. His legs are alabaster columns set upon bases of gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, stately as the cedars. Song of Songs 5:16. His mouth is most sweet, and he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem! After the Bride’s meeting with the daughters of Jerusalem and her repetition of (v. 3) the already known adjuration (cf. Song 2:7) and their answering protest (v. 9), she gives with great enthusiasm a description, verses 10–16, of the incomparable beauty of her friend, with “this description, like the description of the bride, represents a deliberate selection of features and pictures of nature, obscuring the features of the human form, which, however, was needed here as well in order to impart unity of impression to individual features and to form correspondence to the other human form. And here human features stand so close to the details of nature that even the comparative particle (like) between them is considered superfluous” (Professor Olesnitsky, p. 357–358). In general the image of the Bridegroom is drawn here with especially bold comparisons in purely Eastern spirit (his head is finest gold; his locks are grape vines; his eyes are doves… his cheeks are a bed of spices fragrant; his lips are lilies; his legs are marble columns)… But precisely this hyperbolic character of the depiction of the Beloved gives grounds for a typological explanation of this image. “As we gaze into these pictures flooded with light, the human form of the bridegroom becomes more and more dim and finally transforms into the halo-shining image of the sun” (Professor Olesnitsky, p. 358). “But this beneficent power is not merely the elemental force or the visible sun, but also a political force, which biblical writers personified in the image of the sun (Jer 15:9) and whose representative at the time of the writing of the Song of Songs was King Solomon, mentioned by name six times in our sacred play” (p. 360). “By the indicated union of king and sun, there was formed in the poet’s mind such a lofty ideal image, that it was quite easy, without any violation of the unity of the picture, to append to it features defining the divine force beneficial to the land. In the sun and azure rising above the earth, King Solomon, as the beneficial genius of the land, in itself evoked in the poet’s mind the image of the glorified Messiah, destined to appear in the clouds of glory and to consummate all the highest heavenly blessings of the people” (p. 362).

Chapter Six

1–3. The conclusion of the Bride’s conversation with the Jerusalem women about her Beloved. 4–10. New praises of Solomon for his chosen one. 11–12. The Beloved recounts some initial episode from the history of their love.

Song of Songs 6:1. “Where has your beloved gone, most beautiful of women? Where has your beloved turned? We will seek him with you.” Song of Songs 6:2. My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens and to gather lilies. Song of Songs 6:3. I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine; he feeds among the lilies. In response to the Jerusalem women’s insincere, ironic question about the Bridegroom’s whereabouts (v. 1), the Beloved, in the spirit of Eastern wit, replies that he occupies himself only with love, gathering flowers for her, and in any case belongs entirely to her (vv. 2–3, cf. Song 2:16). The Midrash thus comments (p. 150) on the verses in question: “The nations of the world say to Israel: Where has your Beloved gone from Egypt, the sea, Sinai? Why are you asking me about him, – answered the congregation of Israel: what use is it to you to ask about him, what part do you have in him? I cannot, – since I have been united with him – leave Him or be separated from Him. Wherever He may be, He will come to me.”

Song of Songs 6:4. You are beautiful, my beloved, like Tirzah, lovely like Jerusalem, awe-inspiring like troops with banners. Song of Songs 6:5. Turn your eyes away from me, for they have captivated me. Your hair is like a flock of goats coming down from Gilead; Solomon’s praises of his Bride now begin with comparisons: for her virginal blooming beauty he compares her to Tirzah, for her attractiveness in aesthetic and moral respects to Jerusalem, for a certain impressiveness and inner strength to a formidable army. Tirzah (Onomast. 540) is a Canaanite city taken by Joshua (Josh 12:24), which under the kings of Israel from Jeroboam to Zimri was the capital and was taken by Omri (1 Sam 15:21); now the village of Talluzah, two hours to the northeast of Nablus (Shechem); it was famous for its beauty. The LXX and the Slavonic Vulgate replace the proper name Tirzah with a common noun: ευδοκια, acceptance; suavis. A tendency toward a common noun understanding of this name is also shown by the Midrash (p. 152), when it sees in the verse in question a reference “to the sacrifices through which the Israelites gained acceptance” (Lev 1:4). The comparison of the Bride with formidable troops, which appears also below (v. 10), indicates, it seems, the irresistibility of the Bride through the charms of love: rather, she herself has a kind of magical effect on her Beloved, v. 5.

Song of Songs 6:6. Your teeth are like a flock of ewes coming up from the washing, each of which has brought twins, and not one among them is bereaved; Song of Songs 6:7. Like a slice of pomegranate are your cheeks beneath your veil. Cf. Song 4:2-3.

Song of Songs 6:8. There are sixty queens and eighty concubines and maidens without number, Song of Songs 6:9. But she is unique, my dove, my pure one; she is the only one of her mother, the favorite of her who bore her. The maidens saw her and called her blessed; the queens and concubines also praised her. There is here an undisputable reference to the direct connection of the content of the Song of Songs to the history of the king of Israel Solomon: as in verse 8 here, so also in 1 Sam 11:1, we have testimony of the multitude of wives of Solomon; the smaller number of his wives shown in the Song of Songs, it seems, points to a comparatively early writing of our sacred book by Solomon—when polygamy had not yet developed in him to the degree of passion and was not yet accompanied by those baneful consequences that occurred in his old age (1 Sam 11:4). The mention of Solomon’s many wives is made for the purpose of marking the high superiority of the Shulammite over all of them; this superiority is recognized even by all her rivals (v. 9). In this respect the Shulammite shares the blessed fate of the “virtuous woman” Prov 31:28.

Song of Songs 6:10. Who is this who appears like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, awe-inspiring like troops with banners? The sacred poet concludes his praise of the incomparable excellences of the Bride with a comparison of her to the most majestic phenomena of nature—the dawn, the moon, even the sun, followed by the comparison with formidable troops mentioned above (v. 4). This comparison, like Song 3:6 and Song 8:5, is clothed in the form of an interrogative exclamation: “who is this?”

Song of Songs 6:11. I went down to the nut garden to look at the verdure of the valley, to see if the vine had budded, if the pomegranates had bloomed. Song of Songs 6:12. I did not know how my soul moved me to the chariots of my people, a noble. A small section comprising these two verses with the addition of the 1st verse of Chapter VII appears especially dark and difficult to understand. Among the many different interpretations of this passage, we choose that according to which an event from the life of the Shulammite is described here, immediately preceding her being taken to Solomon’s court. “The nut garden,” Heb. ginnat-egoz (v. 11), was certainly located in the homeland of the Shulammite: according to Josephus (Bell. Ind. III, 10, 8), nut trees grew along the banks of the Sea of Tiberias, consequently near Shunem—the home of the Shulammite. V. 12. “Chariots” is a symbol of royal splendor and luxury (cf. 1 Sam 8:11); to be drawn or placed in one of such chariots means to be raised from a lowly condition to a state of direct proximity to the king (cf. Gen 41:43). Thus, here the Shulammite, transferring her thought into the distant past, as it were questions how the sharp change that took place in her fate occurred—the transition from the position of a simple peasant to the position of the king’s bride and then queen. The Hebrew text’s expression “ammi-nariav” is translated by the LXX, Slavonic, and Vulgate into the proper name Aminadab (cf. Exod 6:23; Num 1:7; Ruth 4:19 and others), and some ancient interpreters strangely saw in it the name of the devil. In reality, however, following the Russian Synodal translation and the translation of Archimandrite Makarios (“the chariots of the noble in my people”), one must read in the Heb. text two words: ammi-nadiv—of common noun meaning (as below in Song 7:2) and see in the verse in question the general thought of the luxury of court life, where the word nadiv can have a disapproving tone (in the sense of a tyrant or oppressor, as in Job 21:28; Isa 13:2).

Chapter Seven

1. A brief conversation of the Shulammite with the Jerusalem women. 2–10a. Solomon once again enthusiastically praises his beloved. 10б–14. The Shulammite firmly, without any hesitation, declares her sincere love for her friend and her complete devotion to him.

Song of Songs 7:1. “Return, return, O Shulammite; return, return, that we may gaze upon you.” What concern is it of yours to gaze upon the Shulammite, as upon the dance of Mahanaim? In this verse and only here is the bride of the Song of Songs called by the name of her birthplace, the Shulammite; LXX: Σουναμιτις—a nomen gentilicum from the name of the city Shunem, Heb. Shunem or Sonam—a city in the tribe of Issachar (Josh 19:18; 1 Sam 28:4; 2 Sam 4:8), the home of Abishag (1 Sam 1:3) and the woman benefactress of the prophet Elisha (2 Sam 4:8); now the village of Solam to the north of Zerain (Jezreel), Onomast. 690. The Jerusalem women call the bride by this name, expressing perhaps a tone of admiration for her beauty. In response, the Shulammite modestly, in the form of a mutual question, the sense of which is: “is it worth such attention to pay to a humble village girl, an inhabitant of insignificant Galilee? For she is nothing remarkable, like, for instance, the dance of Mahanaim.” Mahanaim or Mahanayim—a city on the eastern side of the Jordan in the tribe of Gad (Josh 13:26; 2 Sam 2:8 and others), which some identify with the ruins of Mahneh to the north of the Jabbok (Onomast. 668). The place was named after a miraculous vision that had once occurred there—the army of Angels seen by the patriarch Jacob ((Gen 32:2-3). See Prof. Fr. A. Glagolev. Old Testament Biblical Teaching on Angels. Kyiv. 1900, p. 206, 210). The LXX, Vulg., and Slavonic give a common noun meaning to the word in question: Σουναμιτις, chori castrorum, choirs of camps. The sense of the comparison is not entirely clear: we have no information about the dances of Mahanaim. Only one opinion (O. Zöckler and others) deserves full attention, which sees here a historical memory of the heavenly angelic army mentioned above, which appeared to Jacob upon his return from Mesopotamia (Gen 32:2-3).

Song of Songs 7:2. How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O noble daughter! The curves of your thighs are like jewels, the work of skilled hands; Song of Songs 7:3. Your belly is a rounded bowl; may it never lack mixed wine. Your abdomen is a heap of wheat surrounded with lilies; Song of Songs 7:4. Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle; Song of Songs 7:5. Your neck is like an ivory tower; your eyes are pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim; your nose is like a tower of Lebanon overlooking toward Damascus; Song of Songs 7:6. Your head upon you is like Carmel, and the hair of your head like purple; the king is held captive by your tresses. Song of Songs 7:7. How beautiful and how lovely you are, O beloved, in your pleasantness! Song of Songs 7:8. This stature of yours is like a palm tree, and your breasts like clusters of the vine. Song of Songs 7:9. I thought: I will climb the palm tree and seize its branches; may your breasts be like clusters of the vine, and the scent of your breath like apples; Song of Songs 7:10. And your mouth like the finest wine. The description of the bride’s beauties given here generally recalls the two previous descriptions: Song 4:1-7. But it differs from them in the predominance of a sensual character (the description begins from below—with the feet and thighs); with an abundance here of the boldest comparisons in a purely Eastern spirit (vv. 2–6), the realism of the picture reaches the highest degree and even exceeds all bounds (v. 9). Vv. 3–4, cf. Song 4:4-5. In v. 5 Heshbon and Bath-rabbim are synonyms. The name Heshbon (Num 21:26; Deut 1:4 and others. Onomast 454) was the capital of the Amorites and then of the Moabites, and was assigned by Joshua to the tribe of Gad (Josh 13:26), now Hesban to the southwest of Amman. Bath-rabbim (in Kenn. cod. 77) or Bat-rabbim; in the LXX: θνγατρος πολλων, Slavonic, “daughters of many,” Vulg: filiae multitu dinis, indicates the large population of Heshbon. Damascus—the chief city of Syria (Isa 7:8), conquered by David (2 Sam 8:6), now Dimashq-esh-Sham (Onomast. 378). According to the explanation of Prof. Olesnitsky, the chapter in question and in general the section Song 6:4—Song 8:4 presents “an autumn song of the promised land, now completely filled with fully ripened fruits and politically consolidated (seasonal years are opposed here by periods of the history of the Jews, as recognized by the Targum and Midrash). Palestine is covered with herds of goats as densely as the head of a man with hair; its ripened pomegranates blush like maiden cheeks; its wine presses are full of ready best wine and so forth. The comparison of the bride with the palm tree, with its autumn fruits, is especially emphasized here, which we did not notice in the preceding songs… With this natural abundance and grandeur, Palestine is strong politically: upon it stand beautiful and strong cities, for example: Jerusalem, Tirzah, the Damascus fortress, its war bands march in order, like dances (Song 8:1 according to the LXX). The image of the fruitful palm tree, serving as an indicator of wealth of ripened earthly fruits, at the same time designates the high significance of Palestine as a political unit; in such a significance the palm figures among the images of the Jerusalem temple” (p. 376–377).

Song of Songs 7:10. It flows straight to my beloved, bringing sleep to the lips of those who slumber. Song of Songs 7:11. I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me. Song of Songs 7:12. Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field, let us lodge in the villages; Song of Songs 7:13. Let us go early to the vineyards, let us see if the vine has budded, if the tender grapes are opening, if the pomegranates are in bloom; there I will give you my love. Song of Songs 7:14. The mandrakes have given forth fragrance, and at our gates are all manner of fine fruits, new and old, which I have kept for you, my beloved! In response to the exuberant and partly excessive praises of the bride’s perfections, she hastily and ardently declares that she with all her excellences and perfections belongs entirely to her friend (vv. 10б–11), whom she now insistently calls to the bosom of nature to enjoy its beauties and productions (vv. 12–14). The fragrance spread in the garden by mandrakes—these “apples of love”—symbolizes the strength and vitality of her love for her friend (v. 14a), and her wise care for him and her life experience are testified to by the abundance and variety of beautiful fruits that she has preserved for him (14б). Mandrakes, Heb. dudaim, is a plant known in ancient and modern East, Atropa Mandragora or Mandragora vernalis of the Belladonna family, with small pale-green and reddish flowers on a stem up to 1 meter high; in May or June, small yellow, strongly fragrant apples appear on it, which, according to Pliny, were eaten by the Arabs, although they had a soporific effect. The ancient and modern East, classical antiquity, and all the Middle Ages and modern times attributed magical power to the mandrakes—artificial stimulation of sexual love and also the impregnation of previously barren marriages. This belief served as the basis for the account in Gen 30:14-16. On the lips of the innocent Shulammite, the mention of mandrakes (as well as fruits) is a simple symbol of true love, whose power she then (Song 8:6-7) incomparably depicts.

Chapter Eight

1–4. The Beloved expresses a passionate desire for her relationship with the Beloved to take on a character of greater simplicity and intimacy. 5–7. The ardent confession of the Shulammite of the incomparable power of true love. 8–10. About the sister of the Shulammite. 11–12. Her memory of her primitive state. 13–14. In conclusion she again calls her friend, hearing also from him a corresponding call—to go to the bosom of nature for complete enjoyment of the bliss of love.

Song of Songs 8:1. Oh, that you were like a brother to me, who nursed at my mother’s breasts! If I found you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would despise me. Song of Songs 8:2. I would lead you and bring you to my mother’s house, and you would teach me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the juice of my pomegranate. Song of Songs 8:3. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me. Song of Songs 8:4. I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem—do not stir up or awaken love until it is ready. Normal sexual love, though distinct in nature and character from love by blood and kinship, nevertheless in regard to intimacy, simplicity, and immediacy, naturally takes the latter as its model; and therefore as the Bridegroom of the Song of Songs not once called the Bride his sister (Song 4:12), so the Bride, not satisfied with her position—first of the queens (Song 6:8-9), yearns for the most intimate, unhindered communion with her Bridegroom—similar to the caresses of brother and sister. The Bridegroom-brother should take the lead—he should teach the Bride-sister (v. 2), and she should give him selfless love and devotion. V. 3 repeats what was said in Song 2:6. According to Prof. Olesnitsky’s explanation, in the verses in question “the earth, having completed its summer labor and delivered its fruits, expresses a desire that the sun be its brother, that is, dwell inseparably with it so that its vineyards and pomegranates continually bloom, so that old fruits are immediately replaced by new ones. The Song again ends with an adjuration addressed to the daughters of Jerusalem not to disturb the love and harmony reigning in nature” (cited. work p. 377).

Song of Songs 8:5. Who is this coming up from the desert, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I awakened you; there your mother conceived you, there she who was in labor gave you birth. The question “who is this?” as in the analogous places Song 3:6 and Song 6:10, probably belonging to the Jerusalem women, refers, undoubtedly, to a new and now the last appearance of the Bride. In the Heb. Bible: ala min-gamidbar, Vulg. ascendit de deserto, Russian Synodal: “coming up from the desert” (Archim. Makarios; coming up) from the wilderness, which is literally in accord with Song 3:6 and probably artificially transferred from there. The LXX read differently and rendered: λελευκανθισμενη, Slavonic “whitened,” which corresponds much better to the general course of the sacred poet’s thought: the Bride in his book appears as perfecting, and if at the beginning of the book she appeared dark from the sun’s tan (Song 1:4-5), then now, at the end of the book, she—in contrast—appears whitened, having attained a dazzling whiteness. According to Prof. Olesnitsky’s opinion, “the final stage of the Song of Songs (Song 8:5-14) approaches the pictures of the first stage and depicts the first half of the winter season, the cooling and slumber or, so to speak, the contraction of life in nature… Palestine did not vainly fear the departure of the sun in the preceding song. The sun has departed—and behold in one morning Palestine appears all white from snow. This thought is directly expressed in the first words of the song according to the LXX reading: who is this coming forth shining with such white color (according to the LXX) and by the brightness of this snowy color resembling her beloved sun?” (p. 377); “the main winter ornament of Palestine consists of oranges ripening in December… the sacred poet understands them, and only them, by the general name apples. Orange trees laden with ripening fruits—the only remaining pledge of close relations between the earth and the sun; in these belated fruits the winter sun barely awakens to life Palestine, sleeping in the bosom of mother—earth” (p. 378).

Song of Songs 8:6. Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, jealousy is harsh as Sheol; its flashes are flashes of fire, a most vehement flame. Song of Songs 8:7. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If one offered all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned. In vv. 6–7, by the unanimous recognition of all ancient and modern interpreters, the fundamental thought or idea of the entire Song of Songs is expressed—about the incomparably high dignity and irresistible power of true love as a principle in its essence and divine source. The depiction of love given here by the sacred poet—strong as death and jealousy insatiable as Sheol itself, love as divine unquenchable and incorruptible flame—is truly incomparable, truly classical. But all the deep meaning of this picture becomes clear only in connection with the typological interpretation of the Song of Songs. Let us take advantage here of Prof. Olesnitsky’s excellent explanation. “As writers of prophetic books introduce features of the blessed Messianic kingdom into the depiction of the extreme political fall of the Jewish people for the purpose of consoling and encouraging the people, so the writer of the Song of Songs, having reached in his description the lowest stage of the life of the promised land, as if asleep from the action of winter cold, unexpectedly introduces into his description a feature not relating to the actual Palestine he depicts—the highest direct relationship of God to the land of his people. The depiction of love in vv. 6–7, which is not interrupted even by death and Hades, is not quenched by any (winter) waters and is not obtained by any treasures, is a depiction of that divine love which serves as the foundation of all Old Testament teaching about the Messiah. In keeping with the fact that in our book the sun and its beneficial heat are generally discussed, and the love of God is called here a flame (according to the original reading; the flame of Jehovah Yah 7. Thus it is completely justified that ancient interpreters saw in the Song of Songs one of the highest and brightest prophecies about the Messiah. From the highest point at which we stand in Song 8:6-7, the general thought of the entire Song of Songs must be defined as follows: amid all the vicissitudes of the fate of Palestine, amid the alternating pictures of its nature, for the Jewish people there is only one firm and unchanging foundation of life—the promised highest and most perfect love of Jehovah, with the revelation of which there will be no more need for the sun on the earth of the chosen, God’s people, because Jehovah Himself will be for her the sun that does not set” (p. 378–379). On the parallelism of vv. 6–7 with Rom 8:35-39 we spoke.

Song of Songs 8:8. We have a sister, and she is little; she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister on the day when she is sought in marriage? Song of Songs 8:9. If she is a wall, we will build on her a battlement of silver; if she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar. Song of Songs 8:10. I am a wall, and my breasts like towers; then I was in his eyes like one who brings peace. Song of Songs 8:11. Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he entrusted the vineyard to keepers; each one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver. Song of Songs 8:12. My own vineyard is at my disposal; the thousand shekels are for you, O Solomon, and two hundred for those who tend its fruit. Song of Songs 8:13. O you who dwell in the gardens, the companions listen for your voice; let me hear it. Song of Songs 8:14. Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices! The general sense of this concluding section consists in the indication of complete contentment and satisfaction which the Bride attained in the finally realized, long-desired, complete communion with her Beloved. The particulars, however, as in many places of our sacred book, are difficult to explain in a satisfactory, undisputed manner. Thus it is difficult to determine who exactly is the younger sister about whom, by a supposition that has many supporters (see, e.g., the Russian translation by Archimandrite Makarios), the brothers of the Bride speak in vv. 8–9. The Midrash and many interpreters (including Prof. Olesnitsky) see in this younger sister also the Bride—the heroine of the Song of Songs—and, precisely in its application to her, explain the imperfections and needs of this sister mentioned here. However, the distinction of her from the Bride is argued by the very designation of her as younger, as well as the fact that in v. 10 the Bride, by her qualities, is directly opposed, as “having brought peace” (in Archim. Makarios: “having found peace”), to the imperfect younger sister. Therefore it is more natural to see in the latter a community foreign to Israel and his God-given inheritance—the Gentiles, although believing, but far from having the favorable conditions for the development and practical realization of this faith (one can here, for comparison, cite the depiction of the condition of paganism in the apostle Paul, e.g., Eph 2:12-13). The vineyard, vv. 11–12, on the contrary, is, as in Isa 5, an image of the Old Testament biblical Israel with its theocratic order. “Baal-hamon,” as a proper name, does not appear in the Old Testament canonical books. The comparison of this name with the city of Balamon mentioned in the book of Judith (Jdt 8:3) has only the probability that the latter was located (Onomast. 191, 228) near Dothan or Dothaim (Onomast. 396), that is, near Shunem—the home of the Shulammite. But it is even more probable that “Baal-hamon” is a common noun meaning literally “lord of multitude (of peoples),” which is quite fitting for Solomon and even more so for the Messiah prefigured by him. With the last mutual greetings of love, vv. 13–15, the Beloved one disappear into ethereal heights, with which likewise the last tones of the most excellent of songs—the Song of Songs—fall silent, this—truly, “the elusive riddle proposed to the human spirit by the Absolute Spirit” (Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, The Book Song of Songs… P. 338). * * * Indeed, instead of the reading accepted in the Heb. text in v. 6 flame (strong), very many codices in Kennicott and Rossi read the flame of Jehovah.

The Wisdom of Solomon

Introduction

Contents Title of the book

The writer of the book.

The time, place, and purpose of writing.

The contents of the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon.

Title of the book

In the Greek Bible this book is entitled: Sophia Solomontos—Wisdom of Solomon, and in the Latin Liber Sapientiae. This title first of all points to the contents of the book; its principal subject is the teaching concerning the Wisdom of God, its beginning, properties, and actions in the world. Another word in the title points to Solomon. The name of this king stands here because the writer of the book sometimes speaks from the person of Solomon (see Wis 7-9 ch.), the chief representative and first teacher of biblical wisdom, and its subject is similar to the subject of the Book of Proverbs of Solomon.

The writer of the book.

The most ancient opinion about the author of the Book of Wisdom is that Solomon was its writer. Many fathers and teachers of the church held this opinion (Clement of Alexandria. Strom. XI, v. IX, 315. Tertullian. De praecript, II, 20. Holy Cyprian. Ep. de exhort martyrum XII, VI, 673) on the grounds that the name of Solomon stands in the title and the book speaks from his person. This opinion was subsequently strongly defended by the Catholic Church with the aim of having this book recognized by it as canonical.

Such an opinion about the author of the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon cannot be regarded as correct for the following reasons. 1) The Book of the Wisdom of Solomon cannot be attributed to Solomon because it was not written in the Hebrew language, but in Greek. 2) The writer of the Book of Wisdom is familiar with Greek philosophy: the teaching of Plato, the Epicureans, and in part the Stoics (II:1–6; VIII:7, 19–20). 3) He lives outside Palestine and makes references to Greek customs and practices (VII:17–20; VIII:8; XIII:1–15; XIV:14): he cites quotations from the LXX translation (Wis 2:12 cf. Isa 3:10; Wis 15:10 cf. Isa 44). 4) In the catalogs of Old Testament books, for example, in the “Apostolic Canons” (Canon 85), the Council of Laodicea, and St. Athanasius the Great, it is not considered a work of Solomon and a canonical book.

Another opinion, which was expressed in the time of Jerome, attributes the writing of the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon to Philo. In support of this opinion, they point to the similarity of the teaching of this book about Wisdom with Philo’s teaching about the Logos. But this similarity is superficial: the writer of our book does not think of the image of Wisdom what Philo understood by the Logos. Between the one and the other a difference of views is noted to the point of opposition. 1) The origin of sin and death in the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon is explained by “the envy of the devil” (II:24): Philo could not say this, for he did not admit the existence of an evil principle in the world and understood the biblical account of the fall of the first humans allegorically. 2) The theory of the preexistence of souls is presented differently by the writer of the Book of Wisdom and by Philo: according to the teaching of the Book of Wisdom, the souls of the good enter into pure bodies (VIII:19–20), but according to Philo, only fallen souls inclined to sin are sent into bodies on earth (De monarchia II, p. 213–216). 3) Finally, the views of Philo and concerning the origin of idolatry differ greatly from the teaching of the Book of Wisdom on this subject. (Wis 12-13 ch. and Philo De mundo II, p. 604).

Thus, Philo could not have written a book in which teaching is set forth that in many respects is opposite to his views. Church tradition also testifies against the writing of the Book of Wisdom by Philo. The fathers of the church contemporary with Philo—Clement of Rome and Dionysius the Areopagite—cite passages from this book in their writings as sacred. Such respect for the book among these fathers could not have existed if it had been written by an unbelieving Jew, their contemporary.

All other attempts to find the author of the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon are just as unsuccessful as the two mentioned (they can be read in the work of Professor D. Pospekh: “The Book of the Wisdom of Solomon, Its Origin and Relation to Judeo-Alexandrian Philosophy”). Therefore, one must be satisfied with the general indication found in the book itself, that its writer was a Hellenistic Jew, an educated Alexandrian, well versed in Greek philosophy.

The time, place, and purpose of writing.

One can judge the time of writing of the Book of Wisdom only conjecturally, on the basis of the allusions in this book to the condition of Egyptian Jews contemporary with the writer. All commentators agree that during the writer’s lifetime, Egyptian Jews suffered some grave unjust oppression from the pagan government, having the character of religious persecution. Looking to history, we find that during the reign of the three first Ptolemies, the Jews did not suffer any oppression and even enjoyed the favor of the government.

It was only under Ptolemy IV, Philopator, when, after the end of the Fourth Syrian War (221–217 BC), he returned from Palestine to Egypt in a state of intense irritation against the Palestinian Jews, that religious persecution of Jews in Egypt began. This persecution of Egyptian Jews is described in the Third Book of Maccabees and in such features as we find also in the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon (II:12–17 cf. 3 Macc 1 and II; I:11–12 cf. 3 Macc 2:19-20; Wis 2:19-20 cf. 3 Macc 3:1). From this one can conclude that the Book of Wisdom was written toward the end of the reign of Ptolemy IV, around 221–217 BC.

The place of writing of the Book of Wisdom was Egypt and, most likely, Alexandria. Its author is familiar with Judeo-Alexandrian philosophy; in his book he makes allusions to Egyptian religion (XII:24; XV:16–19). Regarding the purpose of writing the book, based on the repeated exhortations and appeals of the writer to the judges of the earth, the rulers of nations, and kings (I:1; VI:1), the opinion was formed that the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon was written mainly for kings (Egyptian or Syrian) and was intended to be transmitted to them. But more careful study of the book shows that the principal readers of the Book of Wisdom, whom the writer had in mind when composing it, should be presumed to be within Jewry itself, not outside it. The sad condition of Judeo-Alexandrian society prompted the writer to present to the awareness of contemporary Egyptian Jews the truth of the theocratic idea of Old Testament faith in all its light, directing them to the great and glorious future of Israel in the coming kingdom of God, in heaven and on earth.

The contents of the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon.

The principal subject of the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon is the teaching about wisdom. The writer of the book considers wisdom from two sides:

1) as it is in itself, in its original source—God; this is wisdom objective, or divine, and

2) as it is reflected in the human spirit; this is wisdom subjective, or human. Considering wisdom in the first relation, the writer portrays it as an eternally inherent principle in God of revelation and action of His in the world, as the center of divine perfections, which are revealed in the creation and governance of the world; in the second relation, Wisdom is the principle entering into the human spirit from God of all higher spiritual perfection, leading man to immortality. In accordance with the gradual unfolding of this idea of wisdom, the whole book can be divided according to its contents into three parts.

In the first part (chs. I–V), wisdom is portrayed as a guide to blissful immortality, in opposition to the false opinion of Jewish freethinkers who denied immortality.

In the second part (chs. VI–IX), from the person of King Solomon, the writer sets forth the teaching about the essence of wisdom, its origin and properties, concerning the necessity and significance of possessing it, as well as the conditions for attaining it.

In the third part (chs. X–XIX), the writer proves by examples from the ancient history of his people that only wisdom made this people happy; on the contrary, the lack of it led individual persons and whole nations (the Egyptians, the Canaanites) to destruction.

Chapter One

1–5. An exhortation to righteousness, which alone leads to wisdom and God. 6–10. Unrighteousness, besides separating from God, is moreover not left unpunished. 11–12. The ungodly bring death into the world, 13–14. contrary to the original intention of the Creator, who determined all things for life. 15–16. Righteousness, on the contrary, leads to immortality.

Wisdom 1:1. Love righteousness, you judges of the earth, think rightly concerning the Lord, and seek him in simplicity of heart, Wisdom 1:2. for he is found by those who do not put him to the test, and manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve him. 1–2. The Book of the Wisdom of Solomon begins with an exhortation to wisdom, with an indication of favorable conditions for attaining it. This exhortation is addressed to the judges of the earth (hoi krinoi ten gen). In exegetical literature there is more than one opinion on the question of whom the writer is addressing here. Some commentators believe that by the judges of the earth the writer here meant the pious Israelites and thus expressed his belief that zealous Jews in Messianic times would take part in God’s divine judgment over the other nations (cf. Wis 3:7-8). Such an explanation does not correspond to the course of thought in this and the following chapters, where the address is not to the righteous people, but, on the contrary, to those who are erring and wicked. Furthermore, throughout the chapter there is no indication that the expression “judges of the earth” is taken in a figurative, rather than literal, sense. Therefore, it would be more correct to understand by the judges of the earth the earthly rulers in general, and the Greek krinein in a broad sense—to govern, reign, rule, rather than only “to judge.” In this sense the expression “judges of the earth” is often used in Holy Scripture (Prov 8:16; Ps 2:10; Isa 40; Sir 4:15). But the address at the beginning of the book to the judges of the earth does not mean that the writer addressed his book exclusively to princes and earthly rulers. This address has rather the significance of a simple rhetorical figure, for the contents of the book has nothing specific that would relate only to the authorities, but all the exhortations of the book are pervaded with a universal human character, applicable to all—whoever by his ungodliness separates himself from God and wisdom. The question arises therefore, what was the writer’s purpose in choosing such a form of address—“judges of the earth”? This is explained by the fact that the writer wanted to introduce King Solomon as the speaker from the beginning of the first chapter, wherefore he thought it more fitting to address his speech to earthly rulers rather than to simple people; but in that case it would have been even more appropriate to address whole nations. It is far more reasonable to explain this address by the purpose of writing the Book of Wisdom and by the relations of the Jews at that time to foreign rulers—their oppressors. In them the Jews saw representatives, on the one hand, of all ungodliness and freethinking, and on the other—of crude superstition and idolatry.—These very representatives of the anti-Jewish way of thought and life the author wished chiefly to call to true wisdom (Cf. 1:1 st. and Wis 6:1-2 st.). “Love righteousness.” Righteousness (dikaiosyne) should be understood here not in a judicial sense, but in a moral sense. It is not about the duty of a judge here, not about judicial impartiality, but about the conformity of a person’s thoughts and deeds with God’s commandments, about honesty and virtue. The immediately following words speak in favor of such an understanding, in which this concept of righteousness is unfolded from two sides: as right thinking about God and as seeking him in simplicity of heart. “Think rightly concerning the Lord.” By comparing this expression with 30 st. of the XIV ch. “they thought ungodly of God, turning to idols,” it is explained thus: have correct notions, thoughts about God. But if the writer wished to say this, he would have used the Greek expression orthōs, and not agathotes (as here), which denotes a property of the will, not the mind. Therefore, it is more correct to suppose that here the writer speaks of such a moral attitude of man as is a necessary condition for his meditations on God to lead to happiness in God. The correctness of such an understanding is confirmed by the immediately following words: “seek him in simplicity of heart” and by the subsequent context of the speech. The following verses (2–4) develop the thought that only morally pure people are capable of true knowledge of God, while spiritual impurity separates from God, and wisdom cannot dwell in a sinful soul. “Seek him in simplicity of heart.” The expression “seek the Lord” is used in the Bible in the sense of “endeavor to merit the mercy and favor of God” (Jer 29; Rom 3:11; Heb 11:6) and in the sense of “strive to know God” (Wis 13:6; Isa 65:1; Acts 17:27). According to the context of the speech here, this expression is better taken in the second sense, since the speech is further about the knowledge of God. “In simplicity of heart,” that is, with pure childlike feeling, which is far from doubt in the power and goodness of God (1 Chr 29; Eph 6:5). Verse 2 indicates the ground why the striving for wisdom and the knowledge of God should be accompanied by purity in thoughts and deeds: because only under this condition is this striving not in vain. “To test the Lord” ordinarily means to doubt God’s almighty power and help and thus, as it were, to force God to show his power (see Exod 17:2; Deut 33:8; Ps 77:18), and in such a sense the given expression is often understood. But the connection of speech with the preceding and following gives grounds for another interpretation, namely: by immoral deeds, as it were, to put God to the test, to see whether he will punish and whether one can irritate his longsuffering and punishing power. In such a sense the expression “to test the Lord” is often used in Holy Scripture. (See Deut 6:16; Acts 15:10; 1 Cor 10:9). “And manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve him.” To manifest (emphanizesthai)—not in the sense of an external theophany, but to reveal, to make known, as in VI ch., 16 st.; cf. John 14:21-22. Those who disbelieve (apistountes) here are not those who deny the existence of God, but those who experience religious doubt and in such a state turn to God (cf. Jas 1:6; Matt 21:22; Mark 11:24). The reading of the Alexandrian Codex mē pisteuousi is considered erroneous; the Vulgate renders this place in the positive form: qui fidem habent in illum.

Wisdom 1:3. For wrong thoughts separate from God, and when his power is tested, it exposes the foolish. 3. From verses 3–5, the thought of verse 2 is developed in the negative way. “Wrong thoughts separate from God.” The word “thought” (logismos) in the Bible is usually used to denote the moral and religious disposition of a person, not mere reflection. The word logismos itself does not contain a bad sense (Rom 2:15; Luke 2:35). The bad sense is determined either by the context of the speech (Jer 11:19; 2 Cor 10:4), or by a special adjective standing with this word (see Matt 15:19; Mark 7:21), as in this place the thoughts are called “wrong” (skolios), that is, perverted, ungodly, “separate from God,” that is, deprive him of divine help in the acquisition of wisdom and the knowledge of God (cf. verse 4). “When his power is tested, it exposes the foolish.” God’s almightiness is tested by ungodliness, to force its manifestation. A thought close to the first half of verse 2. “To test” and “to tempt” (verse 2) (dokimazesthai and peirazein)—words that are used in the Book of Wisdom and generally in Holy Scripture in almost the same sense. (See Wis 2:17; Ps 94; 2 Cor 13:5; Heb 3:9).

Wisdom 1:4. For into a deceitful soul wisdom will not enter, nor dwell in a body enslaved to sin, Verse 4 contains the ground for verse 3. Ungodliness separates from God because wisdom does not unite with ungodly people, and wisdom leads to the knowledge of God (Wis 9:17) and mediates communion with God (Wis 6:9). By wisdom here, as is evident from verses 5 and 6, is meant the divine force that manifests its action in the souls of people. Soul (psychē) and body (sōma) are taken in the fourth verse not only to denote the whole person (as in 2 Macc 7:37), but the body means the source and center of all moral evil in a person; this thought was a kind of dogma for Philo, and it is not foreign to the writer of the Book of Wisdom (see Wis 8:19-20 st.). But the writer distinguishes only two parts of human existence: soul and body (Wis 8:19-20), not three, as Philo did; in this his independence is evident. The body is presented in verse 4 as “enslaved to sin,” that is, it has become a slave to it, as it were bought by it (cf. Rom 7:14), while the soul is called “deceitful,” as devising evil (cf. Wis 11:4).—“Dwell”—the usual expression in Holy Scripture of the thought about the action of divine force (wisdom) in the human soul. It gives the nuance of the thought that this force is not of earthly, but of heavenly origin and dwells in man only temporarily (see Eph 3:17; Col 1:19).

Wisdom 1:5. for the holy Spirit of wisdom will flee deceit, and will not dwell with senseless thoughts, and will depart when unrighteousness approaches. Verse 5. Wisdom in virtue of its holiness departs from all sin. It is called here the Holy Spirit (pneuma agion). This expression (pneuma ag.) in biblical usage denotes the divine force and activity, in distinction from the divine essence itself,—the quickening and animating principle in the physical and spiritual world. The various spiritual properties in which the divine Spirit manifests itself are expressed in the genitive case (see Wis 7:7; Isa 11:2; Deut 34:9; Eph 1:8; 2 Cor 4:13; 2 Tim 1:7; John 14:17). Here with pneuma stands the genitive sophias. In the concept of sophia the writer of the book means not the intellectual, but the moral-practical side of wisdom, the ability to conduct one’s life according to God’s commandments, piety (Wis 2:12; Ps 50; Prov 1:2; Sir 2:27). Inasmuch as divine wisdom teaches man piety, it is therefore called the spirit of instruction and education (in the Alex. cod. paideias). This wisdom departs from all evil, deceit (dolos), whether it manifests itself in thoughts or in wicked deeds. Thus, depravity in thought and deed makes man incapable of knowing the high and divine, dulls his feelings toward it. This thought is expressed repeatedly in the New Testament (John 7:17; Rom 1:18; 1 Cor 2:14-15; Eph 4:17); it is also found in the philosophy of Philo, and the author of the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon perhaps borrowed it from there. By purity of heart and integrity of deeds a man, as it were, becomes akin to the divine and heavenly and becomes more capable of knowing it—this is one of the fundamental propositions of Judeo-Alexandrian religious philosophy.

Wisdom 1:6. For the Spirit of the Lord fills the whole world, and that which holds all things together knows every word said, Verses 6–10 further develop the thought of the preceding verse: it is not enough that the Holy Spirit of Wisdom withdraws its action from the ungodly and departs from them, but it also punishes them, for it knows even the deep recesses of the human heart and is omnipresent. In speaking of this, the writer means such ungodliness that has already broken the great bond of man with Wisdom and, on the other hand, is expressed in blasphemous speech. Verse 6. “For the Spirit of the Lord fills the whole world…” In the Alexandrian Codex stands the genitive case—sophias, as in Wis 7:7 st.; but this variant reading does not at all change the meaning. Whether to call Wisdom the Spirit of God or to say: the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Wisdom—it is one and the same. The epithet “fills the whole world” presents a difficulty for exegetes: they find it not matching the context; throughout this section there is no talk of God’s love for people, on the contrary, His disfavor is mentioned. To eliminate the difficulty by considering this place as a later interpolation, as some exegetes do, is impossible, because these words are found in all codices. Paying attention to the fact that this expression in the Greek text is connected with the particle gar, one should put it in causal connection with the preceding, and not with individual expressions, but with the general sense. The train of thought then becomes this: under the condition of moral purity, when the Spirit of God has access to man’s soul, it is not difficult for him to attain wisdom; for the activity of the Spirit of God is moved exclusively by love for man, therefore precisely He “will not leave unpunished” ungodliness, which hinders his activity for the benefit of people. “Will not leave the one who blasphemes unpunished.” The blasphemer cannot escape punishment because God knows even the inner movements of the human soul. He is a “witness of the inmost feelings,” a “beholder of the heart,” and a “hearer of the tongue.” In this enumeration one notes in the writer a gradual transition from the inner to the outer, from what is less to what is more accessible. “The innermost feelings” (nephroi) are, in biblical usage, the hidden principle in man where deep feelings, strong affections, and violent passions are born; the heart means in general the capacity for thought and feeling (Isa 6:10; Jer 17:10; Rev 2:23); “tongue”—the speech in which both one and the other reveal themselves. In correspondence with this sequence stand the words “witness,” “beholder,” “hearer.”

Wisdom 1:7. and so those words of blasphemy cannot hide and will not leave his righteous judgment with forgetting, Verse 7. “The Spirit of the Lord fills the universe.” The opinions of exegetes on the concept of “the Spirit of the Lord” (pneuma kyriou) differ. Some identify “the Spirit of the Lord” with the concept of “the Lord,” others see here a reference to wisdom as a world soul, in the Platonic sense. Defenders of the second opinion cite, in proof, passages from the writings of Philo in which he attributes to the Logos the actions of Platonic world soul, and passages from the writings of the holy Fathers in which the same is attributed to the Spirit of God. A similar identification of the Spirit of God with the world soul supposedly takes place in the writer’s book of Wisdom. Of course, one cannot deny that in his book (see Wis 7:22) the writer presents wisdom as a force acting, emanating from God and pervading the whole world. But in doing so, he does not present wisdom as an independent personal being, as would be necessary to suppose if the writer understood wisdom in the Platonic sense of world soul. (In Plato, God and the world soul are presented as two distinct spiritual principles). Therefore, it is more correct to suppose that the writer formed his concept of wisdom not on the basis of Platonic philosophy, but on the basis of the Old Testament biblical teaching about the Spirit of God as the divine force everywhere active in the material world and all-pervading, as the principle of physical life. (Gen 1:2; Ps 32:6). This concept of the Spirit of God in Judeo-Alexandrian philosophy received a more abstract meaning and was adopted by our writer for revealing the idea of wisdom. In the second half of verse 7, from the thought of the omnipresence of the Spirit of the Lord, the thought of his omniscience is derived: “and as he holds all things together he knows every word.”

Wisdom 1:8. Therefore no one who utters unrighteous things will go unnoticed, and justice, as a judge, will not pass him by. Verse 8. From the thought of the preceding verse about God’s omniscience and omnipresence, the conclusion is drawn that no blasphemer, no ungodly person (“who utters unrighteous things”) can hide from God and cannot escape punishment.

Wisdom 1:9. For the thoughts of the ungodly are sinful, and his ears are open to unrighteous deeds; Verse 9. “For the thoughts of the ungodly are sinful.” “Scrutiny” (exetasis), a word frequently encountered in our writer, is taken by him from civil judicial language, where it means an investigation conducted by torture; in our book this word means 1) the investigation, examination of human life by God (Wis 4:6), and along with this the consequence of this scrutiny—2) punishment (Wis 6:6). Here the first meaning of this word should be taken, which can be seen from the second half of the verse. “Thought” (diaboulion) means in general a disposition, intention, like logismos in verse 3 (thought). Taken in the plural, this word ordinarily acquires a negative sense;—it means ungrateful strivings, impure desires (Ezek 11:5; Hos 4:9). “His ears are open to unrighteous deeds…” that is, man will stand before God as a judge.

Wisdom 1:10. for the ear of jealousy hears all things, and the sound of grumbling does not go unheard. Verse 10. “The ear of jealousy hears all things…” The abstract concept “jealousy” is taken here instead of the concrete “the jealous one” (“the ear of the jealous one”) in correspondence with the abstract character of the expressions of the preceding verse. In the Old Testament jealousy is attributed to Jehovah in two senses. Either by this word is denoted Jehovah’s zealous care for the Israelite people (Isa 9:6; Joel 2:18; Zech 1:14), whereupon he appears as the zealous avenger of his enemies (Nah 1:2); or, as in many places in the Pentateuch (Exod 20:5; Deut 4:24), God is called “a jealous one” when he speaks of his right to exclusive worship from the Israelites, and that any departure from his worship will be severely punished. In this latter sense the word “jealousy” is taken in this place: God watches zealously (jealously) over the thoughts and words of people in order not to leave blasphemous speech unpunished.

Wisdom 1:11. Therefore guard yourselves against useless complaining, and keep your tongue from slander; because even the smallest word will not pass away unheeded, and a lying mouth destroys the soul. Verse 11. Represents a conclusion from the last three verses.

Wisdom 1:12. Therefore do not court death by the error of your life, or draw down destruction upon yourselves through the work of your hands; Verse 12. “Do not court death by error of your life…” To court death means to eagerly strive for it. In this expression, as in the following: “or draw down destruction upon yourselves through the work of your hands,” there sounds in the writer a certain irony toward the ungodly, who by their constant perseverance in sin seem to express a firm desire for their own ruin. “…of your life…” This expression presents a beautiful contrast to the preceding: “do not court death.” To understand clearly what the writer here means by death, one can only on the basis of the whole teaching of our book about death and immortality. We will present it in its main features. 1) God is not the author of death; according to the plan of His creative activity all should be immortal: Wis 1:13-14. He made man also immortal, in the image of “the eternity of His being”: Wis 2:23) “But by the envy of the devil death entered the world”: Wis 2:24) However, not all fall under this death, but through piety and wisdom man attains immortality: Wis 1:15; and blessed life with God in heaven: Wis 3:1; while the ungodly receive death as punishment: Wis 1:12; they have no hope: Wis 3:11; thick darkness covers them: Wis 17:20; God utterly destroys them: Wis 4:19. However, even after such death, which is likened to annihilation, the ungodly are described as having a memory of their earthly life, regret and repentance, as well as knowledge of the blessed state of the righteous (Wis 5:1-5). Most exegetes try to reconcile this apparent contradiction by assuming that Pseudo-Solomon admits some intermediate state in which the souls of not all the dead, but only of the ungodly, remain until they are destroyed on the day of general judgment. Death, according to this view, is the complete annihilation of the souls of sinners on the day of judgment. In proof of the correctness of this view they cite the frequent mention of such a day in the book: Wis 3:7, cf. Wis 1:9. But against this view serious objections can be raised. Nowhere does the writer make a distinction between the state that immediately follows death and that which will occur after the general judgment. This silence would only be thinkable and explainable if he were addressing readers for whom such teaching about immortality was well known, so that there would be no need to explain it in detail, only to touch on individual moments of it. But we do not find such teaching about immortality among the Jews contemporary with the writer. On the contrary, they always expected the general judgment here on earth in Messianic times. Our writer, although sharing widely in Messianic hopes (Wis 3:7-8), did not know the dogma of the resurrection of the body (see remark to 3:7). Therefore, according to the view under discussion, he should have transferred the divine judgment and the general assembly for it to the otherworldly life as incorporeal souls; but we find no analogy for such a presentation in the eschatological views of the Jews. Therefore, the writer’s teaching about death is more correctly understood in a different way. Namely, by death to understand not complete annihilation, but only the loss of immortality connected with the death of the body in the proper sense, as blessed communion with God in heaven, to which only wisdom leads; this is from the negative side; from the positive side, it is the continuous consciousness of one’s guilt (Wis 5:2-5) in what sorrowful state the souls remained in the underworld (Wis 1:14). Thus, the death of which the writer of the Book of Wisdom speaks is the “second death” of the Apocalypse (Rev 2:11). Thence the “day of judgment” can only be a borrowed image from the books of the Old Testament (Isa 2:12; Ezek 30:2; Joel 1:15; Mal 3:1-5) and mean nothing more than the general time of retribution, when each receives according to his deeds. As for those passages in the book where the writer speaks of annihilation (e.g., Wis 4:19), they can easily be understood not in a literal sense, but as hyperbolic expressions of horror before the divine awesome judgment. This teaching of our writer about immortality, which he likely drew from Platonic philosophy, constituted an essential moment in the development of the religious consciousness of the Jews and brought them significantly closer to Christianity.

Wisdom 1:13. For God did not make death, and he does not have pleasure in the destruction of the living. Verses 13–16. Section 13–16 forms the conclusion of the chapter and contains a brief statement of the teaching about God in his relation to the world. Verse 13. God does not have pleasure in the destruction of the ungodly, and he is not the author of their death; it came into being solely through their own fault. The intention of his creative will was to create only life in the world (not death). In contrast with verse thirteen are vv. Wis 2:16. Together with parallel to it Wis 11:24-25 it expresses a thought found in Platonic philosophy, that love alone was the moving principle for God in his creative activity.

Wisdom 1:14. for he fashioned all things so that they might have being; and the creature-kinds of the world are wholesome, and there is no destructive poison in them, nor does the realm of Hades rule on earth. Verse 14. The thought of the preceding verse, expressed in negative form, is developed here from the positive side. “He fashioned all things so that they might have being.” What is meant by “all things”? All creation, the entire human world, as in Mark 16:15, or even the entire spiritual world, as in the epistle to Eph 1:10. In that case, “so that they might have being” (eis to einai) will mean—for the continuation of life, for immortality (in contrast to ouk einai in the book of Gen 42:36; Matt 2:18). With such an explanation, verse 14 will only repeat in other words the thought of the preceding verse, whereas it is the ground for it (“for”). Therefore, by “all things” should be understood all that has been created in totality, the whole world, the universe. As God created all things, so by his will is determined the preservation, continuation of existence (to einai) of all. This thought is a general proposition from which is drawn the conclusion that man too was created for life, not for death. “And the creature-kinds of the world are wholesome…” that is, all that God created serves for the preservation and continuation of existence, and, as is evident from the following, the writer speaks chiefly of the preservation of man. “Nor does the realm of Hades rule on earth.” Many exegetes quite arbitrarily see in these and the following words an allusion of the writer to the account of Moses (Gen 2:17 and ch. 3) that people through tasting the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil were subjected to death, and from this they draw the further conclusion that the writer of the Book of Wisdom understood the narrative of Moses about the fall of the first humans in an allegorical, rather than a literal, sense. From other passages in his book we clearly see that he recognized the historical character of Moses’ narrative about the creation of the world and the first humans (Wis 2:23-24). “Poison” here in a figurative sense is called everything that leads man to spiritual death, that deprives him of immortality. All this is in man himself, whereas in all the material world there is nothing such that contact with it would lead man to moral death. “Nor does the realm of Hades rule on earth.” These words clearly show that the writer imagined spiritual death as a sorrowful state of the dead in Hades. Hades, as the place of abode of the dead, is here taken in poetic personification: Hades reigns; but one should not think that the writer speaks here of an actual prince of Hades, as in Rev 6:8. In Holy Scripture, Hades and death are often identified (Isa 38:18; 1 Cor 15:55; Rev 1:18).

Wisdom 1:15. For righteousness is immortal; Verse 15. Since death was not created by God (verse 13), but is a consequence of moral causes, sin (verse 12), from this follows naturally the conclusion that “righteousness is immortal.” Although the righteous do die, it is only a transition to another, better life (Wis 3:1).

Wisdom 1:16. but the ungodly brought death upon themselves through their deeds and words; thinking lightly of him, they were drawn away to death, and made a compact with it, since they are worthy of the share in death. Verse 16. In verse 16, the thought is the same as in verse 12 and is expressed in the same ironic tone toward the ungodly. Death for them, of course, is a punishment, but such a punishment as they passionately sought; they courted it through their deeds and words, felt an attachment to it, as to a friend, and languished in this feeling (“they were drawn away”), finally concluded with it a lasting covenant and by all this showed that they are worthy of it.

Chapter Two

1–5. The teaching of the contemporary Jewish freethinkers of the writer about the fate of man after death and 6–9. about the highest purpose of man’s earthly life. 10–20. Their attitude toward pious true Israelites. 21–22. The writer’s evaluation of their views. 23–24. The origin of death.

Wisdom 2:1. For they reasoned unsoundly, saying to themselves, “Short and sorrowful is our life, and there is no remedy when a life comes to its end, nor has anyone ever been known to return from Hades.” Verses 1–5. The views of the freethinkers on human life and the fate of man after death are set forth. In the Greek text, verse 1 of chapter II is connected with the preceding by the particle gar—“for” (eipon gar …), which means this verse provides the ground for the thought of the preceding verse 16 and is closely connected with it. The ungodly are worthy of death (Wis 1:16) because they regard life as a chance occurrence and do not believe in any immortality (Wis 2:1). “They reasoned unsoundly” (logizesthai ouk orthōs)—this is—not unsoundly thinking people; here not the intellectual side is taken, but the moral: people perversely disposed (see remark about logismos at I:3 st.). “Saying to themselves,” more accurately to one another (medeis hēmōn). The freethinkers express three thoughts: 1) about the brevity of human life; 2) about the inevitability of death, and 3) they deny the possibility of the life of the human spirit after the death of the body. “Short and sorrowful is our life…” Such expressions are found in other passages of Holy Scripture (Gen 47:9; Job 14:1-2 st.; Ps 38:6-7), but there they are spoken in a different spirit. “Sorrowful” life is considered by the ungodly such when it is not diversified by sensual pleasures (II:5–9). “Nor has anyone ever been known to return from Hades.” Hades in the mouths of the ungodly means the state after death. By these words they want to say that none of the dead return, consequently, in their opinion, death puts an end to everything.

Wisdom 2:2. We were born by chance, and hereafter we shall be as though we had never been; because the breath in our nostrils is smoke, and reason is a spark kindled by the beating of our heart, Wisdom 2:3. when it is extinguished, the body will turn to ashes, and the spirit will dissolve like empty air; Verses 2–3. These verses contain proof of the thought expressed in verse 1 about complete destruction after death. This proof is drawn from two grounds: 1) from the chance nature of human life, and 2) from the concept of the essence of the soul, its materiality. “We were born by chance and hereafter we shall be as though we had never been.” We came into existence through mere chance, without any higher purpose, therefore “hereafter,” when this life passes, our chance existence will end forever: “we shall be as though we had never been.” Such teaching was set forth in ancient times in the philosophy of Democritus and Epicurus. It is quite possible that the part of Jewry that eagerly strove toward Greek culture and education adopted these philosophical views as well. The writer wages a struggle against these opponents of his from among the Jews and for this purpose, emphasizing even the subtleties, sets forth Epicurean teaching. “Because the breath in our nostrils is smoke and reason is a spark kindled by the beating of our heart.” In these and the following words the writer presents the materialistic views of his opponents. According to these crudely materialistic views, human life is presented from only the biological side and is identified with the process of breathing. Man lives as long as he breathes; with his last breath all life ceases. “Reason” here is taken to denote consciousness and in general the mental activity of man, and it is presented as a spark produced by a blow of the heart. Just as sparks are produced from a strike of metal against stone, so too from the strike of the heart, as a purely material substance, thinking is produced; the latter, thus, is only the result of animal life. “The breath in our nostrils is smoke, and reason is a spark.” These images were probably taken by the writer because his opponents shared some ancient teaching (for example, that of Heraclitus, the Stoic Zeno, or Epicurus), which regarded fire, ether, or heat as the beginning of all things. Verse 3. Verse 3 is the conclusion drawn from the preceding. If heat, this principle of life, disappears, then together with it both the body and the spirit are destroyed. “The spirit will dissolve like empty air.” This conclusion, from the side of the materialists, is quite logical, since they think of the spirit not as something distinct from the body, but only as a manifestation of the same bodily life and place at its foundation the same material substance, only more refined—ether, “rarified air.” In other books of Holy Scripture, human life is often compared to vapor, a cloud, a shadow (Jas 4:14; Ps 38:7; Job 7:7), but there these words are only images of the perishability of man’s earthly life and do not settle the question of what life of the human spirit is by its essence.

Wisdom 2:4. and our name will be forgotten in time, and no one will remember our deeds; our life will pass away like the traces of a cloud, and be scattered like mist that is chased by the rays of the sun and overcome by its heat. Wisdom 2:5. For our allotted time is the passing of a shadow, and there is no return from our death, because it is sealed and no one comes back. Verses 4–5. These verses contain three thoughts: 1) that the memory of the dead is quickly destroyed, 2) that human life quickly and without a trace passes, and 3) that there is no return from death. “Our name will be forgotten in time.” The materialists’ attention is focused on earth, and what grieves them is not primarily that they will completely disappear with death, but that the memory of them among people will be short-lived (similar thoughts see Eccl 2:16).—“There is no return from our death, because it is sealed…” The thought is the same as at the end of verse 1, only supplemented by an image. Just as there is no exit from a place of confinement on which a seal is laid (Dan 6:17; Rev 20:3; Matt 27:66), so there is no return to life after death. Section 6–20 of Chapter II can be divided into two parts: verses 6–9 and verses 10–20. In the first part, the writer sets forth the freethinker’s view of the ultimate purpose and designation of man’s earthly life; in the second—their view of relations toward other people, especially those who do not share their views.

Wisdom 2:6. Come, therefore, let us enjoy the good things that are here, and make use of creation with youthful zest. Verses 6–9. The highest ultimate purpose of earthly life is, in the opinion of these people, sensual pleasure. Clearly, the opponents of the writer of the Book of Wisdom held to Epicurean philosophy. Such a view of life is condemned in the Bible, besides the Book of Wisdom, also by the prophet Isaiah — Isa 22:13; 1 Cor 15:32. Verse 6. Verse 6 represents a practical conclusion from the above-set forth view of life and the fate of man: since all ends with death and earthly life is fleeting (verses 3–5), one remains only to hasten to “enjoy the good things that are here.” By “the good things that are here” (tōn ontōn agatōn) one can understand the goods which truly exist in contrast to imaginary ones, or goods accessible now, which the present moment offers, in contrast to distant goods in general and especially to the goods of future life. “Let us… make use of creation with youthful zest.” In these words the Epicurean view of the world is consistently expressed as a source of enjoyment. It is recommended to extract pleasures from everything with such passion as people sometimes use youth.

Wisdom 2:7. Let us have our fill of costly wine and perfumes, and let no flower of spring pass by us. Wisdom 2:8. Let us crown ourselves with rosebuds before they wither; Verses 7–8. In verses 7–8 are indicated the chief objects of sensual pleasures that were widely used in antiquity at banquets: wine, perfumes, flowers. All this one must hasten to enjoy while there is opportunity, “while the roses do not wither,” and to enjoy to the fullest—“let us have our fill,” “because this is our portion and our lot” (verse 9). The words “portion” and “lot” (meris, klēros) are used in the Bible in the sense of man’s destiny (Wis 3:14; Eccl 2:10). From this the thought of verse 9 is as follows: let us not deprive ourselves of any of the pleasures available to us, because we cannot expect anything else from life: man is destined to enjoy.

Wisdom 2:9. Let none of us fail to share in our revelry; everywhere let us leave signs of enjoyment, for this is our portion and this our lot. Wisdom 2:10. Let us oppress the righteous poor; let us show no respect for the widow or fear the gray hairs of age. Verse 10. “Let us oppress the righteous poor.” Most commentators understand by the righteous (dikaios) spoken of in verse 10 and the following verses the Israelite people in general in their relation to the pagan nations that oppressed them, and correspondingly understand by the ungodly the pagans. Some passages from the first section of the Book of Wisdom seem to confirm such an interpretation (Wis 3:8), but it is more decisively clarified (see Wis 2:12) that the ungodly in the writer’s view are the Jews themselves who have rejected the Law of Moses and been carried away by imitation of everything pagan. Then “the righteous,” as a collective concept, should be referred to the better part of the Jewish people who remained faithful to the Lord. That in the mouths of the freethinkers the expression “righteous” has an ironic sense is self-evident. The calling of the righteous “poor” (penēta) can have a twofold sense: 1) that righteousness does not bring him profit, on the contrary, he is constantly waging a struggle with want and deficiency, 2) or the writer wished by this to show in a particularly vivid light the ungodliness of his opponents, saying that their persecution is directed at defenseless paupers, widows, and the elderly. Violence toward the defenseless and innocent in Holy Scripture is always presented as a sign of extreme ungodliness (Jer 7:6; Zech 7:10; Mal 3:5; Matt 23:14; Mark 12:40). In particular, disrespect for age was censured among all ancient peoples and was a direct violation of Moses’ law (Lev 19:32). The writer of the Book of Wisdom strives to present this law requirement together with it as also a requirement of natural human feeling, hence his redundancy “the gray hairs of age.” Some commentators see in verse 10 an allusion to 2 Macc 6:18, where cases of pagan cruelty toward the Jews are described.

Wisdom 2:11. Let our strength be the law of righteousness, for weakness proves to be useless. Verse 11. “Let might make right for us.” The moral fall of the freethinkers set forth by the writer is all the greater in that they are impelled to violence not by irritation and fury, but by a clearly conscious principle that force is the measure of justice. This position they apparently opposed to the Law of Moses, which regards justice itself as a norm. Such an exaltation of force was naturally accompanied by contempt for all kinds of weakness and helplessness; this is evident from the second half of verse 11. The ungodly freethinkers are driven to persecution of the pious not only by their general principle, but also by special causes: 1) the fact that the righteous opposes them and exposes them (verse 12); 2) his faith in his special closeness to God appears to them as pride (verses 13, 16); 3) his very piety makes him cause them to feel shame and respect (verses 14–15); 4) they know that he regards their way of thinking and behavior with contempt, and finally, 5) (verse 16) they wish to convince themselves whether his hope in God is truly founded (verses 17–20).

Wisdom 2:12. Let us set a snare for the righteous; since he is inconvenient for us and opposes our actions, and reproaches us for breaking the law, and accuses us of deviations from our upbringing. Verse 12. “Let us set a snare for the righteous…” The speech is about a secret plot, a conspiracy, in contrast to open violence. Here the writer clearly recalls a passage from the prophet Isaiah (Isa 3:10), and cites it not according to the Hebrew text, but according to the LXX translation. This circumstance gives a valuable indication of the time of origin of the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon. “Reproaches us for breaking the law.” Law (nomos) without further definition always means the Law of Moses in Holy Scripture. Only a Jew could be reproached for breaking the Law of Moses, therefore these words indicate that the opponents described by the writer were Jews. Those guilty of violating the law deserved still further reproach “for deviations from our upbringing.” Here the writer clearly means the pagan upbringing that the Jews of his time began to receive, having fallen under the influence of Greek education (1 Macc 1:14).

Wisdom 2:13. claims to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a child of the Lord; Verse 13. This verse points to another cause of the persecution of the righteous: he is unbearable to his enemies because “claims to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a child of the Lord.” The latter expression is here used in the moral sense of the internal relation in which the pious, by their disposition and activity, stand in relation to God. The righteous who calls himself a child of God is the faithful Jewish people (see Wis 12:19-21; Exod 4:22; Isa 1:2).

Wisdom 2:14. he is to us a reproof of our thoughts; Verse 14. “He is to us a reproof of our thoughts,” probably in the sense that through a comparison which people make between the righteous and the ungodly, the latter are shown in a bad light, so that they themselves begin as it were to feel shame for their deeds.

Wisdom 2:15. the very sight of him burdens us, because his manner of life is unlike that of others, and his ways are strange. Verse 15. “The very sight of him burdens us, because his manner of life is unlike that of others…” The ungodly freethinkers regard piety and virtue as a kind of incomprehensible strangeness in a person, separating him from all others. A very subtle psychological observation by the writer. The expression “his ways” denotes the manner, direction of life.

Wisdom 2:16. he holds us in contempt and avoids our ways as if unclean; he proclaims that the final end of the righteous is blessed and boasts that God is his father. Wisdom 2:17. Let us see if his words are true, and let us test what will happen at the end of his life; Wisdom 2:18. for if the righteous one is a child of God, God will help him, and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries. Wisdom 2:19. Let us test him with insult and torture, so that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance. Wisdom 2:20. Let us condemn him to a shameful death, for, according to what he says, he will be protected. Verses 17–20. The ungodly freethinkers subject the righteous to testing with a twofold purpose, to learn 1) whether his hope for divine help will be justified (verses 18, 20) and 2) whether he will be steadfast in his moral life (verse 19). If the righteous man’s hope is not vain, if his words about God’s care for him were not mere self-conceit, then God will protect him. He will deliver him even from death. Likewise, in suffering the righteous will show his “gentleness and forbearance” if he possesses these qualities. The section of the Book of Wisdom from verses 12–20 has been understood by many ancient and modern exegetes as a prophecy of the attitude toward Jesus Christ of his enemies and of his condemnation to death. Under “the righteous one” in such a case, they understood the Savior. The chief grounds for such an interpretation were taken from verses 13 and 16, where the enemies accuse the righteous man of “calling himself a child of the Lord” (verse 13) and “boasting that God is his father” (verse 16). A similar reproach, in the same expressions, according to the Gospel, the Jews and the Lord cast at each other (John 5:18); a similar ground is found in verse 18, comparing it with Matt 27:40; and finally, in the words of verse 20: “Let us condemn him to a shameful death” they see an indication of the crucifixion of the Savior. However, given the noncanonical character of the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon, one need not see in this section a prophecy in the strict sense, but rather a vivid depiction of the general attitude of the ungodly toward the righteous at all times. This depiction, in the power of its truth, turned out to be applicable also to the person of Jesus Christ, the greatest of all the righteous. Such an understanding finds a firm foundation in the Book of Wisdom itself, because under the name of the righteous (dikaios) depicted in chapter II, verses 12–20, the writer evidently means not a specific person, but a general concept (namely, the pious Israelite in general).

Wisdom 2:21. Thus they reasoned, but they were led astray, for their malice made them blind. Verse 21. From this verse the writer passes to a discussion and evaluation of the way of thinking of his opponents, which he has set forth above. “Thus they reasoned, but they were led astray.” Their thoughts are errors. The cause of this error is twofold: on the one hand, it lies in the moral depravity of the Jewish freethinkers: “their malice made them blind,” on the other—in their ignorance of the divine predestination of the fate of the righteous after death (verse 22).

Wisdom 2:22. For they do not know the secret purposes of God, nor hope for the wages of holiness, nor discern the prize for blameless souls. Verse 22. “For they do not know the secret purposes of God.” Based on the context of the speech and by comparison with Wis 4:17, here the reference is to the secret of God’s predestination of the fate of the righteous after death. The ignorance of this secret did not arise because this knowledge was inaccessible to the ungodly, but because they did not acknowledge retribution beyond the grave. By denying immortality, the opponents of the writer naturally also denied the idea of retribution.

Wisdom 2:23. For God created humans to be immortal, and made them in the image of his own eternity, Wisdom 2:24. but through the devil’s envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his company experience it. Verses 23–24. The thought of retribution for the pure in the future life gives the writer occasion to speak of the origin of death (verses 23–24) and at the same time to contrast the fate of the ungodly (verse 24) with the fate of the righteous (Wis 3:1-3). The receipt of “the wages of holiness,” which consists in blessed immortality, is accessible to all, because (verses 23–24) death was not included in God’s original creative plans and did not penetrate into the essence of human nature, but constitutes something that entered the world through external influence, therefore the future fate of each depends on himself.—“God created humans to be immortal,” therefore the determination of immortality is placed in human nature itself: “God made them in the image of his own eternity.” Verse 24. Regarding death, see the remark at verse 12 of Chapter I. The death spoken of here is not physical, but spiritual; this is evident from the fact that not everyone experiences it (see verse 24 and Wis 3:1 st.). The cause of it lies in the envy of the devil toward the perfection of the first human. Out of envy he led man into sin, and sin leads man to spiritual death (Wis 1:12). “Those who belong to his company experience it.” Thus, death is only a possibility (and not a necessity); not everyone experiences it; it entered the world as something external.

Chapter Three

1–3. The blessedness of the righteous after death. 4–6. Hope for immortality serves as a source of consolation for them in the sufferings of earthly life. 7–9. Another hope of true pious Israelites: that even here on earth they will triumph and rule over the nations. 10–19. The fate of the wicked is completely opposite: their hopes for happiness in earthly life are vain.

Wisdom 3:1. But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will touch them. 1–3. A depiction of the fate of the pious after death in contrast to the idea about the ruin of the wicked expressed above (chapter II, verse 24). 1. “The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God.” The reference is to the souls of dead righteous ones, which is clear from the contrast of their fate with that of the wicked. The wicked “experience death”; the souls of the righteous “are in the hand of God”, that is, they enjoy special favor and divine protection (see Wis 7:16 verse, Isa 31:6; Luke 23:46). “No torment will touch them”—refers to torments after death (cf. Luke 16:23).

Wisdom 3:2. In the sight of the foolish they appeared to be dead, and their departure was counted destruction, Wisdom 3:3. and our parting from them seemed annihilation; but they are at peace. 2–3. In the opinion of the foolish, the death of the righteous was considered annihilation; in reality, it is only a transition to higher, blessed life. “The foolish”—the same people mentioned earlier (Wis 1:3 verse); “their departure,” that is, their death: see Luke 9:31; 2 Pet 1:9. After death the righteous “are at peace.” Being at peace means first of all a state free from earthly sorrow, see Heb 3:11; Rev 14:13; and then on the positive side—blessedness in God.

Wisdom 3:4. Although in the sight of men they are punished, yet their hope is full of immortality. 4–9. As with death, so earthly sufferings of the righteous are usually considered by the wicked as divine punishments falling upon them (verse 4), whereas they (the sufferings) have completely different purposes (verses 5–6): although the righteous themselves perish on earth, their deeds serve to their triumph and glorification (verses 7–9). 4. The connection of verse 4 with the preceding through “for” is somewhat difficult. One might think that, in establishing this causal connection, the writer wanted to express the idea that the peace of the righteous, which he spoke of as a blessed state after death (verse 3), begins already here on earth; for despite all sufferings the righteous have firm hope in future blessedness and find comfort in this. “They (the righteous) are punished in the sight of men,” that is, they endure hardships and misfortunes, which are considered as divine punishment. Such meaning follows from the use of this verb (“are punished”) in the writer of the Book of Wisdom: Wis 11:5, and from the connection of this passage with the following verses 5 and 6. The people in whose sight the righteous are punished are above all the wicked, who according to the writer’s characterization do not believe in any retribution and concerning sufferings as divine punishment could only speak ironically from their point of view. The writer here clearly expresses not their view, but the common Hebrew understanding of divine retribution. “Their hope is full of immortality.” This expression, by analogy with similar ones (Heb 6:11), means firm, certain hope. The object of hope is immortality.

Wisdom 3:5. Though lightly punished, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tested them and found them worthy of Himself. 5. What people usually consider punishment in God’s hand is only a means of education, raising man to a higher degree of moral perfection (Wis 11:5-6; Heb 12:5-11). The expression: “though lightly punished, they shall be greatly blessed” in connection with the preceding gives the idea of the brief duration of earthly sufferings and the eternal blessedness of the righteous after death (cf. 2 Macc 7:36; 1 Pet 1:6). But besides indicating time, we must see here an indication of degree. In this respect earthly sufferings, however great they may be, cannot be compared with future heavenly blessedness, which infinitely exceeds them (cf. Rom 8:18; 2 Cor 4:17). However, many interpreters understand the expression “greatly blessed” not as blessedness after death, but as a happy period of earthly life for the righteous. “God tested them,” an expression very often found in the Bible for the idea that in various ways, mainly through misfortune and suffering, God tests the obedience and faith of men (Gen 22:1; Deut 13:4; Judg 2:22; Ps 65:10). “Found them worthy of Himself,” that is, worthy of communion with God in the life beyond, or generally worthy of His blessing.

Wisdom 3:6. He tested them like gold in the furnace and accepted them as a perfect sacrifice. 6. The thought about the sufferings sent to the righteous and their consequences is expressed in two common images. According to the first image, moral trials and the purification of man are compared with the purification and testing of metals. This is a very common image in the Bible (see Ps 65:10; Job 23:10; Prov 17:3; Sir 3:5; Isa 48:10; Zech 13:9; Mal 3:3; 1 Pet 1:7 and others). In the second half of the verse, the good disposition of soul shown by the righteous in trials is compared with a perfect sacrifice pleasing to God (cf. Rom 7:1; 1 Pet 2:5).

Wisdom 3:7. At the time of visitation they will shine forth, and run about like sparks through stubble. Wisdom 3:8. They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them forever. 7–8. In explaining this passage, exegetes put forth three main views. Some see here the idea generally about a glorious time that will come for pious Israelites in this life without any indication of messianic-eschatological hopes; others see a blessed state of the righteous after death in heaven, after the Last Judgment; and still others see here expressed the view of an expected near universal judgment, resurrection of the dead, and the revelation of the messianic kingdom on earth. Let us consider which of these views is better justified by the text. “At the time of visitation they will shine forth.” The expression “time of visitation” is itself indefinite and can be applied to all three mentioned explanations. “They will shine forth”—defenders of the third view use this as their main argument: they see in it an indication of bright ethereal bodies in which the souls of the righteous will rise to participate in the earthly messianic kingdom. But first, this expression is so indefinite that one cannot conclude from it whether the writer of the Book of Wisdom shared the belief in the resurrection of the body, and whether he even associated any sensible form whatsoever with this expression in which souls would rise. Second, if according to the Book of Wisdom the souls of dead righteous ones ascend to God in heaven, then from there, one must assume, they must return again to earth to be clothed in new bodies and participate in the messianic kingdom. Such a view of the fate of souls after death differs greatly from the common Jewish teaching about resurrection and the messianic universal judgment and has no parallel in the Bible. For according to common Jewish eschatology, the souls of both good and evil remain in Sheol after death and ascend from there at the general resurrection for judgment. Finally, third, the expression “like sparks running through stubble” is undoubtedly figurative; therefore “shine forth” should also be understood as a figure which is used in other places of Scripture (Prov 4:18; Dan 12:3, Matt 13:43) and means only that the righteous will experience joy, blessedness, happiness. Thus the third of the mentioned interpretations, as insufficiently grounded, falls away; let us turn to the first two. One cannot accept the 2nd view either—that here is spoken of the blessed state of the righteous after death at the moment of this present earthly life, not future heavenly life. The figurative expression “Like sparks running through stubble” indicates it. Comparing this image with similar biblical images (see Zech 12:6; Mal 4:1-3), we establish that unmistakable meaning: the righteous, that is, pious Israelites, will participate in the punishment of their enemies; they will be to them as a spark to straw. This punishment will undoubtedly take place in this present life, not beyond the grave, for the thought of the punishment of the wicked through the good in the future life has no parallel in the Bible and is foreign to it. According to the biblical view, the punishment of the wicked through the righteous will occur here on earth in messianic times. Thus verse 7 contains the idea of the arrival of the main time of happiness for pious Israelites in this earthly life, and in connection with this passage and the verses following, we must see in it the expression of messianic hope in the most general form accessible to that time. 8. The tribes and peoples spoken of here are the gentiles. But the Jewish people as a whole will not participate in this judgment and rule over the peoples; only those who remained faithful to God will participate, while apostates “will bear punishment” (verse 10), for only wisdom and piety lead to dominion (Sir 4:15). We find here, thus, a certain messianic hope about the restoration and eternal existence afterward of the true theocracy, which will replace the rule of the heathen power that oppressed the Jews (see Dan 7:18; Ps 149:4-9; 1 Cor 6:2).

Wisdom 3:9. Those who trust in Him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with Him in love; because grace and mercy are upon His holy ones, and His care for those He has chosen. 9. “Those who trust in Him will understand truth.” In these words exegetes often try to find the Platonic thought that the souls of the righteous and wise after death, freed from earthly imperfections, go to God and in communion with Him attain the highest knowledge and truth (Phaedo, 81). Although this view is not alien to the Book of Wisdom of Solomon (see Wis 5:15), in this case this thought is not expressed here, as is evident from the fact that the discourse is not about the time after death, but about the present life here on earth when the deeds of the righteous will be manifested. Therefore, the truth which the righteous will understand must not be understood in a general sense, but in a special one: the righteous will learn the truth that lies in God’s relationships with His worshippers; this will be knowledge of the divine plan by which He governs the holy ones (cf. Wis 2:22). “The faithful will abide with Him in love.” Love without further definitions always means a property of the subject (and not love as a divine principle), therefore here is spoken of man’s love for God, not of man’s abiding in God’s love.

Wisdom 3:10. But the wicked shall receive a punishment suited to their thoughts, since they neglected righteousness and forsook the Lord. 10. “The wicked will bear punishment as they reasoned,” which is the natural fruit of their disposition and convictions. The writer spoke in detail about these reasonings of the wicked above (Wis 2:2; cf. verses 1–3). “Neglected righteousness”—the thought should be understood as the same in Wis 2:10 verse.

Wisdom 3:11. For whoever rejects wisdom and instruction is miserable. Their hope is vain, their labors are unprofitable, and their works are worthless. 11. Verse shows the inner reason why the wicked is miserable: “for he rejects wisdom,” that is, does not harmonize his disposition and deeds with the demands of divine righteousness (see Wis 1:5). The misery of the wicked is in the fact that “their hope is vain,” that is, empty, hollow, in contrast to the hope of the righteous, which is “full of immortality” (Wis 3:4). In such a case the writer makes here a profound contrast. According to another explanation, the misery of the wicked is that their expectations of earthly goods of various kinds and success in their undertakings do not come to pass. Such explanation accords well with the further words of the verse: “their labors are fruitless and their deeds are worthless.”

Wisdom 3:12. Their wives are foolish, and their children are wicked; their whole race is accursed. From verse 12 to verse 15 of chapter IV begins a special section in which is discussed the significance of childlessness and early death of the righteous and the many children and long life of the wicked. According to the view prevailing among the Hebrews, numerous offspring (Exod 23:26; Deut 7:14; 1 Sam 2:5; Ps 112:9; Prov 17:6) and a long life (Exod 20:12; Prov 3:1-2) were considered a sign of divine favor and reward for virtue; on the contrary, barrenness was shame and misfortune (Luke 1:24-25). The opponents of the writer—Jews emancipated from their ancestral faith—mocked this faith of their pious compatriots and pointed to experience, which indicated the exact opposite. Pseudo-Solomon brings his objections, first, concerning the childlessness of the pious: verses 12–4:6; second, concerning their early death, 4:7–15. In verse 12 he says that numerous offspring of the wicked is not itself a good. It is rather an evil, for through multiplication, the wickedness of individuals spreads to entire families, to a whole race. The discourse here is not about the transmission of sin by heredity, but about the spread of evil by example and bad influence.

Wisdom 3:13. Blessed is the barren woman who is undefiled, who has not known a sinful bed; she shall bear fruit when the souls are judged. 13 and 14 are opposing statements to verse 12. 13. “Blessed is the barren woman who is undefiled.” These words are similar to verse 54 of Isaiah the prophet (Isa 54:1), where by “barren” is understood the people of Israel, and with Luke 23:29. “Barren” means here a woman who is married and has no children, not a virgin; such is the use of this word in the Bible: (Gen 11:30; Exod 23:26; Judg 13:2; 1 Sam 2:5; Luke 1:7). Therefore, one cannot see in this passage a negative attitude of the writer to marriage.—“Undefiled,” therefore, can mean only unstained by sinful cohabitation; the following words: “who has not known a sinful bed” more clearly express this thought. This barren woman will receive “at the judgment of holy souls,” that is, in the future life (see Wis 4:2), “spiritual fruit” (see Jas 3:18). Such meaning is established on the basis of the parallel with this passage in the second half of verse 14.

Wisdom 3:14. Blessed too is the eunuch who has committed no lawless deed with his hand and has not thought anything evil against the Lord; for a special grace of faith will be given to him, and a most pleasing lot in the temple of the Lord. 14. “Happy is the eunuch…” According to Matt 19:12, the word “eunuch” is used in three senses: 1) means one who by nature is deprived of the ability to bear children, 2) one deprived of this by force of men, and 3) one who of his own will renounces married life. Those exegetes who see in this passage praise of celibacy take the third of the indicated meanings of “eunuch,” but this is contradicted by the context of the discourse. In the preceding verse the discourse was about a married woman, but childless; therefore here too “eunuch” should be taken in the first sense. However, not every eunuch by nature is blessed by the writer, but only one who has neither by deed nor by thought offended against God and the law: “who has not defiled his hands by crime and has not devised wicked things against the Lord.” Such a one “will be shown special favor and a most desirable heritage in the Lord’s temple.” Presence in the temple for a true Israelite was the highest happiness, for here he felt the nearness of God. Yet according to the law of Moses a eunuch was excluded from this. (Deut 23). The writer of the book says that in messianic times there will be no such exclusion based on external signs.

Wisdom 3:15. The fruit of good works is glorious, and the root of understanding does not fail. 15. This verse briefly conveys the meaning of the two preceding verses, adding the thought that the reward for wisdom and piety is eternal. The writer’s purpose is to console the childless pious Israelites; he tells them that they too will have their “fruit” and their “offspring” (root), only more perfect and lasting (“does not fail”) than the corrupted and perishing offspring of the wicked. Thus this verse forms a profound contrast to verse 16. The word “root” (in a figurative sense) is used in the Bible to denote offspring (Sir 48:25), and 2) then in an abstract sense for everything that gives substance and nourishment to the origin and development of something; hence “root of immortality” (Wis 15:3), “the root of all evil is love of money” (1 Tim 6:10), “root of bitterness” (Heb 12:15). From these two meanings, following the context, we must take the first. “Root of wisdom” in the writer means not that which nourishes wisdom, but that which is its fruit, as it were a kind of “offspring.” Wisdom here is correct understanding of the divine will and unwavering adherence to it.

Wisdom 3:16. But the children of adulterers will not come to maturity, and the offspring of an unlawful bed will disappear. Verses 16–19 form a contrast to verses 13–15: to the lasting blessedness of childless righteous ones is opposed the unreliable happiness of the wicked even with the possession of offspring. The happiness of the wicked in possessing numerous sensual offspring proves to be illusory for two reasons. 1) If their children reach old age, it will be shameful (verse 17); 2) if they die early, then without hope for the blessedness of immortal life (verses 18–19). 16. “The children of adulterers…” Bearing in mind the Old Testament manner of expression, by which the relations of Israel and God were represented under the image of marriage (Hos 2:4; Jer 2:2) and falling away from God in idolatry was called adultery, in this passage by “adulterers” are understood generally those who turn away from God among the Jews. But in view of the writer’s contrast of this passage with verse 13 (where the discourse is about marital relations in the strict sense) and verse 6 of chapter IV, this passage should be understood in the narrow specific sense. The writer wanted to say in this case that the numerous offspring of the wicked is partly a consequence of their corruption and in no case can serve as a sign of God’s blessing. “…will not come to maturity,” that is, will not reach the moral perfection esteemed by men (verse 17); and “will disappear,” not simply die, but with death lose hope for immortality in blessed communion with God (verse 19, cf. Bar 3:19). Thus verse 16 briefly expresses the thought which is unfolded in verses 17 and 18 from the two indicated sides.

Wisdom 3:17. If they live long, they will be held of no account, and finally their old age will be without honor; Wisdom 3:18. and if they die quickly, they will have no hope nor comfort in the day of judgment; Wisdom 3:19. for the end of the unrighteous generation is terrible.

Chapter Four

1–2. The contrast between the fate of the righteous and that of the wicked continues. 3–6. Childlessness does not deprive the righteous of the possibility of leaving behind a grateful memory in posterity; the wicked are deprived of this possibility even with numerous offspring. 7–18. Early death of the righteous is only a quicker transition to a better life. 19–20. For the sinner, death is final ruin.

Wisdom 4:1. Better is childlessness with virtue; for the memory of virtue is immortal, because it is known both by God and by human kind. Verses 1–6 again contrast the fate of childless righteous ones with that of the wicked with their numerous offspring. 1. The advantage of childless but virtuous people is that the memory of their virtue will be preserved in posterity; this is, as it were, also a kind of immortality. In the later books of the Old Testament, immortality of one’s name in posterity is often spoken of as a high reward for righteousness (Ps 111:6; Prov 10:7; Wis 8:13). Esteemed by people, virtue is “known” also by God.

Wisdom 4:2. When it is present, people imitate it; and they desire it when it has left them. And throughout all time it marches crowned in triumph, victor over the vices that beset our world. 2. Expounds the thought about the value of virtue: when it lives among men, they imitate it; when it departs (that is, the virtuous man dies), they strive for it. “And throughout all time it marches crowned in triumph,” by these words is unfolded the thought of the preceding verse, that virtue is “known” also by God. “A crown” is very often in the Bible an image of happiness and distinction (Ezek 16:12; Ps 20:4; Prov 12:4; Sir 2:18); and especially heavenly reward for believers (Jas 1:12; 1 Pet 5:4; Rev 2:10). This crown is given for “victory in spotless contests.” To the writer the whole of a man’s life appears as a struggle against evil. The righteous achieve victory in this struggle through the deeds of holy life, which are here called “spotless.” An analogous view of life as struggle and of holiness as a victorious crown is found also in the Apostle Paul 1 Cor 9:24-27; 2 Tim 2:3.

Wisdom 4:3. But the prolific multitude of the ungodly will be of no use, and adulterous shoots will not put down deep roots nor reach a firm foundation; Wisdom 4:4. For even when their branches flourish for a time, they are unsteady and shall be rocked by the wind and uprooted by the force of the winds; Wisdom 4:5. their twigs will be broken off untimely, and their fruit useless, unripe for eating, fit for nothing. Wisdom 4:6. For children born of unlawful unions give witness against their parents by their investigation of them. 3–6. The writer returns again to the thought that the happiness of the wicked rich in offspring seems illusory. It is unstable; punishment quickly overtakes the wicked, and at the time of judgment the children themselves will pronounce condemnation on their fathers. The thought about the instability of the happiness of the wicked is expressed by the writer in a very common image in the Bible. Namely, as piety and the happiness of the righteous are often compared to a firmly rooted tree, planted on fertile soil and therefore green and flowering (Ezek 17:8; Ps 1:3; Sir 25:14-16), so the wicked and the punishment awaiting them are depicted in an image contrary to this (Ps 36:35-36; Job 15:32-33).

Wisdom 4:7. But a righteous man, though he dies early, will be at rest. 7. Early death of the righteous cannot be considered an evil or an expression of divine wrath, for it is only a transition to a better existence for him. “Dies early…” The meaning can be twofold: either the righteous will die earlier than the wicked die, or generally earlier than is customary. “Will be at rest…” First of all, rest from earthly sufferings and calamities is meant, and then positive blessedness, cf. Wis 3:1. The future life is depicted as rest also in the Apostle Paul (Heb 4:9-10).

Wisdom 4:8. For age is not honored for its length of days, nor measured by the number of years; Wisdom 4:9. but understanding is the gray hair of men, and an unsullied life is ripe old age. 8–9. Give the foundation for verse 7 and indicate the measure by which a person’s age should be judged. Wisdom and an unsullied life, not the number of years lived, constitute honorable gray hair for men. Similar thoughts are found in the book of Prov 16:31 and Sir 25:6.

Wisdom 4:10. Pleasing God, he was loved; living among sinners, he was taken away. Wisdom 4:11. He was caught up lest evil change his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul. Wisdom 4:12. For the bewitchment of paltry things obscures what is right, and the whirl of desire transforms an innocent mind. Wisdom 4:13. Perfected in a short while, he fulfilled long ages; Wisdom 4:14. for his soul was pleasing to the Lord, therefore he hastened to take him out of the midst of wickedness. But the people see and do not understand, nor do they grasp such a thing: 10–14. These verses contain further exposition of the thought that early death of the righteous contradicts in no way the idea of divine justice and God’s love for the righteous; on the contrary, God, precisely through love, takes such people to Himself to protect them from the danger of moral corruption from the wickedness surrounding them. 14b-19. The majority of people do not notice that, in sending early death to the righteous, God has a good purpose for them. The wicked do not pay attention to the fact that the early death of the righteous exposes their own wickedness in even stronger light, and they continue to mock this early death, thereby revealing their own lack of understanding. 14b. “But the people see and do not understand.” The expression “people” (in Greek) in the Old Testament is often used to denote all nations outside of Israel. Here, from a comparison of this passage with Wis 2:12, it should mean all those who fell away from the Law among the Jews, who broke their spiritual connection with the Jewish people and were even enemies of those who represented the true Israel at that time. The expression “people” in the Old Testament is such an antithesis to everything anti-Jewish as “the world” (in Greek) in the New Testament is opposed to everything Christian. The expression “chosen” in the Old Testament is usually applied to the whole Jewish people as a political whole, which God chose as His favorite people from all the nations of the earth (Isa 65:9; Ps 104:6). Here this word is used in a moral sense and refers only to the pious and faithful worshippers of God, who are called above as holy ones.

Wisdom 4:15. that grace and mercy are with His holy ones, and that He cares for the chosen. Wisdom 4:16. For a righteous one, though he dies, will condemn the wicked who are alive; and youth quickly perfected will put to shame the long old age of the unjust. 16. “A righteous one, though he dies, will condemn the wicked who are alive…” Comparing this passage with verse 8 of chapter III, some find here the idea of condemnation of the wicked in the future life. But the expression “who are alive,” in contrast to the fact of the death of the righteous, clearly speaks of the fact that the wicked will be condemned while they are still living on earth, and condemned precisely by the death of the righteous themselves: “though he dies, will condemn.” How the early death of the righteous condemns the wicked still living is shown by the following words: “youth quickly perfected will put to shame the long old age of the unjust.” Having achieved moral perfection in a short time, the righteous in this will condemn the wicked, who throughout their long life “could show no sign of virtue” (Wis 5:13). Similar condemnation is spoken of in Matt 12:41; Heb 11:7; Rom 2:27.

Wisdom 4:17. For they will see the end of the wise man and will not understand what the Lord intended for him, or why He set him in safety; 17. Repeats the thought of verses 14b-15, more precisely defining that “grace and mercy… and care” of God for the righteous are revealed precisely in God’s determination of their early death, which places the righteous “in safety.” Safety from what?—it is said in verses 11–12a. The difference in the tenses of the verbs in the two verses speaking of the same fact (in verses 14b-15 the past tense is used, and in 17 the future) can be explained by the fact that this fact is repeatedly recurring: it has occurred in the past, will recur in the future.

Wisdom 4:18. They will see and hold him in contempt, but the Lord will laugh them to scorn; 18. It is not enough that the wicked do not want to understand the true cause of early death of the righteous; they also try to humiliate him, but in doing so only bring shame upon themselves. “Will hold him in contempt…”—will consider him as nothing, despise him, mock him (2 Kgs 19:21; 2 Chr 36:16; Luke 23:11). The early death of the righteous gives occasion to the wicked to mock his faith in the help of God as futile, empty. “But the Lord will laugh them to scorn…”—such an expression is often in the Psalms opposed to the bold arrogance of the wicked, to present their malice as powerless, foolish, and destructive for themselves (Ps 2:4).

Wisdom 4:19. After this they will be a dishonored corpse and a disgrace among the dead for ever. For He will dash them to the ground, struck dumb, and shake them to their foundations, they will be completely laid waste, and they will suffer anguish, and the memory of them will perish; 19. In verse 19 the writer of the Book of Wisdom has depicted the humiliation and ruin of the wicked with features that very much resemble the picture of the fall of the king of Babylon in the prophet Isaiah, chapter XIV.

Wisdom 4:20. they will come forward guilty in their sins, and their lawless deeds will convict them to their face.

Chapter Five

1–15. Moral sufferings of the wicked after death. 16–24. Final triumph of the righteous.

Wisdom 5:1. Then the righteous will stand with great boldness before the face of those who afflicted him and made nothing of his labors; Wisdom 5:2. and seeing this, they will be shaken with terrible fear, and amazed at the wonder of his salvation. 1–2. After death the condition of the righteous will be opposite to that of the wicked; the righteous will be seized with a feeling of high joy, and his earthly opponents will know of his happiness and be amazed because of it. “Great boldness” of the righteous is evidently opposed here to the fear and confusion of the wicked (Wis 4:20). For the wicked the triumph of the righteous will be a “wonder.” During his earthly life they “afflicted him and made nothing of his labors,” considering them purposeless and empty (the writer spoke in detail about this in Wis 2:10); now they see their mistake. In the New Testament similar conditions of men at the onset of the universal judgment are depicted (1 John 2:28).

Wisdom 5:3. and lamenting in anguish of spirit, they will say within themselves, “This is the man whom we once held in derision and made a byword of reproach— 3–13. In this section the writer artistically conveys the direct speech of the wicked (although verses 9–12 are somewhat extended and cumbersome), in which is depicted their awakened conscience in that world, their inner confusion and remorse, as well as their amazement at the unexpected happiness of the righteous. This speech is a direct contrast to the arrogant speech which the writer in chapter II put in the mouths of the same people. 3. “Lamenting in anguish of spirit,” their spirit is gripped; they cannot therefore speak freely, but can only groan and sigh. By this depiction the writer uses the means to express the contrast to the former arrogant laughter of the wicked (Jas 4:9). “Whom we once held in derision and made a byword of reproach,” an object of mockery, ridicule, and malice. (See Ps 43:15; Jer 24:9; 2 Chr 7:20).

Wisdom 5:4. Fools that we were! His life we held as madness and his death as dishonor. 4. “Fools that we were!” This strong exclamation of the wicked to themselves shows how heavily it weighs on them to realize their error. “His life we held as madness” precisely because those goods for the sake of which the righteous endured great privations and evils seemed to the wicked like illusions; they did not believe in their reality. “And his death as dishonor”; a reference to the shameful death which they were preparing for the righteous (Wis 2:20).

Wisdom 5:5. How, then, was he counted among the children of God? And how is his lot among the saints? 5. “Counted among the children of God” and “among the saints” in the Bible often refer to the Angels (Job 1:6; Tob 8:15), therefore this expression that “the righteous is counted among the children of God and his lot is among the saints” is understood by some in the sense that he is included in the fellowship of Angels and in this lies his highest blessedness. But one cannot forget that the speech of the wicked in chapter V is opposed by the writer to their speech in chapter II, and in particular this verse answers verse 18 of that chapter: it speaks of the actual fulfillment of that by which the righteous always comforted themselves and in which the wicked mockingly doubted; therefore the expression “son of God” should be understood in the same meaning as in Wis 2:18. The righteous is called a son of God in a moral sense, as a true worshipper of God, and therefore beloved by God.

Wisdom 5:6. Therefore we went astray from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness did not shine on us, and the sun did not rise for us. 6. This verse is a conclusion from the preceding. Seeing the glorified state of the righteous, the wicked now realize the error of their earthly life. “And the sun did not rise for us…”—the discourse is not about the physical sun, but about the “sun of righteousness,” in correspondence with the preceding “light of righteousness” (see Mal 4:2).

Wisdom 5:7. We filled ourselves with the works of wickedness and ruin, and journeyed through trackless deserts, but the way of the Lord we never knew. 7. “Through trackless deserts.” This is an image for a wicked life, when man departs from his true good (cf. Isa 53:6).

Wisdom 5:8. What good has our arrogance brought us, or what advantage has our boasted wealth given us? Wisdom 5:9. All that has passed away like a shadow and like a rumor that speeds by. Wisdom 5:10. Like a ship traversing the heaving waters, of which, when it has passed, no trace can be found, no path of its keel in the waves; Wisdom 5:11. or like a bird flying through the air, of which no sign of its passage is found, but the light air beaten by the stroke of its wings and parted by the force of its rushing flight is traversed by the moving wings and afterwards bears no mark of the passing through it; Wisdom 5:12. or as an arrow shot at a mark, the air, thus divided, comes together at once, so that none discern its passage through it; Wisdom 5:13. likewise we also, born and then ceased to be, and we have shown no sign of virtue, but have wasted away in our iniquity.” 9–13. The writer adduces a whole series of phenomena that quickly and without trace disappear. These phenomena serve for him as an image of the fleeting earthly happiness, earthly greatness. Only “the root of understanding does not fail” (Wis 3:15), according to the writer; therefore those who “could show no sign of virtue” disappear without trace—“wasted away in our iniquity.”

Wisdom 5:14. For the hope of the wicked is like dust blown by wind and like a light frost driven off by a storm and like smoke scattered by wind. It passes away as the memory of a guest who stayed for a day and passes on. Wisdom 5:15. But the righteous live forever, their reward is with the Lord, and care for them rests with the Most High. 14–15. From verse 14 the writer directs his reasoning to the opposite fate of the righteous and wicked. The hope of the wicked in wealth, earthly pleasures, and the like will perish like dust, like frost, and smoke (images frequently used in the Bible, see Ps 1:4; Isa 29:5; Hos 13:3), “but the righteous live forever.” From this contrast one should not conclude that the writer speaks here of complete annihilation of the wicked after death, for above he spoke of the sufferings of conscience of the wicked in that world. Therefore “live forever” means not only the continuation of life, but true life, blessed life, which will continue eternally. Such explanation accords with the subsequent words of verse 15.

Wisdom 5:16. Therefore they shall receive a glorious kingdom and a fair crown from the hand of the Lord; for with His right hand He will cover them, and with His arm He will shield them. 16–23. Concerning this section, we find among exegetes such difference of opinion as about Wis 3:7-8 verse. Some refer the figurative speech of the writer to retribution beyond the grave; others understand it in the messianic-eschatological sense concerning the future messianic kingdom; and still others see here only a discourse about the general future triumph of the pious Israelites in this life, without any mixture of eschatological hopes. Against the first view two circumstances speak: first, the images brought here are poorly suited to depicting the future heavenly life; second, verse 24 can be referred only to the future state of earthly life. Meanwhile this verse is closely connected with all the preceding description; it is a conclusion to the entire picture presented; therefore, together with verse 24, all this section should be referred to earthly life. To the objection that such understanding would involve a sharp transition, a jump from the thought of the future life (verse 15) to a happy period for Israelites in their earthly life, one should note that such rapid transitions in the writer of the Book of Wisdom are not rare. As for the precise determination of the depicted moment of earthly life, one cannot agree with the 2nd view and refer it to the future messianic kingdom, since there are no defining characteristics of that kingdom. It remains to see here a discourse in prophetic style about the happy change generally in the fate of pious Israelites, when their enemies—apostates from faith among the Jews and gentile oppressors—receive due retribution. 16. “They shall receive a glorious kingdom and a fair crown from the hand of the Lord.” Defenders of the first of the above-mentioned views of this section see in this expression the thought of the highest heavenly blessedness of the righteous. But the expression “kingdom” in the writer is used in a general sense of dominion (Wis 1:14); “a fair crown” is a biblical symbol of victory and dominion (Isa 28:1; Sir 48:7). Therefore it is more reasonable to understand this passage in relation to victory, to the triumph of pious Israelites over their enemies here on earth. This triumph of the orthodox Israelites will come about as a result of God’s protection of them: “for with His right hand He will cover them, and with His arm He will shield them.” “Arm” and “right hand” are usual symbols in the Bible of protection and defense (Ps 17:36).

Wisdom 5:17. He will take His zeal as His whole armor, and arm all creation to requite His enemies; 17. The writer describes the divine judgment in a whole series of images. The Judge—God—is depicted as an armed warrior; His qualities, which He displays in this judgment, are represented under the image of separate parts of His armor. The foundation for such an image of representation could be the following passages from the Old Testament: (Ps 17:14-15; Isa 42:18; Zech 12:3). In similar images in the New Testament the spiritual armor of Christians against evil is described (Eph 6:11; Rom 13:12; 1 Pet 4:1). “He will take His zeal as His whole armor…” “The zeal of God” is His burning love for pious Israelites and their righteous cause, as well as His anger against apostates and external enemies of Israel. “Whole armor” means complete armor (2 Sam 2:21; Job 39:20; Jdt 14:8; 2 Macc 3:25). “And arm all creation to requite His enemies.” “Arm”—more precisely convey—make an instrument, for in the Greek text is the word “make armed,” not simply “arm.” Creation (in Greek) means here inanimate non-rational nature. Primarily are understood powerful elemental phenomena through which God punishes the evil and gives success to the cause of the righteous. The writer discusses this in more detail in the account of the judgment over Egypt (Wis 16:16-25). Here the writer undoubtedly expresses the religious biblical view of physical nature, by which it is placed in close connection with the moral relations of rational beings and the general moral order of the world.

Wisdom 5:18. He will put on righteousness as a breastplate, and will wear impartial justice as a helmet; 18. Cf. Isa 59:17-18.

Wisdom 5:19. He will take holiness as an invincible shield; 19. “Holiness” (in Greek)—moral perfection, such a quality against which the force of evil is shattered.

Wisdom 5:20. He will sharpen His stern anger for a sword and the universe will join Him to fight against the senseless. 20. The verse expresses in general form the thought of God’s angry judgment over the wicked, which in the following verses 21–22 is unfolded in more detail. “The universe will join Him.” Cf. verse 17 and Wis 16:17.

Wisdom 5:21. Well-aimed lightnings will go forth and from the clouds as from a well-drawn bow will leap to the mark. 21. The comparison of lightning as an instrument of God’s judgment and wrath with arrows in the Bible is not uncommon: Ps 7:14; Hab 3:11.

Wisdom 5:22. And hail stones full of wrath will be hurled as from a catapult, and the water of the sea will rage against them, and rivers will pitilessly overwhelm them; 22. Hail and flood are also frequent images in the Bible of God’s wrath (Isa 28:2; Ezek 13:11; Rev 8:7).

Wisdom 5:23. A whirlwind of power will confront them and like a tempest will scatter them. Wisdom 5:24. So wickedness will lay waste the whole earth, and evil doing will overturn the thrones of the mighty. 23–24. “A whirlwind of power will confront them.” One cannot understand by power the storm, hurricane, for afterward the action of this power is only compared (“like a tempest”) to a storm. “A whirlwind of power”—the Spirit of God’s Almighty Power, by analogy with Isa 11:4; Job 15:30. “So wickedness will lay waste the whole earth, and evil doing will overturn the thrones of the mighty.” A conclusion to the entire preceding picture. From it we clearly see that the judgment of God over the wicked and the triumph of the righteous associated with it is represented by the writer as having to take place here on earth.

Chapter Six

1–11. An invitation to kings and rulers of nations to learn wisdom if they wish to avoid God’s punishing judgment. 12–21. With sincere desire to learn wisdom, it is easy to acquire, and the result of this learning is very important: in addition to other blessings, wisdom leads to blessed immortality. 22–27. To those wishing to learn, the writer offers, from Solomon’s mouth, a complete teaching about wisdom.

The writer, in what he said above about the future fate of the righteous and wicked, finds reason to turn once again with exhortation to those same earthly rulers of whom he spoke in Wis 1:1, making clear to them how necessary for them is the acquisition of wisdom if they wish to avoid divine punishment (Wis 6:1-8); therefore he invites them to give careful attention to his teaching about wisdom (9–11).

Wisdom 6:1. Therefore, listen, O kings, and understand; learn, O judges of the ends of the earth! Wisdom 6:2. Give attention, you who possess multitudes and pride yourselves before the nations! 1–2. “Therefore, listen, O kings…” A similar address is found in Ps 2:10. The expression “ends of the earth” means, first of all, distant lands, and then is used to denote the whole extent of the earth. This broad address, of course, does not prevent the supposition that the writer had in mind especially those rulers and kings under whose authority the Hebrews then lived, and if he does not name them directly, it is only because he does not consider it helpful. “You who possess multitudes.” In accordance with the following “who pride yourselves before the nations” one should understand the multitude of peoples subject to the rulers of that time.

Wisdom 6:3. Authority has been given to you from the Lord, and power from the Most High, who will examine your deeds and test your intentions. Wisdom 6:4. For you, being servants of His kingdom, have not judged justly, have not kept the law, and have not acted according to God’s will. 3–4. The grounds are indicated why the rulers of the earth should pay attention to the teachings proposed to them: 1) because they have received their authority from God (v. 3); 2) they have hitherto abused this authority and violated the will of the Most High (v. 4). At the foundation of both verses lies the theocratic view that the dominion of foreign nations and kings over Israel in the plan of divine government is only a means to teach them not to be proud of their power as their own, and not to abuse it; otherwise God sets bounds to their authority (v. 3), cf. Rom 13:1; Eccl 5:7.—“Being servants of His kingdom…” The entire universe is viewed as God’s Kingdom, of course, not in the narrow theocratic sense in which only the Hebrew people constituted His Kingdom (Wis 3:8), but in the sense of His general dominion and authority over the world. In such a general and somewhat abstract meaning the word “kingdom” is used further in the verse.—“Have not kept the law.” Not Moses’ law, of course, but the general principles of right and justice.

Wisdom 6:5. Fearfully and soon He will appear to you, and strict judgment comes upon those who rule; Wisdom 6:6. for the lesser deserves mercy, but the mighty shall be mightily tormented. 5–6. A new motivation is indicated for the “judges of the earth” to follow the writer’s teachings in that their violations of right and justice will not go unpunished: “soon will come judgment upon those who rule.” At this judgment they will be judged with greater severity than those “lesser” in their public standing and authority.

Wisdom 6:7. The Lord of all does not fear the person nor will be terrified by power, for He created both small and great and cares equally for all; 7. “The Lord of all.” By this title God is probably contrasted with weak earthly rulers (Wis 8:3). In His power is further indicated the foundation for His justice and impartial judgment. “He created both small and great.” Small and great are people of different stations and conditions, as in Deut 1:17; Rev 13:16. “Cares equally for all.” The idea of divine providence in the world is disclosed by the writer of the Book of Wisdom broadly (Wis 12:3) and has purely religious character. God is presented as all-embracing, fatherly love caring for the world. Here, thus, the writer was bringing his readers to Christian worldview.

Wisdom 6:8. but a strict trial awaits those who rule. Wisdom 6:9. Therefore, to you, O kings, are my words, that you may learn wisdom and not fall. 9. A new address to kings to “learn wisdom” after demonstrations of its necessity. According to the context of chapter VI, the concept of “wisdom” (σοφία) is taken here by the writer in religious and practical sense (cf. vv. 17–20). This is the ability to accord one’s deeds with God’s will, piety, virtue. However, further on (Wis 7:17-20) the writer points out also the theoretical, intellectual moment in the concept of σοφία. “Not fall” means moral fall, sins, as in Rom 11:11.

Wisdom 6:10. For those who keep holy things sacred shall be sanctified, and those who have learned them will find justification. 10. Just as in the preceding verses the writer was inclining people toward following wisdom through negation, by fear of coming judgment, so now (from v. 10 onward) for the same purpose he points out its positive blessings. “Those who keep sacred things,” that is, the law and God’s will, of which there was mention in v. 4; “will find justification,” understood as at that divine judgment which the writer threatened above (vv. 5–6).

Wisdom 6:11. Therefore, desire my words, love them, and learn them. Wisdom 6:12. Wisdom is bright and imperishable, and she is easily perceived by those who love her, and is found by those who seek her; 12. From vv. 12–16 the writer develops the thought that with sincere striving for wisdom it is not difficult to attain it; it comes to meet the one seeking it. “Wisdom is bright and imperishable…” The first epithet may mean either that wisdom is easily grasped, her light comes to meet and illuminates the path to her; or, by comparison with the brightness of a precious stone and metal, may indicate the inner worth of wisdom (cf. Rev 18:14). The second predicate speaks to the fact that possession of wisdom has lasting value, in contrast to the quickly fading crown with which victors in war were adorned (1 Pet 1:4). “Is easily perceived by those who love her, and is found by those who seek her” (cf. Wis 1:1-2). The foundation of this thought is that the inner spiritual nature of human nature is not alien to wisdom.

Wisdom 6:13. She even anticipates those wishing to know her. 13. “She even anticipates those wishing to know her.” This verse strengthens the thought of the preceding one: mere desire for wisdom, even if it proceeds from unclear yearning for her, is already a significant step toward its actual possession.

Wisdom 6:14. Seeking her from early morning, one will not grow weary, for she will be found sitting at one’s door. 14. The 14th verse expresses the same thought about the ease of gaining wisdom as the 13th verse, only in figurative form. Wisdom is personified as a bride or beloved (see Wis 8:2) who “sits at the door” (Gen 4:7; Jas 5:9) and need not be sought for long.

Wisdom 6:15. Meditating upon her is already the perfection of understanding, and one who watches for her will quickly be freed from cares, 15. Earlier the writer spoke of how sincere feeling leads to wisdom; now he speaks of what significance it has for human reason. “Meditating upon her is already the perfection of understanding…” Understanding (φρόνησις) is taken by the writer as the capacity for thinking, reasoning. The relation of wisdom to understanding is defined in the book as the relation of higher to lower (Wis 8:6). “Prudence” is the fruit of wisdom, one of its four cardinal virtues (see Wis 8:7). Therefore the aspiration of understanding toward wisdom is striving for its ideal, its perfection. Then all seeming earthly goods will be nothing for the person and he “will quickly be freed from cares” about them.

Wisdom 6:16. for she herself goes about and seeks those worthy of her, and shows herself kindly to them on the paths, and meets them in every thought. 16. The writer returns to the thought of vv. 13 and 14; “goes about and seeks” is the personification of wisdom as in the book Prov 8:2-3. “Shows herself kindly to them on the paths, and meets them in every thought.” Here we have a profound contrast in the writer: the word “paths” means deeds, actions of the person; “thought” means the general inner disposition, mood.

Wisdom 6:17. The beginning of her is the most sincere desire for instruction, Wisdom 6:18. and concern for instruction is love, and love is the keeping of her laws, and observing the laws is the guarantee of immortality, Wisdom 6:19. and immortality brings one near to God; Wisdom 6:20. therefore the desire for wisdom leads to a kingdom. Wisdom 6:21. Therefore, rulers of the nations, if you delight in thrones and scepters, honor wisdom, that you may reign forever. 17–21. In this section the writer first repeats the previously expressed thought that in striving for wisdom lies the beginning and condition of its acquisition, and then by a whole series of intervening premises comes to the conclusion that wisdom leads to dominion (“kingdom”) in the true and proper sense, that is, to the highest dignity and blessedness in future life. This conclusion he proposes to the attention of the rulers of nations, hoping that if they delight in temporary dominion, then all the more they should prefer wisdom, which gives eternal kingdom. “Observing the laws is the guarantee of immortality…” not bodily, but spiritual, in blessed communion with God (see note to 1:12).

Wisdom 6:22. What wisdom is, then, and how she came to be, I will declare, Wisdom 6:23. and I will not hide her secrets from you, but will investigate from the beginning of her birth, Wisdom 6:24. and will reveal her knowledge, and will not pass by the truth; Wisdom 6:25. and will not go with the one wasting away from envy, for such a one will not be a partaker of wisdom. 22–25. From this point the writer begins to speak from Solomon’s mouth and expresses the intention to speak about the origin and essence of wisdom. He expresses this intention solemnly, with a whole series of strong expressions and with a certain polemical tone, as if arguing against that direction in religious life both in Judaism and especially in Egypt, which made a mystery of religious truth (“I will not hide from you its secrets”).

Wisdom 6:26. A multitude of the wise is the salvation of the world, and a wise king is the well-being of his people. Wisdom 6:27. Therefore learn from my words, and you will gain profit. 26–27. The great importance of wisdom for public well-being is indicated (cf. Prov 11:14) and from this the speaker makes another appeal to follow his teachings.

Chapter Seven

1–6. Every human being by his nature and origin is weak, 7. therefore he needs the help of Wisdom. 8–10. She is more valuable to him than all earthly blessings, 11–12. for she is their source. 13–21. In Wisdom is the inexhaustible treasure of all kinds of knowledge for people. 22–30. In her essence and origin Wisdom is divine.

Solomon’s discourse, through whose mouth the writer speaks, about having a common bodily origin with all people precedes the exposition of the teaching about Wisdom, about feeling that same helplessness at birth that all people feel, and about having one end with all—death. With this beginning the writer had a twofold aim: 1) to contrast the humility of the outstanding and glorious king with the pride of those rulers of nations to whom he addressed himself in the preceding chapters; 2) to show that noble birth and high social position do not give the right to possess wisdom; it is a gift from God, and every person can receive it if he asks God for it.

Wisdom 7:1. And I am a mortal man, like all others, a descendant of the first-born human being born of earth. Wisdom 7:2. And I was formed in my mother’s womb as flesh in a ten-month period, curdled in blood from the seed of a man and the pleasure joined with sleep, 1–2. Solomon, along with all people, had a common physical origin: “a descendant of the first-born earthborn,” that is, Adam (Gen 2:7; Sir 18:1; 1 Cor 15:47). Even the manner and form of passing through is the same (v. 2, cf. Job 10:10; Ps 138:13-15).

Wisdom 7:3. and when I was born, I breathed the common air, and fell upon the same earth, my first voice revealed crying just like everyone else, Wisdom 7:4. nourished in swaddling clothes and with care; 3–4. At birth he showed the same helplessness, the same needs as everyone. The expression “fell upon the same earth” is compared with Wis 8:19-20 and is seen by some as a hint at the pre-existence of souls. However, although the idea of the pre-existence of souls is not foreign to the writer of the Book of Wisdom, it cannot be found in this place: the context of the discourse indicates that the expression “fell” refers only to the manner of a human’s appearance from the womb of his mother.

Wisdom 7:5. for no king has had a different beginning of birth: Wisdom 7:6. one entrance into life for all, and an equal departure. 5–6. The foundation (“for”) for the preceding is indicated. Solomon, though a king, could not have any advantages regarding his physical origin, because “one entrance into life for all and an equal departure” (death).

Wisdom 7:7. Therefore I prayed, and understanding was given to me; I called upon the Lord, and the spirit of wisdom came upon me. Wisdom 7:8. I preferred her to scepters and thrones, and counted wealth as nothing compared to her; Wisdom 7:9. I did not compare precious stones with her, for all gold in comparison with her is insignificant sand, and silver is like dirt in comparison with her. Wisdom 7:10. I loved her more than health and beauty, and chose her over light, for her light is inextinguishable. 7–10. Since human life is very wretched and helpless, Solomon asked God for wisdom for himself, and when he received it, he valued it above all earthly blessings (cf. Wis 9:5-6). “The spirit of wisdom came upon me.” These words can be understood in two ways: either in the sense that God enlightened Solomon’s natural reason, in which case they will mean the same as the preceding words: “understanding was given to me”; or by the spirit of wisdom one should understand a special divine power acting upon the spirit of a human, and then the coming of the spirit of wisdom should be understood as supernatural gracious action. The latter explanation deserves preference, for in many places in his book the writer presents Wisdom as a divine power, as something objective (Wis 1:5). In the enumeration of earthly blessings compared with which wisdom is preferred, the writer shows a certain sequence: first he points to external blessings that a person can create himself—wealth, power (vv. 8–9); then he names such blessings as are a gift of the Creator: health, beauty, sunlight (v. 10).

Wisdom 7:11. And with her came to me all good things, and in her hands immeasurable wealth; 11–12. Along with wisdom came to him those earthly blessings which he renounced for her sake. This pleased him, for wisdom taught him their proper use, although he did not know that she was their source. 11. Clearly reproduces the history of Solomon (see 1 Kgs 3:13).

Wisdom 7:12. I rejoiced in all things, because wisdom guided them, but I did not know that she was their source. 12. “I did not know that she was their source.” Understanding these words presents difficulty because the writer, through Solomon’s own mouth, teaches about wisdom as a divine power creating the world and governing it (v. 22; Wis 8:1), therefore neither one nor the other could fail to know that this wisdom was the source of all earthly blessings which a person enjoys. Here the word “source” (γενέτις) is used not in the sense of first cause, but in that sense that following the divine Wisdom leads to, as a natural consequence, earthly blessings. This, says the writer, Solomon did not know when he decided to follow wisdom, therefore his decision was free from all suspicion of self-interest.

Wisdom 7:13. Without guile I learned, and without envy I teach, I do not hide her wealth, Wisdom 7:14. for she is an inexhaustible treasure for people; those who use her enter into partnership with God, by means of the gifts of instruction. 13–14. The writer repeats the thought previously expressed (Wis 6:23-25) that he teaches the teaching about wisdom in all its fullness, hiding nothing, because its riches are inexhaustible (Wis 8:18). The main treasure of wisdom is in that she brings a person “into partnership with God,” that is, into close communion (cf. vv. 27–28). To this a person comes “by means of the gifts of instruction.” What these gifts are and how they lead to God, the writer said above (Wis 6:17-19).

Wisdom 7:15. Only let God grant me to speak with understanding and to think worthily of what has been given to me, for He is the guide to wisdom and the corrector of those who are wise. 15. In order to teach perfect teaching about wisdom, one must have a worthy conception of her (“think worthily of what has been given to me”) and be able to convey one’s understanding of wisdom in precise words (“speak with understanding”). About both the king Solomon, through whose mouth the writer speaks, asks God, “for He is the guide to wisdom.”

Wisdom 7:16. For in His hand are we and our words, and all understanding and skill in making things. 16–21. Description of human wisdom in its full extent and separate parts from a purely theoretical side. This description recalls the account in 3 Kings (1 Kgs 4:29-34) of Solomon’s wisdom. From this passage we learn about the cycle of sciences studied by educated Hebrews in the last two centuries before the Christian era. These sciences are as follows: chronology, astronomy, zoology, angelology (teaching about spirits), psychology, botany, pharmacology and, according to Wis 8:8, history and rhetoric. The writer gave this detailed enumeration of sciences in order to show what enormous wealth of knowledge human wisdom draws from the inexhaustible source of divine Wisdom.

Wisdom 7:17. He Himself gave me true knowledge of what exists, to know the structure of the world and the action of the elements, 17. “True knowledge of what exists” (των όντών γνώσιν άψευδή). Some exegetes explain this expression from the principles of Platonic philosophy. Plato distinguished between knowledge of sensible being, the world of appearances, from knowledge of unconditional and absolute being, the world of ideas, τα οντά or το όν. It is supposed that our writer also by the expression των όντών γνώσιν άψευδή showed that he, following Plato, distinguished between knowledge of ideas and knowledge of appearances. However, the subsequent discourse of the writer does not justify such an interpretation. From vv. 18–20 the writer speaks definitely of what “knowledge of what exists” consists. The sciences he points to clearly show that he did not invest Platonic meaning in the expression των όντών γνώσιν .—“Knowledge of what exists” is knowledge of all phenomena that surround a human. The predicate “true” only indicates the soundness and perfection of these knowledges.

Wisdom 7:18. the beginning, end, and middle of times, the changes in the turning of seasons and the changes of times, Wisdom 7:19. the cycles of years and the positions of the stars, 18–19. Knowledge in chronology and astronomy is discussed. “The beginning, end, and middle of times…” that is, knowledge of the measure and duration of time in general. “The changes in the turning of seasons and the changes of times…” Knowledge is meant of the movement of planets and the changes in air temperature, wind direction and other atmospheric phenomena connected with it. “The cycles of years…” that is, the alternations of day and night, months and seasons of the year.

Wisdom 7:20. the nature of animals and the properties of beasts, the impulses of spirits and the thoughts of people, the varieties of plants and the powers of roots. 20. In this enumeration the expression “impulses of spirits” (βίαι πνευμάτων) is noteworthy. It is difficult to suppose that the discourse is here about spirits as winds, as the Russian text translates and as many exegetes understood. The mention of spirits here would be inappropriate, as the writer in this verse does not speak of elemental phenomena of nature. When the writer actually speaks of winds, he uses another expression: βιαι ανέμων . Finally, and most importantly, the enumeration of subjects in v. 20 is done in pairs, and each pair of enumerated subjects is taken from the same domain: 1) “the nature of animals and the properties of beasts,” 2) “the varieties of plants and the powers of roots,” only the third pair presents a strange combination: “impulses of spirits and the thoughts of people.” Subjects with nothing in common are joined together, whereas it might be expected a combination analogous to the preceding. All these oddities disappear if we translate the Greek word πνευμάτων as “spirits.” This means that the objects of knowledge in this pair are the world of spirits and the spiritual world of a human. The teaching about spirits, their nature, their influence on a human’s fate occupied a prominent place in the worldview of ancient humans.

Wisdom 7:21. I learned all things, both hidden and plain, for wisdom, the maker of all things, taught me. 21. The writer makes a conclusion to his description of the extent of human wisdom. All the rich content of it a person received from divine Wisdom, which acts in all the world, creates all things and brings them into order, therefore she is the “maker of all things.”

Wisdom 7:22. She is a spirit intelligent, holy, unique, manifold, subtle, mobile, clear, pure, clear, unharmed, benevolent, swift, irresistible, 22–30. The teaching about the essence of wisdom, her origin and activity in the universe is set forth. V. 22 is connected with what precedes by the particle γαρ. This connection indicates that here the foundation for what precedes is given. Namely, the writer depicts for us the divine spirit of wisdom in its worldwide activity, to show why wisdom was named above the “maker of all things” (v. 21) and why she is the source of various and all-embracing knowledge. The essence and activity of wisdom are more closely determined by 21 predicates. “She is a spirit intelligent.” Spirit is the name given to wisdom as an acting and revealing divine power, existing in itself and being the center of various properties and actions directly belonging to it and further attributed to it by the writer. The predicate “intelligent,” νοερός, in Plato is often used to denote purely spiritual being. Taking it in this sense, we will get here the thought that in the essence of divine Wisdom, as an acting force in the universe, nothing material should be thought. But this thought is already given in the concept of “spirit,” and the adjective νοερός in such understanding would be a tautology, therefore it is better to understand πνεύμα νοερόν in the meaning of νοούν. “Holy…” is used here in the same sense as in Wis 1:5. “…Unique, manifold…” (μονογενές, πολυμερές). The first predicate points to the homogeneity of nature, means: “simple, indivisible.” “Manifold” does not mean a concept opposite to the preceding predicate, but means that the power and activity of Wisdom spreads throughout the world, in all its parts, in all domains. This property of Wisdom is disclosed in Wis 8:1 and in the Apostle Paul 1 Cor 12:11. “…Subtle…” (λεπτόν), for otherwise wisdom could not penetrate the entire world. This word should be understood as speaking figuratively about the spirituality of wisdom. “Mobile…” (εύκίνητον). This property can be considered as a consequence of what precedes. It is revealed in more detail by the writer in v. 24. “…Clear, pure, bright…” All these predicates point to the light-bearing nature of Wisdom. V. 26 indicates what source this light of Wisdom has. “Unharmed…” (απήμαντον) has active and passive meaning. In the first case it will mean—causing no harm to anyone. Such a sense is very meager, therefore it is better to take this predicate in the passive meaning: undamaged, untouched by changes of sensible earthly being, immutable. “Swift, irresistible…” The predicates mean the energy of Wisdom as a world-creating and world-penetrating power. “Benevolent, philanthropic…” Both predicates are understood in the sense of pointing to divine goodness as the only motivation for creating the world. However, comparing this place with Wis 1:6, with greater reason one can here see an indication of the relation of wisdom to the moral world. “Firm, unshakable…” The laws established by wisdom both in the physical world and in the moral world are unchanging. The foundation of this unchangeability lies in the immutability of wisdom itself. “Peaceful, untroubled…” Points to the moment of wisdom’s self-sufficiency. “All-seeing…” see Wis 1:6-10. “Penetrating all intelligent, pure, and most subtle souls.” This predicate shows that wisdom governs not only nature and people, but also the world of higher spirits. As for the number (21) of predicates, exegetes have called attention to the fact that it is the product of 3 and 7. Both of these numbers were held sacred by the Hebrews (Num 19:12; Sir 26:1; Zech 3:9; 2 Kgs 5:10; Prov 9:1). Therefore it is very probable that the number of predicates up to 21 was brought to this amount by the writer intentionally, at least many predicates are synonymous and add nothing of substance. It is very difficult to point out any order in the enumeration of the predicates, and all attempts by exegetes so far have been unsuccessful. One can only say that some predicates define the metaphysical nature of the spirit of wisdom, while others define its moral character; the first explain the action of wisdom in the world in general, the second—its actions in the world of rational beings.

Wisdom 7:23. benevolent, philanthropic, firm, unshakable, peaceful, untroubled, all-seeing and penetrating all intelligent, pure, and most subtle spirits. Wisdom 7:24. For wisdom is more mobile than all movement, and by her purity passes through all things and penetrates them. 24–30. In this section the writer determines and clarifies certain properties of Wisdom of which he spoke in the two preceding verses. 24. Discourse is about mobility in the omnipresence of Wisdom, in clarification of the properties mentioned in v. 22: “spirit… mobile, subtle, pure.”

Wisdom 7:25. She is the breath of the power of God and the pure outflow of the glory of the Almighty: therefore nothing unclean will enter into her. 25. The foundation of the properties indicated above of Wisdom lies in her kinship and close relationship with God. “She is the breath of the power of God…” In the Bible the image of “breath” often represents God’s creative activity (Ps 32:6; Job 33:4; Sir 25:3). Therefore, the naming of Wisdom “the breath of God’s power” means that she is the direct participant in creation. “…Pure outflow of the glory of the Almighty…” “Outflow” (απόρροια) should it be understood as a poetic and figurative expression or in the sense proper to and inherent to God? In the Bible the image of outflow is often used to denote the fullness and abundance of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28; Isa 32:15; Zech 12:10; Prov 1:23; Acts 10:45; Titus 3:5-6). Applying this image in the present case, we will get the thought that God pours out His wisdom upon all His works; from this the divine Wisdom visible throughout the universe is called something outflowed or “outflows” from God, without any relation of this expression to the immanent life of God. This explanation, though correct in itself, fits the context of the speech less than that which relies on the literal understanding of the word “outflow.” The writer in this place (beginning from v. 22) speaks of Wisdom as a divine force flowing throughout the entire universe, emanating from the essence of God; therefore it is more correct to suppose that with the word “outflow” he connected the concept of emanation: “nothing unclean will enter into her” cf. Wis 1:5.

Wisdom 7:26. She is the radiance of eternal light and the pure mirror of God’s activity and the image of His goodness. 26. “She is the radiance of eternal light…” Eternal light is here called the highest being, God. In the Old Testament He is often represented in this image (Exod 14:13; Job 41:12; Ps 49:2; Ezek 1:28; Hab 3:3-4). “Radiance” means reflection. Divine Wisdom is named thus because in her are reflected the divine majesty and glory. “Image of His goodness,” for in the works of wisdom God’s goodness is manifested.

Wisdom 7:27. She is one, yet she can accomplish everything, and while remaining in herself, she renews all things, and passing from generation to generation into holy souls, she prepares friends of God and prophets; Wisdom 7:28. for God loves nothing except the one who lives with wisdom. Wisdom 7:29. She is more beautiful than the sun and surpasses the multitude of the stars; when compared with light, she is superior; Wisdom 7:30. for light is replaced by night, but evil cannot overcome wisdom. 27–30. The action of Wisdom in the moral world is indicated: she prepares the bearers of good (vv. 27–28) and successfully struggles with evil: “evil cannot overcome her” (v. 30).

Chapter Eight

Chapters 1–2. The writer, speaking from the persona of King Solomon, says that even from youth he desired wisdom: 3–4. because of its inner closeness to God, and 5–8. its important significance for human life generally, and 9–16. especially for the king in his governance of the people. 17–31. Knowing that wisdom is a gift of God, he turns with a prayer to God for the grant of it.

Wisdom 8:1. It spreads swiftly from one end to another and orders all things for the good. Wisdom 8:2. I loved her and sought her from my youth, and desired to take her as my bride, and became a lover of her beauty. 8. Pseudo-Solomon again (Wis 7:7) speaks of his love for wisdom and his zealous striving toward it (cf. Sir 51:13-21). The allegory the writer uses means the deepest love for wisdom and the closest union with it. These attitudes toward wisdom lead the writer further to speak again of its advantages and significance. The concepts of divine and human wisdom are not precisely distinguished by him in this narrative: verses 1 and 4 refer to the first, verses 2 and 5 only to the latter, verse 3 can be understood in relation to both.

Wisdom 8:3. She exalts her nobility in that she has companionship with God, and the Lord of all has loved her: 8. “She exalts (her) nobility in that she has companionship with God…” The Russian text, inserting the pronoun “her” for clarity, determined the meaning of these words in relation to wisdom as a divine attribute. The kinship and closeness (companionship—the image is taken from marital relations in accordance with the preceding “bride”) of wisdom to God exalt her inner dignity and significance. Some exegetes relate the expression “exalts nobility” to human nobility, which is exalted by wisdom (understanding it as advantages connected with birth). But against earthly advantages in relation to wisdom, the writer has already spoken (Wis 7:1-6), and then the nearest context more favorably supports the first understanding of this place; finally, the image “companionship” also speaks to the fact that here we are discussing wisdom as an inner attribute of God.

Wisdom 8:4. She is the initiate of God’s mind and the selectress of his works. 4. “She is the initiate of God’s mind…” “Initiate,” that is, initiated into the mysteries of God, deeply informed in the inner life of God (“God’s mind”). “The selectress of his works.” Explanation for this expression is given in verse 9 of Chapter IX. Wisdom selects from among God’s works, whose idea is in God’s mind, those which by creative will are to be brought into being at a known moment. Thus, this expression means: God creates the world through wisdom.

Wisdom 8:5. If riches are a desired acquisition in life, what is richer than wisdom, which makes all things? 5–8. Wisdom appears as the source of things precious for human life, both external and internal. This thought the writer develops in four conditional propositions. 5. Some exegetes understand “riches” here as spiritual and moral blessings. But the writer makes no indication of such a meaning, whereas he has already said above (Wis 7:11-12) that wisdom grants material blessings as well. These are in her power, for she is the artisan and directress of the universe; therefore she is higher and more valuable than them all.

Wisdom 8:6. If prudence does much, then what artisan is better than her? 6. If common human prudence helps us in achieving our goals, then how much more essential benefit can wisdom grant us, the power and action of which appeared in the formation and ordering of the universe. The expression “artisan” (technites) is taken here in correspondence with wisdom being depicted in the book as an artisan.

Wisdom 8:7. If one loves righteousness, its fruits are virtues: she teaches self-control and prudence, justice and courage, than which nothing is more useful for people in life. 7. Wisdom satisfies the human striving for righteousness, for she is the source of all virtue. From her come the four cardinal virtues: self-control, prudence, justice, and courage. This fourfold division serves as undoubted evidence of the writer’s familiarity with Greek philosophy. Such division of virtue is first found in Plato, then in the Stoics, and later in Judeo-Alexandrian philosophy. The writer of the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon doubtless became acquainted with this teaching on virtue from the last source, and not directly from Plato, with whom he here disagrees. For Plato the chief virtues were properly three (prudence, courage, and self-control) in correspondence with the threefold division of the soul; the fourth, justice, was regarded not as a special property of the soul, but as the harmony of all spiritual life, when each force and capacity develop freely. The writer of the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon could not have had such an understanding of four virtues precisely because he did not share Plato’s view of the threefold division of the soul. The concept “justice” is used by him in a twofold sense: at the beginning of the verse (“righteousness” – dikaiosyne) as virtue as a whole, and then as a part of it. If the first approaches the Platonic understanding, the second differs considerably from it: dikaiosyne means here just relations to people (cf. Wis 9:3).

Wisdom 8:8. If one desires great experience, wisdom knows the ancient past and divines the future, knows the subtleties of words and the resolution of riddles, foreknows signs and wonders and the consequences of years and times. 8. Wisdom unites in herself a multitude of diverse kinds of knowledge. The thought is the same as in verse Wis 7:14-21, although there more physical and natural-historical subjects are named; here, however, the discourse concerns such knowledge as pertains to human life and relations. “If one desires great experience…” – broad life experience (Sir 26:5), which is acquired not only through personal experience but also through familiarity with the experience and knowledge of other people. Let such a person turn to wisdom, which “knows the ancient past and divines the future.” A good knowledge of the past history of humanity and wide familiarity with the present enable people to foretell future events. “The subtleties of words and the resolution of riddles.” By the former are understood skillfully composed speeches and then parables; by the latter, riddles in the proper sense (Judg 14:12). The ability to discern all this constituted a necessary quality of the Eastern wise man, in which, as is known, Solomon was famous (1 Kgs 5:12; Sir 48:15-17; Prov 1). “Foreknows signs and wonders…” Cf. verse Wis 10:16. “The consequences of years and times…,” the words have the same meaning as the preceding expression “divines the future” (cf. Acts 1:7; 1 Thess 5:1).

Wisdom 8:9. Therefore I resolved to take her into my companionship, knowing that she would be my counselor to good and my comfort in cares and sorrow. 9–16. The writer has thus far spoken of the essence of wisdom in general. Now, from the persona of King Solomon, he expresses what hopes he personally connected with acquiring wisdom. Through it he hoped to ensure the success of his public activity (9–15) and the happiness of family life (verse 16).

Wisdom 8:10. Through her I shall have glory among the people and honor before the elders, though I am but a youth; 10. Cf. 1 Kgs 5:11; Sir 5:13.

Wisdom 8:11. I shall prove discerning in judgment, and in the sight of the mighty I shall be admired. 11. Cf. 1 Kgs 3:16-28.

Wisdom 8:12. When I am silent, they will wait, and when I begin to speak, they will heed; and when I continue my discourse, they will place their hand on their lips. 12. Cf. Job 19:9; Prov 30:32.

Wisdom 8:13. Through her I shall obtain immortality and leave eternal memory to those who come after me. 13. Cf. Wis 1:15.

Wisdom 8:14. I shall govern nations, and tribes will be subject to me; Wisdom 8:15. I shall be feared by them when they hear of me, terrible tyrants; among the people I shall appear good and in war courageous. 14–15. The content of these verses does not correspond to the character of the historical person of Solomon, who was not a warlike king and did not subdue foreign peoples. The writer, evidently, idealizes the person of Solomon; he presents him in his work as a living bearer of wisdom, and therefore attributes to him all the qualities that should be in such an ideal person.

Wisdom 8:16. When I enter my house, I shall find rest in her; for association with her has no bitterness, nor does companionship with her have pain, but rather joy and gladness. Wisdom 8:17. Pondering these things in myself and considering in my heart that in kinship with wisdom lies immortality, Wisdom 8:18. And in friendship with her – blessed enjoyment, and in the labors of her hands – inexhaustible wealth, and in fellowship with her – understanding, and in communion with her words – good reputation, – I went about seeking how to take her to myself. 17–18. In a manner characteristic of the writer, in these verses he briefly repeats the thought he has widely developed above concerning the significance of wisdom and his desire to acquire it. “Pondering these things in myself and considering in my heart (Wis 2:21) that in kinship with wisdom lies immortality (see verse 13, Wis 6:17-20), and in friendship with her blessed enjoyment (see verse 16), and in the labors of her hands inexhaustible wealth (see Wis 7:11), and in fellowship with her understanding (see Wis 6:15), and in communion with her words good reputation (Wis 8:10), I went about seeking how to take her to myself” (Wis 7:7-8).

Wisdom 8:19. I was a child of talent and received a good soul; Wisdom 8:20. Moreover, being good, I came into a pure body. 19–20. The writer indicates a new motive for his striving to acquire wisdom. Up to this point, he has indicated the objective foundation for this in the essence of wisdom, in its significance for humanity; now he points out a subjective motive, in the striving of all that is best in human nature for wisdom. This passage stands in parallel with verse Wis 7:1-7. As there he taught that a human being, even if born under the best external conditions, can accomplish nothing without wisdom, so now he says that even with an undoubted natural striving toward good, he cannot do without divine help. “I was a child of talent and received a good soul…” These two propositions in the Greek text are connected by a particle (mallon de), which is often used to denote correction to the preceding thought (see Gal 4:9; Eph 4:28; Rom 8:34). Therefore, the predicate “talented” (euphyes) means here “endowed with striving toward good.” The expression “received a good soul” can be understood in two opposite senses: either that bodies are formed before souls, or conversely, souls exist before they begin to live in bodies. The following words speak in favor of the second understanding. “Being good” (agathos on), that is, my own self, my soul was already good before it entered “a pure body,” that is, one in which the power of sensuous movements was not so strong as to be able to suppress the striving toward virtue. Thus, this passage contains an allusion to the doctrine of the preexistence of souls. There is no indication of this doctrine in the Old Testament; the writer of the Book of Wisdom could have borrowed it only from Platonic philosophy. However, the doctrine of the preexistence of souls in Plato is considerably altered by him. According to Plato, only fallen, sinful souls are sent into bodies; here they struggle with all the evil whose source is the body, and if they overcome the low fleshly feelings, they return after death to their original blessed state; if they yield to the body, they perish. In the writer of the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon, on the contrary, a “good soul” is sent into a body and moreover “a pure body.” Does this mean that the writer does not regard the body as the source of evil? The answer is found in Wis 9:15: “the corruptible body weighs down the soul, and this earthly dwelling depresses the anxious mind.”

Wisdom 8:21. Having learned that I could not otherwise possess her unless God gave her, and this was itself a matter of intelligence, to know whose gift it is, I turned to the Lord and prayed to him, and spoke with all my heart: 21. Though well endowed by nature, pseudo-Solomon nonetheless did not consider it possible to attain wisdom by his own efforts alone. He knew that wisdom is a gift of God and that one should pray for it. It is the work of natural reason to say, “whose gift this is” and to whom one should pray.

Chapter Nine

Prayer on behalf of Solomon for the sending of wisdom. 1–4. Confession of God’s goodness, almightiness, and wisdom, and the high calling of humanity. 5–8. Indication of personal life circumstances. 9–19. Without wisdom, humanity cannot know the will of God and fulfill its calling.

Wisdom 9:1. God of our ancestors and Lord of mercy, you have made all things by your word 1–4. Introduction to Solomon’s prayer. The writer speaks of divine goodness, almightiness, and wisdom, and of the highest calling of humanity. 1. In his address, the writer expresses the thought that God, in consequence of his relationship to Israel (“God of our ancestors”), by reason of his mercy, and in virtue of his almightiness, will want and is able to endow him with wisdom.

Wisdom 9:2. And by your wisdom you created humanity, so that they might have dominion over the creatures you made Wisdom 9:3. And govern the world in holiness and righteousness, and judge with an upright soul! 2–3. The next ground for why pseudo-Solomon hopes for the fulfillment of his prayer is introduced. This ground is in the high calling of humanity. Humanity, by its very creation, was appointed by divine Wisdom to have dominion over nature and the high governance of the world (Gen 2:19-20; Ps 8:7; Sir 18:1-4). Such a task makes the assimilation of divine Wisdom necessary for him. “…govern the world in holiness and righteousness…” Both these concepts (“holiness and righteousness”) are often joined together in Holy Scripture (Luke 1:75; Eph 4:24); the first means the soul’s orientation toward God, the second determines proper relations to one’s neighbors.

Wisdom 9:4. Give me the wisdom that sits beside your throne and do not reject me from among your servants, 4. “Give me the wisdom that sits beside your throne…” Poetic personification of Wisdom, as above (Wis 6:14). “Do not reject me from among your servants” – cf. verse Wis 2:13.

Wisdom 9:5. For I am your servant and the son of your maidservant, a weak human being with little time to live and limited in understanding of judgment and laws. Wisdom 9:6. Even if one were perfect among the children of humanity, without your wisdom they would be regarded as nothing. Wisdom 9:7. You have chosen me as king of your people and as a judge of your sons and daughters; Wisdom 9:8. You have commanded me to build a temple on your holy mountain and an altar in the city of your dwelling, a copy of the holy tent that you prepared from the beginning. 5–8. The king motivates his request by the circumstances of his personal life; in verses 5–6, he points to his natural weakness, common to him with all other people, while in verses 7–8 he points to his high calling given by God: 1) to be king of Israel, and 2) to build a temple.

Wisdom 9:9. With you is wisdom, which knows your works and was present when you made the world, and understands what is pleasing in your sight and what is right according to your commandments: 9–12. To fulfill his high calling, the king can do so only with the help of Wisdom as a divine power; therefore, he asks God to send it from the holy heavens. 9. “Wisdom… knows your works…” (see Wis 8:4); “was present (parousa) when you made the world.” Here the thought is not merely of wisdom’s presence at creation, but also of its participation in creation (cf. Prov 3:19).

Wisdom 9:10. Send her out from your holy heavens, and from the throne of your glory send her, so that she may labor beside me, and that I may learn what is pleasing in your sight; 10. “Send her out from your holy heavens…” Heaven is called holy as the place of God’s presence. However, if here God with wisdom is represented as dwelling in heaven, in other places of our book the idea of God’s omnipresence is expressed very clearly (see Wis 1:7); from this it follows that the word “heaven” cannot be taken here in a literal and topographical sense, but should be understood symbolically as the supersensible infinite world. “From the throne of your glory send…” “The throne of glory” is an image of God’s majesty.

Wisdom 9:11. For she knows all things and understands them, and will wisely guide me in my actions and guard me in her glory; Wisdom 9:12. And so my works will be acceptable, and I shall judge your people justly, and shall be worthy of the throne of my father. Wisdom 9:13. For what human being can know the counsel of God? Or who can perceive what the Lord desires? 13–17. The one praying turns again to his own person and gives his thoughts a general direction. Whereas up to this point he spoke regarding his calling as king, now he speaks of himself as a human being in general, that without wisdom it is impossible for him to know divine will; and the reason for this he points out (verse 15) in the dependence of the human spirit on the material body. 13. Cf. Isa 40:13; Jdt 8:13-14; Rom 11:34; 2 Cor 3:5.

Wisdom 9:14. The thoughts of mortals are timid, and our designs are uncertain, Wisdom 9:15. For a corruptible body weighs down the soul, and this earthly dwelling burdens the anxious mind. 15. “A corruptible body weighs down the soul.” The adjective “corruptible” (phtharten), by which the body is named here, is in its meaning close to the concept of material, earthly; hence fleeting, perishable. “This earthly dwelling burdens the anxious mind.” The comparison of the body with a dwelling is often found in Holy Scripture (Job 4:19; Isa 38:12; 2 Cor 5:4; 2 Pet 1:13); it was also widely used among ancient philosophers: the Pythagoreans and Neoplatonists. For the Hebrews, this image pointed only to the inconstancy and perishability of the present; for the Greek philosophers, for our writer, and for Philo, this comparison contained further an indication of the true life of the human soul before union with the body, in comparison with which present life is only temporary dwelling in an earthly “dwelling.” The conditions of the soul’s life in this world are unfavorable for it. The corruptible body, into which it has entered, depresses its strivings toward the heavenly and divine. Like a weight, the body draws the soul down toward the earth; like a prison, this “earthly dwelling” constrains and limits the mental vision of humanity to the realm of the perishable.

Wisdom 9:16. We can barely understand the things that are on earth, and what is close at hand we understand with difficulty; but who has traced out the things in heaven? 16. The expression “what is close at hand” means direct proximity (Wis 19:3) and hence accessibility and ease of knowing the subject. “We can barely understand the things that are on earth, and what is close at hand we understand with difficulty; but who has traced out the things in heaven.” Does the writer here speak of the incomprehensibility of the supersensible world, or is his discourse only about the unknowability to humanity of God’s predestination concerning it? In favor of the latter interpretation speak verses 13 and 17 of this chapter. A similar thought is expressed in the Gospel of John (John 3:12).

Wisdom 9:17. But who has learned your counsel, unless you have given wisdom and sent your holy Spirit from on high? 17. This verse establishes the identity of Wisdom and the Spirit of God (cf. Wis 1:5). However, on the basis of this passage, as well as of the parallel passages cited, one cannot say with precision whether the writer of our book represented divine Wisdom as a personal being, or understood it as a divine spiritual power; for in some places of the book, the concept of it transitions into the concept of an attribute and action of God in the world and in humanity.

Wisdom 9:18. And so the paths of those living on earth were made right, and people learned what pleases you, Wisdom 9:19. And were saved by wisdom. 18–19. Here, evidently, the end of the prayer is marked; for in the next chapter God is spoken of in the third person (verse Wis 10:5).

Chapter Ten

1–2. Since the earliest times of humanity’s existence, wisdom created its well-being and happiness, while departures from it led to ruin: examples – Adam, 3. Cain, 4. Noah, 5. Abraham, 6–8. Lot and the Sodomites, 9–12. Jacob, 13–14. Joseph, 15–21. the Hebrew people, brought out of slavery by Moses, and the Egyptians.

Chapter 10 contains a series of individual examples from ancient history, beginning with Adam and continuing to the departure of the Hebrews from Egypt, by which the writer proves that wisdom always gave people blessings, while contempt of it brought sad consequences. Wisdom appears here as a guiding and helping divine power, as a mediator between God and Israel. However, in doing so, the writer often unites the concepts of divine and human wisdom to such a degree that it is not always possible to distinguish which predominates; this does not change the matter itself, because human wisdom, according to the writer’s thought, proceeds from divine wisdom and has its constant foundation in it. The concept of divine Wisdom is sometimes expanded by the writer to the concept of providence in general, while human wisdom appears to be synonymous with piety and knowledge of the divine will.

Wisdom 10:1. She kept the first-formed father of the world, who was created alone, and rescued him from his own transgression, Wisdom 10:2. And gave him strength to rule over all things. 1–2. The example of Adam is cited, who is called “the first-formed father of the world.” “Father of the world” expresses the thought that Adam was the progenitor of all humanity; the adjective “first-formed” (Wis 7:1) determines the origin of the first human being, pointing to the history of the creation of humanity (Gen 1:26-27). “…created alone…” This expression is often explained in the sense that only the first human being was in the proper sense a creation of God; therefore, for example, in the Gospel of Luke, he is called (a son) of “God” (Luke 3:23). No other human being created together with Adam or afterward existed; all other people came from Adam. Thus, here is given the thought of the unity of the human race. Another interpretation more suited to the context of the speech is that Adam, who was created, was alone; no other being like him could come to his aid; deprived of human assistance, he was defenseless; however, the first human being did not perish, for divine Wisdom stood guard. “She… rescued him from his own transgression.” The words of the writer of the Book of Wisdom cannot be understood as a denial of the account in Genesis of Adam’s fall; for in other places of his book he recognizes that account (Wis 2:24). Here one can see the thought that wisdom, acting upon the first human being, led him to repentance, which saved him from further transgression. Although the opinion about Adam’s repentance finds no confirmation in Genesis, among the rabbis it was not uncommon and could have been shared by the writer of the Book of Wisdom. “She gave him strength to rule over all things.” Cf. Gen 1:28. By wisdom here one can equally understand either the world-creating divine power (as in verse 2 of Chapter IX) or the reason given to humanity, preferentially over all unreasoning nature, a necessary condition for their dominion.

Wisdom 10:3. But a wicked person who departed from her perished in his anger by his fratricide. 3. The example of Cain (Gen 4:1-17) is cited, showing what results from turning away from wisdom. “…A wicked person who departed from her in his anger…” Anger, envy, malice—feelings incompatible with wisdom (Wis 6:25; Jas 3:14-15); therefore, whoever gives himself to them departs from her—as Cain departed from wisdom. “…Perished by his fratricide.” In the book of Genesis it is said that the punishment for Cain’s fratricide was not death (IV), but exile and wandering. Later rabbinic tradition says that Cain perished from a mishap during a hunt, and in this the rabbis saw God’s judgment for his fratricide. If we do not see in the cited words a reproduction of the mentioned rabbinic tradition, we should understand them in a spiritual sense, namely: the malice with which Cain rose against his brother later tormented him internally.

Wisdom 10:4. For his sake, when the earth was being destroyed in the flood, wisdom saved it, guiding the righteous man with a small piece of wood. 4. Example of Noah. See Gen 6:11-8:19. “For his sake the earth being destroyed in the flood…” The writer establishes a connection between Cain’s deed and the flood. In what way he understood this connection, he does not clearly state; it may be that the malice of Cain, which developed more and more in his posterity, led to that universal corruption of people which served as the cause of the flood (Gen 6:1-7). “…Guiding the righteous man with a small piece of wood.” The predicate dikaios (righteous man) here means Noah; in verse 5 it means Abraham; in verse 6, Lot; in verse 10, Jacob; in verse 13, Joseph; and in verse 20, Wis 12:9, the entire Israelite people. This peculiarity, that the writer, in recounting biblical events, does not name the persons by name, shows that he assumed in his readers a good familiarity with the biblical narrative; consequently, he intended his book first of all for readers from among the Hebrews. The purpose of this method is to emphasize the idea illustrated by historical facts and not to distract the reader’s attention with historical details. “Through a small piece of wood,” evidently, means the ark (cf. verse XIV) in which Noah was saved (Gen 6:14). Probably, the writer wished by these words to express the thought that the ark, despite its size, was nonetheless insignificant in comparison with the extraordinary flood, and therefore, without the highest help of God, Noah could not have been saved. Him, as well as all the earth, “wisdom saved,” divine Providence. Cf. Wis 14:3 and verse 5.

Wisdom 10:5. When the nations were in agreement in wickedness, she found the righteous man and kept him blameless before God, and kept him strong in his pity for his son. 5. Example of Abraham. The writer’s thought is as follows: difficult as it was to find a righteous man amid universal corruption, wisdom found him in the person of Abraham, and not only found him, but also “kept him blameless before God.” The book of Genesis tells us nothing of the universal corruption of peoples in the time of Abraham; but from the fact of the universal dominion of idolatry at that time (Josh 24:2), the writer could have concluded that there was universal moral licentiousness as a natural consequence (cf. Wis 14:21-31). “…Kept him strong in his pity for his son.” Here, evidently, is an allusion to the account in Chapter XXII of Genesis of Abraham’s testing by the divine command to offer Isaac in sacrifice. Abraham maintained courage (one of the chief virtues of wisdom; see Wis 8:7) in this trial, not succumbing to the natural feeling of pity for his son.

Wisdom 10:6. When the godless were destroyed, she saved the righteous man who fled from the fire that came down on the five cities, Wisdom 10:7. From which, as evidence of their wickedness, there remained a smoking waste land, and plants bearing fruit out of season, and as a monument to an unbelieving soul – a standing pillar of salt. Wisdom 10:8. For in their regard for wisdom, they not only failed to recognize what is good, but also left for those living in their place a memorial of their folly, so that the things they committed could not pass unnoticed. 6–8. The salvation of Lot by wisdom. A terrible example of punishment for godlessness of the inhabitants of the Pentapolis. See Gen 19 chapter, cf. 2 Pet 2:7. “…Escaped the fire that came down on the five cities.” Concerning the ruin of Sodom and Gomorrah, see the explanatory note to verses 24–25 of Chapter XIX of Genesis. (The Explanatory Bible, vol. 1, p. 124). The cities composing the Pentapolis are listed in verse 2 of Chapter XIV of Genesis, namely: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim, and Zoar. The writer of the Book of Wisdom speaks here not precisely of the ruin of “five cities,” since according to the book of Genesis, Chapter XIX, and Deut 29:23, only the first four cities perished, while Zoar remained whole. (See Isa 15:5; Jer 48:34). “…There remained a smoking waste land as evidence of their wickedness…” The state of the Vale of Siddim after the Sodomite catastrophe is spoken of. The writer says nothing of the salt sea, which, according to the commonly accepted opinion (Gen 14:3), is the result of the subsidence of the soil that followed, inundating the Vale of Siddim; according to his testimony, in the place of the five destroyed cities there remained a smoking waste. This testimony of the Book of Wisdom of Solomon is in agreement with verse 28 of Chapter XIX of Genesis, telling what Abraham saw when he looked toward the place of the catastrophe; ancient writers also agree with the Book of Wisdom of Solomon (for example, Philo. De vita Mos. II, p. 143. De Abraham, p. 21). According to their opinion, the Vale of Siddim presented a smoking waste because of the volcanic nature and bituminous-sulfurous composition of the soil. “…And plants bearing fruit out of season…” It is supposed that the discourse is about the fact that in the Vale of Siddim, because of the volcanic state of the soil, fruits ripened earlier than at the usual time; moreover, they did not have time to develop fully and dried up from the intense heat. It is possible that the writer is speaking here of the so-called Sodomite apple, which, according to common belief, had a beautiful, ruddy appearance, but when crushed, scattered into black dust. Of this fruit ancient writers speak (Joseph. Fl. Jewish War, IV, p. 300; Tacitus. History: V:7). “…A monument to an unbelieving soul – a standing pillar of salt.” By these words, undoubtedly, reference is made to the account in Genesis of Lot’s wife (Gen 19:26). There is no doubt that the writers of Genesis, as well as of the Book of Wisdom of Solomon, in relating this event, regard it as a miracle; therefore, all natural explanations of this event, of which there are many, do not accord with the character of the tradition. The fate of the cities of the Pentapolis in Holy Scripture remained a frequently used image of complete ruin and terrible punishment: Deut 29:23; Isa 1:9; Jer 49:18; Ezek 16:49-50; Hos 11:8; Matt 10:15; Rom 9:29; 2 Pet 2:6. 8. The cause of the ruin of the inhabitants of the five cities is indicated as being their contempt for wisdom, their failure to know what is good. In this case, the writer identifies wisdom with virtue and piety. The turning away from pious life he calls foolishness. A monument to this foolishness of the inhabitants of the Pentapolis to the instruction of subsequent generations was the sad state of the Vale of Siddim. Thus, terrible calamities have a blessed providential purpose.

Wisdom 10:9. But wisdom saved from troubles those who served her. 9. In this verse the writer makes a transition to the following examples in the form of a contrast.

Wisdom 10:10. When a righteous man fled from the anger of his brother, wisdom guided him on straight paths, showed him the kingdom of God, and gave him knowledge of holy things; she helped him in hardships and made his labors abundant. Wisdom 10:11. When those acting from greed oppressed him, she stood by him and made him rich, 10–11. Example of Jacob – “A righteous man who fled from the anger of his brother…” is an allusion to Jacob’s flight from Esau into Mesopotamia (Gen 27:43). “…Showed him the kingdom of God.” These words refer to Jacob’s vision of the mystical ladder (Gen 28:12-13). “The kingdom of God” is the angelic world. “…Gave him knowledge of holy things…,” that is, of angels (cf. Wis 5:5), or of the supersensible world in general (Wis 9:10; Prov 30:3); “…Helped him in hardships and made his labors abundant.” The hardships are those which Jacob endured from Laban and which he himself complained about (Gen 31:39-42). Laban was unjust to him, repeatedly changing the terms of payment for his labor (“from greed oppressed him”) and, despite all this, against Laban’s wishes, Jacob became rich with him (Gen 30:43). In this Jacob saw the work of God (Gen 31:9-12); the writer of our book calls this the work of wisdom: “…she stood by him and made him rich” (Jacob) (cf. verse Wis 7:11).

Wisdom 10:12. She preserved him from his enemies and kept him safe from those laying snares, and in the hard struggle she gave him victory, so that he might learn that piety is stronger than all things. 12. The first half of this verse can equally be referred both to Laban’s persecution of Jacob (Gen 31:23) and to his fear of Esau’s attack upon his return to Canaan (Gen 32:7-8); “…In the hard struggle she gave him victory…” The words refer to Jacob’s wrestling with God (Gen 32:24; Hos 12:3-4). The writer of the Book of Wisdom understands this biblical account as a symbol that “piety is stronger than all things,” that nothing is frightening to one who trusts in God. A thought corresponding to verse 28 of Chapter XXXII of Genesis.

Wisdom 10:13. She did not abandon the righteous man who was sold, but rescued him from sin: Wisdom 10:14. She descended with him into the pit and did not abandon him in bonds; then she brought him the scepter of a kingdom and authority over those who oppressed him, showed those who had accused him to be liars, and gave him eternal glory. 13–14. Example of Joseph, “the righteous man who was sold” (Gen 37:25-28), whom wisdom “rescued from sin,” meaning slander by the wife of Potiphar (Gen 39:7-12). “She descended with him into the pit and did not abandon him in bonds…” God saved Joseph both from the dry pit into which his brothers threw him to starve (Gen 37:22) and from the Egyptian prison (Gen 39:20-21); “brought him the scepter of a kingdom…” – cf. Gen 41:39-40. “…Showed those who had accused him to be liars…” – meaning the slander of Potiphar’s wife (Gen 39:14-18); “Gave him eternal glory…” – an immortal memory in posterity (cf. Wis 4:1).

Wisdom 10:15. She freed the holy people and a blameless race from a nation that oppressed them, 15–21. In this section, the participation of divine Wisdom in the liberation of the Israeli people from Egyptian slavery is discussed. 15. The designation of the Hebrew people as a “holy people” and “blameless race” does not correspond to their actual condition at the time of the exodus from Egypt (Ezek 20:8). Inconstancy in religion, inclination toward idolatry, lack of courage, and murmuring more accurately characterize the Hebrews at the moment of the exodus. The writer of the Book of Wisdom considers not this historical side, but the ideal one, what the Hebrew people should be, what is their calling (Exod 19:5-6; Deut 26:18-19). The calling of the Hebrews is to be a holy people; for this reason alone they deserve the merciful care of divine Wisdom.

Wisdom 10:16. She entered the soul of a servant of the Lord and stood against mighty kings with wonders and signs. 16. (Wisdom) “entered the soul of a servant of the Lord…” The discourse concerns Moses, who is called by this name also in the epistle to Heb 3:5. By entering the soul of Moses, Wisdom accomplishes one of its tasks: “passing from generation to generation, into holy souls, to make friends of God and prophets” (Wis 7:27). “…Stood against mighty kings with wonders and signs.” The discourse concerns the Egyptian plagues by which wisdom freed the Hebrews from slavery (Exod 7:10-12:29-30). About wisdom as a wonder-working power, terrifying tyrants, the writer spoke above (Wis 8:8).

Wisdom 10:17. She rewarded the holy ones for their labors, guided them by a wondrous way; she became a shelter for them by day and a star shining through the night. 17. “She rewarded the holy ones for their labors.” Undoubtedly, the writer is referring here to the detail in the departure of the Hebrews from Egypt spoken of in the book Exod 3:22. The scattered Egyptians gave the departing Hebrews precious vessels, clothing, and the Hebrews “despoiled the Egyptians”; but in despoiling the Egyptians, they received only compensation for their long unpaid labor for them; therefore, the writer sees the work of wisdom in this event. “…By day she became a shelter for them, and by night a star shining through.” An allusion to the cloud and fire pillar that led the Hebrews in the wilderness. The pillar “served as a shelter,” that is, protection from the burning sun (see Wis 18:3).

Wisdom 10:18. She led them across the Red Sea and brought them through great waters, 18. Cf. Wis 19:7; Exod 14:21-25.

Wisdom 10:19. But their enemies she drowned and cast them up from the depths of the abyss. 19. See Exod 14:26-30.

Wisdom 10:20. Therefore the righteous plundered the ungodly; they sang hymns, O Lord, to your holy name, and praised with one accord your hand that fought for them; 20. “…The righteous plundered the ungodly.” A detail not indicated in the book of Exodus, but very natural: the corpses of the drowned Egyptians were cast ashore, and the Hebrews took their weapons; “…sang hymns to your holy name, O Lord…” Meaning the song of thanksgiving which the Hebrews sang after crossing the Red Sea (Exod 15).

Wisdom 10:21. For wisdom opened the mouths of the mute and made the tongues of infants speak clearly. 21. Verse “…Wisdom opened the mouths of the mute and made the tongues of infants speak clearly.” In these words some see an allusion to Moses, who was slow of speech (Exod 4:10), and yet, together with the people, praised God, and was, according to the writer’s thought, the composer of the sung hymn of praise (Exod 15). The plural is used here, as also in verse 16, to emphasize the thought.

Chapter Eleven

1–17. Contrasting fates of the Israelites and Egyptians revealed in the events of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery. 18–23. Concerning God’s punishments and 24–27. God’s love.

Wisdom 11:1. She ordered their deeds through the hand of a holy prophet: 1–4. In the first four verses of chapter XI, there is discussion of the guidance of Divine Wisdom over the Israelites during their wandering in the wilderness. Through the help of Divine Wisdom the Hebrews traveled safely through the uninhabited wilderness (verse 2), successfully repelled enemy attacks (verse 3), and in waterless places miraculously received water from a rock (verse 4). Wisdom, ordering the affairs of the Hebrew people in this manner, acted not directly, but “through the hand of a holy prophet,” that is, Moses, who indeed served as the mediator between God and the Israelite people (Exod 19:20-21). Moses is called a “holy prophet” to emphasize his excellence above other Old Testament prophets (Deut 18:15).

Wisdom 11:2. They journeyed through an uninhabited wilderness, and in impassable places pitched their tents; Verse 2. The expressions “uninhabited wilderness” and “impassable places” are, of course, hyperbolic. “In impassable places pitched their tents” – this refers to the various encampments of the Israelites in the wilderness (Num 33 chapter). The memory of life in tents in the wilderness, full of various dangers and deprivations, was always sacred to the Hebrews, for in all their afflictions in the wilderness they received visible help from God. To preserve the memory of this time for future generations, the Feast of Booths was established (Lev 23:39-42).

Wisdom 11:3. They opposed their enemies and avenged themselves on their foes; Verse 3. The words “opposed their enemies and avenged themselves on their foes” refer to struggles with the Amalekites (Exod 17:8-13), with Arad, king of the Canaanites (Num 21:1-3), with the Moabites (Num 25:17), Midianites (Num 31:2), with Sihon, king of the Amorites (Num 21:21-29; Deut 2:32), and Og, king of Bashan (Num 21:33-35; Deut 3:1-4).

Wisdom 11:4. They were tormented by thirst and called out to You, and water was given to them from a rocky cliff and satisfaction of their thirst from hard stone. Verse 4. “Tormented by thirst and called out to You, and water was given to them from a rocky cliff…” Compare Exod 17:1-7; Num 20:2-11; Deut 8:15; Ps 77:15-16. The author here (as in verse 15 of chapter X) represents events in a more favorable light: according to him, the Hebrews tormented by thirst turned to God for help (“called out to You”) and received water; whereas the passages from the Pentateuch cited above speak of the demoralized murmuring of the Hebrews in this instance against Moses and God.

Wisdom 11:5. For by the same things by which their enemies were punished, Verses 5–16. Comparison of the completely opposite fates of the Israelites and Egyptians in those ancient times.

Wisdom 11:6. they themselves, in their struggle, were blessed: Verses 5–6. The proposition: “by the same things by which their enemies were punished, they themselves, in their struggle, were blessed,” is explained not only by the example of verses 7–8; but is the main theme of the entire section from chapters XVI–XIX, where to substantiate this proposition numerous facts from the lives of both peoples are cited. Thus, verses 5–6 contain a general proposition, a principle established by the author regarding the events of the epoch he describes. The meaning of these verses is therefore not exhausted by the example given later, which is partly indicated by the expression “in their struggle” – broader than it would be if the author had in mind only the need for water, which is discussed further.

Wisdom 11:7. instead of a constantly flowing river, they saw a river darkened with blood in abomination of the decree for killing children, Wisdom 11:8. to refute their decree to kill children, You unexpectedly gave them abundant water, Verses 7–8 contain an example that confirms the proposition stated in the two preceding verses. Water served completely opposite purposes: the Egyptians were punished through the water of “a constantly flowing river,” that is, the Nile, “darkened with blood,” turned to blood by Moses, so that they had no drinking water (Exod 7:19-24); the Israelites, on the contrary, were strengthened by water that was drawn from a rock to quench their thirst (see verse 4) (Exod 17, Num 20). Thus the Egyptians were punished “to refute their decree to kill children” (Exod 1:16), that is, for their cruel decree to slay the Hebrew infants. The Egyptians wished to shed innocent blood and for this they were punished also through blood; thus, according to the author’s understanding, the form of punishment stands in close connection with the crime. Here he presents the first example that “by the same thing by which one sins, by that one is also punished” (verse 17).

Wisdom 11:9. showing them at that time through thirst how You punished their adversaries. Verses 9–11. In comparing the opposite fates of the Egyptians and Israelites, the author frequently (Wis 16:5-15) expresses the thought that God, although He also sends sufferings to the Hebrews, does so, first, to a lesser degree, second, for their good purposes, rather than in punishment. The same thought is here. Although the Israelites experienced thirst, it was only so they might know how their enemies suffered from thirst and at the same time feel the paternal care of God for themselves. Verse 9. Compare Wis 16:4 verse.

Wisdom 11:10. For when they were tested, undergoing merciful discipline in the meantime, they learned how the ungodly were tormented, being judged in anger; Wisdom 11:11. because You tested them as a father, instructing them, while You condemned those as a stern king, judging them and tormenting them. Verses 10–11. The punishments of the Egyptians were at the same time judgment upon them: “as a stern king, God condemned them, tormenting them.” The punishments of the Hebrews were for them “merciful discipline.” God “tested them as a father, instructing them.” In the Old Testament God is called father not in the full sense in which this name is applied to Him in the New Testament. In the Old Testament God is called father only of the Israelite people and by this name are defined the more external relations of God to the Hebrew people, as the originator of their independent political life. (Deut 32:5; Ps 102:13; Isa 63:16; Jer 3:4); in the New Testament He is the father of all people and by this name are defined the internal, moral relations of God to them.

Wisdom 11:12. And those who were absent and those who were present suffered alike: Verse 12. The description of the fate of the Egyptians continues. “Those who were absent” are those who pursued the Israelites and perished in the Red Sea; “those who were present,” on the contrary, are those who at home experienced the terrible “plagues” with all their consequences. “Alike” should be related not to the verb “suffered,” since the punishments for the Egyptian warriors who pursued the Hebrews and for the other Egyptians were different, but to the phrase “those who were present” standing above; the thought is thus: those who were absent, just as much as those who were present, suffered.

Wisdom 11:13. Their anguish was redoubled and a groaning from the memory of what had occurred. Verse 13. The speech concerns the punishment of “those who were present”: “their anguish was redoubled,” besides the sufferings they endured – the plagues – they were tormented also by heavy “memories of what had occurred”: the loss of their best troops in the sea, the prosperity of their enemies, and so forth.

Wisdom 11:14. For when they heard that the things which punished them benefited them instead, they recognized the Lord. Verse 14. It is supposed that the words of verse 14 most directly refer to the drowning of the Egyptians in the Red Sea, as a result of which came the complete liberation of the Israelites. However, against such an interpretation speaks the close connection of verse 14 with the following verse 15 (in the Greek text they are connected by the particle γάρ), which provides a specific example of the blessing of the Hebrews through the punishment of the Egyptians and points at the same time to the thirst experienced by the Egyptians, which led them to recognition and wonder at Moses, the messenger of God. From this it is more correct to explain verse 14 by comparison with verses 5–8. “Recognized the Lord,” that is, saw in this event the work of God.

Wisdom 11:15. Him whom they had formerly rejected with contempt and derided, in the outcome of events they marveled at, having undergone thirst unlike the righteous. Verse 15. “Him whom they had formerly rejected with contempt and derided…” The reference is to Moses, who here, as in other places in the book, is not named (Wis 10:16). The basis for the author’s words could have been the fact of Moses’ persecution after he killed an Egyptian, and then the disdainful treatment of Moses by the Egyptian authorities at the beginning of his appearance (Exod 2 and chapter VII). “In the outcome of events they marveled…” The expression “in the outcome of events” probably means the successive “plagues” of Egypt, which were the most important events in the history of the liberation of the Hebrews and eventually led the Egyptians to recognition of Moses’ authority (Exod 11:3). In the account of verses 14 and 15 there are certain peculiarities compared with the narrative in the same place in the Book of Exodus. That Pharaoh and the Egyptians in the plagues saw the work of God (“recognized the Lord”) and began to realize their wrongdoing, this is stated in the Book of Exodus (Exod 8:19), but nothing is said there to indicate that the Egyptians learned of the miraculous watering of the Israelites in the wilderness and drew the corresponding moral lesson from it. The turning of water into blood, which caused the thirst of the Egyptians, is placed by the author of the Book of Wisdom not at the beginning, but “in the outcome of events,” which led the Israelites to liberation.

Wisdom 11:16. But in retribution for their unrighteous prejudices, by which they served irrational reptiles and contemptible beasts, You sent a multitude of irrational animals upon them, Wisdom 11:17. so that they would learn that by what things one sins, by those one is also punished. Verses 16–17. Chronologically the author returns somewhat backward, relating the events recounted by Moses in chapter VIII, verse 16 onward and chapter X, verse 12 onward of the Book of Exodus. He connects the punishment of the Egyptians by means of serpents and insects with their religious delusions: the worship of animals. “They in their delusion served irrational reptiles and contemptible beasts.” The author probably refers to frogs, serpents, and crocodiles, which were deified in Egypt. “For their unrighteous prejudices… You sent a multitude of irrational animals upon them.” Further in Wis 16:9 it is specifically mentioned the punishment through locusts, flies, and serpents. The purpose of punishing the Egyptians through those very animals which they deified is that “they would learn that by what things one sins, by those one is also punished” (verse 17).

Wisdom 11:18. For it was not difficult for Your almighty hand, which created the world from formless matter, to send upon them a multitude of bears or fierce lions, From verse 18 onward and throughout chapter XII, verse 1, the author develops a discussion concerning divine merciful judgment over sinful people. In the nearest section from verse 18 to XII:1, there is discussion of its essence. The mercy of Divine judgment flows from Divine omnipotence (verses 17–23), Divine Wisdom (verse 21), and love (verses 24–27).

Wisdom 11:19. or unknown newly-created fierce beasts, or breathing fire, or emitting billows of smoke, or flashing terrible sparks from their eyes, Wisdom 11:20. which could have destroyed them not only by their destructive power, but also by their terrifying appearance. Verses 18–20. God could, by His omnipotence, have punished the Egyptians in some other miraculous manner. In the choice of means of punishment, nothing could constrain Him, Who displayed His omnipotence in the creation of the world. “For it was not difficult for Your almighty hand, which created the world from formless matter…” The concept of “formless matter” (ύλη άμορφος), from which “the almighty hand of God created the world,” is taken by the author of the Book of Wisdom from Platonic philosophy. The word ύλη signifies, first of all, raw material from which a building is constructed, then the substance of the world, the primary matter of things as opposed to their form. Plato himself, however, did not yet use the word ύλη in precisely that sense, but in later expositions beginning with Aristotle of Platonic theory, the word ύλη came to be constantly used to denote the Platonic concept of the substance of the world as something opposed to Being. In this sense the word ύλη passed into Alexandrian philosophy and from there, we may suppose, was borrowed by the author of our book. Confirmation of this is the predicate άμορφος applied to the noun ύλη – also a philosophical term, which defined in the view of the Platonists the nature of the material principle of the world. However, using this Platonic expression: “from formless matter,” did the author of the Book of Wisdom unite with it also the Platonic concept of formless matter as something eternally existing in itself, completely undefined and only capable of receiving all possible determinations, or did he unite with this expression the purely biblical understanding of the initial state of the substance of the world created by God, “formless and unordered” (Gen 1:2)? It is difficult to decide this question with precision. The author nowhere speaks of the creation of the world from nothing; the creative power of God’s Wisdom is presented by him as the artist of all – ή τεχνίτις πάντων (Wis 7:21); evidently, the idea of creation from nothing does not come to the fore in the author and perhaps was not deeply developed in his mind. On the other hand, in some places in the book about the origin of the world from God he speaks in purely biblical language (Wis 1:14), the idea of the absolute unlimited personality of God appears throughout the book with full force and purity (Wis 11:22-23): the beginning of evil in the world he places not in the material foundation of the world, not in the properties of the original matter, but evil entered the world through the envy of the fallen spirit of the devil (Wis 2:24). All these propositions do not harmonize with the Platonic concept of the “formless matter” of the world, therefore it is more probable that in the passage under consideration the author intended to express a purely religious understanding of God as the almighty Creator of the world, to whom all things are possible, but expressed this understanding not precisely in terms corresponding to it, of the widespread philosophical doctrine of his time.

Wisdom 11:21. Yes, even without these things they could have been destroyed by a single breath, pursued by justice and scattered by Your mighty spirit; but You have arranged everything by measure, number, and weight. Verse 21. The first half of the verse intensifies the thought of the three preceding verses. For the punishment of the Egyptians God did not even need any instrument: “they could have been destroyed… scattered by Your mighty spirit,” that is, through the action of Divine omnipotence. The crushing power of Divine omnipotence is presented by the author in the image of a storm, a whirlwind, hence the expressions “breath” and “spirit.” “…But You have arranged everything by measure, number, and weight.” Scales and measure are customary images for denoting the most precise distribution and proportionality, especially in the arrangement of the universe, as well as images of Divine justice (Job 31:6; Ezek 28:17; Dan 5:27). The thought in connection with the context is thus: although the avenging power of Divine judgment and retribution, in virtue of His omnipotence, can be expressed in all things freely, it is nevertheless guided and determined by Wisdom.

Wisdom 11:22. For great power is always at Your command, and who can oppose the strength of Your arm? Wisdom 11:23. The whole world before You is as the tiniest thing on a balance scale, or like a drop of morning dew falling to the earth. Verses 22–23 reveal the thought of divine omnipotence. In comparison with this omnipotence the entire universe appears insignificant: “The whole world before You is as the tiniest thing on a balance scale,” that is, such an insignificant quantity as that which tips the scales, disturbs the equilibrium of a balance scale; “or like a drop of morning dew falling to the earth”: a frequently used biblical image for all that is transitory and impermanent. (Hos 6:4). In relation to the preceding thought about possible means of Divine punishment (verses 17–21), the thought expressed concerning divine omnipotence serves as the basis (“for”).

Wisdom 11:24. You love all things that are, and hate none of the things You have made, for You would not have made anything if You hated it. Verses 24–27. These verses speak of divine mercy and love. These Divine attributes are the second – after Wisdom – force determining the measure of Divine punishment of sinners. As Divine Wisdom distributes punishments “by measure, number, and weight” (verse 21) and “by what things one sins, by those one is also punished” (verse 17), so Divine love “loves all things,” “forgives the sins of people,” “spares all things” (verses 24, 27). The basis of this merciful love of God is Divine omnipotence: “You love all things that are, because You are capable of all things.” How the author understands the connection between these Divine attributes is difficult to say definitively; perhaps thus, as in the Book of Job: Divine greatness is so excessive that human misdeeds cannot in any way offend it; people with all their sins are too insignificant for God to direct His omnipotence in punishment of them: “if I have sinned, what do I do to You, O Watcher of mankind… Why would You not forgive my sin…?” (Job 7:20-21). “…And You forgive the sins of people for the sake of repentance.” Concerning forgiveness of sins in the Old Testament it is also stated: Exod 34:7; Isa 1:18; Mic 7:18; Ps 24:7; Sir 2:11.

Wisdom 11:25. For You love all that exists, and despise nothing of what You have made, for You would not have made anything if You hated it. Verse 25. The all-encompassing love of God (“For You love all that exists”) is indicated by the very fact of the creation of the world. Love was the driving principle in God’s creative activity: God “would not have made anything if He hated it.” This thought was one of the fundamental positions of Platonic philosophy. (Plato, Tim. p. 29).

Wisdom 11:26. And how could anything have remained, if You had not willed it? Or how could what You did not call into being be preserved? Verse 26. Divine love, calling all into being through creative will and word (“called into being by You”), is also necessary for the continuation and preservation of this being. Compare Wis 1:14 verse.

Wisdom 11:27. But You spare all, for all are Yours, O Lover of souls. Verse 27. God loves all that exists because all is created by Him and all is His. He is the source of every living soul: “O Lover of souls.” Compare Wis 1:13 verse.

Chapter Twelve

1–2. The purpose of God’s merciful punishment of people is repentance and correction. 3–11. Example of the ancient Canaanites. 11–14. The mercy of Divine judgment does not flow from fear of anyone, 15–18. but has its foundation in the omnipotence of God. 19–20. What the fate of the Canaanites teaches the Israelites. 23–28. The punishment of the Egyptians.

Wisdom 12:1. Your immortal Spirit is in all things. Verse 1 concludes the thought of the preceding chapter that all that exists preserves its being through the love and will of God. “Your immortal Spirit dwells in all things,” pervades all that exists (compare Wis 1:7) and is in all the animating and sustaining principle.

Wisdom 12:2. Therefore You gradually rebuke those who go astray, reminding them of their sins so that, abandoning their wickedness, they might believe in You, Lord. Verse 2. The thought of verse 2 is a conclusion from the preceding. If God loves all that exists (Wis 11:24-12:1 verse), then He relates with the same love also to people, even those “who go astray.” He “gradually rebuke” them, with careful moderation, and He punishes them so that the very punishments remind them of their sins. (Compare Wis 11:16-17). The purpose of such punishment is to make them repent: “so that, abandoning their wickedness, they might believe in You, Lord.” Some commentators, on the basis of comparing verse 2 with verses 10–11 of chapter XI, relate it to the Hebrews, but the connection with the preceding (XI:24-XII:1) speaks to the fact that here the speech concerns God’s relation to people in general and perhaps, in the first place, the author intended the “going astray” pagans, since later he provides the example of the punishment of the Canaanites.

Wisdom 12:3. Thus, despising the ancient inhabitants of Your holy land, Verses 3–11. To confirm the thought expressed in verse 2, that God’s sent punishments have as their goal first of all the instruction and correction of the “going astray,” the author in this section (verses 3–11) presents the example of the Canaanites, calling them “the ancient inhabitants of Your holy land” (God’s land). By “holy land” is undoubtedly meant Palestine, called thus as the place of the center of true worship of God: for this reason later it is called “most precious in all things to God” (verse 7). The expression “despising the ancient inhabitants” does not contradict verse 25 of chapter XI: You “despise nothing.” From verses 8 and 10 it is evident that God did not despise the Canaanites as people; therefore this expression means only “abhorrence” of God toward the corruptions of religious feeling among the Canaanites, about which there is discussion further.

Wisdom 12:4. who were committing abominable deeds of sorcery and ungodly sacrifices, Wisdom 12:5. and merciless murderers of children, and those who at sacrificial feasts devoured the entrails of human flesh and blood in secret gatherings, Wisdom 12:6. and parents who murdered defenseless souls – You desired to destroy them by the hands of our ancestors, Verses 4–6. The author indicates the cause of Divine wrath and the punishments that fell upon the Canaanites not in immoral acts, but in superstitions and corruptions of religious feeling. Under “deeds of sorcery” is understood various superstitious rites connected with pagan idolatry: witchcraft, necromancy, against which Moses repeatedly warned the Hebrews before their entry into Canaan. (Exod 22:18; Deut 18:9-14). According to the author’s understanding, these superstitions are so dangerous because they are the cause of unbelief (see Wis 18:13). After superstitions, the author dwells at length on human sacrifice. Most often children were sacrificed, sometimes even by their own parents; for this the author calls the Canaanites “merciless slayers of children” and speaks of “parents who murdered defenseless souls.” There is evidence of human sacrifice among the Canaanites in other places of Holy Scripture: Lev 18:21; Deut 12:31; Ps 105:37-38; Ezek 16:20. Ancient historians testify to them as well: Diodorus Siculus XX, 14, Plutarch De superst. c. 12, Lactantius I, 21, Eusebius Praep. evang. 4, 16. One detail only, which the author mentions, is not attested by history, namely, that the Canaanites “in secret feasts devoured the flesh and blood of humans.” It is possible that such an accusation was leveled against them by later Jewish tradition, guided by national hostility toward pagans. The author of our book, not verifying, took this tradition in order to strengthen his thought about the unnaturalness of human sacrifice.

Wisdom 12:7. so that the land, most precious to You of all, might receive a worthy population of God’s children. Verse 7. Through their grave sins the Canaanites defiled the land on which they lived, which was “holy” and “most precious to God.” God’s land was to receive “a worthy population of God’s children.” In this lies the reason why God “desired to destroy them by the hands of our ancestors” of the Hebrew people.

Wisdom 12:8. Yet even toward these You showed clemency, sending wasps as scouts before Your army, so that they might gradually annihilate them. Verse 8. The mercy of God in punishing the Canaanites was manifest in the fact that God punished them “gradually,” “giving place for repentance” (verse 10). For this purpose, before “His army,” that is, the Israelite people, led by the Ark of the Covenant, He sent hornets. Gradual destruction of the inhabitants of Canaan is spoken of also in the books of Moses (Exod 23:30), but there a different purpose is indicated for this compared with our passage (see also verse 19), namely: so that the land would not become desolate and uninhabitable. Speaking of hornets, the author likely had in mind Exod 23:28; Deut 7:20; Josh 24:12.

Wisdom 12:9. Yet it was not impossible for Your hand, though almighty, to overcome the ungodly by war with the righteous, or to destroy them by fearful beasts, or by one stern word at once; Verse 9. Compare Wis 11:18-21 verse.

Wisdom 12:10. but slowly punishing them You gave them an opportunity for repentance, though knowing that their race was wicked and their malice was inborn and their disposition would never change. Verse 10. By emphasizing the thought of God’s forbearance, the author says that God gave the Canaanites the opportunity and motivation for repentance although He foresaw their impenitence. “…Their race was wicked…” is meant either the origin in general from ungodly ancestors, or the origin of the Canaanites from Canaan, the grandson of Noah (Gen 10:15-16). Through the natural transmission of sinful inclinations and owing to the evil influence of example, wrongdoing took root in the Canaanites, with it they were already born: “their malice was inborn.” This explains their impenitence: “their disposition would never change.”

Wisdom 12:11. For their seed was accursed from the beginning, and without fear of anyone did You permit their sins to go unpunished. Verse 11. “…Their seed was accursed from the beginning…” The author likely refers here to the curse which Noah uttered against Canaan and his descendants. (Gen 9:25). Thus, the Hebrews, in exterminating and enslaving the Canaanites, were fulfilling the divine predestination concerning them, revealed to people in the most ancient times. Such slowness of Divine judgment over the Canaanites and the continuing “lack of punishment of their sins” cannot in any way be explained by the fact that God permitted this “out of fear of anyone,” for God depends on no one and is limited by nothing. The author expounds this thought in detail from the second half of verse 11 to verse 18.

Wisdom 12:12. For who will say, “What have You done?” or who will stand against Your judgment? Who will accuse You of destroying nations that You created? Or what defender will come before You with a plea for unjust people? Verse 12. God has no need to appear merciful before anyone; immediately, in one instant, He can manifest His avenging hand and no one will withstand His judgment even with a simple question: “What have You done?”, for He is the Creator of the nations He destroys. The thought about the unlimited power of God over all creation is expressed in this passage in the form of a series of questions, as in other places of Holy Scripture: Wis 11:22; Isa 45:9; Dan 4:32; Job 9:12; Rom 9:20.

Wisdom 12:13. For besides You there is no other God who has care for all, to whom You might have to prove that You judged unjustly. Wisdom 12:14. No king or ruler can stand before You in behalf of those whom You have condemned. Verses 13–14. The thought expressed in verse 12, that God is not answerable to anyone, is defined more closely in verses 13 and 14. The irresponsibility of Divine judgment is founded on His infinite love for all creation. Therefore, only a being similar to Him, with all-encompassing love, could judge God’s actions toward creation, yet “besides You there is no other God who has care for all, to whom You might have to prove that You judged unjustly.” Still more, from among men, no matter what high position they hold, anyone would dare to withstand Your judgment, even in the form of “intercession” (verse 12) “on behalf of those whom You have condemned” (verse 14).

Wisdom 12:15. For You are righteous, and You govern all things righteously, deeming it inappropriate to Your power to condemn one who does not deserve punishment. Wisdom 12:16. For Your strength is the origin of righteousness, and Your dominion over all makes You spare all. Verses 15–16. The thought expressed above about the absolute unlimitedness and irresponsibility of the power of God in its action in the human world might give rise in the reader to the fear that the avenging hand of God might strike down those who are completely innocent. To prevent this concern, the author in verses 15–16 speaks of Divine justice and Divine mercy, which are grounded precisely in the unlimited power of God. People most often commit injustice toward others out of fear of them and awareness of their own weakness; the almighty power of God can have no such motive, and therefore to it “it is inappropriate to condemn one who does not deserve punishment.” For almighty power there can be only one motive for action in the human world – the moral dignity of man, his good, his salvation. From this it is clear why “Your strength is the origin of righteousness,” (compare Wis 11:24) and that very fact that You govern all things makes You spare all.

Wisdom 12:17. You manifest Your strength to those who do not believe in Your omnipotence, and You reprove the boldness of those who do not acknowledge You; Wisdom 12:18. but, possessing power, You judge with compassion and govern us with great mercy, for Your power is ever at Your disposal. Verses 17–18. God shows His power only in specific cases, namely where there is doubt in His omnipotence or impudent unbelief. But even in this case He “judges with compassion.” He is long-suffering, “for Your power is ever at Your disposal,” He has no need to hurry with punishment.

Wisdom 12:19. But by these very deeds You taught Your people that the righteous must be humane, and You gave Your sons good hope, that You grant repentance for sins. Wisdom 12:20. For if You punished with such compassion and mercy even the enemies of Your sons who are deserving of death, giving them time and opportunity to free themselves from wickedness, Wisdom 12:21. with what care did You judge Your own sons, to whom You gave oaths and covenants of good promises! Wisdom 12:22. So while instructing us, You punish our enemies many times over, so that when we judge, we think of Your goodness, and when we are judged, we expect mercy. Verses 19–22. These verses indicate what purposes God had in relation to the Israelite people in punishing the Canaanites with patience and mercy. By merciful punishment of the Canaanites, God taught the Israelites humaneness: “by these very deeds You taught Your people that the righteous must be humane” (verse 19). Second, by forbearance toward the Canaanites, God gave the Israelites “good hope” for a better future in the misfortunes that befell them, convinced them that these afflictions are not the final Judgment of God, but only “time for repentance for sins.” For if the Canaanites, for their grave sins (verses 4–6), “deserving of death,” God through repeated (“many times over”) merciful punishment gave “opportunity to free themselves from wickedness,” then the Israelites, “to whom You gave oaths and covenants of good promises,” can hope even more for such fatherly judgment. By this passage fathers had such high moral purposes. Under oaths and covenants of good promises are probably understood here the promises given to the patriarchs of the Hebrew people: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and not the covenants of Sinai, because later (Wis 18:22) he says that Aaron “remembered” these oaths and covenants of the fathers. The passage being explained is very characteristic for the author: it shows his effort to find in the events recorded in the Pentateuch and in the Book of Joshua the highest moral purposes, whereas in those canonical books the events are conveyed only from an external factual side.

Wisdom 12:23. Therefore You also punished those impious who lived in folly, afflicting them with their own abominations, Verses 23–28. In this section pseudo-Solomon again returns to the punishment of the ancient Egyptians and indicates in this the highest divine purpose, namely, to lead them to knowledge of the one true God. Verse 23. “Living in folly…” An indication of the foolishness of idolatry, which had a very harmful influence on the moral life of the Egyptians. See Wis 14:23-24. For this they were punished “through their own abominations.” According to biblical usage of this word, by “abominations” are understood here idols. The thought of the verse is the same as Wis 11:16-17 verse.

Wisdom 12:24. because they went far astray in the ways of error, regarding as gods those of the animals which even their enemies held in contempt. Verse 24. More specifically is indicated the foolishness of Egyptian idolatry in that they “regarded as gods those of the animals which even their enemies held in contempt.” The worshipped animals, therefore, were not beautiful and did not make an impression by their strength and size, they were above all disagreeable, and yet were deified. To such delusion, however, the author relates with compassion: the Egyptians were deluded, by his expression, “like senseless children.”

Wisdom 12:25. Therefore, as to senseless children, You sent upon them a punishment that was a mockery. Wisdom 12:26. But, not instructed by that rebuke through mockery, they suffered the judgment they deserved. Verses 25–26. Having called above the delusions of the Egyptians childish, the author says that correspondingly the sent punishments were merely “a mockery” of them. Evidently, he here means the punishment through frogs, flies, and dog-flies (Exod 8:6 verse) and does not give these plagues serious significance compared with the subsequent slaying of the firstborn of the Egyptians and the drowning of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea. Only when the Egyptians “were not instructed by that rebuke through mockery,” they “suffered the judgment they deserved” in the final terrible events at the exodus of the Hebrews.

Wisdom 12:27. For as they suffered themselves what caused them trouble, so they saw the same things torment those whom they regarded as gods and by which they were punished, and they recognized the true God, Whom previously they had denied knowing; Verse 27. The Egyptian plagues led the Egyptians to knowledge of the true God in two ways. First, they saw that the same unpleasantnesses and sufferings that affected them also affected those animals “whom they regarded as gods”; second, the deified animals themselves became for them a source of sufferings. Then “they recognized the true God”; this does not mean that the Egyptians became worshippers of Jehovah just as the Hebrews were, but only that in the accomplished plagues they recognized the work of the God of the Hebrews, “Whom previously they had denied knowing.” The latter expression alludes to Pharaoh’s words: Exod 5:2.

Wisdom 12:28. therefore final condemnation came upon them.

Chapter Thirteen

1–9. Deification of the forces and phenomena of nature. 10–19. Veneration of idols as gods.

The repeated mention of the idolatry of the Canaanites and Egyptians prompted the author to devote careful discussion to this subject. In chapters XIII and XIV he discusses the essence and origin of polytheism and idolatry. In doing so, the author distinguishes separate forms and types of polytheism, not equally unreasonable: 1) deification of the majestic phenomena and mighty forces of nature, naturalistic polytheism; 2) deification of the works of human hands, idolatry in the proper sense; 3) deification of animals – zolatry; 4) ancestor worship. For such a distinction of forms of polytheism and evaluation of them by degree of reasonableness, there is no direct basis in the Old Testament Scripture. It was the work of independent study by the author of the Book of Wisdom himself of pagan religions.

Wisdom 13:1. Foolish by nature are all people in whom there is no knowledge of God, who from the visible good things could not discern the One Who Really Exists, and, considering the works, did not recognize the Craftsman, Verse 1. “Foolish by nature are all people in whom there is no knowledge of God…” The beginning of chapter XIII clearly indicates its close connection with the preceding discussion of the punishment of the Egyptians through their own gods (Wis 12:27). In this was a striking example of how foolish people are without true knowledge of God. The predicate “foolish,” frequently applied in Holy Scripture to idolatry and everything connected with it, conveys the understanding that it is founded on what is trivial and empty and as a result brings deception and destruction (Wis 15:2; 2 Kgs 17:15; Jer 2:5; Acts 14:15; Rom 1:21). The expression “by nature” does not mean that these people by their very spiritual nature were incapable of true knowledge of God, for later the author acknowledges this capacity in them and holds them responsible for their ignorance of God (verses 3–4, 10); “by nature” means by essence, in itself, without regard to anything else, ignorance of the true God makes people trivial. “From the visible good things could not discern the One Who Really Exists…” The visible good things are the most perfect works of God, the most beautiful and majestic phenomena of nature, in contrast to the invisible Deity, which is known through them. The designation of God as “the One Who Really Exists,” ό ών, is used by the author, probably, in the Platonic sense, to express the concept of God as truly existing (όντως όν), in contrast to that which comes into being. On the other hand, the expression “the One Who Really Exists” the author of the Book of Wisdom could have borrowed from biblical language: the Greek translation LXX renders the Hebrew name of God – Jehovah – by this expression.

Wisdom 13:2. and they worshipped as gods those that rule the world – or fire, or wind, or the swift air, or the circle of stars, or the raging water, or the heavenly lights. Verse 2. The chief forces and phenomena of nature which were deified among pagans are enumerated: fire, air, water, heavenly bodies. This enumeration is seen as indicating the teaching of pagans concerning the four elements governing the world (Philo, De decem orac. II, 189). In mythology these governing forces of the world were personified in the images of various deities.

Wisdom 13:3. If, captivated by their beauty, they took them for gods, they ought at least to have understood how much better is their Lord, for the Author of beauty created them. Wisdom 13:4. And if they marveled at their power and activity, they ought to have realized from them how much more powerful is He Who made them; Verses 3–4. It is indicated how people came to deify phenomena of nature. This was prompted either by aesthetic feeling: they “were captivated by their beauty,” or by feelings of fear and dependence – before threatening natural phenomena: “marveled at their power and activity.” However, the charm of nature does not justify the pagans. On the contrary, they “ought to have understood the Author of beauty” and the power of the Creator.

Wisdom 13:5. because from the greatness and beauty of created things, the Creator may, by analogy, be seen. Verse 5. Verse 5 contains the basis for the thought of the preceding verses, that pagans, contemplating nature, “ought to have recognized” God. They stood on the very natural path to knowledge of God: “from the greatness and beauty of created things, the Creator may, by analogy, be seen.” “By analogy,” αναλόγως, that is, by conclusion from the properties of a phenomenon to its cause. In many manuscripts instead of the reading “greatness and beauty” there is “greatness and beauty of created things…” This reading better corresponds to verses 3 and 4, in which these properties of natural phenomena are spoken of separately.

Wisdom 13:6. However, these deserve less censure, for they perhaps go astray while seeking God and wishing to find Him: Wisdom 13:7. for if they had the power to know so much that they could investigate the world, why did they not find its Lord more easily? Verses 6–7. In evaluating naturalistic polytheism, the author places it above other forms of polytheism: its followers “are not so much to be blamed…” The reason for such preference is indicated twofold. First, the author permits that these delusions at their foundation have the seeking of the true God; second, in its results this form of polytheism gave something positive: turning to God’s works, people were convinced that “all that is visible is beautiful.” Dark suspicion was dispersed in them that evil and darkness rule in the world. Thus, the beauty visible in the world has value in itself. And beauty visible in the world, just as truth and goodness, is an essential element: and its ultimate foundation is in God. Therefore, “from the greatness and beauty of created things, the Creator may, by analogy, be seen” (verse 5). This trait of the author’s view of the world, who regards it from the aspect of artistic beauty, points to him as a Hellenistic Jew.

Wisdom 13:8. But still they are not excused: Wisdom 13:9. for if they had enough intelligence to be able to understand the passing world, why did they not find its Lord more readily? Verses 8–9. These contain a limitation to the thought of the two preceding verses. Although followers of naturalistic polytheism “deserve less blame,” nevertheless “they are not excused.” Their mind was developed enough that “they had the power to understand the passing world.” They therefore had full opportunity to conclude from the properties of the universe to the properties of its Creator, “why did they not find its Lord more readily?” The reason, obviously, lies not in the lack of cognitive abilities, but in the moral qualities of people: this is what makes them guilty for ignorance of God.

Wisdom 13:10. But more miserable are those, and their hope in those without a soul, who called the works of human hands gods – gold and silver, the skilled work, or the carved image of some animal, or some useless stone, the work of an ancient hand. Verse 10. From verse 10 onward the author passes to the depiction of the unreasonableness of another form of polytheism – idolatry in the proper sense, the veneration of objects made by human hands. Of course, originally veneration was directed not to the objects themselves, but to what they represented and signified; but later the ignorant masses began to identify the image with the deity itself. It is this form of religious ignorance the author has in mind. About it there is mention also in many other places of Holy Scripture: Deut 4:28; Ps 134:15-18; Isa 40:18-20; Jer 2:28. The unreasonableness of this form of polytheism lies, above all, in the fact that people place their hope “in those without a soul,” έν νεκροις, in dead, inanimate objects. Thus idols are named not in contrast to the true living God, but in contrast to the forces and phenomena of nature mentioned above. There is still life in them, they can bring benefit or harm to man, this could serve as a foundation for their veneration by people, but the venerers of lifeless idols do not even have such grounds, therefore they are “more miserable.” “…Gold and silver…” were not themselves worshipped, but sculptures, idols made of these metals are meant here. “…Some useless stone, the work of an ancient hand…” – are meant stone images and statues, deified because of their great antiquity.

Wisdom 13:11. Or, a carpenter, having cut down a suitable tree, skillfully strips off all the bark, and by his skill creates something useful for his life, Wisdom 13:12. and uses the offcut of his work for fuel and prepares his food and is satisfied; Wisdom 13:13. but one piece of the offcut, not suitable for any use, a crooked and knotty piece of wood, he carefully shaped in his leisure and skillfully carved it with the knowledge of his craft, made it in the form of a man, Wisdom 13:14. or fashioned it like some worthless beast, coating it with red paint and making its surface beautiful, and painting over every defect in it, Wisdom 13:15. and, having made for it a suitable dwelling, set it on the wall, fastening it with iron. Wisdom 13:16. Then, so that his work would not fall, he takes precautions, knowing that it cannot help itself, for it is an idol and needs help. Verses 11–16. The author demonstrates the unreasonableness of idolatry by a vivid depiction of the method of making idols. In this description there is biting irony. Idols are made from pieces of wood fit for nothing, after the valuable material has been used for making useful objects. They make them “at leisure,” when time is not occupied with more useful work. After covering up the defects of the wood with paint, the image is placed in a niche, but they do not forget that it is helpless, can fall and break, and so they reinforce it with iron. A similar depiction we find in the prophet Isaiah (Isa 44:9-20).

Wisdom 13:17. But he prays to it regarding his possessions, his marriage, and his children, and is not ashamed to speak to something without a soul, Wisdom 13:18. and he calls out to what is weak for health, to what is dead for life, to what is powerless for help, to what cannot walk for a journey, Wisdom 13:19. and for gain, for work, and for success of his hands – he begs help from what is completely powerless, what is weak. Verses 17–19. The author depicts all the unreasonableness of praying to an idol, the making of which he has just described. An idol cannot give what it does not have. And yet people “call out to what is weak for health, to what is dead for life… and for power what is powerless,” and do not notice or feel ashamed of this unreasonableness.

Chapter Fourteen

1–7. It is foolish to turn to prayer to idols when the world is ruled by divine providence. 8–11. God’s judgment upon idolatry. 12–20. The origin of idolatry. 21–31. Its corrupting influence on the moral life.

Wisdom 14:1. Moreover, another who is about to sail and traverse fierce waves calls upon wood for help, though that wood is weaker than the ship that carries him; Wisdom 14:2. for the desire for gain devised that, and craftsman made it ingeniously. 1–2. At the end of the preceding chapter the writer spoke of the futility of prayer directed to idols. In the first verses of Chapter 14 he gives yet another example of this. Preparing to sail the sea, “another calls upon wood for help”—that is, he turns with prayer to a wooden idol, which is nothing more than a piece of wood and can offer the sailor less help than the ship upon which he sits: “weaker than the ship that carries him.” The solidity of the ship is guaranteed at least by the fact that, being designed with profit in mind, it was built by a skilled craftsman (verse 2). The expression “craftsman made it ingeniously” from the Greek means “the craftsman made it with wisdom, by means of wisdom” (τεχνίτης σοφία κατεσκ). The thought is that divine Wisdom assists man in the construction of a ship, which does not occur in the making of idols.

Wisdom 14:3. but your Providence, Father, guides the ship, for you have given a path in the sea and a safe course through the waves, Wisdom 14:4. showing that you can save from all things, even if someone sets out to sea without skill. 3–4. In the most important circumstances of life, in which men turned to idols in vain (Wis 13:17-19 verse), only divine providence can help and save. “But your Providence, Father, guides the ship.” Regarding the naming of God as Father see Wis 11:10-11 verse; regarding providence see Wis 6:7 verse. The conjunction “but” indicates the following connection of thought about divine providence with what precedes: though the ship is well conceived and skillfully made (verse 2), the final success of the voyage depends on Providence (verse 3). The second half of verse 3 gives the basis for this thought: “for you have given a path in the sea and a safe course through the waves.” This expression is often understood in a general sense, but the past tense of the verb and the subsequent speech better accord with the interpretation that sees here an indication of the miracle of the passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea. God, complete master of the sea, opens a free path through it even for those who “set out to sea without skill.” “Without skill” (άνευ τέχνης) in correspondence with “skillfully made” in verse 2 means here not the skill of managing a ship but the skill of building ships. The expression is a metonymy: without the art of shipbuilding, that is, without ships. God saved the Hebrews even though they set out to sea as on a dry path, without ships.

Wisdom 14:5. You desire that the works of your wisdom should not be empty; therefore people entrust their life to the smallest wood and are saved, passing over the waves in a boat. 5. The salvation of the Hebrews at the crossing of the sea, which showed the unlimited power of God over this element, was an exceptional event; but ordinarily God saves people when they “entrust their life to the smallest wood”—that is, to a ship—“lest the works of his Wisdom be empty.” Under the works of divine wisdom mentioned here the context of the speech allows us to understand only one thing: ships constructed with the aid of divine Wisdom by human reason. Above, in verse 2, the writer said that “the craftsman made the ship with wisdom.” Developing this thought, the writer in this verse says that God, unwilling for the works accomplished by human reason with the aid of his Wisdom to prove empty, saves people when they entrust their life to a ship, one of such works.

Wisdom 14:6. For even at the beginning, when arrogant giants were being destroyed, the hope of the world, guided by your hand, took refuge in a boat and left to the world a seed of a new generation. 6. Verse 6 points to a particular example for the thought expressed in verse 5, in the saving of Noah. The ark of Noah was, more than any other ship, a work of divine wisdom, inasmuch as it was built according to the direct commandments of God. And so, guided by the hand of divine providence, the hope of the world (a metonymy: those upon whom rested the hope of the world’s salvation, of the continuation of the human race, Noah and his family) takes refuge in a boat and is saved. “…left to the world a seed of a new generation,” that is, progeny for the continuation of the human race. That the writer is surely speaking here of the flood is indicated by the expression “when arrogant giants were being destroyed” (cf. Gen 6:4).

Wisdom 14:7. Blessed is the wood through which righteousness comes! 7. The blessing of verse 7 refers to the ark of Noah, this small wood (Wis 10:4), through which the righteousness of that pious family triumphed. A contrary attitude is merited by another wood, the idol, of which the following verses speak.

Wisdom 14:8. But the idol made with hands is accursed, and so is the one who made it—for he who made it; and the perishable thing is called a god. Wisdom 14:9. For the ungodly and his ungodliness are equally hateful to God; Wisdom 14:10. and the thing made will be punished together with the one who made it. 8–10. Curse falls not only upon the idol (“the idol made with hands is accursed”) but also upon the one who made it, precisely because he made it, because of the very intention to make of wood an object of worship.

Wisdom 14:11. Therefore there will also be judgment upon the pagan idols, for they became an abomination among God’s creation, a snare to the souls of men, and a trap for the feet of the foolish. 11. “Therefore there will also be judgment upon the pagan idols…” These words gave some grounds for supposing that the writer considered the pagan gods to be demons, rational beings, and hence announced punishment for them by divine judgment. But in other places of his book the writer repeatedly calls idols soulless and dead (Wis 13:10). Therefore it is more correct in this place to see only a poetic expression for the thought that idolatry will be condemned and destroyed (cf. verse 14). The idols here are only symbols and representatives of paganism. The reason for the destruction of paganism is indicated further by the writer in the baneful influence of paganism on the moral life of people.

Wisdom 14:12. For the invention of idols is the beginning of sexual immorality, and the devising of them is the corruption of life. 12. In three verses, from 12–14, the writer makes a transition from the preceding section to what follows and speaks generally of the origin of idolatry and its trivial foundation. In verse 12, in particular, he points out the negative significance of idolatry for moral life. “…the invention of idols is the beginning of sexual immorality…” Sexual immorality, πορνεία, is understood by some interpreters here in the sense of violation of faithfulness to God, betrayal of him, apostasy, in which sense this word is often used in Holy Scripture when it speaks of the violation by the Hebrews of their covenant with Jehovah, represented in the image of a marriage covenant. But in the present case we are dealing with pagans who did not stand in such a close covenant with God; secondly, in the preceding verse 11 and in the second half of verse 12 it is clearly spoken of the evil moral influence of idolatry (“snare to the souls,” “corruption of life”); therefore this expression is more correctly understood in the sense of reference to licentiousness and depravity in certain pagan cults.

Wisdom 14:13. They did not exist at the beginning, and they will not exist forever. 13. “They did not exist in the beginning…” The writer clearly expresses the thought that polytheism is not primordial but a later phenomenon in the religious life of mankind. The writer arrived at the thought that original religion was monotheistic not through abstract reflection on the nature of religious need in man, as modern theologians are convinced of it, but through the narrative of Holy Scripture concerning the first people, who knew and revered the one true God. “…and they will not exist forever.” On what foundation the writer bases this hope he reveals in the following verse.

Wisdom 14:14. They entered the world through human emptiness, and therefore a near end is appointed to them. 14. Idolatry cannot be an eternal phenomenon in the religious life because it arose from an empty and trivial motive. Idols “entered the world through human emptiness…” Κενοδοξία hardly means vainglory or ambition in the proper sense, for, unfolding his thought further, the writer speaks of something else, a more noble motive for the arising of idolatry, grief over a beloved deceased. Therefore it is better to translate this word as “empty fancy” or “chimera.”

Wisdom 14:15. A father, tormented by bitter grief for his quickly dead son, made an image of him who had now passed away, and now began to revere him as a god, and handed over to his household the mysterious rites and the sacrifices. 15–20. In these verses the writer points out the twofold origin of the deification of images of people. First, grief over a beloved deceased prompted the making of his image to preserve the memory of him; later it was forgotten that the revered image represented a dead man; divine honors were rendered to it (verses 15–16). Secondly, the subjects made images of their princes, wishing to honor them even in their absence; continuing even after the death of the princes, such veneration passed over into deification (verses 17–20). Thus, in the thought of the writer of the book of Wisdom, idolatry first appeared in the form of deification of people, and the pagan gods were dead men. Such a view of the origin of idolatry is found nowhere else in the books of the Old Testament Scripture. But among ancient Greek writers such a view was expressed repeatedly, especially developed by Euhemerus and for that reason is usually called euhemerism. From this source the writer of our book, presumably, drew his explanation of the origin of idolatry. Christian writers—Justin the Philosopher, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Lactantius, Augustine—widely used this view as a powerful argument against the faith of pagans in their gods. 15. “A father began to revere him (his dead son) as a god, and handed over to his household the mysterious rites and the sacrifices.” The veneration of dead ancestors is one of the most ancient forms of polytheism: it was a characteristic of the patriarchal age. The “father” of whom the writer speaks was actually rather a patriarch; he guided the religious life of his family and its members were “subject” to him. Ancestor veneration was preserved in later times as well: the Roman Lares were the dead ancestors.

Wisdom 14:16. Then, established by time, this impious custom was observed as a law, and by command of rulers the carved image was revered as a divine being. 16. Verse 16 indicates how veneration of dead ancestors was preserved in later times. Civil authority took it under its protection: what was formerly done through personal zeal was now observed “as a law by command of rulers.”

Wisdom 14:17. Whom people could not honor in person because of distance of dwelling, his distant likeness they made a visible image of the revered king, so that by this eagerness they might flatter the one absent as if he were present. Wisdom 14:18. And to increase the veneration, even those who did not know urged on the artisan, Wisdom 14:19. for he, wishing perhaps to please the ruler, strove with his art to make the likeness more beautiful; Wisdom 14:20. and the people, captivated by the beauty of the workmanship, now recognized as a divine being the one who a little before was honored as a man. 17–20. The indication of a second case when the veneration of images of people led to their deification. – Images were made of kings to do them honor. The beauty of the finished statues, giving them the appearance of a certain ideal reality, captivated the senses and imagination of people. People, not knowing (“even those who did not know” verse 18) whom the statue represented, easily passed from sensuous-aesthetic admiration to religious worship. So “the people, captivated by the beauty of the workmanship, now recognized as a divine being the one who a little before was honored as a man” (verse 20). Remarkable is the thought of the writer of the book of Wisdom that the artistic beauty of statues of gods greatly aided in promoting idolatry. Probably the writer, living in Alexandria, himself observed what a bewitching impression the beautiful forms of ancient art, relating to the realm of poetic mythology, made on the receptive nature of the Greeks.

Wisdom 14:21. And this became a snare to people, because those enslaved to either misfortune or tyranny applied the incommunicable Name to stones and wood. 21–31. This section contains a description of the most pernicious influence of idolatry on the moral life of people. (A similar passage see Rom 1:24 verse and following.). The writer of the book of Wisdom in general recognized a close and indissoluble connection between religious knowledge and morality. As, in his opinion, moral purity makes a man capable of knowledge of God, so conversely, religious error leads to moral corruption. The religious error of the pagans the writer briefly formulates thus: “they applied the incommunicable Name to stones and wood.” Cf. Isa 42:8 “…enslaved to either misfortune (see verse 15) or tyranny” (see verse 16).

Wisdom 14:22. Then it was not enough for them to go astray in the knowledge of God, but living in a great struggle of ignorance, they call such great evil peace. 22. Straying in their knowledge of God, the pagans, “living in a great struggle of ignorance, call such great evil peace.” Many interpreters understand “great struggle of ignorance” as the fierce disputes which arose among pagans because of the various and contradictory teachings about the gods, their origin, essence, and power. But these disputes occurred among the educated pagans of that time, already liberated from crude idolatry, whereas the writer speaks here of the masses of the common people, specifically of ignorant idolatry. “Great struggle” further in this same verse is contrasted with peace and is called “great evil,” which is described in detail in the following verses. From this it is evident that this struggle takes place actually in the moral life and consists in that restlessness of spirit and confusion of soul, produced by a polytheistic view, which arises from the fact that man finds nowhere the inner unity of life. The pagans themselves do not notice the cause of their inner discord and therefore “call such great evil peace.”

Wisdom 14:23. They practice infanticide in sacrifice, or perform hidden mysteries, or keep frenzied feasts drawn from foreign customs, Wisdom 14:24. they do not preserve either life or the purity of marriages, but one murders the other by treachery, or troubles him by adultery. 23–24. It speaks of those immoral acts which were directly connected with pagan idolatry and sanctified by it. “Infanticide in sacrifice” (regarding it see note to verses 5–6 of Chapter XII) the writer could hardly have blamed on the pagans of his own time, to whom he was addressing himself. In such cultured lands as Egypt, human sacrifice no longer existed at that time. Therefore by these words the writer wished only to indicate the extreme to which paganism in general could lead… “Hidden mysteries…” As is evident from verse 24, the writer meant here the depravity connected with the mysteries and in general with pagan religious institutions. At the foundation of pagan religions lay the deification of nature. A particular form of this deification—the veneration of the productive force of nature—was expressed in seductive symbols and openly immoral acts. The religious sanctification of depravity led to the most lamentable consequences, about which verse 24 speaks.

Wisdom 14:25. Blood and murder, theft and deceit, corruption, faithlessness, tumult, perjury, robbery, Wisdom 14:26. forgetfulness of kindness, corruption of souls, perversion of gender, lawlessness of marriage, adultery and depravity. 25–26. These verses contain a description of the immoral life of pagans in general. The writer gives a long list of vices without defining more precisely in what form these vices manifested themselves. There is no reason to suspect the author of intentionally exaggerating in this description, in view of its agreement with other historical evidence. To point out some order in this enumeration is difficult (as in Rom 1:29 verse and following.).

Wisdom 14:27. The worship of abominable idols is the beginning, cause, and end of every evil, 27. “The worship of abominable idols…” A name usually indicates the essential properties of an object or its dignity. Idols are unworthy of a name because they have no real marks of existence, they are nothing; or because they have no glory and significance, in contrast to the greatness and dominion of God. In worship of such gods lies the source of all evil: “the beginning, cause, and end.”

Wisdom 14:28. for they either rage in their rejoicing, or utter false prophecies, or live unrighteously, or lightly break their oaths. 28. Unfolding the thought of the preceding verse, the writer speaks of what particular evil arises from idolatry. It darkens the very purest sources of human life: joy leads to madness, prophetic inspiration becomes clouded with falsehood, religious trustfulness—with the breaking of oaths. The words “utter false prophecies” refer to pagan oracles, and later to various kinds of soothsayers and astrologers.

Wisdom 14:29. Hoping in soulless idols, they do not expect to be punished for having sworn falsely. 29. In verse 29 it is explained why the breaking of oaths often occurred in paganism. The reason is indicated in disbelief. People did not believe in the soulless idols; they did not fear being punished by them, therefore the breaking of oaths did not frighten them. Such examples, when people only outwardly belonged to the official religion, mostly from material benefit (Wis 15:12), but by their inner disposition were decided atheists, paganism in the period of its decline knew very many.

Wisdom 14:30. But judgment will come upon them both for thinking impiously toward God by turning to idols, and for swearing falsely, with contempt for what is sacred, in deceit. 30. The aforementioned oath-breakers will be subjected to judgment, first, for thinking impiously toward God, “by turning to idols,” that is, for distorting the conception of God. They distorted the conception of God not only those pagans who sincerely considered the idols to be gods and feared the oath, but also those who did not believe in these gods, outwardly turned to them, and extracted profit from this (verse 29 cf. Wis 15:12 verse). Secondly, they will be condemned “for swearing falsely, with contempt for what is sacred, in deceit.” “In deceit,” έν δόλφ, with premeditation, namely against one’s neighbor. – “For what is sacred,” that is, what was considered sacred from the perspective of paganism itself.

Wisdom 14:31. For it is not the power of those by whom they swear, but judgment upon sinners that always follows the transgression of the wicked. 31. The last verse answers a possible misunderstanding. The unbelievers among the pagans expected no punishment for their oath-breaking because they swore by dead gods (verse 29), whereas the writer proclaimed that they would be condemned for this (verse 30); does this not speak of the power of those by whom they swore? The writer denies this and says that they will be punished because “judgment… always follows the transgression”: such is the nature of sin, that punishment inevitably follows after it.

Chapter Fifteen

1–5. The significance of true knowledge of God. 6–13. The unreasonableness of idolatry, evident from the method of preparing idols, 14–17. from their properties, and 18–19. from the worship of animals.

Wisdom 15:1. But you, our God, are good and true, patient and merciful in all your ways. 1–5. The first five verses of Chapter 15 contain a contrast to the corrupting moral influence of paganism described in Chapter 14, with the inner, bringing to righteousness and immortality, relations of God toward the Israelite people. 1. “But you, our God (that is, of the Israelites), are good and true, patient…” When enumerating these properties the writer probably had in mind the passage from Exod 34:6 “True,” that is, faithful to his promises.

Wisdom 15:2. If we also sin, we are yours, knowing your dominion; yet we shall not sin, knowing that we are acknowledged to be yours. 2. The properties indicated in verse 1 define the relations of God toward the Israelites. – “If we also sin, we are yours, acknowledging your dominion…” Despite the fact that the Israelite people sin before God, they continue to remain the people of God, his possession, under his protection and dominion. Such constancy is founded on God’s part on his indicated properties, on the part of the Israelite people on their knowledge of the true God: “acknowledging your dominion.” Further in verse 3 the writer speaks of the significance of true knowledge of God, but now, as if feeling in his assertion that even the sinning Israel continues to remain the people of God, something not corresponding to his views on religious particularism, he hastens to add: “yet we shall not sin, knowing that we are acknowledged to be yours.” Thus the writer hopes that the high calling of the Hebrew people, as the people of God, will serve as a motivation “not to sin.” The Hebrew people will thus be worthy of their calling.

Wisdom 15:3. To know you is complete righteousness, and to acknowledge your dominion is the root of immortality. 3. “To know you is complete righteousness.” By knowledge of God is here understood not external, theoretical recognition of the existence of the true God, but internal appropriation of God, penetration of thought about God into the whole life in the activity of man, which knowledge of God indeed leads to “complete righteousness.” “…to acknowledge your dominion is the root of immortality.” To acknowledge the dominion of God means to be constantly guided by his will; this nearest consequence of true knowledge of God leads to immortality (see Wis 1:15), that is, to blessed life in eternal communion with God. Clarifying the significance of true knowledge of God, the writer wished thereby to indicate why the Hebrew people occupies an exclusive position among other peoples in religious terms.

Wisdom 15:4. The craftiness of human invention does not deceive us, nor does the barren labor of artists—images adorned with various colors, Wisdom 15:5. the sight of which stirs up in the foolish a passionate desire and longing for the lifeless form of a dead image. 4–5. Possessing true knowledge of God, the Israelites are not deceived by those images in which paganism embodies the idea of God. They see in them “the craftiness of human invention,” “the barren labor of artists.” The worshipers of the living God cannot be allured by the beauty of a “dead image,” that is, an idol (cf. Wis 14:20).

Wisdom 15:6. Both those who make them, those who desire them, and those who worship them are lovers of evil, deserving such hopes. 6. From verse 6 to the end of the chapter the writer returns to the same theme about the unreasonableness of idolatry which he unfolded in Wis 13:10-19 verse. This verse is an introduction in which a general judgment is expressed about all those who in any respect relate to idolatry. All of them equally are “lovers of evil”—both those who make idols and those captivated by their sensuous beauty (“those who desire them”) and those who do them honor. “…deserving such hopes…” deserving that their hopes in soulless idols (Wis 13:10) should be completely dashed (Wis 5:14); or perhaps here there is a metonymy (as in Wis 14:6) and by hopes are understood the objects of hope, that is, idols. Then the thought is: deserving their worthless gods.

Wisdom 15:7. The potter kneads the soft earth with care and shapes every vessel for our service; of the same clay he fashions vessels for clean uses and for unclean, all alike; but what is the use of each, the potter himself is judge. 7. From verses 7–13 the writer tries to show the unreasonableness of idolatry from the method of making idols, similarly to how it is done in Wis 13:11-16 verse. But between these two sections there is this difference: the “woodworker” of Chapter 13 himself is pervaded with religious feeling toward the made idol (see Wis 13:17 verse), whereas the sculptor described here reveals frivolity and disbelief in his work. The thought of verse 7 is that idols by the method of making are in no way different from clay vessels. One and the same person fashions one and the other from one and the same material. It depends on the potter what use to create the fashioned object for: “what is the use of each, the potter himself is judge.” By “potter” in verse 7 is understood not only a potter but also a sculptor (see verse 8).

Wisdom 15:8. And the idle worker from the same clay shapes an idle god, whereas he himself was recently born from the earth and will soon go there, from where he was taken, and the debt of his soul will be demanded from him. Wisdom 15:9. But he is not concerned that he must work hard, nor that his life is short; instead he competes with the artisans of gold and silver, and imitates the bronze workers, and counts it a glory to make abominations. 8–9. “…the idle worker…” This is the same potter of verse 7; “…an idle god…”—an idol. – “…was recently born from the earth and will soon go there…” Cf. Gen 2:7. – “…the debt of his soul will be demanded from him,” life is regarded as something received from God in debt, which is paid back with death. In this way the absolute dependence of earthly human life on God is indicated. – “But he is not concerned that he must work hard…” This expression is often understood in the sense that the sculptor is not troubled by the fact that the making of idols will require from him much time and labor, only to achieve a certain perfection. Such an understanding does not correspond to the context. The beginning of verse 9 is a contrast to verse 8. Man must soon die, “he is not concerned” with that; his brief life he should fill with serious work, “but he is not concerned” with that; the sculptor has given himself up to vanity, he is absorbed by the thought of achieving in the image of the idol such perfection as to rival the “artisans of gold and silver.” The thought of both verses is this: the very material over which the sculptor works should remind him of his origin and transience and restrain him from the bold intention to depict a supernatural being (verse 8), yet the sculptor is not guided by these lofty motives; he is entirely consumed by base vanity.

Wisdom 15:10. His heart is ash, and his hope is of less worth than earth, and his life more contemptible than mud; 10. Verse 10 makes a general assessment of the inner core of the maker of idols. “His heart is ash…” that is, for all that is higher he is dead; his thoughts and feelings are base and trivial. – “His hope is of less worth than earth,” of the very material over which he works.

Wisdom 15:11. because he did not know the one who created him, who breathed into him an active soul, and inspired in him a spirit of life. 11. The low cast of mind and life of the maker of idols indicated in verse 10 has its foundation in the lack of knowledge of the true God: “because he did not know the one who created him, who breathed into him an active soul, and inspired in him a spirit of life.” Some commentators refer to these words as proof that the writer of the book of Wisdom distinguishes not two but three parts of human being; besides the body, also an “active soul” and a “spirit of life.” The first means the principle of thought and will in man; the second—the beginning of animal life. But such an explanation does not accord with other passages of the book where the writer clearly speaks of two parts of human existence—body and soul (Wis 1:4). Therefore it is more correct to see in this expression a parallelism.

Wisdom 15:12. They consider our life a game, and our living a business for profit, saying that we must extract profit from every source, even from evil. 12. “They consider our life a game, and our living a business for profit…” These words depict the frivolity of those people who do not recognize serious significance for human life. The transition made by the writer from singular to plural number (“they”) indicates that the example taken by him of the sculptor represents a type of a certain kind of people. They “say that we must extract profit from every source, even from evil.” Evil here the writer calls the making of idols (cf. verse 6). This means that the making of idols was prompted to the sculptors by the desire to make a profit, and not by religious feeling (a similar example is given in Acts 19, verse 23).

Wisdom 15:13. Yet such a man especially knows that he sins, making from earthen substance perishable vessels and carvings. 13. According to verse 13 it is evident that the writer, as in Wis 14:29, presents such a person who is conscious of the futility of idolatry and only hypocritically continues to be on its side in order to use for his profit the superstition of his neighbors. Therefore “such a man especially knows that he sins, making… carvings.”

Wisdom 15:14. But the most foolish of all, and more childish in understanding than the very infants—the enemies of your people, those who oppress them, 14. From verse 14 to verse 17 the writer speaks in general of the unreasonableness of idolatry, based chiefly on the fact that those who worship idols revere the dead. Under “enemies of your people” are often understood the ancient Egyptians, the enslavers of the Hebrews, comparing this expression with Wis 10:15. But, taking into account the present tense of the verbs, it is more correct to understand here the Egyptians contemporary to the writer, or perhaps the writer meant in general foreign peoples who then subjugated the Hebrews.

Wisdom 15:15. for they revere as gods all the pagan idols, which have no use of the eyes for seeing, nor nostrils to draw air, nor ears for hearing, nor fingers of the hand to touch, and whose feet are useless for walking. 15. “…They revere as gods all the pagan idols…” Many ancient religions recognized as gods the divine beings of other religions and peoples, and when they conquered them, they incorporated the gods of the conquered into their pantheon. The given words probably refer to this. The following description of idols reminds us of Ps 134:16-17 verse.

Wisdom 15:16. Even though a man made them, and one who borrowed breath formed them; yet no man can form a god like himself. Wisdom 15:17. Being mortal, he makes by unholy hands something dead; therefore he is superior to his gods, for he lived, while they never did. 16–17. The expression “one who borrowed breath” is explained from comparison with verses 8 and 11. Man’s spirit is represented as it were as something received from God as a loan. “…yet no man can form a god like himself.” The words “like himself” are sometimes referred to the noun “god” and this passage is explained thus: no image of divinity created by man will be like him, for no sensuous form will express his supernatural, spiritual being. Such an explanation breaks any connection of verse 16 with what follows. By the connection of the speech the expression “like himself” should be referred to the noun “man” and the thought will be thus: an idol as a product of man is less perfect than he himself. Man, created by God, “is superior to his gods (that is, idols), for he lived, while they never did.”

Wisdom 15:18. Moreover, they revere the most abominable animals, which in their stupidity are inferior to all others. Wisdom 15:19. They are not even beautiful in appearance, as other animals, so as to be able to attract, but they are deprived of both the approval of God and his blessing. 18–19. In these last two verses the writer speaks of the folly of revering animals among the Egyptians (see Wis 11:15) and thereby makes a transition to the section of Chapters 16–19, in which he again returns to the comparison, interrupted in Chapter 12, of the opposite fate of the Egyptians and the Israelites at the time of the latter’s exodus. The writer charges the animal-worshipers with their very choice: they revere animals that are more senseless than others and, in addition, ugly. Evidently they are deprived of both the approval of God and his blessing. This means that this form of idolatry does not have even that excuse—that people bow down before a manifestation of reason and beauty.

Chapter Sixteen

1–14. The punishment of the Egyptians through animals and the blessing through them of the Hebrews. 15–29. The second comparison: the punishment of the Egyptians through dread atmospheric phenomena and their beneficial action on the Hebrews.

Chapters 16 and 19
contain a comparison of events from the history of the Egyptians and the Hebrew people during the time of his liberation from bondage.

In this final section of the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon the author returns to the same theme he had unfolded in Wis 10:15-11:1-17 and which was interrupted by discussion of God’s love (XI:18-XII) and on the origin and foolishness of idolatry (XIII-XV). Clarifying the opposite fate of the Hebrews protected by divine Wisdom and the rejected Egyptians, he makes five comparisons of events from the period of the Hebrew exodus from Egypt. These comparisons are made with great skill, and the description of events contains many new details compared with the Book of Exodus and explanations; indeed the descriptions themselves are often highly artistic (for example, Chapter XVII).

The opening fourteen verses of Chapter XVI contain the first parallel between the opposite fate of the Egyptians and Israelites, namely in regard to the punishment of the former and the blessing of the latter through animals. The Israelites satisfied their hunger through animals sent to them, while the Egyptians, on the contrary, had the sight of animals sent in the second plague inspire disgust for food (verses 1–4). And if the Israelites were punished through animals, then in contrast to the Egyptians it was for a brief time and with the purpose that swift salvation following the punishment would remind them of God’s mercy (verses 5–14).

Wisdom 16:1. Therefore they were justly punished through such animals and tormented by a multitude of monsters. 1. See the remark on 11:16. The first verse is closely connected with the last two verses of Chapter XV. The absurd veneration of disgusting animals was the reason why the Egyptians “were justly punished through such animals.”

Wisdom 16:2. Instead of such punishment You blessed Your people: in satisfaction of their desire You prepared for them in nourishment an unusual food – quails, 2. Compare Wis 19:11-12; Exod 16:13; Num 11:31; Ps 104:40. Turning to the fate of the Israelite people, the author contrasts the punishment of the Egyptians through animals with the blessing of the Hebrews through the sending of quails as food. This was done “in satisfaction of their desire,” that is, when the Hebrews did not yet feel real hunger, but in asking for meat, as the author notes elsewhere, “gave way to appetite” (Wis 19:11). This detail is noted here by the author for contrast with the hunger of the Egyptians in verse 3.

Wisdom 16:3. so that those tormented by hunger, by the loathsome sight of the sent creatures, would refuse even the necessary call to food, while these, having briefly suffered want, tasted extraordinary food. 3. The author means the punishment of the Egyptians by loathsome frogs that appeared in such numbers that they invaded everything: homes, ovens, kneading bowls (Exod 8:3) and inspired disgust for food that they touched. Therefore “tormented by hunger” the Egyptians “refused even the necessary call to food.” Thus animals were sent to the Israelites to satisfy their “desire,” while animals prevented the Egyptians from satisfying even their natural hunger. As is evident from this example, the author with great skill establishes a parallel between different events from the ancient history of the Hebrew people. The beginning of verse 3 “so that those” is directly connected with verse 1, not with verse 2.

Wisdom 16:4. For those oppressors deserved to be overtaken by inevitable want, while these only needed to know how their enemies suffered. 4. See Wis 11:9-11. The measure of punishment for the Israelites and Egyptians is not equal. The latter are overtaken by “inevitable want,” utter impossibility to satisfy their hunger, complete measure of punishment, while the Israelites are punished only so that they might know “how their enemies suffered.” In their suffering there is an element of satisfaction, the knowledge that their historical enemies suffered in the same way, and even more.

Wisdom 16:5. And when terrible fury of beasts came upon them and they were being destroyed by the bites of treacherous serpents, Your anger did not last until the end. 5. The author turns to another event – the punishment of the Israelites by the bite of poisonous serpents (Num 21, from verse 6) and first of all notes that even here “God’s anger did not last until the end.”

Wisdom 16:6. But they were troubled for a short time for instruction, receiving a sign of salvation in remembrance of the commandment of Your law, Wisdom 16:7. for he who turned was healed not by that which he saw, but by You, the Savior of all. 6–7. These verses convey the account of Moses about the bronze serpent (Num 21:6-9), which was lifted up on a tree so that those bitten by serpents, looking upon it, would receive healing. This serpent was for the Hebrews a “sign of salvation,” a kind of symbol, but did not itself directly give healing: “for he who turned was healed not by that which he saw, but by You, the Savior of all.” The significance of the serpent as a symbol lay in the fact that it prompted “remembrance of the commandment of Your law.” There is no reason to think that the serpent recalled some specific law commandment violated by the Hebrews. Later this expression is replaced by the more general: “in remembrance of Your words” (verse 11). The bronze serpent in general should remind the Hebrews of God’s mercy, saving repentant sinners, and of their duty of obedience to God.

Wisdom 16:8. And by this You showed our enemies that You are the one who delivers from all evil: Wisdom 16:9. for they were killed by the wounds of locusts and flies, and no remedy was found for their soul, because they were worthy of torment from these. Wisdom 16:10. But the teeth of poisonous serpents did not overcome Your sons, for Your mercy came to their aid and healed them. 8–10. To the event of the healing of the Hebrews from serpent bites the author contrasts the “plagues” of the Egyptians from flies and locusts. This seemingly trifling danger led to their destruction (verse 9), while God’s mercy saved the Hebrew people even in vastly greater dangers (verse 10). This comparison was instructive even for the Egyptians themselves: “by this You showed our enemies that You are the one who delivers from all evil.” Here, as in Wis 11:14, the author either supposes that the events of the Hebrew wandering in the desert became known in Egypt, or speaks generally of the lesson of history for posterity.

Wisdom 16:11. Though they were wounded in remembrance of Your words, yet they were quickly healed, so that, having fallen into deep forgetfulness of them, they would not be bereft of Your beneficence. 11. The purpose of God’s mercies toward the Hebrews is indicated in this: that they not fall into “deep forgetfulness” of God’s words. Thus, in the author’s thought, the Hebrew people were educated in faithfulness to the Lord through His mercies and beneficence.

Wisdom 16:12. Not grass or poultice healed them, but Your, O Lord, all-healing word. Wisdom 16:13. You have the power of life and death and bring down to the gates of hell and bring up. 12–13. The author bases the assertion of verse 11, that the salvation of the Israelites was meant to remind them of God and their obligation to obey His commandments, on the fact that healing was accomplished not by natural forces of nature but solely by God’s almighty will, the Lord of life and death. “…all-healing word…” – here not the Logos of the Alexandrians, but in comparison of this verse with verses 7, 10, and 26 is understood the Divine will manifesting in the external world, whose natural and frequent symbol in Scripture is speech, the word (Ps 106:20; Isa 40:11). “…bring down to the gates of hell and bring up.” To bring down to the gates of hell means to bring to death, while to bring up from hell in the language of Scripture often (see Ps 48:16) means to rescue from mortal danger. But in view of the fact that in the next verse God’s power is contrasted with man’s powerlessness to return another person’s taken life, it is more correct even here in the words “bring up” from hell to see the thought that God is able to return life to the dead.

Wisdom 16:14. Man in his wickedness kills, but cannot return the spirit gone out nor can he call back the soul taken. Wisdom 16:15. But to escape Your hand is impossible, 15–29. In this section is contained the second parallel between the fate of the Hebrews and Egyptians. The latter were punished by rain, hail, and fire; fire destroyed their means of sustenance; on the contrary, the Israelites received miraculous heavenly food, resembling snow and hail in appearance, which did not melt even from fire. True, part of this food was lost for the Israelites, but not for the same reason as for the Egyptians, not from the destroying power of fire, but from a weak sunbeam, and not as punishment for them did this happen, but to remind them of the duty of gratitude.

Wisdom 16:16. for the impious, having renounced knowing You, were punished by the strength of Your arm, being pursued by unusual rains, hails, and inevitable storms and destroyed by fire. Wisdom 16:17. But the most wondrous was that fire showed its power more in water, which extinguishes all, for the world itself is a defender of the righteous. Wisdom 16:18. Sometimes flame was subdued so as not to burn the animals sent against the impious, and so that they, seeing this, would know that they were pursued by God’s judgment. Wisdom 16:19. And at other times even in the midst of water it burned more strongly than fire, in order to destroy the fruits of the unrighteous land. 16–19. The basis for this account by the author is the narrative of Moses about the 7th and 8th plagues of Egypt: Exod 9:22-25. However, the character of the account is such that it is difficult to decide whether the author by his particular language is conveying only events already known from the Book of Exodus, introducing only new details into them, or whether he is partly recounting events completely unknown from the Bible. Particular difficulty is occasioned by the account of fire that “burned even in the midst of water” (verse 19) and even “showed its power more in water” (verse 17), which acted with discrimination (verse 18). If under this fire is understood lightning accompanying hail and storm, striking even in the midst of a downpour, as it seems to be indicated by the name of this fire “burning in hail and flashing in rains,” then in this case the author reports an event essentially already known from Moses’s account, only adorning it with details from later tradition. Besides introducing new details, the author also departs from Moses’s account in that whereas according to Moses the plagues through animals ceased long before the hail and fire came, according to the conception of the author of our book, these plagues coincided in time (verse 18). “…The world itself is a defender of the righteous” (verse 17). This expression means that the elements of nature, serving in God’s hands as a means of punishment for the impious, thereby rise to the defense of the righteous.

Wisdom 16:20. Instead of that Your people You nourished with the food of angels and sent to those not laboring, bread ready from heaven, which had all sweetness according to the taste of each. From verse 20 the author turns to contrasting the Egyptian people with the Hebrew people. In those the flame destroyed the products of their land, “instead of that Your people You nourished with the food of angels,” which was given to them without any labor on their part and in a form completely ready for use. These details are noted for greater distinctness of the contrast. Undoubtedly, the author speaks here of manna (Exod 16 ch.). The name of manna “food of angels” indicates that it fell from heaven, and the predicate “angelic” is equivalent to the adjective “heavenly.” In other places it is so called: Wis 19:20; Ps 77:24. “…bread which had all sweetness according to the taste of each.” Concerning such a property of manna to change taste according to the taste of each, the author speaks on the basis of later tradition. In the books of Moses there is no basis for this; on the contrary, the Hebrews complained that only manna was before their eyes and asked for other kinds of food.

Wisdom 16:21. For the quality of Your food demonstrated Your love for the children, and in satisfaction of the desire of the one partaking changed according to the taste of each. Wisdom 16:22. And snow and ice endured fire and did not melt, so that they would know that fire burning in the hail and flashing in the rains was destroying the fruits of the enemies. Wisdom 16:23. But that same fire, so that the righteous might be nourished, lost its power. 22–23. “And snow and ice endured fire…” In 16:14 of the Book of Exodus (Exod 16:14) manna is compared to hoarfrost with respect to its extraordinary abundance and to amber (Num 11:7) by its transparent appearance. In this place the author also speaks of manna, using the comparison of snow and ice. That “snow and ice” here are images of some kind of food is evident from the fact that the author contrasts them with the “fruits of the enemies,” and then in another place he directly calls manna the “snow-like form of heavenly food” (Wis 19:20). By these images of manna the author makes use for strengthening the opposition between Egyptians and Hebrews: hail beat down the wheat fields of the Egyptians, while manna-like food was sent to the Hebrews; “fire destroyed the fruits of the enemies,” while the bread sent to the Hebrews, though resembling snow and ice, yet did not melt from fire; the Hebrews fed on it even in the heat of the wilderness.

Wisdom 16:24. For creation, serving You, the Creator, strives toward the punishment of the impious and is quiet for the beneficence of those who believe in You. 24. The basis for the indicated twofold opposite action of fire the author points out in the fact that nature in the fulfillment of higher divine purposes in moral governance changes its forces: “strives toward the punishment of the impious, and is quiet for the beneficence of those who believe in You.” This “striving” and “quieting” of nature the author distinguishes from the usual order of things (see Wis 19:6) and to these phenomena fully applies the concept of miracle.

Wisdom 16:25. Therefore also then it, changing in everything, obeyed Your grace, nourishing all according to the wish of those in need, Wisdom 16:26. so that Your sons, whom You, O Lord, loved, might know that it is not the kinds of fruits that nourish man, but Your word preserves those who believe in You. 25–26. The discourse is about manna. Relying on the thought expressed in the preceding verse that all that is created serves the higher purposes of the Creator (verse 24), the author says that manna also changed its taste not according to its natural property but “obeyed Your grace.” From this the Hebrews should have learned that “it is not the kinds of fruits that nourish man, but Your word preserves those who believe in You.” Man is sustained not by abundance of earthly fruits but solely by Divine will as the first and immediate cause of all things. On “word” see the remark to verse 12.

Wisdom 16:27. For that which was not destroyed by fire, when warmed by a weak sunbeam, at once melted, Wisdom 16:28. so that it would be known that one must give thanks to You before the sun and turn toward You at the rising of the light. Wisdom 16:29. For the hope of the ungrateful will melt like winter hoarfrost and will flow away like useless water. 27–29. Compare Exod 16:21. Manna fell only in the early morning; warmed by the rays of the sun, it quickly disappeared. In this circumstance the author sees the purpose of educating the Israelites in the feeling of gratitude toward God. Not having the ability to gather manna in supply but forced to seek sustenance each early morning, the Hebrews were meant to feel vividly their dependence on God and, receiving daily sustenance from Him, be filled with gratitude toward Him. The words of verse 28: “one must give thanks to You before the sun and turn toward You at the rising of the light” some commentators adduce in support of their supposition that the author of the Book of Wisdom of Solomon was a Therapeute or Essene, in which sects prayer at the indicated time was obligatory. However, without this preconceived notion about the author’s belonging to one of the indicated sects, it is most natural in the cited words to see a simple exhortation to be zealous in prayer so as to begin one’s day with it. In this sense morning prayer is spoken of in other places of Scripture: Ps 5:3-4 and others. Since manna disappeared with the first rays of the sun (verse 27), those Hebrews who gathered it naturally should by their prayerful thanksgiving “give thanks before the sun.” In exhorting the Hebrews to gratitude toward God, the author says in the last verse that “the hope of the ungrateful will melt like winter hoarfrost and will flow away like useless water.” The images are taken in correspondence with verses 22 and 27. Our Telegram channel

Chapter Seventeen

Third comparison: 1–20. The terrible frightening night over Egypt – XVIII:1–4, and light over Israel.

Chapter XVII and the first four verses of Chapter XVIII contain the third parallel between the Egyptians and the Israelites. The Egyptians were punished with three days of darkness (Exod 10 from verse 21); this time was for them unbroken horror; on the contrary, the Hebrews even at this time had the greatest light shining for them and subsequently they never suffered from darkness: the light-bearing pillar illuminated and showed them the way.

Wisdom 17:1. Great and incomprehensible are Your judgments, therefore uninstructed souls went astray. 1. “…Your judgments…” Divine determinations, the way and manner of action in the human world. (Compare Ps 118:75; Rom 11:33). “…uninstructed souls…” Those who do not have correct knowledge of God and His relations to the world; most immediately here are meant the Egyptians. The thought of the verse is that one must have true revealed knowledge of God so as not to go astray regarding the ways of Divine providence in the human world.

Wisdom 17:2. For the lawless, who devised to oppress the holy people, being prisoners of darkness and captives of a long night, shut in their houses, hid themselves from eternal Providence. 2. It is defined in what the error of the Egyptians consisted. First in the fact that they “devised to oppress the holy people,” and then, when they were overtaken by the terrible “plague” – three days of darkness (Exod 10:21-23) – and they were as it were “captives of a long night,” they did not wish to recognize in this event the action of God and to submit to His will, but tried to escape from the almighty hand of God in their houses: “shut in their houses, hid themselves from eternal Providence.”

Wisdom 17:3. Thinking to hide in secret sins, they, under the dark covering of forgetfulness, were scattered, greatly frightened and troubled by phantoms, 3. This verse contains irony about the Egyptians. The latter even by the punishment of God sent upon them in darkness wanted to make use of for covering their secret sins. (See Job 24:15-16; Isa 29:15). But these calculations did not succeed. The unbroken night hindered even dark deeds: they “were scattered, greatly frightened by phantoms.”

Wisdom 17:4. for even the hidden place that contained them did not protect them from fear, but terrible sounds around them caused them confusion, and fierce monsters with dreadful faces appeared. 4. The fear experienced by the Egyptians during the three-day darkness sent upon them is described. From this fear did not protect “even the hidden place” that contained them. By this hidden place some understand the deep underground corridors in Egypt or rooms deeply dug inside the pyramids. But in verse 2 it was said that the Egyptians “shut in their houses,” and accordingly here “hidden place” should better be understood as the inner rooms of houses. “…terrible sounds around them caused them confusion, and fierce monsters with dreadful faces appeared.” Does the author here speak of objective objects that brought terror to the Egyptians, or does he mean images of imagination created under the influence of fear? Later in verse 6 he calls one of the objects frightening the Egyptians an “invisible phantom,” and then expresses more generally that the Egyptians “were troubled by terrible phantoms” (verse 14). Nowhere is it evident that the author considered these phantoms as any objective objects, for example, as demons or as spirits of the dead coming out of hell, which taking the forms of “fierce monsters with dreadful faces” (verse 4), “themselves burning pyres full of horror” (verse 6), would appear to frighten people. On the contrary, he says that the Egyptians came into extreme fear “although no terrors actually troubled them” (verse 9). The cause of fear, according to the author’s thought, is not external but internal, in the soul’s condition of the Egyptians; these horrors were “suffered by the soul” (verse 8), their “wickedness condemned by its own testimony devised horrors” (verse 10). Thus the horrors were “devised,” they are a result of imagination acting under the influence of the pangs of conscience. Reality, of course, provided rich material for this imagination and the author speaks of this in detail in verses 17–18.

Wisdom 17:5. And no power of fire could illuminate, nor could the bright gleam of the stars illuminate this dark night. 5. A similar remark about this darkness, that it was vainly attempted to illuminate with fire, is found in Philo, Vita Mos. II vol. 100.

Wisdom 17:6. Appeared to them only themselves burning pyres, full of horror, and they, fearing the invisible – phantom, imagined the visible even worse. 6. One of the phantoms frightening the Egyptians created by their imagination is pointed out: these are “themselves burning pyres, full of horror”; pyres burning by themselves and burning without any material supporting the fire. What exactly was horrible about these pyres, from the brevity of the account is not clear; perhaps these pyres were images of punishment which “wickedness condemned by its own testimony” devised.

Wisdom 17:7. The deceptions of sorcery fell, and the boasting of wisdom underwent ridicule, Wisdom 17:8. for those who promised to drive away fears from the suffering soul were themselves suffering shameful cowardice. 7–8. The Egyptian sorcerers, as is known from the Book of Exodus, tried to oppose Moses with his own weapon, attempted to perform the same signs and wonders that he performed. In imitation of him to some extent in the first two “plagues,” they were then forced to acknowledge their powerlessness (Exod 9:11). According to the Book of Wisdom of Solomon the representatives of “sorcery and wisdom” of Egypt struggled against Moses much longer. They “promised to drive away fears” even from the 9th plague, and only shameful cowardice that seized them subjected them to ridicule.

Wisdom 17:9. And though no terrors actually troubled them, yet pursued by the stirring of poisonous beasts and the hissing of creeping things, they would faint from fear, even afraid to look at the air from which there is no escape, 9. The extreme degree of fear that seized the Egyptians is depicted: “they would faint from fear, afraid even to look at the air.” Meanwhile there was no objective cause for fear: “no terrors actually troubled them.” Indescribable fear was caused by the most trivial objects: the cry or hiss of animals, the noise of their movement.

Wisdom 17:10. for wickedness condemned by its own testimony is fearful and, pursued by conscience, always devises horrors. 10. In the preceding verse the author expressed the thought of the apparent causelessness of the Egyptians’ fear, that there were no actually terrible objects without. This impels him now to point out the true cause of fear (verse 10) and at the same time to define what fear is in its essence (verses 11 and 12). The cause of fear, in the author’s opinion, lies in conscience, which pursued the Egyptians for their wickedness. Condemned by the testimony of conscience, “wickedness is fearful and devises horrors.” Psychologically the indicated explanation of the origin of fear is very accurate. Verse 10 is important in that in it the word “conscience,” συνείδησις, is used in its completely exact meaning with indication of the true functions of this side of the human spirit (compare Rom 2:15).

Wisdom 17:11. Fear is nothing other than a deprivation of the help that comes from reason. 11. The definition given here of fear is, of course, incomplete. It notes only one side. Its meaning is such: fear deprives a person of composure, so that he cannot direct his attention to the object of fear in order to either convince himself of its insignificance or find means to eliminate it.

Wisdom 17:12. The less hope is within, the more the unknown cause appears that produces torment. 12. This verse contains an explanation of verse 11. The thought is as follows: in despair people usually exaggerate their helplessness; objects exciting fear seem to them more dangerous than they actually are. They become confused, cannot focus their thought, and the unknown nature of what terrifies them grows for them.

Wisdom 17:13. And they in this truly unbearable and from the depths of insupportable hell-issued night, arranging to fall asleep with their usual sleep, Wisdom 17:14. were at times troubled by terrible phantoms, at times weakened by spiritual despair, for sudden and unexpected fear found them. 13–18. In these verses the thought expressed in verses 10–12 is applied to the Egyptians. The fear that seized them was by itself powerless to harm them, but fear deprived the Egyptians of rational thought, so that even the most trivial objects, the most insignificant phenomena brought them into terror. “…from the depths of insupportable hell-issued night…” Hell in Scripture is represented as a dark and gloomy place (Job 10:21-22; Ps 48:20), therefore the author considers the extraordinarily dark and prolonged night that covered Egypt as coming forth from hell. In this explanation of the origin of the night the author diverges from Philo, who explained the origin of the unusually prolonged night either by a solar eclipse or by a thickening of clouds (Vita Mos. vol. II, 100). To hell the predicate αδύνατος, “impotent” (in the Russian text “insupportable”), is applied, probably because the inhabitants of hell are bodiless and impotent shadows of the dead. The origin of the night from impotent hell gives the thought that the fear of the Egyptians was aroused by something by its origin insignificant. The cause of fear lay within, in the despair that seized their souls, under the influence of which their disturbed imagination created “terrible signs.”

Wisdom 17:15. Therefore whoever was overtaken then became a prisoner and was confined to this prison without bonds. 15. The comparison of Egyptians enveloped in darkness with prisoners in a dungeon is very natural. Like prisoners, the Egyptians in the darkness were deprived of freedom of movement, freedom of activity. The author used this comparison earlier as well (verse 2).

Wisdom 17:16. Whether one was a farmer or a shepherd or one engaged in work in the wilderness, each, being overtaken, was subject to this unavoidable fate, 16. The meaning of the verse is as follows: those who by the nature of their work usually returned from day work in large groups could not escape the horrors of the night: shepherds, field workers.

Wisdom 17:17. for all were bound by one inescapable chain of darkness. Whether it was the whistling wind, or among thick branches the melodious voice of birds, or the force of swiftly flowing water, or the loud crash of falling rocks, Wisdom 17:18. or the unseen running of leaping animals, or the voice of roaring fiercest beasts, or the echoing from mountain recesses, all this, terrifying them, brought them to weakness. 17–18. These verses contain a poetic description of how every trifling sound struck fear into the Egyptians and brought them to despair. The whistle of wind, the voices of birds, the sound of water, the crash of a mountain collapse, loud echoes in mountains – in a word, all of nature was for them a source of indescribable fear.

Wisdom 17:19. For the whole world was illuminated by clear light and busied itself with its usual works; Wisdom 17:20. but over them alone was spread a heavy night, the image of the darkness that was to embrace them; but they themselves were more grievous to themselves than the darkness. 19–20. From the concluding verses of Chapter XVII it is evident that the terrible Egyptian night described above was not an ordinary dark night: it spread only over Egypt, while the rest of the “whole world was illuminated by clear light and busied itself with its usual works.” Undoubtedly the author was speaking of the punishment of the Egyptians by three days of darkness (Exod 10:21-23). This heavy night was the image of “the darkness that was to embrace them.” The mention of future darkness cannot be understood as an image of the heavy tormenting state of the Egyptians after death; in such a sense this word is often used in the New Testament (Matt 8:12). The author allowed, so to speak, the physical existence of hell (verse 14), which he represented as enveloped in impenetrable darkness. Therefore “the darkness that was to embrace them” is the actual darkness of hell, in which the souls of the dead wicked dwell. However, as terrible as the darkness of the Egyptian night was, the main source of horror lay not in it, but in the internal spiritual state that the Egyptians experienced: “they themselves were more grievous to themselves than the darkness.”

Chapter Eighteen

18:5–19. Fourth comparison: the death of the firstborn of Egypt and the religious triumph of the Hebrew children. 18:20–25. The “testing of death” in the wilderness.

Wisdom 18:1. And for your holy ones there was the greatest light. And those hearing the sound of their voices but not seeing the forms called them blessed, because they had not suffered. Wisdom 18:2. And in that you did not wage war against them for having previously wronged them, they gave thanks and asked forgiveness for what they had compelled them to endure. Wisdom 18:3. Instead, you gave them a fiery pillar as a guide on an unfamiliar path, and a harmless sun for their prosperous journey. Wisdom 18:4. For those justly deserved to be deprived of light and shut up in darkness, because they held captive your sons, through whom the imperishable light of the law was to be given to the world. 18:1–4. The first four verses of chapter 18 contain a contrast between the Egyptians and the Hebrews during the ninth plague. Over the Egyptians “a heavy night was spread out” (Wis 17:20), while “for your holy ones there was the greatest light” (verse 1). The thought is that the ninth plague, the three-day darkness, did not extend to the Hebrews living in Egypt; they, like the rest of the world (Wis 17:19), enjoyed light. The Egyptians knew of this and considered them fortunate (verse 1), and at the same time were grateful to the Hebrews that they did not use their confusion and helplessness during the ninth plague to take vengeance for the torments of long slavery (verse 2). God’s protection of the Hebrew people extended further still. During their wandering through the unfamiliar wilderness, the “fiery pillar” showed them the path and protected them from the sun’s heat: “you gave them… a harmless sun” (verse 3). The punishment of the Egyptians by deprivation of light was fully deserved and corresponded to their crime, the enslavement of those “through whom the imperishable light of the law was to be given to the world” (verse 4). The comparison of Moses’ law with light is very frequent in Holy Scripture (Isa 2:5; Ps 118:105; Prov 6:23). The designation of light as “imperishable” expresses the idea of the eternity of Moses’ law. This idea is expressed in other places in Holy Scripture (Tob 1:6; Bar 4:1), especially often in connection with the messianic expectation of the universal spread of Moses’ law (Isa 2:2; Mic 4:1), when idolatry will be destroyed (Wis 14:13).

Wisdom 18:5. When they determined to kill the children of the holy ones, though one forsaken son you saved, in punishment for this you took away a multitude of their children and destroyed them all together in the mighty waters. 18:5. From the fifth verse a new section begins, in which a new parallel is drawn between the Egyptians and the Hebrews. For their cruel decision to put to death Hebrew children, they themselves were deprived of their firstborn; the Hebrews, together with their children, not only preserved their lives but also were saved from slavery. “…they determined to kill the children of the holy ones…” (cf. Exod 1:15-16). “…though one forsaken son you saved…” The reference is to Moses, whom Pharaoh’s daughter rescued from the water. The writer makes this reservation not to soften the Egyptians’ cruelty toward Hebrew children, but to show that by the determination of Divine Providence, the only child they saved became for them afterward an instrument of Divine punishment. “…destroyed them all together in the mighty waters.” Concerning the drowning of the Egyptians in the Red Sea, the writer speaks more at length in chapter 19; here he merely notes in passing for the sake of contrast: Moses alone was exposed to danger from water and was saved, while all the Egyptians perished in water.

Wisdom 18:6. That night was foreannounced to our ancestors, so that they, having firm knowledge of the promises in which they believed, might be of good courage. 18:6. “That night was foreannounced to our ancestors…” This is not the night of unusual darkness spoken of by the writer in the preceding chapter, but that night in which the Egyptian firstborn were put to death, and about which Moses had foreannounced to the Hebrews in advance (Exod 11, verse 4). For this foreannouncement, the writer points out not only the immediate purpose, to prepare the Hebrews for the coming event, but also a further purpose: to strengthen their faith in all other promises and thereby to raise the people’s spirit.

Wisdom 18:7. And your people awaited both the salvation of the righteous and the destruction of their enemies. 18:7. Verse 7 follows from the preceding verse. Liberation from slavery and the death of the Egyptian firstborn were no surprise to the Hebrews, because through Moses they knew of this beforehand.

Wisdom 18:8. For by what you punished our enemies, by that very thing you exalted us, whom you called. 18:8. Cf. Wis 11:5-6 verse. The death of the Egyptian firstborn was a great punishment for the Egyptians, but for the Hebrews it served as the cause of their liberation (Exod 12 verses 31). “…you exalted us, whom you called.” In connection with the following verse, the reference here is to calling to spiritual inner communion with God.

Wisdom 18:9. The holy children of the good secretly offered sacrifice and unanimously established by divine law that the holy should equally share in the same blessings and dangers, when the fathers already were singing praises. 18:9. Verse 9 speaks of the Passover sacrifice (see Exod 12:3-15): “the holy children of the good secretly offered sacrifice.” In calling the children participants in the sacrifice, the writer does not exclude adults; he singles out the children only for contrast with the Egyptians: at the time when Egyptian children were being put to death, Hebrew children were celebrating a religious meal. The sacrifice was secret. The Egyptians were not initiated into the rites of the Passover night, for they clearly indicated the fate that awaited them. On the other hand, the children, participants in the sacrifice, were condemned by Egyptian authority to death, so their participation could only be secret. The designation of the children as “holy” has the same meaning as the designation of holiness for the entire people (Wis 10:17): it points not to their actual condition but to their calling, their vocation to holiness. They were “children of the good…” The writer calls the Israelites, the fathers of these children, good, just as in other places in the book he called them “righteous” (Wis 10:20) and “holy” (Wis 10:17). “…unanimously established by divine law that the holy should equally share in the same blessings and dangers.” To establish something as a divine law means to pledge oneself to its unwavering fulfillment. At the Passover meal, the Hebrews undertook an obligation that all should equally share, without distinction, both in the dangers of free life in the wilderness and in its blessings. Thus the Passover supper became for them a symbol of brotherly unity. This consciousness of brotherhood was expressed directly in the hymn of praise to God.

Wisdom 18:10. On the opposite side a dissonant cry of the enemy rang out, and a mournful wail was heard over the lamented children. 18:10. A transition to the Egyptians. In contrast to the hymn of praise of the Hebrews, “on the opposite side,” that is, from the Egyptians, “a mournful wail was heard over the lamented children,” over the firstborn put to death on the night of the Hebrews’ departure.

Wisdom 18:11. With the same judgment the slave was punished as the master, and the common man suffered the same as the king. Wisdom 18:12. All in general had countless dead, those who died by the same death; and the living were insufficient for burial, since in one moment their most precious generation had been destroyed. Wisdom 18:13. And those who believed in nothing because of magic, upon the destruction of the firstborn, acknowledged that this nation is a son of God. 18:11–13. The tenth plague equally affected all Egyptians without distinction of their social and material standing (Exod 11:5). All were punished “with the same judgment” (verse 11), “all had… dead, those who died by the same death” (verse 12). There was no distinction even in the manner of death. This circumstance, the uniformity of punishment, which equalized all the Egyptians, according to the writer’s thought, especially strongly convinced them that the event they experienced was God’s work and not a human action; therefore the Hebrew nation, for the liberation of which this plague was brought about, “is a son of God” (verse 13, Exod 12:31). “…their most precious generation” – the firstborn, who were valued by ancient peoples more than other children. “…those who believed in nothing because of magic…” An allusion to the circumstance also noted in the book of Exodus (Exod 7:11), that the stubborn refusal to recognize the Hebrews as a nation of Jehovah and to let them go was greatly promoted by Egyptian sorcerers.

Wisdom 18:14. For when all things were encompassed with quiet silence and night in its course had reached the midpoint, Wisdom 18:15. Your almighty word, descending from the royal thrones into the midst of the land of destruction, came down as a fierce warrior. Wisdom 18:16. It bore a sharp sword – your unchangeable command, and standing, filled all things with death; it touched the heaven and walked upon the earth. 18:15–16. Contain a poetic description of the action of Divine omnipotence in the destruction of the Egyptian firstborn. As in other places of our book (Wis 9:1), the image of Divine will manifesting itself in the external world is the word. “Like a fierce warrior” with a sharp sword, it descends from the heavens from the royal thrones into the midst of the land of destruction to fill all things with death. The power of the Divine word over the universe is boundless: “it touched the heaven and walked upon the earth.”

Wisdom 18:17. Then suddenly terrible dreams greatly disturbed them, and unexpected terrors came upon them. Wisdom 18:18. And, being struck down – one here, another there, the half-dead one declared the reason why he was dying. Wisdom 18:19. For the dreams that disturbed them beforehand showed them this, so that they would not perish without knowing why they suffered evil. 18:17–19. The writer reports on a circumstance passed over in silence by the book of Exodus. On the night of the Egyptian firstborn’s destruction, they were troubled by terrible dreams in which the reason for their sad fate was revealed to them. Therefore they died with full knowledge of why they were perishing and spoke of this to those remaining alive. What reason the writer assigns for the terrible punishment that came upon the Egyptians, he does not state here: it is understood to be the same one he spoke of earlier (Wis 18:4), – the oppression of the Hebrews.

Wisdom 18:20. Although the testing of death touched both the righteous and many of them perished in the wilderness, yet this anger did not last long. 18:20–25. In this section the writer, in parallel with the punishment of the Egyptians by the death of their firstborn, gives a similar event from the life of the Hebrews in the wilderness (Num 17:12), in order to show by this example how merciful God was to them. Just as the Egyptians on the memorable night for them, the Hebrews were exposed to the danger of death, but the destruction lasted for a short time; through Aaron’s prayer it ceased. 18:20. “The testing of death touched both the righteous.” This expression shows that the death being sent was only a chastening trial of the Hebrews, not a means of punishment according to Divine judgment.

Wisdom 18:21. For the blameless man hastened to defend them; bringing the weapon of his service, prayer and incense of supplication, he opposed the wrath and put an end to the calamity, showing thereby that he is your servant. 18:21. “…the blameless man hastened to defend them.” The reference is to Aaron, see Num 16:47 verse. The epithet “blameless” is applied to him in the sense that he was free from the sin for which the Hebrews were being punished, and therefore could serve as an intermediary between those who had sinned and God.

Wisdom 18:22. He overcame the destroyer not by the strength of his body and not by the action of arms, but by word he subdued the one punishing, remembering the oaths and covenants of the fathers. 18:22. “By word,” that is, by prayer and remembrance of the promises given to the patriarchs of the Hebrew people, Aaron “overcame the destroyer.” The destroyer is understood to be the Angel of death who was striking down the Hebrews; in verse 25 this destroyer is called by the same word as in the book of Exodus (Exod 12:23) the Angel of death who struck down the Egyptian firstborn is called – ό όλεθρεύων. “Remembering the oaths and covenants of the fathers…” Interceding for the people, Aaron inclined the mercy of God by remembrance of the good promises given to the fathers of the Hebrew people: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Wisdom 18:23. For when the dead were already lying in heaps one upon another, he, standing in the midst, stopped the wrath and cut off its way to the living. 18:23. Cf. Lev 16:48.

Wisdom 18:24. On his robe was the whole world, and the glorious names of the fathers were engraved on the stones in four rows, and the majesty of God on the diadem of his head. Wisdom 18:25. To this the destroyer yielded, and was afraid of it; for one trial of wrath was enough. 18:24–25. Besides his prayer and the offering of incense, Aaron stopped the destruction also through his high priestly garment, which the writer, as it were, ascribes a magical action: “to this the destroyer yielded and was afraid of it.” “On his robe was the whole world.” In this thought, that the high priestly garment was a symbol of the world, one feels a characteristic feature of Alexandrianism, which found symbols of objects of nature and higher ideas in sacred rites and objects. Specifically, the comparison of the high priestly garment to the world we find in Philo – De profug. I, 562; Vita Mos. II, 154. – “The glorious names of the fathers were engraved on the stones in four rows.” The reference is to the breastpiece, on which the names of the twelve patriarchs of the tribes of Israel were engraved (Num 28:15-30). “…and the majesty of God on the diadem of his head.” On the headband of the high priest was attached a gold plate with the inscription: “holiness to the Lord.” Our Telegram channel

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter 19. Fifth comparison: the passage of the Hebrews through the Red Sea and the destruction of the Egyptians in it.

The nineteenth chapter contains a new parallel between the Israelites and the Egyptians. The former miraculously crossed the Red Sea as if on dry land to continue their glorious wandering in the wilderness; the latter found for themselves an extraordinary death in that same sea.

Wisdom 19:1. And over the ungodly, unmerciful wrath continued to the end, for he foresaw their future deeds also. Wisdom 19:2. That they, having allowed them to depart and hastily sent them away, would repent and pursue them. Wisdom 19:3. For while they were still grieving and lamenting over the graves of their dead, they formed another senseless plan, and those whom they had sent away with pleading they pursued as fugitives. 19:1–3. These verses indicate the reason for the final punishment that came upon the Egyptians, their drowning in the Red Sea. After the departure of the Hebrews from Egypt, when the chief guilt of the Egyptians before God, the oppression of his people (Wis 18:4), ceased to exist, God’s wrath continued to weigh upon the Egyptians: “for he foresaw their future deeds.” Namely, that the Egyptians, having freed the Hebrews, even urging them to leave their country more quickly (Exod 12:33), would then repent of this and, as after fugitives, would send a pursuit after them. This “senseless plan” arose among the Egyptians when they “were still grieving and lamenting over graves,” – a circumstance showing that even the fresh feeling of deep sorrow over the dead firstborn could not restrain the selfish calculations and malice of the Egyptians.

Wisdom 19:4. For fate drew them toward that end which they deserved, and it brought about forgetfulness of what had occurred, so that they might complete the punishment that was lacking to their torments. 19:4. It might have seemed inexplicable how the Egyptians, after all the plagues and not yet finished mourning the stricken firstborn, could again begin pursuing the Hebrews. In explanation of this, the writer says: “Fate drew them toward that end… it brought about forgetfulness of what had occurred.” Undoubtedly, here is expressed the same thought as in the corresponding place in the book of Exodus: “God hardened the heart of Pharaoh” (Exod 14:4); only this thought about God’s hardening of the hearts of the Egyptians, as the immediate cause of the resumption of the pursuit of the Hebrews, the writer expresses in the language of Greek philosophy: ανάγκη εΐλχε, “fate drew.” As in the one way, so in the other method of expression, equally the thought is admitted that divinity acts upon human will with the presupposition of the relative freedom of that will. Only with this latter presupposition could one say that the Egyptians “deserved” the fate that came upon them, could one place upon them responsibility and indicate the aim of the final calamity in that “so that they might complete the punishment that was lacking to their torments.” Thus the expression “fate drew,” completely foreign to biblical language, expresses however a biblical thought.

Wisdom 19:5. And so that your people might accomplish a glorious journey, while they found for themselves an extraordinary death. Wisdom 19:6. For all creation was once again transformed in its nature from above, obeying your special commands, so that your children might be preserved unharmed. 19:6. Having pointed out in the preceding verse that the pursuit of the Hebrews led to the fact that “your people might accomplish a glorious journey” (verse 5), meaning the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea, the writer now focuses attention on this miracle and defines its essence. “…All creation was once again transformed in its nature from above, obeying your special commands…” In these words the writer gives a stricter understanding of miracle than in chapter 16, verse 24. There he spoke only of a change in the degree of action of the forces of nature (the “quickening” and “quieting” of nature); here he speaks of a transformation of nature in its essential properties (“creation… in its nature”). This transformation he places in parallel with a new creation (“once again transformed from above”) and by this expresses the thought that the immediate action of Divine will in miracle is just as necessary as in the creative act.

Wisdom 19:7. A cloud appeared overshadowing the camp, and where water had previously stood, dry ground was revealed; from the Red Sea a way with no obstacles appeared, and from the wild abyss a green valley. Wisdom 19:8. Covered by your hand, they passed through it as one nation, seeing divine wonders. 19:7–8. Description of the miracle of the Hebrews’ crossing of the Red Sea.

Wisdom 19:9. They grazed like horses and leaped like lambs, praising you, Lord, their Deliverer. Wisdom 19:10. For they still remembered what had happened during their stay there: how the earth, instead of producing other animals, brought forth gnats, and the river, instead of fish, spewed forth a multitude of frogs. 19:9–10. Filled with joy after crossing the Red Sea, the Hebrews are compared to horses leaping and lambs grazing at liberty (similar comparison: Ps 113:6). This feeling of joy, besides the miracle just occurred, was aroused also by memories of events in Egypt (Exod 7:26-28).

Wisdom 19:11. And later they saw a new kind of bird when, impelled by desire, they asked for food to please their taste. 19:11. Cf. Wis 16:2. The mention of quails the writer made only to show that the joy of the Hebrews was firm. It was not only aroused by the present event and nourished by memories of the past, but was also supported by manifestations of God’s help in the future. One may suppose that the writer intentionally strengthens the thought of the welfare of the Hebrews in order to obtain a stronger contrast with the Egyptians, to whose punishment he then turns.

Wisdom 19:12. For in consolation for them, quails flew up from the sea, and punishments came upon the sinners not without signs attending them, caused by lightning. They justly suffered for their own malice. 19:12. From verse twelve the writer turns to the Egyptians, calling them simply “sinners” who “were punished not without signs attending them, caused by lightning.” These words refer to the drowning of the Egyptians in the Red Sea and correspond to Exod 14:24-25 verse. A similar description of the crossing of the Red Sea with thunder and lightning we find in other places in Holy Scripture: for example, Ps 76:18-21.

Wisdom 19:13. For they harbored a greater hatred against foreigners: some did not receive unknown travelers, but these enslaved beneficent aliens. Wisdom 19:14. And not only this, but there will yet be judgment upon them because they received foreigners with hostility. Wisdom 19:15. With joy they received them, and, having granted them equal rights, later oppressed them with terrible labors. Wisdom 19:16. Therefore they were struck with blindness, like those once at the door of the righteous one, when, enveloped in dense darkness, they sought each one the entrance to his door. 19:13–16. The writer compares the conduct of the Egyptians toward the Hebrews with that found in the Bible (Gen 19 chapter) of the inhabitants of the city of Sodom toward foreigners. The comparison is not in favor of the Egyptians, and a fearful judgment is announced to them in the future. The Sodomites refused to receive strangers whom they did not know at all; the Egyptians showed a greater hatred toward foreigners: they enslaved those who came to them, whom they were familiar with as people of virtue (that is, the Hebrews). The first displayed simply hostility, while the second also displayed treachery: having received the Hebrews with joy and granted them rights, they later began to oppress them with labor. Therefore the Egyptians were punished like the Sodomites: “they were struck with blindness, like those once at the door of the righteous one” (that is, Lot, see Gen 19). By blindness the Egyptians means either the three-day darkness (Wis 17:2), or that, as if blinded, they saw no imminent danger and rushed after the Hebrews along the sea floor. But this was not the last punishment of the Egyptians: “there will yet be judgment upon them.” Here the writer probably expresses his messianic expectation that the Hebrews will judge all nations (cf. Wis 3:8).

Wisdom 19:17. The very elements changed their natures, as the sounds in a harp change their character while remaining the same notes; this can be discerned by careful observation of what happened. 19:17–21. In this final section of chapter 19, the writer once again returns to meditation on the miraculous intervention of God in the course of events at the time of the Hebrews’ liberation from slavery and concludes the book with praise to Jehovah, who magnified his people. 19:17. The mention of miracle in verse 17 gives the writer the occasion again (as in verse 6) to express his profound metaphysical view on the nature of miracle. “Through careful observation of what happened,” that is, the miracles that occurred, “one can discern,” he says, that in a miracle “the very elements changed their natures, as the sounds in a harp change their character while remaining the same notes.” The writer calls elements those considered at that time as the primary simple substances of the world or elements: water, earth, fire, and air. The miracle is expressed in the fact that the properties and actions of the elements change, yet their essence remains one and the same. In the following verses 18–20, the writer indicated examples of such change.

Wisdom 19:18. For land animals transformed into water creatures, and creatures that swim in water came out onto land. 19:18. The meaning of the verse by itself is clear. Difficulty only appears in identifying which events the writer had in mind when he said that “land animals transformed into water creatures and creatures that swim in water came out onto land.” By the more probable opinion, the first half of the verse refers to the Hebrews when, with their herds of cattle, they crossed the Red Sea floor, and water stood as walls on both sides; the other half refers to the second plague, the appearance on land of a large quantity of frogs from the waters. Of course, strictly speaking, in neither of the indicated cases was there a transformation of land animals into water creatures and vice versa, but this does not prove that the writer did not have these events in mind. In the latter part of his book this is not the only example of when he sacrifices historical accuracy in order to carry out a certain idea.

Wisdom 19:19. Fire in water retained its power, and water lost its extinguishing property. Wisdom 19:20. Conversely, flame did not harm the bodies of perishable creatures roaming about, and did not melt the heavenly food of easy-meltable snow-like substance. Wisdom 19:21. Thus, Lord, you in all things magnified and glorified your people, and did not abandon them, but were present with them at all times and in all places. 19:19–21. Cf. Wis 16:17-23. Lecturer at the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary, candidate of theology, P. S. Tychinin.

The Wisdom of Sirach

Introduction

Preface

The Book of the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach was written after the closure of the Hebrew canon of the sacred books of the Old Testament, belongs to a person without divine inspiration, and is numbered among the non-canonical books of the Old Testament.

In Greek biblical texts: the Alexandrian, Sinai, and Ephrem the Syrian, it is inscribed as: “The Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach,” which designation passed also into our Slavonic and Russian translations. In the Vatican manuscript: “The Wisdom of Sirach.” In the Vulgate: “Ecclesiasticus.” The designations: “The Wisdom of Jesus, son of Sirach” and “The Wisdom of Sirach” point to the author of the book (L:29; LII), while “Ecclesiasticus” refers to its ecclesiastical and instructional character.

In distinction from other non-canonical books, whose authors remained unknown, the author of this book names himself as Jerusalem-born Jesus, son of a certain Sirach (L:29; LII). From the text of the book it is evident that this was a man, for his time very learned,—especially theologically,—who possessed practical experience, traveled widely and studied the ways of men.

The time of the book’s origin cannot be established with indisputable precision. On the basis of the content of chapter L one may surmise that the author of the book was a contemporary of the Jewish high priest Simon the First, called the Righteous and living under Ptolemy I Lagus, around 290 BC. The author’s grandson and translator of his book from Hebrew into Greek lived, it is believed, under Euergetes I, who ruled around 247 BC, and made his translation of the book around 230 BC (see the prologue of the book before the Greek and Slavonic text).

The content of the Book of the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach consists of teaching about divine wisdom in its manifestations in the world and in man, and concerning God-given human wisdom applied to the various circumstances and cases of human life.

Independently of the non-canonical origin of the book, the general content of the latter has long been considered deeply instructive for those who seek lessons of wisdom and piety. The Fathers of the Church frequently used the expressions of the wise son of Sirach as confirmation of their instructional thoughts. In the 85th apostolic canon young men are advised to study “The Wisdom of the highly learned Sirach.” In the 39th Paschal epistle of St. Athanasius of Alexandria, the Book of the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach is appointed for instructional reading to the catechumens. St. John of Damascus calls it a “beautiful and very useful” book.

The first complete commentary on the Book of the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach was composed by Rabanus Maurus. Then, in the 16th century, works by Jansen appear; in the 17th—by Cornelius and Lapide. Among the more recent scholars who have labored over the interpretation of the book are: Horowitz, Lesêtre, Keel, Multon, Knabenbauer, Lévi. On the treatment of the discovered fragments of the Hebrew text of the book: Halevy, Smend, Touzard, König, Strack, Peters. From Russian works one may cite: the exegetical monograph by an unknown author “The Book of the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach in the Russian translation with brief explanations.” St. Petersburg, 1860, and the article of Professor Rozhdestvensky “The Newly Discovered Hebrew Text of the Book of Jesus son of Sirach and Its Significance for Biblical Science.” St. Petersburg, 1903.

Detailed preliminary information about the Book of the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach is contained in the work of Professor P. A. Yungerov of the Kazan Theological Academy: “A Detailed Historical and Critical Introduction to the Sacred Books of the Old Testament. Second volume.” The Prophetic and Non-canonical Books. Kazan, 1907, pp. 227–239.

Chapter One

All wisdom is from the Lord. The root of wisdom is to fear the Lord; its branches are long life.

Sirach 1:1. All wisdom is from the Lord and remains with Him forever. 1. The boundless wisdom perceived in the ordering of the world and man has as its source the eternally living God, the Creator of the world and man.

Sirach 1:2. Who can count the sand of the sea, the drops of rain, and the days of eternity? Sirach 1:3. Who will measure the height of heaven and the breadth of the earth, and the abyss, and wisdom? 2–3. All the breadth of Divine Wisdom, which the Creator has placed in His creations, is not accessible to the knowledge of any of the created beings.

Sirach 1:4. Wisdom was created before all things, and understanding of wisdom from of old. Sirach 1:5. The source of wisdom is the word of God the Most High, and its path is the eternal commandments. 4–5. In contrast to creation, which received its being in time,—the Wisdom of the Lord, which created the world, is primordial and remains forever.

Sirach 1:6. To whom is the root of wisdom revealed? And who has known her skill? Sirach 1:7. One alone is wise, very terrible, sitting on His throne, the Lord. Sirach 1:8. He created her and saw and measured her Sirach 1:9. and poured her out upon all His works 6–9. See the note to verses 2–3.

Sirach 1:10. and upon all flesh according to His gift, and especially bestowed her upon those who love Him. 10. If all creation indeed testifies to the Wisdom of its Creator, then much more does the rational man testify to it,—a man who loves his Creator and strives in his life to become like Him.

Sirach 1:11. The fear of the Lord is glory and honor, and gladness and a crown of joy. Sirach 1:12. The fear of the Lord delights the heart and gives gladness and joy and lengthens days. Sirach 1:13. It will go well with him that fears the Lord in the end, and in the day of his death he shall be blessed. The fear of the Lord is a gift from the Lord and sets one on the paths of love. 11–13. Rational fear of the Lord, which inspires a man to revere and keep the will of the Lord, earns man the favor of God, and becomes for him a source of true well-being throughout his life.

Sirach 1:14. Love of the Lord is glorious wisdom, and to those He favors He grants a share of it according to His will. Sirach 1:15. The beginning of wisdom is to fear God, and she is formed together with the faithful in the womb. She has established an eternal foundation among men and will be entrusted to their seed. 13–15. Reverence before the Creator and the striving to fulfill His will in acts of love toward God and neighbor—is an innate gift from above to man; and, like every other gift, it can either be suppressed within himself by man, or, with divine help, be developed and perfected.

Sirach 1:16. The fullness of wisdom is to fear the Lord; she satisfies them with her fruits: Sirach 1:17. she fills their whole house with all they desire, and her storehouses with her produce. Sirach 1:18. A crown of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, which produces peace and good health; both of these are the gifts of God, who spreads glory over those who love Him. Sirach 1:19. He saw her and measured her, poured out wisdom like rain and knowledge of understanding, and exalted the glory of those who possess her. Sirach 1:20. The root of wisdom is to fear the Lord, and her branches are long life. 16–20. See the note to verses 11–13.

Sirach 1:21. The fear of the Lord drives away sins; he who lacks fear cannot be justified. 21. Reverent fear of the Lord preserves man from violating God’s will. And if, due to human weakness, he has sinned, then, by the goodness of God, he may be pardoned, in consideration of his prevailing soul’s disposition. A man, however, without fear of God, is defenseless before sin and punishment for sin.

Sirach 1:22. Unjust anger cannot be justified, for the very motion of anger is a fall for man. 22. Unjust anger of man is condemned,—not only when expressed outwardly, but also when not expressed. Both are degrading to the one who is angry and offensive to him toward whom the unjust anger is directed.

Sirach 1:23. A patient man will endure until a time, and afterward joy will be his reward. Sirach 1:24. Until a time he will hide his words, and the lips of many will speak of his good sense. 23–24. There are circumstances when prudence requires a man to refrain for a time, even from justified indignation,—if that indignation is inopportune or unprofitable. Later the one who refrained will himself understand and appreciate his self-restraint, and others will also approve him for it.

Sirach 1:25. In the treasuries of wisdom are the parables of understanding, but a sinner hates the fear of the Lord. Sirach 1:26. If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord will give it to you, Sirach 1:27. for wisdom and knowledge are the fear of the Lord, and faith and meekness are acceptable to Him. 25–27. True wisdom for man is the same as piety,—that is, knowledge of the good and perfect will of God, expressed in the commandments of the Lord, and the following of these commandments in one’s life. An impious man, rejecting the commands of God’s law, is at the same time an unwise man, who has separated himself not only from God, but also from his own well-being.

Sirach 1:28. Do not be unbelieving in the fear of the Lord and do not approach Him with a divided heart. 28. A man’s reverent fear of God is fully salvific only when it is not weakened by the waverings of unbelief or little faith. A man who wavers in his choice between God and mammon is not a dependable traveler on the paths of virtue.

Sirach 1:29. Do not be a hypocrite before the faces of others and be attentive to your own lips. Sirach 1:30. Do not exalt yourself, lest you fall and bring shame upon your soul, for the Lord will reveal your secrets and bring you low in the midst of the assembly, because you did not come in sincerity to the fear of the Lord, and your heart is full of deceit. 30. While not truly a man fearing God and pious, do not try to be known as such among men, for the Lord, who knows hearts, knows your soul’s weakness and will punish you for your pride by bringing you low.

Chapter Two

If you approach to serve the Lord God—prepare your soul for trials, as great as His is His mercy.

Sirach 2:1. My son! If you approach to serve the Lord God, prepare yourself for temptation: Sirach 2:2. Set your heart right and be steadfast, and do not be dismayed in time of visitation; Sirach 2:3. Cleave to Him and do not depart, so that you may be exalted at the end. Sirach 2:4. Whatever happens to you, accept it willingly, and in the changes of your humiliation be patient, Sirach 2:5. for gold is tested in fire, and those who are pleasing to God are tested in the crucible of humiliation. 1–5. One who has decided to walk the path of virtue should not be dismayed by the obstacles he encounters on this path, knowing that these obstacles, by God’s permission, serve to test his faith and strengthen his virtue.

Sirach 2:6. Trust in Him, and He will help you; straighten your paths and hope in Him. Sirach 2:7. You who fear the Lord! Wait for His mercy and do not turn away from Him, so that you do not fall. Sirach 2:8. You who fear the Lord! Believe in Him, and your reward will not be lost. Sirach 2:9. You who fear the Lord! Hope for what is good, for everlasting joy and mercy. Sirach 2:10. Look upon the generations of old and see: who trusted in the Lord and was confounded? Or who ever remained in His fear and was abandoned? Or who ever called upon Him and was despised by Him? Sirach 2:11. For the Lord is compassionate and merciful, and forgives sins and saves in times of distress. Sirach 2:12. Woe to fearful hearts and feeble hands and the sinner who walks in two ways! Sirach 2:13. Woe to the faint-hearted! For they do not believe, and therefore will not be protected. 12–13. See the note to verse 28 of chapter I.

Sirach 2:14. Woe to you who have lost patience! What will you do when the Lord visits you? 14. See the note to verses 1–5.

Sirach 2:15. Those who fear the Lord will not disbelieve His words, and those who love Him will keep His ways. 15. His ways,—that is, the laws of the Lord.

Sirach 2:16. Those who fear the Lord will seek His favor, and those who love Him will be satisfied with the law. 16. Satisfied with the law,—that is, they will nourish their souls by the fulfillment of the good and perfect will of God, expressed in God’s law.

Sirach 2:17. Those who fear the Lord will prepare their hearts and humble their souls before Him, saying: Sirach 2:18. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord and not into the hands of men; for as His greatness is, so also is His mercy. 18. To fall into the hands of God is not the same as to fall into the hands of men. If the Lord visits a man with some trial, He will also have mercy on the faithful one, for God’s mercy is as great as His incomprehensible greatness.

Chapter Three

Honor your father and mother in deed and word, so that blessing may come to you from them. Be meek, act with careful wisdom in your dealings, and be merciful toward those in need of mercy.

Sirach 3:1. Children, listen to me, your father, and act so that you may be saved, 1. Be saved,—that is, earn God’s favor in the eyes of God and men.

Sirach 3:2. for the Lord has exalted the father over the children and established the judgment of the mother over the sons. 2. The power of parents over children is sanctified by God’s law.

Sirach 3:3. He who honors his father will atone for his sins, Sirach 3:4. and he who respects his mother is as one who lays up treasures. Sirach 3:5. He who honors his father will find joy in his children, and when he prays, he will be heard. Sirach 3:6. He who respects his father will have long life, and he who obeys the Lord will care for his mother. Sirach 3:7. He who fears the Lord will honor his father, and will serve his parents as masters. Sirach 3:8. Honor your father and mother in deed and word, so that a blessing may come upon you from them, Sirach 3:9. for the blessing of a father establishes the houses of the children, but the curse of a mother tears down the foundations. Sirach 3:10. Do not seek glory in the disgrace of your father, for that is not glory for you, the disgrace of your father. Sirach 3:11. For a man’s glory comes from the honor of his father, and it is a shame to children when the mother is in disgrace. Sirach 3:12. My son! Care for your father in his old age and do not grieve him in his lifetime. Sirach 3:13. Even if his mind is failing, show compassion, and do not despise him when you are at full strength, Sirach 3:14. for kindness to your father will not be forgotten; it will be credited to you as atonement for your sins. Sirach 3:15. In the day of your affliction it will be remembered of you: as the frost melts before warmth, so will your sins be dissolved. Sirach 3:16. He who forsakes his father is like a blasphemer, and he is cursed by the Lord who angers his mother. 3–16. One who shows disrespect to his parents is a violator of natural laws and divine commandments, and therefore bears a twofold punishment. But he who honors his parents attracts upon himself God’s mercy and blessing.

Sirach 3:17. My son! Conduct your affairs with gentleness, and you will be loved by a person pleasing to God. Sirach 3:18. The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself, and you will find favor with the Lord. Sirach 3:19. Many are the lofty and the glorious, but the mysteries are revealed to the meek, 19. True knowledge of God and understanding of His good and perfect will are most accessible to those who are meek and humble, whose consciousness and feeling are not obscured from God by their pride and self-exaltation Matt 5:3.

Sirach 3:20. for great is the power of the Lord, and He is glorified by the humble. 20. Compare Matt 5:16.

Sirach 3:21. Do not seek out things that are too difficult for you, nor investigate things beyond your strength. Sirach 3:22. What has been commanded you, on that reflect; for you have no need of what is hidden. 22. Compare verse 21.

Sirach 3:23. In many of your undertakings, do not be concerned about the superfluous: for much of human knowledge has been opened to you; Sirach 3:24. for many have been led astray by their own suppositions, and evil imaginings have shaken their mind. Sirach 3:25. He who loves danger will fall into it; Sirach 3:26. a stubborn heart will suffer evil at the last: Sirach 3:27. a stubborn heart will be heavy with sorrows, and the sinner will add sins to sins. Sirach 3:28. Trials are not healing for the proud, for an evil plant has taken root in him. Sirach 3:29. A wise heart will ponder the parable, and an attentive ear is the desire of the wise. 29. A wise man is attentive to useful teachings.

Sirach 3:30. Water will quench a blazing fire, and almsgiving will atone for sins. Sirach 3:31. He who repays a kindness is mindful of the future, and in the time of his fall he will find support. 30–31. Compare Tob 12:8-9; Matt 5:7.

Chapter Four

Do not wear out the eyes of those in need by making them wait. In society, try to be pleasant; before those of higher station, be respectful. In everything, obey the precepts of wisdom, and the Lord will bless you. Love truth and strive for it until death.

Sirach 4:1. My child, do not withhold sustenance from the poor, and do not exhaust the eyes of the needy by making them wait; Sirach 4:2. do not sadden the soul of the hungry, and do not frustrate a person in their need; Sirach 4:3. do not trouble the heart of one already grieved, and do not delay giving to the needy; Sirach 4:4. do not refuse the oppressed when they plead for help, and do not turn your face from the poor; Sirach 4:5. do not turn your eyes from the one who asks, and do not give a person reason to curse you; Sirach 4:6. for when in the bitterness of their soul they curse you, the One who made them will hear their prayer. Sirach 4:7. In a gathering, try to be pleasant, and bow your head before those of higher station; Sirach 4:8. incline your ear to the poor, and answer them gently and with kindness; Sirach 4:9. rescue the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor, and do not be faint-hearted when you judge; Sirach 4:10. be a father to orphans, and in place of their husband help their mother: 10. In place of their husband, that is, as protector and provider.

Sirach 4:11. and you shall be like a son of the Most High, and He will love you more than your mother loves you. 11. See Matt 5:42-48.

Sirach 4:12. Wisdom exalts her sons and supports those who seek her: Sirach 4:13. the one who loves her loves life, and those who seek her from early morning will be filled with joy: 13. Wisdom is a faithful guide to a godly, happy, and long life.

Sirach 4:14. whoever possesses her will inherit glory, and wherever he goes the Lord will bless him; Sirach 4:15. those who serve her serve the Holy One, and those who love her the Lord loves; Sirach 4:16. the one who listens to her will judge the peoples, and the one who heeds her will dwell in safety; 16. A wise person can successfully serve their neighbors as their judge, counselor, and guide.

Sirach 4:17. whoever trusts in her will possess her, and their children will inherit her: Sirach 4:18. for at first she will walk with him on crooked paths, and will bring fear and dread upon him Sirach 4:19. and will torment him with her discipline until she gains confidence in his heart and he has tested her statutes; Sirach 4:20. but afterward she will come to him on the straight path and bring him joy Sirach 4:21. and will reveal her secrets to him. 18–21. The path to acquiring wisdom and becoming established in it is difficult and requires from a person great efforts of mind, will, and heart. But the consequences of assimilating wisdom are even more beneficial for him.

Sirach 4:22. If he turns aside from the path, she abandons him and delivers him into the hand of his ruin. 22. Wisdom shuns and punishes with misfortunes the one who stubbornly turns away from the counsels of wisdom.

Sirach 4:23. Watch the time and guard yourself from evil – Sirach 4:24. and you will not be ashamed in your soul: Sirach 4:25. there is a shame that leads to sin, and there is a shame that is glory and grace. 25. Shame that leads to sin is false shame, which prevents a cowardly person from being openly pious and causes them sometimes to commit impious acts instead of pious ones. Such shame is dangerous and disgraceful. Another shame is beneficial to a person – shame not before a sinful person, but before the righteous God; shame that prevents a person from committing any deviation from what they understand to be the will of God. Such shame is the glory of a person and earns them the grace of the Lord God.

Sirach 4:26. Do not be partial against your own soul, and do not be ashamed to your own detriment. Sirach 4:27. Do not withhold a word when it can help: Sirach 4:28. for wisdom is recognized in words, and knowledge is shown in the speech of the tongue. Sirach 4:29. Do not contradict the truth, and be ashamed of your ignorance. Sirach 4:30. Do not be ashamed to confess your sins, and do not resist the flow of the river. 30. The acknowledgment and confession of one’s sins is as natural and beneficial for a person as the flow of river waters is natural and beneficial.

Sirach 4:31. Do not submit to a foolish person, and do not look up to the powerful. 31. Relates to verse 32.

Sirach 4:32. Strive for the truth until death, and the Lord God will fight for you. Sirach 4:33. Do not be quick with your tongue, and be neither lazy nor negligent in your deeds. Sirach 4:34. Do not be like a lion in your house, and do not be suspicious of those in your household. Sirach 4:35. Let not your hand be open to receive and closed when you give. 35. See Sir 1-11 verse; Acts 20:35.

Chapter Five

Do not rely too much on your possessions. Do not follow the vile desires of your soul. Do not be deceived by your temporary impunity. Be firm in your righteous convictions.

Sirach 5:1. Do not rely on your possessions, and do not say, “They will secure my life.” 1. Earthly possessions acquired by a person are changeable and do not in themselves ensure their possessor’s well-being. Today’s rich man can become a poor man tomorrow.

Sirach 5:2. Do not follow the desire of your soul and your strength, so as to walk in the passions of your heart, Sirach 5:3. and do not say, “Who has authority over my deeds?” for the Lord will surely take vengeance for your audacity. Sirach 5:4. Do not say, “I have sinned, and what has come to me?” for the Lord is patient. Sirach 5:5. At the thought of making atonement, do not be fearless, so as not to add sin to sins Sirach 5:6. and do not say, “His mercy is great; He will forgive my many sins”; Sirach 5:7. for with Him there is both mercy and wrath, and His wrath rests upon sinners. Sirach 5:8. Do not delay in turning to the Lord, and do not put off from day to day: Sirach 5:9. for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come upon you, and you will perish at the time of His vengeance. Sirach 5:10. Do not rely on unrighteous possessions, for they will not profit you on the day of visitation. 10. Unrighteous possessions – riches acquired through violation of righteousness – will not save the sinner on the day when the Lord visits him.

Sirach 5:11. Do not blow about with every wind, and do not walk on every path: such is the way of a double-tongued sinner. 11. Relates to verse 12.

Sirach 5:12. Be firm in your conviction, and let your word be one. Sirach 5:13. Be quick to listen, and give your answer thoughtfully. Sirach 5:14. If you have knowledge, answer your neighbor; if not, let your hand be on your lips. Sirach 5:15. In speech there is both glory and shame, and the tongue of a person becomes a falling block for him. 15. Intelligent and pious speech is glory to the speaker; foolish and impious speech is shame and ruin to him.

Sirach 5:16. Do not become known as a gossip, and do not plot with your tongue: Sirach 5:17. for shame rests on the thief, and evil condemnation on the double-tongued. Sirach 5:18. Do not be foolish in anything, whether great or small.

Chapter Six

Be faithful in friendship. Do not exalt yourself. Keep away from your enemies and be cautious with your friends. From your youth devote yourself to learning, and you will find wisdom until your old age.

Sirach 6:1. Do not become an enemy out of friendship, for the wicked person obtains a bad name as their lot, shame and disgrace; so too does the double-tongued sinner. Sirach 6:2. Do not exalt yourself in the thoughts of your soul, lest your soul be torn apart like an ox: Sirach 6:3. you will destroy your leaves and ruin your fruits, and you will remain like a dried-out tree. Sirach 6:4. A wicked soul will destroy its master and make him a mockery of his enemies. 2–4. A person who takes pride in their real or imagined virtues exposes themselves to constant danger of being exposed and humiliated.

Sirach 6:5. Sweet lips will multiply friends, and a kind tongue will increase friendship. 5. Gentle treatment and good speech help one to live in peace.

Sirach 6:6. Let those who live in peace with you be many, but let your counselor be one in a thousand. 6. Not everyone who is favorably disposed toward you will be willing or able to be a faithful and wise guide and counselor for you.

Sirach 6:7. If you wish to acquire a friend, acquire him after testing, and do not quickly trust him. Sirach 6:8. There is a friend who is a friend only at a time when he needs you, and will not stand with you in your day of sorrow; Sirach 6:9. and there is a friend who changes into an enemy and will reveal a quarrel to your shame. Sirach 6:10. There is a friend who shares your table, and will not stand with you in your day of sorrow. Sirach 6:11. In your wealth he will be like yourself, and will deal boldly with your household; Sirach 6:12. but if you are humbled, he will be against you and will hide from your face. Sirach 6:13. Keep away from your enemies and be cautious with your friends. Sirach 6:14. A faithful friend is a strong protection: whoever has found him has found a treasure. Sirach 6:15. A faithful friend is beyond price, and there is no measure for his goodness. Sirach 6:16. A faithful friend is a healing medicine for life, and those who fear the Lord will find him. 16. Compare verse 17. A faithful friend will counsel and insist for your good.

Sirach 6:17. The one who fears the Lord orders his friendship rightly, that just as he is, so his friend becomes like him. Sirach 6:18. My son! From your youth devote yourself to learning, and you will find wisdom until your old age. Sirach 6:19. Come to her as one who plows and sows, and wait for her good fruits: Sirach 6:20. for you will toil only a short time in tilling her, and soon you will eat her fruits. Sirach 6:21. For to the ignorant she is very harsh, and the fool will not remain with her: Sirach 6:22. she will be upon him like a heavy stone of testing, and he will not delay in throwing her off. Sirach 6:23. Wisdom is in accordance with her name, and she is not revealed to many. Sirach 6:24. Hear, my son, and accept my opinion, and do not reject my counsel. Sirach 6:25. Put her fetters on your feet and her chain on your neck. Sirach 6:26. Bend your shoulder and carry her, and do not be vexed by her chains. Sirach 6:27. Draw near to her with all your soul, and keep her ways with all your strength. Sirach 6:28. Search her and seek, and she will be known to you; and once you have taken possession of her, do not abandon her; Sirach 6:29. for in the end you will find rest in her, and she will become joy for you. Sirach 6:30. Her fetters will be a strong protection for you, and her chains will be a glorious garment; Sirach 6:31. for upon her is golden ornament, and her bonds are threads of blue. Sirach 6:32. You will be clothed with her as with a garment of glory, and you will place her on yourself as a crown of joy. Sirach 6:33. My son! If you desire her, you will learn, and if you devote yourself to her with your soul, you will be capable of all things. Sirach 6:34. If you listen to her with love, you will understand her, and if you incline your ear, you will become wise. Sirach 6:35. Stand in the assembly of the elders, and whoever is wise, cling to him; love to listen to every sacred story, and do not let wise sayings escape you. Sirach 6:36. If you see a wise person, visit him from early morning, and let your foot wear out the thresholds of his doors. Sirach 6:37. Meditate on the commandments of the Lord and always study his precepts: He will strengthen your heart, and the desire for wisdom will be given to you. 18–37. Do not falter in acquiring wisdom. True wisdom and its blessings are given only to one who desires them and persistently strives for them, paying no attention to labors, deprivations, and obstacles that lie on the path to achieving them.

Chapter Seven

Do not do evil, and evil will not overtake you. Do not seek exaltation. Do not multiply your sins. Be merciful. Do not bear false witness; do not speak idly. Labor. Be faithful to friendship. Respect and value a wise and good wife; do not mistreat a hard-working servant; care for your livestock; be concerned with the education of your children; honor your father and mother. Love your Creator with all your strength and do not abandon his servants. Always remember your end, and you will never sin forever.

Sirach 7:1. Do not do evil, and evil will not overtake you; Sirach 7:2. keep away from injustice, and it will turn away from you. Sirach 7:3. My son! do not sow on the furrows of injustice, and you will not reap from them seven times more. Sirach 7:4. Do not ask the Lord for power, and do not ask the king for an honored place. Sirach 7:5. Do not justify yourself before the Lord, and do not display wisdom before the king. Sirach 7:6. Do not desire to become a judge, so that you might not have the power to overturn injustice, so that you might not fear the face of the strong at some point and not place a shadow on your integrity. Sirach 7:7. Do not sin against the community of the city, and do not demean yourself before the people. Sirach 7:8. Do not add sin to sin, for even for one you will not go unpunished. Sirach 7:9. Do not say: “He will regard the multitude of my gifts, and when I bring them to God the Most High, He will accept them.” 9. External worship not united with the internal does not have full meaning in the sight of the Lord. With external sacrifices offered on external altars, there must be united internal sacrifices of love for God and neighbor, offered by a person on the altar of his heart. Compare Ps 50:19; Isa 1.

Sirach 7:10. Do not lose heart in your prayer, and do not neglect to give alms. Sirach 7:11. Do not mock a person in the bitterness of his soul; for there is one who humbles and one who exalts. Sirach 7:12. Do not devise lies against your brother, and do not do the same against a friend. Sirach 7:13. Do not desire to speak any kind of lie; for the repetition of it will not serve for good. Sirach 7:14. Do not be very talkative before an assembly of elders, and do not repeat your words in your petition. 14. Do not be tedious and talkative.

Sirach 7:15. Do not turn away from difficult work and from agriculture, which was appointed by the Most High. Sirach 7:16. Do not associate with a multitude of sinners. Sirach 7:17. Deeply humble your soul. Sirach 7:18. Remember that wrath will not delay, Sirach 7:19. that the punishment of the ungodly is fire and worm. Sirach 7:20. Do not exchange a friend for treasure, and a brother of the same blood for the gold of Ophir. Sirach 7:21. Do not abandon a wise and good wife, for her worth is more precious than gold. Sirach 7:22. Do not mistreat a slave who labors diligently, nor a hired servant devoted to you with his whole heart. Sirach 7:23. Let your soul love a wise slave, and do not refuse him his freedom. Sirach 7:24. Do you have livestock? care for it, and if it is profitable for you, let it remain with you. Sirach 7:25. Do you have sons? teach them, and from childhood bend their necks. 25. Compare Sir 30:12.

Sirach 7:26. Do you have daughters? have care for their bodily health and do not show them a cheerful face. 26. Have care for their bodily health, that is, for their physical health and safety. And do not show them a cheerful face, that is, conduct yourself with them in such a way as not to lose your parental authority in their eyes.

Sirach 7:27. Marry off your daughter, and you will do a great deed, and give her to a wise husband. Sirach 7:28. Do you have a wife to your liking? do not send her away. Sirach 7:29. Honor your father with all your heart, and do not forget the birth pangs of your mother. Sirach 7:30. Remember that you were born of them: and what can you repay them, as they have repaid you? Sirach 7:31. Revere the Lord with all your soul, and respect his priests. Sirach 7:32. Love your Creator with all your strength, and do not abandon his servants. Sirach 7:33. Fear the Lord, and honor the priest, and give him his portion, as it has been commanded you: Sirach 7:34. the first fruits, and the offering for sin, and the shoulder piece, and the offering of sanctification, and the first fruits of the holy things. 34. These are sacrificial offerings made by the Hebrews for the benefit of the priests and Levites, in accordance with the requirements of the Law of Moses (see the notes to the book of Leviticus).

Sirach 7:35. And extend your hand to the poor, so that your blessing may be complete. Sirach 7:36. Let mercy in giving be for every living creature, and do not deprive the dead of mercy. Sirach 7:37. Do not abstain from those who weep, and grieve with those who grieve. Sirach 7:38. Do not be lazy in visiting the sick, for by this you will be loved. Sirach 7:39. In all your works remember your end, and you will never sin forever. 39. Remembrance of death and the coming retribution should serve for a person as a constant warning against sinful indulgences.

Chapter Eight

Avoid quarrels with someone stronger than you. Do not engage in dispute with a bold person. Do not jest with the uneducated. Do not scorn the weak and the elderly. Do not take malicious pleasure in anyone’s misfortune. Learn from the wise. Be cautious in all your dealings.

Sirach 8:1. Do not quarrel with a powerful man, so that you may not fall into his hands. Sirach 8:2. Do not start a lawsuit with a rich man, so that he may not have the advantage over you; Sirach 8:3. for gold has destroyed many, and has swayed the hearts of kings. Sirach 8:4. Do not dispute with a man bold of tongue, and do not add fuel to his fire. Sirach 8:5. Do not jest with the uneducated, so that your ancestors may not be disgraced. Sirach 8:6. Do not reproach a man who is turning away from sin; remember that we are all under judgment. 6. Compare 2 Chr 6:36; John 8:7; 2 Cor 2:7; Gal 6:1. Remembering your own sinful weakness and responsibility before the judgment of God, you should not despise the sinner, but help him as much as possible in the matter of moral improvement.

Sirach 8:7. Do not despise a man in his old age, for we ourselves also grow old. Sirach 8:8. Do not rejoice in the death of anyone, even if he were your greatest enemy: remember that we all must die. Sirach 8:9. Do not despise the counsel of the wise and study their sayings; Sirach 8:10. for from them you will learn knowledge and how to serve the powerful. Sirach 8:11. Do not turn away from the counsel of the elderly, for they learned from their fathers; Sirach 8:12. and you will learn from them prudence and how to give a fitting answer when there is need. Sirach 8:13. Do not kindle the coals of the sinner, so that you may not be burned by the flame of his fire; Sirach 8:14. and do not rise up against an insolent man, so that he may not lay an ambush for you in his words. Sirach 8:15. Do not lend to someone stronger than you; but if you do lend, consider yourself as having lost it. Sirach 8:16. Do not guarantee beyond your ability; and if you do guarantee, be ready to pay as if obligated. Sirach 8:17. Do not go to law with a judge, for he will be judged according to his position. Sirach 8:18. Do not travel with a reckless man, so that he may not be a burden to you; for he will act according to his own will, and you may perish through his foolishness. Sirach 8:19. Do not start a quarrel with a quick-tempered man, and do not travel with him through the desert; for bloodshed is nothing in his eyes, and where there is no help, he will strike you down. Sirach 8:20. Do not take counsel with a fool, for he cannot keep the matter secret. Sirach 8:21. Do not do anything secret in the presence of a stranger, for you do not know what he will do. Sirach 8:22. Do not reveal your whole heart to everyone, so that he may not repay you with evil.

Chapter Nine

Do not be jealous without cause. Guard against immorality and adultery. Be faithful in friendship. Do not envy the apparent prosperity of sinners. Be cautious regarding the powerful. Do not turn away from the counsel of wisdom.

Sirach 9:1. Do not be jealous of the wife of your heart, and do not teach her an evil lesson against yourself. Sirach 9:2. Do not give your soul to a woman, so that she may not rise up against your authority. Sirach 9:3. Do not approach a woman of loose morals, so that you may not fall into her snares. Sirach 9:4. Do not spend much time with a singing woman, so that you may not be captivated by her art. 4. So that you may not be captivated by her art and fall into the snares of her womanly seduction.

Sirach 9:5. Do not gaze at a young woman, so that you may not be seduced by her beauty. Sirach 9:6. Do not give yourself to harlots, so that you may not lose your inheritance. 6. Do not associate with harlots, so that you may not squander with them what has been given to you as an inheritance (τήν κληρονομίαν σού).

Sirach 9:7. Do not look around in the streets of a city, and do not roam in its deserted places. 7. Avoid idle walks and idle curiosity, so that you may not be exposed to temptations.

Sirach 9:8. Turn your eye away from a beautiful woman, and do not gaze upon the beauty of another: Sirach 9:9. many have gone astray from the right path because of the beauty of women; from it, as from fire, love kindles. Sirach 9:10. Do not sit together with a married woman, and do not recline with her at a meal over wine, Sirach 9:11. so that your soul may not be drawn toward her, and you may not stumble in spirit into ruin. Sirach 9:12. Do not abandon an old friend, for the new one cannot compare with him; Sirach 9:13. a new friend is like new wine: when it becomes old, you will drink it with pleasure. Sirach 9:14. Do not envy the glory of a sinner, for you do not know what his end will be. Sirach 9:15. Do not approve of what the ungodly approve: remember that they will not reform even up to the grave. 15. Knowing the incorrigibility of the ungodly, be cautious in approving what the ungodly like.

Sirach 9:16. Keep yourself far from a man who has the power to kill, and you will not be troubled by the fear of death; Sirach 9:17. but if you draw near to him, do not make a mistake, so that he may not take your life: Sirach 9:18. know that you are walking in the midst of snares and passing along the battlements of the city walls. 18. Closeness to the powerful, “who have the power to kill,” can be as dangerous for a man as walking in the midst of snares and passing along the battlements of city walls.

Sirach 9:19. According to your ability, know your neighbor, and take counsel with the wise. Sirach 9:20. Let your deliberation be with the wise, and all your conversation be in the law of the Most High. Sirach 9:21. Let righteous men be your table companions, and let your glory be in the fear of the Lord. Sirach 9:22. A work is praised according to the hands of the craftsman, and a ruler of the people is judged wise by his words. Sirach 9:23. A loud-mouthed man is feared in his city, and one rash in speech is hated.

Chapter Ten

As the ruler of the people, so are those who serve with him; as the one who rules over the city, so are all those who dwell in it. Do not be proud, but be meek, God-fearing, and attentive to the teachings of wisdom.

Sirach 10:1. A wise ruler will instruct his people, and the rule of a prudent man will be well-ordered. Sirach 10:2. As the ruler of the people is, so are those who serve with him; and as the one who rules over the city, so are all those who dwell in it. Sirach 10:3. An untaught king will destroy his people, but a city will be established through the prudence of its mighty men. Sirach 10:4. In the hand of the Lord is the rule over the earth, and in due time He will raise up a suitable ruler over it. Sirach 10:5. In the hand of the Lord is the prosperity of man, and upon the face of the scribe He will imprint His glory. 4–5. The Lord grants strength for wise and beneficial activity of man.

Sirach 10:6. Do not be angry for every insult to your neighbor, and do not injure anyone through deeds. Sirach 10:7. Pride is hateful to the Lord and to men, and sin against both. Sirach 10:8. Dominion passes from nation to nation because of injustice, abuse, and greed. Sirach 10:9. Why is dust and ashes proud? Sirach 10:10. And even in his lifetime his bowels fall out. Sirach 10:11. A long illness the physician neglects: Sirach 10:12. and behold, today he is a king, and tomorrow he dies. Sirach 10:13. When a man dies, he inherits creeping things, beasts, and worms as his inheritance. Sirach 10:14. The beginning of pride is when a man departs from the Lord and his heart turns away from his Creator; Sirach 10:15. for the beginning of sin is pride, and the one controlled by it utters abomination; Sirach 10:16. for this reason the Lord sends terrible punishments upon him and utterly casts him down. Sirach 10:17. The Lord casts down the thrones of rulers and sets the meek in their place. Sirach 10:18. The Lord uproots nations and plants the humble in their place. Sirach 10:19. The Lord lays waste the lands of the nations and destroys them to their foundations. Sirach 10:20. He dries them up and destroys the people, and blots out the memory of them from the earth. Sirach 10:21. Pride was not created for men, nor fierce anger for those born of women. 6–21. Man is a creature of God, brought forth by Him from the dust of the earth in the flesh, and destined to return to that same earthly dust. By his spiritual gifts and his external position, man is indebted to God, and therefore has absolutely no grounds for not humbling himself before the Lord God and treating his neighbors with arrogance. Such haughtiness in man is sinful and brings divine punishment upon him. And “even in his lifetime his bowels fall out,” meaning there are illnesses by which man’s bodily frailty is exposed even during his earthly life. “A long illness the physician neglects: and behold, today he is a king, and tomorrow he dies.” The incurability of certain human illnesses and his premature death serve as the best testimony to man’s own weakness and the transience of his glory without divine aid, which upholds him.

Sirach 10:22. What lineage is honorable? – The human lineage. What lineage is honorable? – Those who fear the Lord. Sirach 10:23. What lineage is dishonorable? – The human lineage. What lineage is dishonorable? – Those who transgress the commandments. Sirach 10:24. The eldest among brothers is held in honor by them, so those who fear the Lord are held in honor in His eyes. Sirach 10:25. Whether one is rich or famous, or poor, his praise is the fear of the Lord. Sirach 10:26. It is wrong to despise a poor man who is wise, and it is not fitting to exalt a sinful man. Sirach 10:27. The great, the judge, and the ruler are held in honor, but none of them is greater than the one who fears the Lord. Sirach 10:28. A wise servant will be served by free men, and an intelligent man being instructed by him will not grumble. Sirach 10:29. Do not show off much when doing your work, and do not boast in time of need. Sirach 10:30. Better is one who labors and has abundance in all things than one who goes idle and boasts, but lacks bread. Sirach 10:31. My son! honor your soul with humility and give it the respect it deserves. Sirach 10:32. Who will justify the one who sins against his own soul? And who will honor the one who disgraces his own life? Sirach 10:33. A poor man is respected for his knowledge, but a rich man for his wealth: Sirach 10:34. but how much more will a poor man be respected if he is wise, and how much less will a rich man be respected if he is foolish?

Chapter Eleven

Prosperity and trials, life and death, poverty and wealth – all come from the Lord. Be meek and wise. Do not judge a person by appearance. Before you investigate – do not condemn. Before you listen – do not answer. Do not undertake many tasks at once. Choose a task – and hold to it firmly. Do not admit every person into your house. Before death, do not call anyone blessed: at the end of a man’s life his deeds are revealed and his fate is made clear.

Sirach 11:1. The wisdom of the humble will lift up his head and seat him among the great. Sirach 11:2. Do not praise a man for his beauty, and do not despise anyone for his appearance. Sirach 11:3. The bee is small among flying creatures, but her fruit is the best of sweets. Sirach 11:4. Do not boast in the splendor of your clothing, and do not exalt yourself in the day of glory: for the works of the Lord are wondrous, and His works are hidden among men. 4. This is explained in verses 5 and 6.

Sirach 11:5. Many of the mighty have sat on the ground, but the one whom no one thought about wore the crown. Sirach 11:6. Many of the strong have suffered utter disgrace, and the famous have been delivered into the hands of others. Sirach 11:7. Before you investigate, do not condemn; understand first, and then reprove. Sirach 11:8. Before you listen, do not answer, and do not interrupt in the middle of speech. Sirach 11:9. Do not dispute about matters not concerning you, and do not sit in the judgment of sinners. Sirach 11:10. My son! do not undertake many tasks: when there are many tasks, you will not remain without guilt. And if you pursue them, you will not catch up with them, and if you flee from them, you will not escape. Sirach 11:11. There is one who toils, strains himself, and hurries, and yet falls further behind. Sirach 11:12. Another is weak, needs help, is feeble and lacking in strength, and abounds in poverty; Sirach 11:13. but the eyes of the Lord looked upon him for good, and He raised him up from his humiliation and lifted up his head, and many were amazed at the sight of him. Sirach 11:14. Good and evil, life and death, poverty and wealth – all come from the Lord. Sirach 11:15. The gift of the Lord is given to the pious, and His favor will prosper them forever. Sirach 11:16. One becomes rich through his prudence and thriftiness, and this is his share of the reward, Sirach 11:17. when he says, “I have found rest, and now I will enjoy my possessions.” Sirach 11:18. And he does not know how much time will pass before he leaves them to another and dies. Sirach 11:19. Stand firm in your covenant and keep to it, and grow old in your work. Sirach 11:20. Do not be amazed at the works of the sinner, but trust in the Lord and remain in your labor: Sirach 11:21. for it is easy in the eyes of the Lord to quickly and suddenly enrich the poor. Sirach 11:22. The blessing of the Lord is the reward of the pious, and in a short time it flourishes with His blessing. 19–22. Do not be envious of the apparent prosperity of the sinner. Hold firmly to your chosen honest occupation and your pious frame of mind, and the Lord will bless you.

Sirach 11:23. Do not say, “What more do I need? And what good things can I have from now on?” Sirach 11:24. Do not say, “I have enough, and what evil can I now suffer?” Sirach 11:25. In the days of prosperity there is forgetting of misfortune, and in the days of misfortune there is no remembering of prosperity. Sirach 11:26. It is easy for the Lord to repay a man according to his deeds on the day of death. Sirach 11:27. A brief suffering brings forgetfulness of pleasures, and at the end of a man’s life his deeds are revealed. Sirach 11:28. Before death do not call anyone blessed; a man is recognized by his children. 20–28. “Before death do not call anyone blessed”: his prosperity can change to misfortune at any moment. Only death serves as the limit after which the true worth of a man in the past and his fate in the future are clarified: “at the end of a man’s life his deeds are revealed,” and “it is easy for the Lord to repay a man according to his deeds on the day of death.” And if this death will be the death of a sinful man, destined to appear before the terrible judgment of God’s justice, then the relatively brief, momentary sufferings of death will eclipse in the consciousness of the dying man all the former pleasures of life.

Sirach 11:29. Do not admit every person into your house, for many are the tricks of the deceitful. Sirach 11:30. As a hunting bird in a snare, so is the heart of the proud: he, like a spy, watches for your fall; Sirach 11:31. turning good into evil, he devises schemes and puts a blemish on the chosen ones. Sirach 11:32. From a spark of fire the coals are multiplied, and a sinful man devises schemes for bloodshed. 32. Just as from a spark of fire new flame can result and thus increase the amount of coals, so from sinful impulses in the soul of an ungodly man, new and new victims of his wickedness can arise.

Sirach 11:33. Guard yourself against an evildoer – for he devises evil – so that he may not put a permanent blemish upon you. Sirach 11:34. Welcome a stranger into your house, and he will upset you with strife and make you a stranger to your own.

Chapter Twelve

Offer help to those who need and will benefit from it. Be cautious regarding your enemies.

Sirach 12:1. If you do good, know to whom you do it, and you will have gratitude for your good deeds. Sirach 12:2. Do good to the pious, and you will receive a reward, and if not from him, then from the Most High. Sirach 12:3. There is no good for one who constantly engages in evil and who does not give alms. Sirach 12:4. Give to the pious, and do not help the sinner. Sirach 12:5. Do good to the humble, and do not give to the wicked: withhold bread from him and do not give to him, so that he does not thereby overcome you; 4-5. These are clarified in verse 6.

Sirach 12:6. for you would receive double evil for all the good you would have done to him; for the Most High also hates sinners and pays back the wicked with vengeance. Sirach 12:7. Give to the good, and do not help the sinner. Sirach 12:8. A friend is not recognized in prosperity, and an enemy is not hidden in adversity. Sirach 12:9. In the prosperity of a man his enemies are sorrowful, and in his adversity even a friend will depart from him. Sirach 12:10. Do not trust your enemy ever, for, as copper rusts, so too his malice: Sirach 12:11. although he may have humbled himself and walked bent over, be watchful in your soul and be cautious of him, and you will be before him like a polished mirror, and you will know that he has not completely cleansed himself of rust; Sirach 12:12. do not place him beside you, so that he, by overthrowing you, does not take your place; do not seat him at your right hand, so that he does not someday seek your throne, and you finally understand my words and will remember with sorrow my teachings. Sirach 12:13. Who will pity one who has been bitten by a snake charmer, and all who come near wild beasts? So also with one who associates with a sinner and shares in his sins: Sirach 12:14. he will remain with you for a while, but if you falter, he will not stand firm. 14. Will not stand firm to harm you.

Sirach 12:15. With his mouth an enemy will gratify you, but in his heart he plots to cast you into a pit: with his eyes an enemy will weep, and when he finds an opportunity, his thirst for blood will not be satisfied. Sirach 12:16. If misfortune comes upon you, you will find him there before you, Sirach 12:17. and as if wanting to help, he will stretch out his foot to trip you: Sirach 12:18. he will nod his head and clap his hands, he will whisper much, and will change his expression. 18. By harming you and rejoicing in your misfortune your enemy will pretend deep sympathy for you.

Chapter Thirteen

Do not lift a burden beyond your strength. Do not enter into fellowship with one who is stronger and richer than you. Do not be obnoxious so as not to be repulsed, and do not stay too far away so as not to be forgotten. Throughout your life love the Lord and call to Him for your salvation. Love your neighbor. Avoid fellowship with the wicked, who may influence you adversely. Do not be unjust toward the rich because he is rich; nor toward the poor because he is poor.

Sirach 13:1. Whoever touches pitch will be blackened, and whoever associates with the proud will become like him. Sirach 13:2. Do not lift a burden beyond your strength, and do not enter into fellowship with one who is stronger and richer than you. Sirach 13:3. What communion is there between a pot and a kettle? When the one strikes the other, it will break. Sirach 13:4. A rich man wrongs, and he himself threatens; a poor man is wronged, and he himself begs. Sirach 13:5. If you are useful to him, he will use you; and if you become poor, he will abandon you. Sirach 13:6. If you are sufficient, he will live with you and will drain you dry, and he will not grieve. Sirach 13:7. If he has need of you, he will flatter you, he will smile at you and will give you hope, he will speak kindly to you and say: “Do you lack anything?” Sirach 13:8. With his entertainments he will shame you, until, robbing you two or three times, he finally will mock you. Sirach 13:9. After that, when he sees you, he will turn away from you and will nod his head when meeting you. Sirach 13:10. Be careful so as not to be deceived Sirach 13:11. and not to be humbled in your merriment. Sirach 13:12. When a powerful man invites you, be reluctant, and he will invite you all the more. Sirach 13:13. Do not be obnoxious so as not to be repulsed, and do not stay too far away so as not to be forgotten. Sirach 13:14. Do not allow yourself to speak with him as with an equal, and do not believe too many of his words; for in long conversation he will put you to the test and, as if jesting, he will examine you. Sirach 13:15. One is unmerciful to himself, who does not restrain himself in his words, and he will not guard himself from harm and from bonds. Sirach 13:16. Be cautious and very attentive, for you walk with your fall. 16. You walk with your fall, that is, you are constantly in danger of falling.

Sirach 13:17. Hearing this in your dream, do not sleep. Sirach 13:18. Throughout your life love the Lord and call to Him for your salvation. Sirach 13:19. Every creature loves its like, and every person loves his neighbor. Sirach 13:20. All flesh unites according to its kind, and a man cleaves to one like himself. Sirach 13:21. What communion is there between a wolf and a lamb? So also between a sinner and the pious. Sirach 13:22. What peace is there between a hyena and a dog? And what peace is there between a rich man and a poor man? Sirach 13:23. The hunting of lions is wild donkeys in the desert, so the pastures of the rich are the poor. Sirach 13:24. Humility is abhorrent to the proud: so is the poor abhorrent to the rich. Sirach 13:25. When a rich man stumbles, he is supported by friends; when a poor man falls, he is even thrust away by friends. Sirach 13:26. When a rich man is afflicted, he has many helpers; he speaks foolishly, and they justify him. Sirach 13:27. A poor man is afflicted, and they revile him besides; he speaks wisely, and he is not heeded. Sirach 13:28. A rich man speaks, and all fall silent and praise his words to the clouds; Sirach 13:29. a poor man speaks, and people say “Who is this?” And if he stumbles, they utterly bring him down. Sirach 13:30. Wealth is good when there is no sin in it, and poverty is evil in the mouth of the wicked. 30. The wicked man in wealth and poverty is equally wicked.

Sirach 13:31. The heart of a man changes his face either for the good or for the bad. 31. The soul’s state of a man is reflected in his face.

Sirach 13:32. The sign of a happy heart is a joyful face, and the invention of proverbs is joined with strained meditation.

Chapter Fourteen

Blessed is the man whose conscience has no cause to reproach him for evil deeds. Do not be foolishly stingy, envious, or greedy. Use the good things of life to satisfy the reasonable needs of your soul. Be merciful to your neighbor, be diligent in offerings to the Lord. Strive to acquire wisdom, and wisdom will find you.

Sirach 14:1. Blessed is the man who has not transgressed with his mouth and is not grieved by sorrow of sin. Sirach 14:2. Blessed is he whose soul does not accuse him and who has not lost his hope. Sirach 14:3. Wealth is not good for a stingy man. And to what use is a possession for one who is ill-willed? Sirach 14:4. He who gathers by depriving his soul gathers for others, and others will feast on his possessions. Sirach 14:5. Who is evil to himself? For whom will he be good? And he will not have joy from his possessions. Sirach 14:6. There is no man worse than one who is ill-willed to himself, and this is the consequence of his malice. Sirach 14:7. If he does good, he does it in forgetfulness, and afterward he reveals his evil. Sirach 14:8. He is evil who has envious eyes, he turns away his face and despises souls. Sirach 14:9. The eyes of the covetous are not satisfied with any share, and injustice of the evil man dries up his soul. Sirach 14:10. An evil eye is envious even over bread and suffers want at his own table. 3-10. A stingy man is an enemy to himself: the savings made by the stingy often deprive him of the possibility of satisfying his most essential needs, and in doing so, not only do they not suppress avarice in him, but on the contrary, nourish it more and more.

Sirach 14:11. My son! according to your means do good to yourself and present offerings to the Lord in a worthy manner. Sirach 14:12. Remember that death does not delay, and the covenant of the grave is not revealed to you: 12. The covenant of the grave, that is, the day of your death and burial in the depths of Sheol.

Sirach 14:13. Before you die, do good to your friend, and according to your ability stretch out your hand and give to him. Sirach 14:14. Do not deprive yourself of a good day, and let no portion of a good desire pass you by. Sirach 14:15. Will you not leave your possessions to others and the fruits of your labors for division by lot? Sirach 14:16. Give and receive, and comfort your soul, Sirach 14:17. for in the grave there is no finding of comfort. Sirach 14:18. Every flesh grows old like a garment; for from eternity the decree is: “You shall die by death.” Sirach 14:19. Like green leaves on a thick tree—some fall and others grow: so is the generation of flesh and blood—one dies and another is born. Sirach 14:20. Every work subject to decay will perish, and the one who made it will die with it. 14-20. While alive, enjoy the good things of life, but only to satisfy the reasonable and pious needs of your soul.

Sirach 14:21. Blessed is the man who practices wisdom and contemplates the holy in his understanding. Sirach 14:22. He who meditates on her ways in his heart will gain understanding and will know her secrets. Sirach 14:23. Go after her as a hunter and set an ambush on her paths. Sirach 14:24. He who inclines toward her windows will listen and attend at her doors. Sirach 14:25. He who camps near her house will drive a nail into her walls, pitch his tent beside her, and lodge in a dwelling of good things. Sirach 14:26. He will place his children under her shelter and will lodge under her shadow. Sirach 14:27. He will be sheltered by her from the heat and will dwell in the glory of her. 21-27. He attains wisdom and enjoys its fruits only he who with all the strength of his soul seeks to understand and assimilate her counsels.

Chapter Fifteen

Seek wisdom, and it will rest upon you. The wicked are far from wisdom. The Lord commands piety but does not constrain man’s free will: before man are good and evil, life and death, and what he himself wishes to choose is given to him.

Sirach 15:1. He who fears the Lord will act thus, and he who is firm in the law will obtain her. Sirach 15:2. And she will meet him like a mother, and embrace him like a chaste wife; Sirach 15:3. she will feed him with bread of understanding and give him water of wisdom to drink. Sirach 15:4. He will be firmly established on her and will not be shaken; he will cling to her and will not be put to shame. Sirach 15:5. And she will exalt him above his neighbors, and in the midst of the assembly she will open his mouth. Sirach 15:6. He will inherit gladness and a crown of joy and an eternal name. 1-6. These conclude the thought expressed in verses 21-27 of the preceding chapter.

Sirach 15:7. The foolish will not attain her, and sinners will not see her. Sirach 15:8. She is far from arrogance, and deceitful men do not think of her. Sirach 15:9. Praise is unpleasant in the mouth of a sinner, for it is not sent from the Lord. Sirach 15:10. Praise will be uttered by wisdom, and the Lord will prosper it. 9-10. In the language of Holy Scripture the concepts of wisdom and piety are identical with each other; as are opposite to them: foolishness and impiety. True wisdom of man consists in understanding the good and perfect will of God and following it in his life. Such wisdom brings man true prosperity. The absence of this wisdom is ruinous for man and testifies to his foolishness. Praise in the mouth of a sinner ought not to be pleasant, because it may testify to agreement with the sinner; such praise is not sent by the Lord, but suggested by sin. Joyful and pleasant is praise in the mouth of the righteous, because it testifies to the triumph of virtue and God’s blessing.

Sirach 15:11. Do not say: “I have departed because of the Lord”; for He hates what you ought not to do. Sirach 15:12. Do not say: “He has led me astray,” for He has no need of a sinful man. Sirach 15:13. All abomination the Lord hates, and it is unpleasant to those who fear Him. Sirach 15:14. He created man from the beginning and left him in the hand of his own will. Sirach 15:15. If you wish, you will keep the commandments and preserve faithful loyalty. Sirach 15:16. He has set before you fire and water: stretch out your hand to whatever you wish. Sirach 15:17. Before man are life and death, and what he wishes will be given to him. Sirach 15:18. Great is the wisdom of the Lord, and He is mighty in power and sees all things. Sirach 15:19. His eyes are on those who fear Him, and He knows every deed of man. Sirach 15:20. He has not commanded anyone to act impiously and has not given anyone permission to sin. 11-20. The Lord has not commanded anyone to act impiously and has not given anyone permission to sin. Men do good and sin by the movement of their own free will: the Lord created man from the beginning and left him in the hand of his own will, as if saying: if you wish you will keep the commandments, preserve faithful loyalty, and obtain salvation; if you do not wish, you will transgress the commandments and lose salvation. Before man are life and death; what he wishes will be given to him: if he desires the salvation of spiritual life and with God’s help obtains this life, if he turns toward spiritual death—rejection of God—this death will overtake him.

Chapter Sixteen

Do not desire a multitude of worthless children. Better is one righteous person than a thousand sinners. A sinner will not escape the punishment of God’s justice. Each will receive according to their deeds. The laws of the Lord are holy and inviolable.

Sirach 16:1. Do not desire a multitude of worthless children and do not rejoice in ungodly sons. When they multiply, do not rejoice in them if there is no fear of the Lord in them. Sirach 16:2. Do not rely on their life and do not lean on their multitude. Sirach 16:3. Better is one righteous person than a thousand sinners, Sirach 16:4. and better to die childless than to have ungodly children, Sirach 16:5. for from one wise person a city will be populated, and a tribe of lawless people will be deserted. Verse 5 refers to verse 3.

Sirach 16:6. My eyes have seen much, and my ears have heard even more than that. Sirach 16:7. Fire will blaze up in the assembly of sinners, as anger blazed up in the disobedient people. 7. In the assembly of sinners, a sinful fire of godless passions can always blaze up, just as this fire of rebellion against God blazed up in former times in the disobedient Hebrew people.

Sirach 16:8. He did not show mercy to the ancient giants who became rebels in their confidence in their own strength; Sirach 16:9. nor did He spare those who lived in one place with Lot, those whom He abhorred for their pride; 9. See Gen 19:11. This refers to the destruction of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, along with their dwellings and possessions.

Sirach 16:10. He did not spare the ruined people who puffed themselves up with their sins, Sirach 16:11. just as he did the six hundred thousand people who banded together in their hard-heartedness. And even if there were but one disobedient person, it would be a marvel if he remained unpunished; 11. At the time of the exodus from Egypt, the Hebrew males capable of war were numbered “up to six hundred thousand.”

Sirach 16:12. for both mercy and anger are in His power: He is able to have mercy and to pour out anger. Sirach 16:13. As great is His mercy, so great is His reproof. He judges a person according to their deeds. Sirach 16:14. A sinner will not escape from Him by theft, and the patience of the godly will not remain in vain. Sirach 16:15. To every act of mercy He will give its place; each will receive according to their deeds. Sirach 16:16. Do not say, “I will hide from the Lord; will not anyone remember me from on high?” Sirach 16:17. I will not be noticed in the multitude of people; for what is my soul in the immeasurable creation? Sirach 16:18. Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens belong to God, the abyss and the earth tremble at His visitation. Sirach 16:19. Likewise the mountains tremble and the foundations of the earth quake when He gazes. 19. See Exod 19:16-19. The sense of the preceding and following verses (16-23) is that only one lacking understanding could hope to hide from the eyes of divine truth, when divine knowledge, glory, and might fill the whole world.

Sirach 16:20. And this the heart cannot understand; Sirach 16:21. and who will comprehend His ways? As the wind, which a person cannot see, so the greater part of His works are hidden. Sirach 16:22. Who will declare the works of His justice? or who will await them? for this decree is far off. Sirach 16:23. A person lacking understanding thinks so, and a foolish and deluded person reasons so foolishly. Sirach 16:24. Listen to me, my son, and learn knowledge, and pay close attention with your heart to my words. Sirach 16:25. I am showing you deliberate teaching and passing on to you precise knowledge. Sirach 16:26. By the decree of the Lord His works are from the beginning, and from their creation He arranged their parts. Sirach 16:27. Forever He ordered His works, and their beginnings are in their generations. They do not hunger, they do not grow weary, and they do not cease from their actions. Sirach 16:28. None constrains the one near it, Sirach 16:29. and they will not resist His word forever. Sirach 16:30. And afterward the Lord looked upon the earth and filled it with His blessings. Sirach 16:31. The soul of all living things has covered its face, and into it all will return. 26-31. The world, created by the Lord God according to His eternal ideas of perfect wisdom, testifies to the wisdom, goodness, and power of its Creator. The laws of being, both physical and spiritual, established by Him, are holy and unchangeable. And if compliance with these laws leads to prosperity, then deviation from them is accompanied by suffering.

Chapter Seventeen

The perfection of primordial humanity. The innateness of the moral law. The supplementation of natural law by revealed law. The longsuffering and mercy of God toward repentant sinners.

Sirach 17:1. The Lord created humanity from the earth and again returns it to it. Sirach 17:2. He gave them a determined number of days and time, and gave them dominion over all that is upon it. Sirach 17:3. According to their nature, He clothed them with strength and created them in His image, Sirach 17:4. and put fear in them toward all flesh, so that they might have dominion over the beasts and the birds. Sirach 17:5. He gave them understanding, tongue and eyes, and ears and heart for reflection, Sirach 17:6. He filled them with the penetration of reason and showed them good and evil. Sirach 17:7. He set His eye upon their hearts, to show them the greatness of His deeds, Sirach 17:8. so that they might praise His holy name and proclaim the greatness of His deeds. 1-8. The passage speaks of God’s creation of the first humans, their inner dignity, and dominion over nature; it notes the innateness in every person of the natural moral law, which prompts humanity to strive to fulfill the holy and perfect will of the Creator. (The Lord set His eye upon their hearts, that is, of humans, to show them the greatness of His deeds); the passage indicates the direction of humans’ holy, God-pleasing life (so that they might praise His holy name and proclaim the greatness of His deeds).

Sirach 17:9. He added knowledge to them and gave them the law of life as an inheritance; Sirach 17:10. an eternal covenant He established with them and showed them His judgments. Sirach 17:11. The greatness of His glory their eyes saw, and the glory of His voice their ears heard. Sirach 17:12. And He said to them, “Beware of all unrighteousness”; and He commanded each of them regarding their duty to the neighbor. 9-12. The passage speaks of the conferment upon humanity, supplementing the weakened natural moral law after the fall, of revealed law, written out in clear, definite letters, precisely indicating to humans the immutable path of true knowledge of God and God-pleasing life. The recipient of the revealed law of God was His chosen people, to whom the Lord offered to enter with Him into an eternal covenant (v. 10; see Exod 19:3-6), on the condition of the Hebrews fulfilling those commandments and laws which they received from God (and showed them His judgments), during the awesome and glorious Sinai legislation (the greatness of His glory their eyes saw, and the glory of His voice their ears heard).

Sirach 17:13. Their paths are always before Him, they will not be hidden from His eyes. Sirach 17:14. To each people He appointed a leader, Sirach 17:15. and Israel is the portion of the Lord. Sirach 17:16. All their deeds are like the sun before Him, and His eyes are always upon their paths. Sirach 17:17. Their unrighteousness is not hidden from Him, and all their sins are before the Lord. Sirach 17:18. The almsgiving of a person is like a seal with Him, and He will preserve the kindness of a person as the apple of His eye. Sirach 17:19. Then He will rise up and repay them, and their reward will be returned upon their head. Sirach 17:20. But to those who repent He gave the opportunity to return, and He encouraged those who were losing patience. Sirach 17:21. Turn to the Lord and abandon your sins; Sirach 17:22. pray before Him and diminish your stumbling blocks. Sirach 17:23. Return to the Most High and turn away from unrighteousness, and strongly hate abomination. Sirach 17:24. Who will praise the Most High in Hades, instead of those living and praising Him? Sirach 17:25. From the dead, as from one not existing, there is no praise: Sirach 17:26. the living and the well will praise the Lord. Sirach 17:27. How great is the mercy of the Lord and His reconciliation with those who turn to Him! Sirach 17:28. Not everything is possible for a person, Sirach 17:29. for a human being is not immortal. Sirach 17:30. What is brighter than the sun? yet it is darkened. And evil will be pondered by flesh and blood. Sirach 17:31. Behind the powers of the high heavens He Himself keeps watch, and all humans are earth and ashes. 24-31. A human being is not immortal… and all humans are (in the flesh) earth and ashes. While a person lives, they should use the life granted to them to praise their Creator (see vv. 7-8). With bodily death for a person the time of earthly labors and the praise given in them to their Creator ceases: from the dead, as from one not existing on earth, there is no praise to the Creator. The soul of the deceased descends to Sheol, but there it is no longer a place for God-pleasing labors, but rather a place of recompense for life on earth. Indeed, during earthly life, in union with the body, the soul of a person experiences many obstacles from the body to the praise of God (evil will be pondered by flesh and blood), but it has here much time and opportunity to offer to God sincere repentance of their sins, which is well-pleasing and acceptable in the eyes of the Lord. (How great is the mercy of the Lord and His reconciliation with those who turn to Him!).

Chapter Eighteen

The entire fullness of the Lord’s greatness is incomprehensible to any of the created beings. Notwithstanding their comparative dignity among earthly creatures, humans are insignificant before the divine greatness and always need the mercy of the Lord toward them. Mercy of humans is toward their neighbor, but the mercy of the Lord is toward all flesh. Do good to your neighbor in deed and word. In doing good do not reproach. A wise person will be cautious in all things.

Sirach 18:1. The Living One who exists forever created all things; the Lord alone is righteous. Sirach 18:2. To no one has He given the ability to explain His works. 2. No one is able to comprehend the entire fullness of divine greatness.

Sirach 18:3. And who can investigate His great deeds? Sirach 18:4. Who can measure the power of His greatness? and who likewise can declare His mercies? Sirach 18:5. It is impossible either to diminish or to increase, and impossible to investigate the wonders of the Lord. Sirach 18:6. When a person finishes, then they only begin, and when they cease, they will come into wonder. 6. However much a person may study the greatness of the Lord’s works, they will still be only beginning this study without any hope of its final completion. Ceasing from their occupation, the one seeking knowledge will come into involuntary wonder at the little they have learned, and the immeasurable vastness that still remains covered by the sacred veil of incomprehensibility.

Sirach 18:7. What is a person and what is their usefulness? what is their good and what is their evil? Verse 7 refers to verse 6, noting a certain series of questions that are insoluble to humans in all their fullness.

Sirach 18:8. The number of a person’s days is many if it reaches a hundred years: as a drop of water from the sea or a grain of sand, so small are their years in the day of eternity. Sirach 18:9. Therefore the Lord is longsuffering toward people and pours out His mercy upon them. 9. This is explained by verses 10-11.

Sirach 18:10. He sees and knows that their end is very wretched, Sirach 18:11. and therefore multiplies His mercies. Sirach 18:12. The mercy of a person is toward their neighbor, but the mercy of the Lord is toward all flesh. Sirach 18:13. He rebukes and instructs, and teaches and turns around, like a shepherd his flock. Sirach 18:14. He shows mercy to those who receive instruction and who eagerly turn to His law. Sirach 18:15. My son! when doing acts of mercy, do not make reproaches, and with every gift do not offend with words. Sirach 18:16. Does not dew cool the heat? thus a word is better than a gift. 16. A timely wise word spoken can have an effect as calming as the effect of dew on the heat of a summer day.

Sirach 18:17. Therefore is not a good word superior to a gift? and does not the benevolent person have both? Sirach 18:18. A fool reproaches mercilessly, and the gift of a malevolent person dries up the eyes. 18. A kindness accompanied by reproaches dries up the tears of gratitude.

Sirach 18:19. Before you begin to speak, consider; and before sickness take care of yourself. Sirach 18:20. Test yourself before judgment, and at the time of visitation you will find mercy. Sirach 18:21. Before you feel weakness, humble yourself, and at the time of sins show repentance. Sirach 18:22. Let nothing prevent you from paying your vow in due time, and do not delay to justify yourself until death. Sirach 18:23. Before you pray, prepare yourself, and do not be like a person tempting the Lord. Sirach 18:24. Remember the wrath at the time of death and the time of vengeance, when the Lord will turn away His face. Sirach 18:25. During times of plenty remember times of hunger, and during days of wealth remember poverty and need. Sirach 18:26. From morning to evening the time changes, and all things go quickly before the Lord. Sirach 18:27. A wise person will be cautious in all things and will refrain from carelessness in days of sins. Sirach 18:28. Every discerning person will recognize wisdom and will give praise to those who find it. Sirach 18:29. Those who are thoughtful in their speech also become wise themselves, and they pour out wise sayings. Sirach 18:30. Do not follow your lusts and restrain yourself from your desires. Sirach 18:31. If you give your soul pleasure for its lusts, it will make you a laughingstock to your enemies. Sirach 18:32. Do not seek amusement in great luxury and do not attach yourself to feasts. Sirach 18:33. Do not become poor by feasting on borrowed money, when you have nothing in your purse. 19-33. These verses present a series of rules showing that a wise person must be cautious in all things.

Chapter Nineteen

Avoid unlawful pleasures. Do not be talkative. Do not trust every word. Value the fear of God. Beware of cunning.

Sirach 19:1. A servant inclined to drunkenness will not become rich, and he who values trifles will gradually fall into ruin. Sirach 19:2. Wine and women will seduce the wise, and the one who consorts with harlots will become even more brazen; Sirach 19:3. decay and worms will inherit him, and his bold soul will be destroyed. Sirach 19:4. Whoever trusts quickly is foolish, and one who sins sins against his own soul. Sirach 19:5. The one devoted in heart to pleasures will be condemned, but he who resists desires will crown his life. Sirach 19:6. He who masters his tongue will live in peace, and he who hates talkativeness will diminish evil. Sirach 19:7. Never repeat a word, and you will lose nothing. 7. Do not speak unnecessarily (cf. Sir 20:5-8).

Sirach 19:8. Do not tell a friend or an enemy, and unless it would be a sin to you, do not reveal; Sirach 19:9. for he will listen to you, and he will be wary of you, and in time he will hate you. Sirach 19:10. You have heard a word; let it die with you: do not fear, it will not tear you apart. 8–10. Do not be talkative about what is entrusted to you.

Sirach 19:11. The fool suffers from a word such pain as a woman in childbirth suffers. Sirach 19:12. What an arrow thrust into the hip is, that is a word in the heart of the fool. 11–12. As it is difficult for a woman in childbirth to give birth to a child, so it is difficult for the fool to express his thought quickly and clearly. As an arrow thrust into the hip troubles him, so the fool is troubled by a thought that does not find proper expression.

Sirach 19:13. Question your friend; perhaps he did not do it; and if he did, then let him not do it again. 13. This is explained in verses 14–18. Do not trust every word. Before condemning a person, even in your own soul, you should carefully verify what this person is accused of; who has not sinned with his tongue from idleness or thoughtlessness—not in spirit? Before threatening a neighbor for perhaps his supposed transgression, allow the law of the Most High to prevail—the innocence of the accused will be revealed, and he will escape undeserved punishment.

Sirach 19:14. Question your friend; perhaps he did not say it; and if he said it, then let him not repeat it. Sirach 19:15. Question your friend, for slander often happens. Sirach 19:16. Do not trust every word. Sirach 19:17. Some have sinned with a word, but not in spirit; and who has not sinned with his tongue? Sirach 19:18. Question your neighbor before you threaten him, and allow the law of the Most High to prevail. All wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and in all wisdom there is the fulfilling of the law. Sirach 19:19. And it is not wisdom to know evil. And there is no discernment where the counsel of sinners is. 19. This connects with the second half of verse 18.

Sirach 19:20. There is craftiness, and this is an abomination; and there is a fool who is foolish and lacking in wisdom. Sirach 19:21. Better a fool lacking knowledge but God-fearing than one rich in knowledge but breaking the law. Sirach 19:22. There is cunning that is refined, but it is unlawful, and there is one who distorts justice to render a sentence. 22. As the refined cunning that deceives with its false simplicity is unlawful, so also the one who perverts justice to get the sentence he needs is unlawful.

Sirach 19:23. There is a wicked man who goes about bent over in despair, but inside he is full of deceit. Sirach 19:24. He has covered his face and feigns to be deaf, but he will get ahead of you when you least expect it. Sirach 19:25. And if lack of strength prevents him from harming you, he will do you evil when he finds an opportunity. Sirach 19:26. By appearance a man is known, and by his expression when he meets you is a prudent man recognized. Sirach 19:27. The clothing, the grin, and the walk of a man show his character. Sirach 19:28. There is rebuke, but not timely, and sometimes one who is silent is wise.

Chapter Twenty

Open rebuke is more profitable than hidden anger. Judgment with perversity is against nature. Sometimes silence is wise, and sometimes speech is foolish. Not every success brings good, not every acquisition brings benefit. Not every humiliation brings disgrace. The gift of a fool will be repaid at a high price. A wise man will refrain from sin and will not be ashamed to be virtuous.

Sirach 20:1. It is much better to rebuke than to be angry in secret; and the one rebuked in private will be warned against harm. Sirach 20:2. How good it is for the one rebuked to show repentance! Sirach 20:3. For he will escape willing sin. Sirach 20:4. What the desire of a eunuch to ravish a maiden is, that is one who renders judgment with violence. 4. The desire of perversity to overcome truth in judgment is as unnatural as the vile intention of a eunuch toward a maiden.

Sirach 20:5. One who is silent appears wise, but another is hated for much talkativeness. Sirach 20:6. One is silent because he has nothing to answer; another is silent because he knows the time. Sirach 20:7. A wise man will be silent until the right time; but a vain and foolish man will not wait for the time. Sirach 20:8. The talkative man becomes loathsome, and one who claims the right to speak will be hated. Sirach 20:9. There is success for a man toward evil, and a find toward loss. Sirach 20:10. There is a gift that will not be of benefit to you, and there is a gift for which there is double recompense. 9–10. Everything depends on how in this case man uses his success and find—for good for himself and his neighbors, or for evil.

Sirach 20:11. There is humiliation for the sake of glory, and another lifts his head from humiliation. Sirach 20:12. One buys much with little and pays for it seven times as much. 11–12. There is humiliation that is replaced by glory for a man; and it happens that glory far exceeds humiliation.

Sirach 20:13. The wise in words makes himself beloved, and the charm of fools will be in vain. Sirach 20:14. The gift of the fool will not be of benefit to you; for he has many eyes for receiving instead of one. Sirach 20:15. He gives little and reproaches much, and opens his mouth like a herald. Today he lends, tomorrow he demands it back: such a man is hated by the Lord and by men. Sirach 20:16. The fool says: “I have no friend, and there is no gratitude for my benefactions. Those who eat my bread flatter me with their tongue.” Sirach 20:17. How often and how many will mock him! 14–17. The benefactions of an unwise benefactor do not always serve as comfort to the one benefited, because the unwise benefactor loves to make known what he has done and demands loud gratitude and quick compensation for his help from the person he has benefited.

Sirach 20:18. A stumbling from the earth is better than a stumbling from the tongue. Thus the fall of the wicked will soon come. 18. This is explained in verses 19–20. Everything is good in its time. And a wise word is beneficial when it is fitting. The foolish man does not understand this, and for his lack of understanding he is subjected to humiliation.

Sirach 20:19. An untimely man is an unwelcome tale; it will always be on the lips of the ignorant. Sirach 20:20. A parable from the mouth of a fool is repugnant, for he will not tell it at the right time. Sirach 20:21. One is held back from sin by poverty, and in this self-restraint he will not be sorrowful. Sirach 20:22. One destroys his soul through timidity, and destroys it by deferring to the fool. 22. Through timidity to stand openly for good; by deferring to the fool, that is, by yielding to the wicked.

Sirach 20:23. One makes promises to a friend out of shame, and without cause makes an enemy of him. 23. One makes promises to a friend out of shame, from false delicacy alone, and by not fulfilling them for some reason, without good reason makes an enemy of him.

Sirach 20:24. An evil vice in a man is a lie; in the mouths of the ignorant it is always present. Sirach 20:25. Better a thief than one who constantly speaks lies; but both will inherit destruction. Sirach 20:26. The conduct of the liar is shameful, and his shame is always with him. Sirach 20:27. The wise in words raises himself, and a man of understanding will be pleasing to magnates. Sirach 20:28. One who tills the earth increases his grain heap, and one who pleases magnates will obtain pardon in case of injustice. Sirach 20:29. Gifts and presents blind the eyes of the wise and, like a bridle in the mouth, turn away rebuke. 29. And, like a bridle in the mouth, turn away rebuke, that is, they prevent the speaking of necessary rebuke. This happens, but so it should not be.

Sirach 20:30. Hidden wisdom and concealed treasure—what benefit is there from both? Sirach 20:31. Better a man who hides his folly than a man who hides his wisdom.

Chapter Twenty-One

Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent. Do not be violent and unmerciful. Value wise rebuke and wise counsel. Wisdom is not in a loud voice nor in the skill of the tongue. Not everyone loves and not everyone can access the secrets of wisdom.

Sirach 21:1. My son! if you have sinned, do not add more sins, and pray about the former ones. Sirach 21:2. Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent; for if you approach it, it will bite you. Sirach 21:3. His teeth are the teeth of a lion, which kill the souls of men. Sirach 21:4. Every transgression is like a two-edged sword: there is no healing from its wound. Sirach 21:5. Threats and violence will deplete wealth: thus the house of the proud will be emptied. 1–5. These are supplemented by verses 10–11. Stubborn sinners await both temporal and eternal punishments.

Sirach 21:6. A plea from the mouth of the poor goes only to his own ears; but judgment over him approaches quickly. 6. A plea from the mouth of the poor goes only to his own ears, that is, it does not go beyond the ears of the one praying himself. But judgment over him, that is, the action of divine justice toward the poor man forgotten by people, approaches quickly: a poor man who has not erred in his hopes will be pitied, and the cruelty of people will be punished (Matt 25:31-46).

Sirach 21:7. One who hates rebuke follows the path of the sinner; but one who fears the Lord will turn in his heart. Sirach 21:8. From afar a man strong in speech is known; but a wise man sees where he stumbles. Sirach 21:9. One who builds his house on borrowed money is like one gathering stones for his grave. 9. One who incautiously incurs debt can perish under the weight of unpayable debt.

Sirach 21:10. A gathering of the wicked is a heap of tow, and their end is a fiery flame. Sirach 21:11. The way of sinners is paved with stones, but at its end is the abyss of Hades. Sirach 21:12. One who keeps the law possesses his thoughts, 12. Possesses his thoughts, that is, is prudent, “in his right mind.”

Sirach 21:13. and the fulfillment of the fear of the Lord is wisdom. 13. Wisdom—the fulfillment of the fear of the Lord—that is, true wisdom of a man consists in his understanding of the good and perfect will of God and in his reverent following of it in his life.

Sirach 21:14. One who is incapable will not learn; 14. One who is incapable, that is, is slow in receiving lessons of wisdom.

Sirach 21:15. but there is capacity that increases bitterness. 15. There is capacity that increases bitterness—that is, heightened susceptibility to all that is bad.

Sirach 21:16. Knowledge of the wise increases like a flood, and his counsel is like a source of life. Sirach 21:17. The heart of the fool is like a broken vessel and will not retain any knowledge. Sirach 21:18. If a wise man hears a wise word, he will praise it and add it to himself. A frivolous man heard it, and it did not please him, and he threw it behind him. Sirach 21:19. The speech of a fool is like a burden on the road, but the words of the wise are found pleasant. Sirach 21:20. The words of the wise will be sought in an assembly, and they will think about his words in their heart. Sirach 21:21. Like a ruined house, so is wisdom to the fool, and knowledge of the unwise is senseless words. 21. A multitude of high truths and wise rules, penetrating the consciousness of the unwise, present such a chaotic disorder of unconnected material as can be observed at the site of a ruined house. Knowledge of the unwise consists of words whose true meaning is inaccessible to him.

Sirach 21:22. Instruction for the foolish is fetters on the feet and like chains on the right hand. Sirach 21:23. A fool in laughter raises his voice, but a prudent man barely smiles quietly. Sirach 21:24. Like a golden garment is instruction for the wise, and like a precious ornament on the right hand. Sirach 21:25. The foot of the fool hastens into another’s house, but a man of much experience will be ashamed before people; Sirach 21:26. the unwise man glances through the door into the house, but a well-bred man will stand outside; Sirach 21:27. it is ignorance of a man to listen at the doors, and the prudent man will be grieved by such shamelessness. Sirach 21:28. The lips of the talkative ones relate what is another’s, but the words of the prudent are weighed on a balance. 28. The talkative but not wise orator repeats the thoughts of others, and therefore has no great value. But the words of the prudent—the fruit of his wisdom—and therefore are valued very highly.

Sirach 21:29. In the mouths of fools is their heart, but the mouths of the wise are in their heart. 29. In the mouths of the foolish their heart hastens to be revealed; but the mouths of the wise are not quick to speak, hidden in their wise heart.

Sirach 21:30. When the wicked curses Satan, he curses his own soul. 30. The immediate cause of evil and suffering for a man is often the evil inclinations of his own soul.

Sirach 21:31. A whisperer defiles his own soul and will be hated everywhere he lives.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The lazy are hateful to all; ill-bred children are a sorrow to their parents. A word spoken out of season is like music in time of mourning. Seven days of weeping for the dead, but for a fool and an impious person all the days of his life. An evil life of a fool is worse than death. Be steadfast in friendship. Flee from quarrels. Guard your lips.

Sirach 22:1. The lazy one is like a filthy stone: everyone whistles at his disgrace. Sirach 22:2. The lazy one is like cow dung: everyone who picks it up will shake his hand. Sirach 22:3. It is a shame to a father to bring forth an ill-trained son; and a daughter ill-trained brings shame to her birth. Sirach 22:4. A prudent daughter shall gain a husband; but a shameless one grieves her father. Sirach 22:5. A bold woman shames her father and her husband; and both will despise her. Sirach 22:6. A word out of season is like music in time of sorrow; but correction and instruction of wisdom are at all times proper. Sirach 22:7. He that teaches a fool is like one that glues sherds together or that awakens one that sleeps a sound sleep. Sirach 22:8. He that tells a matter to a fool speaks to one in a slumber; for when he has finished, he says, “What is it?” Sirach 22:9. Weep for the dead, for the light has gone out of him; and weep for a fool, for understanding has gone out of him. Sirach 22:10. Weep less bitterly for the dead, for he is at rest; but the evil life of a fool is worse than death. Sirach 22:11. Mourning for the dead lasts seven days; but for a fool and an impious person it lasts all the days of his life. Sirach 22:12. Do not speak much with a senseless man, and go not with a fool; Sirach 22:13. beware of him, lest you have trouble and be defiled by his touch; Sirach 22:14. turn away from him and you will find rest, and will not be wearied by his lack of sense. Sirach 22:15. What is heavier than lead? and what is his name but a fool? 15. And what is his name—that is, with whom can you compare him if not with a fool? An explanation of this comparison is given in verse 16.

Sirach 22:16. Sand and salt and an iron weight are easier to bear than a man without sense. Sirach 22:17. A wooden beam bound firmly in a building does not come loose in an earthquake; so the heart that is established on a firm counsel does not fall in the time of fear. Sirach 22:18. A heart established on sensible thought is like a fine ornament on a polished wall. Sirach 22:19. A paling set on a high place will not stand against the wind: Sirach 22:20. so a fearful heart will not stand against the dread of any foe. Sirach 22:21. He that pricks the eye brings tears forth: he that pricks the heart brings out his feelings. Sirach 22:22. He that casts stones at birds drives them away; so he that upbraids his friend breaks off friendship. Sirach 22:23. If you have drawn a sword against a friend, despair not, for there may be a way back to friendship. Sirach 22:24. If you have opened your mouth against your friend, fear not, for reconciliation is possible. Sirach 22:25. But reproach, pride, the revealing of secrets, and treacherous wickedness will drive away any friend. Sirach 22:26. Gain the confidence of your neighbor in his poverty, that you may rejoice with him in his prosperity; Sirach 22:27. stand by him in time of trouble, that you may be an heir with him in his inheritance. Sirach 22:28. Before the heat of fire and before the flames, a furnace sends up smoke and steam: so before bloodshed there comes quarreling. Sirach 22:29. I am not ashamed to defend a friend, nor will I hide from his face; Sirach 22:30. and if any evil befalls me because of him, everyone who hears of it will beware of him. Sirach 22:31. Who will set a guard over my mouth and a seal of prudence on my lips, that I may not fall through them and that my tongue may not destroy me?

Chapter Twenty-Three

Have a scourge for your evil thoughts and a teacher of wisdom for your unclean desires. Do not accustom your lips to oaths. Do not sin with gross reviling. Remember your parents when you sit among the great. Do not hope to hide your sins from God who knows all things. There is nothing better than the fear of the Lord, and nothing sweeter than to hearken to the commandments of the Lord.

Sirach 23:1. O Lord, Father and Master of my life! Do not leave me to their counsel, and permit me not to fall through them. 1. This relates to verse 31 of the preceding chapter.

Sirach 23:2. Who will set a scourge upon my thoughts and instruction in wisdom upon my heart, that they may not spare my transgressions and that the errors of my mouth may not be pardoned; Sirach 23:3. that my transgressions may not be multiplied and my sins not be increased; that I may not fall before my adversaries and that my enemy may not rejoice over me? Sirach 23:4. O Lord, Father and God of my life! Do not give me haughty eyes, and turn away desire from me. Sirach 23:5. Let not the appetites of the flesh and the lust of the body master me, and do not give me over to an unabashed soul. Sirach 23:6. Hear, O children, the instruction concerning the lips: he who keeps it will not be snared by his lips. Sirach 23:7. The sinner is taken by his lips, and the reviler and the arrogant are brought to stumbling by them. Sirach 23:8. Do not accustom your lips to swearing, Sirach 23:9. and do not make a habit of using the name of the Holy One in oaths. Sirach 23:10. For as a slave who is constantly scourged does not stop bearing welts, so he who swears continually by the name of the Holy One will not be cleansed from sin. Sirach 23:11. A man who swears much will be filled with iniquity, and the scourge will not leave his house. Sirach 23:12. If he commits sin, the sin is upon him; and if he is careless, he commits a double sin; Sirach 23:13. and if he swears falsely, he will not be justified, and his house will be filled with calamities. Sirach 23:14. There is a speech clothed with death: may it never be found in the inheritance of Jacob! Sirach 23:15. For all these things will be far from the godly, and they will not wallow in their sins. 8-15. One should not swear needlessly. A light mention of the most holy name of God is already a sin in itself, and besides leads to many other sins: one who swears often and lightly will not escape breaking his light oath. His speech is truly speech clothed with death, calling calamities upon him and his house.

Sirach 23:16. Do not accustom your lips to rough language, for in it there is sinful speech. Sirach 23:17. Remember your father and mother when you sit among the great, 17. When you are in the company of people superior to you, forget neither your origin nor the wise instructions of your father and mother.

Sirach 23:18. that you may not forget yourself before them and behave foolishly out of habit, and wish that you had not been born, and curse the day of your birth. Sirach 23:19. A man who is accustomed to words of abuse will not be taught all his days. 19. Will not learn wisdom.

Sirach 23:20. Two qualities multiply sins, and a third brings down wrath: Sirach 23:21. A soul burning like fire will not be quenched until the kindling is consumed; Sirach 23:22. a man who commits fornication in his body will not cease until the fire burns him out. Sirach 23:23. To the fornicator all bread is sweet: he will not grow weary until he dies. 23. The incorrigible fornicator sins until death. To him every bread is sweet—that is, all occasions of his depravity are pleasing.

Sirach 23:24. A man who sins against his own bed says in his heart, “Who sees me? Sirach 23:25. Darkness is round about me, and the walls hide me, and no one sees me; whom should I fear? The Most High will not remember my sins.” Sirach 23:26. His fear is only of men, Sirach 23:27. and he does not know that the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun, Sirach 23:28. and they look upon all the ways of men, and penetrate the hidden places. Sirach 23:29. All things were known to him before they were created, and so too after their completion. Sirach 23:30. Such a man will be punished in the streets of the city, and will be caught where he least expects it. Sirach 23:31. So too a woman who leaves her husband and bears children by a stranger: Sirach 23:32. for first, she has disobeyed the law of the Most High; second, she has wronged her husband; and third, she has committed fornication in adultery and borne children by another man. Sirach 23:33. She will be brought before the assembly, and her children will be searched out. Sirach 23:34. Her children will not take root, and her branches will not bear fruit. Sirach 23:35. She will leave a curse as her memorial, and her dishonor will not be blotted out. Sirach 23:36. Those who remain will know that there is nothing better than the fear of the Lord, and nothing sweeter than to hearken to the commandments of the Lord. Sirach 23:37. It is a great glory to follow the Lord, and to be received by him is long life.

Chapter Twenty-Four

A hymn of Divine Wisdom: the divine origin of Wisdom, her omnipresence, her special dwelling in the chosen people; the spiritual greatness of Divine Wisdom, the bountifulness and salvation-bringing nature of her table.

Sirach 24:1. Wisdom will praise herself and will be honored in the midst of her people. 1. Within the books of the Old Testament, the most extensive teaching on divine wisdom we find in the books of the Proverbs of Solomon, the Wisdom of Solomon, and the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach. In the concept of divine wisdom the sacred writers include either the concept of hypostatic Wisdom; or the concept of Wisdom as an attribute of divine mind, manifested in the creation of the world; or the concept of human wisdom, created in the image of divine Wisdom. In this chapter there is discussion both of the creative wisdom of the divine mind (Prov 3:19), and of Hypostatic Wisdom, by whose acts the whole being of all existing goodness is sealed (John 1:1-5).

Sirach 24:2. In the assembly of the Most High she will open her mouth, and in the presence of his host she will glory in herself: Sirach 24:3. “I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth like a cloud; Sirach 24:4. I set my tent in the height, and my throne is in a pillar of cloud; Sirach 24:5. I alone have made the circuit of the heavens, and walked through the depths of the abyss; Sirach 24:6. in the waves of the sea and in all the earth and in every people and tribe I have had my dominion: 3-6. There is discussion of the divine dignity and all-pervading, creative Wisdom.

Sirach 24:7. among them all I sought a resting place; in whose inheritance would I settle? Sirach 24:8. Then the Creator of all commanded me, and he who made me fixed my dwelling; and he said to me, Sirach 24:9. “Dwell in Jacob, and take your inheritance in Israel.” Sirach 24:10. Before the ages, from the beginning, he created me, and I shall not cease to exist forever. Sirach 24:11. I ministered before him in the holy tabernacle, and so I was established in Zion. Sirach 24:12. He gave me rest in the beloved city, and in Jerusalem I have my authority. Sirach 24:13. I took root in a people of honor, in the portion of the Lord’s inheritance. 7-13. There is discussion of eternal Divine Wisdom (verse 10) and her special dwelling in the chosen people of God. The effect of Divine Wisdom upon the chosen Hebrew people (and through them upon all mankind) is testified to by the entire history of the chosen people.

Sirach 24:14. I grew tall like a cedar in Lebanon, and like a cypress on the mountains of Hermon; Sirach 24:15. I grew tall like a palm tree in En-gedi, and like rose bushes in Jericho; Sirach 24:16. like a fair olive tree in the field, and like a plane tree I grew tall. Sirach 24:17. Like cinnamon and aspalathus I gave forth fragrance, and like choice myrrh I spread a pleasant odor, Sirach 24:18. like galbanum, onycha, and stacte, and like the fragrance of frankincense in the tabernacle. Sirach 24:19. I spread out my branches like a terebinth, and my branches are glorious and graceful. Sirach 24:20. I am like a vine, putting forth grace, and my flowers are the fruit of glory and wealth. 14-20. By means of comparisons drawn from the plant kingdom, the thought is clarified concerning the extraordinary greatness, power, and bountifulness of the spiritual gifts of Divine Wisdom.

Sirach 24:21. Come to me, you who desire me, and satisfy yourselves with my fruits; Sirach 24:22. for the remembrance of me is sweeter than honey, and my inheritance sweeter than the honeycomb. Sirach 24:23. Those who eat me will hunger for more, and those who drink me will thirst for more. Sirach 24:24. He who listens to me will not be put to shame, and those who work with me will not sin. 21-24. Those who satisfy themselves with the spiritual gifts of Divine Wisdom will attain true blessedness and happiness.

Sirach 24:25. All this is the book of the covenant of God the Most High, Sirach 24:26. the law which Moses commanded as an inheritance for the assemblies of Jacob. Sirach 24:27. It fills with wisdom as the Pishon, and like the Tigris at the time of the new fruit; Sirach 24:28. it fills with understanding as the Euphrates and like the Jordan at the time of harvest; Sirach 24:29. it overflows with instruction as the light and like the Gihon at the time of vintage. 25-29. The book of the covenant of God the Most High, the law which Moses commanded, serves as a perfect reflection of the actions of Divine Wisdom in relation to the chosen people, and through them to all mankind. The bountifulness of the action upon the faithful of the divinely-given law is compared to the beneficial action upon a thirsty land of the abundant streams of the Paradise rivers Tigris, Euphrates, Gihon, and Pishon.

Sirach 24:30. The first man never fully comprehended her; nor will the last one search her out. Sirach 24:31. For her thoughts are more than the sea, and her counsel deeper than the great abyss. Sirach 24:32. And I, like a channel from a river and like an aqueduct, came forth into a garden. Sirach 24:33. I said, “I will water my garden and drench my garden beds.” Sirach 24:34. And behold, my canal became a river, and my river became a sea. Sirach 24:35. And I will make my teaching shine forth as the morning light, and I will make it shine afar; Sirach 24:36. and I will pour forth my teaching as prophecy, and leave it to the generations forever.” 30-36. The fullness of Divine Wisdom is incomprehensible: her thoughts are more than the sea, her counsel deeper than the great abyss; her means are inexhaustible; her beneficial and salvation-bringing action is infinite.

Sirach 24:37. See that I have not labored for myself alone, but for all who seek wisdom. 37. This verse represents a postscript by the author of the book.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Love among people adorns wisdom; arrogance, falsehood, licentiousness – mock it. The crown of the aged is broad experience, and their praise is the fear of the Lord. No head is more poisonous than a serpent’s head; no rage stronger than the rage of an enemy. One can bear any wound except a heart wound; any malice except a woman’s malice. Sin began from a woman, and through her we all die.

Sirach 25:1. “Three things have I adorned myself with and become beautiful before the Lord and people:” Sirach 25:2. “This – harmony between brothers and love between neighbors, and a wife and husband living in agreement with one another.” Sirach 25:3. “And three kinds of people my soul has hated, and their life is very abominable to me:” Sirach 25:4. “The arrogant poor, the lying rich man, and the old man-adulterer, who lacks understanding.” Sirach 25:5. “What did you not gather in your youth – how then can you acquire it in your old age?” Sirach 25:6. “How befitting gray hair to judge, and for the aged to know how to give counsel!” Sirach 25:7. “How beautiful is the wisdom of the aged and how fitting for respectable people discretion and counsel!” Sirach 25:8. “The crown of the aged is broad experience, and the praise of them is the fear of the Lord.” Sirach 25:9. “Nine thoughts have I praised in my heart, and the tenth I will declare with my tongue:” Sirach 25:10. “This is a man who rejoices over his children and in his lifetime sees the downfall of his enemies.” Sirach 25:11. “Blessed is he who lives with a wise wife, who does not sin with his tongue and does not serve one unworthy of him.” Sirach 25:12. “Blessed is he who has acquired wisdom and conveys it to the ears of those who listen.” Sirach 25:13. “How great is he who has found wisdom! but he is not higher than one who fears the Lord.” Sirach 25:14. “The fear of the Lord surpasses all things, and with whom can the one who possesses it be compared?” Sirach 25:15. “One can bear any wound except a heart wound, and any malice except a woman’s malice,” Sirach 25:16. “any attack except an attack from those who hate, and any revenge except the revenge of enemies;” Sirach 25:17. “There is no head more poisonous than a serpent’s head, and no rage stronger than the rage of an enemy.” Sirach 25:18. “I would rather dwell with a lion and dragon than dwell with an evil woman.” Sirach 25:19. “A woman’s malice changes her appearance and makes her face dark like a bear’s.” Sirach 25:20. “Her husband sits among his friends and, hearing of her, sighs bitterly.” Sirach 25:21. “All malice is small in comparison with a woman’s malice; the lot of a sinner may fall upon her.” “21. The lot of a sinner may fall upon her – that is, the fate of a sinner may befall her.”

Sirach 25:22. “What climbing through deep sand is to the feet of an old man, such is a quarrelsome wife to a peaceful husband.” “22. For a peaceful husband, quieting and persuading his quarrelsome wife is just as difficult as climbing through deep sand for the feet of an old man.”

Sirach 25:23. “Do not stare at a woman’s beauty and do not lust for a wife.” Sirach 25:24. “Great shame and disgrace – when a woman will prevail over her husband.” Sirach 25:25. “A downcast heart and a sad face and a heart wound – an evil woman.” Sirach 25:26. “Drooping hands and slack knees – a woman who does not make her husband happy.” “26. A woman who does not make her husband happy is a spiritual and physical paralysis that causes a man to fall both physically and morally.”

Sirach 25:27. “Sin began from a woman, and through her we all die.” “27. See Gen 3.”

Sirach 25:28. “Do not give water an outlet, nor an evil woman – power;” Sirach 25:29. “if she does not walk under your hand, then cut her off from your flesh.” “29. Cut her off from your flesh – that is, divorce her.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

“A man with a good wife is blessed. A heart disease and sorrow – a bad wife, a dissolute daughter. Three things does the heart fear: slander of the city, the tumult of a crowd, and accusation to death. The heart grieves over two things – but burns with indignation at the third: if a deserving warrior suffers poverty, a wise man is despised, and if a virtuous one turns to the path of sin.”

Sirach 26:1. “A man with a good wife is blessed, and the number of his days is doubled.” Sirach 26:2. “A virtuous wife gladdens her husband and will fill his years with peace;” Sirach 26:3. “A good wife is a happy lot: she is given as a portion to those who fear the Lord;” Sirach 26:4. “With her both the rich and the poor have a contented heart and a cheerful countenance at all times.” Sirach 26:5. “Three things does my heart fear, and at the fourth I pray:” Sirach 26:6. “The slander of the city, the tumult of a crowd, and accusation to death – all this is dreadful.” Sirach 26:7. “A heart disease and sorrow – a woman jealous of another woman,” Sirach 26:8. “And the scourge of her tongue, which affects everyone.” Sirach 26:9. “A yoke that moves back and forth – an evil woman; whoever takes her is like one seizing a scorpion.” “9. As an ill-fitting yoke is uncomfortable and painful, so an evil wife is unbearable to a husband. As it is unpleasant and dangerous to seize a poisonous, stinging scorpion in one’s hands, so it is unpleasant and dangerous to come into contact with an evil woman.”

Sirach 26:10. “A great shame – a woman devoted to drunkenness, and she will not hide her shame.” Sirach 26:11. “The inclination of a woman toward fornication is known by the raising of her eyes and eyelids.” Sirach 26:12. “Guard a shameless daughter with a strong watch, so that, if she finds any loosening, she will not abuse herself.” Sirach 26:13. “Beware of a shameless eye, and do not be surprised if she sins against you:” Sirach 26:14. “Just as a thirsty wayfarer opens his mouth and drinks any nearby water,” Sirach 26:15. “So she will sit opposite any tent and open her quiver before every arrow.” “15. The immoral desires of a promiscuous woman are expressed and demand their satisfaction at every convenient opportunity for her.”

Sirach 26:16. “A wife’s graciousness will delight her husband, and her prudence will fatten his bones.” “16. A good wife contributes to the inner and outer well-being of her husband.”

Sirach 26:17. “A gentle wife is a gift from the Lord, and there is no price for a well-bred soul.” Sirach 26:18. “Grace upon grace – a modest wife,” Sirach 26:19. “And there is no worthy measure for a temperate soul.” Sirach 26:20. “Just as the sun rising on the heights of the Lord,” Sirach 26:21. “So is the beauty of a good wife in the adornment of her house;” Sirach 26:22. “Just as a lamp shining on a holy candelabrum is the beauty of her face in mature years;” Sirach 26:23. “Just as golden pillars on a silver base, so are her beautiful feet on firm heels.” Sirach 26:24. “Two things grieved my heart, and at the third my heart burned with indignation:” Sirach 26:25. “If a warrior suffers from poverty, and wise men are in contempt;” Sirach 26:26. “And if someone turns from righteousness to sin, the Lord has prepared him for the sword.” Sirach 26:27. “A merchant can scarcely avoid sinning, and a tavern keeper will not be saved from sin.” “27. This clarifies verses 1–3 of chapter XXVII.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“Where buying and selling – there often is sin. Before conversation, do not praise a person. Strive for righteousness – and you will find it. Do not spend time among the foolish. Love a friend and be faithful to him. Avoid double-dealing and deceit. He who throws a stone upward throws it on his own head. He who digs a pit will fall into it himself; he who sets a snare will be caught in it himself.”

Sirach 27:1. “Many have sinned because of small things, and the one who seeks wealth turns away his eyes.” Sirach 27:2. “Just as a nail is driven in between the joints of stones, so sin enters between selling and buying.” Sirach 27:3. “If anyone does not hold himself carefully in the fear of the Lord, his house will soon be ruined.” Sirach 27:4. “When a sieve is shaken, the refuse remains: so the uncleanness of a man remains in his reasoning.” Sirach 27:5. “Earthen vessels are tested in the furnace, and a man is tested in conversation.” Sirach 27:6. “Care for a tree is revealed in its fruit: so in a word – the thoughts of the human heart.” “6. As the quality of fruit – good or bad – depends greatly on the care of the tree and testifies to the degree of that care, so the product of human thoughts and feelings – a word – greatly expresses innate inclinations and the degree of a person’s good upbringing.”

Sirach 27:7. “Do not praise a man before conversation, for it is a test of people.” Sirach 27:8. “If you will earnestly seek righteousness, you will find it and clothe yourself with it like a robe of glory.” “8. A podere is a long garment worn by Jewish high priests and kings.”

Sirach 27:9. “Birds gather with their like, and truth returns to those who practice it.” Sirach 27:10. “Just as a lion lies in wait for prey, so sins lie in wait for those who commit evil.” Sirach 27:11. “The conversation of the pious is always wisdom, but the fool changes like the moon.” Sirach 27:12. “Do not spend your time among the foolish, but spend it constantly among the wise.” Sirach 27:13. “The conversation of fools is repugnant, and their laughter is in the pursuit of sin.” Sirach 27:14. “The idle talk of those who swear much will make your hair stand on end, and their quarreling will deafen your ears.” Sirach 27:15. “The quarrel of the arrogant – bloodshed, and their abuse is unbearable to hear.” Sirach 27:16. “He who reveals secrets has lost trust and will not find a kindred friend.” Sirach 27:17. “Love a friend and be faithful to him;” Sirach 27:18. “But if you reveal his secrets, do not run after him:” Sirach 27:19. “For as a man kills his enemy, so you have killed the friendship of your neighbor;” Sirach 27:20. “And as you would let a bird out of your hands, so you have let go of your friend and will not catch him;” Sirach 27:21. “Do not run after him, for he has gone far away and has escaped like a doe from a net.” Sirach 27:22. “A wound can be bound, and after a quarrel reconciliation is possible;” Sirach 27:23. “But whoever has revealed secrets has lost hope of reconciliation.” Sirach 27:24. “Whoever winks an eye, plots mischief, and no one will keep him from it;” “24. A man of deceit cannot bear a direct, honest gaze.”

Sirach 27:25. “Before your eyes he will speak sweetly and will marvel at your words,” Sirach 27:26. “But later he will pervert his mouth and will reveal a stumbling block in your words;” Sirach 27:27. “Much have I hated, but not so much as him; and the Lord will hate him.” Sirach 27:28. “He who throws a stone upward throws it on his own head, and a treacherous blow will split wounds.” Sirach 27:29. “He who digs a pit will fall into it himself, and he who sets a snare will be caught in it himself.” Sirach 27:30. “He who does evil, it will return upon him, and he will not know where it came to him from;” Sirach 27:31. “Mockery and reproach from the proud, and vengeance like a lion will lie in wait for him.” Sirach 27:32. “Those caught in the net will rejoice at the downfall of the pious, and grief will wear them out before their death.” Sirach 27:33. “Malice and wrath – these too are abominations, and a sinful man will be possessed by them.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“Forgive your neighbor – and the Lord will forgive you. Despise ignorance. Abstain from quarrels. Beware of gossip and double-tongued speech. Be careful with your words.”

Sirach 28:1. “The vengeful will receive vengeance from the Lord, Who will not forget his sins.” Sirach 28:2. “Forgive your neighbor the injury, and then through your prayer your sins will be forgiven.” Sirach 28:3. “A man harbors anger toward a man, yet seeks forgiveness from the Lord;” Sirach 28:4. “He has no mercy on a man like himself and yet prays about his own sins;” Sirach 28:5. “He himself, being flesh, harbors malice: who will cleanse his sins?” Sirach 28:6. “Remember the end and cease from enmity; remember corruption and death and keep the commandments;” “6. See Sir 7:39. Remember the end – that is, death, decay, judgment – cease from enmity and keep the commandments of the Lord.”

Sirach 28:7. “Remember the commandments and harbor no malice toward your neighbor;” Sirach 28:8. “Remember the covenant of the Most High and despise ignorance.” Sirach 28:9. “Abstain from quarrels – and you will lessen your sins;” Sirach 28:10. “For an irritable man will kindle a quarrel; a sinful man will trouble friends and sow discord among those living in peace.” Sirach 28:11. “According to the fuel, so will it ignite;” Sirach 28:12. “And according to the strength of a man, so will his anger be, and according to his wealth his rage will be increased.” Sirach 28:13. “A heated dispute kindles fire, and a heated quarrel sheds blood.” Sirach 28:14. “If you blow on a spark, it will ignite, and if you spit on it, it will go out: both come from your mouth.” Sirach 28:15. “A gossip and double-tongued man is cursed, for he has destroyed many who were living in peace;” Sirach 28:16. “The third tongue has shaken many and scattered them from nation to nation,” “16. The third tongue – that is, the deceitful tongue of a third party, in between two.”

Sirach 28:17. “And it has destroyed fortified cities and overthrown the houses of great men;” Sirach 28:18. “The third tongue has driven away noble women and deprived them of the fruits of their labors;” Sirach 28:19. “Whoever heeds it will find no rest and will not dwell in peace.” Sirach 28:20. “A blow from a whip leaves a scar, and a blow from the tongue will shatter bones;” Sirach 28:21. “Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but not so many as have fallen by the tongue;” Sirach 28:22. “Blessed is he who is sheltered from it, who has not experienced its wrath, who has not borne its yoke and was not bound by its bonds;” Sirach 28:23. “For its yoke is an iron yoke, and its bonds are bronze bonds,” Sirach 28:24. “A cruel death – its death, and the very abyss is better than it.” Sirach 28:25. “It will not have power over the pious, and they will not burn in its flame;” “25. It will not have power over – that is, the abyss (see verse 24) of evil speech and for evil speech.”

Sirach 28:26. “Those who forsake the Lord will fall into it; it will be kindled in them and will not be extinguished: it will be sent upon them like a lion and, like a leopard, will destroy them.” Sirach 28:27. “See, fence your possession with thorns,” Sirach 28:28. “Bind your silver and gold,” Sirach 28:29. “And for your words make weight and measure, and for your mouth – a door and a bolt.” “29. Be careful with what you say.”

Sirach 28:30. “Beware lest you stumble by them and fall before the evil-minded.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Lend to your neighbor in his time of need and repay your neighbor in turn – and you will always find what you need. Be compassionate to the poor. Arrange your treasure according to the commandments of the Most High, and it will bring you more benefit than gold laid up for storage. Be cautious regarding guarantees and those who guarantee. Be content with little, but what is your own: do not look with greed upon much, but what is another’s.

Sirach 29:1. – He who shows mercy lends to his neighbor, and he who sustains him with his hand keeps the commandments. Sirach 29:2. – Lend to your neighbor in his time of need, and repay your neighbor in turn. Sirach 29:3. – Hold firmly to your word and be faithful to it – and you will find what you need at all times. Sirach 29:4. – Many regarded a loan as a windfall and caused trouble to those who helped them. 4. A windfall for himself.

Sirach 29:5. – Until he receives, he will kiss his hand and use soft words about his neighbor’s money; Sirach 29:6. – but when payment is due, he will delay and will answer reluctantly and complain about the times. Sirach 29:7. – If he is able, he will barely bring half – and will consider this a windfall; 7. Will consider a windfall, that is, will think that for the creditor even the part of the debt that the debtor has repaid is already a windfall.

Sirach 29:8. – but if he is unable, the moneylender has lost his money and without cause acquired an enemy in him: Sirach 29:9. – he will repay him with curses and insults, and instead of honor will repay dishonor. Sirach 29:10. – Many because of such deceit refrain from lending, fearing needlessly to suffer loss. Sirach 29:11. – But be compassionate to the poor and do not delay to give him alms; Sirach 29:12. – for the sake of the commandment help the poor, and in his need do not send him away empty. Sirach 29:13. – Spend your silver for your brother and friend, and do not let it rust away under a stone to your ruin; Sirach 29:14. – arrange your treasure according to the commandments of the Most High, and it will bring you more benefit than gold; Sirach 29:15. – store mercy in your treasuries, and it will deliver you from all misfortune: Sirach 29:16. – it will protect you better than a strong shield and firm spear against the enemy. 15–16. Store in your treasuries what is to serve as alms to your neighbor, and this alms will be for you the most reliable bulwark of your bodily and spiritual welfare (Matt 7:2).

Sirach 29:17. – A good man will guarantee for his neighbor, but he who has lost shame will abandon him. Sirach 29:18. – Do not forget the kindness of your guarantor; for he gave his life for you. Sirach 29:19. – A sinner will ruin the fortune of his guarantor, and the ungrateful will abandon his rescuer in his heart. Sirach 29:20. – Guaranteeing has brought ruin upon many who were well-off and shook them like a wave of the sea; Sirach 29:21. – it has expelled mighty men from their homes, and they wandered among foreign nations. Sirach 29:22. – A sinner who takes guaranteeing upon himself and seeks profit will fall into litigation. Sirach 29:23. – Help your neighbor according to your strength, and be careful lest you fall into the same. 17–23. Guaranteeing is the same kind of alms, but one should act so that this alms does not turn to harm for the giver and the one receiving it.

Sirach 29:24. – The chief necessities of life are water and bread, clothing and a house that covers nakedness. Sirach 29:25. – Better is the life of a poor man under a thatched roof than luxurious feasts in the houses of others. Sirach 29:26. – Be content with little as with much. Sirach 29:27. – A wretched life is to wander from house to house, and where you settle, you will not dare even to open your mouth; Sirach 29:28. – you will serve food and drink without gratitude, and moreover will hear something bitter: Sirach 29:29. – “Come here, stranger, prepare the table, and if you have something, feed me”; Sirach 29:30. – “Go away, stranger, for an honored guest: my brother has come to visit, my house is needed”. Sirach 29:31. – It is hard for a man of feeling to be reproached for lodging in a house and blamed for borrowing.

Chapter Thirty

Train your son and labor over him, so that you will not have grief from improper conduct on his part. Guard your health. Do not give yourself to despair.

Sirach 30:1. – Whoever loves his son will discipline him often, so that he may be glad in him afterward. Sirach 30:2. – Whoever teaches his son will find help from him and among his acquaintances will take pride in him. Sirach 30:3. – Whoever instructs his son will stir up envy in an enemy, but before friends will rejoice in him. Sirach 30:4. – When his father dies – he does not seem to die, because he leaves behind one like himself; Sirach 30:5. – during his life he looked upon him and took comfort, and at his death he did not sorrow; Sirach 30:6. – he left an avenger to his enemies and to his friends a rewarder. Sirach 30:7. – He who indulges his son will bind up his wounds, and at every cry of his will be troubled in heart. 7. Indulgence leading to permissiveness becomes harmful weakness.

Sirach 30:8. – An untamed horse becomes stubborn, and a son left to his own will becomes bold. Sirach 30:9. – Pamper a child, and he will frighten you; play with him, and he will grieve you. Sirach 30:10. – Do not laugh with him, so that you will not suffer with him, and in the end will not gnash your teeth. 9–10. Verses 11–13 explain these. Love for children should not pass into permissiveness toward their bad inclinations.

Sirach 30:11. – Do not give him freedom in youth and do not wink at his foolishness. Sirach 30:12. – Bend his neck in youth and bruise his ribs while he is young, so that when he becomes stubborn he may not disobey you. Sirach 30:13. – Train your son and labor over him, so that you will not have grief from improper conduct on his part. Sirach 30:14. – Better is a poor man healthy and strong in body than a rich man afflicted with weakness; Sirach 30:15. – health and bodily vigor are more precious than any gold, and a sound body is better than endless wealth; Sirach 30:16. – there is no wealth better than bodily health, and no joy greater than joy of the heart; Sirach 30:17. – better is death than a life full of sorrow or a disease that lasts continually. Sirach 30:18. – Delicacies offered to closed lips are like food set upon a tomb. Sirach 30:19. – What profit is an idol from an offering? It cannot eat or smell: Sirach 30:20. – so he who is pursued by the Lord, Sirach 30:21. – looking with eyes and sighing, is like a eunuch who embraces a young woman and sighs. Sirach 30:22. – Do not give your soul over to sorrow and do not torment yourself with anxious thoughts; Sirach 30:23. – gladness of heart is the life of man, and joy of a man is his long life; Sirach 30:24. – love your soul and comfort your heart, and keep sorrow far from yourself, Sirach 30:25. – for sorrow has killed many, and there is no profit in it. Sirach 30:26. – Jealousy and anger shorten life, and anxiety brings old age before its time. Sirach 30:27. – An open and good heart cares for its food.

Chapter Thirty-One

One who loves gold will not be justified; whoever pursues corruption will be filled with it. Be careful of greed in all things. In all your deeds be prudent, – and no sickness will come upon you.

Sirach 31:1. – Watchfulness over wealth exhausts the body, and concern for it takes away sleep. Sirach 31:2. – Anxious care does not let one sleep, and a heavy sickness takes away sleep. Sirach 31:3. – A rich man has labored in gathering wealth – and in rest he enjoys his goods. Sirach 31:4. – A poor man has labored in his lack of necessities – and in rest remains poor. Sirach 31:5. – One who loves gold will not be justified, and whoever pursues corruption will be filled with it. Sirach 31:6. – Many have come to ruin because of gold, and their destruction was before their eyes; Sirach 31:7. – it is a stumbling-block for those who offer sacrifice to it, and every fool will be caught by it. Sirach 31:8. – Happy is the rich man who has been found blameless and who did not pursue gold. Sirach 31:9. – Who is he? and we will praise him; for he has done wonders among his people. Sirach 31:10. – Who was tempted by gold – and remained virtuous? Let this be his praise. Sirach 31:11. – Who had the power to transgress – and did not transgress, to do evil – and did not do it? Sirach 31:12. – Firm will be his wealth, and the assembly will recount his deeds of mercy. 1–12. The accumulation of wealth is accompanied by many troubles and worries, but its possession is accompanied by true peace and is only blameless when wealth is acquired and spent without violation of God’s laws.

Sirach 31:13. – When you sit down to a rich table, do not open your throat to it Sirach 31:14. – and do not say, “How much is there on it!” Remember that a greedy eye is an evil thing. Sirach 31:15. – What is more covetous than the eye? Therefore it weeps over everything it sees. Sirach 31:16. – Wherever it looks, do not reach out your hand, and do not clash with it over a dish. 16. Do not hasten to reach your hand toward the dish that a greedy eye is looking at.

Sirach 31:17. – Judge your neighbor by yourself and consider every action. 17. See Matt 7:12.

Sirach 31:18. – Eat, as a man, what is set before you, and do not overstuff yourself, so that you will not be hated; Sirach 31:19. – cease eating first out of politeness and do not be greedy, so that you may not be an offense; Sirach 31:20. – and if you sit in the midst of many, do not reach out your hand before them. Sirach 31:21. – The well-bred man is satisfied with little, and therefore does not suffer shortness of breath on his bed. Sirach 31:22. – Healthy sleep comes with moderation of the belly: he wakes early, and his soul is with him; 22. And his soul is with him, that is, in an alert state.

Sirach 31:23. – Suffering from sleeplessness, cholera, and colic come upon the greedy man. Sirach 31:24. – If you have burdened yourself with food, rise from the table and rest. Sirach 31:25. – Listen to me, my son, and do not reject me, and later you will understand my words. Sirach 31:26. – In all your deeds be prudent, and no sickness will come upon you. Sirach 31:27. – Those who are generous with bread will be blessed, and the testimony to their goodness is true; Sirach 31:28. – against the stingy with bread the city will murmur, and the testimony to his stinginess is just. Sirach 31:29. – Do not show yourself bold against wine, for wine has destroyed many. Sirach 31:30. – The furnace tests the strength of steel by tempering; so wine tests hearts through drunkenness. 30. Just as fire reveals the true worth of metal, so drunkenness can reveal a man’s hidden thoughts and feelings.

Sirach 31:31. – Wine is beneficial for human life if you drink it moderately. Sirach 31:32. – What is life without wine? It was created for the joy of men. Sirach 31:33. – Joy to the heart and solace to the soul – wine, drunk moderately in due time; Sirach 31:34. – bitterness to the soul – wine, when drunk in abundance, amid quarreling and strife. Sirach 31:35. – Excessive drinking of wine increases the anger of the unwise to stumbling, diminishing his strength and causing wounds. Sirach 31:36. – At a feast over wine do not reproach your neighbor and do not humble him in his joy; Sirach 31:37. – do not speak offensive words to him and do not burden him with demands.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Be wise and thoughtful in fulfilling your duties. Be restrained and respectful toward your elders. Do nothing without sound reflection.

Sirach 32:1. – If you have been set as a leader at a feast, do not exalt yourself; be among others as one of them: Sirach 32:2. – care for them first, then sit down. And when you have completed all your duties, take your place, Sirach 32:3. – so that you may rejoice with them and receive a crown for your good management. Sirach 32:4. – You, as the elder, should lead the conversation – for this is fitting for you – Sirach 32:5. – with sound knowledge, and do not hinder the music. Sirach 32:6. – When there is music, do not multiply speech, and do not display wisdom at an inopportune time. 6. When table music is heard (see verses 5 and 7), – refrain from talking.

Sirach 32:7. – As a ruby seal set in gold is the melodious sound of music at a wine feast; Sirach 32:8. – as an emerald seal set in a gold mounting is the pleasant sound of songs over fine wine. Sirach 32:9. – Speak, young man, if you must, just barely a word, when you are asked, Sirach 32:10. – speak to the point, much in few words. Be as one who knows, and yet knows how to be silent. Sirach 32:11. – Among the great do not set yourself equal to them, and when another is speaking, do not speak much. Sirach 32:12. – Lightning precedes thunder, and modesty precedes favor. 12. The modesty of a young man and the goodwill of society toward him are so closely connected as lightning and thunder.

Sirach 32:13. – Rise at the right time and do not be the last; hurry home and do not linger. Sirach 32:14. – There enjoy yourself and do as you please; but do not sin with proud speech. Sirach 32:15. – And for this bless the One who created you and feeds you with His blessings. Sirach 32:16. – The one who fears the Lord will receive instruction, and those who seek Him early will find His favor. Sirach 32:17. – The one who seeks the law will be satisfied by it, but the hypocrite will stumble in it. Sirach 32:18. – Those who fear the Lord will find justice and will kindle righteousness like a light. Sirach 32:19. – A sinful man shuns correction and finds an excuse according to his desire. Sirach 32:20. – A prudent man does not neglect reflection, but a foolish and proud man does not tremble with fear even after doing something without thought. Sirach 32:21. – Do nothing without reflection, and when you act, do not regret. Sirach 32:22. – Do not walk on a path full of ruins, so that you do not stumble over a stone; Sirach 32:23. – do not rely even on a smooth path; be wary even of your own children. Sirach 32:24. – In all your affairs trust your soul: and this is keeping the commandments. 24. See Sir 17:5-8. The natural law of faith and morality is placed by the Creator in the heart of each person. And the purer a person, – the clearer in him is the voice of this law – the reason and conscience of man.

Sirach 32:25. – One who believes the law pays heed to the commandments, and one who trusts in the Lord will not suffer harm.

Chapter Thirty-Three

A wise person is faithful to the law, and the law is faithful to him. Be prepared in speech and thoughtful in friendship. Remember the power and justice of God. In all your actions be foremost and bring no shame to your honor. Teach your slave to diligence, but do not forget that he is a human being close to you.

Sirach 33:1. No evil will befall the one who fears the Lord, but even in trial He will deliver him. Sirach 33:2. A wise person does not hate the law, but one who pretends to keep it is like a ship in a storm. 2. What a ship without a rudder is in a storm, that is a person not guided by firm and wise law.

Sirach 33:3. A wise person trusts the law, and the law is trustworthy for him, like the answer of Urim. Sirach 33:4. Prepare your word, and you will be heard; gather wisdom, and answer. 4. Answer those who ask you.

Sirach 33:5. A wheel in a chariot is the heart of a foolish person, and his thought is like a turning axle. 5. The thought and feeling of an unwise person are as unstable as a wheel while a chariot is moving.

Sirach 33:6. A mocking friend is the same as a hot-headed horse, which neighs under every rider. Sirach 33:7. Why is one day better than another, when all the daylight in the year comes from the sun? Sirach 33:8. They are distinguished by the wisdom of the Lord; He set apart the seasons and festivals: Sirach 33:9. Some of them He exalted and sanctified, while others He placed among ordinary days. Sirach 33:10. And all people are from dust, and Adam was created from the earth; Sirach 33:11. but by His all-knowledge the Lord made a distinction among them and appointed them different paths: Sirach 33:12. some of them He blessed and exalted, others He sanctified and brought near to Himself, still others He cursed and brought low and moved from their place. Sirach 33:13. As clay is in the hand of a potter, and all its forms are in his will, so people are in the hand of their Maker, and He repays them according to His judgment. Sirach 33:14. As good is opposite to evil, and life is opposite to death, so the sinner is opposite to the godly. Thus look at all the works of the Most High: they are in pairs, one opposite to the other. 7–14. All days, by their origin, are equal, but some of them, by the will of God, are elevated to the rank of notable days for the perpetuation in the memory of peoples of the glorious and saving deeds of the Lord. All people, by their origin, are also equal to one another, but the all-knowledge of the Lord (v. 11) foresees how and who from them will use in earthly life the freedom of will given to them (Sir 15:11-20), and therefore in His justice the Lord appoints to some bliss as their lot, to others suffering as their lot.

Sirach 33:15. And I, the last, have labored watchfully, like one who gleans after the grape-pickers, Sirach 33:16. and by the blessing of the Lord I succeeded and filled the wine-press, like one who gathers grapes. Sirach 33:17. Understand that I have labored not for myself alone, but for all who seek instruction. 15–17. Cf. Sir 24:37. The author of the book speaks of his zeal in gathering wise teachings, for the instruction of all who seek wisdom, and he calls himself the last among the Old Testament teachers who labored in the vineyard of Wisdom.

Sirach 33:18. Hear me, princes of the people, and listen, leaders of the assembly: Sirach 33:19. to no son, wife, brother, or friend give power over you during your lifetime; Sirach 33:20. and do not give your property to another, lest you regret it and have to ask for it back. Sirach 33:21. As long as you live and breath is in you, do not replace yourself with anyone; Sirach 33:22. for it is better that your children ask you than that you look to the hands of your sons. Sirach 33:23. In all your actions be foremost, and bring no shame to your honor. Sirach 33:24. At the end of the days of your life and at your death transfer your inheritance. Sirach 33:25. Feed, rod, and burden are for the donkey; bread, correction, and work are for a slave. Sirach 33:26. Keep a slave at work, and you will have rest; loosen his hands, and he will seek freedom. Sirach 33:27. Yoke and strap bend the neck of an ox, and for an evil slave—shackles and wounds; Sirach 33:28. put him to work, so that he is not idle, for idleness has taught much evil; Sirach 33:29. set him to work, as is proper for him, and if he does not obey, put heavy shackles on him. Sirach 33:30. But lay no excessive burden on anyone and do nothing without deliberation. Sirach 33:31. If you have a slave, treat him as yourself, for you acquired him with your blood; 31. You acquired him with your blood, meaning you acquired him with part of your blood estate and bound him to you with the blood of his labors and sufferings.

Sirach 33:32. if you have a slave, treat him as a brother, for you will need him as you need your own soul; Sirach 33:33. if you mistreat him and he rises up and runs away from you, on what path will you search for him?

Chapter Thirty-Four

Divinations, omens, and dreams are vanity; if they are not sent from the Most High for instruction, do not apply your heart to them. Wisdom dwells in the mouths of the faithful to it. The one who fears the Lord will not be terrified of anything, for his hope is the Lord. The Most High does not look with favor on the offerings of the wicked. Only sincere repentance for sins and a genuine readiness not to repeat them are beneficial.

Sirach 34:1. Empty and false hopes are in a person lacking judgment, and foolish dreams give wings to fools. Sirach 34:2. As one who embraces a shadow or chases the wind is one who trusts in dreams. Sirach 34:3. Dreams are altogether like a shadow of a face opposite a face. 3. A shadow of a face opposite a face, that is, a shadow of a face (cf. v. 2).

Sirach 34:4. What can be clean from the unclean, and what can be true from the false? Sirach 34:5. Divinations and omens and dreams are vanity, and the heart is filled with fantasies, as with the longings of a woman in labor. 5. The one who trusts dreams waits for their fulfillment with the same yearning that a woman in labor awaits the appearance of her child.

Sirach 34:6. If they are not sent from the Most High for instruction, do not apply your heart to them. Sirach 34:7. Dreams have led many astray, and those who hoped in them have suffered ruin. Sirach 34:8. The law is fulfilled without deception, and wisdom in the mouths of the faithful is brought to completion. 8. Inviolably is that law fulfilled, that wisdom dwells and comes to perfection only in those who serve it zealously and sincerely.

Sirach 34:9. A learned person knows much, and one with much experience will speak of knowledge. Sirach 34:10. One who has not experienced much knows little; but one who has traveled has multiplied knowledge. Sirach 34:11. Much have I seen in my travels, and I know more than I can express. Sirach 34:12. Many times I have been in danger of death, and I was saved by experience. Sirach 34:13. The spirit of those who fear the Lord will live, for their hope is in the one who saves them. 13. This is clarified in v. 14–17.

Sirach 34:14. The one who fears the Lord will not be terrified of anything and will not be afraid, for He is his hope. Sirach 34:15. Blessed is the soul of the one who fears the Lord! Who sustains him, and who is his support? Sirach 34:16. The eyes of the Lord are upon those who love Him. He is a mighty protection and strong support, a shelter from the heat and shelter from the midday sun, a protection from stumbling and a defense from falling; Sirach 34:17. He exalts the soul and enlightens the eyes, gives healing, life, and blessing. Sirach 34:18. One who brings a sacrifice from unjust gain—his offering is mocked, and the gifts of the wicked are not acceptable; Sirach 34:19. the Most High does not look with favor on the offerings of the wicked and does not atone for their sins by a multitude of sacrifices. Sirach 34:20. As one who slays a son before his father, so is one who brings an offering from the property of the poor. 20. This is clarified in v. 21–22.

Sirach 34:21. The bread of the needy is the life of the poor: one who deprives them of it is a bloodshedder. Sirach 34:22. One murders a neighbor who takes away their sustenance, and one sheds blood who deprives a worker of their wage. Sirach 34:23. When one builds and another tears down: what do they gain except toil? Sirach 34:24. When one prays and another curses, whose voice will the Master hear? Sirach 34:25. When someone washes from defilement by a dead body and then touches it again, what does his washing benefit? 23–25. These are clarified in v. 26. One cannot build and at the same time tear down what is being built, pray for someone and at the same time curse them, wash from defilement and at the same time touch that which defiles, repent of sins and at once repeat them.

Sirach 34:26. So too is a person who fasts for their sins and then goes and does the same things again: who will hear their prayer? And what benefit will they gain from humbling themselves?

Chapter Thirty-Five

To please the Lord is to turn away from evil; to make atonement to Him is to avoid wrongdoing.

Sirach 35:1. One who keeps the law multiplies offerings; one who holds to the commandments brings a sacrifice of salvation. Sirach 35:2. One who gives thanks brings an offering of fine flour; one who gives alms brings a sacrifice of praise. Sirach 35:3. Pleasing the Lord is turning from evil, and making atonement to Him is turning from wrongdoing. 1–3. Cf. Ps 50:19; Isa 1. See the note to Sir 7:9. One who keeps the external precepts of the law regarding sacrifices multiplies with his offering the number of offerings; but one who at the same time fulfills in his life the spirit of the Lord’s commandments brings a sacrifice for his salvation. One who offers a thanksgiving sacrifice only as the law requires brings fine flour, that is, increases the amount of fine flour brought with the sacrifice; but one who at the same time does works of mercy brings to God a sacrifice of true praise (Matt 5:16).

Sirach 35:4. Do not appear before the Lord with empty hands, for all this is commanded. Sirach 35:5. The offering of the righteous makes the altar rich, and its fragrance goes up before the Most High; Sirach 35:6. the sacrifice of a righteous person is acceptable, and the memory of it will not be forgotten. Sirach 35:7. With a cheerful eye glorify the Lord and do not diminish the first fruits of your labor; Sirach 35:8. with every gift have a cheerful face and consecrate your tithe in gladness. Sirach 35:9. Give to the Most High according to His gift, and with a cheerful eye according to the wealth your hand has acquired, Sirach 35:10. for the Lord is the one who repays, and He will repay you sevenfold. 4–10. The necessity of inner worship does not mean that outer worship can be neglected. The law’s precepts concerning worship and sacrifice must be fulfilled without omission and in the joyful disposition of a willing heart.

Sirach 35:11. Do not diminish gifts, for He will not accept them; and do not hope in an unjust offering, Sirach 35:12. for the Lord is a judge, and there is no partiality with Him: Sirach 35:13. He does not show partiality to the poor and listens to the prayer of one who is wronged; Sirach 35:14. He does not despise the supplication of an orphan, nor a widow when she pours out her complaint. Sirach 35:15. Do not the tears of a widow flow down her cheeks, and does she not cry out against the one who drives her to weep? Sirach 35:16. One who serves God will be accepted with favor, and his prayer will reach the clouds. Sirach 35:17. The prayer of the humble will pierce the clouds, and he will not be consoled until it draws near to God, Sirach 35:18. and will not cease until the Most High looks down and judges righteously and pronounces judgment. Sirach 35:19. And the Lord will not delay and will not be patient until He crushes the loins of the unmerciful; Sirach 35:20. He will repay vengeance to the nations until He destroys the multitude of oppressors and breaks the scepters of the unjust, Sirach 35:21. until He repays each person according to their deeds, and the deeds of people according to their intentions, Sirach 35:22. until He executes judgment over His people and rejoices them with His mercy. Sirach 35:23. Mercy is timely in the time of affliction, like rain clouds in the time of drought. 11–23. The Lord is impartial and merciful: He will reject the offering of the wicked oppressor of neighbors, but He will hear the tears of the helpless and the wronged righteous and will not delay in executing His righteous judgment.

Chapter Thirty-Six

A prayer to the Lord God for mercy on the chosen people of God oppressed by other nations. A tribute to a virtuous wife.

Sirach 36:1. Have mercy on us, Master, God of all, and look upon us. Sirach 36:2. and bring fear of Yourself upon all nations. 2. Explained by the following verses.

Sirach 36:3. Lift up Your hand against foreign nations, and let them know Your might. Sirach 36:4. As You have shown Your holiness before them in us, show Your greatness before us in them. 4. As before them, the gentiles, You revealed Your holiness in us, Your chosen people, by granting us Your holy laws and institutions for a holy and God-pleasing life: likewise, show Your greatness before us in them, enlightening them by awe-inspiring and glorious signs of Your divine might.

Sirach 36:5. and let them know You as we have known that there is no God except You, O Lord. Sirach 36:6. Renew Your signs and work new wonders. Sirach 36:7. Glorify Your hand and Your right arm; stir up wrath and pour out anger. Sirach 36:8. Destroy the adversary and blot out the enemy. Sirach 36:9. Hasten the time and remember the oath, and let Your great deeds be proclaimed. 9. Hasten the time of the manifestation of Your mercy toward us, remember the oath to our fathers, and let those instructed and enlightened by You proclaim the great deeds of Your righteous might.

Sirach 36:10. Let those who flee the sword be destroyed by the fury of fire, and let those who oppress Your people find ruin. Sirach 36:11. Crush the heads of hostile rulers who say “there is no one but us!” 10–11. These refer to foreigners who oppressed the Hebrew people after its return from the Babylonian captivity.

Sirach 36:12. Gather all the tribes of Jacob and make them Your possession as in the beginning. Sirach 36:13. Have mercy, O Lord, on the people called by Your name, and on Israel, whom You called Your firstborn. 13. Cf. Gen 32:24-32; Exod 4:22.

Sirach 36:14. Show compassion for the city of Your holiness, for Jerusalem, the place of Your rest. Sirach 36:15. Fill Zion with the fulfillment of Your promises, and Your people with Your glory. Sirach 36:16. Grant testimony to those who have been Your possession from the beginning, and raise up prophecies in Your name. 16. Grant testimony to Your mercy to those who have been Your possession from the beginning, that is, to Your chosen people, and raise up, restore, prophecies in Your name, which ceased with the death of the post-exilic prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

Sirach 36:17. Grant reward to those who hope in You, and let all believe in Your prophets. Sirach 36:18. Hear, O Lord, the prayer of Your servants, according to the blessing of Aaron, for Your people. Sirach 36:19. and all who dwell on earth shall know that You are the Lord, God of the ages. Sirach 36:20. The stomach receives all kinds of food, but one food is better than another. Sirach 36:21. The palate distinguishes game as food, so a wise heart distinguishes words of falsehood. Sirach 36:22. A wicked heart brings sorrow, but an experienced man will repay it. Sirach 36:23. A woman accepts any man, but one maiden is better than another. Sirach 36:24. The beauty of a woman gladdens the face and is most desirable to a man. Sirach 36:25. If there is kindness and gentleness on her tongue, her husband is not like other sons of men. Sirach 36:26. He who obtains a wife begins to acquire property, and gains a helper suited to him and a pillar of rest. Sirach 36:27. Where there is no wall, possessions will be plundered; and he who has no wife will wander sighing. Sirach 36:28. For who will trust an armed robber who wanders from city to city? Sirach 36:29. So too a man without a dwelling place who stops for the night wherever he is overtaken by darkness. 20–29. Just as the palate is not indifferent to the quality of food it receives, nor a wise heart to the quality of words it hears, nor a well-brought-up maiden to a strange man; so for a husband the qualities of his wife are not a matter of indifference: an intelligent, good, kind, and beautiful wife is joy, an adornment, and a guarantee of prosperity for her husband.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Do not forget a friend in your heart or in your possessions. Exercise caution in choosing an advisor. Be wisely attentive to what nourishes your body and soul.

Sirach 37:1. Every friend may say, “I too am your friend.” But there is a friend who is a friend in name only. Sirach 37:2. Is this not a grief even to death when a companion and friend becomes an enemy? Sirach 37:3. O evil thought! How did you come to cover the earth with treachery? Sirach 37:4. A companion rejoices with a friend in his joy, but in his time of trouble he will be against him. Sirach 37:5. A companion helps his friend for his belly’s sake, but in battle he will take up a shield. 5. That is, he will take up a shield against his friend.

Sirach 37:6. Do not forget a friend in your heart and do not forget him in your possessions. Sirach 37:7. Every counselor praises his own advice, but some give counsel for their own advantage. Sirach 37:8. Guard your soul against a counselor and know beforehand what he needs; for he may counsel for his own interest. Sirach 37:9. He may cast the lot upon you and say to you, “Your path is good”; but he stands opposite you to see what will happen to you. Sirach 37:10. Do not take counsel with one who is envious of you, and hide your intentions from those who are jealous of you. Sirach 37:11. Do not consult with a woman about her rival, nor with a coward about war, with a merchant about barter, with a buyer about selling, with an envious man about gratitude. Sirach 37:12. with a merciless man about mercy, with the lazy about any work. Sirach 37:13. with an annual laborer about the completion of work, with a lazy servant about heavy work. 13. That is, do not ask an annual laborer to complete the work before the agreed time.

Sirach 37:14. do not rely on any of these for counsel. Sirach 37:15. but always go to a pious man, whom you know to observe the commandments of the Lord. Sirach 37:16. whose soul is in accord with your own, and who, if you fall, will grieve with you. Sirach 37:17. Heed the counsel of your own heart, for there is no one more faithful to you than it. Sirach 37:18. For the human soul sometimes reveals more than seven sentries sitting on a watchtower. 17–18. Cf. Sir 17:6-9.

Sirach 37:19. But in all this, pray to the Most High, that He may direct your path in truth. Sirach 37:20. The beginning of every deed is reflection, and before every action comes counsel. Sirach 37:21. The expression of a change in heart shows itself on the face. Four states are expressed on it: good and evil, life and death, and the tongue always prevails. 21. The tongue always prevails, that is, the tongue is the principal means of revealing a person’s inner state.

Sirach 37:22. One man is skilled and teaches many others, yet is useless to his own soul. Sirach 37:23. One man is clever in speech but is hated, and such a man will be deprived of all sustenance. Sirach 37:24. for to him grace was not given by the Lord, and he is deprived of all wisdom. Sirach 37:25. One man is wise for his own soul, and the fruits of his understanding are sure on his lips. Sirach 37:26. A wise man teaches his people, and the fruits of his understanding are sure. Sirach 37:27. A wise man will be filled with blessing, and all who see him will call him blessed. Sirach 37:28. The life of a man is reckoned in days, but the days of Israel are beyond number. Sirach 37:29. A wise man will win confidence among his people, and his name will live forever. 22–29. True beneficial wisdom consists not in extensive knowledge, much speaking, and the skill of teaching, but in the ability to give and apply, both for oneself and for others, real instruction in knowledge and life.

Sirach 37:30. My son, test your soul during your lifetime and observe what is harmful to it, and do not give it to yourself. Sirach 37:31. for not everything is beneficial for everyone, and not every soul is suited for all things. Sirach 37:32. Do not glut yourself with every delicacy and do not rush to various foods. Sirach 37:33. for from excessive eating comes illness, and gluttony leads to cholera. Sirach 37:34. Many have died from excessive eating, but he who is temperate prolongs his life.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

The Lord created medicines from the earth, and the sensible man will not despise them. Over the dead shed tears, but do not surrender your heart to endless grief. While occupied with daily work and crafts, it is difficult to attain book learning and to earn esteem from the citizens.

Sirach 38:1. Honor the physician according to your need of him, for the Lord created him. Sirach 38:2. and from the Most High comes healing, and he receives a gift from the king. Sirach 38:3. The skill of the physician will lift up his head, and he will be held in honor among the great. Sirach 38:4. The Lord created medicines from the earth, and the sensible man will not despise them. Sirach 38:5. Did not water make the wood sweet, so that His power might be known? 5. See Exod 15:23-26.

Sirach 38:6. For this reason He gave men knowledge, that they might praise Him in His wondrous works. Sirach 38:7. By these he heals a man and removes his disease. 7. That is, by medicines. Cf. verse 4.

Sirach 38:8. The one who prepares medicines makes a mixture from them, and his labors do not cease, and through him comes good upon the earth. 8. And his labors do not cease with the mixture, that is, with purely scientific-theoretical experiments, but also have a beneficial practical significance, for through him, the physician, comes the good of healing human diseases upon the earth. Cf. verse 7.

Sirach 38:9. My son, in your illness do not be neglectful, but pray to the Lord, and He will heal you. Sirach 38:10. Abandon your sinful life and set your hands right, and from every sin cleanse your heart. Sirach 38:11. Bring a sweet savor and a memorial offering of fine flour, and make an offering as though you were about to die. Sirach 38:12. and give place to the physician, for the Lord created him, and do not let him leave you, for you have need of him. Sirach 38:13. At times their hands bring about success. Sirach 38:14. for they too pray to the Lord, that He would grant them success in diagnosing and in healing to extend the patient’s life. Sirach 38:15. But whoever sins against his Maker, let him fall into the physician’s hands! 9–15. In case of illness, turn to God the Lord with prayer for mercy, present the sacrifices required by law, but at the same time give place to the physician, for the Lord created him for His glory and for the benefit of suffering humanity. A physician who is knowledgeable and God-fearing can serve the sick as one of the instruments of divine mercy toward him. Only the stubborn and wicked have no right to hope in the healing power of God-created medicines.

Sirach 38:16. My son, shed tears over the dead and, like one who has suffered terrible misfortune, begin mourning; clothe his body properly and do not neglect his burial. Sirach 38:17. Let the mourning be bitter and the sobs warm, and continue your lamentation for him as is proper, a day or two, to avoid condemnation, and then console yourself in your sorrow. Sirach 38:18. for from sorrow comes death, and sorrow of heart saps the strength. Sirach 38:19. With misfortune comes sorrow, and the life of the poor is grievous to the heart. Sirach 38:20. Do not surrender your heart to sorrow; drive it from yourself by remembering the end. 20. Explained by verses 21–22. Remember the end, that is, the brevity of your life, do not waste your strength in excessive lamentation that is useless both for you and for others. The law of death embraces all living things on earth, and its action cannot be arrested by human grief. Excessive lamentation can only harm a person, hastening in his case the action of that terrible law (cf. verse 18).

Sirach 38:21. Do not forget this, for there is no return; and you will bring him no benefit, but will harm yourself. Sirach 38:22. “Remember the judgment against me, for it also is against you: for me yesterday, but for you today.” Sirach 38:23. With the rest of the dead let rest also the memory of him, and console yourself for him once his soul has departed. Sirach 38:24. Book-learning is acquired at a time of leisure, and he who has little of his own work can acquire wisdom. Sirach 38:25. How can one become wise who handles the plow and boasts in the goad, who drives oxen and is occupied with their work, and whose talk is only of young cattle? Sirach 38:26. His heart is bent on furrows, and his concern is on fodder for the heifers. Sirach 38:27. So too every carpenter and master builder who works the night like day: those who engrave, their diligence is to vary the forms. 27. Works night like day in thinking on how to vary the forms of his buildings.

Sirach 38:28. his heart is set on completing a good likeness, and his care is to finish his work perfectly. Sirach 38:29. So too the smith, who sits at the anvil and reflects on his iron work: the smoke of the fire withers his flesh, and he struggles with the heat of the furnace. Sirach 38:30. the sound of the hammer deafens his ear, and his eyes are fixed on the model of the vessel. Sirach 38:31. his heart is set on completing his work, and his care is to finish it with precision. Sirach 38:32. So too the potter, who sits over his work and turns the wheel with his feet. Sirach 38:33. he is always concerned about his work, and his output is reckoned by number. Sirach 38:34. he shapes the clay with his hand and makes it conform to his wishes with his feet. Sirach 38:35. his heart is set on finishing the vessel well, and his care is to cleanse the kiln. Sirach 38:36. All of them rely on their hands, and each is skilled in his own work. Sirach 38:37. without them a city would not be built, nor would it be inhabited or had inhabitants. Sirach 38:38. and yet they are not invited to the council, do not sit on the judge’s bench and do not deliberate about judicial ordinances, do not pronounce acquittal and condemnation, and do not occupy themselves with proverbs. Sirach 38:39. but they sustain the fabric of the world, and their prayer is for the success of their craft.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

True wisdom, that is, the knowledge of God and His holy law accessible to man, belongs to the one who with all his mind, heart, and will is not separated from the source of wisdom – God.

Sirach 39:1. Only the one who dedicates his soul to meditation on the law of the Most High will seek the wisdom of all the ancients and exercise himself in the prophecies: Sirach 39:2. he will notice the sayings of eminent men and delve into the subtle turns of parables; Sirach 39:3. he will investigate the hidden meaning of utterances and engage in the riddles of parables. Sirach 39:4. He will conduct himself in service among the mighty and appear before the ruler; Sirach 39:5. he will travel through the land of foreign peoples, for he has tested both good and evil among men. Sirach 39:6. His heart he will direct toward this end: to turn to the Lord from early morning, his Creator, and he will pray before the Most High; he will open his mouth in prayer and will pray concerning his sins. Sirach 39:7. If it pleases the Lord Most Great, he will be filled with a spirit of understanding, Sirach 39:8. he will pour forth words of his wisdom and in prayer will glorify the Lord; Sirach 39:9. he will direct his will and mind aright and will meditate on the mysteries of the Lord; Sirach 39:10. he will show the wisdom of his teaching and will glory in the law of the covenant of the Lord. Sirach 39:11. Many will praise his knowledge, and he will not be forgotten forever; Sirach 39:12. his memory will not perish, and his name will live through the generations. Sirach 39:13. Nations will praise his wisdom, and the assembly will proclaim his praise; Sirach 39:14. as long as he lives he will gain more glory than thousands; and when he rests, he will increase it. Verses 1–14 serve as a contrast to verses 24–39 of chapter 38.

Sirach 39:15. Having deliberated further, I will tell you, for I am full, as the moon in its fullness. Verse 15. For I am full of wise teachings.

Sirach 39:16. Hear me, you pious children, and grow like a rose growing in a field by a stream; Sirach 39:17. send forth fragrance like frankincense; Sirach 39:18. blossom like a lily, spread your fragrance and sing a song; Sirach 39:19. bless the Lord in all your deeds; magnify His name and praise Him with His praise, Sirach 39:20. with songs from your lips and harps and, praising, say thus: Verses 16–20. Be satisfied with wisdom, prosper, and by your wise and pious life be pure incense to the All-Perfect One.

Sirach 39:21. all the works of the Lord are very good, and every command of His will be fulfilled in its time; Sirach 39:22. and one cannot say: “What is this? Why is this?”, for all will be revealed in its time. Sirach 39:23. By His word the water became a heap, and by the utterance of His mouth the reservoirs of waters appeared. Sirach 39:24. In His commands all is His goodwill, and no one can diminish the saving power of them. Sirach 39:25. Before Him are the works of all flesh, and it is impossible to hide from His eyes. Sirach 39:26. He sees from age to age, and nothing is wonderful before Him. Sirach 39:27. One cannot say: “What is this? Why is this?”, for all things were made for their use. Sirach 39:28. His blessing covers like a river, and like a flood watering the land. Sirach 39:29. But His wrath also is tested by nations, as once He turned waters into salt marshes. Sirach 39:30. His paths are straight for the holy ones, but for the lawless they are stumbling blocks. Sirach 39:31. From the beginning good was created for the good, as for sinners – evil. Sirach 39:32. The chief of all necessities for the life of man – water, fire, iron, salt, wheat flour, honey, milk, grape juice, oil and clothing: Sirach 39:33. all these are beneficial to the pious, but to sinners they can turn into harm. Sirach 39:34. There are winds that were created for vengeance and in their fury strengthen their blows, Sirach 39:35. in the time of their rush they pour forth strength and satisfy the wrath of their Creator. Sirach 39:36. Fire and hail, famine and death – all these were created for vengeance; Sirach 39:37. the teeth of beasts, and scorpions, and serpents, and the sword avenging the impious with destruction – Sirach 39:38. they will rejoice in His command and are ready on the earth, and when needed, in their time they will not transgress His word. Sirach 39:39. For this reason from the beginning I resolved, deliberated, and set down in writing, Sirach 39:40. that all the works of the Lord are good, and He gives all that is needed in its time; Sirach 39:41. and one cannot say: “this is worse than that”, for all in its time will be acknowledged as good. Sirach 39:42. Therefore, with all your heart and with your mouth sing and bless the name of the Lord. Verses 21–42. All that comes to pass in nature testifies to the might, wisdom, goodness, and justice of the Creator, and should serve man as a reason to sing and bless the name of the Lord with all his heart and mouth. – By His word the water became a heap… the reservoirs of waters appeared (verse 23). Cf. Gen 1:6-10. – Nothing is wonderful before Him (verse 26), that is, all created things are insignificant before the immeasurable greatness of their Creator. – As once He turned waters into salt marshes (verse 29). Cf. Gen 19. – From the beginning good was created for the good… (verse 31). Cf. note to Sir 33:7-14. – There are winds that were created for vengeance (verse 34) against stubborn sinners for their transgressions, as, by God’s permission, there exist for the instruction of the impious also other afflictions (verses 36–38).

Chapter Forty

Thoughts of death evoke sorrowful reflections, especially for the impious person. Impiety in general does not remain unpunished. True prosperity belongs to the good and honest laborer who does not scorn the advice of wisdom.

Sirach 40:1. Many labors are appointed for every man, and a heavy yoke is upon the sons of Adam from the day of their going forth from their mother’s womb until the day of their return to the mother of all. Verse 1. Until the day of their return to the mother of all the earth-born – the earth. Verse 9 and following up to verse 16 see with verses 33–38 of chapter XXXIX.

Sirach 40:2. Thought about what is to come and the day of death produce in them reflection and fear of heart. Sirach 40:3. From one sitting on a glorious throne to one thrown down on the earth and in dust, Sirach 40:4. from one wearing purple and a crown to one clothed in sackcloth, – Sirach 40:5. all have vexation and jealousy, and confusion, and unrest, and fear of death, and indignation, and strife, and in the time of rest on the bed at night sleep disturbs his mind. Sirach 40:6. Little, almost no rest at all does he have, and therefore also in sleep, as by day, he is on watch: Sirach 40:7. being troubled by his heart’s imaginings, like one who fled from the battlefield, in the time of his peace he awakes and wonders at finding nothing dreadful. Sirach 40:8. Although this happens to all flesh, from man to beast, but with sinners it is sevenfold more. Sirach 40:9. Death, murder, strife, sword, disaster, famine, destruction and calamity, – Sirach 40:10. all these are for the lawless; and the flood was for them. Sirach 40:11. All that comes from the earth returns to the earth, and what comes from the water returns to the sea. Verse 11. The bodies of animals and man, after death, decompose by breaking down into the elements that comprised them.

Sirach 40:12. Every gift and injustice will be destroyed, but loyalty will stand forever. Verse 12. Every gift given in avoidance of justice.

Sirach 40:13. The possessions of the unjust, like a stream, will dry up and, like a strong thunder in a rainstorm, will pass away. Verse 13. Will pass away and vanish.

Sirach 40:14. Who opens his hand is glad; but transgressors will utterly perish. Verse 14. Who opens his hand to help the needy is glad and prospers through God’s blessing and the blessings of his neighbors.

Sirach 40:15. The offspring of the ungodly will not multiply branches, and impure roots on a rocky cliff: Verse 15. The offspring of the ungodly is short-lived, just as short-lived are impure roots in rocky soil.

Sirach 40:16. rushes by any water and on the bank of a river are cut down before all other grass. Verse 16. Is an image confirming verse 15.

Sirach 40:17. Charity, like a garden, is full of blessings, and mercy abides forever. Sirach 40:18. The life of the content with their portion and the laborer is sweet; but exceeding both of these is one who finds treasure. Verse 18. Is explained in verses 19–28.

Sirach 40:19. Children and the building of a city perpetuate a name, but surpassing both of these is considered a blameless wife. Sirach 40:20. Wine and music gladden the heart, but better than both of these is the love of wisdom. Sirach 40:21. The pipe and the harp make pleasant the singing, but better than these is a pleasant tongue. Sirach 40:22. Grace and beauty are desired for your eyes, but more than both of these is the greenery of crops. Sirach 40:23. Friend and companion meet by occasion, but a wife with her husband always. Sirach 40:24. Brothers and protectors – in time of trouble, but more reliably than both of these saves mercy. Sirach 40:25. Gold and silver establish the feet, but more reliable than both of these is recognized good counsel. Sirach 40:26. Wealth and strength uplift the heart, but higher than these is the fear of the Lord: Sirach 40:27. in the fear of the Lord there is no want, and there is no need to seek help with it; Sirach 40:28. the fear of the Lord is like a blessed garden, and covers it with all glory. Sirach 40:29. My son! do not live a beggar’s life: it is better to die than to ask for alms. Sirach 40:30. Who gazes at another’s table, his life is not a life: he debases his soul with another’s food; Sirach 40:31. but a prudent and well-bred man will guard himself from that. Sirach 40:32. In the mouth of the shameless asking for alms will seem sweet, but in his belly a fire will be kindled. Verse 32. But in his belly a fire will be kindled – the fire of wounded self-respect and other consequences of thoughtless parasitism.

Chapter Forty-One

Bodily death is the natural fate of all flesh. Fear not death, but a sinful line and shameful name during life and after death. Be not ashamed of wisdom, but of lack of understanding.

Sirach 41:1. O, death! how bitter is the remembrance of you for a man who peacefully lives in his possessions, Sirach 41:2. for a man who is anxious about nothing and in all things is happy and still strong enough to take food. Sirach 41:3. O, death! welcome is your sentence for a man in need and faint in strength, Sirach 41:4. for the elderly man and burdened with care about everything, for one without hope and who has lost patience. Sirach 41:5. Do not fear the sentence of death: remember your ancestors and descendants. This is the sentence of the Lord over all flesh. Sirach 41:6. Then, why do you turn away from what is pleasing to the Most High? ten or a hundred or a thousand years, – Sirach 41:7. in the underworld there is no inquiry about the length of life. Verses 6–7. It is unwise to turn away from what is pleasing to the Most High, especially since the law of death must inevitably be fulfilled sooner or later, and in the underworld, the posthumous existence of man, where time has no measure, what matters is not the quantity of years lived by man (ten or a hundred or a thousand years), but how he lived these years.

Sirach 41:8. The children of sinners are abominable children and consort with the ungodly. Sirach 41:9. The inheritance of sinners’ children will perish, and disgrace will spread with their family. Sirach 41:10. An ungodly father will be reproached by his children, for they suffer disgrace because of him. Sirach 41:11. Woe to you, ungodly men, who have forsaken the law of God the Most High! Sirach 41:12. When you are born, you are born under a curse; and when you die, you receive a curse as your lot. Sirach 41:13. All that is from the earth will return to the earth: so the ungodly – from a curse to destruction. Verse 13. Just as all that is from the earth will return to the earth; so all those evil deeds and acts of sinners, which are branded by a curse already at the moment of their arising, will inevitably lead stubborn impious men to their destruction.

Sirach 41:14. The mourning of men is for their bodies, but the name of sinners and the wicked will be blotted out. Sirach 41:15. Care for your name, for it will remain with you longer than many thousands of gold: Sirach 41:16. the days of a good life have a number, but a good name will abide forever. Sirach 41:17. Keep, children, the instruction in peace; and hidden wisdom and an invisible treasure – what benefit is there in them? Sirach 41:18. Better is a man who hides his foolishness than a man who hides his wisdom. Sirach 41:19. Therefore, be ashamed of what I will say, Verses 17–19. Be truly ashamed: ashamed where you ought to be ashamed – when committing something morally shameful or foolish; and have courage not to be ashamed where there is no shame – when observing the laws of good morality and the rules of wisdom.

Sirach 41:20. for not every shame is good to keep, and not everything is approved by all truly. Sirach 41:21. Be ashamed before father and mother of fornication, before a ruler and a lord – of a lie; Sirach 41:22. before a judge and a prince – of transgression, before the assembly and people – of lawlessness; Sirach 41:23. before a companion and friend – of injustice, before neighbors – of theft: Sirach 41:24. be ashamed of this and also before the truth of God and His covenant. And be ashamed of leaning on the table, of deception in lending and giving; Sirach 41:25. be ashamed of silence before those who greet you, of gazing at a lewd woman, of turning your face from a kinsman, Sirach 41:26. of taking away a portion and a gift, of thinking about a married woman, of courting your maidservant, Sirach 41:27. and do not approach her bed; Sirach 41:28. before friends be ashamed of insulting words, – and after you have given, do not reproach, – Sirach 41:29. of repeating rumors and spreading secret words. And you will be truly ashamed and will win the favor of every man.

Chapter Forty-Two

Do not be ashamed of what is good and understanding. Be attentive in the upbringing of children. Be cautious in the society of women. Glorify the Lord God for the greatness of His in creation.

Sirach 42:1. Do not be ashamed of the following, and do not sin from respect of persons: Sirach 42:2. Do not be ashamed of the exact fulfillment of the law of the Most High and the covenant, and of justice, so as to show justice to the ungodly, Sirach 42:3. Of disputes between a companion and strangers and the distribution of inheritance to friends, Sirach 42:4. Of exactness in weights and measures, whether you gain much or little, Sirach 42:5. Of impartiality in buying and selling and strict upbringing of children, and of making red the rib of a bad servant. Sirach 42:6. With a bad wife it is good to have a seal, and where there are many hands, lock things up. Sirach 42:7. If you give out anything, do so by count and weight and make every issue and receipt by writing. Sirach 42:8. Do not be ashamed to discipline the foolish and stupid, and the aged who strives with the young: and you will be truly well-educated and will deserve approval from every person. 1–8. These conclude the thought set forth in verses 17–29 of chapter 41.

Sirach 42:9. A daughter is a secret constant concern to her father, and the worry over her drives away sleep: in her youth for fear she may wither, and in marriage for fear she may be despised; Sirach 42:10. In virginity for fear she may be defiled and become pregnant in her father’s house, in marriage so that she does not break conjugal fidelity and in living with her husband does not remain barren. Sirach 42:11. Over a shameless daughter strengthen the watchfulness, so that she does not make you a mockery for enemies, a byword in the city and a reproach among the people and does not shame you before the community. Sirach 42:12. Do not look upon the beauty of a person and do not sit in the midst of women: Sirach 42:13. For as a moth comes from clothing, so malice of woman comes from a woman. Sirach 42:14. Better is an evil man than a kind woman, a woman who brings shame to dishonor. Sirach 42:15. Now I will remember the deeds of the Lord and will recount what I have seen. By the word of the Lord His deeds came into being: Sirach 42:16. The shining sun looks upon all, and all his work is full of the glory of the Lord. Sirach 42:17. And the Holy One did not give to the saints to proclaim all His wonders, which the Almighty Lord established, so that the universe might stand firm in His glory. 17. The incomprehensibleness of the creative greatness of the Lord is such that even the saints were not given to proclaim all His wonders in the universe.

Sirach 42:18. He penetrates the abyss and the heart and sees all their turnings; for the Lord knows all knowledge and looks into the signs of the age, Sirach 42:19. Proclaiming the past and the future and revealing the traces of hidden things; Sirach 42:20. No thought escapes Him and not a single word is hidden from Him. 18–20. The verse speaks of the omnipresence and omniscience of the Lord.

Sirach 42:21. He established great deeds by His wisdom and exists before eternity and forever; 21. The verse speaks of the wisdom and eternity of the Lord.

Sirach 42:22. He was not increased and not diminished and required no counselor. 22. The verse speaks of the immutability and wisdom of the Lord.

Sirach 42:23. How desirable are all His deeds, though we can only see them as sparks! 23. The limited human mind is not able to comprehend the fullness of divine greatness; only glimpses of this greatness, insofar as they illuminate the knowable reality of the physical and spiritual world, are accessible to his observation and understanding. See verse 17.

Sirach 42:24. All of them live and remain forever for every need, and all obey Him. 24. All of them, that is, the Lord’s creations (see verse 23), live and remain forever for every need, that is, to satisfy various needs, to the glory of the Creator, for the benefit and consolation of creatures. And all of them obey Him, their Creator.

Sirach 42:25. All of them are twofold, one opposite the other, and He created nothing imperfect: Sirach 42:26. One thing supports the good of another, and who will be satisfied with beholding His glory? 25–26. Despite all its diversity, the world of God’s creations represents something harmonically whole and indivisible, in which some things and phenomena are complemented by others, one supports the good of another.

Chapter Forty-Three

A glorification of the creative greatness and power of the Lord.

Sirach 43:1. The greatness of the height, the firmament of purity, the sight of heaven in glorious manifestation! 1. Who will be satisfied with beholding the glory of the Lord (Sir 42:26), who will not come into rapturous reverence at the sight of the greatness of the height, purity, the firmament of heaven, at the sight of heaven in the manifestation of all its glory.

Sirach 43:2. The sun, when it appears, proclaims them at its rising: a wonderful creation, the work of the Most High! Sirach 43:3. At its midday it dries the earth, and who can withstand the heat of it? Sirach 43:4. They heat the furnace for works of melting, but the sun burns mountains threefold more: breathing forth flames of fire and gleaming with rays, it blinds the eyes. Sirach 43:5. Great is the Lord, who created it, and by His word it hastily runs its path. Sirach 43:6. And the moon serves all at its time as an indication of times and a sign of the age: 6. Verses 7–8 explain this.

Sirach 43:7. From the moon comes the indication of the festival; its light diminishes upon reaching its fullness; Sirach 43:8. The month is named after it; it increases wonderfully in its changes; Sirach 43:9. It is the head of the heavenly hosts; it shines on the firmament of heaven; 9. Like radiant eyes of the heavenly hosts, that is, beings of a higher order, the moon shines on the firmament of heaven.

Sirach 43:10. The beauty of heaven, the glory of stars, the shining ornament, the Lord on high! 10. The beauty of heaven, the glory of stars, the shining ornament of all the heavenly vault is the manifestation of the glory and power of the Lord on the heights.

Sirach 43:11. By the word of the Holy One the stars stand in order and do not grow weary in their watch. Sirach 43:12. Behold the rainbow, and glorify Him who made it: beautiful is it in its radiance! Sirach 43:13. By its magnificent circle it embraces the heaven; the hands of the Most High have stretched it out. Sirach 43:14. By His command snow quickly falls, and swift lightning flashes of His judgment. Sirach 43:15. The treasuries are opened and clouds fly forth from them like birds. Sirach 43:16. By His might He strengthens the clouds, and the stones of hail are broken; Sirach 43:17. At His sight the mountains are shaken, and by His will the south wind blows. 17. The south wind driven into Palestine from the heated Arabian deserts is regarded as one of the manifestations of the terrible divine justice toward ungodly humanity. On the effects of the south hot wind see verse 23.

Sirach 43:18. The sound of His thunder shakes the earth, and the north storm and whirlwind. Sirach 43:19. He scatters snow like flying-down feathered creatures, and its falling is like descending locusts; Sirach 43:20. The eye marvels at the beauty of its whiteness, and the heart is amazed at its falling. Sirach 43:21. And like salt, He scatters frost on the earth, and it freezes and becomes sharp-pointed. Sirach 43:22. The north cold wind blows, and ice forms from water: it spreads over every body of water, and water is clothed as though in armor; Sirach 43:23. It consumes mountains, and burns the desert, and like fire, scorches the grass. 23. This describes the effects of the burning sun and burning south wind. See verse 24.

Sirach 43:24. But swift healing serves everything; the appearing dew cools from the heat. Sirach 43:25. By His command the Lord subdues the abyss and plants islands in it. Sirach 43:26. Those sailing on the sea recount the dangers on it, and we marvel at what we hear with our ears: Sirach 43:27. For there are extraordinary and wonderful deeds there, a variety of all kinds of beasts, kinds of sea-monsters. Sirach 43:28. Through Him all things successfully achieve their purpose, and all things are held together by His word. Sirach 43:29. Much can we say, and yet we will not comprehend Him, and the conclusion of words: He is everything. 29. However much we study the things and phenomena of the visible and spiritual world, we are not able to comprehend all the power, wisdom, and glory of the Lord. In the end, we will comprehend only one thing, that He is everything—both the Creator and the unwearying Providence of the world.

Sirach 43:30. Where will we find strength to glorify Him? For He is above all His works. Sirach 43:31. The Lord is terrible and very great, and marvelous is His power! Sirach 43:32. When you glorify the Lord, exalt Him as much as you can, but He will still be greater; Sirach 43:33. And when you magnify Him, add strength: but do not grow weary, for you will not comprehend. Sirach 43:34. Who has seen Him, and can explain? And who can glorify Him as He is? 34. See the note to Sir 42:17.

Sirach 43:35. Much is hidden, which is far greater than this; for we see only a small part of His works. Sirach 43:36. Everything was created by the Lord, and to the godly He gave wisdom.

Chapter Forty-Four

A glorification of the providential care of the Lord for humanity through chosen people in general and, in particular, through Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.

Sirach 44:1. Now let us praise famous men and the fathers of our race: Sirach 44:2. The Lord showed much glory through them, and displayed His greatness from ancient times; Sirach 44:3. They were rulers in their kingdoms and men renowned for their might; they gave wise counsel, and proclaimed in prophecies; Sirach 44:4. They were leaders of the people in deliberation and in the teaching of learning. Sirach 44:5. Wise words were in their teaching; they invented musical modes and composed hymns and put them in writing; Sirach 44:6. Men wealthy, endowed with power, they dwelt peacefully in their homes. Sirach 44:7. All of them were honored among their peoples and in their day were glory. Sirach 44:8. There are among them those who left behind them a name for the proclamation of their praise, and there are those whose memory is not preserved, who have passed away as though they did not exist, and became as though never born, and their children after them. Sirach 44:9. But these were men of mercy whose righteous deeds are not forgotten; 9. Men who were shown the mercy of God.

Sirach 44:10. In their seed good inheritance remains; their descendants are in the covenants; 10. Their descendants remain faithful to the covenants of the Lord.

Sirach 44:11. Their seed will be established, and their children for their sake; 11. Numerous, long-lived, firm in faith and good life offspring are the rewards of godly and wise parents.

Sirach 44:12. Their seed will endure forever, and their glory will not be blotted out; Sirach 44:13. Their bodies were buried in peace, and their names live in generations; Sirach 44:14. Nations will recount their wisdom, and the church will proclaim their praise. Sirach 44:15. Enoch pleased the Lord and was taken up to heaven, a sign of repentance for all generations. 15. The display of extraordinary mercy of God toward the righteous Enoch should serve as a constant lesson to stubborn sinners and at the same time an incentive to repentance for a sinful life.

Sirach 44:16. Noah proved to be perfect and righteous; in the time of God’s anger he was a propitiation; 16. At the time when God’s wrath was revealed toward the ante-diluvian sinful world, Noah, who shone with his righteous life, served as a propitiation for the human race on earth, preventing by his godliness the complete destruction of humanity by the waters of the flood.

Sirach 44:17. For this reason he became a remnant on earth when there was the flood; Sirach 44:18. With him was made an everlasting covenant that no flesh would be destroyed again by a flood. Sirach 44:19. Abraham was a great father of a multitude of peoples, and there was none like him in glory; Sirach 44:20. He kept the law of the Most High and was in covenant with Him, Sirach 44:21. And on his own flesh he established the covenant and was found faithful in testing; 21. And on his own flesh he established the sign of the covenant, that is, circumcision (see Gen 17). Circumcision is called the sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and his faithful offspring because it was meant to serve, on the one hand, as the visible sign of God’s election and promise; on the other, as an obligatory manifestation in a person of his inner readiness for self-limitation in fulfillment of the demands of the Lord’s commandments. – And was found faithful in testing, see Gen 22.

Sirach 44:22. For this reason the Lord promised him with an oath that in his seed all nations would be blessed; Sirach 44:23. He promised to multiply him like the dust of the earth, and to exalt his seed like the stars, and to give them an inheritance from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. Sirach 44:24. And to Isaac also for the sake of Abraham his father He confirmed the blessing of all men and the covenant; Sirach 44:25. And it rested on the head of Jacob: Sirach 44:26. He blessed him with His blessings, and gave him as inheritance the land, and divided its portions, and distributed them among twelve tribes. Sirach 44:27. And from him came forth a man of mercy, who won love in the sight of all flesh, 27. This is explained by verse 1 of chapter 45.

Chapter Forty-Five

The glorification of the Lord’s providence in humanity through Moses, Aaron, and Phinehas, son of Eleazar.

Sirach 45:1. Moses, beloved by God and men, whose memory is blessed. Sirach 45:2. He made him equal in glory with the holy ones and made him great through deeds to frighten his enemies; Sirach 45:3. By his word he brought the miraculous signs to pass, glorified him before the face of kings, gave commands through him to his people and showed him from his glory. 2–3. This refers to the awesome manifestations of the Lord’s glory and might during the departure of the Hebrews from Egypt and their journey to the land of Canaan.

Sirach 45:4. For his faithfulness and gentleness He sanctified him, chose him from all men, Sirach 45:5. allowed him to hear his voice, led him into the cloud; 5. Cf. Exod 19:16-20.

Sirach 45:6. and gave him face to face the commandments, the law of life and knowledge, so that he might teach Jacob the covenant and Israel his ordinances. Sirach 45:7. He exalted Aaron, a holy one like him, his brother from the tribe of Levi, — Sirach 45:8. established an eternal covenant with him and gave him the priesthood among the people; He blessed him with special adornment and girded him with a belt of glory; Sirach 45:9. He clothed him with supreme adornment and dressed him in rich garments: Sirach 45:10. in the inner garment, in the ephod and breastplate; Sirach 45:11. and surrounded him with golden pomegranates and with many bells, so that when he walked they would make a sound, so as to make a sound in the temple for the remembrance of the sons of his people; Sirach 45:12. he clothed him in a holy garment of gold and hyacinth wool and twisted fine linen of artistic work, with the breastpiece of judgment, with the Urim and the Thummim, Sirach 45:13. with scarlet work of artistic work, with precious stones carved as on a seal, in gold settings of engraved work, with the names carved in remembrance according to the number of the tribes of Israel; Sirach 45:14. on his mitre—a golden crown, a sign of holiness, the glory of honor: a magnificent ornament, a work of art, desirable for the eyes. 8–14. Here are described the high priestly garments of Aaron. Cf. Exod 28.

Sirach 45:15. Before him there was not such a thing from of old: Sirach 45:16. not belonging to his tribe did anyone clothe himself thus, only his sons and his descendants in all times. Sirach 45:17. Their offerings are presented each day, always twice a day. 17. Their offerings, that is, through the agency of the descendants of Aaron, must be presented, according to the law, twice each day—morning and evening.

Sirach 45:18. Moses filled his hands and anointed him with holy oil: 18. Cf. Exod 29, Lev 8.

Sirach 45:19. for him it was established in an eternal covenant and to his seed for the days of heaven, so that they would serve Him and together perform the priestly office and bless his people with his name; Sirach 45:20. He chose him from all living, to bring a sacrifice to the Lord, incense and a pleasant odor in remembrance of atonement for his people; Sirach 45:21. He gave him his commandments and authority in the ordinances of judgment, to teach Jacob his revelations and instruct Israel in his law. Sirach 45:22. Strangers rose up against him, and were jealous of him in the wilderness—the men who followed Dathan and Abiram, and the congregation of Korah in anger and wrath; Sirach 45:23. The Lord saw, and it displeased him—and they perished in the fury of his wrath. Sirach 45:24. He performed wonders upon them, destroying them with the flame of his fire. 24. Cf. Num 16.

Sirach 45:25. And he increased the glory of Aaron and gave him an inheritance—he separated for them the first fruits of the produce: Sirach 45:26. first he prepared for them bread in abundance, for they eat the sacrifices of the Lord, which he gave to him and to his seed; Sirach 45:27. but he was not to have an inheritance in the land of the people and had no portion among the people, for the Lord himself is his portion and inheritance. 27. The tribe of Levi did not receive such portions of land as the other tribes received in Canaan. The portion of the Levites was—to serve the Lord their God at his holy temple and thereby satisfy the religious needs both of their own and of the rest of the people. The tithes, first fruits, portions of sacrificial animals and other sacred offerings of the faithful served to provide the Levites with sufficient sustenance for their bodily needs.

Sirach 45:28. Also Phinehas, son of Eleazar, third in glory, because he was zealous in the fear of the Lord and, at the falling away of the people, stood firm in the good disposition of his soul and made atonement for Israel; 28. Third in glory, after Moses and Aaron. Of the feat of religious zeal of Phinehas see Num 25.

Sirach 45:29. therefore a covenant of peace was established with him, that he should be a leader of the holy ones and of his people, that he and his seed should have the dignity of the priesthood forever. Sirach 45:30. Just as by the covenant with David, son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah, the royal inheritance passed from son to son, so the inheritance of the priesthood belonged to Aaron and to his seed. Sirach 45:31. May God give us wisdom in our heart—to judge his people with justice, so that their good things do not perish and their glory remains in their generations. 31. The writer of the book invites his contemporaries and followers to imitate in life the piety and wisdom of the righteous, and thereby spread and establish on earth the good and glory inherited from the great teachers of faith and piety.

Chapter Forty-Six

The glorification of the Lord’s providence in humanity through Joshua, Caleb, the pious judges and the prophet Samuel.

Sirach 46:1. Mighty in warfare was Joshua son of Nun, and was the successor of Moses in the prophets. Sirach 46:2. He was great, worthy of his name, in the salvation of the chosen of God, when he fought against the enemies that rose up, so as to put Israel into his inheritance. 2. Worthy of his name, he was great in the salvation of the chosen of God. The name “Joshua” means—“savior”. When he fought against the enemies that rose up, that is, he destroyed the heathen population of Canaan. He put Israel into the inheritance of the promised land.

Sirach 46:3. How he was glorified when he raised his hands and stretched forth his sword against the cities! Sirach 46:4. Who stood before him in such a way? For he fought the wars of the Lord. Sirach 46:5. Was not the sun held back by his hand, and one day made as though two? Sirach 46:6. He called upon the Most High Lord, when enemies pressed in upon him from all sides, and the great Lord heard him: Sirach 46:7. with stones of hail of mighty power he cast them down upon the warlike nation and destroyed his adversaries at the descent of the hill, Sirach 46:8. so that the nations might know his equipment, that he was fighting in the sight of the Lord, and he was following the Almighty. 3–8. Cf. Josh 6-12

Sirach 46:9. And in the days of Moses he showed favor, he and Caleb, son of Jephunneh,—in that they stood up against the adversaries, held back the people from sin and stilled the evil murmuring. Sirach 46:10. And they alone, out of six hundred thousand who were traveling, were saved, so that they might bring the people into the inheritance—into the land flowing with milk and honey. 9–10. Cf. Num 14:1-9.

Sirach 46:11. And the Lord gave Caleb strength, which remained in him into old age, to go up to the heights of the land, and his seed obtained the inheritance, Sirach 46:12. so that all the sons of Israel might see that it is good to follow the Lord. 11–12. Cf. Josh 14:6-15.

Sirach 46:13. Also the judges, each one by his name, whose heart did not go astray and who did not turn away from the Lord,—may their memory be in blessings! Sirach 46:14. May their bones flourish from their place, 14. Explained in verse 15.

Sirach 46:15. and may their name pass on to their sons in glory of them! Sirach 46:16. Beloved of the Lord his God, Samuel, the prophet of the Lord, established the kingdom and anointed kings for his people; 16. Cf. 1 Sam 8-10:1.

Sirach 46:17. he judged the people by the law of the Lord, and the Lord regarded Jacob; Sirach 46:18. by his faith he was a true prophet, and in his words was found the reliability of a vision. Sirach 46:19. He called upon the Almighty Lord, when his enemies pressed in upon him from all sides, and offered in sacrifice a young lamb, — Sirach 46:20. and the Lord thundered from heaven and made his voice heard with mighty sound, Sirach 46:21. and destroyed the rulers of the Tyrians and all the princes of the Philistines. 19–21. Cf. 1 Sam 7.

Sirach 46:22. Before the time of his eternal rest he testified before the Lord and his anointed one: “I have not taken anyone’s possessions, nor even a shoe,” and no one accused him. 22. Cf. 1 Sam 12:1-5.

Sirach 46:23. After his death he prophesied, and foretold the king his death, and raised his voice from the earth in prophecy, to blot out the wickedness of the people. 23. Cf. 1 Sam 28.

Chapter Forty-Seven

The glorification of the Lord’s providence in humanity through the prophet Nathan, David, the piety and wisdom of Solomon and through the chastening misfortunes which came upon the Hebrew people.

Sirach 47:1. After this there arose Nathan, to prophesy in the days of David. Sirach 47:2. As the fat is separated from the peace offering, so David was separated from the sons of Israel. 2. Just as the best part of the peace offering—the fat was dedicated to God: so the best from among the sons of his people,—David was chosen by God for great and glorious service to him as the king of the Hebrews.

Sirach 47:3. He played with lions as with kids, and with bears as with lambs. 3. Cf. 1 Sam 17:33-35.

Sirach 47:4. In his youth did he not slay a giant, did he not remove the reproach from the people, Sirach 47:5. when he raised his hand with a sling stone and brought down the pride of Goliath? Sirach 47:6. For he called upon the Lord the Most High, and he gave strength to his right hand—to strike down a man mighty in war, and to raise up the horn of his people. Sirach 47:7. So his people glorified him with thousands and praised him in the blessings of the Lord, as one worthy of the crown of glory, 4–7. Cf. 1 Sam 17.

Sirach 47:8. for he destroyed the enemies round about and subdued the hostile Philistines,—even to this day he broke their horn. Sirach 47:9. In every deed of his he gave thanks to the Holy Most High with words of praise; Sirach 47:10. with his whole heart he sang and loved his Creator. Sirach 47:11. And he placed singers before the altar, to make sweet the melody with their voices. Sirach 47:12. He gave beauty to the feasts and fixed the times precisely, so that they would praise his holy name and the holy place would resound from early morning. 9–12. It is said that David glorified the Lord God in psalms and songs and that he arranged the worship at the tabernacle in Jerusalem.

Sirach 47:13. And the Lord forgave him his sins and exalted his horn forever and gave him a covenant of kingship and a throne of glory in Israel. Sirach 47:14. After him there arose a wise son and for the sake of his father he lived in peace and plenty. 14. Cf. 1 Kgs 11:29-35.

Sirach 47:15. Solomon reigned in peaceful days, because God gave him rest on all sides, so that he might build a house for his name and prepare a sanctuary forever. Sirach 47:16. How wise you were in your youth and, like a river, full of understanding! Sirach 47:17. Your soul covered the earth, and you filled it with dark sayings; Sirach 47:18. your name went out to distant islands, and you were loved for your peace; Sirach 47:19. for your songs and sayings, for your proverbs and explanations the nations marveled at you. 16–19. It is said of the wisdom of Solomon which he displayed in his divine works—the Song of Songs, the Proverbs, the Ecclesiastes, and in many wise sayings which have not come down to us in writing.

Sirach 47:20. In the name of the Lord God, who is called the God of Israel, Sirach 47:21. you gathered gold like copper, and multiplied silver like lead. 20–21. It is spoken of the external prosperity of the wise and pious Solomon. Cf. 1 Kgs 10:14-27.

Sirach 47:22. But you inclined your loins to women and made yourself subject to them with your body; Sirach 47:23. you put a blemish on your glory and defiled your seed in such a way that you brought wrath upon your children,—and they bitterly mourned your folly,—for the authority was divided into two, and from Ephraim came a rebellious kingdom. 22–23. It is said of Solomon’s fall, his indifference to the covenants of the revealed religion, his passion for women; and of the divine punishment of Solomon through the division of his monarchy. Cf. 1 Kgs 11.—And from Ephraim came a rebellious kingdom: the mighty tribe of Ephraim stood at the head of the departed Israelite kingdom. In the language of sacred writers, the word “Ephraim” often is identical with the expression “all Israel” (cf. Isa 11:13; Jer 31:6; Ezek 37:15-19; Hos 5-7; Zech 9:10).

Sirach 47:24. But the Lord will not abandon his mercy, and will not destroy any of his works, nor blot out the descendants of his chosen and will not uproot the offspring of him who loved him. Sirach 47:25. And he gave Jacob a remnant, and David—a root from it. Sirach 47:26. And Solomon rested with his fathers, Sirach 47:27. and left behind him from his seed folly to the people, Sirach 47:28. Rehoboam, lacking in understanding, who turned the people away by his counsel, 28. By his counsel. Cf. 1 Kgs 12:1-19.

Sirach 47:29. and Jeroboam, son of Nebat, who made Israel sin and gave Ephraim a path of sin. 29. Cf. 1 Kgs 12:25-33.

Sirach 47:30. And their sins were greatly multiplied, so that they were taken captive out of their land; Sirach 47:31. and they undertook every evil, until retribution came upon them. 30–31. It is spoken of the sinful fall of the Hebrew people and its punishment through captivity.

Chapter Forty-Eight

The praise of God’s providence among people through the prophet Elijah, the prophet Elisha, the prophet Isaiah, the godliness and wisdom of King Hezekiah.

Sirach 48:1. And Elijah the prophet rose up like a fire, and his word burned like a lamp. Sirach 48:2. He brought famine upon them and reduced their number by his zealous efforts; Sirach 48:3. by the word of the Lord he shut up heaven and three times brought down fire. Sirach 48:4. How were you glorified, Elijah, for your wonders, and who can compare with you in glory! Sirach 48:5. You raised the dead from death and from the underworld by the word of the Most High; Sirach 48:6. you brought kings and the distinguished down to destruction from their beds; Sirach 48:7. you heard at Sinai the rebuke against them and on Horeb the judgments of vengeance; Sirach 48:8. you anointed kings for retribution and prophets as your successors; Sirach 48:9. you were taken up by a fiery whirlwind in a chariot with fiery horses; Sirach 48:10. you were appointed for rebukes in your own time, to turn away wrath before it became fury – to turn the father’s heart to his son and to restore the tribes of Jacob. Sirach 48:11. Blessed are those who saw you and were adorned with love – and we shall live by life. Sirach 48:12. Elijah was hidden by a whirlwind – and Elisha was filled with his spirit Sirach 48:13. and in his days did not tremble before the prince, and no one overpowered him; Sirach 48:14. nothing prevailed over him, and after his death his body prophesied. Sirach 48:15. And in his lifetime he performed wonders, and after his death his deeds were marvelous. 1–15. See 1 Kgs 17-19; 2 Kgs 1-10.

Sirach 48:16. For all this the people did not repent, and did not turn away from their sins, until they were taken captive from their land and scattered over all the earth. Sirach 48:17. And very few people remained and a prince from the house of David. Sirach 48:18. Some of them did what was pleasing to God, and some multiplied their sins. Sirach 48:19. Hezekiah strengthened his city and brought water inside it, and cut through the rock with iron and built reservoirs for the water. Sirach 48:20. In his days Sennacherib made an invasion and sent Rabshakeh against him, who raised his hand against Zion and boasted greatly in his pride. Sirach 48:21. Then their hearts and hands trembled, and they suffered like women in travail; Sirach 48:22. and they cried to the merciful Lord, stretching out their hands to him, Sirach 48:23. and the Holy One quickly heard them from heaven and delivered them by the hand of Isaiah; Sirach 48:24. He struck down the army of the Assyrians, and his Angel destroyed them, Sirach 48:25. for Hezekiah did what was pleasing to the Lord and firmly held to the ways of David his father, as the prophet Isaiah, great and faithful in his visions, commanded. Sirach 48:26. In his days the sun went back, and he added years to the king’s life. 19–26. See 2 Kgs 18-20; 2 Chr 29-32.

Sirach 48:27. With his great spirit he foresaw the distant future and comforted those who mourned in Zion; Sirach 48:28. to the age he proclaimed what was to come and hidden things before they came to pass. 27–28. The reference is to Isaiah’s prophecies of the Lord’s compassion on the chosen city, of the coming of the Messiah and the saving power of His gracious kingdom.

Chapter Forty-Nine

The praise of God’s providence among people through the godliness and wisdom of King Josiah, the prophecies of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the twelve minor prophets, the godly activity of Zerubbabel, Jesus son of Jozadak, and Nehemiah.

Sirach 49:1. The memory of Josiah is like a fragrant compound, prepared by the art of the perfumer; Sirach 49:2. in every mouth it will be sweet, like honey and like music at a drinking feast. Sirach 49:3. He successfully acted in turning back the people and destroyed the abominations of lawlessness; Sirach 49:4. he turned his heart to the Lord and strengthened godliness in the days of lawlessness. 1–4. See 2 Kgs 22-23; 2 Chr 34-35.

Sirach 49:5. Except for David, Hezekiah, and Josiah, all committed grievous sin, Sirach 49:6. for they abandoned the law of the Most High; the kings of Judah ceased, Sirach 49:7. for they gave their power to others and their glory to a foreign nation. 5–7. Except for David, Hezekiah, and Josiah, all the Judean kings committed grievous sin, for they abandoned the law of the Most High. For their stubborn impiety the Judean kings ceased, that is, were temporarily deprived of their kingly power and gave their power to other kings and their glory to the Babylonians. With the end of the Babylonian captivity, the Jews were given the right to settle again in Palestine and to govern their own internal religious and communal life according to their own laws granted by God. In the period of the glorious Maccabean wars, Judea attains, along with internal self-governance, also external political power.

Sirach 49:8. The chosen city of sanctity was burned and its streets laid waste, as Jeremiah predicted, 8. See 2 Kgs 24-25; 2 Chr 36.

Sirach 49:9. whom they harmed, though even in the womb he was sanctified as a prophet, to uproot and to strike down and to destroy, as well as to build and to plant. 9. See Jer 1:5. He was sanctified in the womb as a prophet, to uproot and to strike down and to destroy evil in its various manifestations; as well as to build and to plant good in the consciousness and life of people.

Sirach 49:10. Ezekiel saw a vision of glory, which God showed him on the cherubic chariot; 10. See Ezek 1.

Sirach 49:11. he made mention of the enemies under the image of rain and proclaimed good to those who corrected their ways. 11. He made mention of the enemies, who like rain would fall upon the lawless, and at the same time proclaimed good to those who corrected their ways.

Sirach 49:12. And the twelve prophets – may their bones flourish from their place! – comforted Jacob and saved them with steadfast hope. Sirach 49:13. How shall we magnify Zerubbabel? And he is as a signet ring on the right hand; Sirach 49:14. likewise Jeshua, son of Jozadak: in their days they built the house and restored the holy temple to the Lord, destined for eternal glory. 13–14. See Ezra 3.

Sirach 49:15. Great also is the memory of Nehemiah, who raised our fallen walls, set up gates and bars, and restored our ruined houses. 15. See the book of Neh 1-7.

Sirach 49:16. There was not on the earth anyone of those created like Enoch – for he was taken up from the earth – Sirach 49:17. and there was not born such a man as Joseph, head of his brothers, support of his people – and his bones were honored. Sirach 49:18. Shem and Seth were glorified among people, but above all living in creation – Adam. 18. Above all living in creation – the ancestor of mankind, the forefather Adam.

Chapter Fifty

The praise of God’s providence among people through the godliness of the high priest Simon, son of Onias.

Sirach 50:1. Simon, son of Onias, the great priest, repaired the house during his life and in his days strengthened the temple: Sirach 50:2. by him was laid the foundation of a double elevation – the raising of a high wall of the temple; Sirach 50:3. in his days the water reservoir was diminished, the circumference of the bronze sea; Sirach 50:4. to protect his people from disaster, he strengthened the city against siege. Sirach 50:5. How magnificent he was among the people when he came out from behind the veil of the temple! Sirach 50:6. Like the morning star among clouds, like the full moon in the days, Sirach 50:7. like the sun shining over the temple of the Most High, and like a rainbow shining in the magnificent clouds, Sirach 50:8. like the rose blossom in the spring days, like lilies at the fountains of waters, like a branch of Lebanon in the summer days, Sirach 50:9. like fire with incense in a censer, Sirach 50:10. like a wrought golden vessel, adorned with all manner of precious stones, Sirach 50:11. like an olive tree heavy with fruit and like a cypress towering toward the clouds. Sirach 50:12. When he put on his glorious garments and clothed himself in all his magnificent adornment, in ascending to the holy altar, he illuminated the surroundings of the sanctuary with the brightness. Sirach 50:13. Also, when he received the portions of the sacrifice from the hands of the priests, standing by the altar fire – Sirach 50:14. around him was a crown of brothers, like branches of cedar on Lebanon, and they surrounded him like palm fronds, Sirach 50:15. and all the sons of Aaron in their glory, and the offering to the Lord in their hands before all the congregation of Israel. Sirach 50:16. In the completion of the services on the altar, to crown the offering to the Most High Almighty, Sirach 50:17. he stretched out his hand to the sacrificial cup, poured into it the blood of the grape, and poured it out at the base of the altar in a fragrant aroma to the Most High King. Sirach 50:18. Then the sons of Aaron cried out, they sounded the wrought trumpets and raised a loud voice in remembrance before the Most High. Sirach 50:19. Then all the people together hastened to fall on their faces on the earth to worship the Lord their God, the Almighty, God the Most High; Sirach 50:20. and the singers praised him with their voices; in the spacious temple resounded a sweet song, Sirach 50:21. and the people prayed to the Lord the Most High in prayer before the Merciful One, as long as the praise of the Lord was being accomplished – and thus they concluded his service. Sirach 50:22. Then he, coming down, raised his hands over all the congregation of the sons of Israel, to impart the blessing of the Lord by his mouth and to glory in his name; Sirach 50:23. the people repeated their prostration to receive the blessing from the Most High. 1–23. The reference is to Simon the First, son and successor of the high priest Onias the First, called the Righteous for his godliness and charity.

Sirach 50:24. And now all bless God, who accomplishes great things everywhere, who prolonged our days from the womb and deals with us according to his mercy: 24. He prolonged our days from the womb, that is, from the time of our birth.

Sirach 50:25. may he give us joy of heart, and may there be peace in Israel in our days to the end of the age; Sirach 50:26. may he keep his mercy toward us and in his time deliver us! 26. And in his time deliver us from our enemies.

Sirach 50:27. My soul abhors two nations, and the third is not a nation: 27. And the third is not a nation, that is, does not deserve to be called a nation.

Sirach 50:28. these are the inhabitants of Mount Seir, the Philistines, and the foolish people dwelling in Shechem. 28. The inhabitants of Mount Seir, that is, the Edomites. – And the foolish people dwelling in Shechem. By Shechem is meant Shechem or Sychar, the chief city of Samaria. The inhabitants of Shechem, the Samaritans, are called foolish for their spiritual blindness.

Sirach 50:29. The teaching of wisdom and understanding have I traced in this book, I, Jesus son of Sirach, a resident of Jerusalem, who poured out wisdom from my heart. Sirach 50:30. Blessed is he who concerns himself with these teachings – and he who lays them to heart will become wise; Sirach 50:31. and if he fulfills them, he will be able to do all things; for the light of the Lord is his way.

Chapter Fifty-One

Prayer of Jesus, son of Sirach

A thanksgiving prayer of Jesus son of Sirach.

Sirach 51:1. I will praise you, Lord King, and I will praise you, God, my Savior; I glorify your name, Sirach 51:2. for you were my protector and helper Sirach 51:3. and delivered my body from destruction and from the snare of a slanderous tongue, from the lips of those who speak falsehood; and against those who rose up against me you were my helper Sirach 51:4. and delivered me, according to the greatness of your mercy and for the sake of your name, from grinding teeth ready to devour me, Sirach 51:5. from the hand of those who sought my life, from many troubles which I had, Sirach 51:6. from the suffocating fire from all sides and from the midst of the flame, in which I was not consumed, Sirach 51:7. from the depths of the belly of the underworld, from an unclean tongue and a false word, from the slander before the king of an unrighteous tongue. 7. From the depths of the belly of the underworld. See vv. 8–17.

Sirach 51:8. My soul was close to death, Sirach 51:9. and my life was near the underworld below: Sirach 51:10. from all sides I was surrounded, and there was no one to help; I sought with my eyes for support from people – and there was none. Sirach 51:11. And I remembered your, Lord, mercy and your works from of old, Sirach 51:12. that you deliver those who hope in you and save them from the hand of enemies. Sirach 51:13. And I lifted up my supplication from the earth and prayed for deliverance from death: Sirach 51:14. I called out to the Lord, Father of my Lord, that he would not abandon me in the days of trouble, when there was no help from haughty people. Sirach 51:15. I will praise your name continually and sing in thanksgiving, for my prayer was heard; Sirach 51:16. you saved me from destruction and delivered me from a terrible time. Sirach 51:17. For this I will praise and bless you and glorify the name of the Lord. Sirach 51:18. While still a youth, before I traveled abroad, I sought wisdom openly in my prayer: Sirach 51:19. in front of the temple I prayed for her, and until the end I will seek her; like blossom from ripening grapes, Sirach 51:20. my heart rejoiced in her; my foot walked a straight path, I followed after her from my youth. Sirach 51:21. Little by little I inclined my ear to her and received her, and I found in her much instruction for myself: Sirach 51:22. I made progress in her. Sirach 51:23. I will give glory to the One who gave me wisdom. Sirach 51:24. I made up my mind to follow her, I zealously pursued what is good, and I will not be ashamed. Sirach 51:25. My soul strove for her, and in my works I was diligent; Sirach 51:26. I stretched out my hands to the height and perceived my ignorance. 26. Knowing my ignorance, I stretched out my hands to the height, asking God to teach me.

Sirach 51:27. I directed my soul to her, and my heart devoted itself to her from the beginning – Sirach 51:28. and I achieved her with purity; therefore I will not be abandoned by her. Sirach 51:29. And my inner being was moved to seek her; therefore I gained a good acquisition. Sirach 51:30. As a reward God gave me a tongue, and with it I will praise him. Sirach 51:31. Draw near to me, you untaught, and lodge in the house of instruction, Sirach 51:32. for you need it, and your souls greatly thirst for it. Sirach 51:33. I open my mouth and say: acquire it for yourselves without silver; 33. Acquire it, that is, wisdom, without silver, that is, not for silver, which by itself will not give wisdom, but by your own efforts and the invocation of divine help (see v. 26–30).

Sirach 51:34. put your neck under her yoke, and let your soul receive instruction; it can be found near. Sirach 51:35. See with your own eyes: I have labored little – and found myself great rest. Sirach 51:36. Acquire instruction at a great price of silver – and you will acquire much gold. 36. If wisdom is itself not purchasable for silver (v. 33) and requires from those who seek it their own unfailing efforts and help from above (vv. 18–30), then meeting living needs and covering expenses during the pursuit of wisdom is certainly not foreign to ordinary monetary expenditure. And these expenses should not trouble those seeking the fruits of wisdom: acquire wisdom – and you will acquire much gold, attain internal and external well-being (see vv. 35–38).

Sirach 51:37. Let your soul rejoice in his mercy, and do not be ashamed to praise him; Sirach 51:38. do your work beforehand, and in his own time he will give you your reward.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Introduction

Prophets and Prophecies

Name. Prophets were called among the Hebrews nabi, that is, “speaker.” This word has as its root a verb preserved also now in the Arabic language, – nabaa to give tidings. Supporting the correctness of such understanding of the term nabi are the corresponding Assyrian expression nabu to call, and also the Ethiopian nababa to speak. But if this epithet “speakers” (nebiim) was given only to certain individuals, then by it were understood, evidently, special people who deserved by their utterances exclusive attention and respect; in a word, people sent by God to announce His will. Thus, the word nabi must designate a messenger of divine revelation. The same sense is held by the term of the Greek Bible – prophetes, by which the LXX render the Hebrew expression nabi. Besides this, the Hebrews called prophets roéh – seer, chozéh – perceiver. These two names point to the fact that what the prophet announces was received by him in a state of vision or special rapture (see Num 24:3-4 and following). But since the prophet’s gaze was directed also to the external life of the Hebrew state, even to its future, prophets were sometimes called zophim, that is, watchers (Jer 6:17; Isa 56:10), who were to warn their people of the danger threatening them. Prophets were also called shepherds (Zech 10:2; Zech 11:3), who were to care for the sheep entrusted to them – the Israelites, men of God, and others.

Essence of Prophecy. If prophets were to announce to people the revelations they received from God, then, evidently, God entered with them into close internal communion. He had to speak with them and they – with God, and God, indeed, comes to them and speaks with them as with His friends about what He intends to accomplish, explaining to them His plans. In this consists the true essence of prophecy. Therefore already Abraham is called a prophet and friend of God (Gen 20:7; Jas 2:23). “Can I,” asks God, “hide from Abraham what I intend to do?” (Gen 18:17).

And other patriarchs God calls “His prophets” (Ps 104:14-15). If prophets therefore come forth as teachers and guides of their people, then they speak not their own convictions and thoughts, but what they heard from God. They themselves clearly were conscious that through them God Himself was speaking. Therefore among them “God spoke” appears frequently in their prophetic utterances. God put His words into their mouths (Jer 15:19-20), and they speak with assurance about their commission by God (2 Sam 23:2; Dan 2:27). They apply to themselves mainly therefore the name roeh – seer, which much more strongly denotes the divine origin of prophetic inspiration than the other word – chozeh, which was sometimes used to denote false prophets, so to speak, self-deluded men, supposing that God spoke through them (Ezek 13:2). 1

Various States of Inspiration. Although all prophets testify: “The Lord spoke to me” or “thus says the Lord,” nevertheless among prophets there was a difference in relation to prophetic self-consciousness and in God’s relation to them.

a) A special place among Old Testament prophets belongs to the prophet Moses, with whom “God spoke face to face” (Num 12:8). The service of Moses as lawgiver, as well as judge, priest, leader, and prophet, was also extraordinarily exalted (Deut 34:10). He in a normal, waking state received revelations from God. The Lord spoke with him as friend speaks with friend, directly expressing His commands. Samuel also heard the clear voice of God, but saw no image in doing so (1 Sam 3 and following). However, the uncovered glory of God was not seen even by Moses (Exod 33:20).

b) A much lower form of inspiration was when God spoke to the prophets in vision or in sleep (Num 22:8-9). In a state of vision, rapture, or ecstasy the human spirit is raised above ordinary boundaries of space and time, above all temporal life, and lives in soul in the world beyond or is transported into the distant future (Acts 22:17; Rev 1:10). What he sees or hears in this state he can afterwards communicate to others, arranging all he has heard in a certain order and giving it a more or less coherent form.

c) Sometimes inspiration deprives a man of will and he speaks not what he wished to say, or does not fully understand his own prophecies. Thus Balaam blessed the Hebrews when he wished to curse them. He even fell to the ground in a swoon when the Spirit of God came upon him (Num 24:3). King Saul was in a like passive state of inspiration once (1 Sam 19:24).

Quite different it was with Samuel, Isaiah, and other prophets. In them the human spirit merely imperceptibly raised the tempo of its life and activity under the action of the Spirit of God. Their spiritual activity, thanks to this action of the Spirit of God, was enlivened, new moods appeared in their souls, new horizons opened to their minds, and they could still distinguish what properly came to their souls from above and what was the result of their own spiritual activity during the receiving of revelation (Isa 6:5; Jer 1:7; 2 Pet 1:20). Here the Divine action relies more on the natural individual spiritual faculties of man – on the education he received (cf. Dan 9:2 and Jer 25:11), hence prophets sometimes encounter almost verbatim repetitions of earlier, certainly to them known, prophecies (cf. Isa 2:2-4 and Mic 4:1). However, erudition was not a necessary condition for receiving Divine revelation, as the example of the prophet from simple shepherds – Amos – proves (Amos 7:14-15). But all prophets had to maintain complete obedience to the will of God (Mic 3:8) and always care for the turning of the people of Israel to the same path of obedience to the Almighty.

Peculiarities of Prophetic Vision.

a) Prophets often received revelation in the form of visions, images, parables, symbols, which sometimes are quite difficult to understand and for which therefore corresponding explanations were given (Amos 7:7-8; Dan 8 and following; Zech 1:9). Therefore the prophets themselves often speak in images, perform symbolic acts. In doing so, traits of their personality are reflected in their utterances, and they themselves take an active part in giving the revelation a certain form. Symbolic acts were sometimes performed by them in reality, sometimes the prophets relate them as events of their inner life (Jer 19 and following; Isa 20 and following; Hos 1 and following; Ezek 12 and following).

b) Prophets saw future events, which they foretold, as if they were happening before them or even already as past. Thus, Isaiah speaks of the death of Christ as though he were a witness to the sufferings of Christ (Isa 63 and following). Hence they in their prophecies often use for denoting future events the past tense, which is therefore called the past prophetic (perfectum propheticum).

c) Prophets look perspectively, that is, all objects in their vision appear to them arranged on one picture in general outline, although they might be objects relating to different epochs; however, they still are able to distinguish what is in the foreground of the scene opening before them and what – in the distance, far away. Although the deliverance from the Babylonian captivity and messianic salvation are often united in one picture, nevertheless the prophets do not merge them one with the other, and the former they present only as a shadow of the latter.

d) Each prophet saw only parts of the great future awaiting mankind, and therefore prophetic vision had the character of fragmentariness (1 Cor 13:9), and one prophet supplements another.

Purpose of Prophetic Service. Prophecy represented the most vital element in the general plan of divine economy and was the most prominent expression of God’s communion with His people. In the law of Moses was given a firm foundation for the revelation of Divine will, but if this law was to enter into the life of the people, it was necessary for God continually to testify of Himself as the King of Israel. And for this purpose prophets were sent by God. They continually maintained in Israel the consciousness that it was a theocratic state. They were to guard the law, explain the spirit and power of his commandments (Deut 10:16; Deut 30 and following), discuss phenomena of social life in Israel from the point of view of the law, watch over the behavior of kings and priests, who often departed from the path laid down for them in the law of Moses, and, announcing the decisions of the will of God concerning the future state of the people, generally revive the theocratic spirit. 2

Therefore prophets were called only from the midst of the chosen people (Deut 18:18). Their chief task was to establish in the people faith in the coming of the Messiah and His kingdom. Christ and His kingdom represent the central point to which the attention of the prophets is directed.

Content of Prophecies. Prophets in their prophecies depict the history of the kingdom of God as it existed and was to exist in Israel and in all humanity, paying special attention to the consummation of this kingdom. They do not stop in this case only at general outlines of the future, but enter into detailed and thorough description of particular circumstances intimately connected with the history of the kingdom of God. A prophet in Bethel calls the name of King Josiah three hundred years before his birth (1 Sam 13:2), Ezekiel gives special specific directions on the fate awaiting Jerusalem (Ezek 24:2), Daniel foresees details of future events which were to take place in the life of the Jews (Dan 11:10-11).

Prophets and Soothsayers. From what has been said, it is sufficiently clear that true prophets were quite different from the soothsayers known also among the heathen. Between prophecy and divination there is a twofold essential difference. First, divination relates exclusively only to the present time, while prophecy extends to the last boundary of history, to the end of days, as the prophets expressed it. Each prophet even evaluates the present by its relation to the final goal. Thanks to this, all prophecies form one indivisible whole. The utterances of heathen oracles represent a series of independent one from another sayings; they are like words without logical connection following one after another in the columns of a lexicon. On the contrary, all Israelite prophecies are connected with one another and supplement each other. Then pagan oracles spoke only of circumstances of private or national life, while Israelite prophecy from the beginning encompassed in its scope all humanity.

Certainty of the Divine Calling of Prophets. Prophets proved the truth of their calling by God through great miracles which they performed by the power of God. Besides this, one must take into account in this case the purity of their teaching and life (Deut 13:2; 1 Sam 10:6; cf. Matt 24:24). Particular gifts of miracle-working were possessed by Moses, Elijah, and Elisha. The prophets themselves pointed to the fulfillment of their prophecies as proof of the truth of their election by God Himself. The prophet Jeremiah says: “If a prophet prophesied peace, then only when the word of that prophet came true was he recognized… as a prophet whom God had truly sent” (Jer 28:9).

Language of the Prophets. Since the prophets were not unwilling and unconscious organs of the Spirit of God, but preserved self-determination and their characteristic individual properties in setting forth the revelations they received, it is clear that the language of the prophets bears various degrees of perfection, and from simple prose speech not infrequently reaches the high stages of oratory and poetry. Amos, a shepherd, borrows his images and pictures from rural life, Daniel speaks as a statesman. Earlier prophets speak in pure Hebrew, later ones more or less use Chaldean or Aramaic speech. Special elegance and purity of speech distinguish the book of the prophet Isaiah, whom some therefore called the “king of prophets.” Many of the prophets’ utterances have the form of actual poems, preserving at the same time all the properties of Hebrew poetry.

History of Prophecy. If already the antediluvian patriarchs were, in a general sense, prophets (for example, Enoch – see Jude 1:14-15), if already in the time of Moses prophecy had its representatives (Miriam and the seventy elders – Num 11:16), if even in the troubled time of the Judges here and there flickered the fire of prophetic inspiration (Judg 2:1; Judg 5:1; 1 Sam 2:27), then from Samuel (this, after the period of Moses, is already the second period in the development of prophecy) prophecy enters a period of true flourishing, and prophets appear among Israel in very great numbers. Thanks to the energy of Samuel, theocratic life in Israel revived, and at the same time prophetic inspiration manifested itself in all its force, and prophets or disciples of the prophets formed themselves into whole corporations under the management of the great prophet Samuel. Prophets, beginning with Samuel, exerted enormous influence on the entire course of the life of the Israelite people, and the kings of Israel, in general, were obedient to their suggestions. From the time of the division of the Hebrew kingdom into two (the third period), energetic prophet Ahijah of Shiloh stands at the head of the prophets, and the prophets, especially in the Israelite kingdom where there was neither lawful royal dynasty nor lawful priesthood, acquire enormous significance. Many efforts were also expended by them in the struggle with false prophets, whose appearance falls on the time of the Israelite king Ahab and who led the kingdom to destruction by their flattering counsels. Prophets, such as Elijah and Elisha, as well as the prophet-writers of this period, strove in every way to awaken theocratic consciousness in the Hebrew people, but the prophets of the next, fourth period, on the contrary, begin to speak of the coming fall of the theocratic kingdom and of its future transformation into a messianic kingdom, thereby proving on the one hand that God justly punishes violators of His law, and on the other hand comforting believers in the heavy trials to which they were subjected in those times. Finally, in the last, fifth – post-exilic period – the prophets act on the one hand toward the restoration of the internal and external life of the theocracy, and on the other – direct their eyes to the future transformation of this life.

Significance of Prophetic Books. The writings of the prophets are important already because of the abundance of instructional material contained in them. In them we find magnificent depictions of the nature and attributes of God, His almighty power, holiness, omniscience, goodness, etc. They give us the possibility to penetrate with our gaze into the invisible world and into the mysterious depths of the human heart. Depicting the impiety and hardening of Israel, the prophets as it were show before us a mirror in which we can see the reflection of our own life as well. But especially important are the books of the prophets for us Christians because in them we find prophecies about the Jews and other nations that have been fulfilled with perfect accuracy, and mainly predictions about Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself pointed to prophecies as the surest testimony to Him and His activity (John 5:39). Finally, prophecies are important for us also because often in them is detailed exposition of what is pointed to in the New Testament only by hints, brief notes. So, for example, chapter 53 of the book of Isaiah explains to us the true cause and purpose of the sufferings of Christ, and also gives explanation to the words of John the Baptist about Christ: “behold, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:29)

Distribution of Prophetic Books in the Bible. There were 16 prophets in total who wrote down their utterances in books. The first four – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel – are called great, and the remaining 12 – Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi – minor, of course, in comparison with the relatively small size of their books. However, the book of Daniel in the Hebrew Bible was placed in the number of writings (ketubim), and the books of the 12 minor prophets formed one book. The prophetic books in our Bible are distributed not according to the order of their origin, but probably according to volume. The chronological order of the prophetic books can be established as follows. The earliest prophet was Obadiah, prophesying about 885 B.C., after him follow Joel, Amos, Jonah, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah. These are the so-called pre-exilic prophets. Then come the prophets of the period of exile – Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel – and finally the post-exilic prophets – Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi (about 427 B.C.). 3

About the Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1. Personality of the Prophet. The name of the prophet – jeschajehu in translation from Hebrew means: the Lord effects salvation or, in short, salvation of the Lord. The LXX translators render this Hebrew name with the expression Ησαιας. In later biblical writings this Hebrew expression is found already in the abbreviated form jeschaeja.

Who was the father of Isaiah, called in the inscription of the book Amoz, is unknown. Isaiah, as is evident from his own book, lived in Jerusalem, and this circumstance in a significant way explains the familiarity which the prophet displays regarding events of the capital’s life. The prophet had his own house, was married, and had children. His wife he calls a prophetess (Isa 8:3). His children – sons – with their names symbolically foretold the judgment of God which was to befall the Judean and Israelite kingdom (Isa 7:3; Isa 8:3), while the name of the prophet himself served as a symbol of the salvation awaiting the chosen of God.

Isaiah lived very long and his activity as a prophet was prolonged. Beginning his service, at least at twenty years of age, in the year of the death of King Uzziah (according to the old dating this was 759 B.C., according to the newer one based on the study of Assyrian monuments – 740 B.C.), he appears last as an active participant about 701 B.C., so that his prophetic service continued no less than 40 years, and perhaps longer. The Bible says nothing of his death, but the Talmudic tradition, accepted also by the Church Fathers, testifies that Isaiah was put to death by martyr’s death by command of the impious king of Judea Manasseh (an allusion to this can be seen in the prophet Jeremiah at Jer 2:30).

As for the spiritual appearance of the prophet, this appearance strikes us with its greatness. Isaiah is fully convinced that the Lord Himself called him to his exalted service (chapter 6) and, in virtue of this consciousness, everywhere displays the most devoted obedience to the will of God and unconditional trust in the Existent One. Therefore he is free from all influences of human fear, and the interests of people he always sets lower than the requirements of eternal divine truth. With the greatest courage he openly tells Ahaz his condemnation of all his policy (chapter 7), sharply rebukes the minister-opportunist Shebna (Isa 22 and following), as well as other Judean rulers, priests, prophets, and the entire people (chapters 2, 3, 5, 28, and others). Openly and fearlessly he criticizes the policy of the Judean government under King Hezekiah (chapters 30–32) and is not afraid to even announce the approach of death to the king himself (chapter 38), and then to the same king who became gravely ill, he prophesies with assurance of speedy recovery. Not fearing accusations of lack of patriotism, he predicts to Hezekiah the taking away of all his descendants into Babylonian captivity. And his words, breathing in themselves the power of conviction, acquired ever greater and greater significance with the passage of time, because some of his prophecies were fulfilled even while he continued his prophetic activity, and also because his words were accompanied by miraculous signs (Isa 38:7).

2. The Epoch of Isaiah. Isaiah was called to his service in the year of the death of the Judean king Uzziah, who, according to newer calculations based on the study of Assyrian monuments, reigned from 780 to 740 B.C. This pious king, with God’s help, succeeded in establishing good order in his small state, and in general ruled so prosperously that the Judean kingdom acquired important significance among other states of Asia Minor, especially thanks to its successes in wars with Philistines, Arabs, and other peoples. The people of Judea under Uzziah lived almost as well as under Solomon, although, however, Judea was sometimes visited in this time by certain misfortunes, like an earthquake (Isa 5:25), and although the king himself in the last years of his life was struck by leprosy, sent upon him because he showed pretensions to performing priestly service. At the end of his reign Uzziah made his son Jotham his co-ruler (2 Sam 15:5; 2 Chr 26:21).

Jotham (according to 2 Sam 15:32-38 and 2 Chr 26:23) ruled the Judean kingdom 16 years – 11 years as co-ruler of his father and more than 4 years – independently (740–736). And he was a pious man and fortunate in his enterprises, although already under him the Syrians and Ephraimites began to plot against Judea. But the Judean people under Jotham, by their departures from the law of God, began to bring upon themselves the wrath of God, and the prophet Isaiah began to announce to his countrymen the punishment from God awaiting them (chapter 6). Evidently, the external successes achieved by Jotham not only did not contribute to the moral improvement of the people, but on the contrary, as Moses had predicted (Deut 32), instilled in this people a feeling of pride and gave them the opportunity to live a carefree and dissolute life. To this time belong the utterances of Isaiah contained in chapters 2, 3, 4, and 5 of his book.

After Jotham, Ahaz ascended the throne (2 Sam 16:1 and 2 Chr 28:1), who reigned 10 years (736–727). In character, he was not like his father and turned to idolatry. For this the Lord, according to the writers of the Fourth Book of Kings and Second Chronicles, sent against him enemies, of which the most dangerous were the Syrians and Israelites, who formed an alliance among themselves, to which the Edomites also joined (2 Sam 16 and following, 2 Chr 28 and following). The matter came to such a point that many Judeans, subjects of Ahaz, were captured by enemies and together with their wives and children were moved to Samaria: only the prophet Oded convinced the Israelites to release the Judeans from captivity. Besides Edomites, Syrians, and Israelites, Philistines also attacked Judea during the reign of Ahaz (2 Chr 28:18). Under this king Isaiah spoke the utterances contained in chapters 7, 8, 9, 10 (verses 1–4), 14 (verses 28–32), and 17, as well as, perhaps, in chapters 1 and 10, verses 5–12. In these utterances Isaiah condemned the policy of Ahaz, who turned for help against his enemies to the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser (or Tiglath-Pileser III). He predicted that these Assyrians in the end would plot to subject the Judean kingdom to themselves, and that only the Messiah – Immanuel – would humble their pride and crush their power. Regarding the internal life of the Judean state under Ahaz, Isaiah condemned in the rulers the absence of justice, and in the people – the increased dissolute morality.

Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, (2 Sam 18– 2 Sam 20 and 2 Chr 29– 2 Chr 32:1), ruled the state of Judea 29 years (from 727 to 698 B.C.). Hezekiah was a very pious and God-fearing ruler (2 Sam 18:3) and concerned himself with the restoration of true worship according to the statutes of Moses (2 Sam 18:4). Although at first he was surrounded by people who understood little of the essence of the theocratic organization of the Hebrew state and inclined the king to enter into unions with foreign rulers, afterwards, under the influence of the prophet Isaiah, Hezekiah became firm in the conviction that the sole strong support for his state was God Himself. At the time of the invasion of Sennacherib upon Judea, Hezekiah sends messengers to Isaiah for counsel, and the prophet comforts the king with the promise of divine help. The utterances of Isaiah fall in the time of Hezekiah, contained in chapters 22, 28–33, as well as chapters 36–39, and finally, perhaps, the entire second section of the book of Isaiah (chapters 40–66). Besides this, prophecies concerning foreign nations in chapters 15, 16, 18–20 fall to this time, and perhaps in 21 (verses 11–17) and 23. To the very end of Hezekiah’s reign belong the utterances contained in chapters 13, 14, 21 (verses 1–10), 24–27, 34, and 35.

Let us add a few more words about the peoples which exerted the most influence on the life of the Judean and Israelite state in the days of Isaiah. In this respect Asshur stands first. In the days of Uzziah, king of Judea, the first king of a new dynasty, Pul, ascended the Assyrian throne. This king devastated the kingdom of Israel. The same kingdom was attacked by the mighty Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III under Ahaz, and in the days of Hezekiah the Assyrian kingdom reached the highest degree of prosperity, and King Shalmaneser completely destroyed the kingdom of Israel, and his successor Sennacherib made attempts to subject to himself also the kingdom of Judea. But already in the last years of Sennacherib the power of Asshur began to fade. Esarhaddon, true, succeeded in suppressing the uprising in Babylon and subjected to himself also Judea, taking its king Manasseh into captivity, but the days of the Assyrian monarchy were evidently already numbered, and about 630 B.C. Cyaxares the Mede in alliance with Nabopolassar of Babylon took the capital of Assyria, Nineveh, and Assyria after this became a Median province.

As for the other great power of that time, Egypt, the Jews for the most part were in alliance with it and hoped for its help when they began to dream of liberation from subjection to the Assyrians, who mostly troubled the Judean kings with demands for tribute. Egypt, however, at that time was already weakened and exhausted. In those days Egypt was weakened by internal strife, and in the epoch of Isaiah’s activity, three dynasties changed on the Egyptian throne – the 23rd, 24th, and 25th. In their wars with Assyria over disputed Syrian possessions, the Egyptian kings of the so-called Ethiopian dynasty (from 725 to 605 B.C.) were first defeated, but then the mighty Egyptian king Tirhakah dealt a powerful blow to Sennacherib and restored the greatness of Egypt, although for a short time: the successor of Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, entered with his armies into Egypt, and soon the Ethiopian dynasty was also overthrown.

A rather important power in the epoch of Isaiah was represented by the kingdom of Syria with its main city, Damascus. This kingdom struggled all the time with the kingdom of Assyria. The Assyrian kings, especially Tiglath-Pileser III, harshly punished the Syrian rulers who gathered allies for themselves from among the rulers subject to the Assyrian power of Asia Minor, but in 732 B.C. Syria was finally annexed to Assyria as its province. Known also was the Chaldean kingdom with its capital Babylon. This kingdom, in the epoch of Isaiah, was in vassal relations to Assyria, and the kings of Babylon were considered only as viceroys of the Assyrian king. However, these kings continually tried to restore to the Chaldean state its former independence and raised the banner of revolt against Assyrian rule, drawing into this also some other Asian kings, for example, the Judean Hezekiah, and in the end they succeeded in achieving their goal.

As for other peoples who came into contact with the Jews in the days of Isaiah – the Tyrians, Philistines, Moabites, Edomites, and others – they, by their weakness, could not cause particularly serious harm to the Jews, but on the other hand offered them little help as allies against Assyria.

It should be noted also that in the epoch of Isaiah the Judean and Israelite kingdom were almost always in hostile relations with each other, and this, of course, could not but be reflected in the sad fate which first befell the kingdom of Israel, and then also the Judean kingdom.

3. The Book of Isaiah. The book of Isaiah consists of several separate collections of his utterances. Who finally grouped the prophet’s utterances into these collections – cannot be said. All the prophet’s utterances are arranged not in strictly chronological, but rather in a systematic order. By content, the book of Isaiah can be divided into two parts. The first – chapters 1 to 39 – is pervaded predominantly by a spirit of denunciation, the second – chapters 40 to 66 – contains in itself almost exclusively consolations to the Israelite people in view of the Babylonian captivity awaiting them.

In the first part the prophet reproaches the Hebrew people for their stubbornness with which they turned away from fulfilling the will of God, mainly in the days of Ahaz. The prophet depicts with sharp strokes before his listeners their ingratitude in relation to their Benefactor – the Lord, their imitation of the heathen in impiety and even idolatry which they committed (Isa 2:20; Isa 17:8; Isa 30:22; Isa 31:7), unbelief in Divine revelation (Isa 29 and following), superficial, external fulfillment of the requirements of the law of Moses combined with complete immorality (Isa 1 and following), lack of honesty and justice in relations with one’s neighbor, absence of mutual love and mercy toward the poor. The prophet regards the great ones of the world with particular strictness, those who openly allow themselves to violate the requirements of divine truth (Isa 1 and following; Isa 5:22-23; Isa 10:1; Isa 32:5-7; Isa 33:1-5). The policy of Judean rulers, who saw all salvation of the Judean state in unions with powerful heathen powers, also finds here sharp condemnation (Isa 8 and following; Isa 30:1 and following; Isa 31 and following).

In view of the corruption of the Israelite people, the prophet threatens them with the judgment of God, whose executors were to be heathen peoples, foretells the devastation of the land of Israel and the exile of the Jews from it (Isa 6 and following; Isa 5:13; Isa 17:9), and speaks fairly clearly also about the taking of Jerusalem by enemies (Isa 2:12; Isa 3:8 and following; Isa 22:5; Isa 30 and following; Isa 32 and following 19), about the speedy fall of Samaria (chapter 28) and about the Babylonian captivity of the Jews (Isa 39 and following).

But on the other hand, even in this part of the book of Isaiah, much gladness for the heart of the Israelite is said in prophecies, and here and there through the darkness of the future bright perspectives open up for Israel. The prophet depicts how the land of Israel arises from the deep humiliation into which it was cast after the invasion of the Assyrians. Here a new Ruler of the Israelite people is depicted in the distance – the Messiah. He will be a descendant of David according to the flesh, but God by His essential nature. He will extend His power over the entire universe. But even in the near future Israel, according to the prophet, can be granted the mercies of God. Help from God, Isaiah offered first to Ahaz, and then to Hezekiah – to both on the occasion of enemy invasions (Isa 8 and following; Isa 10:26-34; Isa 14:24-27; Isa 17:12-14; Isa 18 and following, Isa 39 and following; Isa 30:27-33; Isa 31:8 and following; Isa 33 and following; Isa 37 and following). The Lord will guard Zion – this His holy mountain, if only Israel preserves faithfulness to the Almighty (chapters 28, 33). First Zion will undergo devastation, but then will rise in glory and all nations will hasten to this mountain, recognizing its right to universal leadership (Isa 2 and following; Isa 25 and following).

In particular, the first part of the book of Isaiah contains the following sections. Chapters 1–6 enclose a broad introduction, relating to the entire book, consisting of three separate parts: a) chapter 1; b) chapters 2–5; and c) chapter 6. Then from chapter 7 to 12 go the utterances of Isaiah forming the first section of the book, in which the prophet clarifies the relations of Israel to Asshur in the reign of Ahaz and points to the outcome of the friendship that began between the Assyrians and Ahaz.

The second section of the first part encompasses prophecies of Isaiah concerning foreign nations. At the head of these prophecies stands the prophecy about Babylon, as containing a general characterization of God’s judgments over the pagan world, “as depicting the fate of the most terrible devastator of the Judean state” (Isa 13– Isa 14:23). To this prophecy is joined a brief prophecy about the fate of Asshur, who was so terrible for the contemporaries of the prophet Isaiah, and then follow prophecies about the Philistines, Moab, Syria, Ethiopia, and Egypt (Isa 14– Isa 20:6), then again the prophecy about Babylon with the addition of prophecies about Edom, Arabia, and Jerusalem (chapters 21–22), which are joined in one collection, probably because all four have a symbolic character, for which reason they are called by some commentators libellus emblematicus. A conclusion to the prophecies concerning foreign nations is the prophecy about Tyre (chapter 23). A kind of finale to this collection of prophecies concerning foreign nations is presented by chapters 24–27, where there is discussion of the last judgment over the world, of its destruction, of the resurrection of the dead, and of the completion of the salvation promised to Israel. This last section is sometimes called by commentators libellus apocalipticus.

The third section of the first part depicts the relations of Israel to Asshur in the days of Hezekiah (chapters 28–33). Here are five utterances, each of which begins with an exclamation: woe! (goj). These utterances are arranged in chronological order: they convey the thought that the salvation of Israel depends not on union with Egypt, but on the Lord alone.

The fourth section encompasses chapters 34–35, which are a finale to the first part. They contain, on the one hand, a depiction of God’s judgment over heaven and earth, and on the other – sketch the picture of Israel’s salvation, which, first of all, will consist in the return of Israel from captivity. The fifth section – the historical narratives of chapters 36–39, which repeat almost word for word the narratives of the Fourth Book of Kings (2 Sam 18– 2 Sam 20:19).

The second part of the book of Isaiah forms one well-constructed and complete whole. It is divided into three sections, and in each section are contained nine chapters. In the first two sections – nine utterances each, in the last – five. The subject of all these 27 chapters is the epoch of Israel’s and then all humanity’s redemption, beginning with Israel’s deliverance from Babylonian captivity and extending until the time of the Last Judgment over the world.

In the first section (chapters 40–48) the prophet depicts mainly the deliverance of Israel from Babylonian captivity and the cause of this deliverance – King Cyrus, touching, in places, also the moral deliverance of Israel from the dominion of sin, thanks to the intercession of the meek Messenger of the Almighty – the Messiah.

In the second section (chapters 49–57) the central point to which the prophet’s attention is directed is the personality of the Messiah, whose sufferings for the sins of people the prophet depicts here with striking power and clarity.

In the third section (chapters 58–66) the prophet depicts the glorification of this Great Sufferer. The Messiah here appears as high priest, king, and prophet all at the same time. He executes judgment over the world and creates new, better life.

From what has been said, it is clear in what consist the peculiarities of Isaiah’s prophetic vision. If Isaiah, on the one hand, very thoroughly treats all phenomena contemporary with him of the internal and external life of his people, then on the other hand, his gaze with the same interest is directed toward the distant future, which for him is not separated by any impassable boundary from the present. Both present and future appear to him as one, continuously developing whole, and all similar relations and phenomena both of current and future life appear to his prophetic vision as if reflecting at the same time on one vast screen of light. For the prophet in his vision there are no time distinctions. Great spaces vanish before him which in reality separate one phenomenon from another. His gaze is quickly transported from the most distant event of future time to circumstances of the near future, and from there – again into the distance of the future, and if this is not, however, the exclusive peculiarity of Isaiah’s prophetic vision, then in any case these characteristic features appear in him with particular force and brilliance.

It should be noted that Isaiah in his prophecies sometimes made exact determinations concerning the time at which this or that prophecy of his was to be fulfilled (see for example, Isa 16:14; Isa 37:30; Isa 38:5). His utterance everywhere breathes power and is distinguished by clarity and variety of oratorical expressions and methods of proof. He speaks with equal mastery in the tone of a wise teacher as well as in the language of a poet. His prophecies about the Messiah strike with the magnificence of their images, his complaints and denunciations – are overwhelming, his exhortations – in the highest degree convincing, his threats – powerful. Isaiah employs every kind of verbal turn and method: alliteration, similar-sounding words, paronomasia, repetitions, and so forth. Therefore Isaiah occupies first place among the prophet-writers. Jesus, son of Sirach, calls him a great prophet (Sir 48:25) who with great spirit foresaw the distant future and announced for ages to come what would be (ibid. verses 27–28).

Eusebius of Caesarea calls him a great and wonderful prophet, the greatest prophet (Demonstr. evang. II, 4), the blessed Theodoret – the most divine, Isidore of Pelusium – the most discerning and wisest of prophets. The future events of Messianic times Isaiah always prefigures in expressions corresponding to their exalted significance (the birth of the Savior from the Virgin – in chapter 7, His sufferings and death – in chapter 63). Therefore the blessed Jerome calls Isaiah not only a prophet but an evangelist and apostle. Cyril of Alexandria and the blessed Augustine speak of him in the same way. In view of such significance of the book of Isaiah, it was given first place among the prophetic books both in the present Hebrew Bible and among the LXX.

4. Authenticity of the Book. Regarding the origin of the book of Isaiah, disagreement has long existed in biblical scholarship. The Jews of the Talmudic era acknowledged that the utterances contained in the book indeed belong to Isaiah, but that they were collected and written down by his contemporaries – the so-called friends of King Hezekiah. The Talmudic tradition, undoubtedly, expresses precisely this thought when it says that the book of the prophet Isaiah was written by the association of friends of Hezekiah (Baba Batha 15a). But this opinion cannot be agreed with in view of the fact that there was no necessity for the prophet, a very educated man, to entrust the writing and collection of his utterances to outsiders and perhaps those ill-disposed toward the prophet because of the denunciations he made against their short-sighted policy. Moreover, besides the Old Testament testimony of the book of Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach (Sir 48:25-28), we have in the New Testament a clear indication that in the days of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ the book of Isaiah was recognized among the Jews as his work (Luke 4:17-22; Matt 15:7-9; Luke 22:37). The holy apostles expressed the same view of the book of Isaiah (Acts 8:28; Acts 28:25; Rom 9:27). Such an attitude toward the book of Isaiah was established also among the earliest Church writers, Church Fathers and teachers.

But from the end of the 17th century some biblical critics began to point to insertions made in the book of Isaiah by a later hand. Then gradually doubts began to be expressed concerning the authenticity of individual whole chapters of the book and even entire sections, of which the most suspicion was aroused by the entire second part of the book (chapters 40–56), which began to be attributed to an unknown prophet who lived in the times of Babylonian captivity (Gesenius, Ewald, Hitzig, and Knobel). More recent scholars, however, carried their doubts to the point that they almost left no chapter in the book of Isaiah that could be considered an authentic work of Isaiah (Kuenen, Duhm, and Couch). In the opinion of these critics, the book of Isaiah even underwent repeated revisions (redactions), so that now it is difficult to clarify what its original form was. But on the other hand, there are many scholars who recognize the complete authenticity of the book of Isaiah (Kleinert, Hefernik, Dräxsler, Delitzsch, Keil, Cornely, Bredenkamp, and others), and these scholars have said enough for all objections against the authenticity of the book of Isaiah to be recognized as unfounded.

Romans 10:20. First of all, against those scholars who find in the book of Isaiah works of different authors living in different epochs, one can advance the consideration that throughout the entire book of Isaiah, remarkable uniformity of tone of speech is observed. Everywhere the prophet speaks with force, impetuosity, and boldness, which gave occasion also to the Apostle Paul to say: “Isaiah dares to speak boldly” (Rom.10:20). Then the similarity in the method of expressing thoughts strikes the eye, the special clarity and objectivity of presentation noted everywhere in the book of Isaiah. This clarity consists in special pictorial quality, which sometimes approaches even drama (for example, Isa 63:1 and following), and objectivity – in the fact that abstract ideas or indications of inner states of the soul are depicted as objects existing in space and time. Some of the images are constantly repeated (for example, the image of the vineyard, desert). Then the prophet throughout the entire book weaves like a red thread one idea – that Zion will be saved by divine truth and power, and not by any earthly, human power. At the same time, salvation is promised to the remnant of Israel, not to the entire people, and among this remnant the Savior Himself is thought to be as coming from the holy chosen remnant or seed. Further, it is noticeable that the misfortunes awaiting the Hebrews and their impending redemption are depicted in a certain gradual revelation, which again points to the unity of the different parts of the book of Isaiah. The objections usually raised by critics against the authenticity of the entire book of Isaiah are quite unfounded. They point, for example, to the fact that Isaiah speaks of himself now in the first person and now in the third person. But is he the only ancient writer who acted this way? Besides, the prophet speaks of himself in the third person even in the chapter that all recognize as authentic – namely in chapter 20. They further say that in the later prophets as compared to Isaiah we do not find such vivid depiction of the Messiah as in Isaiah. But should the later prophets have again depicted what had already been so thoroughly depicted in Isaiah? Prophecy did not proceed on the path of gradual progress in depicting the person and activity of the Messiah… They further appeal to prove the opinion of the late origin of some of Isaiah’s prophecies to their vocabulary, style, and so forth, but in all these appeals subjective tastes are evident, as this has been explained by Ed. König (in his Neutestam. Prinzipien der alttestam. Kritik 1902, p. 13 and following). Some critics assign particular significance to the asymmetry in the construction of strophes and verses of individual prophetic utterances of Isaiah. But was it obligatory for the prophet to observe precisely all the rules to which an ordinary poetic work should conform? There is nothing surprising in the fact that the prophet sometimes ceases rhythmic speech to begin speaking in prose. Finally, they say that the utterances and speeches of prophets were written on separate scrolls and that therefore scrolls of later origin – even from the Asmonean epoch – could have been placed in the collection of Isaiah’s utterances. But to this one must say that the book of Isaiah as a whole work that already occupied a known place in the Old Testament sacred canon was known already to the author of the book of Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach, that is, at least 200 years before the Christian era (Sir 48:22-25). Questions about the authenticity of individual chapters that raise doubts in biblical criticism will be decided in the explanation of each such chapter individually. As for the question of the authenticity of the second part of the book of Isaiah, it will be considered before the interpretation of the same. 5. The Text of the Book of Isaiah and Translations. The book of the prophet Isaiah has come down to us in two ancient texts – the Hebrew Masoretic and the Greek – of the LXX. As for the first, it, despite its authenticity and originality, nevertheless, in places, is unreliable, and biblical critics sometimes make changes in it. But the Greek text of the LXX in its various manuscripts is quite unsatisfactory. The translator of the book, evidently, was not able to correctly transmit the proper names encountered in the book, and did not understand the true meaning of many Hebrew words. He also did not have proper understanding of the peculiarities of Hebrew speech structure, hence there appeared in him sentences that are incorrect both from the point of view of Greek syntax and from the point of Hebrew word combination. Sometimes he translates two different words with one and the same expression, and sometimes renders similar words in different ways. Often he complicates the understanding of the prophet’s speech through arbitrary transpositions of words, insertions, or omissions. Sometimes he uses the first meaning of a Hebrew word that comes to his mind, without paying attention to the fact that thereby something completely incomprehensible results (for example, Isa 18:1-2). Therefore those critics are wrong who think they see in the Greek translation of the book of Isaiah some deciding authority for all difficulties, although on the other hand one cannot but acknowledge the great usefulness which the commentator of the book of Isaiah can derive from this translation in establishing the correct reading in some disputed places of the text. It should be noted that in the second part of the book of Isaiah the translation of the LXX is much better than in the first. Besides the translation of the LXX, the most well-known manuscripts of which are: a) the Vetus Testamentum according to the LXX of the Vatican Codex with variations of the Alexandrian Codex, and b) the Vetus Testamentum according to the Sinai manuscript (both editions belong to Tischendorf), we have fragments of translations of the book of Isaiah made by Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion, collected by Origen in his hexapla and published in some of its parts by the English scholar. Also deserve attention in the matter of establishing the correct reading of some places in the book of Isaiah: a) Chaldean targums, of which the Targum of Jonathan agrees with the New Testament in recognizing some places of the book as messianic (for example, Isa 9:6; Isa 42:1; Isa 52:13); b) the Syriac translation (Peshitta), very close to the translation of the LXX; c) the Latin translation – the Vulgate, differing little from the Hebrew Masoretic text. 6. Commentaries on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. There have survived very many commentaries on the book of the prophet Isaiah from the patristic age. The most well-known among them are the works of Ephrem the Syrian (according to the text of the Peshitta), Basil the Great (on the first 16 chapters of the book), John Chrysostom (in the Greek text this commentary extends only to the first 8 chapters of the book, but in the Armenian and Latin translation published in 1880 – to the entire book, and the Russian translation was made from this last edition), the blessed Jerome (according to Hebrew and Greek texts), Cyril of Alexandria (according to the LXX), the blessed Theodoret. Of commentaries of recent times the best are considered: those of Gesenius, Hitzig, Knobel, Ewald, Nägelbach, Dillmann, Duhm, Marti, Cheyne, Orelli – all Lutheran and imbued quite strongly with the spirit of criticism. Among works of apologetic character the most well-known are: Hengstenberg (Christologie A. T.), Dräxsler, Delitzsch, Knabenbauer. The latest of scientific commentaries is the work of Condamin, Le livre d’Isaïe. Traduction critique avec notes et commentaires. Paris. 1905. Here is indicated all the literature on the study of the book of Isaiah and given a new translation of the book. Also deserve mention new works serving as aids in studying the book of Isaiah: 1) Orelli, Der Prophet Jesaja, 3rd edition; 2) Richter, Die messianische Weissagung und ihre Erfüllung. 1905; 3) Möller, Die messianische Erwartung der vortexilischen Propheten zugleich ein Protest gegen moderne Textzersplitterung 1906. Among Russian commentaries on the book of the prophet Isaiah are known: 1) Bishop Peter, Explanation of the book of the holy prophet Isaiah in Russian translation, extracted from various commentaries vol. 1 and 2, Moscow, 1887; 2) Professor Yakimov, Commentary on the book of the holy prophet Isaiah (according to Old Church Slavonic and Russian texts) St. Petersburg, 1884 (unfinished); 3) Vlastov, The Prophet Isaiah, St. Petersburg, 1898 in two parts (according to Russian translation); 4) Bishop Vissarion, Selections from the book of the prophet Isaiah, St. Petersburg, Publishing House of Tuzov, 1894. Besides, quite useful indications are found in textbooks for studying prophetic books by Spassky, Yezhov, Narcissus, and others. A good work on the book of the prophet Isaiah is represented by the dissertation of Hieromonk Thaddeus, The Unity of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Monastery, 1901. Also useful are articles by Professor Yungerov of Kazan Academy, published at various times in the journal “Orthodox Colloquy,” and his private introduction to the sacred historical books, Issue 2, Kazan, 1907. * * * Notes See König, Das Prophetenthum in Beweis d. Glaubens, 1907, 2, 1–3. The socio-political activity of prophets is beautifully outlined in the book of Walter: Die Propheten in ihrem sozialen Beruf. Freiburg, 1900, 1–288. For prophecies in general, more thorough information is given in the book of Bishop Michael in his essays “Biblical Science” (Old Testament, issue 4). Regarding the fulfillment of prophecies, one can read in Keith’s book: “Evidence of the Truth of Christian Faith, Based on the Literal Fulfillment of Prophecies, the History of the Jews, and the Discoveries of Recent Travelers,” St. Petersburg, 1870, pp. 1–530.

Chapter One

1. Inscription of the book. 2–3. The ingratitude of Israel toward the Almighty. 4–9. The disastrous condition of the people of Israel. 10–20. The means of salvation – repentance from sins. 21–31. A prophecy about the future fate of Israel.

Isaiah 1:1. The vision of Isaiah, son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah – kings of Judah. 1–3. The Almighty, as faithful to His promises and a loving Father to Israel, complains of the unfaithfulness and ingratitude of His people, who are obligated to Him for their position in the world. “Vision.” This is what is called a special state of the prophet in which he received a revelation from God (see the introduction to the prophetic books). But here this expression has the general meaning of revelation – concerning Judah and Jerusalem. This inscription belongs to the whole book, because then it is added that the prophet wishes to communicate all the revelations that came to him during the reign of four Judean kings. Judah and its capital city Jerusalem are especially mentioned because all the other prophecies relate to Judah and the fate of the Judean kingdom.

Isaiah 1:2. Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth, for the Lord says: I have nurtured and raised sons, but they have rebelled against Me. The speech of the prophet contained in the first chapter was probably spoken during the reign of the Judean king Ahaz, when unlawful worship was being performed in Jerusalem (cf. verse 21, 29 and 2 Sam 16:3) and when for this reason the Lord punished the kingdom of Judah by the invasion of the kings of Syria and Israel (verses 5–9 cf. 2 Sam 15:37; 2 Sam 16:5; 2 Chr 28:5-8). The collectors of the speeches of the prophet Isaiah placed this speech first, probably because of its general content, whereby it indeed serves as an excellent introduction to all the subsequent speeches of the prophet. The appeal to heaven and earth as witnesses of the accusation of Israel’s sins gives the idea of the publicity and importance of this accusation or judgment over Israel (cf. Deut 32:1). Moreover, as the blessed Theodoret notes in his commentary on the book of Isaiah, heaven and earth were instruments for communicating various divine mercies to the Jews – heaven sent manna, earth gave fruits – and they indeed bore witness to Israel’s ingratitude at the time when Christ gave up His spirit on Golgotha. The Lord “nurtured” Israel by means of the laws, both religious and civil, given to him, as well as by sending him everything necessary for physical existence. He “raised” Israel among the other nations by drawing him especially near to Himself and especially by performing great miracles for him (cf. Deut 4:7; Deut 26:19). The Jews “rebelled” against the Almighty by worshipping other gods alongside the Lord (under Ahaz) and also by not listening to the prophets sent by Him (2 Chr 36:15-16).

Isaiah 1:3. An ox knows its owner, and a donkey knows its master’s manger; but Israel does not know [Me], My people do not understand. Animals, even the most foolish (“an ox… and a donkey”), feel gratitude toward their master who feeds them, but Israel treats the Lord as though He were a completely foreign, unfamiliar being. In this way the prophet recognizes unfaithfulness to the Almighty as the first cause of all the misfortunes of Israel described further.

Isaiah 1:4. Woe to the sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children bent on destruction! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel – they have turned away. Now the prophet on his part is amazed at such behavior of Israel, which it seems can scarcely be brought to the awareness of the impropriety of its actions. The land of Judea was subjected to terrible devastation and soon perhaps will become like those pagan countries that were struck by God’s wrath. If not for the Lord, even Jerusalem would completely disappear from the face of the earth like Sodom and Gomorrah. Despite all God’s care for Israel, this people did not become holy. Children bent on destruction are those who direct all their thoughts toward evil, thinking about how to destroy others and in doing so bring spiritual destruction upon themselves.

Isaiah 1:5. Why do you continue to be struck if you persist in your stubbornness? The whole head is covered with sores, and the whole heart is wasted away. Isaiah 1:6. From the sole of the foot to the crown of the head there is no healthy place: sores, welts, open sores that are infected and not cleansed and not bound and not soothed with oil. The society of Israel appears to the prophet under the image of a sick body. The “head” of this body (that is, the government) is covered with sores; the “heart” (that is, the priests and Levites) does not feel the disease of the body and is wasted away; and finally, in the entire state organism there is not a single healthy place: “Sores” – such that they cannot even be cleaned (literally, their pus squeezed out), “wounds” – cannot be bound up, “welts” (that is, bruises, blood clots) – cannot be soothed, smoothed with oil, which was ordinarily used for healing bruises and wounds. All this is metaphor indicating the extremely disastrous condition of the Judean kingdom under Ahaz.

Isaiah 1:7. Your land is desolate; your cities are burned with fire; your fields before your eyes are consumed by foreigners; all is desolate, as it is devastated by strangers. The preceding metaphor is here resolved into direct speech. “Land” – literally fields and cultivated land. “All is desolate” is better translated as: all is devastated by us, as might be the devastation of the land of some wicked pagans (cf. Isa 13:19).

Isaiah 1:8. And the daughter of Zion remains like a hut in a vineyard, like a shelter in a field, like a besieged city. “The daughter of Zion” – the chief city of the Judean kingdom, Jerusalem. The population of the city is represented in the form of a daughter or daughters to show its defenselessness and weakness. “A hut in a vineyard.” A watchman’s shelter in a vineyard, both now and in former times, consisted only of a small wooden hut covered with branches (Geikie. The Holy Land and the Bible, vol. 1, p. 141). “Like a besieged city.” The difficulty of a siege lies in the fact that all communication routes to the besieged city are cut off and it must suffer from hunger and thirst. From this comparison, it is evident, however, that the speech was pronounced at a time when an actual siege, in the full sense of the word, had not yet been established.

Isaiah 1:9. If the Lord of hosts had not left us a small remnant, we would be like Sodom, we would be similar to Gomorrah. “Lord of hosts.” This name first appears in the First Book of Samuel (1 Sam 1:3). Sabaoth is a Hebrew word (zebaoth, plural of zoba) which can mean: a) military units (Num 1:3; Judg 8:6; 1 Sam 2:5); b) with the addition of hashamaim – heavenly host, that is, either heavenly bodies (Deut 4:19; 2 Sam 17:16) or angelic hosts (1 Sam 22:19). Therefore some interpreters in the phrase “the Existing One – host” see an indication of the Lord as the national God of the Hebrews of war, others understand by “hosts” the totality of God’s creatures as a manifestation of divine power, and regard the expression “the Existing One – host” as a synonym for “the Almighty.” The second interpretation better corresponds to the general concept of God that the prophet Isaiah gives in the present chapter: God appears here, in verse 9, as the Sustainer of Israel, leaving some remnant of it, not as the “god of war.” Therefore, it is better to interpret the phrase “the Existing One – host” in the sense of the Almighty, having in His possession all beings of the universe, even angelic hosts, and directing these “hosts” to serve His lofty purposes (Glagolev, A. Old Testament biblical teaching about Angels. Kiev 1900, p. 238–256). A small remnant, in the eyes of the prophet, probably consisted of the inhabitants of Jerusalem and other Jews saved from the invasion of enemies. But, moreover, the prophet here undoubtedly had in mind the remnant of the holy seed on account of which the Lord spared the transgressing Hebrew people. This remnant – a small community of truly faithful people – was grouped around the prophet Isaiah (Isa 8:16).

Isaiah 1:10. Hear the word of the Lord, rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, people of Gomorrah! God instructs the transgressing Jews, who have sunk to the level of the Sodomites, that they could again obtain God’s mercy. However, for this not sacrifices, not festivals are required, but a transformation of their entire life, a turning to the path of righteousness and justice in their relations with their neighbors. “Rulers” or leaders and governors of the chosen people, by their sins resemble the Sodomites, while the people resemble the inhabitants of Gomorrah. The prophet Ezekiel characterizes Sodom as full of pride, excess, idleness, and every injustice toward the poor (Ezek 16:49). The same sins burdened the Judean rulers. The people for their part were worthy of such rulers, because their impiety resembled the impiety of Gomorrah. “The law of God” – this is not only the law of God given through Moses, but also all the revelations of God communicated by the prophets.

Isaiah 1:11. Why are there so many sacrifices of yours to Me? says the Lord. I am satiated with burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle, and the blood of calves and lambs and goats I do not desire. God ordained the offering of sacrifices not because they were necessary for Him, but in order to turn the Jews away from attraction to pagan sacrifices and, moreover, as the blessed Jerome says, with the goal of elevating the mind of man to the awareness of the necessity of a “spiritual sacrifice.” The Hebrews, in abundance, made offerings of either whole animals (burnt offering) or certain best parts of animals (fat or grease) or, finally, only the blood of animals. But in the hearts of the Hebrews there was no corresponding sacred devotion to the rite, and for this the prophet rebukes them. But the prophet himself recognized sacrifice as a necessary expression of religious feeling (Isa 19:21; cf. Isa 29 and following; Isa 34 and following). More details on this can be read in A. Spassky: – the attitude of the prophets toward the ritual law of Moses (Readings in the Society of the Lovers of Russian Learning. 1886, March).

Isaiah 1:12. When you come to appear before My face, who requires from you that you trample the courts of My temple? To come into the temple, before God’s face, with gifts and at the same time to nurture evil feelings in the heart toward neighbors (see verse 16 and 17) – this means to trample the court of God’s temple in vain.

Isaiah 1:13. Do not bring any more futile gifts: incense is an abomination to Me; new moons and sabbaths, festival assemblies I cannot endure: iniquity – and celebration together! “Gifts” – from Hebrew mincha, in distinction from zebach, means grain offerings (Lev 2). “Futile” – more accurately, false, not expressing the true disposition of those who offer them. Such a gift, more accurately translated from the Hebrew, is an abominable incense to God. Here mincha is called incense because part of the grain offering was burned together with frankincense on the altar (Lev 2:2). “New moons.” The beginning of each month or each new moon was accompanied by an addition to the daily burnt offering of a festival offering consisting of two bulls, one ram and seven yearling lambs, with corresponding grain offerings. Moreover, a sin offering was made, consisting of one goat; at this time the priests blew on sacred trumpets (Num 28:11-15; Num 10:10). In later times of Hebrew history, during the new moons, business and trades ceased (Amos 8:5) and pious Israelites sought instruction from the prophets. In celebrating the new moon, Israel sought a blessing from the Lord for the labors of the beginning month (Keil. Manual of biblical archaeology, part 1, § 73. Kiev, 1871).

Isaiah 1:14. Your new moons and your festivals My soul hates: they are a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. Hatred is attributed to God in a figurative sense. This means that God withdraws from the festivals of the Jews, which were not at all an expression of genuine joy in God. – I am weary of bearing them. In depicting God as wearied by these festivals, the prophet is clearly alluding to the weariness that any person experiences when he must concern himself with matters that bring no benefit to anyone.

Isaiah 1:15. And when you stretch out your hands, I turn away My eyes from you; and when you multiply your prayers, I do not hear: your hands are full of blood. “The stretching out of hands” or the raising of hands to heaven served among all peoples as the outward expression of prayers of yearning to God (1 Sam 8:22; Ps 140:2). “Full of blood.” Here in Hebrew the word blood is placed in the plural, which indicates abundance of blood. The prophet presents the Jews coming to pray in the temple as criminals and murderers who have not yet had time to wash their hands after the murder they committed.

Isaiah 1:16. Wash yourselves, cleanse yourselves; remove your evil deeds from My sight; stop doing evil; Isaiah 1:17. learn to do good, seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, take up the cause of the widow. The prophet invites these people, stained with crimes, to wash themselves completely (“Wash yourselves, cleanse yourselves”!), that is, by means of repentance to cleanse their soul, of course with the help of the Almighty (Ps 50:9), and henceforth do no more evil. This is the negative side of repentance. But in addition they must also positively demonstrate the spiritual renewal that has occurred in them: they must begin to do good deeds – to protect all the oppressed, especially orphans and widows, who are defenseless.

Isaiah 1:18. Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall become white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Isaiah 1:19. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land; Isaiah 1:20. but if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Only with such active and sincere repentance can the Lord allow the sinful Jews to approach Him and judge their case. Their conscience will certainly torment them terribly at this time; they will reach the point of despair, remembering the crimes they have committed, and God therefore comforts them with the hope of the possibility of obtaining forgiveness for any, even the most grievous, sin. “Scarlet” – from Hebrew schani from the word schani. This was the name among the Hebrews for the thick red dye obtained from the eggs of a shellfish that lived in abundance along the coasts of Phoenicia and generally in the Mediterranean Sea. Only the Phoenicians knew the secret of manufacturing this dye. “Crimson” – from Hebrew tofe also designates a red dye. Both these synonymous expressions serve as symbols of blood, with which, as stated above, the hands of the Jews were stained, and at the same time they indicate their strong sinfulness, which cannot be healed any more than crimson or scarlet dye can be washed from fabric.

Psalm 50:9. “Snow and wool” (cleansed sheep’s fleece, completely white) – symbols of purity, which among all peoples was symbolically represented by white color of garments (cf. Psalm 50:9; Dan 7). “You will eat… – the sword will devour.” There is a clear play on words here: either the Hebrews will eat the fruits of the land or they themselves will be devoured by the sword, which, as the saying goes, cuts into the body of the one upon whom it falls (Deut 32:42).

Isaiah 1:21. How has the faithful city become a harlot! She was full of justice; righteousness dwelled in her – but now murderers. Isaiah 1:22. Your silver has become dross, your wine is mixed with water; Isaiah 1:23. your rulers are lawbreakers and companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts; they do not defend the orphans, and the widow’s cause does not come before them. Again mentioning briefly the destruction of Jerusalem, the prophet foretells for it the judgment of the Lord, in which the chosen people will be cleansed from their sinfulness and Jerusalem will again become a city of righteousness. Those who remain stubborn in their sins will perish like dry branches in fire, from the wrath of God. “A harlot” – Jerusalem is called this as one who betrayed the Lord, whom the prophets depict as the Spouse of the Old Testament church or the chosen people (Ezek 16:15; Hos 1:2). The inhabitants of Jerusalem violated their faithfulness to the Almighty and His laws, do not fulfill the requirements of divine justice, and even divide their devotion between the true God and other gods (Ahaz and other Jews who performed worship of foreign gods as well). “Silver” – a symbolic designation of the aristocratic, ruling classes of Jewish society. This “silver” has lost all its nobility and now contains only dross. “Wine” – (from Hebrew sobe, the best, strong wine) or, that is, the highest class of society has lost its valor, as good wine is spoiled by the addition of water to it. “Rulers” – these are judges, whom the prophet accuses of venality and hard-heartedness toward unfortunate people.

Isaiah 1:24. Therefore says the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah, I will vent My fury on My adversaries and avenge Myself on My enemies! Here the Lord Himself begins to speak. “The Mighty One of Israel” – thus the patriarch Jacob called God, wishing to indicate that God would be the protector of all his tribe (Gen 49:24). Now this Protector of Israel will rise up against the children of Israel, who have become enemies of God. “I will vent My fury” – an anthropomorphic expression meaning the severity and inevitability of God’s judgment awaiting the disobedient Jews.

Isaiah 1:25. And I will turn My hand against you and will thoroughly purge away your dross, as with lye, and will remove all your impurities; The people of Israel is compared to silver which is mixed with a base metal – lead. To separate the latter, the silver must be remelted in fire and then placed in a caustic lye – a special ash obtained from a plant. The Lord in a similar manner, by means of various severe punishments (captivity, etc.) will separate from the society of Israel all elements that corrupt its purity.

Isaiah 1:26. And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as in the beginning; then you will be called the City of Righteousness, a Faithful City. Jeremiah 33:16. “Judges as before.” Since the discourse here concerns Jerusalem, by judges of the former kind the prophet means the best rulers from the dynasty of David and their ministers (cf. Jeremiah 33:16 and following). “A Faithful City,” that is, the true capital city of the theocratic state, where the law of the true King – the Lord – is precisely observed. Such a capital city Jerusalem, of course, must become in the last times of the world: this is the New Jerusalem, which the saint and Apostle John the Theologian saw in the Revelation (Rev 21:2).

Isaiah 1:27. Zion will be redeemed with justice, and those in her who repent, with righteousness; Romans 3:25. “Zion” or Jerusalem of the future will be saved, on the one hand, through the revelation of God’s Justice (the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Representative, was indeed an act of God’s Justice (Romans 3:25)), and on the other hand, through the righteousness or justification that God will offer to humanity as soon as it repents or believes in Christ and His saving merits (cf. Isa 59:20-21). Isaiah 1:28. But rebels and sinners will be destroyed together, and those who forsake the Lord will be consumed. Isaiah 1:29. For they will be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, and you will blush for the gardens which you have chosen; Isaiah 1:30. for you will be like an oak whose leaf withers, and like a garden without water. Isaiah 1:31. And the strong will become like tow, and his work like a spark; both will burn together, and no one will quench them. The prophet in brief words depicts the fate awaiting all stubborn sinners, but clothes his thoughts on this question in a form most comprehensible to the people of his time. “Oaks” – from Hebrew elim – oaks or in general tall and shady trees, which still enjoy special superstitious reverence in the East. “Gardens” – more precisely, sacred groves in which the Jews performed worship of idols (2 Sam 16:4). The Jews, worshippers of oaks, themselves will become like oaks, but only dried up, or like gardens lacking all water. The strong man, the Jew, even if he is strong like an oak (cf. Amos 2:9), will become dry, limp tow, and his work or creation, that is, idols – a spark. The latter expression indicates that idol worship will destroy the Jews, as one spark falling into dry tow produces fire. Some critics reject the authenticity of several verses of the first chapter, others reject its unity, saying that it represents a composition of prophecies spoken at different times by the prophet Isaiah. But the entire speech of the prophet contained in this chapter in no way differs from other speeches he has given. The course of ideas in the speeches of Isaiah, as in those of the other prophets, is usually as follows: the prophet first accuses the people of departure from God’s law, then threatens them with punishment, calls them to repentance, announces the coming day of judgment and promises the righteous messianic blessings. All of this and in such a sequence is found also in the first speech of the prophet Isaiah. Its peculiarity lies only in the division of thoughts according to stanzas, which creates some unexpectedness in the transition from one idea to another. This speech is a poem, perfect both in form and in content. It observes the law of symmetry, as the stanzas proceed with a certain number of verses: in the first stanza (verses 2–4), depicting the transgression of the people, there are 2+2+3 verses; in the second stanza or antistrophe, devoted to a picture of punishment, there are also 2+2+3 verses (verses 5–8). Shortly after, the following stanza (verses 11–14) depicts the Lord wearied by the abundant offerings of the Jews. The corresponding stanza verse 15–17 changes the reason for this displeasure of the Almighty: He desires first of all justice from the Jews. Here too the same number of verses is observed, the same grouping, although the movement of the antistrophe is more rapid and the verses become shorter. The two final stanzas – verses 21–23 and verses 24–27 – contain two opposite thoughts: defilement and purification. As for the form, in these stanzas six words repeat symmetrically and one of them – dross (from Hebrew sigga), quite rarely found in the Bible, is placed in the 3rd verse of both stanzas. The intermediate or mediating stanzas, namely verses 9–10 and verses 18–20, are also constructed symmetrically: the thought is expressed by means of oppositions or alternatives, the name of the Lord is repeated at the beginning and end of the stanzas, the particle “if” (im) is repeated in each part twice. As for verses 28–31, they belong to the following poem. It is clear from all this that in the first chapter we have before us the integral work of one and the same author. Here are the stanzas contained in this speech-poem. verses 2–4 – 2, 2, 3 verses (or more correctly, hemistichs) verses 5–8 – 2, 2, 3 verses verses 9–10 – 2, 2 verses (transitional stanza) verses 11–14 – 3, 2, 2 verses verses 15–17 – 3, 2, 2 verses verses 18–20 – 2, 2 verses (transitional stanza) verses 21–23 – 2, 2, 2 verses verses 24–27 – 2, 2, 2 verses On the eve of the Epiphany, verses 16–21 of chapter 1 of Isaiah are read, which contain God’s promise to cleanse, in case of the repentance of the Jewish people, all of their sins. In this promise the Holy Church sees a prefiguration of the most perfect cleansing of sins given to all people who receive Holy Baptism. And the feast of the Epiphany or Baptism of the Lord reminds us of the event through which Christian baptism received its power.

Chapter Two

1–3. The exaltation of the mountain of the Lord. 4–5. Change in the pagan world. 6–8. The vices of contemporary Judaism. 9–16. God’s judgment on the Jews. 17–22. The destruction of idols and idolaters.

Isaiah 2:1. The word that Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw in a vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In the last days happy times will come for Jerusalem. The mountain of Zion, the dwelling place of the true God, will be exalted above the whole world and all peoples will make pilgrimages here to find guidance on how to live. The first result of the spreading of the true teaching throughout the world will be the cessation of wars, and even military weapons will be refashioned into tools useful for agriculture. This speech, continuing to chapter 3, was probably spoken by the prophet Isaiah during the reign of Jotham. The basis for such a conjecture can be found in the following circumstances mentioned in this speech: a) The Judean kingdom possessed great riches (Isa 2:7), so that the Jews lacked nothing in gold or silver; b) it was conducting extensive sea trade (Isa 2:16); c) great buildings were being erected (Isa 2:15); d) there existed a large army (Isa 2:7). All this could only take place during the reign of Jotham (or in the last years of Uzziah), when the Jews again enjoyed nearly the same prosperity that they enjoyed in the days of David and Solomon (see 2 Chr 26 and following). After Jotham, the situation in the Judean state changed dramatically for the worse.

Isaiah 2:2. And in the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all peoples shall flow to it. In the last days, more accurately from Hebrew, at the end of times. Since all the history of the Hebrew people, according to the teaching of the prophets, led to the Messiah and His kingdom, the last days or end of times for Isaiah, as for other prophets (cf. Dan 10:14), is called the era of the Messiah, without distinguishing the moments included in it. “The mountain of the house of the Lord” – the mountain on which stood the house or, more correctly, the temple of the Lord. This is precisely Mount Moriah. But undoubtedly this mountain is a mysterious image of the Church of Christ, because only such a “mountain,” completely free from absolute and not always rational limitations of the law of Moses, could attract the sympathy of all humanity, which could not reconcile itself with many of the ordinances of the Jewish ritual law. The Church of Christ is the true refuge for all people and nothing on earth can compare with it in its beneficial influence on the life of humanity, which the prophet clearly indicates by saying that the mountain of the house of the Lord will be placed above all other mountains and hills, that is, above all human institutions directed toward good order.

Isaiah 2:3. And many nations will go and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and He will teach us His ways and we will walk in His paths; for from Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Now peoples walk in their own ways (Acts 14:16), live according to their own desires, but at that time they will feel a desire to walk in the ways that the true God will point to them, that is, to conduct themselves according to the laws of God. Direction in this new life will be given by the law that will go forth from Zion, that is, the evangelical teaching, which indeed began to spread from Jerusalem (Acts 1:8; Rom 15:16) to other cities and countries of the world. The blessed Theodoret sees in this a direct prophecy of the conversion of the pagan world to Christianity.

Isaiah 2:4. And He will judge between the nations and will decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift sword against nation, and they shall learn war no more. “And He will judge.” In ancient times judging was a prerogative of royal power (1 Sam 8:6). Consequently, the Lord will be recognized as king of all peoples and His authority will be acknowledged everywhere. “And He will decide for many peoples.” God as King of all peoples will point out to them the incorrectness of their way of life; however, not all peoples will be subjected to the same reproach and certainly accompanied by punishment. “One must,” says the blessed Jerome, “make a distinction between peoples; not all unbelievers will be condemned with the same sentence, but according to the difference of their merits they will suffer different things.” “They shall beat their swords.” In these last days, thanks to the spread of true teaching throughout the world, the disputes and wars that oppressed the life of ancient humanity will end. In antiquity, egotism of individuals and state egotism were extremely strong, which prompted one state to expand its possessions at the expense of another. Meanwhile, the new law of the Almighty changes the very essence of human souls, so that people as a result become inclined even to self-sacrifice. It is clear that with such a renewal of humanity there will be no need for the former means of self-defense and attack and swords will be refashioned into plowshares or more precisely mattocks used for loosening the soil when planting grapevines, and spears will become pruning hooks used for cutting these vines. The prophet speaks here about the last times of the world, but his prophecy has already in part been fulfilled and continues to be fulfilled in the attempts that have been made and continue to be undertaken by the best representatives of Christian humanity, who have proposed and continue to propose various peaceful means for settling international disputes (arbitration, etc.). Regarding wars, which Christian states are sometimes compelled to wage, Christians have established the view that these wars represent a sad necessity given the present still far from perfect moral condition of humanity.

Isaiah 2:5. O house of Jacob, come, and let us walk in the light of the Lord. In view of such a conversion of all peoples to the light of true religion, the prophet calls also the house of Jacob, that is, the Jews descended from Jacob, to walk in the light of the Lord, that is, to live as the law of the Almighty teaches. Isa 2:6-22. Unfortunately, the Jews appear to the prophet incapable of fulfilling his sincere desire. They have turned aside into the darkness of paganism and all vices. Divination and the worship of idols have become firmly rooted in Judea. But for this, Judea-Israel must first experience the weight of God’s judgment before the pagans. The prophet in vivid colors depicts the humiliation of the Jews, who had prided themselves on their external successes, and the humiliation of those idols, in whose power they had placed their hopes.

Isaiah 2:6. But You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob, for they are filled with practices from the East, and with soothsayers like the Philistines, and they strike bargains with foreigners. The prophet announces to the Jews that the Almighty has already rejected them because of their attraction to foreign customs. They have adopted much from the East (mikkedem) or, as seems more correct, from divinations, from sorcery (mikedam according to Hubiganus’ emendation of the text). Sorcerers among them are as skilled as in the land of Philistia, which was known for its oracles (2 Sam 1:2). Contact with foreigners the Hebrews had both in trade, politics, and in marriages.

Isaiah 2:7. Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is also filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots; Attraction to external splendor of the state was condemned beforehand by Moses. And the prophet Isaiah rebukes the Hebrews here for being ready, because of money, to do anything, not denying the right to enrich themselves (cf. Hos 2:8).

Isaiah 2:8. and their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made. “Idols” – from Hebrew clilim, that is, nothingness. This word is probably a contemptuous designation with respect to the name of the true God.

Isaiah 2:9. So people are brought low, and everyone is humbled – and You will not forgive them. “Humiliation” seems to the prophet, of course, to be the falling into paganism with its vices.

Isaiah 2:10. Enter into the rock and hide in the earth from the terror of the Lord and from the glory of His majesty. Rocks in Palestine, or more precisely caves in the rocks, always served the Jews as a place of refuge in case of enemy attacks (Judg 6:2; 1 Sam 13:6). The prophets Moses and Elijah also hid in rocks before the manifestation of God’s glory (Exod 33:22; 1 Sam 19:13). “The fear of the Lord” – this is not only fear before the invasion of enemy hosts, which the Lord will send against His people, but also fear before the Almighty appearing as Judge.

Isaiah 2:11. The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the pride of men shall be humbled; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. “In that day” – an expression similar to “in the last days” (Isa 2:2), but pointing to times closer to the prophet, as is evident from the context of the speech.

Isaiah 2:12. For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up – and it will be brought low, – “The day of the Lord of hosts” – a day of the terrible judgment of God (cf. Joel 1:15; Joel 2 and following). Regarding the name Lord of hosts, see chapter 1, verse 9.

Isaiah 2:13. and against all the cedars of Lebanon, the high and lofty, and against all the oaks of Bashan, Isaiah 2:14. and against all the high mountains, and against all the hills that are lifted up, Isaiah 2:15. and against every high tower, and against every fortified wall, Isaiah 2:16. and against all the ships of Tarshish, and against all the beautiful vessels. “Cedars” on the mountains of Lebanon grew formerly in abundance. Their eternally green appearance and branches spreading out like an umbrella seem very beautiful and majestic. “Oaks” in Bashan (the region beyond the Jordan) were distinguished by their strength. “Towers” were built to watch for the approach of enemy forces by kings Uzziah and Jotham; they also erected the walls of Jerusalem (2 Chr 26:9; 2 Chr 27:3). “Ships of Tarshish” – these are large ocean-going vessels on which one could sail to Tarshish (a Phoenician colony in Spain) and to other distant lands (1 Sam 9:26-28). “The beauty” of the ships – expensive items brought by ship to Palestine (1 Sam 10:22). Uzziah, as is known (2 Sam 14:22), took possession of the harbor of Elath on the Red Sea, which later under Ahaz was again lost by the Jews (2 Sam 16:6).

Isaiah 2:17. And the pride of man shall be humbled, and the loftiness of men shall be brought low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day, Isaiah 2:18. and the idols shall completely disappear. Isaiah 2:19. And they shall enter the caverns of the rocks and the caves of the earth, from the fear of the Lord and from the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth. Isaiah 2:20. In that day men will cast away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, Isaiah 2:21. to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the mountains, from the fear of the Lord and from the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth. The Jews will stop hoping for the help of their idols and will cast them away or hide them in dark holes where unclean moles and bats live (cf. Amos 4:3).

Isaiah 2:22. Stop relying on man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for of what account is he? The Jews have nothing to hope for even from mighty men, who can quickly lose their life (or breath) as soon as the Lord decides to take away their life. According to the opinion of biblical scholars, chapters 2–4 belong to the earliest years of Isaiah’s ministry, because they reflect the character of this period. The second chapter is an integral and independent prophetic speech (it should begin with verse 28 of chapter 1). The situation described from verse 6 of chapter 2 corresponds well with the prosperous time of the last years of Uzziah, and most interpreters refer this speech to the year 740 (the year of the death of King Uzziah). Verses 2–5, which contain the prophecy about the exaltation of the mountain of the Lord, wedge themselves into the prophecy about the misfortunes awaiting Judea (chapter 1, verse 28 and chapter 2, verses 6 and following) and therefore Condamin places these verses after verse 22, so that he gets the usual structure of a prophetic speech: the picture of the transgressions of the Jewish people, the threat of punishment, descriptions of the day of God’s judgment, and finally, messianic promises. Since the words of the prophecy of chapter 2, verses 2–4 are repeated in the book of the prophet Micah (Mic 4:1-5) almost word for word, some interpreters recognize here the fact that one prophet borrowed the prophecy from another. Some recognize Isaiah as the true author of the prophecy, others recognize Micah, and still others consider both prophets to be borrowers from some unknown source. Finally, some assume that this prophecy was inserted into both the book of Isaiah and the book of Micah by someone after the Babylonian captivity, because the idea of the conversion of the nations to true faith is of later origin. From our commentators, Grigoryev (in the work: The Messiah and His Kingdom according to the Book of Isaiah – Orthodox Companion. 1902. Appendix p. 10) expresses the opinion that both prophets were in this case completely independent, having received the same revelation. This opinion leads to the strange supposition that the Holy Spirit spoke to the prophets in one and the same words and expressions, so that they appear in such a case as mere instruments recording – nothing more… Of all the aforementioned opinions, the most probable is the supposition that both prophets repeated in their speeches the prediction of one of the prophets who preceded them and enjoyed special respect among the Jewish people. The stanzas of the poem of chapter 2 are arranged in the following way by Condamin: Chapter 1, verses 28–31 – 3, 2 Chapter 2, verses 6–8 – 2, 3 Chapter 2, verses 10–19 – 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2 Chapter 2, verses 2–3a – 3, 2 Chapter 2, verses 3, 6–5 – 2, 3 Verses 1–3 of chapter 2 are read as a paroemia at the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, of course, because what is said here about the glory of the mountain of the Lord has application also to the exaltation of the mountain from which the Lord ascended into heaven.

Chapter Three

1. Calamities awaiting the Judeans: a) lack of means for livelihood. 2–7. b) lack of good rulers. 8–15. Vices of the people. 16–25. Vices of Judean women.

Isaiah 3:1. Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall take away from Jerusalem and from Judah support and staff, all support of bread and all support of water, Explaining wherein the humiliation of Judea shall consist, the prophet briefly speaks of the depletion of Judean wealth and depicts in detail the anarchy that will result from the fact that no one will want to engage in public affairs, disrupted by the rule of inexperienced leaders. “Support and staff”—symbolic designations of every prop of the state—both strong-willed and wise people and natural riches. “Support of bread”—bread stores and water sources, without which people will begin to suffer from hunger and thirst.

Isaiah 3:2. the mighty warrior and the soldier, the judge and the prophet, and the seer and the elder, “Prophet”—clearly a false one, as is evident from the synonymous expression standing nearby: seer (the pagan diviner kosem). “Elder”—this is not merely an elder, but also an elder, a respected leader (compare verse 14).

Isaiah 3:3. the commander of fifty and the nobleman and counselor, and the wise craftsman and the skillful speaker. The prophet enumerates various representatives of the civil and military administration of the Judean kingdom (the captain of fifty in the army, a nobleman or senator, a counselor or minister). He also mentions the wise craftsman. Some interpreters understand architects here (Jer 24:1); others translate this expression with the term: enchanters. These latter also had great significance in directing state policy under impious kings. “Skillful speaker”—from the Hebrew, skillful in divinations.

Isaiah 3:4. And I will give them boys as their leaders, and children shall rule over them. In the near future this prophecy could refer to the enthronement of Manasseh, who ascended to the throne at age 12 (2 Sam 21:1).

Isaiah 3:5. And the people shall be oppressed, each by another, and each by his neighbor; the youth shall behave insolently toward the elder, and the base toward the honorable. As a result of the weakness of the rulers, the state will begin to experience various lawlessness.

Isaiah 3:6. When a man shall seize his brother in the house of his father, saying, You have clothing, be our leader, and let these ruins be under your authority. Isaiah 3:7. But he shall swear, saying, I cannot be a healer of the wounds of society; and in my house there is neither bread nor clothing; do not make me a leader of the people. No one will want to take upon themselves the burden of public service. “Shall seize”—will compel. “In the house of his father”—These words are more correctly, according to the grammatical sense of the Hebrew expression, to be related to the following expression: “you have clothing.” The whole thing can be translated thus: “you have clothing” (that is, some kind of special, magnificent, which was reserved for kings) in the house of your father; come then and be our leader, take into your hands these ruins (literally: this wavering, threatening destruction—a symbol of a seriously ill, weak state organization). “Cannot be a healer,” more accurately: “do not wish to be a healer (chobesch).” This word was chosen by the prophet well as having the meaning both of a doctor healing wounds (compare Isa 1:6) and of a ruler (compare Job 34:17). “And in my house there is not”—Eastern sheikhs are obliged to receive their needy subjects in their houses and therefore must have stores of food and clothing.

Isaiah 3:8. Thus Jerusalem is being ruined, and Judah has fallen, because their tongue and their deeds are against the Lord, offensive to the eyes of His glory. Isaiah 3:9. The expression of their faces testifies against them, and of their sin they speak openly, like the Sodomites, they do not hide: woe to their souls! for they bring evil upon themselves. The prophet bitterly reproaches the wicked Judeans for their open impiety. In particular, he condemns the wicked Judean rulers, who have led the people to the brink of ruin and for this must expect swift judgment of God. The Judeans do deeds that are offensive to the eyes of the glory of the Almighty. The eyes of the Lord, pure and holy, cannot look upon the vile deeds of the Judeans. “Expression of their faces”—more correctly from the Hebrew, their brow, their forehead. We have a saying: it is written on his forehead that he is a worthless or foolish man.

Isaiah 3:10. Tell the righteous that it shall be well with him, for he shall enjoy the fruits of his deeds; Isaiah 3:11. but woe to the wicked! for there shall be recompense for him because of the works of his hands. Throughout the Old Testament the idea is set forth that the destiny of a person corresponds to his behavior (compare Prov 1:31; Deut 28 and other passages).

Isaiah 3:12. The oppressors of My people are children, and women rule over them. My people! your leaders mislead you, and corrupt the way of your paths. “Children”—more accurately: capricious, willful people… “Women rule”—an allusion to Ahaz, who ascended to the throne as a very young man and, being weak in character, could be swayed by the influence of women (his mother or sisters). “Your leaders”—these are chiefly false prophets (compare Mic 3:5). “Way of your paths”—that is, the true way in which you should walk. They corrupted, that is, turned aside, diverted from it.

Isaiah 3:13. The Lord stands up for judgment—and rises to judge the peoples. Isaiah 3:14. The Lord enters into judgment with the elders of His people and their leaders: you have devoured the vineyard; the plunder of the poor is in your houses; Isaiah 3:15. why do you crush My people and grind the faces of the poor? says the Lord, the Lord of hosts. The Lord, who is to judge the Judean people as a whole, will show special severity toward the leaders of this people. “You have devoured the vineyard,” that is, you have used all the fruits of God’s vineyard for yourselves, instead of, as guardians entrusted to the vineyard, preserving this grape for the owner (compare Luke 20:16). The figurative expression of verse 14 is clarified in verse 15. Isa 3:16-25. The women of Jerusalem through their luxury and shamelessness provoked God’s anger against them. The Lord shall take from them all their ornaments and place upon them a mark of shame. Because of a shortage of sufficient men, most of whom will perish in war, many of them will remain unmarried.

Isaiah 3:16. And the Lord said: because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with necks stretched high and enticing with their eyes, and go with strutting gait and make a tinkling with chains on their feet, “Daughters of Zion,” that is, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, walk with necks stretched high, that is, stretched back with pride. They want to draw the attention of men to themselves by every means. “Chains on their feet”—ankle bracelets with golden chains, which women, when walking, produced a kind of jingling sound. The prophet Isaiah, like the other prophets, were not absolute opponents of such expenditures on the adornment of life. They proclaimed the coming of times when Israel would express its joy in songs and feasts, and Jerusalem would be adorned with all beauty. But luxury that was united with forgetfulness of higher interests of life they denied.

Isaiah 3:17. The Lord shall lay bare the crown of the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord shall uncover their shame; “Laying bare the crown of the heads”—a scab, a kind of skin disease accompanied by hair loss. “The Lord shall uncover their shame”—the Russian translation apparently holds here the opinion that the word phat means female sexual parts, but the ancient translators did not attach such meaning to this word. Blessed Jerome translates this word with the expression: hair. The parallelism with the first part of the verse compels us to accept exactly this meaning of this Hebrew word. Here will be no repetition with the preceding hemistich: in the first hemistich we are speaking of a disease of hair (a scab), and in the second—of forcible shearing of hair from the forehead, which as a result is laid bare. The shamefulfulness of this shearing is indicated even in the ancient Babylonian laws of King Hammurapi, which punished violation of a priestess with the shaving of her forehead (see Scheil, 1902, p. 127).

Isaiah 3:18. In that day the Lord shall take away the beautiful ankle chains and the stars, and the crescents, “Beautiful ankle chains”—more accurately, rings of precious metals, worn by women on the ankles. “Stars”—more accurately “suns” (an image of the sun). “Crescents”—medallions depicting the moon, which also served as amulets.

Isaiah 3:19. earrings, and necklaces, and fans, head coverings and bracelets, and girdles, and bottles of perfume, and amulets, “Earrings”—more accurately from the Hebrew, drops. These were called diamonds, placed on the ears and resembling elongated water drops. “Head coverings”—head scarves. “Bracelets”—more accurately, golden ankle chain to bind the feet, in order to make the steps more limited and in order to produce a jingling sound. (compare Gen 24:47). “Bottles of perfume” were often made of pure gold. “Amulets”—protective talismans against various misfortunes with inscriptions. In going into all these details of women’s dress, the prophet wants to say thereby that the Hebrew women had practically no time for anything other than their toilette…

Isaiah 3:20. rings and nose rings, Arab women even now wear rings fastened to the nose with special devices and hanging down over the lips.

Isaiah 3:21. fine linen garments and cloaks, and scarves, and pouches, “Fine linen garment”—this is festive, expensive clothing. “Cloaks”—various kinds of wraps. “Scarves”—properly a shawl, worn in the east over all clothing.

Isaiah 3:22. sheer tunics and fine wrappings, and veils. “Sheer”—more correctly read this word separately and see here an indication of mirrors made of polished metal, which women constantly carried with them. 4 “Fine tunics”—garments made of the finest linen, which were worn under the tunic.

Isaiah 3:23. And instead of perfume there shall be stench, and instead of a girdle a rope, and instead of curled hair baldness, and instead of a wide tunic a narrow sackcloth, instead of beauty a mark of shame. “Wide tunic”—a wide garment with sleeves. “Sackcloth”—properly, a sack or narrow garment, made of the coarsest fabric. “Mark of shame” was usually placed on animals as a sign of their belonging to a certain person. From this we can conclude that Hebrew women will also be sold into slavery and through this branding their beauty will be spoiled.

Isaiah 3:24. Your men shall fall by the sword, and your mighty in battle. Isaiah 3:25. And the gates of the city shall lament and mourn, and she shall sit on the ground desolate. Since many Judeans will fall in war, there will be none to gather at the city gates, where judgment was ordinarily conducted and the marketplace was set up. The speech of the prophet, which concludes in chapter 3, with the exception of verses 10–11, which are an exclamation similar to the pious effusions of the psalms, is recognized by the best critics as the genuine work of Isaiah. It is said, however, that the prophet Isaiah was not accustomed to such details as he gives about the ornaments of women, but this expression, properly speaking, has no sufficient foundation. This speech was probably composed in the last years or soon after the death of Jotham, perhaps just before the accession of Ahaz to the throne of the Judean kingdom. Pressed by external enemies (2 Sam 15:37), Jerusalem internally is given over to anarchy. Young Ahaz has not yet taken the reins of government and many, apparently, are afraid of his reign, wishing to have a more capable ruler over them. However, there are no volunteers to take upon themselves the difficult task of governing the Judean kingdom. According to Condamin, this speech can be conveniently divided into the following strophes: verses 1–7 – 1st strophe – 3, 3, 2, 2 verses 8–15 – 2nd strophe – 3, 3, 2, 2 verses 16–23 – 1st strophe – 3, 2, 3 verses 24–26 – 2nd strophe – 3, 2, 3 It should be noted that Condamin divides verse 19 into two, as is done in the Hebrew Massoretic Bible, which resulted in him having 26 verses in chapter 3, not 25. * * * In the Slavonic translation from the LXX—And the bright Laconian, and fine linens, and blues, and purples. Translator’s note.

Chapter Four

1–3. The beautiful shoot of the Lord. 4. Purification of Israel. 5–6. Its external well-being.

Isaiah 4:1. Then seven women shall seize one man in that day, and shall say, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothing; only let us be called by your name,—remove from us our shame.” A conclusion to the preceding prophecy about Judean women. “Seven women”—that is, a multitude of women will remain without husbands, which in antiquity among the Judeans was considered a matter of shame to a woman. The Law of Moses contemplated the possibility of one man marrying several women. (Exod 21:10). Isa 4:2-6. Following the storm over Jerusalem the sun will shine again. The storm of God’s wrath shall purify the heavy sinful atmosphere in which Jerusalem lived, and gradually a new life will grow, which will be brought by it. “The shoot of the Lord,” or the Messiah, is called according to his earthly origin—the fruit of the land (Judean). People will become holy and worthy to draw near to the Almighty. The cloud of God’s glory will overshadow Zion as a sign of God’s good pleasure toward this ancient sacred mountain. Jerusalem itself will become a new city, in which the crimes that had taken place in it before will no longer occur.

Isaiah 4:2. In that day the shoot of the Lord shall appear in beauty and glory, and the fruit of the land in magnificence and splendor, for the survivors of the sons of Israel. “In that day”—the same as in the end of days or in the last days (compare Isa 2:2). “The shoot of the Lord”—Zemach Iehova. This expression of the prophet is interpreted differently. Some understand here simply the fertility of the land, as well as in the following expression, fruit of the land. But with such a narrow and extremely superficial understanding, one cannot agree, especially since this fertility will be represented as a reason for adornment (Zebi) of Israel. Moreover, the parallel passage from chapter 28 of Isaiah: “the Lord of hosts will be a glorious crown and splendid diadem for the remnant of His people” (verse 5) directly speaks against such understanding, for one cannot put God and the fertility of the land on the same level. Finally, fertility, that is, full fields, can serve as adornment of the land, not the people. Others (for example, Orelli) see in this Zemach a messianic salvation, which the Lord grants to the Judeans after judgment over them or a new and holy life, which grew under the action of the rays of divine grace. But this interpretation also appears very artificial, since salvation is thought of as something separate from the saved. It is most correctly to see this interpretation, which has been accepted from of old in both Jewish and Christian churches. Therefore, the interpretation of Zemach Iehova—is the Messiah Himself. The correctness of such explanation is confirmed by parallel passages from other prophecies of Isaiah and from the book of the prophets Jeremiah and Zechariah. In Jeremiah (Jer 23 and Jer 33:15) under the name Zemach, clearly the messianic king of the house of David is set forth. In the prophet Zechariah this term becomes already a proper name of the Messiah (Zech 6 and Zech 3:8). Isaiah himself gives basis for such understanding (see Isa 53:2). 5 “Fruit of the land”—an expression synonymous with the expression: “shoot of the Lord,” but more correctly translated as “fruit of the country.” By this the prophet indicates that the Messiah will be a Jew by earthly birth. Accordingly, in chapter 9 of Isaiah (verse 6) it is said that “a Child is born for us,” that is, for the Judeans. However, Isaiah did not want to say by this that the Messiah will be the savior of the Jews alone. In verse 3, those who enjoy the blessings of the Messianic kingdom are called, besides those remaining on Zion, all those who will be recognized by God as worthy to enter this kingdom—a clear indication of the universality of future salvation. 6 “Survivors”—to be understood: from the terrible judgments of God.

Isaiah 4:3. Then those remaining on Zion and those surviving in Jerusalem shall be called holy, all those written in the book of life in Jerusalem, “Shall be called”—that is, according to the usage of this verb in many places of the Bible, they shall truly be such. “Holy,” that is, consecrated to God and at the same time cleansed from sins (compare Isa 6:13). “Book of life”—lists of citizens having the right to live in the city. Here, of course, we are speaking of the fact that God recognizes many as worthy to dwell in the closest communion with Him (compare Exod 32:32).

Isaiah 4:4. when the Lord shall wash away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleanse the blood of Jerusalem from its midst with the spirit of judgment and with the spirit of burning. “Filth”—the same as sins (compare Ps 50:9-11). “Blood of Jerusalem,” that is, the blood of innocent people, with which the streets and squares of Jerusalem were often soaked (compare Matt 23:35). “With the spirit of judgment and with the spirit of burning”—more accurately from the Hebrew, with the wind (the image is borrowed from winnowing grain on the threshing floor) of judgment and with the wind of cleansing or devastation. Both expressions indicate the action of a terrible judgment of God.

Isaiah 4:5. And the Lord shall create over every place of the mountain of Zion and over its assemblies a cloud and smoke in the daytime and a shining of flaming fire at nighttime; for over all the glory there shall be a canopy. Isaiah 4:6. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow by day from the heat, and for a refuge and shelter from the storm and rain. “Assemblies”—festive solemn assemblies of the Judeans on Mount Zion temple. The LXX translators, however, better conveyed the meaning of the Hebrew expression with the words: all the surroundings (of Zion), which gives a clearer indication of the universality of future salvation. “Cloud…, smoke… and shining”—long since known symbols of the Divine presence among the chosen people (Num 14:14; Exod 13:21). Opponents of the authenticity of this short speech of the prophet Isaiah point to very weak grounds for proving their opinion. (Absence of rhythm, later images and ideas). On the contrary, this speech stands in direct connection with the preceding speech of chapter 3 (verses 1–15) about the bad rulers of Judea, in place of whom there will appear, for the greatness and glory of Judea, the Shoot of the Lord. If in verses 16 and following of chapter 3 the prophet condemned the passion of the women of Jerusalem for trivial ornaments, then here he speaks consecutively about the true adornment for the remnant of Israel, which will appear when the uncleanness of the women of Zion is washed away (Isa 4:4). Finally, the main idea of the speech—about the salvation of the remnant after the terrible judgments of God—is fully in agreement with Isaiah’s general view of the future of the Judean nation. * * * Notes The Slavonic text in translation from the Greek LXX reads: In that day God shall shine in counsel with glory on the earth, to exalt and glorify the remnant of Israel. While not losing the prophetic meaning of the coming of the Messiah, the presence of the word “in counsel” makes it possible to see an indication of the Trinity of the Lord. At the same time, the words “fruit of the land” somewhat contradict the established terminology about the incarnate heavenly seed, “brings down to earth” the person of the Messiah. Translator’s note. It is interesting to compare the Russian and Slavonic texts of Isa 9:6. Russian: …and His name shall be called: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. Slavonic: …and He is called by name: Counselor of great counsel, wonderful, advisor, Mighty God, sovereign, Prince of Peace, Father of the age to come…

Chapter Five

1–7. Song of the ungrateful vineyard and its judge. 8–10. Seven-fold woe upon insatiable acquirers of real property, 11–17. upon those given to feasting, 18–19. upon unbelieving mockers, 20. upon those who do not recognize the distinction between good and evil, 21. upon the proud, 22. upon the drunken, 23. and upon those who pervert justice. 24–30. A threat against the wicked Israelite people by the invasion of a distant foreign mighty nation.

Isa 5:1-7. The prophet here appears as a lyric poet, but his song contains truth of a fully tragic character. The prophet sings of the work of his beloved Lord, who planted his vineyard—that is, the chosen people—in a beautiful place and granted it every condition for prosperous existence. Yet this vineyard produced not fine grapes but bad, unsuitable berries. The listeners to this parable-song should themselves say what the Most High is justified in doing with such a vineyard. But since the listeners cannot acknowledge themselves guilty, the Lord Himself determines for His vineyard, or what is the same, for the Judeans, their future fate, which promises to be most sorrowful.

Isaiah 5:1. I will sing for my beloved a song of my beloved about His vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on the top of a fertile hill, “I will sing” from the Hebrew means “I begin to sing about my friend: this is a song of His love for His vineyard.” The prophet wishes to portray the relation of his friend (as the Being Himself is figuratively called here) to His vineyard, which in Scripture is not infrequently called the chosen people (cf. Isa 3:14; Jer 2:21; Jer 12:10; Matt 21:33). This vineyard was laid out in the most suitable soil—on the slopes of the hill, most open to the action of the sun’s rays. “Bacchus loves open hills,” says Virgil (Georgics II, 113).

Isaiah 5:2. And He enclosed it with a hedge, and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice grape vines, and built a tower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine press in it, and expected it would produce good grapes, but it produced wild berries. “And He enclosed it with a hedge”—more precisely from the Hebrew, he dug or worked the ground for the planting of grape cuttings. “Cleared it of stones”—from large stones; small pebbles, however, serve to anchor the vines in the soil. Towers in the vineyard were built so that the vineyard keeper could observe from there the integrity of the vines, which could be damaged chiefly by livestock. “Wine press”—properly the lower vat, located in the ground, into which the grape juice flowed from the upper vat where the grapes were trodden. Choice grape—in Hebrew soreq (Assyrian Sarka), that is, particularly dark red in color. “Wild berries”—fruit of poor quality.

Isaiah 5:3. And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between Me and My vineyard. Isaiah 5:4. What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done for it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes, did it produce wild berries? Isaiah 5:5. Now therefore I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devastated; I will break down its walls, and it shall be trampled, Isaiah 5:6. and I will leave it in desolation: it shall neither be pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thistles shall grow up, and I will command the clouds not to rain upon it. Here speaks the Beloved One, that is, the Most High. “Hedge”—(verse 5)—low stone walls around the vineyard one to two arshin high. “Pruning” the vines (verse 6) was necessary to increase their fertility. The vineyard soil was worked several times a year to increase its productivity.

Isaiah 5:7. The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His beloved planting. And He looked for justice, but behold—bloodshed; He looked for righteousness, and behold—a cry. The parable with which the Lord addressed Israel in verses 3–6 is here explained. “Cry,” that is, heard in the people are the cries of those oppressed by the mighty. Isa 5:8-23. For their sins and transgressions the Judeans will be strictly punished. Those who encroach upon others’ lands will suffer: their own lands will be laid waste and their income diminished. People who spend all their time in pleasures will suffer hunger and thirst and finally will be swallowed by the gaping mouth of Hades. Slaves of sin, impudently denying the existence of Providence and the inevitability of God’s judgment over mankind, will soon experience the weight of this judgment. Other sinners too will pay for their sins.

Isaiah 5:9. The Lord of hosts said in my ear: Surely these many houses shall be desolate, large and fair ones, without inhabitants; The Law of Moses required that every Israelite family own only its own portion of land, assigned to it from the beginning of the taking of the promised land (Lev 25:23). But the Hebrews repeatedly violated this law in various ways (see 1 Sam 21). Chiefly, wealthy people strove to seize large tracts of land because wheat cultivated on these tracts was in ancient times the most profitable item of trade, and land, one might say, was the gold mine of Palestine. Isaiah, like other prophets, turns special attention to this abnormality, by which few rich men became owners of vast stretches of land and many houses, while the rest of the population had to work for them for a crust of bread, gradually turning into a true proletariat. Moreover, since wheat was cultivated for export abroad, ordinary Jewish settlers positively lacked bread for themselves and their families. Furthermore, this widened the gulf between different classes of people, while the law established no distance, no distinction in the social position of Israelites, and then endangered the integrity of the state, which could be defended only by people who felt themselves not as hired workers, but as masters, to whom the land was their own. It must be noted, however, that the prophet, in pronouncing woe upon those Hebrews who strove to enlarge their possessions, does not incite the people to violent restoration of the original boundaries of each Hebrew family’s holdings, but only wishes to act upon these violators of the Law of Moses by threatening them with God’s wrath (verse 10). The prophets in general were opposed to all violence…

Isaiah 5:10. Ten acres of vineyard shall produce one bath, and a homer of sown seed shall yield only an ephah. “Bath”—a measure of liquids, about one epic measure or 34.44 French liters. “Homer” was equal to ten ephahs or baths. Rich Hebrews will receive ten times less than what they sowed.

Isaiah 5:11. Woe to those who rise early in the morning to seek intoxicating drink, and who linger late into the evening heated with wine; “Strong drink”—an intoxicating beverage made from apples or other fruits, even from grain, but wheat (like our beer); “Wine”—was made from grapes, which at that time were renowned for their taste. The prophet Isaiah here arms himself against drunkenness—a vice that began to spread among the Hebrews from the time of Solomon, whose example undoubtedly influenced people closely connected with the court. (1 Sam 4:20). The abundance of wine made the beverage the most common and drunkenness thus had fertile ground for itself. The prophets, seeing all the harm from this indulgence, tried in every way to bring their listeners to their senses, who even took pride in their ability to drink as much wine as possible (cf. verse 22).

Isaiah 5:12. And the lyre and the harp, the timbrel and the flute and wine at their feasts; but the works of the Lord they do not regard, and the deeds of His hands they do not consider. “Lyre”—an empty wooden box, with strings stretched over the top (in Hebrew kinnor). “Harp”—a harp (in Hebrew nevel). “Timbrel”—a hand drum or tambourine (in Hebrew toph). “Flute”—a flute (in Hebrew cholil).

Isaiah 5:13. Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge; their honored men are famished, and their multitude is parched with thirst. “Unexpectedly.”—The people, having no guilt on their part, must suffer because of the excesses which the rich allowed themselves.

Isaiah 5:14. Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth without measure; and the nobility of Jerusalem and her multitude go down, her pomp and all who exult in her. Isaiah 5:15. And the human is brought low, and the man is humbled, and the eyes of the haughty are brought down; “Brought low”—that is, shall repent.

Isaiah 5:16. But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness. Isaiah 5:17. And the lambs shall graze as in their pasture, and the kids shall feed among the ruins of the rich. By “lambs” one may understand poor Hebrews, to whom there was formerly no place in Palestine, since all the lands were in the possession of few rich men. After the wealthy and noble Hebrews were led into captivity, the poor left in Judea could freely choose fields wherever they wished.

Isaiah 5:18. Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as if with the ropes of a cart; “Draw”—more correctly translated: “bring upon themselves God’s punishment for their transgressions.” In this sense this prophecy is understood by the Holy Cyril of Alexandria and by Saint John Chrysostom, as well as by some modern commentators. The punishment, one might say, is so firmly fixed, attached to the wicked Judeans, as firmly as a cart is tied to the animal pulling it.

Isaiah 5:19. Those who say, “Let Him make haste, let Him speed His work that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, that we may know it!” “His work,” that is, His judgment upon us.

Isaiah 5:20. Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:21. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! “Wise in their own eyes”—do not wish to know the Law of God. Isa 5:24-30. For their transgressions all sinners will bear heavy punishment from God; their corpses will lie everywhere—a sign that some terrible pestilence will begin, but this is not all. God will call against the sinful Judeans from a distant land such an enemy who, like a lion, will rush upon the chosen people and many Judeans will be carried into captivity.

Isaiah 5:25. Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against His people, and He stretched out His hand against them and struck them, and the mountains quaked; and their corpses were as refuse in the streets. For all this His anger has not turned away, and His hand is stretched out still. “His hand… is stretched out still,” that is, this plague will be only the beginning of Judea’s disasters.

Isaiah 5:26. He will raise a signal for a nation far away, and whistle for it from the ends of the earth; and behold, swiftly, speedily it comes; “Raise a signal”—indicate a place for the assembly of troops coming against Judea. “Nations far away”—the prophet most likely means here the Assyrians and neighboring nations subject to them.

Isaiah 5:27. None of them is weary, none stumbles, none slumbers nor sleeps; not a belt is loose, not a sandal thong broken; Isaiah 5:28. Their arrows are sharp, all their bows are bent; their horses’ hooves seem like flint, and their wheels like the whirlwind; Isaiah 5:29. Their roaring is like a lioness; they roar like young lions; they growl and seize the prey, and carry it off, and none can rescue. The Assyrians indeed were distinguished by tirelessness in campaigns and skill in using all means of military art.

Isaiah 5:30. And he will roar over it on that day like the roaring of the sea; and if one looks to the land, behold, darkness and distress; and the light is darkened by its clouds. “Behold darkness.” By these words is depicted the impression which will be produced upon the Judeans by the invasion of the mighty and numerous Assyrians, who went with great noise (like the noise of the sea). Critics are fairly unanimous in dividing chapter five into three parts: 1–7, 8–24, and 26–30. The first part maintains a certain rhythm throughout its entire length. Verse 1—first half Verse 1—second half, verse 2 Verse 3—verse 4 Verse 5—verse 6 Verse 7 Heading: First stanza—in 4 hemistich—2, 2 Second stanza—in 4 hemistich—2, 2 Third stanza—of 6 hemistich—3, 3 First and second stanzas—each of 2 hemistich—2, 2 This song was composed probably shortly after the appearance of the prophet’s preceding speeches, around 735 B.C. The second part does not in general raise serious objections regarding its authenticity, although criticism nearly unanimously considers verses 15 and 16 to be an insertion, which could be placed lower, since its content is too general and does not fit the enumeration of particular punishments begun in verse 14. Verse 17, according to Condamin, should also be placed after verse 10, as more suited to it in content. The stanzas in this part, which also probably appeared around 735 B.C., can be distributed as follows: Verses 8–10 and 17—first stanza—2, 3, 3 Verses 11–14—second stanza—3, 3, 2 Verses 18–23—third stanza—3, 3, 3 Regarding the third part, Condamin supposes that it originally had a different place—namely verses 24–25 after chapter 9, verse 16, and verses 26–30 after chapter 8, verse 20, since they fit better in content with those sections. But the said critic does not present other, more convincing reasons for his hypothesis, and what has been said is quite insufficient for such a rearrangement. * * * Notes

Isaiah 5:11. Ambiguous interpretation. The matter is that in Palestine and among the Greeks “strong drink” was made from the fruits of the date palm and was, in essence, date vodka. The Aramaic conception of “strong drink,” however, meant an intoxicating, mind-altering beverage, technologically close to mead or beer production, without distillation. That is, an intoxicating beverage of natural origin. In Isaiah in the Slavonic translation in Is.5:11—“woe to those rising up at dawn and strong drink pursuing.” Thus there is confirmation of the viewpoint that this is simple moonshine. Editor’s note.

Chapter Six

1–4. The calling of the prophet Isaiah to prophetic service: a) Theophany, 5–7. purification of the prophet, 8–13. his sending forth to preach

Isa 6:1-4. To his high service Isaiah, like Moses, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, was called by a special solemn Theophany. He saw God as the King of the universe, solemnly seated upon His throne-palace. He was surrounded by the highest angelic spirits—the Seraphim, loudly confessing the holiness of the Most High and His great glory, before which even they covered themselves with their wings.

Isaiah 6:1. In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of His robe filled the temple. In the year that King Uzziah died, that is, 740 B.C. According to tradition reported by Saint Ephrem the Syrian, Isaiah was greatly grieved by King Uzziah’s audacity toward the temple, when the king dared to enter the temple to burn incense. The prophet clothed himself in sackcloth—a sign of mourning—and wore it until King Uzziah’s death; in the year of this king’s death Isaiah was called to service by a solemn vision (Works of the Holy Fathers in Russian translation, vol. 20, pp. 237–238). Eusebius of Caesarea speaks even more directly, saying that only with Uzziah’s death, having angered God, could the prophet receive a revelation from God, who until then, because of the king’s sin, had turned His face away from the Judean people (Selecta from the Fathers of the Church, Caillaut, p. 24, pp. 28 and 29). Blessed Theodoret adds on his part that the Lord was also angered at Isaiah himself, who kept silent at the time when Uzziah allowed himself such audacity toward the temple. Modern commentators (e.g., Hengstenberg in Lange’s Bible Work, vol. XIV, pp. 84 and 85) explain the matter more simply, saying that Isaiah was needed at precisely that time. Why does the prophet speak of his calling after the prophecies placed in chapters 1–5? It is very likely that Isaiah wished in the first five chapters to sketch a picture of contemporary Judean people’s life so that his mission would be fully clearly motivated. Isaiah saw God, of course, not with bodily eyes, but with the eyes of the spirit, being in a state of prophetic rapture (ecstasy). “Isaiah hears the voice of the Lord,” says Saint Basil the Great, whose words apply to Isaiah’s vision as well, “although nothing struck the bodily ear” (Works of the Holy Fathers in Russian translation, vol. b, p. 253 and 260). “Lord”—in Hebrew called Adonaj, the Lord of the world, universe. In verse 5 the prophet says that his eyes saw the Lord of hosts (from Hebrew, Lord of the armies, that is, God the Father). The temple in which Isaiah saw the Lord could be either the earthly temple in Jerusalem or the temple in heaven (cf. 1 Sam 22:19). Since the prophet does not explain which temple he means, it is most natural to see in his words a reference to the Jerusalem temple known to all, especially since certain furnishings of the Jerusalem temple are mentioned here (altar of incense and tongs, verse 6). But since the prophet was in ecstasy, the Jerusalem temple appeared to him with wider capacity. “The train of His robe” in translation from Hebrew is the hem of the mantle. The King Being is presented to the prophet as dressed, like an earthly king, in a long and wide mantle.

Isaiah 6:2. Above Him stood the Seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. “Seraphim.” The word seraphim occurs only once in the Bible, and therefore its meaning is quite difficult to interpret. Some recognize this name as identical with the name of the serpents mentioned in the book of Numbers (Num 21, the burning serpents) and say that in appearance they resembled serpents or flying dragons, which, according to the belief of the ancients, stood guard over divine treasures. But it is unlikely that servants of God—Angels—appeared to the prophet in the form of serpents, which true worshippers of the Lord considered entirely inappropriate subjects for worship, as is evident from the fact that King Hezekiah destroyed the image of the bronze serpent. (2 Sam 18:4). Moreover, in the book of Numbers the word seraph is an adjective (meaning burning), while here it is a noun. Other commentators derive this word from the verb seraph (to burn or blaze) and see in it an indication of the fiery nature of the Seraphim, in virtue of which they “scorch” or “burn” all that comes into contact with them. Finally, still others, with greater probability, assert that the Seraphim are bearers of divine fire of love, burning away all impurity and purifying people. Still others derive this name from the Arabic word scharufa—to be a ruler, and see here an indication of the exceptionally high position of the Seraphim among the Angels. Some see in this name a reproduction of the name of the god of fire Nergal—Sarapu (incinerator) or the Egyptian seref—the name of the dragon guarding tombs. Thus, philology does not provide sufficient indications for determining the nature of the Seraphim. The text of the book of Isaiah itself is therefore a more reliable source. From this source we learn that the Seraphim speak, sing hymns of praise to God in turns, fulfill God’s commands—consequently, they are rational, spiritual beings, Angels. They have wings, which indicate in them beings of the heavenly world or height, strength, divine might, as is evident from the fact that ancient peoples—the Babylonians and Persians—attached several pairs of wings to images of their kings, in order to indicate that these kings were equal to the gods (see Weisser. Picture atlas of world history—image of Cyrus). Incidentally, wings served the Seraphim also to cover their bodies before the majesty of God. Since they stand before the Lord and around Him, from ancient times they have been recognized as the highest choir in the heavenly host (Cherubim only bear the throne of God). The function of the Seraphim, according to the text of the book of Isaiah, consists in the service of God, which they accomplish with fiery zeal. Their distinction from other Angels consists in that they are not sent to earth, like other Angels, but belong exclusively to the sphere immediately of Divine presence.

Isaiah 6:3. And one called to another and said: “Holy, Holy, Holy, the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” “And one called to another.” Apparently the Seraphim were divided into two choirs, who alternately proclaimed praise to God. “Holy,” that is, removed from all sin, from all imperfection. This definition, for the highest emphasis, is repeated three times, just as in Ezekiel, for example, the word “I will destroy” is repeated three times (Ezek 21:27; cf. Jer 7:4). But besides this interpretation of the threefold repetition of the word “holy,” there is another explanation, very ancient, according to which the Seraphim here portrayed the mystery of the Holy Trinity (Saint Ephrem the Syrian, Blessed Jerome). Namely, the prophet Isaiah has a passage proving the faith of the contemporary Old Testament Church in the Trinity of the Persons of the Godhead. This passage is chapter 63, verses 9 and following, where God is mentioned separately, separately the Angel of His face or the Son of God, and separately the Holy Spirit. From this it follows that in the threefold repetition of the word “holy” Isaiah could point to this great mystery.

Isaiah 6:4. And the pivots of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. “And the pivots of the thresholds shook.”—According to the meaning of the Hebrew text, here is indicated a shaking of those recesses in the wall into which the two halves of the temple doors are inserted. Condamin translates: “the doors trembled on their hinges.” This shaking was caused by the loud cries of the Seraphim. The smoke, in all likelihood, the prophet saw rising from the altar of incense. By the connection of the speech, this smoke could mean the prayers of the Seraphim to the Lord: such significance was held by the smoke rising heavenward from the earthly altar when the priests offered incense. Ephrem the Syrian considers this smoke a sign of the presence in the temple of the glory of the Lord, since in the Old Testament the Lord appeared in darkness and cloud, so that weak people might not be blinded by the radiance of His glory (1 Sam 8:10-12). Isa 6:5-7. The prophet, hearing the song of the Seraphim, seeing the trembling doors and smelling the rising smoke, falls into mortal fear: he saw that which the eye of a mortal is unworthy to see, the sight of which a sinful man is not able to bear. Isaiah feels with particular bitterness the impurity of his lips, which could not take part in the glorification of the Seraphim. Therefore his lips are purified first of all by sacred fire from the altar. But, moreover, the lips are purified precisely because by them Isaiah will chiefly serve God.

Isaiah 6:5. And I said: “Woe is me! I am ruined; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” The fear of a sinful man before an encounter with the Divine appears in all religions. Jacob, who wrestled with God at night, says with amazement that he saw God face to face and yet his soul was preserved—he remained alive (Gen 32:30; cf. Exod 30:20). “Save us,” says Ovid in his prayer to Pales, from the sight of the Dryads, or bathing Diana, or Faunus, when he wanders through the fields at midday (Fasti IV, 761). The mortal body of Semele could not bear the appearance of Jupiter and burned, as the same poet tells us.

Isaiah 6:6. Then flew one of the Seraphim to me, having in his hand a burning coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. According to the interpretation of our church hymns, the fiery coal was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the tongs—the hands of the Most Holy Mother of God. “You bear fire, O pure one; I fear to receive in my arms the Infant God.” Thus in the 2nd tropary of the 5th song of the canon for the Presentation, Simeon the God-receiver speaks. Further, in the 3rd tropary, the same elder speaks to the Most Holy Virgin: “You enlighten me, offering with your hands, as it were with tongs, the Bearer held by you.”

Isaiah 6:7. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin is forgiven.” The purifying action was to be accomplished by the burning coal, as a coal taken from God’s altar. Here in a figurative sense it points to the purifying power of God’s grace, which burns away, like fire, all that is unclean in man. “Your guilt… and your sin”—your sins. Isa 6:8-13. Feeling himself clean, Isaiah willingly offers himself for service in the work of preaching, when he hears the question of the Most High about who is willing to go to the Hebrew people. God condescends to his desire and sends him as a preacher to the people, but thereby predicts to him the failure of his prophetic activity. His word will not convert the people to the true path, but will further harden them in sin. To the prophet’s question about how long the people will remain in such a state, God answers that salvation will be given to the people not before he experiences all the horrors of enemy invasion and even captivity, deportation to a foreign land. The last tenth of the people will be destroyed, until the proud oak, that is, the Israelite people, is completely destroyed.

Isaiah 6:8. And I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said: “Here am I; send me.” By His question the Lord calls forth and encourages Isaiah to declare his readiness to serve the Lord. For us, that is, “for Me and for those surrounding Me,” as this expression is interpreted by almost all modern Western commentators on the basis of (1 Sam 22 and Ps 88:7). Some ancient church writers saw in this expression a reference to the Trinity of Persons in the Godhead (Blessed Jerome), but in their interpretation it is unclear why God at first speaks in the singular (whom shall I send?) and then in the plural (for us). However, according to the first interpretation, it is truly the one God who sends, as Lord, while the prophet will act before the face of all who appeared to him, whose interests are identical with the purposes which God has.

Isaiah 6:9. And He said: “Go, and say to this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’” Isaiah 6:10. Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed. The mission of the prophet Isaiah appears very difficult and hopeless if one reads verse 10 according to the Hebrew Masoretic text, thus: “harden the heart of this people, make their ears deaf, shut their eyes, so that…” and so forth, and understands all these expressions strictly literally. But if we take into account the Semitic way of expressing thoughts, then the mission of the prophet will not appear so terrible either for him or for the people. True, the verbs used in verse 10 are in the hiphil form, which generally has the meaning of causing something. But on the other hand it is certain that this form has different evaluations of meaning. So the verb “to justify” in Hebrew (hiphil form) can mean both actually justifying someone and declaring righteous (in the eyes of people). Or the verb “to give life, to vivify” can mean simply: to leave alive, when there is a possibility to kill. Besides, hiphil points to an action to which only an impetus is given. In this last sense, it is undoubtedly this form is used here. The preaching of Isaiah, in view of the bad disposition of his listeners, will give them reason to harden themselves, to resist God’s will, which the people manifested partly even before. Our Russian Synodal translation, in accord with the LXX and Slavonic, incorrectly understands this hardening of heart as already reaching fullness—better to translate the verbs standing in verse 10 in the future tense. “Heart” here is taken as the capacity for understanding moral tasks of human life (cf. Hos 4:11). “Hardening” is this fatness of heart, when it becomes unable to move and not receptive. This passage is cited twice in the New Testament—in two instances as a place serving to explain the imperceptiveness of the Judeans to this preaching (Matt 13:15; Acts 28:27).

Isaiah 6:11. Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is utterly desolate,” Isaiah 6:12. And the Lord removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. The judgment of God upon the Hebrew people sounds decisive and stern, but the prophet, from love for his people, cannot accept the thought that the people will remain in hardening and, consequently, in rejection by God, forever. The Lord answers to this that both the cities and the lands of the Judeans must be completely deprived of inhabitants, who will be led into captivity. What epoch one must understand here—it is difficult to say. Most likely, God points the prophet to all subsequent judgments of His upon the chosen people, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, as Saint Basil the Great and Eusebius of Caesarea interpret this prophecy.

Isaiah 6:13. And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again; but as a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled. So the holy seed is its stump. This verse indicates such terrible desolation of Judea after which no more than a tenth part of its inhabitants will remain. This could only apply to the time of the taking of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar. “And it will return,” this expression should be replaced by the words: in turn (will be destroyed). “But as from a terebinth” in translation from Hebrew: “as an oak or terebinth (perishes), whose trunk is cut down.” In the whole verse, therefore, one thought is: that the Hebrew people, as a political whole, will in time cease completely its existence and lose its land. Only then—so one can express the fundamental thought of all God’s discourse with Isaiah—only then will the hardening of the people begin to soften and its turning to God become possible. At this point the prophet points to the Holy Seed (that is, the Messiah) as the support (according to the Slavonic, the foundation) of the further existence of the Israelite people. The Messiah has not yet come; therefore the people from whose midst He is to come must preserve their existence. The sixth chapter is in general recognized by critics as authentic. If Marti points out that in verses 12 and 13 the Lord speaks of Himself in the third person, then such a turn of speech is nothing unusual in the book of Isaiah (cf. Isa 13:13). Reuss sees in this chapter a prose work, but others find here also poetic sections, namely, first, in the hymn of the Seraphim, and then in verses 7 and following (excluding inserted remarks: I heard, I said, etc.) The sixth chapter is appointed to be read as a paremeia on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, because, as is evident from church hymns (5th irmology of the canon for the Presentation, 1st tropary of the 5th song of the canon, 3rd tropary and 2nd of the same song), the Church sees here a prediction of the incarnation of the Son of God and of His presentation in the temple (tongs—the hands of the Most Holy Virgin, holding the Baby God). * * * In Lopukhin’s commentary on Genesis the expression Adonaj is interpreted as the Supreme and Just Judge—from the root word dan—judge. Editor’s note. In the Slavonic translation from the LXX this verse is translated thus: “And it was in the year in which Uzziah the king died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne high and exalted, and the house was filled with his glory.” Editor’s note.

Isaiah 63:9. In the Slavonic translation from the LXX the text of Is.63:9 is laid out thus: “Not a mediator, nor an angel, but the Lord Himself saved them, for He loves them and spares them: He Himself delivered them and took them up and exalted them in all the days of the age.” As noted above, the exclusion from the Synodal translation of words about the Supreme Council whose messenger is the Messiah, which are present in the Greek translation LXX and the Slavonic version, the earthing of his (the Messiah’s) essence (fruit of the earth, instead of—heavenly seed) led to the forgetting of many obvious indications of the Triune essence of the Most High. Editor’s note. It is groundless to suppose that the Lord could have grounds to equate to Himself the surrounding heavenly ranks. The word “us” presupposes equal hierarchical dependence. Editor’s note. Jerome’s interpretation is fully clarified in light of the Orthodox Creed—I believe in one God the Father… And in the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father, who together with the Father and Son is worshipped… Again, this is fully understandable when mentioning the Messiah—the messenger of the Supreme Council. Editor’s note.

Chapter Seven

1–9. Isaiah’s meeting with the Judean king Ahaz and his prophecy concerning the fate of the Syrian and Israelite kingdoms. 10–25. The sign given by the prophet to the house of David and the prediction of the calamitous fate of the Judean state.

Isa 7:1-9. During the reign of Ahaz, king of Judea, Jerusalem began to be threatened by the kings of Syria and Israel, who had formed an alliance with each other. In Jerusalem, active preparations began for the coming siege, as the attack of the united armies appeared very dangerous to the king and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. At this time, the prophet Isaiah came forward to the king with a word of encouragement and pointed to the impotence of the conspirators to cause serious harm to Judea and the swift destruction that awaited them.

Isaiah 7:1. And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judea, that Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went against Jerusalem to capture it, but they could not capture it. Isaiah 7:2. And it was reported to the house of David and said: The Syrians have taken their stand in the land of Ephraim; and his heart was alarmed, and the heart of his people, like the trees of the forest shaken by the wind. Even in the last years of Jotham, Pekah, king of Israel, and Rezin, king of Syria, began their joint hostile actions against the kingdom of Judea (2 Sam 15:37). At the beginning of Ahaz’s reign (around 735 BC), the danger to the Judean kingdom from these kings became even greater, as the Syrians and Israelites were now advancing directly on Jerusalem. Their purpose, in all probability, was to compel the Judean king to join the coalition which the small states of Syria, supported by Egypt, had formed against the king of Assyria, who was by then already threatening to subjugate all of Syria. The allies probably wanted to depose Ahaz, who did not sympathize with their plans, from the throne of Judea and put in his place some son of Tabeel. In particular, the entire house of David was terrified when news arrived that the Syrians (having already passed through eastern Palestine and made a treaty with the Edomites and other southern peoples, and having seized the harbor of Elath on the Red Sea 2 Sam 16:6) had moved up along the Mediterranean coast to the north, into the region of the kingdom of Israel, and there encamped, threatening Jerusalem.

Isaiah 7:3. And the Lord said to Isaiah: Go out now, you and your son Shear-jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the fuller’s field, Ahaz, in expectation of the siege of Jerusalem, was inspecting the aqueduct that supplied the entire city with water. This aqueduct began at the Upper Pool (the pool of Siloam, situated in the upper pool), very large, from which water was conducted by an underground passage throughout the city and flowed into another pool, which was later called the Pool of Hezekiah. Isaiah was to go to Ahaz with his son, whose name was Shear-jashub (the remnant shall return), a symbolic name: it signified the judgment of God awaiting the Judean kingdom, from which only a small remnant might be preserved. Meanwhile, Isaiah’s own name (the Lord will save) pointed to the possibility of mercy, and the king was thus given a choice: what he desired—judgment or mercy from God. The judgment threatened Ahaz because he, contrary to God’s will (Ps 145:3), placed his trust not in the Lord—the true King of Israel—but in the Assyrian ruler Tiglath-Pileser, to whom he had already sent an embassy requesting help against the kings of Syria and Israel (2 Sam 16:7-8).

Isaiah 7:4. And say to him: Take heed and be calm; do not fear, and do not let your heart be dismayed by these two smoking firebrands, by the fierce anger of Rezin and the Syrians and the son of Remaliah. Isaiah 7:5. Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah scheme evil against you, saying, Isaiah 7:6. Let us go up against Judea and tear it apart, and let us make a breach in it for ourselves, and set the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it. Both allied kings are represented to the prophet as charred firebrands that can no longer burn as they should, but only smoulder and smoke.

1 Samuel 20:27. “The son of Tabeel”—a contemptuous name without a proper name (cf. 1 Sam. 20:27, where Saul, speaking of David his rival, calls him simply the son of Jesse). In all likelihood, this was some Syrian prince (prince—in Syrian tab—Heb. tob, meaning good). Isaiah 7:7. But the Lord God says thus: It shall not come to pass, and it shall not be. Isaiah 7:8. For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within sixty-five years Ephraim shall cease to be a people; Isaiah 7:9. And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not believe, surely you shall not be established. The Lord announces through the prophet to Ahaz that neither the king of Syria nor the king of Israel shall gain possession of Judea, but shall remain—and for no long time—masters only of their former possessions. The kingdom of Israel is threatened with complete destruction within 65 years. This prophecy most likely refers not to the destruction of Samaria, which followed soon thereafter, about 13 years after this prophecy was uttered (723 BC), but to the deportation to Assyria of the remaining population of the kingdom of Israel and the settlement of the devastated territory of the former kingdom of Israel with colonists from Mesopotamia under the Assyrian king Esarhaddon (2 Sam 17 and following Ezra 4:2). Thus, the prophet apparently counts within these 65 years the 14 years of Ahaz’s reign plus 29 years of Hezekiah’s reign and plus 22 years of Manasseh’s reign. “If you do not believe.” The prophet notes Ahaz’s disbelief in his words and hints at the possibility of obtaining confirmation of the truth of what has just been said. Translation: “If you do not believe, then you shall not be established,” which is proposed here by newer interpreters, is rather unclear. Isa 7:10-16. Observing Ahaz’s disbelief in Isaiah’s words, God through the prophet offers Ahaz, for his persuasion, whatever sign he desires. However, Ahaz, having already decided upon a certain course of action, does not wish to enter into any obligation toward the Almighty and refuses the sign under a hypocritical pretext. Then the prophet, provoked by this obstinacy, proclaims from the Lord a sign which is to assure the dynasty of David of safety from the attacking enemies: a Virgin shall conceive a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, and before this child Immanuel becomes capable of distinguishing between good and evil, Judea shall be completely free from enemies.

Isaiah 7:10. And the Lord continued to speak to Ahaz, saying, Isaiah 7:11. Ask for yourself a sign from the Lord your God: ask it either from the depths or from the heights. “And the Lord continued to speak.” The name Lord—Jehovah—is probably placed here instead of the name of the prophet, which originally may have been written in abbreviated form. “Ask for yourself a sign,” that is, some assurance that the prophet’s words will surely be fulfilled. “The Lord your God.” Ahaz was not yet a complete idolater: as is evident from verse 12, at that time he still outwardly acknowledged the true religion, although this did not prevent him from introducing into the worship of the Jerusalem temple the cults of foreign gods (2 Chr 28:2-4). In the depths or heights, that is, either from the realm of the underworld (the appearance of the dead) or from the heavenly spheres (a storm, hail, etc.).

Isaiah 7:12. And Ahaz said: I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord. Isaiah 7:13. Then Isaiah said: Hear now, house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, that you also weary my God? Ahaz, fearing that the prophet might fulfill his promise concerning the sign, refuses the sign under what appeared to him to be a plausible pretext. In reality, the passage from Deuteronomy which the king had in mind (Deut 6:16) contains a rebuke to the Hebrews for frequently demanding signs or miracles from God themselves. The prophet understands Ahaz’s disposition; he understands also that in his obstinacy, with which he rejects the prophet’s counsel, he is supported by other members of the house of David, and therefore, as a kind of punishment to Ahaz and to the entire house of David, the prophet himself pronounces a sign from God. Ahaz and his relatives have already sufficiently abused the patience of men, that is, of the prophets, by excluding them from any influence on the course of state affairs—now they dare not to accept direct assistance from the Lord Himself.

Isaiah 7:14. Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, the Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel. “Therefore”—in Hebrew locben literally means: “because of this.” “Sign”—the Hebrew word “ot” standing here means in Sacred Scripture: 1) a miracle (Isa 38:7; Exod 4:8-9); 2) a symbolic sign or action to confirm some truth (Isa 20:3; Gen 9:13); 3) a natural event which, however, no one among men could have foreseen, and whose fulfillment gives assurance that another event, which it prefigures, will also be fulfilled (1 Sam 2:34; 1 Sam 10:1); and 4) events that serve, as it were, as the seal of the truth of events that occurred before them (Exod 3:12; Isa 37:30). In the present passage, “ot” has precisely the last meaning. The future event—the birth of the Messiah (Immanuel) from the royal house of David—must serve as proof and confirmation that on this occasion too the house of David shall not perish. But since this birth is a matter of the distant future and demands from Ahaz and his household all the strength of faith in the promises given to their ancestor David, the sign proclaimed by the prophet becomes, despite its comforting character, a hard trial for Ahaz, who was not distinguished by steadfastness in faith. Thus Ahaz is punished for refusing to obey God’s command. “Behold” or “lo”—in Hebrew hinneh. The prophet in his vision sees this distant future event as already happening (cf. Isa 42:1). “The Virgin”—in Hebrew haalmah. The article preceding almah shows that the prophet means one specific Virgin—unique of her kind. Is it not clear from this that the Virgin should be understood as the Most Holy Virgin Mother of God? This understanding is confirmed for us by the very meaning of the prophet’s discourse and by the most ancient translations of the Bible, as well as by the interpretations of the Fathers and teachers of the Church. The Hebrew word almah in itself does not here have decisive significance, as the very origin of this word is not established: some translate this term by the expression “hidden” (that is, a virgin concealed from the sight of men), deriving it from the verb alam, which, however, has a direct meaning entirely unsuitable here; others see in the word almah the designation of a growing young woman, deriving this name from another root—a lam, meaning: “to grow, to develop physically,” and in proof of the correctness of their translation they cite the use of the word almah in other places of the Bible (Gen 24:43; Exod 2:8; Ps 77 and others). In view of the obscurity of the origin and philological meaning of the word almah, the testimony of the most ancient translations of the Bible—the Septuagint and the Peshitta—acquires special weight. In the former, the word almah is rendered as παρθενος, which in the Septuagint means a virgin in the strictest sense of the word. In the latter, the same word is placed, which always designates a virgin. Then in the New Testament, the evangelist Matthew, recounting the immaculate, virginal conception of the Messiah, says that this was fulfilled in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (Matt 1:18-25). Clearly, the evangelist in this case is conveying the general opinion of his contemporaries, the Jews, regarding this disputed passage. The scholar Badham cites numerous passages from rabbinical writings and several allusions from Philo that testify that the miraculous birth of the Messiah was expected by the Jews as well (The Academy, 8 June, 1895, p. 485–487). Christian interpreters (even Protestants for a long time) also unanimously acknowledged that Isaiah here speaks of the Virgin, the Mother of the Messiah. Only in the eighteenth century did Protestant exegetes begin to argue forcefully that in our passage there are no indications of the virginal conception of the Messiah and the ever-virginity of His Mother, but their arguments lack sufficient foundation (see the work of Archpriest Nikolsky. The Prophecy of Isaiah concerning the Virgin and Immanuel—in the readings of the Society for the Promotion of Spiritual Enlightenment, 1885). The very context of the prophet’s discourse testifies that almah should mean an immaculate virgin who preserved her virginity even after conceiving her son. How else could such a purely miraculous, convincing, and comforting sign appear but as the event of the conception of a Son by a virgin. Since the king was called upon by the prophet to request as a sign whatever miracle he wished, the sign given by God Himself could be nothing less than the greatest miracle. From this it follows that the prophet, in speaking of the birth of the Messiah-God-man by a Virgin, could only mean an actual virginal, transcending the laws of nature, conception, and point to the virginity and ever-virginity of His Mother. And the prophet’s words should more accurately be rendered from the Hebrew thus: “behold, the virgin is with child.” The prophet in his prophetic vision sees the Virgin pregnant and yet still calls her a virgin! “Immanuel.” In the Hebrew language, the word Immanuel means: “God with us.” This name is not the proper name of the Messiah. Some understand it as pointing to the divine help which the Hebrews will receive in the danger which threatens them from the two allied kings (Jerome, Eusebius, and others). According to others, this name points to the qualities of the person to whom it is given, and means the God incarnate (Saint Irenaeus, Tertullian, Basil the Great, and others). It is better to combine both meanings of the word in the interpretation of this name, as Saint John Chrysostom does. As far as the first meaning of this word is concerned, all interpreters unanimously recognize the correctness of such interpretation. But regarding the second interpretation, accepted from ancient times by the Christian church, rationalistic exegetes for the most part express their distrust of it. Without entering into a discussion of these negative opinions, we shall present here the considerations by which the messianic meaning of this passage may be confirmed (messianic in the full sense of the word, when the Messiah is recognized as the incarnate Son of God). These considerations are as follows: 1) In chapter 8, verse 8, the land of Judea is called the land of Immanuel. Is it not clear from this that the prophet intended to designate by the word Immanuel the future Messiah? Moreover, from this one can derive the thought that this Messiah will have divine dignity, will be God incarnate. Indeed, in many other places, the true King and Lord of the land of Judea, according to Isaiah, is God Himself. Consequently, God and Immanuel are concepts of equal meaning for Isaiah; 2) In chapter 9 (verses 1–7), the Child who is to be born—surely from the house of David—appears already as the subject that raises no doubt and calls for no special explanation. From this it follows that the prophet’s hearers knew of His dignity sufficiently, as well as of His birth. But where could they have learned this from if the prophet were not speaking of Him when he predicted to the house of David the birth of Immanuel? It may be added to this that all the wonderful names of this Child mentioned in chapter 9 are conveniently summarized in the one name Immanuel. 3) The prophet Micah (Mic 5:1-5), prophesying about the birth of the Messiah, has in view, in all probability, the prophecies of Isaiah in Isa 7:14 and Isa 9:5-6 verses, and in him the Messiah is represented as existing from eternity (verse 1) and, consequently, as God incarnate. 4) The evangelist Matthew refers this prophecy of Immanuel to the conception of Christ from the Most Pure Virgin Mary (Matt 1:22-23). The evangelist does not merely apply the words of Isaiah to this event, does not merely compare Isaiah’s prophecy with the history of the birth of the Messiah, but clearly testifies that in the conception of Jesus Christ from the Most Pure Virgin the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled—and that, consequently, Isaiah understood by Immanuel the true God, who was to appear on earth in the flesh of man. But how could this birth of the Messiah-God-man have been a sign for the time of the prophet Isaiah? Firstly, the prophet, in predicting the supreme blessing of God—the incarnation of the Son of God for the salvation of mankind—thereby wanted to say that the Jews and the house of David all the more may hope for a much lesser blessing—deliverance from the two allied kings. Secondly, the birth of the Messiah from the line of David necessarily presupposed that the designs of these two kings to overthrow and annihilate the dynasty of David would not be realized. The Patriarch Jacob clearly prophesied that until the birth of the Messiah, the scepter would not be taken from the house of Judah—and consequently, from the line of David (Gen 49:10).

Isaiah 7:15. He shall feed on milk and honey until He knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good; Isaiah 7:16. For before the Child will know how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land of which you are afraid will be abandoned by both its kings. Immanuel shall feed on milk and honey, which was very abundant in Palestine. The passage speaks, according to the opinion of ancient interpreters, of the fact that the Son of the Virgin will be a true human being, because He will eat the usual food of childhood (Saint Irenaeus, Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Basil the Great, and others). But the thought of human nature was not, of course, the chief thought of the prophet when he spoke of Immanuel as a sign from God. To understand the true meaning of verse 15, it is necessary to pay attention to verse 22, which is undoubtedly in close connection with verse 15. And in verse 22, the consumption of rich milk and honey appears as a sign of the desolation of the wheat fields by the enemy, in whose invasion it was impossible to till these fields. Consequently, in verse 15 also the prophet wants to speak of the desolation of the land of Judea, when the Hebrews would have to feed only on milk and honey. This desolation will last until the time when the One who is to be born from the Virgin, but even now, as it were, existing—Immanuel—like any ordinary infant, will not begin to show the ability to distinguish between good and evil, that is, until moral consciousness begins to manifest itself in Him. The period during which infants ordinarily do not manifest this consciousness lasts from two to three years. Consequently, the desolation of the land of Judea will last no more than three years from the time Isaiah uttered the prophecy of the birth of Immanuel. In verse 16, the time of Judea’s deliverance from the invasion of the allied kings is determined even more precisely. The prophet says that this deliverance will be accomplished before the deadline mentioned in verse 15, that is, within 2–3 years. The land or territory of the kingdoms of Syria and Israel will be abandoned by its kings. This prophecy could have been fulfilled by the circumstance described in the Fourth Book of Kings (2 Sam 15:29; 2 Sam 16:9): Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, in 733–732 BC killed Rezin, king of Syria, and at approximately the same time gained control of the northern half of the kingdom of Israel. Isa 7:17-25. After temporary relief for Judea, however, even heavier times will come. The Lord will send upon the Jews armies of Egypt and Assyria, which will destroy all the fruit of the earth in the region of the Judean state. The land will be overgrown with thistles, and its inhabitants in the vast majority will be carried into captivity.

Isaiah 7:17. But the Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon the house of your father days such as have not come since the day Ephraim departed from Judah, the king of Assyria. “Upon you.” In the reign of Ahaz, the king of Assyria had not yet occupied the territory of the Judean state, but Ahaz entered into vassal relations with this king. This circumstance deprived the Judean kingdom of independence and had consequences no less calamitous than the departure of the ten tribes of Israel in the time of Rehoboam.

Isaiah 7:18. And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord will hiss for the fly that is at the extremity of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria,— “The fly.” The Egyptians are called flies from the river of Egypt because in Egypt, after the inundations produced by the Nile, flies multiply exceedingly. The prophet wanted to point to the multitude of Egyptian forces and the persistence of the Egyptians with which they would seek to gain control of Palestine (saying: as persistent as a fly). “The bee.” The Assyrians are called bees because there were many bees in their country and because the Assyrians inflicted severe wounds upon their enemies, were especially cruel and uncontrollable in anger, like irritated bees.

Isaiah 7:19. And they shall fly and settle in all the desolate valleys and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the trees. Nevertheless, regarding the flies and bees the prophet speaks for now only of the fact that they will settle in the land of Judea, that is, will occupy it, perhaps even to defend it from their own rivals.

Isaiah 7:20. In that day the Lord will shave with a hired razor, beyond the river, with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet, and it will take away the beard also. The prophet indicates here that much greater evil than the Egyptians will cause Judea the Assyrians—regarding the Egyptians the prophet almost entirely forgets here. “Hair” is a symbol of strength and courage. “The beard”—among Eastern peoples was considered almost as sacred an adornment of every man, and to be deprived of it was shameful.

Isaiah 7:21. And it shall come to pass in that day that a man shall keep alive a cow and two sheep; Isaiah 7:22. And from the abundance of milk which they give, he shall eat butter; for butter and honey shall everyone eat that is left in the land. Isaiah 7:23. And it shall come to pass in that day that every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand pieces of silver, shall become briars and thorns. Isaiah 7:24. With arrows and with bows shall men come there; because all the land shall become briars and thorns. Isaiah 7:25. And as for all the hills which were hoed with the hoe, you shall not come there for fear of briars and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of sheep. Here is described the desolation of Judea, reaching the extreme degree. Throughout it grow thorns and thistles—bushes in which wild beasts dwell. Clearly, the prophet here foresees the desolation of the Judean land as it came to be after the Jews were carried into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, who could be called the king of Assyria, as he was the possessor of the former territory of the Assyrian state. The newer critics suppose that in chapter 7 there are some parts that do not belong to the prophet Isaiah. Thus the heading of the chapter (verse 1) is almost identical with 2 Sam 16:5. Isaiah himself had no need to give the genealogy of Ahaz and remind of him as king of Judea. One can therefore agree, says Condamin, that these words were added to chapter 7 by the editor of Isaiah’s discourses. The words of verse 8: and in sixty-five years… the greater part of critics also considers a later insertion, chiefly on the ground that the comfort contained in them could have had no significance for Ahaz at the very time when Isaiah was conversing with him. But these remarks concern secondary passages in chapter 7 and, moreover, do not carry probative force. 1) Isaiah could hardly have taken verse 1 from the Fourth Book of Kings himself, because this book appeared most likely after his death (in it it is already told of the destruction of the Judean kingdom), 2) nevertheless, even in the distant fall of the enemy kings there was something comforting for Ahaz. * * * Notes It is clear that all the mentioned passages speak of unmarried young maidens. Editor’s note. Some of the newer interpreters (for example, Condamin) correct the reading of the text of verse 16, following the translation of the Septuagint and taking into account the context of the discourse. Instead of: its kings, as the Russian Synodal translation renders, they read kings (that is, melachim instead of melcheja) and read the entire phrase thus: “the land (Judea), of which you are afraid (of the attack) of two kings, shall be laid waste.” Verse 17 appears, under such interpretation, as a further unfolding of verse 16, beginning thus the depiction of the punishment to which Ahaz will be subjected for his disbelief in the words of God. Taking into account the circumstance that the Russian translation, agreeing with the Masoretic Hebrew text, incorrectly combines both kingdoms—the Syrian and the Israelite—into one land, one can say that Condamin’s interpretation appears much more natural.

Chapter Eight

1–4. A twofold sign of judgment threatening Syria and the Israelite kingdom. 5–10. Judgment for disbelief: a) An Assyrian invasion of the land of Immanuel, 11–15. b) the true, real danger, 16–22. c) without God’s revelation there is no hope for the Jews.

Isa 8:1-4. Some time after the meeting of the prophet Isaiah with Ahaz, depicted in chapter 7 (cf. Isa 8:8-10 and Isa 7:14), new signs and revelations were communicated to the prophet, which clarified the meaning of what had been communicated to the house of David earlier through the prophet. A twofold sign—(the prophet was to write on a tablet the expression: Maher-shalal-hash-baz and give his son such a strange name)—pointed to the swift laying waste of Damascus and Samaria.

Isaiah 8:1. And the Lord said to me: Take for yourself a large tablet and write on it with a man’s pen: Maher-shalal-hash-baz. “A large tablet”—in Hebrew gilaion, that is, a rather large white board on which one could write clearly and in large characters the four words. “With a man’s pen,” that is, in the common script, for example, written as the famous Siloam inscription. This script is contrasted with conditional script, which can be understood only by those initiated into the conventional meaning of the different letters.

Isaiah 8:2. And I took for myself faithful witnesses: Uriah the priest and Zechariah, son of Berechiah,— 2 Samuel 16:10. “Uriah,” as is evident from 2 Kings 16:10 and following, was a man of note at that time. He is chosen by God as a witness that the prophet indeed wrote the aforesaid words, also because he did not share views with the prophet Isaiah and appeared to the king and to the people as completely impartial, even hostile toward the prophet, an unbiased witness with whom the prophet could not have made any secret agreement. “Zechariah” may have been the father-in-law of Ahaz (2 Sam 18:2).

Isaiah 8:3. And I approached the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. And the Lord said to me: Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz, Isaiah 8:4. For before the child will know how to cry out, “My father,” and “My mother,” the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be carried away before the king of Assyria. Here also an indication is given (a second symbolic action) of the laying waste of Syria and the kingdom of Israel. Only about a year and a half remained before this laying waste, because within a year and a half a child learns to stammer the names of father and mother (abi, immi). “The prophetess”—the wife of the prophet Isaiah. Isa 8:5-10. Reproaching certain Jews who did not value the line of David placed on the throne of Judea by God Himself and who had lost hope in the Almighty, the prophet proclaims to them that the one on whom they place greater hope, that is, the Assyrian king, shall become the devastator of their country. If not for Immanuel, to whom the Judean land belongs and who will therefore protect it, the Judean kingdom would be completely destroyed.

Isaiah 8:5. And the Lord spoke to me again and said, Isaiah 8:6. Because this people despises the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and delights in Rezin and the son of Remaliah, Isaiah 8:7. Now therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing upon it the waters of the river—strong and many—the king of Assyria with all his glory; and it shall rise above all its channels and overflow all its banks; Isaiah 8:8. And it shall sweep through Judah; it shall overflow and pass through; it shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of its wings shall fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel! In these verses the prophecy of chapter 7 (verses 17–15) is more clearly revealed. “The waters of Shiloah”—this is the gently flowing Shiloah stream that flowed out from beneath the royal palace on Mount Zion. It is a symbol of the royal service of the dynasty of David. There are Jews who despise this seemingly inconspicuous stream and desire to see a stronger government. For this they will be punished: upon them will rush a great river—the king of Assyria with his glory or enormous army. “The stretching out of its wings,” that is, the overflowing of this river. Instead of wings here one can put the expression hands. “Your land, O Immanuel.” The prophet speaks that the land of Judea belongs to Immanuel—in order to encourage the Jews frightened by his prediction. If Judea belongs to Immanuel as King, then He will not allow her to perish.

Isaiah 8:9. Be in turmoil, O peoples, and be broken; give ear, all you far regions; gird yourselves, but be broken; gird yourselves, but be broken! Isaiah 8:10. Take counsel together, but it shall come to nothing; speak a word, but it shall not stand: for God is with us! In general, the pagan nations are not formidable to the Jews because God is with the Jews! Or, according to the Hebrew, “for Immanuel!” Isa 8:11-15. Thus, salvation and destruction, as Isaiah learned from God, are conditioned not by the political skill of rulers and do not depend on external circumstances. Everything in the life of a state, as in the life of a individual man, depends on faith in the Word of God and on obedience to it. He who fears God, nothing will terrify him, no danger; divine promises give such a man the desired peace. But those who pay no heed to the Word of God proclaimed by the prophets will surely stumble on their path and fall into trouble.

Isaiah 8:11. For the Lord spoke to me with a strong hand and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, A new revelation the prophet here describes. At this time he was in a special, ecstatic state (under the hand of the Lord). “To walk in the way,” that is, to imitate.

Isaiah 8:12. “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy; and do not fear what they fear, and do not be afraid. The Lord teaches the prophet and the Jews who were still able to listen to the prophet’s instruction, not to consider seriously the conspiracy of the kings of Syria and Israel against the dynasty of David (2 Chr 23:13).

Isaiah 8:13. The Lord of hosts—Him you shall regard as holy; let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread! It is not these insignificant kings whom the Jews should fear, but their great King—the Lord! They must take His will into account, because He is their Almighty Sovereign.

Isaiah 8:14. And He will be for a sanctuary and for a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a snare and a net to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Isaiah 8:15. And many among them shall stumble and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be captured. And He will be for a sanctuary—in the translation from Hebrew holie keddasch. Some interpret this in the sense that the Almighty will be for the Jews a refuge, into which enemies will not dare to penetrate to hide those Jews (cf. Isa 5:16; Ezek 28:22). Others see here an indication of the sanctifying activity of the Lord toward the believing. Isa 8:16-22. The saving revelation which the Jews do not wish to accept must be preserved, at least in a small circle of believers. The prophet must initiate them into the understanding of this revelation, and then let them wait with patience for its fulfillment. He himself, with his sons—Shear-jashub and Maher-shalal-hash-baz—will remain a living testimony to all who wish to see and hear—a testimony that salvation is only in the Lord, that the enemies of Judea will soon be punished, and that from the very disobedient Jewish people only a remnant will be saved. Yes, the Jews should seek instruction from the prophets of God, but instead they turn for counsel to various soothsayers. This will lead the Judean state to ultimate ruin—both political and religio-moral.

Isaiah 8:16. Bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples.” The prophet declares that he wishes to preserve this testimony of God by sealing it for his disciples. (According to the more correct translation, the first word of the verse is read as an infinitive—ihotom: “I intend to bind up…” This is the word of the prophet himself). “Disciples”—of Isaiah are the people who believe in the Almighty, constituting a small circle around the prophet.

Isaiah 8:17. Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. If Jewish society has lost hope in the Lord, the prophet, nevertheless, firmly trusts in Him, contrary to all appearances by which one might conclude that the Almighty has completely broken His covenant with Israel.

Isaiah 8:18. Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. Isaiah and his two sons—all three by their names (the Lord will save—the remnant shall return—a remnant will escape, he hastens the spoil)—serve as clear prefigurations of what the One who is, intends to do for His people: the Lord will save His people. The Apostle Paul, taking the preceding verse, as well as the words of verse 18: behold I and the children… places these in the mouth of the Messiah, to prove that even in the Old Testament there was the thought of the actual assumption by the Messiah—the Son of God—of true human flesh (Heb 2:13).

Isaiah 8:19. And when they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists, those who chirp and those who mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead in behalf of the living? These testimonies are enough for the believer. There is no need, therefore, to turn to various kinds of soothsayers for inquiries about the future! “Mediums”—in Hebrew haovot, that is, people who claim to be mediums through whom one can receive an answer from someone among the dead. Such was, for example, the sorceress of Endor (1 Sam 28:7). “Soothsayers”—in Hebrew hajidenim (from the verb jada—to know), in our terms, those who consult spirits or wizards (cf. Lev 20:27; Deut 18:11). As qualifications for both these terms, are added the words: those who squeak and those who mutter. The first word refers to the squeak of a mouse in the silence or the chirping of a bird and designates a scarcely audible, thin, like that of a bird, voice of one speaking on behalf of the dead, a medium. The second—to the hollowness of the voice which those same mediums tried to give to their speech. “Answer”—this word is not in the Hebrew text.

Isaiah 8:20. To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, surely there is no dawn. The first words of this verse constitute a supplement to the verb of the preceding verse, and both verses, more consistently with the context of the discourse, may be translated thus: But you will be told: “Consult with the mediums and the spiritists, those who chirp and those who mutter. Should not a people consult their gods (cf. Jonah 1:5) and the dead on behalf of those who live, in order to receive teaching and testimony?” Certainly, this is what they will say—but in them there is no clear understanding (light).

Isaiah 8:21. And they shall wander through the land, severely oppressed and hungry; and in their hunger they will be enraged, and will curse their king and their God. Isaiah 8:22. And they shall look to the earth, and behold, it is darkness and distress; and the light is darkened by their clouds; and they shall be thrust into darkness. Yet there shall not be gloom for her who is oppressed. Hunger will cause the Jews to curse their king and god—not the Lord, but the one whom they so honored, the one on whom they placed their hopes. Darkness will cover the Judean land everywhere. The Jews will lift their eyes to heaven, expecting to see the sun, but the sun will not appear to them. Darkness appears here, as in other places, as the symbolic designation of the most terrible, comfortless condition (cf. Deut 28:29). Chapter 8 contains new predictions of Assyrian invasion. Verses 1–4, 5–10, 11–15, 16–20 constitute separate prophecies, separated from one another by certain intervals of time. The sign described in verses 1–4 was probably given in 734 BC, since it is predicted here that the kingdoms of Syria and Israel will be devastated by the Assyrians within a year and a half. The following passages have in view the Judean kingdom, which in turn should suffer from the Assyrian ruler. The last passage—verses 16–20—has a personal interest, so to speak, as it recounts an important episode in Isaiah’s prophetic ministry. Wearied, apparently, by the struggle against the disbelief which the Jewish people showed toward his counsel, the prophet records his teachings and, sealing them, entrusts this document to his disciples. What this document contained—it is impossible to venture probable conjectures on this. Chapters 7, verses 10–16, and chapter 8, verses 1–4 and 8–10, are read as a paremial text on the eve of the feast of the Nativity of Christ, because Immanuel and His Kingdom are the prefiguration of Christ and His Church, Who, with such a Protector, needs fear no enemies.

Chapter Nine

1–7. Salvation which the Messiah grants to all God’s people. 8–21. God’s judgment against the Israelite kingdom for its disobedience to the Lord.

Isa 9:1-7 From the dark picture of the life of the Jewish people, the prophet’s gaze turns to the bright future which awaits this nation with the coming of the Messiah. Where oppressive darkness once reigned, the rays of life-giving light will spread widely. The joy of the Jewish people freed from the yoke of enemies will be extraordinary, because with the defeat of its enemies, all wars will end forever. The author of such a happy transformation already appears to the prophet as a newborn Child of Divine nature, to whom an eternal reign is destined and who will establish dominion of justice and peace on earth. 15

Isaiah 9:1. The former time brought low the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but the latter will magnify the coastal path, the trans-Jordanian country, Galilee of the nations. These words belong to the end of verse 22 of chapter 8: “but not forever shall there be darkness.” In the Masoretic text, verse 1 of chapter 9 is appended to chapter 8 as additional, verse 23. “The former time.” The prophet, properly speaking, has in mind the sorrowful present and near future of the Israelite kingdom or its sovereign regions. But since he sees these actions of the Israelite kingdom and the Jewish people in general as already covered by that joy which will be given to his countrymen with the coming of the Messiah, he calls his time and the near future “former time,” as if already passed. “The lands of Zebulun and… Naphtali” are mentioned by the prophet in place of two others, probably because these lands first of all suffered during the invasion of the Assyrians, who came from the north. “The coastal path”—this can be the road which ran along the western shore of the Tiberias Sea and led beyond the Jordan (thus it is more correct to translate the expression ever hajarden, which in the Russian Synodal translation is incorrectly rendered as “trans-Jordanian country”). “Galilee of the nations”—more correctly from the Hebrew “circuit” (gelil) of the heathen peoples. Here is meant that circuit which was populated by heathen peoples from the time when Solomon gave it to the king of Tyre—precisely the region of the tribe of Naphtali (1 Sam 15:20; 2 Sam 15:29). By pointing out that the region belonging to the Israelite tribe came to be called a circuit of heathen peoples, the prophet hereby clearly indicates what the diminishment of the Israelite kingdom consisted of. What the magnification of this country will consist of, the prophet speaks of in the following verses. The evangelist Matthew applies this prophecy to the appearance of Jesus Christ in Galilee (Matt 4:13-16).

Isaiah 9:2. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; on those dwelling in the land of the shadow of death, light will shine forth. The prophet continues to depict the future well-being which will come to the northern kingdom and to all Israel in general with the coming of the Messiah. “The land of the shadow of death”—the same as Sheol, the underworld, where there is no light at all. Thus is named the entire land of Israel, where impenetrable darkness of troubles and superstitions reigns, and especially Galilee, which lay amid the influence of neighboring heathen states.

Isaiah 9:3. You will multiply the people, increase their joy. They will rejoice before You as they rejoice at the time of harvest, as they exult when dividing the spoils. The people, weakened in their numbers by losses in battles with enemies and by the captivity of a significant portion of them, will again, thanks to the Almighty, be multiplied and will rejoice from sensing themselves again in communion with the Lord (before You).

Isaiah 9:4. For the yoke that burdened him, and the rod that struck him, and the staff of his oppressor You will shatter, as on the day of Midian. Instead of “the rod that struck him” (an expression identical with the following), it is better to read “the collar on his shoulders.” “The day of Midian”—this is the day of the great defeat inflicted by Gideon upon the Midianites (Judg 7 and following).

Isaiah 9:5. For every boot of the warrior in the tumult of battle and every garment rolled in blood will be given to the fire, food for the flame. “The boot of the warrior” more precisely: heavy soldier’s boots (called among the Romans: caligae). “Garment”—a military cloak. From this it is evident that the enemy’s warriors will have nothing to dress in for setting out on a campaign against Israel, and that, therefore, Israel will be left unmolested by enemies.

Isaiah 9:6. For a Child is born to us—a Son is given to us; dominion is on His shoulders, and they will call His name: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. “A Child.” The author of this change in the fate of Israel will be a Child, that is, clearly, that Child Immanuel of whom there was talk in chapter 7, verse 14, and of whom as the Lord and Protector of the Holy Land it is said in chapter 8. “Is born”—the prophet contemplates the birth of the Messiah as a Child as an already accomplished fact. “A Son”—understood either as God’s or as royal. In the latter case, the word son should receive the meaning of descendant (of course, of David). “Dominion,” that is, on His shoulders will be seen signs of royal dignity—for example, a golden chain. “They will call His name”—that is, they will recognize Him, fully in accordance with His actual dignity, as a Being of Divine nature. Such is the meaning of the following names of the Child. “Wonderful Counselor” (analogy with the following expression and rhythm compel joining both these words into one expression). “Mighty God” (Cf. Isa 10:21), Father of Eternity or the author of time, from whom the life of the world is in full dependence at all times (Isa 47:6). “Prince of Peace” (cf. Zech 9:9; Mic 5:2), who is able to establish on earth perfect peace.

Isaiah 9:7. Of the increase of His dominion and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and in His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from now and forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. This Child will sit on the throne of David and will reign, strong with His complete and perfect justice toward all His subjects. His kingdom will be eternal, because the Lord of hosts, who is zealous for the salvation of His people, grants Him the strength to accomplish all this work of salvation of the people of Israel, behind whom stands all mankind. The archangel Gabriel in his announcement to the Most Holy Virgin refers this prophecy to the activity of our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 1:32-33). And all the preceding verses of chapter 9 also have direct prophetic relation to our Lord Jesus Christ. So to Him relates the prediction about the Light which will shine forth in the region of Galilee. Christ was not only for His people, but for all mankind the true Light, who enlightens every man (John 1:4; John 3:19; John 8:12). Further, the indication of Him as a Child serves as a prophecy of the Messiah’s assumption of our human nature and of His gradual growth. Likewise have been fulfilled in Christ the predictions about Him contained in the names given to the Child in verse 6. Christ indeed, as Mighty God, crushed the power of the devil (John 12:31) and became the Prince of Peace because, thanks to His mediation, men were reconciled again with God and with one another (Eph 2:14; 1 Tim 2:5; Col 1:20). Isa 9:8-21 From the bright picture of the future the prophet again turns to the sorrowful present. As the Israelite kingdom, so too the Judahite kingdom deserves punishment from God, and therefore calamities will break forth upon them one after another. Especially many misfortunes will be caused to Israel by mutual strife and discord.

Isaiah 9:8. The Lord sends a word against Jacob, and it comes down upon Israel. The speech beginning from verse 8 of chapter 9 and ending with verse 4 of chapter 10 was spoken immediately after the Syrian-Israelite invasion of Judea and the subsequent attack of Tiglath-Pileser on the kingdom of Israel. This is clearly indicated by verses 9 and 13. “A word”—God’s judgment, falling from heaven like lightning. “Jacob and… Israel”—here are hardly synonyms; where these words denote parts of the people, the latter indicates the northern Israelite kingdom, and the former the kingdom of Judah (cf. Isa 2:5; Isa 8:17).

Isaiah 9:9. So that all the people may know, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say with pride and haughtiness of heart: Isaiah 9:10. “The bricks have fallen—we will build with hewn stone; the sycamores have been cut down—we will replace them with cedars.” The northern Israelite kingdom is distinguished by particular arrogance. Instead of bricks—a material quite fragile—it wants to erect its buildings from expensive and durable hewn stone; instead of sycamores or fairly common in Palestine fig trees, from which beams, doors, window lattices, and stairs were fashioned, to make these from cedar brought from Lebanon, a strong wood. By this, of course, the prophet symbolically points to the proud dreams of the Israelites regarding the restoration of their political significance.

Isaiah 9:11. And the Lord will raise up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and will stir up his enemies: “Against him,” that is, against the Israelite kingdom, the enemies of Rezin, that is, the Assyrians.

Isaiah 9:12. The Syrians from the east and the Philistines from the west; and they will devour Israel with full mouth. In spite of all this, His anger will not turn away, and His hand is still stretched out. “The Syrians”—former friends of Israel will also become its enemies. “The Philistines” were the ancient enemies of Judea (2 Chr 28 and following). (The Peshitta translation: Edom from the east (instead of Syrians) would fit in this place only on the assumption that verse 11 speaks of the kingdom of Judah, but as can be seen from verse 12, it speaks of Israel, to which the Idumeans did not have particular enmity).

Isaiah 9:13. But the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, and do not seek the Lord of hosts. Isaiah 9:14. And the Lord will cut off from Israel the head and the tail, the palm and the reed, in one day: Isaiah 9:15. The elder and honored man—this is the head; and the prophet, the false teacher, is the tail. Isaiah 9:16. And the leaders of this people lead them astray, and those who are led by them are destroyed. “He who strikes”—the Lord, sending the Assyrians upon the Israelite kingdom. “The head”—this is the lawfully established rulers and guides of the people, and the tail—false prophets (cf. verse 15), who had themselves assumed the title of guides of the people (1 Sam 22:6; Ezek 13:10).

Isaiah 9:17. Therefore the Lord does not rejoice in its young men, and does not have compassion on its orphans and widows; for all of them are godless and evildoers, and every mouth speaks ungodliness. In spite of all this, His anger will not turn away, and His hand is still stretched out. “The Lord does not rejoice.” An elderly man looks with consolation at the young generation growing up. But the young men of Israel will not gladden the Lord. “Orphans and widows He will not have compassion on.” It is necessary to assume that both widows and orphans in the Israelite people, by their sins, aroused such anger of God against themselves.

Isaiah 9:18. For iniquity is kindled like a fire, consuming the briers and thorns, and it blazes in the thickets of the forest, and the smoke rises up in columns. “Iniquity” of Israel the prophet likens to a forest fire, which, due to the dryness of trees in Palestine, spreads quickly.

Isaiah 9:19. The wrath of the Lord of hosts will burn the land, and the people will become as it were food for fire; a man will not spare his brother. Isaiah 9:20. And they will cut on the right side, and be hungry; and they will eat on the left side, and not be satisfied; each one will eat the flesh of his own arm: Isaiah 9:21. Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; together they will turn against Judah. In spite of all this, His anger will not turn away, and His hand is still stretched out. For this iniquity which destroys the inner strength of the Israelite kingdom, the Lord will direct His wrath upon it, which will fill the Israelite land like fire. The most vivid evidence of God’s anger against the Israelite kingdom will be the discord which will break out there. “To eat the flesh of his own arm,” that is, to destroy his own brothers, fellow countrymen, who should be dear to a man like his own hands.

2 Samuel 15:14. “Manasseh against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasseh.” Here the prophet points to bloodshed which took place in the Israelite kingdom in general during the change of rulers, coming from different tribes. Each tribe, of course, stood behind the claimant belonging to that tribe (for example, 2 Kings 15:14, 30). The kingdom of Israel, therefore, soon perished. It lasted 257 years and had twenty kings in this time. As stated above, verse 1 of chapter 9 of the Russian translation should be referred to chapter 8. From verse 2 of chapter 9 to verse 5, the first strophe of the prophecy about the birth of the Messiah and about the liberation of the people from the yoke of enemies. Verses 6–7—this is the second strophe of the same prophecy (each strophe contains two hemistiches). Verses 8 to 12—the first strophe of the new prophecy—about the punishment which will befall Israel and Judah. (2+2+3 hemistiches). From verse 13 to 17—the second strophe of the same prophecy, where the discourse is about the anarchy which will begin in the Israelite kingdom (2+2+3). From verses 18 to 21—the third strophe, where the discourse is about the civil wars between the tribes of the Israelite kingdom and their enmity toward the kingdom of Judah (3+2+2). Some biblical critics do not acknowledge the authenticity of verses 2–7 of chapter 9, which contain the prophecy about the birth of the Messiah and His Divine dignity. But the grounds which these critics put forward in favor of their opinion are exceedingly shaky. Marti makes his main argument in this case the proposition that the idea of a personal Messiah is a later, even post-exilic idea. But what is said about the Messiah by the post-exilic prophets Haggai (Hag 2:7) and Zechariah (Zech 3 and following; Zech 6:12-13 and following) clearly testifies that the idea of the Messiah the King was long established in the consciousness of the Israelite people. Verses 6–7 of chapter 9 are read as a paremia on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, since the Church sees here a direct prophecy of the birth of the Savior of the world. * * * At the same time, in the preceding chapters the human origin of the Messiah is thoroughly established… He is not only God, but also man. Editor’s note.

Chapter Ten

1–4. The fate of unrighteous judges of Israel. 5–11. The arrogance of Assyria, 12–19. and God’s judgment upon it. 20–27. Consolation to Israel. 28–34. Assyria before Jerusalem.

Isa 10:1-4 The judges of Israel violate the law of God’s righteousness by their decisions and sentences and show no mercy toward widows, orphans, and the poor. These wicked men face either captivity or death; but even so God’s wrath against Israel will not be satisfied.

Isaiah 10:1. Woe to those who enact unjust laws and who write cruel decrees, Isaiah 10:2. to turn aside the poor from justice and to rob the rights of the weak among My people, that they may make widows their prey and rob the orphans. The speech is not only about judicial decisions but also about laws newly introduced into the state life of the kingdom of Israel. These new laws are unjust and oppressive for weak and poor people, such as widows and orphans.

Isaiah 10:3. And what will you do on the day of visitation, when destruction comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your wealth? Exodus 34:7. “The day of visitation” – the day of punishment (as in Ex.34:7). “Destruction from afar” – is undoubtedly referring to the invasion of the Assyrians, who lived at a relatively great distance from Palestine. “Wealth” – in the Hebrew text: glory (kevod). It is clear that the contemporaries of Isaiah put all their strength and glory in the wealth they had accumulated in fortunate and peaceful times. When enemies attacked, wealthy people usually tried to hide their treasures somewhere far away.

Isaiah 10:4. Without Me you will bend down among the captives and will fall among the slain. In all this His anger will not turn away, and His hand is still stretched out. “Without Me” – without the help of God, deprived of it through their sins, nothing remains for them but to humbly bend under the weight of chains among captives or to submit their neck to the enemy’s sword. Yet even this will not limit the Judge in punishing Israel. Isa 10:5-11 And God threatens Assyria with judgment for its arrogance. Assyria did not understand the mission entrusted to it toward the chosen people. It was to punish only the kingdom of Judah, yet instead it imagined it could completely conquer it.

Isaiah 10:5. O Assyria, the rod of My anger! and the staff in his hand – My indignation! “Assyria” – this name belonged to one of the sons of Shem (Gen 10:22), and later was transferred to the people descended from him, who dwelt along the eastern bank of the Tigris, roughly in its middle course, specifically between the Tigris, its tributaries, and the first ridges of the mountain chain. This region was very advantageous from a military and internal development perspective, and there a young people over many years strengthened their independent spirit, gradually developing the bold and energetic character that would later distinguish them, passing through a military school in frequent but petty wars with wild mountaineers and nomads around them. Later Assyria expanded and extended its territories to the Euphrates, occupying no less than 75,000 square miles (Ragozina Z.A. History of Assyria. 1902, p. 6–7). Until 608 BC (the year of the fall of the Assyrian capital, Nineveh) the Assyrian kingdom was considered the most powerful kingdom in the world, and Assyrian armies more than once even occupied Egypt. The cultural significance of Assyria for the ancient world was also enormous, and its influence extended even to Egypt, which itself possessed ancient culture. From Assyria much remains – remnants of its palaces, temples, entire libraries, state archives, which are studied to this day (detailed and excellent descriptions of all these monuments can be seen in the aforementioned work of Ragozina). “The rod of My anger” – an instrument by which God punished His people who had sinned against Him. (Critics consider the words “in his hand” an insertion, and the second part of the verse is read in new translations as: “the staff of My indignation”).

Isaiah 10:6. I will send him against a godless nation and against a nation under My wrath; I will give him command to plunder with plundering and to take spoil and to trample it like mud in the streets. Which nation is referred to here is unclear. But from the connection of the discourse, it is most likely to see the Hebrew people here. This people aroused the wrath of the Most High through their godlessness, and the Lord sends Assyrians against them, who must humble it, cause it considerable harm, although not destroy it completely.

Isaiah 10:7. But he does not think thus and his heart does not plan so; it is on his heart to destroy and to blot out not a few nations. The Assyrians will not be satisfied with the destruction of the kingdom of Judah, its devastation. They will want to destroy, that is, completely annihilate both this kingdom and many others.

Isaiah 10:8. For he will say: “Are not all my kings princes? The period from 900 to 650 BC was the most flourishing period in the history of the Assyrian monarchy, and Isaiah, living in the eighth century, was of course a witness to this flowering of Assyria. The Assyrian kings subdued to themselves all the “western land,” including Phoenicia, the Philistine land, Edom, and the kingdom of Israel. King Esarhaddon conquered all of Egypt, and under Ashurbanipal (668–626 BC) the Assyrian kingdom included in its borders all lands from Media and Persia to the Mediterranean Sea and from Armenia to the Arabian desert. Foreign lands, after their conquest by the Assyrians, were left in the same position as before, but the kings of these lands became vassals of the Assyrian king and paid him tribute (to this the expression “my princes” refers). Therefore, the Assyrian kings called themselves by the titles: sarru rabbu (great king) and sar sarrani (king of kings).

Isaiah 10:9. Is not Calno the same as Carchemish? Is not Hamath the same as Arpad? Is not Samaria the same as Damascus? The Assyrian king does not consider it impossible for himself to take the strongest enemy fortress. Calno, or in Hebrew kalno – a city that is unknown. Some consider it identical with ancient Ctesiphon, which was on the eastern bank of the Tigris south of Baghdad; others identify it with the city of Kullani, which apparently belonged to the territories of Hamath. This latter city was indeed taken in 738 BC by the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser (in Assyrian monuments this city is named Kunulua or Kinalia). “Carchemish” – a city in the land of the Hittites on the right, western, bank of the Euphrates. It was annexed to Assyria by Sargon (in 717 BC), – but even earlier Tiglath-Pileser may have taken it during his campaign to the west. “Hamath” – in Hebrew Hamath – the chief city of northern Syria, on the river Orontes. Not far from it, to the north, was the city of Arpad (now Tell-Erfad), taken in 740 BC by Tiglath-Pileser, while Hamath was annexed to Assyria only in 720 BC under Sargon. “Damascus” was taken by the Assyrians in 732 BC, and Samaria – at the beginning of Sargon’s reign, in 722 BC.

Isaiah 10:10. Since my hand has overcome the kingdoms of idols, whose idols are more numerous than those in Jerusalem and Samaria, – Isaiah 10:11. shall I not do the same to Jerusalem and its images as I did to Samaria and her idols?” From the “idols,” according to the belief of the ancients, depended the prosperity and strength of the kingdom. Whose idols or gods were stronger, that state was to prevail in the struggle. The Assyrian king therefore wants first of all to take the idols, whose existence he assumes also in Jerusalem. By seizing the idols of the Judeans, he will thereby hold the Judean people in submission. But which king does Isaiah have in mind here? The tone of speech of this king (v. 8–11) is very similar to the boastful tone of one inscription in which Tiglath-Pileser claims that he took the gods of the subdued Philistines (Palestine) in such multitude as bird-catchers capture birds (cf. Hos 8:5; Hos 10:5). Besides, v. 10 of ch. 10 presupposes the still-existing Samaria – alongside Jerusalem; – from which it follows that Isaiah apparently is not speaking of its final destruction (v. 11), which was accompanied by the relocation of Israelites to Assyria, but of its seizure by Tiglath-Pileser in 734 BC. Isa 10:12-19 Having given Assyria the right to punish Jerusalem, the Lord will repay the king of Assyria for his arrogance and the kingdom of Assyria will weaken, and primarily the number of the Assyrian army, by which indeed this kingdom was strong, will decrease.

Isaiah 10:12. And it will come to pass that when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, He will say: “I will look upon the success of the proud heart of the king of Assyria and upon the boasting of his haughty eyes.” “His work” – that is, the judgment over Judah and, in particular, over Jerusalem, which did not wish to submit to the will of God; which the prophet Isaiah was proclaiming to it, for example, in chapter 7. “I will look” – The Hebrew verb standing here (pha kad) often has the meaning of punishing. “The success of the proud heart” – in translation from the Hebrew the fruit of pride, that is, proud and arrogant words, which are the fruit of the inward arrogant disposition of the Assyrian king. “And the boasting” – more correctly and simply: “and his boastful pride.”

Isaiah 10:13. He says: “By the strength of my hand and by my wisdom I have done this, for I am intelligent; I have removed the borders of peoples, and have plundered their treasures, and have cast down the mighty as one enthroned; “Removing the borders of peoples,” established by God Himself (Deut 32:6), – is a clear sign of impiety and pride of the Assyrian king, who imagined himself the wisest being in the world. “As one enthroned” – in Hebrew keabir, that is, like a bull. Here there may be an allusion to the figures of mighty bulls that adorned the entrances to Assyrian palaces. The powerful Assyrian bull rushes through enemy lands and with its horns overturns royal thrones.

Isaiah 10:14. and my hand has seized the wealth of the peoples like a nest; and as one gathers abandoned eggs, so I have gathered all the earth, and no one fluttered a wing, and no one opened a mouth, and no one chirped.” “No one fluttered a wing” – these words indicate the panic that seized everyone when the Assyrian hosts drew near.

Isaiah 10:15. Does the ax boast itself against him who cuts with it? Does the saw pride itself against him who moves it? As if a rod managed him who lifts it; as if a staff raised itself against him who is not wood! Assur is but a blind instrument in the hands of God. “Managed” would more correctly be said: directs the hand that lifts it. “Raised” more correctly; cause to move the hand.

Isaiah 10:16. Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will send wasting upon his fat ones, and among his honored ones He will kindle a flame, like a blazing fire. “The fat ones” – evidently a synonym for the following expression: the honored ones. Here are meant first of all the mighty Assyrian warriors, and then all the noble and wealthy Assyrians, whose strength will be destroyed – they will waste away. “Wasting and flame” – also synonyms, indicating different calamities which, by God’s judgment, will fall upon the Assyrians.

Isaiah 10:17. And the light of Israel will become fire, and his Holy One – a flame, which will burn and consume his thorns and his briers in a single day; “The light of Israel… and his Holy One” – synonyms denoting the Most High – the Protector of the Israeli people. The Lord – is fire consuming the ungodly (Deut 9:3), and in particular the Assyrians, who here are called thorns and briers for Israel because of the countless misfortunes they caused it. “In a single day” – that is, once and for all the Lord will destroy the Assyrian kingdom and indeed in the shortest span of time. This prophecy was fulfilled in the rather swift fall of the Assyrian state in 608 BC.

Isaiah 10:18. and the glory of his forest and his garden, from soul to body, shall be destroyed; and he will be like a wasting and dying man. Isaiah 10:19. And the remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few in number that a child will be able to write them down. “Forest… and garden” – these refer to the Assyrian army. From this army so few warriors will remain that a small child, who can count only to ten or twenty, will be able to count all the remaining Assyrian soldiers. Of course, here the expression is hyperbolic (exaggeration). Isa 10:20-27 Israel, or properly the kingdom of Judah, from this conflict with Assyria will emerge enlightened and will cease to seek help from anyone but the Lord. This correct path will be taken, however, only by a few of the Judeans (the remnant). These will be saved from the universal ruin that will soon fall upon the peoples; judgment for them will be but a transition to salvation.

Isaiah 10:20. And in that day the remnant of Israel and those saved from the house of Jacob will no longer rely upon the one who struck them, but will trust in the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, faithfully. Isaiah 10:21. The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob – to the mighty God. “In that day” – evidently after the destruction of the Assyrian state. “The remnant of Israel” – Of course, here one must understand only the kingdom of Judah, for the kingdom of Israel was already destroyed before the fall of Assyria. “The one who struck them” – that is, the Assyrians. The Assyrians will themselves be struck by the Most High, who is therefore called here the mighty God (El gibbor).

Isaiah 10:22. For though your people, O Israel, were as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of it will turn; destruction is determined by righteousness overflowing; Isaiah 10:23. for the determined destruction the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will carry out throughout all the earth. From Israel (the Judean people) only a remnant will turn or return (from Babylonian captivity), a small part of all the people, while the other Hebrews, unworthy of God’s mercy, are destined for destruction. They, like all other peoples living on earth, will suffer punishment in the full severity of God’s Judgment, that is, will perish in those lands to which the conquerors will move them.

Isaiah 10:24. Therefore thus says the Lord, the Lord of hosts: O My people, dwelling on Zion! do not fear Assyria. He will strike you with a rod and will lift up his staff against you, as Egypt did. “Therefore” – that is, having in mind the approaching fall of the Assyrian kingdom. “As Egypt did” – that is, as the Egyptian pharaoh once did, who resolved to destroy the descendants of Jacob living in Egypt.

Isaiah 10:25. Yet a little, very little, and My indignation will pass away, and My wrath will turn to their destruction. Isaiah 10:26. And the Lord of hosts will lift up a scourge against him, as in the time of the plague of Midian at the rock of Oreb, or as He stretched out His rod over the sea, and will lift it up against Egypt. In these verses the smiting of Assyria is predicted, which will follow in a very short time. Therefore it is best to see here a prophecy of the plague by the Angel of the Lord upon the Assyrian army under the walls of Jerusalem (Isa 37:36). “The plague of Midian” – under the judge Gideon was accomplished in a single night (Judg 7 and following). “The rock of Oreb” – that rock where the Midianite prince Oreb-raven perished (Judg 7:25). “Or as He stretched” – more accurately to translate: and as His rod upon the sea. The Most High will therefore destroy the Assyrians as He once drowned in the Red Sea the pharaoh and his army.

Isaiah 10:27. And it will come to pass in that day: the burden will be taken from your shoulders, and the yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because of fatness. “The yoke will be broken because of fatness.” The Hebrew people is evidently compared here to beasts of burden, which will become so fat from good free life that the yoke, by which their neck was bound, will not hold and will crack. Isa 10:28-34 But before its ruin Assyria will cause much harm to Judea, the passage of the Assyrian armies through which the prophet depicts. In the end the Lord will put an end to this invasion!

Isaiah 10:28. He comes to Aiath, passes through Migron; at Michmash he stores his supplies. The prophet begins to enumerate those Judean cities which the Assyrians will seize in their invasion of Judea. “Aiath” – the same as Ai (Gen 12:8), which lay to the southeast of Bethel, in the tribe of Benjamin. “Migron” – probably that city whose ruins are now called Makrun. This city apparently was located on the path between Ai and Michmash. “Michmash” – a city in the tribe of Benjamin, now bearing the name Mukhmasa. Here the Assyrians leave their baggage train, because the road ahead becomes very difficult and also because they soon hope to reach Jerusalem, where they expect to find sufficient provisions.

Isaiah 10:29. They pass through the defiles; at Geba is their lodging; Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul has fled. “The defiles” – a narrow passage from Michmash (1 Sam 13:23) through Wadi Suweinit (valley), by which the Assyrians pass to reach Geba (now Jeba) and stop there for the night. The next morning they go to terrified Ramah (in the tribe of Benjamin), past Gibeah of Saul the highest point in the tribe of Benjamin.

Isaiah 10:30. Cry out with your voice, O daughter of Gallim; listen, O Laish, O poor Anathoth! Of the three cities mentioned here, Anathoth is well known, the birthplace of the prophet Jeremiah. The prophet speaks of it in Hebrew anija anatoth! Evidently here a word is chosen that is similar in sound to the name of the city. Anathoth was located three-quarters of an hour’s journey north of Jerusalem and east of Gibeah.

1 Samuel 25:44. “Gallim” is mentioned in 1 Samuel 25:44. Isaiah 10:31. Madmenah has fled; the inhabitants of Gebim hurry away. “Madmenah” (dung hill) and Gebim (wells) – localities located north of Jerusalem.

Isaiah 10:32. Yet for one day he will stand at Nob; he threatens with his hand the mountain of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. “Nob” (1 Sam 22:19) – to the north-east of Jerusalem, from which Jerusalem is already visible from the heights on which Nob (an elevation) is located.

Isaiah 10:33. Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, with terrible might will break down the branches of the trees, and those exalted in stature will be hewn down, and the high ones will be laid low to the ground. Isaiah 10:34. And He will cut down the thicket of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall before the Almighty. The Lord like a furious whirlwind will break mighty trees (the Assyrian army) and “Lebanon will fall,” that is, the Assyrian hosts, resembling a mighty and impenetrable Lebanon forest. It should be noted that the Assyrian monuments present otherwise the campaign of the Assyrian king Sennacherib against Judea. First he went to Phoenicia, then descended along the sea road to the Philistine land, and finally attacked Judea from the southwest. But Isaiah did not at all intend to give an exact depiction of the entire route of the Assyrian troops, and he of course represented this campaign in his own way, because the details of future events were not revealed to the prophets in full detail. The main thing – the suddenness and terror of the Assyrian invasion are depicted by the prophet with striking power and relief. Recent critics find in Chapter 10 not a few insertions of a later time belonging to the editor of Isaiah’s prophecies. Thus Marti points out that Isaiah could not put into the mouth of a pagan king the expression: “kingdoms of idols,” “idols” (v. 10 and 11). Cheyne and Marti consider verses 16–19 a “mosaic of diverse images,” and verses 20–23 not authentic because they contain reasonings unexpected from Isaiah. Verses 24–27 according to Cheyne also do not belong to Isaiah, because their meter is very heavy and also because they lack rhythm. All these objections are based on purely subjective views and therefore do not have sufficient convincing force. For example, in verses 20–23 we find in fact not only thoughts wholly consistent with Isaiah’s general worldview, but even his own expressions (cf. for example v. 20 and ch. 9 v. 12; v. 21 and ch. 1 v. 27; v. 23 and ch. Isa 6:12). And that Isaiah sometimes speaks in prose here – was this impossible or forbidden for him?

Chapter Eleven

1–5. The Messiah as a shoot from the root of Jesse, His endowment with the gifts of God’s Spirit, and His righteous rule. 6–9. The Kingdom of the Messiah: its character. 10–14. Participants in the Kingdom of the Messiah. 15–16. And its establishment.

Isa 11:1-5. The prophet sees in his prophetic vision how, after the crushing of the power of the Assyrian state, a shoot rises from the hewn-down tree—the house of David—and how this shoot becomes a mighty tree—the Ruler of the earth and the Founder of God’s kingdom on earth. Being by His bodily descent an offspring of Jesse and David, this Ruler possesses the full measure of God’s Spirit’s gifts. By virtue of this, He will be a fully just Judge—Ruler of His kingdom, rendering to each what is due.

Isaiah 11:1. And a shoot shall spring forth from the root of Jesse, and a branch shall grow from his root; “And”—this conjunction shows that the appearance of a shoot from the root of Jesse will follow after the crushing of the might of the Assyrian kingdom, but does not define the exact time of this appearance. “Shoot”—in Hebrew, choter—a rod, a thin, easily bending reed (cf. Prov 14:3). The idea contained in this name is the same as in the term zemach (Isa 4:2). “From the root of Jesse.” Root in Hebrew is geza, that is, a lopped-off stump. The name Jesse is used instead of David, just as in the Book of Judges the name Machir is used instead of Manasseh (Judg 5:14). The prophet by this wishes to indicate that by the time of the coming of the Messiah the royal line of David will represent the likeness of a tree whose entire upper part has been hewn down: only a stump remains. (The Orthodox Church directly calls Christ “the rod from the root of Jesse and the flower from him” [from the hymn of the canon on the Nativity of Christ, ode 4].) And so it was in reality. Members of the royal house of David, Joseph and the Most Holy Virgin Mary lived an extremely humble life, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to the splendor of royal life. “Branch”—in Hebrew, nezer. The Evangelist Matthew probably had in mind this designation of the Messiah when he said that the Messiah was to be a Nazarene according to the prophets (Matt 2:23).

Isaiah 11:2. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and reverence; The prophet here speaks of the “shoot” as a person. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him. This is a summary of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit enumerated afterward. These gifts are listed in pairs, with the first member of the pair pointing more to a theoretical gift, the second to a practical one. “God’s Spirit. Spirit of wisdom and understanding. Spirit of counsel and strength. Spirit of knowledge and reverence.” In particular, “wisdom and understanding”—similar concepts, but wisdom (chochmah)—a broader concept and sometimes appears as a Divine person (Prov 8 and following), whereas understanding (binah)—only an element of it (Prov 8:14). Wisdom—a concept with a more moral tone and approaches the concept of godly disposition, whereas understanding—a faculty that contains something negative: it is the practical skill, the ability to distinguish falsehood from truth, evil from good. “Counsel and strength”—the capacities of a Ruler, a King, Who needs both discernment and the power to bring His intentions to accomplishment.

Proverbs 1:7. “Knowledge and reverence”—more accurately from the Hebrew, knowledge and fear of God. Fear of God is mentioned by the prophet at the very end, contrary to Proverbs 1:7; Prov 9:10, where the fear of God is recognized as the beginning of wisdom. It is possible that the prophet on his part placed the fear of God as the foundation of the other gifts as a kind of foundation of godliness. 2 Samuel 2:9. The abiding of God’s Spirit upon the Messiah is thought of as constant (“and shall rest”—cf. 2 Kings 2:9, 15). Isaiah 11:3. And He shall be filled with the fear of the Lord, and shall not judge according to the sight of His eyes, nor reprove by the hearing of His ears; “And He shall be filled with the fear of the Lord.” The Russian Synodal translation, like the Slavonic, presents here a repetition of the final words of verse 2, but the Hebrew text should be rendered thus: “and his delight shall be in those who fear God.” Thus, with these words the prophet begins to depict the activity of the Messiah. In this respect, what strikes the prophet first of all is the distinction of the future King—the Messiah—from the Jewish kings, who manifested their favor not toward godly people but toward impious blasphemers (Hos 7:5). “To judge”—was the first duty of a king (1 Sam 8:5). The judgment of the King-Messiah will be accomplished not on the basis of only what is accessible to simple observation or on the basis of rumors about a person, which may be false, but by penetration into the very essence of the matter.

Isaiah 11:4. But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and with justice He shall decide for the afflicted of the earth; and He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. “He shall judge the poor with righteousness.” In the East bribery in judicial proceedings has always been common, and the poor, having nothing to give to a judge, were often found guilty despite complete lack of serious evidence. Since from this the life of the common people was quite disheartening, the prophet first of all comforts his readers with the assurance that in the times of the Messiah even poor people will find protection in the courts. “The rod of His mouth”—the judgment of the King-Messiah, harsh and strong as a rod. “The breath of His lips”—breathing. This breathing will be so terrible and powerful that it will put to death the impious. Under the “earth” that the Messiah will strike, one can understand the earth in general, not one particular region, because later (vs. 6–8, 10, and 11) the Messiah is depicted as the king of all nature and all peoples. By the wicked one must understand wicked people in general (the singular here stands for the plural), scattered throughout the whole earth (cf. Mic 6:10-11; Joel 3:2; Zech 12). The final words of this verse are repeated by the Apostle Paul to depict the swiftness with which Christ will destroy the power of the antichrist (2 Thess 2:8).

Isaiah 11:5. And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His waist. “As a girdle of the loins.” For an Eastern man in his wide garments it was necessary always to gird himself when he set about some work. The Messiah will be girded, that is, prepared for action by righteousness and justice inherent in Him always (cf. Hos 4 and following), and by truth. Under “truth” (in Hebrew, emunah) is understood the faithfulness of the Messiah to His promises. Isa 11:6-9. In depicting the character of the future kingdom of the Messiah, the prophet first of all draws his readers’ attention to the metamorphosis that will occur in the animal world. Peace will reign then throughout all nature; the most fierce and dangerous animals will lose their ferocity and bloodthirsty instincts and, content with plant food, will live in peace with the weaker animals. Then the prophet foretells the spread of true knowledge of God throughout all the earth.

Isaiah 11:6. Then the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat; and the calf, and the young lion, and the ox together, and a little child shall lead them. Isaiah 11:7. And the cow shall graze with the bear, and their young shall lie down together, and the lion, like the ox, shall eat straw. Interpreters differ in understanding this passage. Some mean actual animals, while others—namely the Church Fathers and some modern interpreters, for example, Smend—see in the beasts a symbolic designation of pagan nations who acted toward the chosen people like ravenous beasts toward lambs and young goats (the so-called allegorical interpretation). Which opinion is correct? The first is most likely. In fact, where the prophets use allegory, this is clear from the context of the speech (see Jer 5:6), while here there is no basis for an allegorical interpretation. On the contrary, here the prophet naturally prepares, so to speak, the soil for the following depiction of peace among people, which is possible only when the struggle for existence in external nature ceases. Animals must meet the new man, already having been renewed themselves beforehand, just as they once met the primordial Adam. And the whole depiction of this peace among animals in the prophet is in full agreement with the account in the book of Genesis about the state of the primordial world. In fact, animals, before the fall of man, ate only plant food (Gen 1:30), man was their “master”—in any case over those with whom he dwelt in Eden (Gen 1:26; Gen 2:19 and following), and the prophet Isaiah could evidently speak of the restoration of all this original state of affairs. The Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans probably had in mind our passage when he said that unreasoning nature will be freed from serving futility (Rom 8:20-22), which consists, among other things, in the constant struggle for existence that animals must wage with one another, so that consequently the New Testament also confirms the thought that Isaiah could have had in mind actual animals when he spoke of the future peace in nature. But when will this metamorphosis in the relations between all living creatures come to pass? The prophet does not clearly indicate the time for such a change, and therefore some interpreters refer the fulfillment of this prophecy to the epoch when there will be a new heaven and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells (2 Pet 3:12), while others found it possible to admit partial fulfillment of this prophecy already in the present, temporal life. Of these two opinions the second appears more probable. The context of the speech shows that the prophet is generally speaking of the earthly ministry of the Messiah: He will judge, that is, decide various disputes, of course on earth, not in heaven, where such ministry would not be needed; He will slay the impious, and so forth. Similarly, the end of the chapter (verses 10–16) clearly depicts the consequences of the Messiah’s earthly activity. It would therefore be strange if the prophet in this unified picture inserted in the middle a moment from a completely different epoch—from the life of an already glorified world. If the defenders of the first opinion point out that living reality does not speak in favor of the possibility of such a metamorphosis in the animal world, then to this must be answered that the prophet spoke of the changes which will be introduced into the life of the Christian world…

Isaiah 11:8. And a child shall play by the den of the asp, and an infant shall stretch his hand over the viper’s nest. “Asp” (paten)—a very poisonous snake. “Serpent” (ziphon)—in Greek designated by the word κεράστης. This is also a very poisonous snake (cf. Gen 49:17).

Isaiah 11:9. They will not harm or destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. “They will not do harm.” Who is meant here—animals or people? The second half of verse 9, which provides the basis for the first (for), compels us to refer the words of the first half to people, to whom alone belongs knowledge of God, which is spoken of in the second half of the verse. “On My mountain.” This is, most probably, Mount Zion, on which Solomon’s Temple was built (cf. Isa 2:2), and later—the Church of Christ, for which the old covenant temple served as a foreshadow. “The earth.” Here is meant the entire earth, all its regions. The prophet points here to the universality of the Kingdom of the Messiah, as the psalmist does, saying: their voice has gone out to all the earth and their words to the ends of the world, that is, the preachers of the Gospel (Rom 10:18; cf. Ps 18:5). Isa 11:10-14. Participants in the kingdom of the Messiah will be first the pagan nations, and then the Jews and Israelites returned from various lands where they had been in captivity, who moreover will live together peacefully in this kingdom.

Isaiah 11:10. And in that day: to the root of Jesse, which shall stand as a sign for the peoples—the nations will resort, and His resting place shall be glorious. “The root of Jesse.” Thus the prophet now calls the Messiah, whom he called earlier a shoot from the root of Jesse, because the Messiah indeed constituted the foundation or root upon which rested the welfare of the entire house of Jesse or dynasty of David. “Shall stand”—by His own, inner, Divine power. “As a sign.” The prophet points here to both the kingly and prophetic ministry of the Messiah, Who will be a guide first of all for the pagan nations (goim—pagan peoples). “His resting place”—the place of His dwelling, that is, the Church of Christ (Eph 1:22-23). “Glory,” that is, will be glorious (Isa 60:5). And the Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Romans says that first the fullness of the Gentiles must enter into the Kingdom of Christ (Rom 11:25).

Isaiah 11:11. And in that day the Lord will extend His hand again a second time to recover the remnant of His people that remains from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. “Will extend His hand again.” The first redemption of Israel from Egypt was accomplished by the hand of the Lord through Moses. Now the prophet says that the Lord will a second time accomplish by His almighty hand such a redemption. The places of Israel’s captivity are enumerated in this order: 1) Assyria, under which must be understood the Mesopotamian kingdoms in general, and chiefly the Chaldean, which had conquered the Assyrian kingdom. 2) Egypt—Mizraim, Lower Egypt. 3) Pathros, or Upper Egypt. 4) Cush or Kush, that is, Ethiopia. 5) Elam—a region beyond the Tigris. 6) Shinar—the southern part of Babylonia, where the Biblical city of Ur was located (see Interpretation of the Bible, vol. 1). 7) Hamath—to the west of the Euphrates (cf. Isa 10:9). 8) “The coastlands of the sea”—of course the Mediterranean, by which the Hebrews meant both coastal regions—Phoenicia and Asia Minor, to which the Hebrews had earlier been led into captivity and sold into slavery. What moment the prophet has in view here is difficult to determine. Given that the redemption will extend hardly to all the countries in which the Jews are scattered, one may suppose that the prophet had in mind the full and complete redemption of the remnant of the chosen people, which the expected Messiah was to accomplish—redemption from the power of the devil and death. This entry of the chosen remnant of the Hebrew people into the Kingdom of Christ must be accomplished in the last times of the world (Rom 11:15).

Isaiah 11:12. And He will raise a signal for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel, and assemble the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. “Will raise a signal”—that is, will give the nations a command to restore freedom to the Hebrews. “Four corners”—more accurately from the Hebrew, “four wings,” that is, the four main points of the earth. All the returned Jews likewise, like the nations, will enter the kingdom of the Messiah.

Isaiah 11:13. The envy of Ephraim shall depart, and those who harass Judah shall be cut off. Ephraim will not be envious of Judah, and Judah will not oppress Ephraim. Jealousy—envy, enmity. “Those who harass Judah.” For the sake of preserving the parallelism of thought, the Hebrew phrase “vezorerei jehuda” should be rendered thus: and those of the Judahite kingdom who are hostile (to Ephraim)—shall vanish. The enmity between the Judahite and Israelite kingdoms, expressed in formal wars, can be explained by such circumstances. The tribe of Judah was at first the most numerous (Num 1:27) and therefore played the most prominent role among the Hebrew people (Num 2:3-9; Num 10:14). In the land of Canaan it received a very large territory. The tribe of Ephraim for its part prided itself on the fact that from it came Joshua, the successor of Moses. Moreover, in Shiloh, the city of the tribe of Ephraim, the Ark of the Covenant stood for a time (Josh 18:1; 1 Sam 4:3). The Ephraimites moreover distinguished themselves by certain deeds. Long-standing rivalry between the two tribes was resolved by open rupture after the death of Solomon.

Isaiah 11:14. And they shall fly down on the shoulders of the Philistines to the west, and together they shall plunder the people of the east; they shall put forth their hand against Edom and Moab, and the children of Ammon shall obey them. “Shall fly down” (the Hebrews)—like ravenous birds, like eagles. “Upon the shoulders of the Philistines.” Here the prophet could have in mind the terrain of Philistine land, resembling shoulders. The Philistines in the time of Isaiah were in very hostile relations with Israel (Isa 9:11). “Shall plunder the people of the east”—that is, the inhabitants of the eastern regions of Palestine, who themselves constantly plundered the Israelite settlements (cf. Judg 6:3). Here, without question, the prophet departs from the picture of the future peaceful Messianic kingdom and depicts the immediate victories of the Jews over their long-time enemies. To see here a parallel to chapter 60 of Isaiah, where the voluntary submission of the Gentiles to the Jews is depicted (Prof. Yakimov in the Commentary on verse 14)—would be a great stretch.

Isaiah 11:15. And the Lord will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea, and will stretch out His hand over the river with His mighty wind and break it into seven streams, so that people can cross over in their sandals. Isaiah 11:16. And there will be a highway for the remnant of His people that remains from Assyria, just as it was for Israel when it came out of the land of Egypt. The Lord will establish His kingdom in a miraculous way, and in particular, for the return of the Jews to their native land He will again dry up the Red Sea and the river Euphrates. “The gulf of the Egyptian sea”—the western gulf of the Red Sea, called the Heroopolitan or Hieropolitan, the River—the Euphrates (see Isa 7:20). “Seven streams.” The Euphrates will be broken up into many separate streams. “Assyria”—here is taken as a common noun to designate the land of captivity in general. Against the authenticity of chapter 11, and chiefly its first nine verses, objections are raised of the same kind as against the authenticity of Isa 9:1-6. They say: 1) the historical situation of this chapter does not match the circumstances of the time when Isaiah lived: the captives—Israelites and Jews—are presented as scattered to all four corners of the earth (Stade, Kuenen, Duhm, Cheyne, Marti, and others). But defenders of the authenticity of chapter 11 (Franz, Delitzsch, Dillmann, and others) object that the political horizon here appears as that of the Assyrian epoch (cf. verses 11, 16). The Hebrews, as shown in the explanation of verse 11, were already earlier carried into captivity to different lands. 2) Verse 10 combines Isaiah’s idea of the Messiah as national, Israelite, with a broader religious ideal belonging to a later epoch, when the Messiah came to be depicted as the one awaited by the nations (this argument presupposes the inauthenticity of chapter 2, verses 2–5 as well). But this objection can be answered by saying that these universal features of the Messianic kingdom are also found in the earliest prophets contemporary with Isaiah: Amos, Hosea, and Micah, and one would need, by excluding chapter 11 from Isaiah, to exclude the corresponding passages from the other prophets just mentioned. 3) “How can the concept of the Messiah as a righteous Judge be reconciled with the assertion of verse 9, which affirms that no one will cause harm to one another on the holy mountain?” (Duhm). To this one can answer that perfect peace will be the result of the activity of the Messiah as Judge, and consequently the latter will precede the former. It should be added that in this prophecy about the Messiah there is a characteristic expression of Isaiah—remnant (schear). Cf. also Isa 11 and Isa 5:26; Isa 11 and Isa 19:23; Isa 11 and Isa 19:16. According to verse divisions, chapter 11 can be divided thus: 1st strophe—verses 1–5 (3, 2, 2); 2nd strophe—verses 6–9 (3, 2, 2). Then again (verse 10—a transition) 1st strophe—verses 11–13 (2, 2, 2); 2nd strophe—verses 14–16 (2, 2, 2). Verses 1–10 of this chapter are read as a lesson on the Feast of the Nativity of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ, who came in the flesh from David, was at the same time evidently an offspring or shoot from the line of Jesse, of which the beginning of the chapter speaks. * * * John Chrysostom asks: “why He, God, is filled with the Spirit?” and answers, “Being the Lord, He does not need this receiving of the Spirit, but in order to bestow the Spirit abundantly upon those in need.”

Chapter Twelve

1–6. A hymn of praise of Israel to God for the salvation received from Him.

Isa 12:1-6. The chosen remnant of Israel, having returned to their homeland from captivity, will sing praise to God their Savior, and the prophet places this very hymn of praise into the mouth of the future generation of the Hebrew people.

Isaiah 12:1. And you will say in that day: “I give thanks to You, O Lord; though You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away and You comfort me.” Isaiah 12:2. “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For the Lord God is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.” “In that day,” that is, when the final salvation of the chosen remnant is accomplished. The words of verse 2 are very close to the expressions found in the hymn of praise sung by Moses upon the crossing of the Hebrews through the Red Sea (Exod 15:2).

Isaiah 12:3. “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation;” “Drawing water.” Water is the most essential condition for the well-being of an Eastern man, who especially needs water in summer, when rains do not fall in Palestine. Therefore, in order to designate the future happiness which the redeemed remnant of Israel will enjoy, the prophet proclaims that Israel will have an abundance of water, and moreover water obtained from springs that do not dry up even in summer, as often happens to Palestinian rivers. At the same time, the prophet foretells the abundance of grace which the Messiah who is to come into the world will give to all humanity (see John 14:18).

Isaiah 12:4. “And in that day you will say, ‘Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; declare His deeds among the peoples; proclaim that His name is exalted;” Isaiah 12:5. “Sing to the Lord, for He has done excellent things; let this be known in all the earth.” Isaiah 12:6. “Rejoice and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion; for great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst.” The Jews in the days of the Messiah will invite other nations as well to praise the Lord. Does the prophet not point here to the preaching of the Apostles of Christ, who proclaimed salvation to all the world? The prophet himself invites the inhabitant of Zion, that is, the population of Jerusalem, to rejoice, who should respond first of all to the great joy which the Messiah will bring with Him. Of course, the prophet conceives of this population as Christian, which would form the first Church of Christ (Acts 2:44). Biblical criticism expresses strong suspicion regarding the authenticity of chapter 12. Even such cautious scholars as Dillmann and Skinner refuse to acknowledge Isaiah as the author of these six verses. But it seems to us that the grounds upon which this denial is based are not sufficiently firm. They say that Isaiah does not express himself as the author of this song expresses himself, that the thoughts and tone of the song remind one of the song of Moses and later psalms. But what follows from this? Is it not the case that the prophet Isaiah could use phrases from earlier songs? And the expressions found in this song do not appear particularly strange in the mouth of Isaiah. In conclusion, it must be said that this song is a beautiful, brief, and powerful afterword to the prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah contained in chapters 7–11. Verses 3–6 of this chapter are read as a lesson on the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, because they mention “water from the wells of salvation,” and consequently contain a foretelling of the water which was sanctified by the descent of Christ the Savior into it during His Baptism.

Chapter Thirteen

1–5. The Lord gathers armies for the execution of His judgment upon the earth. 6–13. The day of the Lord. 14–18. The taking of Babylon by the Medes. 19–22. The desolation of Babylon.

Preliminary remark. From chapter 13 to chapter 23 in Isaiah there are speeches proclaiming the future destiny of certain foreign nations known at that time to the Hebrews (excepting chapter 22, which is devoted to depicting the fate of Jerusalem). In these prophetic speeches, the prophet chiefly depicts the calamities that, by the will of the Almighty, will fall upon the states hostile to the chosen people. But in places the prophet also reveals the joyful future that awaits the heathen after they have experienced the righteous judgment of God upon themselves. One asks: why did the prophet, living in Judea, so carefully depict the future fate of those peoples who, by reason of distance, could not even know of his prophecies? The answer to this may be found in the following considerations: a) those foreign peoples whose future fate Isaiah depicts stood in various relations to the Hebrew people, and what happened in importance in the Judean state must have reached their ears. Meanwhile, the speeches of the inspired prophets represented an astonishing phenomenon even for the heathen, who could not at all fail to recognize the significance of the Lord who sent these prophets. Consequently, speeches concerning the fate of heathen states, pronounced by such a great prophet as Isaiah, could reach the ears of the heathen and inspire them with humbler concepts of their own strength and importance in the world; b) it was extraordinarily important for the Jews themselves to know the fate that awaited the heathen states, because the Hebrews looked upon these states either as their enemies or as their friends. The prophet Isaiah shows in his speeches concerning the fate of the heathen peoples that their power and strength are not permanent, and that the Hebrews, on one hand, should not grieve greatly at the thought that these peoples will subdue Israel, and that, on the other hand, Israel has no need to seek support from these unreliable states.

Isa 13:1-5. The prophet, now speaking from his own perspective, now depicting the Lord Himself as speaking, describes the gathering of armies coming from distant lands in order, in fulfillment of the will of the Most High, to strike down Babylon.

Isaiah 13:1. A prophecy concerning Babylon, which Isaiah, son of Amoz, proclaimed. “Prophecy”—in Hebrew, massa (from the verb nassa, to carry) has the meaning: elevated, exalted (voice) or solemn speech. But here and in other prophecies concerning foreign nations this word is used in the sense: “judicial verdict, burden” (compare Jer 23:33). “Which Isaiah proclaimed.” These words indicate that here begins a new section of the book, wholly independent. “Proclaimed”—in Hebrew, chazah, saw (compare Isa 1:1).

Isaiah 13:2. Raise a banner on a bare hill, lift up a voice to them; signal with your hand so they may enter the gates of the nobles. It is unclear to whom the prophet is addressing himself here. Some see here a hint of the Angels, servants of the Almighty, who point out to peoples the ends toward which they ought to strive (Zech 1:8). “Raise a banner”—evidently for the calling together of the forces that must know to which point to gather. “On a bare hill,” that is, on a treeless one, so that the banner might be seen from everywhere. “Lift up a voice”—call with a loud voice. “Them”—to the troops coming from afar. “The gates of the nobles”—this is the destination toward which the approaching forces are directed. So were called the main gates of the city—the capital, serving for the entry of rulers—gates broad and beautifully constructed. (According to the Slavonic text, here there is an address (princes—vocative case) to the Babylonian rulers.)

Isaiah 13:3. I have given command to My chosen ones and have called forth My mighty ones, those who exult in My majesty, to accomplish My wrath. “I have given command.” This means that the preceding command also belongs to the Lord. “Chosen ones.” In the Hebrew text a stronger expression is used: consecrated. Pagan troops are thus named because they serve in this case as instruments of God’s righteous wrath (compare Joel 3:9; Jer 22:7; Jer 51 and following). “Those who exult,” that is, who joyfully accomplish God’s will.

Isaiah 13:4. A great tumult on the mountains, as if from a numerous people, a tumultuous noise of kingdoms and peoples gathered together: the Lord of hosts is reviewing His battle array. “Tumult on the mountains.” Since the prophet has in mind the invasion of enemy forces against Babylon, he probably means the mountains of the Zagros range and the northern branches of the Pusht range, which separated Babylon from Media and Persia. “Kingdoms and peoples.” It is known that the Median kingdom (verse 17) and the Persian kingdom (compare Isa 21:2), as well as the Armenians, united in an alliance in order to crush the Babylonian kingdom. Certainly, in the Medo-Persian army there were many other nationalities subject to these allied kings.

Isaiah 13:5. They come from a distant land, from the ends of heaven, the Lord and the instruments of His wrath, to destroy the whole earth. “From the ends of heaven.” Media and Persia were indeed hardly less than the most remote lands known to the Hebrews. The whole earth. Some commentators view this expression as truly designating the whole inhabited earth. But it is more correct to think that the prophet designates by these words the Babylonian monarchy, which, at the height of its power, could be called universal. Isa 13:6-13. The day of the Lord is now at hand, and therefore the Babylonians have fallen into despair. This day for Babylon will be terrible as the day of universal judgment of God upon the world, when the heavenly lights will be extinguished and the earth will be shaken.

Isaiah 13:6. Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it comes like destruction from the Almighty. “Wail”—an address to the Babylonians.

Isaiah 2:12. “The day of the Lord”—see Isaiah 2:12. “From the Almighty.” The destruction will therefore be complete, final.

Isaiah 13:7. Therefore all hands will grow feeble, and every man’s heart will melt. Isaiah 13:8. They will be dismayed; pangs and sorrows will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor; they will look in amazement at one another; their faces will be flushed with shame. The Babylonians realize that all resistance is futile. “Heart will melt”—will become like water, cease to be strong and firm (Deut 20:8; Isa 19:1). “Their faces will be flushed.” Blood, from terror, rushes to the head, and the face may become very red as a result.

Isaiah 13:9. Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, cruel with wrath and burning fury, to make the earth desolate and destroy the sinners in it. Isaiah 13:10. The stars of heaven and their constellations will not give forth their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. The dreadful day of the Lord the prophet depicts in the image of a terrible storm that destroys everything in its path and darkens the very sky with thick clouds, so that darkness settles upon the earth. “The stars of heaven”—(kochvej) a general designation of the heavenly lights.

Job 9:9. “And their constellations”—in Hebrew (chesilehem) literally: their images. The singular of this word is found in Job 9:9; Job 38:31 and in Amos 5:8 and is translated by the proper name Kesil (in Job) and Orion (in Amos). This constellation—Orion—is distinguished by the brightness of its constituent stars, and therefore Isaiah mentions it to say that even the brightest lights will be extinguished. (However, blessed Jerome understands this darkening of the brightest stars as a phenomenon of purely subjective perception by the Babylonians, to whom it will seem that the stars have lost their light.) Isaiah 13:11. I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquities; I will end the pride of the haughty, and I will abase the arrogance of the cruel. Isaiah 13:12. I will make mortals more rare than fine gold, and mankind more scarce than the gold of Ophir. Here the Lord Himself speaks.

Isaiah 24:4. “The world”—in Hebrew, tevel, properly the terrestrial globe, but here, evidently, the Babylonian universal monarchy (compare Isaiah 24:4; Isa 26:9, where under “the earth”—haarez—is understood the land of Israel). “I will make mortals more rare,” that is, out of the Babylonians a small number will remain alive. Concerning Ophir, see the Commentary Bible, vol. 1. Of four conjectured countries (South Arabia, East Africa, India, and the southern regions in general), it is most likely that Ophir should be identified with Africa, whose very name (Afer among the ancients) reminds us of the name Ophir.

Isaiah 13:13. For this reason I will shake the heavens, and the earth will be removed from its place by the fury of the Lord of hosts, in the day of His burning wrath. Political upheavals are frequently depicted by the prophets as upheavals occurring in nature (compare Isa 24:19; Isa 34:4; Jer 4:23; Joel 3:15). Isa 13:14-18. The prophet depicts the flight from Babylon of foreigners living there and the sad fate of those who remain, and names by name the people who will crush the might of Babylon. In Babylon, without doubt, there dwelt a considerable number of foreigners who maintained commercial relations with this great city (compare Jer 2:16; Jer 51:11).

Isaiah 13:14. Then each will turn, like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd, to his own people, and each will flee to his own land. Isaiah 13:15. Whoever is found will be pierced, and whoever is caught will fall by the sword. Isaiah 13:16. Their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered, and their wives will be ravished. The slaughter of infants depicted by the prophet is wholly in accord with the reports of ancient writers concerning the cruelties that attended the capture of enemy cities in antiquity when they had long resisted.

Isaiah 13:17. Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not value silver and have no desire for gold. Isaiah 13:18. Their bows will strike down the young men, and they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not spare the children. “The Medes.” This name (compare Gen 10:2; 2 Sam 17:6; 2 Sam 18:11) may encompass not only the inhabitants of ancient Media, but all the Aryan inhabitants of Iran. In the time of Isaiah the Medes caused much harm to the Assyrian state. Tiglath-Pileser and Sargon of Assyria subdued this troublesome people, and the latter even relocated a considerable number of Medes to Hamath and Kelesyria (712 B.C.). But as the might of Assyria weakened, the importance of Media grew. And Babylon, in turn, had to reckon with this people. The prophet does not mention the Persians as allies of the Medes because the Persians were still unknown to the Hebrews in the time of Isaiah (the Elamites, mentioned by Isaiah (Isa 21:2), have nothing in common with the Persians). “Do not value silver.” The Medes will attack Babylon not from a mere desire to plunder this wealthy city. Isaiah wishes to say that they will be the unconscious instruments of God’s will concerning Babylon (compare Jer 51:11). “Bows” were the chief weapon among northern peoples (Herodotus VII, 61; Xenophon II, 1. 1), and this weapon in the hands of the Medes will be deadly for the young men of Babylon, who the Medes will shoot down without pity, for young, strong men would naturally seem dangerous to them. “Will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb.” In antiquity, when taking enemy cities, victors sometimes ripped open the wombs of pregnant women in order to exterminate the enemy race down to the last germ (2 Sam 8 and others). “Eyes”—an expression taken in place of the term “heart.” Isa 13:19-22. Babylon, after its destruction by the Medes, will become completely desolate. No one will wish to settle in the places that this vast city once occupied, and only wild animals and birds will find shelter in the ruins of the Babylonian palaces.

Isaiah 13:19. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God, like Sodom and Gomorrah. “Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor of the Chaldeans.” The importance of the Babylonian kingdom was extraordinarily great. Modern scholarship accepts as fact that Babylon was the original cradle of universal culture. The mathematical and astronomical sciences have their root in ancient Chaldea: our division of time is of Babylonian origin; our alphabet has its source in the primitive forms of ancient Babylonian cuneiform writing (Orthodox Theological Encyclopedia, vol. 3, pp. 11–14). The original inhabitants of Babylonia were descendants of Ham—the Cushites, known to the Hebrews as the Kasdim, and in native inscriptions called the Kaldai (hence the Chaldeans). They were divided into two tribes—the Sumerians and the Akkadians. Subsequently, Semitic tribes settled in Babylonia, but they availed themselves of the already developed Chaldean culture, merged with the aborigines in all things except language, and from this fusion there developed the mighty Semitic-Cushite type that created the famous monarchies—Babylon and Assyria (ibid., p. 16). During the height of its flourishing, the Babylonian monarchy (under Nebuchadnezzar) possessed all the sources of wealth that sustained the cultured lands of the ancient world, and Babylon, the capital of the kingdom, became the largest and most luxurious city of the ancient world.

Isaiah 13:20. It will never be inhabited, and generations after generations will find no dweller in it; no Bedouin will pitch his tent there, and shepherds with their flocks will not rest there. “It will never be inhabited.” After Cyrus, his successors Darius and Xerxes completely destroyed Babylon. Gradually its inhabitants left, and with time even the precise location of its site was forgotten. The prophet evidently has in mind not merely the moment of its destruction under Cyrus, but the entire subsequent history of its gradual desolation.

Isaiah 13:21. But wild beasts of the desert will dwell in it, and the houses will be filled with owls; ostriches will settle there, and shaggy creatures will leap about there. “Beasts of the desert”—in Hebrew, zijim, from zijah—dry land, desert. Thus zijim means inhabitants of the desert. “Owls”—in Hebrew, ochim; the word derives from the exclamation oh! or ah!, which resembles the cry of owls or screech owls. (The LXX translated this expression as ηχος (sound), which was perhaps chosen by them as close to the cry emitted by owls.) “Ostriches”—in Hebrew, benot jaanah, literally “daughters of crying.” This is how the female ostriches were called, emitting special cries. (The LXX understood the word jaanah as meaning: to sing in response to someone (Exod 15:21) and instead of “ostriches” placed here the word σειρηνες—sirens.) “Wild demons”—in Hebrew, seirim, literally “hairy.” These are, in all probability, wild goats (the LXX saw here a reference to demons). 17

Isaiah 13:22. Jackals will howl in their palaces, and wolves in the temples of pleasure. “Jackals”—in Hebrew, ijim, literally: those who howl (beasts). “Wolves”—in Hebrew, tannim. These animals emit an extremely unpleasant howl. (Instead of jackals, the LXX placed the expression ονοκενταυροι (ass-beings). This was a designation among the Greeks of some extraordinary animal whose appearance is difficult to imagine (I. Korsunskii, Translation of the LXX, 1898, p. 246). Instead of wolves, the LXX placed the word hedgehogs.) “In the temples of pleasure,” that is, there where sounds of harps and the singing of beautiful singers once resounded. Special remarks. Chapter 13 represents a complete poem, which can be divided into the following stanzas (according to Condamin). Stanza 1, verses 2–5—(2, 2; 3, 2) Stanza 2, verses 9–13—(2, 2; 3, 2) Stanza 3, verses 6–8—(2, 2) Stanza 1, verses 14–18—(2, 2,3) Stanza 2, verses 19–22—(3, 2,2) The authenticity of chapter 13 will be discussed after the explanation of chapter 14. * * * Notes “And the beasts will rest there, and the houses will be filled with noise, and there will rest the sirens, and demons will dance there.” Editor’s note.

Chapter Fourteen

1–2. Redemption of Israel from captivity. 3–23. A song of victory by the Judeans on the occasion of the fall of the Babylonian king. 24–27. The fate of Assyria and 28–32. The Philistines.

Isaiah 14:1. The time of it draws near, and his days will not delay, for the Lord will have pity on Jacob and will again love Israel; and he will settle them on their land, and foreigners will join themselves to them and will cling to the house of Jacob. Together with the fall of Babylon, in the vision of the prophet Isaiah, the return of Israel from captivity to their country is joined. The foreigners themselves will bring Israel home, and Israel in turn will rule over them. “The time of it draws near and his days will not delay.” In the Hebrew Bible these words are attributed to the 22nd verse of the 13th chapter. “His,” that is, of Babylon. “For the Lord will have pity.” As the basis for the destruction of Babylon, here the intention of the Lord to free his people is indicated, who, obviously, is presented to the prophet as living in Babylonian captivity. Thus, according to the prophet’s understanding, the liberation of Israel from Babylonian captivity could be obtained only in the case of the destruction of the Babylonian monarchy. In the 17th verse the prophet, as it were confirming this thought, says that the Babylonian king never released his captives to go home. “And foreigners will join themselves to them.” Foreigners or aliens, strangers always lived among the Hebrews (Exod 12:19; 1 Sam 9:20; Ezek 14:7), and then, when the Hebrews would be in God’s favor again, their number would naturally multiply.

Isaiah 14:2. And the nations will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will make them their servants and handmaids in the land of the Lord; and it will take captive those who took it captive, and it will rule over those who oppressed it. “And the nations will take them,” that is, will help in every way those who are resettling from captivity to their country (cf. Ezra 1). “The house of Israel will make them their servants.” This thought represents a general view of the Old Testament Judeans, who were convinced that in the kingdom of the Messiah they would occupy a special privileged position, while all other nations would occupy a servile position in relation to Israel (1 Sam 9:20). However, in Isaiah this thought is softened by the fact that the subordination of the Gentiles to Israel will be voluntary on their part. Clearly, the prophet was given a vision of the future conversion of all nations into the Church of Christ, which in the Old Testament is generally represented as the chosen remnant of Israel, but the prophet, by reason of that imperfection in understanding future events common to all Old Testament people (1 Pet 1:11), understood this revelation as a sign of the subjection of other nations to the Hebrew people. Isa 14:3-23. The redeemed and exalted Israel will sing a triumphant, joyful song about the destruction of the tyrant, the Babylonian king, and other nations will join in this rejoicing. The cypresses and the cedars of Lebanon will be glad at the fall of the Babylonian king, and all the inhabitants of the netherworld will laugh bitterly at the tyrant descended into the abyss. The prophet himself joins his voice to this joyful chorus, pointing out how greatly the pride of the tyrant is put to shame. Other witnesses also marvel at his sad fate. Finally, as Isaiah declares, the entire dynasty of the Babylonian king will be destroyed, and then all the inhabitants of Babylon.

Isaiah 14:3. And it will be on that day: when the Lord relieves you from your sorrow and from your fear and from the hard slavery to which you were enslaved, Isaiah 14:4. You will sing a taunt song against the king of Babylon and say: How the oppressor has ceased, and the tribute-taking has ended! “A taunt song.” The Hebrew word standing here—mashal—means: a comparison, a parable, and then a mocking speech. The latter meaning is perfectly suited to the song (cf. Hab 2:6; Mic 2:4). “The king of Babylon” is not any single king, but all the Babylonian kings who acted in the same spirit. “The tribute-taking.” Correctly it should be read here: oppression, torment (as if the word merehabah stood here—from the verb rahab—to oppress). This is how the LXX, the Targums, and the Peshitta understand this place.

Isaiah 14:5. The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, Isaiah 14:6. Who struck the nations in fury with unceasing blows, who ruled the peoples in anger with relentless persecution. “The rod” by which the king could strike anyone, even from his own subjects, and the scepter—signs of royal power (Num 24:17). “The wicked”—the Babylonian kings.

Isaiah 14:7. The whole earth rests, is at peace, breaks into song; Isaiah 14:8. And the cypress trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying: “Since you fell asleep, no one comes to cut us down.” “The whole earth.” Here one can see an indication that the earth itself, as it were, shares in the joy of the Hebrews: it suffered greatly from the invasions of this king, who destroyed fields and pastures. “The cypresses rejoice.” The Babylonian kings, during their campaigns against Palestine, cut down the Lebanese forests along the way for the needs of their army (cf. Hab 2:17). The cypress, very strong and rot-resistant wood, served not only for building houses and ships, but also for making spears and musical instruments (2 Sam 6:5).

Isaiah 14:9. Hades below is stirred up because of you, to meet you on your entry; he wakens the Rephaim for you, all the leaders of the earth; he raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones. The prophet depicts the realm of the dead as rising up and speaking like a separate person. “Hades below”—in Hebrew sheol mittachat, that is, Sheol located below. (See Commentary on the Bible, vol. 1, p. 102). The Hebrews, even in the time of the prophet Isaiah, apparently pictured Sheol—the abode of the souls of the dead—as located beneath the earth. The origin of such a conception is probably explained by the fact that the bodies of the dead were ordinarily buried in the earth. “The Rephaim” (from rapha)—weak beings, shades. But here, apparently, the prophet used this name to designate the most prominent representatives of Sheol, as is evident from the fact that he further mentions the mighty of the earth, the kings. Perhaps he had in mind those Rephaim spoken of in the books of Moses and Joshua as giants (Gen 14:5; Gen 15:20; Deut 3:11; Josh 17:15). “Leaders”—in Hebrew attudej—goats. In a flock the goat ordinarily goes first, as a leader.

Isaiah 14:10. All of them will say to you: You too have become weak, like us! You have become like us! This verse presents an exclamation of the inhabitants of the netherworld.

Isaiah 14:11. Your pomp is brought down to Hades, along with all the noise of your harps; beneath you maggots are spread out, and worms are your covering. Isaiah 14:12. How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You are cut down to the earth, you who trampled the nations. The prophet, for his part, confirms the astonishing fact of the death of the Babylonian king. “Your pomp,” that is, all your luxury, and the noise, that is, the sounds of harps with which the Babylonian king delighted himself (cf. Isa 5:12; Isa 24:8), have descended to Hades, that is, have completely vanished. The king himself, dead, lies and is eaten by worms, like some dead carcass… But before, he shone with bright brilliance, like the morning star (in Hebrew heilel from the verb halal—to shine), that is, like the bright star Venus, which in the southern sky shines much more brightly than with us, and which the Assyrians called mustilil (bright star). “Son of the dawn.” The morning dawn is represented as, so to speak, a mother giving birth to this star. Among ancient peoples the star served as a symbol of royal power (cf. Num 24:17); therefore, Isaiah, wanting to point to the high political significance of the Babylonian king, a prototype of the antichrist, called him a star.

Isaiah 14:13. And you said in your heart: “I will ascend to heaven, above the stars of God I will set my throne, and I will sit on the mountain in the assembly of the gods, on the remote slopes of the north; Isaiah 14:14. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.” “And you said in your heart,” that is, you thought, you dreamed. “I will ascend to heaven.” The Babylonian king might have dreamed of such an apotheosis as the Egyptian pharaohs arranged for themselves, and—later—some of the Roman emperors (cf. Dan 4:22). “Above the stars of God.” The ancient peoples conceived of heaven as a ceiling, on the outer side of which stars were fixed, illuminating the earth, and above this ceiling, in the higher spheres, stood, in their understanding, God’s throne. There, into these spaces inaccessible to human sight, the Babylonian ruler would have liked to ascend. “I will sit on the mountain, in the assembly of the gods,”—from Hebrew “I will sit on the mountain of assembly” (behar moed). All ancient nations believed that their gods dwell on the highest mountains. Thus the Greeks and Romans looked upon Olympus, Atlas, and Ida as the abodes of their gods. It is also known that the ancient Assyrians considered Mount Aral to be the birthplace and abode of the gods, and this mountain was in mind of the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser II, who in one of his inscriptions boasted that his sacred family was called to dwell in the “house of the mountain of lands (Eharsagkurkurra).” With the prophet Ezekiel, God says to the king of Tyre: “You were on the holy mountain of God, you walked in the midst of the stones of fire” (Ezek 28:14). In particular, among the most ancient inhabitants of Babylon, who had settled there around 2500 years before the Birth of Christ, we encounter views of God as a single mighty personality. They are expressed, for example, thus: God gave, God rules, God is God. (Delitzsch. Bible and Babylon. Suvorin’s edition 1906, p. 65). There, in cuneiform monuments, as long as 3000 years before the Birth of Christ, we already encounter mention of the Most High.

Isaiah 14:15. But you are brought down to Hades, to the depths of the pit. Instead of reaching the mountain of the gods, the Babylonian king is brought down to Sheol (see verses 9-). “In the depths of the pit”—literally “into the depth of the pit.” Obviously, Hades and the pit (grave)—for the prophet are similar concepts. Probably, the ancient Hebrews pictured the grave as, so to speak, a road to Sheol: where the grave ended, there the entrance to Sheol opened.

Isaiah 14:16. Those who see you stare at you, consider you: “Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, Isaiah 14:17. Who made the world a wilderness and destroyed its cities, and did not let his captives go home?” “Those who see you,” that is, people who outlived the Babylonian king and have the opportunity to discuss the situation created after the death of this king. “Stare at you”—come to look at your corpse. “The world”—this is hyperbole indicating the high significance of the Babylonian king in Asia and partly in Africa (Europe remained outside the sphere of his influence). “And did not let his captives go home.” The Persian kings, as is known, allowed captives to return to their homeland, but the Babylonian king did not want to give such permission.

Isaiah 14:18. All the kings of the nations, all lie in glory, each in his own tomb; Isaiah 14:19. But you are cast out of your grave like a loathsome branch, like a corpse of the slain, like those slain by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit—you, like a trampled corpse, “All kings”—hyperbole. “In his own tomb.” Being buried in a previously prepared grave—this, according to the views of the ancients, was highly honorable (2 Sam 21:18; cf. 2 Chr 33:20). The Egyptians and Persians made tombs for their dead far more magnificent and durable than houses for the living. “Cast out of your grave.” Denial of burial was a disgrace (1 Sam 13:24), and especially shameful was it for a king to be denied royal burial (2 Chr 21:20). The tomb, perhaps prepared for himself by the Babylonian king, remained empty, and his corpse was cast on the earth like a loathsome branch, that is, like a worthless broken twig of a tree. “Like a corpse of the slain,” that is, like clothing stained with blood and pierced by sword or spear. Such clothing the victors do not take with them, but leave lying on the battlefield. “The stones of the pit”—that is, fine tombs lined with stone inside, such as were built, for example, in Palestine, where there was much stone. Some of the newer critics attribute the words “who are lowered” to the following verse and translate as follows: “with those (honorably) buried in stone graves, you, a trampled (by the feet of passersby) corpse, will not be joined.”

Isaiah 14:20. You will not be joined with them in a grave; for you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people: the seed of evildoers will never be remembered. “You have destroyed your land.” The Babylonian king himself exhausted his own country through constant conscription of soldiers, many of whom perished in difficult military campaigns. “Will never be remembered,” that is, the dynasty of the Babylonian kings will be completely forgotten by all.

Isaiah 14:21. Prepare a slaughter for his children because of the iniquity of their father, so that they do not rise and possess the earth and fill the world with cities. “Prepare.” The prophet addresses the enemies of Babylon, who must put to death the entire family of the Babylonian king. “So that they do not rise,” that is, so that they do not gather strength again. “With cities,” in Hebrew arim—cities or strongholds, in which they could again place their garrisons and thus keep distant countries under their subjection. Some newer critics propose to read ajim—ruins—instead of arim, and this reading gives a more natural translation: the Babylonian kings indeed filled the world with ruins.

Isaiah 14:22. And I will rise up against them, says the Lord of hosts, and I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and grandson, says the Lord. Isaiah 14:23. And I will make it a possession of hedgehogs and a swamp, and I will sweep it clean with the broom of destruction, says the Lord of hosts. Babylon with all its inhabitants will be destroyed by God. Its very name and along with it its former glory will vanish forever. “I will make it a possession of hedgehogs and a swamp.” Hedgehogs indeed live on the islands of the Euphrates and reach considerable size (Echinus aquatica). Since the embankments and dams on the Euphrates, which had tremendous importance for proper irrigation of the Babylonian country, were destroyed by the Greeks during the campaign of Alexander the Great through Mesopotamia, Babylonia or Chaldea, being a low-lying country, began to be flooded with water; because of this vast marshes formed there, poisoning the surrounding area with miasmas. Isa 14:24-27. After the victory song about the fall of the Babylonian king, the prophet prophesies about the fate of Assyria, but says very little about it, because after the revelation received by the prophet about the destruction of Babylon, it became completely clear to him that not Assyria would have decisive significance for the fate of the chosen people. By its content, this brief prophecy about Assyria is a repetition of the thoughts contained in chapter 10. The prophet considered it unsuitable not to mention Assyria here, probably because almost all the subsequent prophecies about the fate of different nations have as their subject the relation of these nations precisely to the Assyrian monarchy (Isa 14:20-Isa 20:6; Isa 21 and cf. verses 22 and 23 of chapters).

Isaiah 14:24. The Lord of hosts has sworn: As I have planned, so shall it be; as I have purposed, so shall it stand, By having God swear an oath, the prophet obviously does this in order to more convince his readers that the sad fate of Assyria is unchangeable.

Isaiah 14:25. So I will break Assyria in my land, and on my mountains I will trample him; and his yoke shall depart from them, and his burden shall be lifted from their shoulders. Although after the defeat of the Assyrian army by an angel at the walls of Jerusalem, which is what the prophet has in mind, Assyria came to life again for some time, nevertheless the prophet had every reason to regard this terrible defeat as the end of Assyrian power. In fact, the blow dealt to Assyria by the Lord God aroused the energy of Assyria’s enemies, who at first began individually to struggle with it, but then, when it was possible to form a coalition of three powerful powers—Egyptian, Median, and Babylonian—completely ended the existence of the Assyrian monarchy (608 years before the Birth of Christ). “My mountains” the lands of God are called Judea—a country very mountainous. “From them,” that is, from all the peoples subject to Assyria.

Isaiah 14:26. This is the purpose that is purposed concerning the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations, Isaiah 14:27. For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back? The overthrow of Assyria is only one moment of God’s judgment, which will undoubtedly extend to all the peoples of the world. Isa 14:28-32. A prophecy about the fate of the land of the Philistines. In the days of Ahaz, who was pressed by the united kings of Syria and Israel, the Philistines threw off the yoke which the Judean king Uzziah had laid upon them (2 Chr 26:6), and even took possession of several Judean cities themselves (2 Chr 28 and ff.). But then they suffered a great defeat from the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser II. Now, says Isaiah, the Philistines are glad that this terrible enemy of theirs—is dead (in 727 BC, almost simultaneously with Ahaz), but their joy will be short-lived. After Tiglath-Pileser, his successors (Shalmaneser, Sargon, Sennacherib) will come into the land of the Philistines, and all the land of the Philistines will break apart.

Isaiah 14:28. In the year that king Ahaz died there was such a prophetic utterance: Isaiah 13:1. “A prophetic utterance”—in Hebrew massa, that is, a prophecy of sad content, see Is.13:1. Isaiah 14:29. Do not rejoice, land of the Philistines, that the rod which struck you is broken! For from the serpent’s root will come forth an adder, and its fruit will be a flying dragon. “The rod”—this is not Ahaz, who could not himself resist the Philistines when they took several cities from him, but the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser II, who has just died. “From the serpent’s root.” The prophet uses figurative language here, but his figures are very clear. “The serpent’s root”—this is the recently deceased Tiglath-Pileser II. “An adder”—probably Sargon, who twice defeated the Philistines (721 and 720 BC), concerning whom it was reported to him that they had formed a conspiracy against him with neighboring peoples (Schrader. The Cuneiform Inscriptions and the O.T. 2nd ed., 1883, p. 398). “A flying dragon”—this name perfectly suits Sennacherib, who for their disobedience put to death many Philistine aristocrats and exiled many Philistines from their country. Under the name “flying dragon” (saraph meophel) the prophet probably understood a winged lizard, living in Eastern India and Africa.

Isaiah 14:30. Then the poorest will feed, and the needy will lie down in safety; but I will kill your root with famine, and he will slay your remnant. “The poorest and the needy”—probably Judeans, who suffered from frequent attacks by the Philistines during the reign of Ahaz. They will rest when the Assyrian kings crush their enemies, the Philistines. “Your root,” that is, the remnant of the Philistine nation. “I will kill with famine.”—Of course, during the siege of Philistine cities, many Philistines died of hunger. “And he will slay,” that is, this flying dragon, the Assyrian king.

Isaiah 14:31. Wail, gates! Cry out, city! Melt away, all you of the land of the Philistines, for from the north smoke comes, and none is laggard in his ranks. “Gates”—here is metonymy. The prophet, of course, had in mind the people who gathered at the city gates during the day to learn all the latest news. “Smoke”—this is smoke from cities burning along the way of the Assyrian army (from north to south), which the Assyrians, according to the expression of one ancient inscription, “burned with fire, devastated, turned into ruins and plowland” (Ragozina. History of Assyria p. 60).

Isaiah 14:32. And what shall the messengers of the nation answer? “The Lord has established Zion, and in it the afflicted of his people find refuge.” “What shall they answer,” that is, what reports will reach the land of the Philistines, obviously sending envoys to neighboring nations to learn about their political situation and, perhaps, to propose forming an alliance against the Assyrians. “The Lord has established Zion.” The prophet with a feeling of national pride says that the Lord will protect his city both from the Assyrian king and that in Zion the fugitives (the afflicted) from other Judean cities will find true refuge. Meanwhile, the land of the Philistines will remain without any protection, and this, of course, will be very painful for the Philistines, who must be very annoyed by the fact that their nearest neighbors will preserve their capital from devastation by the enemy. The authenticity of Isaiah’s prophecies about Babylon and the king of Babylon is disputed by criticism with all its force, because the prophet here clearly and definitively predicted historical events too distant from his time, and by this clearly testified that God actually revealed the future to his servants, the prophets (Zech 1:6). But the objections which criticism raises here are not particularly convincing. They say that the position of Babylon, as depicted in the 13th and 14th chapters of Isaiah, is sharply different from the position which Babylon occupied among other states in the epoch of Isaiah. Babylon in the time of Isaiah was not yet a master of peoples and the beauty of kingdoms (Isa 13:2). But Babylon in any case was an independent state even in the days of Isaiah, which struggled stubbornly for its independence with Assyria. And so it was revealed to the prophet that this as yet small kingdom would become mighty and devastate Judah and Jerusalem, and then would itself fall. This last circumstance needed to be communicated beforehand to the Judean people, who in the days of Hezekiah sought the friendship of the Babylonian king (Isa 39:1). Furthermore, critics dispute the authenticity of chapters 13 and 14 because the prophet speaks here as a contemporary of the Babylonian captivity of the Judeans (Isa 14:1-3). But it must be taken into account that the prophet Isaiah had already seen the fall of the kingdom of Israel and the carrying away of the Israelites into captivity. Therefore, both he and his contemporaries, the Judeans, must have been occupied with the thought of whether a similar fate did not threaten the kingdom of Judah, and on the basis of these fears, the prophet, under the action of the Spirit of God, created a picture of the future liberation of the Judeans from Babylonian captivity, which was to take place after the fall of Babylon. The prophet Isaiah in this case must have found attentive listeners for his words, also because his contemporary Micah in his prophecies likewise promoted the idea of the future Babylonian captivity of the Judeans (Mic 4:10). Consequently, the idea of the possibility of Babylonian captivity was already being spread in the epoch of Isaiah, and therefore it is very natural that the prophet painted for his kinsmen the picture of the fall of this Babylonian state, which was beginning to terrify them. They also say that Isaiah could not name the Medes by name because in his epoch this people were not known to the Hebrews. But it has now been proven by historians that the Median kingdom was even more ancient than the Chaldean. In Isaiah’s time the Assyrian kings constantly waged war with Media, and this, of course, made the name of the Medes known even in Judea, all the more so because the Israelites carried away into captivity by the Assyrian king were settled in the territories conquered by the Assyrians in Media (2 Sam 18 and book Tob 1:14). As for the positive proofs of the authenticity of chapters 13 and 14, they are as follows: 1) The title of chapter 13, where the prophecy about Babylon is attributed to the prophet Isaiah. This title undoubtedly belongs to the writer of the prophecy. Without it, the first 16 verses of chapter 13 would be incomprehensible, since the subject of the prophecy—Babylon—is not mentioned in them; 2) In the chapters under consideration there is a multitude of a) thoughts and b) expressions completely identical with the thoughts and expressions found in indisputably authentic speeches of Isaiah (cf. a) Isa 13:3-4 and Isa 17:12-13; Isa 13:2-5 and Isa 5:26; Isa 13:7-8 and Isa 19:16; Isa 14 and Isa 2:13; b) cf. Isa 13 and Isa 10:6; Isa 13 and Isa 5:30; Isa 14:1 and Isa 9:16; Isa 14 and Isa 19:1; Isa 13 and Isa 9:2; Isa 14 and Isa 11:1; Isa 14 and Isa 3:6). 3) The prophecy of chapters 13 and 14 is parallel with the prophecy Isa 21:1-10, which is undoubtedly authentic. 4) Remarkable originality and richness of creative imagination in the pictures of the destruction of Babylon and the Babylonian king. 5) The fate of Babylon and the Babylonian king in Isaiah is depicted somewhat differently than it was in reality, and this clearly testifies that the prophecy about Babylon appeared before Babylon fell (see Yungerov. The Authenticity of Isaiah’s Prophecy About the Fall of Babylon.—Orthodox Review 1886, 2). Chapter 14 can be divided into the following strophes: 1 (separate) verse 1–4a—(2, 2, 2) 1 (separate) verse 4, 6–8—(2, 2, 3) 2 (separate) verse 9–11—(3, 2, 2) 3 (separate) verse 12–16a—(2, 2, 2, 2) 1 (separate) verse 16(b)-20a—(2, 2, 3) 2 (separate) verse 20(b)-23—(3, 2, 2) 1 (separate) verse 24–27—(2, 2, 3) 1 (separate) verse 29–30—(2, 2) 2 (separate) verse 31–32—(2, 2) Verses 1–20 of this chapter are read as a paremia on the feast in honor of the holy archangel Michael and the other bodiless powers, because the Church sees in the fall of the morning star a mystical indication of the casting down from heaven of the angels who sinned, in the casting down of which the archangel Michael and the other angels who remained faithful to God took part. Verses 24–27, together with verses 13–16 of chapter 13, are read as a paremia at a thanksgiving service on the feast of the Birth of Christ, when the expulsion of the French from Moscow is commemorated. Obviously, the Church in this case compares Napoleon—with Nebuchadnezzar, or in general with the Babylonian king, known for his arrogance. * * * Notes In the Slavic translation from the Greek of the LXX, it says: “I will ascend to heaven, I will set my throne higher than the stars of heaven, I will sit on a high mountain, on the high mountains that are toward the north.” Editor’s note. The LXX translators here see the address to the Babylonian king, that he should prepare his children for slaughter (irony). Metonymy (Metonymia—a change of name)—a rhetorical figure in which the name of one subject is placed in place of another, but not on the basis of similarity, as in metaphor, but on the basis of association of contiguity, that is, on the basis of close and easily understandable relations in which the given subjects stand to each other. Editor’s note.

Chapter Fifteen

1–9. The calamitous fate of the Moabites.

Isaiah 15:1. A prophecy about Moab. Surely in the night Ar-Moab is laid waste and brought to ruin; surely in the night Kir-Moab is laid waste and brought to ruin! Isaiah sees in his prophetic vision how the Moabites, who held themselves so highly, are in the most miserable condition. From the north enemies have attacked the land of Moab, devastating the Moabite cities and the fertile Moabite pastures, and spreading death everywhere. Loud sorrowful cries of the Moabites are heard from one end of their land to the other. Even the Moabite warriors have fallen into despair, and crowds of Moabites flee to the south, hoping to find refuge in the southern strongholds, while others are crossing the boundary of their domains into the land of Edom. The cities of Moab, in the process, the prophet lists in the order of their importance. The Moabites were related to Israel (Gen 19:30-38), but both internally and externally were alien to it and even always hostile, which of course was caused by the nearness of Moabite lands to the lands of the tribes of Gad (to the north) and Reuben (to the south). The Moabites for a long time after the settlement of Israel in Palestine maintained their independence and even after the death of the Hebrew judge Othniel, for eighteen years oppressed Israel (Judg 3:11-14), and only David made them his tributaries (2 Sam 8:2). The Moabite king Mesha, about 900 years before the Birth of Christ, again conquered independence for his people (2 Sam 1:1; 2 Sam 3:4 and ff., cf. the inscription on the monument of King Mesha—Christian Reading 1870, article by Prof. Khvolson: the newly discovered monument of King Mesha) and even took possession of some portions of the tribe of Gad. In subsequent times, the Moabites expanded their domain even more, as is evident from the fact that Isaiah depicts them as possessors of the cities of Heshbon and Elealeh, which did not yet belong to King Mesha. For a time the Israelite king Jeroboam II restored the power of Israel over Moab (2 Sam 14:25), but with the rapid decline of the Israelite kingdom following the death of this king, the Moabites grew strong again. The resettlements which took place regarding the subjects of the Israelite kingdom during the reign of the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser (734 BC), when many Israelites from beyond the Jordan were taken to Assyria (2 Sam 15 and 1 Chr 5:6)—and during Sargon’s reign (722 BC)—were beneficial to them. The Moabites then grew proud, and Isaiah very opportunely turned to them with terrible predictions.

Isaiah 13:1. “A prophecy”—see Is.13:1. “Surely,” that is, this is perfectly true. “In the night.” A night attack is much more terrible than a daytime one, because people in their sleep fall into complete panic. “Ar-Moab”—the chief city of the country, on the river Arnon (ar in Moabite means the same as ir in Hebrew—city). “Kir-Moab”—the southern, strongest Moabite stronghold, standing on a high steep mountain (now Kerak). In the inscription of King Mesha this word is mentioned four times and everywhere means the same city (Kir in Hebrew literally: wall). The thought of verse 1 is this: the two most important cities of the Moabite country will fall during a night attack by enemy forces.

Isaiah 15:2. He goes up to Bayith and Dibon, goes up to the high places to weep; Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba; on all their heads is baldness, all their beards are shaved off. “He,” that is, Moab.—Bayith. In Hebrew habaith means literally: house, and therefore can mean a house or shrine—of the chief god of the Moabites, Chemosh, which, of course, stood on an elevation (cf. 1 Sam 5:2). “Dibon”—a city north of the Arnon (Num 21:30; Num 32:3), where the inscription of King Mesha was found, he being born in this city. “The high places”—places where worship was performed among the Canaanites. Nebo—a city of the same name as the well-known mountain where Moses died. There was a Moabite temple. “Medeba”—to the south-southeast of Nebo. “Shaving of hair on the head” and “shaving of the beard”—the customary signs of mourning in the East (cf. Jer 16 and Jer 48:37).

Isaiah 15:3. In their streets they gird themselves with sackcloth; on their roofs and in their squares everyone wails, dissolved in tears. Isaiah 3:23. “Sackcloth.” See Is.3:23. “On their roofs.” In Palestine the roofs served as a place of rest in the evenings; the roofs were flat. Some houses in Bethlehem, for example, are even now connected with each other by such flat roofs, which thus form continuous communication through the air (Geikie. The Holy Land vol. 1, p. 431). Therefore Samuel could converse with Saul on the roof (1 Sam 9:25). To the roof, sometimes special stairs lead directly from the courtyard of the house.

Isaiah 15:4. And Heshbon cries out, and Elealeh; their voice is heard as far as Jahaz; therefore the armed men of Moab cry out; his soul trembles within him. “Heshbon”—a city located north of Medeba (Num 21:25). “Elealeh”—about half an hour’s journey to the northeast of Heshbon. “Jahaz”—this, probably, is the most extreme point of the Moabite country on its eastern border (Deut 2:32).

Isaiah 15:5. My heart cries out for Moab; her fugitives flee to Zoar, to Eglath-Shelishiyah; for at the ascent of Luhith they go up with weeping; on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of destruction; Isaiah 15:6. For the waters of Nimrim are dried up, the grass is withered, all the vegetation is gone, nothing is green. From the north the prophet’s gaze turns to the south of the Moabite country. The prophet cannot remain indifferent to the calamities of Moab and with his mournful cry warns the southern Moabite cities of the coming troubles. The prophet already sees how the Moabites flee to Zoar. This city was located on the south-eastern shore of the Dead Sea. Here it is called Eglath-Shelishiyah or, more precisely, a three-year-old heifer (Eglat—heifer), as a stronghold very strong, never yet taken by enemies, just as a heifer up to three years old had not gone under the yoke and, therefore, had an untapped reserve of strength (Plin. VIII, 4. 5). “Go up to the ascent of Luhith” from Hebrew it is more correct to translate: “on the ascent of Luhith.” This is a road along which Moabite refugees go with weeping. “Along the road to Horonaim”—along the path to the Dead Sea. “The waters of Nimrim.” By this expression the prophet means the city lying to the north, Beth-Nimra in the tribe of Gad (Josh 13:27). Near this city were excellent pastures, and the prophet speaks of the destruction of them here. The waters of the Nimrim springs have already disappeared, and therefore Moabite refugees hasten to the south.

Isaiah 15:7. Therefore they carry away the abundance they have gathered and their savings across the Wadi Arabah. Isaiah 15:8. The cry goes around the territory of Moab; their wailing reaches Eglaim and their weeping reaches Beer-Elim; Isaiah 15:9. For the waters of Dimon are full of blood, and I will bring upon Dimon still more—lions for those who flee from Moab and for the remnant of the land. “Across the Wadi Arabah”—from Hebrew more accurately: “across the desert stream.” This is the last, south-eastern tributary of the Dead Sea, into which it flows, running through Gores-Safie. Eglaim—probably on the southern shore of the Dead Sea. “Beer-Elim”—from Hebrew “spring of terebinths” or “spring of heroes” (the word el can mean both “terebinth” and “mighty, hero”). This spring should be sought to the northeast of Moab, in the wilderness (Num 21 and ff.). “The waters of Dimon.” Here, instead of the well-known name Dibon, the prophet created a new one—Dimon—in order to give a hint about the fate awaiting this place through a play on words. Dimon, by its root, is similar to the word dam—blood, and since Dibon—this is indeed a very important Moabite city—will be subjected to terrible devastation by the enemy, the prophet calls it Dimon, that is, the city where blood flows. “Its waters”—this is precisely the river Arnon, into which, in the prophet’s conception, the blood of those killed by the enemy flows in abundance. “And I will bring upon Dimon”—from Hebrew because I… Consequently, upon those who escaped from the attack of the enemy, lions and other beasts of prey will fall. However, some commentators understand by lions the same enemies of Moab. Note. On the authenticity of chapter 15 and its division into strophes, more will be said after the explanation of chapter 16, with which chapter 15 represents one connected whole.

Chapter Sixteen

1–5. Moab seeks help from the Judean king. 6–12. The fate of Moab. 13–14. The determination of the time of Moab’s destruction.

Isaiah 16:1. Send lambs to the ruler of the land from Sela in the wilderness to the mount of the daughter of Zion. Isaiah 16:2. For the daughters of Moab will be like a wandering bird, driven out of the nest, at the fords of Arnon. The Moabites, in fear of invasion by enemies (the Assyrians), will turn to the Judean king for help. They will humbly ask him to give them shelter, as they must leave their country for a time. “Send.” The prophet gives his advice to the Moabites. Even in the time of King Mesha, the Moabites were sending annually to the Israelite king a hundred thousand sheep and a hundred thousand unsheared rams (2 Sam 3:4). Now the prophet advises them to send this tribute to the ruler of the land, that is, to the king of Judah who has retained his power over his land (according to Condamin, the passage here speaks of sending the daughter (bath, not bar lamb) of the Moabite prince to Zion, where she might find shelter from the insults of the conquerors). “Sela” – the chief city of Edom, otherwise called Petra (the Greek word corresponding to the Hebrew word sela – rock). But since it was not this city, but Zoar that served as the extreme point to which the Moabites were striving (Ps 41:7), it is better to understand the word Sela as a common noun in its usual meaning: stone, cliff, rock (cf. Jer 48:28) and to understand here the mountain plains of the land of Moab, to which the Moabites, together with their herds, were fleeing from enemies. “Mount of the daughter of Zion,” that is, the mountain where the population of Zion or Jerusalem dwells. “Daughters of Moab,” that is, Moabite cities (Jer 48:4), where, of course, after the men had departed for war, only women remained, so the prophet mentions only the daughters and does not name the sons of Moab. The prophet’s thought is this: the population of the Moabite cities will wander like a bird whose nest is destroyed.

Isaiah 16:3. “Take counsel, make a decision; shade us in the middle of the day as in the night with your shadow; hide the exiles, do not deliver up the fugitives. Isaiah 16:4. Let my exiles, the Moabites, dwell with you; be a shelter for them from the robber, for the oppressor will cease, the robbery will end, the ones trampling will vanish from the earth. Isaiah 16:5. And a throne will be established in mercy, and one will sit upon it in truth, in the tent of David, a judge, seeking justice and striving for righteousness.” Here the Moabite envoys who have come to the Judean king are introduced as speakers. “Take counsel” – consult with your ministers. “Shade them” – give them rest with you, under your protection, as a traveler exhausted by heat rests under a great spreading tree. “My” – the speech is on behalf of the Moabite king. “The oppressor will cease,” that is, the enemies will go home or perhaps will be destroyed in some way. “And a throne will be established,” that is, your power, your significance, O king of Judah, will be elevated still more through your noble treatment of us, the Moabites. “A judge” – this is probably the Messiah expected by the Jews (Isa 2:2), of whom, of course, the Moabites could have heard from the Jews, and into whose mouth the prophet therefore had good reason to put such a speech. Isa 16:6-12. The counselors of the Judean king, according to the prophet, will find it impossible to satisfy the request of this treacherous Moabite people. The Moabites, under the pressure of dire circumstances, ask for an alliance with them, but later, when the danger has passed, they can easily break their promises. Left without help, Moab will afterward be completely weakened by enemies. The prophet sees the devastation of the most fertile regions of the land of Moab, and his soul suffers from this, although the Moabites are ancient enemies of the Jews.

Isaiah 16:6. “We have heard of the pride of Moab, his excessive pride, of his arrogance and haughtiness and fury; his words are insincere.” Isaiah’s description of the Moabites as a proud people is confirmed also by the prophet Jeremiah, who says that “Moab from his youth… has been at ease, settled on his dregs and not poured out from vessel to vessel, and has not gone into captivity; therefore his taste has remained in him and his aroma has not changed” (Jer 48:11). By these words the prophet points to the relative security in which Moab found itself compared to the Hebrews, and because of this he now hopes for a favorable outcome from the difficulties in which he finds himself. Therefore, probably, although the Moabites sought an alliance with the Judean king, they did not attach particular seriousness to this matter and did not think at all about the obligations which they should have assumed upon themselves since the conclusion of such an alliance.

Isaiah 16:7. Therefore Moab will wail over Moab, everyone will wail; lament over the fortresses of Kir-Hareseth: they are completely destroyed. Isaiah 16:8. The fields of Heshbon are ruined, also the vineyard of Sibmah; the rulers of the nations have destroyed the best of its vines, which reached to Jazer, stretched into the wilderness; their shoots spread out, crossed over the sea. “Therefore.” The prophet wants to say here that Moab will be refused help and will be left to its own fate. “Moab over Moab,” that is, one Moabite city over the fate of another, neighboring city.

Isaiah 15:1. “Kir-Hareseth” – the same as Kir-Moab (see Is.15:1). Instead of the word “fortresses” in Condamin we find the word “wine cakes,” (Hebrew aschischim cf. Hos 3:1), which probably constituted the most remarkable object of trade in Kir-Hareseth. “The fields of Heshbon” were distinguished for their fertility. One English traveler brought from there ears of grain containing 84 kernels each. “The vineyard of Sibmah.” Sibmah or Sima (Num 32:3) – a city in the tribe of Reuben (Josh 13:19), not far from Heshbon. “The rulers of the nations.” Here Orelli sees not the nominative case, but the accusative, and translates the whole phrase thus: “whose best vines subdued (in this lies the power and dignity of wine) the rulers of nations,” (cf. Isa 28:1). “Reached to Jazer.” Jazer – a city to the north of Sibmah. “Into the wilderness.” In ancient times the band of vineyards on the east of Palestine stretched very far, to the extreme limits of the land of Moab, bordering on the Arabian desert. “Across the sea” – this is the Dead Sea, which formed the western boundary of the land of Moab. Beyond this sea lay the valley of En-gedi, which was famous for its vineyards (Song 1:13).

Isaiah 16:9. Therefore I will also weep for the vine of Sibmah with the weeping of Jazer; I will water you with my tears, Heshbon and Elealeh; for upon your harvest and your summer fruit, your shouting has ceased. Isaiah 16:10. Joy and gladness have vanished from the fruitful land, and in the vineyards there is no singing, no shouting; the vintner does not tread grapes in the winepresses: I have stopped the vintage. The prophet, in feeling compassion for the ruin of such beautiful vineyards and fields, mingles his tears with the tears of Jazer.

Isaiah 15:4. “Elealeh” – see Is.15:4. “For.” This subordinate clause is more accurately rendered from the Hebrew as follows: “for over your fruits and under your harvest the shout of the grape-treader has arisen” (Condamin). The enemy of Moab is like a grape-treader who eagerly treads grapes laid in a stone trough. “In the vineyards there is no singing, no rejoicing.” The time of grape-gathering in Palestine is as festive and joyful as the time of harvest. From all sides joyful songs resound. Indeed, during the gathering of fruit in the East, workers encourage each other with shouts. The winepresses, moreover, were usually made quite large; so that several grape-treaders could work at the same time in them. “I have stopped.” By these words God, as it were, restrains the prophet in his expression of compassion toward the land of Moab.

Isaiah 16:11. Therefore my heart cries out for Moab like a harp, and my innermost being for Kir-Hareseth. The prophet, hearing that this is a matter of righteous divine wrath against the Moabites, pities them all the more, because he realizes how grievous it is to fall under the wrath of the Most High. “My innermost being cries out” – the prophet’s lamentation is born, as it were, from within, comes from the depths of the heart. This is true sorrow (cf. Job 30:27).

Isaiah 16:12. Although Moab appears and exerts itself to the point of weariness on the high places, and comes to his sanctuary to pray, nothing will help him. “Appears,” that is, presents himself before the altar (cf. Isa 1:12). “Exerts himself to the point of weariness” – to implore help from his gods (cf. 1 Sam 18 and following Isa 15:2).

Isaiah 16:13. Behold, the word which the Lord spoke concerning Moab in times past. Isaiah 16:14. But now the Lord says: Within three years, counting them as hired worker’s years, the glory of Moab will be brought low with all his great multitude, and the remainder will be very small and insignificant. This fate of Moab was generally known already from long ago. The prophet wants to indicate by these words either that he himself had already proclaimed the very prophecy about Moab (chapters 15 and 16, up to the 12th verse) long before, or that what is said in his prophecy represents only a repetition of the fundamental idea expressed earlier by Moses (Num 21:28-30) and the ancient prophet Amos (Amos 2:1-3). “Within three years.” The Lord indicates precisely the time when all the aforementioned calamities will fall upon Moab. It is most likely to suppose that here is indicated the time until the moment when Moab’s pride will be humiliated for the first time. The rest of the humiliation Moab will experience in subsequent time. That Isaiah did not point here to the complete fulfillment of his dire predictions about Moab is evident from the fact that Jeremiah, a hundred years after Isaiah, again prophesied about the judgment that will befall Moab (chapter 48). “Hired worker’s years” – this is the most precise and definite counting of time. A hired worker would certainly not remain in the service of his employer beyond the agreed period, and an employer would not for anything release a hired worker before the same period. Consequently, the prophet counts exactly three years – neither more nor less than this – until the time when the thunderstorm of God’s wrath will first break forth upon Moab. When and under what circumstances this prediction was fulfilled is difficult to determine, but already the Assyrian king Sennacherib, Isaiah’s contemporary, mentions the Moabite king Kamosh-nadab among those rulers who kissed his feet. Chapters 15 and 16 contain a complete poem in five strophes having the usual structure; two strophes symmetrical at the beginning and two at the end, and one strophe – the middle one – with its own particular meter. (Isa 15– introduction and Isa 16:13-14 – conclusion). First strophe – chapter 15, verses 2–5a – (2, 2, 3) Second strophe – chapter 15, verses 5b–9 – (2, 2, 3) Third strophe – chapter 16, verses 1–5 – (3, 3, 2, 2) Fourth strophe – chapter 16, verses 6–8 – (2, 2, 3) Fifth strophe – chapter 16, verses 9–12 – (2, 2, 3) Regarding the authenticity of this prophecy, the majority of modern critics express great doubt. The pathos with which the prophet speaks, the elegiac tone of the poem, purely human sympathy toward the suffering Moabites, the scarcity of religious ideas, the style – both verbose and ornate – these are the things on which opponents of the authenticity of this poem point. Furthermore, they point to individual expressions that do not correspond to the terminology usual for Isaiah’s speeches. Therefore, they say that we have before us the work of an unknown prophet, which Isaiah published, adding to it verses 13–14 of chapter 16, which undoubtedly belong to Isaiah. But the general impression produced by this poem is not at all such as to give grounds for denying its authenticity. Indeed, why could not Isaiah express his compassion toward the suffering Moabites in a purely human way? Could the fact that the prophet had to proclaim God’s judgment to Moab deprive him of the capacity for compassion, which was all the more natural in a Jewish prophet, since the Moabites were still related to the Hebrews? As for the language of this poem, the high antiquity to which, for example, Ewald pointed, is very doubtful. On the contrary, the poem contains expressions that are used in undoubtedly authentic speeches of Isaiah (cf. Isa 15 and Isa 21:11; Isa 15 and Isa 19:7; Isa 16 and Isa 5:19; Isa 16 and Isa 1:17). The thoughts and images of the poem are also found in other speeches of Isaiah (for example, Isa 15:1-2; Isa 9:28-32; Isa 16:9 and Isa 22:4; Isa 28:1; Isa 16 and Isa 14:32). Thus, there are sufficient grounds to deny the authenticity of this poem (see Yungerov. Authenticity of Isaiah’s prophecy about the Moabites. Orthodox Review 1886, no. 4).

Chapter Seventeen

1–3. The dire fate of Damascus. 4–6. And of the Israelite kingdom. 7–11. The cause of the fall of the Israelite kingdom. 12–14. Vengeance upon those who desolated the Israelite land.

Isa 17:1-6. The prophet predicts the fall of the kingdoms hostile to Judah, Syria and Israel, which concluded an alliance with each other.

Isaiah 17:1. A prophecy concerning Damascus. Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins. When was this prophecy uttered? Since it speaks of the impending crushing of Damascus’ power, and this event occurred under the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser in 732 BC, when an Assyrian governor was placed over Damascus instead of a king, the prophecy must have been uttered before this year and even before 735 BC, before the invasion of allied forces into Judah, because this invasion is not mentioned with a single word here. Word – see Isa 13:1.

Isaiah 15:2. “Damascus” – see Is.15:2. Under Damascus it is most likely to understand all of Syria, of which Damascus was the capital city. One can judge the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy from one of the inscriptions of Tiglath-Pileser, which reads: “I caused countless [Syrians] to be beheaded; the palace of Adad, the father of Rezin, which stood on inaccessible mountains, I besieged and took; eight thousand inhabitants with their possessions, Mitiniti of Askaspa… I carried away into captivity; 500 (18 – according to Smith’s reading) cities from the districts of the Damascus region I made like a heap of rubble.” (Cf. 2 Sam 16). However, after this destruction Damascus was soon rebuilt again, as is evident from the prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. It remains even to this day one of the flourishing cities of the East. Isaiah 17:2. The cities of Aroer will be forsaken – they will remain for flocks, which will rest there, and there will be none to frighten them. “The cities of Aroer,” that is, the cities of eastern Palestine, where there were two Aroers – one to the east of Rabbah of Ammon (Josh 13:25), another on the Arnon (Josh 12:2); the first belonged to the tribe of Gad, the second to the tribe of Reuben. Probably the prophet mentions these cities from all the cities of the Transjordan region as examples and because of the similarity of their name (Aroer) to a Hebrew word denoting the concept of a city (ar). From Damascus a cloud of God’s wrath goes, consequently, through Gilead to the south, over the possessions of the Israelite kingdom and then crosses to the western side of the Jordan, into the very center of the Israelite kingdom. The prophecy that Gilead would be emptied came true. At the present time that region lies in desolation; only here and there do wild predatory Arab tribes dwell there (Archpriest Elensky. Biblical Geography, vol. I, p. 86).

Isaiah 17:3. Ephraim’s stronghold will cease, and the kingdom of Damascus and the rest of Syria; they will have the same fate as the glory of the sons of Israel, says the Lord of hosts. “Ephraim’s stronghold,” that is, the support for the kingdom of Ephraim or Israel, which long served as Damascus – the kingdom of Damascus, that is, Damascus will cease to be the capital of an independent state – Syria will find itself under the power of the Assyrians. “And the rest of Syria,” that is, what remains still in Syria (after the Assyrian invasion) will have the same fate as the Israelite kingdom or the sons of Israel, who were taken into captivity in Assyria (2 Sam 17:6).

Isaiah 17:4. And it will come to pass in that day: the glory of Jacob will be diminished, and the fatness of his flesh will become lean. “The glory of Jacob will be diminished.” Here is meant the same Israelite kingdom of which we spoke in verse 3. “The fatness of his flesh.” These words point to the power and extent of the Israelite kingdom in comparison with the Judean kingdom. The populous and mighty tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, around which the rest of the Israelite tribes were grouped like one family, looked upon the tribe of Judah with a certain contempt, or perhaps with distrust. The exodus from Egypt and the conquest of Palestine were accomplished under the leadership of the Josephites… Joshua, Jeroboam – in a word, all outstanding men up to and including Samuel came from this tribe… After Solomon’s death the Judean kings fell in some way into vassalage to the Israelite kings; at least they were compelled by force to enter into an alliance with them, subjecting them to the northern rulers… The house of Joseph stood spiritually above the tribe of Judah, – as we add, and in relation to natural resources (H. S. Chamberlain. Jews, Their Origin and the Causes of Their Influence in Europe. St. Petersburg, 1906, pp. 164–166).

Isaiah 17:5. It will be like when the reaper gathers the grain, when his arm reaps the heads of grain, and when he gathers the heads of grain in the valley of Rephaim. Isaiah 17:6. And there will remain in him, as when an olive tree is beaten, two or three berries on the topmost bough, or four or five on the fruitful branches, says the Lord, the God of Israel. “The reaper” was to, according to the law of Moses (Lev 19:9), not reap all the grain completely, but leave some grain in the field, which could later be gathered by the poor. “The valley of Rephaim” was located to the southwest of Jerusalem (Josh 15:7) and was very fertile. As for the Rephaim, after whom this valley is named, they are most likely to be understood as the ancient inhabitants of Palestine – the Amorites, since both Hebrew names – Amorite and Rephaim – denote people of tall stature. Isa 17:7-11. The cause of the destruction of the Israelite kingdom was, on the one hand, the forgetfulness of the true God and, on the other, the inclination to idolatry. After admonition received from the hand of God, Israel will again turn to the true God.

Isaiah 17:7. In that day a man will turn his gaze to his Creator, and his eyes will be fixed upon the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 17:8. And he will not look at the altars, at the work of his hands, and will not regard what his fingers have made, the images of Asherah and Baal. Judges 3:7. “Images of Asherah” – in Hebrew haascherim. It is most likely to understand here specially carved wooden columns – symbols of the goddess of the moon and fertility, Asherah, or in Chaldean, Ishtar (see Commentary on the Book of Judges 3:7 – vol. 2, and on 1 Sam 14:15 – ibid.). 1 Samuel 16:32. “Images of Baal” – in Hebrew hachamanim, that is, pillars erected in honor of the god of the sun (chamah), Baal (see Commentary, vol. 2, to 1 Kings 16:32). Isaiah 17:9. In that day his fortified cities will be like ruins left in forests and on mountain tops, abandoned before the sons of Israel, – and it will be desolate. “Ruins in forests.” Modern critics consider the translation of the LXX more natural for this passage and translate the words of the second half of the verse thus: “like ruins left from the cities of the Hivites and Amorites.”

Isaiah 17:10. Because you have forgotten God your Savior, and have not remembered the rock of your refuge; therefore you have planted pleasant gardens and have set out cuttings of a foreign vine. “Pleasant gardens.” Many of the modern critics (Duhm, Marti, Condamin, and others) believe that here the reference is to gardens in honor of Adonis, the beloved of Venus; torn apart by a boar and again revived in the month of June. This month was called the month of Adonis by the Greeks. Greek women in special gardens dedicated to Adonis commemorated his revival, sacrificing their innocence, after they had first celebrated with sorrow the day of his death. The very word naamanim – “pleasant” reminds one of the Greek name of the flower dedicated to Adonis, ανεμωνη (in Arabic the red anemone is called Adonis’ wound). It is most likely that the Hebrews borrowed the cult of Adonis from the Syrians (2 Sam 16:10-13), who themselves learned of it in Phoenicia. Many interpreters identify Adonis with Tammuz, mentioned by the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 8:14). “Cuttings of a foreign vine” – an allusion to Israel’s attraction to foreign cults (cf. Jer 2:21).

Isaiah 17:11. On the day you plant them you try to get them to grow, and on the morning you set out your seed you get it to blossom; but in the day of harvest it will be a heap of grief instead of a harvest. “You try to get them to grow” – from the Hebrew, “you hedge them in.” The prophet wants to say that Israel carefully maintained pagan cults and idolatry in itself, like grain sown in the earth, and on the very next morning for Israel it gave shoots and flowers! But Israel received no benefit from this: on the day of harvest (the fruits) Israel will find in its field only great sorrow! Isa 17:12-14. The prophet already hears the noise produced by armies coming from Assyria against the Israelite land, and at the same time reassures the subjects of the Judean king by pointing out that the Lord will destroy these armies when they seek to attack Jerusalem.

Isaiah 17:12. Woe! The roar of many peoples! They roar like the roaring of the sea. The tumult of nations! They tumble like the tumbling of mighty waters. “The roar of peoples.” The Assyrian armies consisted of warriors belonging to various nations conquered by Assyria. “Like… they tumble” – a comparison reminiscent of the description of the invasion of the Assyrian king into Palestine in chapter 8 (verse 7 and following).

Isaiah 17:13. The nations roar like the roaring of mighty waters; but He rebuked them and they fled far away, and were driven like chaff on the mountains by the wind and like dust before a whirlwind. “But He.” God stops these armies, rushing forward like mighty waters, by a single threatening gesture of His hand. “Like chaff,” that is, like fine dust, swept up on mountain roads by the strong wind always blowing in the mountains.

Isaiah 17:14. In the evening – behold, terror! And before morning – it is no more. Such is the fate of those who plunder us, the lot of those who despoil us. “In the evening.” The Jews were terribly frightened by the invasion of the Assyrians, who appeared under the walls of Jerusalem; but in the night 180 thousand of the Assyrian army were destroyed by the Angel of the Lord (2 Sam 19:35). The authenticity of this prophecy about Damascus and Israel is ordinarily not disputed by critics. Only verses 12–14, the same critics consider it better to refer to the prophecy of chapter 18. – According to the strophes, the prophecy in Condamin is divided thus: First strophe – verses 1–3 – (2, 2) Second strophe – verses 4–6 – (2, 2) Third strophe – verses 7–8 – (1, 1) Fourth strophe – verses 9–10a – (3) Fifth strophe – verses 10b–11 – (3)

Chapter Eighteen

1–7. The danger threatening Ethiopia and the salvation of Ethiopia.

Isa 18:1-7. As if foreseeing impending danger, the Ethiopians send envoys to Judea for the conclusion of a defensive alliance, but the prophet advises his fellow citizens to send these envoys back. The Assyrians – whom the prophet means by the enemies of Ethiopia – will humble this mighty people, although they themselves will be struck by God at the moment of the highest tension of their military activity. This latter circumstance will cause the Ethiopians to recognize the power of the true God.

Isaiah 18:1. Woe to the land of rustling wings beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, Isaiah 7:18. “Woe to the land.” In translation from the Hebrew text: “O, land filled with the sound of wings!” Ethiopia is so called because it always had very many flies. Especially famous is the fly called Tsetse, which the prophet hints at with the expression zilzal here (cf. Is.7:18). “Rivers of Ethiopia” – in Hebrew naharei chusch. Ethiopia or Cush (see Commentary, vol. 2, p. 514) was located south of Egypt. Its borders were rivers: the Nile, Astaboras, and Astapus. Therefore, to the prophet, an inhabitant of Palestine lying north of Egypt, Ethiopia appeared as a country lying beyond these rivers. The Ethiopian kings in the time of Isaiah conquered Upper Egypt and sought to subjugate even Lower Egypt, and then to extend their conquests to Asia, which necessarily meant they would come into conflict with Assyria.

Isaiah 18:2. That sends ambassadors by the sea, even in papyrus vessels upon the waters! Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people feared from their beginning, to a mighty and conquering nation, whose land the rivers divide. “That sends ambassadors.” The Ethiopian king Tirhakah, as can be seen from the chronicles of the Assyrian king Sennacherib, sent ambassadors to the Philistines and Jews for the purpose of proposing an alliance against Assyria. “By the sea.” The Egyptians called the Nile river “the sea,” as did the Greek writers who gave the great river the name ωχεανος. And today the White and Blue Nile are called “seas.” The capital of Tirhakah’s reign, the city of Napata, was located on the Nile river, at the fourth cataract of this river, where the Nile receives many tributaries. “In papyrus.” These are the lightest vessels made from Egyptian reed, which now no longer grows in Egypt, but has remained only in Abyssinia (cf. Job 8:11; Job 9:26). “Go.” The prophet sends these Ethiopian ambassadors back, indicating thereby that Judea, protected by the Almighty Himself, does not need an alliance with the Ethiopian king and his people, although this people is “strong and good” (in translation from Hebrew – tall and with shining skin), “feared from their beginning” (in Hebrew: “dreaded even from afar”), “tall” (in Hebrew: “lord” – kav kav) and “all-conquering” (that is, mighty) a conqueror, as it became known from the time of King Piankhi’s reign, that is, from 766 BC. “Whose land the rivers divide” – that is, numerous canals.

Isaiah 18:3. All you inhabitants of the world and dwellers on the earth! When a banner is raised on the mountains, see it; and when a trumpet is sounded, hear it! The prophet calls all the peoples of the earth to watch carefully what the Lord will do to punish the Assyrians, who have caused so much evil to all peoples. About this defeat awaiting the Assyrians, all will be informed as if by certain military signals.

Isaiah 18:4. For thus the Lord said to me: I will be quiet and look on from my dwelling place, like clear heat upon the light, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. The Lord revealed to the prophet that until the time He has appointed, He will not intervene in the affairs of Assyria. He even, it would seem, causes Assyria to reach the extreme limits of its violence against other states, just as the sun’s heat and dew cause the grain to ripen.

Isaiah 18:5. For before the harvest, when the bud is complete, and the sour grape ripens into a ripe grape, He will cut off the branches with a pruning hook, and will tear away and cut down the tendrils. Isaiah 18:6. All of them will be left to the birds of prey of the mountains and to the beasts of the earth; and the birds will summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth will winter upon them. But the Lord will completely unexpectedly crush Assyria’s might. When the grape is already beginning to ripen, the Lord will cut with a sickle all the grape vines, and everything that remains from the rich vineyard will be left for the use of birds of prey and beasts, which will settle in this former vineyard. In this way is symbolically depicted the fall of the Assyrian state.

Isaiah 18:7. At that time a present will be brought to the Lord of hosts from a mighty and conquering people, from a people feared from their beginning, from a tall and all-conquering nation, whose land the rivers divide, to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, to Mount Zion. The Ethiopians will see in the defeat of Assyria a miracle of the Almighty’s power and will send gifts – offerings to His temple in Jerusalem. “To the place of the name” – that is, to where the Lord especially displays His might. Special Notes. The prophecy concerning Ethiopia was probably uttered by the prophet around 702 BC, when the expedition of Sennacherib against Palestine was being prepared. From chapters 30 and 31 of the book of the prophet Isaiah we learn that in Jerusalem at that time there were strong hopes for help from Egypt, and it is very possible that in chapter 18 the prophet has in mind precisely the embassy of the Ethiopian and Egyptian king Tirhakah to Hezekiah, which was to persuade Hezekiah to continue resistance to the Assyrians. The entire chapter 18 can be divided into two strophes – the first will embrace the first three verses, the second – verses 4–6. Verse 7 more closely approaches prose speech. The strophes in the prophecy are asymmetrical (2, 3 and 2, 2, 2).

Chapter Nineteen

1–15. Egypt shall be struck with the judgment of God. 16–25. The saving effect of this judgment on Egypt.

Isa 19:1-15. Since both the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah had dealings with Egypt to find in it support in their struggle against Assyria, Isaiah impresses upon his countrymen the thought that this support is very unreliable. Egypt is destined to drink, by the will of the Almighty, many humiliations (1). Civil strife will begin in Egypt (2), and although the inhabitants of Egypt will turn to their widows and sorcerers for help to end the calamity (3) – nothing will avail, and Egypt, weakened by mutual strife, will be subjected to a foreign cruel ruler (4). After political decline will come the decline of Egyptian industry. Because the Nile, the sustainer of Egypt, will dry up, everything in Egypt will wither and dry out (5–7), the fishing industry will cease (8), and the making of various materials from plants growing on the banks of the Nile will stop (9). The upper and lower castes in Egypt will fall into decline (10), the priests and sages will lose their wisdom (11–12) and will further harm the land with their unsuccessful counsels (13–14). In short – everything in Egypt will come to utter disorder (15).

Isaiah 19:1. A prophecy concerning Egypt. – Behold, the Lord rides upon a light cloud and comes to Egypt. And the idols of Egypt will be shaken before His face, and the heart of Egypt will melt within it. Isaiah 13:1. “A prophecy.” See Isaiah 13:1. “Egypt” – (see Exposition Bible vol. 1, p. 45, vol. 2, pp. 512, 514). This country was called by the Egyptians themselves in antiquity Khat, later Kemi – “black,” because the silt remaining on Egyptian fields after the overflow of the Nile River has such a black color. The Hebrews called Egypt Mizraim, that is, enclosures, probably referring by this name to the walls that separated Egypt from the Arabian desert. Egypt itself is a word of Phoenician origin and designates a curved seacoast. This vast country contains both fertile valleys along the Nile River and enormous deserts. Besides the Nile, in antiquity Egypt was irrigated by numerous canals through which water was conveyed to regions not reached by the inundations of the Nile. In modern times science has established the cause of the annual overflows of the Nile – these are the tropical rains that recur each year at the same time in the regions where the Nile has its source, rains that cause the melting of the snows lying on the high peaks of the mountains there. The vegetation in Egypt in ancient times was richer than at the present time, and the Nile Delta by its fertility was an inexhaustible granary for all of Asia and Europe. The fauna of Egypt was also rich and diverse. The ancient Egyptians distinguished between Upper and Lower Egypt. The first with its chief city of No-Ammon, or Thebes, was distinguished by the wealth and immensity of its palaces and temples; the second with its chief city of Noph, or Memphis, was celebrated for its forty pyramids. In Egypt dwelt the descendants of Ham – from his second son (Gen 10:7), a tribe mighty and beautiful, occupying itself chiefly with agriculture and at the same time having attained high degrees in the development of culture and learning in general. The political life of Egypt had long been cast in the form of hereditary unlimited monarchy. The first king of Egypt (according to Lepsius) was Menes, who ascended the throne in 3892 BC; historians count up to 30 successive royal dynasties that followed one another in Egypt. Later Egypt became a province first of the Greek empire, and then of the Roman empire. “Upon a cloud” – by this poetic image the prophet wishes to indicate the swiftness with which the Lord will execute His righteous judgment upon Egypt (cf. Ps 17:11; Ps 67:34). “And comes” – more precisely, “arrives.” “The idols of Egypt.” The Egyptians had an exceedingly large number of gods – patrons of different aspects of human life. The religion of Egypt was never monotheistic, and the number of gods and objects of worship in Egypt grew ever more with time… The outward appearance of these “gods” or idols was very diverse. There were images of humans and images of bulls, birds, reptiles, and so forth. “The heart of Egypt.” Egypt will lose all courage – panic will reign among its inhabitants.

Isaiah 19:2. I will set Egyptian against Egyptian; and they will fight, brother against brother and friend against friend, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. By the will of the Lord, a civil war will begin in Egypt. And indeed, already in the lifetime of Isaiah the Lower Egypt broke apart into several kingdoms, whose centers became: Tanis, Memphis, Sais, and other cities. These dissensions made it easier for the Ethiopians and Assyrians to take possession of Egypt, which occurred shortly after Isaiah’s death.

Isaiah 19:3. And the spirit of Egypt will fail within it, and I will confound their counsel; and they will resort to idols and to sorcerers and to those who invoke the dead and to those who consult the spirits. “The spirit of Egypt.” Egyptian statesmen will lose entirely their ability to reason (cf. Isa 11:2). “I will confound,” that is, I will throw into confusion all the plans and designs of Egyptian politicians. “Sorcerers” – properly “mutterers” (haittim), an indication of the indistinct speech of conjurers. “Those who invoke the dead” – in Hebrew, haovot, see chapter 8, verse 19. “Those who consult the spirits” – wise women (hajidonim), see there.

Isaiah 19:4. And I will deliver Egypt into the hand of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them, says the Lord, the Lord of hosts. “A cruel master.” Some commentators see here a prophecy of the invasion of Egypt by the king of Assyria, Esar-Haddon; others see the fulfillment of this prophecy in the reign of Pharaoh Psammeticus and in the activity of the pharaohs Necho and Hophra who followed Psammeticus, who, having seized the throne of the Egyptian kingdom with the help of mercenary troops, fiercely persecuted the native population, so that about 200,000 Egyptians, belonging to the warrior caste, were forced to emigrate to Ethiopia at that time. The first of these two opinions is more probable. Esar-Haddon, after defeating Pharaoh Tirhakah, divided Egypt into 20 districts, appointed his own governors there, and stationed Assyrian garrisons throughout Egypt. But it seems most correct to suppose that Isaiah did not wish here to depict any particular person, but gave a general characterization of Egypt’s future fate.

Isaiah 19:5. And the waters of the sea will waste away, and the river will be parched and dry; Isaiah 19:6. and the rivers will fail, and the canals of Egypt will become shallow and dry; the reed and the rush will wither. Isaiah 18:2. “The sea” – see Isaiah 18:2. “The river.” If the Nile at its greatest inundation was called the sea (ijom), then in its usual width it bore the name – of a river or stream (nahar). “The rivers” – in Hebrew, naharoth, that is, the branches of the Nile and its canals. “The canals” – in Hebrew, jeorej (from jeor – stream – a name for the Nile) can mean both large canals and water-drainage ditches.

Isaiah 19:7. The fields by the river, on the banks of the river, and everything sown by the river will dry up, blow away, and vanish. “The fields by the river,” that is, the most fertile meadows at the mouth of the Nile. “Everything sown by the river,” that is, every sown plot of land.

Isaiah 19:8. And the fishermen will mourn and lament, all those who cast hooks in the river, and those who spread nets in the water will be in despair; Isaiah 19:9. and those who work flax and the weavers of fine white linen will be in confusion; The Nile was very rich in fish (cf. Num 11:5), and the diminishing of water in the Nile led to the decline of fishing. “Those who work flax” – literally from Hebrew, those who comb flax with wooden combs; from this flax material was made for sacred garments. “Linen” – more precisely: various materials – both linen and even silk (in Hebrew, harir).

Isaiah 19:10. and the nets will be broken, and all those who keep fish ponds will be cast down in spirit. “The nets.” In the Hebrew text the word schutoth is placed here – supports, but Orelli corrects it to another word – schoteiha, weavers, from schota to weave. Therefore here the word nets can be replaced by the expression: weavers – the last half of the verse in Condamin’s translation is rendered thus: “and all workers are in despair.”

Isaiah 19:11. Surely the princes of Zoan are fools; the counsel of the wise counselors of Pharaoh has become senseless. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am a son of the wise, a son of the ancient kings?” “Zoan,” in Egyptian Taon, now San (by the Septuagint, Tanis), was situated on the eastern bank of the second easternmost branch of the Nile. It was the capital of Lower Egypt in the age of the Hyksos and remained so in Isaiah’s time (cf. Isa 30:4). The Egyptian sages in antiquity were celebrated throughout the world, and the sages of the capital city, of course, should have enjoyed special honor. This wisdom or various secret knowledges were usually transmitted in the caste of priests by inheritance – from fathers to children. “A son of the ancient kings.” – Pharaohs in Egypt were chosen chiefly from the caste of priests, so ancient writers sometimes called the pharaohs priests.

Isaiah 19:12. Where are they? Where are your wise men? Let them tell you now; let them know what the Lord of hosts has determined about Egypt. “Let them know” – in the Hebrew text: let them inform, let them explain.

Isaiah 19:13. The princes of Zoan have become fools; the princes of Memphis are deceived, and the leaders of her peoples have led Egypt astray. “Memphis,” in Egyptian Mennufer, Mennufe (refuge of the good), in Assyrian Mempi, was another capital of Lower Egypt. “The leaders of her peoples” – in translation from Hebrew, the cornerstones (cf. Isa 8:6) or the foundations of the peoples or regions out of which the Egyptian kingdom was formed and into which it later broke apart again.

Isaiah 19:14. The Lord has sent a spirit of confusion into her; and they have caused Egypt to go astray in all her works, as a drunkard staggers in his vomit. Isaiah 19:15. And there will be nothing in Egypt that any head or tail, palm or reed, can do. “Has sent” – in the Hebrew text: mixed in, poured in. “Into her,” that is, into the land of Egypt as if into a certain vessel. “A spirit of confusion” – an intoxicating vapor. Most likely, this confusion took hold of the pharaoh’s advisers, who therefore led Egypt not by the road it needed to go. “Head and tail” – leaders and subordinates. “Palm and reed” – the highest and lowest classes of society. Isa 19:16-25. Having experienced every calamity, Egypt will come to the conviction that these calamities were sent upon it by the Almighty God, and will tremble and bow before the true God and His chosen people. First several cities will acknowledge the power of the Almighty, and then all of Egypt will become a land of true worship of God. The Lord will deal with the Egyptians as He formerly dealt with the Hebrew people – sometimes with mercy, sometimes with anger. This conversion of Egypt to the Lord will impel other nations to do the same. According to the prophet’s conception, Assyria also will believe in the true God, so that Egypt, Assyria, and Israel will form a great threefold alliance in which true communion with God will be established. “In that day,” that is, after the aforementioned calamities. “Will fear” – that is, will understand that the Lord is truly the One Almighty God.

Isaiah 19:18. In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear by the Lord of hosts; one will be called the City of the Sun. “Five cities,” that is, a fairly considerable number of cities. This number can be explained on the basis that five is half of ten, and ten is the symbol of completeness (cf. Matt 25:2). “The language of Canaan” – of course, the Hebrew language, because the Egyptians called the land of the Hebrews the Canaanite land. To speak the language of someone – means to think and believe in accordance with those who speak that language. “Will swear,” that is, will acknowledge the power and strength of the Almighty. “City of the Sun” – according to the Masoretic text: ir haherem – city of destruction. One must think that in the Masoretic text an error was made, and here is why: a) since the discourse in verse 18 is about converted Egypt, then a name for the principal city of Egypt indicating its destruction would be entirely inappropriate; b) the majority of ancient translations contradict such a reading. But if so, then what does another reading adopted by recent critics – ir hacheres mean? This expression means “city of the sun,” as it is translated also in the Russian Synodal Bible, but what meaning the prophet himself attached to this name – about this nothing decisive can be said.

Isaiah 19:19. In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a monument to the Lord at its border. Isaiah 19:20. And it will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt, because they will cry out to the Lord on account of their oppressors, and He will send them a savior and protector, and will deliver them. In the land of Egypt true worship of God will be established with all the external rites. The Egyptians, like the Hebrews, will serve the Almighty and draw near to Him through sacrifice. It is unlikely, however, that the words of Isaiah can be referred to those partial cases of the conversion of Egyptians to the Hebrew religion that took place in the later times of the Old Testament. Most likely, the prophet here spoke of the future conversion of Egypt to Christ. Therefore, in the altar he mentioned, it is best to see the Churches of God that appeared in Egypt in Christian times. “And a monument to the Lord” – according to the Hebrew text: a pillar, an obelisk (mazebah). It will stand, as one can translate literally from Hebrew, near or at the border of the Egyptian land, and will be for everyone entering this land a sign or an indication that in Egypt the true God, the Almighty, is worshipped. Of course, the words of the prophet should not be understood literally: the prophet wished to say only that the whole world would become aware of Egypt’s conversion to the true faith. But if Egypt converts to the true God, then God will also turn toward Egypt – He will send her His help, as He did when the Hebrews appealed to Him during the time of the Judges (Judg 3:9; Judg 4 and others). “A savior” – in Hebrew, hoschija. This is what the judges of Israel were called (Judg 6:36; Judg 12 and others). “A protector” – in Hebrew, rab, that is, a fighter, an avenger (cf. Judg 6:31).

Isaiah 19:21. And the Lord will make Himself known to Egypt; and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and will offer sacrifices and gifts and will make vows to the Lord and will fulfill them. Isaiah 19:22. And the Lord will strike Egypt; He will strike and then heal; they will return to the Lord, and He will hear them and will heal them. The Egyptians will know the Lord, that is, will believe in the Almighty, will acknowledge Him as the true God. “Sacrifices and gifts” – that is, bloody sacrifices and simple bread offerings. “And the Lord will strike,” that is, the Lord will correct the Egyptians through temporary punishments, as He did with the Hebrews.

Isaiah 19:23. In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria; and the Egyptians will serve the Lord together with the Assyrians. Isaiah 19:24. In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the land, Isaiah 19:25. which the Lord of hosts will bless, saying: Blessed are My people, the Egyptians, and the work of My hands, the Assyrians, and My inheritance, Israel. “In that day” – evidently, in the messianic times. “A highway.” Such a highway existed already from ancient times. It ran from Egypt through eastern Palestine and Syria to Mesopotamia (Gen 37:25). But the prophet evidently means here a highway in the figurative sense of the word. He wishes to say that the Egyptians and Assyrians, who in his time were constantly at war with one another over the possession of Asia Minor, in the time of the Messiah will visit one another only with peaceful intentions, not in order to wage war. “Will serve the Lord.” Egypt and Assyria will be united primarily by a common religion (cf. Isa 11 and following). “Israel will be the third.” The Hebrews also were constantly at war, sometimes with Egypt and sometimes with Assyria. In the time of the Messiah Israel will enter a great spiritual alliance with their former enemies. “A blessing” – according to Condamin’s translation, a particle should be added here: Israel will be as a blessing, that is, a mediator in obtaining divine blessings by all the earth (cf. Gen 12 and following). It is important to note that here the Egyptians are given the name “My people,” which was formerly given only to the Hebrews. Until recently the authenticity of the first part of chapter 19 (verses 1–15) was disputed by few. Only Duhm raised doubts about the authenticity of this passage. Here are the grounds he puts forward for his doubt: a) Isaiah six times in four verses repeats the word Egypt, b) Isaiah speaks too specifically about the means of subsistence of Egyptian fishermen and weavers, c) Isaiah does not present the motives for his threats. Following Duhm’s example, Cheyne completely rejected the authenticity of this section on the ground, among others, that verses 1–15 of chapter 19 contain expressions used in what he considers to be non-authentic parts of the Book of Isaiah. But all the objections raised – why repeat “Egypt” so many times? Is it perhaps not possible that Isaiah could describe in detail the situation in which Egyptian fishermen and craftsmen would find themselves? As for the absence of motives for the threats, in other, undoubtedly authentic prophecies of Isaiah concerning foreign nations, these motives are also not indicated (see, for example, the prophecies concerning Moab in chapters 15 and 16). Finally, it is very strange the reasoning advanced by Cheyne. The fact is that the same critic proves the non-authenticity of some other chapters of the Book of Isaiah precisely by the fact that they contain expressions used in the first half of chapter 19; thus there is a certain “circularity” in the proofs… As for objections to the authenticity of the second half of chapter 19, they are more serious. They are drawn from the terminology of this part of chapter 19, from the style, from the sympathetic tone of the prophecy, and especially from the details contained in verses 18–25. Duhm and Marti find, for example, in verses 18 and 19 a reference to the building by the Jews of a temple in Egypt, in the city of Leontopolis, around 160 BC (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 13:3, 1), and therefore refer the appearance of this prophecy to the middle of the second century BC. But even these objections are not insurmountable. First of all, the style of speech rather speaks in favor of the authenticity of verses 16–25. Baudissin and Stade even say that if these verses do not belong to Isaiah, then in any case the author of them evidently wished to imitate Isaiah’s “manner.” Then, what would be the sense in the 2nd century BC of speaking about the future fate of Assyria, with which the Chaldeans had long since been done? On the contrary, the mutual relations of Egypt, Assyria, and the Judean kingdom around 700 BC would most likely have suggested the announcement of the future conversion of both former powers to the Almighty. Finally, if Duhm and Marti read in verse 18 instead of ir hacheres – city of the sun – ir haheres, “city of the lion,” to find here a reference to the city of Leontopolis, their reading and translations are very questionable: it has not yet been proven that the Hebrew word haheres could mean lion… Thus, we consider all attacks on the authenticity of chapter 19 quite unconvincing. As for the time of the composition of this prophecy, it is best to refer it to the last years of Isaiah’s ministry. This speech can be divided into strophes as follows: 1st strophe – verses 1–4 – (3, 3) 2nd strophe – verses 5–10 – (3, 3) 3rd strophe – verses 11–15 – (3, 3) In the second part of the chapter no definite symmetry is observed. Verses 1, 3–5, 12, 16, 19–21 of this chapter are appointed to be read as a paremya at the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, probably because, according to tradition, immediately after the Meeting the Infant was taken to Egypt, where before Him in the city of Heliopolis all the idols fell. * * * If we approach it from the point of view of the multi-layered nature of prophecies – that is, that at different times they may apply to analogous situations – then the point of view is quite valid regarding the future inclusion of the Gentiles in Christ’s faith throughout the world. – Editor’s note.

Chapter Twenty

1–6. A prophecy concerning the fate of Egypt and Ethiopia.

Isa 20:1-6. In the year that the Assyrians took the Philistine city of Ashdod – probably some time before the fall of this city – Isaiah received from the Lord a commandment to remove his upper garment and sandals, which the prophet and carried out.

Isaiah 20:1. In the year that Tartan came to Ashdod, sent by Sargon, the king of Assyria, and besieged and took Ashdod, “Tartan” – an Assyrian word (tartanu), meaning the commander-in-chief of the army and holding the first place after the king. “From Sargon.” In 1847 inscriptions of the Assyrian king Sargon (in Assyrian Sarrukin), the predecessor of Sennacherib, were discovered. He took Samaria (722 BC), which his predecessor Shalmaneser IV had been besieging, and in 711 BC the military commander of Sargon took the Philistine city of Ashdod, whose king Azuri refused to pay tribute to the Assyrian king and besides entered into friendship with the pharaoh. Sargon, as is clear from his inscriptions, suspected that Judea too was party to the designs of the Philistines.

Isaiah 20:2. At that very time the Lord said to Isaiah, the son of Amoz, “Go and loosen the sackcloth from your loins and remove the sandals from your feet.” And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. Now it was necessary to warn King Hezekiah of Judah, perhaps, about the danger which such a planned alliance with Egypt presented to Judea at that time. Isaiah, by revelation, knew that the Assyrian king would not be satisfied with taking Ashdod, but would try to subdue Egypt as well, which, as the Assyrian king knew, was disturbing the Palestinian states that paid tribute to the Assyrian king. Therefore, the prophet, by the command of God, performs a symbolic action, by which he shows that the Egyptians will be conquered by the Assyrians, and that relying on an alliance with Egypt is therefore pointless.

Isaiah 3:23. “Sackcloth” – see Isaiah 3:23. Here this word seems to denote the usual prophetic garment – a coarse hair cloak, such as the prophet Elijah wore (2 Sam 1:8). “Naked,” that is, without an outer garment, in only a tunic (cf. 2 Sam 6:14 and John 21:7; Mark 14:52).

Isaiah 20:3. And the Lord said, Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent concerning Egypt and Ethiopia, Isaiah 20:4. so shall the king of Assyria lead away captives from Egypt and exiles from Ethiopia, young and old, naked and barefoot and with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. After three years had passed since Isaiah received this commandment, he was commanded to explain to the people of Judah the meaning of this symbolic action. It meant that the Assyrians would likewise lead away naked and barefoot the captives from Egypt and Ethiopia – from that state on which the people of Judah then placed particular hope. This defeat of Egypt would make a strong impression on all the Palestinian peoples. “Three years” – a symbolic number, meaning the fullness of time. The prophet continued his symbolic action for so long in order to attract the attention of his countrymen more strongly, to arouse in them interest in the sign itself. The prophet did not reveal the meaning of this walking for three whole years, and then explained it. “Thus the king of Assyria will lead.” This was fulfilled under the Assyrian king Esar-Haddon (681–668 BC), who called himself “king of kings of Egypt” and who defeated Tirhakah, the king of Ethiopia and Egypt, taking many of his subjects into captivity. Egypt was also struck by his son, Ashurbanipal (668–626 BC), who took the city of No, or Thebes, where the successor of Tirhakah, Rudamun, had shut himself up, and again took many Egyptian captives to Assyria.

Isaiah 20:5. Then shall the people be ashamed and disappointed because of Ethiopia, their hope, and because of Egypt, their glory. Isaiah 20:6. And the inhabitant of this coastland will say on that day, “Behold, this is what has come to those on whom we relied and to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape?” Evidently, the victories of Pharaoh Tirhakah persuaded many of the kings of Palestine to dream of an alliance with Egypt, but the defeats which the pharaohs suffered from the Assyrians will make all these states change their opinion about Egypt.

Chapter Twenty-One

1–10. A prophecy of the fall of Babylon. 11–12. On the fate of Edom. 13–17. And Arabia.

Isa 21:1-10. The prophet sees a violent storm moving over the seacoast desert or Babylon. This storm represents the enemy forces of the Medes and Elamites, who will put an end to the sufferings of the peoples subjugated by Babylon. The disaster that will befall Babylon is so severe that even the prophet himself sympathizes with its inhabitants. Then the prophet describes in detail how God revealed to him the fate of Babylon. The prophecy concludes with the prophet’s joyful exclamation addressed to Israel, freed from Babylon’s yoke.

Isaiah 21:1. A prophecy concerning the wilderness of the sea. As whirlwinds sweep through the south, it comes from the wilderness, from a land of terror. In chapters 21 and 22, there are prophecies of an emblematic character. Certain countries are not mentioned here by their own names, but receive somewhat cryptic designations. Thus Babylon is called here a seacoast desert. Where does this name come from? In Assyrian records, Babylonia is sometimes called the sea or the land of the sea. This name may have been suggested either because the Euphrates, flowing through Babylonia, spread out in the south like a sea, or because, as modern research shows, in ancient times the Persian Gulf extended almost to Babylon itself, which was thus a coastal city (see Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedia, see Babylon). But since in Isaiah’s time both northern and southern Chaldea were united under the scepter of the Assyrian king, the prophet evidently meant that in time all Chaldea or all Mesopotamia would become a desolate wilderness (cf. Isa 14:23). The entire verse can be translated from the Hebrew as follows: “like an irresistible southern gale, this (that is, the vision described next) comes from the wilderness, from the land of terror.” Media is so named because fierce and numerous enemies of Babylon dwelt there. Besides, Media was separated from Babylon by deserts.

Isaiah 21:2. A grievous vision is revealed to me: the plunderer plunders, the destroyer destroys; ascend, Elam, besiege, Media! I will put an end to all the groaning. “The plunderer” – according to Orelli, the Hebrew word here should be translated as “traitor” (bohed). According to this commentator’s observation, this may suggest that the destroyers of Babylon will be the vassal kings who have betrayed her. “Ascend.” Babylon in the Bible is sometimes depicted as a mountain that rises to the heavens (Jer 51:25). Elam (in Assyrian, ilamti) is a country east of the Tigris, standing in the same relations to Babylon as Media. This is not the same as Persia: the Aryan Persians were unknown to the Hebrews in Isaiah’s time.

Isaiah 13:17. “Media” – see Isaiah 13:17. “All the groaning.” The Russian translation ascribes these words to the Almighty, but earlier the prophet was speaking; therefore the translation does not correspond to the context of speech. Moreover, the prophet himself expresses sorrow about the destruction of Babylon later on. Yet this sorrow would not be out of place if at the end of verse 2 the Lord announced the end of the suffering of the Hebrews enslaved by Babylon. Condamin therefore, correcting the word “haschbiti” (I will put an end) to “haschbit” (put an end), and reading “chanenah” (compassion) instead of “anechatan” (groaning), translates this passage as: “have no more compassion!”

Isaiah 21:3. Therefore my loins are filled with pain; pangs have seized me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am bewildered by what I hear; I am terrified by what I see. Isaiah 21:4. My heart palpitates; fear grips me; my night of rest has turned into terror for me. “I am bewildered” can be translated thus: “I am so bewildered that I hear nothing; so terrified that I see nothing!” Even at night, when naturally one should find rest from the day’s worries, the thought of Babylon’s terrible fate gives the prophet no peace.

Isaiah 21:5. They prepare the table, they spread the carpets, – they eat, they drink. “Rise up, princes, oil the shields!” In the evening, when the Babylonian princes were dining, a cry of alarm will be heard. “Carpets” – that is, rugs on which the diners sat. “Oil the shields” – smear the shields so that cutting and thrusting blows will glance off them.

Isaiah 21:6. For thus the Lord said to me: Go, set a watchman; let him report what he sees. In this verse the Lord commands the prophet himself to prepare to receive the revelation about Babylon’s fate. That by “watchman” here we must understand not some other person, but Isaiah himself, is evident from verse 11, where Edom addresses Isaiah as a watchman. Thus we find here a special form of poetic metonymy.

Isaiah 21:7. And he saw riders, horsemen in pairs – riders on horses, riders on donkeys, riders on camels; and he listened attentively, with great care, – Isaiah 21:8. and he cried out like a lion: My lord! I stand continually on the watchtower day and night and I remain at my post throughout the nights. Condamin translates the beginning of this verse as: “if he sees…” and the end as: “then let him look carefully, very carefully, and let them cry: ‘I see!’” In place of this last expression in the Russian translation, as in many others, stands the expression “like a lion.” The first translation seems more natural than the second – besides, the expression “areeh” could easily have been changed by the Masoretes to “ariih” (lion): only the letter aleph would need to be replaced by yodh. “I stand on the watchtower.” These are the words of the prophet himself, which clearly show that earlier he understood “watchman” to mean himself.

Isaiah 21:9. And behold, riders came, horsemen in pairs. Then he cried aloud and said: Fallen, fallen is Babylon, and all her idols lie shattered on the ground. “Then he cried aloud.” In Condamin’s translation this passage reads: “they raise their voice, they say.” “Her idols shattered.” This served as proof that Babylon had lost her independence – her gods were already shattered, and consequently all her strength, which was concentrated in these gods, was crushed (Hos 8:5).

Isaiah 21:10. O my threshed one and the son of my threshing floor! What I have heard from the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have reported to you. The Babylonians treated Israel, to whom the prophet now addresses his words, as a farmer treats sheaves of grain, threshing them either with a flail or a specially constructed machine.

Isaiah 21:11. A prophecy concerning Dumah. They call to me from Seir: Watchman, how much of the night is left? Watchman, how much of the night is left? Isaiah 21:12. The watchman answers: The morning comes, but also still is the night. If you would inquire, inquire; come again. To Edom the prophet announces that the dawn of liberation from heavy foreign – probably Assyrian – oppression will not shine for him for a long time yet. “Dumah” is a shortened name for Idumea. This name was given to the country lying south of the Dead Sea by Edom (the surname of Esau); however, the reddish tint of the soil in this country may also have given rise to the name Idumea (Edom in Hebrew means: red). In the south, Idumea extended to Elath, which lay at the northern tip of the Gulf of Elath and served as a harbor for Idumean ships. The ancient capital of the Idumeans was the city of Bozrah, but the chief fortress of the country was Sela, more commonly known by its Greek name, Petra. The inhabitants of this country had been hostile to the Judeans from ancient times, but Saul, David, and Solomon subdued them and occupied part of their territory. With the weakening of the kingdom of Israel, the Idumeans not only recovered the cities taken from them by the Hebrews but also began making raids on southern Palestine. Originally the Idumeans were governed by sheikhs, but, beginning to wage war with the Horites, who were the ancient inhabitants of Idumea, the Idumeans began to elect kings for themselves, although the princes of separate tribes continued to retain their power even under the kings (see Exod 15:15). In religion, the Idumeans were idolaters, as is evident from the fact that King Amaziah, having conquered Idumea, brought “the gods of the sons of Seir” into Judea (2 Chr 25:14). The Idumeans built their dwellings principally in caves and grottos hewn into soft sandstone. It should be noted that the expression used by Isaiah, Dumah – in Hebrew “doumah” – literally means: silence. Is there perhaps in the prophet’s mind some allusion to the idea that this Idumea, once so densely populated and bustling, would in time become a land of silence? This would then be parallel to the expression “the land of the shadow of death” which the prophet used of Galilee (Isa 9:2). “From Seir” is another designation of the same Idumea, probably derived from the name Seir the Horite, whose descendants were the first to occupy the Idumean mountains, and who were later settled by the descendants of Esau (see the Commentary on the Bible, vol. 1). These mountains, stretching down to the Gulf of Elath from the Dead Sea, are composed mainly of layers of porphyry, and sometimes have a limestone composition. Among these mountains are many fertile valleys where wheat and grapes grow, as well as various flowers and fruit trees. Only the western slopes of the mountains present a terrifyingly barren place, devoid of all vegetation. The mountains of Seir, most likely, in ancient times referred specifically to the eastern part of the said mountain range. “How much of the night?” – that is, what hour of the night is it? How much longer will the night last? Undoubtedly, the inhabitants of Seir were asking about the nearness of their liberation from heavy Assyrian oppression. Indeed, among the kings who kissed the feet of Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, during his campaign against Palestine, the records of Sennacherib mention the king of Edom. The subsequent Assyrian kings, as powerful monarchs, certainly also did not release the Edomite kings from obedience.

Isaiah 21:12. The watchman answers: The morning comes, but also still is the night. If you would inquire, inquire; come again. The prophet says that the morning of liberation for Edom is drawing near, but for now the night still continues, that is, the Edomites will still have to suffer much from the Assyrians. The Edomites could indeed have addressed the Jewish prophet with questions about their future fate, because they saw in the Lord, whom Isaiah served, the national God of the Hebrews, who knew the secrets of the future (cf. 2 Sam 5 and cf. 2 Sam 8 and cf.). The example of the Ninevites, who believed the preaching of Jonah, might also have prompted them to do so. “Return and come” – more precisely from the Hebrew: “you will come again!” In these concluding words the prophet points out that if the Edomites and do obtain relief from their difficult situation after the fall of Nineveh, this relief will be temporary, and they will again have to ask anxiously when they will be freed from the new yoke that awaits them (the Chaldean yoke). Isa 21:13-17. And Arabia will suffer from the invasion of the Assyrians. The Arabian caravans must hide in thickets and seek refuge from enemies among the Arabs of the Syrian desert. The prophet predicts the loss of their former glory by the sons of Kedar.

Isaiah 21:13. A prophecy about Arabia. In the forest of Arabia spend the night, caravans of Dedan! “Arabia” is the great peninsula of western Asia to the southeast of Palestine, between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. But in Isaiah this name (in Hebrew “arav”) evidently denotes not so much a specific country or nationality, but rather the nomadic tribes living partly in the deserts to the east and southeast of the Holy Land, and mainly in the so-called desert Arabia or the Syrian desert (cf. 2 Chr 17:11; 2 Chr 22:1; 2 Chr 26:7). This desert was densely populated in ancient times. Its inhabitants belonged to the Semitic group of peoples, although Cushitic tribes lived in the south. More precisely, according to the book of Genesis, they can be divided into Joktanites, Haturites, and Ishmaelites. (The Arabs in general rarely came into contact with the Hebrews and were not hostile to them.) “In the forest of Arabia” – in Hebrew “bajaar baarav” – “in the thickets, in Arabia.” Such thickets or shrubbery existed in abundance around the edges of the Arabian desert in ancient times. “The caravans of Dedan.” The Dedanites are an Arabian tribe descended from Abraham through Keturah (Gen 25:3). There was another tribe with the same name of Cushitic origin (Gen 10:7), but here evidently the tribe descended from Abraham is meant, which dwelt near Edom, as can be concluded from the fact that the prophet speaks of it immediately after he has spoken of Edom. A trace of this tribe remains in the name of ruins of a city northwest of Akaba called Dayan. This tribe carried on trade with Syria in goods obtained from India and Ethiopia (ivory, carpets, etc.).

Isaiah 21:14. Inhabitants of the land of Tema! Bring water to meet the thirsty; offer bread to those who flee, Isaiah 21:15. because they flee from the swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the hardship of war. “The land of Tema,” friendly to the Dedanites and other Kedarites, probably represented an oasis located to the southeast of the northern tip of the Gulf of Elath. Here the Arabs fled, taking refuge from the Assyrian forces advancing from the north. The tribe of Tema was of Ishmaelite origin.

Isaiah 21:16. For thus the Lord said to me: In one year, counted as a hireling’s year, all the glory of Kedar will fail, Isaiah 21:17. and the bows of the mighty men of Kedar will be few: thus speaks the Lord, the God of Israel. Isaiah 16:14. “A hireling’s year” – see Isaiah 16:14. “Kedar” is also an Ishmaelite tribe that dwelt partly in tents made from black goat-hair material (Song 1:4), partly in villages (Isa 42:11), and was rich in herds and camels (Isa 60:7). This was a very warlike and at the same time treacherous tribe (Ps 119:5). The place of the pastures of this tribe was the northern part of the Syrian-Arabian desert, lying between Damascus and Babylon. The most decisive defeat of this tribe, which stood at the head of all Arab tribes, was inflicted by the Assyrian king Esarhaddon. When was the prophecy of chapter 21 about the fall of Babylon fulfilled? Some (Smith, Kleinert) see here a prediction of the siege of Babylon by the Assyrian king Sargon (in 701 BCE), while others (Kuenen, Delitzsch, Dillmann) relate the fulfillment of this prophecy to the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus. The latter opinion is more correct because, apart from the fact that Isaiah mentions the Elamites and Medes attacking Babylon, the Hebrews themselves are represented here as a “threshed” people, as they could be called only in the era of the Babylonian captivity, which the prophet probably had in mind here. As for Isaiah’s prophecy concerning Edom and Arabia, the majority of critics see no grounds to consider them inauthentic, although they find no data to determine the time of their utterance. This chapter may be divided into stanzas as follows: 1 – Verses 1–5 – (3, 3, 2) 2 – Verses 6–10 – (3, 3, 2) The prophecy concerning Edom – (verses 11–12) The prophecy concerning Arabia – (verses 13–15) Prose – (verses 16–17)

Chapter Twenty-Two

1–14. A prophecy concerning Jerusalem. 15–25. A prophecy concerning the palace officials Shebna and Eliakim.

Isa 22:1-14. The prophet announces to Jerusalem a terrible judgment of God. The city has no one to guard it – the Judean army is defeated and enemies threaten the capital of the kingdom of Judah. The inhabitants of Jerusalem, however, organize the defense of the city, unwilling to turn to the Almighty for help, who actually sent this terrible trial upon them. Yet others have completely despaired of any salvation and spend their time in mad feasting. This hardening of the Judeans will not be forgiven them by the Lord!

Isaiah 22:1. A prophecy concerning the valley of vision. What is wrong with you, that you have all gone up to the roofs? “The valley of vision.” As is evident from verses 9 and 10, by this the prophet means Jerusalem. It is called a valley (or more precisely: a depression) because it is surrounded by high mountains (Ps 124:2; cf. Jer 21:13). “Of vision.” This word designates Jerusalem as a place where the prophet had visions or revelations from God. “Gone up to the roofs.” Evidently at the time the prophet has in mind, detachments of enemy (Assyrian) forces were already appearing on the mountains near Jerusalem, heading toward southern Judea (2 Sam 18:13).

Isaiah 22:2. Noisy city, full of tumult, your city of revelry! Your slain were not killed by the sword, nor did they die in battle; Isaiah 22:3. All your leaders fled together, but were captured without using the bow; all your warriors were bound together, though they had fled far away. “Revelry” – in translation from the Hebrew: “full of frenzied clamor.” This points to the panic that seized the inhabitants of Jerusalem. “Nor did they die in battle” – that is, they did not fall with honor on the field of battle, but, as is evident from verse 3, they fled from the battlefield and were captured by the enemy, who subjected them to cruel execution. “The bow” – in translation from the Hebrew: “without the help of a bow,” that is, the enemies did not even need to use weapons when capturing the fleeing Judeans – they were so stricken with terror! “Those found” – it is more correct to translate, as in the LXX, as “your warriors.”

Isaiah 22:4. Therefore I said: Leave me alone, let me weep bitterly; do not try to comfort me regarding the ruin of my people. Isaiah 22:5. For the Lord God of hosts has a day of tumult and trampling and confusion in the valley of vision, a day of breaking down walls and crying to the mountains. “The daughter of my people” – that is, my countrymen, the inhabitants of various cities of Judea. “Breaking down the wall” – evidently by the inhabitants of Jerusalem themselves, so that, in places, they could erect new walls to replace those that had decayed. “To the mountains” – according to Condamin’s reading – to the mountain. The Jerusalem wall stretched below the mountain on which the temple stood. Now the cries of those working below the city are so loud that they reach the summit of Mount Zion and disturb the worship in the temple.

Isaiah 22:6. And Elam carried the quiver; men came in chariots and horsemen, and Kir bared the shield. Isaiah 21:3. “Elam” – the inhabitants of an Assyrian region; see Isaiah 21:2. “Kir” is also a region belonging to the Assyrian kingdom (cf. Amos 1:5; Amos 9:7), not the Armenian region on the river Kir, because the Caucasus and Armenia were not subject to Assyria. “Bares the shield” – draws it out of the special sheath (cf. Caesar’s Commentaries on the Gallic Wars II, 21).

Isaiah 22:7. And your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen took their stand at the gates, Isaiah 22:8. And he removed the covering of Judah; and in that day you looked to the weapons stored in the House of the Forest; “The covering of Judah” – the protections, the fortifications that protected Jerusalem, the fortresses in which Hebrew garrisons were stationed (2 Chr 17:12; 2 Chr 27:4). “And you” – Jerusalem. “The House of the Forest” – a storehouse or arsenal where weapons were kept from the days of David (1 Sam 2 and cf. 1 Sam 10:17).

Isaiah 22:9. And you saw that there were many breaches in the wall of the city of David, and you collected water in the lower pool; Isaiah 22:10. and you counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to strengthen the wall; Isaiah 22:11. and you made a reservoir between the two walls for the waters of the old pool. But you did not look to Him who did this, and you did not consider Him who planned this long ago. “But” – more correctly: “and.” “You saw” – that is, you paid special attention to the disorders in the defense of the city, whereas – the prophet continues – this should not trouble you most of all, but rather something else – namely, seeking forgiveness and protection from the Lord. “The city of David” – the fortress of Zion, located on the southern slope of the eastern hill of Mount Zion. “The lower pool.” Jerusalem’s location was very advantageous in general, but a shortage of water presented great difficulty. At present, near Jerusalem there is only one spring – Gihon (1 Sam 1:33), called the Spring of Mary, but it is located in the valley of Kidron, outside the city walls. Its water had long been conveyed inside the walls through an underground channel to the Siloam pool (cf. John 9). Otherwise the city would have had to rely only on rainwater, which was constantly stored in special basins. Besides this pool, which by its location was called the upper (Isa 7:3), there existed in Jerusalem another pool, now called the Sultan’s pool. This pool now represents a huge reservoir, 245 feet wide at its upper part and 275 feet wide at its lower part. Its length is 592 feet and its depth is about 40 feet. In summer the bottom of the pool serves as an excellent threshing floor, as the grass that covers its stony surface in spring is completely burned by the sun. Water in it is almost never present, but in ancient times it undoubtedly contained about a million buckets of water. This Sultan’s pool is located outside the city wall. Some (for example, Robinson) consider this pool to be the lower pool mentioned in verse 9, but this is hardly likely. According to Isaiah, the besieged Jerusalem inhabitants collect water for themselves, and therefore in such a place that was within the city walls, while the Sultan’s pool is located outside the Jerusalem wall. It is therefore more correct to understand by the lower pool the so-called Hezekiah’s pool, lying between the first and second walls. Into this pool, which in verse 11 the prophet calls a reservoir for the waters of the old pool, water actually flowed from the upper or old Siloam pool. This pool is located on the western side of Jerusalem, while the upper pool is on the eastern side. “You counted and broke down” – to obtain bricks and stones necessary for repairing the walls.

Isaiah 22:12. And in that day the Lord God of hosts called you to weeping and mourning, to pulling out your hair and putting on sackcloth; Isaiah 22:13. But instead, behold joy and gladness! Slaughtering cattle and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” Isaiah 22:14. But the Lord of hosts revealed this in my hearing: “Surely this sin will not be forgiven you until you die,” says the Lord, the Lord of hosts. Isaiah 3:25. “To weep.” Regarding the customs observed by those who repented, see Isaiah 3:25. “Let us eat and drink” – words full of despair and impossible for someone who still retains any faith in the Lord. If the Judeans, however, speak like this, it means they have completely lost faith in God (cf. 1 Cor 15:32) and must surely be subjected to punishment by the hand of the Almighty. Isa 22:15-25. To Shebna, the steward of the palace of King Hezekiah, the prophet announces captivity in Mesopotamia. In place of Shebna there will be appointed the God-fearing man Eliakim, who will be a support for the king and for his own family.

Isaiah 22:15. Thus says the Lord, the Lord of hosts: Go, go to this steward, to Shebna, the steward of the palace, and say: “This” – an expression with a tone of contempt. “Steward of the palace” – that is, palace minister, the man closest to the king (Isa 36:3; Isa 37:2; cf. 1 Sam 4:6; 1 Sam 18 and 2 Chr 26:21).

Isaiah 22:16. What are you doing here, and who are you here, that you are hewing out a tomb for yourself here? – He is hewing out a tomb on the height, carving a dwelling for himself in the rock. Shebna, as some conclude from his name, which is not Hebrew, was a foreigner and it was not proper for him to have a tomb hewn for himself in the rocks near Jerusalem, where perhaps the tombs of the kings were located (to the west of Jerusalem).

Isaiah 22:17. Behold, the Lord will hurl you down headlong, O man of might. Isaiah 22:18. He will surely seize you and wrap you up as a ball and toss you into a wide land. There you will die, and there will be your splendid chariots, the shame of your master’s house. Isaiah 22:19. And I will push you down from your place, and you will be cast down from your station. “As one throws a strong man” – in translation from the Hebrew: “without mercy, O mighty man!…” Here there is irony directed at Shebna, who considered himself particularly strong and secure in his important position. “As a sword” – it is more correct to read: “as a ball.” “A wide land” – probably Mesopotamia. “Chariots.” After the mention of death it is strange to mention Shebna’s property. Therefore the supposition of Condamin is very likely that here in the Hebrew text the word “chever” (tomb) was originally placed, while in the present text stands the word “rechev” (chariot). In that case, the second half of verse 18 could be translated as follows: “There you will die, there will be your splendid (an irony!) tomb, O shame of your master’s house!”

Isaiah 22:20. And in that day I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Isaiah 22:21. and I will clothe him with your robe, and bind your sash upon him, and commit your authority to his hands; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Isaiah 22:22. And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open and no one shall shut; and he shall shut and no one shall open. Isaiah 22:23. And I will fasten him as a peg in a firm place; and he shall become a seat of honor to his father’s house. Isaiah 22:24. And they will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house: the descendants and offspring, all the least of the vessels, from the bowls to all the jars. “Eliakim” (cf. Isa 36:3; Isa 37:2). From the fact that the prophet calls Eliakim God’s servant, it is evident that he was a God-fearing man and probably a friend of the prophet. “Your robe and sash” – signs of his high office. “Shall be a father” – he will care for the true well-being of the people, whereas Shebna was more concerned with himself (cutting out a tomb). “Keys” – a symbol of power, by virtue of which he alone has the right to allow petitioners to approach the king (these words served as the basis for the image found also in the New Testament (cf. Matt 16:19 and Rev 3:7)). “As a peg.” This expression is explained in verse 24. “A seat of honor” – that is, he will bring glory to all his family and open it to important positions. “All the vessels” – in translation from the Hebrew: all the small vessels, beginning with cups and ending with broad bowls,

Isaiah 22:25. In that day, says the Lord of hosts, the peg that was fastened in a secure place will be removed and fall, and the burden that was upon it will be cut off; for the Lord has spoken. “In that day.” This conclusion speaks again of Shebna’s fate. Special remarks. Even the most rigorous critics see no serious grounds to doubt the authenticity of the entire prophecy of chapter 22. Only verse 25, which does not form part of the stanzas, is considered an addition made in a later period. As for the time of origin of the first half of the chapter, the majority of critics refer it to the time of the beginning of Assyrian King Sennacherib’s conquest of Palestine. From the historical books (2 Sam 20:20; 2 Chr 32:23) we see that Hezekiah, in view of Sennacherib’s invasion, was concerned with water supply for his capital city and in the book of Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach there is praise for him for constructing a basin (Sir 48:19). These hydraulic structures (cf. Commentary on the Bible, vol. 2), mentioned both in the historical books and by Isaiah in chapter 22, give reason to think that our prophecy was spoken around 701 BCE. The prophecy concerning Shebna and Eliakim, however, was spoken somewhat earlier than 701 BCE, as critics of the book of Isaiah unanimously state. Indeed, before Sennacherib’s invasion, which occurred in 701 BCE, Eliakim already occupied Shebna’s place (see Isa 36:3; Isa 37:2), who was demoted to secretary. The stanzas of the prophecy are arranged in this order: 1st stanza – verses 1–3 – (2, 3) 2nd stanza – verses 4–5 – (2, 3) 3rd stanza – verses 6–7 and 8a) 1st stanza – verses 8b)-11 – (2, 3) 2nd stanza – verses 12–14 – (2, 3) 1st stanza – verses 15–19 – (3, 2, 2) 2nd stanza – verses 20–24 – (2, 2, 3) * * *

Isaiah 22:3. reads: “All your princes fled, and those taken captive were bound with cruel bonds, and the mighty ones in you fled far away.” [Translator’s note]

Chapter Twenty-Three

1–14. The destruction of Tyre. 15–18. The restoration of Tyre.

Isa 23:1-7. Ships come to Tyre from the distant Tyrian colony of Tarshish, but from the islands of the Mediterranean they are told that Tyre no longer exists! How great was the significance of this world trading city! Here goods were brought from all over the world, and from here they were distributed to many other countries. Therefore all are astonished by the news of its fall, especially the Phoenicians themselves, who now must seek shelter in foreign lands.

Isaiah 23:1. Prophecy concerning Tyre. – Wail, ships of Tarshish, for it is destroyed; there are no houses, and there is no one to enter the houses. So it is proclaimed to them from the land of Kittim. “Tyre” (in Hebrew Zor, meaning narrowness, rock), which was the chief city of Phoenicia, is now a small and poor town with a pitiful excuse for a marketplace, where chiefly beans, tobacco, dates, and lemons are sold. A group of miserable houses, one or two stories high, dirty alleys instead of streets – such is modern Tyre (Geikie, The Holy Land, p. 1059). In the cliffs running along the seashore to the south, the ancient Tyrians built harbors, quays, small docks, and surrounded the city with a magnificent wall. Remains of this wall are still visible even now, and the causeway has also been preserved, which in ancient times connected Tyre, built on an island, with the Tyre located on the seashore – on the mainland. This causeway was raised by Alexander the Great in order to take the island Tyre. The Tyrians called both parts of Tyre sarra. The old or mainland Tyre was located on a fertile plain and was a luxurious garden (Hos 9:13). Here was the ancient royal fortress and sanctuary of Melkart or Hercules, while the island Tyre was built with various warehouses and houses for sailors. Old Tyre first suffered from enemies during the invasion of Shalmaneser in 729 BC, and then the attacks of the Chaldeans, Persians, and Greeks (especially Alexander the Great) gradually destroyed it more and more, and earthquakes caused considerable harm to Tyre: thus in 523 BC this city was completely destroyed by an earthquake. According to tradition, Tyre was founded 2750 years before the Common Era.

Isaiah 2:16. “Ships of Tarshish” – see Is.2:16. “He,” that is, Tyre. “Them,” that is, the sailors sailing from Tarshish to Tyre. “No one” – more precisely, there is no refuge! “The land of Kittim” – the islands of the Mediterranean generally, and in particular, Cyprus (Gen 10:4; Num 24:24), lying on the sea route from Tyre to Tarshish. Condamin translates the entire verse thus: “Wail, O ships from Tarshish, because your port is destroyed!” – they are informed of this upon returning from the land of Kittim.

Isaiah 23:2. Be silent, inhabitants of the island, whom the merchants of Sidon, sailing across the sea, filled. “Be silent.” Formerly in this lively, trading city was an incessant cry, because there was buying and selling of goods on the shore, and the multitude of traveling sailors produced even more noise in the city. “Inhabitants of the island” – more precisely, inhabitants of the seacoast, the shore. “Merchants of Sidon” – more correctly: Phoenician. Sidon here, as in verses 4 and 12, designates all of Phoenicia (cf. Deut 3:9; Josh 13:4; Judg 10:12; Judg 18:7). Perhaps the Phoenicians are here called Sidonians because Sidon was the most powerful state in the earliest epoch of Israelite history: Tyre only later took its place in the eyes of the Hebrews, when Sidon had lost its power, but the Hebrews continued to call the Phoenicians Sidonians, remembering the significance of Sidon in Phoenicia.

Isaiah 23:3. From the great waters grain was brought to it – the harvest of the Nile – and it was the market of nations. “Great waters” – the Mediterranean Sea. “Sichor” – the river Nile (cf. Isa 19:7). “Market of nations” – the central hub of all grain trade.

Isaiah 23:4. Be ashamed, O Sidon; for thus says the sea, the fortress of the sea: “I have not labored, nor given birth, nor raised young men, nor brought up maidens.” “Sidon” – that is, Phoenicia. This country, having lost Tyre and its harbors, is compared to a mother deprived of her children. “The sea speaks.” The sea was itself as it were the mother who had given birth to Tyre with its harbors. “Fortress of the sea” – that is, the mighty sea, on whose shores Tyre is located. “As though I had not labored,” that is, all my children have perished! Tyre and its harbors no longer exist and as if they had never existed!

Isaiah 23:5. When the news comes to the Egyptians, they will tremble at hearing about Tyre. “They will tremble” (the Egyptians) – not only because of their commercial ties with Tyre, but also because the mighty Tyre was, so to speak, a lightning rod for Egypt, diverting the attention of a significant part of the Assyrian armies to itself.

Isaiah 23:6. Flee to Tarshish, wail, inhabitants of the island! The Phoenicians must now seek refuge in their colonies and, of course, first of all in wealthy Tarshish.

Isaiah 23:7. Is this your jubilant city, whose beginning was from ancient days? His feet carried him to settle in a distant land. “Whose beginning was from ancient days.” See verse 1. “His feet carried him” – more precisely: carried. Tyre had so much strength that it could not stay at home and sent out expeditions to establish its colonies in distant lands. Isa 23:8-14. Who crushed the power of Tyre? The Lord, who punished Tyre for its pride. The Assyrians became in the hands of Jehovah a mighty instrument for the punishment of Tyre.

Isaiah 23:8. Who determined this concerning Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the renowned of the earth? Isaiah 23:9. The Lord of hosts determined it, to bring low the pride of all glory, to humble all the renowned of the earth. “Bestower of crowns,” that is, set whom he would on the throne in his colonies, among which was the renowned Carthage. The voice of Tyre, of course, had significance in the change of dynasties in other states as well.

Isaiah 23:10. Go through your land like the Nile, daughter of Tarshish; there is no more restraint. Isaiah 23:11. He stretched forth his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms; the Lord commanded concerning Canaan to destroy its fortresses. “Daughter of Tarshish” – the colonists inhabiting this distant colony. “There is no more restraint.” Tarshish is now independent, since Tyre, under whose power Tarshish was, no longer exists. “Over the sea,” that is, the Mediterranean Sea, on whose shore Tyre stood. “Shook the kingdoms.” The prophet here clarifies that he means the kingdoms of Canaan and especially those that lay on the seashore, in the lowland. The word Canaan (genaan) means lowland.

Isaiah 23:12. and said: You shall not exult anymore, you oppressed virgin, daughter of Sidon! Arise, pass over to Kittim; but even there you will find no rest. “Oppressed virgin.” Tyre until now could be called a pure maiden; now, after being conquered by enemies, it has, as it were, lost its virginal purity. “Daughter of Sidon,” that is, the population of Phoenicia in general and, in particular, the inhabitants of Tyre. “Kittim” – the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, where nevertheless the Tyrians will not find peace from enemies.

Isaiah 23:13. Behold, the land of the Chaldeans. This people did not exist; Assyria founded it for the inhabitants of the desert. They raise their towers, they destroy its palaces, they turn it into ruins. Isaiah 23:14. Wail, O ships of Tarshish! For your fortress is laid waste. Isaiah 13:21. “Behold, the land of the Chaldeans.” Most commentators find the mention of the Chaldeans completely inappropriate and see here a scribe’s error. They propose reading here either the expression: Canaanites, or: like Sodom, or: Kittim (in Hebrew here stands the word: gasdim). Meanwhile, all ancient translations, beginning with the LXX, agree with the present Masoretic text, and this testimony compels us to recognize the correctness of the reading: land of the Chaldeans. But how is this place to be translated? After all, there could not yet be any talk of the Babylonian kingdom. It seems to us that a fairly natural sense would result if we recognize the expression used by the prophet as a designation of Phoenicia. The origin of the Phoenicians is not precisely known. It is quite possible that the prophet in this case wanted to say that Phoenicia received its inhabitants from among the ancient settlers of Chaldea. In such a case the entire verse could be translated thus: “Behold, it is the Chaldean region! It has become nothing: Assyria (that is, the Assyrian kings, who attacked Tyre) left it to the inhabitants of the deserts (that is, to wild beasts – cf. Is.13:21). They…” etc. 23 “Your fortress,” that is, Tyre, where these ships found safety and security. Isa 23:15-18. For a long time Tyre will remain in humiliation and oblivion, but in the end it will rise again to life. However, the fruits of its commerce will be dedicated to it not to idols and will not be spent on its own pleasures, but on the service of the True God and His chosen ones.

Isaiah 23:15. And it shall be in that day that Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, like the days of one king. After seventy years, Tyre will be like the harlot in the song: Isaiah 23:16. “Take a harp, go about the city, you forgotten harlot! Play skillfully, sing many songs, that you may be remembered.” Isaiah 2:11. “In that day” – see Is.2:11. “Will be forgotten” – that is, Tyre will lose its world political and trading importance. “For seventy years” – a round and moreover large number (7×10). “In proportion to the days,” that is, for the extreme period of the longest reign: hardly any king reigned for more than 70 years. “Go about the city.” Harlots in Eastern cities sat on the streets, before the city gates, went about the city (respectable women remained at home) with singing and music, dressed finely, with wreaths on their heads.

Isaiah 23:17. And it shall be, after seventy years, the Lord will visit Tyre; and she shall return to her wages and commit harlotry with all the kingdoms of the earth. Isaiah 23:18. And her merchandise and her wages shall be dedicated to the Lord; it shall not be stored up or hoarded, but her merchandise shall be for those who dwell before the Lord, for food and fine clothing. “Will commit harlotry,” that is, trade. Trade is compared to harlotry because, just like the latter, it presupposes intercourse with many, and moreover this intercourse is not free from base motives (profit). “For those who dwell before the Lord,” that is, for the Hebrews, dwelling on Zion, or better, for the Church of Christ. Special remarks. Regarding the authenticity of the prophecy concerning Tyre, criticism raises no serious objections. Only verses 15–18 are considered an addition, probably made after the Babylonian captivity, because here are found certain expressions foreign to Isaiah’s style (mikez – verse 17; haadmah – world, verse 18) and, moreover, it is difficult here to establish a division into strophes. Regarding the time of the origin of the prophecy, critics speak differently. Some affirm that Isaiah uttered this prophecy on the occasion of the invasion of Phoenicia by Sennacherib (in 701 BC), while others ascribe the prophecy to an earlier time – namely to the siege of Tyre by Shalmaneser (727–722), completed under Sargon, the successor of Shalmaneser. As for the fulfillment of the prophecy, it is probable that the restoration of Tyre, which Isaiah describes from verse 15, took place under Darius Hystaspes. As is known, Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Tyre – not only the old, but also the new, which was built on the island, and this destruction is what Isaiah foretells to Tyre in the first 14 verses of chapter 23 (Isa 23:1-14), but Darius Hystaspes, correcting the mistakes of the Babylonian kings, again restored this important trading city. The final words of the prophecy were fulfilled in the conversion of Tyre to Christianity, which even in the time of the apostles became Christian (Acts 21:3). The archbishop of Tyre was second only to the patriarch of Jerusalem. During the persecution of Diocletian, Tyre gave many martyrs for the name of Christ. The strophes are divided in the prophecy as follows; First strophe – verses 1–5 – (1, 3, 2, 1) Second strophe – verses 6–10 – (1, 2, 3, 1) Third strophe – verses 11–14 – (2, 2, 2 and repetition of verse 1) The end, except for the harlot’s song, is prose. * * *

Isaiah 23:13. – “and into the land of the Chaldeans, but that also was laid waste by the Assyrians, how its wall fell.” Note of the editor.

Chapter Twenty-Four

1–6. The laying waste of the earth and the punishment of its inhabitants for their wickedness. 7–13. The disappearance of all joy from the earth. 14–18a. The righteous – saved, the guilty – punished. 18–20. The shaking of the earth. 21–23. The punishment of the kings of the earth and the reign of the Almighty.

Isa 24:1-6. The prophet sees how the Lord lays waste the earth and executes His righteous judgment over all people without distinction, because the people inhabiting the earth have transgressed the divine commandments placed in their hearts and have defiled themselves with all sins.

Isaiah 24:1. Behold, the Lord lays waste the earth and makes it desolate; he disfigures its surface and scatters its inhabitants. Since the prophet had the future of the earth revealed to him in a vision, it is clear that his prophecy could not have strict sequence in depicting the different moments of the future judgment over the earth, nor is it evident from it when this judgment will begin, how and by whom it will be executed. It is only clear that this prophecy concerns the last times of the world and begins a series of prophecies about these times, which (the prophecies) end with chapter 27. “Makes it desolate” – more correctly, lays waste, devastates. “Its surface,” that is, all the cities, fortifications, etc. existing on it.

Isaiah 24:2. What happens to the people will happen to the priest; what to the servant will happen to his master; what to the maidservant will happen to her mistress; what to the buyer will happen to the seller; what to the borrower will happen to the lender; what to the debtor will happen to him who lends. Despite differences in social standing, all people will be subjected to punishment from God.

Isaiah 24:3. The earth shall be utterly emptied and utterly plundered, for the Lord has spoken this word. Isaiah 24:4. The earth mourns and withers, the world languishes and withers; the lofty people of the earth languish. “Spoke this word” – that is, so he determined, commanded. “The lofty people of the earth” – perhaps more correctly, after Condamin – heaven together with earth will perish!

Isaiah 24:5. And the earth is defiled by those who dwell in it, for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. “Transgressed the laws,” that is, the precepts given to all mankind (Gen 9 and following) and the voice of one’s own conscience (Rom 2:14).

Isaiah 24:6. Therefore a curse devours the earth, and those who dwell in it bear the punishment; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few people are left. “The curse devours,” that is, God’s wrath acts like an all-consuming fire. “Therefore the inhabitants are burned” – perhaps more correctly, after Condamin – are destroyed. Isa 24:7-13. All joy on earth has ceased, and the few people remaining, upon seeing their devastated cities, can only weep. The grapes, from which excellent wine can be made, are wasted – no one wants to engage in this work anymore!

Isaiah 24:7. The juice of the grapes mourns, the vine languishes; all whose hearts were glad sigh. Isaiah 24:8. The mirth of the timbrels ceases, the noise of the revelers ends, the sound of the harp is silent; Isaiah 24:9. no longer do they drink wine with singing; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. “The juice of the grapes mourns,” that is, the ripened grapes drop off, fall to the ground, and the juice flows over the earth. “Languishes,” that is, perishes.

Isaiah 24:10. The city lies in desolation; every house is shut up, there is none to enter. “City” – a general designation instead of: cities. The prophet, however, seems to be depicting, first of all, the situation in Palestine.

Isaiah 24:11. They cry out for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened; all the gladness of the land is gone away. Isaiah 24:12. In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten into ruins. Isaiah 24:13. For in the midst of the earth, among the peoples, it will be like the shaking when olives are beaten, like the gathering when the grape harvest is done. “In the streets” – according to the translation of Orelli, in the fields. “The gladness of the land” – possibly more accurately: gladness from the land. 24 “Like the shaking of olives.” The trees, deprived of their fruits, serve as a symbol of the disappearance of the earth’s inhabitants (cf. Isa 17 and following).

Isaiah 24:14. They will raise their voice, they will shout in the majesty of the Lord, they will cry aloud from the sea. A choir of the saved on the sea and islands, who will see from afar this picture of the laying waste of the earth, will praise God for His righteous judgment over the wicked people, for whom there will be no salvation. “They” – this, in all likelihood, refers to righteous persons, who will be witnesses to the judgment over sinners (cf. Rev 22:11-12). “From the sea.” – The prophet, of course, first of all thinks of the laying waste of Palestine and imagines the righteous as being outside the zone of earth that is being laid waste.

Isaiah 24:15. Therefore glorify the Lord in the east, on the islands of the sea – the name of the Lord, God of Israel. Isaiah 24:16. From the ends of the earth we hear songs: “Glory to the Righteous!” But I said: Woe is me, woe is me! Oh, that the treacherous were treacherous, the treacherous dealt treacherously! “Glory to the Righteous.” Here the prophet probably means by the Righteous those righteous persons who will be granted the highest glorification by God. Of course, the prophet considered the righteous to be first of all the chosen Israelites, as is evident from the fact that he calls them to glorify the God of Israel. Our Synodal translation by the Righteous apparently understands either the Almighty or Christ, as the Righteous Judge. “And I said.” From the sight of the saved righteous ones, the prophet again turns his sorrowful gaze to the iniquities of people, who are unwilling to cease from their lawless deeds.

Isaiah 24:17. Terror and pit and snare are upon you, inhabitant of the earth! Isaiah 24:18. And whoever flees from the sound of terror shall fall into the pit; and whoever climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare; for the windows of heaven are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble. The judgment of God, depicted here by the prophet, follows the bowls of God’s wrath depicted in the Apocalypse (ch. 16). “Snare,” that is, a trap, which was used on the East for catching birds and beasts. Isa 24:18-20. The prophet depicts the flood which will destroy the earth, and the shaking of the earth by terrible earthquakes.

Isaiah 24:18. And whoever flees from the sound of terror shall fall into the pit; and whoever climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare; for the windows of heaven are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble. Genesis 7:11. “The windows… of heaven” – see Gen.7:11. “The foundations of the earth.” – The earth seemed to the Hebrews to stand on foundations or pillars (cf. 1 Sam 2:8).

Isaiah 24:19. The earth reels, the earth splits apart, the earth is violently shaken; Isaiah 24:20. the earth staggers like a drunkard, it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, never to rise again. “Like a hut,” that is, a child’s cradle or a hanging bed for an adult, which on the East is sometimes hung from a tree branch. “Shall fall” – an expression of imagery. Isa 24:21-23. The judgment of God, having begun with the heavenly hosts, will come down with full force on the earthly rulers, who will be subjected to imprisonment and punishment, while the Lord Himself will reign on Zion.

Isaiah 24:21. And it shall come to pass in that day: the Lord will visit the host of heaven on high, and the kings of the earth on the earth. “Will visit,” that is, will judge. “The host of heaven,” that is, a) the highest heavenly luminaries, and b) the spirits or Angels that, according to the belief of the ancients, animated and moved these luminaries; (“Highest” – in Hebrew maram, the same as heaven in Hebrew schamaim). These Angels at the same time were the invisible protectors of individual kingdoms and intercessors for them before God (Dan 10).

Isaiah 24:22. And they shall be gathered together as prisoners in a dungeon, and shall be shut up in prison, and after many days shall they be punished. “A dungeon.” The dungeon in the East, for example, in Persia, often even now serves as a simple pit dug in the earth, covered with an iron lid. Here, of course, we must understand the underworld (Rev 19 and Rev 20 ch.)

Revelation 20:7–10. “After many days.” From Rev.20:7–10 it is evident that Satan and his Angels will be released from the abyss for a certain time, and then they will be summoned again for the final, ultimate judgment. Isaiah 24:23. And the moon will be ashamed, and the sun will be put to shame, when the Lord of hosts shall reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before his elders will be glory. The sun and moon, to which in antiquity divine honor was paid, must shamefully yield their place on earth to the true God and Ruler of the world. “Zion and… Jerusalem” here refer to the new ones, of which the Apocalypse speaks (Rev 21:2). “Before his elders.” The prophet here recalls the elders of Israel, who saw the glory of the Lord on Sinai (Exod 24:9 and following). The apostle John the Theologian probably had this passage in mind when he spoke of the twenty-four elders sitting on twenty-four thrones around the throne of God (Rev 4:4). * * * Notes In the Slavonic translation of the LXX – “Weep for wine throughout, ceased is all the joy of the entire land, departed is all the gladness of the earth.” Note of the editor.

Chapter Twenty-Five

1–5. A song of praise to the Lord. 6–9. The prosperity of the community of true believers from all nations. 10–12. God’s judgment on Moab.

Isa 25:1-5. The prophet praises the Lord because He has fulfilled His ancient purposes. The Lord showed that He can make even the most improbable things real: He foresaw the ruin of the most powerful and flourishing states – and behold, the capital cities of these states are now merely ruins! Through this He makes even His enemies fear and respect Him; for His chosen community, oppressed by enemies, He has become a shield and refuge, crushing the fury of its enemies.

Isaiah 25:1. O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things; Your purposes of old are sure and true. Isaiah 25:2. For You have turned the city into a heap of ruins, the fortified city into a ruin; the palace of foreigners is a city no more; it will never be rebuilt. “Truly, amen,” that is, wholly true, fulfilled in perfect exactness. “City.” Singular instead of plural (cf. Isa 24:10). “Palaces of foreigners” – an unclear expression. Condamin proposes reading here instead of foreigners (zerim) the wicked (zedim) and translates the entire expression thus: “the city ceased to be a citadel (or fortress) for the wicked.”

Isaiah 25:3. Therefore, mighty peoples will glorify You; cities of terrible nations will fear You, Isaiah 25:4. for You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his time of trouble, a shelter from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless was like a storm against a wall. Isaiah 25:5. Like heat in a dry place, You will subdue the tumult of aliens; as heat is subdued by the shadow of a cloud, so the exultation of the oppressors will be brought low. “Therefore.” Despite their stubbornness, the heathen cannot but recognize in this destruction of their cities the punishment of God (cf. Isa 18:7). “A storm against a wall.” That is, the anger, the fury of tyrants, enemies of the Church, will cause it as little harm as the breath of a storm does to a thick stone wall. “Like heat in a dry place.” Heat or dryness on the East acts extremely destructively on people in steppes deprived of refreshing water. The fury of the Church’s enemies is compared with this heat. Isa 25:6-9 Mount Zion will become a place of communion of all peoples with the true God. God will prepare here for mankind a magnificent feast, as a king prepares a feast for his subjects upon his coronation. Then the Lord will remove the veil from people’s eyes and will destroy the age-old enemy of mankind – death, as well as all sorrows.

Isaiah 25:6. And the Lord of hosts will make on this mountain for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of choice wines, of rich food full of marrow, of choice wines well refined; “On this mountain.” Here Zion is meant, but Zion – the future or the Church of Christ, to which all peoples will have access. “A feast of rich food.” This feast or banquet will evidently be prepared by the Almighty on the occasion of His reign over all mankind (cf. Isa 24:23). The fact that those dining will be offered marrow (fatty parts of animals), which according to the Law of Moses it was forbidden for the offerer of a sacrifice to eat (Lev 7:24-25), serves as a foretelling of the establishment in the New Kingdom of God of the mystery of Holy Communion, in which the Savior offers believers His Body and Blood. 25

Isaiah 25:7. and He will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, and the veil that is spread over all nations. “The veil,” that is, all that prevents people from seeing the truth – all delusions, superstitions, and such. The Apostle Paul also speaks of removing such a veil from the Jews (2 Cor 3:15-16).

Isaiah 25:8. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will remove from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken. “Death will be swallowed up forever.” The fulfillment of this prophecy shall be accomplished in the glorified kingdom of Christ, after the universal resurrection, as the Apostle Paul explains (1 Cor 15:54).

Isaiah 25:9. And they will say in that day: “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” “And they will say.” Of course, here are first of all meant the saved people from among the chosen Jewish people, who indeed waited for God (cf. Isa 26 and Eph 1:12).

Isaiah 25:10. For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain, and Moab will be trampled down on his place, as straw is trampled down in the dunghill. Isaiah 25:11. And though he stretches out his hands in its midst, as a swimmer stretches out his hands to swim; but God will bring down his pride together with the cunning of his hands. Isaiah 25:12. And the high fortified walls of your strongholds he will bring down, he will topple them to the ground, down to the dust. By exalting His chosen ones, the Lord at the same time will utterly crush all enemies of His Church, who are here personified in the form of the hostile Moabites. The Moabites will be trampled, as cattle in a stall trample dung, and Moab will be unable to escape from the filth in which it will sink. * * * Notes It is much more reasonable to see an indication of the Eucharist in the Slavonic translation from the LXX: “And the Lord of hosts will make for all nations: on this mountain they will drink joy, they will drink wine, and will be anointed with myrrh on this mountain: impart all these to the nations: for thus is the counsel concerning all nations.” Note of the editor.

Chapter Twenty-Six

1–6. Glorification of the city of God. 7–12. Glorification of God’s ways, 13–19. which are directed toward the annihilation of death and the establishment of eternal life among people. 20–21. The closing words of the prophet.

Isa 26:1-6. Victorious thoughts, heard at first from afar (Isa 24:14 and following), and then finding their echo on Zion and among peoples coming to Zion (Isa 25 and following), have not yet ended. A new God-fearing community of believers begins to sing a new song in the land of Judea, in which the ways of the Most High are glorified. This community has a strong city, which is open only to the righteous; the cities of the wicked – all are destroyed.

Isaiah 26:1. In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: a strong city we have; salvation He has given us instead of walls and ramparts. Isaiah 2:11. “In that day” – see Isaiah 2:11. “In the land of Judah.” Although here, without doubt, the discourse is about the future Church of Christ, which must embrace all mankind and spread throughout all lands, yet the prophet, as a member of the Old Testament Jewish Church, cannot imagine to himself that the land of Judah would cease to be a place especially beloved by God and especially guarded by Him. “A strong city.” To the prophet, of course, Jerusalem first of all comes to mind here. “Instead of walls.” In the new city there will be no need for especially strong walls, for the Lord Himself will guard it from enemies.

Isaiah 26:2. Open the gates; let the righteous people enter, those who keep faith. Compare Isa 23:3-6. “Faith” – possibly more correctly: faithfulness (to the Lord).

Isaiah 26:3. The steadfast in mind You preserve in perfect peace, for he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:4. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an eternal rock: The prophet, addressing now God, now the chosen community of God, expresses confidence that God is the only hope for man. Instead of the expression “steadfast in mind,” Nägelsbach proposes to read: “as a firm establishment.” The thought of the prophet, according to this interpreter, is that in the future city there should be various institutions and objects serving to adorn the city and benefit its inhabitants, and so the most important institution will be peace, resting on a firm foundation or pedestal. The Lord Himself gives strength to this foundation. Therefore, the expression “he trusts in You” Nägelsbach translates thus: “on You it is founded (this peace).”

Isaiah 26:5. He has brought low those dwelling on high, the lofty city; He has brought it low, brought it low to the ground, cast it to the dust. Isaiah 26:6. The foot tramples it – the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy. Isaiah 25:2. “City” – see Isaiah 25:2. “Tramples it.” The prophet as an Old Testament man was not unacquainted with the joy at the thought of the future defeat of the wicked. 26 Isa 26:7-12. The chosen community of the saved righteous expresses its constant trust in God, Who assigns His punishments to people with a corrective purpose. Unfortunately, the wicked did not understand this meaning of punishments and therefore justly suffer destruction.

Isaiah 26:7. The way of the righteous is straight; You make the path of the righteous level. Isaiah 26:8. And on the path of Your judgments, O Lord, we have hoped in You; to Your name and to the remembrance of You our soul has longed. “The way of the righteous is straight,” that is, the righteous goes to the goal by a straight, easy, and direct path. “You make it level.” However, the Lord helps him in this. “On the path of Your judgments,” that is, in all works of God, in all terrible punishments that befell whole peoples and individual people, the righteous saw support for themselves in their hope for the final victory of good over evil. “To Your name and to the remembrance of You.” The righteous desired that the Lord manifest His power so greatly that men would be obliged to call Him by His true name (God Almighty and Savior) and that correct knowledge of Him would be spread throughout all the earth.

Isaiah 26:9. With my soul I have desired You in the night, and with my spirit within me I seek You in the early morning: for when Your judgments are done on the earth, those dwelling in the world learn righteousness. “With my soul… and with my spirit,” that is, with all my inner being. “I have desired.” The prophet begins to speak in the singular to show that this desire is characteristic above all of him personally. He had endured so many injustices from people, and to whom, if not to him, did it so often befall to wish for the speedy appearance of God as Judge of men! “Those dwelling in the world learn righteousness.” However, in this desire of the prophet there was nothing of the kind of ordinary human vengefulness. The prophet so ardently awaited God’s judgments because he hoped that once these judgments befell the earth, people would learn righteousness.

Isaiah 26:10. If the wicked is shown mercy, he will not learn righteousness – he will do evil in the land of the righteous and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. The prophet proves the truth of his views on God’s judgments from the negative side. If there is no judgment on wickedness, if the wicked is shown mercy, then he will not change for the better and will continue to do evil, even while dwelling among the righteous, paying no attention to those facts in which the greatness of the Lord is clearly revealed to the righteous.

Isaiah 26:11. O Lord! Your hand was lifted high, but they did not see it; they will see and be ashamed, those who hate Your people; fire will consume Your enemies. The prophet notices the approach of great events, but other people see nothing. To this last circumstance the prophet complains to the Lord. “Your hand,” says he to the Lord, “was raised for a blow, but they do not see it.” People, consequently, do not pay attention to the signs (Matt 24:37-39). Yet they will nevertheless have to acknowledge their mistake when those events occur which were foretold by special signs from God, and this will bring them to shame. The fire of God’s zeal – zeal for His people – will consume these people, who could have seen the danger but did not wish to see.

Isaiah 26:12. O Lord! You have granted us peace; for all our works You have accomplished for us. In contrast to the wicked, the God-fearing expect with longing the day of God’s judgment as the day of their deliverance (Luke 21:28), as the day on which the Lord will grant them complete peace or rest. “Our works You have accomplished for us.” God was, according to the prophet, the operative principle in the righteous of all their thoughts, words, and deeds (Rom 8 and following; Gal 2:20). Isa 26:13-19. The prophet portrays people who are under the power of some alien force and cannot praise God, for this requires dwelling in God, being tightly united with God. These are the dead, who, according to the common understanding, can never return to life, for God Himself has annihilated them. This kingdom of death expands more and more. Yet even in the dead the thirst for salvation has not entirely extinguished: they seek the Lord and send their prayers to Him. Yes, in the kingdom of the dead there are signs of efforts again to return to life – efforts as agonizing as the labor of a woman giving birth, but these efforts bear no results. Nevertheless, the hope of the dead is not in vain. At least, the dead of the Lord will again rise to life under the action of God’s miraculous power.

Isaiah 26:13. O Lord our God! Other lords besides You have ruled over us; but through You alone we praise Your name. In the present form of existence all people: both evil and good, are subject to the power of evil. They live under various sinful influences. Especially heavily affects them the power of death and disease. These are the other lords that the prophet has in mind (compare Rom 8 and following). Such is the meaning of the first half of the verse. In the second half the prophet points to the abnormality of the above-mentioned order of things. Every creature ought to glorify the name of its Creator (Ps 18, 19th, 103rd, and others), and for this it is necessary that it be under the authority and in service to its Lord and Creator, that it dwell in Him. But this is impossible while it is under the power of another lord, under the dominion of death (compare Ps 6:6). Thus, the prophet here introduces us to that realm of which he speaks in greater detail further on – the realm whose inhabitants serve not God but another lord, and cannot praise God’s name.

Isaiah 26:14. The dead will not live; the Rephaim will not rise, for You have visited and destroyed them, and erased all memory of them. Isaiah 26:15. You have increased the people, O Lord, You have increased the people – You have glorified Yourself, You have expanded all the borders of the land. “The dead will not live.” The prophet expresses the common belief of Old Testament people, that from the bonds of death there is no deliverance (Job 7 and following; Job 10:21; Job 16:22).

Isaiah 14:9. “The Rephaim will not rise.” Those aggressors became nothing, powerless shadows (Rephaim compare Isaiah 14:9; Prov 2:18; Prov 9:18; Job 26:5) cannot rise again to life – so said the ancient people! 27 “For You have visited… them.” That is, it is precisely for this purpose that You have visited them, etc. (the Hebrew word lachen has this meaning). The prophet wishes to say that it is precisely the function of death that those subjected to it no longer have the possibility to live again. For this reason God has erased all memory of them. “You… have increased the people.” The discourse continues about the same power of death. Because no one from the kingdom of death could return to life, the inhabitants of that kingdom (the people) multiply more and more in number. Sheol receives ever newer inhabitants, releasing none from before. This multiplication of the inhabitants of the kingdom of the dead is at the same time a glorification of God (You have glorified Yourself), for here God’s judgment over man is fulfilled: “dust you are – and to dust you shall return.” (Gen 3:19), the power of the Lord is demonstrated and the nothingness of man (compare Isa 5:14 and following).

Isaiah 26:16. O Lord! In affliction he sought You; he poured out a prayer when Your punishment came upon him. Isaiah 26:17. As a woman with child, when her time to give birth comes, writhes and cries out in her labor pains, so were we before You, O Lord. Isaiah 26:18. We conceived, we writhed – and we gave birth as it were to wind; we have not brought salvation to the earth, and the other inhabitants of the world have not been born. Yet even in the kingdom of the dead there remains the seeking of life and hope for resurrection – it does not fade away. Also the dead in their distressed state seek the Lord, the source of all life (he sought You, that is, that people of whom it is said in verse 15). “He poured out a prayer,” that is, unclearly something whispered, muttered, for a dead man cannot have a true voice (compare Isa 8:19). “As a woman with child.” This is the speech of the inhabitants of the underworld. They say here what was the subject of their quiet prayers to God. That is, they were tormented by the thought of the impossibility for them to return to life and complained to God about this. “We conceived, we writhed.” Here the prophet, it seems, has in mind Psalm 17, verses 5 and 6 (Ps 17:5-6). David in this psalm compares his sufferings to the torments of hades. He does not say that he himself was already dead and descended into Sheol, but declares that he was extremely close to death, that he was already ensnared in its nets. And in this need he turned with prayer to the Lord and received deliverance. The prophet sees in this deliverance, which David received from the torments of hades, the foundation for his assertion that redemption from hades is possible and that the inhabitants of it have not lost hope for liberation from the bonds of death. This hope stirs up in the inhabitant of the kingdom of death impulses which he compares to the agonizing throes of a woman in labor, which, however, for the dead remain fruitless, because they are based only on their own efforts, and what strength do the dead themselves have to carry out their desires? Yes, there is such a thing as false pregnancy, when a woman has the outward signs of pregnancy, but of course she produces nothing. Likewise, the dead, without close organic communion with the Lord, cannot rise to new life. “We have not brought salvation to the earth” – possibly more correctly translated as: “we have not brought happiness to the earth.” The earth, bereft of its inhabitants, taken from it by death, is depicted as also suffering, grieving for them, and she could be happy only if the dead returned again to life. “And the other inhabitants of the world have not been born” – possibly more correctly from the Hebrew: “there did not appear on earth (new) citizens of the world.” From the underworld no one has come back to the world again (the Hebrew verb naphal, translated in the Synodal version as “born,” can also mean “to be born”). 28

Isaiah 26:19. Your dead shall live, the dead bodies shall rise! Awake and sing, you who lie in the dust: for Your dew is the dew of herbs, and the earth shall bring forth the dead. “Your dead shall live, the dead bodies shall rise!” These words, at first glance, seem to contradict the opening words of verse 14, “The dead will not live,” but the prophet here speaks of those dead who belong to the Most High, who stand near Him, to whom He Himself is near, in whom He dwells. The prophet perhaps did not himself clearly understand the full importance of the revelation communicated to him, and only in the New Testament is it made clear who these dead are who belong to the Lord. These are those in whom Christ dwells and who therefore must rise just as He Himself rose (1 Cor 15 and chapter; 2 Cor 1:22; 2 Cor 5:5; John 6:54). It should be noted that the prophet expresses this thought not as a wish but as a certainty – otherwise there will be no opposition to verses 17 and 18. Condamin adds the pronoun “their” to the expression “dead bodies,” in accord with the Targum and Peshitta. “Awake and sing, you who lie in the dust!” Here the prophet addresses words of comfort to those inconsolable dead whose speech is given in verses 17 and 18. “For Your dew” – this is an address to the Lord. On the morning of resurrection, as is usual on mornings in the hot season in Palestine, dew will cover the earth. But this will be a new, miraculous, divine (Your) dew! All these individual tiny glistening dewdrops will be nothing other than the risen in glorified form, resurrected radiant bodies of men, which the earth, which once swallowed them, will give back. “The dew of lights” – possibly from the Hebrew more correctly: “the dew of lights” or “bright dew.” 29

Isaiah 26:20. Go, my people, enter your chambers and shut your doors behind you, hide yourself for a moment, until the wrath passes; Isaiah 26:21. For behold, the Lord comes forth from His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will uncover the blood shed upon her and will no longer hide her slain. The earth will not only give back the bodies of the righteous. It will also bring to light all the bloody crimes that are buried in its depths. This will coincide with the day of the Last Judgment. During that time the community of the risen must hide, so that afterward, after its conclusion, it can begin a new life. Here the prophet addresses those who have risen from the dead. So, at least, one can assert on the basis of the Apocalypse, in which a distinction is made between the first and second resurrection. After the first resurrection (of the righteous) there will be the liberation of Satan, who will attack the city of God, and then there will follow the universal resurrection (the second) and the dreadful last judgment (Rev 20). Into what chambers the righteous must hide at this time, what chambers – the prophet does not explain. 30 The wrath of which the prophet speaks is obviously the dreadful judgment that will fall upon Satan and all the wicked (Rev 20:9-15).

Isaiah 26:21. For behold, the Lord comes forth from His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will uncover the blood shed upon her and will no longer hide her slain. “The earth will uncover the blood shed upon her.” Here is a clear reference to the blood of Abel, which the earth once drank with its mouth (Gen 4:11). The Apocalypse, in accord with this prophecy, also says that the sea, death, and hades will in time give back their dead (Rev 20:13). In this verse is given the thought of the resurrection of sinners, who, of course, must rise to life in order to be judged at the Last Judgment for their crimes and wickedness. Note. The Orthodox Church in verse 19 sees a prophecy of the resurrection of the dead: “When the revelation of You, O Christ, came to us in mercy, Isaiah, seeing the light that does not set, cried out from the darkness of the morning: the dead shall rise and those in their graves shall stand, and all who are born of the earth shall rejoice.” Thus the Church sings in the canon on Great Saturday in the irmos of the 5th song. It should be added that verse 19, as also verse 9 of chapter 26 of Isaiah, is often used for composing the irmoses in the 5th song of canons. * * *

Isaiah 26:6. – “And their feet will tread them – the feet of the meek and humble.” Note of the editor. In the Slavonic translation from the LXX it is said: “But the dead shall not have life, neither shall doctors raise them: therefore You have brought upon them and destroyed them, and taken away all the male offspring of them.” Note of the editor. The Slavonic translation of verse 18 is possibly far deeper and more symbolic: “Because of fear of You, O Lord, we conceived in the womb and travailed, and bore the spirit of Your salvation, which we have wrought on the earth: we shall not fall, but all who dwell on the earth shall fall.” Here it is possible to see symbolic reference both to the immaculate conception and to the earthly birth of the Messiah, revealing “the spirit of salvation,” and to the redemption by the sacrifice of the Messiah of all living. Note of the editor. In the Slavonic translation the thought of resurrection is expressed more clearly and fully. Thus it is said that the dead shall rise – in general, not only the righteous – and those in their graves shall stand. Moreover, these dead are contrasted with those who will remain alive until the day of the Last Judgment (those on the earth). So also the Apostle Paul distinguishes between the risen and those who will be transformed without dying (1 Cor 15:51). In the Slavonic translation it is said about this – “enter into your temple, shut your doors… Until the wrath of the Lord passes” – a clear indication that from God’s wrath can be saved only he who ENTERS THE TEMPLE, that is, the believer. Note of the editor.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

1–9. The destruction of world powers and the joyful exaltation of Zion. 10–13. The ruin of the world city and the joyful return of Israel home.

Isa 27:1-9. Mighty world powers, depicted by the prophet under the image of enormous monsters, will be struck by God’s judgment, and on that day Israel will sing a song in which it acknowledges that the Lord has always treated His chosen people far more mercifully than the heathen peoples. Moreover, if these hostile forces should again wish to harm Israel, God will destroy them completely, unless they humbly make a covenant with Him. And in the future Israel may expect complete well-being – this cannot be doubted on the basis of God’s former relations with Israel.

Isaiah 27:1. In that day the Lord will punish with His sword – hard and great and strong – Leviathan the fleeing serpent, and Leviathan the coiled serpent, and He will slay the dragon of the sea. The enemies of Israel in Sacred Scripture are often depicted under the image of monsters (compare Ps 67:31; Ps 73:13; Dan 7:3 and following; Rev 12:3; Rev 13:1). The kingdom of God is depicted in human features (Dan 7:13), while the world power, cruel and heartless, is under the image of an animal or beast. “Leviathan” (properly, the bound one) is the name of a crocodile (Job 40; Job 41), but here, in Isaiah, it undoubtedly means a great serpent, as is evident from the definitions given to both Leviathans (the straight-running serpent and the coiled serpent), which do not fit the concept of a crocodile. The straight-running serpent – this is the Tigris River, which flowed straight as an arrow (its very name – hadiglath – among the Assyrians meant “arrow”), and the Assyrian state situated near it. “The coiled serpent” – this is the Euphrates River, extremely abounding in turns and coils and thus giving the illusion of a coiled serpent. Here the prophet has in mind the Babylonian kingdom, whose chief city, Babylon, stood on the Euphrates. “The dragon of the sea” (in Hebrew, tonnin) – this is undoubtedly Egypt, which is often so called in Isaiah and in other Sacred books. (Isa 51:9; Ps 73 and others).

Isaiah 27:2. In that day sing to her – to the beloved vineyard: Here – the theme of the following song and an invitation to sing this song. “In that day” – that is, when the enemy powers will be struck down. “To the beloved,” that is, to the pleasant, the beautiful. “Vineyard.” Here, evidently, is meant the people of Israel (compare Isa 5:1).

Isaiah 27:3. I, the Lord, am its keeper, I water it every moment; night and day I guard it, lest anyone violate it. Isaiah 27:4. There is no wrath in Me. But if anyone presents Me with thorns and briers, I will go to war against it; I will burn it completely. Isaiah 27:5. Or let him take hold of My protection and make peace with Me; let him make peace with Me. “I, the Lord, am its keeper.” By putting these words in the mouth of the people of Israel, the Lord at the same time assures the people of special confidence in God’s love. “Lest anyone violate it” – according to the translation of Duhm and Condamin: “that its leaves do not fall.” “There is no wrath in Me.” This does not mean that the Lord generally does not become angry (in Sacred Scripture God’s wrath is mentioned more than 300 times), but indicates only the future time when God will no longer be angry with His people. “Thorns and briers.” Here the prophet designates everything that can hinder the development of the people of Israel – both the external enemies of Israel and the internal defects of the people themselves, even bad representatives of this people. “I will burn it completely.” In the Synodal (Russian) translation it is quite evident that the discourse is about burning the entire vineyard. 31 “Or let him take hold of My protection.” Yet toward such people in Israel God will be merciful, if they repent (in verses 4 and 5 the singular: “it” (I will burn) and “he” (takes hold) should be replaced by the plural: “them” (thorns) and “they” (take hold)).

Isaiah 27:6. In the days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will blossom and flower, and the world will be filled with fruit. “Jacob… and… Israel” – often appear in the prophet as designations of the entire Jewish people (2, 3, 5, 6, and other chapters), in part designate only the northern, ten-tribe kingdom (Isa 9:8). Here, it seems, these words are used in the first meaning.

Isaiah 27:7. Does He strike him as He struck those who struck him? Does He slay him as he slew those who slew him? Isaiah 27:8. By measure You corrected him when You rejected him; He removed him with His mighty wind as on the day of the east wind. To justify the thought just expressed in verse 6 about the preservation of the people of Israel at a time when all other powers will be destroyed, the prophet refers to the fact that even in former times God, even while punishing Israel, punished him not so severely as the heathen peoples hostile to Israel (compare Isa 10 and following). “By measure” – in the Hebrew text here is used the word seah, meaning the third part of an ephah (a measure for dry goods). The prophet wishes to say thereby that the Lord sent upon the Hebrews comparatively insignificant punishments. “He removed him,” that is, He exiled them from Palestine. The prophet has in mind both the already accomplished deportation to Assyria of the subjects of the Kingdom of Israel and the future deportation to Babylonian captivity of the Jews. “Wind.” This expression indicates the gentleness with which God punished His people. He acts against the Hebrews not with blows, but only with a wind, although a very strong one, resembling the mighty breath of the east wind blowing in Palestine (Job 27:21; Hos 13:15).

Isaiah 27:9. And through this Jacob’s iniquity will be pardoned; and the fruit thereof will be the removal of his sin, when all the stones of the altars he makes into fragments of lime, and the groves and the sun-images will stand no more. “Through this.” The mighty sweep of the wind not only crushes everything in its path, but at the same time cleanses the air of the country from all harmful miasmas. So also God’s punishment, which fell upon the people of Israel (captivity), was to act beneficially upon the moral state of the people, removing from it the elements of stubbornness and disobedience to the law of the Lord. As a result, sin or guilt will be removed from Israel. “When all the stones of the altars he makes into fragments of lime.” The fruits of Israel’s sanctification will be concentrated in the fulfillment of the first commandment of the law of Moses, which forbids idolatry. Israel will make all the stones of its idolatrous altars completely unfit to serve as material for new idolatrous altars. In Palestine the stone is for the most part of limestone composition and therefore can be converted into lime.

Isaiah 27:10. For the fortified city will lie desolate, the habitation will be abandoned and left like a wilderness. There a calf will feed, and there it will recline and eat the branches thereof. Isaiah 27:11. When its branches are dried up, they will be broken off; women will come and burn them. For it is a people without understanding, therefore He who made them will not have mercy on them, and He who formed them will not pity them. Before the spiritual gaze of the prophet again arise the outlines of a world power, which has its center in a great world city. He depicts this city laid waste and dried up like a tree. Meanwhile Israel will return to Jerusalem from captivity and will dwell quietly here. “The fortified city.” The prophet has in mind not one city, but fortified cities in general, mentioned in the first verse of chapter 27, as heads of the world powers (compare Isa 24:10-12; Isa 25:2; Isa 26:5). “A people without understanding.” So the prophet calls the heathen for the reason that they did not take care to develop for themselves a more or less correct worldview (compare Rom 1:28).

Isaiah 27:12. But in that day: the Lord will shake from the great river to the stream of Egypt, and you, the children of Israel, will be gathered one by one; Isaiah 27:13. and in that day: a great trumpet will sound, and those lost in the land of Assyria and those exiled to the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem. In contrast to the sad picture which pagan world powers will present, the life of the people of Israel will be the happiest.

Isaiah 2:11. “In that day” see Isaiah 2:11. “The Lord will shake.” This word shake can indicate the great shaking that will be produced by God’s judgment over the entire space over which the captive Israelites were scattered. One can also see here a simple indication of the gathering of fruit from olive trees, which were shaken, shaken from the trees or beaten with a rod (Deut 24:20). In any case, the result of this shaking will be that the Israelites will be gathered together, like fruit in one basket or like sheaves – in bundles. “The great river” – this is the Euphrates, as an emblem of northern lands, to which the majority of Israelites were deported into captivity. “The stream of Egypt” – here, corresponding to the Euphrates, it is better, it seems, to understand not the Rhinokorura, which marks the boundary of Palestine from the Sinai peninsula (Gen 15:18), but the actual Egyptian river, the Nile, as a symbol of the southern land of captivity. “A great trumpet” – again a symbol. The prophet here points to the decision of God’s will, by virtue of which the Jews were to return from captivity (Ezra 1:1). However, there is no doubt that, concluding his apocalyptic section, the prophet had in mind here also the return of all redeemed mankind to the heavenly house of the Father of all people and the heavenly Jerusalem (Rev 21:2). This section, whose chapters have similarity to each other in form and content, represents a kind of apocalypse. As to the historical occasion that brought forth this section, on the basis of certain features of the prophecy indicating the writer as an inhabitant of Judea, having in mind his own Jewish interests and relations (Isa 24:2; Isa 25:10-12; Isa 25:1-10), one can conclude that the prophet wrote his apocalyptic discourses on the occasion of the fall of Samaria, which was already approaching, when, according to his expression, it was being cast to the earth like a wreath (Isa 28:3). The authenticity of this section is proven by the similarity of the terms and expressions found in it with other sections that undoubtedly belong to the prophet Isaiah (compare Isa 25:9 and Isa 27:9-10 and following Isa 27:16 and more: Isa 24 and Isa 23:9; Isa 24 and Isa 13:2; Isa 24:1; Isa 25:4-5 and Isa 4:5-6; Isa 27:2 and others). No traces of post-exilic origin of this section are apparent. The division of this section into strophes is a difficult matter. Condamin for this had to make some rearrangements in the placement of verses. Here are the strophes into which he divides the entire poem. Strophe 1 – Chapter 24, verses 1–6 – (3, 3, 2) Strophe 2 – Chapter 24, verses 7–13 – (3, 3, 2) Strophe 3 – Chapter 24, verses 14–18(a) – (3, 3) Strophe 1 – Chapter 24, verses 18(b)-20 – (2, 2) Strophe 2 – Chapter 24, verses 21–23 – (2, 2) Strophe 3 – Chapter 25, verses 6–8 – (2, 2, 2) Strophe 1 – Chapter 25, verses 9–12 – (2, 2, 3) Strophe 2 – Chapter 26, verses 1–6 – (3, 2, 2) Strophe 1 – Chapter 25, verses 1–3 – (2, 3) Strophe 2 – Chapter 25, verses 1–5 – (2, 3) Strophe 3 – Chapter 26, verses 7–13 – (2, 2, 2; 1, 1, 1) Strophe 1 – Chapter 26, verses 14–18 – (2, 3) Strophe 2 – Chapter 26, verses 19–21 – (2, 3) (Chapter 27, verse 1 – not counted) Strophe 1 – Chapter 27, verses 2–5 – (3, 2) Strophe 2 – Chapter 27, verses 6–9 – (3, 2) Strophe 3 – Chapter 27, verses 10–11 – (1, 1, 1, 1) Strophe 1 – Chapter 27, verse 12 Strophe 2 – Chapter 27, verse 13 * * * Notes In the Slavonic translation it is also quite unambiguously said that the burning of the entire vineyard is meant – “because of this enmity I have rejected it and… And it was burned, and those dwelling in it cried out: let us make peace with him, let us make peace.” Note of the editor.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Preliminary remark about chapters 28–33

Just as chapters 7–12 contain the first, great, principal cycle of Isaiah’s prophecies, resting on the events described in chapter 7 (verses 1 onwards), so chapters 28–33, which have as their foundation the events described in chapters 36–37, constitute the second principal cycle. Chapters 7–12 depict Israel’s relationship to Assyria in the days of Ahaz, while 28–33 describe the same relationships under King Hezekiah. But just as Ahaz’s guilt consisted in seeking protection against the alliance of the Syrian and Israelite kings not from God, but from Assyria, so Hezekiah sinned in seeking help against Assyria, which had become an enemy of the Jews, not from the Lord, but from Egypt, to an alliance with which he was persuaded by his courtiers.

Against this alliance, which was being secretly arranged and contrary to God’s will, the prophet Isaiah armed himself. He spoke against this alliance in a whole series of speeches, in which the inner motives for making such an alliance are first depicted. Here the prophet (in chapter 28) depicts the intoxication in which the Jewish politicians concluded this alliance – an intoxication that had already nearly destroyed Samaria. The prophet then describes the secret schemes of the Jewish politicians, which however did not escape his vigilant eye (chapter 29), then foretells the failure of all these political combinations and points to the only salvation – in the Lord (chapter 30). And likewise in what follows (chapters 31 and 32) he points to the powerlessness of Egypt and at the same time paints a bright picture of the future kingdom, turning at the same time against the rulers of Judah at that time and, moreover, especially against the women who played an important role in directing policy. Finally, the prophet (chapter 33) announces the defeat of Assyria and the salvation of Israel.

All these chapters together constitute five speeches delivered at different times, and each of these speeches begins with the exclamation: woe!

1–13. The intoxication of Ephraim and the intoxication of Judah: the consequence of this intoxication. 14–22. The false and the true. 23–29. The education of the Israelite people through various punishments.

Isa 28:1-13. Samaria – that luxurious crown of the rich land of Ephraim – will soon be crushed and trampled. The Lord will send against it a terrible enemy who will swiftly destroy everything in his path – like a whirlwind, like a flood. The same will happen to Samaria as happens to an early ripened fig that everyone wants to pluck quickly. But to the remnant of His people – the kingdom of Judah – the Lord will send His protection and to the judges of Judah He will grant the spirit of justice, and to the commanders of the army – courage. Unfortunately, at the present time – that is, under King Hezekiah – all the rulers of Judah have gone mad from wine and strong drink, like the rulers of Samaria. They do not want to listen to Isaiah and they mock his words. For this, enemies will attack them and they will pay dearly for their stubbornness.

Isaiah 28:1. Woe to the crown of the pride of the drunken Ephraimites, to the fading flower of his glorious ornament, which sits on the summit of a rich valley, overcome by wine! The speech against Samaria (verses 1–4) was spoken, apparently, before the year 722, when Samaria still stood, see the first years of Hezekiah. “Crown of pride” is what Samaria was called because it was situated on an oval hill and had a magnificent and beautiful appearance. The slopes of the hills on which the city was located are still today covered with fig trees, olives and fruit gardens in general. The main Samaritan hill rises 400 feet above the level of the valley. “Fading”, more precisely: fading away. “Valley of those struck down by wine”, that is, a valley at the summit of which live drunkards who drink wine to the point of senselessness. Excessive riches, says Geikie, often obtained through dishonest means, were concentrated in the hands of only a few nobles, while the rest of the population suffered the greatest need (The Holy Land and the Bible, p. 822). This allowed the rich Samaritans to indulge in extreme intemperance.

Isaiah 28:2. Behold, the Lord has a strong and mighty one, like a hailstorm and destructive whirlwind, like an overflowing flood of raging waters, with violence He hurls him to the ground. “Strong and mighty”, that is, the Assyrian army. “Before the Lord” – the same as before the Lord (Gen 10:9), that is, actually in truth (opposite to what is meant in Scripture by the expression: before men).

Isaiah 28:3. With feet the crown of the pride of the drunken Ephraimites shall be trampled. Isaiah 28:4. And the fading flower of his glorious ornament, which sits on the summit of the rich valley, becomes like what happens to a fig that ripens before its time, which, as soon as someone sees it, immediately takes it in his hand and swallows it. “With the fading flower”. It would have been more correct to say: with the fading flower, because Samaria at that time still existed. “Fig”. This fruit in general is distinguished by a sweet taste, refreshes the mouth and is very beneficial for health; all the more, of course, everyone strives to pluck the first ripened fruit that ripens before its time from the fig tree. With the same eagerness the Assyrians strove to seize the luxurious Samaria for themselves.

Isaiah 28:5. In that day the Lord of hosts shall be a glorious crown and a splendid diadem for the remnant of His people, Isaiah 28:6. and with the spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment and with courage for those who repel the enemy at the gates. “In that day”, that is, in the day of the destruction of Samaria. “A crown and a splendid diadem”. If Samaria proudly called itself the crown of the Israelite kingdom, then for the kingdom of Judah the crown will be the Most High Himself, Who by His mercy will glorify the city of Jerusalem devoted to Him and will manifest His special presence here. “With the spirit of justice”, that is, the Lord Himself will act through judges and leaders as God of justice. “With courage”, that is, He will inspire courage in the leaders of Judah. “To the gates”. The Jewish leaders will approach the gates of their enemies, those who previously besieged the Jewish cities, the capitals and fortresses of the enemy (1 Macc 5:22).

Isaiah 28:7. But even these stagger from wine and go astray from strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel from strong drinks; they are overcome by wine, maddened by strong drink, they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. Isaiah 28:8. For all the tables are filled with filthy vomit, there is no clean place. – “But even these stagger”. Unfortunately, says the prophet, at the present time the leaders of Jerusalem also do not stand at the height of their calling. They are drunk both in the literal and figurative sense of the word. The expressions that the prophet uses here are very characteristic of the situation (schagu – tou, cshagu – tou, schagu – paku): they recall the incoherent speech of drunken people. “In vision” (roeh), that is, at such moments when the prophet’s soul should be entirely filled with the Spirit of God, the Jewish prophets are in a state of intoxication. Of course, here it is hardly possible to understand true prophets. Rather, these are those who falsely called themselves followers of the Lord. “In judgment”, that is, at the time of composing judicial decisions. The speech is about judges.

Isaiah 28:9. And they say: “Whom does he desire to teach knowledge? And whom to instruct in the message? Those weaned from the breast, those taken from the mother’s bosom? Isaiah 28:10. For it is command upon command, command upon command, law upon law, law upon law, here a little and there a little.” In response to Isaiah’s rebukes, the priests, judges and prophets of Judah answer: “What is this? Are we small children who need to be taught how to speak? He addresses us as if we were a teacher! After all, only a mother teaches small children single-syllable words: kav, zav, and so on.” The Jews were clearly mocking the prophet, who came to them and said: kav iehovat! that is, the command of the Existing One (I announce to you). “We are tired of your statements about ‘commands’,” they say, “you only keep pointing out to us our deviations from the law” (here a little and there a little). Thus it is clear that they wanted to irritate the prophet by meaninglessly repeating his address to them (kav la kav, zav la sav!).

Isaiah 28:11. With stammering lips and in a foreign tongue will they speak to this people. Since the priests, prophets and judges mocked the prophet, repeating without sense the words that displeased them, the prophet threatens them that even they will be spoken to – of course, by enemies – in such a language as would seem to them incomprehensible stammering. However, they will have to listen to this stammering with fear, because the enemies will not forgive them if they do not obey their commands, given even in a language incomprehensible to the Jews. The prophet has in mind, apparently, the language of the Assyrians, which had only three vowels: a, i, u – because of which the speech of an Assyrian produced the impression of childish stammering on the Jews.

Isaiah 28:12. They were told: “Here is rest, give rest to the weary, and here is repose.” But they would not listen. “Here is rest”. Isaiah points to the violation of the law concerning the Sabbath rest as the first sign of disobedience to the law of the Lord. Perhaps the prophet wanted to point out that true prophets had long ago explained to Israel in what consists the main condition of rest or peaceful life for the Judean state, and that the people, unfortunately, had not heeded these explanations.

Isaiah 28:13. And the word of the Lord came to them as: command upon command, command upon command, law upon law, law upon law, here a little, there a little – so that they will go and fall on their backs, and be broken, and be snared and be taken captive. “Word of the Lord” – more correctly: “with the word of the Lord”, that is, the Hebrews always treated the word of the Lord, announced through true prophets, as something tedious, unnecessary as guidance, in which the same thing was repeated over and over. – The result of such an attitude to the prophetic words Isaiah depicts clearly in the second half of the verse: the Hebrews will be led into captivity! Isa 28:14-22. The Hebrews, refusing to obey the true prophet, hoped to save themselves from destruction through cunning and political intrigue. But Isaiah on behalf of the Lord announces to them that their only help can be the precious cornerstone, on which the Most High will build His gracious kingdom on Zion. Yet all the intrigues of the Jewish politicians will come to nothing, and they will remain completely defenseless before the invasion of the mighty enemies. The Lord will even Himself rise up against His people, as once He rose up against the enemies of the Hebrews.

Isaiah 28:14. Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you mockers, rulers of this people who are in Jerusalem. The prophet invites the rulers of Judah – the priests and prophets (cf. verse 7) – to listen to his words while there is still time. In what sense he calls them “mockers” or scoffers is clear from verse 10.

Isaiah 28:15. For you say: “We have made a covenant with death and with Sheol we have made an agreement; when the all-destroying scourge passes through, it will not reach us – because we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have found shelter.” The prophet puts into the mouths of his opponents words full of boastfulness and daring. “Death and… Sheol” – symbols of the destruction and annihilation of the state. The Jews want to say that they do not fear for the integrity of the Judean state, because they are in friendship with Hades and death. “All-destroying scourge”. Thus, apparently, at that time the Jews called the king of Assyria (cf. Isa 8 and following). “Lies… and deception”, which the Jewish politicians are relying on, were common phenomena of political life in the East. When the king of Assyria calls them to account regarding the alliance with the Egyptians, who were hostile to the Assyrians, which was being plotted at that time, the Jewish politicians will be able to somehow deceive their strict ruler (cf. 2 Sam 17:4; Ezek 17 and following).

Isaiah 28:16. Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone – a stone tested, a cornerstone, precious, firmly established: he who believes in it will not be put to shame.” Isaiah 28:17. And I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the place of shelter. Isaiah 28:18. And your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand. When the all-destroying scourge passes through, you will be trampled. In contrast to such false hopes and revealing all their worthlessness, the prophet says that Israel’s only hope is the cornerstone, firm and established by the Lord Himself on Zion. The false refuge of Jewish politics will be swept away by water and those who trusted in it – will perish. Thus this passage first contains a threat, and then a promise. What did the prophet mean by “cornerstone”? It should be a stone in which is found the support of all truth and justice – therefore it is not Zion, as some interpreters believe, not the house of David, not Hezekiah, not the temple, not the law. It is quite correct to see in this stone the Messiah, the Son of God, the only mediator between God and people, Who was to be born from the line of David (cf. Isa 8:8). The New Testament fully confirms such an understanding, calling Christ the cornerstone, on which is built the society of the saved or the Church (Eph 2:20; Acts 4 and 1 Pet 2:6-7). The stone is called “tested”, that is, completely reliable. Since the reference is to the Messiah, here one can see an indication of those trials that Christ the Savior underwent during His earthly life. “Cornerstone” – this is one that not only supports the building, but also binds its walls at two converging corners. For this, stones are chosen that are especially strong, of square shape. “He who believes in it”. The firm cornerstone manifests its saving effect not in an external magical way, but in accordance with the inner receptiveness or faith of those who turn to it. “Justice as the measuring line” – that is, the building of the new holy temple will be accomplished so that instead of a measuring cord, which builders use for buildings, justice itself will serve, and instead of the carpenter’s plumb line (in the Russian translation incorrectly: plumb lines) – justice itself, straightness. Thus no error will occur! (cf. Isa 1:27). “Refuge of lies…, place of shelter” – figurative expressions to designate the political schemes of the Jewish rulers. “Hail… and waters” – the power of God, sending destruction upon human schemes. “Will be trampled” – of course, by the armies of the king of Assyria.

Isaiah 28:19. As soon as he goes, he will seize you; he will pass by day and night, and the mere report of him will bring terror. Isaiah 28:20. The bed is too short to stretch out on; the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in. The prophet very aptly depicts the manner of action of the Assyrians in relation to Palestine. The Assyrians, indeed, gave the Hebrews no rest either day or night and several times relocated the inhabitants of the Israelite and also the Judean kingdom (under Manasseh) – to Assyria. The condition of the Jewish people the prophet, apparently, depicts in language of a proverb that existed among the Hebrews about a short bed.

Isaiah 28:21. For the Lord will rise up as on Mount Perazim; He will rouse Himself as in the valley of Gibeon, to do His deed – strange is His deed, and to perform His work – alien is His work. Isaiah 28:22. Therefore do not mock, or your bonds will become tighter; for I have heard from the Lord, the God of hosts, that destruction is decreed for the whole land. Israel will soon find itself in the same condition in which its enemies once were. The prophet first recalls the defeat inflicted by David on the Philistines at Baal-Perazim (2 Sam 5:20; 1 Chr 14:11), and second – about the plague with which the Lord struck the enemies of Israel in the days of Joshua at Gibeon (Josh 10:10-11). The prophet calls the punishment of the Jews strange and unusual because, indeed, the Jews could not expect that the Lord would deal with them in the same way as He once dealt with their enemies! “Your bonds” – that is, the difficult situation in which you have put your state through your political intrigue.

Isaiah 10:23. “Destruction is decreed”. See Isaiah 10:23. Isaiah 28:23. Incline your ear, and listen to my voice; be attentive, and hear my words. Isaiah 28:24. Does the farmer always plow for planting, break up and harrow his land? Isaiah 28:25. No; when he has leveled its surface, he sows black cumin, or scatters cummin, or sows wheat in rows, and barley in its appointed place, and spelt as its border. However, the prophet does not want to leave the Judean state without comfort. In a parable he gives his fellow citizens hope for a change in the heavy fate awaiting them. Just as a farmer does not only plow all the time, but also sows, and then threshes the grown and ripened grain in different ways, adapted to the properties of each type of grain so as not to spoil the grain through improper processing – so too the Wise God will not always only punish His people, and moreover not all Jews in the same way, but will make distinctions and will put an end to their sufferings. “Incline your ear”. This call to attention is explained by the fact that further comes figurative speech, requiring especially careful attention. “Does the farmer always plow”. The prophet is apparently comparing the actions of the farmer, breaking, cutting the dry soil with a plow and furrow, with the punishing activity of the Lord in relation to the hardened people of Israel. In verse 25, the prophet has in mind a large plot of land on which different types of grain are sown in order. “Black cumin” (nigella saliva) – used by bakers as a condiment; “cummin” – also gives a special flavor to dishes; “wheat” – in rows, because among the Hebrews wheat was sown with special care and, one might say, not sown but planted, like garden plants. “Spelt along with it” (barley). “Spelt” – a grain plant, resembling barley. Cattle do not care much for it, and therefore on the East the rows of spelt block off a section where barley is sown, so that cattle, tasting the spelt, will not go further to the barley, which they like better.

Isaiah 28:26. And His God teaches him – guides him to do this. Isaiah 28:27. For black cumin is not threshed with a sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cummin; but black cumin is beaten out with a stick, and cummin with a rod. Isaiah 28:28. Grain is threshed, but one does not pound it; one drives a cart over it with his horses, but does not crush it. Isaiah 28:29. This comes from the Lord of hosts; His counsel is wonderful, and His wisdom is great! The prophet has said that the farmer does not sow different types of grain in the same way. Now he directs the attention of his readers to the fact that the farmer also processes different, already ripened types of grain in different ways so that they are fit for use as food. Verse 26 can be rendered as: “and he threshes it (grain) in particular suitable ways – his God teaches him to do this”… This means that the farmer removes, takes off the hulls of the grains carefully, in accordance with their hardness, and he does this based on observation of the order established by God for the life and growth of plants (there is no mention here of any direct teaching from God). “Black cumin is not threshed”. More delicate seeds, like black cumin and cummin, did not require for their processing such bulky machines as, for example, a large thresher set on wheels with special rollers. Just as carefully the farmer threshes grain, fearing to crush and grind the grain. “And this comes from the Lord”. The prophet wants to say that even about this, that is, the processing of grain, the Lord was concerned – so how attentive He is toward His people! And therefore he concludes the chapter with a hymn to the wisdom and salvation of the Lord (instead of the word “counsel” in the Russian translation, it is better to read: advice, wisdom, and instead of “wisdom” – salvation). Indeed, the Lord sometimes punished His people, sometimes rewarded them – changed, so to speak, His manner of dealing with them. Even the punishments He sent on Israel were mild, and in them was expressed the wise compassion of the Most High toward His people and His care for their moral improvement. According to all the data of the text, verses 1–8 of chapter 28 were written before the destruction of Samaria, consequently before 722, whereas all the subsequent speeches contained in Isa 28:9-32 chapters are undoubtedly of later origin, namely they arose around 702; too clearly the prophet speaks in them about the attempts to make an alliance with Egypt to cast off the Assyrian yoke, which took place before the invasion of Sennacherib on Judah. The authenticity of verses 1–22 of chapter 28 is recognized by almost all critics, but some consider the parable contained in verses 23–29, which does not belong to the preceding poem, not to be an authentic work of Isaiah. But, strictly speaking, the thought of this parable is in harmony with Isaiah’s general worldview, and he could have expressed it precisely at this time, when punishment from God was expected, which was to cleanse the chosen people from inappropriate impulses to make an alliance with Egypt. The strophes of the poem in Condamin’s arrangement are placed as follows: First strophe – verses 1–4 – (2, 2, 3) Second strophe – verses 5–8 First strophe – verses 9–13 – (3, 3, 3) Second strophe – verses 14–19a) – (3, 3, 3) Third strophe – verses 19b)-22 – (2, 2, 2) * * * Notes These three verses do not coincide with the Slavonic translation of the LXX. For example, a very strong passage – in verse 8 – the curse upon those who drink wine and strong drink priests and prophets – “Cursed be this counsel, this… counsel for the sake of gain”. Editor’s note.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

1–12. The fate awaiting Jerusalem. 13–24. The secret counsel of people and God’s secret decision.

Isa 29:1-12. A sorrowful future awaits Jerusalem – it will be subjected to all the horrors of siege. Yet the city will not be taken by its enemies; these enemies will quickly vanish. But the inhabitants of Jerusalem listen indifferently to these words of the prophet about the fate awaiting them: in their spiritual blindness, they are unable even to understand the words of the prophet.

Isaiah 29:1. Woe to Ariel, Ariel, the city where David dwelt! Add year to year; let them slay sacrifices. Isaiah 29:2. But I will besiege Ariel, and there will be mourning and lamentation; and it shall be to me like Ariel. Here is contained the theme of the prophet’s discourse. “Ariel,” that is, the city of God, or Jerusalem, though it is Ariel – that is, the lion of God – will be subjected to great suffering, yet it will still be preserved as Ariel, that is, as the hearth of God. Thus here we encounter the same word in three meanings: first, the prophet uses the name Ariel in the sense of “city of God” (in Hebrew ar = city and el = God, the particle i being connecting), second (in the 2nd verse in the first half), the name Ariel means “the lion of God,” that is, a mighty city, which will be placed in an extremely difficult position; third (the last word of the 2nd verse), Ariel denotes “the hearth or altar of God.” And the meaning of the last expression of the 2nd verse is that, despite all misfortunes, Jerusalem will still retain its leading position among the cities of Judah, as the true altar of God. “Add year to year.” These words must contain a definite indication of the time remaining before the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem, because otherwise they would be completely useless as a threat; the inhabitants of Jerusalem could suppose that they would not see enemies for a long time yet! It is more correct to translate this passage thus: “To the passing year you can add only one more complete year – only one more yearly cycle of festivals you will celebrate (before the siege).” 33

Isaiah 29:3. I will encamp against you all around you and will besiege you with a garrison and will raise siegeworks against you. Isaiah 29:4. And you shall be brought low, you shall speak from the ground, and your speech shall be low out of the dust; and your voice shall be like the voice of a medium, and your speech shall whisper from the dust. Jerusalem will be so besieged by enemies that its inhabitants will scarcely be able to speak! They will only emit some whisper, like a person pressed to the ground, or as, according to the understanding of the Hebrews, the dead summoned by sorcerers spoke (cf. Isa 8:19).

Isaiah 29:5. But the multitude of your strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones like chaff that passes away; and in an instant, in a moment, it shall be. Isaiah 29:6. You will be visited by the Lord of hosts with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire. Isaiah 29:7. And like a dream, a vision of the night, will be the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, and all who fight against him and his stronghold and distress him. Isaiah 29:8. And as when a hungry man dreams that he is eating, but he awakes, and his hunger is not satisfied; or as when a thirsty man dreams that he is drinking, but he awakes, and behold, he is faint, and his thirst is not quenched; so shall it be with the multitude of all the nations that fight against Mount Zion. But the enemies of Judah will not triumph for long: they will quickly, in an instant, be swept away from the walls of the city like fine dust or chaff carried by the wind – the Lord will visit you. The prophet addresses Jerusalem with a promise of gracious visitation or salvation by God (cf. Isa 24:22), which will consist in the Lord pouring out His wrath upon the enemies of Jerusalem. 34 In verse 7, “Ariel” probably denotes the holy city, as “the hearth or altar of God.” The picture of the disappointment of the Assyrians, who considered Jerusalem already theirs, is drawn by the prophet in an extraordinarily vivid manner… First he says that the very attack of the Assyrians on Jerusalem will leave in the Jews the impression of a terrible dream (verse 7), and then he points out that the multitude of peoples who were part of the Assyrian army will sadly see that all their hopes of enriching themselves with the treasures of Jerusalem have proven vain.

Isaiah 29:9. Be amazed and astounded; they have blinded themselves, and they themselves are blind; they are drunk, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink; Isaiah 29:10. for the Lord has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, you prophets, and covered your heads, you seers. Isaiah 29:11. And every vision is to you like the words of a sealed book, which men give to one who can read, saying, “Read this”; and he says, “I cannot, because it is sealed.” Isaiah 29:12. Or when the book is given to one who cannot read, saying, “Read this”; and he says, “I cannot read.” Here the prophet depicts the impression that his words should have made on the unreceptive Jewish people. The Jews rely not on God’s help, but on Egypt’s help. Therefore, they are not gladdened but only confused by his discourse. They are like blind people who became such not without divine permission, and they relate to Isaiah’s prophecy as people who must understand the contents of a sealed scroll, or as an illiterate person to whom something is offered to read. “Be amazed and astounded,” that is, you may marvel at my words as much as you wish, find them strange, but in any case I am obliged to speak them to you and you will hear no other words! “They have blinded” – more correctly, in accord with the preceding words, this expression should be rendered in the imperative mood, namely thus: “blind yourselves and remain in your blindness!” “They are drunk.” The prophet could not characterize the schemes of Judean politicians otherwise than by calling them the deeds of completely drunk people. “The Lord has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep.” The hardening and stubbornness of the Jews, who refused to listen to Isaiah, the prophet here depicts as divine punishment for their previous conduct, for their disbelief in former revelations. “Prophets…, seers.” Here Isaiah probably has in mind people who, on the basis of the special prophetic ability which they attributed to themselves, came forward as interpreters of the rather difficult sayings of Isaiah or another true prophet, and perhaps enjoyed some authority among the Jews in doing so. But these prophets and seers often erred in their interpretations – they did not understand the true meaning of Isaiah’s words. The people probably turned to them for explanations, for instance, regarding the prophecy about Ariel, but they turned out to be unequal to their calling!

Isaiah 29:13. And the Lord said: Because this people draws near with their mouth and honors me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men; Isaiah 29:14. therefore, behold, I will again do marvelous things with this people, wonderful and marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hid. Unwilling to listen to the prophet of God, the Judean politicians and the rest of the Jews nevertheless still outwardly continued to consider themselves worshippers of the Lord. The prophet now exposes the falseness of such worship and at the same time announces that the Lord will put their own wisdom to shame, of which they were proud. He Himself, by His almighty power, will strike down the proud Assyrians and exalt Judah. And afterwards the Lord will continually by His grace exalt the humiliated, while oppressors and deceivers will be destroyed. Because of this, the descendants of Jacob, in the distant future, will in everything bow before the Most High. The Jews evidently wished to live in any case their own way in their life and especially in their politics, although outwardly they maintained a connection with the temple of the Most High through external worship. The punishment for this will be that the Lord will continue (I will again do) as He did before, to confound their cunning schemes. He will deal with the Jewish people marvelously and wonderfully, that is, in a way completely unexpected by them, sending them both punishment and salvation. It is very probable that here is contained a prediction of the liberation of Jerusalem from the Assyrian siege under King Hezekiah.

Isaiah 29:15. Woe to those who hide their plans deep from the Lord, whose deeds are done in darkness, and who say, “Who sees us? Who will know us?” Isaiah 29:16. You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay? Shall a made thing say of its maker, “He did not make me”; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? Like Ahaz (Isa 7:1), Hezekiah also sought to conduct policy independently, not following the directives of the prophet Isaiah, and in doing so he concealed his plans from him. He did not wish to come forward directly and openly as an opponent of the prophet, since he respected the prophet as God’s messenger. But in this very way he showed his lack of understanding of the great importance of prophetic ministry. He thought to deceive the prophet – as if by his wisdom he surpassed him! In reality, he and his politicians could be compared to clay, while the true potter was God’s prophet. In pointing to the absurdity of the political schemes of King Hezekiah’s ministers, who thought it possible to disobey God, the prophet compares them to a pot which refuses to recognize in its maker the cause of its existence, and to a work of art which does not want to acknowledge the skill of its creator.

Isaiah 29:17. Is it not yet a little while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest? Isaiah 29:18. And in that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. Isaiah 29:19. And the meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 29:20. for the oppressor will be no more, and the scoffer will cease, and all who are alert to do evil will be cut off, Isaiah 29:21. those who by a word make a man an offender, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and with an empty plea turn aside him who is in the right. The Lord Himself will reform His people, now so unreceptive to divine revelation. The prophet depicts this future change under symbolic images of transformation occurring in nature and in the life of men. At the same time, the Judean politicians proud of their wisdom will perish. It is evident, however, that the prophet’s vision turns here from the near future to times most distant – to the days of messianic salvation. “Shall Lebanon be turned into a fruitful field.” The Lord can make even the impassable Lebanon forests into a simple, well-cleared field, and conversely – a field into a forest. Lebanon here mainly means the wild power and might of the Assyrian king, while the field means the Jewish state. “The deaf.” The prophet probably speaks here of the spiritually deaf Jews, upon whom God poured out a spirit of deep sleep (verses 11–12). With the manifestation of God’s grace among the people, all their obstinacy will end – they will cease to be deaf and blind to the revelations of God. At the same time they will find happiness for themselves, will be freed from all need, and will rejoice in communion with their Lord. The content of these verses (18, 19) is reproduced in the well-known answer of Christ to the disciples of John the Baptist (Matt 11:5; Luke 7:22) and consequently this passage has a messianic sense as well, pointing to the transformations which the Gospel grace will accomplish in the life of all humanity. “The oppressor and the scoffer” – this first of all is the king of Assyria (cf. Isa 36 and following), and then in general any enemy of the Church of God. “All who are alert to do evil” – these are their own, domestic, oppressors of the Jewish people. “He who reproves in the gate.” According to Jewish custom, judges tried cases at the city gates, in squares situated near these gates, so that there would always be witnesses of how the case was tried.

Isaiah 29:22. Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now grow pale. Isaiah 29:23. For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in his midst, they will sanctify my name; they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel. Isaiah 29:24. And those who err in spirit will come to understanding, and those who murmur will accept instruction. In conclusion, the prophet announces salvation from God to the best elements of the Israelite people. This chosen remnant will sanctify the name of God and will possess true wisdom. “Who redeemed Abraham,” that is, delivered him from the influences of pagan, though kindred, surroundings (Josh 24:2), having brought him out from Mesopotamia. “Jacob shall not now be ashamed,” that is, will receive all that was promised to him by God (cf. Isa 19:9; Isa 20:5; Isa 37:27). “Nor shall his face now grow pale.” Among peoples with a bronze complexion, confusion and shame were indicated not by a flush, but precisely by paleness. “When he sees his children, the work of my hands” – more correctly translated: “when his (Israel’s) children (descendants) see my deed, which I will accomplish among them.” “Those who err in spirit” – these are not only Jews, but also gentiles (Eph 4:18). In general, this prophecy concerning the turning of people to God continues to be fulfilled even now (Rom. 11; John 9:5). Chapter 29 forms a complete poem on the humiliation and exaltation of Ariel, or Jerusalem. The authenticity of this chapter raises no serious objections. The stanzas of the poem according to Condamin are divided as follows: 1st stanza – verses 1–4 – (3, 2, 2) 2nd stanza – verses 5–8 – (3, 2, 2) 3rd stanza – verses 9–10 – (2, 2) (Verses 11–14 are written in prose, and verses 15–16 Condamin attributes to the beginning of chapter 30, due to similarity in thought and construction with verses 1–2 of chapter 30). 1st stanza – verses 17–21 – (1, 2, 2) 2nd stanza – verses 22–24 – (1, 2, 2) * * * In the Slavonic translation from the LXX it is said of the siege of Jerusalem by David. “Woe to the city Ariel, against which David made war. Gather grain from year to year, for you gather it together with Moab. But I will afflict Ariel, and its strength and wealth will be mine: And I will besiege you as David did and place a garrison around you.” – The theme of punishment is fully consonant with the theme of the siege of Jerusalem by David – “David was thirty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned forty years… And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land. But they said to David, ‘You cannot come in here, for the blind and the lame will drive you away’ – meaning, ‘David cannot enter here.’ But David took the stronghold of Zion; that is the city of David.” (2 Sam 5:4-7 and following). There is no reason to think that the wordplay “Ariel-Ariel-Ariel” adds anything to the prophecy. At the same time, the arrogance of the besieged is fully consonant with the impiety of the Jews of that time and their contempt for God’s law (David – figuratively – the Lord). Ariel – a figurative name for the city-capital, the city-sanctuary, the city-lion. Editor’s note. In the Slavonic translation of the LXX in verse 7, Ariel and Jerusalem are designated as different cities. “And it will be as a dream that one sees in a dream at night, the wealth of all the nations who make war against Ariel, and all who make war against Jerusalem, and all who assemble against it and trouble it.” One should apparently consider that the word Ariel was used by the Hebrews not as a name – a proper noun – but as a designation-characteristic. There are many instances when translators perceived descriptive word combinations as proper names (for example: Jehovah – the Eternal One, Elohim – Creator of the Universe, Adonai – Righteous Judge. And vice versa – Jehovah-Jireh – “the Lord will provide.” In this case it would be more correct to use the phrase “Jehovah-Jireh” as a proper noun – a local topographical designation. Editor’s note.

Chapter Thirty

1–5. Woe to those seeking help from Egypt, not from the Most High. 6–8. A prophecy concerning Egypt. 9–14. The disobedience of the Jews. 15–26. The reformation of God’s people. 27–33. The destruction of Assyria.

Isa 30:1-5. The prophet reproaches his compatriots for concluding an alliance with Egypt without consulting the will of God. From this alliance they will gain no benefit, but only humiliation.

Isaiah 30:1. Woe to the rebellious children, declares the Lord, who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but against my will, that they may add sin to sin; Isaiah 30:2. who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for my counsel, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt. “Without me” – more correctly: against my will. 35 “Not against my will,” that is, not as God taught them through true prophets, who spoke under the action of God’s Spirit. “That they may add sin to sin,” that is, they already have many sins, and they are adding new ones to the old ones! “My counsel,” that is, my messenger, the prophet Isaiah. “In the shadow” – the same as “in the protection of.”

Isaiah 30:3. But the protection of Pharaoh shall become your shame, and shelter in the shadow of Egypt your humiliation; Isaiah 30:4. for though his officials are at Zoan and his envoys reach Hanes, Isaiah 30:5. everyone comes to shame through a people that cannot profit them, that brings neither help nor profit, but shame and disgrace. “Officials,” that is, messengers of the Judean king.

Isaiah 19:11. “Zoan” – see ch. Is. 19:11. “Hanes” – a city in Upper Egypt, in Greek – Ανσις (Egyptian Hnes), situated on one of the islands of the Nile. Both these cities are named by the prophet as the most prominent points: the first from the end of the 2nd millennium before Christ was already a residence of the Pharaohs, while the latter took the place of the former among other cities of Egypt. Isa 30:6-8. The motionless, sluggish hippopotamus – Egypt – will not move from its place to help its allies – the Hebrews. The divine declaration concerning Egypt (verse 6) the prophet must inscribe upon a tablet, which should be placed before the eyes of the people, and moreover, record it in a special scroll.

Isaiah 30:6. An oracle concerning the beasts of the Negeb. Through a land of trouble and anguish, from which come the lioness and the lion, the viper and the flying serpent, they carry their riches on the backs of donkeys, and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people that cannot profit them. “Burdens” – in Hebrew massa, which means a) a burden, a heavy load, and b) a vision. In the Russian Synodal translation, the discourse is obviously about heavy packs which are carried by animals going to Egypt with the messengers of the Judean king. These packs contain gifts for the Pharaoh, from whom the messengers of the Judean king were to ask for help in the struggle against Assyria. But it is most natural to understand the word massa in the sense of “vision,” “prophecy,” and to replace the expression “animals” with the expression “monster,” because in the Hebrew text here the plural form is used – behemoth – in the sense of indicating the magnitude of one animal (cf. Job 40:10-15). This Hebrew word is very close to the Egyptian name for hippopotamus – pehe-mau (pegemo), and it is very likely that the prophet had precisely this animal in mind here, which could appear to him as a fitting symbol of the huge and immobile Egyptian kingdom. “Going to the south” – more correctly: “living in the south.” This is how Egypt is named in contrast to the northern, Babylonian, kingdom. “A land of trouble and anguish” – this is the Arabian and Sinai desert and Egypt itself, which was connected with this desert. “Viper” (in Hebrew eptehe) – an adder.

Isaiah 14:29. “Flying serpent” – see Is. 14:29 (cf. Herod. II, 75; III, 107–109). Isaiah 30:7. For Egypt’s help is worthless and empty, therefore I have called her “Rahab who sits still.” “I have called” in translation from Hebrew (if reading instead of: hem-schabat – hajoschebat): “I call it (Egypt) the immobile Rahab.” Rahab (Rahav; monster) – the name for Egypt (see Ps 86:4; Ps 88:11). The thought contained in these words is that it is very difficult for the Egyptians to move their troops to help the Hebrews.

Isaiah 30:8. Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever. The words of verse 7, the prophet must inscribe on a tablet before them – that is, before the Jews, in sight, so that everyone could read them. “In a book” – in a scroll, for preservation, in case of the loss of the tablet. Isa 30:9-14. Explaining the purpose of the preceding command, the prophet says that the Jews are a people stubborn in their disobedience to the divine revelation and its messengers – the prophets. They do not wish to hear the truth – they prefer flattery. For this they will be struck by a terrible punishment from the Lord.

Isaiah 30:9. For this is a rebellious people, faithless children, children unwilling to hear the law of the Lord; Isaiah 30:10. who say to the seers, “Do not see”; and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions; Isaiah 30:11. get out of the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.” “Seers” – in Hebrew roim from the verb raah – to see something unusual, inaccessible to ordinary human perception.

“Isaiah 29. “Prophets” – chozim – from chaza – to contemplate in a special ecstatic state. However, both names actually denote almost the same state of prophetic ecstasy (cf. ch. Is. 29 and 1 Sam 9:9).” “Let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel,” that is, we do not want to submit to the directives of the Most High.

Isaiah 30:12. Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel: “Because you despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and rely on them, Isaiah 30:13. therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach in a high wall, bulging out, and about to collapse; its breaking comes suddenly, in an instant; Isaiah 30:14. and its breaking is like the breaking of a potter’s vessel that is smashed so ruthlessly that among its fragments not a shard is found with which to take fire from the hearth or to dip water from the cistern.” “You trust in oppression” – more precisely: in suppression (schek). Here is a hint at the violent actions of Judean politicians against the people, who probably did not want to conclude an alliance with Egypt. “This iniquity… like a breach.” The apostasy of the Jews from the Lord is as dangerous for their state as a breach is dangerous for a stone house, gradually increasing. “The wall,” which the Most High wishes to destroy, – is the state of Judah, from which nothing will remain.

Isaiah 30:15. For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you would not, Isaiah 30:16. and you said, “No! We will flee upon horses” – therefore you shall flee! and, “We will ride upon swift steeds” – therefore your pursuers shall be swift! Isaiah 30:17. A thousand shall flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you shall flee, until you are left like a flagstaff on a mountain top or a signal on a hill. The Hebrews will face a terrible defeat, despite their alliance with Egypt! However, the Most High, as God of righteousness, will again reward Judah with His mercies after it repents and atones for its guilt before God by its sufferings. The Lord will then send His people abundant grain as a necessary condition for peaceful life. “Remaining in place.” The Hebrews apparently were planning at that time to make a raid on the territories belonging to the Assyrians. “We will flee upon horses…, ride upon swift steeds” – possibly more correctly: “we will rush, we will gallop.” The Hebrews counted on horses and chariots, which they could receive from the Egyptians. “Therefore you shall flee,” that is, horses and chariots will only help you to flee from enemies! “Like a flagstaff” – in Hebrew like a cedar or like a mast made of cedar. Here the prophet indicates that the remnant of Israel will be very small – like a lonely standing mast.

Isaiah 30:18. Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. Isaiah 30:19. Truly, O people in Zion who dwell in Jerusalem, you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. When he hears it, he will answer you. Isaiah 30:20. And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. Isaiah 30:21. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. “And therefore the Lord waits.” The Lord does not yet send, and will not soon send, deliverance to Zion, because divine justice requires that guilty Jews undergo punishment. “Blessed.” But on the other hand, one who has placed his hope in God is blessed, because he will find a hearing from God in all his prayers. “O people.” That is, repentant Jews will again inhabit Jerusalem. The city of God, therefore, will not suffer the sad fate that befell Babylon and Nineveh, forever consigned to desolation. “Your Teacher will not hide himself anymore,” that is, true prophets, who in Judea were always persecuted and driven away as disturbers of public peace (1 Sam 18:17; Amos 7:10; Jer 38 and following), will be respected among the people. “Behind you,” that is, after you.

Isaiah 30:22. Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images plated with gold. You will scatter them like filthy rags. You will say to them, “Away with you!” With time, the Jews will reject their idols, to which they were formerly so attached. “Idols overlaid with silver.” For the most part, idol images were made of wood (Isa 40:19), and then they were overlaid with a thin layer of gold or gold plates (cf. Exod 32:20).

Isaiah 30:23. He will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and grain, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your livestock will graze in spacious pastures. Isaiah 30:24. And the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat salted fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. Isaiah 30:25. And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. Isaiah 30:26. Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the Lord binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted upon them. “Salted fodder” – specially prepared chaff with salt or salted mown grass. Such fodder was more tasty and beneficial for animals. “Day of great slaughter” – this is the day of terrible divine punishment, which will be poured out on the world powers hostile to the Jews (cf. Isa 22 and following). “Towers” – here are meant the fortifications of those same powers hostile to the Jews. “As the light of seven days,” that is, then there will be such light as if the entire supply of light coming in a week had shone all at once. Isa 30:27-33. The enemies of Judah the Lord will punish in the most merciless manner, and at this time the Jews will rejoice. For the chief enemy of Judah – the king of Assyria – a place for the burning of his body has already been prepared.

Isaiah 30:27. Behold, the name of the Lord comes from far away, burning with anger, and in thick rising smoke; his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue is a devouring fire; Isaiah 30:28. his breath is like an overflowing stream that reaches up to the neck; to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction, and to place on the jaws of the peoples a bridle that leads them astray. “The name of the Lord comes from far away.” The expression “name” in Holy Scripture is often used to denote a person or being. Thus the expression “to give a name” is equivalent to the expression “to create beings.” “I have called you by name,” says God, for example, to Israel (Isa 43:1). This means that the Lord created Israel as a people. Furthermore, in chapter 9, verse 6 of Isaiah, the essence and dignity of the Messiah is denoted by His names. And among the Babylonians, the expression “name” was also considered identical with the person bearing that name. When a Babylonian sorcerer knew the name of a person, he considered that person to be in his power. Whoever knew the name of any god, so in the Babylonian view, could compel that god to do his will. 36. Thus in this case Isaiah apparently wishes to say that he sees the Lord Himself coming to judgment, revealing His holiness and justice. One might even see here a reference to the person of the Messiah, to whom the Father has entrusted all His rights as Judge of the world (John 5:22). “To sift the nations,” that is, to winnow the nations so that all unworthy elements fly away from them. “A bridle that leads them astray.” With these words the prophet indicates that the pagan nations will be compelled to abandon their former path and go in such a way as previously appeared to them as erroneous. 37

Isaiah 30:29. And you shall have a song as in the night when a holy feast is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goes with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel. “On the night of a holy feast.” Here the prophet alludes to Passover, because no other festival was celebrated by the Hebrews at night. “Going with a pipe.” On the festival of Passover, many Jews went with flutes or pipes. And during the Passover or Feast of Unleavened Bread in Jerusalem, processions were held that went to the temple with singing and music.

Isaiah 30:30. And the Lord will cause his majestic voice to be heard and the descending blow of his arm to be seen, in furious anger and a flame of devouring fire, with a cloudbreak and storm and hailstones. Isaiah 30:31. The Assyrians will be terror-struck at the voice of the Lord, when he strikes with his rod. Isaiah 30:32. And every stroke of the appointed staff that the Lord lays upon them will be to the sound of tambourines and lyres; and in battles of shaking he will fight against them. Isaiah 30:33. For Topheth has long been prepared; yes, it is made ready for the king, its pyre made deep and wide, with fire and wood in abundance; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of sulfur, kindles it. Having portrayed in verses 27–28 the approach of the terrible Judge, the prophet from verse 30 begins to depict the very execution of judgment. “The Lord will cause his voice to be heard.” Here the prophet apparently speaks of thunder, which was customarily believed to be the voice of God (1 Sam 12:18; Job 26:14). “At the voice of the Lord.” Here, apparently, the prophet imagines the Most High as a mighty warrior, uttering a war cry when attacking an enemy (Joel 3:16; Amos 1:2). “Smitten with his rod.” As is evident from what follows, the blows of God’s rod will be fatal for Assyria. “To the sound of tambourines and lyres.” The Jews, at the time of the execution of punishment on their enemies the Assyrians, will play musical instruments, glorifying the Great Judge. “Topheth.” This was the name of the valley of the sons of Hinnom near Jerusalem, where all manner of refuse was burned (Tolkovaya Bibliya, vol. 2, p. 533). But here the prophet takes this name as a common noun – to denote a place of burning of corpses in general (the form of this name in the prophet – tophteh – may perhaps also indicate this). The king of Assyria himself prepared a pyre for himself in Nineveh, when there was no longer any possibility of escape from enemies, and he burned on it together with his wives and children. “Like a stream of sulfur.” With these words the prophet indicates that the pyre will immediately catch fire, as if it had been entirely soaked in sulfur. Chapter 30 contains a complete poem directed against the alliance with Egypt. Its stanzas are distributed as follows: 1st stanza – chapter 29, verses 15–16 – (3, 2, 2) 1st stanza – chapter 30, verses 1–2 – (3, 2, 2) 2nd stanza – chapter 30, verses 3–7 – (3, 2, 2) 3rd stanza – chapter 30, verses 8–11 – (2, 2, 2, 2) 1st stanza – chapter 30, verses 12–14 – (3, 2, 2) 2nd stanza – chapter 30, verses 15–17 – (3, 2, 2) 3rd stanza – chapter 30, verses 18–19 – (2, 2) 1st stanza – chapter 30, verses 20–22 – (3, 2) 2nd stanza – chapter 30, verses 23–24 – (2, 3) 3rd stanza – chapter 30, verses 25–26 – (2, 2) 1st stanza – chapter 30, verses 27–29 – (2, 2, 3) 2nd stanza – chapter 30, verses 30–33 – (2, 2, 3) * * * In the Slavonic translation from the LXX, it reads “you have made counsel not with me.” Editor’s note. A very interesting remark on the Babylonian tradition of naming God: knowing his name – to be able to COMPEL him to do something. Apparently here are the roots of the Hebrew religious tradition that no one should name God by name. For thus knowing God’s name – to be able to command him. On the other hand, the numerous attempts of interpreters throughout all times to name God are obviously attempts to humiliate him, to reduce him to the level of one of the pagan gods. Editor’s note. In the Slavonic translation, from verse 16 onward: “And his spirit like water in a deep valley is drawn; it will come even to the neck and will be divided, so as to confuse the nations in their seduction by vanity.” As is evident, here is quite a clear indication – “his spirit will come… to confuse the gentiles in their seduction by vanity” (point out to them their incorrect behavior). Editor’s note.

Chapter Thirty-One

1–3. Egypt will not offer help to the Judeans against Assyria. 4–9. And only the Lord Himself will save His people.

Isa 31:1-3. If Judean politicians calculated to gain great advantages from an alliance with Egypt, then the Lord will put their calculations to shame and will punish both the supposed protectors of the Jews and the Jews themselves for their lack of faith in the Lord.

Isaiah 31:1. Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who trust in horses and rely on chariots because they are many, and on horsemen because they are very strong, but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel and do not seek the Lord! “Go down to Egypt” – in the translation from the Hebrew: “go down.” Egypt indeed lay lower (farther south) than Palestine. By those “going down” are meant, of course, not only the Judean ambassadors, but also those who sent them to Egypt.

Isaiah 31:2. But He is wise; and He will bring calamity and will not revoke His words; He will rise against the house of the wicked and against the help of those who work iniquity. “But He is wise.” Judean diplomats were proud of their wisdom, of their political tact. But true wisdom belongs only to the Lord. It consists in that the Most High can always carry out His decision – for Him His word is inseparable from deed! “House of the wicked” – these are the rulers of the Judean state at that time. “Help of those who work iniquity” – the help expected by the Jews from the Egyptians, who did not have the true guidance for life which the law of Moses represented, and therefore could not fail to work iniquities.

Isaiah 31:3. And the Egyptians are men, not God; and their horses are flesh, not spirit. And the Lord will stretch out His hand, and the helper will stumble, and the one being helped will fall, and they will all perish together. Can the Egyptians compete with God? Their horses also are not bodiless spirits, which cannot be struck by an arrow or a spear. Isa 31:4-9. But on the other hand, no enemy – even Assyria – will be dreadful to Jerusalem, when the Lord comes down upon Zion to help the Jews who have repented of their former disbelief. The enemies of the Jews will scatter in terrible panic, and the sword of the Lord will strike them.

Isaiah 31:4. For thus said the Lord to me: as a lion, as a young lion roaring over its prey, though a multitude of shepherds cry out against it, it will not shrink back at their cry and will not yield to their multitude, – so the Lord of hosts will come down to fight over Mount Zion and over his hill. Isaiah 31:5. As birds hovering over, so the Lord of hosts will shield Jerusalem; He will protect and deliver it, He will spare and save it. The Lord alone is able to protect the Jews from the Assyrians. He will come down to Mount Zion (according to the Russian translation, over Mount Zion – an imprecise translation) where the temple of the Lord and the king’s palace were located, and to his hill or to other points of Jerusalem, where ordinary citizens lived. “As birds – of young” – an imprecise translation. It is more correct to translate this verse thus: “as a flying bird, so the Lord will be, protecting and ruling over Jerusalem.” The image is taken from a bird hovering over its nest to protect the young birds in it from the danger threatening them.

Isaiah 31:6. Return to Him from whom you have so greatly fallen away, sons of Israel! But in order to be worthy of this protection of God, the Jews had to fulfill one important condition – to abandon idols and turn to the Most High.

Isaiah 31:7. In that day each man will cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have made for you as a sin. Isaiah 31:8. And Assyria will fall by no human sword, and no human sword will consume him – he will flee from the sword, and his young men will become tributary. Isaiah 31:9. And in fear he will pass by his stronghold; and his princes will be frightened at the standard, says the Lord, whose fire is on Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem. “In that day” – a very indefinite expression. The prophet here does not distinguish separate moments of future time and therefore the defeat of the Assyrians and the renunciation of the Jews of idolatry appear to him as contemporary events, although in reality, even after deliverance from the Assyrians, the Jews were drawn to idolatry. “Will cast away.” The Jews will see that their hope in these idols was completely in vain (cf. Isa 2:8). “As a sin.” Idolatry led the Jews to all kinds of sins and transgressions (Hos 8:11). “He will flee… from the sword” – it is possibly more correct from the Hebrew: he will flee from the sword (of God). “Young men” – in Hebrew, bachurim. This word was sometimes used among the Jews to designate warriors as men especially strong in might (2 Sam 6:1). “As tribute” – more precisely: “as slaves.” “And in fear he will pass by his stronghold” – it is possibly more correct from the Hebrew: “and his stronghold or rock (i.e., the king of Assyria) will disappear in fear before the Lord.” “At the standard.” Most naturally here one understands the standard of Judah, from which the Assyrians and their princes or commanders will flee in terror. “Fire” – properly the bright and shining flame which will burn the enemies. “Furnace” – this is a fiery oven in which the enemies of the Jews will also be burned. Some commentators, however, see here simply the designation of an ordinary oven in which bread was baked and understand this passage as an indication of the special closeness of the Lord to Jerusalem, in which He will dwell as a man in his own house. The poem concluding in chapter 31 is divided into the following stanzas: 1st stanza – verses 1–3 – (3, 2, 2) 2nd stanza – verses 4–6 – (3, 2, 2) 3rd stanza – verses 7–9 – (2, 2, 2) * * * Likewise in the Slavonic translation from the LXX – “Woe to those going down to Egypt for help’s sake.” Editor’s note. Likewise in the Slavonic translation – “The Lord came down to Mount Zion and to the mountains of it to make war.” Editor’s note. Likewise in the Slavonic translation – “As a flying bird, thus the Lord of hosts shall protect.” Editor’s note.

Chapter Thirty-Two

1–8. A righteous king will reign in Jerusalem and as a result justice and honesty will triumph in society. 9–20. The punishment awaiting Jerusalem’s women and the future glorification of the Jewish people.

Isa 32:1-8. As in chapter 11, after the depiction of Assyria’s fall in chapter 10, Isaiah immediately begins to paint a picture of the future Messianic time, so in chapter 32 he depicts the reign of a righteous ruler in Jerusalem, coinciding with Assyria’s defeat. Under the new ruler, all Jerusalem’s governors will uphold justice and care for the people’s welfare. He who is now incapable of listening to divine revelation will then be able to understand and explain everything in that revelation. Also, at that time, the worship of unworthy people will end, and virtue will be honored as it deserves.

Isaiah 32:1. Behold, a King will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice; Isaiah 32:2. and each of them will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the tempest, like streams of water in the desert, like the shadow of a great rock in a parched land. “King.” As is evident from other places in the book of Isaiah (mainly from chapters 9 and 11), the righteous king – righteous in the full sense of the word – the prophet called the Messiah. Consequently, here too he also designates the Messiah. But in contrast to chapters 9 and 11, the prophet does not describe the personal activity of this king but depicts mainly the officials around him – his ministers. This is apparently explained by the fact that the prophet and the people recognized King Hezekiah, under whom this speech was composed, as a good ruler, but were dissatisfied with the composition of his ministry or the secret royal council. “Desert” – properly a dry, waterless wasteland. In the Hebrew text here the word zajon stands, which greatly resembles the name of Jerusalem – zijon (a play on words). “Rock” represents an excellent refuge for a traveler going through the desert – better than a tree.

Isaiah 32:3. And the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. Isaiah 32:4. And the heart of the rash will understand knowledge; and the tongue of the stammerer will speak clearly. “Eyes of those who see… – ears of those who hear.” Some commentators see here simply the designation of people possessing all their senses but unwilling to use them, closing their eyes and ears so as not to see and hear what they dislike (Nägelscbach). But, taking into account what the prophet said earlier about the condition of the prophets and seers of his time (Isa 29:9), we also see here an indication precisely of the prophets, who were granted to see visions and hear revelations from God. Then these prophets will freely carry out their great ministry. “The rash… and the stammerer.” These are false prophets or rather the leaders of public opinion at that time, incapable themselves of distinguishing truth from falsehood, unable to convey their thoughts to others in understandable language.

Isaiah 32:5. The fool will no longer be called noble, nor the schemer said to be honorable. Isaiah 32:6. For a fool speaks folly, and his heart devises wickedness, to practice ungodliness and speak error against the Lord, to deprive the hungry of food and to withhold drink from the thirsty. Isaiah 32:7. The villain’s devices are evil; he plans iniquities to destroy the poor with lies, even when the poor man’s plea is just. Isaiah 32:8. But the noble man devises noble things, and by noble things he stands. From the rulers and leaders of Judah the prophet now turns to the depiction of simply noble men. At the present time noble people are often called not according to their actual merits. Those called noble, i.e., of good birth, are fools and schemers, i.e., those who plot against their neighbors. Under the Messiah, however, this will not be. Each will be rewarded according to his deserts. To show how wrong people now act in improperly assessing nobility and lack of nobility, the prophet says that a fool or simpleton causes great harm to society. He not only speaks nonsense but harbors evil intentions in himself, denies the Lord, and harms defenseless people, taking from them the last means of livelihood. Similarly, it is sinful to bow before people who are schemers, who are ready to ruin the poor man by every dishonest means. On the contrary, the noble man both thinks and does what is in accordance with the rules of honor – this should not be subjected to the least doubt. So, in the times of the Messiah, honors will not be given to anyone for free. Only a man with a definite high moral worldview and capable of putting his thoughts into practice will be respected! Isa 32:9-20. Turning now to the careless noble women of Judah, the prophet paints the desolation of the land of Judea – in particular, the desolation of Jerusalem. In such a condition the land of the chosen people will remain until the time when the Spirit poured out from on high renews the people’s life; then throughout Judea justice and peace will prevail and in general every kind of prosperity. The prophet addresses the prediction of the desolation awaiting Judea to the women because noble women, whom he has in view here, will find it hardest of all to bear the deprivations connected with the coming desolation of the land.

Isaiah 32:10. Yet a little while, beyond a year, and you will be appalled, careless ones! For there will be no gathering of grapes, and the harvest time will not come. In chapter 29 (verses 2 and following) the prophet said that until the siege of Jerusalem one year remained. Here he adds to the year an indefinite number of days, since he has in view the desolation of all Judean land, which was to occur somewhat later than the siege of Jerusalem.

Isaiah 32:11. Tremble, you who are at ease; shudder, you who are complacent! Strip your clothes and gird your loins. “Undress yourselves.” – As a sign of mourning, women would remove their upper, most valuable clothes. “And gird your loins” – with sackcloth, so as not to go completely naked (cf. Isa 3:23).

Isaiah 32:12. They will beat their breasts over the beautiful fields, over the fruitful vineyard. The refined women will first of all lament that what was brought to Jerusalem from the rich fields of Judea and from the luxurious vineyards, which of course will all be destroyed by the Assyrian troops, will be lost. Here one can see a hint that the women of Judea, like their husbands, were devoted to the passion for wine.

Isaiah 32:13. Upon the soil of my people will grow up thorns and nettles, and also upon all the houses of joy in the joyful city; Isaiah 32:14. for the palaces will be forsaken; the bustling city will be abandoned; Ophel and the watchtower will forever become a refuge instead of caves for wild asses and pasturing flocks, The prophet here apparently speaks not of the siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrians under Hezekiah, when the enemies of the Jews were to flee shamefully from the walls of Jerusalem, but of the desolation of Jerusalem by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar. Thus, here, as in other cases, the prophet leaps from the nearest future to more distant times. “Ophel” – (a hill, a goddess) was a part of Jerusalem and apparently represented the southeast slope of the temple mountain. On the summit of Ophel stood a tower (cf. Nehem 3:26). “Wild ass.” This animal loves the solitude of the deserts (Job 39:5). Consequently, where it appears – all is quiet and deserted, as in a wilderness. And so it will be in Jerusalem, which formerly teemed with life! “Forever” – an expression that sometimes means a very long time, as is evident from the following verse (cf. Isa 63:16).

Isaiah 32:15. until the Spirit is poured out on us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is reckoned as a forest. Here the prophet depicts the future Messianic times, when the situation of the chosen people will change for the better in all respects – both in terms of moral and material prosperity. “The Spirit from on high.” The power that will bring about this great transformation in the internal and external life of the people will be the Spirit that is to be poured out upon the people and land in excessive abundance from on high. This Spirit – the renewing principle of human life, the wonderful power of God. The prophet Joel spoke of this Spirit even earlier (Joel 2:28), but in the latter case, the increase in fertility of the promised land precedes the pouring out of the Spirit, whereas in Isaiah it is the result of the pouring out of the Spirit.

Isaiah 32:16. Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness will abide in the fruitful field. Isaiah 32:17. And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, calmness and confidence forever. Isaiah 32:18. Then my people will dwell in a peaceful abode, in secure dwellings, and in undisturbed resting places. The prophet just now (verses 13–14) depicted Judea as a barren wilderness, and therefore as a place where one could not count on any safety and on the functioning of ordinary laws: the Bedouins with travelers are governed by their own customs. But in the days of the Messiah, Palestine will again be a land where justice is respected and where it will be completely safe to live.

Isaiah 32:19. And hail will fall on the forest, and the city will be laid low in the valley. Isaiah 32:20. Blessed are you who sow by all waters, and send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey. And external natural calamities will also pass by the populated places of Judea at that time. “Hail” – in that blessed time, if hail falls at all, it will only on the forest, and not on the fields and dwellings of the Jews, so that only the forest trees will suffer from it. “The city will descend to the valley,” i.e., Jerusalem or, properly speaking, its population will not hide behind the city walls but will boldly walk through the valleys surrounding the city. This means that there will no longer be enemies in the surroundings of Jerusalem. “Sow by all waters.” In Palestine, farmers usually scattered their seeds directly on soil loosened by spring floods and then drove oxen and donkeys over this sown soil, which thus trampled the seeds into the earth with their hooves. In the future time there will be very many such valleys for the Jews (by all waters), which indicates the time when they alone will possess all of Palestine. The stanzas in the poem of chapter 32 are divided as follows: 1st stanza – verses 1–5 – (3, 3) 2nd stanza – verses 6–8 – (3, 3) 3rd stanza – verses 9–11 – (2, 2, 2) 1st stanza – verses 12–14 – (3, 3) 2nd stanza – verses 15–20 – (3, 3) * * * In the Slavonic translation, it is written clearly enough – “Until the Spirit comes upon us from on high” – an evident indication of the active member of the Holy Trinity. Editor’s note. In the Slavonic translation from the LXX, regarding hail it is said more definitively: “And hail, if it comes down, will not come upon you.” Editor’s note.

Chapter Thirty-Three

1–24. Prayer of Israel for salvation and God’s answer.

Isa 33:1-12. Around the year 701 BCE, the Assyrians, after their victory over the Egyptians, approached Jerusalem, despite the fact that Hezekiah had sent them to Lachish the tribute they demanded. In view of such treachery by the Assyrians, the prophet foretells their destruction and prophesies to the Jewish people their deliverance from the Assyrian invasion. Following this, the prophet expresses confidence in the speedy inner renewal of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. At the present time the position of the capital of Judea is very sad, but the Lord Himself promises to severely punish the enemies of Jerusalem, who have brought it to such a condition.

Isaiah 33:1. Woe to you who destroy without being destroyed, and who plunder without being plundered! When you finish destroying, you will be destroyed; and when you cease plundering, you will be plundered. The reference is to Assyria, which, since the time of Ashur-nasir-pal (885–860 BCE), had acquired such power that its armies were considered invincible. And this all-powerful state is destined for ruin and devastation. “Plunderer” – it is possibly more precisely from the Hebrew: schemer, traitor, one who plunders even his own allies (cf. verse 8). “When you cease.” Assyria will end its conquering campaigns, of course, not by its own choice, but as a result of the exhaustion of its state.

Isaiah 33:2. O Lord, be merciful to us; we have waited for you. Be their strength every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble. Isaiah 33:3. At the sound of your majestic voice the peoples flee; when you rise up, the nations are scattered. Isaiah 33:4. They gather spoil as the caterpillar gathers; as locusts running about they run upon it. Isaiah 33:5. The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. Isaiah 33:6. And there will be stability in your times, an abundance of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is your treasure. Having pointed out the condition for Assyria’s deliverance – faith in the Lord – the prophet depicts Assyria’s actual downfall, in the plundering of which Israel will also take an active part. Following this temporary salvation for Israel, a new, better future will come – the kingdom of the Messiah will be revealed with its greatest blessings. On Zion then justice will reign; the inhabitants of Jerusalem will possess wisdom and knowledge. “O Lord, be merciful to us.” The prophet offers a prayer to the Lord on behalf of all those who have remained faithful to the Most High. “Be our strength,” i.e., our intercessor – fight for us. “Your spoil.” Here the prophet addresses the Assyrians; when they depart from Jerusalem, the Jews will hastily take possession of the enormous spoil captured by the Assyrians, which those in panic will abandon. The Jews will seize this spoil as quickly as locusts devastate all vegetation in a known strip of land (cf. Joel 2:9). “The Lord is exalted,” i.e., the Lord will be praised by all for His great deed, which He will accomplish against the proud Assyria. “Justice and righteousness” – see chapter 32, verses 1 and 16. In verses 5 and 6 commentators count seven blessings of Messianic time: a) justice; b) righteousness; c) stability; d) salvation; e) wisdom; f) knowledge; g) fear of the Lord. Undoubtedly, here we have a parallel passage to chapter 11, where the Messiah Himself is attributed with seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isa 11:2-3).

Isaiah 33:7. Behold, their mighty ones cry in the streets; the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly. Isaiah 33:8. The highways are desolate; the traveler has ceased. The covenant is broken; the cities are despised; mankind is held of no account. Isaiah 33:9. The land mourns and withers; Lebanon is ashamed and fades away; Sharon is like a desert; and Bashan and Carmel are stripped of their leaves. The present condition of Judea, however, is extremely distressed. “Their mighty ones” – in Hebrew, arielim, i.e., inhabitants of Ariel or Jerusalem (Isa 29:1), who now stood in the streets and cried loudly from fear under the influence of rumors reaching them about the Assyrian commanders. “Ambassadors of peace,” i.e., Jewish ambassadors who came with sad tidings from the Assyrian king (cf. Isa 15:4). “Weep” – of course, that their mission was not crowned with success. “Mankind is held of no account,” i.e., the Assyrian king desires to respect no one’s rights, and besides, he does not hesitate to daily destroy entire tens of innocent people. “The land mourns.” The prophet has in view the devastations caused by the Assyrian hordes in their passage through the lands mentioned here. The crude conquerors, of course, spared neither enemy forests (Lebanon and Carmel) nor fertile fields (Bashan). “Sharon” – a valley running along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea from Jaffa to Caesarea, – which the Assyrians crossed going to the Philistine land, was undoubtedly completely trampled by the troops.

Isaiah 33:10. Now I will rise up, says the Lord; now I will be exalted; now I will lift myself up. Isaiah 33:11. You conceive chaff, you give birth to straw; your breath is a fire that will consume you. Isaiah 33:12. And the peoples will be like the burning of lime; like the thorns cut down they will be burned in the fire. But now, precisely when hope for human help has vanished among the Jews, the Lord Himself comes to the aid of His people and proclaims to the Assyrians the destruction of all their plans and – their ruin. Their plans, all their calculations and intentions – are fragile as hay and straw. “Your breath” – more precisely: your ferocity. “Will consume,” i.e., will harm, will destroy. “Peoples,” i.e., various peoples, constituent parts of the Assyrian army. “Like the burning of lime.” Once lime is ignited, it is almost impossible to extinguish. “Like thorns cut down.” Similarly, a kindled fire of thorns is impossible to extinguish – the fire consumes such dry material so quickly! Isa 33:13-22. This judgment of God upon the Assyrians will be so terrible that even sinners in Jerusalem will be struck with horror. They would prefer to stand farther away from this terrible Judge and do not know whether anyone will be saved from the wrath of God. The prophet comforts the righteous, that for them the fire of God’s wrath is not terrible and that the Lord will instead give Jerusalem safety. He will become the Judge, lawgiver, and king of His people.

Isaiah 33:13. Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and you who are near, acknowledge my might. “What I have done” – in the translation from the Hebrew: “what I have done.” The Lord speaks here of the judgment upon the Assyrians as of a fact already accomplished. “Far off” – foreigners, “near” – inhabitants of Palestine and, above all, of Judea.

Isaiah 33:14. The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling has seized the godless: “Who of us can live with a consuming fire? Who of us can live with everlasting flames?” Isaiah 33:15. He who walks in righteousness and speaks what is right; who spurns the gain of oppression and turns away from bribery; who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil; “Sinners,” of which there were not a few in Jerusalem (Isa 1:28), find the notion of God as a stern Judge strictly punishing for transgressions distressing. They do not want to part with their vicious habits, and yet – says the king-psalmist with the words of the 14th psalm (verses 1–2) – this is necessary: only pure and just people can safely live on Zion, near God the Judge. “Not see evil,” i.e., a good man does not even want to look at evil, at crime, and already to participate in it, of course, he will not consent!

Isaiah 33:16. He will dwell on the heights; his refuge will be the strongholds of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will not fail. Isaiah 33:17. Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; they will see a land that stretches far away. Isaiah 33:18. Your heart will meditate on the terror: “Where is the one who counted? Where is the one who weighed the tribute? Where is the one who counted the towers?” Isaiah 33:19. You will not see the fierce people anymore, a people whose language is incomprehensible to you, whose tongue you do not understand. “To dwell on the heights” – the same as to have one’s abode on inaccessible rocks. “Bread… and water” – the necessities for sustaining life. “Your eyes.” The prophet addresses the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who will live to the time of deliverance from the Assyrian invasion. “King.” Apparently this is the Messiah. For the speech is about the King whom the righteous will see. (See the exposition of the previous verse). “In His beauty.” Here is a hint at the sackcloth which King Hezekiah then wore because of the sorrowful events in his state (Isa 37:1). Instead of this sackcloth the king will again put on his beautiful clothes. “A land that stretches far away” – more precisely: a land spread out far. Here is an allusion to the fact that the Judean kingdom, with the departure of the Assyrians, will take all the possessions and kingdoms of Israel. “Your heart” – you. “The one who counted” – this is an Assyrian official who kept a record of the taxpayers in the treasury of the Assyrian king. “The one who weighed the tribute.” In those times there were no monetary signs and silver or gold, which were paid as tribute, necessarily had to be weighed. “The one who counted the towers” – this is some Assyrian military commander seeking out where best to place an Assyrian garrison. “With a strange, incomprehensible tongue.” The common people in Judea, of course, could not understand the Assyrian language (cf. Isa 28:11), especially since the Assyrian army included many tribes of non-Semitic origin.

Isaiah 33:20. Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, and none of its cords will be broken. Isaiah 33:21. But there the magnificent Lord will be for us a place of rivers, of broad streams; no galley with oars will go there, nor will any mighty ship pass through. Isaiah 33:22. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; He will save us. Here the prophet’s gaze is transferred, apparently, to the kingdom of the Messiah. Jerusalem – the center of the religious life of the chosen people – although still called here a tent, yet this tent is depicted now not as being taken down, like Moses’s tent, constantly being taken down when the Jews moved from one camp to another, but as built firmly and immovably (cf. Amos 9:11). Keeping in mind that Nineveh, Babylon, and Thebes were protected from sudden enemy attacks by wide channels surrounding their walls, the prophet, to depict the safety with which Jerusalem will be enjoying under the Messiah, says that the Lord Himself will guard this city. Thanks to this protection, the enemies will no longer be able to take Jerusalem by any means, while fortresses surrounded by channels could still be taken by enemies who would bring ships with them.

Isaiah 33:23. Your ropes hang loose; they do not hold the mast firm or keep the sail spread. Then prey and spoil will be divided; even the lame will share in the plunder. Isaiah 33:24. And no inhabitant will say, “I am sick”; the people living there will be forgiven their iniquity. At the present time – says the prophet – our state resembles a ship with poorly maintained rigging. But – wait! Soon circumstances will change for the better and the enemies will be scattered, leaving behind great spoil for the benefit of the Jews. But the most important thing – here the prophet apparently has in view the time of the Messiah – the inhabitants of Jerusalem will be forgiven their sins before God. Regarding the authenticity of this chapter, although doubts are expressed by many critics, all these objections are based on the idea that Isaiah could not have written in such a tone. Clearly, this opinion is too subjective and therefore does not deserve refutation. The stanzas of this chapter can be divided as follows: 1st stanza – verse 1 – (2) 2nd stanza – verses 2–6 – (2; 2, 2) 3rd stanza – verses 7–9 – (2, 2, 2) 4th stanza – verses 10–12 – (1, 1, 1) 1st stanza – verses 13–16 – (3, 2, 2) 2nd stanza – verses 17–21 – (3, 2, 2) 3rd stanza – verses 22–24 – (2, 2) * * * Notes Apparently here one speaks of a distant land – i.e., the new Jerusalem. Editor’s note.

Chapter Thirty-Four

1–4. The judgment on the universe. 5–17. The judgment on Edom.

Preliminary remark. Chapters 34 and 35 form the conclusion to the first part of Isaiah’s prophecy, combining the essential features of the predictions of that part concerning the times of judgment and salvation. In chapter 34, the prophet speaks of the end of the world, but he clothes the image of this final catastrophe in figures taken from the events of his time, so that the final universal judgment upon the universe takes on the character of a judgment upon a certain piece of land (Idumea). In chapter 35, the prophet depicts the reverse side of judgment upon the world – namely the final redemption of Israel and his return from foreign lands to his homeland.

Isaiah 34:1. Come near, you nations, and listen; hear, you peoples! Let the earth and all that fills it pay attention, the world and all that is born in it! All nations must hear the prophecy concerning the judgment that shall be brought upon the universe. These nations will be subjected to complete destruction, and even the sky itself will suffer from the fire of this terrible judgment. The prophet’s address to the nations and to all that is on the earth resembles his words in chapter 1, verse 2, and indicates the special importance of the speech that follows.

Isaiah 34:2. For the wrath of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury is upon all their armies. He has devoted them to destruction, has given them over to slaughter. Here the object of God’s judgment is called mankind only. Irrational nature already follows mankind. “Their armies” – this is not armies in the proper sense of the word, but crowds, masses of people (cf. verse 4).

Isaiah 11:15. “To destruction” – see Is.11:15. Isaiah 34:3. And their slain shall be scattered, and from their corpses a stench shall rise, and the mountains shall be soaked with their blood. Here we find hyperbolic expressions, and the slaughter of sinful people should indeed be recognized only as a metaphor.

Isaiah 34:4. And all the host of heaven shall decay; and the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; and all their host shall fall as the leaf falls from the vine and as the withered leaf falls from the fig tree. “The host of heaven” or the stars shall decay as paper or material decays from the heat of fire. “The heavens shall be rolled up.” Heaven – in Hebrew rakiaf – is properly a vast expanse. This expanse shall become small, rolled up from the same desiccating action of fire, as paper is rolled up from heat into a tube. “Their host shall fall.” The prophet is clearly thinking again of the action of flame, which desiccates, for example, wood and causes leaves to fall from it. Why does the prophet speak of judgment on the heavenly bodies? This may be explained by the ancient belief that the heavenly bodies have great influence on human life and, therefore, are partly responsible for all their transgressions. Isa 34:5-17. From heaven, God’s judgment passes again to earth and falls upon Edom as the land most hostile to the Judean state. The inhabitants of this land will be destroyed and the entire region of Edom will be subjected to terrible desolation.

Isaiah 34:5. For my sword is sated in heaven: behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom and upon the people devoted by me to destruction. Isaiah 34:6. The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, is fattened with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat from the kidneys of rams: for there is a sacrifice of the Lord in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the land of Edom. Isaiah 34:7. And the wild oxen shall fall with them, and the young bulls together with the mature ones; and their land shall be saturated with blood, and their dust shall be fattened with fat. Isaiah 34:8. For the day of the Lord’s vengeance, a year of retribution for Zion. Desiring to show the inevitability of God’s judgments, the prophet depicts these judgments under the image of a sword, ceaselessly striking the people. And the Edomites he represents under the image of lambs, goats, and rams, wild oxen, young bulls, and mature ones, subjected to slaughter, desiring thereby to show that all classes of the people in Idumea will be subjected to the destructive action of God’s judgment (wild oxen and young bulls – the most prominent representatives of Idumea). “Bozrah” – the principal city of Idumea. “The day… of vengeance, a year of retribution.” Both these expressions indicate that the time has finally come when Edom must suffer for all the injuries it has inflicted upon the Jews. And this people, dwelling on high rocks where it could hide after its raids upon Judea, caused no small number of such injuries. Holy John Chrysostom warns here that God’s anger is not as men’s anger, but he acts with complete justice.

Isaiah 34:9. And their rivers shall turn into pitch, and their dust into sulfur, and their land shall become burning pitch; Isaiah 34:10. it shall not be extinguished day or night; its smoke shall ascend forever; it shall remain desolate from generation to generation; no one shall pass through it forever and ever; Isaiah 34:11. and the pelican and the hedgehog shall possess it; and the owl and the raven shall dwell in it; and he shall stretch a line of confusion over it and a plumb line of desolation. In depicting the future desolation of Idumea, the prophet used the knowledge which the Jews at that time had of this land. Namely, from the book of Genesis they knew the fate that once befell the land neighboring Idumea (Gen 19), the destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah and other cities of the plain, situated to the south of the Dead Sea. The Jews knew that Idumea is also rich in extinct volcanoes, and the prophet here quite understandably tells his countrymen that these volcanoes will in time open again and their lava will flood the entire land, and this lava, with its sulfurous odor, will penetrate along the beds of the rivers of Idumea. It is clear that in such a suffocating atmosphere no one would want to live, and only some desert birds and hedgehogs will find refuge there. “The pelican” – properly a water bird; therefore here it is better to understand the word kaat as an expression meaning an owl. “The hedgehog” – the usual dweller of deserts; “Owls and ravens” – likewise. “The line of confusion.” Desiring to show that Idumea in no way will avoid its sorrowful fate, the prophet says that a rope or cord will be stretched over it, such as builders usually used in the construction of new buildings and in the destruction of a whole series of houses in cities. Nothing, therefore, in Idumea will be saved from destruction and ruin. The Lord will precisely mark all the limits of the land upon which the desolation is to extend.

Isaiah 34:12. No one shall remain there of her nobles, whom one could proclaim king, and all her princes shall be nothing. Isaiah 34:13. And her palaces shall be overgrown with thornbushes, nettles and thistles shall fill her fortifications; and she shall be a dwelling place of jackals, a haunt of ostriches. Isaiah 34:14. And desert creatures shall meet with hyenas, and the wild goat shall call to his brother; there the night creature shall rest and find for herself a place of rest. Isaiah 34:15. There the flying serpent shall nest, lay eggs, hatch them and gather them under its shadow; there also the kites shall gather one to another. There will remain no aristocrats in Idumea, true descendants of Esau, from among whom kings were chosen in Idumea. Royal power there was not hereditary – and the other aristocrats remaining in it will lose all significance (“shall be nothing”). Naturally, the forsaken palaces of Idumea will become overgrown with weeds and only unclean birds and beasts will live in their ruins. Moreover, unclean spirits will also settle there. “Jackals…, ostriches…, desert creatures…, hyenas…, wild goats…” – of all this the prophet spoke in his discourse about the destruction of Babylon (see Isa 13:21). “The night creature” – from Hebrew lilith. Ancient interpreters saw here an allusion to the belief of the Jews in a demon woman who at night sucks blood from people; modern translators render this word, derived from the word lail – night, simply as “nocturnal,” and understand here the night bird, i.e. the owl. “The flying serpent” – this is such a serpent which from somewhere high, for example from a high tree, throws itself at its victim and strikes it with a bite. “The kites” love desolate, isolated places and it will suit them as well as possible to rear chicks in the ruins of the palaces of Idumea.

Isaiah 34:16. Seek in the book of the Lord and read: not one of these shall be missing, and one shall not be without the other. For the mouth of the Lord has commanded it, and his spirit has gathered them. Isaiah 34:17. And he himself has cast the lot for them, and his own hand has divided the land for them by measure; they shall possess it forever, from generation to generation they shall dwell in it. Since the wicked Edomites, upon whom God’s wrath will be poured out, might ascribe all their misfortunes to mere chance, the prophet in advance points future readers of his book to the possibility of being convinced that the judgment which will fall upon Idumea is the work of God. For this it is necessary only to read attentively what was said of Idumea in the book of the Lord, i.e. in the first part of the prophet Isaiah’s book, which the prophet, in his conviction of the divine origin of the revelations communicated to him and transmitted in this part, boldly calls the book of the Lord himself! The Lord, who commanded the beasts and birds of the wilderness to occupy the palaces of Idumea, shall himself gather them and will never take from them the possession given to them. Against the authenticity of chapters 34 and the following chapter 35, criticism raises serious objections, but still these objections do not have binding force. It is said, namely, that the hatred of Edom, with which chapter 34 is permeated, presupposes already the participation of the Edomites in the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (cf. Lam 4:21-22). But it must be said that even earlier prophets than Isaiah also proclaimed God’s wrath upon the Edomites for their enmity toward the Jews (Amos 1:11; Amos 9:12; Joel 3:19). It is pointed out that chapter 35 presupposes already the carrying away of the Jews to Babylon, if the prophet there directly speaks of the return of the Jews to their homeland. But such a prophecy already exists in Isaiah in chapter Isa 29:22-23 and Isa 30:29. Chapter 34 is divided into stanzas as follows: 1st stanza – verses 1–4 – (3, 2, 2) 2nd stanza – verses 5–7 – (3, 2, 2) 3rd stanza – verses 8–17 – (3, 2, 2, 2; 2, 2, 2, 3) * * * In the Slavonic translation from the LXX – “many birds and hedgehogs.” Editor’s note.

Chapter Thirty-Five

1–10. The redemption of Israel and his return to his homeland

Isa 35:1-10. Concluding the first part of his prophecies, Isaiah draws a magnificent picture of the transformation of a dry desert into a splendid blooming valley and the cessation of all human sufferings arising from illnesses and deformities. A road will be laid through this desert for God’s chosen ones to their native land and they will return in peace and joy to Zion.

Isaiah 35:1. The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; Isaiah 35:2. it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. What does the prophet mean by desert and dry steppe? The following verses (3–6) provide the answer to this question. From this we can conclude that the prophet had in mind his own people, the Jewish people, who during the Babylonian captivity represented as it were a dry desert, devoid of all vegetation. Yes, in the Jewish people for a time, as it were, life ceased entirely, and their land, deprived of population, certainly deserved the name of a steppe. But such a time, says the prophet, will end. All this dry steppe will be covered with beautiful crocuses (the Hebrew word here – bezil – means bulbous plants of various colors) and will equal in its fertility the most fertile and beautiful regions of Palestine (cf. Isa 33:9; Isa 29:17; Isa 32:15). “They shall see.” This expression does not fit the words “desert” and “steppe.” It is better to understand it this way: the prophet is pointing to the Jews, who will see, i.e. will convince themselves with their own eyes, of the greatness and omnipotence of the Lord.

Isaiah 35:3. Strengthen the feeble hands and make firm the weak knees; Isaiah 35:4. say to those of fearful heart: be strong, do not fear; behold, your God comes with vengeance, with the recompense of God; he will come and save you. Isaiah 35:5. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Isaiah 35:6. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute shall sing; for waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. In view of this glorious future, the downcast Jews should take heart – for to them comes the help of the Almighty himself, who will restore sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf and so forth, and in the dry desert waters shall break forth. It is very probable that the prophet, first (verse 4) pointing to the speedy deliverance of the Hebrews from captivity by the Lord himself, who is coming to save his people, speaks further of the Messianic times – of the times of the restoration of mankind, which now suffers from various bodily afflictions. Of course, by the deaf, blind and so forth, one can understand also those deaf and blind in the figurative sense of the word, but there is no doubt that the Jews themselves, until the times of Christ the Savior, understood this passage as a prophecy of the saving activity of the Messiah, delivering people from all evil. If the prophet’s words were to be understood otherwise, Christ the Savior would not have cited them as a prophecy of the miracles which he performed on earth, when John the Baptist asked him: Are you the Messiah? (Matt 11:5). “For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,” that is, “do not be afraid then, you of little faith! Everything will change for the better and in the dry wilderness there will be much water.” These words serve as a transition to the following description of the path by which the liberated Hebrews will travel.

Isaiah 35:7. And the mirage shall become a lake, and the thirsty land shall become springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they rest, there shall be grass and reeds and papyrus. “The mirage” – this is a light phenomenon, known in physics as a fata morgana, or mirage. To a traveler in the desert, exhausted by thirst, it often suddenly appears that there is a lake or pond in the distance and he hastens forward to quench his thirst. But alas! this vision vanishes and in its place is the same sandy steppe as before. “Jackals” or hyenas love dry places. “Grass and reeds and papyrus” – on the other hand, plants which can exist only near water.

Isaiah 35:8. And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for his people; whoever walks the way, even if unlearned, shall not go astray. Isaiah 35:9. No lion shall be there, and no savage beast shall go up on it; it shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. “Holy Way,” that is, inaccessible to ordinary, sinful people. This is evidently the path in the Messianic kingdom, not the path to the kingdom of the Messiah, because the latter paths are traveled only by those still seeking purification, not the holy. “Even if unlearned” – this probably refers to the Gentiles, called into the kingdom of Christ and at first feeling themselves quite inexperienced, unlearned in spiritual matters. “Lion… and savage beast” – symbols of evil people and demonic forces. The discourse again is clearly about the glorified kingdom of Christ, because here on earth the members of the Church of Christ still continue to be subjected to temptations and attacks from the devil and his servants. “The redeemed.” Here, it appears, the discourse is less about deliverance from Babylonian captivity than about deliverance from slavery to sin and death.

Isaiah 35:10. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Here too the prophet is probably alluding to the joy in which the righteous will rejoice in the glorious kingdom of Christ, because only in relation to this phase of human life can the expression “everlasting joy” be applied (Holy John Chrysostom). The last phrase alludes to the custom of the ancients, who in sign of joy and gladness adorned their heads with wreaths (upon their heads). The chapter can be divided into the following stanzas: 1st stanza – verses 1–6a) – (3, 2, 2, 2) 2nd stanza – verses 6b)–10 – (3, 2, 2, 2) The chapter is appointed to be read as a paremia on the feast of the Lord’s Baptism, because it speaks of the revitalization or rebirth of mankind, which was accomplished by Christ the Savior taking upon himself at his baptism the sins of all people. Because of this, mankind, which had until then represented a dry and barren desert, came alive to new life. Perhaps the Church also had in mind the mention of the Jordan, in which the Lord Jesus Christ was baptized.

Chapter Thirty-Six

1. The embassy of Sennacherib to Hezekiah.

Preliminary remark on chapters 36–39 of the book of Isaiah. These chapters represent almost a literal repetition of the section from the 4th book of Kings, extending from chapter 18, verse 13, to chapter 20, verse 19. The prophet adds from himself only the prayer of King Hezekiah (Isa 38:9-20). It is evident that the history of the invasion of Sennacherib upon Jerusalem is communicated by Isaiah with the purpose of showing how his prophecies about Assyria in its relation to the kingdom of Judah were fulfilled. As for chapters 38 and 39, where the discourse is about the illness and miraculous healing of Hezekiah, as well as the arrival to him of an embassy from the Babylonian king, these chapters serve as a transition to the following part of the prophet Isaiah’s book, in which the discourse is primarily about the liberation of the Jews from Babylonian captivity. It should be noted that in the section under consideration, the prophet arranges the historical material not in chronologically sequential order, but systematically. Therefore, the titles of chapters 36 and 38 should be placed one in place of the other, since, according to all data of modern chronology, Hezekiah’s illness falls precisely on the 14th year of his reign, while the invasion of Sennacherib upon Jerusalem falls on the 27th year of the reign of the same king.

Which text – Isaiah or the 4th book of Kings – is the original text?

Critics diverge in solving this question and one and the same points are taken as supports for completely different solutions. It is most probable, however, that opinion according to which in the book of Kings we have the original text, since there the entire history of Sennacherib’s invasion is in the closest and most inseparable connection with all the narrative of the book of Kings and is presented much more thoroughly than in the book of Isaiah. As for the abbreviations of this history allowed in the book of Isaiah, they consist partly in the omission of historical references which do not correspond to the purpose of a prophetic book (for example, Isa 36:1; Isa 37:36; Isa 38:4-7), and partly in the omission of historical turns of phrase met with in the writer of the 4th book of Kings (Isa 36:2; Isa 37:4; Isa 39:2). In Isaiah too, sometimes the words of the 4th book of Kings are replaced by other corresponding terms (Isa 36:5; Isa 37:2; Isa 38:2 and others).

Isa 36:1-22.

For explanation, see Interpretive Bible vol. 2, 2 Sam 18– 2 Sam 20:19.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

1. The message of Hezekiah to Isaiah. 8–13. Letter of Sennacherib to Hezekiah. 14–20. Prayer of Hezekiah. 21–35. Message of Isaiah to Hezekiah. 36–38. Deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrians.

Isa 37:1-38.

For explanation, see 2 Sam 18– 2 Sam 20:19.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

1–3. Hezekiah’s illness, 4–8. and his recovery. 9–20. Song of thanksgiving of Hezekiah. 21–22. Conclusion in addition to the preceding account.

Isa 38:1-8.

For explanation see Interpretive Bible vol. 2, p. 548–552

Isa 38:9-20. In his song of thanksgiving, Hezekiah first describes his grave condition during his illness, and then gives himself up to meditation on the greatness of the miracle of God accomplished in him and makes a promise to sing praises to the Lord all the days of his life.

Isaiah 38:9. A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness: “Prayer” – in Hebrew michtab – properly: “a writing, written.”

Isaiah 38:10. I said, In the middle of my days I must depart to the gates of Sheol; I am deprived of the rest of my years. “In the middle of my days.” The illness overtook Hezekiah in his 39th year of life (cf. 2 Sam 18 and 2 Sam 20:1). Others translate: “in the days of rest” or “in the midpoint of life.” “The gates of Sheol.” The Sheol or underworld, the dwelling place of the dead, is depicted here as if it were some stronghold with firm gates.

Isaiah 38:11. I said, I shall not see the Lord, the Lord in the land of the living; I shall look on mankind no more among the dwellers of the world; “I shall not see the Lord.” To see the Lord in the Bible often means to know experimentally the goodness of God, to enjoy the mercies of the Almighty and to know his revelations, which were proclaimed by the high priest in the temple of the Lord (cf. verse 22). “Among the dwellers of the world,” that is, I shall no longer participate in the general human joys and sorrows.

Isaiah 38:12. My dwelling is pulled up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent; I have rolled up my life like a weaver; he cuts me off from the loom; from day and night you made an end of me. “My dwelling,” that is, my body. “I have rolled up.” More accurately: “I wound up my life into a ball, like a weaver (who winds up the remaining threads of yarn into a ball), as he cut me off from the loom.” Hezekiah wants to say that he considered his life already finished.

Isaiah 38:13. I calmed myself until morning; like a lion he broke all my bones; from day and night you made an end of me. “I calmed myself.” More accurately: “I soothed myself until morning,” that is, I hoped for relief from the illness by morning, but instead of relief, the illness broke me as a lion breaks.

Isaiah 38:14. Like a swallow, like a crane I cry out; I moan like a dove; my eyes are weary with looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security. “Like a swallow, like a crane.” The groans of the sick Hezekiah resembled the melancholy sounds emitted by a crane, or the chirp of a swallow; sometimes he groaned softly like a dove. “My eyes are weary with looking upward” – more accurately: “and my eyes have become weary from constant gazing upward,” from which Hezekiah expected help. “Be my security!” – more accurately: “be a surety for me!” (cf. Job 17:3).

Isaiah 38:15. What shall I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done it. I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul. Isaiah 38:16. O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit; O restore me to health and let me live. Isaiah 38:17. Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but you have held back my life from the pit of destruction; you have cast all my sins behind your back. Hezekiah, in gratitude to God for the healing he had received, promises to spend the remainder of his life quietly. “By these things men live,” that is, by such actions of the Almighty, and Hezekiah will place all his hopes upon this miraculous help of the Lord. “For my welfare.” The illness served to raise the moral state of Hezekiah. “You have held back.” That is, in the fact that you held back my life from death, I see proof that you at the same time forgave me my sins. Premature death here is presented as a punishment for sins. “Behind your back,” that is, so far away that they were not seen and gone.

Isaiah 38:18. For Sheol cannot thank you, death cannot praise you; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. Isaiah 38:19. The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children your faithfulness. Isaiah 38:20. The Lord will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our life at the house of the Lord. Here the general thought held by Old Testament writers is presented: the condition of the dead is a state of complete indifference to all that is great and, in particular, to the deeds of God accomplished on earth (cf. Ps 6:6; Ps 87:11-13; Ps 113:25-26). On the contrary, a living man can always praise God by his godly life and instruct his own children on the path of virtue. Hezekiah promises to extol God in songs in the temple, which he indeed accomplished, having organized orchestras from the Levites (cf. 2 Chr 29:30).

Isaiah 38:21. And Isaiah said, Let them bring a cake of figs and apply it to the boil; and he shall recover. Isaiah 38:22. And Hezekiah said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord? Verse 21 should be placed after verse 8 and verse 22 after verse 6. The prayer of Hezekiah is divided into stanzas as follows. 1st stanza – Verses 10–14 – (2, 2, 2, 2, 2) 2nd stanza – Verses 15–19 – (2, 2, 2, 2, 2) 3rd stanza – Verse 20 (conclusion). * * * In the Slavonic translation – “your eyes have become dim, so that they looked upward to the height of heaven to the Lord.” Editor’s note.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

1–8. The embassy of the king of Babylon to Hezekiah

Isa 39:1-8.

For explanation see Interpretive Bible vol. 2, 2 Sam 20:12-21 (Nicholas Rozanov).

Chapter Forty

The Consolation of Israel by the Future Manifestation of the “Glory of the Lord”.

1–2. Heading. 3–5. Preparation of the way. 6–8. Human nothingness. 9–11. The manifestation of the mighty God and at the same time good Shepherd. 12–17. Divine omnipotence, compared with human nothingness. 18–20. The futility of idols. 21–26. The greatness of God – Creator of heaven and earth. 27–31. Consolation, following as a moral-practical conclusion from all this.

Isaiah 40:1. “Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God; “Comfort, comfort.” The opening words of this chapter (40) directly introduce the reader into the theme of the last, third part of the book of the prophet Isaiah and give a proper understanding of its basic character and tone – prophetic exhortation, or more precisely, comforting and encouraging. The very repetition of these words, by the known property of the Hebrew language, indicates a strong emphasis of the thought contained in them. Blessed Jerome and the Vulgate translated the Hebrew term of the original – nahamu – not in the active form, but in the reflexive – not “comfort,” but “comfort yourselves” (consolamini), through which the subject receiving and imparting comfort is the people themselves, not the priests or prophets, whom it merely implies, and in the following verse the Greek translation of the LXX even directly inserts the word “priests” into the text. “My people… your God.” The emphasis on pronouns is commonly used in the Bible to strengthen a thought; in this case, obviously to emphasize the thought of divine consolation (see Hos 1 and others).

Isaiah 40:2. “Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and proclaim to it that its time of struggle is fulfilled, that its iniquity is paid for; for it has received from the hand of the Lord double for all its sins.” “Speak to the heart of Jerusalem.” The Greek (LXX) and our Slavonic translation insert here, as the subject, the word “priests” (hiereis), although the Hebrew Bible does not have the corresponding term. Joel, commenting according to the LXX, speaks excellently: “it is the property of priests to intercede and correct; they are a haven of the peoples, intercessors for the appeasement of God, mediators between God and men.” “To speak to the heart or even in the heart… means, by the property of the Hebrew language, to speak something most penetrating the heart, chiefly something consoling, encouraging, in general, pleasant” (Gen 34:3; Gen 50:21; 2 Chr 32:6; and others). “Jerusalem.” The city, as the center of the people, is personified here instead of the people themselves. And the reference to Jerusalem is also characteristic in determining the chronology of this discourse. Evidently, the city of Jerusalem still continued to exist; consequently, the prophecy was uttered before its destruction, that is, before the beginning of the Babylonian captivity, not in the middle or end of it, as rationalist criticism thinks. “The time is fulfilled… satisfaction is made… received from the hand of the Lord.” The perfect past tense of the verbs gives rationalist criticism grounds to attribute the entire prophecy to the time of the actual completion of the indicated events, that is, to the end of the Babylonian captivity. But, of course, this is nothing more than the ordinary form of prophetic speech in the Bible, which, for greater assurance in the certainty of the future, speaks of it in the language of the present or even past tense. “The time of struggle is fulfilled.” Our Slavonic translation, following the Greek LXX, instead of the word “struggle,” has the word “humiliation,” in Greek tapeinosis. In the Hebrew text stands – tsaba – which means “army, host, troops.” Bishop Peter in his commentary on the book of the prophet Isaiah happily reconciles these variants: “the word ‘troops’ (Heb. tsaba),” says he, “properly means the formation of an army arranged in proper order; likewise – a difficult, cramped state, for example, in formation, on guard duty, hard service subject to certain rules, order and time, such as military service… Hence the word ‘troops’ is used to designate, in general, a grievous state of human life (Job 7:1). Most immediately the prophet has in view here the time of the end of the future Babylonian captivity and the joyful return to the homeland; but in a more remote historical perspective his spiritual vision could foresee the end of the entire period of Old Testament history – the era of slavish fear and difficult external deeds of ceremonial law – which was to begin with the opening of the new gracious Messianic kingdom (Mark 1:15; Gal 4:3). “For its iniquities… received from the hand of the Lord double for all its sins.” The basic concept of “iniquity” or “sin” – in Greek to hamartema – in the Hebrew text – hattoth – contains a special indication of the “sin offering,” which is often designated in the Bible by precisely this same term (Lev 4:3; Lev 6:17; Lev 7:37; Ps 40:5; Mic 6 and others). Under “sin offerings” brought by the people of Jerusalem may be understood, first, all the ceremonial sacrifices of this name, second, all the sufferings and calamities of the people which served as a purifying sacrifice for it, and finally, the greatest Golgotha sacrifice, of which the prophet will speak specifically below (53) and regarding which the Apostle Paul writes of the Lord Jesus Christ: “He who knew no sin was made a sin offering for us (hamartian – hattoth)” (2 Cor 5:21), or: “He, having offered one sacrifice for sins, sat down at the right hand of God forever” (Heb 10:12). “Received double for all his sins.” The majority, especially the newer, rationalist commentators (Dillmann, Orelli, Sanchez, Calmet, etc.) see here the idea of the severity of divine punishment that fell upon Jerusalem and the Jewish people and translate accordingly as: “for all his sins he received double punishment.” But representatives of orthodox and moderate exegesis (Vitringa, Delitzsch, Knabenbauer etc.) with greater reason (the paraphrase of the Targum) and rightly (the sense of the context and the character of biblical worldview) find in these words a comforting indication of twofold divine mercy, which is always ready to repay double for each trial endured by a man, according to the word of the apostle: “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape” (1 Cor 10:13). Divine love and mercy always overcome His justice, and at the slightest attempt of the prodigal son to repent, the Heavenly Father not only joyfully receives him but also shows him increased signs of attention. Specifically, the meaning of these words is most clearly revealed in relation to the New Testament era, when God the Father showed the people of God (the New Testament church) twofold mercy: first, through the appropriation of the fruits of the redemptive death of the Savior of the world, He granted us forgiveness of sins; and second, through the reception of the gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit in the sacraments of the Church He opened to us the possibility of high, positive perfection.

Isaiah 40:3. “A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a path for our God;” Isaiah 40:4. “Every valley shall be raised up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places smooth;” They speak of the necessary preparatory conditions that precede the manifestation of the “glory of the Lord” – the main subject of the consoling discourse. “A voice of one crying in the wilderness.” From clear indications of the Gospel we see that John the Baptist, the Forerunner of the Messiah, applied this prophecy to himself, appearing “to prepare His ways” (Matt 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23; Luke 1:76; Matt 11:10). “Understood in the general sense, these words contain an indication of a series of events in the political, religious and intellectual life of ancient humanity that preceded the manifestation of Christianity and facilitated its spread in the desert of paganism (Isa 35) along paths prepared beforehand by human thought and civilization” (Commentary on the book of the prophet Isaiah. St. Petersburg. Professor. Part II. p. 674) “The word ‘in the wilderness’ the evangelists refer to the preceding words: ‘a voice of one crying in the wilderness’; but the prophet refers it to the following words: ‘prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord.’ In the first case the wild, dreadful wilderness of the Jordan near Jericho is understood, extending toward the Dead Sea, in which John the Baptist dwelled and preached repentance.” In the latter case, in the spiritual sense, the wilderness means the Jewish people, which by its moral, religious condition then resembled a wild untended desert” (Bishop Peter, II, p. 14). However, many take this concept even wider, understanding by it the entire then world, which, like a waterless desert thirsting for rain, eagerly awaited the Redeemer, of which the prophet mentioned already earlier, when he said: “Let the desert rejoice and the dry land; let them celebrate and put forth blossoms like the crocus” (Isa 35:1). Beginning from the words: “prepare the way of the Lord” and ending with the concluding words of the fourth verse: “and the rough places smooth” – there goes a parallelism of thought so characteristic of Hebrew poetic speech, when one and the same thought is expressed in several parallel images, an example of which we have here in speech about “straight paths,” “about the lowering of mountains and hills,” about “the straightening of crookedness” and “the smoothing of unevenness.” The image itself is taken, obviously, from the custom of ancient oriental despots during their journeys to send before them whole crowds of couriers, whose duty it was, among other things, to clear and prepare the path. In the figurative, spiritual-moral sense, this requirement, according to the interpretation of Blessed Jerome, meant “that we make for God straight paths and trails in our hearts, and be filled with virtues, and be humbled by humility, that we change what is crooked to straight, cruel to gentle, and thus become worthy to see the glory of the Lord and the salvation of God” (Works of Blessed Jerome, part 8. Kyiv, 1882, p. 141).

Isaiah 40:5. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see [the salvation of God]; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.” When the way is prepared and all obstacles removed, then the very revelation of the glory and greatness of the Lord will come. “The glory of the Lord appeared always,” – justly remarks St. John Chrysostom, thus giving ground to see the most immediate historical fulfillment of this prophetic consolation in the fact of the deliverance of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity. “But the glory of God appeared most when God took the form of man.” This interpretation is the most widespread; and in accordance with the fact of the preceding preaching of John the Baptist in the Jordan wilderness, the very manifestation of this glory of the Lord is ordinarily referred to a definite moment, namely to the moment of the Baptism of the Lord and the Epiphany accompanying it, that is, the revelation of the mystery of the Trinity of Persons. But in a wider and more general sense this can be referred to the fact of the incarnation of the Son of God, of which the Evangelist John expressly says: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten from the Father” (John 1:14). The very image of the “glory of the Lord” as a bright dazzling light shining in a dark place is encountered more than once, both in the earlier books of Holy Scripture (Exod 13:21; Exod 40:35; 1 Sam 8:10-11), and in the prophet Isaiah himself (Isa 60 and Isa 66:18). “And all flesh shall see it.” The revelation of the “glory of God” as a source of salvation, although it will take place among the Jews, will have significance for all other peoples: all fallen and redeemed humanity will see it, learn it and feel it, as is almost literally noted subsequently by the Evangelist Luke (Luke 3:6). “For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.” An indication of the highest divine authority for the greatest strengthening of what has been said – a method usual for the prophet Isaiah and very valuable for us in deciding the question of the authenticity and unity of the book (Isa 1:20; Isa 21:17; Isa 58 and others).

Isaiah 40:6. “A voice says, ‘Cry!’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.” Isaiah 40:7. “The grass dries up, the flower withers, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people is grass.” Isaiah 40:8. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” An interpolated meditation, belonging either to the prophet himself (St. Petersburg Professor., Vlastov), or to some mysterious heavenly voice (Bishop Peter, The Pulpit Commentary, Dillmann, Speak. Commentary etc.). “Whoever this person may be, it speaks by command of the Lord and reminds man that earthly life is fleeting, that it resembles field grass (Ps 89:6), “which today is, and tomorrow will be thrown into the furnace” (Matt 6:30). But such too is the life of entire peoples (Isa 24:1; Isa 25:2-3); and they live and flourish while the Lord preserves them, but an end comes to them too.” (Vlastov) Under “flesh” – Hebrew basar, Greek sarx – in the language of Holy Scripture is understood the natural state, especially the material and sinful condition of mankind (Isa 66:23; Zech 2:13; Rom 3:20; Rom 8:8; Gal 2:16; Gen 6:3; Isa 66:23; Zech 2:13; Rom 3:20; Rom 8:8; Gal 2:16).

1 Corinthians 1:29. By the “beauty” of this flesh should be understood its natural, ungracious excellences – health, glory, beauty, mental development, or that “wisdom” which the Apostle Paul calls “fleshly” (1 Cor.1:29). However, the Apostle Peter, who is inclined to apply the entire prophecy principally to the Jews, under “flesh” understands the entire “fleshly” Jewish people and under “beauty” – its external ceremonial law and various visible advantages on which the Jews relied so strongly, though entirely vainly (descent from Abraham, circumcision, ablution, etc., which in the language of Holy Scripture is also called “flesh” – Rom 4:1; Rom 3:20; 2 Cor 5:16; Gal 3:3; Heb 7:16). Such was the unstable condition of the chosen people and the entire world in their capacities and strength, deeply helpless and hopeless before the manifestation of the glory of the Lord, that is, before the coming into the world of the Savior. “But the word of our God stands forever.” In contrast to the vanity, instability and changeability of human decisions and deeds, the divine determination is eternal and unchangeable, for “with God no word will lose its power.” (Luke 1:37). The best interpretation of this place is given by the Apostle Peter, who, without directly mentioning the prophet Isaiah, cites in a light paraphrase almost the entire section we are commenting on (verses 6–8 of chapter 40), and under the “word of the Lord remaining forever” he definitely understands the “word which has been preached to you,” that is, the gospel of the kingdom of God (1 Pet 1:23-25), having saving force and eternal, unfailing significance.

Isaiah 40:9. “Go up on a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; Lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings; Lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” “Go up on a high mountain… lift up your voice mightily… say to the cities of Judah.” In response to the question of verse 6: “what shall I cry?” the prophet receives from God a clear indication of a very important subject of proclamation. The very importance of this proclamation necessitates appropriate preparation, and therefore the prophet receives the command to go up on a high mountain, as is the custom of orators speaking to the people (Judges 9; compare Matt 5:1), and to proclaim from there to all strongly and openly. “O Zion, herald of good tidings… O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings.” The Russian Bible, by translating the words “Zion and Jerusalem” in the nominative case, makes them subjects and causes them themselves to appear in the role of preachers among other peoples of the ancient world. The Greek and Slavonic translations, on the other hand, have here the dative cases: “to Zion and to Jerusalem,” – through which the sense of the address is somewhat narrowed, referring principally to the Jewish people. But, of course, nothing prevents us from combining both interpretations in such a way that initially the gospel was directed toward the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matt 10:6-7), and then it spread to all nations (Matt 28:19). If, moreover, we, basing ourselves on chapter 2 of Isaiah, treat Zion and Jerusalem in the figurative, spiritual sense, then understanding this place will be even easier: spiritual Zion and spiritual Jerusalem are placed there at the head of mountains (Isa 2:2-3): from the moral height of their voice goes forth the gospel proclaiming salvation for every person – both Jew and Gentile (Rom 3:29-30; Rom 9:24-25).

Isaiah 40:10. “Behold, the Lord God will come with might, And His arm will rule for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him And His recompense before Him.” “Behold, the Lord God will come with might.” Behold, the essence of the prophetic consolation, the revelation of that very glory of God of which was spoken above (verse 5). The Lord will come! How this reminds one of the well-known exclamation of John the Baptist: “Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1:36). In him we also encounter an indication of the special greatness and might of the Lord: “The one coming after me is mightier than I” (Matt 3:11). His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him, or as the LXX and Slavonic text translate: “and His reward is with Him and His work before Him.” Here we have, it seems, an example of synonymous parallelism of thoughts. This phrase is repeated verbatim again later in the same prophet (Isa 62:11). The basic meaning of it is that the almighty Lord is not accountable to anyone: He is both the first originator and the last Judge of all – “the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end” (Rev 22:13).

Isaiah 40:11. “Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.” “Like a shepherd He will tend His flock.” As the supreme Ruler of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ appears, on the one hand, as Judge and Rewarder (Matt 16:27; Matt 20:1-16; Matt 25:14-16), and on the other – as a good Shepherd, carefully guarding His sheep (Ezek 34:20-24; John 10:11). In this flock there are weak lambs, and pregnant and nursing ewes, which require especially attentive and careful treatment. All this indicates the difference in the spiritual-moral condition of the members of the New Testament Church and the variety of providential action upon them.

Isaiah 40:12. “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by a span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales?” Isaiah 40:13. “Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, Or as His counselor has informed Him?” Isaiah 40:14. “With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge And informed Him of the way of understanding?” From verse 12 to 26 comes the second part of the discourse, containing teachings and rebukes. It in turn is divided into two halves – from 12–17 and from 18–26 inclusive. The general thought of the entire second part of the discourse under consideration – the revelation of the Wisdom, Omnipotence, Greatness and Power of the Lord. In the first half it is developed from the positive side, and in the second – from the negative side, through contrast with the weakness and vanity of idols. As for the purpose of such reasonings and their connection with what precedes, the best explanation of all this is given by the subsequent context, namely the question of verse 27: “Why do you say, Jacob, and assert, Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God’?” Evidently, the calamities of the time and the prolonged expectation of the coming of the Messiah in the minds of many faint-hearted people bred strong doubts about the onset of better times and led them to the thought that God either cannot (“My way is hidden from the Lord”) or does not want (“the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”) to give them deliverance. Arming himself against such, in essence, blasphemous thought, the prophet with all his might berates such faint-hearted and shortsighted critics and at the same time reveals to them all the greatness and power of the Almighty. “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by a span?” It might seem strange to use “handful” and “span” to measure such, one might say, immense quantities as all the water and all the sky? Some, to explain this, suppose that here we have an example of biblical anthropomorphism. However, there is hardly any need for such an assumption; it is much more natural and simple to see here merely an indication of units of measurement: zehoal, in Greek cheir, hand, “handful,” and zeref – sarx, “span” – were ordinary natural units of measurement used by other peoples and adopted by the Hebrews as well. This is all the more plausible because, following the units of measurement, we have units of weight, with an indication of scales and pans: And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales. The significance of such indications is to open the eyes of man to his complete helplessness before the phenomena of the world. If man is so weak and helpless that he cannot make accurate calculations and measurements of the most, it would seem, accessible objects of nature, then how can he dare to judge the absolute being of God? This very thought is expressed in the following two verses – 13–14: “Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, Or as His counselor has informed Him?” If the visible world created by God cannot be encompassed by the human mind, then the mighty Spirit of God much less can be grasped by it (Jer 23:18; Wis 9:13; Rom 11:34; 1 Cor 2:16; Commentary. St. Petersburg Professor.). The bitter irony of these words best reveals all the powerlessness of human criticism before the greatness and incomprehensibility of divine plans. And not without reason did the Apostle Paul, citing these words of the prophet Isaiah, preface them with the exclamation: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable His judgments and unsearchable His ways!” (Rom 11:33).

Isaiah 40:15. “Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust.” Isaiah 40:16. “Even Lebanon is not sufficient for a burnt offering, Nor are the beasts on it sufficient for a sacrifice.” Isaiah 40:17. “All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.” In these three verses the development continues of that same thought about the Absoluteness of the divine Being, with this new distinction, that the object with which God is compared is not an individual man, but the entire people, or more precisely, entire nations. “Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales.” “From the contemplation of nature,” says Cheyne, “the prophet passes to history.” And in it there is not a single people that would dare to compare itself with the Almighty. The strongest and greatest nations are so small and insignificant in comparison with the infinite omnipotence of God as a drop of water compared to a whole bucket of water, or like an insignificant speck of dust adhering to the scale pan and completely imperceptible to these scales because of its insignificance. “Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust.” “Islands” – ihiim, a term not geographic but ethnographic; in the Bible it is synonymous with the word – hoim, tongues or peoples. For the inhabitants of Palestine, as a maritime country, all other peoples seemed to live on islands, especially those of them who lived in the West (Gen 10:5; Isa 41:1; Isa 49:1; Isa 51 and others). Lands and peoples of the almost entirely unknown to the Hebrews West could, by virtue of their very unfamiliarity, appear to their imagination as particularly strong and mighty. But behold, regarding them too the prophet remarks that before the face of divine omnipotence they are no more than a speck (snowflake). In the LXX and our Slavonic we have “spitting” instead of “speck,” as a result of the erroneous substitution of the Hebrew word kadok (speck) – with the word karok (spittle). 46

Isaiah 40:16. “Even Lebanon is not sufficient for a burnt offering, Nor are the beasts on it sufficient for a sacrifice.” “Even Lebanon is not sufficient… nor are the beasts on it sufficient for a sacrifice.” Wishing to give a more vivid illustration of the thought about the immeasurability of divine greatness and His unattainable Holiness, the prophet says that no, the greatest human sacrifice that one can only imagine, will not be commensurate with the greatness of God and, so to speak, will not win Him over in our favor, if it is not permeated with appropriate internal disposition. If we were to gather for the arrangement of a sacrificial fire the entire enormous forest of the Lebanon mountain range and placed upon such a gigantic altar all the animals dwelling in these forests, then even such a colossal sacrifice in no way would be commensurate with the greatness and glory of the Lord.

Isaiah 40:17. “All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.” “All the nations… less than nothing and meaningless.” The concluding conclusion to the section that gives a positive revelation of the thought about the greatness and holiness of the Most High. It repeats the content of verse 15, but with an even greater expansion and intensification of the thought. The pronoun “all” added to the word “nations” strikes one, which gives occasion to Blessed Jerome for the following witty conjecture: “if all nations before Him are as nonexistent and are regarded as nothingness and meaninglessness (and among all is Israel); then, consequently, he (Israel) too is as nonexistent and regarded as nothingness and meaninglessness. We say this to crush the pride of Israel and that it might know that it is like other peoples.” “Less than nothing and meaningless.” From the Hebrew text one could translate “as nothingness and meaninglessness,” since here, according to the explanation of Hebraists, the genitive of the part is given, not of comparison (genitiv. partitivus sed non comparativus). The latter term – tobu – is well-known in the Bible, where it usually characterizes the utterly disordered, chaotic mass (Gen 1:2).

Isaiah 40:18. “To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?” From verses 18–26 comes the revelation of that same thought about divine greatness, but by another, so to speak, negative path, or more precisely, through the comparison of God’s infinite greatness with the highest objects of human worship and veneration. The theme of this comparison is set twice in verses 18 and 25, that is, at the beginning and end of the section. To the greatness of the One true God is first opposed the insignificance and falsity of pagan gods, or properly their images, that is, idols.

Isaiah 40:19. “As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, And a goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.” To people who do not know or reject the true God, it is natural to worship idols and, of course, they considered them to be something most high and perfect. But the insignificance and emptiness of such idols, the absurdity and nonsense of their opposition to the true God are too obvious and are deservedly branded by the prophet with complete irony: what kind of gods are these if they are made by men themselves – a craftsman, a metalworker, a gilder, or a worker in silver? If they need to be fastened with plates and nails and tied with chains so that the wind does not blow them away? It is clear that such gods, as the work of man’s hands themselves, are far more insignificant and powerless than he is, and can they be equal to the Almighty God?

Isaiah 40:20. “He who is too impoverished for such an offering Selects a wood that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To prepare an idol that will not totter.” “And the one who is poor for such an offering selects wood that does not rot.” The words “poor” and “for… an offering” are not in the translation of the LXX and the Slavonic text. Some completely ignore the second of these words (Dillmann), others suppose that here an error occurred, and the word “offering” was placed instead of the word – “sacrifice” (Duhm), others are ready to understand by a wooden offering a special wooden pedestal or pedestal for a metal idol (Condamin); but the best and most valuable explanation is the conjecture of those who see in the word “offering” an indication of the practice of ancient temple priests requiring themselves images of the worshipped temple deities. Such images, especially if they were cast from precious metals, constituted for covetous priests one of the prominent items of their income (cf. Acts 19:24-27). The plausibility of such a supposition is confirmed by the excavations at the sites of ancient temples of Assyria, Phoenicia, Greece and Crete, where entire heaps of small statuettes are found among the debris of temple ruins (Vlastov). “Wood that does not rot” in Hebrew amsunan, which Zimmern brings near to Assyrian musukkanu, a special kind of palm. All these indications of the substance, form of workmanship and decorations of idols have their religious-historical interest. For the Hebrew people, who constantly, as is known, were drawn to idolatry and manifested sympathy for it even during the life of the prophet Isaiah himself (2 Sam 21:1-9; 2 Chr 33:1-10), such condemning irony acquired deep moral-practical significance.

Isaiah 40:21. “Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?” “Do you not know?.. has it not been told you from the beginning? have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?” Having touched upon the question of idols, the prophet by natural association of thoughts passes to a brief but powerful rebuke of his contemporaries for idolatry. If the likening of Deity to creation and the worship of it under the image of crude idols has no rational justification even for pagans, then all the more unforgivable is it for the Israelite people, to whom from ancient times (merosch) from the beginning of the history of the world and man, more than once the true knowledge of God has been revealed, explained and confirmed. Under “understanding from the foundation of the earth” it is most correct to understand natural knowledge of God, of which the Apostle Paul also speaks in a well-known passage from the epistle to the Romans (Rom 1:20).

Isaiah 40:22. “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.” He who sits above the circle of the earth… stretched out the heavens.” One of the best and most convincing proofs of divine omnipotence, the Bible in general considers the history of the creation, which is what the prophet Isaiah appeals to in this case (Ps 101:26). “The earth was pictured as a round plain surrounded by ocean (cf. Bocharti Geographia S. P. II. L. I. c. XXXVI), and from above covered and embraced by the circle of heaven (Job 22:14), at the central and highest point of which the Lord sits (cf. Gen 11:5), presiding over all beneath the heavens” (Job 28:24 – Commentary. St. Petersburg Professor.).

Isaiah 40:23. “He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.” Isaiah 40:24. “Scarcely have they been planted, Scarcely have they been sown, Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, But He merely blows on them, and they wither, And the storm carries them away like stubble.” “He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, Makes the judges of the earth meaningless. Scarcely have they been planted, Scarcely have they been sown, Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, But He merely blows on them, and they wither, And the storm carries them away like stubble.” The second object of human pride and worship after their false gods are the mighty of the earth: kings, princes, judges and in general, various rulers. But they too present absolute insignificance before the greatness and power of divine omnipotence. Despite all their presumption and pride, a single, slightest motion of the divine will is enough for nothing to remain of all their actions and efforts. Some commentators not without reason see here an allusion to contemporary historical events, namely the terrible destruction of the army of Sennacherib and the misfortune and death that followed soon after him, slain by his own sons. Such was the swift and unexpected end of one of the most glorious Sargonids, who seemed to have finally consolidated the position of this dynasty (Commentary. St. Petersburg Professor., Vlastov and others).

Isaiah 40:25. “To whom then will you liken Me That I would be His equal?” says the Holy One. “To whom will you liken Me and with whom will you compare Me.” A summary conclusion to the section, analogous to its beginning, see verse 18. “If God is above all idols (verses 19–20), above nature (verse 22) and above all mankind (verses 23–25), then to whom else can He be likened? Is He not the Only and at the same time incomparable One?” (The Pulpit Commentary). Instead of veeschveh – “and I am equal,” the LXX read veesgov “and I will be exalted,” due to which a variation arose between the Russian and Slavonic texts. “Says the Holy One.” The definition of God as “Holy” – one of the characteristic features of the prophet Isaiah, testifying to the high degree of development of his religious-ethical worldview (cf. Isa 57:15 and others).

Isaiah 40:26. “Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing.” “Lift up your eyes on high… and by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power not one of them is missing.” This verse directly adjoins in thought to verse 22, namely to that part of it where there was speech about God as Creator of heaven. Wishing to awaken in his listeners a sense of reverential amazement before the greatness of the Creator and awareness of one’s own insignificance, the prophet directs their gaze to the picture of the starry sky, which, according to the words of the psalmist, is especially instructive in this regard (Ps 28:2). Not without reason this argument has been used with great success by both Old Testament sages (Job 38:31-32) and Christian apologists (Minucius Felix, Arnobius and others). If, thus, the myriad stars – whole mysterious worlds – came from the hands of the Creator and are in full His will, then man has no ground to persist in his delusion that God either cannot or does not want to care for him. This conclusion is indeed made in the following verse 27.

Isaiah 40:27. “Why do you say, Jacob, And assert, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?” Isaiah 40:28. “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.” From verses 27–31 comes the last – consoling and exhorting part of the discourse, in which a moral application is made from the foregoing. Verses 27–28 in a parallel series of questions contain one and the same thought – a light rebuke of the chosen people (Judah and Israel) for the fact that, despite all natural and extraordinary revelations, they still seem not to have heard or, in any case, have not assimilated the proper knowledge of God. “The Lord God… does not become weary or tired.” The developing mind of the Hebrews was apparently ready to measure divine omnipotence by the standard of their weakness, and to conclude from this that if God had already accomplished so many great and glorious deeds, then His energy would now be exhausted, He would be tired and weakened. Arming himself against such false anthropomorphism, the prophet powerfully declares that God is not like man: He does not become weary or tired. “His understanding is inscrutable.” If God has no physical fatigue, then He has no mental exhaustion either, and in general, His mysterious plans are unknowable to us, as the Apostle Paul beautifully expressed it in the words: “How inscrutable are His judgments and unsearchable His ways!” (Rom 11:33).

Isaiah 40:29. “He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power.” “He gives strength to the weary.” A complete parallel to the preceding verse: God not only never weakens in power Himself, but also supports, in case of lack of it, others – all the weary and failing. He is the eternal power and the primary source of all strength and light.

Isaiah 40:30. “Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly,” They give a revelation of that same thought – about the power of divine omnipotence, but already by way of antithesis, in which is opposed the weakness of the young and physically strong people – to the power of the old and physically weak, but renewed by the divine grace assistance. “Though youths grow weary… and vigorous young men stumble badly.” Young, strong (according to Slavonic, “chosen”) people – the flower and hope of every nation, cannot endure prolonged tension, and in the end, weaken and fall.

Isaiah 40:31. “Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.” “Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength… like eagles.” “While the most vital elements in humanity will weaken, and the chosen will stumble (koschol ikoschelou), those who have clung to the Lord with their faith will gain new strength and boldly rush along the path of God” (Commentary. St. Petersburg Professor.). Very expressive is the image of comparison here with the eagle: it is known that the eagle at a certain time changes its feathers and thus as if renews itself. Hence among many peoples of antiquity there existed a belief that the eagle, having lived 100 years, plunges into the sea and comes out again young. The echo of this belief, it would seem, is heard in the well-known phrase of the psalmist: “Your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Ps 102:5). “They will run and not get tired.” “Eagles first lift their wings, then ‘run and not get tired.’ The latter expression means already smooth calm movement upward, along the path of truth to the source of all truth and light” (Vlastov.). This further completes and strengthens the expressed thought – about the unshakeable steadfastness of people trusting in God and supported by Him. According to the general opinion of commentators of this chapter, it by its content directly adjoins chapter 35 and is as it were its further continuation. In chapter 35 the prophet, among other things, exclaimed: “Let the desert be glad… Say to those with fearful hearts… do not fear; behold your God… the redeemed of the Lord will return… there will be eternal joy…” And behold, the fundamental tone of chapter 40 is entirely the same, inasmuch as it is clearly expressed already in the first verse: “Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God. The so-called historical section dividing these chapters (36–39), as is evident from the analysis of its content, narrates the invasion of Sennacherib and events contemporary with it, and was written, consequently, somewhere shortly after the mentioned invasion, that is, after 714 BC. And since chapter 40 generally stands in close thematic and historical connection with the preceding chapters and itself bears some, although weak, imprint of those same events (the depression and confusion of the people, their doubts about divine omnipotence and providence, the indication of the transitoriness and fleeting nature of mighty earthly rulers, etc.), the time of writing of chapter 40 not without reason can be placed precisely as well around these events. Such close chronological connection serves as one of the best arguments in favor of the unity and authenticity of the book and, in particular, the belonging of chapter 40 to the one and same prophet Isaiah. This is further confirmed by the commonality of style and, especially, by the presence of characteristic for the prophet Isaiah terms and expressions, such as “glory of the Lord,” “the mouth of the Lord has spoken it,” “wilderness,” “every mountain,” “Holy One” and so on. Modern investigators of the text find a new and, in their opinion, especially weighty proof of the unity and authenticity of the entire book of the prophet Isaiah in the peculiarities of its poetic construction: in the symmetry of stanzas, in the regularity of their alternation and in the conventional repetition of the same words. French scholar Condamin, the author of one of the most recent works of this type, establishes such a poetic division of chapter 40. From verse 12 – I (stanza), verses 3–5 – II (antistanza), verses 6–8 – III (intermediate stanza) verses 9–1 verse 10–11 – II; verses 12–17 – III; verses 18–19… verses 20–24 – I; verses 25–31 – II. * * * Notes In the Slavonic translation of the LXX this verse is recorded as follows: “If all nations were like a drop from a bucket, and as the weight of a balance were regarded, and as spittle were regarded.” (Tr.)

Chapter Forty-One

1–7. The judgment of the Lord over the nations. 8–20. Consolation of Israel by the granting of Divine help and the coming of the Redeemer, Who will give it victory over enemies and establish its well-being. 21–29. The conclusion of the Most High’s contention with pagan nations and their false gods-idols.

Isa 41:1-7. This entire chapter represents a direct continuation of the previous one, therefore it is regarded by all commentators as the second half of one and the same discourse about the greatness, might, and glory of the Lord—the God of Israel—as those of His properties which constitute the most reliable foundation for serious consolation of Israel, forming the main subject of the entire prophetic discourse. In particular, the section of verses 1–7 stands in the closest connection with verses 15, 17, 23–24 of the preceding chapter.

Isaiah 41:1. Be silent before Me, O islands, and let the nations renew their strength; let them approach and speak; “let us stand together for judgment.” “Be silent before Me, O islands… let us stand together for judgment.” Instead of “be silent” in the LXX and Slavonic—“renew yourselves,” which happened owing to the confusion by the translators of two letters very similar in appearance—ר and ש—whereby two completely different words were obtained. But the meaning did not suffer from this, for the call to renewal is found further in the Hebrew text as well, so that chapter 41 begins with the same discourse about renewal with which chapter 40 ends. “Be silent before Me.” When God speaks, man must keep silence (Job 33:31), “Let us stand together for judgment”—says the Almighty to the pagan nations, who hoped in their own strength, calling them to stand before the impartial judgment of history.

Isaiah 41:2. Who raised up one from the east whom righteousness calls to His feet? He gave nations before him, and made him rule over kings; His sword made them like dust, His bow like driven stubble. “Who raised up one from the east whom righteousness calls to His feet… and made him rule over kings?” The Lord proves and exposes the impotence and nothingness of the haughty pagan nations by the prophetic indication of the impending speedy ruin of them under the blows of a new conqueror, whom He will soon raise up as the executor of His wise will. By the direct grammatical sense of the words, the discourse seems to be about events not of the future, but chiefly of the past (“raised up…, called…, made ruler…, made”) and partly of the present time (“pursues,” “goes”). But this is the usual prophetic device, used for greater picturesqueness and expressiveness of speech, as well as for the affirmation of its certainty. The correctness of such an understanding is justified also by the subsequent context of the discourse, namely, by the content of verse 25, where the same fact is already spoken of in the language of future time. “One whom righteousness calls.” A somewhat arbitrary translation: in the Hebrew original stands the word cedek, which means—“righteousness,” not ceadik,—as it should stand if we needed to say “a righteous man.” Hence the LXX and Slavonic, as well as the Peshitta, writing instead of a personal definition a general notion—“righteousness”—more accurately convey the sense of the Hebrew text.) Cyrus (Isa 45:1) and Alexander the Great (Antiq. XI, VIII, 5), whose victories shook the might of paganism and prepared humanity for entry into the Church of Christ (Commentary, St. Petersburg Professor). However, considering the historical circumstances and taking into account the subsequent context of the discourse (Isa 45:1-4; Isa 46:2), one can, following the majority of ancient and modern commentators (Aben Ezra, Vitringa, Rosenmüller, Delitzsch, Dillmann, Orelli, Condamin, the standard English commentary, etc.), see here an indication of the great and glorious conqueror—Cyrus, king of the Persians. This does not exclude, of course, the possibility of another, typological interpretation of the blessed Jerome, who refers all that is said here about the glorious victor to the Person of Christ and His work, for which he received, among other things, from the prophet not only the title of “one,” but even “the sun of righteousness” (Mal 4:2). As for Cyrus, he could be called a “man of righteousness” in the sense that he was the executive instrument of the righteous judgment of God over wicked nations. “Who raised up one from the east?” And further in verse 25 we read: “I have stirred up one from the north.” If, according to almost universal opinion, we see here an indication of Cyrus, there will be no contradiction in the geographical designation of his rising, for Persia, Edom, and Media—the countries from which Cyrus came—lay to the East, or more precisely to the North-East from Babylon, to which the prophet’s denunciatory discourse was chiefly directed.

Isaiah 41:3. He pursues them, and passes safely, even by paths he had never trod. Verses 3 and 25 present a vivid, dramatic portrayal of the victorious march of a new coming conqueror, who, in calm consciousness of his strength, will pass threateningly through all the powerful states of that time, turn them “into dust and chaff scattered by the wind,” and will trample kings and rulers “like mire and tread like a potter treads clay.” All this, as is known, found brilliant justification in the history of Cyrus, who passed with his victorious army through all the monarchies of the ancient world and turned their kings into his obedient tributaries.

Isaiah 41:4. Who has done and accomplished this? He who calls forth the generations from the beginning; I am the Lord, the first, and with the last I am He. “Who has done and accomplished this?” By this question the Lord wishes to lead the pagan nations (and also, of course, Israel) to a true understanding of historical events as a revelation of the Wisdom and Almightiness of the Creator, with whom no one should dare to compare himself. “He who calls forth the generations from the beginning.” Here is the sole reasonable answer to the preceding question; of course, all historical movements of nations, the fall of once mighty nations and the appearance on the historical stage of others, previously unknown—all this is not the work of blind chance, but of some Almighty rational will (Deut 32:8; Dan 2:21). To Its action must be ascribed also the impending invasion of Cyrus, as is evident from a comparison of this chapter with one of the previous ones (chapter 13—a prophecy about the fate of Babylon). “I am the first, and with the last I am He.” Amid the rapidly flowing and changing stream of history, towering infinitely above it, stands the Lord alone, Who existed before this stream and, not being subject to its influence, eternally remains the same. “I… the first and with the last.” A beautiful definition of the unity, eternity, and self-existence of God, almost literally repeated later in the Apocalypse: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last” (Rev 22:13). The very indication of these properties of the divine nature was of great importance and diverse significance in this case: it, first of all, sharply emphasized the absoluteness of God (eternity, self-sufficiency, and immutability) in comparison with the limitedness of man (the changeability of times in the life not only of individual people but also of entire nations); secondly, it gave a conception of God as the first Cause and last Fulfiller of everything (first and with the last), and finally, it assured all who believe in the Lord with firm hope that He, as eternally equal to Himself, according to the word of the apostle “cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim 2:13) and, consequently, sooner or later, but inevitably, will fulfill all His promises concerning Israel.

Isaiah 41:5. The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came. “The isles saw it, and feared… They drew near, and came together.” Applying the entire prophecy we are considering, in the first place, to Cyrus, it is easy to see in this verse an indication of the terrible confusion which was aroused among the peoples of that time by the extraordinary success of Cyrus, and the striving of their kings, by means of concluding alliances, to oppose his victorious march (the alliance of three kings: the Egyptian—Amasis, the Babylonian—Nabonidus, and the Median—Croesus).

Isaiah 41:6. They helped every one his neighbor; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage. The sixth verse speaks still more plainly of the last circumstance.

Isaiah 41:7. The metalsmith encourages the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer him who smites the anvil, saying, It is good for joining; and he fastens it with nails, so it will not slip. “The metalsmith encourages the goldsmith… and he fastens it with nails, so it will not slip.” Regarding the last two verses (6–7), our commentators say that “they remain quite obscure” (Vlastov). Indeed, neither the attempt of some—to see here a discourse about the construction of idols, on which stupid pagans rely (The Pulpit Commentary; Bishop Peter), nor the guess of others, that it is about the preparation of military armor and machines (St. Petersburg Professor and Vlastov)—withstands criticism, for it sharply diverges from the preceding context of the discourse: just before the discourse concerned the complete bewilderment and fear of all nations (verse 5), and suddenly such hopeful expectations (of idols) and such energetic preparations (of military equipment and armor)! It is clear that one does not accord with the other. In view of this, we are inclined to follow the indications of the most recent textual criticism, not only the negative (Duhm, Cheyne, Marti, Orelli), but also the moderate (Lagarde, Condamin), which finds that here some confusion and transposition (alteration) of verses has occurred in chapters 40 and 41, and that, in particular, verses 6 and 7 of chapter 41 and according to logical meaning and according to the verse-metric plan (Condamin) should be placed between verses 19 and 20 of chapter 40, where likewise there was discourse about idols and the same principal terms are used: haras—the woodcarver, the artisan, and cereph—the gold-beater. In the possibility of such a supposition there is nothing impermissible or contradicting orthodox views: after all, it is known that our division into chapters and verses does not belong to the biblical authors themselves, but is a product of much later time. Taking into account the peculiar features of ancient writing and the material itself, the difference of manuscripts and their editions, it is easy to admit also the possibility of some corruption and transposition of the text. The occasion for this transposition might have been the content of verse 6, in which, just as in the preceding one, there is discourse about allied, fraternal mutual help. The second section of this chapter, verses 8–20, contains special consolation to Israel by the promise of divine help in the approaching troubled period. In particular, it consists in the indication of the God-chosen character of Israel (8–9), of his special, gracious help (verse 10), of the weakness and shame of all his enemies (11–12), of the external Divine support of Israel (13–14), and of his fate as an instrument of external punishment of some (15–16a) and internal regeneration and salvation of others (17–19).

Isaiah 41:8. But you, Israel, are my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend; Isaiah 41:9. You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth and called from its remote regions, and said to you: “You are my servant; I have chosen you and not rejected you”; “But you, Israel, are my servant… the seed of Abraham my friend… I have chosen you and not rejected you.” While proclaiming His terrible judgment upon the pagan nations and causing them to tremble in fear for their fate, the Lord addresses His chosen people with tenderness full of love and imparts to it consolation. “Israel, are my servant.” Here we encounter for the first time the term “the servant of the Lord,” which plays such a prominent role in the entire second part of the book of the prophet Isaiah. Later, as we shall see, this term serves the prophet Isaiah as a special predicate for the Person of the suffering Messiah—Who appears as it were the Representative of Israel, and through him of all humanity (Isa 43:1-5; Isa 49:5-7). But here, as well as in a few other places (Isa 42:18-22; Isa 44:1-21; Isa 48:20; Isa 49:3) of his book, the term “the servant of the Lord” is not yet concentrated on one definite Person, but is taken in a general sense, that is, refers to the entire Israelite people. The name of Israel as “the servant of the Lord,” found also in other prophets (Jer 30:10; Jer 46:27; Ezek 28:25; Ezek 37:25), should be recognized as one of the most expressive and powerful: “all the dignity and historical designation of Israel is comprehended in such a definition” (Dillm.), that is, Israel is defined by it both as a True, sincere worshiper of the Most High (a faithful servant) and as His nearest colleague and beloved member of the household. “The seed of Abraham my friend.” Through the indication of the patriarch of Israel—Abraham, who was deemed worthy for his faith even of friendship with God (2 Chr 20:7; Jas 2:23 cf. in the Qur’an—khalil—“friend of God”), all the more is strengthened the thought that Israel, as the descendant of “the friend of God” (“the seed of Abraham”) is especially near and dear to God. “I have chosen you, and not rejected you.” Israel, so often forgetting the faithfulness to the Lord which distinguished his forefathers—the patriarchs (Abraham, Jacob) and repeatedly breaking the covenant with God, naturally could think that this covenant had already been destroyed, and that the Most High had long abandoned His faithless people. But now, for the consolation and encouragement of Israel, God Himself, through the mouth of the prophet, tells it that the infidelity and transgressions of the sons of Israel could not shake the immutability of the Divine predestinations about the entire people; that although the Jewish people, for their repeated heavy transgressions, bears educative punishment, it will never be finally rejected by God (cf. Rom 11:26).

Isaiah 41:10. Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be anxious, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, and I will help you, and I will hold you up with my righteous right hand. “Do not fear… I am with you… I will strengthen you and help you and hold you up with my righteous right hand.” This verse closely adjoins the two preceding ones and is as it were their conclusion. “I am with you”—this image is very close and related to the term—“Immanuel,” which means “God with us” (Isa 7:14; Isa 9 and others). “I will strengthen you… and help you and hold you up.” Directly here was probably intended the support, necessary to Israel for the bearing of all the difficulties of the impending Babylonian captivity; and also, of course, the general Divine help to the Jewish people, owing to which, despite all historical calamities, only this one people from all the peoples of antiquity still continues to exist down to the present time.

Isaiah 41:11. Behold, all those incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you shall be as nothing and perish. Isaiah 41:12. You will seek them, and will not find them—those who fight against you; those who war against you will be as nothing, entirely nothing. Isaiah 41:13. For I am the Lord your God; I hold your right hand, saying to you: “Do not fear; I will help you.” These verses, without giving any new thought, emphatically emphasize and develop the preceding one—about the complete safety of Israel before his enemies and even about his complete triumph over them. The latter is depicted in such bright and vivid colors that, by the just remark of one of our commentators, in full force these words cannot be referred to any events except the triumph of the Church of Christ over the world (Vlastov). Here, consequently, we have an example of prophetic hyperbole (if we refer all that is said to carnal Israel alone), which, however, receives its full, real meaning if we extend it also to the spiritual Israel, that is, to the Church of Christ.

Isaiah 41:14. Do not fear, little worm Jacob, men of Israel; I will help you, says the Lord, and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. “Do not fear, little worm Jacob, men of Israel… says the Lord, and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.” If the preceding verse, as we have seen, constitutes as it were a transition from discourses about carnal Israel to a discussion of the spiritual one, then the present and subsequent verses already directly concern the future destiny of the New Testament Church. “Do not fear, little worm Jacob, men of Israel.” An exclamation, almost literally repeated by the Savior: “fear not, little flock” (Luke 12:32). Of course, it would be a gross error to exclude from the composition of this prophecy the destiny of carnal, historical Israel, for the prophecies were pronounced, in the first place, for it (with the goal of comforting it), for it served as a type of spiritual Israel, and it, finally, brought forth from its midst the first proselytes of Christianity (the 12 apostles and 70 disciples, who later became apostles). “The Lord and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” In Israel the promise, in Christianity salvation, for “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22, cf. 35–38). Therefore, it is extraordinarily significant in verse 14 the union of the characteristics of God—the Redeemer and the Holy One of Israel. The latter characteristic, proclaimed by Isaiah, is inseparably connected with the name dear to us of the Redeemer, Who after his victory over Hell and death commanded his apostles to preach salvation to all the world and gave believers in Him the power—to become “a threshing sledge” of the universe (see the following verse—Vlastov).

Isaiah 41:15. Behold, I have made you a new sharp threshing instrument with teeth; you will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff. Isaiah 41:16. You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, and the whirlwind will scatter them; and you will rejoice in the Lord and will glory in the Holy One of Israel. “Behold, I have made you a new sharp threshing instrument… you will thresh the mountains and crush them and reduce the hills to chaff. You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away.” In application to historical Israel this again will be a considerable hyperbole, the real kernel of which can only be perceived in the religious-cultural mission which the Jewish people carried out in the ancient world, living in the midst of other peoples, where it gnawed away, like a worm, the roots of paganism and contributed to the triumph of true knowledge of God. A clear example of such a beneficial effect of the sons of Israel on representatives of paganism is given by the history of the prophet Daniel (Dan 3:96; Dan 6:26; Dan 14:1-42). But in full measure all this should be referred to the spiritual Israel and the miraculous action of Gospel preaching, or the Word of God, which “is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb 4:12), as this is beautifully clarified by the blessed Jerome. “I have made you a new threshing instrument, having sharp teeth,” he says: “means that the preaching of the gospel will crush the opposing forces and the spiritual corruption rising against the mind of God, which, by the difference of pride, are called mountains and hills. And when they are carried away and scattered by the whirlwind, Israel will rejoice and be glad in the Lord, the Holy One of Israel” (Blessed Jerome). Isa 41:17-20. This section can almost not be adapted to historical Israel, for it speaks of some special, exceptional well-being of Israel, which it never, after this prophecy, enjoyed, and which has rather a moral than material character. Admitting, however, some possible minimum of relation of this prophecy also to historical Israel, we can find here the general thought that in the fate of the Israeli people, now in the most deplorable and confined condition (“poor,” “needy,” “a thirsty wayfarer in a waterless desert”), there will be improvement with time.

Isaiah 41:17. When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue fails for thirst: I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not abandon them. “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none.” Under them are understood here, chiefly, all those “who hunger and thirst for righteousness” in the pre-Christian world, who had long been tormented by the falsehood of paganism and were the first to enter the fence of the Christian Church (cf. Isa 55:1). “I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not abandon them.” The best commentary to this place is afforded by the parallel words of the Savior Himself: “whoever is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37). “This He said concerning the Spirit, which those believing in Him would receive,” explains these words to us the evangelist (John 7:39).

Isaiah 41:18. I will open rivers on the mountains, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. Isaiah 41:19. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia tree, and the myrtle, and the olive tree; I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane tree, and the pine tree together: Symbolically they depict a picture of the miraculous transformation of a barren and dry desert into a wonderful blooming garden, abundantly watered by various water basins. “I will open rivers on the mountains… I will make the wilderness a pool of water.” One of the favorite biblical images (Ps 106:35), frequently found also in the prophet Isaiah (Isa 29:17; Isa 30:23-25; Isa 32:15; Isa 35:7). Undoubtedly, to a mountainous and desert-surrounded Palestine this image was well known and therefore especially close. “I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia tree, and the myrtle, and the olive tree… the cypress, the plane tree, and the pine tree.” Learned authors of the English “Pulpit Commentary” after detailed philological analysis of all the tree species named here come to the important conclusion that “the writer of this book was familiar with the Palestinian region, but not familiar with the Babylonian.” This is—a very serious evidence against the Babylonian origin of this chapter, which is insisted upon by the majority of representatives of the modern critical school. The general meaning of all this symbolic picture is that the thirsty desert of paganism, animated by the gracious streams of the Holy Spirit, will be transformed into the blooming garden of the Lord, so that in the form of the New Testament Church of Christ the earth will again be restored to the paradise once lost. And this, of course, should have served as no small consolation to carnal Israel, as the prototype of the new, spiritual Israel, that is, the Church of Christ. Involuntarily at this point come to mind the words of the well-known church hymn: “the church that previously bore no fruit now flourishes through the wood of the cross in strength and confirmation.”

Isaiah 41:20. That they may see and know and consider and understand together that the hand of the Lord has done this and the Holy One of Israel has created it. “That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together.” The words of this verse represent as it were the concluding answer to the series of questions in verse 21 of the preceding chapter 40: “do you not know? have you not heard? has it not been told you from the beginning? have you not understood?” And then, if you have not understood the truth of the greatness and almightiness of God, then, by themselves, you should understand it now after such an all-around revelation of it by God Himself. Isa 41:21-29. We have already noted more than once that chapter 41 depicts for you a picture of the judgment of the Lord upon the pagan nations. In every judicial process there are, as is known, two contending parties; in this case the roles are performed, on the one hand—by the Very Existing One and His faithful worshipers, on the other—by the pagan nations with their false gods-idols. The first of the parties has already spoken: the Most High presented detailed and convincing proofs of His Divine dignity—eternity, self-existence, omniscience, and creative-providential, saving and judging force over the world. Now it is the turn of the second party—of the pagan nations, their idols, their priests and soothsayers: let them appear before judgment and give the same indisputable and for all convincing proofs of their enormous claims to dominion over the world (verse 21). The judgment toward this party is very merciful and ready to consider itself satisfied if it fulfills only two, comparatively easy conditions: first, if it utters any prophecy and it is subsequently justified; second, if it proves that it can by its own strength do something whatever, whether good or bad (verses 22–23). But the hostile party does not withstand even such a test, thereby finally revealing its complete nothingness (verse 24). In contrast to it, the Lord has given convincing proof of the most complete fulfillment of both presented conditions: they, first, made a brilliant, history-justified prophecy about the coming victor Cyrus—a prototype of Christ. God did good by raising up this victor and also by giving Jerusalem a herald about him (verses 25–27). After this, the concluding judgment of the court on the guilt of the second party (paganism) becomes evident and indisputable for all (verses 28–29).

Isaiah 41:21. Present your case, says the Lord; bring forth your evidence, says the King of Jacob. “Present your case… bring forth your evidence.” Before, when the Lord was speaking and explaining His actions, the “nations” and “islands” were to maintain respectful silence (verse 1. “Be silent before Me”). Now, when the Lord has finished and they receive freedom to say all they can in their defense. “Says the King of Jacob.” The Lord—God of Israel not without purpose calls Himself here “King” of Jacob, clearly in accordance with the similar title of the majority of the then pagan gods. Thus, for example, “Moloch” means—“king,” “Melkart”—“king of the city,” “Adrammelech”—“glorious king,” “Baal”—“master,” “Adonis”—“my lord,” etc. (The Pulpit Commentary).

Isaiah 41:22. Let them bring them forth, and tell us what will happen: let them tell the former things, what they are; that we may consider them, and know the outcome of them; or make known to us what is coming. Isaiah 41:23. Tell us what is to come in the future, that we may know that you are gods; or do something, good or bad, that we may be amazed and see it together. “Let them bring them forth, and tell us what will happen… in the future, and we will know that you are gods.” The omniscience of gods and their divination of the future was considered in all nations of antiquity as one of the most principal and most obvious signs of their truthfulness (Xenophon, Cyropaedia I, 1. Cicero, “De divinatione” I, 1, c. XXXVIII). “Or do something, good or bad, that we may be amazed.” The testing of divinity by means of miracles was just as widespread in pagan antiquity, as can be seen, for example, from the well-known biblical account of Moses and Aaron in contention with Egyptian sorcerers (Exod 7). But is this really so difficult? will they ask us: can the devil not work some astonishing, to us, evil miracle? Exactly, no, as is proved to us by the history of the righteous Job (Job 1:12) and the miracle of the Gadarene demoniac (Matt 8:31) and as is beautifully explained by the blessed Jerome: “another sign that the idols are not gods,” he says, “is that they can do neither good nor evil. And this is not in the sense that idols, or demons dwelling in idols, did not often do evil, but in the sense that they could only do this when power was given them by the Lord” (Job 1:12, and Matt 8 and others).

Isaiah 41:24. But you are nothing and your work is worthless; an abomination is he who chooses you. “But you are nothing and your work is worthless.” In answer to all the questions presented to them, the pagan idols remain silent and deaf, because, as the psalmist observes: “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; they have eyes, but they see not; they have ears, but they hear not; they have noses, but they smell not; they have hands, but they handle not; they have feet, but they walk not; neither speak they through their throat” (Ps 113:12-15). “And your work is worthless,” that is, empty and vain are also all “the utterances of oracles” and all “the false pagan sorceries.” At best, they were based on skillful use of various natural, but to many unknown, forces of nature (as with the Egyptian sorcerers), and at worst—on equivocation (oracular utterances), bribery, and fraud. It is completely understandable after all this that the Apostle Paul almost literally repeated the words of the prophet Isaiah when he said: “we know that an idol is nothing in the world” (1 Cor 8:4).

Isaiah 41:25. I have raised up one from the north, and he will come: from the rising of the sun he will call upon my name: and he will come upon princes as upon mortar, and as the potter treads clay. Isaiah 41:26. Who declared it from the beginning, that we might know? and beforetime, that we might say, “He is right”? There is none who tells, none who declares, none who hears your words. “I have raised up one from the north… from the rising of the sun he will call upon my name.” To prove that in contrast to pagan gods, the God of Israel is capable of true prophecies and great deeds, He returns to that “man of righteousness” of which there was discourse before (verse 2). As for the repeated indications of the “north” and “east,” they can be seen as symbolic definitions: it is known that “north”—in the language of Holy Scripture—means the realm of darkness, cold, and in general all calamitous condition (Isa 9:1-2; Matt 4:16); whereas “east”—is a synonym for light, warmth, and all prosperity (Gen 2:8; Matt 8:11-13). “He… will call upon my name.” Or, as in the LXX and in Slavonic “will be called by my name.” There are two principal versions in the interpretation of these words: according to one, the coming conqueror, that is, Cyrus—will be a blind instrument of Divine will, its unconscious agent; but, however, such a one through whom the name of God will be glorified, and Cyrus himself will be recognized as a special Divine messenger. According to the other version, Cyrus will be only a passive instrument in the hands of God, but at the same time and an active, conscious confessor of Him. Taking into account that Cyrus, king of the Persians, officially professed the religion of Zoroaster—from all the religious systems of paganism the nearest to Judaism, as Delitzsch says—that he, according to the data of the latest excavations, was a broad syncretist, and that, finally, according to the testimony of other biblical authors, Cyrus knew Judaism and even felt sympathy toward it (Ezra 1:2-4), we are entitled to incline more toward the latter of these opinions.

Isaiah 41:27. The first will say to Zion, “Behold, behold them”; and I will give to Jerusalem a herald of good news. “The first will say to Zion… and I will give to Jerusalem a herald of good news.” From a temporal deliverer of Israel we are transported in thought to an eternal one, to the Savior. The herald given to Jerusalem is He Who “brought grace and truth to the earth” (John 1:17) and “proclaimed the good news” (Luke 4:18; Luke 8:1. Vlastov). “I will give,” he says, “to Zion, that is, to the church, or the multitude of believers, a saving principle, that is, Christ; but I will also comfort Jerusalem, which is likewise the entrance to the church” (Holy Cyril of Alexandria from the Commentary of the St. Petersburg Professor).

Isaiah 41:28. For I looked, and there was no one; and among them there was no counselor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word. “And there was no counselor.” Such a discouraging characterization of paganism, but deeply just judgment involuntarily brings our thought back to the preceding context, where the question was asked about counselors of God (Isa 40:13-14).

Isaiah 41:29. Behold, all of them are nothing; their works are nothing; their molten images are wind and confusion. “Behold, all of them are nothing… wind and confusion are their molten images.” Here is the sole possible, logical conclusion from the entire denunciatory discourse of the Lord about the pagan nations (chapters 40–41) and the best summary of His divine judgment upon them and their false gods. Chapter 41, as is evident from all its content, is inseparable from the preceding chapter 40 and constitutes together with it a whole—a discourse consolatory-exhortatory for the Jews and judicial-denunciatory for the pagans. Hence all that has been noted by us about the time of utterance and the character of the composition of the first half of the discourse (chapter 40), with equal right should be extended also to the second half of it (chapter 41). In it, similarly, at first the discourse concerns events of the immediate future—the conquest of Babylon, the chief enemy of the Jews, by Cyrus, king of the Persians, and the deliverance, which he will give to the Jews languishing in the Babylonian captivity (the latter is given only implicitly, by implication); but then the prophet’s gaze goes further and foresees that Great Deliverer, Who is to save all humanity from spiritual captivity and establish the New Testament kingdom of righteousness, happiness, and bliss. To the peculiarities of the composition of chapter 41 one should refer, according to the opinion of some researchers of the text, the transposition of verses that exists in it. One instance of such transposition, recognized by the majority of scholars of the most recent commentators, we have already noted above, in the interpretation of verses 6–7. Another instance of similar transposition Condamin finds in the section 21–29, which, in his opinion, based partly on analysis of content and partly on the requirements of the poetic structure of the discourse, should be placed after verse 5. But here Condamin is almost alone and has an enormous majority of scholars against him. (Condamin, The Book of Isaiah 252–256 p. Paris, 1905). * * * Under the “man of righteousness”—one should see the Christ-Messiah. In the Slavonic translation of verse 4—“and in the coming I am.” It seems quite possible to consider this as an indication that the coming from the east “man of righteousness”—is the Messiah. Editor’s note. defensive alliance; Editor’s note. In the Slavonic translation from the LXX—“Fear not, Jacob, small Israel, I have helped you.” And does not future time fit here better? See verse 15. Editor’s note.

Chapter Forty-Two

The general theme of this chapter is the prophecy about the appearance of the gentle “Servant of the Lord,” the purpose of His coming, and the results of His activity. The entire chapter is divided into three approximately equal parts.

1–9. The first part sets forth the prophecy itself concerning the appearance of the “Servant,” defines His relationship to God, describes His outward appearance, and presents the goals and purposes of His coming.

10–16. The second part resounds with a hymn of thanksgiving to God for the gift of the “Servant,” and then depicts His relationship to both the pagan world and Judea.

18–26. The third and final part, in rather somber imagery, prophetically depicts the fate of the faithless Israel.

1–3. The appearance of the beloved “Servant of the Lord,” his gentle, humble bearing. 4–9. The purpose and significance of His coming into the world. 10–12. A hymn of thanksgiving to the Lord for such a blessing from Him. 13–16. The Lord – God the avenger and transformer. 17–21. The humiliation of the pagans and condescension toward Israel. 22–25. Israel’s faithlessness and God’s punishment of it.

Isa 42:1-9. The preceding speech of the Lord (chs. 40–41) contained, chiefly, an announcement of the imminent Divine judgment over various peoples, not excluding the Israelite nation. The new speech, beginning with this chapter, speaks predominantly of the manifestation of the Divine Person, whose abundance is to pour forth, after righteous judgment, upon all humanity. The Mediator and agent of this mercy is the “Servant of the Most High,” in whom, by the happy expression of one exegete (Orelli), as it were “is embodied, in a certain sense, the good genius of the entire chosen people.”

Isaiah 42:1. Behold, My Servant, whom I hold by the hand; My chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will proclaim judgment to the nations; 50 “Behold, My Servant… My chosen One, in whom My soul delights.” The LXX and Slavonic text have insertions here of the words: “Jacob” (at the very beginning) and “Israel” (before the word “chosen”). But already Origen and the blessed Jerome protested against such an insertion; the latter, in particular, said: “Jacob and Israel” are not present in this section, which the evangelist Matthew also did not place there (Matt 12:18), who speaks of Jesus Christ as “My Servant” – in the sense of My Son! But even independently of such an insertion, there are several explanations of who should be understood by the chosen Servant. Some, evidently basing themselves on the additional terms, saw here a general reference to the chosen Israelite people, others introduced a certain limitation into it, meaning not the whole people, but only its chosen representatives, that is, the righteous; still others referred it to a single person, understanding by it either Cyrus, king of Persia, or the prophet Isaiah himself. But the overwhelming majority, both of ancient Hebrew (Chaldean paraphrasers), patristic (John Chrysostom, the blessed Jerome, Cyril of Alexandria, etc.), Talmudic medieval (Kimchi, Isaac Abarbanel, etc.), and modern exegetes (Ochlei, Delitzsch, Cheyne, Orelli, Duhm, Dillmann, etc.) see here an individual reference to the Person of the Messiah, in full agreement with the evangelist Matthew, who, as is known, refers this passage to Jesus Christ (Matt 12:17-21 v.).

Deuteronomy 6:13. However, our learned commentators offer an experiment in reconciling the two most typical exegetical versions (“Israel” and “Messiah”), saying thus: “the idea of the chosen people and the idea of the Messiah, as external-historical factors, have identical content, and the marks of the concept ‘Jacob’ and ‘Israel’ are included among the marks of the concept ‘Messiah’. Just as the Israeli people were the servants of God (Deut. 6:13; Deut 10:20; Isa 41:8-9; Isa 44:1 and others), so the Messiah, who fulfilled the historical calling of this people, was a servant of God (Zech 3:8; Phil 2:7; Acts 3:13), an executor of God’s will (Ps 39:8-9; Heb 10:5-7), – but whereas the Israeli people, in the persons of their leaders, proved to be servants who did not fulfill the will of their Master (Matt 23:1-3; Rom 2:17-24), the true Messiah, Lord Jesus Christ, “taking the form of a servant, becoming like men… humbling Himself, obedient even to death, even the death of the cross” (Phil 2:7-8), and foreseeing to taste it, in prayer to His Father who sent Him says: ‘I have glorified You on earth; I have completed the work which You gave Me to do’ (John 17:4 – Commentary on the book of the holy prophet Isaiah by prof. of the St. Petersburg Academy). Thus, according to the completely correct view of the cited interpretation, the passage in question should equally be referred both to Israel and to the Messiah: but to the first only in a conditional, typological-restrictive sense, whereas to the second – in its full and historically-consummatory form.” “To whom My soul shows favor. I will put My Spirit upon Him.” Many not without reason perceive in these words a prophetic indication of the fact of the Lord’s Baptism, as the moment of His undertaking of His public ministry. At that time the prophecy of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Lord was fulfilled (“My Spirit upon Him”), and nearly the same words were repeated – “concerning God’s special favor – which we read here also (cf. Matt 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22). All these expressions – that God will support His Servant, that He will send upon Him the Holy Spirit – in relation to Lord Jesus Christ have, of course, a conditioned sense and should be understood anthropomorphically, that is, adapted to our language and our human understanding. But the general thought contained in them is that all Persons of the Holy Trinity (God the Father – subject, God the Son – object, God the Holy Spirit – mediating bond) are united with one another by the fullest harmony, though they preserve their hypostatic individuality. Some, however, see here an indication of a special anointing by the Holy Spirit, which the Son of God received from God the Father according to His human nature.” (Isa 11:1; Isa 61:1-2; Ps 44:8; John 3:34; Bp. Peter). “And He will proclaim judgment to the nations.” The New Testament Scripture clearly reveals this thought to us when it says that “the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22), or when it testifies that He (that is, the Son), having cast out the prince of this world (John 12:31) and having received authority in heaven and on earth, will judge both the living and the dead (2 Tim 4:1). Taking into account the subsequent context of the discourse, here we should understand not the fearsome Last Judgment of the Lord, which is to be at His second coming, but that loving, merciful turning toward sinners which accompanied His first coming, about which the Lord Himself clearly said: “I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world” (John 12:47; cf. Matt 9:13; 1 Tim 1:15). The philological analysis of the word “judgment” in Hebrew, mischpath, – which means “determination,” “verdict,” and from that “law” (synonym for the word thora – see v. 3, 4) gives grounds to see here an indication also of that Evangelical Law which the Lord is to proclaim to the nations after His coming into the world. This interpretation also has support in the context, where judgment and law are spoken of as the object of hope for the pagan world (v. 4).

Isaiah 42:2. He will not cry out nor raise His voice, and will not let it be heard in the streets; Isaiah 42:3. A bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He will not quench; He will bring forth judgment in truth; “He will not cry out nor raise His voice… A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not quench.” In these two verses, directly connected with each other, on the one hand is given the image of a gentle and humble Teacher, on the other are characterized the fundamental properties of His future preaching. The best parallel to the first part of the prophecy in question are the words of the Savior Himself: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest; take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.” (Matt 11:28-29). To this should also be added the paraphrase of this prophecy in the evangelist Matthew: he “will not contradict or cry out, and no one will hear His voice in the streets” (Matt 12:19). All this means one thing – that the Messiah, though He will be filled with the greatest Gifts and authority, will appear, however, in the most gentle and humble manner (“taking the form of a servant” (Phil 2:7), without any pomp or majesty, and will even avoid great solemn public and demonstrative appearances in places of public assembly. And from the Gospel history we truly know well that Jesus Christ Himself avoided human glory and noise, and repeatedly forbade others from spreading word of His miracles (Matt 8:4; Matt 9:30; Matt 12:16; John 5:13). In complete correspondence with the gentle image of the Teacher stands also the account of the preaching He is to give, which the prophet further expresses in such strong and figurative language: “A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not quench.” The image of a bruised reed appeared already in the prophet Isaiah and earlier, in the discourse about Egypt, where mention was made of its striking by Sennacherib (Isa 36:6). Here, however, the symbols of a bruised reed and a dimly burning wick have not a physical, but a spiritual-moral, psychological meaning; they characterize such a state of the psychological condition of a sinner, when his “spirit is contrite” (Ps 50:19) and requires a high degree of Divine love and condescension, so that it not fall into despair, but rise up from its fall. “The thought of the prophet can be expressed thus: The Messiah – the teacher will impart His teaching in such a way that grave sinners, in whose conscience a deep wound has been made, whose spiritual condition was weak, wavering with doubt, fear of perdition, and who therefore were wounded in spirit, – will not be utterly crushed, cast into despair, will not be terrified by threats of God’s wrath, struck by blows of God’s judgment; but will be encouraged in spirit by His consolations, made hopeful by God’s mercy and forgiveness of sins.” (Bp. Peter)

Isaiah 42:4. He will not grow faint or be crushed, until He has established justice on the earth; and the islands will hope in His law. “He will not grow faint or be crushed, until He has established justice in the earth.” Despite the extremely humble outward appearance of the Messiah and the very gentle character of His preaching, the word of the Messiah will have enormous power (Isa 49:2 pt.) and will make Him the victor of all peoples, more renowned than the famous conqueror of many peoples – Cyrus. The LXX and Slavonic translation have a variant – “He will shine and not be extinguished,” – giving a beautiful poetic expression of the thought about the eternity and immutability of Christ’s teaching, which will constantly shine with an even, unfickering light.

Isaiah 42:5. Thus says God the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: “Thus says God the Lord, who created the heavens… who spread out the earth with its produce, who gives breath… and spirit.” In the middle of the Divine discourse about the outwardly humble, yet inwardly majestic image of the Servant of the Lord, God Himself gives solemn certification of the authenticity and immutability of this speech. The seal of Divine origin and dignity of the author of this speech is served by the characteristic reference for the prophet Isaiah to the history of creation, as proof of the Almightiness and Eternity of the Creator (Isa 40:12; Isa 44:24; Isa 45:7-12; Isa 64:8; Isa 45:18). Commentators draw attention to the similarity of this passage with the history of the universe as it is set forth in the book of Genesis and in the Psalmist (chs. 1–2, Ps. 102, etc.), and not without reason conclude from this that the Pentateuch and Psalter existed already before the prophet Isaiah, against which negative criticism usually strongly (not unreasonably) argues. This verse can also be considered the beginning of another discourse of the Lord, directly addressed to His Servant.

Isaiah 42:6. I am the Lord; I have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand and keep You, and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, It contains the speech of the Lord to His beloved Servant. “I am the Lord, I have called You in righteousness, and I will hold You by the hand.” An almost literal repetition of the words of the 1st verse, with only a change in the person to whom they are addressed (there 3rd person: the prophet, or the people; – here 2nd person, the Servant of the Lord Himself).

Deuteronomy 18:15. And I will give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations. A new and important addition that determines the significance and scope of the Messianic ministry of the Servant of the Lord. The role of the Messiah will be, to a certain extent, analogous with that of Moses (“A Prophet from among your brothers, like me,” – Deut. 18:15) – both are establishes of the covenant of God with man; but the scope of their covenant differs essentially; Moses’ covenant embraced only one chosen Israelite people, – whereas the Messiah’s covenant extends to all the nations. “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17). The indication of the Servant of the Lord as the Mediator of the New Covenant of God with men is repeatedly found both in Isaiah and in other prophets (Isa 49:6-8; Isa 51:4; Isa 52:13; Isa 53:1-2; Isa 50:10-11; Isa 59:20; Isa 60:1-5; Jer 31:31-34). Isaiah 2:4–5. “As a light to the nations.” One of the favorite images of the prophet Isaiah, which he applies indifferently to both “Immanuel,” and the “Branch,” and the “Servant of the Lord,” since all these concepts are synonymous with each other (Is. 2:4–5; Isa 9:1-7; Isa 49:6-8; Isa 51:4 etc.), in which the defenders of the unity and authenticity of the book of the prophet Isaiah rightly find a very strong argument in favor of their opinion (see Jer. Thaddeus “Unity” of the book of the prophet Isaiah pp. 277–290, etc.). It should also be noted that this image, as expressing so beautifully the thought of the spiritual regeneration and enlightenment of the nations, has rather broad application also in the book of the New Testament (Matt 4:16; Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47; Acts 26:18; Rom 16:12 and others). Isaiah 42:7. To open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, those who sit in darkness from the prison. “To open the eyes of the blind… to bring out… those sitting in darkness – from prison.” All these are poetic images and symbols that characterize the loving, merciful, and saving activity of the Messiah. He will come to heal sick humanity from both physical and especially from spiritual-moral blindness and to lead it from the darkness of error and vice into the wide expanse of the light of truth and purity. Perfect analogy to these thoughts exists in the first half of the book of the prophet Isaiah, where a prophecy is given about people walking in darkness and living in the land of the shadow of death, who expect light (Isa 9:2), or where mention is made of the coming of such a day of the Lord when the deaf shall hear and the eyes of the blind shall see from the darkness and gloom (Isa 29:18 and Isa 35:5-6). The very fulfillment of this prophecy, both in the physical and in the moral sense, is witnessed to many times by various facts of Gospel history (Matt 11:4-5 and more). But the prophecy of Isaiah receives further light if we keep in mind the words of the apostle Peter (1 Pet 3:19), who was shown by the Holy Spirit the secret that even the Old Testament dead were brought out by our Lord from darkness to light, for He is merciful and did not “leave their souls in Hades” (Ps 15:10), but “in the spirit descended into the prison of spirits, preached to them the joyful resurrection and deliverance” (Vlastov).

Isaiah 42:8. I am the Lord; that is My name. I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven idols. “I am the Lord, that is My name.” One of the characteristic phrases for the prophet Isaiah, used by him in cases where it is necessary to give solemn certification of Divine Almightiness, Eternity, Immutability, Self-existence, and other properties of His absolute Being (see Isa 42:8; Isa 45:10-13; Isa 45:6; etc.). “And I will not give My glory to another and My praise to graven images.” Having called Himself the Lord, that is the One Eternal, (Exod 3:14-15; Exod 20:2-7 etc.), the Lord further develops this thought, that He is incomparable with anyone, so that the glory of the One true God, rightfully belonging to Him alone, cannot be shared with anyone, and least of all, of course, with graven images, though the latter pretend to the role of gods among the pagans. By “another,” as is evident from the context, are meant graven images or idols; but this, according to the remark of the blessed Jerome, does not exclude either the Son of God, nor all those righteous ones who received glory from Him (John 17:5). Consequently, “another” in Hebrew aher – here is used in the sense of “foreign,” “of another nature,” “hostile by essence.”

Isaiah 42:9. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them. “Behold, the former things have come to pass.” New proof of the authenticity of the just-pronounced consoling prophecy about the Servant is drawn from historical experience: if all earlier prophecies have already been fulfilled, then this serves as the best guarantee for the fulfillment of the new prediction. By earlier prophecies the blessed Jerome understands all that in general was spoken in the Old Testament through Moses and the prophets. But this is hardly accurate, for at the time of the new prophecy all this still lay ahead, and therefore was not suitable as convincing proof from historical precedent. Therefore, those are more correct who see here an indication of definite and comparatively recent historical-political prophecies, in particular, for example, the prediction (already fulfilled by that time) about the unsuccessful campaign of Sennacherib against Jerusalem (Isa 10:16; Isa 14:25; Isa 30:31 and Isa 37:6-7). The reference itself to such a historical example must have had a consoling significance for Israel, as it fully corresponded to the general character and tone of the discourse. If the Israelite people is yet to bring forth the beloved Servant of the Lord, destined to accomplish great deeds, then evidently the historical calling of that people is still far from fulfilled, and it has no grounds for fearing for its fate, which, equally as unexpectedly, could always be improved by God, as happened in the days of Sennacherib. Isa 42:10-12. In this section is found a hymn to God for the benefits He has bestowed upon the nations. These benefits are for now the object of prophetic expectation. But the prophet is so sure of their immutability that he speaks of them as events already come to pass, and therefore invites the nations to praise God for them, as for something already given to them.

Isaiah 42:10. Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the islands and their inhabitants. “Sing to the Lord a new song.” The customary beginning of quite many songs of thanksgiving and praise (Ps 32:3; Ps 95:1; Ps 97:1; Ps 148:1 etc.). In this case the “newness” of the song corresponds also to the novelty of its subject, for, according to the apostle: “So if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor 5:17). “You who go down to the sea.” Directly meant is the neighboring Mediterranean Sea; though in biblical language “sea and islands” – in general, is a synonym for the whole pagan world.

Isaiah 42:11. Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the dwellers on the rock sing, let them shout from the mountain tops. Isaiah 42:12. Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare His praise on the islands. “Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice.” At first sight it seems somewhat strange to speak of cities in the wilderness. But actually this is precisely the case: in the neighborhood of Palestine (to the southwest of it) lay a wilderness, amid which were oases on which were located various cities, for example, Tadmor, Petra, Kadesh, and others (cf. Num 20:1). “The villages where Kedar dwells.” By the name “Kedar,” or more precisely “Tribe of Kedar,” was called one of the Arab nomadic tribes, descendants of the second son of Ishmael – Kedar (Gen 25:13). In Pliny (Hist. Natur. lib. V, c. 11) this tribe is called arabes cedrei; it was related to the Nabataeans, led a nomadic way of life, and engaged in sheep-raising (Isa 60:7). Isa 42:13-17. In vv. 13–17 is given a vivid, figurative picture of Divine wrath and His decisive reckoning with His enemies. The general task of the discourse – to give comfort and encouragement to Israel in view of approaching calamities – could, apparently, be overshadowed by the depiction of the gentle, humble Servant of the Lord. And so, to show that “gentleness” in relation to one’s own does not destroy “militancy” in relation to enemies, the Lord again takes on the role of “man of war,” terrible to enemies and reliable for friends.

Isaiah 42:13. The Lord will go out like a mighty man, He will stir up His zeal like a man of war; He will cry out, yes, shout aloud; He will prevail against His enemies. “The Lord will go out like a mighty man, like a man of war He will stir up His zeal; He will shout and raise a war cry, and He will show Himself strong against His enemies.” All this picture of God’s combat with His enemies is as if taken straight from life and gives an almost photographic depiction of the military customs and practices of that time. (Compare the description of the combat of the god Marduk with the goddess Tiamat in the Chaldean genesis). Similar fearful-militant pictures, in which the Lord goes forth to settle accounts with His enemies, are found in the prophet Isaiah more than once (Isa 28:21; Isa 30:30; Isa 52:10; Isa 59:16; Isa 63:1 and so on). Such an appearing of the Most High was to encourage Israel and terrify its enemies (chiefly, Babylon). In application to the New Testament Israel, that is the Church of Christ, here are meant various moments of the spiritual-moral struggle of Christ with Belial (John 16:33; Acts 10:38; Rev 20:10).

Isaiah 42:14. I have long kept silent, I have been still and restrained Myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor, I will both gasp and pant; “I have long been silent, I have been patient and restrained Myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor.” The righteous wrath of God against His enemies is so great and strong that it overflows the measure of His boundless long-suffering. The Lord has long been silent, that is, not constraining the freedom of will of man, allowed him to go his own ways and according to the apostle – “they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal man and birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures” (Rom 1:23). But now has come the moment when the Lord, inflamed with zeal for the glory of His holy name, wants to put an end to all this and with strong wrath strike down His enemies. The very image for expressing this thought is taken from a comparison with a woman in labor, who long silently endures her birth pangs, but finally, at the last moment, is no longer able to restrain herself and utters loud cries expressing them.

Isaiah 42:15. I will lay waste the mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn the rivers into islands, and dry up the pools. “I will lay waste mountains and hills, and all their vegetation I will dry up; and rivers I will make into islands and dry up the lakes.” Emblematic speech about the consequences of Divine wrath on His enemies. And since it has in view enemies of two kinds – political enemies of the earthly Israel and religious-moral enemies of the spiritual Israel, that is, the Church of Christ, then under all the different types of these enemies (mountains, hills, vegetation, rivers, islands, lakes) can be understood, in the first case, the representatives of various classes and positions among the Babylonians (their kings, nobles, priests, scholars, craftsmen, common people, etc.), and in the second the rooting out of all that constituted the support and chief content of paganism (idols, temples, shrines, images, philosophical systems, oracles, superstitions, etc.) The latter interpretation is supported, for example, by the blessed Theodoret: “through all this God showed the fall of error; for He destroyed the esteemed groves of demons found in mountains and hills, delivered them to oblivion and dried them up like grass: having stopped the teachings of philosophers, like streams of rivers, he left in them not even the least moisture; in the same way, he says, I will dry up the marshes of poetry,” filled, according to the words of holy Cyril of Alexandria, “with those deceived by perversion murky” (Allak, II, 15. Blessed Theodoret and Cyril of Alexandria – Commentary, St. Petersburg, professor).

Isaiah 42:16. And I will lead the blind by a way they do not know; in paths they have not known I will guide them. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them. “And I will lead the blind by a way they do not know… I will make darkness light… crooked paths – straight.” The enemies to whom God threatens merciless destructive war in the preceding verses are evidently understood to be the leaders and guides of paganism, who kept the people in the darkness of ignorance and superstition. But to the people themselves who were exploited by them, God not only threatens nothing, but, on the contrary, promises even His all-powerful help. He compares the masses of the simple ignorant and deceived people with unfortunate blind men, knocked off the right road and led into thick darkness. And now the Lord promises the people that He will open their spiritual eyes to them, lead them onto the right road, and give them to enjoy light. This prophecy, both in content and even in form, strongly reminds us of similar passages from various other chapters of the book of the prophet Isaiah, which proves their authenticity and unity (Isa 13:22; Isa 9:2; Isa 35:6-8; Isa 40:3; Isa 41:17 etc.).

Isaiah 42:17. Those who trust in graven images, who say to the idols, “You are our gods,” shall be turned back and utterly put to shame. “Then those who trusted in idols shall turn back and be greatly ashamed, those who say to idols, ‘You are our gods.’” An expression almost literally found in the Psalmist (Ps 34:4 and Ps 69:3). In this case it reveals to us the chief subject of the discourse and those to whom it is directed. The subject of the discourse is the exposure of false religion or idolatry, the addressees are all those who practice this cult, that is, chiefly the nations, and in part, as is evident from the subsequent context, also the Jews (vv. 24–25). Having set forth the future benefits which the Lord is going to pour in abundance upon the members of His new kingdom, He foresees that the greatness of these benefits will cause their consciences to speak loudly and will cover their heads with repentance and shame for their former behavior. The thought about the nothingness and vanity of idols and the shaming of all who trust in them – is one of the most characteristic for the prophet Isaiah (Isa 2:8; Isa 19:1; Isa 21:9; Isa 27:9; Isa 30:22; Isa 37:16-20; Isa 41:29; Isa 44:11 etc.). Isa 42:18-25. The final section of the discourse contains an address to the Hebrews (v. 18), a depiction of their stubborn inner and sad external condition (vv. 19–22), and an announcement of fearsome Divine judgment over Israel (vv. 23–25). Some, however, refer all the first half of this section not to the Israelite people, but to the personality of the “Servant” (in the sense of the executor of the will of the Father) of the Lord, – that beloved Servant about which was also spoken at the beginning of this chapter (see in The Pulp. Comm. and in Vlastov). Accordingly they give their own interpretation also of those infirmities (blindness and deafness) mentioned here, – in the sense of intentional Divine condescension and love, long-suffering to the sinner.

Isaiah 42:18. Hear, you deaf; and look, you blind, that you may see. “Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind.” At first sight seems a rather strange summons to the deaf and blind to use senses of which they are deprived. Evidently, here is meant not complete deprivation of the senses of sight and hearing, but their serious impairment, as is clarified by the evangelist Matthew, who says: “for this people’s heart has become dull, and with their ears they can scarcely hear, and their eyes they have closed” (Matt 13:15). Both the prophet and the evangelist speak here of one and the same subject, namely, the stubborn-heartedness of the Israelite people, and especially of the grave vices of its “dull and blind leaders” – the scribes and Pharisees (Matt 13:16-19; John 9:39).

Isaiah 42:19. Who is blind but My servant, or deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is blind as he who is at peace with Me, and blind as the Lord’s servant? Isaiah 42:20. You have seen many things, but do not observe them; His ears are open, but he does not hear. “Who is as blind as My servant, and as deaf as My messenger… My chosen one… the servant of the Lord?” The combination in this very verse of a whole series of expressive epithets, customarily applied to the Messiah, gave occasion for many exegetes to see here an address not to Israel, but to Christ. But we have already, earlier at the beginning of this chapter, had occasion to note that all such epithets are equally applied both to the collective Israel (the people) and to the personified Israel (the Messiah): to the first – typologically, and to the second – prophetically (see v. 1). Even more than that, it is because all these epithets passed to the Messiah that they originally belonged to all Israel: the Messiah is taken here only as the soul of Israel, the bearer and expression of its best, ideal qualities. It is precisely from these ideal aspects of the whole chosen people, which it has far from justified in its history, that the prophet wants to begin here his reproving discourse to Israel.

Isaiah 42:20. You have seen many things, but do not observe them; His ears are open, but he does not hear. “You have seen many things, but do not observe them; your ears were open, but you did not hear.” That is, possessing many means given by God for justification and salvation (law and prophets, sacrifices and ordinances), Israel did not appreciate them as they deserved and did not know how to use them as it should. “Having open ears, will you not listen to what is being said,” about which we read also above: in hearing you will hear and not understand, and in seeing you will see and not perceive. For the heart of this people has become dull (Isa 6:9-10 – blessed Jerome).

Isaiah 42:21. The Lord is well pleased for the sake of His righteousness; He will make the law honorable and great. “The Lord was pleased, for the sake of His righteousness, to make the law great and glorious.” In spite of all the infidelities and betrayals of the Israelite people, God the Lord, by His boundless mercy, did not deprive it of the significance of the chosen people and constantly offered it support. But one must not lose sight of the fact that God, besides love and mercy, also has justice, which gives to each according to his deserts, thereby protecting the dignity of the God-given law. By requirement of this higher Divine “righteousness,” to protect the authority of the law and exalt its power, Israel must endure the punishment it deserved and which was proclaimed by the law (Deut 28).

Isaiah 42:22. But this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in holes, and hidden in prisons; they are made a plunder, and there is no one to deliver; a spoil, and no one says, “Restore!” “But this people is plundered and robbed… made a spoil… robbed.” It marks the heavy political condition of the Israelite people, which he more than once experienced in the course of his long history, evidently, because for his unfaithfulness to God he was deprived in these cases of His help. This probably is a general historical reference to the rather calamitous political role of the Jews, who often became the prey of their warlike neighbors. Although it is quite possible to see here and a prophecy of the impending Babylonian captivity, when the Hebrews suffered especially severely. In such a case, the past tense forms of verbs “were bound… were hidden… became spoil” – should be interpreted in the sense of the usual past – prophetic (perf. propheticum).

Isaiah 42:23. Who among you will give ear to this? Who will listen and hear for the time to come? “Who of you inclined his ear to this, understood and heard it for the future?” From this question it becomes clear that the discourse had been about events in the past. The question is: did any of you – contemporary representatives of the Israelite people – understand the true sense of these events and draw any beneficial lesson from them for your future?

Isaiah 42:24. Who gave Jacob up to spoils, and Israel to plunderers? Was it not the Lord, He against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in His ways, nor were they obedient to His law. “Who delivered Jacob to spoil?.. was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned?” The very questions themselves presume only one answer – a negative one. Evidently, the Israelite people did not sufficiently understand the sense of the political calamities that overtook it, if they continued repeatedly to practice that which served as the cause evoking these calamities. And such a cause was the stubborn-heartedness of Israel, his striving to live by his own will, and not by the guidance of the Divine law, for which God withdrew from Israel and thus delivered him to spoil and plunder from his political enemies.

Isaiah 42:25. Therefore He poured on him the fury of His anger and the strength of battle; and it set him on fire all around, yet he did not know; and it burned him, yet he took it not to heart. “And He poured out on them the fury of His wrath.” After everything on God’s part was done for the correction of Israel, and it nevertheless remained incorrigible in its spiritual-moral hardening, the Lord once again threatens it with new terrible political calamities, wishing through this to draw it out of the state of criminal spiritual-moral insensibility. “It surrounded them with a flame on all sides.” “In this prophecy, evidently, Isaiah sees the ravaged Jerusalem and captivity by the Babylonians. But in this vision are also the glow of the fire of Jerusalem, burned by Titus, and the crowds of captives sold in Roman marketplaces” (Vlastov). “Yet they did not understand it in their hearts.” The prophet sees that this last means will also not achieve its purpose, as all the preceding ones did not. But still it too has its sense, for it makes Israel finally responsible before the righteous judgment of God and the sole culprit of his sorrowful lot. * * * Notes In the Slavonic translation from the LXX: “Jacob My servant, I will support and Israel, My chosen, I have taken him; My soul has received him; I gave My Spirit upon him, judgment to the nations he will declare.” Editor’s note. In the Slavonic translation this verse has a different meaning: “And who is blind except My servants; and who is deaf except those who rule over them; and the servants of God were blinded.” Editor’s note.

Chapter Forty-Three

Following the proclamation of strict punishment to Israel at the end of the preceding chapter (Isa 42:18-25), there follows, as is usual with the prophet Isaiah (Isa 1:25-27, Isa 6:2-6, Isa 9:1-16, etc.), at the beginning of this chapter encouragement and comfort for his people as the people of God, who have been at all times in their history under the special guidance and protection of God. The comfort of Israel—the main theme of the entire second part of the book of the prophet Isaiah—in this case aims to point him to a favorable exit from the impending Babylonian captivity (8 v. 14 v.). Increasing the joy of his comfort, the prophet transitions from the carnal Israel to the spiritual, to the formation from true Israelites and converted gentiles of a new chosen people who will proclaim the glory of God. (21). From this, by contrast, comes again a transition to historical Israel, which did not justify its election, and therefore, despite all the wealth of divine mercy and patience, did not escape a heavy fate.

1–4 A promise to Israel about its salvation and preservation amid disasters and sorrows. 5–7. A new calling of Israel and pagan peoples to the true God. 8–21. The liberation of the Jews and the conversion of the gentiles. 22–28. An indictment of Israel, its preservation by the mercy of God, and punishment for its constant apostasy from Him.

Isa 43:1-4. The looming storm of Babylonian captivity and those even more terrible disasters that Isaiah had just foretold to the disobedient Israel could have brought him into a state of dejection and utter despair. That is why the prophet found it necessary to provide timely comfort, so that by such an alternation of threats and promises he might produce the desired impression, at least on the better part of Israel.

Isaiah 43:1. Now thus says the Lord, who created you, Jacob, and formed you, Israel: do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name; you are mine. “Now thus says the Lord… Jacob and… Israel, do not be afraid.” A very solemn opening of the speech, determining its task in one word—“do not be afraid.”

Genesis 17:5. “I have called you by your name.” “When the Lord calls anyone by name, it signifies a new mercy of God, which summons either an individual person or an entire people to special activity for the fulfillment of the decrees of God’s wisdom and love” (Vlastov, Gen.17:5, 15; Exod 33:17; Num 27:17-20; 1 Sam 19:9, etc.). Isaiah 43:2. When you pass through the waters, I am with you—through the rivers they shall not drown you; when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not scorch you. “When you pass through the waters… through the rivers… through fire… and the flame.” This is a general emblem of various earthly sufferings and disasters from which the Lord has repeatedly saved His Israel. It is also possible, of course, to seek here more particular historical allusions; for instance, in the crossing through “rivers” to see an indication of Babylonian captivity, when the Jewish people were taken away beyond the great river. In the reference to fire that will not burn and to flame that will not scorch, we have grounds to see a prophetic indication of the history of the three youths in the fiery furnace of Babylon (Dan 3 ch.). As the closest parallel to this passage, one cannot but note the following words of the Psalmist: “We went through fire and water, and you brought us out to a wide place” (Ps 65:12). Some see the historical confirmation of this prophetic comfort in the particular event that took place at the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity, described in the first book of Ezra (Ezra 8:22-31). Under the fiery trials that the Old Testament church endured, they understand the persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes (1 Macc 1 ch.).

Isaiah 43:3. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in return for you. “For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel.” The last epithet, when applied to the Messiah, has already been encountered in the prophet Isaiah before (Isa 41:14). But here to it is added yet another significant definition—“Your Savior.” Although it does not yet have here the special meaning that it later acquired, it is important for us to note even the very fact of its use. The Holy One of Israel is called here Savior both for all past historical cases of deliverance of the Hebrews from their political enemies (Exod 14:23-31; Judg 4; Judg 7 ch. 2 Sam 8:1; 2 Sam 14:9-16, etc.), and for similar future cases, most directly for the fact of deliverance from Babylonian captivity, revealed to the prophet’s spiritual vision. This new epithet becomes one of the beloved in the second part of his book (Isa 45:15; Isa 47:15; Isa 49:26; Isa 60:16; Isa 63, etc.). I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba… “This happened during the attacks on these peoples by Shalmaneser, in the sixth year of the reign of Hezekiah,” declares the Bishop Peter decisively, citing the twentieth chapter of the prophet Isaiah. But most other exegetes, according to the connection with the whole context, see here a reference to a future event, namely the compensation given by the Lord to the conquerors—the Persians—in exchange for the Jews whom they released, in the form of the subjugation of Egypt with its provinces. Such a fact indeed took place after the death of Cyrus, under his successor Cambyses (526 BC). With this understanding, this prophecy acquires very important textual-critical significance. Defenders of the “Second Isaiah” hypothesis assert that this book appeared no later than the end of Babylonian captivity, i.e., the early years of Cyrus’s reign. But not only at this time, but even during the height of Cyrus’s dominion, no one would have risked saying that the vast and powerful Egyptian monarchy would be tributary to the Persians. Consequently, to speak of this event as having already occurred could only someone contemporary with Cambyses, and in no way someone in Cyrus’s time, which the author of “Second Isaiah” would have been. Hence, another opinion gains greater credibility: that here we have not a recounting of the past, but a prophecy about the future, which could easily have been given even before Cyrus, i.e., belong to the true prophet Isaiah. According to some modern critics, the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, included in the canonical Bible, was written by at least three different authors, whom, as a rule, they call Isaiah, Second Isaiah, and Third Isaiah. As they believe, the first 39 chapters were written by Isaiah in the 8th century before the birth of Christ. The author of the next 16 chapters (from 40 to 55) is considered to be Second Isaiah, who personally experienced the return from Babylonian captivity and wrote these chapters in the 6th century before the birth of Christ. The last 11 chapters, written in a more lyrical style and containing mainly eschatological predictions, are attributed to Third Isaiah, whose lifetime is placed roughly in the III-II century before the birth of Christ. However, these hypotheses lack convincing proofs and are based on purely subjective assumptions. Indeed, Jesus Christ Himself and the apostles refer to the prophet Isaiah, attributing to him chapters 40 through 66 (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 12; Gospel of Luke, chapters 3 and 4; Gospel of John, chapters 1 and 12; and so on). Moreover, the complete manuscript of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah found in 1947 in the caves of Qumran confirms the unity of the original source. This list was made around 120 BC and contains nothing that could serve as evidence for the assumption of modern critics. The LXX and Slavonic instead of “Seba” have “Soine” or “Siinu”—Συηνην, Σουην. Only one thing is certain: as under Seba in the Masoretic text, so under “Soine” in the LXX should be understood a part of Ethiopia. But since the Bible knows two Ethiopias—one on the Arabian peninsula (Gen 2:11; Gen 25:18; Num 12:1), and another in upper Egypt (Ps 67:32; Isa 20:4; Jer 46, etc.), it is difficult to determine precisely what is meant here. The Hebrew text apparently speaks of the Arabian province located on the coast of the Red Sea and named after a coastal city mentioned by Strabo (Geogr. Lib. XVI, 14), and later renamed by Cambyses in honor of his sister—“Meroch.” The LXX have in view an Egyptian province that received its name from the city of Sion, lying on the southern border of upper Egypt and known in hieroglyphic inscriptions as Siene or Aswan, near which were the famous quarries of the ancient pharaohs.

Isaiah 43:4. Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I will give people in return for you, and nations for your life. “I will give other people for you.” According to the words of the blessed Theodoret, by “other people” are meant the immediate enemies of the Jews—the Babylonians, whom the Lord gave into the hands of Cyrus—the liberator of the Hebrews. But in general this verse is the usual pleonasm and parallelism of thought (3 v.), so characteristic of biblical prophetic-poetic speech.

Isaiah 43:5. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east and gather you from the west. Isaiah 43:6. I will say to the north, “Give them,” and to the south, “Do not hold back; bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth,” A new motif of comfort and encouragement is put forward by pointing out that Israel faces not a reduction and diminishment, but on the contrary—an increase and worldwide spreading. “Do not be afraid.” That is the leitmotif of this entire speech (cf. 1 v.). “From the east I will bring… from the west I will gather… to the north I will say… and to the south.” The very combination of all four directions of the world clearly shows that here we are dealing not with any particular and precise geographical terms, but with the most general, universal indication. It is curious to note that it appears almost verbatim in the Psalmist, who regarding those delivered by God from the hands of their enemies says that the Lord “gathered them from the lands, from the east and the west, from the north and the sea.” (Ps 106:3) In a certain, very conditional sense, this can also be applied to the returned Judean captives, again gathered in Jerusalem. But in a more correct and full sense, this prophecy should be referred to spiritual Israel, or members of the New Testament church. Here the best parallel to it is the following words of the Lord Himself: “I say to you that many will come from the east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness” (Matt 8:11-12). “And my daughters.” Many commentators point out this purely New Testament feature: ordinarily in the Old Testament the birth of daughters is not mentioned, and generally they are spoken of most often with reproach. And only here, where, evidently, there is also talk of New Testament times, it is spoken the same way as the Apostle Paul (Gal 3:28) speaks of the equality of the sexes.

Isaiah 43:7. everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. “Created… formed and made.” An interesting philological example of how related Hebrew verbs expressing particular nuances of thought—“created” from Hebrew bara, that is, brought into being from nothing (Gen 1, etc.); “formed”—from Yatzar—shaped, molded from ready material; and made—from Asa—finally polished, completed, and improved the finish. Isa 43:8-13. Here in more compressed form is repeated what constituted the special subject of an earlier chapter (Isa 41:1), namely—the judgment of the Almighty with the nations. The Lord again calls the Jews to judgment with Him (8 v.) and the gentiles (9 v.) and demands from them reliable witnesses, which they, of course, do not have. In contrast to them, the Almighty first forces all his enemies to be unwilling witnesses about Him (10 v.) and then comes forward Himself with solemn self-attestation (11–13 v.).

Isaiah 43:8. Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes; who are deaf, yet have ears. The closest parallel to this verse and the definitions given in it of the Jewish people is found in Isa 42:7 (See our commentary on them).

Isaiah 43:9. Let all the nations gather together, and let the peoples assemble. Who among them declared this, and foretold to us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses to justify them, and let them hear and say, “It is true.” “Who among them foretold this?” The question posed, as well as all the content of this verse, closely recalls verse 26 of chapter 41. The substantive content of it concerns the appearance of the Servant of the Lord, the rejection of Judaism, and the renewal of paganism. The prophet asks here whether anyone from the representatives of Judaism or paganism could have foreseen all this and predicted it by purely natural means alone. Of course not: none of them would have been able either to make such a prediction or, all the more, to confirm its correctness.

Isaiah 43:10. You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall any be after me. “You are my witnesses, declares the Lord.” Since the prophet’s speech was directly addressed to the people of Israel, it is this people, consequently, that should be considered the first witness. Indeed, the entire history of the chosen people, with all the divine manifestations, revelations, laws, and miracles given to it, is the best and most convincing proof of God’s divine omnipotence and His creative, peace-making wisdom and power. But in addition, the Hebrew people was a direct witness to the fulfillment of many divine prophecies concerning the fate of various pagan peoples, and also experienced on itself the vindication of many prophetic threats and promises. “And my servant whom I have chosen.” These words inevitably remind us of the beginning of chapter 42: “Behold my Servant… whom I have chosen, and my soul delights in him” (1 v.). Evidently, they refer to one and the same Person—the Mediator of the Old and New Testaments, the Lord Jesus Christ, who not in vain, as testimony of his truthfulness, referred to his works and to the will of the Father who sent him (John 5:36-37). “I was born and came into the world for this, to testify to the truth”—the Lord solemnly answered the question of Pilate: “what is truth” (John 18:37-38). “The faithful witness” is repeatedly called He in the Apocalypse (Rev 1:5; Rev 3:14). The holy Church Fathers refer this passage to Jesus Christ (Saint Cyril of Alexandria, the blessed Theodoret, Jerome).

Isaiah 43:11. I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior. “I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.” The absence of witnesses on the opposing side and the presence of reliable witnesses on the side of the true God give special force and persuasiveness to His solemn confession that before Him there was no God, and after Him there will be none, and that, consequently, only He alone is the eternally living and ever-saving God, who has no and cannot have any real rivals.

Isaiah 43:12. I have declared and saved and proclaimed, and there was no foreign god among you; you are my witnesses, declares the Lord, that I am God. “I have declared and saved and proclaimed.” In these words, apart from the general thought about the fulfillment of divine prophecies, many also find a more particular allusion to the liberation of Jerusalem from the invasion of Sennacherib, proclaimed through the prophet Isaiah (Isa 37:33-36; cf. 2 Sam 19:20-35); an event that he had previously predicted, and later also celebrated in song.

Isaiah 43:13. From ancient days I am he; none can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it? “From ancient days I am he.” Comparing the corresponding parallels, of which the closest is found in verse 4 of chapter 41 (see the commentary), we have the right to assert that here is indicated the Eternity, Self-existence, Omnipotence, and Immutability of the Almighty as such properties of His that easily and indisputably prove His Divine dignity to all. Isa 43:14-18. Here is set forth the immediate, practical purpose of the speech—the encouragement of the Jews in view of the impending Babylonian captivity. The Creator of the universe and king of Israel proclaims through the prophet that the enemies of the Jewish people—the Babylonians or Chaldeans—will be crushed, and thus the captives will obtain freedom (14–15). The inviolability of such a prophecy is confirmed by analogous historical parallels, chiefly the destruction of the Pharaoh and all his army at the crossing of the Red Sea (16–17). But for Israel all the lessons of history apparently pass without effect (18 v.).

Isaiah 43:14. Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I send to Babylon and break down all the bars, and the shouting of the Chaldeans will be turned to laments.” “For your sake I send to Babylon and break down all the bars, and the Chaldeans, exulting in their ships.” For the sake of Israel’s deliverance from captivity, the Lord will send the Medes and Persians under the leadership of Cyrus against the Babylonians, and he will turn all enemies of Israel into hasty flight. By “Chaldeans” is understood here the Babylonians in general (Isa 47:1), and in particular, perhaps the inhabitants of southern Babylonia, dwelling near the sea (hence the mention of ships) and not far from Ur of the Chaldees.

Isaiah 43:16. Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, Isaiah 43:17. who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down together, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick. In these verses there is a fairly transparent reference to the deliverance of the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery, more precisely, to the miraculous salvation of the Jews from the pursuit of the Pharaoh, who sought to return the released people. But just as then such an attempt did not succeed and ended in the complete destruction of the enemies of the chosen people, so, evidently, now all enemies of Israel will be put to shame.

Isaiah 43:18. But forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. “But forget the former things and do not think on the ancient.” A well-deserved reproach to the representatives of the Jewish people, who poorly remembered the divine blessings and did not draw from them lessons for themselves. The present verse serves as an excellent transition to the next section, since it explains why God, having abandoned the old Israel, decided to form a new one for Himself. Isa 43:19-21. The subject is the formation by God of this new people, which He is to prepare for Himself almost miraculously from apparently the most ungrateful material and amidst the most unsuitable conditions (roads in the steppe, rivers in the wilderness—19–20). This people will take the place of the Israel that proved unworthy, to proclaim the glory of God (21).

Isaiah 43:19. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. “Behold, I am doing a new thing.” Since memories of the old did not move the prophet’s listeners, he wishes to strike them with a prophecy of something new, even more significant and important. Under this new is understood partly the nearest new miracle of God’s mercy—deliverance from Babylonian captivity—and chiefly the further results of it—the appearance of the Messiah and the founding of His new gracious kingdom. “The word ‘new’ is used frequently by the prophets and by New Testament writers concerning the blessings of the New Testament economy” (Isa 41:15; Isa 42:10; Ps 95:1; Ps 97:1; Jer 31:31; Ezek 36:26; 2 Cor 5, etc., Bishop Peter).

Isaiah 43:20. The beasts of the field will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, “I will give water in the deserts, rivers in the dry steppe.” Comparing this passage with its parallels from the same prophet (Isa 32:15-16; Isa 35:1; Isa 41:18-19; Isa 42:10-11, etc.), we are clearly convinced that under these images there is talk of the enlightenment of paganism and its watering with the gracious streams of gospel preaching (cf. the commentary of Saint Cyril of Alexandria and the blessed Jerome).

Isaiah 43:21. the people whom I formed for myself, that they might declare my praise. “This people whom I have formed for myself.” The best commentary to this verse is the following passage from the Apostle Peter, addressed to Christians: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Pet 2:9). Isa 43:22-28. The concluding section of this chapter, like the preceding one (chapter 42), contains an indictment of the stiff-necked Israel and a prophecy of its rejection by God. The connection to the preceding speech is based on the law of contrast. Having spoken of the future arising of a new, spiritual Israel, the prophet is naturally led to make a remark about the fate of the old, ancient Israel. The latter he accuses of non-fulfillment, or more precisely, of improper fulfillment of the divine law (a failure to understand the spirit of the ceremonial law) and of direct violation of it (sins and iniquities—24 v.). And although the Lord, by His unspeakable mercy, is ready to blot out these sins for all who ask for it (25 v.); but the majority of Israel, led by its leaders, does not display such a sense of repentance, and therefore must be subjected to all the sad consequences of the legal curse that was proclaimed to it long ago (28 v. Cf. Deut 31:29, etc.).

Isaiah 43:22. But you did not call upon me, O Jacob; but you have grown weary of me, O Israel. Isaiah 43:23. You have not brought me your lambs for burnt offerings, nor honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, nor wearied you with frankincense. Isaiah 43:24. You have not bought me aromatic cane with money, nor filled me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your iniquities. “But you… Israel… did not bring me lambs… and with your sacrifices… did not honor me… the fat of your sacrifices… did not satisfy me.” Israel deserved reproach for the disorderly presentation of sacrifices, which the prophet Isaiah reproves at the very beginning of his book (Isa 1:11-16). At the same time, it is necessary to give them and a more extensive interpretation. Evidently, they must be interpreted in light of the prophetic indictments of chapter 1: so the prophet harshly reproached Israel for its soulless formalism in the observance of the Old Testament law, and said that such a practice, though zealous, but senseless, not only has no positive merit in God’s eyes, but even constitutes a great, purely negative quantity (“abomination” (Isa 1:13)). The same thought, only from another, reverse side, is also carried through here: since you, Israel, performed your sacrifices improperly, without proper understanding of their actual meaning, you not only did not honor me with them, but even, as with new sins, as with a profanation of the holy, only each time burdened and offended me more (cf. Isa 7:13), that is, you insulted me and distanced yourself from me.

Isaiah 43:25. I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. “I myself blot out your transgressions for my own sake.” If individual representatives of Israel are to obtain salvation by entering as proselytes into the new gracious kingdom or the Church of Christ, they achieved it not through any merits of their own, but solely through the unspeakable divine love and His boundless mercy (Heb 10:17; Eph 2:4-10).

Isaiah 43:26. Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, and return to the Lord. “Let us plead together; state your case, so that you may be proved right.” A symbolic picture of God’s judgment with sinners, in which He comes forth as one of the parties—one of the beloved images of the prophet Isaiah (see, for example, chapter 41). In this particular place, one can establish the following course of thought: Israel, having boasted of its legal righteousness, could take credit both for its own salvation (partial) and for the conversion of the gentiles. But the Lord, in the preceding verse, attributed the work of salvation exclusively to Himself. It is supposed that Israel could disagree with this or dispute, wherefore the Lord proposes to him a proper judicial proceeding.

Isaiah 43:27. Your first father sinned, and your mediators transgressed against me. “Your first father sinned, and your mediators transgressed against me.” Whenever the Jews wished to display their own righteousness and closeness to God, they referred to the merits of their patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—their high priests and leaders—Moses, Aaron, Samuel, and others. The Lord now strikes them in the most sensitive place: He says that even they—the celebrated founders and leaders of the Jewish people—were far from blameless in their lives and moral conduct, as is witnessed by the impartial biblical history of each of them (Gen 12:13; Gen 17:17; Gen 20:2, etc.). The Hebrew text has the word “father,” which troubles many exegetes into seeking some specific historical personality (Adam, Abraham, Jacob, etc.). But the LXX term—abicha they translated as “οι πατρες υμων,” that is, as a collective noun, which much better expresses the general sense of the text. If the “fathers” only sinned, then again rose and achieved, with the aid of Divine help, high righteousness, the “mediators” of yours have completely departed from me. Under these godless mediators it is most correct to understand the “false priests and prophets” who particularly multiplied in the pre-exile epoch, according to the testimony of the true prophets (Jer 5:13; Jer 14:15 ch.; Ezek 14:9; Zeph 3, etc.).

Isaiah 43:28. Therefore I depose the dignitaries of your sanctuary, and give Jacob to the curse, and Israel to insults. “I strip the priests of the sanctuary of their sacred office.” Since in the judgment with God, the representatives of the Jewish people proved speechless, the verdict of this judgment, of course, was not in their favor. “Tribulation and distress on every soul of man that works evil, of the Jew first” (Rom 2:9). And from among the Jews first of all and more than all, this tribulation falls upon the heads of their blind and turbulent leaders, who, for instance, like the high priest Uriah, pandered to all impiety and wickedness (2 Sam 16:10-16). Jacob I deliver to the curse and Israel to insult. According to the literal grammatical sense of the Hebrew verbs used here—vaahallel and veettena—they should be translated in the future tense—“and I will give to the curse” and “deliver,” which even more corresponds to the prophetic character of the speech. By “curse and… insult” of the people of Israel should be understood, most immediately, the impending Babylonian captivity, and then all the subsequent disasters to which Israel was subjected during the remainder of its history, which was on the whole very sorrowful. * * * Notes Pleonasm (Greek pleonasmon, from pleonaxo—I am excessive)—a term of stylistics, meaning the use in a sentence of unnecessary words that add nothing to what is already expressed in it. Ed. note.

Chapter Forty-Four

1–5. A prophecy to the faithful sons of Israel with a promise of their salvation and glorification. 6–23. A final revelation to the consciousness of the captive Jews of the truth about the vanity of idols and the omnipotence of the true God. 24–28. A prophecy about the return of the Jews from captivity and the restoration of Jerusalem with the assistance of Cyrus.

Isaiah 44:1. And now hear, Jacob my servant, and Israel whom I have chosen. Isaiah 44:2. Thus says the Lord who made you and formed you in the womb, who will help you: Do not fear, O Jacob my servant, and Jeshurun whom I have chosen. “And now hear, Jacob… and the beloved [Israel], whom I have chosen.” The present chapter begins with exactly the same contrast to the immediate context as the preceding one. Its first two verses contain a series of epithets or forms of address already familiar to us from preceding explanations (Isa 41:8-9; Isa 42:19; Isa 43:1). Based on these parallels and considering the context of the speech (namely, that the general mass of Israel had just been condemned and rejected in the preceding prophecy), we must direct this appeal not to all Israel in general, which proved unworthy, but to the better, most elect part of it, to those true children of Abraham who, according to the promise (and not by flesh alone) became his heirs, that is, who preserved right knowledge of God and entered the bosom of the New Testament Church of Christ. Comforting his contemporaries, the prophet says that not all Israel will perish, that even among it will be preserved a “holy seed—a remnant of it.” To this elect remnant (Isa 10:21; Rom 9:27) is directed the prophet’s comfort, which is partly confirmed by the very selection of epithets (“My servant…, beloved…, whom I have chosen”).

Isaiah 44:3. For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. “For I will pour water on the thirsty… I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring.” “Water” in Isaiah is the usual metaphor for divine grace, which in this passage is further revealed by the words that follow: “I will pour out my Spirit.” Sometimes, as in this case and some others (Isa 35:6; Isa 55:1), the word “water”—maim—or “waters” is used; in others it is replaced by various synonyms, such as: “rain” (Isa 5:6; Isa 30:23; Isa 55:10), “dew” (Isa 26:19), “rivers” (Isa 33:21; Isa 41:18; Isa 43:19), “streams” (Isa 30:25; Isa 35:6), etc. The very thought of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon us from above we have already encountered in the prophet Isaiah earlier (Isa 32:15). And indeed, the first to be granted to receive the Holy Spirit on the festival of Pentecost were the best representatives of the chosen Israel—the apostles in the Zion upper room (Acts 2 ch.).

Isaiah 44:4. and they will spring up like grass amid waters, like willows by flowing streams. “And they will grow among the grass like willows by the waters.” The speech continues about the same most elect descendants of Israel, who will not be lost in the mass but, with the aid of divine grace, will grow spiritually as rapidly and strongly as a willow planted by water. It is curious to note that later rabbinic exegesis applies this prophecy to the Jews of the diaspora, and on this basis introduced the branches of the river willow into the composition of “Lulav,” a special sacred ceremony of the festival of Sukkot.

Isaiah 44:5. One will say, “I belong to the Lord”; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; yet another will write on his hand, “The Lord’s,” and take the name Israel for himself. “One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’; another will be called by the name of Jacob.” The sense of this verse and its connection with the preceding are rather puzzling. Most commentators see here a reference to proselytes and establish the following internal logical connection of thoughts. The remnant of faithful Israel, having received the Holy Spirit, will acquire such wide and honored reputation that it will attract many followers, who will vie with each other to be called by its name and compete to be called some “of the Lord,” some “Jacob’s,” some “Israel’s.” Here, incidentally, is subtly observed a characteristic feature of these newly converted gentiles—their custom, brought from paganism, of localizing cults and bearing the name of their local deity. Historically, all of this was indeed vindicated once again in the apostles, who on the very first day of Pentecost already had more than one thousand proselytes (Acts 2:41). Isa 44:6-23. There follows a special, inserted section that particularly reveals in an artistic-satirical form the thought of the nothingness of idols compared to the greatness of the true God. It begins with the words: “Thus says the Lord” (6 v.) and continues until the beginning of the 24th verse, where we again encounter the same formula, evidently opening a new speech. Throughout this section, one can trace two main thoughts: one about the greatness, omnipotence, goodness, and saving power of the true God of Israel—it is developed in the first three (6–8) and three last verses of the section (21–23); the other about the vanity and nothingness of idols in connection with the criminal thoughtlessness and some irrationality of those who worship them—it represents a single compact whole (9–20). The need for such a speech was dictated by the conditions of the approaching time—the proximity of Babylonian captivity, where Jews inclined to idolatry were subjected to particularly strong temptation. In these verses—an introduction to the speech and the revelation of its main theme through positive proofs by referring to an indisputable fact of the impending captivity as a justification of the prophecy given by God about it, and consequently as an irrefutable proof of His foreknowledge and Divine dignity. Both the general argumentation of this subsection and even all its particular expressions and thoughts have already been encountered by us earlier and were commented upon in a timely manner (Isa 41:22-26; Isa 43:9-11).

Isaiah 44:8. Do not be afraid or terrified; have I not told you from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? No, there is no other rock; I know not any. “There is no other rock; I know not any.” A new nuance of thought: The Lord, as the only true refuge and strength, is compared to a reliable rock or stone—this solid natural shelter. Although, however, this thought and even the term—Zur—have already been encountered in the prophet Isaiah (Isa 17:10; Isa 26:4). Isa 44:9-17. A new revelation of the theme follows—a contrario, that is, by a negative approach, through a vivid and artistic depiction of the idea of the complete nothingness of idols and the extreme, even laughable, blindness of those who worship them. Strictly speaking, this subsection does not present anything original, but only contains a more consecutive and complete development of the images and thoughts that have already been outlined by the prophet Isaiah earlier (Isa 40:18-20; Isa 41:6-7). But in any case, one must note that here the prophet Isaiah gives the most systematic and most complete indictment of idolatry. As commentary to this entire section, we permit ourselves to cite a paraphrase of it from the commentary of the blessed Jerome. “For who can believe that through an axe, a saw, a drill, and a hammer a god is formed? Or that through coals idols are cast, or that through a measuring line, a plane, a square, and a compass gods are suddenly made, especially when the hunger and thirst of the craftsman point to the insignificance of his art? For a wooden statue is made, representing the image of a man, and the more beautiful it is, the more sacred the god is considered. It is placed in a temple and enclosed in an eternal prison, having grown for a long time in the forests, and depending on the difference of the trees, it was cedar, and ash, and oak, or pine. And amazingly, the scraps and shavings from this are thrown into the fire to warm the one who made the god, and to cook various kinds of food, while from the other part a god is made so that, after work is completed, he who made it bows down to it and asks for help from his own creation—and does not understand or does not think or rather does not see with either bodily or spiritual eyes that what is partially burned cannot be a God, and that divine greatness is not created by a human hand. In prophetic speech—concludes his paraphrase the blessed Jerome—idols are ridiculed quite extensively, but this is easy to understand, and it does not require lengthy or, rather, excessive explanation. Horace (Horace I, 8, 1–4) writes about this in a satire, mocking the idols of the pagans:” Once I was a log, a useless piece of a fig tree; Long the craftsman pondered what to make of me, a bench or Priam! “I will make a god!” he said; and so I became a god! From then on I frighten birds and thieves… (Works of the blessed Jerome, part 8. Kyiv, 1882, p. 199). The profound truth of life and the artistically witty form of this ridicule of idols caused it to become the prototype of similar indictments by later biblical authors (Jer 10:2-5; pJer 1:8-72; Wis 13:10-19; Wis 14:14-17; Wis 15:7-9) and among ancient Christian apologists (see, for example, the recently discovered apology of Aristides the Philosopher).

Isaiah 44:18. They do not know or understand, for he has shut their eyes so they cannot see, and their minds so they cannot understand. Isaiah 44:19. No one gives it a thought, no one has the knowledge or insight to say, “Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?” “He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and their hearts so they cannot understand.” About whom is he speaking here? If about God, is it proper to think so of Him? Of course not. One must understand this not in the sense that God intentionally drove the pagans to the path of impiety and wickedness, but in the sense that He, not restraining the freedom of their will, allowed them to walk their natural ways, or, as the apostle expresses it: “God gave them over to a depraved mind to do what ought not to be done” (Rom 1:28).

Isaiah 44:20. He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, nor say, “Is not this thing in my hand a lie?” “A deluded heart has led him astray.” A very deep, purely psychological observation establishing that the chief source of your delusions lies not so much in reason as in a corrupted feeling and vicious will, that is, in what is designated in the language of Scripture as the domain of the heart: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immorality, thefts, false witness, slander” (Matt 15:19; cf. Rom.1 ch., etc.). Isa 44:21-23. They directly follow verse 8 and continue to develop the same thought about the omnipotence and saving love of the true God of Israel. After such a vivid indictment of the false gods of paganism, the prophet’s renewed indication of the qualities of the true God receives special persuasiveness and force by contrast.

Isaiah 44:21. Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I have formed you, you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. “Remember this, Jacob… Israel, do not forget me.” Remember this, that is, most immediately, the nothingness of idols just revealed, and the foolishness of those who worship them, and further, that you are descendants of a famous ancestor faithful to God (Jacob-Israel), that you are my servant, that is, on one hand, you must therefore serve not someone else but me, and on the other, that you are my household—close and dear to me, and finally, remember that I have formed you, that is, I have chosen you from among other peoples and, accordingly, with your calling, have trained you, and therefore have special rights to you. The second half of the phrase—“you will not be forgotten by me”—scholars translate differently. The Hebrew lo finnashsheni stands in the passive voice, which according to the rules should be translated in the passive voice—“you will not be forgotten by me.” Just so, indeed, do many translate this passage among Jewish rabbis and Western exegetes (Ibn Ezra, Kimchi, Witring, Gesenius, Ewald, Knobel, Delitzsch, Dillmann, Duhm, etc.). The professors of the St. Petersburg Academy also give preference to this reading in their well-known commentary. Upon acceptance of such a translation, the transition to the following verse, where it speaks of Israel’s salvation, becomes completely natural and understandable.

Isaiah 44:22. I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you. “I have blotted out your iniquities… return to me, for I have redeemed you.” The Lord will not forget His faithful Israel, and if it returns to Him, He will forgive it all its sins and redeem it, that is, first of all, will buy it back, will release it from Babylonian captivity, and then—will open the possibility of redemption from slavery to sin.

Isaiah 44:23. Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it; shout, O depths of the earth; break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and will be glorified in Israel. “Sing, O heavens… Shout, O depths of the earth; be joyful, O mountains, forest and all the trees in it.” This verse occupies a peculiar middle position: on one hand, it sounds as a joyful finale to the preceding speech—about God the Deliverer, and on the other—it is as a solemn introduction to a new section that especially reveals the greatness and power of divine blessings to the chosen people for all its past and even immediate future history. In content and form, it represents a hymn of thanksgiving to God the Redeemer, one of those that especially abound in the books of the prophet Isaiah and the Psalms (Isa 35:1-2; Isa 42:10-12; Isa 13:13; Ps 96:1; Ps 97:1; Ps 99, etc.). The heavens, depths of the earth, mountains, forest and all the trees—these are all emblems of the fullest and broadest, universal joy, in which, together with man—the king of nature—the entire inanimate nature also should take part, since the fates of nature, according to the view of Scripture, are closely connected with the fate of man (Gen 3:17; Job 5:7; Isa 11:6-8; Isa 24:4-7; Eccl 1:2-3; Rom 8, etc.).

Isaiah 44:24. Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who by myself spread out the earth,” From verses 24–28 begins a new section, which, having reached the end of the chapter, does not end there itself but extends to the first eight verses of the following chapter 45. The first half of this period represents, so to speak, only an upward movement (arsis), that is, the development and intensification of thoughts that will be set forth in detail only in the second part of the period, in its downward movement (thesis), in the following chapter. The entire upward movement examined by us consists of one continuous speech of the Lord, in which He reminds Israel of the main dogma of his faith—about God the Creator (24), points to the nothingness of pagan beliefs and the folly of their purported wise men (25), recalls the vindication of a whole series of His previous prophecies and pronounces a new one—about the restoration of Jerusalem and the cities of Judea (26), finally, speaks of the miraculous drying up of some symbolic abyss (27), and about the chosen instrument of God—Cyrus, as an instrument of His will concerning Jerusalem and the temple (28). I am the Lord, who has made all things, I alone stretched out the heavens, and spread out the earth by myself. One of the most expressive and clear passages of the Old Testament, where with such force and persuasiveness is asserted the dogma of God the Creator. The emphasis on the unity of the Creator is directed, of course, not against the trinity of divine Persons, but against the widespread notion in pagan mythology that the creator of the world was some lower, secondary god (δημιουργος), who did not create the world out of nothing but merely transformed or arranged it from ready material, and even this organizing work he did not do independently but on the instructions of higher gods and with the help of various other co-workers (lower deities). In contrast to such pagan fables, the Lord through the prophet firmly proclaims that He is the sole original cause of all Being (Isa 45:6-7), the true Creator of heaven and earth (Isa 40:22; Isa 42:5), who had no counselors and helpers in this (Isa 40:14). The very image of “spread out the heavens” is well known to us from the famous expression of the Psalmist: “you stretch out the heavens like a tent” (Ps 103:2).

Isaiah 44:25. who nullifies the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who turns wise men backward and makes their knowledge foolish, “Who makes the signs of the false prophets nothing… the madness of sorcerers, wise men.” Here one can, of course, see a historical allusion to the Egyptian priests who contended with Moses and Aaron (Exod 7:11-12); but it is perhaps better to apply this to the representatives of Babylonian religion and science, the Chaldean priests, astrologers, and wise men (Isa 16:6; Isa 47:10; Jer 29:8-9), since these cults and this science most attracted the Jews contemporary to the prophet.

Isaiah 44:26. who confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the prediction of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, “It shall be inhabited,” and of the cities of Judah, “They shall be built, and I will raise up their ruins,” Isaiah 20:3. “Who confirms the word of his servant… the statement of his messengers.” Judging from the entire context of the speech, by the “word” that the Lord confirms or fulfills must be understood the prophecy of the impending Babylonian captivity, which is to be fulfilled in the lifetime of the same generation. Hence, by “servant” of the Lord should be understood the prophet Isaiah, who indeed was called thus (Is.20:3); and by “messengers” should be understood all the other prophets who spoke of the captivity and return from it: Jer 29:10-14; Ezek 39:25-28; Joel 3:1; Amos 9:11-15; Obad.1 v.; Mic 4 and Zeph 3:14-20. Isaiah 44:27. who says to the deep, “Be dry! I will dry up your streams,” “Who says to the deep, ‘Be dry!’ and your rivers I will dry up.” By the abyss and its rivers is understood the entire vast water basin of the Mesopotamian lowland in the center of which stood Babylon. Some are inclined to see here an even more specific allusion to the known historical fact when Cyrus, during the siege of the city of Babylon, diverted the course of the Euphrates and cut off the population from water (Herod. I, book 190 ch. Xenoph. Cyropedia VI book 22 ch.). The prophet Jeremiah mentions this as well (Jer 50:38; Jer 51:36).

Isaiah 44:28. who says of Cyrus, “He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose”; saying of Jerusalem, “It shall be built,” and of the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” Isaiah 41:2. “Who says of Cyrus: He is my shepherd, and he will fulfill all my will.” It is noteworthy that one of the semi-rationalist Western exegetes expresses himself about this prophecy thus: “this prophecy by the clarity with which it is expressed and by the truthfulness (Bewahrheitung) with which it was fulfilled in fact, should be recognized as remarkable (merkwerdig) and testifies to the deep and clear vision of the prophet.” (Dillmann—Kurzgett. Comm. Iesaia, 408 p. Fifth ed. Leipzig. 1890.) Although prophecies about the destruction of the Babylonians—the chief enemies of the Jews—and about their deliverance from Babylonian captivity through the agency of a special “man of righteousness” whom the Lord will raise up were repeatedly predicted before (see, for example, Is.41:2, 26; Isa 43:8), but never before were they revealed with such thoroughness and fullness until the prediction of Cyrus’s very name, inclusive. It is not surprising that such detail and precision of the prophecy under discussion became a stumbling block for many rationalist-minded exegetes and served as one of the main arguments for the “Second Isaiah” hypothesis, which is connected with its later origin of the second part. But in our eyes, such argumentation is without force, or more precisely, has the opposite significance: if from the rationalist’s perspective the presence of prophecy already compromises the book and causes doubt about its authenticity, from the perspective of an Orthodox exegete, no prophetic book is conceivable without prophecies, and consequently, the greater, more important, and more detailed the prophecies of one book or another, the greater and higher its authority. (Hence, for instance, Isaiah was called the Old Testament evangelist). In view of this, we cannot in principle sympathize with the attempts at compromise between rationalist and Orthodox interpretation of this passage, undertaken by many representatives of conciliatory exegesis, including our own national theologians (professors of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and G. Vlastov). Wishing to smooth over the sharpness of the difference between two trends in the view of the prophecy of Cyrus (rationalist—event post factum, Orthodox—prophecy ante eventum), they diminish the force of the prophecy itself by the assumption that the name Cyrus here allegedly has not a proper and personal character but a general, common meaning: it means “sun” and serves as a collective, common name for some representatives of the Achaemenid dynasty. But even Dillmann, whom we cited above, objected to this, saying that the interpretation of the name “Cyrus” in the sense of “sun” is very doubtful, as is also the fact that this was a common royal title of the Achaemenids; and most importantly, that the prophet Isaiah could have known about all this. The newest scholarly criticism has ultimately undermined the significance of this hypothesis.

Isaiah 41:26. “That Cyrus means ‘sun’—we read in a learned English commentary—is based on weak authorities of Plutarch and Ctesias and has now been refuted by S. N. Rawlinson (Coneiform Inscription, vol. II, p. 112). That this was an ancient title of all Persian kings—this directly contradicts the obvious. Of four Achaemenid kings, only two bore this name, consequently, it was their proper and personal name, just as Cambyses, Xerxes, or Darius.” (The Pulp. Comment.—Isaia L 159 p.). Thus, there is no reason to diminish the force of this prophecy, and one should see in it a personal indication of Cyrus, made more than 150 years before his birth. So indeed the author of this book himself looks upon his own prophecies, who constantly emphasizes the significance of his prophecies, saying that they are predicted long before the events (“from of old,” “from ancient times” Is.41:26; Isa 45:21, etc.) and have the meaning of the chief proof in defense of the true God, by contrast with the false predictions of pagan gods (Isa 41:21-23; Isa 42:9; Isa 44:8; Isa 48:3-16, etc.). Finally, in the Bible we have a completely analogous case of such a personal prophecy, namely in III Kings, where it is told how a prophet from Judea more than 300 years before predicted to Jeroboam about the birth of a glorious and pious king—a destroyer of idolatry—and specifically named this king—“Josiah” (1 Sam 13:1-2). “My shepherd.” Not the shepherd of the people or peoples (ποιμην λαων), as sometimes kings are called in the Bible, but my shepherd and my people’s, because he will show special care for God’s people, as is shown in the words that follow: “he will fulfill all my will,” that is, the will of God concerning the release of the Jews from captivity and their return to their homeland. The historical vindication of this prophecy is set forth in detail in the opening chapters of the first book of Ezra (1–3 ch.); and a parallel version with many new details is given by Josephus Flavius (Jewish Antiquities 11:1–2). In it, among other things, it is clearly stated that the chief motive for the publication of the decree on the release of the Jews from captivity was for Cyrus the prophecy itself, which someone presented to him and which greatly impressed him. “And he shall say to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be built,’ and to the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid!’” In these words one rightly sees an allusion to the main points of Cyrus’s decree, which not only released the Jews from captivity but also cared for their future fate. And that this indeed happened is seen from the book of Ezra, where it is noted that upon the order of King Darius the authentic decree of Cyrus was found and in it was read: “In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia… he gave a command throughout all his kingdom, in word and in writing:… All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given to me, and He has ordered me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judea” (Ezra 1:1-3). And of the fulfillment of this command itself, the III ch. of I book of Ezra testifies. (Ezra 3:8-13). In conclusion, one cannot but note that here, as almost everywhere in the prophet Isaiah, behind the immediate historical sense of events there emerges typologically a further spiritual sense, referring to the Messiah and His kingdom. In this sense, Cyrus appears as a type of the Messiah Himself, and then, of course, such epithets as “My shepherd,” “who will fulfill all my will” are interpreted even more easily. Of all the chapters of the 2nd part of the book of the prophet Isaiah that we have examined so far, this chapter 44 is the least original. As we noted already in its analysis, it is almost entirely, with the exception of the three last verses, a mosaic of thoughts and even expressions from the immediately preceding chapters 40–43. Apparently, this circumstance gave some representatives of modern biblical criticism reason to reject the authenticity of this chapter and led them to assume its later insertion (Duhm, Cheyne, Marti, etc.). But the motives they advance for this, like those we set forth above, do not at all give the right to such a decisive conclusion. The habit of frequently returning to certain favorite themes and persistently instilling them into the consciousness of one’s listeners or readers—one of the most characteristic methods of the prophet Isaiah that runs through his entire book and therefore speaks to the contrary, that is, of the authenticity and unity of the book. They even point out that the satire of the prophet Isaiah on idolatry (Isa 44:9-20) is too crude and does not correspond to the actual, fairly elevated conceptions of the Babylonians concerning divinity (Duhm, Scholz, etc.). But against this, first of all, one must object that pagan religions are depicted in exactly the same colors by other biblical authors (Jer 10:2-9; Wis 13:10-19), as well as by ancient Christian writers (Aristides the Philosopher II-XIII ch., Justin, Apol. 1, 9; Letter to Diognetus 2 ch., Athenagoras—Leg., 15–18 ch., Origen—Against Celsus VII, 62–63, etc.). Second, it should be noted that the prophet Isaiah was denouncing, chiefly, the most widespread, vulgar paganism, which, by the general consent of learned historians of religion (Chantepie de la Saussaye, Lenormant, Thiele, etc.), stood at a very low level of cultural development and almost did not distinguish divinity from its fetish. * * * Notes In the Slavonic translation—“Remember these things, O Jacob and Israel, for you are my servant; I have made you my servant, and you, Israel, do not forget me.” That is: remember—and do not forget. Ed. note. The same can be said, using the Slavonic translation. Ed. note. In the Slavonic translation from the LXX, this verse is stated more clearly: “Speaking to Cyrus to understand, and all my will he will do: speaking to Jerusalem you shall be built, and my holy temple I will found.” Ed. note.

Chapter Forty-Five

1–8. The prophetic predestination and consecration of Cyrus, its cause and purpose. 9–19. The inscrutability and greatness of the plans of Divine Providence regarding the salvation of Israel. 20–25. The extension of God’s salvation to all nations of the world.

Isaiah 45:1. Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus: I hold you by the right hand, to subdue nations before you, and I will loosen the loins of kings, that gates may be opened before you, and gates shall not be shut; From verses 1–8, this section of chapter 45, as we have already said, forms a direct continuation of the preceding discourse, constituting the conclusion (thesis, decline) of that very period whose beginning is given in verse 24 of chapter 44. In view of this, the modern division of these two chapters, which violently and mechanically breaks apart two organic parts of one whole, must be deemed rather unfortunate, which is why commentators generally ignore it. The only external justification for such an unfortunate division is the opening words of chapter 45, “Thus says the Lord,” which indeed frequently serve in the Bible as the beginning of a new discourse or important new section. (The division into chapters and verses in the modern Bible was made very late—by Hugo de Caleta and Stephen Gerhard (14th–16th centuries)—and in places quite artificially, so that criticism of it ought not to be constrained). Note: Division into chapters was first made in 586 BC, when the Pentateuch was divided into 154 chapters (sedarim). Half a century later it was divided into 54 sections (parshiyot) and into 669 smaller fragments to facilitate cross-reference searches. This division was used in the annual reading cycle. The Greeks divided the Bible into sections around 250 AD. The earliest division into chapters dates to 350 AD and was made in the margins of the so-called Vatican Codex. The first indicators that the Bible consisted of individual verses were gaps between words, sometimes letters or numbers. They were not applied by all. The first universally accepted division into verses dates to approximately 900 AD. The Latin Vulgate was the first Bible in which both the Old and New Testaments were divided into both chapters and verses. The existing division into chapters was introduced only in the early 13th century by Stephen Langton, later Archbishop of Canterbury. In 1214 he divided the Latin Vulgate text into chapters, and this division was transferred to the Hebrew and Greek texts. Verses were first numbered by Santes Pagninus (died in 1541), then around 1555 by Robert Estienne (Stephanus). The existing system of chapters and verses first appeared in the English Bible of 1560. The division is not always logical, but it is too late to abandon it or to change anything: for four centuries it has settled into cross-references, commentaries, and indices. Editor’s note. “Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus.” A direct address from God to a pagan king has no parallel in Holy Scripture. Other instances of somewhat analogous addresses (to Nebuchadnezzar, to Pharaoh, and to Abimelech) occurred in dreams. This exceptional fact is explained, on the one hand, by the importance of the mission that the Lord laid upon Cyrus, and on the other, by his comparative moral elevation. “And indeed, all historical testimony that has come down to us relates the moral virtues of this leader, whose memory is surrounded by a special luster of glory and respect for his moral qualities, which no one of the famous men of antiquity enjoyed. The great authority on all traditions, Aeschylus, in his Persians (verses 765–772) calls Cyrus a man of good soul, highly intelligent, toward whom the gods were especially favorable. Herodotus III, 89, says that the Persians called Cyrus ‘father’ for his kindness; Diodorus of Sicily (fragments, book XI, 14, 16) speaks of Cyrus as surpassing all his contemporaries in wisdom, courage, and all other virtues, and that he was distinguished by particular goodness, so that the Persians gave him the epithet ‘father.’ Finally, it is known that in his narrative ‘Cyropaedia,’ Xenophon chose him to portray the ideal king and man.” (Vlastov V, 219). “To His anointed.” In the LXX this is rendered as τῳ—χριστῳ—μου, which makes even more clear the prefiguring character of Cyrus in relation to the Messiah-Christ. “I hold you by the right hand, to subdue nations before you.” To hold someone by the right hand, in the language of the prophet Isaiah, means to help him strongly (Isa 41:13). Here there is clearer speech about that glorious subjugation of many nations by Cyrus, which was spoken of enigmatically above, under the image of the victorious march of the “man of righteousness” (Isa 41:2-3). Brilliant vindication of this prophecy is given in the glorious and swift conquests of Cyrus, who subdued to himself all the then-known powerful states and founded a new world monarchy that stretched from the Ganges to the Hellespont and from the Caspian to the Nile. “I will loosen the loins of kings.” Just as the girding of the loins, in the language of Scripture, is a symbol of strength and battle readiness (Ps 44:4; Jer 1:17), so, on the contrary, the loosening of the girdle and weakening of the loins constitutes a sign of powerlessness and uselessness (Isa 5:27; Dan 5:6). “That gates may be opened before you and gates shall not be shut.” A small but characteristic detail; indeed, as contemporary excavations on the site of ancient Assyro-Babylonian cities show, they were all surrounded by walls in which there were several massive gates. In particular, the city of Babylon, according to the testimony of Herodotus (1, 179), had up to a hundred bronze gates (Ps 106:16), which it appears the following verse (verse 2) alludes to.

Isaiah 45:2. I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will break in pieces the bronze doors and cut through the iron bars; “I will go before you and make the mountains level.” By the “leveled mountains” here are symbolized the conquered kingdoms and peoples (Isa 40:4; compare Isa 2:14).

Isaiah 45:3. And I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. “And I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches stored in secret places.” The best illustration of the literal fulfillment of this prophecy is the common account of the riches of Croesus, king of Lydia, that came to Cyrus as a conqueror by right (Herod. 1, 30, 2, 84 and Xenoph. Cyrop. VII, 2, 11). No less treasures came to him in Babylon (Jer 50:37; Jer 51:13). “So that you may know that I am the Lord.” This is the first purpose of Cyrus’s special exaltation, so that he himself, from reflection on his extraordinary successes, would come to the conclusion that the true God was helping him. And it was fully achieved, as is evident from the opening words of Cyrus’s decree, reported by Josephus Flavius: “After the Greatest God of the universe revealed me as king, I am convinced that this is precisely He whom the people of Israel worship; for He indeed predicted my name through the prophets, and at the same time that I would build His temple in Jerusalem, in the land of Judea.” (Josephus, Antiquities 11:1)

Isaiah 45:4. For the sake of Jacob My servant, and Israel My chosen, I have called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor, though you do not know Me. Isaiah 44:28. “For the sake of Jacob My servant… I have called you by your name, I have given you a title of honor.” This is the second purpose and at the same time the principal cause of Cyrus’s calling, raised up by God with the special task (My “shepherd,” “he will accomplish all my pleasure” Isaiah 44:28) to free the Jews and give them the opportunity to rebuild the city and temple again (ibid). Isaiah 45:5. I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God. I have girded you, though you have not known Me, “Though you have not known Me.” This remark, repeated twice, emphasizes, on the one hand, the height and power of Divine Foreknowledge, which knows all about a person long before his birth, and on the other hand, points out that Cyrus’s election was accomplished not by virtue of his personal merits, which did not yet exist, but for the implementation of the higher plans of Divine Providence.

Isaiah 45:6. That from the rising of the sun to its setting people may know that there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. Isaiah 45:7. I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things. “That from the rising of the sun to its setting… I, the Lord, do all these things.” The third and final motive for Cyrus’s calling is that all nations, united under his ruling hand into one political union, could more easily and conveniently become acquainted with true knowledge of God through the captive Jews and their liberator Cyrus. Thus, Cyrus through his remarkable destiny, his wonderful conquests, his high personal qualities, and especially his exceptionally protective attitude toward the Jews caused people to speak of him and of the God of Israel, to whom he ascribed his successes, and through this he became the chosen instrument of the knowledge of God in the ancient pagan world (Ezra 1:2). “I am the Lord, and there is no other, there is no God besides Me… I am the Lord, and there is no other… I, the Lord, do all these things.” The intense repetition of this idea here is directed, obviously, against pagan polytheism and, in particular, against Persian dualism, Cyrus’s official religion. Some hint of the latter some see in the words of verse 7, where the opposition of two principles is set forth—light and darkness, peace and calamities (Pulp. Comment. Orelli and others).

Isaiah 45:8. Let the heavens pour down righteousness; let the clouds rain it down. Let the earth open, that salvation may spring up, and let righteousness flourish with it. I, the Lord, have created it. Isaiah 44:23. “Let the heavens pour down righteousness; let the clouds rain it down; let the earth open and bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together.” The words of this verse present themselves as a hymn of thanksgiving and praise to God for the future deliverance of Israel and for the granting to it and to all mankind of new blessings. The heavens, clouds, and earth—all these are familiar emblems of universal, worldwide joy (see commentary on Isaiah 44:23). It is somewhat more difficult to determine what is meant here by “righteousness” and “salvation.” In the immediate historical sense, “salvation,” which is invited to come upon the earth, obviously means the very fact of salvation or deliverance of the Jews from Babylonian captivity. By “righteousness,” accompanying this salvation, is meant the triumph of Divine righteousness, that is, the vindication or fulfillment of Divine plans for universal salvation, a prototype of which is this deliverance of the Jews from captivity. But in a more remote, prefiguring sense, by “righteousness” descending from heaven to sinful earth, one can understand “the gift of justification,” that is, the forgiveness of sins, united with the grace of the Holy Spirit; and by “salvation”—the consequence of such justification, that is, the obtaining of eternal, true salvation. Isaiah 45:9. Woe to him who contends with his Maker, he who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, “What are you making?” or “Your work has no hands?” Isaiah 45:10. Woe to him who says to a father, “What have you fathered?” or to a woman, “What have you brought to birth?” Verses 9–13 inclusive address the objections or, more precisely, anticipate the doubts that might arise with someone regarding the exact fulfillment of everything that has just been predicted; and also to some extent here is refuted the dissatisfaction with the path of salvation just proclaimed. “Woe to him who contends with his Maker… who says to a father… to a mother: what have you brought to birth.” To whom is this woe proclaimed? Who dares to contend bitterly with the Creator and to express such senseless discontent with his lot? Obviously none other than that same “stiff-necked” Israel, who more than once before, both from the prophet Isaiah (Isa 29:16; Isa 40:27) and from other prophets (Jer 18:1-2), had already received similar lessons for this stubborn fault. One can suppose that the captive Jews, enduring heavy calamities, had already lost faith in the possibility of deliverance, as follows from the complaint of Israel we know of: “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God” (Isa 40:27). But there are also grounds to suppose that the Jews, as proud nationalists, expressed further discontent, hearing a prophecy about the restoration of their city and temple not by some great Jewish leader (for example, the Messiah), but by a king completely foreign to them, a pagan. To this, apparently, the end of verse 11 alludes: “Do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands?”

Isaiah 45:11. Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, its Maker: Ask me about the things to come; will you command me about my children and the work of my hands? Isaiah 45:12. I have made the earth and created humankind upon it; it is my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host. “I have made the earth and created humankind upon it.” The senselessness and presumption of the objections raised are refuted by the Lord with one peremptory argument—a reference to Himself as the Creator of all the world, including mankind itself (compare Isa 40:26; Isa 42:5 and others).

Isaiah 45:13. I have stirred him up in righteousness, and I will make all his ways straight. He will build my city and set my exiles free, not for price or reward, says the Lord of hosts. “I have stirred him up in righteousness…. He will build my city and set my exiles free, not for price or reward.” The discourse again turns to Cyrus, and the prophecy about him concludes with the very same point (the release of captives and the restoration of Jerusalem) with which it began (Isa 44:26). But here is added another new detail—the complete unselfishness of Cyrus’s actions, which, as is known, was brilliantly vindicated historically, when Cyrus not only took nothing from the Jews he freed, but also himself richly rewarded them (Ezra 1:8). “I have stirred him up in righteousness”—this is either a synonym of the expression “man of righteousness” (Isa 41:2), or else an indication of him as the executor of “God’s righteous judgments.” Concluding our discourse about Cyrus, we cannot resist the temptation to cite an excerpt from a cuneiform text, read on the famous Cylinder of Cyrus and having, apparently, quite close analogy with the beginning of chapter 45. In it we read the following: “Marduk sought a righteous king; he took him by the hand, a man after his own heart; he called him by his name Cyrus, king of Anshan; throughout the world empire he pronounced his name….” A scholar who specially commented on this inscription and compared it with biblical prophecy found no grounds for speaking of borrowing by one author from another; but merely expressed the supposition that the prophet Isaiah was acquainted with the style of Babylonian court chroniclers (Kittel – Condamin, Le livre d’Isaie, 273 p.). We, with equal right, can make the opposite supposition, that the Babylonian historiographers were aware of the prediction of the prophet Isaiah and in their records imitated him. Probably they also brought it to the attention of Cyrus himself.

Isaiah 45:14. Thus says the Lord: The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, tall of stature, shall come over to you and be yours; they shall follow you; they shall come over in chains and bow down to you. They will make supplication to you, saying, “God is with you alone, and there is no other; there is no god besides him.” From verses 14–17 there is discourse about the humiliation of paganism, which, if it wishes to be consistent and sincere, must, at the sight of Cyrus’s miraculous conquests, renounce its false gods and confess the One God of Israel, by whose power Cyrus accomplished his wonderful deeds. Many commentators regard this section as messianic and interpret it in the sense of a prophecy about the entry of the pagans into the New Testament church (Vitringa, Pulp. Comm., Dillmann, En., Peter, Vlastov, and others). But such understanding is sharply contradicted by the content of verse 16—about the humiliation of paganism, which they are forced to artificially circumvent. Therefore, we prefer the more realistic interpretation (Orelli, Petersburg professor), which sees here discourse about Cyrus’s various conquests, as natural paths for the spread of true knowledge of God in the ancient world and as a preparatory means, first toward Jewish proselytism, and then toward New Testament Christianity. “The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, tall of stature, shall come over to you… and they will make supplication to you, saying: God is with you alone, and there is no god besides him.” The correct interpretation of this passage is established by comparing it with the parallel passage, where it is said: “In return for you I give Egypt, Ethiopia, and Seba” (Isa 43:3). And here, by connection with verse 13, the same interpretation is needed. Since Cyrus, by his benevolent attitude toward Jewish captives, displayed, among other things, high unselfishness, then as a reward for this the Lord promises him (more precisely, his successors, or his kingdom and people) important and rich new conquests in the form of Egyptian nations. And this natural reward to Cyrus will serve, according to the plans of Divine Wisdom, at the same time as a means toward the triumph of the true God: newly conquered nations will be new witnesses of Cyrus’s wonderful deeds, and consequently, new glorifiers of that God in whose name he accomplished all this.

Isaiah 45:15. Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior. Acts 17:23. “Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.” It is most correct to attribute this exclamation to the prophet Isaiah himself. Discerning in his prophetic vision that the pagan nations entering into the composition of Cyrus’s monarchy, although they will dimly feel the greatness of the true God, will nevertheless remain for them “hidden,” “an unknown God” (Acts 17:23), the prophet wishes to supplement the inadequacy of such knowledge of God with a clearer and more definite confession of Him (compare Deut 28:29; Prov 25:2). Isaiah 45:16. They will all be put to shame and confounded; the makers of idols go in confusion together. Isaiah 45:17. But Israel is saved by the Lord with everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity. “They will all be put to shame and confounded… But Israel is saved… you shall not be put to shame or confounded.” In these two verses an antithesis is given of the immediate future of the pagans and the Jews. The pagans, hoping in their idols, will be put to shame, as they will fall under the hand of the new conqueror. The faithful sons of Israel, receiving freedom by the mercy of their God, will thereby triumph over all their enemies, the idol-worshippers (compare Isa 28:16; Rom 10:11). The beginning of verse 17, where it is said that “Israel is saved by the Lord with everlasting salvation,” should not particularly disturb us, first, because the word “age” and “eternity” often in the language of Holy Scripture have a very conditional meaning (the lifetime of a generation, a tribe, and even of individual persons); and second, also because the Hebrew nation, as we know and observe, had, has, and will eternally continue to exist (Rom 9:27; Rom 11:5).

Isaiah 45:18. For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it a chaos, he formed it to be inhabited): I am the Lord, and there is no other. Isaiah 45:19. I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, “Seek me in chaos.” I the Lord speak the truth, I declare what is right. “For thus says the Lord… I did not speak in secret… I did not say to the offspring of Jacob: seek me in vain. I the Lord speak the truth.” The words of these two verses, on the one hand, are the usual concluding oath to the prophecy concerning the fate of Israel that is customary for the prophet Isaiah, and on the other hand, serve as a kind of solemn introduction or transition to the following prophecy—about the calling of the pagans to God. Reference to the history of the creation of the world, besides assurance of Creative Wisdom and power, has here also the significance of a certain analogy: just as the Lord once by His creative power brought into order the material chaos of the primordial world, so now He is about to put in order the spiritual chaos of the various religious beliefs of mankind, bringing them to the unity of true knowledge of God. Hebraists, incidentally, draw attention to an not quite exact translation of the words: “He did not create it chaos,” which should perhaps more correctly be rendered: “He did not leave it desolate anymore.” In this form, this entire phrase, especially its last expression—tohu—obtains the closest relationship to chapter 1 of the Book of Genesis and, consequently, testifies to its pre-exilic origin. “I did not speak in secret, not in a dark place of the earth.” The Lord clearly and publicly proclaimed His will and the entire course of His Divine economy regarding the salvation of mankind to the people of Israel, and through them to all mankind (Deut 30:11-20 and others). He never spoke in secret (Isa 48:16), and in hidden places, but always before many witnesses (Isa 43:10; Isa 44:8; compare John 18:20). In this respect the word of the true God now presents a contrast with the utterances of false gods: it is known that pythias, sibyls, and pagan priests often transmitted the revelations of their gods either in caves (the Delphic oracle, now Trophonios) or in underground passages of temples (of Jupiter Capitolinus and others).

Isaiah 45:20. Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save. From verses 20–25, that is, to the end of the chapter, there is already a direct address to the pagans, with the purpose of calling them to the true God. In its general content and even in separate expressions, it is very kindred to those numerous passages in the book of the prophet Isaiah in which is set forth God’s judgment over pagan nations, usually concluding with the acknowledgment of their guilt, but at the same time with the forgiveness of it and their turning to God (compare Isa 24:1-23; Isa 26:20-21; Isa 27:1-7; Isa 30:27-33; Isa 23:1-10; Isa 40:24; Isa 41:11-12; Isa 43:13-15 and so on). “Assemble yourselves and come, draw near together, all you survivors of the nations.” This address is identical in meaning with similar earlier ones (Isa 41 and Isa 43:9). What is new here is only that it is directed not to all pagans, but to the “survivors” of them, obviously to those surviving until the future prophetic moment—the coming of the Messiah. “The prophecy sees the time when the corrupt monarchies of the Semito-Cushites are already shattered and when with them fell the corrupting religious system that had turned men into creatures with purely animal instincts. The surviving nations are those which by God’s providence were subjected to the influence of the captive Israelites living among them (2 Sam 17:6; 2 Sam 24:15-16), who in turn were sobered in captivity and never again returned to idolatry.” (Vlastov, V, 231). “The ignorant are those who carry about their wooden idols… which cannot save.” An exposure of idolatry, closely reminiscent of what was said on this subject above (Isa 40:18-20; Isa 31 and Isa 44:9). The fact that Assyro-Babylonian pagans arranged solemn religious processions with the carrying of various foreign gods is testified to by ancient drawings from contemporary excavations, described by Layard and Rawlinson (Pulp. Commentary—177).

Isaiah 45:21. Declare and bring forth your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is no one besides me. “Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old?” This question is also well known from what precedes (Isa 41:26; Isa 43:9; Isa 44:7). The same must be said about the answer to it (Isa 41:4; Isa 42:21; Isa 43:10-12; Isa 44:6-8). Obviously, the discourse is again, chiefly, about the striking clarity and wonderful accuracy of the prophecy about Cyrus, which 150 years before his birth could not have been given by anyone other than the All-Knowing and All-Powerful. But insofar as the prophecy about Cyrus stands in connection with the prophecy about the conversion of the pagans, here the discourse about the latter is not excluded.

Isaiah 45:22. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. “Turn to me… all the ends of the earth.” A clear and expressive call of the pagans to true knowledge of God, partial—in the form of Jewish proselytism and more complete—in the form of their predominant entry into the New Testament church (Ps 21:28 and others).

Isaiah 45:23. I have sworn by Myself: righteousness goes forth from My mouth, an unchangeable word, that before Me every knee shall bow, and by Me every tongue shall swear. “By myself I have sworn: from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return.” As testimony to the highest immutability of everything said, an oath customary in such cases is made (Gen 22:16; Gen 24:7; Exod 13:5; Jer 22 and others). The meaning and significance of God’s oath is revealed by the Apostle Paul (Heb 6:13). “To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.” The best commentary on this passage is the well-known prayer of the same apostle: “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:10-11 Compare also Ps 21:28-30 and Rom 14:11).

Isaiah 45:24. Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him. “Only in the Lord… are righteousness and strength.” That is, only God, as an impartial Judge, can judge everyone correctly, and only He again, as All-Powerful, is able to carry out His verdict. It is precisely with this spirit that all of God’s works are imbued. Hence the Gospel of Christ, according to the Apostle, “is the power of God… in it the righteousness of God is revealed” (Rom 1:16-17). “All who were incensed against him shall come to him and be ashamed.” This is a compressed repetition of what was said in more detail above (Isa 41:11).

Isaiah 45:25. In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall triumph and glory. “In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory,” and it shall not save itself, not by its own merits and deserts, but solely by the saving and merciful grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. These words in no way should be applied only to the carnal Israel, since the greater part of it rejected the Lord and therefore could not receive salvation. Therefore they should be applied to the spiritual Israel, or interpreted in the sense of blessed Jerome: “Those descended from the tribe of the sons of Israel and born from the seed of the Apostles and believing in Christ will have righteousness and eternal glory.” * * * Notes The Delphic oracle and that of Trophonius are not the same. See footnotes.—Ed.

Chapter Forty-Six

1–2. The overthrow of Babylonian deities. 3–7. And the consequent teachings: a) to the whole “remnant” of the house of Israel, 8–11. b) to the “transgressors” among them, 12–13. c) to men of stiff neck.

The two following chapters of the book of the prophet Isaiah (46–47) speak of one and the same subject—the fulfillment of the terrible judgment of God upon Babylon, wherein the first of them speaks of judgment upon its religious condition (ch. 46), and the second upon its political condition (ch. 47). All this discourse of the prophet, apart from its immediate, purely historical significance, also bears an emblematic character: in the person of Babylon, as the chief center of ancient heathendom, is pronounced the righteous judgment of God upon all heathendom generally, with its crude idol-worship and its corrupted culture. It is self-evident that all these revelations provide the prophet with the most grateful material for corresponding religious and moral lessons to his contemporaries.

Isaiah 46:1. Bel has fallen, Nebo is bowed down; their idols are on the beasts and the pack animals; your burden has become a load for the weary animals. Isaiah 46:2. They have bowed down, they have fallen together; they could not rescue those who carried them, and they themselves have gone into captivity. “Bel has fallen, Nebo is bowed down… Your burden has become a load for the weary animals. They have bowed down… they could not rescue those who carried them, and they themselves have gone into captivity.” A highly artistic, dramatic picture, striking in its historical accuracy! The very speech about this proves fully logical and understandable after the news of Cyrus’s victories, since one of the consequences of those victories was also a strong blow dealt to Babylonian idolatry. In the later Babylonian period, to which this vision of the prophet Isaiah belongs, Bel (or according to the LXX, Bel) and Nebo were the two chief deities of Babylon, as attested by the monuments of that era. Of the seven kings of the last dynasty, three have the name Nebo in their names (Nebuchadnezzar, Nabopolassar, and others), and two have the name Bel, or its synonym—Merodach (for example, Belkudurzcur, Belshazzar, and so forth). The names of these same deities are also found on the famous cylinder of Cyrus. Bel is the name of the most ancient Babylonian god, one of the first triad (Anu, Bel, and Ea), later identified with the later Assyrian deity Merodach, or Marduk, and in the form Bel-Merodach was revered as the direct patron of Babylon. In his honor a special temple was erected in Babylon in the form of a pyramid, which Strabo called the “tomb of Bel” and which, according to Oppert’s calculations, was as much as 189 meters high, that is, exceeding even the pyramid of Khufu. On this site stand the modern ruins of the hill of El-Babyl. “Nebo,” “Nebo,” or in Assyrian “Nabu” (related to Hebrew “nabi,” prophet), according to Babylonian theogony, was the son of Bel-Merodach, and was considered the messenger and interpreter of the will of the gods, in the manner of Mercury in Greek mythology. (See “Essays on Assyro-Babylonian Religion” by Prof. S. Glagolev, “From Lectures on Religion,” 1905, p. 58). In his honor was erected in Babylon the famous temple of the seven stars, described by Herodotus under the name of the temple of Bel, although in fact, as the father of the god Nebo, only one of the seven stories was dedicated to him. All this structure, according to Oppert’s calculations, was as much as 250 feet high; at the present time on its site lie the ruins of Birs Nimrod. The prophet knew well the religion of the Babylonians just as well as their religious-political customs. Indeed, in the frequent wars practiced within the extensive Assyro-Babylonian monarchy, there existed the custom whereby victors sought to seize and carry away the deity of the vanquished. This was considered a great disgrace to the vanquished (like the capture of an army’s colors) and important spoils for the victors, who in this way thought to keep the peoples worshipping these gods in their dependence. Viewed from this side also—from the standpoint of knowledge of the then-prevailing customs and morals, the discourse of the prophet Isaiah is likewise beyond reproach. But at the same time it raises fairly serious objections from a historical point of view. On the basis of unquestionable monumental records (the cylinder of Cyrus, the inscription of Nabonidus, and others), it is now established that Cyrus entered Babylon peacefully and even solemnly, and that he not only did not touch the local deities but even showed them signs of special attention. Neither Cyrus nor his successor Cambyses touched the famous golden idol of Bel-Merodach in Babylon; only the third king, Xerxes, carried it away from there, according to Herodotus (I, 183). To eliminate this obvious and rather sharp contradiction, we propose the following sort of hypothesis. All the speech of the prophet Isaiah about the overthrow of the gods of Babylon is not so much a prophetic vision, in the proper and strict sense of the word, as an allegorical metaphor—a new and powerful denunciation of heathenism generally. And since every poetic metaphor allows for plausible fiction, in this case the living creative imagination of the prophet creates exactly such a picture as would have been in this instance. And it is not the poet-prophet’s fault that historical reality made a sharp departure here from the usual pattern. But even this slight defect has for us the significance of a major gain. It shows with certainty that all this section—one of the most chronologically tempting—was written before the fact of which it speaks, and does not represent a later description of already accomplished events, as is usually insisted upon by the defenders of the hypothesis of Deutero-Isaiah.

Isaiah 46:3. Listen to me, house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, borne by me from the womb, carried from the birth of your mother: Isaiah 46:4. And to your old age I am the same, and to your gray hairs I will bear you; I have made and I will bear, support and guard you. The sad fate of the deities of conquered Babylon (which the prophet had the right to expect, although reality did not vindicate his expectations) gives the prophet a convenient opportunity to use it as grateful material for a fresh development and proof of his favorite thought—about the immeasurable superiority of the God of Israel in comparison with the insignificance of heathen gods. “Listen to me, house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel.” To the question to whom this address is directed and who is understood here as the “remnant,” the most correct answer, based on comparison of parallels, is that this refers to all, in general, representatives of the chosen tribe, without distinction of its tribes, who by the time of the fall of Babylon will remain or, more precisely, will be found in it (Isa 1:9; Isa 10:20-22; Isa 11:16; Isa 40:27; Isa 41:8; Isa 43:24; Isa 44:1; Isa 45 and others). “Borne by me from the womb, carried from the birth of your mother, and to your old age I am the same… I will bear you… support and guard you.” A strong and sustained antithesis to heathen gods. Regarding the latter, it is not known when they were registered as protectors of men; but it is well known that at the first necessity for this, they proved impotent to provide actual help. The true God of Israel provides his almighty help to the people chosen by him in all periods of its historical life, that is from its very beginning to the end of its historical existence. Heathen gods need men to carry them, support and guard them; the true God of Israel acts in exactly the opposite way: he himself, like an eagle bearing its young, bears his people, supports and guards it (Exod 19:4; Deut 32:11-12; Isa 44:2; Hos 11:3; Luke 13:34).

Isaiah 46:5. To whom will you liken me, and compare me, and make me like, so that we should be similar? “To whom will you liken me and compare me.” Almost a literal repetition of what was said earlier (Isa 40:18), having in this case a new, compelling motive in the sight of the mockery of these so precious and so revered idols.

Isaiah 46:6. They pour out gold from the purse and weigh out silver on the scale, and they hire a silversmith to make a god from it; they bow down to it and prostrate before it; Isaiah 46:7. They lift it onto their shoulders, carry it and set it in its place; it stands, it does not move from its place; they cry out to it—it does not answer, it does not save from trouble. In these verses once again a strong satirical denunciation is given of Babylonian idol-worship, which we have encountered before (Isa 44:11-12 and Isa 40:19). “They lift it onto their shoulders.” A reference to those solemn religious processions, a hint of which was also given above (Isa 45:20). “They cry out to it, it does not answer.” Strong irony about the complete uselessness of heathen deities. In the Bible it has for itself also a firm historical basis in the story of the sacrifice on Carmel, when the rivals of the prophet of God—Elijah—cried out in vain to their gods (1 Sam 18:26-29). Isa 46:8-11. A moral exhortation, as a conclusion to what has been said, chiefly directed to those of Israel who have gone astray.

Isaiah 46:8. Remember this and show yourselves men; take this, transgressors, to heart; “Remember this… take this, transgressors, to heart”; that is, be attentive, try to understand all that has been said to you—both the insignificance of heathen deities and the greatness of the Almighty Lord. The address—remember—is similar to one of the nearest, earlier chapters (Isa 44:21), as also the very name of the addressees of the discourse, “transgressors” compels us, by analogy (Isa 48:8), to see in them representatives of the whole people of Israel, since an incomparably greater part of it had indeed found itself in the position of “transgressors,” having fallen away (though perhaps unconsciously) from faith in the true Lord.

Isaiah 46:9. Remember what came to be before, from the beginning of the age, for I am God, and there is no other God, and there is none like me. Isaiah 46:10. I declare from the beginning what will be in the end, and from ancient times that which has not yet come to pass, I say: My counsel shall stand, and all that is my pleasure I will do. “Remember what came to be before, from the beginning of the age… My counsel shall stand, and all that is my pleasure I will do.” An appeal to what was done, references to the eternity and timeliness of the plans of Divine Predestination and an indication of the immutability of His counsels—this is one of the favorite and fairly often used literary devices of this writing (Isa 14:24; Isa 41:22; Isa 43:16 and others). In this case such, purely formal verification, contains within itself also a hint of more positive content, namely of that Divine determination according to which the low-fallen world of culture was to be renewed by the influx of fresh peoples, and the descendants of Japheth shall dwell in the tents of Shem (Gen 9:25-27). The right to so think is given by the following verse, where the discourse again turns to Cyrus, the chief cause of such a change.

Isaiah 46:11. I have called the eagle from the east, from a far country, the executor of my determination. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have determined, and I will do it. “I have called the eagle from the east, from a far country.” If before this the prophet wanted to touch the hearts of his listeners with the memory of the past, now he wants to strike them with a prediction of the future, a prediction, though not new, but so important and serious that the prophet often turns to it in such cases, as to the weightiest argument. By the image of the “eagle,” raised up by God from the east for the realization of his providential plans, as is clear from the context (Isa 41:2), Cyrus is understood, called thus either for the swiftness and power of his campaigns, or because he had the image of an eagle on his banners, of which Xenophon also spoke (Cyropaedia VIII, 1, 4).

Isaiah 46:12. Listen to me, you of hard heart, far from righteousness: In the two final verses of this chapter an concluding address is given to people who have completely become coarse, to whose ears access by the prophetic word is particularly difficult, which is why he approaches them only at the end of all, after the two preceding addresses, first to the “remnant” (implicitly—the better part) of the house of Israel (v. 3), then to the “transgressors,” that is, though larger but worse part of it (v. 8). “You of hard heart, far from righteousness.” Although by “hard of heart” Scripture usually understands the whole “stiff-necked” Israel, unbelieving in the Messiah, despite all the benefits and wonders given to it (Ezek 2:6; Ezek 3:7; Isa 50:2; Isa 65:2), nevertheless, according to the course of the author’s thought, in this case we must see not all Israel, but its most hopeless part. In the prophet’s accusatory and exhortatory discourse there is its own gradation, and this—the highest and final member of the given gradation, that is, not ordinary Jews, but the most hardened among them, in particular, for instance, their scribes and chief priests, who neither enter the kingdom of heaven themselves and those wishing to enter it they do not let in (Matt 23:13). They are also called far from “righteousness”; by “righteousness” in the language of the Bible, is usually understood He who said of himself later: “I am the way…, the truth and the life” (John 14:6), His judgments, His righteous sentences. The more particular meaning of this “righteousness” is revealed in the following verse.

Isaiah 46:13. I have brought near my righteousness, it is not far, and my salvation will not tarry; and I will give to Zion salvation, to Israel my glory. “I have brought near my righteousness, it is not far, and my salvation will not tarry.” By the “righteousness” brought near by God, is understood here, in the first place, the salvation of the people of God from Babylonian captivity, which is the starting point of all the discourses of the prophet. But, as everywhere, so also in this case, this immediate historical event also has a corresponding allegorical significance, serving as a prefiguration of the spiritual salvation spoken of further. “And I will give to Zion salvation, to Israel my glory.” According to the terminology of the prophet Isaiah, the word “Zion” has a fairly definite meaning—it points to the center of the future, restored and spiritually renewed Israel, destined to come into being already with the coming of the Messiah (Isa 1:26-27; Isa 29:1; Isa 38:11; Isa 40:10; Isa 62 and others). And since, according to the word of the apostle, this salvation will come “from the Jews” (John 4:22), that is, through the mediation of this chosen tribe, it will of course also serve to the glorification of its true sons, as noted also by Simeon the God-Receiver in the concluding words of his prayer: “a light to enlighten the nations and glory of your people Israel” (Luke 2:32). * * * Nebuchadnezzar—Editor’s note. about 80 meters. Editor’s note.

Chapter Forty-Seven

1–5. The fall of proud Babylon. 6–7. The immediate cause of this – contempt for God’s people and excessive arrogance. 8–11. The suddenness of Babylon’s destruction and an indication of the deeper causes of its collapse. 12–15. An artistically ironic depiction of Babylon’s complete helplessness in the face of the calamities descending upon it.

This chapter is a direct continuation of the previous one: in that one, the overthrow of Babylon’s deity was discussed; in this one, the fall of the city itself is spoken of. But just as in the preceding chapter, Babylon’s deities were taken not so much in themselves as symbolizing all paganism, so here the city of Babylon – the proud capital of a world monarchy – is taken, evidently, as a type of the whole ancient pagan world standing on the threshold of a serious historical catastrophe. Therefore, here too, as before, we should not apply to the biblical text all the demands of finicky historical criticism, keeping firmly in mind that we are dealing here not so much with concrete-historical as with abstract-typological prophecy.

Isa 47:1-3. In vivid imagery, perfectly corresponding to oriental customs and morals, is described the state of extreme shame and degradation to which proud Babylon was soon to be subjected, evidently upon its conquest by Cyrus.

Isaiah 47:1. Come down and sit in the dust, maiden, daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground: there is no throne, daughter of the Chaldeans, and you shall no longer be called tender and luxurious. “Come down and sit in the dust, maiden, daughter of Babylon… daughter of the Chaldeans.” In the Bible, the city of Babylon is often personified as a noble woman, or royal daughter, who has merited disgrace and cursing for her impiety. “O daughter of Babylon the accursed” – cries the Psalmist in his well-known psalm (Ps 136:8). However, it should be noted that the image of a woman, or daughter, is one of the most commonly used in the Bible to denote a nation or its center; hence “daughter of Zion,” “daughter of Sidon,” “daughter of Jerusalem,” “daughter of Moab,” and so forth (Isa 1:8; Isa 23:12; 2 Sam 19:21; Zech 9 and others). Coming down from height and sitting in dust, in the language of Scripture, means sorrow and shame, as we know from the history of Job (Job 2:8) and from many other examples (Deut 28:56; Jer 13:18; Jer 48 and others). Here it especially sharply emphasizes the contrast in Babylon’s position, once sitting at the height of power and glory, now descended to the very bottom, to roadside dust. “And you shall no longer be called tender and luxurious.” The luxuriousness and indulgence of Babylon are testified to unanimously by both biblical and pagan writers (Isa 13:22; Isa 14:11; Dan 5:1; Herod. 1, 195, 199; Curtius V, 1), rightly seeing in it one of the chief causes of the internal demoralization of the Assyro-Babylonian monarchy and its rapid political downfall.

Isaiah 47:2. Take millstones and grind meal; remove your veil, lift your skirt, expose your legs, cross the rivers: Isaiah 47:3. your nakedness shall be exposed, and your shame shall be seen. I will take vengeance and spare no one. In strong and vivid imagery of oriental customs is depicted a picture of the city’s extreme degradation and that of the entire nation. “Take millstones and grind meal.” This most difficult occupation in the East was the lot of captives and especially captive women; therefore, of course, it was not only physically difficult but even more so morally for the former queen (Judg 16:21; Exod 11:5). “Remove your veil… Expose your legs… your shame shall be seen.” The East knows no greater degradation for a woman than what is indicated here by the prophet. The removal of the veil and exposure of the body, especially so much as is necessary to wade through a fairly deep river – all these are such insults to feminine honor from which even public women in the East are usually protected (Gen 38:14-15; Jer 13:26; Nah 3:5). Blessed Jerome, in the prophet’s very emphasis on such purely physical details, sees special punishment for Babylon for its grave sin of moral licentiousness.

Isaiah 47:4. Our Redeemer – the Lord of hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 43:14. “Our Redeemer – the Lord of hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel.” “All commentators observe that this exclamation bursts from the prophet’s soul, whereas the entire prophecy concerning Babylon is spoken by the prophet in the name of the Lord.” (Vlastov). It contains either a reminder of the inevitability of divine judgment upon Babylon (verse 3, cf. Is.43:14; Isa 44:6) or the prophet’s reverent amazement at God’s mercy shown to Israel in the very fact of the destruction of Babylon as its chief enemy. Isaiah 47:5. Sit in silence and go into darkness, daughter of the Chaldeans: for you shall no longer be called the mistress of kingdoms. “Sit in silence, go into darkness, daughter of the Chaldeans: for you shall no longer be called the mistress of kingdoms.” This section of the speech concerning Babylon’s fate, according to the prophet’s custom, ends with the same pronouncement with which it began – the definitive and irreversible proclamation of the final destruction of the Babylonian monarchy by the blows of its new conqueror. “Darkness” – in the language of Scripture, is a symbol of “misfortune and captivity” (Isa 50:10; Mic 7 and others). Babylon and its kings, as we know from the testimony of the prophet Isaiah himself and other prophets, indeed, rose proudly above all other nations, and its monarchs not without reason bore the title “King of Kings” (Isa 13:19; Ezek 26:7; Dan 2 and others). And now from the position of a ruling sovereign it must pass into the state of a captive slave, confined in a dark solitary prison (cf. Lam 2:10; Lam 3:2; Mic 2:8). Isa 47:6-7. These verses reveal the nearest, immediate causes of such terrible destruction of Babylon. Two are indicated here: one – the cruelty of the inhabitants of Babylon in their treatment of God’s people entrusted into their hands (verse 6), another – the excessive pride and vanity of the inhabitants of Babylon, a trait obviously inherited by them from their ancestors, the builders of the famous Tower of Babylon (Gen 11 ch.).

Isaiah 47:6. I was angry with my people, I profaned my inheritance and gave them into your hand; you showed them no mercy, upon the old you laid your yoke very heavily. “I was angry with my people.” The customary biblical perspective on the political catastrophes in Israel’s life, as a result of God’s wrath for Israel’s faithlessness to the Almighty (2 Sam 24:14; Zech 1:15 and others). “You showed them no mercy.” The cruel and contemptuous treatment of the Babylonians toward the defeated Jews was something outstanding even amid the general brutality of manners at that time (Jer 51:34; Ps 136:8-9; Lam 4:16; Lam 5:12). “Upon the old you laid your yoke very heavily.” The mention of the old here hardly has any concrete significance – it is simply a special device for strengthening and sharpening the thought.

Isaiah 47:7. And you said, “I shall be mistress forever,” and did not take these things to heart, did not remember that such a day would come. “And you said, ‘I shall be mistress forever.’” The tyranny mentioned in the preceding verse was a consequence of another, purely spiritual vice of the Babylonians – their boundless self-exaltation, pride, and vanity. This distinctive trait of the spiritual character of the Babylonians was noted earlier in the prophet Isaiah (Isa 10:5-16; Isa 14:1-23), and it, evidently, was the reason that Assyria and Babylon appear in Scripture as prototypes of the antichrist (Rev 18:9-10).

Isaiah 47:8. But now listen to this, you who are given to pleasures, who sit securely, saying in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, nor know the loss of children.” From verses 8 through 11 inclusive, the sudden nature of Babylon’s destruction itself is spoken of, its complete bewilderment and helplessness. The address to Babylon, with an indication of its chief properties, recalling the words of the first verse (“given to pleasures,” “sitting securely”).

Isaiah 47:9. But suddenly, in a single day, both of these shall come upon you, the loss of children and widowhood; in full measure they shall come upon you, despite your many sorceries and all your mighty incantations. “But suddenly, in a single day, both of these shall come upon you – the loss of children and widowhood.” We see that in similar terms the Bible generally depicts the destruction of any peoples and states (Jer 1:10-15; Jer 51:36-43 and others). Evidently, for the child-loving Israel there was no greater grief than the sorrowful widowhood and the loss of children, or forced childlessness in general. And therefore these very images stand out as the most vivid symbols of hopeless despair and sorrow. “In full measure they shall come upon you.” These words, quite intelligible in themselves, provoke strong objection from the perspective of their historical authenticity. For it is known that Cyrus conquered Babylon with no bloodshed at all and treated its capture in the highest degree magnanimously and humanely. What, then, do the prophet’s words about full measure of punishment mean? They mean that the prophet was not writing the exact future history of Babylon, but its most probable, conjectural fate. The only certain and undoubted fact in the entire prophecy was the conquest of Babylon itself by Cyrus. Everything further – only plausible conclusions from this indisputable fact. But the latter took a sharp deviation from their usual course; and the prophecy of the author of the book, having lost in these secondary details, gained greatly in the principal, as it gave clear proof that it is a true prophecy; written before the beginning of Babylon’s conquest, and not after it, as negative criticism asserts. 60 “Despite your many sorceries and all your mighty incantations.” From all countries of the ancient East – Chaldea and Babylon, in particular – were lands of magic and spells. From the testimonies of classical writers (Diodorus, Herodotus) and from data of recent excavations in Assyro-Babylonian territory we know that three following chief forms of magic were practiced there: 1) preparation and use of special amulets and talismans with sacred images or words engraved on them, 2) composition and recitation or singing of special incantation formulas for the purpose of driving away evil demons, and 3) preparation of special horoscopes predicting the fate of their possessors. (Bawlinson “Egypt and Babylon”, p. 58; Lenormant “La Magie chez les Chaldéens”; Sayce “Transactions of Societ. of Bibl. Archeol”, vol. III, 145; IV, 302 – The Pulp. Comm. 205). The first and second forms of magic are indicated in this verse, the third – in verse 13: “you are wearied with your many counsels.”

Isaiah 47:10. For you trusted in your wickedness, saying, “No one sees me.” Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, “I am, and there is no one else.” “Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray.” Under them can be understood a fairly high development of natural sciences and positive knowledge, in which the Babylonians took great pride. But primarily it should be seen as an indication of the extensive development of astronomy, which was chiefly expressed among them in astrology, or stargazing, leading indeed into a labyrinth of the most terrible superstitions.

Isaiah 47:11. Therefore evil shall come upon you, which you cannot explain away; disaster shall fall upon you, which you will not be able to avert, and ruin shall come upon you suddenly, which you do not expect. Trusting in their sorcery and magic, the Babylonians were convinced that, first, they would never be caught off guard, as they would be able to learn in advance of impending danger from their horoscopes; second, they did not even fear danger itself, as they were sure that through their incantations and spells they could drive away any danger. But in this case, they were about to learn experientially all the powerlessness of such means and all the bitterness of disappointment in them.

Isaiah 47:12. Stay with your spells and your many sorceries with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you will be able to help yourself, perhaps you will inspire fear. Verses 12–15 – this entire final section develops the same thought, but in a new, artistically ironic form. “Stay with your spells and your many sorceries.” A clear indication of what was said above (verse 9). “Perhaps you will be able to help yourself, perhaps you will inspire fear.” Merciless irony, reminiscent of the prophet Elijah’s similar irony toward the priests of Jezebel during the Carmel sacrifice (1 Sam 18:27).

Isaiah 47:13. You are wearied with your many counsels; let them stand up and save you, those who study the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who monthly predict what shall come upon you. “You are wearied with your many counsels.” The superstitious divinations of the magi were never stable and allowed for the most various reinterpretations, the hearing of which was as difficult as it was useless (Dan 2:2-11; Dan 5:7-8). “Let them stand up and save you, those who study the heavens and gaze at the stars and monthly predict what shall come upon you.” All these astronomers and astrologers evidently represented the cream of Babylonian wisdom, and now the prophet invites them to strain all their efforts to help their homeland in this difficult time.

Isaiah 47:14. Behold, they are like stubble; fire consumes them, – they do not save themselves from the flame; not a coal remains for warming, not a fire for sitting before. “Behold, they are like stubble; fire consumes them… not a coal remains for warming.” But the hope in these false sages is in vain: they are not only powerless to render anyone real help, but are unable to save even themselves. Before the face of God’s wrath they will perish like stubble before fire (Isa 5:24; Isa 40:24; Isa 41:2); and their destruction will be so final and complete that nothing will remain of them, not even the smallest coal from which a new fire could be kindled, as the prophet again notes ironically. In these words can be seen God’s judgment upon paganism in general, as becomes clear from the comparison with the parallel: “The light of Israel will become fire, and His Holy One a flame; it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in a single day” (Isa 10:17).

Isaiah 47:15. Such have those become to you with whom you have labored, who have traded with you from your youth; each has wandered off in his own direction; no one saves you. “Such,” that is, as equally hopeless in terms of help, as your own sages, have become to you those with whom you have labored – on the cultural, commercial, and military fronts! Evidently, all regions of Western Asia are meant, which stood under the immediate cultural influence of the Assyro-Babylonian monarchy and from which it could expect to receive help. But in vain, for the egotistical politics of others did not recognize such moral obligations. * * * In the Russian translation: “Daughter of Babylon, the spoiler.” In Slavonic it is more expressive. Editor’s note. It seems that these verses are better interpreted as the inevitability of God’s judgment upon the wicked, as it applies to the coming of the Messiah and the sudden punishment of the wicked that will then occur. Editor’s note.

Chapter Forty-Eight

1–2. Address to Israel. 3–8. The stubbornness of Israel as the reason for the pronouncement of prophecies concerning its subsequent fate. 9–11. Glorification of God’s name in the destinies of the Israeli people. 12–15. A repeated address of the prophet with an exhortation to Israel. 16–22. The possibility of salvation for those sons of Israel who have turned to God.

This chapter concludes the first section (chapters 40–48) of the second part of the book of the prophet Isaiah – that section in which the speech was chiefly about the external salvation of Israel: about his deliverance from the impending Babylonian captivity through Cyrus and about the fall of Babylon as a symbol of all political and religious enemies of God’s people. In predicting these events to his contemporaries, often with astonishing, detailed accuracy, the prophet constantly kept in view one chief aim, to which he often returned – to establish in Israel’s consciousness the thought of the greatness and power of the true God, immeasurably exalted above the “nothingness” of pagan idols, and through that, if not to prevent altogether, then at least to weaken and mitigate the force of God’s impending wrath upon them. An example of just such a reproachful and exhortative address to the Israeli people is presented by this concluding chapter of the entire section.

Isaiah 48:1. Hear this, O house of Jacob, those called by the name Israel, who came from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the Lord and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth and not in righteousness. Isaiah 48:2. For they call themselves of the holy city and rely on the God of Israel; the Lord of hosts is His name. From verses 1–8, after a significant address to Israel, the prophet reveals the immediate purpose of the prophecies given to him. Apparently, the prophet’s predictions, being “a voice crying in the wilderness” (Isa 40:3), did not reach the ears of stubborn Israel and did not achieve their aim. However, according to the prophet’s view, they did not lose their important significance by this, which consisted here in depriving Israel of all pretexts for justification (for example, by claiming ignorance) and making him completely undefended before God’s righteous judgment. “Hear this, O house of Jacob, those called by the name Israel and come from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the Lord and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth and not in righteousness. For they call themselves of the holy city.” This is the most complete and varied address to the representatives of the chosen people found in all of the prophet Isaiah. Although, in general, it refers to one collective entity, namely Israel, the very diversity of epithets allows us to distinguish and perceive in it various nuances of thought. Thus, the very first definition – “O house of Jacob” – undoubtedly refers to the entire chosen Hebrew people, without distinction between kingdoms and tribes (Isa 40:27; Isa 41:8; Isa 43:1; Isa 44 and others). The next two definitions apparently intentionally distinguish “Israel” from “Judah.” Finally, the reference to “those who swear by the name of the Lord and only with their mouths confess Him” (Matt 15:8), as well as to those who pride themselves on their descent from the holy city – is again a general characterization of all God’s people, but not from an external, as before, but from another – an internal side, that of its moral imperfection (hypocrisy, violation of holiness, in the absence of inner truth and righteousness). Although the reading “from the waters of Judah” has the authority of comparative antiquity (it is found as early as Blessed Jerome), nevertheless modern commentators not without reason dispute it, finding that here two Hebrew words very similar in form and pronunciation have been confused – “waters” (mayim) and “belly, loins” (mechi); so that the more correct translation would be “from the loins of Judah” (Gen 15:4; Gen 49 and others).

Isaiah 48:3. The former things I declared from of old; they went out from My mouth and I made them known; then suddenly I acted and they came to pass. “The former things I declared from of old.” A recollection of past prophecies as precedents for the new ones – about Cyrus and the deliverance of Israel from captivity. Just as all past prophecies, although predicted long before, were fulfilled exactly, so certainly will this new prophecy also be fulfilled. The guarantee of this is the Almighty’s omnipotence and omniscience: “I announced them and suddenly did it, and all came to pass.” To which the prophet has often appealed before (Isa 41:26; Isa 43:9-10; Isa 44:7-8; Isa 47:11).

Isaiah 48:4. I knew that you are stubborn, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your forehead is bronze; “I knew that you are stubborn, and the sinew of your neck is iron, and your forehead is brass.” The Slavonic translation here better conveys the prophet’s thought, his artistically powerful image of Israel’s extreme stubbornness (Exod 32:9; Jer 5:3; Ezek 3:7-8; Zech 7:12). It was this very stubbornness that barred access to Israel’s heart from all the prophet’s rebuking and warning exhortations. The words of the prophet Isaiah stand very close to the saying of Deuteronomy: “I know your stubbornness and the hardness of your heart” (Deut 31:27; cf. Deut 32:15).

Isaiah 48:5. Therefore I told you beforehand; before they came to pass, I declared them to you, so that you could not say, “My idol did this, my carved image and my molten image commanded it.” “Therefore I told you beforehand… so that you could not say, ‘My idol did this.’” Here the prophet clearly indicates the reason for the prophecies given to him about Cyrus and Babylon, which is evidently a justified concern that Israel, seeing the accomplishment of such unexpected and great events, would not attribute their execution to an alien force of pagan gods and their idols (cf. Isa 41:22-24; Isa 44 and following). We find confirmation of this also in another later prophet (Ezek 20:30-31).

Isaiah 48:6. You have heard it; now see all this; and will you not declare it? From now on I announce to you new things, hidden things that you have not known. “You have heard it – see all this!” You have heard a whole series of similar wonderful prophecies and are a witness to their astonishing fulfillment (Isa 43:10). Among the nearest prophecies of this kind, the prophet Isaiah could have had in mind the prophecy that was fulfilled about the destruction of the Northern Kingdom (Isa 7:8; Amos 2:6; Amos 5:2; Amos 6 and Hos 1:4; Hos 4:6; Hos 11:1). “Will you not declare it?” What more convincing proof do you need if you do not believe facts and do not see in everything previously created by the Lord His omnipotence?

Isaiah 48:7. It is created now, not long ago; before today you have never heard of it, so you cannot say, “Behold, I knew it.” “From now I announce to you new things and hidden things… It is created now… you have never heard of it.” From past events, the prophet’s vision by contrast turns to future ones, which he contemplates with such clarity that they seem to him as if already having come and unfolding before his eyes. By “new things and hidden things” one should first of all understand the prophecy about Cyrus and the deliverance of Israel from captivity, and then all that is historically or typologically connected with it. 61. Negative criticism especially emphasizes the beginning of verse 7 and draws from it what it claims to be an indisputable conclusion about the later writing of this chapter (Dillmann – 425 p.). But this is evident misunderstanding: a confusion of prophetic future with the present. Moreover, in a certain sense, the moment of God’s pronouncement of one or another prophecy is already the beginning of its fulfillment, because the thought and word of God are equivalent to His fulfillment and fact (Ps 32:9).

Isaiah 48:8. You have not heard, you have never known; your ear was not opened beforehand; for I knew that you would deal very treacherously, and that from birth you have been called a rebel. “You have never heard, you have never known it, and your ear was not open beforehand.” “You did not heed the words of the prophets, did not receive the teaching of the law, and did not incline your ear in obedience to the words of blessings and oaths of the covenant which I made with you at Horeb” – as the Chaldean Targum comments on this passage. I knew that you would deal very treacherously, and that from birth you have been called a rebel. The calling of a treacherous rebel “from the very womb of the mother,” in the opinion of Blessed Jerome, is a memory of Israel’s apostasy from its very spiritual birth, when at the foot of Mount Sinai, immediately upon receiving the Divine revelation, it began to worship the golden calf in the absence of Moses (Exod 32 ch.).

Isaiah 48:9. For My name’s sake I defer My anger, for the sake of My praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. From verses 9–11, an explanation is given of the reason for such, at first glance, quite inexplicable divine favor toward the Israeli people. Apparently, the “stubborn” and “disobedient” Israel would not deserve such care for it, and by all justice and righteousness should have been subject to complete rejection and destruction. However, God as before continually saved His people, so even now He spares them for a time. “For My name’s sake I defer My anger, and for the sake of My praise I restrain it for you.” A historical account of the past treatment of the Almighty toward Israel, who tested His longsuffering. Indeed, how many times the treacherous Israel turned away from the Lord, and how many times therefore he already stood on the brink of his complete spiritual and political destruction (Exod 32:10; Num 11:1); but each time the Lord spared His unworthy chosen one, giving him the opportunity for repentance and amendment. The Lord did this not so much for the sake of Israel himself, regarding whose hopelessness He could hardly doubt, as for Himself, for the sake of His own glory. Here the prophet reasons in accordance with the views and concepts of that time. According to their meaning, each nation has its own patron God, who chooses for himself a beloved people and takes every care of them. For the Israeli people, such a patron God was the Lord, who chose (even as if “created”) this people for Himself and took care of them. And so, if the Almighty ever forsook His people and allowed them to perish, then in the eyes of the entire pagan world He would greatly damage Himself, as He would prove either that He made a mistake in choosing a people for Himself, or that He turned out to be powerless to save and protect His people. And so, in order not to give such a scandal to the pagan world, not to bring reproach upon God’s name, and not to darken His glory, the Lord, despite all Israel’s unworthiness, continues to grant him His protection (verse 11, cf. Exod 32:12; Num 14:13; Deut 9:28; Ps 78:10; Ps 105:8 and others). It cannot, however, be overlooked that there is a comparative evaluation of Israel: if, judging absolutely, Israel often proved unworthy of Divine election and thereby as it were testified to the error of the Chooser, then, evaluating that same Israel comparatively, by comparing it with other peoples of the ancient pagan world, we still cannot fail to give it decided preference in many respects. The pagan world was sheer evil; but Israel of all evils was still the lesser.

Isaiah 48:10. Behold, I have refined you, but not like silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. Isaiah 1:25. “Behold, I have refined you, but not like silver.” Comparing this passage with an earlier one from the same prophet: “I will turn My hand against you and purge away your dross as with lye, and remove all your impurities” (Is.1:25) and with the immediately following: “I have tested you in the furnace of affliction” (verse 10), we see that here is spoken of the providential meaning of the sufferings experienced by Israel: all of them had for him one or another positive meaning in the sense of his religious and moral purification and amendment. However, according to the prophet’s consciousness, this purification never was so decisive and complete as would be desirable and as occurs in the smelting of noble metals – not like silver (Compare Zech 13:9 and Mal 3:3). The immediate reference is to the purifying fire of Babylonian captivity (Isa 42:25). Isaiah 48:11. For My own sake, for My own sake, I do it – for how should My name be profaned? and My glory I will not give to another. “For My own sake, for My own sake, I do this – for how should My name be profaned!” Strongly emphasizes the thought of verse 9 and makes it even more evident and clear. Now, instead of reproach, new glory comes to the name of the Lord, who saves Israel not for any merits of his own, but solely by His great and rich mercy, as He said earlier: “I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Isa 43:25; Cf. Isa 44:22; Cf. Ezek 20:14; Cf. Ezek 36 and others). “My glory I will not give to another.” Comparing this place with the nearest parallel: “and I will not give My glory to idols” (Isa 42:8), we are convinced that by “another” here is understood the god of a pagan nation that might destroy Israel and on the basis of this celebrate the victory of its deity over the God of Israel. Isa 48:12-15. The entire following section from verses 12–15 presents a new, gentler address to Israel with an exhortation, in which the prophet repeats his customary and favorite arguments in such cases, which we have encountered more than once before. He points to the special closeness of Israel as a “chosen” people to the Lord (verse 12, cf. Isa 41:9; Isa 42:6), to His Eternity, Almightiness and unchangeableness (ibid., cf. Isa 41:4; Isa 43:10; Isa 44:6), to His Creative power (verse 15, cf. Isa 40:22; Isa 42:5; Isa 44:24; Isa 45:12), to His immeasurable superiority over the deities of other pagan nations (verse 14, cf. Isa 43:9; Isa 45:18-20 and others) and to His final famous prophecy about Cyrus and Babylon (verses 14–15, cf. Isa 44:28; Isa 45:1-7; Isa 46:11 and others).

Isaiah 48:16–22. From verses 16–22 comes the third and final exhortation to Israel, distinguished by particular solemnity of style. Based on this, as well as on certain individual characteristic expressions (“Come to me, listen” verse 16, cf. Isa 49:1; “now the Lord has sent Me… and His Spirit,” verse 16, Isa 61:1 and others), commentators believe that this speech belongs to the “Servant of the Lord,” the “Messenger of the Covenant,” that is, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity – the Son of God, in whose name the prophet here appears. Isaiah 48:16. Come to me, listen to this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time it came to be, I have been there; and now the Lord God has sent me and His Spirit. After the solemn opening of the speech, the Lord points to the open and clear character of His saving and providential relations with His chosen people. “From the beginning I have not spoken in secret.” “Not in a dark place of the earth,” as the prophet explained this earlier (Isa 45:19), contrasting the precise and indisputable meaning of divine prophecies with the dark and ambiguous utterances of pagan oracles. “From the time it came to be, I have been there.” If it is right to refer this speech to the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, then in these words one should see a parallel to the well-known saying of Hypostatic Wisdom: “from of old I was installed, from the beginning, before the creation of the earth” (Prov 8:23). “And now the Lord God has sent me and His Spirit.” If one allows that what was said above refers to the eternal counsel of God concerning the salvation of men, then here, evidently, the temporal mission of the Son the Redeemer is spoken of: “Then I said: Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me” (Ps 39:8).

Isaiah 48:17. Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you for your profit, who leads you in the way you should go. “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” The meaning of such expressions was revealed by us earlier (Isa 41 and Isa 43:14). “Who teaches you for your profit, who leads you in the way you should go.” A powerful and expressive image of the Lord’s providential and guiding relations with Israel (Deut 4:7-8; Deut 7:6-10; Ps 47 and others).

Isaiah 48:18. Oh, that you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Isaiah 48:19. Your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like its grains; his name would never have been cut off or destroyed before Me. It speaks of those possible blessings that were open to Israel and which he would undoubtedly have enjoyed if he had remained faithful to his covenant with the Lord. “Oh, that you had paid attention to My commandments!” A beautiful parallel to this is given by the Psalmist: “Oh, that My people would listen to Me, and Israel would walk in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their oppressors… and their prosperity would endure forever” (Ps 80:14-16)! “Then your peace would have been like a river.” Namely, a definite river, as it is sometimes given with the addition – “the Euphrates.” “And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” “Oh, if the people would heed the commandments of the Lord, then their peace would be likened to the flow of a quiet, majestic river carrying blessing, rest and benediction; and their righteousness would be likened to the power of waves rushing upon the shores of unbelief and flooding them and breaking through even the rocks with unceasing action” (Vlastov).

Isaiah 48:19. Your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like its grains; his name would never have been cut off or destroyed before Me. “Your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like its grains.” This is one of fairly common images used by the prophet Isaiah, obviously originating from the era of patriarchal blessings (Isa 10:22; Isa 43:5; Isa 44:3; Gen 22:17-18 and others). But the Hebrew people violated the covenant and thereby destroyed the force of the blessings granted to them by God. “His name would never have been cut off or destroyed before Me.” A clear indication of the loss of political independence and all the future, inglorious history of Israel that resulted as a natural consequence of his own behavior (Deut 22:9). The Israeli people lost the meaning of their historical existence, wherefore the Lord Himself later said to him: “Therefore the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people producing its fruits” (Matt 21:43). The image itself is apparently taken from the Jewish custom of erasing from genealogical books the name, or even the entire surname of a person who had somehow especially disgraced himself.

Isaiah 48:20. Go out from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare this, make it known, bear it forth to the end of the earth; say, “The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob.” Isaiah 48:21. And they thirst not: He led them through the deserts; He caused waters to flow out of the rock for them; He split the rock, and waters gushed out. The last two verses, directly following the beginning of the speech (verse 16), conclude it with a vivid, dramatic picture of the exodus of the Jews from Babylonian captivity, depicted in part by similar traits to their flight from Egyptian slavery (Exod 12:33; Exod 17:6; Num 20:11). Since historically the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity happened quite differently (Ezra 1:5-8; Ant. of Jews 11:1.) and others), it follows that here we have not a prophecy, but a “symbol” having a broader and more general significance. Babylon here appears rather as an abstract, typological image of evil, from flight from which – as a necessary condition of new, renewed life – the sons of spiritual Israel are called, summoned to spread the Gospel of the kingdom of God “even to the uttermost parts of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Isaiah 48:22. There is no peace, says the Lord, for the wicked. “There is no peace, says the Lord, for the wicked.” This is the stern, warning voice of the prophet, a kind of memento mori, which usually sounds from him at the conclusion of important sections of his book (Isa 57:21). * * * Probably here a prophecy of the coming of the Messiah and the liberation of Israel is more fitting. Editor’s note.

Chapter Forty-Nine

This is one of the most important messianic chapters of the prophet Isaiah, directly adjoining chapter 42 and having the closest connection with chapters 50 and 52. It begins the second division of the second part of the book of the prophet Isaiah (chapters 49–57). Beginning from this chapter, the subject matter of the prophet’s speech noticeably changes: the prophet ceases to speak of the Babylonian captivity and the role of Cyrus as temporal and transient events, and directs his gaze chiefly toward that eternal world event which was to open a new era in the history of all humanity (redemption through the Messiah). True, the prophet Isaiah had touched upon this subject more than once before (especially in chapter 42), but as it were in passing and veiled, more figuratively than directly. Now, however, the external history of the chosen people of God recedes into the background, while the internal history of God’s economy of salvation for Israel and all the sinful world through the voluntary sacrificial death of the Redeemer comes to the forefront. Hence begins the most important section of the book of the prophet Isaiah, for which he received, above all, the well-deserved honorable title of “the Old Testament evangelist.”

1–5. The calling of the Son of God to His special, messianic ministry; 6–7. the extension of His mission to the Gentiles; 8–12. the miraculous and beneficial character of this ministry and its beneficial fruits; 13–21. a solemn thanksgiving hymn to the Lord from the face of all the reborn and renewed Zion; 22–26. the victorious triumph of the New Covenant, spiritual Israel over all its enemies and the highest glorification of the Lord.

Isaiah 49:1. Listen to Me, islands, and attend, distant peoples: the Lord called Me from the womb, from My mother’s womb He named My name; “Listen to Me, islands, and attend, distant peoples.” A call to special attentiveness in view of the extraordinary importance of the subsequent discourse (Isa 48:16); and also, probably, an indication of its comprehensive, universal character, since it concerns not only the narrow circle of the chosen people, but also all “distant peoples” (cf. Isa 43:4; Isa 24:15-16; Isa 41:1; Isa 52:4).

Isaiah 6:1–6. “The Lord called Me from the womb, from My mother’s womb He named My name.” These words can least of all be applied to the prophet Isaiah himself, who, as is known, was called to his prophetic ministry in mature age (Isa. 6:1–6). Only with great strain can they be interpreted relative to a collective personality (for instance, all of Israel, cf. Isa 44:2). But it is most natural and best to apply them to a singular personality (Isa 42:4; Jer 1:5) and namely to the personality of the Beloved Servant of the Lord, concerning whose especial calling “from old” and concerning the very naming of whose name the prophet Isaiah has already spoken more than once before (Isa 7:13-15; Isa 42:6; Isa 48:15; cf. Ps 109:2). As for the fulfillment of these prophecies, the evangelists speak to us of it (Matt 1 and Luke 1:31). Some commentators call attention to the fact that here, at birth, only one mother is mentioned, which seems to give a veiled allusion to his virgin conception. Isaiah 49:2. and made My mouth like a sharp sword; with the shadow of His hand He covered Me, and made Me a sharpened arrow; in His quiver He kept Me; “And made My mouth like a sharp sword…a sharpened arrow.” A poetic image, frequently encountered also in other places of the Old and New Testament, characterizing the penetrating power of God’s word (Ps 44:6; Ps 119:4; Heb 4:12; etc.). Among the parallels from the prophet Isaiah himself relevant here, one can point to the following: “I put My words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens and set the earth firm, and to say to Zion: ‘You are My people’” (Isa 51:16; see also Isa 11:4; Isa 42:1). All of this eloquently depicts the irresistible action of the messianic proclamation, penetrating into the most secret recesses of the human spirit and powerfully subduing itself to its will (Heb 4:12).

“John 1. “In His quiver He kept Me.” The arrow “chosen”—this is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. God had many other arrows—leaders and prophets—by means of which He influenced hardened humanity; “but the chosen and most excellent of all arrows, Christ, was hidden in the foreknowledge of the Father, as it were in a quiver” (St. Cyril of Alexandria. In Jn. 1).” Isaiah 49:3. and said to Me: You are My Servant, Israel, in You I shall be glorified. “You are My Servant Israel,—in You I shall be glorified.” It is beyond question that this passage cannot be applied to the historical, fleshly Israel, because then a sharp contradiction would result with one of the preceding verses (v. 5). It is risky to apply it to the prophet Isaiah himself, because this would not at all accord with the prophet’s personal humility and the actual character of his ministry. It remains, therefore, the only possible and correct interpretation to apply this address to the Messiah, the Servant of the Lord. “Appearing in the world, the Servant of the Lord is depicted here as the fulfiller of God’s will (Ps 39:8-9; Matt 5:17); and since the fulfillment of that will constituted the historical calling of the Israelite people and served to glorify the Lord, then He who fulfilled all God’s will, the Servant of the Lord, through this appeared as the representative of Israel, through whom God is glorified (cf. Isa 42:1; John 17—St. Petersburg professor).”

John 13:31. “In You I shall be glorified.” The best commentary on these words is the well-known, solemn beginning of Jesus Christ’s farewell discourse with His disciples: “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him” (Jn. 13:31). And St. John Chrysostom in one of his commentaries beautifully elucidates that “God esteems our salvation as His glory” (Vol. 10. Sermon 7, on 1 Cor 2:6-7). Isaiah 49:4. But I said: I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and emptiness. Yet surely My right is with the Lord, and My reward is with My God. “But I said: I have labored in vain.” By these words the Servant of the Lord, the Son of God, expresses doubt in the success of His mission—even more than that—He recognizes its uselessness and seems to become disappointed in it. The historical justification for these words should be seen in that sorrowful circumstance that the first and immediate purpose of the Messiah’s coming—the gathering of the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matt 15:24; Matt 23:37)—was not accomplished because of their hard-heartedness (John 1:11). In the consciousness of this seeming insufficiency and incompleteness of the redemptive mission of the God-man should be seen the chief reason for that deepest heart-ache and that sense of oppression and abandonment which the Divine Sufferer experienced according to His humanity, both the night before, during prayer concerning the cup in the Garden of Gethsemane, and while hanging on the cross, in the last moment before death (Matt 26:37-38 and Matt 27:46). “Yet surely My right is with the Lord, and My reward is with My God.” Instead of the words “right” and “reward” the LXX and Slavonic translation have: “judgment” and “work”. In the Hebrew text the first concept is expressed by the term mischpath, which means “judgment,” and also the “legal right” recognized by judgment to something (Deut 21:17); and the term peulla, having a corresponding synonym in the Latin word merces—“reward,” “payment for work.” Consequently, the sense of this consolation would be as follows: although the work of the Messiah, that is, the result of His redemptive ministry, will not be accompanied by the desired success with regard to the greater part of the Jewish people, nevertheless through this it will not lose its value in the sight of the highest Divine righteousness, which clearly sees that the cause of such partial failure lies not in the activity of the Messiah, but in the hard-heartedness of men who oppose truth. Expressions analogous to this were encountered by us in the prophet Isaiah before (Isa 35:4; Isa 40:10). As for the very character and content of this reward, it will be spoken of below (Isa 53:10-12).

Isaiah 49:5. And now the Lord says, He who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, and that Israel be gathered to Him—I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and My God is My strength. “And now the Lord says…I am honored in the sight of the Lord and My God is My strength.” The present verse stands in the closest connection with the preceding one and serves as a further development and intensification of the thought contained in it. In the fourth verse is depicted the process of internal struggle in the soul of the Messiah regarding the value and usefulness of His ministry, ending in the victory of positive sentiments. Here such a decision is as it were sanctioned by the authority of God Himself, Who solemnly assures that the activity of His messenger will not only not lose its reward, but will merit special honor, because, in essence, it is accomplished in the name and by the power of God Himself. The whole period which we have omitted, from the words “He who formed Me from the womb” and ending with the words “that Israel be gathered to Him”—represents an ordinary insertion, merely, so to speak, sharpening the main thought, but not introducing any new data into it. Regarding this insertion, properly speaking the second half of it, one can only observe what the blessed Jerome emphasized with special attention, namely, a textual variation in the Hebrew, Massoretic text, Targum, LXX and Aquila read in the positive sense: to bring Jacob back to Him and that Israel be gathered to Him; but the blessed Jerome, as well as Symmachus and Theodoret translate in the negative form: Jacob will not turn back and Israel will not be gathered.

Isaiah 49:6. And He said: It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; but I will also make You a light to the nations, that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. “And He said: It is too small a thing…I will also make You a light to the nations, that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” The divine encouragement of the Messiah reaches its highest point. Not only that, the Lord says, your labor will not be completely fruitless even regarding its immediate purpose—the salvation of Israel—since the best representatives of Israel, “his holy remnant” will hear the proclamation of the Messiah and respond to it; but it will receive new and enormous profit through the attraction to the proclamation of the Messiah of new members of the kingdom of God, the Gentiles, scattered over all the face of the earth (Isa 1:9; Isa 11:11; Isa 42:6; Joel 2:32; Luke 2:30-32; Acts 13:46; Rom 9:27). Thus, the mission of Christ goes beyond the narrow limits of Jewish nationality and acquires its proper universal Christian character.

Isaiah 49:7. Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, His Holy One, to the despised one, whom the nation abhors, to the servant of rulers: Kings shall see and stand up, princes shall bow down, because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen You. 62 “Thus says the Lord…despised by all, abused by the people, servant of rulers.” This, strictly speaking, is the beginning of a new discourse of the Lord, though closely connected with the former. It reveals the miraculous and beneficial fruits of the messianic ministry, which, of course, is at the same time the best proof of its high significance and meaning. “The seventh verse is quite an important moment in the process of gradual communication of the Old Testament revelation about the suffering Righteous One. On the one hand, it reproduces the known passage (Ps 21) (partly Ps 68), in which the Sufferer-Christ speaks of Himself: ‘I am a worm and not a man, a reproach of men and despised of the people’ (7 v. Cf. Ps 68:15), and on the other hand, it serves as an introduction to the prophecy of chapters 42–43, where the sufferings of the righteous one are depicted in such detail” (I. Grigoriev “The Prophecy of Isaiah concerning the Messiah and His Kingdom”—p. 168. Kazan 1902). But following this brief moment of temporal humiliation of the Messiah, at once comes the moment of exaltation, which is depicted in the prophet in such colors: “Kings shall see and stand up; princes shall bow down because of the Lord who is faithful…who has chosen You.” From a state of voluntary humiliation the Savior of the world shall be exalted to the height of glory befitting Him. “The kings of Tarshish and the islands shall bring Him tribute; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall offer gifts; and all kings shall bow to Him; all peoples shall serve Him” (Ps 71:10-11). The actual fulfillment of this prophecy is given in the entire history of Christian peoples, where kings and rulers often went ahead of all to Christ and led their peoples to Him. Not without foundation also the ancient Christian tradition considers the known wise men of the East, who came to the cave to worship Christ the Infant, as local princes or kings (The pulp. Comment. 231 p.). All this will come to pass “because of the Lord who is faithful, because of the Holy One of Israel,” “because the Messiah—sent from the Lord—is consubstantial with the Father; because, despite the form of a servant, He is God Almighty; because the One who chooses and the Chosen are one: ‘I and the Father are one’” (John 10—Vlastov). “The second half of the verse transfers the reader to the future moment of the triumph of the Messiah, when He shall overcome the sin of the world and shall be surrounded by the brilliant halo of unearthly majesty. The kings, who before despised the humble Servant, now with reverent respect shall gather around His throne; the princes, who hitherto shrank from the suffering Servant, shall bow their knees before Him and submit to Him” (I. Grigoriev Op. cit.).

Isaiah 49:8. Thus says the Lord: In an acceptable time I have heard You, and in the day of salvation I have helped You; and I will keep You and give You for a covenant to the people, to restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages; “Thus says the Lord: In an acceptable time I have heard You and in the day of salvation I have helped You.” The content of verse 8 gives a direct answer and resolves the doubt expressed in verse 4: “I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and emptiness.” No, all this was done by no means in vain, but reached God and received from Him an appropriate response. Although the verbs “heard” and “helped” appear, it seems, in past forms, in reality they refer to future time, to the moment of the forthcoming glorification of the Son of God after His voluntary humiliation. This is the so-called praeteritum propheticum—“prophetic past,” which in order to express the certainty of the future speaks of it in the language of the past. Although the help of the Lord to His Servant was, as is known, rendered to Him throughout the whole duration of His messianic ministry (Luke 2:40; John 3:2; John 8:28; John 12:28; John 14 and others), nevertheless the chief and most obvious moment of its bestowal is indicated here as a special acceptable time (καιρω—δεκτω), a day of salvation. The Apostle Paul, citing this passage from the prophet Isaiah, applies it to his time, that is, to the triumph of the Christian church, and in particular, sees the fulfillment of this prophecy in the universality of Christianity and in its all-conquering power (2 Cor 6:2-10). All this eloquently spoke more than any words that the work of the Messiah was far from being futile.

Deuteronomy 3:28. “And give You for a covenant to the people, to restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages.” Revealing still more definitely and clearly the scope and character of the messianic ministry of His Messenger, the Lord says that His chief role will be that of founder, or restorer of the covenant between God and men. To a certain degree, it will be analogous to the role of the mediators of the Old Covenant (Moses and Joshua—Deut. 3:28; Josh 1:6), who restored the covenant of the Israelite people with God and divided the land of Canaan among the tribes of Israel), but it will infinitely surpass them in its breadth and comprehensiveness. Hence, by “the desolate heritages” in the messianic sense should be understood the entire domain of the pagan world, desolated by the errors of idolatry, but once having known better times, more close to true worship of God (“ancient monotheism.” That is why it says “restore”).

Isaiah 49:9. to say to the prisoners: Go forth; to those who are in darkness: Show yourselves. They shall feed along the roads, and their pastures shall be on all the bare heights; Isaiah 49:10. They shall not hunger or thirst, nor shall the scorching wind or sun strike them; for He who has compassion on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them. From verses 9–12 continues directly and develops further the same thought—about the beneficial fruits of the messianic ministry of God’s Messenger. Of them the first two verses (9–10) even serve as the conclusion of that period which began with the second half of verse 8. “That you may say to the prisoners: Go forth, and to those who are in darkness: Show yourselves…They shall not hunger or thirst and the scorching wind or sun shall not strike them.” The image of “prisoners released from prison” used here gives some ground for supposing that the discourse concerns the exit of Jews from the Babylonian captivity. But comparing this image with all the others present here (deliverance from hunger and thirst, from sun and heat), and also bringing in the corresponding parallels (Isa 61 and Isa 62:7), we are fully convinced that all this is nothing else than symbols and emblems for expressing the idea of high spiritual joy. The image of “prison or darkness in general,” in which the pagan peoples found themselves, becomes especially expressive and powerful by contrast with the “light” which the Messiah brought with Himself (John 1:4-5; Matt 5:14; Phil 2:15). Similarly, the other, purely evangelical image of the “good shepherd,” used here, and also more than once before by the prophet Isaiah, should be recognized as remarkably apt (Isa 30:23; Isa 40:11; Isa 42:15-16; cf. John 10:9-11).

John 6:35. “The whole of verse 10 takes images from the book of Exodus. But the present meaning of hunger and thirst and their eternal satisfaction in the spiritual sense is revealed only by the Lord (Jn. 6:35, 54)…As for the complete and final fulfillment in the future of the prophecy about those led by the Compassionate “to the fountain of waters of life,” cf. Rev 7:16-17: ‘They shall hunger no more nor thirst anymore, and the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb…will shepherd them and lead them to springs of living water’ (Vlastov)”. Isaiah 49:11. And I will make all My mountains a road, and My highways shall be raised up. “And I will make all My mountains a road…Behold, some shall come from afar; and behold, some from the north and from the sea, and others from the land of Sinim.” Concluding His discourse about the productive and fruitful ministry of the Messiah, the Lord prophetically unveils a picture of the wonderful and magnificent multiplication of the Christian church, the way to which will be, so to speak, a “great, well-trodden road” for all peoples, along which continuously thick crowds of peoples will flow from all ends of the earth. The images of “mountains” and “roads” found in the indicated verses should be compared with their parallels: “Prepare the way for the Lord…every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low.” (Isa 40:3-4). “And there shall be a great road and a way, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness” (Isa 35:8). One should also bring in here the well-known messianic prophecy of Isaiah about the “mountain of the house of the Lord,” which shall be manifest in the last days and shall be set on the head of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all peoples shall flow to it (Isa 2:2-3; cf. Isa 56:7).

Isaiah 49:12. Behold, these shall come from afar; and behold, some from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim. “Behold, these shall come from afar…some from the north and from the west, and some—from the land of Sinim.” 63. The blessed Jerome sees here the usual Biblical indications of the four cardinal directions. If “north and west”—serve as quite clear indication of North and West, then “afar” and “land of Sinim,” obviously, indicate East and South; the term “afar” (merahoh), in all probability, gives a hint at the East; then the land of Sinim—will indicate the South. 64 Most modern commentators are inclined to see in the land “Sinim” or “Henim” a hint at the distant southeastern country—China, information about which the prophet supposedly could have had even in his time (Gesenius—St. Petersburg professor, p. 776). However, “the standard English commentary” disputes this, on the weighty ground that the ethnic name of China was not even known to the Greeks until the era of Ptolemy (120 years before Christ). Therefore, under the land of Sinim he sees one of the southern Phoenician regions, of which under the name of the land “Sinim or Sinites” also speaks the well-known biblical table of nations (Gen 10:17).

Isaiah 49:13. Sing for joy, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth; break forth into singing, O mountains; for the Lord has comforted His people and will have compassion on His afflicted. “Sing for joy, O heavens, rejoice, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains.” The present verse occupies in the structure of chapter 49 a special, middle position, serving as it were as a dividing line of its two halves—one, originally messianic (1–12), the other—serving as a repetition and more detailed development of the first (14–26). Of itself, it represents a quite usual for the author of the present book solemn laudatory hymn to God the Creator and Redeemer from the face of the whole universe (Isa 44:23; Isa 52 and others). “For the Lord has comforted His people and will have compassion on His afflicted.” Here are indicated the motives of that high joy to which the prophet invites the whole world. 65. By the “compassion” and “comfort” mentioned here, according to the thought of the author, should be understood not so much the immediate deliverance of Israel from the Babylonian captivity, but rather its more distant, messianic image—the liberation of spiritual Israel from the bonds of sin, curse and death (Isa 2:3). In the interests of the unity and authenticity of the book of the prophet Isaiah, one should also pay attention to the quite characteristic term “afflicted” used here, encountered also in the first part of the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 11:4). 66 Isa 49:14-17. From this point inclusive comes a special encouraging discourse of the prophet, addressed by him to Zion. Essentially, it represents somewhat modified repetition of the earlier discourse of the Messiah Himself (v. 4). Just as there the Messiah lamented the needlessness and seeming pointlessness of His future mission, so here the entire people, of whom the Messiah was the representative, pours out unjust complaints of their abandonment and forsaking by God. And just as then the Lord dispersed all doubts and despondency of His Servant, so now He clearly manifests the entire groundlessness of such fears in Zion.

Isaiah 49:14. But Zion said: The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me. “But Zion said: The Lord has forsaken me, and My God has forgotten me!” Comparing this place with one of the nearest parallels (Isa 40:27), we have every right to refer it to the historical Israel and to that faint-heartedness and murmuring against God, which more than once came forth from the lips of this stiff-necked and ungrateful people, always ready to transfer the responsibility for all their supposed and real misfortunes to someone else, chiefly to God Himself. And in this case under Zion, murmuring against God, should be understood, evidently, again the same Israelite people, in the person of its generation contemporary with the prophet…Their representatives, experiencing a whole series of historical troubles, hearing the threatening denunciatory discourses of the prophet and not seeing the fulfillment of their earthly false messianic plans, came into despondency and, as usual, murmured against God for abandoning and forgetting them. The prophet does not leave all this without an answer; but in the very answer he skillfully substitutes a new subject of discourse: instead of the old Zion—that is, the fleshly historical Israel, he passes to the new, spiritual Zion, that is, to the Church of Christ, and beautifully explains that this true and only worthy to God Zion, the Lord will never abandon and will not forget with His mercy, but on the contrary—will give it wide distribution and high flourishing. In the Old Testament period Zion was called the mountain of God, on which stood the temple of the Most High, sanctified by Him (1 Sam 8-9 ch.). The spiritual center of humanity was among the community of the faithful to the Lord, who with faith and hope listened to the prophets who spoke of Emmanuel. The sins of the people and the constant defilements of the temple (Ezek 8-Ezek 9:7; Ezek 10-Ezek 11:23), seemingly, destroyed Zion on earth…But in the following words of the prophecy of Isaiah we see that the Lord fulfills the promises given to all humanity, and then the name of Zion is transferred to all those who call upon the name of the Lord (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:21); for, as the Apostle Paul says to all Christians: ‘You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to myriads of angels, to the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven’. (Heb 12:22-23 – Vlastov).

Isaiah 49:15. Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even should these forget, yet I will not forget you. “Can a woman forget her nursing child…yet I will not forget you.” The strength of the love and care of the Lord for His faithful Zion surpasses all, the very strongest and most inseparable natural, human bonds.

Isaiah 49:16. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; your walls are always before Me. “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms.” A new, no less powerful image of the constant remembrance by God of His spiritual Zion. At the same time, it notes a characteristic, purely everyday trait of the primitive peoples of the East—to make on themselves, on the face or hands, special, mnemonic marks, as witnessed by ethnographers and historians of Palestine (Deut 6:8; Deut 11:18 The pulp. Commentary—p. 233). “Your walls are always before Me.” As Zion serves as an emblem of the whole people, so the “walls” of Zion are a symbol of the whole city (Ps 50:20). St. Cyril of Alexandria under the “walls” of the Christian church allegorically understands the apostles, evangelists and in general, the pastors and leaders of the church.

Isaiah 49:17. Your children shall make haste; your destroyers and those who laid you waste shall go away from you. In it the prophet announces solid, inner peace to faithful Zion, through the return of true sons and the removal of all harmful members. Instead of the words: “your children shall make haste” the LXX, Targum, Vulgate 67 and other translations have “your builders,”—which occurred through confusion of two phonetically similar Hebrew words—banajh (“your children”) and bonajh (“building you”),—in correspondence with which a certain change was also made to the subsequent discourse. The commentary of the St. Petersburg professor prefers the Hebrew Massoretic text. In the messianic sense by the true sons of spiritual Zion are understood “the children of light,” on whom the temple of the living God is built (John 12:36; 1 Cor 3:16-17; 1 Cor 6:19; 2 Cor 6:16); and by the destroyers and despoilers—those false teachers and heresiarchs of the young Christian church, against whom the holy Apostle John the Theologian complained: “they went out from us, but they were not of us” (1 Jn. 2:19) and Paul: “Would that those who unsettle you would castrate themselves!” (Gal 5:12). Isa 49:18-21. From verses 18–21 inclusive all these thoughts, with even greater expressiveness and force develop in a new magnificent image, especially close and understandable to the peoples of the ancient East. For them, especially for the Jews, there was no greater misfortune than childlessness and widowhood, and on the contrary—there was no greater joy than numerous offspring. And behold, Zion, which at first is presented in a sorrowful role as a childless widow, is now depicted in the position of a rejoicing bride, to whom numerous offspring is already assured, so abundant that it will even be cramped around its mother, who herself will marvel where she, still so recently childless, barren and abandoned by all, suddenly gathered such a large and already grown family?

Isaiah 49:18. Lift up your eyes round about and see; all of them gather together, they come to you. As I live, declares the Lord, you shall put them all on like an ornament, and bind them on you as a bride does. “Lift up your eyes round about and see—all of them gather together, they come to you.” An inspired, highly poetic appeal, encountered in the prophet Isaiah more than once, in connection with the calling of the Gentiles into the church of Christ (Isa 60:4; Isa 61:10). It is not without reason that it entered into the composition of one of the songs of the well-known paschal canon.

Ephesians 5:23–24. “You shall put them all on like an ornament, and bind them on you as a bride does.” “The abundance, variety and beauty of the children of Zion gathered from everywhere are like the abundance, variety and beauty of an adorned bride. The comparison of the church with a bride in Sacred Scripture is one of the usual, cf. Song of Songs, Ephesians 5:23–24” (St. Petersburg professor). “The Bride” of Christ in the New Testament is called the entire church, not just one part of it (2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:29; Rev 21:2; Rev 22:12 and others).

Isaiah 49:19. For your waste and desolate places, and the land of your destruction, shall now be too narrow for inhabitants, and those who swallowed you up shall be far away. Verses 19–20 speak particularly clearly of the replacement of the former children of fleshly Israel with new sons of spiritual Israel, and the colors for this picture are taken from the subsequent fate of the historical Israel. “For your waste and desolate places and your desolate land.” The land of Judea, desolated by the invasion of the Babylonians, serves for the prophet also as a symbol of the soulless and barren religion of form, into which the full-of-spirit and powerful legislation of Moses degenerated for later Jews. And now, in the church of renewed Israel, on the place of this empty wilderness shall appear, according to the word of the prophet, thick crowds of people, to whom it becomes even cramped in Jerusalem and its surroundings.

Isaiah 49:20. The children born during the time of your bereavement shall yet say in your ears: The place is too cramped for me; make room for me, that I may dwell. “The children born in your bereavement.” The image is taken from the historical fact—the death through voluntary naturalization in Babylon of many Jews, in place of whom the Lord promises to raise up new children of Israel, of whom more is spoken in the following verse.

Isaiah 49:21. Then you will say in your heart: Who has borne these for me, seeing I was bereaved and barren, exiled and put away? And who has brought up these? I was left alone—where then have these come from? “Who has borne these for me?…who has brought them up?…where were they?” With these exclamations of amazement the prophet quite clearly shows us the unusualness and supernatural character of the fact of which he speaks. Consequently, the discourse here is not of fleshly birth of natural children, but of the miraculous spiritual birth of children of the New Covenant church. Some commentators in this astonishment are ready to see a prophetic allusion to those disputes about circumcision and the significance of the Mosaic law, which existed in the primitive (chiefly Jerusalem) church and which were resolved at the apostolic council (Acts 15:5-29).

Isaiah 49:22. Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations, and raise My signal to the peoples; and they shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders. As if in answer to the questions of the preceding verse, God Himself says that all this has come to pass not by itself, not by way of some natural historical processes, but solely by the wave of His almighty Hand, which is obeyed by all the mighty of the earth. “I will lift up My hand to the nations, and raise My signal to the peoples.” The raising of the hand and the raising of the signal—this is a sign by which attention is drawn to all to the important content of the subsequent discourse. The blessed Jerome allegorically understands by the signal the instrument of redemption—the Cross of Christ, the symbol of the victorious sign of Christians. “Nations” and “peoples” here are definitely called those territories which will produce from among themselves the chief contingent of the future children of spiritual Israel, that is, the Church of Christ.

Isaiah 49:23. Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers; they shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who wait for Me shall not be put to shame. “And kings shall be your foster fathers and their queens your nursing mothers.” This, first of all, is a symbol of the highest honor which the newly converted children of the New Covenant church shall enjoy. But it is not free from a positive historical sense, as we have already seen before (see commentary on verse 7). In particular, one cannot help but remember the example of the holy equal-to-the-apostles king Constantine and his mother Helen.

Isaiah 49:24. Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or shall the captives of the tyrant be delivered? Isaiah 49:25. Surely, thus says the Lord: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered; for I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will save your sons. Isaiah 49:26. And I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with new wine. Then all flesh shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. In concluding His discourse about the power of the exclusive Divine protection of the New Covenant church, the prophet on behalf of the Lord says that no usual examples and comparisons can be applied to it. Thus, among men it is thought that no one can wrest the prey from the hands of the mighty or captives from the victor (24). With the Lord, on the contrary, the prey of the tyrant will be taken from him and the captives will be delivered from slavery to the victor. The very images of “prey” and “captivity” are taken, it seems, from the era of the Babylonian captivity; but received here a messianically allegorical character, which the blessed Jerome interprets adaptively to the discourses of Jesus Christ about the power of Satan over the sinful world, destroyed by the blood of the Redeemer. * * * In the Slavonic translation of the LXX instead of “Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, His Holy One, despised by all, abused by the people, servant of rulers”—“Thus says the Lord, the God who has delivered you of Israel: Sanctify the one who despises his own soul, hated by the nations, servants of princes.” One gets an entirely different, far more befitting the chosen one of God sense. Not a servant of rulers—but only temporarily abused by the nations, slaves of princes! Note of the editor. According to the LXX “Persia” and the Slavonic translation “and others from the land of Persia”—Note of the editor. It is completely clear—they shall come from the north and from the sea. The sea is the Mediterranean, and all the islands are there. And the land of Persia lies to the east, Persia. From afar—the south. There inhabited lands lie far away, beyond the Arabian desert. Note of the editor. In the Slavonic translation from the LXX: “and comfort Your humble people.” Note of the editor.

Isaiah 11:4. “But with righteousness He shall judge the humble, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth.” Note of the editor. In the Slavonic translation—“shall soon be rebuilt”—Note of the editor.

Chapter Fifty

1-3. Israel’s sins and transgressions as the reason for God’s abandonment of it. 4-9. The self-denying service of the people by the Messiah, assisted by the Lord Himself. 10-11. Encouragement of believers in the Messiah-Savior and a terrible judgment over those who do not believe in Him.

Isa 50:1-3. The introductory section of the present chapter is so closely connected with the content of the preceding one that many commentators do not separate them at all, but begin the independent section of chapter 50 only from the fourth verse (Bp. Peter, Dillmann, Duhm, etc.). In chapter 49, in response to Zion’s complaint that the Lord forgot and abandoned it (14), the prophet answered thoroughly that the Lord never forgot and cannot forget His faithful Zion, and that He, on the contrary, will multiply, exalt, glorify, and set it high above all its enemies. But, as we have repeatedly noted above, all these promises referred only to the “faithful Zion,” that is, to the spiritual Israel, or the New Testament Church, where only a small “remnant” of historical, carnal Israel will enter; the majority of it will remain outside the Church and beyond God’s special care for it. Finding it just that the aforesaid complaint of being abandoned and forsaken by God also came from this majority, the prophet does not leave his answer unclear, convincingly proving that the responsibility for such a sad outcome lies not with God, Who did everything to preserve and keep the Jewish people with Him, but with this same disobedient and perfidious people.

Isaiah 50:1. Thus says the Lord: Where is the bill of your mother’s divorce, by which I sent her away? Or which of My creditors did I sell you to? Behold, you are sold for your iniquities, and your mother is sent away for your transgressions. “Where is the bill of your mother’s divorce, with which I sent her away?” Based on the context of the speech, by “mother” of the sons of Israel complaining here (Isa 49:14) should be understood Zion, or Jerusalem, as the spiritual-political center of all united Israel. The analogy of God’s relationship to Israel with a marriage or family union in general is one of the most commonly used images in the Bible, especially frequently encountered in the reproving and exhorting speeches of the prophets (Hos 2:4; Jer 3:1; Ezek 16 and Ezek 17 chapters and others). Particularly instructive in this respect is the allegorical image of an adulterous wife, detailed in the first three chapters of the prophet Hosea (1-3 chapters). But the main point here, properly speaking, is not this. From the universally recognized analogy of the Highest’s relationship to Zion as a husband to wife, the prophet wants to derive the answer to the posed question: why did the Lord abandon the majority of Israel? Ordinarily, when such mutual separation between spouses occurs among the Hebrews, it is always based on a bill of divorce, which according to the law the husband must give to the wife he is dismissing, indicating the very reason for the divorce (Deut 24:1-3). Consequently, when the initiative for divorce comes from the husband, the wife always possesses a special, important document, often completely rehabilitating her in the eyes of strangers, third parties. The prophet now demands from the wife sent away by God, Israel, the presentation of this document. It turns out that the mother of Israel’s sons does not have such a document; consequently, the Lord, as the other party in this broken marriage, cannot be blamed even in the slightest for this divorce, which entirely falls to the account of the second, solely guilty party, that is, the mother of Israel herself. “Behold, you are sold for your iniquities, and your mother is sent away for your transgressions.” Herein lies the true reason that the majority of Israel found itself deprived of divine protection. It is not from the Lord that the rejection of His people comes (Rom 11:1-2) and He did not sell His children. They themselves rejected the Holy and Righteous One (Acts 3:14) and one of His disciples sold his Teacher (St. Petersburg Professor).

Isaiah 50:2. Why, when I came, was there no one, and when I called, no one answered? Is My hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, by My rebuke I dry up the sea, I turn the rivers into a desert; the fish in them stink for lack of water and die of thirst. “Why, when I came, was there no one, and when I called, no one answered?” If the Lord had given Israel a bill of divorce, He would bear a certain measure of responsibility for the separation that occurred. In reality, however, He did not sympathize with or contribute to such a separation, but on the contrary, cared for its strengthening and power, although He did not meet a corresponding response from the other side. “Behold, by My rebuke I dry up the sea, I turn the rivers into a desert; the fish in them stink for lack of water and die of thirst.” These words give a fairly transparent hint at facts of God’s visitation of Israel, that is, the rendering of help and protection to it, as, for example, at the crossing of the Hebrews through the Red Sea (Exod 14), or at the dividing of the waters of the Jordan in the time of Joshua (Josh 3:1), or at the turning of water into blood during the Egyptian plagues (Exod 7:20-21). But Jerusalem, which beat the prophets and stoned those sent from the Lord, did not understand even on the day of the solemn entry of the Lord into it that which served for its salvation and peace, as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself witnessed (Matt 23:37).

Isaiah 50:3. I clothe the heavens with darkness and make sackcloth their covering. “I clothe the heavens with darkness and make sackcloth their covering.” It is hardly necessary here to seek indications of any specific historical facts: apparently, this is the customary reference in the Holy Scripture of both covenants to the Almighty of the Creator, having its full sense also in the present case, as testimony to the immutability and faithfulness of the Highest, presenting a complete contrast to the treachery of the Jewish people (Jer 4:28; Ezek 32:7-8; Joel 2:10; Joel 3:15; Luke 21:25). In view of all this, the guilt of Israel itself for its rejection by God becomes obvious to all, and the judgment of the Lord Himself: “Behold, your house is left… empty” (Matt 23:38) is completely understandable and profoundly just.

Isaiah 50:4. The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary; He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear to hear as the learned. Isaiah 50:5. The Lord God has opened My ear, and I was not rebellious; I did not turn away backward. From the fourth verse begins a new speech, or more precisely, a return to one that occurred earlier—about the Son of God, His service, and characteristics (Isa 49:2-8 and Isa 52:6-7). Its connection with the preceding chapter 49 will become completely natural and clear if we exclude from the content of these two chapters the involuntary digressions (Isa 49:14; Isa 50:3), caused by the necessity to examine the unfounded complaints of Israel against the Most High.

Isaiah 49:2. “The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should speak a word in season to him that is weary… (He) has opened My ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn away backward.” Even blessed Jerome complained that the Jews of his time, wishing to distort the meaning of messianic prophecies, interpreted, among other things, the present passage in the sense that they referred it to the personality of the prophet Isaiah himself and saw in it a simple divine encouragement to the prophet not to lose heart and not to weaken in his preaching to the people. In exactly the same way, the majority of the newest, rationalistically-minded exegetes (Grotius, Calvin, Baur, Gesenius, Umbreit, Hitzig, Hoffmann, Knobel, Briggs and many others) deal with this prophecy. But a more careful analysis of this prophecy and an impartial comparison of it, both with the context of the speech and with parallels, convinces us that the subject of the speech here is not the prophet, but the Messiah already known to us. The very first testimony that the speaker gives here about himself, that the Lord gave him the tongue of the learned, gives both a strong refutation of the rationalistic hypothesis (“the prophet would hardly have glorified his own virtues”—Orelli justly remarks—page 183) and weighty support for our opinion, insofar as it reveals a very close similarity of this image with an earlier, undoubtedly messianic place: “and made My mouth like a sharp sword” (Isaiah 49:2 our commentary on this passage). The power of His word and the tongue of His divine wisdom the Messiah revealed even as a twelve-year-old child in the Jerusalem temple before the assembly of scribes and Pharisees (Luke 2:47). Concerning His subsequent, properly messianic preaching, the Savior, all the evangelists agree in remarking: “and they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority” (Luke 4:32; Matt 7:28-29). Regarding the content and origin of this preaching, the prophet, as is his custom, proposes a special image. The relationship of the Highest to His Servant he compares with the relationship of a careful and insistent teacher to a diligent and attentive student: just as such a teacher daily awakens his student in the morning and in every way maintains his attention and hearing (“awakens his ear”), so the Lord opens the ear of him who listens to Him and places in it the content of a certain teaching. It is curious that this image (“You have opened my ears for me”) appears again in one psalm, which generally has a rather close relationship to the passage under consideration from the prophet Isaiah (Ps 39:7). But an interesting history occurred with the text of that psalm: The Hebrew masoretic text translated it literally: “You have opened my ears.” The Septuagint and our Slavic translation, however, translated it quite differently: “A body you have prepared for me.” This translation should be recognized as very ancient and authoritative, because the apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews cites precisely it (Heb 10:5) and sees in it a prophecy of the great sacrifice of Golgotha. Indeed, the connection of this prophecy of Isaiah with the idea of sacrifice becomes evident from the subsequent context: I was not rebellious, I did not turn away backward. Obviously, the Messiah, depicted here in the position of an attentive student (“with open ear”), is also drawn as a very obedient student, as the apostle confirms, saying: “He humbled Himself, becoming obedient even to death, and death on a cross.” (Phil 2:8). The general sense of the two verses we are examining here will therefore be as follows. The Messiah will receive from God a wonderful gift of persuasion and wisdom, which He will direct chiefly toward helping all those who are weary in the difficult struggle of life against religious, moral, and social injustice (Isa 42:7; Isa 61:1-2; Matt 11:28). And all this—both the words and the deeds of the Messiah—is not a product of His own imagination, but the direct revelation of the will of God Himself; “I can do nothing of Myself. As I hear, I judge, and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30). “I… do nothing of Myself, but as My Father taught Me, so I speak. And He who sent Me is with Me; the Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him” (John 8:28-29). The Son is so “learned obedience” to God the Father that for this reason He goes to the greatest self-sacrifice of humiliation and servitude, down to shameful death itself: “Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of Me: I delight to do Your will, O My God” (Ps 39:8-9). “Not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42); although, indeed, both of these wills, in virtue of the consubstantiality of the Godhead, coincide perfectly with one another: “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30).

Isaiah 50:6. I gave My back to those who beat Me, and My cheeks to those who struck Me; I did not hide My face from insults and spitting. “I gave My back to the smiters and My cheeks to those plucking out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.” If the end of the preceding verse still spoke rather obscurely of the state of voluntary humiliation and crucifixion death of the Messiah, this verse speaks of all this with such striking prophetic clarity as strongly reminds us of the historical narratives of the evangelists (Matt 26:67; Matt 27:26-30; John 19:1-4; and others). “All that was typological in the personality of Job (Job 30:10), that was depicted typologically-prophetically about suffering in the psalms of David (Ps 21:17-18), of which the prophet Jeremiah spoke in his mournful speeches (Jer 20:10), all this finds perfect fulfillment in the personality of the Messiah” (Delitzsch). Hebraists find that instead of the word “smiters” should stand “tearing out the hair from me.” This is already such a detail of torments about which the evangelists are silent; but that it was quite possible is attested by an analogous case from the post-exilic period (Nehem 13:25). On the whole, in the force of its pictorial quality and clarity, this verse can be placed in parallel only with chapter 53 of the prophet Isaiah (verse 5 and following).

Isaiah 50:7. The Lord God helps Me; therefore I am not confounded; therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed. From verses 7-9 comes the clarification of the true character of such voluntary humiliation of the Messiah. In the eyes of self-deluded Jews, such humiliation of the Messiah could shake His authority and give occasion for refusing to recognize Him as the Messiah. The prophet hastens here to prevent this false excuse and disperse this prejudice, continuing to speak again from the Face of the Messiah Himself. “Humiliated by men and abandoned by all (Matt 26:31; Mark 14:27), He does not lose heart and does not come into confusion, knowing that the Lord, His Father, is his helper and defender (John 16:32; John 8:29), that no one can convict Him “of sin” (John 8:46); and all his opponents, being at the same time opponents of God (John 12:47-50), will perish from moral corruption (John 8:24) like a garment from moths” (Commentary, St. Petersburg Professor, page 787). “I am not ashamed… I set My face like a flint, and I know I will not be ashamed.” Since the Messiah did not commit any morally transgressive deed for which He should be ashamed, and since everything He did was done from the Face of God Himself and with His ever-present help, He can hold His face high, look boldly everyone in the eye, and be unyielding and firm as a flint before all expressions of human hatred and malice. It is curious that such characteristic expressions as “to be in shame” and “to hold one’s face” occur also in the first part of the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 29:22; Isa 37:27).

Isaiah 50:8. Behold, the Lord God will help Me; who is he that condemns Me? Behold, they all shall grow old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. Isaiah 50:9. Behold, the Lord God helps Me; who is he that condemns Me? Behold, all they that rise up against Me shall be as a worn-out garment, and the moth shall consume them. “He that justifies Me is near… Behold, the Lord God helps Me.” In these words the prophet, as it were, contrasts the unjust judgment of unrighteous judges with the eternal judgment of Divine Justice, before which this temporal humiliation appeared as a source of eternal glory, both of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and of all who believed in Him (Rom 1:4; 1 Tim 3:16; Acts 3 and others). The very drama in the picture of this judgment is also very characteristic of both parts of the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 1:18; Isa 3:13-14; Isa 5:3; Isa 34:5; Isa 41:1 and others). Isa 50:10-11. The last two verses form the natural conclusion of the speech, the first preaching encouragement and at the same time a call to “those who have hearkened” to the voice of the Messiah, while the second announces the heavy fate of those who resist Him.

Isaiah 50:10. Who among you fears the Lord, obeying the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God. “Who among you fears the Lord, obeying the voice of His Servant?” The Septuagint translated the last verb, instead of the indicative form, in the imperative: “let him obey,” which, in view of the subsequent context, will apparently more correctly express the thought of the prophet. Here, therefore, an appeal is made to all those who fear the Lord and strive to come out of darkness into light, so that they would not stubbornly refuse to recognize the Messenger of God as the true Messiah, in Whom the fulfillment of the law and the prophets is concentrated (Matt 5:17).

Isaiah 50:11. Behold, all you that kindle a fire and gird yourselves about with firebrands, walk into the light of your fire and into the firebrands that you have kindled! This shall you have of My hand: you shall lie down in sorrow. “Behold, all you that kindle a fire… walk into the light of your fire.” This verse, as it were, develops the thought of verse 9 about the destruction of all enemies of the Messiah. They themselves by their delusions, vices, and direct enmity have prepared for themselves the terrible fire on which they will find their ultimate destruction. The historical fulfillment of this prophecy can be seen in the tragic account of the last days of Jerusalem (Josephus, “The Jewish War”). “This shall you have of My hand; you shall lie down in sorrow.” That is, for your wickedness God will allow you to receive terrible torments, as another prophet also says: “you shall lose the inheritance of your forefathers, which I gave you, and I will enslave you to your enemies, into a land which you do not know, because you have kindled the fire of My wrath; it will burn forever.” (Jer 17:4). Based on the context and comparison of parallels (Isa 49:2 and others), we must also ascribe this severe judgment to the Messiah. Although this, apparently, does not correspond to the image of the meek, humble, and loving Servant of the Lord, it should not be forgotten that, besides these predominant traits, there were other characteristics in the image of the Messiah, depicting Him as the Righteous Judge and impartial Rewarder (John 5:22; Matt 25). Some commentators (for example, The Pulpit Commentary) find that chapter 50 has no connection with the preceding narrative and is a brief fragment from some lost work, which the compilers of the book of the prophet Isaiah considered necessary to preserve for posterity and include in this book. But a more careful and serious analysis of this chapter clearly shows both its close kinship with the preceding messianic sections (chapters 42 and 49) and its introductory character with respect to the important following chapters (52-53). Much debate in exegetical literature has also been provoked by the question of the subject of the prophecy of this chapter, that is, to whom the predictions contained here refer. We have already seen that most rabbinic and rationalistic commentators consider the subject of the prophecy to be the prophet himself (see commentary on verse 4). Others (Paulus, Seinecke) refer it not to an individual person, but to a collective, understanding by it the best part of the suffering Jewish nation. Against such a peculiar view speaks the direct meaning of the text, analogy with other Old Testament parallels, and especially the striking coincidence with evangelical narratives; we pointed to all this opportunely in the very interpretation of the text. Here, in addition to what has been said, we consider it necessary to add that the Christian antiquity already recognized the messianic meaning of this chapter. Thus, Saint Justin the Martyr in his “Apology,” verse 6 of chapter 50, considers it the clearest prophecy of the sufferings of Jesus Christ. Tertullian in the Fourth Book against Marcion, verse 6 of chapter 50, places it on a level with messianic psalms (2, 21) and chapter 53 of Isaiah, referring all of this to the sufferings of the Savior. In the same way, do Holy Irenaeus of Lyons, blessed Jerome, Saint Cyprian, and others. Finally, many medieval and modern exegetes (Cornelius a Lapide, Calmet, Allioli, Paulus, Hengstenberg, Dillmann, Orelli, etc.) also recognize the Christological significance of this prophecy. See more detail in the dissertation of I. Grigoriev “Prophecies of Isaiah about the Messiah and His Kingdom,” pages 175-178. On this basis, the Holy Church offers the prophecy of this chapter as a patristic reading in the Friday of Holy Week at the third hour (Isa 50:4-11 verse). * * * Also, apparently, one can interpret it as a prophecy about the granting to believers of the Body of Christ in communion with the Lord? Editor’s note.

Chapter Fifty-One

The present chapter 51 constitutes one continuous narrative with the following chapter 52, which is why many exegetes usually consider and examine them together.

In terms of its content, this new section of Isaiah’s prophetic speeches presents, as it were, a certain, if not contradiction, then in any case a major variety compared with the preceding one (chapters 48-50): in the latter, the prophet predominantly addressed unbelieving Israel; in the present, on the contrary, the prophet addresses faithful Israel and seeks to encourage and comfort it in the impending trials and disappointments by pointing to the subsequent glorification and triumph that will follow them. However, both in the earlier section and in the one under examination, various fates of historical Israel serve the prophet merely as a starting point for his speeches; their main subject is the future fates of spiritual Israel, that is, the messianic age and the New Testament Church. “This prophecy (chapter 51) is preceded by an introduction having the character of an oratorical address and divided in turn into three parts: verses 1-2, 4-6, 7-8, each of which begins with the words: ‘Hear Me’ (Commentary, St. Petersburg Professor, page 789).”

1-3. The God-given comfort of His faithful Zion. 4-6. The enlightenment of all peoples through it. 7-16. The triumph of Zion over enemies and its eternal spiritual joy under the protection of the Almighty. 17-23. The restoration of Jerusalem by God and the divine recompense to its enemies.

Isa 51:1-3. The first appeal to faithful Israel and the first comfort of it, based on a historical example taken from the life of the very father of believers—Patriarch Abraham. Just as the patriarchal couple—Abraham and Sarah—were once alone and aged, so that, by the laws of nature, had already lost all hope of offspring, and yet, by God’s will, became the ancestors of the entire Jewish nation, so, by the same Divine help, Zion, now lying in ruins and representing a lonely, wild waste, can be transformed into a luxurious garden and a flourishing paradise.

Isaiah 51:1. Hear Me, those who pursue righteousness, and those who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. “Hear Me, those who pursue righteousness, those who seek the Lord!” Who and to whom is speaking here? Since the beginning of this speech is not separated in any way from the preceding one, it must be supposed that here too the speaker is either the Most High Himself, or His Messenger, as they spoke in the preceding chapter; moreover, the Messiah in His deeds and words, ultimately, merges with the Most High God of the Covenant. The persons to whom this speech is directed are named more specifically—“those who pursue righteousness, those who seek the Lord.” Under “those who pursue righteousness and those who seek the Lord,” in the language of Holy Scripture, are understood persons who strive to arrange their lives in exact accordance with the Divine law (verse 7) and thereby achieve both personal righteousness and closeness to the ideal of Highest Justice—the Lord Himself (Ps 33:15; Prov 15 and others). Concerning them the one beatitude speaks under the name “those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matt 5:6; Matt 6:33). “The One who speaks these words connects the coming Kingdom of God’s Justice with the promises given to Abraham and Sarah. Israel, their descendant, is represented figuratively as hewn from a barren rock and born from a dry pit. But just as from the barren (by common laws) forefathers God was pleased to create a numerous people, so they will multiply and be blessed, all who seek the Lord and His righteousness. And let their faith be strengthened by remembrance of the father of believers.” (Vlastov, page 277. Cf. Gal 3:16-29).

Isaiah 51:3. Therefore the Lord will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places. He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of singing. “Therefore the Lord will comfort Zion.” The Hebrew verb noaham standing here is used in the past tense. This is the customary perfectum propheticum among the prophets: this same verb occurs very frequently in the prophet Isaiah in exactly the same form (Isa 40:1; Isa 49:3; Isa 51:12; Isa 52 and others). “And He will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be in her, thanksgiving and the voice of singing.” Although Nebuchadnezzar, in conquering Jerusalem, did leave for the poor vineyards and fields (2 Sam 25:12 and Jer 52:16), the population preserved was so small that it was unable to cultivate the land, so that Jerusalem and its surroundings indeed, with time, came to resemble “a wild desert” (Ezek 36:34). As for the colors with which the rebirth of Zion is depicted, all these images—“deserts turned into gardens,” “songs resounding in the night of the sacred festival” and others—should be recognized as very characteristic of the prophet Isaiah and equally typical of both parts of his book (See Isa 29:17; Isa 30:25-29; Isa 32:15-19; Isa 33:17; Isa 35:1-10; Isa 40 chapters and others). It should also be noted the prophet’s mention of “paradise,” or “garden” of God. He compares the future blessedness of Zion with it, as with something already long and well known to all. Consequently, even if we admit, in accord with the rationalists, the very latest origin of the book of the prophet Isaiah, that is, in the epoch of the Babylonian captivity, even then we could not justify Delitzsch’s hypothesis that the legend of paradise was supposedly borrowed by the Hebrews from the Babylonians. If anything like this really existed, the prophet Isaiah in no case could yet refer to the history of paradise as something already long known to all. Hence it is clear that the history of paradise is far older than both the prophet Isaiah himself and the epoch of the Babylonian captivity.

Isaiah 51:4. Hear Me, My people, and give ear to Me, My nation: for a law shall go forth from Me, and I will make My justice a light to the peoples. The second appeal, specifically to the chosen people of God, or, more precisely, to the best representatives of it; the argument for the appeal here is the marvelous manifestations of Divine Justice, which will soon appear as a source of salvation and light for all who believe in it, and which will have eternal, unceasing significance. “Hear… give ear to Me!” Such persistence in the appeal points to the special importance of what is being pronounced. “For a law shall go forth from Me and I will make My justice a light to the peoples.” The concepts of “justice” and “law” in the language of Holy Scripture have their technical meaning and are almost synonymous: “justice” is the revelation, the disclosure of the judging and justifying Divine will, that is, the same Divine law, but in a more general form—both written and unwritten. Justice and law are here spoken of in the future tense, which, based on the context of the speech, we must take literally. Consequently, here is given a prophecy of some special and extraordinary future revelation of Divine will, having universal, universal, and eternal significance (verse 6).

Isaiah 42:1. “Here is pointed to the spiritual law of the Gospel, which shall come forth from Zion, and not that which was once given by Moses on Sinai” (Blessed Jerome). Earlier the prophet assigned this mission “to establish justice” among the islands and “to kindle light” in the revelation to the nations to His Son, the Messiah (saying “Behold, My Servant”; Isaiah 42:1, 4, 6), consequently, the subject of the speech here is the same Person! Apparently, it was not something other than these same passages that Simeon the God-receiver had in mind in his famous prayer (Luke 2:29-31). Isaiah 51:5. My righteousness is near, My salvation is gone forth, and My arms shall judge peoples; the coastlands will wait upon Me, and on My arm they will trust. “My righteousness is near; My salvation goes forth, and My arm shall judge the nations.” According to the property of Hebrew speech full of parallelism, all three images standing here refer to one and the same subject, namely, that which in the preceding verse is designated as the new “justice” and “universal light,” that is, evangelical teaching and law. Here it is considered and defined from three sides: as “righteousness”—the highest criterion of Divine Justice and the source of human justification before God; as “salvation”—freely given to us for the sake of the cross of the Savior of the world; and finally, as the strong “arm” of the Lord, that is, as that touchstone or stone by which the religious-moral disposition of mankind will be tested and which will for some serve as a stone of salvation and justification, for others will appear a stone of offense and stumbling (Luke 2:34). Since prophetic visions are not limited by the bounds of our earthly perspective, it is not surprising that of an event distant not less than 5-7 centuries, the prophet speaks as of one already near and soon coming, which he repeats also in other cases, especially when the subject is messianic times (Isa 50:8; Isa 56:1). The indication of the strong arm of the Lord, apparently, has yet the sense that it as it were guarantees the inevitability of the execution of Divine plans, since God is powerful to remove all obstacles to it and to destroy all enemies (Isa 40:10; Isa 49:24-25 and others).

Isaiah 41:1. “The coastlands shall wait upon Me.” Regarding justice over the “coastlands,” their justification and salvation, the prophet has already spoken in detail above (see our comments on Isaiah 41:1, 5; Isa 42:4; Isa 49:1). Isaiah 51:6. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth below: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall grow old like a garment, and those who dwell in it shall die in like manner; but My salvation shall be forever, and My righteousness shall not fail. “Lift up your eyes to the heavens… and My salvation shall be forever.” In this verse is given a strong assurance of the immutability of God’s plans for human salvation. It very much reminds us of the well-known saying of the Savior: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away” (Matt 5:18; Luke 21:33). At the same time, in them is implied (implicite) the understanding that the eternal “Kingdom of God” that is to be revealed in time has, by its nature, a spiritual character; it is not bound by absolute ties to the present sensible world, but has its own independent significance, since it will continue to exist even after its destruction (cf. Isa 40:8; Isa 50:9; Matt 24:35; 2 Pet 3:13; Heb 1:11; Rev 21 and others). Isa 51:7-8. The third appeal of the Messiah to His listeners, who on this occasion are already named as having seized that righteousness about the striving toward which was mentioned earlier (verse 1). The present appeal passes, properly speaking, into comfort or encouragement of those who were troubled to follow the Servant because of false shame of public opinion, that is, that majority of Israel which rejected the Messiah.

Isaiah 51:7. Hear Me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law: do not fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their insults. “Hear Me, those who know righteousness, O people in whose heart is My law.” In the repeated appeals of the prophet to his listeners there is a kind of gradation—a gradual ascent from the lower to the higher: and now he reaches the very top of his ladder and speaks to a people already knowing “Righteousness” and bearing the law written on the tablets of its own heart. And these very names in Holy Scripture ordinarily designate the workers of the New Testament Kingdom—believing Christians (Jer 31:31-34; Heb 8:10-12). “Do not fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their insults.” In all probability, the prophet is here speaking of those reproaches and mockeries to which those who believed in Christ among the Jewish minority were subjected by their fellow tribesmen, the vast majority of whom did not recognize Christ as the Messiah and mocked both the Savior Himself and His faithful followers (Matt 27:39-42; 1 Cor 1:23). But, of course, the meaning of this prophecy can be extended much more broadly, referring it to all those of whom the Lord Jesus Christ Himself said: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’… Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and speak all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake” (Matt 5:10-11). And this, according to the apostle, will befall the common fate of all Christians, since “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Tim 3:12). Some are inclined to see the historical fulfillment of this prophecy in the persecutions that the early Church endured from Roman society and the state (Bp. Peter).

Isaiah 51:8. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool; but My righteousness shall be forever, and My salvation from generation to generation. “For the moth will eat them up like a garment… and My righteousness shall be forever.” A powerful image of the complete worthlessness of human schemes before the greatness of Divine Almightiness (Isa 34:4). Isa 51:9-11. A new section of prophetic speech, in which the prophet, on behalf of all the wronged and persecuted, cries out with strong voice to God for help. The Christian Church, at the beginning of its establishment, is threatened by no less grievous calamities than the Old Testament theocracy in the first period of its history (the Exodus from Egypt). And just as the Old Testament Church came forth victorious from these calamities only through extraordinary acts of Divine Almightiness, so the New Testament Church lives by faith in that same power.

Isaiah 51:9. Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord! Awake as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the serpent? “Did You not cut Rahab in pieces, did You pierce the serpent?” The Septuagint and Slavic have: “Did You not overcome the proud and break the serpent in pieces?” All this are epithets of the Egyptian Pharaoh for his pride (Exod 5:2) and possession of the Nile basin (Ezek 29:3; cf. also Ps 88:11). In an allegorical sense, all this are symbolic images of Satan and his minions, whom the arm of the Lord has vanquished (Ps 67:22-24).

Isaiah 51:11. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy upon their heads, and they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, and everlasting joy shall be on their heads.” The prophet sees the prayer of the preceding verse already fulfilled: believing Zion will be delivered by God from all its sufferings and will taste eternal joy. It cannot be overlooked that the depiction of this joy repeats and intensifies the thought of verse 3 of the same chapter. Although it must be said generally, that the prophecy of deliverance and salvation from God, as a source of eternal joy and greatness, is one of the most characteristic of the book of the prophet Isaiah in all its composition (Isa 5:25; Isa 9:12; Isa 10:4; Isa 11:1; Isa 35:10; Isa 43:1; Isa 44:22; Isa 49:7 and others). Isa 51:12-13. Contain a rebuke to the faint-hearted and short-sighted people who fear human insignificance, but forget the power of Divine Almightiness and lose hope in heaven.

Isaiah 51:12. I, I am He who comforts you. Who are you that you fear a mortal man, and the son of man who is made like the grass? “I, I am He who comforts you.” Earlier the prophet Isaiah repeatedly called the Lord Himself the comforter of Zion (Isa 49:13; Isa 51:3); evidently the Messiah speaking here, in essence, is not different from God. If we juxtapose this passage with its nearest parallels from the same prophet (Isa 11:1-2; Isa 48:16) and illuminate all this with the New Testament light, namely the words of the Lord Himself: “the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26); then we will obtain a profound expression of the mystery of the Trinity of Persons, in the unity of their Divine Essence.

“Psalm 8. “Who are you, that you fear a man who dies, and the son of man who becomes like grass?” The parallelism of the images “man” and “son of man” very reminds us of a similar one in the Psalms, Psalm 8 and Ps 143:3. And the comparison of the brief and fleeting glory and power of man with grass, besides the Psalms (Ps 102:15), occurs repeatedly in the prophet Isaiah himself (Isa 37 and Isa 40:6-8).” Isaiah 51:13. And you forget the Lord your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth; and you live in constant fear all day of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were about to destroy. But where is the fury of the oppressor? “And you forget the Lord your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth.” A powerful contrasting juxtaposition: people daily tremble before the temporal and apparent power of some human insignificance, but thoroughly forget the actual power of Creative Almightiness. The teaching about God as the Almighty Creator of the world is also very characteristic of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 40:22; Isa 42:5; Isa 44:24; Isa 45:12 and others).

Isaiah 51:14. The captive exile shall quickly be loosed, and shall not die in the pit, nor shall his bread fail. This gives confirmation of the thought of God’s coming salvation. Perhaps it speaks of Egyptian captivity and the hardships of Israel during its wandering in the Arabian Desert (quails, manna); but more probably, it is simply an image of any difficult condition, taken from the customs of that time to deal harshly with captives (to keep them in dungeons and starve them). Isa 51:15-16. A solemn repeated promise of the intercession and help of God to His faithful Zion.

Isaiah 51:15. I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar: the Lord of hosts is His name. “I am the Lord your God… the Lord of hosts is His name.” Here is the basis for you to rely on Me and for Me to help you: for I am the Almighty and Omnipotent God of yours, and you are My chosen people (cf. Isa 54:5).

Isaiah 51:16. And I have put My words in your mouth, and covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth, and to say to Zion, “You are My people.” “I have put My words in your mouth, and covered you with the shadow of My hand.” Here more fully are revealed the providential relations of the Lord to Israel. In one of the most important messianic prophecies of the Pentateuch (Deut 18:18), the beginning of this verse—“I have put My words in His mouth”—is laid out almost literally and referred to the personality of the Great Prophet, in the likeness of Moses, that is, to the Messiah Himself. From this we can conclude that the repetition of these words also describes events of the messianic age. “To establish the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth, and to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’” All these images in which the Divine help to the new Zion is depicted (“I cover you with the shadow of My hand,” “to establish the heavens” and “lay the foundations of the earth”), involuntarily remind us of analogous facts from the initial history of the Old Testament theocracy (guidance by “the pillar of fire,” granting of “the land of Canaan”). Actually, the new promises were fulfilled when the Gospel of the Kingdom of God was openly revealed to believers (“My word in your mouth”) and when they were recognized as “children of God” (John 1:12), “a holy people,” “the people of God” (1 Pet 2:9-10).

Isaiah 51:17. Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of His wrath, the dregs of the cup of trembling, and have drained it. From verses 17-23 begins a new prophetic speech, continued and concluded by all the subsequent chapter. The reason for placing the beginning of the new speech at the end of this chapter was apparently their close kinship in content and character. The circle of prophetic comforts gradually, as it were, closes and becomes narrower and narrower: first the prophet addressed all of Israel (chapter 48), then to the chosen representatives of it (chapter 51), and now he appeals to Jerusalem alone—the spiritual-political center and focal point of faithful Zion. “Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem.” The repetition of well-known words, apart from its general sense—to emphasize the importance of what is being said and to draw especially close attention to it—has among the prophet Isaiah yet another purpose—to serve as the boundary of new sections of his speeches (cf. Isa 5:25; Isa 9:12; Isa 10:4; Isa 48:22; Isa 57:21; as well: Isa 5:8; Isa 22:1; Isa 23:1; Isa 28:1; Isa 30:1; Isa 38:1; Isa 51:1).

Isaiah 51:18. Among all the sons she has borne, there is none to guide her; and among all the sons she has brought up, there is none to take her by the hand. “You… have drunk the cup of His wrath… no one to guide her… among all the sons she brought up.” By the cup of God’s wrath which Jerusalem drank to the end, is understood the cup of calamities and sufferings, which God has permitted for the sins of its inhabitants and for their admonition (cf. Ps 74:9). By the sons of Jerusalem who rendered him no support in the critical moment, Saint Cyril of Alexandria understands the responsible leaders of the Jewish people—its priests, Levites, and scribes,—who, according to the words of the Savior, “took away the key of knowledge” (Luke 11:52), but neither themselves were saved nor do they save others (Matt 23 chapter). In particular, this complete impotence of the people’s leaders was manifested during the final destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, when the internecine struggle and intrigues of the so-called “zealots” contributed to the fall of the city more than the Roman siege itself and led to the development of terrible calamities in it (Josephus Flavius).

Isaiah 51:19. Two calamities have befallen you, who will console you? Desolation and destruction, famine and sword, who will comfort you? “Two calamities have befallen you… desolation and destruction, famine and sword.” Judging by the strong colors with which the sad fate of Jerusalem is here depicted, the prophecy has in view not so much the near captivity of it by Nebuchadnezzar as a more distant and more terrible destruction of it by Titus.

Isaiah 51:20. Your sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets like an antelope in a net, they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of your God. “Your sons are faint and lie like an antelope in a net.” The repetition of the same thought about the utter confusion and helplessness of the population of Jerusalem. The last comparison attracts attention, which according to the Septuagint reads quite differently: “like a well-cooked beet.” Blessed Jerome explains this by the fact that the Septuagint translated the Hebrew word “tho”—which means “antelope”—as the Syriac “thoveth,” which means “beet.” But the first translation is more correct and it has its analogy in the prophet himself (Isa 13:14).

Isaiah 51:21. Therefore hear this, you afflicted, and drunk but not with wine. “Therefore hear this, afflicted one, drunken, but not from wine.” Direct appeal to Jerusalem, already having drunk the cup of suffering. The last image—“you are drunk, but not from wine”—again occurs literally in the prophet Isaiah in the first part (Isa 29:9).

Isaiah 51:22. Thus says your Lord, the Lord, and your God, who pleads the cause of His people: Behold, I have taken the cup of trembling from your hand, the dregs of the cup of My wrath; you shall no longer drink it. Isaiah 51:23. And I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you, who have said to your soul, “Bow down, that we may pass over you,” and you made your back like the ground, and like the street for those passing by. Isaiah 8:9–10. Just as after joyful news the prophet Isaiah customarily hastens to make a warning, so after sorrowful news he offers comfort. To the people of Israel after a certain ordeal in purifying historical sufferings is promised, first, liberation from enemies (verse 22); and second, even punishment of these very enemies (verse 23). “War, peoples, but tremble” once cried out the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 8:9-10), that is, carry out, meanwhile—unhindered impulsions of your evil and corrupted heart. But remember that God, who transforms all your evil to good, will sooner or later call you to account and will make you drink the vial of His wrath also (cf. 8, 10, 14 and Isa 49:26 chapter, as well as Rev 16 chapter). * * * Quail; Editor’s note.

Chapter Fifty-Two

1-2. The second appeal of the prophet to Zion and Jerusalem. 3-6. The disclosure of the power of Divine protection of Jerusalem through its internal impotence. 7-8. The reborn Zion sends messengers of salvation to all ends of the earth. 9-12. A solemn hymn of thanksgiving to God for the restoration and glorification of Jerusalem. 13-15. A prologue to the following chapter—about the glorification of the Messiah, heretofore humiliated, who appeared in the form of a servant.

Isa 52:1-2. All this chapter, with the exception of only the last three verses, is a continuation of the preceding speech (from Isa 51:17 verse)—about the restoration of Jerusalem. In particular, the first two verses of this chapter especially vividly depict the main theme of the speech. Zion in them is personified in the likeness of a dishonored woman, cast down into the dust, dressed in rags and bound in chains; and here to this utterly humiliated and disgraced woman the prophet announces a complete, reverse metamorphosis—victorious rising, garments of glory, and the destruction of all traces of slavery.

Isaiah 52:1. Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for the uncircumcised and unclean shall come into you no more. Isaiah 52:2. Shake yourself from the dust; arise, captive Jerusalem! Remove the fetters from your neck, captive daughter of Zion! Isaiah 47:1. “Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion! Shake yourself from the dust, captive daughter of Zion.” Curiously, the future glorification of Zion is described in such features that constitute almost a complete antithesis to the future disgrace of Babylon: “Come down and sit on the dust, maiden, daughter of Babylon; sit on the earth” (Isaiah 47:1). Concerning what should be understood by the bridal attire of Zion, we have already spoken above (see commentary on Isa 49:18). Ezekiel 44:9. “O Jerusalem, holy city! for the uncircumcised and unclean shall no longer enter you.” Jerusalem is called a “holy” city (literally, the city of holiness or sanctuary) because the temple was in it (cf. in Hebrew prayer, Jerusalem kadosh). As in a holy city, there should be no place for the uncircumcised and unclean (cf. Ezekiel 44:9; Zech 14—St. Petersburg Professor). But since all this prophecy undoubtedly has a messianic meaning, it is evident that in its speech about Jerusalem, about circumcision and cleanliness, are nothing more than images or symbols for expressing higher ideas—spiritual and moral holiness and purity, that is, that which in the language of Holy Scripture is called “circumcision of the heart” (Acts 7:51; Rom 2:28-29; Blessed Jerome, Saint Cyril of Alexandria). It should also be noted the very close kinship of this prophecy, not only in content but also in letter, with some of the earlier (Isaiah 35, see our commentary). Isaiah 52:3. For thus says the Lord: You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money. “For nothing you were sold, and without money shall you be redeemed.” To depict the picture of the future spiritual triumph of Zion, the prophet, as is his custom, uses colors from different periods of the life (past, present, and even future) of historical Israel. Thus, in this verse he, as a fitting image, takes the fact of Babylonian captivity and liberation from it, emphasizing one feature in both—their disinterested character. “For nothing you were sold.” To properly understand these words, they should be compared with the earlier ones: “To which of My creditors did I sell you? Behold, you are sold for your iniquities.” (Isa 50:1). The other half of the phrase “and without money shall you be redeemed” is even clearer, though it also has an enlightening parallel (Isa 45:13). By all this it is clearly described the disinterested-majestic character of the Most High’s relationship to spiritual Israel, which becomes even more obvious when juxtaposed with New Testament texts: “You were redeemed not with perishable things such as silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless” (1 Pet 1:18-19). Isa 52:4-5. Here it is said that in neither the past nor the present of historical Israel there was anything that would testify to the internal stability and viability of this nation and that would make it possible to suppose its independent power. On the contrary, we have only opposite knowledge from history, which, though silent, nevertheless eloquently testifies that if this nation still exists, then obviously not by its own power, but by the help of God.

Isaiah 52:5. And now, what do I have here? declares the Lord. For My people are taken away for nothing, and those who rule over them mock, declares the Lord, and all day long My name is despised. “Those who rule over them act insolently… and continually… My name is despised.” Whom should be understood here as the rulers—the Babylonian or Jewish government? Although most exegetes (Orelli, Dillmann, The Pulpit Commentary, Vlastov, etc.) are inclined to see here a reference to the Babylonian authorities; but we do not think this is correct, and prefer to find here a characterization of the complete internal disintegration of the Jewish nation, which led it to external political collapse as well (cf. Isa 28:14—St. Petersburg Professor, Bp. Peter, Blessed Jerome and others). Through such behavior of the high priests and leaders of the Jewish nation and through the general sad political fate of Israel, the name of the Lord—the protector of this nation—undoubtedly should have been subjected to strong reproaches from all pagans, who everywhere explained the defeat of one or another nation by the victory of some deities over others (Ezek 36:20).

Isaiah 52:6. Therefore My people shall know My name, therefore in that day they shall know that I am He who speaks; here I am. “Therefore My people shall know My name… shall know in that day.” Transition from the realm of history into the sphere of prophecy. “Therefore, having firmly established themselves both in their external impotence and in their internal disintegration, the best representatives of the people of Israel shall know My name… shall recognize Me as the Messiah, in that day,” that is, in the day of the revelation of the new, gracious kingdom. “I am He who spoke: here I am.” From these words it is evident that the concepts “Messiah,” “My Servant,” “Lord” are identical with one another and all equally point to the Eternal, Almighty, and Unchanging in His promises God. Isa 52:7-8. They paint a joyful picture of the future restoration of Jerusalem. At the head of a whole host of heralds of salvation and peaceful prosperity of Jerusalem is the great Evangelist, authoritatively proclaiming to Zion the revelation of its new kingdom. He is accompanied by a multitude of other preachers who spread this good news to all ends of the earth and who at the same time are the best witnesses—eyewitnesses of what they preach.

Isaiah 52:7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings good tidings of good and proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the herald of good tidings, announcing peace, announcing good news, proclaiming salvation.” These words, literally repeated once more by one of the post-exilic prophets (Nah 1:15), undoubtedly should be referred to the Messiah, as is evident from earlier passages of the same prophet Isaiah (Isa 41:27; Isa 40:9 and others), as well as from his well-known messianic text: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor” (Isa 61:1). “Your God reigns!” While Israel was in captivity and Jerusalem lay in ruins, the Lord—the ever-present protector and defender of the Jewish people—on that time as it were withdrew from it. But now He appears again to His people and takes upon Himself the duties of king over them.

Isaiah 52:8. The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for they see eye to eye the return of the Lord to Zion. “The voice of your watchmen… and they all rejoice together.” The immediate comrades of the great Herald accomplishing His mission will be a whole host of His helpers, apostles, and evangelists (Acts 20:28), to whom the apostle Paul extends what was said about the Herald Himself (Rom 10:15). The designation of these companions as “watchmen” reveals the meaning of the image here. Among the Hebrews, as among many other peoples, there existed special watchtowers from which special watchmen watched for approaching danger and announced it to one another in a loud voice. Here it appears that the Herald Himself used these same towers and watchmen to announce great joy. And the voice of the watchmen echoed loudly with joyful sound throughout all Jerusalem (cf. Isa 40:9). Isa 52:9-12. There follows the customary solemn hymn of thanksgiving to God for giving such great joy. The joy announced by the Herald and His guards is so great and extraordinary that, according to the word of the Savior, “the very stones cry out” (Luke 19:40)—namely, the ruins of the holy city, on whose behalf this hymn of thanksgiving and praise to God the Redeemer is offered.

Isaiah 52:9. Break forth into joy, sing together, O ruins of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted His people, has redeemed Jerusalem. “Break forth, sing together, O ruins of Jerusalem.” Earlier the prophet Isaiah called to a similar rejoicing all faithful Israel (Isa 44:23); now he repeats the same to Jerusalem, understanding, as in the first case, only worthy citizens of Jerusalem who accepted the Messiah and found in Him their salvation. All poetic images for this prophetic allegory are taken from actual history. It is known that Jerusalem was turned into ruins (Isa 44:26; Isa 49:19; Isa 64:10) and that these ruins were more or less restored after the return from captivity. “For the Lord has comforted His people—has redeemed Jerusalem.” Although comfort and redemption of Jerusalem are here spoken of in the past tense, this is the customary prophetic past in Isaiah, testifying only to the deep conviction of the certainty of the future.

Isaiah 52:10. The Lord has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. “And all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” This expression has a twofold meaning: first of all, it is an antithesis to the content of verse 5. Just as there it was said that the humiliation of Jerusalem, by pagan understanding, was at the same time a disgracing of the divinity which its inhabitants worshipped; so here, obviously, there is revealed the thought that the rising and salvation of Jerusalem will at the same time be the victorious triumph of the Lord before the face of all the pagan world. But, penetrating into the depth of this image and comparing it with the context (verse 6), we have the right to see in it also a hint of the universal character of that salvation which is to issue from the renewed Jerusalem: “Their voice goes out to all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” (Ps 18:5, Cf. Ps 97:2-3; Ps 125:2; Isa 41:5; Isa 45:6; Jer 16:19). Isa 52:11-12. They conclude by adding a new detail to the prophetic picture, based on historical recollections—the long-past fact of the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt and their wandering in the Arabian Desert, and the future, relative to the prophet’s contemporaries, but also already past relative to the age of which the prophet is speaking, event—the exodus of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity. Even blessed Jerome complained that the Jewish rabbis of his time paraphrased the text of these two verses in such a way: “Go forth from Babylon and leave the idols of Babylon. Go forth from among them and carry the vessels which Nebuchadnezzar brought away when he captured Jerusalem (2 Sam 25:13-14) back to the temple after the liberation of the captives by Cyrus with Zerubbabel and Ezra (Ezra 1:7); go forth from Babylon not as you fled from Egypt—with haste and fear, but in peace and by the will of the king of Persia and Media, in which was manifested the will of the Lord, who protected and gathered you” (Blessed Jerome, pages 303-304). But blessed Jerome himself, as well as blessed Theodoret, Saint Cyril of Alexandria, based on the context of the speech (verses 7, 10), understand here either believers in general, or, more specifically, the apostles and evangelists—“the holy ones of Jerusalem,” to whom God commands to leave Jerusalem as a godless city and go forth with a preaching of Christ to all lands. Personally we think that the most correct understanding of this passage will be the combination of both these interpretations, and the transfer of the center of gravity from the historical to the moral ground. Having announced in the preceding verse the opening of universal salvation of the Messiah’s kingdom, that is, the New Testament Church, the prophet invites the true citizens of faithful Jerusalem to enter this kingdom; but he warns that entrance into this kingdom requires the observance of necessary conditions—purification from all moral corruption, complete detachment from sinful past, preservation in the integrity and purity of one’s own heart’s sanctuary (“the vessels of the Lord”) and entire devotion to the good and perfect will of God (“the Lord goes before you and… will be your rearguard”). But, indeed, all these moral truths the prophet teaches under the veil of symbols and allegories, partly borrowed from the history of the Hebrews’ exodus from Egypt, but chiefly from the circumstances of their exodus from Babylonian captivity. This, of course, does not exclude the significance of the patristic commentary—about the gradual departure of the first preachers of Christianity from Jerusalem. From verses 13-15 begins the most important and remarkable of all Old Testament prophecies—the prophecy of Isaiah about the sufferings and glorification of the Messiah (Isa 52—Isa 53 chapters). “The end of chapter 52—according to the justified opinion of one special exegete of it—presents as it were a brief summary of all of chapter 53, when in few words it depicts the humiliation of the Messenger of God and the ensuing wondrous glorification, expressed in the form of the homage of kings and peoples” (I. Grigoriev, “Prophecies of Isaiah about the Messiah and His Kingdom,” page 203, Kazan, 1902). The logical connection of this new prophecy with the earlier one is quite clear: the historical fate of Israel and Jerusalem serve as a type in the history of the Messiah Himself. Just as Israel and his holy city first came to a state of extreme humiliation (one in captivity, the other in ruins), and then, according to the meaning of the prophecy given to them, are to achieve universal fame and glory (verses 9-10); so the Messiah is first destined to a state of extreme humiliation, and then to the greatest glorification.

Isaiah 52:13. Behold, My Servant shall be prosperous, He shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be made very high. Isaiah 42:1. “Behold, My Servant shall be prosperous, shall be exalted and lifted up, and made very high.” This is the same person of whom all the preceding has spoken, namely the Messiah (Isaiah 42:1; Isa 49:1-3; Isa 50:1-10. Cf. also Zech 3:8). Thus did all ancient Jewish and Christian tradition understand and interpret these words (See at the end of chapter 53). Instead of shall be prosperous the Septuagint and Slavic translate: “Behold, He shall understand.” In the selection of synonymous verbs—shall be exalted, shall be lifted up, and made very high—exegetes discern a whole gradation of the gradual ascension of the Messiah from glory to glory; some quite ingeniously, corresponding to the three given concepts—nisa, nasch, ga’a—distinguish three main moments of glorification: the Resurrection of the Messiah, His Ascension to heaven, and His sitting at the right hand of God the Father (Dillmann). Verses 14-15 form one comparative period in which verse 14 is the protasis (heightening), and verse 15 is the apodosis (lowering). The logical subject of this period is the one of whom in the preceding verse the Lord said—“My Servant.” Here, in this period, more concretely is revealed the thought of verse 13 about the exaltation of the Messiah in the consciousness of mankind. The degree of such exaltation corresponds to the degree of mankind’s amazement before the personality of the Son of God, as contemplated at the moment of His humiliation (Commentary, St. Petersburg Professor).

Isaiah 52:14. Just as many were appalled at you, so marred was His appearance beyond any human being, and His form beyond that of the sons of men. Isaiah 8:14. “Just as many were appalled.” Indeed, the state of extreme humiliation and even shameful death which the Messiah voluntarily took upon Himself for our salvation served as the chief stone of stumbling and scandal for many, because it sharply conflicted with the widely-held sensual views about the Messiah and His kingdom (Isaiah 8:14; Luke 2:34). As a parallel to this verse, we cannot but point to Isa 50:6, as well as to the beginning of the following chapter 53 (Isa 53:2-9). Isaiah 52:15. So shall He astonish many nations; kings shall shut their mouths before Him, for they shall see what had not been told them, and shall understand what they had not heard. “Thus shall He sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of Him.” Again amazement, but now of a completely opposite character, concerning the wondrous transformation of the humiliated Servant into the greatest Sovereign. All peoples and their kings will be so struck by this new marvel that they will not be able to open their mouths for astonishment to express it in words (cf. Job 29:9). The whole force of the antithesis here lies in the juxtaposition of the concepts: “Servant” and “king.” The mention of king involuntarily draws our thoughts to an earlier narrative of the same prophet where it was said that kings and queens will first bow to Christ and lead their peoples to Him (Isa 49:23, as well as verse 7).

Chapter Fifty-Three

Chapter 53, the immediate continuation Isa 52:13-15, is divided by content into three parts: in the first (1–8a) there is an extensive speech by the prophet about the sufferings of the Servant and the redemptive significance of those sufferings; in the second (9–10) a speech from the same person about the great reward awaiting the Divine Sufferer; and in the third (11–12) the words of the Almighty Master of the world about the sufferings and glorification of the Lord’s Servant, confirming the inspired speech of the prophet (I. Grigoriev “cited work”. 207 p.).

By the power and depth of prophetic vision, by the vividness and liveliness of the images given here, by the astonishing precision of various historical details, and finally, by the deep penetration into the inner meaning of the greatest mysteries—the incarnation and redemption—the prophecy of chapter 53 has no equal in all the Old Testament and is deservedly recognized as the “culminating point” of all Old Testament prophecy.

“This is the center of the wonderful book of consolations (40–54 chapters), and at the same time the very focus, the highest and deepest point of all Old Testament prophecy” (Delitzsch, vol. II, 353).

1–3. Prophecy about the appearance of the Messiah in the “form of a servant.” 4–6. The reason and purpose of such extreme divine condescension toward humanity—the mysteries of incarnation and redemption. 7–9. Astonishing details from the history of the Savior’s sufferings, His crucifixion and burial. 10–11. Disclosure of the inner meaning of the great Golgotha sacrifice. 12. The concluding moment of redemption—the solemn glorification by God of the Innocent Sufferer.

Isaiah 53:1. [O Lord!] Who has believed what we have heard, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? “Who has believed what we have heard, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” This verse presents the general introduction to the speech of chapter 53, in which the speaker, the subject of the speech, and its addressees are determined. Since the establishment of all this is extremely important for the correct understanding of this chapter, and there is disagreement among commentators on this matter, we shall clarify it in some detail. Most medieval rabbinical and modern rationalist exegetes, unwilling to acknowledge the messianic meaning of this chapter, hold the view that the speaker here is the prophet Isaiah himself; but the subject of his speech is not the Messiah, but the Jewish people in general or, more precisely, the period of their hard, political existence (“the suffering of the days of the Messiah”), and the listener, whom the prophet rebukes, turns out to be the entire unfaithful pagan world that oppresses God’s chosen people. But if such an attempt to give the speeches of the prophet Isaiah “about the Messiah” a collective meaning had no success before (Isa 49:3), then the repetition of it here has even less justification, since from the entire analysis of chapter 53 it is clear that it deals with a single individual, not an embodiment of a community (see especially “a man of sorrows” (3) “all we have gone astray… the Lord has laid on Him the iniquities of us all” (6) “He suffered willingly” (7) “for the transgressions of my people He received punishment” (8) “He had done no wrong and there was no deceit in his mouth” (9) and others). Not without reason does even such a freely-thinking exegete as Duhm say the following on the question at hand: “The Messiah here is treated, as much as possible, even far more individually than in the rest of the songs, and the interpretation of His personality in the sense of the actual or ‘true’ people of Israel here is entirely impossible (vollends unmögich – ‘Das Buch Jesaia’ – 365 p. Gothingen 1892). And along with this hypothesis falls the other, as connected with it, that the exclusive listeners to whom this reproving speech of the prophet was addressed were representatives of the pagan world that pressed upon the people of Israel. From the criticism of false opinion, let us turn to the clarification and substantiation of the correct one, expressed although very apodictic, but, unfortunately, without sufficient proof. “There is no doubt that the speaker here is the prophet Isaiah himself, the unbelieving or doubting ones are Jews, and the listeners are Jews and Gentiles” (I. Grigoriev, p. 207). The correctness of the view just set forth is established, first of all, by an analysis of the context of the speech. A whole series of preceding speeches by the prophet Isaiah (48–50) contained fierce reproofs of the Jewish people for their “disbelief” in the meek Servant of the Lord, that is, in the Messiah. They included addresses both to the entire multitude of Israel and to its worse part separately. In particular, the last, chapter 52, contained an address to the better part—to the spiritual Zion, to whom was announced the coming of a great Evangelist and joyful mutual greeting of watchmen, on account of the coming salvation and peace (7–8). But evidently all these joyful tidings did not at all reach the ears of those to whom they were first of all intended: and the voice of the Evangelist and his watchers for the vast majority of the Jewish people was “a voice crying in the wilderness,” because it could not bear fruit on this hardened, stony soil. To this unbelieving majority of Israel the prophet Isaiah now cries out with his prophetic word, wishing, on the one hand, to shatter the false messianic expectations of the Jews and prepare them for the humble appearance of the meek and saving Messiah, and on the other, to make this last call to the unbelieving mass of this once-chosen people and deprive them of any pretext for possible self-justification. Clear confirmation of such a view is found, first of all, in the prophet Isaiah himself, who repeatedly and in expressions no less strong than those found in chapter 53 reproached the Jews of his time. So, already in chapter 6, in the account of the prophet Isaiah’s very commissioning by the Lord, we read, among other things, the following: “Go and tell this people; ‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; so that they may not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and comprehend with their minds, and turn and be healed.” (Isa 6:9-10).

Isaiah 42:20. Or again: “You have seen many things, but you do not understand; your ears are open, but you do not hear” (Is. 42:20; Cf. Isa 28:9-15). Finally, the last shadow of doubt must disappear in the light of New Testament commentaries on this chapter. So, in the Gospel of John the places from the prophet Isaiah already cited by us, as well as the beginning of chapter 53, are directly cited to expose the disbelief of the Jews: “Although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him; so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: ‘Lord, who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’” (John 12:37-41). Likewise, Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Romans, putting the beginning of chapter 53 in direct connection with the preceding speech about the preaching of the Evangelist among Israel (Isa 52:7), further says: “But not all have obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what they have heard from us?’” (Rom 10:15-16). A number of secondary questions remain. Why, for instance, does the prophet speak of himself in the plural? Obviously, because he speaks here not only personally for himself, but for the entire multitude of Old Testament prophets who announced the Messiah. A parallel to this is seen at the beginning of chapter 40, where the divine command to comfort the people of Israel is given not to Isaiah alone, but to many prophets (Isa 40:1). By “what we have heard” (“what our ear heard” LXX and Slavonic) one should, most correctly, understand the specific prophetic revelation about the Messiah and His kingdom (Isa 21:10; Isa 28:9; Jer 49:14; Obad 1:1; and others). Hence, in the general sense, all divine signs and miracles given for the instruction of Israel can be understood under it. In particular, here by “revelation of the arm of the Lord,” judging by the context (Isa 52:10), one should understand the miraculous revelation of the power and glory of God in the Church of Christ. If the prophet says that this arm for some has already been “revealed,” he means not in the sense of the actual coming of this epoch, but in the sense of faith in it, subjective inner conviction in its future coming.

Isaiah 53:2. For He grew up before Him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. In verses 2–3, the extremely humble, meek, and even degraded external appearance and the corresponding social position of the Messiah are described. By all this, the prophet obviously goes directly to meet the very main and most pernicious prejudice of the Jews about the fierce and magnificent appearance of the Messiah whom they expected and His role as a victorious, earthly king-conqueror. “For He grew up before Him.” The immediate grammatical meaning of the speech, it seems, speaks for the fact that here the relationship of the Messiah to the Lord, that is, of God the Father to God the Son, is revealed. Many ancient and modern exegetes understand this place exactly this way (Vitringa, Schmidt, Hoffmann, Delitzsch, Duhm, Bishop Peter, Vlastov, The Pulpit Commentary, and many others). But with such an understanding, the logical connection of thoughts becomes quite unnatural: before the Face of God the Father there ascends, and in the most wretched and humble manner, He Who from eternity was “in the bosom of the Father” (John 1:18) and for whom, of course, there was no sense in any prophetic warnings about the external appearance of the Messiah about to appear. But the latter was extremely important and necessary for people, especially for the erring Jews, who had formed for themselves a most perverted idea of this. “Therefore, it is better to refer the suffix (‘before Him’) to the subject of the question from the first verse, that is, to the individual person of the prophet and the collective person of the people of Israel.” (I. Grigoriev, p. 209; see also Commentary of St. Petersburg professor, 813 p.). “Like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground.” Instead of the first definition “young plant,” the Seventy and our Slavonic have “like a child.” The Hebrew word—jonach—allows both translations: applied to a human being, it refers to “a nursing infant,” and applied to plants, to “a young, tender shoot.” One cannot help but notice that both these comparisons occur quite frequently among various prophets, including the prophet Isaiah himself, although the latter (“branch”), apparently, predominates (Isa 7:14-16; Isa 9:6; Isa 11:1; Job 14:7; Job 15:30; Jer 23:5; Ezek 17:4; Zech 6:12; and others). “Like a root out of dry ground.” The Seventy. Instead of “parched,” Aquila translated it as “impassable”—notes blessed Jerome: “to show the superiority of virginity—that without any human seed He came forth from the earth, which had previously been ‘impassable’” (and also John Chrysostom). By all the comparisons mentioned, especially the last, the prophet sufficiently prepared the minds of his listeners for what he further says directly, without any images and likenesses. The best parallel to this comparison is given by the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 17:23). “He had no form or majesty… nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.” Here, in simple and clear words, is the essence of the entire prophetic depiction of the external appearance of the meek and humble Son of God, who appeared in the form of a servant. Aquila translated: “He has no form or beauty.” And Symmachus more elaborately: “He has no form or dignity that we might recognize Him, nor majesty (υεωρια) that we might desire Him.” The “Servant of the Lord” in His appearance to people has neither the form nor the external circumstances which would be desirable for them or which they expected at His appearance, according to their natural reasoning; for, says Saint Cyril of Alexandria, “He had no form and glory befitting God” (Exod 19:16-20); but He “emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness; and being found in human form” (Phil 2:7 – See Commentary of St. Petersburg professor, 814). These words, however, cannot be understood in the sense that the Savior’s outward appearance was so wretched and miserable that it repelled people. On the contrary, all Christian antiquity bears witness to the outstanding spiritual beauty of the Face of the Savior. They simply mean only that the meek heavenly Teacher had not that haughty, proud appearance, that nobility of birth and that magnificence in manner of life with which the Jews in their false expectations about the Messiah had already surrounded Him in advance.

Isaiah 53:3. He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces He was despised, and we held Him of no account. “He was despised and rejected.” The content of the third verse reinforces the thought of the second even more: there it was said that the Messiah has no special distinctions and stands out in no way from ordinary mortals. Here we add that if He stands out at all, it is only in a negative, not a positive way: He is lower and more contemptible than all others; how then can He, after this, claim the role of Messiah? About the contempt with which the majority of Jews and Gentiles will meet the Messiah, the prophet Isaiah has already spoken before (see Isa 49:7). And indeed, by His birth in a cave, His origin from Nazareth, His constant friendly dealings with tax collectors and sinners, the Messiah during His earthly life constantly gave occasion for the blind leaders of the Jewish people to speak of Him with contempt and enmity (Matt 15:2; Luke 19:7). “And rejected by others,” or as in the Slavonic “more than all the sons of humanity.” Based on biblical usage (Isa 2:9; Ps 141:4), many are inclined to understand here by “sons of humanity” the “distinguished representatives” of the Jewish people, especially its scribes and Pharisees, these most hardened enemies of the Lord. Symmachus translates this with ελαχιστος—“the least of people,” and Jerome with novissimus—“the youngest of all.” And these two latter translations, apparently, most aptly convey the meaning of the text, whose task it is to point to the extremely low, degraded social position of the Messiah, Who, coming from the lower class and dealing more with the common people, constantly met an insulting-cold and haughtily-contemptuous attitude from the distinguished, rich, and influential official leaders of the people. “A man of suffering.” From Hebrew—isch maciboth—means: “a man or human being of labors, sorrows, sufferings” (Exod 3:7). An additional synonym to this definition is the following: and acquainted with infirmity. This is either a general definition of human nature, whose natural lot is sorrows and sicknesses, or even a more particular indication of sinful human nature, since exhausting toil, various sicknesses, and sorrows entered human nature as the direct consequences of the fall (Gen 3:16-19). The latter interpretation is also held by blessed Jerome, who says that this text “indicates the true human body and true human soul of Him Who, knowing how to bear our infirmities, overcame all of them by His Deity” (blessed Jerome). Here, therefore, the very depth of the mystery of the incarnation is covertly designated: God, appearing in the flesh, took upon Himself our fallen nature so that by His redemptive death He might cleanse it, elevate it, and glorify it, as Apostle Paul beautifully clarified, saying: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15). “And as one from whom others hide their faces.” Aquila and blessed Jerome translate this somewhat differently and as though His face was hidden, according to which the latter interprets this place in the sense that the Lord intentionally concealed or did not reveal, did not manifest His Divine Almightiness, so that in humility He might willingly bear the burden of human sin that He accepted. As a result, of course, people “turned away” from Him, that is, did not recognize Him as the Messiah and even mocked Him when He presented Himself as the true Messiah. Many commentators see the prototype of this feature in the story of the much-suffering Job: “Those who knew me have turned against me. My familiar friends have forgotten me” (Job 19:13-14); or: “He has made me a byword of the peoples, and I am one before whom people spit” (Job 17:6). The suffering Messiah is represented as removed from human society, like people with leprosy. This is the extreme degree of possible social degradation of a person, when the community separates him from itself as an unworthy member.

Isaiah 53:4. Surely He has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. From verse 4 through 6, the prophet gives the key to solving such an astonishing and inexplicable phenomenon for most of the Old Testament humanity—the sufferings and humiliation of the Messiah. From the story of the righteous Job we know well that in the consciousness of Old Testament wise men, the idea of innocent sufferings could simply not fit: if someone suffered, then he was consequently guilty; this was the usual logic of that time, which the Jews, of course, would begin to apply to the suffering Messiah about whom the prophet speaks here, lawfully seeing in the prophet’s words an internal contradiction: if he of whom you speak is the Messiah, then He should not suffer (because He must be innocent); if He will suffer, then He is already not the Messiah. The prophet Isaiah resolves this apparent contradiction here, revealing that although the Messiah will suffer, it is not for His personal guilt, but for our common sins. He will appear as an Innocent Sufferer, and therefore His sufferings will have such an exceptional, purifying-redemptive power. For a better understanding of both this verse and the entire section we are considering (4–6), the interpretation of verse 4 should begin with its second half, where the starting point of the speech is given. Yet we accounted Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. The prophet here unites himself with the believing Jews and speaks, as it were, on their behalf about their former delusion and repentance of it. The essence of the delusion of the Jews, according to their own consciousness, lay in the fact that they, seeing the Messiah bearing terrible sufferings and the shame of degradation, thought that He was a great sinner, if God had punished Him so harshly. The Hebrew verb that indicates this punishment—nega—refers, chiefly, to leprosy (Lev 13:3; Num 12:9-10; 2 Sam 15:5; and others), which is also in accord with the context (verse 3). And from the history of the Savior’s crucifixion sufferings we indeed know that many saw in the very fact of His shameful death proof of His imposture and divine punishment for it (Matt 27:43). The same is spoken of in the well-known evangelical cry of the Divine Sufferer: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46). Likewise, the Gospels note that even at the very foot of the cross there were already believers in the Crucified One, such as one of the thieves crucified with Him and a Roman centurion (Luke 23:40-43). Surely He has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases… We thought His pain was punishment from God; but no, we were bitterly mistaken: it turns out He Himself willingly bore our infirmities and our diseases. Based on the content of the doctrine of redemption, many exegetes are inclined to understand by “infirmities” and “diseases” exclusively spiritual infirmities, that is, “sins” of people. But the Hebrew terms—makib and holi—are not used to denote the concept of “sin.” Therefore, it is much more correct to interpret these definitions in their direct, literal sense, since “infirmities” and “diseases,” as a consequence of the fall, are the best indication of the cause that produces them. At the same time, one cannot help but see here a correspondence with the content of verse 3 (“a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity”), in which, generally speaking, the humiliated state of the Messiah is described, which is here clarified.

Isaiah 53:5. But He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the punishment that made us whole, and by His bruises we are healed. “But He was wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities.” There is a repetition and more detailed disclosure of the thought just expressed about the actual meaning of the Messiah’s sufferings. This is the clearest and most powerful prediction of the crucifixion and death of the Savior, the significance of which was recognized for a long time even by ancient rabbinical tradition. (See examples from the Midrash in the commentary of St. Petersburg professor, pp. 818–819). So, Rabbi Jose the Galilean, in response to the question: “which is greater in your opinion—the measure of goodness or the measure of vengeance?” answers: “the measure of goodness is greater, and the measure of vengeance is less. But the King Messiah humbled and degraded Himself for transgressors, as it is said: but He was wounded for our transgressions… Surely the Lord has laid on Him the iniquities of us all.” How much greater are His merits for all generations, as it is written: and the Lord has placed on Him the sins of all.” The verb “wounded” or “pierced”—Hebrew halal—indicates, generally, physical suffering, in particular, precisely piercing with a spear (Ezek 32:25). Here there is reference to the well-known evangelical detail of the piercing of the Savior’s side. “Crushed for our iniquities,” or as some translate it “broken,” instead of “crushed.” Here, consequently, another moment of suffering is emphasized—the heavy spiritual anguish of the Divine Sufferer, which He foresaw in the Garden of Gethsemane and experienced with full intensity at the moment of His crucifixion (Matt 26:37-38; Matt 27:46; cf. Ps 21:17; Ps 87:4-8). “The punishment that made us whole was upon Him.” “Punishment—musar—can be understood in two senses: juridical and pedagogical. The Seventy and the Vulgate understood it in the latter sense, hence: παιδεια ειρηνης ημων, disciplina pacis nostrae. But the context of the speech inclines us to combine both senses: the punishment of the Servant of the Lord was, on the one hand, recompense before the justice of God for the sins of humanity, that is, it had a juridical character, was poena mulcta; on the other hand, by destroying sin living in human nature (Rom 6:6), it made possible for people to be brought to the Heavenly Father (Eph 2:18), and thus also had a pedagogical significance.” (Commentary of St. Petersburg professor, p. 819). Consequently, this was actual punishment, but such by means of which peace (reconciliation) with God was achieved for us, peace that had been broken by the fall. Therefore, the prophet Isaiah had every reason to call the Messiah earlier a “Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6). “And by His bruises we are healed” or as in the Slavonic translation, “by His wounds we are healed.” This prophecy shows astonishing precision regarding the chief moment of the redemptive ministry of the Messiah—His crucifixion, when the precious blood flowing from His pierced hands and feet healed humanity from the deadly sickness of sin. Apostle Peter speaks almost the same when he writes: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by His bruises you have been healed” (1 Pet 2:24; See Grigoriev – 215). The whole power of this healing lies in the fact that here not only is the external wound of sin healed, but also its inner root is killed and torn out—“making peace through the blood of His cross, reconciling all things, whether on earth or in heaven” (Col 1:20).

Isaiah 53:6. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. “All we like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way.” The beginning of the verse (“all we”) testifies to the broadening of the scope of the prophet’s speech: here the prophet speaks no longer on behalf of the converted Jews, not even on behalf of the people of Israel in general, but on behalf of all humanity, on behalf of all descendants of fallen ancestors. This is one of the finest poetic depictions of the universality of sinful corruption in the human race and its complete religious and moral unprincipledness, instability, and decline. One should also note that the very fact of contrasting our common sinfulness (“all we,” consequently, even so-called Old Testament righteous ones, and the prophet himself) with the sinlessness of the Messiah decisively rises up against any attempt to identify the personality of this Servant with anyone from among representatives of sinful humanity. The image of a flock deprived of a shepherd, taken here for comparison, is one of the favorite, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament (Num 27:17; 2 Chr 18:16; Matt 9:36; John 10:11-16; and others). It speaks not so much of the maliciousness of the wandering as of the bewilderment and helplessness of those who have strayed, which is especially applicable to the pagan world, which, according to the testimony of Apostle Paul, earnestly sought God, but could not only find Him (Rom 1 chapter). “And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all,” or as in the Slavonic: “and the Lord gave Him over for our sins.” The words cited are directed against the very essence of Jewish delusion. The Jews thought that if someone suffered, this meant that the Lord punished him or “gave” him over to calamity for his own sins. The prophet here says: yes, the Messiah too is subjected to divine punishment, the Lord “gives” Him over to sufferings; but the entire depth of the difference lies in the fact that these sufferings will be recompense not for His personal guilt, but for “the iniquities of us all.” “The Lord gave Him over for our sins, so that He instead of us might bear that which, on account of the weakness of our strength, we could not bear,”—as blessed Jerome beautifully explains this. It is easy to see that the expression of this verse is based on an image taken from the details of religious ceremonies on the day of atonement—namely the symbolic act of the high priest laying the sins of all Israel on the head of the scapegoat (Lev 16:21-22). Both the basic thought of this verse and the images present in it are beautifully revealed in New Testament Scripture, especially in Apostle Paul, who says of Jesus Christ that “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21).

Isaiah 53:7. He was tormented, but suffered willingly, and did not open His mouth; like a sheep He was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so He did not open His mouth. From verses 7–9 inclusive, there is a special speech about the sufferings, death, and burial of the meek Servant of the Lord, the humble Son of the Father, that is, the suffering Messiah. “He was oppressed, but He suffered willingly.” A repetition of the old thought (4–6), but with a certain new addition—namely, a clearer indication of the voluntary character of the Messiah’s redemptive sufferings. The general character of the Messiah’s sufferings here is designated by one word—“He was oppressed,” in the Slavonic—“He was afflicted.” “To be in affliction” properly means to be the object of someone’s malice, to endure oppression and experience suffering. “As cruel drivers torment poor animals (Exod 3:7), as cruel-hearted people mock those who fall into their hands (Isa 3:12; Isa 58:3), so cruelly and mercilessly do evil tormentors torment the innocent Servant of the Lord” (I. Grigoriev, p. 218). “Yet He suffered willingly and did not open His mouth.” Here the prophet Isaiah speaks for the first time with such clarity about the voluntary character of the Messiah’s redemptive sufferings, wherein lies their saving power. It is true that hints of this appeared earlier, for instance, in the place where, describing the meek appearance of the Servant of the Lord, he says of Him that “He will not cry out or lift up His voice, or make it heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He will not quench” (Isa 42:2-3); or even more covertly in another place: “The Lord God has opened My ear, and I was not rebellious” (Isa 50:5). But apart from the fact that the meaning of these texts is quite veiled, they speak more of the general character of the teaching and life of the Messiah, or of His complete obedience to the will of the Heavenly Father. In the passage we are now considering, it is clearly and definitively said that the Messiah’s sufferings were not merely passive, but active in character, were not only submissive submission to another’s will, but at the same time an expression of His own will, an act of the highest personal self-sacrifice. The second half of this verse—“like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth”—is a beautiful illustration of the thought just expressed—the voluntary character and silent endurance by the Messiah of all the terrible and completely undeserved sufferings. The image itself is taken by the prophet from the everyday life; but it also appears not to be devoid of a prefiguring character, as it hints at either the Passover lamb or the sacrificial lamb, which before slaughter was usually bound, and he endured all this patiently and meekly. Each of these sacrifices had a prefiguring significance in relation to the great Golgotha sacrifice (1 Cor 5:7; John 1:29; Rev 5:6). This same image appears almost literally again in the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 11:19): “But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter.” Regarding the fulfillment of the prophecies of this verse, almost all commentators agree in seeing in it an astonishingly precise picture of the ridicule and mockery of the Innocent Sufferer, which He endured patiently and meekly during the unjust high-priestly trial (Matt 26:62-63; Matt 27:12-14; Mark 15:3-5; Luke 23:9; John 19:9-10). This same touching moment is noted by Apostle Peter in the following words: “When He was abused, He did not return abuse; when He suffered, He did not threaten; but He entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly” (1 Pet 2:23). For the prophet Isaiah himself, the closest parallel to this verse is the already known place to us: “I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.” (Isa 50:6). Finally, one cannot pass over in silence the fact that precisely this place from the prophet Isaiah served as the grateful theme for an evangelistic speech by apostle Philip, addressed to the eunuch of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians—Kandakes, and ending with the baptism of the latter (Acts 8:28-35).

Isaiah 53:8. From restraint and judgment He was taken; but who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He suffered punishment. “By a perversion of justice He was taken away.” In his commentary on this place, blessed Jerome says: “from oppression and from judgment He was taken,” or the Seventy translated—“in the humiliation of His judgment He was taken,” meaning that after affliction and judgment He ascended to the Father as a victor, or that the Judge of all did not find a just judgment, “but without any guilt the Messiah was condemned because of the disturbance of the Jews and by the agreement of Pilate” (blessed Jerome—Commentary on chapter 53 of the prophet Isaiah). In accordance with him, Saint Cyril of Alexandria also explains this place: so truly “in His humiliation His judgment was taken away”: for after He appeared to them submissive and in great confusion, they hastily pronounced their decision and judgment regarding Him. This is exactly how some judges act, who care little for precision and truth, but judge rather by appearance, but not by facts (see Commentary of St. Petersburg professor, p. 821). Therefore, from the sense of the holy paternal exegesis it turns out that the words of the prophet mentioned above speak of the absence of proper judgment over the Messiah, thanks to the abuses that His prejudiced judges allowed themselves, using His meekness and humility. The correctness of such an interpretation is confirmed by the Commentary of St. Petersburg professors also with a philological analysis of the text. If the Hebrew—oseg—is understood in accordance with the usage of this word’s root, the verb aseag, in various places of Scripture (cf. 1 Sam 18:44; 2 Sam 4:24; Job 4:2; Job 12:15), then it should mean: ‘detention,’ and in combination with mischpath—‘judgment’—‘detention of the sentence,’ ‘protection.’ Thus, the meaning of the expression—meocer umimmischpat luccah—is such: ‘The Servant of the Lord was deprived of protection and proper judgment.’ As history of the trial of Christ the Savior shows, indeed, in its conduct the main conditions of proper judicial procedure according to the criminal law that was in force among the Jews were not fulfilled. The delay required by this law regarding the execution of a death sentence and permission for anyone who could say something in favor of the condemned to speak it, while a death sentence was being carried out over Christ the Savior, were not applied (Commentary of St. Petersburg professor, pp. 821–822). Such an understanding of this place is confirmed, apparently, by its New Testament parallel: “in His humiliation justice was denied Him” (Acts 8:33), that is, the unjust judgment over the Lord occurred in accommodation to the oppressed condition in which He found Himself. “Who could have imagined His future?” “This is perhaps the most difficult place in all of chapter 53 to interpret. It is first of all unclear here what is meant by the opposition of a new thought to the previous one (‘but’); the very subject of discourse—that ‘generation’ of which the text speaks—is enigmatic; finally, the connection of this place with the preceding and following context is completely unclear. The greatest difficulty is presented by determining the chief concept—the ‘generation’ of the Messiah, which no one can imagine. There exist many different assumptions about its explanation. Their diversity—according to the correct observation of learned commentators—is caused by the difference in understanding the Hebrew word—dor—‘generation,’ which has two basic meanings: rotation in time and rotation in space, so that according to the first meaning concrete concepts develop from it: period of life, race, generation (present—contemporaries, past—ancestors, future—descendants), and according to the second: dwelling place of a human being, his spirit, that is, body—his ancestors, that is, burial place (Commentary of St. Petersburg professor, p. 822). Duhm openly confesses that “from the many possible translations it is difficult to choose the correct one” (schwer wählen). The majority of exegetes, headed by the holy Fathers (blessed Jerome, Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Saint John Chrysostom, and others), adheres to the first interpretation, that is, explains the word—dor in the sense of rotation in time, origin, generation, descendants. Some of the holy Fathers and some modern exegetes (Stier and Neilisch) interpret the word dor in the sense of “descendants,” understood, of course, in a spiritual sense, that is, “the race or generation of the children of God” (See more details about this in I. Grigoriev, who himself prefers this interpretation, p. 220–221). Others explain the word dor as a definition of “life” or, more precisely, “the duration of life” of the Messiah, which in the eyes of the majority of Jews was entirely a misunderstanding (Luther, Vitringa, Urwick). Finally, the majority of modern exegetes see here an indication of the generation contemporary to Jesus Christ, that is, His “contemporaries,” for the vast majority of whom everything that happened to Him was completely incomprehensible (Rosenmüller, Gesenius, Reuss, Giesebrecht, Delitzsch, Dillmann, Vlastov, and others). The second group of exegetes, adhering to the interpretation of the root sxh in the sense of indicating a place, is much smaller in number, but it also has authoritative names in its ranks. Thus, Knobel belongs to it, who quite fantastically sees in the word dor an indication of the “grave” of the Messiah, which, supposedly, no one knows. Duhm (Duhm) gives a more general sense to the word dor, as an indication of “place” in general. Finally, the authors of the commentary of the St. Petersburg Academy see here a more particular indication of the Most Pure “body” of the Savior, as the dwelling place of His spirit (See p. 823). The very multiplicity and diversity of the opinions cited is sufficient to speak of the contentiousness of the question and the obscurity of its solution. Not without reason does the author of one of the newest commentaries on the book of the prophet Isaiah, after a detailed review of all the cited interpretations, hopelessly remark that “none of these interpretations is satisfactory” (Condamin). Hence, in him, as in some other exegetes, even arose a guess, not devoid of wit: do we not have in this example some accidental corruption of the text; should not we replace the incomprehensible here word doro with a completely appropriate legal term in the discourse about judgment deboro, which means “cause, guilt” (2 Chr 19:6)? And then this entire verse is interpreted easily and clearly: “You have deprived Him of righteous judgment? But who among you knows the cause of this, who can name His guilt, worthy of such an awful sentence” (Condamin Le Livre d’Isaie, 321 p. Paris 1905). If, however, one must hold fast to the existing text (dor), then most in accordance with the context of the speech would be the interpretation of it in the sense of the divine “origin” of the Messiah, which was hidden from the eyes of His torturers (“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34)). “Who will speak of His generation? Of the glorious properties of His nature, when He is taken into custody and to trial, delivered to death? Who can think of or believe in the glory of His generation, seeing such His humiliation? Here (as in the entire chapter) the visible humiliation and the hidden glory of the Messiah’s Divine nature are contrasted, or the glorification of the human nature after suffering,” says the author of one of the best dissertations on the book of the prophet Isaiah, who in confirmation of his view makes successful references to many New Testament places (John 19:9; Mark 14:61-62), as well as to the testimony of Justin the Philosopher (hieromonk Thaddeus “Unity of the book of the prophet Isaiah,” p. 212–213, note Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra 1901). Thus, in conclusion of all this, we come to the conclusion that in the words of the prophet—“Who could have imagined His generation?”—is given a hidden contrast of the humiliating appearance and poor, obscure earthly origin of the Messiah (verses 2–3) to His actual, heavenly greatness, His eternal birth from the Father and His Divine dignity. Obviously, these words burst from the breast of the prophet as a kind of “lyrical” sigh of the believing soul, deeply struck by such a sharp discrepancy between the given fact (the life and teaching of the Messiah) and its human evaluation (His crucifixion for it). “For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of My people He received the punishment.” We consider the very best interpretation of these words to be understanding them in the sense of a response to the previous question; wherein first a brief and figurative answer is given, and then it is clarified. To the question posed above—“Who could have imagined His generation?”—the prophet himself responds: “no one, because this is proven not only by word, but by deed: throughout the earthly life of the Savior the vast majority of the Jews treated Him with contempt and arrogance, and consequently did not understand Him at all. The same complete lack of understanding was displayed by them at the most decisive moment, at the completion of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, in the fact that this unreasoning crowd, headed by its blind leaders, brought Him to crucifixion. It is precisely this last thought that is particularly emphasized by the expression standing here—‘For He was cut off from the land of the living’—more clearly rendered in the Seventy and the Slavonic as ‘His life was taken from the earth,’ indicating death in general, and violent death in particular.” The further words of the text—“for the transgression of My people He received the punishment”—give a repetition and clarification of the preceding thought—about the crucifixion of the Messiah. This parallelism of thoughts, which we encounter so often in the prophet Isaiah (as well as in many other biblical authors)—a necessary tribute to the laws of Hebrew poetry, in the verse-form of which the majority of his inspired speeches are written and, in particular, the great poem we are examining (Isa 52:13; Isa 53). By its thought, this phrase stands very close to the content of the fifth verse, but with a certain difference in that it more sharply emphasizes all the black ingratitude and all the extreme criminality of the Jewish people: that people who were chosen by God (“My people”) and for the transgressions of whom, first of all, Christ suffered, they themselves became the active executors of His death sentence, eagerly seeking it, even contrary to the desire of the Roman government (Pontius Pilate).

Isaiah 53:9. They appointed Him a grave with the wicked, but He was buried with a rich man, because He had done no sin, and there was no falsehood in His mouth. “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, but He was with a rich man in His death.” Both the reading itself and the understanding of this place have many different versions, leading almost to the opposite. We think that preference should be given to that which does not contradict philology and most corresponds to the context of the speech. Having spoken in the preceding verses about the suffering (7) and death (8) of the Messiah, the prophet now consistently turns to speaking of His burial. Here he gives a powerful, artistic antithesis—the wicked designs of the Jews, on the one hand, and the Divine glorification of the Messiah, on the other. The boundless malice of the enemies of the Messiah was prepared to persecute Him even after death: this found expression in the fact that He, as a person condemned to religious and political crime, was prepared for shameful burial. Maimonides, for instance, writes that “those punished by death were not buried together with their ancestors; two places were set aside for them: one for those stoned and burned, another for those beheaded and hanged.” Josephus also testifies: “he who blasphemed was stoned, hung for a day, and buried without any honor.” Something similar, only probably with even greater indignity, was prepared by the Jewish authorities for the Innocent Messiah murdered by them. But it pleased the providence of God to prevent this shame, and the fact of the burial of the Messiah, instead of becoming a means of new humiliation, became the beginning of His glorification. Here one cannot help but see a prophetic hint at that well-known historical fact how the rich man of Arimathea comes to Pilate and asks of him the pure Body and buries it with great honor (Matt 27:57; Luke 23:50-52). Consequently, there is no need to resort to devices in order to distort the direct and clear meaning of the words “wicked” (impious, evildoer) and “rich” (noble, possessing material means), as many rationalist exegetes do, distorting even the concept of “rich” in a negative sense. The entire force of this comparison, obviously, lies in the opposition between the shameful burial of a criminal and the honorable funeral of a distinguished and respected man. The end of verse 9 “although He had done no violence, and there was no deceit in His mouth”—gives a beautiful explanation of the fact set forth above. In the eyes of an orthodox Jew, the honorable burial of Christ could have seemed a deviation from the law, by which all criminals were deprived not only of honorable, but even of ordinary burial. With the Messiah it will be done the opposite, and this is because, as the prophet explains, He is not a criminal or transgressor at all, but the One true and sinless being. This phrase also decisively refutes all suspicions and slanders against the Messiah, that since He suffered, He was consequently guilty. The prophet has already said many times above that if the Messenger of God indeed suffered, it was exclusively for others’ sins (5); here he speaks even more directly, that He had no sins of His own at all, not only in deed, but even in word. In this respect the Messiah stands out sharply from among all people, among whom there is not one who is free from sin (Isa 64:6; Ps 34:5-6). Not without reason did many, both He Himself and His disciples, point with special force to this trait of the Divine dignity of the Savior of the world (John 8:46; 1 Pet 2:22; 2 Cor 5:21 and others).

Isaiah 53:10. But it pleased the Lord to strike Him, and He gave Him over to suffering; and when His soul offers a sacrifice of propitiation, He shall see a long-lived posterity, and the will of the Lord shall be carried out successfully by His hand. Verses 10–11, representing as it were a concluding conclusion from the entire chapter, reveal to us the inner, deepest meaning of the crucifixion of the Messiah and its saving fruit. “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush Him with pain.” Again, a clear answer to the chief perplexity of the Jews—about the death of an innocent sufferer. According to the false Jewish understanding, there is no innocent suffering, since God would never permit it. Exposing this delusion regarding the Messiah, the prophet says that in this case we have an exception, that the sufferings and death of this Innocent One occurred not contrary to the will of His Heavenly Father, but in complete accordance with it (Acts 2:23; Phil 2:6-7; Col 1:19-20). In the Slavonic and in the Seventy the thought is expressed somewhat differently and perhaps even more clearly: “The Lord wills to purify Him from the wound.” The majority of commentators on this text establish its immediate connection with the end of verse 6, where it was said that the Lord laid on Him the iniquities of all people. This very burden of universal worldly sin and constituted the “wound” or “sickness” for which the Messiah had to make a redemptive sacrifice in the form of crucifixion. The crucifixion to the cross, the wound of worldly sin, lost its power and made it possible for spiritual and moral healing for all who come into communion with this blessed source of healing, as was beautifully explained above: “the punishment that made us whole was upon Him, and by His bruises we are healed” (verse 5). And therein lies the very deepest mystery of redemption: that an Innocent One suffers for the guilty so as to open for them a source of justification. “When you make His life an offering for sin.” In the Seventy instead of the words “offering for sin” stands περι ᾿αμαρτιας, which in Slavonic is translated—“concerning sin.” The term used in the Hebrew text—asam—according to the opinion of Hebraists, literally should be translated as: guilt-offering, which is closer to the offering for sin. The characteristics and ritual of this offering are discussed in detail in the book of Leviticus (Lev 5:1-19; Lev 7:1-9). “The basic idea of the guilt-offering—asam—is satisfactio, or the satisfaction of violated rights (in the broad sense of the concept). The idea of satisfaction here is created by the requirement of divine justice, and the idea of redemption flows from the fact of punishment, inseparable from transgression.” (I. Grigoriev—p. 228, note). Thus, here a very important additional detail is given, that the redemptive death of the Messiah had a propitiatory character with respect to the highest Divine Justice: “Mercy and truth will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other” (Ps. 84:10). “He shall see His offspring and shall prolong His days; through Him the will of the Lord shall prosper.” When the Lord Jesus Christ accomplishes His great redemptive mission and thereby gives sufficient satisfaction to the Justice of God, He will thereby open for us again the possibility of obtaining many and abundant blessings from the heavenly Father. To express this last thought, the prophet uses an image most understandable and sympathetic to the Old Testament Jew. And for him, as we know, one of the highest blessings was numerous and prolonged posterity, which is why all the patriarchal promises are primarily concentrated on this very point (Gen 13:16; Gen 15:5; Gen 17:5-6; Gen 22:17; Gen 28; and others). With respect to the Messiah, this promise has a special significance—it indicates not fleshly, but spiritual posterity, that is, the future confessors of Christianity, of whom the evangelist John the Theologian writes that the Lord “gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). Not less expressively does the Psalmist speak of Him in one of the messianic psalms: “His descendants will serve Him; it will be told of the Lord to the coming generation” (Ps 21:31). Finally, about that same “spiritual Zion,” “born of God” and about its worldwide spread the prophet Isaiah has already spoken more than once (Isa 54:1; Isa 49:21; Isa 44:28; Isa 42:1; Isa 45; and others). The Messiah Himself “will see” this long-lived seed and will be, with respect to it, its constant guide and conductor of Divine will. And since it was said above about the death and burial of the Son of God, it is clear that here implicite His glorious resurrection from the dead and His kingly sitting at the right hand of God the Father are meant. And all this—such traits of the Messiah which do not apply absolutely to anyone except the Son of God. One should note that the words of the text: “He shall see His offspring,” from Hebrew are translated somewhat differently, more in accordance with our commentary: He will see His seed, will be long-lived (Jerome Thaddeus—214).

Isaiah 53:11. He shall look with satisfaction upon the travail of His soul; through the knowledge of Him, He, the Righteous One, My Servant, shall justify many, and shall bear their sins upon Himself. “Out of the labor of His soul He shall see light and be satisfied.” In the Seventy and in Slavonic, the beginning of this verse reads completely differently: “And the Lord wishes by His hand to remove the pain from His soul, to show Him the light.” In explaining such an essential difference, some Hebraists find that our Russian translation is not precise enough and that it is more correct to translate from the Hebrew as: “freed from toil” (Gesenius), or “by reason of toil (labor) of His soul, He will see satisfaction” (Jerome Thaddeus). With such a translation, the connection of the Russian text with the Slavonic becomes closer and clearer: in both, evidently, the same thing is spoken of, namely that for the Messiah, after the painful moment of temporary humiliation, there will come eternal satisfaction, that is, complete and high moral satisfaction. The difference is that the Russian text illuminates the matter from a subjective side (speaks of the internal self-feeling of the Messiah), while the Slavonic—from an objective side (points to the external source of His vindication and glorification). However, both translations fully correspond to the context of the speech, where just before this it was also spoken about reward for the labor of the Messiah (verse 10). “By knowledge of Himself My righteous Servant shall make many righteous.” Under “knowledge” (Hebrew daet), or “understanding” (Greek επιγνωσις), here is meant, as most direct, the immediate knowledge of God in general (“The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has revealed Him” (John 1:18)), as well as penetration into the depths of the mystery of the Divine plan of salvation for the human race (Matt 11:27; John 10; and others). The thought that the Son of the Lord carried out the will of the One who sent Him the Father willingly, willingly, and with full consciousness of its significance and power, has been unfolded many times in different images in the prophet Isaiah before, especially in the image of an obedient and attentive disciple (Isa 50:4-5). “He… shall make many righteous.” It is not said all, but only many, just as before: “so shall He startle many nations” (Isa 52:15). Obviously, because although the possibility of justification and salvation through communion with the fruit of the redemptive death of the Lord is now opened to all, yet far not all will make use of it, but only those who have strong faith and a free inner attraction to Divine grace (Rom 5:19). It is worthy of special note that God Himself calls His Son here a Righteous One, which destroys the last possibility of doubt in the personal righteousness of the Suffering Messiah, which, as we know, disturbed the Jews more than anything else. And Judas the betrayer confesses this: “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood” (Matt 27:4), and Pilate’s wife says: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man” (Matt 27:19). One must note that He is justified not so that, out of the unrighteous, He might become righteous… the righteous is justified… so that it might be revealed to all what He was,” says blessed Jerome, commenting on this verse.

Isaiah 53:12. Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. It represents the solemn conclusion to the entire chapter 53. In order to give it greater solemnity and power, the Lord Himself appears as the speaker here, crowning His faithful Son with rich reward as the victor over His enemies and the accurate executor of His Divine will. “Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong.” Here, according to the laws of Hebrew meter, the same thought about the victorious reward of the Messiah is repeated twice. “The Innocent suffering Servant, by the final results of his activity, is compared with mighty rulers, or as the following expression shows, with worldwide conquerors of kingdoms. In this comparison, to the minds of readers of Isaiah’s prophecies, especially chapters 35–46, the image of the Persian Cyrus should certainly have come.” (I. Grigoriev—p. 232). One cannot help but compare this with the end of the preceding chapter 52, where it was also said that in silent awe nations will be astounded at the greatness of the Messiah’s work (verse 15). This very image of comparative juxtaposition with earthly kings and their kingdoms gives the thought of the triumphant Messiah as also a king, standing at the head of a special spiritual kingdom, that is, the Church of Christ, which by idea should be the realization of the “kingdom of God on earth.” There exists, however, another, philologically even more precise translation of the phrase: I will give Him many as a portion and the mighty He will divide as spoil. In such a rendering, the thought of the kingly greatness and superiority of the Messiah over earthly rulers comes out even more clearly: kings rule ordinary simple people, but the Messiah will rule over the kings themselves. “Because He poured out Himself to death… bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.” Here once more, under the sanction of Divine authority, the essence of the redemptive sacrifice is revealed, which served as the cause of the reward mentioned above. He “poured out,” or as Bishop Peter translated—“shed” “Himself to death,” seeing in this a hint of crucifixion. “This metaphorical expression is taken from animals which, being slaughtered for offering as sacrifice, together with their blood poured out their soul, contained in the blood (Gen 9:4; Lev 17:11). The Savior also speaks of Himself, that He came to give His soul as a ransom for many” (John 10:11—Bishop Peter). The last expression, “made intercession for the transgressors,” especially clearly emphasizes the meaning of the expiatory sacrifice of an innocent sufferer for sinful humanity. At the same time, this is perhaps the clearest of Old Testament places indicating the “Advocate” of the New Testament. “And was numbered with the transgressors.” According to the testimony of the evangelists Mark and Luke, the Lord Himself, hanging on the cross, applied this prophecy to Himself (Mark 15:27; Luke 22:37), evidently, either in the general sense—to define His shameful execution, or even in a more particular sense—to point to His crucifixion “between two thieves” (Matt 27:44). The great prophetic speech we have examined (Isa 52:13; Isa 53), being in the closest connection with the preceding messianic sections of the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 42:1-4; Isa 49:1-6; Isa 50:4-9), is the crown and completion of all of them, where the personality of the first suffering, and then glorified Son of God comes forth with the utmost clarity and power. In chapter 53—according to the just remark of learned commentators—the prophetic vision of the prophet Isaiah reaches its zenith. Here with such clarity the suffering and condemnation to death, the very death, burial, and glorification of Christ the Savior are depicted that if there is anywhere, then precisely in the prophecy of this chapter, the prophet Isaiah, according to the word of blessed Jerome, is “magis evangelista” (“more an evangelist”), “quam propheta” (“than a prophet”)—St. Petersburg professors. Given the special clarity and precision of the messianic character of the prophecies of chapter 53, on the part of rationalist criticism there has been and continues to be no lack of attempts at negative exegesis. However, the clear meaning of the prophecy, its kinship with others, and the profound antiquity of references to it in Jewish and Christian literature almost entirely prevented critics from using their favorite method—denying the authenticity of the origin of this prophecy. Only a comparatively very few from among little-known Protestant critics ventured to do this (Schian, Kosters, etc.), and they encountered a united opposition even among their fellow thinkers (See the special monograph by E. Sellin “Studien zur Entstehungsgeschichte der jüdischen Gemeinde” “Der Knecht Gottes bei Deuterojesaia”). In recent times, in defense of the authenticity of this prophecy, in addition to all previous arguments, a new one has been put forward, enjoying great weight among scholars investigating Hebrew texts. It is based on a detailed analysis of the text of the entire speech in question (Isa 52:13—Isa 53), as a result of which it becomes clear that this entire speech represents a single poem (a prophetic song) which, according to the laws of Hebrew verse, naturally divides into five following stanzas: Isa 52:13-15 (1st stanza), Isa 53:1-3 (2nd stanza), Isa 53:4-6 (3rd stanza), Isa 53:7-9 (4th stanza), Isa 53:10-12 (5th stanza), of which two symmetrical stanzas at the beginning, one intermediate in the middle, and again two symmetrical ones at the end. “But once the division of the poem into stanzas and the symmetry of the stanzas has been established, the authenticity of this section and its relationship to the Messiah become an indisputable fact” (A. Condamin Op. cit. 323 and 331 p.) The impossibility of denying the speeches of the prophet Isaiah about the ‘Messiah’ turned all the efforts of rationalist criticism toward seeking some possibility of their reinterpretation. The initiative in this respect belongs to medieval Jewish rabbis, to whom it was painful to acknowledge that this prophecy (chapter 53) has a messianic meaning and thus see in it a powerful exposure of their disbelief. And so the learned Hebrew rabbi—Aben-Ezra († 1150) is perhaps the first to put forth the theory of the so-called “collective” understanding of the personality of the Messiah, seeing here the depiction of the sufferings of the entire Jewish people. The hypothesis of Aben-Ezra was supported by the rabbis Rashi and Kimhi, and from modern ones it is held by Hitzig, Reuss, Gelbrecht, Budde, Marti, Rau, Eichhorn, Kosters, and others. A certain variant of this hypothesis is another one close to it, understanding by the ‘Messiah’ not historical Israel in general, but abstract, ideal Israel, as it should be, in accordance with its calling (Bleek, Ewald, and others). To the same group of “collectivist” hypotheses belong two others as well, of which one sees in the suffering Messenger of God an indication of the suffering of Old Testament righteous ones (Paulus, Maurer, Knobel, Kohn, and others), while the other—the “institution of Old Testament prophets” (Gesenius, De Bemme, Umbreit, Schenkel, Hoffmann, and others). But the inconsistency and arbitrariness of all these “collectivist” reinterpretations is clear from the analysis of the text, and we have already said enough about it in its proper place. The hopelessness of such a view is apparently clearly recognized by negative criticism itself, which more and more begins to abandon the ground of “collectivist” understanding and move to the ground of “individualistic” interpretation of the Messiah’s personality. But here we encounter, perhaps, even greater disagreement of opinion: some refer this prophecy to Jeremiah (rabbi Saadiah, Grotius, Seidel), others—to King Josiah (rabbi Abarbanel, Augusti), third—to the pious King Hezekiah (Bardny, Konigsberg), fourth—to the prophet Isaiah himself (Steidlin), fifth—to some outstanding martyr from the era of King Manasseh (Ewald), and others to David, Zerubbabel, the martyr Eleazar, and so forth and so forth. The very multiplicity and inconsistency of the opinions cited best of all reveal their groundlessness and arbitrariness. “In chapters Isa 52—Isa 53 the ‘Messenger of God’ is so clearly depicted as an actual Personality that to see here a mere personification of an ideal righteous one would mean to give the place a sort of abstract and remote sense instead of the direct and immediately apparent one—and that without sufficient grounds in the context and with many insoluble difficulties” (Jerome Thaddeus, Cited work, p. 284–285). In contrast to the inconsistency and instability of rationalist hypotheses, the Orthodox-Christian understanding of this speech, apart from its analysis and context, has a series of weighty external evidence in its favor. First of all, this includes numerous and strong quotations from the Talmud and Midrashes, leaving no doubt in their view of the messianic character of chapter 53 (See excerpts from them in I. Grigoriev “Cited work”, pp. 197–198). Then, directly adjacent to this are numerous holy Patristic commentaries, beginning with Justin the Martyr and Irenaeus of Lyons and ending with John Chrysostom, Jerome, and Augustine (See p. 197–202). Finally, it is not without serious significance that such a view is shared not only by all orthodox exegetes, among whom there are many people with prominent names (Hensler, Michaelis, Hefernich, Stier, Tholuck, Hengstenberg, Reink, Delitzsch, Knabenbauer), but also by very many of the free-thinking Protestant theologians (Dillmann, Duhm, Davidson, Driver, G. A. Smith, Kirkpatrick, Skinner, and others). Even those scholars who defend the “collectivist” understanding of the Messiah sometimes agree to recognize the literal, historical sense as also having a prophetic messianic significance. “The work and mission of Christ, as Teacher, Prophet, Example, and Sacrifice, unites in Himself all that Israel was only partially and imperfectly” (Driver). “All that is depicted here under the appearance of the pious portion of Israel, or a holy martyr, the realization of all this the Christian Church had the right to find in the personality of Jesus Christ” (G. A. Smith). Even Renan found here “hints, as if anticipated in Jesus.” And the author of one of the newest popular negative translated books directly calls the author of this speech the “Great Anonymous” and places him on par with the New Testament evangelists (Sunderland “Sacred Books of the Old and New Testament” 1907). After all this, it is not surprising that orthodox exegesis recognizes this prophecy as the greatest and is ready to consider it as it were written at the foot of Golgotha. (F. Delitzsch). * * * In the Slavonic translation from the Seventy—“Like a root from parched earth.” Editor’s note. In the Slavonic translation from the Seventy—“In His humiliation His judgment was taken away.” Editor’s note. The mention of the rich man who assisted in the burial—and prophecy, confirmed by evangelical events. Editor’s note. And indeed, from the perspective of an orthodox Jew, if the Lord providentially arranged the burial of the Messiah through the mediation of a rich and respected man, in a worthy place—a completely unambiguous indication of the innocence of the Crucified One! Editor’s note. In the Slavonic text there is no mention of the Servant—“may he see light and create understanding, justify the Righteous One who serves well for many, and He shall bear their sins.” Editor’s note. Here it coincides in meaning with the Slavonic translation: “For this reason He will inherit many, and the mighty He will divide as spoil.” Editor’s note.

Chapter Fifty-Four

By external connection of images and facts, the present chapter appears to have nothing in common with the content of the preceding chapter 53. This connection can and should be found somewhat earlier, in the Isa 49:18-20, Isa 51:17, and Isa 52:1 chapters, where the restoration of the renewed Jerusalem, as the center of the future spiritual Israel, is discussed in exactly the same way. The thoughts expressed in the chapters just enumerated in parts and under the veil of images here become the subject of special detailed exposition, giving them greater scope, as well as greater breadth and depth. But if we ponder the inner sense of the prophet’s words, it is not difficult to establish the connection of the present (chapter 54) with the preceding (chapter 53). In the concluding verses of the latter chapter, in the speech about the fruits of the great redemptive sacrifice of the Messiah, it was indicated, among other things, that the Innocent Sufferer, after His glorification by God, shall see much and numerous offspring (10) and that He shall save and justify “the many.” It is about this “long-lived seed,” about these justified many children of the barren mother that the prophet now wishes to conduct logically quite fitting, special speech.

1–6. Prophecy of the multiplication of children of the church being rebuilt and reunited by God. 7–10. The eternity and immovability of the covenant of God with the new covenant church. 11–17. The providential care of God for the new church: its adornment, instruction, establishment in righteousness, and protection from enemies.

Isa 54:1-3. There occurs the solemn address to the subject of the speech, usual for the prophet Isaiah in such cases (cf. Isa 35:1; Isa 48:1; Isa 49:1; Isa 51:1; Isa 52 and others), though not sufficiently clear – to whom exactly? Because of this, some say that this is an address to the pagans, others – to those who believed from the Jews, still others – to spiritual Israel in general, as composed of both pagans and Jews. The last explanation is more complete and better answers the main theme of this discourse.

Isaiah 54:1. Rejoice, barren woman who has not given birth; cry out and shout, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than the children of the one who has a husband, says the Lord. “Rejoice, barren woman, who has not given birth; cry out and shout, you who have not endured labor pains.” The pleonasm and parallelism of thought common in Hebrew poetic speech. As for the meaning of the address itself, the majority of Holy Fathers incline to see here an exclusive address to the “barren pagan church of former times” (Holy Cyril of Alexandria, Holy John Chrysostom, Jerome, and others). But, as evident from the testimony of Jerome, such a somewhat one-sided view became established in opposition to another, even more one-sided and much more dangerous view – that of the Jewish chiliasts, who based their crude sensual false messianic desires on this and similar passages. But for us such danger disappears, and we can boldly restore the true meaning of this prophetic image. To do this, it is necessary to compare it with other similar images taken from the same prophet.

Isaiah 54:1. Such a close parallel is found at the beginning of chapter 35: “Let the desert rejoice and the parched land, and let the wasteland be glad.” The unity of the image of the “barren, childless” and the image of the “parched” “uninhabited” desert will be revealed not only from the similarity of Isaiah 54:1 with Isa 35:1, but also from the fact that individual features relating in chapter 54 to the “barren” are also found in the first part of the book. Compare for example, verse 1 with Isa 26:17-18 (especially “who gave birth, as it were, to the wind”), the words: – “the desolate one has more children… you shall spread to the right and to the left,” compare with Isa 26:15; verse 2 with Isa 33:20; verse 11–12 with Isa 28 (Priest Thaddeus, cited work, p. 215, note). In chapter 35, according to the commonly accepted opinion, the “thirsty desert” means the land of Israel or Palestine, which during the Babylonian captivity indeed fell into great desolation (Isa 49:19) and flourished again only upon the return of its inhabitants from Babylonian captivity. From this we can conclude that in chapter 54, under the image of “a barren and childless wife, temporarily abandoned… by her husband,” is meant, first and foremost, the people of Israel. But not the entire Israel, for the most part having rejected the Messiah and for that cast off by God, but the better, though smaller part of this Israel, but “his holy seed,” which served as leaven for the new spiritual Israel, flowing primarily from the depths of paganism. Some analogy of the address, namely to this “remnant” of Israel can be discerned, for example, in the following words of the prophet Isaiah: “Rejoice and be glad, O inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst.” (Isa 12:6). See also the solemnly joyful discourses of the prophet about spiritual Zion (chapters 51–52). “For the desolate woman has more children than the one who has a husband.” Those who in the preceding address saw an indication of the desert of “paganism,” and in this comparison see a contrast between the new covenant (pagan) church and the old covenant (Jewish) church. But we, holding to a different interpretation in the first case, must consequently propose another in this place. By the wife who has a husband and yet is quite barren, we understand the historical, old covenant Israel, which in spite of all the exclusivity of its covenant, as the chosen people, with God, turned out in its whole mass to be however a “barren fig tree.” By the “wife abandoned by her husband” and yet bearing many children, we understand the “remnant” of faithful Israel, namely Christians from the Jews, who, although they lost their former exclusivity in their relationship with God (in the Church of Christ “there is neither Jew nor Greek” Gal 3:28), nevertheless acquired very many faithful children of the new covenant church from former pagans. The fact that this wife is abandoned by God does not debase her at all, because she is abandoned not for her worthlessness, but as a result of the ineffectiveness, the unnecessary nature, the extinction of this very marriage, for Christianity is so universal and cosmopolitan that there is no longer room in it for any exclusive tribal or national covenants with God. Thus, here we have, properly speaking, the address of the prophet to faithful Israel, who believed in the Messiah and thereby justified their high calling. But since this “remnant” of Israel served as leaven or seed for the birth of many children of the new covenant church from the midst of paganism, thereby the converted pagans are not excluded from the prophet’s discourse. We cannot fail to note, finally, one important circumstance, that our interpretation stands in full agreement with the view of the Apostle Paul regarding the role in the history of Christianity of the best representatives of Judaism, when, for example, he says that “He called not only from the Jews, but also from the pagans” (Rom 9:24), or when he calls the Christian from the pagans a “wild olive,” grafted onto the stem of Judaism (Rom 11:17).

Isaiah 54:2. Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not hold back; let out your ropes long and strengthen your stakes; Isaiah 54:3. for you shall spread to the right and to the left, and your offspring shall possess the nations and shall dwell in desolate cities. “Enlarge the place of your tent… let out your long ropes and strengthen your stakes.” With our understanding of the first verse, the interpretation of the present becomes very simple and clear. The remnant of faithful Israel is very small and therefore lives in the most cramped shelter (tent). But since it is about to expand and grow greatly, thanks to the influx of new children from among the pagans, the prophet urges it to rebuild its dwelling to make it as spacious and roomy as possible. The images – of a ruined tent, in case of misfortune, and of a renewed and expanded one, in case of prosperity and happiness – are among the favorite and commonly used ones among the prophets (Isa 33:20; Jer 10:20 and others). In the prophetic and typological sense, under the enlarged and renewed tent, spread out to all parts of the world (“right and left” in verse 3), we can understand the new covenant church, as Jerome explains: “it must spread to the right and to the left, must not imitate the narrowness of the Jewish tabernacle, which had a hundred cubits in length, fifty cubits in width, nor be confined within the short space of the temple, which had sixty cubits in length and twenty cubits in width, but must continually occupy places to the right and to the left.” And the blessed Theodoret adds to this: “one would hardly err if he called the stakes the holy prophets, apostles, and martyrs: for they, hidden in the ground, like stakes, hold the tent of the church, bound by teaching, as it were by ropes.” It is necessary to recall that both the very image of the “tent of salvation” and the application of this image to the “holy remnant of Israel” is for the prophet Isaiah not something completely unexpected and new, but gives, it seems, a brief repetition of what was the subject of special exposition in one of the earlier chapters of the first part of his book (see chapter IV in particular verses 2–3 and 6). “And your offspring shall possess nations and dwell in devastated cities.” The new covenant Christian church is treated here as the natural continuation of the old covenant Jewish church. And so, when the majority of representatives of the old covenant theocracy did not recognize Christ as the Messiah, rejected Him and thereby departed from their true calling and, as it were, abandoned the ideal places of their dwelling (in the religious sense), then in their depleted places there appeared in multitude others, worthy of occupying them, – the former pagans, who became true descendants not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit, of the renewed Israel (Rom 9:7-8; Gal 4:28 and others).

Isaiah 54:4. Do not fear, for you shall not be ashamed; do not be embarrassed, for you shall not be abused: you will forget the shame of your youth and will not remember the disgrace of your widowhood anymore. From verse 4–8 there is a special, deliberate encouragement of the “holy Israel,” to which is revealed the complete groundlessness of its fears and all the richness of the divine mercy poured out upon it. “Do not fear, for you shall not be ashamed… you will forget the shame of your youth and will not remember the disgrace of your widowhood anymore.” Two thoughts, twice repeated, parallel in content, encouraging in tone: do not fear, forget your brief shame, Jerome in his translation from the Hebrew places them even in a causal relationship: “do not fear… because you will forget the shame of your youth…” The LXX text does the same, together with the Slavonic: “do not fear… for you will forget eternal shame” (cf. Zech 8:15). Some confusion is raised here only by the question of what is meant by “shame of youth” and “disgrace of widowhood”? Since, according to our interpretation, the subject of this prophecy is Christians from the Jews, who perhaps were somewhat disturbed by their special, isolated condition (the majority of Jews stood on a hostile to Christianity ground), in the noted terms one should see an indication of certain specific periods from Israeli history. The “shame of youth” is best understood as the time before the covenant at Sinai, particularly the period of Egyptian wandering, when the Hebrew people almost entirely forgot the true God, about which the prophet Ezekiel expressly remarks: “and they played the harlot in Egypt, played the harlot in their youth; there their breasts were pressed, and there was poured out their virgin bosoms” (Ezek 23:3). By the “disgrace of widowhood” is usually meant the period of Babylonian captivity, when the Lord, for the sins and apostasy of Israel in following foreign gods, again abandoned it and deprived it of His gracious presence (the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem). Direct confirmation of such a view can be found in the prophet Jeremiah: “Israel shall not remain a widow, and Judah by his God” (Jer 51:5), and indirect – in Isaiah himself: “you were sold for your sins and for your transgressions your mother was sent away” (Isa 50:1).

Isaiah 54:5. For your Maker is your husband; the Lord of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel: He shall be called God of all the earth. “For your Maker is your husband.” Better, in Russian, to reverse these definitions: “your husband – is your Maker.” The faithful remnant of Israel, disturbed by its small number, might, in a moment of despondency, consider itself abandoned by men and forsaken by God. The prophet comforts it, saying that for faithful Israel the time of disgraceful widowhood has already passed, and that it has a husband again, who is the Maker and not only Maker, but also Redeemer. “He shall be called God of all the earth.” This is one of the significant old covenant passages where the idea of the universality of God is expressed particularly clearly: He is – not the God of Israel and Judea alone, but God of all the earth, Creator of the universe and Redeemer of all mankind. To such a height could the religious consciousness of old covenant humanity rise only in rare exceptional cases (Ps 23:1; Ps 46:2; and others); but wider dissemination and deeper understanding of all this gradually developed only in new covenant times. Isa 54:6-8. There is a repetition of the same thought – of the new covenant between God and the people – expressed in more detailed development of the already repeatedly mentioned image of a spousal union, first temporarily broken, then restored again.

Isaiah 54:6. For as a wife abandoned and grieving in spirit the Lord calls you, and as a wife of youth who was rejected, says your God. “For as a wife abandoned and grieving in spirit.” In the last words one cannot fail to see a hint at the immediate reason for the prophecy offered in this discourse to console the small remnant of faithful Israel.

Isaiah 54:7. For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will gather you. Isaiah 54:8. In a surge of wrath I hid my face from you for a moment, but with eternal kindness I will have compassion on you, says your Redeemer, the Lord. Hosea 2:19–20. “For a brief moment I abandoned you… but with eternal kindness I will have compassion on you.” The usual Hebrew poetic devices – parallelism of thoughts and their antithesis. Both the content of this image and its very form remind us rather closely of the well-known symbolic image so thoroughly expounded in the prophet Hosea (particularly Hosea 2:19–20). What deserves attention here is the contrast between Divine wrath and love: wrath – for a short time, but mercy and love – forever. Isa 54:9-10. These two verses represent a Divine oath, given to affirm the immutability of what was said – about the eternal mercy of God toward His true, faithful Israel. The content or sign of this oath is a reference to another similar historical event, in which the eternity of Divine mercy was once sufficiently expressed. This is an allusion to the concluding moment of the history of the universal flood, when the Lord swore to Noah that He would not repeat such a devastating punishment for the sins of men (Gen 9:11). And so, just as the Lord faithfully and inviolably fulfills this promise despite all the terrible crimes of humanity, in exactly the same way He will immutably fulfill His new promise of mercy toward the new covenant Israel.

Isaiah 54:10. The mountains shall depart and the hills shall be removed – but my mercy shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be shaken, says the Lord who has mercy on you. “The mountains shall depart and the hills shall be removed, but my mercy shall not depart from you.” An extraordinarily joyful and comforting thought, expressed moreover in a most definite, solemnly categorical form, which naturally calls for comparison with the well-known words of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself: “heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matt 24:35). “The mountains shall sooner move and hills be shaken than my thoughts change, as it is said in the Gospel. Such is my mercy, that the covenant of peace by which the world is reconciled to me be preserved not by the merit of those to whom it is given, but by my mercy” (Jerome). Isa 54:11-17. At the conclusion of the chapter a poetic, touchingly beautiful description is given of the special Divine care for His faithful, new covenant Israel.

Isaiah 54:11. Poor, battered by storm, comfortless! Behold, I will lay your stones upon carbuncles and make your foundations of sapphires; “Poor, battered by storm, comfortless!” In such words the prophet addresses the new covenant Jewish church, and through it – to all spiritual Zion. How much poetic tenderness, touching solicitude, and sincere warmth of feeling there are in them! And how strongly and beautifully all the vicissitudes of the external and internal fate of Israel are embraced in these few words, beginning with the gradual internal norm of its moral and religious life and ending with the loss of its political independence, which forced it to constantly pass from one master to another.

Isaiah 54:12. and I will make your windows from rubies, and your gates – from pearls, and all your walls – from precious stones. “I will lay your stones upon carbuncles… your gates of pearls and all your walls of precious stones.” In contrast to the extreme instability of the old covenant Jewish church, the new covenant Christian church (led by the believing Jews) will be established especially firmly and solidly: rubies and sapphires shall be laid as its foundation, pearls shall serve as its gates, and the walls shall be made entirely of precious stones. All this testifies, on the one hand, to the extreme durability and stability of the church building, and on the other – to the wealth and splendor of its external adornment. Apparently, this same image, in the form of the “upper Zion or heavenly Jerusalem,” is described in detail in the Apocalypse (Rev 21:10-27), and in a somewhat altered form also in the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 40-48 chapter). The immediate, historical meaning of this image is that although the new covenant church will also not be without strong upheavals and storms, they are not to be feared, just as the fury of the sea waves is powerless against a solid granite rock, or as external siege is not dangerous to a well and strongly fortified city. In the allegorical prophetic sense, according to the interpretation of the Holy Fathers – under the cornerstone lying in the foundation of the Church building, one must understand Christ (cf. Isa 28:16; Amos 7:8; Zech 3:8; Ps 117:22; Matt 21:42; Luke 20:17-18; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet 2:4-8); and under the other precious stones concentrated around Him – His apostles and disciples, as well as all their worthy successors (Matt 16:18; and others).

Isaiah 54:13. All your sons shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your sons. Verses 13–14 depict the future internal well-being of the new covenant church. “All your sons shall be taught by the Lord.” That the Lord will pour out peace and mercy on the new covenant children of His, and will impart to them the gracious lessons of love, wisdom, and piety – is spoken of repeatedly in many places of both the Old and New Testaments (Isa 44:3; Jer 31:33; Ezek 11:19; Joel 2:28; John 6:45; Acts 2:17; 1 Thess 4:10 and others).

Isaiah 54:14. You shall be established in righteousness; you shall be far from oppression, for you will have nothing to fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you. “Psalm 44. “You shall be established in righteousness.” From verse 14 it is evident that the words of the Lord are addressed to the Bride and Spouse of the Great King, to the Church of Christ. The Church, the Bride of Christ, “shall be established in righteousness.” But is not it He who is her Bridegroom about whom the Psalmist (Psalm 44) prophesied and who is the same Emmanuel and Servant of the Lord: “hasten, ride on the chariot, for truth and meekness and righteousness” (Ps 44:5)?” Does not Isaiah say about Him: “A child is born to us… and his name shall be called… Prince of Peace. To the increase of his dominion and of peace there will be no end on the throne of David and in his kingdom, to establish it and to strengthen it with judgment and righteousness from now on and forever.” (Isa 9:6-7 Vlastov). Isa 54:15-17. The Lord promises His almighty help against all enemies who may ever rise up against His Church.

Isaiah 54:15. Behold, they will gather together, but not by me; whoever gathers against you will fall. “Behold, they will gather together, but not by me.” A new point of view is affirmed regarding the troubles and sufferings of the church: the old covenant church experienced troubles, which, to instruct it, the Lord Himself permitted or even, as it were, sent upon it (Isa 1:5-6; Isa 2:6; Isa 6:10; Isa 10:5; Jer 7:25-34; Ezek 8-11 and others). But the new covenant sufferings – troubles and persecutions – have another source and different significance, partly revealed by the Apostle Peter (1 Pet 4:12-13).

Isaiah 54:16. Behold, I have created the smith who blows the coals in the fire and produces a weapon for his work, – and I create the destroyer to ruin. Isaiah 54:17. No weapon forged against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall refute. This is the heritage of the Lord’s servants, their vindication from me, says the Lord. The destruction of the church’s enemies, who fall as victims of their own blind malice, is spoken of. This thought is encountered repeatedly in the prophet Isaiah earlier as well (Isa 42:25; Isa 44:25; Isa 49:26; Isa 52 and others). “The heritage of the Lord’s servants,” that is their ultimate reward – is vindication before God and eternal salvation. Thus the conclusion of the discourse, returning to its beginning, removes all reason for the despondent confusion and fear of some (the “remnant” of Israel), which gave the prophet the reason for pronouncing this very discourse.

Chapter Fifty-Five

1–5. Universal call to enter the new covenant church through the mediation of the Messiah, the Servant of the Lord. 6–7. The necessity of moral rebirth as a condition for God’s mercy toward the sinner and his acceptance into the church. 8–11. The incomparable height and efficacious power of God’s Word, capable of spiritually regenerating man. 12–13. A joyful picture of the future universal regeneration.

The concluding verses of the preceding chapter 54 presented, as we have seen, speech from the Lord Himself. The present chapter opens from the very beginning with the words of the Lord, so that, from this side, it serves as the natural continuation of the preceding narrative. As for the internal connection of these two chapters, it becomes more natural and understandable when they are rearranged: in chapter 55 the cause (the call into the new covenant church of all who wish and are morally reborn) is indicated, and in chapter 54 the effect (the extraordinary external spread and internal establishment and flourishing of Christ’s church).

Isaiah 55:1. Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat; come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. From verses 1–3 there is the customary poetic and figurative introduction to the discourse, so common for the prophet Isaiah in solemn occasions, and therefore rather lengthy, or more precisely, an address to the recipients of the discourse, with a general indication of its subject matter. “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters.” In the dry and hot climate of Palestine (where the prophet Isaiah lived and worked), usually suffering from severe droughts and lack of moisture, the image of pure, cold springs and their refreshing waters was especially clear and persuasive for all. But that this was only an image, giving an idea of another water – of “living water” – is evident from the earlier words of the prophet Isaiah himself: – “and you shall draw water with joy from the springs of salvation” (Isa 12:3), or: “for I will pour water upon the thirsty and streams upon the dry; I will pour my spirit upon your offspring” (Isa 44:3 cf. Isa 41:17 and others); and especially clearly from the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, who began His well-known sermon about salvation, delivered at the feast of Tabernacles, with the exposition of this very image: “if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink” (John 7:37). And in another place, in conversation with the Samaritan woman, He explains that this “water” – “which I will give… becomes… a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). Note. On this day, our church, with the memory of the sanctification of water by an angel in the Jordan basin, joins the memory of the teaching of Jesus Christ concerning living water, that is, the Holy Spirit (John 7:38), and thereby prays to the Lord for the watering of all who thirst for salvation with the waters of piety. On this basis in our land a pious church and popular custom has been connected to the day of Tabernacles to sanctify water on rivers, in wells, – and this water, like the water of Theophany, is considered a very important sanctifying means for domestic use. In connection with this custom, without doubt, is also another, by which our people in the company of priests perform special processions to the fields, during which prayers established over the sown fields are usually read and the priest sprinkles the fields with holy water. Editor’s note. “Ho, everyone, come to the waters, even you who have no money.” A beautiful and strong expression of the thought about the universal call to enter the new covenant church, not conditioned by wealth, nor power, nor birth, in short, not by any external advantages. “The gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to believers freely (Matt 10:8), since the Lord does not need the goods of man (Ps 15:2). Or as in another place, already the New Testament Scripture beautifully speaks, that God “has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty-handed” (Luke 1:53). Received by man, they have for him the same significance which wine and milk – for an exhausted human organism, that is, invigorating and nourishing” (Commentary of St. Petersburg professor – page 845).

Isaiah 55:2. Why do you spend money on what is not bread, and your wages on what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is good, and let your soul delight in richness. Verses 2–3 express one and the same thought – of the superiority of eternal, heavenly goods over vain and illusory earthly ones, – which is first expressed in a questioning-negative form (verse 2), and then in a categorically positive form (verse 3). “Why do you spend money on what is not bread… what does not satisfy?” Comparing the prophetic image given here with the well-known discourse of the Savior on the “bread of life” (John 6 chapter), we have the right to say that the prophet contrasts sensual and deceptive earthly pleasures with higher spiritual goods, at the center of which stands care for eternal, heavenly salvation. An additional commentary to this place can be the comparative reasoning of the Apostle Paul on old covenant and new covenant righteousness: “for when you were slaves of sin… what fruit did you get then from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get is sanctification and the end is eternal life” (Rom 6:20-22). “Listen carefully to me and eat what is good.” More precisely, the thought of the prophet should be conveyed in a conditional form: “if you listen to me, then you will eat what is good.” The very invitation to “listen” to the discourse on salvation and true good very closely resembles similar calls of Divine Wisdom to her children (Prov 8:1). Of “tasting” good, as the portion of the righteous, the prophet has spoken not once before, even in the first half of his book (Isa 1:19; Isa 3:10. See also further Isa 58:14). And the fact that this “good” has not material but spiritual character is evident from the very fact that throughout the prophet constantly connects it with the “life of the soul” (verses 2–3).

Isaiah 55:3. Incline your ear and come to me: listen, and your soul shall live, – and I will make with you an eternal covenant, the sure steadfast love promised to David. “And I will make with you an eternal covenant, the sure steadfast love promised to David.” Both the content of the present chapter and the whole course of the prophetic discourses of Isaiah leave no doubt that here is spoken of the “New Covenant,” that is, the Christian church, with which the Lord entered into a union, as a bridegroom with a bride. The Old Covenant cannot be seen here because the prophet in the first half of the book already spoke of its termination and annihilation by the sins of men (Isa 24:5). But of course, in virtue of the internal affinity of the ideal traits of the old covenant with the new, the latter can rightfully be called the restoration, or more precisely – the completion of the former. In this sense it becomes quite understandable and the mention of the messianic promises given by God to David (2 Sam 7:14-16), since the latter had not so much a historical as a typological and prophetic meaning, that is, they related either to the Person of the Messiah Himself, or to His era.

Isaiah 55:4. Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. “Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander.” Based on the immediate grammatical connection, many exegetes of a rationalistic bent understand under the word “him” not the Messiah, but David, who was just spoken of (Gesenius, Ewald, Knobel, Cheyne, and others). But in the opinion of very many other interpreters, there is no need to slavishly follow grammar at the obvious expense of common sense, since it is more than risky to acknowledge the person of the historical David as a witness for the contemporaries of the prophet Isaiah and their teacher and leader; and not only for his contemporaries, but for their most distant descendants, since the prophet’s discourse has in view, primarily the latter (Vitringa, Rosenmüller, Umbreit, Orelli, The Pulpit Commentary, and others). The Messiah is here called a “witness,” in complete accord with the words of Christ Himself, Who said: “For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth” (John 18:37). The Messiah – this beloved Servant of the Lord – is also repeatedly presented as the universal teacher, leader and commander of the nations, both in the prophet Isaiah himself and in other prophets (Isa 42:6; Isa 43:9; Isa 44:8; Isa 49:1-2; Isa 51:4; Jer 30:9; Ezek 34:23-24; and others).

Isaiah 55:5. Behold, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for He has glorified you. “Behold, you shall call a nation you do not know.” It is scarcely fair, as Yakimov and some other commentators do, to find here also an indication of the Messiah and His call of nations into the new covenant church. The inadmissibility of such a view is conditioned by the subsequent context, where it is said that the one who called the nation had not known it before; and this, of course, cannot be said of the Messiah, since it would contradict His Divine omniscience. Therefore, it is more correct to see here an indication of the people of Israel, which, although in the greater part did not know Christ, but nevertheless brought others to Him. The perpetrators of such an unexpected, in a certain sense, even miraculous result were the best representatives of historical Israel – his prophets and leaders, and finally, the Promised Messiah Himself – the “Holy One of Israel.” All these thoughts we encounter in the prophet Isaiah more than once (Isa 49:7; Isa 60:3; Isa 62:2 and others).

Isaiah 55:6. Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near. Isaiah 55:7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the man of iniquity his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. They contain an indication of those conditions which all called into the new covenant church must satisfy. They must “seek God” and “call upon Him,” the more so since He is always close to each of us who actively seeks Him (cf. Acts 17:27). And then – and this is most important – those seeking entry into the Messianic kingdom must radically change not only the character of their life and activity (“let the wicked forsake his way”), but also the very pattern of their thoughts (“and the man of iniquity his thoughts”) It is not difficult to see how closely all this resembles the primary theme of the first new covenant sermon – of the Forerunner of the Lord, John the Baptist: “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand… bring forth fruits worthy of repentance!” (Matt 3:2).

Isaiah 55:8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. The exposition of the thought about the saving, morally regenerating power of God’s Word is presented, representing in this respect a striking contrast to weak human words. In an easier paraphrase the content of these four verses can be conveyed in these words: “Your intentions and actions,” says the Lord to people, are as distant from Mine as heaven is from earth: since everything in you is changeable, contradictory, half-hearted, and weak-willed, with Me every promise and word is sealed with the character of absolute immutability and is always fulfilled in its full measure and in reality. Consequently, it will certainly be fulfilled, and the word – of salvation for sinners, on condition of their repentance, – about which we just spoke and which to some might seem an offense, in view of the one-sidedly formal view of old covenant humanity, that only the righteous are saved (cf. Matt 10:6; Matt 18:11; Luke 9:56). In the interests of the unity and authenticity of the book of the prophet Isaiah, it is important to note that a similar characterization of human plans and Divine determinations was encountered by him even in the initial chapters (Isa 7:7; Isa 8:10). In the figurative sense, under the Word of the Lord some understand the Hypostatic Word of the Father, who appeared in the world to accomplish the will of the Father (John 1:1; John 17:4).

Isaiah 55:10. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to him who sows and bread to him who eats, – Isaiah 55:11. so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth: it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:12. For you shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Isaiah 55:13. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the nettle shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. The concluding verses of the chapter speak of the fruits of redemption, depicting them in broad strokes, in a vivid picture. These fruits will immediately be reflected in the people, who with joyful hearts shall come out of their spiritual bondage – slavery to sin and the devil (John 8:31-32); but they will also touch all the rest of nature, since it shares together with man both his sad and joyful fate (Gen 3:18; Rom 8:19-22). The love of the prophet Isaiah for speaking in such images and comparisons is proved even by many other passages of his book (Isa 5:25; Isa 13:2; Isa 14:25; Isa 30:17; Isa 35:2; Isa 44:2; Isa 49:13 and others).

Chapter Fifty-Six

The content of the present chapter is the further development and intensification of the thought of the preceding one about the revelation of the new covenant church and the conditions for entry into it.

1–2. The necessity of firmly maintaining the ideal of theocracy. 3–7. The bounds of the old covenant church are expanded by the inclusion in the kingdom of the Messiah of those who previously had no entry into it, on purely external grounds (“fellow countrymen and foreigners”). 8–12. About the fate of faithful and unfaithful Israel.

Isaiah 56:1. Thus says the Lord: maintain justice and do righteousness; for my salvation is about to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. “Maintain justice and do righteousness.” The terms “justice and… righteousness” (שפשמ and הקדצ), in the language of the Bible, have a technical meaning – they express the essence of the theocratic ideal. To practice “justice and… righteousness” – means to precisely fulfill the God-given law, which, as the revelation of the benevolent and all-perfect will of God, is itself absolute “righteousness.” Therefore, the fulfillment of such law, according to the impartial “judgment” of the Lord, gives “vindication” to man. Hence – the “judgment” of the Almighty and the “righteousness” of the Almighty are regarded as synonymous concepts. But since to bear on one’s shoulders all the yoke of the law was an impossible task for old covenant humanity (Rom 3:19), the vindication through this law was actually achieved by no one. Only in the person of the Messiah did the old covenant law find its ideal embodiment (Matt 3:15 and Matt 5:17). That is why the “appearance of the Messiah” is ordinarily also called the “revelation of God’s righteousness.”

Isaiah 56:2. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath from being defiled and keeps his hand from doing any evil. “Blessed is the man… who keeps the Sabbath from being defiled.” A thought very close to the well-known words of the Psalmist: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked… but his delight is in the law of the Lord” (Ps 1:1-2). Why is here from all the old covenant ritual especially emphasized only the keeping of the Sabbath? Historically – this can be explained by the fact that here the thought of the prophet is transferred to that post-captivity period when many other ritual actions were necessarily discontinued (due to the absence of a sanctuary and temple); and in its essential meaning, it should be noted that the “Sabbath,” in general, is the most important and most ancient theocratic institution, tracing its origin back to the time of creation and the first covenant of paradise, which is why it serves in many prophets as the preferred sign of the covenant of the Lord with Israel (Jer 17:21-24; Ezek 20:12; Ezek 22:8). One cannot fail to pay proper attention and to the very character of the observance of the Sabbath, as it is impressed upon the prophet Isaiah. “To keep the Sabbath from being defiled” – this means, as is evident from the subsequent context – “to keep your hand, that you do no evil.” Consequently, “Sabbath rest,” in the thought of the prophet Isaiah, bears not so much a physical as an ethical character. The latter will become even more evident and clear if we compare this passage with another parallel passage from the same prophet, where he in very definite expressions expounds the moral character of fasting (Isa 58:3-6).

Isaiah 56:3. Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely separate me from His people”; and let not the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.” Isaiah 56:4. For thus says the Lord: to the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths and choose what pleases me, and hold fast to my covenant, – Deuteronomy 23:1. Access to the old covenant church was closed to persons who did not belong to the Hebrew nation, or even to those who had only a physical deformity that deprived them of the possibility of having offspring (eunuchs or castrated persons, Deut. 23:1). For entry into the church renewed by the Messiah all these obstacles have lost their force: and the “foreigner” (proselyte) and the “eunuch” may, like everyone else, be full members of this church, if only they satisfy the fundamental inner condition – “hold fast to God’s covenant,” that is, the law of Moses, as its external symbolic expression. Isaiah 56:5. I will give them in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. “I will give them in my house… a monument and a name better than sons and daughters.” The idea of immortality in offspring the Jews understood too sensually and directly, only in the sense of physical continuation of the race. The prophet corrects this false view: he speaks of the moral self-worth of each individual person, determined by his personal virtues and merits; that is why it is not uncommon for a man deprived even of hope of offspring to be much more renowned and glorious than another morally worthless man, even if the latter has numerous offspring.

Isaiah 56:6. And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath from being defiled and holds fast to my covenant, – Isaiah 56:7. I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. “I will bring them to my holy mountain… my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” The mention here of the “holy mountain” naturally leads our thought to the earlier special discourse of the same prophet about this holy mountain, under which he, generally, understands the fates of the new covenant, Christ’s church (chapter 2). Under the “house of prayer” spoken of here repeatedly, although many are inclined to understand the old covenant Jerusalem temple, this is scarcely fair, especially in view of the clear words of the Lord that “the hour is coming when those who worship the Father will worship in neither this place nor Jerusalem… in spirit and in truth” (John 4:21). “Therefore the prophecy of Isaiah, as Vlastov justly says, must have had the broadest meaning and encompass the whole Christian world, that is, the Church of Christ, as the eternal temple of the eternal God, in which each Christian soul, worshipping the Lord God “in spirit and truth,” will be heard by the merciful Father” (Vlastov, Sacred History, chapter V, page 332).

Isaiah 56:8. The Lord God, who gathers the scattered Israelites, says: I will gather still others to those already gathered. Isaiah 56:9. All you wild animals, all you wild beasts of the forest! come and eat. Isaiah 11:10. Again, for its greater emphasis, the very same thought is repeated – of the universal call of all peoples into the Church of Christ: into it will enter all who wish of the Israelites, however far they be scattered, and all pagan nations, however wild and rough they may seem from the old covenant perspective, like wild and forest beasts. All these thoughts and even the very images are well known to us from many other passages of the book of the prophet Isaiah. Thus about the gathering of scattered Israel and its providential calling in chapter 11, among other things, it is said: “in that day the root of Jesse, which stands as a sign for the peoples, the nations will inquire for, and his resting place will be glorious… and he will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:10, 12; cf. Isa 27:12; Isa 43:5-6 and others). The comparison of the pagan peoples, dwelling in religious ignorance and material coarseness, with wild beasts, is given, for example, in Isa 43:20: “The wild animals will praise me, jackals and ostriches, because I give water in the desert, streams in the wasteland.” Here, the well-known images of the “thirsty desert” and of its “water” that brings blessing, leave no doubt as to the proper understanding of the inhabitants of this desert, that is, the pagan peoples. Isaiah 56:10. His watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, not able to bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. Isaiah 56:11. These dogs have a mighty appetite, they are never satisfied. And they are shepherds who have no understanding: they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all. Isaiah 56:12. “Come,” they say, “I will get wine, and we will drink our fill of strong drink; and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure.” The end of chapter 56 is not so much its conclusion as an introduction to the following prophetic denunciatory discourse (chapters 57–59). The connection of these two verses with what precedes is obviously based on an antithesis: if the better stock of Israel, through the grafting onto it of the wild olive of the pagan nations, will give strong and rich branches in the new covenant church, then the greater part of the sons of Israel, headed by their blind leaders, will remain outside the threshold of this church. And the main responsibility for such a sad fate of the spiritually darkened Israel must rest, of course, with its spiritual leaders, upon whom above all the prophet pours out all the force of his holy indignation, scourging them in the most vivid images, not unfamiliar to us from many other passages of his book (Isa 1:21-23; Isa 5:8; Isa 9:14-16; Isa 10:1-2; Isa 30:9-18; Isa 52:5 and others). Here in particular the images are forceful of the “watchman” who himself sees nothing, for he loves to sleep and doze, and the “dog” of the watch, who is mute, that is, cannot bark. These are the “senseless shepherds” – for they pursue only their personal pleasure and gain, not the care for public interests, and even less – for the general welfare of the people entrusted to them.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

From the end of the preceding (Isa 56:10) and to the penultimate verse of chapter 59 (Isa 59:19) there is one denunciatory discourse of the prophet, in which he exposes the sins and transgressions of Israel, and even exposes the true meaning of those seeming virtues of Israel in which he thought to find self-justification and even saw a special merit before the Lord (fasting and almsgiving).

1–2. Introduction to the discourse. 3–12. Powerful denunciation of Israel for its infidelity to the Lord and religious apostasy. 13–19. A ray of light from Divine mercy even toward unworthy Israel. 20–21. Concluding sentence on the destruction of the unrepentant sinners.

Isaiah 57:1. The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; and devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous man is taken away from evil. “The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart… no one understands that the righteous man is taken away from evil.” Characterizing the deep religious and moral fall and corruption of his contemporaries, the prophet notes the complete indifference of the people to such significant events as the premature death of righteous men, in which one should see a divine punishment and instruction of the wicked. For the elucidation of the matter here it is necessary to bear in mind that peculiarity of old covenant worldview by virtue of which the “righteous” man is usually rewarded with longevity (Exod 20:12; 1 Sam 3:14; Prov 3:1-2). If, then, commonly recognized righteous men are now often taken away by God from the living, the cause of this lies not in them, but in us, namely in our sinfulness, creating a heavy atmosphere for the righteous. That is why the Lord takes such righteous men to Himself, depriving us of their wholesome influence and instructive example.

Isaiah 57:2. He enters into peace; they rest on their beds, each who walked uprightly. “He enters into peace.” For the righteous man himself, such an early departure from the vale of tears and sorrow is not only not a deprivation, but a positive gain, for from “vanity of vanities” (Eccl 1:2) he is transferred to “rest and peace.” “This thought is most notably found in the books of the old covenant; it prepared the soul for that joy of the afterlife which illuminated all the life of the Christian after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus” (Vlastov). But for the rest of the people, among whom lived that righteous man, whose light and love warmed them, his premature death was a serious and, it would seem, keenly felt loss. Yet the criminally indifferent society ceased to feel and notice this. It should be noted that the Slavonic translation of the LXX in this verse departs significantly from the Masoretic text and has the following form: “his burial would be with peace, taken away from the midst.” Comparing this expression with the parallel passage from chapter 53, verse 8, some of the Holy Fathers interpret it as a prophetic indication of an historical fact – the burial of the Lord Jesus Christ by Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and the myrrh-bearing women (Jerome).

Isaiah 57:3. But draw near here, you sons of a sorceress, offspring of an adulterer and a harlot! Isaiah 57:4. Whom are you mocking? Against whom do you open wide your mouth and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, offspring of deceit, “But draw near here, you sons of a sorceress, offspring of an adulterer and a harlot… offspring of deceit.” In such sharp and energetic expressions the prophet Isaiah makes an address to his wicked contemporaries. All these images and characteristic expressions, being fully understandable in themselves on the basis of old covenant theocracy, where the covenant of Israel with the Lord was usually compared to an intimate marital union, acquire special expressiveness and force when compared with new covenant evangelical parallels (Matt 12:39; Matt 27:25; Luke 23:21; John 8:44). Especially appropriate to recall here is the well-known characterization of the Jews made by the Lord Himself, in which He establishes their spiritual kinship with the “father of lies” (John 8:41-44). Isa 57:5-11. From verses 5–11 there is an unbroken accusation brought against the Jews by the prophet for various kinds of their religious and moral apostasies. This section has also high purely historical interest, as it contains a list of the most typical kinds of pagan beliefs and cults that penetrated Israel from neighboring Canaanite peoples and dominated it in the epoch of so-called “religious syncretism.” Here we find indication of orgiastic cults (verse 5), and of religious veneration of “bethels,” or special sacred stones (verse 6), and of the practice of pagan sacrifices “on high places” (verse 7), and of the cult of household deities, a kind of household gods or penates (verse 8), and even of bloody sacrifices of children (verse 5). The complete historical authenticity of such a disheartening picture of the religious and moral condition of the pre-captivity Jews is verified by a long series of corresponding parallels from other historical and prophetic books (1 Sam 19:13; 2 Sam 17:10; 2 Sam 21:6; 2 Chr 23:17; 2 Chr 28:3; Jer 2:20; Jer 3:6; Jer 19:2-6; Ezek 16:20; Ezek 20:26; Ezek 23:37; and many others).

Isaiah 57:12. I will tell of your righteousness and your deeds, – and they will not profit you. Summing up all the historical sins of Israel, this verse at the same time serves as a transition to the subsequent discourse of the prophet about the mercy of Israel. Isa 57:13-19. From verses 13–19 there is messianic prophecy about spiritual Israel, or about the Church of Christ, into which with time will come both the near (Jews) and the far (pagans).

Isaiah 57:13. When you cry out, let your collection save you! The wind will carry them all away, a breath will take them; but he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain. Under the “collection,” of which here as a futile means of self-defense and protection the prophet speaks, it is most natural, on the basis of the context, to understand here the pantheon of deities that existed among the Jews in this epoch of religious syncretism. In contrast to this whole host of empty and insignificant deities, the Lord alone gives complete victory to all who hope in Him.

Isaiah 57:14. And it shall be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstacle from the way of my people.” Verse 14 contains a prophetic exhortation to the members of the new covenant church in every way to promote and work toward the conversion of the misguided Israel, which becomes even clearer when compared with new covenant parallels (Rom 9:32-33; Rom 11:25).

Isaiah 57:15. For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite.” In verse 15, a whole series of epithets applied to the Almighty and bearing the traits of high religious and moral monotheism stand out: “High and Lofty One, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy.” As though by contrast with this absolute holiness and transcendent supremacy, the Lord especially loves the humble and broken-hearted sinners, which in general Scripture speaks repeatedly, both in the Old and New Testaments (Ps 33:19; Isa 66:2; Matt 11:29-30; Luke 4:18; Jas 4:16).

Isaiah 57:16. For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for then the spirit would grow faint before me, and the breath of man which I have made. Genesis 6:3. “For I will not contend forever and will not always be angry.” The manner of expression, by the just observation of one commentator, closely reminds of a similar passage from the history of the flood (Vlastov, Genesis 6:3, 5–7). Isaiah 57:17. For the sin of his covetousness I was angry and struck him; I hid myself and was angry; but he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. “For the sin of covetousness I was angry and struck him.” Our Slavonic translations have a different, rather obscure reading: “for the sin I grieved him a little.” It may not be entirely clear why, given the whole range of sins that plagued Israel and by which Israel constantly provoked the Lord, only avarice is named here? The answer to this lies, first of all, in Scripture’s extremely severe view of avarice and covetousness. For instance, the Apostle Paul equates “covetousness” with “idolatry” (Col 3:5) and even calls “the love of money” “the root of all evils” (1 Tim 6:10). 78. This viewpoint on avarice is explained, apparently, by the fact that “money” serves us as a synonym for sensual goods and pleasures, an easy and reliable means to obtaining them. But intense accumulation of money, or the passion of avarice, transforms it from a means into an end in itself; taking hold of a person’s soul, this passion destroys their best qualities and turns them into a ravenous beast that stops at nothing, no crime, to satisfy the devouring flame of avarice and greed. Second, a particular passion for money and gain, not shrinking from any means, including dark ones, was apparently always a typical trait of the Jewish people, running through all its history. “Avarice was already present in the forefathers of the Jews—Judah, son of Jacob (Gen 37:26-27); this passion reached its most terrible and extreme manifestation in Judas the traitor, who sold his Teacher for thirty pieces of silver” (Commentary of the St. Petersburg Academy, p. 867). On avarice, bribery, extortion, and the oppression of the poor by the wealthy, as a socio-economic malady of Jewish public life, many prophets lament (Isa 1:15-23; Isa 3:5; Isa 5:8; Jer 6:13; Ezek 7:23; Hos 4:2; Mic 3:10 and others).

Isaiah 57:18. I have seen his ways, and I will heal him, and will lead him and comfort him and those who sorrow with him. Isaiah 57:19. I will fulfill the word: peace, peace to the far and near, says the Lord, and I will heal him. They encourage the sons of Israel with the promise of forgiveness from God and the fulfillment of the covenants given by Him. In the words of the prophet and I will heal him—some, judging by the context, wish to see precisely healing from the passion of avarice and find the fulfillment of this prophecy in the arrangement of that first Christian community, where “no one called anything his own, but all things were common” (Acts 4:32).

Isaiah 57:20. But the wicked are like the troubled sea, which cannot be calm and whose waters cast up mire and filth. Isaiah 57:21. There is no peace for the wicked, says my God. If the Lord promises to the faithful and, in general, the righteous peace and bright joyful rest as the result of a pure conscience and fulfilled duty, then the unbelieving and wicked, according to the word of the prophet, await the opposite—a painfully heavy state of troubled spirit, reminiscent of the turmoil of a raging sea. The results of such a dark spiritual condition will necessarily be expressed by them also outwardly, in corresponding deeds, just as the waves of a turbulent sea always cast mire and filth onto the shore. * * * Notes Religious syncretism is the union of diverse doctrinal and cultic elements in the process of mutual influence of religions in their historical development. Ed. note. Here the continuation of the Slavonic text of verse 17 is omitted—“and I was grieved, and I went feeble in my ways.” The meaning is entirely clear—not only did he grieve the wicked, but made him feeble (sick, weak). Ed. note. In the Slavonic translation—“extortion, which is idolatry”—it has a different meaning. Extortion is thievery; in the Russian translation, however—covetousness—accumulation. Ed. note.

Chapter Fifty-Eight

1–2. An introduction to the discourse, which sets forth its theme. 3–5. Exposure of the external, purely outward, and therefore false piety of the Jews. 6–7. The inner content of true and actual piety. 8–14. Its salutary fruits.

Isaiah 58:1. Cry aloud, do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet, and declare to My people their transgressions, and to the house of Jacob their sins. Isaiah 58:2. They seek Me day by day and desire to know My ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinances of their God; they ask of Me righteous judgments, they desire the nearness of God: The basic theme of the chapter is God’s judgment upon Israel, or the revelation of its deep guilt, despite all its outward apparent righteousness. The Hebrew people, especially in the post-exilic period (which Isaiah here prophetically beholds), were distinguished by a great attachment to the Mosaic ritual and the letter of the law. Therefore, perhaps they sincerely wondered why they could still be accused? Undoubtedly, this is the very meaning of the characterization of the Jews in verse two, where they are depicted “as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinances of their God,” as well as in the preceding words of the text.

Matthew 15:8. “They seek Me day by day and desire to know My ways.” But they seek God not where and not in the way they should; this is especially clearly revealed by the Lord Jesus Christ when He said: “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Mt.15:8; compare this with nearly identical words of the prophet Isaiah from another chapter Isa 29:13). Isaiah 58:3. “Why do we fast, and You do not see? Why do we humble ourselves, and You do not notice?” Behold, on the day of your fast you carry out your own desires and demand hard labor from others. Isaiah 58:4. Behold, you fast for strife and contention, and to strike others with a wicked fist; you do not fast in such a way that your voice would be heard on high. Isaiah 58:5. Is this the fast I have chosen: a day for a person to humble their soul, to bow their head like a reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast and a day pleasing to the Lord? “Why do we fast, and You do not see?” In Hebrew thought there prevailed a crude external, purely mechanical point of view regarding the means of salvation: once a person fulfilled this or that ritual action prescribed by the law, he believed that for this not only did he have grounds to obtain justification and salvation from God, but could even demand it as a sort of earned reward or wages. The typical example of this kind in the prophet Isaiah, as later also in the Savior Himself in His well-known parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee, is the Jewish view of the special significance of the widely practiced fasts (Luke 18:12; cf. Matt 6:16; Luke 5:33). The best exposure of all the futility of such a monstrous view is provided by the prophet’s further words, in which he reveals all the hypocrisy and falsehood of such a fast, all its inconsistency with its purpose. “Behold, you fast for strife and contention and to strike others with a wicked fist… Will you call this a fast and a day pleasing to the Lord?” (verses 4–5). From this it becomes perfectly clear that pure physical fasting alone, even if accompanied by complete exhaustion of the body, is entirely insufficient: every fast acquires its significance and meaning only when it is united with the corresponding inner spiritual disposition, which the prophet Isaiah speaks of directly below.

Isaiah 58:6. Behold, this is the fast I have chosen: to loose the bonds of injustice, to untie the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke; Isaiah 58:7. Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, clothe them, and do not hide yourself from your own flesh. In these two remarkable verses the inner side of the fast is beautifully revealed—its true, moral nature, consisting in acts of justice, love, and mercy. The fundamental spirit of such a fast is the struggle against sinful selfishness in service to the lesser brother. These verses so well reveal the meaning and conditions of correct, God-pleasing fasting that it is no wonder they became the content of one of our finest great-fasting hymns: “Fasting in the flesh, brothers, let us also fast spiritually—let us loose every bond of injustice, tear asunder the knots of oppressive arrangements, rend every unrighteous bond; let us give bread to the hungry and bring the homeless poor into our houses, so that we may receive from Christ God great mercy.”

Isaiah 58:8. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your righteousness shall go before you, and the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard. Isaiah 58:9. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, “Here I am.” If you remove from your midst the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and harmful speech, Isaiah 58:10. and if you give your soul to the hungry and satisfy the soul of the afflicted: then your light shall rise in the darkness, and your gloom shall become like midday; All these verses in a series of parallel images reveal the same thought—the thought of the salutary fruits of true fasting, taken here, obviously, as a symbol of proper worship in general. “And your righteousness shall go before you and the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard” (verse 8). That very justification which you now so vainly seek will be before your eyes, and glorification from the Lord will be a natural reward for you. An almost literal expression of this image is also found in the Psalmist (Ps 36:6). “When you remove from your midst the yoke.” Given the context (“the bonds of the yoke” – verse 6), it is most correct to understand “yoke” here as the oppression of legal and socio-economic relations, which bore down on the majority of the sons of Israel from the privileged minority.

Isaiah 5:18–19. “When you cease pointing your finger and speaking harmful words.” “The pointing of the finger signifies the presumptuous pride of a teacher sitting in the seat of Moses; harmful words spoken by those in power, we saw above in Isaiah’s prophecies, for example, in Is.5:18–19; Isa 28:9-10; Isa 30:1-2; Isa 31:1 and many others, from which it is clear… a very widespread unbelief in the ruling classes” (Vlastov). Isaiah 58:11. And the Lord will guide you always, and will satisfy your desire in places of drought, and will make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden and like a spring whose waters never fail. “And you shall be like a watered garden.” The comparison of divine grace with the effect of enlivening moisture on parched earth is an image well known both in the Old and in the New Testament. In particular, this expression is repeated verbatim in the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 31:12). Does not the historical memory of Paradise as an Eden-like garden watered by many rivers lie at the foundation of this image in both prophets? (Gen 2:10).

Isaiah 58:12. Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in. “Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt… and you shall be called… the restorer of streets to live in.” Bearing in mind that “the barren wilderness” the prophet Isaiah usually understands to mean the pagan world (Isa 35:1; Isa 55:1; Isa 61:4 and others), we are entitled to affirm that here he speaks of the religious mission of the spiritually renewed Israel, namely, the calling through it of the nations into the fold of the New Testament church. Under “descendants” of Israel, in such a case, one should understand not fleshly but spiritual descendants, that is, Christians.

Isaiah 58:13. If you keep your foot from breaking the Sabbath, from pursuing your own interests on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable, and honor it by not following your own ways or pursuing your own interests or speaking idle words,— Isaiah 58:14. then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob, your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. The final two verses of the chapter, revealing the improper character of the Jews’ observance of the Sabbath, show what its true meaning consists of. Although the Jews, especially in the post-exilic period and in the time of the Savior’s earthly life, kept “Sabbath rest” very strictly (Isa 1:13; Matt 12:1; Luke 6:6-9), they clearly did not understand its true spirit, its character of “holiness.” As can be gathered from the prophet’s words, the Jews, ceasing their ordinary working life on the Sabbath, devoted the resulting leisure to indulging their desires, or even to idle speech. In contrast to such unworthy use of time, the true Sabbath, in the prophet’s view, should be a “holy” day, that is, devoted to God and one’s neighbor and consisting in acts of meditation on God and active service to one’s neighbor. Only such observance of the Sabbath, together with complete moral satisfaction, will give great spiritual joy and will be a true liberation from the turmoil of daily life. A high example of true Sabbath observance was repeatedly shown, to the scandal of the Pharisees, by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself during His earthly life (Matt 12:1-14; Luke 14:1-6 and others).

Chapter Fifty-Nine

1–21. A dark characterization of the religious-moral and socio-political state of Israel as the true cause of its rejection by God.

Isaiah 59:1. Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, nor His ear dull, that it cannot hear. The close connection of this chapter with the previous one appears from the fact that it continues to answer the same question that was the theme of the preceding chapter, namely—why do the Jews, who seem to observe all the prescriptions of the Mosaic law so strictly, not receive justification and salvation from God? Could not the cause lie in the Almighty, as some of the more presumptuous and self-important among the sons of Israel might have thought? As if anticipating the very possibility of such a senseless question, the prophet begins this chapter with a decisive declaration that “the Lord’s hand is not shortened… to save, nor His ear dull… to hear” (verse 1). Consequently, the causes of the destruction of God’s people lie not in the Lord, but in the people themselves, more precisely, in their lawlessness and transgressions, which the prophet Isaiah goes on to unfold in detail.

Isaiah 59:2. But your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear. From verse 2 through verse 8 there is a strong overall characterization of the religious-moral corruption of Israel, which separated it from God. In it one can see both a sharp denunciation of the Israelite society contemporary to the prophet and a prophetic vision of a similar, or even worse condition of later Israel, the era of the coming of the Messiah and the founding of Christianity.

Isaiah 59:3. For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies and your tongue utters injustice. Isaiah 59:4. None calls for justice, and no one pleads truthfully; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity; Isaiah 1:15. “For your hands are defiled with blood… your lips speak lies… no one calls for justice… they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.” Both the thought of these verses and even more their verbal form are very close to the first chapter of the same book, which confirms the unity of authorship (cf. Is.1:15, 21). The defiling of hands with blood can, of course, have a literal sense, as the shedding of blood of sacrificial animals (without understanding the meaning of sacrifice) or even as the offering of human sacrifice (of children to the god Moloch – cf. Jer 7:31), or a symbolic sense, as the complete overthrow of all moral foundations, to the point of readiness for bloodshed and murder, or finally a typological sense, as a prefiguring of the Greatest Righteous One, whose murder the Jews completed as part of a series of similar historical facts (Matt 23:35). The prophet Isaiah sets forth as the chief cause of such corruption and decline of the sons of Israel their departure from the true path of “theocratic righteousness” (“the way of God”) onto the path of “wickedness and lies” (“the way of the devil”). Betrayal of the ideal of Divine Righteousness is betrayal of truth itself and is essentially falsehood. “They rely on empty pleas.” (verse 4) The Hebrew word is tohu, that is, one of those expressions used in Genesis 1 to describe the state of primordial chaos.

Isaiah 59:5. They hatch adders’ eggs and weave the spider’s web; whoever eats their eggs dies, and the egg that is crushed hatches a viper. Isaiah 59:6. Their webs will not serve as clothing, and they will not cover themselves with what they have made; their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands. The prophet Isaiah expresses the same thought—about the unjust and violent character of all Israel’s activity—in these verses through images and comparisons, comparing the harmful character of the activity with “serpent’s eggs” and the qualitative worthlessness and fragility of its results with fine “spider’s web,” ready to tear at the slightest touch.

Isaiah 59:7. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, desolation and destruction are in their paths. Isaiah 59:8. The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths. Their roads they have made crooked; no one who walks in them knows peace. If earlier the prophet spoke of “hands” full of blood, here, for completeness of characterization, he speaks of “feet” rushing to evil and sin. It should be noted that the prophet Isaiah penetrates deeply into the causes of such a condition, justly seeing them in the false disposition of thoughts and minds: “their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity” (verse 7). It also attracts attention that the parallelism of this entire section with many similar passages from the Book of Psalms (Ps 5:6-7; Ps 7:15; Ps 9:28; Ps 11:3; Ps 13:1-3; Ps 27:2-5 and others).

Isaiah 59:9. Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us; we wait for light, and behold, there is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in gloom. Isaiah 59:10. We grope like the blind along a wall, groping like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among the vigorous as though we were dead. Isaiah 59:11. We all growl like bears; like doves we moan mournfully. We wait for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us. From verse 8 through verse 11 the disclosure of the fruits or consequences of such destructive behavior is given, which is characterized here as the removal of justice, as the loss of light and descent into darkness (verse 9), is compared with the helpless state of the blind, or even the dead among the living (verse 10), and is likened to the pitiful condition of a growling bear and moaning dove (verse 11).

Isaiah 59:12. For our transgressions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities. From verses 12–15 the prophet returns again to the pressing point—the sins of Israel. “For our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities.” (verse 12). The thought and even the expression of it are purely psalmist (Ps 39:13; Ps 50:5 and others).

Isaiah 59:13. We have been false and have lied against the Lord, and we have turned away from following our God; we have spoken oppression and revolt, conceiving in and uttering from the heart lying words. “We have been false and have lied against the Lord and turned away from following our God.” A strengthening and clearer exposition of the thought previously expressed that betrayal of the Lord is departure from truth and service to falsehood (verses 3–4). “Conceiving in and uttering from the heart lying words” (verse 13). The thought is very deep. Following the earlier expressed thought about the disposition of the mind (verse 7), he speaks about the direction of the heart, that is, the realm of feeling, and depending on it, of the will, that is, human activity itself (Matt 15:19).

Isaiah 59:14. Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far off; for truth has stumbled in the public square, and uprightness cannot enter. Isaiah 59:15. Truth is lacking, and whoever turns from evil is despoiled. The Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice. “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far off, for truth has stumbled in the public square, and uprightness cannot enter.” A beautiful, picturesque expression of the same thought—about the loss of justice, truth, and even elementary honesty. From the second half of verse 15 through the end of verse 19 is contained the exposition of God’s fearful Judgment upon all His enemies who trample justice and righteousness, and by association of similarity, the prophet’s thought also turns to the enemies of Israel, to whom the Lord promises to raise up a special “intercessor,” that is, the Messiah.

Isaiah 59:16. He saw that there was no one, and was appalled that there was no one to intervene; then His own arm brought Him victory, and His righteousness upheld Him. “He saw that there was no one, and was appalled that there was no one to intervene.” Israel itself, as appears from the foregoing narrative, was guilty all around and could not save itself from God’s righteous Judgment. Naturally, one would look for some righteous person who would appear as an intercessor and mediator for the guilty people, similar to how once Abraham interceded with God for the salvation of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, on the condition that only ten righteous could be found there (Gen 18:32). But if in those doomed cities no ten righteous were found, now among the Hebrew people there will not be found even one such righteous person who could turn away God’s righteous wrath from the people; for, as the Psalmist says, “all have turned aside, they have all alike become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Ps 13:3). “Then His own arm brought Him victory, and His righteousness upheld Him.” The absence of a defender of Israel before God among men leads the prophet’s thought to that great Mediator whom God Himself will raise up, that is, to the Messiah. Such a view of the implied Mediator fully agrees with other, undoubtedly messianic passages from the same prophet (Isa 40:10; Isa 43:5; Isa 63:5 and others).

Isaiah 59:17. He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped Himself in zeal as in a cloak. Isaiah 59:18. According to their deeds, so will He repay them—wrath to His adversaries, requital to His enemies; to the coastlands He will render requital. Isaiah 59:19. So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. For He will come like a pent-up stream that the wind of the Lord drives on. From verses 17–19 in a bright image of a warrior’s combat of the Mediator of Israel with all His enemies is depicted the future triumph of the Almighty over all opponents, both from among the Jews themselves (“adversaries” and “enemies” – verse 18), and from among the nations (“coastlands” verse 18). Noteworthy here is the very juxtaposition of ordinary military armor (breastplate and helmet) with instruments, or means of moral combat (righteousness, salvation), which is repeated later by Apostle Paul (Eph 6:17; 1 Thess 5:8).

Isaiah 59:20. And a Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression, declares the Lord. The preceding half-veiled messianic discourse of the prophet passes here into a clear and direct prediction concerning the Messiah and the New Covenant. “And a Redeemer will come to Zion and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression, declares the Lord.” Apostle Paul in his well-known deliberate discussion of the fate of Israel cites this passage as proof of the future conversion of all Jews before the time of the Lord’s second coming to earth (Rom 11:26). But, of course, nothing prevents us from referring the partial fulfillment of this prophecy also to the time of the first coming of Jesus Christ, when many of the Jews also turned to the Lord and believed in the Messiah.

Isaiah 59:21. And as for Me, this is My covenant with them, says the Lord: My Spirit that is upon you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your offspring, or from the mouths of their offspring, says the Lord, from now on and forever. “And as for Me, this is My covenant with them… My Spirit that is upon you… shall not depart from your mouth and from the mouths of your offspring… from now on and forever.” Although some of the interpreters, even including blessed Jerome, are inclined to refer these words only to the person of the prophet Isaiah himself, as a faithful “servant of the Lord” and “watchman of the house of Israel,” the overall meaning of the narrative and the immediate context of the discourse (“covenant… with them”) compel us to see here a reference to all the New Testament Zion, or faithful Israel. We are also convinced of this by the divine promise not to take away from this people the prophetic gift (“My Spirit that is upon you”), which was the chief distinctive mark of all the missionary service of the Old Testament Israel and which continued to operate for some time in the New Testament church, in the persons of special “apostles and prophets” (Eph 4:11). Of this missionary calling of the best sons of Israel the prophet Isaiah, as is known, speaks not once before (Isa 42:1-4; Isa 44:26; Isa 55:3 and others).

Chapter Sixty

The glorification of the renewed Zion (the New Testament church).

By the general consensus of all authoritative exegetes, this is a purely messianic chapter, relating to the Christian era, namely to the destinies of spiritual Zion, or the New Testament church. Of course, this does not mean that this chapter has no historical significance or relation to the destinies of the Hebrew people. On the contrary, this relation is the closest and most intimate, inasmuch as the Christian church is the embodiment of the ideal of the Old Testament church, on one hand, and inasmuch as the best sons of Israel were also the first citizens of the New Testament church (the apostles) (cf. Isa 49:14; Isa 54 chapters and others). The immediate direct connection of this chapter with the previous one rests, partly, on contrast (the complete decomposition of Israel contemporary to the prophet and the spiritual power of the renewed Zion), partly on direct connection with the discourse about the Redeemer at the conclusion of the previous chapter. Most Western commentators of this chapter also note the special character of its external structure: it is, they say, a prophetic poem written in the form of an inspired song, which can be divided into five, approximately equal parts, or stanzas (Ewald, Cheyne, The pulp. Commentary etc.).

1–4. The spiritual light of Zion and its quantitative growth. 5–9. Zion as the center of the blessings and riches of the whole world. 10–14. The solemn restoration and worldwide glorification of Zion. 15–17. The glory, wealth, and power of Zion, in contrast with its former distressed state. 18–22. The promise of eternal continuation of this glory.

Isaiah 60:1. Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. From verses 1 through 4 is the first section, or division of the poem. In it, according to custom, an address to the addressee is given and its main subject is indicated. “Arise, shine.” In the LXX and the Slavonic version here is added “Jerusalem”—a word that is absent in the original Hebrew text. In the latter, a somewhat different word is understood here, namely “Zion,” as is evident from the preceding (Isa 59:20) and subsequent (Isa 60:14) context. But the essence of the matter is not changed at all by this, since obviously both these terms—both Zion and Jerusalem—are synonymous designations of one and the same subject—the New Testament church. In this sense, one cannot but welcome the positive gloss of Saint John of Damascus, who in the 9th irmos of his famous Paschal canon added a beautiful supplement to the word “Jerusalem”: “shine, shine, new Jerusalem!”

Isaiah 60:2. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and His glory will appear over you. “For behold, darkness shall cover the earth and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and His glory will appear over you.” This is one of the most beloved prophetic images—the comparison of all Old Testament humanity with people covered in darkness, wandering in the gloom, “sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death” (Isa 9:2). And just as the first creative word: “Let there be Light” (Gen 1:3) once pierced the darkness of primordial Chaos, so the coming into the world of the Promised Messiah was an act of transformation of the world, as it were, a kind of its new creation (cf. 2 Cor 4:6). It is true that this “light” will be kindled initially only at a certain point, namely in Zion and Jerusalem; but from here, as from a center, its rays will gradually penetrate throughout the world and attract everyone to itself, which the prophet speaks of directly below.

Isaiah 60:3. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:4. Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ hips. Isaiah 49:13. “And nations shall come to your light, and kings… your sons from far away shall come.” The property of life-giving light is such that it attracts all living things to itself. It is not surprising that the best representatives both of paganism (“nations… and kings”), and of the people of Israel (“your sons… and daughters”), will hasten to go toward that Light which will appear in Zion. This thought, in almost the same expressions, we encountered in the prophet Isaiah earlier (see commentary on Is.49:13, 17–18, 22–23). Isa 60:5-9. From verses 5–9 is the second division of the prophetic-poetic discourse. Here Zion is set forth as a gathering point to which, together with the nations, the riches of the whole world flow. According to the fundamental Old Testament view, “righteousness” receives its reward even here, on earth, in the form of “long life” and “material well-being and prosperity.” This is why the prophetic picture of a new, righteous Zion could not do without these realistic features. But nothing, of course, prevents us, following the holy fathers, from giving to those blessings spoken of here a different, higher, spiritual-moral sense. With such understanding, all these material goods which are enumerated in verses 6–7 can generally serve as symbols of the cultural contribution brought by Christianized paganism, the treasury of human knowledge (philosophy, poetry, art). All these riches, as is said in verse 5, “shall be brought to you,” that is, when used rightly, shall be devoted to the establishment and spread of that light of truth which is to appear in Zion. On the other hand, one should especially emphasize the end of verse 7, which speaks of these riches, that they “shall go up on My altar as an acceptable sacrifice,” from which it clearly follows that all material and spiritual blessings and riches of man, in themselves, are not at all forbidden and fundamentally hostile to God: on the contrary, when used rightly, they are even pleasing to Him. In this section there is also a series of interesting ethnographic references: “Midian, Ephah, Sheba, Kedar, Nebaioth” (verses 6–7). All these are inhabitants of “Sheba,” “happy Arabia,” which had more active relations with the Hebrews since the time of Solomon and was known for its riches. In particular, “Midian and his son—Ephah,” according to the testimony of the Book of Genesis (Gen 25:2-4), are descendants of Abraham by Keturah. And “Kedar and Nebaioth,” according to the same sources (Gen 25:13), are descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham by Hagar. Consequently, all these were nomadic Arab tribes that had rather close, kinship relations with the Hebrews. They are named here by the prophet not without special intent: the fleshly descendants of God’s chosen father of believers Abraham are chosen here as types of those who are his spiritual children by faith in Abraham, who are “blessed with the faithful Abraham” (Gal 3:9; Vlastov, 369). Classical antiquity and recent excavations from all the named peoples particularly highlight the “Nebaioth,” or “Nabataeans,” who lived in northern Arabia. It is known that the Nabataean king—Nathan—around 645 BC dared to make war on the Assyrian king—Ashurbanipal. From this people have come down to us recently discovered interesting “Nabataean inscriptions.”

Isaiah 60:9. Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me, the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your children from far away, their silver and gold with them, for the name of the Lord your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because He has glorified you. By “ships of Tarshish” is meant, in general, the lively maritime trade which the inhabitants of the ancient East carried on with the inhabitants of a distant western point—the city of Tarshish, which lay in modern Spain (1 Sam 10:22; Ezek 27:12; Jonah 1:3 and others). For the prophet Isaiah it was important chiefly to note the impressive remoteness of this point; yet this did not prevent even its inhabitants from coming under the shelter of the restored Zion. Isa 60:10-14. From verses 10–14 is the third division of the prophetic poem, containing a detailed exposition of the thought of the glory and honor of the restored Zion.

Isaiah 60:10. Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you; for in My wrath I struck you down, but in My favor I have had mercy on you. “Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you.” These words were fulfilled literally with regard to historical Israel, when Persian kings—Cyrus and Artaxerxes Longimanus—rendered active assistance to the Jews returning from exile in the construction of the second temple and the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem (Ezra 3:7; Nehem 2:5-8). But in accordance with the general character of this chapter, it is more appropriate to see here a reference to the role of pagan nations in the creation of the New Testament church, in particular to the outstanding merits of their rulers, such as, for example, the equal-to-the-apostles Constantine and Helena. The latter, as is known, was especially renowned for her efforts to preserve and restore the sacred monuments of Palestine and Jerusalem (Discovery of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, construction of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, etc.). “For in My wrath I struck you down, but in My favor I have had mercy on you” (verse 10). The features of historical and spiritual Israel are here considered without strict distinction between them, and frequently one replaces the other, as type and fulfillment, which we encountered in the prophet Isaiah earlier as well (Isa 54:7-8).

Isaiah 60:11. Your gates shall always be open; day and night they shall not be shut, so that nations may bring you their wealth, with their kings led in procession. “Your gates shall always be open and shall not be shut day or night.” On one hand, this, as appears from the context, indicates the constant growth of the New Testament church and a wide influx into it of new members and their riches; on the other hand, it speaks of complete freedom of access into the New Testament church for everyone genuinely seeking it, access not constrained by any external barriers that existed in the Old Testament church (Isa 56:4-7).

Isaiah 60:12. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly destroyed. “For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish… shall be utterly destroyed.” Here is one of the strongest expressions of God’s special patronage and favor for the new, spiritual Israel, encountered repeatedly, both in the prophet Isaiah and in other prophets (Jer 12:17; Mic 5:14; and others). The historical fleshly Israel wrongly referred this prophecy to itself and founded upon it its false dream of an earthly universal kingdom of the Messiah.

Isaiah 60:13. The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the plane, and the pine, to beautify the place of My sanctuary; and I will glorify the place of My feet. By “the glory of Lebanon” is understood, as is apparent from the context, the finest and noblest kinds of trees covering its mountains: “cypress… and pine… and cedar.” The general meaning of such a mention is evidently that the spiritual glory of Zion should be enhanced, and all inanimate nature should take part in its best gifts. According to certain exegetes, the particular, typological significance has to do with the wood of the Cross, which, according to church tradition, was made of these very three incorruptible wood species.

Isaiah 60:14. The children of those who oppressed you shall come bending low to you, and all who despised you shall bow down at your feet; and they shall call you the City of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Repeats, with some elaboration, the thought of verse 10. In both these verses attention is drawn to one small but characteristic detail: wherever it is said about the coming of nations to Zion and bowing down to it, not the first generation is called, but the second—“sons,” or descendants. Evidently, the young, youthful generation, being less hardened in the old delusions than their fathers, more readily came forward to the new Christian preaching and listened to it better. This is why the Lord Himself reproached the Jews of His time, among other things, saying that “your sons… will judge you” (Matt 12:27).

Isaiah 60:15. Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you majestic forever, a joy from age to age. Isaiah 60:16. You shall suck the milk of nations, and suck the breast of kings; and you shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. Isaiah 60:17. Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver, and instead of wood, bronze, and instead of stones, iron. I will appoint Peace as your overseer and Righteousness as your taskmaster. From verses 15 through 17 is the fourth section of the prophetic poem, depicting the external well-being and internal good order of Zion. These pictures are constructed on antithesis, that is, the contrast of the former heavy and distressed condition in all respects with the new, glorious, joyful, and blessed state. If in the material respect, formerly Israel suffered from universal contempt of the nations, then now, on the contrary, it will become the object of universal honor not only among the nations but even among their kings (“you shall suck the breast of kings”—verse 16). If formerly the objects of Zion’s trade were simple and crude products of nature: iron, wood and stones, then their place will now be taken by more precious and valuable objects: bronze, silver and gold. A similar fundamental change for the better will also take place in the sphere of moral and social relations. If formerly the people of God were governed by violence and falsehood (Isa 59:8), then now there will be established among them “Peace and… Righteousness” (verse 17). If before it constantly suffered from external and internal enemies, then now there will be neither the former nor the latter (verse 18). In short, Zion, according to the prophet’s depiction, will be the capital of this ideal kingdom of God, in which “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” will be harmoniously united, as the apostle says (Rom 14:17). Obviously, the full and final fulfillment of this prophecy refers to the post-Christian era, that is, to the kingdom of glory, which is to be revealed after the Lord’s second coming and His awesome judgment.

Isaiah 60:18. Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; but you shall call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. Isaiah 60:19. The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you by night; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Isaiah 60:20. Your sun shall no more go down, or your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended. Isaiah 60:21. Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever—the shoot of My planting, the work of My hands, so that I might be glorified. Isaiah 60:22. The least of them shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation. I am the Lord; in its time I will accomplish this quickly. From verses 18 through 22 is the final, concluding section of the poem, prophetically crowning Zion with eternal, unceasing glory. All the content of this section, in which there is speech of eternal, never-setting light, to replace our present celestial bodies (“sun… and… moon” verses 19–20), of the righteousness of all God’s people, of their eternal possession of the promised land (verse 21) and of the origin from them of numerous and mighty descendants (verse 22), seems to indicate that this section, similar to the end of the previous section, refers not so much to the Christian era as to the apocalyptic era, that is, to the revelation of the kingdom of glory. Strong confirmation of this is the close coincidence of these sections, not only in thoughts but even in words, with the parallel passage from the Apocalypse of John the Theologian: “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations of the saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates will never be shut by day—and there is no night there… And nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Rev 21:23-27; cf. also Rev 22:5). In conclusion to the commentary on this chapter, we find it useful to note that the broad perspective of the prophetic vision of this chapter and a certain lack of clear distinction in it of three historical epochs (the end of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the apocalyptic), together with similar passages in Sacred Scripture, has served as occasion for the formation of two false views: one—Rabbinic: of the “sorrows” and “joy” of the days of the Messiah, the other—early Christian: of a thousand-year earthly kingdom, known as the heresy of “chiliasm.” But neither of these errors has, as we have seen, any real basis in the text of the chapter, and therefore should be attributed only to a misunderstanding of the external meaning of Sacred Scripture and the insufficient apprehension of its inner spirit.

Chapter Sixty-One

1–3. The wondrous healing and spiritually joyful character of the future ministry of the Messiah. 4–9. The state of those redeemed by the Messiah and the eternal spiritual joy of His kingdom. 10–11. Cries of joy and ecstasy from the depths of this triumphant Messianic kingdom, or the New Testament church.

Although this chapter, with its discourse about the character of the Messiah’s ministry in the church to be established by Him, retains some external connection with the previous chapter, in which the destinies of that same New Testament church were discussed, internally it is more closely linked to the earlier chapters, namely those in which the Messiah is spoken of, concerning His various conditions (humiliation and exaltation) and the character of His ministry, that is, chapters 42, 49, 50, and 53.

Isaiah 61:1. The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me; He has sent Me to bring good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; From verses 1–3. This is one of the clearest and most important messianic sections of the Book of the prophet Isaiah, the authenticity of which has been testified to by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself in His well-known sermon preached in the Nazareth synagogue (Luke 4:16-21). Despite this, some of the Hebrew rabbis (Targ.), and following them most modern rationalistic exegetes (Rosenmüller, Schegg, Braun, Hitzig, Ewald, Knobel, Klostermann etc.) find it possible to deny the messianic character of this section and claim that the prophet Isaiah speaks here of himself. But against such a clearly tendentious view, there rises up both the more honored Hebrew antiquity (Kimchi, the treatises—Midrash, Koheleth, Vaiqra rabba and others) and the entire ancient Christian patristic tradition (Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, blessed Jerome, Saint John Chrysostom, blessed Theodoret and others) and the general character of the author of the book—the prophet Isaiah, who never sets forward his own person, and finally, a more detailed analysis of this very chapter, in connection with all the preceding and subsequent context of the discourse (For more detailed discussion, see I. Grigoriev “Prophecies of Isaiah concerning the Messiah and His Kingdom,” pp. 234–241, Kazan, 1902).

Isaiah 11:2. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me.” The correct understanding of both the “Spirit… of God” and the Person upon whom He rested is established by the clear sense of the preceding messianic passages from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, from which it is undoubtedly clear that these terms refer to the Triune Trinity: God the Father, as sending forth the Spirit; God the Son, as receiving Him; God the Holy Spirit, as descending upon the Son (at the time of baptism at the Jordan; Is.11:2; Isa 42:1; Isa 48:16; Isa 49:1-2). The biblical expression “anointed” derives its origin from the sacred image of “anointing,” or more precisely, “the pouring of oil on the head,” which served as a symbol of special divine sanctification of a person chosen for one or another theocratic-social service (king, high priest, prophet). In this example, the sign of such divine “election,” or “dedication” by God to the Messiah for service to mankind was the sending upon Him of the Holy Spirit. The literal fulfillment of this prophecy can be seen in the story of the Lord Jesus Christ’s baptism, when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove (Matt 3:16; Acts 10:37-38). The purpose of this anointing, or the tasks of the Messiah’s ministry consist in “preaching good news to the poor”—in Greek, euangelizein ptōchois—purely New Testament terms, having a deep material and spiritual-moral sense (Luke 4:18; Matt 5:3-4; Luke 6:20-21 and others). “To heal the brokenhearted.” He, of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke earlier as the Meek and humble Servant, who will not break the “bruised reed” (Isa 42:3), will in particular show loving and tender care toward broken human hearts, upon which He will pour the healing balm of His true consolation (Isa 49:13). “To proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners,” or according to the LXX, “sight to the blind.” 79 “Release,” or more precisely—“remission,” by virtue of the usage of the Hebrew term here—points to one feature of the celebration of the jubilee year, when all debtors were released and the land returned to its original owner (Lev 25:10). An almost word-for-word expression of these thoughts was encountered in the prophet Isaiah earlier (Isa 42:7; Isa 49:9).

Isaiah 61:2. to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, “To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God.” Here what attracts attention is the combination of two rather diverse properties of the Messiah: His loving mercy and punishing justice. However, this feature is well known from the depiction by the Psalmist, who expressively remarks about the Lord, that with Him “Mercy and truth will meet, Righteousness and peace will kiss each other” (Ps 84:11). In this case, the Messiah’s mercy will be poured out upon all the poor, suffering, humiliated and oppressed; while His punishing Justice will be directed against all presumptuous rich and unjust oppressors. In the very combination of such opposites, as “the year of favor” and “the day of vengeance,” one cannot but see the beloved technique of the prophet Isaiah—to speak in antitheses. The nearest determining parallel to the expression “the year of the Lord’s favor” can be the passage from chapter 50, where it speaks of the completion of the time of struggle and complete recompense for it (Isa 50:2), and to the term “the day of vengeance” the words of the subsequent context: “the day of vengeance in My heart and the year of My redeemed has come” (Isa 63:4). From all this should be concluded that by such synonymous terms is essentially defined one and the same time, namely, the period of the Savior’s earthly life, which was at the same time the time of justification and salvation for some, and the time of judgment and punishment for others (John 9:39).

Isaiah 61:3. to provide for those who mourn in Zion—to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display His glory. “To give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.” The preaching of the Son of God will not be a voice crying in the wilderness, but will achieve positive results and give peace and rest to all who receive it. “Instead of ashes,” as a symbol of repentance and sorrow (2 Sam 13:19; Isa 47:1; Isa 52:1-2), the Messiah will bring a diadem adorning the head to Zion’s sufferers—a symbol of dominion, dignity, and elevation (Isa 28:5; Ezek 21:26). “Instead of mourning He will give her the oil of gladness,” with which the ancients anointed themselves in joyful occasions of life… “Instead of a faint spirit, He will give a glorious garment,” which will be their constant adornment. “The oil of gladness,” with which the redeemed will anoint themselves, and “the glorious garment,” in which the sufferers will clothe themselves, will serve as visible signs of the ineffably joyful disposition of the followers of the Messiah. “It can be said with great probability that the mentioned gifts pointed to the mysterious sacred acts granted by the Messiah Christ to the chosen flock for attaining heavenly bliss and for the fullness of inner life of the church” (I. Grigoriev. Cited work, p. 244). “Strong in righteousness, a planting of the Lord to display His glory.” People are weak and powerless by themselves; they become strong only through the support of Divine Righteousness (Isa 59:16). The words of this verse are an almost literal repetition of one of the concluding verses of the previous chapter: “Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever—the shoot of My planting, the work of My hands, so that I might be glorified” (Isa 60:21).

Isaiah 61:4. They shall rebuild the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. Isaiah 61:5. Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers; From verses 4–9 is spoken of the growth of the Messianic church, its universal character, eternal joy, and universal glorification. “They shall rebuild the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations… and strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers.” In these vivid images, well known to us from the earlier accounts of that same prophet (Isa 44:26; Isa 49:8; Isa 58:1; Isa 60:10), obviously is revealed the thought of the wide growth and prosperity of the newly founded Messianic kingdom. In the interests of the unity of the Book of the prophet Isaiah, it is important to note that the text of verse 5 has an almost word-for-word parallel in the following words of chapter 14: “The house of Israel shall possess them on the land of the Lord as servants and as handmaids, and they shall take captive those who had taken them captive” (Isa 14:2). Such references have two-fold meaning: on one hand, they speak of the exaltation of spiritual Israel, which from being an object of hatred and derision among pagan nations will become an object of their respectful attention and even service; on the other hand, they, as it were, prophetically allude to that wondrous image which was so artistically revealed by Apostle Paul in his comparison of the Gentiles to a wild olive tree grafted into the stock of the Hebrew tree (Rom 11:17-21).

Isaiah 61:6. But you shall be called the priests of the Lord, you shall be named the ministers of our God; you shall enjoy the wealth of the nations, and in their riches you shall glory. “But you shall be called the priests of the Lord.” These words were first spoken by God to all Israel when the Sinai covenant was made (Exod 19:6). Now they are repeated by the prophet Isaiah, or more precisely, spoken by the Messiah through him, in application to the spiritual Israel of the new covenant; finally, when this covenant comes to pass, they are confirmed once more by Apostle Peter (1 Pet 2:9). Some wish to find in these words a special distinction of the Hebrew people for sacred service in the New Testament church; but this is incorrect, given the clear evidence of the subsequent context (Isa 66:20-21). “You shall enjoy the wealth of the nations, and in their riches you shall glory.” Repetition of what was said earlier (Isa 60:5-9).

Isaiah 61:7. Instead of your shame you shall have a double portion; instead of dishonor, they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be theirs. In it there is spoken of the twofold honor of the once here on earth despised Israel, and of the eternal reward given to it there, in heaven (cf. Isa 60:15).

Isaiah 61:8. For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them; “For I, the Lord.” A very important indication, in the sense of establishing the subject of the discourse. From this it is evident that it could by no means have been the prophet Isaiah himself, who would never have dared to call himself the Lord. It could be, and truly was, only the Son of God, the Messiah, Who at the same time is both the Son of God and the true Lord. “I love justice and hate robbery and wrongdoing.” Without depriving these words of their basic ethical meaning, one can think that they have in mind a certain historical basis, namely those humiliations and oppressions which the Hebrew people suffered from various pagan nations, especially from the Babylonians (Isa 49:26), and for which now the Lord desires to render everyone just recompense. Such understanding of this passage is strengthened by the words of the immediately following verse.

Isaiah 61:9. Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed. “Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants among the peoples.” If formerly the Hebrew people were poor, unknown, humiliated and oppressed by other nations, with time the “offspring” of this Israel, its “spiritual descendants,” that is, Christianity, will be exalted and glorified. At the sight of this no one will remain in doubt that this is truly “a people whom the Lord has blessed.”

Isaiah 61:10. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Contemplation of such complete triumph and high glory of the New Testament Christ-bearing church fills the soul of the prophet with sacred ecstasy, and from the depths of his overflowing heart he sings a triumphal hymn to God, putting it in the mouth of the church itself. Examples of this kind occurred earlier as well (Isa 42:10; Isa 44:23; Isa 49:13). “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord…” Indicates the very highest degree of joy of the New Testament church, at the sight of such a multitude of members and such universal honor and such clear evidence of God’s favor (see verse 8). “My whole being shall exult in my God,” because He is the cause and source of the spiritual joy of the church. Involuntarily a comparison comes to mind with the similar words of another joyful New Testament song: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47). “For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.” The image is taken, apparently, from a warrior clothed in battle armor; although the Hebrew term labuš—“garment of salvation”—points to the vesture of the high priest. In a figurative sense all of this signifies the gifts of grace of the Holy Spirit, granted in the sacraments of the church and conveying to the faithful who receive them with faith justification and salvation. “As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” The comparison of the church with a bridegroom and bride should be considered especially expressive and powerful, since at their wedding celebration everyone, even the poorest people, usually tries to appear in the finest and most elegant dress. In particular, the comparison of the Church of Christ with a bride is the subject of an entire psalm (Ps 44). It should be noted, finally, that the text of this verse gave the content to one of our liturgical prayers, at the vesting of a bishop.

Isaiah 61:11. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. Comparing the New Testament church to the earth and a garden, the Lord, according to the words of blessed Theodoret, “showed the whole universe to have become a single garden of righteousness.” * * * Notes In the Slavonic translation—“to proclaim to the captives release and to the blind sight.” Translator’s note.

Chapter Sixty-Two

1–5. The Messiah’s providential care for the establishment in His church of the light of righteousness and its highest glory. 6–7. The call to the same activity and to special holy watchers. 8–12. God’s particular protection of the interests and well-being of His people.

This chapter, according to the general opinion of its interpreters, is a natural continuation of the previous one and, like it, speaks of the glorious destinies of the New Testament church, more particularly of special Divine providence and protection of it. Even more closely, in its content and very exposition, it connects with chapter 54 of Isaiah. The speaker through the prophet here, as before, is the same incarnate Lord, the Messiah-Christ. However, there is also another view, that here the words of three persons are united: in the first section the prophet himself (verses 1–5); in the second the Son of God (6–10), and in the third the Lord Almighty (11–12).

Isaiah 62:1. I will not keep silent for Zion’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. Isaiah 42:14. “I will not keep silent for Zion’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest.” That is, I will not cease My saving and providential cares for the spiritual Zion, until I achieve the goal of My activity—its enlightenment, justification and salvation—says the Messiah through the mouth of the prophet—the Founder of the New Testament church (compare similar parallels—Isaiah 42:14; Isa 57:11). “Zion” and “Jerusalem” are used, evidently, as synonyms, which is generally characteristic of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 2:3; Isa 4:3-4; Isa 31:4-5; Isa 40:9; Isa 41:27; Isa 52 and others), just as “Jacob” and “Israel.” Isaiah 62:2. And nations shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord will give. “And you shall be called by a new name.” According to the nature of Hebrew understanding, a “name” is the very essence of a thing; hence the change of name of an individual person or of an entire people is a great change in their entire fate. Applying this change to Jerusalem itself, we, based on the context, can guess that its new name is “the city of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel” (Isa 60:14). If we apply it to all Israel, or properly to Christians as its spiritual descendants, we must count as such a new name the designation of it as “a holy people” (Isa 62:12), which is in full accord with New Testament testimony (Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:2).

Isaiah 62:3. And you shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem on the palm of your God. “And you shall be a crown of glory… and a royal diadem.” Just as the crown of glory that crowned the head of the victor at the Olympic games, and the precious diadem adorning the head of a king, all this are expressive images for a more vivid and powerful representation of that high honor with which the Lord will glorify the newly established church (cf. Isa 60:21; Isa 61:3).

Isaiah 62:4. You shall no more be termed “forsaken,” and your land shall no more be called “desolate,” but you shall be called “My delight,” and your land shall be called “married,” for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. Isaiah 62:5. For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. The comparisons and images given in these verses have been revealed more fully by the prophet Isaiah earlier (Isa 54:4-8), where they have been commented by us. The general sense of them is that if formerly carnal Israel (the Old Testament church) broke its marriage covenant with the Lord and therefore was as if forsaken by Him, now spiritual Israel (the New Testament church) through its sincere turning to God has again attracted to itself the favor of its Lord, has restored and confirmed for eternity this covenant. It deserves attention that the change in Israel’s position is sealed here by a corresponding change of name: before it is called “forsaken,” in Hebrew הכיצע (Azuva), and then it is renamed הכ–יצמה (Hephzi-bah), which means “one pleased with.” It is curious to note that such names were indeed in use among the Hebrews: Azuba, for example, was the name of the mother of the Judean king Jehoshaphat (1 Sam 22:42), and Hephzibah the mother of the Judean king Manasseh (2 Sam 21:1).

Isaiah 62:6. Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen who shall never be silent day or night. O you who put the Lord in remembrance, do not be silent! Isaiah 62:7. and do not be silent until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth. The Messiah will not only Himself unceasingly and tirelessly accomplish the high tasks of His Messianic service, but will call to the same a whole series of special “watchmen,” that is, co-workers in the person of the apostles, disciples and the entire New Testament hierarchy in general. The very image of this “Great Evangelist” and the role of “watchmen” with Him have been revealed by the prophet Isaiah and have been explained by us earlier (Isa 52:7-8 verse).

Isaiah 62:8. The Lord has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: I will not give your grain to your enemies, and the sons of aliens shall not drink your wine for which you have labored. Deuteronomy 28:33. “I will not give your grain to your enemies, and the sons of aliens shall not drink your wine for which you have labored.” “Evidently, the prophet is pointing to the reversal of the punishments appointed to Israel for their apostasy in Deuteronomy: ‘The fruit of your land and all your labor shall the people whom you do not know eat, and all your toil shall be consumed’ (Deuteronomy 28:33); ‘you shall plant vineyards and cultivate them, but you shall not drink the wine’ (Deut 28:39). All this took place repeatedly over Israel and Palestine during the invasions of the Assyrian, Babylonian, Egyptian, Syrian and Roman forces. But at the coming of the new era, new kingdom, new life, the old covenant punishments are revoked, for the very kingdom of the new Israel takes on new significance and embraces all the earth given by the Lord to mankind” (Vlastov. Cited work, 357 p.). Isaiah 62:9. Those who gather it shall eat it and praise the Lord, and those who bring it shall drink it in the courts of my sanctuary. “But those who gather shall eat… drink its wine in the courts of my sanctuary.” The Lord will not give the wheat of Zion to its enemies and its wine to drink to strangers; the wheat and wine of Zion will be enjoyed only by its citizens, who praise the Lord. Under the wheat and wine of Zion, that is, the church, according to blessed Jerome, the body and blood of Christ are understood, from which only those belonging to the church partake (cf. John 6:55; Commentary of the St. Petersburg Academy, p. 901–902). “In the courts of my sanctuary.” This addition, leading the thought to one of the definite Old Testament ordinances (Deut 14:22-24), confirms the above-mentioned conjecture of blessed Jerome about the special, symbolico-sacred character of those gifts of the earth spoken of here.

Isaiah 62:10. Go through, go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people! Build up, build up the highway! Clear it of stones! Lift up a signal for the peoples! “Go through, go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people! Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones, lift up a signal for the peoples!” In this poetic picture the prophet draws before our minds the image of the restored city of Jerusalem as the center of renewed Zion, with its gates widely opened for the free passage of dense masses of people. To prevent disorder, inconvenience and crowding, the Messiah Himself comes forth here as it were in the role of a master of ceremonies, establishing order, guarding safety and creating the comforts of the way. First of all, He invites to pass through the gates of the city the “watchers” themselves, that is, His apostles and disciples, the chief co-workers and collaborators of the Lord in the founding and spreading of His church. Then He gives them the commission to prepare the way for the unobstructed passage into the enclosure of the New Testament church of broad masses of people. The analogous cry “prepare the way for the Lord” (Isa 40:3) has already met us with the prophet Isaiah and was thoroughly expounded there. “Lift up a signal for the peoples.” As a commentary to these words, two following parallels from the same prophet may serve: “And he will raise a signal for nations and will assemble the outcast of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isa 5:26). “And he will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isa 11:12). “Thus says the Lord God: behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and raise my signal to the peoples” (Isa 49:22). The image is taken, evidently, from a military standard remaining after battle, by which it is raised high after the battle and gathers around itself all the scattered members of the regiment. In a typological sense, such a standard of the New Testament church is the Cross of Christ—the symbol of Christianity’s victory over all its external and internal enemies. The moment of the most complete historical fulfillment of this prophecy in the New Testament period should be recognized as the era of Constantine the Great.

Isaiah 62:11. Behold, the Lord proclaims to the ends of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, behold, your Savior comes; his reward is with him and his recompense before him. The concluding speech of the Lord Himself. “Say to the daughter of Zion,” that is, to the New Testament church, which in this image the psalmist has specially celebrated (Ps 44:11-18). “Your Savior comes.” The prophet Zechariah connected this prediction with his special prophecy about the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem (Zech 9:9; cf. Isa 40:10; Matt 21:5; John 12:15). “His reward is with him and his recompense is before him.” These words present almost a literal repetition of verse 10 of chapter 40, where they have been commented.

Isaiah 62:12. And they shall call them the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out, a City Not Forsaken. It is a general conclusion of this chapter and a repetition of its basic thought revealed in the first section, verses 2–5.

Chapter Sixty-Three

1–6. The solemn appearance of the Messiah in the world as the moment of revelation of God’s righteous judgment over Edom, the personification of the dark forces of the pagan world. 7–19. A penitent-thanksgiving prayer to God on behalf of His unfaithful people.

The last verse of the previous chapter (verse 11 of chapter 62) spoke of the coming of the promised Messiah to fulfill His chief task—the justification and salvation of the new Zion or spiritual Israel. The beginning of the present chapter, continuing the same prophetic speech, points also to another, so to speak, negative purpose of this coming, consisting in the punishment of all enemies of the Kingdom of God, personified here in Edom. Therefore the first six verses of the present chapter are among the important Messianic passages of the book of the prophet Isaiah. Also deserving serious attention is the very form of exposition of this section; it represents a vivid, deeply dramatic dialogue which the Messiah and certain mysterious interlocutors conduct between themselves.

Isaiah 63:1. Who is this that comes from Edom, in garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? “It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.” “Who is this that comes from Edom, in crimson garments… striding forward in the greatness of his strength?” The Messiah-Savior, of whose solemn coming the prophet has just announced (Isa 62:11), is here depicted to his mind’s eye in a new form—in the image of a glorious conqueror returning from a victorious battle. Full of consciousness of his all-crushing power, the Conqueror strides forth majestically in his war garments, bespattered, like grape juice, with the blood of his numerous enemies. The enemy country from which the Conqueror returns is named here “Edom” and “Bozrah,” that is, the country of the Idumeans, with its chief city Bozrah. Based on one of the earliest similar narratives of the prophet Isaiah, we are justified in concluding that “Edom” and “Bozrah” here are “collective” concepts, symbolizing paganism in general or more precisely—those dark forces of evil in the pre-Christian world that especially actively opposed the growth of Divine truth and goodness on earth (Isa 34:6). “Blessed Jerome, blessed Theodoret and holy Cyril of Alexandria refer this prophetic vision to the time of the ascension of Christ the Savior to heaven, after His resurrection, when the Angels and heavenly powers asked Him in astonishment about His crimson appearance” (cf. Ps 23:7-8, Commentary of the St. Petersburg Academy, p. 904). But it is closer to the text to think that the questioners through the prophet here are the sons of Israel, or even the representatives of humanity contemporary with Christ in general, who, seeing the radical transformation produced by Christianity in all areas of life (Luke 1:51-53), ask themselves the natural question—who then is He—the Author of all that has happened? The very structure of this phrase (question), as well as the one that follows it (answer), closely resembles an analogous passage from a psalm: “Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle… Who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory” (Ps 23:7-10). “It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.” Here is the clear answer to the question posed above, given by the Hero-Conqueror Himself. The returning triumphant one calls Himself “speaking in righteousness,” “mighty to save.” We have already had many occasions to clarify the “righteousness” to the extent of this fundamental point of the entire Old Testament-theocratic worldview, about which the prophet Isaiah speaks especially often (Isa 1:17; Isa 5:16; Isa 32:1; Isa 45:24-25; Isa 48:18; Isa 51:5; Isa 53:11; Isa 57:12; Isa 58:8; Isa 59:3 and others). The coming Conqueror is called here only “speaking” righteousness. But we know well that for the Messiah (the Servant of Jehovah) “word” equals “deed,” according to the categorical declaration of the Almighty Himself: “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isa 55:11). The concrete type of “righteousness” here in view, judging from the context, is—the execution of righteous retribution to the God-hostile forces of the pagan world, personified in the form of Edom. “Mighty to save,” that is, having power and strength not only to judge but also to have mercy and to save: to judge and punish the stubborn, unrepentant sinners, and to have mercy and save the sincerely repentant and those who have turned to God. The right of pardon is higher than the right of judgment: anyone appointed to judge can judge, but only the Highest Authority has the right to pardon. The combination of the functions of “judgment” and “mercy,” according to the Old Testament worldview, can only be conceived in the hands of God Himself (Ps 88:15; Ps 91:3). From this, consequently, the answer of the Conqueror leaves no doubt about His Divine essence.

Isaiah 63:2. Why are your garments red, and your clothes like one who treads in the wine press? Isaiah 63:3. I trod the wine press alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood spattered on my garments, and I stained all my clothing. These continue the dialogue begun. “Why are your garments red, and your clothes—like one who treads in the wine press?” the perplexed ones question the Conqueror again. And to this they receive the answer: “I trod the wine press alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger… their blood spattered on my garments.” In the answer, that same image is used which was given in the question—namely, a comparison with the practice then current in the East of squeezing grape juice, in which there was naturally and inevitably a certain staining of the clothes of the person engaged in this work. This comparison cannot be denied to be especially expressive and powerful for the thought it contains—about the punishment of God’s enemies. “The questioner answers that He also trod the wine press in which, instead of grape clusters, were enclosed His enemies, that He trampled them in His anger, their blood spattered on His garments and stained them (Rev 19:13). The wine press of God’s wrath which Christ the Savior trod was hell, which He trampled (Eph 4:8-9), after His crucifixion. In this struggle with hell Christ, like Samson fighting the Philistines or David fighting Goliath, was alone and had no helper from men” (Matt 26:56; John 16:32—Commentary of the St. Petersburg Academy, 905). Although the speech continues here as if about a past event, this is evidently only for the sake of giving it greater imagery and vividness, greater persuasiveness and power. The actual fulfillment of this prophecy, like many other prophecies of Isaiah, can be referred to two historical epochs: first, to the beginning of the Christian era, which coincided with the end of many ancient pagan monarchies, and second, to its completion, at the moment of the Last Judgment, when the final and ultimate settlement will be made with all dark forces of evil (1 Cor 15:24-28). Isa 63:4-6. These three verses give a fine exposition of the above image from them; the first says that the trampling in the wine press means the day of God’s judgment over the nations (verse 4); the second that this judgment will be a decisive single combat of the Conqueror with his enemies (verse 5); and in the third that the results of this fierce struggle will be terrible for the vanquished (verse 6).

Isaiah 63:4. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption has come. “For the day of vengeance is in my heart and the year of my redeemed has come,” or, as it is even clearer in the Slavonic text, “For the day of retribution has come upon them, and the season of deliverance has arrived.” The character of the victorious coming of the Messiah is completely clearly defined, which will be the day of righteous retribution, terrible vengeance for all enemies of God and at the same time the season of redemption, “the acceptable year” (Isa 61:2) for all those who have turned to Him (cf. Isa 34:8; Isa 59:17).

Isaiah 63:5. I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to support. So my own arm brought me victory, and my own wrath supported me. “I looked, and there was no one to help; I was astonished that there was no one to uphold.” The present verse is almost a literal repetition of a previous one: “And he saw that there was no man, and was appalled that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him” (Isa 59:16, see our commentary). As additional commentary to both can be cited another parallel place from the same prophet: “I looked, and there was no one; among them there was no counselor who, when I asked, gave an answer” (Isa 41:28). The particular feature of this—verse 5 compared to the cited parallels is that it speaks of God’s judgment over pagan nations, while the latter speak of judgment over Israel. The moment of this judgment, according to the meaning of this image, is anthropomorphically brought near to the single combat of the Messiah against the hordes of His enemies.

Isaiah 63:6. And I trampled down the peoples in my anger, I crushed them in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth. “And I trampled the nations in my anger… and I poured out their blood on the earth.” Here is the terrible but fully deserved outcome of that struggle into which the nations risked entering against the “Mighty One” (verse 1). The prophet Isaiah has spoken more than once before about this punishment of hostile pagan nations, and the following parallel is especially close, for example: “and I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh; and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine; and all flesh shall know that I am the Lord your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob” (Isa 49:26; cf. Isa 42:25; Isa 51:23; Isa 59:17-18 and others). Isa 63:7-9. From verses 7–9 inclusive goes the first half of the thanksgiving-penitential prayer to God on behalf of His stiff-necked people, in which glory and thanksgiving are raised to the Almighty for all the historical (“ancient days”—verse 9) benefits of His revealed to the chosen people. The connection of this section with the previous one is not difficult to establish. That judgment over the nations, of which the prophet spoke in such vivid an image at the beginning of the chapter, was also the day of righteous retribution for all the violence done to the enemies of the Israelite people. From this it is natural that Israel, in the contemplation of this, should have been filled with feelings of joy and gratitude to the Lord, and at the same time with a special intensified penitential exultation, which found its appropriate expression in this prayer, or psalm, uttered by the prophet himself on behalf of the ideal Israel, deeply feeling its own sinfulness and highly valuing the greatness and power of Divine mercy and love. Commentators of the prophet Isaiah also point out that this prayer, beginning with verse 7 of the given chapter, goes to the end of it and continues through the whole next chapter (chapter 64). Analyzing the content of this prayer, they find it possible to divide it into the following four parts: the first—verses 7–14 of chapter 63; the second—verses 15 to the end of the chapter; the third—verses 1–7 of chapter 64, and the fourth—from verse 8 to the end of this chapter. In particular, in the first of the indicated sections is given a compressed, schematic outline of the history of the chosen people, in which throughout are visible the traces of the special Divine guidance of Israel and the stiff-neckedness of the latter toward the Lord.

Isaiah 63:8. He said, “Surely they are my people, children who will not prove false”; and he became their Savior. “Surely they are my people, children who will not prove false.” In light of the earlier very clear words of the prophet about historical Israel: “we have transgressed and denied the Lord, and have turned away from our God; we conceive and utter from our heart false things, and we are afflicted” (Isa 59:13), there is no possibility to see in the above text a historical characterization of the Jewish people. Evidently, this is an ideal characterization of Israel, an indication of what the chosen people of God should be if it had remained faithful to its special calling. One can understand these words also only as a statement of the fact of God’s choosing of Jews by the Almighty (Exod 19:5-6), serving as it were the “starting point” for all subsequent historical references. “And he became their Savior.” The last word in the Hebrew text is expressed by the form עישומל, which in literal translation means “as a Messiah.” Thus here is used the significant word “Messiah,” in application to the Lord Himself, who was the leader of Israel.

Isaiah 63:9. In all their distress he was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and pity he redeemed them, he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. “And the angel of his face saved them.” “The angel of his face” is a unique expression in the Bible, having no parallels, at least in external form. On the other hand, in its internal content, it is probably equivalent to such terms used in the Bible as “the angel of God” or “the angel of the Lord” (Exod 14:19). It is not uninteresting to compare the expression under consideration with the following passage from the book of Exodus, in which a personal difference is maintained, if not substantial then personal, between the Lord Himself and His Angel: “and I will send an Angel before you… but I myself shall not go up in your midst, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you in the way” (Exod 33:2-3). Most correctly, in our opinion, one should think that the prophet Isaiah here has in mind exactly the fact of which the just cited passage from the book of Exodus speaks. Above, the prophet Isaiah noted the fact of the solemn choosing of Israel by God at Sinai (verse 8), and now, in order of sequence, he points to the fact of the tangible guidance of the Hebrews by God in the course of their forty-year wandering through the Arabian desert (Exod 14:19-20; Exod 33:9-10). “He lifted them up and carried them.” An allusion to the well-known biblical image in which the tender-providential relation of the Lord to Israel is compared to the relation of an eagle to its eaglets. It was first given in the same book of Exodus (Exod 19:4), and subsequently was developed in greater detail by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (Matt 23:37).

Isaiah 63:10. But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; so he turned and became their enemy and fought against them. “But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit.” Here one should see, first of all, a reference to the numerous individual instances of rebellion of the Hebrews against the Almighty, occurring both during Moses’ time (Exod 32:7-10; Num 14:11; Num 20:24; Num 25:6), and after him (Judg 2:11; Judg 3:7; Judg 4:1; Judg 6:1; Judg 8:33; and others). And then, of course, one cannot but find here a more general definition of the characteristic feature of the “stiff-necked” Israel, which, in approximately the same expressions, was repeated later by the protomartyr archdeacon Stephen in his well-known missionary-condemnatory speech (Acts 7:51). “He fought against them.” By their treacherous behavior Israel, speaking anthropomorphically, provoked the Lord, and He, from being its ally and friend, as it were became its opponent and enemy. However, even this righteous wrath of the Almighty always pursued positive, educational goals: it forced Israel to think about its behavior, to recover from errors and again to seek union with the abandoned Lord. One might even suppose that the prophet Isaiah contains here and a more concrete allusion to the nearest political troubles of the people of God, in view of the threatening specter of Assyro-Babylonian captivity, which produced the most powerful sobering effect on the Jews. Post-exilic Jews no longer turned to idolatry and, at least from an external standpoint, became more zealous observers of the law of Moses, of which, one must think, the prophet speaks further. Isa 63:11-14. Under the influence, principally, of the grave political troubles which, on the one hand, were an expression of God’s wrath upon His people (Deut 31:27; Deut 32:20; Lam 2:5), and on the other—a means of his theocratic education, Israel, little by little, came to consciousness of the full criminality of its behavior and began to show signs of repentance and turning to God.

Isaiah 63:11. Then he remembered the days of old, of Moses and his people: where is he who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who put in the midst of them his Holy Spirit, “Then his people remembered the ancient days, the days of Moses.” “Then,” that is, in the moment of these troubles, or even after their ending, but especially this became noticeable in the last, post-exilic period. In what follows in this verse, as well as in the three verses following it (12, 13 and 14), are briefly recalled the chief Divine benefits granted to Israel in the time of Moses and his successors, namely: deliverance from Egyptian slavery, the crossing of the Red Sea and salvation from the pursuit of Pharaoh, the Sinai legislation and guidance through the Arabian desert, with settlement in the Promised Land as its desired end.

Isaiah 63:14. Like cattle that go down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. So you led your people to make for yourself a glorious name. “To make for yourself a glorious name.” or, as in verse 12, “an eternal name.” The magnificent series of benefits and miracles revealed by the Lord to Israel, as we know from history, indeed made the “glorious and famous” name of the Almighty among all peoples (Exod 9:16; Exod 15:11-16). But the “glory of the Lord” has nothing to do with human vanity; it is only the attainment by people of the final goal of their existence, as this is beautifully expressed in the first very petition of the Lord’s Prayer: “hallowed be your name” (Matt 6:9). In general, it should be noted that according to the meaning of the biblical worldview, the relation to the “name of the Lord”—that is, its glorification or blasphemy—is the main criterion of all the moral behavior of man (cf. verse 19). Isa 63:15-19. If the section just considered, by its character, can be called historical, then the present section is most correctly designated as supplicatory-expiatory and deeply penitential.

Isaiah 63:15. Look down from heaven, and see, from your holy and glorious habitation. Where are your zeal and your might? The yearning of your heart and your compassion are held back from me. “Look down from heaven and see… where is your zeal and your might?” In this fervent prayer for the people of God, the prophet Isaiah, like Moses (Num 14:13-18), with a “strong cry” turns to the Lord and begs Him to look down compassionately from His heavenly height upon the extremely distressed state of His people. The weight of such a position is especially aggravated by the fact that the Israelite people now appears to be as if abandoned by God: His “zeal” and “might,” His “merciful heart” and “mercies” are not now poured out as abundantly and visibly to all, as it was before, in the “ancient days of Moses.” Like a husband who has lost confidence in the propriety of his wife, ceases to be jealous of her and becomes completely indifferent to her, so the Lord, grieves the prophet, has lost his historical “zeal” for Israel (Exod 20:5) and ceased to care for it.

Isaiah 63:16. But you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O Lord, are our Father; our Redeemer from of old is your name. “Only You, our Father… You, O Lord, our Father.” Here is the most fervent and strong confession of the Lord on behalf of the best sons of faithful Israel. Despite, as it were, God’s apparent forgetfulness of His people, the best sons of the latter do not cease to turn to Him as to their only protector and Father. This strong and firm confession of Israel’s chosen-ness by God should be connected with the equally firmly convinced assertion of it in the earlier words of the prophet spoken on behalf of the Almighty Himself (verse 8). “Israel does not acknowledge us.” “Abraham” and “Israel” here are evidently synonyms: they are a common designation of historical Israel, or, more precisely, of that majority of the Jewish people which in their blindness did not recognize the Messiah and did not believe in Him when He came. In such understanding of this passage, the persons speaking through the prophet stand out noticeably from this majority; they are precisely the representatives of that faithful minority of Israel which recognized the Messiah and thereby justified its Divine choosing, though for this it suffered hatred from its own countrymen. “From of old your name is ‘our Redeemer.’” The highly significant term “redeemer” was first used in the book of Job (Job 19:25), and then in the Psalter (Ps 73:2) and repeatedly in the prophet Isaiah (Isa 41:14; Isa 43:3; Isa 47:4; Isa 59:20; Isa 62:11 and others). At the same time it is important to note that in the latter it is indifferently applied both to the Lord Himself and to the Messiah-Christ.

Isaiah 63:17. Why, O Lord, do you make us stray from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you no more? Return for the sake of your servants, for the sake of the tribes that are your heritage. “Why, O Lord, do you let us stray from your ways, you hardened our hearts from your fear?” The Bible speaks more than once of God’s permission for the hardening of confirmed sinners (Exod 4:21; Exod 7:3; Exod 9:12; Exod 10:1 and others). In this one cannot but see one of the most convincing proofs of human freedom of will, as well as the necessity of personal efforts for everyone’s salvation. Historically, here is meant, probably, that “hardening” of Israel, from which the prophets warned him (Isa 6:10; Isa 29:10 and others) and in which the apostles reproached him (Rom 11:7). “Return for the sake of your servants, for the sake of the tribes of your inheritance.” Since above (verse 15) the Lord seemed to have forsaken Israel and turned away from him, now the prophet begs Him to look kindly again upon His people and turn His face to him. By “servants” and “tribes of inheritance” should be understood the “faithful servants of the Lord,” who have recognized the Savior and laid the foundation of the New Testament church. For the merits of these “righteous ones,” the prophet dares to pray for the salvation of the whole people, like Abraham once prayed to the Lord for the salvation of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, for the sake of a certain number of righteous, which, however, were not found there (Gen 18:23-32). One can attribute to these words also the meaning which one of our commentators gives them: “they ask His mercy for His servants and for the tribes of His inheritance, that is, so that He might have the full fruit of the choosing of Israelites as His servants and as His inheritance. And if God does not turn them, it will appear that He chose the Judeans for His people in vain, did not achieve the desired goal of choosing them for His inheritance” (Bishop Peter—“Explanation of the book of the prophet Isaiah,” Chapter 323 p.).

Isaiah 63:18. A short time your holy people possessed your holy place; our enemies have trampled down your sanctuary. “For a short time the people of your holiness inherited the land, your enemies trampled your sanctuary.” Under the “inheritance” or portion which the Israelite people possessed, it is most suitable to understand the “Promised Land,” that is, Palestine, in which the Jews were, if not complete owners, then at least politically independent. And then they gradually passed from hand to hand, from Assyro-Babylonians, to Medes-Persians, Greeks and Romans. Under the “sanctuary,” desecrated by enemies, should be understood the Old Testament temple, twice destroyed and profaned (Ewald, Orelli, Duhm, etc.).

Isaiah 63:19. We have become like those over whom you have never ruled, like those not called by your name. Isaiah 64:10–11. “We have become like those over whom you have never ruled, and over whom your name was not invoked.” One can give a twofold meaning to these words: either moral-penitential, or prophetic-historical. In the first case we would see here the deepest degree of sinful self-condemnation, when people consider themselves the last of sinners. In the second case we would find here the spiritual insight of the prophet into the future history of Israel, namely into the epoch of the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jews, when, having lost political and religious existence, they in no way resembled the mighty theocratic state of which the Son of the Lord was the King. The latter interpretation, by its connection with the context of the speech (verse 18 speaks of the Old Testament temple), will be preferable (see also the following context Isaiah 64:10–11).

Chapter Sixty-Four

In this chapter the prayer continues and concludes, which constituted the greater part of the preceding (chapter 63, from verse 7). Therefore one cannot but agree with Dillmann, who finds that the division of these chapters is unfortunate (übel getrennt). In particular, as we have already said above (see our commentary on Isa 58:7), chapter 64 contains two sections of the prophetic-penitential prayer of Israel: one (Isa 64:1-7 verses)—historical-penitential, the other (Isa 64:8-12 verses)—supplicatory-expiatory.

1–4. A prayer of confession of the Almighty and terrible power of the Lord. 5–7. Deep consciousness of Israel of its own sinfulness, which brought upon it the righteous wrath of God. 8–12. Earnest prayer to God for forgiveness and mercy of His people.

Isaiah 64:1. Oh that you would tear the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence— Isaiah 64:2. as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence! “Oh, if only you would tear the heavens and come down! The mountains would melt at your face, as from fire that melts, as from boiling water… nations would tremble at your face.” “This speech is poetical, hyperbolic, depicting the highest majesty of God and the terrible acts in which the holiness, righteousness and omnipotence of God are manifested for the destruction of enemies and the salvation of the elect. When God descends from the height of the heavens to the lower sky—atmospheric—then everything seems to come into confusion, whirlwinds arise, thunders and lightnings; when He draws near to the earth, the earth shakes and the mountains melt as if from fire, from the terrible majesty of God.” (Bishop Peter. Cited work, p. 324). The image of “tearing the heavens” and the descent from there of the Lord for the revelation of His will and the manifestation of judgment—is one of the most frequently used in the Bible: we meet it in the history of the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:5) and the punishment of wicked cities—Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:21), we see it in the history of the giving of the law on Sinai (Exod 19:11; Exod 20:18), we read in the psalmist: “he bowed the heavens and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet” (Ps 17:10), and with it we have to deal in many other places, not only of the Old Testament, but also of the New Testament. In the psalmist we find a vivid parallel also to the second half of this image, speaking of the consequences of such a divine descent to earth: “Fire goes before him and burns up his enemies all around. His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the peoples behold his glory” (Ps 96:3-6). These verses stand in the closest logical connection with verses 15 and 3–4 of the previous chapter.

Isaiah 64:3. When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. Isaiah 64:4. From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. “When you performed terrible deeds… the mountains melted at your face.” What in the two preceding verses was expressed only hypothetically, here is affirmed as a fact. The Bible indeed speaks repeatedly of the great and terrible deeds of the Lord (Deut 10:21; Ps 105:22 and others). It also confirms the image that the Lord is a “consuming fire” (Deut 4:24).

Isaiah 40:12–13. “From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who does so much for those who hope in him.” This thought is completely in the spirit of that section which comprises chapters 40–45 of the book of the prophet Isaiah (see, for example, Isaiah 40:12–13, 17, 22–23, 28; Isa 41:22-24; Isa 43:9; Isa 44:11; Isa 45:21 and others). It deserves special attention that Apostle Paul, citing this text from the prophet Isaiah, applies it to the unspeakable mystery of the incarnation, which simultaneously both exceeds all human understanding and is the revelation of the highest love of God for men (1 Cor 2:9). Isaiah 64:5. You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed. From verse 5 to 7 inclusive goes the confession of divine favor toward the righteous and deep consciousness of his own sinfulness. “You meet those who are glad and do righteousness.” Indeed, every, though even comparatively insignificant, manifestation of sincere religiosity and actual obedience to God was not left without reward, as we see from the example of numerous biblical righteous ones (Exod 33:17; Exod 34:9; Ps 4:8; Ps 36:25). How shall we be saved? If we recall the numerous and sharp denunciations of impiety, iniquity, hypocrisy and falsehood of the Israelite people scattered through various passages of the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 1:4; Isa 3:9; Isa 58:2-5; Isa 59:2-3 and others), then it will not seem especially strange to us and this question, in which sounds as if a note of despair in salvation from the acute and painful consciousness of the full depth of his fall. However, the LXX and Slavonic text attributed this phrase to the beginning of the next verse and translated it somewhat differently: “therefore we are led astray.”

Isaiah 64:6. We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, sweep us away. “All our righteousness is like filthy cloth.” A gentle but expressive characteristic of the impiety of Israel, more precisely, of its hypocrisy and falsehood. It fully coincides with what the prophet developed in more detail before (chapter 1 and chapters 58 and 59). The comparison used here of external, legalistic righteousness to a filthy cloth is quite close to the well-known Gospel image of “whitewashed sepulchers” in the condemnatory speech of the Lord Himself against the scribes and Pharisees (Matt 23:27-28).

Isaiah 64:8. But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. From verse 8 to 12, that is, to the end of the given chapter, goes the last, concluding section of the prayer of Israel, in which he appeals to the mercy of his heavenly Father, proceeding from the extreme distress of his present condition. “But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are the potter.” Characteristic for the prophet Isaiah here is the very image of the potter and clay, as he had already used it earlier (Isa 29:16; Isa 45:9). It is very likely that it originates from the history of the creation of man by God (Gen 2:7); although in this case here, evidently, it is about the special Divine choosing of Israel, to which reference was already made once in this very prayer (Isa 63:16). This image in the prophet Jeremiah grew into an entire symbolic vision about the destinies of Israel and Judah (Jer 18 chapter) and is also commented upon by Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans (Rom 9:20 and following).

Isaiah 64:9. Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people. “Do not be angry, O Lord… do not remember sin forever.” A new, intensified request to God for mercy, reminiscent of the words of the psalmist: “How long, O Lord, will you be angry forever… do not remember our former iniquities” (Ps 78:5). The boldness of such a request finds its explanation and basis in one of the preceding speeches of the Lord Himself, proclaimed through the prophet: “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Isa 43:25), compare also Isa 44:22).

Isaiah 64:10. Your holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. Isaiah 64:11. Our holy and beautiful house, in which our ancestors praised you, has been burned by fire, and all our pleasant places have become ruins. “Your holy cities have become a wilderness… Jerusalem has been laid waste. The house of our sanctuary and glory… has been burned by fire.” To support his intensified request for mercy, Israel points to its grave political and religious crisis, when all his once-flourishing cities turned into ruins and desolations, when his capital, the center of his theocratic kingdom—the city of Jerusalem—was plundered, when even the Old Testament temple—this highest center of national unity and religious sanctification of the Jewish people—was burned. This description, by the just remark of Dillmann, closely reminds of the content of the book of Lamentations of Jeremiah and in part—Psalm 78. And all this is in direct connection with the troubles of Babylonian captivity. From this we think that the prophet Isaiah speaks here first of all about this nearest to him or even contemporary event; and then prophetically-typologically he alludes also to the future ultimate destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, as many of the holy Fathers believe (blessed Jerome and holy Cyril of Alexandria). This testimony is important for determining the chronology of this chapter: it is clear that it could not have been written after the Babylonian captivity (as rationalists think), for then Jerusalem and the temple were built again.

Isaiah 64:12. Will you restrain yourself at these things, O Lord? Will you keep silent and afflict us so severely? “O Lord, will you keep silent and afflict us exceedingly?” The concluding cry of the prayer, very close to the concluding words of the book of Lamentations: “have you utterly rejected us, are you angry with us beyond measure?” (Lam 5:22).

Chapter Sixty-Five

In the logical sequence of the thoughts of the prophet Isaiah, the present chapter has the closest connection with the preceding narrative: in it the question was raised, why did the Lord allow His chosen people to fall into such a universally tragic state? And the very posing of the question was as if making Him a reproach of insufficiency of love and mercy toward His people. The present chapter gives a clear and positive answer to all of this, from which it is evident that God, of course, has no lack of compassion and love; but these Divine blessings are poured out only upon those who seek them, and not upon those who blindly and foolishly reject them, as Israel does. In general, the example of Israel is the best and most eloquent proof of the righteousness of God’s Judgment—the wicked and criminal majority of it bears the deserved punishment, and the faithful and obedient remnant receives the fulfillment of all promises. The full and final accomplishment of these promises requires the creation of new especially favorable conditions, which will come to pass in the New Covenant period.

1–7. The righteousness of God’s judgment over disobedient and treacherous Israel. 8–10. Promise of mercy and salvation to its faithful “remnant.” 11–16. A comparative juxtaposition of the deserved fate of one and the other; 17–25. the creation of a new theocratic community of spiritual Israel, that is, the New Covenant church.

Isaiah 65:1. I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. “Behold Me! Behold Me!” I said to a people that did not call upon My name. “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me.” By “those who asked” and “those who sought” the Lord, but not in the right way and place, are meant the Jews who boasted in their false, outward righteousness (See Isa 58:2-4). “Behold Me! Behold Me! I said to a people that did not call upon My name.” A people that bore the name of the Lord was Israel, of whom the Lord Himself, through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah, spoke with complete certainty, as a people “who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made” (Isa 43:7). The opposite of the people of Israel in this respect was the entire pagan world, to which the Lord now reveals Himself, having hidden His face from unworthy Israel. The meaning of this indication can be understood as follows. The Jews, as is partly evident from the preceding context, were inclined to accuse the Almighty that He had abandoned His people and ceased to care for them. The prophet now raises a counter-fact, from which it is evident that the Lord never ceased to provide for mankind, and that He does this even now, only in relation to another people, more worthy than Israel.

Isaiah 65:2. All day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own thoughts, “All day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient people.” It is vain, then, that Israel laments that the Lord has forgotten it, that “His arm is too short to save, and His ear too heavy to hear” (Isa 59:1). On the contrary, the Almighty “all day long stretched out… His hands… to a disobedient people,” that is, manifested constant, lovingly tender concern for Israel’s conversion (Isa 50:2). But Israel remained dumb and deaf to this Divine calling, for which it fully deserved the name “disobedient people” (Isa 30:1; Jer 5:23; Jer 6:28; Hos 4:16), “walking in a way that is not good,” that is, contrary to the will and law of God, and “following their own thoughts,” or, as the prophet Isaiah expressed it more vividly in another place, gratifying “their own desires” (Isa 58:13; cf. Isa 53:6; Isa 55:7; Isa 56:11; Isa 57:17 and others).

Isaiah 65:3. to a people who provoke Me to My face continually, sacrificing in gardens and burning incense on bricks; Verses 3–4 give factual proof that Israel “walked in a way that is not good,” namely in the way of idolatry and moral corruption. “To a people who provoke Me to My face continually,” that is, who boldly and openly trample upon the laws of the Lord, thereby inflicting upon Him the greatest insult (Isa 58:9; Jer 7:19; Jer 32:30 and others). Furthermore, the prophet goes on to enumerate in more detail particular kinds of pagan cults that were practiced among the Hebrews in his time. “Sacrificing in gardens.” This is the cult of sacred trees, or groves, connected with immoral service to the goddess Astarte; it was practiced among the Jews in the pre-exilic period especially widely, for which reason it earned sharp condemnation from many prophets (Isa 1:29; Isa 57:5; Isa 66:17; Hos 4:13 and others). “And burning incense on bricks.” The commentators of the St. Petersburg Academy believe that by “bricks,” or “shards,” are meant bricks or stones with mysterious signs (Isa 57:6), the veneration of which was widespread among the Canaanite peoples (Lev 26:1; Num 33:52), remains of which have been found up to the present time in the Trans-Jordan region of Palestine and stony Arabia; in scholarship they are known by the names—menhirs, dolmens, cromlechs, and Moabite bricks. But the English Bible Commentary, referring to clearer indications of other prophets, sees here an indication of a special kind of astral worship carried out on tile roofs of houses (Jer 32:29 and Zeph 1:5 – The Pulp. Com. – 470 p.).

Isaiah 65:4. sitting in the graves and spending the night in the hidden places; eating swine’s flesh, and the broth of unclean meat is in their vessels; “Sitting in the graves and spending the night in the hidden places,” that is, practicing necromancy and incubation, to which the Hebrew people indeed became much addicted, following the example of the surrounding pagans (Isa 8:19; Isa 29:4). A vivid example of this is given in the story of Saul with the witch of Endor (1 Sam 28). “Eating swine’s flesh” contrary to the direct prohibition of the Mosaic law (Lev 11:7; Deut 14:8), but apparently depending on pagan sacrifices and superstitious rites (Isa 66:17; 1 Macc 1:41-64; 2 Macc 6:18). “And the broth of unclean meat is in their vessels.” This is either a general, concluding indication of all “idolatrous offerings,” or a new indication of some particular kind of idol’s meal, such as, for instance, what Vlastov mentions—a special broth made from various grains, offered in sacrifice to the Earth—Demeter, later Hecate (that is, Persephone—Hecate—Selene), the giver of gifts (407 p.).

Isaiah 65:5. who say, “Stay away from me, for I am holier than you.” These are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all the day. Matthew 9:11. “Stay away from me, for I am holier than you.” A very characteristic trait, showing that the Jews’ involvement with paganism was not only under outward influence, but also resulted from a deeper, internal assimilation of it, whereby one permeated with pagan spirit considered himself more perfect and pure than one who remained a faithful servant of the Lord. One can even establish here a direct connection with the cult of Astarte, in which women who gave themselves up in honor of this goddess to immorality bore the name “kedesha,” which means “sacred, holy.” Blessed Theodoret sees here a prototype of the Gospel Pharisees, who were likewise especially vain about their supposed “cleanness”—pharisees—“clean”—Matt. 9:11 and others.). “These are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all the day.” The proper understanding of this passage is, in our view, established by the following parallels: “smoke rose from His nostrils, and fire from His mouth consumed” (Ps 17:9; cf. also Rev 14:11) and further: “and they will see the corpses of the people who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will not die, and their fire will not be quenched” (Isa 66:24; cf. Isa 1:31). Consequently, here is given the beginning of that dread judgment over wicked Israel, the continuation and conclusion of which follows in the two subsequent verses.

Isaiah 65:6. Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silence, but I will repay, repay into their bosom: Isaiah 65:7. your iniquities, says the Lord, and the iniquities of your fathers together, says the Lord; because they burned incense on the mountains and reviled Me on the hills, I will measure into their bosom the deeds they did. “I will not keep silence, but I will repay, repay into their bosom… and I will measure into their bosom the deeds they did.” “We know Him who said, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay”—the Apostle Paul comments on this well-known Old Testament expression in his two epistles (Heb 10:30 and Rom 12:19; cf. Deut 32:35; Isa 49:4; Isa 62:11; Jer 16:18; Rev 22 and others). “To measure,” or “to repay with a certain measure” and precisely “into the bosom, or bosoms,”—is also a characteristic biblical expression (Ps 78:12; Jer 32:18). The image itself is taken from the primitive custom of the ancient inhabitants of the East to receive grain poured out directly into their lap. The moral meaning of it is also clear and is explained by the Lord Himself in the words of the Sermon on the Mount: “whatever measure you use to measure, will be measured back to you” (Matt 7:2). In this case, these words mean that the Lord commits no injustice against the Israeli people when He now punishes it: thereby He is simply settling his account with Israel in full measure for all that the latter has caused Him throughout the course of all his preceding and present history.

Isaiah 65:8. Thus says the Lord: “As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one says, ‘Do not destroy it, for a blessing is in it,’ so I will do for the sake of My servants, that I may not destroy all of them.” From verse 8 to verse 10, as is usual for the prophet Isaiah and characteristic of him, the picture suddenly changes: the announcement of punishment is followed by a promise of rewards; punishment—to all wicked Jewish people, and rewards—to the righteous “remnant” of the sons of Jacob and Judah. The basic idea of the section—the preservation of some from the greater number perished—is expressively conveyed in the image of a healthy, succulent grape cluster, apparently on an infected tree. Both the image itself and the idea contained within it are undoubtedly connected to the earlier chapters of the same prophet “On God’s Vineyard” (chapters 5–6). One can even establish a connection between these discourses and the well-known Gospel parable images (Matt 21:37-41; John 15 chs.).

Isaiah 65:9. I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah an heir of My mountains; and My chosen shall inherit it, and My servants shall dwell there. Isaiah 9:8. “I will bring forth seed from Jacob and from Judah—an heir of My mountains.” Scarcely should we find here a detailed indication of the two divided Hebrew kingdoms. It is better to see here the usual biblical pleonasm, especially characteristic for the prophet Isaiah precisely in this respect (that is, in the designation of God’s people). Isaiah 9:8; Isa 10:21-22; Isa 27:6; Isa 29:23; Isa 40:27; Isa 41:8; Isa 48:1; Isa 60:14 and others.). Not once does the prophet Isaiah also speak of the mountain or mountains of the Lord (Isa 2; Isa 14:25; Isa 57:13; Isa 60:21), clearly meaning thereby the entire promised land, that is, Palestine, as a country extremely mountainous. Indeed, one only needs to look at the geographical map of Palestine to be fully convinced of the validity of such a name. Palestine is crossed by three main groups of mountains: 1) the mountains of Galilee with the highest peak Hermon—9400 feet above sea level, 2) the mountains of Samaria and Judea—with peaks Gebal and Gerizim about 2700 ft. and 3) the mountains of the Trans-Jordan region, some of which similarly reach 2000–3000 feet in height. “My chosen shall inherit it… My servants.” In the general sense, such epithets are applied in the Bible to all Israel (1 Chr 16:13; Ps 104:6 and others.). But here the limiting sense of interpretation is clear, pointing only to the righteous “remnant” of Israel (Isa 43:20; Isa 45:4; cf. Ps 14:1-2 and Ps 23:3-5), to those chosen from among the chosen people.

Isaiah 65:10. And Sharon shall be a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down, for My people who have sought Me. The geographical names of the valleys mentioned in it: “Sharon” and “Achor”—have in the Bible and other, more precise definitions: the first lay along the southwest coast of the Mediterranean Sea, the second ran to the southeast, not far from Jericho (Josh 7:24; Josh 15:7 and Hos 2:15). Isa 65:11-16. A new section of prophetic-denunciatory discourse begins, in which a series of sharp contrasts is given, speaking of the blessedness of the righteous and pious and the sufferings of the wicked and sinful.

Isaiah 65:11. But you who forsake the Lord, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny, “You prepare a table for Gad and fill a full cup for Meni.” The text of the LXX and our Slavonic translation render this place as follows: “you who set a table for the demon and fill a portion for destiny.” It is easy to see that in the latter text the proper names of Syrian deities—Gad, or Gadad, and Meni, or Meni, Anu-el—are replaced by their common noun translations. The Tell Amarna correspondence and Phoenician excavations have established that “Gad” is a Phoenician deity, “good god of fortune” (Cheyne), derived from ancient Canaanite—Addi, or Adael—“the deity of thunder,” related to Greek Zeus and Latin Jupiter, whose name is found quite often even in the Tell Amarna letters (names Iadi-Addi, Amun-Addi, Nathan-Addi and others). “Meni” is a Syrian deity, found in the inscriptions of the so-called Aramaic-Persian, or Achaemenid period. Scholars bring it close to the Arabic deity Mant, which, according to the Koran, as a mediating deity, vaguely resembles the Messiah. The English Bible Commentary believes that at the basis of this name lies the Semitic root manât, which means “number, portion” and indicates such a deity that oversaw the distribution of the corresponding share of happiness to each person (τύχη μοῖρα).

Isaiah 65:12. I will destine you for the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter; because, when I called, you did not answer, when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my sight and chose what I did not delight in. “I destine you to the sword.” “I destine”—in Hebrew expressed by יתיכב, that is, the same root תכב is used, which is also contained in the name of the deity just named—“Meni.” With such understanding of the matter, we have a strong antithesis of the true God with one of the false gods, which in general constitutes the distinctive trait of the style of the prophet Isaiah. “Slaughter by the sword,” “bending to the earth,” as the punishment for disobedience to God—all these are images well known to us from the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 10:4; Isa 46:1; Isa 50:2; Isa 53:7; Isa 56:4; Isa 66:4 and others.). And the sole cause of all this, the prophet Isaiah again emphasizes from the mouth of the Lord Himself, is the behavior of the disobedient Israel (see verse 2).

Isaiah 65:13. Therefore thus says the Lord God: My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; Isaiah 65:14. my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame; my servants shall sing for gladness of heart, but you shall cry out for pain of heart, and shall wail for anguish of spirit. A series of special contrasts, in which various types of blessedness of the righteous are opposed to the opposite types of suffering of the sinful. “This entire series of contrasts can be understood in two ways: literally—in relation to two classes of captive Israelites, some of whom remained faithful to the Lord and others who turned away from Him; and metaphorically in relation to the servants of the Lord and His enemies of all times and all places” (The Pulp. Comm. 472 p.).

Isaiah 65:15. You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse, and the Lord God will slay you; but to his servants he will give a different name, “And you shall leave your name to My chosen for a curse.” The calamities that are to befall the head of disobedient Israel will be so terrible and merciless that they will even make its very name as if it were a common designation of God’s punishment in general (cf. Jer 29:22). “And the Lord God will slay you.” A repetition and strengthening of the thought of verse 12. The very text of this phrase is taken, according to the English Bible Commentary, from a special curse formula.

Isaiah 62:2. “But to his servants he will give a different name,” that is, “a holy people,” “spiritual Israel,” “Christians” (See commentary on Isaiah 62:2, 12), and “a seed blessed by the Lord” (see below, Isa 65:23). Isaiah 65:16. whoever blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth; and whoever takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes. “And whoever takes an oath in the land, shall swear by the God of truth.” Most exegetes, beginning with blessed Jerome, preferably stop at the interpretation of this passage on the text of the Vulgate, where the latter half of the mentioned phrase is translated as: jurabit in Deo amen. The word “amen” in biblical, and later in liturgical usage, is a solemn affirmation of a certain covenant and as if its justification (Deut 28:14-26; Josh 8:32-34). Therefore, the use of this word here is very significant. “In the Old Testament salvation is promised, accomplished in the New, when God, who had spoken by the prophets, in the last days has spoken to us by a Son (Heb 1:1-2): ‘for all the promises of God find their Yes in him, and in him the Amen is amen’ (2 Cor 1:20)” (Vlastov). The meaning of the use of such a phrase precisely here can be explained as follows. The benefits that will be liberally poured out by the Lord upon faithful Israel and its spiritual posterity will give such a brilliant confirmation of the absolute truth and righteousness of the Almighty, that His very Name will make for all an irrefutable sign of the highest oath-taking assurance (cf. John 17:3; 1 John 5:20; Rev 3:14). Isa 65:17-25. The last part of the Lord’s answer to the preceding prayer of Israel. After the announcement of righteous judgment by God on wicked sinners, this part of the discourse imparts comfort and joyful hope for the blessedness of the Messianic kingdom. In its content and character, it belongs to the section of prophecies about the glorious Messianic times and comes particularly close to some of them (Isa 2:1-4; Isa 11:6-9; Isa 25:6-9; Isa 35:1-10; Isa 40:3-5; Isa 55:1-5; Isa 58:11; Isa 59:21). Even in the preceding verse (16) it was already said about the cessation of sufferings and sorrows. Now the creation of a new order of things is proclaimed, which is to come about in the renewed Messianic kingdom. Expressing his thought in vivid, plastic images, the prophet now speaks of the creation of new heavens and earth (verse 17), of universal joy and gladness, of the absence of weeping and crying (verse 18), of the disappearance of all defects of human ages (verse 20), of peaceful enjoyment of all the fruits of one’s hands (verses 21–23), of the constant closeness of divine help (verse 24), and of corresponding, radical changes in the entire animal world (verse 25).

Isaiah 65:17. For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth.” In view of the fact that the words of the prophecy are almost literally repeated with more detailed development in several New Testament parallels (2 Pet 3:10; Rev 21:1-4), which are undoubtedly historical in character, and do not represent any poetic allegory, most orthodox exegetes find that the full and final fulfillment of this prophecy refers to the moment of the second, glorious coming of the Lord. But insofar as the first coming of the Messiah is to a certain extent connected with the second, conditionally here is understood, of course, also the first; all the more so because chronologically it stood even closer to the prophet. Then, with respect to the first Messianic coming, these words take on a moral meaning, and with respect to the second—they retain their physical meaning.

Isaiah 65:18. But be glad and rejoice for ever in what I am creating; for behold, I am creating Jerusalem as a joy, and her people as a gladness. Isaiah 65:19. I will be glad in Jerusalem, and rejoice in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the sound of a cry. “I am creating Jerusalem as a joy and… the sound of weeping shall not be heard in it anymore.” Blessed Theodoret understands by Jerusalem that higher Jerusalem, which, according to the apostle, is free: “she is our mother.” (Gal 4:26. – Commentary of the St. Petersburg Academy). Consequently, Jerusalem—the center of the former, historical Israel—is taken here as the center of the new, spiritually reborn Israel, that is, the New Covenant church. “I am creating… as a joy”—in the Hebrew text stands the verb ברא—“I create from nothing” (Gen 1:1), that is, I do this solely by the power of My divine love, and not by any ready, externally given motivations. 80. The thought of the Hebrew text here is much broader and deeper than its Russian Synodal translation: literally it should be conveyed in the sense that the sacred city—Jerusalem, and its holy people—Israel, from the object of former hatred and shame, will be transformed into the object of joy and gladness for all peoples (Isa 60:15 and Isa 61:9-11 and others.). The mention of “the sound of weeping and… crying” had special persuasiveness for the listeners of the prophet, who had just experienced the calamities of the Assyrian invasion (Isa 10:30; Isa 37:1-3).

Isaiah 65:20. No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days; for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. “There shall no more be in it an infant and an old man,” that is, properly speaking, there shall be no defects peculiar to each of these extreme ages of human life: there shall be no lack of spiritual strength and power in the young and inexperienced youth, but neither shall there be a defect in the physical powers of the aged elder. Both these ages, freed from their defects but retaining the virtues inherent to them, will create the harmony of ideal earthly human life.

Proverbs 4:7–9. By way of commentary on the discourse about the elder see Proverbs 4:7–9. In the figurative sense, here we must evidently see an indication of the “fullness of days of each of us” in the measure of the age of “the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:13-14), independent of our physical age, and solely determined by the degree of “spiritual and moral maturity.” Isaiah 65:21. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. Isaiah 65:22. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. Isaiah 65:23. They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be the offspring blessed by the Lord, and their descendants with them. A special discourse on the radical transformation of all social and economic relations. In this area among the Jews contemporary to the prophet, there reigned, as is known, the crudest despotism and merciless exploitation, under which no one could peacefully enjoy the fruits of his labor (Isa 58:6-7; Isa 59:2-8). In the renewed Messianic kingdom, complete opposite of all this will come about. One cannot help but see in the words of this prophetic blessing the repeal of the former curse (Deut 28:30).

Isaiah 65:24. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. The words of this verse represent a direct answer to the complaints of the Jews who sought the Lord, that He supposedly abandoned them, hid His face from them, and does not stretch His beneficent hand upon them (Isa 58:2; Isa 59:1). The best commentary on them is given by Jesus Christ Himself (Matt 6:8).

Isaiah 65:25. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord. An expressive image of the complete destruction of all evil on earth is given, when such irreconcilable extremes will be possible, as peacefully grazing together wolves and lambs, and when even all beasts will tame their predatory instincts, switching to plant food (cf. Isa 11:6-9). * * * In the Slavonic translation from the LXX: “I am creating joy for Jerusalem, and gladness for My people.” Editor’s note.

Chapter Sixty-Six

The ideological connection of the new chapter with the preceding one consists in the fact that it likewise speaks of the renewed Zion and the new conditions of religious life in it. Theocratically educated Israel could not imagine itself without a temple. And consequently, from its perspective, it was more than natural to remember one’s temple and ask the prophet, what would become in the glorious Messianic kingdom of its chief national sanctuary—the Old Testament temple and all that was connected with it in ritual observance? Anticipating this perfectly legitimate question, the prophet begins his special discourse on the temple and the Mosaic cult. We cannot help but emphasize here also that in the view on the last subject (ritual law)—the present, concluding chapter remarkably coincides with what was said in the first, introductory chapter of the book of the prophet Isaiah, which brilliantly confirms the value and unity of its author, from the first page to the last.

1–4. Worship of God “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24), in connection with decisive condemnation of hypocritical ritualism. 5–14. The fulfillment of Divine promises concerning Zion and its spiritual joy. 15–24. The consequences of God’s dread judgment for the righteous and the sinful.

Isaiah 66:1. Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool; what is the house which you would build for Me, and what is the place of My rest?” “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool… all these things My hand has made.” The ritualistic spirit of the Old Testament Jew, educated in the external observance of the Mosaic law, could not rise to the height of the spiritual and moral foundations of that law. Even in moments of relative fervor, he apparently sought only one external expression, dreaming as if to please God better with the most magnificent temple building or the most abundant and sumptuous sacrifice. Refuting this delusion, the Lord deigns through the prophet to show all the incongruity, all the futility and emptiness of such desires. In the same sense, but with even greater clarity, the book of the Acts of the Apostles comments on this place, first in the discourse of the deacon Stephen: “The Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands, as the prophet says” (Isa 66:1-2), and then in the discourse of the Apostle Paul, delivered by him in the Athenian Areopagus: “The God who made the world and everything in it, He, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples built by human hands, and He is not served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives all things life and breath and everything” (Acts 7:48 and Acts 17:24-25).

Isaiah 66:2. All these things My hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he that is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My word. “But this is the one to whom I will look: he that is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My word.” This is one of the most important passages in the book of the prophet Isaiah and throughout the entire Old Testament Bible: it clearly marks the height of “ethical monotheism” which the best representatives of biblical prophecy reached. From this it becomes evident that the Lord seeks from man not the external, often merely mechanical, observance of various ritual acts, but a deep internal disposition—humble contrition for sins and reverent bowing before His divine will. In these few words the prophet Isaiah powerfully and aptly depicted the contrast between boastful ritualism and humble contrition for sins, which was subsequently more vividly and in detail revealed by the Lord Himself in the well-known parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee (Luke 18:9-14). As once, pride and selfishness became the cause of man’s fall and separated him from God (Gen 3:5-6), so now only humility, repentance, and contrition for sins are able to attract God’s mercy to man again and reunite him with God. All these moods and thoughts have a series of parallels, both in the prophet Isaiah himself and in other prophets, especially in the Psalmist (Isa 29:19; Isa 64:5-6; Ps 50).

Isaiah 66:3. “He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog’s neck; he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers swine’s blood; he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol. These have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations;” In these two verses is contained the most decisive condemnation of hypocritical and soulless ritualism, which instead of the sought justification before God brings only further condemnation. This passage, in its content and tone, is very reminiscent of a similar passage from the prologue of the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 1:11-15). The prophet spares no colors here to depict as powerfully as possible all the barrenness and even “abominableness” in the eyes of divine righteousness of such sacrifices: he either compares them with direct crimes, even with murder (“he who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man,” or puts on the same footing what was considered among the Hebrews as impious and vile (Deut 14:8; cf. Matt 7:6). “They have chosen their own ways,” and did not follow the path of God’s commandments, the proper observance of which required, first of all, an appropriate inner disposition, instead of which they possessed completely different, opposite thoughts and feelings. For all this the Lord pronounces His righteous judgment on the lawless, of which the following verse speaks.

Isaiah 66:4. I also will choose harsh treatment for them, and bring upon them what they fear; because, when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not listen; but they did what was evil in my sight and chose what I did not desire. Isaiah 65:12. “So I will choose harsh treatment for them, and bring upon them what they fear.” The prophet uses here his beloved device—speaking in antithesis: insofar as you thought to find pleasure in such barren sacrifices, bordering almost on pagan “abominations,” so I will punish you, bringing upon you what is terrible to you. Somewhat enigmatic appears here the meaning of the words: “I will choose their delusion.” 81 Judging by the context, it is most correct here to understand “delusion” as that boastful, self-satisfied, haughty spirit in which all these false legalists who offered empty and even harmful sacrifices existed, lacking the inner, spiritualizing meaning. In that case the phrase “I will choose their delusion” will be equivalent to: “and in view of their sinful hardness, I will bring upon them what is terrible.” Under this latter, that is, what is “terrible,” one can understand either the internal state of spiritual deafness and blindness, in which Israel, hearing, did not hear and, seeing, did not see (which is mentioned in the subsequent context) or else—those external calamities which befell this people (which was discussed in the preceding context—Isaiah 65:12). Isa 66:5-14. A new section of prophetic discourse, encouraging those of the sons of Israel who remained faithful to the Lord and suffered for it from the reproach of their own countrymen who turned away from Him.

Isaiah 66:5. Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word: “Your brothers who hate you and cast you out for my name’s sake have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy’; but it is they who shall be put to shame.” “Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word.” Comparing these words with the earlier (verse 2), we see that here the Lord addresses the righteous and faithful sons of Israel, devoid of the spirit of arrogance and pride, that has overcome the blinded majority of the people. “Your brothers who hate you and cast you out for my name’s sake.” A remarkable prophetic detail, that the first persecutors of new Christians were representatives of the old Judaism (Acts 6:12 and others.). To such confessors of Christ a high reward is promised even in the commandments of blessedness: “blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and speak all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake” (Matt 5:11).

Isaiah 5:19. “Let the Lord be glorified, and we will see your joy.” Words of reproach and mockery directed at believers—the same words which Isaiah in chapter 5:19 had put in the mouths of lawless and unbelieving people in the beginning of his prophetic ministry: “Let the Lord… hasten and let us see it.” Those same words of unbelief coming from a cruel, serpentine heart (Matt 15:19), we hear from the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees… “let him come down from the cross, and we will believe in him” (Matt 27:42-43; Mark 15:29-33; Luke 23:35; Vlastov – 422). Isaiah 66:6. A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple! The voice of the Lord, rendering recompense to his enemies! “But they will be put to shame. Behold… the voice from the temple, the voice of the Lord rendering recompense to His enemies.” Those who persecute the faithful to the Lord and His Messiah among the Jews and who mockingly made fun of them will be bitterly humiliated: the sign of the glory of the Lord, as a source of high spiritual joy, will indeed be given to the faithful sons of Israel and it will shame the mockers. The latter will suffer an even more severe direct punishment from the Lord, rendering recompense to His enemies, which is spoken of in more detail below (verses 15–18 and 24). In the words of this prophecy about the terrible noise in the city and the voice coming from the temple, Blessed Jerome and many other interpreters see a definite allusion to similar facts from the history of the siege of Jerusalem by Titus, as described by Josephus Flavius (Jewish War 6:5, 3.) and others.). The closest parallel to this passage are two verses from chapter 26—verses 11 and 21.

Isaiah 66:7. Before she was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she was delivered of a son. Isaiah 66:8. “Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? Or shall a nation be born all at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she brought forth her children.” Isaiah 66:9. “Shall I bring to birth and not give delivery?” says the Lord; “or shall I who cause delivery shut the womb?” says your God. “Before she was in labor she gave birth… she was delivered of a son.” In the present and the two following verses is described the very sign which the Lord will give for the triumph of believers and for the shame of unbelievers: this is precisely the extraordinary speed of birth and the multitude of the appearance of the spiritual offspring of Zion. According to the ordinary laws of childbearing this process takes place painfully and for a long time; here, however, in one day, without almost any pain, Zion at once gives birth to an entire people. It is clear, of course, that this birth is not fleshly, but spiritual, birth by water and the Spirit (John 3:1-8). The fulfillment of this sign can be seen both in particular cases of conversion to Christianity of entire thousands of people under the influence of apostolic preaching (Acts 2:41 and others.), and in the general fact of the extraordinarily rapid and broad spread of Christianity. The significance of this image is especially strengthened when compared with the contrasting—formerly the fleshly Israel suffered greatly, but gave birth to nothing; now the spiritual Israel did not suffer, but gave birth to many sons (Isa 26:18). The prophet Isaiah has already had occasion to conduct extensive discourse on this multitudinous offspring in his book before (See for example, Isa 49:17-21 and Isa 54:1 and others.). Blessed Jerome draws attention to the circumstance that the prophet first speaks of the birth of only one Son (Isa 66:7), and then—of many sons, understanding the former as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and the latter—as all His followers.

Isaiah 66:10. “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her;” “Rejoice with Jerusalem… all who mourn over her.” About this spiritual joy of the renewed Zion, that is, the Church of Christ, the prophet Isaiah has spoken many times before and in the most vivid images (Isa 49:12-18; Isa 61:2-3; Isa 65:18 and others.). In this case, he considers it necessary to remind again of this, in order to impart the most effective comfort to the faithful sons of Israel, who were in a state of understandable sorrow, under the influence of all manner of mockery and direct persecution (verse 5). The further context of the discourse (verses 13–14) points directly to this purpose.

Isaiah 66:12. For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees.” “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream.” All these images and thoughts represent a repetition of what was earlier scattered in parts in various places of the book of the prophet Isaiah, where a comparison of peace to a river was given (Isa 48:18) and a comparison of it to a flowing stream (Isa 30:28) was made, and where it was also said that the wealth and possessions of nations would be turned to the service of faithful Zion (Isa 60:5; Isa 61:6). New Testament testimonies that in Jerusalem, the city of peace, the peace of God with men was established, serve as the best justification of this prophecy (John 14:27 and others.).

Isaiah 66:13. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you.” Maternal love—the highest of all earthly attachments. And the poet not in vain said that he “alone in the world glimpsed holy sincere tears, those are the tears of poor mothers…” Here with this deep, strong and holy love the Lord compares His attitude toward faithful Israel. In another place we have already seen that He not only likens His relations to the feelings of a mother, but even places them above the latter (Isa 49:15).

Isaiah 66:14. And you shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and the hand of the Lord shall be known to his servants, and he shall show his indignation to his enemies. “And you shall see, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like green grass.” The result of that comfort which the Lord imparts to all his faithful servants will be their high joy, which will embrace their entire being. The image of “flourishing bones” is especially typical for Old Testament biblical worldview: as during misfortunes and calamities the bones of man dry up and are ready to break (Ps 30:11; Ps 31:3), so on the contrary, in days of joy, well-being and prosperity they grow fat, become young, and as if flourish (Job 21:24; Prov 15:30; Isa 58:11). Isa 66:15-18. From verse 15 to verse 18 goes a section of discourse concerning the fate of unrepentant sinners, for whom the day of the revelation of the glory of the Lord to believers will be a day of the revelation of righteous, but dread divine judgment.

Isaiah 66:15. For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and His chariots like the whirlwind, to render His anger in fury, and His rebuke in flames of fire. “For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and His chariots like a whirlwind.” Fire is one of the most commonly used attributes of Old Testament theophanies. God “in fire” comes down on Sinai (Exod 19:18), in a pillar of cloud and fire He leads Israel through the wilderness (Exod 13:21-22), by means of heavenly fire consuming a sacrifice, He reveals His will to David (1 Chr 21:26), to Solomon (2 Chr 7:1). Not once did the prophet Isaiah, speaking of theophany, mention the accompanying “fire” (Isa 10:16-18; Isa 27:4; Isa 29:6; Isa 30:27; Isa 33:12-14 and others.). The New Testament writings also recognize the participation of fire as a symbol, or even as an agent of God’s dread judgment (2 Pet 3:7-10; 2 Thess 1:8 and others.). The mention of “chariots”—nothing other than an image taken from the custom of Eastern rulers to accompany themselves with cavalry and chariots, symbolizing the greatness and dread power of this dread judgment.

Isaiah 66:16. For by fire will the Lord execute judgment, and by his sword, on all flesh; and those slain by the Lord shall be many. “For the Lord will execute judgment with fire and with His sword.” “Sword” as a symbol of divine righteousness and punishment of sinners was encountered by the prophet Isaiah more than once before (Isa 27:1; Isa 34:5-6; Isa 42:13; Isa 52:10; Isa 59:17 and others.).

Isaiah 66:17. “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, declares the Lord.” A shortened repetition of what was spoken of more in detail above (Isa 65:3-7).

Isaiah 66:18. “For I know their works and their thoughts, and I am coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory,” The beginning of this verse “For I know their works and their thoughts”—should more correctly be attributed to the end of the preceding one, as the concluding judgment of righteous divine judgment. But from the further words of verse 18: “and I am coming to gather all nations and tongues,” a new section of prophetic discourse should begin, in which is spoken of the calling of nations into the church of Christ and in general about its universal character.

Isaiah 66:19. “And I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations.” “And I will set a sign among them, and send forth from them survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands, who have not heard of Me and have not seen My glory.” Judging by the beginning of the verse, one might think that the discourse concerns all nations; but the further words of the text, especially the contrast of the persons spoken of with “the nations,” that is, the pagans, almost leave no doubt that by “the saved from them” are meant those who believed in the Messiah, Jews, and most directly—the apostles and disciples of the Lord, upon whom the lot of preaching both far and near, that is, to both Jews and pagans, fell. In that case, by “the sign” or mark of their distinctive ministry it is insufficient to understand only “the sign of the Cross”—a sign common to all Christians, but one should understand the “seal of apostolic ministry,” that is, those singular gifts of the Holy Spirit with which on the day of Holy Trinity the apostles were endowed (in particular, for example, the gift of tongues, which especially struck many and made them believe in Christ—Acts 2:12-13). “And I will send forth… to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul and Lud, to those who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the distant islands.” A whole series of given geographical and ethnographical terms. Since the prophet by these terms wanted to show the boundaries of the spread of the missionary preaching of the saved, the territories or nationalities designated by them should be sought, so to speak, on the very horizon of the prophet’s field of vision. “Tarshish”—in present-day Spain—is the extreme point in the West (Jonah 1:3; Isa 23:6; Isa 60:9). “Pul and Lud”—apparently extreme points in the South, and “Tubal and Javan”—the boundaries in the North. In particular, it should be noted that the ethnographical term “Pul,” apparently, is somewhat corrupted in the modern Hebrew-Russian text.82 The form “Put” found in the Greek-Slavonic translation should be considered more correct,83 and also in various other places of the Hebrew Bible (Gen 10:6). Judging by biblical usage, the terms “Put and Lud” denote territories adjacent to Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia, that is, lying in North Africa. According to the well-known ethnographical table of the Bible, “Put” and “Lud” are presented directly as one a brother, the other a son of “Mitsraim,” that is, the progenitor of the Egyptians (Gen 10:6). In that same table the two following names—“Tubal and Javan” are also mentioned as sons of Japheth (Gen 10:2). Relying on biblical parallels, it is commonly believed that by the term “Tubal” or “Thobal” should be understood the population of the northern part of the Asia Minor peninsula, or even the inhabitants of the modern Caucasus, related to the Georgians and Svans. By the name “Javan” most commentators incline to see either directly “Ionians,” or, in general, the population of Hellas and the Archipelago. “Distant islands”—an indefinite indication of remote and still unknown at that time nationalities and countries, which in the course of time will also become witnesses and participants in the glorious Messianic kingdom (cf. Num 24:24).

Isaiah 66:20. “And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord.” Verses 20–21 depict the brilliant results of the new missionary preaching, expressed in the wide and rapid influx of new members into the Church of Christ. “And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the Lord… to My holy mountain, to Jerusalem.” Some exegetes are inclined to see here a prophecy of the return of the Jews from captivity among all the peoples to which they had come in the course of their political history (Dillmann etc.). But the context of the discourse more favors the view that here is spoken of the drawing into the Church of Christ of the “spiritual brothers” of Israel, that is, the best representatives from all pagan nations. It is evident that the prophet Isaiah here already beholds in fulfillment that which he prophesied at the beginning of his book, saying; “and many peoples will come and say, come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob… For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord—out of Jerusalem” (Isa 2:3; see also Isa 49:12; Isa 61:6-7; Isa 60:3). With such understanding of this passage, the calling of Christians from pagans “brothers,” that is, by that very name by which first Christians called one another, becomes especially remarkable (Acts 15:23 and others.). Just as the Israelites bring their grain offering to the house of the Lord in a clean vessel. In the Old Testament pagans and everything pagan were considered unclean and, as such, could not, of course, be the subject of an acceptable sacrifice. Now, however, with respect to pagan-Christians this prohibition loses its force: on the contrary, they, as first-fruits having known God, represent a clean and well-pleasing sacrifice. A beautiful New Testament commentary on this view can be provided by the account in the Acts of the Apostles of the well-known vision of the Apostle Peter (Acts 10:9-31). In particular, the comparison or, more precisely, the likening of the persons spoken of to the “sons of Israel” indirectly confirms the justice of the opinion that the discourse above was not about the sons of Israel, even if they had returned from captivity, but about something entirely different, that is, converted pagans. This is confirmed by the further words of the next verse with even more clarity.

Isaiah 66:21. “And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the Lord.” “And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the Lord.” Throughout the Old Testament period the privilege of priesthood belonged only to one tribe—the Levite. Now, however, in those New Testament times which are open to the prophet’s view, access to hierarchical ministry is given to all worthy, not only from among all converted Jews, but also from among baptized pagans. The fulfillment of this prophecy can be seen, for example, in the words of the Apostle Peter: “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood… once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people” (1 Pet 2:9-10).

Isaiah 66:22. “For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your offspring and your name remain.” “For just as the new heavens and the new earth which I create will always stand before Me, says the Lord, so will your seed and your name stand.” The new conditions of life of the New Covenant church, among which many of the former privileges of the Jewish people will disappear, and which will as if renew the very face of the earth (Isa 65:17), could have instilled a spirit of despair in the Hebrews and sown doubt about the fulfillment of the Divine promises given to the patriarchs. But the Lord solemnly assures that all these fears and apprehensions are without real foundation: the chosen people of God, in the persons of its representatives, will forever remain the object of special providential care of God (Isa 48:18 and Isa 53:2). It is not Israel who will be grafted into the stock of the pagan tree, but the pagans, as a wild olive, will be grafted into the people of God.

Isaiah 66:23. “From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord.” “From month to month and from Sabbath to Sabbath all flesh will come to worship before My face.” In these words of the prophet one can, it seems, see a direct answer to the lamentation of the Jews about the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple and the forced cessation of ritual worship (verses 1–2). Under the new order of things, about to come in the Christian church, the possibility of continuous worship will be opened (Isa 60:6; Zech 14:16). The indicators of the eternity and continuity of this service are taken from two of the most stable and typical Old Testament institutions: from month to month, from Sabbath to Sabbath—that is, regularly there will be customary worship services. But along with this, the distinctive feature of New Testament worship in comparison with Old Testament worship is strongly brought out: to it is admitted and in it actively participates “all flesh,” and not only the Jews, as in the Old Testament.

Isaiah 66:24. “And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the people who have rebelled against me; for their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” “And they shall go out and see the corpses of the people who have turned away from Me: for their worm will not die, and their fire will not be quenched, and they will be an abomination to all flesh.” The prophet Isaiah concludes this discourse, as well as his entire book, with a dread sentence against the wicked, analogies to which we have observed more than once above (see the end of chapters 48, 50). Describing the heavy fate of unrepentant sinners, the prophet Isaiah uses, as is his custom, one familiar image. To anyone going out south of Jerusalem, the valley of Hinnom presented itself, where all filth and carcasses were dumped and where therefore a devouring fire was constantly maintained. It is with this well-known place to each inhabitant of Jerusalem that the locality and fate of the wicked is compared, which, like any refuse, will be given over to decay (worms) and fire (cf. verse 16). This image passed also into New Testament worldview (Mark 9:44), where it, from a mere symbol among some writers who misunderstand it, sometimes assumes an overly crude, realistic character. * * * In the Slavonic translation from the LXX: “And I myself will choose their mockery, and their sins I will repay to them; because I called them and they did not heed Me.” Editor’s note. In the Synodal translation. Editor’s note. In the Slavonic translation from the LXX: “and I will send from them saved ones into… Tarshish and into Put, and into Lud and into Mosoch, and into Tubal and into Hellas.” Editor’s note. In the Slavonic translation—“Tubal”; Editor’s note.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Introduction

On the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

1. The Name and Origin of the Prophet.

The meaning of the prophet Jeremiah’s name—Jrmijahu or, in abbreviated form, Jremjah—is difficult to establish. If derived from the verb rama, meaning “to throw,” it would mean: Jehovah rejects. But it could derive from the verb rama, meaning “to establish, to raise”; in which case the prophet’s name would mean: The Lord establishes. This name was not uncommon in Israel (1 Chr 12:13; 2 Sam 23:31). Jeremiah’s father was Hilkiah, a priest living in the city of Anathoth (in the tribe of Benjamin, about 7 versts north of Jerusalem). In this city dwelt priests from the house of Abiathar, who before Solomon was high priest but was deposed from his high-priestly dignity under this king (1 Sam 2:26). It is not surprising that the priest-father gave his son Jeremiah an education fully in keeping with the traditions of the good old time and thereby prepared him for prophetic service.

2. The Time and Activity of the Prophet.

Jeremiah prophesied from the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah (Jer 1:2; Jer 25:3), that is, from 627 BC until the destruction of Jerusalem in 588 BC, under the last Judean kings: Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah; and then for some time afterward, after the destruction of Jerusalem, in Egypt—in all about 50 years.

Josiah (640–609) was a pious king. Already in the sixteenth year of his life and thus in the eighth year of his reign, he began to display keen interest in religion (2 Chr 34:3-7); and in the twentieth year of his life, he began to abolish idolatry in his country. In the twenty-sixth year of his life, when the book of the Covenant was found in the temple, Josiah reformed the worship according to the guidance of this book (2 Sam 22:1-23; 2 Chr 34:8-35).

Five years before this important reform, Jeremiah was called to prophetic service, but evidently in the early years of his ministry he was unknown in Jerusalem: otherwise the court would have sought his counsel when explaining the threats of the book of the Covenant from the prophetess Huldah (2 Sam 22:14). To the time of King Josiah belong the first speeches of Jeremiah, contained in chapters II–VI and Jer 17:13-27. Although Jeremiah did not take close and direct part in Josiah’s reforming activity, nonetheless he sympathized deeply with it and mourned the death of this king in a sorrowful song, which has not come down to us (2 Chr 35:25). At this time Jeremiah appears in Jerusalem and speaks his reproving speeches chiefly in the temple, where he had the most listeners.

Jehoahaz, whom Jeremiah calls Shallum (Jer 22:10), reigned only three months (2 Sam 23:33 and following). The prophet predicted to him only the loss of the throne forever.

Jehoiakim, the elder brother of Jehoahaz, was placed on the throne by Pharaoh Necho and reigned for eleven years (609–598). In contrast to his father, this king favored idolatry and violated theocratic traditions (2 Sam 23:37), which had indeed been begun by his brother (2 Sam 23:32). His reign was unfortunate for the people, who suffered greatly from his love of luxury and his cruelty (Jer 22:13 and following). He especially harmed his state through his treacherous policies. Though placed on the throne by the Pharaoh, in the fifth year of his reign he became a vassal of Nebuchadnezzar, but three years later he began to plot against him, and thereby brought upon Judah the invasion of the Chaldean, Syrian, Moabite, and Ammonite armies (2 Sam 24:1 and following), until Nebuchadnezzar himself appeared in Jerusalem and took into captivity no small number of Judeans. Jeremiah harshly denounced the king for all this and predicted a sorrowful end for him (Jer 22:1-19). Moreover, under Jehoiakim, at the very beginning of his reign (cf. Jer 26:1), was spoken the great temple speech, contained in chapters VII–XI and in verses 17–25 of the tenth chapter. Then, when Nebuchadnezzar achieved, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign, a brilliant victory over the Egyptians at the city of Carchemish, in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy (Jer 46:1-12), Jeremiah at this time prophetically foretells the consequences of this event for the states of Asia and Africa (ch. Jer 25). To this same year belong separate speeches about different kingdoms (ch. Jer 48; and Jer 49). Under Jehoiakim were probably spoken the speeches contained in chapters XI, XII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII (through verse 18), XVIII, XIX, and XX. To this same time belongs the event described in Jer 35 chapter.

As might be expected, the incorruptible and fearless prophet in this epoch was subjected to serious dangers from the government and from private persons. Already for his temple speech the prophet was condemned to death by priests and false prophets, whom he had strongly denounced (cf. ch. Jer 26). But the nobles on this occasion were just in their treatment of Jeremiah and protected him, though the prophet nonetheless did not escape arrest and beatings from the temple police (ch. Jer 20). The king himself was extremely hostile toward Jeremiah and scarcely did not have in mind for him the fate of the unfortunate Uriah, executed for prophesying (Jer 26:20 and following). Similarly, the prophet’s relations with the people became strained at this time (Jer 16:1 and following). It seems he was even forbidden to enter the temple and was deprived of the right to speak to the people (Jer 36:5). This explains also the fact that precisely in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the prophet received from God the command to write down his speeches about the Judeans and the nations, spoken up to that time, in a book: in this way the people, whom Jeremiah could not directly address, could, by reading or hearing this book, see how his prophecies were beginning to be fulfilled, and repent of the unbelief they had shown toward Jeremiah’s prophecies (ch. Jer 36). Baruch, his faithful disciple, served him as scribe, and afterward read Jeremiah’s prophecies to the people in the temple. When in the fifth year of Jehoiakim, on a day of fasting, he read this book to the people, the book was taken from him and handed to the king, who ordered Jeremiah and Baruch to be seized and destroyed the book… But the prophet and his disciple had managed beforehand to hide and wrote the prophecies again, further enlarging their contents. After this Jeremiah for a long time did not appear before the people.

Jeconiah, son and successor of Jehoiakim, ruled for only three months (2 Sam 24:8) and was carried off along with the best of his people to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 24:1; Jer 29:2). Jeremiah predicted to this king, who persisted in his father’s policies, his unfortunate fate (Jer 22:20-30).

Zedekiah (597–586), who was placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar, was the younger son of Josiah, uncle of Jeconiah. His nearly eleven-year reign ended with the destruction of the Judean state (Jer 52:2 and following). Instead of seeking help from Jehovah and administering justice and righteousness, crushing pagan altars, this weak-willed ruler conceived the idea of throwing off his dependence on Babylon. Jeremiah at this time felt himself much freer than under Jehoiakim; his worst enemies, especially from among the priests, had been carried away into captivity; the king himself had some respect for his word. And the prophet tirelessly continued to insist to the king and people that their only salvation was to submit to the will of Jehovah, who required that the king and people acknowledge the authority of the king of Babylon over themselves, of course, for a certain period of time. But Zedekiah could in no way agree with the prophet and acted in exactly the opposite spirit. In the fourth year of his reign, in hopes of the difficulties then faced by the Babylonian king, who was struggling with Elam (Jer 49:34-39), Zedekiah planned to revolt from Babylon (Jer 27:1), against which Jeremiah armed himself with all his might (Jer 27 – Jer 28 ch.). To have the greatest effect on his listeners the prophet at this time wore on himself a yoke, signifying the future enslavement of the Judeans to Nebuchadnezzar. To the same fourth year of Zedekiah falls the journey of this king to Babylon, and at this time Jeremiah sent to Babylon his speeches against this great state, a book with which Jeremiah’s friend was to cast into the river Euphrates (Jer 51:59-64). The vision of Jer 24 chapter and letter to Babylon (ch. Jer 29) belong to the first years of Zedekiah’s reign. Then there are prophecies relating to the time of the siege of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, who came to punish Zedekiah for his treachery (Jer 21:1-10; Jer 34:1-7; Jer 37:1-10; Jer 38:14 and following). Here Jeremiah exhorted Zedekiah to surrender to the Chaldeans, pointing out this as the only salvation-bringing outcome for the king.

The prophet’s position at this time significantly worsened. The weak-willed Zedekiah, at first having related with full confidence to the prophet’s words, soon abandoned him, and Jeremiah underwent the most terrible persecution from the nobles with the onset of the siege of Jerusalem. The nobles accused Jeremiah of intending to go to the Chaldeans and imprisoned him in a dark dungeon, where he remained for a long time (Jer 37:2 and following). The king, however, assigned him a more tolerable place—in the barracks at his palace, where Jeremiah could speak with the Judeans who came to him. To this time belong the consoling prophecies of chapters XXX–XXXIII that he uttered. At this time too he spoke of the fate of the pagan nations (Jer 46:13-28). But this brought very sad consequences for Jeremiah. His enemies managed to obtain from the king permission to throw Jeremiah into a muddy pit, where he would have died of hunger if not for the eunuch Ebed-melech, who managed on his part to persuade the king to allow him to free Jeremiah and move him to live again in the barracks, where he remained until the taking of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans.

After the taking of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar, to whom Jeremiah’s activity was known, offered the prophet through the commander of his guard either to go to Babylon or to remain in Judah. The prophet chose the latter, hoping that Gedaliah, appointed as viceroy of Judah by the Chaldeans, would be able to unite around himself the Judeans remaining in their country. But Gedaliah, in whose residence, Mizpah, Jeremiah came to live, was soon treacherously killed by a Judean officer, Ishmael, wishing thereby to please the king of Ammon. When the villain fled to the Ammonites from the vengeance of the Judeans who rose up against him, these latter, fearing that the Chaldeans would not forgive the killing of Gedaliah and would vent their wrath on them, decided to withdraw to Egypt. In vain Jeremiah persuaded them in the name of Jehovah to abandon this intention (Jer 42 ch.), he himself was carried away by them to Egypt and came with them to the city of Tahpanhes (in Lower Egypt).

That even in Egypt the Lord continued to speak through Jeremiah to the Judeans—this is evident from chapter XLIII (Jer 43:8-13 and following) and chapter XLIV. By the time of his settlement in Egypt the prophet was about seventy years old, and probably about ten years later he died. There is a tradition that he was stoned by his own people for his denunciations, but this is scarcely probable. On the contrary, memory of him was preserved among the Judean people as that of a great prophet, and even expectations of the Messiah were connected with his name (2 Macc 2:1 and following; 2 Macc 15:12-16; Matt 16:14).

3. The Personal Characteristics of Jeremiah.

In the book of the prophet Jeremiah are reflected with special clarity the personal qualities of its author. We see in him a gentle, yielding, loving nature, which presents a striking contrast to the unwavering firmness with which he acted in the sphere of his prophetic calling. In him, one might say, there were two persons: one, acting under the force of weak human flesh, though ennobled in its impulses; and the other—wholly acting under the all-powerful Spirit of God. Of course the flesh was subject to the spirit, but the prophet suffered greatly because of this. As a youth the prophet willingly took upon himself his high mission, but then, when the work he had undertaken isolated him from other people, made him an “enemy of the people,”—his sensitive heart began to suffer greatly. His position could be called highly tragic: he was to turn the people, who had fallen away from Jehovah, back to God, knowing well that his calls to repentance would remain fruitless. He had to speak constantly of the terrible danger threatening the Judean state, and remain understood by no one, because they did not want to understand him! How he must have suffered, seeing the disobedience of the people whom he loved and whom he could not help… How the mark, laid upon him by public opinion as a traitor to the state, must have weighed upon him… It was therefore an act of great courage that Jeremiah, in spite of this accusation hanging over his head, continued as before to speak of the necessity of submitting to the Chaldeans. That the Lord did not even wish to receive his prayers for the Judean people (Jer 7:16; Jer 11:14; Jer 24:2; Jer 18:20) and the hostile attitude toward him of all Judeans, even his relatives,—all this drove the prophet to despair, and he thought only of how to escape to the distant wilderness, to weep there over the fate of his people (Jer 9:1; Jer 13:17). But the words of God in his heart burned like fire and pressed to come forth—he could not abandon his service (Jer 20:7 and following), and the Lord with a firm hand continued to lead him along the difficult path once chosen. Jeremiah did not cease his struggle with the false prophets, who strove unconsciously to ruin the state, and remained an iron pillar and a bronze wall, from which all the attacks of his enemies were repelled (Jer 1:18; Jer 15:20).

Of course, the feelings of dissatisfaction and despair expressed by the prophet, and his curses upon his enemies, place him far below that Son of Man, who suffered from his own people, uttering no complaints and cursing no one, even at the moment of his sorrowful death. But in any case, among the prophets none was by his life and sufferings a more striking foreshadowing of Christ than Jeremiah. And the respect which the Judeans felt for him showed itself sometimes against their will. Thus Zedekiah twice consulted with him, and the Judeans, not having heeded Jeremiah’s counsel regarding withdrawal to Egypt, nonetheless took him with them to Egypt as it were some sacred treasure.

4. The Content of Jeremiah’s Prophecies.

As the history of Jeremiah’s calling to prophetic service already shows (Jer 1), the prophet was especially to announce judgment, and for this reason his book is justly called in the Talmud the book of threats. This judgment is brought on by the extraordinary guilt of the Judean people before Jehovah. The first guilt of the people consists, in the prophet’s view, of turning away from the true God—Jehovah—to other gods, such as Baal, Molech, the queen of heaven, and so on, and then also in the proper sense the service of idols. For this sin God’s judgment fell upon the Judean people: see Jer 1:16 and following; Jer 3:1, 6 and following; Jer 9:14, 10 and following; Jer. 11 and following; Jer 11:17 and following; Jer 17:2 and following; Jer 44:8 and following. From these passages it becomes clear that worship on the high places, that is, on certain places consecrated by ancient memories outside Jerusalem, drew the people toward paganism and should have been subjected to complete condemnation, from the point of view of the Law of Moses, since this worship not only violated the law concerning the unity of the place of worship but also introduced pagan customs into the worship of God. But besides this ambiguous cult, near Jerusalem, in the valley of the sons of Hinnom, at least until the reform carried out by King Josiah, there existed an altar in honor of Baal-Molech, where children were offered in sacrifice (Jer 7:31; Jer 19:5; Jer 32:35), and, finally, pagan idols stood in the temple itself (Jer 32:34). Perhaps in the last years of the existence of the Judean kingdom there was no direct idolatry in Jerusalem, but in any case the inclination toward it among Jeremiah’s kindred was not destroyed, and the Judeans had to suffer punishment not only for the sins of their fathers but also for their own behavior toward God.

But if, in the prophet’s conviction, all the misfortune of the people has its root in the people’s unfaithfulness to Jehovah, then this unfaithfulness directly led to all kinds of unrighteousness and immorality, against which the prophet tirelessly raised his voice (Jer 5:1 and following, 7 and following, 26 and following; Jer 6:7; Jer 7:5 and following, 9; Jer 9:2-6; Jer 17:6 and following; Jer 21:12; Jer 22:13 and following; Jer 23:10; Jer 29:23 and other passages). It is evident that fear of the true God had disappeared from the people, and reverence for his holy law was replaced by pagan licentiousness. The fundamental commandments concerning chastity, honesty, and justice were neglected both by the noble and by the common people, even by the priests and prophets, who, instead of being organs of divine law, were rather slaves of the trends of their time, bowed before secular power, and served mammon, and therefore were incapable of raising the level of morality at all in the people.

The judgment which Jeremiah announced was in essence a political catastrophe. Although he sometimes pointed to the avenging hand of Jehovah even in natural calamities (Jer 5:24; Jer 14:1 and following), nevertheless, principally he threatened his kindred with invasion from foreign nations from the north, not naming precisely at first (until the twenty-fifth chapter, which belongs to the fourth year of Jehoiakim) the instrument of God’s wrath (Jer 1:13 and following; Jer 3:18; Jer 4:6 and following, 13 and following; Jer 6:22 and following; Jer 8:16; Jer 10:22; Jer 13:20). On the contrary, from chapter 25, verse 9, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, is clearly set forth as the executor of this judgment.

In announcing this judgment, Jeremiah entered into serious disputes with the priests, who considered it impossible that Jehovah would hand over his holy sanctuary to the abuse of pagans, and with the prophets, who grounded this false hope of the priests in their visions and dreams. Against this pernicious optimism Jeremiah fought with all his might (concerning the priests see: Jer 2:8, 26 and following; Jer 31:14; concerning the prophets: Jer 2:8, 6 and following; Jer 8:1).

In opposition to the assurances of these false prophets, Jeremiah from the very beginning of his ministry foretold the complete destruction of the Judean state, just as the Israelite state had been destroyed. The people were to be carried away into captivity (Jer 3:18; Jer 5:19; Jer 9 15 and following; Jer 12:14 and following; Jer 13:1 and following, 19; Jer 15:2; Jer 17:3 and following; Jer 20:4 and following; Jer 21:7; Jer 22:26 and following and other passages). According to the indication of chapter 25, verse 11, the Babylonian captivity should last seventy years (cf. Jer 29:10). After this, Babylon itself will be destroyed (ch. Jer 50 and Jer 51), and the people of God will return to their country. Although already at the beginning of his ministry Jeremiah sometimes expressed these joyful promises (Jer 3:14 and following; Jer 12:14 and following; Jer 16:14 and following), but he especially vividly began to paint pictures of the renewal of the life of the Judean people then, when Jerusalem was already besieged by enemies and then, after the taking of the city (Jer 23:1 and following; Jer 24:6 and following; Jer 47:27 and following; and especially Jer 30-33).

Jeremiah in his contemplations appears as a prophet who deeply penetrates into the essence of true theocracy. In his conviction, not outward circumcision gives a man the right to God’s favor, but circumcision of the heart (Jer 4:4; Jer 6:10; Jer 9:26). The temple of Jerusalem does not in itself guarantee the integrity of Jerusalem—on the contrary, this temple, defiled by the sins of the Judeans, brings God’s wrath upon itself (Jer 7:21 and following; Jer 9:15; Jer 17:3; Jer 26:6; Jer 27:16). Hope in outward worship is also futile—Jehovah is not pleased with these ceremonies that do not correspond to the inward disposition of those who pray (Jer 6:20; Jer. 7 and following; Jer 11:15; Jer 14:12). Thus Jeremiah sets forth the urgent need for establishing a more inward, more sincere communion between God and the people. Then there will be no need for the ark of the covenant, this external medium and symbol of the spiritual presence of God (Jer 3:16); then the law of God will not be something merely external, written on stone tablets—no, it will be inscribed in the heart of man (Jer 31:31 and following). Thus the Lord will not destroy the covenant once made with Israel and David, but will give it a more magnificent form (Jer 33:20-26). This new covenant, toward which Jeremiah strove with all his soul, he had the courage to set above the Old Testament, though it must be said that the messianic time in his work is outlined only in general terms.

5. The Form of Jeremiah’s Prophecies.

As for the form of Jeremiah’s prophecies, we find among them visions in the strict sense of the word, namely symbolic visions (Jer 1:2; Jer 24:1 and following), and then especially symbolic actions (Jer. 1 13 and following; Jer 19:1 and following; Jer 27:2 and following; Jer 28:10 and following, 12 and following; Jer 43:8 and following; Jer 51:63 and following). In order to present his thought more vividly, the prophet calls the attention of his listeners (in Jer 18:2 and following) to the potter and his work. Another time the prophet symbolically portrays God’s wrath as a cup of wine offered for drinking to the nations, not showing the cup itself (Jer 25:15). Jeremiah willingly resorts to figurative expressions, to wordplay, to vivid examples (Jer 19:1; Jer 35:1 and following), but his images are simple, artless, as are his symbolic actions in the highest degree simple. His whole strength lies in powerful, penetrated by the spirit of living conviction and heartfelt, speech. Although his style lacks “boldness, directness, brevity, and expressiveness,” although “in the exposition of his thoughts Jeremiah appears very verbose and detailed,”—his periods are long, his exposition is filled with words—although “instead of the dialectical development of one thought from another the prophet presents us with a series of pictures, in almost each of which the same persons and things are found” (Theological Encyclopedia vol. 6, p. 284–285), nonetheless the impression from Jeremiah’s speeches is often irresistible. Jeremiah undoubtedly had high poetic talent, which is reflected mainly in his speeches about foreign nations, where he speaks with especially vivid, fiery language, while in his speeches to his own people a melancholy tone predominates. In Jeremiah’s speech Aramaisms are often found.

6. The Book of Jeremiah’s Prophecies.

The original origin of Jeremiah’s book is reported in its thirty-sixth chapter. In the fourth year of Jehoiakim, God commanded Jeremiah to write down all his speeches spoken up to that time in the course of his 23-year ministry in one scroll or one book, and Jeremiah dictated them to his disciple Baruch, who served him as scribe. The following year this book was burned by the king, and Jeremiah made a new copy of his speeches, with the addition of some new ones. The speeches written under Jeremiah’s dictation by Baruch go up to the twenty-fourth chapter, as can be concluded from the fact that here the prophet speaks of himself in the first person (I, to me). From the twenty-sixth chapter, in all probability, go the speeches recorded by Baruch, but no longer under Jeremiah’s dictation (Jeremiah here is spoken of in the third person). In any case, in Egypt Jeremiah certainly looked through his book as a whole, so that it is justly called in its entirety the book of Jeremiah.

What plan the author of the book was guided by in arranging his speeches, it is difficult to say. It may be supposed that he wanted to follow not a chronological order, but a systematic one. However, in some sections a chronological sequence of the utterance of the speeches is preserved. The whole book, with the exception of the first and last chapters, can be divided into two parts. The first part (ch. 2–45) contains speeches relating to the Judean people; the second (ch. 46–51)—speeches about foreign nations; and the first part can be subdivided into two sections: I–XXXV—speeches addressed to the Judeans, and XXXVI–XLIV—narratives about certain events from the life of Jeremiah and the Judean people.

The content of the book can be presented in more detail in the following way:

Ch. I. The Calling of Jeremiah.

II, 1–III, 5. The First Reproving Speech.

III, 6–IV, 4. A Call to Repentance.

IV, 5–VI, 30. The Approaching Judgment.

VII–IX. The Temple Speech.

X, 1–16. Against Idols.

X, 17–25. The Punishment of Israel and its Lamentation.

XI–XII. The Hardening of Israel Against God and the Wonderful Ways of God.

XIII. Judgment Against the Stubborn Judeans. XIV–XV. Concerning the Threatening Famine.

XVI, 1–XVII, 18. Judge and Savior.

XVII, 19–27. Honor the Sabbath!

XVIII. The Speech About the Potter and the Clay.

XIX–XX. The Breaking of the Pitcher.

XXI, 1–XXIII, 8. Concerning the Kings.

XXIII, 9–40. Prophets and Prophecies.

XXIV. Baskets of Figs.

XXV. Judgment Against the Nations.

XXVI. The Persecution of Jeremiah for his Temple Speech Under Jehoiakim.

XXVII–XXIX. Jeremiah and the False Prophets.

XXX–XXXIII. Promises Concerning the Restoration of Israel and Concerning the New Covenant.

XXXIV, 1–7. The Lot of Zedekiah.

XXXIV, 8–22. The Bold Violation of the Vow.

XXXV. The Example of the Rechabites.

XXXVI. The Book of Jeremiah’s Prophecies and its Fate.

XXXVII–XXXIX. The Fate of Jeremiah and his Speeches During the Siege of Jerusalem.

XL, 1–XLIII, 7. The Prophet’s Speech Against the Withdrawal of the Judeans to Egypt.

XLIII, 8–13. Nebuchadnezzar in Egypt.

XLIV. The Last Speech Against Idolaters—Judeans in Egypt.

XLV. Comfort to Baruch.

XLVI–LI. Speeches Against Foreign Nations.

LII. The Destruction of Jerusalem.

Remarks on the authenticity of certain parts of Jeremiah’s book are made at the end of the chapters.

7. The Relation of the Hebrew Text to the Alexandrian-Greek Text.

The Greco-Alexandrian text of Jeremiah’s book differs quite substantially from the Hebrew-Masoretic text. The difference consists first of all in the order of chapters. Namely, chapters XLVI–LI in the Greek translation are placed after verse 13 of chapter XXV (in Slavonic this was not done—there the order of the Masoretic text is preserved). Furthermore, the Greek text of Jeremiah’s book in general corresponds to the Masoretic text far less than all the other books of the Old Testament (except only the books of Job and Daniel). And in the number of verses the Greek text is less than the Masoretic text by 2,700 words, that is, by one-eighth (see especially XXXIII, 14–26 and XXXIX, 4–13). On this basis some critics of the biblical text suppose that the Septuagint translators translated Jeremiah’s book not from the text accepted by the Masorites, but that in antiquity there existed another, more original, recension of Jeremiah’s book. But if we compare the Septuagint translation with the Masoretic text in such passages where there can be no question of different recensions, we see how the Greek translator at the least difficulty of the Hebrew text immediately faces the danger of not understanding it, misinterpreting it, and often quite unsuccessfully reworks it on his own (see, for example, II, 2, 19, 20, 23; VIII, 6, 18; X and following, and others). In chapter XXIX, verses 24–32, the translator clearly did not understand the sense of the text and omitted difficult words. He also omits such expressions which were incomprehensible to readers from among Greek-speaking Jews or had already once appeared in the book (see, for example, Jer 17:1-5). But this, of course, does not exclude the possibility of finding in the Septuagint something useful for correcting the Masoretic text (for example, Jer 11:15; Jer 23:33; Jer 8:3; Jer 9:21; Jer 14:4; Jer 17:19; Jer 41:9; Jer 42:1; Jer 46:17 and others). In any case there are insufficient grounds for accepting the supposition about the existence of a special list or special recension of the Hebrew text of Jeremiah’s book. It is certain that Jeremiah’s book appeared in one form and the Septuagint translation represents merely a rather free reworking of the same text which the Masorites also adopted.

8. Literature.

The most valuable commentaries on the book of the prophet Jeremiah are: a) Catholic: Cornelii a Lapide. Commentaria in Scriptur. Sacram. ed Peronne vol. 12, 1863.—Migne. Scripturae sacrae cursus completus vol. 19, ed. 1861.—Scholz. Comm. z. Buche d. Pr. Ieremias—1880.—Schneedorfer. Das Weissagungsbuch d. Pr. Ieremias—1881. b) Protestant: Ewald. Ieremia u Hezekiel 2 ed. 1868.—Graf. Der Pr. Ieremia—1862.—Nagelsbach. Der Pr. Ieremia—1872.—Keil. Komm. ub. d Pr. Ieremia u. die Klagelied.—1872.—Dachsel. Bibelw.—Alt Test. Vol. 4 (D. Buch d. Ierem. u. Klagelieder).—1872.—Cheyne. Jeremijah 2 vol. (in English)—1885.—Giesebrecht. Das Buch Ieremia—1894.—Duhm. Das Buch Ieremia—1903.—Orelli. Der Pr. Ieremia 3rd ed.—1905.—Cornill. Das Buch Ieremia—1905.

Among foreign monographs on the prophet Jeremiah should be noted: Erbt. Ieremia u. seine Zeit.—1902.—Bulmennoq. Das Zukunftsbild d. Pr. Ieremia—1894.—Lazarus D.. Pr. Ieremia—1894.—Marti. Der P. Ieremia von Anatot—1889.—Moller. Die Mession. Erwartung d. vonelilisch. Propheten—1906 (p. 283–349).—Iacoby. Zur Composition d. Buches Ieremia (Theol. Stud. u. Krit. 1906) and Stosch. Die Prophetie Israels—1907 (p. 452–482).—In particular, concerning the relation of the Septuagint text to the Hebrew Masoretic text there are studies by Kuhl—1882 (in German), Workman—1889 and Streane—1896 (in English).

In the Russian language should be noted: commentaries of St. Ephrem the Syrian, blessed Theodoret, and blessed Jerome (on the first XXXII chapters of the book); then Prof. I. S. Yakimov, “Commentary on the Book of the Holy Prophet Jeremiah,” 1879.—His also “The Relation of the Greek Translation of the Septuagint to the Hebrew Masoretic Text in the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah,” 1874.—A. Bukharev, a) “The Holy Prophet Jeremiah,” 1864, and b) “On the Authenticity and Integrity of the Holy Books of the Prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel,” 1864. Then useful information can be found in Spassky’s book. “Commentary on the Prophetic Books of the Old Testament,” issue 1, 1893, and in the “readings” of Bissarion.

Chapter One

1–3. The inscription of the book. 4–19. Jeremiah’s calling to prophetic ministry.

Jer 1:1-3. In the first three verses, the prophet’s person and the duration of his ministry are described briefly.

Jeremiah 1:1. The words of Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah, one of the priests in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin, The name Jeremiah—see the “Introduction.” “One of the priests.” Jeremiah is not directly called a priest, probably because he never served as a priest. In Anathoth. This indicates the place where Jeremiah was born and where he first lived (see the “Introduction” regarding this city).

Jeremiah 1:2. To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah, son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign, Regarding the chronological date given here, see the “Introduction.”

Jeremiah 1:3. And also in the days of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month. “And also”—that is, the revelations of the Lord to Jeremiah continued further in the days of Jehoiakim and so on. The brief reigns of Jehoahaz and Jeconiah the prophet passes over in silence—this is natural. But why is the prophet’s activity limited here to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, when it is known that it continued even after this time? It is very likely that this gives a hint that with the fall of the Kingdom of Judah, the proper Jewish reckoning of time, the Jewish era, came to an end, and that, properly speaking, the prophet from the time of the fall of the Kingdom of Judah ceased to regard himself as a public figure in the direct sense of that word. Moreover, perhaps the date of the third verse refers mainly to chapters I–XXXIX of his book and perhaps to chapters XLVI–LI. Jer 1:4-19. Here Jeremiah’s calling to prophetic ministry is depicted. Jehovah dispels all the doubts that arose in Jeremiah at the thought of this difficult mission, and by touching His hand to the prophet’s lips, He consecrates him to His service. Then in two symbolic visions, the main content of his preaching is revealed before Jeremiah, with which he must go to his people, and afterward, in conclusion, God commands the prophet, without dismay, in reliance on Jehovah’s help, to begin his activity.

Jeremiah 1:4. And the word of the Lord came to me: The formula that here introduces the divine revelations to follow is striking in its simplicity, especially if compared to the detailed account given in corresponding cases by the prophets Isaiah (chapter VI) and Ezekiel (chapter 1). The explanation for this extraordinary restraint in depicting his calling can be found in the fact that Jeremiah represents a transition from ancient prophecy to a new form. Ancient prophecy was not, in principle, freed from a certain connection to manticism: gigantic powerful natures, like Elijah, Amos, Isaiah, Micah, who, conscious of their higher mission, driven by the Spirit of God, rushed into the world as bold warriors, could be called—of course, in the best and noblest sense of that word—“seized” by the Divine Spirit. But Jeremiah, although he clearly recognizes that he must go to struggle against all and that he has been destined for this from eternity, yet this eternal predestination does not act on him as a decretum absolutum. He is not “seized” by the Deity, but feels himself before the face of Jehovah as a person who has his own desires, his own concerns, his own needs. There is, as it were, a struggle between the prophet and Jehovah: Jeremiah strives to carry out the divine decision, often struggling with himself in this, with his personal sympathies and antipathies. Furthermore, Jeremiah relates skeptically, reflecting upon something that for ancient prophets constituted, one might say, the cornerstone of their prophetic self-consciousness—the very visions and revelations, the ecstatic states, which, according to his conviction, in some were a purely subjective phenomenon, self-deception, and not at all a sign of divine inspiration. Of course, in his own inner life, the prophet was able to distinguish his own thoughts and God’s revelations (cf. Jer 42:7), but still he did not attach importance to a description of these visions, on which even false prophets based their right to preach in the name of Jehovah.

Jeremiah 1:5. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came out of the womb I sanctified you: I appointed you a prophet to the nations. The speech of Jehovah in this verse has a rhythmic character, and the entire verse is divided into three parts. “I knew you.” Here not only intellectual knowledge is meant, but knowledge joined with a heart’s affection for the one known (cf. in the New Testament Rom 8:29; Rom 11:2; 1 Pet 1:20). “I sanctified you”—that is, singled you out from among other people and from the sphere of their interests, placing Jeremiah in special personal relations with Me, consecrated you as My servant—“I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Already Amos and Isaiah were prophets to various nations, but only in regard to Jeremiah is this circumstance put forward as the primary thing, as giving character to the truth of his prophetic calling (cf. Jer 1:10; Jer 36:2; Jer 25:15; Jer 18:9; Jer 27:2). By this circumstance the reality of his calling and the truth of his prophetic ministry are especially emphasized. According to Jeremiah, true prophets necessarily spoke oracles about various nations (cf. Jer 28:8), and he has to speak about them especially often, thus expanding the sphere of his ministry, because—such, obviously, was the prophet’s thought—the Kingdom of Judah, having become a vassal state in relation to Babylon, has now entered into the life of the entire world, and its history is now closely bound up with the history of the great Babylonian kingdom, which contains within itself many different nations.

Jeremiah 1:6. And I said, “Alas, Lord God! I cannot speak, for I am still young.” Jeremiah was not at all an impetuous nature, striking in his courage. Rather, he was a quiet, self-absorbed soul, a man of peace, not battle, who did not greatly rely on his own strength for the great task that lay before him. “I am still young.” The Septuagint translates this passage more correctly, using the word νεώτερος, that is, too young. It is difficult to determine what age is designated by the word “naar” standing here in the Hebrew Bible (cf. 1 Sam 4:21; 1 Sam 1:24; Gen 14:24). One can only presumptively say that Jeremiah at that time might have been about twenty-five years old.

Jeremiah 1:7. But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am young’; for to everyone to whom I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak.” Jeremiah 1:8. Do not fear them; for I am with you to rescue you, says the Lord. Yet Jehovah reassures Jeremiah’s alarm, promising him that he will be able to carry out God’s will, because God Himself will help him in this, will rescue him from the attacks of enemies. “You shall go”—better translated by the imperative: Go. “You shall speak”—Speak.

Jeremiah 1:9. And the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my lips, and the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.” Jeremiah should not be troubled by the thought of his inability to speak eloquently. He will, after all, proclaim not his own words, but God’s words. As a sign that henceforth the Lord is putting His words in Jeremiah’s mouth, He touched the prophet’s lips with His hand (cf. Isa 6:5; Ezek 2:9; Ezek 3:1), and by this once and for all made the prophet’s lips His own lips.

Jeremiah 1:10. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant. In the prophet Zephaniah, Jehovah is depicted as the Judge of the world, calling nations and kingdoms to Himself for judgment (Jer 3:8). Jeremiah, as a delegate of this Supreme Judge, must also overthrow and rebuild nations and kingdoms. According to ancient Hebrew prophetic understanding, the word of Jehovah is an objective magnitude, a real force that manifests its action in the world (Isa 9:7; Hos 6:5), and Jeremiah himself later (Jer 5:14) says that the word of Jehovah in his mouth will become fire, and the house of Israel—wood that will be consumed by this fire. In Jer 23:29, Jeremiah compares the word of Jehovah to a hammer that shatters rocks. These parallel passages explain to us the meaning of the expressions by which Jeremiah’s calling is characterized. It is clear that the prophet will be not only a herald of the fate of nations, but himself, by his inspired prophetic utterances, will bend this fate in a certain direction. There is no corresponding word in the Septuagint for the expression “to overthrow.”

Jeremiah 1:11. And the word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” Jeremiah 1:12. The Lord said to me, “You have seen well; for I am watching over My word to perform it.” Here it is not said that the prophet in the present case had a vision in a state of prophetic ecstasy. No, he truly saw a blooming almond branch, and his gaze upon this branch, under the influence of divine inspiration, led him to the conviction which he expressed in verses 12 and 14. The almond tree in Hebrew is called the waking tree evidently because it blossoms earlier than other trees after winter sleep, that is—in Palestine—at the end of January and the beginning of February, when nature still appears, one might say, to be completely dead, frozen by winter’s cold. The image is not hard to explain. Although in the life of humanity, it would seem, everything is still quiet, everything is frozen—Jehovah is awake, and His word will be fulfilled, everything that He has ordained for the nations and kingdoms will come into complete fulfillment. The prophet should therefore not be troubled by the apparent stability of the order of things about which he will preach destruction.

Jeremiah 1:13. And the word of the Lord came to me a second time: “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, tilted away from the north.” Jeremiah 1:14. And the Lord said to me, “Out of the north evil will break forth upon all the inhabitants of this land.” Here God further reveals the way in which He will bring His word to fulfillment. To the prophet, who saw a large pot (cf. 2 Sam 4:38 and Ezek 24:3) that was boiling, God explained that this pot, which appeared to the prophet as if moving toward Judah from the north, designates the disasters, misfortunes that will be poured out upon the inhabitants of Judah from the north, from which calamity came, comparatively recently, upon the kingdom of Israel. Various punishments from God are, so to speak, being cooked and prepared in this pot for Judah, which will come upon Judah from the hand of the mighty northern (Chaldean) kingdom. From verse 14 to the end of the chapter, the prophet’s speech again takes on a rhythmic character.

Jeremiah 1:15. For behold, I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord, and they will come, and each will set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and round about all its walls, and against all the cities of Judah. Jeremiah 1:16. And I will pronounce My judgments against them for all their wickedness, for they have forsaken Me and have offered incense to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands. The various nations that served in the army of Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 25:9) are called northern because the armies of Nebuchadnezzar descended into Palestine from the north, through Syria. “They will set his throne”—that is, they will besiege Jerusalem and other cities (cf. Jer 15:7). “Have offered incense.” The verb standing here, kitter, means the burning of fat or flour as an offering, not the burning of incense.

Jeremiah 1:17. But you, gird up your loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command you; do not lose heart before them, or I will strike you down before them. “Gird up your loins.” In order to work more adroitly, an Eastern person wearing ordinarily long and wide clothes needs to gird himself (cf. Exod 12:11; 1 Sam 18:46). So the prophet Jeremiah must prepare himself for the activity that lies before him, by girding himself spiritually. “Do not lose heart.” This expression more precisely defines in what this spiritual girding of the prophet must consist. Jeremiah was a person far too shy and timid, not making any particular impression by his outward appearance. Now he must act with greater confidence—otherwise his speech will not be successful.

Jeremiah 1:18. And behold, I have made you this day a fortified city and an iron pillar and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. Jeremiah 1:19. They shall fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you, says the Lord, to rescue you. The prophet will be, with the help of God, invincible, like a strongly fortified city. (The expressions “iron pillar” and “bronze wall” are not in the Septuagint and are, strictly speaking, superfluous.) Kings of Judah, princes, priests, and common people will attack him, but God will constantly protect the prophet. Special remarks. Some critics (Duhm, Stade, Giesebrecht) express doubts about the authenticity of chapter 1 of Jeremiah. But if some later author had wanted to glorify Jeremiah, he would certainly have tried harder to embellish the story of his calling. Moreover, there is nothing in the revelation that Jeremiah receives here that would indicate its later origin. All thoughts about the action of Divine Providence among nations were known long before Jeremiah, and the explanation of God’s wrath against the Jews, given in verse 16, is in complete agreement with other passages from the book of the prophet Jeremiah (cf. Jer 2:19-21; Jer 3:23; Jer 5:7, etc.).

Chapter Two

1–3. The earliest mutual relations between Jehovah and Israel. 4–13. The falling away of Israel from Jehovah. 14–26. Only God’s judgment will open Israel’s eyes to the depth of its fall, 29–37. But now Israel still seeks fellowship with foreign nations and gods.

Jeremiah 2:1. And the word of the Lord came to me: Jeremiah 2:2. Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: Thus says the Lord: I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Jeremiah 2:3. Israel was holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of His harvest. All who ate of it incurred guilt; disaster came upon them, declares the Lord. The prophet’s speech begins with a reminder to Israel of the love with which Israel once related to Jehovah. The Lord always protected Israel from enemies because of this love. “In the hearing of Jerusalem”—more correctly from the Hebrew: “before the ears of Jerusalem.” This inscription apparently stands in contradiction to the content of the speech that follows, where the prophet speaks about the relationship of all Israel to God, and not just Jerusalem. But one must take into account that the Kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem at that time remained the only representatives of Israel in Palestine: the ten northern tribes of Israel were already in Assyrian captivity. In these two verses, conveniently divided into four stanzas, the prophet establishes, so to speak, a starting point for his subsequent accusatory preaching. Here Jeremiah recalls the good old days, when Israel, upon its departure from Egypt, held such a deep and tender love for Jehovah as a bride ordinarily shows and reveals toward her bridegroom. The people of Israel with complete confidence went out from Egypt, at Jehovah’s direction (Exod 4:31), into an impassable wilderness, not fearing any of the difficulties and hardships that lay ahead. Jeremiah speaks of this on behalf of God, and then immediately himself asserts that God, for His part, rewarded Israel for this love. Israel was in God’s eyes holy to the Lord—that is, dedicated to God as a sacrifice or thing or person (cf. Exod 19:6)—or the firstfruits of the harvest, which, according to the law, belonged to Jehovah (Exod 23:19). Therefore, all who took for themselves this holiness or firstfruits of Jehovah brought God’s wrath upon themselves (Lev 22:10). It is clear that the prophet speaks here of the pagans, who were indeed strictly punished by Jehovah when they wanted to “swallow up Israel” (Hab 3:14). Jer 2:4-13. In contrast to this remembrance of Israel’s merits that God always displayed, the prophet depicts Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. As if having discovered something bad in their God, Israel, from the time of the judges, turned to other gods, forgetting how the Lord led him through a terrible wilderness into beautiful Palestine. The leaders of the people not only did not care for its reformation, but further confused it. By this Israel showed itself more ungrateful to Jehovah than the pagans, who do not even change their worthless gods.

Jeremiah 2:4. Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel! The prophet here addresses all Israel. “House of Jacob”—“families of the house of Israel”—these are synonymous expressions for designating the Israeli people in general (cf. Ezek 20:5).

Jeremiah 2:5. Thus says the Lord: What wrong did your fathers find in Me, that they went far from Me and followed worthless things, and became worthless themselves? “What wrong did they find”—more accurately from the Hebrew: In what respect did your fathers find Me to be false? “They followed worthless things”—that is, they gave themselves to idolatry. Idols are called worthless because they are powerless, dead, in contrast to Jehovah, that is, the truly Existing One. “They themselves became worthless.” Having begun to worship idols, the Israelites themselves became empty and insignificant people, lived with futile hopes. The question beginning in this verse ends in verse 6.

Jeremiah 2:6. They did not say, “Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that no one passes through, where no one lives?” The Israelites did not seek Jehovah after settling in the promised land, did not show Him either love or gratitude, and forgot that it was only through Him alone that they safely passed through the terrifying Arabian desert separating Egypt from Palestine. “A land of deserts and pits”—more accurately from the Hebrew: a country full of steppes and pits. The Arabian desert only occasionally has oases with little trees and springs. In general, it represents a dry and hot steppe, in which, moreover, there are many cavities and hollows making travel through it extremely difficult. “A land of deep darkness.” The desert is so called metaphorically, of course. The prophet by this indicates that a traveler who found himself in the desert fell into terror such as a person ordinarily feels in the face of impending death. “Where no one lives”—an exaggeration, indicating the difficulty of travel through this desert.

Jeremiah 2:7. I brought you into a plentiful land to eat its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled My land and made My heritage an abomination. Jeremiah 2:8. The priests did not say, “Where is the Lord?” And those who handle the law did not know Me. The rulers rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed things that do not help. Although the Lord gave the Hebrews a beautiful fertile land, yet they grossly offended Him by worshiping false gods in this land that belonged to Him. By this they defiled the promised land itself. The principal culprits in the corruption of the people were the priests; they were the teachers of the people (cf. Hos 4:4-10; Hos 6:9; Hos 10:5; Isa 28:7; and Mic 3:11). “Rulers”—this is not only kings, but leaders of the people in general. “Prophets.” Here are meant specifically the prophets of Samaria (cf. Jer 23:10). “Baal”—a general designation for idols (cf. Jer 12:16; Jer 23:27; and Zeph 1:4).

Jeremiah 2:9. Therefore I still contend with you, declares the Lord, and with your children’s children I will contend. Since Israel’s defection from God has not ended, the Lord promises to “contend” with His people—that is, the Lord will, primarily through the prophet Jeremiah, show Israel its guilt before God, and also punish the Jews, so that by these punishments He might awaken in them repentance for their apostasy.

Jeremiah 2:10. Cross over to the coasts of Kittim and see; send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has been such a thing. Jeremiah 2:11. Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are not gods? But My people have changed their glory for what does not help. Israel, an apostate from its God-Benefactor, stands far below the pagan nations, who hold firmly to their ancient religion, although it does not give them such real consolations and benefits as the Israelites’ religion of Jehovah gave and gives them. “The coasts of Kittim”—more correctly: the islands of Kittim, that is, the island of Cyprus, where the city of Kittion was located, founded by the Phoenicians (now—Larnaca). Besides, the prophet here undoubtedly means all the lands lying to the west of Palestine. Cf. Isa 23:1. “Kedar”—the inhabitants of the desert lying between Petra and Babylon, descendants of Ishmael (cf. Isa 21:16 and following), and here, of course, inhabitants of lands lying generally to the east of Palestine. “Glory” of the Jews—this is the same as the God of the Jews, manifesting over the people His great glory. Here—a figure of metonymy. Many historians speak of the faithfulness of the pagans to their religions.

Jeremiah 2:12. Be appalled, O heavens, at this, and shudder, be utterly desolate, declares the Lord. Jeremiah 2:13. For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. Calling heaven to witness the gravity of the sin committed by Israel, the prophet, unable not to be amazed at Israel’s ingratitude to Jehovah, says on behalf of God that Israel has abandoned God—this source of living, the purest spring water—and has dug for itself a cistern for rainwater, and moreover such a cistern that is not lined inside with strong hewn stones and therefore does not retain the water flowing into it. It is clear that under these poor cisterns or reservoirs that do not fulfill their purpose must be understood the pagan religions to which Israel clung, forsaking belief in the true God. Jer 2:14-28. If judged by its present condition, one might think that Israel is not God’s firstborn son, but a slave or servant of men; he has become prey, a plaything of the nations. But this is precisely what should have happened. Israel is being punished for its apostasy from God, which continues throughout the entire course of its historical life and which has brought him nothing but sorrow and shame. Israel with a kind of madness was drawn to serve foreign gods and made alliances now with the Assyrians, now with the Egyptians.

Jeremiah 2:14. Is Israel a slave? Is he a homeborn servant? Why then has he become prey? Only slaves or children born in the master’s house from slave parents were powerless and subjected to such punishments as Israel is now subjected to, completely surrendered to the enemy, made their prey. The prophet, obviously, speaks here of the northern ten-tribe kingdom, which at that time had been conquered by the Assyrians and whose inhabitants had been taken captive to Assyria.

Jeremiah 2:15. The young lions have roared against him; they have raised a roar. They have made his land a waste; his cities are in ruins, without inhabitant. “Young lions” that ravaged the Israeli country are, of course, the Assyrians, who pounced like lions on their prey (cf. Isa 5:29) and devastated the entire Israeli country.

Jeremiah 2:16. The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved the crown of your head. “The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes”—these are the Egyptians. Memphis—from the Egyptian men-nofer—good harbor—a well-known capital city of Lower Egypt; its remains lie near the village of Mit-Rahene, south of Cairo. Tahpanhes—this is Daphne, sixteen Roman miles to the southwest of Pelusium. This was a fortress built by Psammetik I to repel attacks from the side of the Arabs and Syrians, dominating the Nile, which was the only passage from Egypt to Asia. “Have shaved the crown of your head”—more accurately from the Hebrew: have shaved or shave you completely. This shaving is a symbol of humiliation and sorrow (Jer 47:5; Jer 48:37; Isa 3:17). The prophet probably has in mind here the defeat and death of the Jewish king Josiah in battle with the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho (2 Sam 23:29).

Jeremiah 2:17. Have you not brought this upon yourself by forsaking the Lord your God, at a time when He led you in the way? Here the cause of Israel’s misfortunes is indicated—its apostasy from Jehovah. The words “at a time when He led you in the way” are recognized by modern critics as an insertion, since they disrupt the meter of the prophet’s poetic speech. They are also absent in the Septuagint.

Jeremiah 2:18. And now what do you gain by going to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Nile? Or what do you gain by going to Assyria, to drink the waters of the Euphrates? Both Hebrew kingdoms sought help—one in Egypt, the other in Assyria, forgetting that they have a faithful and reliable Protector—Jehovah. “To drink water”—to seek help and support. The image taken by the prophet here is explained by the fact that water in hot Palestine is especially necessary for the exhausted traveler. The Nile in Hebrew is Schichor—dark, black. The Jews called the Nile this because during the flood it was completely muddied by black silt. “River”—this is the Euphrates, which preeminently deserved the name of “the river” (Cf. Gen 31:21).

Jeremiah 2:19. Your own wickedness will correct you, and your apostasy will reprove you. Know then and see that it is evil and bitter for you to have forsaken the Lord your God; the fear of Me is not in you, declares the Lord God of hosts. Jeremiah 2:20. For long ago I broke your yoke and burst your bonds; and you said, “I will not serve,” and on every high hill and under every green tree you sprawled and played the harlot. The Lord promises to punish Israel for its wickedness, for its apostasy from Jehovah. “You, Israel—like a disobedient draft animal—long ago broke the yoke (that your master—Jehovah—had laid upon you), burst your bonds and said to Jehovah ‘I will not serve you,’ yet under every tree you played the harlot.” So modern translators read verse 20, in accord with the sense of the Septuagint text. Our Synodal Russian translation ascribes the breaking of the yoke to Jehovah, seeing here a thought about the liberation of Israel from Egyptian slavery. “Played the harlot”—that is, performed worship of pagan gods (Jer 3:6; Jer 13:26), which mostly took place in shady groves (Hos 4:18).

Jeremiah 2:21. Yet I planted you a noble vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine? Israel was planted by Jehovah in Palestine as a noble grape vine—in Hebrew, sorek (cf. Isa 5:2). How did he turn into a worthless wild vine, that is, lose all his sweetness, all his taste?

Jeremiah 2:22. Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is still before Me, declares the Lord God. The sin of Israel, which has changed all his spiritual being, the Israeli people can erase before God by nothing. “Lye”—in Hebrew, neter—mineral alkaline salt, which was used instead of soap for washing. “Soap”—in Hebrew, borit—a substance of vegetable origin (cf. Prov 25:20).

Jeremiah 2:23. How can you say, “I am not unclean; I have not gone after the Baals”? Look at your way in the valley; know what you have done—you are a restless young camel interlacing her tracks, Jeremiah 2:24. A wild donkey used to the wilderness, in her heat sniffing the wind. Who can restrain her lust? None who seek her need weary themselves; in her month they will find her. Jeremiah 2:25. Keep your feet from going unshod and your throat from thirst. But you said, “It is hopeless, for I have loved foreigners, and after them I will go.” Like unrestrained lust in a female camel and wild donkey, Israel strove to satisfy its passion for pagan religious orgies. The prophet here recalls those abominable festivals that were arranged in honor of Molech or Baal in the valley of the sons of Hinnom near Jerusalem (cf. Jer 7:31; 2 Sam 23:10). To the ironic advice—to spare your shoes and not allow your throat to dry up from unrestrained pursuit of pleasure—Israel responds that all exhortations are now useless: he is unable to overcome in himself the passion for foreign gods.

Jeremiah 2:26. As a thief is ashamed when caught, so the house of Israel shall be ashamed: they, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets, – Jeremiah 2:27. who say to a tree, “You are my father,” and to a stone, “You gave me birth.” They have turned their back to Me, and not their face; but in the time of their trouble they say, “Come and save us!” Jeremiah 2:28. But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come, if they can save you in the time of your trouble; for as many as your cities are your gods, O Judah. Here the prophet compares the people of Israel with a thief caught in the act of crime and who has nothing with which to justify himself. Such shame must be felt by the Israelites in the face of impending disasters. In vain will they turn to their idols, which they have set up everywhere—these will not help them! “Tree”—this is a wooden pillar in honor of the goddess Asherah. “Stone”—a stone pillar in honor of Baal (Hos 3:4; Hos 10:13). The Jews addressed them with respectful names: father, mother, forgetting that they had one Father—Jehovah (Deut 32:6). Jer 2:29-37. God continues to accuse Israel of apostasy and of wickedness, and especially of the fact that, having stained his hands with blood, he does not recognize his guilt. Moreover, Israel is shown that his hope for help from Egypt is completely unfounded.

Jeremiah 2:29. Why do you contend with Me? You have all rebelled against Me, declares the Lord. God says that Israel is unable to find anything in its defense, and therefore, of course—such is the prophet’s thought—it must humbly bear the punishment assigned to it. (On metrical grounds, the words of verse 29: “all you have acted wickedly,” taken in the Russian Synodal translation from the Septuagint, should be recognized as genuine.)

Jeremiah 2:30. In vain have I struck your children; they took no correction. Your own sword devoured your prophets like a ravening lion. No divine punishments turned Israel to the path of repentance. Many of Israel’s children perished from the hand of enemies sent against Israel by Jehovah; many of Israel’s prophets were devoured by “your sword”—a superfluous expression, since the speech is about “your prophets,” that is, those acceptable to you, sinners, and not true messengers of Jehovah—but Israel, such is the thought of this verse, did not turn to Jehovah. Jeremiah may here have had in mind the slaughter of the 450 prophets of Baal by the prophet Elijah (1 Sam 18:40). The final words of verse 30, enclosed in brackets in the Russian translation, are taken from the Septuagint translation: they represent an incorrect translation of the Hebrew expression hador-attem, correctly rendered at the beginning of verse 31 by the expression “O people!”

Jeremiah 2:31. O people, hear the word of the Lord. Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of deep darkness? Why then do My people say, “We are free, we will come to You no more”? The prophet invites Israel to listen to God’s accusation. The Lord is amazed: why is Israel discontented with Him, its ever-present Benefactor and Protector? “O people,” that is, O people! Perhaps the prophet by this designation of Israel (hador) intended to belittle it, showing that it no longer deserves the name of the chosen people (haam). “Wilderness”—a place full of all kinds of dangers—see the explanation of verse 6. “Land of deep darkness”—where nothing is visible—see there. The prophet wishes by this to show that God always cared for His people and explained to them all that was necessary through the high priests and prophets.

Jeremiah 2:32. Can a maiden forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me, days without number. It would be unnatural for a Jewish maiden to appear on the street without her ornaments, and a bride—without her veil (according to other translations: without her belt). It is equally unnatural that Israel would forget its God for such a long time.

Jeremiah 2:33. How well you direct your course to seek lovers! So that even to wicked women you have taught your ways. Israel, seeking the love of foreign gods, knew how to act very cleverly. “Therefore” (or “and for this”)—more correctly translated: “Because of this you know skillfully to change your evil ways.” The prophet wishes to say by this that all of Israel’s attention was directed at how to escape from Jehovah to foreign gods.

Jeremiah 2:34. On your skirts is found the blood of the innocent poor, though you did not catch them breaking in. Yet in spite of all this, – Jeremiah 2:35. you say, “I am innocent; surely His anger has turned from me.” But I will bring you to judgment for saying, “I have not sinned.” Israel—the prophet here means the kingdom of Judah—has shed much innocent blood, the traces of which are found even on the folds of its clothing. Nevertheless, at the present time—the prophet speaks of the peaceful times of the reign of Josiah—Israel considers itself innocent before God and comforts itself with the thought that God’s wrath will not fall upon it at all. For this self-satisfaction, for this impenitence, God will bring Israel to judgment. “Did not catch them breaking in.” According to Mosaic law, a thief whom the owner of a house caught at night breaking in could be killed, and this did not entail any responsibility (Exod 22:2). “I am innocent.” The prophet depicts Israel as a woman, probably having in mind the usual representation of the prophets that the people of Israel is the bride of Jehovah (Hos 2:2).

Jeremiah 2:36. How lightly you gad about, changing your way! You shall be put to shame by Egypt as you were put to shame by Assyria. Jeremiah 2:37. From there also you will come away with your hands on your head, for the Lord has rejected those in whom you trust, and you will not prosper through them. The prophet here transitions to the times of King Jehoiakim, who ascended the Jewish throne thanks to the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho. The help of the Egyptians is not reliable. The Israeli messengers will leave Egypt, placing their hands on their head as a sign of sorrow and despair (2 Sam 13:19). It is evident that the prophet predicts here the weakening of Egypt, which followed after the defeat that Nebuchadnezzar inflicted on Pharaoh Necho at Carchemish. Special remarks. The first speeches of the prophet (chapters II–VI) belong to the time of King Josiah and were probably spoken after the prophet’s calling to his ministry, when the gross manifestations of idolatry in Jerusalem had already been destroyed, but the religious reform had not yet been fully carried out. The prophet still regards the people and their leaders as standing under God’s wrath, which they brought upon themselves by their long-standing apostasy from Jehovah. Criticism suspects the authenticity of verses 4–13 of chapter II on the basis of the overly homiletic tone of this section and the excessively harsh accusations contained in it. But this section in form and content fully corresponds to other sections of the book of Jeremiah. Chapter II, verses 2–12, are read as a lesson on October 26, in commemoration of the earthquake that occurred in Constantinople.

Chapter Three

1–5. The difficulty of turning Israel to the true path. 6–10. Two sisters who are faithless. 11–18. A call to repentance. 19–25. Israel’s turning to God.

Jer 3:1-5. Although by the law a wife who has left her husband to marry another cannot return to her first husband, yet Jehovah, by His ineffable mercy, calls to Himself His spouse—Israel—who has played the harlot with many lovers. Yet this mercy requires of Israel a conversion to God not in words only, but in deed.

Jeremiah 3:1. They say: “If a man sends away his wife, and she departs from him and becomes another man’s wife, can she return to him? Would not that land be greatly defiled?” Yet you have played the harlot with many lovers—and still, return to Me, says the Lord. Jeremiah is clearly referring here to the law of divorce contained in Deut 24:1-4. Instead of the phrase “that land,” some translators, in agreement with the LXX, read: this woman. Instead of “yet return to Me,” newer translators render: can you return to Me?

Jeremiah 3:2. Lift up your eyes to the bare heights and see where you have not been lain with. By the wayside you sat waiting for them, like an Arab in the wilderness, and you have defiled the land with your harlotry and your wickedness. The “bare heights”—more precisely from the Hebrew: “barren, treeless hills” upon which the worship of idols was commonly performed (1 Sam 11:1). “Like an Arab”—like an Arab who rushes recklessly upon an unsuspecting wayfarer, so Israel threw itself at every passerby, offering its love (cf. Jer 2:24).

Jeremiah 3:3. Therefore the rains were withheld, and the spring rain did not come. Yet you have the brow of a harlot; you refused to be ashamed. Even God’s punishments did not turn this shameless harlot, the people of Israel, to the true path! The “spring rain,” necessary for the ripening of grain, falls in Palestine during March and April.

Jeremiah 3:4. Will you not from now on cry to Me: “My Father! You were the guide of my youth! Jeremiah 3:5. Does He retain His anger forever? Will He keep it to the end?” So you speak, but you do evil and prevail in it. “Will you not from now on”—more correctly: did you not just now cry to Me, “My Father” and so forth? The prophet has in mind those pious impulses which Israel showed at the beginning of King Josiah’s religious reforms (2 Sam 23:3), but which soon gave way to utter indifference to this holy work. Therefore, the prophet says that Israel, like a true harlot, only promises to be faithful to her husband, yet acts wholly contrary to her promises. Jer 3:6-10. In order for the people’s conversion to become possible, the people must recognize the gravity of their guilt before Jehovah. The prophet says that the sin of the people of Judah—that is, the southern kingdom—their “faithlessness” is far more serious than the sin of the northern kingdom, their “rebellion.” The kingdom of Judah was not even frightened by the fate that overtook the kingdom of Israel, and it repeated the latter’s transgressions.

Jeremiah 3:6. The Lord said to me in the days of King Josiah: Have you seen what the faithless one, the daughter of Israel, has done? She went up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there she played the harlot. On the idolatry or worship of false gods by the subjects of the northern kingdom of Israel, see 1 Sam 16:33; 2 Sam 17:10. “Faithless one”—the northern kingdom is thus called because there was established an unlawful worship of Jehovah at Bethel, which soon gave way to idolatry.

Jeremiah 3:7. And after she had done all this, I said, “Return to Me”; but she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. Jeremiah 3:8. And I saw that because of all her adulterous deeds, the faithless one, the daughter of Israel, I had sent her away and given her a certificate of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah was not afraid, but she too went and played the harlot. Jeremiah 3:9. And in her light harlotry she defiled the land, committing adultery with stone and tree. The Lord repeatedly called—through the prophets—the northern kingdom to turn to the true path, but His calls were not heeded. Therefore, the Lord formally dissolved His covenant with the “faithless one” (Deut 24:1-4). The consequence of this dissolution was the captivity of the subjects of the kingdom of Israel in Assyria. Yet this fate did not terrify the southern kingdom, which in its turn also gave itself over to idolatry. Thus the Judeans defiled their land, filling it everywhere with idols, cf. Jer 2:7.

Jeremiah 3:10. But for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not returned to Me with her whole heart, but only in pretense, says the Lord. “For all this”—that is, despite the terrible fate that overtook the kingdom of Israel. “With her whole heart”—the outward repentance shown by the Judeans in the days of Josiah (2 Sam 23:3) was brought forth, but it was not repentance from the whole heart. Jer 3:11-18 To show more clearly the peculiar guilt before God of the subjects of the kingdom of Judah, the Lord commands the prophet to call again the kingdom of Israel, scattered across foreign lands, to communion with God. If Israel will repent, then, in spite of the dissolution of the covenant with it, Jehovah will again restore it, but then Zion will become the common religious center for both Judah and Israel. In doing so, the prophet portrays the new life on Zion in such a way as to depict only the Church of Christ in its glorified state.

Jeremiah 3:11. And the Lord said to me: The faithless one, the daughter of Israel, has shown herself to be more righteous than the treacherous Judah. The kingdom of Israel appears less guilty than the kingdom of Judah, of course, first, because it first experienced the weight of responsibility for departing from God, and second, because the subjects of the kingdom of Judah had more means to sustain in themselves a pious disposition than the subjects of the kingdom of Israel. In the kingdom of Judah lawful worship was always performed, there were lawfully appointed priests, and not a few pious kings and prophets. Although prophets appeared in the kingdom of Israel, it was deprived of all the rest of what is mentioned above.

Jeremiah 3:12. Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: Return, faithless daughter of Israel, says the Lord. I will not look upon you in anger, for I am merciful, says the Lord. I will not be angry forever. Jeremiah 3:13. Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have rebelled against the Lord your God and scattered your favors among strangers under every green tree, and have not obeyed My voice, says the Lord. Although a hundred years had passed since the inhabitants of the kingdom of Israel were taken captive to Assyria, so that it seemed Jehovah had completely forgotten them, yet in reality He was ready to receive them again if only they would bring sincere repentance for their sins.

Jeremiah 3:14. Return, O faithless sons, says the Lord, because I am married to you, and I will take you one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. Since the Lord has taken Israel as a spouse, He is always ready to receive her to Himself again. “One from a city… two from a family”—here the prophet wishes to say that even if not all of Israel returns, still the Lord will bring at least some of the Israelites to His holy city, Zion.

Jeremiah 3:15. And I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. Shepherds—these are the kings and rulers of the people, as well as priests and prophets. These will be all men who fully answer to their high calling.

Jeremiah 3:16. And it shall come to pass, when you have multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, says the Lord, they shall say no more, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord”; it shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again. Jeremiah 3:17. At that time Jerusalem shall be called “The Throne of the Lord,” and all nations shall gather to it, to the name of the Lord, and they shall no longer walk in the stubbornness of their evil heart. From the small number of Jews returned to Jerusalem, a great people will arise again. The new generation will be far closer to God than even the present inhabitants of Zion. Now the Lord has His mysterious dwelling place in the Ark of the Covenant, to which access is granted, and then only once a year, to the high priest alone. But then all Jerusalem will become the throne of the Lord, and through this the closest communion of all the inhabitants of Zion with Jehovah will be established. And seeing this, the other peoples too will gather in Jerusalem and forever renounce their vices and passions (cf. Isa 66:1-3). It should be noted that the tone with which Jeremiah speaks of the Ark of the Covenant suggests that it was hidden at that time. It was probably hidden during the persecution of true worship under King Manasseh (cf. 2 Chr 35:3).

Jeremiah 3:18. In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land of the north to the land that I gave for a heritage to your fathers. The prophet completes his prophecy concerning the new life of Israel by saying that not only will the kingdom of Israel send its representatives to Zion, but alongside the Israelites, the Judeans too will come there. These very ones will offer the Israelites to go to Palestine from the land of captivity, in which, according to the prophet’s view, they will find themselves just as the Israelites do. Jer 3:19-25. Then the original purpose that the Lord gave to Israel will be fulfilled: Israel will not only receive a better portion on earth, but will be counted worthy of sonship to God. This great promise already awakens in the “faithless one” repentance for her desertion from Jehovah. Israel already yearns again for her God.

Jeremiah 3:19. I thought how gladly would I put you among My children and give you a pleasant land, a heritage most beautiful of all nations. And I thought you would call Me “My Father” and not turn away from Me. This verse may be more clearly rendered thus: “And I said (long ago, always): how I would like to set you in the place of a son and give you the pleasant land, the best heritage among the heritages of nations! And I said: you will call Me ‘My Father’ and not turn away from Me!” Jehovah thus declares here that on His part He was always ready to give the northern kingdom of Israel—the wife, the “faithless one”—all the rights of His son. According to ancient Israelite private law, daughters did not have the same rights of inheritance as sons, and the Lord, to show His special favor toward Israel, wishes to give the daughter of Israel the rights equal to those of His sons.

Jeremiah 3:20. Surely, as a treacherous wife leaves her husband, so have you been treacherous to Me, O house of Israel, says the Lord. Unfortunately, Israel on its part proved unworthy of this great distinction.

Jeremiah 3:21. A voice on the bare heights is heard, the weeping and pleading of the sons of Israel, because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten the Lord their God. Now, in those very places where previously Israel had performed unlawful worship of idols, his sorrowful weeping over his desertion is heard. Yet this is still only weak tears, not a definite and formal confession of his sins. Only when Jehovah utters His merciful word, when He lifts the excommunication that weighs upon their hearts, will they clearly and openly express their resolution to return to their God and Benefactor.

Jeremiah 3:22. “Return, O faithless children, I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to You, for You are the Lord our God.” Now this call from Jehovah is uttered. God wishes to heal them of their unfaithfulness or stubbornness in which they have hitherto remained. Then, having received from God this grace-given help, this inward strength, Israel will cry out: we come to You!

Jeremiah 3:23. Surely, in vain is the salvation expected from the hills and from the abundance of mountains; surely, in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel! Israel will then openly confess that all his hopes of finding satisfaction for his religious longings in foreign cults were utterly futile. It is more accurately to render the first half of this verse thus: yes, the hills are deception and falsehood, on the mountains is only empty noise! By these words, Israel wishes to say that those loud prayers which he sent up on the mountains to various gods were futile.

Jeremiah 3:24. From our youth the shameful thing has consumed the labor of our fathers, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. From our youth—that is, from the very beginning of the existence of the separate ten-tribe kingdom of Israel. “This shameful thing”—that is, the idols, in particular the god Baal, which is so called because the rites performed in his honor were extremely shameful (cf. Hos 9:10). “The labor of our fathers”—more correctly: the property of our fathers. If children are included in this property, there is nothing surprising in this: according to ancient Israelite customary law, the father had the right to dispose of his children just as he did his property. Israel will only understand in time how many sacrifices this infatuation with idols cost him!

Jeremiah 3:25. We lie down in our shame, and our dishonor covers us; because we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God. “We lie down in our shame”—those who repented usually clothed themselves in sackcloth and lay in ashes (Job 42:6). Israel will obviously sincerely repent before Jehovah of all his former transgressions. Special Notes. Some critics Jer 3:6-16 verses, though they acknowledge them as belonging to Jeremiah, believe that they were placed by the book’s editor not in the place where they should have been placed; verses 16 and 17 they consider as later additions (Stade, Kuenen, Cornill). But for an impartial reader, the section 19–25 and Jer 4:1 and following do not seem at all to be a necessary continuation of verse 5 of chapter III. If Cornill points out the impropriety of a special heading in the middle of the chapter, at verse 6, then this circumstance must be explained by the fact that the prophet evidently wished to make it clear to his readers that what follows is something especially deserving their attention. And indeed, here we have a completely new revelation concerning the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel, whose fate seemed to have been decided once and for all. As for the question how much the thoughts contained in verses 6–18 can be recognized as belonging to Jeremiah, this question must be resolved only in the affirmative. To no one more than to Jeremiah himself, who came from the family of Hilkiah, which served at the ancient central sanctuary of the ten tribes, Shiloh, and who was himself an Ephraimite by place of residence, was it characteristic to harbor such sympathy toward the ten-tribe kingdom as is expressed in the section under review. Moreover, in the book of Jeremiah there is a place parallel to this section in Jer 31:2-22 verses, where also to Ephraim, humbly acknowledging his guilt before Jehovah, a return to his native land is promised. It is said (namely by Cornill) that in chapter XXXI restoration is promised to the whole of Israel, whereas here (verse 14) only to selected members of the Israelite state. But also in chapter XXXI (Jer 31:7) it is also said that the remnant of Israel will be saved. The other perplexities of criticism, expressed concerning the authenticity of chapter III, are too subjective to dwell upon.

Chapter Four

1–4. The Lord’s answer to Israel and exhortation to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 5–18. The judgment threatening Jerusalem and the whole kingdom of Judah: a) Description of the approach of enemies from the north. 19–31. b) The prophet’s feelings when thinking of the misfortunes threatening his countrymen.

Jer 4:1-4. To Israel’s lament, which is contained in Jer 3:22-25, Jehovah says that the restoration of Israel is possible only through genuine repentance and renunciation of idolatry. Then, turning to his fellow citizens, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all the Judeans, Jeremiah requires from them urgent repentance to avoid the punishments that the angered Jehovah wishes to bring upon their heads.

Jeremiah 4:1. If you return, O Israel, says the Lord, to Me you should return. And if you remove your detestable things from My presence, then you shall not be removed. If Israel has raised the matter of conversion, then this conversion must be complete and real (to Me, before My face; therefore in Israel’s conversion everything must be clear, definite and open—before God one cannot hide or pretend). “Your detestable things”—that is, all that arouses the anger of Jehovah, all that separates Israel from God. “You shall not be removed”—that is, you will not remain an exile, and you will be restored to your homeland.

Jeremiah 4:2. And you shall swear, “As the Lord lives,” in truth, in justice, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in Him, and in Him shall they glory. Israel must use the name of God with reverence—in this, first of all, the authenticity of his conversion to God will manifest itself. Israel should only permit himself to take an oath by this sacred name in affairs that are proper and honest, which was not observed before (Jer 5:2). The result of this will be the glorification of God’s name among other peoples of the earth, who, following the example of Israel, will turn to Jehovah and themselves will seek blessing from Him.

Jeremiah 4:3. For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. The fate of Israel leads the prophet to think about the fate of his own country—the kingdom of Judah. Here he sees a desire to sow, that is, to introduce new ways of life, which points to the time of King Josiah’s reforms. The sowing, however, the prophet says, will be successful only when the field is properly plowed, when it is cleansed of all the evil plants rooted in it. In the same way, the prophet wishes to say, one must deal with human souls. It is not enough if people will express fervent, but fleeting, pious feelings—they must be prompted to destroy through stubborn and grievous struggle with themselves the seeds of all vices and evil inclinations in their hearts.

Jeremiah 4:4. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest My wrath go forth like fire and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your doings. Another image of purification of the soul from sins. Bodily circumcision made a man clean and able to participate in the sacred worship of Jehovah. But Jeremiah knows a higher purity—circumcision of the heart, for from the heart proceed all evil things (Mark 7:21). If the Judeans wish to draw near to Jehovah, they must remove from their hearts, to which evil is inherent by nature (Gen 8:21), all evil inclinations that make them before the face of God people who still have the foreskin uncircumcised. Without this—the Judeans must expect a terrible judgment from God. Jer 4:5-18. The judgment over Judah, which Jeremiah briefly depicted in chapter 1, is here portrayed with greater vividness. Namely: the enemies of Judah, Jeremiah represents, first, as a lion laying waste the country, second, as a storm destroying everything, and third, as hunters organizing a hunt for beasts. However, this judgment is not something inevitable for Judah and Jerusalem; on the condition of repentance of the Judeans, the prophet still finds it possible to promise them deliverance from destruction.

Jeremiah 4:5. Declare in Judah, and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: “Blow the trumpet through the land; cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble, and let us go into the fortified cities.’” Jeremiah 4:6. Raise a signal toward Zion; flee, do not delay! For I am bringing evil from the north and great destruction. The prophet, in the name of God, commands all inhabitants of the Judean land to be informed by every possible means as soon as possible of the approaching invasion of enemies. Let the Judeans from the villages and hamlets gather in fortified cities, among which Zion or Jerusalem holds the first place, so that on the way leading to it, a clearly visible sign should be placed from afar to point out to refugees the direction they should hurry toward. “Proclaim in Jerusalem”—of course, so that the inhabitants of the capital would know that they would have to receive many refugees from villages and hamlets, and would prepare for this.

Jeremiah 4:7. A lion has gone up from his thicket, a destroyer of nations has set out; he has gone forth from his place to make your land a desolation; your cities will be ruins without inhabitant. Jeremiah 4:8. Therefore, clothe yourselves with sackcloth, lament and wail, for the fierce anger of the Lord has not turned away from us. Jeremiah 4:9. And it shall be in that day, says the Lord, the heart of the king shall fail, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be appalled, and the prophets shall be amazed. “The lion”—this is, of course, a specific enemy of Judah, namely the Chaldean people. “From his thicket”—from the thickets covering the banks of the Jordan, where lions dwelt (cf. Jer 49:19). “The fierce anger of the Lord has not turned away from us”—the prophet shows the futility of the hopes that the Judeans had begun to harbor during the reign of Josiah; they thought that the anger of God would not come upon them (Jer 2:35; Jer 4:10). “Heart”—courage (cf. Isa 7:2). “The prophets shall be amazed”—that is, those who considered themselves prophets will lose all understanding: what happens will be so contrary to the predictions with which they had reassured their countrymen!

Jeremiah 4:10. And I said, “Ah, Lord God! Surely You have deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘It shall be well with you,’ yet the sword has reached their very soul!” Who is speaking here? Modern critics (Cornill and others) believe that here Jeremiah is having the false prophets speak. Jeremiah, they say, could in no way accuse God because of prophecies which false prophets had uttered, promising the Judeans peace. But all tradition reads the first word of verse 10 from the Hebrew text as “I said,” (that is, Jeremiah), not “they said,” (that is, the false prophets), so here it is more correct to see a protest from the prophet himself (cf. Jer 1:6; Jer 14:13). What does the prophet wish to say by this protest, and what revelation does he have in mind? Some commentators (for example, Yakimov) see here the prophet’s bewilderment at the fact that God allowed false prophets to delude the people with bright prospects (cf. 1 Sam 22:20-22). But the most natural assumption is that the prophet has in mind here the prophecy of Huldah, contained in 2 Sam 22:18-20, according to which the entire time of Josiah’s reign should pass in peace. But now to the prophet’s eyes the disaster threatening Jerusalem seems so near that he is unable to resolve the contradiction arising from comparing Huldah’s prophecy with the judgment of God that is about to break forth. This sorrowful perplexity of the prophet remains without an answer, but the answer has already in fact been given earlier: Jeremiah has already said in chapters II and III that only sincere and genuine repentance could turn away from the people of Judah the anger of God, and such repentance the Judeans did not bring to God.

Jeremiah 4:11. At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem: A scorching wind comes from the bare heights in the wilderness toward the daughter of My people, not to winnow or cleanse; Jeremiah 4:12. A wind stronger than these comes for Me, and now I will pronounce judgment upon them. The prophet, returning to the thought expressed in verse 5, proclaims that at the time when the epoch of judgment over Jerusalem arrives, they will say thus: “A scorching wind comes” through the mountains that separate the desert from Judah, comes directly (the Russian Synodal here incorrectly: on the way) upon the daughter of My people (that is, upon the inhabitants of Judah); but this wind does not blow so that with its help the farmer could winnow his grain and cleanse it from chaff. No, the wind is too strong for this; it comes to Me (these are the opening words of one of the inhabitants of Judah). Now I will pronounce judgment upon them! By these final words of Jehovah, the prophet’s question and perplexity about the purpose for which the Lord sent such a strong wind upon Judah is resolved.

Jeremiah 4:13. Look! He comes up like clouds; his chariots like the whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined! Jeremiah 4:14. O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness so that you may be saved. How long shall your evil thoughts lodge within you? The enemy moves from the north in such enormous masses that Jeremiah compares his invasion with the invasion of storm clouds. His chariots rush with the speed of a whirlwind, and his horses are faster than eagles. The prophet Habakkuk also thus depicts the Chaldeans (Hab 1:6 and following). “Woe to us!”—this is the cry of the people of Judah. But the prophet, in response to this lamentation, says that deliverance is still possible—for this it is necessary to cleanse one’s heart of all evil.

Jeremiah 4:15. For a voice announces from Dan and proclaims disaster from Mount Ephraim. Jeremiah 4:16. Tell the nations; behold, proclaim to Jerusalem that besiegers come from a distant country, and they raise their voice against the cities of Judah. From the northern border city of Palestine, Dan (in the tribe of Naphtali), comes the first terrible news to Jerusalem, but not directly, rather from the nearest point to Jerusalem—the mountains of Ephraim. From all the roads leading from the north to Egypt (to Egypt, in fact, the Chaldeans were striving), the enemy chose the one most dangerous for Jerusalem—through the mountains of Ephraim, which led directly to Jerusalem. “Tell the nations,” that is, the invasion of the Chaldeans should concern all peoples dwelling in Palestine, not only the Jews (Jerome). “Besiegers,” or more precisely, hunters driving beasts from their lairs with their cries. So also the Judeans will have to flee from their cities, and during this flight the enemies will seize them. Duhm reads the word here as “leopard” and instead of “besiegers” therefore translates “leopard.” Therefore, the word further placed “cries” he replaces with the expression “roaring.”

Jeremiah 4:17. Like keepers of a field they surround her, because she has rebelled against Me, says the Lord. Jeremiah 4:18. Your conduct and your doings have brought this upon you. This is your punishment, and it is bitter; it has reached your very heart. Just as watchmen carefully guard a field with ripening fruit, not allowing anyone to take anything from it, so the enemies watch Jerusalem, not letting any person escape from it. Cornill, considering that there are not many field-watchers and taking into account that the idyllic image of a watcher does not suit the destructive intentions of the enemy coming against Jerusalem, finds it best instead of “watchers” to translate the word here as “lying in ambush” (from the verb “to guard”) instead of “watchers,” with the expression: “lying in ambush on the field round about” (enemies). Such a translation indeed suits this place better, especially since there is a basis for it in Jer 5:6. The cause of the misfortunes of the Judeans is here indicated the same as in Jer 2:17-18. Jer 4:19-31. The thought of the danger threatening the Judeans from the enemies so oppresses the prophet’s soul that he does not see the light of the sun; it seems to him that an earthquake is occurring; he sees the general desolation of Palestine. However, the thought of the preservation of a remnant of the people does not abandon the prophet. At the end of the chapter, the prophet depicts the sad condition of the besieged Zion.

Jeremiah 4:19. My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! O the walls of my heart! My heart is beating wildly; I cannot keep silent, for I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. The greatest inner turmoil that the prophet feels, hearing the sounds of the trumpet announcing the attack of enemies, is expressed here in broken exclamations. “My anguish,” that is, my innermost being, as the source of birth (Gen 15:4) and therefore the seat of feelings. The prophet thus suffers like a woman laboring in childbirth. “The walls of my heart,” or more precisely—oh, the walls of my heart! The prophet’s heart beats so strongly that the walls of his heart can barely withstand its beats.

Jeremiah 4:20. Disaster after disaster! The whole land is laid waste; suddenly my tents are destroyed, my curtains in a moment. Jeremiah 4:21. How long must I see the signal and hear the sound of the trumpet? “My tents!”—that is, of my people. Houses and cities are poetically designated as tents. “Signal”—see Jer 4:5.

Jeremiah 4:22. For My people are foolish; they do not know Me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but they know not how to do good. The cause of God’s anger is that the Judeans have become like senseless children who, however, are sufficiently inventive in doing evil.

Jeremiah 4:23. I looked at the earth, and behold, it was without form and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. Jeremiah 4:24. I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were trembling; all the hills were quaking. Jeremiah 4:25. I looked, and behold, there was no one; and all the birds of the air had fled. Jeremiah 4:26. I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the Lord, before His fierce anger. Here is depicted the state of the land of Judah as it will be after God’s judgment is poured out upon it. The prophet looks at his country four times, as if hoping to see something comforting, but his hopes are futile: everywhere the prophet sees only desolation and destruction. She (the earth) was laid waste and void. The prophet uses here the expressions (tohu vavohu) which in the book of Genesis (Gen 1:2) designate the original chaotic state of the earth. This is, of course, hyperbole. The prophet simply wishes to say that the earth appeared to him in a vision as a sad, lifeless desert. “They had no light”—cf. Isa 13:9. “The mountains… were trembling”—a figurative expression: the prophet designates by this the force of God’s anger poured out upon the Judeans. “There was no one; all the birds… had fled”—again hyperbolic expressions. The birds, however, could indeed have fled from the desolated land because they had nothing to eat there. The prophet grieves over them because their flight and song enliven the land. “The fruitful land”—see Jer 2:7.

Jeremiah 4:27. For thus says the Lord: The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end. The Lord here softens the heaviness of the impression obtained from the preceding prediction. Both the land of Judah and the people are destined not for final destruction: life will begin again in the desolated land (Jer 3:14).

Jeremiah 4:28. For this the earth shall mourn and the heavens above be dark, because I have spoken, I have purposed; I have not relented, nor will I turn back. Jeremiah 4:29. At the noise of horseman and bowman every city takes to flight; they enter thickets; they climb among rocks. Every city is forsaken, and no one dwells in them. However, the Judeans should not delude themselves with the hope of salvation. Those remaining from the slaughter will perhaps only find themselves shelter in thick forests and on rocks; the cities of Judah, however, will all be destroyed.

Jeremiah 4:30. And you, devastated one, what do you do, that you dress in scarlet, that you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? In vain you make yourself fair; your lovers despise you; they seek your life. In vain will Judah, like a woman desiring to please men, resort to various tricks to ensnare the conquerors in her nets: these northern conquerors, who earlier indeed entered into alliance with Judah (under Ahaz), have now determined to put an end to the independent existence of the kingdom of Judah. “You enlarge your eyes”—Eastern women, in order to give brilliance to their dark eyes and in order that their eyes would shine and appear larger, smeared the edges of the eyelids with black salt prepared from antimony (2 Sam 9:30).

Jeremiah 4:31. For I hear a cry as of a woman in travail, anguish as of one bringing forth her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands: “Woe is me! I am exhausted from the slayers!” “The daughter of Zion,” that is, the population of Jerusalem, so suffers and groans as a woman laboring for the first time. “The slayers”—these are the pitiless enemies who have already directed their bows against the Judeans. Special Notes. Criticism counts several verses of chapter IV as later insertions, namely verses 1 and 2, 3, 9 and 10, 27. But the grounds for denying their authenticity are very slight. Jehovah, says for instance Cornill, requires too little from the Judeans in verse 1—namely, only the removal of “detestable things.” In restoring His covenant with Himself, Jehovah could have demanded more of the Judeans. But we must note in response that this means that at Jeremiah’s time it seemed sufficient if the people would agree to part with the idols—the rest would be the work of later time. Against the authenticity of the other verses, critics point out the absence of proper meter in them, but this ground, as anyone will agree, is far from firm, because Jeremiah wrote not poems, but prophecies, which only sometimes, in places, were clothed in the form of verse.

Chapter Five

1–9. The prophet’s complaint about the corruption of the Judean people. 10–19. God’s judgment. 20–31. A new, more intense complaint from the prophet.

Jer 5:1-9. The punishment announced against Judah and Jerusalem in the preceding chapter is fully deserved. In Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, corruption of morals reigns. There are no honest people for whom the Lord could have spared the city.

Jeremiah 5:1. Go through the streets of Jerusalem, and see and look around, and search in its squares whether you can find a person, whether there is anyone who practices justice and seeks truth. I would spare Jerusalem. God offers to find in Jerusalem even one righteous and honest person – He would in such a case forgive the city (cf. Gen 18:23-32). “Seeking truth.” Truth (emunah) – as a human quality combines within itself faithfulness to God, honesty toward people, and truthfulness in relation to oneself.

Jeremiah 5:2. Although they say “As the Lord lives,” yet they swear falsely. Jeremiah 5:3. O Lord, are not Your eyes upon truth? You have struck them, but they felt no pain; You have consumed them, but they refused to receive instruction; they have made their faces harder than stone; they would not return. “They swear falsely,” that is, they themselves attach no significance to their oath in the name of Jehovah. – “Are not Your eyes upon truth?” that is, but You, O Lord, value only truth!

Jeremiah 5:4. And I myself said “These are perhaps poor people; they are foolish because they do not know the way of the Lord, the law of their God;” Jeremiah 5:5. I will go to the great and speak with them, for they know the way of the Lord, the law of their God. But they also have all broken the yoke and torn off the bonds. The prophet expresses his personal impressions from observing the life of the capital city. It turns out that even the great people regard the law of Jehovah as a heavy yoke from which they must necessarily free themselves. The common people perhaps do not know this law at all.

Jeremiah 5:6. Therefore a lion from the forest shall strike them, a wolf from the wilderness shall devastate them, a leopard watches over their cities; whoever goes out from them will be torn to pieces, for their transgressions are multiplied and their apostasies are strengthened. The enemies of Judah are depicted in the form of wild beasts.

Jeremiah 5:7. How can I forgive you for this? Your sons have abandoned Me and swear by those who are not gods. I have fed them, yet they commit adultery and go in throngs to the houses of harlots. Jeremiah 5:8. They are well-fed horses; each neighs after another’s wife. Swearing not by gods testified to their renunciation of the true God. “I have fed them.” Even Moses predicted that the Hebrews, once satisfied with all the products of Palestine, would abandon God, their benefactor (Deut 32:13-15). Jeremiah also understands the adultery that the Judeans commit as their falling away from Jehovah and the worship of idols, which in fact was usually connected with debauchery. – “The house of harlots” – this is a pagan sanctuary.

Jeremiah 5:9. Shall I not punish them for this? says the Lord; and shall not My soul take vengeance on a people such as this? “My soul” means I. – Vengeance, when applied to God, means His most righteous judgment over people. Jer 5:10-19. For their sins the Judean people must undoubtedly suffer punishment. The people do not allow the thought of this, they mock the prophets who are predicting God’s judgment upon them, and for this they will be subdued by a mighty northern nation.

Jeremiah 5:10. Go up on her walls and destroy them, but not completely; demolish her battlements, because they are not of the Lord; Jeremiah 5:11. “For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously with Me,” says the Lord. The prophet, on behalf of Jehovah, addresses the enemies of Judah with an invitation to go up on the walls of Jerusalem and destroy them, destroying their proudly rising battlements. However – the prophet notes – this destruction will not put an end to the existence of the people (but not completely). Some interpreters (Cornill) understand by walls here the walls of a vineyard, and by battlements – the branches of a grapevine. According to this interpretation, the prophet speaks here of the Hebrew people, who was also depicted by the prophet Isaiah (Isa 5:2) under the image of a vineyard enclosed by walls.

Jeremiah 5:12. They have lied about the Lord and said, “It is not He, and disaster will not come upon us, and we will see neither sword nor famine.” The Judeans do not entirely deny the existence of God. They only do not believe that He speaks to them through His prophets and that from Him comes punishment and reward (cf. Zeph 1:12).

Jeremiah 5:13. And the prophets will become wind, and the word [of the Lord] is not in them; over them themselves let it be thus. Jeremiah probably had in mind, besides himself, also other true prophets who were predicting the ruin of Jerusalem (cf. Jer 26:20 and following). Since these predictions have not yet been fulfilled up to now, the Judeans mock them.

Jeremiah 5:14. Therefore thus says the Lord God of Hosts: “Because you speak such words, behold, I will make My words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and this fire will consume them.” Through Jeremiah, whom the Judeans mocked above all others, the Lord will soon accomplish His judgment upon Jerusalem. By the word of the prophet, as if by the action of fire, all sinners in Jerusalem will be destroyed – of course, by the Babylonians who will appear in Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 5:15. “Behold, I am bringing upon you, O house of Israel, a nation from afar,” says the Lord, “a strong nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, nor will you understand what they say.” Jeremiah 5:16. Their quiver is like an open grave; all of them are mighty men. The Babylonians are described here approximately with the same features as those given by Moses (Deut 28:49-52). “An ancient nation” – existing from the earliest times – “Their quiver is like an open grave” – the prophet perhaps wants to say by this something about the opposite and terrible impression which a large bag of deadly arrows on the back of a Babylonian warrior produces.

Jeremiah 5:17. And they will eat your harvest and your bread; they will eat your sons and your daughters; they will eat your sheep and your oxen; they will eat your vines and your figs; they will destroy with the sword your fortified cities in which you trust. “They will eat your sons” – of course, in the figurative sense: they will destroy, annihilate.

Jeremiah 5:18. But even in those days, says the Lord, I will not utterly destroy you. Jeremiah 5:19. And if you say, “Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?”, then you shall answer: “Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your own land, so you will serve foreign gods in a land that is not yours.” The Lord still will not completely destroy the sinful Judean people. If He sends calamities upon them, these calamities are fully deserved punishments. Jer 5:20-31. Explaining why Jehovah is angry with the Judeans, the prophet points to their unwillingness to see the greatness of the Divine omnipotence and love. They do not fear God and hurt people – this is the cause of their misfortunes.

Jeremiah 5:20. “Declare this in the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah, saying,” “The house of Jacob” – the same as Judah.

Jeremiah 5:21. “Hear this, O foolish people and senseless ones, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear:” Cf. Isa 6:10.

Jeremiah 5:22. “Do you not fear Me?” says the Lord. “Do you not tremble before Me? I have set the sand as a boundary for the sea, an eternal limit which it cannot cross; and though its waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.” The prophet points to the sea as a miracle of the wisdom and omnipotence of Jehovah – the sea does not flood the shores beyond the limit set for the tide, even though the sand would allow it to roll its waves further.

Jeremiah 5:23. But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned back and gone away; Jeremiah 5:24. And they have not said in their hearts: “Let us fear the Lord our God, Who gives us the early and the latter rain in its season, Who preserves for us the weeks appointed for harvest.” The Judeans are extremely stubborn and will not turn to Jehovah. – “Preserves for us the weeks” – that is, protects the days of gathering the grain from rains, namely the weeks between Passover and Pentecost, during which there was usually harvest in Palestine.

Jeremiah 5:25. Your iniquities have turned these away, and your sins have deprived you of what is good. Jeremiah 5:26. “For among My people are found wicked men; they crouch as bird catchers do, they set traps and catch men.” Jeremiah 5:27. As a cage full of birds, so their houses are full of deception; therefore they have become great and rich, Jeremiah 5:28. They have become fat and sleek; they have also surpassed the deeds of the wicked; they do not plead the cause of the fatherless, nor do they defend the rights of the poor. In recent times, according to the prophet’s thought, the Judeans by their sins have caused the order mentioned above in natural phenomena to change. During the gathering of fruits, consequently, rain would often fall, harming the harvest…

Jeremiah 5:29. Shall I not punish them for this? says the Lord; “and shall not My soul take vengeance on a people such as this?” A repetition of the thought contained in verse 9.

Jeremiah 5:30. “An appalling and horrible thing has happened in this land:” Jeremiah 5:31. “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority, and My people love it. But what will you do at the end of it?” In addition to what has been said about the transgressions of the Israelite people, the prophet points to the close alliance which the priests have concluded with the false prophets (cf. Jer 29:24-26). Jeremiah is particularly grieved by the fact that the people themselves gladly listen to the false assurances of the priests and prophets, who were assuring them that everything in their state was going well. The people were walking on a false path and showed not the slightest desire to turn from it – this is what broke Jeremiah’s heart!

Chapter Six

1–8. The enemies are already at the walls of Jerusalem. 9–21. The depth of the moral fall of the Judeans. 22–26. The danger threatening Jerusalem. 27–30. Conclusion.

Jer 6:1-8. The situation in Judah becomes more and more troubling. It is no longer safe even to remain in Jerusalem – and from there one must flee – of course to the south, since the enemy comes from the north. The enemies hasten to Jerusalem to destroy this city.

Jeremiah 6:1. “Flee, you children of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem! And blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise a signal in Beth-haccerem; for disaster looms from the north with great destruction.” “Children of Benjamin.” The inhabitants of Jerusalem are called thus because originally Jebus or Jerusalem belonged to the tribe of Benjamin (Josh 15:8) and the Benjaminites formed the greater part of the city’s population in ancient times (Judg 1:26). – “Tekoa” – a settlement to the southeast of Bethlehem, lay on hills and from there it was therefore convenient to give signals (probably by fire). The same can be said of Beth-haccerem, whom the blessed Jerome understood as a hilly region between Tekoa and Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 6:2. “I will destroy the daughter of Zion, the beautiful and delicate one.” Jeremiah 6:3. “Shepherds with their flocks will come against her; they will pitch their tents around her; each will pasture in his portion.” Jerusalem is threatened by an invasion of enemy hordes. – “Shepherds” – military commanders.

Jeremiah 6:4. “Prepare for war against her; arise, and let us attack at noon. Woe to us! The day is turning away, and the evening shadows are stretching out.” Jeremiah 6:5. “Arise, and let us attack by night, and destroy her palaces!” The enemies encourage one another. They need to go quickly – otherwise night will catch them on the way. And they go despite the midday heat… – “Prepare for war” – more accurately: “consecrate war.” War among eastern peoples was often regarded as a sacred undertaking, as a kind of worship (cf. 1 Sam 21:5; Exod 19:10; Josh 3:5). The shadows spread out as evening approaches. With the approaching of night, shadows from objects become longer.

Jeremiah 6:6. “For thus says the Lord of Hosts: ‘Cut down her trees and cast up a siege mound against Jerusalem; this city must be punished; there is only oppression within her.’” Jeremiah 6:7. “As a fountain springs forth with its waters, so she springs forth with her evil; violence and destruction are heard in her; before My face continually are grief and wounds.” Jeremiah 6:8. “Be corrected, O Jerusalem, so that My soul does not turn away from you, so that I do not make you a desolation, a land not inhabited.” Now Jehovah Himself encourages the enemies to hasten to take possession of Jerusalem, because Jerusalem cannot refrain from evildoing, as a spring cannot cease to spring forth water. However, Jehovah still invites the inhabitants of Jerusalem to correct their lives. Jer 6:9-21. The sins of the Judeans are extraordinarily great and therefore the wrath of God will come down on both adults and children. They, the Judeans, would not listen to any of God’s warnings and for this they will be destroyed.

Jeremiah 6:9. “Thus says the Lord of Hosts: ‘They shall thoroughly glean as a vine the remnant of Israel; run your hand like a vintager over the branches again.’” “The remnant of Israel” – that is, the kingdom of Judah, which in the days of Jeremiah still maintained its independence, while the larger kingdom of Israel had already been devastated.

Jeremiah 6:10. “To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hear; behold, the word of the Lord is to them a mockery; they do not delight in it.” From here (until the sixteenth verse) the prophet speaks. He sees no hope for the kingdom of Judah. He would speak to the Judean people in vain with calls to repentance. The Judeans have an uncircumcised ear, that is, as if overgrown with skin, and they are not able to listen to the teaching of the prophet, but only mock him.

Jeremiah 6:11. “Therefore I am full of the wrath of the Lord; I cannot hold it in. Pour it out on the children in the street, and on the assembly of young men together; for both husband and wife shall be taken, the elderly with him who is full of days.” Jeremiah 6:12. “And their houses shall be turned to others, with their fields and wives together; for I will stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of this land,” says the Lord. The prophet himself is so filled with the heat of divine wrath that he can no longer hold it within himself and now will proclaim destruction to all.

Jeremiah 6:13. “For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely;” Jeremiah 6:14. “they heal the wound of My people lightly, saying, ‘Peace! Peace!’ when there is no peace.” Jeremiah 6:15. “Are they ashamed because they have committed abominations? No! They are not at all ashamed, and they do not blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time of their punishment they shall be overthrown,” says the Lord. Even the priests and prophets (the false ones) – all act against the requirements of honor and conscience. They promise the people peace, that is, reconciliation with God and from this complete external safety, while now there can be no talk of such peace.

Jeremiah 6:16. “Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, “We will not walk in it.”’” Jeremiah 6:17. “Also, I set watchmen over you, saying, “Listen to the sound of the trumpet.” But they said, “We will not listen.”” The Lord urged the people to walk in the ancient way, that is, to imitate the patriarchs who pleased God. He set watchmen, that is, the prophets, who from time to time were to give the call of the trumpet to warn careless travelers who wanted to go on new paths. But nothing affected the Judeans!

Jeremiah 6:18. “Therefore hear, you nations, and know, O congregation, what will happen to them.” Jeremiah 6:19. “Hear, O earth: Behold, I am bringing calamity on this people, the fruit of their thoughts; because they have not heeded My words nor My law, but rejected it.” Jeremiah 6:20. “For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba, and sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.” Jeremiah 6:21. “Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I am laying stumbling blocks before this people; both fathers and sons together shall stumble against them, neighbor and his friend shall perish.’” All nations are invited to hear God’s verdict upon the Judeans. The Judeans did not listen to the words of Jehovah, thinking to cover up all their transgressions by offering select incense and sacrifices (“frankincense… from Sheba” or Fortunate Arabia and “sweet cane” from foreign lands were not required offerings). Therefore God will lay before the Judean people stumbling blocks, that is, will send upon them nations from the north. Jer 6:22-26. The Lord announces to the Judeans the approach to Jerusalem of a terrible nation from the north and the Judeans come in terror at this news. The prophet on his part invites his people to lamentation.

Jeremiah 6:22. “Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a people comes from the north country, and a great nation is stirred up from the ends of the earth.’” Jeremiah 6:23. “They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel and show no mercy; their sound roars like the sea; and they ride on horses, all arrayed for battle against you, O daughter of Zion.” The prophet evidently has the Babylonians in mind here (cf. Jer 1:15; Jer 4:15). “Daughter of Zion” – primarily the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 6:24. “We have heard the report of it; our hands have become feeble; anguish has seized us, pain like that of a woman in labor.” Jeremiah 6:25. “Go not out into the field, nor walk on the road; for the enemy has a sword, terror is on all sides.” This is spoken by the people living on Zion.

Jeremiah 6:26. “O daughter of My people, gird yourself with sackcloth and roll in ashes; make mourning as for an only son, a lamentation most bitter; for the plunderer will suddenly come upon us.” The prophet invites the Judeans to mourn their destruction as a certainty. Jer 6:27-30. In conclusion the prophet says that, by God’s command, he has investigated the moral state of his people and found that this people fully deserves rejection from God.

Jeremiah 6:27. “I have set you as an assayer among My people, a fortress, that you may know and test their ways.” “An assayer” – more accurately from the Hebrew: tester (according to the Slavic text: tester; if instead of bochon “fortress” we read bochen). – “A fortress” – according to the Hebrew: mebazer. This expression is obviously parallel to the expression bochen, but its exact meaning cannot be established.

Jeremiah 6:28. “All of them are stubborn rebels who go about as slanderers; they are bronze and iron; they are all corrupters.” These are words of the prophet. According to his observations, the Judeans represent only bronze and iron and cannot be compared with any precious metals.

Jeremiah 6:29. “The bellows blow fiercely; the lead is consumed by the fire; in vain does the refiner refine, for the wicked are not removed.” Jeremiah 6:30. “They are called rejected silver, for the Lord has rejected them.” Comparing his people to metallic ore, the prophet, like a refiner, wanted to separate the dross or impurities from the silver. But it was all in vain – the dross or evil people were not separated – all Judeans turned out to be a completely homogeneous mass. Nothing but lead!

Chapter Seven

1–15. God’s wrath upon Jerusalem and its temple. 16–20. The prophet’s requests for the people – are futile. 21–28. Sacrifices also will bring no benefit when the Judeans disobey Jehovah. 29–34. A terrible punishment will come upon the apostates.

Jer 7:1-15. The Judeans relied too much on their safety, believing that Jehovah would not allow His temple to be destroyed. But God can only promise them this safety if they repent. Now, when they themselves have made God’s temple a refuge for criminals of all kinds, they can expect only its destruction and the ruin of their entire state.

Jeremiah 7:1. “The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord:” Jeremiah 7:2. “Stand in the gate of the house of the Lord, and proclaim there this word, and say, “Hear the word of the Lord, all you Judeans who enter through these gates to worship the Lord.”” From here begins what is called the “temple sermon” of the prophet Jeremiah, which was delivered in the temple of Jerusalem. It ends in the ninth chapter. Its similarity to the sermon (Jer 26) spoken at the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim gives us reason to ascribe it to the same time. – “In the gate of the house of the Lord” – that is, at the gates leading to the outer court, where the people stood, and not in the inner or priestly court, where the people were not admitted (Ezek 40:17).

Jeremiah 7:3. “Thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place.’” Jeremiah 7:4. “Do not trust in these deceptive words: “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.”” The temple in itself is not a protection for sinners! Meanwhile the Jews were insisting that the temple is a sure refuge for them, even though they were in fact complete apostates from Jehovah.

Jeremiah 7:9. “How! Do you steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense to Baal, and go after other gods whom you have not known,” Jeremiah 7:10. “and then come and stand before Me in this house, over which My name is called, and say, “We are delivered!” that you may do all these abominations?” The Judeans apparently found it possible to combine the worship of Baal with the service of Jehovah. But one definitely excludes the other.

Jeremiah 7:11. “Has this house, over which My name is called, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I Myself have seen it,” says the Lord. The Judeans themselves turned the very temple into a den or cave where robbers hide from the pursuit of the authorities.

Jeremiah 7:12. “Go now to My place that was in Shiloh, where I made My name dwell at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of My people Israel.” “Shiloh,” a city of the tribe of Ephraim, until the death of the high priest Eli was the same theocratic center as Jerusalem is now. However, because of the sins of the house of Eli and all the Israelite people, it was deprived of its great advantage and now, in the time of Jeremiah, it represented only ruins.

Jeremiah 7:13. “And now, because you have done all these things, says the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer,” Jeremiah 7:14. “I will do to this house over which My name is called, in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh.” Jeremiah 7:15. “And I will cast you out of My sight, as I cast out all your brothers, all the offspring of Ephraim.” In exactly the same way the Lord will deal with the present center of theocracy – Jerusalem and its temple. – “The offspring of Ephraim” – the ten tribes of Israel, named here by the name of the strongest tribe.

Jeremiah 7:16. “As for you, do not pray for this people, and do not lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me, for I will not hear you.” Jeremiah 7:17. “Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?” Jeremiah 7:18. “The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger.” Jeremiah 7:19. “But is it I whom they provoke to anger? Is it not themselves, to their own shame?” says the Lord. Jeremiah 7:20. “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, My anger and My wrath will be poured out on this place – on man and beast, on the trees of the field and the produce of the ground – and it will burn and not be quenched.’” To show the inevitability of the punishment announced to the Judeans, the Lord forbids the prophet to even pray for this people. “The queen of heaven” – more accurately from the Hebrew: the queen of heaven. This is the Babylonian-Assyrian goddess Astarte. In her honor in Assyria and Babylon special pastries were made, called in Assyrian kattani, in Hebrew – kawan; they had the form of small circles, which recalled the moon (Astarte was the goddess, properly, of the moon). Jer 7:21-28. If the Judeans count on safety on account of the sacrifices they offer in the temple, then this expectation has no foundation. God does not need the sacrifices themselves. Sacrifices should only be an expression of the inner devotion of the Judeans to Jehovah, which in fact they do not have.

Jeremiah 7:21. “Thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat meat;’” “Add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices.” In a burnt offering the animal was burned entirely, while from other sacrifices certain parts went to the use of those offering the sacrifice or to the priests. God is now saying that they may eat of the burnt offerings as well – He does not need them, of course, because they do not express genuine devotion to God on the part of those offering them.

Jeremiah 7:22. “For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices;” Jeremiah 7:23. “but this command I gave them: ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people; and walk in all the ways that I command you, that it may be well with you.’” This passage is for biblical critics the chief basis for denying the antiquity of what is called the priestly code contained in the Pentateuch. Jeremiah, they say, knew nothing of the Mosaic institutions concerning sacrifices. But how could the prophet speak of the high sanctity of the places of sacrifice (Jer 7:12 and following) if he believed the laws of sacrifice were a later invention? Also from Jer 17:26; Jer 31:14 and Jer 33:11 it is clear that Jeremiah himself considered the offering of sacrifices a normal and pleasing thing to Jehovah (cf. Jer 33:17-24). Therefore the rabbis correctly interpret this passage by saying that the prophet here specifically speaks of the departure of the Hebrews from Egypt, excluding the Sinaitic legislation. It is clear that the prophet wants to teach the Hebrews that the first thing God requires is obedience (cf. Exod 6:7; Exod 15:26), while sacrifices are of secondary importance… Jer 7:29-34. The Judeans have defiled the very temple with pagan abominations, set up altars for burning their children in the valley of Topheth. For this there is no forgiveness for them and the Lord will turn their country into a wasteland.

Jeremiah 7:29. “Cut off your hair and cast it away; raise a lamentation on the bare heights, for the Lord has rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath.” The command to cut off your hair is addressed to the daughter of Zion, as is clear from the fact that in the Hebrew text the verb is in the feminine gender. – “On the bare heights.” Where the Judeans sinned by offering unlawful sacrifices, there they should also mourn (cf. Jer 3:21).

Jeremiah 7:30. “For the children of Judah have done what is evil in My sight,” says the Lord; “they have set their detestable things in the house that is called by My name, to defile it;” This refers to the introduction of idols into the Jerusalem temple during the reign of King Manasseh (2 Sam 21:3-5).

Jeremiah 7:31. “And they have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My mind.” “The high places of Topheth,” situated in the “Valley of the Son of Hinnom” – for an explanation see the Commentary on the Bible vol. 2, p. 533. – “I did not command.” Jeremiah, obviously here as in other places (Jer 19:5 and Jer 32:35), speaks of sacrifices that were being made in this valley in honor of Jehovah. The idea that it was necessary to offer Jehovah the sacrifice of children may have arisen from the influence of (Exod 13:2) (cf. also Mic 6:7).

Jeremiah 7:32. “Therefore, behold, the days come, says the Lord, when it will no longer be called Topheth, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter; and they will bury in Topheth until there is no more room.” “Therefore.” Although these terrible sacrifices were abolished by King Josiah and not resumed under Jehoiakim (this is evident from the fact that the defeat of the Judeans under Jehoiakim is attributed in the book of Kings to the transgressions only of Manasseh; 2 Sam 24:3 cf. 2 Sam 21:11), nevertheless only 18 years have passed since their abolition (until the fifth year of Jehoiakim), and the contemporaries of Manasseh had not yet atoned for their participation in these unlawful sacrifices with any sufferings. Now they must endure the punishment. – “Valley of Slaughter.” Into this valley of the Sons of Hinnom will be carried so many corpses of murdered Jerusalemites for burial that it can be renamed the valley of slaughter or the slain.

Jeremiah 7:34. “And I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride; for the land shall become a waste.” Wedding processions among the Judeans were always accompanied by a choir of singers who performed joyful songs. Special Remarks – at the end of the ninth chapter, as chapters seven, eight, and nine form one sermon delivered in the temple.

Chapter Eight

1–3. Continuation of the pronouncement concerning the punishment of idolaters. 4–6. The Judeans are stubborn in their apostasy from Jehovah. 7–12. Their calculations will not come to pass. 13–17. The avenger draws near. 18–22. The prophet’s sorrow.

Jer 8:1-3. The dead idolaters will be disturbed in their grave rest, while the surviving Judeans will be led into captivity.

Jeremiah 8:1. At that time, says the Lord, they will bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem from their graves; The conquerors desecrated the tombs of kings and nobles because they sought precious ornaments buried with the dead, and perhaps also from a desire for revenge.

Jeremiah 8:2. and they shall scatter them before the sun and the moon and before all the host of heaven, whom they loved and whom they served and after whom they went, whom they sought and to whom they bowed down; they shall not be gathered up and not be buried: they shall become dung upon the earth. “Before the sun and the moon.” The Judeans when dead served these heavenly bodies, and now neither the sun nor the moon are able to protect the remains of those who worshiped them from desecration.

Jeremiah 8:4. And say to them: Thus says the Lord: Do those who have fallen not rise again, and those who have turned from the way not return? Jeremiah 8:5. Why does this people, Jerusalem, remain in stubborn apostasy? They cling firmly to deception and do not wish to turn back. Jeremiah 8:6. I have observed and listened: they do not speak the truth; no one repents of his wickedness; no one says: “What have I done?”; each turns to his own way, like a horse rushing into battle. The Judeans in no way wish to understand the necessity of repentance and continue to walk the path of iniquity. Jer 8:7-12. Being less wise than simple birds, the Judeans nevertheless consider themselves wise and boast that they possess the Law of the Lord. They have corrupted this law and do not keep it, and the priests and prophets comfort the people with false hopes. For this the Lord condemns them to destruction.

Jeremiah 8:7. The stork in the heavens knows its appointed times, and the turtledove, and the swallow, and the crane observe the time for their coming; but my people do not know the ordinance of the Lord. Birds have instinct, by which they know where they must fly; men have religion, religious feeling that draws them to God. But to the Hebrews this feeling is as if completely foreign. This is the thought of the verse.

Jeremiah 8:8. How can you say: “We are wise, and we have the Law of the Lord”? But behold, the false pen of the scribes has turned it into a lie. “The Law of the Lord” is not only the Torah, but all revelations from God in general, including the oracles of the prophets transmitted orally. “The scribes” are those educated people of the time, who took it upon themselves to be teachers of the people, but who misinterpreted the revelation. An example of their interpretations is given in verse 11. However, the opinion of Cornill and Marti that Jeremiah here points to insertions made by the scribes at the request of the priests into Deuteronomy is based on a misunderstanding of the expression “Law of the Lord,” supposedly meaning Deuteronomy.

Jeremiah 8:10. Therefore I will give their wives to others, their fields to new masters; because all of them, from the least to the greatest, are given to covetousness; from prophet to priest all act deceitfully. Jeremiah 8:11. And they treat the wound of the daughter of my people with carelessness, saying: “Peace, peace!” but there is no peace. Jeremiah 8:12. Are they ashamed of their abominations? No, they are not at all ashamed and do not blush. Therefore they will fall among the fallen; in the time of their visitation they will be brought down, says the Lord. See the explanation of Jer 6:12-14. Jer 8:13-17. The Lord will lay waste Judah, and the inhabitants themselves, foreseeing this, fall into complete despair.

Jeremiah 8:14. “Why do we sit? Let us gather together, let us go into the fortified cities, and there we shall perish; for the Lord our God has doomed us to perish and gives us water with gall to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord.” The Judeans from the cities in the plains gathered to flee to the mountain cities, but they do not hope to be saved even there. They feel that the Lord Himself is against them. “Water with gall” means poison, or according to some interpreters, opium.

Jeremiah 8:15. We hoped for peace, but nothing good came, for a time of healing, but behold, terrors. The enemies of the Judeans are compared to serpents, from whose bite it is impossible to heal. “Basilisk” see Ps 90:13, Ps 57; Eccl 10:11. Jer 8:18-23. The prophet grieves over the fate of his people, all the more because he fully understands their guilt before Jehovah, whom the Judeans have forsaken.

Jeremiah 8:19. Behold, I hear the cry of the daughter of my people from a distant land: Is the Lord not in Zion? Is not her King in her? Why have they provoked me with their idols, with foreign, worthless things? The people appear to the prophet as already brought into captivity. He asks in perplexity: has the Lord ceased to regard Zion as his royal capital if he leaves this holy city in desolation, while its inhabitants are in a distant land? The Lord responds that the Judeans themselves are guilty for all that has occurred.

Jeremiah 8:20. The harvest is past, summer is ended, and we are not saved. The people speak of how all their hopes for deliverance from captivity have been dashed. Like a farmer who has gathered nothing into his barns in spring hopes for a harvest in autumn. But sometimes this last hope also deceives him, and a hungry year awaits.

Jeremiah 8:22. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the daughter of my people? Gilead balm was the best remedy for treating wounds. It was actually the resin of the mastic tree, exported from Palestine abroad (Gen 37:25). “There” most likely, the prophet speaks of Zion, where the Great Physician dwelt invisibly, in whose hands were all the means to heal the sickness of the Judean people, that is, once again Jehovah Himself. * * * Before the stars.

Chapter Nine

1–9. The sins of the Judeans and the punishment awaiting them. 10–22. The prophet laments the fate of his people. 23–26. Appendix.

Jer 9:1-9. The prophet is so exhausted by the futility of his exhortations that he wishes, like Elijah, to go to the wilderness. His kinsmen are adulterers in both the literal and figurative sense of the word. Having abandoned God, they sever the natural bonds of brotherly love and betray their friends.

Jeremiah 9:1. Oh, that I might have water for my head and a fountain of tears for my eyes! Then I would weep day and night over the slain of the daughter of my people. This verse is assigned to the preceding chapter in the Hebrew Bible. The prophet lacks tears to lament the disastrous fate of the Judean kingdom.

Jeremiah 9:2. Oh, that I had in the wilderness a travelers’ inn! That I might leave my people and go away from them: for all of them are adulterers, a band of traitors. “Travelers’ inn” is the so-called caravanserai, a tent or hut in the wilderness where travelers stop for the night and where there is nothing but shelter, no provisions for living. Yet the prophet would gladly have withdrawn even there, if only not to see his fellow-countrymen.

Jeremiah 9:5. Every one deceives his neighbor, and they speak no truth: they have trained their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with iniquity. “Have trained their tongues.” The art of lying requires greater skill than the desire to speak only the truth.

Jeremiah 9:7. Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: behold, I will refine them and test them; for how else should I deal with the daughter of my people? The discourse concerns the terrible judgment to which the Lord will subject his people. Jer 9:10-22. The prophet laments his country, which he already sees laid waste, but he explains the fate of the Judeans by the hardness of heart with which they rejected the law of Jehovah. Special mourning women will be needed to lament the great calamities that will fall upon Judah, and then the whole people will weep with sorrow from the loss of loved ones.

Jeremiah 9:21. For death has come up into our windows; it has entered our palaces, to cut off the children from the streets and the young men from the squares. Jeremiah 9:22. Say: Thus says the Lord: and the corpses of men shall fall like dung upon the field and like sheaves behind the reaper, and none shall gather them. The verses form a brief, skillfully composed poem in which, apparently, the prophet speaks of plague, which is a terrible scourge for besieged cities. Plague does not spare even children; and of their death Jeremiah speaks first of all, showing his particular compassion for these innocent victims of the sins of their parents.

Jeremiah 9:23. Thus says the Lord: Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not the rich man boast of his riches. Jeremiah 9:24. But let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices mercy, justice, and righteousness on earth; for in these things I delight, says the Lord. At the divine judgment neither wisdom nor strength nor wealth will help people. Therefore one should not seek security in these advantages, but in the knowledge of the Lord. He who does not wish to do the will of God will find no benefit even in circumcision.

Jeremiah 9:25. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will punish all those who are circumcised yet uncircumcised: “Circumcised and uncircumcised” more correctly: circumcised, but (at the same time one might say) uncircumcised. The prophet predicts God’s wrath upon those who are circumcised in body, but at the same time live an impure life, and for whom therefore external circumcision does not constitute a true sign of communion with God and therefore cannot protect them from the judgment of God threatening sinners.

Jeremiah 9:26. Egypt and Judah, Edom and the sons of Ammon, Moab and all who cut the corners of their hair, dwelling in the wilderness; for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel is uncircumcised of heart. From ancient times the Egyptians have practiced circumcision. Likewise, the Edomites, Ammonites, and Moabites, who were related to the Hebrews, also had circumcision in Jeremiah’s time. However, later among the Edomites this practice fell into disuse, and only John Hyrcanus compelled them to restore it. “Those who cut the corners of their hair” are the Arabs, who performed this rite to please their gods. “These peoples are uncircumcised,” that is, from your point of view, their circumcision is meaningless and does not make them participants in the theocratic life. Likewise, the Judeans cannot rely on their circumcision, because their hearts are not circumcised, that is, they are far from God in heart. Special remarks to chapters VII–IX. The Temple discourse, contained in chapters VI–IX, is obviously in detailed form the discourse briefly set forth in Jer 26:4 and following, and thus for it the prophet suffered the trials mentioned in Jer 26. All this discourse is pervaded with lively prophetic inspiration and is undoubtedly an authentic work of Jeremiah. Only Jer 9:23-26, also of course belonging to Jeremiah, are not connected with the discourse and properly should stand separately. Some commentators (for example, Orelli) also suppose that Jer 7:16-20, which contains a revelation directed personally to Jeremiah, and Jer 8:18 and following Jer 9:2 and following, where the prophet pours out his feelings, form insertions made by the prophet into the Temple discourse when he dictated it to his scribe. But truly there is nothing in these passages that could not have been delivered to all the people in the Temple.

Chapter Ten

1–9. The worthlessness of idols. 10–16. The greatness of Jehovah. 17–25. One must bow before the decree of Jehovah.

Jer 10:1-9. All pagan omens and pagan worship of gods, especially the worship of various idols, is exceedingly senseless. With irony the prophet speaks of how these idols are made.

Jeremiah 10:1. Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. “House of Israel” means the northern tribes found in captivity (see Jer 3:11 and following; Jer 7:12).

Jeremiah 10:2. Thus says the Lord: Do not learn the way of the nations, and do not be dismayed by the signs of the heavens although the nations are dismayed by them. “The ways of the nations” means the manner of life of the nations and especially their religion. “Signs of the heavens” are certain extraordinary phenomena in the world of the heavenly bodies.

Jeremiah 10:3. For the customs of the peoples are futile: they cut down a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of a craftsman with an ax, “Customs” means the basic principles of faith. (Regarding idols see Isa 40:19 and following; Isa 41:7; Isa 44:12 and following)

Jeremiah 10:5. They are like a rounded post and do not speak; they must be carried, because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor can they do any good. “Like a rounded post” more accurately: like a scarecrow for birds in a garden. (Compare Isa 46:7 and Isa 41:23).

Jeremiah 10:9. Silver is beaten into sheets and brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the craftsman and the hands of the goldsmith; their clothing is blue and purple: all of this is the work of skilled craftsmen. “Tarshish” see Isa 23:1. “Uphaz” is Ophir (Targum, Theodotion). Jer 10:10-16. In contrast to the worthlessness of idols, the prophet describes the greatness of Jehovah, before whom all idols fall.

Jeremiah 10:13. When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses. Concerning the storehouses of the wind see Job 38:22. Jer 10:17-25. The prophet foresees the attack of the Babylonians on Jerusalem, the fall of the city, and the leading away of the Judean people into captivity. One should not grumble against such a decision of Jehovah, because the Judeans themselves are guilty of their own destruction. Moreover, it is not necessary to regard the defeat of the Judeans as final.

Jeremiah 10:17. Gather your bundle from the ground, you who are to sit under siege; Here the prophet, apparently, is addressing the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 10:19. Woe is me because of my bruise; my wound is grievous. But I said, surely this is an affliction, and I must bear it; “My affliction” means it is deserved by me. The prophet speaks on behalf of the better part of the Judean people.

Jeremiah 10:24. Correct me, O Lord, but in justice; not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing. The people beseech God to lessen the measure of the punishment they have deserved. Special remarks. The section from verse 1 to verse 16 stands as completely self-contained, whereas verses 17–25 in form and content clearly connect with the previous utterances from the times of Josiah and Jehoiakim and perhaps form the conclusion to the Temple discourse contained in chapters VI–IX. In the LXX text verses 6, 7, 8, and 10 are missing. There is a fairly significant difference between the authentic text and the LXX text also in the section from verses 17 to 25.

Chapter Eleven

1–8. The prophet as a herald of the divine law. 9–17. The stubbornness of the people and their rejection. 18–23. A conspiracy against Jeremiah in Anathoth.

Jer 11:1-8. The prophet comes forward as a witness and herald of the divine covenant which once was entered into between Jehovah and Israel at Sinai. He must remind them of this covenant and its conditions not only to the inhabitants of Jerusalem but also to other cities of Judah.

Jeremiah 11:2. hear the words of this covenant and speak them to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; “Hear—speak.” Here is contained a command addressed not only to Jeremiah but also to the other prophets of his time. “This covenant.” Here there is an obvious reference to the “book of the Covenant” found in Josiah’s time (see Bible History vol. 2, p. 530–531). Jeremiah was to explain in detail all the conditions of the union once entered into between Jehovah and the Hebrew people. Jer 11:9-17. The activity of the prophet turned out to be fruitless. Israel, like its ancestors, did not wish to listen to the prophet. The Judeans made a silent agreement to live as they pleased and continued to serve foreign gods. Therefore God promises to bring calamities upon them and forbids the prophet to even pray for the apostates. As a result, the people, instead of according to God’s purpose being a flourishing olive tree, will be burned by the fire of God’s judgment like a completely dry tree.

Jeremiah 11:9. And the Lord said to me: There is a conspiracy among the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: “Conspiracy.” The Judeans, apparently even in the time of Josiah, who wished to restore true worship of God, agreed among themselves to do nothing to carry out the intentions of their king. They did not openly oppose his reforms, but in their hearts they were against them, and as a result it is understandable that the king’s reforms did not take root in Judah.

Jeremiah 11:10. they have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words; they have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers. An open return to former customs of life occurred already under the successors of Josiah.

Jeremiah 11:14. But you, do not pray for this people, and do not lift up cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear when they call to me because of their trouble. See Jer 7:16.

Jeremiah 11:15. What right has my beloved in my house, when she has done many vile things? Can sacred meat avert your doom? Can you then exult? “My beloved” means the Judean people. God calls this people, which had truly received a lofty destiny but had fallen away from him, by this name in order to express sorrow over its fall (compare beloved in Matt 26:50).

Jeremiah 11:18. The Lord has revealed to me, and I know; then you showed me their deeds. Jeremiah 11:19. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter, and I did not know it was against me that they devised schemes, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.” Jeremiah 11:20. But, O Lord of hosts, righteous Judge, who tests the heart and the mind! Let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause. Jeremiah 11:21. Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the men of Anathoth who seek your life, saying, “You shall not prophesy in the name of the Lord, or you shall die by our hand”; Jeremiah 11:22. therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: “Behold, I will punish them; the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and daughters shall die by famine; Jeremiah 11:23. and there shall be no remnant of them; for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, the year of their punishment.” In Anathoth, the prophet’s native city, enmity toward the word of Jehovah was expressed in a conspiracy against the life of God’s messenger—Jeremiah. Only the warning which he received from God saved the prophet from deadly danger. For this the inhabitants of Anathoth will suffer severe punishment from God.

Jeremiah 11:19. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter, and I did not know it was against me that they devised schemes, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.” Jeremiah here is a type of the suffering Messiah compare Isa 53:7. “Let us put” should more correctly be translated thus: “Let us destroy the tree (that is, the prophet) along with its fruit, that is, the tree laden with fruit.” The enemies of the prophet call him a tree bearing fruit in keeping with Eastern modes of thought. The fruits are the words of the prophet, which they dislike. Special remarks. Some critics regard almost the whole of this chapter as inauthentic. But if some later writer, or as critics say, a later editor of Jeremiah, had inserted this chapter into the book of Jeremiah, he would surely have described the events mentioned here in much greater detail. The first hearers or readers of this chapter had no need of a description of all the details of the event, which, as contemporaries of Jeremiah, they knew well. Chapter Jer 11:18-23 together with the addition of chapter Jer 12:1-5 is read as a paremiae on Great Thursday at matins and on Great Friday at the ninth hour, apparently because the Church sees in Jeremiah a type of the suffering Christ. * * * Notes Sacrifices.

Chapter Twelve

1–6. The prophet’s complaint about his lot and God’s answer, proclaiming that the prophet must expect even greater troubles. 7–13. God’s vengeance upon his people. 14–21. Words of comfort and promise.

Jer 12:1-6. The hostility shown toward the prophet by his fellow-citizens prompts the prophet to ask God to punish them. Even the land of Judah cries out to God against the people, because through their stubbornness it experiences all sorts of devastation, while the very cause of these misfortunes remains unpunished. God’s answer not only does not comfort him, but confirms that his sorrows will yet increase.

Jeremiah 12:1. You will be righteous, O Lord, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive? Jeremiah 12:2. You plant them, and they take root; they grow and bring forth fruit; you are near in their mouth and far from their heart. Jeremiah stands here before the same riddle that troubled Job (compare Job 12:6; Job 21:7 and following).

Jeremiah 12:4. How long will the land mourn, and the grass of every field wither? For the wickedness of those who dwell in it the beasts and the birds are swept away, because men said, “He will not see our latter end.” The prophet probably complains here of a continuing drought in Judah (compare Jer 14:1 and following). “He will not see,” that is, the prophet will not live to see the fulfillment of his terrible predictions.

Jeremiah 12:5. If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you fall down, how will you do in the thickets of the Jordan? “In the thickets” more correctly: in the thickets of the Jordan, where lions dwell (compare Jer 49:19; Zech 11:3).

Jeremiah 12:6. For even your brothers and the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you; they are in full cry after you; do not believe them, even though they speak friendly words to you. God foretells to the prophet that even his own close relatives will try to do him harm. Jer 12:7-13. Still, nothing happens without the will of God. The hand of Jehovah at this present time hangs so heavily over the Judean country, although God does not cease to love his people whom he chastises.

Jeremiah 12:7. I have forsaken my house, I have abandoned my heritage; I have given the beloved of my soul into the hands of her enemies. “My house, my heritage,” that is, the land and people of Judah (compare Hos 8:1). From here through verse 13 there is a beautiful poem in which the speaker is the Lord himself.

Jeremiah 12:9. My heritage has become to me like a many-colored bird of prey, against which other birds of prey attack from every side. Go, gather together, all you wild beasts of the field; come to devour it. Birds with colorful brilliant plumage are usually attacked by other birds (Tacitus, Annals, VI, 28; Suetonius, Caesar, 81; Pliny, Natural History, X, 17).

Jeremiah 12:10. Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard, they have trampled down my field; my pleasant field they have made into a desolate wilderness; Foreign shepherds, that is, kings and princes, have caused much harm to the Judean state during the ninth year of the reign of King Jehoiakim (2 Sam 24:1 and following). At that time the prophet’s speech was apparently made.

Jeremiah 12:14. Thus says the Lord concerning all my evil neighbors who touch the heritage which I have given to my people Israel to inherit: “Behold, I will pluck them up from their land, and I will pluck up the house of Judah from among them. Jeremiah 12:15. But after I have plucked them up, again I will have compassion on them, and I will bring them back, each to his heritage and each to his land. Jeremiah 12:16. And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, “As the Lord lives,” even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up in the midst of my people. Jeremiah 12:17. But if any nation will not listen, then I will utterly pluck it up and destroy it, says the Lord.” But the Lord will still bring about his plan for the salvation of Judah. The evil neighbors of the Judeans (Moab, Ammon, Edom, and others) will experience the same fate as the Judeans, but then, together with the Judeans, will be restored to their lands. More than that, they can accept the faith of Judah and dwell in the midst of God’s people. This is necessary if they wish to be saved. Special remarks. In opposition to the opinion of some critics about the inauthenticity of this chapter, one must note that the prediction in verses 14–17 concerning the taking of the Moabites, Ammonites, and others into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar according to the will of God did not come to pass. If the author of chapter XII were a Jew living after the exile, he would scarcely have placed in the book a prophecy that remained unfulfilled.

Chapter Thirteen

1–14. A symbolic depiction of God’s judgment against the Jews who persist in ungodliness. 15–27. A final exhortation.

Jer 13:1-11. The prophet receives from God a command to continually wear a linen sash on his body. This is a symbol of Israel and Judah, whom the Lord drew exceedingly close to Himself. The prophet did not place this sash in water so as not to spoil it—just as Jehovah did not allow His people to be plunged into the realm of idolatry. But at last the prophet receives from God a command to take the sash to a river, bearing the name of the great Mesopotamian river Euphrates, and place it there in such a way that water could dampen it but it would not be carried away by the waters from its place. As a result the sash was spoiled. Likewise the people of Judah, separated by captivity from God, will ultimately be spoiled (though this does not exclude the salvation of a remnant).

Jeremiah 13:4. Take the sash that you have bought, which is upon your waist, and go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a crevice of a rock. “To the Euphrates.” Since the fate of the sash had to be verifiable by those who wished to do so, one cannot suppose that reference is being made to the distant Mesopotamian river here. Most likely this passage speaks of Wadi Farah—a stream that flowed not far from Anathoth (cf. Josh 18:23). But doubtless this stream was chosen for the symbolic action because of its assonance with the name of the river near which the exiled Hebrews were soon to live.

Jeremiah 13:10. This wicked people, which will not hear the words of My mouth, which walks in the stubbornness of their own heart and goes after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this sash, which is good for nothing. The majority of the Jewish prisoners will not only gain no benefit from their captivity—that is, will not repent—but on the contrary will perish there completely and will forget about the great purposes that the Jewish people had formerly intended to accomplish. Jer 13:12-14. To the symbolic action is joined a thought expressed in figurative language. Every vessel is filled with what it is designed for. But the inhabitants of Jerusalem, by their bent, can be determined for nothing other than to receive God’s wrath; as a result they will lose their reason and themselves hasten to meet destruction, which is expressed figuratively as the breaking of vessels.

Jeremiah 13:12. Therefore say to them this word: Thus says the Lord, God of Israel: Every wine skin is filled with wine. When they say to you, “Do we not certainly know that every wine skin is filled with wine?”— A “wine skin,” from the Hebrew nevel, can mean either a vessel for liquids, especially for wine.

Jeremiah 13:13. But say to them: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings sitting on the throne of David, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness from wine. The vessels of which the prophet speaks here are first of all individual members of the people, and in particular its rulers. The wine which intoxicates them is the wine of God’s wrath (see Jer 25:15). By kings not only the king himself is meant, but also his relatives who participated in state affairs (see Jer 21:11 and following). Jer 13:15-27. In his final exhortation the prophet indicates that repentance is still possible. If the Jews still do not take this to heart and fulfill it, then the prophet will have nothing left but to lament in solitude the approaching ruin of the Judean state. Let the king and queen then repent—they have many sins. But the Jews stubbornly refuse to turn to the true path, and the prophet is left only to point out the cause of Jerusalem’s fall—namely, the sinfulness of its inhabitants, which has become their second nature.

Jeremiah 13:16. Give glory to the Lord your God before He brings darkness, and before your feet stumble on the mountains of gloom; you wait for light, but He will turn it into deep darkness and make it into thick darkness. To give glory to God, according to the prophet’s thought, means not only to praise God, but also to confess one’s wrongdoings before Him and turn from evil deeds (cf. Mal 2:2). Darkness and gloom—that is, sudden nightfall—greatly frightens the traveler in the Judean mountains, where he can easily fall and be hurt.

Jeremiah 13:18. Say to the king and to the queen: Humble yourselves, sit down lower, for the crown of your glory has fallen from your head. Queen—an official title for the queen mother (1 Sam 15:13; 2 Sam 10:13), who held the second place at court after the king himself (cf. 1 Sam 2:19), which given the polygamy of that time is quite understandable. Most likely the prophet means here the mother of King Jeconiah, who shared the sad fate of her son (cf. Jer 22:26). Jeconiah was only 18 years old, or according to the book of Chronicles (2 Chr 36:9 according to the Hebrew text) only 8 years old when he ascended the throne, and so his mother’s participation in state affairs was necessary.

Jeremiah 13:19. The southern cities are locked up, and there is no one to open them; all Judah is carried away into captivity, completely carried away into captivity. “The southern cities are locked up”—that is, the inhabitants of Jerusalem can no longer escape there if they wished. The Judean cities to the south of Jerusalem, therefore, were the first to be attacked by enemies and cut off from the capital.

Jeremiah 13:20. Lift up your eyes and see those coming from the north: where is the flock that was given to you, your beautiful flock? The “flock” that was entrusted to Jerusalem to pasture—these are the very southern Judean cities already captured by enemies.

Jeremiah 13:21. What will you say, daughter of Zion, when He visits you? You yourself have taught them to rule over you; will not pangs seize you like a woman in labor? “Them,” that is, of course, the Babylonians, with whom King Hezekiah even wanted to establish friendly relations (2 Sam 20).

Jeremiah 13:22. And if you say in your heart, “For what reason has this befallen me?”—For the multitude of your sins your skirts are uncovered, your heels are made bare. Jerusalem is depicted under the image of a noble woman who, naturally, wore a long garment, and whose garment was suddenly lifted up.

Jeremiah 13:23. Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard his spots? So can you do good, accustomed as you are to doing evil? A leopard with spots still lives even now in Palestine, on the mountains of Lebanon. Can you?—Sin takes such hold of a person that it becomes a necessity for him, as it were his second nature.

Jeremiah 13:27. I have seen your adulteries and your raging lusts, your abominable deeds on the hills in the field. Woe to you, Jerusalem! You will not be cleansed even after this. How long will it be? “Adulteries”—that is, idolatry, which was accompanied by actual obscene conduct. Special Remarks. Under which king was this speech delivered—under Jehoiakim or under Jeconiah? In the explanation of verse 18 it was already said that it is most natural to suppose the prophet made mention of the queen mother when addressing the young Jeconiah. Now we add that King Jehoiakim was a man of very independent character and he would hardly have decided matters according to the advice of his mother. Therefore it is most probable that the speech of Chapter 13 was delivered during the three-month reign of King Jeconiah.

Chapter Fourteen

1–6. A description of drought. 7–12. God’s refusal to hear the prophet’s prayer for the people. 13–18. False prophets. 19–22. A new intercession by Jeremiah.

Jer 14:1-6. The prophet depicts drought in the Judean country. Both people and animals suffer greatly from lack of rain.

Jeremiah 14:1. The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah concerning the drought. Here, probably, reference is being made to the absence of the so-called late rain, which falls in early spring. This “lack of rain” was very dangerous for a country whose entire harvest depends on this rain. Besides, this rain fills various reservoirs in Palestine, and without it everyone suffers from thirst during summer (cf. Joel 1:17-20).

Jeremiah 14:2. Judah mourns, her gates are broken down, they mourn on the ground, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem. “The gates are broken down”—that is, the Jews, gathered at the city square by the gates, in exhaustion sit on the ground in mourning garments of black.

Jeremiah 14:3. The nobles send their servants for water; they come to the wells and find no water; they return with empty vessels; humiliated and confused, they cover their heads. Even now, when water runs out in Jerusalem, people are sent for water to the well of Job, to the south of Jerusalem, where water usually flows even in hot weather.

Jeremiah 14:4. Because the ground is cracked from the lack of rain on the earth, the farmers are dismayed and cover their heads. According to Duhm’s reading, the beginning of the verse should be translated thus: “and those working the land have come in dismay because there has been no rain on the earth.”

Jeremiah 14:5. Even the doe gives birth in the field and abandons her young, because there is no grass. The doe was distinguished, in the opinion of the ancients (Bochart, Hier. 1663, 1:893), by special tenderness toward her young. Jer 14:7-12. Although the prophet acknowledges that the Lord is justly punishing the Jews for their sins, he asks God to forgive them because God’s name is proclaimed over the people of Judah. However, God refuses to have mercy on the people because of their utter ungodliness and even announces to the Jews new punishments.

Jeremiah 14:9. Why are You like a man bewildered, like a mighty man unable to save? And yet You, O Lord, are in the midst of us, and Your name is called upon us; do not forsake us. “Bewildered”—that is, deprived, as a result of some misfortune, of the ability to reason and observe. “Your name is called upon”—see Jer 7:10. Jer 14:13-18. The prophet tries to excuse his people by the fact that false prophets are leading them astray, promising them peace and well-being. But Jehovah condemns both the prophets and those who listen to their prophesies. Nothing other than either death or exile can await the inhabitants of Jerusalem!

Jeremiah 14:14. And the Lord said to me: The prophets prophesy lies in My name; I did not send them, nor did I command them, nor did I speak to them; they are prophesying to you vain visions and divinations, worthlessness, and the delusions of their own hearts. “Divinations”—from the Hebrew kesem. This word has a bad sense, especially when the following phrase “worthlessness” is added. “Delusions of their own hearts”—that is, products of their own fantasy, not revelations from God.

Jeremiah 14:16. And the people to whom they prophesy shall be scattered in the streets of Jerusalem because of famine and sword, and there will be no one to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters; and I will pour out their wickedness upon them. “People”—better: people, because not all the people are meant here (cf. Jer 20:6). “Their wickedness”—that is, their evil deeds will serve as punishment for them.

Jeremiah 14:18. When I go out into the field, behold, those slain by the sword! When I enter the city, behold, those wasting away from famine! Both prophet and priest roam the land in bewilderment. “In bewilderment”—more correctly from the LXX: “which they did not know” (Babylon is meant). Jer 14:19-22. Jeremiah does not venture to come to his people with such a prediction and again beseeches God to spare the Jews, who are waiting so for His mercy.

Jeremiah 14:20. We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, the sin of our fathers; for we have sinned against You. Guilt before God in the Jews is partly inherited from their ancestors and partly their own.

Jeremiah 14:21. Do not reject us for the sake of Your name; do not dishonor Your throne of glory; remember, do not break Your covenant with us. The throne of God’s glory—this is the Temple in Jerusalem. Special Remarks. See after Chapter 15.

Chapter Fifteen

1–9. A new refusal by Jehovah to hear the prophet’s prayer. 10–21. The prophet’s spiritual suffering and encouragement by God.

Jer 15:1-9. The Lord does not wish to forgive His people, because they do not deserve it. The people must endure all the punishments determined for them by God’s righteous judgment, and the prophet already sees the carrying out of this sentence.

Jeremiah 15:1. And the Lord said to me: Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My soul would not turn toward this people; send them away from My presence, let them depart. Moses and Samuel, as in Ps 98:6, are presented here as such intercessors for the people whose intercession Jehovah accepted (Exod 32:11 and following; Num 14:13 and following 1 Sam 7:9 and following; 1 Sam 12:18). But now even these intercessors could not be heard by God—so great is the transgression of the people of Judah against God! “Let them depart.” The Hebrews evidently came themselves to the temple to beg for forgiveness.

Jeremiah 15:3. And I will appoint over them four kinds of judgment, says the Lord: the sword to slay, and dogs to tear, and the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. Dogs, predatory birds, and beasts appear in order to devour the corpses of slain Jews and, as unclean creatures, defile them by this.

Jeremiah 15:4. And I will make them an abhorrence to all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem. “I will make them an abhorrence”—more precisely from the Hebrew: I will make the Jews such that, looking at them and their fate, all nations will shudder. “Because of Manasseh.” This thought appears to be a repetition of the thought of the writer of the Fourth Book of Kings (2 Sam 21:11 and following; 2 Sam 23:26; 2 Sam 24:3). It is difficult to imagine that Jeremiah could say that because of the sins of one king, who moreover repented and was returned from captivity (see 2 Sam 21:11 and following), God would nevertheless destroy the entire population of Judah. If he thought so, then what would be the purpose of his preaching about repentance, which he for a long time addressed to his people?! Evidently, Manasseh here is only a type of the sinful Jew. And in the Jews, his contemporaries, the prophet sees imitators of that ungodly king, and therefore announces their destruction to them. Jer 15:5. and following verses up to verse 9 form a small, metrically regular poem.

Jeremiah 15:7. I will winnow them with a winnowing fan at the gates of the earth; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy My people; yet they do not return from their ways. “At the gates of the earth.” The Jews, like chaff, will be blown out of their country. But in the original text it says: “in the gates of the earth.” Here gates, as in Jer 14:2, are mentioned instead of cities (the word in this sense is understood by Symmachus), and the whole expression can be translated thus: “I will winnow you with a winnowing fan in (all) cities.”

Jeremiah 15:8. Their widows are more numerous before Me than the sand of the sea; I bring upon them, upon the mother of youths, a destroyer at noon; suddenly upon them I bring terror and anguish. “Upon the mother of youths.” This expression is not entirely clear, though it is more happily conveyed in the Syriac translation: upon the mother and upon her son (cf. Gen 32:12; Hos 10:14). “A destroyer at noon”—that is, enemies, knowing that Jerusalem has no defenders, will attack it in broad daylight. Jer 15:10-21. The prophet suffers at the sight of the enmity which his words about the judgment awaiting his fellow citizens awakes in the Jews. Although God comforts the prophet with a promise of His support, yet the prophet still cannot compose himself. How long must he suffer? He bears reproaches for the sake of Jehovah! At first, he was truly steadfast in his ministry and it brought him joy to be the messenger of Jehovah’s commands, so much so that he abstained from the normal amusements of young men. But now he is unable to bear the weight of his mission, and he does not feel that strength which Jehovah promised to sustain in him. God answers the prophet with a rebuke for his faintheartedness. Let the prophet take courage again—then God will sustain him, restore to him the lost dignity, and the prophet will again occupy the position he held upon entering his ministry.

Jeremiah 15:10. “Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me as a man of contention and a man of conflict with the whole earth! I have not lent, nor have others lent to me, yet all curse me.” Nothing so easily arouses mutual ill-will and hatred as the relations between those who lend and borrow money at interest.

Jeremiah 15:11. The Lord said: Surely your life will end well, and I will cause your enemies to deal well with you in times of trouble and hardship. The enemies of the prophet—that is, the Jews themselves—will seek the prophet’s intercession before God when afflictions befall them (cf. Jer 21:1 and following; Jer 37:3).

Jeremiah 15:12. Can iron shatter iron from the north, and bronze? More correctly: “Can one break iron, northern iron (mined in northern mountains and extremely hard) and bronze?” Iron here refers to the prophet, who is miraculously strengthened by God.

Jeremiah 15:13. Your wealth and your treasures I will give for plunder, without price, for all your sins, throughout all your territory. Jeremiah 15:14. And I will cause your enemies to carry you away into a land you do not know; for a fire has kindled in My anger—it will burn upon you. These words represent a direct address from God to the people. By this inserted address God wants to convince the prophet that His words will be fulfilled. “Without price”—that is, the despoilers of the Judean country will not be punished by God.

Jeremiah 15:15. O Lord! You know all; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on those who persecute me; do not take me away in Your forbearance; You know that for Your sake I suffer reproach. You know—the prophet does not doubt the wisdom of all of Jehovah’s actions toward him, but asks only that He take into account his weakness. The enemies of the prophet appear to him at the same time as enemies of Jehovah Himself.

Jeremiah 15:16. Your words were found, and I ate them; and Your word became for me a joy and delight of my heart; for Your name is called upon me, O Lord, God of hosts. Compare Jer 1:9. Here, however, a more natural rendering is that of the LXX, which relates the phrase “Your words were found” to the preceding verse. Better translate the end of verse 15 and the beginning of verse 16 thus: “I suffer reproach from those who reject Your words. So end it!… And may Your word be…” etc.

Jeremiah 15:17. I did not sit in the circle of merrymakers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because Your hand was heavy upon me, for You filled me with indignation. The heavy hand—these are the revelations which Jeremiah received from God. These revelations had dark content, and therefore he could not be joyful when receiving them.

Jeremiah 15:18. Why is my suffering perpetual, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You surely be to me like a deceived source, like waters that cannot be depended upon? In Palestine there are many such streams which have water only during periods of rain. In summer these streams are simply dry beds along which one can walk.

Jeremiah 15:19. Therefore thus says the Lord: If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before Me; and if you separate the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth. Let them turn to you, but you do not turn to them. Jehovah expresses no regret for what Jeremiah has suffered and, as it were, forgets his merits. By this Jeremiah is made to understand that by his excessive complaints he has lowered his dignity as a minister of Jehovah. No, those lips which the Lord made an instrument for proclaiming His will must speak nothing unworthy. Whoever is dissatisfied with his position as a messenger of Jehovah and still desires something for himself personally is not worthy to be a minister of God! “Separate the precious from the vile”—more correctly: “if you bring forth only the noble and nothing base.” In Jeremiah there are both good qualities and bad. He must develop only the first and free himself from the normal human carnal strivings. Special Remarks. Chapters 14 and 15 form one whole. When was the speech found here spoken? Judging by the circumstances in which the prophet found himself at this time, this speech can be dated to the second half of Jehoiakim’s reign. At this time the prophet indeed suffered greatly from the universal hatred which his prophecies about the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple aroused among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Chapter Sixteen

1–9. God’s judgment upon the people of Judah. 10–13. An explanation of the cause of God’s anger. 24–21. The future salvation of the people and the punishment that precedes it.

Jer 16:1-9. As a sign of the sad fate of the Jewish people, Jeremiah must not establish a family. He must also break the friendly ties which he had in the people, because Jehovah is withdrawing His friendship from the people.

Jeremiah 16:2. Do not take a wife, and do not have sons or daughters in this place. Family life could have brought comfort to the prophet, hated in Israelite society, but according to God’s decree, he must also renounce this comfort.

Jeremiah 16:6. Both great and small shall die in this land; they shall not be buried, and no one shall lament for them or make incisions for them or shave their heads for them. “Great and small”—that is, noble and common people. “Shave their heads”—more precisely, from the Hebrew: to make cuts on the body (cf. Jer 41:5) and then to shave the head bald (Jer 47:5; Isa 22:12). Both practices were forbidden by the Law of Moses (Lev 19:27 and following; Lev 21:5), yet were practiced among the Hebrews. The prophet is forbidden to take part in the lamentation of any family over the death of a member of that family. This will be a sign that soon the dead will not be lamented and will not even be buried because it will be impossible to do so: the surviving Jews will have to think only of themselves.

Jeremiah 16:7. Neither shall they break bread for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; nor shall they give them the cup of comfort to drink for their father or for their mother. After a funeral, friends would send bread and wine to the bereaved family to sustain those who had buried the dead and who, naturally, had not eaten food during this time (Prov 31:6).

Jeremiah 16:10. And when you tell this people all these words, and they say to you, “Why has the Lord decreed all this great evil upon us? What is our guilt, and what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?”— Jeremiah 16:11. Then you shall say to them: Because your fathers forsook Me, says the Lord, and went after other gods, and served them, and worshiped them, and did not keep My law. Jeremiah 16:12. And you have done even worse than your fathers, for each of you walks according to the stubbornness of his evil heart, so as not to listen to Me. Jeremiah 16:13. Therefore I will cast you out of this land into the land which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers; and there you shall serve other gods day and night, because I will not show you favor. The cause of God’s anger against the people is their unfaithfulness to Jehovah. The contemporaries of Jeremiah have acted even worse toward God than their ancestors, and for this the Lord will drive them out of Palestine into a distant land. Jer 16:14-21. But the more grim the fate awaiting the Jews now, the more magnificent will be the salvation that they receive later from Jehovah. At the sight of this salvation, even the pagans will turn to the true God! But for now, while the Jewish people must drain the cup of punishment to the dregs.

Jeremiah 16:14. Therefore behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when it will no longer be said: “As the Lord lives who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt”— Once the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian captivity affected the souls of the Hebrews so greatly that they swore by the name of the One who accomplished this great miracle.

Jeremiah 16:15. But rather: “As the Lord lives who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of the north and out of all the lands where He has driven them”: for I will bring them back to their land, which I gave to their fathers. In time, a new miracle—the deliverance of the Jews from Babylonian captivity—will have an even stronger effect on the Jews, and they will mention in their oaths the One who will deliver them from this, the Babylonian, captivity.

Jeremiah 16:16. Behold, I will send many fishers, says the Lord, and they will fish for them; and afterward I will send many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and from the crevices of the rocks. Fishers and hunters—these are the Chaldeans, who sometimes captured the population of the Kingdom of Judah in great masses, as fishermen draw fish in nets, and sometimes hunted individual Jews hidden in the mountains (cf. Hab 1:15).

Jeremiah 16:18. And I will recompense their wickedness and their sin twofold, because they have defiled My land with the carcasses of their detestable things and have filled My inheritance with their abominations. “First”—more precisely from the Hebrew: first (cf. Isa 65:7)—that is, before the promises of verses 14–15 are fulfilled. “For their double sin.” The sin of the Jews is called double or two-fold to indicate the intensity of this sin (cf. Isa 40:2). “Carcasses of the vile.” Idols are called carcasses to indicate their uncleanness, since a corpse was the greatest uncleanness in the eyes of a Jew. Special Remarks—see after Chapter 17.

Chapter Seventeen

1–4. For their sins the people of Judah must necessarily bear punishment. 5–11. False and true confidence. 12–13. The prophet’s hope. 19–27. On the observance of the Sabbath.

Jer 17:1-4. The Lord cannot forget the transgression of Judah, in which Judah does not wish to repent. Therefore He will give the country of Judah over to ruin, and the people into captivity.

Jeremiah 17:1. The sin of Judah is written with an iron pen, with a diamond point engraved on the tablet of their heart and on the horns of their altars. Just as an engraver with a diamond point carves clear and distinct letters on metal or on crystal, so the sin of Judah has been imprinted on his heart and on the horns of his altars. The Lord thus sees in the depths of Judah’s heart the inclination toward paganism. As for the altars to pagan gods, they were of course already destroyed under King Josiah, yet the Lord did not forget about them and about the horns that adorned them, made in the likeness of the horns on the true altar of the Temple of Jehovah.

Jeremiah 17:2. As they remember their sons, they remember their altars and their Asherah poles beside the green trees, on the high hills. The contemporaries of Jeremiah regret the suppressed idolatry, and the pagan altars, groves, hills where pagan sacrifices were made are dear to them in their memories like their own children.

Jeremiah 17:3. My mountain in the field, your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil, and your high places, on account of sin throughout all your territory. God’s mountain—this is Jerusalem, visible from afar to those traveling in the surrounding plains. However, the Hebrew phrase, translated in the Russian text as “My mountain,” can also be related to the preceding verse and translated thus: “on the mountains of the field.” Jer 17:5-11. Wretched is he who trusts in man rather than in God. Even if he achieves something, God will take it from him. On the other hand, he who trusts in God will prosper, like a tree growing by water.

Jeremiah 17:5. Thus says the Lord: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord. It is very likely that the prophet has in mind King Jehoiakim, who placed great hopes in help from the Egyptians and, contrary to the advice of the prophet Jeremiah, entered into conspiracies against the Babylonian king.

Jeremiah 17:6. He shall be like a shrub in the desert and shall not see when good comes, and shall dwell in the parched places in the wilderness, in a land of salt and uninhabited. “A shrub in the desert”—a plant placed in the wilderness, of course, grows poorly because it has no irrigation.

Jeremiah 17:9. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:10. I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the innermost thoughts, to give to each man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his deeds. The prophet here also has in mind the cunning schemes of Jewish politicians, which, however, the Lord clearly sees.

Jeremiah 17:11. Like a partridge that gathers eggs that she did not lay, so is he who gathers wealth unjustly; in the midst of his days it will leave him, and at the end he will be a fool. Here the prophet speaks of the partridge that sits on eggs not her own, from the perspective of the understandings of that time, which may not accord with scientific observation. Jer 17:12-18. The enemies of the prophet scoff at him, not seeing the fulfillment of his threats yet, and the prophet asks God to come to his aid and punish his enemies, since he was always a faithful executor of Jehovah’s will.

Jeremiah 17:12. A throne of glory, exalted from of old, is the place of our sanctuary. The prophet speaks here on behalf of the better part of the Jewish people, who regard with aversion the pagan altars, bowing down only before the altar of the true God, standing in the Temple of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 17:13. O Lord, the hope of Israel; all who abandon You will be ashamed. “Those who turn away from Me will be written in the dust, because they have abandoned the Lord, the source of living water.” “Written in the dust.” Just as writing in sand is easily erased, so quickly does the well-being of those who turn away from Jehovah disappear.

Jeremiah 17:16. I have not rushed to become a shepherd under You, nor have I desired the day of calamity; You know this; what has come from my lips is open before Your face. The prophet had no hostile feeling toward his fellow citizens. It was hard for him to constantly predict misfortunes to them. Jer 17:19-27. The prophet must restore in the mind of the people the concept of the holiness of the Law of Moses, in particular to preach to all the necessity of keeping the law regarding Sabbath rest. To this is added a promise of well-being for those who honor the Sabbath and threats to its violators.

Jeremiah 17:19. Thus the Lord said to me: Go and stand in the gate of the people, through which the kings of Judah enter and through which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem, “The gate of the people.” Instead of “the people”—from the Hebrew benei-am—it is better to read: the Benjamin gate. The word benei-am may be recognized as an abbreviation of the word Benjamin. These were city gates constructed on the north side of the wall—in the direction of the tribe of Benjamin. “The kings of Judah”—see Jer 13:13.

Jeremiah 17:21. Thus says the Lord: Take heed to yourselves, and do not carry loads on the Sabbath day, nor bring them through the gates of Jerusalem, The kings, of course, did not carry the loads themselves, but forced others to do so. Special Remarks. The speech found in Jer 16:1 – Jer 17:18 verses may be considered a continuation and conclusion of that spoken during the drought (Chapters 14–15). The mockery of the prophet’s words (Jer 17:15) shows that the Chaldeans had not yet caused serious harm to the Judean country. Probably, therefore, this speech was spoken during the comparatively quiet years of Jehoiakim’s reign. As for Jer 17:19-27, this passage represents an independent whole. One may suppose that this is one of the sermons with which Jeremiah addressed the people in the days of King Josiah, regarding the discovery of the book of the Law of Moses. From it we see that the prophet Jeremiah, who so zealously stood for inner piety, at the same time considered it necessary to observe the external precepts of the Law of Moses. The keeping of the law about the Sabbath becomes a test stone for the people and should testify to how faithful he is to Jehovah.

Chapter Eighteen

1–12. The potter and the clay. 13–17. The faithlessness of the Jews toward God. 18–23. Their schemes against the prophet.

Jer 18:1-12 God, as the Supreme Lord, has every right both to give promises and to revoke them, just as a potter can dispose of the clay in his hands as he wishes. When the state of one nation or another changes, so does God’s relation toward that nation. Yet this admonition, delivered by the prophet to the people, met with complete opposition from the people.

Jeremiah 18:1. The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: Jeremiah 18:2. “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.” “Go down.” The potters lived below, outside the city, where they could obtain clay for themselves—perhaps near the valley of Hinnom.

Jeremiah 18:3. And I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he was working at his work on the wheel. The wheel—a potter’s lathe consisting of two disks and operated by foot (among ancient Egyptians—by the left hand). The potter shaped the outer side of the vessel with his right hand while gradually expanding its interior with his left hand.

Jeremiah 18:6. Can I not deal with you, O house of Israel, as this potter does? declares the Lord. Behold, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. The image of God as a potter is found frequently among other Church writers (Job 10:9; Isa 29:16; Wis 15:7; Sir 36:13; Rom 9:21). Jer 18:13-17 The faithlessness of Israel toward God, their Benefactor, is utterly unnatural and brings grave consequences for Israel, for the Lord will turn His face from them and abandon the Jews to the control of their enemies.

Jeremiah 18:14. Does the snow of Lebanon ever leave the rocky crags of the field? Do the cold flowing waters ever run dry? The snow on the highest crags of Lebanon never melts, even in the scorching summer.—“The cold flowing waters…” These are waters flowing from the regions of Lebanon, from Syria—hence foreign to Palestine. Lebanon sustains them with its snow and they constantly flow from its peaks. The prophet clearly contrasts these foreign, foreign waters with the waters of Canaan, that is, the people of Israel, which resembles a Canaanite stream that dries up in summer.

Jeremiah 18:17. Like an east wind I will scatter them before their enemies; I will show them My back and not My face in the day of their calamity. The east wind in Palestine is distinguished by its exceptional force and drying heat (Ps 47:8; Job 27:21; Jer 13:24). Jer 18:18-23 In view of his enemies’ schemes against him, the prophet asks God to punish them according to strict justice. These enemies are the priests, wise men, and prophets, who considered themselves the legitimate and capable leaders of the chosen people.

Jeremiah 18:18. And they said: “Come, let us devise schemes against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us smite him with the tongue and let us not listen to his words.” The priests were the guardians of the Law of Moses among the people, the wise men were counselors to the rulers and leaders of the people, and the prophets transmitted divine revelations.—“Smite him with the tongue” means to bring a serious accusation against Jeremiah (compare verse 23 and Jer 19:2, verses 11 and following).

Jeremiah 18:20. Is evil a fit return for good? Yet they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before You to speak good things for them, to turn away Your wrath from them. Compare Ps 34:1-2. Special remarks. The parable-speech of the prophet contained in this chapter was said, most likely, during the reign of Jehoiakim. This is demonstrated by its similarity with the speech of Chapter XIX, which by all evidence was delivered precisely during the reign of that king.

Chapter Nineteen

1–15. The command of God given to Jeremiah regarding the symbolic action he was to perform in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and his return from that valley.

Jer 19:1-15 The Lord commands the prophet to buy a clay vessel and, in the presence of several elders of Judah, to go with it to the valley of the sons of Hinnom or to Topheth. There he is to announce to Jerusalem the terrible judgment of God for the sins of its inhabitants. The valley of the sons of Hinnom will be called the valley of slaughter, and Jerusalem will be destroyed as a vessel made of clay is broken and will become a place of uncleanness. Returning from Topheth, Jeremiah in a few words repeats the prophecy he uttered at Topheth.

Jeremiah 19:1. Thus says the Lord: Go and buy a clay vessel from a potter, and take with you some of the elders of the people and some of the elders of the priests, Jeremiah 19:2. and go out to the valley of the sons of Hinnom, which is by the entrance of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell you, The Potsherd Gate—the gate of potsherds. It was so called as one of the southern gates of Jerusalem because of the mass of broken pottery lying about there. Through it one could pass into the valley of the sons of Hinnom.

Jeremiah 19:3. and say: Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing evil upon this place, such that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle, “O kings of Judah”—see Jer 13:13.—“This place” means the valley of Hinnom, and along with it all the land of Judah.

Jeremiah 19:4. because they have forsaken Me and have made this place strange, and they burn incense in it to other gods, which neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have known, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent “Made this place strange”—that is, defiled it.—“Blood of the innocent” means the blood of children who were sacrificed to idols (Ps 105:38).

Jeremiah 19:9. And I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and each shall eat the flesh of his neighbor in the siege and in the straits, when their enemies and those who seek their life press them hard. The inhabitants of Jerusalem, besieged by the Babylonians, ate their own children (Lam 2:20).

Jeremiah 19:13. And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah shall be defiled like the place of Topheth, because all the houses upon whose roofs they have made offerings to all the host of heaven and have poured out drink offerings to other gods. All Jerusalem will be defiled just as the valley of Topheth will be defiled by the scattered corpses of murdered Jews.

Jeremiah 19:14. And Jeremiah came from Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, and he stood in the court of the house of the Lord and said to all the people: There is no doubt that Jeremiah fulfilled in every detail what the Lord commanded him to do. Special remarks—see after Chapter XX.

Chapter Twenty

1–6. A threat of God’s judgment against Pashhur, who insulted the prophet. 7–18. The prophet’s lament over the hardship of his condition and the consolation which God provides.

(Jer 20:1-6) Pashhur, an overseer in the temple, hearing Jeremiah’s prophecy, struck him and put him in the stocks for a whole day. For this Jeremiah prophesied to him personally that he would be carried captive to Babylon and would die in captivity, while repeating the prophecy of the carrying away of the entire Jewish people into captivity.

Jeremiah 20:1. When Pashhur the son of Immer, the priest who was chief officer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, “Pashhur” was the son of Immer and thus a priest from the sixteenth priestly course (1 Chr 24:14). His office was very important. At the same time he claimed prophetic authority for himself (verse 6) and thus looked upon Jeremiah as his rival.

Jeremiah 20:2. Pashhur beat the prophet Jeremiah and put him in the stocks that were in the Upper Gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord. The gate of Benjamin is called the upper gate, probably because it led from the inner, priestly courtyard to the outer courtyard, and the first courtyard was situated higher than the second. Or perhaps it was named thus in distinction from the city gates, which also bore the name “gate of Benjamin” (see Jer 17:19).

Jeremiah 20:3. But the next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him: The Lord does not call your name Pashhur, but Magor-Missabib. *** The Lord now mysteriously proclaims to the wicked priest a new name, one which fully corresponds to his sad fate awaiting him. This is a sign that the fate of Pashhur, indicated in the meaning of his new name, can no longer be changed. Jer 20:7-18 The insults to which the prophet was subjected compel him again to complain about his fate. He even resolved to cease prophesying altogether, but could not carry out his resolve. The Lord urges him to continue his ministry and, in reliance on His help, the prophet expresses his assurance in the destruction of his enemies. But soon human weakness again makes itself felt and the prophet curses the day of his birth.

Jeremiah 20:7. You have seduced me, O Lord, and I was seduced; You are stronger than I, and You have prevailed, and I am a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. More precisely from the Hebrew: “You persuaded or talked me into it, O Lord; am I acting against my will?”

Jeremiah 20:8. For whenever I speak, I cry out; I shout, “Violence and destruction!” For the word of the Lord has become to me a reproach and derision all day long. The prophet, at each time he comes forward to preach, must complain of the violence and insults inflicted upon him for his preaching. He indeed must proclaim such words of God as are deeply displeasing to his countrymen, and for which the prophet continually pays the price.

Jeremiah 20:14. Cursed be the day on which I was born! The day when my mother bore me, let it not be blessed! Jeremiah 20:15. Cursed be the man who brought the news to my father and said, “A son has been born to you,” and made him very glad. The curses which the prophet hurls upon the day of his birth and the man who brought news of his birth to his father should be understood in the sense that it had become unbearable for the prophet to live in the world.

Jeremiah 20:16. Let that man be like the cities that the Lord overthrew without pity; let him hear a cry in the morning and an alarm at noon, Since that man, who brought news of Jeremiah’s birth to his father, can scarcely be compared to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which Jeremiah has in view here, and since it would be unnatural to suppose that a stranger could have access to the woman giving birth and especially that he could have killed Jeremiah while still in his mother’s womb, it is better to acknowledge (with Duhm) that in verse 16, the word “isch” (man) should read “jom” (day), which looks quite similar to it. In that case both here and in verse 17 the sense and expression become clear. The prophet wishes that his birthday be an unfortunate day, that no more children be born on that day: it will be deprived of life like Sodom and Gomorrah: and only lamentation will be heard on that day. Moreover, that day could actually have killed Jeremiah, so that he would have been born dead, and in this sense the expression of verse 17 becomes natural. Special remarks. The symbolic action in the valley of Hinnom and the event recorded in Chapter XX probably took place before the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign, when the prophet could still come forward with preaching in the temple, which was not allowed to him later.—Jeremiah’s prophecy about Pashhur was probably fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar carried some Jews captive to Babylon in 607 BC. In fact, in Jer 29:25-26 verse, an overseer of the temple named not Pashhur but Zephaniah is mentioned. * * * Notes Terror all around.

Chapter Twenty-One

1–7. King Zedekiah asks Jeremiah about the fate of the Judean state. Jeremiah’s answer. 8–10. Jeremiah’s counsel to the people. 11–14. Exhortation to the royal house.

Jer 21:1-7 When Nebuchadnezzar had besieged Jerusalem, King Zedekiah sent to ask the prophet Jeremiah about the fate of the city, saying that perhaps the Lord would help the Jews. Jeremiah says that God will not only refuse to help, but will Himself fight against the Jews and will deliver both the king himself and all who remain alive into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.

Jeremiah 21:1. The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying, Jeremiah 21:2. “Inquire of the Lord for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us; perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all His wonderful deeds and will cause him to withdraw from us.” Zedekiah clearly hoped that the Lord might answer him in the same way He answered King Hezekiah in a similar circumstance (2 Sam 19:2 and following). But Zedekiah certainly did not deserve God’s mercy (compare Jer 37:1 and following; 2 Sam 24:19 and following).—The siege properly had not yet begun—they were expecting skirmishes with enemies outside the city (verse 4).

Jeremiah 21:3. Jeremiah said to them: Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, Jeremiah 21:4. Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls; and I will bring them together into the midst of this city; The Jewish forces, which were outside the city, will all take refuge behind its walls.

Jeremiah 21:8. And to this people you shall say: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death; Jeremiah 21:9. He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and shall have his life as a prize of war; Jeremiah 21:10. for I have set My face against this city for evil and not for good, declares the Lord; it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. Turning now to the people, the prophet counsels those who wish to save their lives to surrender to the Chaldeans. Jer 21:11-14 To the royal house, that is, to all members of the royal court who administer justice, Jeremiah urges that they administer justice righteously. Otherwise, the Lord will destroy the strongholds of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 21:13. Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the plain, declares the Lord,—you who say, “Who will come down against us, or who will enter our strongholds?” Jerusalem was surrounded by mountains, yet it itself stood out in the valley of Jerusalem like a rock, so that in order to approach it, enemies had to climb mountains, and then, in order to take it, they again had to climb the hills on which Jerusalem was situated. Hence the confidence of the inhabitants of Jerusalem in their safety. Special remark. The address to the royal house (verses 11–14) probably has in view not Zedekiah but Jehoiakim. In fact, here the royal court is exhorted to perform righteous judgment and thus the salvation of Jerusalem is still supposed to be possible. Meanwhile, it was no longer possible under Zedekiah (see verses 5–7).

Chapter Twenty-Two

1–9. Introduction and speeches addressed to the Judean kings. 10–12. Word concerning Jehoahaz-Shallum. 13–19. Concerning Jehoiakim. 20–30. Concerning Jeconiah.

Jer 22:1-9 The prophet addresses the king of Judah and his servants and all the people with an exhortation to administer justice righteously. If this is not done, the Lord will strictly punish both the king and all his subjects, who have especially incurred God’s wrath by their worship of foreign gods.

Jeremiah 22:1. Thus says the Lord: Go down to the house of the king of Judah and speak this word there, The royal palace stood apparently on the southern slope of the temple mount and therefore from the temple to the palace one did not ascend but descended. Jeremiah at this time was probably in the temple.

Jeremiah 22:2. and say: Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah sitting on the throne of David, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates. “Your people.” This is of course not all the Jews, but people who stood close to the king, and there were many of them.

Jeremiah 22:4. For if you will indeed obey this word, then through the gates of this house there shall enter kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their people. See Jer 17:25.

Jeremiah 22:5. But if you will not hear these words, I swear by Myself, declares the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation. “House” means the royal palace.

Jeremiah 22:6. For thus says the Lord concerning the house of the king of Judah: You are Gilead to Me, the peak of Lebanon; yet surely I will make you a desert, an uninhabited city. The royal palace, built from the finest cedar trees and oaks, the prophet calls “the peak of Lebanon,” where mighty cedars grew, and “Gilead”—a region whose hills were covered with strong oaks (compare 2 Sam 7:2; 1 Sam 7:2-5).—“I will make you…” Having mentioned Gilead, the prophet immediately recalls the desolation in which that once densely populated Amorite region was already found in his time. Even now in eastern Palestine the ruins of ancient cities are visible, but in Jeremiah’s time these ruins were even more abundant. Jer 22:10-12 King Shallum faces a wretched death in captivity, to which his enemies are taking him, and the prophet invites the Jews to shed tears for him.

Jeremiah 22:11. Do not weep for him who is dead, nor mourn for him; but weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he shall return no more to see the land of his birth. “The dead” refers to King Josiah, whom the Jews mourned greatly (2 Chr 35:25).—“He who goes away into captivity” is, as is clear from the following verse, Shallum, the son of Josiah. Who was this Shallum? On the basis of 2 Sam 23:30 and following, and 2 Chr 36:1-2, we can say with confidence that the prophet here meant Jehoahaz, the successor of Josiah. He bore the name Shallum, probably before his ascension to the throne. Jehoahaz-Shallum reigned for only three months and was led captive by the Pharaoh. He was replaced by Jehoiakim, appointed by the Egyptians, which of course must have greatly irritated the Babylonian king, for whom the Pharaoh and all of Pharaoh’s appointees were intensely hated. Thus, mourning the deportation of Jehoahaz into captivity, the Jews would at the same time mourn their own wretched fate, which the Babylonian king was preparing for them. Jer 22:13-19 King Jehoiakim, for his oppression of his subjects, for the avarice which drove him to the shedding of innocent blood, will be deprived of even an honorable burial.

Jeremiah 22:13. Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice; who makes his neighbor work for nothing and does not give him his wages, The financial position of Jehoiakim was very strained (2 Sam 23:35), yet he loved to undertake magnificent building projects: in particular he adorned the upper rooms, that is, the upper chambers of the palace, where kings usually spent all their daytime hours. In this he was clearly imitating the example of the Babylonian king (compare Hab 2:9 and following).

Jeremiah 22:14. who says, “I will build myself a great house with spacious upper rooms,” and cuts out windows for it, panels it with cedar, and paints it with vermilion. “Who cuts out windows,” that is, makes especially wide windows, which was not cheap, for the window grates were adorned with expensive carved work.—“Panels it with cedar.” For decoration the ceiling was paneled with cedar and painted with red paint—in imitation of the Egyptian fashion.

Jeremiah 22:15. Do you think you are a king because you enclose yourself in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. Jehoiakim thinks it necessary for the exaltation of royal power to undertake as many expensive buildings as possible. Yet the strength of royal power does not consist in this at all. But in any case it is better to limit one’s personal expenses as your father, Josiah, did, who was therefore beloved by his subjects.

Jeremiah 22:16. He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this what it means to know Me? declares the Lord. The most necessary thing for a ruler of the Judean kingdom is to know God as the supreme King of the Jewish people. But that king truly knows God who cares solicitously for the poor and orphans.

Jeremiah 22:18. Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Alas, my brother!’ or ‘Alas, sister!’ They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Alas, lord!’ or ‘Alas, his majesty!’” “Alas, brother! alas, sister!”—these are cries of sorrow at the death of ordinary citizens. “Alas, lord! alas, his majesty!”—these are laments for the death of a king.

Jeremiah 22:19. He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey, dragged and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem. Like a dead donkey, with no respect, they will drag the corpse of Jehoiakim when he dies. Although 2 Sam 24:6 says nothing of violent death or dishonorable burial of Jehoiakim, yet this passage does not exclude the possibility of it, because the same phrase used by the writer of 2 Kings concerning Jehoiakim’s death was used earlier concerning the burial of Ahab (1 Sam 22:40). Yet it is known about the latter that dogs licked the blood flowing from his wound (1 Sam 22:38). Therefore the remark in 2 Sam 24:6 cannot contradict the passage under consideration in the book of Jeremiah. Jehoiakim was indeed buried in a tomb of his fathers—on Zion—but during popular unrest his corpse could have been extracted by Jews who hated him and subjected to indignity. Jer 22:20-30 The Jewish people will soon have to mourn bitterly the destruction of all on whom they depended. First of all, the prophet points out that King Jeconiah of Judah has already been taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar and carried off to a foreign land, from which he will not return. From his offspring, no one will ever sit on the throne in Judah.

Jeremiah 22:20. Ascend to Lebanon and cry out, and lift up your voice in Bashan; cry out from Abarim, for all your lovers are destroyed. The prophet addresses here the daughter of Zion, Judah who has been faithless to God (Jer 4:31), as is evident from the fact that the predicates are here in the feminine gender (in the Hebrew text).—Lebanon, the mountains of Bashan—in some places very high—and the mountains of Abarim, to which Mount Nebo belongs, where Moses died—are mentioned here as the most elevated points from which one could see all of Palestine and even neighboring lands. When Judah sees that “all her lovers,” that is, all who took part with Judah in conspiracy against the Babylonian king, have been defeated, Judah is left only to mourn bitterly its own inevitable sad fate.

Jeremiah 22:22. I will send shepherds, and they shall devour, and everyone of your lovers shall go into captivity; and then you will be put to shame and confounded for all your wickedness. Winds in Palestine sometimes are so strong that they lift people into the air.—“Shepherds” means rulers of the people.

Jeremiah 22:23. O inhabitant of Lebanon, nestling in the cedars, how you will groan when pangs come upon you, anguish as of a woman in labor! By building cedar palaces for themselves, the king and his courtiers considered themselves as safe as those living on the high mountains of Lebanon.—“O inhabitant”—more correctly, “O inhabitress.” The speech is about the daughter of Zion again.

Jeremiah 22:24. As I live, declares the Lord, though Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet ring on My right hand, yet I would tear you off. Kings and wealthy people never removed a signet ring from their finger, for it served as a sign of authority and power, and it also served as a seal by which they sealed important documents.

Jeremiah 22:25. I will give you into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans, Concerning the fulfillment of all the prophecy about Jeconiah, see 2 Sam 24:12; Jer 52:31 and following.

Jeremiah 22:28. “Is this man Jeconiah a despised, broken pot, a vessel no one desires? Why are he and his offspring cast out and hurled into a land that they do not know?” Jeconiah has already been led into captivity. Can this really have happened?

Jeremiah 22:29. O land, land, land! Hear the word of the Lord. The threefold address to the land, that is, to the people, heightens the attention of the listeners.

Jeremiah 22:30. Thus says the Lord: Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not prosper in his days; for none of his offspring shall prosper, sitting on the throne of David and ruling any more in Judah. The prophet in response to the question of those asking in verse 28 states that Jeconiah has not only been led into captivity but is also permanently deprived of the possibility to register his children in the genealogies of the people. But Jeconiah had children—what then did the prophet mean in the verse under consideration? Those who could receive an inheritance portion in the land of promise were registered in the genealogies (Isa 4:3). Now for the descendants of Jeconiah, their inheritance portion is the throne of the Judean kingdom. But they will never occupy it. Therefore, Jeconiah can be registered in the genealogies as one without children-heirs: there will be nothing for them to inherit. Special remark. Verses 1–9 were said, most likely, at the very beginning of Jehoiakim’s reign, when this king had already shown his evil inclinations. Verses 10–19 clearly relate to the time of Jehoiakim, when the Jews still mourned Shallum-Jehoahaz and some could still hope for his return; verses 20–30 relate already to the time when Jeconiah had been led captive.

Chapter Twenty-Three

1–8. The future shepherd from the house of David. 9–22. False prophets in Jerusalem. 23–32. Dreams and prophecy. 33–40. Inappropriateness of using the word “burden”.

Jer 23:1-8. The prophet proclaims woe upon the rulers of the Judahite state for their evil administration. But while the rulers will bear the punishment assigned to them, the Lord Himself will gather the scattered Judahites and give them into the care of better shepherds and rulers. Speaking more precisely, the prophet makes clear that the true shepherd of the Judahites and Israelites will be a righteous descendant of David. Under him the people will live a righteous life and, therefore, will no longer be punished by God.

Jeremiah 23:1. Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture! says the Lord. Shepherds – not only kings, but also the rulers appointed by kings to govern the people (cf. Jer 17:20; Jer 21:12). – “The sheep of My pasture” – the flock grazing in My land and therefore the flock belonging to Jehovah (cf. Jer 13:17).

Jeremiah 23:3. And I will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their pastures; and they will be fruitful and multiply. Here the exile of the Judahites is attributed to God, whereas in verse 2 it is said that the shepherds scattered them. But in verse 2 is indicated the cause of God’s judgment upon the Judahites, while in verse 3 it is indicated that Jehovah Himself was the executor of the judgment.

Jeremiah 23:5. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, and He will reign as King and will act wisely, and will execute justice and righteousness on the earth. “A righteous Branch.” This name for the Messiah is already mentioned by the prophet Isaiah (Isa 4:2), and with the prophet Zechariah is taken as a well-established designation for Him among the Judahites (Zech 3:8). In what relation does this Shepherd stand to the other good shepherds mentioned in verse 4? On the basis of Jer 22:22 one can see in these many shepherds the people appointed by the future righteous Shepherd, His helpers. The Branch is called righteous because justice is the first virtue of a shepherd-ruler, and the Branch of David will fully possess it.

Jeremiah 23:6. In His days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell securely; and this is the name by which He will be called: “The Lord Our Righteousness!” The name to be given to the Branch by the people indicates that the Messiah will bestow so many blessings upon the chosen people that the latter will then openly confess its gratitude to Jehovah, who through the Messiah has made His people fully righteous and, therefore, worthy of all God’s mercies. Thus the well-being of the chosen people, in Jeremiah’s understanding, depends not on any external institution, not on the observance of, for example, the ceremonial law, but is the work solely of God’s grace. It is clear that here we have a prophecy of the times of New Testament justification in grace. – It must be noted that Jeremiah uses here such a name for the Messiah – “Jehovah is our righteousness” – in Hebrew “Jehovah is Zidkenu,” probably not without reference to the last king of the Judahites, who was also called “the righteousness of Jehovah” – Zidkijah in Russian: Zedekiah.

Jeremiah 23:7. Therefore, behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when they will no longer say, “As the Lord lives, who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt,” Jeremiah 23:8. but rather, “As the Lord lives, who brought out and who led the descendants of the house of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where I have driven them,” and they will live in their own land. The prophet joins two moments: deliverance from Babylonian captivity and the coming of the Messiah. The prophets were not given precise information by the Spirit of God regarding the timing of events that were to come to pass (1 Pet 1:11). Jer 23:9-22. Turning to the prophets, who could also have been called shepherds of the people, Jeremiah reproaches them for the fact that they, together with the priests, lead their people to destruction. Especially are they guilty in that they close the people’s eyes to the danger threatening them. Besides, they do not themselves know what the decision of Jehovah is regarding the Judahite people. Therefore there is nothing to do but not listen to these prophets!

Jeremiah 23:9. Concerning the prophets. My heart within me is broken, all my bones shake; I am like a drunkard, like a man overcome by wine, because of the Lord and because of His holy words, Jeremiah 23:10. because the land is full of adulterers; because the land mourns because of the curse; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up, and their striving is toward evil, and their strength is unrighteousness, “Adulterers,” that is, traitors in relation to Jehovah (cf. Jer 5:7).

Jeremiah 23:14. But in the prophets of Jerusalem I see something terrible: they commit adultery and walk in lies, they strengthen the hands of evil-doers, so that no one turns from his wickedness; they are all like Sodom to Me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah. “All of them,” that is, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as is clear from the following parallel expression: “and its inhabitants.”

Jeremiah 23:18. For who has stood in the council of the Lord and seen and heard His word? Who has paid attention to His word and heard it? This verse is better translated thus: “Whoever stands in the council of Jehovah (like, for example, the prophet Isaiah at his calling, see Isa 6), he sees (all things) and hears His word. And whoever gives attention to His word, makes it heard to others (the following…).” – Then in verse 19 the content of the word heard from God will be indicated.

Jeremiah 23:19. Behold, a tempest of the Lord goes forth with fury, a whirling tempest; and it will fall on the head of the wicked. Jeremiah 23:20. The anger of the Lord will not turn back until He has accomplished and until He has fulfilled the purposes of His heart; in the latter days you will understand this clearly. The true prophet now cannot proclaim anything joyful to the Judahite people, but only something sorrowful. – “In the latter days” – more correctly: when the end comes, when the terrible judgment upon the Judahites will begin to be carried out, then only will the short-sighted prophets understand their mistake. Jer 23:23-32. The Lord, who knows all things, knows also how the prophets deceive the people by claiming that they have received revelations from God in dreams. Their dreams, says Jehovah, cannot in any way be compared with genuine divine revelation. In the same way, the prophets of Jerusalem are not acting properly in falsely applying the ancient prophecies of true prophets to the present state of affairs.

Jeremiah 23:23. Am I a God at hand, says the Lord, and not a God from afar? Jeremiah 23:24. Can a man hide himself in a secret place where I will not see him? says the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord. God is now far from the corrupt Judahites, but nonetheless He sees clearly from afar everything that is happening in Jerusalem. He hears what the prophets are saying there.

Jeremiah 23:27. Are they determined to make My people forget My name by means of their dreams, which they tell to one another, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal? The name of God, that is, the true revelation of the nature of God. This revelation is given in the law and in the words of the true prophets.

Jeremiah 23:28. The prophet who has seen a dream, let him tell it as a dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What has chaff in common with pure grain? says the Lord. A dream is far from being the same as a genuine revelation from God, because even if some dream is sent by God, as, for example, to Jacob, on the other hand people are capable of taking simple dreams – the play of their own imagination – for a revelation from God.

Jeremiah 23:29. Is not My word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks rock? At the present time the true word of God must breathe with anger and proclaim destruction to Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 23:30. Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who steal My words, each one from his fellow. Jeremiah 23:31. Behold, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who use their own tongues and say, “He said.” The false prophets of Jerusalem borrowed, for example, from Isaiah the comforting prophecies (chapters 7 and 8), which were spoken in completely different circumstances and had no reference to the time of the fall of the Judahite kingdom. Others invent prophecies on their own, while still others pass off their dreams as direct divine revelations. Jer 23:33-40. The prophet condemns the people’s attitude toward the word of the true prophet. Since Jeremiah was compelled to proclaim mostly a bitter future to the people, in the people’s mind a certain opinion about the prophet was formed – that he can proclaim nothing other than heavy trouble (in Hebrew “massa”) and can announce nothing else. Therefore, whenever the people, dissatisfied with the prophet Jeremiah’s prophecies, saw the prophet appear, they would mockingly ask him what new “massa” or heavy burden (in Russian translation – “burden”) he would now proclaim? The prophet therefore teaches that this ancient name for prophecy – “massa” – should not be used at all, but rather one should ask directly: What did the Lord say?

Jeremiah 23:33. When this people, or a prophet, or a priest asks you, “What is the burden from the Lord?” you shall say to them, “What burden? I will abandon you, says the Lord.” “Burden” – in Hebrew “massa” – from the verb “nassa.” The Hebrew word originally meant: an utterance, solemnly pronounced speech. Sometimes among the ancient prophets it also meant a threatening speech, one containing something heavy for the listeners to whom it was addressed. Hence – the second meaning of the word: burden, weight. – “What burden?” – more correctly: “you yourselves are a burden and I will cast you off.” The Lord is like a man who has grown weary of carrying too heavy a burden and wants to throw it down. The Israelite people was such a burden to the Lord. Special note. Verses 1–9 were spoken during the reign of King Zedekiah, to whom there is a clear allusion in verse 6. Verses 10–19 – probably occurred during the reign of Jehoiakim, as is evident from the mention of drought in verse 10 (cf. Jer 12:4 and chapter Jer 14:1). The further admonitions contained in this chapter could have been spoken in the days of Zedekiah.

Chapter Twenty-Four

1–10. A vision of two baskets of figs and the explanation of the vision.

Jer 24:1-10. King Jeconiah with some of his subjects was taken into exile to Babylon. At this time the prophet saw in a vision two baskets – one with good figs, the other with bad ones. The Lord then explained to the prophet that the good figs represent the Judahites taken into exile to Babylon with Jeconiah, because there, in captivity, they will turn to God. The bad figs represent King Zedekiah and the Judahites remaining in Jerusalem, as well as Judahites who found refuge in Egypt. These the Lord will strike with various plagues and will give them over to shame among different nations.

Jeremiah 24:1. The Lord showed me: and behold, two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the Lord, after Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had carried away captive from Jerusalem Jeconiah, son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the craftsmen and smiths, and brought them to Babylon: “Before the temple.” Here stood baskets of fruit that were dedicated to God. The priests, of course, had to first examine the fruit before bringing it into the temple, and this examination naturally took place in the temple courtyard. – Concerning the exile of Jeconiah, see 2 Sam 24:14 and following.

Jeremiah 24:6. and I will set My eyes upon them for good and I will bring them back to this land, and I will build them up and not tear them down, and I will plant them and not uproot them; Cf. Jer 1:10.

Jeremiah 24:7. and I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord, and they shall be My people, and I will be their God; for they will return to Me with their whole heart. Deliverance is promised to the exiles, of course, on the condition of their turning to God, which in turn will take place under the special action of the divine grace that transforms human hearts. Cf. Deut 4:29 and following.

Jeremiah 24:8. But as for the bad figs, which cannot be eaten because of their badness, so the Lord says: Thus will I make Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his princes and the rest of the Jerusalemites, those who remain in this land and those living in the land of Egypt; Judahites could find refuge in Egypt because before the fall of the Judahite kingdom they were on friendly terms with the Egyptians. Special note. This vision evidently belongs to the time of Zedekiah. Later, the sharp distinction between the two classes of exiles would have no longer had any sense or importance, since subsequently the captives were to be mixed together.

Chapter Twenty-Five

1–11. The condemnation of the Judahites and their neighbors to seventy years of slavery to the Babylonians. 12–29. Judgment upon Babylon and upon the heathen nations in general. 30–38. Judgment upon the world.

Jer 25:1-11. In the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign, a year that coincided with the year of Nebuchadnezzar’s accession, who that year (605 B.C.) achieved a decisive victory over the Egyptian king Necho at Carchemish and thereby became the master of all western Asia and Syria with Palestine, the prophet gave a speech that contained a review of the past and a prophecy of the future. He affirmed here that his long twenty-three-year-long preaching, in which he called the Judahites to repentance, had produced no result. Therefore now the Lord entrusts His servant Nebuchadnezzar with taking Judah and the surrounding lands under his control for seventy years.

Jeremiah 25:9. Behold, I am sending for and will take all the families of the north, says the Lord, and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, My servant, and I will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all the neighboring peoples; and I will completely destroy them and make them a horror and a mockery and an eternal desolation. “The families of the north” – see Jer 1:15. – Nebuchadnezzar is called a servant of God not in the sense, for example, that David is, but simply as an instrument of divine wrath.

Jeremiah 25:10. And I will remove from them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. In the mornings in the cities of Palestine, maidservants usually ground flour on home mills – millstones, which made a fairly loud sound when working. – Lamps, usually, constantly burned in the house where people lived.

Jeremiah 25:11. And all this land will become a desolation and a horror; and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. The prophet precisely determines the duration of the Judahites’ subjection to the Babylonians. God has appointed seventy years for this. Evidently, the prophet counts the years from 605 B.C., when Nebuchadnezzar, through his victory over the Pharaoh Necho, who had previously ruled Palestine, became the master of Judah and the surrounding lands, even before he reached them. As the end of slavery, Jeremiah places the fall of Babylon in 539 B.C. or better, the decree of Cyrus, issued in 537 B.C. Thus in total about seventy years come out (exactly – 68). The number seventy here also has symbolic meaning, as it represents the result of multiplying 7 by 10, and both of these numbers in the language of Scripture mean fullness. – The other nations, of course, were gradually subjugated by Nebuchadnezzar, but the prophet does not consider it necessary to precisely note the time and duration of this subjugation. Jer 25:12-23. Babylon, in turn, will also drink the cup of God’s wrath after seventy years, and then this cup will be offered to other nations as well. The prophet gives a detailed enumeration of these nations; beginning with the Judahites, he then mentions the great southern power – Egypt, and then the small states bordering Judah: Uz, Philistia, Edom, then the eastern neighbors: Moab and Ammon, then the northwestern Phoenician state with its colonies, then the Arabian tribes living to the south and southeast, finally the distant nations – Elam and Media and other northern nations, to be followed in turn by Babylon. The reason for which the Lord will cause all these nations to drink from the cup of His wrath, the prophet sets forth as the fact that even the chosen people of God drink from this cup. How then can the Lord forgive the pagan nations, more guilty before the judgment of divine Righteousness!

Jeremiah 25:20. and all the mixed multitude, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Gaza, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod, “The mixed multitude” – these words relate to verse 19 and denote foreigners from other lands, for example, Phoenicians and Greeks, who began to settle in Egypt from the time of Psamtik, the father of Necho. – “Uz” – roughly the same as Edom (Lam 4:21), but here it is presented in a political sense as a separate region. Among the Philistine cities, Gath is not mentioned, which by that time had already lost its importance (cf. Amos 6:2; 2 Chr 26:6). As for Ashdod, only remnants remained, because Psamtik after a twenty-nine-year siege took it and destroyed it.

Jeremiah 25:22. and all the kings of Tyre, and all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the islands that are across the sea, By islands one can understand not only actual islands but also all the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea, especially the Phoenician colonies.

Jeremiah 25:23. Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all who cut off the hair at the temples, Cf. Isa 21:13 and following. “Buz” – see Job 32:2. “Those who cut off the hair at the temples” – see Jer 9:26.

Jeremiah 25:24. and all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mixed tribes that dwell in the wilderness, By Arabia is meant here not the entire land now designated by this name, but a part of it, lying to the east and southeast adjacent to Palestine.

Jeremiah 25:25. all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media, “Zimri” – this is probably the descendants of Zimran, son of Abraham by Keturah (Gen 25:2). – “Elam” – cf. Isa 21:2. A land beyond the Tigris, along its lower course. “Media” – a land lying along the upper course of the same river and also on its eastern side, with the chief cities: Ecbatana and Rages.

Jeremiah 25:26. and all the kings of the north, both near and far, one after another, and all the kingdoms of the earth which are on the face of the earth; and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them. The king of Sheshach – this is evidently the king of Babylon. It is very probable that the name “Sheshach” is a reworking of the name “Babel” (Babylon). Among ancient writers, sometimes a special alphabet was used, the so-called “atbash.” In this system the first letter of the alphabet was replaced by the last; the second by the second-to-last, and so on. Thus, instead of the word “Babel,” the prophet might have obtained the expression “Sheshach.” It is supposed that in this way the prophet covertly designated Babylon because the prophecy here concerning the destruction of Babylon could have had an encouraging effect on the Judahites, who were reluctant to submit to the Babylonians. Others say the prophet did this from a desire not to irritate the Babylonian king, who by that time was already almost the actual ruler of all Palestine. Jer 25:30-38. Retribution from God will come upon all nations, without exception. And the retribution will be complete. The slain will lie unburied on the earth from one end of it to the other. All the earth will become a desolation. Thus the judgment upon individual nations is expanded to the level of a universal, final judgment, of which it represents only a separate act.

Jeremiah 25:30. Therefore prophesy against them all these words and say to them: The Lord will roar from on high and from the habitation of His holiness will utter His voice; He will roar mightily against His fold; like those treading grapes he will shout against all the inhabitants of the earth. By “on high” it is better to understand the height of heaven, rather than the height of Moriah, which is in view, for example, in the prophet Amos (Amos 1:2) or Joel (Joel 3:16). Here God’s wrath extends to Jerusalem as well, and therefore to the height of Moriah. Special note. The fate of the pagan nations mentioned in this chapter is described in detail in Jeremiah chapters 46–51, and remarks on chapter 25 are more naturally appended to remarks on the entire section 46–51.

Chapter Twenty-Six

1–6. Summary of the content of Jeremiah’s temple speech. 7–19. The persecutions to which Jeremiah was subjected for this speech. 20–24. The death of the prophet Uriah.

Jer 26:1-6. Here is briefly set forth the speech spoken by Jeremiah at the beginning of Jehoiakim’s reign in the courtyard of the Jerusalem temple, which is contained in Jer 7:3-15. This speech proclaimed to Jerusalem the same fate that Shiloh experienced; Jerusalem could avoid this fate only in the case of sincere turning back to Jehovah.

Jer 26:7-19. The priests and prophets together with a crowd of people were angered by this speech and wanted to put Jeremiah to death, but the princes, having come at the noise, allowed Jeremiah to make his defense. The prophet declared with firmness that he was sent by God, and the princes, taking into account that King Hezekiah had not persecuted the prophet Micah for a similar speech, released Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 26:10. When the princes of Judah heard this, they came up from the house of the king to the house of the Lord and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the house of the Lord. “The New Gate” of the Lord – as is clear from Jer 36:10 led to the inner vestibule or to the upper court of the temple.

Jeremiah 26:18. “Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah, king of Judah, and he said to all the people of Judah: Thus the Lord of hosts has said: Zion will be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house will become a wooded hill. The speech concerning the destruction of Jerusalem is in the 3rd chapter of the book of the prophet Micah (Mic 3:12). Jer 26:20-24. To show how great was the danger threatening the prophet, here it is reported that another prophet who spoke a similar speech, Uriah, was executed by King Jehoiakim.

Jeremiah 26:22. But King Jehoiakim sent people to Egypt: Elnathan, son of Achbor, and others with him. Jehoiakim was on good terms with Egypt and therefore the Pharaoh delivered to him Uriah, who had fled to Egypt. – “Elnathan, son of Achbor” was probably the father-in-law of Jehoiakim (2 Sam 24:8).

Jeremiah 26:24. But the hand of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, was with Jeremiah, to give him into the hands of the people for death.” Ahikam was the father of Gedaliah, the governor of Judah (Jer 39:14). Special note. Most commentators believe that the account contained in chapter 26 was composed by Jeremiah’s disciple Baruch, which is why the prophet Jeremiah is spoken of in the third person.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

1–11. The Lord commands Jeremiah to put bonds and a yoke on himself and to send bonds and yoke to the neighboring peoples. 12–15. An admonition to Zedekiah, 16–22. and to the priests.

Jer 27:1-11. During the reign of King Zedekiah, the prophet received a command from the Lord – to put bonds with a yoke on himself and to send such bonds and yoke to the rulers of the neighboring kingdoms with the envoys of these kingdoms. At the same time, the Lord Himself explains the meaning of this symbolic action in the following way: The Lord, as the Master of the earth, has decided to place under the power of Nebuchadnezzar all the lands of western Asia. Let therefore these lands willingly bear the yoke imposed upon them by Nebuchadnezzar, let them not believe any soothsayers who point out to them the possibility of throwing off the Babylonian yoke.

Jeremiah 27:1. At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord:: That one must read the name Zedekiah here instead of Jehoiakim – this is clearly evident a) from verse 3, where Zedekiah is specifically named, b) from verse 1 of chapter 28, where it is said that the event described in this chapter occurred “in that same year at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah” (Jer 28:1); the exact time of the described event can be determined as follows: it was not earlier than the 4th year of Zedekiah’s reign, because it is unlikely that Zedekiah, placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar, would have immediately begun to conspire against him. But in the 4th year he even traveled to Babylon to prove his loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 51:59).

Jeremiah 27:2. Thus the Lord said to me: Make yourself bonds and a yoke and put them upon your neck; A wooden yoke was fastened to the body with ropes or bonds (cf. Isa 9:4).

Jeremiah 27:7. And all peoples will serve him and his son and his grandson until the time of his own land comes; and then many peoples and great kings will serve him. The prophet speaks here only of the duration of the Babylonian captivity and hardly intends to say that the throne of Babylon will necessarily pass from father to son.

Jeremiah 27:12. And to Zedekiah, king of Judah, I spoke all these words and said: Bring your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and you will live. Jeremiah 27:13. Why should you and your people die by the sword, famine, and plague, as the Lord has spoken concerning the people that will not serve the king of Babylon? Jeremiah 27:14. And do not listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, “You will not serve the king of Babylon”; for they are prophesying a lie to you. Jeremiah 27:15. I have not sent them, says the Lord; and they are prophesying falsely in My name, in order that I might drive you out and that you might perish – you and the prophets who prophesy to you. The same submission to Nebuchadnezzar, Jeremiah recommends to Zedekiah, whom various prophets were misleading, giving him hope regarding the possibility of throwing off foreign rule. Jer 27:16-22. Finally, the prophet also advises the priests and the people not to believe the prophets who promise that the vessels taken from the temple by Nebuchadnezzar will soon be returned to Jerusalem. It would be better if these prophets, if they truly are close to God, would pray that the remaining vessels also not be carried away to Babylon, because in fact God promises to take them from the Judahites as well. * * * Notes Zedekiah.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

1–11. The prediction and symbolic action performed by the prophet Hananiah. 12–17. Jeremiah’s response to this prediction.

Jer 28:1-11. In contrast to Jeremiah, who affirmed that the Babylonian captivity would last seventy years, a certain Hananiah from Gibeon began to say that he had supposedly been revealed by God something different – namely, that this captivity would last only two years, and that after two years King Jeconiah would return from captivity. Jeremiah responded to this by saying that Hananiah could be recognized as a true prophet only when his prophecy comes to pass. Then, angered, Hananiah broke the yoke which Jeremiah was wearing.

Jeremiah 28:1. In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, Hananiah, son of Azzur, a prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord before the eyes of the priests and all the people, saying: Hananiah, as coming from the priestly city of Gibeon, was probably himself a priest.

Jeremiah 28:6. and the prophet Jeremiah said: Amen! May the Lord do so! May the Lord make your words come true, the words you have spoken about the return of the vessels of the house of the Lord from Babylon and all the captives to this place! Jeremiah wishes to say: “It would be good if your prediction were actually fulfilled!” It was painful for Jeremiah himself to predict a seventy-year captivity for his people.

Jeremiah 28:8. The prophets who were before me and before you from ancient times predicted to many lands and great kingdoms war and disaster and plague. Here Jeremiah proves the authenticity of his call as a prophet by the fact that the prophet speaks what is unpleasant to the listeners and thereby exposes himself to danger. This shows that the power of God’s Spirit was great, driving the prophets to speak in such a manner, even though they still spoke! From this one can conclude that they were true messengers of God.

Jeremiah 28:9. If a prophet predicted peace, then he was recognized as truly sent by the Lord only when the word of that prophet came to pass. Moses (Deut 18:22) commanded to recognize a person as a prophet only when some prophecy of his comes to pass. Jer 28:12-17. Jeremiah receives a command from God to declare to Hananiah that instead of the broken wooden yoke, he will have to wear an iron one. Those nations that will heed Hananiah and rise up against Nebuchadnezzar will suffer even more heavily from his hand. Hananiah himself, for his lie, must soon die. This prophecy concerning Hananiah was fulfilled in the same year.

Jeremiah 28:13. Go and tell Hananiah: Thus the Lord says: You have broken the wooden yoke, but you will make in its place an iron yoke. Hananiah’s breaking of the yoke was an indirect call to rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar. It was for this rebellion that Nebuchadnezzar would impose an even heavier yoke on the Judahites and the other peoples allied with them.

Jeremiah 28:16. Therefore thus the Lord says: Behold, I will send you away from the face of the earth; you will die in this very year, because you have spoken rebellion against the Lord. He who spoke falsely in the name of Jehovah, Hananiah, is rightfully condemned to death (Deut 13:1-5).

Chapter Twenty-Nine

1–23. A letter from Jeremiah to the Judahite captives in Babylon. 24–32. Words from Jeremiah addressed to Shemaiah.

Jer 29:1-23. In the letter which Jeremiah sent to the Judahite captives who were taken away together with Jeconiah, the prophet convinced his fellow countrymen not to regard captivity as a brief punishment. No, they will have to spend a long time there. They must build themselves strong houses and plant gardens in the regions of Babylon. For them, Babylon must be a second homeland, for the welfare of which they must pray to God. Those prophets who deceive the captives with hope for speedy liberation are lying. Only this is true: that the Lord will return His people from captivity after precisely seventy years. Even the Judahites who remain in Jerusalem, for their disobedience to God, will also be taken into captivity. As for the false prophets – Ahab and Zedekiah, who were deceiving the captives – they will be executed by Nebuchadnezzar.

Jeremiah 29:2. after King Jeconiah and the queen and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the craftsmen and smiths had departed from Jerusalem, – “Eunuchs” – here this expression denotes the court officials in general and is clarified by the following expression: princes.

Jeremiah 29:3. through Elasah, son of Shaphan, and Gemariah, son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah, king of Judah, sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon: The embassy sent by Zedekiah to Babylon obviously shared Jeremiah’s thinking, if it is carrying his letter with it. And the king himself at this time clearly was following Jeremiah’s counsel. He was clearly seeking to maintain good relations with Nebuchadnezzar.

Jeremiah 29:21. Thus the Lord of hosts, God of Israel, says concerning Ahab, son of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah, son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you falsely in My name: Behold, I will give them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and he will strike them down before your eyes. Nebuchadnezzar’s anger against the false prophets is quite understandable. They, through their words, were predicting the overthrow of his power. Jer 29:24-32. A certain Shemaiah, angered by the aforementioned letter from Jeremiah, sent a letter to the Jerusalem priests in which he advised the chief overseer of the temple to place Jeremiah under guard. For this, the prophet proclaims upon Shemaiah a terrible punishment: he will have no descendants.

Jeremiah 29:29. When the priest Zephaniah read this letter aloud to the prophet Jeremiah, Zephaniah was probably of a different opinion about Jeremiah than Shemaiah was, and he acquainted the prophet with Shemaiah’s letter.

Jeremiah 29:32. Therefore thus the Lord says: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his line; not one man of his will remain among this people, and he will not see the good that I am about to do for My people, says the Lord; for he has spoken rebellion against the Lord. For a Judahite, the lack of offspring was the most severe punishment. Special note. The embassy to Babylon was sent by Zedekiah probably a couple of years after his accession to the throne, because in the 4th year of his reign he himself traveled to Babylon, and soon after that he entered into a coalition of Palestinian states against Babylon, and at that time he certainly would not have sent the aforementioned embassy.

Chapter Thirty

1–24. The foundation of a new Davidic kingdom after judgment upon Judah and Israel.

Jer 30:1-24. The prophet sees not only Israel but also Judah already led into captivity after a severe struggle to preserve their independence. But now a vision of a bright future unfolds before him, a future that lies ahead for both Hebrew kingdoms. In place of foreign rulers, the Hebrew people will be governed by the promised son of David, or, as the prophet expresses it, David himself. The Lord will regard them as His children and the true theocratic community will be formed again. But all this will come about only after terrible judgments of God are executed upon the Hebrews.

Jeremiah 30:2. “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write down for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you in a book.” The prophet must record his prophecy in a book because it concerned all the Hebrews living in captivity, whom Jeremiah could not address in person.

Jeremiah 30:4. “And these are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah.” Jeremiah 30:5. “Thus says the Lord: We hear a voice of trembling and fear, but not of peace.” The prophet depicts destruction as though it has already come to pass. But what destruction is he speaking of here? Whose fate does he have in mind? Some see in this a prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem; others—of the destruction of Babylon. Having in mind a similar passage in the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 13:4 and following), which directly concerns Babylon, we can also see here a prophecy of the day of the Lord—that is, of the great judgment of the Lord upon Babylon.

Jeremiah 30:7. “Oh, what anguish! Great is that day—like nothing before it. It is a time of trouble for Jacob, yet he will be saved from it.” The Hebrews in Babylon will also have to endure great hardships during the destruction of that city, but on the whole they will emerge safely from the danger.

Jeremiah 30:9. “But they will serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.” David, of whom Jeremiah speaks here, is evidently identical with the righteous Branch of whom there is mention in Jer 23:5 and in Jer 33:15. Since the enthronement of this descendant of David, who by the splendor of his reign will be a second David, is at the same time united in the prophet’s representation with the purification of the people and the conclusion of an eternal Covenant with God, it is clear that the prophet is properly speaking here of the Messiah (cf. Luke 1:32).

Jeremiah 30:16. “But all who devour you will be devoured, and all your adversaries, all of them, will go into captivity, and those who plunder you will be plundered, and all who prey upon you I will give as prey.” Cf. Jer 2:3. The peoples who were hostile to Israel and caused harm to it must be punished, because Israel itself did not harm them.

Jeremiah 30:21. “And their leader will come from among them, and their ruler will emerge from their midst. I will bring him near, and he will approach me. For who would venture to approach me on his own?” declares the Lord. The king’s approach to God will be such as the priests had (Num 16:5), or like that of the great mediator between God and the people, Moses (Exod 24:2). The king will venture to do this—that is, he will feel himself fully worthy of this extraordinary closeness to God. Evidently, Jeremiah is speaking here of the Messiah (Heb 9:11-12). Special Remarks. In this section of his book, Jeremiah sets forth three propositions: (1) Israel will ultimately return to the Lord; (2) from the lands of captivity and dispersion, he will be gathered again into Palestine; and (3) from there the dominion of the Lord will extend over all peoples who were hostile to the Hebrews. These prophecies, also set forth by other prophets (cf. Isa 9:1-7; Ezek 16:53-63; Dan 2:44-45; Amos 9:13-15; Zech 2; Zech 8:7-8; and others), some interpreters refer not to the Jewish people but to the Christian Church; others interpret even the very blessings that the prophet here promises to his people in a symbolic sense, seeing in them spiritual blessings—the blessedness of the new life of the truly faithful after the great judgment, when there will be a new heaven and a new earth. One cannot agree with such an understanding of Jeremiah’s prophecy and that of other prophets for the following reasons: (1) All acknowledge that the threats which from the time of Moses were proclaimed by the prophets against Israel actually concerned the Hebrews and were fulfilled in them. It would therefore be extremely inconsistent not to refer to Israel the promises that follow the threats and which, according to the conviction of the prophets, must necessarily be fulfilled. (2) The fundamental condition for receiving future blessings is the conversion of Israel. But what sense would this requirement have if by Judah and Israel we understand the Christian Church? Moreover, if by Judah and Israel we understand only the chosen fellowship of Christians, including among these the converted Jews—and we must think this way, because Christians in name only, of whom there are certainly the majority in the Church, cannot receive these blessings—then of what new conversion of these chosen ones can the prophets speak? Considered as a whole, this community of chosen Christians is already converted. Conversely, the Hebrew people as a whole genuinely still needs conversion to the path of truth, and therefore, the prophets are speaking of it. (3) The prophets certainly do not exclude the heathen from the realm of salvation, but at the same time they make a clear distinction between Israel and the heathen. This distinction would be erased if the prophecies foretelling the future exaltation of Israel were seen as relating equally to both Jews and heathen. Thus, in full accord with the spirit of prophecy, we can see here an indication of the future conversion of all Israel, with Israel occupying the central place in the Church of Christ (cf. Rom 11:15). Similarly, one cannot interpret the prophecies concerning the blessings awaiting Israel in a purely spiritual sense and understand them as blessings of the future, heavenly life. For Jeremiah, like other prophets, knows and speaks of these latter blessings, but this does not prevent them from speaking separately and specifically of material blessings, which, evidently, they understand in a direct, literal sense (cf. Ezek 36:25-27). Regarding the entire section of chapters XXX–XXXIII, see the remarks after chapter XXXIII.

Chapter Thirty-One

1–26. The restoration of Israel in its own land after captivity. 27–37. The New Covenant. 38–40. The restoration of Jerusalem.

Jer 31:1-26. Here the promises “to all the tribes of Israel” continue, but what comes to the forefront is specifically the Israelite, ten-tribe kingdom. The Lord will gather again in the land of Israel those who were taken from it, and they with repentant tears and fervent prayers will turn again to their God. A time of rejoicing will begin in the land of Israel, and now Rachel, the ancestress of the tribe of Joseph, must be consoled by the return of her children from captivity. Israel, for its part, must not delay its turning to God.

Jeremiah 31:2. “Thus says the Lord: The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; I come to give rest to Israel.” “The people who survived the sword”—these are the captives taken by the Assyrian king in the Israelite kingdom and led into Assyria. They survived the slaughter that took place when the cities of the Israelite kingdom were taken by the Assyrians. “Found”—a prophetic past tense used in place of the future, and it is better to translate: will find. “In the wilderness”—that is, in the land of captivity, which presented for the Israelites as many dangers as a wilderness. “I come”—more correctly from the Hebrew: I will reach or Let us come! To give rest means to bring them out of captivity and lead them into the land of Israel.

Jeremiah 31:3. “From far away the Lord appeared to me, saying: I have loved you with an eternal love, and therefore I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” “From far away” (that is, from Jerusalem) the Lord appeared to me—these are the words of the captive people of Israel. “With an eternal love”—these are the words of God, which explain why the Lord again becomes the helper of Israel.

Jeremiah 31:4. “I will build you up again, and you will be rebuilt, Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the merry-makers.” “I will build you up”—I will give not only external prosperity but also internal strength upon which this prosperity will be firmly established. “To take up your tambourines”—literally, to put on tambourines. Small tambourines were usually fastened on the fingers by Hebrew women.

Jeremiah 31:5. “Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit.” The hills of Samaria—these are the hills of Ephraim in general, named here after the capital of the Israelite kingdom. “The farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit.” According to the law of Moses, the fruit of a newly planted vineyard in the first three years was considered unclean and was not eaten. In the fourth year it was brought as an offering to God, and only in the fifth year did it go to common use (Lev 19:23-25). Since in earlier times enemies often devastated the land of Israel, it frequently happened that the one who planted a vineyard could not wait until the fifth year—the vines were destroyed by enemies before that time came. When the Lord returns the Israelites to their land, such sorrowful occurrences will no longer take place.

Jeremiah 31:6. “For a day is coming when the watchmen on the hills of Ephraim will cry out: ‘Come, let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.’” The watchmen on the high points of the hills of Ephraim, who in earlier times may have been observing to see that subjects of the Israelite kingdom did not go to Jerusalem for pilgrimage, now themselves will call their countrymen to Zion, from where they will be given a signal about the approach of some festival.

Jeremiah 31:7. “For thus says the Lord: Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the chief of nations. Proclaim, praise and say: ‘O Lord, save your people, the remnant of Israel.’” Chief of nations—this is the people of Israel, having regained their primacy among all nations (cf. Jer 2:3). “Save”—more correctly, as in the Slavonic: “You have saved, O Lord.”

Jeremiah 31:8. “Look, I am bringing them from the north and gathering them from the ends of the earth. Among them are the blind and the lame, pregnant women and those in labor; a great throng will return.” The majority of the captive Hebrews from both kingdoms lived in the north (cf. Jer 3:18).

Jeremiah 31:9. “They will come weeping as they seek mercy. I will guide them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, for I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son.” The Israelites will come (they came—prophetic past in place of future) from captivity with joyful tears. Ephraim—that is, the Israelite kingdom—is called here God’s firstborn because Joseph, the father of Ephraim, was granted one of the rights of firstborn—a double share of the inheritance (cf. 1 Chr 5:2).

Jeremiah 31:14. “I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with the good things I provide,” declares the Lord. The priests will have good portions from the thank offerings (Lev 7:31-34). The fat mentioned here is not the fat obtained from the internal organs of an animal. Such fat or fatty internal parts were to be burned on the altar.

Jeremiah 31:15. “Thus says the Lord: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” Ramah—a city in the tribe of Benjamin, about two hours’ journey north of Jerusalem. This place is elevated; from it one can see a far distance. Rachel, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, is also the ancestress of the entire ten-tribe kingdom, which was called Ephraim after her grandson. She appears weeping in Ramah—a high place from which she observes the desolated kingdom of her sons, chiefly the land of Joseph—although she was buried far from here, near Bethlehem (Gen 35:19).

Jeremiah 31:16. “Thus says the Lord: Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded, declares the Lord, and they will return from the land of the enemy.” “A reward for your labor”—that is, a reward for the sufferings you endured for the sake of your children. This reward is the return of the ten tribes to Palestine.

Jeremiah 31:18. “I have heard Ephraim moaning: ‘You disciplined me like an unruly calf, and I have been disciplined. Restore me, and I will return, for you are the Lord my God.” “Restore me”—The people of Israel recognize that they do not have sufficient strength of their own to turn to the true path.

Jeremiah 31:19. “After I turned around, I repented, and after I was taught, I beat myself on the thigh. I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated, because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’” “Beating myself on the thigh”—a sign of the deepest repentance. “The disgrace of my youth”—that is, the shame which I deserved by my former behavior.

Jeremiah 31:21. “Set up road signs for yourself; put up guideposts. Turn your attention to the highway, the road by which you came. Return, Virgin Israel, return to these cities of yours.” Israel must undoubtedly return from captivity, and therefore must already determine the road by which it will go home. It is not stated who should set up the guiding stones.

Jeremiah 31:22. “How long will you wander, unfaithful Daughter Israel? The Lord will create a new thing on earth—the woman will return to her husband.” “Unfaithful Daughter”—cf. Jer 3:6. This is the name for the kingdom of the ten tribes, which fell away from the Davidic dynasty and also from true religion. “On the earth”—that is, in the kingdom of Israel, to which the Israelites are to return. “A woman will return to her husband”—or more precisely: a woman will protect a man (or a strong person). Here the prophet is speaking of the new theocratic community, weak in appearance as a woman is weak, but having within itself sufficient strength to protect and preserve the land of Israel, which is represented under the image of a strong man. This is the new and unexpected thing that the Lord will create. The new, spiritual power of the people will be the foundation of the strength of the state.

Jeremiah 31:23. “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: When I bring them back from captivity, the people in the land of Judah and in its cities will again use these words: ‘The Lord bless you, you righteous dwelling, you sacred mountain!’” Here the discourse begins about the return of the captive Jews. The entire Jewish family will be like the holy mountain Zion—everywhere on it God will be close to people.

Jeremiah 31:24. “And Judah will be inhabited, and all its cities will be rebuilt together—the farmers and those who move about with their flocks.” The cities and townspeople will be happy; the farmers and shepherds will be happy.

Jeremiah 31:26. “At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.” The conclusion of the discourse. It is hardly likely that Jeremiah received the preceding revelation in a dream: he was certainly not a dreamer (Jer 23:25 and following). Probably he means to say that the picture which he saw before him in the revelation was like a sweet dream. The distant future that unfolded before him affected his soul like a strengthening sleep. Jer 31:27-40. The Lord God, who until now has sent terrible calamities upon the Jews in their own land, will now constantly care for the increase of the population of Judea and for the well-being of its inhabitants. The curse for the sins of ancestors, which has weighed upon the Jews until now, will be lifted from them. No one will suffer for others’ sins. But complete and final blessedness for the Jews will come when the Lord concludes with them the New Covenant. The Divine Law will then be inscribed not on stone tablets but will be indelibly established in the hearts of people. The most important distinguishing feature of this future Covenant is that the people will then be granted complete forgiveness of sins. All this will come about as surely as the order in the movement of the heavenly bodies is sure. With topographical precision the prophet further describes the reconstruction of Jerusalem, noting also that in the new Jerusalem there will no longer be any unclean, defiled place.

Jeremiah 31:27. “Look, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will plant the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the offspring of people and of animals.” God is depicted here as a sower, scattering seeds of life far and wide with a generous hand.

Jeremiah 31:29. “In those days the people will no longer say, ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’” Sour, unripe grapes set the teeth on edge. The meaning of the saying “The parents ate…”—is that punishment for sin does not always fall on the sinners themselves but on their descendants, who nevertheless do not suffer involuntarily but because the Lord sees in them the same sins as in their ancestors (cf. Exod 20:5). There is not only individual sin but corporate sin—the sin of a family, clan, generation, people, and state. Such sin develops gradually, like any seed developing gradually to full maturity, and only then does punishment fall upon it. So the contemporaries of Jeremiah had to experience all the terrible consequences of the mistaken policy of their ancestors, which they themselves carried to completion.

Jeremiah 31:30. “But everyone will die for his own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.” In the distant future, sin will not represent something corporate. If sins are committed, they will be only as something exceptional and will not bring responsibility upon distant future generations. On the whole, Israel will be a holy community, where individual transgressions, offenses of individual members, will not bring substantial and irreparable harm.

Jeremiah 31:31. “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” The prophet conceives of the New Covenant as one that will coincide with the restoration of the house of Judah and Israel, which is possible only in the distant future. “I will make.” The essential moment in the biblical idea of the Covenant is that it emphasizes not a purely contractual relationship between God and man, but points to the initiative coming from God, and therefore the Covenant is an establishment of God.

Jeremiah 31:32. “It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—that covenant of Mine they broke, though I remained in union with them,” declares the Lord. The Lord made a covenant with the Hebrews at Sinai, but already on the day they departed from Egypt the Passover was observed, which, as is known, could be observed only by those who were in covenant with God, and therefore the Hebrews were called to covenant from the day they departed from the land of Egypt. “I was a husband to them”—it would be more in accord with the context of the speech to translate as in the LXX: “I rejected them,” or more precisely: “I was weary of them.” Indeed, if the Lord still “was a husband to them,” then it means the first Covenant did not at all need to be replaced with a new one, and yet the New Covenant is spoken of further as something necessary for the people of Israel.

Jeremiah 31:33. “But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” “After those days”—that is, after that sorrowful future which the people rejected by the Lord must experience. The first distinguishing feature of the New Covenant from the Old is that in place of the letter of the law standing before a person’s eyes, which excites in him a desire to resist the will of God, the content of this law will enter into the very inner being of a person, and good works will be performed by the person from his own inclination. This is what the words mean: “I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts.” The second distinguishing feature of the New Covenant from the Old is that then there will truly exist a union between God and Israel, which until now was known only by name, in words—“I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

Jeremiah 31:34. “No longer will each one teach his neighbor or each one teach his brother, saying ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” The third distinguishing feature of the New Covenant is that then there will be no need for constant reminders from priests and prophets about the need to know the Lord and His holy will, as was required in Old Testament times. Then everyone will know the Lord and will strive to fulfill His will (cf. Isa 54:13; John 6:45; 1 John 2:20). The fourth distinguishing feature of the New Covenant is that then the Lord will not remember the sins and iniquities of the people, whereas in the Old Covenant the constant sacrifices offered for sins clearly showed that the Lord remembered the sins of the people. But of course, this forgetfulness of sins does not mean that the Divine Judge will only close his eyes to the sins and transgressions of the people. Undoubtedly, the prophet here has in mind the redemption that will be accomplished for all people by Christ the Savior, by virtue of which all sins can find forgiveness (1 John 2:1). This last distinguishing feature of the New Covenant is the most essential, because nothing crushes a person like the consciousness of his estrangement from God caused by his sins.

Jeremiah 31:35. “This is what the Lord says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the Lord of hosts is his name.” Jeremiah 31:36. “If these decrees vanish from before me,” declares the Lord, “then the descendants of Israel too will cease to exist as a nation before me forever.” Jeremiah 31:37. “This is what the Lord says: If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out, then I will reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done,” declares the Lord. This New Covenant will be eternal and unchangeable, like the laws of nature established by God. God will not reject Israel from Himself—this is as unthinkable as it is unthinkable to measure the heavens and search out the foundations of the earth. “As a nation before me”—that is, my chosen people. Regarding the immutability of God’s promises concerning Israel, one can read in detail in the pamphlet by N. P. Rozanov “The Future of the Jewish People in the Light of Revelation,” Moscow, 1901, pp. 1–45. Jer 31:38-40. Jerusalem, this central point of the life of Judaism, will be restored again to its former appearance and size (Zech 14:10). Those places on the southern and eastern edges of Jerusalem, which until now were considered unclean and served as a place for throwing all kinds of refuse, will again be sanctified. People will even forget about the abominations that once were committed in these places. There will be no need to fear that the anger of the Lord will again burn against the city and that again its walls and towers will be given over to destruction.

Jeremiah 31:38. “Look, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the city will be rebuilt for the Lord from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.” “Look, the days are coming.” Some interpreters (Dachsel, Die Propheten and others) refer this prophecy about the restoration of Jerusalem and the Jewish state to the times which we are experiencing—that is, the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, when the Jews as a people are supposed to enter the Church of Christ and establish themselves again in Palestine. Such opinions, which their authors attempt to base on chronological data from the Apocalypse (for example, on Rev 11:2), are refuted by reality itself, and undoubtedly the renewal of the Covenant with Israel is a matter of a very distant future from us. “The Tower of Hananel” (in Hebrew, Hananla) stood on the northeastern corner of the city wall (Zech 14:10; Nehem 3:1), and the Corner Gate was on the northwest of the city (2 Sam 14:13; 2 Chr 26:9). First, then, the prophet denotes the northern line of the city.

Jeremiah 31:39. “The measuring line will stretch from there straight to the Hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah.” The Hill of Gareb, as is evident from the next verse, was on the western side of Jerusalem, and thus the prophet here denotes the western line of the city, while Goah, which stood at the junction of the valleys of Hinnom and Kidron, is the southern line.

Jeremiah 31:40. “And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Brook Kidron, on the east toward the corner of the Horse Gate, will be sacred to the Lord. It will never be uprooted or demolished again.” “The valley of the dead bodies and ashes”—this is the valley of Hinnom, south of the city, part of which from the days of King Josiah was considered unclean (2 Sam 23:10); corpses found on the roads were brought here, and ashes from the sacrifices were deposited here. The Horse Gate was on the southeast corner of the temple courtyard; it denotes here the eastern boundary of Jerusalem. Special Remarks. The evangelist Matthew says that what Jeremiah said about the weeping of Rachel (verse 15) was ultimately fulfilled when Hebrew women in Bethlehem wept for their children, slain by the command of Herod (Matt 2:17-18). Indeed, as Rachel, the ancestress of Joseph and Ephraim, wept at the deportation into Assyrian captivity of her descendants, where all were threatened with death, so, it can be said, she accompanied with her weeping the death of innocent Bethlehem infants in the days of Herod. The women of Bethlehem wept, but the evangelist, amidst their cries, hears also the weeping of Rachel buried near Bethlehem. The prophecy concerning the New Covenant (verses 31–34) is cited in his letter to the Hebrews by the Apostle Paul to show that the prophet Jeremiah already testified that the Old Covenant had indeed become obsolete and was subject to abolition (Heb 8:13). Evidently, the Apostle, by the New Covenant that God was to make with Israel according to Jeremiah, understood the evangelical Covenant, which will, in time, in the distant future, be accepted by the entire Jewish people (cf. Rom 11:25).

Chapter Thirty-Two

1–15. A symbolic action that God commanded Jeremiah to perform—the purchase of a field in the city of Anathoth. 16–25. The prayer of the prophet for an explanation of the meaning of this action. 26–44. The divine explanation.

Jer 32:1-15. At the time when the Chaldeans were besieging Jerusalem from all sides, and when there was no doubt that they would bring the siege to a successful end, Jeremiah, imprisoned in the palace court, received from his relative an offer to purchase a parcel of land in Anathoth. The prophet, in accordance with God’s command, purchased the parcel and completed a deed of purchase in proper form to indicate that eventually, when the Jewish people who had been taken into captivity returned to that land, it would be needed, for then the returned inhabitants of that land would be buying fields and vineyards again.

Jeremiah 32:2. “Then the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined in the courtyard of the guard, which was in the house of the king of Judah.” This refers to the second siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, after he had to temporarily withdraw from Jerusalem in view of the approach of Egyptian forces. For Jeremiah’s confinement under guard, see Jer 37:12-21 verse. “The courtyard of the guard” is not a prison but rather a place of lodging for the royal guard.

Jeremiah 32:3. “Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, ‘Why do you prophesy as you do? You say: “Thus says the Lord: I am going to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.””’ Jeremiah 32:4. “Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape from the Chaldeans but will surely be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face, and his eyes will see his eyes.” Jeremiah 32:5. “And he will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him, declares the Lord. If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed.” Here the content of the prophet’s speeches about Zedekiah is briefly summarized (cf. Jer 21:4 and following; Jer 34:2 and following; Jer 37:17).

Jeremiah 32:7. “Now Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth, because as the nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it.’” Jeremiah was probably the nearest relative of Hanamel, and therefore the latter, probably in a difficult financial situation, offers to Jeremiah to purchase his field, as required by the law of Moses (Num 27:8-11; Lev 25:25). This parcel of land, of course, lay near the walls of Anathoth, because Levites usually had parcels there for pasture (Num 35:2). If in the book Lev 25:34 such parcels are forbidden to be sold, this prohibition probably concerned their sale to Hebrews from another tribe.

Jeremiah 32:9. “So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver.” “Seventeen shekels of silver”—a low price (13 rubles 50 kopecks in 1909), but for Jeremiah at that time even this sum was undoubtedly significant.

Jeremiah 32:10. “I signed the deed, sealed it, had it witnessed, and weighed out the silver on the scales.” “I sealed it.” The prophet seals one copy of the deed of purchase for giving it for safekeeping to his student Baruch. The other copy remains unsealed so that it is always possible to check who owns the aforementioned parcel.

Jeremiah 32:14. “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these documents, this deed of purchase, both the sealed and the unsealed copies, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time.” The deed will have meaning perhaps for the descendants of Jeremiah and Hanamel. Jer 32:16-25. In his prayer the prophet confesses faith in the almightiness and righteousness of the Lord. He displayed both of these especially toward the people of Israel, whom He once brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand, but now, because of their disobedience, has subjected to all the horrors of a siege. Foreseeing that all the land of Judea is designated by God for devastation, the prophet asks why the Lord commanded him to buy a parcel of land.

Jeremiah 32:21. “You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror.” “With great terror”—this is the terror that seized the peoples living near Palestine and Egypt (Deut 11:25). Jer 32:26-44. The Lord answers the prophet that Jerusalem will indeed be taken by the Chaldeans, and points out the reason for this—turning away from God and idolatry. Nevertheless, the Lord does not forever reject His people. He will gather them again from the various lands to which they will be scattered, and will make with them a New eternal Covenant. Then the landed properties in Judea will be returned again to their owners.

Jeremiah 32:39. “I will give them a single heart and a single way, that they might fear me always, for their own good and the good of their children after them.” Here the Lord clarifies the expression Jer 31—“I will write [the law] on their hearts.” He Himself will guide them in the way of true knowledge of God and obedience to Him, and only with such constant divine guidance is an eternal Covenant between Him and the people of Israel possible.

Jeremiah 32:44. “Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed in the land of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the Shephelah and of the Negev, because I will restore their fortunes, declares the Lord.” For the division of the land of Judea, see Jer 17:26.

Chapter Thirty-Three

1–13. Restoration of the destroyed Jerusalem and the future prosperity of the Judeans. 14–26. The certainty of divine promises about a descendant of David who will sit on the throne of Israel.

Jer 33:1-13. The prophet, while in the court of the guard, received a second revelation about the rebuilding of Jerusalem, whose buildings are now being destroyed even by those defending it. The life of Israel and Judah, returned from captivity, will flow as happily as it did in those distant ancient times. The chosen people will be pure before God and therefore will enjoy undisturbed prosperity in their land.

Jeremiah 33:4. For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that are being torn down for the siegeworks and for the battle, Jeremiah 33:5. by those coming to fight the Chaldeans, to fill the houses with the bodies of people whom I strike down in My anger and in My wrath, and for all their transgressions by which I have hidden My face from this city. It is better to convey the meaning of both verses in this way: For thus says Yehova, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah, already destroyed (the prophet is certain this will actually happen), and their inhabitants, who hasten to the earthworks raised by the besiegers, and to hand-to-hand combat, to fight the Chaldeans, which will only result in their bodies satisfying the swords of the Chaldeans. I Myself will strike down these people in My anger.

Jeremiah 33:6. Behold, I will bring it healing and a cure, and I will heal them, and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth, Here comes the revelation itself of Yehova, to which the preceding two verses were an introduction.

Jeremiah 33:9. And Jerusalem will be for Me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all the good that I do for it, and will be amazed and tremble before all the benefits and all the prosperity that I will give it. “A name of joy.” The very name of Jerusalem will be joyfully remembered by Yehova (anthropomorphism).

Jeremiah 33:11. And the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those saying, “Give praise to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for His mercy endures forever,” and the voice of those bringing a thank offering in the house of the Lord will again be heard; for I will bring back the captives of this land to their former state, says the Lord. From this verse it is clear that the hymn found in Ps 105:1 was well known to the Judeans even before the captivity, and that consequently the psalms already existed before the captivity, which some critics refuse to admit.

Jeremiah 33:13. In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the Negev, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the surroundings of Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah the flocks will again pass under the hand of the one counting them, says the Lord. The shepherds daily, in the evening, before the sheepfold, would recount the sheep of their flock, passing each one before them and touching it with their staff. Jer 33:14-26. Here is repeated the promise already given earlier (Jer 23:5 and following) about the righteous Branch of David with the modification that here the future community of true believers itself bears the name: “The Lord our Righteousness” with an indication of the eternity of the kingdom of David and the Levitical priesthood. Both the seed of David and the Levites are to multiply greatly. At the end the Lord again assures of the truth of His promise, which He gave to the offspring of David and to all Israel.

Jeremiah 33:18. And the priests of the Levites will not lack a man before Me, at all times offering burnt offerings and burning cereal offerings and making sacrifices. The prophet Jeremiah, as an Old Testament man, cannot conceive of the New Testament otherwise than united with various kinds of sacrifices that will be offered afterwards by the descendants of Levi.

Jeremiah 33:22. As the host of heaven is innumerable and the sand of the sea is immeasurable, so will I multiply the offspring of David, My servant, and the Levites who serve Me. The multiplication of the descendants of David and the Levites to an innumerable quantity cannot, obviously, be understood in a literal sense. The prophet means by this that all Israel will consist of kings and priests, as God promised to Moses (Exod 19). But besides this it must be noted that Israel in this case must be understood not as the Hebrews, but as all true believers of the New Testament, whom Christ made kings and priests (Rev 1:6; cf. 1 Pet 2:9). Special remarks. Chapters XXX–XXXIII form a special group of speeches of comforting content. Chapters XXXII and XXXIII certainly, as is evident from the indication of the prophet himself, belong to the time of the reign of Zedekiah. As for chapters XXX and XXXI, although they have some similarity to the speeches pronounced during the reign of Josiah (chapters II–VI), nonetheless the tone of these speeches is essentially different. Previously the prophet considered it possible to avert God’s wrath through the repentance of the people; now he finds it impossible for the Judeans to avoid God’s judgment. Concerning the time of the collection of all these comforting speeches of Jeremiah (chapters XXX–XXXIII) one can only make conjectures, and it is very probable that this collection was made after the taking of Jerusalem; but in any case it was made by Jeremiah himself and not by some person who lived in Babylonian captivity, as some critics suppose.

Chapter Thirty-Four

1–7. The lot of Zedekiah. 8–22. The punishment awaiting the Judeans for taking back the slaves whom they had themselves freed.

Jer 34:1-7. The prophet announces that Zedekiah will be captured by the king of Babylon but will die a natural death and will be honored with a dignified burial.

Jeremiah 34:1. The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and all his army and all the kingdoms of the earth under his dominion and all the peoples were fighting against Jerusalem and all its cities: It is difficult to determine when this prophecy was spoken. In any case Jeremiah at that time was free (verse 2). This could have taken place during the first siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar.

Jeremiah 34:5. You will die in peace, and as they burned aromatic spices at the burial of your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will burn spices for you and will mourn you: “Alas, lord!” for I have spoken this word, says the Lord. It is not said where Zedekiah will die. But from the fact that the usual expression “buried with his fathers” is not used here, one can conclude that the prophet predicts that Zedekiah will die in captivity. – Concerning the burning of a large quantity of aromatic substances at the burials of kings – see 2 Chr 16:14.

Jeremiah 34:7. Meanwhile the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that remained, against Lachish and Azekah; for among the cities of Judah these alone remained as fortified cities. Lachish and Azekah were two cities located to the southwest of Jerusalem in the Judean lowland. They alone held out against the siege of the Babylonians – the other cities had already been taken. Jer 34:8-22. At the proposal of Zedekiah, the princes and inhabitants of Jerusalem set free the slaves from among the Hebrews and Hebrew women, but then they reconsidered and took them back for themselves. For this the Lord announces various calamities and utter desolation of their land.

Jeremiah 34:8. The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom, Zedekiah took from his subjects a promise to set free all slaves who were Hebrews. This had no relation whatsoever to either the sabbatical or the jubilee year, but was simply an act of piety. From verse 21 it is evident that this was done at a time when the Babylonian forces were besieging Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 34:11. but afterwards they turned and took back the slaves and the slave women whom they had set free and forced them into slavery again. “Afterwards,” that is, after the siege of Jerusalem had been temporarily lifted (verse 21) and the Hebrews began to regret the sacrifice they had made, which now seemed to them to be unnecessary.

Jeremiah 34:18. And I will give those who have broken My covenant and have not kept the words of the covenant that they made before Me – who cut a calf in two and passed between its divided parts – Concerning the making of covenants in antiquity – see Gen 15.

Jeremiah 34:20. I will give them into the hands of their enemies and into the hands of those who seek their life, and their corpses will be food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth. Cf. Gen 15:11. The prophet recalls how the birds of prey fell upon the divided bodies of animals when Abraham made a covenant with God. So now the enemies, like birds of prey, will devour the corpses of the Hebrews.

Chapter Thirty-Five

1–11. The obedience of the Rechabites to the covenants of their ancestors. 12–19. God’s judgment on Israel, which disobeys God, and approval of the Rechabites.

Jer 35:1-11. By God’s command, Jeremiah offered some Rechabites wine to drink, but they refused, citing the fact that the drinking of wine, as well as agriculture and, in general, settled life, are strictly forbidden to them by their ancestor, Jonadab.

Jeremiah 35:1. The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah: This was probably not earlier than the fourth year of Jehoiakim, when the Babylonians had already invaded Judah (cf. Jer 25:1; 2 Sam 24:1 and following).

Jeremiah 35:2. Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak with them, and bring them into the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink. The Rechabites (1 Chr 2:55) were a branch of the Kenites, who had been friendly with the Hebrews since the time of Moses. They were received into the community of Israel, but they maintained their own customs and traditions. Their ancestor Jonadab participated together with Jehu in the destruction of the worship of Baal in the kingdom of Israel (2 Sam 10:15 and following). He gave certain rules of life to his family, which of course he himself inherited from his ancestors. The main rule was to lead a nomadic life, which offered greater safeguards against moral corruption than life in cities. Only by necessity, in order to save their lives from the Babylonians, they (probably around 601 BC) were forced to take refuge behind the walls of Jerusalem. Chambers were constructed in great numbers on the front court of the temple (the vestibule). Here were kept the materials for sacrifice; the temple officials lived here and feasts were held after peace offerings.

Jeremiah 35:4. And I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was beside the chamber of the princes, above the chamber of Maaseiah, son of Shallum, the keeper of the threshold; Hanan is called a man of God, probably as a prophet (cf. 1 Sam 2:27). His “sons” are probably his disciples. Jer 35:12-19. The Lord commands that the Judeans be shown this faithfulness of the Rechabites to the covenants of their ancestors, for the Judeans never obeyed their God. That is why the Lord will bring upon the Judeans all the calamities He foretold them, but will always protect the Rechabites.

Jeremiah 35:19. For this reason, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: there will never fail a man of the house of Jonadab, son of Rechab, standing before Me at all times. “A man standing before My face” – in these words one can see an indication not only of the preservation of the race of Rechabites, but also of their special closeness to Yehova, which they always maintain (cf. Jer 15:19).

Chapter Thirty-Six

1–8. The writing of the book of Jeremiah’s prophecies in the fourth year of Jehoiakim. 9–26. Its destruction by the king in the following year. 27–32. The rewriting of the book and the prophecy concerning Jehoiakim and his people.

Jer 36:1-8. In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the prophet receives from God a command to write down all the prophetic speeches he has made up to that time for reading to the people. Jeremiah dictates his speeches to his disciple Baruch, and then commands him to read the scroll of speeches in the temple, where many people gathered because of a fast, and Baruch carries out Jeremiah’s command.

Jeremiah 36:1. In the fourth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah, such a word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: Jeremiah 36:2. Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you concerning Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I began speaking to you in the days of Josiah until today; Jeremiah had certainly recorded some of his speeches even before. But now he writes all these speeches, almost exclusively threatening in character, into one book. Why this was necessary at the present time can be said as follows. First, many of the speeches he made over nearly twenty years apparently were now coming to fulfillment, if they had not already been fulfilled, and this circumstance had to make a particularly strong impression on those for whom these speeches were intended. Second, Jeremiah himself could not openly appear before the people at that time (verse 5), and thus the reading of his speeches by Baruch was to replace the prophet’s oral preaching.

Jeremiah 36:4. And Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord which He had spoken to him. If Jeremiah uses the services of Baruch for writing his speeches on this occasion, it is not because he himself could not write (cf. Jer 30:2), but because, as he dictated his speeches to Baruch, the prophet was in a heightened state of emotion, which made it impossible for him to engage in the painstaking work of writing.

Jeremiah 36:5. And Jeremiah said to Baruch, I am confined and cannot go into the house of the Lord; “I am confined.” From verse 19 it is clear that Jeremiah was not locked in a prison. By this expression he means only that he is forbidden to appear before the people.

Jeremiah 36:6. so you go and read from the scroll that you have written from my mouth – the words of the Lord – to the ears of the people in the house of the Lord on the day of fasting, and also to the ears of all Judah who come in from their cities, read it to them; “The day of fasting.” It is unknown what fast this was. In those difficult times special fasts were sometimes appointed or days of repentance to appease the anger of Yehova. Jer 36:9-26. Immediately word of the contents of the scroll read by Baruch was brought to the notice of the king’s counselors. They themselves heard the prophecy of Jeremiah and were seized with fear. After advising Baruch to hide together with Jeremiah, the counselors reported the scroll to the king, who in turn demanded it for himself. When the king heard the scroll read, he took it in sections in his hands and burned it on a brazier, thereby showing contempt for Jeremiah, and then ordered the arrest of Jeremiah and Baruch, who, however, with God’s help, managed to hide in time.

Jeremiah 36:10. And Baruch read from the scroll the words of Jeremiah in the house of the Lord, in the chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan, the scribe, on the upper court, at the entrance to the New Gate of the house of the Lord, to all the people. The scribe Gemariah, son of the former chief of the royal chancellery Shaphan (2 Sam 22:3), brother of Ahikam mentioned in chapter XXVI (Jer 26:24), the defender of Jeremiah. Now in the place of Shaphan was Elishama (verse 12). – “New Gate” – see Jer 26:10.

Jeremiah 36:22. Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, and there was a fire burning before him. Braziers are still used in Jerusalem today for heating rooms in the winter time (the ninth month corresponds to our December).

Jeremiah 36:24. And neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words were frightened, nor did they tear their garments. By servants here are meant not those scribes who were frightened by the predictions of Jeremiah (verse 16), but probably merely the courtiers.

Jeremiah 36:26. And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son and Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them. The king’s son is a prince from the royal house of David, not the son of Jehoiakim, who at that time was no more than thirty years old. Jer 36:27-32. Jeremiah receives from God a command to rewrite his prophecies and announce to Jehoiakim that for his daring attitude toward God’s word, the Lord will not give his descendants to sit on the throne of David, but will deprive the king himself of an honorable burial.

Jeremiah 36:30. For this reason thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim, king of Judah: none of his offspring will sit on the throne of David, and his dead body will be thrown out in the heat of the day and in the cold of the night; Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, reigned for only three months, and then his uncle Zedekiah ascended the throne. – Concerning the burial of Jehoiakim – see Jer 22:19.

Jeremiah 36:32. Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, and he wrote on it at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the scroll which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire; and many similar words were added to them. Jeremiah not only writes the former prophecies in the new book, but also adds new ones, especially those spoken later.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

1–10. Jeremiah’s prophecy about the second invasion of Judah by the Chaldeans, who had left the walls of Jerusalem. 11–16. The arrest of the prophet. 17–21. His conversation with King Zedekiah.

Jer 37:1-10. At a time when, thanks to the approach of the Egyptian army coming to help the Judeans, the Chaldeans had to temporarily lift the siege of Jerusalem, Zedekiah, in the hope that the prophet Jeremiah would now say nothing unpleasant for the Judeans, sent messengers to him with a request to pray for the Judeans to the Lord and then of course to tell them something comforting. But Jeremiah as before announced to Jerusalem its destruction by the Chaldeans.

Jeremiah 37:3. And King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “Please pray for us to the Lord our God.” Zedekiah was a man of weak character. He sometimes followed the advice of Jeremiah (Jer 23:14 and following), then he yielded to the suggestions of his courtiers who said the opposite of what Jeremiah advised (Jer 38:4 and following). – “Jehucal” in Jer 38:1 verse is numbered among the princes. “Zephaniah” was a person of rather high standing among the priests (Jer 21:1).

Jeremiah 37:5. Meanwhile the army of Pharaoh had come out of Egypt, and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they lifted the siege of Jerusalem. The Pharaoh mentioned here is Hophra, the fourth ruler of the 26th dynasty. From the book of Ezekiel it is evident that he suffered defeat when he met the Chaldeans (Ezek 30:21). Jer 37:11-16. At a time when it was again possible for the inhabitants of the city of Jerusalem to go out to the surrounding cities, Jeremiah wanted to go to his native city Anathoth, probably on some property matters. But at the Benjamin Gate he was stopped by the chief of the guard and, despite all the evidence by which Jeremiah proved his innocence, he was thrown into prison as a deserter to the Chaldeans, and was even beaten.

Jeremiah 37:12. Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to claim his property there among the people. “To claim his property among the people” – more correctly from the Hebrew: “to take his inheritance share among his kinfolk.”

Jeremiah 37:15. And the princes were angry with Jeremiah and beat him and put him in prison, in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for they had made it a prison. “The princes were angry with Jeremiah” for his constant speeches about the necessity of surrendering to the Chaldeans. The old princes who had been favorably disposed toward Jeremiah (Jer 26:3-6) were no longer there. – Near the house of the chief of the chancellery there was apparently a convenient room that could serve as a prison. Jer 37:17-21. When the Chaldeans approached Jerusalem again, Zedekiah secretly called Jeremiah to him and asked him about the fate awaiting the city. Jeremiah again foretold him captivity and asked the king at the same time for more gentle treatment, pointing out that his prophecy about the return of the Chaldeans had been fulfilled. The king then placed him in the court of the guard.

Jeremiah 37:21. And King Zedekiah gave the command that Jeremiah be confined in the court of the guard, and that he be given a piece of bread from the street of the bakers each day, until all the bread in the city was gone; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard. Jeremiah was given one small loaf a day, which, however, in the midst of the famine that prevailed in the city, was a kindness to the prophet.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

1–13. An attempt on the life of Jeremiah. 14–28. A secret conversation of Jeremiah with King Zedekiah.

Jer 38:1-13. Although Jeremiah had found some favor with the king (chapter XXXI), nevertheless his enemies did not sleep and began to persuade the king that the prophet, depriving the defenders of Jerusalem of all courage by his predictions, deserved death. The weak-willed king gave Jeremiah into their hands and they put him in a pit where he could die of hunger. However, among the king’s servants there was one, namely the eunuch Ebed-melech, who managed to convince the king of the necessity of saving Jeremiah from starvation, and Jeremiah was pulled out of the pit and was placed under guard in the king’s court again.

Jeremiah 38:1. And Shephatiah son of Mattan, and Gedaliah son of Pashhur, and Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchiah heard the words which Jeremiah had spoken to all the people, saying: “Jucal” is the same as Jehucal; see Jer 37:3. “Pashhur” – see Jer 20:1. – Jeremiah, probably sitting in the king’s court, had conversations with people coming to the king.

Jeremiah 38:4. Then the princes said to the king, “This man should be put to death, for he is weakening the hands of the warriors who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.” From an ordinary civil and state point of view, Jeremiah was guilty. But the princes, as believers in Yehova – the Supreme Ruler of Israel – should have viewed Jeremiah’s “treason” differently. From a theocratic point of view, it was not treason, but an announcement of God’s will and an indication to the people of the only means of salvation.

Jeremiah 38:5. And King Zedekiah said, “Here he is in your hands; for the king cannot do anything against you.” Zedekiah here clearly expresses his displeasure at the persistence of the courtiers and cannot but follow their advice.

Jeremiah 38:6. So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the pit of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the court of the guard, and they lowered Jeremiah by ropes. Now there was no water in the pit, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud. The king’s son – see Jer 36:26.

Jeremiah 38:7. Now Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs in the king’s house, heard that Jeremiah had been put in the pit; and the king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate. “Ethiopian.” Eunuchs were usually taken from foreigners for the king’s harem. The law did not permit castration operations on Hebrews, to which eunuchs were subjected (Deut 23:1). Jer 38:14-28. The king again calls the prophet to him for a conversation, but Jeremiah points out to him the danger that threatens him if he gives the king advice in the old direction. However, when the king assures him that he will not deliver him to death no matter what the prophet says, Jeremiah again suggests that he surrender to the Chaldeans. The king expresses his fear that in captivity the Hebrew deserters will mock him, but Jeremiah says that in case of disobedience to the word of the prophet, the women of the king’s harem will mock him as a weak-willed man who succumbed to the foolish advice of his courtiers. The king, however, does not decide to follow Jeremiah’s advice and lets him go again to the court of the guard, taking from him a word to keep his conversation with the king secret from the courtiers.

Jeremiah 38:14. Then King Zedekiah sent and had Jeremiah the prophet brought to him at the third entrance of the house of the Lord, and the king said to Jeremiah, “I will ask you a question; do not hide anything from me.” The third entrance to the temple is unknown where it was located. It is thought that it was a special royal entrance from the palace to the outer court of the temple.

Jeremiah 38:22. All the women who are left in the house of the king of Judah will be given over to the princes of the king of Babylon, and they will say: “Your trusted friends have misled you and have overcome you; now that your feet have sunk in the mud, they have turned away from you.” Only a few of the king’s wives remained in the harem. The others, because of the desperate situation – at that time there was not even enough bread in the capital – could have been sent somewhere out of Jerusalem beforehand.

Jeremiah 38:27. And all the princes came to Jeremiah and questioned him, and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded, and they left him alone, for the matter had not been heard. Jeremiah permits here an intentional silence about the true course of the conversation with the king, but does this not so much in his own interest as in order to protect the king from the displeasure of the courtiers.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

1–14. The taking of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans and the liberation of Jeremiah from captivity. 15–18. A promise to Ebed-melech.

Jer 39:1-14. In the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign Jerusalem was captured by Nebuchadnezzar; Zedekiah was seized while fleeing from the city and his eyes were put out, but not until they were forced to see the slaughter of his sons; almost all the Judeans, except the poor, were led away to Babylon. Jeremiah, however, found favor in the sight of the king of Babylon, who granted him freedom.

Jeremiah 39:1. In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and besieged it. Concerning the siege of Jerusalem see Jer 32:1-2; Jer 34:1-7 and 2 Sam 25, where there is an almost literal repetition of several verses from the chapter of Jeremiah we are considering.

Jeremiah 39:3. And all the princes of the king of Babylon came and took their seat at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, the chief officer, Nergal-sharezer, the Rab-mag, and all the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar, as can be concluded from verse 1, merely opened the campaign against Jerusalem and entrusted its continuation to his commanders. During the capture of the city he was in the city of Riblah (in Syria). The Chaldean commanders, having captured the city, deliberated about its further fate at the Middle Gate, which probably led from the middle of the city (2 Sam 20:4) to the northern suburb and therefore belonged to the old city wall. As a central place it was a convenient point from which to observe the entire city, and the commanders apparently had a regular meeting place here. Among the commanders named are four men with Assyrian names: “Nergal-sharezer” (May Nergal protect the king!), “Samgar-nebo” (Be merciful, Nebo!), “Sarsechim” (meaning of the name unknown) and another “Nergal-sharezer.” Two of those named are designated by their positions: chief officer (rab saris) and Rab-mag (chief of the magi). The word mag could be a changed Assyrian word mahhu meaning priest. As for the relationship of this word to the Persian magu, nothing certain can be said.

Jeremiah 39:5. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them, and they overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and took him and brought him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him. At Riblah, a Syrian city on the banks of the Orontes River, Nebuchadnezzar kept watch over Syria and Phoenicia.

Jeremiah 39:10. But Nebuzaradan, the chief of the guard, left some of the poor of the people who had nothing in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields. The poor of the people were left in Judah. The Chaldeans hoped that they would be grateful to the Chaldeans for rewarding them with vineyards and fields.

Jeremiah 39:11. Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave a command concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan, the chief of the guard: The activities of Jeremiah could have been known to Nebuzaradan and to Nebuchadnezzar himself through Hebrew deserters.

Jeremiah 39:13. And Nebuzaradan, the chief of the guard, and Nebushazban, the chief officer, and Nergal-sharezer, the Rab-mag, and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon, Here a different name is given as the chief of the eunuchs, not Samgar, but Nebuzaradan (in Assyrian: Nabusezibanni May Nebo save me!). Most commentators recognize this new name as the second name of the same man, Samgar, and as a proper name, while the word Samgar is recognized as a corrupted Assyrian compound expression sar mag – chief of the magi.

Jeremiah 39:14. and sent and took Jeremiah from the court of the guard, and entrusted him to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he lived among his people. It is said of Jeremiah here that he, having received his freedom, remained to live among his people. Meanwhile in Jer 40:1 verse he appears bound in chains with other Judeans in the city of Ramah. To reconcile both statements of the book, it is quite sufficient to make a very natural assumption that Jeremiah, having received his freedom, immediately went to comfort his unfortunate countrymen and was bound in chains with them until his second liberation in the city of Ramah, where he could be recognized by Gedaliah, to whom he had been entrusted by Nebuzaradan.

Jeremiah 39:15. The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, while he was shut up in the court of the guard: Jeremiah 39:16. Go and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I am about to bring My words on this city for evil and not for good, and they will be accomplished before your eyes on that day; Jeremiah 39:17. but I will save you on that day, says the Lord, and you will not be given into the hands of the people of whom you are afraid. Jeremiah 39:18. For I will surely rescue you, and you will not fall by the sword, but your life will be saved as a prize of war to you, because you have trusted in Me, says the Lord. Here it is said about the reward which Ebed-melech, who was well disposed toward Jeremiah, received. The prophet, immediately after his liberation from the hands of the Hebrew nobles, announced to Ebed-melech that he would be saved at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem.

Chapter Forty

1–6. Jeremiah’s secondary release. 7–16. Governor Gedaliah.

Jer 40:1-6. Jeremiah received from Nebuzaradan full freedom to dispose of his own fate. He could either go with his countrymen to Babylon or remain with Gedaliah, the governor, with a small community of Judeans in Judea. Jeremiah chose the latter and remained with Gedaliah in the city of Mizpah.

Jeremiah 40:1. A word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guard, had released him from Ramah, where he had taken him bound in chains among all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried away to Babylon. The heading contained in this verse properly belongs only to Jer 42:4-22 and Jer 43:8-13, which stand in close connection with the historical narratives contained in chapters XL and XLI. For this reason, the heading that should have appeared before Jer 42:4 is placed at the beginning of chapter XL. – Ramah was the first stopping place of the captured Judeans (this city is located two hours’ journey to the north of Jerusalem).

Jeremiah 40:3. And the Lord brought it about and did what He said; because you sinned before the Lord and did not obey His voice, therefore this calamity has come upon you. Nebuzaradan speaks as Jeremiah spoke, conforming to his perspective. Moreover, according to his pagan way of thinking, he could believe in the God of the Hebrews, whom the Hebrews had angered through their disobedience, and who for that reason began to help the Chaldeans.

Jeremiah 40:5. While he had not yet left, Nebuzaradan said: Go to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed governor over the cities of Judah, and live with him among the people; or go wherever you wish to go. And the commander of the guard gave him food and a gift and let him go. Jeremiah evidently did not at first express a desire to leave his captive countrymen. But then, when he heard that a community also remained in Judea under the rule of a Judean leader, he decided it was best for the cause to stay in Judea, where theocratic life could be reborn.

Jeremiah 40:6. So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, at Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who remained in the land. Mizpah is located two hours’ journey to the northwest of Jerusalem; it was situated on a height, overlooking the surrounding regions. Jer 40:7-16. Gedaliah began to establish good order among the inhabitants remaining in Judea, and around him the remnants of Judean military units began to gather, those who had been outside the city at the time of the taking of Jerusalem, as well as those Judeans who had escaped and fled from the Chaldeans among the Ammonites and, in general, in the regions beyond the Jordan. But the well-being of the remaining Judean community soon came to an end. A conspiracy was arranged against Gedaliah by a certain Ishmael, about which Gedaliah was informed in good time, but against whom the governor refused to take any measures.

Jeremiah 40:8. Then Ishmael, son of Nathaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan, sons of Kareah, and Seraiah, son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai of Netophah, and Jaazaniah, son of the Maachathite, came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, they and their men. Ishmael, son of Nathaniah, as is evident from Jer 41:1, was of royal descent. This explains why he rebelled against Gedaliah, a man of common origin, whom he could regard as a traitor to his country. – “Netophah” is a city in Judea, not far from Bethlehem.

Jeremiah 40:9. And Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore to them and their men, saying, Do not fear to serve the Chaldeans; dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you; “Do not fear to serve the Chaldeans” – more accurately translated, as in the LXX: Do not be afraid of the officials of the Chaldeans, who, of course, were left in Palestine by Nebuchadnezzar.

Jeremiah 40:10. As for me, I will remain at Mizpah to stand before the Chaldeans who will come to us; but you, gather wine and summer fruits and oil, and store them in your vessels, and dwell in the cities that you have taken. “Gather wine.” It is remarkable that the Chaldeans did not destroy the harvest and fruits of the land of Judah – both remained intact several weeks after their withdrawal from Judea. The Assyrians acted differently (compare Isa 1:7-9).

Jeremiah 40:13. Meanwhile Johanan, son of Kareah, and all the military commanders who were in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah “Who were in the field” – that is, those hiding here and there in the land of Judah.

Jeremiah 40:14. And said to him, Do you know that Baalis, king of the Ammonites, has sent Ishmael, son of Nathaniah, to take your life? But Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, did not believe them. The king of Ammon was displeased with the restoration of order in Judea, which was being brought about by Gedaliah. He probably intended to take advantage of the land of Judah and therefore could have inspired Ishmael to think that Gedaliah must be killed. The king calculated that in that case the Chaldeans would send a force to punish the Judeans, and no one of them would remain in the land of Judea, which he might even receive for himself as his possession.

Chapter Forty-One

1–10. The murder of Gedaliah and further murders. 11–13. Ishmael’s flight and the Judeans’ intention to go to Egypt.

Jer 41:1-10. Ishmael treacherously killed Gedaliah, and with him certain Judean and Chaldean soldiers who were with Gedaliah, and then killed seventy pilgrims from Samaria. At the same time he took into his own hands all those who remained at Mizpah.

Jeremiah 41:1. And it happened in the seventh month that Ishmael, son of Nathaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, and ten men with him came to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, at Mizpah, and there they ate bread together at Mizpah. “In the seventh month” – consequently, only eight months after the taking of the city, two months after its destruction and the appointment of Gedaliah as governor. Elishama is probably a son of David (2 Sam 5:16; 1 Chr 3:6). Ishmael is called his son in the general sense of “descendant.”

Jeremiah 41:5. There came eighty men from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria with their beards shaved and their garments torn, and with their bodies gashed, carrying grain offerings and frankincense to bring to the house of the Lord. In the seventh month, according to the law, the Feast of Booths was celebrated, but the Hebrews from Samaria went to this feast at the destroyed temple not in festive garments, but in complete mourning (Compare Jer 16:6 and Jer 36:24). – Offerings are grain offerings, frankincense is fragrant incense, which can be burned at the sacred place, since there was no longer an altar for blood sacrifices.

Jeremiah 41:6. And Ishmael, son of Nathaniah, came out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went, and as he met them, he said to them, Come to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam. Ishmael deceived the pilgrims with his weeping, as if expressing sympathy for their penitent mood, to gain their confidence (in the LXX it is the pilgrims themselves who are weeping). He invited them to Gedaliah, evidently promising them a good reception there.

Jeremiah 41:7. And as soon as they entered the middle of the city, Ishmael, son of Nathaniah, killed them and threw them into a pit, he and the men with him. “A pit” – this was an artificial water reservoir.

Jeremiah 41:8. But ten men were found among them who said to Ishmael, Do not kill us, for we have hidden stores in the field – wheat, barley, oil, and honey. So he refrained and did not kill them with the rest of their companions. “Hidden stores” – these were underground granaries in the fields where stores of grain were hidden. They could have been not far from Mizpah.

Jeremiah 41:9. Now the pit into which Ishmael cast all the bodies of the men whom he struck down along with Gedaliah was the great pit that King Asa had made in fear of Baasha, king of Israel; Ishmael, son of Nathaniah, filled it with the slain. The abomination of Ishmael’s deed lay in the fact that he rendered the aforementioned water reservoir unclean by filling it with corpses. – “Along with Gedaliah” – the LXX read here more correctly: instead of Godoliah – gadol – great. It should be translated as: “Now the pit into which Ishmael cast the slain was a great pit, which” and so forth. Jer 41:11-18. When Johanan, one of the military commanders, gathered around him enough Judeans to engage in battle with the villain Ishmael, the latter fled to the Ammonite king. The remaining Judeans, out of fear of the Chaldeans, decided to go to Egypt, where they hoped to remain safe.

Jeremiah 41:12. They took all the men and went to fight Ishmael, son of Nathaniah, and found him by the great pool in Gibeon. “In Gibeon” (modern El-Jib) still has a large reservoir now, which in former times received water from a nearby spring (great pool). Ishmael turned here while heading for the Jordan.

Jeremiah 41:17. And they went and stopped at Geruth Chimham, which is near Bethlehem, intending to go to Egypt “Chimham” – a place of unknown location. The name Kimham (according to the Hebrew text) appears, however, in 2 Sam 19:38 and following verses. A son of Barzillai, who was loyal to David, is mentioned there, who could have been rewarded with a special portion near Bethlehem. The Judeans stopped here to collect supplies for their journey to Egypt.

Jeremiah 41:18. Because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael, son of Nathaniah, had killed Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed governor over the land. The leaders remaining after Gedaliah were especially afraid of the Chaldeans because the murderer of Gedaliah – Ishmael – belonged to their company, and the Chaldeans could recognize his crime as having been committed according to a secret agreement of all the Judean leaders.

Chapter Forty-Two

1–6. The Hebrews consult Jeremiah about their plan. 7–22. The prophet, on behalf of God, advises them not to go to Egypt.

Jeremiah 42:1. Then all the military commanders, and Johanan, son of Kareah, and Jezaniah, son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, Jeremiah 42:2. Said to Jeremiah the prophet, Let our request fall before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us and for all this remnant; for we are left but a few out of many, as you can see us with your own eyes, Jeremiah 42:3. That the Lord your God may show us the way we should go and the thing we should do. Jeremiah 42:4. And Jeremiah the prophet said to them, I hear you; I will pray to the Lord your God according to your request, and whatever the Lord answers you I will declare to you; I will keep nothing back from you. Jeremiah 42:5. They said to Jeremiah, May the Lord be a true and faithful witness among us if we do not act according to everything that the Lord your God sends you to tell us: Jeremiah 42:6. Whether it be good or bad, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may be well with us, since we obey the voice of the Lord our God. The Hebrew leaders, before setting out for Egypt, decide to learn the will of God and turn to the prophet Jeremiah with a request to pray to God for them, so that the Lord might tell them what to do. At the same time they promise to carry out exactly what God tells them. Jer 42:7-22. Ten days later, Jeremiah informs his countrymen of the revelation he has received from God. The Hebrews should not go to Egypt. Let them live peacefully and quietly in Palestine. The Chaldeans will not touch them. But if the Hebrews do go, they will perish in Egypt from the sword, hunger, and plague.

Jeremiah 42:10. If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you and not pluck you up, for I relent of the disaster that I have brought upon you. Here we encounter an example of what is called anthropomorphism. God, like a human being, relents of the disaster that He has caused to the Hebrews. This means that the decisions of divine justice are modified according to the actions of people. God acted rightly in punishing the Hebrews, but His love for them already strives to heal the wounds inflicted on them.

Jeremiah 42:12. And I will show you compassion, and he will have compassion on you and restore you to your own land. “Restore you” – that is, give you the opportunity to return again to your homeland, to your own settlements.

Jeremiah 42:20. Because you have made a terrible error against yourselves: for you sent me to the Lord your God saying, “Pray for us to the Lord our God, and whatever the Lord our God says, declare to us, and we will do it.” The conclusion of Jeremiah’s speech shows that the prophet already foresaw that the Hebrews would not listen to him. Therefore, the prophet uses verbs in the past tense: you made an error, you will not listen.

Chapter Forty-Three

1–7. The Judeans’ disobedience to God’s will. 8–13. Jeremiah’s address to the Judeans in Egypt.

Jer 43:1-7. Justifying their manifest disobedience to God’s will, the leaders of the Judeans tell Jeremiah that he is mistaken, that God did not at all speak to him what he said to the Judeans. Therefore, they went to Egypt, taking Jeremiah and Baruch with them.

Jeremiah 43:1. When Jeremiah finished telling all the people all the words of the Lord their God, everything that the Lord their God had sent him to say to them, Jeremiah 43:2. Then Azariah, son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan, son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, You are lying; the Lord our God has not sent you to say, “Do not go to Egypt to dwell there”; “All the arrogant men.” The people, apparently, were on the side of Jeremiah, but remained silent, and only a small group of “arrogant men,” who for some reason had special influence, refused to recognize in the prophet, this time, a true messenger of divine decisions.

Jeremiah 43:3. Rather, Baruch, son of Neriah, is stirring you up against us, to deliver us into the hands of the Chaldeans, that they might kill us or take us into exile to Babylon. Why the “arrogant men” attributed special participation here to Baruch, Jeremiah’s disciple, is unknown. It can be supposed that, in view of the respect that Jeremiah enjoyed among the Hebrews at that time, the Hebrew leaders did not want to accuse the prophet himself, but found a “scapegoat” in Baruch, the faithful disciple and companion of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 43:6. And they took all the men and women, children and the daughters of the king, and every person whom Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guard, had left with Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch, son of Neriah; Jeremiah and Baruch were evidently given a strict order to follow Johanan.

Jeremiah 43:7. And they went to the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the Lord, and they arrived at Tahpanhes. Tahpanhes – see Jer 2:16. Jer 43:8-13. To show how foolishly the Hebrews acted in moving to Egypt, Jeremiah, by God’s command, must perform a symbolic action: bury several large stones in soft clay at the entrance to the house of Pharaoh. By this Jeremiah was to visibly represent the invasion of the mighty Chaldeans into the weakened Egyptian kingdom and the complete defeat of Pharaoh by Nebuchadnezzar.

Jeremiah 43:9. Take in your hands large stones and hide them in the mortar in the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the Judeans, “Mortar in the brick pavement.” The Hebrew word malat here, in the later Hebrew language (post-biblical), means “brick pavement.” If we suppose that Jeremiah with several representatives of his people stood before Pharaoh’s house at the time when the area before the house was being paved with bricks, it is quite possible that he could unobtrusively place several stones underneath the bricks.

Jeremiah 43:10. And say to them, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, My servant, and set his throne upon these stones which I have hidden, and he will spread his royal pavilion over them Nebuchadnezzar on this square before the palace of the defeated Pharaoh will set up his magnificent tent for conducting various affairs (compare 2 Sam 19:8).

Jeremiah 43:12. And I will kindle a fire in the temples of the gods of Egypt; and he will burn them and take them captive; and he will wrap himself in the land of Egypt as a shepherd wraps himself in his garment, and he will depart from there unharmed, Nebuchadnezzar, from whom the Hebrews felt themselves safe, will manage Egypt so easily, just as easily and quickly a shepherd in bad weather wraps himself in his cloak.

Jeremiah 43:13. And he will break the obelisks of Heliopolis, which is in the land of Egypt, and the temples of the gods of Egypt he will burn with fire. Heliopolis is mentioned here as an Egyptian city in distinction from a Palestinian city with the same name. It is the city of On or Heliopolis (City of the Sun), which was located in Lower Egypt and was famous for its temple dedicated to the sun and its tall obelisks (in Russian, inexactly translated as “statues”). Among these, the “Cleopatra’s Needles” are especially well-known, one of which is now in the city of Alexandria, and another in London. On the spot where it stood, there still stands one ancient obelisk to this day. As for the fulfillment of this prophecy, critical scholars for a long time maintained that there was no invasion of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar. But recently sufficient evidence has been found which shows that such an invasion did actually take place. 1) One Egyptian inscription of a high official under Pharaoh Hophra (in our text – Vaphres) reports of an attack by “Syrians, people of the north, Asians” on Upper Egypt, where they, reaching Syene (Elephantine), devastated the temple of Khnum, but were prevented from crossing the cataracts (waterfalls) by the Pharaoh. Since for the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 29:17 and following) this appears to be a matter of the future (573–572 B.C.), and Hophra reigned until 572–571 B.C., the mentioned attack could only be around 572 B.C. 2) In a Babylonian inscription, also only recently discovered, Nebuchadnezzar himself states that in the 37th year of his reign (568 B.C.) he went to Egypt, defeated the king (Ama)-su, that is, Amasis, and took rich spoils. There is nothing improbable that he also went to Egypt earlier, in 572 B.C.

Chapter Forty-Four

1–14. Rebuke of the Hebrews living in Egypt for their turn to idolatry. 15–19. Their objections to the prophet. 20–30. The prophet’s answer.

Jer 44:1-14. The prophet points out to the Hebrews living in Egypt the desolation of their homeland as a clear testimony of God’s anger, which fell on the worshippers of foreign gods. Now it seems especially abominable to the prophet that the Hebrews turn to those same customs which earlier led to the destruction of the Judean state. Undoubtedly, God’s anger will finally destroy this people, hardened in their vices. The prophet especially mentions Judean women as the most inclined to heathen superstition.

Jeremiah 44:1. The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Judeans living in the land of Egypt, those settled in Migdol, Tahpanhes, Noph, and in the land of Pathros: “Migdol,” where there evidently was a very large Judean colony, is a border city on the northeast side of Egypt, near the Nile canal running near Pelusium and not too far from the Mediterranean Sea. On Egyptian monuments it is called mak-thai. Migdol, mentioned in the book of Exodus (Exod 14:2), should be sought in a more southern direction. – “Tahpanhes” and “Noph” – see Jer 2:16. – “Pathros” is Upper Egypt, as is evident from the book of Isaiah (Isa 11:11) and from Egyptian monuments, by which Thebes is listed as the main city in the “land of the south” (Pa-to-ris). Jer 44:15-19. The people, including women, object to the prophet’s rebuke. On the contrary, they say, the worship of foreign gods and especially of the queen of heaven brought us nothing but benefit. All our misfortunes came precisely from the fact that we stopped serving the goddess of heaven.

Jeremiah 44:15. Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, and all the women standing there in great number, and all the people living in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying: It is evident from this that the prophet held his address before a large assembly of Judeans. What occasion there was for this assembly is unknown. In any case, it was not a festival in honor of the queen of heaven or, in general, any heathen celebration. Otherwise, the expression: “who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods” would be quite out of place. But the Judean women apparently had the intention to arrange here some kind of, perhaps secret, celebration in honor of the goddess of heaven.

Jeremiah 44:17. But we will certainly do everything that has gone out of our mouths, burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food and were well off, and saw no disaster. “The queen of heaven,” or queen of heaven, to whom they turned with hope for the fulfillment of their desires concerning earthly well-being (for example, the resolution of childlessness), was, of course, the goddess of the moon. – “What has gone out of our mouths” – this is an expression used of making vows (Num 30:3.; Deut 23:23; Judg 11:36). – “Burn incense” means to burn grain offerings with part of the incense. – The Hebrews appeal to ancient customs, practiced before the reform of Josiah and preserved in the people even under Jehoiakim (Jer 7:17).

Jeremiah 44:19. And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, was it without our husbands’ knowledge that we made cakes for her bearing her image and poured out drink offerings to her? Here it is more clearly indicated that it was the women who primarily spoke. They, in their own defense, appeal to their husbands, who did not prevent them from serving the queen of heaven. Jer 44:20-30. In response to the Hebrews, Jeremiah solemnly declares that it was not something else – not the neglect of worship of the queen of heaven – but rather the disobedience to the first commandment of God’s law that was the cause of the devastation of their homeland. If the Hebrews now wish to persist in their evil habits, then the Lord will finally destroy and all the Hebrew people who have now found refuge in Egypt: only a few will be saved in Judea. To prove the truth of his declaration about the destruction awaiting the stubborn Hebrews, the prophet shows them a sign: very soon the Pharaoh, who apparently sits very firmly on the throne, Hophra, must perish.

Jeremiah 44:26. Therefore hear the word of the Lord, all you Judeans living in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by My great name, says the Lord, that My name shall no more be invoked by the mouth of any Judean in all the land of Egypt, saying, “As the Lord lives,” It appears that Jeremiah’s prophecy was not fulfilled: there were very many Hebrews remaining in Egypt and their number even increased later. Alexander the Great gave them a considerable quarter even in the city of Alexandria he founded. It is most likely, therefore, that the prophecy of Jeremiah, especially confirmed by the fulfillment of his prediction about the destruction of Pharaoh Hophra, had a beneficial effect on his listeners and they gradually overcame their attraction to idolatry. In 1908, remains of a temple dedicated to Jehovah by the Hebrews approximately 400 years before Christ were found in Egypt, and this testifies to their return to the worship of the One God.

Jeremiah 44:30. Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt, into the hands of his enemies and into the hands of those who seek his life, as I gave Zedekiah, king of Judah, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, his enemy, who sought his life. Pharaoh Hophra, according to Herodotus (II, 169), who thought that no god could deprive him of the throne, was delivered by his son-in-law to the hands of the rebelling people. Special note. The event described here belongs to a very late period of Jeremiah’s activity, as is evident from the fact that the Hebrews are already scattered throughout Egypt. This was shortly before the fall of Hophra (around 570 B.C.). Jeremiah was then over 70 years old.

Chapter Forty-Five

1–5. Consolation to Baruch.

Jer 45:1-5. If Jeremiah himself experienced despair when he had to proclaim to his countrymen the dreadful judgments of God, there is nothing surprising in the fact that Baruch, his disciple, who was weaker than Jeremiah, was depressed when copying the threatening prophecies of his teacher. But God through Jeremiah consoles Baruch. First, he was told that at a time when God’s judgment comes upon the whole land of Judah, he, Baruch, has no right to count on happiness and prosperity. And secondly, God declares to Baruch as consolation that in the coming difficult time for the Judean land, his life will be preserved by God.

Jeremiah 45:1. The word that the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Baruch, the son of Neriah, when he wrote these words from the mouth of Jeremiah in a book, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah: “In the fourth year of Jehoiakim” it had become fully clear to Baruch that the ruin of the Judean state was inevitable, and this awareness then made a depressing impression on his soul.

Jeremiah 45:3. You say: “Woe is me! For the Lord has added sorrow to my pain; I am exhausted with my sighing, and I find no rest.” The more Baruch became acquainted with the content of Jeremiah’s words, the more he suffered in his soul. Special remark. This chapter appears to be of rather insignificant content, but it can serve as evidence that Baruch played a very important role in recording the prophecies of Jeremiah—that he was not simply a scribe who wrote at Jeremiah’s dictation, but independently recorded the words spoken by Jeremiah and committed to writing some events from the life of his great teacher. Otherwise, the placement in the book of Jeremiah of a special chapter devoted to Baruch would be incomprehensible.

Chapter Forty-Six

1–12. Prophecy concerning the defeat of the Egyptians at the Euphrates. 13–28. Prophecy concerning the conquest of Egypt by the Chaldeans.

Jer 46:1-12. The prophet turns with a call to the Egyptian army, standing under the command of Pharaoh Necho at the city of Carchemish on the Euphrates. Let the Egyptians arm themselves and prepare to meet the enemy – the Chaldeans. But no, confusion appears in their ranks and they flee, perishing from the enemy (Jer 17:6). The same defeat of the mighty Egyptians the prophet further depicts. The Egyptian forces rushed forward like the waters of the Nile rising in spring. Egypt gathered all its strength to fight the Chaldeans, but the Lord determined to destroy the Egyptian army hostile to the chosen people, and nothing can help Egypt, nothing will protect it from the terrible judgment of God, which Nebuchadnezzar will execute.

Jeremiah 46:1. The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations: This heading applies to the entire section from chapter XLVI through LI, where there are addresses concerning the heathen nations.

Jeremiah 46:2. Concerning Egypt, concerning the army of Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, which was at the river Euphrates in Carchemish, and which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah. This verse serves as an introduction only to verses 8–12 of the present chapter. It was, of course, added to the address of verses 3–12 after the defeat of the Egyptians at Carchemish. Concerning Carchemish see Isa 10:9. The Egyptian army apparently had been standing here for a long time, perhaps besieging the city, when Nebuchadnezzar attacked it at his father’s command. This was probably in the 4th year of Jehoiakim (605 B.C.).

Jeremiah 46:9. Rise up, and mount the horses; stand forth in your helmets; polish your spears; put on your armor, you Ethiopians and Libyans bearing shields, and Lydians drawing and handling the bow; The auxiliary forces of the Egyptians are the Ethiopians, who lived to the south of Egypt, the Libyans or, more accurately, Put – the inhabitants of the country at the Red Sea, and finally the Lydians or, more accurately, Libyans (there were no Lydians in Africa), who lived to the west of Egypt.

Jeremiah 46:10. For this is the day of the Lord God of hosts, a day of vengeance, to take vengeance on His enemies; and the sword shall devour and be sated and drink its fill of blood; for there is a sacrifice of the Lord God of hosts in the land of the north by the river Euphrates. At that time the Egyptians were enemies of the chosen people and, consequently, enemies of Jehovah. Recently they had defeated the Judean king Josiah, and they held his son Jehoahaz in captivity.

Jeremiah 46:11. Go up to Gilead and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt; in vain you multiply remedies; there is no healing for you. See the explanation to Jer 8:22 and to Jer 30:13.

Jeremiah 46:12. The nations have heard of your shame, and the earth is full of your cry; for warrior has stumbled against warrior; they have both fallen together. Here there is indication of the panic that seized the Egyptian army, in which heroes or mighty warriors standing on the chariots collided with one another and fell. Jer 46:13-28. This contains another prophecy concerning Egypt, spoken probably during the reign of Pharaoh Hophra. The prophet declares that the Chaldeans will penetrate into the very heart of Egypt, and the Egyptian forces will be completely scattered (13–19). If Egypt now still seems powerful, this power of it will soon be destroyed. Nothing will save Egypt – neither the gods nor the king. However, this humiliation of Egypt will be only temporary. After the departure of the Chaldeans, it will revive again (20–26). At the end of the address (27–28), the prophet comforts the Judeans, languishing in captivity. If the heathen will be destroyed, then Jacob will only be punished.

Jeremiah 46:13. The word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to strike the land of Egypt: This address apparently was delivered in Egypt. – Concerning the campaign of Nebuchadnezzar to Egypt – see chapter Jer 43:13.

Jeremiah 46:14. Declare in Egypt and proclaim in Migdol; proclaim also in Noph and in Tahpanhes; say, “Stand ready and prepare yourself, for the sword shall devour around you.” “Around you” – that is, the lands of Philistine, Judah, and others.

Jeremiah 46:15. Why are your mighty ones prostrate? – They did not stand because the Lord pushed them down. “Your mighty ones” – according to Hebrew, abireicha – your strong ones, that is, your horses harnessed to war chariots (compare Jer 8:16). The verb is placed in the Hebrew text, as in the Russian, in the singular because the expression abireicha was considered equivalent to the expression: army. The LXX apparently read the word abir as Apis, seeing here a reference to the Egyptian god.

Jeremiah 46:16. He multiplied the fallen; they fell one on another and said, “Arise, and let us go back to our own people and to the land of our birth, away from the sword of the oppressor.” God struck the Egyptian forces very hard, and the mercenaries serving in these forces, seeing the danger threatening them, resolved to flee to their own countries.

Jeremiah 46:17. Call out the name: “Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is a noise; he has let the appointed time go by.” It is better to translate as in the LXX: “Call out the name to Pharaoh, king of Egypt,” “You made much noise, but let the appointed time go by!” This is apparently a mockery of Pharaoh Hophra, who thought much of himself.

Jeremiah 46:18. As I live, says the King whose name is the Lord of hosts: surely, like Tabor among the mountains and like Carmel by the sea, so shall he come. Only Jehovah always maintains His royal dignity and His great name, in contrast to the weak Pharaoh. He will surely do His work – He will send to Egypt “him,” that is, the king of Babylon, who will rule there, just as the high mountains of northern Palestine, Tabor and Carmel, dominate the lands lying around them.

Jeremiah 46:19. Pack your bags for exile, O daughter dwelling in Egypt; for Noph shall be deserted, left without inhabitant. “Pack your bags” – for example, a staff, a sack. – “Daughter dwelling” – that is, the inhabitants of Egypt (compare Jer 4:31).

Jeremiah 46:20. Egypt is a beautiful young cow; but a destruction comes from the north, it comes. “Cow” – a heifer, healthy and strong – a symbol of strength (compare Hos 10:11). “Destruction” – according to the Hebrew, kerez – can mean “a gadfly” as well. The latter meaning would be more fitting here.

Jeremiah 46:22. The sound of Egypt is like a fleeing snake; for her enemies come in force and come upon her with axes, like wood-cutters; It is more correct to translate: “The sound of Egypt now is like the weak noise that a rapidly slithering snake makes,” which has been disturbed in the forest by woodcutters. And before, of course, Egypt spoke loudly!

Jeremiah 46:25. The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: Behold, I will punish Amun of Thebes, and Pharaoh and Egypt, and her gods and her kings, and Pharaoh and those who trust in him; Amun of Thebes – this is the chief god of Upper Egypt, also called by the name of the city Thebes-Amun (Nah 3:8). Thebes. – Pharaoh is mentioned once as a king, and once, apparently, as a god, as which he considered himself.

Jeremiah 46:26. And I will deliver them into the hands of those who seek their lives, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and his servants; but afterward Egypt shall be inhabited, as in former days, says the Lord. “Shall be inhabited” – that is, Egypt will lose its independence only for a time.

Jeremiah 46:27. But you, do not fear, My servant Jacob, and do not be dismayed, Israel; for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid. Jeremiah 46:28. Do not fear, O My servant Jacob, says the Lord; for I am with you; I will make a full end of all the nations to which I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end; I will chasten you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished. Here Jeremiah repeats thoughts he expressed in Jer 30:10 and following verses. The prophet wants by this repetition to arouse in the Hebrews hope for future salvation. If the proud Egyptians still find mercy with God, then the humble Hebrews, living in a foreign land, have greater right to count on this mercy. Special remarks to chapters XLVI, XLVII, XLVIII, and XLIX after chapter XLIX.

Chapter Forty-Seven

1–7. Prophecy against the Philistines.

Jer 47:1-7 The Philistines are seized by such terror at news of the enemy coming to their land from the north that fathers pay no heed even to the pleas of their own children. With the fall of the Philistine strongholds, the Phoenicians, the Philistines’ allies, lose their last hope; their cities of Tyre and Sidon must also suffer the horrors of siege. The proud Philistines will implore in vain for mercy: God’s sword will not stop until God’s judgment upon the Philistines is fully executed.

Jeremiah 47:1. The word of the Lord that came to the prophet Jeremiah concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck Gaza. The time of pronouncing the prophecy is determined by the words: before Pharaoh struck Gaza. This was soon after the battle at Megiddo (608 BCE), when Pharaoh Necho, coming from the harbor of Acco and thus from the north into Philistine territory, destroyed Gaza, because Gaza was like a key to Egypt. If his campaign against Mesopotamia, which he was then undertaking, had ended in failure, he could still, in that case, return unhindered along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea to Egypt.

Jeremiah 47:2. Thus says the Lord: behold, waters are rising from the north and will become an overflowing torrent, and will inundate the land and all that fills it, the city and those living in it; then the people will cry out, and all the inhabitants of the country will wail. Here, as in verse 3, the invasion of the Babylonians is depicted (compare Jer 1:15).

Jeremiah 47:4. from that day, which will come to destroy all the Philistines, to take away from Tyre and Sidon all their remaining helpers, because the Lord will destroy the Philistines, the remnant of the island of Caphtor. “Remnant of the island of Caphtor.” The Philistines are so called because a significant portion of the population of the Philistine land consisted of settlers from the island of Caphtor or Crete (see Amos 9:7). According to other interpretations, Caphtor was a name for a part of the Mediterranean coast near the Egyptian Delta (compare Jer 25:22).

Jeremiah 47:5. Gaza is shaved bare, Ashkelon is lost, the remnant of their valley. Baldness—compare Jer 2:16 and Jer 16:6.—“Remnant of their valley.” Here is meant the low-lying, less protected part of Philistine territory—namely, the western part.

Chapter Forty-Eight

1–47. Prophecy against Moab.

Jer 48:1-47 The prophet watches as enemy troops move from one place to another, invading Moabite territory. The enemy comes from the north—from Heshbon—and no Moabite city can stand before it. The Moabites flee southward. In this devastation of Moabite country, the prophet sees God’s righteous judgment for the arrogance with which Moab treated the chosen people. Death, loss of possessions, captivity—that is what awaits the Moabites. Yet in the distant future, the prophet sees the restoration of the Moabite state.

Jeremiah 48:1. Concerning Moab, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: woe to Nebo! it is laid waste; Kiriathaim is disgraced and captured; Misgab is disgraced and crushed. Concerning Moab—see Isa 15:1.—Nebo—see Isa 15:2.—Kiriathaim—a city lying ten Roman miles west of Madeba.—Misgab—a stronghold, probably another name for Kir-heres, the main fortress of Moab (Isa 15:1).

Jeremiah 48:2. There is no more glory for Moab; in Heshbon they plot evil against him: “come, let us wipe him out from among the nations.” And you, Madmen, will perish; the sword follows after you. “Heshbon,” an Ammonite city (see Jer 49:3), and formerly a Moabite one (Isa 15:4). From there the enemy sets out to conquer Moabite territory.—“Madmen”—probably the same as Madeba (Isa 15:2).

Jeremiah 48:3. A cry is heard from Horonaim, devastation and great destruction. “Horonaim”—the same as Horonai at Isa 15:5.

Jeremiah 48:4. Moab is crushed; his children raise a cry. “His children”—according to the Hebrew, Zeireiha, but it seems more correct, in agreement with the LXX, to read Zoar—“toward Zoar.” The Moabites cry out and flee to the city of Zoar, which lay in the south of Moabite territory (in Isaiah—Zoar, Isa 15:5).

Jeremiah 48:5. On the ascent to Luhith weeping upon weeping rises up; and on the descent from Horonaim the enemy hears a cry of destruction. See Isa 15:5.

Jeremiah 48:6. Flee, save your lives, and be like the naked tree in the wilderness. See Jer 17:6.

Jeremiah 48:7. Since you trusted in your deeds and your treasures, you yourself will be taken, and Chemosh will go into captivity, together with his priests and his officials. “Chemosh”—the national god of Moab.

Jeremiah 48:8. And a destroyer will come upon every city, and no city will escape; the valley will perish, and the plain will be laid waste, as the Lord has spoken. “As the Lord has spoken”—by the mouth of the prophet Isaiah, spoken even earlier by Amos.

Jeremiah 48:10. Cursed is the one who does the work of the Lord with negligence, and cursed is the one who withholds his sword from blood! Curse or woe awaits the one who will spare Moab.

Jeremiah 48:11. Moab has been at ease from its youth, settled on its lees and not been poured from vessel to vessel, and has not gone into captivity; therefore his flavor has remained in him, and his fragrance is not changed. Wine loses its original flavor and aroma through being poured from vessel to vessel. The Moabites, whom no one had ever taken into captivity, preserved, like untouched wine, all their distinctive qualities.

Jeremiah 48:13. And Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, just as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their hope. Bethel was the chief sanctuary of the Israelite kingdom (Amos 3:14).

Jeremiah 48:18. Come down from your glory and sit in thirst, O inhabitants of Dibon, for the destroyer of Moab has come against you and will destroy your strongholds. “Dibon”—see (Isa 15:2).

Jeremiah 48:19. Stand by the road and watch, O inhabitants of Aroer, ask the one fleeing and the one escaping: “What has happened?” “Aroer”—see Isa 17:2. Some suppose that at Aroer, lying on the bank of the stream Arnon, there was a convenient crossing place over this river, and therefore the Moabites fleeing from the north had to pass by Aroer.

Jeremiah 48:20. Moab is ashamed, for it is crushed; wail and cry out, announce in Arnon that Moab is laid waste. Here is the answer to the question of the inhabitants of Aroer.

Jeremiah 48:21. And judgment has come upon the plains, upon Holon and upon Jahzah, and upon Mephaath, Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath—cities of the Moabite plain.

Jeremiah 48:22. and upon Dibon and upon Nebo, and upon Beth-diblathaim, Jeremiah 48:23. and upon Kiriathaim and upon Beth-gamul, and upon Beth-meon, “Beth-diblathaim”—the location of this city is unknown. The same must be said of “Beth-gamul.”—“Beth-meon”—southwest of Madeba.

Jeremiah 48:24. and upon Kerioth and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near. “Kerioth”—probably the same as Ar-Moab, which is not mentioned here.—“Bozrah”—a Moabite city, which should not be confused with either Edomite Bozrah or Bostra in Hauran.

Jeremiah 48:26. Give him drink, for he has exalted himself against the Lord; let Moab wallow in his vomit, and he himself will become a mockery. To give Moab drink is to give him the wine of God’s wrath (Jer 13:13).

Jeremiah 48:27. Was not Israel a mockery to you? Or was he found among thieves, that whenever you speak of him, you shake your head? If God was angry with Israel, Moab nonetheless had no right to mock the chosen people: he himself was in no way superior to them.

Jeremiah 48:28. Abandon the cities and live on the rocks, inhabitants of Moab, and be like the doves that nest in the mouth of a cave. Wild doves often build their nests on sheer cliffs, over chasms. In the mouth of a cave—more precisely, “on the far side of the chasm,” which separates them from their pursuers.

Jeremiah 48:29. We have heard of the pride of Moab, his excessive pride, his haughtiness and his arrogance, and his boastfulness and the exaltation of his heart. See Isa 16:6.

Jeremiah 48:31. Therefore I will wail for Moab and cry out for all Moab; they will lament for the men of Kir-heres. See Isa 16:7.

Jeremiah 48:32. I will weep for you, vineyard of Sibmah, as I weep for Jazer; your branches extended beyond the sea, they reached to the lake of Jazer; the destroyer has fallen upon your summer fruit and your ripe grapes. A free translation of Isa 16:8-9. “As I weep for Jazer”—that is, like the weeping for Jazer. The lake of Jazer—according to Hebrew, more correctly: the sea of Jazer. Perhaps Jeremiah has in mind here large pools—the Sibmah and Jazer pools—which were formed by the river Jazer (now called the Sîr), flowing into the Jordan, traces of which still exist.

Jeremiah 48:33. Joy and gladness are taken away from Carmel and from the land of Moab. I have put an end to wine in the winepresses; they will no longer tread in them with songs; the cry of battle will be, not the cry of joy. Carmel—here a common noun: “fertile hill.” It is a name for the Moabite plain, which was distinguished by its fertility.

Jeremiah 48:34. From the cry of Heshbon to Elealeh and to Jahzah they raise their voice, from Zoar to Horonaim, to Eglath-shelishiyah, for even the waters of Nimrim dry up. See Isa 15:4-6.—“Horonaim” is here called the third Eglah, see Isa 15:5.

Jeremiah 48:35. I will cause to cease in Moab, says the Lord, the one offering sacrifice on the high places and making offerings to his gods. See Isa 16:12.

Jeremiah 48:36. Therefore my heart groans for Moab like a flute; about the inhabitants of Kir-heres my heart groans like a flute, for the riches they have acquired have perished; A free translation of Isa 16:11 and Isa 15:7.

Jeremiah 48:38. On all the roofs of Moab and in all his streets there is universal mourning, for I have broken Moab like a vessel of no value, says the Lord. Compare Isa 15:3.

Jeremiah 48:40. For thus says the Lord: behold, like an eagle he will swoop down and spread his wings over Moab. “The eagle”—the king of Babylon (Ezek 17:3).

Jeremiah 48:43. Dread and pit and snare—for you, inhabitant of Moab, says the Lord. Jeremiah 48:44. Whoever flees from the dread will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in the snare, for I will bring upon him, upon Moab, the year of their visitation, says the Lord. Compare Isa 24:17 and following.

Jeremiah 48:45. In the shadow of Heshbon the fugitives stand helpless, but fire has come out of Heshbon and flame from the midst of Sihon, and devours the flank of Moab and the crown of the sons of tumult. Here there is a likeness to the book of Num 21:28-29, where there is speech about the flames of war, which from Heshbon (under Sihon) devoured the Moabite country. The same will happen again: from Heshbon destruction will come upon Moab (compare verse 2).—“In the shadow of Heshbon.” The sense of this difficult phrase and what follows is best conveyed as follows: the Moabites will find no salvation. They will approach Heshbon, a strong city, but this city is already occupied by enemies, and from there comes not salvation but fire upon the Moabite land. This city, the ancient dwelling place of King Sihon, will send forth flame (enemy forces, which will have their support point in this city) and this flame will burn Moab—its flank and crown, that is, it will reach the extreme points of Moabite territory and even its most fortified and elevated points.—Sons of tumult—a name for the Moabites, who were constantly ready to attack the Hebrews and cause turmoil among them.

Jeremiah 48:47. But in the latter days I will restore the fortunes of Moab, says the Lord. Thus far is the judgment on Moab. “The latter days”—see Jer 23:20. Special Remark. How can we explain the close resemblance of many expressions in the prophecy concerning Moab with the prophecies of Isaiah (Isa 15 and Isa 16)? One may suppose that the prophetic utterances about neighboring nations, composed by ancient prophets, were regarded among the Hebrews as common national property and were constantly repeated, so that Jeremiah naturally spoke in his prophecy using these words of Isaiah that were familiar to the ears of the Jews. Just so, he apparently made use of utterances of Moses, Amos, and Zephaniah that were well known to the people.—As for the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s threats, they were realized under Nebuchadnezzar, who in the fifth year after the destruction of Jerusalem subjugated the Ammonites and Moabites (Josephus, Antiquities 10:9,7).

Chapter Forty-Nine

1–6. Prophecy against the Ammonites. 7–22. Against Edom. 23–27. Against Damascus and Syria in general. 28–33. Against the Arabs, 34–39. and against Elam.

Jer 49:1-6 The Ammonites unjustly occupied areas belonging to the tribe of Gad, and for this the prophet announces their cities’ destruction and their captivity. However, the captive Ammonites will eventually be returned to their land.

Jeremiah 49:1. Concerning the Ammonites, thus says the Lord: does Israel have no sons? does he have no heir? Why has Milcom taken possession of Gad, and his people settled in its cities? The Ammonites, descendants of Lot, living east of the Jordan, between the rivers Arnon and Jabbok, were initially driven out of their territories by the Amorites, whose lands, by right of conquest, became the inheritance of the Israelites, particularly the tribes of Gad and Reuben. But already during the war of Israel with the Syrians, the Ammonites, pushed to the east, took advantage of Israel’s difficulties and attacked his possessions to expand their borders. (Amos 1:13). They became even stronger after the inhabitants of the Israelite kingdom were taken into captivity by Tiglath-Pileser (Pul, see 2 Sam 15:29). When the Israelite kingdom came to an end in 722 BCE, the Ammonites, of course, became even bolder and a small number of Israelites of the tribe of Gad remaining in their area could not resist the Ammonites’ seizure of their cities. The prophet says that the Ammonites are vainly acting like masters beyond the Jordan: there are still Israelites there, not taken into captivity by the Assyrians, and it is they, not the Ammonites, who have the right to inherit the lands of those Israelites who were taken into captivity.—“Milcom”—more correctly: Molech—the god of the Ammonites.

Jeremiah 49:2. Therefore, behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when in Rabbah of the Ammonites a cry of war will be heard, and it will become a desolate mound, and its cities will be burned with fire, and Israel will possess those who dispossessed him, says the Lord. Rabbah of Ammon—the principal city of the Ammonites, by the river Jabbok.

Jeremiah 49:3. Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste; cry out, O daughters of Rabbah, clothe yourselves with sackcloth, wail and rush about among the sheepfolds, for Milcom will go into captivity, together with his priests and his officials. “Ai”—a city across the Jordan, north of Heshbon. “Daughters of Rabbah”—small Ammonite cities dependent on Rabbah.—“Rush about among the sheepfolds,” that is, you will have nowhere to live—cities will be destroyed. According to another reading: “strike yourselves with gashes.”

Jeremiah 49:4. Why do you boast in the valleys? Your valley will flow with blood, O faithless daughter, who trusted in your treasures, saying, “Who will come against me?” The valleys in the land of the Ammonites were very fertile. This prophecy was uttered at the same time as the prophecy against the Moabites, that is, about the 4th year of Jehoiakim, since Nebuchadnezzar is not mentioned here. Concerning the fulfillment of the prophecy, see the Special Remark to Chapter XLVIII. Jer 49:7-22 The Edomites, despite the fact that there were famous wise men among them, will not escape destruction, and the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah threatens them.

Jeremiah 49:7. Concerning Edom, thus says the Lord of hosts: is there no longer wisdom in Teman? has counsel perished from the prudent? has their wisdom vanished? “Concerning Edom”—see Isa 21:11. Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning Edom frequently repeats, down to the letter, the prophecy of Obadiah concerning this nation. Compare Jer 49:7 and Obad 1:8 verses; Jer 49:9 and Obad 1:5; Jer 49:14 and Obad 1:1; Jer 49:15 and Obad 1:2; Jer 49:16 and Obad 1:3.—The inhabitants of Teman, an Edomite region, were known for their wisdom (Job 2:11). But their wisdom seems to have completely disappeared in the face of the danger threatening their country.

Jeremiah 49:8. Flee, turn your back, go deep into the caves, O inhabitants of Dedan, for I will bring destruction upon Esau—the time of his visitation. “Dedan”—neighbors of the Edomites, who engaged in trade (Jer 25:23).—“In caves”—in the long, inaccessible caves of Palestine, the inhabitants often took refuge from enemy invasions.

Jeremiah 49:9. If grape harvesters came to you, they would leave some gleanings; if thieves came at night, they would steal only as much as they needed. According to the law of Moses (Deut 24:21), grape harvesters were to leave some grapes on the vines for orphans and the poor.

Jeremiah 49:10. But I will strip Esau bare, I will uncover his hiding places, and he cannot hide himself. His offspring is destroyed, together with his brothers and his neighbors, and he is no more. “Hiding places”—secret places where the most valuable things were hidden.—The brothers and neighbors of the Edomites were the Amalekites, Horites, Simeonites, and other peoples.

Jeremiah 49:11. Leave your orphans; I will keep them alive, and let your widows trust in me. Since Edom can no longer care for its widows and orphans, it must entrust them to the mercy of Jehovah, who promises them protection.

Jeremiah 49:12. For thus says the Lord: if those not destined to drink the cup must drink it, and you to be left unpunished? No, you will not be left unpunished, but you will surely drink the cup. “Those not destined”—this is, of course, the Jews, who were to inherit the blessings of the promised land (Exod 3:7-8).

Jeremiah 49:13. For I swear by myself, says the Lord, that Bozrah will become a desolation, a mockery, a waste, and a curse, and all its cities will become perpetual ruins. “Bozrah”—Bozrah, the chief city of Idumea (compare Isa 34:6).

Jeremiah 49:16. Your terrible position and the arrogance of your heart have deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rocks and occupy the summits of the hills. But even if you, like an eagle, have built your nest high, from there I will bring you down, says the Lord. The Edomites carved out their dwellings in rocks, making there artificial caves inaccessible to foreigners.

Jeremiah 49:19. Behold, like a lion he comes up from the thicket of the Jordan against the strong dwelling; but I will chase him away quickly from Edom, and I will set over her the one chosen by me. For who is like me? and who will summon me to account? and what shepherd can stand before me? “He”—of course, the Babylonian king.—“Like a lion from the thicket of the Jordan”—more correctly: like a lion from the dense thickets of the Jordan (compare Jer 12:5).—“Against the strong dwelling”—that is, against the cities of the Edomites.—“But I will chase”—more precisely: indeed, I will drive them (the Edomites) away quickly… and so forth.—“Shepherd”—king, leader.

Jeremiah 49:20. Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord, which he has counseled concerning Edom, and his purposes, which he has purposed concerning the inhabitants of Teman: surely the smallest of the flock will drag them out, and their dwelling places will be dismayed because of them. “The smallest.” More precisely: they, the smallest (that is, the humiliated) in the flock (of nations), will be dragged out by the conquerors, and even their dwelling place will come (like a man) into dismay at what has happened to them (deportation into captivity).

Jeremiah 49:21. At the sound of their fall the earth trembles, and the cry for help is heard at the Red Sea. “At the Red Sea.” Here are meant the countries lying south of Edom, down to the harbor of the gulf of Eilat at the Red Sea—Elath. The land may also mean all the states lying north of Idumea. The prophecy concerning Edom also belongs to the time of King Jehoiakim (about the 4th year of his reign), because Nebuchadnezzar is not named here by name. For the fulfillment of the prophecy, see Isa 21 chapter. Jer 49:23-27 Damascus and the neighboring Syrian cities of Hamath and Arpad will also be devastated and destroyed by the enemy.

Jeremiah 49:23. Concerning Damascus. Hamath and Arpad are ashamed, for they have heard bad news; they are anxious; like the sea there is agitation, they cannot rest. Damascus—see Isa 17 chapter. “Hamath and Arpad”—see Isa 10:9.—“Agitation like the sea”—more correctly: like the constantly troubled sea.

Jeremiah 49:24. Damascus trembles and turns to flee; panic seizes him; pain and anguish grip him like a woman in labor. The Syrians recently endured devastation inflicted upon their country by Pharaoh Necho, who brought under his control Syria, which had previously been in vassalage to the Assyrian kingdom. Now Syria faces enduring the horror of a second invasion—that of Nebuchadnezzar, who will bring this country under his control as the heir of Assyria.

Jeremiah 49:25. How has the city of glory not been abandoned, the city of my joy? The words of an inhabitant of Damascus, or perhaps an exclamation of the Damascus king. Concerning the fulfillment of this prophecy, which was apparently uttered before the battle of Carchemish (about the 4th year of Jehoiakim), see Isa 17 chapter. Jer 49:28-33 The Arab tribes, subdued by Nebuchadnezzar, must expect further attacks by the Chaldeans.

Jeremiah 49:28. Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated, thus says the Lord: rise up, attack Kedar, and destroy the people of the east! Kedar—the Arab nomads, see Jer 2:10 and Isa 21:16-17. Hazor—these are Arab tribes, leading a settled life (Hazor—from the Hebrew hazor fortification) and governed by particular sheikhs having royal authority (hence: “kingdoms of Hazor”). These tribes, living between Stony Arabia and Babylon and near the Persian Gulf, were subdued by Nebuchadnezzar after the battle of Carchemish (compare Isa 21:13-17).

Jeremiah 49:31. Rise up, attack a nation at ease, that dwells securely, says the Lord; they have neither gates nor bars; they live apart. The Arab herders were unfamiliar with city customs and did not have doors and bars.

Jeremiah 49:32. Their camels will become spoil, and their herds a plunder; and I will scatter these who cut the corners of their hair to all the winds, and I will bring calamity upon them from every side, says the Lord. “Who cut the corners of their hair”—see Jer 9:25. Concerning the fulfillment of this prophecy, one can read in the parallel passage of the book of Isaiah (chapter Isa 21:13 and following). Nebuchadnezzar, in ravaging Arabia, aimed at forcing it to stop trade dealings with Phoenicia and to send all its riches for sale to Babylon, which he partly accomplished (Platon, Ancient Near East, p. 636). Jer 49:34-39 The prophet announces God’s judgment on Elam, by which he will be partly scattered throughout various countries and partly smitten by enemy swords. But in the distant future the mercy of God is also announced to Elam.

Jeremiah 49:34. The word of the Lord that came to the prophet Jeremiah concerning Elam, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah: “Elam”—see Jer 25:25. This prophecy was spoken seven years later than most of the prophetic utterances of this group.

Jeremiah 49:35. Thus says the Lord of hosts: behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief strength of theirs. It is very probable that the Elamites formed part of the forces of Nebuchadnezzar, who destroyed Jerusalem, and for this reason God’s judgment is announced against them.—“The bow of Elam”—see Isa 22:6.

Jeremiah 49:37. And I will strike terror into the Elamites before their enemies and before those who seek their life; and I will bring calamity upon them, my wrath, says the Lord, and I will send the sword after them until I have consumed them. What peoples are named here as enemies of the Elamites—it is difficult to determine. With the fall of the Assyrian kingdom, the Elamites felt themselves free, but soon Nebuchadnezzar must have attempted to subdue this state. Some interpreters, however, see these enemies in the Persians, who conquered Elam, and the Elamites even took part in the destruction of Babylon by the Persians (Isa 21:2). Special Remarks. Critics have grave doubts about the authenticity of the section from Chapter XLVI to XLIX, as well as the authenticity of the “index” relating to it, as they call Chapter XXV. They say that this entire collection of prophecies arose after the Babylonian captivity, and even—as, for example, the prophecy concerning Elam, under which must allegedly be understood Persia—during the times of Alexander the Great. The grounds for such suspicion are as follows: Jeremiah here expresses an opinion about God only as a God of vengeance, who has definitely decided to destroy the pagans, which does not correspond to his concepts. He says nothing about the possibility of repentance for the pagans, and without such preaching of repentance, his prophecy itself seems extremely one-sided. In the same way, Jeremiah—they say—could not threaten various nations with destruction without explaining their relationship to his own countrymen. Finally, they point out that the clear, calm development of thought that we find in other speeches of Jeremiah is here absent; the thought here strives in jerks and leaps, and previously expressed prophecies are frequently repeated. But all these discussions about what and how Jeremiah should have spoken hardly can be considered serious grounds for declaring these prophecies inauthentic. After all, already in Chapter 1 (verse 10) the pagan nations are presented as the subject of special attention to the prophet, and it is quite natural that he devoted an entire section of his book to their fate. Then, why would Jeremiah have explained in detail here the thought of the guilt of various nations before a righteous God? This was sufficiently clear and did not require constant repetition in each separate case. Furthermore, that there could be no preaching of repentance to pagan nations for the purpose of pedagogical influence on them, which was possible in relation to the Jews, this is clear to any unbiased person. However, at that time, God’s forbearance concerning these nations was being exhausted, and Jeremiah could only announce God’s judgment to them, though not a final destruction (see Jer 46:26; Jer 48:47; Jer 49:6).—Concerning the authenticity of Chapters L–LI, separate discussion is given.

Chapter Fifty

1–16. A prophecy concerning Babylon.

Jer 50:1-46. Babylon and its gods shall fall (1–8), and Israel and Judah shall receive freedom at that time (4–5). These are the two main thoughts of the prophecy of chapters L and LI. Developing them, the prophet says that previously the chosen nation suffered much from enemies because of their apostasy from Jehovah, but now they shall depart from Chaldea, which in turn shall be subjected to final desolation for the rejoicing which it displayed while destroying the Judean state. Israel shall settle again upon its land and shall dwell, cleansed from sins, in communion with Jehovah, while Babylon is threatened with terrible invasion by hostile forces, and the sword shall destroy all the Chaldeans (6–46).

Jeremiah 50:1. The word which the Lord spoke concerning Babylon and concerning the land of the Chaldeans through Jeremiah the prophet: “Through Jeremiah the prophet.” This heading is explained by the fact that this prophecy was not spoken personally by Jeremiah, but was sent to Babylon through Seraiah (Jer 51:59).

Jeremiah 50:2. Proclaim and declare among the nations, and raise a standard, proclaim and do not conceal, say: “Babylon is taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is shattered, its idols are put to shame, its images are shattered.” A standard is a signal for announcing important news. “Bel” is the highest god of the Babylonians (see Isa 46:1). “Merodach”—from the Assyrian Marduk—is the same as Bel.

Jeremiah 50:3. For a nation comes up from the north against it, which shall make its land a desolation, and no one shall dwell in it, neither man nor beast, all shall move away and depart. “From the north… a nation”—see also Jer 51:27.

Jeremiah 50:4. In those days and in that time, says the Lord, the sons of Israel shall come, they and the sons of Judah together, going and weeping, and they shall seek the Lord their God. See Jer 3:18. Tears testify of the true repentance of Israel.

Jeremiah 50:6. My people were like lost sheep; their shepherds led them astray, scattered them on the mountains; they wandered from mountain to hill, they forgot their resting place. See Jer 10:21, 23 and following. The mountains on which the Hebrews lost their way, like sheep, are foreign great kingdoms, from which the Hebrews sought help.

Jeremiah 50:7. All who found them devoured them, and their oppressors said: “We are not guilty, because they sinned before the Lord, the dwelling place of righteousness and before the Lord, the hope of their fathers.” See Jer 2:3. The foreign nations took advantage of the fact that the Hebrews forgot their God and thereby remained without protection. “The dwelling place of righteousness” in Jer 31:23 is called Jerusalem, but here it is the Lord Himself, called thus as the true Refuge where the chosen people could find safety for themselves. Jehovah is also called the “hope of their fathers”—see Jer 14:8.

Jeremiah 50:8. Flee from the midst of Babylon, and depart from the land of the Chaldeans, and be like male goats at the head of the flock of sheep. The captive Judeans must first leave Babylon, like male goats go before the flock, and then others shall follow (v. 16).

Jeremiah 50:9. For behold, I shall raise up and bring against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the land of the north, and they shall arrange themselves against it, and it shall be taken; their arrows are like those of a skilled warrior, they do not return in vain. The arrows of the enemies are compared to good warriors who do not return backward without accomplishing the task for which they were sent (“like a skilled warrior”—more accurately: like a skilled warrior).

Jeremiah 50:12. Your mother shall be in great shame, she who bore you shall blush; behold the fate of those nations—a desert, a dry land and a steppe. “Your mother”—your country, Chaldea.

Jeremiah 50:15. Raise a shout against it from all sides; it has surrendered; its fortifications have fallen, its walls are demolished, for this is the vengeance of the Lord; take vengeance on it; as it has done, so do to it. “It has surrendered”—as a sign of surrender. Perhaps they formerly held some sign of capitulation in their hand.

Jeremiah 50:16. Cut off from Babylon both sower and reaper during harvest time; from fear of the destroying sword let each one return to his people, and each one flee to his own land. Within the walls of Babylon there were fertile fields. Concerning the foreigners living in Babylon see Isa 13:14.

Jeremiah 50:21. Go against it, against the land of transgression, and punish its inhabitants; destroy and exterminate all that is behind them, says the Lord, and do everything that I have commanded you. An address to the conqueror who is to take Babylon. “Transgression”—from the Hebrew Meratajim meaning double transgression, placed here in the Hebrew dual number which reinforces the thought, see Judg 15:16; Ps 67:18. “Punish its inhabitants”—more precisely from the Hebrew: “and upon the inhabitants (of the land) of punishment” (pekod). Thus Chaldea is called as the special enemy of Jehovah and as having deserved this opposition, punishment from God. “All that is behind them,”—more precisely: “their last remnant.”

Jeremiah 50:25. The Lord has opened His storehouse and has brought forth the vessels of His wrath, for the Lord God of hosts has work to do in the land of the Chaldeans. “The vessels of His wrath”—His weapons, see Isa 13:5.

Jeremiah 50:27. Kill all her bulls, let them go down to slaughter; woe to them! for their day has come, the time of their visitation. Bulls are the strong, young Chaldeans, see Jer 48:15.

Jeremiah 50:28. The voice of those fleeing and escaping from the land of Babylon is heard, to declare on Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, the vengeance for His temple. That the temple of Jerusalem would be destroyed by the Chaldeans was already long known to Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 50:31. Behold, I am against you, O pride, says the Lord God of hosts; for your day has come, the time of your visitation. “Pride”—a new name for Babylon.

Jeremiah 50:36. The sword upon the conjurers, and they shall become fools; the sword upon his warriors, and they shall be dismayed; Conjurers are the false prophets of Babylon, astrologers (see Isa 44:25). “They shall become fools,” that is, they shall prove to be fools who understood nothing.

Jeremiah 50:38. A drought upon her waters, and they shall dry up; for it is a land of idols, and they glory in their terrible things. “They glory”—better: they boast of their idols (gods). This is the reason for God’s wrath.

Jeremiah 50:39. And the wild beasts of the desert with the jackals shall dwell there, and the ostriches shall inhabit it; and it shall not be inhabited forever, nor shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation. See Isa 13:20-22 and Isa 34:14.

Jeremiah 50:41. Behold, a people comes from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall rise from the ends of the earth; Jeremiah 50:42. They hold the bow and the spear; they are cruel and show no mercy; their voice roars like the sea; they ride upon horses, arranged like one man, to fight against you, O daughter of Babylon. Jeremiah 50:43. The king of Babylon heard the report of them, and his hands became weak; anguish seized him, pangs like a woman in labor. See Jer 6:22-24.

Jeremiah 50:44. Behold, He shall come up like a lion from the thicket of the Jordan to the strong dwelling; but I shall make them hasten away from it, and whoever is chosen I shall appoint over it. For who is like Me? And who will summon Me to account? And what shepherd can stand before Me? Jeremiah 50:45. Therefore hear the determination of the Lord, which He has made concerning Babylon, and His purposes, which He purposes concerning the land of the Chaldeans: truly, the least of the flock shall drag them away; truly, He shall make their dwelling desolate with them. Jeremiah 50:46. At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth shall tremble, and the cry shall be heard among the nations. With some changes here are repeated Jer 49:19-21.

Chapter Fifty-One

1–64. A prophecy against Babylon.

Jer 51:1-46. Continuing his discourse about the fate of Babylon, the prophet again speaks of how the Lord punishes Babylon for Israel’s sake: the Lord finally destroys this mighty kingdom, which was previously in His hand as an instrument for punishing various nations. The prophet clearly names here the destroyers of Babylon—the kings of Media, the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz (1–34). Israel itself recognizes in the destruction of Babylon the work of God’s vengeance for the wrongs which the Babylonians inflicted upon Israel (35–46). And all shall rejoice at the destruction of this terrible kingdom (47–58). At the end of the chapter it is told how Jeremiah entrusted Seraiah to read this prophecy and then throw the scroll with the prophecy into the Euphrates (59–64).

Jeremiah 51:1. Thus says the Lord: Behold, I shall raise up against Babylon and against those dwelling in the midst of it My adversaries. “Dwelling in the midst of it My adversaries”—according to the translation from the Hebrew: (not dwelling) in the heart (central point) of My adversaries. The Russian translation lacks the object after the word “raise up,” but in the Hebrew text this object exists. There the expression stands: ruach maschehil—a destroying wind or: the spirit of the destroyer.

Jeremiah 51:7. Babylon was a golden cup in the hand of the Lord, intoxicating all the earth; the nations drank from it and became mad. Gold denotes the magnificence of life in Babylon, which was enjoyed by various nations friendly to Babylon. They drank from the cup of Babylon and became infected with its impiety. For this they must share in its punishment as well.

Jeremiah 51:10. The Lord has brought forth our righteousness; come and let us declare on Zion the work of the Lord our God. Here the speakers are the Jews.

Jeremiah 51:11. Sharpen the arrows, fill the quivers; the Lord has stirred up the spirit of the kings of Media, because His purpose is against Babylon, to destroy it, for it is the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance for His temple. “Fill the quivers”—more correctly from the Hebrew: “put on the shields”—By Medes the prophet could call here the inhabitants of Iran in general, including the Persians.

Jeremiah 51:14. The Lord of hosts has sworn by Himself: truly I say, I will fill you with men as with locusts, and they shall raise a shout against you. Even though Babylon were filled with men like locusts, yet his enemies shall take it and raise a victorious shout in the taken city. Jer 51:15-19. A repetition of Jer 10:12-16.

Jeremiah 51:20. You are My hammer, a weapon of war; by you I struck down nations, and by you I shattered kingdoms; An address to Babylon.

Jeremiah 51:25. Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, says the Lord, that destroys all the earth, and I will stretch out My hand against you, and roll you down from the rocks, and I will make you a burned-out mountain. A destroying mountain is Babylon called as a kingdom that ruled over all the earth. “A burned-out mountain.” In Palestine mountains were often adorned with forests. If the forest burned, the mountain took on a sorrowful appearance.

Jeremiah 51:26. And no one shall take from you a stone for a corner, and no stone for a foundation, but you shall be an eternal desolation, says the Lord. Babylon shall cease to be a support for other nations.

Jeremiah 51:27. Raise a standard on the earth, sound a trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against it, summon against it the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz, appoint a commander against it, bring up horses like a terrible locust. Ararat is part of Armenia at the middle course of the Araxes; the Minnians are inhabitants of the country at Lake Van, to the west of Ararat. Ashkenaz is approximately in the neighborhood of Armenia.

Jeremiah 51:32. And the fords have been seized, and the gates have been burned with fire, and the warriors are in terror. “Fords”—more correctly: wooden bridges across the Euphrates and canals. “Gates”—more correctly: wooden structures or sluices that held water where it was needed.

Jeremiah 51:33. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: the daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time it is being trampled; yet a little while and the time of her harvest shall come. “At the time it is being trampled.” Since the harvest is still only in the future, the reference here cannot be to a threshing floor during threshing, but rather to a threshing floor that is being trampled so that afterwards grain can be threshed upon it.

Jeremiah 51:34. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, has devoured me and crushed me; he has made me an empty vessel; he has swallowed me like a dragon; he filled his belly with my delicacies, he cast me out. This is a complaint of Jerusalem (see Jer 51:35).

Jeremiah 51:36. Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I will plead your case and take vengeance for you, and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry. The sea was sometimes called the Euphrates River, which overflowed in spring over a vast expanse (see Isa 21:1).

Jeremiah 51:38. Like lions they shall all roar, and like lion whelps they shall growl. Here the discourse is about the Chaldeans in their present position. Let them triumph, as it were the prophet would say, briefly, it shall pass away.

Jeremiah 51:39. At the height of their carousing I will prepare a feast for them and make them drunk, so that they may rejoice and fall asleep an eternal sleep, and not awake, says the Lord. After eating, the Chaldeans, like lions, shall want to drink, and behold the Lord shall give them drink from which they shall fall into rapture (irony), and then they shall fall into an eternal sleep!

Jeremiah 51:40. I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams together with he-goats. No class in the Chaldean people shall be spared (see Isa 14:9).

Jeremiah 51:41. How Sheshak is taken, and the glory of the whole earth is seized! How Babylon has become a desolation among the nations! “Sheshak”—see Jer 25:26.

Jeremiah 51:42. The sea has come up over Babylon; she is covered with the multitude of its waves. “Sea”—here an image of the all-destroying enemy force.

Jeremiah 51:44. And I will visit Bel in Babylon, and I will take from his mouth what he has swallowed, and the nations shall no longer flow to him, and the wall of Babylon shall fall. From “Bel” (Bel) the Lord will take away “what he has swallowed” (balah)—an obvious play on words. Military spoils of war the pagans customarily considered the property of their gods. We can also see here an indication that the foreigners living in Babylon shall all flee from there. “The wall of Babylon.” Babylon had two walls—an outer and an inner, both dedicated to Bel or Bel. The outer wall was 430 stadia in length, fifty cubits in thickness, and 200 cubits in height. Besides this, all Babylonia along the lower course of the Euphrates and Tigris was defended under Nebuchadnezzar by a huge “Median wall,” built to protect against attack by the Medes (12–15 miles in length, 20 feet in thickness, and 100 feet in height) and connecting the Tigris with the Euphrates.

Jeremiah 51:45. Go forth from the midst of her, My people, and save each of you your lives from the fierce wrath of the Lord. See verse 6.

Jeremiah 51:46. Let not your heart grow faint, and let not fear seize you at the report which shall be heard in the land; a report shall come one year, and after that another report in another year, and violence shall be on the earth, ruler against ruler. The liberation of Israel from captivity shall be accompanied by terrible political upheavals; year after year terrible tidings shall come of various catastrophes in the political life of nations. But for Israel this shall be only a sign of the approaching liberation (see Matt 24:6 and following).

Jeremiah 51:50. You who have escaped the sword, depart, do not tarry; remember the Lord from afar, and let Jerusalem come into your heart. An address to Israel, gathered in Babylon.

Jeremiah 51:55. For the Lord is laying waste Babylon, and He shall put an end to the proud voice in her. And their waves shall roar like great waters, and a loud voice shall resound. “The proud voice.” Thus the prophet denotes the noise, the bustle which constantly reigned on the streets of the greatest trading city—Babylon. This noise of human voices shall be drowned out by the noise of the waves, advancing upon Babylon, that is, by the cries of enemies who shall attack Babylon.

Jeremiah 51:58. Thus says the Lord of hosts: The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; so the peoples labor for naught, and the nations weary themselves for fire only. “The peoples labor for naught.” Over the construction of such long walls as the Babylonian walls, tens of thousands of people must have worked. It is known, moreover, that Nebuchadnezzar built the inner wall of Babylon in 15 days!

Jeremiah 51:59. The word which the prophet Jeremiah commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with Zedekiah, the king of Judah, in the fourth year of his reign; and Seraiah was the chief of the supplies. Seraiah, as we may infer from Jer 32:12, was the brother of Baruch. Only a man close to the prophet could undertake such a mission as is indicated below. In the fourth year of his reign Zedekiah traveled to Babylon to assure the Babylonian king of his faithfulness, in view of the rumors which may have reached Babylon concerning his schemes (see Jer 27:1 and following). “The chief of the supplies”—more correctly: quartermaster, who was to provide for the food and lodging for the king and his retinue.

Jeremiah 51:61. And Jeremiah said to Seraiah: When you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words, “See,” that is, choose an opportune time and place, especially for carrying out the symbolic action described below.

Jeremiah 51:63. And when you finish reading this book, bind a stone to it and throw it into the midst of the Euphrates, The sinking of the scroll was to serve as a vivid representation of the fall of Babylon. Special Remarks. The oracles of the prophet concerning Babylon, spoken by him over a series of years, were compiled into one scroll in the fourth year of Zedekiah. There are serious objections to the genuineness of chapters L and LI, but all the same these objections can be removed upon unbiased examination of the matter. As regards the form of the prophetic utterances of chapters L and LI, it clearly bears the marks of Jeremiah’s literary style. The writer very freely conveys, in repetitions, the very words of Jeremiah, and this could only be done by the prophet himself—another writer would not have dared to do this. It is said that here the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple is already presupposed as accomplished, which contradicts the time point indicated in Jer 51:59, when these prophecies were composed; it is said that here Jeremiah, prophesying about the speedy liberation of the Hebrews from the Babylonian captivity, contradicts his earlier speeches, in which he persuaded his countrymen to live patiently in captivity, which was to last 70 years. But according to Jeremiah’s view, the captivity had already begun with the deportation of part of the Judeans to Babylon under Jehoiakim (in 607 BC), and the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the temple was already an accomplished fact for him. But he nowhere speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple as events already accomplished. In chapter Jer 51:51, Jeremiah speaks only of the invasion of foreign people into the sanctuary, which could refer to the taking of sacred vessels from the temple in 607 BC. The Lord still dwells in Jerusalem (Jer 51:50), as does the prophet himself (Jer 50:5). Furthermore, if this section had been written by someone after the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus, in it the destruction of Babylon could not have been depicted as so complete as it appears here and as it was not in fact when Cyrus took it. The destroyers of Babylon appear to be such enemies (the kings of Media, etc.) as might have seemed to a writer living before the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus. And could a post-exilic writer speak of Babylon as of a state at the very apex of glory? Moreover, verse Jer 50:33 could not have been written after the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus and the liberation of the Hebrews from captivity. It is also said that earlier Jeremiah spoke of the Chaldeans with greater sympathy, while here he appears as their hater. But previously also the prophet praised the Chaldeans only as executors of the will of God, and not as attributing to them any special beneficial significance in the history of mankind in themselves. Concerning the fulfillment of the prophecy about Babylon—see Isa 13 and Isa 14 chapters.

Chapter Fifty-Two

1–34. The destruction of Jerusalem and the change in the status of the captive king Jeconiah.

Jer 52:1-34. In fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecies, Jerusalem was taken by the Chaldeans and destroyed, its inhabitants were partly exiled and partly killed, the temple was burned, and all its furnishings, partly in broken form, were carried off to Babylon. At the end of the chapter there is mention of a favorable change in the status of the captive king of Judah, Jeconiah.

Jeremiah 52:1. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years; the name of his mother was Hamutal, daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. This chapter, forming an appendix to the Book of Jeremiah, stands in no direct connection with the preceding chapters of the book. In content, it appears nearly identical to the last section of the Fourth Book of Kings (2 Sam 24:18 – 2 Sam 25:30). Only instead of what is found in 2 Sam 25:22-26, in Jeremiah there is inserted, from an unknown source, a list of the Judahites led away by Nebuchadnezzar (vv. Jer 2:8-30).

Jeremiah 52:2. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done; Jeremiah 52:3. therefore the wrath of the Lord came upon Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence; and Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. These verses are not in the LXX translation. The explanation is found in 2 Sam 24:18-20. Jer 52:4-11 present nearly a repetition of 2 Sam 25:1-8. The explanation is found there.

Jeremiah 52:6. In the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, famine in the city became severe, and there was no bread for the people of the land. The reference to the fourth month is absent both in the Book of Kings and in the LXX, though it was necessary to say which month the ninth day pertained to.

Jeremiah 52:7. A breach was made in the city, and all the soldiers fled and went out of the city by night through the gate between two walls, beside the king’s garden, and took the road toward the plain; the Chaldeans were surrounding the city. In Jeremiah the account is more detailed, stating that the entire garrison of Jerusalem participated in the flight with Zedekiah (compare 2 Sam 25:4).

Jeremiah 52:10. And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and also slew all the princes of Judah in Riblah. Jeremiah 52:11. And he put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with bronze chains; and the king of Babylon carried him to Babylon and put him in a guardhouse until the day of his death. In Jeremiah the account is fuller than 2 Sam 25:7. “House of the guard” is more precisely, from the Hebrew: “a correction house,” where, probably, Zedekiah along with other prisoners was to grind flour, as Samson once did (Judg 16:21). This is indicated by the LXX translation: “a house of the millstone.”

Jeremiah 52:12. In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. Jeremiah 52:13. And he burned the house of the Lord, and the house of the king, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the great houses he burned with fire. Jeremiah 52:14. And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. Jeremiah 52:15. Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried away captive some of the poor people, the rest of the people that remained in the city, the defectors who had gone over to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the common people. Jeremiah 52:16. But Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, left some of the poor of the land to work in the vineyards and in the fields. Verses 12–16 are a repetition of 2 Sam 25:8-12; 2 Sam 25:8 indicates that the arrival of Nebuzaradan and the burning of the temple took place on the seventh day of the fifth month, while Jeremiah assigns both to the tenth day. Which date is correct is scarcely possible to determine.

Jeremiah 52:17. And the bronze pillars that were in the house of the Lord, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried all their bronze to Babylon. And following verses through verse 23 – compare 2 Sam 25:13 and following. In Jeremiah everything here is presented more fully than in 4 Kings.

Jeremiah 52:18. And the basins, and the shovels, and the wick trimmers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the bronze vessels that were used in the service of the temple, they took away; Jeremiah 52:19. and the bowls, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the pots, and the lampstands, and the incense holders, and the cups – whatever was gold in gold and whatever was silver in silver the captain of the guard took; Both verses mention bowls, but this is not a repetition: in one case the bowls are meant to be bronze, in the other gold and silver. It may be assumed that after Nebuchadnezzar took the temple vessels in 597 BC at the exile of Jeconiah (2 Sam 24:13), such vessels were made anew in a short time.

Jeremiah 52:20. Also the two pillars, one sea, and twelve bronze oxen that served as stands, which King Solomon had made for the house of the Lord – the bronze of all these things could not be weighed. “The twelve bronze oxen.” This expression is not in 2 Sam 25:16. It was taken by someone from 1 Sam 7:23-26 and, moreover, inappropriately, since these oxen were already given as tribute to the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser in the time of Ahaz (2 Sam 16:17). One should read: “sea and (ten) stands.”

Jeremiah 52:23. Pomegranates were on the sides, ninety-six in number; all the pomegranates around the lattice numbered a hundred. This specification is not in 4 Kings.

Jeremiah 52:24. The captain of the guard also took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and three keepers of the threshold. Jeremiah 52:25. And from the city he took one eunuch who was chief officer over the soldiers, and seven men of those who stood in the king’s presence, who were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the army, who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men from the people of the land who were found in the city. Jeremiah 52:26. And Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. Jeremiah 52:27. And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile out of its land. These verses are similar to 2 Sam 25:18 and following.

Jeremiah 52:28. This is the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, three thousand and twenty-three Judahites; Jeremiah 52:29. in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, from Jerusalem eight hundred and thirty-two persons; Jeremiah 52:30. in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried away captive the Judahites, seven hundred and forty-five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred. These verses, which are absent from 4 Kings and even from the LXX, establish that four thousand six hundred Judahites were led away captive by Nebuchadnezzar. Here there are some chronological inaccuracies. Namely, the first deportation (under Jeconiah) of Judahites is assigned to the seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, consequently to 597 BC, while in 4 Kings it is assigned to the eighth year. Which account is correct is difficult to say. Recent commentators do not even consider it possible to see in Jeremiah a reference to the captivity of Jeconiah, and read instead of “the seventh year” – “the seventeenth year,” consequently they have in mind the captivity of Judahites under Zedekiah, in the tenth year of his reign. Furthermore, verse 30 refers to some deportation of Judahites, numbering seven hundred and forty-five persons, which took place in the fifth year after the destruction of Jerusalem. No account of any such case is known from other sources, and it seems strange that there would be a deportation of Judahites from the already-destroyed Jerusalem. One can only suppose that here a particular reckoning of the years of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign is being used.

Jeremiah 52:31. In the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evil-merodach, king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and brought him out of the prison house. Jeremiah 52:32. And he spoke kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon; Jeremiah 52:34. And an allowance was given him, a regular allowance by the king of Babylon, day by day, until the day of his death, all the days of his life. The explanations are found in 2 Sam 25:27-30. * * * Jeconiah.

The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Introduction

Concerning the book “Lamentations of Jeremiah”.

The name of the book. In the Hebrew Bible, the book is called etcha, “how,” that is, the particle with which the first verse of the first chapter begins. The Rabbis called it kinotti—lamentation, which name the Greek translators also adopted, calling it θρηνοι—lamentation, weeping. This name fully characterizes the content of the book, which presents a series of sorrowful songs about the destruction of Jerusalem, similar to those songs that were composed on the occasion of the death of beloved and respected persons (for example, David’s song about the destruction of Saul and Jonathan).

The writer of the book and the time of its writing. The LXX translators directly attribute the book of Lamentations to the prophet Jeremiah, calling it “Lamentations of Jeremiah.” Moreover, the LXX has a special superscription to the book, which is placed also in our Slavonic Bible. It reads as follows: “And it came to pass, when Israel was led into captivity, and Jerusalem was desolated, that Jeremiah the prophet sat down weeping: and he wept with this weeping over Jerusalem and spoke.” From this it is clear that sacred tradition from ancient times considered the prophet Jeremiah to be the author of the book of Lamentations. This same tradition has been preserved among the Jews.

The impression received from the book fully corresponds to this tradition. In all parts of the Lamentations, the distinctive characteristics of Jeremiah’s character, his views, and even the speech of the book clearly testify to the belonging of this book to the prophet Jeremiah. Furthermore, the author of the Lamentations evidently has only just experienced the horrors of the siege and capture of Jerusalem and writes under the fresh impression of the catastrophe that has occurred. It is clear that the book was written soon after the destruction of Jerusalem, before the time when Jeremiah was taken by his fellow countrymen into Egypt.

The subject matter of the book. The entire book represents a depiction of the unfortunate fate of Jerusalem, interrupted from time to time by confession of the sins of the Jewish people and prayers to God for help. It is divided into five chapters or songs, of which the first, wholly pervaded by inconsolable grief over the exile of the Jews into captivity and the destruction of Zion, is devoted to the depiction of the sufferings of the Jews who remained in the ruins of destroyed Jerusalem. The second song contains a new and intensified complaint about the destruction of Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah; the prophet recognizes this destruction as a deserved punishment for the transgressions of the Jewish people against God. The third song represents a manifestation of the highest tension of the prophet’s sorrow. If earlier, in the first two songs, only the sounds of an approaching storm were heard, here the storm bursts forth with full force. But just as a storm clears the air, so great sorrow enlightens the soul, and after painful and bitter complaints, the prophet opens before his readers a horizon of bright hopes. The fourth song represents the complaint of the prophet in a confused state. The bitterness of sorrow here is moderated by a clear consciousness of his guilt before God. The misfortune that has befallen Jerusalem appears here as a punishment that the inhabitants of Jerusalem have brought upon themselves by their sins. In the fifth song, finally, the community of believers, together with the prophet, achieves complete peace concerning their fate, and although complaints are still repeated there, they are expressed calmly; they merely state a certain condition of the Jews.

The place of the book in the Hebrew and Greek Bibles. Whereas in the Greek Bible the book of Lamentations follows immediately after the book of the prophecies of Jeremiah, in the Hebrew Bible it has been placed in the section called the Ketubim, or Hagiographa, and placed after the book of the Song of Songs. The reason for the collectors of the Hebrew canon may have been the fact that the book of Lamentations contains no direct prophecies as such, but expresses the feelings of the believing heart, and therefore this book is more like works of lyrical character, which is what most of the books of the Ketubim are.

The peculiarities of the external form of the book. Each of the five songs of Lamentations has twenty-two verses, according to the number of letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and only in the third song does each verse divide into three parts, so that here there appear sixty-six verses. The first four songs are acrostics, that is, the initial letters of their verses are the initial letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the third song each of the three parts or members of the verse begins with the same letter. All this structure has deep meaning. The prophet, as it were, wishes to say by this that he has expressed the full measure of the sufferings of his people, that he has omitted nothing that can be expressed by ordinary human words, whatever letters they begin with. Only when his sorrow subsides, precisely in the fifth song, does he cease to observe this acrostic order, and the fifth song has retained only the number of letters of the Hebrew alphabet, but is not an acrostic.

Chapter One

1–11. The prophet laments the calamitous state of Jerusalem. 12–19. Jerusalem itself joins in the prophet’s weeping. 20–22. The prophet again complains about the hopeless state of his people.

(Lam 1:1-11.) The state of Jerusalem awakens deep sorrow in the prophet’s heart. The city, once having a numerous population, now sits like a lonely widow. The city, once standing high above others as a prince, has become in the position of a handmaiden. Her disgrace and humiliation are so great that she does not cease to shed tears day and night. She has no friends who would help her. The days have passed when thousands of Jews rushed to the city for the great festivals. The streets are empty, at the gates no one is there. The priests sigh and the maidens are in sorrow. But Jerusalem herself is guilty of her own fall; the enemies triumphing over her are only blind instruments of God’s wrath, punishing the Jews for their transgressions. From ancient times Jerusalem had many good things, but this could not save her from sins. Now she feels even greater sorrow, remembering these benefits, which she has lost, in these days of humiliation. Therefore she complains of her fate before the Lord and asks Him for help.

Lamentations 1:1. How lonely the city sits, once so full of people! It has become like a widow; great among nations, a princess over the provinces, has become a tribute-bearer. Jerusalem is now alone, like a childless widow. Earlier, in the days of David and Solomon, she had high significance in the eyes of the peoples surrounding Judah—the Moabites, the Elamites, the Arabs, the Philistines, and others—and sometimes even became in the position of a prince over different regions of the heathen that the kings of Judah subdued. Now she has been reduced to the degree of a slave, obliged to serve her conquerors, to furnish them tribute, even if by various products of the fields (tribute in kind).

Lamentations 1:2. Bitterly she weeps at night, and tears are on her cheeks. She has no one to comfort her among all who loved her; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they have become her enemies. The nations that apparently loved the Jews now showed their treachery and even began on their own to oppress the unfortunate Jews (cf. Ps 136:7; Jer 25:3).

Lamentations 1:3. Judah has gone into exile because of affliction and hard servitude; she dwells among the nations and finds no resting place; all her pursuers have overtaken her in the midst of her distress. “Judah has gone into exile”—more correctly: “Judah has been taken into captivity.”—“Because of affliction and hard servitude”—more correctly: “from affliction and dreadful burden.” The prophet speaks of how, after various calamities inflicted on the Jewish state by invasions of Egyptians and then Chaldeans, the exile of the Jews to Babylon was accomplished.—“Dwells”—more precisely: “they (the Jews) now live among the nations.”—“And finds no resting place”—“and they do not find rest.” This means that even resettlement in captivity was not yet the final punishment for the Jews; even in captivity the Jews continue to suffer as if driven into a tight corner by enemies who do with them as they wish. The prophet has in mind partly the Jews transported to Babylon before the destruction of Jerusalem, partly also those who have only recently been taken into captivity.

Lamentations 1:4. The roads to Zion mourn, because no one comes to the appointed feasts; all her gates are desolate; her priests groan, her maidens are in sorrow, and she herself is bitter. “The roads to Zion”—more correctly: “the roads leading to Zion.”—“No one comes”—According to the law of Moses, all the male population was obliged to appear at the three great festivals to the tent of meeting (Exod 23:17), and in consequence of this, crowds of pilgrims flowed to Jerusalem before the great festivals.—At the gates, people ordinarily gathered for the purchase of various goods brought into the city. Here also the settlement of various legal disputes took place.—“The priests” and “the maidens.” He mentions the first in connection with the foregoing. Since there are no pilgrims who would come with sacrifices and various offerings, the priests remain without work and without income. From this we can see, moreover, that the Chaldeans did not lead away all the priests in captivity. Some of them remained in the land and came to see the ruins of the temple. The prophet speaks of the maidens because they often, by their singing and playing of musical instruments, increased the joy and solemnity of the festival.

Lamentations 1:5. Her adversaries have become the head, her enemies prosper, because the Lord has brought her sorrow because of the multitude of her transgressions; her children have gone into captivity before the foe. “Before the foe”—that is, the enemies drove the children of the Jews forward so that they would not fall behind from the caravan.

Lamentations 1:6. And all her glory has departed from the daughter of Zion; her princes are like deer that find no pasture; they have fled weakly before the pursuer. “Deer that find no pasture”—deer, which have long not eaten and not drunk, and barely move their feet.

Lamentations 1:7. Jerusalem remembers, in the days of her affliction and wandering, all her precious things which she had in former days, while her people fell by the hand of the enemy, and there is no one to help her; the enemies gaze at her and mock at her downfall. The precious things which Jerusalem had formerly are, first and foremost, the temple, then the royal power, which passed down in succession in the line of David, and so on. All of this Jerusalem now recalls with sorrow when she is in a state of humiliation.—“Mock at her downfall.” The heathen now mock these festivals, and in general the religion of the Jews, pointing out that all this could not save the Jewish state.—According to Weitzecker’s translation: “mock at her desolation.”

Lamentations 1:8. Jerusalem has grievously sinned; therefore she has become vile; all who honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness; she herself sighs and turns away. “Has become vile”—more accurately: “has become like a woman in her uncleanness.”—“Her nakedness”—that is, her shame, her sins and vices, which defiled her.—“Turns away,” that is, she is ashamed to look upon people.

Lamentations 1:9. Uncleanness clung to her hem; she did not consider her end; therefore her fall was terrible, and she has no comforter. “Behold, O Lord, my affliction, for the enemy has magnified himself!” “Behold, O Lord…”—before this one should add: “and therefore Jerusalem cries out.”

Lamentations 1:10. The enemy has stretched out his hand over all her precious things; for she has seen the nations invade her sanctuary, those whom you commanded that they should not enter into your assembly. The heathen were forbidden to participate in the religious assemblies of the Jews (Deut 23:3; Ezek 44:7-9), and they now enter even into the very sanctuary of the temple!

Lamentations 1:11. All her people groan, seeking bread; they trade their precious things for food to keep themselves alive. “Behold, O Lord, and see, how I am despised!” During and after the siege the condition of the inhabitants of Jerusalem was very difficult. They had no bread.—“To keep themselves alive”—to sustain their strength. (Lam 1:12-19.) The sighing of Zion to the Lord concludes the first part of the first chapter. By this the prophet makes a transition to the second part, in which Zion itself begins to speak. He addresses all who pass by him and asks them to convince themselves of how great is his affliction: as if fire passes through his bones, and his feet have become entangled in a net. Thus Zion is punished for his sins. He is given over to the will of his enemies, he has no army, and the enemies treat him like workers treading grapes. How can Zion not weep in such a hard time? The prophet himself testifies that Zion will find help from no one, and then Zion again begins to speak and confesses his transgressions, but at the same time points to the depth of his sufferings.

Lamentations 1:14. The yoke of my iniquities is bound by his hand; they are twined together and set upon my neck; he has weakened my strength. The Lord has given me into the hands of those against whom I cannot stand. “The yoke of my iniquities”—more correctly from the Hebrew: “You have made heavy the yoke of my sins by Your hand,” that is, God has laid upon Jerusalem the yoke of sins as a heavy yoke, like one placed on an ox.—“They are twined together”—more correctly from the Hebrew: “they are bound to each other and placed on my back.”—“The Lord has given me”—more correctly: “the Lord has delivered me to those before whom I cannot stand.”

Lamentations 1:15. The Lord has rejected all the strong men in the midst of me; he has called an assembly against me to crush my young men; the Lord has trodden as in a winepress the virgin daughter of Judah. The image of a winepress is frequently found in the prophets, cf., for example, Isa 63:1-6.

Lamentations 1:17. Zion stretches out her hands, but there is no one to comfort her. The Lord has commanded concerning Jacob that his adversaries should surround him; Jerusalem has become an unclean thing in the midst of them. The voice of the weeping Zion subsides for a moment, and the prophet now himself confirms the fact of the extreme calamitous state of Zion.

Lamentations 1:18–19. The Lord is righteous, for I have rebelled against his commandment. Hear, all peoples, and behold my sorrow: my maidens and my young men have gone into captivity. I cry to my beloved, but they have deceived me; my priests and my elders expire in the city, seeking food for themselves, to keep themselves alive. Zion’s thoughts turn in another direction, and he begins to confess his guilt before God. He recognizes the futility of his former hopes for help from his allies: no one helps the Jews, and even the priests and respected elders are left without food. (Lam 1:20-22.) On the basis of such acknowledgment of God’s righteousness and his own guilt, Jerusalem now turns to God with a prayer that He might look down from on high upon his city and punish the enemies of Jerusalem, who are rejoicing at his fall.

Lamentations 1:20. Behold, O Lord, for I am in distress; my soul is in turmoil, my heart is turned within me, for I have been very rebellious. Outside the sword bereaves, inside it is like death. “Outside the sword bereaves.” This expression is borrowed from the book of Deut 32:25, but the word “like” is superfluous. We should read simply: “inside (of houses)—death,” that is, plague.

Chapter Two

1–10. The judgment of God over Jerusalem. 11–19. The complaint of the prophet about the extremely calamitous state of the inhabitants of the city. 20–22. The complaint of the inhabitants of Jerusalem themselves.

(Lam 2:1-10.) The Lord has severely punished the kingdom of Judah: He has given the enemies of the Jews power to destroy his temple and all the city buildings. Now the people are in deep sorrow and dying from hunger.

Lamentations 2:1. How the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger! He has cast down from heaven to earth the beauty of Israel and has not remembered his footstool in the day of his anger. “Has covered,” that is, covered the city with a cloud of sorrow.—“From heaven.” The glory of Jerusalem was exalted to the heavens earlier.—“His footstool”—this is the ark of the covenant, over which the Lord invisibly dwelt (1 Chr 28:2; Ps 98:5).

Lamentations 2:3. He has cut off in fierce anger all the horn of Israel; he has drawn back his right hand from before the enemy; he has burned in Jacob like a flaming fire, consuming all around; “The horn”—that is, all that upon which the significance of Jerusalem was based. “He has drawn back his right hand from before the enemy”—more correctly: “he has withdrawn (from Israel) his right hand, (which protected and guarded Israel) from the enemies.”

Lamentations 2:7. The Lord has rejected his altar, disowned his sanctuary; he has delivered into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; in the house of the Lord they make a noise, as on a day of festival. “As on a day of festival.” On festivals, when many people gathered in the temple, it was very noisy.

Lamentations 2:9. Her gates have sunk into the ground; he has destroyed and broken her bars; her king and princes are among the nations; the law is no more, and her prophets obtain no vision from the Lord. “Have sunk into the ground”—more correctly: “lie on the ground.”—“The law is no more,” that is, one cannot observe everything that the law of Moses required (for example, the offering of sacrifices).—“Her prophets obtain no vision from the Lord.” Indeed, when Jerusalem was taken by the Chaldeans, the Lord did not speak through prophets to comfort the Jews. After the prophecy, however, came alive again. (Lam 2:11-19.) The prophet expresses his sympathy for the suffering Jews, especially for the children and mothers. No one is able to comfort the suffering Jews, and even strangers rejoice, looking upon their humiliation. Only he who punished Israel can comfort him, and to him the Jews should cry out day and night for help.

Lamentations 2:11. My eyes are spent with tears, my stomach churns; my heart is poured out on the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babes faint in the streets of the city. “My heart is poured out on the ground”—more correctly: “my heart is torn to pieces.”

Lamentations 2:13. What can I say for you, to what shall I liken you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I compare with you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your wound is as great as the sea; who can heal you? For the one who suffers, it is comforting to hear that his sufferings are not a single occurrence, that other people have endured similar sufferings, but the prophet cannot find the possibility to find an example that could comfort the Jews in their sufferings.

Lamentations 2:14. Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; and they have not uncovered your iniquity to restore your fortunes, but have seen for you oracles that are false and misleading. Cf. Jer 6:14.

Lamentations 2:18. Cry aloud to the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion! Let tears stream down like a torrent day and night! Give yourself no rest, your eyes no respite! More accurately one should translate this: “Cry out loudly to the Lord, O virgin daughter of Zion!” (Lam 2:20-22.) In accordance with the prophet’s requirement, Zion raises her prayers to the Lord, in which she points out her unbearable sufferings.

Chapter Three

1–18. Grave trials which the prophet experienced together with other believing Israelites. 19–39. Revival in the prophet’s heart of hope for a better future. 40–54. Acknowledgment of the justice of the punishment sent upon the Jews, from which, however, God will surely free his people. 56–66. The prayer of the prophet, in which he expresses his confidence that God will help him and avenge his enemies.

(Lam 3:1-18.) The prophet, on behalf of all believers, expresses sorrow for the sufferings which the Lord sends upon him. The prophet’s position is hopeless, because God himself has armed himself against him. He is completely losing heart.

Lamentations 3:1. I am a man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath. “I am a man.” One should not think that the prophet here speaks of his personal sufferings, which he endured during the siege and capture of Jerusalem. He appears here as a representative of the Jews who preserved faith in God; his own suffering constitutes only one moment in the portrayal of the dreadful judgment of God, which has fallen upon the Jews. It is remarkable that here, as in the following verses, the prophet uses expressions from the book of Job (cf. Job 21:9). Evidently, he had in mind the image of this great sufferer when he thought about his sufferings and the sufferings of his fellow countrymen.

Lamentations 3:9. He has blocked my ways with hewn stone, he has made my paths crooked. “Made my paths crooked”—more accurately: “spoiled the path by which I could go.”

Lamentations 3:13. He has shot into my kidneys the arrows of his quiver. The kidneys are a very important organ in the human body.

Lamentations 3:14. I have become a laughingstock to all peoples, the object of their taunts all day long. Most of the Jews evidently did not turn to the true path even when the Lord punished them with terrible calamities. They even mocked such of their fellow citizens who saw in their own misfortunes and the misfortunes of their fatherland the chastening hand of Jehovah.

Lamentations 3:17. And peace has departed from my soul; I have forgotten what happiness is; “Forgotten what happiness is,” that is, does not believe that any happiness could exist on earth! (Lam 3:19-39.) From the darkness of suffering, for the prophet a ray of hope and comfort breaks forth again. He strives to overcome his doubts and this succeeds for him: the prophet can pray again! He asks the Lord to remember him, and on his own part seeks to find support for his hope. He finds this support, first of all, in the conviction that the Kingdom of God still exists, that there is still a remnant of believers, which can serve as the beginning for the renewal of the people. And since the existence of this chosen remnant is the work of God’s goodness, which continues to manifest itself toward the believers, the prophet, seeing such a fact, begins to look more calmly upon his sufferings and the sufferings of other believers. If we will patiently bear these sufferings, then the merciful Lord will again restore our well-being. Therefore—says the prophet—suffering evidently has an educational significance for us, and we should mourn not suffering itself, but its cause—sin.

Lamentations 3:21. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: Better to translate: “Here is what I think about, here is my hope.” The following verse presents an explanation of precisely what the prophet bases his hope on.

Lamentations 3:22. By the mercy of the Lord we have not perished, for His compassions have not failed. Better to translate: “the mercies of Jehovah have not yet ceased.”—This verse, and equally the following twelve, present not only the middle of the third chapter, but also the middle of the book. They indeed contain the central thought, the light of which falls upon both the preceding and the following half of the book—the thought of God’s goodness, which serves as the foundation of human hope. (Lam 3:40-54.) Having proved that the Lord never strikes people with sufferings without reason, the prophet sees in the fate of himself and his people a natural consequence of the sins by which Israel angered God. And so the prophet now makes his request to God in a different tone, asking for freedom from sufferings. Now he speaks no longer in the spirit of hopelessness, but repents and accuses himself as a representative of his people. At the same time, he cannot help but portray the intensity of his sufferings; indeed, he wished to help his people, and yet the people saw in him an enemy and persecuted him in every way.

Lamentations 3:48. Streams of tears flow from my eyes because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. “Because of the destruction of the daughter”—more correctly: because of the destruction of the daughters, or simply, because of the destruction of my people. (Lam 3:55-66.) Like the first and second chapters, the third chapter concludes with an earnest prayer, in which the prophet, having repeatedly experienced that God hears the prayers of those who call upon him, now asks God to avenge his offenders by their complete destruction.

Lamentations 3:56. You have heard my plea, O Lord; do not close your ear to my cry for relief! “The prayer of a righteous man,” says blessed Augustine, “is a key to heaven. While the prayer ascends to heaven, from heaven mercy of God descends.”

Lamentations 3:59. You have seen the wrong done to me, O Lord; judge my cause. “My cause.” The prophet here speaks on behalf of the believers.

Lamentations 3:63. Behold, sit down or stand, I am their song. “I am their song,” that is, I am the subject of their mockery, which they even compose playful songs about.

Chapter Four

1–11. The complaint of the prophet about the sad fate of Zion. 12–20. The causes of the destruction of Zion. 21–22. The conclusion.

(Lam 4:1-11.) On behalf of the believers, the prophet complains about the sad fate of the inhabitants of Zion, which can only be compared to the fate of the dead. Examining the reasons for such terrible wrath of God that has fallen upon the heads of the Jews, the prophet comes to the conclusion that Zion has suffered for his sins and has drunk, moreover, in full measure the cup of God’s wrath. The prophet particularly depicts in detail the contrast between the former greatness of Zion and his present humiliation.

Lamentations 4:1. How the gold has grown dim, how the fine gold is changed! The stones of the sanctuary lie scattered at the head of every street. The prophet is amazed at how pure gold could become dim and how precious stones, which constituted the ornaments of the robe of the high priest serving in the sanctuary, could become so blackened and defiled that they were thrown into the dirt, into the street! Obviously, under these precious objects the prophet means the great advantages of the Jewish people, which now are not at all respected by anyone.

Lamentations 4:2. The precious children of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold, how they are esteemed as earthen pots, the work of a potter’s hands! The figurative speech of the first verse is here replaced by plain speech, but the subject of the speech is the same.

Lamentations 4:3. Even jackals offer the breast and nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. “Jackals”—more accurately: jackals.—“Has become cruel,” that is, by necessity she must be cruel. The inhabitants of Jerusalem did not so much refuse—they did not have the ability to feed their children.—“About ostriches”—see Job 39:13-16.

Lamentations 4:5. Those who ate delicacies are desolate in the streets; those who were brought up in purple embrace ash heaps. The poor, who had no shelter, sometimes spent the night warming themselves on warm manure heaps, so as to at least warm themselves on a cold night.

Lamentations 4:6. The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people has become greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and no hands were turned against her. The Sodomites did not suffer long; they were not touched by enemies; fire from heaven immediately consumed them, whereas Jerusalem, before its destruction, experienced all the torments of the siege, and then even the malice of the enemies who had taken the city.

Lamentations 4:7–8. Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, their appearance like lapis lazuli; but now their faces are blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled on their bones, it has become dry like wood. Obviously, not all the princes of Judah were taken into captivity; some of them remained in the destroyed Jerusalem and lived a miserable existence.

Lamentations 4:9. Those slain by the sword are better off than those slain by hunger, for these waste away, stricken by lack of the fruits of the field. “Those slain”—more accurately: who were slain.—“Waste away”—more accurately: wasted away. The prophet speaks of the past torments that the Jews endured during the siege of Jerusalem. (Lam 4:12-20.) In speaking of the causes of the terrible wrath of God that has poured down upon the heads of the Jews, the prophet points first of all to the sins of the prophets and priests of the Jews, especially those who defiled themselves and brought upon themselves universal contempt by their wicked deeds. Then the prophet speaks of another cause of the fall of the Jewish state—the unfounded confidence of the people in various foreign nations, which supposedly could render the Jews aid. Here the prophet dwells on the sad fate of the last Jewish king, captured by the Chaldeans.

Lamentations 4:13. This is because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous; “The blood of the righteous,” that is, of the truly believing Jews (see Jer 26:7-15).

Lamentations 4:15. “Unclean! Unclean!” people cried at them. “Away! Away! Do not touch!” So they became fugitives and wanderers; it is said among the nations, “They shall stay here no longer.” “Cried at them”—more correctly: “cried before them.” According to the law of Moses, the lepers, going along the road and seeing people coming toward them, were obliged to cry out to warn them of their disease so that they would move aside (Lev 13:45). So also must everyone move aside from these defiled priests and false prophets to avoid touching their blood-stained clothes and becoming unclean.—“Among the nations”—more correctly: even among the heathen peoples there arose a conviction that they would not be able to endure.

Lamentations 4:16. The face of the Lord has scattered them; he will not look upon them again; the people showed no respect for the priests and no favor for the elders. The prophet’s words “the face of the Lord”—more correctly: “the fierce gaze of Jehovah.”—“They… showed no respect”—more correctly: He (Jehovah) will no longer spare them.

Lamentations 4:17. Our eyes failed, ever watching vainly for help; in our watching we watched for a nation that could not save. The speech is about the hopes which the inhabitants of besieged Jerusalem placed on the arrival of Egyptian auxiliary forces.

Lamentations 4:18. They dogged our steps so that we could not walk in our streets; our end drew near; our days were fulfilled; for our end has come. From their ramparts the Chaldeans shot arrows at the city, striking those inhabitants of Jerusalem who carelessly went out into the streets (see Jer 39:4-10).

Lamentations 4:20. The breath of our nostrils, the Lord’s anointed, was captured in their pits, he of whom we said, “Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.” The king, as God’s anointed, was the support of the entire Jewish state. As long as he remained with his subjects, they did not yet consider themselves completely lost. But now he has been captured by the enemies and can no longer protect his people.—In the LXX translation, instead of the expression “the anointed of the Lord,” we have “the Lord’s anointed.” Blessed Jerome in his Latin translation of Lamentations follows the translation of the LXX in this passage, and some ancient ecclesiastical interpreters considered this passage to be a messianic prophecy. Of course, the context of the speech completely contradicts such an interpretation. (Lam 4:21-22.) In conclusion, the prophet still comforts his fellow countrymen. They were greatly oppressed by the fact that their neighboring enemies—especially the related Edomites—rejoiced at the fall of Jerusalem, and so, comforting his people, the prophet says that the time will soon come when it is Edom’s turn to drink from the cup of God’s wrath, while the Jewish people, having experienced punishment for their sins, will again dwell in their land.

Lamentations 4:21. Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, dwelling in the land of Uz! Yet the cup shall pass to you; you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare. See Job 1 and Jer 25:20.

Lamentations 4:22. Your punishment is completed, O daughter of Zion; he will keep you in exile no longer; but your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he will punish, he will uncover your sins. “Your punishment is completed”—more correctly: “your punishment is coming to an end.”

Chapter Five

1–10. The prayer of the prophet Jeremiah, in which he first depicts the calamitous state of Zion, 11–18. and then asks God to have mercy on the long-suffering Jewish people.

(Lam 5:1-18.) The condition of Judea is extremely sorrowful. Foreigners have taken possession of the land of Judea and the Jewish people has become like orphans. It must turn to either the Egyptians or the Assyrians for a piece of bread. For the sins of their fathers, the Jews must endure all kinds of torments and humiliations, and there are no longer any signs of life in Zion.

Lamentations 5:4. We drink our water for a price; we must pay for our wood. Our own water, from rivers and reservoirs belonging to us, we must pay a certain fee to our conquerors. Similarly, we are not allowed to cut wood without paying a certain fee.

Lamentations 5:6. We have given the hand to the Egyptians, to the Assyrians, to get bread enough. We must save ourselves from starvation either from the Egyptians, who were not averse to accepting Jews, or else go into captivity to Assyria, that is, to Babylon, even if our conquerors were to leave us in Palestine. Here, in our land, death by starvation threatens us.

Lamentations 5:8. Slaves rule over us; there is none to deliver us from their hand. “Slaves,” that is, the Chaldeans, who ought to serve us as slaves (cf. Ps 71:11).

Lamentations 5:9. We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness. More correctly to translate: “we obtain our bread at the risk of our lives, full of terror before the sword and the plague.”

Lamentations 5:13. Young men are compelled to grind at the mill, and boys stagger under loads of wood. The millstones were heavy stones that it was very difficult to manage for young men. (Lam 5:19-22.) The prophet is perplexed about the fact that the Lord has abandoned his people, and he beseeches God to turn the hearts of the Jews back to himself again.

Lamentations 5:19. You, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures to all generations. By pointing to the unchangeableness of Jehovah, the prophet evidently wishes to say that God’s mercy toward Israel should also be unchangeable.

Lamentations 5:21. Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored; renew our days as of old. A person only turns with all his heart to God when God calls him to do so. Cf. Jer 30:21.

The Epistle of Jeremiah

Introduction

1. Inauthenticity of the Epistle. The Epistle of Jeremiah, written in the Greek language, does not actually belong to the great Jewish prophet. This is proven, first, by the fact that it is entirely absent from the Hebrew Bible, from the Syriac translation of the Peshitta, and even from some manuscripts of the Septuagint; second, the very content of the epistle has almost nothing in common with the content of the book of the prophet Jeremiah, and, third, finally, the language of the epistle is far unlike the brilliant language of the book of the prophet Jeremiah. Furthermore, in his epistle Jeremiah could not have used such imprecise expressions as seven generations instead of seventy years (to denote the period of Babylonian captivity) and so on. The unknown author of the epistle, apparently a Hellenistic Jew, composed it and named it Jeremiah’s, probably to give it greater significance in the eyes of readers. Most likely, the epistle was written in Phrygia – it contains rather clear traces of the author’s acquaintance with the Phrygian pagan cult.

2. Content of the Epistle. The author of the epistle wants to warn his countrymen, the Jews, against being drawn into idolatry. To do this, he depicts idols as mere senseless statues, which see nothing and hear nothing and with which anything can be done. It is therefore incorrect to call them gods: even the Chaldeans themselves do not respect them as they should. They are not able even to save themselves from danger, and even wild beasts are better than them, because they have the instinct of self-preservation. The entire epistle consists of 72 verses and can be divided into 4 parts: 1) the inscription (EpJer 1:1); 2) the introduction (EpJer 1:2-6); 3) the main part of the epistle – a discourse on the nothingness of idols and the futility of idolatry (EpJer 1:7-71) and 4) the conclusion (EpJer 1:72).

3. The Epistle’s Worth. Among our Orthodox theologians, there is sometimes expressed the view that the Epistle of Jeremiah is canonical (Metropolitan Macarius – in the Introduction to Orthodox Theology, Smaragdov, Athanasius). This is undoubtedly a reflection of the Catholic view, according to which this epistle is indeed a work of Jeremiah. But the majority of our interpreters quite justifiably consider this epistle non-canonical (Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow, Metropolitan Arsenius of Kiev, and others).

4. Sources and Aids. Besides the works mentioned in the preface to the book of Jeremiah, here we can point to the trial lecture of Professor Zhdanov “On the Epistle of Jeremiah” (Appendix to the Works of the Holy Fathers 1888, IV, 441–466).

EpJer 1:1-72. The Nothingness and Powerlessness of Idols.

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:1. A copy of the epistle which Jeremiah sent to those who were captives, being led away to Babylon by the king of Babylon, to declare to them that which God had commanded him. EpJer 1:1-6. This contains the inscription and introduction to the book. 1. It seems strange that Jeremiah addresses an epistle to those Jews with whom he himself was present when they were led into captivity (Jer 40:1), and to whom he could have addressed oral instruction.

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:2. For the sins with which you sinned before God, you shall be led captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:3. After you enter Babylon, you shall remain there for many years and a long time, even until seven generations; after that I will bring you out from there in peace. 3. The Hebrews are to remain in Babylon even until seven generations. This expression is very indefinite and is used in various senses. If the prophet Jeremiah were writing about the duration of the captivity, he would certainly have determined this time as he did in his own book, that is, in terms of 70 years (Jer 25:11).

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:4. Now you shall see in Babylon gods of silver and gold and wood, being borne upon the shoulders, causing fear among the heathen. 4. It seems strange again here that the Jews would only see images of pagan gods during captivity. No, these images were well known to them even before they were led into captivity.

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:5. Therefore beware lest you become like the foreigners, and let fear of them not possess you. When you see the multitude before and behind them bowing down, say in your heart: “You alone, O Lord, should be worshipped!” Epistle of Jeremiah 1:6. For my angel is with you, and he is the guardian of your souls. 6. The Angel – this may perhaps be the archangel Michael, the defender and representative of the Jewish people (Dan 12:1). By mentioning this angel, God indicates that the Jews do not need to seek protection from pagan gods – they have a protector given to them by God.

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:7. Their tongue is polished by the craftsman, and they themselves are overlaid with gold and silver; but they are false and cannot speak. EpJer 1:7-15. To show the nothingness of idols, the writer depicts the method of preparation of idols and the complete powerlessness of idols, which cannot make use of either the tongue fashioned for them, or the scepter and sword placed in their hands.

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:8. Just as for a girl who loves ornament, they take gold and make crowns for the heads of their gods. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:9. It also happens that the priests steal gold and silver from their gods and use it for themselves; Epistle of Jeremiah 1:10. and they give some of it to harlots under their roof; they dress the golden and silver and wooden gods with garments, as they do people. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:11. But they are not saved from rust and moths, though they are clothed in purple garment. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:12. They wipe their faces from the dust in the temple, where there is much of it. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:13. He has a scepter, like a human judge of the land, but he cannot put to death one who wrongs him. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:14. He has a sword in his right hand and an axe, but cannot protect himself from war and robbers: from this it is known that they are not gods; therefore, do not fear them. 14. According to the opinion of Vigouroux, a statue of the Babylonian god Bel-Merodach is depicted here, but, as can be seen from photographs of this statue, Merodach was not given either a scepter or a sword in his hands.

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:15. For as a broken vessel becomes useless to a man, so are their gods. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:16. After they are set in their temples, their eyes are full of dust from the feet of those entering. EpJer 1:16-53. When an idol is placed in a temple, it stands immobile, having no power to defend itself from the dust that gets in its eyes, from the worms that gnaw its garments, from the smoke of incense, from bats and cats. The idols are carried by priests and suffer all the indignities that the priests and dissolute women inflict upon them. All the more they cannot render any benefit to the land.

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:17. Just as the entrances to the house of one who has offended the king are sealed when he is led away to death, so their temples are guarded by their priests with doors, locks, and bars, so that they may not be plundered by robbers; 17. This refers to the custom by which the house of one who offended the majesty of the king was sealed, so that all property might later pass to the royal treasury in full.

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:18. they light lamps for them, and more than for themselves, but they cannot see any of them. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:19. They are like a beam in a house; the worms in the earth eat away at their hearts, it is said, and consume them and their garments – yet they do not feel it. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:20. Their faces are blackened by the smoke in the temples. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:21. Bats and swallows and other birds fly upon their bodies and heads, and cats also crawl over them. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:22. From this you will understand that they are not gods; therefore, do not fear them. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:23. If one does not clean the rust from the gold with which they are covered for beauty, they will not shine; and when they were cast, they did not feel it. 23. The Babylonians had no idols that were merely covered with gold, but almost exclusively stone or clay ones. Apparently, the author was not acquainted with Babylonian worship.

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:24. Purchased at great expense, yet there is no breath in them. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:25. Legless, they are carried on the shoulders of others, showing by this their worthlessness to men; and those who serve them are put to shame; 25. Babylonian idols had legs.

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:26. for if one of them falls to the ground, they cannot rise up by themselves; if one sets them upright, they cannot move by themselves, and if one tilts them, they cannot straighten themselves; but as offerings are placed before the dead, so are offerings placed before them. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:27. The priests sell the sacrifices made to them and misuse them; likewise their wives salt parts of them, and give nothing to either the poor or the sick. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:28. The sacrifices made to them are touched by women who are unclean and by women in childbirth. Knowing from this that they are not gods, do not fear them. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:29. How then can we call them gods? Women bring offerings to these silver and gold and wooden gods. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:30. In their temples the priests sit in torn garments, with their heads shaved and their beards shaved, and with uncovered heads: 30. Nothing like this is known about Babylonian priests. This is more likely to be said of Phrygian priests. – The Jews were forbidden to tear their garments (Lev 10:6), to shave their beards (Lev 19:27), all the more so the priests (Lev 21:5).

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:31. they cry out and howl before their gods, as some do at feasts for the dead. 31. They cry out… as at feasts for the dead. The heathen, according to the testimony of Epiphanius (Ancorat.), bringing food to the tomb of the dead, cried out loudly: “Arise, Hector, eat and drink!”

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:32. Some of their garments the priests take for themselves and dress their wives and children with them. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:33. If they experience harm or good from anyone, they cannot repay it; they cannot set up a king, nor can they depose one. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:34. Likewise they cannot give wealth, nor even a small copper coin. If someone, having made a vow to them, does not fulfill it, they will not demand it. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:35. They will not save anyone from death, nor will they rescue the weak from the strong; Epistle of Jeremiah 1:36. To a blind man they will not restore sight; to a man in need they will not help; Epistle of Jeremiah 1:37. to a widow they will show no mercy, and to an orphan they will do no good. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:38. These gods of wood, overlaid with gold and silver, are like stones from the mountains – and those who serve them will be put to shame. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:39. How then can one think or say that they are gods? Epistle of Jeremiah 1:40. Moreover, the Chaldeans themselves treat them disrespectfully: when they see a mute man unable to speak, they bring him to Baal and ask him to speak, as though he could feel. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:41. And they cannot perceive this and abandon them, because they have no sense. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:42. Women, girded with a rope of rushes, sit in the streets, burning incense made from olive seeds. 42. Incense made from olive seeds or bran was a sacrifice to the goddess Hecate. By this incense Phrygian women wanted to attract the attention of passing men. – In the streets. Again this is more suited to Phrygia. In Babylon, women who served the goddess Melita through prostitution sat in “groves”.

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:43. When one of them, attracted by a man passing by, lies with him, she reproaches her companion that she was not honored as she was, saying that her cord was not broken. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:44. Everything that happens with them is false. How then can one think or say that they are gods? Epistle of Jeremiah 1:45. They are made by craftsmen and goldsmiths; they become nothing other than what the craftsmen desire them to be. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:46. And those who make them do not live long; Epistle of Jeremiah 1:47. how then can the things made by them be gods? They have left falsehood and shame to their descendants. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:48. When war and disaster befall them, the priests consult with each other about where they should hide with them. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:49. How then is it not clear that these are not gods, who cannot save themselves from war or from disaster? Epistle of Jeremiah 1:50. Since they are of wood and overlaid with gold and silver, it will be known that they are false; all nations and kings will recognize that they are not gods but the works of human hands, and there is no divine action in them. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:51. Who then will not understand that they are not gods? Epistle of Jeremiah 1:52. They will not set up a king for the land, nor will they give rain to people; Epistle of Jeremiah 1:53. they will not administer justice, nor will they help the oppressed, being powerless, Epistle of Jeremiah 1:54. as crows that fly between heaven and earth. For when the temple of the gods of wood or overlaid with gold and silver is consumed by fire, the priests will flee and be saved – but they themselves, like beams in the midst of it, will burn. EpJer 1:54-71. To show the nothingness of idols and express his contempt for them, the writer compares them to priests and robbers. The priests can be saved during a fire, but the idols cannot. The idols cannot protect themselves from robbers, who strip various decorations from them. The idols are far less powerful than a good ruler or any useful household item. The idols are less powerful than the various forces of nature, which fulfill their purpose. Idols can be compared only to a scarecrow or a decomposing corpse. 54. Like crows… this is the end of verse 53. The gods are compared to crows, which are rather large birds but completely powerless and useless.

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:55. Neither to a king nor to enemies can they stand in opposition. How then can one accept or think that they are gods? Epistle of Jeremiah 1:56. Neither from thieves nor from robbers can these gods of wood and overlaid with silver and gold protect themselves, Epistle of Jeremiah 1:57. exceeding them in strength, they strip the gold and silver and garments from them, and go away with their plunder, while these cannot help themselves. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:58. Therefore, a king who displays courage is better, or a useful vessel in a house that the master uses, than false gods; or a door in a house that protects its contents is better than false gods; or a wooden pillar in a royal palace is better than false gods. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:59. The sun and moon and stars, being bright and sent forth for the sake of necessity, are obedient. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:60. Likewise, lightning each time it appears is clearly visible; likewise, the wind blows in every land. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:61. And the clouds, when God commands them to pass over the whole world, carry out the command. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:62. Fire too, sent down from above for the destruction of mountains and forests, does what has been appointed; but these are not like them either in appearance or in power. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:63. Why then can one think or say that they are gods, when they are powerless either to judge a cause or to do good to people? Epistle of Jeremiah 1:64. Therefore, knowing that they are not gods, do not fear them. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:65. They will neither curse nor bless kings; Epistle of Jeremiah 1:66. they will not show signs in the sky or shine before nations; they will not enlighten like the sun, nor will they shine like the moon. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:67. Wild animals are better than they are: they, fleeing to shelter, are able to help themselves. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:68. Therefore, nothing shows us that they are gods; for this reason do not fear them. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:69. As a scarecrow in a garden preserves nothing, so their wooden gods overlaid with gold and silver preserve nothing. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:70. In the same way, their wooden gods overlaid with gold and silver are like a thorn-bush in a garden on which all birds perch, just as also a corpse thrown into darkness. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:71. From the purple and scarlet cloth that decays upon them, you can perceive that they are not gods; and they themselves will in the end be eaten away and will be a shame in the land. Epistle of Jeremiah 1:72. Therefore, a righteous person who does not have idols is better, for he is far from shame. 72. This conclusion affirms to the readers of the epistle the thought that a righteous person will not honor idols and will not bring shame upon himself.

The Book of Baruch

Introduction

Preface

1. The Prophet Baruch and the Author of the Book of Baruch.

2. The Contents of the Book of Baruch.

3. The Time, Place, and Purpose of Writing the Book of Baruch.

4. The Original Language of the Book.

5. The Unity of the Book.

6. The Ecclesiastical Dignity of the Book of Baruch.

7. Literature.

Preface

1. The Prophet Baruch and the Author of the Book of Baruch.

Baruch, the friend and helper of Jeremiah, probably came from a noble family, as is evident from the fact that his ancestors are reckoned to the fifth generation (Bar 1:1). His brother Seraiah oversaw the collection of taxes under King Zedekiah (Jer 51:59). He had to endure many persecutions together with Jeremiah, and after the capture of Jerusalem and the murder of Gedaliah, he was forced, like Jeremiah, to move to Egypt. Some say that he died in Babylon, to which he went after Jeremiah’s death, while others claim that he died, upon returning from Babylon, in Egypt.

Whether the Prophet Baruch was truly the author of the book ascribed to him is still an unsettled question. Our theologians almost all affirm the genuine origin of this book from the Prophet Baruch, but they do not pay sufficient attention to the difficulties that arise from accepting this opinion. In fact, the Book of Baruch contains many pieces of information that directly contradict the accounts in the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah and the Fourth Book of Kings (these difficulties will be pointed out when explaining the book itself). No matter how much our interpreters try to reconcile these contradictions of the Book of Baruch with the canonical accounts from other sacred books, they do not succeed, and an impartial reader of the book is left with the impression that it could not have been written by Baruch—a man who was well acquainted with all the circumstances of the life of the Jewish people shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem.

2. The Contents of the Book of Baruch.

The Book of the Prophet Baruch consists of a preface (Bar 1:1-14) and four parts, in the first of which (Bar 1:15-2:8) there is a prayer in which the exiled Jews confess their sins and those of their ancestors as having led to the fall of the Jewish state, and they beseech God for mercy; in the second part (Bar 2:9-4:8) is contained teaching about wisdom; in the third (Bar 4:9-29) the prophet persuades the exiles, speaking on behalf of Jerusalem, to repent of their sins and pray to God for salvation, and in the fourth (Bar 4:30-5:9) consoling promises are given to Jerusalem.

3. The Time, Place, and Purpose of Writing the Book of Baruch.

From the superscription of the book it is clear that it was written in the fifth year after the destruction of Jerusalem, that is, around 538 B.C. It was written in Babylon for the Jewish exiles living there, in order to comfort them with hope of deliverance from captivity. But, of course, these statements of the book itself cannot be verified from other sources and therefore cannot have decisive significance for scholars.

4. The Original Language of the Book.

Bible scholars differ in their views on the question of the original language of the Book of the Prophet Baruch. Some consider the present Greek text of the book to be the original, while others, one might say the majority, assert on the basis of philological analysis of the existing Greek text, that it was originally written in Hebrew, but that its original, like that of the Book of Sirach, was soon lost.

There is almost no external evidence for the existence of a Hebrew original of our book, unless one counts the Syriac Peshitta translation, in which traces of a version made originally, or revised according to a Hebrew original, are preserved. But the Hebraic structure of the language, Hellenized Hebrew words, the free rendering of the original, and much else can serve as sufficient grounds for supposing that the Book of the Prophet Baruch was originally written in Hebrew, and specifically in an ancient biblical dialect. Moreover, one can conjecture with probability that the Greek translator had at hand a manuscript written in square script, in continuous writing, without word divisions and lacking both final letters and vowel marks.

5. The Unity of the Book.

Some critics suppose that the Book of Baruch represents a combination of two different books, the first ending with the eighth verse of Chapter III (Bar 3:8) and the second ending with the ninth verse of Chapter V (Bar 5:9). But the arguments brought forward for such an assumption are quite insufficient. On the contrary, if the second part of the book had been added to the first by another writer, he would certainly have tried to unite it with the first also in outward form, not only by content.

6. The Ecclesiastical Dignity of the Book of Baruch.

In the Hebrew Bible, the Book of the Prophet Baruch is not found, and since the Christian Church accepted the canon of the Old Testament sacred books from the Jews, it is natural that, for us Christians too, this book should be considered non-canonical. If some Russian theologians seem inclined to ascribe canonical significance to it, this is doubtless a reflection of the Catholic view of the Book of Baruch: it is known that the Catholic Church ranks the Book of Baruch among the so-called deuterocanonical books. However, if in our liturgical practice selections from this book are taken as lessons, these lessons are designated as taken from the Book of the Prophecy of Jeremiah, not of Baruch.

7. Literature.

Of patristic commentaries on the Book of the Prophet Baruch, only that belonging to Blessed Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus, is known. But later interpreters of Holy Scripture have repeatedly attempted to explain this book, and in Catholic as well as Protestant literature there are many investigations of the Book of Baruch. All this literature is indicated in the extensive research of Archimandrite Antonin (The Book of the Prophet Baruch. Reproduction. St. Petersburg, 1902). In his work, Archimandrite Antonin not only gives a thorough treatment of all the questions arising in the study of this book, but also a reconstruction of its Hebrew text as it should have been according to his calculations. To this Hebrew text he appends a new translation from this text into Russian.

Chapter One

Bar 1:1-14. Preface. Bar 1:15-22. The Penitential Prayer of the Exiled Jews.

Baruch 1:1. The words of the book which Baruch, the son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, son of Zedekiah, son of Asadiah, son of Hilkiah, wrote in Babylon. Bar 1:1-14. At the beginning Baruch relates that as soon as he finished his book, he read it aloud in Babylon to King Jeconiah and other Jewish exiles living in Babylon. The impression made by this book was very strong. The Jews wept, fasted, and prayed, and then sent the book, together with donations, to High Priest Jehoiakim and other Jews in Jerusalem, and asked for their prayers before God. They also asked that the book itself be read to the people remaining in Jerusalem on feast days.

Baruch 1:2. In the fifth year, on the seventh day of the month, at the time when the Chaldeans took Jerusalem and burned it with fire. 2. “At the time” should be more correctly rendered as “from the time when.” Baruch determines the time of writing his book by a new reckoning of years—from the destruction of Jerusalem. It was the fifth year, the seventh day of the first month (Nisan).

Baruch 1:3. And Baruch read aloud the words of this book to Jeconiah, son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and to all the people who came to hear the book. Baruch 1:4. And to the nobles and the sons of the king, and to the elders, and to all the people, from the least to the greatest, all those living in Babylon by the river Sudd. 4. “The river Sudd” is probably a corrupted Hebrew word ‘zad’—proud. The great river Euphrates was probably so named.

Baruch 1:5. And they wept, and fasted, and prayed before the Lord. Baruch 1:6. And they collected silver, as much as each could afford. Baruch 1:7. And they sent to Jerusalem to Jehoiakim, son of Hilkiah, son of Shalom, the high priest, and to the priests and to all the people who were with him in Jerusalem. 7. It is doubtful that a high priest, priests, and a considerable number of Jews were living in Jerusalem at this time. After the murder of Gedaliah, as is known, the Jews moved to Egypt. Naturally, they would have taken the high priest and priests with them.

Baruch 1:8. When Baruch received the vessels taken from the temple of the house of the Lord for their return to the land of Judah, on the tenth day of the month of Sivan, the silver vessels which King Zedekiah, son of Josiah, king of Judah, had made. 8. The sacred vessels, as is known, were returned only upon the liberation of the Jews from captivity under Cyrus (Ezra 1). Therefore, it is doubtful that Baruch also returned some silver vessels to Jerusalem. The month of Sivan—more correctly, the month of Sivan, corresponding to our May.

Baruch 1:9. After Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had transferred from Jerusalem Jeconiah and the princes, and the prisoners and the nobles, and the people of the land and brought them to Babylon. Baruch 1:10. And they said: Behold, we are sending you silver, and buy with this silver whole burnt offerings and a sacrifice for sin and frankincense, and prepare a gift, and offer it on the altar of the Lord our God. 10. “Prepare a gift”—in the Greek text, instead of “gift” stands the word manna or manaa. Obviously, the LXX translators were translating the book of Baruch from Hebrew, and the Hebrew word mincha—gift—left without translation, they gave it the form manaa. An altar hardly could have existed at that time. If such an altar had existed, why would Ezra have noted as something new the establishment of an altar by the Jews who returned with Zerubbabel in Jerusalem? (Ezra 3:3).

Baruch 1:11. And pray for the life of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and for the life of Belshazzar, his son, so that their days may be as the days of heaven upon the earth. 11. Why Belshazzar, the son, is mentioned alongside Nebuchadnezzar is unclear. After Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon was ruled by two other kings before Belshazzar—Evil-Merodach and Neriglissar.

Baruch 1:12. And the Lord will give us strength and enlighten our eyes, and we shall live under the protection of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and under the protection of Belshazzar, his son, and we shall serve them many days and find mercy with them. 12. “Enlighten our eyes”—that is, will give us joy, which will make our eyes bright and shining.

Baruch 1:13. Pray also for us to the Lord our God, for we have sinned against the Lord our God, and the wrath of the Lord and His anger have not turned away from us to this day. Baruch 1:14. And read this book which we send you, so that you may make it known in the house of the Lord on feast days and at appointed times. 14. “Appointed times.” This expression is parallel to the preceding one; therefore the standing before it is not a connective particle but an explanatory one.

Baruch 1:15. And say: With the Lord our God is righteousness, but with us is shame upon our faces, as it is today, with every Jew and with those living in Jerusalem. Bar 1:15-22. Here the book of Baruch itself begins. The exiles ask their countrymen remaining in Jerusalem to confess their sins before the Lord, chiefly their disobedience to Him. This prayer almost repeats the same thoughts which the prophet Daniel expresses in his prayer (Dan 9). 15. “Read… and say,” that is, read the following book.

Baruch 1:16. And with our kings, and with our princes, and with our priests, and with our prophets, and with our fathers. 16. The prophets also feel shame before God, as they cannot help but think of themselves as members of the sinful Jewish people.

Baruch 1:17. Because we have sinned against the Lord. Baruch 1:18. And we did not obey Him, and did not listen to the voice of the Lord our God, so as to walk in the commandments of the Lord which He placed before us. Baruch 1:19. From the day when the Lord brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt, even to this day, we have been disobedient before the Lord our God and were careless that we did not listen to His voice. 19. The exiles attribute the cause of their misfortune not to individual violations of divine commandments, but to frequent and stubborn disobedience of the people, beginning from the exodus from Egypt to the beginning of the captivity.

Baruch 1:20. Therefore calamities and curse have overtaken us—as today—which the Lord appointed through His servant Moses on the day when He brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt, in order to give us a land flowing with milk and honey. Baruch 1:21. And we did not listen to the voice of the Lord our God in all the words of the prophets whom He sent to us. Baruch 1:22. And we went, each one, according to the inclinations of our evil heart, serving other gods and doing evil in the sight of the Lord our God. Special Remark. From the contradictions of the Book of Baruch indicated at the beginning of the chapter, we conclude (in the introduction) that this book could hardly have been written by a collaborator of Jeremiah. Archimandrite Antonin (in his work mentioned above) finds it possible, however, to reconcile the statements of the Book of Baruch contained in the first chapter with the history of that time as it is presented in the canonical Sacred Books. He refers, for example, to the proof that in the fifth year after the destruction of Jerusalem, there were still Jews there, citing the coming from Shechem of eighty people (Jer 41:5). But this circumstance occurred when the entire remaining body of Jews had not yet gone to Egypt (Jer 43:5-6). Then he also refers to the fact of Nebuchadnezzar’s deportation in the fifth year after the destruction of Jerusalem of 745 people (Jer 52:29-30). But again it is not clearly stated that these people were transferred from Jerusalem itself. Father Antonin somehow interprets the high priest Jehoiakim as the second priest. Then he gives a clearly incorrect interpretation of verses 7–9 (Bar 1:7-9) regarding Baruch’s bringing with him silver vessels from captivity, and Father Antonin attempts to explain this as an error in the Greek translation and gives his own translation of this passage, but the translation is quite unsuccessful. Finally, regarding the mention by Baruch of some unknown son of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Father Antonin tries to explain this by supposing that such a person could have existed in reality. As is evident from this, the doubts raised by the first chapter of the Book of Baruch have not been eliminated by the defenders of the authenticity of this book to the present day.

Chapter Two

Bar 2:1-10. The prophet continues to confess that the Jews are justly punished by God, Bar 2:11-35—and then he asks God to forgive them.

Baruch 2:1. And the Lord fulfilled His word which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged Israel, and against our kings, and against our princes, and against every Israelite and Jew. Baruch 2:2. That He would bring upon us great calamities, such as have never occurred under the whole heaven, as He did in Jerusalem, as it is written in the law of Moses. Bar 2:1-10. The Lord justly punished His people, delivering them to the scorn of other nations: indeed, the Jews proved to be open disobedients to His will. Bar 2:1-2. A similar thought is repeated more briefly in Daniel (Dan 9:12-13).

Baruch 2:3. That one will eat the flesh of his son, and another will eat the flesh of his daughter. 3. Compare Lam 1:20, and Lam 4:10.

Baruch 2:4. And He gave them into subjection to all the kingdoms which surround us, to scorn and devastation among all the neighboring peoples, among whom the Lord scattered them. 4. “To all the kingdoms”—certainly not all at once, but gradually. Moreover, the Jews, of course, were not subjected to every kingdom without exception. Here, obviously, the expression is hyperbolic.

Baruch 2:5. And we became low, and not high, because we sinned against the Lord our God, not listening to His voice. Baruch 2:6. With the Lord our God is righteousness, but with us and our fathers is shame upon our faces, as today. Baruch 2:7. All those calamities which the Lord spoke against us have befallen us. Baruch 2:8. We did not pray before the Lord so that He might turn each one away from the inclinations of his evil heart. Baruch 2:9. And the Lord kept watch over these calamities, and the Lord brought them upon us, for the Lord is righteous in all that He has commanded us. 9. “Kept watch,” to ensure that these calamities would certainly strike the Jews. Compare Lam 1:17.

Baruch 2:10. But we did not listen to His voice, to walk in the commandments of the Lord which He placed before us. Baruch 2:11. And now, O Lord, God of Israel, You who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand, and with signs, and with wonders, and with great power, and with a high arm, and made a name for Yourself, as today. Bar 2:11-35. From verse 11 begins the second part of the prayer. Here the writer begs God to have mercy on His people, so severely punished, and presents various reasons that should help to turn God’s wrath against the Jews into mercy. 11. The first reason for showing mercy to the Jews is their special election—to be the people of God. This thought has been repeatedly emphasized by other prophets (Isa 51:22; Joel 2:17).

Baruch 2:12. We have sinned, acted impiously, acted unrighteously against all Your commandments, O Lord our God. Baruch 2:13. May Your wrath turn away from us, for we are few left among the nations among which You have scattered us. 13. The second reason is the extreme diminishment of the number of the Jewish people at the present time of captivity.

Baruch 2:14. Hear, O Lord, our prayer and our petition, and deliver us for Your sake, and give us mercy before those who transferred us. 14. The third reason is that the greatness of God’s name requires the restoration of the greatness of God’s people (“for Your sake”). This is not a new thought either (Jer 14:21).

Baruch 2:15. So that all the earth may know that You are the Lord our God, because Your name is called upon Israel and his posterity. 15. The fourth reason is the good of all nations, which, seeing the restoration of a people that had almost completely disappeared, will believe in the omnipotence of the God of this people (see Deut 28:10; Isa 2:2).

Baruch 2:16. Look down, O Lord, from Your holy house and remember us, and incline, O Lord, Your ear, and hear. 16. “From Your holy house.” The temple of Jerusalem was usually called this. But at that time the temple did not exist, and such an expression therefore seems rather strange. Some interpreters try to explain the house as referring to heaven, but they give no grounds for such an interpretation.

Baruch 2:17. Open Your eyes and look, because the dead who are in the grave, whose spirit is taken from their bodies, will not give glory and praise to the Lord. Baruch 2:18. But a man who grieves over the greatness of his misfortune, who walks with bowed head and sorrowful spirit, whose eyes grow dim and whose soul hungers will give glory and righteousness to You, O Lord. 17–18. (Compare Ps 113:25 and Sir 17:24-26). The Jews here, as it were, point out that if they do not see the mercies of God, there cannot resound in the temple of Jehovah a hymn of praise to God.

Baruch 2:19. Not according to the righteousness of our fathers and our kings do we lay this supplication before You, O Lord our God. Baruch 2:20. For You have sent Your wrath and Your anger upon us, as You spoke through Your servants, the prophets. Baruch 2:21. So says the Lord: “Bow your shoulders, so as to serve the king of Babylon, and you will live in the land which I gave to your fathers. Baruch 2:22. But if you do not listen to the voice of the Lord, so as to serve the king of Babylon. Baruch 2:23. I will make it so that the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, will cease in the cities of Judah and in the surroundings of Jerusalem, and there will be no trace of inhabitants on all this land.” Baruch 2:24. But we did not listen to Your voice, so as to serve the king of Babylon, and You fulfilled Your words which You spoke through Your servants, the prophets, that our kings’ bones and our fathers’ bones would be removed from their place. Baruch 2:25. And behold, they are cast out into the heat of the day and the cold of the night, and they died from evil diseases, from hunger, from sword, and from exile. Baruch 2:26. You abandoned the house upon which Your name was called, as today, because of the wickedness of the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Baruch 2:27. And You, O Lord our God, dealt with us according to all Your forbearance and according to all Your great mercy. Baruch 2:28. As You said through Your servant Moses on the day when You commanded him to write Your law before the sons of Israel, saying: Baruch 2:29. “If you do not listen to My voice, then this great and numerous multitude of people will turn into few among the nations, among which I will scatter them. Baruch 2:30. I know that they will not listen to Me, because they are a stiff-necked people; but they will return to their senses in the land of their captivity. Baruch 2:31. And they will know that I am the Lord their God. And I will give them a heart—and they will understand, and ears—and they will hear. Baruch 2:32. And they will praise Me in the land of their captivity and remember My name. Baruch 2:33. And they will turn away from their stubbornness and from their evil deeds; because they will remember the way of their fathers, who sinned before the Lord. Baruch 2:34. And I will bring them back to the land which I swore to their fathers, to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and they will possess it; and I will multiply them, and they will not be diminished. 34. Here we can find an indication of the fifth reason for showing mercy to the Jews—namely, the merits before God of the patriarchs of the Jewish people.

Baruch 2:35. And I will establish with them an eternal covenant in this, that I will be their God, and they will be My people, and I will no more drive My people Israel from the land which I gave them.” 35. The prophecy of an eternal covenant represents a repetition of the thought of the messianic prophecy of Jeremiah (Jer 31:31-32).

Chapter Three

Bar 3:1-8. The conclusion of the prayer for mercy. Bar 3:9-38. Praise of Divine Wisdom.

Baruch 3:1. O Lord Almighty, God of Israel! the distressed soul and the sorrowful spirit cry out to You. Baruch 3:2. Hear, O Lord, and have mercy, for You are a merciful God; have mercy, for we have sinned before You. Bar 3:1-8. The Jews ask God to have mercy on them, first, because God is truly merciful, and second, because they repent of their sins before Him.

Baruch 3:3. You are eternally abiding, while we are eternally perishing. 3. This verse’s thought can be expressed more clearly thus: You, O Lord, live forever. Will You not allow us here, in a short time, to see the salvation for which we hope? After all, we are mortal and death is already near us—we do not have the divine property of eternity and cannot wait long.

Baruch 3:4. O Lord Almighty, God of Israel! hear the prayer of the dead of Israel and of their sons, who sinned before You, who did not listen to the voice of the Lord their God, and therefore calamities have befallen us. 4. “Dead.” That Jews believed in prayers of the dead for the living is seen from the Books of Maccabees (2 Macc 15:14). However, Archimandrite Antonin supposes it possible that the Greek translator confused the word “metei” in the original—“few” (see Isa 41:14)—with the word “metei” (from another root), meaning “dead.”

Baruch 3:5. Do not remember the unrighteousness of our fathers, but remember Your hand and Your name at this time. 5. “The hand of God.” This is a metonymy. Here are meant the wonders accomplished by the hand of God for Israel.

Baruch 3:6. For You are the Lord our God, and we will praise You, O Lord. Baruch 3:7. You have instilled fear of You into our heart so that we would call upon Your name; and we will praise You in our captivity, for we have cast away from our heart all the unrighteousness of our fathers who sinned before You. 7. “Instilled fear,” of course, through various manifestations of His wrath against the Jews who had turned away from Him.

Baruch 3:8. Behold, we are now in our captivity, where You have scattered us as a reproach and as a curse and as a recompense for all the unrighteousness of our fathers who turned away from the Lord our God. Baruch 3:9. Listen, Israel, to the commandments of life; pay attention, so as to understand wisdom. Bar 3:9-38. From verse 9, the second part of the book begins. In this section, the prophet exhorts his people to seek wisdom, on which the happiness of the people depends (Bar 3:9-14). Other nations have not understood the significance of this wisdom, being devoted to earthly interests (Bar 3:15-23). But, in fact, no one by their own strength could comprehend this wisdom! It is known only to the One God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who communicated it to His people (Bar 3:29-38).

Baruch 3:10. What is this, Israel, that you are in the land of enemies? You have grown old in a foreign land, you have become defiled with the dead. Baruch 3:11. You are numbered with those in the grave. Baruch 3:12. You have abandoned the fountain of wisdom. Baruch 3:13. If you had walked in the way of God, you would have lived in peace forever. Baruch 3:14. Learn where wisdom is, where strength is, where understanding is, so that you may at the same time know where length of days and life are, where the light of the eyes and peace are. Bar 3:13-14. Here are depicted the fruits of wisdom: eternal peace, length of days, wealth, and light of the eyes, or happiness and well-being.

Baruch 3:15. Who has found her place, and who has gone into her storehouses? Baruch 3:16. Where are the princes of the nations and those who ruled over the beasts of the earth, those who amused themselves with the birds of the sky? Baruch 3:17. And those who hoarded silver and gold, in which people put their trust, and of whose possessions there is no end? Baruch 3:18. Those who worked in silver and whose works are without number? 18. “Those who worked in silver.” Since it is not clear why of all various arts and crafts only this one is mentioned, we can agree with Father Antonin, who supposes that the word “working”—in Greek tektalinotes—the translator used instead of the word logizomenoi—thinking, considering.

Baruch 3:19. They have vanished and gone down to the grave, and others have risen in their place. Baruch 3:20. Later generations saw the light and lived on the earth, but did not know the ways of wisdom. Baruch 3:21. They did not comprehend her paths, and their children did not attain her; they were far from her way. Baruch 3:22. She has not been heard of in Canaan, nor has she been seen in Teman. 22. Canaan here refers to Phoenicia, the most cultured state of antiquity.

Baruch 3:23. The sons of Hagar sought earthly knowledge, as did the merchants of Merran and Teman, the storytellers and seekers of knowledge; but they did not know the ways of wisdom and did not perceive her paths. 23. Merran—in Greek Merran—is not mentioned anywhere else. Therefore, Archimandrite Antonin supposes that the Greek translator rendered thus an unrecognized Hebrew word “Dedan,” which indeed can be read as “Merran.” Regarding Dedan, see Isa 21:13. “Storytellers.” Most probably here are meant the tellers of tales who enjoyed great respect in the East, those who composed fables and instructive narratives. These narrators are mentioned also in some inscriptions found on Mount Sinai: “Remember, O Lord, the storyteller Jacob,” and so forth. (See in Father Antonin, p. 312–313).

Baruch 3:24. O Israel! how great is the house of God, and how vast is the place of His dominion! 24. How grateful Israel should be to God for the fact that this wisdom, so desired by all nations but inaccessible to them, was received by him—of course, in the law of God given through Moses and in the writings of the prophets! The “house of God” is the whole world.

Baruch 3:25. It is great and has no end, it is high and immeasurable. Baruch 3:26. There were the glorious mighty ones of old, very great, skilled in war. Baruch 3:27. But God did not choose them, nor did He open to them the paths of wisdom; Baruch 3:28. and they perished because they had no wisdom, they were destroyed by their own lack of understanding. Bar 3:25-28. Wisdom could not be found among the mighty ancients, who indeed perished (among other ways, by the sword of the Hebrews — Josh 11:21), because they did not possess wisdom.

Baruch 3:29. Who ascended to heaven and took it, and brought it down from the clouds? Baruch 3:30. Who crossed the seas and found it, and who will bring it, more precious than pure gold? Baruch 3:31. No one knows the way to it, nor does anyone think of the path to it. Bar 3:29-31. Wisdom could not be found either in heaven, which people cannot ascend to, or beyond the sea.

Baruch 3:32. But the One who knows all knows it; He revealed it by His understanding, He who created the earth for all time and filled it with four-footed beasts, 32. Only God alone, the Creator of the universe, found wisdom and communicates it to whomever He wishes.

Baruch 3:33. He sends light, and it goes; He called to it, and it obeyed Him with fear; Baruch 3:34. and the stars shone in their posts, and they rejoiced. 34. “In their posts,” that is, in their appointed places. The stars are clearly compared here to guards standing watch.

Baruch 3:35. He called to them, and they said, “Here we are,” and they shone with joy before their Creator. Baruch 3:36. This is our God, and no other can be compared with Him. Baruch 3:37. He found all the paths of wisdom and gave it to His servant Jacob and His beloved Israel. 37. “He found all the paths of wisdom,” that is, He invented, planned in His mind the complete way, the religious-practical ordinance of wisdom (according to Archbishop Antonin’s interpretation). “Gave it…”—of course, on Sinai, in the law given through Moses.

Baruch 3:38. After that He appeared on earth and lived among people. 38. “After that He appeared…” The writer is evidently using past tense in place of future tense, as all the prophets do. He means to say that after the completion of the Old Testament history of the dispensation of our salvation, which represented an epoch of the preparation of humanity to receive the Messiah, God would appear Himself on earth and dwell among people. Our Church, following the blessed Theodoret, sees here a prophecy of the Incarnation of God (the Festal Resurrection Office, Great Vespers, Ode 8; the Canon for Sunday of the Palms, ode 2, tr. 9 Bar 3:36-4:4), and therefore reads it also on the eve of the Christmas feast.

Chapter Four

Bar 4:1-8. Continuation of the discourse on wisdom. Bar 4:9-29. Jerusalem’s address to her children with consolation. Bar 4:30-37. Exhortation, with which the prophet addresses Jerusalem.

Baruch 4:1. Behold, the book of God’s commandments and the law that endures forever. All who hold fast to it shall live, but those who forsake it shall die. Bar 4:1-8. Wisdom contains in itself all the laws that can grant prosperity to the people who keep them. If Israel is now suffering, the cause is its falling away from God, the source of wisdom. 1. The law can be called eternal as a revelation of God’s eternal wisdom; especially must this be said of its moral content. “If you wish to enter into eternal life,” the Lord Jesus Christ Himself said to a young man, “then keep the commandments” (of the Mosaic law, Matt 19:17). From this it is clear that the moral commandments of the Mosaic law have been accepted in Christianity and from it have received the seal of eternity, of eternal obligation.

Baruch 4:2. Turn, Jacob, and take it, walk in the brightness of its light. Baruch 4:3. Do not give your glory to another, and your advantage to a foreign people. Baruch 4:4. Happy are we, Israel, that we know what is pleasing to God. 4. Compare Deut 4:8 and Ps 147:6-9.

Baruch 4:5. Take courage, my people, memorial of Israel! 5. “Memorial of Israel.” The small number of Israelites who remained represents as it were a memorial to their great ancestor, Jacob or Israel. This memorial of a great patriarch God will not allow to be destroyed, and therefore the Israelite people should not lose heart (“Take courage!”).

Baruch 4:6. You have been delivered to the nations, not for destruction, but because you angered God, you have been handed over to enemies; Baruch 4:7. for you provoked the One who created you by offering sacrifices to demons rather than to God. Baruch 4:8. You forgot the God who sustained you from of old, and also you grieved and the Jerusalem that raised you, 8. Jerusalem—this is the Old Testament Church, represented by its best servants—the true prophets, the pious priests and kings.

Baruch 4:9. for he saw the wrath that came upon you from God and said: “Listen, inhabitants of Zion, God brought great sorrow upon me, Bar 4:9-29. Jerusalem, like a widow bereft of children, bewails both herself and her children, whom the Chaldeans led into captivity. She can do nothing to help her children and will only pray to God for them (Bar 4:9-20). The captive Jews, for their part, should also beseech God for deliverance from captivity (Bar 4:21-24). While enduring disasters in captivity for now, they should at the same time continually ask God for help (Bar 4:21-29). 9. “Inhabitants of Zion”—peoples who lived not far from Jerusalem and who were witnesses to all the misfortunes that befell Jerusalem.

Baruch 4:10. for I saw the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Eternal brought upon them. Baruch 4:11. I raised them in gladness, but I sent them away with weeping and sorrow. Baruch 4:12. Let no one rejoice over me, a widow abandoned and forsaken by many; I became desolate because of the sins of my children, for they turned aside from the law of God; Baruch 4:13. they did not know His ordinances, they did not walk in the ways of God’s commandments, and they did not enter upon the path of instruction in His righteousness. Baruch 4:14. Come, inhabitants of Zion, and remember the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Eternal brought upon them. Baruch 4:15. For He brought upon them a people from afar, a bold and foreign people, who did not respect the elder and had no mercy on the child, Baruch 4:16. and took away the beloved sons of the widow and left the solitary daughter desolate. Baruch 4:17. And what can I do to help you? Baruch 4:18. He who brought these disasters upon you will also deliver you from the hand of your enemies. Baruch 4:19. Go, my children, go; for I have become empty. 19. “Go…”—an expression not entirely appropriate to those who had long been in captivity. Possibly the original had some other word that the translator did not convey precisely by the expression: “to go” (βαδίζετε).

Baruch 4:20. I took off the garment of peace and clothed myself in sackcloth of my prayer; I will cry out to the Eternal in my days. 20. “Garment of peace”—clothing worn at ordinary times. “Sackcloth”—coarse cloth worn at times of great disaster.

Baruch 4:21. Take courage, my children, cry out to God, and He will deliver you from violence, from the hand of enemies. Baruch 4:22. For I awaited your salvation from the Eternal, and joy came to me from the Holy One concerning the mercy that will soon come to you from the Eternal, your Savior. Baruch 4:23. I sent you away with sorrow and weeping, but God will return you to me with joy and gladness forever. Baruch 4:24. For as the inhabitants of Zion now see your captivity, so they will soon see your salvation from God, which will come to you with great glory and majesty of the Eternal. Baruch 4:25. Children! Endure the wrath from God that has come upon you; your enemy pursued you, but you will soon see his downfall, and you will tread upon his neck. 25. The prophecy that Israel will tread upon the neck of its enemies should be understood as a hyperbolic expression.

Baruch 4:26. My children, whom I raised in luxury went forth on rough roads, as a flock seized and carried off by enemies. Baruch 4:27. Take courage, my children, and cry out to God, for He who brought this upon you will remember you. Baruch 4:28. For just as your intention was to stray from God, increase your intention ten times to seek Him and return, Baruch 4:29. for He who brought these disasters upon you will bring you everlasting joy together with salvation.” Baruch 4:30. Take courage, Jerusalem! He who gave you your name will comfort you. Bar 4:30-37. For his part, the author of the book addresses Jerusalem with encouragement. The chief thing to which he draws attention—the fall of Babylon, which oppressed the Jews. Yes, Babylon will be destroyed and Jerusalem will again see its sons! 30. “He who gave you your name,” that is, He who loved you, who chose you to be His holy city (compare Exod 31:2).

Baruch 4:31. Woe to those who oppressed you and rejoiced in your fall. Baruch 4:32. Woe to the cities that enslaved your children, woe to the land that received your sons, Baruch 4:33. for as it rejoiced in your fall and was glad in your devastation, so it will grieve over its own desolation. Baruch 4:34. I will take away the rejoicing from it over the multitude of its people, and its boasting will turn into mourning; Baruch 4:35. for fire will come upon it from the Eternal for many days, and it will be inhabited by demons for a very long time. 35. Compare Isa 34:14.

Baruch 4:36. Look around, Jerusalem, to the east, and see the joy coming to you from God. Baruch 4:37. Behold, your sons are coming, whom you sent away; they are gathered from the east to the west by the word of the Holy One, rejoicing in the glory of God.

Chapter Five

Bar 4:1-9. The summons directed to Jerusalem to clothe herself in joyful garments and to receive the returning captives.

Baruch 5:1. Jerusalem! put off the garment of mourning and your tribulation and clothe yourself in the splendor of the glory from God forever. Bar 5:1-9. Jerusalem must put off the garments of sorrow and clothe herself in bright garments as a sign of her exaltation that she will receive from God. Moreover, she must go up to the mountains and watch her children returning from far captivity, under the leadership of God Himself.

Baruch 5:2. Clothe yourself in the garment of righteousness from God, put upon your head the crown of the glory of the Eternal, 2. “Garment of righteousness,” that is, this garment which God gave you according to righteousness, in accordance with His promises. “Crown”—this is a royal crown. Jerusalem, like a queen, places upon herself a crown—a symbol of her high dignity.

Baruch 5:3. for God will show all the world under heaven your glory. Baruch 5:4. Forever you will be called by God by the name, “Peace of Righteousness and Glory of Piety.” 4. “You will be called,” that is, it will belong to you in reality. Jerusalem will not merely by name but in deed be a city in which will dwell peace that comes from righteousness, and glory that is produced by the piety of its inhabitants. On the expression “to call” (i.e., to name), see Isa 7:14.

Baruch 5:5. Arise, Jerusalem, and stand on the height, and look to the east, and see your children gathered from the west of the sun to the east by the word of the Holy One, rejoicing in the remembrance of God. Baruch 5:6. They went out from you on foot, being led away by enemies, but God will bring them to you being carried with glory, as the sons of a king; Baruch 5:7. for God has appointed that every high mountain and the eternal hills will be lowered, and the valleys will be filled, for the earth to be made level, so that Israel may walk steadily with the glory of God, Baruch 5:8. and the forests and every fragrant tree will shade Israel at the command of God. Baruch 5:9. God will lead Israel with joy by the light of His glory, with mercy and righteousness from Him.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Introduction

On the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Content, division, and origin of the book. The Prophet Ezekiel may be called the divinely-inspired interpreter of the Babylonian exile, its meaning and significance in the system of God’s providence over Israel. A priest by birth, carried away into captivity with Jehoiachin, the Prophet Ezekiel worked among rural settlements of Jewish captives, leaving Babylon to his great co-worker, the court prophet Daniel. The result of his more than twenty years of activity (Ezek 40:1 and Ezek 29:17 cf. with 12) was his large book. But unlike Isaiah and Jeremiah, Ezekiel, a captive, separated from his fellow countrymen scattered throughout Chaldea, probably simply wrote (rather than spoke) his prophecies for distribution among the people (Ezek 2:9): we see him only occasionally speaking directly to the people (Ezek 24:18) or to the elders (and even then those who came to him) (Ezek 8:1); moreover, before the people he performed symbolic acts; in general “his tongue was bound to his throat and he was mute” (Ezek 3:26), opening his mouth only in exceptional cases (Ezek 24:27) 1. For this reason he often cites passages from earlier writers in the book – a device more characteristic of a writer than an orator 2. But one cannot therefore agree with the rationalist interpreters of Ezekiel that he is rather a writer than a prophet: one can prophesy in writing as well; and thanks to this character of the prophetic gift, which might be called literary, the book of Ezekiel stands out advantageously from other prophetic books in its strict unity of content, consistency, and systematicity.

Through a series of prophetic speeches, visions, and symbolic acts, Ezekiel first, rebuking the impiety of Judah, predicts the fall of Jerusalem and the final captivity of the people; and after the destruction of the kingdom he foretells the ruin of the direct and indirect causes of this destruction, the old and contemporary enemies of Israel (the surrounding pagan nations), while comforting Israel with bright pictures of a great future – that is, the book naturally falls into two perfectly equal parts of 24 chapters each: a rebuking part and a comforting part, of which the second is almost equally divided into speeches against pagan nations (chs. XXV–XXXII), indirectly comforting for Israel, and predictions directly comforting for it (chs. XXXIII–XLVIII). As for the more specific division of the book, it is given by the prophet himself in the form of dates for his speeches. He dates his speeches by the years of the captivity of Jehoiachin, which was also his captivity, and the following years are named by him: 5th (Ezek 1:2), 6th (Ezek 8:1), 7th (Ezek 20:1), 9th (Ezek 24:1), 10th (Ezek 29:1), 11th (Ezek 26:1; Ezek 30:20; Ezek 31:1), 12th (Ezek 32:1; Ezek 33:21), 25th (Ezek 40:1), 27th (Ezek 29:17). Consequently, the individual prophecies are arranged in the book in chronological order, except Ezek 29:17-21, which was evidently inserted into the finished book. In light of this, it is most likely that the book arose gradually from separate passages written in the indicated years.

The distinctive features of the book of the Prophet Ezekiel are a) mysteriousness and an abundance of visions. The Prophet Ezekiel is rightfully considered the founder of Hebrew apocalyptic, whose emergence was aided by the then-dismal condition of Israel, which involuntarily directed all hopes toward the distant future, toward the end of times (the eschatology of chapters XXXVII–XLVIII). From this the book of the Prophet Ezekiel is filled with visions, each more magnificent than the last, which impart to it extraordinary elevation of content (the divine revelation resorts to visions when the mystery communicated to a human being does not fit into words and concepts). Saint Jerome calls the book of the Prophet Ezekiel an ocean and labyrinth of God’s mysteries (on Ezek. XLVII). Among the Hebrews it was forbidden for those not yet thirty years old to read the first and last chapters of this book (Mishnah, Schabb. I, 13b.). But with such elevation of the book’s content, the Christology of the Prophet Ezekiel is not abundant and yields significantly to that of Isaiah. This is because Ezekiel in his prophetic contemplations concerns himself with only two moments in the history of Israel so separated in time yet clearly akin in essence: the epoch of the Babylonian captivity and the epoch of the final restoration of Israel at the end of times; the long intermediate period during which Israel lost the glory of God (the Shekinah) that dwelt in the temple on the cherubim, and was thereby lowered to the condition of an ordinary nation, seems as if not to exist for this great Hebrew’s view, although in this period occurred an event so important for all mankind – the appearance of the Messiah. For this reason, regarding the time of the first coming of the Messiah, Who became joy rather for the nations than for Israel which rejected Him, the Prophet Ezekiel could not speak much; his thought is directed more toward the time near the second coming, when all Israel will be saved.

A characteristic feature of the book of Ezekiel is further b) its priestly character. Everywhere shines through the touching love of the author for the temple, its worship and rites (see especially chs. VIII and XL–XLIV), zeal for the law and ceremonial purity (Ezek 4:14). c) The mark of Babylonian origin. The cherubim of ch. I in many ways resemble Assyro-Babylonian winged bulls and lions. Chs. XL and following with their so artistically detailed architectural details vividly transport us into the atmosphere of the great buildings of Nebuchadnezzar. In dependence on life in Babylon, which was then the center of world commerce, where upper and lower Asia, Persia and India met, stands also the fact that no prophet describes peoples and countries as Ezekiel does (Schröder, Lange Bibelwerk, Der Prophet Jeesekiel 1873, § 7).

The style of the Prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel often strikes the reader with brilliant and vivid images, having no equal in this respect. It is hard to imagine anything more shattering than his vision of a field filled with bones “very dry,” anything more majestic than the description of the glory of God in ch. I, anything more vivid than his picture of the port of Tyre (ch. XXVII). The attack of Gog (chs. XXIII–XXXIX), the blasphemous worship of idols in the temple and God’s wrathful vengeance for it (chs. VIII–XI) – scenes that do not fade from memory (Trochon, La Sainte Bible, Les prophetes – Ezechiel 1684, 9). Gregory the Theologian called Ezekiel the most wonderful and sublime of the prophets. Schiller (according to Richter) read Ezekiel with the greatest pleasure and wished to learn Hebrew so as to read him in the original. Grotius compared him with Homer, and Herder called him the Hebrew Shakespeare.

Nevertheless in places the language of the Prophet Ezekiel “is obscure, rough, drawn-out; expressions prove insufficient for his impetuous thought” (Trochon, ib). Already Saint Jerome finds in the style of the Prophet Ezekiel very little elegance, but without vulgarity (Letter to Paul). Smend, Bertholet (Das Buch Jesekiel 1897) and others point out the following deficiencies in Ezekiel’s style. He is a writer who loves to elaborate, and these elaborations sometimes interfere with plasticity and force. A multitude of stereotyped phrases (such as, for instance, “I, the Lord, have spoken,” “you shall know that I am the Lord”) which should sound especially solemn, weary the reader. Songs and allegories, in which Isaiah was such a master, in Ezekiel are somewhat artificial (chs. VII, XXI, XIX); of songs he only succeeds with mournful ones; in allegories the subject and image gradually become confused, it is not carried through to the end; images turn in different directions (Ezek 11:3; Ezek 20; Ezek 15); often he turns to the same images (cf. chs. XVII, XIX, and XXXI; XVI and XXIII). Reflection in Ezekiel predominates over intuition; he is too rational and balanced a nature to be a poet; moreover his attachment to the established, objective magnitudes of the cult accords little with poetry. – Since divine inspiration does not change the natural gifts of a person but only directs them toward serving revelation, recognition of Ezekiel as fully possessing such stylistic deficiencies would not harm faith in his divine inspiration. But, it seems, the newest critics of the prophet make demands of him that are utterly unattainable for his epoch. Furthermore, as Bertholet says, in recent times more and more people recognize that Ezekiel was wrongly blamed for much that should be attributed to corruption of the text.

The language of the Prophet Ezekiel presents many phenomena that clearly belong to a later period. Smend has two pages taken up with a list of Ezekiel’s phrases that bear the mark of a later time. Specifically his language proves to be strongly permeated with Aramaisms (Selle, De aramaismis libri Ez. 1890). The prophet’s language does not resist the intrusion of the people’s degenerating dialect. Numerous anomalies and grammatical deviations reveal the decline and near death of the Hebrew language and remind us that the prophet lived in a foreign land (Trochon 10). At the same time the prophet’s language testifies to the great originality of his mind through a large quantity of words and expressions not found elsewhere (hapax legomena).

The authenticity of the book of the Prophet Ezekiel is not disputed even by those rationalists whose critical knife has left no living place in the Bible. Ewald says: “the slightest glance at the book of Ezekiel is enough to convince one that everything in it proceeds from the hand of Ezekiel.” With him agrees De Wette: “that Ezekiel, who customarily speaks of himself in the first person, wrote everything himself, this admits of no doubt” (Trochon 7). Single objections against the authenticity of the book were made long ago. Such, for example, was that expressed in 1799 in the Revue biblique by an English anonymous writer against chs. XXV–XXXII, XXXV, XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX. Of recent objections against the authenticity of the book (e.g., by Geiger, Wetstein, Vernes) the more significant are those of Zunz (Gottedienstliche Vortrage der Juden 1892, 165–170), who refers the book to the Persian epoch between 440 and 400 B.C., and Seynarke (Geschichte des Volkes Israel II 1884, 1–20), who refers it to the Syrian epoch – 164 B.C. Both these suppositions called forth serious refutation in rationalist scholarship itself (Kuenen, Hist. – crit. Einl. II, § 64). It is curious that in the sacred canon the book of Ezekiel was accepted by the Jewish synagogue not without hesitation, the reason for which was chiefly the disagreement with the Pentateuch of the rites of the future ideal temple of chs. XL–XLVIII: “if not for Hananiah ben Hezekiah (a rabbi contemporary with Gamaliel, the teacher of the Apostle Paul), the book of Ezekiel would have been considered apocrypha; but what did he do? They brought him three hundred measures of oil and he sat and explained it” (that is, he spent so many days over explaining it that he burned three hundred measures of oil, Chagiga 13a; cf. Menahot 45a. Schab. 13b.). But according to Baba Batra (14b) “the book of Ezekiel together with the 12 prophets, Daniel, and Esther was written by the men of the great synagogue (Ezra and others)” (that is, of course they were included in the canon). – Much difficulty is presented for biblical criticism by the testimony of Josephus Flavius (Ant. of the Jews 10:5, 1) that Ezekiel wrote two books. Perhaps Josephus counts the two parts of the book as independent: a book about the destruction of Jerusalem and a book about its restoration. With less probability do they explain Josephus thus – that chs. XXV–XXXII or XL–XLVIII were a separate book.

The text of the book of the Prophet Ezekiel is classified together with the text of 1 and 2 Kings among the most corrupted in the Old Testament. Although the discrepancies between the Hebrew Masoretic text and the Septuagint translation in the book of Ezekiel are not as frequent as in the Psalter, yet wherever they are present they are quite substantial; often in the two texts quite different senses are given (see Ezek 1:7; Ezek 10:14; Ezek 21:3-4 and especially Ezek 40 – Ezek 44), so that the interpreter must choose between two readings. Since Hitzig (Der Plophet. Ezechiel erkiart. 1847) Western biblical scholars of all persuasions consider the text of the Septuagint in the book of Ezekiel more correct than the Masoretic. Cornill says that while he was reading the book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew text, this prophet made a heavy impression on him and he could not engage with him; but when he began to read him in the Greek text, “the mist that enveloped the meaning of the book began to clear and an astonished eye beheld a text of singular rare beauty and magnificence with powerfully-attractive originality” (Das Buch d. Pr. Ez. 1886, 3). Giving a smoother text in comparison with the Hebrew, the Septuagint translation in the book of Ezekiel is distinguished moreover by extraordinary precision, much greater than in other books, by which it can be a reliable corrective to the Masoretic text.

* * *

Notes

From the private life of the prophet we learn from his book only that he had a wife, who was great comfort to him, but whom he lost about 4 years after his call to prophecy (Ezek 24:16. Cf 1) The traditions, however, recorded by Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus, Dorotheus of Tyre, Isidore, and others communicate consequently the details of the prophet’s life: his homeland was Sarira (a place not mentioned in the Bible); in youth he was a servant of Jeremiah (Gregory the Theologian, Discourse 47), and in Chaldea – a teacher of Pythagoras (Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis I, 304, which refutes the opinion expressed in his time that the Assyrian Nazaratus, teacher of Pythagoras, was also the teacher of Ezekiel); he was killed by a prince of his people for rebuking this prince for devotion to idolatry and was buried in the tomb of Shem and Arphaxad on the bank of the Euphrates near Baghdad.

The Prophet Ezekiel is particularly dependent on Jeremiah (in Smend’s commentary Der proph. Ezechiel; 1880, a whole page was taken up with a bare numerical list of places revealing this dependence; others are ready to recognize Ezekiel as the same kind of disciple of Jeremiah as Baruch was). Ezekiel is also dependent on Hosea (e.g., Ezek 14:23 and Hos 6:9), Isaiah (Ezek 31:6 and Isa 22:24), Amos (Ezek 6:6; Ezek 30:18), and in part Gen 49 (Ezek 19:2; Ezek 21:32). But especially many points of contact are found in Ezekiel with Lev 17 – Lev 26 and especially Lev 25, for which reason rationalists (Graf, Kaiser, and others) consider the author of this section of the Pentateuch (the so-called “Priestly Code”) to be Ezekiel, or if not him, then someone from his circle (Stade, Geschichte Isr. II, 67).

Chapter One

The Vision of the Glory of God on the Cherubim

Ezekiel 1:1. And it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, when I was among the captives by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. “And.” Besides the book of the Prophet Ezekiel, books that begin with “and” are: Exodus, Joshua, Ruth, Judges, Kings, Jonah, Esther, 1 Maccabees. Consequently, for an ancient Hebrew such a beginning of books presented nothing as unusual and strange as it does for us. But in the case of most of these books such a beginning finds some explanation in the fact that these books are continuations of preceding ones. At the beginning of the book of Ezekiel, however, “and” is especially unexpected. One must pay attention to the fact that “and” stands here not only before the first sentence of the book, but also before the second, completely independent sentence, yet connected with the first by a relationship of temporal sequence (the second “and” in the Russian translation is rendered “when”). In order to give the speech roundedness, smoothness, and solemnity, so important at the beginning of a book, “and” is placed not only before the second sentence, but also before the first. Such “and” has an analogy in the Greek μεν, the Latin nam, itaque. Consequently, the beginning of the book of Ezekiel with “and” does not give grounds for concluding that at the beginning of the book there was some lost passage, for example, an account of another vision (Spinoza Tract, theol.-pol. p. 10) or information about the prophet’s earlier life (Clostermann, Ezechiel in Studien u. Kritiken 1877, 391 and following). “In the thirtieth year.” The year of his call to prophecy Ezekiel calls the thirtieth, without saying from what this year was the thirtieth. But in verse 2 the prophet fills in this unclear date, noting that this 30th year was the 5th year of the captivity of King Jehoiachin. There are the following explanations of this enigmatic date. 1) The ancients (Origen, Ephrem the Syrian, Gregory the Dialogist, partly Saint Jerome) understood here the 30th year of the prophet’s life. In favor of this understanding speaks the following consideration: “if this is the 30th year of the prophet’s life, then Ezekiel came forth to his prophetic service at an age when under other circumstances he should have received priestly ordination; in this year he received spiritual baptism to prophecy, as a rich replacement for the lost priestly service” (Kraetzschmar, Das Buch Ezechiel 1900). This was that fullness of age which by the decrees of Providence proved necessary for the Savior Himself for the beginning of His service. But if here is the 30th year of the prophet’s life, then he should have added “of my life.” 2) Others (e.g., the Targum, the rabbis) think that the chronology here begins with the 18th year of Josiah, when in the temple of Jerusalem the book of the law was found and when the long-abandoned Passover was solemnly celebrated, thus laying the foundation for the religious and moral renewal of the Judean kingdom, and consequently of all Israel of that time – the beginning of a new era of its life. From this event to the call of Ezekiel, indeed, about 30–32 years passed. Since in the year the book was found God through the prophetess Hulda confirmed His threats of impending disaster to Judah, then in the opinion of Saint Theodoret and others this year can be considered the beginning of the Babylonian captivity, all the more since according to Ezek 4:6 from the call of Ezekiel there remained Jude 40 years of captivity, consequently the year of the prophet’s call was the 30th year of captivity. But, however great the public significance of the mentioned event might have been in the life of the Jews, certainly there were events in the lives of the Jews more important, and they did not become eras: for example, the building of the temple; there is no record that Josiah introduced chronology from here; and the consequences of Josiah’s reform were not such that other kings would have grounds to begin a new chronology from it. Such an era in the time of Ezekiel would have been too young for him to use without explanation. 3) The most widely spread opinion about the 30 year Ezek 1:1 is that this is the 30th year of the Babylonian, so-called Nabopolassar era, from the reign of Nabopolassar, the father of Nebuchadnezzar: Nabopolassar reigned (according to “the Canon of Kings” of Ptolemy) 21 years, Jehoiakim in Judea, in whose 4th year of reign according to Jer 25:1 Nebuchadnezzar ascended the throne, after Nabopolassar reigned another 8 years, and (omitting the reign of Jehoiachin) 5 years from the captivity of Jehoiachin will give 34 years. Since Ezekiel’s vision is marked with two eras and one of them is Jewish (verse 2), the first should relate to the Chaldean kingdom where the prophet lived; Daniel marks the years by the reigns of Babylonian rulers (Dan 2:1 and others), while Haggai, Zechariah, and Ezra mark them by the Persian ones, with the latter like Ezekiel marking the years of Artaxerxes by bare numbers (Hag 1:1 cf. Zech 1:1; Ezra 6:15). But leaving aside the incomplete coincidence of this era with Ezek 1:1, it is not confirmed by other places in the Bible. 4) Some still suppose here the 30th year of a jubilee. But jubilee chronology is used only by the rabbis, not by the Bible (they begin counting jubilees from the entry of the Hebrews into Canaan). Although the destruction of Jerusalem was placed in the 36th year of a jubilee, for which reason the call of Ezekiel falls on the 30th year of a jubilee, perhaps the rabbis in their reckoning of jubilees based themselves precisely on Ezek 1:1-5. Modern exegetes suppose here a corruption of the text: Bertholet considers the date a gloss referring to the 30th year of captivity, the Hebrew commentator Luzzato (commentary 1876) a corruption of “13th year of Nebuchadnezzar,” Kraetzschmar supposes here an omission of the words “of my life.” Although one cannot fully agree with any one of the given explanations, it is remarkable that each of them behind the 30 years before Ezekiel’s call indicates one or another important event from which the prophet indeed could have been reckoning his chronology; but from which precisely he was reckoning, this remains unknown or, more precisely, was left unknown by him. But might not this very silence give the key to the explanation? Could the prophet himself have indicated from what his year of vision comes to be thirtieth? If this year came to be the 30th from some specific event in time, then nothing could have prevented the prophet from naming this event. But the starting point for reckoning certain mysterious times and periods in the Bible is not always a precisely determined individual event in time: exegetics is powerless to precisely determine from what should be reckoned the 400 years “of the sojourning of the seed of Abraham in a land not their own” (Gen 15:13) or the 70 weeks of Daniel, as if the beginning of these symbolic periods is lost to human understanding in the sacred darkness. That which happened to the Prophet Ezekiel on the Chebar was, as we shall see, an event in the history of Israel significant enough to have such symbolic periods as Egyptian slavery and Babylonian captivity. And it came to pass at the fulfillment of a known number of years “30” whose symbolism is beyond doubt – from something such that cannot be named or pointed out by human finger. It was proper for a vision full of mysteries – the vision of the Prophet Ezekiel on the River Chebar – to have a mysterious date. And in no way could the prophet have better and more strikingly warned the reader at the outset about the terrible mysteriousness of what he was about to relate than by determining the time itself through a symbolic and inexplicable number. Such an explanation of the date Ezek 1:1 may seem strange to our, European one might say thinking. But one must bear in mind that the first verse of Ezekiel with this date incomprehensible to our ears was read and copied for ten centuries in this form, with this bare number 30, and no scribe or rabbi thought of the possibility of an error here, no one dared to correct the prophet and complete his thought. “In the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month.” While other prophets indicate only the year of their call (Jeremiah), some limit themselves to marking the reigns in which they carried on their service (Isaiah, Amos, and others), and some do not name the time at all (like the place) of their activity (Nahum, Habakkuk, Jonah), the Prophet Ezekiel besides the year indicates also the month and day of his call, because no prophet was called to his service so shattering in nature, by which the day of his call could not but be imprinted on Ezekiel’s soul. And in general, “later biblical writers display much more chronological care than the earliest ones” (Hävernick, Commentar über d. Pr. Ezechiel 1843). The month of the prophet’s call was the fourth, of course, of the sacred or Passover year, which alone is known to sacred writers (Zech 1:7; Esth 2:16), and not of the civil year which began with the month of Tishrei (September); even the existence of the latter among the Hebrews is doubtful and is supposed only on the basis of Lev 25:12. The fourth month of the Passover year corresponded to June-July. So, the call of the prophet was in the height of Oriental summer with its heat, interrupted at times by devastating storms: and the vision of the prophet began with a storm. “When I was among the captives.” Literally, “and I among the prisoners.” The auxiliary verb is deliberately omitted: in the analogous Nehem 1:1 it is present. With the verb the expression could have only a concrete meaning: the prophet was (during the vision) in the company of prisoners; but “that someone was with the prophet during the vision is not suggested by the form of expression, different from Ezek 8:1” (Kraetzschmar). Without the verb the expression takes on the character of a general introduction of the author to his reader of his own person: “I am of the captives by the river Chebar.” Moreover, everywhere in the book the prophet mentions his first vision, he connects it with this river; evidently here too he names this river not only as the place of his residence, but also as the place of his vision. The distinctive mode of expression (without “was” Nehem 1:1 and without “found,” “sat” Nehem 8:1) permits precisely such a twofold meaning in it. Theophanic visions frequently occurred on the banks of rivers and seas: Daniel had two visions on the banks of rivers; apocalyptic visions were given on the open sea. In respect to suitability for visions, waters can rival with mountain peaks and deserts, these usual places of visions and theophanies: in the sound of water there is always something mysterious, the voice of the Almighty (Ezek 1:24; Ps 41:7-8; Ps 92:3-4). Perhaps Ezekiel in the described case of ch. 1 “sat on the bank of the Chebar, being moved by the sound of waters to lofty thoughts which had as their subject the terrible fate of him and his people” (Kraetzschmar). “Captives” – Hebrew golah. This noun, derived from a root homophonic and synonymous with the Russian “gol’” (“golah” – to strip Gen 9:21 and others) entered into literary use with the Babylonian captivity (2 Sam 24:15) and became among the population of Judea spared by the conqueror a special name for those pining in captivity (Ezek 11:15). More precisely the meaning of this collective noun is rendered by the Slavonic “plenenie” (captivity); “captives” – the meaning is softer than required; Westerners prefer the simple transliteration – golah. With this one word alone the prophet sufficiently sketched both the external conditions of his life and the state of his spirit. Contrary to the opinion of recent biblical scholars (e.g. Stade, Gesch. d. v. Isr. II, 1–63) the condition of the Jewish captives in Babylonia, at least at first, could not have failed to be harsh: it took hard labor to find the means of life in an unfamiliar land where the captives were of course given the worst, unwanted parcels of land. One is struck by the fact that the prophet cannot name by name the place of his residence, his city or village. He indicates only the river, on the bank of which lived the Hebrew colony to which he belonged. Probably this was only an emerging, being built by the toil and sweat of the captives, insignificant settlement, not yet having received a name. And for his future prophetic activity God designates for Ezekiel not this his initial residence, but another, probably more significant and wealthy settlement Tel-Aviv (Ezek 3:15). “Chebar” (according to the Masoretic text Kevar) of the Prophet Ezekiel was formerly identified with Chabor 2 Sam 17:6, probably a tributary of the Tigris, on which the Assyrian kings settled Israelite captives, then with the Sabora of Ptolemy (5, 6) also Ἄβορρας (lib. 16) a tributary of the Euphrates flowing from the Masian mountains and emptying into the Euphrates near Carchemish. But both these rivers lie north of Chaldea. In the region of ancient Chaldea proper, neither has it been preserved, nor is it known from monuments, a river with such a name. But in lower Mesopotamia not only rivers but even the smallest canals were called nagar “river,” as the Prophet Ezekiel calls the Chebar. Rawlinson put forth the supposition that the Chebar was a large canal in lower Mesopotamia connecting the Euphrates with the Tigris and called nar-malha “royal river”; during Pliny’s time there was a tradition that this canal was dug by a regional chief named Gobar (Knabenbauer, Ezechiel propheta 1890). More light on the location of Chebar is shed by the discovery made by Hilprecht in 1893 in Niffer, ancient Nippur, to the S.E. of Babylon; in the documents he found there (and published in The babylonian expedition of the university of Pensilvania) contracts from the times of Artaxerxes I (464–424) and Darius II (423–405) the name naru kabaru is mentioned twice as the name of a large navigable canal lying at Nippur; it is supposed that this is the present Shatt-el-Nil, representing an ancient canal 36 m. in width; it leaves the Euphrates at Babylon, flows to the S.E., passes through the middle of Niffer, and empties again into the Euphrates at Warka, ancient Uruk. “Kabaru” in Assyrian means “great”; the name indicates that this was one of the main waterways of Babylonia. The form “Kevar” instead of “Kabar” is explained by a dialectical pronunciation of the name, as from Babylonian Puratu, Persian Ifratu in Hebrew became Perat (Euphrates) or else this form is due to the punctuators who vocalized qvr according to the familiar to them Perat. “The heavens were opened.” “The opening of the heavens understand as having happened not as a result of a division of the firmament, but by the faith of the believer, in the sense that heavenly mysteries were opened to him” (Saint Jerome). From the description of the Chebar vision it does not appear that at it the heavens opened in the proper sense as at the baptism of Christ, before the saints Stephen, Paul, John the Theologian; rather it seems a heavenly vision descended to the prophet on earth; such were all the visions of Ezekiel: they were heavenly scenes, but on earth (VIII–XI, XL–LIV). The expression relates not so much to the Chebar vision, which the prophet will begin to describe only from verse 4, but to the character of all his activity: beginning his book, whose distinctive feature is visions, it was natural for him to warn the reader about this and to note when the series of visions began and when heaven was opened before him. Such meaning and purpose of this expression is confirmed by the following sentence: “and I saw visions of God,” where the plural shows that the prophet is speaking of all his visions; if in Ezekiel at times the plural of this word is used in relation to one vision, it is only when the vision is too complex and presents a whole series of pictures, as for example the vision of chs. VIII–XI; but concerning the vision of chs. XL–XLIV the plural (in Ezek 40) is only in some codices. “Of God” can mean “which God produces” (genitivus subjecti), as well as “in which God is seen” (gen. objecti).

Ezekiel 1:2. On the fifth day of the month (this was the fifth year of the captivity of King Jehoiachin) If one bears in mind that verse 1 does not yet speak of the Chebar vision but generally of the beginning and character of the prophetic activity of Ezekiel, then verses 2 and 3 will not contain those seemingly insurmountable difficulties (particularly the repetitions) that led to suspicions of the authenticity of the entire beginning of the chapter (Cornill deletes verse 1, others – verse 2, etc.). Could the prophet have begun the description of his first vision more simply and clearly than with the words: “on (the mentioned above) fifth day of the month – this was the 5th year of the captivity of King Jehoiachin – there came the word of the Lord to Ezekiel” etc.? From the customary (stereotypical) beginning of prophetic books Ezekiel made only that insignificant deviation that he prefaced such a beginning with a remark (in verse 1) concerning the abundance of visions in his book and when and where these visions began, when heaven opened before him – a remark, in view of the distinctive character of his book, far from unnecessary. It is completely in the spirit of not only Hebrew but also every language so ancient to convey the idea “in the mentioned, in the named day through” a repetition of the nearest numerical designation of it. – The mysterious and perhaps subjective date of verse 1 the prophet in this verse translates into a simpler, clearer, and more objective date, from which the reader sees in what period of the national life of Israel his call to prophetic service occurred. Other prophets date their speeches by the years of reigns; for Ezekiel, living so far from his homeland that news from there arrived barely in 1.5 years (cf. Ezek 33:21 and Jer 39:1), this was inconvenient; moreover, the kingdom of Judah soon fell. The chronology of Ezekiel sounds sorrowfully: years of captivity instead of years of reign! “Jehoiachin.” Hebrew Jehoiachin, this is a briefer writing instead of the full Jehoiakim (2 Sam 24:6; 2 Chr 36:8 and following). Just as in Ezekiel, this king is named in 2 Sam 25:27 and the Septuagint renders it Ἰωακείν, in Slavonic Jehoiachin. This is how it should be written here too. The writing “Jehoiakim” is erroneous and probably arose from a confusion of this king with his father Jehoiakim. In the book of the Prophet Jeremiah this name is already written Jehoiachin, in the Septuagint Ἱοχανίας (Jer 24:1), as here in them; the difference arose because the name of God contained in this word (it means “God will strengthen”) is placed here at the end of the word, and there at the beginning. The form “Jehoiachin” has now become customary. The captivity of Jehoiachin occurred in the 8th year of Nebuchadnezzar (2 Sam 21:12), and Nebuchadnezzar ascended the throne in 604 B.C.; consequently Jehoiachin (with Ezekiel and others) was taken into captivity in 597–598 B.C., and the call of Ezekiel was in 592–593 B.C.

Ezekiel 1:3. And the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, the son of Buzi, a priest, in the land of Chaldea by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was upon him there. “The word of the Lord came.” However miraculous and unprecedented in all Old Testament history was the vision of the Prophet Ezekiel on the river Chebar, this vision had its greatest importance for him not from its extraordinariness, but from the fact that through this vision he was called to his service, that it made him a prophet; through it God for the first time spoke to him in that voice in which He spoke to His prophets. The expression “the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel” sounds solemnly, placed here as it seems out of place. The reader expects after such an expression to read an exposition of what God said to the prophet – but instead before him unfolds the terrible in its grandeur picture of the vision, and the reader begins to understand that the word of the Lord which the prophet heard was at first a silent word, a word without words, yet all the more shattering and powerful. For this solemnity the expression “it came” in the Hebrew is expressed twofold, through an indefinite with an indicative, as in Gen 18:18: “Abraham being shall be in a great nation” – an emphatic (strengthened, energetic) construction, not rendered for some reason here as in Genesis in the Septuagint. The solemnity of speech explains also that the prophet replaces here (cf. Ezek 24:24) the personal pronoun “I,” by which he designated himself in verse 1, with his own name and indeed the full one – with the addition of his father’s name and even the title priest: “to Ezekiel, son of Buzi, a priest.” The name “Ezekiel” not applied to the present prophet (who in the Old Testament is nowhere named, except Sir 49:10) is found elsewhere only in 1 Chr 24:16, as the name of an ancestor of the 2nd priestly order under David (there it is rendered in Slavonic “Ezekiel” in Greek Ἐζεκηλ). The name (accurate pronunciation – Yehezkel, in Hebrew jargon – Hatzkel) consists of the verb hazaq “to be strong” and the name of God El (Elohim) and means (as does the name Hezekiah from “hazaq” and “Yehova”): “God is strength,” “God will make, makes or make strong”; Origen (homil in Ez. 1) explains it as “dominion of God,” and in Hieron. Onom. Sacr. (II, 12) it is explained as “brave of God” or “conquering God.” “The name contains the faith of pious parents at the birth of their son” (Kretz.). It meant that Ezekiel would not have the tenderness and sweetness of heart of his contemporary Jeremiah, but in its place an amazing strength of spirit (cf. also with the name “Isaiah” – “salvation of God.” Hävernick). Perhaps this was the prophet’s name not from birth but official, adopted when he received his call from God (Hengstenberg. Die Weissangungen des Pr. Ezechiels erklarte, 1867–1868). A reference to the prophet’s name is found in him in Ezek 3:8. The name of Ezekiel’s father Buzi means “despised,” perhaps indicating the low position which for some reason the prophet’s family occupied in Jerusalem (contrary to the assertion of some based on Ezek 44:10-14 that the prophet belonged to the aristocratic priestly family of Zadokites who held the best positions); there is no basis for the rabbinical opinion that Buzi is identical with Jeremiah, given such a name by those displeased with his rebukes. The appellation “priest” can be grammatically in the Hebrew language be referred both to the nearest noun “Buzi” and to Ezekiel. The Septuagint, Jerome, and all ancient translations refer it to Ezekiel and justly, because the prophet himself and not his father should be most directly defined (cf. Jer 1:1). Even if Ezekiel did not hold the office of priest, the title was inseparable from him by virtue of his descent according to a certain line from Levi. With Jehoiachin, priests were also carried away into captivity (Jer 29:1). The priestly origin of the prophet explains much in his book; but the prophet mentions it not only for that reason, but also because he valued this title. “In the land of Chaldea by the river Chebar.” The repeated indication by the prophet of the place where his call occurred serves as one of the chief grounds for critics to suspect the incorruptness of verses 1, 2, and 3. Indeed in verse 3 this indication is somewhat unexpected. Ewald (Die Propheten des Alten Bundes. 2 Aus. 2 B. Jeremia and Heseqiel, 1868) explains such a repetition by saying that at the time of writing the book the prophet was already living in a different place.

1 Samuel 18:46. “And the hand of the Lord was upon him there.” This expression is used in the Bible of any direct, miraculous, and particularly strong action of God upon a person (1 Kings 18:46; 2 Chr 30:12; 2 Sam 3:15; Ezek 3:14; Acts 13:11); but in Ezekiel it invariably precedes the description of each of his visions (Ezek 1:3; Ezek 3:22; Ezek 8:1; Ezek 37:1; Ezek 40:1); consequently he designates by it his state upon the onset of a vision (ecstasy) as produced clearly by immediate divine power and somewhat heavy for a human being (cf. Dan 10:8 and the expression of the psalms: “the hand of the Lord was heavy upon me”). Ezekiel 1:4. And I looked, and behold, a whirlwind came from the north, a great cloud and a fire flashing itself, and brightness around it, The description of the mysterious vision of the prophet on the river Chebar begins. This vision, in which the prophet was shown heavenly beings (cherubim) and their transcendent activity and relationships, was revealed to him through purely earthly phenomena, phenomena of nature, although reaching an unusual and even impossible in the natural course of nature degree: a whirlwind, a large cloud (thundercloud) and the appearance of some special fire. All these phenomena can be united in the concept of a storm, which concept the prophet himself uses as a definition for the first of the indicated phenomena – the wind (“whirlwind”). Obviously it was preceded by the present vision of God not a simple and natural storm, but a storm which one might call a storm of theophany. Many important theophanies in the Old Testament were accompanied or preceded by such a storm – the Sinai theophany (Exod 19:16-18), to the prophet Elijah (1 Sam 19:11-12); God also spoke to Job from a storm (Job 38:1; cf. Zech 9:14; Ps 49:3). The appearance of a storm before and during theophany is understandable. If God can appear and be at a known place on earth, then the earth at that place, as well as a person, if not completely unable, then at least with difficulty can bear the presence of God on it; at that place to which God “descends,” nature cannot help but enter into a state of confusion. – The trembling and convulsion of nature at theophany is expressed first of all in wind, which is nothing other than a disturbance, a vibration of the air. Therefore theophanies are often accompanied, as is the present one, by wind: so wind accompanied the appearance of God in paradise after the fall (“and in the cool,” as the Slavonic “afternoon” is an imprecise translation of Hebrew larua(ch) – “in the wind” in Gen 3:8), theophany to David at one battle with the Philistines (1 Chr 14:14-15) the appearance to Elijah on Horeb. In verse 12 we shall see that the wind seen by the prophet on the Chebar possessed such an extraordinary quality that it is scarcely applicable to it the name wind, and the Septuagint for good reason here translates the Hebrew ru(a)ch not as ανεμος “wind” as in Ezek 13:11, but as πνευμα “spirit.” “It came from the north.” Since in the wind came to the prophet God Himself, the glory of the Lord (verse 28), all interpreters reasonably consider it very significant that this wind came from the north, but they explain it in different ways. 1) The majority thinks that the north is taken as the place from which the most destructive invasions came against the Jews, from which the attack of Nebuchadnezzar was also threatening; cf. Jer 1:13-14. But the prophet at the moment of the vision is precisely on that north from which the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar was being prepared; the north in relation to this north would be Media and other regions from which nothing threatened Judah at that time. 2) Others think that the mention of the north concerns the widespread belief then that in the northern part of the sky was the entrance to the dwelling and palace of the gods; since the sun’s motion causes one to suppose the south to be leaning downward, the north appears to lie higher and with its high mountains – the Lebanon, the Caucasus – reaching the sky. Usually the ancients imagined gods dwelling on one of these mountains supporting the sky under the very pole (Greeks on Olympus). This mountain, it is said, was in view of the prophet Isaiah in Isa 14:13-14 (cf. Ps 17:3; Job 37:22; Job 38:1; Ezek 28:14). But if there existed and was known to the Jews such a mountain with which such pagan Eastern beliefs were connected, then to any pious Jew this mountain could appear a place of action of dark powers – the mountain of demons (who are the gods of the pagans); could the prophet have thought God came from such a mountain? 3) Finally some suppose that the prophet represents God coming to him from the not yet abandoned (cf. chs. X–XI) dwelling of His in Jerusalem, in the temple. But Jerusalem lies west of Babylon, not north. The question will be somewhat illuminated if we compare this case of the appearance of the Glory of God with other cases of its manifestation. At the very least, in some of these cases God chose for His procession over the earth as it were intentionally a certain direction, and in the choice of these directions one cannot help but notice a certain regular alternation and sequence. So until the Prophet Ezekiel and his so critical epoch for Israel, whenever the sacred writers speak of the direction from which the Lord and His glory come, they always in that capacity indicate the south: Deut 33:2; Hab 3:3. But at the end of the book of Ezekiel, where the prophet speaks of the future glorious restoration of the Holy Land, the future distant, the Glory of the Lord directing itself toward the new temple for eternal dwelling in it, comes already from the East. Only from the west, the land of darkness and evil, the Lord never came. “A great cloud.” God appeared on earth repeatedly in a cloud: thus He led Israel through the desert, was present in the tabernacle (Exod 40:34, cf. Ezek 33:9-10) and in the temple (1 Sam 8:10-11). The participation of a cloud in theophany had the sense that God covered Himself by it from those to whom He appeared. In this case, as at Sinai (Judg 5:4; Ps 67:9-10), the theophanic cloud was part of the storm which accompanied theophany (cf. Job 38:1), was the thundercloud of this storm. But of course as much as the storm of theophany exceeded an ordinary storm, the theophanic cloud exceeded a simple, however large, thundercloud (the prophet makes this clear by the definition “great”), exceeded it by a) density reaching complete envelopment of the earth in darkness (Ps 17:10; Joel 2:2; Zeph 1:15; Deut 4:11; Heb 12:18); b) lowness above the earth reaching complete descent to the earth (Ps 17:10 and others), for which reason such a cloud, consequently and the present one, should have resembled a whirlwind. (Cook in The Holy Bible 1876 puts this word in the text of Ezek); hence is understandable the addition of the Septuagint about this cloud that it was “in it,” that is, in the wind, whirled and borne by it. “And a fire flashing itself.” Together with wind and cloud came on the prophet a fire. These were three great complete visions, equal to each other, dreadful each by itself and terrible in their union. The interpretation of the determination which the prophet gives to this fire differs – according to Hebrew mitlahahat (Russian “flashing”). This word occurs only in Exod 9 and also applied to the fire which together with hail, the 7th plague of Egypt, poured over the land. The Septuagint, translating this word as εξαστραπτων “flashing” (fire of lightning), think that this is frequent lightning; but to denote lightning in the Hebrew language there is a special word baraq, used constantly even in psalms with their figurative language. Mitlahahat is a reciprocal form of the verb lakah “to take.” But it is difficult to find meaning for such a form from this verb. The majority, including our Russian Bible translation, following the Vulgate, understand this form from the verb lakah about the external appearance, the contour, the mode of burning of the fire – that it was a fire flashing, rolling, twisting, coiling, rather than spreading (it is possible, they say, that the coils of fire wound through all the cloud): others – continuously here and there arising. These explanations sin against the value of the verb lakah, which never loses its basic meaning “to take” and in no voice cannot have such distant and artificial meaning as the Russian “to grasp” in the sense of “to seize each other,” “to form a circle.” And in respect to the fire, lakah can have only one meaning – “to engulf” the burning substance, “to consume it”; and since this fire came to the prophet as came wind and cloud, then it had to burn everything on its path, and consequently the very path of wind and cloud; it engulfed their common road (hence also – reciprocal form); it was therefore such the same fiery river as flowed in the vision of Daniel before the throne of God. Like wind and cloud it arose not from natural cause but was kindled by the descent of God and by it burned the place through which God was passing. In old times thus burned Mount Sinai “because of the descent of God upon it,” the path by which God passed before Elijah on Horeb, the thornbush from which God was making revelation to Moses; fire and smoke passed between the separated parts of animals at the theophany to Abraham (Gen 15:17); when God is called “a consuming fire,” it is this characteristic of His appearance that is meant. In such fire, as in wind, storm, earthquake, the convulsion of nature at the appearance of God in it manifests itself: in the air this convulsion produces a strong, whirlwind; the earth from the appearance of God shakes and trembles; waters wave and roar (Hab 3:10); combustible substances are ignited and burn. It is known that the last coming of God to earth will be in “flaming fire.” (2 Thess 1:8). “And brightness around it,” that is, the fire spread brightness around it. In order that this remark not be idle, one must suppose that the prophet wishes to draw attention to the extraordinary brightness and strength of the brightness spread by the aforementioned fire, as well as to the fact that this brightness stood out too sharply in the darkness with which the vast cloud of theophany enveloped the surroundings. In the Septuagint this remark stands before the words “fire flashing,” where it apparently fits better; then the pronoun “its” would refer to the cloud, rather than to the fire to which it cannot refer in the Hebrew because of its grammatical gender – masculine.Ezekiel 1:5. And from its midst as it were the appearance of electrum, out of the midst of the fire; and from its midst appeared the likeness of four living creatures, – and this was their appearance: the shape of them was like a man; “From its midst.” What is “its”? In the Hebrew here the pronoun is feminine; consequently “its” cannot be referred to the nearest noun “brightness,” which in Hebrew is masculine; one cannot refer it to the noun “fire” which is too far away; moreover the fire of verse 4, as we saw, engulfed the earth under the phenomenon moving over it, and with brightness, light of verse 5 shone, as verse 27 shows, the God sitting above the firmament; one cannot refer the pronoun to the noun “cloud” which is even further and masculine. To which noun then should we refer it? To none. As we shall see further in verse 5, the feminine pronoun with the preposition “from the midst” replaces the non-existent in the Hebrew language a neuter pronoun: “from the midst of this,” “from the midst of all this,” all that was seen by the prophet thus far, shone “the appearance of electrum.” “The appearance of electrum,” Slavonic “the vision of amber” – both a conjectural translation of Hebrew gen hashmal, of which the second word is a hapax legomenon (found only in Ezekiel and in this connection). The focal point of everything seen thus far by the prophet was something which had the appearance (Slavonic “vision” is more precise than Russian “light”) of electrum. The prophet could not say that it had “a likeness” of electrum or the actual appearance, the outline of electrum; only “as if” a spark. Being a word identical in letter to the word “eye,” which differs only in pronunciation (gain), gen is used of a small surface, of a glittering point: perhaps a spark of a precious stone (Ezek 1:16), of glittering metal (Ezek 1:7), of scabs of leprosy (Lev 13:2), sparkling in wine poured into a vessel (Prov 23:31). The meaning of gen foreshadows an approximate meaning and the mysterious word hashmal (Russian translation “fire,” Slavonic “amber”). It should mean some kind of small, glittering object that gleamed and sparkled in the surrounding light and fire. But what exactly this object was, all the efforts of interpreters to say something about it have resulted in almost nothing. Only in two other places in the prophet is this word used, and in both cases in the description of the appearance of Him Who appeared to him in the vision. Having the general likeness of a man, He Who appeared to the prophet was altogether shining and radiating like fire, and above the loins as electrum (Ezek 1:27) and as zohar, “brightness,” “radiance” (Ezek 8:2). Thus the radiance of fire and lights seemed to the prophet insufficient for him to form a concept from them of that light which he saw: this light stood out and shone brightly on the field of fire itself (“from the midst of the fire”) differed by some shade from the light of fire and surpassed it: it shone above the heads of the living creatures (verse 27, cf. 22). The brightness of fire and of heavenly bodies seemed to the prophet insufficient to express what he saw: the light which he saw with his own eyes surpassed all comparison. Some have attempted to form a concept of hashmal from etymology, but it itself presents a puzzle. There is no root in the Hebrew language close to this word; but such a root is sought in related languages and on this basis the word is given meaning: “golden copper” (cf. Ezra 8:27), “polished copper,” “amber,” “incandescent or glittering metal,” they consider the word an ancient name for gold (Meyer) or for pure fire, without smoke (some recent rabbis) 3. Recent discoveries are beginning to shed light on the mysterious “hashmal” of the Prophet Ezekiel. In the list of booty taken by Thutmose III from Nagar in northern Syria (the list is placed on tablets found in the ruins of Karnak), mentioned is “ashmere” or “ashmal.” It reminds also of the Assyrian “eshmaru,” which is placed alongside gold, silver, precious stones and royal regalia brought by Ashurbanipal upon the conquest of Susa from the treasures of this city. All this allows us to say so far about hashmal that it was some kind of great and rare jewel, not inferior to gold and precious stones. In the Prophet Ezekiel it is indeed placed infinitely higher than topaz (more precisely some precious stone “tarshish,” which in its turn was placed much higher than gold – see Ezek 1:16) and higher than sapphire (see 26). The Septuagint, not understanding probably this word as Peshitta and Targum (leaving it untranslated) also, resolved to translate it as ἤλεκτρον apparently on the following grounds: they, like present-day interpreters rightly thought that under this word is understood some kind of jewel and most likely a metal of high value; on the basis of Dan 10:6 (cf. Mark 9:3; Matt 28:3) they could suppose that the light seen in this case by the prophet and differing from the red light of fire was the light of lightning. But if one compares this light to the light (luster) given off by some metal, then no comparison will be more precise than comparison with electrum. Being a mixture of 3/4 or 4/5 gold with 1/4 or 1/5 silver, this alloy was highly valued in antiquity, scarcely less costly than gold (Pliny, Hist nat. XXXIX, 4; Strabo 3:146) probably because of the difficulty of its preparation and its beauty; into the blinding sparkle of gold this mixture brought the quiet and gentle gleam of silver, similar to how “the unbearable radiance of Godhead was moderated in Christ by the union of His with humanity” (Saint Jerome). “From the midst of the fire.” This addition some following the Vulgate which translates it “id est de medio ignis,” consider an explanation of the expression “from its midst” (at the beginning of the verse) made by the prophet himself; but this would be an unheard of in Ezekiel pleonasm. Therefore others suppose that the hashmal was as it were incandescent in the fire; but noble metals melt in fire, they do not become incandescent; and was hashmal a metal? The most natural sense these words acquire in the light of verse 27: according to this verse hashmal shone precisely from the midst of the fire, only not of the fire of verse 4, but of another mass of fire which as with a garment clothed the One Sitting on the throne. – The Septuagint after “from the midst of the fire” has the addition “and light in it,” made apparently based on verse 26, which more precisely from the Hebrew would be: “and light to him,” or “in him” (lo), that is “and the hashmal, the electrum was something (strongly) radiant, filled with light, woven from light and brightness.” “And from its midst.” The pronoun “its” in the Hebrew here feminine, just as at the beginning of the verse, here replaces the neuter and means “from the midst of all this,” that is all that was seen by the prophet thus far – were visible mysterious creatures: the wind bore them (verse 12), the cloud enveloped them, the fire ignited under them (verse 4) and between them (verse 13), the electrum – hashmal shone above their heads (verse 27, cf. 22). The Slavonic “in the midst” (without the pronoun) is not a variant, but a skillful translation of the expression so unclear in the Russian translation. “Likeness.” Hebrew demut can mean a likeness very distant, indefinite, bordering on the opposite (Isa 40:18-19 about the likeness of pagan gods to God), Western biblical scholars do not dare even translate this word with a noun but translate descriptively “as if,” “something like”; a closer likeness is meant in Ezekiel by other words, for example mare (“appearance”); “demut” the prophet uses of parts of the vision less noticeable and clear, which yet prove to be the most important: about the faces of creatures, about the wheels, about the throne and the One Sitting on it. Consequently how far the similarity extended of the creatures seen by the Prophet Ezekiel, the word demut does not permit one to say. If the figures appearing to the prophet were barely discernible, if they had barely visible indefinite outlines (contours, silhouettes), the prophet could say that he sees the “likeness” of creatures. To what extent unclearly appeared to the prophet the figures of creatures, at least at first, is shown by the fact that up to verse 10 he cannot determine which creatures these were. The mysterious creatures appearing to the Prophet Ezekiel were “four.” This number is symbolic, which is evident from the persistence with which it is carried through in this vision: not only 4 creatures, but also 4 faces in each of the creatures, 4 wings, 4 wheels. 4 is the symbol of spatial fullness, as it embraces all the cardinal directions; therefore the body seen by Nebuchadnezzar meaning all the universal monarchies has 4 component parts; the Prophet Daniel sees 4 beasts and before their appearance a battle of 4 winds comes forth (Dan 7); according to Ezek 14:21, if God wishes to destroy some nation, He sends 4 plagues upon it; the spirit which vivified the dry bones in the vision of Ezekiel came from 4 winds (Ezek 37:9). Being the number of spatial fullness, 4 is therefore also the symbol of completeness, conclusion, fulfillment, exhaustiveness, as 7 is of eternity, infinity (of space and time). As such these numbers are applied to the enumeration of the highest spirits – cherubim and archangels. Remarkable is not the great number of these nearest ministers of the throne of God, in contrast to the thousands of thousands and ten thousands of ten thousands of angels. – The creatures appearing to the prophet were “living creatures,” they were cherubim, as the prophet learned subsequently at a repetition of the vision (in ch. 1 he nowhere calls them cherubim), and learned perhaps from the fact that God Himself called these creatures cherubim before him (Ezek 10:2). The form of creatures for cherubim could be chosen in place of the human form because a creature should have a more complete, strong and concentrated sense of life and existence itself than a human, in whom this sense is weakened by consciousness, reflection; and as such an animal can be a symbol better than the human form of the most complete bearers of created life – cherubim. Moreover, the life of creatures is more mysterious to us than our life; therefore, serving as a symbol of life full and strong, creatures can also serve well as a symbol of life mysterious; hence the representation of Messiah in the form of a lamb, a bronze serpent, the Holy Spirit – in the form of a dove. The expression “and this was their appearance – the shape of them was like a man” means that in the creatures appearing to the prophet there was as much likeness to creatures as to man. The prophet expresses by this the general impression from the creatures which appeared to him. Therefore it is wrong to seek here indications of those or other particulars in their figure; so some say that the present expression of the prophet obliges one to think of everything in the figure of creatures as human, except what is enumerated further (wings, feet), – therefore for example the corpus of creatures should be imagined as vertical, not horizontal (Bertholet), the body as featherless and hairless (Hitzig). Since the cherubim were as much like creatures as like a man, the corpus should have been simultaneously vertical and horizontal; how such a union of positions is possible is shown by the winged figures of lions and bulls discovered in Assyro-Babylonia with human torso. The impression from such creatures could not be other than shattering, and sacred fear is felt in the lines of the prophet – fear unsurprising if one takes into account that the prophet touched the nearest sphere of Godhead and saw the highest angelic spheres (and angels could not be seen by a human without strong convulsion of his very being).

Ezekiel 1:6. and each one had four faces, and each one of them had four wings; The face – the most important part of the body, most distinguishing each creature from other creatures – a part so essential that in many languages the face serves as a synonym for the very creature itself. Therefore the bestowal of 4 faces to cherubim means first of all their transcendent exaltation over the limited human pointedness (“by the fourfoldness their faces cherubim denote something divine in cherubim.” Riehm, De natura et notione symbobica cheruborum, 1864, 21). With the uniqueness which serves as the distinguishing feature of our personality and consciousness, cherubim unite incomprehensibly multiplicity in their personality. Furthermore because of such a quantity of faces in cherubim there could be no difference of sides – there could be no before, behind and sides (Macarius the Great, discourse 1). Furthermore because of this they could look simultaneously in all directions and consequently always see everything by which was indicated the particular elevation of their knowledge reminding of the omniscience of God. Finally because of the fourfoldness cherubim could walk not turning in each direction of the cardinal points which gave them exclusive power also over the spatial limitations and signified a greater in comparison with other creatures freedom from spatial boundaries reminding of the omnipresence of God. Since the fourfold structure of cherubim was calculated so that they have the ability to walk without turning in whatever direction they might wish the goal to be achieved only if on each of their 4 sides they had not only a face in the proper sense but also wings and feet then by the word “face” here the prophet means not the front part of the head alone but the front part of the whole body (in Hebrew one said: the face of the earth, the face of the field, the face of the clothing Gen 2:6; Exod 10 and so forth). Wings in the creatures appearing to the prophet should have directed his thought to the sphere of their dwelling – the heavenly (for the wings of birds are called in the Bible heavenly: Gen 1:26; Ps 8:9 and others) and to show that it is their true own sphere as the sphere of birds – the air and of fish – water. Wings in seraphim and in cherubim have the purpose of showing that from heaven those and the other are not separated and are not thinkable without it that the earth is a completely alien sphere to them into which they can only temporarily descend whereas angels to whom in holy Scripture wings are nowhere attributed have a closer relationship to the earth. The wing serves the bird not only for flight but also as a covering from external influences both for it itself so especially for its chicks – a purpose to which the Bible particularly loves to dwell (Ruth 2:12; Ps 62:8 and others). And in the cherubim wings should have had such a purpose. With two lowered wings the cherubim covered their own body (verse 11 23); with two spread wings they covered doubtless the same which the cherubim of the tabernacle and temple covered with their spread wings and these latter covered with their wings the lid of the Ark of the Covenant as the place of revelation of the Glory of God (hence the epithet “cherub overshadowing” Ezek 28:14 and others); the cherubim of Ezekiel’s vision also with their spread wings covered from the earth that firmament on which stood the throne of God (verse 23). – The fourfold number of wings in cherubim by its non-correspondence to the usual number of wings in earthly creatures possessing them pointed to the special exaltation of the sphere of their dwelling. Unexpected such a quantity of wings appeared also in comparison with the image of the previous representation of cherubim and seraphim: the cherubim of the tabernacle and temple had 2 wings each while the seraphim of Isaiah had 6. According to the generally accepted explanation the cherubim have no third pair of wings because they have one sole purpose – the overshadowing of the Ark while not the movement of the Glory of God as in Ezekiel; on the other hand the cherubim of the Prophet Ezekiel being under the throne of God in the capacity of its bearers had no need for a 3rd pair of wings for covering of faces; in the Apocalypse the cherubim being not under the throne of God but round about it already have 6 wings each.

Ezekiel 1:7. and their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot, and they sparkled like the luster of polished copper, (and their wings were light). The prophet points out three distinctive features of the mysterious creatures’ legs. 1) The first feature – the straightness of the leg – is commonly understood to mean that the creatures’ legs had no knee bends and indeed no vertebrae or joints at all; the Seventy (LXX) understood the expression this way as well, translating freely here: “and their shins (part for whole) were straight”; the fragile structure of all the joints that make up human and animal legs was unnecessary for those beings who could move without walking (they had wings and wheels); therefore the cherubim’s legs could possess the advantage of perfect straightness, which gave the legs special firmness and strength, much needed in view of the fact that their masters bore an enormous, unimaginable weight – the glory (in Hebrew, “kebod” – “weight”) of Jehovah. The cherubim’s legs did not bend and did not yield, and by this quality they directed the mind toward the spiritual steadfastness and power of those to whom they belonged. 2) The second feature of the legs, according to the Hebrew text, lay in their hoofs, which resembled the hoof of a calf. Thus the cherubim, in the very lowest and secondary part of their figure, had the likeness of a calf. In the Old Testament, the calf after the lamb is the first sacrificial animal – a sacrificial animal so to speak ad honorem, a sacrifice of special honor, which the high priest and “all the congregation” brought for themselves in cases of exceptional importance – for unintentional sin (Lev 4) and when both have the right and need for special closeness to God – on the day of atonement (Lev 16); therefore it is a sacrifice of bold approach to God, of special elevation toward Him, which only an individual from the people or all the people as a single whole can reckon on. Even all the congregation of the sons of Israel, to whom it is granted to atone for their sin, like the high priest, with a calf (Lev 4:14), when (precisely on the day of atonement) they atone for their sin with this sacrifice and enter into the terrifying closeness to God, the high priest brings for sin a goat instead (Lev 5:15). Slaughtered and ascending in the smoke of its burning to heaven, the calf is one of the sacrificial animals that seems to present the chosen of God before God’s very throne (in the highest heavenly sphere, that is, precisely where the realm of the cherubim’s action begins). The sacrificial victim of happy, gracious future, the Hebrew represented in the form of calves (Ps 50:21); let us also recall: “and it will be more pleasing to God than a young bull bearing horns and cloven hoofs” (Ps 68:32). It is mistaken to think that the calf’s hoof was necessary for the cherubim because of its round shape, by which it is always turned in all directions, whereas the human foot is turned in only one, which would make movement possible for the cherubim in all directions without turning to one side or the other. If one speaks of the advantages of movement in different directions, then the human foot, though turned in one direction, should take first place; if a round shape were required here for such considerations, on what basis should the calf’s hoof (not the ox’s!) be preferred over a multitude of similar hoofs? – The LXX in this place give a completely different idea: …and winged (πτερωτοι) were their legs. The Greek πτερωτοι can mean winged, with wings (aligerus), or feathered, plumed (pennatus). All interpreters unanimously consider the Hebrew reading here correct and declare the LXX variant to be the fact that the Alexandrian translators found the presence of cherubim with calves’ hoofs incredible and offensive in view of the sad significance that the calf was destined to have in Israel’s history. Although the Masoretic reading of the present statement, as we have seen, gives a meaning not only completely possible but also one breathing mystery and grandeur, one cannot say that the meaning given by the LXX was impossible and had no advantages of its own – especially when both meanings of “feathered” are taken. Wings on the cherubim’s legs could symbolize their swiftness, showing that the cherubim on their legs did not run, but flew (it is true that the cherubim were equipped with wings in the usual place for them – at the shoulders – v. 8, therefore wings on the legs would not seem necessary; Mercury has wings only on his legs). Similarly, featheredness of the legs in the cherubim could have the same meaning as featheredness of birds – to make the body light and give it the ability to hover in the air (it is true that this goal would be achieved to only the slightest degree by the featheredness of legs alone). And so the LXX reading, even from its internal aspect, from the aspect of its meaning, permits objections. Moreover, accepting it, one cannot explain the origin of the Masoretic reading, whereas the first can be more easily explained from the second. The LXX, finding the comparison with a calf inconvenient and improbable in the prophet’s words for certain reasons, could decide on a free rendering of the prophet’s thought here; they thought that by comparing the cherubim’s legs to the calves’ legs the prophet wished to denote their swiftness: to convey the idea of “swift” through πτερωτος they could do with the aim of strengthening and poetically adorning the thought. Besides the LXX, other ancient translations did not read “calf” here: the Targum and Aquila read “round” (hegel – calf they vocalized as hagol “round”): but Symmachus, Peshitta, and Vulgate agree with the Masoretes. 3) The third distinctive feature of the cherubim’s legs lay in the fact that they sparkled (notzekim; cf. Isa 1:31: σπινθηρες “sparks”; Russian translation imprecisely “gleamed”), like a metal of a special kind – kalal (Russian translation presumably: “gleaming”). To that sea of light and fire with which the cherubim were surrounded, having fire beneath them (v. 4) and between themselves (v. 13) and the unbearable radiance of Divinity above their heads (v. 27), the intermittent, unstable, and generally weak light of a spark could add nothing; therefore the spark is introduced here not for a light effect. Since sparks are produced by certain objects when other objects act on them, the sparks from the cherubim’s legs were a sign that the latter underwent alien influence. To approach the prophet, the cherubim needed to be on earth, to walk or fly above it, to enter its sphere, but this sphere was completely alien to them, more alien than to other angels, since their life and activity are the very throne of God and its footstool; contact of theirs with a completely alien earthly sphere can be compared to that crude touching of an object which produces from it a spark. The appearance of a spark from the cherubim’s legs was to testify both to the extraordinary power and swiftness of their movement, as well as to the special strength of their legs, which should not have yielded to the strength of metal or stone. The prophet adds that, judging by the sparks, one could have thought (“as”) that the creatures’ legs were made of a metal of a special kind. Usually one seeks in the comparison of the cherubim’s legs with metal an indication of the extraordinary gleam of these legs. But can metal, even the very best, give a gleam that would suit this vision, where everything shines with a light barely comparable to anything and gleams better than the finest sorts of precious stones? The prophet is not speaking of the gleam of the legs, but of their iron strength (hence also the straightness of the leg). At that time copper took the place of iron (Isa 45:2 and others). Not yielding to iron in strength, copper was always considered nobler, more refined than iron, and therefore was fitting for comparison here (as also in Dan 10:6; Rev 1:15). What is said foreshadows the approximate meaning of the more precise definition of copper “kapal,” which the Russian translation renders as “gleaming,” the Slavonic as “shining” (that is, lightning-like, evidently from v. 4); both are tentative, as in other ancient translations (Vulgate. aes candens, like the Targum; Peshitta and Arab. like the LXX). One should not seek, as interpreters usually do, in the word kapal the notion of gleam, radiance (for since kapal means “light,” some say it can also mean “bright,” because light is lighter than darkness (!), or “polished” from the meaning “to be light, mobile”), but the notion of hardness, strength, indestructibility; the basic meaning of the word kapal was “to make small, insignificant” (Gen 16:4-5 and others); in this meaning the word could easily apply to metal heated, that is, placed in fire, which destroys it, crushes it, but cannot annihilate it; such meaning of the word is confirmed by the meaning of the word “galil,” “crucible,” “melting pot” (cf. calere, “to heat”). – In the LXX the 7th verse has against the Hebrew an addition; “light (ελαφροι) were their wings,” that is, mobile. Since the wing is by its nature mobile, this remark can have sense only if this quality in the present wings reached a considerable, striking degree. The prophet in the LXX wishes to say that the wings of the cherubim were in constant motion; they were alien to that rest into which ordinary wings must sometimes sink for recovery. If such a quality of wings does not contradict vv. 24-25b, then they would be secretly indicating the sphere of habitation and action of the cherubim, which is not firm earth where one can stand and fold one’s wings, but superheavenly and supermundane spaces where one can only hover.

Ezekiel 1:8. And human hands were under their wings, on four sides of them; Since “hands” condition for man the possibility of activity and by this most sharply distinguish him from animals for whom, thanks to the absence of hands, activity is impossible, but only life (nourishment), the attribution of hands to the cherubim is aimed at denoting their capacity for activity similar to human activity. It could not fail to be terrifying and shocking to the prophet’s eye this union of the delicacy of human actions with the elemental force of an animal. In the definition “human,” as if superfluous with “hands,” one can see either a pleonasm or an echo of some amazement on the prophet’s part at the fact of the presence of hands here. Since the beings who appeared to the prophet Ezekiel were winged, the natural place for hands in their body was occupied by wings, and the prophet, anticipating the reader’s natural perplexity as to where the cherubim could possibly have hands, notes that they “were under their wings.” – In view of the prophet’s silence about the number of hands on each cherub, the question arose among interpreters, with hands counted from 1 to 16 on each cherub. More than two hands on each side of the four-faced cherub could not have been, otherwise the number of hands would have deviated from the human and the prophet would have had to say about it. But the question of how many hands in total there should be on the cherub in such a case cannot be posed, because the prophet could not see all four sides of the cherub simultaneously (and probably only one), and what he did not see did not exist, since we are dealing here with a vision, not with external reality.

Ezekiel 1:9. And their faces and their wings – for all four of them; their wings touched one another; in their going they did not turn around, but each went in the direction of its face. The words “and their faces and their wings – for all four of them” in their direct sense (that faces and wings were not absent in any one of the four cherubim) would contain a completely unnecessary thought; therefore the Targum renders them: “and their faces and their wings were the same for them four,” which would already be self-evident and superfluous for the prophet to say; Peshitta and Vulgate render the Hebrew “learbagtam” “for their four” as “on four sides of them,” which gives no new thought compared to v. 6 and is purchased at the cost of inserting a new notion “side” into the text. Best of all is to see in this expression the construction inherent in the Hebrew language and beloved by Ezekiel – the “absolute nominative”: “as for their faces and their wings, they were thus for all four (cherubim): their wings touched one another,” etc. After the prophet in vv. 5–8 spoke of the faces, wings, legs, and hands of the cherubim, he now describes the most important parts of the body – the faces and wings – more closely; “in this way the prophet from all the parts of the figure singles out especially faces and wings: in those is revealed predominantly the power of life, in these the being of the ‘creatures’” (Hävernick). “Their wings touched one another.” The expression appears to indicate the touching of the wings of one cherub to one another, since the touching between the wings of different cherubim should have been designated separately, that is, it would say that the wing of one cherub touched the wing of another. The meaning is also clear of what such touching of the wings of each cherub to one another should have had: joining one to another on the cherub’s body, the wings would cover that body, signifying by this the complete inscrutability for us of the cherubim’s being, inscrutability however less than that of Divinity, and perhaps also of the seraphim, whose very faces are inaccessible to human sight. But the Vulgate and almost all interpreters lean toward the opinion that this speaks of the touching of the wings of different creatures, and they lean toward this not without foundation. By the notion “their wings” the prophet could have designated the wings of all cherubim together without any distinction of the wings of one from the wings of another, therefore the touching is conceivable between all members of this equally-positioned union: the prophet does not say that the wings of only each (in Hebrew it would be “leish,” as in v. 11 and 23) touched one another, but all wings of all cherubim touched. According to v. 11, two wings of the cherubim were spread out – these wings could touch at the edges with the wings of other cherubim, and two wings were lowered, these wings could join one another on the body covering it. The touching of individual cherubim with their wings to one another 1) had the meaning that thanks to such joining of wings all the cherubim moved as if by one striving in the same direction with the same swiftness; 2) could remind the prophet of the two touching wings of the cherubim of the Holy of Holies and show him that on these wings also, as on the wings of the cherubim of the Holy of Holies, rested the Glory of God, the Shekinah. – In the LXX there is a different thought here: by omitting the second “their wings” of the Hebrew text, they connect the verb of the present statement (Hebrew “hoveret” “touched”) as a predicate with the beginning of the verse: and their faces “and their wings of four holding one another.” According to the LXX, the prophet wishes to say that the faces and wings of the beings he saw were always in the same relation to one another, as a result of which they constituted one whole (“holding together, participially” Ps 121:3). The four mysterious creatures thereby revealed a close bond with one another, a certain inalienability from one another. They were united with one another as individual and independent objects on earth cannot be united: they were united by their faces and wings, which could never depart from the same position toward one another. But to relate the verb “havar” not only to the wings but also to the faces of the cherubim, the LXX had the possibility only because they do not read “their wings” in v. 9. – The described position of the wings of the cherubim was so important that even the movement of the cherubim was subject to it, was aligned with it. To preserve such a position of the wings, the cherubim “in their going did not turn around.” But this did not hinder the freedom of their movements: having four faces, they were at every moment facing forward toward each of the four directions of the world and could go all without turning in any of these directions, going each in the direction of its face. Such a connection have the 3rd and 4th statements of the verse with the second. But in itself the circumstance of which the last part of the verse speaks had great importance. For the mysterious creatures, it was completely excluded by the very structure of their being to have the possibility of returning backward. Every movement of theirs was a movement forward. They moved only in a straight movement before themselves, not in a roundabout or circular way. This meant that the spiritual forces represented by these creatures, “are never impelled backward and do not retreat, but are directed further, forward” (Jerome). It was noted (Müller, Ezechiel-Studien 1895, 15) that with such a manner of movement of the cherubim they could move from place to place not always by a straight path: if the goal of their movement lay not on the radii extending from their location (o) to the four directions of the world, but at some point a, then to reach this goal the cherubim could move not by the shortest path along the diagonal oa, but in a roundabout way describing two sides oba or oса. But this is no defect in the construction of the Divine chariot: the vision could deliberately not reckon with the finest subdivisions of the compass rose, since the number four means in the Bible the entire aggregate of directions, and as a sign that the divine chariot was above earthly conditions and spatial boundaries. – The Vatican and some other Greek codices give such a reading of v. 9 which eliminates from it everything that so complicates its understanding, namely; “and their faces of four did not turn when they went; each went in the direction of its face.” But perhaps these codices “try here to come to the aid of Ezekiel’s somewhat unnaturally constructed exposition” (Kraetzschmar) by eliminating his roughnesses and supposed contradictions and repetitions compared to vv. 11 and 23.

Ezekiel 1:10. The likeness of their faces – the face of a man and the face of a lion on the right side of all four of them; and on the left side the face of an ox for all four of them and the face of an eagle for all four. The prophet only now speaks of the faces of the beings who appeared to him, having already spoken of the wings, hands, legs, even the hooves; probably because the faces of these beings appeared to him later than other parts, emerging from the cloud and whirlwind with which the cherubim were enveloped as they came toward the prophet. Perhaps these faces never emerged with full clarity and distinctness to the prophet’s sight during the vision: enveloped in thick mist of cloud, they appeared only when flashes of the fire that burned between the cherubim broke through, and when the lightning that repeatedly rent the darkness of the vision flashed (v. 13). If man cannot see the face of God at all, then the face of a cherub, the being closest to God, could not be shown to man completely. Hence the reappearance in the prophet’s description here of the notion “likeness,” not used since v. 5. First the prophet calls “the face of a man,” either by comparison with the other faces in dignity or because this was the face turned toward all the cherubim toward him. It is understandable why the lion occupies the right side, the ox – the left, and the eagle – the last place. The appearance of such faces in the form of cherubim is usually explained in the following way: the face of a man expresses the rational nature of the beings who appeared, the face of a lion – their strength, the ox – strength and gentleness, and the eagle – majesty. But the strangeness of bringing animal and bestial forms into the images of the highest spirits is not weakened by this explanation; this is the mystery of prophetic contemplation, to which light can more likely be shed by the following considerations. The choice of animals was made so as to include representatives of all living creation: four creatures have pre-eminence in this world: among creatures man, among birds the eagle, among cattle the ox, and among beasts the lion (Schemoth rabba 23). The kingdom of creeping things (to which in a broad sense fish can also be assigned) is excluded for an understandable reason. Thus, from each realm of earthly life the best was taken as a likeness for the cherubim, as it were the flower of this life. If it was inevitable that there be the joining to the human image of the form of animals for a possible full expression of the idea of a cherub (see explanation of present v. 5), then truly there could be no better union than this. With these noble animals God Himself does not disdain to compare Himself (Hos 11:10; Exod 19:4; Deut 32:11 and others). The multiplicity and variety of animal forms here was required by “the fullness of the idea, which scarcely allows sensuous expression” (Hävernick), just as the Egyptian gods “had the appearance not of cattle, not of a bird, not of a beast, nor even of man himself, but a form especially artificially composed and arousing reverence by its very novelty” (Apuleius, Metam. XI).

Ezekiel 1:11. And their faces and their wings above were divided; but each had two wings touching one another, and two covered their bodies. The faces and wings of the cherubim were in such close connection that one could not speak of them otherwise than together, which is why the prophet from the description of faces again (cf. vv. 9 and 6) turns to the wings and their relation to the faces. Both of these, forming the top of the entire manifestation, represented as it were one orderly and strictly measured system in which not one member could move without setting another in motion. The description of this system of faces and wings of the cherubim occupies in the prophet’s speech a section of chapter vv. 9–12, which clearly divides into two parts: vv. 9–10 and 11–12, and each begins with the words “and their faces and their wings.” The prophet expresses the mutual connection of the members of this wonderfully harmonized system in v. 9 with the notion of hoveret (“touched,” “held”), and here with the verb perudot “were divided,” Slavonic “spread.” But in what sense could the prophet say of the faces and wings that appeared to him that they were divided? In that they were not fused into one mass? But this should have followed from the very nature of face and wing. Nevertheless, regarding wings, one could still expect such an expression: by this remark the reader would be forewarned against the representation that the joining of wings reached such a degree that they completely fused into one wing, one wing plane, but that on this area composed of wings one wing was clearly distinguished from another. But what meaning could such a remark have with respect to faces? Presumably that the faces did not pass imperceptibly one into another, but each was visible so completely and distinctly as if there were no others? Evidently here the verb parad, like havar of v. 9, which besides Ezekiel no one uses of faces and wings, and whose usual meanings with difficulty apply to both of these, in the prophet’s words has some special meaning, and we must confess that we do not understand the prophet in this place, and we do not understand him because what he describes in this section was, like much in this mysterious vision, difficult to convey in clear and precise description, as a result of which the prophet had to devise new notions for his description, adapting to them old words. The relation of faces and wings of the cherubim, like everything else in the latter, was inexplicable and inexpressible. The codices Alexandrian and Vatican, the Coptic and Ethiopian translations, do not have in this verse the first word “and their faces,” as a result of which the first statement of the verse for them relates only to the wings. And in such a case the verb perudot acquires a more understandable meaning; besides the meaning “were divided,” which applies to the wings, as we saw, more than to faces, this verb can have of the wings also the meaning “to spread” (to separate from the body the wings), ascribed to it here by the LXX. But one cannot vouch that the reading of the indicated codices here is correct (one might rather expect in the sacred text the omission of an incomprehensible word than the addition of such a word). “But each had two wings touching one another.” As in v. 9, the prophet here too, having begun to speak of faces and wings together, turns to the wings alone. He has already in v. 9 said of the wings that they touched one another; now this report is supplemented by the remark that touched only two wings of each “creature,” while two other wings were lowered onto the body. And in regard to a pair of touching wings the prophet in this verse makes an important addition to v. 9. He says that the wings touched not simply: “one to another” (as imprecisely in the Russian translation), but “to each one” (“leish,” properly “to a man,” Greek ΄ εκατερω), that is, of one creature, to another (“ish” “man”), whereas v. 9 allowed one to think of touching only between the wings of the same creature. Consequently, between the cherubim there was constantly a closed, fastened by their wings place; in v. 13 we learn what constituted the content of this terrible place. “And two covered their bodies.” Two functions which are performed by the natural wing – flight and covering the body – are divided in the cherubim among special wings, of course for more perfect performance of these functions: as the cherubim could not help but hover constantly in the air, so they could not leave their bodies uncovered. The covering of the body with wings by the cherubim is usually explained as a sign of reverence before God; according to Jerome (with whom blessed Theodoret also agrees), “by two wings with which the body is covered is portrayed the imperfection of knowledge”; more likely the covering of the body with wings could signify the inscrutability of the very being of the cherubim.

Ezekiel 1:12. And they went, each in the direction of its face; where the spirit wished to go, there they went; in their going they did not turn around. The first and third statement of v. 12 are literally identical with v. 9. Such literal repetitions are in the spirit of the prophet Ezekiel, who uses them as a means to draw the reader’s attention to this or that idea. Thus the fact that the cherubim in their walking did not turn around, the prophet considered very important, it struck him very much. But in the statements of v. 12 identical with v. 9, compared with v. 9 there is an essential difference. There the remark that each “creature” went in the direction before its face is preceded by the remark that the creatures in their going did not turn around; here these two remarks are placed in reverse order. In v. 9: “in their going they did not turn around, but each went in the direction of its face”; in v. 12: and they went each in the direction of its face; “in their going they did not turn around.” In v. 9 the main idea was that the creatures never turned around, because this made possible the constant and always identical touching between their wings, which constitutes the theme of v. 9. In v. 12 this idea is secondary, and the main one is that the creatures could go in the direction of each of their faces, thus in all directions; the main idea here for this reason, since the prophet wishes now to point out what determines their movement in that direction rather than another when such indifference and equal accessibility for the cherubim to all directions of the world exists. “Where the spirit was to go, they went” is how the Hebrew literally renders the prophet’s answer to this question; the LXX elucidate this expression: “wherever the spirit went, they went,” and the Russian translation “where the spirit wished to go.” Thus, “no special command to the four creatures in what direction there should be movement, was needed any more than in Isa 6 an expressive command to one of the seraphim to take a hot coal from the altar. One spirit and one will pervaded the entire chariot, which was communicated to the creatures without the mediation of words” (Kraetzschmar). What then is this “spirit” which determined the movement of the Divine chariot? The fact that the word “ruach” (“spirit”) had on the Hebrew language the most varied meanings, being used here without any explanation, equally as the article before it, leaves no doubt that here is meant “ruach” – “wind” (Slavonic “spirit”) of v. 4. In the fact that the movement of the cherubim and of the entire Divine chariot was determined by the movement of the wind there was nothing humiliating for either of them, for that wind was not an ordinary wind. As the cloud that went with that wind proved to be filled for the prophet’s sight with unearthly beings, so the wind that went before the Lord had to, so to speak, be worthy and capable of this; it had to contain something like what the cloud contained, if not higher and more excellent; in all parts and details of the present vision, even in such secondary ones as the wheels, was life, reason, and consciousness. But while the prophet speaks of the “inner content” so to speak of the cloud, he says nothing of such content of the wind “raising up,” going before the cloud: his spiritual sight could not penetrate the inner content of that extraordinary wind in the same way as it penetrated the content of the cloud. Evidently, in this wind was none other than the Spirit of God (“ruach elohim”), who in the book of Ezekiel, as often generally, is represented as acting through the wind: Ezek 2:2; 1 Sam 18:12; 2 Sam 2:16; Job 37:1; John 3:8; Acts 2:2. Of these instances particularly remarkable is the manifestation of the Spirit of God in the four winds at the quickening of dry bones in the vision of Ezekiel, and in the turbulent breathing at the descent on the apostles. The Old Testament knew so much about the Holy Spirit!

Ezekiel 1:13. And the appearance of these creatures was like burning coals, like the appearance of torches; fire went between the creatures, and there was brightness from the fire, and lightning issued from the fire. By their mutually touching wings the cherubim enclosed a certain place which, as could already be concluded from such extraordinary enclosure of it, had some special purpose. The description of this place is contained in v. 13. The beginning of the verse in the LXX is rendered differently from the Hebrew text: “and in the midst of the creatures was a vision,” thus according to the LXX the prophet in 13a already describes the place between the cherubim, while according to the Hebrew text and Russian translation he still speaks of the creatures themselves, and only in 13b says what was between them. Namely, the Hebrew text describes here the creatures from the side of their color, which was fiery, so that they appeared entirely fiery and gleamed like lamps. But now almost everyone gives preference to the LXX in this place: the prophet has already spoken of the appearance of creatures in v. 5, then he should have said that it was fiery; and how could the cherubim have the appearance of coals and lamps? They could only shine like both: and the shine of coal and lamp is too different to serve as a comparison for the same object; probably the Masoretes simply wanted to complete what the prophet left unsaid about the color of the cherubim. Thus one can consider it certain that those coals and lamps to which the Hebrew text wishes the cherubim to correspond were new data of the vision: they reminded of the place enclosed by the cherubim’s wings; the content for such a place is completely suitable. The coals between the cherubim are called burning to show that they were not black and extinguished, but red, still hot, and in the very process of burning. The presence of coals here is usually explained by analogy with the vision of Isaiah, in which a seraph takes a burning coal from the altar and which therefore presupposes, as do the apocalyptic visions (Rev 8:3; Isa 6:6), an altar with coals by God’s throne; although the prophet Ezekiel did not see a sacrificial altar under his mysterious coals, and he could be describing not that heavenly sphere which Isaiah and John the Theologian described, this does not prevent the giving of a sacrificial character to the coals between the cherubim: the cherubim appeared with the symbols of perpetual burnt offering to God; the absence of an altar could point to the most highest and pure spirituality of this burnt offering. If God is a consuming fire, then the place upon which He steps, sitting on the cherubim, that is, most directly the cherubim themselves, must burn, and the product of burning is coal. “Like the appearance of torches.” Lamps before God’s throne are found also in the visions of the Apocalypse and are explained by the seer himself as meaning that these are “the seven spirits of God” (Rev 4:5) and “the seven churches” (Rev 1:12-13). The lighting of a lamp before God is a rite of worship signifying the warmth and self-sacrifice of service to God. If the “spirits of God” and “churches” appear before God’s throne not with lamps but themselves become lamps, then the idea is magnified to extraordinary proportions. In Ezekiel, instead of this, the lamps appear in an obviously close but not more precisely defined relation to the cherubim, accompanying their manifestation. But the symbolism of them is the same as in the Apocalypse: the spiritual burning of all being before God. In the picture there is an obvious progression: coals, lamps, lightning; coals perhaps occupy the bottom, transitioning to the top to flame and even higher rarifying into lightning. “Fire went between the creatures.” In Hebrew literally: “she (‘gi’) went between the creatures.” Who is she? to what noun does the feminine pronoun refer? Earlier in the verse there are two feminine nouns: appearance (‘demut’) and fire (‘esh’; in Hebrew “burning coals” is expressed: “coals of fire burning”). The first stands too far away and its authenticity is questionable; moreover, how can the appearance of creatures go between creatures? The second occupies too subordinate a position: standing as a definition in “coals,” it in Hebrew constitutes with it one word (casus constructus). But as everything listed so far of the content of the space between cherubim was fiery, was fire in some form or another, it is not much amiss if the reader of the prophet (like the Russian translation) will understand “ga” – “she” as fire. Is the feminine here not used instead of the non-existent neuter in Hebrew? If the prophet wished to say: “this (that is, all previously mentioned – coals, torches) went between the creatures,” how could he express “this,” if not through “hinne” (“this,” “that”) or “ga” (“it”)? If grammatically such understanding of “ga” was impossible, then by the flow of speech and the substance of the matter nothing else but precisely all the previously mentioned ought to be that which “went between the creatures.” The prophet, at least up to this point, sees the cherubim only in movement; therefore everything that was between the cherubim, the place between them with all its extraordinary content – the coals, the torches, had to move, “go with” (‘mitgalleket’) them. The reflexive form of the verb “galak” – “to go,” placed here, indicates the precise relation between the movement of that which was between the creatures (the coals and torches) and the movement of the creatures themselves, as well as the mutual dependence of the movement of these fiery elements on one another: they moved not only in measure with the movement of the creatures and in dependence on their movement, but also in dependence on one another: the movement of one of these elements induced the movement of another; here all was movement and life. The LXX apparently give a different reading of this place: omitting “ga” (“she” or “it”), they agree the verb “mitgalleket” (“went”) with λαμπαδες and render it συστρεφομενων “revolving together”: “and like the appearance of torches revolving together in the midst of the creatures.” Συστρεφεσθαι means joint, mutually dependent revolving or turning; thus by this word the LXX point to the fact that the torches, to which it serves as a definition, revolve together or with one another, or with the coals, or with the creatures, or with all this together (which is more likely). We see that whether to relate the verb “mitgalleket” to the torches with the LXX or to read for it with the Hebrew text a special subject (“ga” “it”), the meaning will be the same, and this could have given the LXX the right to a free translation here. “And there was brightness from the fire.” From this remark one sees first of all that the coals and torches which were in constant movement fused for the prophet into one mass of fire which spread light around. At the same time the remark shows that the brightness issuing from this fire was of special force (otherwise there would be no need to speak of it, since every fire gives brightness), to which the Hebrew word “nogach” (‘brightness’) points, which serves as a poetic, and therefore especially forceful designation of light (Isa 4:4; Hab 3:11 and others) and is used of the radiance of the Glory of God (Ezek 10:4). This was that brightness to which the prophet had already drawn attention at the beginning of the vision (v. 4, where the same in Hebrew is “nogach”): the cloud that came toward him was illumined by it, since this cloud contained for the prophet unearthly beings, so this brightness, illumining the entire mass (“great cloud”) of it, served as an immeasurable halo, embracing the entire horizon (“around it” that is the cloud v. 4), worthy in its magnitude of those whom it surrounded. – The fire between the cherubim emitted not only a quiet, gentle radiance (“nogach” in Isa 62:7 of the dawn, Joel 2:10 of the radiance of luminaries). It continuously (“issued” in Hebrew a participle “issuing”) flashed with lightning. Of all kinds of earthly light lightning alone brings us besides admiration into a certain trembling and therefore can serve as the best likeness of the light in which Divinity shines. Moreover, lightning can be called inner, hidden light, only temporarily breaking through outward and visible to man, and in this it most resembles the invisible-to-man divine light (in the service of the Transfiguration: “bearing the hidden lightning beneath the flesh of Your being”). Thanks to this lightning in the Old Testament frequently appears as an attribute of theophany: lightning gleamed on Mount Sinai when God descended upon it; lightning is mentioned in the psalmlike descriptions of expected or besought theophanies (Ps 17 and others, cf. Hab 3:4); in the Apocalypse from God’s throne issue lightning (Rev 4:5). That the fire between the cherubim issues lightning testifies to the high degree of godlikeness of the cherubim: they shine with glory reminding one of Divine glory.

Ezekiel 1:14. And the creatures moved rapidly to and fro, like the appearance of a flash of lightning. The Russian translation of this verse is conjectural; the Slavonic does not correspond much more to the Hebrew text: “and the creatures ran and turned, like the appearance of a vision of fire.” The first half of the verse, in Hebrew literally, is “and the creatures ran and returned” “ratzo vashov.” The verbs are put in the infinitive absolute form, which here evidently replaces the finite form. The second verb is undoubtedly “to return,” but the first – απαξ λεγομενον and is considered an Aramaized form of the verb “rutz” “to run.” The replacement of the finite form with the infinitive absolute is not unfamiliar to Hebrew, both ancient: Gen 8:7, and especially later: Job 40:2; Dan 9:5; Zech 7:5; but in these places the infinitive does not stand without a finite form, serving sometimes only as a complement to it; and primarily in these places we are dealing with oratorical and poetical speech, where the infinitive could be used for the vivacity of speech; here though “it is not clear why the description should suddenly become so vivid” (Smend). This compels many interpreters to see in these verbs the finite form. But if “ratzo” can still somehow be made finite (reading “ratzu” which would be 3rd person masculine plural aorist from rutz, but the last letter – aleph – would be superfluous), “shov” cannot be without touching the text. Thus the infinitive absolute here remains a puzzle. – The meaning “to run” for the first verb is very problematic. Such an Aramaizing of the form as is supposed here with the verb “rutz,” “would have no analogue; the notion of running does not apply to cherubim” (Smend); and with such a meaning the word would not correspond directly connected to it “returned,” in which is contained the notion of direction in movement, not its swiftness (though besides the LXX and Peshitta has “ran” here). In view of this they propose to read instead of “ratzo” – “yetzu” – “went out,” which would accord with the Vulgate (ibant) and the Targum (“turned and went around and returned”) and would require changing only one letter; but such a mistake in the text is improbable (the Hebrew resh is very far from the small yod). – However, not knowing what the prophet wishes to say about the movement of the cherubim with the first verb, we extract from the second verb (“shov” “to return”) one quite significant feature of this movement, that it had at times a returning direction, a feature important for us in view of the earlier remark that the cherubim did not turn around backward; therefore this latter circumstance did not prevent their backward movement. The movement of the cherubim, characterized by the words “ratzo vashov,” is compared by the prophet to the movement as if of bezak (Russian translation “lightning,” Slavonic “appearance of fire”). And this new notion little clarifies the verse, since the word “bezak” – απαξ λεγομενον and its meaning must be sought from the root. Many, in view of the word’s unusualness in the Bible, suppose as the Russian translation does a mistake here: instead of “bezak” they think there stood “barak” – lightning. – By the substance of the matter, it is possible that the cherubim of Ezekiel chapter 1 had movement similar to the movement of lightning: the construction of the present chariot conditioned, as we saw in v. 9, that the cherubim could move from place to place not always by a straight line but sometimes had to go along the two sides of the triangle built on it; such movement would be a zigzag movement, and lightning has precisely a zigzag movement. But the possibility of such a mistake in the text is improbable: the letters resh and zayin are not close in appearance; and why in v. 13 would “barak” not be altered, but only in v. 14, where v. 13 would make one expect precisely a comparison with lightning? In the later Hebrew language and related languages, the root “azak” has the meaning “scatter” (Talmud), “disperse” (Arabic), “crush” (Syriac). Since the entire manifestation has a fiery appearance, probably “bezak” is here a special expression “about some scattering of fire, fiery sparks” (Hävernick), or about rays of light suddenly scattered over the widest space. The ancient translations converge in such understanding of this word – about rays, about light. While Theodotion (from which v. 14 is taken in the text of the LXX) leaves this word untranslated, transcribing it in Greek letters – βεζεκ, Symmachus renders it ακτις ν αστραπης, Aquila – ως ειδος απορροιας ΄ αστραπες, the Targum: “like the appearance of lightning.” Peshitta puts here a related Syriac word bezek, whose root meaning is “scattering,” and the present meaning is lost, and is indicated differently by various Syriac scholars and Peshitta interpreters: flame, lightning, meteor, falling star, shower of stars, whirlwind, even – hyacinth stone. Therefore, no matter how uncertain the meaning of the present comparison, it can be considered certain that the comparison is drawn from the realm of light phenomena. Thus, the only movement in nature to which the movement of cherubim could be compared is the movement of light. Judging by the verb “to return” used to characterize the movement of cherubim, the movement of light could serve as a likeness for the movement of cherubim in that aspect of it that light always returns to its source, does not abandon it. “As ether is illuminated by sparks of frequent fires and in the blink of an eye lightning suddenly disperses in different directions and returns back, not losing its receptacle and so to speak source and substance of fire, so these creatures, proceeding unobstructedly forward, hasten onward” (Jerome). The Targum renders the verse thus: “and the creatures (those), when sent to fulfill the will of their Lord, who placed His majesty on high above them, in the blink of an eye turned and went around and ran through the universe, and returned together, the creatures, and were swift as the appearance of lightning.” Thus the cherubim could move everywhere while not leaving God’s throne, and not drawing it to every place; they could have besides the general movement with God’s throne their own movement, which not coinciding in direction with that movement was simultaneous with it. Such union of seemingly so inseparable things, the prophet says, is given also in nature in one of its phenomena which he calls “bezakh.” – There are certain grounds to think that this verse was not in the text which the LXX used, and to agree with Jerome that in the LXX translation it was added from Theodotion: it is absent in the Vatican, Venetian, and one of Parsons’s codices; in codex Alexandrian, Marshallian (VI-VII c.), Chisian (IX-XI c.), in the Syriac hexapla (VII c.) it is under an asterisk, therefore added from the Hebrew text.

Ezekiel 1:15. And I looked upon the creatures, and behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside these creatures according to the four of their faces. Begins the description of a new composite part of the vision – the wheels – which will occupy a considerable section (vv. 15–21) of the chapter; hence the solemn “and I looked.” – The addition “upon the creatures,” which is not in the LXX, points to the close connection between the creatures and the wheels, such that the wheels are only as it were a part of the creatures. – “On the earth” in the proper sense, as is shown by v. 19, where the wheels sometimes rose from the earth (not “on the base of the heavenly arena,” or “on earth visible in heaven”). Wheels are by excellence a way of movement adapted to earth (as wings – to air, a ship – to water), therefore the present wheels can be looked upon as a connecting link of the heavenly vision with earth, of which the most perfect way of movement. Descending to earth, God must reckon with its fragility not permitting a better way of movement. The wheels are aimed at showing that God moves along the very earth itself, not above it. – “Beside these creatures.” “Beside” points to complete independence of the wheels in relation to the “creatures” – the cherubim. In the book of Enoch the ofannim (“ofan” in Hebrew “wheel”) are enumerated among the angelic ranks (chs. 61:10; 70:7). – “One wheel.” Literally: “one wheel,” but Ezek 10:9 shows that there were four wheels; cf. Ezek 1:16; the number is singular – distributive; therefore it is unjustly that some suppose there was one wheel. Between the cherubim and the Glory of the Lord or the throne of God borne by them in the vision of the prophet Ezekiel a new, independent, and judging by the attention devoted to it by the prophet, of great importance actor appears – the wheels. The wheels presuppose a chariot behind them; but the prophet does not point to it because the wheels destined in this vision as also in Daniel’s vision (Dan 7:9) for the movement of God’s throne did not need material connection with this latter and had to mediate the movement of such an exceptional object without this connection; the cherubim themselves were the chariot in this case. Yet, presupposing such or another chariot (in this case – spiritual) behind themselves, the wheels give the present theophany the character of a ceremonial-majestic and swift ride in place of simple and slow walking, as any theophany until now had seemed. In God’s work of providence from now on is not a special swiftness introduced, usual at the completion of each work, inevitable also in God’s works at the end of times? “Before four of their faces.” Hebrew “learbagatpanav,” literally, “for the four of his faces.” The pronoun is singular (according to sense – against grammatical agreement, for “creatures” to which the pronoun refers is in the plural) because the speech is of one wheel which can be at the faces of only one creature. After the prophet’s remark that the wheels were beside the creatures, the reader expects from him a more precise indication of on which of its sides the four-faced being had a wheel beside itself. In the words in question is to be given such indication. “For all four faces,” answers the prophet to this question. The indication is already fully precise and definite, but at first sight containing something unthinkable: one wheel was at one time in four different places. No wonder the LXX omitted this “precise” indication! But one should not forget that we are dealing with a vision. As four wings and two hands could at one time be on four different sides of the creature, so could it be with the wheel; in visions the violation of the laws of space and time which have force in the sphere of being touched by visions is permitted.

Ezekiel 1:16. The appearance of the wheels and their construction – like the appearance of topaz, and the likeness of all four was one; and according to their appearance and construction it seemed that wheel was in the midst of wheel. The verse contains a description of the external appearance and structure of the wheels. Since the first half of the verse speaks of the external appearance of the wheels (that they were like topaz), the words in it “and their construction” appear superfluous, as also the words “according to their appearance” in the second half of the verse speaking of the construction of the wheels; therefore the LXX do not read these words. – “Appearance” – Hebrew “gen,” see v. 5. – “Topaz.” Hebrew “tarshish”; from Ezek 10:9 we learn that this is a precious stone; it is mentioned among the precious stones also in Ezek 28:13; in the high priest’s breastplate it was the 1st in the 4th row (Exod 28:17-20); according to Dan 10:6 the body of Him who appeared to the prophet was like “tarshish.” The name comes from the Phoenician colony in Spain on a river with the same name, the present Guadalquivir, like the way a known sort of gold was called Ophir gold (Job 22:24). The LXX here leave this word untranslated (“pharssis”), while in a completely identical place Ezek 10:9 they render χρυσολιθος, and in Exod 28:20 they render χρυσολιθος (the Vulgate here “tage” on the basis of the epithet “ships of Tarshish,” but in Ezek 10:8 and Ezek 28:13 – “chrysolite”; the Targum: “a good stone”; Peshitta – a transcription; Symmachus – υακινθος; Arabic translation – “yastis”). Thus most voices are for chrysolite; to chrysolite of the ancients, by Pliny’s description, would most correspond our topaz of a golden color. Such a color of the wheels corresponds also to the wheels of Daniel’s vision which were “burning fire,” and to the fiery content between the present wheels (Ezek 10:12) and the harmony of colors in the vision: golden-red wheels, crystal-white expanse and sapphire-blue footstool of the throne. “And the likeness of all four was one.” Even without such a remark, this would have followed of itself from the fact that the prophet nowhere indicates difference between the wheels; therefore the remark wishes to draw special attention of the reader to the similarity of the wheels. The wheels were as similar to each other as the creatures, and just as the creatures their number was four. Thus the wheels, like the creatures, were directed at once and equally in “all the ends of the earth.” All directions of the world with completely equal ease were accessible to the Divine chariot. It had no front and back, characterized in an ordinary chariot by the difference of wheels and their size. – Besides complete similarity to each other, the indifference of the wheels in relation to different directions of movement was also achieved by their special structure of which the prophet speaks immediately after. “Wheel in the midst of wheel.” Most interpreters rightly understand this expression to mean that wheel was in wheel perpendicularly to one another. In the following verse it is said that the wheels could go on their four sides without turning; therefore they had four sides; by a side of a wheel can be called only a semicircle of it; so the wheel of the vision should have consisted of four semicircles or two intersecting circles. Against this apparently speaks the form of expression: the article with the word “wheel,” “ofan,” twice, requiring one to think of being within each other of the wheels already mentioned. Therefore it is supposed that those or others of the four wheels were within each other, and this being within was either only apparent in perspective or actual. But the article with “ofan” can give also such a thought that the intersecting circles of which each wheel was composed should be represented not in the form of only component parts of one wheel but in the form of independent though interconnected wheels; this relative independence of the component parts of the wheel would correspond to the union in the creatures of several faces.

Ezekiel 1:17. When they went, they went on their four sides; in their going they did not turn around. The wheels had the same wonderful ability of movement in all directions as the cherubim. In the cherubim the ability of such movement was conditioned by their four-facedness, in the wheels by their four-sidedness; “They did not turn around in their going” represents an intentional literal repetition of what was said of the creatures; for the sake of complete similarity even the pronoun is placed in the feminine (in Hebrew), though wheel in Hebrew is masculine. This expression, thus, is already the third time repeated by the prophet (vv. 9, 12). Sounding like a refrain (a part of oratorical speech corresponding to the chorus in a song), it by its repeated repetition draws special attention of the reader to this peculiarity in the movement of the entire manifestation – that for it there was no need to turn around in its going. In regard to the wheels this peculiarity was still more wonderful and therefore deserved to be specially noted: movement to the sides for ordinary wheels is even more impossible than for living creatures with sufficient flexibility of legs.

Ezekiel 1:18. Now their rims – high and awesome they were; and the rims of all four around were full of eyes. The beginning of the verse literally from Hebrew will be: “and the rims and their height.” Consequently the words “and the rims” (in Hebrew this is one word) stands completely independent grammatically from all that follows, which is why the LXX connect it with the preceding verse and render: “and neither their rims”: “they did not turn (that is the wheels) always in their going, and neither their rims”; but in such connection this word gives no new thought and appears idle: if wheels did not turn in their going then neither would their rims turn. Meanwhile, in what follows the discussion is precisely about rims. Consequently the grammatical independence of this word from what follows must be explained as an absolute nominative. As in vv. 9 and 11 with this nominative absolute the prophet points out the theme of the whole verse. And this was necessary because the prophet both before and after speaks generally of wheels; now though he wishes to occupy himself with only one part of them – the rims. Such an episodic transition in description is well marked by this construction. – Having warned that he will now speak of rims, the prophet indicates three peculiarities in them, like three peculiarities were at the legs of the cherubim. The first is that they were “high.” Literally from Hebrew “and height they had,” an expression which can be understood to mean that the rims those “presented an exalted and majestic appearance, which is usually not proper for wheels rolling in the dust of earth” (Kraetzschmar). The expression “rims had height” in Hebrew sounds as unusual as in Russian; it would have been possible simply to say “and they were high or – great.” Moreover if speaking of height then sooner it should be spoken of the height not of the rims but of the wheels themselves; such a quality would have had for them an understandable meaning: by great height of wheels speed of movement of the chariot is achieved. But on the other hand to suppose here a corruption of the text or to give the Hebrew word “govah” (rendered “height”) another meaning, for instance, “upper side” (“rims had an upper side”) forbid the unanimous transmission of this place in all texts and the unanimous translation of “govah” as height by the ancients. “And awesome they were.” Literally: “and awe they had.” What this awe or awesome quality of the rims consisted in is immediately said: they had eyes. Is this not awesome: eyes on wheels! Therefore one cannot say with some interpreters that there remains incomprehensible why the wheels or their rims were awesome, and there is no need to seek here another meaning, for example: “and I looked at the rims” (“yire” awesome is similar in sound to “ree” “looked”), as does the Slavonic translation: “and I saw them” (so also most Greek codices; but the Venetian and 5 minuscule, that is written in cursive, codices have: και φουεροι σαν, as also one old Slavonic manuscript of Explanatory Prophecies: “and fearsome they were”). “And the rims of all four around were full of eyes.” Not simply furnished with eyes but “full” (Slavonic translation) of them, overflowing with them (γεμοντα δφθαλμων Rev 4:8). – And so it was “for all four” wheels – a refrain addition (vv. 8, 10, 16; about the refrain see explanation of v. 17), but at the same time strengthening the impression of the picture: four wheels and all sown with eyes. – The equipping of wheels with eyes is one of those purely Eastern symbols in which thought of special force seeks its expression, an idea not fitting into natural representations and notions. And of course what is represented in this symbol “is represented somewhat coarsely and bodily according to human weakness” (Theodoret). Since the eye is the expression of inner activity, vital power, perception and wisdom, eyes in the wheels point to life and reason. The wheels are animated because a dead object cannot be an instrument of God’s Glory. The eyes of course were not idle on the wheels: by them the wheels could look (“and they saw” has the Peshitta instead of “awesome they were”); the wheels looked where they rolled; they rolled consciously: “the wheels were full of knowledge” (Theodoret). The wheels are equipped with eyes “for the expression of the unfailing certainty with which the Divine throne moved” (Smend); “with looking eyes the wheels could not go astray from the road” (Bertholet). Since the wheels moved the throne of God, one can say that by the eyes of the wheels God Himself looked upon the earth over which He moved. This symbol apparently had a special place among the exiled and post-exiled prophets: Dan 7:8; Zech 3:9; Zech 4:10 and was perhaps a consequence of the Eastern environment and symbolism, as the ancient sculptured image of Jupiter in Larissa had three eyes and is traced back to a Trojan, in any case Asian origin (Pausanias I, 24). (Hävernick); “the wheels,” says Jerome, “were such as the fables of poets depict as the hundred-eyed or many-eyed Argus”; cf. the eyes and ears of the king (satrap) in Xenophon Cyrop. VIII, 2; Mithra according to the Zend Avesta has 1000 ears and 10,000 eyes.

Ezekiel 1:19. And when the creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels also rose. The prophet has now finished the description of the wheels: having enumerated all the peculiarities of their appearance and structure in comparison with ordinary wheels, he also described their movement. Now the question arose about the relation of the wheels to the creatures: was there any connection between them such as between the creatures bearing a chariot and the chariot itself? In vv. 19–21 the prophet gives the answer to this question which he could give. The relation between the creatures and the wheels was for the viewer completely incomprehensible. There was no visible connection between them: “no shaft or yoke lay on the creatures: the divine chariot moved of itself: before it the creatures, behind them moved the wheels moving in all directions without turning” (Theodoret). Nevertheless “when the creatures went, the wheels went beside them.” Such simultaneous movement of creatures and wheels of course presupposed between them a connection. This connection was even more clearly confirmed by the fact that the wheels followed the creatures not only in their movement along the earth but also in the rising of the creatures from the earth, “the wheels also rose.” A wheel is a device for movement exclusively along the earth; the presence of wheels in the air was an unnatural position for them, and if they took on this position it proved the especially close connection of theirs with the creatures.

Ezekiel 1:20. Wherever the spirit wished to go, there they went; wherever the spirit went, the wheels were lifted up with them, because the spirit of the creatures was in the wheels. Forced to return to the movement of the creatures, the prophet repeats the most important of what was said about this movement. It differed from any other movement in many ways, but most of all in that its direction was determined in a mysterious way. The determiner of it was “spirit.” Hebrew “where was the spirit to go” Slavonic translates: “where there was the cloud, there was also the spirit”; thus a new notion “cloud” fits into the verse; in the parallel v. 12 there is no such word and therefore the LXX are suspected of an addition here: they could have read the preposition “al” “on,” “to” as “av” “cloud,” or substituted for it with this latter notion “ruach” “spirit” which indeed is incomprehensible why the Hebrew text puts twice (this substitution could have been made on the basis of 1 Sam 18:45 where a cloud appears in a storm preceding the wind); putting “cloud,” the LXX evidently understood that cloud which the prophet saw in v. 4, and under spirit the wind opening the vision; the meaning of the Slavonic translation is thus: where the cloud went there was the wind, and thither also went the creatures and the wheels. – Why is it said of the wheels “were lifted up” rather than “went”? “Lifted up” here scarcely has its precise meaning – a lifting from the earth: in vv. 19 and 21 where it has such meaning the addition “from the earth” is made to it; here it means “to lift from place” “to leave place” “to move” (Num 23:24 and others); if however this verb carries here its usual meaning as in vv. 19 and 21 then it gives the thought that the creatures with the wheels more hovered in the air than walked along the earth. – The prophet also indicates the cause of such agreement in the movement of the wheels and creatures: “because the spirit of the creatures was in the wheels.” “Spirit of the creatures” more precisely: “spirit of the creature” – singular (hajaya). “By creatures the prophet means four inseparably connected with each other and moving absolutely identically creatures” (Smend). The prophet repeatedly assigns to the four creatures such a collective designation (calls them all – in singular “creature”): Ezek 1:22; Ezek 10:15, as also the wheels in him too are designated by a collective name “galal” (Ezek 10:2). The creatures were so closely connected to each other that the prophet in v. 11 considers it necessary to warn that their faces and wings were still separated. In general the cherubim are thought of in such inseparability from each other that separately they are scarcely spoken of and the singular of this name is almost not used. – Since regarding the cherubim the speech cannot be of spirit as their soul then evidently here is meant the spirit which according to v. 12 determined their movement. The LXX, Peshitta, Vulgate translate here “spirit of life,” but “haya” instead of “haim” in the meaning “life” is used only in poetry; this word in such meaning cannot stand with the article as here stands; then – if the wheels have only in general a living soul, then from this does not follow that they must move in accordance with the creatures.

Ezekiel 1:21. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose with them, because the spirit of the creatures was in the wheels. The harmony in the movement of the wheels and the living creatures was so remarkable that the prophet once again draws attention to it through a brief repetition of all that had been said about it. He supplements this repetition by noting that when the living creatures stopped, the wheels stopped with them—a circumstance far from obvious in itself, given that the wheels were in no way connected to the living creatures. Thus, “verse 21 unites, with the addition of something new, the two preceding verses and concludes them” (Hitzig). Besides this aim—serving as a conclusion to the description of the remarkable harmony in the movement of the living creatures and wheels—the verse has another purpose: it presents to us a picture of the overall motion of the entire phenomenon. From it we learn that the phenomenon was not always moving but sometimes came to a halt, and that it sometimes moved across the earth but at times hovered above the earth, “rose from the earth”—information of no little importance and until now not communicated by the prophet with such completeness and clarity. The verse ends with a literal repetition of the concluding words of the preceding verse: “for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels,” one of Ezekiel’s literary devices (refrain; see verse 17), which aims to call attention to the thought repeated with such exactness. “This causal statement stands twice because the main force lies in it” (Kraetzschmar). “It is stated twice: ‘for the spirit of life was in the wheels’ so that we might never think of the wheels as something like what we see in the lower parts of carts, wagons, and chariots, but rather as living creatures, even higher than living creatures” (Jerome).

Ezekiel 1:22. And above the heads of the living creatures was something like a vault, like the appearance of a crystal that was awesome in its beauty, stretched out above their heads. “Living creatures,” in Hebrew again, as in verses 19 and 21, “strangely” (Cornill) singular (though three Hebrew manuscripts in Kennicott’s collection, the LXX, Targum, Peshitta, and Vulgate have the plural) the four cherubim, and here, as in those verses, are regarded as one organic being. The word “likeness” warns the reader of the mysterious character of what is about to be described. The prophet again (verses 5, 10, 13) sees something to which he can point only with a likeness on earth: of the wheels it is not said that likenesses of them were visible; later this word will be used only in the description of the throne and the One sitting upon it. “Vault,” Slavic “firmament.” Hebrew “rakia” (στερεωμα, firmament) in the Old Testament is used in no other sense than that of the heavenly vault, the firmament. True, the absence of the article makes it possible that here this word does not mean the heavenly vault; but since Jehovah has His throne in heaven, “rakia” here can mean only heaven, the heavenly firmament. But it was not the firmament we ordinarily see, but only a likeness of it, far superior to its prototype. The LXX before “firmament” have also the particle “like” (ωσει); if this particle is authentic, then the resemblance of the firmament that appeared to the prophet to the visible becomes even less and amounts to only a weak likeness. About the heaven that is invisible, what is visible and sensible can give a very inadequate representation. Moses and “the elders of Israel,” who saw the place of God’s standing, found that in its pure and transparent light it resembled the heavenly firmament: “as if seeing the purity of the heavenly firmament” (Exod 24:10). The prophet Ezekiel, for the vault that he saw above the heads of the cherubim, does not find it sufficient to compare it only with the firmament and compares it also with “kerah,” in Russian “crystal.” “Kerah” means both cold, frost (Gen 31:40; Jer 36:30), and ice (Job 37:10); the second meaning is rarer and appears to be later, yet must be recognized as the primary one, because the root of this word means “to be smooth,” and therefore originally it should have been applied to water that had become smooth from freezing. But since the appearance of ice, however clear and transparent it might be, is not at all so splendid as to serve as a strong comparison for this case, the LXX and almost all the ancients (only the Targum—“ice”) settled on crystal or crystalline as the object that would better suit here than ice. Although in the sense of crystal “kerah” is used nowhere else (in Job 28:17 “crystal” is used to translate “gavish”), it is thought that crystal might have been called this either from its resemblance to ice or because, in the opinion of the ancients, it was produced by frost (Pliny, Hist. nat. XXXVII, 8, 9). It is supposed that even blessed John, having in mind Ezek 1:22 in Rev 4:6, inclines to such a meaning of this word; though he rather combines both meanings when he speaks of “a sea of glass, like crystal” before God’s throne. In the book of Job crystal (if it must be translated thus for “gavish”) is placed, it seems, below Ophir gold, but alongside ordinary pure gold (Job 28:17-18); consequently it was in antiquity a great treasure and perhaps worthy of being included in the composition of the magnificent vision where even the wheels seemed made of the finest precious stones. Crystal or glass covered the floors in the most luxurious palaces of the ancient East; in the Quran (sura 25, verse 44) the crystal platform before Solomon’s throne the Queen of Sheba mistakes for water. But if by “kerah” we understand crystal, it is unclear why the prophet calls it by such an unusual name. The prophet needed a mineral that would represent the finest combination of complete transparency with stone-like strength and could serve as a good symbol of heavenly purity and clarity. Perhaps “kerah” was a native name (Assyrian kirgu—“strength”) for a mineral that represented as though frozen pure water, like our diamond of pure water (but the Hebrew word for diamond is “shamir,” and in polished form it was scarcely known then). To the enigmatic object called “kerah” by the prophet, he assigns no less enigmatic a definition “hannora” (Russian “awesome”), which the LXX lack in the Alexandrian and Vatican codices, in the Coptic and Ethiopian translations. The root meaning of this word is “terrible” (Vulgate and Peshitta horribilis, but the Targum—“mighty”), but in the two places in the Old Testament where it is used (Judg 6:13; Job 37:22), it means fear and trembling inspired by the appearance of God or an angel. And in such a specialized meaning the word is here fitting: that crystal which in the form of a vault hung above the heads of the cherubim certainly inspired reverence in the prophet by making him feel its high, unearthly purpose; the prophet suddenly felt himself before the actual, opened heaven, and this sensation could not but fill him with awe. “Above their heads.” Instead of this tautological indication, the LXX in most of the best codices have the more natural: “upon their wings,” by which the prophet more precisely determines the position of the vault: it was not directly above the heads but above the wings, which were somewhat raised above the heads (verse 11).

Ezekiel 1:23. And under the vault their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another; and each had two wings covering them, each had two wings covering their bodies. The description, which one might already expect—what was on the vault—the prophet dramatically defers to the end and again returns to the description of the appearance in which the cherubim were approaching him with thunderous wing-beats; to the picture of this deafening flight (see verses 23–25) verse 23 serves as an introduction, in which the prophet reminds us of the mutual position of the wings already described in verses 9 and 11. The prophet, thus, speaks of this a third time, thereby showing the importance of this detail of the vision. But verse 23 does not simply repeat the data of verses 9 and 11; it more precisely defines the manner in which the wings of the cherubim were stretched toward each other: they were stretched straight toward each other, that is to say, they formed one horizontal plane lying at the base of the vault; such a position of the wings was the more remarkable in that, even during flight, they did not abandon this constantly maintained, mathematically precise position in relation to each other. From the Hebrew literally: “the wings were straight (yesharot) toward each other,” an expression somewhat strange (as before, in verses 9 and 11, the position of the wings was determined by barely intelligible words “hoveret” and “perudot,” as if the wings were in a hard-to-convey position in relation to each other), which is why the LXX substituted the expression from verse 11 “spread out,” supplementing it from Ezek 3:13 πτερυσσομενον “flying” (but there in Slavic, “being winged”), that is to say flying, beating (old Slavic translation “fluttering”), rather than calmly just stretched out. The prophet considers it necessary to note again, as in verse 11, that it was only two of the cherubim’s wings that were stretched out; the other two were lowered because their purpose was to cover the body. In Hebrew this thought is expressed as a distributive clause: “each (ish) of them two (wings) covered and the other (u-leish) of them two covered their body”; compare Isa 6:2. In the LXX the thought here is conveyed in one clause with the addition of the concept “joined” (the covering-body wings were joined together); but in the Chisian codex and Syrian hexapla there is also a second clause (και δυο καλυπτουσαι αυτοϊς) under an asterisk. Although the final thought of verse 23 is not new, yet its repetition, besides emphasizing it, sheds new light on it, placing it in such a connection as it has here; the cherubim, therefore, covered only the body (literally “torso”) because they were under the vault and the throne of God, and not before it, as the seraphim were.

Ezekiel 1:24. And when they moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a mighty sound, like the sound of an encampment; and when they stood still, they lowered their wings. Even the flight of large birds produces a considerable sound; but here were flying winged lions and oxen. The rumbling from this flight occurred right under the vault; as a result, that entire place was positively thundering; the footstool of Jehovah was destined to strike all the senses with its greatness—not sight alone but hearing as well. The prophet finds no sufficient comparison for the sound coming from there; hence this accumulation of comparisons. But the comparisons used here the Hebrew text and Russian translation unjustly apply to the same object. Several Greek codices (the Venetian, five minuscules, blessed Theodoret, and the Slavic translation) make a fortunate addition to the Hebrew text, placing with the first two comparisons “when they flew”: when the cherubim flew, the sound of their wings was like the sound of many waters and like the voice of the Almighty. But the cherubim were not always flying; sometimes they walked or moved in some other manner across the earth, and sometimes came to a complete halt. In either case their wings could not produce sound, or at least not such as during flight; the prophet notes that when the cherubim walked (“when they walked” in the Hebrew text stands not where the Russian translation places it, but before the third comparison), from their wings was heard “a mighty sound” (“qol hamula”; compare Jer 11:16; perhaps “haman” Ezek 7:11; 1 Sam 18:41; probably a kind of dull sound), like the sound in an encampment. When the cherubim came to a halt, their wings were at rest and of course could not produce sound. “Like the sound of many waters.” A favorite comparison of biblical writers for a loud sound: Ezek 43:2; Isa 17:12; Jer 10:13; Rev 1:15; Ps 92:4. By many waters might be understood rain, the sea, or more likely the frequent mountain torrents of Judea with their waterfalls; all of these produce a loud but undefined and confused sound, most fitting here. The rumbling heard by the prophet did not at all resemble “the sound of many waters” in full: it was stronger. If one seeks a comparison for it, the prophet continues, it could only be likened to the voice of God Himself (“like the voice of the Almighty”). “Why vainly seek a likeness worthy of the thing and find it nowhere? It suffices to point out the very Agent and thereby show the force of the sound” (blessed Theodoret). By “the voice of the Almighty” may be understood both an actual voice of God (heard, for example, at Sinai); such understanding is favored by the addition to this comparison in Ezek 10:5: “when He speaks.” But among biblical writers such an expression (“God’s voice”) is the usual circumlocution for thunder: Ps 28:3-5; Job 37:2-5; Rev 19:5-6. Finally, “God’s voice” can mean any great, piercing, and terrible sound, as “the cedars of God” and “the mountains of God” mean great cedars and mountains. All these understandings can be united: the prophet’s comparison wishes to name the loudest sound possible on earth, reaching the degree which the Hebrew designated in various qualities with the high definition “of God”; but no sound can be compared in strength to the deafening rolls of thunder, at which the universe seems to tremble; if anything can be stronger on earth than this sound, it would be theophanic thunder, which was certainly stronger than natural thunder and which is meant by the passages in the Psalms, Apocalypse, and Job cited above. Whatever “the voice of the Almighty” means, in any case this epithet points to a stronger sound than the first comparison; moreover, the second comparison supplements the first, determining the sound heard by the prophet by another aspect—by its degree and strength, whereas the first comparison determines it by quality. Not without purpose is God here called by the rare name Shaddai (Russian “Almighty,” Slavic “Saddai”). By this name God is called especially in weighty and solemn cases: Gen 17:1; Num 24:4; in the book of Job this name occurs thirty times. This is some mysterious divine name expressing perhaps the elemental, worldwide force of Godhead; see Gen 17:1. As a noun Shaddai is found only in poetry; in prose it has El before it, and on the basis of Ezek 10:5 some Greek codices and the Slavic translation read it here before it as well “God.” The sound produced by the cherubim’s wings during their walking, the prophet compares with the noise of an encampment, such as is produced by vast armies, both prepared from either side for battle. Compare Gen 32:3; therefore the Targum: “like the voice of the angels on high.” Naturally, the procession of the heavenly host is accompanied by the sound of a military march. And this loud military sound, reminiscent of the sound of an entire encampment, comes forth from only four beings! The sound of the cherubim’s wings should cease when they were standing: then they did not beat their wings but lowered them. Instead of “lowered,” the Slavic has “rested” (making “wings” the subject, not “creatures,” as the Russian translation does), which is correct, because according to verses 12 and 23, two pairs of wings in the cherubim were constantly spread. In seven Hebrew manuscripts (six in Kennicott’s collection and one in Rossi’s) and in some copies of the Peshitta the verse 24 is completely absent. In the Vatican codex from this verse only is read: “And I heard the voice of their wings when they walked, like the voice of many waters; and when they stood, their wings rested”; thus from the series of comparisons the Vatican codex gives only one; all the rest stands against this and in the Masoretic codex under an asterisk with the notation θε (from Theodotion). Given that the reading of the Vatican codex stands alone (confirmed only by the Masoretic codex, and in other cases agreeing with it), one may suspect this codex, generally inclined to avoid difficult passages through omission, of emending the verse according to Ezek 43:2, where only one comparison is given—with the sound of waters.

Ezekiel 1:25. And a voice came from above the vault that was over their heads; when they stood still, they lowered their wings. What this “voice from the vault” was, various conjectures are made. The first suggestion that comes to mind is that this voice belonged to the One who was above the vault, who was directing where the creatures should stop. The second half of the verse then might mean that “at the call from above the chariot finally stopped before Ezekiel and now the prophet could give a description of the throne and the One sitting upon it.” But such an understanding is hindered by the fact that 1) in Ezekiel speaks for the first time in Ezek 2:1; 2) the chariot was already standing when the voice sounded; 3) it cannot be said of the creatures, obedient to the voice from the vault and having at last stopped, thus: “when they stood, their wings lowered.” Likewise baseless are other suppositions about this voice. It “could not be an echo coming from below, neither by the nature of things, nor because Ezekiel by his location could not have heard it. It could not originate from the throne that was resting. It could not issue from Jehovah Himself, be the sound of His footsteps, because Jehovah does not tread but sits. If it had been thunder, it could have been defined more precisely, called by its name” (Hitzig). This enumeration must be supplemented with the clever guess of Kraetzschmar that by the voice from the vault should be understood the sound caused by the imagined circle of Jehovah, the host of the Lord; for the One sitting on the throne, Jehovah, who thus appears as a king, should be, as such, surrounded by an innumerable multitude of servants, without which an Oriental cannot picture a king; ‘a mighty sound, like the sound of an encampment’ must be transferred from verse 24 to verse 25, where it will designate the full-of-awe whisper that ran through the multitude of heavenly hosts when the Divine chariot came to a halt and Jehovah was about to speak; Ezekiel does not dwell at greater length on the description of the Divine court but hastens past the surrounding beings to the principal Person. Too tortuous a thought would the prophet assume in the reader, who from the existence of the sound around the Lord should draw the conclusion of the host surrounding Him. The enigmatic character of the voice of which the verse speaks, and the complete impossibility of establishing any connection between the two halves of the verse, as well as the literal similarity of 25b with 24c, led even the ancient interpreters to the thought of corruption of the text here. This thought is favored also by the history of the text: nine Hebrew manuscripts and some copies of the Peshitta omit the entire verse; the Chisian codex marks it with an asterisk; the second half of the verse is absent in thirteen Hebrew manuscripts, in the Alexandria and Vatican codices, in the Coptic and Ethiopian translations, by which means the verse there receives this form: “and there was a voice from the vault.” This reading is smooth, but this very smoothness is suspicious: how could it have become the roughness that the present Hebrew text and the Greek codices agreeing with it represent? Strictly speaking, only the second half of the verse is not subject to explanation, presenting such a jarring repetition of verse 24 that had just been read. But such repetition of concluding expressions is in the spirit of Ezekiel and the first chapter represents more than one example of this authorial device (“did not turn when they went,” “for the spirit of life was in the wheels”). Such repetition replaces in the prophet what in our time is underlining. So the repeated expression cannot stand in a very close connection with neighboring sentences (verses 9, 12); its purpose is not in another sentence but in itself: the prophet uses a distant occasion to remind the thought expressed earlier. One can ignore these concluding repetitions and the thread of the description will not be broken; and this is what should be done here; one must see in the first half of the verse a continuation of the description and in the second—an interruption of it, caused by the desire to return to the thought expressed earlier; “there was a voice from the vault—it could be heard because when the creatures stopped, their wings produced no sound.” If so, then the first half of the verse can be explained completely independently of the second. Remarkable is the absence of any immediate definition for “the voice from the vault.” No less remarkable is that this voice is for the first time referred to by a finite verb: and a voice was. By these two circumstances the voice from the vault is given an exclusive and very exalted place: “above the vault”—truly a Divine place. Together with this, the voice through the absence of any definition given to it is invested with a certain mystery and incomprehensibility. For the sound from the wings of the cherubim the prophet with difficulty could find a likeness among earthly sounds. For the voice from the vault he does not even attempt to present any comparison. All this proves the Divine nature of this “sound.” And indeed, why could God in His appearance not produce, in addition to everything else, a special Divine sound? Such a sound (“voice”—“qol”) accompanied already the first appearance of Him described in the Bible (in paradise); about the astounding sound from His appearance (“voices”—“qolot”) it is said also in the description of the Sinai theophany. God first of all and most directly manifests Himself in the world through “qol,” voice, His Word. And the cherubim “could not bear the voice of God the Almighty, sounding in heaven, but stood, and were amazed, and by their silence pointed to the might of God seated upon the vault” (blessed Jerome).

Ezekiel 1:26. And above the vault that was over their heads there was something like a throne in appearance like sapphire stone; and above the likeness of the throne was something like a human form, seated above it. “Likeness as if of a throne in appearance as if of sapphire stone.” Literally: “As if likeness of sapphire stone, likeness of a throne.” Thus the original text leaves it unknown whether the throne was sapphire or the sapphire was something separate from the throne. The LXX incline toward the latter thought: “as if seeing a stone of sapphire, likeness of a throne upon it”; “upon it,” superfluous in the Hebrew text, clearly says that the throne was situated on the sapphire and that consequently it was not the throne that was sapphire but something beneath it—the footstool of the throne or something else, unknown. But whether the throne was sapphire or something else, the appearance of this stone here is significant. This stone, which bears the name of brilliance itself (“saphar”—“to shine”), was regarded as one of the most beautiful stones (Isa 54:11; Rev 21:19), not yielding in price to gold (Job 28:6), a stone blue in color in any case (if it is not identical with our sapphire) according to Pliny (Hist. nat. 87, 9) it is blue sometimes with red and glimmers with golden points (scarcely our lapis—lapislazuli). To the bright blue of the sky, the sapphire adds impermeability, for which reason it is attracted here for comparison. As the crystal points to all that is fully pure and shining in the heavens, so the sapphire—to the hidden, concealed, and unattainable mysteries of God, ‘who made darkness His dwelling’ (blessed Jerome). “This likeness points to a nature mysterious and invisible” (blessed Theodoret). The prophet sees a throne, about which there could be no doubt whose it was. Rising at an unattainable height (compare Isa 6:1), enveloped in flame and flooded with unbearable light for the eye, the heavenly throne surely scarcely allowed itself to be distinguished, and the prophet had now to mentally complete what he saw. Hence “likeness” with such a definite object as a throne; hence also the silence about the light and material of the throne (if not counting it as sapphire). A throne presupposes a king. Thus God appears to the prophet Ezekiel, first of all, as a king. God did not appear to the prophet Ezekiel as a king for the first time; but appearances of God in such a form began shortly before Ezekiel. The concept of God on a throne arose in the times of kings: Moses received a vision of Godhood in the form of a burning fire in the bush, Elijah in the wind of the wilderness, Samuel heard the calling voice of God. God’s appearance in the form of a king was first introduced by Micaiah: 1 Sam 22:8, followed by the vision of Isaiah. The development of such a concept could not but be influenced by the appearance and strengthening of royal power: there could be no better image on earth for God than an absolute king in all the splendor of his majesty. The splendor of Nebuchadnezzar’s court could indirectly have influenced the revival of the idea of God as King, and in the prophet Daniel we find an even more complex, than in Ezekiel, representation of the Heavenly King and His holy Court (Dan 7:9-10). “And above the likeness” (repetition of the concept to intensify the thought) “of the throne was something like a human form,” literally: “a likeness, as if the appearance of a human.” This image could scarcely be delineated in that sea of light by which it was flooded. If even the throne was indistinctly visible (“likeness”), then to the One sitting upon it the concept of visibility hardly applied. Hence this accumulation of limiting words: “likeness,” “as if,” “appearance.” In this respect the prophet Ezekiel, however, received no less than what was given to other God-seers. “The elders of Israel with Moses were shown only the place of God’s standing; Isaiah saw the seraphim surrounding God’s throne; Ezekiel sees the very bearers and the direct bearers of God’s throne” (Kraetzschmar). Properly speaking, “no one has ever seen God anywhere” (John 1:18). If Moses, Isaiah, and Daniel say that they saw the Lord (for example, sitting on a throne), then this brief expression of theirs should probably be understood in light of Ezekiel’s precise and detailed description: they did not see the face of the appearing God (which could not be shown even to Moses: Exod 33:23), but seeing only vague outlines of the form of God.

Ezekiel 1:27. From the appearance of His waist upward I saw as if a gleaming metal, and as if a vision of fire within it all around; and from the appearance of His waist downward I saw as if fire, and brightness was all around Him. In the setting of the King who appeared to the prophet, even precious stones, ordinarily adorning kings and their crowns, obviously took a secondary position: they retreated to such parts of this setting as the wheels of the throne, its base. The One sitting on the throne was not adorned with them. All their beauty and brilliance could add nothing to the light by which the One sitting shone, and with which one could compare only the brilliance of the unknown to us hashmal (from this alone is it clear what precious substance hashmal was and how wrong are the interpreters who suppose it to be, for instance, amber or some kind of copper). “Notably the prophet is very restrained in this final part of his picture: he barely sketches the contour of the divine appearance; the brilliance that it cast seems to blind him and obscure details from him” (Reis). “And I saw.” For the first time after verse 4, and twice in this verse: the extraordinary importance of the moment. “As if a gleaming metal.” Literally, “as if appearance of hashmal”; thus “hashmal” in Russian is rendered here inconsistently with verse 5; where it is translated (equally presumptuously as here): “light of flame,” Slavic in verse 5 and here equally: “as if the appearance of electron.” As the hashmal shone, the One sitting on the throne; but the prophet replaces the direct description of His form (for instance, “and His appearance was like the appearance of hashmal”) with this cautious expression. On the throne was barely visible a human form; what could actually be seen from it was only the light of hashmal. Admittedly, from the throne came not this light alone. To the light of hashmal was added a fiery light. The relationship in which the second, pure fiery light stood to the first is expressed by the following unclear phrase: “as if appearance of fire within (“bet”—an unusual word not used anywhere else unless it be equivalent to “bayit” “house”) it (properly “her,” that is, either the human form on the throne or hashmal; both in Hebrew are feminine) around.” The phrase might have either this sense: she (the human figure? hashmal?) seemed to be entirely on fire, or inner meaning: within the hashmal a circular fire was visible. In the subsequent words of the verse the shining of the One sitting on the throne is described more precisely. Described in this way, like hashmal and fire, the One sitting “from the appearance of His waist and above” shone; but “from the appearance of His waist and below” the prophet “saw as if… fire,” one without hashmal. All this description is much clearer in Ezek 8:2, where the same Image shines below the waist only as fire, and above as hashmal and radiance (consequently, in the Russian translation a semicolon should be moved to “his”). The prophet expresses himself with extreme caution. The light-bearing body of God divides into two parts; if one were to imagine God in human form at all, in that case what is called in human beings the waist (“appearance of the waist”) would be the boundary between both parts, which shone unequally. Since the image was in a sitting position, the vertical part of it from the waist upward shone like hashmal and fire, and the lower part only like fire. The lower part of the image, situated closer to the earth and first opened to the human eye, shines with a more moderate light—as fire (but not as simple fire, but “as if appearance,” something like fire), perhaps because it is enveloped in garment, falling in wide folds around (compare Isa 6:1); the upper, probably imagined as unclothed, or at least in part, at the neck, breast, shines with the most dazzling brilliance imaginable (this was the bright radiance which the prophet noticed earlier when the cloud only arose on the horizon—verse 5); but even the upper part, alongside the radiance of hashmal, had the radiance of fire: perhaps the One sitting on the throne, shining Himself with light similar to the brilliance of hashmal, was clothed in fire as in a garment. “And brightness all around Him,” that is, the One sitting on the throne. By a personal pronoun the speech returns to the main subject of the verse, to which it is indicated without any explanation by the pronoun in “His waist.” All around the light-bearing form of God is a bright light sphere, the appearance of which is more fully described in verse 28 as a rainbow.

Ezekiel 1:28. Like the appearance of a rainbow that appears in the clouds during a rainstorm—such was the appearance of the brightness all around it. “Like a rainbow (and indeed in all respects like a real one) in what form it appears in the clouds during a rainstorm. The Inaccessible separates Himself from the surrounding sphere. While He Himself shines with extraordinary light, the circle outlined around Him glimmers, as it should, with more softened, gentle light” (Hitzig). Bright light from the throne of God is refracted in the colorful radiance of the rainbow, which tempers it. Representing a diversity of colors and the most beautiful, and gradually transitioning to others, constituting as it were the greatness of God reflected in the sky, the rainbow enters also into other theophanies: Rev 4:3; Rev 10:1—mainly on account of the significance it acquired after the flood. “Such appearance” Slavic: “thus standing,” probably the translator took δρασις as στασις; so only, besides the Slavic translation in the Venetian codex and in blessed Theodoret. The meaning and sense of Ezekiel’s vision on the Chebar remain until now, and probably will remain for a long time, as much a secret as the closely connected with this vision and even more enigmatic vision in this prophet of the new temple (chapters XL-XLIV) and apocalyptic visions. Nevertheless, exegetics presents many attempts to unravel the mystery of the Chebar vision, the most important of which are as follows: 1) the holy Fathers, though not passing over in complete silence the mysterious vision of Ezekiel’s first chapter, speak of it little, dwelling more on individual dark words and expressions of the prophet than on the revelation of the thought of the entire vision. Nevertheless, in them we find an attempt, true though hesitant, to point out the idea of the vision. In the four mysterious creatures of the vision some of them saw the image of the four evangelists, and considered the entire phenomenon a foretelling of the universal spread upon earth of the kingdom of Christ. The grounds for such understanding were presented as follows: there are also four evangelists as creatures in the vision; they have as many faces as each is destined to go into the whole world; they look at each other as each agrees with the rest; they have four wings as they are dispersed to different lands and with such speed as if they were flying; in the sound of the wings they saw the gospel that went forth to all the earth; and in the four different faces of the creatures they saw an indication of the character and content of each of the Gospels. Besides blessed Jerome (who accepts this explanation of Ezekiel’s first chapter in the preface to his commentary on Matthew, and in his commentary on Ezekiel fears to follow it entirely) and Gregory the Dialogist, from whom we find a detailed development of this explanation, it was already known to holy Irenaeus of Lyons (Against Heresies III, 16, 8). From the latter it acquired rather wide distribution in the Western church, where it was dominant throughout the Middle Ages. As for the Eastern church, in the Fathers of it who occupied themselves with the interpretation of Ezekiel’s first chapter (holy Ephrem the Syrian and Macarius the Great, blessed Theodoret), we do not encounter any indication of this explanation. That it was not entirely unknown in the Eastern church can perhaps be served only by certain testimony, besides holy Irenaeus, the monuments of iconography, sometimes depicting the evangelists in the form of the four “creatures” of Ezekiel and the Apocalypse. Our church charter, appointing in Passion week at the hours, when the four-gospel is read, Paremias from Ezek 1-2 chapter, also has in mind this explanation of Ezekiel’s first chapter. This explanation merits attention already for its antiquity. At its foundation lies that true thought that the vision of the prophet Ezekiel could not but indicate, though in part, the Christian times, which were separated from it only by several centuries. The God dwelling in the temple among the Hebrew people upon the cherubim was now, as it were, changing His dwelling place on earth, not wishing to limit it to one people and one country. He had to reveal Himself also to the gentiles, which was accomplished through the preaching of the Gospel. All this could be expressed by the removal of the Glory of God upon the cherubim from the Jerusalem temple, described in chapters X and XI of Ezekiel, to which the first chapter serves as a preparation. But, on the other hand, in the image of the mysterious creatures the prophet beholds, as he himself says in Ezek 10:20, nothing other than cherubim. To choose these images for the representation of the evangelists was a right of church art, but this choice does not oblige us to follow such a distant allegorical explanation. It is now preferred to explain Ezekiel’s vision from the nearest historical circumstances and to find in it indications mainly of the prophet’s era and of the content of his predictions and book. Since this appearance of God to Ezekiel was for him a calling to prophetic preaching, the general content of the preaching determined the form of the appearance. The preaching of Ezekiel revolved around two chief subjects: the destruction of the old temple (chapters VIII-XI) and the creation of a new one in the renewed Jerusalem (chapters XI-XLIII). Hence God appears to Ezekiel in a setting reminiscent of the temple—upon cherubim. But since God is to perform judgment over His people, as a result of which the temple will be destroyed and captivity will follow, He appears at the same time as an awesome judge. Since this judgment will not result in the complete destruction of the chosen people but in their restoration, God in His appearance surrounds Himself also with symbols of mercy. From these three principles are explained all the details of Ezekiel’s vision. It revealed itself with signs of an awesome, destructive character—a stormy wind, a great cloud, fire, which indicated the impending invasion of Judea by the Chaldeans (hence the appearance of the vision from the north). The gentle radiance of electron and the rainbow could serve as a sign of God’s placation, the cessation of wrath. Appearing as an awesome but merciful judge, God appears to the prophet at the same time as the God of the covenant, though avenging for the violation of this covenant, but destined at some point to restore it. For this purpose God appears sitting upon the cherubim, between whom He had His dwelling in the temple above the Ark of the Covenant. Among the cherubim were burning coals, which presuppose beneath them an altar—that chief property of the temple. From the temple setting the even such a secondary object as the laver is not forgotten: in Solomon’s temple it was mobile, furnished with wheels; therefore the wheels that were in Ezekiel’s charge beside the cherubim point to it. Thus, even to Ezekiel, as to Isaiah, God appears in the temple, but this temple is made mobile in the sign that Jehovah is to temporarily leave the Jerusalem temple. This explanation of Ezekiel’s vision with insignificant variations is repeated by the majority of old and new interpreters. Although the main positions established by this explanation are true, it does not issue from one principle; all the thoughts extracted from the vision by this explanation, if they are given by the vision, are not the thoughts of the whole vision but of its separate parts, and should be united in some higher, basic thought. Besides, these thoughts, though high and important, are not new in prophetic literature; meanwhile the Chebar vision in the book of Ezekiel produces such an impression that it wishes to say something new, to give a new revelation. From this perspective, more sympathetic are those attempts to explain Ezekiel’s vision that try to find one thought throughout the entire vision. Thus Kimchi (the rabbi of the 13th century) and Maldonado (the Jesuit † 1583) think that the four living creatures in the prophet Ezekiel, as also in Daniel, denote the four great successive kingdoms; but this explanation obviously reduces the cherubim to the status of mere symbols. The same shortcoming characterizes Schroeder’s explanation, by which the creatures of the vision represent the life of the world in all the wholeness of its forces, and God appears in the present vision as the living God in His glory, which is the life of the world (cf. ch. XXXVII and XLVII and 1 John 1:2). It is interesting to consider the interpretation of Ezekiel’s vision given by the Jesuit Nebrans in Revue biblique October 1894, which can be called astronomical. The chief constituent parts of the vision by his account symbolize the movement of the heavenly vault and the various phenomena upon it. The very heavenly vault is represented in the vision under the image of a tremendous wheel, “galgal” (Ezek 10:13), which, as the places where this word is used show, is not a wheel in the ordinary sense of the word, but denotes something having the spherical form of a globe (Nebrans on the basis of Ezek 1:15 according to the Hebrew text concludes that in the vision there was only one wheel). The stars in the vision are represented by living eyes, by which the high and terrible rims of the wheels looked upon the prophet (according to Nebrans, the rim of one wheel). The creatures of Ezekiel’s vision are the signs of the zodiac, invented, as is known, by the Chaldeans. To complete the analogy, the fire that walked between the creatures corresponded to the sun and its visible movement across the heavenly vault along the signs of the zodiac. The purpose of Ezekiel’s vision was to show Israel that its God is the true master of that heaven, stars and lights which the Chaldeans deified (God in the vision sits above the firmament and the creatures). But quite apart from the fact that there are four wheels indicated in the vision (Ezek 1:16), not one, as Nebrans requires, “galgal” (the name of the wheels in the vision according to Ezek 10:13) means a kind of whirlwind (see explanation for X:13), not a sphere in general; the heavenly vault could not be personified by the wheels, and also because this vault appears later in the vision as a separate independent part of it (v. 22). If, therefore, the wheels in the vision did not mean the heavenly vault, then the eyes on them are not stars. Furthermore, the signs of the zodiac with the creatures of Ezekiel’s vision have in common only that the former, and not all of them, as well as the latter, are creatures, figures of creatures; the signs of the zodiac carved on one Babylonian tablet of the 12th century B.C. scarcely resemble the creatures of Ezekiel’s vision: so on this board there is one depiction of a two-headed creature, “and the creatures of Ezekiel,” says Nebrans, had four heads; in another creature legs are extended—and the legs of the creatures of the vision are “straight” (1). Finally, if the Babylonians deified the creatures depicting constellations (they even called them “lords of the gods”), then it followed that the God of Israel surrounded Himself in this manifestation with the images of pagan gods; is such a conception permissible? But the part of truth that this explanation may contain is this: under the movement of the cherubim, which is so detailed in the vision (v. 9, 11, 12, 14, 17, 19–21, 24–25), one cannot fail to understand some activity of these highest beings; and their activity, by virtue of the position of the cherubim at the throne of God, cannot fail to be cosmic activity, cannot fail to affect the world in its very foundations, cannot fail to influence the course of all the life of the world. With certainty about the thought of Ezekiel’s vision one can say the following. The manifestations of God, to which the Chebar vision of the prophet Ezekiel belonged, took place generally at the most important moments in the history of the covenant established by God with the Hebrew people. They marked its beginning (the theophany to Abraham, especially Gen 15:1, Jacob’s vision of the ladder); then theophany repeated when God’s covenant was renewed with the people of Abraham, when the small family of that patriarch had become a numerous people (the appearance in the burning bush, the Sinai revelation), and then every time when the covenant is threatened with danger. In this the magnitude of danger and generally the importance of one or another moment in the history of the covenant determines the greater or lesser magnificence of the theophany; so one of the most magnificent theophanies after the Sinai revelation was with the prophet Elijah—this prophet—when one might have thought that only one person remained faithful to the covenant with God in all Israel. Since the manifestation of God to Ezekiel at the Chebar was distinguished among theophanies by its magnificence, it means the time of this theophany—the epoch of Ezekiel—was an especially important moment in the history of the covenant, perhaps not less important than the epoch of Moses, a critical moment. At the Sinai covenant God promised to give part of mankind what He had once deprived all mankind of for the violation of His commandment, the gift to the Hebrews of the Promised Land had such deep meaning, in this one can become convinced by comparing everything that was connected with such a gift: not only that Palestine by nature flowed with honey and milk, but God promised by special acts of providence to influence its abundance and fertility before the sabbatical year, and so forth. In a word, a new paradise was planted for man, though no longer in Eden: Lev 26:4 and further, Gen 13:10; Hos 2:18 and so forth Ezek 36:35; Isa 51:3; Joel 2:3. God wanted to return to Israel almost everything that He had taken from Adam, to bring about a change in the very conditions of human life created by sin, even in the purely natural realm. Many centuries of experience showed that Israel, like Adam, could not fulfill the obligations undertaken by the covenant with God. The time came, and for God, if not to annul, then at least to limit His great promises to His people, to a second time expel man from paradise. During the time of Ezekiel this turning point took place: God was taking from His former people the Promised Land. It was to be turned into a desert by the invasion of the Chaldeans (Ezek 6). And it could never afterwards completely recover from this invasion; at least, after the exile it never struck everyone, as before, with its fertility and abundance. Ezekiel lamented the end of the land of Israel (ch. VII). God was depriving His former people also of His direct nearness: from the time of the exile Israel had few prophets; it also did not have the former temple with the Ark of the Covenant and the Glory of the Lord over it. Such an important change occurred with the Sinai covenant during the time of Ezekiel. It is understandable why God now appears so magnificently, as at Sinai, and in surroundings reminiscent of the Sinai theophany. Among other theophanies the Chebar vision stands out by the presence of cherubim, which in it occupy a very prominent place—they are the chief agents of the entire manifestation. Although the cherubim in the economy of human salvation here appear not for the first time and not as the only occasion, nevertheless their appearance in the history of this economy is extremely rare. It is not difficult to list all the cases known from the Bible of this appearance: the first took place at the moment of the fall of mankind, when cherubim (Gen 3:24: in the Hebrew and Greek plural) were entrusted with guarding the paradise taken from men; then after the conclusion of the Sinai covenant the cherubim overshadow the Ark of this covenant and are present in the tabernacle, which should be concluded on the basis of their depictions over the one and in the other; finally, after appearing in the visions of the prophet Ezekiel, they appear again only in the visions of John the Theologian, which, as is known, have as their subject the final struggle of the church with the forces of the world and its ultimate victory, that is, the end of time. What is common to all these cases is that they take place at particularly important moments of the providential action of God upon the earth, at moments of such or similar importance as the end of the world or that profound upheaval which mankind was to experience through the fall. What the prophet Ezekiel contemplated at the Chebar thus stood in some relation to the early history of fallen mankind and to the end of that history and of our world. This is proven also by the undoubted connection of this vision with the last vision of the prophet Ezekiel in chapters XI–XLVII. And this vision relates to those times when Israel, restored to its former rights, renewed and holy, will dwell in the Promised Land, completely unlike the former land, with a new temple. Since the salvation of Israel will take place in the last times, when the fullness of the nations enters in, then in the last chapters of his book the prophet Ezekiel describes obviously that new earth and that new Jerusalem, of which the Apocalypse also speaks. And so into the new temple, which this earth will have, enters the Glory of God in the very form in which it manifested itself at the Chebar and in which it departed from the old temple, destroyed by the Chaldeans. Thus the manifestation of God, described in chapter I of the book of Ezekiel, is so exceptional that it will have its analogy only in that mysterious time when “time… shall be no more” (Rev 10:6). At the same time this theophany had great analogy with what was accomplished through Moses at Sinai. But this analogy is an analogy of opposition: the Glory of God, which had rested in Israel since the time of the Sinai legislation, in the times of Ezekiel was transitioning “from the threshold of the House to the cherubim” (Ezek 10:18) for removal from the transgressing people. Israel could console itself with the hope that it would return to him in the time described in chapters XL–XLVIII of Ezekiel. For such a turning point in the direction of providential activity, as took place during the time of Ezekiel, God needed to “raise up His strength,” “to shake the heaven and the earth,” and for this to appear on the cherubim, which “shake the world when they move” (Targum on Ezek I, 7). * * * Notes The Peshitta in Ezek 1:4 omits this word, and in verses 27 and Ezek 8:2 puts in its place (quid pro quo) “divine appearance,” apparently counting this mysterious word a full designation of God or an angel; the rabbis derived it from roots meaning “swiftness” and “rest” (or “speech” and “silence”) and considered it the name of an angel, the teacher of Ezekiel; others of them thought it was the Angel who took on the form of fire or the Spirit of God in the form of fire. Maldonatus and Gerard (Roman Catholic interpreters of the 17th century) draw attention to the fact that if this word is read in reverse order of letters, it becomes the word “Messiah” with the preposition “le”—“for” in front. The images of Ezekiel’s first chapter have remarkable parallels in Eastern mythology. Until recently the creature in mythology most closely resembling the cherub was considered to be the griffin; bearing also a name consonant (γρυφ—“kerub”), it resembles the cherub both in external appearance and in functions: griffins are winged creatures with the talons of lions, the beaks of eagles, and flaming eyes, which guard gold in the far north at the Arimaspi (Herod. III, 16; IV, 13, 27) in the land of the gods. But the most striking parallel to Ezekiel’s cherubim is provided by the figures of winged bulls (Sticrcolossen) and lions found during excavations of Assyro-Chaldean cities. These are bulls and lions with human bearded heads in headdresses, and some of them with four wings (compare Jer 1:6), of which two are stretched upward and two are lowered (Ezek 1:9). Most of them have been found in Kuyunjik and Khorsabad, in the ruins of ancient Nineveh; the colossi of Khorsabad are bulls, and those of Nimrud are lions; sometimes lions alternate with bulls (in Persepolis). Some specimens have been brought to the Louvre and British museums. These figures were placed at the entrances of temples and palaces, serving as caryatids: their vaults and roofs seemed to rest upon them (compare Ezek 1:22). Their symbolic purpose was, as shown by certain cuneiform inscriptions, to guard the entrances of palaces and temples. But a drawing on a cylinder discovered by Tornkins gives grounds to suppose that the beings depicted by these colossi were considered not only guards but also bearers of the divinity; Lenorman describes this drawing thus: “on the waves, depicted as usual by trembling lines, floats a magical living vessel, which ends at the stern and bow with a human bust protruding half out of the body; on this vessel are visible two kiroubi or winged bulls standing back to back in profile, turned by their human faces toward the viewer; these two cherubim necessarily presuppose the existence of two others, not visible but necessary to bear the other side of the vault which they support on their shoulders; on this vault the throne or seat of a bearded god in a long robe with a straight pair or kidaris on his head, with a short scepter and a broad unadorned ring in his hand” (Les orig. d. hist 1, 120). The coincidence of mythological representations of cherubim with biblical ones (especially Ezekiel’s) is explicable by the fact that the former came from the first revelation itself, but essentially altered by human imagination. For more details on Ezekiel I see Skabalanovich M. The First Chapter of the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, Mariupol, 1904.

Chapter Two

The Prophet’s Calling to Prophecy

Ezekiel 2:1. Such was the vision of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw this, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice speaking, and He said to me: “Son of man, stand upon your feet, and I will speak with you.” “Vision of the likeness.” By these words the prophet once again warns the reader about the true sense of those images which fill the vision: they are only likenesses, visible likenesses of the Glory of the Lord; the Glory of the Lord Itself, not to mention God Himself, is invisible and cannot be shown. What is meant by “the Glory of the Lord”—only the One sitting on the throne or the entire phenomenon? Ezek 9:3 favor the first understanding; the similarity of expressions in this sentence with verse 25 also speaks for this: “vision of the likeness” is very close to “likeness as if appearance,” which is used precisely of the One sitting on the throne. But Ezek 43:2 by “the Glory of the Lord” calls the entire phenomenon; and here the reader expects a conclusion to the entire picture of the vision, not to its last section alone; in the Old Testament, “the Glory of God” is called every image or manner of God’s appearance, for example, a cloud. But when applied to the entire phenomenon, the designation “the Glory of the Lord” by this very fact applies also to the One sitting on the throne. The prophet Ezekiel clearly distinguishes the Glory of God from God Himself: if anything in God can be seen, though imperfectly and insufficiently, in images and likenesses, then only the Glory of God, but not God Himself. How the Glory of God can be thought of as something separate from God and appear to a man apart from Him Himself became clear after the perfect revelation on earth of the Radiance of the Glory of God and the Image of His hypostasis. “I fell upon my face” in terror (Dan 7:15; Isa 6:5) and reverence (Gen 17:3), as well as from the exhaustion brought on by the ecstatic shock (Dan 10:8). “And I heard the voice of the One speaking,” that is, not seeing where it came from; and although it should have come from the vault and the throne above it, the prophet is afraid to put the subject to “spoke to me.” (“He” is not expressed in Hebrew.) The vision, not ceasing completely (Ezek 2:9), may be gradually obscured before the prophet’s eyes and replaced by an equally strong and all-consuming auditory ecstasy: “the voice of the One speaking” shows that the subsequent revelation was not, as probably all the subsequent ones, internal alone. God’s address to the prophet: “son of man”—is a peculiarity of the book of Ezekiel (seventy times) and in part of Daniel (Dan 8:17), explained by Aramaic influence; “in the Syrian language this expression is so common that there is apparently no other name for man there as this one, as they apply it even to the first man who did not have it; so 1 Cor 15:45 is translated into Syriac: ‘the first son of man Adam’ (Rosenmüller, Scholia an Vetus Testamentum, p. VI, S. 1, Lipsiae 1808). To the prophet such an address might say that he was a casually selected individual from his wretched race; compare Isa 8:5; Job 25:6 (Smend). “And I will speak”—so that I might be able to speak.

Ezekiel 2:2. And as He spoke to me, a spirit entered me and set me upon my feet, and I heard the One speaking to me. Since the prophet himself cannot stand from fear and numbness, “a spirit” lifts him up, undefined by anything more clearly (even without the article: the prophet speaks clearly with a certain indefiniteness); in this manner Ezekiel everywhere calls a certain supernatural action upon himself of God’s force, which he must have felt especially keenly (“entered into me, spirit”) and which visited him only at certain moments of visions, sometimes strengthening the exhausted nature under the magnitude of the latter, as here and Ezek 3:24, sometimes carrying him to the place of visions and back from it: Ezek 8:3 (the LXX between “entered into me” and “set me” insert “and took me and raised me up” probably from Ezek 3:14, but there clearly not the same action of the spirit but close to Ezek 8:3). The lack of precision refers to Ezek 1:12, where the Holy Spirit is meant.

Ezekiel 2:3. And He said to me: “Son of man! I send you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me. They and their ancestors have transgressed against Me up to this very day.” When the voice from on high gently encouraged the prophet and he calmed down from his first terror at the appearance, he is called to be a prophet (“I send you” is already in Isaiah a technical term; Isa 6:8) to Israel (instead of “children,” the LXX read the similarly formed “house”: bene-bet), which unfortunately is scarcely worthy of being called by this high name “God-contender,” and is more likely stubbornly disobedient like gentiles (“people”; Hebrew “goyim,” which by Ezekiel’s time had to become a moral-religious term instead of its former ethnological sense, so perhaps the LXX intentionally omit it). Moreover, Israel, from the very beginning of its existence (“fathers” here in the broadest sense) and until this very day has not been distinguished by faithfulness: according to Ezekiel, in contrast, for instance, to Jeremiah (Jer 2:2), Israel is corrupted to its very sources (Ezek 16:3).

Ezekiel 2:4. And these children have hard faces and stubborn hearts; I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them: ‘Thus says the Lord God!’” The stubbornness of Israel seems to have intensified through a long succession of generations, and in these present-day people (“these children”) the face has lost the ability to blush and shame-facedly lower its eyes, while the heart has become inaccessible to persuasion. “You shall say to them: Thus says,” that is to say, you will be a prophet, who is the mouth of God—“the Lord God”—Adonai Jehovah. The double name of God in the Hebrew text of the book of Ezekiel is used 228 times against 218 times of the simple “the Lord” (Jehovah), and in the majority of cases it is difficult to indicate the reason for such rather than another name: the double name should stand in more solemn cases, but apparently the scribes permitted themselves freedom here.

Ezekiel 2:5. Whether they listen or whether they do not listen, for they are a rebellious house; nevertheless let them know that a prophet has been among them. The prophet should not be silent whether they listen or not. Although the latter, in view of Israel’s known stubbornness, is undoubted, yet the matter does not lie in immediate success of the preaching: the results of Ezekiel’s activity lie in the future, when the fulfillment of his prophecies and chiefly his threats will reveal him as a prophet; if he is recognized as a true prophet, then together they will recognize the True God who speaks through him, and this is the first preliminary condition for Israel’s future conversion. The difference in the LXX at the beginning of the verse: “if indeed they hear and are afraid” (favorable for the Hebrews, as well as the omission of “goyim” in verse 3) came about from the fact that the particle “im,” besides “whether,” also means “if” (Josh 24:15; Eccl 2:13), and the second verb instead of “yehidalu” (they will cease) is read “yedhalu” (they will fear). “A rebellious house”—a name for Israel so beloved by the prophet Ezekiel that it is for him almost a proper name, and this was the more possible because originally all Hebrew proper names had a meaningful sense.

Ezekiel 2:6. But you, son of man, do not be afraid of them and do not be afraid of their words, even if briars and thorns are with you, and you are dwelling among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words and do not be terrified by their faces, for they are a rebellious house; The prophet will encounter not only disbelief on the part of Israel. The people will cause him no small amount of direct unpleasantness. “But you, son of man, do not be afraid of them.” Three times God repeats this assurance to the prophet, noting in particular that he does not need to fear “their words,” which alone could harm the fellow-countrymen of Ezekiel under the confining conditions of captivity, and perhaps even that which had already begun to soften the people; so one must also understand the images used further—thorns and briars (the LXX, reading the words not as nouns but as participles: “will become fierce and will surround”); the image of scorpions with their harmful sting well indicates the danger from precisely “their words.” The prophet should not be disturbed by these hostile words: for Israel is a house of rebellion.

Ezekiel 2:7. And speak My words to them, whether they listen or whether they do not listen, for they are obstinate. Ezekiel 2:8. But you, son of man, hear what I am about to say to you; do not be rebellious like this rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you. Ezekiel 2:9. Then I looked, and behold, a hand was extended toward me, and behold, in it was a written scroll. Assured of his future triumph, the prophet can calmly bear all this and continue his work. Constantly the stubbornness of the people with whom Ezekiel will have to deal is put before his eyes, in the hope that this stubbornness will arouse all the greater zeal on the prophet’s part, that he will receive with all the greater readiness the revelations communicated to him and will not permit to reveal on his own part anything like this stubbornness of the crowd, examples of which were found among the prophets (Balaam, Jonah, the Hebrew reprover of Jeroboam). Ezekiel must immediately prove by deed his obedience: let him eat what God is now giving him. The prophet looked to see what was in the hand extended to him and saw that he was indeed being asked to do almost the impossible. The prophet does not dare to say whose the hand was: Jeremiah, however, speaks directly: “And the Lord extended His hand” (Jer 1:9).

Ezekiel 2:10. And He unrolled it before me, and behold, it was written on both sides, on the inside and on the outside, and written upon it were words of lamentation and mourning and woe. The scroll is unrolled before the prophet’s eyes so that he might see its contents in advance. It was written, contrary to custom, on both sides, like the tablets of the covenant (Exod 32:15), as a sign of fullness and richness of content (perhaps also an indication of the length of Ezekiel’s prophetic activity—more than twenty years) and contained exclusively lamentation (as will the future book of Ezekiel, which contains many speeches directly inscribed “lamentation”: Ezek 19:1 and others), at times transitioning even into groans of pain and cries of despair (“woe,” in Hebrew “hoy,” probably an interjection). The content of the scroll Ezekiel can survey at a glance because he is in a state of supernatural reality. From a glance at the scroll the prophet could conclude what his preaching would be like from the standpoint of content, about which nothing had yet been said to him (hence this survey is placed in chapter II, and the eating in chapter III, which speaks of the prophet’s entering into his ministry). Thus the prophet’s ministry, burdensome from the standpoint of the people, will be burdensome also from the standpoint of the content of his preaching.

Chapter Three

The Prophet’s Entering into His Ministry

1–3. Eating the scroll. 4–11. Comforting encouragement for the prophet to accept his calling. 12–15. The departure of the divine appearance and the prophet’s transfer to Tel-Aviv. 16–21. New clarifications concerning the prophetic calling. 22–27. The external condition of the prophet during the subsequent prophecies.

Ezekiel 3:1. And He said to me: “Son of man! Eat what is before you, eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” Ezekiel 3:2. Then I opened my mouth, and He gave me the scroll to eat. Ezekiel 3:3. And He said to me: “Son of man! Let your belly be full, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth like honey for sweetness. The Lord draws the prophet away from examining the scroll, reminding him of His demand to eat it with insistence (“eat—eat” or eat indeed; in Slavic, once, verse 1), and the prophet takes the scroll to his lips (verse 2), still not daring to swallow it; but the Lord clearly and definitely demands precisely the latter (for the third time). This is to show, of course, that the word of God communicated to him he should inwardly assimilate, as if transform into his own flesh and blood, so that later in his preaching he might draw it from within himself and speak inexhaustibly. Having eaten the scroll, contrary to expectation, the prophet found it sweet, and not simply sweet, but exceedingly so—like honey. This was a sign that the word of God, which the scroll contained, always is for a man “in joy and cheerfulness of heart” (Jer 15:16; Ps 118:103), that “it is infinitely pleasant to be an instrument and mouthpiece of the Most High and even the most difficult divine truths for a man with spiritual understanding have joyful and comforting aspects” (Hengstenberg). “The eating of the scroll is not so strange a symbol to antiquity and the East as it is for us. We sharply distinguish between bodily and spiritual life and think that nourishment serves only to maintain the former; but for ancient man food was more than physical support; in ancient Arabia sharing in food was also the beginning of sharing in life, binding those who eat together in spiritual strivings as well; food—this is direct nourishment of blood, which in its turn is the seat of the soul; let us remember that through tasting the fruit from the tree of knowledge one could gain spiritual knowledge; we can finally point to the Christian idea of the supper in the kingdom of heaven” (Bertholet). The LXX in verse 1 do not have the Hebrew proposal: “eat this scroll,” which is why it is considered a gloss from Jer 15:18, and in verse 3 instead of “belly” they have “mouth,” which is probably a scribe’s error: στομαχον—στομα σου.

Ezekiel 3:4. Then He said to me: “Son of man! Go to the house of Israel and speak to them with My words;” Now Ezekiel is already ordained as a prophet, which is why he immediately hears from the lips of God the solemn stereotyped formula employed at the sending of prophets (Exod 3:10; Isa 6:8-9; Jer 1:7).

Ezekiel 3:5. for you are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and foreign tongue, but to the house of Israel, The sweetness that the prophet tasted upon eating the scroll, which showed him that the very preaching would give him divine comfort, should have quieted his fears about the burden of his service. But the Lord adds further that his relationship to the people cannot be said to be unbearably difficult: he will deal not with some foreign people whose language he would not understand. “With unclear speech and an incomprehensible language”; lit. “with thick lips (Slav. “deep-voiced,” which speak softly) and heavy, i.e. slow-moving (Slav. “slow-tongued”) language.” This may indicate that the circle of the prophet’s listeners will be the better part of the Jewish population (which was precisely exiled to Babylon by him and Jehoiachin), not the common people with their barbarous jargon and corresponding level of education, whereas in verse 6 the discourse concerns foreign languages and peoples.

Ezekiel 3:6. not to many nations of unclear speech and incomprehensible language, whose words you would not understand; but if I sent you even to them, they would listen to you; The sphere of the prophet’s activity will be not foreign-speaking peoples (as with Jonah) and not a whole series of them, but one kindred people. Language—the most striking characteristic of a people (hence the general term for both in the Slavonic tongue—“language”), and a Hebrew measured the degree of alienation and hostility toward a certain people by the measure of the incomprehensibility and strangeness of its language: Isa 33:19. Besides the purely physical difficulty (“whose words you would not understand”) such a mission would have been morally difficult: it would not have been animated by love and spiritual closeness to the listeners. But the Lord says with bitterness that the prophet’s mission even under such unfavorable conditions would have greater success than among Israel. The history of the apostles later demonstrated this. “It had come to such a pass in Israel: the prophet seems to anticipate the future Paul” (Ewald). The thought that less evil can be expected from the gentiles than from Israel is expressed more than once by Ezekiel: Ezek 5:6. In this verse the words “with unclear speech and incomprehensible language” are repeated from the previous verse, without which one could easily manage and which weaken the thought: “whose words you would not understand”; therefore these words are considered an addition from verse 5; they are not in the Peshitta.

Ezekiel 3:7. but the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you; for they are unwilling to listen to Me, because the whole house of Israel is stubborn and hard-hearted. If nevertheless the people of Israel will not listen to the prophet, the reason is different. “The house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are unwilling to listen to Me.” With like tenderness God once comforted Samuel (1 Sam 8:7-8) and the Savior comforted the apostles (Luke 10:16). The deeper reason for this lies in the natural spiritual qualities of Israel: it is a people with a “stubborn brow” (like horned animals; LXX: φιλονεικοι “unyielding,” because they read “matza” instead of “matzach” for “brow”—“ssa,” strife) and a “hard (callous) heart.” Despite the closeness of the expression to Ezek 2:4, the thought here is different: here it is a characterization of Israel from the psychological side, there from the historical (“they and their fathers”).

Ezekiel 3:8. Behold, I have made your face hard against their faces, and your forehead hard against their foreheads. To the stubbornness of the people God opposes an equal stubbornness of the prophet—stubbornness, of course, “in the noble sense of true prophetic courage, that will not allow itself to be broken by anything in the struggle” (Ewald).

Ezekiel 3:9. Like diamond, harder than stone, I have made your forehead; do not fear them and do not be afraid before their faces, for they are a rebellious house. The LXX read instead of “shamir” (“diamond”) a similar-looking adverb “tamid” (“always”), and instead of “matzach” (“forehead”) “matza” (“strife”): “and your prophetic struggle with their stubbornness will always be harder than stone.”

Ezekiel 3:10. And He said to me: son of man! take all My words that I shall speak to you into your heart and hear them with your ears; Having encouraged and armed the prophet for the struggle with obstacles, the Lord reminds him of the first condition of proper discharge of prophetic service—attentive reception of the revelations received. “Take it into your heart and hear with your ears”—a rhetorical inversion (hysteron proteron), as in Isa 64:4.

Ezekiel 3:11. Get up and go to the exiles, to the people of your own nation, and speak to them and say to them: “Thus says the Lord God!” whether they listen or whether they refuse. At the conclusion of the Lord’s address to the prophet, the immediate sphere of his service is indicated: the exiles, the people of your nation (no longer worthy to be called Mine). Consequently, Ezekiel was not a writer—prophet only.

Ezekiel 3:12. Then the Spirit lifted me up; and I heard behind me the sound of a great thundering: “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place!” The command to go to the people of Israel is at once realized upon the prophet in that the “Spirit” lifts him up and, as is evident from verses 14 and 15, carries him to Tel-Aviv. At the same time the vision disappears before him; but this happens in such a way that the prophet himself is removed from it by a higher power, so that it remains behind him (“behind me”); just as he did not himself produce the vision, so he cannot retain it by his own will; he is entirely in the power of the previously mentioned “Spirit” (see verse 2). Seized by the Spirit, ready to begin his journey, the prophet hears behind him “a great voice of thunder” (lit. the voice of great shaking), saying (Slav. “the voices of those speaking,” i.e., the living creatures; Heb. does not say): “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place.” To whom the voice belonged is not stated; on the basis of Rev 4:8; Isa 6:3 it is supposed to be the four living creatures, and that on their part it was a song of praise or thanksgiving for the prophet’s calling. The original text gives the impression that this was the voice of the earth itself, as if seized with astonishment and ecstasy at the stopping of God’s Glory in this place. The voice explained to the prophet something in the vision: the Shekinah, which the former priest was accustomed to imagine in the darkness of the Holy of Holies, he now sees outside the temple; let him know that the temple is not the exclusive or even the chief place of her dwelling; she is more fully revealed in another mysterious realm of life and being, where she has more worthy bearers, where she is blessed more worthily than “blessed be the Lord from Zion” (Ps 134:21).

Ezekiel 3:13. and also the noise of the wings of the living creatures brushing against one another, and the sound of the wheels beside them, and the sound of a great thunder. The rumbling of the shaking (Russ. tr.: “great thunder,” cf. verse 12) was combined (hence the secondary mention of it in this verse) with the noise of wings and wheels of the living creatures of the vision, not drowning out the latter, which was no less loud. Along with its force, this deafening noise was distinguished by harmony, for it came from the brushing (Slav. tr.: “rustling”) wings and wheels strictly coordinated with them in movement, which spoke of the departure of the Lord’s Glory (cf. Ezek 10:16). The LXX begin the verse with a word that seems not to belong here, “vide” (i.e., “a voice”), but is well attested by Exod 20:18; Rev 1:12, which, as incomprehensible, could easily have fallen from the text.

Ezekiel 3:14. Then the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away. And I went in bitterness, in the wrath of my spirit; and the hand of the Lord was strong upon me. “And the Spirit lifted me up and took me. And I went.” It cannot be proved that this was a miraculous carrying of the prophet through the air by the wind. Besides the strangeness of such an assumption, the expression “I went” contradicts it in this case; the prophet, consequently, walked in the proper sense, but walked seized by the Spirit. Here there is evidently meant that semi-miraculous, semi-natural translation from place to place that other prophets also underwent: Elijah (1 Sam 18:12), Elisha (2 Sam 2:11) and even apostles (Acts 8:39). What it consisted of is difficult to say. This extraordinary journey the prophet undertook “in bitterness, with a troubled spirit”; the particular state in which he was during the vision had not yet passed: “the hand of the Lord was strong upon me.” “With a troubled spirit,” in Heb. “chamat” a hapax legomenon; it is more correctly translated as: “in irritation.” The prophet’s bitterness and irritation are commonly thought to have been caused by the wickedness of Israel. But this wickedness could scarcely have been revealed to him only during the vision. Therefore it may be more just to explain the prophet’s bitterness and irritation as an awareness of the heaviness of the work before him and indignation against it by his human nature; cf. the exclamation of Jeremiah: “I will not prophesy.” After being called to prophecy, ever heavier thoughts must have appeared to Ezekiel: he is the successor of Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, the continuer of their work; but could one continue work that was nearly lost? What did these great champions of God’s Glory achieve by their incredible labors? Did Israel become better? “They are stubborn, like their fathers, to this day,” the Lord Himself said about Israel when He sent him. It is not for nothing that the prophet required two more revelations, two more callings (Ezek 3:16 and following, and Ezek 3:22 and following) to undertake public service. The LXX were afraid to discern here a thought of any bitterness and irritation: the first concept they convey as “lifted up,” μετεωρος, i.e., went half-raised in the air, probably reading “ram” instead of “mar” (Vatican cod. omits); and the second as “in impulse, ορμη, of my spirit,” i.e., with strong zeal for preaching.

Ezekiel 3:15. And I came to the exiles at Tel-Aviv, who lived by the river Chebar, and I sat there, stunned among them for seven days. “Tel-Aviv” was not the prophet’s place of residence before the vision, for he says he came there, not returned, although this settlement too was on the river Chebar, i.e., in the region of its basin. Probably in the basin of the Chebar it was a more significant Jewish colony, in which local Jewish administration was concentrated, as evidenced by the fact that “elders of Judah” are found there (Ezek 8:1). Without doubt, this significance of this city or colony was the reason why Ezekiel, according to the general command “go to the exiles,” did not begin his preaching from the place where he lived, where he too was “among the captives” (Ezek 1:1), but goes to Tel-Aviv for this purpose, as Amos from Tekoa after his calling went to Bethlehem, and Jeremiah from Anathoth to Jerusalem. As for the name and location of Tel-Aviv, it is established that in Assyria, Mesopotamia, and Syria there were many places and cities with the prefix Tel (Ezra 2:59 and Nehem 7:61) mention the exiles who returned to Judah from Telmelan and Tel Harsha; besides, Tel-Birte, Tel-Bazer, Tel-Edan and others are known. “Tel” in Aramaic means “hill,” corresponding to the Assyrian “tillu,” cf. Arabic “tal”—“heap,” “pile.” This name is especially often applied to heaps of brick, which are so frequently encountered in the ruins of Babylonia. The second component of this name, “Aviv,” is purely Hebrew and means “ear of grain.” Consequently, the whole name would mean “a heap or pile of grain” (Jerome), which name could speak of the fertility of the place. But the combination in the name of an Aramaic-Babylonian word with a Hebrew one is suspicious; in Babylonian, the word for “ear of grain” is “subultu,” and the word “aviv” does not occur in the Babylonian language at all. And it is unlikely (Kraetzschmar thinks) that Jewish captives were settled in fertile places (it is noteworthy that the Peshitta translates “Tel-Aviv” as “hill of sorrow”), but rather in vast areas with sandy wastes called “til-abubu” and scattered throughout Babylonia; on one of such unnamed wastes the practical Nebuchadnezzar could settle the main mass of Hebrews so they could cultivate it; and the name of it subsequently became a proper name, Hebraized or changed intentionally, because later Jews could flatter themselves with the thought that the pagan king Nebuchadnezzar, who attracted the wise Daniel to his court, gave his fellow Jews the better piece of land, as once Pharaoh gave to Joseph’s brothers. The ancient city Tallaba at 37’ latitude and 54’ longitude is too far north for Ezekiel’s Tel-Aviv and does not correspond to the position of the Chebar established in the explanation Ezek 1:1, but corresponds to the former assumption of the identity of Ezekiel’s Chebar with one of the tributaries of the Euphrates near Carchemish. The LXX did not consider the word “Tel-Aviv” a proper name, a city name (probably because it stands without a preposition, which is truly strange and rough) and translated “lifted up (from “tala”—“to hang,” i.e., came to the captives carried by spirits) and went around” (reading instead of “aviv” presumably the similar-looking “asov” or “saviv,” i.e., went around those living on the Chebar). “And I sat there where they lived.” A phrase difficult to explain, especially in the form it has in Heb., “which lived there” Greek τους οντας εκει. Perhaps it is a closer definition of “those living on the Chebar” (there, i.e., in Tel-Aviv). And in the sense that the Russ. translation gives it, this expression can mean, apparently, only that the prophet came not to Tel-Aviv generally, but to the place where the Jewish captives lived; but the Russ. translation, like the Slav., reads instead of Heb. “vaesher” “and those”—“vayeshev” “and sat,” “sat,” i.e., remained. “And I remained there among them for seven days, stunned.” “Stunned,” in Heb. “mashmim,” which is otherwise translated as “in sorrow” (Ezra 9:3-4; Dan 8:27). The stunning is understood as being from the vision; the sorrow could have come from one of the causes indicated in the explanation of verse 14. Others also translate this word: “in silence” (Bertholet), “in amazement and confusion” (Kraetzschmar), one and the other from the vision (thus Ezekiel only slowly comes to himself from the state in which the vision brought him). The LXX translate this rare word: αναστρεφομενος, “walking,” i.e., the prophet for 7 days walked among the captives, perhaps becoming acquainted with them and studying the future field of his activity. In this state, whatever it was, the prophet spent 7 days: among Hebrews the time of solemn mourning lasted 7 days (Job 2:13; Gen 50:10 and many others); in general, 7 is a symbolic number applied to God’s deeds; and for Ezekiel, as a priest, it had special significance in its liturgical application, for example, with regard to ritual purity, consecration (Exod 29:29-30; Lev 8:33; cf. Ezek 39:9). The arrival of the prophet in Tel-Aviv could not have escaped the notice of its inhabitants (this is indicated by the remark “among them” and the reading of the LXX: “going in the midst of them”); by his strange mental state and appearance, and perhaps by his stubborn silence about what had happened to him (about the Chebar vision it is not said, as about others, that the prophet immediately told someone about it), Ezekiel must have aroused the wonder and curiosity of the people; and this prepared the soil in the hearts of the people for the reception of the prophet’s future speeches.

Ezekiel 3:16. And after seven days the word of the Lord came to me: A new revelation to the prophet, perhaps in the form of an inner voice of God, not heard from outside as during the vision (which is evident from Ezek 2:1-2), concerned the immediate tasks of his prophetic activity—in relation to contemporaries, whereas during his calling the broader tasks—in relation to the whole “house of Israel” were indicated. This revelation, coming 7 days after the vision and calling, could be the answer of God to the prophet’s reflections on how he should begin his difficult service, where to start. One should begin not with the people as a whole, but with individual persons—with hardened sinners and wavering righteous ones. The people as a whole could be regarded (for the time being) as lost, and one needed to save at least individual persons. At the same time the revelation comforted the prophet as to the apparent lack of success of his future activity: if by his rebukes he does not save the rebuked, he will at least save his own soul; his silence will destroy both the sinners and him.

Ezekiel 3:17. son of man! I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel; and you shall hear a word from My mouth, and you shall warn them from Me. The comparison of the prophet to a watchman standing on a high tower and warning of approaching danger unseen by others indicates the special moral elevation of the prophet above his contemporaries and his spiritual foresight. Isaiah (Isa 56:10) and Jeremiah (Jer 6:17) used such a comparison; in Ezek 33:2 it is repeated and explained in detail. “You shall hear a word from My mouth and you shall warn them from Me.” The prophet is cautioned against bringing anything of his own, his own initiative and views into prophetic activity. Coming forward as a watchman only at critical moments in the life of the people and individuals, he should speak only what is divinely inspired and in the name of God. He is not an orator or public speaker. When God does not speak to him, he should be silent (cf. verses 26, 27).

Ezekiel 3:18. When I say to the wicked man: “You shall surely die!”, and you do not warn him and do not speak to warn the wicked man from his wicked way, to save his life, then that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, and I will require his blood from your hand. “When I say to the wicked man,” i.e., I commission you to say in My name. It is possible that besides individual persons, under the wicked man and later under the righteous one is understood “an ideal being that embodies a type” (Hengstenberg). “You shall surely die.” First made with regard to the command in paradise (Gen 2:17), this threat has the same meaning here, embracing all earthly misfortunes culminating in death. “And you do not warn him”—“from fear, laziness, or connivance” (Jerome). “I will require his blood from your hand.” An expression borrowed also (like “you shall surely die”) from Genesis (Gen 9:5; cf. Ezek 13:22). A negligent prophet is punished by God as a murderer (by death). “If he who is guilty of death to the body, which in any case will sometime die, is considered such a grave criminal, how much graver is the crime of one guilty of the death of the soul, which would live eternally if it heard the word of correction” (St. Gregory the Dialogist).

Ezekiel 3:19. But if you warn the wicked man, and he does not turn from his wickedness and from his wicked way, then he shall die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul. “From his wickedness and from his wicked way.” The first means here a separate sinful act, and the second means the sinful direction of life.

Ezekiel 3:20. And if a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, when I place a stumbling block before him, and he dies, then if you did not warn him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds which he did shall not be remembered; and I will require his blood from your hand. “When I place a stumbling block before him,” i.e., temptation (Slav. “torment,” Greek βασανον “testing through torture”). What is called the permitting of God for temptation is meant; which in its proper sense cannot come from God (Job 1:12; Jas 1:13). “If you did not warn him, he shall die for his sin.” No such supposition was made of the wicked man (cf. verses 18 and 19) because with regard to the transgressing righteous man, the lack of timely rebuke can prove to be the sole cause of his spiritual death, whereas rebuke rarely saves a sinner. “And his righteous deeds which he did shall not be remembered.” A grave sin can so corrupt a righteous man that all his former virtues disappear without a trace from his soul. Besides, the prophet Ezekiel, as an Old Testament man, speaks more of the earthly fate of the righteous and the wicked than of the life beyond, where each is repaid according to his deeds.

Ezekiel 3:21. But if you warn the righteous man, so that the righteous man does not sin, and he does not sin, then the righteous man shall surely live, because he was warned; and you have delivered your soul. This verse does not maintain parallelism with verse 19 as fully as verse 20 does with verse 18. The following possibilities are given: a) the prophet does not warn, and the transgressor (wicked man or righteous man) perishes; b) the prophet warns, but is not listened to; c) the prophet warns and is listened to; with regard to a sinner options a and b are assumed, with regard to a righteous man a and c, which makes sense. “Then the righteous man shall surely live… and you have delivered your soul.” “You have gained two lives at once: for yourself and for him” (Blessed Theodoret). “And you save yourselves and us when you abandon iniquity; and we save you and ourselves when we do not remain silent about what is bad” (St. Gregory the Dialogist).

Ezekiel 3:22. And the hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me: Arise and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you. Ezekiel 3:23. And I arose and went out to the plain; and behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face. The repetition of the Chebar vision, so majestic and exceptional, within such a short interval of time (soon or very soon after the revelation Ezek 3:16, as shown by the absence of a date in verse 22 when there is one in verse 16; in any case less than a year; cf. verses 1, 2, and Ezek 8:1) could have been caused by the prophet’s continuing hesitation to begin his service in view of the well-founded expectation of its fruitlessness. It is unjustly supposed that after the revelation Ezek 3:16 and following the prophet began his preaching, but was forced to be silent, and therefore in Ezek 3:25-27 he is given a new program; if this had been the case, why would it not be said, and leave between verses 21 and 22 a “gaping hole” (Bertholet). If an inner revelation sufficed to clarify certain puzzles generated in the prophet by the calling address (Ezek 3:16-21), then to actually introduce the prophet into his service and give him detailed and precise instructions for activity an external revelation, a new appearance of God, was necessary. “Go out to the plain”—for the sake of seclusion, which was required for the vision. “Plain” more accurately from Heb. “a level place,” surrounding the hill on which Tel-Aviv was located. “And the glory of the Lord stood there.” Consequently, the prophet found her already there, and on the Chebar she came to the prophet; similarly in the following vision of chapters VIII-XI the prophet finds her already in the temple. Coming to earth, God seems not to leave it even now and until the events of chapters VIII-XI. “Stood” shows that under the glory of the Lord the entire phenomenon is meant, not for example the One sitting on the throne; this is also indicated by the following words: “like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar,” the phenomenon repeated before the prophet in full completeness. Although it is not excluded that “the glory of the Lord” is used here in a narrower sense—of the human Image seen on the Chebar: 1) the expression is not so decisive as in Ezek 43:3; 2) the repetition of the entire phenomenon here was not as necessary as in chapters VIII-XI and in XLIII; 3) here only the Image of the Lord was needed, as in Ezek 8:2. The mention of the Chebar shows that this river did not flow near Tel-Aviv.

Ezekiel 3:24. And the Spirit came into me and set me on my feet, and He spoke to me and said: Go and shut yourself in your house. God gives the prophet the most unexpected and seemingly strange instructions (and this is why, incidentally, a new appearance of God was needed) about the first steps of his ministry. Ezekiel should not like his great predecessors go about the streets and alleys with threatening speeches; let him sit quietly in his own house. That “shut yourself in your house” should be understood this way, not in a narrow and literal sense, is evident from Ezek 8:1; Ezek 14:1 and from the four symbolic acts immediately following this command, which to have sense must have been seen by at least occasional visitors to the prophet. The prophet’s confinement in his house was to have a term, indicated in verse 27, similar to his silence, and like the latter, could not be absolute. By this confinement one could test how the prophet’s countrymen would behave toward him. Jerome sees in the confinement and the binding of the prophet with bonds (verse 25) the first symbolic act already, indicating the siege of Jerusalem. But chapters I-III as a whole, as is evident from Ezek 3:26-27, are devoted, as an introduction to the book, to the description of the prophet’s calling to prophetic service in general.

Ezekiel 3:25. And you, son of man, behold, they will lay bands upon you and bind you with them, and you shall not go out among them. So that the prophet might better carry out this confinement in his house, difficult for a man of public initiative (especially in the East), God desires to bind him. As is shown by Ezek 4:8, this bondage reached such a point at times that the prophet could not turn from one side to the other. The reference is clearly to real muteness, a paralytic state of the prophet’s body, affecting his tongue as well (verse 26). “They will lay,” “they will bind”—clearly impersonal expressions, the logical subject of which is a heavenly power; but it is noteworthy that in the next verse—about the tongue—there is already a personal construction; the LXX have here too a personal but passive construction: “behold, bands shall be given upon you.” “These bands could perhaps have been imposed upon the prophet in a visible manner in the vision” (Maldonatus). The whole expression is too decisive for the following understanding: “The malice and stubbornness of the prophet’s countrymen will be like bands with which, bound by them, he will not be allowed free action in the discharge of his service” (Trochon).

Ezekiel 3:26. And I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, and you shall be mute and shall not be a reprover to them, for they are a rebellious house. Ezekiel 3:27. But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them: “Thus says the Lord God!” Let him who has ears to hear listen; and let him who refuses, refuse; for they are a rebellious house. Unlike previous prophets who did not cease in their rebukes of wickedness, the preaching of Ezekiel, at least at first, will be silent. For this purpose the prophet’s tongue will physically be inactive (perhaps periodic muteness), serving as a striking sign of the uselessness of prophetic rebukes for the people. Experience showed that the stubbornness of the people cannot be broken by rebukes; one must wait until it is broken in another, more decisive way—by the fall of Jerusalem, after which alone the prophet’s mouth will open (Ezek 33:21-22). Until that time the prophet’s mouth will open only for the transmission of direct and, probably, particularly necessary revelations of God, namely rebukes (Ezek 3:17 and following). That the prophet did not remain completely silent even before the fall of Jerusalem is shown by Ezek 11:25. But after this event the prophet could freely, not only by the will of God, use his tongue, and his prophetic speeches flowed more abundantly, not by exceptional circumstances alone, not for rebukes alone; from that time his comforting speeches began.

Chapter Four

Symbolic actions. 1–3. Drawing of the siege of Jerusalem. 4–8. Lying on the left and right side. 9–17. Eating unclean food.

The prophet, forbidden to speak, must in visible forms (as if by gestures and pantomime) represent Jerusalem as 1) besieged, 2) famishing, and 3) conquered. And since the miseries of the siege continue even in captivity, which is a kind of prolonged siege of the people, the depiction of the former includes the representation of the latter. Each of the three indicated moments is expressed in a separate symbolic action (the last already in chapter V), but between the first and second is inserted a symbolic depiction of captivity, so that there are 4 symbolic actions in all, corresponding to 4 heavenly plagues usually visited on sinners and seemingly coming from 4 winds of the earth (Ezek 14:21; cf. explanation 1, 5). Each succeeding symbolic action is described and explained more fully than the preceding one, and to the last (Ezek 5:1-4) is appended a thorough substantiation of all these threats (Ezek 5:5-17).

Ezekiel 4:1. And you, son of man, take a brick for yourself and lay it before you, and draw upon it the city of Jerusalem; “And you, son of man.” The continuation of God’s speech in chapter III; therefore the symbolic actions the prophet was commanded to perform during an appearance to him similar to that on the Chebar in the Tel-Aviv plain, which occurred soon (see explanation Ezek 3:22) after the Chebar vision, probably in the same year. If the command to perform these symbolic actions had been given at another time, not then, it would have been added at the beginning of chapter IV, as in chapters VI and VII: “and the word of the Lord came to me.” But the very vision of the Lord’s Glory might not have continued throughout this revelation, which did not need to be more than internal. Thus, the symbolic actions depicting the siege and capture of Jerusalem were performed by the prophet 4 years before the events themselves—a period during which they could not have been foreseen by natural means, for only in the 4th year of his reign (a year before Ezekiel’s calling and his symbolic actions) did Zedekiah enter into a covenant with Nebuchadnezzar, in the 7th year he betrayed him, and in the 9th the siege of Jerusalem began, lasting 2 years. Bricks in Assyria and Babylon were used not only for buildings (for which they were the exclusive material there) but also for writing: entire libraries have been discovered written with cuneiform signs on such bricks or clay tablets. They wrote on wet tablets and then dried them. The most interesting monuments of Assyrian civilization have come down to us on clay. Drawings on bricks have also come down to us; the British Museum owns several examples discovered in Nimrud. The present symbolic action of Ezekiel could have contained the thought that the siege of Jerusalem would someday be recorded on Babylonian tablets. But it is scarcely the case here that the prophet used a tablet, though Symmachus writes πλινθιον and the LXX for the same purpose πλινθος gave it feminine gender. An ordinary brick would more likely have been at hand and more suited for the purpose by its size: the bricks of Babylonian walls were 1 ft. x 5 in. x 5 in. “Draw” (lit. “engrave”) upon it the city of Jerusalem, “the whole, as it remained in the faithful memory of the prophet” (Trochon); literally: “Jerusalem, the city.”

Ezekiel 4:2. and set up a siege against it, and build a siege wall against it, and cast up a mound against it, and set camps against it, and set battering rams against it round about. “And set up” (instead of draw—a general expression like Ezek 32:18; Jer 1:10) “a siege,” i.e., draw the totality of all siege works, which are then listed in detail. “And build a siege tower,” Heb. “dayik,”—an unknown siege structure of the ancients, apparently specifically Babylonian, since it is mentioned only by Ezekiel (Ezek 33:27) and Jeremiah (Jer 42:4; 2 Sam 25:1): either a watchtower, a lookout tower to see what is happening in the city (cf. Isa 29:3), or a tower for hurling stones at the city, a catapult (if a tower, then a collective name, since in Jeremiah and 2 Kings with him “round about”), or a siege wall, corresponding to our line of trenches for repelling sallies, or a siege mound (from it went to the wall of the besieged city a rampart, which is mentioned further). “And cast up a mound.” It was raised not only from sand but from stones, sods, wood; batallistas were placed on it, and it served as a shelter from enemy arrows. Greek χασακα (palisade), Slav. “ostrog.” If the preceding word means a mound, then this one means a rampart leading from the mound and abutting against the city wall (cf. Jer 6:6; Isa 37:33).

Ezekiel 26:9. “Set camps,” lit. “camps,” pl., encampments, because the enemy army was positioned round about the entire city not in one but in a whole series of camps; perhaps an indication of the diversity of the besieging army (Jerome: “military sentries”). “And set battering rams” lit., “rams,” i.e., battering rams (cf. Ezek. 26:9; Josephus, De bello judaico III, 7, 19). Discoveries in Assyria show that these engines were known there from ancient times: they are depicted on bas-reliefs in the palace of Nimrud presumably XII c. B.C. (Layard, Nineveh, t. II, p. 868); depictions in Kuyunjik in the palace of Sennacherib show that in the siege of one city no fewer than 7 battering rams were employed. To cut all this on a brick was not easy; perhaps the prophet indicated all this only by lines and dots. With the instruction to the prophet concerning the symbolic action here imperceptibly interweaves a prediction of all the details of the siege: in these instructions is drawn such a vivid picture of the siege that only a very skilled engraver could transfer it to stone. Ezekiel 4:3. and take for yourself an iron plate, and place it like an iron wall between you and the city, and set your face against it, and it shall be in a siege, and you shall besiege it. This is a sign for the house of Israel. “An iron plate,” more precisely, as in Slav.: “a griddle” (baking sheet, metal pan), from which bread loaves were baked for example in oil (Lev 2:5). The prophet was commanded to use it because among iron things it was closest at hand, found in every house. It could also best represent an iron wall between the prophet, representing God, and the city depicted on the brick: between Jehovah and His holy city there now stands thus a whole wall, impenetrable as iron—a sign of the inexorability and inevitability of God’s determination concerning Jerusalem (Jerome and Theodoret), or perhaps the reason for it—the sinfulness and hard-heartedness of the people (Kimbhi: “gross and black sins”). This plate could also indicate the unbreakable siege works around Jerusalem. On the bas-reliefs of Nimrud and Kuyunjik sieges are depicted in which are found all the objects mentioned in verse 2, and at the same time a kind of large shields fastened to the ground behind which archers took shelter (Layard, Nineveh II, 345). “And set your face against it” (cf. Ps 24:16 and others). Looking at it intently, not turning your eyes away, full of unwearying wrath, “with the stern and relentless face of a strict judge who, being immovable in his decision, looks at the guilty party with a firm gaze” (Jerome). “And you shall besiege it.” As the representative of God, the prophet must now besiege the city himself. No one else but Jehovah Himself will besiege the city, and the enemy army will only be the instrument by which His will is carried out (Aram.) (Jer 25:9). So too the ancient prophets represented the attack of the enemy, disagreeing in this regard to the point of opposition with the popular view, according to which Jehovah cannot separate Himself from the people. “This is a sign for the house of Israel.” This symbolic siege signifies the doom threatening Jerusalem. The house of Israel is here called one Judean kingdom, for after the fall of the Israelite kingdom it alone represented the whole nation (cf. 2 Chr 35:18; Isa 48:1); in the same sense Ezekiel uses this designation above: Ezek 3:7, below: Ezek 5:4; Ezek 8:6 and others; he departs from this usage only once, namely just now in verses 4 and 5. Ezek 4:4-17. The prophet could not draw the difficult conditions of the siege on the brick, but could represent them only on himself. This he does in the following symbolic action. If the inhabitants of besieged Jerusalem endured above all a terrible confinement, which made any free movement impossible for them, then their position in captivity will not be essentially different, and not only during the siege but in captivity will they have to sustain their existence on meager and unclean food. Both are presented together in the same two symbolic actions, and each is explained first with regard to captivity (verses 5–6, 13), and then with regard to the siege (verses 8, 16–17), whereby this section returns to its starting point—verses 1–3.

Ezekiel 4:4. And you shall lie on your left side and place upon it the iniquity of the house of Israel: according to the number of days that you shall lie upon it, you shall bear the iniquity of it. The present symbolic action consisted of prolonged, lasting whole months, lying of the prophet on one side (not in sleep, because during this lying the prophet was to prophesy against Jerusalem depicted on the brick with outstretched hand—verse 7; therefore Slav. tr. inaccurately contrary to Heb. and Greek “to sleep”), a lying apparently continuous and therefore especially difficult, possibly accompanied by painful numbness of the side on which the prophet lay. Thus, this symbolic action, while not being as striking as the symbolic actions of the previous prophets, for example, walking naked, wearing a yoke, or cohabitation with a harlot, was no less strong, strong by its inner force: the prophet here suffered greatly for the whole people, prefiguring the sufferings of Christ for the world. One of the stichera in the service to the prophet Ezekiel (July 21) discerns in his lying precisely such a thought: “Ezekiel, approved of God, as a follower of Christ, you endured the torment of another’s debt, severely tormented, prefiguring that which was to come to the world for the sake of the precious cross—salvation, manifestation of God, and deliverance” (stichera 2 at Lord, I call). This lying meant the painful confinement of actions of the besieged and captive, similar to those of those bound in chains and sick. The prophet makes it understood that the destruction of Jerusalem, which was the true head of both the kingdom of Israel and of Judah, as the place of the sanctuary, punishes the wickedness of the whole people, both of the Israelite kingdom and of the Judean. The left side indicates the Israelite kingdom either as lower compared with the Judean, or as lying to the north, to the left, if one stands facing East. “Place.” Lit. “take.” “Upon it”—the left side. “The iniquity of the house of Israel.” Sin is represented as a weight that must be borne (Lev 5:17 and others) until it is expiated (Num 14:34); bearing guilt thus becomes the punishment for it (Ezek 21:30 and others); it can be borne by one for another; such is the suffering of the Servant of Jehovah in Isa 53; but this case does not apply to Ezekiel: he bears the guilt only symbolically, as a sign that Israel and Judah must bear it. The LXX already in this verse indicate the number of days the prophet was to lie on his left side, namely 150 days, which the Heb. text indicates only in the next verse. Thus the LXX give this number twice and not in the same way: 150 in this verse and 190 in the next, which casts a shadow of doubt on the authenticity of their addition.

Ezekiel 4:5. And I have appointed you the years of their iniquity according to the number of days: three hundred and ninety days you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. Ezekiel 4:6. And when you have completed these, then you shall lie a second time on your right side, and you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah for forty days; I have assigned one day for each year. From what time should the 390 years of Israel’s iniquity and 40 years of Judah’s iniquity be counted? If by “years of iniquity” is understood the years in which Israel sinned (rather than years during which he suffered punishment for sins), then the following methods of calculation are possible. 1. The rabbis (Rashi, Kimbhi and others) begin counting the 390 years from the entry of the Israelites into the land of Canaan and end with the carrying away into captivity of the ten tribes: 151 years the period of judges, 241 years the time of kings, about 390 years total; but before the division of kingdoms both Judah and Israel sinned together; why then is the iniquity of the latter calculated only 40 years? 2. Others begin the count from the division of kingdoms: 256 years the existence of the ten-tribe kingdom plus 134 years from its fall to the destruction of the temple; by more correct chronology 975 B.C. the division of kingdoms minus 589 the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar = 386; the missing 4 years are added by poetic license; but from the destruction of the Israelite kingdom only Judah sinned; still this explanation is more probable than the previous one, since in Scripture it is often said of Jeroboam that he caused Israel to sin. 40 years of Judah’s iniquity (Jude 1) the rabbis begin from the idolatry of Manasseh, which they suppose on the basis of 2 Chr 33:13-17 lasted only 16 years (because this number must be added to the following to get 40) plus 2 years of Amon, and omitting the pious reign of Josiah, 22 years of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah. Or 2) they begin these 40 years from the 13th year of Josiah’s reign, from the beginning of Jeremiah’s prophetic service, when it is supposed that God did not count Judah’s former sins, such as the idolatry of Ahaz, Manasseh, Amon, because of public repentance under Josiah, and end with the destruction of the temple; but the reign of Josiah was the most pious, yet it is proposed to count from it the years of Judah’s iniquity. Under the years of iniquity, to which the prophet’s symbolic lying referred, can be understood the fruits of punishment for iniquity. Then for 390 and 40 the following calculations are possible. The 390 years are counted from the first deportation of Israel to the Assyrian captivity by Tiglath-Pilezer in the reign of the Israelite king Pekah, from which to the 11th year of Zedekiah there passed 164 years plus 70 years of Babylonian captivity plus 155 years 4 months from the restoration of the temple under Zerubbabel to the final liberation of the people under Artaxerxes Mnemon = 889 years 4 months (Jerome); in this reckoning years are counted according to reigns and all reigns are taken as complete, even the final ones in the series, i.e., the reign of Pekah and Artaxerxes Mnemon, although the Bible does not say and it is unknown from where in which years of these kings the events related to this arose—the Assyrian captivity and the salvation of the Jews from Haman. As for the 40 years, approximately that much should have passed from the deportations under Jehoiachin to the decree of Cyrus (until the liberation of Jehoiachin from prison), i.e., about that many years of actual and especially severe captivity for the Judean kingdom (which ideally lasted 70 years; see explanation Ezek 1:1 “the thirtieth year”). In particulars and details each of these calculations permits many objections (besides those made in their places, for example: the captivity of Israel and Judah according to Ezek 37:15 and following should apparently end at the same time) and, one can say, not one gives an exact coincidence with the numbers indicated by the prophet. But exact coincidence is hardly necessary here; what is important is that in the history of Israel, in the history of both its sins and its misfortunes for these sins, one can find the periods indicated by the prophet. The wicked existence of the Israelite kingdom indeed corresponds to the wicked period in the Judean kingdom as 390 to 40, and approximately the same proportion exists between the long captivity of the former and the short one of the latter. And if we take into account that the threads of that historical account often escape entirely from our sight and that in particular, for example, the time of the return from captivity of the 10 tribes is completely unknown to us, then we must regard the most precise explanation of these symbolic numbers as beyond human understanding. It is noteworthy that the siege of Jerusalem, to which, like the captivity, the prophet’s symbolic lying referred, lasted almost as long as this lying: it lasted 1½ years or 530 days, but with interruptions (Jer 37:7-8). It is also noteworthy that the sum of the numbers given here, 430, corresponds to the years of Israel’s “sojourn” in Egypt, and according to the prophets the Assyro-Babylonian captivity of Israel is nothing other than a repetition of Egyptian bondage (Hos 2:2; Ezek 20 and following); and of the 430-year life of Israel in Egypt precisely 40 years can be set apart as a period of particularly severe misfortunes, whether to place these 40 years on the 40-year wandering through the desert or on the 40-year sojourn of Moses in Arabia (after the killing of the Egyptian), when persecutions by Pharaoh should have intensified (Keil). Regarding the number 40, it should be noted that this number is so symbolic that it is scarcely used anywhere in the sense of a definite quantity (the flood, the fast of Moses and Elijah, the preaching of Jonah in Nineveh, the fast of the Savior—all 40 days); in the Persian language this number, besides its own meaning, means also “many.” So Judah sinned much, for a long time, and Israel 9¾ times, almost 10 times as much as the greatest abundance! The LXX instead of 390 have 190 (some codices have 150 and very few have 390) and perhaps in order to bring their reading closer to the Hebrew, the beginning of verse 5 they read as: “and I gave you two wrongs of theirs for a number of days,”—evidently the same as in the Targum: “I gave you two for one for their sins,” i.e., one day for two years of their wrong (the LXX and Targum thus understood the Hebrew “shnay” in the sense of “two,” not “years”). Modern exegetes consider the LXX number more true: in verse 9 God commands the prophet to eat unclean bread for all the days that, according to the Hebrew text, 390, according to Greek, 190, during which he will lie on his side; it is concluded from this that the 40 days of lying on his right side or 40 years of Judah’s iniquity are included in the total 390 or 190, from which the lying on his left side or the iniquity of Israel will take 350 or 150; the latter number is in some codices of the LXX in verses 4 and 5; and if so, the years of Israel’s iniquity or more precisely the punishment for it exceed the years of Judah’s iniquity only by 150 years; the Assyrian captivity of Israel, i.e., the taking of Samaria, actually preceded the Babylonian captivity or the taking of Jerusalem by 1½ centuries (725–589). Besides, the LXX reading is confirmed, it is said, by the fact that on the 5th day of the 6th month of the 6th year of his captivity the prophet already had his second vision, in which the elders were present and in which he was spiritually transported to Jerusalem; by this time, it is said, his lying should have ended (could not the prophet have had the vision of chapters VIII-XI lying down? the feat of lying and the fasting associated with it most of all could have contributed to that vision); but perhaps, if we suppose the earliest possible date for his symbolic actions of the 12th day of the 4th month of the 5th year (through 7 days after the first, Chebar vision), before the vision of chapters VIII-XI there will remain 412 days (and what if the year was a leap year? or if 40 are included in the 390 days?). From the Greek reading, it is said, the Hebrew easily could have arisen under the influence of considerations that a new captivity of Israel should correspond in number of years to Egyptian bondage or (according to Bertholet) on the basis of gematria (numerical value of letters) in the words “days of siege” “yemei matzora”: 10 plus 40 plus 10 plus 40 plus 90 plus 200 = 390. But it is equally easy that 190 or 150 could have arisen from 390 under the influence of the two considerations that are now adduced in defense of 190.

Ezekiel 4:7. And you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm uncovered, and you shall prophesy against it. Isaiah 52:10. To show that the symbolic lying signifies not only captivity but also the siege of Jerusalem, the prophet must during his lying look at the siege of Jerusalem depicted on the brick (and thus have his mind turned to this event) and stretch toward this depiction his right arm (Slav. and Greek more precisely: “limb”), uncovered (perhaps with his tunic slipped from it, which generally thrown over his head and tied with a belt covered only the upper part of his arm), thus rolled up for struggle and battle (cf. Isa. 52:10; therefore Slav. freely: “limb… strengthen,” 52): in other words, the prophet even while lying down should continue to represent to himself (cf. the iron plate verse 3) the Lord grimly besieging the city. “And you shall prophesy against it.” This very pose of the prophet will be his prophecy, for according to Ezek 3:26 prophecy is possible for him only silent. Ezekiel 4:8. And behold, I put bands upon you, and you shall not turn from one side to the other until you have completed the days of your siege. But, continuing to play the role of the besieging one begun already in verse 3, the prophet is to also play the role of the besieged: he will do this by his lying. God will put upon him invisible bonds (see explanation Ezek 3:25), so that he cannot physically turn from side to side in case the unbearable pain of the side from prolonged lying began to overcome obedience to God’s command, “so as not to suggest any relief from sufferings, which will not come (for the besieged) until the complete fulfillment of the foreordained days” (Jerome).

Ezekiel 4:9. And you shall take wheat and barley and beans and lentils and millet and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread from them for yourself; you shall eat it for the number of days that you lie on your side: three hundred and ninety days you shall eat it. The besieged and captive will suffer such hunger that they will scrape up any grain found lying about anywhere to bake bread from it. Bread from such a many-(6)-component mixture, constituting disgusting and unhealthy food, imparted ceremonial uncleanness to those who ate it, for according to the law of Moses one was not allowed to sow a field and vineyard with seeds of two kinds, nor to make clothing of two kinds of material (Deut 22:9 and following; Lev 19:19); every such mixture was considered unclean. The colors of the picture are taken from the besieged city, but Ezekiel has primarily in view the captivity. He wants to dramatically represent to the captives that the food in captivity is unclean (cf. Hos 9:3 and following; Amos 7:17). The grains are listed in order of their quality, beginning with the highest, which were to be exhausted first. Wheat—“a memory of better times” (Hävernick). Barley—in Palestine horse feed (1 Sam 4:28); bread from it is made in times of famine (2 Sam 4:42). Beans are mentioned in the Bible only in 2 Sam 17:28; according to Pliny (Hist nat. XVIII, 30), many peoples mixed them into bread. Lentils (Slav. “lyascha”)—now in Egypt the poor make bread from them during great crop failure. Millet is very cultivated in Egypt and Arabia—“the food of common people, wild and slaughtered animals” (Jerome); in Hebrew “dokhaz” may be what in Arabic is “dahn”—an oblong-round, dark-brown grain like rice, from which, in the absence of better products, a kind of poor bread is made (Keil). Spelt (Slav. “pyro”) the inferior kind of wheat, the flour from which is finer and whiter than ordinary wheat flour, but bread from it is very dry, unpleasant and meager in nutrition; the Vulgate: vicia—“wild, crane peas.” “And make bread from them according to the number of days in which you lie on your side.” According to Jerome, 390 loaves, one for each day of lying. Consequently, the loaves had to be prepared from this unpleasant mixture more than a year in advance; otherwise one could not subsequently violate the command of lying; by the end of this period the bread would definitely harden (though the prophet was allowed to make not loaves but cakes—gallettes—see verse 12); in a country like Palestine, bread is useless by the second day. For the prophet this was more than a fast, a fast for a sinful people. What strength of spirit was required to endure such an incredibly heavy and seemingly purposeless fast! “Three hundred and ninety days you shall eat them.” Why not 390 + 40? According to Jerome, as a sign that not the same punishment will befall Judah, which had at least knowledge of God and Israel, which completely turned away from true religion. Perhaps the 40 days are not mentioned for brevity of expression. Most likely, because the mentioned number is sufficient for its purpose—the announcement of long punishment.

Ezekiel 4:10. And your food which you shall eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day; from time to time you shall eat it. In a besieged city, when food supplies are running out, they are distributed to the inhabitants by weight. No more abundantly did captives feed in ancient times who were reduced to slavery. To signify this, the prophet too must accept his meager food, consisting only of foul-tasting bread, by weight. A shekel = 3.83 grams. 20 shekels = 25½ loti, “half of what is required for the daily use of man in those countries” (Trochon): “with such food the soul is more worn down than sustained” (Jerome). However, Welsted (Travers in Arabia, t. II, p. 200) recounts that Bedouins undertake journeys of 10–12 days taking with them nothing but a sack filled with small cakes; each cake weighs about 5 ounces; two such cakes and a gulp of water—all they consume in 24 hours. “From time to time you shall eat it.” An expression found elsewhere only in 1 Chr 9:25 understood by some as “from morning to evening,” by others as “from the beginning of lying to the end”; most likely, however: eat the 25-loti cake not at once, but at accepted times of eating, at lunch, dinner—in portions.

Ezekiel 4:11. And you shall drink water by measure, one-sixth of a hin you shall drink; from time to time you shall drink. Worst of all is that water too had to be drunk by measure, which happened only in the worst cases of siege. A hin—a name of Egyptian origin; frequently mentioned in the Bible (Exod 29:40; Num 15:4); according to the rabbis it equals the volume of 72 chicken eggs; therefore 9 3/5 bottles in 1 20 of a bucket, 1/6 hin = 1 3/5 bottles. During sieges of those times with primitive water supply, shortage of water was inevitable.

Ezekiel 4:12. And eat it as barley cakes, and bake it in their sight using human dung as fuel. “The worst is approaching” (Smend). To signify a shortage of wood, the mentioned bread had to be prepared not in an oven but in ash, making it in the form of barley cakes (probably the ordinary bread of the poorest people), that is, so thin that a small amount of heat from the ash could penetrate all the dough. In countries most lacking in wood, they were replaced by dry dung of livestock (also—the southern Russian kizyak). Bread baked in ash from such fuel cannot fail to inspire disgust, although in some places even now in the East and, for example, in Palestine itself, fellahin do not disdain such baked cakes. But if for this purpose human dung was used, as the prophet was commanded, then to eat a cake, all covered with such ash (so one should understand the Vulgate expression: “and you will cover them with human dung,” and the more hesitant LXX: “in dung, βολβιτοις, motes, κοπρου, of human, you will hide them”) meant almost the same as eating human dung. Perhaps the besieged city could reach such an extremity with the destruction of all livestock in it. Imparting a foul smell to the food, such a method of preparation also defiled it according to Deut 23:13-14. “And bake them in their sight.” Receiving his visitors, the prophet should not hide from them his symbolic action.

Ezekiel 4:13. And the Lord said: “Thus shall the people of Israel eat their bread unclean among the nations to which I will drive them.” In verses 13–17 the symbolic action is first explained with regard to captivity, then with regard to the besieged Jerusalem, thereby the conclusion of the chapter connects with chapter V; but this explanation is interrupted in verses 14 and 15. The most terrible thing in captivity is that there one will have to eat unclean bread (Hos 9:3 and following; Amos 7:17), from contact with gentiles (thus Symmachus translates “among those nations”) no less unclean than bread prepared on dung.

Ezekiel 4:14. Then I said: “O Lord God! My soul has never been defiled; and from my youth up until now I have not eaten anything that died of itself or was torn by beasts; nor has any unclean meat ever entered my mouth.” “That Ezekiel himself is so frightened of this is characteristic” (Smend). Cf. Acts 10:14. Places in the book of Ezekiel that show such a living communion of the prophet with God are generally few: Ezek 9:8. It was forbidden to eat carrion and that torn by beasts (Lev 17:15; Deut 14:21), because in such meat blood remained, the bearer of the soul. Under other “unclean meat” is meant, probably, the meat of unclean animals, such as swine. Here is an argumentum a majore ad minus (Maldonatus). “From my youth.” Consequently, at this time the prophet was rather far removed from youth (cf. Slav. “even until now”).

Ezekiel 4:15. And He said to me: “See, I permit you to use cow dung instead of human dung, and you may prepare your bread upon it.” “Although the prophet so resists this command, God eases it only slightly. Notwithstanding the use of cow dung mentioned above for baking bread, this could scarcely prevent it from signifying defilement of food for Ezekiel. But the concession to the prophet concerned him personally and changed nothing in God’s determination regarding Israel” (Smend).

Ezekiel 4:16. Moreover, He said to me: “Son of man! Behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem; they shall eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and they shall drink water by measure and in despair,” “The staff of bread”—a Hebraism: the bread that sustains the strength of man; found also in Ezek 5:16; Isa 3:1. “They will eat bread by weight and with anxiety and water will drink by measure and in despair,” i.e., “in distress” (Vulgate) about the fact that it will soon be gone.

Ezekiel 4:17. because they will have a shortage of bread and water; and they will be in terror looking at one another, and they will waste away in their iniquity. “They will look at one another,” in vain seeking help from one another. “Will waste away.” Slow starvation. “In their iniquity.” Greek plural: “for their iniquities.” Here one cannot avoid the question raised by the exegesis of chapters IV and V of Ezekiel: were the symbolic actions described in them actually performed by the prophet? All these actions are so strange, striking, “inelegant,” that some interpreters of Ezekiel recognize them, like similar actions of the prophet Amos (Amos 9); Isaiah (Isa 20); Jeremiah (Jer 13; Jer 27) and Ezek 12:17 and following, only as parables, comparisons, or visionary experiences. But, rightly remarked by others, the fact that in their performance these symbolic actions seemed childish and absurd is another matter; whether they seemed absurd to people (and they indeed sometimes seemed so, cf. Ezek 33:30-32) or not was not the prophet’s concern; only let them pay attention to him and to what he wanted to bring to their understanding. However, there is a greater question whether these symbolic actions would be “more reasonable” if they were invented or internally experienced. Generally, the following should be taken into account: 1) the prophetic word in the Old Testament conception is the deed itself, which is realized in the material world; 2) the remoteness of Ezekiel and his environment from the arena of events, to which all interests were directed, could constantly awaken in him the need to palpably embody them for himself and his countrymen (“to find a substitute for personal presence in Jerusalem.”—Smend); 3) if Ezekiel, according to the most correct understanding of Ezek 3:27, was actually deprived for some time of the ability to speak, he had to resort to some form of mimetic expression; 4) an Oriental man is always ready to supplement gestures to his speech.

Chapter Five

1–4. Fourth symbolic action: the shorn hair. 5–17. Explanation of the symbolic actions.

Ezekiel 5:1. And you, son of man, take for yourself a sharp sword; as a barber’s razor take it for yourself, and draw it over your head and your beard; and take for yourself scales, and divide the hair by weight. The prophet must now represent the outcome of the siege of Jerusalem, whereby he himself again comes forward as the representative of the besieged city, and his hair—the inhabitants. He shaves his hair on his head and beard, thus symbolizing disgrace (cf. 2 Sam 10:4-5, which is why shaving was forbidden to priests—Lev 21:5) and devastation (Isa 7:20 and following), and by destroying the shaved hair in various ways, he represents the ways by which the Lord will carry out His judgment on the population of Jerusalem and Judea. “Take for yourself a sharp sword,” Slav. more accurately “a sword.” “As a barber’s razor take it for yourself,” i.e., as a proper razor use a sword; Slav.: “sharper than a razor.” The word “barber,” “galav,” used nowhere else in the Old Testament (its root is Arabic), testifies that in the time of Ezekiel this profession already existed. The shaved hair is weighed on scales in the sign of the special precision of God’s predetermination in 3 equal parts. According to the LXX, the hair is divided into 4 parts and the first lot is subjected to two parts; since Jerome it has been recognized as an oversight of copyists; perhaps originally a fourth part meant burned hair tied up in clothing (see verse 3), and later the first part was doubled.

Ezekiel 5:2. Burn one-third in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled; and take one-third and strike it with the sword in the surroundings of it; and scatter one-third to the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them. “In the midst of the city,” i.e., in the image of it on the brick. “When the days of the siege are fulfilled,” i.e., when the symbolic lying representing it is fulfilled. All three details of the symbolic action are explained in verse 12. The burning of hair signifies the deadly calamities of the siege: famine and plague, and perhaps the burning of the city during the siege. “Strike with the sword in the surroundings of it,” i.e., the engraved city; the slaying of those attempting sallies. Symbol and reality are so little separated from each other that this would be criticized by a modern writer; but an ancient man did not draw such a sharp boundary between symbol and reality as we do. “Scatter to the wind.” Signifies the scattering of the Jews throughout all the land, which began soon after the taking of Jerusalem: besides Babylon, some went to Egypt. “I will draw out a sword after them.” The scattered Jews will always be in fear of pursuing enemies. The symbol for a time gives way to direct speech: the Lord Himself takes the place of the prophet, and the people takes the place of the hair. But such an intrusion of direct speech causes some to see in the phrase an insertion from verse 12.

Ezekiel 5:3. But you shall take a small number of hairs, and bind them in the fold of your garment. Hair bound in the hem (a symbol of safety: 1 Sam 25:29) signifies the survivors of Jerusalem’s conquest among the Jews—both those who remained in Judea and those who were deported to Babylon. “A small number”—literally “a small count,” that is, so few that they can be counted, and these are hairs!

Ezekiel 5:4. Then take some more of them and throw them into the fire and burn them in the fire. From there a fire will go out against the whole house of Israel. Some of these hairs are burned, which according to certain interpreters signifies the struggle between Gedaliah and Ishmael Jer 40:1 and following, but more accurately the destruction of some of those who returned from exile. From this it is evident that Ezekiel expects a further purifying judgment, in which those who survive the first catastrophe will be destroyed (cf. Isa 6:13); this thought already appears in Ezek 3:16-21: “shall surely die” (Bertholet). “From there a fire will go out against the whole house of Israel.” From there, where the last part of the hair lies, from the place of exile, from those spared from disasters; Greek exautes may mean “the city”; according to others, from the people, from the very fire itself. By this latter fire, which is to spread over the whole house of Israel, various post-exilic calamities are understood, beginning with the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes (blessed Theodoret) and ending with the two destructions of Jerusalem under Titus and Hadrian (blessed Jerome). More soundly is it to understand here a purifying fire for Israel as a whole, which came “to cast fire upon the earth,” the Savior (Luke 12:49); cf. Isa 6:12-13, Ezek 6:8-10. But this interpretation too is not without difficulty: fire everywhere in the Old Testament symbolizes God’s judgment (Jer 4:4; Zeph 3:8 and others), and why would such fire go out if already two-thirds have been destroyed, and not all should perish according to Ezekiel? Therefore, it is thought that the words “against the whole house of Israel” should be connected according to the LXX with the following sentence, and “fire went out” may be an insertion from Ezek 19:14 (but these words are found everywhere). Ezek 5:5-17 The punishment threatening Jerusalem is established (v. 5-10) and described without symbols (v. 11-17), with speech gradually transitioning from Jerusalem to the land (cf. chapters VI and VII) and from the content of the last symbolic action to the explanation of all of them. The general thought of verses 5-10: Israel, so highly distinguished before the nations, has shown itself worse than they, and for this is subject to the severest punishment.

Ezekiel 5:5. Thus says the Lord God: this is Jerusalem! I have set it in the midst of the nations, and all around it are lands. Jerusalem is called the center of the nations and lands (cf. Ezek 38:12), as the focal point of the earth in the historical sense (not geographical, as rationalists wish to see here naive geographical conceptions), as the city in which God established the throne of His kingdom of grace, from which will go forth the law (Isa 2:2; Mic 4:1) and salvation (Ps 73:12) for all nations. This conception presupposes the people’s faith in their world-historical significance, on the basis of which they feel themselves to be the focal point of world history, and therefore of the earth. “For this evaluation of Jerusalem, Solomon, who pondered raising it to the level of a cosmopolitan capital, did far less than Isaiah; for the latter, world history revolves around Jerusalem as a cornerstone Ezek 29:5 and ff. Ezek 31:5); Jehovah has in Jerusalem a fire (Ezek 31:9); so also at the end of times it should become again a faithful city, a mountain of righteousness (Isa 1:26). In Ezekiel’s time, it was relied upon as an external reality, by possessing which they counted themselves unconquerable (Jer 7:7). For Ezekiel too Jerusalem is the incomparable city, because here is the temple, in which alone lawful worship is possible (Bertholet). “I have set it in the midst of the nations, and all around it are lands.” The second clause strengthens the thought of the first. “Lands” (plural) is characteristic of Ezekiel: it has the meaning of “heathen land” and appears in him 27 times, whereas in earlier prophets it does not occur, except in Jeremiah, in whom it appears 7 times” (Bertholet).

Ezekiel 5:6. But she has rebelled against My ordinances more wickedly than the nations, and against My statutes worse than the lands around her; for they have rejected My ordinances, and do not walk in My statutes. Ezekiel 5:7. Therefore thus says the Lord God: because you have multiplied your abominations more than the nations that are around you, and do not walk in My statutes, and do not keep My ordinances, and furthermore do not walk according to the ordinances of the nations that are around you— He who should have been a teacher of truth and piety has become a leader of all impiety. Apart from the ordinances (Church Slavonic: “justifications,” which are the more important, moral laws) and statutes (Church Slavonic “laws,” which are the ceremonial laws of God), Jerusalem does not even walk according to the “ordinances” (not statutes) of the nations, that is, according to the precepts of natural law and conscience (in Ezek 11:12 the prophet Ezekiel, on the contrary, reproaches the Jews for walking according to the ordinances of the surrounding nations, but there it is evident that religious and ceremonial ordinances are meant, so that passage does not contradict the present one, and there is no need to remove the negation here in order to resolve this contradiction, which moreover several Hebrew manuscripts do not have (Peshitta). Thus the present passage is a dogmatic anticipation of the teaching of the Apostle Paul concerning the moral natural law among the nations in Rom 2:14 and ff., while being at the same time a further development of such thoughts of Amos (Amos 3:9) (Egypt and the Philistines have their moral judgment, by which Israel’s behavior is condemned); Amos 1:3—Amos 2:3 (the nations are accountable for their sins); appeal to the moral judgment of the nations is made also by Jeremiah Jer 18:13; Jer 6:18 and ff.; cf. Ezek 3:6; however, the thought of God’s revelation to all mankind, even a covenant with them, was already expressed in Gen 9:4-17; cf. from later times the so-called “Noahide Commandments” (Bertholet).

Ezekiel 5:8. Therefore thus says the Lord God: behold, I Myself am against you, even I, and I will execute judgments in your midst before the eyes of the nations. “Behold, I am against you”—a favorite expression of Ezekiel’s. The speech returns to the second person singular (understood primarily as Jerusalem), but not to the third person. “Even I.” An emphatic repetition (for reinforcing the thought). “It is I, whom you considered asleep, but who always reigns and punishes sin” (Trapp). “Judgment before the eyes of the nations” (cf. Jer 1:15) is also so that they might see in this proof of God’s righteousness. “Later Jews showed anxiety lest they become a shame to the godless, and their constant prayer to God, for example in some psalms, was that He would mercifully protect them from the malice of the latter. Ezekiel does not share this anxiety for his people; on the contrary, he nails it to the pillar of shame, as though he were bound to it by no ties” (Bertholet); for him God is everything.

Ezekiel 5:9. And I will do to you that which I have never done, and the like of which I will never do again, because of all your abominations. To unprecedented godlessness will correspond unprecedented punishment. Here one keenly perceives how unprecedented the destruction of the nation was for the captives. For the conquest of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile, here seems too strong an expression (apparently contradicting Matt 24:21); one can understand the destruction of Jerusalem under Titus and Hadrian; and the latter interpretation can scarcely be hindered by the consideration that the Jews were then no longer the people of God and that they were punished then for a new sin—the rejection of the Messiah (Kliefoth, Das Buch Ezechiels Prophet, 1864–1865, on this passage), the people and their sin cannot be divided so into epochs.

Ezekiel 5:10. Fathers shall eat sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers. And I will execute judgments on you, and I will scatter all your survivors to every wind. This terrible contravention of nature threatens also those who do not stop short of violating the most fundamental demands of natural moral law, Lev 26:29; Deut 28:53; but here the threat is aggravated by the final words: “and sons shall eat their fathers.” Something similar already occurred during the siege of Samaria (2 Sam 6:24-29) and probably this is not mere hyperbole in the fear of the horrors of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in Lam 2:20; Bar 2:8; Jer 19:9. “One can also understand the Roman siege” (blessed Jerome). “I will scatter all your survivors, that is, those who escape the siege.” The same metaphor appears in Ezek 12:14; cf. Jer 49:32. Ezek 5:11-17 The punishment of Jerusalem is described more closely, in its execution, with the constant reiteration that it is not Ezekiel but the Lord who thus speaks; this is done in three distinct stanzas, which are separated from each other by the same number of repetitions of: “I the Lord have spoken this” (v. 13, 15, and 17).

Ezekiel 5:11. Therefore, as I live, says the Lord God, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable things and all your abominations, I will diminish you, and My eye will not spare, and I will show you no pity. The Lord swears by His life (the most solemn of oaths; cf. Num 14:21; Deut 32:40) that because of Jerusalem’s transgressions, the chief of which was the defilement of the temple (begun by Manasseh) with abominations (which are idols) and detestable things (which may relate to their worship; similarly in chapter VI the chief sin of Israel is considered to be the “high places” with their idolatry), Jerusalem will be treated without the mercy usually shown by God. “I will diminish,” literally “I will reject” (Church Slavonic: “I will cast out”) or “I will turn away” My eyes from you, so that somehow mercy should not awaken toward you.

Ezekiel 5:12. A third part of you shall die of plague and be consumed with hunger in your midst; a third part shall fall by the sword around you; and I will scatter a third part to every wind, and I will draw out a sword after them. This serves to explain verse 2, which however needed explanation only for its first member: it is here divided into two parts (plague and hunger), whereby four punishments result; if they are divided into three groups (the LXX has four), the basis for such division is that the first third perishes in the city, the second in the immediate vicinity of the city, and the third at a distance, in captivity. Hunger, plague, and sword appear frequently in Ezekiel (Ezek 6:11 and ff. Ezek 7:15) as three punishments of God; often joined to them as a fourth punishment are wild beasts (v. 17; Ezek 14:21); the same punishments are enumerated in this way by Jeremiah (18 times) and in cuneiform inscriptions (Müller, Ez. - Studien, 58–62). “I will draw out a sword”—v. 2.

Ezekiel 5:13. Thus My anger will be spent, and I will vent My wrath upon them, and I will satisfy Myself; and they shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken in My jealousy, when I have spent My wrath upon them. A strongly expressed anthropomorphism. The prophet himself is evidently infected with the Lord’s indignation, and his speech here reaches the highest degree of angry passion. “And they shall know”—the survivors, that is, the third part mentioned in verse 12. “And they shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken.”—A favorite expression of Ezekiel, not found in other prophets.

Ezekiel 5:14. And I will make you a ruin and a reproach among the nations that are around you, in the sight of all who pass by. Ezekiel 5:15. And you shall be a taunt and a reproach, a warning and a horror to the nations that are around you, when I execute judgments on you in anger and wrath, and in furious rebukes—I, the Lord, have spoken— The discourse naturally returns from the fate of the captives to the fate of the devastated city, with further development of verses 8 and ff. The land will become a wasteland, a comparison with which will be insulting to every land. “A warning”—of punishment, which will teach other nations not to sin. “A horror”—before the great calamities that will befall Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 5:16. When I send upon you my deadly arrows of famine, which will be for destruction, which I will send to destroy you, and I will increase famine upon you, and I will break the supply of bread for you, Ezekiel 5:17. and I will send upon you famine and wild beasts, and they shall rob you of your children; and pestilence and blood shall pass through you, and I will bring the sword upon you. I, the Lord, have spoken. Further development of verse 15b; verse 16a even continues the construction of verse 15, which then breaks off anacoluthically (without maintaining the sequence of thought). The threat is completed by repeating again the punishments mentioned in verse 12, but with intensified expressions and the addition of one new punishment, whereby the number 4, so significant for the present case, is obtained; cf. Ezek 14:21 and Ezek 1:5. It is remarkable that famine stands out as the greatest calamity, before which even the enemy’s sword gives way, which corresponded to reality. Attention is drawn to the change from third person plural first to second person plural, and then to second person singular. That the copyists were not troubled by this and did not attempt to correct it, Bertholet explains by the fact that for them the connection between the individual and the whole, and the personification of the people and society, lay deeper in their blood than we in modern times can understand; for them the people and society were constructed far less out of individual persons, than these latter received their right to exist through their belonging to the people and society. The horror before wild beasts, which resulted from military devastation, is spoken of very often (cf. especially 2 Sam 17:25; Exod 23:29; Deut 32:24; Lev 26:22). “The evidence that the cultivation of holy land remained relative at all times. The juxtaposition of pestilence and blood is striking, since the latter evidently is not shed by sword (cf. Ezek 14:19); meanwhile the expression hardly has a pathological basis (“blood boil”), but rather is only alliteration (the placing together of words with the same letters at the beginning, in Hebrew: dever—dam) and perhaps a byword” (Bertholet).

Chapter Six

Prophecy Against the Land

Ezekiel 6:1. The word of the Lord came to me: In chapters IV and V the prophet had in view primarily the city; now he turns to the whole land (and in chapter VII to the kingdom), in order to present the guilt and punishment in their broader connection. The defilement of the temple through idolatry stands in connection with worship on high places, which became widespread throughout all the land (v. 3) and can be rooted out only by complete devastation of it (v. 6) and destruction of its population (v. 5 and 7); only when all these sanctuaries with their pagan images fall (v. 4) and the idolatrous people are brought low directly before their idols (v. 7); only then will the stubbornness of those few from Israel who survive in the universal scattering be broken (v. 8-9), and though they come to the realization that the Jehovah proclaimed by the prophets is the one true God (v. 10). This is what is being prepared for the land of Israel. With angry scorn and undisguised indignation, the prophet can look upon the people’s conduct: God will soon put an end to this conduct (v. 11-13); the thickly populated land will become a desert, which will spread over an immense space (v. 14).

Ezekiel 6:2. Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them, Palestine, especially Judea, is a mountainous land, wherefore the prophet, who lived in the Babylonian plains, loves to call it the “mountains of Israel,” cf. Ezek 13:17 and others. But this name has a very special meaning for the prophet: on the mountains stand the hateful altars of high places.

Ezekiel 6:3. and say, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys: behold, I Myself will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places; If the prophet demands that the mountains listen to the word of the Lord, this is more than a rhetorical figure: already the prophet Isaiah brings inanimate nature into religious contemplation—“Ravines,” literally “streams,” that is, the beds of streams, which are temporary and so numerous in Palestine and are known there even now under the name of wadi. “The joining of valleys to the mountains aims to embrace the whole land (cf. Ezek 32:5-6 and others); but besides this, here, as in the address to the mountains, there is an intention toward the idolatrous purpose of the valleys; in this regard the valley of the sons of Hinnom was particularly well known (Jer 7:31); the valleys were covered with trees and groves, under whose shade the worship of Astarte was especially practiced. “Sword”—war. “High places,” bamot—a technical term; a place of certain peculiar cults; see Jer 7:31. Ezekiel’s view of them is more fully set out in Ezek 20:27-29.

Ezekiel 6:4. Your altars shall become desolate, and your incense altars shall be broken; and I will cast down your slain before your idols; “Altars” are distinguished from “high places” also in other places: 2 Sam 21:3. “Incense altars,” Church Slavonic “idolhouses,” Hebrew “haman”—special pillars—symbols of Baal, as the god of the sun, set up at or on (according to 2 Chr 34:4) his altars (“baal-hamon” of Phoenician inscriptions); the Hebrew name may derive perhaps from a ridge between Syria and Cilicia. “And I will cast down your slain (Church Slavonic more accurately: “your wounded,” the wounded, because the slain are spoken of further) before your idols.” The powerlessness of idols will become palpable when their servants, expecting help from them against enemies, are slain before them. Idols are here called gilipul, which may come from gel—kal,—Ezekiel’s favorite name for them: used by him 38 times out of 47 total occurrences (also in Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Jeremiah); XX simply “idols.” “In the formation of such contemptuous names the Hebrews are generally strong” (Bertholet.).

Ezekiel 6:5. And I will lay the dead bodies of the people of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones around your altars. A double threat: the slain will be deprived of burial, their bones will be manure for the soil (cf. Jer 8:2) and corpses will defile the sanctuaries (cf. 2 Chr 23:14; Josephus, Archaol. XVIII, 2, 2).

Ezekiel 6:6. In all your dwelling places the cities shall be waste, and the high places shall be desolate; so that your altars will be waste and desolate, your idols broken and destroyed, and your incense altars cut down, and your works wiped out. “The cities shall be waste.” Idolatry will be completely destroyed, because there will be no one to practice it. Perhaps it refers mainly to cities situated on the slopes of those high places, on whose summit the altars of high places stood, for example, Rama.

Ezekiel 6:7. And the slain shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am the Lord. The devastation of the land and the slaughter of the inhabitants has primarily the goal of destroying the hated altars, so that with the prophet who predicts this, God might also be proven right. The chief motive of God’s activity for Ezekiel in general is the glory of His name. “And the slain shall fall in your midst.” Not all the inhabitants will be slain, so that the survivors are not unable to recognize in all this the hand of God.

Ezekiel 6:8. But I will leave a remnant, so that you may have some that escape the sword among the nations, when you are scattered among the lands. Ezekiel 6:9. And those of you who escape shall remember Me among the nations to which they have been carried captive, when I have broken their lewd heart that has departed from Me, and their eyes that play the harlot after their idols; and they shall loathe themselves for the evil things that they have done, in all their abominations; Long captivity, to which those who escape Nebuchadnezzar’s sword will be subjected, will make them know their sin and repent of it: “I will break their heart” (LXX, “I have sworn to their heart”), but besides their heart, external senses will also repent, that is, the eyes, which led the heart into sin (cf. Num 15:39). “A lewd heart, playing the harlot after idols.” In this image Ezekiel follows Hosea, who was the first to represent the relationship of God and the people as a marriage; this image Ezekiel later developed to its furthest extent (chapters XVI and XXIII); it could become the more beloved with Ezekiel because the word “harlotry” could allude to pagan cults in which sensuality played a role, and such cults were most seductive; this image had wide and frequent application down to the New Testament (“adulterous generation”). “Idols” the LXX here call them επιτηδευματων “institutions,” “customs,” Church Slavonic “beginnings.” “They shall loathe themselves”; Church Slavonic: “they shall strike their faces.”

Ezekiel 6:10. and they shall know that I am the Lord; I have not spoken in vain when I said I would bring this evil upon them. “And they shall know,” that is, the captives, “that I am the Lord.” The prophet Ezekiel was able to observe this even in his surroundings. God did not punish without purpose, but to bring about repentance.

Ezekiel 6:11. Thus says the Lord God: clap your hands and stamp your foot, and say, Alas! because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel; for they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. To clap one’s hands and to stamp one’s foot (Church Slavonic: “and tremble”) was a gesture of scornful mockery; cf. Ezek 25:6 (malice of the Ammonites over the destruction of Israel); Ezek 21:14. “And say, Alas!”; Hebrew “ag” is rather an interjection of laughter (ha-ha) than of sorrow; so also ευγε, and Church Slavonic “well…” From this one can see the contrast in which Ezekiel stands to his people: he does not suffer with them, as Jeremiah does, but seems unfeeling and indifferent to their fate; cf. Ezek 5:5 (Bertholet.); but this comes from extraordinary zeal for the glory of God: the honor of God’s name was in danger.

Ezekiel 6:12. Whoever is far off shall die of the pestilence; and whoever is near shall fall by the sword; and whoever is left and is preserved shall die of famine. Thus I will spend My wrath upon them. The three punishments of chapter V appear again, but in application to the whole land already in different distribution: where the Chaldean sword does not reach, there epidemic and famine will seize the guilty (some LXX codices, contrary to the accepted text, more correctly place first the sword, then the plague, θανατος, and famine). “Whoever is left and is preserved”; Church Slavonic: “those who are besieged,” more accurately “those under siege.”

Ezekiel 6:13. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when their slain lie among their idols all around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, under every green tree, and under every leafy oak, the places where they offered pleasing odor to all their idols. The verse repeats and supplements the thoughts of verses 4 and 5, as verse 14 supplements verses 6 and 7. The verse provides a vivid enumeration of the places of idolatry. Mountains and hills were chosen for idols and shrines in the belief that these places are nearer to heaven (Tacitus, Ann. XIII, 57; cf. Num 22:41 and others). Equal to mountains, shady valleys under thick-leaved trees were chosen as places of worship, for example, terebinths (“oaks”), because it was believed that divinity dwelt in trees. “Sweet incense,” Church Slavonic “fragrant odor”—the usual designation of a sacrifice pleasing to God; what according to the law should have been preserved for God was offered in sacrifice to idols; the expression sounds with mournful jealousy.

Ezekiel 6:14. And I will stretch out My hand against them and make the land desolate and waste, from the wilderness of Diblah throughout all their habitations; thus they shall know that I am the Lord.” “I will stretch out My hand”—I will punish; cf. Ps 137:7 and others. “Make the land desolate and waste,” Church Slavonic: “to ruin and destruction”; in Ezek 33:29 the same Hebrew words are rendered in Russian translation as “wasteland of wastelands.” A hyperbole, since holy land never turned into an actual wasteland. “From the wilderness of Diblah.” The Hebrew construction allows also the translation: “From the wilderness to Diblah,” or: “more (desolate) than the wilderness of Diblah”; one of the two latter translations should be accepted, as with the first (Russian Bible) no terminus ad quem (up to where) is indicated. The wilderness of Diblah is unknown. In Jer 48:22 and Num 33:46 a city of Beth-Diblatha is mentioned, mentioned also in the inscription of the Moabite king Mesha (line 30) and perhaps located at the great Arabian desert; but nowhere is this or another desert called by the name of this insignificant city. Therefore, it is supposed that there is an error of the copyist instead of “Riblah” (the letters resh and daleth are so similar in Hebrew that such an error is possible and frequent): “from the desert, that is, the Arabian, to Riblah.” Riblah lay in the country in Hamath at the Orontes on the same latitude as Tripoli, and in other places Hamath is often indicated as the northern boundary of the promised land; if Ezekiel mentions Riblah here, it may be because of the fatal significance of this city for the Jews of that time: there Nebuchadnezzar overtook Zedekiah and carried out a cruel judgment upon him (2 Sam 25:6-7). Copyists could have changed Riblah to Diblah under the influence of the cited Ezekiel and Numbers passages—“Throughout all their habitations.” The conqueror spared no city or village.

Chapter Seven

The End of the Kingdom

Concluding the first section of prophetic discourse, this chapter supplements the previous discourse in that it considers the approaching catastrophe in relation to state and social institutions, and generally depicts it more concretely. In doing so, the flowing style of prophetic speech gives way to lyricism. The surge of feeling to a lyrical pathos, striving to pour itself out in short incomplete sentences and rapidly alternating images of the impending ruin and calamity, is explained, like the visionary character of the last chapters, by the eschatological character of the thought to which the earlier speeches of the prophet have gradually led, namely, that the end is coming; this position gives the theme which resounds through the whole chapter; the end stands directly before the prophet’s eyes. Being poetically measured, the chapter falls into four stanzas.

The basic thought of the first stanza, chapter 2-9; the destruction of sinful Israel is unavoidable; in this section of the chapter there are so many repetitions that every expression of verses 2-4 except 9b is repeated in verses 5-9, but repeated with substantial additions; therefore there is no need to see in verses 2, 4 and 5-9 two mechanically joined recensions: repetitions are a peculiarity of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 7:2. “And you, son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel: An end has come; the end has come upon the four corners of the land.” “You say” appears only in Greek; the Hebrew does not, as also in Ezek 39:17. “The land of Israel an end.” With the end of the Hebrew theocracy founded on the principles of Sinai legislation, Palestine also ceased to be holy land, standing under the special influence of Providence; cf. Amos 8:2; Lam 4:18. “Upon the four corners of the land.” Although the expression means the whole earth, it refers only to Palestine, as in Isa 24:4 (Palestine called the universe) and perhaps Matt 27:45.

Ezekiel 7:3. Now the end is upon you, and I will send My anger upon you, and I will judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations. “God’s anger” here seems to be hypostasized in the form of “evil angels,” who go forth bringing calamity to the land: Job 20:23; Ps 77:49. “Abominations”—that is, sins are represented as a weight that must be borne until they are atoned for (cf. Ezek 4:4).

Ezekiel 7:4. And My eye will not spare you, nor will I have pity, but I will punish you for your ways, while your abominations are in your midst; and you shall know that I am the Lord. Verse 4a: Ezek 5 verses 11b. “The end is upon you”—for the third time. Verse 4b, although it repeats the expressions of verse 3, develops and explains them: “I will judge according to your ways” means “I will repay you for your ways” (Church Slavonic more accurately: “your way upon you I will put”: guilt and punishment in such a natural connection that the latter is really only another form of the former); “I will punish you for your abominations”—“your abominations will be with you,” will be visible to all. While the abomination remains in the land, it remains unscavenged, as blood cries for vengeance until the earth opens to receive it. By “abomination” is understood, as shown by Ezek 5:11, idolatry; hence by “evil ways”—moral corruption. “And you shall know (in Greek and Peshitta—singular), that I am the Lord.” The goal of all punishing judgments of God in Ezekiel is always one: the knowledge of Jehovah; everything happening ultimately is directed to the glory of God (cf. Ezek 6:7).

Ezekiel 7:5. Thus says the Lord God: Disaster! A unique disaster; behold, it comes! “Disaster! Unique”—such as cannot have an equal (cf. Matt 24:21), or that which cannot be followed by another; cf. 1 Sam 26:8. The brevity of the sentences and the repetitions well express the prophet’s agitation at the sight of the coming calamities.

Ezekiel 7:6. An end has come; the end has come; it has awakened against you; behold, it has come! “Has awakened against you (the end),” that is, awakened (Vulgate: vigilanit). The end, properly, could and should have come long ago, since the measure of lawlessness has been full for a long time; but it was in a hidden sleeping state. In Hebrew there is a wordplay: hakec hakic, reminiscent of Amos 8:2 Such a passage generally seems to have been before Ezekiel’s mind here. “Behold, it has come.” The feminine gender here can have the meaning of an impersonal neuter.

Ezekiel 7:7. Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land! The time has come, the day has drawn near—not a day of joyous shouting upon the mountains. “Doom,” Hebrew tzephira, a word found besides this place and verse 10 only in Isa 28:5, where it is translated by all as “crown”; but this meaning does not fit here, which is why various interpreters give it a multitude of meanings, the most probable of which is “doom” or, according to the kindred Arabic root, “fate,” “destiny”; the Greek is closer to the Hebrew: plokee, Church Slavonic “braiding,” that is, should be a tangling of misfortunes. “O inhabitant of the land,” calmly remaining in Judea. “The time has come,” that is, “of retribution for sins” (Targum). “A day of joyous shouting upon the mountains.” Doubtless celebrations on the high places are meant. Church Slavonic: “not with tumult, neither with pains” (ωδινων, as Isa 26:17 “groans at childbirth”); there will be no noise of life and joyful labor; the word “mountain” Hebrew har the LXX read as one with the preceding ged and got “pangs of birth”.

Ezekiel 7:8. Now I will soon pour out My wrath upon you, and accomplish My anger against you; and I will judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations. “Soon.” In fact, within three years. “I do not foretell the future to you and threaten you from afar” (blessed Jerome). The LXX literally from the Hebrew “from nearby,” that is, very soon; only here. Verse 8 is similar to verse 3.

Ezekiel 7:9. And My eye will not spare you, nor will I have pity. I will repay you for your ways, while your abominations are in your midst; and you shall know that I, the Lord, strike. Ezek 7 Verse 4. Only “the one who strikes” is added. Thus the repetition is not without further development of thought (as also verse 8 in relation to verse 3): the prophecy of Ezekiel has, according to Ezek 2:5, first and foremost only the goal that the people in the coming calamity recognize the punishing hand of God; cf. Ezek 25:7. Ezek 7:10-18—form the second part (stanza) of this prophetic discourse. The prophet’s feeling subsides, and from here on one can follow his thought. The prophet begins to give himself an account of what exactly is being prepared for Judea, what awaits it. The impending evil fate, which with the necessity of nature grows out of godlessness of the people, will put an end to all abuses, which under present lawlessness weigh so heavily to feel, for under terrible blows of war the state will be destroyed to its foundation. In this section one can even note a certain chronological order in the description of coming calamity, but a peculiar, namely inverse one—from the end to the beginning: the prophet is first struck by the sad consequences that Chaldean conquest will leave in Judea (v. 10-13); and then before his eyes the terrible picture of the conquest itself is drawn (v. 14-18).

Ezekiel 7:10. Behold, the day! Behold, it comes! Your doom has come out; the rod has blossomed, pride has budded. “The day.” The LXX add: “of the Lord”; but what “the day” means has been sufficiently known since Amos 5:18. “The rod,” as an instrument of punishment; the Vulgate happily: virga, “scourge of God”; thus in Ps 10:5 the Assyrian kingdom is called, and here it should be the Chaldean. The final expression that clearly parallels: “pride has budded”; cf. Jer 2:21 and ff. Hab 1:6; so also understand the Targum and Peshitta. Indeed the Chaldean monarchy grew almost before the eyes of that generation and flourished with the vigor and freshness of youth (Church Slavonic: “the rod has blossomed”). Others refer the final expression to Judea: its pride has grown so much that it provoked the appearance of the rod destined to punish it.

Ezekiel 7:11. Violence has budded, becoming a rod of wickedness. None of them shall remain, none of their multitude, none of their wealth, none of their prominence. “Power” is Chaldea, “rod of wickedness” is Judea; the former is required by the context, and the latter is proven by the fact that the tribe is called a “rod” in Num 1:43; Josh 13:29. The passage then indicates what will be the effect of this power on the wicked rod: “none of them” (literally: “none of them,” that is, no one; Church Slavonic: “and not of them are”) and from their wealth (more accurately from the Hebrew: “from the multitude,” that is, the density of population; Church Slavonic: “and not with tumult,” θορυβον, with noise, that is, the destruction of Judea by the Chaldeans will happen without great military noise, easily) and from their prominence (an unknown Hebrew word noham is thus translated on the basis of Theodotion, Symmachus and rabbis; Church Slavonic “beauty,” ωραισμος).

Ezekiel 7:12. The time has come; the day has arrived. Let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn; for wrath is upon all their multitude. The catastrophe will cause a complete perversion of usual relations and cessation of commercial enterprises, for example, trade. “Let not the buyer rejoice.” Ordinarily the seller remains more satisfied than the buyer; if here it is the opposite, then it is meant forced sale, at a loss to oneself, as in Isa 5:5; Mic 2:2. As the continuation of this thought in verse 13 shows: “for the seller shall not return to what he has sold,” it is meant mainly real property: lands, houses, and, it is thought, those who, having been deported to Babylon with Jehoiachin and Ezekiel, the aristocracy, had to sell their remaining property cheaply to those left in Judea (Smend): the prophet consoles these sellers in the loss by the fact that their property would have perished all the same with the final conquest of Judea; they have now realized something for property destined to perish, while those who took advantage of their distress to buy property cheaply will soon lose both it and the money they paid. But it may also be that it is generally indicated here that in the conquest will perish property the most dear, the acquisition of which is met with joy, and the alienation of which is decided with tears and under the influence of extreme necessity (cf. Lev 25:25). “For wrath is upon all their multitude.” A large number destined for destruction will not stop the punishment; the wrath of God will not be overcome by mercy.

Ezekiel 7:13. For the seller shall not return to what has been sold, as long as they live. For the vision concerning all their multitude shall not be revoked; and because of iniquity, no one can maintain his life. One can understand this about the return of sold property to their former owners in the jubilee year. It is possible that here, as was noted in the explanation of verse 12, it speaks of the prophet’s contemporaries, that they will never return to the sold property (therefore there is no reason to weep that they are sold cheaply), since Babylonian captivity will end not in this generation. Although jubilee years, as is evident from Jer 34 chapters, often were not observed, but Babylonian conquest will make it impossible to observe them even if desired. Will then the laws of the theocracy, unchanging as God’s own will, cease to operate on earth? Yes, answers the prophet to this in the next verse. No less unchangeably (“shall not return,” that is, back to God not fulfilled, cf. Isa 55:11) is the prophetic vision. “Vision” often calls every revelation to the prophet: Isa 1:1 and others; here are probably meant first and foremost the predictions about the destruction of the kingdom and the 70-year captivity. “Upon all their multitude,” hence both on greedy buyers and on grief-stricken sellers; see the explanation of the parallel expression in verse 12. “No one by his iniquity shall be able to maintain his life.” A profitable purchase of land will not help, because it was made with sin, and sin destroys life; this new sin, taking advantage of another’s misfortune, will only increase the retribution. Church Slavonic: “for the one holding to the seller to the one will not return and still in living living to him,” that is, he will not make any more such profitable purchases in the course of the rest, already short, life (or as blessed Theodoret: “wishing to change the deed of purchase”), because he will perish together with all the multitude of Jews. “A man in the eyes of his life (instead of “avon,” “sin” the LXX read “ain,” “eye”) shall not be strengthened”: when life, thanks to such profitable purchase, was just beginning to smile at him, imminent death in the general destruction awaits him.

Ezekiel 7:14. They have blown the trumpet and made all ready, but none goes to battle; for My wrath is upon all their multitude. Description of the conquest begins with a strong poetic turn: “blow the trumpet”; Russian translation contrary to Hebrew and LXX (Church Slavonic: “blow the trumpet”) puts the imperative mood: “Blow the trumpet.” To the call of military leaders (by trumpet) for universal arming (“and all made ready” so that all should prepare; Church Slavonic: “consider all”; consider the plan of war) everyone tries to evade military service: God in His anger will deprive all of courage, will strike the people with cowardice precisely at this fatal time (Lev 26:17; Deut 28:25).

Ezekiel 7:15. The sword is outside; pestilence and famine are inside. Those in the field die by the sword, and those in the city are devoured by famine and pestilence. Battles in the open field end in complete defeat, cities are unable to withstand the burden of siege and are forced to surrender by hunger and epidemic. Of course, not all the population will perish; here is hyperbole. Expressions remind of Matt 24:16-18; Mark 13:15-16. “Are devoured by famine”—an oxymoron (a union of contradictory concepts).

Ezekiel 7:16. And those who escape of them shall escape and be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, everyone for his own iniquity. The only salvation will be in flight to the inaccessible Palestinian mountains (cf. 1 Macc 2:28; Matt 24:16). But what a miserable picture these fugitives present: like “doves of the valleys,” presumably wild, they pitifully “moan” (the ancients considered the cooing of doves to be a moan of pain: Virgil, Eclog. I, 56), having only now, so late, recognized their own sin.

Ezekiel 7:17. All hands shall hang limp, and all loins shall be weak as water. Fear for the lives of the inhabitants (or, in particular, the fugitives of v. 16) will be so strong that it will manifest itself outwardly: hands will helplessly hang down, unable to grasp anything, and legs will refuse to serve, trembling like water (cf. Josh 7:5; Ps 21:15; Job 4:4); Church Slavonic: “and all loins shall become wet with moisture” (incontinence).

Ezekiel 7:18. And they shall gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them. Shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness on all their heads. Continuing to depict the mental state of the inhabitants of Judea during the Chaldean conquest, which represents a mixture of sorrow, fear, and shame, the prophet sometimes looks into their soul (second and third clause), sometimes observes external manifestation of feelings (first and fourth), and the description proceeds from feet to head; they are girded with sackcloth in sign of sorrow, Hebrew “sak,” rough woolen material, which was wrapped around the body above the loins; like clothing covering them, their trembling from fear; on the face shame appears, perhaps for defeats; all heads are shaved in sign of sorrow for the slain in war relatives (cf. Mic 1:16). Ezek 7:19-22 The powerlessness of all that was relied upon will be revealed: wealth (see 19), idols (20-21), and the temple itself (v. 22).

Ezekiel 7:19. They shall throw their silver into the streets, and their gold shall be like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They shall not satisfy their hunger nor fill their bellies with them; for it has been the stumbling block of their iniquity. Silver and gold have no price in the time of famine, since one cannot buy bread with them; as rubbish will the precious metals be thrown into the street, so bitterly having deceived the hopes of their owners and being the cause of many sins (luxury, etc., but not because idols were made from them, which will be spoken of separately), and hence also the present punishment.

Ezekiel 7:20. As for their beautiful ornament, they used it for pride, and they made their abominable images and detestable things from it. Therefore I will make it an unclean thing to them; Ezekiel 7:21. and I will give it into the hands of strangers as plunder, and to the wicked of the earth as spoil, and they shall profane it. “What I gave for the adornment of garments, My wealth (gold and silver) they turned to pride” (blessed Jerome). To this ingratitude was added another even more offensive: from precious metals, this best gift of God, they began to make idols, joining to pride, this deification of themselves, the deification of metals. These abominable to God, but sacred to worshippers, images God will deprive even in the eyes of worshippers of holiness, the essential attribute of these images, through profanation, which the idols will undergo, falling into the unclean hands of conquerors, everywhere noted for their disrespect toward native sanctuaries.

Ezekiel 7:22. And I will turn My face from them, that they may profane My precious place; and robbers shall enter and profane it. The third and seemingly most strong and reliable support of the dying kingdom will be destroyed—the temple, which will cease to be a temple (a sanctuary) when it is profaned by the entry into its inaccessible and sacred parts of the unclean (“robbers shall come there”) and the desecration of the inviolable to laymen vessels of the temple (“robbers,” LXX: “carelessly,” that is, enter the temple without fear for themselves). The temple is called a word which it is called nowhere else, but which breathes deep sorrow of God over its destruction: “My precious place,” that is, either “inaccessibly hidden” or “My treasure” (LXX: “My watching,” επισκοπην—the place of supervision and rule over the holy people); in view of the rarity of such a name for the temple, it is thought without sufficient foundation that here is meant not the temple, but either a sanctuary, or temple treasures, or finally the holy city itself. The profaning of the temple becomes possible only because God “turns His face” from the Jews (an expression, not infrequent in Ezekiel, but in this discourse appearing only once), as though He ceases to look upon this heavy spectacle for Him; while the temple existed, Jehovah mercifully turned His face upon the people; now He abandons the land and people. It is remarkable that neither here nor in chapters VIII-XI does Ezekiel predict the destruction of the temple, but only its profanation and abandonment by God: not completely burned by Nebuchadnezzar, the temple was soon restored; therefore, for prophetic contemplation, it was not destroyed materially, but only spiritually, which was even more terrible. Ezek 7:23-27 The measure of sins is filled, and God has pronounced His judgment, which will soon be executed by the cruelest and most wicked nations of the earth. Blow after blow will fall on the proud city, no one will give counsel or help, and deaf despair will take hold of both high and low society—so demands the righteousness of Jehovah, Who wishes finally to manifest Himself in His true nature. Thus, the prophet, in his review of the future fall of Jerusalem, going from the end of the catastrophe to its beginning, in this section of the discourse reaches the first moments of it, when the news of the invasion of the cruel conqueror first reached Jerusalem and shocked everyone.

Ezekiel 7:23. Make a chain; for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence. “Make a chain” as a sign of captivity. The imperative mood hardly has its usual meaning here, but some other, as in Amos 9:1; moreover, the authenticity of the expression is doubtful: the Hebrew has “rattak,”—which means not chain, but a little chain; the ancient translations do not confirm the Hebrew reading: the LXX: “they will make riot” (that is, should be, before the invasion, a riot will occur in the land, which will facilitate the conquest by the enemy); Vulgate: “make an end” of speech. As the sins of Judea here, as well as in Ezek 9:9; Ezek 11:6 cf. Ezek 8:17, are pointed out differently than in chapters V, VI, VIII “the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.” Apparently all kinds of bloodshed and violence are meant, which were caused by the complete perversion of all relations after the removal of Jehoiachin; cf. Ezek 7:12; Ezek 22; Ezek 24; especially Ezek 22:25 cf. with Lam 4:12-15. The second reproach seems weaker than the first; but there could not be as much murder in the city as throughout the whole state.

Ezekiel 7:24. Therefore I will bring the worst of the nations, and they shall take possession of their houses. I will put an end to the arrogance of the strong, and their sanctuaries shall be profaned. The enemies, whom God will bring upon Judea, will in their ferocity correspond to the guilt of the land. Such was Ezekiel’s opinion of the Babylonian conquerors; cf. in verse 21: “the wicked of the earth.” Because of violence against the poor, the Jews themselves will be deprived during the invasion not only of all property, but also of shelter; because of “bloody crimes” (v. 23), taking from a man the most precious gift of God to him—life, will be profaned “their sanctuaries,” Church Slavonic: “the holy,” that is, the sanctuary, the temple, which the Jews treasured so. “I will put an end to their arrogance”—it is unanimously understood of the destruction of the temple, which was the pride (Church Slavonic: “the exaltation of power,” cf. Lev 26:11; Isa 13:11) of the Jews (“the strong,” those counting themselves strong because of possession of the temple; but better to read with the LXX “power,” “strength,” not “strong”).

Ezekiel 7:25. Destruction comes; they will seek peace, but there shall be none. Having pointed out the immediate cause of the coming calamities and their character, the prophet returns to the description of them. “Destruction”—kefadah—απ λεγ, which may be more correctly translated by newer interpreters in connection with the following verses: “fear,” “anxiety,” Church Slavonic “prayer,” εξιλασμος, repentance (later!). “Peace”—salvation.

Ezekiel 7:26. Calamity upon calamity shall come, and rumor upon rumor; they shall seek vision from the prophet, but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders. “Calamity upon calamity.” Hebrew gova the LXX translate as an interjection (woe), ουαι επι ουαι. Blessed Jerome opposes this to what is said to the saints: “rejoice and again rejoice.” “Rumor upon rumor” (in German Hiobpost—“Job’s mail”). Terrible news of the arrival and cruelty of the invading troops will come one after another from all sides. Then it describes the confusion of the once so self-confident spiritual leaders of the people, of whom five classes are indicated (with the people themselves six): prophets, priests, elders, king, and princes. “They shall seek vision from the prophet,” that is, through him a revelation of God (v. 13) about whether there is still a means to avoid the threatening calamities; so did Zedekiah according to Jer 38:14. Since there will be no prophets because of God’s abandonment, revelations will be sought in vain. They may also mean false prophets. “And the law shall perish from the priest.” The priests will not be able to give guiding instruction from the law about the manner of conduct. This observation about the priest deserves attention: “not as performers of sacrifices, but as those giving instruction, do the priests here stand out, with respect to their significance in the spiritual sphere of life, and law, torah, appears as a living force, responding to every situation and not recoiling before it” (Wellhausen, Proll. 3rd ed. 414). “Elders” not a public class (elders, heads of families about whom the next verse speaks), but age rich in life experience.

Ezekiel 7:27. The king shall mourn, the prince shall be wrapped in despair, and the hands of the people of the land shall tremble. I will do to them as they have done, and judge them by their own standards; then they shall know that I am the Lord. 2 Samuel 21:24. “The king shall mourn,” Church Slavonic: “shall bewail,” instead of guiding resistance to the enemy while this is easier to do. Usually Zedekiah Ezekiel calls a “prince” “our,” a word standing just below; therefore, some LXX codices do not read this clause. “Prince,” that is, all the heads of clans and rulers, whose presence of spirit could have compensated for the king’s cowardice; but they will panic even more than he. “The people of the land,” the common people (cf. 2 Kings 21:24, 23:30. According to Bertholet, between the lines one reads the aristocratic origin of Ezekiel) “shall have trembling hands,” will not be able to hold weapons which could have protected them and remedied the situation spoiled by unworthy leaders (panic of the troops). All this panic, as well as the calamities enumerated earlier, will be the work of the punishing God.

Chapter Eight

The Vision of Idolatry in the Temple

Having predicted the destruction of the capital, the land, and the kingdom, the prophet now turns to the prediction of the fate of the temple. But the fate of the temple, this mysterious dwelling place of God on earth, could not be predicted so clearly, simply, and briefly as everything before; such a prediction required also an exceptional form of revelation—a vision. Thus, the prophecy of Ezekiel, ever increasing in inspiration, having passed from the silent mimicry of chapter IV and the calm speech of chapter V into animated discourse in chapter VI and into the touching-wrathful lament of the Lord over His land in chapter VII, in chapters VIII-XI reaches the vision, the highest degree of prophetic inspiration. In chapter VIII God leads the prophet through the entire temple and shows him the pagan cults being performed there, numbering 4-5. God wished to show the prophet in the temple all kinds of idolatry to which Israel had succumbed, although some of these cults were practiced not in the temple, but each in a room (shrine) of his own (v. 12); the temple was the place where Israel should have worshipped God, and Israel’s falling away from God could not be presented more powerfully and strikingly than through a series of gradually passing before the prophet’s eyes scenes of vile idolatry performed in the temple before God’s eyes. The description of these cults produces such an impression “that they were practiced in Judea then, and not earlier, for example, under Manasseh. That pagan deities were worshipped under Zedekiah, this, contrary to the silence of Jeremiah and Jer 44:18 of his book, is both understandable in itself and not in contradiction with the fact that they then hoped for the help of Jehovah: syncretistic views on religion prevailed among the masses; if we have only occasional indications of this (but very strong, for example, Jer 11:13; 2 Chr 26:4; 2 Sam 24:19 and others), it is only because this was understood as a matter of course. The idols placed by Manasseh in the temple and removed by Josiah could have been restored by the reactionary party” (Smend).

Ezekiel 8:1. In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, and the hand of the Lord God fell upon me there. “In the sixth year (that is, of the exile of Jehoiachin and the prophet), in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month,” hence 413 days after the revelation in Ezek 3:16, if the fifth year of exile was ordinary, and 439 days if it was leap (a leap year of 13 months was every third year); in the second case the present revelation occurred while the prophet was lying in his symbolic posture; in the first shortly after; as stated in the explanation of chapter IV, the heavy lying of the prophet, combined with strict fasting, could have been good preparation for the present mysterious revelation, which also had a close connection with that lying: in the present vision the prophet is transported in spirit to that city, toward the drawing of which on brick his face was constantly turned and his right arm was bared (Ezek 4:7). “Sixth month”—August-September; Greek not “in the 6th” but “in the 5th month”—a shortening of the term, as well as of the lying days. “Sat” in the literal sense or in the sense of “was,” cf. Ezek 3:25. “Elders of Judah.” In Ezek 11:25 they are already called simply “the exiles”; in Ezek 14:1 general: “of Israel”; but possibly, if Judah lived in exile in the same place as Israel, the former was more interested in the fate of Jerusalem and the temple, to which the present vision was directed and which could have been the subject of visits and conversation with the elders. “The freedom granted to captives allowed them to settle in Babylon wherever they wished; and it was most natural that individual families and clans held together; therefore, it is very likely that the elders in 4 places of Ezekiel are heads of families” (Seeseman, Die Aeltesten in A. T. 1895, 53). The visit of the elders to the prophet in his house testifies to how much his influence had grown in a year of his ministry. “The antagonism in which the aristocracy deported with Jehoiachin stood to those left in Jerusalem (Ezek 11:15) drew her closer to the prophet, who predicted the destruction of the city, and in turn Ezekiel began to place far greater hopes in them than on the inhabitants of the capital; and captivity henceforth appears to the prophet as a means by which Jehovah will bring about the conversion of Israel; and Ezekiel with this first response of the exiles to his ministry connects great hopes (Ezek 11:15 and ff.; cf. Jer 24:3); on the other hand, with the removal of Jehoiachin, Jerusalem seems to have become even worse (Ezek 10:9 and ff.); from this comes the friendly tone which Ezekiel now never abandons toward the exiles; cf. Ezek 14:22 and ff. Ezek 20:30 and others” (Smend). “The hand of the Lord God fell upon me there.” As explained in Ezek 1:3, the expression means that the prophet came into ecstasy, rapture, but here the expression has a more physical meaning, as shown by verse 3.

Ezekiel 8:2. And I saw, and behold, a likeness [of a man], like fire, and from what appeared to be His loins and downward, fire; and from His loins and upward, something like the appearance of brightness, like gleaming amber. “A likeness (of a man).” “Of a man” appears only in the LXX; although the mention later of the loins forces one to think of the image appearing to the prophet as human only, but the omission in the Hebrew of the word “man,” “person” distances the similarity of the seen image from the human and indicates its indescribability and mystery. The image appearing to the prophet is identical with the image sitting on the throne in the Chebar vision (see Ezek 1:26), because it is described identically. But the entire manifestation in the form in which the prophet saw it there was not repeated. About the human image itself it is not said whether he sat, stood, or went, without doubt because the prophet did not see it and probably could barely distinguish the image’s outlines, as in chapter I (verse 27). On the other hand, he clearly sees here the hand at the human figure (verse 3), in which in chapter I he saw nothing but unclear outlines. The character of the radiance from the human figure is described, though close to Ezek 1:27, but not entirely identical: the upper part of the figure there shines like fire and like “hasmal” (Church Slavonic “electrum”), here like “radiance” and like “hasmal” (Russian “gleaming amber,” and in Ezek 1:27 Russian the same word conveys: “incandescent metal”). The first definition “radiance” in Hebrew is expressed by the word zohar, found only in Dan 12:3, where, being compared with the radiance of stars, should have approximately the meaning which the Church Slavonic translation and some Greek codices ascribe to it: “dawn” (other Greek codices omit it; and in Daniel the Church Slavonic translates it “brightness of the firmament”). The Hebrew text leaves uncertain in what relation these two definitions (zohar and hasmal) stood to each other: were they two distinct radiations, as the Church Slavonic translation supposes, inserting “and” between them, or does the second more closely define the first (as the Vulgate supposes); in the first case, like the dawn, the robe of the One clothed (“clothed in light as in a garment”) could shine, and like hasmal—His face and body (in the cited place of Daniel the saints shine with the first light and with the light of stars). In any case, the upper part of the image was even brighter than the lower, fiery.

Ezekiel 8:3. He stretched out what appeared to be a hand and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the inner gate that faces north, where the idol of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy, was located. “Like a hand.” A trait distinguishing the present vision is the hand, which takes the prophet “like,” Church Slavonic more exactly “a likeness” (Hebrew tabnit, “structure,” “image”): the hand barely stood out; the familiar cautiousness from chapter I in describing the Divine image. “Took me by a lock of my head, and lifted me up between earth and heaven.” The prophet therefore felt both the physical touch on the crown and then a hovering in the air, although his body, apparently, did not leave its former place; this last is warned by the remark “by the Spirit” and in the following clause “in visions of God,” and the visitors of the prophet do not leave him during this “rapture” (Ezek 11:25). Nevertheless, the expression is too decisive to understand it only of spiritual transportation to Jerusalem and the temple; it recalls Ezek 3:12, where it speaks of physical displacement. Here, as well as in Ezek 37:1 and Ezek 40:1-2 it is understood, probably, some kind of half-bodily transportation, reminiscent perhaps of bilocation, but not so sharply physical as in Dan 14:36, where the agent is not God, but an angel. “Spirit,” evidently the same as in Ezek 2:2, identical, as we have seen, with the “spirit” Ezek 1:12, that is, the Holy Spirit; thus only more precisely is the agent of the miraculous transportation of the prophet designated (Luke 11:20 is more accurately designated in Matt 12:28); in the story of the transportation of the prophet Habakkuk by an angel to Babylon it is noted that the angel transported the prophet “by the power of his spirit.” “To Jerusalem to the entrance of the inner gates facing north,” that is, to the temple, though this is not stated—an incompleteness revealing the priest. The inner gates, otherwise upper (Ezek 9:2; Jer 20:2 and ff.), were the gates in the fence separating the outer court from the inner; in distinction from these gates, the gates of the outer court, through which one first entered the temple, were simply called “the gates of the house of the Lord.” There were probably three of each: east (main), north, and south, the latter intended only for kings (Ezek 43:8), leading from the palace to the temple. Of these three, the second are mentioned here, which in verse 5 are called “the gates of the altar”; they seem to be in Jer 26:10 also called “new.” The prophet was placed at the entrance to these gates, what kind of entrance—external (northern) or internal (southern), is not said; but from verse 5, it is evident that internal, because, looking from his place toward the north, he sees on the northern side of the gates an idol. Consequently, the prophet was placed between the gates and the altar, on the inner court, or the court of priests. From there he sees in the temple first of all the idol of jealousy, that is, as the prophet clarifies, “provoking to jealousy,” of course, the Lord, the sole possessor of Israel (hence the addition of the LXX; “drawing to himself”). God’s wrath toward Israel’s idolatry is often depicted as jealousy, the jealous, not allowing other objects of worship, love of God for Israel: Exod 20:5; Deut 32:16 and others. Therefore, any idol could be called the idol of jealousy. But such definiteness in indicating the place where the idol stood, such an unusual name for the idol, taken from the realm of marital relations, finally such a honorable and sacred place in the temple occupied by the idol—all this shows that a specific idol that stood sometime or then in the temple is meant. But from Sacred Scripture only one idol is known for certain to have been placed in the temple, that of Astarte under Manasseh (2 Sam 21:7; 2 Chr 33:7, where the idol is designated by the same word as here, “semel,” used only in Deut 4:16; Church Slavonic “pillar and image”); this idol answers to all the other data of the present indication: nearness to the altar (cf. Deut 16:21-22) and understandable jealousy (femininity of deity, sensuality of worship). Others understand Moloch, Baal, Adonis, Bel.

Ezekiel 8:4. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision I had seen in the plain. In the temple the prophet finds the Glory of the Lord in the very form in which he saw it in the plain, that is, in the environs of Tel-Aviv (Ezek 3:23), which could be a sign either that the Glory of the Lord (God) was always present in the temple in the same manner as it had appeared at Tel-Aviv and on the Chebar, or that God now came to the temple in this special (astounding and terrifying) manner for some purpose, similar to and no less important than in those two instances of the revelation of God’s glory; such a purpose of the revelation of God’s glory here was the judgment of God upon Jerusalem, the execution of which is described in chapters VIII-XI, and the proclamation of which was the main purpose of Ezekiel’s call to prophecy. “There” not in the narrow sense of the place where Ezekiel stood in the temple at the northern inner gates, but in the broad sense—in the temple. In what exact point of the vast temple space the glory of the Lord stood, is told only in Ezek 10:3: it stood on the right, that is, the south side of the temple, and the prophet on the north. Glory is called not simply “of the Lord,” as everywhere before, but of “God (Elohim, not Jehovah, as in Ezek 2:1, apparently because the covenant is broken) of Israel,” in contradistinction to the foreign deity, whose idol was in the temple.

Ezekiel 8:5. Then He said to me, “Son of man, lift your eyes toward the north.” So I lifted my eyes toward the north, and behold, north of the altar gate, in the entrance, there was this idol of jealousy. “At the gate of the altar.” So these northern inner gates were called, perhaps because sacrificial animals, which were prescribed to be slaughtered on the northern side of the altar (Lev 1:4), had to be brought through these gates into the inner, priestly court; or perhaps through these gates was the ordinary passage (cf. Ezek 40:35) to the altar (if the eastern gates, as one can suppose from Ezek 46:1 and ff., were ordinarily kept closed, opening perhaps only for solemn processions, and the southern ones were the royal passage). Others explain the name “gates of the altar” by the fact that the altar of Solomon, displaced from its central place in the court by Ahaz, was placed there (2 Sam 16:14). “The idol of jealousy,” being “on the north side” of these gates at their entrance, should therefore have stood already on the outer court at the very northern gates to the inner court, perhaps because it was the busiest and most trafficked place in the temple (busier in any case than the priestly court). The LXX somewhat differently: “to the north of the eastern gates at the entrance” (theirs? or the usual passage to the temple? in the latter case the LXX topographical indication does not differ from the Hebrew).

Ezekiel 8:6. He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing? Great abominations which the house of Israel are committing here, to drive Me far from My sanctuary? But you shall see yet greater abominations.” “That they drive Me far from My sanctuary.” Unintended consequence is presented with some bitter irony as intentional. It explains to the prophet beforehand what he will see in Ezek 11:23. But the LXX understand the subject to be “the house of Israel”: “which are to drive away from My sanctuaries.” “You shall see yet greater abominations.” It is hard to understand why the idolatry described later (v. 7-12) was worse than the first, especially if the first was the immoral worship of Astarte; apparently because of the participants, from whom, as the best people in Israel, one would least expect such apostasy. Cf. below comment on verse 13. Perhaps the expression is simply a rhetorical turn.

Ezekiel 8:7. And He brought me to the entrance of the court; and when I looked, behold, there was a hole in the wall. Ezekiel 8:8. Then He said to me, “Son of man, dig through the wall”; and when I dug through the wall, there was an opening. Ezekiel 8:9. And He said to me, “Go in, and see the vile abominations that they are committing here.” “And he brought me.” Deliberate omission of the subject, as in Ezek 2:1 (see there) and here vv. 3, 5, 6. Cf. explanation Ezek 9:4. “To the entrance of the court,” that is, to the court in general, to the temple court, but either from the city, from the square, or from the inner court to the outer court at the inner north gate, through the opening only of which the prophet was led; in the first case the wall mentioned below was the outer wall of the temple, in the second case it was a partition of the inner court. In this wall the prophet saw an opening and, as appears from what follows, not an accidental and not a small hole or crack, but such a large recess that in it, somewhat enlarged, a man (bending down) could pass through and reach a hidden door in the further depth of the wall. The prophet might perhaps have been able to make his way through the opening even in its original form to the hidden door and enter the chamber, as apparently those found in the chamber had entered it, but God commanded the prophet to enlarge the recess in the wall by digging out part of the brick in it (“break through the wall”) to discover the hidden door and thus reveal the secret of the chamber’s visitors. The chamber to which this door led evidently was located in the temple wall, occupying perhaps only its thickness; and since the prophet stood near one of the temple gates, when he saw this he had in mind probably one of a whole series of chambers located in the massive structures of each of the temple gates and at least in the temple of Ezekiel’s time distinguished by considerable size (Ezek 40:44). The chamber by the very character of its construction—its secret passage—indicated its purpose—to serve for some mysterious religious gatherings, with which one had to carefully (from jealous guarding of the secret or from unavoidable shame at the obvious senselessness of the rites performed) hide from the uninitiated; that is, evidently it served for mysteries (Bertholet).

Ezekiel 8:10. And I went in, and I saw, and behold, every kind of crawling thing and unclean beast and every idol of the house of Israel, painted on the walls all around. All the walls of the chamber were completely covered with depictions of heathen deities, of which the prophet was struck first by their comparative abundance or by the unexpectedness of their appearance here—depictions of crawling things of various kinds, then beasts, not excluding unclean ones, and all kinds of other idols, already before known to the house of Israel. By the predominant position of beasts and in particular crawling things among these depictions, it is thought that Egyptian worship is here in view, in which crocodiles, serpents, beetles, as well as cats, jackals, bulls were revered, and whose influence on the Hebrews, beginning with the calves of Jeroboam, might have increased after the invasion of Necho, due to hopes for possible Egyptian aid against Babylon (cf. Ezek 17:15). Belzoni at the beginning of the nineteenth century discovered in the rocks on the banks of the Nile many underground chambers serving for the burial of the noble, the walls of which were uniformly adorned with depictions of, among other things, objects of worship; to complete the resemblance, Belzoni penetrated there through a recess in the wall which appeared to have no resemblance to a regular entrance; Ammianus Marcellinus also speaks of caves of this kind (XXII, 15. Troschen). If Egyptian worship is here in view, and in particular Egyptian mysteries (mysteries were directed mainly toward communion with the underworld), then before the prophet’s eyes now passes the picture of a second foreign worship after the Canaanite worship of Astarte (apparently in view in vv. 3-6) and a worship of entirely different character; accordingly in vv. 13-14 there is described the most characteristic of Assyro-Babylonian cults, and in v. 16 of Persian ones. But it is possible that Egyptian worship is not here in view: in the Old Testament nowhere are there clear traces of this cult’s influence; Ezek 23:14 speaks for Chaldean origin of all kinds of depictions on walls among the Hebrews; the influence of Babylon must have increased at that time on all aspects of life, especially among the aristocracy, who are participants in this cult; and in Babylon at that time the cult of demons was widespread, depicted in the form of scorpions, serpents, and the like.

Ezekiel 8:11. And seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel stood before them, and Jezaniah, the son of Shaphan, among them; and each had his censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense was rising upward. The performers of the cult described are not the populace, but some of the elders, the number of which the prophet undoubtedly designates as symbolic and large—“seventy”—a number of comprehensive fullness and multitude, especially with regard to some kind of representation of power (70 judges under Moses, later 70 members of the Sanhedrin, to which, as a post-exile institution, of course, there can be no allusion here), cf. also Judg 1:7; 2 Sam 10:1. Without doubt, the meaning “nobles” for the word “elders” is here not only sufficient, but more appropriate than “heads of clans” (as in 1 v.); for there is no reason why only heads of clans and in the number exactly seventy should have gathered for idol worship together (as representatives of the whole nation?); here the speech is more likely about aristocrats; birth and position could have united these people (Ceesemann, op. cit. 49). Among the elders the prophet recognized even one by his face: Jezaniah, son of Shaphan, consequently a different person from Jezaniah Ezek 11:1 son of Azur. A name in which, which is significant for that time of apostasy (syncretism), the word Jehovah appears, meaning: “he whom God hears” (Slavonic: “Jezaniah”, but in chapter 11 already “Jehoiachin”, as also here Greek: Ιεχονιας). “If he was the son of the often-mentioned Shaphan, chancellor of Josiah (2 Sam 22:3 and following Jer 29:3), he did not resemble his noble father (cf. also Jer 39), and if Ezekiel had more examples of this kind, it was easier for him to come to the positions Ezek 18:20 and similar.” (Bertholet.)—The idol worship itself consisted of abundant incensing before the depictions, which in Egyptian worship played an important role and in mysteries in general served to bring initiates into ecstasy. “The thick cloud of incense” designates prayer, because incensing is as it were embodied prayer, cf. Rev 5:8.

Ezekiel 8:12. And he said to me: Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each in his carved chamber? For they say: “The Lord does not see us; the Lord has abandoned this land.” “In darkness.” The chamber of idol worship could be dark: Egyptian idol worship loved dark sanctuaries (Plutarch, De Isocr. 20), as do all mysteries; but the expression may also point to the secrecy of the cult. “Each in his carved chamber.” By this remark, first of all, the reader is warned that the gathering of all idol worshippers in one chamber has only symbolic significance (of the commonness and widespread nature of the cult): in reality this idol worship was performed by each in his own chamber (from which, of course, the state of affairs does not improve, but rather worsens), and this chamber was carefully decorated (cf. Ezek 23:14) with idolatrous depictions. But the question arises: were these chambers of idol worship in each man’s own house or in the temple? It was possible for the prophet to be shown the real idol worship (as with others) in a temple chamber for symbolic purposes (Keil), and it was possible to be shown it there because it was actually performed in temple chambers. “We are in the inner court, where Ezekiel in general does not wish to admit the laity, as he does not wish to admit them even more to the possession of all kinds of temple chambers: in the future these are to belong only to priests (Ezek 40:44 and following). If we do not admit that each of the seventy had such a chamber in the temple, the expression might nevertheless mean that many laymen like Jezaniah had such; this is confirmed by Jer 36:10; the laymen could also perform in these chambers much that outraged the priests: 2 Sam 23:11” (Smend). The Slavonic: “each of them on his hidden bed” seems to speak not of incensing, but of some new rite, perhaps difficult to convey. “The words of the followers of this foreign cult deserve attention: people of their persuasion in the Old Testament rarely reveal themselves” (Bertholet.). The first phrase expresses doubt in God’s omniscience; the expression “the Lord has abandoned this land” could be relatively just; it probably became a customary phrase since 597 (cf. Ezek 9:9); for how could the Lord allow over ten thousand of the chosen people to be led into captivity? Perhaps the phrase also had to do with the disappearance of the Ark (cf. Jer 3:16 and Jer 12:7). Ezekiel in general preserved a whole series of such popular judgments: Ezek 11:3.

Ezekiel 8:13. And he said to me: Turn around, and you will see even greater abominations that they are committing. Weeping for Tammuz could be called a greater abomination than the previous cult, because those who performed it were women who were generally at that time outside of religion, which indicated the widespread nature of the cult. As in v. 6, the expression may simply be a rhetorical turn.

Ezekiel 8:14. And he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the Lord’s house, and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz, “The gates of the Lord’s house,” as in Ezek 11:1, can only mean the outer gates, in the outer wall, because 1) they led to the temple as a whole; 2) the inner gates are always designated with this or some other designation, for example “upper,” as in Ezek 9:2-3) at the outer gates of the temple the most suitable place for women; there exactly—at the outer wall of the temple—later a special court of women was set up. Thus the prophet continues moving from the inner parts of the temple to the outer, and in v. 16 returns back. “Women” in Hebrew with the article, consequently known, definite women, perhaps temple women, or even professional mourners; according to Bertholet, the article puts them in relation to the “men” mentioned earlier. “Sitting,” that is, on the ground as a sign of grief: cf. Job 2:8; Lam 2:10; Isa 3:25; Nehem 1:4; Ps 1:1; Matt 27:61; and now Jews perform mourning by sitting on the floor. “Weeping for Tammuz.” Tammuz, according to Jerome, “is the Hebrew and Syrian name for Adonis; according to popular legend in the month of June was killed and then came to life again the lover of Venus, the most beautiful youth, juvenis, from which the month also got its name; in honor of this an annual festival is celebrated at which women mourn him as dead and then sing his resurrection.” Therefore Jerome placed the name Adonis in the translation of the Vulgate. The cult of Adonis is undoubtedly of Eastern origin. Byblos, where the waters of the Adonis river turned red in summer from the melting of snows on Lebanon, was the chief place of veneration of Tammuz. In the mythological fragments of Akkad is mentioned the lover of Astarte, Duuzu or Dumuz, which name means “son of life” or “eternal child”; this is a chthonic (underworld) god; annually in June, which in his honor was called Luzu (hence the later Aramaic name of this month Tammuz), he descends to Hades and remains there until the next spring, and this disappearance is celebrated with a sacrificial libation and weeping (in Babylonian “bikitu,” cf. Hebrew “mebakot,” “weeping women”); in Hades Istarte weeps over him, and he with his shepherd’s flute exhausts the kingdom of the dead and brings the shades back to life. Perhaps this Babylonian myth was the original source for the Syrian and Greek. Ezekiel probably had in mind the Babylonian cult here. The Hebrew-Aramaic Tammuz from the root “mazaz” or “masas,” “to rot,” is a sound transformation of the Chaldean word; the name Adonis probably comes from the Semitic “adon,” “Lord”: “son of the Lord.” In the myth of this god and his cult, which had its correspondence also in the Egyptian cult of Osiris and Isis, in which, according to Pausanias (II, 20, 5), the weeping of women also played a large role, there is celebrated the action of the sun on vegetation, withering in winter and reviving in spring. The time of the vision of the prophet Ezekiel did not correspond to the time of the festivals in honor of Tammuz (August-June); but this of course could not prevent the prophet from being shown this festival in the vision; when reading the LXX date Ezek 8:1 the difference comes to only one month.

Ezekiel 8:15. And he said to me: Son of man, do you see? Turn around, and you will see even greater abominations. See vv. 6 and 13. The idol worship described in v. 16 could be called worse than all the previous ones, by the place of its performance, which was very sacred, because it was performed turning the back to the temple, and because those who performed it were, apparently, priests (see v. 16), but not by the object, because worship of the sun can by no means be considered worse than the worship of Astarte or animal worship, but rather superior to them. Thus, Ezekiel’s classified list of cults is arranged not by their essence and comparative value, but by external considerations; this is because by essence every heathen cult for him is something than which nothing worse can be: apostasy from Jehovah, like infidelity in marriage, cannot be greater or lesser.

Ezekiel 8:16. And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house, and behold, at the entrance of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, about twenty-five men stood with their backs to the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east, and they were bowing down toward the sun. “To the inner court.” Consequently, the prophet returns there where he was before, although perhaps not to that same place in the vast inner court, at least observes another part of it. “At the entrance of the temple.” “Temple” in Hebrew “hekal”—the building of the sanctuary. “Between the porch,” that is, the entrance portico of the temple (LXX transcribe the Hebrew “Elam”) “and the altar”—at the holiest place (Joel 2:17), which without doubt for this reason was chosen for idol worship—a circumstance that especially aggravated the sin. “About twenty-five men.” Judging by the place where these idol worshippers stood, which could be accessible only to priests, interpreters formerly thought these were priests: the prophet does not call them priests as if horrified at what they are doing; they could even be the heads of the twenty-four orders of priests (1 Chr 26:5 and following) under the leadership of the high priest, that is, as the seventy elders (v. 11) represent the idolatry of the whole people, so these twenty-five men represent that of the priestly order. Modern interpreters reject this supposition, mainly on the ground that the prophet does not call them priests, that the inner court was accessible at that time also to laymen (grounds, as we see, weak), that in Ezek 9:6 these persons are called elders, and on the ground of the approximate number of their number (in Greek even twenty). “Standing with their backs to the temple,” a position forced by the necessity to bow down to the sun and presumably unintentional, though expressing all the contempt of the idol worshippers toward Jehovah; in Hebrew “to turn one’s back” meant to completely and with contempt abandon someone (2 Chr 29:6; Isa 1:4; Jer 7:24). The idol worshippers literally did what the Lord complained through Jeremiah: “they turned their back to Me, not their face” (Jer 2:27; Jer 32:33). “Turning their faces to the east and bowing down toward the sun.” Consequently, the idol worshippers were bowing down precisely to the rising sun, as the Persians (Herodotus, Hist. IV, 15, 1; Tacitus, Hist. III, 24) and in part the Essenes (Josephus, De bello judaico 2:8, 4). Thus, here it is possible that the reference is to Persian sun worship, perhaps first introduced by Manasseh (2 Sam 23:11); before the time of Josiah horses were kept in the temple for this cult; the present passage (cf. Job 31:26 and following) shows that after its destruction by Josiah, this cult during the time of Ezekiel was restored (so strong was the turning back after that king). The sun in the person of the god “Shamash” (in Hebrew sun is “shemesh”) enjoyed special veneration also among the Assyro-Babylonians (as also in ancient Canaanite religions—see explanation to Ezek 6:4) and under Zedekiah, a vassal prince in relation to Babylon, his cult could have penetrated into Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 8:17. And he said to me: Son of man, have you seen? Is it too small a thing for the house of Judah to do the abominations which they do here? But they have also filled the land with violence, and have provoked Me repeatedly; and behold, they are putting branches to their nostrils. Not content with defiling the temple (“here”), the house of Judah (in vv. 6 and 11 “Israel,” perhaps because the cults of the Northern Kingdom are also in view) defiles the whole land with “violence,” literally “violence,” “injury” (“hamas”); what kind of violence, is explained in Ezek 9:9: “the land is full of blood and the city full of iniquity” (see there). “And behold, they are putting branches to their nostrils.” A very puzzling expression. According to the most accepted explanation, it provides proof of the sun worship cult, pointing, perhaps, to a feature in it that appeared recently and thus constituted a particularly outrageous new step in comparison with the times of Manasseh; namely, it is thought that this refers to the custom of Persian sun worshippers to hold during prayer a bundle of twigs from palm dates, pomegranates, and tamarisks, called “baresma,” either to protect the mouth from demons, or not to defile the sanctuary with their breath; for these same purposes, priests also covered their mouths during service with a special covering (Strabo XV, 733. Hyde, De relig. Pers. ed. 2, 350, etc.). Although the Hebrew word translated here as branch—“zemora”—properly means a grape vine branch (Slavonic: “vine”), but it is thought it could also be applied to other branches, not to mention that it is considered possible to regard it as corrupted or Aramaized baresma. True, such understanding does not accord with the context: the latter demands here not an indication of a new rite of worship, but an explanation of how Judah by her iniquity provokes the anger of God. Furthermore, could the prophet regard this custom, which in the sin of sun worship constitutes merely an incidental detail, so terrible that in comparison the sin of sun worship itself seemed less essential? Finally, it is scarcely probable that at that time the Persian cult penetrated Judea with such details, when in the book of Ezekiel the Persians appear to him barely known, harmless barbarians (Ezek 27:10; Ezek 38:5). But all other explanations of this expression are still more arbitrary, and some are indecent. Reading the word “branch” somewhat differently, one gets the meaning: “they bring a sickle to their nostrils,” apparently a proverb: they prepare ruin for themselves. According to the Talmudic explanation, “zemora” is crepitus ventris, and “to their nostrils” is one of the eighteen corrections of the scribes (“tikkun soferim”) instead of “to my nostril,” and (according to Kraetzschmar’s view) the reference is to sacrificial smoke from the high places, which is a stench to the Lord. In Bertholet’s view—with the same correction of the final word (“to my nostril”), “zemora,” “branch” has here an indecent meaning (Levy, Neuehebrach. Worterbuch I, 544), and the reference is to a dissolute cult, denounced also by Isaiah in Isa 57:8, performed in the houses and thus filling the land with defilement, in contrast to the previously mentioned cults which defiled only the temple. Both realisms would probably offend the ears of an ancient Hebrew and would scarcely be worthy of an inspired writer. Others see in the expression a proverb with a lost sense; but could the prophet have employed such a short-lived proverb?

Ezekiel 8:18. I will act in anger; my eye will not spare, nor will I show pity. Even if they cry out to me with a loud voice, I will not hear them. “Even if they cry out to My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.” A new thought in the repetitions of the former, which consist of the verse, and strengthening them. But the statement presents a literal (rationalists: “unpleasant”) coincidence with the beginning of the following chapter, which is why there is doubt about the authenticity of the expression; the statement is not found in the majority of Greek manuscripts.

Chapter Nine

Slaughter of the wicked population of Jerusalem (in a vision)

The Lord now brings to execution the threat expressed in Ezek 8:18 for the defilement of the temple and the land. But to do this with His own hand would be unworthy of Him, and therefore His servants appear here. With careful distinction of the pious, the population of the city is slain (ch. IX) and the city itself is burned (ch. X). With the speed of lightning the command of God is executed, but the prophet rightly refrains from a detailed description of the terrible action of the heavenly force; it takes place behind the scenes of the vision, and in the interval the reader is occupied once with the prophet’s intercession for the slain (Ezek 9:8-10), and another time (Ezek 10:8-22) with a new description of the cherub chariot (Smend).

Ezekiel 9:1. And He cried out to my ears with a great voice, saying: Let those who are to punish the city draw near, each with his destroying weapon in his hand. “He cried out.” Deliberate omission of the subject. See explanation to Ezek 2:1 and Ezek 8:7. “To my ears.” As in v. 5, and as “before my eyes” Ezek 10:2—an addition intended to call attention to the reality of the vision not only in important, but also in more minor details (Ezek 10:13). “With a great voice,” corresponding to the degree of the anger of the Speaker and the importance of the command being given. “Let them draw near.” In Hebrew a verbal form allowing also the meaning of the past tense, which is why the Slavonic “drew near”; the imperative is supported by the fact that the command of God must be communicated before the action produced by it is described; cf. v. 5. “Punishers,” literally “visitations” (Vulgate: visitationes), “requital,” Greek εκδικησις, “vengeance”; since angels-punishers appear (v. 2) in response to this call, it is consequently necessary to understand here the abstract concept in its concrete, personal sense, which is permissible in Hebrew (Isa 60:17). Such a meaning is required by necessity from what follows: “each (literally: “man”) with his destroying weapon in his hand.” This weapon, literally “weapon of slaughter,” Slavonic “vessels of destruction,” is not specified more precisely either here or later (although in the following verse it is mentioned again), perhaps because it was unlike our weapons and indescribable; see, however, the explanation of this word in the following verse.

Ezekiel 9:2. And behold, six men came from the direction of the upper north gate, and each had a destroying weapon in his hand; and among them was one clothed in linen, with a writing case at his side. And they went and stood beside the bronze altar. “Six men”—angels in human form (others: commanders of Nebuchadnezzar’s army), who often appear as executors of God’s judgments (Dan 4:14 and others). Together with the “man” who was among them and had a special mission, there were seven—the sacred number of the highest angels, first mentioned (more precisely: implied) here; cf. Tob 12:15; Zech 4:10; Rev 4:5. But it is noteworthy that the direct executors of punishment are angels in a number not having sacred fullness in the even (cf. two angels who burned Sodom, four heavenly plagues). “Coming from the upper gates facing north,” undoubtedly those mentioned in Ezek 8:3-5 under the name of the inner and altar gates; the inner court gates were called “upper” in distinction from the gates in the outer wall of the temple (called lower in Ezek 40:19), because the inner court rose higher as a terrace above the outer, by which means the worship performed on it could be visible to the people; here to these gates is applied a new designation to show that the angels, coming from the outer court, had to ascend, by which means they might not have been visible earlier. The punishing angels enter through these gates, perhaps because Jehovah, coming from the north, brought these servants with Him, and passing through the temple, left them in the outer court until they were needed, or as a sign that the disaster which they bring comes from the north and that the Chaldeans will come from the north and from this same direction will break into the city. “The destroying weapon.” The LXX here already reads “axe” (cf. v. 1). Obviously simply to give some representation of the weapon; according to Hebrew the name “weapon of destruction” allows representing these weapons as a hammer (Jer 51:20). “And among them one,” evidently so distinguished from the six that he could scarcely be counted among their number, which is why the total is not shown as seven. Nevertheless, the subordinate and servile position which “one” occupies in relation to Jehovah and by which he raises himself but little above his companions, causes one to recognize in him only an angel, though a higher one, executor of a more pleasant, but also more difficult mission (marking the righteous), and not the Angel of the Covenant. The nearest conjectures about him are impossible. “Clothed in linen.” Linen clothing, Hebrew “badim,” (literally “fibers,” “linen thread”) was the clothing assigned to priests, to whom it was strictly forbidden to perform sacred service in woolen clothing (Lev 6:10; Ezek 44:17); white in color and allowing frequent washing, such clothing was a good symbol of the purity and holiness required of the priest; therefore, beginning with the present passage of Ezekiel, it became the attribute of heavenly beings, not only angels, especially the highest (Dan 12:6), but also the Son of God (Ezek 10:6). The linen fabric used for the garments of priests, and especially the high priest, was of course of the highest quality, extraordinary fineness, and dazzling whiteness, which is why it would have shone no less than silver brocade (Rev 15:6); such quality linen fabric probably was later called fine linen (Rev 19:8); perhaps also for this brilliance linen garments were attributed to heavenly beings; and when the latter are represented as appearing in shining (angels at the tomb of Christ) or white (Rev 4:4; cf. Mark 9:3) garments, these garments must be thought of as only fine linen (at such heights, not yet reached by modern manufactures, stood the weaving of the ancients!). The LXX here freely: “clothed in a robe,” and also in Ezek 10:6, where the same garment is named by them: “holy vessel”; but in Dan the Hebrew word is translated into Greek by simple transcription: βαδδιν, and only in the Pentateuch exactly through “linen,” λινον. The white garments of the seventh angel, resembling priestly attire, pointed to the service of this angel as an instrument of God’s mercy, reconciliation (the garments of the six punishing angels the prophet did not see) and foreshadowed such future service of the Savior. This was pointed to even more closely by the “writing case,” literally “the scribe’s case,” that is, an inkwell (Vulgate: atramentarium) of this angel “at his side,” where even now in the East one carries this thing (LXX instead of “writing case at the side”—“a belt of sapphire,” reading “scribe” as “sapphire”; cf. Dan 10:5). This case could remind the prophet of the “book of life” (Exod 32:32 and further Isa 4:3; Dan 12:1; Ps 68:29; Phil 4:3), though most immediately it was needed to mark the righteous in the city, v. 4. “And stood beside the bronze altar,” that is, the altar of burnt offering, called bronze (1 Sam 8:64) in distinction from the gold incense altar in the sanctuary. Coming from the north gates, the angels could stop at the north side of the altar. At this altar forgiveness of sins was proclaimed; therefore the punishing angels stood at it, according to the explanation of Jerome, to see who had not been forgiven their sins and who therefore was subject to the judgment of God and to death. Just as priests at this altar were mediators of the sanctification of the people, so the angels, having to bring about the destruction of the city and its population, acted actually for the sanctification of Jerusalem through the punishment of sinners and performed sacred service.

Ezekiel 9:3. And the glory of the God of Israel was lifted from the cherub on which it rested, to the threshold of the house. And He called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his side. “And the glory of God (Elohim, as in Ezek 8:4; see there) of Israel (not simply: the Lord; see Ezek 8:4) was lifted from the cherub (the first time in the Old Testament this word in the singular, but clearly in collective sense), on which it rested, to the threshold of the house,” that is, of the building of the sanctuary and the holy of holies; Slavonic: “in the uncovered place of the house,” that is, in the uncovered portico, vestibule of the sanctuary. The presence of God’s glory in the tent and temple was revealed in a cloud (Shekinah); in such a form must the glory of the Lord have changed its place here, as is apparent from Ezek 10:3-4. But from which cherub or cherubs did God’s glory depart: from the cherubs of the Ark of the Covenant, or those who had appeared and stood according to Ezek 10:3 on the right side of the inner court? The fact that the prophet has not yet called the mysterious creatures of the vision cherubs, and that he only in Ezek 10:15, apparently, finally became convinced of their identity with the cherubs, seems to give some grounds for understanding the cherubs of the holy of holies here. On the other hand, with such desecration of the temple as is presented in Chapter VIII, was the presence of Shekinah in the Holy of Holies possible? As we saw in the explanation of Ezek 8:12, the Ark of the Covenant might not have been there then. Nevertheless, it is possible to understand both of these cherubs, and the meaning of this transfer of God’s glory in both cases will be almost the same. If the glory of God departed from the Ark of the Covenant to the threshold of the temple, this was the first step toward its departure from the temple, and the stopping at the threshold could show how grievous it was for God’s glory to abandon its beloved dwelling: during the vision God’s glory appears again at this threshold (Ezek 10:4) and on leaving the city stops on a mountain. If it departed from the cherubs of the vision, then God abandons the throne-chariot which was actually intended for His departure from Jerusalem, and steps once more to the threshold of His former dwelling, from here to give direction concerning the destruction of the city and its population, or to bring judgment on Jerusalem (judgment was pronounced at the gates of the city); or perhaps this was something like a farewell to the former place of abode. Since the cherubs of the holy of holies were only images of the real cherubs now appearing in the temple, God’s glory resting on those and these could not fail to be one and the same, which is why perhaps the prophet does not indicate from which cherubs it passed to the threshold of the temple. On this ground the verb “was lifted” on the basis that the noun precedes it (“and the glory of God was lifted,” and not “and was lifted the glory of God”) can be understood as set in the remote past tense, and it is more fitting that God’s glory changed its place already before v. 1. “And called”—still without subject: “He”—is an insertion of the Russian translator.

Ezekiel 9:4. And the Lord said to him: Go through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations being committed within it. Ezekiel 4:1. “And the Lord (Jehovah) said to him.” For the first time the acting Person in all that is happening is named, because now judgment begins which Jehovah Himself must carry out, whereas until now He led the prophet, spoke with him, and called the punishers could have been without Jehovah directly. “Through the city, through Jerusalem,” this unfortunate Jerusalem; emphasis, cf. Ezek. 4:1; but Slavonic and some Greek: “in the midst of the city of Jerusalem…” “On the foreheads.” Not only because the mark was more visible there, but because by this a special seal was placed on the mind and self-determination of man, which is considered the seat of the head. Because of this in deep antiquity a special mark was placed on the forehead indicating belonging to a certain race or cult, by which the bearer became inviolable (cf. Gen 4:15; Smith W. R. Kinship and Marriage in early Arabia, 1885, 215). It is not uninteresting therefore to bring analogies: the Egyptian Alis had on his forehead a white triangle or quadrilateral; on the forehead of the Indian Shiva were drawn the fertile waters of the Ganges; the mark of Shiva or Vishnu is placed on the forehead of a Hindu purified in sacred waters; a Japanese pilgrim in the temple of Tensio Dai Sin receives as a sign of forgiveness a small square tablet, on which the name of God is written in large letters, which he wears on his forehead; on the forehead also slaves were branded with the name of their master (inscripti literati servi); from here the present image could have been taken, which later received application also in Rev 7:3; Rev 14:1. “Groaning and sighing over all the abominations”—not only not participating in them. In Hebrew “tav” can have this meaning, and also means the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet; but since this letter in ancient alphabets (not only Hebrew, but Samaritan, Phoenician, Ethiopic, Greek, and Roman) had the form of a cross, and the cross has always been the most convenient and accepted sign (and more noticeable than a line or a dot, and the simplest and most natural after those), which is why it is named in the alphabet “sign,” “tav,” then if “tav” here has the meaning of “sign” and not letter (Slavonic: “give a sign”), those subject to salvation were all the same marked with nothing other than crosses on their foreheads—a coincidence with the Christian sign of redemption hardly unintentional, though the prophetic significance of this sign was scarcely foreseen by the prophet himself. The rabbis believed that tav was placed on the forehead as the initial letter of “torah”—“law” or “tihye”—“let him live.”

Ezekiel 9:5. And to the others He said in my hearing: Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye spare, nor show pity; “In my hearing”—see v. 1. “Do not let your eye spare and show no pity.” A warning against the feeling of compassion, which is so natural in angels; if the eye of the Merciful here “does not spare and does not show mercy” (v. 10; Ezek 8:18 and others), then on the part of the angels compassion in this case would mean distrust in the ways of Providence.

Ezekiel 9:6. Old men, young men and maidens, and infants and women, slay to complete destruction; but do not touch anyone on whom is the mark; and begin from My sanctuary. And they began with the elders who were before the house. “Old men, young men and maidens.” An enumeration by degree of innocence and the compassion inspired in ascending order, which then changes to descending: “and infants and women.” Infants must be slain as having by force of the law of heredity the seeds of iniquity, which when developed could again ruin the people, as well as for participation in the sin of parents, which they could not and sometimes do not take; see Jer 7:18. “To complete destruction”—without possibility of recovery; but more likely simply a pleonasm to express the strong affect of anger. “Begin from My sanctuary,” that is, from those who are in the temple and who sinned more heavily than the rest of the people (LXX freely: “from My sanctified ones,” dedicated to the service of God and who should have been holy). The punishing angels can begin from the place where they stand: judgment admits no delay. “And they began with the elders who were before the house,” that is, the sun worshippers mentioned in Ezek 8:16, who though not called elders there, but simply “men,” this is of course implied from the place they occupied.

Ezekiel 9:7. And He said to them: Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain, and go out. And they went out and were slaying in the city. “Defile the house”: do not be concerned that you defile the temple. For a sacred place naturally the shedding of human blood, as the presence of a corpse, constituted the greatest defilement (Num 19:11), and the height of tragedy is that Jehovah Himself requires the defilement of His temple; in it there is already nothing sacred: blood will not defile it more than the abominations of idol worship already defiled it. “House” may mean here, as also in v. 6, not the entire building of the temple, but only the building of the sanctuary and the holy of holies, because this holiest part of the temple could become defiled by shedding of blood not only in it but also before it. Then the following words will not be a repetition, but a continuation of the thought: the holy house will be defiled, if “the courts (of the temple)” (Slavonic: “ways,” that is, streets of the city) are filled with corpses. “And go out.” A word pointing to the speed with which the commands of God are executed, which is also marked in vv. 5 and 11. The six so quickly carry out the command that the Lord can hardly pronounce: “defile the house”; the LXX instead of: “and go out. And they went out and were slaying” have: “going out slay,” and thus entirely do not convey the execution of the command as something taken for granted.

Ezekiel 9:8. And when they had finished slaying, I was left, then I fell on my face and cried out, and said: O Lord God! Are You about to destroy all the remnant of Israel by pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem? “I was left,” that is, alone in the temple. Although it could of itself have been known that Ezekiel was not slain by the punishing angels (it cannot sound here, as some think, surprise that he himself escaped slaughter), it was not self-evident that besides him no one remained alive in the temple. From what precedes it is clear that in the city there were those marked with the sign of salvation, while in the temple, consequently, there were none. However, the prophet, as Jerome remarks, does not add to “I was left”—“alone,” so that they might understand: with others who had sealed foreheads. “Fell on my face”—for ardent intercession, cf. Num 16:22. “Remnant of Israel”—the prophetic designation for the seed of the people destined to survive the catastrophe, with which all hopes for the future were connected. Here by this remnant of Israel is named Jerusalem (from which after the deportation of Jehoiachin relatively few remained); the ruin of it was the ruin of the kingdom of Judah, and it was the last which remained of Israel and on which all hopes of the latter rested. The prophet fears that the Lord will not preserve even such a remnant of Israel as He promised him to preserve in Ezek 5:3 and Ezek 6:8-9, fears because compared to the multitude of slain the number of those marked with the sign and spared is so small that it seems as if the entire people were destroyed. “The feeling which speaks in these words, and the painful sorrow over the fate of Israel, is not frequent in Ezekiel (cf. Ezek 11:13), while it is a usual phenomenon in Jeremiah; generally Ezekiel stands cold before his people, judging his calamities only with reason, not with feeling; however, it is precisely this passage which shows that this position should not be taken to an extreme” (Bertholet.); such an attitude of the prophet toward the people arises from an excess of zeal for God, whose name was so dishonored by Israel.

Ezekiel 9:9. And He said to me: The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great; the land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of perversion; for they say: “The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see.” Although God promised to preserve a small part of the people (those marked with the sign), in response to the prophet’s prayer He does not renew this promise, but makes it clear that by the laws of strict justice absolutely all Israel deserves destruction. “Israel and Judah”—a designation infrequent in Ezekiel: Ezek 4:4-6; Ezek 25 and Ezek 37:15 and following; mostly either “Israel” or “Judah” as synonyms; but here the prophet wants to show that by its calamity Jerusalem atones for the sin not only of the kingdom of Judah, but also of Israel, and that Ezekiel rightly looks upon it as the “remnant of Israel.” “Great, very great…”—cf. Gen 4:13 of Cain, Gen 18:20 of Sodom, as Lam 4:6. “The land is full of blood and the city is full of injustice.” See explanation Ezek 7:23; the “violent bloodshed” (Russian “bloody crimes”) there is repeated here more briefly “blood”; for the “violence” there (Ezek 8:17, but in Russian “iniquity”) the cause is indicated: “injustice,” that is, judicial. From the constantly repeated reproaches of “violence” and “injustice” of Jerusalem one can conclude that in the city court there reigned probably to a strong degree partiality at the expense of the poor and defenseless. Direct examples of bloodshed from that time we do not know from Jewish sources, which is why this perhaps is hyperbole; and the LXX here reads: “the land was filled with many people” (“dam,” “blood” was read as “am,” “people” and the statement was considered comparative to the following: as the land is full of people, so “the city was filled with injustice and uncleanness”). “For they say: ‘The Lord has forsaken the land and the Lord does not see.’ They think that I do not see.” A literal repetition of the reasoning of the animal worshippers in Ezek 8:12; only there first the more important for them: “the Lord does not see us.” To the sins of bloodshed and injury (practical) is added also in Judea the sin of doubt (theoretical) in Divine providence and foresight, from which one step to atheism.

Ezekiel 9:10. Therefore My eye will not spare, nor will I show pity; I will bring their deeds upon their heads. “Therefore…” Hebrew “vegam”—Ezek 8:18, but Slavonic here “and I am,” and there “and I.” “My eye (as if in opposition to: ‘does not see’ of the preceding verse) will not spare, nor will I show pity” Ezek 5:11 (where see explanation) and Ezek 7:4, in Hebrew with slight changes each time. The punishment is merciless, but this is only “their deeds,” “turned upon their heads”; the latter expression, favorite in Ezekiel (Ezek 11:21), may be owing to 1 Sam 8:32.

Ezekiel 9:11. And the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his side, returned and reported, saying: I have done as You commanded me. While the punishing angels were still continuing their terrible work, the protecting angel returned: he had little to do in the wicked city. But for the execution of the entire command of God no more time was needed than for its announcement; therefore the higher angel could, as commander of the detachment (cf. Josh 5:1-4), appear to the Supreme Ruler with a report of the execution of the assignment by the entire detachment. He alone returns, and therefore because only he alone finds further application (will set fire to the city). “The bloody deed is very skillfully transferred behind the scenes, but the reader from the divine dialogue has a complete understanding of it” (Bertholet.).

Chapter Ten

Burning of the city before the departure of Jehovah from it

And here only the preparation for the punishment is described (vv. 1-8), while the punishment itself remains undescribed, and instead the prophet directs the attention of the reader to the structure of the chariot on which Jehovah will depart (vv. 9-22).

Ezekiel 10:1. And I looked, and behold, on the expanse that was above the heads of the cherubs, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, like the likeness of a throne, visible above them. “And I looked, and behold”—a remark showing that the third (new) part of the vision begins. Now, when the dark picture of abominations in the temple and judgment on them has passed before the prophet’s eyes, he takes advantage of the opportunity to look more carefully at the wonderful picture of the vision, which he is now able to view without the initial horror, and therefore more attentively. The prophet is attracted above all by the throne on the firmament, described solemnly with Ezek 1:26, though not literally, but without bringing in anything new. Remarkably, nothing is said here about Him who sat on the throne. But hardly can one conclude from this that the throne was empty, because the throne-chariot appeared to take the glory of God from the temple. The description of the throne here aims to show from where the last act of judgment about to be described—the burning of the city—is to proceed—from the throne on the firmament. It is as though until now the prophet had not realized that it was the One He saw on the Chebar who was judging, and that judgment comes from that terrible throne on the firmament. The course of the description may also give the thought that the first act of judgment, the act most important, described in Ezek 9:4-11 and expressed in the condemnation to death of almost the entire population, was carried out not quite as, nor even entirely by the same judge as the second—the condemnation of the city to burning; there directly from Shekinah (Ezek 9:3-4), here from the throne above the firmament, but by whom, is not said—a silence characteristic of the prophet’s reverential caution in transmitting the vision. The appearance of mention of the throne here may be explained also by the fact that God’s glory again passed from the threshold of the sanctuary to its place above the cherubs, in order to return again in the following verse to the threshold; this change of place by it, apparently escaping the notice of the prophet, and therefore not mentioned by him, could have been caused by the defilement of the sanctuary by corpses. In the description of the throne the prophet is even more restrained here than in Ezek 1:26; there “the likeness of a throne,” here “something like a throne” (“kemare demut”—three limitations instead of one); but there “something like the appearance of a sapphire stone,” here “something like a sapphire stone”; perhaps however one limitation fell not in its place; the LXX simply: “the likeness of a throne” and “like a sapphire stone.”

Ezekiel 10:2. And He spoke to the man clothed in linen, and said: Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubs, and fill your hollow hand with coals of fire from between the cherubs, and scatter them over the city; and he went in my sight. “And He spoke.” In Hebrew without subject; for the absence of it see Ezek 2:1. “To the man clothed in linen,” who was just now the mediator of mercy, and now becomes the mediator of punishment; however, the punishment entrusted to this angel is far from being as fatal and disastrous as the former; moreover, in the hands of God every punishment is merciful. “Among the wheels.” Wheels here for the first time, as later in vv. 6 and 13, are named by a special name “galgal” (a special kind of whirlwind), on which name the prophet expressly dwells in v. 13, where see the explanation. “Beneath the cherubs.” In Hebrew singular in collective sense corresponding to the collective naming of the wheels in the plural of the preceding verse. According to Ezek 1:15, the wheels are beside the cherubs; the present “beneath” more precisely determines their location: since the cherubs soared in the air rather than walked on the earth, the wheels could not fail to be below them and nearer to the earth. “A hollow hand full of coals of fire.” The angel can take hot coals in his hands, as he is of supersensory nature; if the seraphim of Isaiah’s vision in this case uses tongs, here perhaps one can see a greater development of the concept of the spirituality of angels. “And scatter them over the city.” Jerusalem must perish like Sodom. The instrument of its ruin is coals (cf. Ps 119:4; Isa 10:16 according to Hebrew text), which in Isaiah purify the lips of the prophet, coals taken from the altar of the spiritual burnt offering of those standing (see explanation Ezek 1:13) before God, as in Rev 8:5, as a sign that this burnt offering by its very existence destroys everything sinful. “In my sight” see explanation in Ezek 9:1 “to my ears.”

Ezekiel 10:3. Now the cherubs were standing on the right side of the house when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court. This verse, like the two following, constitutes a parenthesis (an insertion of side thoughts among the main ones). “On the right side of the house,” that is, on the south side of the temple, at the building of the sanctuary and the holy of holies. Probably on the south side because the eastern, the main side, before the entrance to the sanctuary, was occupied by the sun worshippers and is now strewn with corpses, and the northern side was defiled by the idol of jealousy; besides, from the southern side of the temple the city lay, and from there one could observe the punishment being carried out in it. “When the man went in,” that is, the higher angel; the remark may suggest that the cherubs did not occupy this place at all times in the vision, but changed it. “And the cloud filled the inner court,” because the cherubs were in it with the glory of the Lord above them, the principal manifestation of which was the cloud; therefore when in the following verse God’s glory passes from the threshold of the sanctuary to the threshold of the temple, the cloud fills the sanctuary itself.

Ezekiel 10:4. And the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the Lord. “The glory of the Lord” (in the sense of Ezek 9:3) again (as in 9:3) passes from the cherubs (as also in 9 it is in Hebrew singular in collective sense) to the threshold (Slavonic: “uncovered place” see explanation in Ezek 9:3) of the house, perhaps in anticipation of the second act of God’s judgment on Jerusalem about to take place—the burning of it, corresponding to the fact that the first act of this judgment—the slaughter of the population—was carried out from the threshold of the house; this shows that the city is judged chiefly for the defilement of the house. Theodoret believes that God’s glory departed from the cherubs so as to allow the archangel to approach the dreadful fiery place enclosed by cherubs and wheels. With the glory of the Lord the cloud, its external manifestation (as if a covering for it) also moved, and filled now not the court but the building of the sanctuary and the holy of holies (for the last time!); but the court, though the cloud cleared it, nevertheless gave evidence of the closeness of God’s glory by being filled with the radiance of this glory, that is, with the radiance that according to Ezek 1:4 poured forth around the cloud of the Chebar theophany.

Ezekiel 10:5. And the sound of the wings of the cherubs was heard in the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty, when He speaks. The cherubs, so closely connected with the manifestation of God’s glory that they are called cherubs of glory (Heb 9:5), could not remain indifferent to the transfer of God’s glory from them to the threshold of the house, and answered to this with a sound, that is, a movement (flapping) of their wings, which on the part of the cherubs, who in Ezekiel do not speak, and in the Apocalypse speak very little, could be as it were an applause (Knabenbauer) to God, who is bringing judgment upon the hateful iniquity (cf. Rev 6:1-8 and following, when at the opening of each of the first four seals by the Lamb, four cherubs in turn speak in a sense of satisfaction: “Come and see”). This mighty sound (from the wings of the cherubs) was heard over the entire vast expanse of the temple, of the extent of which one can judge from the description of the mysterious temple of Ezekiel in chapters XL-XLII; being at the moment of the vision in the inner court of the temple (Ezek 8:16), the prophet apparently concluded from the echo that the sound reached the outer wall of the outer temple court. The sound from the cherubs’ wings, so detailed and distinctly described in Ezek 1:24, the prophet here characterizes by one of the four comparisons there given, the most powerful: a comparison with the voice of God Almighty (Hebrew “El-Shaddai,” there simply: “Shaddai”; El-Shaddai appears only in Gen 43:14), when He speaks (also an addition to Ezek 1:24, where see also explanation of the expression; Symmachus and Theodotion “like the voice of thunder”). According to Ezek 1:24 such a sound was produced by the cherubs’ wings when they flew; consequently, in this case they were beating their wings with no less force than they did when flying: such excitement were they in.

Ezekiel 10:6. And it came to pass when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying: “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubs,” and when he went and stood by a wheel— A return to the narrative interrupted by a long insertion, which is why it repeats almost the entire v. 2, but instead of “coals” the general “fire,” as in the following verse.

Ezekiel 10:7. Then one of the cherubs stretched out his hand to the fire that was between the cherubs, and took some and put it into the hollow hand of the man clothed in linen; and he took it and went out. By giving fire for the burning of the city, the cherub, though apparently doing so in order to be feared to approach the dread fiery place enclosed by cherubs and wheels (cf. Ezek 1:13), by which means the archangel perhaps did not fully carry out the direct command of God to enter there, the cherub becomes a participant also in the execution of the punishment of God, similar to the apocalyptic cherub who gave to seven angels seven bowls filled with the wrath of God (Rev 15:7). On this basis was founded the opinion of the ancient church about cherubs as instruments of God’s wrath, in opposition to seraphs (Isaiah’s purification). “And went out,” that is, from the inner court, beyond which the prophet could no longer follow the angel with his eyes. The burning coals were cast upon the city for its burning. What the angel accomplished in the prophet’s vision, in the external world was accomplished on Jerusalem by the army of Nebuchadnezzar. The prophet was shown the heavenly (noumenal) essence of the earthly appearance, which seemed to the world so ordinary and frequent.

Ezekiel 10:8. And it became visible to the cherubs that there was a likeness of human hands under their wings. The fact that the cherub took fire and gave it to the archangel with its hand might, in the prophet’s opinion, cause the reader to wonder whether cherubs have hands, creatures so exalted not only above mankind but above the angelic world and so not human-like. As if not trusting the memory of the reader, who should have known about the hands of the cherubs from Ezek 1:6, the prophet repeats the remark of that passage about the hands of the cherubs with a slight difference in expression: instead of “hand”—“the likeness,” more precisely “the outline of the hands.” This, and not so very necessary, repetition of what was said in Chapter I leads the prophet to a repetitive description of almost the entire vision of Chapter I. The description of the wheels (vv. 9-17) is chiefly repeated from Chapter I, to which, after a brief return of the prophet to the interrupted narrative (vv. 18-20), is added an already more brief description of the living creatures (vv. 21-22). This second description adds almost nothing (however, v. 12) and changes nothing (however, v. 14) in the former description, and therefore seems so strange that its authenticity is strongly disputed, or it is explained by the fact that the prophet, having two drafts on one and the same theme and having placed them in the book, did not succeed in eliminating one of them during final editing (something similar, it is said, took place in Chapter VII with vv. 2-5 and 6-9. Cornill. Kraetzschmar). But aside from the fact that return to what was said before with the purpose of its further development and supplementation, or simply to draw the reader’s special attention, constitutes an authorial peculiarity of Ezekiel (Ezek 3:17-21; Ezek 18:1 in Ezek 33:1-20 or Ezek 5:10-16 and Ezek 12:17-20), for the present repetition one can find grounds and justification. “Jehovah intends to abandon His sanctuary; does it not constitute a fine touch that the prophet takes advantage of the short time before the departure of the Lord to immerse himself as deeply as possible in His glorious manifestation; he as it were cannot gaze enough at the One Who is parting: and it is very successfully and very opportunely that the prophet fills the time occupied by the execution on the part of the angel of the terrible commission given to him, with the contemplation of the manifestation of the Lord” (Bertholet.). They also point out (Smend) that to the readers of Ezekiel it might have seemed that with Jerusalem the Jehovah also must perish, and the prophet wants to make them understand that Jehovah, Himself destroying His sanctuary, is not bound to His land. Besides, as will be seen upon closer examination of the repetitive description, the prophet evidently wants to finish some of the unfinished touches of the first description, to clarify its obscurities, and to change in the repeated appearance what was not in harmony with the first appearance (v. 12 and 14). The repetitive description of the vision serves to prepare for the description of the departure of the Lord from the temple and Jerusalem (vv. 18 and 19), which is why in the description the chief place is given to the wheels (7 verses, and the cherubs 3). The repetitive description begins with the wheels.

Ezekiel 10:9. And I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cherubs, one wheel beside each cherub; and as for the appearance of the wheels, they were like the appearance of a beryl stone. Ezek 10 Ezek 1:15-16. The obscurity in Chapter I concerning the number of wheels, about which it is said so that it is possible to suppose, as some interpreters did, that there was one wheel, is here cleared up. The comparison of the wheels with beryl (“tarshish”) is supplemented by the definition “stone” to the latter; but omitted is, as the wheels were arranged in relation to their cherub (that it was simultaneously at all four faces of it,—a remark omitted perhaps because of the difficulty of understanding it and the supposed incongruity), and that the wheels were topaz not only in appearance but also in construction (a remark also omitted, as the preceding one, by the LXX in Chapter I).

Ezekiel 10:10. And as for their appearance, all four looked alike, as if one wheel were inside another wheel. Ezekiel 10:11. When they moved, they moved in any of their four directions; they did not turn when they moved, but went in the direction which the head was facing; they did not turn when they moved. Ezek 10 Ezek 1:16 vv. Omitted is the concept of construction. Ezek 10:11а Ezek 1:17. But the second half of the verse contains an addition to the data of Chapter I: the wheels rolled to “wherever the head was facing,” whose head? of course the living creature, beside which each wheel stood; but by head may also be meant the front (cf. Job 29:25; 1 Sam 13:17 according to Hebrew text), chief (at that moment) wheel, or the front of the whole appearance; thus it seems the LXX understood it: “wherever one front looked, they went there.” At the end of the verse the remark about the wheels not turning is repeated; this so literally repeated expression gives in the present context a different thought than in its first place: it was strange that although the wheels with their sides could move both to the right and to the left and backward, they all moved forward, as if drawn by the front wheel.

Ezekiel 10:12. And all their flesh, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels round about them, were full of eyes all around, all four of the wheels. It is parallel to Ezek 1:18, but if the text here is not damaged, makes a considerable addition to it: the cherubs were covered with eyes not only in their wheels, which is so striking and terrible in its appearance and horror, the prophet details where the eyes were on the cherubs: they were scattered over all of their body: even such parts as the back, hands, and wings. It throws doubt on the authenticity of this verse the fact that the present section of the chapter is devoted to the description of the wheels, and the speech of the prophet could hardly have turned so suddenly and sharply to the cherubs, with but one pronoun. Therefore Jerome, as the rabbis and other interpreters, proposes to understand the parts enumerated here as metaphorical names for the parts of the wheel: body—the hub of the wheel, back—the rims, hands—the spokes, wings—the hoops. It should be noted, besides, that the Hebrew names of all these parts of the wheel are close in form to the names enumerated in the present verse for the parts of the body, and there are exactly as many parts as the principal constituent parts in a wheel, at least as they were considered at that time, as is evident from Rev 4:6; this latter passage, speaking of the wheels of the bronze basins in Solomon’s temple, could have come to the mind of the prophet, especially if one admits that the very idea of the wheel in his vision was suggested by the wheels of the basins. Since the names of the parts of the wheel represent very little used words, it is allowed that they easily could have been damaged in the text and replaced by more familiar names of parts of the body. For the symbolic meaning of the many-eyedness, see the cherubs of the Apocalypse (1 Sam 7:33), explanation Ezek 1:18.

Ezekiel 10:13. To these wheels, as I heard, was called out: “Galgal.” “As I heard,” literally “to my ears,” as in Ezek 9:1, where see explanation. “Was called out.” When commanding the archangel to take coals between the wheels, God names them in the Hebrew text of v. 2 as “galgal”; since the prophet heard this command, he may be referring to it here; but the entire expression produces the impression that the wheels were intentionally and solemnly named so, and this significant name was pronounced with a loud voice, “cried out,” Hebrew “vayikra,” Slavonic “was proclaimed,”—“Galgal.” A Hebrew word left untranslated, as also in Greco-Slavonic: “Gelgel.” Of this name of the wheels of the vision it can be said, first of all, that it is divine, because the prophet never names them so of himself, but with the usual Hebrew word for designating wheels—ophan; in this respect it is especially significant that in one and the same verse 6, when God speaks of the wheels, they are named “galgal,” and when the prophet speaks,—“ophan.” As a divine name, it must be full of deep meaning and mystery, which is why the ancient translators feared to translate it. “Galga” is used more than once in the Old Testament as a name for wheel, primarily in poetic language: Eccl 12:6; Isa 5:28; Ezek 23:24. But this is not the only or primary meaning of this word; its proper meaning seems to be “whirlwind.” In the psalms and in Isaiah it is used to denote a natural phenomenon: Isa 17:13: “they were driven like dust before the wind and like galga (Russian translation “dust,” Church Slavonic: “dust wheel”) by a whirlwind”; Ps 82:14: “let them be like a wheel (galga), like dust before the wind.” In both passages something is indicated like straw, which is easily driven by the wind; and it is known that even now in lands adjacent to Palestine during harvest or shortly after, along roads and fields there roll about things driven by the wind, quite large spheres; these are nothing but dried plants which are caught up by the storm and in the form of a sphere carried with great speed across the fields (Hebrans, cited work, 598). Therefore galga can mean a spherical form in general: in Ps 76:19 this word denotes the vault of heaven (“the sound of your thunder in a wheel”). Used by God Himself concerning wheels, previously called by the prophet simply “ophanim,” the word “galga” clearly has the purpose of more closely characterizing these wheels: in their motion they resembled “galga,” a whirlwind of a special sort, taking on a spherical form. From this not without reason it is concluded that the wheel in the vision of the prophet Ezekiel had a spherical form and that it represented a heavenly sphere. Besides the use of “galga” concerning straw pieces in the psalms and in Isaiah, the basis for the latter is the meaning of the words “galga” and “ophan” in the Talmud. By the first word once (Chag. III, 79) is meant the solar disk (the Sadducees mock the Pharisees for subjecting to ablution the “galga” of the sun), and another time the heavenly vault (Petach 94 b); by ophanim in the Talmud are meant mental circles on the heavenly vault: the equator, the meridian, the zodiac, the horizon. The character imparted to the wheels by the name “galga” sheds light on the general significance of them in the system of Ezekiel’s visions and their relation to the main actors of these visions – the cherubim. Having wings, the cherubim could fly by means of them; but on the ground they could not fly, but only walk or run; if they performed movement on the ground with feet it ought to have turned out that the earth by its gross materiality placed an obstacle to the passage of the Lord going upon it; this could not be, and so the cherubim are provided for movement on the ground with an instrument giving them the possibility of accomplishing this movement with a speed not less than flight; such an instrument were the wheels beside them. Ordinary wheels could not, of course, serve such a purpose: one cannot imagine such wheels which would move with the speed of a flying bird or the wind (by which the Chebar vision was borne Ezek 1:4-6). And if even such wheels were possible, one could only ride in them with the desired speed. The wheels of the vision only found themselves beside the animals and by this alone mediated their movement and imparted to it the needed speed. How they could do this is explained by their name “galga.” Since “galga” is nothing other than a special kind of whirlwind, the wheels of the vision must have had much in common with a whirlwind, if they are directly and deliberately called a whirlwind. It is clear how they, finding themselves only beside the animals, could influence their movement: a strong whirlwind lifts and carries large objects across the earth. Flying with the speed of the wind on their mighty wings, the animals of the vision precisely with such the same speed were borne in a whirlwind across the earth.

Ezekiel 10:14. And each of the animals had four faces: the first face was a cherub’s face, the second face a human face, the third face a lion’s face, and the fourth face an eagle’s face. Ezek 10 Ezek 1:6. “The first face – a cherub’s face…” The Russian translation of this passage is imprecise; Church Slavonic is more precise: “one face a cherub’s face, another face a human face, a third face a lion’s face, and a fourth face an eagle’s face.” Thus here it speaks of the faces not of one cherub, but of different ones. About the likeness of the first cherub’s face nothing is said for some reason, but only that it was with the ordinary face of a cherub; another was with a human face, the third face noticed by the prophet (of which cherub is not said) was a lion’s face, a fourth – an eagle’s face. This expression, both in the form it has in the Hebrew text and in the Church Slavonic translation, does not contain the necessary thought that each cherub had one face and a face not such as the others, which is the case in Rev 4:7. The prophet knew that when reading this remark, the reader would keep in mind what was said about the cherubim’s faces in Ezek 1:10, where each cherub is ascribed 4 faces. If here one speaks of one face in each cherub, this is for the same reason why these faces are enumerated in a different order – because the prophet observes the phenomenon under different conditions. The prophet in this case, perhaps by reason of some distance and obscured by the temple building, did not see more than one face in each of the cherubim. Closest of all to the prophet and most visible to him was the cherub which gave the coal to the archangel (hence the article with this word here); this cherub the prophet could see with all its faces, as he saw all the cherubim on the Chebar; therefore the prophet does not say with what face this cherub was turned toward him. The most close and visible after this was the cherub turned toward the prophet with a human face and so forth; thus the first cherub was turned toward the prophet with an ox’s face. All this was possible if the cherubim’s faces were arranged, as shown on the presented diagram, which shows also their position in relation to the prophet and the temple. Thus the prophet clearly saw only the face of the first cherub and the second; concerning the third and fourth, hidden by the temple building and perhaps hardly rising above its roof (if the phenomenon hovered in the air), the prophet could more presume than see what faces they had turned toward him; hence the difference in his expressions about the 3rd and 4th faces in comparison with the 1st and 2nd, and the order of the latter two faces: by rank or by description in chapter I, not by their present position. – This verse is lacking in many Greek manuscripts, which, given its obscurity and apparent contradiction with Ezek 1:10, which has not been explained until now (the omission of the ox’s face was explained for example by the fact that the introduction of such a face in the Divine theophany of chapter I gave rise to scandal, which the prophet himself feared and hastened to remove) caused suspicion of its authenticity and led to various emendations: for example, it was proposed (Kraetzschmar) to read instead of “kerub” “cherub” – written similar to “par,” “bull,” a folk name for ox.

Ezekiel 10:15. The cherubim rose up. These were the same animals which I saw by the river Chebar. “The cherubim rose up.” The rising of the cherubim from the ground is described much more fully later, in verse 19; therefore this expression, standing in the Hebrew text in a grammatically difficult form, may mean: “began to rise,” “stirred,” preparing to receive upon themselves the Glory of God, which is about to (verse 18) pass upon them from the temple threshold. Now, when the awesome spectacle of God’s judgment upon the temple and city had ended, and the prophet obtained the possibility (already from verse 8) to observe the theophany of God’s Glory with relative calm, a vision of which he had not been satisfied with on the Chebar, only now does he begin to give himself a fully clear account of the fact that the mysterious animals seen by him on the Chebar (which on account of their close connection and inseparability he calls here, both in the Hebrew and in the Greek and Church Slavonic, in the singular) are none other than cherubim, because the Glory resting upon them, as has now become fully clear to the prophet, is one with the Glory of the Lord dwelling above the ark of the covenant in the temple.

Ezekiel 10:16. And when the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not separate from them, but were beside them. Ezekiel 10:17. When those stood still, these stood still; when those rose up, these rose up; for in them was the spirit of the animals. The beginning of the rising from the ground by the cherubim gave the prophet occasion to notice something that had impressed him also on the Chebar (Ezek 1:19-20) – the agreement in the movements of the wheels and cherubim, joined by nothing material to each other: since the wheels proceeded in strict accord with the cherubim (verse 16a), as soon as the latter stirred their wings, some motion occurred in the wheels (verse 16b); such was the bond between these and those: as long as those stand quietly, these stand; as soon as those move, these too come into motion. “For in them was the spirit of the animals,” see the explanation of Ezek 1:20.

Ezekiel 10:18. And the glory of the Lord went from the threshold of the house and stood over the cherubim. “The glory of the Lord” (in the sense in which this name is used in Ezek 9:3 and Ezek 10:4, that is in the sense of the cloud of theophany), having perhaps waited at the temple threshold for the completion of the last plague upon Jerusalem (burning) from the archangel, which does not return here, as in 9:3, with a report on the fulfillment of the commission, returns to its place above the cherubim for withdrawal from the temple and city. This withdrawal can be regarded as the third and last act of God’s judgment upon Jerusalem and as the heaviest punishment for it, if one takes into account the heavy consequences which withdrawal of God entails according to Deut 31:17 and Hos 9:2.

Ezekiel 10:19. And the cherubim lifted up their wings, and rose in my sight from the ground; when they went out, the wheels also went beside them; and they stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the house of the Lord, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. “In my sight,” see the explanation of Ezek 9:1 “in my ears.” – “And the wheels beside them.” The wheels were so much an independent part of the vision and it was so strange that they hovered in the air that the prophet always when mentioning the rising of the cherubim mentions the wheels: Ezek 3:13. – “And they stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the house of the Lord.” – These were the main gates of the temple, through which it was natural for the Lord to go forth from His temple, as later the glory of the Lord returned to the temple through such gates (Ezek 43:2); moreover these gates lay directly opposite the doors of the temple proper – the building of the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies – and through them one entered the city. At the gates of the temple, consequently at the furthest periphery of the temple space, the glory of the Lord stops with the same purpose with which it stops at the temple threshold: to bid farewell to its ancient dwelling, perhaps “as a sign of some reluctance and regret with which it departs from the temple” (Knabenbauer); the reason for stopping here could also be the impious council of 25 elders at these gates (Ezek 11:1 and ff.). – “The God of Israel,” cf. Ezek 8:4. The definition means to say that God is no longer to be the God of the covenant and is preparing to abandon His people.

Ezekiel 10:20. These were the same animals which I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the river Chebar. And I knew that they were cherubim. In chapter I, where the cherubim who appeared to the prophet in the form of four-faced animals are described so fully, he did not let slip a word that these were cherubim; undoubtedly because then he did not even suspect it: the appearance of the creatures who appeared to him there differed so much from the depictions of cherubim in the temple (where they presumably were depicted in human form). This entire vision seems directed toward revealing to the prophet the true nature of the animals that appeared to him on the Chebar. And the prophet in this vision does not call them animals, but all cherubim (Ezek 9:3; Ezek 10:1 and ff.). The conviction that these were cherubim could arise in the prophet from the very beginning of this vision from the mere fact that the glory of the Lord resting on the mysterious animals turned out to be in the temple, where the Shekinah dwelt; this conviction could be supported by the voice of God in Ezek 10:2 (where God Himself called the enigmatic bearers of His glory cherubim, although one must remember that words in visions are “unutterable” according to 2 Cor 12:4); it grew in verse 15, see its explanation; and finally became firmly established and is now solemnly proclaimed, at the withdrawal of the glory of the Lord from the temple, from its cherubim, which is significant.

Ezekiel 10:21. Each had four faces, and each had four wings, and under their wings was the likeness of human hands. Ezekiel 10:22. And the likeness of their faces was the same which I had seen by the river Chebar – both their form and they themselves. Each one went straight in the direction in which the face was turned. The conviction that the present animals were identical with those seen on the Chebar (cf. verse 15), a conviction important especially in view of the fact that the present animals turned out to be cherubim, was confirmed for the prophet finally when they rose into the air and he could, as also on the Chebar, examine all the particulars of their figure – all 4 faces, wings, and so forth. In all particulars of the figure of those and these animals there was the fullest correspondence. Of these particulars only the most important are enumerated: the quantity of faces and wings, hands (the appearance of feet, understandably, is omitted), the likeness of faces, and the other particulars are united in the concept “their form and they themselves” (by the latter word may be understood the properties manifested in the vision by the mysterious animals); but for the remainder not enumerated, the most important is pointed out and at the present moment, the moment of withdrawal of the cherubim from the temple, observed by the prophet: that each cherub went straight before its face, although they looked in different directions.

Chapter Eleven

The Departure of Jehovah from Jerusalem

1–3. The princes caught at the exit from the temple, in its eastern gates, at a council in which the leaders in self-confident hope in the fortified city want to venture to battle with the Chaldeans. 4–13. God predicts through the prophet that Jerusalem, stained with blood, will fall into the hands of the enemy, who at the border of Israel will execute strict judgment on the traitors. 14–21. On the contrary, the captives, on whom Jerusalem looks with contempt, may hope for a better future if only they genuinely turn to God; thus here is indicated in the same dramatic form of God’s judgment upon Jerusalem a new, already the third reason for its fall (the first – the desecration of the temple by idolatry, the second – wickedness: Ezek 9:9), the immediate reason – the foolish attempt of the authorities to resist the Chaldeans. 22–25. After this prediction the glory of the Lord continues its path and the vision ends.

Ezekiel 11:1. And a spirit lifted me up, and brought me to the eastern gate of the house of the Lord, which faces toward the east. And behold, at the entrance of the gate twenty-five men; and among them I saw Jaazaniah, the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. “And a spirit lifted me up and brought,” as in Ezek 43:5; cf. Ezek 3:14, and not as everywhere before in this vision simply “brought” (and without subject: Ezek 8:7), perhaps on account of the distance and difficulty of walking in the footsteps of the glory of the Lord, especially for a visionary state… – “To the eastern gate of the house of the Lord, which faces toward the east.” The last, seemingly superfluous addition, perhaps means to say that these gates were the last in the temple and nothing obscured the rising sun from here; those counseling at these gates, in the same number as the sun-worshippers, were likewise turned toward the east. – “At the entrance of the gate”: under the vault formed by the thick wall in which the gates were constructed. In the east at the gates, judicial investigations are conducted and the guilty are punished on the spot. In the present case at the eastern gates evidently a session of the leaders was taking place; that it took place not at the city gates but at the temple gates, this undoubtedly indicates the actual existence then of such a practice, cf. Jer 26:10; Ezekiel seems to want to condemn this practice in Ezek 44:2-3. “Twenty-five men.” If of them concerning two, named by name, it is said that they were princes of the people, then this should be applied to the rest, as already shown by their participation in such an important state council. Hardly is this only a round number (not said: “about,” as in Ezek 8:16 and here in the LXX); it is probable that in fact there existed then a collegial institution of such a number of members. Perhaps it consisted of 12 leaders of tribes and 12 royal officials or military authorities with a commander-in-chief at the head according to 1 Chr 26 (Keil); others, basing themselves on rabbinic tradition, see in them leaders of 24 districts of the city with a prince of the royal family. In any case these 25 men represent the whole civil government of Israel, as the twenty-five priests mentioned in Ezek 8:16 represent the religious government. Among them two, as there one, proved known to the prophet and of course also to his fellow-countrymen, and he knew them by face. The second of them Pelatiah is mentioned presumably because of the event recounted in verse 13 – his sudden striking down by God, and the first Jaazaniah – is mentioned, perhaps because he was distinguished in some way during the time of war or simply as the namesake of Jaazaniah Ezek 8:11 (but not identical with him, as the patronymic shows). The very names and patronymics of these two princes of the people are significant: 1) in that the name of Jehovah is contained in three of them, an explanation of which see in Ezek 8:11; 2) in that they give thought to the hope in God which the then Jews entertained without repentance of sins (Hengstenberg): “Jaazaniah son of Azzur” – “God hears, son of help,” “Pelatiah son of Benaiah” – “God hastens, son of God’s building.” Since according to chapter IX all the wicked population of Jerusalem is destroyed, and according to chapter X the city itself is burned, the appearance here of 25 leaders, who discuss the salvation of the city from being taken by the Chaldeans, is considered an inconsistency, which is attributed to Ezekiel’s literary carelessness. But in making this charge against Ezekiel, they forget that visions do not abide by the laws of space and time, because these laws do not have force in the supersensible world into which visions penetrate.

Ezekiel 11:2. And He said to me: Son of man! These are the men who plot iniquity and give evil counsel in this city, “He (added by Russian translation; in Church Slavonic the addition: “the Lord”) said to me.” Without subject; see explanation in Ezek 2:1. – “Iniquity,” Church Slavonic more precisely: “vanity.” – “Evil counsel.” In what it consists is shown in the following verse. In human counsel is established something directly opposite to what is already established in divine counsel.

Ezekiel 11:3. saying, “It is not near; let us build houses; he is the cauldron, and we are the meat.” “It is not near,” that is, the fall of Judah. – “Let us build houses,” the siege will end successfully. Perhaps an intentional misuse of the counsel of Jeremiah to the captives in Jer 29:15. The obscure Hebrew expression, however, permits more than one translation: Church Slavonic: “not in newness are houses built,” that is, after the first siege by Nebuchadnezzar Jerusalem was again built and repaired, the same will be after the second. – “He (the city) is the cauldron, and we are the meat.” However grievous it may be in the fire of siege, yet the strong walls of the city will protect us from death as well as the walls of a cauldron protect meat from burning.

Ezekiel 11:4. Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, son of man. “Prophesy against them, prophesy.” In the Hebrew a literal repetition, as also in Church Slavonic: “prophesy against them, prophesy,” cf. Ezek 37:9 – to indicate the force and spiritual strain with which the prophet is now to prophesy.

Ezekiel 11:5. And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said to me: Say, Thus says the Lord: This is what you are saying, O house of Israel, and what comes into your mind I know. “And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me,” although the prophet is already in a state of inspiration – in ecstasy; such is, consequently, the difference between ordinary inspiration and ecstatic: the former imparts special acuteness to the mind, the latter – to spiritual perception and sensation. – “House of Israel,” because the 25 princes represented it. – “And what comes into your mind.” The plans of mutiny and resistance to Nebuchadnezzar were held in secret at first.

Ezekiel 11:6. You have multiplied slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the dead. Here is meant capital punishment, instances of which, judging by the importance which Ezekiel attaches to this, must have been very frequent; cf. Ezek 7:23 and especially Ezek 22:6.

Ezekiel 11:7. Therefore thus says the Lord God: The slain whom you have laid in the midst of it, they are the meat, and it is the cauldron; but you I will bring out of it. Having pointed out the guilt of the people’s rulers, the prophet begins the threat to them with an ironic application of the comparison they used of the city as a cauldron: only the innocently slain lie solidly and reliably in Jerusalem, who as it were would not want to have beside them and after death their murderers, and the latter must abandon Jerusalem; for what terrible purpose, verse 6–10 speaks. cf. Ezek 24:6 and ff. “The Lord God” in the Greek more correctly simply “the Lord”: solemnity is here no more required than in verse 5, where there is simply: “the Lord.”

Ezekiel 11:8. You fear the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, says the Lord God. Ezekiel 11:9. And I will bring you out from it, and give you into the hands of foreigners, and will execute judgment on you. They must repay with their blood for the innocent blood that was shed. And behold, the Lord delivers them into the very hands of their enemies. The walls of the city will not protect it from the Chaldean sword. Having broken away from Babylon and entered into alliance with Egypt, the people’s rulers will not thereby turn aside the Chaldean sword; on the contrary, they will draw it down upon themselves. Cf. Prov 10:24.

Ezekiel 11:10. By the sword you will fall; on the borders of Israel I will judge you, and you will know that I am the Lord. “By the sword you will fall,” where and how is indicated further on. “On the borders of Israel I will judge you”; not only outside Jerusalem, but scarcely outside the country itself. The judgment meant here is that of Nebuchadnezzar, who in this case, according to God’s view, took the place of God Himself, the judgment carried out by him against the faithless Judeans at the frontier Riblah (see explanation Ezek 6:14), where among others the sons of Zedekiah were condemned to death and he to blindness. The Slavonic instead of “on the borders” has “on the mountains,” obviously reading ορεων instead of οριων. The purpose of Jehovah’s actions is always one in Ezekiel—the knowledge of Him (cf. Ezek 6:7).

Ezekiel 11:11. It shall not be a pot for you, nor shall you be the meat in it; on the borders of Israel I will judge you. The verse connects the beginning of the prophetic speech with the end, and verse 12 adds another important reason for the destruction of the city; cf. v. 18; Ezek 6:7. In the second half of v. 12 a negation may be implied, as in Isa 11:12 according to the Hebrew text; however, cf. Ezek 20:32. The verses do not contain a single new thought, which is why the LXX in the time of blessed Jerome did not have them; but repetition is a characteristic of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 11:13. And it happened that when I was prophesying, Peltiah son of Benaiah died. And I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice, and said: Oh, Lord God! Are you going to completely destroy the remnant of Israel? God’s threat immediately produced an effect which confirms the truthfulness of the entire prediction. Undoubtedly at the very moment of the vision when the prophet received the revelation of verses 4–12 (“when I was prophesying”), Peltiah mentioned in v. 1, who perhaps was the leader of the party hostile to true prophecy, suddenly died in Jerusalem. The prophet, of course, was able to see this death from Babylon with no less clarity than those possessing double vision. What must the captives have felt, to whom Ezekiel recounted his vision (Ezek 11:25), when subsequently news of Peltiah’s death reached them from Jerusalem! This death struck the prophet not only with natural compassion for the deceased, but chiefly as a dreadful sign that in this way the entire remnant of Israel might be destroyed, which the Lord had promised to preserve through Jeremiah: Jer 4:27. “Oh” (cf. Ezek 9:8) is the Hebrew interjection of heavy sighing “ahah,” which the LXX probably read as two: “woe to me, bitterly to me.”

Ezekiel 11:15. Son of man! Your brothers, your brothers, your own kinsmen and the entire house of Israel—all of them—those living in Jerusalem say to them: “Live far from the Lord; this land has been given to us as our possession.” God corrects the prophet’s mistaken view that Jerusalem is all that remains of Israel: the prophet forgets about his brothers, his kinsmen (Slavonic: “the men of your captivity”; in the Hebrew word “geula” for such a meaning one would need to drop one letter: “gola”), brothers (repetition from intensity of feeling), about the entire house of Israel—the scattered ten-tribe kingdom—about all of them taken together (a prophetic hint of the future reunion of Judah and Israel; Slavonic: “perished,” that is, lost in the opinion of the Jerusalemites). In Hebrew, these are nominatives absolute: “your brothers” and so forth. “Have you forgotten them?” God reproaches him that the prophet, through his fear for the remnant of Israel, becomes, without noticing it himself, the spokesman of the proud Jerusalemites, who do not count the captives as God’s people only because they live “far from the Lord,” that is, far from the temple, and do not possess the holy land: the holy land was considered as inseparable from Jehovah, as pagan lands from their gods: 1 Sam 26:19; 2 Sam 17:23; Jer 48:7; only in difficult circumstances did they free themselves from this view: Ezek 8:12; cf. Jer 24:1. The view presented by the prophet is very characteristic of the bold presumption of those remaining in Palestine, who looked upon themselves as the exclusive heirs of the covenantal promise made to Abraham in Gen 15:18.

Ezekiel 11:16. Therefore say: Thus says the Lord God: Although I have removed them among the nations and scattered them among the lands, yet I will be to them a sanctuary, though a small one, in the lands to which they have gone. “Lands” see explanation Ezek 5:5. “I will be to them a sanctuary,” Slavonic: “for sanctification in a small measure”—the farther from the temple, the less holiness for Ezekiel; on this principle is built his entire division of the future holy land between priests, Levites, princes, and people (ch. XLVIII). It is true that even in a foreign land Jehovah remains the God of Israel; but in an unclean land (cf. Ezek 4:9 and following) of captivity He cannot be worshiped with full cult, with sacrifices, and so forth. Thus the prophet does not dispute in substance the view of the Jerusalemites on the exile as a grievous separation from Jehovah, but promises in the next verse a speedy return to the holy land; wherefore the Hebrew conjunctive particle here is more accurately translated in Slavonic as “and,” than in Russian as “but.”

Ezekiel 11:17. Therefore say: Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples, and collect you from the lands to which you have been scattered; and I will give you the land of Israel. “Therefore”: Slavonic: “for this reason,” cf. explanation of v. 16. “You.” The speech pathetically transitions from the third person plural to the second person; but Slavonic has “I.”

Ezekiel 11:18. And they will come there, and will remove from it all its abominations and all its abominable things. The speech transitions again to the third person, partly because the predicted event relates more to the following generation than to the contemporary one. “Upon their return to the holy land, the first deed will be the removal of everything that might cause injury to the purity of the land, as the future bearer of true worship, that is, the removal of idols and shrines; this painstaking care for the purity of the land, which here, as also in chapter VI, is presented as responsible for the abominations committed in it, is characteristic of Ezekiel’s ideals of purity and worship”; cf. Ezek 39:11-16 (Kraetzschmar). After the exile the Jews indeed irrevocably renounced idolatry. But beyond the elimination of every trace of idolatry the forces of those who returned do not extend: everything else, that is, inner renewal, is the work of Jehovah v. 19; but according to Kraetzschmar, hard experience in Ezekiel’s soul-saving activity speaks here.

Ezekiel 11:19. And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, Ezek 11 Ezek 36:26; cf. Deut 30:6; Jer 24:7. Heart is the seat of feeling, but also of volitional decisions (Ezek 38:10) and in the latter respect is essentially identical with spirit. All sensation, thought, and behavior in the Hebrews after their return from exile will be directed toward Jehovah, not toward idols. But the complete fulfillment of this promise became possible only in Christianity with its gracious rebirth of man (2 Cor 3:3). “One heart.” LXX: “new,” reading ἄλλο instead of ἓν—“other,” which better suits the context.

Ezekiel 11:20. And they will walk by My commandments, and will keep My statutes, and will perform them; and they will be My people, and I will be their God. The verse indicates in what the spiritual renewal of Israel will express itself: in the fulfillment of moral and ceremonial laws. “Commandments,” “statutes” are terms of Mosaic legislation; see explanation Ezek 5:6. The prophet Ezekiel here rises to the height of a Christian view of the inner relation of the renewed human heart to God, when it can do nothing else but good, for this lies in its very nature, just as it lies in the nature of the sun to shine, in the nature of a tree to bear fruit. Although the thought of man’s spiritual rebirth might have been suggested to Ezekiel by chapter XXIV of Jeremiah, it received from him greater clarity and distinctness.

Ezekiel 11:21. But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their abominations and abominable things, I will repay their deeds on their own heads, says the Lord God. The threat hardly relates to those among the returnees to Judea who will not abandon idolatry (for such persons according to the progression of the preceding thoughts are scarcely possible), but rather to those remaining in Jerusalem, to whom the speech returns to its beginning. The beginning of the verse in Hebrew is not entirely smooth. 21b Ezek 9:10.

Ezekiel 11:22. Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. If the preceding threat (v. 21) relates to the Jerusalemites, then it is immediately carried out through the removal of the Lord from the city. The removal of the glory of the Lord begins, as also in Ezek 10:19, with the lifting of wings at the cherubim for flight or separation from the earth and the movement of the wheels.

Ezekiel 11:23. And the glory of the Lord rose from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is to the east of the city. The mountain which is to the east of the city is the Mount of Olives, named by that name later in 2 Sam 15:30; Zech 14:4. It is 818 meters high and commands the city. According to Zechariah, from this mountain God will execute judgment upon wickedness and save His people. From it the Savior ascended. In a straight line to the east the glory of the Lord pursues its course: from the Holy of Holies through the threshold of the temple, the eastern gates, and the eastern mountain, without of course any need to go around it. This mountain constituted the line of the horizon, and beginning from it the prophet could no longer follow the movement of the glory of the Lord, but could only suppose, perhaps, that it went further to the east so that subsequently it would return from there to the mysterious temple of the end of times (Ezek 43:2). Why did the glory of the Lord stop at the Mount of Olives? Various conjectures are made about this. The Mount of Olives lay on the extreme (eastern) periphery of the city district, just as the eastern gates of the temple, at which was the penultimate stopping place of the glory of the Lord, lay on such a periphery of the temple; and the stopping here, as well as there, of the glory of the Lord might be a sign of the heaviness for the Lord of parting with His age-old dwelling place on Zion. This is the more probable conjecture than that by which God wanted from the mountain to watch the burning of the city (the course of the description presumes this punishment already accomplished) or wanted to remain on it until returning to the new temple (a removal to such closeness could not have been so complex and solemn); others suppose that from this mountain the glory of the Lord was to rise into heaven, and the rabbis say that the Shekhinah remained three months on the mountain, unsuccessfully calling the people to repentance (Stanley, Palestine, p. 186).

Ezekiel 11:24. And the Spirit lifted me up and carried me away to Chaldea, to those in captivity, in the vision by the Spirit of God. And the vision that I had seen departed from me. The final fact of the ecstasy is that the prophet feels himself transported to his actual place of residence. It is not said that this transportation was accompanied by the same sensation (being held by the hair and floating through the air) as the transportation to Jerusalem; on the contrary, the addition: “in the vision by the Spirit of God” seems to indicate a greater spirituality of sensation. “By the Spirit of God” only here in Ezekiel; it is here somewhat unexpected: “the Spirit carried me… by the Spirit of God,” and, if authentic, should have the meaning of God’s power in general, the direct participation of God in transporting the prophet.

Ezekiel 11:25. And I recounted to the exiles all the words of the Lord which He had revealed to me. Since the vision was intended not for the prophet personally (as partly chapter I), but for the people, the prophet recounts it to the exiles, that is, immediately to the elders who were with him at the moment of the vision (Ezek 8:1), and through them or apart from them to the multitude. “All the words of the Lord,” that is, all that was both seen and heard, and not just heard, that is, for instance Ezek 11:4-21, as the frequent use of the Hebrew “dabar” (“word”) in the sense of “thing” shows, and the further definition to “words of the Lord which He revealed,” Slavonic: “showed” (not “said”).

Chapter Twelve

1–7. The captivity of Zedekiah and the people, represented in a symbolic act. 8–16. The explanation of this symbolic act. 17–20. The distresses of the siege, represented in a symbolic act. 21–25. The immutability of prophetic predictions. 26–28. The immediate nearness of their fulfillment.

Ezekiel 12:1. And the word of the Lord came to me: Neither the date for this revelation nor for the whole series following up to Ezek 20:1, where the date is the 7th year, 5th month of the captivity, that is, of the reign of Zedekiah; therefore, all the revelations of chapters XII-XIX should fall within these 11 months of the 7th–6th year of Zedekiah (591–590 B.C.). On this basis the speeches of these chapters are united in one (4th) section of the book, which has the purpose of closer grounding and confirmation of the catastrophe described first in chapters IV–VII, and then in chapters VIII–XI, grounding caused by the people’s disbelief in the predictions of Ezekiel (Ezek 12:2).

Ezekiel 12:2. Son of man! You dwell in the midst of a rebellious house; they have eyes to see, but do not see; they have ears to hear, but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house. The beginning of the chapter moves us to a somewhat later time: the prophet seems to speak under the impression of new bitter experiences made over the captives; the failure of the former preaching, apparently, was the cause of new revelations; not only to the Jerusalemites, but also to little disposed toward them Babylonian colonists, faith in the approaching fall of Judah somehow did not come. – “In the midst of a rebellious house.” Intentionally without explanation, as something familiar and often mentioned (Ezek 2:5 and others), not as in verse 9, where explanation is less needed. The LXX for some reason: “in the midst of injustices,” perhaps from Lev 16:16. – “They have eyes, to see, and do not see,” and so forth, from Deut 29:4 became a favorite expression among the prophets: Isa 6:9; Jer 5:21; Mark 8:18.

Ezekiel 12:3. You, son of man, prepare for yourself baggage for exile, and go into exile by day in their sight; you shall go from your place to another place in their sight; perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house; “Baggage for exile,” Church Slavonic “vessels of captivity,” that is, presumably a staff, sandals, a belt, a bag with provisions, a waterskin (as shown by Assyrian depictions of captive caravans), and perhaps some household articles. – “By day go into exile in their sight.” The command is repeated three times (the second “go into exile” in the LXX, however, is absent), a sign of special insistence. But in this verse the command is given in general expressions and in essential traits: prepare things, perform the action in the day, go to another place. The details are given in the following verses. This must be kept in mind for a correct understanding of the expression: “by day go into exile.” As the following verse shows, only the preparations for exile should be made during the day, while the exile itself should occur in the evening; but since the preparations here are the most important thing, the whole emigration can be said to be made in the day. – “Go from your place to another place.” Not from Tel-Aviv to another settlement, because in verse 8 the prophet is again in Tel-Aviv, and not out of the city or into another house, but only to play the emigrant, carry things, and so forth, as detailed in the following verses. – “Perhaps they will understand.” The expression sounds with greater hope for success than the analogous one at the calling: “whether they will listen or not.”

Ezekiel 12:4. Bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for exile, and you go out in the evening in their sight, as those go who go into exile. The verse, like verses 5–6, describes in particulars and details the general command of verse 3. The prophet is to carry out from his house in the day before the eyes of neighbors the things indicated in the explanation of verse 3 and stack them before the house in the manner in which they take them on a journey (“as baggage for exile”), that is, tied up and packed. And the prophet himself is to go out from the house for exile only in the evening, either because with the approach of evening coolness, journeys to the east generally begin, or in order that preparations for a journey during the whole day attract as much attention as possible from those around, or most likely of all as a sign of the nighttime flight of Zedekiah (verse 12). – “As those go who go into exile,” Church Slavonic: “As a captive goes forth,” that is, provided with the most necessary and showing on himself the oppression and sorrow.

Ezekiel 12:5. Before their eyes break through the wall, and carry your baggage through it. “Through the wall,” of course the house, because the city wall or the yard wall would be more precisely defined; and hardly did Tel-Aviv have a wall. The significance of the image see in verse 12. “And carry through it,” that is, the remaining things, perhaps the smaller ones; this was the most difficult, why perhaps only this is mentioned, not the passage through the hole of the prophet; the absence of a direct object is strange, however, why the LXX, Targum, Peshitta, and Vulgate: “and go forth through it”; and the things were carried out earlier in the day, verse 4.

Ezekiel 12:6. Take the baggage on your shoulder in the dark, and cover your face so that you may not see the land; for I have set you as a sign for the house of Israel. “Take the baggage on your shoulder.” Church Slavonic: “upon the shoulders you shall be taken,” that is, the prophet was to be carried on the shoulders; Church Slavonic reading is doubtful (why was the prophet to be carried?) and arose, perhaps, in view of the fact that the things from the house were carried out in the day; but here is spoken of further carrying them to another place. “In the dark.” The Hebrew word (“alata”), used only once more in Gen 15:17, means heavy, nocturnal darkness; Church Slavonic: “covered,” and in verse 7, the same word “secretly.” – “And carry it,” that is, take it from the house at some distance. – “Cover your face” – from shame, or so as not to be recognized, or as a sign of the blinding of Zedekiah; cf. verse 12. – “For the house of Israel,” that is, in the nearest sense to the fellow-captives of the prophet, who could see all this, and then to all Israel, which was ever to know of such accurate and true predictions of the prophet.

Ezekiel 12:7. And I did so as I was commanded; I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for exile, and in the evening I broke through the wall with my hands, brought my baggage out in the dark, and carried it on my shoulder before their eyes. A detailed account of the fulfillment of God’s command wishes to mark the exactness of the fulfillment. – “With my hands.” According to the Hebrew without the article, therefore, does not mean: without the aid of a tool (for example, so as not to be heard or from haste), but with own hands or with force (as in Isa 28:2): without a tool it would hardly have been possible to break through the wall: “Ezekiel lived not in Japan” (Kraetzschmar): in some Greek manuscripts missing.

Ezekiel 12:8. And the word of the Lord came to me in the morning: The strange actions of the prophet, already occupying an exclusive position among his fellow villagers and drawing their amazed, if not frightened, eyes upon himself, could not help but attract their attention and not give rise to talk. Therefore the prophet on the very next morning after the night, most of which must have been spent in symbolic wandering, receives from God for publication (cf. verse 10) an explanation of his symbolic action. Consequently, the prophet himself had to perform this action without understanding its meaning, although perhaps he looked forward into it somewhat: previous symbolic actions were explained to him by God before their performance.

Ezekiel 12:9. Son of man! Has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, “What are you doing?” The question of the fellow-countrymen, as shown already by the again used and moreover as a definition epithet “rebellious house,” was caused not so much by serious curiosity and the seeking of instruction as by naive thirst for novelty and mocking curiosity: cf. in Ezek 24:19, where the attitude toward the prophet is already more serious.

Ezekiel 12:10. Say to them: Thus says the Lord God: This burden is for the prince in Jerusalem and for all the house of Israel who are in it. Ezekiel 7:27. “This burden is for the prince in Jerusalem,” that is, for Zedekiah, whom Ezekiel calls king (“melech”) only in Ezek. 7:27, and in other places, as here, only “prince,” “nasi”: Ezek 21:25, perhaps considering him unworthy of the first title (cf. Ezek 1:2 and Ezek 17:12 about Jehoiachin – “melech”), which in the prophet is applied to the Messiah (Ezek 37:22-24) and in general is the usual designation of a king, also of Nebuchadnezzar, the kings of Tyre and Egypt in chapters XXVI-XXIX); and in the future theocracy Israel will have only a “nasi”: Ezek 44:3 and others. “Burden for the prince” in the Hebrew a word-play: “hanasi – hammasa,” literally: “prince – burden,” Church Slavonic: “to the prince and elders.” – “And for all the house of Israel, which… is there,” that is, in Jerusalem. The expression is somewhat strange, and the last definition seems superfluous; perhaps the prophet means to say that all the eyes of Israel are now turned toward Jerusalem, which they consider the sole representative of the house of Israel. Ezekiel 12:11. Say: I am a sign for you; as I have done, so shall it be done to them – they shall go into exile, into captivity. The sign relates first of all to the captives (depriving them of hope for a speedy return to their homeland), though it will be fulfilled only on those remaining in Jerusalem; hence the 2nd and 3rd person in the pronouns.

Ezekiel 12:12. And the prince who is among them shall lift his baggage on his shoulder in the darkness, and shall go out; they shall break through the wall to carry him out through it; he shall cover his face, so that he does not see the land with his eyes. From the fate of the people it passes to the fate of the king. “The prince” – Zedekiah (verse 10). – “Among them” – from them. The fate of the king will not be such as of the subjects. – “In the darkness” – the flight of Zedekiah from the besieged city took place at night. – “Shall lift,” what is not said in the Hebrew; perhaps something of his possessions, or: sin and curse. The LXX: “take shall take upon the shoulders,” that is, pack animals or his fellow-countrymen; such detail in the account of Zedekiah’s flight is not transmitted. – “And go out.” The king leaves his capital, being the cause of the destruction of the people. – “They shall break through the wall,” that is, those around Zedekiah (the LXX – singular). In 2 Sam 25:4; Jer 39:4 it is said that Zedekiah fled “through the king’s garden to the gate between two walls,” that is, presumably through a small gate leading from the royal garden to the south-east angle of the city wall beyond the city, because all the large gates were guarded by those besieging; the gate, perhaps constructed during the siege, was probably a hidden one, which explains the expression of the prophet: the king, who always entered the city triumphantly through the main gates, now like a criminal must flee along back ways. – “Cover his face” – incognito, and perhaps an indication also of the blinding. – “That he does not see the land” – of Palestine; not only it, however, but the land of captivity also, about which it will be said in verse 13.

Ezekiel 12:13. I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare; and I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans; but he shall not see it, and he shall die there. The captivity of Zedekiah is presented under the aspect of a hunting net upon him by the Lord, a comparison which has the purpose of expressing the great wrath of God upon this king, mainly, as chapter XVII shows, because of his faithlessness and oath-breaking toward Nebuchadnezzar. The comparison is very strong and beloved by Ezekiel (Ezek 17:20), but not new: Hos 7:12; Jer 18:22; Lam 1:13. As the Lord Himself in chapter IV besieges Jerusalem, so also here the Chaldeans are only executors of His will. God deprives the king of every possibility of escaping from the Chaldeans. – “To Babylon.” This then is the “other place” of verse 3. – “But he shall not see it,” the land of the Chaldeans. With scarcely solvable for the listeners, skillful and truly prophetic mystery, the blinding of Zedekiah is foretold. – “And he shall die there.” This goes beyond the symbolic action of verses 3–7.

Ezekiel 12:14. And all who are around him, his helpers, and all his troops, I will scatter to all the winds; and I will unsheathe the sword after them. The fate of Zedekiah’s army. “His helpers” – the immediate force. – “All his troops.” The Hebrew word “agad” found only in Ezekiel and related to Arabic, Aramaic, and Assyrian roots, means “detachments of troops”; Church Slavonic: “standing by him.” – “I will scatter…” see Ezek 5:12.

Ezekiel 12:15. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. The fate of the people. “Among the nations…throughout the countries” see explanation in Ezek 5:5.

Ezekiel 12:16. But I will leave a small number of them from the sword, from famine, and from plague, so that they may declare all their abominations among the nations where they go; and they shall know that I am the Lord. The purpose of God’s punishment, as also of the merciful preservation of a small number (Church Slavonic: “men in number”) of Israel, remains always the same: knowledge of God (cf. for example, Ezek 6:7 and others), so that they might know that God did not act toward Israel from weakness, but because of their abominations, and let not only the Israelites themselves know this (cf. Ezek 14:21 and ff.), but also the heathen: this is the novelty of this place compared to the previous parallel ones; and it must be noted that Ezekiel seems not to expect from the heathen, in the near future at least, anything more than such recognition (Ezek 17:24); however – Ezek 16:53. Three punishments: sword, famine, and plague are the same as in chapter V.

Ezekiel 12:18. Son of man! Eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and anxiety. The symbolic action described in verses 17–20 is parallel to Ezek 4:10 and ff.; repetition is a characteristic of Ezekiel. The present symbolic action, as is always the case with repetitions in the prophet Ezekiel, introduces an essential addition to Ezek 4:10 and further: the food of the besieged and captives will not only be scanty and repulsive, but will be taken with fearful hurriedness, which the prophet is to portray perhaps on his face during the taking of the food commanded in chapter IV. Consequently, this symbolic action required good mimicry for its performance and was hardly less difficult (Kraetzschmar) than the previous ones: “bread” and “water” perhaps denote all kinds of food in general. – “And drink your water.” The pronoun – from correspondence with “your bread”: the majority of Greek manuscripts and Ezek 4:11 do not have the pronoun, but in verse 19 it is again present.

Ezekiel 12:19. And say to the people of the land: Thus says the Lord God concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water with horror, because the land will be stripped of all its abundance because of the violence of all those who live in it. “The people of the land” commonly means all the population of the country (2 Sam 21:24) or the common people (Ezek 22:29); so also here by it may be understood the subjects of that king of whom until now the speech has been; though the prophet no longer lives among them and cannot in the proper sense speak (“say”) to them, yet the vivacity with which he follows the fate of his homeland allows him to see in his fellow-countrymen its representatives; moreover, he writes for the time when all should realize that the prophet was speaking to them. – “Because” Church Slavonic more precisely: “that,” “so that.” The whole tragedy will be in that the Jerusalemites and Judeans in general by their final panic-struck state should themselves contribute to their evil fate overtaking them the sooner. – “Of the land,” that is, of Jerusalem; the LXX without the pronoun. – “Abundance” – of inhabitants, products, riches. – “Because of the violence…” Ps 106:34.

Ezekiel 12:20. And the inhabited cities shall be laid waste, and the land shall become a desolation; and you shall know that I am the Lord. Cf. Jer 4:27. “It should be noted that at the same time Jeremiah was prophesying in Jerusalem, while Ezekiel in Babylon, and the prophecies of the first were sent to the captives, while the second to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that one might be convinced of the providence of one God in different lands” (Jerome).

Ezekiel 12:21. And the word of the Lord came to me: Until Ezek 14:11 proceeds a series of speeches on true and false prophecy, caused it seems by the increasingly growing distrust of prophetic predictions. This distrust was caused by 1) the slowness of the fulfillment of the prophecies; 2) the multiplication of false prophets; 3) the improper use of true prophecies. The first subject is devoted to two revelations in chapter XII: Ezek 12:21-25 and Ezek 12:26-28, the first of which, directed chiefly against those remaining in the homeland, speaks of the immutability of the predictions, the second – against the captives – of the nearness of their fulfillment; but both these revelations are closely connected with each other because the slow, not in the present generation, fulfillment of God’s threats for the latter would equal their complete non-fulfillment.

Ezekiel 12:22. Son of man! What is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying, “The days are prolonged, and every vision comes to nothing”? As in other places (Ezek 8:12, cf. Jer 5:12) he likes to do this, the prophet for characterizing those to whom he addresses himself uses the phrase borrowed from the people’s lips, which he calls a proverb, Church Slavonic more precisely: “parable,” in the sense of a current figure of speech strongly impressed in the shortest and most compressed form. Perhaps the long-term proclamation of Jeremiah of the city’s and temple’s destruction gave rise to this proverb. – “Every vision comes to nothing,” Church Slavonic “perished.” A word, especially solemnly pronounced, as an oath, curse, prophecy, in antiquity had much greater significance than now, for it was considered a living force bringing about fulfillment; the word of God was indeed such a force (1 Sam 3:19; Ps 145:4); therefore if it did not come to pass, it could be spoken of, as of a known reality, that it perished.

Ezekiel 12:23. Therefore say to them: Thus says the Lord God: I will put an end to this proverb, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say to them: The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every prophetic vision. The Lord comes forth with anger against such words, for they constitute an insult to His name, and such He cannot bear any longer; very soon that which He threatens will come to pass, and then those skeptics will themselves experience that Jehovah spoke through the prophets. “The fulfillment of every prophetic vision”; Church Slavonic more precisely: “the word, that is, the substance, of every vision.”

Ezekiel 12:24. For there shall no longer be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. Church Slavonic gives another thought for this verse: Israel will have no more false prophets and soothsayers. Those and these, thanks to the fact that their predictions did not come to pass, were the main reason for the weakening of faith in true prophecies. Therefore for the restoration of this faith, and with it the honor of God Himself, who predicted through true prophets, besides the speedy fulfillment of the prophecy, it is necessary to root out the false prophets; thus in this verse is indicated the second means to achieve the purpose, for which verse 23 indicates the first means.

Ezekiel 12:25. For I am the Lord; I will speak, and the word which I speak shall come to pass; it shall no longer be delayed; but in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it, says the Lord God. All false predictions will cease to make way for the one word of God. Rather than opposing the true prophets (of whom verse 24 speaks, according to the Church Slavonic text) with the false, Jehovah opposes Himself to the former. – “I speak” – the 1st and 2nd Church Slavonic more precisely “I will proclaim.” – “It shall no longer be delayed,” instances of which have occurred until now, thanks to the long-suffering of God, Who often made only conditional threats and hoped for the nation’s repentance (Jer 18:7 and ff. Joel 2:14; Jonah 3:9); now the long-suffering is exhausted. – “In your days.” The fulfillment of the prophecies is to come very soon and those who hear these must still in their lifetime see the first. By this the prophet transitions to the examination of another proverb which he must have often heard from the captives; hence the transition to the 2nd person plural. That the fulfillment of God’s word will touch the contemporary generation, on this the prophet insists the more, the more the general speeches about the prophecy not having real power were applied to him personally.

Ezekiel 12:27. Son of man! Behold, the house of Israel is saying, “The vision which he sees is for many days hence, and his prophecy is for a far distant time.” This speech is directed apparently not against the Jerusalemites, but against the prophet’s fellow-countrymen (among whom there were also false prophets: Jer 29:8 and ff. Ezek 13:1); here, as well as there, Ezekiel’s preaching meets with frivolous attitudes and lack of understanding; but there is no open mockery, which sounds in verse 22; the listeners console themselves only with the remoteness of the prophecy, which, not touching them, for them has no real existence. An anonymous (“he”) prophet whose vision finds no serious belief is none other than Ezekiel himself.

Ezekiel 12:28. Therefore say to them: Thus says the Lord God: None of my words shall be delayed any longer, but the word which I speak shall be performed, says the Lord God. “None of my words shall be delayed any longer,” Church Slavonic: “shall not be prolonged for all my words” – sounds eschatologically.

Chapter Thirteen

Concerning False Prophets and Prophetesses

1–7. Denunciation of false prophets. 8–16. Their punishment. 17–19. Denunciation of prophetesses. 20–23. Their punishment.

Ezekiel 13:1. And the word of the Lord came to me: Ezekiel 13:2. Son of man! Prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to the prophets from their own hearts: Hear the word of the Lord! “Prophecy against the prophets” – sounds forcefully. – “Of Israel.” The like-minded ones of Ezekiel are so few among the prophets that he can oppose himself to this whole corporation; cf. Ezek 7:26; Jer 18:18. – “Who prophesy.” This is either a pleonasm or else here the sentence: “to the prophets who prophesy from their own hearts” – is deliberately broken by the introductory: “say to the prophets.” – “From their own hearts” (Jer 23:16). A direct opposite to what prophets ought to be, the idea of a prophet: they should be only the mouth of God. – “Hear the word of the Lord.” This word of the Lord is the complete opposite of what the false prophets proclaim.

Ezekiel 13:3. Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! “Foolish,” inasmuch as they deceive themselves as to themselves and the limits of their abilities; thus that they themselves did not believe in their predictions, this Ezekiel does not venture to assert. – “Follow their own spirit,” and not God’s. Here is vividly revealed the consciousness of the true prophet that he draws his inspiration not from a natural source and does not attribute it to himself.

Ezekiel 13:4. Your prophets, O Israel, are like foxes in the ruins. “Your prophets.” Not “false” is added, for besides Ezekiel there were almost no true ones. Ezekiel speaks to Israel of his prophets as if they (their work) do not concern him at all; he does not want to have anything in common with them, as once Amos, who would not even call himself a prophet or a son of a prophet (Amos 7:14); great natures have always felt themselves lonely and isolated on earth. “Israel” – there is more tenderness in this address than before, especially in chapter II (“rebellious house”); perhaps the activity of the prophet began already to bear fruit. – “Like foxes in the ruins.” Just as foxes, which love ruins and produce them (burrow under buildings), the false prophets undermine the existence of Israel, which now resembles ruins; they work on the final destruction of the remnant of Israel’s existence.

Ezekiel 13:5. You have not gone up into the breaches, nor built a wall for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle on the day of the Lord. The true prophet must not destroy but build. To the former image the prophet directly joins a completely different one, which may have been suggested to him by the impending siege of Jerusalem. When breaches are made in the walls of a besieged city by the enemy force, the bravest defenders concentrate all their defense on them (“go up to the breaches”) and try to quickly close them (“build a wall”). “Breaches” – moral corruption, weak points of the people, threatening it with destruction and requiring timely denunciation and correction from the prophet. “Wall” – this very denunciation, and also the prayer of intercession of the prophet for the people, constituting the beautiful right and obligation of the true prophet and able, at least sometimes, to stand in the way of God’s wrath (Ezek 22:30; Jer 15:1; Isa 63:10). Instead of “nor built a wall,” the LXX: “gathered flocks to the house of Israel”), that is, presumably “called an enemy invasion upon Israel,” with the comparison taken from fencing a vineyard against beasts. “The day of the Lord” see Isa 2:12. In the time of Ezekiel it was especially near; this was in the nearest sense the day of the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar; cf. Zeph 1:7; Joel 1:15; Amos 5:18. Ezekiel here properly depicts nothing other than the tasks of his vocation according to Ezek 3:16-21: to be able to preserve the surrounding fellow-countrymen from destruction in the coming catastrophe.

Ezekiel 13:6. They see emptiness and their divination is a lie; they say, “declares the Lord,” when the Lord has not sent them; and yet they expect him to fulfill the word. Instead of the means pointed out in the preceding verse for preventing the ready catastrophe of Judah, the false prophets resort to reassuring, but plainly false predictions and visions, presenting them as divinely inspired. – “The Lord declares.” A literal imitation of the true prophets, who often use this formula. – “And yet they expect him to fulfill the word.” The Hebrew expression can be translated: “and they believe the word will be fulfilled.” On the basis of the then belief in the magical force of every prediction, the false prophets were convinced of the fulfillment of their own prophecies independently of God, who spoke something else through the true prophets. Such is perhaps the meaning of the obscure expression of the LXX: “and began to raise up the word,” which Jerome understands: “although they desire to rise up and stand on high, they cannot fulfill that.”

Ezekiel 13:7. Have you not seen a false vision and spoken a lying divination? You say, “The Lord declares it,” but I have not spoken. The verse is a repetition in interrogative form of verse 6, perhaps representing “an appeal to the conscience of the false prophets” (Hengstenberg). It is lacking in the Vatican Codex.

Ezekiel 13:8. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have spoken falsehood and envisioned lies, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord God. The verse forms the introduction to the 2nd stanza (verses 8–9), describing the punishment of the false prophets; hence the repetition of the guilt of the false prophets, a repetition literal according to the custom, but shortened and with a reversal of the additions.

Ezekiel 13:9. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations; they shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel; and you shall know that I am the Lord God. The punishment of the false prophets is remarkable in that its fulfillment is referred to plainly Messianic, consequently, in Ezekiel, eschatological (cf. “my people”) times. It is threefold, all increasing in degree: 1) they will not enjoy guiding influence on the people of the future (Church Slavonic: “in the judgment of my people shall not be”); but the expression “counsel of my people” may mean the entire society of the Messianic, living in close communion with its God, people; 2) they will not be entered in the lists of this people, which determine the genealogy and right to ownership of portions of land (Ezra 2:62); 3) they will not even be admitted to return to the promised land of the future; cf. Ezek 20:38. The punishment is proclaimed not in a threatening, but rather in a grievous tone and not so severely as others proclaimed by Ezekiel: the false prophets were excused by self-deception.

Ezekiel 13:10. Because, indeed, they have misled my people, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace; and because, when one builds a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash, The discourse returns to the guilt of the false prophets after announcing their punishment, to reveal both more fully: verses 10–16. – “My people” see verse 4 explanation. “Israel.” – “Saying: peace,” cf. Jer 6:14. – “When he builds a wall.” He by Ezek 12:27 – Ezekiel (not the people, as commonly explained). The prophet contrasts his activity – the building (cf. Jer 1:10) of the house of Israel lying in ruins (verse 4), which the Divine Architect Himself breaks down (Amos 7:7 and following), with the activity of the false prophets, who close their eyes to the moral corruption of the people and to the threats it poses.

Ezekiel 13:11. Tell those who daub with whitewash, it will fall. There will come a violent rainstorm, and you, hailstones, shall fall, and a tempestuous wind will tear it apart. “There will come a violent rainstorm” – the Babylonian invasion: cf. Isa 8:8; Nah 1:8, where the attack of enemies is compared to heavy rain. But all subsequent trials of God’s people up to its final restoration and salvation may be understood; cf. Ezek 20:35. – “And you, hailstones, shall fall.” An unprecedented shift from third person to second person. Addressing an inanimate object as if alive is not uncommon in the Old Testament, but here it is unexpected and strange in that of three inanimate instruments of God’s punishment, only one, and the middle one, is addressed. The apostrophe wishes to point to the power of the Lord, who commands the elements. The LXX have in place of “you” a word identical in Hebrew script meaning “and I will give,” cf. Matt 7:27.

Ezekiel 13:12. And behold, the wall falls; then will they not say to you: “Where is the whitewash with which you whitewashed it?” After the destruction of the people it will become clear what all the fine words and promises of peace from the false prophets meant.

Ezekiel 13:13. Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will send a tempestuous wind in My anger, and a violent rainstorm in My fury, and hailstones in My indignation, for destruction. What in verses 11 and 12 was presented as possible, here is announced positively and precisely as vengeance of an angry Lord. Wind and rain destroy the wall, while hail strikes down the builders, as is evident from the addition “for destruction,” Slavonic “to the end,” parallel to “you will perish,” Slavonic “you will end,” verse 14.

Ezekiel 13:14. And I will destroy the wall which you have whitewashed with mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation is laid bare, and it falls, and you will perish with it; and you will know that I am the Lord. Together with the work of the false prophets, they themselves perish. The images and comparisons were inspired by the approaching destruction of Jerusalem and its walls. – “Its foundation is laid bare.” According to Mic 1:7 – complete destruction. – “You will perish,” Slavonic “you will end,” but in Greek second person plural. – “With it,” Slavonic “with disgrace,” that is, openly, shamefully.

Ezekiel 13:15. And I will spend My wrath upon the wall and upon those who daub it with mortar, and I will say to you: The wall is no more, and those who daubed it, The false prophets will not escape the destruction of the people brought about by them and which is inevitable as satisfaction of God’s anger and justice. “I will say to you: The wall is no more …” God pronounces His judgment as a fact.

Ezekiel 13:16. – the prophets of Israel, who prophesied to Jerusalem and announced to it visions of peace, when there is no peace, says the Lord God. A final clarification of all the images and comparisons used so far, translating them into plain and direct language. The guilt of the false prophets is that they, contrary to Ezekiel and the God speaking through him, lulled Jerusalem regarding its impending fate and thereby hindered its repentance and reformation, which might not have averted its destruction at the hand of the Chaldeans, but at least could have significantly improved the subsequent fate of the people and kingdom externally, in political and internal, moral respects.

Ezekiel 13:17. But you, son of man, set your face toward the daughters of your people, those who prophesy from their own heart, and prophesy against them, The discourse against the prophetesses. Among the Hebrews women not uncommonly received the gift of prophecy: Miriam, Deborah, Anna, the daughters of Philip. False prophetesses before the Babylonian exile are not mentioned, unless one counts sorceresses like the woman of Endor. After the exile Noadiah worked against Nehemiah (Nehem 6:14). The special discourse by Ezekiel against them with the solemn “set your face” (“attend to” (cf. Ezek 4:7 and others) shows that this institution in exile received wide development, perhaps under the influence of oppressive mood and Babylonian divination. Speaking in the name of Jehovah, Ezekiel’s prophetesses nevertheless: a) prophesy from their own mind, b) not disinterestedly, with profit, c) resort to pagan sorcery. Thus what the prophets do on a large scale – with the entire people – the prophetesses do on a small scale with individuals: by witchcraft they ensnare souls.

Ezekiel 13:18. and say: Thus says the Lord God: Woe to those who sew magic charms upon the wrists and make veils for the head of every stature to ensnare souls! Will you ensnare the souls of My people and keep yourselves alive? “Magic charms,” Slavonic “pillows for the head.” The Hebrew word kesatot, found only here, is akin to Assyrian kasu, “to bind,” “to enchant,” in the opinion of most interpreters designates some kind of bands which the false prophetesses who were sorceresses wore themselves (cf. verse 20: “I will tear them from your arms”) on the bends of the arm (elbows or under the armpits – the Hebrew word does not specify) as signs of their status, and because they supposedly gave them power over demons. As for the “veils,” the diviners probably threw them over the heads of visitors, perhaps so they could not see their sorcerous gestures and could not verify the absence of the supposed manifestations of the dead. The addition “for every stature” shows that these veils hung from head to ground, so for different heights different length veils were needed and the prophetesses had a large choice of them. The pouches and veils mentioned here are compared with the ephod, which apparently served as a kind of covering or case for an idol (teraphim), and also as priestly garment, with the assumption that the power of the idol transferred to this covering and was passed to the priest. These items are also compared with the tefillin and tallit, the “phylacteries” and “fringes” of later Judaism (Matt 23:5). According to others (Blessed Theodoret), this is simply a metaphor taken from women’s work and means the flattering and soothing predictions of the false prophetesses, closing the people’s eyes to the impending judgment of God. Scarcely deserving mention is the unsupported by context opinion of Hävernick, that “kesatot” are carpets or divans with two armrests for each elbow, on which the prophetesses, elegantly wrapped in veils, gave themselves to depravity. “To ensnare,” Slavonic “to corrupt,” “souls,” that is, to lead to destruction with false predictions. But in this expression there may be an allusion to summoning the souls of the dead. – “Will you ensnare the souls of My people and keep yourselves alive?” From the Hebrew literally “ensnaring the souls of My people, do you not make alive your souls,” that is, do you not gain thereby means of subsistence, as in Slavonic: “you nourish souls,” ψυχας περιεποιουντο; cf. in verse 19: “for a handful of barley and for pieces of bread.”

Ezekiel 13:19. And you have profaned Me before My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing souls who should not die and keeping alive souls who should not live, lying to a people that listens to lies. “You have profaned Me,” by passing off your own inventions as God’s word, catering to Israel’s sins; presenting yourselves in God’s name and announcing something completely opposite to God’s will, and also using God’s name in your unclean profession. – “For handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread.” They insult the majesty of God for daily bread. In itself, payment for prophecy, like payment for any labor, was not disreputable and was not rejected by even such great prophets as Samuel (1 Sam 9:7-8) and Elisha (2 Sam 4:22; cf. 1 Sam 14:3). Ezekiel does not condemn the prophetesses for particular extortion, as in Mic 3:5; however in verse 21 the reproach is stronger. – “Killing souls who should not die,” that is, the righteous, whom the prophetesses corrupted with false predictions, “and keeping alive souls who should not live” that is, the wicked by promising them well-being. Verse 22 gives reason to understand these expressions in this way, as it completes and clarifies them. But one could understand more concretely: the prophetesses predicted death to those who would submit to the king of Babylon, when submission would have saved them, and life to those who would resist him, when their fate was destruction. – “Lying to a people that listens to lies.” Consequently, the people willingly came to these prophetesses and the danger from them was serious.

Ezekiel 13:20. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against your magic charms with which you there ensnare the souls as birds, and I will tear them from your arms, and let the souls go free, even the souls you ensnare as birds. “Behold, I am against …” A strong feeling, as in verse 8 and Ezek 5:8. – “As birds.” This is one of the possible meanings of the obscure Hebrew word lephoroth. A comparison of those perishing due to the prophetesses to birds caught in snares. Perhaps also an allusion to summoning the dead. In Slavonic this word is not translated here, but at the end of the verse: “to scatter”: I will scatter from you the souls yielded to your influence. – “And let the souls go free.” When the falsity of the predictions and powerlessness of the incantations are revealed, chiefly at the fall of Jerusalem, those deceived by the prophetesses will be freed from their influence.

Ezekiel 13:21. And I will tear off your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand as prey; and you will know that I am the Lord. “I will tear off your veils.” Not: “tear them from you”; consequently, the prophetesses did not cover themselves with them, but covered those who came to them, cf. verse 18. – “Out of your hand” – from your influence. – “No more in your hand as prey.” The subject – “souls,” which is contained in the collective term “My people.”

Ezekiel 13:22. Because with lies you have saddened the heart of the righteous, whom I have not grieved, and you have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that they do not turn from their wicked way and save their lives, Verses 22 and 23 once again juxtapose the guilt and punishment of the prophetesses. The evil they produce is so great that Jehovah can no longer tolerate their activity. The guilt of the false prophetesses, designated too generally and figuratively in verse 19, is defined more precisely: the righteous they “sadden” either by announcing punishment not destined them by God, or by weakening their faith in God’s promises; the wicked they strengthen in their wickedness, not condemning them and fostering hope for a good future.

Ezekiel 13:23. because of this you will no longer have vain visions or practice divination; I will deliver My people from your hand, and you will know that I am the Lord. The verse clarifies verse 20, as verse 22 clarifies verse 19: the punishment of the prophetesses and the deliverance of God’s people from their harmful influence will consist in that they will no longer have false visions and practice their divination (“you will no longer practice divination” Slavonic more precisely: “you will not practice sorcery”), either because the fall of Jerusalem, whose salvation from the Chaldeans was the center of these divinations, will reveal their falsity, or because the prophetesses themselves will perish at the general destruction together with those who consulted them.

Chapter Fourteen

1–11. Unworthy inquiry of the true prophets. 12–33. Judah will not be spared because of a few of her righteous ones.

Ezek 14:1-11. Those who use the services of the prophets and inquire through them of God are closely connected with the prophets. Just as there can be false prophets, so false inquirers of God are possible. Sometimes men think to find counsel and comfort even from true prophets, when meanwhile in their hearts they tend toward idolatry, which they avoid only outwardly before the eyes of the prophet. God wishes to eradicate this last remnant of false prophecy in His people by destroying among them both such inquirers and the prophet giving them an answer, and thus uproot the sin of the people in its very roots of growth in the heart. Only then can true relationship between God and His people be restored. The visitation of the prophet by elders to inquire of God, related as the occasion for the present discourse, could have been repeated (cf. Ezek 20:1-3; Ezek 8:1). Therefore this revelation could have been received by the prophet not in the period of his activity to which the surrounding discourse relates; but this discourse could have been placed here because of its similarity with the preceding ones. Indeed, the discourse contains marks of later origin: the community has proselytes (verse 7); no word about the impending catastrophe for Jerusalem, instead of which indication of messianic times, the onset of which nothing will hinder once the seducers of the people are removed (verse 11); idolatry passes into syncretism. This section parallels chapter XX.

Ezekiel 14:1. And there came certain of the elders of Israel to me and sat before me. The elders who now came were probably not the same as in Ezek 8:1, because those were with the prophet, whereas these come to seek him; they could have been from another settlement (cf. Dan 13:5). The occasion for their visit is not mentioned; perhaps they wanted to obtain some information from the prophet-seer about the fate of Jerusalem (cf. verses 12 and following); or some public event had occurred. But Ezek 33:31 shows that such visits to the prophet were or gradually became frequent and usual. “Of Israel” – in contrast to the Babylonian.

Ezekiel 14:3. Son of man! These men have set up their idols in their hearts and placed before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity: should I, then, be inquired of by them? “Have set up their idols in their hearts …” Not extreme fascination with idolatry. “Placed before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity …” Must be an indication of external manifestation of idolatry, as in the preceding expression an indication of internal tendency toward it. Since in the Hebrew, the idols in the first expression are not called by their own name, but “abominations,” the LXX completely eliminate the concept of idols from this place and translate both expressions: “they placed their thoughts in their hearts and the torment of their unrighteousness before their faces,” which according to Blessed Jerome means: they come to me with former thoughts, despairing of better and prepared for punishment. – “Should I, then, be inquired of by them?” A question amounting to strong negation.

Ezekiel 14:4. Therefore speak to them and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: If anyone from the house of Israel sets up his idols in his heart and places before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and comes to the prophet – I, the Lord, will answer him as he comes with the multitude of his idols? “If anyone from the house of Israel.” Slavonic more accurately: “man by man of the house of Israel,” that is, each man. A formal formula common in the law of Moses in generally binding decrees (Lev 17:3 and following). On the occasion of a particular case God gives a general rule, not mentioning the particular occasion thereafter; hence the subsequent literal repetitions from verse 3. – “Will I answer him.” Slavonic more accurately: “will I answer him concerning these, on which his thought dwells,” that is, will answer him according to his abominations (Blessed Jerome). How God will answer such an inquirer is told in verse 8: with strict punishment.

Ezekiel 14:5. in order that I may capture the house of Israel by their own heart, since they have become estranged from Me through all their idols. The purpose of such a strictly zealous relationship of God to His honor is the same as all other actions of God toward Israel: to shake the rest of Israel to its very essence and move it to repentance. The Slavonic and accepted Greek text: “that the house of Israel may not go astray from their hearts” gives incorrect thought; the negative must be added (replace “so that” με with “so that not”) and read according to the Alexandrian codex and the Arabic translation (made with verse 17: “so that the house of Israel not go astray,” – so that the house of Israel not wander according to its inclinations.

Ezekiel 14:6. Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Turn back and turn away from your idols, and turn your face away from all your abominations. Moving from the present inquirers of God to all inquirers generally, the prophet’s discourse, becoming increasingly generalized, now addresses the whole people. As shown by the threefold concept of turning (“turn back,” “turn away,” “turn your face” – in Hebrew the same verb), the matter is complete turning of the people, upon the possibility of which the prophet, consequently, hopes, if he insists so much upon it. “Turn your face away,” which had been turned toward idols for prayer. The LXX here also do not have the concept “idols.”

Ezekiel 14:7. For if anyone from the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and places the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet to inquire of Me through him – I, the Lord, will answer him Myself? “And of the strangers who sojourn in Israel.” A formula often encountered in the Pentateuch (Lev 17:8 and others), which Ezekiel is the first to use, which may testify to the wide development of proselytism already in his time. The attention he gives to proselytes is evidenced by Ezek 22:7 and Ezek 47:22, where he expressly recognizes their equal rights with native Israelites. Therefore he demands from them the same purity of faith and morality as from the latter, as the law of Moses did: Exod 12:19; Lev 17:10 and others. On the difference between the Slavonic and Russian translation at the beginning of the verse see the explanation of verse 4.

Ezekiel 14:8. I will set My face against that person and make him a sign and a byword, and cut him off from the midst of My people; and you will know that I am the Lord. “I will make him a sign and a byword.” “A sign,” in that upon this person will be shown what fate befalls idolaters; “a byword,” in that his fate will become a comparison to denote the greatest misfortune imaginable. Such a stern mode of action toward this religious weakness is necessary in order that the true nature of God may someday be attained.

Ezekiel 14:9. And if a prophet be deceived and speaks a word, I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from the midst of My people Israel. “A prophet” not only a false one (as in Ezek 13:2), but even a true one, to which this can happen, as shown by the example of Balaam. – “Speaks a word,” that is, gives an answer from the name of God to one inquiring through him of the God who is an idolater. “I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet.” The LXX and all ancient translations (the Vulgate, etc.) more accurately: “I, the Lord, have deceived the prophet.” How such deception is possible on the part of God is shown by the vision of Micaiah, son of Imlah: 1 Sam 22:20-23 (one must keep in mind Jas 1:13). God, according to the thought of Holy Scripture, sometimes accelerates the development of sin to its full measure, so that judgment may put an end to it (cf. “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart”). In the present case it is supposed that the prophet had matured even earlier in his wickedness for God’s judgment, and for the latter it was only necessary this particular manifestation of his wickedness. – “Destroy him from the midst of My people.” The prophet is punished like one inquiring through him of God; by satisfying the latter’s desire, he revealed complete misunderstanding of the basic principle on which the relationship between Jehovah and Israel is founded, and therefore his presence among the people would be ruinous for the latter and would hinder its turning to Jehovah.

Ezekiel 14:10. And they shall bear their iniquity; as the iniquity of the inquirer is, so shall be the iniquity of the prophet, The guilt and punishment of the prophet does not, however, diminish that of the inquirer. The principle of personal moral responsibility, developed by Ezekiel in Ezek 3:18 and following and Ezek 18, to which he returns in the second half of the present chapter, requires that each suffer for his own iniquity.

Ezekiel 14:11. so that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me, nor defile themselves anymore with all their transgressions, but that they may be My people, and I may be their God, says the Lord God. When the idolaters and false prophets are removed, then messianic times can arrive, and with them the realization of the ideal covenantal communion between Jehovah and Israel (cf. Ezek 11:20). Thus all the judgments of God sent upon Israel flow from God’s love for him and the desire to see him attached to Himself. The judgment of the people here is more favorable than in the earliest discourses following his calling. The prophetic discourse of verses 12–23, connected with the preceding, in that it demonstrates that God, destroying the idolaters, will not be stopped by the presence among them of a few righteous ones, forms an introduction to the following discourses (from chapter XV), which depict the impiety of Judah and Jerusalem as an inexorable cause for their fall.

Ezekiel 14:13. Son of man! If a land sins against Me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out My hand against it to break the supply of bread, and send famine upon it, and cut off man and beast from it; “If a certain land.” Wishing to set forth a general view of God’s justice, in order to apply it later (from verse 21) to the fate of Jerusalem, the prophet must speak of a hypothetical land. But he describes this impiety in such a way that Palestine is plainly in mind: only a land in covenantal relationship with God could “act faithlessly” against Him; a pagan nation could not, although pagan lands can also sin, be better or worse (Nineveh, Jonah 1). – “Break the supply of bread” see explanation Ezek 4:16. – “Famine” – the first of four judgments (verses 15, 17, 19 – the three other judgments are: beasts, sword, plague) of God (Ezek 4:16-17), a judgment with the slowest action and therefore most suitable for the instruction of the unrepentant. – “And beast.” “In Zeph 1:3 for the first time both beasts are destined for destruction for the sins of men on the day of the Lord” (Kraetzschmar).

Ezekiel 14:14. and if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they alone would deliver themselves by their righteousness, says the Lord God. Noah, Daniel, and Job are taken as three righteous men who preserved their purity amid the universal impiety of those around them and thereby were saved from common destruction. The strange at first glance arrangement (Daniel not last) is explained by the fact that Noah by his righteousness saved his whole family – 8 people, Daniel only people like himself in righteousness – 3 people, while Job could not save his children. The righteous ones are probably taken deliberately from different and distant epochs. Remarkably, only one of them is a Hebrew; this corresponds to the thought developed further by the prophet about the constant and universal corruption of Israel (chapters XV, XVI, XXIII); Jeremiah in similar passages names Moses and Samuel (Jer 15:1 and others). The mention, and such an unsubstantiated one, of these righteous shows how well known they were to the popular masses, although the book of Job could not yet exist. There is no need with some modern interpreters to see in the Daniel mentioned here a different person, a more ancient one known, based on the place occupied by him in this list and the fact that he was the younger contemporary of Ezekiel; transferred to Babylon under Jehoiakim (Ezekiel under Jehoiachin), Daniel by the time of the present discourse of Ezekiel had already lived in captivity 14 years and had managed to gain fame everywhere by his dream interpretation and wisdom, which Ezekiel in Ezek 28:3 presupposes known to all (and in Tyre). The teaching of the prophet Ezekiel about the powerlessness of the righteous to save those around him by his holiness does not contradict God’s promise to save Sodom even for 10 righteous ones: after all, Sodom perished despite the presence of one, or perhaps several, righteous ones in it; all the more could not three righteous ones save an entire country. – Here are the beginnings of Ezekiel’s teaching on personal moral responsibility, which at that time was new and subsequently developed in detail by the prophet in chapters XVIII and XXXIII.

Ezekiel 14:15. Or if I send wild beasts through the land and they bereave it, so that it becomes desolate, that no one may pass through because of the beasts, “Wild beasts” cf. 2 Sam 17:25; Lev 26:22. – “Desolate” – Slavonic more accurately: “there will be no one passing through it”; not only will it lose its population (“bereaved”) and goods (“desolate”), but even strangers will avoid it.

Ezekiel 14:16. Though these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord God, they would not deliver sons or daughters, but only they themselves would be delivered. “As I live.” A solemn oath was needed perhaps in view of the apparent contradiction of the teaching here about individual moral responsibility of man with the Mosaic teaching about family moral responsibility, with which the people had long identified and pushed to extremity (Ezek 18:2). – “Would not deliver sons or daughters.” Perhaps children of Job or Ham are meant. – “Would be delivered.” Probably means more than preservation of life, continued enjoyment of divine mercy, in which sense it could not be said of the sons of Noah that they were delivered.

Ezekiel 14:17. Or if I bring a sword upon that land, saying, “Sword, pass through the land!” and I cut off from it man and beast, “Sword” – war, invasion of the country by enemies.

Ezekiel 14:19. Or if I send a plague upon that land and pour out My wrath upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast, “I pour out My wrath upon it in blood.” The last plague is sent with particular divine anger in view of the ineffectiveness of the three preceding ones. – “In blood,” see explanation Ezek 5:17.

Ezekiel 14:20. Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, says the Lord God, they would not deliver son or daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness. In conclusion the three righteous are named in full again, instead of the abbreviated designation at the 2nd and 3rd judgment: “these three men.” For the same reason “they would deliver only themselves” instead of the simple “would be delivered” of verses 16 and 18.

Ezekiel 14:21. For thus says the Lord God: How much more when I send My four severe judgments upon Jerusalem – the sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague – to cut off from it man and beast! “Therefore.” The Hebrew conjunction “af – ki” can have the meaning “yet,” “nevertheless,” “but,” more fitting here: the following speak of an exception to the rule stated above. The Slavonic without conjunction: “these says …” – “When I send all four…” Upon Jerusalem God sends not one or another of the listed plagues, but all of them at once. On the fourth number of plagues see explanation Ezek 5:2. The sword is named first here (and not famine, as in verse 13), because this is what happened to Jerusalem: its trials began with a siege.

Ezekiel 14:22. And then a remnant will be left in it, sons and daughters who will be brought out; behold, they will come forth to you, and when you see their ways and their deeds, you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, for all that I have brought upon it. If not one of the listed four judgments of God could escape the ungodly, one would expect that the combination of all of them, which was to befall Jerusalem (namely, at the Chaldean invasion), would destroy all its ungodly population; on the contrary, on the other hand, part of this population, even whole families in it (“sons and daughters”) will be saved (not said: “will be delivered,” therefore in preceding verses “deliverance” means more than preservation of life). The purpose of saving this remnant from Jerusalem sufficiently shows how terrible was the moral condition of the city and how longsuffering God is. Bitterly ironical sounds the word “be comforted,” showing at the same time how difficult it was for the captives to bear the fall of Jerusalem, despite the enmity between the city and them (Ezek 11:15). It is characteristic and that the prophet Ezekiel sees comfort in the fall of Jerusalem in a more perfect knowledge of God’s justice made possible by this fall. How precious were to the prophet the successes of knowledge of God!

Chapter Fifteen

Israel – the Useless Vine Tree

In preparation (in chapter XVI) to give a detailed review of Israel’s past, in order to present all its history as a long chain of impiety and idolatry, and its present destruction as an inevitable consequence of its terrible past, the prophet prefaces this great historical survey with a brief characterization of the people from the standpoint of their natural capacities, and, using an old comparison of Israel with a grapevine, proves that the chosen people is not only not better, but worse than other nations, as a grapevine tree, apart from its fruit, is worse than other kinds of wood. The ideal for the prophet was not at all the development (culture) which Israel attained in Canaan and of which it was so proud. With some justice modern interpreters see in the present chapter a complete renunciation by Ezekiel of hope that Israel would ever, at least in the near future, become a political entity. The calling of Israel according to the prophet’s view was different.

Ezekiel 15:2. Son of man! What is the wood of the vine, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest, more than any wood? The comparison of Israel with a vine, that noblest product of Canaan, was natural (cf. Matt 21:33) and old. Folk singers could have invented it to praise the nation (Herod’s temple was decorated with this symbol of Israel. Josephus, De bello jud. 5:5, 4). Writers and prophets, first Hosea (Hos 10:1), then Jeremiah (Jer 2:21), and also Isaiah (Isa 5:1 and following) apparently adopted it and turned it to bad account: Israel, like a noble vine branch, became wild. The prophet Ezekiel develops this comparison also to bad account, but in completely different respect. Israel apart from covenant relationship to Jehovah is below other nations in all respects – in extent of country, wealth, military might, arts. The allegory is skillfully developed in a series of questions, all demanding negative answers, each following indicating worse quality than the preceding.

Ezekiel 15:3. Can wood be taken from it to make anything? Can you make a peg from it to hang any vessel on? Even something as trifling as a nail cannot be made from vine wood: it is not hard enough for this. Cf. Pliny, Hist. nat, XIV, 1, 2.

Ezekiel 15:4. Behold, it is given to the fire for fuel; the fire consumes both ends of it, and its middle is charred. Is it useful for anything? Now this wood is even more useless, as it has suffered from fire. The two burned ends – the destroyed in 722 BC the Israelite kingdom and beginning with the exile of Jehoiachin the destruction of the Judean kingdom; the charred middle – Jerusalem on the eve of siege.

Ezekiel 15:5. And when the whole tree was sound, it was useful for no work. How much less when fire has consumed it, and it is charred, can it ever be used for anything? Even in general, Israel was never able to become a kingdom like other great monarchies (in different spirit Ezek 19:2 and following; 10 and following); but now it would be double madness to hope for its future, when a large part is destroyed.

Ezekiel 15:6. Therefore thus says the Lord God: As the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest I have given to fire for fuel, so I will give the inhabitants of Jerusalem to fire. God as Creator designated vine wood for nothing but burning (cf. Ezek 47:11); so also Israel!

Ezekiel 15:7. And I will set My face against them; though they escape from the fire, the fire shall yet consume them; and you will know that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them. Ezekiel 15:8. And I will make the land desolate, because they have acted faithlessly, says the Lord God. “From the fire they will come out…” Under the first fiery judgment may be understood either the aggregate of all former disasters by which God wished to instruct Israel (the Hebrew kingdom was more than once on the brink of destruction) or more directly the exile of Jehoiachin and the aristocracy; under the second fire – the final destruction of the kingdom by Nebuchadnezzar, which was indeed accompanied by the transformation of the country into a desert without hope and in the future of its former might. – “They have acted faithlessly.” This means the general violation of the covenant with God on the part of the whole people, to the description of which the prophet moves in the following chapter, and not the faithlessness of Zedekiah (Ezek 17:20), in which the former concretely expressed itself.

Chapter Sixteen

Jerusalem – the Unfaithful Wife

Having shown the necessity of fall for Jerusalem and the Judean kingdom from their present moral condition (Ezek 14:12-27), from the natural lowness of the Hebrew people (chapter Ezek 15), the prophet now gives a vast review of all the history of the people, intended to show that in the destruction of the kingdom there is only the necessary culmination of a long historical chain of impiety and especially idolatry of Israel. The prophet’s view of the past of his own people is the most gloomy. Using a favorite image in the Old Testament of marriage to designate the covenant relationship of Israel to Jehovah, Ezekiel like other prophets represents Israel’s faithlessness to the covenant under the form of adultery, so that this entire great chapter is as it were an endless paraphrase of Isa 1:21: “how she became a harlot, the faithful city.” But according to Isaiah, Jerusalem, before becoming a harlot, was faithful, full of righteousness, God’s mountain, the city of justice (Isa 1:26-27); exactly so for the prophet Amos the wilderness wandering was an ideal time (Amos 5:25); Hosea begins the sinful period with apostasy to Babylon (Hos 9:10) and even Jeremiah knows a time when the people was a bride full of love for Jehovah (Jer 2:2 and following).

On the contrary, Ezekiel traces the sin of Jerusalem to its first sources: the very origin of Jerusalem is heathen; idolatry began from the cradle – from Egyptian slavery. The entire historical review is written under the overwhelming impression of the terrible guilt of the people, which, constantly renewed, was transplanted from generation to generation. The entire past life of the people went from idolatry to idolatry, which in the destruction of Jerusalem was to find its end. When with the Judean kingdom the last remnant of the old Israel disappeared from the earth, it became clear what its past was like, if it led to such an end (Jerusalem here is the same as all Israel). Ezekiel pronounces the same sweeping condemnation of Israel’s past in Ezek 20 and Ezek 23 chapters, very close to the present one (the beginnings of thought in Ezek 6:9). But while depicting so gloomily the past and present of Israel, the prophet paints all the more gladdening a picture for the future (from verse 53), passing as usual at the end of chapters into eschatology (which perhaps may speak in favor of the composition of this discourse after the fall of Jerusalem; but it could have been placed here because of its affinity with Ezek 15 chapter and the whole section. The discourse was scarcely delivered to the people – there is no address to fellow countrymen anywhere; cf. Ezek 12). More specifically, the discourse naturally divides into the following five sections: God’s benefactions (verses 2–14) are contrasted with the guilt of the people (15–34), which must entail the most severe punishment (35–43); the people must be brought to the deepest contrition (44–58), before a better time can come (59–63).

Ezekiel 16:3. and say: Thus says the Lord God to the daughter of Jerusalem: Your roots and your nativity are from the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite; The prophet could say of Jerusalem that it is of Canaanite origin on the ground that it was originally Canaanite, namely Jebusite city; and the tribe of Judah from the beginning took into itself many non-Israelite elements. But the expression has less an ethnographic than a religious meaning and refers to the people as a whole: all religious and moral inclinations in Israel are such as if he were of Canaanite origin; he is the spiritual son of Canaan; cf. Isa 1:10; John 8:44. The prophet Ezekiel here anticipates John the Baptist and the Savior in the struggle with Jewish pride in righteous forefathers, especially Abraham, the traces of which though not so strong as in the time of Christ, he mentions for example Ezek 23:27. Ezekiel himself about these ancestors, as often as there was occasion for it, speaks only quite incidentally: Ezek 28:25, which is entirely natural given the teaching Ezek 18 of the chapter. Of the Canaanite nations the prophet names the principal: the Amorites and Hittites as representatives of all. The Amorites, though living and beyond the Jordan, but chiefly on this side, and specifically in the region of the tribe of Judah (Deut 1:19 and following Josh 10:5); the most powerful and developed of the Canaanite peoples, it was therefore also more corrupted than the others, and probably gave rise to Sodom and Gomorrah, although at the time of Abraham “the measure of his iniquity… was not yet full” (Gen 15:16); their name often designated all Canaanite tribes. The Hittites according to Egyptian and Assyrian sources lived between the Euphrates and the Orontes, but their sphere of influence extended to Canaan, which from the time of Sargon was included by the Assyrians in the concept “Hatti,” “Hittites”; in any case the Hittites lived north of the Amorites and the Jebusite Jerusalem could be on the border of these two tribes; a Hittite woman was the wife of Esau, who caused grief to Rebekah (Gen 27:46). “Your roots” correspond to “your father,” “your nativity” to “your mother.”

Ezekiel 16:4. As for your birth, your navel was not cut, and you were not washed with water for cleansing, and you were not salted, and you were not swaddled in bands. Israel at the beginning of its existence was like a foundling, cast out as it came from the mother’s womb, deprived of the most necessary care for the preservation of life. A child whose “navel is not cut” or improperly cut can die when the decomposition of the afterbirth begins. The LXX instead of this natural and powerful thought have “strange” (Kraetzschmar): “you did not bind your breasts” (is the umbilical cord so named here because of its role in nourishing the fetus?). – “You were not washed for cleansing.” The last word is a conjectural translation of an obscure Hebrew word (“lemishwi”), not conveyed in Greek, but the Slavonic according to Aquila, Theodotion, and the Vulgate: “for salvation,” that is, for preservation of life. – “You were not salted.” “The tender bodies of children, while they retain the warmth of the mother’s womb and respond with their first cries to the beginning of a laborious life, are usually salted by midwives to make drier and tighten” (Blessed Jerome). This custom, mentioned by Galen, is still in use in the East; the fellahin think that through this the child is strengthened and hardened (Nowack. Archaol, I, § 28). Besides the dietetic, it had symbolic significance, serving as an expression of a wish for healthy vigor to the newborn or pointing to his entry into covenant with God, which the Old Covenant is sometimes called the “covenant of salt” (Lev 2:13; Num 18:19; 2 Chr 13:5). As for the sense of this allegory in relation to Israel, it should be noted first of all that in the allegory not every detail should have symbolic significance and contain some thought. So in this depiction of the initial fate of Israel there may be contained only the general thought that Israel at the beginning of its history, for example, during Egyptian slavery, was more helpless than other nations, and if God had not taken him under his care, he would have perished, like a child left to chance. There may also be meant here the time when Israel was still the family of Jacob, barely not destroyed by famine.

Ezekiel 16:5. But no eye pitied you to do any of these things for you out of compassion for you; but you were cast out on the open field, for your person was abhorred, on the day you were born. “You were cast out on the open field, because your life was abhorred.” Newborn girls even now in the East are often abandoned, and among the ancient Arabs they were buried alive: the Koran LXXXVIII, 8.

Ezekiel 16:6. And I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, and I said to you: “Live in your blood!” Yes, I said to you: “Live in your blood!” As if by chance and because it happened to pass by that place, God found Israel; this human-like representation contains the thought that God had no need for this people (contrary to the popular opinion that God’s glory is inseparable from Israel’s fate) and no reason to seek him. – “In your blood” – in blood loss from the not cutting of the umbilical cord, destructive to the barely beginning life. – “Live in your blood.” Despite the blood loss, live. The divine “live” stands in sharp contrast to the intent of the parents. The repetition emphasizes the greatness of this deed of God.

Ezekiel 16:7. I made you grow and flourish like a plant of the field. And you grew up and became tall and arrived at perfect beauty; your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown; yet you were naked and bare. “I made you grow.” An allusion to the rapid multiplication of Israel in Egypt, which makes a departure from the allegory strictly maintained so far: about a child one cannot say that it multiplied. – “Like a plant of the field.” A poetic comparison. “Arrived at perfect beauty,” literally “beauty of beauties.” Although this is a conjectural and doubtful meaning of the Hebrew word “adi”; and one would not expect a discourse about natural beauty here (therefore they propose to read “addim,” “menstruation”). The LXX changed daleth to resh and obtained: “you came into the great cities,” that is, a principal settlement – again a direct, non-allegorical reference to Israel’s settling in Egyptian cities. – “And your hair had grown.” Long hair – a sign of mature womanhood. “Naked and bare” (in Hebrew, alliteration: erom – ereyah), as is customary for children of bedouins.

Ezekiel 16:8. And I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the age of love; and I spread my skirt over you, and covered your nakedness; yes, I plighted my troth to you and entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord God, – and you became Mine. “And I passed by you” – a second time. As is evident from the following, the depiction begins of a second period in the relationship of God to Israel, when the Sinai covenant was concluded between them. – “At the age of love,” that is, at maturity sufficient for marriage; in relation to Israel – sufficient for the conclusion of a national covenant. Slavonic: “time of companions” – intercourse with men (Blessed Jerome). – “And I spread my skirt over you” – a marriage rite (Ruth 3:9). – “I plighted my troth.” At betrothal an oath was given. – “Entered into a covenant,” Slavonic “covenant,” that is, the Sinai covenant.

Ezekiel 16:9. Then I washed you with water and cleansed you of your blood, and I anointed you with oil. “Your blood” from verse 6, which is thought to have remained permanently as an uncleanness. An unmistakable reference to the cleansing sacrifices of the Sinai legislation. – “I anointed you with oil” – a wedding custom, cf. Ruth 3:3 with Esth 2:12; Jdt 10:3; cf. the entire verse with Eph 5:25-26.

Ezekiel 16:10. I clothed you in embroidered garments and shod you with fine leather; I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk. “Embroidered garments,” Slavonic “variegations,” – garments woven in various colors, gold, silver, the kind still in use in Egypt; an expensive fabric (Judg 5:30; Ezek 27:7), worn chiefly by royal persons (Ps 44:15; Ezek 26:16; cf. explanation to Ezek 17:3). – “Fine leather sandals”; Slavonic “in scarlet,” that is, in red footwear. Both are conjectural translations of the Hebrew “tachash,” meaning, as in Exod 25:5 and following (see explanation there) the high quality leather of some animal probably a sea creature (perhaps from the fauna of the Red Sea; scarcely seal or dolphin, because their skin is stiff); the worth of the leather may be judged by its use for the coverings of the tabernacle, to which there may be an allusion here. – “I wrapped you with fine linen.” The Hebrew verb “chavash” suggests not a girdle, but a head covering, fine linen coverings, like the tunics, were priestly garments, and it is not insignificant that the bride of Jehovah is clothed now in royal (“variegations” and silk), now in sacred materials (fine leather and fine linen). – “Silk” – a conjectural (according to Rashi and other rabbis) meaning only here and in verse 13 of the Hebrew word “meshi”; the question whether the Jews in the time of the prophet Ezekiel were acquainted with silk. Slavonic “trichopton,” a word, according to the explanation of Blessed Jerome, composed by the LXX to denote a fabric from threads in fineness not inferior to hair (θριξ, “hair,” and ‘ απτομαι, to touch). With such a covering the bride was covered from head to ground (the same as our veil).

Ezekiel 16:11. And I adorned you with ornaments, and put bracelets on your wrists and a chain upon your neck. Ezekiel 16:12. And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown upon your head. The description of women’s ornaments, properly precious objects, is taken of course from reality, which is proved by the similarity with Hos 2:13 and Isa 3:16-22. But there the crown is not mentioned; if it does not indicate here the royal dignity of the bride of God, then the present passage may testify that the crown in that time was already an accessory of marriage. “Chain” is named by the same word which denotes the chain placed by Pharaoh on Joseph (“ravid” Gen 41:42); this was probably a chain of double or triple gold thread studded with precious stones and hanging from the neck to the chest. That earrings were worn also in the nose is seen also from Prov 11:22; Isa 3:20. Precious objects mean the prosperity and wealth of the Jews during David and Solomon, when the people became a kingdom (crown and chain).

Ezekiel 16:13. So you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You were fed with fine flour and honey and oil, and you were exceeding beautiful, and you advanced to regal splendor. A brief repetition of the story of the ornaments. – “You were fed with fine flour and honey and oil.” Interesting facts about the customary diet of noble women very simple; meat is not mentioned; perhaps because reference is made to the natural products of Palestine. – “You advanced to regal splendor.” An allusion to the fact that Israel only in course of time passed to royal power; in the LXX it is omitted, but scarcely for political reasons, as some think.

Ezekiel 16:14. And your reputation spread among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor which I had bestowed upon you, says the Lord God. This refers chiefly to the visit of the Queen of Sheba. It is constantly indicated that the Jewish people owes all its glory to Jehovah.

Ezekiel 16:15. But you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your fornications on every passer-by and gave yourself to him. “Played the harlot.” Thus Hosea first called Israel’s idolatry, appearing as a violation of the covenant with God. Idolatry among the Jews began to spread especially rapidly due to the wide relations with surrounding pagan peoples which arose in the period of Israel’s greatest glory and the fascination with their culture. – “Poured out your fornications on every passer-by.” There is a reference to the custom of harlots of that time to wait for visitors on the streets (Gen 38:14; Jer 3:2). The comparison was all the more applicable to Israel in that Palestine was the principal distribution of trade roads of Western Asia (Kraetzschmar).

Ezekiel 16:16. And you took some of your garments and made for yourself high places, and played the harlot upon them, as has never been, and never shall be. “High places.” High places throughout the Old Testament are called the hills on which idolatry was practiced; but here, it is thought, is called a tent on such hills for idolatry; such tents were probably erected chiefly for the service of Astarte (more precisely: Asherah), which was accompanied by debauchery and revelry; cf. 2 Sam 23:7 per Hebrew text Amos 2:8; see explanation Ezek 23:7; probably they were hung and lined with many-colored carpets or were made of variegated fabrics. It is represented pathetically that these variegated tents are sewn from scraps of the garment in which Jehovah clothed his bride. But it is possible that by “high places” are meant something else: striped altars (Kimchi), idols (Slavonic: “idols hewn”), vestments for idols (cf. 2 Sam 23:7) or some beds for idolatry (Kraetzschmar). – “As has never been, and never shall be.” By all this Israel showed unprecedented unfaithfulness to God not to be repeated in the future; but this is a conjectural translation of an obscure Hebrew expression; Slavonic “and you did not come in and it will not be,” that is, henceforth you will not go to idols for fornication before them and this will not happen: God will put an end to idolatry.

Ezekiel 16:17. And you took your beautiful articles of My gold and My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male figures, and played the harlot with them. “Male figures.” Since Jerusalem is represented in the form of an unfaithful woman, the idols in relation to her are viewed as men, with whom she plays the harlot; but being soulless, idols can only be compared to the images of men. Some find in these words an allusion to phallic worship, which, it is thought, is also understood in Isa 57:8 (“memory” in Hebrew is similar in sound to “man”) and Ezek 8:17.

Ezekiel 16:18. And you took your embroidered garments and covered them with these, and set My oil and My incense before them, Idols were set out clothed, but besides, probably in solemn occasions they were dressed in expensive garments – “purple and blue”: Jer 10:9.

Ezekiel 16:19. and My bread which I gave you, the fine flour, the oil, and the honey, with which I fed you, you set before them for a pleasing aroma; and so it was, says the Lord God. “Bread” – the general name for the three products listed next … “You set before them for a pleasing aroma,” that is, you burned in sacrifice.

Ezekiel 16:20. And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to Me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your acts of harlotry so small a matter The height of Israel’s lawlessness the prophet sees in human sacrifice: not only soulless gifts, which Israel owes to God, he offered to idols, but also living children of God, that is, the young generation (young people full of life and strength were used for human sacrifice, being deemed a more pleasing food for the gods), which could and should have been raised for God and service to Him. Human sacrifices among the Jews acquired wide (Isa 57:5) distribution from the time of Ahaz (2 Sam 16:3), hence with the nearest contact with the Assyrians intensified under Manasseh (2 Sam 21:6); they penetrated Israel from the Canaanites, but were also in use among the Moabites (2 Sam 3:27) and Syrians (2 Sam 17:31); they were performed chiefly in honor of Moloch, but passages such as Mic 6:6; Jer 7:31 cf. Ezek 20:26, seem to show that such sacrifices, contrary to the clear prohibition of the Mosaic law, were also offered to Jehovah, – “To be devoured.” A powerful expression. – “Were your acts of harlotry so small a matter?” Human sacrifice was unexpected on the part of Israel and after all its abominations.

Ezekiel 16:21. And you slaughtered My children and handed them over as an offering by making them pass through fire. A repetition from strong feeling of sorrow and regret. “My children” – in the sense of children generally and because male victims were preferred to female. “Slaughtered.” Sacrifices were killed before being burned. – “Making them pass.” Not added in the original text: “through fire,” because the word became technical.

Ezekiel 16:22. And in all your abominations and acts of harlotry you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare and struggling in your blood. Represents a preliminary conclusion to the enumeration of Jerusalem’s lawlessness through a reminder of Israel’s former condition – not of its former piety, as Hosea and Jeremiah would have done, but of the helplessness from which the love of Jehovah saved him. Israel’s ingratitude increases the gravity of his lawlessness.

Ezekiel 16:23. And after all your abominations – woe, woe to you! says the Lord God, The indicated lawlessness already deserves God’s curse; but their enumeration is far from finished, and what follows is even more serious and worthy of punishment. Indeed in the last times of the Judean kingdom pagan cults began to spread to an unprecedented degree, and it was precisely the sins of Manasseh that, according to Jeremiah, brought about the destruction of Jerusalem. This sufficiently explains the exclamation “woe, woe.”

Ezekiel 16:24. you built yourself brothels and made yourself high places in every street. “Vaulted chamber,” Slavonic more accurately “brothel temple,” that is, temples for religious prostitution; “lofty shrine,” Slavonic “laying,” that is, something like altars on open and high places for the same base purpose, so that they be visible from afar to all (Blessed Jerome). But both words are conjectural translations of Hebrew words, of which the meaning of the first is unknown (gai from the root “raising,” “vault,” as the Latin fornicare from fornix, “cave,” which in antiquity usually served as the ordinary place of prostitution), and the second means “hill,” “raising” for an altar or the altar itself. Therefore if the first word has in its meaning the overtone of “prostitution,” then by “vaulted chamber” one can understand generally pagan temples, named so because in them Israel was unfaithful to the covenant with Jehovah. Such an understanding will be more reliable, and because although dissolute cults (for example, Astarte, perhaps – Isis) found followers in Israel, but from the books of Jeremiah and Kings it is not evident that they reached such development in Judea as the literal meaning of these expressions presupposes. – “In every street.” Urban and even primarily capital idolatry is described, whereas earlier provincial. The expression reminds of the Apostle Paul’s speech in the Areopagus about the multitude of altars in Athens: excessive fascination with foreign cults appears in the epoch of national decay (decadence). The prophet has chiefly in mind the last century of the Judean kingdom (from Ahaz), but the expression can embrace the preceding period as well.

Ezekiel 16:25. at the head of every street you built your lofty shrine and prostituted your beauty, offering yourself to every passer-by and multiplying your acts of harlotry. “At the head of every street” – at the street corners, the more crowded and visible parts of the city; cf. Ezek 11:13. – “Offering yourself.” Realism, for which the simplicity of the ancients with their uncorrupted imagination is rightly not condemned.

Ezekiel 16:26. You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians, your neighbors, those of great flesh, and multiplied your acts of harlotry, provoking Me. “You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians.” Having drawn a picture of Israel’s contemporary idolatry, the prophet now gives a brief historical survey of it (verses 26–29), enumerating the cults with which Israel became enamored one after another. First among them is named the Egyptian cult, and as verse 27 shows, the prophet places the beginning of this fascination with the Egyptian cult, or more correctly the beginning of such fascination, even in the period of Egyptian slavery (of which nothing is said in Exodus); but primarily the prophet here has in mind the political inclination toward Egypt which began to appear in the last century of the Judean kingdom and which was so severely condemned by Isaiah (Isa 23:1), Nahum (Nah 3:1); cf. Hos 7:11; this political inclination could not, according to the view of the prophet Ezekiel, not be accompanied by religious sympathies (of which again nothing is positively known from the historical books of Scripture), as it could not fail to have deep roots in the ancient history (Egyptian period) of Israel. Instead of “with the gods of Egypt” here “with the sons of Egypt,” perhaps to show the political foundation of religious enthusiasms. “Those of great flesh,” Slavonic more accurately: “corpulent,” with great corpulence (that is, extreme, as shown by the parallel expression in Ezek 23:20). The sensuality of the Egyptians, to which their monstrous zoolatry was due (Blessed Theodoret), became a proverb (Kraetzschmar).

Ezekiel 16:27. Therefore, behold, I stretched out My hand against you, diminished your allocated portion, and delivered you to the will of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewdness. “Diminished your allocated portion” – the boundaries of the promised land, as a husband apparently had the right to limit an unfaithful wife in means of subsistence (Exod 21:10); Slavonic differently: “and I will reject your laws,” the pagan rites. – “To the daughters of the Philistines.” The 5 cities of the Philistine pentapolis. Philistine oppression at the end of the period of the judges, not individual events like Amos 1:6 and further. Irony: sought men, fell into women’s hands. – “Were ashamed.” True pagans could not understand Israel’s unfaithfulness to Jehovah or pagans in general proved sometimes morally superior and purer than Israel; cf. Ezek 3:7; Ezek 5:6; Amos 3:9.

Ezekiel 16:28. You also engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians, because you were not satisfied; you engaged in harlotry with them but still were not satisfied. Instruction had no effect. The alliance with Assyria, accompanied by fascination with her idolatry, began with Ahaz, and it must have been sympathy for these eastern monarchies that prompted Josiah to unsuccessfully rise against Necho; cf. Jer 2:18. It is insistently pointed out how insatiable Israel’s idolatry was.

Ezekiel 16:29. and you multiplied your acts of harlotry in the land of Canaan to Chaldea, yet you were still not satisfied. «In the land of Canaan up to Chaldea» – more precisely in Slavonic: «to the land of the Canaanites, of the Chaldeans.» Since historical sequence after the reference to Assyrian idolatry does not allow one to expect mention of Canaanite idolatry but only of Chaldean, then «Canaanite» here is an epithet applied to Chaldea, not because of its immorality, as some think, but because of commerce: cf. Ezek 17:4; Zeph 1:11. The reference to Chaldean idolatry in Judea is indicated by Ezek 8:9 (the cult of Tammuz) and apparently Jer 44:11 (the worship of the «queen of heaven» according to Hebrew «melekheth» – Melittha; cf. 2 Sam 23:5); in essence, Chaldean idolatry differs little from Assyrian.

Ezekiel 16:30. How grieved your heart should be, says the Lord God, when you were doing all this, like a shameless harlot! «How grieved your heart should be.» Slavonic: «What shall I do to your heart?» Greek: «How shall I enter into covenant with your daughter?» «Like a shameless harlot.» Slavonic: «of a brazen harlot; and you committed fornication with a threefold shame in your daughters»; the second clause is an alternate translation (a duplicate) of the same Hebrew word that was first rendered as «shameless.»

Ezekiel 16:31. When you built yourself brothels at the beginning of every road and made yourself high places on every square, you were unlike a harlot, because you rejected gifts, In the idolatry (the idolatrous behavior) of Jerusalem, what seemed worst to the prophet was that it was not for the sake of livelihood, and therefore could not be justified by hunger, this sole justification of hired harlots, but was done out of love for the deed, and thus entirely from moral depravity.

Ezekiel 16:32. But like an adulterous wife who takes strangers instead of her own husband. Adultery is a graver sin than harlotry, and even more than prostitution.

Ezekiel 16:33. All harlots are given gifts, but you yourself gave gifts to all your lovers and bribed them so that they came to you from all sides to commit harlotry with you. Under «gifts» (Slavonic «hire,» Hebrew literally: «dowry») are understood both sacrifices to idols and tributes to neighboring nations or gifts to them for appeasement, like the gifts of Ahaz to the king of Damascus. The parable of the prophet is rendered in direct speech at Hos 8:9.

Ezekiel 16:34. In your harlotries you have done the opposite of other women: no one pursued you to commit harlotry, but you gave gifts while gifts were not given to you; thus you acted contrary to others. Here ends the description of Jerusalem’s sins, which exceed the sins of other nations.

Ezekiel 16:35. Therefore, harlot, hear the word of the Lord! The address «harlot» in such a context is stunning.

Ezekiel 16:36. Thus says the Lord God: because you squandered your wealth, and your nakedness was uncovered in your harlotries with your lovers and with all your abominable idols, and because of the blood of your sons whom you gave to them, Before depicting the judgment of God against the harlot, as it were a brief summary of her crimes is given. «Money» literally «copper,» which may witness that the Hebrews had already copper coins at that time; but they are mentioned nowhere else in other places. – «For the blood of your sons.» Among the specific crimes of Jerusalem one is named – human sacrifice to idols, as the most grievous and as justifying the deadly punishment described below for the harlot.

Ezekiel 16:37. Therefore behold, I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure and all those whom you loved along with all those whom you hated, and I will gather them against you from all around, and I will uncover your nakedness before them, and they will see all your shame. «Lovers,» Slavonic «paramours» – the nations whose idolatry Jerusalem was seduced by. Earlier the prophet understood by lovers the idols themselves, so the allegory is not entirely consistent. – «Whom you hated» – perhaps those whom you grew tired of (Kraetzschmar). For the judgment against Jerusalem God gathers not only the later allies – the Assyro-Chaldeans, but also the old enemies, the Philistines, the Edomites, the Moabites, the Ammonites – so that the punishment would be universal and complete – «I will uncover your nakedness» – I will shame and devastate the land. – Cf. Nah 3:5; Hos 2:5.

Ezekiel 16:38. I will judge you with the judgment of adulteresses and murderers, and bring upon you the blood of wrath and jealousy; «With the judgment of adulteresses» – stoning (Deut 22:24) «and of murderers» – also death (Gen 9:6; Exod 21:12). «As a harlot was stoned to death, so Jerusalem was struck by stones from Chaldean catapults» (Grotius). The shedding of blood directly refers to human sacrifice. – «With blood of wrath and jealousy,» Slavonic more precisely: «in blood of wrath and zeal.» God is compared to a husband whose jealousy has reached the degree of requiring bloody satisfaction. Wrath – for murder, jealousy – for infidelity.

Ezekiel 16:39. I will give you into the hands of those, and they shall destroy your brothels and tear down your high places, and strip you of your clothes, and take your fine apparel, and leave you naked and bare. «Brothels» and «high places» see explanation of verse 24. – «They will strip you of your clothes… and leave you naked and bare.» It seems that harlots and adulteresses as punishment were placed naked at an ignominious post; cf. Perhaps Hos 2:3.

Ezekiel 16:40. They shall bring an assembly against you, and they shall stone you with stones, and thrust you through with their swords. «An assembly,» Hebrew «kahal.» The execution was the deed of the people’s assembly because the sin was directed against the existence and spiritual integrity of the nation. – «They shall thrust you through with their swords.» There is meant the practice among the Chaldeans and other eastern peoples of executing by cutting the body in two, dichotomy Dan 2:5; Matt 24:51; Luke 12:46, a punishment probably prescribed for adultery and all violations of sworn obligations, which explains the rite at the making of covenant – the cutting of animals in Gen 15:10; probably they cut the corpse only, not a living human being (Judg 19:29; 1 Sam 11:7 and this passage). The parables point to the invasion of the Chaldeans (cf. Isa 8:7 and others), the breaking of the walls of Jerusalem at the siege and the slaughter of the inhabitants.

Ezekiel 16:41. They shall burn your houses with fire, and execute judgments upon you before the eyes of many women; I will make an end of your harlotry, and you shall no longer give gifts. «They shall burn your houses with fire.» The houses and property of idolaters were ordered to be burned (Deut 13:16); especially serious criminals were also burned – so the one who had committed incest with his mother-in-law (Lev 20:14), a priest’s daughter who played the harlot (Lev 21:9) – all this so that nothing defiling the land, not even a soulless thing, would remain on it; this same meaning has the present punishment, which was fulfilled in the burning of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans. – «Before the eyes of many women,» that is, of neighboring nations, as a deterring example; the punishment of a harlot was especially aggravated by the presence of women at it – «You shall no longer give gifts.» With the loss of independence Jerusalem will be unable to maintain ungodly intercourse with heathen nations.

Ezekiel 16:42. Thus I will satisfy My fury against you, and My jealousy shall depart from you; I will be calm and will be angry no more. With the punishment of Judea the wrath of God, as it were, will be exhausted and will abate in general, wholly and absolutely (a profound thought); as for Israel, God will also not be angry at it for its sins, because He will deprive it (at least for a time) of its special election, as a husband cannot be jealous of a divorced wife: «and My jealousy shall depart from you» according to Hebrew «My jealousy.»

Ezekiel 16:43. Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have enraged Me with all these things; therefore, I also will recompense your deeds upon your head, says the Lord God, so that you will not again commit this lewdness with all your abominations. The justification for the punishment just described: Jerusalem’s chief guilt lies in his indifference toward the prior benefits of God, by which he most provoked the Lord. However grievous the punishment, it is just: it is only the conduct of the criminal nation recompensed upon his own head (Ezek 9:10). – «So that you will not again commit this lewdness…» A conjectural translation of an unclear Hebrew expression, rendered by the Seventy: «and thus you did this impiety according to all your iniquities.»

Ezekiel 16:44. Behold, everyone who uses proverbs will say concerning you, «Like mother, like daughter.» A lover of proverbs, the prophet, to present the wickedness of Jerusalem more forcefully and vividly, in verses 44–58, proceeding from the proverb: «like mother, like daughter» (corresponding to our: «the apple does not fall far from the tree»; in Hebrew: «keiimma bitta») brings a comparison between Jerusalem, on the one hand, and Samaria with Sodom, on the other… «Mother» of Jerusalem according to verse 3 – a Hittite.

Ezekiel 16:45. You are the daughter of your mother who loathed her husband and her children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother is a Hittite and your father is an Amorite. «Your mother, who loathed her husband and her children» – according to blessed Theodoret, the Canaanite land, which abandoned its ancient worship of the True God (cf. Rom 6), which is demonstrated by the history of Melchizedek, and offered children to idols in sacrifice. – «Sisters of yours» – Samaria and Sodom according to verses 46 and 48.

Ezekiel 16:46. Your elder sister is Samaria, who dwelt to your left with her daughters; and your younger sister, who dwells to your right, is Sodom with her daughters. Samaria is called the elder sister of Jerusalem and Sodom the younger not because of the antiquity of these cities and kingdoms (it would be the other way around then), but because of the extent of territory and the degree of historical significance. Left – north, right – south, as the directions are reckoned from the east, if one turns to face it. The daughters of Samaria and Sodom – the cities and regions subject to them, and by the daughters of Sodom may be understood also the Ammonite and Moabite cities.

Ezekiel 16:47. Yet you have not walked in their ways and acted according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you have become more depraved than they in all your ways. «As if that were too little» – a conjectural translation of an unclear Hebrew expression; more correctly, it seems, according to the Seventy: para mikron, Slavonic «perhaps slightly,» «almost.» Jerusalem acted almost worse than Samaria and Sodom. Indeed, without such a limitation, the accusation could seem exaggerated.

Ezekiel 16:48. As I live, says the Lord God, Sodom, your sister, and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. An oath was necessary because something incredible is being asserted; cf. Matt 11:21 and following. «Your sister» – an addition striking in its very lack of necessity.

Ezekiel 16:49. Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. «Of your sister,» see verse 48, but the addition here is even more unnecessary. «In pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease.» The Greek is more precise: «pride in abundance (Slavonic «in satiety» of bread and in well-being (Slavonic «in abundance of wine») she and her daughters lived luxuriously.» Pride arose precisely from the extraordinary wealth of the land, which produced luxury. The reason for Sodom’s destruction is indicated as not entirely identical with Genesis, but this is because the prophet speaks of it in application to the Hebrews and looks to the root of evil. – «Did not aid the poor and needy.» It is remarkable what significance the prophet attaches to charity.

Ezekiel 16:50. They were haughty and did abominable things before Me; therefore I removed them, as you have seen. «Abominable things.» Probably sodomy is meant. – «Therefore I removed them, as you have seen.» There is meant Gen 18:21 («I will go down and look»). The punishment followed at once, and there was no place for the forbearance which Jerusalem so abused.

Ezekiel 16:51. Samaria has not committed half the sins that you have committed; you have multiplied your abominations more than they, and have made your sisters appear righteous by all the abominations that you have done. Much less is said of Samaria than of Sodom: only 1–2 verses. Indeed, the idolatry in the northern kingdom never reached such development and such extremes (human sacrifice) as in the southern; except during the time of Ahab, there prevailed the worship of Jehovah only under the form of calves. That Samaria was better than Jerusalem was especially painful for the pride of the Jews, who considered the swift fall of the Israelite kingdom as a clear sign of God’s disfavor toward it altogether and to itself. – «Made your sisters appear righteous.» Slavonic more precisely: «you have justified your sisters» – in a relative sense, of course: the sins of Jerusalem allowed one to see the sins of Sodom and Samaria in a milder light.

Ezekiel 16:52. You also, bear your shame, you who have judged your sisters; by your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more righteous than you. So be ashamed and bear your shame, for you have made your sisters appear righteous. «Shame» – captivity and the disgrace connected with it.

Ezekiel 16:53. I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters, and I will restore your own fortunes in the midst of them, «I will restore the fortunes» – with regard to Sodom can only mean its restoration. Thus this passage contains one of the most comforting prophecies about the times of the kingdom of glory, which should come no earlier than the resurrection of the dead. Then only can buried Sodom be restored, although of course not in its former form but in another, unknown one. Then only, as this passage clearly shows in chapters XXXVII–XLVIII, does the prophet expect also the final return from captivity of Judah and Israel. Cf. Isaiah’s prophecy about the restoration of Egypt (Isa 29:11 and following). Other interpretations of this passage weaken all its force and comfort. But some interpret it as the entry into the church of the heathen, represented by the image of Sodom, while Samaria appears as the image of heretics (Origen, blessed Jerome and others). According to others, by Sodom here are understood the Moabites and Ammonites, to whom Jeremiah promises restoration in Jer 48:47 and Jer 49:30. Modern rationalist interpreters hold that the opinion about the restoration of Sodom was torn from Ezekiel in a moment of polemical interests and remained without influence on his subsequent views of future times (in Ezek 47 and Ezek 48 chapters), that it is only a purely logical consequence of the idea of the restoration of Jerusalem, that the restoration of Sodom became a necessity for Ezekiel only insofar as his territory lay within the bounds of the promised land of the future.

Ezekiel 16:54. So you must bear your shame and be confounded for all that you have done, becoming a comfort to them. «Becoming a comfort to them.» Not that it will be somewhat pleasant for the formerly punished peoples to see that a people was found even worse and punished no less than them, but that the punishment of Jerusalem, which cannot be eternal because of the very nature of the great covenants of God to Israel, will promise restoration also for those peoples; but Slavonic: «in My wrath.»

Ezekiel 16:55. Your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former state; and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former state; and you and your daughters shall return to your former state. «Shall return to their former state» according to the Greek apokatastathēsontai. One of those mysterious prophecies from which the teaching of Origen and others about apokatastasis and chiliasm arose.

Ezekiel 16:57. While your lewdness and your abominations were not yet uncovered, you were despised by the daughters of Aram and all those around her, and by the daughters of the Philistines, those around you who despised you. «By the daughters of Aram… by the daughters of the Philistines.» There are probably meant the humiliating relations of Judah to Aram during the reign of Ahaz (and perhaps also the wars of the Israelite kingdom with Aram) and Philistine servitude at the end of the period of the Judges.

Ezekiel 16:58. You yourself must bear the penalty of your lewdness and your abominations, says the Lord. «You yourself must bear.» Present tense instead of future; but it is appropriate here in its own meaning, since the captivity has already begun; but in Slavonic the past: «you have borne.»

Ezekiel 16:59. For thus says the Lord God: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath by breaking the covenant, «By breaking the covenant.» «The unfaithfulness of man cannot change the faithfulness of God, and this is the point of contact between this verse and the promises contained in the following verses» (Keil). The punishment should come first, before mercy appears. First justice must be accomplished.

Ezekiel 16:60. But I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will make with you an everlasting covenant. «But I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth,» that is, the covenant with Abraham and with the people at Moses. Thus the memory of this covenant, and nothing else, not even the nation’s repentance, will be the sole reason for the restoration of Israel. Repentance will come afterward (verse 61) and God will accomplish Israel’s salvation before it. A most important thought from the point of view of dogma. – «An everlasting covenant,» that is, a covenant that will never be broken by Israel, which was also foretold by Isaiah (Isa 55:3) and Jeremiah (Jer 31:31; cf. Ezek 34:25) and which was fulfilled in Christ, but completely and for all Israel will be fulfilled in the times described in Ezek 40 – Ezek 48 chapters. From the former covenant it will differ in that God, for both sides (Himself and the people), will establish such conditions that their violation by the weaker side (the people) would not cause the covenant to cease (the abolition of the law and the establishment of grace in its place), as was the case with the Sinai covenant at the time of Ezekiel (cf. general remarks on chapter I). But this will not be a completely new covenant, but a restoration of the former one (Matt 5:17; Gal 3:17). What Jehovah then began, He now will bring to completion.

Ezekiel 16:61. Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed, when you receive your sisters, those greater and smaller than you, and I will give them to you as daughters, but not on account of the covenant with you. God promises Jerusalem that its spiritual influence will subject various nations (cf. Isa 60:1), greater like Samaria and lesser like Sodom, and only this will shame Israel so that it will begin its reformation. But all this will be done not by virtue of God’s former covenant with Israel («not on account of the covenant with you» – Slavonic: «but not because of your covenant»), the obligations of which did not include such an act of endless mercy on God’s part.

Ezekiel 16:62. I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord, «And you shall know that I am the Lord,» but not from God’s punishment, as everywhere before (Ezek 15:7 and others), but from mercy: consequently, Israel will now know God from another side. In such a long chapter this expression, frequent in Ezekiel, appears here only.

Ezekiel 16:63. That you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I forgive you all that you have done, says the Lord God. God’s endless mercy will produce in Israel the most profound repentance and, consequently, also reformation. But one cannot fail to note how different this promise is from the promise given to Christians – the state of the converted Israel foretold here differs from the joyful disposition of the Christian. Thus what God gave turned out to be even more than what He promised. Perhaps the prophetic vision of an Old Testament man was not able to penetrate the bright depth of the reborn Christian soul. However, one must not forget that the prophet has need to describe here only the future repentance of the new Israel.

Chapter Seventeen

The Treachery of Zedekiah

If chapter XVI presented the cause of Jerusalem’s fall in all its past and the sins of the whole people, then chapter XVII sees this cause to the same degree in its present politics and in the treachery, connected with extreme shortsightedness, of the king (as chapter XXII does likewise with respect to chapter XXIII). In the face of growing Chaldean power the independence of Judea was an unthinkable thing, and the only possibility of existence, it is true a modest one but a faithful one, for Judea was now vassalage to Babylon; instead of this Zedekiah betrayed Nebuchadnezzar, to whom he owed his throne, and entered into an unreliable alliance with the pharaoh. How this should end, given Chaldean might, could not be doubted, especially if Jehovah regarded Zedekiah’s treachery as directed against Himself. The prophet develops this thought first allegorically in a parable (verses 2–10), then directly, in an explanation of the parable (verses 11–21), concluding with a prophecy of a better future (verses 22–24).

Ezekiel 17:2. Son of man, set forth a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel. «Set forth a riddle and speak a parable,» that is, a parable especially enigmatic, in order to arouse the attention of the listeners.

Ezekiel 17:3. Say: Thus says the Lord God: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers of many colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar. An eagle, considered the king of birds even among the Persians (Cyropaedia I, 7), is a good symbol of a king and in the Bible often serves as a symbol especially of a conquering king (the image was applied to the greed and swiftness of the eagle; Deut 28:49; Hos 8:1; Hab 1:8; Isa 46:11 – image of Cyrus), and specifically of Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 48:40). Thus with Ezekiel the comparison of Nebuchadnezzar to an eagle would have suggested itself naturally. «Great.» Perhaps an allusion to the title of the Babylonian king: Isa 36:4; cf. Ezek 26:7. – «With great wings, with long pinions» (Slavonic: «long in span»), «full of feathers» (Slavonic «which has power»), «of many colors» (Slavonic: «who has dominion») – traits serving to represent the eagle in all its magnificence, and each of which may not have some separate allegorical meaning, for example: great wings indicate the extent of dominion, thick plumage the multitude of subject peoples, the varied colors – the varied garments of the noble. – «Came to Lebanon,» perhaps an indication of the mountainous character of Palestine, which the Lebanon mountains complete: and around them went the military road to Jerusalem from Babylon; others think that Lebanon is mentioned as the birthplace of the cedar, simply as its epithet. The cedar – the image of the Judean kingdom, perhaps with a hint at the cedar palaces of Jerusalem (verse 12). – «The top,» Slavonic: «the choice,» as is clear from verses 4 and 12, the leading men of the kingdom taken away with Jehoiachin. It has been noted that many large birds have the habit of tearing off the tops of trees (Smend).

Ezekiel 17:4. He plucked off the topmost of its young twigs and brought it to the land of merchants and set it in a city of traders. «The topmost of its young twigs» – Slavonic «the crown of its tenderness.» By this is meant Jehoiachin, who for the contemporaries of Ezekiel appeared as the last king of their native kingdom. – «To the land of merchants.» Thus Babylonia is named because of its commerce, into which it took the place of Phoenicia (hardly because of wickedness; see explanation of Ezek 16:29). – «In a city of traders,» Slavonic: «in a walled city» – Babylon. «Already this name shows that commerce then only recently passed to others (from Phoenicia to Babylon) and remained there long. In the time of Isaiah the Hebrews were mostly farmers on their own land (Isa 36:16) and even here commerce is still represented as something alien to Israel, and in Ezekiel’s view it should remain so» (Bertholet).

Ezekiel 17:5. Then he took some of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fertile field; he placed it beside abundant waters, like a willow twig. «Then he took some of the seed of the land.» By this is meant Zedekiah (verse 13). The expression of the prophet sounds, compared with the preceding comparison, as though with some contempt. Indeed Zedekiah, the younger son of Josiah, was a creature of Nebuchadnezzar, who even gave him the name Zedekiah. But at the same time, the prophet’s expression contains an indication that Zedekiah was a native king, not a foreign satrap of Babylon. – «A fertile field» – a field prepared for sowing. – «Beside abundant waters.» In the East vegetation is possible only with abundant irrigation (cf. Ezek 31:4; Ps 1:3). And after submission to Nebuchadnezzar Judea had all the conditions for prosperity, even rare, thanks to the magnanimous and special care of the conqueror for it, which is also indicated by the comparison: «like a willow twig,» a tree that loves moisture.

Ezekiel 17:6. And it sprouted and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine and brought forth branches and put forth shoots. «A vine,» which, although a noble tree, is not so kingly as a cedar (Jehoiachin and Zedekiah). «Spreading, of low stature.» The prophet has in mind the so-called creeping grape vine, now frequent in Syria. The meaning of the allegory is in verse 14. – «Whose branches turned toward him (Slavonic: «which appeared to lie upon him» – supplement to «small in size») and its roots remained where it stood.» The Hebrew text may have had this sense, also supported by verse 7: «whose branches and roots would bend toward him,» that is, toward the eagle – an indication of the vassalage of Zedekiah’s kingdom. «This section reveals in Ezekiel remarkably clear penetration into the deepest intentions of Nebuchadnezzar, who wished well for Zedekiah and only required from him recognition of Babylon’s supreme dominion» (Kraetzschmar). – «And brought forth branches and put forth shoots.» An indication of the normal development of the Judean kingdom under Zedekiah, despite vassalic relations with Babylon.

Ezekiel 17:7. But there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and shot forth its branches toward him, that he might water it from the furrows of its planting. The second eagle, serving as an image of Pharaoh Hophra (Jer 44:30), the ally of Zedekiah, is described although similarly to the first, but more briefly without the epithets: «with long pinions,» «of many colors,» perhaps because Egypt did not possess such variety of subject peoples and generally was not so great a monarchy as Babylon then. – «That he might water it,» in which, as is evident from verses 5 and 8, it had no need at all. In entering into alliance with Egypt, Zedekiah was changing one dependence for another. – «From the furrows of its planting» – an allusion to the irrigation systems of Egypt and the inundations of the Nile. Slavonic: «to water itself with all the beds of its garden» – to be irrigated with all the raised beds of its garden («bed» is a raised plot).

Ezekiel 17:8. It was planted in good soil by abundant waters, so that it might produce branches and bear fruit and become a noble vine. In order to show more vividly the pointlessness of the behavior indicated in verse 7, again all the advantages of its location are described, and in somewhat different, stronger expressions, than in verse 5: instead of «fertile soil» – «good soil,» instead of «spreading» in verse 6 – «noble.»

Ezekiel 17:9. Say: Thus says the Lord God: Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers? All of its sprouting branches will wither. And it will not take a great army or many people to pull it up by the roots. «Will it thrive?» A question for emphasis of negation and to signify the complete certainty and obviousness of it. – «Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit.» A reversed order (a rhetorical figure of hysteron proteron). The cutting of fruit – the plundering of Jerusalem, the pulling up by the roots – the burning of it. «Sprouting branches» – other cities and regions of the kingdom. – «And it will not take a great army.» Nebuchadnezzar had no need to move all his army toward Jerusalem. Slavonic «and will they not with great strength»; «will» is not in the Greek.

Ezekiel 17:10. Behold, being planted, will it thrive? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind strikes it? It will wither in the beds where it was sprouted. Perhaps to present the complete irresistibility of the coming destruction, the prophet repeats his prediction in similar expressions, but resorting to another comparison. Nebuchadnezzar, advancing on Judea from the east, he compares to the «east wind» (Hebrew «qaddim» according to description in the Bible corresponds to sirocco), whose heat and dryness brought from the deserts are destructive to plants (cf. Gen 41:6; Hos 13:15; Isa 27:8 and others). – «Behold, being planted,» that is, so well; Slavonic «and behold it is fattening,» piaineútai. – «Will it not utterly wither.» The question has the same meaning as in verse 9. – «In the beds where it was sprouted,» as skillfully as it is arranged. Zedekiah perished in his own kingdom, where war is easier.

Ezekiel 17:11. And the word of the Lord came to me: «And the word of the Lord came to me.» The explanation of the parable was given in a special revelation, when it became apparent that the people could not themselves find its meaning.

Ezekiel 17:12. Say to the rebellious house: Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them: Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took its king and its princes and brought them to him in Babylon. «Rebellious house.» Again for the first time since Ezek 12:25, after gentle forms of address. – «Do you not know.» The parable was itself clear, and in verse 9 its meaning is very transparent (for example: «it will not take a great army»). – «Its king» – Jehoiachin. – «Its princes» – nobles as hostages; Slavonic: «prince,» but in the Greek plural.

Ezekiel 17:13. He also took one of the royal seed and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. (He also took away the mighty of the land,) «He also took one of the royal seed» – Zedekiah. – «And putting him under oath.» Slavonic more precisely: «and introduced him into an oath» the form of expression is probably explained by the rite at the making of a sworn covenant – the passing between the severed parts of animals (Gen 15:17) as a sign that the violator would be dealt with in the same way as these animals or «and a sign that those who swear enter into such a mystical connection as exists between the parts of an animal’s body» (Smith, Lecture 314). – «The mighty of the land» – the ablest part of the population: craftsmen, artists (2 Sam 24:14) not as hostages, like «princes» in verse 12, but to weaken the kingdom, as explained in verse 14.

Ezekiel 17:14. That the kingdom might remain humble and not lift itself up, that by keeping his covenant it might stand. Explanation of verse 6 and basis of verse 13. «That it might not be able to rise» – Slavonic more clearly: «so it would be utterly unable to rise.»

Ezekiel 17:15. But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Can the one who does such things escape? Can he break the covenant and yet escape? «That they might give him horses.» Cavalry has always been the weak point of Hebrew warfare; at the same time for the prophets it was a symbol of foreign culture and godless, carnal self-reliance (Hos 14:4; Mic 1:13 and others). Horses the Hebrew army obtained only from Egypt (1 Sam 10:28) and chiefly because of cavalry the Hebrew kings sought alliance with it (Isa 31:1). Egypt in antiquity was indeed famous for cavalry (Deut 17:16 and others); according to Diodorus (I, 45): the whole country from Thebes to Memphis was covered with stables and could provide for war 20,000 chariots with 2 horses each.

Ezekiel 17:16. As I live, says the Lord God, surely in the place of the king who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke – with him in Babylon shall he die. By the strict law of retribution the punishment must correspond to the sin also in respect to place; cf. 1 Sam 21:19. For ancient man to die in a foreign land constituted something terrible in another respect than for us: a foreign land was unclean (cf. Ezek 4:13). Zedekiah died blinded in a Babylonian dungeon.

Ezekiel 17:17. Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in the war, when siege ramps are cast up and siege walls are built to cut off many lives. «With a mighty army and a great company» – Slavonic more precisely: «not with great strength, nor with a large people will Pharaoh do war with him» – a reproach to Pharaoh for indifference to his allies, not conveyed by the Russian translation. – «To cut off many lives.» A sigh of the prophet over the forthcoming destruction of his countrymen.

Ezekiel 17:18. Because he despised the oath and broke the covenant, and behold, he gave his hand and yet did all this, he shall not escape. After describing God’s punishment of Zedekiah the prophet again returns to his sin, about which before so much has been said. Among the ancients, in relation to enemies (as Nebuchadnezzar was for Judea) moral obligations generally were not so strict as toward friends. And if the prophet attaches such significance to Zedekiah’s faithlessness, it is for special reasons, which he speaks of in verse 19. Thus in verses 18–21 Zedekiah’s sin is examined from a new point of view, which increases its gravity: as a violation of an oath in God’s name. – «He gave his hand,» that is, to Pharaoh. Those making a covenant gave each other their hand: Jer 50:15; Ezra 10:19; Gal 2:9 and others.

Ezekiel 17:19. Therefore thus says the Lord God: As I live, My oath which he despised, and My covenant which he broke, I will recompense upon his head. Zedekiah’s faithlessness to Nebuchadnezzar was heinous because it was accompanied by a violation of an oath sworn in God’s name; through this oath Zedekiah’s covenant with Nebuchadnezzar became a covenant (Slavonic «covenant») of God. For this affront to the holiness of God’s name Zedekiah will be severely punished. Consequently, «Ezekiel’s view of Zedekiah’s sin is more religious than ethical» (Bertholet).

Ezekiel 17:20. I will spread My net over him, and he shall be taken in My snare; and I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there for the treachery he has committed against Me. So long as Zedekiah’s sin was considered in its relation to Nebuchadnezzar, the latter was depicted as the avenger (verse 16). Now, when this sin is considered in relation to God, God Himself appears as the punisher. In verse 16 Zedekiah’s death in Babylon is foretold; the image used here – that of a hunter – allows the prophet to also depict the capture of Zedekiah into captivity. The second half of the verse (from: «and I will bring…») and the beginning of verse 21 are absent in many Greek codices.

Ezekiel 17:21. All the choice men from all his troops shall fall by the sword, and the survivors shall be scattered to every wind; and you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken. The fate of Zedekiah’s army, on which he so relied. – «Choice men.» The Targum and Peshito, reading the Hebrew word with a transposition of letters (instead of «mivrachav» «mivcharav»), translate «warriors.» Slavonic translates the same word twice in both readings: «and all the chosen of him and all the fugitives» (a duplicate). About the fugitives further: «shall be scattered»; therefore the reading of the Targum and Peshito is justified by the context.

Ezekiel 17:22. Thus says the Lord God: I Myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out; I will pluck off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I Myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. Despite the blow that befell Zedekiah and with him the whole house of David, God has not forgotten His covenants with this house and renews them here, using the former allegory. To the unsuccessful planting on the part of Nebuchadnezzar of a low and insignificant vine, God opposes a planting to be produced by Himself in the future – a cedar on a high mountain, under which is clearly meant the Messiah (the Jews understood Zerubbabel). – «I will pluck off from the topmost.» The topmost twig of the cedar in verse 4 is called Jehoiachin. God promises in the person of the Messiah the restoration of the line of Jehoiachin: Christ indeed descended from the sons of Josiah according to the direct line from Jehoiachin. Cf. explanation under Ezek 1:4 «Jehoiachin.» – «A tender one.» A sapling can only be young. An indication of the debased state of the house of David (Slavonic: «their hearts I will strip») and the humiliation of Christ. – «On a high and lofty mountain» – Zion; cf. the prophecy Isa 2:2, which Ezekiel may have had in mind here. A cedar grows on mountains; the opposite of the vine of verses 5 and 6. – «Lofty,» literally «exalted,» that is, not naturally high, but exalted by circumstances. Blessed Theodoret: «I will nail Christ to the cross on the mountain of Golgotha.»

Ezekiel 17:23. On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a noble cedar; and under it will dwell every kind of beast; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. «And bear fruit.» A poetic license: the cedar is a fruitless tree. – «Every kind of beast» – various nations. The universality of the Messiah’s kingdom; cf. Dan 2:35; Matt 13:32.

Ezekiel 17:24. And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree; I dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it. «Trees of the field» – heathen nations. – «I bring low the high tree,» «I dry up the green tree» – the kingdom of Zedekiah. «The low tree,» «the dry tree» – Jehoiachin and the Messiah proceeding from him.

Chapter Eighteen

The Beginning of Personal Moral Responsibility

Having shown in chapter XVII the treachery of Zedekiah as likewise the cause of Jerusalem’s fall, just as was all the historical past of Israel (chapter XVI), the prophet in chapter XVIII grounds this thought of chapter XVII (as chapter XV grounds chapter XVI) on the strict divine justice, which cannot permit anyone to suffer for the sins of another, and, consequently, cannot permit the present generation of Jews to be punished for the former sins of Israel. Verses 1–4 comprise the introduction or theme: the proclamation of moral freedom and responsibility of each before God – in connection with one folk saying; in verses 5–20 this thought is explained by three examples; in verses 21–29 it is clarified that the developed principle of personal moral responsibility applies not to all the previous behavior of a man, but to his moral state at the time of God’s judgment; verses 30–32 – a hortatory conclusion.

Ezekiel 18:2. What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel: «The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge»? «The fathers ate sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.» The prophet Jeremiah also mentions such a saying (Jer 31:29; cf. Lam 5:7). Unripe grapes are eaten even now in Syria in vast quantities; (Delitzsch, Hiob XV, 33). A bitter taste appears immediately upon tasting sour berries and passes quickly: therefore it is completely impossible to suppose that it is transmitted from fathers to children (reductio ad absurdum). Yet, in the opinion of the Jews of that time, expressed in this saying, God’s action, punishing them with present calamities for the sins of their fathers, is like the inherited transmission of a bitter taste. It is easy to guess how this saying could have arisen, which smells of doubt concerning God’s justice and of the presumption of descendants over ancestors. The saying had visible grounds even in Holy Scripture: God tells Moses that He punishes children for the guilt of fathers up to the third and fourth generation (Exod 20:5; Lev 26:39-40, but adding: «who hate Me,» which definition according to grammatical construction can refer both to the children and to the fathers). And indeed the 3rd and 4th generation from the ungodly Manasseh (Joahaz, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah – grandsons and great-grandsons of Manasseh) are punished. Even Josiah, despite his piety, finds a sorrowful end in battle at Megiddo. And the prophets proclaimed that for the sins of Manasseh the Lord will reject Judah from His face (2 Sam 24:3; Jer 15:4); since the time of Manasseh, indeed, Judea’s circumstances grew ever worse, despite some efforts to appease Jehovah (cf. Jer 44:18).

Ezekiel 18:3. As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. «As I live» – the oath witnesses the importance of the matter: the question concerns the honor of God’s name. – «This proverb shall no more be used in Israel.» God will convince by His judgments of the justice of His rule. The prophet Jeremiah promises the abolition of this saying only in the days of the new covenant (Jer 31:29).

Ezekiel 18:4. Behold, all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine: the soul that sins shall die. «All souls are Mine.» Consequently, it is not necessary for God to avenge the sins of one on another: He can always punish the sins of each on the guilty party himself. «The preciousness of the human soul is expressed here as never before: each soul belongs to God, that is, God stands in the same relation to each soul and treats it as it treats Him» (Bertholet). – «The soul that sins shall die.» See explanation of Ezek 3:18. Death constitutes the opposite of that life which is promised to the righteous in verse 9 (see there), consequently, means mainly perishing in the impending catastrophe; and the exclusion connected with it from the future Messianic kingdom. Here, for the first time in the Old Testament, there is mention of spiritual death, but by soul is meant rather man in general, living man.

Ezekiel 18:5. If a man is righteous and does what is lawful and right, In order to prove the statement of verse 4 clearly, the prophet presents in verses 5–9 an example of complete opposition between the behavior of a godly father, an ungodly son, and a godly grandson, and it is thought that the prophet had in mind from historical persons Hezekiah, Manasseh, and Josiah. «Does what is lawful and right.» These two concepts usually embrace all the laws, wherein the first may mean more ethical and judicial obligations, and the second religious ones.

Ezekiel 18:6. and does not eat sacrificial food upon the mountains, and does not lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman in her menstrual impurity, Enumerating particular signs of the righteous and of the sinner, the prophet evidently wishes to give as it were a catechistic summary of the most necessary moral rules. He speaks here not from the point of view of an unattainable, though beautiful ideal (cf. for example Isa 33:15), but of what is practically easily realized (cf. Ps 14; Ps 23). Such moral instruction was for the prophet’s contemporaries, who were scarcely beginning their religious and moral reformation and education, more useful than the most elevated morality. With this purpose the traits of the righteous are indicated almost all in the negative. First the acts are mentioned religious, and then ethical. Religious: 1) «Does not eat upon the mountains.» Of the whole rite of sacrifice the final part is singled out, perhaps as the most pleasant and attracting to heathenism or because the earliest sacrifice was eating before the deity as its guest. Sacrifices on the high places were half-heathen: performed, though unlawfully, to Jehovah; for this reason they are named first; 2) «Does not lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,» that is, in prayer and with hope for help. By the idols of Israel is meant not only the worship of the golden calves but all foreign idols ever worshipped by Israel. So and all that could be required in respect of worship from a captive Israelite: removed from the sanctuary, he could perform almost no religious rites; faithfulness to Jehovah he could show only in a negative way – by removing from idolatry. But thus the field of purely moral obligations was all the wider open before him. From the ethical obligations, those are indicated first which have a close relation to religious ones, namely the observance from any defilement of blood; and such is caused 1) by adultery, 2) by conjugal intercourse at the time of the monthly purification of the wife, – an transgression which in the book of Leviticus is placed on a par with incest, bestiality and sodomy and is punished by cutting off both the guilty ones from the people (Lev 18:19; cf. verses 6–18, 29, Ezek 20:18).

Ezekiel 18:7. and does not rob, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, «Does not rob,» that is, of foreigners, day laborers, the poor, widows. There is meant the decree in Exod 22:21 and following Deut 22:7. «Restores to the debtor his pledge,» that is, if a necessary thing has been pledged, for example, a garment. There is meant the decree in Exod 22:26 and following and the like. – «Does not rob» – an intensification of the preceding thought. After the negative signs of the righteous man are indicated positive traits – charity: «gives his bread…»

Ezekiel 18:8. does not lend at interest or take any increase, withholds his hand from iniquity, executes true justice between man and man, «At interest» – perhaps larger percentages than «increase.» The unconditional prohibition against lending money at interest, often repeated by Moses (Exod 22:25 and others; but Deut 23:20 allows lending at interest to a foreigner), places Hebrew antiquity on a height unattainable for our commercial age. – «Withholds his hand from iniquity» – from all injustice, for example, as is indicated further, from unjust judgment. – «Executes true justice.» Is meant arbitration, where any adult can be a judge.

Ezekiel 18:9. and walks in My statutes and keeps My ordinances, dealing faithfully – he is righteous, he shall surely live, says the Lord God. «Statutes» and «ordinances» see explanation of Ezek 5:6, where the same Hebrew words are translated as «statutes» and «ordinances.» Here by them are meant chiefly all the afore-mentioned obligations. – «Faithfully,» Slavonic: «doing them.» – «Shall surely live» – Slavonic more precisely: «shall live by life.» By «life» is meant, as often in the Old Testament, the aggregate of all goods, but mainly there should be salvation in the impending catastrophe and participation in the future Messianic kingdom.

Ezekiel 18:10. But if he has a son who is violent and a shedder of blood and who does any of these things «A son who is violent and a shedder of blood.» The sharper the opposition between father and son, the stronger will be the proof of the prophet’s thought. – «Does any of these things» – literally: «does one thing of those»; cf. Jas 2:10.

Ezekiel 18:11. (although he himself did none of these things), eats sacrificial food upon the mountains, defiles his neighbor’s wife, «Did none of these things» – the righteous father. Slavonic: «did not walk in the path of his righteous father.» The enumeration of sins is given further although similar to verses 6–8, but the order is changed, which proves that Ezekiel did not like to mechanically copy his own words, but his speech flowed vividly. At the same time some omissions are made in the former enumeration. Thus the members: «gives his bread…» «covers the naked» do not have corresponding ones in this enumeration (can a shedder of blood do this?); in the third enumeration (verses 15–17), enumerating the properties of the righteous man, these members again are established.

Ezekiel 18:12. oppresses the poor and needy, seizes by force, does not return a pledge, raises his eyes toward idols, commits abominable deeds, “Commits abominable deeds”; perhaps referring to those named at the end of verse 6; cf. Ezek 22:11.

Ezekiel 18:13. lends at interest and takes a fee; will he live? No, he will not live. Whoever commits all these abominations shall surely die; his blood will be on him. “Will he live?” The question points to the entire impossibility of such a supposition. – “His blood,” poured out by him, even if not in the literal sense (for example, by oppressing a neighbor through usury).

Ezekiel 18:14. But if he has a son who, seeing all the sins his father commits, sees them and does not do likewise: The case presented here as a third example is very possible: the father’s lawlessness, seen continually by the son in all its nakedness and especially bearing its just punishment, can sometimes instruct and warn the son. Notably, the prophet allows no middle ground between the righteous person and the lawless; there is no neutral position. – “Sees,” LXX “fears,” which in Hebrew is identical in spelling. Ezek 18:15-17. These verses repeat 6–9 with the omission of less important material (6b) and abbreviation of expressions (8a cf. with verse 17): instead of “returns a pledge to a debtor” – “does not take a pledge,” which is even better (but in the Slavonic: “will not withhold”); instead of “restrains his hand from unrighteousness” – “from oppressing the poor…” though in Slavonic it is the same as verse 8.

Ezekiel 18:18. The father’s sin is as it were erased from the world through his punishment; therefore the son cannot suffer for it. Ezekiel 18:19. You say: “Why does not the son bear the guilt of his father?” Because the son acts righteously and justly, keeps all My statutes and does them; he will live. Ezekiel 18:20. The soul that sins shall die; the son will not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous remains with him, and the wickedness of the wicked remains with him. The moral doctrine of personal responsibility advanced by the prophet so contradicted popular understanding that it was immediately met with astonished questions and required a new insistent exposition of its essence. – “The righteousness of the righteous remains with him,” that is, the fruit, the consequences of it.

Ezekiel 18:21. And if the wicked person turns from all the sins he has committed and keeps all My statutes and acts righteously and justly, he shall live; he will not die. If so far the prophet has proven personal moral accountability through examples of individual persons and generations, now he divides one person (an individual) into separate periods of his life. The same man can be lawless during one part of his life and righteous during another and vice versa. God’s justice remains unchanged here as well, valuing in man what he has finally become. First the prophet takes the case when the lawless person becomes righteous, both because such a case is more possible and more pleasing to him in his zealous pastoral care for the reform of his countrymen.

Ezekiel 18:22. All his transgressions that he has committed will not be remembered against him: in his righteousness that he practices, he will live. “Will not be remembered” – more than “will not be punished”: as if completely erased from God’s memory.

Ezekiel 18:23. Do I take pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord God. Is it not rather that he should turn from his ways and live? “The most precious words in the entire book” (Kraetzschmar), “the highest point of Old Testament theology” (Bertholet). Ezekiel rises here to the height of the New Testament view of God’s grace: 1 Tim 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9. This passage teaches us how to understand those seemingly harsh and comfortless views of Ezekiel concerning God’s justice which pervade the entire first part of his book.

Ezekiel 18:24. But if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, practicing all the abominable deeds that the wicked do, will he live? All his righteous deeds that he has done will not be remembered; for the injustice he has committed and the sins he has committed, he shall die. The prophet now considers the opposite, sorrowful case when the righteous person is led astray. His sins cannot fail to bring his destruction; God is not at fault here.

Ezekiel 18:25. But you say: “The way of the Lord is not just.” Hear, O house of Israel! Is My way not just? Are not your ways unjust? He introduces another popular saying that troubles the prophet, as does the related proverb in verse 2 (cf. verse 29; Ezek 33:17): “The way of the Lord is not just.” The way (method of action toward the world) of God seems “unjust” or, as one might translate the Hebrew expression, “inconsistent” (Slavonic: “does not succeed”) only because this way precisely conforms to the human way, responds to evil with its consequence, and changes as the human way changes, as shown in verses 21–24: if a righteous person or sinner changes his way, God also changes his relation toward them. “Just as unwholesome food is a punishment for the weak constitution but pleasant to the healthy, and as light is hateful to those with diseased eyes but pleasant to those with healthy vision, so unrighteousness find God’s righteousness unpleasant, which anyone submitting to does not become troubled” (Augustine). Ezek 18:26-28. Repetition of verses 24 and 21, necessary in view of the new objection against God’s justice raised in verse 25 from another perspective. – “To give life to his soul will return” – he himself, not I. – “Saw.” This is the first step toward repentance: the wicked person pays no attention to himself or to God.

Ezekiel 18:29. And the house of Israel says: “The way of the Lord is not just.” Are My ways not just, O house of Israel? Are not your ways unjust? Verse 25 is repeated with slight variation that conveys more sorrow than indignation.

Ezekiel 18:30. Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his ways, says the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not become a stumbling block to you. The concluding exhortation begins here, closely connected to the thought of verse 29 and the entire chapter: if the apparent unevenness in divine retribution has its basis not in God but in the inconsistency of human behavior, then let each understand that his fate depends on himself. – “I will judge,” primarily at the time of the imminent catastrophe facing Judah. “So that iniquity will not become a stumbling block to you,” Slavonic: “for torment,” for destruction. If you repent, then all your former sins will not be able to destroy you.

Ezekiel 18:31. Cast away from you all your transgressions by which you have sinned, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? “A new heart,” “a new spirit” – see explanation Ezek 11:19; but there, as in Ezek 36:26, God creates them; the present passage shows that this happens not without the participation of man himself, and his participation is as active as God’s. – “Why will you die” cf. Jer 27:13.

Ezekiel 18:32. For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God. Turn therefore and live. Ezek 18 verse 23; cf. Lam 3:33.

Chapter Nineteen

A Lament over the Princes of Israel

The fate of Jerusalem, as shown by the prophet up to now, is determined and its destruction is inevitable. He can now already sing a funeral song, and since the independent existence of the state is marked by an independent royal power, this song is offered in the form of a lament over the princes, the kings of Jerusalem. Thus this chapter becomes a fine conclusion to section XII–XIX: to this series of extensive discussions about the inevitable destruction of Jerusalem this artistic and deeply felt lament stands in pleasant contrast.

Ezekiel 19:1. And you, raise a lamentation over the princes of Israel “Over the princes of Israel,” that is, as is evident from what follows, over two Judahite kings, most likely Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin. The kings of Judah, in particular Zedekiah, Ezekiel calls “princes” throughout, except in 1:2; he calls them “of Israel” here because after the fall of the northern ten-tribe kingdom Judah appeared as the sole representative of Israel. The Greek text – singular form τον αρχοντα, probably meaning Zedekiah, to whom the lamentation was as it were addressed.

Ezekiel 19:2. And say: What a lioness was your mother! She lay down among lions; among young lions she raised her cubs. “What a lioness is your mother?”. Slavonic: “why is your mother a lioness”. Hebrew literally: “what is your mother? a lioness,” that is, what could one compare your mother to? – with a lioness. By the mother compared to a lioness, people usually understand the Judahite kingdom or Jerusalem, supposing that the prophet had in view Jacob’s comparison of Judah with a lion cub (Gen 49:9) and Isa 29:1. But others understand by the lioness a queen, the mother of Jehoahaz and Zedekiah, Hamutal, since under the two lion cubs in verses 3 and 5 one can understand only such two Judahite kings as one should be contemporary with Ezekiel and the other his brother, and such can only be Jehoahaz and Zedekiah. “The queen-mother held an extraordinarily honored and influential position at court, as is shown already by her title of empress (2 Sam 10:13): she occupied a place at the king’s right hand (1 Sam 2:19) and so forth. Correctly understood, this chapter may give perhaps a very valuable new key to the explanation of several obscure points in the history of the Judahite kingdom in its last decades. How did it happen that after the death of Josiah not the eldest son ascended the throne – Jehoiakim, son of Zebidah – but Jehoahaz, two years younger? Why did Nebuchadnezzar choose from among Judahite princes precisely Mattaniah – Zedekiah – as successor to Jehoiachin? Was not both the work of the influential and ambitious Hamutal, as in its time Bathsheba acted in the elevation of Solomon to the throne?” (1 Sam 1. Kraetzschmar). – “Among lions,” that is, surrounding mighty kingdoms, to which Judah consequently did not yield in power. – “Her cubs” – the kings.

Ezekiel 19:3. And she reared one of her cubs; he became a young lion and learned to hunt prey; he devoured humans. “Reared.” Slavonic: “sprang forth,” απεπηδησε, left the mother, no longer needing her nursing. – “One of her cubs.” Under the first cub of the lioness – the Jews or the Judahite queen – interpreters unanimously understand Jehoahaz, led captive to Egypt (verse 4) after a reign of three months. – “He became a young lion” – a king. – “Learned to hunt prey, devoured humans.” In these words there may be no characterization or condemnation of Jehoahaz’s reign (though in 2 Sam 23:32 it is condemned) but simply a development of the picture being described.

Ezekiel 19:4. The nations heard of him; he was caught in their pit, and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt. “Caught in their pit.” The usual method of hunting beasts in the East. Slavonic: “was taken in destruction,” that is, wounded, as in the Vulgate: non absque vulneribus. – “With hooks” – literally “on rings,” which were passed through the nostrils, Slavonic: “with a bridle.” – “To Egypt.” Of the Judahite kings only Jehoahaz was led captive to Egypt – by Pharaoh Necho (2 Sam 23:33).

Ezekiel 19:5. And when she saw that her hope was lost, she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion. “She saw that her hope was lost” – the hope which Judah held for the return of Jehoahaz from Egyptian captivity. – “Another of her cubs.” Some understand by the second cub the prophet to mean Jehoiachin, others – Zedekiah. Both were led captive to Babylon (verse 9); consequently both could be meant here. Not Jehoiakim, for he died in Judah. Of the two kings Jehoiachin and Zedekiah, the prophet more likely had in view Jehoiachin here, for he was led into captivity with him and he placed great hopes on his descendants (Ezek 17:22-24); according to Ezek 17 Jehoiachin was truly an Israelite last king, whereas Zedekiah was only a Babylonian vassal. On the other hand, if by the lioness is understood Hamutal, the mother of Jehoahaz, then by the second cub can be understood only her other son – Zedekiah; the description in verse 9 also more applies to Zedekiah. Whether Zedekiah or Jehoiachin is meant by the second cub, the question arises why Jehoiakim is omitted. The prophet had no intention to give a complete historical survey but wanted to point to Zedekiah in the number of his predecessors as a warning example. The prophet could hardly have combined in the image of the first cub the fate of Josiah (death in battle at Megiddo) and Jehoahaz (both suffered from the Pharaoh), and in the second the fate of Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin (suffered from Nebuchadnezzar. Smend): 3b does not fit Josiah. – “And made him a young lion” – a king.

Ezekiel 19:6. And he became a young lion and prowled among lions and learned to hunt prey and devoured humans Ezekiel 19:7. and defiled their widows and laid waste their cities; the land and all it contained were desolate because of the roar of his power. The behavior of the second cub is described more in detail than that of the first: the entire verse 7 is added and in verse 6 “he prowled among lions,” that is, became a king like the others, engaged in politics, trade relations; perhaps alliances with neighboring peoples are meant. – “Defiled their widows.” None of the ancient translations convey this expression, which departs from the allegory (as the expression “laid waste their cities,” which a lion cannot do). Slavonic: “and fed in his ferocity.” Targum: “destroyed their palaces.” Vulgate: “made widows.” – “Laid waste their cities,” through violence and injustice, for example through exile and confiscation. – “And the land and all it contained were desolate.” More accurately, the Slavonic: “and its fullness,” that is, its inhabitants, livestock and natural wealth. – “From the roar of his power.” A return to allegory: the lion drives all animals far from him with its roar.

Ezekiel 19:8. Then the nations set against him from the provinces around him, and they spread their net over him; he was caught in their pit. “Nations from surrounding provinces” (literally “districts,” “satrapies”), which formed part of the Chaldean kingdom: but they could mean the Syrians, Ammonites, Moabites who fought against the Judahite kingdom at times (for example, under Jehoiakim). – “Spread their net” – a trap in the pit, which is mentioned in verse 4 and further here. The description of the second lion is generally more detailed because the events were fresh in memory.

Ezekiel 19:9. And they put him in a cage and brought him with hooks to the king of Babylon; they brought him into prison so that his roar would be heard no more on the mountains of Israel. “And they put him in a cage.” Cages for lions among the Assyrians, to judge from representations, were made of thick wooden beams and were movable. Although Jehoiachin surrendered voluntarily, this surrender was forced by the extreme circumstances in which he found himself. “Into prison” – a dungeon, located in a fortified city; designated for the most dangerous prisoners. Jehoiachin was freed from prison only by Evil-merodach. – “So that his roar would be heard no more,” – so that he would no longer terrify with his roar. – “On the mountains of Israel” – a frequent designation of Palestine in Ezekiel, all the more appropriate here because lions lurk in mountain caves there and because the speech concerns the mountainous Judea.

Ezekiel 19:10. Your mother was like a vine, planted by the water; fruitful and luxuriant she was because of abundant water. The comparison the prophet has used so far – Israel with a lioness – did not allow him to depict the further fate of Israel itself-the-lioness, and therefore he changes it to the comparison of chapter XV and XVII – with a vine. – “Your,” that is, Zedekiah’s or Jehoiachin’s. – “Mother” – Judah (or see explanation of verse 2 – Queen Hamutal). – “Like a vine.” Slavonic further: “and like the flower of pomegranate,” which is the translation of an extremely obscure Hebrew word standing after “vine,” and simply omitted in the Russian translation: “in your blood” (in your children in the very life force?); this word the LXX read with the change of one letter “like the flower of pomegranate.” – “Fruitful and luxuriant.” Reference to the wealth and success of the Judahite kingdom or to the strength and multitude of the royal dynasty.

Ezekiel 19:11. And she had strong branches that became rulers’ scepters, and her stem grew tall among the thick clouds; and she was seen in her height with the multitude of her branches. “Strong branches” – outstanding people or whole families, for example, the house of David. – “For rulers’ scepters” – capable of being kings. Slavonic singular: “and was to him a scepter of strength,” clearly meaning Zedekiah. – “And her stem grew tall among the thick clouds.” The stem probably means the then king Zedekiah. – “And she was seen in her height.” Slavonic: “and seeing her majesty” – admired herself.

Ezekiel 19:12. But she was uprooted in fury, cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit; her strong branches withered and fire consumed them. The fall of the Judahite kingdom. – “In fury” – of the vinedresser at her barrenness, about which the reason follows: “the east wind dried up her fruit.” – Rhetorical reversal – inverted order of thoughts. – “Cast down to the ground,” as unworthy of the vinedresser’s care – “The east wind,” as in Ezek 17:10 (sirocco), the Chaldean army. – “Her strong branches” – the kings (verse 11); Slavonic more accurately in singular: “the scepter of strength.” “Fire consumed them” – the heat of the east wind; the Chaldean war.

Ezekiel 19:13. And now she is transplanted into the wilderness, into a dry and thirsty land. Uprooted from its homeland, its natural place of origin, the people is transplanted as if into a wilderness where it cannot flourish. – “The wilderness dry and thirsty” – not fertile Chaldea is called thus but the hard conditions of captivity.

Ezekiel 19:14. And fire has gone out from a rod of her branches and consumed her fruit, so there remains in her no strong branch to be a ruler’s scepter. This is a lamentation and it shall remain for a lamentation. “And fire has gone out from a rod of her branches,” from the stem mentioned in verse 11, that is, from Zedekiah (see there). Fire, kindled by Zedekiah and consuming all the vine (Judah) – the treacherous policy of this king (toward Nebuchadnezzar), by which he himself brought final destruction upon Judah. – “So there remains in her no strong branch for a ruler’s scepter.” After Zedekiah there were no national kings in Judah until the coming of the Messiah. The Savior could compare Himself to a vine (John 15:1) not without relation to this chapter of Ezekiel, where the vine of the house of Judah is presented as withered and burned until His coming. “This is a lamentation.” The signature to the song. Slavonic: “a generation for a parable of lamentation is,” that is, the royal house of David became the subject of a model song of lamentation. The Hebrew words corresponding to the Russian “for a ruler’s scepter,” the LXX in verse 11 translated “over the elders of the people,” and here “a generation for a parable,” because “elder” and “parable” in Hebrew are identical in spelling and differ only in pronunciation – “And it shall remain for a lamentation.” With these words the prophet either designates his song for actual use among the people or expresses the thought that this lamentation will cause actual lamentation (Slavonic: “and there will be lamentation”) when the prophecy contained in it comes to pass.

Chapter Twenty

Still on the Sinful Past and Present of Israel and the Merciful Character of God’s Judgment upon It

From chapter XX, as shown by its date in verse 1, the first after chapter XII, begins a new section of the book, extending to chapter XXIV inclusive and containing the final threatening speeches and predictions of God’s judgment. This section does not add anything essentially new to the former speeches, only the predictions of God’s punishment under the impression of impending events (this was the time before the very beginning of the final act of the drama, when the Babylonian army was already on the march against Jerusalem and the siege of the city was to begin any day now) become more acute. It is possible that the prophet found particular occasion for these speeches in the state of the captives: from Ezek 20:32 it is evident that among them arose a tendency toward conscious religious assimilation with the surrounding pagans. The watchword of this section is the expression: “Do you desire to plead with them?” (Ezek 20:4). Jerusalem stands already before the judgment of the Lord and His prophet and awaits the final judgment upon itself and its immediate execution. The excited tension with which the captives followed the events in Palestine is reflected in these speeches of the prophet as clearly as in chapter VII.

As for chapter XX in particular, the occasion for the speech contained in it, as in chapter XIV, was a visit from the elders for inquiring of God; instead of giving them an answer from God, the prophet used this visit to pronounce judgment on all the past and present of Israel and from this viewpoint reviews successively Israel’s idolatry in Egypt (verses 5–9), the disobedience of the first generation in the wilderness (10–17), the second generation in the wilderness (18–28), service on the high places in Canaan (27–29) and after a brief reference to the sins of the captives through which they are deprived of God’s answer to their inquiry (verses 30–31), depicts the coming purification and restoration of Israel (32–44). To chapter XX in our Bible is also assigned a speech about “the forest of the south field,” that is, Judah, destined to burn in divine fire, – a prophecy more connected with chapter XXI, to which it is assigned in the Hebrew Bible. Thus chapter XXI as it were disrobes chapter XVI of its allegorical coverings, speaking directly about what that speaks of in allegory.

Ezekiel 20:1. In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord and sat before me. “In the seventh year…” that is, of Jehoiachin’s captivity (Ezek 1:2), consequently, four years before the taking of Jerusalem, through eleven months after the vision in the temple in chapters VIII–XI (the preceding date). – “Elders of Israel.” See explanation Ezek 8:1. – “To inquire of the Lord,” about what is not said because it is unimportant: an answer could not be given in any case.

Ezekiel 20:3. Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: You have come to inquire of Me? As I live, I will not be inquired of by you, says the Lord God. “You have come to inquire of Me?” – an indignant question. – “As I live” – an oath from intense emotion.

Ezekiel 20:4. Will you judge them, will you judge them, son of man? Let them know the abominable deeds of their ancestors. “Will you judge them,” that is, set forth their sins and the punishment that follows them. Those who came to inquire of the Lord became, consequently, unwilling listeners to a speech unpleasant to them. The expression is repeated twice as a sign of the great desire for this judgment on the part of the Lord, and His infinite patience has been exhausted. Slavonic: “if with vengeance I will take vengeance upon them,” that is, should read: will I not take vengeance on them at last for the lawlessness of their ancestors?

Ezekiel 20:5. and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: On the day when I chose Israel and swore to the descendants of the house of Jacob, making Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I swore to them, saying, I am the Lord your God. “Swore to them…” The oath at Sinai at the conclusion of the covenant with the Hebrew people is meant. – “House of Jacob.” Jacob appears frequently in Ezekiel in place of Abraham: Ezek 28:25 and others. – “Made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt” – under the new name of Jehovah, as is explained further. “I am the Lord your God,” that is, I wish and promise (which is why an oath was necessary) to be such.

Ezekiel 20:6. On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the fairest of all lands. “Swore.” Already the third time in the course of two verses this expression appears (importance of the circumstance) and now only is clarified what the Lord swore to Israel. – “Which I had searched out,” literally “looked forth” beforehand, as a spy (Num 10:33; Deut 1:33). Anthropomorphism. LXX: “prepared.” – “Flowing with milk and honey” (Exod 3:8). “The fairest of all lands” (literally “precious thing,” “crown” of all lands). To the fertility of the land is joined also its extraordinary beauty. The epithet, first applied to the Promised Land by the prophets of the captivity: Jer 3:19; Dan 8:9. The elevation of Israel above all peoples corresponds also the advantage of his land before other pagan lands. Slavonic: “comb (κυριος; LXX read “tsuf” “beehive” instead of “tsebi” “precious thing”) is rather than all lands.”

Ezekiel 20:7. and I said to them: Cast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. About the involvement of Hebrews in the period of Egyptian bondage in idolatry there is nothing said in the books of Exodus and other sources. But this silence does not prove that such involvement was not. Meanwhile, the right to draw this conclusion about this sin of Israel is given by the very fact of Egyptian enslavement, the worship of the golden calf at Sinai, and the general ever-present tendency of Hebrews toward idolatry. Perhaps with the aim of softening the prophet’s thought, the LXX translated that Hebrew word (“ginul”) which they in other places, for example Ezek 6:6, translated as ειδολα “idols,” here as επιτηδευματα – “practices,” Slavonic “creations.” The first and indeed the only requirement of Jehovah upon entering into covenant with the Hebrew people was strict purity of worship; all else, all other moral requirements would naturally follow from this condition.

Ezekiel 20:8. But they rebelled against Me and would not listen to Me. None of them cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said I would pour out My wrath on them and spend My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. “And I said” – to Myself, I decided. – “I will pour out My wrath on them” – I will destroy them (cf. verse 13b, Ezek 7:8 and others). The book of Exodus does not speak of God’s intention to destroy Israel while still in Egypt (except for hints like Exod 14:12). Thus Ezekiel supplements it here, perhaps from some other sources oral or written, as the Apostle Paul sometimes did in regard to Old Testament history. The prophet has in view here evidently the Egyptian oppression from which the Hebrew people deserved to perish.

Ezekiel 20:9. But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. “For the sake of My name.” The honor of God’s name is more important than the fate of Israel, partly because on it depends the fate of the knowledge of God on earth, and consequently the fate of mankind. Cf. 2 Sam 7:23; Isa 48:9 and others. – “That it should not be profaned.” If God had not saved Israel from Egyptian oppression, which threatened to completely destroy it, the pagans knowing of Israel’s election by Jehovah would have seen in this the powerlessness of Jehovah. By attributing Israel’s deliverance solely to God’s zeal for the glory of His name, the prophet Ezekiel deprived Israel of any occasion for boasting in the miraculous salvation from Egypt, to which Israel was always inclined (Amos 9:7).

Ezekiel 20:10. So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them into the wilderness. Ezekiel 20:11. I gave them My statutes and made known to them My ordinances, by which, if a person does them, he will live through them; The review of the wilderness period begins (through verse 17). – “Statutes” and “ordinances” see explanation Ezek 5:7, where the same Hebrew words are translated: “statutes” and “ordinances.” – “By which, if a person does them, he will live through them” – see explanation Ezek 3:18.

Ezekiel 20:12. I also gave them My sabbaths, as a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I the Lord sanctify them. “Sabbaths.” Of all the precepts of the law the prophet singles out the sabbath (cf. Isa 56:2; Jer 17:21) a) because of the particularly mysterious mystical meaning of this institution as a sign of some future Lord’s sabbath (Heb 4:1-11; Ps 94:11); b) because the sabbath is the oldest of the ceremonial institutions; c) because it reminds man of the omnipotence of God who created the world; d) in captivity it remained along with circumcision almost the sole mark of a true Israelite (“so they might know that I the Lord sanctify them”). – “Mine,” because God reserved the sabbath to Himself among all days. – “That I the Lord sanctify them.” The sabbath is as it were filled with the holiness of God to whom this day wholly belongs, and one who observes it cannot but partake of this holiness.

Ezekiel 20:13. But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk according to My statutes but rejected My ordinances, by which, if a person does them, he will live through them; and they greatly profaned My sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make an end of them. Israel chose the wilderness for its rebellion against God, where it existed only by the constant miracle of God. Particularly such facts as the golden calf, the spies, and all instances of murmuring are meant. As for the rest, see explanation of verse 11.

Ezekiel 20:14. But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I brought them out. See explanation of verse 9.

Ezekiel 20:15. Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the fairest of all lands. “I would not bring them…” God did not want to bring Israel into the Promised Land at all and the people deserved this, but He softened this terrible and just decree by bringing the younger generation there.

Ezekiel 20:16. because they rejected My ordinances and did not walk according to My statutes, and profaned My sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. “For their heart went after their idols.” The inclination to idolatry was deep and strong (Ezek 20:24). Instances of idol worship in the wilderness are spoken of in Exod 22 and Num 25 (cf. Hos 9:10), as well as Lev 17:7; Josh 24:14.

Ezekiel 20:17. But My eye spared them from destruction; and I did not make an end of them in the wilderness. “And I did not make an end of them in the wilderness” as if contrary to My own will and decision: He spared the younger generation.

Ezekiel 20:21. But the sons also rebelled against Me. They did not walk according to My statutes, nor kept My ordinances, by which, if a person does them, he will live through them. They profaned My sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My wrath upon them, to spend My anger against them in the wilderness. “The sons” – the generation born in the wilderness. “Rebelled.” Such facts as the rebellion of Korah and the worship of Baal-peor are meant (Num 25). “They profaned My sabbaths”; for example, Num 15:32 and following. – “And I said: I will pour out My wrath on them” – Num 16:45.

Ezekiel 20:22. but I withheld My hand and acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned before the nations, in whose sight I brought them out. God in the wilderness spared the people more than once in response to the prayer of Moses: Num 16:22.

Ezekiel 20:23. Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the lands. Only the now occurring dispersion of Israel was already decided then (Lev 26:33; Deut 28:64) and is a punishment for the sins in the wilderness.

Ezekiel 20:25. I also gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live. “And I gave them bad statutes…” is understood in two ways. Some understand by these statutes the institutions of pagans, idol-worshiping rites; and this interpretation is apparently confirmed by the context, because in verse 26 an example of such bad statutes is given – human sacrifice. But others, perhaps with equal justification, understand by these “bad statutes” the precepts of ceremonial law, so burdensome to fulfill, depriving man of freedom in moral development so dear to him (restored by Christianity) and not giving peace of soul even with the most precise observance of them. With this interpretation the prophet Ezekiel would have anticipated the views of Apostle Paul concerning ceremonial law, which according to him “came in so that the trespass might increase” (Rom 5:20). The gentleness of the prophet’s expressions about these statutes supports this interpretation: “bad” (not “evil”), “by which they could not live” (not “they should have died”). The objection raised against this interpretation, that in such a case “bad statutes” should include the sabbath, one of the most important ceremonial laws, whereas the prophet himself sets it among the laws giving life (verses 20–21), is groundless because the sabbath is older than the Mosaic laws.

Ezekiel 20:26. and I defiled them through their very sacrifices in making them offer by fire all that opens the womb, that I might horrify them, so that they would know that I am the Lord. “Making them pass (added according to verse 31: through the fire) all that opens the womb,” consequently, and firstborn children. About human sacrifice see explanation Ezek 16:21.

Ezekiel 20:27. Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: In this again your ancestors insulted Me by dealing treacherously with Me. “Behold another way your ancestors insulted Me…” The prophet is preparing to point out the most grievous sin of Israel described – the immoral Canaanite cults.

Ezekiel 20:28. When I brought them into the land which I swore to give them, then wherever they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and presented the provocation of their offering, and there they poured out their drink offerings. “I brought them into the land.” I had hardly brought them into the Promised Land and established them there when they… “High hill,” “leafy tree” see explanation Ezek 6:13. – “Presented the provocation of their offering” – Slavonic more accurately: “anger of their gifts,” that is, gifts that brought Me into anger. Perhaps an allusion to some particularly vile feature of Canaanite cults. – “Fragrant incense” – see explanation Ezek 6:13.

Ezekiel 20:29. I said to them: What is this high place to which you go? So its name is called Bama to this day. Of all forms of Canaanite idol worship the prophet with bitter and indignant mockery pauses on that performed on the so-called high places, Hebrew bama; see explanation Ezek 6:3 where this word in plural bamos; the prophet pauses on this form of idol worship either because of its particular prevalence or because of its particular abomination; the first is more correct: in the Old Testament Israel is constantly condemned by prophets for serving instead of one temple or traveling to many high places. The very name “Bama” (Slavonic “Abbama,” Greek Αβαμα; the first A is the article, which is why it doubles), probably of Canaanite origin, not related to the Hebrew root, the prophet ironically derives from the amazed question of Jehovah to His people, why he so earnestly goes to a high place rather than to His temple; “ba” from “bo” “he comes” and “ma” “what.” In correspondence to one temple of Jehovah and “high place” here in the singular, though there were many. About the character of idol worship on high places nothing can be said for lack of data; the supposition of some modern interpreters that they served as a place of religious prostitution and that “bo” – “to come” the prophet uses here in the sense of coition, cannot be supported by anything.

Ezekiel 20:30. Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your ancestors and prostitute yourselves after their detestable things? Ezekiel 20:31. When you offer your gifts and make your children pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I let you inquire of Me, O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you. The historical review ends with a reference to contemporary idol worship indicating the modern idol worship of the captives, for which God cannot permit them to inquire of Him. Most sorrowful is that the captives have not abandoned even the most vile form of idol worship for God – the burning of children in honor of Moloch, which goes back to the time of Moses (Lev 18:21).

Ezekiel 20:32. And what comes into your mind will never come to pass. You say: “We will be like the nations, like the peoples of other lands, serving wood and stone.” In the time of Jeremiah and Ezekiel the desire to become an idolatrous people like all the surrounding nations became conscious and therefore firm among the people, as shown in Jer 2:25. The prophet Ezekiel combats this desire by appealing to the people’s sense of honor: Israel occupies such an exclusive and high position among the peoples that such a desire is directly degrading to it. In order to show the entire absurdity of this desire the prophet clothes it in words, thus displaying it naked: “we will be like the pagans.” For the same reason the prophet calls idols by their materials, choosing the worst of these materials: wood and stone. The expression gives the right to understand it also in the sense that here the speech is about representations of Jehovah, to stop worshiping which was difficult even for those captives who abandoned proper idol worship.

Ezekiel 20:33. As I live, says the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will rule over you. “As I live.” An oath in view of the importance of the promise and from the fullness of feeling. – “With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.” Expressions used in the Pentateuch about the miraculous acts through which God freed His people from Egyptian slavery (Exod 6:1; Deut 4:34 and others). Here on the contrary they are used to designate the character of God’s dominion over Israel, though the following verse, where this expression is repeated, shows that the “mighty hand” will be felt more by the pagans than by Israel. – “And with wrath poured out.” The severity of God’s judgments toward His chosen people will reach an extreme degree; “they will feel anger because they despised mercy” (Jerome). – “I will rule (literally “reign”) over you,” that is, will cause you to acknowledge Me as your God and become My people. – The verse presents a place in the Bible exceptional in its importance, showing how the salvation of man can be accomplished by God apart from and even contrary to his will.

Ezekiel 20:34. I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the lands in which you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out. “With a mighty hand…” See verse 33.

Ezekiel 20:35. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead with you face to face. Ezekiel 20:36. As I pleaded with your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead with you, says the Lord God. “And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples,” that is, the Syrian wilderness, which lies in the same way between Palestine and Babylon as the forty-year wilderness of Israel’s wandering lies between Palestine and Egypt, and is called the wilderness of peoples because it borders many peoples and belongs to them, whereas the Arabian belongs only to Egypt and is therefore called (in verse 36) “the wilderness of the land of Egypt.” Israel needed new purification in the wilderness (even more significant) on which Hosea hints as well (Hos 2:14). “The circumstances of the last time are images of the circumstances of the first time” (Kraetzschmar). – “I will plead” – I will convict of sins and punish for them. “Face to face” – so directly, as at Sinai; see the next verse. The prophet has in view the long and difficult process of the liberation of the Jews from Babylonian captivity.

Ezekiel 20:37. I will make you pass under the rod, and I will let you enter into the bond of the covenant. “And I will make you pass under the rod,” that is, of punishment or: as a shepherd passes all his flock under his rod to count, examine, and separate sheep from goats. – “And I will bring you into the bond of the covenant” – into the obligations of the New Covenant. Slavonic “into the number of the covenant”: will bring into the promised land in the strictly determined number as measured by the covenant, a small number (Ezek 5:3).

Ezekiel 20:38. I will purge out the rebels among you, and those who transgress against Me. I will bring them out of the land where they reside, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. The mild “will not enter the land of Israel” instead of the expected “will perish in the wilderness,” as happened at the exodus from Egypt, is explained rather by such a will of God at this time than by a simple rhetorical device of the prophet – a euphemism (pleasant expression for the unpleasant). – “From the land of their sojourning” – captivity, in the Pentateuch thus (or in another translation: the land in which they dwelt, that is, the lands of the patriarchs) is called Canaan, but here, clearly, Chaldea and all lands of Hebrew dispersion.

Ezekiel 20:39. As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: Go serve your idols, everyone of you. But afterward you will certainly listen to Me, and you will no longer profane My holy name with your gifts and your idols. “Go serve your idols.” Irony: Israel can now indulge in idols as much as it wishes; this will not always be: the day is near when he will serve only one Jehovah. Slavonic: “whichever of you take your idols.” – “But do not profane My holy name any longer with your gifts and your idols.” Do not serve both idols and Me at the same time, for this is even more offensive to Me than pure idolatry.

Ezekiel 20:40. For on My holy mountain, the mountain height of Israel, says the Lord God, there all the house of Israel, all of them, will serve Me in the land. There I will accept them, and there I will require your contributions and the choicest of your holy gifts. “Holy mountain” – Zion, which alone here in Ezekiel is so called (Isa 11:9; Joel 3:17; Jer 31:23). – “There all of Israel will serve Me” and so forth. It was partially fulfilled upon return from captivity; more fully fulfilled in the new Israel; ultimately will be fulfilled in the church of the future when “all Israel will be saved.”

Ezekiel 20:41. I will accept you as a pleasing offering, when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will manifest My holiness among you in the sight of the nations. “I will accept you as a pleasing offering.” “There is evident the former priest with his love for the fragrance of the temple incense” (Bertholet). – “And I will manifest My holiness among you.” When the peoples see that I have completed your liberation, they will acknowledge Me as holy and righteous because I have fulfilled My promises; or: I will show My holiness by making Israel a holy people. Cf. verse 9.

Ezekiel 20:42. And you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land that I swore to give to your fathers, raising My hand. After liberation from captivity and after the fulfillment of all promises to the fathers which Israel’s sins had prevented from being fulfilled up to now, Israel will finally and permanently recognize Jehovah as its God, which indeed came to pass even after incomplete liberation of Israel under Cyrus.

Ezekiel 20:43. There you will remember your ways and all the deeds by which you have defiled yourselves; and you will loathe yourselves for all the evils that you have done. “And you will abhor yourselves.” Consequently, this is not yet the prediction of the gospel joy of God’s children; cf. Ezek 6:9.

Ezekiel 20:44. And you will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for My name’s sake, not according to your evil ways and corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, says the Lord God. “For My name’s sake.” In the prophet Ezekiel this is the ultimate ground for all God’s actions.

Ezekiel 20:45. And the word of the Lord came to me: From chapter XX, as shown by its dating from verse 1, the first after chapter XII, begins a new prophecy so disconnected from the preceding speech and, conversely, so closely connected with chapter XXI that the Hebrew Bible begins chapter XXI with this verse. This prophecy “against the forest of the south field” is symbolic, and its symbols are explained by the prophetic speech of chapter XXI. It is thought that both prophecies were uttered when the army of Nebuchadnezzar was approaching Judea, which is why they are full of fear of the approaching danger and in this respect remind one of chapter VII.

Ezekiel 20:46. Son of man! Turn your face toward the way to the south, and speak a word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the southern region. “Turn your face” – see Ezek 6:2. – “Toward the way” – in the direction. – “Toward the south”, that is, as an explanation Ezek 21:2, toward Judah, which was located from the cold, inhospitable Babylon, from the prophet’s perspective Ezek 1:4, to the south (more precisely, south-southeast). – “Toward the south” – in Hebrew seemingly senseless, a word left untranslated in the Slavonic and meaning the cardinal direction, almost the tropical Judea in opposition to cold Babylon; the Vulgate: ad africam. “The forest of the southern region” – a third designation of Judea, indicating its forested mountains or the density of population, comparable to a forest thicket. Slavonic: “at the oak grove of the elder of the Negev”, that is, an oak grove, ruling over all the Negev, – a proper name of a certain Edomite region, used in the sense of all the south of Palestine.

Ezekiel 20:47. And say to the southern forest: Hear the word of the Lord; thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it will devour every green tree and every dry tree in you; the blazing flame will not go out, and all will be scorched by it from south to north. “I will kindle in you, that is, in the forest, a fire.” Forest fires in the East are not uncommon: Isa 10:17 and onward Jer 21:14; Ps 82:15; Jas 3:5. The invasion of Nebuchadnezzar is meant. – “Every green tree and every dry tree.” Ezek 21:3-4 explain this comparison: the green tree means the righteous, and the dry one means the wicked. This passage was in mind for the Savior in the words Luke 23:31. “The green tree is first burned according to what we read from this very prophet: ‘and you shall begin from My sanctuary’ (Ezek 9:6); and then the dry, which could have nothing living in it; both the holy and the wicked perish together, so that the former through death escape the calamities of captivity, and the latter are given over to eternal punishment” (Jerome). – “All will be scorched by it” – the Slavonic is more accurate; “and every face will be burned in it”, that is, the faces of the surrounding inhabitants, who will look fearfully in terror at the forest fire. – “From south to north”, that is, Judea. The conquest will begin from the south.

Ezekiel 20:48. And all flesh will see that I, the Lord, have kindled it, and it will not go out. By the horror of the calamity all the world will understand that Jehovah is its cause. The power of the fire, which cannot be extinguished, will prove that it was kindled by the wrath of God and is the result of God’s determination.

Ezekiel 20:49. And I said: O, Lord God! They speak concerning me: ‘Is he not speaking in parables?’ Forms a transition to the following chapter, showing that the direct prophetic speech of it, which constitutes an explanation of the allegory about the forest fire, was prompted by the complaint from the listeners of the prophet about the darkness of the allegory. This complaint awakens in the prophet deep sorrow for the lack of understanding of the people: the exclamation “O” in Hebrew is the same (“agag”) as in Ezek 4:14.

Chapter Twenty-One

The Sword of Jehovah

The chapter contains three prophetic speeches, pronounced, probably (see explanation Ezek 20:45) after Nebuchadnezzar set out on a campaign against Judea and breathing a sense of moral satisfaction in the prophet that the judgment of God over Judea, which it deserved and which he had foretold, had already begun to come to pass. In the first speech (verses 1-7) the prophet expresses a general view of the approaching war as the sword of God hanging over Judea (the coming calamity – God’s punishment); in the second speech (verses 8-17) he proves that this sword is now completely ready (the immediate nearness of punishment); in the third (verses 13-32) he foretells that although the Ammonites, together with Judea having risen against Nebuchadnezzar, lie in the path of the latter to Judea and should take the first blow of the conqueror on themselves (which would have made it possible for Judea to gather its forces), nevertheless the latter will occupy Judea first; although the punishment will not pass by the Ammonites either.

Ezekiel 21:2. Son of man! Turn your face toward Jerusalem and speak a word against the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel, “Sanctuaries” – the Temple; the plural is used to denote the aggregate of all its holy things (Slavonic: “sanctities”) or because of its three parts.

Ezekiel 21:3. And say to the land of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, and will draw My sword from its sheath and will cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked. The prophet explains the allegory of the burning forest with another allegory – the sword of God. But the second allegory is clear in itself, because the coming judgment of God is indeed a judgment by the sword through the agency of Nebuchadnezzar; that he, or rather his war against Judea, is meant by the sword of God is clearly shown in verses 19, 30. – “Both the righteous and the wicked.” That calamities sent by God make no distinction between the righteous and the wicked is a mystery of Providence, noted more than once in Holy Scripture: Job 9:22; Ps 78:2-3. The prophet Ezekiel did not see in this circumstance a contradiction to the views expressed in Ezek 18 chapter (Consequently, there the righteous is promised a life beyond the earth). But the LXX, to remove this apparent contradiction and avoid the confusion about the paths of Providence that arises from this passage, put here: “the unrighteous and lawless”, while the Targum: “will remove your righteous from your midst, so as to destroy your sinners.” It is noteworthy that, in the view of the prophet Ezekiel, who thus denounced Jerusalem, there were righteous ones in it (not only Jeremiah).

Ezekiel 21:4. And in order to cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked, My sword shall come out from its sheath against all flesh from south to north. The sword of God will make no distinction: it will act so intensely. – “From south to north” see explanation Ezek 20:47.

Ezekiel 21:6. And you, son of man, moan, breaking your loins, and moan in bitterness before their eyes. That what has been described will come to pass, the prophet must make known even more strikingly by moaning and grieving now, as his listeners will soon do (upon receiving news of the fall of Jerusalem) (compare Ezek 12:17 and onward): “the coming calamity is already reality for the prophet” (Bertholet). – “Moan.” The prophet receives such a command from God for the first time; compare Ezek 6:11, where the prophet was commanded to laugh scornfully at the people. – “Breaking your loins” – see Deut 33:11.

Ezekiel 21:7. And when they say to you: ‘Why are you moaning?’, say: ‘At the news that comes,’ – and every heart will melt, and all hands will hang down, and every spirit will grow faint, and all knees will tremble like water. Behold, it comes and will come to pass, says the Lord God. “And every heart will melt” – Isa 19:1. – “And all hands will hang down” – Ezek 7:17. – “And every spirit will grow faint.” No one will be able to find a way out of the horrible situation, having lost all reasoning and determination; Ezek 7:26. Slavonic: “and every flesh will wail and every spirit.” – “And all knees will tremble” – Ezek 7:17. – “All this comes and will come to pass.” Attention is drawn to the inevitability of the calamity, which thereby strengthens the threat.

Ezekiel 21:9. Son of man! Prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord God: Say: A sword, a sword is sharpened and polished; In the new prophetic speech the prophet develops the image of the unsheathed sword, lyrically describing its terrible qualities. – “A sword, a sword.” An emphatic repetition. Slavonic – vocative case and further imperative mood – “Polished”, to terrify enemies from afar by its very gleaming. Slavonic: “enraged”.

Ezekiel 21:10. It is sharpened to slay with more violence; it is polished to flash like lightning. Shall we rejoice that the scepter of My Son despises every rod? “Here too the enemy is depicted only in vague outlines; the indefiniteness of the expressions increases the horror of his appearance.” (Kraetzschmar). – “Shall we rejoice that the scepter of My Son despises every rod?” A very unclear expression going beyond the context, rendered differently by the LXX and other ancient translations. The Hebrew text of this passage is usually explained as follows: here there is, as it were, a protest by the prophet on behalf of the people against the divine threat of the sword of vengeance, a protest based on the promises given to the tribe of Judah in the blessing of Jacob: “The scepter will not depart from Judah.” – “Shall we rejoice” – cannot we be at peace in view of the coming calamities on the ground that the scepter of Judah “despises every rod”, that is, that no other kingly might, no other royal scepter is comparable to that of mighty Judah. This understanding is confirmed by an unmistakable reference to the prophecy of Jacob in verse 27 of this chapter.

Ezekiel 21:11. I have given it to be polished, to be held in hand; the sword is sharpened and polished, to be put into the hand of the slayer. Once the sword is polished, it goes into action: it is not polished for nothing. – “The slayer.” The executioner – Nebuchadnezzar; according to Jerome – the devil.

Ezekiel 21:12. Cry out and wail, son of man, because it is against My people, against all the princes of Israel; they will be delivered to the sword with My people; therefore strike your loins. The horror of the sword of God is all the greater because it will make no distinction among its victims; the princes, the flower and support of the people, will fall under it like everyone else. A blow on the loins is a sign of sorrow Jer 31:19.

Ezekiel 21:13. For he is tested. And what if he despises the rod? It will not stand, says the Lord God. “For he (the sword) is tested” – Nebuchadnezzar has proven his might. Slavonic the same: “for it was justified.” – “And what if he despises the rod” – see explanation of verse 10. The kingdom of Judah, this scepter of Judah, to which such promises were given and which so surpasses other kingdoms, will prove weaker than the Chaldean monarchy. Slavonic gives a different thought: “and what (a figure of omission, compare Exod 16:7), if the tribe (of Judah, such a significant one) is cast off? (completely by God after Nebuchadnezzar’s defeat) it will not be (this: completely the kingdom of Judah will not perish), says the Lord God.”

Ezekiel 21:14. And you, son of man, prophesy and strike hand against hand; and let the sword be doubled and tripled, the sword of slaughter, the sword of great slaughter, piercing into the depths of their dwellings. In the prophecy about the sword the prophet must express or rather confirm by gesture – to give it greater force and reality: to show that the sword, that is, the force, the army of Nebuchadnezzar will grow and multiply as if by itself, the prophet by double and triple clapping of his hands must double and triple the foretold sword. “Against the great one” – the king (Zedekiah).

Ezekiel 21:15. That hearts may melt and many may fall, I will set the glittering sword at all their gates, ah! gleaming like lightning, sharpened for slaughter. If in verse 14 the prophet foretells that the sword of God will of itself be doubled and tripled, then here God says that He Himself will “set the sword at each gate”, consequently will multiply it infinitely, “so that many will fall” (Slavonic: “and the weak will increase”) and so that “hearts may melt” (Slavonic: “that their heart may be crushed”) – in repentance. – “Ah”, Slavonic “well”, in Hebrew “ah” – an interjection of angry satisfaction (in a burst of holy indignation at the lawlessness of the prophet).

Ezekiel 21:16. Gather yourself and go right, or go left, wherever your face is turned. “Gather yourself” – a conditional meaning of the Hebrew word (ahad), presumably a military term; Slavonic: “pass like lightning.” “Go right or go left” – toward Jerusalem or against the Ammonites, as is evident from verses 19, 22.

Ezekiel 21:17. And I will clap My hands, and I will satisfy My wrath; I, the Lord, have spoken. Even God Himself, like the prophet in verse 14, will clap His hands (a strong anthropomorphism) at the successes of the enemies of Israel: so much has He broken with His people and so great is His wrath against them.

Ezekiel 21:19. And you, son of man, appoint two ways by which the sword of the king of Babylon should go – both ways shall branch from one land; and mark a signpost, mark at the head of the ways in the towns. The prophet leaves the figurative speech. The sword of God – this is the army of the king of Babylon, who has already moved to suppress the Palestinian rebels – Judea and Ammon – and stands at the fork of the roads in indecision, whether to go to Jerusalem or against the Ammonites. He asks about this from an oracle (divines). “God will care for the needful answer” (Smend). All this the prophet must present in a symbolic action: perhaps on those sands on which Tel Aviv was later built (Ezek 3:15), he should draw two lines, meaning two roads branching from one land (Babylon). – “And mark a signpost.” The Hebrew word here means, probably, not a hand, but, as in 1 Sam 15:22; 2 Sam 18:18; Isa 56:5, a pillar at crossroads with a mark showing which way each of the branching roads leads, such pillars as are set up at crossroads now and were in use, as this passage shows, in that distant antiquity. – “In the towns” – Jerusalem and Rabbah – verse 22.

Ezekiel 21:20. Mark a way by which the sword would come to Rabbah of the sons of Ammon and to Judea, to fortified Jerusalem; “The sword” – the army of Nebuchadnezzar (verse 19). “To Rabbah of the sons of Ammon” – the capital of the Ammonite kingdom, which is so called here, in 2 Sam 12:26; Jer 49:2; Deut 3:11, while in other places it is simply called Rabbah (Ezek 25:5, and others); in Polybius (V, 7, 4) – Ραββαταμανα; later renamed Philadelphia; now – ruins bearing the name “Amman”, to the east of the Jordan on the upper course of the Jabbok (Nar-Amana). – “And to Judea.” Judea is placed after Rabbah, because it was the ultimate, though main, goal of Nebuchadnezzar’s campaign. – “Fortified Jerusalem”, that is, celebrated everywhere for its fortifications; this epithet is applied to it also in Isa 25:2. But the LXX, reading the word somewhat differently, have: “in the midst of her”, that is, of Judea; in Slavonic incorrectly: “of him”.

Ezekiel 21:21. For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the ways, at the head of the two ways, to practice divination: he shook the arrows, consulted the household gods, examined the liver. “At the parting of the ways” – literally from Hebrew: “at the mother of roads”; Slavonic: “on the old (traveled?) way.” – “To practice divination” regarding which should come first: against the Ammonites or Jerusalem. Three methods of divination are enumerated further: 1) “He shook the arrows.” “This kind of divination,” says Maldonatus, “was used even now (in the sixteenth century): arrows with inscriptions of what should be chosen were placed in a quiver or helmet; usually a boy would draw one, and what was written on it would be carried out.” In this case two arrows were used: on one was written, as verse 22 shows, “to Jerusalem”, and on the other, of course, “to Rabbah”; what was drawn by the king’s right hand – verse 22 – was chosen. This method of divination was in use among the Arabs (Bertholet), as it was among the Babylonians (Lenormant, La magie chez Les Chaldeens 430 and onward) and was called belomancy or rhabdomancy, which is why Slavonic: “as if shaken by the rod” (αναβρασαι ανακινειν – to shake). 2) “Consulted the household gods” – household idols, penates, which Nebuchadnezzar, like once Rachel (Gen 31:19), took with him on the campaign. How the household gods were consulted and how they gave an answer is unknown: perhaps they simply practiced belomancy before them. 3) “Examined the liver”, namely of a sacrificial animal. The sacrifice in general was to accompany divination, as is evident from the story of Balaam. The liver was considered the seat of life (Prov 7:23) and feeling (Lam 2:11). Divination by the liver, “hepatoscopy” (LXX: ηπατοσκοπσασθαι), was in great use among all ancient peoples: the Babylonians (Diodorus II, 29; Lenormant, cited work, which indicates all the details and proves that it was borrowed by the Chaldeans from the first inhabitants of Mesopotamia – the Akkadians), the Romans (Cicero, De divinat. I, 16; II, 12, 13), the Greeks, the Etruscans.

Ezekiel 21:22. In his right hand lies the divination: “to Jerusalem”, where he should set up rams, open the mouth for slaughter, lift up the voice for a war cry, set rams against the gates, heap up a ramp, and build siege towers. “In the right hand lies the divination: to Jerusalem.” With his right hand (which brings fortune) Nebuchadnezzar drew out the lot (arrow – verse 21) with the inscription: “to Jerusalem.” – After this, the campaign against Judea, as decided, is not described, and the prophet proceeds directly to the depiction of the siege of Jerusalem. Since Jehovah directed the divination, He wishes all the terrible things planned by Nebuchadnezzar to be carried out. – “Set up rams” – Ezek 4:2. – “Open the mouth for slaughter.” Nebuchadnezzar will address the warriors with a speech before the battle; or else: the warriors will fight with piercing cries. – “Lift up the voice for a war cry.” This is not a tautology (Hitzig), but a strengthening of the preceding thought. About the loud cries of the besiegers during city sieges say Josh 6:19; Amos 1:14; Jer 49:2. – “Set rams”. An inexplicable repetition of what was said earlier, confirmed by the LXX. To avoid the repetition some translate “sharim” (rams, battering-rams) here as “military commanders”: Nebuchadnezzar will appoint military commanders; but they should have been appointed before the campaign, not before the siege itself. – “Heap up a ramp” – Ezek 4:2.

Ezekiel 21:23. This divination appears false in their eyes; but since they are bound by an oath, he, remembering their treachery, determined to take it. “This divination appears false in their eyes.” It is curious that news of Nebuchadnezzar’s indecision on the campaign and even of his divination reached the Jerusalemites so quickly, who, being generally so credulous toward sorcery, in this case, when the divination was not in their favor, did not hesitate to declare it false, that is, that the answer came not from God. Slavonic: “and he, as if sorcering them a spell before them”, that is, Nebuchadnezzar appeared as if an evil sorcerer upon Judea, invoking calamities upon it by his divination. – “But since they are bound by an oath.” The solemn promise of vassalage to Nebuchadnezzar on the part of Zedekiah is meant, the violation of which brought all the calamities upon Judea. The Hebrew text with a different vocalization also permits such a translation as the Slavonic gives according to Aquila and Theodotion (in the LXX in most manuscripts this expression is absent): “multiplying sevens”: literally: “their sevens to sevens”, or: “Sabbaths to Sabbaths”; with such a translation this passage would give either the thought that in the opinion of the Jews Nebuchadnezzar, due to his indecision, which forced him to resort to sorcery, will delay whole weeks with his siege of Jerusalem, which will give them time to prepare for resistance; or the expression may refer to some sorcery rites in which the number 7 played a great role (Sellin, Beitrage zur isr. u. jud. Relig. – Geschichte 11, 121). “Then he (Nebuchadnezzar), remembering such treachery (the alliance of Zedekiah with other rebellious vassals), determined to take it” (Jerusalem). Slavonic: “and he remembering his wrongs to remember” gives a different thought: Nebuchadnezzar will remind Jerusalem (by destroying it) of its wrongs.

Ezekiel 21:24. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have brought your iniquity to remembrance, in that your transgressions are uncovered and your sins appear in all your doings; because you have brought this to remembrance, you shall be taken by the hand. By her treachery toward Nebuchadnezzar, Judea reminded God of all her former sins, which He, under the influence perhaps of the pious reign of Josiah and in general the weakening of idolatry in recent times, as if began to forget. However, “bringing iniquity to remembrance”, transgression – is juridically a term equivalent to drawing up an indictment (Ezek 29:16; Num 5:15; 1 Sam 8:47). The same thought is repeated rhetorically in three expressions, all strengthening it. – “Shall be taken by the hand” – also perhaps a legal expression, like: arrested. A hint at captivity.

Ezekiel 21:25. And you, worthless, wicked ruler of Israel, whose day has come, at the time when iniquity reaches its end! The speech now turns to the first culprit of the coming destruction – the wicked Zedekiah, whose treachery brought a storm upon Judea. – “Whose day has come now” – the eschatological day, that known one in which the reckoning for sins comes, having already reached its final point. This is the first place where there is mention of “the day” of a single man, and not of a whole people (compare Amos 5:18. The individualism of Ezekiel; compare Ezek 18 chapter). – “When iniquity reaches its end.” Slavonic more precisely: “in the time of iniquity the end”, that is, at iniquity having reached the extreme limits.

Ezekiel 21:26. Thus says the Lord God: Remove the turban and take off the crown; this will not remain as it is; exalt the lowly and humble the lofty. “Remove”, like “take off”, in Hebrew is the infinitive to express the decisiveness of the command. The address is of course to Zedekiah. – “Turban”, Slavonic “kitar” – the priestly headband (tiara). Perhaps they were worn, unlawfully appropriating them or as an ancient and universal attribute of royal power, and the kings of Judah; or perhaps it is a synonym of the crown; or finally, perhaps this indicates the destruction of the priesthood as well. “This will not remain as it is.” Literally: “this will not be this.” Slavonic: “this will not be such”: the crown (of Zedekiah) will not be a crown. – In the coming catastrophe there will follow a complete change in the order of things, one of the particulars of which is indicated further: the lowly will be exalted and the lofty will be humbled. “Exalt the lowly and humble the lofty.” Here is expressed not so much the general truth found in Scripture: Prov 3:34; Luke 1:52; Jas 4:6; 1 Pet 5:5, as this expression refers to the Messiah and Zedekiah, placed face to face (Ezek 17:24; Isa 53:2). It is characteristic that the lowly is mentioned first, and in particular, Ezekiel might have had in mind Jehoiachin, who was soon to be brought out from prison to the throne and become the ancestor of the Messiah. Targum: “Godolias, son of Ahikam, will take the crown, which does not belong to him, and it will be taken from Zedekiah, to whom it belonged.”

Ezekiel 21:27. Overthrow, overthrow, overthrow! I will make it so. And it shall not be until He comes whose right it is, and I will give it to Him. “Overthrow” – three times, for the same reason as in Ezek 7:5, that is, Zedekiah and his kingdom. According to Hebrew “avva”, from the root “ava” in Lam 3:9 and Isa 24:1 “to destroy”, should be “destruction”. The LXX and Vulgate read as “avon”, “sin”, which is why Slavonic: “I will lay iniquity (three times) upon him”: the calamities which follow iniquity will be exhausted by Israel only after the victory of Nebuchadnezzar. – “And it shall not be” – in Hebrew past tense, which should be past prophetic; Slavonic “and he will not be such” should mean the same as the similar expression of the preceding verse; but Slavonic here does not agree with Greek: woe to the kingdom of Judah: it in such destruction will remain, until… – “Until He comes whose (right it is)” (the crown). One of the so rare in Ezekiel (hitherto only in Ezek 17:22-24) direct messianic prophecies. An evident dependence on Gen 49:10, as in Ezek 19:10-11. The prophet expects that only the Messiah will restore the now destroyed kingdom; so the Jews think: “urim and thummim and a king from the house of David ceased to exist with the destruction and their restoration can be expected only with the resurrection of the dead, when the Messiah, son of David, shall appear” (Sota, ed. Wagenseil, p. 1669). – “And I will give it to Him.” A closer placing of the Messiah in dependence on God than in Isaiah, in accordance with Ezekiel’s general view of all divine action.

Ezekiel 21:28. And you, son of man, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord God concerning the sons of Ammon and concerning their reproach; and say: A sword, a sword is drawn for slaughter, polished for destruction, to gleam like lightning, Although Nebuchadnezzar, having decided to deal with Jerusalem and Judea first, will pass by the Ammonites, this will not save them: on the contrary their destruction is not only as inevitable as that of Judea, but, in contrast to Judea, is moreover final, without hope of restoration, which Jerusalem may have. Such destruction is the punishment of God for malicious gloating at the fall of Judea, for the “reproach” (Slavonic “reproach”) of Judea. This reproach is the reason why the speech against the Ammonites is placed outside and before its proper order, being repeated later in chapter XXV among the speeches against pagan nations. “The sword” of Jehovah – Nebuchadnezzar and his army. – “For slaughter” – “for destruction.” The second strengthens the first; of Judea the second is not said. – “To gleam” – verse 15.

Ezekiel 21:29. while they see for you vain visions and divine false divinations, to bring you to the slain among the wicked, whose day has come, at the time when iniquity reaches its end. “They see for you vain visions.” Consequently, the Ammonites, like Judea, had no lack of false prophets, who assured them as to the danger from Nebuchadnezzar and perhaps even said that they will become in the hands of God an instrument (“by the sword” compare verse 30) for the punishment of Nebuchadnezzar: such reassuring prophecies could be successful especially from the time when Nebuchadnezzar passed by the Ammonites straight to Judea. – “To bring you to the slain among the wicked” – the Jews; but so named in verse 24 only Zedekiah, the main violator of God’s will in Judea; comparison with him is, of course, not flattering for the Ammonites. – “Whose day has come” – verse 25.

Ezekiel 21:30. Return the sword to its sheath? On the place where you were created, in the land of your origin I will judge you: “Return the sword to its sheath?” Will the Ammonites be spared and will Nebuchadnezzar be forced to return to Babylon after subduing Judea? asks God as if of Himself. But in Hebrew imperative mood, so Slavonic is more accurate: “return to your sheath”, that is, the sword of the Ammonites: it is useless for them to defend themselves against the sword of God. Greek: αποστρέφε μη καταλυης (turn around, so as not to stop striking?). “In the land of your origin I will judge you”, where each nation is especially strong; compare Hos 2:21; Ezek 11:10.

Ezekiel 21:31. And I will pour out My indignation upon you, I will blow upon you with the fire of My wrath, and I will deliver you into the hands of brutal men, skilled in destruction. “I will blow upon you with the fire of My wrath.” A powerful, eastern force of expression (Isa 42:25). – “Brutal men” Hebrew “bogarim”, literally “bestial” (Ps 93:8), Slavonic: “barbarians.” – “Skilled in destruction”; Slavonic “causing ruin”, Vulgate fabricantium interitum. Both epithets refer to the Chaldeans and are characteristic of Ezekiel’s attitude toward them, whom, while considering them an instrument (scourge) of God, he held just opinion of and was far from being well-disposed toward.

Ezekiel 21:32. You will be food for the fire, your blood will remain in the land; you will not be remembered, for I, the Lord, have spoken. “You will be food for the fire” – perhaps a reference to fires of the cities of the Ammonites, just as “your blood will remain in the land” (Slavonic “will be in the midst of your land”), that is, will cover all the land, – a reference to the multitude of the slain. – “You will not be remembered.” The Ammonites will be so destroyed that the few who remain from their nation will mix with neighboring peoples and not bear a special name. From the time of the Maccabees the Ammonites and Moabites indeed disappear from history. Not so is the fate of Israel: verse 27. Even Egypt is promised not so terrible a future: Ezek 29:13 and onward. The reason for such a severe punishment is the cruel, constant, and stubborn enmity toward the chosen, moreover fraternal people without provocation on their part, which was also enmity toward the God who chose it. – “For I, the Lord, have spoken” – compare Ezek 5:13.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The Sins of Jerusalem

About these sins, which now bring destruction upon the kingdom of Judah, the prophet has already spoken much. The chief of them was idolatry, this historical sin of Israel (chapters XVI, XX), especially worship at the high places (chapter VI) and the defilement of the temple with pagan abominations (chapters V, VIII). To this were joined Zedekiah’s treachery (chapter XVII) and various kinds of offenses and contemptuous treatment on the part of those remaining in Jerusalem toward the exiles (Ezek 11:15). In general, in the opinion of the prophet, those remaining after the evacuation were far worse than his fellow exiles (Ezek 14:21 and onward Ezek 11:16 and onward Ezek 16:21 and onward): violence and bloodshed among them brought about a complete perversion of all existing relations (Ezek 7:12 and onward Ezek 8:17; Ezek 9:9; Ezek 11:6 and onward). Here, in the conclusion of the first part of the book, the prophet once more gathers all his accusations against those remaining in the city, who always and everywhere resisted the will of God and defiled the holy land. The list of sins from chapter XVIII appears here again significantly supplemented (verses 2-16), and the second part of the chapter shows the complete corruption of the city in its separate classes first through a comparison with a smelting furnace (verses 17-22), and then through direct speech (verses 17-31). The time of composition of the chapter is right before the onset of judgment (verse 14), when inhabitants of the provincial cities of Judea were already fleeing before the advancing enemy to the walls of the Jerusalem fortress (verses 19 and onward).

Ezekiel 22:2. And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the city of bloodshed? Then declare to it all its abominations. “Will you judge.” Why have you ceased to accuse the criminal city? Ezek 20:4. “Judge” is not in the LXX. – “The city of bloodshed.” By the very first words mentioning Jerusalem, its character is defined: it is a city of blood; in this name are united the chief sins of Jerusalem, which consist of violence, unjust judgment, and idolatry (Ezek 16:21). It should be kept in mind that sins against blood for Ezekiel belong to the category of more religious than ethical: Ezek 18:6; compare here verse 3, 4, 9-11. – “Then declare to it all its abominations” – Ezek 16:2.

Ezekiel 22:3. And say: Thus says the Lord God: O city that sheds blood within you, to bring your time; and makes idols within you to defile yourself! Why bloodshed is set against idolatry, see the preceding verse and Ezek 18:6. – “Within you”, Slavonic more precisely: “upon you”, upon your own head; Vulgate: contra semetipsum.

Ezekiel 22:4. In your blood which you have shed you have become guilty, and by the idols which you have made you have defiled yourself, and you have brought your days near and reached the years of your life. For this I will give you into the reproach of nations, into the mockery of all lands. “You have brought your days near.” The sinner, multiplying his sins, brings nearer the time of his death and divine punishment, shortens, as it were, the time of God’s longsuffering and mercy. So for Judea there cannot be days of old age; the last days of life come prematurely. – “Reached the years of your life” – Slavonic more clearly: “brought the time of your years”.

Ezekiel 22:5. Those near and far from you will mock you, you who are unclean of name, abounding in tumult. “Those near” – perhaps the Ammonites, Edomites. – “Those far.” The shame of Jerusalem will be so great that the news of it will spread everywhere. “Unclean of name” – defiled by idolatry. – “Abounding in tumult” – innocent blood shed. That and the other in the LXX and Vulgate is divided into three epithets and put in the vocative case: and cry out to you (addition to Hebrew): O unclean, renowned (nobilis) and abounding in lawlessness (grandis in interitu).

Ezekiel 22:6. Behold, the princes of Israel, each one according to his power, have been in you to shed blood. The enumeration of the sins of Jerusalem begins (until verse 13), which is conducted without a definite order and with repetitions (for example, verse 6 compare with 9 and 12); but in general in the enumeration Ezekiel had in mind the Ten Commandments. First the sins of those in authority are indicated (on the basis of which one might think that separate classes will be examined, but this is only in verses 25 and onward), since they are first guilty of general corruption: the great ones set the example and the small ones follow it. “Those who rule” – hardly the kings (compare Jer 22:1), although some former kings, for example, Jehoiakim (2 Sam 24:4), Manasseh (2 Sam 21:16) are accused by the sacred historians precisely of bloodshed, but since the present state of Jerusalem is being described, the government of Zedekiah must be meant. “Each one according to his power.” Slavonic: “each one according to their strength mixed among you, for the sake of shedding blood”: to have greater success and impunity in violent bloodshed the rulers made alliances among themselves. – “Among you.” And all this was done in Jerusalem. – “Have been… to shed blood.” They only thought about bloodshed.

Ezekiel 22:7. They curse father and mother among you, oppress the stranger among you, wrong the orphan and widow among you. What the “rulers” (verse 6) do on a large scale, all the lower classes allow themselves to do on a small scale, within the limits of possibility. The enumeration of sins begins here apparently with ethical duties, from which in verse 8 the prophet transitions to religious, but in verse 12 again returns to ethical. The cursing of parents is placed first perhaps because of the gravity of this sin; the offense to foreigners is placed second perhaps because of its widespread nature. The gravest sins against neighbors are indicated; in verse 12 already less important ones.

Ezekiel 22:8. You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths. Of the purely religious vices, first the general ones are indicated – disrespect toward sacred places and times. Under holy things Ezekiel generally understands chiefly the Temple together with all that is performed in it. “You have despised” – by imperfect observance of rites, for example, by making unlawful sacrifices or by mixing superstitions and idol cults. The Sabbaths are the oldest ordinance after circumcision, and consequently not less important, yet probably less observed (it is remarkable that no prophet complains of non-observance of circumcision), which is something Ezekiel complains of more than once (Ezek 20:13 and others).

Ezekiel 22:9. Slanderers are among you for the purpose of shedding blood; among you they eat upon the mountains in honor of idols, in your midst they commit lewd acts. “Slanderers” – in court, false witnesses, which consequently multiplied greatly in the dying Judea. Some accusation, even if false, was always needed in court. – “For the purpose of shedding blood.” Consequently, death sentences were not rare, an indication of which was given more than once by the prophet. Again a juxtaposition of bloodshed, as mainly a religious crime, with idolatry, sexual fornication, and other sexual abominations (Ezek 18:10-11). – “They eat upon the mountains…” – Ezek 18:6. – “Lewd acts”, namely the ones enumerated next.

Ezekiel 22:10. They uncover the nakedness of father among you, they force a woman during her menstruation among you. Ezekiel 22:11. One commits abomination with his neighbor’s wife; another defiles his daughter-in-law; another forces his sister, his father’s daughter. The enumeration of sexual abominations goes from top to bottom and again upward. – “They uncover the nakedness of father.” As shown by Lev 20:11; Deut 27:20, sexual cohabitation with the wife or concubine of the father is meant, which was found among many Arabs of antiquity: Smith D. Alt. Test. 350. Kinship and Marriage 89 and onward: the LXX has a modest periphrasis: “revealed the shame of father.” – “A woman during her menstruation…” – Ezek 18:6. – “One.” In Slavonic too strong: “each one”: Hebrew “ish” here τις. – “Defiles his daughter-in-law.” blessed Theodoret: “worse than daughter-in-law” (as in Slavonic). Tacitus (V, 5) about the Jews: “terribly lustful people: from cohabitation with strangers they abstain, but among themselves nothing is forbidden.” – “His sister, his father’s daughter” – not half-sister, or: a comparison to strengthen the thought. The end of the enumeration hardly yields to the beginning.

Ezekiel 22:12. They accept bribes among you to shed blood; you take interest and increase, and you make profit from your neighbors by violence, and you have forgotten Me, says the Lord God. After the defilement of blood, the speech returns again to bloodshed (not in the proper sense, but in the sense of depriving of livelihood), through the sale of justice, through excessive interest (“interest”, Slavonic “usury”) and small interest (“increase”, Slavonic “excess”; see Ezek 18:8) and all kinds of violence (it is hardly under this last that such particulars are understood as heavy taxes to buy alliance with Egypt and the Ammonites or offenses toward those who moved to Babylon Ezek 7:12; LXX: “and you have concluded the conclusion of your evil which is in violence”, that is, in general your violences have reached the extreme limits). – “And you have forgotten Me” – sounds here touchingly – tenderly.

Ezekiel 22:13. And behold, I have struck My hands together at the avarice that is revealed in you, and at the blood that is in your midst. “I have struck My hands together” in indignation: Ezek 6:11. – “At the avarice that is revealed in you” – the LXX do not read this.

Ezekiel 22:14. Will your heart endure, will your hands remain strong in the days when I deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken and will do it. Interrogative form to strengthen the assertion. The answer to this question is given in Ezek 7:17. There could be no question of resistance to Nebuchadnezzar, because through him God Himself will act; He promises this and so it can be trusted that He will fulfill His threat (powerful: “I have spoken and will do it”).

Ezekiel 22:15. And I will scatter you among the nations, and disperse you through the lands, and consume the filthiness from you. “I will consume the filthiness from you.” This is the only purpose of such a severe judgment.

Ezekiel 22:16. And you shall be profaned in yourself before the nations, and you shall know that I am the Lord. “You shall be profaned in yourself” – a conjectural translation of the Hebrew expression, which should literally be translated: “you shall defile yourself.” The LXX, reading “nachal” instead of “chalal”: κληρονομησω εν σοι, “and I will inherit in you”, that is, you will again become, as once, my possession and inheritance.

Ezekiel 22:17. And the word of the Lord came to me: Ezekiel 22:18. Son of man! The house of Israel has become dross to Me; all of them are copper, and tin, and iron, and lead in the furnace; they have become the dross of silver. Ezekiel 22:19. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because all of you have become dross, behold, I will gather you together in Jerusalem. Ezekiel 22:20. As one gathers silver and copper and iron and lead and tin into the furnace, to blow the fire upon them in order to melt them; so I will gather you in My anger and in My wrath, and I will lay you down and melt you. Ezekiel 22:21. I will gather you and blow upon you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst. Ezekiel 22:22. As silver is melted in the furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst, and you shall know that I, the Lord, have poured out My wrath upon you. The coming siege of Jerusalem, to which the inhabitants of surrounding cities will flee, the prophet compares with the melting of impure silver (“dross of silver” – Slavonic “silver mixed”) in a furnace, a lump of which contains far more than silver (in token of which it is in verse 18 placed last and only in verse 20 first) unnoble admixtures: copper, iron, lead and tin (Slavonic for distinction from lead: “pure tin”; LXX: κασσιτερος and μολιβος). This comparison, while Ezekiel unmistakably had before him Isa 1:22, and perhaps also Jer 6:30 (compare Zech 13:9; Mal 3:3), is based on the thought not so much of the purification of Israel as of its punishment (although unmistakably silver – the pious, but nothing is said of the separation of silver through melting, but only of the melting itself, “so I in My anger in My wrath will gather and lay down (Vulgate: requiescam) and melt you”). It is remarkable that for Ezekiel Israel seems to be reduced to Jerusalem: verse 19. When what the prophet foretells comes to pass, then the Jews will know that they had God against them, Whom they considered a friend; verse 22, compare Ezek 5:13.

Ezekiel 22:23. And the word of the Lord came to me: In the third of the prophetic speeches of the chapter the prophet directly portrays the corruption of separate classes of the Judean kingdom, to which in the preceding speech he pointed figuratively under the image of various admixtures to silver.

Ezekiel 22:24. Son of man! Say to her: You are a land that is not cleansed, not rained upon in the day of wrath! By its complete corruption of all social relations, Jerusalem is like land that can give no fruit, because the wrath of God has denied it rain. To understand the force of this comparison, one must remember what rain means for Palestine: its cessation turns the country directly into a desert. Perhaps at this time God actually began to carry out His repeated threat that because of impiety He would not give rain to Judea (Deut 11:17 and others). – “Not cleansed” – a conjectural translation of a dark Hebrew word, which more agrees with the context the LXX translate: “not rained upon”.

Ezekiel 22:25. A conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing prey; they devour souls, take wealth and precious things, and multiply her widows. The enumeration of the different classes of society with the purpose of denouncing them is conducted from the point of view of their significance in religious-moral life. Therefore the prophets and priests are examined first, and then the princes. The LXX, and after them most modern commentators, presume in this verse speech not about prophets, but about princes (more prominent than in verse 27): neviyega the LXX evidently read as nesiyega. Reasons for such a reading: 1) it would be more natural to place the princes first (we have seen why prophets could be placed first); 2) about prophets there is speech in verses 28 and 30 (but there the speech about them is according to special circumstances – see verse 28); 3) a roaring, greedy king of beasts, as in Ezek 19:7, is an excellent image for greedy princes from the reigning house (but then verse 27 would repeat 25). “A conspiracy of her prophets.” The false prophets entered among themselves into an agreement to always announce to the people a happy future, and thereby turned the people against those who foretold the opposite. From this it can be concluded that the false prophets acted not in isolation, but formed a corporation, which became powerful through its unity, and were very careful that they not contradict each other in their false predictions. But the LXX read Hebrew kesher – “conspiracy”, as asher, “which”: “its (that is, Jerusalem’s) elders.” “Like a lion…” The comparison points to the robbery of the prophets’ adepts. – “They devour souls.” They rob, or ruin the innocent, who resist them. – “And multiply her widows.” They become, thanks to their speeches, the cause of death for many, for example, by stirring up to war with the Chaldeans.

Ezekiel 22:26. Her priests have violated My law and have profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between holy and unholy, and they have not taught the difference between clean and unclean, and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned in their midst. The accusations against the priests are characteristic in that they express the prophet’s strict view of the duties of this knowledge. – “Have violated My law”, which they should guard and which they should teach; compare Zeph 3:4; Hos 8:1. – “Have profaned My holy things” – verse 8. – “Have not distinguished between holy and unholy”, perhaps for example, burning in sacrifice forbidden parts of an animal, or by allowing all without distinction to the sacred meal after the peace offering. – “Have not taught the difference between clean and unclean.” Do not warn the people against eating unclean animals; in Ezek 44:23 this and the preceding expression are nearly synonymous. – “And have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths.” Do not care about keeping them among the people, indifferent to their frequent violation; verse 8. – “And I am profaned in their midst”, literally “desecrated”; Slavonic: “and they defiled me in their midst.” An extremely powerful expression instead of the usual: “they dishonored the name of God.” The priests deprived God, in the eyes of the people, of that holiness (of His name), which is the main foundation and purpose of all God’s actions in the world.

Ezekiel 22:27. Her princes in her are like wolves tearing prey; they shed blood and destroy souls in order to get dishonest gain. “Like wolves.” Compare Zeph 3:3. A less noble comparison than for the prophets in verse 25: “like a lion.” – “They shed blood.” Concerning the prophets, there is no such grave charge. Unjust death sentences are meant, probably increased by that time (compare Ezek 11:8), and perhaps in general deprivation of livelihood (confiscation of property, imprisonment).

Ezekiel 22:28. And her prophets smear for them with whitewash, seeing emptiness and divining falsehood for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken. The guilty parties for such conduct of the princes are the prophets (why the speech returns to them), who, as placed on the watch of public morality, should denounce the government, threaten it with divine judgment, but instead they comfort the princes (“them”) with false prophecies of a happy future. Compare Ezek 13:6-7; Mic 3:11; Zeph 3:4; Jer 23:31 and onward.

Ezekiel 22:29. The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery, and they oppress the poor and the needy, and they oppress the stranger unlawfully. “The people of the land”, literally “people of the land” (Slavonic “people of the land”), that is, the common people, the rural inhabitants, and in general the whole people, in distinction from the higher classes of society. After what has been said about the leaders of the people (spiritual and secular), it is not surprising that the common people is no better. – “Practice extortion.” Robbers, extortion of the people. Slavonic incorrectly places “people” in the accusative and considers the subject the far-off “princes.” – “Commit robbery and oppress each other…” – Ezek 18:7. – “Oppress the stranger” verse 7. A remarkable concern for strangers in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 22:30. I sought among them a man who would build a wall and stand in the breach before Me for the land, that I might not destroy it, but I found no one. “Who would build a wall”, to close the breach in it: Ezek 13:5. Could by his intercession before God avert destruction from the people, as Moses did (Exod 32:11). Commentators justly ask here why Ezekiel did not consider Jeremiah capable of doing this, although he knew of him, as evidenced by his broad use of his book, and although Jeremiah more than once interceded before God for the people (Jer 7:16). But prayer intercession in such cases is not enough; something must be done for the improvement of the people, as much as, for example, Moses did; and Jeremiah with his contemporaries could do nothing or almost nothing in this regard, which speaks not against him, but against Jerusalem and Judea, whose moral state the prophet has in mind in this place (hence the following verse).

Ezekiel 22:31. Therefore I will pour out My wrath upon them, with the fire of My anger will I consume them, and bring their deeds upon their own head, says the Lord God. If every hope for improvement is lost, then Jehovah has nothing left but to give free rein to His wrath and turn against the wicked people, headed by its leaders, their behavior. For explanation of separate expressions of the verse see Ezek 7:8.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Oholah and Oholibah

The chapter is parallel to XVI and XX: like those, it considers the idolatry of Israel, as the cause of the coming destruction, historically, and like chapter XVI, it presents idolatry under the image of adultery; but in distinction from those chapters a) it is more occupied with the later history of Israel (eighth and seventh centuries); b) it deals more with political history than religious – alliances with neighboring peoples, though these, – insofar as they had religious consequences – attraction to foreign cults, on which the very names of the sisters hint; c) more than chapter XVI, it speaks of the northern (Oholah) kingdom; d) it does not have messianic promises in its conclusion. Division: 1-4. The harlotry of the sisters Oholah – Samaria and Oholibah – Jerusalem in the first period of their life – with the Egyptians. 5-10. The harlotry of Oholah with the Assyrians and Egyptians and her punishment. 11-21. The harlotry of Oholibah with the Assyrians (11-13), Chaldeans (14-18) and Egyptians (19-21). 22-35. Her punishment. 36-49. The justness of this punishment.

Ezekiel 23:2. Son of man! There were two women, daughters of one mother, Samaria and Jerusalem – sisters, as in Ezek 16:45-46, but of their mother, as there (“a Hittite”), it is not said.

Ezekiel 23:3. And they played the harlot in Egypt, they played the harlot in their youth; there their breasts were pressed, and there the bosoms of their virginity were handled. The thought of Israel’s attraction to Egyptian idolatry in the period of Egyptian slavery is already expressed by Ezekiel in Ezek 16:26; see there; compare Ezek 20:8. “Their breasts were pressed.” A cutting realism that sounds harsh to our ears, but indifferent to the simplicity of the ancients. Delicate silence about what follows. Slavonic: “their breasts fell.” – “The bosoms of their virginity.” Symmachus: τιτθοι, breasts. The LXX omit, perhaps bashfully, leaving only the concept of virginity: “defiled your virginity”.

Ezekiel 23:4. Their names: the elder was Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. And they became Mine, and bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah. The names of the sisters Oholah and Oholibah previously were translated: the first as “her tabernacle”, and the second as “My tabernacle in her” and interpreters found in them an indication that whereas the Israelite kingdom introduced worship of alien gods and built for them tabernacles at high places (Ezek 16:16), the Judean kingdom had the lawful Temple, which replaced the ancient tabernacle, in Jerusalem. But later commentators drew attention to the fact that such an explanation would not accord with Ezekiel’s view that the Judean kingdom more than the Israelite devoted itself to idolatry (Ezek 16:46-47). Naturally, for the prophet to give in the names of the sisters homogeneous indications: if the name of the elder sister indicates her sin, then a different indication should not be contained in the name of the younger sister. To obtain such an indication in it, commentators suggest not to consider the vowel “i” – khirek – in it as the personal pronoun “my”, but as a characteristic vowel of the ancient form for the Hebrew grammatical device status constructionis (“state of construction” – such a connection of the determined with the determiner, in which the first changes); such a khirek is called chirek compaginis; it is in the name Hevziba 2 Sam 21:1, meaning “delightful.” In such a case Oholibah will mean the same as in Gen 26:25 “oholivama” – “tabernacle on the height”; and if such shortening is questionable, then “tabernacle (that is, pagan tabernacles) in her”, and Oholah – “her tabernacle.” In the East children are often given alliterative names (Ewald reminds of the names Azan and Uzen, sons of Elihu). The example of Elkanah shows that for a man of average means among Israelites it was customary to have two wives; and the example of Jacob, that such were sisters (limitation of this in Lev 18:18). It was noted (Skinner, Expositor Bible 1895, 191) that Oholah has as many consonants as Samaria, and Oholibah – as many as Jerusalem. – The second half of the verse gives the thought that the sisters came to be called Samaria and Jerusalem already in Canaan (perhaps sometimes upon marriage or birth of children they changed names).

Ezekiel 23:5. And Oholah played the harlot while still Mine; and she lusted for her lovers, the Assyrians, her neighbors, “Lusted” – Hebrew verb “ahav”, used only by Jeremiah and Ezekiel, Slavonic: “inclined.” – “For the Assyrians.” Menahem, king of Israel, through envoys made an alliance with Pul, king of Assyria: 2 Sam 15:19. Perhaps Ezekiel knew of other alliances (he certainly knew the later history of Israel better than we do). According to cuneiform inscriptions and Jehu paid tribute to Shalmaneser (Trochon). “Her neighbors.” – Spatially the Assyrians could hardly be called neighbors of Israel; consequently, they are called so by spiritual closeness to Israel, as idolaters; or the Hebrew “keroim” should be given another meaning: derive it, for example, from “karab” – “war” – “warlike”, compare Assyrian “kiradu” – “warrior”, “hero”; or read “keruyim” – “celebrated”, “prominent”; compare the place occupied by this word in verse 12. LXX: “approaching her”, that is, lustfully.

Ezekiel 23:6. to ones clothed in blue, to governors and commanders, to all attractive young men, to horsemen riding on horses; Blinded by the brilliance and might of the Assyrians, Israel entered into an alliance with them, which opened the doors to Assyrian idolatry. This blinding is represented under the image of a woman’s attraction to an Assyrian soldier, richly dressed, commanding, attractively sitting on his horse, – cases which might have been taken by the prophet directly from life: Israelite girls could indeed be attracted by brilliant Assyrian officers. “Clothed in blue” – Hebrew “tekelet” (Assyrian “takiltu”) – blue purple (Vulgate hyacinthus; Slavonic: “scarlet cloth”) in opposition to red purple “argaman” (Ezek 27:24. Schrader, Keilinschr. and O.T., 2 ed., 155). “Purple, double cloth, acted especially on the imagination” (Hitzig). “Governors.” Hebrew “pachot” from Assyrian “paketu”, more fully “belpachati”, that is, lord of a satrapy, satrap, commanding the military forces of the district; from the root “pachah” – “to levy tribute” “to rule” or Persian “pukten” – “to care for”, “to act.” Slavonic simply: “elders” Vulgate principes. – “Commanders.” Hebrew “seganim”, Assyrian “saknu”, in classical writers ζωγαννης, perhaps the same as in cuneiform inscriptions “sakkanaku”, from the root “sakan” – “to supply”, “to replace”, – apparently a chief, or perhaps royal vicegerents; consequently, probably a rank even higher than pachot, – their commanders, royal vicegerents (Kraetzschmar). But others consider seganim subordinate to pachot; so apparently and the Russian translation. Slavonic “voivodes” – military commanders in distinction from “elders”, as civil, or military governors, generals from simply governors. Vulgate magistratus – lower than principes. – “All attractive young men” – for greater closeness of the comparison, for by youth a woman is attracted more; therefore the Vulgate felicitously: juvenes cupidinis; in the broader sense: youthful and bold and daring. – “Horsemen”, who impressed the Israelites all the more because they never had good cavalry. – “Riding on horses” – a pleonasm, or: horsemen in the proper sense in distinction from, for example, riders on military chariots.

Ezekiel 23:7. And she scattered her harlotries with all the choicest of the sons of Assyria, and she defiled herself with all the idols of those to whom she clung; “She defiled herself with all the idols of those to whom she clung.” Not only in the case of the Assyrians, but in general political alliances always drew after them the seduction of foreign cults. The northern kingdom owed the cult of Kaiwan and Sakkuth to Assyrian influence Amos 5:26, as well as in general the worship of the host of heaven 2 Sam 17:16.

Ezekiel 23:8. And she did not give up her harlotries from the time of Egypt, for they had lain with her in her youth and handled the breasts of her virginity, and poured out their lust upon her. The golden calves of Jeroboam, the cult of which persisted stubbornly until the fall of the northern kingdom, were of Egyptian origin, and the fact that it was so easy for Jeroboam to introduce and widely spread them shows how deeply rooted in the people’s soul was the inclination to Egyptian idolatry. Moreover, here are meant the alliances with Egyptian pharaohs, for example Hoshea with Shebaka (Shabaka) 2 Sam 17:4; cf. Hos 7:11.

Ezekiel 23:9. Therefore I gave her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the sons of Assyria, to whom she clung. In the fact that the Israelite kingdom was destroyed precisely by Assyria, whom it loved so much, there appeared as it were a divine irony (cf. Ezek 6:11); “at the same time this shows what kind of opinion Assyria had of Samaria” (Bertholet).

Ezekiel 23:10. They exposed her nakedness, they took her sons and daughters, and slew her with the sword. And she became a byword among women, when they executed judgment upon her. “They exposed her nakedness” – Ezek 16:37. Perhaps what is meant is that Samaria was destroyed to its foundations 2 Sam 17. – “They took her sons and daughters” – the inhabitants into captivity. – “And slew her with the sword.” Destroyed the kingdom. – “And she became a byword among women,” that is, among the neighboring peoples.

Ezekiel 23:11. Her sister Oholibah saw this, and she was more corrupt in her love than she, and her whoredom was more vile than her sister’s. The prophet devotes more space to the behavior of Oholibah, the description of which begins from this verse (until verse 35), because it lay closer to his heart, so that the fate of Oholah serves for him only to shed more light on Oholibah’s behavior, to show that she was worse than the former, whereas the awful fate of the latter should have warned her.

Ezekiel 23:12. She lusted for the sons of Assyria, governors and rulers, her neighbors, clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men. This is a repetition of verse 6. The difference in word order can perhaps be explained by the fact that here the prophet wished to enumerate individual classes of Assyrians, whereas there he spoke of them in general; furthermore, this difference proves that Ezekiel did not like to copy himself mechanically. Besides this difference, here instead of “text” – “cloth of jacinth color” is “miclol,” a word occurring only in Ezek 28:4 and, judging by the root “kalal” – “to complete,” should mean perfection, fullness; therefore the Russian translation “gorgeously”; cf. Ezek 27:24: according to the Slavonic: “in goodly woven,” ευπαρυφα; the Alexandrian codex: ευπορφυρα, Symmachus: ευκατασκευα (good armor), Theodotion: παντοια. Vulgate veste varia. Assyrian cult penetrated into Judea during the time of Ahaz 2 Sam 16:10, and after the death of Hezekiah it gained significant spread: 2 Sam 21; Ezek 8.

Ezekiel 23:13. And I saw that she was defiled, that both of them had gone one way, Jehovah for now as it were quietly looked upon the sin of Judah: cf. verse 18.

Ezekiel 23:14. But this one multiplied her harlotries, for when she saw men portrayed on the wall, the images of the Chaldeans drawn in bright red, “Multiplied her harlotries.” Jerusalem did not content itself with the Assyrian cult, which Samaria ended with as its last pagan seduction, but seduced itself with the Chaldeans, and moreover seduced itself by merely looking at images, without seeing them in person. With the seclusion of women in the East, she can fall in love with foreign “men” from their images, and Ezekiel represents the first seduction of the Chaldeans in Jerusalem as though through these images a craving for the Chaldeans awakened in the people and they began to send for them. In reality it may have been otherwise: Chaldean drawings on the walls penetrated after prolonged acquaintance with the Chaldeans and adoption of their customs. The prophet here uses oratorical freedom regarding chronology. But it is possible that the Israelites deported to Nineveh (cf. Jer 29:3), upon seeing its palaces, informed their countrymen of the beauties of the city. The monuments of Nineveh, the palaces of Nimrud, Corsabad, and Kuyunjik, have on their walls drawings that precisely correspond to Ezekiel’s description: they depict kings, princes, military commanders, battles. And the Babylonians and Assyrians were so closely bound together by origin and customs that the palaces of Nineveh may represent the palaces of Babylon, erected by Nebuchadnezzar, whom the discovered inscriptions represent mainly as a builder, saying almost nothing about his conquests (as the inscriptions of Assyrian kings always do). The images were engraved (“drawn”) and the hollows filled with “paints,” Hebrew “shahar,” according to the LXX, with which Gesenius agrees, red lead, that is, red oxide of lead (μιλτος, Slavonic “sharim”), according to Kimchi – cinnabar. The further description of the images shows that what is meant here are not religious and mythological images (as in Ezek 8:10), but ordinary frescoes adorning the walls. Characteristic is the condemnation which the prophet pronounces over the introduction of foreign art, and which the prophets in general met every attempt of this kind. On the other hand, this passage is interesting insofar as it shows how little the Israelites shut themselves off from that which attracted them abroad (Bertholet).

Ezekiel 23:15. girded with girdles upon their loins, with flowing turbans upon their heads, all of them resembling officers, the likeness of the Babylonians, whose native land is the land of the Chaldeans, “With girdles,” upon which weapons were worn; therefore the Vulgate: balteis (portage); Hebrew “ezer” should be “clothing”; Slavonic “with motleys” (varied material). – “Flowing turbans.” Hebrew “seruchey tevulim.” The first from the root “sara” – “to hang down” – either a long, pointed royal cap like the Monomakh cap, – Alexandria codex: τιαρα, – or a turban, (Slavonic “prevoi”) to which the definition “tevulim” would fit (Russian translation “flowing”), akin to the Ethiopic root “to wrap” – “wrapping the head”; Slavonic “colored,” παραβαπτα, that is, colored, Vulgate. tinctas, like the green turban of the Turks only on the sultan. – “All of them resembling.” Even ordinary people among them have such appearance. – “Officers.” Hebrew “shalishim,” literally “thirds,” that is, the third person on a military chariot after the king and the charioteer, or some other military rank, like our former second majors, captains of the 1st and 2nd ranks; or possibly a foreign word in Hebrew transcription. Slavonic “appearance threefold of all” (is each one drawn in three forms? in three costumes?). – “Whose native land is the land of the Chaldeans,” so famous.

Ezekiel 23:16. And when she saw them she lusted after them, and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. “And she lusted after them by the sight of her eyes.” Acquaintance of Judah with the luxury and splendor of the Chaldeans, represented in the images, prompted the Hebrews to establish political and commercial relations with the mighty monarchy. This same acquaintance gradually led to imitation of Chaldean idolatry – “And she sent messengers to them in Chaldea.” Messengers were sent by Ahab in earlier times 2 Sam 16:7; but on the whole here a later embassy is meant, which took place after Babylon had achieved world significance. An embassy may have been sent after Nebuchadnezzar’s victory at Carchemish: if records of it have not been preserved, it only shows how obscured from us are the details of the policy of the Judean kingdom in its last decades. The prophet notes that the first steps toward agreement were taken on Judah’s part.

Ezekiel 23:17. And the sons of Babylon came to her upon the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was defiled by them, and her soul was estranged from them. “And the sons of Babylon came to her.” After the death of Josiah the Babylonians could not fail to maintain friendly relations with Jerusalem: 2 Sam 23:29. – “Upon the bed of love” – Slavonic “upon the bed of wanderers,” that is, temporary visitors of a harlot; Vulgate cubile mammarum. – “And her soul was estranged from them.” A subtle psychological trait of carnal passion unenlightened by the spirit, passing into satiation and loathing after satisfaction. Judah remained faithful to Nebuchadnezzar for only 3 years, and then rebelled: 2 Sam 24:1 (the rebellion of Jehoiakim). “That the supposed friends from Babylon upon closer acquaintance with them proved to be not as desirable, this of course precisely corresponded to the actual experience made by Jerusalem” (Bertholet).

Ezekiel 23:18. When she openly played the harlot and exposed her nakedness, then my soul turned from her, as my soul had turned from her sister. By frequent change of lovers Oholibah declared herself a true harlot. Jehovah saw that she was incorrigible (cf. the thought of verse 13) and He Himself turned away from her, as He had turned away from her sister. Perhaps it is indicated that Judah passed from secret and so to speak shameful idolatry to open, to public sacrifices.

Ezekiel 23:19. Yet she increased her harlotries, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the harlot in the land of Egypt; “Increased her harlotries,” – which the second half of the verse explains: remembering, that is, began again the former harlotry with Egypt. What is meant is the alliance with the latter under Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, which, like all political alliances of the Judean kings, was accompanied by the adoption of local worship. “I had already forgotten that you did in Egypt, but you reminded me of it through your later practices” (St. Theodoret). When Judea became disgusted with Chaldea, instead of this being a cause for her turning to God, she turned to another world power.

Ezekiel 23:20. And she lusted for the paramours of Assyria, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys, and whose issue is like the issue of horses. “Paramours.” Hebrew “pillageshim” – “concubine” (cognate with synonymous παλλαξ, rellex) only here about men and in an obviously insulting sense. Should be men who sell themselves to women. How the prophet values them is shown by the subsequent epithets. So also Kimchi: scorta mascula (male concubines). Others see ironic reference to Egyptian eunuchs and courtesans. The word has with it a feminine pronoun “her” (in the Russian version: “of hers”), that is, should be Egypt’s. It can be thought that parallel to Assyrian and Chaldean nobles here are meant Egyptian ones, which are called “pillageshim” as effeminate and ready for the satisfaction of any carnal desire. LXX: “upon the Chaldeans,” seeing in verses 19–21 a continuation of speech about seduction by the Chaldeans. Targum: “to be a maid-servant to them.” Peshitta: “to their transgressions.” Symmachus; επι τους παιδας αυτων. Theodotion; επι τας εκλεκας αυτων. Vulgate, like Russian: super concubitum sorom. “Flesh” – Ezek 16:26. “Like the flesh of donkeys.” The donkey for its lustfulness played a role in Phoenician-Syrian worship (Creuzer. Comment. Herod 266), and once also had significance as an animal endowed with special phallic capability (Pindar Pyth. X, 32). The reference may be to the immorality of certain Egyptian cults (Isis?). “Issue” – Hebrew “zirma” – “emission of seed,” Vulgate. fluxus, Greek: αιδεια (secret parts), Slavonic: “womb.” – “Like the issue of horses.” In Jer 5:8 horses are noted from this standpoint. Jarchi: horses copulate more frequently than other male pack animals. – “Zirma” in connection with “horses” may suggest the thought of bestiality ιππομανειν (Aristotle Anim. VI, 22. Virg. Georg. III, 266 and others. Columella, De re rustica VI, 27). The prophet intensifies the comparison Ezek 16:26: his indignation grew from reflection upon the impiety of Israel.

Ezekiel 23:21. Thus you recalled the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom because of the breasts of your youth. “Recalled” – Slavonic more precisely: “visited” (and Vulgate: visitasti), that is, repeated. – “Handled your bosom” – verse 3.

Ezekiel 23:22. Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will stir up your lovers against you, from whom your soul is estranged, and I will bring them against you on every side: The punishment of Oholibah is the same as of her sister (verse 9), although her behavior is worse. The instrument of punishment shall be those same who served as instruments of sin – this is required by the righteousness and wrath of God. Whereas in Ezek 16:37 the judgment over the harlot—Jerusalem is conducted in the presence of those whom she loved and those whom she hated, here the executors of judgment are those same lovers from whom her soul is estranged and who because of this insult will act with all the more fury: they will certainly carry out judgment without any compassion.

Ezekiel 23:23. the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, desirable young men, governors and rulers, sated and renowned, all of them horsemen riding upon horses. “The Babylonians and all the Chaldeans.” The latter concept is broader than the former, and to the Chaldeans besides the Babylonians belong the three peoples named below. – “From Pekod, from Shoa and Koa.” Slavonic more precisely without “from”: “Fakuda, Suda and Kuda” according to the Alexandria codex; other codices, Symmachus and Theodotion: Φακουκ και Σουε και Yχουε; these words are considered names of peoples also by the Targum with Peshitta. But others see here the names of offices and ranks, enumeration of which continues in the second half of the verse: Aquila: επισκεπτην και τυραννον και χουφαιον, Vulgate: nobiles, tyrannosque et principes; so also the rabbis with Luther. The first opinion is more correct: all the forces of the north must rise against Jerusalem, not only Chaldeans but also Assyrians, who are just now mentioned, and between those and the other cannot be named “nobles, rulers and princes.” Cuneiform inscriptions prove the existence in the Chaldean monarchy of peoples with such names: Pekod corresponds to Puqudu of the cuneiform inscriptions, dwelling in the very east of Chaldea near the Elamite border; Shoa the same as Sutu, abbreviated Su, constantly connected in the inscriptions with Kutsu, abbreviated Ku, Koa; those and others dwelt in the upper basin of the Adem in Diyala (Schrader, Keilinschr. u. A. T., 2nd ed., 413. Delitzsch, Wo lag das Paradies, 240. Winckler. Untersuchung. 177. Altorientalische Forschungen II, 2, 254). Those considering these names as common nouns refer to Isa 32:5; Job 34:19, where “shoa” is used in the sense of a respected, rich, royal person; “pekod” is derived from the verb “pakad” – “to conduct observation,” “to watch,” and “koa” they decline to explain. “The sons of Assyria.” Remarkable is the mention of the Assyrians also. – “Desirable young men, governors and rulers” – see the explanation of verse 6. – “Sated,” Slavonic “tristaty,” Hebrew “shalishim” see the explanation of verse 15, where it is translated into Russian “military commanders,” and into Slavonic “threefold appearance.” – “Renowned,” Slavonic “notable” – a supplement to what was enumerated in verses 6 and 12, showing that the prophet did not like to copy himself.

Ezekiel 23:24. And they shall come against you with weapons, with chariots and wagons and a host of peoples; they shall set themselves against you on every side with buckler and shield and helmet; and I will commit the judgment to them, and they shall judge you by their judgments. “With weapons” – a conjectural translation of the Hebrew “gotzen.” A cognate Talmudic word means “bundle,” “heap.” LXX read “taphon”: “from the north.” – “With chariots and wagons” – so fearful to the Hebrews who did not have them and so attracting them (verse 6, 12). – “In armor,” Slavonic “with spear-tips.” Slavonic “and they shall set an ambush round about you” – superfluous against Hebrew and “ambush” constitutes another transmission (doublet) of Hebrew “kovag” translated earlier as “helmet.” – “They shall judge you by their judgments” – according to their barbarous laws, which assign such cruel punishments as those described in the following verse.

Ezekiel 23:25. And I will direct my jealousy against you, and they shall deal with you in fury. They shall cut off your nose and your ears, and your remnant shall fall by the sword; they shall take your sons and your daughters, and your remnant shall be devoured by fire; “They shall cut off your nose and your ears.” Such cruelties were inflicted upon captives even now in the East (Winer according to Smend), and in ancient times continually (Dan 2:5; Herod. III, 69, 154). Perhaps Ezekiel knew and had in mind the Egyptian custom of cutting off the nose of an adulteress, supposedly for disfigurement. Slavonic “nostrils” is exactly from Hebrew, as the nose was called in other languages, for example, Latin nares. “And your remnant shall fall by the sword” – those who will not be taken into captivity in such disfigured form. “They shall take… into captivity (verse 10) your sons and daughters,” already without disfiguring them, in order to sell them more profitably, as young and beautiful. “And your remnant shall be devoured by fire.” Accidentally remaining inhabitants of the city, for example, not discovered by the conquerors, will perish in the fire from the burning of the city. The prophet almost abandons the allegory (comparison of Jerusalem with a harlot) and passes over to direct speech about the fate of Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 23:26. and they shall strip you of your clothes and take away your fair jewels. The mention of jewelry (see Ezek 16:39) seems late after what is said in verse 25, but: 1) jewelry is inseparable from a harlot, for it attracts the gaze of those looking at her; 2) under them here is meant the riches of the country, plundered by the Chaldeans upon conquest.

Ezekiel 23:27. Thus I will put an end to your lewdness and your harlotry brought from the land of Egypt; so that you shall not lift your eyes to them, nor remember Egypt anymore. “Thus I will put an end to your lewdness and your harlotry.” After the Babylonian captivity the Jews indeed no longer engaged in idolatry. – “Brought from the land of Egypt.” According to the view of the prophet Ezekiel, expressed more than once by him, the Jews learned idolatry in Egypt. “To them” – to lewdness and harlotry or to idols. “And nor remember Egypt anymore,” that is, about idolatry, to which they were taught there.

Ezekiel 23:28. For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am handing you over to those whom you hate, to those from whom your soul is estranged. “Those whom you hate” after former love, – the Chaldeans. – “From whom your soul is estranged” – synonymous expression to the former.

Ezekiel 23:29. And they shall deal with you in hatred, and take away all that you have labored for, and leave you naked and bare, and the nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotry. “In hatred” – Slavonic more precisely: “in hate,” repaying hatred for your hatred. – “Take away all that you have labored for” – all possessions. Supplement to the threats of verse 25, Slavonic: “all your labors and your works.” – “Leave you naked” Ezek 16:39. – “The nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered” – synonymous to the previous expression. This verse adheres more to the developed allegory (comparison of Jerusalem with a harlot) than verses 24 and 25, where the prophet often abandons the allegory for direct speech (“your remnant shall fall by the sword”).

Ezekiel 23:30. These things shall be done to you because you have gone whoring after the nations, and because you have defiled yourself with their idols. After the devastating picture of the punishment of Jerusalem, the chief and, one may say, only cause is indicated: harlotry and it is explained that by it should be understood idolatry (“because you have defiled yourself with their idols”).

Ezekiel 23:31. You have gone the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand. The image of the cup of God’s wrath is new here for Ezekiel, but quite frequent before him: Ps 74:9; Isa 51:17; Hab 2:15 and afterward, and especially beloved by Jeremiah (Jer 25:15-16 and three more times). “As medicine (catharticum) is given so that harmful sweat, which is in the body, comes out, so the Lord gives a cup of most bitter torments, so as to remove from sinners all the gall and bitterness which is in them, and restore them to former health” (St. Jerome). Like every image and comparison, this image in Ezekiel is developed in detail, to its ultimate grounds: verses 31–34.

Ezekiel 23:32. Thus says the Lord God: You shall drink your sister’s cup that is deep and large; you shall be laughed at and held in derision, for it holds so much. “Your sister’s cup… deep and large” – containing so many calamities – “you shall be laughed at and held in derision” – on the part of the surrounding peoples, which will further increase the calamity. The words somewhat interrupt the flow of thought, namely the development of the image of the cup; the Vatican codex does not have them. – “For it holds so much” – more precisely: “great capacity” (“for” is an addition of the Russian translation) – a synonym to “deep and large”; Slavonic: “abundant for the fulfillment of drunkenness” – sufficient for final inebriation, – whereby to the concluding proposition of verse 32 is drawn the first word of verse 33.

Ezekiel 23:33. You shall be filled with drunkenness and sorrow. A cup of horror and desolation is the cup of your sister Samaria. “You shall be filled with drunkenness and sorrow.” From terrible calamities the mind will be confused, as from drunkenness; Slavonic: “you shall be filled with weakness,” and “drunkenness” is referred to the last proposition of verse 32. “A cup of horror and desolation…” – Jerusalem will be desolated as Samaria.

Ezekiel 23:34. You shall drink it and drain it out, and pluck out your hair, and tear your breasts; for I have spoken, says the Lord God. “And drain it out.” In spite of the fact that this is a cup of horror and calamity, the harlot will drink it eagerly, as if the drink were sweetened. A subtle psychological trait of excessive despair, when a man seems to enjoy his suffering. “And pluck out your hair.” “Hair” – Hebrew “harashim” may denote either the whole clay vessel (Jer 19:1 and others), since it is not supposed that the cup is broken. “Pluck out” – more precisely “gnaw at”; according to Slavonic “eating you will consume” and devorabis of the Vulgate is excessively strong, although in the Targum on Ps 27:2 the Hebrew verb “garam” used here has the meaning “to eat.” “And tear your breasts.” The highest degree of grief, because with a lesser degree one only struck the breast. The breasts were also an instrument of sin for the harlot: verses 3 and 21. – LXX after this proposition has excessive against Hebrew and disrupting the flow of thought: “and your feasts and your new moons I will turn away.”

Ezekiel 23:35. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you shall bear the consequences of your lewdness and harlotry. “And cast me behind your back.” Slavonic and Vulgate more precisely and strongly: “and rejected me and turned your back to me.”

Ezekiel 23:36. And the Lord said to me: Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Declare to them their abominations; A new section of the discourse begins here, as shown by the expression: “will you judge” (cf. Ezek 20:4), in which the prophet returns to the depiction of the guilt (and also the punishment – beginning from verse 45) of the two sisters (after the description of both their guilt and the punishment for it) for the purpose of making some additions to what was said about this and communicating details which there would have hindered the unity of the picture. “Oholah.” “The circumstance that Oholah has already perished and is no longer does not hinder the judgment of the prophet upon her, for for prophecy, as well as for place, time does not constitute a boundary; from the Chebar the prophet judges Jerusalem” (Smend).

Ezekiel 23:37. For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands, and with their idols they have committed adultery; and they have caused their sons, whom they bore to me, to pass through the fire to them. “Committed adultery.” Further it is explained that this they did “with their idols” (served them). “Blood is on their hands.” This is also explained below, what blood – of their sons sacrificed to idols. “Whom they bore to me.” In Ezek 16:20 directly “bore.” A remarkable view of God’s covenant with the people, by which all carnal children become children of God by the very act of birth (hence also circumcision). All the more heinous is the sacrifice of them to idols. – “To pass through the fire” – Ezek 16:20; cf. Jer 7:31.

Ezekiel 23:38. Moreover this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and profaned my Sabbaths; See Ezek 22:8 (by “sanctuary” is here translated the same Hebrew word as there “holy things”). – “On the same day.” This remark is completely incomprehensible without the explanation given in the following verse; therefore, and on the basis that it is absent in the majority of LXX manuscripts, it is thought that it penetrated here from verse 39.

Ezekiel 23:39. For when they had slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered my sanctuary on the same day to profane it; and look, thus they did in my house. Consequently, at the times of the greatest obsession with idolatry the Jews did not forget Jehovah; but such a combination brought Jehovah down to the rank of heathen gods and therefore essentially was a forgetting of Him, of His true essence. Cf. Ezek 14:4.

Ezekiel 23:40. And furthermore you sent for men to come from far away, to whom messengers were sent; and look, they came. For them you bathed yourself, painted your eyes, and decked yourself with ornaments; As in verses 38 and 39 there is speech about infatuation with foreign cults, so in verses 40–43 about political alliances, although, as always, the prophet has in mind the religious consequences of these unions, that is, again infatuation with foreign cults – here already Chaldean, and in verses 38–39 Canaanite ones. Verses 40–43 develop more fully the thought of verse 16. “To come from far away” – Chaldeans. “You bathed yourself.” Bathing began in the East a careful toilet. The plural number, denoting the 2 sisters, passes into the singular number, as Jerusalem is primarily in view. “Painted your eyes.” Hebrew “kagal” (akin to Arabic “kohol,” from which our “alcohol”) meant the rubbing of eyelids and eyebrows with a cosmetic, called “puk” (Jer 4:30; cf. 2 Sam 9:30) and consisting of lead and tin; from this rubbing there appeared blackness around the eyes which gave them greater size and luster; this blackness in many East women is natural, and kohl, which still has great use there, was compensation for the natural lack of this (Nowack, Archaeol. I, § 22). – “Decked yourself with ornaments.” Dressed up finely and for idolatry.

Ezekiel 23:41. and you sat on a stately couch, with a table prepared before it, upon which you set my incense and my oil. “A stately couch” – Slavonic more precisely: “upon a prepared bed,” a divan hung with carpets and spread with cushions. Here is found reference to the immoral cult of the Babylonian Melita. “A table, upon which you set…” food from which gluttony arose a desire in you for lovers (St. Jerome). What is meant are chiefly sacrificial feasts. – “My incense and my oil.” Incense and myrrh were forbidden to use in domestic use under penalty of being cut off from the people (Exod 30:32-33). Meanwhile at solemn feasts it was customary to anoint oneself with fragrances (Amos 6:6; Ps 22:5; Luke 7:46) and as shown by this passage, often of the same composition as sacred myrrh; and the banquet room was fumigated with incense (Prov 7:17). But here, as in Ezek 16:8, seems to be meant a more religious use of these sacred substances for idols.

Ezekiel 23:42. And the sound of a carefree multitude was with her; and with the men of the common sort were brought drunkards from the wilderness; and they put bracelets on their wrists and beautiful crowns on their heads. The relations with Babylon, the richest and most luxurious city of the then world, as earlier in the Israelite kingdom with Nineveh, spread luxury in carefree (“carefree” – Hebrew “shaluay” – lit. carefree; Greek αρμονιας, Slavonic “appropriate” – music) life in Judea, which embraced also “men of the common sort,” the common people. – “Drunkards from the wilderness” – Babylonians, who could reach Judea only through the Syrian desert and, according to Quintus Curtius (Trochon.), were much devoted to drunkenness. “And they put bracelets on their wrists…” From Babylon began to be received in abundance precious ornaments. Perhaps the reference, as in the entire verse, is to idol-sacrificial feasts with their ornaments (wreaths on heads were frequent during the offering of sacrifices to idols).

Ezekiel 23:43. Then I said of her who was worn out by adulteries, “Now let them use her for harlotry, and she will still do it!” The Hebrew text of this verse is very obscure, but the sense which the Russian translation gives it, following the Vulgate, is one of the most probable and gives a better thought than the Slavonic “and I said: in these (that is, in the rings and wreaths of verse 42, or: with “men coming from the wilderness”) do they not commit adultery? (Oholah and Oholibah; and then of only one Oholibah and the deeds of the harlot, and the same preserve”). Whereas the Russian translation gives such a thought that, perhaps because Oholibah, perhaps because she lived and committed harlotry for 200 years longer than Oholah, already grew old (a notion, undoubtedly in Hebrew text: “bala,” Vulgate attrita) in harlotry, one could expect and God expected that her harlotries would end (here Vulgate is better than the Russian translation: nunc fornicabitur etiam haec – might even this one commit harlotry?); but – the next verse.

Ezekiel 23:44. Yet men went to her as men go to a harlot. Thus they went to Oholah and to Oholibah, the lewd women. From adulterous women Oholah and Oholibah gradually became ordinary harlots, degrading by this their lofty Spouse to the last, unbearable degree.

Ezekiel 23:45. But righteous men shall pass judgment on them with the judgment of adulteresses, and with the judgment of women that shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands. “Righteous men,” that is, themselves innocent of adultery. Such were the Chaldeans, faithful to their gods (cf. Ezek 3:7); furthermore, “they are righteous in that they punish the adulteress and child-murderer according to my commandment” (St. Jerome). But the prophet may not have directly meant the Chaldeans here, because in a parable not every detail has symbolic significance. – “With the judgment of adulteresses” – Ezek 16:38. – “And blood is on their hands” verse 37.

Ezekiel 23:46. For thus says the Lord God: Bring up an assembly against them, and give them to harassment and plunder. Ezekiel 23:47. And the assembly shall stone them with stones and dispatch them with their swords; they shall kill their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire. As the sin was public, so the judgment must be public. “Bring up” – infinitive instead of imperative, Slavonic: “bring forth.” The prophet receives the command to do what he must proclaim, – a metaphor employed in Jer 1:10 and others. The rest see Ezek 16:40-41; cf. verse 25.

Ezekiel 23:48. Thus I will put an end to lewdness in the land, and all the women shall take a lesson and not commit lewdness like you; Ezekiel 23:49. And they shall recompense you for your lewdness, and you shall bear the penalties of your sinful idolatry; and you shall know that I am the Lord God. The punishment will be a warning example to the whole world (“all the women” – all peoples) and the two women themselves, bearing punishment, will come to true knowledge of God. – “In the land,” which is defiled and tired of the conduct of Oholah and Oholibah. – “Shall take a lesson.” Consequently, according to the prophet’s view, pagans can be virtuous in their own way; cf. verse 45, Ezek 16:41.

Chapter Twenty-Four

The Boiling Cauldron. The Death of the Prophet’s Wife

On the day when Nebuchadnezzar began the siege of Jerusalem, around which the entire previous preaching of the prophet had revolved and the outcome of which was to show whether he had prophesied truly and open his mouth (verse 27; cf. Ezek 3:20), the prophet receives a revelation from God about this, and under the image of a cauldron, from which the rust should be boiled out, he presents as an unavoidable outcome of the siege the destruction of the city (verses 1–14). At the same time he is informed that his wife will suddenly die, and that he should not mourn her as a sign of that benumbed horror with which news of the fall of Jerusalem will fill the prophet’s kinsmen. This was the last prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem, the last terrible prophecy; then the prophet remains silent about Israel for one and a half years of the siege of Jerusalem, devoting this break in prophecy about Israel to prophecies about foreign peoples.

Ezekiel 24:1. And the word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month: The first date after Ezek 20:1 – after 3 years and 5 months. According to our calendar, January 587 B.C.

Ezekiel 24:2. “Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. This very day the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem.” Write down the date so as to convince everyone afterward of the truth of the prediction or of God-given far-seeing knowledge. The siege began on this day and according to 2 Sam 25:1 and Jer 52:4. The day in the time of Zechariah the prophet, around 518 B.C., was already kept as a fast (Zech 8:19). The opinion expressed by several rationalists that we have here an obvious case of vaticinium ex eventu (prophecy after the event and on the basis of it) is refuted by people of the same camp, who agree to see here an act of clairvoyance, like the knowledge of Swedenborg about the fire in Stockholm in 1759.

Ezekiel 24:3. And utter a parable to the rebellious house, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Set on the pot, set it on; and pour water into it; “To the rebellious house.” The prophet did not call Israel by this name from Ezek 12:2. – “Utter a parable.” as in Ezek 17:2; consequently, what is described below was not a symbolic action, to which opinion (Kraetzschmar) the imperative mood: “Set on the pot,” “pour water” might give grounds. “Pot.” For the present parable the prophet thus made use of the comparison which he heard from those who remained in Jerusalem after Jehoiachin’s exile, and which in Ezek 11:3 he refuted. Here he, in a certain measure, takes their comparison: like them, he counts them as meat boiling in a cauldron (and there the prophet, contrary to them, called the slain meat), but gives the comparison his own application and unfavorable for the authors supplement: the meat from the cauldron will be cast out (captivity), and the scum melted away (the slaughter of part of the population and the burning of the city).

Ezekiel 24:4. Throw into it pieces of meat, all the good pieces, the thigh and the shoulder; fill it with choice bones; “Pieces of meat” – inhabitants of Jerusalem. Ezekiel obviously considers his kinsmen higher than these latter. “Good pieces, that is, thigh and shoulder” – the nobility of Jerusalem. Mockery at the high opinion of themselves the Jerusalemites had. “With choice bones” – for broth, – perhaps the military strength of the city: bone – a symbol of strength. Slavonic: “cut from the bones.”

Ezekiel 24:5. Take the choicest of the flock, pile fuel under the pot; boil the bones in it. “And pile fuel (added according to the LXX) under it bones.” The Scythians, according to Herodotus, used the bones of sacrificial animals for cooking meat; gauchos of South America and peddlers of Africa, in the absence of firewood, heat bones (Trochon.). One might suppose that the Hebrew “etzem” – “bone” here arose from “etz” – “firewood,” if all the translations did not have “bones” here. – “Boil the bones in it.” So strong is the fire under the cauldron to be (the flame of war).

Ezekiel 24:6. “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city, woe to the pot whose scum is in it and whose scum has not gone out of it! Take piece by piece out of it; no lot has fallen on it.” Although the meat is well-cooked in the cauldron, it has been spoiled by the rust with which the cauldron is covered; therefore it must all be cast out indiscriminately. Jerusalem is so defiled by the blood shed in it that there cannot be people worthy of the mercy of God there: they, as it were, have been poisoned by its sinful atmosphere and must perish (by sword and captivity) in the siege. Consequently, the Jerusalemites vainly thought (according to Ezek 11:3) that they, like meat in a cauldron, would be preserved in the besieged city: defiled by blood like by rust, the city must all burn up in the fire of the siege, left without all population, so as to become afterward clean. “To the bloody city” – Ezek 22:2. “Scum”: Hebrew “gelata” – ἀπ. λεγ., Slavonic “poison,” ιος, rubigo (rust). The blood shed in Jerusalem. – “Without choice of lots.” In this catastrophe there will not be, as in the preceding ones, any happily saved.

Ezekiel 24:7. For her blood is in the midst of her; she poured it on the bare rock; she did not pour it on the ground to cover it with dust. Ezekiel 24:8. To rouse my wrath, to take vengeance, I have set her blood on the bare rock, so it will not be covered. A supplement to Ezek 22:2 and intensification of the thought there. The prophet with spiritually-bestowed acuteness penetrates into the mysterious essence of bloodshed as sin. Although the passage can be explained as meaning that blood was shed by Jerusalemites too openly, brazenly and without the natural in such a dark affair concealment, which might, if not hide, then partly cover the sin before the eyes of the Lord, the direct thought of the passage, although completely inexplicable and incomprehensible to us, is that the earth, by absorbing the shed blood, in a certain way covers the crime; cf. blood poured on the earth at sacrifice and Deut 12:16; Lev 17:13. – In the LXX also in verse 7: not “she,” but “I,” that is, God. In the words “on the bare rock” some see a prophecy of Golgotha.

Ezekiel 24:9. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city! I myself will make the fire great. Having proved that the siege of Nebuchadnezzar cannot be lifted, as they thought in Jerusalem (verses 6–8), the prophet returns to the interrupted comparison of the city with a cauldron and develops it further. The fire under the cauldron must be very great: the siege strong and persistent.

Ezekiel 24:10. Heap on the wood, kindle the fire; boil the meat thoroughly; mix in the spices, and let the bones be charred. “Boil the meat thoroughly.” Slavonic closer to the context: “let the meat melt away”: so that the meat turns into liquid. “Mix in the spices” – a conjectural and one of several possible translations of an obscure Hebrew phrase, which closer to the context is translated in Slavonic: “let the broth run out entirely,” that is, let all the liquid evaporate. “And let the bones be charred,” Slavonic more forcefully: “and the bones melt away.” The population of Jerusalem must all perish in the fire of the siege. The command to boil the meat in the cauldron contradicts the command of verse 6 to cast out the meat; but the prophet, absorbed by the thought, never develops the begun comparison consistently and strictly; the thought, however, both there and here is one: the destruction of the wicked population of Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 24:11. Now set the empty pot on the coals, that it may become hot, and its copper grow hot, so that its filth may melt away in it, and its rust be consumed. When the contents of the cauldron are all destroyed through strong boiling and evaporation (the population of Jerusalem through the siege), the cauldron must stand empty on the fire, so that “its copper grow hot” and “all its rust consumed.” The prophet could not think that the rust would fall off the cauldron from heat (Kraetzschmar); although he does not say this directly in the Hebrew text (according to the LXX, it seems, he does say), yet the cauldron itself will certainly perish with the rust; so it was with Jerusalem after the siege (burned and destroyed by the Chaldeans); similarly a house covered with plague must be destroyed: Lev 14:34-35.

Ezekiel 24:12. It has wearied itself with toil; its thick rust does not depart from it. Into the fire with its rust! “It has wearied itself with toil…” The siege will be hard, but even it will not cleanse all the filth of Jerusalem. Perhaps there is a hint that even after the restoration of Jerusalem it still retained many of its former vices. The Vulgate uses the past tense: multo labore sudatum est (it was sweated over with great toil); the question arose why the rust had not come off until now; it seems that God put much labor into Jerusalem’s cleansing (various trials – wars, calamities), but to no avail: non exivit de eo nimia rubigo, neque per ignem – the excessive rust did not go out from it, nor through fire (that is, through former terrible wars and other trials). LXX in the majority of codices do not read the first proposition of the verse; but in Slavonic it is there in such form: “let its poison be humbled” – a repetition of the last thought of the previous verse (such repetitions Ezekiel loves). “Into the fire with its rust!” Hebrew literal: “in the fire its rust” – without a predicate; therefore some translate: “into the fire its rust!” Slavonic “and it will be disgraced, its poison.”

Ezekiel 24:13. Your uncleanness is an abomination. Because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness, you shall not again be cleansed until I have satisfied my wrath upon you. “Your uncleanness is such an abomination.” “Abomination” – Hebrew “zimma,” lit. deceit; Slavonic: “dill”: your uncleanness is so deep that grass has grown upon it. – “Since I have cleansed you.” What is meant are all the providential acts of God upon the Jews: prophets, trials. – “And you shall not be cleansed, until I have satisfied…” Slavonic: “and what will be, if you are not cleansed,” – if even now judgment remains without effect; – a thought, although not very probable in the mouth of Ezekiel, who, it seems, expected the final correction of Israel from captivity, but turned out to be true: after captivity Israel was not free from many of the faults of before-captivity times.

Ezekiel 24:14. I the Lord have spoken; it shall come to pass, I will do it; I will not go back, I will not spare, I will not relent. According to your ways and your doings you shall be judged, says the Lord God. “I will not go back” – Slavonic “I will not stop short.” To the verse the LXX make the following large addition: “therefore I myself will judge you according to your blood and according to your thoughts, I will judge you, you unclean, renowned and great in stirring anger”; although here the thought is not new (cf. verse 10), yet the consideration that in the sacred text gaps were psychologically more possible than insertions, and that the translation of the LXX in the book of Ezekiel is distinguished by great accuracy, causes many interpreters to suppose the primacy of this addition, or at least not easily to decide on denying its authenticity.

Ezekiel 24:16. “Son of man, behold, I take away from you the delight of your eyes with a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep or let tears run down.” “With a stroke.” Hebrew “maggefa” probably means sudden death (a blow? Vulgate plaga). – “The delight of your eyes” – as is clear from verse 18, his wife. The only passage shedding light on the personal relationships and family life of the prophet. – “Rarely has God so humiliated his servants as to deprive them of a wife for nothing else than in order to make use of it for a mimetic depiction of the fate of a people,” says Hengstenberg, and on this basis contests the reality of what is described here, considering all of it a parable. But the prophet does not say that God struck the wife with death for this purpose: she died at the appointed time for her, and God commanded the prophet only to make use of her death for symbolic purposes. This command to the prophet could meet his spiritual need: loving his wife with such force, which shines through here, he could only be troubled by the complex funeral rites for her. “Do not mourn and do not weep.” The first may mean natural weeping, and the second, used at mourning, wailing, loud lamentation (Jer 22:18). – “And let tears run down.” Deep grief deprives man even of tears, which ease suffering.

Ezekiel 24:17. Sigh in silence, make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, and do not eat bread from those who mourn. “Sigh in silence, make no mourning for the dead.” The plural here is unexpected and explicable only in the sense of mourning as usually performed for the dead. Slavonic: “groan silently, groaning of blood, waist-mourning that is,” that is, both the groaning of blood alone and internal weeping are possible; – the expression “waist-mourning is that” is a doublet of “groaning of blood” (translation of the same Hebrew phrase, differently read); “waist” arose from reading the Hebrew “matim” – “dead” as “matnaim” – “waist,” therefore, the plural here disturbed the LXX as well. Further are enumerated the Hebrew signs of mourning, which the prophet should not allow. 1) “Bind on your turban.” As a sign of mourning they removed from the head the bands which, falling on the eyelids, encircled the head; Vulgate corona; perhaps from there the present yarmulke. In the time of St. Jerome this was erroneously seen as speech about phylacteries. The bands were removed perhaps in place of the original sprinkling of the head with ashes. Slavonic: “let your hair be braided on you” – combed; in verse 23 already unbraided: “and your hair on your heads,” that is, will not be cut. 2) “And put your shoes on your feet.” As a sign of mourning they went barefoot, thus exposing the lower part of the body, as the upper – the head, or out of fear of disrespect to the spirit of the dead, invisibly present beside those close to him. 3) “Do not cover your lips”; which they did (as in leprosy) perhaps as a sign of sorrowful silence and instead of the ancient cutting of the beard (cf. Ezek 7:18). The LXX, reading differently the Hebrew expression, have: “and you will not be comforted by their lips,” that is, do not accept official consolations and visits for this purpose. 4) “And do not eat bread from those who mourn” – bread which relatives or friends brought to the house of mourning as a sign of compassion, perhaps to remind him of eating or to give him a chance to eat clean food; perhaps a remnant of the meal for the dead, in which the dead, according to the old belief, invisibly participated; Vulgate: cibos lugentium – “mourning bread.”

Ezekiel 24:18. So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded. “I spoke to the people in the morning the word of the Lord” – perhaps the revelation of verses 1–14. – “In the morning,” when those came to the prophet with expressions of condolence, which could be done only in the morning, as death came in the evening. – “I did” – here means did not do – the signs of mourning.

Ezekiel 24:19. And the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are doing so?” So accustomed the people had become to seeking symbolism in all the actions of the prophet. Characteristic here is “for us”: the people already looks at itself as the prophet’s flock.

Ezekiel 24:20. And I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me:” “The word of the Lord came to me.” Usually: “came to me.” Perhaps denotes the past tense.

Ezekiel 24:21. Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the delight of your soul; and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. What was the wife to Ezekiel, that is the temple for the Jews. The epithets are not too strong if we take into account that Israel stood and fell together with the temple (Smend). Besides, in these proud and tender epithets is expressed the attitude of the prophet himself toward the temple; cf. Ezek 7:22; Jer 7:4; Mic 3:11 and further. – “The delight of your soul,” Slavonic: “whom your soul spares” (which you so guard): Hebrew ἀπ. λεγ. “machmal.” The LXX read like “machmod.” – The prophet from the numerous losses of Israel at the fall of the Judean kingdom points only to two most precious and equally dear: the temple and children. Besides, for the ancient Jew, religion and nationality (the preservation of which was conditioned by offspring) were one. It is quite possible that the countrymen of Ezekiel did not take children with them to Babylon in hope of a better future, so as not to expose them to dangers and deprivations of resettlement; perhaps only those whom they were forced to take went into captivity. If so, then the separation of sons from fathers in chapter XVIII according to their fate had historical basis for Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 24:22. And you shall do as I have done; you shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. Ezekiel 24:23. Your turbans shall be upon your heads and your shoes upon your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but you shall pine away for your iniquities and groan to one another. Ezek 24:22-23 verses 16–17. See there. Difference of Slavonic with Russian: instead of: “your turbans…” – “your hair on your heads” – will not be cut; different Slavonic in verse 17.

Ezekiel 24:24. Thus Ezekiel shall be a sign to you; all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then you shall know that I am the Lord God. The second and last time in the book the prophet’s name is mentioned. The importance of the moment. Slavonic “wonder” is inexact instead of “sign.”

Ezekiel 24:25. And you, son of man, on the day when I take from them their stronghold, their pride and joy, the desire of their eyes and their heart’s delight, and also their sons and their daughters, “The stronghold of their glory” and so on – the temple; cf. verse 21. In Slavonic it is more accurate with the 4 epithets.

Ezekiel 24:26. on that day one who has escaped will come to you to report the news. “One who has escaped.” A terrible understatement; cf. Ezek 14:22. “In your hearing.” What God has spoken until now to the mind and spirit of the prophet, he will then hear with bodily ears. It was fulfilled after a year and a half (Ezek 33:21), if it was predicted on the day of verse 1.

Ezekiel 24:27. In that day when the one who escaped comes to you, your mouth will be opened and you will speak, and you will no longer be silent, and you will become a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord. The news of the fall of Jerusalem put an end to the periodic silencing that had been imposed on the prophet from above (Ezek 3:26-27), as if it was no longer needed: the prophet’s fellow-survivors became more attentive to his words through this news, and his words themselves became more pleasant to them, comforting; there began a bright period in all respects of the prophet’s activity, when he became, thanks to his prophecies coming so precisely true, a recognized prophet, when people began to listen to his voice and he became through this a sign of God, a “wonder” (Slavic translation) to the people (Zech 3:8).

Chapter Twenty-Five

Prophecies against the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, and Philistines

Beginning with chapter XXV, the second (comforting and gladdening) part of the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel begins, a part whose first section concludes—following the example of the earlier prophets Isaiah, Amos, and Jeremiah—with words against foreign peoples (chapters XXV–XXXII). From these peoples the prophet selects for his prophecies the immediate neighbors of Israel, whose constant enmity toward Israel hindered so much the peaceful life and proper development of Israel that, for the possibility of such a life and development in the future, the complete removal of these peoples from the world stage was necessary. Hence the placement of these words before the prophecies about Israel’s future glory; hence also the unconditional condemnation of these peoples (with the exception of the Egyptians) to destruction without the hope of a better future that Jeremiah extends to some peoples (Jer 12:15). The prophetic survey of the fate of the pagan peoples, which the prophet takes in the symbolic number of seven (compare Deut 7:1; Amos 1; Jer 47:1, etc.), Ezekiel conducts in geographical order, beginning from the northeast of Judea and describing a circle around it: the Ammonites (1–7), the Moabites (8–11), the Edomites (12–14), the Philistines (15–17), Tyre (Ezek 26:1–Ezek 28:19), Sidon (Ezek 28:20-26), and the most distant neighbor of Judea—Egypt (Ezek 29–Ezek 32). The number seven, undoubtedly symbolic, may denote the whole aggregate of pagan peoples; to compose this number Sidon is placed separately from Tyre, although by the time of Ezekiel it had long been subject to Tyre and had lost its significance. The most space is given to Tyre and Egypt because of their power in the world at that time. The prophet does not touch upon Babylon (in contrast to Jeremiah: chapters L–LI), perhaps because he regarded it as the instrument of God’s wrath against Israel, and therefore as innocent in the harm done to Israel (Ezek 22:4-5), and because Babylon, owing to its distance, could not substantially affect the future destiny of Israel.

Ezekiel 25:1. And the word of the Lord came to me: There is no date here, at the beginning of a new series of words and a new part of the book, as one would expect—probably because this word was written later than the words of chapters XXVI and the following chapters (it was certainly written after the fall of Jerusalem: verses 3, 8, 12, 15, as Jerome also supposed, and therefore not before the 12th year of the captivity of Jehoiachin (Ezek 33:21)), but is placed here according to the requirements of systematization, and its date would disrupt the strictly chronological order of the dates in the book (except, however, for the date Ezek 29:17; see verse 1 and Ezek 31:1).

Ezekiel 25:2. Son of man! turn your face toward the children of Ammon and prophesy against them, The Ammonites, despite their kinship with Israel, were its constant enemies—from the beginning of its existence: in the time of the judges (Judg 11:1 etc.) and of the kings—Saul (1 Sam 11:1), David (2 Sam 8:12), until the end (1 Macc 5:6 etc.). Under Nebuchadnezzar they first unite with him in war against Judea (2 Sam 24:2), then incite Zedekiah against Babylon (Jer 27), and may have even been the instigators of Zedekiah’s rebellion from Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 21:2 etc.); after Judea’s fall they annex its territory (Jer 49:1); and their king of that time, Baalis, is the chief organizer of the murder of the Babylonian governor of Judea, Gedaliah (Jer 40:14). But Ezekiel reproaches the Ammonites only for malicious joy at the destruction of the Judean kingdom. This malice is all the less forgivable because they themselves barely escaped (Ezek 21:19), and only for the time being (verse 28 etc.), the sword of Nebuchadnezzar. If Josephus (Antiqu. 10:9, 7) recounts the subjection of Moab and Ammon by Nebuchadnezzar in the 5th year after the destruction of Jerusalem, then probably both peoples suffered little in this, since Ezekiel threatens them again with “the sons of the east” (verse 10). Against Ammon also prophesied Amos (Amos 1:13 etc.), Zephaniah (Zeph 2:8 etc.), Jeremiah (Jer 49:1), and Ezekiel on a special occasion (Ezek 21:28).

Ezekiel 25:3. and say to the children of Ammon: Hear the word of the Lord God: Thus says the Lord God: Because you said ‘Aha!’ over my sanctuary when it was profaned, and over the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and over the house of Judah when they went into captivity, “Over my sanctuary.” The mockery could certainly take this direction as well: Ezek 35:13; Jer 48:7. “Aha!” is the Hebrew rear—an exclamation of malicious joy; the LXX gives here a paraphrase: “because you have rejoiced over my holy things,” but in Ezek 26:2 and Ezek 36:2 it is ευγε—“well done.”

Ezekiel 25:4. Therefore, behold, I will give you to the children of the east for a possession, and they will set up their sheepfolds in you and set up their tents in you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk. “The children of the east” are not the Babylonians (as some old interpreters thought), who are nowhere so called—but rather the robber tribes of Arabs, Bedouins of the Syrian-Arab desert (Gen 25:12-18; Jer 49:28; Job 1:3), who made raids on outlying cultured lands in the same way as in Judg 6 chapter. The LXX has the transcription: “children of Kedemites” (Hebrew bene-kedem). The Ammonites themselves were once such roving plunderers, and they always remained only a semi-settled people. They will be subjected to the same fate that they themselves inflicted on the aborigines of the transjordanian region. “Sheepfolds”—a translation according to the Vulgate (caulas) from the Hebrew tira, properly “circle,” then “fence” (related to Syriac “dung”), which here more likely denotes a circle surrounded by stones, a round Bedouin camp, in the middle of which their tents are pitched, but in which there are also stalls. The Slavic has “and they will settle with their possessions in you.” “And they will eat your fruit and drink your milk.” Until now the food of these nomads consisted of wild fruits and the milk of wild goats; but they will gladly exchange this food for the tender fruits of gardens and the milk of domestic cattle.

Ezekiel 25:5. I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels, and the children of Ammon a fold for flocks, and you will know that I am the Lord. The culture of the land will sink back to the lower level of nomadic culture. “Rabbah”—see the explanation Ezek 21:20. “Camels,” which Arabs possess in vast quantities, and in particular the Arabs living not far from the ruins of Rabbah, now Rabbat-Ammon (Raumer Palestine, p. 268). After Nebuchadnezzar’s defeat, the Ammonite territory belonged to various rulers. Egyptian kings established a city in place of Rabbah, named after Ptolemy Philadelphia—Philadelphia—which still existed under this name in the time of Jerome; in the ruins of this city, finally destroyed by Muslims, remains of theaters, temples, forum and such are found; but all this arose when the Ammonites hardly existed anymore. Wilderness and desolation—this is now the chief character of what was once a rich land. “Children of Ammon—a fold for flocks,” literally “a pasture for flocks” (Slavic: “children of Ammon for a fold of flocks”); “children of Ammon” instead of “their land.” A powerful expression. “And you will know that I am the Lord”—an expression frequent in words against pagan peoples, but hardly meaning their conversion to the Lord (about which Ezekiel speaks nowhere), but only recognition of the power of Jehovah.

Ezekiel 25:6. For thus says the Lord God: Because you clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all malice in your heart against the land of Israel, Ezekiel 25:7. therefore, behold, I will stretch out my hand against you and will give you to the nations for plunder, and I will cut you off from the peoples and wipe you out from among the lands; I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the Lord. Meanwhile, the speech had been about the fate of Ammonite land; now the prophet turns to its population—“You clapped your hands and stamped your feet” in malicious joy; see Ezek 6:11. “In your heart”—not found elsewhere in the Old Testament. “I will stretch out my hand”—Ezek 6:14. “For plunder”—a conjectural translation of an obscure Hebrew hapax. “And you will know that I am the Lord”—see verse 5 and 11; a refrain (see Ezek 1:17).

Ezekiel 25:8. Thus says the Lord God: Because Moab and Seir say, “See, the house of Judah is like all other nations!” Against the Moabites prophesied Balaam (Num 24:18-19), Amos (Amos 2:1), Isaiah (Isa 15:1), Jeremiah (Jer 48:1). The guilt of Moab against Israel, although essentially the same as that of his brother Ammon (2 Sam 24:2; Jer 27:3), appears to be of lesser degree in Ezekiel’s account; therefore a) the threat against him in verse 10 returns to Ammon; b) alongside Moab is placed Seir, that is, Edom, which perhaps as a neighbor drew Moab into sin against Israel; but the LXX do not read “Seir” here (the Slavic does): indeed, a whole word follows against it: verses 12–14. “See, the house of Judah (LXX: ‘the house of Israel and Judah’) is like all other nations.” Consequently, the mercies with which the Lord showered Israel aroused the envy of neighbors. Such talk was a necessary reaction to the claims made by Judah: it felt itself especially noble among all humanity from the time it possessed in the law and temple the tangible reality that others did not possess in this form (Jer 7:4). The mockery is quieter and milder than that of Ammon (compare verse 3).

Ezekiel 25:9. Therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from all its frontier cities, the beauty of the land, from Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim, “Frontier cities,” that is, fortresses guarding the entrance to the land, three of which are then enumerated. “Beauty of the land.”—The cities mentioned were also the finest in the region. But here there may be reference to the beauty of the locality where these three cities were situated, about which Arabs even now say: “you will not find land like Belka” (Tristram). “Beth-jeshimoth,” Greek oikon βεθασιμουθ, Slavic “house of the Jasimutes,” “house of the wilderness”—a city by the Jordan (Num 33:49; according to the Slavic already “Esimoth”; Josh 12:3—according to the Slavic “Bethsimov” and Josh 13:20 Slavic “Bethsimuth”); according to Eusebius (Onomast. 233, 81) it lay 10 Roman miles to the south, more precisely to the south-east of Jericho; perhaps the ruins of what is now Suweime represent it. Compare Josephus Flav. Debell. jud. 4:7, 6. “Baal-meon” (Num 32:38; 1 Chr 5:8), in fuller form “Beth-baal-meon” (Josh 13:17), in shorter form Bet-Maon (Jer 48:23) or even “Veun” (Num 32:3), mentioned also in the inscription of the Moabite king Mesha (lines 9 and 30 in the first and second of the forms cited), according to Eusebius (238, 45) 9 miles from Heshbon, the present Main at wadi Zerka Main. The LXX: “from the spring,” reading meal-mayan and treating it as a place definition for Beth-jeshimoth; but in the Book of Numbers the LXX has “Beel-meon,” in the Book of Joshua “houses of Beelmoni”; and here the Slavic in brackets “Baelman.” “Kiriathaim” (Num 32:37; Josh 13:19; Jer 48:23; compare Gen 14:5; Mesha inscription line 10) according to Eusebius, 10 miles from Medeba; now Kureat (not Kerioth). The LXX: “of a coastal city,” reading qiryat yam and treating it as a place definition for Beth-jeshimoth; but in other places the LXX has “Cariaphem,” “Cariaphaim,” as also here the Slavic in brackets. All three cities belonged to the tribe of Reuben, from which they were taken by the Moabites, probably in the last days of the Israelite kings; Mesha already possessed the last two. The region occupied by them forms a strip of land north of the Arnon. “I will open the side of Moab.” The enemy will break through the chain of frontier fortresses. There may be reference also to the fact that the conquest of the land, unlike the fate of the Ammonites, will be only partial. A beautiful expression. The Slavic: “I will weaken the muscles of Moab.”

Ezekiel 25:10. to the children of the east, and I will give it to them as a possession, together with the children of Ammon, that the children of Ammon may no longer be mentioned among the nations. Ezekiel 25:11. And I will execute judgment on Moab, and they will know that I am the Lord. The Bedouins, who customarily limited themselves to plundering raids and then withdrew to themselves, will this time take possession not only of Ammonite territory but moreover—(Slavic “over”), at least part of Moabite, that is, presumably by the indicated peoples or the region north of the Arnon. The prophet’s attention in this word against Moab is so occupied with Ammon (the more evil enemy than his brother) that he repeats the threat of verse 7b against it (but there: “from the lands,” and here: “from the peoples”). The addition: “I will execute judgment on Moab” shows a milder judgment upon it compared with Ammon. After the captivity, the Ammonites and Moabites are mentioned only in Ezra 9:1; Nehem 13:1; Dan 11:41.

Ezekiel 25:12. Thus says the Lord God: Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah and has become guilty by taking vengeance upon them, There are many earlier prophecies against the Edomites: Num 24:18-19; Amos 1:11; Isa 11:14 etc. Joel 3:19; Obadiah—the whole book; Jer 49:7 etc.; Lam 4:21 etc.; Ps 82:7. Whereas the Ammonites and Moabites only rejoiced at Judea’s destruction, the Edomites actively helped the Chaldeans in its ruin (Obad 1:10-14), taking vengeance for old offenses (2 Sam 14:7), for which a considerable part of Judean territory passed to them (Ezek 35:10). Therefore the prophet returns to them again in chapter XXXV. “Has become guilty.” Israel, as the possession of Jehovah, is inviolable (Jer 2:3; Ezek 35:10); as for the Chaldeans, they acted against him by the command of God.

Ezekiel 25:13. Therefore, thus says the Lord God: I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off from it man and beast, and I will make it a desolation; from Teman to Dedan all by the sword they will fall. For verse 13a compare Ezek 14:13. “I will make it a desolation.” The punishment is harsher than even Ammon (verses 4–5), such as Ezek 6:14. “From Teman to Dedan.” Teman is a city and region on the very north of Edom, and Dedan is on the very south, though it properly belonged not to Edom but was a tribe living to the south of it (Jer 49:8); the LXX, treating Dedan as a verb, translate “pursued.”

Ezekiel 25:14. And I will bring my vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel; and they will do to Edom according to my anger and according to my wrath, and they will know my vengeance, says the Lord God. Such intense hostility toward Israel on the part of a brother people requires that God’s vengeance on Edom be carried out by Israel itself, not by other peoples, as for instance “the children of the east” over Ammon and Moab. The prophecy was fulfilled when Edom was conquered in 128 B.C. by John Hyrcanus (2 Macc 10:15 etc., Josephus Flav., Antiqu. 13:9, 1), who forced this people to accept circumcision. In Edom one can see a type of all that is hostile to the kingdom of God, as is more clearly shown in Amos 9:12; Obad 1:18, where vengeance on Edom refers to the time of the restoration of David’s tabernacle, which thus goes to the times of the Messiah; compare Gen 25:23; Num 24:18; Isa 39:5-6; Ezek 35:1. “My people.” A tenderness rare in the first part of the book; compare the introductory remarks to chapter XIII. “And they will know my vengeance.” Replaces and strengthens the usual refrain in words against heathens: “you will know that I am the Lord” (verses 5, 7, 11); compare verse 17, where the present refrain is weakened.

Ezekiel 25:15. Thus says the Lord God: Because the Philistines acted in revenge and took vengeance with malice in their hearts for the destruction, in perpetual enmity, There are prophecies against the Philistines at Amos 1:6; Isa 9:11; Joel 3:4; Zeph 2:4-7; Obad 1:19; Jer 47:4; Zech 9:5-7. The Philistines probably also made some acquisition at the destruction of the Judean kingdom, though this is not known from any source. The tone of the prophet’s word against them may speak for this—it is as angry as against the Edomites and angrier than against the Ammonites. But this tone may also be explained by the particularly long, constant, and bitter enmity of the Philistines toward Israel. This perpetual enmity is indicated by the expression: “for destruction, in perpetual enmity” (Vulgate.: implentes inimicitias veteres), though the Hebrew allows also the translation: “at the final destruction,” that is, of the Judean kingdom; compare Ezek 35:5; the Slavic “to be consumed even to the age” expresses the intention of the Philistines regarding Judea.

Ezekiel 25:16. Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cretans and destroy the remnant of the seacoast. “I will cut off the Cretans.” So were the Philistines called, as emigrants from Crete (1 Sam 30:14), which was identified by Amos (Amos 9:7) with Kaphtor and which old commentators identified with the present island of Crete; now this identification is not accepted, and the Old Testament considers Kaphtor or Crete to be a region in Egypt or near Egypt. “And I will destroy the remnant of the seacoast.” A wretched remnant of the Philistines had long existed only on the coastal strip: Jer 25:20; Isa 20:1; Amos 1:8. So it is easier to destroy them. No such complete destruction is predicted for the Edomites.

Ezekiel 25:17. And I will execute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes; and they will know that I am the Lord, when I execute my vengeance on them. “Great vengeance with furious rebukes.” Very strong indignation, seemingly stronger than against Edom; compare Ezek 5:15. The executors of the punishment are not indicated, not as for the three previous pagan peoples, by which the horror of it is increased. The fulfillment of the prophecy began with the attack of Egyptians on Gaza and the devastation of the land by the Chaldeans, described in detail and harshly by Jeremiah in Jer 47.

Chapter Twenty-Six

The Siege and Destruction of Tyre

Chapters XXVI–XXVIII contain three prophecies against Tyre and one against Sidon. Although Tyre apparently had no relations with Israel other than commercial, and certainly no hostile ones, the prophet devotes to it three words, and from Ezek 29:17-21 four words, because in the conquest by Nebuchadnezzar of such a great and impregnable, foremost in commerce city, the power of God, acting through the latter, was revealed, and because Tyre underwent the same fate as Jerusalem, though it hoped to profit from Jerusalem’s fall. Already in the 4th year of Jehoiakim Jeremiah threatened Tyre with Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 25:22); perhaps it participated in the war of Necho with Nebuchadnezzar at the beginning of Zedekiah’s reign, being subject to Nebuchadnezzar but inclined to rebel from him (Jer 27:3 etc.), which it probably did in alliance with Zedekiah, the Ammonites, and others (Ezek 21:1). After this rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar first rushed at Jerusalem, fearing it would fall into the hands of the Egyptians moving from the south; but Phoenicia, which did not have such strategic significance, he dealt with when he had repulsed the Egyptians; and when Jerusalem fell, Nebuchadnezzar was already in Hamath, on the border of Phoenicia (2 Sam 25:21; Jer 52:27). The siege begun immediately lasted 13 years and ended, it seems, not entirely successfully for Nebuchadnezzar (Ezek 29:18, Josephus Flav. Antiqu. 10:11, 1). The prophet, who began his words against Tyre before its siege (Ezek 26:1), predicts in them the destruction of the city, first drawing a picture of this destruction (chapter XXVI), in which he is so confident that he pronounces over the city a funeral song (chapter XXVII); then the prophet addresses the king of Tyre (chapter XXVIII), whose death he first describes (verses 1–10), then mourns (verses 11–19). The words against Tyre are the most poetic and beautiful part of the book, especially the description of the Tyrian ship in chapter XXVII.—The picture of Tyre’s destruction, given in chapter XXVI, falls into a general threat to it (verses 1–6), a description of the horrors of the siege and its conquest (verses 7–14), and a description of the impression its destruction will make on the world (verses 15–21).

Ezekiel 26:1. In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: “The 11th year,” that is, of the captivity of Jehoiachin and of the prophet, which was also the 11th year of the reign of Zedekiah, and consequently the year of the destruction of Jerusalem. 586 B.C. The month is indicated neither in the Hebrew nor in the LXX, perhaps because the date applies to all three words against Tyre, pronounced in different months. The agreement of all manuscripts in the omission of this date does not allow us to suppose that it has been lost. Since Jerusalem was conquered on the 9th of IV of this year, destroyed on the 10th of V (Jer 52:6), and the prophet learned of this on the 5th of X (Ezek 33:21), the word, which presupposes the event to be known and even evaluated by its significance in Tyre (verse 2), could not have been pronounced or written before the 11th–12th month of 585 B.C.

Ezekiel 26:2. Son of man! Because Tyre has said of Jerusalem, “Aha! The gateway of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me; I will be filled, now that it is laid waste,” There are prophecies against Tyre also at Amos 1:9-10; Joel 3:4; Isa 23:1; Jer 25:22; Zech 9:2-4. Tyre, from the Hebrew “Tzor”—“rock.” The LXX, translating this word as “Tyre” everywhere, here for some reason prefer the transcription Σορ, Slavic “Sor”: perhaps they wished thereby to point to island Tyre, which replaced the continental Tyre taken by Salmaneser and later destroyed by Alexander, which was 1,200 feet away from it; the prophet indeed seems to have in view chiefly the island Tyre: verses 5, 14; Ezek 27:4. “Aha!”—see explanation Ezek 25:3. “The gateway of the peoples”—Jerusalem appeared to Tyre as such, insofar as commercial caravans going from the south, from rich Egypt for example, had to pass through Judea and hardly did so without toll or certainly not disadvantageously to Jerusalem and without loss to Tyre, for which reason the latter is glad at the destruction of these gates. LXX: “the nations have perished,” that is, those who lived at the expense of Jerusalem. “I will be filled; it is laid waste.” Jerusalem will no longer be a rival in commerce to Tyre. Slavic: “which was fulfilled becomes desolate.”

Ezekiel 26:3. Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring up many nations against you, like the sea raises its waves. “Behold, I am against you”—Ezek 5:13. “I will bring up many nations against you.” “Nations will come to Tyre, but not as he expected” (Smend). The plural indicates that it is not only the Babylonian invasion, from which Tyre did not ultimately perish. “Like the sea raises its waves.” Tyre was often subjected to floods (Seneca Nat. quaest. VI, 26. Movers Phoenic. II, 201). The sea, which enriched Tyre, often destroyed it as well.

Ezekiel 26:4. And they will destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; and I will scrape her dust from her and make her a bare rock. According to Arrian (II, 18, 3) and Quintus Curtius (IV, 2, 9), the island Tyre was surrounded by walls and towers, which certainly existed already in the prophet’s time. “I will scrape her dust from her.” Nothing will remain of Tyre after the siege but rubble. Perhaps there is reference also to earthquakes, to which Tyre was frequently subjected (Movers, l.c.). “A bare rock.” The expression shows, as does also the following verse, that the chief aim is the island Tyre, built on a rocky island.

Ezekiel 26:5. A place for spreading nets will it become in the midst of the sea; for I have spoken it, says the Lord God; and it will become plunder for the nations. “A place for spreading nets.” For drying fishing nets, a rocky, open, and desert place is most suitable. A beautiful expression in its concreteness that sounds terrifying for Tyre, intensifying the thought of its complete devastation. “In the midst of the sea.” Consequently, at least chiefly the island Tyre is in view. “For plunder for the nations”—see the next verse.

Ezekiel 26:6. And her daughters on the mainland will be killed by the sword; and they will know that I am the Lord. “Daughters”—cities: dependent cities and settlements nearest to it; see Ezek 16:46. With regard to Tyre, such daughters could only be settlements on the shore, on the mainland, “the so-called Old Tyre,” Palaetyrus. “Will be killed by the sword” does not mean the settlements, but their inhabitants: the comparison passes into direct speech. There may be reference to the fact that the inhabitants of island Tyre will lose only property (“for plunder for the nations”—verse 5), as many of them will be able to escape, while Old Tyre will pay with its life as well.

Ezekiel 26:7. For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, a king of kings, with horses and chariots, and with horsemen and an army and many soldiers. “Against Tyre.” LXX: “upon you Sor.” “Nebuchadnezzar.” According to the Hebrew “Nebucadrezzar,” as everywhere in Ezekiel (Ezek 29:18 etc. Ezek 30:10) and Jer 21:2 instead of the more common later form “Nebuchadnezzar” (Jer 27:6; 2 Sam 24:1 etc. Ezra; Nehemiah; Esther; Daniel; Chronicles), but less correct: from the Babylonian Nabu-kudurri-usur “May Nebo guard the crown.” “From the north,” as the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar is represented also in Jer 1:13-14. It is hardly Riblah that is meant, where Nebuchadnezzar’s military headquarters was at that time (2 Sam 25:21; Jer 52:9). “King of kings.” A title adopted by Babylonian kings (Dan 2:37), apparently because of their many vassal kings (Isa 10:8), and borrowed from them by Persian kings (Ezra 7:12), perhaps in place of and strengthening the title “great king” which Assyrian kings already had (Isa 36:4; 2 Sam 18:28). In this and other places, God Himself through the prophet, as it were, sanctions this title, because only God could give such authority to this king over other kings. But by full right such a title belongs only to the Son of God, who took it when earthly kings clearly showed they were abusing such a great prerogative (1 Tim 6:15; Rev 17:12-14). “With many soldiers”—the Slavic is stronger: “with an assembly of many languages.”

Ezekiel 26:8. He will slay your daughters on the mainland with the sword; and he will set up siege towers against you and cast up a siege mound against you and raise a shield wall against you; In his campaign against Tyre, Nebuchadnezzar will first encounter the mainland settlements (“on the mainland”) of Tyre mentioned in verse 6 (“your daughters”); these small cities will hardly be in a state to offer him any resistance (“slay with the sword”). On the other hand, against the island Tyre he will have to resort to a regular siege, which will be greatly hindered by Tyre’s position by the sea. “Siege towers”—Hebrew dayeq—Ezek 4:2. “A siege mound”—in this case it had to be conducted across the sea strait. But the Chaldeans were masters in siege work: Hab 1:10; Isa 23:13. “A shield wall.” Probably an entire roof made of shields to protect those working in the siege from the enemy’s arrows—the Roman testudo, not ordinary shields, to which the verb “raise” would not fit. However, the Assyro-Babylonians had a special kind of large, man-high shields placed on the ground, under cover of which the besieged city was mined (Beitrage zur Assyrologie und semitisch. Sprachwissenschaft III, 75). The LXX have in this verse much that is extra compared to the Hebrew (perhaps duplicates or supplements from 4:2): “and he will bring up a siege against you (a siege wall), and encircle you with a fortification, and dig a ditch for you, and make a rampart for you with a palisade (χαρακα), and surround it with weapons (περιστασυ ᾿οπλων—perhaps battering rams) and set up spears (perhaps catapults) against you”; the latter should be a duplicate translation of the first sentence of the Hebrew verse 9.

Ezekiel 26:9. And he will direct the shock of his battering rams against your walls and break down your towers with his axes. “Battering rams”—a conjectural, but most likely translation of the Hebrew hapax—meches kabel, of which the first must mean “blow,” and the second is similar to the name of the ram in Marseille and Carthaginian Phoenician inscriptions. “Your towers.” The Slavic leaves the Greek word “pyrgi your”—your towers—untranslated, while from the previous clause it introduces “your walls.” “With axes”—cherev, Hebrew “sword,” but properly must be “iron” and every iron tool, for example, an adze (Exod 20:25); Slavic: “with his weapons.”

Ezekiel 26:10. From the multitude of his horses their dust will cover you; your walls will shake at the sound of the horsemen and carts and chariots, when he enters your gates as one enters a city that is breached. The entry of cavalry into island Tyre was something unheard of and perhaps possible thanks to a dam or mole across the sea strait. While this mole was being constructed, Tyre could long hear the ill-omened sound of enemy cavalry and chariots (compare Jer 8:16) on the shore, from which its walls trembled. There are so many horses that a whole layer of dust from them will settle on the city (compare Nah 1:3). “When he enters your gates as one enters a city that is breached,” Slavic “into a city from the field.” A comparison explained particularly by the Slavic rendering—island Tyre’s enemies will enter it as easily as they would enter a continental city through a breached wall (Slavic “from the field”). This presupposes a causeway or bridge across the strait. Nebuchadnezzar had no fleet. Ancient historians who wrote about Tyre (Berossus, Philostratus, Menander) do not speak of a siege of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar; and the passage Ezek 29:18 may apparently testify that Nebuchadnezzar’s siege ended unsuccessfully and Tyre was not taken. In view of this, not only modern rationalists consider this prophecy unfulfilled, but also old commentators allowed such an assumption, defending the prophet by saying that God revoked His terrible judgment at Tyre’s repentance, as He once did for Nineveh (Scaliger). But the silence of historians about the siege does not refute its fact: historians drew from Phoenician sources (Berossus), which for obvious reasons could have omitted this sad page of their history. Josephus Flavius (C. App. 1, 21) according to Phoenician sources recounts that around the time of Ezekiel two Tyrian princes—Merbaal and Irom lived in Babylon, from where they were invited to Tyre to occupy the throne. It is natural to think that they ended up there like Jehoiachin, either as hostages; this testifies that the result of Tyre’s siege was at least Tyre’s vassalage to Babylon, if not its destruction. That Nebuchadnezzar did not destroy Tyre may be evidenced by its later siege by Alexander the Great and Antipatrus (315–313). But Ezekiel does not speak of destruction but only of Tyre’s taking by Nebuchadnezzar; see especially verse 14.

Ezekiel 26:11. With the hooves of his horses he will trample all your streets; your people he will slay with the sword, and your mighty pillars will fall to the ground. “Your people”—chiefly the military—as in verse 7. Ezek 30:11. “Your mighty pillars”—literally “statues of your strength” (Vulgate. statuae tuae nobiles). This should first of all be the two famous statues described by Herodotus (II, 34), tall pillars—statues of Melkart (Tyrian Baal, as god of commerce), one of which was golden and the other emerald, which stood at the entrance to the temple of this god (compare 1 Sam 7:21), and then other sacred statues-idols, in the protection of which the Tyrians placed their strength. Hardly statues of heroes. LXX: “the substance (υποστασιν) of your strength.”

Ezekiel 26:12. They will plunder your riches and loot your merchandise; they will tear down your walls and demolish your fine houses; and they will cast your stones and timbers and dust into the sea. The city will be plundered and destroyed. “Your riches”—Slavic literally from the Hebrew “your strength,” but hayil means riches in Ezek 28:4; Jer 15:13. “Your merchandise,” Slavic “your possessions.” “Fine houses,” mentioned in Isa 23:13, which were very tall because of the limited space the city had. “Your dust”—rubble; compare verse 4. The LXX place the verbs in the singular, understanding Nebuchadnezzar as the subject.

Ezekiel 26:13. And I will silence the music of your songs, and the sound of your lyres will be heard no more. There will be no manifestation of joy: singing and music, with which, consequently, Tyre was very much occupied. Slavic instead of “sound” has “multitude”; “of your songs”—“of music”; “of your lyres”—“of singers”—ψαλτηριων. Compare Amos 5:23; Isa 14:11; Jer 7:34; Rev 18:22.

Ezekiel 26:14. And I will make you a bare rock; you shall be a place for spreading nets; you will never be built again, for I the Lord have spoken it, says the Lord God. In the conclusion of the first part, its beginning is repeated—verses 4 and 5. “You will never be built again.” Now nothing remains of continental Tyre, and of island Tyre there remain ruins, preserved since the time of the crusaders and Saracens, who finally destroyed Tyre. But in the time of Jerome, Tyre was still very rich and flourishing, and Jerome removed the contradiction of the prophecy with reality by supposing that Ezekiel, like Isaiah in chapter XXIII (see verse 17), speaks only of the fact that Tyre will no longer be the queen of nations; at this Jerome remarks that according to other commentators, the prophecy refers to the last times. The prophet indeed does not say that Tyre will be destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar: in verse 12, he changes the 3rd person singular of the preceding verses to indefinite 3rd person plural, and in verses 13 and 14, the one acting is God Himself, to whom therefore the final destruction of Tyre is attributed. The ultimate fates of Tyre were not as clearly revealed to the prophet’s contemplation as its immediate ones, which cannot help but have its limits.

Ezekiel 26:15. Thus says the Lord God to Tyre: Will not the coastlands shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded moan, when slaughter is made in your midst? The devastating and depressing news of Tyre’s fall is poetically presented as if the sound of this fall and the groaning of the wounded reached the neighboring nations. “Will not shake?” A question in token of the certainty of the fact. “The coastlands”—usually called not only islands, but all maritime powers of the Mediterranean. All of them could hardly be assured of their safety from the great conqueror with Tyre’s fall.

Ezekiel 26:16. And all the princes of the sea will come down from their thrones and remove their robes and take off their embroidered garments; they will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground and tremble every moment and be appalled at you. “They will come down,” to sit on the floor in sign of mourning. “The princes of the sea”—either the princes of maritime nations, whose public system the prophet presents in the image of Tyre (compare Ezek 28:21), as also the LXX: “princes of the nations of the sea,” or the Tyrian merchants who governed Tyre’s colonies, whose wealth and luxury made them equal to kings (Isa 23:8). “From their thrones”—regal or luxurious seats (1 Sam 4:13). “Robes,” Hebrew meíl—an upper garment without sleeves; LXX: “crowns,” mitras. “Embroidered garments” Ezek 16:10. “They will clothe themselves with trembling”—instead of rich garments (Ezek 7:27); there should be reference to mourning garments, the wearing of which in this case will be joined with fear besides sorrow. Slavic: “they will be seized with horror.” “They will sit on the ground”—a sign of mourning; see Job 2:13. “And tremble every moment and be appalled at you,” Slavic: “and fear their own destruction and will lament over you.”

Ezekiel 26:17. And they will raise a lamentation over you and say to you, “How you have vanished from the seas, O city renowned, that was mighty on the sea, you and your inhabitants, who imposed your terror on all your neighbors!” “How”—Hebrew ek—the usual beginning of a lamentation song (Lam 1:1), which here is very short: verse 17 and perhaps 18. “Inhabited by seafarers.” Slavic: “you have dispersed from the sea”—you disappeared from the sea, on which you were so famous. “Was mighty on the sea, you and your inhabitants,”—it, thanks to its sea position (Nah 3:8), they, thanks to their fleet. “Who imposed your terror on all your inhabitants.” “Inhabitants,” that is, either the sea, or Tyre: the population of Tyre could have been divided into a higher class and lower, which trembled before the former, or under “inhabitants” are understood the colonies, which were entirely subordinate to the strict metropolis. Slavic: “you gave your fear to all living in you”: the Tyrians themselves experienced a fearful respect for the power of their city, a feeling analogous to what every Roman felt later.

Ezekiel 26:18. Now, on the day of your fall, the coastlands tremble; the coastlands by the sea are dismayed at your passing. “Tremble”—now not from fear of Tyre, but from horror at its fall, which reminded them of their own helplessness. “The coastlands”—perhaps shores. “The coastlands.” As the clarification “by the sea” shows, islands in the proper sense; moreover, in the Hebrew the first has an unusual Aramaic plural ending (with nun instead of mem). “At your passing,” Slavic more precisely: “from your departure.”

Ezekiel 26:19. For thus says the Lord God: When I make you a city laid waste, like the cities that are not inhabited, when I bring up the deep over you and the great waters cover you; Again, directly at the end of the speech, a prediction is given of Tyre’s destruction, whereby the former thought (verse 14) is reinforced—that the destruction will be final. Here it becomes clear that before its final destruction Tyre will lose its former power and drag out a miserable existence, which was the result of Nebuchadnezzar’s siege. Tyre’s final destruction is presented here directly as the work of the sea, while in verse 4 it was only compared to drowning in the sea: the sea could not be indifferent to the impiety and pride of Tyre, obligated to it for everything, and, like the earth, not tolerating great wickedness, it had to drown it, coming with its inundations and earthquakes (see explanation of verse 3) to the aid of the conquerors. “The abyss,” Hebrew tehom (Gen 1:2)—the depth of the sea, considered as the first sea that feeds the upper, or simply the sea.

Ezekiel 26:20. Then I will bring you down with those who descend into the pit, to the people of old, and I will make you dwell in the world below, in the eternal desolations, with those who go down to the pit, so that you will not be inhabited; but I will set glory in the land of the living. The verse breathes the spirit of the tomb, the chill of the grave and hell. “With those who descend into the pit.” Not directly: “I will bring down into the pit,” because the speech is of the city in its entirety, with buildings and so forth. “The pit,” Hebrew bor, properly here ; Slavic “abyss”; Vulgate. lacus (lake). See Isa 14:15. “To the people of old,” Slavic more precisely: “to the people of the age,” that is, to long-vanished nations from the earth, for example, Rephaim and other giants; compare Ezek 28:8 etc. “In the world below,” literally—in the depths of the earth: the kingdom of darkness, for clarity, is imagined in the bowels of the earth, as the aggregate of all graves. “In the eternal desolations,” Slavic more precisely: “as an eternal desolation.” Tyre’s place will not differ from never-inhabited wastes. “I will set glory in the land of the living.” While Tyre is in the underworld, God on the earth, in the world presenting with living people the opposite of the dead underworld, more specifically—in the land of Israel, as the best of all (Ezek 39:21; Ezek 20:6), will accomplish something glorious, will establish the kingdom of His glory, the establishment of which Tyre seemed to hinder by its existence (Ezek 38:16). But more in accordance with the context is the LXX reading: “neither shall you rise on the earth of the living”; a somewhat different, milder fate of Egypt: Ezek 29:13 etc. Isa 19:18 etc.

Ezekiel 26:21. I will make you a terror, and you will be no more; though you be sought for, you will never be found again, says the Lord God. “A terror will I make you.” Vulgate. in nihilum redigam te (I will reduce you to nothing). “And you will be no more; though you be sought for, you will never be found again.” Nothing will remain of Tyre, not even ruins by which one could determine its place. The place of continental Tyre indeed remains unknown to this day. A terrible fate, rarely destined to any ancient kingdom, probably for special depravity, inevitable with enormous wealth, and perhaps for the ruinous role played in the corruption of the Israelite kingdom.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

A Lamentation over Tyre

The destruction of Tyre is so certain for the prophet that he can already perform a funeral lament over it. This lament is no less sincere than the lamentation of chapter XIX over the princes of Israel, because Tyre was also, in a sense, a chosen one of God (Ezek 28:12-14), and the destruction of all greatness cannot but inspire sympathy. Having presented Tyre in the image of one of those ships adorned with royal splendor that filled the harbor of the city, the prophet depicts Tyre’s destruction as the wreck of this ship on the sea. The resulting two parts of the discourse—the description of the ship (verses 3–9) and its wreck (verses 24–36—a part twice as large as the preceding, since Tyre’s destruction is what matters most to the prophet; verses 24–31 are the actual destruction, verses 32–36 the impression produced by it), are separated by the section of verses 10–23, where the prophet abandons his comparison and describes the rich market of Tyre. The chapter is considered the most poetic in the book; such especially are the first and third parts of it, which have even a poetic—namely, distich (two-line)—structure, for example:

Tyre, you say, “I am perfect in beauty.”

Your domain is in the heart of the seas; your builders have perfected your beauty, etc.

Ezekiel 27:3. And say to Tyre, “O you, who dwell by the entrances of the sea, merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, thus says the Lord God: O Tyre, you have said, ‘I am perfect in beauty.’” “In the entrances of the sea,” literally “in the entrances, inlets of the sea,” that is, in bays, harbors. There were two in Tyre: Sidonian to the north and Egyptian to the south; the first exists even now; the location of the second could not be determined (Renan, Mission de Phenicie, p. 556). Slavic: “on a maritime entrance”—a gulf. “Merchant of the peoples.” Literally “merchant woman.” LXX: “marketplace of peoples,” εμποριφ λαων, market of peoples. “With the peoples on many coastlands.” The chief significance of Tyre was that it was the intermediary in the trade of Asia with the islands and coasts (see explanation of Ezek 26:15) of the Mediterranean Sea. “You have said.” Tyre is reproached for self-exaltation also in Ezek 28:2 etc. “I am perfect in beauty!” Lam 2:15; Ezek 16:14. Slavic: “I have laid my beauty upon myself” (the self-exaltation is intensified). The beauty and riches of Tyre are praised by all ancient historians. Hebrew kelilat yofi. In Egyptian, Phoenicia was called Iagi—“beauty”: Budde (Bibl. Urg. 358) compares this with the name Iapheg (“beauty”), which he considers to represent Phoenicia.

Ezekiel 27:4. Your domain is in the heart of the seas; your builders have perfected your beauty: “Domain,” Hebrew gevul, may mean also “edge” (Ezek 43:20), “projection” (Ezek 40:12), with regard to a ship (about which the speech is, as it compares to Tyre), it may be “side.” And the LXX probably considered the word a nautical term, because they resorted to transcription: “in the heart of the seas Beleimom”—τω Βεελειμ, perhaps more precisely: “Beeleimom.” “In the heart of the seas”—in the midst of the sea, which by its size and intricacy truly deserves the name of seas (the Mediterranean). The strait between the island of Tyre and the mainland was 4 stades (Movers, Phoenic. II, 1, 223). “Builders.” Slavic “sons,” which is similar in Hebrew. “Have perfected your beauty.” Made it so beautiful that nothing could be more beautiful. Slavic like verse 3: “they laid your beauty upon you.”

Ezekiel 27:5. Your planks were made of pine trees from Senir; your mast was cedar from Lebanon; The comparison with a ship to Tyre was all the more appropriate because it was called Tyros instabilis due to its frequent earthquakes (Lucan. Pharsal. III. 217) and because, with its harbors, it presented what must have been a whole forest of masts. This famous ship was unique in its kind and therefore built from the most expensive materials gathered from all over the world, but which were actually used on ships. “The Hebrew loved to use geographical definitions as epitheta ornantia” (Bertholet.). “From Senir.” “Senir” according to Deut 3:9 is an Amorite, and according to cuneiform inscriptions (“Saniru”) and Assyrian (Schrader, K. u. A. T. 159. Delitzsch Wo lag d. Paradies 104) name of Hermon (or Anti-Lebanon), properly the northern or north-western part of it in relation to Damascus (Abulfelda according to Smend), which is why it is distinguished in Song 4:8; 1 Chr 5:23 from Hermon itself. “Pine trees,” Hebrew berosh, a tree that, along with cedar, served as the main material for temple structures (1 Sam 5:8); the peaks of Hermon were famous for cypress and it was considered especially expensive and fine building material: Sir 24:14; Verg. Georg. II, 443; Theophr. Hist. pl. V, 8. But the LXX: “cedar,” and further “cypress” instead of “cedar,” perhaps a transposition by oversight. “Your planks.” Hebrew luchötayim—“boards” dual—construction of double boards, consequently, as in Russian—“deck”; Vulgate likewise: labatis. The LXX: “thin boards” and refer to the following proposition, owing to which it seems that the fir masts are made of cypress boards. “Cedar in Syria was the usual ship-building material: Plin. XVI, 40, 76.” “Your mast,” Hebrew törez, properly “pine,” hence “high signal” Isa 30:17 and “mast”—already at Isa 33:23. Therefore the LXX: “spruce masts (masts; ιστους) of fir.”

Ezekiel 27:6. Your oars were made of the oaks of Bashan; your deck was made of boxwood inlaid with ivory from the coasts of Kittim; Bashan, later called Batanea, east of the Jordan, besides strong oak (Isa 2:13; Zech 11:2), was famous for cattle (Deut 32:14; Amos 4:1; Ezek 39:18). “Your deck”—a conjectural translation according to the Vulgate (transtra) from the Hebrew keresh, which in Exod 26:32 refers to columns in the walls of the tabernacle. LXX—“sanctuaries,” reading apparently “kodesh” and understanding ship’s chapels. “From boxwood.” Hebrew bat ashurim, literally “daughter of Assyrians.” Ashur was also called a region in transjordanian Palestine (perhaps named after some unknown Arab tribe: 2 Sam 2:9). Since these words in the Hebrew are a definition of “ivory,” the expression should convey the idea that the ship’s decks were made of ivory, a product (“daughter”) of Assyrians or the Ashur region (hence the Vulgate; ex ebore Indico). But given the oddity of such an expression, some propose vocalizing bi-tashurim, which gives the idea that the decks were made of ivory in beech: theasuri in Isa 41:18 is some kind of wood like beech or larch (cedar with a straight arrangement of branches): it is known even from the Aeneid (10, 135–137) that beech was often trimmed with ivory. Slavic: “wooden houses” (bat read as bant), that is, cabins. Vulgate. praetoriola, by which Jerome, according to his own words, wished to denote cupboards for storing valuables (from praetore—the admiral on a ship). “Ivory,” Hebrew shen, properly “tooth” in the sense of “ivory” (since it is obtained from elephant tusks) is used in 1 Sam 10:18, Song 5:14: Greek εξ ελεφαντος, Slavic “of elephants (bones).” “From the coasts of Kittim.” Κιτιον is a Phoenician colony on Cyprus, which gave its name to the entire island, and beyond it to other islands and coastal lands of the Mediterranean: Greece, Italy (1 Macc 1:1; 1 Macc 8:5). Therefore the Vulgate: “de insulis Italiae” (apparently from the desire to include his homeland in the biblical text). Cyprus provided good pine for ships: trabes (logs) Surgia in Horace.

Ezekiel 27:7. Fine linen from Egypt was your sail, serving as your banner; blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was your awning. “Fine linen,” Slavic more precisely: “fine linen with embroidery”; about fine linen see Ezek 9:2. Patterned, that is, woven of different colors, of course, was more expensive and considered more beautiful than plain white, and in Tyre it was used instead of plain linen for sails! “As your banner”—a conjectural translation of Hebrew nes, used in other places in the sense of “sign”; on images of Egyptian ships at Wilkinson’s (Manners and customs III, 208) and Rosselini (Mon. civ. Tab. 107), there is no pennant, but only one sail on one mast—wide, square, divided into red and blue squares, and surrounded by a gilded border (“patterned”). The ship of Antony and Cleopatra at Actium had purple sails. Slavic instead of “served as your banner”—“was for you a couch (στρωμνη, apparently a bed in the cabin) to cover you with glory” (such couches were objects of wonder—?). “Blue and purple linen,” Slavic “blue and in crimson,” Hebrew tekelet and argaman—two kinds of purple; about the first kind see Ezek 23:6; the second kind is mentioned also 2 Chr 2:7, in Assyrian “argamanu”—red purple. “The coasts of Elishah”—according to some, the Peloponnese, as its ancient name Geese (Hellespont), Epi, Eleusis, and the fact that it was rich in purple snails suggests; according to others, Carthage, founded by the daughter of the Tyrian king Dido, whose first name was Elishah; according to third, Sicily and lower Italy. The place occupied by Elishah in the genealogy Gen 10—between Iavan (Ionians) and Tharshish (in Spain)—favors all three assumptions; all three places could bear such a name and be, if not the origin, then the place of processing of purple. The expression does not say that Elishah’s purple was better than Phoenician, which was considered first rate (Str. 16, 457), but only that the whole world brings tribute to Tyre. “As your awning”—a tent to protect the deck from sun and rain; therefore the Slavic correctly and beautifully: “and it was your garment.”

Ezekiel 27:8. The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers; your skilled men, O Tyre, were in you; they were your pilots. “As the construction, so the crew of the ship is composed of the best materials” (Kraetzschmar). The way Ezekiel composes this crew from different Phoenician cities may perhaps reflect the political relations of powers in the Phoenician alliance, whose hegemony belonged to Tyre. To this alliance probably also belonged old Sidon (now Sanda), submitting thus to Tyre. Arvad (Gen 10:18) Assyr. Arvada, Armada, Aradu, Orthosia of the Greeks, an island with a city of the same name, founded by Sidonian emigrants, at the mouth of the Eleutherus, 20 stades from the shore, to the north of Tripoli; now Ruwad, Ruweyde; according to Strabo (16, 753) was famous for ship-builders. Slavic: “Aradani.” “Rowers”—sailors, low-ranking ship workers, commanded as captains and pilots (“pilots”) by the Tyrians themselves. “Skilled”—the Slavic more precisely “wise.” About these wise men of Tyre, Ezekiel, on the basis of Ezek 28:3; Zech 9:2, is supposedly speaking ironically.

Ezekiel 27:9. Elders of Gebal were in you, caulking your seams; all the ships of the sea with their sailors were in you, plying for exchange. “Elders,” Slavic “ancients,” Vulgate. more precisely senes, a special term to designate members of the council, by which were governed the majority of maritime Semitic cities (Renan, La miss. d. Phoen. 453). “Gebal,” Slavic “Biblyans,” Greek Βιβλιων—Byblos (Assyr. Gubla, Kubla), so famous for the cult of Adonis, now Jebail, between Tripoli and Beirut. “Skilled,” Slavic more precisely “wise,” as about Tyre in verse 8; moreover, Byblos was known as a learned city: Philo of Byblos, Sanchuniathon. “Caulking your seams,” literally “water paths for you.” Consequently, there was such a specialty among ship crews. Slavic: “these strengthened your counsel”—reference to the above-mentioned “councils of elders” in maritime Phoenician cities. “With them” begins direct discourse about Tyre: the comparison with a ship is abandoned. “In you”—in the harbor of Tyre. “For exchange,” literally “for the exchange of exchange goods,” merchandise; Hebrew maárab from the root “to exchange” (only here, verse 27, and verse 34 clearly in the sense of “goods”; but ancient translators wavered in its meaning: LXX “to the wests of the wests,” that is, sailed to the very far west; Symm. επιμιξια, communication; Vulgate. negotiatio). The expression clearly recalls that trade was originally barter.

Ezekiel 27:10. Persia and Lydia and Libya were in your army, your men of war; they hung the shield and helmet in you; they gave you splendor. A list begins and goes to verse 25 of the peoples who had relations with Tyre, chiefly commercial, a list reminiscent in length and fullness of the genealogy of chapter X of Genesis. The principle of the order accepted in the list, insofar as it can be noted, is a spiral, tightening around Tyre and beginning from the most distant peoples of the northeast and southwest of the Hebrew world of that time. “Persia.” Hebrew paras, as is evident from Ezra 9 and the LXX, means exactly the Persians, who appear for the first time under this name in Ezekiel (earlier they appeared under the family name “Elam” Gen 10:22 etc.) here and in Ezek 38:5, where they are named first (as here) among Gog’s allies. The fact that they are placed here partly and especially in Ezek 38:5 alongside clearly African peoples prompts some commentators to understand by paras not Persians but some African people, for example, the Rhorsi or Pharusii (Plin. V, 1, 8; VI, 30, 35; Ptol. IV, 6, 16), who according to Strabo (17, 826) were good archers. The relations of the Phoenicians and Persians were not yet known well enough that one could not (with some interpretation) rule out the presence of Persians in the Phoenician army for hire. “Lydia.” A translation from the Hebrew lud. Lud—a people, which according to Ezek 30:5 and Jer 46:9 appears alongside Cush (Ethiopians) and Put (here “Libyan”) as an ally of Egypt and Isa 66:19 is classed (with Tarshish and Pul) among the distant peoples of the west; therefore this is hardly the Lesser Asiatic Lydians (Gen 10:22), but rather a people descended from Ludim (Gen 10:14), the firstborn son of Mizraim (Egypt), a people, consequently African, whose dwelling place is unknown; perhaps—Λεναθαι (Mov. l.c., 2, 377 etc.), ancestors of the Berbers, but they appear from the 6th century B.C. “Libyan.” A translation from Hebrew Put. Put appears alongside Cush and Lud according to Jer 46:9 in the service of Egypt, and according to Ezekiel Ezek 38:5 an ally of Gog; compare Nah 3:9. Gen 10:6 places Put alongside Cush, Mizraim, and Canaan, son of Ham. In Mauritania many Greek writers mention the river and place Φουντη, Φουθ, Put (Ptol. IV, 1, 3; Plin. V, 1, 13). Egyptian Libya was called Fayat in Coptic. The inscription on the tomb of Darius I mentions the African people Put; compare also the Book of Jubilees, chapter XI. “Were in your army,” apparently as hired soldiers. From the indicated peoples Lud, according to Isa 66:19 and Jer 46:9, was a good archer; according to Strabo (17, 828), the Pharusii were such archers too and had combat chariots with bows. Jer 46:9 contrasts Put as a heavy-armed archer to Lud. Hence also the Slavic instead of “men of war”—“valiant men of yours.” “They hung the shield and helmet in you.” The Phoenician custom of hanging on the walls of a city the shields and helmets of the defeated (as trophies or merely for decoration) was adopted by Solomon and by the Hebrews: 1 Sam 10:16-17; Song 4:4; 1 Macc 4:57. Ships too were hung with shields (Layard 2, 388; Mov. 2, 3, 179 etc.). “They gave you splendor,” the Slavic more precisely: “glory.” Such a skillful composition of an army (and perhaps also the abundance of hung shields and helmets) gave special luster and military glory to Tyre.

Ezekiel 27:11. The men of Arvad with your own army were on your walls all around, and Gamadites were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls all around; they completed your beauty. Hired soldiers, described in the preceding verse, as the present verse shows, were sent in a column, while Tyre itself was guarded by its own, Phoenician forces (Slavic: “and your strength”). The core of its garrison (“were on your walls”) were apparently the Arvadites (compare verse 8). “And Gamadites.” Until recently, this Hebrew word was a riddle and was considered the name of a people completely lost to historical memory; but now it has been compared (Kraetzschmar) with the kamadu mentioned in Egyptian inscriptions and in the Tel-el-Amarna inscription kumidi—a southern Phoenician principality (to which often in eastern languages q is replaced by g, for instance, Gebal verse 9 in Assyrian was called Kubla). LXX: “your watchers” without “and,” considering it a continuation of the preceding proposition: the Arvadites and Tyre’s own forces were watchers (a garrison) of the city (guards on its walls), housed in the towers (“pirgoi”); the Slavic has a doublet “but also Midians” from Symmachus, who divided the Hebrew wegammadim into wegam—“but also” and madii—“Midians.” Vulgate. Pygmaei; deriving from Arab. and Ethiop. root gamad—“to cut.” “Shields,” Hebrew shelet, in other places “shield”; but the LXX “bucklers”; parallel to verse 10b. Ezek 27:12-24. A detailed description is given of Tyre’s market itself; this market is viewed from the perspective of its diversity of peoples and merchandise. In this enumeration of peoples, the peoples of the Mediterranean Sea (verses 12–14), consequently the western ones, are followed by the east in three parallel lines running from south to north (verses 15–18, 19–21, 22–24). Omitted are those peoples about which there was already mention (for example, Elishah); for others there is no great commercial (Ezek 17:4) city of Babylon: it could not be considered a servant of Tyre, nor Egypt (compare verse 7). To prevent the reader from tiring of the monotony of the enumeration, it is diversified with synonyms: “traded,” “paid you,” “delivered,” “exchanged,” “bartered,” “went in exchange for you.”

Ezekiel 27:12. Tarshish was your merchant because of your abundant wealth; silver, iron, tin, and lead they exchanged for your wares. Tarshish (also Gen 10:4; Isa 23:1 and many others) is Tartessus, a known Phoenician colony in Spain, consequently in the most direct relations with Tyre. The mineral wealth of ancient Spain is known: Jer 10:9. Pliny (Hist. nat. 3, 4): “almost all Spain abounds in metals: lead, iron, copper, silver, gold” (compare ibid. 32, 31, 34, 41. Diodorus 5, 38. Strabo 3, 147). But remarkably, in the Old Testament gold is nowhere called a Spanish product: therefore the addition of the LXX “gold and copper” is questionable. “Exchanged for your wares,” Hebrew “gave izzo-bon,” a word found only in this chapter—Assyr. uzubu, literally “breakage”; Slavic “gave your purchase.”

Ezekiel 27:13. Javan, Tubal, and Meshech traded with you, exchanging human beings and vessels of bronze for your merchandise. “Javan,” Assyr. Iavanu, properly Ionians and all Greeks with their colonies in Sicily and Italy; therefore the LXX: Ελλες (but in Gen 10:2: “Javan”), Vulgate. Graecia. “Tubal and Meshech” in Gen 10:2 appear alongside Javan as sons of Japheth and everywhere (except Ps 119:5) are mentioned together: Ezekiel in Ezek 32:26 puts them in connection with Ashur, and in Ezek 38:2 they are allies of Gog. Tubal, Assyr. Tabalu, corresponding to Greek Τιβαρηνοι, lived between the Black Sea and Cilicia, and Meshech, LXX rightly “Mosoch,” Assyr. Musku, Greek Μοσχοι, on the north of Minor Asia, first mentioned by Hecataeus of Miletus; in the Persian kingdom both belonged to the 19th satrapy (Herod. III, 9; VII, 78; Anab. V, 5; 2 Plin. VI, 10; V, 27; Str. XI, 497 etc. Plut. Pomp. 34). Jerome: “Iberians and Cappadocians” (the capital of the latter in his time was called Mazaca). Perhaps some Scythian tribes (compare explanation of Ezek 32:26). The LXX do not consider them proper names: “all (that is, Hellas; read tevel—“universe”) and your neighbors” (παρατεινοντα; “your”—addition in Slavic; meshek presumably derived from mashak—“to stretch”). “Human beings.” In the expression sounds a condemnation of the slave trade. About the slave trade of Javan it also says Joel 3:6 (compare Amos 1:6). Euboean copper was famous (Mov. II, 65).

Ezekiel 27:14. From the house of Togarmah they exchanged for your wares horses, war horses, and mules. “From the house”—tribe. Togarmah. According to Gen 10:3 a son of Gomer of Japheth. Ezekiel in Ezek 38:6 places it on the far north among Gog’s allies. Jerome and Theodoret saw in it the Phrygians (by consonance). Christian Armenians also traced themselves to it. Both countries (Phrygia and Armenia) were famous for horses—see below (Her. I, 194; VII, 40; Anab. IV, 34; Str. XI, 13, 9). Cappadocia too was famous for the same. In Assyrian chronicles Tilgarimmu is mentioned (Del. W. I. d. Par. 246), in Strabo Τροκμοι, Τροκμαδες, which were Celts inhabiting Galatia. All this is near Armenia. The last two testimonies (Assyr. and Strabo) vindicate the LXX reading “Forgama.” “Horses”—draft horses. “War horses”—for cavalry; Hebrew literally “riders,” therefore Slavic “horsemen.” Mules—young mules, Slavic “small mules.” “Merchandise”—see verse 12.

Ezekiel 27:15. The sons of Dedan traded with you; many islands were your trading partners, bringing you ivory and ebony in payment for your goods. “Sons”—as also in verse 16, instead of “house” in verse 14 and simple names in verses 12–13. The Bible knows of Dedan in two forms: Arabian, Semitic (; and here verse 20; cf. ) and Hamitic, Ethiopian (), which is clearly the one meant here, for it was Ethiopia specifically that was famous in antiquity for ivory and ebony, surpassing even India in the quality of the latter (Herod. III, 114; Str. XVII, 821; Lucan. Phars. X, 17). The LXX: “The sons of Rhodians,” apparently reading Rhodes instead of Dedan (the letters resh and daleth are very similar) and understanding Rhodes, which fits well with the following “many islands,” that is, of the Mediterranean, which are mentioned probably as intermediaries in Tyre’s trade with distant Ethiopia; but the Slavonic “from the islands they increased your merchandise” gives the idea of Rhodes as an intermediary in the trade of the Mediterranean islands with Tyre. Gen 25:3 Ezek 25:13 Jer 25:23 Gen 10:7 “Ebony”—ebony wood; the Hebrew gabhnim is clearly a foreign word and is translated by Symmachus, the Vulgate, and Kimchi as έβενος, which it also resembles. In the days of Solomon, ivory and ebony were obtained by the Hebrews from Ophir. The LXX: “and to those bringing (deriving from bo, ‘to come’) you gave your wages,” that is, Tyre paid dearly to Rhodes and the islands for delivery of these items, since they themselves obtained them from afar and were only contractors in supplying them to Tyre.

Ezekiel 27:16. On account of the abundance of your trading activity, the Arameans traded with you; they paid for your goods with carbuncles, purple fabrics, embroidered materials, and fine linen, and coral, and rubies. “On account of the abundance of your trading activity,” literally “because of the multitude of your works” (Vulgate: propter multitudinem operum tuorum), that is, to acquire the various products of Tyre. The LXX: “from the multitude of your merchants, symmixtou,” reading instead of maase—maarab—“merchant” from verse 9. “The Arameans”—Syria in the broadest sense, since many of the items mentioned were obtained from the distant east and since verse 18 speaks of Damascus. Therefore, perhaps the LXX read adam, “man” instead of aram, seeing here an indication of the merchandise and a continuation of the description of Rhodes trade (“you gave… men bought your merchandise”); according to the LXX, modern scholars propose reading “Edom,” which they say would fit the geographical order of the description better. “Carbuncles”—a conjectural translation of the Hebrew “nophek,” mentioned among precious stones also in ; (in the breastplate of the high priest, first in the second row, with the sapphire). The LXX—“stacte” (that is, a drop—fragrant resin), cf. blessed Theodoret: “balsam,” but in other places the LXX: anthrakas. The Vulgate: gemma, pearl. It is remarkable that after this stone are named as items of Aramean import fabrics and again two kinds of less expensive stones (Russian: coral and rubies): the prophet is evidently very precise in his description and enumerates the goods by their costliness; but the LXX, perhaps not taking this into account, did not see fit to discern precious stones here. Ezek 28:13 Exod 28:18 “Purple fabrics”—Hebrew “argaman,” see the explanation of verse 7, where the Slavonic “blue” is placed out of order: “variegation (see following: ‘embroidered fabrics’) and blue”; it should be the other way around; the Greek omits it. “Embroidered” (fabrics), Hebrew rikma, LXX: “variegation,” see the explanation of . “Fine linen”—Hebrew betz; in verse 7 and the Hebrew shesh is so translated, which is thought to be the name of Egyptian fine linen, more ancient, while betz, on the basis of this passage, where it first appears, is considered the name of Phoenician fine linen, since betz is a Phoenician word meaning cotton, from which the Phoenicians wove their fine linen, whereas the Egyptians used flax; later betz came to be used for any fine linen (cf. with ), passing into other languages. The LXX “from Tarsilis”—an expression which in the Hebrew text at this place does not exist at all (blessed Jerome). “Coral.” Hebrew ramoth, incomprehensible in the LXX, where here is a transliteration (Slavonic “ramoth”), thus translated by the rabbis; the Persian Gulf abounded in coral (as also in pearls, see the explanation of “carbuncles”), harvesting of which encompassed both the Indian Ocean and which were a usual item of trade with the west (Plin. XXXII, 11). “Rubies”—kadod. The Hebrew was incomprehensible to the LXX, where here is a transliteration replacing daleth with resh: “chorchre,” but in : “jasper,” which indeed was found in abundance in Syria (Plin. ib.); the translation “ruby” is based on the Arabic root. Ezek 16:10 Ezek 16:10 2 Chr 3:14 Exod 26:31 Isa 54:12

Ezekiel 27:17. Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they paid for your merchandise with wheat from Minnith and cakes, and honey, and oil, and balm. Minnith, according to , was a Gileadite city, known besides for wheat () and one of the products mentioned later: balm (). According to Eusebius and Jerome, Manith was found “on the fourth stone” (at the distance of the fourth thrown stone) from Heshbon on the road to Philadelphia. The LXX read Minnith differently: the sale of wheat; the Vulgate freely: frumento primo. Concerning wheat as a natural wealth of Palestine, the following speak: ; ; ; Josephus Antiqu, 14:10, 6; and also . According to the Talmud, the best wheat in Israel was from Michmash (Smend). Judg 11:33 2 Chr 27:5 Jer 8:22 Gen 49:20 1 Sam 5:11 Acts 12:20 Ezek 26:2 “Cakes”—a conjectural translation based on the Syriac root, the Targum, and ancient commentaries (Hesychius: το εκ μελιτος τρωγαλιον) of the Hebrew hapax legomenon panag, which the LXX consider aromatic substances: “and myrrh and cassia,” the Vulgate balsam, the Targum and rabbis sweet, edible herbs or soap made from plant ash, the Peshitta—millet.—“Honey” refers mainly to that of wild bees (), since apiculture was foreign to the Hebrews (Nowack, Arch. I, 86). “Oil of wood.” The olive tree was abundant not only in Judah but throughout all Palestine: ; Josephus Bel. jud. 2:21, 2. In the time of blessed Jerome it was exported mainly to Egypt; now it is used in soap factories. Isa 7:22 Deut 33:24 “Balm.” Scarcely the resin of the true balsam tree, which did not grow in Gilead, that supplier of Hebrew balm, but rather the resin of the pistachio tree () or terebinth, which served medical purposes. The text agrees well with the LXX: “resin” ρητινη and the Vulgate resina (resin). True balsam is native to Arabia and only later came to be cultivated near Jericho (Smend). Gen 43:11

Ezekiel 27:18. “Because of the abundance of your trading activity” see verse 16. Not in the LXX.—“Wine from Helbon.” Helbon, Assyrian Hilbunu, should be the present Halun about two miles northeast of Damascus; it is celebrated for wine even now; according to Strabo (XV, 3, 22) Persian kings drank only this wine; the wine of these places is praised also in ; . It is incorrect that Helbon is identified with Aleppo, which lies too far and too far north of Damascus (see the beginning of the verse). The Vulgate freely (as also about the wheat of verse 17): vino pingui, full-bodied. “White wool.” Hebrew “wool of Tzahar,” a word used only also in , to which the meaning white, shining is ascribed conjecturally; more likely a proper name; perhaps Sakarah, now Nabatea; the LXX conjecturally: “a shining fleece from Miletum,” where “shining” appears only in the Slavonic, a doublet; the Vulgate again freely: lanis coloris optimi. Hos 14:8 Song 8:11 Ezek.27:19. Dan and Iavan from Uzal paid you for your goods with worked iron; cassia and aromatic cane were exchanged for you. Judg 5:10

Ezekiel 27:19. “Dan.” In Hebrew vedan, where ve cannot be the conjunction “and,” because all verses begin without the conjunction. Consequently, Vedan is here a proper name (not Dan). In ancient Arabia was a city Waddan between Mecca and Medina (Smend). There could also have been a place called Aden. In verses 18–22 the discourse is entirely about Arabia. The Slavonic “Vedan,” the Greek omits it.—“Iavan”—the same as in verse 13, but, as the following circumstance of place shows, the Ionians from Arabia are meant, that is, Greek (Vulgate also here: Graecia) colonies there. The LXX read yain, “wine of Dedan” and saw here a continuation of the discourse about Damascene trade; the Slavonic a doublet: “and Ionians.” “From Uzal.” So was called in antiquity the present Sana, the chief city of Yemen, which received the latter name after the 5th century after Christ. In one cuneiform inscription Uzal is mentioned as a famous wine country (Kraetzschmar). The LXX and Vulgate merge the preposition min “from” with the word: Slavonic “from Ozal,” Mosel,—a third type of Damascene wine traded to Tyre; in the Slavonic is also a doublet: “from Assila.” “Worked iron.” The first—a translation based on the LXX, Peshitta, and Vulgate (fabricatum) of the obscure Hebrew word asot, which apparently all of them read asot; others: “polished”: the Targum “wire.” If the first translation is correct, then perhaps saber blades are meant. Alongside Yemenite swords, Indian swords were renowned among the Arabs; the former were perhaps only imitations of the latter (Smend). “Cassia.” Hebrew kidda is so translated by Onkelos, the Peshitta, the Vulgate (the latter in other places), and here stacte, generally fragrant resin. A kind of fragrant cinnamon, laurus cassius or cinnamomum aromaticum, which entered into the composition of the holy anointing oil (). It grew in India and, apparently, also in Arabia (Herod. III, 110 and others). The LXX omit it; in other places iris. “Aromatic cane.” Hebrew kane simply cane. It entered into the composition of the holy anointing oil () and was used for incense ( and others). The Greeks and Romans knew a reed that had medical application (Diod. I, 17), entered into the composition of fragrances and was used for incense (Plin. XIII, 2; XV, 7). It was, doubtless, acorus (sweet flag) calamus of Linnaeus. It is still imported in masses to the Damascus market from India, its native home, but is not foreign to Arabia and even to Lebanon. The LXX: “wheels,” which fits better with the preceding iron; in other places the LXX translate kane as καλαμος and κυναμωνον; the Vulgate calamus. Exod 30:24 Ezek.27:20. Dedan traded with you in precious saddle cloths for riding. Exod 30:23 Jer 6:20

Ezekiel 27:20. “Dedan”—a trading Arabian people, mentioned repeatedly in the Old Testament (; ) and dwelling in northeast Arabia near the present ruins of Dedan (west of Tema) and to the south—“Precious saddle cloths”—the most probable translation of the Hebrew bigde hoches, “garments, coverings for spreading”; perhaps saddles. The Vulgate tapetibus ad sedendum (carpets for sitting on one’s heels). The LXX: “beasts of choice for chariots”—draft animals: horses, mules. Ezek.27:21. Arabia and all the princes of Kedar traded with you in lambs and rams and goats. Gen 10:7 Ezek 25:13

Ezekiel 27:21. “Arabia”—Hebrew arav—a name first appearing in Isaiah (): meant not only the peninsula but, as its root shows, the nomadic tribes of nomads of the Syro-Arabian desert, reaching, as they do now, in search of pastures to Babylon; in the books of Chronicles ( and others) the word seems to mean the peninsula only.—“Kedarite.” An Ishmaelite () nomadic tribe of the Syro-Arabian desert, which suffered from Nebuchadnezzar (), Assyrian Kidru, in Pliny (V, 12) Cedrei; famous for flocks and as archers (; and following).—“Traded with you,” the Slavonic more precisely: “merchants of your hand,” that is, subject to you, intermediaries of trade, agents, which only the Bedouins could be.—“Lambs.” The LXX—“camels,” having read kar—“ram” with the preposition be as beker according to “young camel.”—“Goats.” The LXX “lambs,” Hebrew gattud literally leading, as also ul—ram. Ezek.27:22. The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you in all the finest fragrances and all kinds of precious stones, and gold they paid for your goods. Isa 13:20 2 Chr 21:16 Gen 25:13 Jer 49:28 Isa 60:7 Isa 21:16 Isa 60:6

Ezekiel 27:22. “Sheba”—a wealthy, trading people (), according to of Cushite (Hamitic) origin, in southern, blessed Arabia (Yemen), controlling eastern trade as Dedan controlled the western, often mentioned by ancient writers; Strabo (XVI, 768; cf. Plin VI, 28) places them at the Red Sea; concerning their wealth speak both classics (Plin. XII, 7; Diod. III, 46) and Arab legends (Quran XXVII, 20 and following). Their chief city was Marib (Str. XVI, 768 and others), now the ruins of Marib six days’ journey east of Sana. Their trade was not limited to Arabian products but extended to Indian, Ethiopian; they traded with Syria, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. Besides commercial relations, they had numerous conquests and colonies not only in Arabia but in Syria and Mesopotamia (. Plin. XII, 35). “Raamah,” Slavonic “Rama,” according to a Cushite, father of Dedan and Sheba. Location uncertain. Most likely identical with the Rammaniats of Strabo (XVI, 4, 24), in southern Arabia; mentioned in Sabean inscriptions (Bertholet); others identify it with Rhegma of Ptolemy (VI, 7, 14), those dwelling at the Persian Gulf. Ezek 38:13 Gen 10:7 Job 1:15 “Finest fragrances,” literally “head of fragrances.” In the Sabean part of Arabia grew, according to ancient accounts, balsam (and now), cassia, frankincense, myrrh, palms, sweet flag, cinnamon, larimon. The LXX: “first sweetnesses” ηδισματων, doubtless spices. Concerning Sabean riches and trade in roots and fragrances speak ; ; . Gen 10:7 “All kinds of precious stones.” Onyx, ruby, agate, carnelian are found even now in the mountains of Hadramawt; in Yemen are crystal, jasper, and many rubies (Niebur Descript. р. 125). Cf. .—Gold was mined in Arabia much further north (Str. 778. Diod III, 45) but was obtained there mainly from India (Smend), as were also precious stones. Now it is not mined. Concerning Sheba’s trade and wealth in gold speak ; ; . 1 Sam 10:2 Isa 60:6 Ps 71:10 Ezek.27:23. Haran and Kane and Eden, merchants of Sheba, Assur, and Chilmad traded with you. 1 Sam 10:10 1 Sam 10:2 Jer 6:20 Isa 60:6

Ezekiel 27:23. The enumeration passes from Arabia into Mesopotamia and neighboring lands. “Harran”—the well-known city in northeast Mesopotamia ( and others), Assyrian Harranu, Greek Καρραι. An ancient not only cultural center and seat of Sabeanism, but also a trading center (then holy places often served as trading centers, and trading caravans were also pilgrimage journeys). “Kane,” Slavonic “Kanaa.” Should be Kullani of the cuneiform inscriptions in north Syria, an abbreviation of Chalne ; ; . Earlier it was identified with Ctesiphon on the basis of Pliny’s testimony (VI, 26) that Ctesiphon was in Chalitis; but Ctesiphon is of Greek origin. Among the classics is mentioned Καιναι on the Tigris. Gen 11:31 “Eden,” Slavonic and some Greek codices “Dedan,” apparently incorrectly, from verse 20, which is lacking in the Vatican and other manuscripts. It differs from the location of paradise in Hebrew by the first “e”: the former is written with long tseire, the present name with short segol. Should be identical with the Eden mentioned beside Harran ; and the Bit-Adini of cuneiform inscriptions, a region on both banks of the middle Euphrates. Among the classics, for example, in Stephen of Byzantium are mentioned ‘ Αδανα and ‘ Εδδανα in those same places. Targum: Adiabene. Gen 10:10 Amos 6:2 Isa 10:9 “Merchants of Sheba”—mentioned here again (cf. verse 22), only as intermediaries we enumerate them in this verse with the lands and Tyre. About such mediation their expressive testimony is given by Juba in Pliny (XII, 17), that the Sabaeans, dwelling in the country of spices, came with these and other goods (especially fragrances) to Harran, where was an annual fair; from there they went to Gebal (in Phoenicia), Palestine, from which they exported styrax, and even to Pareno. Amos 1:5 2 Sam 19:12 “Assur,” of course Assyria, not the unmentioned anywhere in Scripture Supa or Essuriy, a port on the right bank of the Euphrates (Mov. according to Trochon). Tribute from Assyria (even tribute—in the sense of commercial profit)—a sign of Tyre’s special strength and brilliance. “Chilmad”—hapax legomenon. The LXX reading “Harman” allows comparison with Harmande of Xenophon (Anab. I, 5, 10) at the boundary of Euphrates on the border of Babylonia and the famous Carmania. Near Baghdad was the known Calvada (Menarit. Babylon et la Chaldee, 107–111.). Ezek.27:24. They traded with you in precious garments, fine fabrics and embroidered materials, which they brought to your market in sealed chests, made of cedar and carefully packed.

Ezekiel 27:24. The verse is full of unknown words. “Precious garments.” The first word, doubtless, is a conjectural translation of the Hebrew makhlul, properly perfection, beauty; an almost identical word in (where Russian: “elaborately dressed,” Slavonic “finely woven”) denotes some distinctive and beautiful characteristic of the Assyrians; the second (“garments”)—a conjectural translation of the Hebrew hapax 19: gelom, to which the Targum assigns the meaning garment; it resonates with the Persian word “khlamta” and the Babylonian “gulinu.” Sennaar mantles were famous even in the days of Joshua (). The Vulgate involucra, coverings. “Fine fabrics and embroidered materials.” Hebrew tekelet and rikma, see the explanation of . The Slavonic instead of four listed concepts has only two: “blue and scarlet”—blue and red purple, and the Greek only one; υακινθον—hyacinth or its purple color. Ezek 23:12 Josh 7:21 “In sealed chests.” The second word—a conjectural translation of the Hebrew genez, to which in is given the meaning “treasury” (Russian Bible “treasury”); the Slavonic here and there: “treasures.” The Vulgate too: gaza. The construction of the Hebrew text here gives the thought of a new item of merchandise, which could not be “boxes for goods,” and they in general are not “precious.” Based on Persian and Ethiopian roots, the word is assigned the meaning “carpets,” “coverings,” which, like curtains and tent furnishings, were famous in Babylon (Mov. 262). “Precious”—Hebrew beromim, Assyrian burruму—variegated, variously woven; Slavonic “chosen.; Ezek 16:10” “Made of cedar and carefully packed”—literally: (they traded) in ropes haushim and azurim. The last two words, hapax legomena, whose most probable meanings are “twisted and strong.” The Slavonic (as also the Russian) considers this a definition to the treasure (treasuries, chests): “bound with rope, cypressed.” The Phoenicians made ropes from white flax (Herod. VII, 25, 34 and others), but in the east were made according to Pliny (XIII, 4, 7) the finest from fibers of palm leaves and papyrus (from which, perhaps, comes the concept 3: ezer, cedar). Ropes and cables were needed by Tyre in great quantity for ships. Esth 3:9 Ezek.27:25. Tarshish ships were your merchant fleet in your trading, and you became rich and very mighty in the midst of the seas.

Ezekiel 27:25. “Tarshish ships.” Although trade of Tyre with Tarshish was already mentioned in verse 12, here Tarshish serves only as an epithet for the ships, expressing the distance of their voyages. The Slavonic: “Carthaginian.” And Tyre had such ships, as a caravan has camels.—“Merchant fleet”—a conjectural meaning of the Hebrew sharot, which the Vulgate translates as principes, the Slavonic “merchants,” and the Targum considers a verb: “brought.”—“In your trading.” The Slavonic “in the multitude of your merchants,” in the number of your numerous trading partners.—“And you became rich and very mighty in the midst of the seas.” The Slavonic more precisely: “and you became satisfied and were weighed down greatly in the hearts of the seas.” The image in view is the heavy cargo of a ship. The discourse returns to the comparison of Tyre with a ship, abandoned since verse 9. Ezek.27:26. Your oarsmen brought you out into the deep waters; the east wind has shattered you in the midst of the seas.

Ezekiel 27:26. The destruction of the ship—Tyre—is described. The cause of it was 1) the reckless boldness with which the pilots led the ship into deep water, that is, the bold policy of the Tyrian government, and 2) the “east wind,” the samum or sirocco (the LXX and Vulgate “south,” because in Palestine it comes from the south), commonly which destroyed many ships in the Mediterranean (; and others), that is, the Chaldeans, cf. . Ezek.27:27. Your wealth and merchandise, all your supplies, your sailors and your captains, those repairing your seams and those carrying on your trade, and all your warriors who are in you, and all the multitude of people who are in you, will sink into the depths of the seas on the day of your fall. Ps 77:26 Acts 27:14 Ezek 17:10

Ezekiel 27:27. The enumeration of all the great and precious contents of the ship strengthens sympathy for its destruction. “Sailors,” “captains” refer back to verse 8, “those repairing your seams” (Slavonic “advisors” in the sense of “engineers”) and “those carrying on your trade” (“to conduct your trade”—verse 9; Slavonic “merchants of your merchants”—perhaps representatives of the partners in trade)—to verse 9, “warriors”—to verses 10 and 11. “All the multitude of people”—perhaps the merchants enumerated from verse 12. At the end of the verse the Slavonic adds against the Hebrew and Greek “and all merchants,” doubtless a gloss on “multitude.” Ezek.27:28. At the loud cry of your pilots, the surrounding land will shake.

Ezekiel 27:28. “Surrounding land.” Although the Hebrew miragim in other places has such meaning, yet here it would weaken the force of the idea: the fall of Tyre will alarm not only the surrounding lands; therefore the LXX: “in fear (will be afraid)”; the Vulgate classes. Ezek.27:29. And all the rowers, all the sailors, all the sea pilots, will come down from their ships and stand on the shore;

Ezekiel 27:29. With the destruction of so great a ship (Tyre) no one can feel safe on a ship: the maritime trade of smaller coastal cities (“ships”) will be restricted to land. “Sailors,” Slavonic “riders”; “pilots,” Slavonic “hunters.” Ezek.27:30. and they will weep over you bitterly, casting dust on their heads and wallowing in ashes;

Ezekiel 27:30. “Casting dust on their heads,” the Slavonic more precisely: “they will put earth upon their heads” as a sign of mourning; the earth sprinkled on the head in sign of mourning was originally (at the origin of this custom) taken from the grave.—“Will wallow in ashes”—a sign of exceptionally strong grief. Thus the four signs of mourning enumerated in the verse are each stronger than the previous one. But the meaning of “wallow” is disputed for the Hebrew verb palash; the LXX: “spread”; others: “dust themselves (with ash).” Ezek.27:31. and they will shave their heads for you, and clothe themselves with sackcloth, and they will weep over you with bitterness of soul, with bitter lamentation;

Ezekiel 27:31. Not in the Vatican and many other codices. “Shave their heads,” “clothe themselves with sackcloth”—signs of mourning, see explanation of . Ezek.27:32. and in their wailing they will take up a lamentation for you, and thus lament over you: “Who is like Tyre, like her being destroyed in the midst of the sea!; Ezek 7:18”

Ezekiel 27:32. “In their wailing”—the Hebrew beneigem allows reading with the LXX; “those in them,” that is, those perished on the ship—Tyre. “Destroyed,” the Slavonic and Vulgate “you became silent,” Targum: “like him.” Ezek.27:33. When your goods came from the seas, you satisfied many nations; with the abundance of your wealth and wares you enriched the kings of the earth.

Ezekiel 27:33. The most valuable goods Tyre obtained from the sea. He was only an intermediary in the trade of overseas nations with Asia: “Your wealth,” Slavonic “your merchants,” partners in trade. “Enriched the kings.” Chiefly such goods are meant as gold, purple, precious stones. Ezek.27:34. Now when you are wrecked by the seas in the depths of the waters, your merchandise and all your company have fallen with you.

Ezekiel 27:34. “Wrecked by the seas in the depths of the waters.” The destruction of Tyre by Alexander the Great. “Your merchandise,” the Slavonic again: “your merchants.” At the end of the verse the Slavonic adds against the Hebrew and Greek “and all merchants,” doubtless a gloss on “multitude.” Ezek.27:35. All the inhabitants of the islands are appalled at you, and their kings shudder greatly; their faces are convulsed.

Ezekiel 27:35. Especially appalled at the destruction of Tyre are the “islands,” which traded with it and knew it well, which should have lost much from this catastrophe; therefore their “kings” even “shudder greatly,” literally: “their faces were twisted,” Slavonic: “their face wept.” Ezek.27:36. The merchants among the peoples hiss at you; you have become a terror, and you shall be no more forever.

Ezekiel 27:36. On the contrary, Tyre’s competitors in trade could not but regard the destruction of it with malice.—“Hiss.” The highest degree of malice and horror: ; ; ; .—“You have become a terror,” the Slavonic “in destruction,” the Vulgate ad nihilum, which is essentially the same: complete annihilation cannot fail to inspire the most terrible horror.—“You shall be no more forever.” The most dreadful and truly eternal curse. The end of the discourse is devastating. On the contrary, Tyre’s competitors in trade could not but regard the destruction of it with malice.—“Hiss.” The highest degree of malice and horror: ; ; ; .—“You have become a terror,” the Slavonic “in destruction,” the Vulgate ad nihilum, which is essentially the same: complete annihilation cannot fail to inspire the most terrible horror.—“You shall be no more forever.” The most dreadful and truly eternal curse. The end of the discourse is devastating. 1 Sam 9:8 Jer 19:8 Zeph 2:15 Lam 2:15

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Prophecy against the King of Tyre and Sidon

1–10. Sin and punishment to the king. 11–19. A lamentation for him. 20–26. Prophecy against Sidon.

Ezekiel 28:2. “Son of man! Tell the ruler in Tyre: Thus says the Lord God: Because your heart is proud and you have said, ‘I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of the seas,’ when you are a man and not a god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god,” The king of Tyre at that time was Ithobal II (Josephus, C. Apionem, 1, 21), but since the king in Tyre wielded insignificant power and influence and nothing is known of any aspirations of the Tyrian, as indeed of Semitic kings in general, not only to deifying themselves but also to claiming descent from the gods, the king is taken here (as in the subsequent prophecy against Egypt the Pharaoh) as a representative of Tyre itself. Thus, the self-deification with which the prophet charges the Tyrian king is that very same pride which from another side, the external side, is described in chapter XXVII; here it is examined psychologically, from the internal side. Furthermore, the ancients correctly observed that many features by which the pride of the Tyrian king is described here are applicable to the devil and his fall from God, whereupon Tyre then would be understood as the world, of which the devil is so often called the “prince” (Origen, Peri archon, Tertullian, Adv. Marc. 2, 10—in the proper sense, while blessed Jerome and Theodore in the commentary on this passage—in the metaphorical; blessed Augustine (in the commentary on ) denies such a meaning). Gen 11:25 “Ruler,” Slavonic “prince.” Hebrew nagid in verse 12 is replaced by melek—“king,” therefore it should be more than nasi—“prince” and is intended, perhaps, to point out the particularity of royal power in Tyre: something like the “suffetes” of Carthage and the “judges” among the Hebrews. But in the book of Kings the word is applied to Saul and David. “I am a god”—for Ezekiel, with his zeal for the glory of God, must have sounded especially abominable. A stunning characterization of pride, an exposure of all its dark depths and terrible essence. “On the seat of gods in the heart of the seas.” The maritime position of Tyre made it seem to him as inaccessible as the throne of God. In God is represented as sitting on the waters. The Tyrians called their island holy (in Sanchuniathon); every center of special worship was considered a sacred place. “Heart”—the Slavonic more precisely “mind,” that is, self-awareness. Living in such a place on earth which could be considered the dwelling of God, Tyre thought that it could act and conduct itself entirely according to the inclinations of its heart. Ps 103:3

Ezekiel 28:3. “Behold, you are wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that is hidden from you;” A remarkable testimony concerning the glory which Daniel won himself by interpreting dreams for Nebuchadnezzar (cf. ). Although Ezekiel had in mind his readers from among the Jewish captives, to whom Daniel could be well known not only for his wisdom (danu in Sanskrit “wise”), but as a prophet, the prophet apparently presumes that the king of Tyre was not unfamiliar with this first sage of the contemporary east: the universal fame and significance of Nebuchadnezzar ensured the same fame and recognition of Daniel. “There is no secret hidden from you.” The Slavonic “the wise did not teach you with their craft” (you need no teachers); the Hebrew satum “secret” the LXX gave a personal meaning, perhaps reading it like Hartum (Babylonian scholars), and gamam—“to bind,” “to close” they considered an Aramaic game—“to know, to reveal”; “with their craft”—a doublet of the first word of the next verse. Dan 4:6

Ezekiel 28:4. “By your wisdom and your understanding you have gathered wealth for yourself, and have amassed gold and silver in your treasuries;” The second sin of the Tyrian king is that he used his wisdom, this gift of God to him, which antiquity regarded as a treasure, only for the acquisition of perishable wealth. “Wealth,” the Slavonic more precisely “strength” (meaning; Hebrew chail).

Ezekiel 28:5. By your great wisdom in trade you have increased your wealth, and your heart has become proud because of your wealth,— It is more specifically defined how Tyre acquired wealth by wisdom: by means of trade; and it is pointed out what his wealth led him to: to pride.

Ezekiel 28:6. “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you consider yourself wise as God is wise,” This pride gradually reached the terrible degree of which was already said at the end of verse 2.

Ezekiel 28:7. “Behold, I will bring against you foreigners, the most terrible of the nations, and they will draw their swords against your beauty and will defile your brightness;” “Foreigners”—the Chaldeans.—“The most terrible of the nations.” Perhaps the wild hordes that were in the Babylonian army are meant; cf. and following.—“Against your beauty of wisdom”—the splendor which the city, like its wealth, owed to its wisdom. The frequent references to Tyre’s wisdom are striking, by which the prophet gives it its due, at the same time revealing in himself a high appreciator of wisdom and learning.—“Will defile”—literally “will profane” (Tyre considered itself holy); the Slavonic “will cover” (with the slain and wounded). Ezek 7:21

Ezekiel 28:8. “They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die the death of those slain in the heart of the seas.” He who thought to sit on the throne of God will find himself in the grave. He who considered himself God did not deserve even an ordinary human death, but will die the death of the slain, who for the most part are denied burial. The sea, the position on which inspired such presumption, will serve as an instrument of his destruction.—“The slain,” the Slavonic “wounded,” the wounded, which aggravates death.

Ezekiel 28:9. “Will you then say before your slayer, ‘I am a god,’ when you are but a man, not a god, in the hand of those who slay you?” The words ring with angry mockery (Kraetzschmar).

Ezekiel 28:10. “You shall die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of foreigners, for I have spoken, declares the Lord God.” “The death of the uncircumcised,” that is, of the wicked (), whose lot after death should be worse than that of the circumcised. Since the Phoenicians were circumcised (Herod. II, 104), this threat can be understood as the impossibility of proper burial in war (lamentation, washing), which for the dead is as important as circumcision for the living (Smend). Kimchi: “you will fall by the hand of the uncircumcised.; Acts 7:51”

Ezekiel 28:12. “Son of man! Take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him: Thus says the Lord God: You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” A lamentation for the king of Tyre follows the prophecy against him just as a similar lamentation over Tyre follows the prophecy against that city (chapters XXVI and XXVII), which nicely expresses the sorrow with which the Lord punishes the sinner. As though according to the saying: de mortuis aut bene aut nihil (of the dead say only good or nothing), this lamentation, like that one, is devoted to depicting what was good in the deceased and even more so—presents an enthusiastic panegyric (at least in its first and main part, verses 12–15). “The seal” and in Hebrew (in the Mishna, for example) meant both in our language the completion, the fullness. “Of perfection,” Hebrew takhnit appears also in , where it means measure, model, carefully manufactured, cf. Assyrian takintu—“careful preparation,” “magnificence”; the LXX “of likeness” (that is, to God: the most perfect likeness to God), probably reading tabnit. This perfection of the Tyrian king is as much interior as exterior: he is wise and beautiful. But “full of wisdom” is not in the Vatican and some other codices. Ezek 43:10

Ezekiel 28:13. “You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite, and jasper, topaz, onyx, and lapis lazuli, turquoise, and beryl were your covering. Gold filigree work and settings were prepared for you on the day you were created.” “You were in Eden, the garden of God,” the Slavonic, taking Hebrew Eden as an appellative: “in the sweetness of the paradise of God you were.” In what sense could it be said of the Tyrian king that he was, lived in the paradise of God? Since in the Old Testament paradise, Eden, is not only compared to but directly called any beautiful place on earth (; ; ), paradise here could have been the name for Tyre itself, if not for its position in a fertile and beautiful location (neither distinguished itself in either respect), then for its immeasurable wealth, which is further enumerated in detail. But it seems the expression wants to say more: the prophet, willing to recognize Tyre’s king, who considered himself a god, acknowledging the extraordinary external and internal advantages of his position on earth, as almost a supernatural being, a dweller in paradise (the primordial Adam or, as it is apparent from verse 14, a cherub, having as it were taken the place of Adam in paradise), which nevertheless does not change the terrible fate awaiting him but rather intensifies it (thus increasing the height of the fall: verse 15). If it is probable that the image of the devil’s fall before the prophet’s mind, then in the Tyrian king he could see as it were a repetition and continuation of this fall, which can hardly be imagined in the narrow frame of earthly time. “In the garden of God.” God—here Elohim (not Jehovah), as is mostly the case in the first chapters of the book of Genesis. Ezek 31:9 Isa 51:3 Joel 2:3 “Garments,” Hebrew mekusah, hapax legomenon not rendered by the LXX.—“Adorned with precious stones.” It is remarkable that precious stones are also set in connection with the location of paradise in , and in with the appearance of cherubim, to which the Tyrian king is compared in verse 14. The garments of eastern kings were thickly studded with precious stones.—Further is given an enumeration of these stones. The Hebrew text and Vulgate enumerate 9 stones, the Greek 12 and 14, the Slavonic 15, adding to the stones gold and silver; the Peshitta 8. The Hebrew list, apparently, is the most probable, giving a significant and simplest number: 3 × 3. Gold, mentioned further separately, and silver in the LXX are very much out of place, breaking the row of stones. The stones named are the same as those in the breastplate of the high priest () in its ranks: in the 1st (here 1, 2, and the 9th stones), 2nd (here 8, 7, and 3rd stones) and 4th ranks (here 4, 5, and the 6th stones). The stones are conjecturally identified with the following of ours: 1) Odem (“red”) the LXX, Vulgate and Peshitta “sardonyx” (carnelian), Russian ruby (both red). 2) Pitda (Sanskrit pita—yellow), the LXX, Vulgate and Russian topaz. 3) Yachlom, the LXX emerald, the Vulgate and J. Fl. jasper, Russian diamond. 4) Tarshish, the Slavonic should be hyacinth, Russian chrysolite, see explanation of . 5) Shoham, Targum, Peshitta, and LXX ( and others, and probably here) beryl, Russian Academy of Sciences p. Akad., Symmachus, Vulgate onyx. 6) Yasip, similar to the Russian jasper, which in the Slavonic is the 14th, and in Greek 13. The Vulgate beryllus. 7) Sapphire Vulgate and Russian (see explanation of ), the Slavonic 6th, the Greek 5th. 8) Nophek, Fl., Vulgate and Russian carbuncle, the LXX presumably αξθραξ (the Slavonic 5th, Greek 4th). 9) Barkat, the LXX (3rd) Fl., Vulgate smaragdus, Russian emerald (from Sanskrit marakata). Gen 2:10-12 Ezek 1:1 Exod 28:17 Ezek 1:16 Ezek 28:20 Ezek 1:25 Consequently, of these identifications more or less reliable are 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, and 9. Manchot (Lehrbuch t. protest. Theol. 14, 472) from the letters of the stones makes up the names of countries under Xerxes’ rule. “All skillfully set in gold and every precious stone prepared for you on the day you were created”—a conjectural translation of 8 Hebrew words with unestablished meaning, doubtless jewelry terms; the Vulgate sees here discourse of musical instruments, and in the following words: “prepared on the day of your creation” sees an indication of music on the birthday of the Tyrian king. The Slavonic: “with gold you filled your treasuries and your granaries” (the latter—not with gold in the proper sense, but with grain, which can be turned into gold). Ewald’s interpretation is original: the Tyrian king was once the first of all men in paradise, so that he had such perfection as no one else and wore from the first day of his life the 12 precious stones of the priestly breastplate as an instrument of divination and prophecy; to get such meaning Ewald considers one of the Hebrew words the same as “urim” and changes another into “thummim.” “Prepared on the day you were created.” Wealth was destined for the Tyrian king (that is, Tyre in general), as the lot of every man, even at the time of his creation. Teaching about predestination.

Ezekiel 28:14. “You were an anointed guardian cherub, I placed you; you were on the holy mount of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire.” One of the most mysterious verses of the book. Comparing the Tyrian king with a cherub, the prophet enters into such details of Old Testament teaching on cherubim which apparently have not been preserved for us either in Holy Scripture or in Holy Tradition. “You (in Hebrew for some reason feminine; this pronoun is repeatedly used in feminine instead of masculine: ; and others) were… a cherub.” Literally “you are a cherub.” “In application to the Tyrian king, these words are an incredible hyperbole and receive their true meaning only when we assume that behind this king the prophet beheld the original perfections and fall of one of the angels” (Glagolev A. A. Old Testament Biblical Teaching on Angels, 700). The LXX, punctuating differently (et instead of at), have: “You, (doublet) with a cherub I appointed you”; most modern commentators accept this reading, but the Hebrew is stronger. The Tyrian king is compared with a cherub, as a bearer of the highest fullness of created life (cf. explanation of 1:5): Tyre represented the highest step to which earthly, not only material but also spiritual, or at least intellectual life could go. Consequently, he was truly on earth what a cherub is in the world. Num 11:15 Deut 5:24 “Anointed.” The cherubim of the tabernacle and temple were anointed with the holy oil along with other sacred objects (). Perhaps an indication of royal anointing, which communicated to the king special height and fullness of spiritual life granted by God both to it and to Tyre, which the king represents. Both the one and the other—something sacred, because God communicated to them from His majesty and because all earthly greatness is sacred as long as it does not fall and become defiled (Trochon.). But the meaning of anointing is not ascribed to the Hebrew mimshach (from which the name “Messiah” derives) by the Vulgate and all modern; the Vulgate—extensus, having in view widely spread wings of cherubim; Symmachus κατα μ. εμετρημενος. Indeed, the application of the epithet “anointed” to a cherub is somewhat unexpected. The LXX do not have, as the following word either. Exod 30:22-30 “To protect.” Literally “protecting.” The same reference to the cherubim of the tabernacle and temple, who with their wings covered the ark. The Tyrian king shaded (Vulgate protegens) his people, and Tyre—the earth. “You were on the holy mount of God.” So in the Old Testament is called only Zion. Consequently, the cherubim of the temple that stood on Zion in a broad sense (Moriah could be viewed as an offshoot of Zion) are had in mind. According to the opinion of commentators, Tyre, situated on an island, washed by the sea, stood as it were on the mountain of the sea, which could be called “holy” and “of God” for the abundance of God’s blessing on Tyre. “You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.” The stones are more likely to be called fiery for their brilliance, so they are called also in cuneiform inscriptions (Delitzsch, Wol. d. Par. 118). Discourse about them is most likely expected here in view of the preceding verse: as cherubim walk in fire (), so the Tyrian king was surrounded and showered with precious stones, this so to speak hidden, resting fire. One can recall with Grotius that the high priest appeared before the cherubim in a breastplate of precious stones, and—with Hävernick, that in the Tyrian temple of Hercules stood an emerald column.—Modern commentators find that the idea of the temple cherubim does not fully cover all the comparisons used here by the prophet, especially the last two expressions, and think that the prophet has in mind the conception prevailing in the pagan world of that time about the mount of God (see explanation of “from the north”)—the Indian Meru and Kailash, the Iranian Garaberezay or Alborsh, the Greek Olympus; paradise, according to pagan conceptions, must have had some connection with this mount, if it was not directly identical to it; therefore a cherub, being in paradise, was also on this mount, shading and making it inaccessible. As for the fiery stones, with them perhaps instead of ordinary stones is meant to be covered this mount, to be inaccessible to a mortal, and only fiery cherubim could freely walk among them. These stones are also compared with the arrows of thunder or strokes of lightning by which, according to Indian conceptions, the dwelling of the gods is protected (why a place struck by lightning was considered sacred. See Ewald.) or fire-breathing mountains (Hitzig). All these parallels may be accepted by an Orthodox interpreter only insofar as pagan religions preserved echoes of the truth. Bertholet proposes to read instead of “anointed and shading”—“lived in trusting communion with the cherubim,” and Kraetzschmar instead of “stones of fire,” abney esh—“sons of God”—beney el: “The Tyrian king walked among the sons of God, the angels.; Ezek 1:13 Ezek 1:4”

Ezekiel 28:15. “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till unrighteousness was found in you.” “Blameless,” the Slavonic more precisely: “spotless.” Such praise cannot be fully applied to the Tyrian king as such, or to the pagan Tyre which it represented. The image of a cherub or primordial man here, as in the preceding verse, obscures before the prophet’s eyes the thing being compared. Hence also the expression “from the day you were created,” which in relation to the Tyrian king can mean only the day of his accession to the throne.—“Unrighteousness,” what sin, says verse 18: primarily pride, the desire to be compared with God.

Ezekiel 28:16. “By the abundance of your trade you became filled with violence, and you sinned; so I cast you as profane from the mount of God, and I destroyed you, guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.” “Inside you,” that is, your heart; the Slavonic “treasures.”—“Violence,” literally wrongdoing, deception. Do not cheat, do not deceive. This is where the moral fall of Tyre began. “I cast down”—Hebrew chalal, to profane: from the divine sphere the Tyrian king, a sacred being, fell into the worldly. The LXX give a different meaning of the word—to wound: “you were wounded by the mount of God”; to the unclean it was harmful to remain on the fiery mount.—“I destroyed you, Cherub.” The LXX considered the last word the subject (“and the cherub removed you”) in view of . Gen 3:24

Ezekiel 28:17. “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings for them to gaze on you.” “Corrupted your wisdom.” Unwise policy toward Nebuchadnezzar.—“I cast you to the ground”—deposed you from the throne or the holy mount.—“For mockery”—a conjectural translation of Hebrew hapax legomenon; the Slavonic “for exposure.”

Ezekiel 28:18. “By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; therefore I have brought fire from your midst; it shall devour you, and I will turn you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who see you.” “Sanctuaries”—scarcely the pagan ones, for example, the temple of Melkart, but rather the state of innocence and purity, the holiness of the mount of God, where plural is—pluralis majestatis.—“Fire,” “ash”—an indication of the burning of the city, whereupon the image of the Tyrian king changes to the image of the city represented, which is natural at the conclusion of the discourse. Some see here an indication of the phoenix (a mythological distortion of the idea of a cherub) with his self-immolation.

Ezekiel 28:19. “All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have become a terror, and you shall be no more forever.” Cf. . The refrain of the lamentation over Tyre. Ezek 27:36

Ezekiel 28:21. “Son of man, turn your face toward Sidon and prophesy against it,” Sidon—a city older than Tyre (), already named in the Tell el-Amarna inscription (Ziduna, in other inscriptions Sidinu, meaning “hunt,” “fishing”), from ancient times was under the hegemony of the more powerful Tyre; so it seems was the case in Ezekiel’s time (); but at this he felt behind him a certain independence (in and others, Sidonian kings are named alongside Tyrian). The fate of Sidon in the Old Testament is always linked with that of Tyre (; ; ; ). After a thirteen-year siege by Nebuchadnezzar not entirely successful but nonetheless weakening Tyre, Sidon takes its place: it was a great and powerful city when Artaxerxes III Ochus destroyed it in 351. After it was restored and now presents a flourishing city (Saida).—Only one conflict with Israel is known in , but from it came Jezebel. The prophecy of Ezekiel against it, according to its significance, is much shorter than the prophecy against Tyre. Gen 10:19 Ezek 27:8 Jer 25:22 Jer 47:4 Isa 23 Joel 3:4 Zech 9:2 Judg 10:12

Ezekiel 28:22. “and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, Sidon, and I will be glorified in your midst. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I execute judgments in you and display my holiness in you;” The guilt of Sidon is not pointed out for brevity, only hinted at in verse 24.—“I will be glorified” in Sidon’s punishment for wickedness and for the sin of verse 24 (see there).—“Among you,” which until now despised Me.—“And they shall know that I am the Lord”; in the sense of .—“And display my holiness in you”—the same as “I will be glorified”: the glory of God is His holiness (), manifesting itself in punishment and the destruction of wickedness. Ezek 25:5 Isa 6:3

Ezekiel 28:23. “and I will send pestilence into you, and blood shall flow in your streets; and the slain shall fall in your midst, by the sword against you on every side. And they shall know that I am the Lord.” “Pestilence and blood,” see ; the first effects of a siege.—“Whose sword turns against you from all around you.” The Slavonic “on you and around you” (the outlying settlements). Ezek 5:12

Ezekiel 28:24. “And there shall be no more for the house of Israel a pricking briar or a painful thorn from any of their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. And they shall know that I am the Lord God.” “A briar” (). Jezebel. “From all around.” The Hebrew mi, “from” allows also a simple distributive meaning: Sidon among other neighbors was contemptuous toward Israel; the Slavonic “from.; Num 33:55”

Ezekiel 28:25. “Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall settle on their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob.” Ezekiel 28:26. “And they shall dwell securely in it, and build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God.” The discourse against the neighboring heathen peoples, who are to be removed for the benefit of the Israelite kingdom, naturally concludes with a Messianic prediction for Israel, chiefly the spiritual kingdom.—“Build houses, plant vineyards” cf. . Isa 65:21 * * * According to Indian legends, griffins (a mythological distortion of cherubim) appear as guardians of gold; they dig it and build their nests from it, while the Indians receive only shavings (Ctes Aelian. Hist. anim, IV, 27. Paus. CXXIV, 6. Philostr. Vit. Apollon, III, 48). Herodotus places these digging and guarding gold griffins in the north and says that the Arimaspians steal gold from them (III, 116; IV, 13, 27). The wings of the phoenix, to which verse 18 is seen as an allusion, were χρυσοκομα (Herod. I, 73 and others).

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Prophecy against Pharaoh

Chapters XXIX–XXXII contain seven discourses against Egypt, which was also Israel’s neighbor, though in a more remote sense, so to say ideally (cf. and , where the southern boundary of the future holy land is called the river of Egypt), but a neighbor nonetheless most significant, powerful, and most damaging and continuing to harm Israel, which is why the prophecy against it is much more extensive than against others and even than the prophecy against Tyre (the latter attracts the prophet’s prophetic attention not so much from its significance for the fate of Israel as from its contemporary magnificence and the manifestation of God’s glory which its fall displayed; thus, so to say, from the momentary importance of the event). Egypt harmed Israel from time immemorial (), and did not cease to harm in Ezekiel’s time (): the immediate cause of the fall of the Judean kingdom was the deceptive hope of help from Egypt (the alliance with it by Zedekiah); this hope did not completely disappear even after the destruction of Jerusalem (the flight of the remaining inhabitants of Judea to Egypt after the murder of Gedaliah: and others). The unreliability of Egypt as an ally, its infidelity to the covenant, which destroyed Judah, is the principal sin of Egypt, for which Ezekiel predicts its destruction. To this sin is added Egypt’s haughtiness, its claims to world dominion, designated by God for Chaldea and the loss of which to her will destroy Egypt. The prophecies fall on the critical time for Egypt when the Babylonian and Egyptian armies advanced against each other, for which Nebuchadnezzar temporarily lifted the siege of Jerusalem, and when the Egyptians, after a small defeat, withdrew and awaited a new attack by the Chaldeans after the conquest of Jerusalem: the dates of the prophecies span the time from the 7th month before the destruction of Jerusalem to 1 year and 2 months after it. The prophecy consists of a threat to Pharaoh (chap. XXIX), Egypt (XXX), a parable of Egypt and its destruction (XXXI), and a lamentation for it (XXXII; in the prophecy against Tyre, the parable—a comparison with a ship—is combined with the lamentation). There is also a prophecy against Egypt in Isaiah (; and ), Jeremiah () and Joel (). Ezek 47:19 Ezek 48:28 Ezek 16:26 Ezek 29:6-7 2 Sam 25:23 Isa 18 Isa 19 Isa 31 Jer 46 Joel 3:19

Ezekiel 29:1. “In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:” December–January 587 B.C., apparently when the Egyptian army advanced to relieve Jerusalem from the Chaldeans besieging it, and the Chaldeans indeed temporarily lifted the siege (); this could inspire great hopes and served as the immediate occasion for the prophecy, parallel to the following and following. The Greek has it in the 12th year, not the 10th (the Slavonic—10), probably from a desire to preserve the chronological order of the prophecies, see . But Ezekiel clearly arranges the prophecies here in geographical order, cf. verse 17 and . In Greek and Slavonic the day is the 1st, not the 12th. Jer 37:5 Jer 37:6 Ezek 26:1 Ezek 30:1

Ezekiel 29:2. “Son of man, turn your face toward Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.” The Pharaoh at that time was Hophra Uahshafra, Apries of the classics, who is also had in view in ; the prophet does not name him because the prophecy is directed not personally against him but against his state, which is also made clear by the addition “and against all Egypt.; Ezek 17:7”

Ezekiel 29:3. “Speak and say: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, the great crocodile, which lies in the midst of its rivers, saying, ‘My Nile is my own; I made it for myself.’” The coloring of the description is borrowed from the country. “Crocodile” (Hebrew tannin, properly any sea creature—, Greek δρακων, the Vulgate draco, the Slavonic “serpent,” perhaps in view of ), an animal at once so terrible, repulsive, and revered by the Egyptians, distinctive of the country (now absent from the Delta; two species distinguished by the number and position of scales on the back. Trochon.), was the most fitting image for the proud Egyptian monarchy, less terrible than it seemed, and often becoming the prey of daring enterprisers (Currey according to Tr.). Augustus depicted Egypt after its subjugation on coins in the form of a crocodile. The Arabs mockingly call the crocodile a Pharaoh.—“Lying,” feeling completely safe. That same Hophra, at whose time and against whom this prophecy was written, according to Herodotus (II, 169) said that neither God nor man could take away his kingdom (deposed by Amasis).—“Rivers”—the plural refers to the system of Nile branches and canals. During the 27th dynasty the capital was Sais in the Delta.—“My Nile”—yeor, a word originally applied exclusively to the Nile, taken from the Egyptian (in the Rosetta inscriptions yor, in Coptic yaro) and only later acquired a general meaning of river or canal (; about the Tigris).—“I made it.” A monstrous arrogance, which had a seeming foundation in the fact that the system of canals, which gives the Nile all its significance for Egypt, owes its existence to the Pharaohs; cf. the Dutch saying: “God created the earth, but we created Holland.; Gen 1:21 Exod 7:9 Job 28:10 Dan 12:5-6”

Ezekiel 29:4. “But I will put hooks in your jaws and make the fish of your rivers stick to your scales. I will pull you out of the midst of your rivers, with all the fish of your rivers sticking to your scales.” According to Herodotus (II, 70) crocodiles are caught with a hook on which bait of pork is placed; now they are caught more with a gaff or spear; according to and following both methods are equally difficult.—The crocodile was depicted with small fish on its back: hence the further comparison: “the fish clinging to your scales”—the Egyptians, in particular the Pharaoh’s army, which advanced from the country (represented by the river) against the Chaldeans. Job 40:19

Ezekiel 29:5. “And I will cast you into the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers. You will fall upon the open field and will not be gathered or buried. I have given you as food to the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the air.” Fish on dry land dies; so powerless will the Egyptians be in battle outside their country on open ground. “Wilderness,” perhaps the Arabian, where the armies advancing against each other should meet: the Chaldean (from Jerusalem) and the Egyptian.—“Will not be gathered or buried.” Denial of burial.

Ezekiel 29:6. “And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord, because you have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.” “And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord”—will be convinced that only God is mighty and gives might to whom He wishes.—“You have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel”—an unreliable ally. The comparison carries a local color: the Nile abounds in reeds. A similar comparison in ; . The classics were not of better opinion about Egypt; according to Curtius (4, 1, 29) the Egyptians are an empty people, more capable of innovation than of real action; but Hirtius (De bello Alexandr. XXIV, 1) Caesar considered them a deceitful people, well known in that respect, that they showed one thing and thought another. 2 Sam 18:21 Isa 36:6

Ezekiel 29:7. “When they grasped you with the hand, you broke and tore all their shoulders; and when they leaned on you, you broke and made all their loins shake.” A staff is carried by an old man above all, perhaps an allusion to the weakness of Judah’s old age. The deceptive hope in Egypt hastened the fall of Jerusalem and perhaps worsened the condition of the captives. – “All their shoulder was dislocated,” Old Church Slavonic: “when every hand was raised against them” – it gave way with a crack. – “He wounded all their loins” – an intensification of the previous thought.

Ezekiel 29:8. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will bring a sword upon you, and I will cut off from you man and animal. The country comes forward in place of the king. See the explanation of Ezek 14:13-17.

Ezekiel 29:9. And the land of Egypt will become a desolation and a waste; and they will know that I am the Lord. Since he says, “My river is mine, and I made it,” “And the land of Egypt will become a desolation and a waste.” Egypt today is a desert compared to ancient times. – “He says” – Pharaoh, who again comes forward in place of the country, as its representative. – “My river” – verse 9.

Ezekiel 29:10. Behold, I am against the rivers of you, and I will make the land of Egypt a waste of wastes from Migdol to Syene, to the very border of Ethiopia. “Migdol” Greek Μαγδωλος, a city on the northern border of Egypt with Palestine, already mentioned in Exod 14:2; Num 33:7 (cf. Jer 44:1; Ezek 30:6), according to another – Egyptian Mactol, Coptic Meshtol; according to Itin. Ant. at 12 miles from Pelusium, probably the present Tel es Samut – (judging from the meaning of the name: tower) to the east of Kantara at Lake Manzala (Ebers, Durch Gosen 522 and ff.). Vulgate a turre, treating it as a common noun, an apposition to Syene. Syene, Old Church Slavonic Siine, Greek Συηνη, in inscriptions Sun, Coptic Suan, now Aswan, at the First Nile Cataract, on the right bank; its ruins are somewhat to the southwest of Aswan; on the southern, Ethiopian border of Egypt, just as according to Strabo (118): μεχοι Συηνης και των Αιθιοπικων αρων. Therefore the further “to the very border of Ethiopia,” meaning the same as Syene, its immediate definition.

Ezekiel 29:11. No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of animals shall pass through it, and it will not be inhabited for forty years. “No foot of man shall pass through it.” Complete and terrible desolation. Since Egypt was not subjected to such desolation, here is either a hyperbole permissible by the laws of rhetoric, or else God’s judgment was later mitigated, just as in the case of Nineveh such a judgment announced by the prophet Jonah was completely cancelled (Scaliger, Canon isagog. p. 312, who thus explains many prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel). – “Forty years” – a symbolic number of the fullness of punishment and repentance. See the explanation of Ezek 4:6. Since Judah at the same time will bear a punishment of the same duration, the prophet Ezekiel may consider the end of one and the other simultaneous, and connect it with that world upheaval which will accompany the restoration of Israel; cf. Ezek 16:53; Jer 48:47; cf. Isa 23:15 and ff.

Ezekiel 29:12. And I will make the land of Egypt a waste among desolated lands, and its cities among ruined cities will be desolate for forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them throughout the lands. “Among desolated lands” – Edom, Moab, and other countries against which Ezekiel prophesied (Jerome the Blessed) and which will suffer desolation simultaneously with Egypt, as a result of which the picture of desolation will be even more terrible. – “I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations…” – whether through captivity or voluntary emigration from the devastated country due to the difficulty of living in it. It seems life was not sweet for Israel in a foreign land, if Egypt too is not promised any great punishment.

Ezekiel 29:14. And I will restore the captivity of Egypt, and bring them back to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they shall be a weak kingdom. “Pathros,” Old Church Slavonic “the land of Paphros,” Greek γη Φαθωρης or Παθουρης, in Egyptian “southern land,” i.e., Upper Egypt; according to cuneiform inscriptions Paturizi, in Pliny (5, 9) nom Phaturitis, in Ptolemy (4, 5, 69) κωμη Ταθυρις. Herodotus (II, 4, 15) and Diodorus (I, 50; III, 3) relate that the first Egyptian king Menes was from the city of Tinis in Thebes near Abydos, which served as the capital of the 1st and 2nd dynasty, when the rest of Egypt was still a swamp (only the 3rd dynasty founded Memphis). Hence the further: “to the land of their origin.” As if indicating that the future Egyptian kingdom will be limited to Upper Egypt, the birthplace of this kingdom, whereby it will be remote from the borders of the holy land and will not harm it as before. – “And there they shall be a weak kingdom.” Egypt will never again be a great world power. All the more deceptive was the hope of Judah in it (Hengstenberg).

Ezekiel 29:16. And they shall no longer be a support for the house of Israel, remembering their iniquity when they turn to him; and they shall know that I am the Lord God. “Remembering their iniquity.” The alliance with Egypt seemed to remind God of Israel’s former sins, fulfilled their measure and demanded punishment from God’s justice. Cf. Ezek 21:24. “God, through the reliance which Israel placed on Egypt, could measure all the impiety of the nation, which, hoping in Egypt, thereby injured the glory of His name. But to bring all to the acknowledgment that the one God is mighty, who deserves all hope and glory, – this according to Ezekiel is the goal toward which all history must tend. He is an enemy of politics, and in the hitherto peaceful toward pagans politics of Israel he sees the gangrene of the nation” (Bertholet). Ezek 29:17-21. This contains the 2nd speech against Egypt. It has the latest date in the book of Ezekiel, 2 years after his last great vision of the new temple (Ezek 40). The speech was occasioned by the unsuccessful or not entirely successful outcome of the siege of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar. As we saw (see the explanation of Ezek 26:10 and 14), the prophet Ezekiel did not predict that Tyre would be destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, but only predicted the siege of it by him, which would end (unknown when and by whom) in the complete destruction of Tyre. Nevertheless, the prophecy could have been understood (as it is now understood by rationalist exegetes) in the sense of a prediction of Tyre’s complete defeat by Nebuchadnezzar. The present speech was perhaps occasioned by existing or merely possible rumors of the non-fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy regarding Tyre. The prophet predicts to Nebuchadnezzar in exchange for the incomplete success of the siege of Tyre a completely successful campaign in Egypt. But rationalist criticism also in this case finds fault with Ezekiel, asserting that Nebuchadnezzar did not undertake a campaign against Egypt and that, consequently, this prophecy of Ezekiel’s, like the one against Tyre, did not come to pass. Concerning Nebuchadnezzar’s campaign in Egypt the following speak: 1) Berossus in Josephus (C. App. I, 19), that the Babylonians conquered Egypt just as Syria, Phoenicia, and Arabia; 2) Megasthenes in Strabo (XV, 1, 6), in Josephus (C. App. I, 20) and Abydenus in Eusebius (Praep. evang. IX, 41) speak of Nebuchadnezzar’s campaigns as far as Libya and Iberia and of his reaching even the Pillars of Hercules; 3) Josephus (in Antiqu. 10:9, 7) says that Nebuchadnezzar invaded Egypt, killed Pharaoh Ophru, appointed another in his place, and sent the Jews who had fled there to Babylon. 4) Syncellus (Chonogr. I, 453) says that the Chaldeans abandoned Egypt only out of fear of an earthquake. Doubt regarding Nebuchadnezzar’s campaign is induced by: 1) the silence of Herodotus (II, 161 and ff.) and Diodorus (I, 68); 2) that Josephus, where he speaks of Egypt’s subjugations, does not mention its subjugation by Nebuchadnezzar; 3) that Josephus in his account of Nebuchadnezzar’s campaign in Antiqu. gives no source, and this could have been the prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and that his testimony of the killing of Ophru by Nebuchadnezzar contradicts the Greek historians, according to whom Ophru was killed by his successor Amasis. Without speaking of the weakness of these arguments (Herodotus, for instance, does not mention the battle of Carchemish; he drew from Egyptian sources, concerning which he himself says that Egyptian priests often falsified history), Nebuchadnezzar’s campaign in Egypt is now increasingly confirmed by Egyptian and Babylonian inscriptions. The hieroglyphic Nes-Horins inscription says that in the reign of Ophru an army of Amu (Syrians), Asiatics, and other northern peoples flooded Egypt and penetrated to the first cataracts, but was repulsed from there by the viceroy and the king himself. Babylonian chronicle fragments relate that Nebuchadnezzar in the 37th year undertook a campaign against the land of Mitsr (cf. Mitsvraim, the Hebrew name of Egypt) for war with its king, from whose name only the end azi could be read (Amasis? Schrader, Keilinschr Biblioth. III, 140 and ff. Bertholet).

Ezekiel 29:17. In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: March 571 BC. Fourteen years after the preceding speech.

Ezekiel 29:18. Son of man! Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, made his army labor hard against Tyre; every head was rubbed bare, and every shoulder worn smooth; yet he and his army got no reward from Tyre for the labor he expended against it. “Hard labor.” The difficult siege works in general – digging ditches, building trenches and ramparts of stones and sand – at the siege of Tyre reached an incredible degree, as Nebuchadnezzar, probably like Alexander the Great, had to build a dam across the strait. – “Every head was rubbed bare, and every shoulder worn smooth” from bearing weight on them. Old Church Slavonic: “every shoulder was bared” – clothes were torn. – “No reward from Tyre.” It could not be plundered because either it was not taken, or surrendered on favorable terms, or, as Jerome the Blessed says, treasures were carried away on ships when the Tyrians saw the construction of a dam across the strait and considered the taking of the city inevitable.

Ezekiel 29:19. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, so that he may strip it of its wealth and seize plunder in it, and rob what has been plundered by it, and this shall be the reward for his army. “To Nebuchadnezzar” – of course not to him personally, but to his monarchy, of which he was the representative. The conquest of Egypt took place, perhaps, not under Nebuchadnezzar. – “Wealth,” Old Church Slavonic “multitude,” Hebrew hammon admits the idea of population as well; hence also further instead of “plunder” Old Church Slavonic “captivity”; a softening of the Hebrew text.

Ezekiel 29:20. As wages for his labor that he performed, I give him the land of Egypt, because they did it for Me, says the Lord God. “They did it for Me” unconsciously, – in punishment for Israel and to restore the glory of God’s name. In many codices: LXX, Peshitta, Coptic, and Arabic – it is absent.

Ezekiel 29:21. On that day I will make a horn sprout for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth among them, and they shall know that I am the Lord. The last words that proceeded from the mouth of the prophet Ezekiel, and therefore naturally contain in themselves a prediction of the messianic times: the humiliation of Egypt, the symbol of all the pagan world, will be the day of the triumph of God’s kingdom on earth, – Israel. – “Horn” – strength (1 Sam 2:1; Jer 48:25; Lam 2:3). – “I will open your mouth.” The seeming non-fulfillment of the prophecy concerning Tyre again undermined the authority of the prophet, as the long non-fulfillment of the prophecy of Jerusalem’s destruction once did (Ezek 24:27; cf. Ezek 3:27). The conquest of Egypt, predicted now with such detail, will restore this authority, as the fall of Tyre did earlier. One may understand it generally: with the dawn of Israel’s salvation, i.e., in the Church the prophetic word will resound especially abundantly – as a result of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. According to Theodoret the Blessed, the prophet Ezekiel here appears as the representative of all prophets.

Chapter Thirty

Two speeches against Egypt

In the first of them verses 1–19, continuing Ezek 29:1-16, the ruin of Egypt is predicted more distinctly and particularly compared to that speech, thus: the diverse army of Egypt is described, the destruction of Egyptian peoples is described, and for the first time the one carrying out the punishment of Egypt is indicated. The second speech, verses 20–26, delivered perhaps when the Egyptian army that had moved to the relief of besieged Jerusalem was repulsed by the Chaldeans (cf. Jer 37:5 and ff. Jer 34:21 and ff.), in this failure sees a guarantee for the impending ruin of Egypt from the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

Ezekiel 30:1. And the word of the Lord came to me: The absence of a chronological date causes some to assume the date Ezek 29:17, whereby this speech would appear to be the last speech of the prophet Ezekiel (verses 2 and 3 could sound like this); but the speech Ezek 29:17-21 is clearly an insertion.

Ezekiel 30:2. Son of man! Prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord God: Wail! “Oh, the day!” Ezekiel 30:3. For a day is near, a day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of the nations. “Oh, the day!” Old Church Slavonic “O! O! day!” The word “day,” placed without any definition, has all the more force and dread in it. Thus also in Ezek 7:7; cf. Zeph 1:7; Joel 2:2-3. It refers to a day of judgment here, moreover, no longer upon Israel, but upon the pagan world, one of the mightiest representatives of which is Egypt. The judgment of the latter, consequently, is a continuation, part of the judgment upon paganism, necessary to ensure the blessedness of the messianic times in Israel. The “day” initially placed without definition is immediately defined as 1) “a day of the Lord,” in which the Lord will manifest all His glory and will be everywhere acknowledged as Lord (cf. Isa 2:12 and others Joel 1:15; Amos 5:20; 1 Cor 5:5 and others), – as 2) “a day of clouds,” Old Church Slavonic more accurately “a day of cloud,” when a thick cloud will cover the sky as a sign of God’s wrath, so that the luminaries will grow dark (Joel 2:2; Zeph 1:14 and others), – as 3) “a time of the nations,” when the time appointed for the pagan world comes to an end, so the LXX correctly read, probably instead of et “time,” etz “end”: “end of the nations”; cf. Ezek 7:7. The speech has an eschatological tone and therefore is so close in expressions to chapter VII.

Ezekiel 30:4. And a sword will come upon Egypt, and anguish will come upon Ethiopia when the slain fall in Egypt, and her wealth is carried away, and her foundations are broken down; “Sword” – war. – “Anguish will come upon Ethiopia,” the nearest neighbor of Egypt, which provided it with a considerable contingent of mercenary troops (Nah 3:9; Jer 46:9 and Greek historians); there is no precise information about the political relationship of Ethiopia to Egypt at the time of its fall (whether it was completely independent of it). – “Wealth,” Old Church Slavonic “multitude,” i.e., population; Hebrew as in Ezek 29:19 hammon; see there. – “Foundations.” A building comparison is presupposed. It means the government institutions, or the army, or allies and mercenary troops, upon which the power of Egypt mainly depended.

Ezekiel 30:5. Ethiopia and Libya and Lydia, and all the mixed rabble, and Cub, and the children of the covenant land will fall by the sword. The countries are listed from which Egypt had mercenary troops. These constituted the main force in Egyptian armies and Ophru, who had these mercenaries numbering 300,000, aroused discontent among his subjects by his preference for them (Herodotus II, 161). “Ethiopia.” LXX “Persians and Cretans,” probably based on Ezek 27:10 and since Ethiopia is mentioned already in the preceding verse. The second is probably a doublet of the later “from My covenant”: berit – covenant, kerit – Crete. “Libya and Lydia” – see the explanation of Ezek 27:10. “All the mixed rabble.” Various small tribes, perhaps from the Syrian-Arabian desert (Exod 12:38) or from small regions of Asia Minor: in the army of Ophru according to Herodotus (II, 161) were Ionians, Carians, etc.; Hebrew erev – “mixed,” identical in form with arav – Arabia, so one could read “all Arabia” here; Old Church Slavonic doublet: “and all Arabia and all those mixed in.” “Cub” hapax legomenon. In Egyptian inscriptions the people Kufa is mentioned, perhaps the Copts. In Mauritania there was a city Kob (Itin. Ant. 18); also consonant are Κοβη in Ethiopia on the Indian Ocean (Pt. IV, 7) now Kayi, Κωβωυ in Mariotis (Pt. IV, 5); but here a country is expected, not a city. Old Church Slavonic “Murini,” Greek absent. Assuming an error, some read Nub – Nubia (a name already known then: Str. XVII, 786; Pt. IV, 7, 30 and others) or Lub – Libya. “Children of the covenant land.” According to Jerome the Blessed and Theodoret – Jews; thus also the LXX should be: “and sons from My covenant.” Scarcely some “land allied with Egypt” (why is it not named?). Perhaps a general apposition to the listed countries: “allies.”

Ezekiel 30:6. Thus says the Lord: The supporters of Egypt shall fall, and its proud strength shall come down; from Migdol to Syene they shall fall in it by the sword, says the Lord God. “Supporters,” probably the same as “foundations” in verse 4, allies. – “The pride of its strength” all that gives it force and seeming impregnability; cf. Ezek 24:21. – “From Migdol to Syene” see the explanation of Ezek 29:12.

Ezekiel 30:7. And it shall be desolate among desolated lands, and its cities among ruined cities. See the explanation of Ezek 29:12.

Ezekiel 30:8. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I send fire upon Egypt and all its supports are broken. “Fire” – war. “Supporters” Hebrew the same as in verse 6: ozreia: probably means – “foundations” verse 4; Old Church Slavonic “helping.”

Ezekiel 30:9. On that day messengers shall go forth from Me in ships to make the overconfident Ethiopians afraid, and anguish shall come upon them on the day of Egypt; for behold, it comes. “Shall go forth from Me.” God is represented as present in Egypt for judgment upon them, thus “from Me” is the same as “from Egypt.” – “Messengers” – Egyptians saved from destruction. – “In ships,” on which the dreadful news could be spread to all corners of Ethiopia intersected by rivers (cf. Isa 18:2). Hebrew tzim (also Num 24:24; Isa 33:21), probably of Egyptian root – tai, fast vessels; according to Jerome the Blessed a trireme (thus he “heard from the Hebrews”). Old Church Slavonic doublet: “in Siem (transliteration – in the sense of a country), striving.” – “Day of Egypt” – its ruin: “in” in Hebrew absent.

Ezekiel 30:10. Thus says the Lord God: I will put an end to the multitude of Egypt by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. As in Ezek 16:7 and ff.; Ezek 22:11 and ff., the instrument of ruin only now. – “Multitude” – Hebrew the same hammon as in Ezek 29:19 and verse 4. Egypt was especially densely populated. But here chiefly the diverse armies (hammon – throng, in Ezek 39:11 of the hordes of Gog) are meant.

Ezekiel 30:11. He and his people with him, the most terrible of the nations, shall be brought to destroy the land; and they shall draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain. “The most terrible of the nations” – see the explanation of Ezek 7:24; Vulgate fortissimos, but in the following verse the same Hebrew word – pessimos. – “Fill the land with the slain,” Old Church Slavonic “with the wounded” (struck) – Ezek 11:6.

Ezekiel 30:12. And I will dry up the rivers, and will give the land into the hand of the wicked, and I will make the land desolate and all that is in it by the hand of foreigners. I the Lord have spoken it. “Rivers” – Hebrew yeorim, that is, the Nile and its tributaries (cf. Ezek 29:3). Drying up the branches of the Nile for Egypt equals the complete ruin of the country. The threat has no direct connection with the course of thought.

Ezekiel 30:13. Thus says the Lord God: I will destroy the idols and put an end to the false gods in Memphis, and there shall be no more a ruler in the land of Egypt, and I will put fear upon the land of Egypt. “Idols” – Hebrew gillul, abominations: Ezek 6:4. Perhaps chiefly the cult of Ptah, of which Memphis was the center is meant. – “False gods” – Hebrew elilim, properly emptiness, vanities; perhaps the cult of the first Apis is meant, the center of which was also Memphis. The word, used nowhere else by Ezekiel and therefore perhaps read by the LXX as elim “magnates” (the Memphian dynasty; see further) – Memphis. Hebrew Nof again in verse 16; Isa 19:13; Jer 2:16 and Mof Hos 9:6 are thus translated by the LXX and Targum. The ancient Egyptian Men-nefer this city later in common parlance was called Panuf or Manuf (i.e., place of good) (and to this latter form the Greek and both Hebrew readings of its name are connected); Assyrian Mimki (Brugsch, Hist. I, 17); its sacred name was Ha-ka-Pta (“house of the worship of Ptah”). It was located in Lower Egypt, somewhat to the south of present-day Cairo. According to tradition founded by Menes (Herodotus II, 99; on the contrary Diodorus I, 50 and ff.), it was the greatest city (according to Diodorus 150 stadia) of Lower Egypt; fortified (Diodorus XV, 43) it was sometimes the royal residence (Pliny V, 9). The Saitic dynasty and Apries nevertheless lived in Sais, but Amasis, apparently, in Memphis (Herodotus II, 163, 154). Until the time of Jerome the Blessed, it, the ancient center of the cult of Ptah and Apis (Herodotus II, 3, 10), was “the capital of Egyptian superstition.” “There shall be no more a ruler in the land of Egypt,” there will be no native dynasty. – “Fear” – before the majesty of God, to overcome the fear of idols. On the conversion of Egypt there is silence.

Ezekiel 30:14. I will make Pathros desolate and send fire upon Zoan, and bring judgment upon No. “Pathros” – see the explanation of Ezek 29:14. The further enumeration of Egyptian cities is conducted without geographical order, cities of Upper and Lower Egypt are placed side by side. “Zoan,” “Tanis” of LXX and Targum, other Egyptian Danet, Coptic Tane, Assyrian Sanu, now San, a fishing village on the eastern bank of the easternmost branch of the Nile, named after it Sanitic. See Isa 19:11. Concerning its antiquity Num 13:22. According to Ps 77:12 it witnessed the wonders at the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt, consequently, the residence of the pharaoh of that time; according to Egyptologists the capital of the Hyksos and identical with Avaris (Josephus C. App. I, 14). “I will bring judgment” – not as strong as “I will send fire”: not final destruction. – “No,” Assyrian Niyu, according to Jer 46:25 the center of the cult of Ammon, hence the fuller name in Nah 3:8-10, in “No-Ammon” (city of Ammon?). LXX: Διοσπολις – city of Zeus, that is, the chief god of the Egyptians (Targum and Vulgate Alexandria). Διοσπολις were called Thebes, which was also the center of Ammon’s cult. Therefore, following the LXX, everyone understands Thebes here as No (although the name “No” is not found in hieroglyphics), the “Hundred-gated” Thebes – the chief city of Upper Egypt, the most ancient city of Egypt and according to Diodorus (150) of the whole world, famous for its wealth, learned priests (815), pyramids, Memnonieum.

Ezekiel 30:15. And I will pour My wrath upon Sin, the stronghold of Egypt, and I will cut off the multitude of No. “I will pour My wrath” (Ezek 7:8 and others) is stronger than the following concerning No: “I will cut off the multitude,” and in general a very strong expression, indicating a greater degree of damage from war compared to other cities, which is what should have happened due to the position of Sin; see further. – “Sin,” literally “clay” from the Egyptian imet, consequently, Pelusium, because this name too is from the Greek πηλος, clay (C. 803); near its probable location are ruins now called Tine, which in Coptic means city of mud. Located on the eastern branch of the Nile, it represented the key to Egypt due to its geographical position: the southern desert was impassable for troops, and the passage near Pelusium was difficult due to swamps; besides, to the east of the city stretched a high boundary wall (Str. I, c. Diod. I, 57); it played a major role in the campaigns of Sennacherib, Cambyses, Artaxerxes, Ochus, Antiochus Epiphanes, Gabinius, Caesar, and Octavian, and was the most important arsenal of weapons for Egypt (Caesar Bel. civ. III, 108). LXX “Sain,” that is, Sais in Lower Egypt near Pelusium. – “No” LXX for some reason here “Memphis” (Memphis), not Diospolis, as in the two neighboring verses 14 and 16.

Ezekiel 30:16. And I will set fire to Egypt; Sin shall writhe in anguish, and No shall be broken into, and Memphis shall face enemies in broad daylight. An intensification and clearer exposition of the previous threats. “I will send fire,” said in verse 14 of only Zoan, is now applied to all Egypt. The general expression of verse 15 concerning Sin (Old Church Slavonic here already “Sais,” and Greek Συηνη, see Ezek 29:10) “I will pour My wrath” is replaced by the concrete “shall writhe,” Old Church Slavonic “shall be thrown into tumult” (perhaps commotion, uprising). The most restrained threat. But in verse 14 “I will bring judgment,” explained in verse 15 through “I will cut off the multitude,” is here intensified to “shall be broken into,” literally “a breach shall be made,” as also Old Church Slavonic “shall be breached” (indication of the strong fortifications of these cities). Finally, the mild promise only to destroy idolatry in Memphis in verse 13 is made worse by the threat: “Memphis shall face enemies in broad daylight,” therefore, more, consequently, daring, than those undertaking night attacks (cf. Jer 15:8). But LXX do not have in the last proposition a speech about Memphis, but the continuation of speech about No – Diospolis: “and the waters shall be poured out” (shall be flooded – by the Nile or by war), probably reading instead of venof tsar yomam according to Nah 3:8 venafotzim eymam. Consequently, the cities are not repeated because “the arsenal of geographical knowledge of Egypt by Ezekiel is small” (Kraetzschmar. A. 27th chapter?).

Ezekiel 30:17. The young men of On and Bubastis shall fall by the sword, and the cities themselves shall go into captivity. “On” – the Masoretes wrongly vocalized according to Hos 10:8; Amos 1:5 aven – calamity, Egyptian Anu or An, Assyrian Unu, Coptic Un or On, which means light, sun, consequently, the city called by the prophet Jeremiah Jer 43:13 and the classics “city of the sun.” Heliopolis (Old Church Slavonic “Helioupolis”) for its cult of the Egyptian sun-god Ra, which had a magnificent temple here with the bull Mnevis, almost as sacred as the Memphite Apis (Str. 609): to this city was also attributed the myth of the phoenix (Tacitus Annal. VI, 26). Located in Lower Egypt to the north of Memphis; built on high embankment, it lay on a great canal connecting the Nile with the Red Sea. Probably its remains – the ruins of Ein-Shams (“source of light”) near Cairo. Near these ruins a fig tree is shown under which the holy family rested during its flight into Egypt. “Bubastis,” Old Church Slavonic “Buvasty,” Egyptian Pi-bast, whose name includes the name of the goddess Bastet, the Egyptian Artemis, to whom cats were dedicated and she herself was with a cat’s head. The city also of Lower Egypt, now Tel-Basta, on the eastern bank of the Pelusiotic branch of the Nile. Strongly fortified, was built on high embankment, which was lower in its middle, so that from all points of the city the temple of Bastet, surrounded by a Nile canal, was visible, which Herodotus calls the most beautiful of Egyptian temples (II, 137). The annual pilgrimage here was the most beloved pilgrimage and attracted here 700,000 men and women (II, 59). “Shall fall by the sword.” The Bubasite nome with 11 others belonged to one half of the warrior caste – the Calasirians; Ionian and Carian mercenaries were stationed here also by Psammetichus. – “The cities themselves,” Hebrew gennah – these, they, feminine gender, so LXX “and women”; probably means all the population of cities or the cities themselves.

Ezekiel 30:18. And in Tahpanhes the day will be dark, when I break there the yoke of Egypt, and its proud might comes to an end. The city will be covered with clouds, and its daughters shall go into captivity. “Tahpanhes,” Old Church Slavonic “Thapnes,” Greek Ταφναι, mentioned also Jer 2:16 and others with slightly different pronunciation in Hebrew: here Tkhapnehes, there Tahpanhes, in the capacity of the chief representative alongside Memphis of Egyptian power, should be the same as “Pelusian” Daphne of Herodotus (II, 30, 107), a strong fortress under Psammetichus, remaining such until the Persian rule: it is mentioned further by Antony’s journey, at 16 miles from Pelusium on the western bank of the Pelusiotic branch of the Nile. Perhaps it corresponds to Tel-el-Defenne, although the latter is at 5 1/2 German miles (27 1/2 Roman) from Pelusium. In hieroglyphics and in Josephus not mentioned. “The day will be dark” – a symbol of God’s judgment: see verse 3. “I break there the yoke of Egypt,” Old Church Slavonic “scepters” for which motot must be pronounced as matot; thus more correctly, as it is unclear on whom this yoke is (one could understand it only as Egyptian slavery of Israel). According to Jer 43:9 in Tahpanhes was a magnificent royal palace. – “Its proud might” – verse 6. – “The city will be covered with clouds” – verse 3. – “Its daughters” – cities: Ezek 16:46.

Ezekiel 30:20. In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: March (the Passover month) 587 BC, four months before the destruction of Jerusalem, less than 3 months after the date of Ezek 29:1.

Ezekiel 30:21. Son of man! I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and behold, it has not been bound up for healing or wrapped with a bandage, so that it could be strong to wield the sword. “I have broken” – the past tense indicates an accomplished fact: the repulses of the Egyptian army, which had undertaken to march to the relief of Jerusalem. – “The arm” – the army. – “And behold, it has not been bound up” – for healing; Old Church Slavonic “and behold, it was not treated (did not turn to physicians) to give him healing.” – “Wrapped with a bandage” Hebrew hittul hapax legomenon, a medical term. LXX: “plaster,” μαλαγμα.

Ezekiel 30:22. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and will break his arms, both the strong one and the broken one, and I will make the sword fall from his hand. “Therefore” – since the beginning is already made (Smend). – “The strong one” – the other part of the army. – “The broken one” – even more and finally.

Ezekiel 30:23. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them throughout the lands. A repetition of Ezek 29:12 and identical to verse 26.

Ezekiel 30:24. And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he shall groan before him with the groans of one mortally wounded. “And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon.” God will increase the already considerable power of Nebuchadnezzar (for the final defeat of Egypt) with new victories, among which the taking of Jerusalem. – “My sword” – irresistible. That Nebuchadnezzar is the instrument of God’s judgments, this thought is frequently repeated in Ezekiel. – “The arms of Pharaoh” and so on to the end of the verse are quite differently in LXX: “and shall lead him upon Egypt, and shall take his captivity, and shall lift up his spoils.” A striking example of disagreement between two such authoritative representatives of the biblical text – “and he shall groan before him with the groans of one mortally wounded.” Probably an indication of the personal fate of Pharaoh Ophru, actually killed.

Ezekiel 30:25. I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt. The threat with respect to Pharaoh seems to be somewhat softened: “the arms” are understood not as the army, but generally as the strength of the kingdom.

Ezekiel 30:26. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them throughout the lands, and they shall know that I am the Lord. “And they shall know (even though the Egyptians are already captive) that I am the Lord.” Everything in the prophet Ezekiel is directed toward this goal – toward the establishment of the knowledge of God on earth, toward the foundation of a world religion.

Chapter Thirty-One

Egypt – a Haughty Cedar

The fall of Egypt is here depicted in a parable, after which in the XXXII chapter a lamentation over it will follow, just as was also done concerning Tyre, although there the parable and lamentation are merged into one. The comparison is close to chapter XVII, in part to XIX and Dan 4. The speech has poetic construction and is divided into 3 stanzas: verses 2–9 describe the height and beauty of an incomparable, wonderful cedar; verses 10–15 its fall and God’s purpose in this; verses 16–18 the consequences of the fall.

Ezekiel 31:1. In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: May 586 BC, somewhat less than 2 months after the preceding speech and two months before the fall of Jerusalem; consequently, perhaps, still under the impression of the repulse of Pharaoh, going to the relief of Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 31:2. Son of man! Say to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and to his multitude: Whom are you like in your greatness? “To his multitude” – Old Church Slavonic more accurately “to his crowd,” literally rabble, whereby is meant the mixed-nationality army of Pharaoh, the main force of which was constituted by foreigners; in the further the distinction between Pharaoh and his army: verses 6, 12, is maintained. – “Whom are you like?” To what kingdoms and kings. There follows no answer to this question, which is repeated and again without an answer in verse 18; but the further comparison of Pharaoh with a cedar has the purpose to show that there is no such answer possible, that Pharaoh places himself above all kings.

Ezekiel 31:3. Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and a shady crown, and tall of stature; its top was among the thick clouds. “Assyria.” Instead of the expected speech about Egypt, the prophet suddenly speaks about Assyria. Previously this strangeness was explained by the fact that the prophet in the fate of Assyria wants to give a warning to Egypt: if Assyria, such a warlike cedar, perished, then all the more Egypt. But nothing further does the prophet give to understand that he wants to convey such a thought; on the contrary, the further entire parable is constructed so that Egypt itself is compared to a cedar. Therefore, in the expression “Assyria was a cedar,” which literally from Hebrew will be “Assyria – cedar,” many now see the name of a special kind of cedar; indeed, in Isa 60:13 and Ezek 27:6 there is the name of a tree teashur (the tav letter could disappear from the proximity to the resembling letter ge of the preceding word), which in the first of the indicated places LXX translate “cedar,” and in the second simply “tree” (Russian Bible: “beech”). It is thought that here is meant a particularly high cedar, the so-called pinus cedrus, according to Pliny (XXIV, 5): cedrus magna, quam cedrelaten vocant. But only the combination assur-cedar is unusual; it should have said: cedar-assur. Therefore, others suppose in one of these words a gloss, or read instead of ashur – adir, strong (according to the Ethiopic translation). – “And a shady crown,” Old Church Slavonic “partially covered.” The cedar does not grow as neatly as our conifers, but more in width and drops mighty branches to the ground often at 6–10. – “Its top was among the thick clouds.” Hebrew avotim, branches, LXX read avot, clouds: and “among the clouds his dominion was” – a reading that is more powerful, beautiful, and considered by new commentators to be the most probable.

Ezekiel 31:4. The waters made it grow; the deep made it tall, sending its rivers around the place it was planted, sending its streams to all the trees of the field. “The waters” – the Nile. – “The deep.” Water in rivers is generally of subterranean origin. The expression was especially fitting concerning the Nile, whose sources were in a country unknown to the ancients and embellished by imagination. – “Its rivers,” “its streams” – the branches and canals of the Nile. – “Sending its streams to all the trees of the field.” Other trees had only the overflow of water, which remained from nourishing the cedar. Egypt left to neighboring kingdoms only the lands unnecessary to itself.

Ezekiel 31:5. Therefore its height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and its boughs became many, and its branches became long from abundant waters in its growth. “And its boughs became many.” (Absent in LXX.) “Boughs” Hebrew sarapphotav; probably an Aramaic form instead of seappot, branches, verse 6 and 8.

Ezekiel 31:6. All the birds of the sky made their nests in its boughs; under its branches all the animals of the field gave birth to their young, and all the great nations lived under its shadow. “Boughs” and “branches” see explanation of Ezek 17:23. – “Birds” and “animals.” Nations making up the Egyptian monarchy, its allies and mixed-nationality army (neighboring peoples – other trees). – “And all the great nations lived under its shadow.” An explanation of the preceding. A sharp turn from the allegory to direct speech.

Ezekiel 31:7. It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its roots went down to abundant waters. Up to verse 9 specifically about the incomparability of the tree; therefore the repetition of verse 4.

Ezekiel 31:8. The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it; nor the fir trees equal its boughs; nor did any tree in the garden of God match its beauty. “The cedars in the garden of God, that is, in paradise, could not rival it.” Important data for the Old Testament concept of paradise, that its trees were natural and even did not surpass the natural. Egypt, like Tyre in Ezek 28:13, is thought of as part of paradise; the Nile, Lebanon, and paradise replace each other in the description of it. “Could not rival” – presumed (according to Ezek 33:3) translation of Hebrew amam, which, judging from the meaning of this root in Ezek 1:20 (“equally”) and here and there in chapters XL-XLVIII and from affinity in Assyrian emu, to be equal, should mean “to rival”; thus also LXX: “were not like,” Vulgate “non adaequaverunt.” In such a case the thought is intensified: the Egyptian cedar surpasses the paradise cedars (LXX: fir trees). Jerome the Blessed, Jarchi and others consider the garden of God a synonym for the earth at the time of creation. Gregory the Great (Moral. XXXII, 18) sees here a reference to the glory of the devil (Lucifer) before the fall. – “The fir trees” are attracted for comparison due to the density of their branches, united in a spherical crown; Old Church Slavonic “pines”; Vulgate abietes (firs). – “Any tree” Old Church Slavonic “elies,” Hebrew armon (from the root “to peel”), used only in Gen 30:37, modern commentators according to Vulgate give the meaning “plane tree,” which could be attracted here for comparison because of its wide, shading foliage.

Ezekiel 31:9. I made it beautiful with its many branches, so that all the trees of Eden envied it, that were in the garden of God. “I made it beautiful,” just as the paradise trees, planted by God directly. I, therefore, can and destroy it. “The trees… envied” – personification, so natural in a parable.

Ezekiel 31:10. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you grew tall in stature and set its top among the clouds, and its heart was proud in its height, The fall of the cedar is described. “And set its top among the clouds.” Old Church Slavonic “and gave you authority among the clouds” (see verse 3) more clearly indicates the self-exaltation of Pharaoh, reaching the point of self-deification; cf. Gen 3:5.

Ezekiel 31:11. I gave it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations; he shall surely deal with it. For its wickedness I have cast it out. “A mighty one” – Nebuchadnezzar. Hebrew el, properly God, mighty; but it is thought here to be an abbreviation of eil, ram, tarn, in the sense of “fighter.” The name, one way or another, is unexpected. – “I have cast it out” – Old Church Slavonic more accurately “I have driven it out,” that is, out of Eden? but does not apply to a tree. Perhaps – the Pharaoh out of the kingdom (the allegory can transition into direct speech).

Ezekiel 31:12. Foreigners, the most terrible of the nations, have cut it down and left it; its branches have fallen on the mountains and in all the valleys its branches are broken; and all the peoples of the earth left it in its shade and abandoned it. “The most terrible of the nations” – see the explanation of Ezek 7:24. – “And left it on the mountains,” Old Church Slavonic more accurately “on mountains,” where cedars mainly grow. – “And on all the valleys its branches fell.” Because of the extraordinary size of the cedar, the broken branches covered not only the mountain where it grew, but also the surrounding valleys. The fall of Egypt was felt beyond its borders. – “And its branches are broken on all the ravines of the earth.” The branches in falling penetrated into the gorges. As a world power, Egypt caused its fall to be felt by the whole earth. Can here mean the Egyptians killed (cf. Ezek 32:5). The prophet gradually abandons his comparison; see further: “from under the shade of it all the nations (instead of expected: birds) of the earth.” – “And abandoned it” – the allies; presumed translation; Old Church Slavonic “and they despoiled it.”

Ezekiel 31:13. On its fallen trunk all the birds of the sky will perch, and in its branches will be all the animals of the field. “On its fallen trunk,” Old Church Slavonic more accurately: “in its falling”: but Hebrew mappelet besides such an abstract meaning can also have a concrete meaning “corpse” (Judg 14:8), here – the corpse of a tree; hence the further: “all the birds of the sky will perch…” – predatory, to benefit from the corpse (the tree is represented as living; cf. verse V). The allies and neighbors of Egypt rejoiced at its fall and tried to extract profit from it for themselves.

Ezekiel 31:14. This is in order that no tree by the waters may grow tall in stature or set its top among the clouds, and that no tree that drinks water may reach up to it; for they are all given over to death, to the world below, among mortals, with those who go down to the pit. A pedagogical purpose which the Lord connects with the catastrophe (Ezek 16:41). No tree (kingdom) should imagine that it can grow up to the heavens (cf. the tower of Babel). – “Trees by the waters” are especially abundantly nourished (the Nile for Egypt). – “The thick clouds,” Old Church Slavonic “clouds” as in verses 3, 10. – “That they may not reach up to it in their height…” – presumed translation; in LXX, in the opinion of the newest scholars, it is more correct: “and shall not stand on its height toward it (shall not strive toward it to a heavenly height) all who drink water.” – “To the world below” – Ezek 26:20. The tree is personified to an extraordinary degree: even after death has a human fate. – “Among mortals” – ordinary mortals, simple people, burial with whom was considered especially shameful for Egyptian Pharaohs. – “The pit” – see the explanation of Ezek 26:20.

Ezekiel 31:15. Thus says the Lord God: On the day it went down to Sheol I caused a mourning; I closed the deep over it, and stopped its rivers; and the many waters were stilled; and I made Lebanon mourn for it, and all the trees of the field withered away on account of it. The impression produced by the ruin of Egypt upon nature and people is described. Nature from this ruin will come to a state of positive torpor from fear and sorrow. – “I closed the deep over it.” The subterranean waters that nourished and fed the cedar – Egypt – will be numbed, frozen with grief for it. A powerful image, involuntarily directing the thought beyond Egypt and the Nile, into the spiritual world and its mysterious and unknown to mankind history. – “And stopped its rivers…,” that nourished the cedar, – in a sign of mourning. – “And I made Lebanon mourn for it,” embellished by which was the cedar. Does not the thought of the fall of the devil and its reflection in the event of the whole world and nature lie behind (ancient commentators saw in all these chapters such a hidden thought). The fall of every earthly grandeur, consequently, is deeply felt by nature: cf. Ezek 32:7 and ff.

Ezekiel 31:16. I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall, when I brought it down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit. And all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were consoled in the world below. The fall of Egypt causes nations to tremble from unexpectedness and fear for their own fate, and the inhabitants of the underworld (trees are also in the underworld – symbols of kingdoms, more particularly – of kings) to rejoice, as exceptional a rejoicing, moreover, as Ezek 14:22-23; Ezek 16:54; cf. Ezek 32:31. – “Were consoled” – more accurately comforted; but the LXX give somewhat another thought with their “comforted him.” – “Trees of Eden.” Here Eden is only an epithet: trees of Eden, as the further apposition shows, stand on Lebanon, therefore LXX and Vulgate better: “trees of delight,” ligna voluptatis. – “That drink water” – verse 14.

Ezekiel 31:17. They too went down with him to Sheol, to those killed by the sword; and those who were his arm, living under his shadow among the nations. “They” – other trees, the well-ordered and mountain kingdoms. – “Those who were his arm” – literally “strength,” that is, what constituted the power of Pharaoh, mainly the mercenary army, and the lands that provided it; cf. verse 6. LXX, reading zero instead of zerou, “his seed,” which Cornill understands in the sense of “half his tree.” – “Living under his shadow among the nations.” The speech becomes almost direct. The catastrophe was not limited only to Egypt: it entailed the ruin of other kingdoms, independent and living at the expense of Egypt.

Ezekiel 31:18. Thus you are brought down with the trees of Eden to the world below; you will lie among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord God. With a question, which, like in verse 2, remains without an answer (see there), the chapter returns to its beginning. The ruin of Egypt not only equaled this colossus, which was incomparable with anything, with other great kingdoms (“trees of Eden”), but it befell him with the fate of the most unfortunate of the dead – the uncircumcised (see the explanation of Ezek 28:10; among the Egyptians circumcision was widely practiced, at least among the upper classes. Vigouroux. La bible… ed. 2, t.1, p. 414) and deprived of burial. – “This is Pharaoh” – an explanation of the parable, solemnly given from the mouth of the Lord Himself, especially necessary in view of verse 3 (some commentators even now apply it to Assyria based on this verse). Cf. Ezek 19:14.

Chapter Thirty-Two

A Lamentation over Egypt

This lamentation in form is rather a prophetic threat; in it there are fewer elegiac motifs than in the lamentation over Tyre (especially in the 1st speech). It consists of 2 speeches: verses 1–16, where there is more about Pharaoh, and verses 17–32 – about his army and people. The second is more like a funeral song. The second speech or song describes the descent of Pharaoh and his army into Hades. Therefore, this song is very important as a monument of Old Testament concepts of Sheol, its divisions, and inhabitants. Unfortunately, the text of it is transmitted with great disagreement between the Masoretic and LXX; in some codices of LXX the arrangement of verses is quite different: 20, 21, 19.

Ezekiel 32:1. In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: February 586 BC, one year and 7 months after the destruction of Jerusalem, consequently, at the time of the murder of Gedaliah and the flight to Egypt of the remaining Jews in Palestine. Perhaps this “lamentation” was suggested by the contemporary “lamentation” of Jeremiah over Israel. LXX: the 10th or 11th year (varies in different codices): Peshitta and 9 Hebrew manuscripts: the 11th year; in correspondence with which the number of the month instead of 12 – 10 or 11; but this variant probably arose from the great proximity to the date 1/XII 12 the date of verse 17, 15/XII 12, and by consideration of the dates Ezek 30:20 and Ezek 31:1.

Ezekiel 32:2. Son of man! Raise a lamentation over Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and say to him: You consider yourself a lion among the nations, but you are like a dragon in the seas; you thrust about in your rivers, and trouble the waters with your feet, and foul their rivers. “Lamentation.” Isaiah in chapter XIV raises a lamentation over Babylon: Ezekiel one over Tyre, and another over Egypt. – “A lion among the nations.” He is compared to it for his land power, and to a sea monster – for his naval power. – “A dragon” – Hebrew tannin Ezek 29:3, where it is translated crocodile; LXX and Vulgate there and here: “serpent,” δρακων, draco; some features in the further description of the “monster” allow thinking that Ezekiel to the image of a crocodile adds the image of a hippopotamus. – “You thrust about” – literally “you blow foam,” that is, from the nostrils; LXX: “you smote with horns,” εξεκρατιζες. When a crocodile surfaces from the depths, it spurts water from its nostrils. Ezekiel borrows the image from this for Pharaoh’s pride. Egypt was proud of abundant irrigation and, moving many armies across all its waters, thereby muddied them. Egypt’s passion for conquest troubled its own forces and agitated the neighboring peoples.

Ezekiel 32:3. Thus says the Lord God: I will spread My net over you with a company of many peoples; and they will haul you up in My net. To catch a crocodile with a net, one can imagine what size it must be and how many people (“a company of many peoples”) would be needed for it, but, in general, crocodiles are not caught this way. Hippopotamuses, though (see verse 2), are. Besides, this is a favorite image with Ezekiel of God’s judgment over the wicked kings and kingdoms: Ezek 12:13. Many peoples must be witnesses to God’s judgment over Pharaoh: Ezek 23:24 and others.

Ezekiel 32:4. And I will leave you on the ground, cast you out on the open field, and let all the birds of the sky settle on you, and let the beasts of the whole earth gorge themselves on you. A sea monster (crocodile, hippopotamus) can only be killed easily on land, where it is deprived of its element. Agatharchus (p. 27 and ff. Smend) and Diodorus (III, 14, 40; cf. Herodotus II, 69 and others) relate that ichthyophagae in Africa feed on sea monsters cast onto the shore; cf. Ps 73:14 according to LXX. The image of Leviathan or a sea monster serving as food to beasts and birds became from Ezekiel a favorite one in Hebrew apocalyptic: 3Ezr 6:49 and others. A dying kingdom will be torn to pieces by neighboring peoples, like a carcass by predatory birds and beasts.

Ezekiel 32:5. And I will strew your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your carcass. To the prophet’s mind are presented here the corpses of fallen Egyptian warriors covering the mountains and valleys. A hyperbola brought to staggering dimensions: the meat of the killed monster will be scattered not only on the shore, but even on distant mountains and valleys. – “With your carcass”; in Hebrew a word of not established meaning: rammut of the same root as rimma, worm, – properly, a seething, hence one can derive the meaning “carrion”; LXX read dam (similar in form), blood; therefore Vulgate: sanies, gore; if so, the image is even more frightening: gorges and valleys, like bowls, will be filled with gore. It is remarkable that in cuneiform inscriptions there are expressions so close to the present one that Ezekiel is supposed to have borrowed them; for example, in the inscription of Tiglat-Pileser I Coll. III, 53–56: “the corpses of his warriors I heaped on the heights of mountains and their blood I poured out in gorges” (Miller, Ez. – Stud. 56–58). The resemblance, as we see, is not literal and is sufficiently explained by the commonness of the content.

Ezekiel 32:6. And I will drench the land with your flowing blood on the mountains, and the valleys shall be full of your blood. “The land of your swimming” – presumed and scarcely correct translation of Hebrew tzafa, which Symmachus translates ιχορ (indeed the blood of gods, lymph), Targum “fatty land,” that is, the land abundantly irrigated by the Nile, LXX “pus.” – “I will drench the land with your blood… to the very mountains.” Blood will be so abundant on the land that it, like the waters of the flood, will reach the peaks of mountains. A horrifying hyperbola. LXX soften: “and the land shall be drunk from the gore of you, from the multitude (of corpses) of you on the mountains.” – “And the valleys shall be full of you” – stronger than “with your blood” or “with your corpses.”

Ezekiel 32:7. When I blot you out, I will cover the heavens, and make their stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light. A customary in the Bible bringing together of great catastrophes on earth and upheavals in the starry world: cf. Isa 13:10, which perhaps is here in mind for Ezekiel, Joel 2:30-31; Matt 24:29 and others. The sky will grow dark out of compassion, just as Lebanon will grieve: Ezek 31:15. – “When you are extinguished.” Rationalists see a reference to the dragon of the world, with whom God is in a difficult struggle (Isa 51:9), more particularly – to the star of this dragon, rotating between the Big and Little Bears almost on half of the polar circle and causing, in the opinion of the ancients, a darkening of the sky. The prophet’s mind could also have been preceded by the darkness at the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt.

Ezekiel 32:8. All the bright lights of the heavens I will darken over you, and put darkness on your land, says the Lord God. “Your land” – Egypt; darkness is limited to Egypt, as Exod 10:21 and ff.; therefore the Vatican codex unnecessarily intensifies the thought, not reading “your.”

Ezekiel 32:9. I will trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I carry your news to the nations, to lands which you have not known. “When I proclaim your fall among the nations,” when word of it spreads: but the LXX is better: “when I lead your captives into the nations,” a threat already made to Egypt Ezek 29:12. Through the captives, those nations will also learn of Egypt’s fall.—The captivity will be that much harsher because the captives will fall into lands “which you do not know,” the most distant lands, to the edge of the earth, to wild peoples with whom Egypt not only has no dealings, but on account of the extreme remoteness does not even know them.

Ezekiel 32:10. And I will fill many nations with terror at you, and their kings will shudder on account of you in fear, when I brandish My sword before their faces, and every moment they will tremble, each for his own life, on the day of your fall. “And I will fill many nations with terror at you,” with fear and for their own fate, all the more intense because the catastrophe clearly had a supernatural cause and was unexpected by human reckoning. “Every moment” is not in the LXX.

Ezekiel 32:11. For thus says the Lord GOD: the sword of the king of Babylon will come upon you. The previous figurative speech is rendered in plainer language. “Sword”—see chapter 21.

Ezekiel 32:12. By the swords of the mighty shall your people fall; all of them are the most fierce of the nations, and they will destroy the pride of Egypt, and all its multitude will perish. “The most fierce of the nations”—see the explanation Ezek 7:24. “His multitude” — Ezek 31:2.

Ezekiel 32:13. And I will destroy all his beasts beside the great waters, and no human foot will disturb them anymore, nor will the hooves of beasts disturb them. “Disturb them.” The prophet uses the murkiness of the Nile waters (which occurs because it flows through mud and carries it along, and on account of which part of it is called the Black Nile) for his image. There was little cattle then and is little now on the very banks of the Nile; it is raised in the drier parts of Egypt. But the prophet takes the Nile as representative of all Egypt.

Ezekiel 32:14. Then I will calm its waters, and make its rivers flow like oil, says the Lord GOD. The calm given to the Nile waters, that is, to Egypt, will immediately seem to come from the depopulation and lifelessness of the land (from the fact that the people and beasts that stirred up the river will be destroyed from it), but in a deeper sense—from the destruction of heathen vanity and sin in the land; consequently, here the prophecy concerns the Messianic times and the establishment and flourishing of Christianity in Egypt. In Scripture, oil is a symbol of God’s blessing and the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Ezekiel 32:15. When I make the land of Egypt a desolation, and when the land is deprived of all that fills it; when I strike all who dwell in it, then they will know that I am the Lord. The establishment of a peaceful future for Egypt must, as in other lands, be preceded by a punitive and purifying judgment of God.

Ezekiel 32:16. This is a lamentation, and they will chant it; the daughters of the nations will chant it; over Egypt and over all her multitude will they chant it, says the Lord GOD. A subscription to the song that shows it applies not only to Pharaoh (v. 2) but to the whole land, with all it contains.—“They will chant”—the Slavonic is more precise: “and you will lament over him” (as if the prophet personally is entrusted to chant it with the daughters of nations).—“The daughters of the nations”—the Slavonic is stronger: “the daughters of the heathen.” Mourning for the dead was ordinarily performed by women: Jer 9:17 and following 2 Sam 1:24.

Ezekiel 32:17. In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the same month, the word of the Lord came to me: The month is not indicated; this indication could have been omitted by copyists most likely if the month was the same as for the preceding speech: the 12th; then the present speech would be separated from the preceding one only by 15 days, which is natural given their close connection in content. But the LXX place the 1st month (and in the date of v. 1 they correct the 12th year to 10 or 11, since at the 12th year it is not clear why—the second speech would be earlier than the first).

Ezekiel 32:18. Son of man! lament over the multitude of Egypt, and cast him down, him and the daughters of the renowned nations into the abyss, with those who descend into the pit. “Multitude”—the Slavonic says “multitude,” see explanation Ezek 31:2. Pharaoh is no longer spoken of.—“Cast him down… into the abyss” by your prophetic word, to which Scripture imparts real power, as the word of God, since it is at the same time the very deed: Amos 9:9; Jer 1:10 and others.—“And the daughters of the renowned nations,” that is, these nations which are enumerated in vv. 22, 24 and following—“Into the abyss,” “into the pit” — Ezek 26:20.

Ezekiel 32:19. Whom do you surpass? Go down, and be laid with the uncircumcised. “Whom do you surpass?”—in death, in the kingdom at its fall. Egypt and Pharaoh have undergone the same fate as all people and the smallest kingdoms. In the LXX this expression is transferred to v. 21: “whom are you better than,” and here: “from the waters of beauty (or beautiful?), go down,” from the Nile into Hades—the dry land.—“Go down” is not added where; a figure of reticence.—“Be laid,” the Slavonic “sleep”—a poetic designation of death.—“With the uncircumcised,” see explanation Ezek 28:10.

Ezekiel 32:20. They will fall in the midst of those slain by the sword, and he is delivered to the sword; drag him and all his multitude. “They”—the kingdoms before which Egypt was proud.—“Slain by the sword”—and therefore deprived of burial, “uncircumcised” after death, see explanation Ezek 28:10.—“Drag him” to death and destruction. The LXX instead of the sword read according to v. 21 she slept, “he slept.” “Him”—Pharaoh, Egypt. “Multitude,” Heb. hamon, see explanation Ezek 31:2.

Ezekiel 32:21. In the depths of the abyss they will speak of him and of his allies; the first of the mighty fell, and they lie there among the uncircumcised, slain by the sword. “In the depths of the abyss,” Heb. sheol, the LXX is stronger: “in the depths of the chasm”; and these words they introduce into the speech of the “mighty” to Pharaoh: “in the depths of the chasm (in the abyss), be.”—“And of his allies,” in Hebrew the same word which in Ezek 30:8 is translated: “supports”—see there. The LXX do not have it.—“First,” Heb. elim, plural from el, same as in Ezek 31:1; see explanation there. “Of the mighty,” Heb. gibborim, Greek γιγαντες, Slavonic “giants,” also in Gen 6:4; Num 13:33. These giants, inhabitants also of the abyss, sheol, mock Pharaoh, that he fell like an uncircumcised one, slain by the sword and, consequently, deprived of burial (cf. explanation Ezek 28:10), whereas they, according to v. 27, can be proud of an honorable military burial—with weapons, with swords under their heads, so they occupy in sheol as it were a better, higher section, inaccessible to the uncircumcised, the killed and unburied, and among them to Pharaoh and his army. Although these giants from a moral standpoint are characterized in v. 27 not entirely favorably, with traits reminiscent of the giants of Genesis, with which, as well as with the aborigines of Palestine repeatedly mentioned in Scripture, they are supposed to be identical, but they seem to be the better inhabitants of sheol, below whom stand along with Pharaoh all the later peoples descended into Hades, of which v. 22-30 counts 7 (Assyria, Elam, and so on),—better, perhaps, by their ancient simplicity, courage, immediacy, uncorruptedness. The passage, as well as the entire this section of the chapter, is important for the details it gives about the subdivisions of sheol in the Old Testament conception of it.—“They fell and lie.” The LXX is stronger: “go down and sleep.”—“Among the uncircumcised, slain by the sword,” see explanation Ezek 28:10.

Ezekiel 32:22. There is Assyria and all her host; round about her are her graves; all of them slain, fallen by the sword. Ezekiel 32:23. Her graves are set in the uttermost parts of the pit, and her host is round about her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who caused terror on the land of the living. A enumeration of the nations now in the abyss begins, of course an incomplete one; those recently descended or only descending from the world stage are chosen; the sacred number 7 is taken. The order of enumeration does not follow the time of destruction, nor the degree of significance, but rather a geographical one; first the northern: Assyria, Elam, Meshech and Tubal (the Medes); then the southern (Enosh), finally the western and the far north (v. 30). “Assyria” perished in 608–607 BC with the taking of Nineveh by the Babylonian Nabopolassar and the Median Kyaxares (Zeph 2:13; Nah 2:2), calling it first, perhaps, as the most significant enemy of Israel.—“Her hosts,” Heb. kegal, whereas of other nations (Elam and so on) hamon—multitude, perhaps as a sign of the special multitude of peoples subject to Assyria. A grave, a tomb we represent to ourselves as a place on earth; for the Hebrew the conceptions of a grave and sheol (Hades, the underworld) often almost coincide (cf. for example Isa 14:11). Sheol, as this passage shows, is a large grave in which many graves are united; it seems as if in Hades all the graves of the world are united. But although sheol is conceived approximately as a great cemetery, the souls also outside their graves have intercourse. A conception, pleasantly striking for its immediacy, concreteness, living connection with reality, the absence of any intellectual speculation about something which intellectual efforts are useless for (about the afterlife, which no efforts of earthly mind can conceive, because it occurs not under the conditions of earthly existence).—The grave of a king or dominant nation is surrounded (“round about her”) by the graves of his warriors and subjects. Remarkably, according to the view of the prophet even in the afterworld each nation lives together by itself, crowding with the multitude of its graves around one grave of its king or leader. “In the uttermost parts of the abyss”—or on account of the antiquity of this nation, the antiquity of its descent into Hades, or because the depth of the fall corresponds to the height from which it fell.—“Who caused terror on the land of the living.” This indicates not so much as a cause of afterlife condemnation (cf. v. 32; Ezek 26:17), as for the strengthening of the thought of the wretched misery of Assyria’s present position—at the bottom of Hades.—V. 23 contains much repetition (doublets) from v. 22, so with good reason the majority of the LXX codices read in it only the last sentence, and the expression “in the uttermost parts of the abyss” transfer to the middle of v. 22 and place before the words: “round about her graves.”

Ezekiel 32:24. There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised into the abyss, who caused terror on the land of the living, and bore their shame with those who go down into the pit. “Elam,” Assyr. Elamtu, Gr. Elymais, Susiana, a strong nation of Western Asia, excellent archers, subject to Assyria (Isa 11:11; Ezra 4:9) by Ashurbanipal (only after 5 campaigns); in the army of Sennacherib at Jerusalem were Elamites (Isa 22:6); with the fall of Assyria they regained independence, which they enjoyed probably in Ezekiel’s time, successfully maintaining it against the Babylonians and Medes (Str. XVI, 744), by the latter of whom, perhaps, they were finally subjugated (Jer 49:34). “Uncircumcised.” This is not said of Assyria.—“And bore their shame.” The same.

Ezekiel 32:25. Among the slain he made a bed for him with all his multitude; round about her grave, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; and as they caused terror on the land of the living, so they bear their shame with those who go down into the pit and are placed among the slain. “Among the slain” — Ezek 28:10. “With multitude” — Ezek 31:2.—“Round about her graves” v. 22. The verse contains repetitions not only from vv. 22 and 23, which is natural, but also from v. 24, which is probably dittography. Many LXX codices read from it only the first 3 or last 3 words.

Ezekiel 32:26. There are Meshech and Tubal and all their multitude; round about them are their graves, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, because they caused terror on the land of the living. “Meshech and (and Heb. “and” is not there) Tubal”—see explanation Ezek 27:13. They also appear as the chief allies of Gog (Ezek 38:2). If these are Scythians, then the prophet could have had in mind the great campaign of the Scythians into Western Asia, which Herodotus recounts (I, 103 and foll. cf. IV, 11 and foll.) and which seems to be pointed to more than once in the book of Zephaniah and Jer 4 – Jer 6. In Ps 119:5 Meshech means the barbarians of the farthest north, and it is certain that the Scythians then lived between the Black and Caspian Seas. According to Herodotus, they ravaged Western Asia for 28 years and devastated it terribly; their invasion forced Kyaxares, among other things, to lift the siege of Nineveh. The rest, see v. 23.

Ezekiel 32:27. And are they not laid with the fallen mighty, uncircumcised, who went down to the abyss with their weapons of war, who placed their swords under their heads and whose iniquities remain upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living. “Are they not laid,” in Heb. and Vulgate. “are not.” These robber nations cannot be in the “abyss,” sheol (it is remarkable that this word in the enumeration of the nations of Hades appears here for the first time; earlier—grave), together with the renowned ones, those who have received honorable military burial—with weapons, the giants, even if uncircumcised, all the more so if circumcised, because the bones of them, that is, of Meshech and Tubal, are defiled with iniquity (robberies and banditries). The LXX do not have the negation: “and they slept with the fallen giants from of old”; consequently the society of giants in sheol for them is represented as shameful; “from of old” instead of “uncircumcised”: meolam instead of meaelim. Instead of “fallen”—the newest propose reading according to Gen 6:4 nephilim, giants.

Ezekiel 32:28. And you will be broken among the uncircumcised and will lie with those slain by the sword. “You”—Pharaoh. The verse interrupts the enumeration of the inhabitants of the abyss and separates the 4 named, more powerful nations from the 3 further, less important ones.

Ezekiel 32:29. There is Edom, her kings and all her princes, who for all their might are placed among those slain by the sword; they will lie with the uncircumcised and with those who go down into the pit. “Edom” is taken as an ancient enemy of Israel. Ezekiel predicted its destruction in Ezek 25:12-14 and apparently expected it before Egypt’s destruction, if Pharaoh finds Edom already in Hades (as Edom should have suffered after the battle of Carchemish, clearly from Jer 27:3).—“Her kings and all her princes,” each tribe had a prince, who perhaps elected a king from among themselves; cf. Gen 36:31 and following. “Who”—asher. The LXX read “Assyria’s.”—“For all their might.” The warlike character of the Idumaeans is testified to already by Gen 36:31. Here this epithet replaces the addition about the previous 4 great nations: “with all her multitude,” “her hosts,” because the Idumaeans were a small nation. There is also no addition about them: “caused terror on the land of the living,” because they were not world conquerors.

Ezekiel 32:30. There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who have gone down in shame with the slain, despite the terror they caused by their might, and they lie with the uncircumcised, those slain by the sword, and bear their shame with those who go down into the pit. “Princes,” Heb. nessikey only Josh 13:21; Ps 82:13 and Mic 5:5 from nasok, to anoint (χρηστος), similarly also with Assyr. nasiku, prince, from the root “to establish” (Ak. καθεσταμεναι). Slavonic “princes.”—“Of the north.” With such an indefinite designation the prophet could only mean the north nearest to the Edom mentioned in v. 29 and in this verse the Sidonians (Phoenicians), that is, Syria (the farthest north is already named in v. 26).—“All the Sidonians.” This name here has undoubtedly that broad sense of Phoenicia which it had in antiquity: Judg 18:7; Isa 23:2: “all the commanders of Assyria,” reading again asher, “who,” as “Assyria.” Ezekiel could have had in mind the wars of the Syrians and Phoenicians with the Chaldeans, the siege of Tyre by N.—“Pharaoh and on earth should have had good familiarity with these inhabitants of Hades” (Bertholet.). “Ashamed” is absent in some LXX codices.

Ezekiel 32:31. Pharaoh will see them and be comforted in regard to all his multitude, Pharaoh and all his army, says the Lord GOD. “Will be comforted.” A sad comfort! Irony. Cf. Ezek 14:22.—“Multitude” — Ezek 31:2.

Ezekiel 32:32. For I will spread My terror in the land of the living, and Pharaoh and all his multitude will be placed among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword, says the Lord GOD. “For I will spread My terror in the land of the living,” a terror which the warlike nations of vv. 23–25 unlawfully claimed. But of course this terror will be of a different, saving nature; it will not be “in terror.”—“Among the uncircumcised.” A repetition of the most important expressions of the speech, which contain its whole thought.

Chapter Thirty-Three

The Prophet’s Duties Now

From chapter XXXIII the properly consolatory part of the book begins, in which speeches against the heathen nations (XXV-XXXII) form a transition from the threatening-accusatory 1st part. “When news came of the fall of Jerusalem (Ezek 38:21), the situation of the prophet among the captives, as the Lord had predicted to him (Ezek 24:25 and foll.), became entirely different. The victory of his cause was decided. Of course, he always encountered opposition (Ezek 33:30-33) and there could be no question of a sudden change in the people. The opposition between prophecy and the people was so ancient and so deep that it could not be eliminated in one blow. But a mortal blow to the people’s stubbornness was struck, although the flame of falsely understood patriotism could still flare up on the ruins of Jerusalem (Ezek 33:23-29). The prophet could now resume his practical pastoral activity, in order to compose from the remains of the old Israel a new one in view of the still-threatening judgments of God upon the world” (Smend). And he develops this activity in a way that no prophet before him had developed it; at least in no prophet do we find such a clear and so deeply conscious program of this activity (Ezek 3:27 and foll. Ezek 18:1).

The entire last part of the book is occupied with the future restoration of Israel (chapters XXXIII-XXXIX) and the order of its future social organization (XL-XLVIII chapters). The prophet himself should be the immediate means for such restoration, insofar as Yahweh through him opens up for individuals the possibility of repentance and salvation (chapter XXXIII). But given the insignificant, at least apparently, result which the prophet achieved in this great work of Israel’s reformation through pastoral care for “the sons of his people,” his gaze is involuntarily directed to Yahweh Himself, upon whom alone in the end depends the possibility and necessary restoration of Israel. Passing from the nearest to the distant, from the lesser to the greater miracle, the prophet describes how the Lord establishes in place of the corrupted old kingdom of Israel a new one, as it were reforming it from the head: instead of unworthy shepherds, the former kings, He Himself becomes the shepherd of Israel (chapter XXXIV),—how He will restore His land in new grandeur (chapter XXXVI), having previously wrested it from heathen hands, that is, immediately by destroying those Idumaeans who unlawfully seized it (chapter XXXV)—how God will finally raise the dead and unite His divided people; and at last how He will reveal Himself to it and to the whole world in the fullness of His glory, which is according to Ezekiel the goal of all God’s actions in the world (being at the same time the condition of the present and proper life of the world and humanity) through the final destruction of heathendom on earth in the person of Gog (chapters XXXVIII-XXXIX).

Since God creates a new Israel in place of the old one, chiefly through prophecy and the prophet, the Lord begins His consolatory revelations about the glorious future of Israel with a renewal in Ezekiel’s consciousness of the prophetic duties already revealed to him (in chapter III) and begins. The people have suffered the punitive judgment of God in the fall of Jerusalem, but this judgment is not yet complete: in the future the wicked captives too face destruction. But God has opened a way out of it, has made it possible for each one to repent in time through the proclamation to the prophets of the coming judgment, which when it arrives will find each one as he is: to these warnings the prophet is obligated under penalty of responsibility for each soul entrusted to him (vv. 1–9). For no one is God’s judgment inevitable, and no one should despair of God’s mercy, however much his conscience is weighed down by sin (vv. 10–20). In such warnings and concern for souls the prophet always placed his calling among the people (cf. Ezek 3:16-21), but he was sometimes forced to be silent (cf. Ezek 3:22-27); now the course of events (news of the fall of Jerusalem) made him master of his position, restored his freedom of speech (vv. 21–22), as the Lord had promised him (Ezek 24:23-24). With this first revelation in the prophet’s new position, which sets forth the program of his present activity in relation to Israel, are closely connected 1) the speech against those left in Canaan, who have not yet repented through the fall of Jerusalem (vv. 23–29) and 2) a remark about those captives who obey the prophetic authority only outwardly (vv. 30–33. Smend).

Ezekiel 33:1. And the word of the Lord came to me: This revelation was probably received at the time indicated in v. 21, and the date is placed only there, in order to give this revelation the appearance of a programmatic introduction to the new part of the book devoted to a new and different period of the prophet’s activity.

Ezekiel 33:2. Son of man! speak to the sons of your people and say to them: If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of that land take from their midst one man and make him their watchman; “To the sons of your people.” An epithet of Israel that carries a certain tenderness, especially compared with the frequently used name in the 1st part of the book “the house of the rebellious” (in the 2nd part in Ezek 44:6); such gentleness is caused, of course, by the overwhelming but morally favorable impression which the fall of Jerusalem made on the captives; this epithet in the 2nd part of the book is usual (also vv. 12, 17, 30; 37:18; in another sense in Ezek 3:11, see explanation there).—“From their midst.” Heb. miqtzem, which contains qetz, end,—a rare (Gen 47:2; Num 22:41) and not with firmly established meaning expression; Vulgate.: de novissimis suis (Maldonatus: a man of low station).—“Watchman”—a sentry, as is clear from the following.

Ezekiel 33:3. And he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people; “Sword”—the enemy army. In relation to Israel and the prophet, the punitive judgments of God are understood, which may have taken place, perhaps also specifically among the captives (by some calamity).—“Blows the trumpet” — Amos 3:6.

Ezekiel 33:4. And if any one hears the sound of the trumpet but does not take heed, and the sword comes and takes him, his blood will be on his own head. Ezekiel 33:5. He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take heed; his blood will be on himself. But he who takes heed will save his life. “His blood will be on his own head.” He will die (cf. 1 Chr 12:19; Dan 1:10) and will be guilty of this. It is not from anyone to exact his blood according to the law of blood-vengeance (Lev 1:4). “Saves his own life” see explanation Ezek 3:18.

Ezekiel 33:6. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes a life from among them, that person will be taken away because of his sin, but I will require his blood from the watchman’s hand. “And takes a life from among them,” Slavonic “and takes away a soul from them.” The singular indicates that the watchman and prophet are responsible for each soul of the people entrusted to them.—“Will be taken away because of his sin.” According to the view of the prophet Ezekiel, not foreign to other prophets either, but expressed especially vividly in him, a person cannot perish, at first of course eternally, but partly by violent death otherwise than by reason of his own sin, even though the immediate cause of his death was the negligence of another.

Ezekiel 33:7. And you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word from My mouth and give them warning from Me. Ezekiel 33:8. When I say to the wicked, “You wicked one, you shall surely die,” and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, then that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand. Ezekiel 33:9. But if you do warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, then he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have saved your life. An almost literal repetition of Ezek 3:17-19. But there the destruction of the kingdom was primarily in view, which the prophet was to warn the people about, while here the further purifying judgments of God upon Israel are in question.—“Wicked one!” Slavonic “sinner.” This vocative is an addition (and expressive) to the parallel passage in chapter III, but it is not read in many ancient translations. The relationship to a sinful righteous person, as a comparatively rare case, is omitted from chapter III.

Ezekiel 33:10. And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel: Thus have you spoken, saying, “Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we are wasting away because of them; how then can we live?” The second task of the prophet after warning sinners—to oppose their despair by assurance of God’s mercy. The verse sheds interesting light on the mood of the captives. When the incredible threat of the prophets came true, Jerusalem fell (or was on the eve of falling), the people’s despair became as great as their earlier self-confidence (cf. Zech 7:3), as the prophet had predicted (Ezek 24:23) and as he now foresees (anticipation v. 21). The prophet, in his usual manner, takes the phrase from the very lips of the people.—“You have spoken” have customarily and rightfully (Kimhi) spoken.—“Our transgressions (Slavonic: “our deceptions” which seems to be a reference to idolatry) and our sins are upon us,” will accuse us before God and provoke His wrath.—“And we are wasting away because of them,” which fulfilled the threat Lev 26:39. The image is taken from a corpse. The people are dead (Ezek 37:11).—“How then can we live?” How can the promise of v. 5 be fulfilled? The expression shows also the complete hopelessness of the views of the Old Testament person.

Ezekiel 33:11. Say to them: As I live, says the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways; why will you die, O house of Israel? The terrible depression caused by misfortune is not the goal of the suffering sent by God, as the destruction of the people is not His goal, but rather its restoration. On the contrary, every suffering, and the present (more accurately: the coming one v. 26) in precise measure only a necessary warning, an exhortation to reform conduct, a reform necessary in order to “live,” that is, to enter into the number of the blessed people of the future which the prophet is striving to form (Bertholet). See explanation Ezek 18:23 and pay attention to the difference in expressions (reluctance to repeat literally): the interrogative form is replaced by simple negation; the force of negation, reduced by this, is fully restored by the oath (“As I live”). “Turn, turn,” Slavonic “with turning turn you.” Emphasis. Cf. Ezek 18:32.—“Why will you die, O house of Israel?” A full of zeal for the amendment of Israel, for the formation of the blessed people of the future exclamation, in which already a little shines through the consciousness of the attained success.

Ezekiel 33:12. And you, son of man, say to the sons of your people: The righteousness of the righteous will not save him when he transgresses, and the wickedness of the wicked will not cause him to stumble when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous will not be able to live by his righteousness when he commits sin. The moral state of a person at the moment (“day”) when God’s judgment strikes him is decisive, not his past. It is not yet too late. A concise repetition of Ezek 18:20-21.

Ezekiel 33:13. When I say to the righteous that he shall live, and he relies on his righteousness and commits iniquity, then all his righteous deeds will not be remembered, but he shall die in his iniquity which he committed. An intensification. Even if salvation and destruction are proclaimed by God (evidently through the prophet), a change in a person can lead to a change of what seems to be an unalterable (Ezek 32:18) word of God (the book of Jonah). The passage shows how the prophets themselves regarded their prophesying. The case of the righteous was taken first to then dwell more fully on the sinner. Cf. Ezek 18:21.

Ezekiel 33:14. But when I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” and he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, Ezek 33 Ezek 18:5.

Ezekiel 33:15. If the wicked person returns the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life, doing no injustice, he shall surely live and not die. Since the repentance of the sinner is especially important, it is defined more precisely, and only two manifestations of it are indicated, both concerning property. Probably these two sins were especially common among the poor communities of Hebrew colonists in Babylonia (see explanation Ezek 18:7).—“And walks in the statutes of life….” “If the law did not give life to a person, it was not so much a defect of the law as of the person himself with his weakness in fulfilling it.” Rom 7:10; Gal 3:21 (Trochon).

Ezekiel 33:16. None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him; he has done what is just and right, he shall surely live. Ezek 33 Ezek 18:22.

Ezekiel 33:17. And the sons of your people say: “The way of the Lord is not just,” when it is their own way that is not just. Ezek 18:29. Again (v. 11) the interrogative form is replaced by simple negation (for brevity in repetition).

Ezekiel 33:18. When the righteous turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die for it. Ezekiel 33:19. And when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live. Ezek 18:26-27.

Ezekiel 33:20. But you say: “The way of the Lord is not just!” I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his ways. Ezek 18:30.

Ezekiel 33:21. In the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, one who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has been destroyed!” According to the Hebrew and Russian texts, the news of the fall of Jerusalem was received by the prophet almost 18 months after the event, which occurred in the 4th month of the 11th year of the reign of Zedekiah (the same as the captivity of Jehoiachin and the prophet: Jer 39:2)—a very long interval even with the generally good international communications of the time, Ezek 26:1-2. Therefore the ancient translations alter this date; the Greek: in the 10th year (which is worse than the Hebrew text; should be in correspondence with the 10th month), the Slavonic: in the 12th month (should be in correspondence with the 12th year and 12th month; the interval is even longer); best is the Peshitta: in the 11th year, in the 12th month, which would be 5 months after the destruction of Jerusalem,—an interval sufficient for travel from Judea to Babylon. The Hebrew reading could have arisen from the date Ezek 32:1, so that it would not be later than the present one. However, one cannot decidedly reject the Hebrew reading: Ezekiel could have lived in such remote parts of Mesopotamia that news reached there very slowly.—“One who had escaped,” Slavonic more precisely: “one who survived,” which can also have a collective sense.

Ezekiel 33:22. Now the hand of the Lord had been upon me in the evening, before the fugitive came; and He opened my mouth before he came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute. Just as the prophet was brought to silence not by external compulsion, but by God Himself (Ezek 3:25), so now, although his silence was to be broken by the news of the fall of Jerusalem (Ezek 24:27), it ends a whole day before he receives this news (cf. Ezek 24:2 and its explanation): in the evening before receiving the news the prophet falls into ecstasy (“the hand of the Lord was upon me”—see explanation Ezek 1:3), in which he apparently received all the revelations of this chapter (vv. 1–20).—“So my mouth was opened and I was no longer mute.” He could speak more boldly and freely, since the fulfillment of the prophecies revealed before all that he was a true prophet in him. See explanation Ezek 3:26.

Ezekiel 33:23. And the word of the Lord came to me: The present speech (vv. 23–29) is directed against those left in the homeland by the conqueror, the Jews who had suddenly become the sole owners of the holy land and began, on account of this, to indulge in impossible dreams of the speedy restoration of the kingdom: the result of these dreams was the uprising of the descendant of David, Ishmael, and his murder of the Babylonian governor Gedaliah (Jer 41:1-2), and then a new (3rd) captivity of the Jews in Babylon in the 23rd year of Nebuchadnezzar, 5 years after the destruction of Jerusalem. The prophet could have received the news of such a disposition of those left in the homeland from the same fugitives from which he received (according to v. 21) the news of the fall of Jerusalem. But this speech could also be written later, when the uprising against Gedaliah had occurred or was being prepared, and placed here in the systematic arrangement of the speeches.

Ezekiel 33:24. Son of man! those who inhabit these ruins in the land of Israel keep saying, “Abraham was only one man, yet he took possession of the land; but we are many; the land is surely given to us to possess.” “In these ruins,” which the whole land had become: one could settle only in the ruins. All the more unreasonable were the dreams of the “inhabitants.”—“Abraham was only one.” The beginning of that pride in fleshly descent from Abraham (cf. Isa 51:2), which had grown so much by the time of the Savior. If Abraham alone became lord of the land of Canaan, then all the more can a whole succession (“but we are many”) of Abraham’s descendants count on such dominion.—“The land is surely given to us to possess.” Self-confidence, a complete opposite to the depressed mood of the captives. Cf. Ezek 11:15. They suddenly felt themselves masters of the land—let it be all in ruins, they need only stretch out their hands to take it; take it can be without any effort.

Ezekiel 33:25. Therefore say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: You eat flesh with the blood, you lift up your eyes to your idols, and you shed blood; and will you then possess the land? Sins are indicated, as usual for Ezekiel, chiefly of a religious character and, remarkably, with the exception of one, concerning blood. Thus the first: “you eat flesh with the blood” (Gen 9:4; cf. 1 Sam 14:32); perhaps under the influence of the Philistines (Zech 9:7).—“You lift up your eyes to your idols” — Ezek 18:6.—“And you shed blood.” Perhaps an indication of the sacrifices of Ishmael’s uprising.—“And will you then possess the land,” being so unlike Abraham, to whom the holy land was promised in possession. The verse is absent in some LXX codices.

Ezekiel 33:26. You rely on your sword, you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife; and will you possess the land? “You rely on your sword” instead of law and justice; the right of the strong.—“You commit abominations,” probably sexual ones: Ezek 18:12.—“And each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife” — Ezek 18:6. The verse is absent in some LXX codices.

Ezekiel 33:27. Say to them thus: Thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, those who are in the ruins will fall by the sword; and those who are in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured; and those who are in strongholds and in caves will die of pestilence. Three punishments correspond to three zones of habitation of the inhabitants. 1) “Those who are in the ruins,” probably in Jerusalem, “will fall by the sword” of the Chaldeans when suppressing Ishmael’s uprising (Jer 52:30). 2) “Those who are in the open field,” in a flat space, in a steppe or villages, “I will give to the beasts to be devoured,” especially those multiplied after the Chaldean devastation of the land; see explanation Ezek 5:17). 3) “And those who are in strongholds and caves,” fugitives from the Chaldean punitive expeditions (cf. Judg 6:2), “will die of pestilence,” which easily develops in besieged cities with a crowded population and without means of subsistence; cf. Ezek 5:14.

Ezekiel 33:28. And I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and her proud strength will come to an end; and the mountains of Israel will be so desolate that no one will pass through them. “And I will make the land a desolation and a waste” Ezek 6:14.—“Her proud strength” — Ezek 30:6.—“The mountains of Israel” see explanation Ezek 6:2.—“No one will pass through them” Ezek 14:15.

Ezekiel 33:29. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations which they have committed. “Then they will know that I am the Lord.” This knowledge seems to be more like the knowledge promised among the Heathen nations in Ezekiel, see explanation Ezek 25:7, that is, it will consist in the recognition of God’s power that has destroyed them, rather than the knowledge promised to the true Israel, in this case the captives, who are chiefly promised participation in the coming blessings of the Messianic kingdom.

Ezekiel 33:30. And as for you, son of man, the sons of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doorways of the houses; one speaks to another, each to his brother, saying, “Come, please, and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.” The fellow captives of the prophet, although better than the self-confident sinners left in Judea, but by their attitude to the prophet and his word make one wish for much better and, apparently, a separate revelation—vv. 30–33—although not marked with a date, and not having the stereotypical beginning “the word of the Lord came to me,” is directed against them. After the exact fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecies about the fall of Jerusalem, the situation of the prophet among the captives suddenly and sharply changed: he became the object of universal attention; he was not only sought out the opportunity to hear, but he became the usual topic of conversations in houses and on the streets. V. gives a lively picture of Eastern life, the urban day: in the shade of the walls near the houses and in the cool of the doorways and porches stand the peaceful inhabitants of a Jewish town in Babylonia and exchange the news of the day. In all such groups there is only talk of the prophet and of the brilliant and sad confirmation of his recent predictions about the fall of Jerusalem. The time is very near the catastrophe and the impression from it is fresh. Now they are catching every word of Ezekiel and, what interests each one most, what will the prophet say today (“Come, please, and hear, what word comes from the Lord”). The prophet has attained the popularity of which he could not even think before, and it could not but please him as a man, all the more so as in it was for him a pledge of the success of God’s work on earth. But he knows also the true value of this popularity; he needs something else, or rather—something quite different, altogether.

Ezekiel 33:31. And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their gain. “And they come to you as people come,” in such numbers, as at an entire gathering.—“And they sit before you”—with the intention to listen thoroughly and not to leave soon, as from some public entertainment.—“My people”—absent in some LXX codices. The passage speaks of considerable freedom granted to the Babylonian captives.—“And they hear your words, but they do not do them,” “by which the coming of the kingdom of God would be hastened” (Kratz.). The diminution in the captives of the vices against which the prophet had been fighting since chapter XVIII and with renewed force resumed his attacks in Ezek 33:15 and following, he did not notice, at least to the degree he desired.—“For with their mouth they show much love”—a conjectural translation of an unclear Hebrew expression; the Slavonic is better: “because falsehood is in their mouth” (agavim is read as kezavim), that is, they falsely promise the prophet to fulfill his exhortations.—“Their heart goes after their gain.” Greed has always been the first vice of the Jews. 1 Sam 8:3; Isa 56:11.

Ezekiel 33:32. Behold, you are to them like a song of love sung sweetly by one with a pleasant voice and who plays well on an instrument; they hear your words, but they do not do them. “A song of love”—Heb. shir agavim, that is, a song of love, the most pleasing, not unknown to the Jews (Song; Isa 5:1). The LXX are general: “the voice of a singer,” φωνη ψαλτηριον, Vulgate. carmen musicum.—“Who plays well on an instrument”—a rare and especially delightful combination: natural voice and good music; the Slavonic: “sweet-voiced graceful” (ευαρμοστου)—with a good voice and good execution. The prophet, consequently, was known as a good orator. Besides his rhetorical beauties, the speeches of the prophet became for the people pleasant music also on account of their comforting content.—“They hear your words”—a refrain; v. 31.

Ezekiel 33:33. But when it comes to pass—look, it is coming—then they will know that a prophet has been among them. When the predictions about the last purifying judgments of God upon Israel are fulfilled (see explanation v. 3), as the prediction about the fall of the kingdom has been fulfilled, then the prophet will become for the people what a prophet should be—the highest moral authority. But even now the promise of God to the prophet Ezek 2:5 was close to complete fulfillment.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Yahweh—the True Shepherd in the New Kingdom of Israel

Chapter XXXIII showed what the people themselves can and should do for the coming of salvation and the kingdom of God on earth. Now begins the depiction of what God will do for this (and He will do almost everything Himself) and this depiction opens with a description of the social order of the new kingdom of Israel. The former shepherds (kings and other leaders of the nation’s life) of Israel proved to be selfish shepherds and their poor governance brought destruction upon the people (vv. 1–10). Therefore the Lord will take His flock into His own care; He will restore it first of all to its land, where it will find abundant pasture (vv. 11–16), in order to eliminate the renewed oppression of the weak by the strong. God will distinguish in the flock the stubborn rams and protect the weak sheep from them (vv. 17–22). A descendant of David will shepherd the flock in a fertile land, in safety from enemies and wild beasts, in blessed faithfulness to God (vv. 22–31). The chapter is close to Jer 23:1-8, but in it the work of salvation is presented more as the work of God alone, as a result of which the figure of the Messiah is not so prominent.

Ezekiel 34:1. And the word of the Lord came to me: There is no date, consequently the time should be placed between year 12 (Ezek 33:21) and year 25 (Ezek 40:1) of the captivity; so too for the whole series of speeches until chapter XI.

Ezekiel 34:2. Son of man! prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them, to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? The image of the shepherd for a king, a prophet, and any leader of the nation’s life, which the prophet here means (chiefly of the last time of the Judean kingdom and the post-captivity period), although already encountered in Hos 13:6; 1 Sam 22:17; Isa 40:11 and even explained earlier by commentators by the circumstance that David was a shepherd before his reign, in the prophetic literature became common from Jeremiah (Jer.13 and many other Zech 10:3 and others John 10:1) under the influence, perhaps, of Assyro-Babylonian usage in cuneiform script reetu, pey (cf. Hebrew rov), shepherd, written with a monogram and borrowed by the Assyrians probably from the Akkadians, and from them perhaps from their predecessors,—a common designation for any ruler (so called for instance Neriglissor); the full royal title was reu kenu, faithful, wise shepherd (Sanh. I, 8. Del. S.—Wort. 602); Berossus recounts that the first king in the world, Alorus, received from the Deity the title of shepherd (cf. Iliod. II, 243. Cyrop. VIII, 2, 13).—“Woe,” Slavonic “alas,” Greek ω, Vulgate. vae. Cf. Matt 23. “Should not the shepherds feed the flock,” for that they exist.

Ezekiel 34:3. You eat the milk and dress yourselves with the wool, and you slaughter the choice animals, but you do not feed the flock. “Milk.” The LXX accent galab as geleb, “milk,” which is more suitable, because “fat” which can be supplied not by all livestock, is discussed further (moreover Zech 11:16).—“And you dress yourselves with the wool.” You maintain yourselves at the flock’s expense, receiving from it food (milk according to the LXX) and clothing, and you do not fulfill your obligations toward it.—“And you slaughter the choice animals.” Not satisfied with legal rights (milk and wool), you do not stop at anything for your advantage—and at murder (perhaps the execution of the rich for confiscation).—“But you do not feed the flock”—explained in the next verse.

Ezekiel 34:4. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, and the lost you have not sought, but with force and harshness you have ruled them. “And the strayed you have not brought back and the lost you have not sought.” The LXX more naturally: “and the wandering you did not turn back and the perished you did not seek.” A strayed sheep for the Bedouin living in the desert was the same as a lost one. This is not how the Good Shepherd acts, who “takes the wandering, especially the lost one on his shoulders, brings it to the Father”; cf. Luke 15:4.—“And with force and harshness you have ruled them” according to the LXX better: “and the strong you have oppressed with labor…,” which preserves the parallelism well (v. 16). Cf. Zech 11:16; 1 Pet 5:3.

Ezekiel 34:5. And they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for every wild beast of the field. As a result of the poor rule of the kings and poor leadership of the nation’s life by persons called to it, the kingdom fell, the people were scattered in captivity (“scattered”) and became prey to the heathen (“every wild beast of the field”).

Ezekiel 34:6. My sheep have wandered over every mountain and on every high hill; My sheep have been scattered over all the face of the earth, and no one searched for them or sought for them. “My sheep,” God’s, which intensifies the guilt of the shepherds. However the entire passage is pervaded more by deep sorrow for the sheep than by indignation at the shepherds, already in part suffering the punishment.—“Over every mountain and on every high hill.” The thought of idolatry on the high places shines through.—“Over all the face of the earth they were scattered”—prophetic past tense.

Ezekiel 34:7. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. Until v. 10, judgment is proclaimed to the shepherds, to which this verse serves as an introduction.

Ezekiel 34:8. As I live, says the Lord GOD, surely because My sheep have become a prey, and My sheep have become food for every wild beast, because there was no shepherd, neither did My shepherds search for My sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My sheep, Before the proclamation of judgment the prophet, as customary, summarizes the guilt of the shepherds.—“My shepherds.” “My” is absent in the LXX.

Ezekiel 34:9. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. A literal repetition of v. 7, caused by the deviation in v. 8.

Ezekiel 34:10. Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My sheep from their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep; no longer shall the shepherds feed themselves, and I will rescue My sheep from their mouth, and they shall not be food for them. The judgment consists only of the removal of the shepherds from their duties (mildness).—“And I will require My sheep from their hand.” I will demand an accounting for them (cf. Heb 13:17) and will take them away, as from negligent ones.—“And I will rescue My sheep from their mouth.” In v. 8 only wild beasts are named as destroyers of the sheep; here the shepherds themselves are indicated as such, so they are therefore for the sheep no better than wild beasts.—One could think, on the basis of the prophet’s words, that the people even in captivity remains under the care of the former shepherds, but the prophet speaks only of the fact that the former conditions of existence under the restoration of Israel will not be repeated.

Ezekiel 34:11. For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and will care for them. “Behold, I Myself will search”—literally “Behold I—and I will require.” Yahweh now comes forward as a shepherd, and this appearing of Him is indicated by a brief and energetic “Behold, I,” cf. v. 20.—“I will search for My sheep and will care for them”—Slavonic: “As a shepherd visits his flock… I will require My sheep.” I will ascertain whether they are all there and where they have been scattered. Cf. the saying of the Savior: “I am not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 15:24 and others); also Isa 40:11; Zech 10:3.

Ezekiel 34:12. As a shepherd checks his flock on the day when it is scattered among his flock, so I will check My sheep and will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on the day of cloud and gloom. “On that day” – Slavonic adds: “when it is cloudy and dark” – a doublet at the end of the verse. – “Scattered” – translation following the Vulgate of the Hebrew word meaning “separated.” – “On the day of cloud and gloom” see the explanation Ezek 30:3. The verse, like those following, points chiefly to the liberation of the Jews from Babylonian captivity, in a broader sense – to the spiritual Israel, and in an eschatological sense to the final destinies of Israel, when he “will wholly be saved” according to the Apostle Paul.

Ezekiel 34:13. And I will lead them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and bring them to their land, and pasture them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams and in all the inhabited places of the land. “And I will lead them out from the peoples”, as once from Egypt. – “By the streams” – also the Hebrew word “apik”, which in Ezek 6:3 was translated “ravines”, see the explanation there; Slavonic “in the gorges.”

Ezekiel 34:14. I will pasture them in good pasture, and their fold will be on the high mountains of Israel; there they will rest in good fold and will feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. Ezekiel 34:15. I will pasture My sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. See the explanation of verse 12.

Ezekiel 34:16. I will seek the lost and bring back the driven away, and bind up the wounded, and strengthen the sick; and the fat and the strong I will destroy; I will pasture them with justice. The Lord Himself will do with respect to the flock what He demanded of shepherds: verse 4; see the explanation there; here is added: “and the fat and the strong I will destroy”, the reason for which is explained in verses 18 and 19. The LXX, Peshitta, and Vulgate read instead of “I will destroy” (eshmore), “I will preserve” (ashmid), Slavonic: “I will supply” (“and the strong” the LXX omit, the Vulgate has “fortem”); this reading is defended by the reasoning: it would be a strange way to pasture a flock by destroying unsuccessful sheep; but this reasoning is countered: God is not an ordinary shepherd; the Hebrew idea serves as a good transition to the following verses and connects with the following remark: “I will pasture them with justice”, Slavonic more precisely: “I will feed them with judgment”, which, see verse 20.

Ezekiel 34:17. And you, My sheep, – thus says the Lord God, – behold, I will judge between sheep and sheep, between a ram and a goat. “So far bad shepherds were contrasted with the Good One. Now that the Shepherd is good, the contrast emerges between the sheep themselves. It has not been considered until now because bad shepherds did not distinguish between obedient and stubborn animals” (Bertholet). Only the Good Shepherd – Jehovah will judge between them. Comparison with Matt 25:32 suggests itself naturally. – “By a ram and a goat” a closer specification of “sheep and sheep.”

Ezekiel 34:18. Is it not enough that you feed on good pasture, but you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet; and you drink clear water, but you also muddy the rest with your feet, Ezekiel 34:19. so that My sheep must feed on what you have trampled with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet? As kings, princes, and other leaders of the people’s life treat the people, so in the people itself, following the example given from above, the stronger treat the weaker. Strong sheep are not satisfied that, being in a condition to reach the pasture and water earlier, they enjoy the better grass and unturbid water (“you drink clear water”; Slavonic more precisely: “you drank settled water”), but, having been satiated and drunk, they remain on the pasture and watering place and trample them.

Ezekiel 34:20. Therefore thus says the Lord God to them: behold, I Myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. The original contrast between the meek and the stubborn sheep here passes into a contrast between the fat and the lean, and so Judaism as well as Christianity was an enemy of wealth and in itself, irrespective of the way it was acquired (“the mammon of unrighteousness,” “blessed the poor” without “in spirit” in Luke’s account in some manuscripts). A social question is touched upon.

Ezekiel 34:21. Since you thrust with flank and shoulder, and butt with your horns all the weak, until you drive them away, Ezekiel 34:22. I will save My sheep, and they will no longer be plundered, and I will judge between sheep and sheep. The flock, it seems, is taken not at the watering place now, but in its stall and fold. – “Until you drive them away.” An indication of captivity, the guilty parties of which, that is, the destruction of the kingdom, the prophet thus considers the higher levels of society.

Ezekiel 34:23. And I will set up over them one shepherd, who will feed them, My servant David; he will feed them and he will be their shepherd. Since God is one, He will give them instead of the two kings previously in Israel and instead of the multitude of bad shepherds one shepherd, who will be a faithful executor of God’s will and designs (“My servant”; this is said, besides David, also of Nebuchadnezzar in a different, of course, sense; Jer 25:9 and others) namely David, not a risen (Hebrew indicative verb “kum” – to stand, to arise) ancestor (Hitzig and a few others), but David in the sense given to this word already by Hos 3:5 (Ezek 2:2; cf. Mal 3:2-3), that descendant of David, with whom his line will reach its apex, its greatness, in whom will be to the greatest degree everything that in David was partial and imperfect, that is, the Messiah; Ezekiel could have had in mind Jer 23. Thus, having promised earlier (verse 15) to pasture the sheep Himself, God now determines more precisely how this His direct pasturing will occur: through David, the Messiah, whose governance of Israel is thus not distinguished from God’s governance (the divinity of the Messiah).

Ezekiel 34:24. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David will be a prince among them. I, the Lord, have spoken it. Only under such governance and leadership as the governance of David, that is, the Messiah, who cannot stand, like the former kings, in enmity with God, will God reveal Himself to Israel in the fullness of His being and be honored “in spirit and in truth” (“I will be their God”). – “Prince”, nasi, not “king”, melek, as in Ezek 37:22, perhaps to contrast the Messiah with ordinary kings, to indicate the spirituality and freedom of His power; however, in Ezekiel these words are nearly synonymous.

Ezekiel 34:25. And I will make a covenant of peace with them and remove the wild beasts from the land, so that they will dwell safely in the steppe and sleep in the forests. Ezekiel evidently has in mind Hos 2:18 and following. – “With them.” LXX: “With David.” – “A covenant of peace” – peace with God, and through it with all nature. – “Remove the wild beasts from the land.” The prophet perhaps has chiefly in mind his own comparison of Israel with a flock, which under a true shepherd will not be harmed by the wild beast, that is, the neighboring pagan peoples (cf. verse 28). But by analogy with Isa 11:6; Zech 3:10 there may be intended the change of the instincts of the very wild beasts promised in messianic times, which has not yet occurred. – “In the steppe” and “in the forests” – the usual haunts of wild beasts.

Ezekiel 34:26. And I will bestow a blessing upon them and the vicinity of My hill, and I will send down rain in its season; these will be rains of blessing. The new relationship between God and Israel will extend to inanimate (not merely animate, as in verse 25: wild beasts) nature, imparting to it extraordinary fruitfulness; since the latter in Palestine depended entirely on rain, it is about rain that the discourse is directly. – “My hill”, that is, Zion, collectively – Jerusalem with its temple, which according to chapter XLVII will in some mysterious way (see the explanation there) determine the fertility of the future (mysterious) promised land by the river flowing from it.

Ezekiel 34:27. And the field tree will yield its fruit, and the land will give its produce; and they will be safe on their land, and will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bonds of their yoke and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. Cf. Lev 25:18-19. – “Safe” – Slavonic “in hope of peace.” – “Break the bonds of their yoke.” Israel is thought of under the image of a yoked animal. The yoke consisted, as now, of two parts fastened by a crossbar. – “Deliver them from the hand of their enslavers.” More immediately is meant the deliverance from the Chaldean yoke.

Ezekiel 34:28. They will no longer be a prey to the nations, nor will the wild beasts of the field devour them; they will dwell safely, and none will make them afraid. Ezekiel 34:29. And I will raise up for them a glorious plantation, and they will not perish from hunger on the land anymore, nor bear the reproach of the nations. “The wild beasts of the field”, perhaps a synonym for “nations.” – “A glorious plantation.” May mean all the vegetation of the land, which according to Ezek 36:35 will become a true paradise. But the expression reminds of and the frequent representation among the prophets (Isa 11:1; Jer 23:5; cf. Ezek 17:22) of the Messiah under the image of a branch; such understanding is favored by the verb used here, more accurately rendered not as “I will raise up”, but as the LXX: “I will restore”, and the LXX reading: “a peaceful garden” (read shalom, peace, instead of leshem, for the sake of, glorious). “And they will not then be few in number on the earth” – only in the Slavonic Bible. – “Not perish from hunger on the land”, especially frequent during the constant destructive wars the Hebrews had with their neighbors (confirmation for the “peaceful” of the LXX); in general, Canaan was distinguished by its fertility. – “Reproach” for poverty reaching to hunger.

Ezekiel 34:30. And they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people, says the Lord God, God will reveal Himself as the God of Israel. If the very land is thus blessed by Him, then much more so the people.

Ezekiel 34:31. and you are My sheep, the sheep of My pasture; you are people, and I am your God, says the Lord God. The discourse returns to the fundamental thought of the chapter – the image of the shepherd, left for a time. – “Sheep of My pasture” sounds warmer than the earlier “My sheep” (verses 6 and others). – “You are people” can give only the thought that by human strength all that is promised would, of course, be impossible to accomplish, but God promises it, and in this lies the assurance of its accomplishment. But such a thought disturbs the course of the verse and therefore the LXX is probably right in not reading it.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Against Seir

Until now the return of Israel to his land has been spoken of as something self-evident. But there are obstacles to such a return: the neighboring pagan peoples, chiefly the Edomites. The restoration of the chosen people, described in chapter XXXIV, is impossible without the restoration of the holy land, without its return to Israel. And here Edom says: “these two peoples and these two lands will be mine” (Ezek 35:10). “Edom or Jehovah?” (Bertholet). The answer, perhaps, can be only one. Edom, appearing here as the representative of all those who envy Israel (the heathendom nearest to him), who hindered the restoration of the chosen people and his dominion on the earth (of course, chiefly spiritual), must be destroyed. Thus the restoration of the holy land, which the prophet now needs to speak of after the discourse on the restoration of the state (chapter XXXIV) and before the discourse on the restoration of the people (chapter XXXVII), is treated in chapters XXXV and XXXVI from two sides: the negative in chapter XXXV and the positive in chapter XXXVI; the first gives a good background for the second. The chapter supplements chapter XXV; 12–14.

Ezek 35:1-9. The Lord will avenge the Edomites for the recent cruelties against Israel in that they will fall by the sword, and their country will become depopulated. Verses 10–15. For offending Jehovah by claiming His land and mocking Him, the Edomites will painfully be convinced that the all-knowing Lord heard their mockeries when He repaid them with the same that they did to His people.

Ezekiel 35:1. And the word of the Lord came to me: The formula is not repeated in Ezek 36:1, but only in Ezek 36:6 to show the close connection of the chapters.

Ezekiel 35:2. son of man! set your face toward the mountain of Seir and prophesy against it “Set your face”, Ezek 6:2. – “The mountain of Seir” an ancient name of the hilly region of Jebel el-Sera, located on the eastern side of the Arabah; but here it serves as a designation of all Edom, corresponding to the way “the mountains of Israel” means all Palestine.

Ezekiel 35:3. and say to it: thus says the Lord God: behold, I am against you, mountain of Seir! and I will stretch out My hand against you and make you a desolation and a waste. “I will stretch…My hand…a waste”, see the explanation Ezek 25:13.

Ezekiel 35:4. I will turn your cities into ruins, and you yourself will be desolate, and you will know that I am the Lord. See the explanation Ezek 12:20.

Ezekiel 35:5. Since you harbored an eternal enmity, and you delivered the sons of Israel into the hand of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time of their final ruin: “Eternal enmity.” This enmity of Edom with Israel began in the womb of their mother (Gen 25:22 and following, Gen 27:37), never ceased (Amos 1:11) and was especially manifested during the Chaldean conquest. – “Into the hand of the sword.” Jer 18:21; Ps 62:11. “In the time of their calamity” – the destruction of the kingdom by the Chaldeans (Obad 1:13-14). – “In the time of their final ruin”, see the explanation Ezek 21:29.

Ezekiel 35:6. therefore – as I live! says the Lord God – I will make you blood, and blood will pursue you; since you did not hate blood, blood will pursue you. “I will make you blood.” Edom will undergo an especially great bloodshed. – “Since you did not hate blood.” Did not feel aversion to bloodshed; but in Hebrew it is not a negation but an exclamation: “O if only you had hated blood”; therefore the Slavonic and Vulgate translate: “you hated blood”, that is, perhaps, your blood-relative brother Israel. The word “blood” is repeated four times in the verse for the intensification of the depiction of the bloodthirstiness of the Edomites. But most Greek manuscripts do not have verse 6b.

Ezekiel 35:7. And I will make the mountain of Seir a desolation and a waste, and I will cut off from it everyone who goes and everyone who returns. See the explanation Ezek 6:14. – “I will cut off from it everyone who goes and everyone who returns.” All movement in the country will cease.

Ezekiel 35:8. And I will fill its heights with its slain; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those slain by the sword will fall. See the explanation Ezek 32:5.

Ezekiel 35:9. I will make you a perpetual desolation, and your cities will not be inhabited, and you will know that I am the Lord. “I will make you a perpetual desolation”, which the prophets never threaten Judah with, but of other peoples, besides Edom, also Chaldea: Jer 25:12. – “Your cities will not be inhabited.” This softens or rather imparts greater precision to the somewhat hyperbolic earlier threats: Edom will become a desolation in the sense that its former rich cities will become depopulated; small settlements in it will remain.

Ezekiel 35:10. Since you said: “these two peoples and these two lands will be mine, and we will take possession of them, even though the Lord was there:” A new guilt of Edom and basis for his condemnation to destruction: a claim on the land of God. “These two peoples” – Israel and Judah (Ezek 37:22), of whom, consequently, many inhabitants remained in Palestine after the destruction of the kingdoms. – “And these two lands” – the northern and southern kingdoms. – “And we will take possession of them.” LXX and Vulgate better: “and I will take them as an inheritance”, by right of a brother, moreover an older one, after the death of another. – “Even though the Lord was there.” A conscious and therefore the more sinful sacrilege. The Edomites were not complete polytheists. Their claims to the holy land were thus a known encroachment on the portion of God on earth: Zech 2:12.

Ezekiel 35:11. therefore – as I live! says the Lord God – I will deal with you according to your anger and your envy, which you showed out of your hatred for them; and I will make Myself known to them when I judge you. “I will deal with you according to your anger and your envy.” I will do with you what you wanted to do with Israel out of hatred for it, arising from envy (the humiliated elder brother’s envy of the younger). “Envy… for them” – not in most Greek manuscripts. – “And I will make Myself known to them”, that is, to Israel, as a righteous Judge over Edom, which will be a preliminary and, of course, incomplete revelation before the full revelation – in mercies to the chosen people. Slavonic “I will be known to you”, but Greek γνωσυησομαι σοι means “I will make Myself known to you.”

Ezekiel 35:12. And you will know that I, the Lord, have heard all your revilings, which you spoke against the mountains of Israel, saying: “they are desolate! they are given to us as food!” “All.” LXX: “the voice”, which in Hebrew sounds the same – kol. – “The mountains of Israel” – the holy land; Ezek 6:2. – “They are desolate”, the inhabitants were killed or taken into captivity. “They are given to us as food”: they became our complete and easy prey.

Ezekiel 35:13. You boasted against Me with your mouth and multiplied your words against Me; I heard it. A new, third sin of Seir: arrogance, all the more unforgivable in that it was directed against God Himself. In psalms of post-exilic origin there are also frequent complaints about mockeries. – “And multiplied your words against me” – not in the LXX.

Ezekiel 35:14. Thus says the Lord God: when all the earth rejoices, I will make you a desolation. “When all the earth rejoices”: when the Kingdom of God is established on the earth, into which, besides Israel, and according to Ezekiel’s prediction (Ezek 16:53) pagan peoples will also enter.

Ezekiel 35:15. As you rejoiced when the inheritance of the house of Israel became desolate, so I will do to you: you will be desolate, mountain of Seir, and all Edom with you; and they will know that I am the Lord. “As you rejoiced” through “I will do to you” – not in the LXX. – “So I will do to you.” And they will likewise rejoice over the destruction of Edom.

Chapter Thirty-Six

The Future Land of Israel

Turning now properly to the holy land, the Lord promises it recompense for all the shame caused by hostile neighboring peoples (verses 1–7), and the imminent return of its people, who will dwell on it blessed with fertility, in multitude and happiness, which will silence all slander against it among the gentiles (verses 13–15). In the attached separate discourse the reason and manner for the accomplishment of this restoration of the holy land is explained: for the glory of God’s name, for the removal of Israel from the holy land for the defilement of it and his captivity, the gentiles considered a weakness of Jehovah; therefore Israel must be, though not yet finally converted, returned to his land (verses 16–24); God will forgive him his sins and completely transform his heart and conduct, and thus shower him with blessings that Israel will feel sincere repentance for his former abominations and aversion to them (verses 25–32), thanks to which the holy land, so connected with the glory of God’s name in the eyes of the gentiles, will no longer be deprived of its population, but will be glorified by fertility and populousness (verses 33–38). – The discourse is marked by a particularly warm feeling toward the holy land, as if the latter was struck in its very heart by defilement and needs consolation. In tone in this respect the present chapter is the opposite of chapter VI. The prophecy to a considerable extent was fulfilled in the post-exilic Israel and the Palestine of that time, which achieved considerable well-being and wealth, especially in the Maccabean period. The prophecy of the spiritual transformation of Israel, though fulfilled to a certain extent in post-exilic Judaism (faithfulness to one’s religion to martyrdom for it), but fully – only in the Christian rebirth of humanity.

Ezekiel 36:1. And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: mountains of Israel! hear the word of the Lord. “And you, son of man” – Ezek 4:1. – “Mountains of Israel” – Ezek 6:2. As there, the reference is chiefly to Judea, as the always center of the life of the chosen people and in correspondence with the hilly Edom. In the post-exilic period even more than before, the life of Israel was concentrated in Judea.

Ezekiel 36:2. Thus says the Lord God: since the enemy says of you: “Aha! and the ancient heights have become our possession,” “Enemy” – chiefly Edom and other neighbors. – “Aha!” – see the explanation Ezek 25:3; Greek and Vulgate “well done”, Slavonic “good.” – “The ancient heights.” Thus named the mountains of Israel because of the most ancient history connected with them (Smend); LXX: “eternal wilderness”, evidently reading “desolations” instead of “heights” and perhaps finding it unlikely in the mouth of the prophet sorrow over so hated by him “heights.” – “Have become our possession” – see the explanation Ezek 35:10.

Ezekiel 36:3. therefore prophesy, and say: Thus says the Lord God: yes, because they desolated you and swallowed you up on every side, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and became a byword and a taunt among the peoples – “Desolated” – conjectured after Vulgate translation of the Hebrew word, instead of which the LXX read “degraded”; Slavonic “destroyed” – a doublet. – “Swallowed you up” – Ezek 25:12. – “Rest of the nations”, literally “remainder of the nations”, those remaining in Palestine after the captivity of Israel; the Edomites chiefly are meant. – “Became a byword”, Slavonic more precisely: “and arose and became – a gloss or doublet – in the reproach of lips.”

Ezekiel 36:4. therefore, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God: thus says the Lord God to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys, to the desolate ruins and the abandoned cities, which became a prey and a derision to the rest of the surrounding nations; “Mountains…” – see the explanation Ezek 6:3; “ravines” – Slavonic here more precisely “by streams,” – wadis; Slavonic “and meadows” – a doublet. – “Desolate ruins and abandoned cities”, LXX “and desolated and ruined and abandoned cities” – apparently different degrees of devastation of cities. – “Prey and derision” – not parallel concepts, but corresponding to the ideas in verses 3 and 5.

Ezekiel 36:5. therefore thus says the Lord God: in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who appointed My land to themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and utter contempt, to make it a prey to themselves. “In the fire of My jealousy” – fierce anger. – “Edom” – the most guilty among the peoples in this matter. – “Wholehearted” – not in the LXX. – “With utter contempt.” LXX “having dishonored (αφασαντες) soul”, valuing human life at nothing. – “To make it a prey to themselves” – presumed translation of an obscure Hebrew expression, which rather (Vulgate) means: “expelling them (inhabitants from it?) for plunder”; LXX “which to destroy by ravaging.” “Recall that Edom was partly, to the west of the Arabah, a very poor, vegetation-less country; the southern meadows of Judea were very opportune for him” (Kraetzschmar).

Ezekiel 36:6. Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: Thus says the Lord God: behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My fury, because you bear the reproach of the nations. Ezekiel 36:7. Therefore thus says the Lord God: I have lifted up My hand with an oath that the nations round about you shall themselves bear their shame. Since Israel (and with Israel God Himself, hence the oath) suffered shame and mockery from the gentiles, the same must happen to the latter: the fate which they prepared for Israel will befall them.

Ezekiel 36:8. But you, mountains of Israel, put forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel; for they will soon come. The trees will be in full leaf and fruitful, and with their fruits the people will benefit, not the gentiles as before, but Israel. It is meant not only tree fruits, but also grain, verse 9, Ezek 24:17. – “For they will soon come.” The return from captivity is near, and with it the accomplishment (at least partial) of all the gladdening predictions for the holy land. Remarkable is the prophet’s confidence that his predictions refer not to the distant future and that the change of things is at hand. The holy land is already ready for the arrival of the returning rightful owners. But the LXX somewhat weakens the thought: “for they hope to come”, Vulgate: “for it is near, that it may come”, that is, the accomplishment of what is predicted is near; so also the Targum.

Ezekiel 36:9. For behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you will be tilled and sown. “I will turn to you” with blessing, and not as Ezek 5:8 and similar. – “You will be tilled and sown.” In Slavonic “and you will till and sow”, erroneously put in the active voice, perhaps because in Greek the second verb is in future II, not having the characteristic for passive middle θ: κατερρασθησεσθσε και σπαρησεσθε.

Ezekiel 36:10. And I will multiply people upon you, the whole house of Israel, the whole; and the cities will be inhabited and the ruins will be rebuilt. Besides fertility in gardens and fields, the land is promised that embellishment and mercy which comes from dense population. – “The whole house of Israel, the whole”, Judah and Ephraim (Ezek 20:40 and following). “The whole” LXX: “to the end”, Vulgate omits. – “The cities will be inhabited” – the surviving ones. “And the ruins will be rebuilt.” Slavonic “the wildernesses will be fenced” an inaccurate translation of Greek: και η ηρημωνενη οικοδομηθη σετον – “the desolate (country) will be built up.”

Ezekiel 36:11. And I will multiply upon you people and beasts; and they will increase and be fruitful. And I will cause the towns to be inhabited as in the former times, and I will do better to you than in your former times, and you will know that I am the Lord. “Upon you” – on the mountains of Israel, in Palestine. – “And I will do better to you than in your former times.” As to Job. On post-exilic Judaism it was barely fulfilled. But LXX: “and I will do good to you (Israel), as in your former times.”

Ezekiel 36:12. And I will cause people to walk upon you, even My people Israel; and they will possess you, and you will be their inheritance and no more bereave them of children. Ezekiel 36:13. Thus says the Lord God: since people say of you: “You are a land that devours its inhabitants and bereaves your nation of children”: Ezekiel 36:14. you will not devour people anymore, and no more will you bereave your nation of children, says the Lord God. “You” – an unexpected change from plural number (“mountains”) to singular (“land”) without a vocative. – “No more bereave them of children” (LXX: “and Israel will not add, that is, to that childlessness from them” – from the mountains, the land). According to some, the prophet has in mind the strategic position of Palestine (between the conquering monarchies: East and West) and the defenselessness that hindered the growth of its population; according to others – the frequent famines in it (verse 30) or unhealthy soil conditions (2 Sam 2:19). The reason for such unfavorable conditions of life in the Promised Land, according to the prophet, lay not in its natural properties, but in God’s will, in God’s intention by all sorts of trials to correct His people. – “Not devour people and nation.” Besides what is listed, wild beasts may be meant: see the explanation Ezek 5:17; cf. Ezek 19:3.

Ezekiel 36:15. And you will no longer hear the reproach of the nations, and the shame of the peoples you will bear no more, nor will you bereave your nation of children any more, says the Lord God. “Nor will you bereave your nation of children” – a repetition from verses 13 and 14; not in Vatican and many other manuscripts.

Ezekiel 36:17. son of man! when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their conduct and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman during her menstrual period. “Their conduct and their deeds.” As verse 18 shows, by the first may be meant moral deeds, by the second religious; therefore the LXX: “by their way and by their idols and by their uncleannesses.” – “Like the uncleanness of a woman during her menstrual period.” So great is this natural uncleanness then – Ezek 18:6; cf. Lev 15:19; Isa 64:6.

Ezekiel 36:18. And I poured out My wrath upon them for the blood which they had spilled upon the land, and for the idols with which they had defiled it. Two types of sins are indicated: moral and religious. “For the blood which they had spilled” – violence and actual murders, perhaps among other things unjust death sentences; see the explanation Ezek 9:9. From here (inclusive) to the end of the verse – not in Vatican and many other manuscripts.

Ezekiel 36:19. And I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the lands; I judged them according to their ways and their deeds. Ezek 22:15, see the explanation Ezek 5:5.

Ezekiel 36:20. And when they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them: “These are the people of the Lord, and yet they had to leave His land.” “To the nations” – the diverse population of the Assyrian and Babylonian monarchy. – “They profaned My holy name”, giving the impression of God’s powerlessness, which is said further, – as well as by their wickedness. – “These are the people of the Lord and they went out from His land.” Having only national gods, the gentiles could regard Jehovah only as a national god of the Hebrews, and they explained the unhappy fate of Israel, his captivity, only by the weakness of Jehovah, the victory over Him of their own gods.

Ezekiel 36:21. But I had regard for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they came. “But I had regard for My holy name…” From the glory of God’s name, from the correctness of God’s knowledge depends, and especially depended then, the fate of all humanity on earth. LXX: “and I spared them for the sake of My holy name”; but in Hebrew it is stronger; and the Vulgate “spared My name.” A bitter lamentation.

Ezekiel 36:22. Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am acting, but for the sake of My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. “It is not for your sake that I am acting.” Israel did not deserve any mercy from God.

Ezekiel 36:23. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, among which you have profaned it; and the nations will know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when I manifest My holiness before their eyes. “When I manifest My holiness before their eyes.” It is meant chiefly, if not exclusively, the glorious return of the Jews from captivity, destined to take place before the eyes of the gentiles; by this return will be restored the honor of the defamed by calamity of Israel the name of God (verse 20).

Ezekiel 36:24. And I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. Cf. Ezek 11:17. There is no mention of the intermediate “judgment in the wilderness of the peoples” Ezek 20:35 and following, because the discourse is only about Israel’s salvation from the hand of the gentiles.

Ezekiel 36:25. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you will be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. Sprinkling with water was taken from washing, which was a very ancient rite that preceded all worship (Gen 35:2; Exod 30:17-21). Targum: “I will forgive you your sins”, as they cleanse with the water of cleansing and the ashes of the heifer offered for sin. – “Clean” indicates the cleansing water in distinction from irrigation water. A very clear foreindication of the sacrament of baptism. – “From all your idols I will cleanse you.” Was fulfilled both in post-exilic Judaism, though only Christianity fully cleansed the human heart from everything pagan.

Ezekiel 36:26. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. The promise of Ezek 11:19-20 is renewed; see there “A new heart”, receptive to all that is divine. – “A new spirit”, namely the Spirit of God, as will be explained in the following verse. This is wrought in Christianity by the Holy Spirit, who is imparted to believers only after baptism; cf. verse 25.

Ezekiel 36:27. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes and be careful to observe My ordinances. “My Spirit”, through which alone is possible a life fully in accordance with God’s will. The promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit, though less clear than in Joel. “In My statutes and My ordinances…” see the explanation Ezek 5:6.

Ezekiel 36:28. And you will live in the land which I gave to your fathers, and you will be My people, and I will be your God. Only under such a condition is it possible for Israel to live in the holy land (Lev 25:18-19; Deut 5:16) and the restoration of the covenantal relations with God (see the explanation Ezek 11:20). “I”, Hebrew anokhi, the long form instead of ani – the only time in Ezekiel, whereas ani occurs 138 times, because of which the entire verse was considered a gloss from Jer 30:22, but the case can be explained by the fact that from Hos 1:9 such a form of the pronoun became predominant in this formula.

Ezekiel 36:29. And I will save you from all your uncleannesses; and I will summon the grain and make it abundant, and I will not bring famine upon you. The consequence of cleansing from sins (“uncleannesses” – it is meant chiefly idolatry, as the chief sin and source of others) will be the return to the land of God’s blessing. – “I will summon the grain.” Plants, like all inanimate nature, obey the word of God (cf. Ps 104:16), which alone is enough for them to grow.

Ezekiel 36:30. And I will make the fruit on the trees and the produce of the field abundant, so that you will not again receive famine’s reproach among the nations. Not only will grain be multiplied, but other useful plants – tree fruits, grasses, vegetables. “Reproach…from famine”, Slavonic “reproaches of hunger.” Famine is a shame for a country because it is a sign of God’s anger, when God deprives the country of His blessing.

Ezekiel 36:31. Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will feel disgust at yourselves because of your iniquities and your abominations. “Ways” – conduct, direction; “deeds” – Slavonic “undertakings” – separate deeds. Undeserved divine blessing “will arouse in Israel a repentance which the fear of the law could not produce in him” (Tholuck).

Ezekiel 36:32. Not for your sake do I this, says the Lord God, be it known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel. See verse Ezek 36:22.

Ezekiel 36:33. Thus says the Lord God: on the day when I cleanse you from all your iniquities, and cause the cities to be inhabited, and the ruins to be rebuilt, Ezekiel 36:34. the land that was desolate will be tilled, being desolate in the sight of every passerby, The enumeration of God’s blessings on the land is given again, but now aims at depicting the moral effect of them on the gentiles, who, seeing them, receive a completely different understanding of the God of Israel. – “Every passerby” – an accidental traveler, who is possible only in a depopulated land.

Ezekiel 36:35. and they will say: “This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.” “They will say” chiefly travelers, who had seen the land desolate before (verse 34), and then the whole world will be astonished by such a change. – “Like the garden of Eden” – the archetype of fertility. An important promise of paradisiacal fertility in the future for the earth. – “Fortified and inhabited”, Slavonic more precisely “the ramparts were strengthened and stood”, enclosed with walls, which then constituted the distinction of a city from a village and which all cities, even Jerusalem, lost during the devastation of the country.

Ezekiel 36:36. And the nations that remain round about you shall know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it. “The swift change of things will at once bring about a complete change in the universal opinion of Jehovah” (Bertholet). – “The nations that remain round about you” – and of which, after the judgments of chapter XXV and following chapters, there will be but few; perhaps the immediate neighbors of Israel are meant: Edomites, Moabites, etc. – “I the Lord have spoken and I will do it.” God always fulfills His promises because His word is infallible.

Ezekiel 36:37. Thus says the Lord God: I will yet be entreated by the house of Israel to do this for them; I will increase their population like a flock. “Thus says the Lord” indicates an important addition to the discourse. Indeed, the promise given here to Israel of its large multiplication was especially important for the then Israel, so destroyed by recent wars and scattered everywhere, numbered in Babylon near the prophet, perhaps, only in thousands (cf. the explanation Ezek 47:22). – “I will yet be entreated.” LXX and Vulgate “I will yet be found”; Hebrew verb darash permits translation: “I will be entreated.” – “Increase their population like a flock”, Slavonic more precisely “as if sheep”, distinguished by special fertility, though here a different thought is meant, see verse 38. Targum: “I will multiply them with people and enrich with flocks.”

Ezekiel 36:38. Like the flocks of holy sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during its feasts, so the ruined cities will be filled with human flocks, and they shall know that I am the Lord. A comparison, particularly natural for a former priest who may have often rejoiced over whole herds of sacrificial animals; cf. 1 Chr 29:21; 2 Chr 7:4; Josephus De bel. Iud. 6:9, 3. The comparison is natural also following the images of chapter XXXIV. Chiefly the future numerous gatherings of the people in the temple are meant. – “Sacrificial sheep” – the Slavonic is more precise and stronger: “sheep of Jerusalem.” Targ. “like a holy people, a purified people, which comes to Jerusalem at the time of the Passover festival.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

The Reviving of Dry Bones and the Union of Ephraim with Judah

The first, under which is represented most directly the restoration of Israel (v. 11), is the development of the thoughts of Ezek 36:10 and ff. 37 and ff.; the second – of the thoughts of Ezek 36:24. Thus the prophet, having spoken of the restoration of the state (ch. XXXIV) and the land (XXXV–XXXVI), now speaks of the restoration of the people. But the people, exterminated in great numbers in the last wars and scattered everywhere, now find themselves in such a hopeless condition for restoration that this restoration can only equal their complete resurrection. This will happen to them (v. 1–14), whereupon the enmity of Ephraim with Judah—as ancient as the people itself (cf. Pokrovsky F. Y. Division of the Hebrew Kingdom into the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel. Kiev 1885)—will be destroyed, and they will be united under the rule of one king (v. 15–28). But although the first part of the chapter, constituting one of the most astounding visions in the Old Testament (see v. 1–10) and its explanation (v. 11–14), intends, as shown already by the entire course of thought in this part of the book and the prophet’s direct statement (in v. 11), the reviving of Israel as a people (national), not without foundation the most ancient interpreters (Justin Apol. II, 87; Irenaeus Adv. haer. V, 1; Cyprian Ad Quir. III, 49; Tertull. De ress. car. 30; Cyril of Jerusalem Catech. 18; Augustine De doctr. christ. III, 34) saw in the present chapter a prophetic vision of the resurrection of the dead contrary to the opposite assertion of almost all recent Western interpreters, who had gnostics as their predecessors in this regard (Tert. l. c). The faith in the resurrection of the dead was not only not foreign to the Old Testament, but found itself very clear expression in Job 19:25-26; Isa 26:19; Dan 12:2. This vision of Ezekiel surpasses in clarity of expression all these places. Of course, the prophet speaks here of the reviving of Israel (although nowhere does it appear that he expected this revival in the immediate future, e.g., at the liberation of the Jews from Babylonian captivity), but this revival he contemplates not merely under the guise of the resurrection of the dead, but together with this future astounding event (with which the future actual restoration of Israel, its salvation, may perhaps have some connection hidden from us), and the contemplation of the latter completely overshadows his immediate subject and he returns to it only in the explanation of the vision. Besides, as Tertullian says, “one does not take an image from a subject that does not exist at all” (De ress. car. VI, 30). The Church service therefore very aptly appointed the reading of this vision over the tomb of the Savior.

Ezekiel 37:1. The hand of the Lord was upon me, and the Lord brought me out by the Spirit and set me down in the midst of a valley, and it was full of bones. “Was.” Asyndeton (without conjunction), as in Ezek 40:1; cf. on the other hand Ezek 1:1. – “The hand of the Lord was upon me” see explanation of Ezek 1:3. – “Brought me out.” The indication seems to be of bodily displacement; cf. Ezek 3:10. – “By the Spirit” – in a vision, in ecstasy (Ezek 3:14). – “In the midst of a valley,” perhaps the same as in Ezek 3:23, but more likely another, because it was full of bones. It is meant a battlefield, which the prophet could have seen more than once. – “Bones” not buried, so that the prophet might see what would become of them.

Ezekiel 37:2. and he led me around about them; and behold, there were very many upon the surface of the valley; and behold, they were very dry. “And he led me around about them,” so I could see how many there were, what they were like, and how little hope there was according to human reasoning for their revivification. – “Very many upon the surface of the valley.” The valley was covered with them. – “Very dry” – from long lying in the air and consequently even less capable of revivification. When a body has only just been left by the soul, not yet decayed, it seems to man easier for the soul to return to it: 1 Sam 17:17 and ff. 2 Sam 2:18 and ff. Acts 20:9 and ff.; on the contrary John 11.

Ezekiel 37:3. And he said to me, “Son of man, will these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” The question is posed to show the magnitude of the miracle. The prophet answers evasively, but in his answer shows an almost Christian faith in God’s almightiness. At the same time the answer shows that faith in the resurrection of the dead in the Old Testament was not universal and firm. A Christian would have answered: “yes.”

Ezekiel 37:4. And he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!’” “What the prophet receives is not only an answer, but a commission.” (Skinner after Bertholet). The reviving of the bones is produced not directly by the power of God, but through the prophet’s word, because this word itself is “a real agent, extending its action upon the external world; cf. e.g., Ezek 32:18 (Bertholet; see explanation there) and because the reviving of the bones is produced by the same Holy Spirit by which the prophet is animated. – “Dry” is an addition intended to recall the natural impossibility of the forthcoming command being fulfilled. – “Hear.” A beautiful prosopopoeia (Trochon.), most fitting in view of the fact that the bones represent the captives (Grotius).”

Ezekiel 37:5. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live. “I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live.” “Breath” – soul, life-breath; wherefore the LXX “spirit of life” (not expressing “you will live”). This general expression is developed pictorially in the details of v. 6.

Ezekiel 37:6. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord. “Lay sinews.” Hebrew verb qaram (only v. 8 and cf. Sir. in Hebrew Ezek 43:20); perhaps an anatomical term. Sinews, flesh, skin – the natural order. Evidence of anatomical knowledge in antiquity: the role of nerves in the organism. “Breath” – the principal element, placed in v. 5 first, is here placed in its proper place: cf. v. 9. LXX “My spirit”: the Holy Spirit, the source of life; the apparent tautology with v. 5 is avoided. – “And you shall know that I am the Lord.” Nothing speaks so much of God’s almightiness as resurrection.

Ezekiel 37:7. So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. “As I prophesied,” about which v. 5 ff.; see explanation of v. 4. – “There was a noise,” at first probably so muffled and indefinite that the prophet could not determine where it came from; then this noise defined itself as “a shaking,” Hebrew raash, a word used to denote an earthquake in Ezek 3:12 (but in Ezek 12:18 “tremor”), wherefore the Slavonic “shaking”; it must be a shaking among the bones from the impact of them upon each other, the full horror of which is easy to imagine and which, if not by force, then by impression reminded one of an earthquake. Wherefore Clifoth’s supposition is unnecessary, that the noise was the sound of a trumpet or the voice of God by which bodies will rise, and the shaking was a quaking of the earth destined to open the graves at the resurrection. “Bone to his bone,” to which it should be connected, for which each bone needed to move a greater or lesser distance; hence the noise and shaking.

Ezekiel 37:8. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them above; but there was no breath in them. The prophet could trace the revivification of the dead only to the moment when one thing, the last and most important, was still lacking – life. Thus the transition from life to death, the most decisive transition, is isolated from the other processes of restoration of the dead and advanced as particularly important (Bertholet).

Ezekiel 37:9. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’” The action is described in all its separate moments, which strengthens the impression of the miracle. The prophet must prophesy once more that the breath may enter the bodies, although this was already done in v. 7, cf. v. 5 and 6. By this is well marked the entire abyss that lies between an animated creation and one without soul. If the breath according to v. 6 is given by God, and here enters the bodies of itself, there is no contradiction, since even here it is subject to God’s will. But nonetheless the Spirit here, compared with Gen 2:7, which is clearly meant here, appears as a more independent agent; it is represented as filling the whole world, constituting as it were its breath, which in man is only as it were individualized. This breath, of course, must have a relation to the Holy Spirit, namely be produced by it. Hence it is understood that it enters the body at the prophesying of the prophet, who speaks likewise by the Holy Spirit. Such is the power of God’s word even in the mouth of man; how much greater must it have been in the mouth of the Son, the Word of God! (Tr.). The breath comes “from the four winds,” i.e., from all ends of the earth, as was needed in view of the multitude of the slain. Here besides there is also a hint at the gathering of Israel, scattered to all “four winds” by Ezek 5:10. In Hebrew there is a double ruach (“winds” and “spirit”), which might be avoided, but such an expression must be intentional, since the breath of life in the sweep of wind finds concrete expression. – “Slain.” We first learn of the bones that they were from the slain, not simply the dead. But this was then self-evident: a field with such a multitude of bones on the earth’s surface could only be a battlefield.

Ezekiel 37:10. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet – an exceedingly great host. “A host,” since the bones were of troops that fell on the battlefield; see explanation of v. 9. But the LXX has “assembly.” In the Talmud (Sanhedr. XCII, 2) it is argued that this resurrection took place in actuality, that the revived returned to Canaan and had offspring; one of the authors of this opinion counts himself among the descendants of one of the revived.

Ezekiel 37:11. And he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off.’” The vision is explained. As often, the prophet directly from the mouth of the people takes a current phrase, in turn taken by them from sorrowful psalms and vividly expressing all the despondency of the Babylonian captives (as also the absence in the people’s faith of the idea of resurrection). – “Cut off” from the root of national existence, in which, according to ancient thinking, the existence of the individual was possible; LXX: “we were killed.”

Ezekiel 37:12. Therefore prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. “I will raise you from your graves” – from captivity, this national death of Israel. The prophet freely abandons the first image – unburied bones (speaking of graves). – “O my people” – a necessary and comforting appellation, opposed to the wrathful: “your people” (of the prophet) Ezek 13:17 and others, or even more wrathfully: “rebellious house” Ezek 2:5 and others.

Ezekiel 37:13. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. “And you shall know that I am the Lord.” Then God will reveal himself in truth in all his being, which is love.

Ezekiel 37:14. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it, says the Lord. “Spirit” here is nearer in the sense as enlivening the body (v. 6, 9); but since this enlivening is produced by the same Holy Spirit by which the promised Ezek 36:21 moral regeneration of man is accomplished, here the latter is also meant.

Ezekiel 37:15. The word of the Lord came to me: First by means of a symbolic action is depicted, and then directly described, the future unification of the two Hebrew kingdoms under messianic rule of the Heir of David. Since Hosea (Hos 2:2), this feature – the unification of the 2 Kingdoms – is constantly repeated in messianic expectations (Amos 9:11 and ff. Isa 11:13; Mic 2:12). While Ephraim existed, this mighty kingdom was, properly speaking, Israel, alone bearing this name, while Judah beside it was an insignificant state, remaining such, in essence, even after the fall of Ephraim. If the glory of David’s time is to be restored, then it is unthinkable in later times without Ephraim, especially now that of Judah only a very small remnant has been preserved. Although the nearest reports of this have not been preserved, it may be considered certain that colonies of Ephraimite exiles existed then in Assyria. With eyes full of hope, Jeremiah looks upon them (Jer 3:18 and ff.; cf. Jer 31:15) and considers the simultaneous restoration of Ephraim and Judah self-evident (Jer 31:9). This hope was so important that it deserved detailed treatment here again. By this speech are thus exhausted the essential moments of the restoration of Israel, and the speech therefore, naturally, ends with the assurance that this salvation so arranged will be eternal and Jehovah will henceforth remain dwelling in his people, which prepares the way for chapters XXXVIII–XXXIX and XL–XLVIII (Smend).

Ezekiel 37:16. “And you, son of man, take one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah, and the people of Israel associated with him’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph the stick of Ephraim, and all the house of Israel associated with him.’” “Stick,” Hebrew etz, wood (Vulgate lignum), which could have only the form of a stick, so that two such pieces of wood could be held in one hand; moreover, it seems clear that Num 17:6 and ff. are meant; wherefore the LXX rightly: “stick.” “And the people of Israel associated with him,” i.e., Benjamin, Simeon, partly Levi, and perhaps also emigrants of various times to the southern kingdom. – “For Joseph.” He is named instead of Ephraim, to oppose him as a brother to Judah. Therefore immediately “Ephraim” is explained. – “And all the house of Israel,” which indeed in the vast majority was subject to Ephraim; the LXX again has “people” (in Hebrew similar in form to “house”).

Ezekiel 37:17. Join them to each other into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. Just as it is easy for the prophet to join two sticks in one hand, so it is easy for God to unite the two parts of Israel, which have been divided from the beginning of its political existence.

Ezekiel 37:18. And when your people say to you, ‘Will you not tell us what you mean by these?’ Cf. Ezek 24:19. Consequently, Ezekiel’s symbolic actions were performed in actuality; cf. chapter IV.

Ezekiel 37:19. Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph (which is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with it; and I will join with it the stick of Judah, and make them into one stick, that they may be one in my hand.’ “The stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim.” The tribe of Ephraim held the foremost, dominant position in the northern kingdom. From it was also Jeroboam. – “And I will join with it the stick of Judah.” The abnormal independent existence of the northern kingdom will have no place: it will submit, as is proper, to Judah, constituting with it one kingdom. – “And make them one in my hand.” LXX: “in the hand of Judah” (one Hebrew ms. “in his hand,” i.e., Judah’s), which is essentially the same, because God will rule through a descendant of Judah – the Messiah.

Ezekiel 37:20. When the sticks on which you write are in your hand before their eyes, “When… are,” the Slavonic is more precise: “and they will be.” Throughout the following prediction the prophet must hold the two sticks joined together in his hand. “The dramatic impression from the symbol was undoubtedly” (Smend).

Ezekiel 37:21. then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from every side, and bring them to their own land.’ The explanation of the symbolic action is given in more detail and supplemented by other predictions.

Ezekiel 37:22. And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no more two nations, and no longer be divided into two kingdoms. “King,” Hebrew melekh. Only here and in v. 24 is this word used by Ezekiel for the Messiah (in other cases always nasi, prince), because here the speech is about the unification of the 2 Kingdoms under his rule. The prediction refers most directly to post-captivity Israel; but it was imperfectly fulfilled in it (there were no kings of the house of David, if one does not count Zerubbabel as such), but more fully fulfilled in the spiritual kingdom of Christ; and fully – in the future Church, the kingdom of glory.

Ezekiel 37:23. They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, and with all their transgressions; but I will save them from all the places where they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. All these promises Jehovah can fulfill because the people will no longer sin, and the former sins will be forgiven them. And first of all, the people will no longer fall into idolatry. – “And I will save them from all the places where they have sinned.” The LXX make the thought clearer and simpler, reading instead of “places” a similar form “transgressions,” “which they have committed.” – “And they shall be my people.” The ancient covenantal relations will be restored.

Ezekiel 37:24. My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and obey them. The connection between the two halves of the verse is either such that the eschatological king (Messiah) will be the God-appointed guardian of righteousness and law on earth (cf. Ezek 34:23; Isa 9:1; Jer 23:1), or such that the establishment of this righteousness on earth will make his kingship possible. – “My servant David” – see explanation of Ezek 34:23.

Ezekiel 37:25. They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived; and they and their children and their children’s children shall live there forever; and David my servant shall be their prince forever. References to the patriarchs in Ezekiel are not frequent (cf. Ezek 33:24). The promise of eternity is repeated twice. As for the fulfillment of the prediction see the explanation of v. 22.

Ezekiel 37:26. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will bless them and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them forevermore. A clear prediction of the New Covenant, Christianity. “Peace” – see explanation of Ezek 34:25. – “Bless” in the promised land; the Slavonic is more precise: “take root,” but the Greek τάξω – “establish.” – “Sanctuary” – the mysterious temple of chapters XL–XLVIII, the source of every blessing for the future Israel; the Slavonic says generally: “sanctification,” but the Greek τὰ ἅγια – temple.

Ezekiel 37:27. My dwelling place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. The new covenantal relations are placed in direct dependence on the presence among Israel (“among them” in Hebrew not transmitted by any translation, “above them” correspondingly Ezek 40:2) of the mysterious temple, now called here already “God’s dwelling place,” because God will dwell in it no less than in heaven.

Ezekiel 37:28. Then the nations will know that I the Lord sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary is in the midst of them forevermore. It is noteworthy that the image of a bright future for Israel concludes with a mention of the nations. “Sanctify Israel” – set him apart from all peoples and exalt him above them. And the relation of the nations to Israel will change essentially after the establishment of the mysterious temple of chapters XL–XLVIII. But until then there are still chapters XXXVIII and XXXIX.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

The Invasion of Gog

Beyond the return of the chosen people from captivity and their happy life in the promised land, most other prophets do not extend their predictions about Israel. For such an eschatologist as the prophet Ezekiel, the prophetic vision naturally penetrates further and traces the fate of Israel until the final fulfillment in it of all God’s promises. This fulfillment is impossible as long as the pagan world is strong on earth: from its side renewal of struggle against the people of God is always possible. For the full well-being of the latter it is necessary that this world be completely weakened. Besides, the return of the chosen people from captivity and their settlement in the promised land will not restore finally the honor of God’s name, will not fully wipe from it the shame which the humiliation of Israel brought upon it in the eyes of the nations. And the glory of God’s name is determined in Ezekiel chiefly as the relation of God to the world. The final glorification of this great name, or, which is the same, the recognition by the pagans of Jehovah as God requires a new and already final manifestation of God’s glory on earth, a manifestation unprecedented, through an unprecedented decisive weakening, bordering on complete destruction of the pagan world on earth, a weakening which would destroy any remaining doubt in anyone of the exclusive, unique greatness of God’s name. This last struggle of the world hostile to God on earth against God’s kingdom, a struggle destined to end in complete weakening, if not perfect destruction of the first world, is depicted in chapters XXXVIII and XXXIX under the form of a war of the most distant and most varied peoples with Gog at their head against the new Israel. Naturally, this struggle, which in the New Testament is depicted more from its spiritual aspect as the struggle of the antichrist and his false teaching against Christ and His truth, is presented by the Old Testament prophet, writing in an era of widespread bloody wars and weak ideological struggle, in the form of war. However, this does not mean that all the features in this presentation have only symbolic meaning and require spiritual application. It is possible that Ezekiel depicts with material features that very struggle which the New Testament describes from the spiritual and ideological aspect. On earth all the spiritual is so closely united with the bodily and physical that no struggle can be purely spiritual. Just as in all predictions of the final chapters, so in these two the prophet Ezekiel first and foremost contemplates the fate of post-captivity Israel, its truly heroic defense of its nationality and faith from the immeasurably stronger physical pagan world, pressing upon it from all sides and yet unable to destroy this small people, which in the end (in the person of Christianity) gained a decisive victory over it. Even the pagans, who had no direct contact with Israel (like the pagans of chapters XXV–XXXII), had to feel the might of Jehovah. Remarkably, Ezekiel expects this final judgment upon paganism already after a greater change of things; in him the complete renewal of the world and salvation is divided into two acts: the second opens with the overthrow of Gog, just as the first with the destruction of the pagan neighbors of Israel. – It is believed that Ezekiel takes the colors for depicting this great struggle not so much from the campaigns of Nebuchadnezzar as from the invasion of the Scythians into Western Asia that took place about the time of Josiah, which then inspired fear in all of Asia for a long time; from this invasion Jeremiah III–VI and Zephaniah take colors for depicting God’s judgment (“the day of the Lord”), and even directly describe it; Ezek 32:26-27 is also believed to point to this invasion. It could not be doubted that the political situation then did not exclude the possibility of repetition of this invasion. From the north new hordes of Scythians penetrated to the south and took command from preceding ones. What Ezekiel calls Gog was a real force in his time (Smend). This is confirmed by comparison of Ezek 38:2-3, 39 with Ezek 38:5-6. Although the invasion of Gog subsequently became an image of the god-hostile worldly power that will perish at the world judgment (Rev 20:7 and ff.), Gog comes not as an enemy of Jehovah or Israel; he knows nothing of Jehovah and seeks only plunder (Ezek 38:12-13); this is his sin (Smend). Some interpret the prophecy as referring to Babylon. Indeed, although the prophet Ezekiel regards the Chaldeans as executors of God’s commission regarding Judea and its punishment, and therefore as not responsible for the evil they caused to Judea, they could have fulfilled this commission with excessive cruelty. Thus Isaiah passes over to threats against Assyria, in which he saw the punishing rod of God (Isa 10:5 and ff.); and the prophets at the end of the captivity speak of the near destruction of Babylon; the fall of the Babylonian monarchy appeared to be a necessary preliminary condition for the liberation of Israel and Ezekiel, like Jeremiah earlier, was not foreign to the thought of such a fall: Jer 29:13 and ff. cf. Ezek 4:4-5. In the very names Gog and Magog some see a veiled indication of Babylon. It has been suggested (Böhmer in Zeitschrift für wissenschaftliche Theologie 1897, p. 321) that in the name Magog Ezekiel gives the name of Babylon according to one of the methods accepted in Kabbalah, namely through the replacement of each letter (consonant) by the next one in the alphabet and by reading the word in reverse order. Babylon, in Hebrew Babel, has the consonant letters bbL, the letters following them ggm, – in reverse order mgg, magog. But the prophecy concerning Gog refers to later times than the fall of the Babylonian monarchy, to those when Israel, returned from captivity, has already achieved considerable well-being in the sacred land (Ezek 36:33 and ff.). The prophet was surely restrained from the prediction of Babylon’s destruction not by fear of the mighty conqueror (prophets knew no fear of earthly power), but by the benefit of the listeners. If the sufferings of captivity were to bear their fruits further, then it was not yet the time to turn the attention of the people to Babylon’s sin and its certain final destruction.

The speech of chapter XXXVIII, besides the introduction, v. 1–2, contains three parts: v. 2–9 develop the thought that in essence Jehovah himself in the last days will draw Gog as it were even against his will into his land, in order through his destruction to reveal his almightiness. In passages parallel to this part, v. 10–16 (cf. v. 9 and 16) it is proved that, on the other hand, Gog will be drawn by his thirst for plunder. V. 17–23 speak of the punishment of Gog, its correspondence with the prophetic predictions, and the impression upon the world, through which the latter will know Jehovah.

Ezekiel 38:2. “Son of man, turn your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him” Gog here appears as a person, a prince from the land of Magog, but in Rev 20:7 this name, like Magog, are names of peoples. The particle ma in Sanskrit carries the idea of land and placed before the name of Gog may mean the land of Gog. The name Gog could have been such a formation from Magog as the Arabic Yajuj from Majuj, Maij, Maji (Persians). Consequently, the nearest determination of the mysterious name “Gog” depends on the meaning of the more known name “Magog.” The article placed here with Magog shows that this is a known people and refers to Gen 10:2, the only place in the Old Testament where this people is named (1 Chr 1:5). According to this passage Magog is the 2nd son of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan (Elisha), Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. Of these names the following after Magog have found very probable identifications: Madai – the Medes, Javan – the Greeks, etc. According to Josephus Flavius (Antiquities 1:6, 1) and others, Magog means the Scythians. But the Scythians, who in the time of Josiah attacked Western Asia, are called by Ezekiel Ezek 32:26, apparently, Meshech and Tubal, and here the peoples with these two names are subject to Gog and seem recently so. Probably Gog penetrated from the north. And chapter X of Genesis places the land of Magog in the country to the north of the Caucasus, because, as is probable, the people “Gomer” lived there. If here Gog is presented as living in the land of Magog and appears as the prince of Meshech and Tubal, this does not yet follow that the lands of Magog must be sought close to these latter peoples. Against this speaks Gen 10:2, which places between Magog and Meshech a number of names. Meshech and Tubal are obviously conquests of Gog. By all this the name Magog does not correspond to either the Massagetae, who in the time of Herodotus lived between the Caspian and Aral seas and in the Kyrgyz steppes, nor to Armenia, which even under the Achaemenids formed a separate satrapy and was populated chiefly by Scythian pastoral tribes. Even less suitable for determining the land of Magog is the so-called Scythian wall, which stretched from Derbent on the Caspian Sea to the Euxine Pontus and among the Arabs was called a name corresponding with Magog. If it is so difficult to say anything definite about the meaning of the name Magog and the place of this country or people, despite the fact that the Old Testament seems to have connected with this name a definite and well-known conception, then it is even more difficult to say anything about the name Gog, used only by Ezekiel (However, it is found also in 1 Chr 5:4 as the name of one descendant of Reuben, about whom nothing is reported). The name has been compared with the Turkic g’g, sky, Persian kog, mountain; travelers of the 13th century call the prince of the Tatars kot-khan; the title of a prince in many languages sounds so: kuk, khon, king, konig; cf. our Russian “gosudar” (ruler), “goi” (archaic term for stranger), “izgoi” (outcast). In the cuneiform inscription of Ashurbanipal beside Biriguda the prince of the Medes, are named Sarite and Parizi, sons of Gaagi, prince of the Saka (Scythians?): perhaps this latter is also the same as Guto, Gyges, the Lydian king (Del. W.d.d. Par. 246). In the El-Amarna letters (Schrad. Keilinchr. Bibl. V, 5) Hagaya is a designation of some northern barbarians. The name of Gog is also compared with Antiochus Epiphanes: (Ant)ioch(us) and ‘Ώγυγος – At Ezekiel the word Gog, terrible in its newness and striking in its brevity and energy, is first used, and he perhaps paired it with the similarly-sounding name Magog, one of the most northern peoples, to designate by this rare and little-known name all the new enemies of Israel of the distant future, which will appear from the most distant parts of the always hostile north, from which the last catastrophe – captivity – has descended upon them (cf. Ezek 1:4; Jer 1:14), from which have come all the enemies of Israel (Assyria, Scythians, Babylon, Persians) – and appearing thence, will receive strong auxiliary troops from the south (v. 5), thanks to which as it were the whole world will bear down upon Israel. “Prince,” Hebrew nasi, i.e., of the peoples named further, which were probably, as conquered, more subject to Gog than his own people Magog. “Rosh” in Hebrew means “head,” “chief,” wherefore this perhaps is a definition of nasi: “chief prince,” as the high priest was called cohen rosh, “chief priest”; so indeed the Vulgate: princeps capitis. But the LXX and all other ancient translations consider Rosh a proper name, consequently, the name of a people. The Bible does not know of such a people. It is compared with the Rhos of Byzantine and Eastern writers of the 10th century (cf. Rûs in the Quran XXV, 50), who call thus a Scythian mountain people, at the Arctic Taurus or at the Black Sea and Volga, thus apparently, us Russians; against such identification (Gesenius) Hengstenberg observed (we are grateful to him) that “Russians cannot be placed among the enemies of God’s kingdom.” It is also compared with Roxolani of Pliny (Hist. nat IV, 12) and Ptolemy (III, 5) Rhos † Alani and the Rasi of cuneiform inscriptions, which must be sought on the western boundary of Elam at the Tigris (Del. W. d. d. Par. 322. Schr. Keil. u. A.T., 427). In any case, a people of the most distant north and terrible in their obscurity. “Meshech” and “Tubal” – see explanation of Ezek 27:13, cf. Ezek 32:26. Meshech also in Ps 119:5 (Mosoch in the Russian Bible) is an image of a merciless barbarous people.

Ezekiel 38:4. And I will turn you around and put hooks in your jaws, and I will lead you out with all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them handling swords. Although Gog undertook this campaign on his own impulse, from a desire for plunder (v. 13), he followed an unperceived impulse from Jehovah, who led him like a wild beast by his will. In Rev 20:7 he is led by Satan; cf. 2 Sam 24:1 with 1 Chr 21:1. Later theology designates the relation of Deity to such actions by the term “permission.” – “And I will turn you around,” Hebrew shuv, to return in the form Poel – admits also the translation “seduce” (cf. Isa 47:10), “attract”; but the LXX: “I will turn you back”; Vulgate circumagam. – “Put hooks in your jaws” – see explanation of Ezek 29:4; hysteron proteron. The Vatican and other manuscripts do not have both propositions. Further description of the enemy corresponds to the Assyro-Babylonian army, about which the prophet repeatedly uses the words hayil, “army,” Slavonic “force,” and “host,” katal. – “In full armor,” literally “in the clothing of perfection,” – brilliant armor. See explanation of Ezek 23:12. – “A great company,” perhaps the infantry in distinction from the cavalry mentioned earlier, armed if not so brilliantly, then still fully: “in buckler and shield.” Shields were more the attribute of infantry (not cavalry), with which were famous according to Ezek 27:10 the peoples enumerated in the following verse.

Ezekiel 38:5. Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all equipped with shields and helmets. Besides the unheard-of peoples of the north, Gog’s army will have a whole series of peoples of the south or civilized, but not yet having appeared on the prominent historical stage. The Persian are first of all, naturally, among these latter peoples, Hebrew paras – see explanation of Ezek 20:10. – “Cush” – see explanation of Ezek 29:10, Slavonic “Murians.” – “Put,” Hebrew Put or Fut, see explanation of Ezek 27:10. Slavonic also “Lydians” (not in the Greek either) – doublet or insertion by Ezek 27:10. – “With shields” – see v. 4.

Ezekiel 38:6. Gomer and all his troops; the house of Togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all his troops – many peoples are with you. “Gomer” is mentioned only in Gen 10:3 1 Chr 1:6. It is identified either with the Cimmerians (Homer Odyssey XI, 14), cuneiform Gimiraya at the Black Sea, or with the Cappadocians, who among the Armenians mentioned here at the same time (“house of Togarmah”) are called Gamir (Eus. Chron. Arm. I, 95; II, 12). Since the Cimmerians according to Strabo (I, 3, 21) made raids on Asia Minor and even invaded the Lydian kingdom pressed by Scythians (Herod. I, 6, 15 etc.), they could have left traces of their name in Asia Minor among the Cappadocians (wherefore, it seems, Josephus Flavius understands by Gomer the Galatians). Cf. also the names “Cimbri” or “Cumri.” – “With all his troops,” Hebrew agan, translated in XII, 14 “all armies,” see explanation there. Slavonic “all around him.” – “House of Togarmah” – see explanation of Ezek 27:14. – “Many peoples” – more numerous smaller and secondary ones.

Ezekiel 38:7. Be prepared, and keep yourself ready, you and all your companies that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. “Be prepared and keep yourself ready.” Ironical exhortation: he will perish anyway. – “Be a guard for them.” All the peoples named here are not subjects of Gog, but only are under his command; hence the somewhat unusual expression. But Hebrew mishmar means properly “banner.” LXX: “and you will be for Me a front guard,” προφυλακτης, vanguard (Bertholet): “reserve,” a meaning confirmed by the following verse.

Ezekiel 38:8. After many days you will be mustered; in the latter years you will come against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many nations, now dwelling securely, all of them, on the mountains of Israel, which had long been a desolation; its people were brought out from the nations and now all of them dwell securely. Although Gog is already prepared, the time has not yet come for the Lord to use him, because first Israel must be settled in his own land. – “After many days” (cf. Isa 24:22) is the same as “in the latter years,” at the end of the world, according to Rev 20:7 after the mysterious 1000 years. – “You will be mustered” – a tentative translation of the Hebrew tippaked, which the LXX translate more precisely “you will be equipped” (properly “to make inspection”), Vulgate visitaberis. – “The land that is restored from war.” Land – is a synonym for people, of which, properly, only can be said: restored (but the LXX: “destroyed”) from war, and especially “gathered from many nations,” from captivity. – “The mountains of Israel” – a favorite designation in Ezekiel for Palestine, in which the love for one’s own country shows, that of a highlander forcibly settled in a far and lowly foreign land. – “Long been a desolation,” the LXX: “very desolate,” δι ὃλον. Palestine lay desolate during the 70 years of captivity; but the expression may point to the time from the death of the Savior to the coming of the Antichrist during which the Jews are in dispersion. – “All of them dwell securely.” “Such will be the condition of the Church before the last struggle between good and evil” (Trochon.).

Ezekiel 38:9. You will advance, coming like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you. “A storm” (Slavonic “rain”) and a cloud – images of great calamity; cf. Isa 11:1 and others. “Cover the land,” as a cloud darkens the sky. – “You and all” – Greek ἔσῃ σύ καὶ πάντες, which the Slavonic somehow transmits: “you will fall”; it is too early to speak of his death.

Ezekiel 38:10. Thus says the Lord God: On that day thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme. The 2nd part of the speech (see preliminary remarks to the chapter). Although in essence Jehovah himself brings Gog, the will (more accurately: the permission) of the Lord coincides with the strivings of Gog. The parallel of v. 2–9 and 10–16 could be a classical place for what in theology is called concursus: divine action, influence is not something different compared with the action of creation, but this single and indivisible action (Bertholet). “Thoughts.” Hebrew davar, word, often has such a meaning, the LXX “words,” Vulgate sermones.

Ezekiel 38:11. and you said, “I will go up against the land of unwalled villages; I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and without gates or bars;” “A land of unwalled villages” – literally “a land of villages,” without cities with their fortifications. The future sacred land is presented in this verse as lying in the deepest peace, not having even cities, but only villages; cf. Zech 6:5. The prediction has not yet been fulfilled. – “Against the quiet people who dwell securely”; the Slavonic is better (without a tone of condemnation): “against those silent in quiet and dwelling in peace.”

Ezekiel 38:12. to seize spoil and carry off plunder; to assail the waste places that are now inhabited, and the people who were gathered from the nations, who have gotten cattle and goods, who dwell at the center of the earth. “Your hand,” Hebrew “your hand,” the LXX “my hand” (in Gog’s speech). – “On the newly settled ruins.” Gog wishes to devastate the land, hardly healed from its misfortunes and former assaults. – “Who have acquired possessions and goods,” literally: “who have acquired property (mikne) and goods.” The chosen people of the blessed future is presented as agricultural, not commercial. In the mysterious sense these are the virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit, which the antichrist and his servants wish to seize from Christians. – “At the center” – the Slavonic is more precise – “at the navel.” See explanation of Ezek 5:5. The expression first appears in Judg 9:37. Thus Canaan could be called for its mountainousness, and the mysterious promised land of the future for the beauty and abundance of God’s blessing upon it. The expression is not foreign to classical writers: Cic. c. Verrem VI, 48 De divinat. 2. Liv. XXXV, 18; Odyssey I, 50.

Ezekiel 38:13. Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all its young lions will say to you, “Have you come to seize spoil? Have you assembled your hosts to carry off plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to seize a great amount of spoils?” The most mercantile peoples of the world, wise in riches, understand that greed alone armed Gog and his peoples and impels them to war (Trochon.). The rumors that have reached them of his grandiose campaign they try to verify on the spot, in order to draw profit from his future rich plunder; just as battlefields attract hyenas (Kretschmar), so large armies always draw to themselves crowds of speculators. Just as Gog’s army is composed of the most distant peoples, so merchants gather to his army from all ends of the earth (Smend). – “Sheba” see explanation of Ezek 27:22. – “Dedan” – Ezek 27:20. – “Merchants of Tarshish” – Slavonic “Carthaginian” – Ezek 27:12. – “Young lions” – a completely unexpected addition; the LXX must be a periphrase: “and all its villages”; Kretschmar allows in the Hebrew in kefirega a corruption of kipri, Cypriot (Song 4:13; Song 1:13).

Ezekiel 38:14. Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say to Gog, Thus says the Lord God: On that day when my people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not know it? It is repeated with some changes and supplements what was said in v. 10–13. “Will you not know it.” The LXX “you will rise” (instead of teda they read teor).

Ezekiel 38:15. and you will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde and a mighty army. “From the uttermost parts of the north.” The north – a dark land, the symbol of the source of all calamities (see explanation of Ezek 1:4 “from the north”). From the north the Jews suffered the greatest blows of fate (see preliminary remarks to the chapter). This property of the north with penetration deeper into it, to its edge, is strengthened. – “All riding on horses.” Scythian cavalry amazed the East. “A great horde” – a quantitative definition, and “mighty army” (Slavonic “force”) – a qualitative one.

Ezekiel 38:16. and you will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land. In the latter days I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I show my holiness before their eyes. “Like a cloud” – see explanation of v. 9. – “In the latter days,” see explanation of v. 8. – “I will bring you.” Independently of his wish, Gog will fulfill also God’s will. – “Show my holiness” – explanation of the phrase: “that the nations may know me.” Through the destruction of Gog (the highest embodiment of evil), God will reveal himself to the world from the aspect of holiness, the chief property of his being, so as he had not revealed himself before. Then in truth will they fully know God.

Ezekiel 38:17. Thus says the Lord God: Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied that I would bring you against them? “Are you he.” The LXX “you are,” perhaps because they considered it unbecoming for God as it were to reason over his former predictions. – “In former days by my servants the prophets.” Although Gog is not named by earlier prophets, everything hostile to God, of which the prophets spoke, was in essence the same as Gog, and the latter’s judgment by God, the so-called “day of the Lord,” the final day – is the destruction of Gog. In particular Ezekiel may have had in mind here Num 24:7 (“Agag” is Gog according to Blessed Jerome), Isa 10:5-34 and ff.; Mic 5:11; Zeph 3:8. The prophecy is presented here already as a relatively completed and objective fact, which in history sooner or later must be fulfilled. Such a presentation is natural on the eve of the cessation of the prophetic gift in the Old Testament; cf. Zech 1:4. – “In those days” – ancient and long.

Ezekiel 38:18. On that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel, says the Lord God, my wrath will be kindled in my anger. “Anger” – another motive for the destruction of Gog; besides favor toward the chosen people – indignation against evil.

Ezekiel 38:19. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath I have spoken: Surely on that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel. In the nearest sense God’s anger and glory will be manifested in a strong earthquake (“shaking” – Slavonic more precisely: “tremor”), which he will produce when the enemies enter his land. An earthquake from Amos (Amos 8:8) – one of the signs of the “day of the Lord,” God’s final judgment: Joel 3:16; Hag 2:6-7; Matt 24:7 and parallels; Rev 16:8. – “Surely,” the LXX more precisely “if not,” – a formula of oath.

Ezekiel 38:20. The fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the people that are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. Together with the earth the whole of nature will come into trembling: the four-part animal kingdom, all mankind, and inanimate nature.

Ezekiel 38:21. And I will call for the sword against Gog on all my mountains, says the Lord God; every man’s sword will be against his brother. Then Gog’s army will be destroyed by the fact that the allies will rise up against one another and turn swords on themselves. This perhaps is represented as the consequence of the confusion into which they will fall from the terrible earthquake. Cf. Judg 7:22; 1 Sam 14:20; 2 Chr 20:23; Zech 14:13. – “On all my mountains” – in the mountainous land of Israel. But the expression is not as natural as in v. 8 and below. Therefore the LXX is better: “all fear” (garadah instead of garay), to which the Slavonic alone adds: “sword-bearing”; without this – more smoothly, because the next subject is the sword.

Ezekiel 38:22. And I will enter into judgment with him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him and upon his hordes and upon the many peoples that are with him, torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur. “The entire arsenal of divine punishments will be used against Gog” (Kretschmar). – “Pestilence and blood” see explanation of Ezek 5:17. – “Torrential rains” – almost a second flood. “Hailstones,” as in Egypt and under Joshua (Josh 10:11), literally “huge stones” (Vulgate) see explanation of Ezek 13:11. – “Fire and sulfur,” as upon Sodom. Gen 19:24; Ps 10:6; 2 Sam 1:10. Those punishments of God which were sent separately upon each developing wickedness will now be united all against Gog, because he will be the completion of earthly wickedness. The union of the strongest calamities will be as terrible as will be this last uprising against God upon the earth.

Ezekiel 38:23. So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord. “Greatness” – first in Ezekiel, cf. Isa 10:15; Dan 5:19. “I will make myself known” – also first. God will then be known to the earth so fully and deeply as he could not have been known before. But fully – hardly: after the events of chapters XL–XLVIII this knowledge will be still fuller.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

The Destruction of Gog

It has already been predicted at the end of the preceding chapter; but wishing, because of its special importance for the glory of God’s name, to present it in an even more astounding form, the prophet repeats the entire prediction of Gog’s invasion in brief (v. 1–8), in order then to stop exclusively on his destruction; the great spoil obtained from the destruction of the enemy’s army by Israel is described (v. 9–11); since this spoil will be expressed in the multitude of combustible material, the use of it will be properly the purification of the land from the remains of the wicked army, which purification will require the burning of corpses (v. 12–16); after the spoil of Israel from Gog’s troops, the spoil taken from them by beasts of the earth is described (v. 17–20); the depiction of the entire horror of the catastrophe concludes with an indication of its purpose: for the pagans – the revelation of God’s glory (v. 21–24), for Israel – the final restoration of it (v. 25–29).

Ezekiel 39:1. “And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal!” See explanation of Ezek 38:2, which is here shortened, as is natural in repetition.

Ezekiel 39:2. I will turn you around, drive you forward, and bring you up from the uttermost parts of the north, and lead you against the mountains of Israel. “I will turn you around” – see explanation of Ezek 38:4. – “I will drive you forward.” Hebrew shishshetikha – a strange form from a verb used nowhere else called shaa, in which is supposed the meaning “to lead by a halter”; the LXX καθοδηγησω, “I will guide,” Vulgate educam; others, supposing the root shesh, “six”: “I will punish you with 6 punishments” (enumerated in Ezek 38:22), or: “I will leave one-sixth of you.” Targ. “I will seduce.” Peshitto: “I will gather.” – “From the uttermost parts of the north” – see explanation of Ezek 38:6. – “Against the mountains of Israel” Ezek 38:8.

Ezekiel 39:3. Then I will knock your bow from your left hand, and will make your arrows drop out of your right hand. The Scythians were famous as archers, wherefore Herodotus calls them ἱπποτοξόται (IV, 46); cf. Jer 5:16. “The threat is very concrete: one holds the bow with the left hand and the arrow with the right” (Bertholet). “God will make Gog incapable of fighting” (Tr.).

Ezekiel 39:4. You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your hordes and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to the birds of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. Ezekiel 39:5. You shall fall in the open field, for I have spoken it, says the Lord God. It is necessary to remember what it meant for an ancient man to be deprived of burial. It is not so in Christianity: St. Nilus of Sorsk bequeathed to throw his body to beasts and birds to be devoured. – “In the open field” – see explanation of Ezek 26:5.

Ezekiel 39:6. And I will send fire on Magog and on those who dwell securely in the coastlands; and they shall know that I am the Lord. The punishment will reach not only the army of Gog that came to the sacred land, but also his country and allies, however distant the lands of the latter might be, even if they were islands or seacoasts (perhaps the shores of the Black Sea, where the Scythians lived). Jehovah, like the pagan gods, is strong not only in his own land. Cf. Amos 1:4 and ff. On the other hand the LXX: “and the islands will be populated with peace,” i.e., the destruction of Gog will make peaceful the land to the most distant countries. – “Fire” must mean war, extermination. – “Dwelling securely,” as Israel dwelt when Gog attacked it: Ezek 38:8.

Ezekiel 39:7. And so I will make known my holy name in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. See explanation of Ezek 36:21. “The Holy One in Israel” – God is recognized and honored as holy by Israel, and in relation to it he chiefly manifests his holiness.

Ezekiel 39:8. Behold, it has come and it has happened, says the Lord God. This is the day of which I have spoken. “It has come and it has happened.” An assurance of the immutability of the prediction in view of its special importance and apparent improbability. The LXX more precisely: “behold it has approached (the prediction is so immutable that it may be considered as fulfilled – prophetic past) and you know that it will be” (are there signs of the approaching?). – “Day” in the eschatological sense acquired by the word from Amos 5:18 (see explanation of Ezek 13:5), – the day of God’s final judgment. – “Of which I have spoken” – and here, and earlier through the prophets (Ezek 38:17-18).

Ezekiel 39:9. Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons – shields and spears, bows and arrows, clubs and lances; and they will use them as fuel for seven years. Ezekiel 39:10. They will not need to bring in wood from the field or cut down any from the forests, for they will use the weapons as fuel. They will despoil those who despoiled them, and plunder those who plundered them, says the Lord God. “The immense magnitude of the catastrophe is vividly presented in the multitude of weapons that fell as spoil, compared with which the remaining spoil is thought to be merely accidental” (Smend). Weapons are ordinarily considered the most valuable military spoil, since they can be used in turn against an enemy. But here it is not so: what would Israel do with weapons, when in that glorious future he will not wage wars (see explanation of Ezek 38:11), just as generally on earth there will be no wars then: Isa 9:5), as indeed now the outcome of war was decided for him by God alone. Thus nothing better remains to be done with the weapons than to use them as fuel instead of searching for it in the field (from which they obtained more light material for fuel – “wood”) or in the forests (wood proper), “what is so opportune in a land poor in forests” (Kretschmar). To strengthen the impression the weapons are enumerated in detail, forming with their generic conception 7 (a symbolic number of fullness and infinity) members, corresponding to 7 years of burning it (such a huge amount of it for the whole country for 7 years!). This burning at the same time will also purify the country from the last remnants of the hostile, pagan defilement (cf. v. 14 and Num 31:20). “Coats of mail” – with considerable probability the supposed meaning of Hebrew tzinna, which the LXX and Vulgate transmit “spear,” due to which the latter is named twice (yet again at the end: “lance”). – “Clubs” – literally “sticks of hands,” shepherd’s staffs (Num 22:27), cudgels, which consequently also served as weapons, of course, among the more savage peoples (generally all the weapons here are presented as more wooden than metallic, if it is to serve as fuel). – “And plunder those who plundered them,” as at the exodus from Egypt. – “Says the Lord God,” whose justice requires this vengeance.

Ezekiel 39:11. On that day I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the Valley of the Travelers on the east of the Sea, and it will block the travelers, for there Gog and all his multitude will be buried; it shall be called the Valley of Hamon-gog. Gog will find himself a grave in the land where he sought plunder; but this grave will not be sacred like all others, but a place of special abomination. – “A place for a grave in Israel” literally “a place where a grave” (where one could be for him); “where” Hebrew sham, the LXX read shem, name, hence they have “a place specially designated,” “renowned” or more naturally, as we will see immediately, – “so-called,” “named.” – “A grave in Israel” in Hebrew kever-be-Israel. Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky in the work “Megalithic monuments of the Holy Land” (Orthodox Palestine Miscellany, vol. XIV, no. 2, St. Petersburg 1895, p. 281 ff.) draws attention to the coincidence with these words of that name which the dolmens of the northern Transjordan in Palestine have: Qubur beni-Isra’il. In this name beni (“sons”) is a corrupted be (“in”). This place was apparently so called because it served as a cemetery for foreigners on Israelite soil, namely, for those foreigners who died in merchant caravans, passing exactly in those places where these dolmens are located. “The Valley of the Travelers on the east of the Sea.” A locality with such a name “valley of travelers” is unknown. If by the sea one understands the Mediterranean, then such a valley could have been Megiddo, through which passed the main military and trade route between Egypt and the Euphrates; this valley was famous in history as a place of battles (Josiah fell here); but by the sea one cannot understand the Mediterranean, because in that case the land to the east of it would be all Palestine. More naturally by the sea one understands the Dead Sea; and if further one reads “Travelers” as Abarim, then we would receive here an indication of the mountainous region of Abarim with the mountain so dear to the Jews, Nebo (Deut 32:49), lying indeed to the east of the Dead Sea; but that was a mountainous region, not a valley (ge), which is required here. Therefore it is most probable that by the sea one understands with the Targum the Sea of Galilee, and the valley (LXX: πολυανδρίον, Slavonic “multitude-burial,” according to Blessed Jerome a large cemetery) of travelers (otherwise: strangers, caravans) to seek in that part of the adjoining Transjordan, where are located the graves-dolmens, bearing the aforesaid name Qubur-beni-Isra’il. This identification gains still greater strength from the circumstance that it was precisely in these places that most of the Scythians settled, with which there are some grounds to compare Gog, so that around this lake itself a whole city, ancient Bethshan, was renamed Scythopolis. This locality is suitable for Gog’s burial also in that it lies outside the sacred land of the future (which according to chapters XLVII and XLVIII extends only to the Jordan), so that the grave of Gog would not at all defile the sacred land, of which the prophet is so concerned here. The LXX have: “multitude-burial (see above) of those coming on the east of the sea,” i.e., according to Blessed Theodoret: where is buried a multitude of those who attacked the land from the east, i.e., the Assyrians. “And it shall block the travelers.” Prof. Olesnitsky draws attention (cit. work p. 283) to the fact that on the main caravan road of Transjordan, the so-called “royal road,” going from the Sea of Galilee to Damascus, at the place where this road crosses the bridge of the stream er-Rukad, and where this already obstructs the path of passing caravans, we encounter a huge field of dolmen-tombs, stretching for many miles on either side of the road, protruding to the very road and in the literal sense blocking it. Less probable is such an explanation: “to block” Hebrew hosemeth is used in Deut 25:4 of preventing a threshing ox from using grain, i.e., of muzzling him; on this basis the word is here given the meaning of stopping the breath and nose; the valley will cause travelers to stop their breath from the stench. The LXX, reading somewhat differently, have: “and they will block the entrance to the ravine,” i.e., “in order to make this valley more like a tomb and separate it from the sacred land” (Hitzig). – “The Valley of Hamon-gog” the LXX: “multitude-burial” (a large cemetery) πολυανδρίον of Gog; Hebrew gey-hamon-Gog. In Latin, the multitude could be transmitted “legio” (Hengstenberg); but more precisely it is transmitted as Russian “horde” (Olesnitsky, ibid.).

Ezekiel 39:12. “For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land.” A corpse defiles (Ezek 44:25), much more the corpse of an unclean heathen. The sole purpose of this burial thus is the cleansing of the land. And the latter is necessary for the possibility of performing on the future sacred land a godly worship and the preservation of God’s blessing upon it. Here again appears the number “7”: v. 9, but already months, not years: 7 months of burial indicates a sufficiently horrible quantity of corpses.

Ezekiel 39:13. All the people of the land will bury them, and it will bring them renown on the day when I show my glory, says the Lord God. The work of burying the corpses, more precisely – their removal from the earth’s surface – is entrusted, of course, not to priests, whom the law carefully preserves from the defilement obtained in this way (Ezek 44:25), but to the “common people” (“the people of the land” – see explanation of Ezek 7:27) of the theocratic state of the end times. The people will have to engage in this work. Since the people accomplish by this the cleansing of the sacred land (see explanation of the preceding verse), the work will constitute a means of glorification for its performers (“and it will bring them renown on the day,” Slavonic “and it will be memorable for them”); it will make the people partakers in the glory of the victory over Gog, which will be the work properly only of God himself.

Ezekiel 39:14. They will set apart men regularly employed to pass through the land and, with the help of those who pass by, to bury any travelers’ bones remaining on the surface of the ground, so as to cleanse it; at the end of seven months they will make their search. And “all the people of the land” even in 7 months will not be able to manage such an enormous task (so many will have fallen). Therefore it is necessary to appoint (literally “separate”) a kind of special “commission” (Kretschmar; anoshei tamid, “men constantly”) for the final cleansing of the land from all dead remains of unclean heathen. – “With the help of those who pass by” – not those mentioned in v. 11, but those of whom there will be speech in v. 15 under the name “those passing through the land,” i.e., men specially appointed to search for corpses and bones; wherefore one should translate not “those who pass by,” but “those passing through,” “searchers,” “scouts.” The LXX do not read this at all.

Ezekiel 39:15. When any of those who pass through the land see a human bone, they shall set up a sign by it till the burriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon-gog. And after 7 months – matters, if not with the corpses of enemies, then already with dried-up skeletons (“bones”) of them, will be so abundant that the work will have to be divided among people, who would only search for bones, and such who would bury, inter them. This is because it is necessary to remove all unclean remains from the land, striving, lest somewhere a hidden bone defile the sacred land, as leavened bread during Passover defiles a house. “Sign” – translated according to the LXX (“sign”) and the Vulgate (titulus), the later Hebrew tziun, found also in 2 Sam 23:17; Jer 31:21. “Now in the deserts of Syria and Arabia, where sand covers road paths, small road-indicating piles of stones are heaped,” probably in ancient Palestine special constructions of stones “marked suspicious places requiring attention and care” (Olesnitsky A. A. cit. work 109); – in the present case the indicative stone could warn of possible defilement. – “In the Valley of Hamon-gog” – see explanation of v. 11.

Ezekiel 39:16. And the name of the city shall be Hamona [a multitude]. So they shall cleanse the land. From the place of burying the army of Gog, a city in that location or rather neighboring it will be named (cf. Isa 19:18). “Hamona” from Hebrew hamon, multitude (“legion” see explanation of v. 11) with the addition of a feminine ending. It is possible that under the influence of this passage of Ezekiel, Bethshan (to the west, indeed, of the Jordan, not to the east, as would be needed here based on v. 11) was called Scythopolis in memory of a Scythian attack in the 7th century B.C. LXX: “a burial place of many corpses” (a free translation). Thanks to the combination of all unclean remains in one Hamona, the entire holy land of the future will become pure.

Ezekiel 39:17. And you, son of man, thus says the Lord God, tell every kind of bird and all the beasts of the field: gather and come, from all sides assemble to My sacrifice, which I will slay for you, to the great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel; and you will eat flesh and drink blood. The magnitude of the catastrophe is depicted now in a different image—in the picture of corpses being devoured by birds of prey and beasts. Such devouring, of course, may occur before the burial described earlier and the removal from the holy land, which would require considerable time. This eating of corpses by animals is presented in the form of a sacrificial feast (“My sacrifice”), because originally in ancient times each sacrifice was accompanied by a feast from its remains (1 Sam 9:13; 2 Sam 6:19; Nehem 8:10), by which the closest union between the one making the sacrifice and the Godhead was expressed. To this feast Jehovah himself, as his guests (collaborators in the work of destroying enemies), summons the birds and beasts, now summoning them through the prophet: so this is undoubtedly still a rather distant event. The sacrifice with its feast will take place in the mountainous land of Israel, “upon the mountains of Israel,” as in ancient times sacrifices were offered especially on mountains (“high places”). Perhaps in memory of ancient sacrificial customs is also the invitation to “drink blood” of the sacrifice (not only to eat its meat), as the Godhead was represented as tasting the blood of the sacrifice through its necessary shedding upon the earth or stone. The image of a sacrificial feast with such significance is beloved and frequent in the Old Testament: Ezek 21:15; Isa 34:6; Zeph 1:7; Jer 12:9; Cf. Mark 9:44; Rev 19:17 and so on.

Ezekiel 39:18. The flesh of mighty men you shall eat, and you shall drink the blood of princes of the earth, of rams, lambs, goats, and bulls, all fattened on Bashan; The bloody feast appears all the more honorable and pleasant because, besides common people, the great and princes (kings) will be slain for it. All kinds of sacrificial animals are enumerated to depict the various classes of society from which Gog’s army consisted. “Rams” are placed apart from lambs and in the first place, as leaders of the flock. The LXX do not mention sheep twice, but bulls three times: “rams and bulls and goats and bulls” (in Greek both times μοσχοι). “Fattened on Bashan”—see explanation Ezek 27:6—rich and mighty. The LXX do not read Bashan.

Ezekiel 39:19. and you shall eat fat to satiety and drink blood to drunkenness from My sacrifice, which I will slay for you. The luxury of the feast, which here equals its horror, is depicted with special force by the fact that the guests will be drunk from blood. That at sacrificial feasts people came to excess is witnessed by 1 Sam 1:13; Isa 28:8.

Ezekiel 39:20. And you shall be satisfied at My table with horses and riders, mighty men and all the men of war, says the Lord God. The mountains filled with the corpses of the defeated army are represented as a banqueting table. The prophet, as it were, cannot part with the image, introducing final additions to it here.

Ezekiel 39:21. And I will set My glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid upon them. “Among the nations”—is more in accord with the context than “in you” of the LXX. “All the nations”—In the person of Gog, judgment (and destruction) was carried out upon all heathen nations, since he is their representative. “My hand, which I have laid”—destruction.

Ezekiel 39:22. And the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God, from this day forward. “And shall know,” thanks to the intercession on its behalf.

Ezekiel 39:23. And the nations shall know that the house of Israel was taken into captivity for their iniquity; because they dealt faithlessly with Me, therefore I hid My face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword. “For their iniquity,” not due to the weakness of Jehovah to deliver Israel from enemies. “I hid My face from them.” Deut 31:18.

Ezekiel 39:24. According to their uncleanness and their transgressions I did this to them, and I hid My face from them. “Uncleanness” and “transgressions” probably, as everywhere in Ezekiel, represent two kinds of sins: religious (idolatry) and moral; see explanation Ezek 36:17 and others.

Ezekiel 39:25. Therefore thus says the Lord God: now I will restore the captivity of Jacob, and will have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be zealous for My holy name. The significance of Gog’s defeat for Israel is described, which speech returns to the main subject of this part of the book—the restoration of Israel and makes the transition to chapters XL-XLVIII. “Will be zealous for My holy name”—see explanation Ezek 36:21.

Ezekiel 39:26. And they shall bear their shame and all the transgressions which they have committed against Me, when they dwell in their land in security, and no one makes them afraid, See explanation Ezek 16:63.

Ezekiel 39:27. when I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from the lands of their enemies, and have shown My holiness in them before the eyes of many nations. Israel, like the heathen, could doubt the power of Jehovah in view of its captivity and dispersion: the return from this captivity will finally restore in Israel a correct and firm understanding of God, the honor (holiness) of His name.

Ezekiel 39:28. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, when, after scattering them among the nations, I gather them again into their own land and leave none of them there anymore; “The trials of Israel, as also the benefits received by it from God, will raise its thought to God and will show it that everything happening to it occurs according to God’s will” (Thr.). “After scattering them among the nations.” LXX: “when I appear to them among the nations.” “And leave none of them there anymore.” “After the fall of Babylon all Israelites could return to their country, and those who voluntarily remained in exile had, at least in Canaan, their fatherland, and in the temple of Jerusalem a place for their worship” (Heng.).

Ezekiel 39:29. and I will not hide My face from them anymore, for I will pour out My Spirit upon the house of Israel, says the Lord God. Through the influence of God’s Spirit upon Israel, the latter will gain the ability to live in strict accordance with God’s will (Ezek 11:19-20), sin will have no more place, so God will not need to turn His angry face away from Israel. Thus this verse is a good transition to chapters XL-XLVIII, which lay out precisely those demands of God’s will in which Israel will walk in the theocracy of the end of times and which will make it inviolably blessed. “For I will pour out My Spirit.” LXX: “for I poured out My wrath”—apparently should be according to Lam 4:22; Isa 40:2, but against the context.

Chapter Forty

Chapter 40–48 The new temple worship and sacred land

The most complex and enigmatic vision of the prophet is described. It was, as it were, Ezekiel’s farewell, his last great word, a final revelation to him that was so mysterious that it, like his first revelation, could be communicated to him only in symbolic images, not fully translatable into plain language of human concepts. In this vision the prophet was shown a certain mysterious temple of Israel’s glorious future, and it was shown in the finest details and yet still not in all the particulars of its structure (chs. XL-XLIII); the worship (cult) of this temple was shown in similar detail (chs. XLIV-XLVI), that is, the relationship of the people to it; and then the relationship of the sacred land to this temple, for which it determines its fertility and serves as the foundation and starting point for its division among the tribes of Israel (chs. XLVII-XLVIII).

Like the first, the fortieth chapters of Ezekiel constitute an unsolved puzzle for exegetical science (Gregory the Great: “in explaining them you go as if groping in the dark”; Jerome: it is better to say nothing here than to say little), although, as with the first chapter, there have been no lack of attempts to indicate the idea of these chapters. All attempts at explaining them can be reduced to the following categories.

The most natural understanding of these chapters would seem to be that the prophet in them gives positive prescriptions to the people about to return to Palestine from Babylon regarding the temple, its structure, and useful additions to the plan of Solomon’s temple, regarding the worship and the division of the land among the tribes. This is how rationalistic exegesis understands these chapters, and it also sees in them the first attempt at codification of Hebrew worship, which preceded, at least some parts of the Mosaic law; namely, Ezekiel’s worship by the degree of its development occupies the middle ground between Deuteronomy and the so-called Priestly Code (part of the book of Leviticus), and therefore is later than the first and earlier than the second (Smend, Kraetzschmar, and others; old rationalists considered Ezekiel the author of the Priestly Code). Without touching here on that part of this opinion which assails the integrity and authenticity of the Mosaic law and therefore is unacceptable for the Orthodox interpreter (the disagreement of this section with the Mosaic law, as well as the general relationship to the latter, receive, as we shall see in the interpretation of the chapters, a satisfactory explanation without such an assumption), and the basic idea of such a view of this section of Ezekiel cannot be accepted. First of all, it was not necessary for the prophet to give such prescriptions in the form of a vision, which always gives a riddle to the reader, whereas the law requires clarity; naturally, it would be to give cult prescriptions simply in the form of a commandment from God, as Moses did. The entire vision breathes such mystery, and literal fulfillment of the prophet’s prescriptions would have encountered such obstacles (for example, the division of the land is prescribed in straight lines, in regular and equal portions, without regard to the physical conditions of the locality), that among the Jews returning from captivity there arose no thought, in building the temple and restoring worship in it, to follow Ezekiel in anything. In the book of Ezra it is directly noted that after the construction of the altar by those returning from captivity, sacrifices were offered upon it as prescribed by the law of Moses (Ezra 3:2), consequently, not by the vision of Ezekiel.

Little changes if we see in this section of the book of Ezekiel not legislation but only prophecies relating to the post-captivity Israel. Since for some of these prophecies (especially in chapter XLVII) one cannot point to fulfillment in this period, such incomplete fulfillment of them is explained (Gautier, la mission du proph. Ezechiel, Laus. 1891) by the fact that Israel proved unworthy of the fulfillment of these bright prophecies in their entirety, and therefore part of them was annulled by God. But this prophecy is not conditional (like the prophecy of Jonah about the destruction of Nineveh) so that it could be annulled. Not only chapter XLVII, but the greater part of this vision was not fulfilled in post-captivity Israel.

Close to this is such a theory: chapters XL-XLVIII of Ezekiel—an outlined ideal of the future in which Ezekiel was not concerned whether it would be fulfilled in full and whether it would be fulfilled at all, only that it answer his prophetic suppositions. The prophet could settle the requirement that this ideal become reality through the hope in Jehovah, for whom nothing is impossible, that He will fulfill this ideal in all its parts. If reality remained behind the image, then the idea was insufficiently realized; but the blame lies with reality, not with the idea, and Ezekiel is not responsible for this (Hitzig 340).

It remains, as apparently the majority of Christian commentators do, to apply this complex vision to the Church of Christ, holding that it is she, with all her internal organization, sacraments, and mixed composition, that is represented under the image of the magnificent temple of God, her worship, not entirely identical with that of Moses, and finally, the central position of this temple among the 12 tribes of Israel. But with this understanding, almost all the numerous details of the vision (precise measurement of the temple, details in the structure of the gates, side chambers, and so on) find no application or symbolic explanation, or else receive a very distant and arbitrary explanation; for example, Ezek 46:9 is explained in such a way that from the church people leave in a different (better) way than they entered by Phil 3:13: “forgetting what is behind, reaching forward to what lies ahead” (Hengstenberg). Moreover, the vision then would have very little to do with Israel, which as a whole, as a people, did not enter the Church of Christ. Meanwhile, the prophet Ezekiel, in contrast to Isaiah and other prophets who spoke also of the calling of the heathen, was occupied almost exclusively with Israel alone and its fate.

It is safest, apparently, and most easily for the exegete, to refer the vision to the very last times of the world. Then it would not require explanation at all, because such explanation would be entirely impossible. Jewish rabbis think that the worship given in the vision will be realized after the first resurrection. In the vision there are features clearly indicating its eschatological character: already the war of Gog—a prophecy that is difficult to apply to anything else and earlier than the last fierce struggle of evil against good (the appearance of the antichrist), and the present vision describes, apparently, if not explicitly, the times following this war. Then, some particulars in the vision, apparently, can be applied only to the new, not the present earth; such, for example, the whole chapter XLVII. And in general, the eschatological element permeates the entire book of Ezekiel, breaks through, as we have seen, all his prophecies; strengthening toward the end of the book, it should occupy the predominant, if not exclusive, position in its last chapters. But this understanding too is not impregnable. The last times of the world are as incomprehensible a mystery for man as his afterlife, and Scripture communicates as little on the first subject as on the second, for the reason that it is impossible to communicate anything to man about these subjects, for which we need not our present forms of thought. Therefore, if all this large part of the book of Ezekiel spoke only of another world, it would be just as useless for us and would have no greater significance than the detailed depictions of the end of the world with which ancient apocrypha are filled. As everywhere in Scripture—on this unattainable for us subject in the last chapters of Ezekiel one can expect only some indications, hints. All the remaining content of these chapters must have a subject more accessible to our understanding.

All the enumerated explanations of Ezekiel’s last vision sin in that they seek in it prophetic indications of a definite time and predictions of definite, concrete events. Meanwhile, the prophet himself repeatedly directly warns against such an understanding of his vision: Ezek 40:4, and especially Ezek 43:10-11: “declare to the house of Israel concerning this house, so that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them take the measure of the house… so they may observe and do all its specifications and all its statutes.” Consequently, the vision has, first of all, an ethical character. But in establishing the meaning and significance of all the images of the vision, one must bear in mind that ancient man did not make such a distinction between a thing and its image, symbol of it, as we do, and sought for an idea always such symbols that would cover it entirely. Under the image of his mysterious temple and the worship in it, the prophet Ezekiel could present only something that, while not material and physical, nevertheless would wholly coincide with them, would be one with them. In giving Moses various prescriptions about different aspects of ritual worship, God repeatedly remarks that these prescriptions are eternal, are to be observed eternally (Lev 3:17 and others). Jesus Christ said of the Mosaic law that it will remain until heaven and earth pass away (Matt 5:18 and parallels). Consequently, in the Old Testament temple and its worship there was something eternal, imperishable, not perished even now, when externally and materially this worship is not performed and the tabernacle or temple does not exist. This eternal and imperishable element can be only the spiritual essence of worship and the temple, and this essence, upon the destruction of its visible outer form, could persist only in the spiritual world of humanity, in its souls and hearts. One cannot deny that the Old Testament temple and worship were the chief factor in the spiritual education of Israel, that they made it such, gave it that high, truly pleasing to God character and direction in world history by which 1) Christ could come only from this people, and 2) by the example of this people God demanded the formation of all humanity for His kingdom. Thus, the Old Testament temple and worship, not existing externally any longer, continue to exist in the spiritual traces they left in Israel and humanity. And is it necessary to say that such existence of this worship may be far more full and perfect than its former material existence? This latter was necessary only until the spiritual essence of the worship had so penetrated Israel that its external form, obscuring its true essence, became unnecessary. This is the eternal spiritual essence of Old Testament worship in its full and more perfect existence than it had before, before the Babylonian captivity, that Ezekiel contemplates in his last vision. Such full and complete, so to say, longed-for existence for Old Testament worship began precisely after the captivity, or more correctly from the captivity of Babylon, which is why it was easier for the prophet to contemplate it. Even after the captivity, there was no need for the visible presence of God in His temple under images so incommensurate with His greatness, such as, for example, the ark of the covenant and the cloud of glory (the Shekinah), because His dwelling in souls, in the heart and consciousness of Israel became so intense, as the pre-captivity period could not even imagine. Already among the captives of the first years of captivity, there could be only speech of secret and timid “lifting of eyes to the idols of the house of Israel” (Ezek 18:6), of lightly “admitting idols into the heart” (Ezek 14:3-4); after the captivity, the nation as a whole appears as a martyr for faith. If we seek the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s vision in the souls and hearts of post-captivity Israel, then one cannot but marvel at the dimensions and degree to which, noticeably for us, and with our lack of information about this period of sacred history, the prophecy was fulfilled—just as one cannot fail to see how vividly, concretely, and close to reality the prophet’s prediction is expressed. God for post-captivity Israel truly became what the prophet wanted in his vision—sharply separated from the external world, nature (world forces) by a high and thick wall, infinitely raised above the world into an inaccessible region, and at the same time and despite this, apparently, so alienating him from humanity, separation from the world (courts of the temple, complex gates into it). He and His temple, His worship became the true center of the nation’s life, the nation’s mind and feeling, and all this directly beneficially affected all areas of the nation’s life, not excepting the purely physical, material. One cannot deny that all this became from henceforth a firm and indestructible spiritual possession of Israel, and to this day determines the historical immortality of this people, preserves its national life from all the vicissitudes of fate, and is in it a pledge of that salvation of the whole of it that the Apostle Paul promised to it. The prophet Ezekiel is more of a nationalist than other prophets, especially Isaiah: unlike Isaiah, he is not concerned with the spiritual fate of the heathen, whom he regarded only from the perspective of their negative relationship to Israel. Therefore it is natural to seek in his last vision only a speech about Israel in the narrow sense, and not about the “church of those from the nations.” It will be said that if one can discern in the last chapters of the prophet Ezekiel such or some other single idea, it is completely lost and obscured by innumerable particulars and details, the extreme complexity of the vision. But one needs to read carefully and with proper understanding of all these particulars and their place in the vision’s system these chapters of the prophet to convince oneself how in every cornice of this enigmatic temple and in every ritual peculiarity of its worship shines one idea: what God will be for future Israel and how unchangeably firm and new will be the nation’s relationship to Him. It was difficult to give such an abstract idea such a commensurate and at the same time so tangible expression. God for man is most vividly felt, most closely known, and most readily understood in the temple and worship; apart from them He becomes too elusive a magnitude for the average man, for the masses.

Gates and courts of the temple

Ezekiel 40:1. In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was smitten, on that same day the hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me there. “In the twenty-fifth year”—573 B.C. Apart from the addition Ezek 29:17-21, this is the last revelation to the prophet. “At the beginning of the year,” that is, in the month of Nisan, as the LXX understood it, replacing the expression “the first month”; see explanation Ezek 1:4, and not in the month of Tishri, as some modern commentators think on this passage and on Lev 25:9; Num 29:1, basing their opinion on the existence among the Hebrews, besides the ecclesiastical year, beginning with Nisan—March, of a civil year beginning with Tishri—September, this latter they consider the most ancient, and the ecclesiastical—introduced under Babylonian influence. “On the tenth day.” A significant day, for on this day the Passover lamb was chosen; on this day the Hebrews crossed the Jordan. “In the fourteenth year after the destruction of Jerusalem,” a date keeping in view the content of the vision. “On that same day”—perhaps an indication of the significance of the day. “The hand of the Lord was upon me”—see explanation Ezek 1:3. “And He brought me there”—to Jerusalem, as in Ezek 8:3; cf. Ezek 37:1.

Ezekiel 40:2. In the visions of God He brought me into the land of Israel and set me upon a very high mountain, and on it, on the south side, were structures like the buildings of a city; “The land of Israel.” So Judea is named because of the future unification of Ephraim and Judah. “Upon a very high mountain.” So also Isa 2:2; Mic 4:1; Ezek 17:22 called Zion, not for its natural height but for its future significance on earth; here, as in the subsequent prophets (Dan 2:35; Zech 14:10: cf. Rev 21:10), this mystical significance of Zion is even more emphasized, so that by it a mountain is scarcely even understood; hence the absence of its name here, where it would be more necessary than in parallel prophecies. “On the south side”—literally “to the south,” that is, to the south for the prophet who came from the north of Babylon (cf. Ezek 20:46): the temple, which, as we shall see, is now in question, by contrast the idealized Ezekiel’s temple occupied not the south alone but the whole mountain (Ezek 43:12). The LXX read instead of negev, south, gewed, straight, perhaps because the prophet is first shown at the eastern gates (v. 6). It is possible that the south is taken simply as the symbolic direction of light and warmth (see explanation Ezek 1:4: “from the north”). “As it were city buildings.” As is evident from v. 3, the buildings of the temple appeared this way with its wide double wall, six gates, and numerous structures. The city itself (idealized, like the temple) was at a distance of more than several miles from the temple mount: Ezek 45:1 and following Ezek 48:8 and following.

Ezekiel 40:3. and He brought me there. And behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of burnished bronze, and a linen cord was in his hand, and a measuring rod was in his hand, and he stood by the gate. “A man.” On the basis of Ezek 44:2, where this same “man” is apparently called the Lord (Jehovah), and since he addresses the prophet as God does throughout his book: “son of man,” some think that this was the “Angel of the covenant,” the Son of God, who as architect shows the prophet the glory of his future construction. But it is possible that here is meant a simple Angel as in Ezek 9:2; cf. Ezek 43:6. And he shines only as the cherubim, not as the Lord: “whose appearance was like the appearance of burnished bronze”—a sign of spiritual strength, militancy, combined with brightness; see explanation Ezek 1:7; the radiance is not as bright as Ezek 1:27. “Burnished” is not in the Hebrew and is added in the Russian by the LXX: “like the appearance of bronze shining,” στιλβοντος; it is thought that the LXX read in their manuscript here kalal Ezek 1:7. “A linen cord”—for large measurements, such as, for example, in Ezek 47:3 (but Ezek 42:16 and following). The LXX freely: “a builder’s cord” (a plumb line?); Zech 2:1; Rev 21:15. “And he stood by the gate,” perhaps the northern one, because the prophet sees the structures of the temple from the south (v. 3) and was brought to the temple from the north, from Chaldea; but without further specification, the eastern gates could most likely be meant, as the main ones: then in v. 6 the angel approaches them more closely.

Ezekiel 40:4. And he said to me: “Son of man! Look with your eyes, and listen with your ears, and pay attention with your heart to all that I will show you; for you have been brought here in order that I might show you this; declare to the house of Israel all that you see.” An invitation to attention, so solemn, threefold, attention not only external (hearing is more internal), but also deep, spiritual (“and pay attention with your heart”) testifies both to the extraordinary importance of the forthcoming revelation and to the mystical (and not literal) meaning of the vision. “Son of man.” Only God addresses the prophet this way throughout his book. “Been brought here.” The place of the vision again (v. 2, 3) is not named directly, but with mysterious indefiniteness. “Declare”—as the prophet and in his capacity.

Ezekiel 40:5. And behold, a wall surrounded the house on the outside; and in the man’s hand was a measuring rod of six cubits, each cubit being a cubit and a hand’s breadth; and he measured the thickness of the wall—one rod, and the height—one rod. The survey of the temple naturally begins with its external, “outside the house,” circular (“on all sides”) wall (Hebrew homa, LXX περιβολος, “enclosure”) and returns to it at the conclusion: Ezek 42:20. Like the temple, the wall is described only in terms of its size, with its length indicated at the conclusion of the temple description (Ezek 42:20), and here only its height and thickness. Both were equal, thanks to which the wall must have seemed very thick and large (therefore, and also for the complexity of its gates, the prophet calls it again “a structure,” binyan, LXX “a facing”), that is, firmly and distinctly separating the sacred area of the temple from the worldly, not hiding the former from the latter. The width and thickness of the wall were equal, as was natural for this first measurement in the mysterious temple, to only one unit of the measure adopted here—a rod; a rod, a stick, was probably used everywhere at that time for such purposes, therefore, also in Assyrian, the measure—kanu; Hebrew kame, rod. Before the measurement, the prophet determines this unit of measure. It contained six cubits, but not ordinary cubits—six hand-breadths—but cubits of large, full size, probably ancient (2 Chr 3:3)—containing, besides the cubit itself (the part of the arm from elbow to hand) also a hand or palm (reckoned at four finger-widths: Jer 52:21), consequently, cubits of seven hand-breadths. So also in the Greek: εν πηχει και παλαιστη; but in Slavic: “in an arm of six palms.” In Egypt and Babylon there was also a large, full cubit (“royal” in Egypt) and a smaller, apparently gradually displacing the large; the large in Egypt was 52.5 cm., in Babylon 55.5, the smaller—49.5 and 45 (Bertholet. Kretch.). Ezekiel’s was of approximately such size, consequently, was somewhat more than half a meter, and the rod about 3 1/3 meters. A wall of such height and thickness resembled a long single-story city building. But inside, from the temple court, it must have been lower by the height of the stairway at the gates (v. 6).

Ezekiel 40:6. Then he came to the gate facing east, and went up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate—one rod wide; and the other threshold—one rod wide. “Then he came”—the man—the angel of v. 3, and the prophet could remain standing where he was, from where he could see the angel and all his actions. If the angel in v. 3 already stood near the eastern gates, rather than the northern (which is possible—see explanation of v. 3), then here he approaches them more closely for measurement. “To the gate” in the outer wall of the temple, leading to the temple court. “Facing east.” Besides these there were also northern and southern gates; all three were completely identical in structure and size; therefore, the eastern gates are described in detail, as the main and holiest, through which Jehovah enters (Ezek 43:4). “And went up” for measurement. “Its steps,” which, as is evident from what follows, were constructed not in the wall but outside it, did not enter into its line. The temple court is assumed to be, as in Solomon’s temple, on a terrace of the mountain. From v. 22 and 26 it is evident that there were seven of these steps, which the LXX put here as well: “and he went to the gate facing east by seven steps” (instead of “he went up,” vayaal, they read sheva, “seven”). “And measured the threshold of the gate—one rod wide.” The entire thickness of the wall, equal to a rod—that is, six cubits—was pierced cross-wise by the gates, the threshold of which (see plan 1:A) therefore had to be wide the same as this rod, that is, six cubits—see plan 1, a-b. A threshold wide for such a gate and speaking of the holiness of the place to which the gates led. “And the other threshold—one rod wide.” A literal repetition of the preceding phrase, casting doubt on the authenticity (dittography); if the text is true, then the opposite side of the gate structure may be meant (c-d), about which the speech in v. 7 (but the speech about it here is premature and therefore unclear) or the so-called “upper threshold” by the Greeks, the upper jamb, the lintel of the doors, ‘ υπερθυριον, as distinct from the lower threshold, ‘ υποθυριον, superbus as distinct from inferus (Naevius apud Movius IV, 278. Plant. Mac. V, 1. Rosenmüller.), but specifying the measure for such a threshold is unnecessary given its equality with the lower one. The LXX render “threshold” as ailam, which in the LXX is always a transcription of Hebrew ulam “vestibule”—so they call the threshold (Hebrew saf) here, apparently for the large size of this threshold (et-saf somewhat resembles ulam in spelling). Slavic before the speech about the threshold ailam has an insertion: “and measure all, six on this side, six on that side”; “all”—transcription of Hebrew ta, side chamber; about these rooms in the Hebrew text speech only in v. 7, and according to the LXX, only three are counted on each side of the gates, not six as here, therefore, Slavic allows some small chambers in the outer vestibule of the gates.

Ezekiel 40:7. And each side chamber was one rod long and one rod wide, and between the chambers were five cubits; and the threshold of the gate at the vestibule of the gate, facing inward, was one rod. Side chamber, Hebrew ta, LXX transcription θεε, Slavic “fee”—a word occurring, besides Ezekiel, only in 1 Sam 14:28, 2 Chr 12:11, where it means some kind of room in a palace for bodyguards (consonant with Assyrian tu, oath). There were, as v. 10 shows, six such chambers in the gate building—three on each side of the gateway or corridor (hence the Hebrew singular in Russian is rightly translated distributively). On plan 1–6B. These were thus niche-shaped chambers, probably serving as quarters for the temple guard—the Levites (Ezek 44:11)—to watch those entering the temple, to maintain order among them, and to bar unlawful visitors; perhaps for this purpose they had projections in front of them (v. 12); they were equipped with doors and windows (v. 13 and 16). The article before the word shows that they were very familiar to the prophet’s readers and probably existed in the first temple (2 Sam 11). The chambers were square, six by six cubits (“one rod long and one rod wide”). Chambers of one row were at a distance of five cubits from each other (4C) and two parallel rows of them ended with a new threshold (D) of the gate (a sign of twofold holiness of the House of God) the same width as the first. This threshold (the second—D) led to a special structure (was located “at” it “facing inward”—mebabayit, that is, in the direction of the exiting temple house) the vestibule (ulam, see explanation Ezek 8:16) of the gate—that is, to the portico (E) described further in v. 9. So complex is the entrance to the House of God! The LXX, apparently to make clearer the actually unclear, without v. 10, Hebrew text, give a paraphrase of this verse; namely, they replace the singular “chamber,” with a distributive meaning, with a detailed enumeration of the side chambers: “and fee equal to a rod in length and equal to a rod in width and ailam” (LXX’s addition: the space between chambers is rightly represented as a pilaster (4C), separating the chambers—which in Hebrew would be ail, truly a ram, a pilaster, molding, cf. Ezek 41:3) “among fee” (plural of ta, fee with a feminine ending instead of masculine tei—as in v. 10) “six (Hebrew 5; LXX—6 to correspond with the width of fee) cubits; and fee the second equal to a rod in width, and equal to a rod in length, and ailam (Greek αιλαμ the same as before) five (already Hebrew) cubits; and fee the third equal to a rod in length and equal to a rod in width.” Thus the entire first (right or left) row of side chambers is described.

Ezekiel 40:8. And he measured the vestibule of the gate, facing inward—one rod. Not read in the LXX and in all ancient translations except the Targum, which is why all the moderns recognize it as a dittography of the last words of v. 7. It may indicate the width of the portico E (ulam, or “vestibule of the gate” of v. 9), which is indeed not indicated in the description of this portico and may indicate its length (eight cubits) in v. 9. If so, then the width of this portico was equal to the width of each of the two thresholds, consequently, it was like a third and last threshold to the outer court of the temple (the holiness of the latter is thereby further marked).

Ezekiel 40:9. Then he measured the vestibule of the gate—eight cubits; and the gate posts—two cubits. And the vestibule of the gate was at the inner side. “Eight cubits.” If v. 8 indicates the width of the ulam, “vestibule of the gate,” portico E, then here is another measurement—its length; if not, then its width. In any case, this was already a proper hall, a room, not a square guardhouse only, as the ta or fee. Finely decorated (Ezek 41:26) with two massive columns, about which we now speak, these gate chambers probably served for assemblies like that described in Ezek 11:1 and following, and for sacrificial meals (Ezek 44:3). At the entrance already into the very temple court, although the court was still outer (so holy was it too), these chambers, which all three outer gates of the temple had in this same place, appeared as a vestibule of the temple, making one feel the proximity and thereby preparing one for entry into the temple. LXX: “and the vestibule of the gate (πυλωνος—a portal) which near the vestibule of the door (that is, the pilaster separating from the first the last fee) eight cubits.” “And the gate posts—two cubits.” These posts could stand only at the western, already leading to the temple court, exit of the portico, and their width, undoubtedly equal to their length—that is, the thickness equal to the thickness of the wall of the portico and the entire gate structure. Such posts were also in the inner gates (v. 26, 31) and in the temple itself (Ezek 41:3) and should have had the same symbolic significance as the well-known Jachin and Boaz in Solomon’s temple (see explanation 1 Sam 7:21). LXX: “ail-ev” transcription of Hebrew ailav—ail, post (see explanation of v. 7) in the plural with the pronoun “his.” “And the vestibule of the gate was at the inner side,” that is, it was located not at the outer part of the gate, but at the inner, from the side of the temple itself (more precisely—its outer court). An important remark in view of the fact that in the inner gates it was the opposite; see v. 36, 30. Hitzig points out that the length of the “vestibule of the gate” equals 1/5 of the length of the entire gate building (40 cubits), as the length of the temple vestibule (12 cubits) equals 1/5 of the length of the temple (62 cubits).

Ezekiel 40:10. The side chambers of the gate facing east: three on this side and three on that side; the three were of the same size, and the posts on this side and that side were of the same size. The number and arrangement of the measured side chambers, fee (B, B…), and the pilasters dividing them, τα αιλαμ of the LXX (C, C…), are indicated. The chambers were arranged one opposite the other and form two parallel rows, three in each. In the beginning of the verse, instead of the Hebrew “gate facing east,” the LXX read: “fee of the gate opposite fee”; indeed, chambers were in all, not in the eastern gates alone.

Ezekiel 40:11. And he measured the width of the opening of the gate—ten cubits; and the length of the gate—thirteen cubits. “Width of the opening of the gate,” that is, a-h. “And the length of the gate—thirteen cubits.” By the length of the gate cannot here be meant the length of the entire gate structure (with thresholds, passage, and portico), because it was not 13 but 50 cubits according to v. 15. Consequently, one should read this place according to the LXX: “and the width of the gate—thirteen cubits.” With the width of the opening of the gate it is very natural to compare the general width of the passage or corridor (C-C), which was thus more than the width of the entrance opening by three cubits. The correctness of the LXX reading (instead of orek, length, they read derekh, way) is confirmed by the fact that according to other data of the chapter, the width of this passage should be exactly this: the width of the entire gate structure (with passage and both chambers on the sides) according to v. 13 (in the LXX, it is clearer there) is 25 cubits; excluding from this the two chambers of six cubits each, we get 13 cubits; it is true that behind the chambers was still a wall, an unknown thickness of which should reduce this figure (perhaps even by two cubits); but the passage could be measured not between the front walls of the chambers but between the pilasters—“posts” (v. 10), separating the chambers; the width of the passage here was more than its width between the chambers because the latter had projections. About these projections the following v. 12 speaks, thereby limiting the data of the second half of v. 11.

Ezekiel 40:12. Now the guards’ chambers faced the passage on the one side and on the other side; and the chambers were six cubits on one side and six cubits on the other side. “A projection,” gevul, the chambers had, perhaps for some convenience in observing those entering the temple from the side of the guard stationed in the chambers (cf. about v. 7; perhaps in the eastern and western walls of the projection windows were made for this purpose: v. 16); probably therefore this projection was of considerable size—one cubit for each chamber. LXX according to Vat. and other manuscripts “and one cubit a vaulted projection (επισυναγονενος—apparently an architectural term meaning a convexity, projection) straight before the fee (side chambers) … on this side and that side,” to which other manuscripts make a clarifying insertion before “on this side and that side”: “one cubit and one cubit, a boundary” (that is, in the size of one cubit on each side). “Now the guards’ chambers: on one side, six cubits, and six cubits on the other side.” This repetition of the data of v. 7 is made with the purpose, which the indication of the size of the projections has: to show how the width of the passage of 13 cubits is made up, with the width of the entire gate structure of 25 cubits, which is about to be mentioned in v. 13. Therefore, the unit of measure “rod” of v. 7 is here translated into cubits.

Ezekiel 40:13. And he measured the gate from the roof of the one chamber to the roof of the other chamber, twenty-five cubits wide; entrance was opposite entrance. “From the roof of one chamber to the roof of the other, 25 cubits wide.” Undoubtedly (from what precedes) the speech is about the width of the entire gate structure. But the thought in the Masoretic text is expressed strangely. If, as is evident from v. 14 by the LXX, the entire gate structure was uncovered, then precisely in this way the width of the gates could be designated: the roofs, which stood above the chambers, were the most noticeable boundaries (markers) of the entire structure in its width. Others (Rosenmüller) escape the difficulty created by the Masoretic text by giving the Hebrew gag (roof) the meaning of the edge or end (in Exod 30:3 this word designates the top of the altar), here—the edge, back wall of the chamber. The LXX: “from the wall of fee (that is, the back, toward the temple court) to the wall of fee (the back wall of the opposite chamber) the width of twenty-five cubits.” If the LXX did not assign to gag the meaning proposed by Rosenmüller, then they could read instead of this word such an equally short kir (wall); or they read: migav (from the wall) lenegedo (to the opposite); cf. Ezek 23:35 by the Hebrew text. In any case, the width of the entire gate structure is indicated, from which, based on the preceding data, the thickness of the gate wall can be calculated (not an unimportant knowledge): (25 – (12+10)): 2 = 1.5 cubits; cf. v. 42. “Entrance was opposite entrance.” If in the preceding expression speech was about the back walls of the chambers, that is, about the wall of the entire gate structure (facing the temple court), then here, perhaps, speech is only about the doors in these walls, leading from the latter to the (outer) temple court. If not, then here it is said of the doors in the corridor of the gates.

Ezekiel 40:14. And he made the posts sixty cubits high; and the court gate ran all around the gate. “And he made the posts—60 cubits.” Literally, “And made the posts 60 cubits.” It is unclear, first of all, why everywhere the verb used in these chapters “measured” is replaced here with the verb “made,” when the temple is represented as already completed and only measurement of it is being done. It is thought—because here the height of the posts is indicated, and it could not be measured as everything before this with a rod, but had to be determined in some other, not more precisely indicated way. Then it is unclear what posts are in question: the posts between the chambers (v. 10) or the two posts of the portico (v. 9); rather—the latter, since only they could be of such an inordinate height (the figure 60—never in the entire temple description), serving, as it were, as obelisks of the gate (like Jachin and Boaz in Solomon’s temple). Finally, the exact measurement of the posts is not determined by the figure of 60 cubits; the magnitude of this figure only allows one to suppose here a measurement height. All these ambiguities cast a shadow of doubt on the Masoretic text, especially since the LXX again give here a more natural reading: “and uncovered (αιθριον, a courtyard) of the vestibule of the gate (that is, the portico of v. 9E) sixty (only the Slavonic text counts thus; better: the Alexandrian: 25, Vaticanus: 20) cubits.” The LXX thus give the not yet indicated and not unimportant (given the importance of this section of the gate, see explanation of v. 9) length of the portico E; although this length is indicated so late in comparison with the width of the same part of the gate in v. 9, but it is in place, because from v. 11 everywhere a measurement is given from south to north, as before from east to west; “posts” and “vestibules” are consonant in Hebrew: elim and ulam or elam. “And the court gate ran all around the gate.” A presumptive and free translation of the Hebrew literally: “and the post to the court of the gate (adjoined) round, round,” that is, the post (collective, by which one can mean the posts of v. 9 and 10, or—el instead of elam, vestibule?) extended or adjoined already with the court (this holiness!) beside the gates. The LXX, apparently by conjecture: “and fee of the court round about,” that is, round about to the court the side chambers extended, as in the elam, of which we just spoke. Even better would be the sense if we do not read the word “post,” which in Hebrew is altogether consonant with the preceding preposition el—“to”; then it will be: “and to the court of the gate round about, round about,” that is, the gate structure extends free to the court, opening to it on all sides, and not as the inner gates, which are built around (38, 44) in a sign of greater holiness of the latter (see plan 2).

Ezekiel 40:15. and from the front of the entrance gate to the front of the inner vestibule of the gate, fifty cubits. “To the front of the inner vestibule of the gate”—an imprecise translation of the Hebrew: “to the face (entrance from the court) of the vestibule of the inner gate.” Corresponding to the width of the entire gate structure measured in v. 13, the total length of this structure is here indicated: 50 cubits—twice the width—a proportion maintained in all the structures of this temple, as in the simpler one. This total length could be calculated from the data so far given: 6 cubits of the outer wall, 6 × 3 cubits of the side chambers, 5 × 2 cubits of the pillars between them, 6 cubits of another threshold or a second wall of the gate, 8 + 2 cubits of the portico and its wall (equal to the thickness of the pillars of v. 9). The Masoretic text presents some roughness. “From the front of the entrance of the gate” literally, “to (el) the face of the gate of the outside”; “to” (“at”) instead of “from” may be because the measurer stood at this entrance. The LXX: “and uncovered (αιθριον, see note on v. 14) of the gate from outside (from the outer edge of the vestibule of the gate) to uncovered of the vestibule of the inner gate (to the inner, facing the court, edge of the “vestibule at the gate,” the portico of v. 9) fifty cubits.”

Ezekiel 40:16. And there were recessed windows in the side chambers and in their posts, facing the gate round about, and likewise in the vestibule there were windows round about inside, and on the posts were palm motifs. Now it remains to say how the gate building was lit and what ornaments it had. It was lit by windows which were “recessed.” This word is the presumed translation of the Hebrew atoom, used only in Ezek 41:26 and 1 Sam 6:4, which the LXX here and in Kings render as “hidden” (secret, transom), and in chapter XLI as “recessed,” the Vulgate and Peshitta as well as the rabbis render as obliquae, oblique, Symm. τοξικαι—arrow-shaped (both meanings—expanding inward); Aq. βεβυσμεναι—deaf; all these meanings are confirmed both by 3 Kings, where the windows of Solomon’s temple are named: “recessed, deaf, with slants,” and by the addition “inward.” Windows, thus, resembled embrasures or loopholes, which are often found in Egyptian temples. Windows were arranged not only in the walls of the side chambers but also in the pillars (elim, LXX “ailamev”), separating the chambers, despite all their massiveness (5 cubits, and with the wall 5.5–6). Making windows in so massive a wall was nothing extraordinary for the prophet, because in Solomon’s temple the walls were no thinner, and to restore the broken windows was easier than to make new ones. Such windows were in the vestibule, evidently described in v. 8 and 9; but it is here called not ulam, as there, but elam, as the LXX read this word everywhere, and as the Masoretes punctuate it from here to v. 36 (15 times); here, moreover, the word has a feminine plural ending (therefore the Russian “vestibules”); the plural does not suit here, since the vestibule at the gates was one; therefore this is seen as a mistake (LXX singular) or an ancient singular form. “And on the posts were palm motifs.” Since the word posts had been mentioned before and the word posts here is in the singular, while before in this verse it was in the plural with the pronoun “their,” then by these posts are meant only two main posts at the entrance to the vestibule (e and f)—designated in the singular in a collective sense, as in v. 14. Palms indicate that the dwelling of God in the temple is always flourishing, full of life. Since Palestine is the homeland of the palm, this tree served as a kind of coat of arms of the people and country; it is depicted on the coins of the Maccabees, as well as on the coin of Titus (with the inscription Judaea capta). And the Savior, as if to symbolize His entrance into the temple of the new Jerusalem, made His solemn entry here in the midst of palms (Trochon.). LXX: “and on the ailamev (“elim, consequently they read the plural) phoenix on this side and that side,” but the Hebrew timor means any palm. Solomon’s temple, besides palms, was decorated with other images; cf. Ezek 41:18-19.

Ezekiel 40:17. Then he brought me into the outer court; and behold, there were chambers and a stone pavement made round about the court; thirty chambers faced the pavement. Now the prophet was to be shown the outer court of the temple. Since the prophet had so far stood before the eastern gates, he is now introduced (presumably by these same eastern gates, as in v. 32 he is led out by them) into this court. Who introduces him—the angel or God, as in Ezek 40:3—is not said, perhaps intentionally, because the guidance was internal and the prophet could not determine the guide. This court corresponded not to the first court of Herod’s temple, the court of the Gentiles, but to the following court—the court of women: because in Ezekiel’s temple the Gentiles are not admitted at all; perhaps therefore this court is called “inner” by the LXX. This court was surrounded by chambers, that is, separate small houses (Hebrew lemakot, LXX παστοφορια, small temples, Slavic imprecisely: “a barrier”; see plan 3: Z, Z, Z…), which stood beside the outer wall on a stone pavement (Hebrew ritsefa, still only in 2 Chr 7:3, 2 Sam 16:17, and Esth 1:7, but Greek περιστυλα—a colonnade, Slavic “inter-columniation”; see plan 3: y, y, y), of course, of equal stone slabs, which stretched along the outer wall along the entire length. There were 30 chambers total, but how they were distributed along the walls of the court is not indicated; the most natural distribution would be 10—at each of the three unbuilt walls of the court—eastern, northern, and southern (at the western wall there was a building of special purpose—Ezek 41:12 and following); but the expression “round about” allows one to think that some of the chambers were at the western wall too on the open space of it, some of course fewer, for example, eight at each of the first three walls, six at the last. These chambers could serve as storerooms for keeping certain temple furnishings (hence the name in the Vulgate gazophylacia); but since there were chambers for keeping sacred furnishings and the parts of sacrifices allotted to priests in the inner court (v. 44 and following, Ezek 42:1 and following, Ezek 46:19 and following), these present chambers were probably intended for the people and their sacrificial meals. In Solomon’s and the second temple, notable people owned such chambers at the temple, each one separately (2 Sam 23:11; Jer 35:4; Nehem 13:4 and following; cf. Ezek 8:8 and following). It is not said that these present chambers were several stories high or that they were furnished with galleries (LXX: περιστυλα), which is noted of such chambers in the inner court: Ezek 42:3.

Ezekiel 40:18. And the pavement was beside the gates, extending as far as the gates extended; this was the lower pavement. The pavement (LXX: στοαι, colonnades, the περιστυλα of v. 17, Slavic “porticoes,” apparently meaning the chambers) did not pave the entire outer court, but only the part corresponding to the sides (Slavic likewise: “opposite the back wall”) of the gates, that is, the width of its strip was equal to the length of the gates (50 cubits—minus the thickness of the wall, 6 cubits: v. 5, 6), see plan 3: y, y. This pavement (Greek already περιστυλον, Slavic “inter-columniation”), is called lower (Russian “lower,” Greek ‘ υποκατω, Slavic “lower”), of course, in distinction from the pavement of the inner court, which was higher than the outer court by 8 steps (v. 37); it is true that there is no mention of the pavement of the inner court, but this is probably because, as happened in Solomon’s temple (2 Chr 7:3) and Herod’s temple (epist. Arist.), this court was entirely paved.

Ezekiel 40:19. And he measured the width of the court from the lower gates to the outer edge of the inner gate—one hundred cubits, on the east and on the north. Like the gates, the court must be measured, and measuring it is sufficient only to measure its width, as its length is the size of the temple square; thus the court has one measurement, while the gates have two main measurements and many secondary ones. The width of the court was most simply determined by the distance between the gates, since the prophet stands at them. From the outer gates, called here lower since the outer court was 8 steps lower than the inner—v. 37, to the outer edge of the inner court (it is not said: to the inner gates, because there had been no speech about them yet, cf. v. 23, 27) was a large, round number—100 cubits. The LXX: “from the uncovered (vestibule, threshold) of the outer gates, inward (in the direction) to the uncovered (threshold) of the (opposite, inner) gates facing out (toward the side of their facing the outer court)…” “On the east and on the north.” The meaning of this remark, perhaps, is only that such a width of the court was not only on the measured direction—on the eastern part of it, but also on the northern, as regards the measurement of the gates of which part the prophet intends to proceed immediately. But such a remark would speak of something obvious; therefore better the LXX: “(facing) on the east (a definition of the measured part of the court, represented as 100 cubits?) and he brought me to the north.”

Ezekiel 40:20. He also measured the length and width of the gate of the outer court facing north, Ezekiel 40:21. with its side chambers—three on this side and three on that side—and its posts and its vestibules; they had the same measurement as the first gate: its length was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits. Ezekiel 40:22. Its windows, vestibules, and palm motifs had the same measurements as those of the gate facing east; and there were seven steps leading up to it, and vestibules facing it. The northern gates (and southern: v. 24–26) had the same measurements in general and in all their parts as the eastern ones. Of these parts mentioned in v. 21 are “side chambers” (fee), “posts,” that is, apparently the pilasters—gaps between chambers v. 10 (Hebrew elav of v. 9, but in v. 10, elim, but the difference is only that the second lacks the pronoun “his,” relating to the gates; LXX transcription here ailev of v. 9, and in v. 10, ailamev), the “elam/ev” (Hebrew, Russian); “vestibules” (which would be gevul), that is, apparently (five thresholds A, D, and E; LXX, apparently, considered this a new architectural term: τα ελαμμων, but Slavic “elamy” (vestibules); LXX †”palms, which apparently fell from the following verse). In v. 22, the smaller parts of the gates are indicated: windows, elam/ev (slight difference in spelling from the preceding verse; LXX the preceding verse; apparently a new architectural term not named in the description of the eastern gates, Russian “vestibules”) and palms (see explanation of v. 16). All this had the same measurement as in the eastern gates. But in the description of the latter, the measure of windows and palms is not indicated; therefore, the LXX in v. 22 instead of “the same measurement” read καθως, “as” (that is, instead of kemidat—kemo). Regarding the northern gates, it is indicated how many steps the staircase leading to them from the surrounding space of the temple was, which indication, for some reason, was not made in the description of the eastern gates, where it would, apparently, have been more appropriate. There were symbolically significant number of these steps: 7 (in the inner gates the number was even greater: 8). The stairway to the gates, more precisely—its steps, had in front of it the architectural attachment mentioned also in v. 21, named elam/ev, Greek ελαμμων. Vulgate vestibulum (Russian: “vestibules”); the LXX instead of “in front of it”—“inward.” Perhaps the threshold of v. 7 A is meant here.

Ezekiel 40:23. And the inner court had a gate opposite the north gate; he measured from gate to gate, a hundred cubits. Repeating what was said about the eastern part of the court in v. 19 in application to the northern part, the verse makes here an important addition, indicating that there were also gates in the inner court opposite the outer gates, so that the width of the court could be measured by the distance between both gates (in v. 19 it is measured by the distance from the outer gates to the “edge of the inner court”). Probably, the prophet did not see the inner eastern gates with such clarity as he saw here the northern ones, and in v. 27 the southern ones. “And the eastern”—reading with the LXX: “like the gates facing east.”

Ezekiel 40:24. Then he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate on the south; and he measured its posts and vestibules with the same measurements as the others. “Then he led me”—not “brought me,” as in v. 17, because here a fairly significant distance. The southern gates were in all respects similar to the eastern and northern ones, but the measurement of them is described not as that of the northern ones (a good writer does not like to repeat), but with insignificant deviations. So, first of all, for some reason there is no mention of so important a part of the gates as the side chambers (the LXX put them first, omitting in the Hebrew text: “fee”), and the measurement begins straight with the posts (apparently between the side chambers), after which immediately the mentioned in v. 22 (see there) elam/ev, Greek τα ελαμμων, Slavic “elamy,” Russian “vestibules.”

Ezekiel 40:25. Both the vestibule and the windows had the same measurements as the others: its length was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits. The description of the southern gates is more fragmentary and less systematic than that of the northern ones: not all parts of the structure are named, and the most important ones are chosen. So after the “posts” and “vestibules” of v. 24, windows are mentioned here immediately. And windows are indicated also in the enigmatic elam/ev (is it not a miswriting—elamo, in his vestibule?), which Russian was forced to render not as “vestibules” (as in 21, 22, 24 verses) but as “vestibules,” while the LXX as before, but without the preposition: “and its windows and elamy.” “Such as those of the gate”—Slavic “like the windows of those” (Greek του αιλαμ); the latter word apparently came from Hebrew elleh, those; therefore the note in the Slavic Bible replaces it with “those.” The enumeration of different parts of the southern gates is interrupted in v. 25b by the indication of their total length and width, the same as the eastern (v. 13, 15) and northern (v. 21).

Ezekiel 40:26. Its ascent had seven steps, and its vestibule was before them; and it had palm motifs, one on this side and one on that side, on its posts. Ezek 40 Cf. v. 22b. “Vestibule,” Hebrew elam/ev, LXX elamy; “before them”—LXX “inward,” see v. 22: apparently the vestibule—the portico E (perhaps a miswriting instead of “elamo”—see v. 25), because it is connected with what follows: “And palm motifs—one on this side and one on that side on its posts,” literally, “and palms to it,” lo, that is, to the “elam/ev,” or “gates,” LXX: theirs. The vestibule—portico E was the most important part of the entire gate structure, and if there were only two palms (that is, ornaments) opposite each other, they would better be placed on the pillars of the vestibule at its very exit to the temple court (the holiest part of the gates); but it is possible that the meaning of the expression here is distributive and indicates the symmetrical arrangement of palm ornaments throughout the gate building (see explanation of v. 16 at the end). The symmetrical arrangement of palm ornaments—a new detail communicated by the prophet: in the survey of the northern and southern gates, not one such detail has been added to the picture of the gates already apparently fully drawn from the eastern gates.

Ezekiel 40:27. And there was a gate to the inner court on the south as well; and he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a hundred cubits. Ezek 40:27 Cf. v. 19 (see note) and 23.

Ezekiel 40:28. Then he brought me through the south gate to the inner court; and he measured the south gate with the same measurements as the others. The survey and measurement of the inner court begins with the southern gates, because the prophet is standing at them. To measure these gates, the prophet passes with his guide through their entire length to the very court, as is done later in v. 32 with the eastern gates.

Ezekiel 40:29. Its side chambers, posts, and vestibules had the same measurements, and it had windows round about; its length was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits. The most important parts of the gate building are mentioned: the side chambers (v. 7), the pillars between them (v. 10), and the vestibules (elamim; see explanation of vv. 22, 25, 26) with windows in them (Heb. lo, emu), that is, in the gates and in the vestibules—which should be singular (see explanation of vv. 25 and 26)—and the dimensions of the gates are indicated. All of this in the inner gates corresponded entirely in size to the outer gates.

Ezekiel 40:30. The vestibules were all around twenty-five cubits long, and five cubits wide. This gives information about the vestibules (Heb. elamot, which for some reason is plural), that the vestibule was twenty-five cubits long (compare v. 14 in the Alexandrian codex; see explanation of it), and five cubits wide (from v. 9: ten—see explanation of them). The verse is absent in nearly all LXX manuscripts (even in the Slavonic translation) and in some Hebrew ones; therefore it is considered an erroneous variant of 29b.

Ezekiel 40:31. And the vestibules were toward the outer court, and there were palm trees on their pillars, and eight steps led up to them. Although generally similar to the outer gates, the inner gates had three differences from them: 1) their vestibule, that is, the vestibule of the gate in v. 9 (Russian “vestibules” because the Hebrew elamim is again a word with dual sense; see explanation of vv. 22, 25, 26; the LXX here has ailam in the singular, but with the article in the genitive: of the; Slavonic “elamy”) was “toward the outer court,” consequently it occupied the front part of the gate (see plan 2A), not the back (it stood before the threshold B, while threshold F opened directly onto the inner court), in contrast to the outer gates. Being holier than the outer court, the inner court reminded those entering it of its sanctity by this outer vestibule, which demanded spiritual cleansing at its very threshold. 2) Thus, those pillars with their palm-tree decorations (from this verse more confidently than from the earlier mentions of palms, one can conclude that palms decorated only the two pillars of the vestibule), which completed the outer gate structure, began the inner gate structure. Since the front wall of the vestibule of the gates was the same thickness—two cubits (v. 9)—as these pillars, and since in the inner gates it had to fit into the wall surrounding the inner court and be part of it, this wall was of the same thickness (which is why it is nowhere measured, but only mentioned incidentally in Ezek 42:7). 3) The third difference of the inner gates from the outer was that the stairway leading to them had not seven but eight steps, a number one greater than the most sacred number, which serves as the symbol of complete fullness. Since (as shown in the explanation of v. 6) the steps were about one and one-third meters high, the inner court rose above the outer court to a height of two and two-thirds meters—a height at which all that happened in the inner court, particularly in its depth near the temple, could be seen from the outer court.

Ezekiel 40:32. And he brought me to the inner court by the eastern gates and measured them with the same measurements. “And he brought me” (see explanation of v. 24) “to the inner court by the eastern gates” is from the Hebrew: “and brought me by the inner court to the east.” The prophet had already entered the inner court by the southern gates, and it was nearer for him to go to the eastern gates through this court. Thus the survey of the inner court is made not in the same order as the outer: there, eastern, northern, and southern gates; here, southern, eastern, and northern. This was perhaps not only because the path was shorter (from the southern outer gates the southern inner gates were nearest), but also so as not to enter the inner court by the so-holy eastern gates (compare Ezek 44:1 and following). The LXX freely: “and he brought me to the gates facing east and measured them…”

Ezekiel 40:33. Their side chambers, their pillars, and their vestibules were of the same size; and the windows and the vestibules all around—fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. See explanation of v. 23.

Ezekiel 40:34. The vestibules were toward the outer court, and there were palm trees on its pillars on either side, and eight steps led up to it. See explanation of v. 31.

Ezekiel 40:35. Then he brought me to the northern gates and measured them with the same measurements. Since these are already the third gates (of the inner court), the expression is shorter than in vv. 32 and following about the eastern gates.

Ezekiel 40:36. Its side chambers, its pillars, and its vestibules, and its windows all around—fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. For the same reason there is no mention after “windows in them” of “and in the vestibules” as in vv. 25–29 and 33.

Ezekiel 40:37. The vestibules were toward the outer court, and there were palm trees on its pillars on either side, and eight steps led up to it. See explanation of v. 31; but in the Hebrew, “vestibules” is not elamim as there, but for some reason elav, “its pillars”; perhaps the prophet, instead of the vestibule, calls by name the most visible part of it—the two entrance pillars; the LXX as there: the elamy. A—vestibule in the hall. B—first threshold. D—side chambers, phe. C—passage. E—pillars, alim. F—second threshold. a, b, c, d—sacrificial tables within the vestibule (Ezek 40:39). e, f, g, h—sacrificial tables within the vestibule (Ezek 40:40). e, f, k, g—arrangement of outer tables according to the LXX. O—blood drain according to the LXX (Ezek 40:38).

Ezekiel 40:38. And there was a room with an entrance beside the pillars of the gate, where they washed the burnt offerings. “And there was a room with an entrance beside it at the pillars of the gate.” Literally: “and a room and its door in the pillars of the gate.” It is unclear from the text 1) whether this room formed an addition to the gates or was located within the gate building itself; if the former, one would have needed to indicate on which side of the gate this addition was, as is done with the rooms of v. 44; therefore the latter is more probable. 2) It is not stated in which pillars—Hebrew alim—this room was; given that the pillars of the vestibule (plan 1e and f) were of small thickness, only two cubits, one must think that this room was located in the pillars that divided the side chambers or separated the outermost of them from the vestibule; the latter is more likely; but it remains unknown which of these two pillars contained the room. Because of the similarity of the Hebrew word alim to the word ailam “vestibule,” it is not excluded that here we are speaking not of pillars but of a vestibule; then the addition “its door” would be more understandable: “and a door in the vestibule”: from the vestibule there was a door into the room, because in it they washed the sacrifices that were slaughtered in the vestibule on special tables. The LXX: “and the enclosures (pastoforia—see explanation of v. 17) and their doors (thyroma, literally a room with a door) and their vestibules.” Such a room was located by the direct sense at all three inner gates (in the Hebrew the final word is in the plural). Therefore it is hardly fair to place this room only at the eastern gates (see Ber. Krech.) on the grounds that the rooms at the northern and southern gates had a different purpose (v. 44), that the temple fountain flowed precisely from under the eastern gates (Ezek 47:1-2), and that these gates were always closed, whereas through the northern and southern ones the people passed. With even less probability is this room placed (Hävernick, Hengstenberg, Currey) only at the northern gates on the grounds that the burnt offering, which was washed in this room, according to Mosaic law was slaughtered on the northern side of the altar (Lev 1:11). The LXX: “before their gates second (if from those named, then the eastern ones, or: before the second door of the gate, in the part of it leading into the inner court) a drain,” that is, for the water of the ablution mentioned next. “There they washed the burnt offerings,” that is, according to Lev 1:9, its entrails and legs, the more unclean parts. By this remark the great significance of this sacrifice is presaged, about which there will be discussion later. Ablution was needed for this sacrifice only, as the most holy. For washing, a special room was required so as not to defile the temple by it. In the Vatican and other codices the second half of the verse is absent; the whole verse is absent in all ancient translations except the LXX.

Ezekiel 40:39. And in the vestibule were four tables on one side and four tables on the other side, on which to slaughter the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering. While according to Mosaic law sacrifices had to be slaughtered on the north side of the altar, in the mystical temple of Ezekiel, at least the most important sacrifices—the burnt offering, the sin offering (Lev 4:3 and following) and the guilt offering (Lev 5:19; Slavonic “which are for unknowing”)—were slaughtered in the vestibule of the gate, perhaps so that the special holiness of this temple would not be defiled by sin, which the living animal carries on itself for the sinner. The slaughter was performed, perhaps as in the former temple, on special tables, of which there were four for this purpose (perhaps by the number of the directions); they were arranged symmetrically (as everything in the mystical temple) two on each side of the vestibule (see plan 2—a, b, c, d). Thus already the interior of the gate, by the sight of sacrificial tables, introduced those entering into worship, of which the principal part consisted of sacrifices.

Ezekiel 40:40. And on the outside, at the entrance to the north gate, there were two tables; and on the other side of the vestibule of the gate, two more tables. In remembrance that according to Mosaic law the sacrifice was slaughtered on the north side of the altar, at the northern inner gates, besides the tables mentioned in the vestibule for slaughtering sacrifices, there were tables on the sides of the gate for the same purpose, also four in number, and also arranged symmetrically (Plan 2—e, f, g, h.) The placement of the tables outside the gate made it convenient to distribute parts of them to the people after the priestly portion was removed from the sacrificial animal. The LXX: “and after the drain of burnt offerings (of which the LXX text speaks in v. 38; see explanation of it) of the gates facing north two tables on the east opposite the back side of the second gates (that is, at the end of the gate projecting into the inner court, where the second doors were) and opposite the vestibule of the gates (that is, at the opposite side, facing the outer court) two tables on the east”; consequently, according to the LXX, the tables were arranged on only one side of the northern gates—the main, eastern side (Plan 2-e, f, k, d), because there the drain for blood was located (see v. 38).

Ezekiel 40:41. Four tables on one side and four tables on the other side, by the sides of the gate—eight tables in all, on which the sacrifices were slaughtered. The verse apparently indicates the total number of tables for slaughtering sacrifices at the northern gates and within their structure: in the vestibule of the gate there were four tables and outside four, eight in total; and it is indicated that they were arranged symmetrically, so that on each side of the gate wall there stood four tables: two inside and two outside. The LXX: “four on this side, four on the other side opposite the back side of the gates (that is, on the outer wall of the gate four tables, and on its other side, that is, inside the gate, four tables), on them the slaughters shall be made: straight before eight tables of slaughter” (that is, the slaughter of sacrifices is done in no other way than at these tables for slaughter—not at the side of the altar, as in the Mosaic tabernacle). The LXX’s final words “straight before eight tables of slaughter” are better referred to the following verse, seeing in them an indication of where the four stone tables for slaughter instruments described in that verse were located.

Ezekiel 40:42. And there were four tables of hewn stone for the burnt offering, one and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide, and one cubit high; on them the instruments for slaughtering the burnt offering and the other sacrifices were laid. Besides the eight tables mentioned, about which it is not said of what material they were made, there were also four stone tables (stone has always been considered the most suitable material for an altar; among the pagans there was even a cult of stones), about which in turn it is not said where they stood (in the LXX perhaps it is said; see explanation of v. 41—end), perhaps because it was clear from their purpose. These were one and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide, and one cubit high, and served for storing the instruments for slaughtering sacrifices; the burnt offering, in its generic sense, is mentioned as the most sacred sacrifice.

Ezekiel 40:43. And hooks, a hand-breadth long, were fastened all around the interior of the house; and on the tables was the flesh of the offerings. “Hooks.” So the Targum translates gashefataim. To these hooks the sacrificial animals were hung for removal of their skin. But such a meaning for the present Hebrew word is questionable and does not accord with the context, which speaks exclusively of tables; the specification of a measure for the hooks—“a hand-breadth”—is also unclear. Therefore it is better, with the LXX, to read sefatam—“their edge”: “and they have a border (a rim, a cornice) slightly trimmed a hand-breadth (in height) within” (that is, on the table surface, not on its outside; instead of the Hebrew babbayit, Russian “interior of the house,” the LXX read mibbayyit, from within). This “border” prevented fragments of sacred meat from falling from the table and blood from flowing to avoid their being trampled. The Vulgate similarly: labia, lips. From this the following remark is understandable: “and on the tables was the flesh of the offerings,” which however the LXX read quite differently: “but the top of the table a covering (a canopy) with which to cover them from rain and heat,” necessary both for the sacrifice and for the priests, since some of the tables stood outside the gate building; and the “vestibule of the gate,” where the remaining tables stood, could have been without a roof (compare v. 15 according to the LXX).

Ezekiel 40:44. And outside the inner gates were rooms for the singers; on the inner court, beside the northern gate, one facing south; and beside the southern gate, one facing north. The verse in the Hebrew text speaks of rooms for singers, which could suggest that at the time described all will be singing and rejoicing. But since these rooms in vv. 45 and 46 turn out to be intended for priests, whom Ezekiel separates from the Levites (singers and guards) as strictly as the Mosaic law does, and because of other inconsistencies in this verse in the Hebrew text, scholars now unanimously follow the LXX, which instead of sharim “singers” read shetayim “two (rooms).” “Outside the inner gates,” which gates are not specified; but from the following it is clear that these rooms were located beside the northern and southern gates. More understandable is the LXX: “and he brought me to the inner court.” “Rooms,” Hebrew lishkot (from the root meaning to seize, to contain), Greek exedrai—in classical usage, covered porches before a house, furnished with seats; Slavonic “enclosures,” impassable rooms in distinction from phe, passable ones. (Fartusov. Plans and Facades of Noah’s Ark, Moses’ Tabernacle, the 1st and 2nd Jerusalem Temples, and Solomon’s Palace. Moscow, 1909, 4); Vulgate gazophylacia (treasuries for precious things). Consequently, these rooms were of a completely different kind than the gate rooms of vv. 7 and following—taim, phe. There was also a third kind of room—in Ezek 13:5; see explanation there. “Beside,” Slavonic “opposite the back side of the gates,” that is, at the part of the gates projecting into the inner court. As is clear from the following, at the eastern wall of both gates. See Plan No. 3—C and D. “One facing south” (Hebrew—an obvious error: “facing east”: hakkadim instead of haddrom, perhaps this is a remnant of the indication of the eastern wall of the gate where the rooms were located), and the other “facing north”; thus the rooms were oriented with their fronts, that is, their entrances, toward each other and toward the center of the inner court, toward the altar (compare v. 46). The Slavonic “facing north” (that is, of the southern gates) turned by their entrance into the room toward the north.

Ezekiel 40:45. And he said to me: “This room facing south is for the priests who keep watch over the temple; Both rooms are designated only for priests (previously such rooms were probably used by laymen as well, defiling the temple: Ezek 8:7 and following). Regarding the immediate purpose of the rooms—for priests to clothe themselves in their liturgical garments—see, apparently, Ezek 44:17. The right room, from the perspective of one entering the temple by the eastern gates (the Lord—Ezek 44:1 and following), facing toward the blessed south, is designated for priests performing more honored duties, serving their appointed service (“keeping watch over,” Slavonic “who guard the watch”) in the very building of the temple (the sanctuary), in the holy place (burning of incense, maintaining the fire in the lampstand), changing of the bread of the Presence; see explanation of Ezek 41:22).

Ezekiel 40:46. and the room facing north is for the priests who keep watch over the altar. These are the descendants of Zadok, the only ones among the descendants of Levi who may approach the Lord to minister to him.” The left room, facing north, was designated for priests with less honored duties, keeping watch over the altar (Slavonic “the requirements”), which stood in the inner court; their duties did not go beyond the boundaries of the court and did not concern the holy building. Since the prophet mentions priests for the first time, he makes a remark about the tribal composition of this class: the right to priesthood, given by the law of Moses to all direct descendants of Aaron, is here narrowed by historical circumstances mentioned in Ezek 44:15 (compare 1 Sam 2:36; 1 Chr 29:22) to the descendants of Zadok alone; only they from all the tribe of Levi retained the right to that special access to God which priests have through their service in the holy place and at the altar.

Ezekiel 40:47. And he measured the court, one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits wide—a square. And in front of the temple stood the altar. The dimensions of the inner court are determined by the number that has always served as the symbol of the most perfect fullness and completeness—one hundred cubits—and expressed in the most perfect shape—a square (length and width equal). These dimensions are reckoned in such a way that the corners between the gates are not taken into account (only the square eéff’ on plan 3 is reckoned): otherwise the free space of the court would equal only fifty by fifty cubits and would be very narrow. The altar standing in the center of this square could be seen equally from all three gates, before which on the outer court stood the praying people. Regarding the structure of the altar in Ezek 43:13 and following.

Ezekiel 40:48. And he brought me to the vestibule of the temple and measured the pillars of the vestibule, five cubits on one side and five cubits on the other side; and the width of the gate was three cubits on one side and three cubits on the other side. Measurement of the temple itself (literally “the house”) begins, which now follows the measurement of the inner court. The measurement begins with those pillars (LXX “ayl” transcription) of the vestibule (“ailam”), which opened the entrance to the temple (plan 4: I, B) and corresponded to the well-known Jachin and Boaz of Solomon’s temple (1 Sam 7:15-21; see explanation), being of the same thickness as those columns, approximately. The thickness of each of these pillars is indicated—five cubits (at the gates of the court only two cubits—v. 9). Since the aim is to indicate the thickness of the entire door (more precisely—gate, as such thickness is too great for a door; see explanation of Ezek 41:23), the thickness of both pillars is indicated separately: five cubits on one side and five cubits on the other. Following this the LXX only indicate the width of the door opening (plan 4: ca): “but the width of the doorway fourteen cubits,” a very important indication omitted in the Masoretic text, probably due to the similarity of the final word of the phrase with the ending of the next phrase (homo-ioteleuton). The widths of the doors in the vestibule, the holy place (Ezek 42:2), and the holy of holies (Ezek 42:3) are in arithmetic proportion to one another: 14–10–6. And the further data is more complete in the LXX: “and the side of the doorway,” that is, the remaining part of the gate or door, consisting of a wall and forming as it were large jambs of a door (plan 4: ab. cd.)—“three cubits on this side and three on that side”; Russian “and in the gate three cubits wide on one side and three cubits on the other side.” Consequently, the whole width of the vestibule is 3+14+3=20 cubits; compare the following verse. In its present form the Masoretic text apparently indicates the width of both halves of the door at the end of the verse.

Ezekiel 40:49. The vestibule was twenty cubits long and eleven cubits wide, and steps led up to it; and there were pillars beside the pillars, one on each side. By the prophet’s usual terminology, the “length” of the vestibule means the greater of the two measurements, which in this case corresponds to the width of the temple (plan 4: k-i); conversely, in 1 Sam 6:3. The width is indicated by a non-round and non-symbolic number, eleven; therefore it is better to read with the LXX: “twelve.” Whereas the outer gates were approached by seven steps, the inner gates by eight, the temple itself, as a sign of its special holiness, is approached by a great stairway of ten steps. But this number is read here only by the LXX; the Masoretic text instead of eser (ten) has asher (which), which is identical in appearance. After this stairway there must have been another threshold (plan 4: A; compare Ezek 9:3) of the same thickness as the foundation projecting all around the entire temple (plan 4: C-C; Ezek 41:8; compare Isa 6:4 according to the Hebrew text). “And there were pillars beside the pillars.” Literally: and columns (ammudim) beside pillars (alim). The LXX read alim as ailam, vestibule (“and the pillar was at the vestibule”), thereby removing the obscurity of the Masoretic text, according to which besides the “pillars” of v. 47 in three cubits thick at the entrance, there stood yet two pillars of unknown thickness. The pillars at the entrance had the immediate purpose of supporting the top of the portal; hence their name here ammudim, supports, pillars. Such pillars were common in Egyptian temples; they were particularly remarkable in the Temple of Melqart at Tyre (Herod. II, 44), and in the Pafros and Hierapolis temples (Nowack Archaol IV, 1, 76). By their height they elevated the thoughts of those entering the temple toward God.

Chapter Forty-One

“The House”

1–4. Dimensions of the holy place and the holy of holies. 5–11. Additions to the temple building. 12–15. The back building of the court and its relation to the temple building. 16–26. The inner decoration of the temple.

Ezekiel 41:1. Then he brought me to the temple and measured the pillars, six cubits wide on one side and six cubits wide on the other side, in the width of the tabernacle. The prophet is now brought into the very interior of the temple, Hebrew hekhal, a word meaning the holy place and the holy of holies, or just the holy place: 1 Sam 6:2. At the entrance into the holy place, in the doors leading to it, stood again two massive columns (plan 4: khmo, giln), which were thicker than the previous ones by one cubit—namely, six cubits (in the direction hm and gl). “In the width of the tabernacle”—an unintelligible remark; therefore it is better, with the LXX, which have here a repetition of the previous expression: “breadth of vestibules,” to read instead of ohel, tabernacle (a word Ezekiel uses nowhere except in the names Oholah and Oholibah), the word ayl, pillar.

Ezekiel 41:2. The doorway was ten cubits wide, and the sides of the doorway were five cubits on one side and five cubits on the other side; and he measured the length of the house, forty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits. The door (plan 4: hg, lm), called here petah, literally “opening,” rather than shaar, “monumental gate,” from the temple vestibule into the holy place, was ten cubits wide, that is, the same width as the outer and inner gates (Ezek 40:11) and four cubits narrower than the entrance to the temple vestibule (Ezek 40:48 according to the LXX); it occupied half the entire front wall of the temple, standing out by its greatness: through such a door the entire interior of the holy place could be seen, and perhaps not only from the inner court but, thanks to the high position of the temple building, also from the outer court; the sides of the door (plan 4: nk, gl), that is, the remaining part of the wall not occupied by the door, serving as a jamb for the door—were on each side five cubits (in the temple vestibule three cubits: Ezek 40:48). The holy place (“temple”) inside was forty cubits long (plan 4: os or nr) and twenty cubits wide (on or rs), as in Solomon’s temple and Moses’ tabernacle. Slavonic “their length”—“their” is an erroneous translation of the Greek autou, “its,” referring to the temple.

Ezekiel 41:3. And he went into the inner sanctuary and measured the pillars of the doorway, two cubits thick; and the doorway, six cubits wide; and the width of the doorway, seven cubits. Into the holy of holies the prophet, though a priest, cannot enter; therefore the angel without him “went into,” that is, to the sacred interior of the holy place (the LXX have a strange reading here: “and he went into the inner court”) and began to measure the entrance to the holy of holies. This entrance, like the outer and inner gates, like the entrance to the temple vestibule and the holy place, had two pillars two cubits thick, that is, of the same thickness as the pillars Ezek 40:9; consequently, the wall (úú, tt’), separating the holy place from the holy of holies, was of that thickness. The door (petah, see v. 2) was six cubits, apparently in width (t’ú); further, correcting the completely unintelligible remark of the Masoretic text: “the width of the door” (just indicated! The remark cannot possibly refer to the height, as there has been no discussion of height anywhere in the chapter except for the questionable data Ezek 40:14) according to the LXX to “but the sides of the doorway,” that is, the part of the wall not occupied by the door (rt’ and ú’s) was “seven cubits on this side and seven on that side.” The entrances to the vestibule, the holy place, and the holy of holies, as has been said, narrowed in arithmetic progression: 14–10–6, and correspondingly the sides of the wall widened: 3–5–7.

Ezekiel 41:4. And he measured the length as twenty cubits, and the width as twenty cubits, opposite the front of the temple; and he said to me: “This is the holy of holies.” The “holy of holies” (Hebrew here kodesh kodeshim) was, as in the tabernacle and Solomon’s temple, a square of twenty cubits. The expression “in the width of the temple,” LXX: “before the face of the temple,” indicates that the angel determined the dimensions of the holy of holies by measuring only its front wall, without entering it, either out of reverence or so that the prophet, to whom it was impossible to go there, could follow the angel with his eyes; consequently, the dimensions vy (on plan 4) were indicated to the prophet a priori by the angel. The LXX strangely: “the length of the doors forty cubits”; after the holy place the LXX from v. 3 give some measurements of gates of the inner court.

Ezekiel 41:5. And he measured the wall of the temple, six cubits thick; and the width of the rooms all around the temple was four cubits. The thickness of the temple wall, regarding how the angel measured it nothing is said (the angel had not yet left the temple), was six cubits. Such thickness was in the spirit of ancient architecture, which loved massiveness. This thickness is indicated indirectly already in v. 1, under the form of the width of the entrance pillars. Such an impressive thickness—a symbol of the sharp separation of the holiest dwelling place of God from worldly defilement—was increased to the complete and for this case enormous number ten (half the entire width of the building!) by the width of four cubits of the side rooms adjoining the wall. “Side rooms,” Hebrew tela, as such rooms were called in Solomon’s temple 1 Sam 6:5; compare the well-known cellae of pagan temples; literally “side,” “rib”; hence the LXX pleura, Slavonic “sides,” Vulgate latus; the rooms indeed represented themselves as it were as the ribs of the temple (see plan 4, 1–33). This was thus a third kind of temple rooms beside the taim (Ezek 40:7) and further on, and the lishkot Ezek 40:44 (see explanation there). In Solomon’s temple this addition was five cubits wide, or more precisely—such was the width of the rooms of its lowest floor, the middle floor was six, and the upper floor was seven, extending into the thickness of both the outer and inner walls (1 Sam 6:6). “All around” is in the Hebrew three times (corresponding to the three walls): twice here in a row, and a third time after the word “temple”; in the LXX only once.

Ezekiel 41:6. The side rooms were in three stories, one above another, thirty-three rooms in all, with supports on the wall of the temple for the rooms all around, so that the supports did not have to go into the wall of the temple. “Side rooms,” intended probably for storing sacred vessels and offerings, “were thirty-three, room beside room,” literally: “and side rooms room beside room thirty-three times.” The expression can be understood not only as meaning 33; the word “times” (Hebrew peamim) would have been superfluous then. Since the preposition el “to,” “at,” “beside” in Ezekiel is constantly synonymous with the preposition al “over,” “above,” the expression can mean: “there were rooms, room above room, three and thirty times” or, rearranging with the LXX and other ancient translations the 3 and 30: “there were rooms, thirty room above room, three times,” that is, there were thirty rooms in each of the three stories; in Solomon’s temple the number of such rooms is not indicated (1 Sam 6:10); the Talmud counts them there as 38: 15 on the south, 15 on the south and 8 on the west. The Targum in Ezekiel’s temple counts 33 rooms: 11 in each story. In view of such tradition and the agreement of translations in transmitting the number 33 (LXX: “thirty-three rooms”), one cannot maintain the understanding of 30 × 3. And it is easier to divide the entire length of the temple wall among 33 rooms than among 30; namely, if we count the rooms as square, four cubits (v. 5), and the intermediate walls between them as two cubits (by correspondence with two cubits, v. 3; see explanation), we obtain the following calculation. South wall of the temple: 6 cubits thickness + 40 cubits length along the holy place + 2 cubits thickness of the wall between the holy place and the holy of holies + 20 cubits length along the holy of holies + 6 cubits thickness of the back wall = 74; in it there could be 12 rooms and 13 intermediate walls: 12×4 + 13×2 = 74. West wall: 6 + 20 + 6 = 32; in it there could be 5 rooms and 6 intermediate walls: 5×4 + 6×2 = 32. The following wall, the north, equaled 74 cubits and 12 rooms. We get rooms: 12 + 5 + 12 = 29. Two rooms in the corners of the western wall on the north and south, and 2 in the wall of the vestibule (Smend). But the walls between rooms could have been thinner than two cubits. The LXX and Vulgate: “thirty-three rooms,” where the last word apparently corresponds to the Hebrew peanim (rooms—in two walls—south and north?). As both 30 and 33 are symbolic numbers. Further it is indicated in what relation the rooms were to the temple wall: “They were built with supports on the wall of the temple.” Literally: “and they go into the wall, which (is) for the temple for the rooms all around.” This speaks of another wall surrounding the temple beyond the rooms, whose width is indicated in v. 9; the wall of the temple itself could not be designated so verbosely; moreover, the following says that the rooms do not touch the wall of the temple. “So that the supports did not have to go into the wall of the temple” (literally: so that they were anchored, but the walls of the temple itself are not touched). Compare 1 Sam 6:6 (from the words “they were built…”): “and the space (instead of baat entering 6 they could read betzaot, synonymous with migraot according to 1 Sam 6:6) in the wall of the temple in the sides (side rooms) across (between the wall of the temple and the rooms all around there was free space), so that there was a passage and one could walk between the rooms and the temple wall, so that they did not at all touch the temple walls.” The Vulgate “and there were eminences,” implying that the transverse walls of the rooms, serving as buttresses, coming out from the temple wall and serving as divisions between rooms, not only reached the outer wall of the side rooms but also protruded somewhat from the line of this wall.

Ezekiel 41:7. As I went higher and higher around the temple, the side rooms became wider and wider, for the structure of the temple was built higher and higher around the temple; thus the temple had a broader base, and the rooms increased in width as one went higher; from the lowest story one ascended through the middle story to the highest story. The verse will be understandable if we assume, by analogy with Solomon’s temple in the description 1 Sam 6:6, that the main wall of the temple (narrowing upward) had three ledges on which beams were laid to bear the addition, whereby the rooms in each successive story of the addition were wider than the previous story (by the width of this ledge—in Solomon’s temple by one cubit—1 Sam 6:6). Perhaps the full analogy with Solomon’s temple was the reason for the extreme brevity of the description here, which contains therefore many obscurities. Literally from the Hebrew: “And broadened (who? apparently the entire temple building, but as appears from the following, only in the side rooms) and turned (nasva—or rounded, changed) upward and upward (that is, as it went higher more and more) for (le—in relation to) the side rooms, because it rounded (or changed—the same verb in participial form musav; Russian apparently: “the structure of the temple”) the temple (its addition?) higher and higher (more and more upward) all around the temple.” The LXX: “and the width of the upper sides (of each upper side room) according to the increase (kata to prosthema—increases according to the appendix) from the wall to the upper (that is, to the upper room).” The Vulgate following Targum and rabbis: “and space (platea), all around rising upward spirally (per cochleam, by a spiral staircase) and leading to the very top of the temple in windings (per gyrum).” “And thus the temple in the side rooms had a broader base.” Prof. A. Olesnitsky understands this place thus: that the temple building itself broadened upward, constituting in this respect a contrast to Solomon’s. “While historically Solomon’s temple narrowed upward, depicting the earthly, gravitation-prone forms of Old Testament worship, the future temple foreshadowed by Ezekiel stands with only a narrow band on earth, broadening more and more upward and depicting an ever-greater openness of the religious spirit to heavenly visions” (The Old Testament Temple in Jerusalem, St. Petersburg, 1689, 311). Prof. M. Muretov remarks to this that Ezekiel’s temple, in all details corresponding to Solomon’s, could hardly in this respect deviate from it (The Old Testament Temple, Moscow, 1890, 169). “And from the lowest story one ascended through the middle story to the highest story.” Literally: “and thus the lower (room) rose to the upper at (le) the middle”; the LXX: “and let from below ascend to above, but from the middle to the three-story” (the three-story). Speech is clearly about a staircase leading to different stories of ninety or ninety-nine rooms, which was in Solomon’s temple, a spiral one, called in 1 Sam 6:8 lulim. Traces of spiral staircases have been found in Mesopotamia and Phoenicia, in Baalbek; in the latter they were called hil or hul, plural hilani (Olesnitsky A. The Old Testament Temple in Jerusalem, 249). Among themselves the rooms could communicate by a corridor in their thick wall, namely the outer one, in which two exits from the rooms (plan 4: C, C) to the court were constructed (v. 11).

Ezekiel 41:8. And I saw that the house had a raised platform all around; the foundations of the side rooms were a full rod, that is, six cubits high. As the prophet already noted earlier (Ezek 40:49), the temple proper, that is, the building of the holy place and holy of holies, stood on an elevation, so that a stairway of ten steps led to it. The reader was faced with the question: in what relation to this elevation or embankment on which the temple stood were the side rooms—was their foundation lower or at the same level as the temple’s foundation? The prophet now, having finished the description of the addition to the temple, resolves this uncertainty. He glances now at the whole building of the temple from bottom to top and sees at the house all around—govah, Russian “raised,” Slavonic “height,” a word very similar (especially if read as gava) to the one used in John 19:13 gavava, platform (compare Ezek 40:18). This govah is more precisely defined below as musedot for the side rooms, a word in which the Vulgate translation fundata allows one to see the meaning of foundation, not circumference as in Russian: “circumference”; the LXX: diastemma, distance. Consequently, the foundation of the side rooms represented itself as an elevation, and the measure which the prophet next indicates for this elevation, naturally must be not the measure of its width but the measure of its height; only such a measure could be indicated here without precise determination. This measure was equal to a full unit of measure for all present measurements, namely the whole rod of the angel, which contained six cubits—acilla, to which the prophet adds still some unknown term (perhaps “cubits to the bend” hence Russian “full”; or some architectural term—perhaps for such a protruding foundation as here). The Russian translation of this verse is inaccurate and unclear; it should be corrected approximately thus: “and I saw a high platform at the house all around, serving as foundation for the side rooms, measuring a full rod, six full cubits.” Such a thought, it seems, the LXX also saw. But the first word “and saw” they, reading it not roti but tera le (“there was visible at”), considered an architectural term and left untranslated.

Ezekiel 41:9. The thickness of the outer wall of the side rooms was five cubits, and there was free space all around the side rooms of the temple. Ezekiel 41:10. And between the rooms there was a width of twenty cubits all around the temple. The side rooms of the temple adjoined a second, outer wall of the temple (by on plan 4), which was naturally of the same thickness as its continuation—the wall of the vestibule (Ezek 40:48), that is, five cubits, one cubit thinner than the first wall. Such thickness did not correspond by present architectural requirements to the four-cubit width of the side rooms which this wall enclosed; but 1) antiquity loved massive walls, and in Assyro-Babylonian structures it is not uncommon for small spaces to be enclosed in disproportionately thick walls; 2) this wall enclosed not so much the side rooms of the temple as the temple itself, being for it a second, and counting the rooms themselves a third enclosure from the world and all its defilement. Such an enclosure was further for the temple the free, open space, accessible of course not to all, Hebrew muna, LXX “the rest,” the remaining—between, Russian “beside,” Hebrew bet instead of ben, between, as is clear from the LXX) the side rooms (Slavonic “sides”) of the temple, that is, more precisely, between its second wall and other “rooms” of v. 10; this last verse should be joined to the end of v. 9: “and the free space beside the side rooms of the temple. And between the rooms (which, see further) there was a width of twenty cubits.” Better in the LXX: “and the rest (see above) between the sides (rooms) of the temple and between the enclosures the breadth of twenty cubits.” The Vulgate: “and there was an inner house in the walls of the temple,” that is, should be: the rooms of the temple represented themselves as it were a whole house hidden in the walls of the temple. The rooms of v. 10 are named not tela, as the side rooms in the building of the temple itself, and lesahot, as are named the rooms at the outer wall of the temple (Ezek 40:17; see explanation), Slavonic “enclosures,” Greek exedron, clearly those rooms at the inner wall of the temple which will be described in detail in chapter 42 and which the prophet here names without explanation, presupposing their presence in the inner court as self-evidently known to the reader by Solomon’s temple and by analogy with the outer wall of the present temple. This nearest, sacred enclosure of the temple (plan 3: FFF) was twenty cubits wide; but to this figure somewhat further on (v. 11) there is added another five cubits of some other, closer to the building of the temple, open space, whereby it became twenty-five cubits wide, as is to be expected by the dimensions of the inner court: one hundred cubits width of the court—fifty cubits width of the temple with two walls and rooms = fifty, fifty: 25. This open space the temple “had all around” (Slavonic: “the circumference all around the temple,” that is, the indicated area formed the circumference of the temple)—an expression which can have here only a limited sense (“in all” should have been struck from the Russian translation as an unfortunate explanation of the original) namely, on the south, north, and west sides, as on the east there was already indicated by the prophet in Ezek 40:47 the hundred-cubit, sacred, scarcely less sacred than the temple itself, square with the altar in its center; as it were in correspondence with such a sense the word “all around” (as in v. 5; see explanation) is repeated three times in the Hebrew.

Ezekiel 41:11. The doors of the side rooms opened onto the free space, one door toward the north and one door toward the south; and the breadth of the free space was five cubits all around. The side rooms of the temple communicated with the courts of the temple by doors, of which there were two: one on the north side of the temple and one on the south side (plan 4: C, C). Thus, even in this detail the temple contained more symmetry than Solomon’s, which had such a door only on the south side (1 Sam 6:8). All the exits from all ninety or ninety-nine side rooms were directed to these doors—a thought which the LXX apparently wish to express by the beginning of the verse: “doors (plural) of the enclosure to the rest (onto the free space) of doors (singular) one, which (is) toward the north (united into one door on the north side) and one door to the south.” These doors led onto the “free space,” Hebrew muna, Slavonic: “the rest,” which is described and measured in vv. 9 and 10; but they opened not directly onto this space but onto the place (mecom) of this muna (Russian indifferently with the former: “of this free space”), onto some special place in it, for which a special measure is also given, apparently not included in the general measure of muna in v. 9 of twenty cubits, a measure of five cubits. This “place” could be nothing other than mentioned in v. 8—the foundation, namely the open, protruding part of it from under the outer, second wall of the temple (side rooms), the panel of the building; now thus the breadth of this foundation is indicated when its height is already indicated (v. 8), namely the breadth of its outer part, as the size of the remaining part follows of itself from the previous data. The LXX call this part of the temple building: “light of the rest,” that is, the illuminated outer part of the temple, adjoining the free space, to the “rest” of v. 9; the Vulgate following Symmachus: “place of prayer,” considering it a place specially intended for prayer before the temple. This part of the inner court could also be separated in some way, for example by a grating, from the rest of the court in view of the special sanctity of its proximity to the temple. “All around,” according to the Hebrew saviv twice, should correspond to the fact that the doors were only on the north and south sides of the temple (see explanation of vv. 5 and 10).

Ezekiel 41:12. There was a separate building on the west side of the courtyard, seventy cubits wide; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length ninety cubits. The furthest back part of the temple courtyard was occupied by a large building (binyan—perhaps even a whole row of structures, as in Ezek 40:5 the outer wall of the temple courtyard is called by this name; LXX to diorizon, “dividing,” intermediate building? Plan 3: E), the purpose of which is not indicated, probably because it was ignoble, for instance, it served for some refuse. It was located “before” some gizra, Russian “courtyard,” Slavonic “opposite the rest,” a word from the root “to separate,” meaning, as the LXX thought, the place around the temple of twenty-five cubits width; but Lev 16:22, where a synonymous gezera is named the place to which the scapegoat was driven, rather allows the word to apply to that part of the nearest to the temple area which was located behind the temple itself and as it were infected by the ignoble purpose of this building (therefore the Vulgate beginning of the verse: “building which was separate”). Perhaps this place and building are in view in Ezek 43:21, indicating that the sin offering is to be burned “at the appointed place of the house outside the holy place.” The nature of the building fully corresponded to the fact that it was oriented (by its front, entrance) toward the west (“on the west side,” “as it were to the sea,” literally “from the side of the sea”: the Mediterranean Sea to the west of Jerusalem), in the land of darkness. In Solomon’s temple, apparently in the same place was such a building, called “pharim” (2 Sam 23:11) or parvar (1 Chr 26:18). The breadth (hl) of this building or place, that is, according to Ezekiel’s terminology the smaller dimension of it, consequently from east to west, was seventy cubits; the wall of it was five cubits—narrower, as is natural, than the walls of the temple and even than the wall of the outer court—and the length ninety cubits. All the numbers are not so round and symbolic as in the other parts of the mystical temple, which corresponded to the dignity of the building. If to the length of the building we add the thickness of its two walls (5 × 2), we get one hundred cubits, which will correspond to the length of the “free space,” “the rest” (plan 3: FFZ) and the dimension of the inner court in Ezek 40:47 (fef’é). As for the breadth of the building, if to it we add 5 cubits of the thickness of its eastern wall, presupposing that the western wall for it served as the outer wall of the temple courtyard, then it will occupy exactly the remaining part of the court according to its extent from east to west. Namely, its extent according to Ezek 42:16 is five hundred cubits; from it we must subtract: fifty cubits Ezek 40 + one hundred cubits Ezek 40:19 + fifty cubits Ezek 40:33 + one hundred cubits Ezek 40:47 + one hundred cubits length of the temple + twenty-five cubits width of the foundation, and there remains seventy-five cubits.

Ezekiel 41:13. And he measured the temple, one hundred cubits long; and the separate courtyard, and the building with its walls, one hundred cubits long. After the description of the large back building in the temple courtyard, the relation of its dimensions to the dimensions of the temple is indicated. This relation is remarkable because the dimensions of both such unequal, if not directly opposite in dignity buildings, are almost equal to one another and amount to the number one hundred, the number of greatest fullness and symbolism. But for this equality some rearrangement of the component parts is required, namely in the lower of the compared quantities, which again is meaningful. The length of the temple, which is first determined (measured by the angel) in its entire wholeness and expressed in one hundred cubits (five cubits thickness of the wall of the vestibule, twelve cubits according to Ezek 40:49 in the LXX length of the vestibule, six cubits thickness of the main wall of the temple, forty cubits length of the holy place, two cubits wall between the holy place and the holy of holies, twenty cubits length of the holy of holies, six cubits thickness of the main temple wall on the west, four cubits width of the side rooms, five cubits thickness of the outer wall of the temple). This length is equal to the corresponding measurement (breadth according to v. 12) of the back building (Hebrew binyan, “building,” in distinction from bayit, “house,” about the temple building, Russian “addition,” LXX “dividing,” “partition,” v. 12), but taken not only with its walls but with that part of the gizra (Russian “separate courtyard,” Slavonic “the rest”) which was located between the temple and the building.

Ezekiel 41:14. And the breadth of the temple on the front and toward the east courtyard was one hundred cubits. The breadth of the temple (literally “the face of the temple,” its front, Slavonic “opposite the temple,” Russian “on the front side”), if to it we add as something close to it in sanctity the nearest “courtyard”—the eastern gizra (muna vv. 10, 11) and because of this count it as one hundred cubits (twenty cubits width of the interior of the temple, 6 × 2 thickness of the interior walls, 4 × 2 width of the side rooms, 5 × 2 thickness of the outer wall, 25 × 2 “free space,” muna vv. 10, 11), this breadth is equal to another measurement of the back building (length according to v. 12), namely from that side of it which faces the gizra (Russian “before the separate courtyard on the back side,” literally “before the face of the gizra which is behind it”), because the front of the building apparently extended into the outer wall to such an extent that the boundaries of the building were not visible. But again the breadth of the temple corresponded to the length of the back building if the latter is supplemented by the magnitude of some attics (Russian “side rooms”) which the back building had on either side of itself. What these attics or attika (ketib), mentioned here for the first time and appearing then in the following verse as a property of the building of the temple, and then in chapter 42 as a property of the wall of the inner court and its rooms, are—scholars disagree. The LXX translate “the rest,” apoloipa, thus considering the word as a term equal in meaning to muna “free space” vv. 9 and 11; but the latter could hardly be counted as part of the building when measuring its length; and in further cases of the use of attika this meaning is altogether impossible; therefore the LXX in v. 16 translate it already as “illuminations”—hypopaudes (openings), and in Ezek 42:3 “vestibules,” stoai, v. 5 “intercolumniations,” peristylon (galleries, porticoes); so also the Vulgate in the last two places, while here it leaves it untranslated—elhecas; ancient Greek translations: ekthetes (something like a balcony). The Targum “corner.” Of these meanings the most fitting both here and in the other uses of this word is: gallery, canopy, overhang.

Ezekiel 41:15. And he measured the length of the building on the west, facing the courtyard, together with its galleries on either side—one hundred cubits; and the front of the temple facing the courtyard. The prophet transitions to the description of the interior decoration of the temple, and this description is preceded by what is called an independent nominative (compare Ezek 1:7), unreasonably connected in the Russian Bible to the previous verse: “with the interior of the temple and the vestibules of the courtyard.” Literally: “and the temple (hekhal) interior and the vestibules of the courtyard,” that is, as regards the temple and its vestibules, they were such (what follows is the description). The vestibule in the temple was one; therefore it is better with the LXX to read singular, and before “interior” place an “and”; then under hekhal the holy place will be understood, “interior”—the holy of holies, and to them will be joined “the vestibule of the courtyard,” that is, the one opening to the courtyard. Only the decoration of these parts of the temple is described further. Slavonic: the temple and corners (perhaps because it is their decoration that is mainly described below) and the outer vestibule (instead of hatzar, courtyard, the LXX read hatzin, outer, meaning perhaps the vestibule proper in distinction from the holy place, which serves as a kind of vestibule for the holy of holies); further the Slavonic words “boards were spread” begin the description of the decoration and correspond to the beginning of v. 16 in the Hebrew and Russian Bible.

Ezekiel 41:16. From the floor to the windows, and the windows were covered; as for the portion above the door, and even into the inner sanctuary—on every side around—they covered with wood. The interior decoration of the temple was evidently not uniform everywhere: the lower parts of the walls could not have such rich decoration as the upper. First, apparently, the lower decoration is described by the prophet: “and the thresholds,” hasippim, plural of saf, threshold; so also the Vulgate, limina; Russian translation: “door frames” (according to the LXX?). The LXX read sedunim, “plank covered,” “covered with planks,” and refer to the previous verse: the temple, davir, and vestibule were faced with square wooden panels. Further literally from the Hebrew: “and windows latticed and attika and (see explanation of v. 15, Russian: “galleries”) all around in all three,” that is, the holy place, davir, and vestibule, named in the previous verse and which therefore could be designated here so briefly; Russian translation: “stories.” The thresholds, windows, and attics were the most noticeable part of the interior decoration; they are not described (as described earlier) but directly indicated. The LXX: “and windows latticed light (hypopaudes—openings, that is, windows in the form of narrow openings) all around three”; Slavonic in brackets “sides,” that is, side rooms; but rather the “three” parts of the temple indicated at the end of v. 15; “which are such that one can peek through,” ‘hōste diakyptein, that is, windows were of such size and construction that one could look through them like through a crack; “the temple (that is: but the rest in it, except the windows) and what is near it (vestibule and additions?) was covered with wood all around.” Further, apparently, it is spoken that the ground (Slavonic “platform,” literally “and earth,” Vulgate terra; Russian translation: “from the floor”) to the windows, that is, with a part of the wall to the windows, was faced uniformly. To complete the description of this part of the wall, it is added that the windows were “covered,” mekusot, or hidden, that is, that they were closed or arranged in the wall so that they were not visible, and thereby must have been distinguished from the gate windows named in Ezek 40:16 as “latticed”; this new determination of windows corresponds apparently in 1 Sam 6:4 to the definite “recessed with thresholds” (hékufim), meaning, according to the explanation of the Chaldean paraphrast, that the embrasures of the windows were wider on the inside than on the outside (according to the opinion of A. Olesnitsky, the cited work, 250, on the contrary—otherwise they would let in rain water). If one takes into account the enormous thickness of the temple wall (six cubits) and the height at which the windows were made (they were located above the roof of the temple’s three-story addition—in Solomon’s temple at a height of twenty-five cubits), these windows rather appeared as “air-holes, having, for example, the purpose of drawing off accidental soot from the burning of lamps or incense smoke.” (Olesnitsky. 250), than as light windows. Hence their name “hidden.” They did not prevent the darkness in which, like Moses’ tabernacle, the holy place and the holy of holies (according to this passage of Ezekiel, windows apparently are supposed to exist in the holy of holies too) of the temple were plunged (Ezekiel’s, like Solomon’s temple). In Herod’s temple the windows were closed by thick movable gratings, which were raised during the day: according to Tamid III. 6, when in the early dawn, before the sacrifice, the temple doors were opened, the windows were also opened; at the same time, according to the Mishnah (VI, 1), the night lamps of the temple were extinguished and for the day only one lamp was left burning (Olesnitsky. 520). Of course, the windows were without glass; not only glass but mica came into use later, and in present-day Jerusalem windows are mostly not glazed. Prof. M. Muretov for the complete absence of daylight in the temple (which is indicated, according to him, by Solomon’s increase of the number of lamps in the temple to ten) considers the windows of Solomon’s and Ezekiel’s temple only decorative (the cited work, 233–239). The LXX remark on windows: “and windows opened three times (anaptyss omenai trissos—three-winged) for peeking” (eis to diachyptein, into which one could hardly peer).

Ezekiel 41:17. Above the door, on both the interior and exterior sides of the wall, and on all the walls all around, inside and out, there were carved likenesses of What then adorned the temple walls besides wooden panels and windows? The analogy of the tabernacle and Solomon’s temple allows one to foresee the answer to the prophet’s question. More closely to the Hebrew: “In height above the doors (al-meal—literally “to the height of doors,” Slavonic “even to,” Russian “from above the doors,” that is, downward) on the walls of the temple, on the walls of the temple to (including) the house interior, that is, the davir, the holy of holies (Russian: “as inside the temple,” but this cannot mean ad habbayit habbenim) and in the outer, that is, the house, the holy place, and vestibule (Slavonic “and to the outer,”—but here the preposition is already not ad, to, but le, in; Russian “as on the outside”) equally (ee—u, and—and) in the interior, bapnim, and in the exterior, bahatzin, part of the building all around were midot.” Under the latter word one understands either framed spaces, large quadrangles on the walls, relief frames on the walls for the likenesses indicated further (in Nehem 3:11 this word refers to parts of land) or these very likenesses indicated further (Russian translation: “carved likenesses,” in Num 13:32 this word refers to giants; in Jer 22:14 about some parts or belonging of a colossal house). Slavonic and part of the Greek codes: “measures” (madad, to measure) apparently see an indication of the symmetrical arrangement of the likenesses described further (Olesnitsky. 301. Muret. 245); the same apparently Vulgate ad mensuram. Vatican and others do not have this word.

Ezekiel 41:18. These were carved with figures of cherubim and palm trees, with a palm tree between each two cherubim. Each cherub had two faces: The main decoration of the mystical temple was the same as in Solomon’s temple (1 Sam 6:29) and the tabernacle: the likenesses of cherubim. Elevating the thought to the very throne of God, these likenesses turned the temple into the highest heaven. “Standing along the walls in silent rows interspersed with palms, they reminded (one) of a similar row of such figures on the walls of Thebes and Corsabad” (De Vogue, Le temple de Jerusalem, pp. 32). Alternating with palms, a tree so symbolic in Holy Scripture (see explanation of Ezek 40:16), the likenesses of cherubim produced the impression of those arranged in a garden, a garden, of course, sacred, heavenly, divine, that is, paradise. In the first vision the prophet had a vision of cherubim with four faces; here on the wall by the laws of perspective they cannot have all four faces. How the likenesses of cherubim were made, whether they were engraved or represented reliefs, the Hebrew verb asuy does not indicate; it means only “were made.” But the LXX have: “carved,” that is, they lean toward the thought of reliefs.

Ezekiel 41:19. one face of a man facing a palm tree on one side, and on the other side a face of a lion facing a palm tree. This was the pattern throughout the temple all around. The cherubim have here only two of their four most important faces: human and lion. This shows at the same time that the faces visible before, as now, in the cherubim imperfectly express their incomprehensible being: their appearance to men cannot be always the same. Thus the entire temple (literally “house”) was finished all around, and consequently perhaps the vestibule as well. This the LXX think, connecting the verse with the previous one and omitting midot in v. 18. The presence of likenesses of cherubim also in the vestibule could indicate the greater sanctity of the present temple in comparison with the former man-made one. But see v. 26.

Ezekiel 41:20. From the floor to above the doors, the walls were paneled with wood, both in the inner sanctuary and in the outer area. Indeed, the holy and deeply symbolic likenesses did not occupy the walls in their entire height; otherwise they would be lost to view, and besides their most important parts, namely the terrifying-mysterious faces, in an inaccessible height. Reaching the top of the doors, these likenesses could not but be very tall (although the height of the doors is nowhere indicated, but because of their magnitude they are often called shaar, gates), and if then the elementary rule of present-day architecture about uniform height of doors and windows was observed, then and terrifyingly high; the palms could be even higher than natural size. Unclear is the final remark of the verse: “and also along the wall of the temple” (literally: “and the wall of the temple”). The only possible sense apparently is: such was the wall of the temple, namely the holy place, where the prophet stands. The Masoretes place above the word hekhal puncta extraordinaria, unusual marks: a thick dot on each of the five letters of the word, marking its doubtfulness. The LXX, apparently reading it not le-yrit, but tera le (“it was visible at”), considered it an architectural term and left untranslated.

Ezekiel 41:21. The temple had a rectangular frame for the doorway, and the front of the inner sanctuary had the same appearance. To the interior decoration of the temple, generally not complex, but majestically simple and strictly uniform, one had to attribute and the mezuzat, “door frames” (the meaning of the word is very probable, though not certain; the LXX translate it differently in different places), which probably divided all the walls into the midet mentioned in v. 17—framed spaces with likenesses of cherubim and palms in them. In the present temple, more precisely in the holy place (hekhal) where the prophet stands (the LXX add—and in the holy of holies: “and the holy and the temple”), the mezuzat—the frames were rectangular, a shape more simple and regular than the pentagonal that the same ornaments of Solomon’s temple had (1 Sam 6:31). The LXX attribute this shape not to the frames but to the doors themselves: “and the holy and the temple” aniptyss omena tetragonа, opens as a rectangle, Slavonic “opened on four sides.” And the verse ends with an unclear expression: “and the sanctuary had such a view as I saw”; literally “and the face of the holy a vision as a vision.” The expression, apparently wishing to limit the description just given of the door frames of the holy place, may apparently have the sense that the front (“face”) of the holy of holies (“holy” in a special and preeminent sense, in contrast to hekhal, generally temple and in particular the holy place) hardly stood out before the eyes of the prophet, had such unclear outlines as ordinary objects of visions have, and which did not allow the prophet to form a notion and describe with sufficient clarity such a detail as door frames on this front. The LXX refer the expression to the following verse: “before the face of the holy a vision as the likeness of an altar of wood.”

Ezekiel 41:22. And the altar was made of wood, three cubits high, with a length of two cubits; its corners, base, and sides were of wood. And he said to me: “This is the table that stands before the Lord.” In the description of the temple’s interior, the prophet skillfully reserved the most important element for the end. The principal element was the “altar.” Being in the sanctuary where the prophet stood, this altar could only be an altar of incense. It was, apparently, the only object in the sanctuary, which in Moses’ tabernacle had three objects, but in Solomon’s temple had many. This singularity fully corresponded with the simplicity and strictness that the mysterious temple possessed in all its features and which spoke symbolically of something similar in the very idea of Divinity and salvation. This same simplicity was reflected in the material of the altar: it was wooden, forming a contrast to Moses’ altar of incense, although also wooden, but so overlaid with gold that it was called a golden altar (Heb 9:4). About gold in his temple the prophet Ezekiel generally does not speak. The altar, according to its concept, had height greater than its length: 3 cubits against 2. Its width is not indicated in the Heb. text, perhaps as being self-evidently equal to the length, but is given by the LXX: 2 cubits. Corresponding to the altar in the proper sense, the altar of whole burnt offerings, this innermost altar had horns, Heb. miktzoot, Rus. trans. “corners”; inserting the verb “had” into the Heb. text, the LXX rightly remove from “horns” the definition “wooden,” wrongly attributed to them by the Rus. trans.: the material of them is not indicated by the prophet. Being wooden, the altar in all its parts, the prophet notes, both in its walls, which would lead one to expect something else, a more costly material, and in its base (Heb. arka, its length, all read according to the LXX as one: its base), allowing one to expect a more durable material, was such, thereby expressing the idea of simplicity, unity, equality with itself (as also in Divinity). Every altar is the table of God (Mal 1:7). All the more should such significance belong to the present altar, located in an exceptional in its position and significance on earth temple of God, in this temple occupying an exceptional place—“before the Lord” (literally “before the face of Jehovah”), that is, before the Holy of Holies, before the chief point of that special presence of God which only the mysterious temple possesses,—and finally, being the only table of the temple, as the latter had no table for the bread of the Presence. If to this we add that the prophet says nothing about the ark of the covenant in the mysterious temple, even because he could not at all see the interior of the Holy of Holies, into which not even the angel-measurer dares enter, it seems (compare explanation of verse 4), then the present altar appears as the greatest holiness of the mysterious temple, the sole one in the temple itself (“House”). Thereby the remark, otherwise somewhat unexpected, becomes more comprehensible: “This is the table that is before the Lord.”

Ezekiel 41:23. In the temple and in the sanctuary there were two doors on each side, The description of the sanctuary concludes with its doors, from which the prophet will now (Ezek 42:1) depart. The sanctuary had two doors: one led into it, the other into the Holy of Holies: “and two doors,” literally in the Hebrew, the prophet says, “for the sanctuary and the holy,” which the Rus. trans. scarcely renders correctly: “in the temple” (in its portico? hekhal in the prophet in this chapter means sanctuary) “and in the sanctuary” (“holy” in the prophet in this chapter a shortened designation of Holy of Holies 42:14 and 21) “two doors on each side” (double doors?). A somewhat similar sense, however, the LXX conveys to the Hebrew expression, but at the cost of adding the first words of the following verse with the omission of “and” before them: “two doors to the temple and two doors to the holy” (Holy of Holies). The Hebrew expression, especially in the understanding of the LXX, does not exclude the possibility of the understanding accepted by moderns, that here the speech is about two halves of doors, about double-leaf doors, about which at the first understanding of the verse speech will be only in verse 24. Door—dalet, a word from which the name of the 4th letter of the alphabet dalet was taken; thus called the door in Ezekiel here for the first time, perhaps because here a special description of it is given; earlier it was called petah, opening.

Ezekiel 41:24. And these doors had two leaves each—two leaves for one door and two leaves for the other; Literally from the Hebrew, and two door-leaves (the same dalet as in verse 23, but here clearly in the sense of ‘halves, leaves,’ Rus. ‘boards,’ Gk. θυρωματα in contrast to θυραι, Slavic ‘verey’) of both doors, rotating (both could open, not—one stationary) door-leaves, two for one door and two door-leaves for the other. Four times in the verse the numeral ‘2’ and seven times, and with the end of verse 23 eight times, the word ‘door’; must be symbolism. LXX: “two doors (θυρωματα) rotating (στροφωτοις—movable), two verey (θυρωματα door-leaves, in the further θυρα, doors) for one and two verey for the other doors” (θυρα); that is, due to the mobility of the door-leaves or the double-leaf nature of the doors, each door represented as it were two doors. The moderns (Smend, Bertholet, Kraetzschmar) see the thought of double-leaf structure even in verse 23, and understand the present verse as concerning the double-leaf nature of each of the two halves of the doors, whereby the whole door appeared as it were a screen or shutter of 4 boards, rotating on an axis. This was so that the doors would open more easily (a wide door with such height would open with difficulty) or so that the opened door would give a smaller opening and would not allow excess eyes and light to penetrate into the sanctuary (Smend). Such a door would be more like a veil. Confirmation of such understanding is found in the LXX and in (1 Sam 6:34), but in the latter place one can see the thought of simple double-leaf structure.

Ezekiel 41:25. And on them, on the doors of the temple, were carved cherubim and palm trees like those carved on the walls; and there was a wooden threshold in front of the portico outside. Being sacred already by their location, the doors of the temple (here hekhal already in the broad sense of the whole building—sanctuary and Holy of Holies) became still more sacred from the depiction of cherubim and palm trees upon them, with which they were adorned equally with the walls of the temple. Thanks to this, the entire temple was “surrounded” by a continuous and infinitely circular array of these most sacred and so significant depictions. The doors with their 2 or 4 leaves gave natural frames for these depictions.—“Before the portico” (literally “before the face of the portico,” Slavic “before the face of elam”) was a wooden av (Rus. “threshold”). What is meant by this word, used previously only in (1 Sam 7:6) in such a connection, opinions diverge. More probable than the meaning “threshold” (guess of the Rus. trans.; in 3 Kings “porch”) is the meaning “canopy,” necessary for the protection of the portico from wind and rain. That such canopies were customary at temples is shown by the temple cell of El-Amrita (Smend). LXX: σπουδαια ξυλα, “needed wood” (supply of firewood?), and in the thickness in 3 Kings, “thickness.” Vulgate. here grossiora ligna (threshold), but in 3 Kings epistytium. Targum: lower threshold.

Ezekiel 41:26. And windows with lattice-work and palm trees, on one side and the other, were on the sides of the portico and in the side chambers of the temple and on the wooden casing. The prophet had yet to speak of the interior decoration of the portico. This place, less sacred than the sanctuary and Holy of Holies, was already not adorned with depictions of cherubim, but only with lattice-work windows (LXX here “hidden”—see explanation of verse 16), which here due to the absence of cherubim and because they were lower, stood out more noticeably and occupied the place of those sacred depictions. On each of its two sides each window, like the cherub in the sanctuary, had palm trees (LXX “and proportions,” reading dalet instead of resh in the timorrim). Thus were adorned only the side walls (Rus. “on the sides,” Heb. kitpot, not kirot, generally “walls”) of the portico (k-k’, ii on plan 4), and also the side chambers of the temple (Heb. “house”; LXX: regions, πλευρα, of the temple) and some ubbim, a word defying explanation,—Rus. trans. “and on the wooden casing,” perhaps plural of av from verse 25. LXX: εζυγωμενα, that is, the chambers were joined to each other, to which the Slavic adds “with wood” (perhaps a doublet from reading av as etz),—a remark not without interest, but not in its proper place, although in chapter XLIII the speech is precisely about these chambers. * * * protrude

Chapter Forty-Two

The priestly chambers. 1–12. Their arrangement. 13–14. Their purpose. 15–20. The overall dimensions of the temple.

Ezekiel 42:1. And he brought me toward the outer court, the way toward the north; and he brought me to the chambers which were opposite the vacant space and opposite the building toward the north, Now the prophet was to be shown chambers that enclosed the holy house and its immediate surroundings from contact with everything mundane and unclean, chambers which constitute an intermediate step between the outer and inner court and serve the purpose of protecting the priests and their holy things from any contact with the people. The description of these chambers is full of obscurities, even greater than that of the House; thus in the depiction of the mysterious temple, difficulty and darkness continue to grow. To view these chambers, the prophet is led out (by whom, it is intentionally passed over in silence; see explanation of Ezek 40:17) from the sanctuary or its portico, where he was, into the outer court, because these chambers were turned toward the latter by their doors and portico and because only from it was it possible to view the two buildings described further, which from the inner court would hide each other. But according to the LXX, the prophet is led into the inner court (εσωτεραν, Slavic however “outer”), perhaps the LXX had in mind that part of the court which, lying between the square, strictly, of the inner court (plan 3—f-t’e-e) and the outer court on the sides of the inner gates could not be classed as either the outer or the inner court. Perhaps one of two identical and standing beside each other, incomprehensibly, words “way,” derekh, the first of which moreover with the article (literally “and he brought me to the outer court, by that way, by the way of the north”) and replaced unexpectedly by the LXX with “to the east,” is incomprehensible to us or corrupted as the nearest definition of this laoor. Since these chambers were on two sides of the temple and on each completely identical (verses 11, 12), it was sufficient to inspect one of these two groups. The northern group is chosen, as the northern part in the temple was more important than the southern (as also in Orthodox churches). Therefore the prophet goes “by the northern way,” that is, toward the northern inner gates and through them, and thereby reaches the chambers. The chambers, Heb. lishka (singular should be in collective sense), Gk. εξεδραι, Slavic “barriers,” Vulgate. gazophylacium, see explanation of (Ezek 40:44) and (Ezek 41:5). These chambers were certainly larger than the taim in the gates and the lishkot at the temple building. Their buildings (plan 3: G and G’) were located “opposite the vacant space,” gizra, (Ezek 41:12) (see about) “and opposite the building,” binyan. The latter word in (Ezek 40:5) is called the outer wall of the temple court, but in (Ezek 41:12) the large rear building behind the temple (plan 3: E). Since the latter indication is more apt here and since it adjoined the gizra, it is more natural to understand it here as binyan, as do the LXX, translating it by the same το διοριζον (Slavic “boundary,” in chapter XLI “partition”), as in chapter XLI, and not “vestibule” as in chapter XL. The Hebrew expression: “toward the chambers which are opposite the gizra and which are opposite binyan toward the north” permits, if not demands (Bertholet, Kraetzschmar), accepting two rows of such chambers (plan 3: besides G, G’ and H, H’; then binyan could mean both the outer wall, (Ezek 40:5). The Hebrew text does not indicate the number of chambers here, but the LXX names them 5, while the Alexandrian codex—15; the latter number (15 × 2) would correspond to the number of chambers in the outer court.

Ezekiel 42:2. toward that place which is at the north doors, a hundred cubits in length and fifty cubits in width. As usual, only the length and width of the building of chambers are indicated. But since no single building for the chambers is mentioned, and they could not form one building (which, apparently, is what the end of the preceding verse is meant to convey), this results in such a strangeness in the original designation of the size of the chambers: “and before” (that is, from the facade), Vulgate. in facie, Slavic “opposite the face, length one hundred cubits,” that is, the chambers had. This measure fully corresponded with the length of the temple (Ezek 41.13a), along which the building of chambers stretched (separated from it by the space muna, Ezek 41:10-11). But this correspondence could immediately suggest to the reader the thought that the portico of the chambers was turned toward the temple and gizra; the prophet prevents this thought by a remark compressed to obscurity: “doors (petah, properly opening, exit) of the north,” that is, the doors of the chambers, located along the stated length of their building, open toward the north. LXX: “opposite (κατα) the face (in Vat. and others instead of this just one preposition επι, agreed with the further πηχεις) a hundred cubits length to the north.” Rus. freely: “(he brought me) toward that place (that is, the place of chambers, assuming they did not form one building), which at the northern doors (its own?) has in length 100 cubits.” The width of the building or space occupied by the chambers, if they did not form one building, corresponded to the length of the gates (inner), along the side of which they stretched (Ezek 40:36), namely it was 50 cubits. If the chambers were in 2 buildings, then in this measure (for the sake of round number and for correspondence with the length of the gates) the space between 2 structures is also included (ill. 3: I, I’).

Ezekiel 42:3. Opposite the twenty cubits of the inner court and opposite the pavement which was on the outer court, were balconies facing each other on three stories. As though fearing obscurity, which was indeed unavoidable in a verbal description of such a complex architectural whole, the prophet once more, already in another manner, determines the location of the building or space of the priestly chambers in the system of the temple. It (the building or place) was located “opposite (neged) twenty,” of what is not indicated, but by the connection and context of the last word in verse 2 “cubits,” is clearly cubits, and evidently those 20 cubits which according to (Ezek 41:10) the muna, the chief part of the “inner court,” had in width. On the other hand, this building or place was located “opposite the pavement,” that stone pavement (rifzah, plan 3: y), which stretched along the outer wall of the temple platform “on the outer court” (Ezek 40:17-18) and which constituted the best part of that court, corresponded to the muna (or “20 cubits”) of the inner court. Now, when the location of the building or space of the priestly chambers is fully determined, the prophet can proceed to describe their arrangement. (The further thought of the verse is separated from the one expressed in the Heb. text by a large punctuation mark—athnach). The main thing that drew attention with these chambers was the symmetrical arrangement in them of those attics with which we have met more than once in the mysterious temple with (Ezek 40:15) (see about) and which, remaining a puzzle for interpreters, are considered, among other things, as “balconies” (Rus. trans.). These attics were located in shlishim, a notion again unknown (from the root “three”), but very probably understood as the three stories of the building, tiers (see explanation of Ezek 41:16; cf. Gen 6:16); according to Jerome: a symbol of the Trinity in Divinity.—According to the LXX, this verse “the chambers are arranged (that is, like the gates (verim, twenty, read as she’arim, gates) of the court of the inner and like the spaces between columns (περιστυλα see explanation of Ezek 40:17) of the outer court, arranged (εστοιχισμεναι, arranged in rows, that is, chambers), facing (αντιπροσωποι) toward the entrance vestibules, three,” στοαι τρισσαι—and opposite them or their facade, three-sided porticoes.

Ezekiel 42:4. And before the chambers ran a passage of ten cubits width to the inner side; and their doors faced north. Although the chambers, as we shall learn later (verses 4, 8), were placed in 2 separate buildings, the principal among them and the greater number were placed in one building (G, G’) stretching along the muna, so that the other group (H, H’) the prophet for now does not have in mind and occupies himself only with the first.—“Before (lifney, at the face, at the facade) the chambers,” more precisely between one block of chambers and another, “ran a passage (magarak, περιπατος, Slavic “passage,” deambulatio; plan 3: I, I’) of ten cubits width,” that is, as wide as the width of the gates (Ezek 40:11), because everything necessary for the sacrifice had to be conveyed through it from the rear building. By what this passage was marked off from the rest of the court, especially in that part of it which did not terminate in the second block of chambers (on plan 3 marked with a dotted line), is not indicated (perhaps by a paved way, Smend), but instead makes an incomprehensible remark: “and one cubit deep” (literally: to the inner, or to the inner way one cubit), which can be understood either as the passage in places, for instance in the doors of the building, deepened into the building by one more cubit, or as besides this passage there was inside, at the very building, another passage (sidewalk, panel) of 1 cubit, or better to read this remark according to some LXX manuscripts: “and length (orekh, length, close in spelling to derekh, way) of a hundred (meah instead of echad) cubits” (length of the temple). The doors of the chambers, the prophet continues his description, “face north,” not the temple, which one might more expect, which is why it is mentioned, although it follows naturally from the end of verse 1 (“to the north”) about the doors of the second block of chambers nothing is said, by the insignificance of these chambers, but their doors could not face north, because they would not then lead into the “passage,” but were already turned toward it.

Ezekiel 42:5. The upper chambers were smaller because the balconies took away space from them more than from the lower and middle chambers. The architecture of the chambers, that is, their building, represents a contrast to the architecture of the side chambers of the temple: those were widened upward (Ezek 41:7), these were narrowed; “the upper chambers are narrower (ketzurot, Isa 28:20, Vulgate. humiliora), because the balconies (attics, evidently protruding on the outer side; Vulgate. quae ex illis eminebant) took space from them (yokmu—ate into) compared to (me, comparative particle) the lower and middle chambers of this building” (binyan here already the building of chambers, which consequently was as little like a bayt, house, as the outer wall of the temple and the rear building, called by this word in Ezek 40:5). The LXX give a text of the verse strongly deviating from the Hebrew: “and the passages above, in like manner (the second story of chambers, correspondingly to the lower ones with the περιστυλα had—περιπατοι, a corridor around them), as (οτι, namely) the balcony (εξειχετο, protruded) from it, from the lower perystyle (the lower περιστυλον portico served as the base for the upper), and an interval (διαστημα—a simple passage without a colonnade?), thus a portico and interval and thus vestibules (στοαι δυο—so there were two porticoes?).

Ezekiel 42:6. They were arranged in three stories; they had no supporting pillars like those of the courts; this made them set back from the ground level as you went up. After the details in the building of the priestly chambers, the prophet gives a concluding general picture of the exterior appearance of the building. It was a three-story structure (meshulashot—of 3 parts, not shlishim as in verse 3; LXX: three-fold) and from the chambers in the court (outer where there were 30 chambers according to (Ezek 40:17) or inner with its 2 only chambers according to (Ezek 40:44) these chambers differed by the absence in them of pillars, about which, however, nothing was said in the description of those chambers; perhaps these “pillars” formed special porticoes at those chambers as in Herod’s temple and, undoubtedly, Solomon’s; in the present building these porticoes were probably replaced by attics, perhaps balcony-like protrusions. That is why (al-ken) the present building was narrowed (ne’etzal from atzal, to separate,—was arranged in steps) from the lower story to the middle, generally from its base (megaarets) upward (LXX: protruded, see explanation of verse 5). Such a construction of the building was convenient in that it less obstructed the temple from the outer court, which besides stood on an artificial elevation (Ezek 41:8).

Ezekiel 42:7. And the outer wall opposite the chambers, extending along the outer court in front of the chambers, was fifty cubits long; The description of the block of priestly chambers would be incomplete if the prophet did not say what relationship this block had to the outer court, that is,—if the prophet did not describe the northern half of that space the southern half of which was occupied, as now described by him (the right, northern block of priestly chambers). From the side of the outer court (Rus. trans. “from,” Heb. derekh, “way,” “in the direction of the outer court”) the facade of the chambers (el pnei halashachot) served (leummat, Vulgate. secundum; Rus. “opposite”) as the “outer wall” (literally wall which is outside), that is, the part of the wall of the inner court which in the prophet, however, is only presupposed (postulated from the existence of the inner gates, but is not indicated anywhere directly). This facade of the building (plan 3: H, H’) was fifty cubits long. Why not 100 cubits, when the main block (G, G’) of the priestly chambers was a hundred cubits long (verse 2), the following verse explains. LXX: “and light outside, as (ον τροπον) the barriers of the outer court looking opposite to the barriers that are to the north, length of 50 cubits,” that is, the chambers are lit by windows from the same side as opposite to them, that is, the described northern chambers, the chambers of the outer court (plan 3: z, z, z) and the length of this light side of the building—50 cubits.

Ezekiel 42:8. For the chambers on the outer court were fifty cubits long, while the area facing the temple was a hundred cubits long. The second “outer” (verse 7) block of priestly chambers (H, H’) was therefore only 50, not 100 cubits long, because besides it at (le, Rus. not accurately “on”) the outer court, namely along the first block of chambers (G, G’) there were still chambers a hundred cubits long (t’p, t’’p’), apparently intended for less sacred purposes and objects. These 50 cubits and 50 cubits length of the “outer” block fully corresponded to the length of the 1st block of chambers and the length of the space before the temple (muna), that is, 100 cubits. LXX more clearly and fully: “for the length of the barriers facing the outer court was fifty cubits, and those are opposite to them (the “barriers of the outer court” in verse 7), while (the length of these chambers and the “light” of verse 7) is a hundred cubits.”

Ezekiel 42:9. And below these chambers the way in from the east side, as one enters them from the outer court. Because the priestly chambers were located in the inner court, which was considerably elevated above the outer one, the way to them from this latter court, which was obviously the main way into them (t, t’), was “below,” that is, required climbing by a staircase and was turned, like the entire temple, toward the east. This way must have led directly to the outer, smaller block of chambers (H, H’) and was located at the eastern end of it (t, t’). LXX do not read “below.”

Ezekiel 42:10. On the south side also, opposite the courtyard and the building, there were chambers. The symmetrical arrangement of the temple leads one to expect that on the southern part of the inner court there will be such priestly chambers as on the northern. About them the prophet now speaks briefly (until now he has observed only the northern chambers). “On (that same) width,” so strangely the prophet begins the determination of the location of these chambers, clearly meaning by width the measurement of the court from north to south, as less important than from east to west (the expression corresponds to our “at that same geographical latitude”) “of the boundary of the court toward the east (that is, also turned with their main entrance toward the east, as the preceding chambers), unless here it is necessary to read with the LXX instead of kadim, east, the similar in form darom, south—before (elfnei) gizra (Rus. “vacant space,” see explanation of verse 1 and Ezek 41:12) and before the building (benyan see explanation of verse 1) (also) were chambers (lesachot see explanation of verse 1). LXX at the beginning of the verse see a continuation of the speech of the preceding verse about the entrance to the northern priestly chambers: “by (κατα) the light existing at the beginning of the passage” (του εν αρχη περιπατου), that is, the entrance to the chambers from the outer court (see end of the preceding verse) led into the light, the span of the first corridor of chambers (t); and then, according to the LXX, the description of the southern chambers begins: “and to the south (perhaps geder, wall, read as negev, south) on the face of the south (that is, and with the facade to the south) and (also, similarly to the northern chambers) opposite the other (gizra) and opposite the partition (binyan, see explanation of verse 1) and (also) barriers.”

Ezekiel 42:11. And the passages facing them had the same dimensions as the passages of the northern chambers, and the same length and width, with the same exits and arrangements and doors. The southern chambers were similar (literally “as the vision of chambers”) to the northern ones in all the particulars of their plan: in the passage between them (here derekh, way, instead of maglak, passage, of verse 4), in length, in width, in all (consequently there were many) exits (motzaheim not indicated in the first chambers, as self-evident and probably by the insignificance of them, why they are not named as doors) in arrangement (mishpeteheim—ordinances, purpose? Slavic “rotations,” επιτροφas, application? LXX add “and by their lighting” illumination, verse 7), by doors, that is, the principal, entrance ones, about which now in the following verse more in detail.

Ezekiel 42:12. The southern chambers had doors like the northern ones, and there was an entrance to them in front of the way that ran parallel to the wall going east. The doors to the priestly chambers, the prophet repeats, were the same in the southern chambers as in the northern ones (understood). “For an entrance to them (that is, the chambers; Heb. bevoan at the very end of the verse), a door at the beginning of the way” (literally “at the beginning of the way”), which went (in the Heb. expressed by the repetition of the word “way”) straight along the wall toward the east,” literally “at the face of the wall hagginah toward the east”; hagginah according to Talmudic hanun, fitting, is given the meaning “properly,” “exactly.” As we saw in verse 9, the main way to the priestly chambers (t and t’) was precisely in the wall of the inner court, in that part of its rectangle which stretched from west to east; consequently, the way to this entrance from the main way to the temple ran along this wall. Thus, the second half of the verse speaks in other expressions and more precisely with respect to the southern chambers of the same as verse 9 with respect to the northern ones. LXX, omitting the first Heb. word of the verse (“like doors”) consider the further words “of the barriers toward the south” as an explanation of the pronoun “them” of the preceding verse, and the second half of the verse have in the following changed form “by the doors from the beginning of the passage,” that is, the doors to the southern chambers are arranged according to those doors to the northern chambers, which are at the beginning of the corridor between them. “Like the light of the interval of a measuring reed,” ως επι φως διαστηματοσ καλαμου; “light,” as we saw in verse 7, in the LXX a synonym of the facade of the outer block of chambers; while the last two words—a construct absolute: the door (properly entrance, petah) to the chambers was arranged so that (ως) up to (επι) the facade of the block there remained still an interval of 1 reed or 6 cubits, so the length of the entrance porch was 6 cubits,—a supplement like the Masoretic text, but of a different kind, to the prior data about the chambers (communicated in the description of the northern group of them). “And to the east, their entrance,” that is, through it (οι αυτων) the entrance to the chambers, this only entrance to the chambers from the eastern, main side of the temple (from the western side as we saw, the chambers could communicate through a passage with the rear building of the temple). Jerome: “at the beginning of that way, that is, the eastern, which is open to those who enter is a door, and by which we would not be able to enter if it had not been open by Him who said: ‘I am the door’ and holds the key of David, and this door is to the vestibule, separated by the virtues of the saints.”

Ezekiel 42:13. And he said to me, “The northern and southern chambers opposite the open space are holy chambers, where the priests who approach the Lord shall eat the most holy offerings; there they shall put the most holy offerings, the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, for the place is holy.” The description of the priestly chambers (and with them of the entire temple) is finished, and now it is necessary to speak of their purpose. Both the northern and (in the Heb. no conjunction) the southern chambers, which are before the face of gizra (Rus. “vacant space” see explanation of Ezek 41:12: “opposite the face of the intervals,” διαστηματων, calling it thus, apparently, the same gizra because it appeared as an empty space between the temple and the chambers; plural, as there were two gizras), of this holiest place of the court, for that very reason “are holy chambers,” and their purpose must be sacred. This purpose is twofold: a) in them the priests, not all however, but only “those who approach God” (see explanation of Ezek 40:46), that is, “the sons of Zadok,” as the LXX added explanatorily here, consume “the holy of holies,” as the LXX accurately render the Hebrew expression, the greatest holy things, Rus. “the most holy offerings”; b) they are so called repeatedly in the Pentateuch, for instance, (Lev 2:3) and in Ezekiel (Ezek 44:1); but the Vulgate: “who approach God in the holy of holies,” that is, through the immediate proximity to the holy of holies in the sanctuary. But since these holy things can be consumed only in baked or boiled form, and the baking and boiling of them is done in a less sacred place of the temple (Ezek 46:19), in the present chambers they, these holy things, besides being consumed, are also laid (Heb. yanihu), that is, stored for preparation for their consumption. The course of the description suggests (Kraetzschmar) that they are consumed in the main block of chambers, adjoining the gizra and the more sacred one, and are stored in the less sacred one, adjoining the outer court, in which the priests, apparently, remove their liturgical vestments before going out to the people according to verse 14. What is “the greatest holy thing,” “the holy of holies,” which because of their holiness can be consumed only in a specially holy place of the temple, the prophet after precise and generally known indications on this subject in the Pentateuch could not say, but he nonetheless gives a brief enumeration of these holy things: this (ve, “and” before this enumeration, consequently, has an explanatory sense, that is) the “grain offering,” mincha, Slavic “offering,” Vulgate oblationem (Lev 2:1) and others), the “sin offering,” chattath, “that which is for sins” (Lev 4:3) and the “guilt offering,” asham, “that which is for transgression” (Lev 5:19). The remnants of these offerings consumed by the priests were regarded as so sacred both in Moses’ law that only male offspring of the priests—future priests (Num 18:10) were allowed to eat them. In the prophet Ezekiel the holiness of them is heightened, or, at any rate, is clearly depicted, through the fact that for eating them the holiest place of the temple is set aside. Compare (Num 18:9). From such holy purpose the present chambers, as it were, gain additional holiness; hence the addition: “this (ki, “because”) place is holy.” “The greatest holiness must be eaten by sacred persons in a sacred place” (Bertholet).

Ezekiel 42:14. When the priests enter, they shall not go out of the holy place into the outer court without laying aside the garments in which they ministered, for these are holy; they shall put on other garments and then approach the part of the people.” The second purpose of the sacred chambers is to serve for the changing of vestments of the priests. In them they are to remove the sacred vestments in which they served before going out to the court among the people, so that, as (Ezek 44:19) adds, “they touch the people with their sacred vestments” (and become defiled by any chance defilement in the people); in these same chambers, undoubtedly, though not mentioned here, the priests also vested themselves in the liturgical vestments, which according to (Ezek 44:17) was done at the “gates of the inner court.” Thus carefully are the priests protected not only from approaching defilement and sin, but from everything worldly, however innocently and purely it may be. Thus the idea of Divinity is protected from admixture with anything created, as it is protected in Christianity, and partially also in post-exilic Judaism.—“When the priests enter,” according to the Hebrew the concise bevoan, upon their entrance.—“And then approach those of the people,” literally “and then draw near to that which is of the people.” The priests, only after removing their liturgical vestments, can come into contact with the people and with all the belongings of the latter—with the place where it stands, with the objects brought by it, and so forth. LXX: “let no one enter there except the priests, and let them not go out from the holy (directly, bypassing the priestly chambers to the outer court), so that they may always be holy, those who minister (προσαγοντες can mean both “who approach,” that is, to God, corresponding to Heb. karav, to approach), and let no one (outsiders) touch (their) vestments in which they serve, because they are holy, but let them put on other vestments, when they touch people.”

Ezekiel 42:15. When he had finished measuring the inner temple, he led me out by the way of the east gate, and measured its extent all around. “When,” Heb. ve, and, “he had finished,” that is, the Angel: Heb. kolla without a subject, which is why the LXX: “and the measurement was completed”; “the inner temple,” literally “the inner house,” that is, the building of the sanctuary and Holy of Holies with all its adjacent structures to which, consequently, the priestly chambers, measured last, belong. Now, when the entire temple is measured within its walls, the measurement of its external circumference is undertaken. For this the prophet is led out (“led” without a subject, see explanation of Ezek 40:17) from the temple by the eastern gates, by which the prophet was also led into the temple (Ezek 40:17). “And measured its extent all around,” literally “round about, round about”—further 4 measurements. The pronoun is placed not being able to cause any doubt as to its sense, in view of the difficulty of placing here a noun: to say temple (bayt) or court (hetzer) would be not precise, as also wall (binyan), because the size of the whole is given.

Ezekiel 42:16. He measured the east side with the measuring reed, and it was five hundred reeds; Each side (ruah, properly spirit, direction of the wind; see explanation of Ezek 1:12) of the sacred square measured, according to the Masoretic text, 500 reeds, that is, 6 × 500 = 3000 cubits, but according to the LXX (verses 17 and following) 500 cubits. Five hundred cubits as both width and length of the temple are given exactly by all the preceding data taken together. Width: 50 × 4 cubits length of the 4 gates (Ezek 40:21) + 100 × 2 distance between outer and inner gates (Ezek 40:23) + 100 width of the inner court (Ezek 40:47). Length: 50 × 2 length of the gates (Ezek 40:15) + 100 between both gates (Ezek 40:19) + 100 of the inner court (Ezek 40:47) + 100 of the temple (Ezek 41:13) + 100 of the space behind the temple (Ezek 41:13). This casts doubt on the correctness of the Masoretic reading. It could have arisen from the text which the LXX had, through the fact that in this verse it did not have the name of the measure at 500 (“and he measured five hundred with the measuring reed”) or by the similarity of Heb. meoth, (five) hundred, with amoth, cubits. However, the possibility of the correctness of the Masoretic reading is not excluded. Then the 3000-cubit square will be a special sacred place, surrounded by a special wall of verse 20 with the purpose to more sharply separate the temple’s holiness from the approaches of anything worldly. The Talmud (tractate Middoth) counts in Solomon’s temple, undoubtedly on the basis of this text, 500 cubits in the square (Trochon). Herod’s temple, according to Josephus, was one stade, that is, 400 square cubits (Smend, A. Olesnitsky considers the latter date wrongly, either intentionally or unintentionally. Old Chr. 336). At the beginning of the verse the LXX add to the Masoretic text: “and he stood behind the gates, facing east.” The last word of the Heb. text saviv, round about (Rus. “altogether”), indeed as it were not fitting here, as the measurement is made in only one direction. The LXX, reading vesvav “and turned” refer it to the following verse.

Ezekiel 42:17. on the north side he measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed; Ezekiel 42:18. on the south side he measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. Ezekiel 42:19. He turned toward the west and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. The same difference in the naming of the measure at 500 (reeds and cubits) between the Heb. text and the LXX and, besides, in the Heb. after the north side the south is measured, but in the LXX the west (named in the LXX exactly according to the Heb. “toward the sea”); from the north to the south wall of the temple one could pass only along the west (or the east, already measured); the west could be placed at the end as the lowest (see explanation of Ezek 1:4). Instead of saviv, round about (Rus. “altogether”) in the LXX again “and he turned.”

Ezekiel 42:20. On all four sides he measured its outer wall; it was five hundred reeds long and five hundred reeds wide, to separate the holy place from the common ground. If the square was 500 reeds, as according to the Heb. text, then the “wall” surrounding it was a separate one, compared with the one described in (Ezek 40:5), and stood at a distance of 1250 cubits from it. Then the mysterious temple would occupy such a vast area as to be able to “embrace not only the temple mount, but all the ancient Jerusalem” (Olesnitsky, Old Chr. 335). If, however, as according to the LXX, the square was 500 cubits, then the wall named here was the wall of the outer court, whose height and thickness are measured in (Ezek 40:5). In either case, it is characteristic that according to the prophet, everything outside the temple is unholy, Heb. khol; Vulgate. vulgi locum, but according to the LXX only “what is outside in the arrangement (διαταξει) of the temple” (caused by the structure of the temple). It should be sharply distinguished from the holy. Nothing created should be mixed with Divinity. “All the interest of the prophet is fixed on the temple and without the temple the world is for him a wilderness” (Bertholet); more precisely, not “without the temple,” but without God.

Chapter Forty-Three

The Lord in His temple and His altar. 1–12. The return of the Lord to the temple. 13–17. The altar. 18–27. The ordinance for the consecration of the altar.

Ezekiel 43:1. Then he brought me to the gate facing east. The prophet with his heavenly guide is located since (Ezek 42:19) outside the space occupied by the temple, on the western (according to the Heb. text) or southern (according to the LXX) side of this space. From here he is led (“led” without subject, see explanation of Ezek 40:17) “to the gates,” about which at first is not said which ones, consequently, to the gates κατ εξοχην, the eastern ones, which however the prophet now and clarifies: “to those gates (repetition, as Ezek 42:12), which are facing east.” Through these gates, as the principal ones, God was to enter His temple.

Ezekiel 43:2. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the east, and His voice was like the sound of many waters, and the earth was bright with His glory. Now the most important moment of the present vision (hence “behold”—see explanation of Ezek 1:15): the “glory of the God of Israel,” which in the prophet Ezekiel is a synonym for God Himself (see explanation of Ezek 2:1), “came from the east,” whither it had departed in (Ezek 11:23). The place of the dwelling of paradise and the place of God’s first manifestation on earth, the east was the most natural starting point for the procession of God, “the Sun of Righteousness, to whom the name is East” (Maldonenus). The prophet does not at once indicate the form in which the Glory of God came now, but the two most important ways of its manifestation or procession in this case are common to chapter I. The procession of it made itself known simultaneously to hearing and sight, being perceived thus at once by all the chief senses of man, by his entire being. “His voice was like the sound of many waters”—from the series of corresponding comparisons (Ezek 1:24) the first is chosen, as the most characteristic (compare Rev 1:15). The LXX give an expansive periphrasis: “and the voice of the host (παρεμνολης, camp, an addition according to Gen 22:3; see explanation of Ezek 1:24), as the voice of those multiplying (διπλασιαζοντων) much” (any multitude, if doubled?). For vision the glory of God made itself known, naturally, by light, as in (Ezek 1:4); (compare 13), for “God dwells in inaccessible light” (1 Tim 6:16) and is the Father of lights. By this light of God’s glory the earth was now made bright, not such a small space as in (Ezek 10:4) the court of the temple, but in general the “earth,” plunged heretofore in deep darkness (Isa 60:1-2).

Ezekiel 43:3. This was the vision I saw when I came to destroy the city, and the visions were like the vision I saw by the River Kebar. And I fell upon my face. The present vision of the prophet was, so to speak, the common vision of his life, repeated more than once (the beginning of the verse literally “and as the vision, this vision, which I saw”; LXX do not have “as the vision”). Beyond the present occasion, the prophet had this vision at two other places and at two important moments (by reason of the most solemn reiteration: “exactly such as which I saw,” literally “as the vision (noun already the 3rd time in the verse), which I saw,”—the verb already the 2nd time). 1) “when I came (Heb.: “I”; but the Vulgate and Jerome “He”) to destroy (literally; “when I came to destroy, to kill—the prophet represents himself as himself destroying Jerusalem, as in (Ezek 22:18); (Jer 1:10)) the city”; 2) on the river Chebar; again reiteration “and visions” (plural because of the complexity of the vision; LXX: “and vision of the chariot, which I saw,” which indicates that before the prophet there now repeated the entire Chebar vision with cherubim, this wise chariot of Divinity, and the wheels, and not part of the vision, for instance, He Who Sat Upon the throne), like the visions (singular; 5th time in the verse a noun), which I saw” (3rd time verb). It is not mentioned that the same vision occurred in (Ezek 3:23), as it, being so soon after the first and representing an exact repetition of it, and having moreover only the purpose of final confirmation of the prophet in his decision to begin his ministry, was by essence identical with the Chebar one: it was a call to prophecy. The vision of chapters VIII-XI is called first, as more akin to the present one in meaning.—“And I fell upon my face”—see explanation of Ezek 2:1.

Ezekiel 43:4. And the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the way of the gate facing east. Ezekiel 43:5. And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple. “As soon as Ezekiel is within the domain of God’s glory, the agent which determines his actions, not his own will, but the supernatural ruach, Spirit” (Bertholet). The prophet is brought into the inner court so that he may be assured that the glory of God has returned to the temple and fills it, probably in a manner similar to (1 Sam 8:1) and following, (Exod 40:34) and following. For this same reason the prophet cannot be brought into the temple itself.

Ezekiel 43:6. And I heard someone speaking to me from the temple, while the man stood beside me. Now the prophet receives revelation. It is given to him not as the previous explanations, which were accompanied by the “man”—the Angel; when the “man” (it is remarkable that in the Heb. without the article: this may be, a sign of the prophet’s uncertainty, whether it is the same man who led him, or simply explained by the later writer’s freedom in the use of the article) stood beside the prophet, the latter hears “someone speaking” (in the Heb. one participle; LXX: “and I stood, and behold a voice from the temple speaking”) to him from the temple (literally “from the house,” the building of the sanctuary and Holy of Holies), that is, of course, from the Holy of Holies; deliberately, as in (Ezek 2:2), the speaker is not indicated. To hear this voice, incidentally, the prophet was brought into the inner court, as in (Ezek 44:4).

Ezekiel 43:7. And He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever; and the house of Israel shall no more defile My holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their harlotry and by the corpses of their kings at their high places.” From the “Speaker” the prophet receives revelation, which is the seed and essence of all this part of the book. The temple examined by the prophet and measured in his presence will be the place (in the Heb. accusative without governing verb; therefore the LXX: “Did you see the place?”) of God’s very throne, such a place as only heaven had been formerly. In it God will dwell directly (“the place for the soles of My feet”—an intensification of the expression: “the place of My throne”). This dwelling became possible because the “house of Israel shall no more defile the holy name” of God. This defilement was produced from two sides and was of two kinds. Besides the fact that, defiling God’s name, the whole people together (“they”), defiled it, in particular, the kings of Israel defiled it. The former did this by “harlotry” (usually in Ezekiel the designation of idolatry; compare chapters VIII, XVI, XXIII). The latter, not limiting themselves to this defilement (common to them with the people), so to speak, perpetual in life, extended it beyond the limits of earthly life, defiling the temple by the proximity to it of the corpses of their dead, which they ordered to be buried apparently in some place in immediate proximity to the temple. Already David and Solomon were buried not outside the city, but in the “city of David” (1 Sam 2:10), that city, on one of the hills of which the temple stood, namely in the south-west part of Zion (Nehem 3:16). Although the author of the book of Kings speaks of this without a hint of disapproval, this perhaps is because the concept of ceremonial defilement was not then so refined. The kings Manasseh and Amon, however, were apparently buried still closer to the temple, in some “garden of Uzza” (2 Sam 21:18). According to the opinion of the rabbis, in the prophet Ezekiel here precisely the speech is about the place of burial of Manasseh and Amon. The royal gardens were located in the lowland near Siloam, at the intersection of the valleys of Hinnom and Jehoshaphat. This was beside the temple itself. “On their high places,” Heb. bamotam, “their burial mounds”; if one reads bemotam, then “at their death” (Targum, Symmachus). LXX: “in the murders of their elders in their midst” (executions).

Ezekiel 43:8. They set their threshold by My threshold, and their doorposts beside My doorposts, with only a wall between Me and them, and they defiled My holy name by the abominations which they committed, wherefore I have consumed them in My anger. The kings were buried in such offensive proximity to the temple, because they lived—their palaces were (and the kings often were buried in the palaces) in so insulting a proximity to the temple that the thresholds and doorposts of the royal palace and temple immediately adjoined each other. It is remarkable that this proximity is not excused in the sight of God and the prophet by the fact that the royal palace was older than the temple, and consequently earlier occupied its place. “Here is not meant the proximity with the temple of the city, although the latter in the prophet is removed from the new temple to 1/3 of a mile: (Ezek 45:1) and following (Smend). This proximity would not have been so offensive if the palace adjacent to the temple had not been defiled by “abominations” (Slavic “in iniquities”) of various kinds, but chiefly by idolatry. For the latter in particular God “consumed them”—Israel and its kings “in My anger,” called forth by the abominations and the proximity of them to the temple.

Ezekiel 43:9. Now let them remove their harlotry and the corpses of their kings from Me, and I will dwell in their midst forever.” God repeats, as a sign of immutability, His promise that Israel will remove from Him both its abominations and even the tombs of its kings (“corpses” the LXX: “the murders of their elders”), which will make the dwelling of God among Israel eternal.

Ezekiel 43:10. You, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities, and let them measure the plan. The vision of the temple, even more mysterious than the vision of chapter I, must not, however, remain a personal revelation to the prophet. The latter is to make it public. Upon the house of Israel this revelation should produce a shattering effect: “let them be ashamed (Rus. “so that they be ashamed,” LXX: “and let them depart from sins”; Vulgate et confundatur) of their iniquities, and let them measure the plan” (Rus.: “so that they measure,” Vulgate metiantur fabricam): LXX † “and his vision and his arrangement”: two actions, evidently closely related to each other. The Hebrews will then be ashamed of iniquities when they measure the temple as the angel has measured it before the prophet. To measure in this case means to understand the plan of this mysterious building. When will the house of Israel show itself capable of such understanding is not said.

Ezekiel 43:11. And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, show them the design of the temple and its arrangement, its exits and entrances and all its designs and all its statutes and all its laws; and write it down in their sight, so that they may keep the whole design and all its statutes and carry them out. The mentioned action and its condition: shame for behavior and measurement of the temple—have also a reverse order: to understand the arrangement of the temple, and especially to carry it out, will be possible for Israel only “if they are ashamed (LXX: “and they will accept punishment”; instead of “him,” if, read gem, they, evidently disturbed by the reverse in comparison with verse 10 of the order of condition and consequence; so also the Vulgate: et erubescant) of all that they did” (not only that indicated in verse 8, but all the evil). Under this condition, the prophet can only acquaint the people with the mysterious temple: without this condition, its vision, though recorded and read by the people, will have no meaning for them, will be a riddle and strange, as it appears to many to this day. Under this same condition, all in the described temple will be understood by the people, perhaps shown to it (“show,” yada, make known). Then in detail it is indicated what in the mysterious temple should be shown the people and understood (yada) by them: 1) “the design of the temple,” tzurat bayt. Tzura in the present enumeration named 4 times (Rus. transmits by words: “design,” “outline,” “image,” “outline”) and not used elsewhere, if we do not consider it identical with tzur (Ps 58:18), transmitted by Rus. “power,” Slavic “help” and having a kethiv (variant) tzir according to (Isa 45:16) “idol,” that is, image; on this basis the present word is also assigned the latter meaning. The LXX consider it a verb, reading probably tzarta, “and you shall paint the temple.” Apparently, may be meant the external appearance (Vulgate. figuram) of the temple in distinction from its internal plan, denoted by; 2) “its arrangement,” Heb. tekunato, LXX: “and its preparation,” ετοιμασιαν, which the Vat. and others do not have. Vulgate. fabricae (definition for the preceding). Parallel with the general appearance and plan of the temple there must be shown (and were previously described), that is, with special detail, the most important particulars in the temple, such are: 3) “its exits” and 4) “its entrances,” because they determine for the temple the most careful protection from any defilement, that is, from the approach to it not only of all sinful, but also of the mundane; therefore, the entire description of the temple was, in essence, the description of these exits and entrances, meaning by them not only the gates, but also the portico, the chambers for the priests, and the rear building of the temple. 5) “All its outlines” is the same tzura as under № 1; incomprehensible repetition in the plural; LXX: “and its being”; Vulgate.: “descriptionem”. 6) “And all its statutes,” Heb. hukkotav, LXX: “commands,” praecepta, ordinances, which should be performed in the temple, not yet described, the description of which will be now and in the following chapters. 7) “And all its images,” again tzurato, already omitted by the LXX, Vulgate. ordinem, in view of which also for its similarity to the following word “torotav,” its laws, it is considered an insertion by a copyist (De Lagarde noted that when a copyist could not read the first letter of a word, he placed beside it two possible readings); 8) “All its laws,” so also in Slavic, Vulgate leges, laws, perhaps those concerning sacred persons and their behavior in the temple, and laid out in chapter XLIV, or perhaps all the important laws of the temple, contained in all the present section of the book, including chapters XLV-XLVIII. All this the prophet must not only announce (yada) to the people, but also “write it down before their eyes,” in view of the special importance of the revelation, for firm keeping of it, and because it is appointed not so much for contemporaries as for future generations. But not to know and penetrate only with the mind must Israel into all this most mysterious revelation: it must “keep” and “do” (literally “make,” Vulgate. faciant) these “outlines” (again tzurato) and “laws” of the temple; from the eight points enumerated, one main from each of two classes of them is named: the structure of the temple and the cult in it. How Israel can keep these “outlines,” and especially “perform” them (the “laws” of the temple, described in chapters XLIV-XLVIII, cannot literally be carried out), is not explained by the prophet, of course because it could not then be explained, any more than now. To warn the reader from the literal understanding of the prophet’s expression that Israel should after captivity literally carry out in Palestine the prophet’s designs, the LXX changed here the pronoun “his” (of the temple) to “Mine” (in Heb. the pronominal suffixes “i” and “o” are very similar): “and they shall furnish all My righteousness and all My commandments, and shall do them.”

Ezekiel 43:12. This is the law of the temple: all its territory round about on the top of the mountain shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the temple. After mention of the “laws” of the temple, the most important of these laws is named, on which all the rest “hang” (LXX: “and the description of the temple,” reading tor instead of gora, but at the end of the verse: “this is the law of the temple”): this is the greatest holiness—the “holy of holies”—not only of the temple, but of the whole space of the mountain round about the temple (see explanation of Ezek 40:2; compare Ezek 42:20). Divinity should not be mixed with anything created and mundane; and not only it, but also all connected with it and partaking of it (compare the Orthodox understanding of the holiness of holy things, imparted to them only from God, in opposition to pagan demigods and the modern idea of some kind of ecclesiastical deification, at variance with the deification of the one Son of God alone).

Ezekiel 43:13. These were the measurements of the altar by cubits (the cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth): its base was one cubit high and one cubit wide, and its border around its edge one span; and this was the height of the altar; The prophet has already described the temple. Now he can proceed to depict the cult performed in this mysterious temple. A transition to this second part of the present vision is the description of the altar. “The altar” (Slavic “furnace”), about which until now only brief mention was made at its place (Ezek 40:47), is the most essential part of the temple for the people, inasmuch as through it it mediates the people’s communion with God, raises the people’s sacrifices to God and brings down God’s grace upon the people. Therefore, it deserved no less careful, than anything in the temple, a measurement (description), and this measurement is most suitably placed here as a transition to the description of the cult. In that this measurement of the altar is given separately from the description of the whole temple, the altar is placed on the same level as the whole temple, appears as something independent and self-valuable beside it, which it was in antiquity, often taking the place of the temple.—In view of the importance of the measurement, it is repeated before it the definition of the unit of measurement given in (Ezek 40:5): “and behold, the measurements of the altar by cubits, the cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth,” literally: “in cubits; a cubit: a cubit and a handbreadth”; LXX concisely: “in a cubit, a cubit and a palm.” The measurement of the altar begins with its hek,—a term of unknown, even to the ancients, meaning. The LXX render it here κολπωμα, “bosom,” in verse 14 κοιλωμα, “hollow,” in verse 17 κϋκλωμα, “enclosure,” consequently, assign it, as in the Vulgate. sinus, the meaning of some kind of depression on the altar or at the altar, into which, evidently, the blood had to flow (so that it would not wet the clothes of the priests, and from it through underground pipes into the Kidron. Haneb. Älth. 1869, 5. 303. Smend). But the Targum assigns to the word the meaning of foundation, base of the altar (so also Rus.: “base”), and Kraetzschmar unites these meanings so that the channel for blood flow was made in the foundation of the altar. As to the measure of the hek, it is given in two directions, but the first is not named, and simply said: “hek of a cubit”; whether the hek was a channel for blood flow or a foundation, the expression is equally clear: in the first case, it could mean only depth (a big one!), and in the second case—height, because further width is indicated. This width also was a cubit. The LXX supplement the Hebrew text; “bosom of depth, a cubit (not in Gk.) of a cubit and a cubit in width,” that is, the channel was 1 cubit in depth and 1 cubit in width. See the diagram abcd. After the channel (or: foundation) the measure of gevul, Rus. “border,” is indicated, LXX γεισος, “ledge,” Vulgate. definitio, that is, a border. This border, belonging, as shown by its feminine gender (omitted in the LXX and Rus. trans.) to the hek, not the altar (which in Heb. is masculine), went around its edges (literally “to its lips,” LXX “its opening,” Vulgate. ad labium ejus, which speaks for the first meaning of hek), evidently restraining the blood from spilling from the hek and directing it along it. See diagram bc. Its measure (not indicated in which direction; rather in height than in width) was “a span,” Heb. zeret, also in (Exod 28:16); (1 Sam 17:4); (Isa 40:12), a word probably of Egyptian origin (dzrt—hand),—but verse 17—1/2 cubit. And “behold, the gab of the altar” the prophet concludes this description; if to attribute to the word gab its usual meaning, back, “rear side” (Rus. trans.), the expression will be incomprehensible; therefore Vulgate. fossa (ditch around the altar), while the LXX, reading govag and translating: “and thus the height of the furnace,” relate the expression to the following verse. Perhaps by the time of Ezekiel gab had acquired a different meaning, for instance, a plinth, foundation, or projection (here perhaps a lower one?).

Ezekiel 43:14. From the base on the ground up to the lower ledge shall be two cubits, with a width of one cubit; and from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge shall be four cubits, with a width of one cubit. The altar was constructed in steps, and the described hek (abcd-qpo), foundation or channel of it, was its first step. Each of the next 2 steps was the same width (that is, it also projected one cubit bd, ef, gh), but twice the height of the previous one: the hek was 1 cubit high (a, b), the second step is 2 cubits (de), and the third is 4 cubits (fg). This is expressed in the prophet, as is all in this mysterious vision, with some singularity. “From the base, which is in the earth,” literally: “from hek of the earth,” that is, from the lower hek (perhaps in distinction from the hek of verse 17; LXX freely “from the depth (?, that is, the beginning of the hollow”) “to the lower ledge,” that is, evidently, up to the place where the lower, 2nd step of the altar begins—“two cubits, with a width (consequently, height was indicated) of it (the lower step) of one cubit” (ef). The Heb. azara, translated here according to context and according to the Vulgate. (crepido—cliff) as “ledge,” in (2 Chr 4:9), as in the Mishnah and Targum, means the court of the temple; from Assyr. ezeru, to bound, ezurtu, boundary, it can mean casing, facing, frame (also verses 17, 20; (Ezek 45:19). From the “azara small,” the prophet continues his description of the mysterious altar, calling the same step (“lower”) small because of its twice smaller height in comparison to the following, up to azara great (Rus.: “from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge 4 cubits (fg) with width (consequently, height was indicated) of it one cubit” (gh). The idea of these ledges could be that they protected the holiness of the sacrifice from the approach of all unclean, chiefly from the body of the priest. It is not without thought that to them is given the same name as to the courts of the temple, which protect it from the same. Characteristic is the naming of these ledges also in the LXX: expiation, ιλαστηριον: as the cover of the ark they were not only sprinkled, but continuously watered and washed with the blood of sacrificial animals.

Ezekiel 43:15. The altar proper, the hearth, shall be four cubits high; and from the altar hearth shall ascend four horns. Upon the described second part of the altar rested the third, upper and most sacred part of it, the altar in the proper sense. To this part is assigned the name breathing with sacred antiquity, garyeal, literally “mountain of God,” according to the keri and further description, ariel (LXX and here “Ariil”), “hearth of God” (compare Isa 29:1-2) and the inscription of Mesha: “I took from Ataroth the ariel of David”; it can also mean “lion of God”; if “l” is a flexion, then simply “hearth”; perhaps gareEl is a folk corruption of ariel). This most sacred part of the altar was of the same height as the second part—4 cubits (hi). Like the altar of the tabernacle and temple, the present altar, more precisely its gareEl or ariel, had 4 horns, symbols of strength and abundance. To them, perhaps, were bound the animals offered in sacrifice. Such horns had themselves Egyptian altars (Trochon), consequently, this was a natural symbol in the altar. The LXX read instead of arba, four, ama, cubit: the horns of 1 cubit, in which case the number of horns is not indicated as self-evident.

Ezekiel 43:16. The altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long and twelve cubits wide, square on its four sides. Now, having indicated the height of the three component parts of the altar, the area, length, and width are indicated, and this measurement is given, naturally, in reverse order, from the upper side, with which the measurement of height ended, to the lower. The upper part of the altar, its ariél (Slavonic «ariil», Russian «altar»; not gareel as in verse 15, see explanation), represented a square, which was always considered perfect on account of its regularity (Rev 21:16), 12 cubits (“cubits” are not named in the Hebrew text as self-evident: the LXX has them) in length and width (il). Literally from the Hebrew: “12 length, 12 width, quadrangular on 4 sides,” – a descriptive expression of the concept of a square; 12 is a symbolic number. Moses’ altar was 5 × 5 (Exod 27:1).

Ezekiel 43:17. And on the base platform fourteen cubits in length and fourteen in width on all four sides of it, and around it a border of half a cubit, and its foundation a cubit around, and steps to it on the east. From the earlier proportions (verse 13, 14) it follows that the “base platform,” Hebrew azara, LXX “cleansing place,” namely the upper of the 2 azara (see explanation of verse 14) will be 2 cubits wider than the altar proper, the ariél, that is, a square (“on all four sides of it” see explanation of verse 16) of 14 × 14 cubits (“cubits” again are not named). Although this follows from the measurements of verse 14, the prophet, precise in his description, says this still about the upper “platform” (azara), but does not speak about the lower (en 16 l.), still more because the lower foundation of the altar, on account of its small height, was not so visible. Instead the prophet, by repeating the measure for the very lowest foundation (hek) Slavonic “border” and the border (gevul), Slavonic “enclosure” (see explanation of these terms in verse 13), returns at the end of his description to its beginning. The width of the altar at its lowest foundation (12 c., ariél + 2 cubits of upper projections + 2 cubits of lower projections + 2 c. heks) – 18 c. stands in relation 3 to its height, (1 c. hek + 2 c. 1 azara + 4 c. 2nd + 4 c. ariél + 1 c. horns according to LXX) 12 cubits, a relationship beloved by Ezekiel (Ezek 41:22). Prof. Muretov finds that Ezekiel’s altar “not only by its terrace-like construction and threefold number of steps, but even by the ratio of the heights of steps to each other and to the overall height of the altar, presents mathematically precise correspondence with the proportions between the heights of different parts of Solomon’s temple, – thus: the foundation or plinth of the temple comprises 1/6 of the overall height of the building (60:10); likewise the lower or foundational step of the altar relates to the overall height of the altar as 2 to 12 or 1/6” (Old Chr. 367). In the opinion of Prof. Olesnitsky, Ezekiel’s altar served as a model for the post-captivity altar, which in comparison with it was merely doubled in scale: according to Midd. III, 1 it had at its foundation 32 square cubits, and the upper board 24 square; the 1st step, called yesod, was 1 cubit from the pavement, and the 2nd step, sobek, 5 cubits from this (Old Chr 483). – The verse concludes with indication of steps to the altar, which apparently is presupposed on a slope; the steps, the number of which is not indicated, led to the altar from the eastern, front side. In the altar of the tabernacle, standing on level ground, contrary steps were forbidden: Exod 20:26. And in general the appearance of the altar deviates both from Exod 27:1-8 and from 2 Chr 4:1, thereby signifying its newness pertaining to the new covenant.

Ezekiel 43:18. And he said to me, son of man! Thus says the Lord God: behold, the ordinances of the altar, for the day when it shall be made, for offering upon it whole burnt offerings and for sprinkling upon it blood. In the altar, this central part of the temple, the instrument of God’s sanctification to the people, as are its dimensions, the manner of its sanctification is important. Since concerning the sanctification of the mystical temple the prophet speaks nothing, and the sanctification of the altar is described in detail, then the latter, obviously, takes the place of the former, is equivalent to it. The ordinance of sanctification of the altar, called by the prophet “ordinances of the altar” (Slavonic “precepts of the ritual”), because only by sanctifying the altar does it deserve its name, is proclaimed to the prophet (“he said”), by whom is not indicated (as in verse 6, see explanation) – with the warning 1) that this is God’s word (solemn formula “Thus says the Lord God,” – there is not even one in verse 7; and in the present section it is for the first time); 2) that this ordinance is subject to fulfillment “on the day” (tame, and LXX precisely from the Hebrew: Russian “on the day”), when the altar “shall be made,” and it will be made, certainly, not before the mystical temple exists, unless it also arises after the temple itself; 3) that the purpose of the altar: a) the offering upon it of whole burnt offerings, that is, the burning upon it completely of this holiest sacrifice and others, which are understood under its name as the principal, b) the sprinkling (Slavonic “to be poured”) upon it with blood, that is, the pouring of blood upon it, – the second component part of every sacrifice, which in certain kinds replaced the burning of them on the altar.

Ezekiel 43:19. To the priests of the tribe of Levi, those of the line of Zadok, who draw near to Me, to minister to Me, says the Lord God, give a young bull of the herd for a sin offering. The sanctification of the altar, as an inanimate thing, or what is the same – its cleansing from all defilement, must be reduced, or at least begun, with the cleansing of its servants. Therefore its sanctification begins with the offering of a sin offering (see explanation of Ezek 42:13) of the priests. But the new priesthood, remarks the prophet here, is not entirely identical with the ancient one; its scope has changed (as if to increase its sanctity): it is composed not of the whole posterity of Aaron, but only of the line of Zadok, owing to the apostasy of other branches (see explanation of Ezek 40:46). A sin offering, different for different classes of society, for priests is appointed the largest, most honorable and consequently holiest – a young bull (Lev 8:14; Exod 29:1; cf. also Ezek 1:7).

Ezekiel 43:20. And take of its blood and put it on the four horns of it and on the four corners of the base, and on the border all around, and so cleanse it and consecrate it. The sanctification of the altar itself must consist in sprinkling sacrificial blood on all the most prominent parts of it; not only a) on the horns, which were sprinkled with blood also according to Mosaic legislation (Exod 29:12), but also b) on the corners, that is, also a kind of horns, of the platform, azara, the word translated in verse 14 (see explanation) as projection (here all of them are designated collectively) and c) on the border, gevul (see explanation of verse 13). The blood of sprinkling signifies, according to Jerome, “the blood of the Savior; that four horns of the altar are sprinkled, this signifies four parts of the world; that the border of the cleansing place, or the foundation all around, is sprinkled, this signifies the cleansing of all and that this cleansing is firm.” By such sprinkling the altar will not only be cleansed (is there not in view, Smend thinks, a prescription Exod 20:25, violated in the construction of the present altar?), but also sanctified. The rites of sanctification God commands the prophet to perform, which cannot be understood in the direct sense in which it was once commanded to Moses, but in the sense of prophecy: 2nd person singular instead of 3rd person plural, which is why the LXX almost everywhere put 3rd person plural: “will take,” “will lay.” And so further.

Ezekiel 43:21. And take the bull for a sin offering, and burn it in a prescribed place of the house, outside the sanctuary. According to Mosaic law, the sin offering, as carrier of uncleanness, was burned outside the camp. This present mystical sacrifice also must be burned outside the sanctuary: but on the other hand, it should be, as more sacred than the Mosaic, not entirely outside the temple, but in a special place of it (“House”), called by the prophet miphkad, a word which at Nehem 3:31 designates one of the eastern gates of the city, having consequently a close relationship to the temple or direct connection with it, and indeed with the western, rear part of the temple, where according to Ezekiel there was a special building of less noble and sacred purpose and gizra; although this does not provide grounds for identifying miphkad with this latter place of the temple and still less with the priestly kitchens Ezek 46:19-20 (Ewald). About this place one can with certainty say only that it lay not outside the temple area Ezek 45:2 call it “in the separated (αποκεχωρισμενω) temple” (read miphrad, instead of miphkad), apparently assuming a special building. The place thus served a half-sacred, half-unclean purpose (a subtlety of the prophet’s distinction between sacred and unsacred). According to Mosaic law, not all the sin offering was burned outside the camp: on the altar the fat and blood of it were burned. So it should be with Ezekiel’s sacrifice, concerning which it is not mentioned, perhaps, only as self-evident. Or perhaps there is here a difference from Moses: only the purest part of the sacrifice – blood (and that not all, but only what is necessary for sprinkling) – is worthy to be offered to God through sprinkling from the sacrifice that had taken sin upon itself.

Ezekiel 43:22. On the second day, bring for a sin offering from the goat herd a male goat without blemish, and they shall cleanse the altar as they cleansed it with the bull. By the sin offering – the bull and its blood sprinkled on the altar – the latter is not yet fully cleansed; only the beginning of its cleansing is made, for the completion of which a symbolically complete number of 7 days is required. But in the remaining 6 days (cf. verse 25) no longer such a large sacrifice as a bull is required for the altar’s cleansing. The bull is replaced by a goat from the goats (according to Rosenmüller, a tender expression, as in Zech 9:9; perhaps indicating youth: young, a sucker, Russian: “from the goat herd a goat”, LXX: “two”, probably by analogy with the day of cleansing). This sacrifice must be brought with the same rites directed to cleansing the altar, with which the bull was brought on the first day of the altar’s sanctification, that is, with the sprinkling of the sacrifice’s blood on the prominence of the altar and its burning in a special place. Such a sin offering was brought daily at the great feasts: Ezek 45:23. According to Mosaic law, for the sanctification of the tabernacle a ram – a less large sacrificial animal than a goat – was brought daily.

Ezekiel 43:23. When you have finished cleansing it, you shall bring from the herd a young bull without blemish and from the flock a ram without blemish; When the altar shall be cleansed by the sin offering, not on the seventh day, when this cleansing shall be entirely completed, but, as verse 25 shows, on the first day of cleansing, after the first purifying sacrifice on it, it becomes fit for the holiest sacrifice, the sacrifice par excellence, the sacrifice of sacrifices, whole burnt offering. This sacrifice, by its very greatest holiness and completes alongside the daily sin offering the daily cleansing of the altar. It must consist of unblemished (the word, twice as a sign of the special importance of the requirement) young bull and ram; each is morally more perfect than a goat. “From the herd” – see explanation in verse 22.

Ezekiel 43:24. And offer them before the Lord; and the priests shall throw salt on them and offer them as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. This will be the first true sacrifice to the Lord (“offer them before the Lord”) on the new altar, a whole burnt offering. It must be salted (only in a ritual sense: by casting salt upon it) by the priests (for the first time they appear as agents in this cult). According to Mosaic law, salting was required only for the bloodless sacrifice (Lev 2:13), but practice extended it to all sacrifices: Mark 9:49, and Josephus Ant. 3:9, 1. The high symbolism of salting a sacrifice is evident already from the designation of salt in the Old Testament as “salt of the covenant” (Num 18:19; 2 Chr 13:5). “Originally each sacrifice was a common feast of the worshiper with his god, and received such preparation in which men ate it; and salt even now in the east symbolizes hospitality” (Bertholet).

Ezekiel 43:25. Seven days you shall present a sin offering day by day; also they shall present a whole burnt offering – a young bull from the herd and a ram from the flock, both without blemish. The sacrifice is to be brought for 7 days, a symbolic number of fullness and holiness, adopted in the Old Testament law for all sacred periods lasting longer than one day. During these days both a sin offering, consisting of a goat (more precisely: a bull for the first day, and a goat for the following 6 days; here for brevity, a generalization), and the true “sacrifice,” that is, a whole burnt offering – a bull and a ram – are to be brought on the cleansed and sanctified altar.

Ezekiel 43:26. Seven days they shall make atonement for the altar and purify it, thus consecrating it and filling the hands of the priests. In all the rites enumerated, filling the 7 days, shall consist a) the cleansing of the mystical altar from all that is created and unclean in it, b) its sanctification for divine purpose; both one and the other appear for it c) as a kind of filling of its hands (according to ketiv yadav, his hands; according to keri – yado, his hand; according to LXX yadayim, their hands, i.e. the hands of the priests) similar to that filling of the hands of the priests being consecrated with sacrificial meat, which was the concluding rite of their consecration (Exod 29:9; Lev 8:33). It is remarkable that concerning the consecration of priests for their service nothing is said here (unless one counts the indication of this in the last word of the verse in the LXX reading). And neither is there mention of anointing the altar and temple with oil. Thus, the rites of sanctification of the new temple differ from the Mosaic not only in the kind and quantity of sacrifices of sanctification (see explanation of verse 20 and following), but also in the very character and essence of sanctification, distinguished by greater simplicity and so to speak objectivity.

Ezekiel 43:27. And when these days are finished, on the eighth day and beyond, the priests shall offer your whole burnt offerings and your peace offerings upon the altar; and I will accept you, says the Lord God. From the eighth day onward, on the new altar sacrifices will commence in the usual order – two main kinds: whole burnt offering and peace offering, LXX: “of salvation,” in other places: “of peace,” – differing in the quantity of what is burned: in the first case everything was burned, in the second fat and blood. These sacrifices, in contrast to the old ones on the old altar, will be accepted (LXX, Russian version even stronger “I will be merciful to you”; Hebrew terminus technicus ratzah should probably better be translated by LXX) by God, in which He assures solemnly with His word as God.

Chapter Forty-Four

The holiness of the temple and the requirements it imposes on its visitors and servants: the Levites and the priests

Having described the temple in chapters XL-XLII and its sanctification (through the return to it of the Lord and the cleansing of the altar) in chapter XLIII, the prophet can now turn to the ordinances of the new temple. The whole character of these ordinances can be foreseen from the holiness of the temple depicted in relief up to this point and again indicated (verses 1-2, 4-5). The order of the ordinances now set forth is very characteristic. It emanates from the prince (Ezek 44:3), to return to him in the conclusion (Ezek 45:7). But far more important in the new theocracy are the priests (cf. Ezek 44:1 with verse 4, 24); therefore a series of ordinances is given a) on the separation of the uncircumcised from the ritual personnel (verses 7-9) and b) the Levites from the priesthood (10-14), c) concerning the Zadokites as the only lawful priesthood among the descendants of Aaron (15-16); d) on the obligations (17-27) and e) the maintenance (28-31) of the new priesthood.

Ezekiel 44:1. Then he brought me back toward the outer gate of the sanctuary that faced east, and it was shut. The prophet, whom we left on the inner court (Ezek 43:5) for contemplation of the altar (Ezek 43:13 and following), is brought (“brought” without a subject; see explanation of Ezek 40:17) again (Ezek 40:6) to the outer eastern gates of the temple (“sanctuary,” mikdash in the widest sense) – and indeed, as seen from verse 4 (see explanation), to their inner side, to show that these gates and the time interval since the prophet was at them last (Ezek 42:15), turned out to be closed.

Ezekiel 44:2. And the Lord said to me, these gates shall be shut; they shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by them, because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered by them; therefore they shall be shut. They were closed, as the prophet learns from a special revelation of God to him concerning this – consequently of extraordinary importance – circumstances, forever, the reason for which was the entry through them of God observed by the prophet in Ezek 43:1 into the new temple for eternal dwelling in it, hence an entry essential, not merely symbolic and gracious, as into the former temple with its free access through all gates (perhaps even in the real temple the eastern gates, as facing uninhabited territory, opened rarely or at least the main passage was closed, and for the use of the people a passage through the vestibule of the gates – verse 3 was provided. – Prof. A. Olesnitsky, Old Chr. 431). It is precisely the threshold of the temple, the beginning and boundary of it, which by virtue of God’s entry into the temple must remain not trampled by the feet of man. Thus was well symbolized the complete reality of God’s dwelling in the new temple. The Orthodox Church therefore justly sees the fulfillment of this prophecy in the Incarnation of the Son of God from the Mother of God and in the preservation by her of her perpetual virginity, in view of which the passage serves as a lesson reading on feasts of the Mother of God.

Ezekiel 44:3. As for the prince, he, as the prince, shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by the way of the vestibule of these gates and shall go out by the way of the same. The inaccessibility of the eastern gates was somewhat diminished for the prince, – Hebrew hanasi, not melekh – the king Messiah, as in Ezek 36:22 only ‘ηγουμενος, Slavonic “elder,” but in the liturgical readings “hegumen.” Not having the right, like all others, to step upon their sacred threshold, he may use – and this as an exclusive and most honorable privilege – the extensive (Ezek 40:6 and following) structures of these gates, their vestibule, so that he may eat in them bread before the Lord, that is, the portions designated for sacred feasting from the peace offering and grain offering (Ezek 43:27). For this meal of the prince could serve either the vestibule of the gates (plan 1) or one of the 30 chambers of the outer court (Ezek 40:17), designated for sacred meals of the people, and indeed apparently adjoining the eastern gates. But for this purpose the prince must enter into the gate structure and leave it not through the gates themselves, the main passage, but “by the way of the vestibule” of them, LXX: κατα την ᾿οδον αιλαμ της πυλης, Slavonic “by the way of the elam,” (in the readings inaccurately: “of the elam gates”), that is, through an annexe to them on the side of the outer court, having more than one exit to the latter (Ezek 40:13; see plan 1 and 3). Thus even the prince could only “bow down” at the holy threshold of these gates, not stepping upon it.

Ezekiel 44:4. Then he brought me by the way of the north gate into the front of the house; and I looked and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord; and I fell upon my face. From the eastern gates, where the prophet stands, he is led with the purpose of showing him that the glory of God fills the temple (bayit, that is, the building of the sanctuary and the Holy of Holies), before its front, but is brought not by the nearest way through the inner eastern gates, which was impossible in view of Ezek 46:1-2, but “by the way of the northern gates.” Before the face of God’s glory, manifesting the presence in the temple of God Himself, the prophet naturally fell prostrate.

Ezekiel 44:5. And the Lord said to me, son of man, pay attention with your heart to all that I am about to show you, and hear with your ears all that I am about to say to you concerning all the ordinances of the house of the Lord and all its laws; and pay attention to the entrance of the temple and to all exits from the sanctuary. Apparently from within the sanctuary or the Holy of Holies and the cloud filling them the prophet hears the present revelation. He is called by the Lord to special attentiveness both to the preceding revelations (“look with your eyes…”) and to the present one: the ordinances of the House of the Lord and its laws. The importance of the revelation is indicated already by the breadth and solemnity of this introduction to it. This revelation will concern entry into the temple, that is, as we shall see from its content, those entering the temple, having access to it, to (before this the Russian version adds “and,” which is not in the Hebrew or the LXX, and be, in, renders as “to,” as does the preceding le, for) all its exits, to which such important significance was given already in Ezek 43:11, see explanation there.

Ezekiel 44:6. And say to the rebellious house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: Let it suffice you, O house of Israel, to commit all your abominations, This revelation receives particular importance because of the grave unlawfulness previously permitted by Israel in this regard, which the ordinances now given are to prevent, and the bitter memory of which draws from the prophet’s lips, with respect to Israel, an epithet not used before in the second part of the book – “rebellious house” (first used in the book 1, 8 and last up to this point Ezek 24:3). At least, now in the new theocracy Israel must abandon all its abominations, especially those defiling the temple by introducing into it unworthy elements (which – the following ordinances make hints about).

Ezekiel 44:7. In that you brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary and to profane My house, in that they offered My bread, fat and blood, and they broke My covenant by all your abominations. The first and worst of such abominations, of which three kinds are indicated (see introduction to the chapter), is the admission of foreigners (poetically powerfully called “sons of a foreign woman,” not belonging by their tribe to the covenantal relationship with God), who all or mostly are therefore uncircumcised in heart (a spiritual understanding of circumcision, anticipating the Apostle Paul!) – that is, idolaters – and others uncircumcised in flesh (such were all pagans, except the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Assyrians and some others), admission to the parts of the temple that could be accessible only to priests and Levites, even to the sanctuary itself (if mikdash is understood here narrowly), which the following seems to forbid, for the performance of the sacred duties – the offering (that is, presumably, the presenting to the hands of the priests) of God’s bread (the sacrifice, as the symbolic food and divine meal) and even of the holiest parts of it – fat and blood (which were most often burned), since the peace offering, of which only these parts were burned, was apparently the most commonly used. By such unpleasing to the Lord participation of pagans in sacred acts the covenant of God was violated, in which only Israel can participate. The prophet clearly has in mind here the practice established since Joshua and hardly without his approbation (Joshua himself in his book does not consider it a fault) with respect to the Gibeonites (Josh 9:27) – the custom of using for lower work at the tabernacle, which according to the sense of Mosaic law should all be performed by Levites, military captives who formed a special estate at the temple – the Nethinim (Ezra 2:43-54; Nehem 7:46-56); from the cutting of wood and the carrying of water, which Joshua assigned to them, the Nethinim probably proceeded to other work at the tabernacle, requiring a proximity to sacred objects inaccessible to anyone except Levites. The present passage does not limit to the right granted to pagans by the Mosaic law and always recognized (see the prayer of Solomon at the dedication of the temple) for sacrifice in the temple, though not every kind (for instance, the eating of the Passover lamb was forbidden to them). Ezekiel is not dealing here with what is permitted to pagans by the Mosaic law.

Ezekiel 44:8. And you have not kept the charge of My holy things; but you have set keepers of My charge in My sanctuary for yourselves. For temple guard, probably often soldiers were used, without distinction, whether they were Hebrews or not (cf. 2 Sam 11).

Ezekiel 44:9. Thus says the Lord God: No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter My sanctuary, even such foreigner as lives among the sons of Israel. The prohibition for an uncircumcised foreigner (“foreigner” adjective in the nominative; masculine instead of “foreigners” verse 7, where it is genitive feminine) to enter the sanctuary is repeated conclusively as a sign of insistence with the remark that it extends also to such a foreigner “who lives among the sons of Israel,” that is, has permanent residence and rights of citizenship in the new sacred community and whom (Ezek 42:22) in other respects he equates with Israelites.

Ezekiel 44:10. But the Levites who went far from Me when Israel went astray and who strayed from Me after their idols shall bear their punishment for their iniquity. Tolerating no pagan servants in itself, the sanctuary cannot reconcile itself with those of its own lawful servants – descendants of Levi (“the Levites” here means the whole tribe of Levi) – who during Israel’s apostasy abandoned the Lord, turning aside into idolatry. The restriction of rights in service, which they must bear for this, is depicted in verses 11-14. The critical school sees in the present passage a historical explanation of the distinction introduced by the Pentateuch between priests and Levites: those of the tribe of Levi became Levites who in the pre-monotheistic period served at the high places and rural shrines, while the priests remained the Jerusalemite aristocratic line of Zadok. This degradation caused by historical circumstances the Pentateuch traces back to a difference in the origin of Levites and priests. This is proven by the fact that: 1) in Deuteronomy the Levites allegedly are equal to priests, 2) in Ezekiel this equality is destroyed and the difference is motivated, and 3) in the so-called “Priestly Code” (part of Leviticus) this distinction belongs already to the time of Moses (Smend). Without speaking of other arbitrary claims of this hypothesis (for instance, about Deuteronomy, where by reason of the general nature of the content there was no occasion to dwell on the distinction between priests and Levites), it puts falsehood into the mouth of the divinely-inspired author of the book of Leviticus.

Ezekiel 44:11. And they shall serve in My sanctuary as keepers of the gates of the house and as servants of the house; they shall slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them. The lower service at the temple assigned to the Levites, as well as the higher service of the priests, will consist of two main kinds: guarding and, properly, service (cf. verse 16). Under the direction of the priests the Levites will be gatekeepers of the temple (for which the latter are supplied with chambers – Ezek 40:7) and servants at the sacrifices. This latter kind of ecclesiastical service (“servants of the house”) will consist in slaughtering whole burnt offerings and other sacrifices for the people; for the prince the sacrifices, apparently, were slaughtered by the priests themselves – Ezek 46:2; they alone slaughtered sin offerings and trespass offerings – Ezek 43:19; the remaining sacrifices, according to Mosaic law, apparently it was permissible for the sacrificer himself to slaughter: Lev 1:5, – who, if he had difficulty doing this or simply did not wish, would entrust it to a skilled Levite. Thus the service of the Levites was directed not so much toward God (cf. verse 16) as toward the people: Slavonic “they shall stand before the people (to stand before someone to serve: Gen 41:46; Deut 1:38 and others; Russian unclearly: “before them”) to serve them.” But since it concerned also God and took place in direct proximity to His sanctuary, it was and should be honorable and desirable for everyone (Ps 83:11), and therefore wrongfully had been previously entrusted to foreigners (see explanation of verse 7). It is remarkable that even after the captivity the Levites in comparison with the priests turned out to be so few (340-360, of which only 74 served with the priests, while the latter numbered 4289, – according to Ezra 2:36-41; Nehem 7:43-45; Ezra later found only 38 more), that it was necessary to make up for the shortage with Nethinim, the former foreign servants of the temple.

Ezekiel 44:12. Because they served them before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have raised My hand against them, says the Lord God, and they shall bear their punishment for their iniquity; The idolatry of the Levites is less forgivable to them than to the people, since they were appointed for direct service to God, yet became idolaters; therefore now in the new temple they will serve not so much God as the people, whom they led into the snare (“stumbling block of iniquity,” Slavonic: “torment of unrighteousness,” see explanation in Ezek 7:19 “cause of transgression”). God with an oath (“I have raised My hand against them” see explanation of Ezek 20:5) promises them punishment for this monstrous (hence the oath) sin.

Ezekiel 44:13. And they shall not come near to Me to serve Me as priest, nor come near any of My holy things, the most holy things, but they shall bear their shame and the abominations that they committed. Having determined positively the obligations of the Levites, the prophet determines them negatively, thereby vividly and not without bitterness characterizing their humble but fully deserved status. They cannot come near to God with the closeness of the priests (Ezek 40:46) a) through direct service as priests (laying on of offerings, burning of incense, etc.), b) through approach (Slavonic “to offer”) – an imprecise translation (Greek προσαγειν) to holy things (instead of “My” the LXX has the definition “of the sons of Israel” gen. subjecti, instead of objecti), Hebrew mikvashim, which, having in other places the meaning “sanctuaries,” here probably, as the plural shows, means sacrifices, the holiest of which, for instance, sin offering and trespass offering (intended only for priests), are further named “things most holy,” as in Ezek 42:3; Num 4:19.

Ezekiel 44:14. But I will make them guardians of the temple, for all its service and for all that is done in it. The Levites will thus be merely guardians (“guards” here in a broader sense than in verse 11) – in the sense of lower servants of the temple in all its sacred acts.

Ezekiel 44:15. But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept the charge of My sanctuary when the sons of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near to Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer Me the fat and the blood, says the Lord God. To the apostate Levites are contrasted the descendants of Levi, coming from Zadok (descendant of Eleazar, son of Aaron), whose very name means righteousness and who at the installation of Solomon as king remained faithful to David and anointed Solomon, while the high priest Abiathar (descendant of Ithamar son of Aaron) sided with Adonijah (1 Sam 1:7), for which he lost the high priesthood, which from that time passed to Zadok (1 Sam 2:26-27). Zadok also performed the first sacrifice in Solomon’s temple. The faithfulness of Zadok to David and Solomon (1 Sam 2:35) was as a pledge of the faithfulness of his descendants to the true God. The sons of Zadok and later, even during the “apostasy” of Israel (see explanation of verse 10) “kept the charge of My sanctuary,” defended the legitimacy of worship in Jerusalem alone and in its temple (high places) and to the one true God. Therefore they and they alone among the descendants of Levi “shall come near” to the Lord “to minister” to Him (see explanation of Ezek 40:46) and “shall stand before the face” (see explanation of verse 11) of the Lord “to offer him fat and blood” (see explanation of verse 7). The Lord assures them of this with His word. In the opinion of the critical school, Ezekiel here champions the privileges gradually appropriated by the Jerusalem priesthood (the Zadokites) over against the provincial priesthood (“high places”) and its claim to exclusive right of service (from recent commentators: Smend, Bertholet, Kraetzschmar).

Ezekiel 44:16. They shall enter My sanctuary and approach My table to minister to Me and keep My charge. Besides the obligations on the inner court at the Lord’s altar – the offering of fat and blood – verse 15, the priestly Zadokites will have further even more exalted and honorable obligations within the “sanctuary” (in the proper sense) at the “table of the Lord”; as it is called also in Ezek 41:22 (see explanation) the altar of incense, where they will a) minister to the Lord (through the burning of incense and presumably the sprinkling of blood on this altar; if in Ezekiel’s temple are presupposed a table for bread of presence and a lampstand, then here are understood also the service connected with these sacred objects) and b) keep the charge of the Lord in the sanctuary, that is, care in all ways for this holiest part of the temple.

Ezekiel 44:17. When they go into the inner court, they shall put on linen garments; they shall have nothing of wool on them, while they are in the inner court and serving in the house. The holiness of the direct servants of God – the priests – is most evidently and vividly expressed through extraordinarily strict requirements even concerning their clothing – this very external and at first glance insignificant detail in a person, which nevertheless man regards as a continuation of his existence in the external world. The main requirement concerning this clothing is that it shall not be woolen. The basis for this requirement is not indicated, unless one counts a hint at it in the remark of verse 18: “in sweat they shall not gird themselves,” – that in woolen clothing the body sweats more readily and sweat, this filthy secretion of the organism, is retained by wool forever and cannot be washed from it as from linen. Probably the basis for this requirement is some other, deeper and more symbolic one (perhaps: wool is a kind of carrion, dead matter). During their service, both in the entire inner court, beginning from its gates, that is, chiefly at the altar, and all the more “within the temple,” in the sanctuary, the priests must be in linen garments, by their cleanness and white color belonging to the celestial beings appearing on earth (Ezek 9:2; Dan 10:5 and following). Linen material is here called pishe, true linen (means also flax standing), whereas in the Pentateuch bad (fibers). According to Mosaic law only the lower garment (“from the loins to the knees” – the breeches) should be linen (bad) for the priests, while the upper – tunic and turban – should be white (cotton), consequently the prophet Ezekiel strengthens here the requirement of Moses concerning the clothing of the priests and elevates the idea of their cleanness. The priests must change into such linen clothes at the very “gates of the inner court” that is the northern or southern (eastern gates were mostly closed and not used for entering: Ezek 46:1-2) perhaps in the chambers arranged at them for singers Ezek 40:44; plan 3 – C and D, and remove these clothes in the chambers Ezek 42:14 (N and N’). Thus the priests leave the inner court not by the same gates by which they enter, as more definitely required for laymen in Ezek 46:9.

Ezekiel 44:18. They shall have linen turbans upon their heads, and linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything that causes sweat. Even the “turbans” (headdress, Greek κιδαρεις, Slavonic “cowls,” Hebrew pe’er, but in the Pentateuch migba’a, and for the high priest mitznefet; pe’er – ordinary secular headdress: Ezek 24:17; Isa 3:20 and others) as well as the lower garment (Slavonic “girding,” but Greek περισκελη, Vulgate leminalia, Hebrew miknesa’im, properly short breeches (Josephus Ant. 3:7, 1; in Exod 28:42 Slavonic “breeches”) must be linen for the priests. Further the prophet, apparently, also indicates a basis for such a requirement: “they shall not gird themselves with sweat,” a remark which admits also such a translation: “that which sweats (yaza, but close to zea Gen 3:19 “sweat”) they shall not clothe themselves” (see explanation of verse 17). LXX: “and let them not bind themselves tightly,” βια – they should not tighten themselves in the clothes, which restricts freedom of movement and causes sweating.

Ezekiel 44:19. When they go out into the outer court, into the outer court to the people, they shall put off the garments in which they have been ministering and lay them in the holy chambers; and they shall put on other garments, that they may not sanctify the people with their garments. The sacred garments must be removed by the priests when they leave for the people, that is, to the outer court, in special sacred chambers, so that by them “they do not sanctify the people” (Russian according to the Targum “not to come into contact with,” but LXX: “that they may not sanctify the people”). The holiness must be so guarded against contact with anything mundane: although by its contact it sanctifies the mundane, this sanctification must be sacrificed for the sake of maintaining its crystal purity. The transcendence of the idea of Deity in Ezekiel is to such a degree. The critical school unjustly sees here an extreme materialization of holiness: this is deep symbolism.

Ezekiel 44:20. And they shall not shave their heads, nor let their locks grow long; they shall keep their hair trimmed. Rules concerning clothing naturally lead to rules about hair, this natural garment of animals. The priests are equally forbidden both to shave the hair, which in antiquity was a sign of mourning (Ezek 7:18; Amos 8:10 and others) and in Egypt – a mark of priests, but in Israel was forbidden by Mosaic law both to priests and to laymen (Deut 14:1), and also to let it grow long, as did Nazirites (among them was Samuel 1 Sam 1:11; for priests this was inconvenient), but they must trim it (kasam, cf. Assyrian kasamu, to cut). Cf. Lev 21:5. Hair was also thought of as the seat of life, which is why Nazirites burned their hair as an offering to God at the end of their vow. The life of the priests of the new temple will be kept within proper bounds, not developing at the whim of nature and not fading away.

Ezekiel 44:21. And no priest shall drink wine when he enters the inner court. The Mosaic (Lev 10:9) prohibition for priests to consume wine before performing their duties, that is, before entering the inner court, is confirmed. Wine, having widespread use in pagan, in particular Canaanite cults, always did not enjoy the sympathy of true servants of the Lord (Nazirites, Rechabites) and the prophet Ezekiel does not mention it among the sacrificial offerings (Ezek 45:17).

Ezekiel 44:22. They shall not marry a widow, or a divorced woman, but only a virgin of the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who was the widow of a priest. The requirements of purity pass gradually to more important sides of a priest’s life: from clothing to hair, then to food and here finally to marital cohabitation. A priest shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman, but only a pure maiden and indeed of the tribe of Israel, because foreign women were considered daughters of other gods (Mal 2:11) with whom the Lord wishes to have no connection. However, a widow of a priest, as sanctified by cohabitation with him, may be taken by a priest as a wife. The requirements of Moses are not so strict: a priest is forbidden to marry only a harlot, disgraced, or divorced woman; and to the high priest – also a widow (Lev 21:7 and following).

Ezekiel 44:23. They shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean. The requirements enumerated so far were more external and negative in character. Now are indicated positive and internal requirements, the fulfillment of which more deeply sanctifies the priest. By their very idea, the priest is, first of all, the guardian of holiness on earth, this power by which it stands. Only to him is given true knowledge and feeling of all that is holy, which is the same as what belongs to God and bears His seal on earth. They teach the people to distinguish from it the non-sacred, thereby guarding the idea of Deity from mixing with anything mundane (a phenomenon characterizing paganism), and also to distinguish the clean, that is, that of the earthly which is worthy of approach to God, from the unclean. Cf. Lev 10:10 (and also XI-XVI, XXI); Ezek 22:26; Mal 2:7.

Ezekiel 44:24. In a dispute they shall stand to judge, and they shall judge it according to My ordinances; they shall keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed feasts, and they shall hallow My Sabbaths. As leaders of religious life, the priests of the new temple must take an active part also in civic and social as well as religio-social life. They a) must form the highest authority in every court, as was commanded also by Moses (Deut 17:8 and following Deut 19:17; Exod 18:25 and following; based on this law Jehoshaphat appointed judges in the cities from priests and Levites – 2 Chr 19:8; cf. 2 Chr 17:7 and following, 2 Chr 19:5 and following; and the judges of Christ were priests: Mark 15:43 and others), “in disputes” (LXX: “in the court of blood”; Hebrew hamma, they, reading dam, blood, to limit the participation of priests in court to the most important, criminal cases) they must be present (Slavonic more accurately: “let them stand,” for although judges sat in court, but pronounced judgment standing) in court, and by My ordinances (instead of human caprice) judge them. The Torah was always the main source of Hebrew law (Benzinger Archäol. § 44-45) and should be by its idea such, consequently its interpreter should be the supreme judges. “The piling up of expressions shows that this has not been done so far” (Smend). b) Even more the priests should be leaders of religio-social life, most vividly expressed in feasts and Sabbaths: they must “keep My laws (the basic and main) and My statutes (the more particular) concerning all My feasts, and hallow (Ezekiel especially emphasizes) My Sabbaths,” both the one and the other (feasts and Sabbaths) in the era of the new temple will compose for life, of course, more than before. Cf. Ezek 20:12.

Ezekiel 44:25. They shall not go near a dead person to become unclean; only for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or for sister who has had no husband may they become unclean. To the requirements mentioned is added yet another, apparently less important, but necessary for completeness and final achievement of his holiness, for the inviolable preservation of it: a priest must not go near (Hebrew bo, Slavonic “they shall not come”; not only touch; in Lev 21:1-3 “to become defiled,” by contact or approach, is not said) a dead person (LXX “over the soul of a man”). Such ordinances were given also by paganism to their priests: about the Flamen of Jupiter it is said in Noct. Attic. P. 15: “never go to the place where corpses are burned and never touch a corpse.” An exception, in accordance with Lev 21:1-3, is made for the closest relatives, although they too are unclean, concerning which it is expressly said: “on account of them they may become unclean to themselves” (Slavonic more accurately and strongly “shall be defiled.” Such is God’s condescension to human weakness. Characteristically, a) from the number of blood relatives of the priest a sister (not a daughter!) who has married is excluded, having entered another family and b) that in this number is not included the wife of the priest, as not standing with them in blood relationship, which sheds light on Ezek 24:15-27: in view of the present law, if Ezekiel was indeed a priest, it was clearer to him why God commanded him not to mourn his wife. To the high priest Lev 21:10 forbids even defilement by such close relatives, and Ezekiel altogether does not speak about the high priest in the vision of the new temple.

Ezekiel 44:26. And after he is cleansed, seven days shall pass for him. Ezekiel 44:27. And when he goes into the inner court, into the sanctuary, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, says the Lord God. If contact with a corpse, according to Mosaic law, defiles even a layman for 7 days, and for his cleansing certain rites are required: sprinkling on the 3rd and 7th day with cleansing water mixed with the ash of a red heifer (Num 19:11 and following), then for a priest of the new temple such cleansing is not enough: after the completion of it, this cleansing, not described here by the prophet as well known to all, the priest is still for 7 days considered unclean and is not admitted to the inner court for service in the sanctuary (LXX so render the Hebrew bahodesh, Russian “for service in the sanctuary”). Through these 7 days the priest who became unclean still must offer a sin offering, although here the sin was apparently not only completely natural and excusable, but also permitted by the law. Such cleansing and holiness does service to God in the new temple demand! In verse 26 instead of “after cleansing” it is proposed (Cornill) to read “after defiling,” thus bringing the law into correspondence with Num 19:11. Those attributing the origin of parts of the Pentateuch to the post-captivity era see in the present passage an indication of the gradual development of laws concerning defilement by a corpse: the seven-day uncleanness from contact with a corpse for a priest (cf. Lev 21:1-4) is extended to everyone in Num 19:11.

Ezekiel 44:28. And this shall be their inheritance: I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession. Complete holiness of the priests, their belonging solely to God, would be hindered not only by the defilements enumerated, but even by so innocent a thing as property, especially so valuable property as land. Their inheritance (“as for their inheritance” – emphasizes the thought) (the expression literally from Num 18:20; Deut 18:1) is the Lord Himself (what an honorable and advantageous replacement for land!), in the nearest sense, that which belongs to Him, the sacrificial portions and the like, enumerated in verses 29 and 30. The priests (and as seen from the projected division of land in chapters XLV and XLVII, also the Levites) shall not have possessions in Israel. Although they are given land plots in Ezek 45:1-5 (perhaps only homesteads), yet the entire tribe of Levi is not given a defined territory.

Ezekiel 44:29. They shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs. Holiness is communicated to the priests also through their food, which consists entirely of the greatest sanctities. The priests shall have: 1) a bloodless sacrifice (minha) of bread and certain food products, which as a type of the bloodless sacrifice and progenitor of the holiest bread of presence, here thus is first among the greatest sanctities (Lev 2:3 and following); 2) sin offerings and trespass offerings, which may have replaced the original redemption in the tabernacle for sins and therefore naturally and entirely belong to the priests (Lev 6:19-22; Num 18:9); this, as the greatest sanctity, could be eaten only in the temple chambers (Ezek 42:13); 3) the devoted, herem, that is, what is set apart for God without the right of redemption (Lev 27:28) and becoming, as the exclusive property of God, an inviolable sanctity, even if it was sinful (captured cities. Lev 27:21; Num 18:14). – “Theirs,” perhaps indicates the dispute over the rights of priests to the latter (the devoted).

Ezekiel 44:30. And the first of all the firstfruits of every kind and every offering of every kind from all your offerings shall belong to the priests; you shall also give to the priest the first of your ground meal, that a blessing may rest upon your house. The means of support enumerated are more sacred than abundant. Now are indicated more substantial means of support of the priests. Such are: a) “The first of the fruits,” literally “the best” (reshit, first – both in origin and in quality) of the firstborn (bikkurim). The firstfruits (bikkurim), and according to Mosaic law were to be brought to the sanctuary, as are the “offerings” and “ground meal” mentioned further, and they were consumed by those who brought them together with priests and the poor: Exod 23:16 and others; but according to Num 18:12 and Nehem 10:36 they seem to go entirely to the priest; so here: a strengthening of the original law. LXX: “the firstfruits (απαρχαι – properly the very firstfruits) and the firstborn” (πρωτοτοκα), meaning apparently under the latter livestock, but under the former fruits; but bikkurim is always only about fruits and breads, but not about livestock; about the firstborn of livestock Ezekiel for some reason does not speak; but Exod 22:30 and others demand this offering to the priests. b) Offerings – temura, properly raised (by the rite of elevation performed on them); LXX: “shares,” αφαιρεματα, separated, that is, for the Lord, – voluntary offerings in contrast to the former as obligatory by law, c) The first (Hebrew also reshit) of the ground meal (that is, groats, flour; Hebrew arisa, cf. Talmud. arsan, barley groats), but Targum Pesh. here and LXX in Num 15:20 “dough”; LXX in Nehem 10:38 “bread,” here: πρωτογεννηματα, but Slavonic “firstfruits of grain.” Passing through the millstones, bread, of which a first offering has already been given to the priest, becomes a new kind of product and from it again a first offering is appointed to the priest, that is, to the Lord. This obligation is heavier than the preceding ones (corresponding to the tithes of Moses), therefore for it a special blessing of God is promised on the house, capable of amply making up for the loss incurred for the sake of the Lord; cf. Mal 3:10.

Ezekiel 44:31. The priests shall not eat anything, whether bird or beast, that has died of itself or is torn by beasts. To the positive requirement concerning the sustenance of the priests is added the negative: the prohibition to eat nevela, carrion, dead things and trefah, what is torn – equally from both birds and beasts. Both are forbidden also to all Israelites – the first Exod 22:31, the second Deut 14:21, but not as strictly as for priests: according to Lev 17:15 and Lev 11:39 one who eats this only becomes unclean until evening; consequently, to the layman such unintentional defilement by such food is considered forgivable. But the special holiness of the priest demands, according to Ezekiel, as well as according to Moses (Lev 22:8), unconditional protection.

Chapter Forty-Five

1-8. The portions of land for priests, Levites, the city, and the prince. 9-17. The prince’s tribute and its main purpose.

In chapters XLV and XLVI, before proceeding to the law of chapters XLVII and XLVIII concerning the distribution among the tribes of the new Israel of the new promised land, it is indicated that from this land, both in itself and from its products, must be set apart for the Lord – in the form of: a) sacred and princely portions of land; b) a tribute to the prince for his sacrifices to the Lord and a tribute from the people directly to the Lord: sacrifices of various kinds.

In verses 1-8 of chapter XLV the measure of the sacred portion with the surrounding 3 portions is indicated; the data of this section are more fully and in detail presented in Ezek 48:8-17. The sacred portion with the adjoining portions – to the north the Levites and to the south the city – forms a square space of 25,000 × 25,000 cubits, occupying almost the very center of the new promised land (slightly to the south of center). The most sacred part of this portion, to be the possession of the priests, with the temple in the middle, while having with the other two portions the same length of 25,000 cubits, has a width of 10,000 cubits; the Levite portion lying to the north of the priestly portion is of the same width; the city portion to the south is 5,000 cubits in width. From the east and from the west to the entire sacred portion (25 thousand cubits in width) adjoins the princely portion (see the diagram on page 538), embracing on both sides the sacred and extending rectangular with it across the entire width of the promised land (from the Jordan to the sea). Such an arrangement of the sacred portion was designed to indicate: a) that the temple should be the center of the land (in favor of historical reality, however, a concession was made in that the temple lies not in the very center among the tribes, as we shall see in chapter XLVIII) and b) that it should be protected from any contact with all that is not sanctified (for this purpose between it and the city is appointed an unbuilt space).

Ezekiel 45:1. When you divide the land by lot as an inheritance, you shall set apart for the Lord a sacred district, 25,000 cubits in length and 20,000 in breadth; it shall be sacred throughout its extent all around. Just as from the fruits of the land the firstfruits are dedicated to God (Ezek 44:30), so from the land itself. “By lot” the land is divided only among clans and families (Ezek 47:22), and to the tribes the portions are assigned by the prophet (Ezek 48 chapters); not so Josh 13:1 and following – From the land must be set apart for the Lord a teruma (Greek απαρχη, Slavonic “firstfruits,” Russian “portion”) – a gift (Deut 12:11; Exod 25:2; cf. Prov 29:4), which will therefore be a holy place, kodesh (Slavonic “holy,” Russian “sacred”), of the land. This holy place of the land, surrounding the temple (“all around”), is to represent 25,000 × 10,000 of an unspecified measure, perhaps cubits (“cubits” – Ezek 40:5 would not correspond to the width of the entire promised land); it is possible that the absence of a unit of measurement wishes to elevate the thought to heavenly, immeasurable magnitudes. From verse 4 it is evident that this part of the land will form the portion of the priests, especially sacred as adjoining the temple. The LXX in most manuscripts increase the width of the portion to 20,000, thus including in it the Levite portion (verse 5).

Ezekiel 45:2. Of this shall be for the sanctuary a square of 500 cubits by 500 cubits; and there shall be an open space around it of fifty cubits. The holiest part of the Lord’s portion is the place occupied by the temple itself with its two courts (“sanctuary,” kodesh) and having (still according to Ezek 42:16-20) 500 units of an unspecified measure in squares. See the diagram for Ezek 48. Because of the supreme holiness of this place, around it must be a free, unbuilt “space” (Slavonic “distance” – migra), as a comparatively narrow band – 50 units of measure – encircling the temple area and separating it from the dwellings of the priests (even).

Ezekiel 45:3. From this measure you shall measure off a length of 25,000 cubits and a width of 10,000 cubits; in it shall be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. The temple, now called by the prophet the more general name mikdash, Slavonic, Russian: “sanctuary,” “consecration” and characterized as “the Most Holy Place” (cf. Ezek 43:12) is to be within the measure just indicated for it (“from this measure”) the starting point, center, from which are to be measured those (already indicated in verse 1) 25,000 length and 10,000 units of measure width of the sacred portion. Recent commentators, following Cornill, place this verse immediately after the 1st, after it the 2nd, and then the 4th, assuming that the verses have been rearranged later, so that the mention of the sanctuary comes before that of the priests (in verse 4).

Ezekiel 45:4. This shall be a holy portion of the land; it shall be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to the Lord; and it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. In order to ensure the special holiness of the place surrounding the temple (“holy portion,” Slavonic, more accurately “holy – kodesh – of the land”), it is to be given to the priests, “ministers” of the very “sanctuary” (not the temple in general, as the Levites – cf. verse 5) and constantly “coming near to God,” – given for the “houses” of theirs, – “shall be for them a place for houses and a holy place for the sanctuary,” Hebrew mikdash – lemikdash literally “a sanctuary (holy place?) for a sanctuary” – an unnatural expression, which is why the LXX read the first word as milkad – “separated,” “and shall be for them a place for houses separated (αφωρισμενους) for their sanctification,” that is, the houses of priests, being in such a place, like isolated, will correspond to the holiness of the priests; the expression also not quite smooth; recent scholars suppose in the first mikdash corruption from migra – free space. Special dwellings for priests are not contrary to the command Ezek 44:28: “give them no possessions in Israel – I am their possession,” because this portion (teruma verse 1) belongs properly to the Lord and the temple and the settlement on it of priests is only the concrete expression of the idea that the Lord is their portion (Shred.).

Ezekiel 45:5. Twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width shall belong to the Levites, the ministers of the house, as their possession for cities to live in. Corresponding to the lesser holiness of the Levites, “ministers” of the house in general (not the sanctuary – cf. verse 4) their portion, in size equal to the priestly portion of 25,000 × 10,000, but not diminished by the temple area (since there were more Levites), did not lie in such direct proximity to the temple as the priestly portion, but adjoined the priestly portion from the north (as is evident already from Ezek 48). “As their possession for dwelling” – Hebrew esrim leshakhot literally “twenty rooms”; because of the unnaturalness of such a meaning (the speech could be of houses on such a vast space, as in verse 4, not of rooms, and moreover in such small number), they read, with the LXX (cf. Num 35:2; Josh 14:4; Josh 21:2) – arim lashevet – “cities to dwell in.”

Ezekiel 45:6. And you shall assign the property of the city an area 5,000 cubits in width and 25,000 in length, alongside the holy portion; it shall belong to the whole house of Israel. If to the square of 25,000 units in length × 10,000 width (sacred priests + 10,000 width of Levite portion) obtained up to this point is added what belongs to the city, the future Jerusalem, of course, with its suburbs, 25,000 × 5,000, then is obtained a square of 25,000 × 25,000 units, embracing on all sides the temple. The lower, southern square of this square of 25,000 × 5,000, entering into this sacred square and lying in such the same relation “opposite” – leummat, literally “correspondingly,” to the sacred portion teruma hakodesh; Russian “sacred place set apart for the Lord,” but “for the Lord” is not in the original text, that is, in which the Levite portion lies, must have with the latter the same degree of holiness, therefore the LXX render the latter expression: “as if the firstfruits (απαρχη) of the holy things.” This city area, as well as the sacred and the princely portion inscribed further, is not to be considered the possession of any one tribe (as once the tribe of Judah considered Jerusalem its city), but of the whole house of Israel. More details on all this in Ezek 48:15-19.

Ezekiel 45:7. As for the prince, you shall give him a portion on either side of the holy district and the city property, on the west side westward and on the east side eastward, in length equal to the tribal portions, from the western to the eastern boundary of the land. On both sides of the square of 25,000 square units containing the Levite, priestly, and city portions extended throughout the width of 25,000 units, the princely (nasi, see explanation of Ezek 44:3) portion and reached on the east the Jordan, and on the west the Mediterranean Sea, embracing from the east and west the sacred square and occupying, like each “of the portions” of the 12 tribes, the entire width of the Promised Land. Ezek 48:21. See the diagram on p. 232. Slavonic: “And to the elder from that: and from this,” Greek εκ τουτου και απο τουτου – literally a translation of Hebrew mizze umizze, which now, following the Vulgate (hinc et inde), everyone translates “on either side.” The Slavonic text further: “In the firstfruits of the holy, in the possession of the city,” – “in,” Hebrew le, “for,” “correspondingly,” Russian “beside”; “firstfruits of the holy” – the sacred portion (teruma) verses 1 and 4. “By the face of the possession of the city” – the most precise definition of this “in.” “That which is toward the sea, and from those toward the sea that on the east” – literally, but with rearrangement and omission, a translation of Hebrew “from the side of the sea (west) to the sea and from the side of the east to the east,” that is, from the western, sea side (of the sacred portion) to the very west (the sea) and from the eastern side to the very east (of the Promised Land). “Length and as one part (tribal portion) from (απο) boundary that (των) to the sea (from the sea boundary of the land) and length to (επι) boundary that on the east of the land” – an expanded translation of Hebrew, where the word “of the land” is correctly taken into this verse from the beginning of the 9th Hebrew verse.

Ezekiel 45:8. This land shall be his possession in Israel; and My princes shall no more oppress My people, but they shall let the house of Israel have the land according to their tribes. The prince is allotted such a comparatively large portion of land (about 17 square units if one counts the actual width of the Promised Land at Jerusalem) so that the future princes, whom the Lord pointedly calls His (the LXX, however, have “of Israel”) and whom the prophet thinks as an entire hereditary succession (in contrast to the one Messiah with an endless kingdom with other prophets), so that these princes, like their predecessors (Ezek 22:6) do not oppress the people, also the Lord’s, as they, and chiefly so as not to rob the tribes of Israel of their portions. The beginning of the verse: “this is his land” (la’aretz – “for the land”) with the LXX should be referred to the preceding verse (see its explanation). Thus the prophet approaches the question of the rights and duties of the prince toward the people (verses 9-17), which is reduced to the question of the tribute, because the tribute, to which the prince has a right from the people, he is obliged to use for the cult, which even before the captivity was paid mainly from royal resources; now, with the complete absence of military expenses and with the perfect theocratization of society, this is the only purpose of state finances: the people pays tribute to the prince so that he, as the church’s patron, might have the means to bring the appointed sacrifices. Thus the whole life of the people (chiefly materially) is directed to religion. The prophet regulates the tribute first from the negative side, eliminating the abuses that had been made before in this sphere (verse 9). These abuses were of two kinds: less was taken from the prescribed, and something not prescribed at all was taken; the first necessitated a precise determination of measures in general (verses 10-12) and the measure for tribute (verses 11-15). Then the tribute is regulated from the positive side, by its purpose, which is indicated entirely in the maintenance of the people’s cult (verses 16, 17).

Ezekiel 45:9. Thus says the Lord God: Enough, O princes of Israel! Cease violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness; stop dispossessing My people, declares the Lord God. The essence of the new order on the new promised land from the external, governmental side must consist in the complete elimination of all wrongdoing and injury to the people on the part of the authorities. Of this wrongdoing there has heretofore been all too much, so that its measure is filled. The prophet names two kinds of such wrongdoing: “violence and oppression” – hamas and shod – see Jer 6:7; Hab 1:3: αδικιαν και ταλαιπωριαν, the second stronger than the first. Former prophets also often complained of such wrongdoings by the “princes”: for instance Mic 3:1-3; 1 Sam 12:4. Correspondingly two positive requirements are presented to the princes – not only justice but also righteousness in it. In connection with the foregoing and essentially, the prophet warns the princes especially against the greatest injury to the people – the seizure of land plots – under the pretext of, for instance, confiscations, as was permitted by Ahab with respect to Naboth; cf. also Isa 5:8; Mic 2:9. The last thought (“stop dispossessing…”) – the most probable translation of Hebrew “remove gerushtekhen,” where gerusha – from the root to expel; LXX: “take away violence”; Vulgate: separate continia vestra.

Ezekiel 45:10. You shall have honest balances, a true ephah, and a true bath. With the incorrect measures in private practice, which were generally widespread among ancient Hebrews and provoked the denunciations of the prophets (Lev 19:35 and onwards Deut 25:13 and onwards Amos 8:5; Hos 12:8; Mic 6:10; Prov 16:11), it was easier to contend than with abuses in this respect by the government itself when collecting tributes in kind, which abuses consequently were and perhaps not in small measure. All sorts of measures are mentioned: weights, measures for dry and liquid substances. “To you”—to the princes. LXX: “a just weight and a just measure and a just choenix let there be to you for measures” replace the specific terms ephah and bath with the general “measure” and choenix. The choenix is a daily ration of food per person and a defined grain measure of 2 xestai or 4 kotulai. “For measures”—the first word of verse 11 in Hebrew is drawn into verse 10 by the LXX.

Ezekiel 45:11. The ephah and the bath shall be of the same measure, so that the bath shall contain a tenth part of a homer and the ephah a tenth part of a homer; their measure shall be established according to the homer. The ephah and the bath are measures of equal volume, but the former for liquids and the latter for dry substances; each is approximately 36.4 liters, about 3 buckets or 11 garnets. The bath is first mentioned in Isaiah, consequently this is a later measure; in Moses’ time a hin (Lev 19:36)—one-sixth of an ephah—served as the measure for liquids. A homer is 364.4 liters. Larger measures less readily permitted abuse, therefore smaller ones are established by them (5, 10). The Slavonic says “to receive,” “so that it should contain,” but thereafter the accusative should be used as in the Greek: “a tenth (read: one-tenth) part…”

Ezekiel 45:12. Twenty shekels shall make one shekel; and twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, and fifteen shekels shall constitute one mina for you. Just as the ephah and the bath were used to measure natural tributes, so weight was used for monetary ones, since coins in the proper sense did not exist. “Shekel”—3.83 gold, 14.55 grams (4, 10); a silver shekel, consequently in value was about one ruble of ours (4 gold—21 parts pure silver); German interpreters reckon in it their own 2 marks 50 pfennigs, and a ruble now is 2 m. 16 pf. The division of the shekel into gerahs existed already in Moses’ time and already Moses in every mention of the shekel insists that it should contain 20 gerahs, calling such a magnitude of shekel sacred (Exod 30:13; Lev 27:25; consequently Num 3:47); consequently the trimming of the shekel, which produced the ordinary, civil shekel, began already in that time. The LXX and Vulgate translate “gerah” as “obol”; obolos is an Attic coin, one-sixth of a drachma, 4-5 kopecks. “Twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels and fifteen shekels shall constitute one mina for you.” It forbids reducing the currency exchange.—Mina (mane)—a name for money common to Semites and Greeks (mna) appearing in biblical literature only around the period of captivity; 1 Sam 10:17; Ezra 2:69; Nehem 7:71-72. Comparing 1 Sam 10:17, where 3 minas of gold were used for a shield, with 2 Chr 9:16, where about the same shield it is said that it was made of “300 (shekels) of gold” (the word “shekel” by the way is not in the Hebrew; in the LXX “golden”), they concluded that a mina equaled 100 shekels; but now it has become known that in western Asia the mina contained 60 shekels (Nowack, Arch. I, 207 et seq. and others). It is remarkable that even the sum of the given numbers (20 + 25 + 15) makes 60. One cannot think with the Targum and rabbis that the prophet for greater accuracy of calculation designated here 60 through the sum of its summands: this would be a very strange expression. In no way can the supposition of Hitzig be proved, that here three minas of different worth are indicated: silver, gold, and copper. Therefore probably the Masoretic text is corrupted. Meanwhile the Alexandrian Codex gives a fully natural reading: “five shekels shall be (i.e., shall be reckoned as) five shekels, and ten shekels—ten shekels, and 50 shekels shall be one mina,” that is, shall not be reckoned at less than their value; 5 and 10 shekels, as round numbers, could have been taken as examples or perhaps were such coins; the mina by that time could have been reduced from 60 to 50 shekels. The Vaticanus codex is shorter but not so smooth; “five shekels—five and shekels, ten and fifty shekels—mina.” A mina, consequently, was about 50-60 rubles.

Ezekiel 45:13. This is the tribute which you must give to the prince: one-sixth of an ephah from a homer of wheat, and one-sixth of an ephah from a homer of barley; “Tribute” to the prince, like the sacred offering (Ezek 44:30; cf. Ezek 45:1), is designated by the word terumah, because it too in the end goes to the temple and the cult, although this word “in Prov 29:4 has a secular sense” (Smend). From grains the tribute is paid only from the most important and constitutes 1/60 of the harvest, since 1 ephah is 1/10 of a homer, and the tribute constitutes 1/6 of an ephah.—“One-sixth part,” literally “divide into 6 parts” (verb instead of numeral).

Ezekiel 45:14. A provision concerning oil: one-tenth of a bath of oil; ten baths make a homer, because there are ten baths in a homer; The tribute from oil is already much less than the grain tribute; barely not twice less; only 1/100. And it is designated not as terumah (see verse 13), but as chok—“provision” (cf. Ezek 16:27 “ordinance,” Lev 7:34 “portion”). Cor (Aramaic kora, Greek koros) is the homer (Nowack, Arch. 1, 203. Benzing. 183) and must have replaced this name around the time of captivity (1 Sam 4:22; 2 Chr 2:10), becoming perhaps predominantly a measure for liquids; the lengthy explanation of this measure here shows that it was new. But the Hebrew text here is unintelligibly obscure and verbose—literally “and provision of oil: bath of oil—one-tenth part of a bath from a cor ten baths homer, because ten baths homer”; in the words “bath of oil” a gloss is seen (Deut 14:23); instead of “homer” one reads with Pish. and Vulgate. “cor”; “ten baths cor,” since naturally one would expect an explanation of what such a cor is, not a homer, explained in verse 11; the final sentence of the verse is considered dittography, supposing that ki, “because” arose from cor; but this sentence perhaps means that a cor equaled a homer. LXX: “a measure (kotule—cup) of oil from ten measures, since ten measures are a homer,” i.e., more briefly: 1/100 of a homer.

Ezekiel 45:15. One sheep from a flock of two hundred sheep from the pastures of Israel: all this for a grain offering and a burnt offering, and a peace offering, for their atonement, says the Lord God. The tribute from sheep is even less than from oil; namely twice less than the latter: 1/200. The tribute is very moderate. But the LXX according to Deut 14:23 here correct it to 1/100.—“One” is feminine in Hebrew, because large flocks consist for the most part of female animals.—A sheep, Hebrew se, as in Exod 12:3, means a head of any small livestock (and goats). But the LXX: probaton. Sheep are required for tribute “from the fat pastures of Israel,” misqeh: abundantly watered, as in Gen 13:10 the Jordan valley is called. This does not mean that owners of non-fat pastures were free from tribute, but that all pastures on the new sacred land will be fat. Troubled by this word, the LXX read something close in form; “a portion (tribute, aphaireina terumah) from all the territories of Israel.” “All this”—a felicitous addition of the Russian translation, since further it indicates not only the predestination of the tribute of sheep, but of all tribute to the prince: for a grain offering (the LXX imprecisely: “sacrifices,” should be, speaking of the predestination of sheep) sheep could not go. It is remarkable that among the sacrifices are not mentioned sacrifices properly for sin (the comparative sinlessness of the future Israel).—“For their atonement,” le appeal, literally “to cover,” a known sacrificial term from which comes the name of the mercy seat. The LXX is good: “to make atonement,” tou exilaskesthai.—“Their,” that is, of the tributaries, but the LXX in accordance with verse 13 “of you.”—The tribute had as one of its purposes expenses for sacrifices; the main purpose, but not the only one; for sacrifices alone it would have been too great. It went generally for the maintenance and expenses of the prince. Barley, by the way, was not used in the cult.

Ezekiel 45:16. All the people of the land are bound to make this offering to the prince in Israel. It is insisted upon the universal obligation of the tribute, perhaps in view of its absence in Mosaic law.—“Of the land”—a pleonasm, not present in the LXX (in the Slavonic it is).—“Offering,” terumah, see explanation of verse 13; cf. verse 1 and Ezek 44:30.

Ezekiel 45:17. And it shall be the duty of the prince to provide the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings for the festivals and new moons and Sabbaths, all the feast days of the house of Israel; he shall provide the sin offering and the grain offering and the burnt offering and the peace offering to make atonement for the house of Israel. In exchange for the tribute the prince will repay the people with sacrifices, which are his chief obligation (literally from the Hebrew: “and on—al—the prince will be: burnt offerings” etc. Slavonic “and the elder shall make burnt offerings” etc.) toward the people to such an extent that others are not mentioned. Therefore blessed Jerome rightly sees in the prince a type of Christ. First the festive sacrifices of the prince are indicated, then his sacrifices in general (in verse 17b, but hardly daily; cf. Ezek 46:13-14). In the number of the first are indicated besides burnt offering and grain offering (the LXX the latter generally: “sacrifices”) also “drink offering,” Hebrew nesek, a term applied in the law of M. only to the pouring out of wine; but since it is completely excluded from the cult by Ezekiel (see explanation Ezek 44:21; cf. Ezek 23:42), then is meant the pouring out of oil (Ezek 46:5; cf. Mic 6:7). The festivals on which the prince must offer three mentioned kinds of sacrifices, also said to be three kinds: festivals in the proper sense, the greatest annual (chag as for example Passover, Tabernacles), less solemn and more frequent festivals—new moons and finally weekly festivals—Sabbaths; all are united in the term “festivals,” moadim from the root “to gather,”—festive gatherings (Gen 1:14; Lev 23:2). LXX: “festivals.” As ordinary non-festival sacrifices are indicated besides those also belonging to the first kind; burnt offerings and grain offerings, more sorrowful sacrifices: sin offering (chata) and less solemn: peace offerings. All these sacrifices of the prince have as their goal not so much him, even and generally not him himself, but the people,—the atonement (kapar—see in verse 15) of the house of Israel. The prince appears thus as a mediator and intercessor for his people before God. Table of festivals and their sacrifices. Since the tribute to the prince has as its chief purpose defraying his expenses on sacrifices, especially festive ones, the prophet passes from the discussion of it to the table of sacrifices and festivals. Regarding festivals, the year is divided into two halves, each of which is opened by a day of atonement, and in the middle of the first month has a great festival, in the 1st month Passover, in the 7th an unnamed festival, but corresponding to Tabernacles. Thus the year has two days of atonement and two highest festivals (Ezek 45:16-25). The further festivals are: Sabbath (Ezek 46:1-5) and new moons (6-7). For all these festivals sacrifices are indicated, and then additionally (8-12) some indications are given about the conduct of the prince and the people at these sacrifices. But each day is also honored with sacrifices (13-15). After a brief digression from the main subject—a note on the property rights of the prince (16-18), the prophet, to conclude his discussion of sacrifices, indicates the location in the temple of the sacred bakeries and sacrificial kitchens, whereby the present section on festivals and sacrifices, and equally the preceding one on sacred allotments and tribute is included in the discussion of the temple. This ritual code of Ezekiel draws attention by its difference from the corresponding sections of Mosaic legislation. Ezekiel prescribes not only different sacrifices for the festivals, but also gives a different table of the latter. Thus Ezekiel does not indicate the festival of Pentecost, the new year, and assigns instead of one two days of atonement, but less solemn. The brief overview presented of Ezekiel’s church year shows of itself the reason for these changes. Just as in the plan of the temple the vision of the prophet imparts to Solomon’s temple strict symmetry, so too does the present table of festivals with the Mosaic. Moreover, the construction of Ezekiel’s church year is determined by the number 7. The festival of Pentecost and the new year are eliminated precisely so that both halves of the year fully correspond to each other. With this same goal two days of atonement are introduced. With this latter at the same time the significance of this day is diminished—in correspondence with the great purity of the new Israel. Therefore negative criticism unjustly from the lesser complexity of Ezekiel’s church year concludes to its primacy in relation to the Mosaic, considering the Mosaic festivals, especially in the form as they appear in Lev 17-26 (the so-called “Priestly Code”) as a significant development of Ezekiel’s legislation; the church year of Deuteronomy is considered by negative criticism as an intermediate step between these phases of development, less different from Ezekiel’s than the book of Leviticus (just as there and in Ezekiel for Passover and Tabernacles 7, not 8 days are assigned: Deut 16:4; Lev 23:5 et seq.; Num 28:16 et seq.; Exod 12:18). Yet there are many more differences in Ezekiel’s prescriptions concerning sacrifices than in Mosaic law. Here already in not one particular is there agreement. But again one cannot say that Ezekiel’s laws concerning festive sacrifices are simpler and that the Mosaic ones represent their development. The former only present a more strictly organized system in which the quantity of sacrifices is precisely proportioned to the importance of the festival. The following table will clearly show the relationship of Ezekiel’s laws concerning sacrifices to the Mosaic. V signifies a burnt offering, S—a sin offering. M—a peace offering, l—a lamb, r—a ram, b—a bull, g—a goat, ox—an ox. The smallest sacrificial unit in Ezekiel, as also in Moses, is a lamb. For the ordinary sacrifice in Ezekiel a single such unit is taken, in Moses—two: the first gives the possibility to elevate the festival above weekdays and consequently to more sanctify the festival. This we already see in the laws of Ezekiel and Moses concerning the Sabbath sacrifice. While Moses simply doubles the Sabbath sacrifice, in Ezekiel on the Sabbath six lambs are offered for the preceding 6 days of the week and for the Sabbath the next sacrifice unit in size—a ram. On the new moon, the following festival in degree, to the Sabbath sacrifice is added and the further sacrifice unit in size—a bull (cf. Ps 50:21; 1 Sam 1:24; Mic 6:6-7). The sacrifice unit next in size to a ram—properly a goat, but in Ezekiel, as in Moses, is a sin offering, where in Ezekiel it replaces a bull for this sacrifice in less solemn cases. In Moses it is difficult to find any gradation and connection between the sacrifice of the Sabbath and the new moon. The new moons of the 1st and 7th months, serving in Ezekiel as days of atonement, are marked by the addition to the burnt offering—a sin offering, which in him is always a bull, not a goat, as in Moses,—an animal both larger and more worthy than a goat. Thus these two new moons are sufficiently distinguished from the series of others, whereas in Moses they somehow have fewer sacrifices than ordinary new moons. The distinguishing advantage of the new moon before the Sabbath—the sacrificial bull—in the festivals following the new moon in importance—Passover and Pentecost—is doubled in Ezekiel, while in Moses Passover has a sacrifice the same as the new moon, and Tabernacles—the largest of all festivals, many times surpassing both the Passover. The festival of the dedication of the temple stands alone in both legislative systems, but in Ezekiel it almost approaches the type of the new year, losing something from its solemnity (there are no 6 lambs). Thus Ezekiel’s ritual is approximately related to the Mosaic as his temple to that of Solomon: both the prophet and the king reconstructs according to the strict laws of symmetry, which in Moses could not be sufficiently present, perhaps because his legislation had to conform to customs already established before it. But complete symmetry in the cult gives Ezekiel the possibility to construct from sacred times a proper architecture of the temple, in which the believer beginning from weekdays ascends to ever greater holinesses: Sabbaths, new moons, and festivals, during the latter entering into the Holy of Holies of the church year.

Ezekiel 45:18. Thus says the Lord God: In the first month, on the first day of the month, you shall take a bull without blemish, and cleanse the sanctuary. Remarkable is the brevity of expression without the word “month” and “day,” surpassing even ours (only the word “day” is dropped); incidentally, the concept day is expressed by the word “new moon,” la-hodesh (LXX and Russian “of the month”).—The discussion is about a new half-year, which in Ezekiel takes the place of such a universal new year.—“Take”—in an impersonal sense (not the prophet), therefore LXX: “let them take.”—“Bull,” Hebrew par, should be less young than egel (cf. Lev 9:2-3).—“Without blemish,” which was required of sacrificial animals also by Mosaic legislation.—“And cleanse the sanctuary,” not the people, as in Moses on the day of atonement. This day does not exist in Ezekiel’s calendar in view of the purity of the new Israel; it is replaced by a light rite of cleansing during a new half-year, a cleansing of the temple, to which, as the greatest holiness, something unclean could be equated from the comparatively pure people; see explanation of verse 20.

Ezekiel 45:19. And the priest shall take blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple and on the four corners of the ledge of the altar and on the doorposts of the gate of the inner court. “Priest.” Ezekiel does not recognize a high priest,—one of the differences from Moses.—“Blood.” It is the chief element in the sacrifice.—“Of this sin offering.” Only here and as if in passing it is explained that the bull of verse 1 is a sin offering.—“Doorposts,” Hebrew mezuzat; the meaning “doorframe”—the most probable (see explanation Ezek 41:21); LXX: “thresholds,” in Ezek 46:2: “entrances,” and in Ezek 41:21 still otherwise (see there). LXX, Pesh., Vulgate., and recent scholars—wrongly plural: it is everywhere in Ezekiel in singular, because the object constituted one whole; Russian wrongly a new word compared with Ezek 41:21, where “doorframes.” Only the doorposts of the temple are sprinkled (the most important part of doors: Exod 12:7), because defilement can adhere to the temple only from without. “Temple,” Hebrew bait, house—the building of the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies.—“And on four corners of the ledge of the altar.”—“Ledge,” Hebrew azara see explanation Ezek 43:14. Just as the temple, the altar is sanctified only at the ends of its base, where it is adjoined with a less than it sacred place and where defilement could cleave to it. LXX read azara wrongly should have been otherwise, because: “and on four corners of the sanctuary (i.e., its building,—besides the doorframes, and on its corners), and on the altar.”—“And on the doorposts of the gate of the inner court.”—According to the degree of holiness the place following the altar—the inner court; it too is cleansed at the end; the outer is not cleansed. LXX also “thresholds.”

Ezekiel 45:20. And do the same on the seventh day of the month for anyone who has sinned in error and for anyone simple; so you shall cleanse the temple. “The seventh day of the month.” In Hebrew literally “in the seventh in the new moon.” If the 7th day of the month were meant, it would be said, as in verse 18, “new moon” with the preposition “le” and not “be.” Therefore the Masoretic text gives the right to understand the seventh month (in verse 18 also the word month is dropped), and the authority of the LXX confirms this understanding conclusively: “in the seventh month.” For such a meaning the Masoretic expression, to be sure, is not fully clear, but it is possible there is some corruption in it, from the desire to see here a festival of the new year, not an unprecedented—of a new half-year; the whole structure of Ezekiel’s calendar requires the latter kind of festival. “For anyone who has sinned in error and for anyone simple.” “In error” is an incorrect translation of the Hebrew shogeh, he who has sinned through error, mistake (Lev 4:2). Thus also the LXX: “from whosoever is ignorant and from an infant” (of mind?). In the renewed Israel there will be only such light sins.—“Temple,” bait, house.

Ezekiel 45:21. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall observe the Passover, a festival of seven days, when unleavened bread shall be eaten. “On the fourteenth day.” The first day of Passover, according to Mosaic law, was properly the 15th of Nisan, but since the ecclesiastical day among the Hebrews (as among us) was reckoned from the evening of the previous day, Passover began already on the 14th of Nisan and the evening of this day, thanks to the eating on it of the Passover lamb, was the most solemn moment of the festival. Therefore this date of the month is indicated here as the beginning for the festival. But this does not disturb the full correspondence in time of the celebration between Passover—the festival of the spring half-year and Tabernacles—the festival of the autumn half-year: the first day of both festivals falls on the 15th of their months; the celebration of Tabernacles just as of Passover began with the evening of the 14th of Tishri, but since this evening was not distinguished from other days of the festival, Ezekiel in verse 25 places the beginning of the autumn festival on the 15th day of the seventh month. Therefore it is completely unnecessary to correct here the 14 to 15 with recent interpreters for symmetry with the verse. “A festival of seven days.” According to Hebrew literally “a festival of weeks of days.” If there were not the addition “of days,” then by this definition the festival, Passover would be identified or combined into one 50-day festival with Pentecost, because it is precisely the latter that is called “the festival of weeks” (chag shivuot); but even the addition “of days” does not exclude such a meaning, because a week, seven is sometimes pleonastically called “a week of days” (Dan 10:2-3; cf. Gen 29:14: “a month of days”); only then the first word “week” would not stand in the status constructus (joining case), as it does here. Therefore all ancient translations understand here shivuot not in the meaning “week,” “seven” but “seven” (“septenary”), i.e., see here the thought that Passover should be celebrated 7 days; in favor of this speaks both the analogy of Mosaic law and the correspondence with the autumn festival of verse 25. Recent scholars suppose that here shib’at, seven, is corrected by scribes into shivuot, week, to introduce into the text an indication of the missing Pentecost in Ezekiel.—“Unleavened bread,” “which can be baked from bread already being harvested then.” (Bertholet.) But this is the second in significance rite of Passover; the first—the lamb—is not mentioned, but should be therefore that it is indicated by the very name Passover.

Ezekiel 45:22. And on that day the prince shall provide for himself and for all the people of the land a bull as a sin offering. “On that day,” in the evening of the 14th of the 1st month.—“The prince for himself and for all the people of the land.” About the significance of the prince in the cult of Ezekiel see preliminary remarks to Ezek 45:9-17 and explanation Ezek 45:17.—“The people of the land”—see explanation Ezek 7:27; but here in the sense of all subjects.—“A bull as a sin offering.” The usual sin offering in Ezekiel, as in Moses, is a goat; a bull—as a sin offering more solemn, appointed only for the first evening of the festival.

Ezekiel 45:23. And during these seven days of the festival he shall offer burnt offerings to the Lord daily: seven bulls and seven rams without blemish, and as a sin offering daily a goat from the goat herd. The sacrifice is very great both in comparison with Mosaic law and in comparison with sacrifices on other days in Ezekiel; see preliminary remarks and table.

Ezekiel 45:24. And he shall provide as a grain offering: one ephah for each bull and one ephah for each ram, and a hin of oil for each ephah. Grain offering, Hebrew mincha, this bloodless Old Testament sacrifice, which prepared for the bloodless Christian sacrifice, was appointed also in Moses’ law with each burnt offering; for the Passover it was considerably less than in Ezekiel: 3/10 of an ephah for a bull, 2/10 for a ram and 1/10 for a lamb (Num 28:20). Ephah and hin see explanation Ezek 45:10. With the great magnitude of the Passover burnt offering in Ezekiel the grain offering reaches an enormous magnitude: about 8 1/2 measures × 14 muds of flour in 1/2 bucket × 14 of oil. But the future fertility of the earth required such a great sacrifice.

Ezekiel 45:25. In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month, for the festival, during seven days he shall make the same offerings: the same sin offering, the same burnt offering, and the same grain offerings and the same oil. “For the festival,” corresponding to Tabernacles, but for some reason not named by name (recent scholars: because it was the most ancient and therefore considered a festival par excellence). Fully equal to Passover and occupies in the second half of the year the same position as that in the first.

Chapter Forty-Six

Ezekiel 46:1. Thus says the Lord God: The gate of the inner court facing east shall be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened. While the outer eastern gates must be shut constantly (Ezek 44:1) as a sign of the complete incomprehensibility of the Divine apart from His revelation outside the future temple and for those who have no access to it, the inner eastern gates are opened at festivals, during which God is more known and felt than on ordinary days.

Ezekiel 46:2. The prince shall enter by the vestibule of the gate and shall stand by the doorpost of the gate; and the priests shall offer his burnt offering and his peace offering; and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate, and then go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening. While formerly kings had for themselves in the inner court of the temple a magnificent chamber (2 Sam 16:18) and special gates of the inner court, probably corresponding to later southern ones, were granted exclusively to them (Ezek 43:8), now the prince does not dare even enter the inner court, and only can look into it through the opened eastern gates, which faced right opposite the altar, and see how on the latter his sacrifices are brought. He cannot even stand in the very gates, but only in their vestibule, which represented a whole hall, and was located in the inner gates on their external side, facing the outer court (see plan 3). LXX “outer” unjustly considered as a definition of the gates; in this vestibule he can stand at the very door, or more truly doorframe, “mezuzat” (“doorpost,” LXX “entrance”—see explanation Ezek 45:19 and Ezek 41:21), coming out from the vestibule into the opening of the gates, not daring to enter even this opening. From here there was a direct view of the altar face to face; this position was nearer to the temple and more honorable than the place for the people (verse 3); but on the great festivals the prince was indistinguishable from the people (verse 10), being distinguished from them only on Sabbaths and new moons, when due to the small number of people in the temple the prince was easily distinguished from them. The burnt offering must be of the size of verse 4, and the peace offering according to his zeal. The gates are opened not only for the prince, but also for the people, so that they too could look at the altar face to face, therefore the gates were not shut after the prince left (as that was done when they were opened especially for the prince—verse 12 end), “so that all the people of the land might pray before the opening of these gates” (blessed Jerome). According to Kimchi: “the king here is the Messiah, for after this prophecy there were no kings in Judah, but leaders, as is evident from the books of the Maccabees.”

Ezekiel 46:3. And the people of the land shall worship at the entrance of this gate on the Sabbaths and on the new moons before the Lord. On the greater festivals the people, it seems, could see the altar only through the side gates (verse 9). The revelation of God on these days was greater than on the Sabbath and new moon, and exceeded the comprehension of the people.

Ezekiel 46:4. The burnt offering that the prince offers to the Lord on the Sabbath day shall consist of six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish; The size of the Sabbath sacrifice is established, which the prince offers from all the people, as their representative, since the people on these festivals should not appear in the temple. Why 6 lambs and 1 ram, see preliminary remarks to XLV:18-XLVI.

Ezekiel 46:5. and a grain offering of one ephah for the ram, and a grain offering for the lambs as much as he wishes to give, and a hin of oil for each ephah. The size of the grain offering for a lamb in contrast to Num 28:20, is not established, is left to the wish of the prince (“as much as his hand provides,” perhaps a full handful? Lev 5:12). Therefore even the drink offering is determined in relation to the grain offering, but not to the animal. Grain offering Hebrew minchau LXX for some reason a transliteration μαναα, while usually “offering,” prosphora.

Ezekiel 46:6. On the day of the new moon he shall offer a bull from the herd without blemish, as well as six lambs and a ram; they shall be without blemish. About the character and size of the sacrifice see preliminary remarks to XLV:18-XLVI.—“Without blemish”—in the Hebrew plural, should be an error under the influence of “without blemish,” where the plural is required or “a correction according to Num 28:11” (see). Trumpets, this chief rite of the new moon according to Moses, are not mentioned (as also the Passover lamb and Tabernacles).

Ezekiel 46:7. He shall provide as a grain offering one ephah for the bull and one ephah for the ram, and for the lambs as much as he wishes, and a hin of oil for each ephah. “As much as he wishes,” in Hebrew expressed somewhat differently than in verse 5: therefore the LXX there: “a gift of his hand,” here: “as his hand shall attain” (a handful); but no basis for difference in meaning is found.

Ezekiel 46:8. And when the prince enters, he shall enter by the vestibule of the gate, and shall go out by the same way. On the described only festivals: the Sabbath and the new moon—the prince in regard to his entry into the temple enjoys the advantage before the people, granted to him in Ezek 44:3; see explanation there.

Ezekiel 46:9. But when the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed festivals, whoever enters by the north gate to worship shall go out by the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate shall go out by the north gate: they shall not go back through the gate by which they entered, but shall go out straight ahead. The prescription prevented crowds. But hardly did it have only such a base purpose. Perhaps there is in mind a known peculiarity in the movement of the cherubim (Ezek 1:9), and that Israel on the new land will be what the cherubim of the first vision are (Gaupp, Die Eigehtümlichkeit des Ez. In Neue kirchliche Zeitschrift, 5, 618).—“Festivals”—moadim should be only two annual—Passover and Tabernacles, when all the people should appear “before the Lord”; but in Ezek 45:17 the term designates all festivals.

Ezekiel 46:10. And the prince shall be in their midst; when they enter, he shall enter, and when they go out, he shall go out. At the great festivals the prince in regard to his entry into the temple does not have the advantage before the people (should be because the people represented in their entirety are not lower than the prince), granted to him in relation to his entry into the temple in Ezek 44:3 and here in verses 2 and 8 on the Sabbath and new moon, i.e., must enter and go out of the temple by the same gates and just as the people does, perhaps even because the eastern gates then were not opened (see explanation of verses 1 and 3). But the Peshitta: “the prince with them can through the same gates through which he came, and go out.”

Ezekiel 46:11. And at the festivals and at the appointed seasons the grain offering shall be an ephah for a bull and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs as much as one wishes to give, and a hin of oil for each ephah. “Festivals,” Hebrew haggim (Vulgate. for some reason here: nundiuis—fairs), “appointed seasons,” Hebrew moadim, see explanation Ezek 45:12. But in the haggim (Passover and Tabernacles) no lamb is offered (unless as an ordinary daily sacrifice). LXX: “mana”—see explanation of verse 5. The verse in general is a repetition of verses 5, 7, Ezek 45:24. There is no subject, but the prince is clearly implied.

Ezekiel 46:12. And if the prince offers a freewill offering, either a burnt offering or a peace offering, as a freewill offering to the Lord, then the gate facing east shall be opened for him; and he shall offer his burnt offering and his peace offering as he does on the Sabbath day, and then he shall go out; and after he goes out, the gate shall be shut. “From his zeal”—not from a vow or obligation; thus in Mosaic law only a peace offering could be offered. LXX: “confession.”—“Must open,” Hebrew “and will open,” therefore LXX: “and he will open for himself”; but of course an impersonal statement.—“After his going out the gates shall be shut,” so that the distinction between a weekday and a festival should not be lost. A great prerogative for the prince.

Ezekiel 46:13. Every day you shall provide a burnt offering to the Lord: a yearling lamb without blemish you shall provide every morning. “Provide” LXX, Peshitta, and Vulgate “shall make,” i.e., the prince, the chief steward of the cult (see preliminary remarks to Ezek 45:9-17), who was obligated to represent the people both in the daily as in the festival sacrifice, though of course might not always be personally present at it.—“Every morning.” Mosaic law required both morning and evening, but Ezekiel gives a new law; in him generally only the beginning of each period of time is sanctified: half-year, month, week, day. LXX: “mana” see explanation of verse 5.

Ezekiel 46:14. And you shall provide a grain offering with it every morning: one-sixth of an ephah, and one-third of a hin of oil, to moisten the choice flour, as a perpetual ordinance for the Lord. Grain offering larger than in Moses: Exod 29:38-42; Num 28:3-8, but there is no wine; see explanation Ezek 45:23. Here the size of the grain offering for a lamb is established, when in verses 5, 7, 11 it is left to his wish.—“Every morning”—Vulgate. cata mane—a strange insertion of the Greek preposition.—“To moisten”—Hebrew hap. leg. should be an Aramaism.—“Flour,” Hebrew solet, LXX: “semidl,” Vulgate. simila—finest flour, which was required for the sacrifice also in Mosaic law, in distinction from common flour kemach.—“Perpetual”—usual also in Moses for ritual institutions, sometimes replaced by a more precise: “in their generations.”

Ezekiel 46:15. Thus they shall provide the lamb, the grain offering, and the oil every morning as a regular burnt offering. Ezekiel 46:16. Thus says the Lord God: If the prince gives a gift to any of his sons out of his inheritance, it shall belong to his sons; it is their property by inheritance. Ezekiel 46:17. But if he gives a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his only until the year of liberty; then it shall revert to the prince. Only his sons may keep an inheritance from him. Ezekiel 46:18. The prince shall not take any of the inheritance of the people, thrusting them out of their holding; but out of his own possession he shall give an inheritance to his sons, so that none of my people shall be separated from his property. Just as eternal and perpetual, as the already concluded exposition “ordinance” (verse 14) concerning sacrifices, must also be the property provision of the prince, this exclusively—guardian of sacrifices. He must not divide his allotment, which embraces the allotment of the Lord and as if isolates the latter from all worldly things. He can divide it only within the bounds of his own kind, the disposition already implying that the main mass of property passes to the firstborn—the heir. But if the prince gives an allotment to a servant (such people were often considered by ancient kings as all their officials, even ministers), it can remain with its owner only until the year of liberty, i.e., the Sabbath (Exod 21:2; Deut 15:12; Jer 34:14), consequently not more than 7 years. On the other hand, the prince is not even permitted to increase his allotment at the expense of the people: in this case the prophet could have been guided by sad memories of the past. The prescriptions attached to Ezek 46:16-18 and Ezek 45:8, the placement of which here is completely inexplicable to the understanding of modern interpreters, if one sees in them only practical laws.

Ezekiel 46:19. Then he led me through the entrance, which is on the side of the gate, to the sacred chambers of the priests, which face north; and there, at the far west, I saw a place. To complete the regulation of the sacrificial cult, it remained to say where to boil and bake for the sacrifices that which is designated to be boiled and baked. And in this regard a strict distinction is made between the sacrificial parts belonging to the priests from those of the people, although both are sacred. The kitchens for the latter are not on the inner but on the outer court. The prophet stood according to Ezek 44:4 before the front of the temple, namely the building of the Sanctuary. From there he was led (“by a man” Ezek 40:3) “by the entrance which is on the side of the gate,” as is evident from the further, described in Ezek 42:4 (according to plan 3: g-i) “to the sacred chambers for (Hebrew “el,” to, LXX, Peshitta and Targum read “asher le” which for) priests,” described in Ezek 42:13-14, (LXX: “to an enclosure—see explanation Ezek 42:13, sacred of priests”), namely to those of two rows of these chambers which were “facing north,” i.e., located on the north side of the temple. Beside these chambers there was a “place,” evidently uncovered, a free part of the court (LXX: “a place separated” instead of the rest) “at the far west,” literally “in two corners to the sea (west),” should be L, L’ according to plan No. 3, not one L because symmetry would be violated, and not V, V’ (Smend) because the place would not be sufficiently sacred (the back, dark court of the temple). The LXX give, it seems, an explanatory translation, when they add to “gates”—“which on the south”: the northern gates on their inner side faced the south, and to this side the prophet should have approached from the front of the temple.

Ezekiel 46:20. And he said to me, “This is the place where the priests shall boil the guilt offering and the sin offering, and where they shall bake the grain offering, without bringing them out into the outer court, in order not to transmit holiness to the people.” As is evident from the preceding verse, near those chambers where the priests should according to Ezek 42:13 eat the parts belonging exclusively to them from the sacrificial animals, there was also a place for kitchens in which these parts were boiled. And a list is given of the sacrifices from which such parts came, presented already in Ezek 44:29; in the burnt offering everything was burned, and in the peace offering the laypeople were also admitted. The prophet intensifies here his concern about the non-communication of the sacred with the profane to the point that he does not permit even the carrying out to the outer court of the most sacred parts of the sacrifice (as earlier forbidden the sacred clothes — Ezek 42:14). Especially strong is the expression: “in order not to transmit holiness to the people,” to somehow not hallow the people with the carried out most sacred part of the sacrifice. (Vulgate. “and may the people be sanctified”): in Ezek 44:19 more precisely, but not so forcefully; “so that with their sacred clothes they should not touch the people,” cf. Lev 8:31 after “grain offering” (“mana”—see explanation of verse 3) † “completely,” to panto, completely, i.e., to consume all remains of these sacrifices.

Ezekiel 46:21. Then he led me out to the outer court, and led me past the four corners of the court; and in each corner of the court there was a court. “In each corner of the court another court,” an enclosure enclosed by a wall (verse 23) a space, literally: “a court in the corner a court in the corner a court,” an anaphoric repetition as in Ezek 1:23; from which the LXX: “and behold, a court at the corners of the court (verse 22). At the corner a court.”

Ezekiel 46:22. In the four corners of the court were small enclosed courts, forty cubits long and thirty cubits wide; all four corner courts were the same size. “Enclosed,” Hebrew keturot—inexplicable. Targ. and Pesh. derive from Aramaic root meaning to bind, enclose—enclosed (by walls, verse 23) courts; in the Talmud: uncovered (an unnecessary addition about courts); the LXX read ketanot—“small,” Vulgate. disposita; the former is more probable and in no way the Russian translation. Sounds like “smoke”; “always smoking” (Schroeder).—“Corners,” corresponding to Hebrew mehuqzaot—Aramaic form participle Hof. from root “corner”: drawn out into a corner? placed at the corners? square-shaped? The Masoretes as suspicious marked puncta extraordinaria; LXX, Pesh., Vulgate. do not read. The beginning of the verse in Slavonic “At the corner a court,” see explanation of verse 21.

Ezekiel 46:23. And around all of them, all four, there was a row of masonry, with hearths built all around under the rows. “Walls,” Hebrew tur, literally a row as in 1 Sam 6:36 about rows of stones. LXX exedrai, an enclosure. The main purpose of these walls—the arrangement of hearths in them. “Under,” Hebrew tachat, below, as in LXX and V.; the hearths were perhaps underground.

Ezekiel 46:24. And he said to me, “These are the kitchens where those who serve the temple shall boil the sacrifices of the people.” “Those who serve the temple”—the Levites: Ezek 44:11 et seq. cf. 15. “Sacrifices,” Hebrew zevach, most precisely Slavonic “slaughterings” (Greek thymatа), but only peace offerings are understood, from which the people could eat. Cf. 1 Sam 2:13 et seq.

Chapter Forty-Seven

1-12. The source from beneath the temple. 13-23. The boundaries of the future sacred land.

The actual basis for the prophetic idea of the life-giving temple source in the prophet Ezekiel, as earlier in Joel (Joel 3:18), and later in Zechariah (Zech 14:8), could be an actual spring on the temple mount, concerning which the Letter of Aristeas speaks (“an inexhaustible collection of water as though from a source of many waters flowing naturally”) and Tacitus (“a constant spring of water, a mountain with cavities under the earth.” Hist. V, 12. Cf. Robinson, Palast. II, 159-163) and the reference to which should probably be found in Isaiah (Isa 8:6). The basis for this idea could have been sacred springs, which were known in ancient times to the Hebrews (though in lesser quantity than to the surrounding heathens, for example, the Phoenicians and Syrians): cf. Gen 14:7 “spring of Mispatim” (i.e., of judgment), Gen 16:14 “spring of him who lives and sees me,” 1 Sam 1:9; 2 Sam 5:10 and others. In the East in general the fertility of a country greatly depends on the abundance of waters; cf. the significance given to its rivers in the description of paradise. Meanwhile, Palestine in respect to fertility always left much to be desired, and especially Judea could not boast of it: not far to the south-east of Jerusalem began the Judean desert, and beyond it lay the Dead Sea, into which flowed the waters of the Kidron and the temple mount, and upon it dwelt God. If He will dwell upon it in a more substantial and permanent manner than hitherto, this cannot but produce a special prosperity of the country, chiefly its fertility, which may be produced by a stream flowing from the temple mount, if it were correspondingly enlarged and directed to the barren south and west of Judea. And God’s dwelling in the temple will be an inevitable consequence of the propriety of the worship cult in it (worship of God), to which, consequently, in the last instance as its cause is traced the fertility of the country. Thus the temple source, transforming the future sacred land into paradise, is but a symbol of the life, salvation (according to blessed Jerome “signifies the teaching of our Savior”) issuing from proper worship and serves as another expression of the idea contained in such passages as Isa 30:25; Jer 2:18; Ps 86:7; John 4:10; Rev 22:1. The prophet is first shown the stream and direction of water from beneath the temple (verses 1-2), then its growth into a stream (3-5), and finally its miraculous action (7-12).

Ezekiel 47:1. Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and behold, water was flowing out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the temple faced east; and the water was flowing down on the south side of the altar. From the outer court, where the prophet was since Ezek 46:21, he is led back (“by a man” Ezek 40:3) Ezek 44:4 to the entrance of the temple, i.e., the building of the Sanctuary and Holy of Holies, to the entrance, of course, into the vestibule of the temple (therefore the LXX: “to the entrance”) and here he saw the water flowing (literally “going out”) from under the threshold of the temple (perhaps going out also from the Holy of Holies) and directed to the east, since the temple too was directed to the east. The water flowed out not from under the door of the temple, because then it would have gone toward the altar, but “from under the right side of the temple,” i.e., from under the wall z-a on plan 3, (LXX “from under the unroofed, i.e., courtyard, part of the temple”), whereby it passed “on the south side of the altar.” “The Dead Sea, into which it flowed, lay precisely to the south-east of the temple” (Smend).

Ezekiel 47:2. Then he led me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gate facing east; and the water was trickling out on the south side. To trace the further direction of the temple stream, the prophet needed to go out of the temple, but he could not go directly, since the eastern gates were shut (the inner—for the most part: Ezek 46:1 cf. Ezek 40:1, and the outer always: Ezek 44:2); therefore the prophet is led out through the north gates (both) and, going around the temple from without (“on the outside”) comes before its eastern outer gates; “to the outer gates facing (“by way of”—Hebrew derekh sometimes means only direction and to) east.” From these gates (literally “entrance”; not expressed in Russian and Slavonic translation) to the right, i.e., under the adjacent wall on the right, the prophet saw again water being, evidently, a continuation of the stream seen by him earlier.—“Trickling”—Hebrew mippen, rendered thus from cognate roots (“drop”); Vulgate. redundantes; LXX: katetered—was falling, Slavonic “went out”; cognate with Assyrian paku, to break through.

Ezekiel 47:3. Going eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured off a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water; the water came up to my ankles. “When the man went to the east.”—“The man,” Ezek 40:3. Literally from the Hebrew: “at the going out of the man to the east”; the LXX, reading instead of “be,” “v”—“ke,” “as,” have: “as the going out of the man towards,” connecting this with the end of verse 2: “and behold, water went out from the land of the right, as the going out of the man towards,” i.e., the water flowed as evenly as a man walks in a straight direction.—“Line,” Hebrew kav, in Ezekiel only here, “linen rope” (Ezek 40:3)—since large measurements were ahead. The measurement of the stream is meant to show that its depth increases in strict gradation and with complete uniformity, whereby it was completely unlike natural currents and rivers and fully corresponded both to the new temple and to the new sacred land, the proportionality in the plan of the former and in the division of the latter. At the distance of a thousand cubits from the temple wall the stream, barely breaking through from under the wall, had already reached the ankles, Hebrew “ophsaim”—dual of an Aramaized Hebrew pasim. The LXX perhaps saw in the expression a hidden meaning: “and went (i.e., the angel, not the prophet; middle voice instead of causative “and led me”) through water water of remission” instead of Hebrew “water of ankles”; but apheseos, perhaps a transcription of Hebrew ophsaim, representing indeed a form not used anywhere else.

Ezekiel 47:4. Again he measured a thousand cubits and led me through the water; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured a thousand cubits and led me through; the water came up to my loins. “And led me.” The LXX again (see verse 3) dielthen (i.e., the angel, not the prophet), according to the Slavonic “and led me.”—“The water came up to my knees,” as also the Slavonic “and the water rose to the knees”—a paraphrase of the brief, as in verse 3, Hebrew “water of knees” (Greek more precisely without “rose”); but “water” in Hebrew not in the status constructus, as before and further, but in st. abs. maim not meі, perhaps because in the first form the expression would mean the same as in Isa 36:12 “water of feet” (urine). From “led me” the LXX formed a predicate to water “and the water rose.”

Ezekiel 47:5. Again he measured a thousand cubits, and it was a river that I could not cross, for the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed. The water thus increased in geometric progression.—“I could not cross.” The LXX “could not, i.e., the angel, pass,” as in verses 3 and 4.—“The water had risen.” LXX: “was boiling,” was turbulent like the sea, from the width and depth of the river.—“That could be swam,” literally “water of swimming.” LXX: “like a roar” (of a stream). Rosenmüller compares a place from the Zend-Avesta (translation Keuker, t. III, p. 16), that Zoroaster in a dream was passing through water, reaching him first to the heels, then to the knees and loins and finally to the neck and saw in this dream an indication of the development of his teaching.

Ezekiel 47:6. And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he led me back along the bank of the river. Ezekiel 47:7. As I came back, I saw upon the bank of the river a great many trees on one side and the other. “Have you seen…?” i.e., the supernatural increase of water in the stream. Instead of measuring the further depth of the stream, which would be impossible, the prophet is shown its action on the surroundings, which is also a measure of it, having replaced the previous insufficient unit of measurement. But this action does not begin only from the 5th thousand cubits of its length, but much earlier, therefore the prophet with the angel return to investigate the banks of the stream.—Slavonic “in my return”—“when I came back” the beginning of verse 7.

Ezekiel 47:8. And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah; and when it enters the sea, the sea of salt, the waters will become fresh.” Since it was impossible to trace the many-verst course of the river personally, the prophet receives information about it from the angel. “Toward the eastern region of the land.” “Region,” according to Hebrew galil, a region, Josh 22:20 et seq. The LXX took it for a proper name: “to Galilee”; but this word became a proper name much later; here the eastern part of Judea, the Jericho region, is meant. “The Arabah,” Hebrew araba, literally steppe, which the LXX again took for a proper name: “to Aravi”: the word was indeed a proper name, but it designated not a known peninsula, but “the southern part of the depression between the Gulf of Akaba and the Dead Sea, with which today is exclusively connected the name El-Arabah, as well as the modern Ghor between the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee” (Buhl, Geographic d. alt. Palastina, 111 et seq.): here the second Arabah is meant,—the Judean plain to the west of the Dead Sea. In general this sea was surrounded by a plain on all sides, therefore it was called the sea of the plain (2 Sam 14:25: yam ha-arabah, Russian “sea of the desert,” Slavonic “sea of Arabah”). “Into the sea.” So clear which, that no definition was required. After “enters the sea”—Hebrew an unintelligible addition: “to the sea hammutzaim,” the second word evidently having its root in yatza—goes out, perhaps only part Hof (passive participle) from this verb,—a form impossible from a middle verb,—and moreover the article is inexplicable. The LXX considered it a noun: “to the water of the exit,” ekboles, should be to the effluent, to the mouth of the river (perhaps the Jordan). Vulgate. exibunt, i.e., the waters, having entered the sea, went out from it by another river. The word is close in form to “salty” (hamutzim) and recent interpreters read it as such. “And the waters will become fresh.” Now the water in the Dead Sea is very clear and transparent, but strongly salty, bitter and causes nausea; taken on the lips, it produces the sensation as of a strong solution of alum. In antiquity, it seems, the water was much worse. According to Tacitus (Hist. V, 6), “the water in this immense lake in taste is worse than sea water, harmful to the inhabitants by its very smell, is not disturbed by the wind, does not sustain fish and ordinary birds.” According to blessed Jerome, “nothing living can exist in it—this the bitterest sea, called in Greek limne asphaltu, i.e., lake of asphalt.” The prophet looks upon the waters of this sea as diseased and expects in the future a healing of them; and possibly the Dead Sea is taken as the most sickly part of nature.

Ezekiel 47:9. And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish, for these waters go there, so that the sea may become fresh; and everything will live where the river goes. “Every living creature that swarms,” in the general sense: “moving”; so the LXX: ekyeonton, “swimming”—“swarming.” Gen 1:20 and others.—“Two streams,” literally “streams” in the dual; an unexpected dual, since hitherto there was discussion of one stream. Explained (Maurer) by the dual used in the sense of singular for correspondence with the following “waters”—duale tantum (used in dual only), or for the expression of the power, strength of the river (Hengstenberg, Keil); or because the river divided upon entering the sea (? Kliff.) or due to the merging into it beside Kidron (Hävernick) or Jordan (Currey). Recent scholars read with the LXX simply the singular or a related form “their stream” (i.e., of waters—an impossible expression), supposing that the dual arose from comparison with Zech 14:8.

Ezekiel 47:10. Fishermen will stand beside the sea; from En-Gedi to En-Eglataim it will be a place for the spreading of nets; the fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the great sea, very abundant. The abundance of the sea with fish is poetically depicted in the picture of a whole succession of fishermen over several versts standing on the banks of the sea. En-Gedi, Ingyadeίn, Slavonic Ingadd, now En-Jedi, a city at the very center of the western bank of the Dead Sea, from which to the southern bank was probably uninhabited,—is mentioned frequently in the Bible, beginning with Josh 15:62; the word means “spring of the kid” (i.e., probably with sweet, warm water). En-Galaim, more precisely from Hebrew En-Galaim, Enagaleim, Slavonic Ingalim, no more mentioned in the Bible, according to blessed Jerome, “at the beginning of the sea, where the Jordan flows in,” it is unknown whether this is only J.’s supposition, or En-Galaim existed then; on the basis of this testimony it is identified with the present En-Feshka on the north-east end of the Dead Sea; hardly can one identify it, as the Russian translation does, with the Moabite city of Eglaim (Isa 15:8) to the east of the Dead Sea; the eastern side of the sea the prophet, it seems, leaves to “the sons of the east” (verse 18). The word means “spring of two calves.” Cornelius Alapide draws attention to the fact that a goat and a calf—animals for the sin offering. “Will be a place for the spreading of nets”—literally “spreading of nets,” Ezek 25:5, therefore the LXX “dried mrezhamy” Vulgate. siccatio sagenarum; but hardly in such a sense here, rather in the sense of casting of nets. “The fish will be of very many kinds,” literally “in kind it will be,” i.e., of different sorts; LXX: “it will be by itself” (will breed by itself?); the word causing doubt from the absence of a masoretic sign (mappik) and the unnaturalness of the expression: in the Peshitta it is absent. “Like the fish of the great sea”—the Mediterranean.—Blessed Jerome: “all caught by the apostles; nothing remained uncaught, for the distinguished and undistinguished, rich and poor, people of every kind are drawn from the sea of this age to salvation.”

Ezekiel 47:11. But its marshes and its swamps shall not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. Where the action of the beneficial stream does not reach, there the water cannot manifest its life-giving power, but this will bring no great harm; such places will be storehouses of such necessary salt (and now supplied to Jerusalem in large quantities from the Dead Sea locality). Salt—an image of desolation or of the little useful that the desert can give: Deut 29:23; Ps 107:34; Zeph 2:9: “and at its exit,” en tē diekbolē autou, probably at the mouth (see verse 8), in the mouth of the river (autou potamos or hydōr; as is evident from the following hydōr), and in its turning (epistroph)—in the winding bays, and in its elevation (hyperarsei, probably on the capes); from Hebrew tzotav, “marsh” the LXX probably made two first words, and the third Hebrew gevavev, Russian “swamps,”—root “to rise.”

Ezekiel 47:12. On both banks of the river, trees for food will grow. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail. They will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing. A tree on the bank of a river—a received in the Bible image of a righteous man Ps 1:3; Jer 17:8. According to Saint Ambrose (in commentary on Rev 22), the fruit means good works, and the healing leaves—the word of preaching. The Palestinian sycamore suits this description by its repeated fruiting in the year and could have been in the mind of the prophet. Medicinal plants were of course known before the foundation of medicine as a science; see Sir 38:1-8, according to which “from the Most High is healing”; cf. Rev 22:2. Healing, LXX: eis hygiein, “to health,” but in Rev eis therapein; cf. Gen 2:9: “the Tree of Life”; Odys. VII, 114: the gardens of Alcinous. Ezek 47:13-23. The boundaries of the future sacred land are defined and the general bases for its division are given. The boundaries (verses 13-20) do not fully coincide either with Num 34:1-15 and other indications of the Hexateuch, or with the actual boundaries of the Jewish kingdom of any period. The main difference from both is the complete exclusion of Transjordan. The reason for this is that the most sacred and ancient traditions, the history of the patriarchs for example, were connected only with the Cisjordan Palestine,—and also that only within the boundaries of the latter could the tribes be arranged symmetrically around the temple, which in this case is the most important: and for Moses too, though the boundaries of the ideal Canaan reach the Euphrates, but properly the sacred land is that before the Jordan (Num 34:12). As if in compensation for the eastern region, the boundaries of the future sacred land are moved somewhat farther north than Moses’ and considerably farther south.—And the principle of division among the tribes of the land (verses 21-23) differs from the Mosaic, and namely in two respects: 1) the parcels to the tribes are determined by law, not by lot; by lot the division takes place precisely within the boundaries of each tribe; 2) to the ownership of the sacred land on equal rights with the Hebrews foreign peoples are admitted (the calling of the Gentiles).

Ezekiel 47:13. Thus says the Lord God: These are the boundaries by which you shall divide the land for inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions. “Behold,” Slavonic “this,” Hebrew not ze, this, but ge, perhaps according to Assyrian aga, this, or a scribal error.—“Distribution,” Hebrew unnaturally without the article.—“For inheritance”—the accepted since Moses designation for the possession by the Hebrews of Canaan (Num 32:18; Isa 14:2),—inheritance from the fathers or from God Himself; in the New Testament the same concept applies to the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt 25:34 and others).—“Joseph shall have two portions.” This is mentioned because otherwise 12 would not be obtained, since Levi does not receive a portion.—“Portions,” Hebrew havalim, thus in 2 Sam 8:2 is called a cord measure; here, evidently, metonymically; but a portion in Ezekiel is everywhere helek; strange also the plural, not dual. The LXX, considering Joseph appositive (“to add”), have: “an addition to a share” (the division should be the most accurate).

Ezekiel 47:14. And you shall inherit it, one as well as another; for I swore to give it to your fathers, and this land shall fall to you as your inheritance. “One as well as another.” Equal portions and evidently not only of individual families, but of tribes: see also Num 26:54; cf. Josh 17:14. Probably a hidden thought about the numerical equality of the tribes in the future; cf. Rev 7:4-8. “I swore, lifting up My hand,” i.e., swore (see explanation Ezek 20:5); principally, perhaps, Gen 15:1 is meant. “And this land shall fall” (the LXX more precisely: “fell”—fell to the lot of Israel in the Divine distribution of land among peoples) “to you as your inheritance.” The most rightful title to possession.

Ezekiel 47:15. These shall be the boundaries of the land: On the north side, from the great sea by way of Hethlon to the entrance of Hamath, The boundaries of the sacred land are defined with less detail than in Num 34 and not in such an order: there from south to west, north and east; here from north to east, south and west; this is because there Israel enters from Egypt, here from captivity, from the north (Ezek 1:4). The northern boundary goes from the Mediterranean (“great”—verse 10) sea, as is evident from the following, at a right angle to it toward Lebanon and Hermon. “Hethlon” (only here and Ezek 48:1) is identified in recent times or with the present Heitela in 2 hours to the east of the Mediterranean toward Hermon (Xorrer, Zeitschr. der Deutsch. Morgenl. Gesellsch. VIII, 27), or with Adlun to the north of the mouth of the Kasimiyah. “Zedad,” mentioned also in Num 34:8 — before (Robinson) was identified with Zudud to the east of the road from Damascus to Emesa; but this is too far east; therefore now it is proposed to read according to the LXX and Samaritan Pentateuch Serad and identify it with Hirbat-Serada near Hermon (Bertholet. Kretch.). The LXX instead of the words: “by way of (Hebrew haderekh—by way) Hethlon to the entrance (Hebrew levo, literally to come) into Zedad” have: “from the great sea descending and separating (periskhizousēs haderekh le, perhaps read as yared—between) entrance (Greek p. and i., Hebrew ad) Imaseldaim” (“Hamath” first word of verse 16 † “Zedad,” read as Seldam); i.e., from the descending boundary entrance of Imasaldam. Recent scholars prefer this meaning, since levo, “entrance” is often connected with the city of Hamath and indicates the depression between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon (Hermon) through which one entered into Coele-Syria.

Ezekiel 47:16. Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which lies between the territory of Damascus and the territory of Hamath, as far as Hazar-Hatticon, which is on the border of the Hauran. “Hamath,” Hebrew Chamat, see explanation Num 34:8, at the foot of Hermon, now Hama, a fairly significant city. The cities mentioned further should constitute the line of the northern boundary farther to the east. “Berothah” Beroth (literally Berothai) 2 Sam 8:8, according to this passage belonged to the kingdom of Suvah and was taken by David; should be the present Bereytan at the western foot of the Anti-Lebanon. LXX: “Maavfirs” (Hamat † Beroth?). “Sibraim”—only here, but sonant and should be, identical in location with Ziphron (Slavonic Zephron) Num 34:9, perhaps Tsafaran between Hamat and Emesa or Tsafran to the north-east of Damascus. LXX: “Evramilin.” Sebraim † Iliam in the second word some see the name of a city fallen out of the Masoretic text and—Elam (2 Sam 10:16), where David won a great victory over the Syrians. “Situated (Heb. asher, which) between the Damascus and Hamath regions,” this definition may refer to the last city Sepharaim (in the LXX even to Iliam Elam) or to the series of all three (thus it appears also in the LXX: “midst boundary of Damascus and midst…”), but in no way to the following city Hazar-Tichon, as in the Russ. translation “Hazar-Tichon,” lit. “Gazer – middle,” perhaps in distinction from another Gazer; but in Ezek 48:1 this city is called Hazar-Enon and as a n.e. boundary should not differ from Hazar-Enon st. 17; therefore Tichon is seen as merely a scribal error – Enon – which is confirmed by the LXX reading: “courts (gazer, perhaps encampments, see explanation Ezek 25:4) Savnani”; of Hazar-Enon in foll. st. Avran Αβρανιτις (LXX) Greek-Rom. writer – n. Transjordanian part of Palestine; the word means “basin country.”

Ezekiel 47:17. And the border shall be from the sea to Hazar-Enon, the border of Damascus, and northward the region of Hamath; and there, the northern boundary. The description of the northern boundary is concluded by indicating its general extent from w. to e. and the foreign region bordering on this side is defined, so that it should not be reckoned to the holy land. “Hazar-Enon” Ezek 47:17 and Num 34:9 by the meaning of the word “court of springs” or “sources” (LXX: “from the court of Enan”) and by context it is natural to seek at the springs of Jordan, consequently, approx. present Banias or neighboring El-gadr. This is the very eastern edge of the northern border, while the sea (Mediterranean) the western. Everything to the north of this line is already pagan territory – namely the Damascus and Hamath region. Lit. “and the border shall be from the sea to Hazar-Enon – border of Damascus and north to north (Smend: ‘from Damascus the border draws an arc northward’) and border of Hamath and edge (et – meat, article acc. et before this word proposed to read zot – this, behold) northern.” LXX: “these borders from the sea: from the court of Enan (and beyond the border line from m. and E. -) borders of Damascus, and those to the north (and even more northern country), and border of the Hamathites, and border of the north” (and more northern lands).

Ezekiel 47:18. Draw the eastern boundary between Hauran and Damascus, between Gilead and the land of Israel, along Jordan, from the northern boundary to the eastern sea; this is the eastern boundary. Lit.: “and the eastern boundary from (locality) between (miwen – from between) Havran and between Damascus (on one side) and between Gilead – and between the land of Israel (on the other side) Jordan from the boundary (indicated northern; but no article) to the sea eastern (Dead, Joel 2:20; Zech 14:8) set apart (tamodu) and this eastern boundary.” Thus the eastern boundary, beginning from the eastern edge of the northern boundary, ran along Jordan to the Dead Sea, by which all Transjordan was excluded from the territory of the holy land future (see prelim. remark). LXX: “Jordan divides (forms boundary, gevul) to (until) sea in the east of Phoenicia,” επι ην – θαλασσαν, την προς ανατολας Φοινικωνος, (to the sea which is east of the city Phoenicia); according to St. Jerome the LXX read tamodu as tamarot (palms); if this reading is correct, then here in the original text there should have been indicated as the southern edge of the eastern boundary that very Tamar which in st. 19 becomes the starting point of the south. boundary.

Ezekiel 47:19. And the southern boundary on the south side from Tamar to the waters of Meribah at Kadesh, and along the stream to the great sea; this is the southern boundary on the south. “Southern,” Heb. negev. – “On the south side” Heb. temna, acc. of direction from Teman, name of an Edomite city, used in the sense “south” only in later biblical language. LXX regard it as a proper name: “and those to the south and southwest: (λιβα – doublet) from Teman.” – “Tamar,” Heb. Tamar, mentioned only yet Ezek 48:28, but consonant with Thedmor (lit. Tamor) 1 Sam 9:18, should be identical with Thamaro of Ptolemy (V, 16, 8) and Θαμαρα of Eusebius, according to whom (Onomasticon – under Hazazon) it was situated 1 day from Hebron on the way to Elath (Deut 2:8; 1 Sam 9:26) and was under Roman dominion. Robinson (Bibl. Research, t. III, pp. 178, 186 and foll.) points to the place of present Kurnuba, but it is too far north. The word means “palm,” which is why the LXX render Φοινικων (see st. 18), and the Targum – Jericho, “city of palms” according to Deut 34:3. “To the waters of Meribah,” Heb. mei merivot, i.e., Meribah (Num 27:14; Deut 32:51), – only here in plural. LXX: “to the water Marimoth-Kadem.” The nearest determination of this date: “at Kadesh” (in Heb. and Greek without preposition Heb. Kadesh, LXX: Kadem), i.e., Kadesh Barnea, present Ain Kadis to the s. of Beersheba in the wilderness between Palestine and Egypt (on it there is a whole investigation Trumbull H. C. Kadesh Barnea, New York 1884: cf. Guthe in Zeitschr. des Deutsch. Palastina – Vereins VIII, 182). “Stream” – should be “River of Egypt” 1 Sam 8:65 and many others, present Wadi-el-Arish, the last eastern river flowing into the Mediterranean Sea, flowing from Kadesh, at the mouth of which lay “Rhinocorura,” and which according to St. Epiphanius was simply called Neel, Heb. nahal, stream. Hengst. on the grounds that in other places this river is not called by the one word “stream” (without the designation “Egyptian”), ascribed to the word the meaning “in inheritance.” LXX: “continuing” (presumably boundary is meant, ορος). – “This (et zot, see st. 18) southern boundary on the south,” Heb. temane negeva – to the south, to the south: the boundary curves back to the south (cf. in st. 17 of the north). LXX: “this region south and southwest.”

Ezekiel 47:20. And the western boundary – the great sea, from the southern boundary to the place opposite Hamath; this is the western boundary. “Western,” lit. “sea.” – “Great sea” – the Mediterranean, st. 10 and 19. – “From the southern boundary” – Heb. “from the boundary” – i.e., just indicated (but the word without article). – “To the place opposite Hamath,” lit. “to opposite (that), as going to Hamath.” – “Opposite” – nokah – Peshitta takes as a proper name Nachoch LXX: This region (μερος) of the great sea (part adjoining the Mediterranean) divides (οριζει, borders even directly at entrance of Hamath, even to (“ εως) its entrance (the sea boundary extends to the geographical latitude of Hamath, to its sea harbor): this is the Hamath-sea boundary.”

Ezekiel 47:21. And divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. “Divide…according to the tribes” – it is not said: by lot, as in the next verse, where there is talk of allotting to individual families. In contrast to Joshua, the portions to tribes are appointed by God, not given by lot: Ezek 48:1 and foll. see explanation Ezek 45:1

Ezekiel 47:22. And divide it by lot as an inheritance for yourselves and for the strangers sojourning among you, who have borne children among you; and they shall be to you as native-born among the sons of Israel, and they shall inherit with you among the tribes of Israel. In the Masoretes the verse begins: “and it shall be,” not rendered by the LXX. The modern scholars see in this word a tendentious later addition to the sacred text, so that the categoricality of the command displeasing to the Hebrews in this verse be replaced by hypotheticality. The strangers (gerim). LXX: προσηλυτοι are equalized in rights with Hebrews, but only those settled permanently among Israel and having offspring. The attitude toward strangers has always been very humane among Hebrews: Lev 19:34 prescribes treating them as fellow countrymen and loving them. Deut 23:3-9 allows even receiving them into the society of the Lord (should be through circumcision) with certain exceptions (Moabites and Ammonites) and with some limitations (in the third generation). The Prophets did much to further improve this attitude: Isa 56, Jeremiah and others. In Ezekiel one cannot fail to notice special concern for the sojourners; Ezek 14:7, as well as a good opinion of the Gentiles: Ezek 3:6. The captivity could greatly contribute to the rapprochement and the improvement of opinion concerning the Gentiles. And here the prophet clearly has in mind the Gentiles who came with Israel from captivity. It is possible that there is also intention to strengthen the small number of the people: Ezek 36:37 and foll., Ezek 37:1 and foll. “Thus religion outweighed nationality” (see) Anticipation Rom 10:12; Gal 3:28; Eph 3:6; Col 3:11. Remarkably, circumcision is not set as a condition of equality; the latter is given not in the 3rd generation as in Moses, and not even in the 1st, but only at the presence of offspring. – “Shall inherit,” in Heb. the same words as “divide by lot as an inheritance” in the beginning of the st., but the verb there is set in the causative voice (hiphil), and here in the middle (qal), wherefore the sense, properly speaking, becomes such that the strangers shall become the inheritance of Israel (cf. Zech 2:9); here again a tendentious correction is seen. LXX: “they shall eat in a portion” (read akal instead of nahal).

Ezekiel 47:23. In whichever tribe the stranger is dwelling, there you shall give him his inheritance, says the Lord God. LXX: “and they shall be in the tribe (φυλη – tribe) of proselytes, in the proselytes who are with them.” As though the thought (in contrast to the Masoretic text) that the sojourners are to form a separate tribe in Israel.

Chapter Forty-Eight

The arrangement of the tribes of Israel in the future holy land in relation to the temple and city

As the temple is the source of fertility of the future equalized and expanded in its boundaries holy land, so it too, closely connected with it, the city serves the center of its population and the starting point for the division of the holy land among the tribes. As ideal, the holy land of the future is represented as a regular rectangle extended from north to south, which by east-west parallels stretches for 12 equal portions for the tribes (the latter, as ideal, are represented as the same in number; on the contrary Num 26:53-56). The place for a tribe is indicated closer or farther from the sacred portion depending on the greater or lesser dignity of its origin: the natural sons of Leah and Rachel receive portions closer to the temple than the sons of the maidservants (Leah’s Zilpah and Rachel’s Bilhah); immediately surrounding the temple – according to historical reality – the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

To the north of the temple three most important Leah tribes (order: Reuben, Judah, Levi already in Deut 33:7 and foll.). to the s. – the rest; the top of the first occupy the eldest son of Rachel, the top of the second – the younger son of hers; the borders – the maidservants’ tribes; of them beside the Leah the eldest tribe of her maidservant (Gad’s); beside the Rachel tribes likewise the tribe of her maidservant, Naphtali’s – according to historical reality, as also the neighboring Asher’s. The very greatest concession to historical reality was made in that the temple occupies not the very middle of the holy land, but is moved closer to the south (st. 1–29). (See diagram, st. 2)

By the same principle the 12 gates of the future holy city are distributed among the tribes (st. 30–35). The Leah tribes, arranged to the north, receive gates on the north side of the city, the southern – on the southern. Rachel’s tribes receive gates on the most honorable east side, and here also has the eldest of the tribes of her maidservants (Dan’s); the youngest (Naphtali’s) in the diametrically opposite corner of the city (for symmetry). The remaining two gates of the west wall are provided to tribes from the Leah maidservant. (See diagram, st. 16)

By all this it is pointed out that there is a different degree of holiness in the future, new Israel, giving also not equal approach to God and rooted in the historical conditions of the origin and development of the people.

Ezekiel 48:1. Behold the names of the tribes. On the northern border along the road from Hethlol leading into Hamath, Hazar-Enon, from the northern border of Damascus toward Hamath: all this from east to west one portion for Dan. The arrangement of the tribes begins from the north, which is pointed out at the beginning of the verse, especially in the LXX: “these are the names of the tribes from the beginning which is toward the north” (from the northern edge of the land). Thereupon is repeated from Ezek 47:15-17 the definition of the northern boundary of the land, but in a greatly abbreviated form, and in places unclear: of the 7 points mentioned there are brought only three most important. – “Along the road from Hethlol leading into Hamath, Hazar-Enon,” lit. “to the road (in the direction) Hethlol, upon entering Hamath, Hazar-Enon.” The starting point of the northern boundary is not indicated: “from the sea” as in Ezek 47:17 (therefore modern scholars revise the first word into such indication). On the location of the cities Hethlol, Hamath, Hazar-Enon see explanation Ezek 47:15-17 “on the side of the descent that divides to the entrance of the Hamath region of Enan” (κατα το μερος της καταβασεως του περισχιζοντος επι την εισοδον της ᾿Ημαθ αυλης του Αιλαμ). “Descent that divides to the entrance” the same as “descending and dividing entrance” Ezek 47:15 see explanation there (here a more precise expression). “Court of Enan,” (this is better than Greek Αιλαμ) “courts of Savnani” Ezek 47:16. The entrance of Hamath is represented as leading to Hazar-Enon. “From the northern border of Damascus toward Hamath,” lit. “boundary of Damascus to the north to Hamath.” The description of the boundary returns back from Hazar-Enon, the most eastern edge of it, in order, as in Ezek 47:17 (the same, but more extensive expression), to indicate the countries bordering on the future holy land that should not be included in it. LXX: “boundary of Damascus to the north along the side (along) of the Hamath court” (perhaps the encampments of Hamath, as “courts of Savnani” Ezek 47:16). “All this from east to west,” lit. “and they shall be to him (i.e., to Dan, as is clear from the following) boundary (peat) east – sea” (a very condensed expression, supplemented by the LXX: “and they shall be (Greek εσται, them – plural) which on the east even to the sea”). It appears the attention is drawn to the great extent of the tribal portion; in ancient times no tribe owned such a wide strip of Canaan (across its full width); and as for the tribe of Dan, of which there is talk here, it had the smallest portion and nestled next to Judah, which prompted it to seek a place for itself in the more free, not yet conquered north of Canaan and establish there a city of its name, afterward considered the extreme northern point of the holy land (2 Sam 3:10 and foll.). “One portion for Dan,” lit. “Dan – one.” LXX: “Dan’s one portion.”

Ezekiel 48:2. Adjacent to the border of Dan, from the eastern edge to the western, this one portion for Asher. “Adjacent,” Heb. al, lit. “above,” LXX – “from.” – “From the eastern edge to the western,” – “edges” (peat), i.e., of the future holy land, extending from Jordan in the e. to the Mediterranean in the w.; “western” lit. “edge of sea.” The expression not as brief as in st. 1 on the same subject and already quite clear. But LXX “to the east even to the sea,” τα προς ανατολας, ‘ εως προς των προς θαλασσαν. – “This one portion for Asher,” lit. “Asher one,” LXX: “Asher’s one portion,” – as in st. 1 of Dan. Why here the portion for Asher – see prelim. remarks.

Ezekiel 48:3. Adjacent to the border of Asher, from the eastern edge to the western, this one portion for Naphtali. Ezekiel 48:4. Adjacent to the border of Naphtali, from the eastern edge to the western, this one portion for Manasseh. Ezekiel 48:5. Adjacent to the border of Manasseh, from the eastern edge to the western, this one portion for Ephraim. Ezekiel 48:6. Adjacent to the border of Ephraim, from the eastern edge to the western, this one portion for Reuben. Ezekiel 48:7. Adjacent to the border of Reuben, from the eastern edge to the western, this one portion for Judah. Regarding the grounds for such habitation of each tribe – see prelim. remarks. The expressions in the Heb. lit. identical with st. 2, only sometimes “eastern” – kadim (st. 3–5) in the accusative case of direction, and sometimes kadi (st. 6, 7), as in st. 1, 2, 8 in the nominative. And “western” (lit. sea) everywhere in the acc. of direction yam (st. 2–8, only in st. 1 nominative – ayim). The LXX, however, almost in every verse vary the expressions, and Slavic even more so: st. 3, 6, 7 – απο των προς ανατολας ᾿εως των προς θαλασσαν – Slavic “from those to the east even to the sea”; in st. 6: “which on the east,” 7: “which on the east”; st. 4: “from the eastern region even to the region of sea”: st. 5: “from…those on the east even to those toward the sea.” Ezek 48:8-22. The magnitude of the “sacred portion” is defined, Heb. teruma, LXX: απαρχη, first-fruits. Vulgate. primitiae (see explanation Ezek 45:1) into which enters: 1) portion of priests with the temple, (st. 9–12), 2) portion of Levites (13–17), 3) cities (15–20) and 4) prince (21–22). The calculation of this portion, being, in essence, the inheritance of the tribe of Levi, is indicated more precisely than the portions of the tribes: besides the length, equal, like the portions of tribes, to the entire extent of the holy land, its width is also indicated: 25,000 of an unspecified measure: see explanation Ezek 45:1. This portion is important in that in the midst of it is the “sanctuary,” hamikdash (LXX: το δγιον, holy), i.e., the temple, which thus lies completely outside the city. The unit of measure is not indicated, see explanation Ezek 45:2.

Ezekiel 48:8. And adjacent to the border of Judah, from the eastern edge to the western, the sacred portion, twenty-five thousand reeds in width, and in length like the other portions, from the eastern edge to the western; in the midst of it shall be the sanctuary. “In width,” i.e., from north to south. – “In length” – from east to west.

Ezekiel 48:9. The portion which you shall set apart for the Lord shall be twenty-five thousand in length and ten thousand reeds in width. The most sacred part of this portion, dedicated to the Lord Himself, is its center, directly adjoining the temple, of 25,000 × 10,000, according to the LXX 25,000 square, which modern scholars prefer; cf. Ezek 45:1 see explanation there and foll. st.

Ezekiel 48:10. And this sacred portion shall belong to the priests, on the north twenty-five thousand and on the sea in width ten thousand, and on the east in width ten thousand, and on the south in length twenty-five thousand reeds, and in the midst of it shall be the sanctuary of the Lord. “And this sacred portion shall belong to the priests.” The LXX more accurately: “from these shall be the first-fruits of the holy (terumah hakodesh) for the priests,” i.e., from all the teruma the especially sacred part shall be the portion of the priests. In view of such holiness and importance of this part it is measured with detail on all its sides, giving a square of 25,000 × 10,000. So that this verse not be a repetition of st. 9, the numbers there must be read according to the LXX.

Ezekiel 48:11. This you shall set apart for the priests of the sons of Zadok who kept My charge, who did not go astray when the sons of Israel went astray, as the other Levites went astray. “This you shall set apart for the priests,” in Heb. “priests consecrated”; therefore the LXX: “for priests, sanctified”: likewise the Targum, Peshitta, and modern scholars. See explanation Ezek 44:15.

Ezekiel 48:12. This part of the land from the sacred portion shall be theirs, a holy of holies, at the border of the Levites. “This part of the land from the sacred portion,” in Heb. terumia from teruma, the first word some formation from teruma, perhaps with an abstract or intensive meaning: special teruma; LXX: “first-fruits given.” – “Holy of holies,” Heb. kodesh kodashim, Slavic “Holy of Holies” – the holiest part of the land, as the temple is here; serving as a special designation of the holy of holies, this expression has also a general sense in both Moses and Ezekiel – the greatest holiness (Ezek 41:4). The Levitic portion is called simply “holy” (st. 14). “At the border of the Levites.” Since the calculation of portions in Ezekiel goes from north to south, this expression should denote that the portion of the priests on the south borders the Levitic; but then the temple would not fall, as st. 8 requires, in the middle of all the teruma (sacred portion): therefore the Levitic portion must be presumed to be on the north, not on the south of the priestly; consequently, the prophet here departs from his order in the description (from n. to s.) and from all the teruma speaks first of its center – the priestly portion in view of its special holiness.

Ezekiel 48:13. And the Levites shall also have, adjacent to the priest’s border, twenty-five thousand in length and ten thousand reeds in width; the whole length shall be twenty-five thousand and the width ten thousand reeds. “At the priest’s border” to the north, see explanation st. 12. – Length – from e. to w., width from n. to s. – “The whole length…” – incomprehensible repetition (clearly not in the sense of st. 10), as also an unnecessary definition “whole” with length; therefore with the LXX one must understand col, all, independently: all (παν, hakol), i.e., the priestly and Levitic portion, and instead of “ten” read “twenty” (in width); so in almost all the LXX MSS.; Slavic is corrected according to Heb. to “ten.” All the more so, as st. 14 refers clearly not to the Levitic portion alone, but to the whole sacred portion (lev. and priests.). By custom the unit of measure is not named; see explanation Ezek 45:2. Thus the Levitic portion was equal to the priestly, but in fact greater than it, since it was not diminished by the huge area of the temple (1⁄5 of the portion), corresponding to the greater number of Levites.

Ezekiel 48:14. And from this portion they shall not sell or exchange any of it; and the first-fruits of the land shall not transfer to other, because this is holy to the Lord. “That which is consecrated to God has no right over it for man; for something is sacred insofar as it is removed from contact with all that is non-sacred and separated from it” (Bertholet.). God is the owner of the sacred portion (Ezek 45:1, cf. Ezek 44:28), and it is clear that the servants of His, using only its produce, cannot alienate it. Cf. Lev 25:32-34. – “They shall not sell or exchange,” in Heb. one verb (makar) and unsuitable verbal forms: in the first case in the active voice 3rd person plural, in the second in the causative voice 3rd person singular; whereas in the LXX both in the passive: “shall not be sold, nor shall be exchanged,” moreover the second: καταμετρηθησεται (lit. to measure out). “Shall not transfer”; Heb. avar, to transfer, should then have become also a legal term. – “First-fruits of the land,” standing after “transfer,” relates to all three verbs, “first-fruits” means the land itself, not its produce; LXX προτογεννηματα, Slavic inaccurately: “first fruits.” – “Holy” not “holy of holies” as in st. 12, because the discourse is also of the Levitic portion, representing less holiness than the priestly.

Ezekiel 48:15. And the remaining five thousand in width with the twenty-five thousand in length are set apart for the city for common use, for dwelling and for suburbs; and the city shall be in the midst. Although the sacred portion is considered only the holdings of priests and Levites, but the whole rectangle of which these holdings make up a part already becomes not ordinary from this alone. Moreover, the remaining part of this rectangle, namely its south and east and west borders belong to rulers who are most approaching, in holiness or, at least, in significance of their position, to the sacred and ecclesiastical ministers – namely the capital of the holy land and its prince. Hence it is understood why in the conception of the prophet the latter two holdings constitute with the first (sacred portion) something one. Nevertheless, both the other – the city portion and the princely portion – do not constitute in the proper sense anything sacred. – “The remaining” in the rectangle between the Judah and Benjamin portions. – “For common use,” Heb. gu khol. Vulgate. profana erunt – not sacred, see explanation Ezek 42:20 freely: προτειχιμα, suburbs, Aq. βεβηλον, Symm. and Theod. λαικον. “Suburbs,” Heb. migrash – or pasture, pasturage; LXX – διαστημα, distance (so that there be distance between city and temple).

Ezekiel 48:16. And these are its dimensions: the north side four thousand five hundred, and the south side four thousand five hundred, and the east side four thousand five hundred, and the west side four thousand five hundred reeds. The city, like the temple, represented a regular square 10 times larger than the temple (cf. explanation st. 17 and Ezek 42:20). If the unit of measure here, as modern scholars think, is the cubit, then the city has a perimeter of about 9 kilometers (8½ versts); according to Josephus the Jerusalem of his time had a perimeter of 33 stadia ≈ 6 kilometers. If the unit of measure, which is more probable, is the reed, then the perimeter is about 50 kilometers (enormous: Jer 31:38-39; Rev 21:16). – “Five hundred,” twice in Heb., therefore in the Keri it is omitted and in the pointed text is placed without marks: “a fine example of dittography” (Bertholet.).

Ezekiel 48:17. And the suburbs of the city on the north two hundred fifty, and on the east two hundred fifty, and on the south two hundred fifty, and on the west two hundred fifty reeds. The suburbs, migrash διαστημα, distance – see explanation st. 15. With suburbs the city represented a square of a round number 5,000 units of measure: Ezek 45:6.

Ezekiel 48:18. And that which remains from the length opposite the sacred portion, ten thousand to the east and ten thousand to the west, opposite the sacred portion, the produce from this land shall be for the support of the workers of the city. “The workers of the city” – Lat. colere urbem (LXX “those making the city”) – all its inhabitants, whom, consequently, the prophet represents chiefly as farmers (1,000 × 1,000) × 5,000 units of measure of land hardly would suffice the city of 5,000 × 5,000 units of measure for sustenance, but the future fertility of the holy land is in view. – “Opposite the sacred portion.” LXX, apparently, read it somehow differently: “and they shall be the first-fruits of the holy.”

Ezekiel 48:19. And the workers of the city from all the tribes of Israel shall work in it. “To work in the city” – See explanation st. 18. cf. Ezek 45:6. Consequently, the population of the city must consist of different tribes and it shall serve as their unification.

Ezekiel 48:20. The entire set-apart portion twenty-five thousand in length and twenty-five thousand in width, foursquare, set apart as a holy inheritance, with the property of the city; Consequently, the city portion also belongs to the sacred, to the teruma (“the entire set-apart portion” – kol – teruma, LXX: “the entire first-fruits”). “Foursquare” – revet in ancient language – fourth (the city portion in fact was 1⁄4 of the sacred), and a square or small square – merupat or ravua. – “With the property” – Heb. el, ka al, over, LXX: απο, “from.”

Ezekiel 48:21. And the remainder for the prince. From both sides of the sacred portion and from the sides of the city property, opposite the twenty-five thousand from the sacred portion to the eastern boundary of the portion, and westward opposite the twenty-five thousand from the west boundary, corresponding with the other portions, shall be for the prince; and the holy sanctuary and the holy of holies shall be in the midst of it. “From both sides of the sacred portion, so from the sides of the city property.” The LXX more accurately: “from this and from that (mizze umizze – from both sides) from the first-fruits of the holy and (subst. “from which”) into the portion (inheritance) of the city.” – “To the eastern boundary of the portion, and westward…” LXX: “to the boundaries, which are to the sea and to the east.” – “From the west boundary,” lit. “to the boundary to the sea,” i.e., the Mediterranean. – “Corresponding with the other portions, for the prince.” LXX: “beside (εχομενα) portions of the ruler,” i.e., the sacred portion from the e. and w. adjoins the princely portion, properly two portions of his. – “The holy sanctuary” – lit. “sanctuary of the house” Lev 16:33: “consecration of the temple.” Cf. Ezek 45:7.

Ezekiel 48:22. And that which remains from the holdings of the Levites and from the holdings of the city, in the middle of the prince’s portion, shall be for the prince; the space between the boundary of Judah and the boundary of Benjamin shall be for the prince. “And that which remains from the holdings of the Levites and from the holdings of the city in the midst,” lit. “and from holdings of Levites and from holdings of city in the middle” (thus also in LXX) can refer to the preceding: the priestly portion and the temple lies in the midst of the holdings of the Levites and the city. – “Shall also be for the prince.” In the LXX: “rulers” – plural, as the successive line of princes is in view.

Ezekiel 48:23. And the rest of the tribes: from the eastern boundary to the western – one portion for Benjamin. Ezekiel 48:24. Adjacent to the boundary of Benjamin, from the eastern boundary to the western – one portion for Simeon. Ezekiel 48:25. Adjacent to the boundary of Simeon, from the eastern boundary to the western – one portion for Issachar. Ezekiel 48:26. Adjacent to the boundary of Issachar, from the eastern boundary to the western – one portion for Zebulun. Ezekiel 48:27. Adjacent to the boundary of Zebulun, from the eastern boundary to the western – one portion for Gad. The holding of the remaining (yeter, περισσον, excess) 5 tribes. In the Heb. and Greek the form of expression in all verses is the same, while Slavic varies: st. 23 “from those which are to the east even to those which are to the sea” Greek; st. 24: “to the east even to the land which is to the sea”; st. 25 “from the land which is to the east even to the land which is to the sea”; st. 26: “from the east even to the sea”; st. 27: “from the east even to the land of the sea.” See explanation st. 1. The basis of distribution – see prelim. remarks.

Ezekiel 48:28. And adjacent to the boundary of Gad on the southern side, the southern boundary shall extend from Tamar to the waters of Meribah at Kadesh, and along the stream to the great sea. Similar to the northern boundary (st. 1), the southern is also described in Heb. verbatim according to Ezek 47:19; see explanation there. After “Gad” LXX: † “from the east.” – “Southern boundary,” Heb. temena – Teman, see explanation there. – “From Tamar,” Greek απο Θαιμαν, Slavic “from the south” (in ch. XLVII – “from Teman”) – not a rare use of this word, but not fitting here. – “To the waters of Meribah at Kadesh” – Greek και ᾿υδατος βαρυμως Καδης, Slavic “the water Barimoth-Kadesh,” inaccurate transcription of Heb. merivat, in ch. XLVII correctly Marimoth, but there inaccurately “Kadem.” – “Stream,” Heb. nahal means both stream and inheritance, therefore LXX: “inheritance” (in XLVII “continuing”).

Ezekiel 48:29. This is the land which you shall divide by lot among the tribes of Israel as their inheritance, says the Lord God. “By lot,” see explanation Ezek 45:1 and Ezek 47:22. How large were the portions of the tribes in the conception of the prophet? If such a precise prophet in numerical data does not indicate the size of them, then it should be because it is easy to calculate from the boundaries of the holy land given by him and the magnitude of the sacred portion. The extent of the holy land from the northern boundary indicated by the prophet to the southern will be 3⅓ geographical degrees, 50 geographical miles (350 versts ≈ 371 kilometers). The width of the sacred portion, if its unit of measure is the “reed” Ezek 40:5, will be 10–11 geographical miles. There remains for the 12 tribes thus about 40 geographical miles, – to each tribe 3⅓ miles. The length of the portion from w. to e., equal to the width of Canaan from Jordan to the Mediterranean, about 11 miles (Consequently, for the prince on the sides of the sacred portion remain narrow strips of land not more than ½ mile wide, with a length of 10 miles, the width of the sacred portion).

Ezekiel 48:30. And these are the exits of the city: on the north side, four thousand five hundred; “Exits” – tot’ot – difficult to determine how this concept differs from “gates,” to which this section is devoted: should be greater generality: includes both walls, whose length is repeated here (st. 16; cf. Prov 4:23; see explanation Ezek 42:11). This is as it were the general heading of the section.

Ezekiel 48:31. And the gates of the city are named after the tribes of Israel; on the north three gates: the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of Levi, one. “And the gates of the city are named after the tribes of Israel,” which designates the participation in the population of the city of all tribes: st. 19. A remark which would be more in place after st. 30a; modern scholars place it there. The three northern gates naturally belong to the three tribes living on the nearest to the city north.

Ezekiel 48:32. And on the east side, four thousand five hundred, and three gates: the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one; The basis for providing the eastern gates to these tribes – see prelim. remarks to the chapter. Ephraim and Manasseh are combined into one tribe, because Levi receives special gates.

Ezekiel 48:33. And on the south side, four thousand five hundred, and three gates: the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one. Ezekiel 48:34. On the west side, four thousand five hundred, three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one. See prelim. remarks to the chapter, 2nd part.

Ezekiel 48:35. The perimeter shall be eighteen thousand. And the name of the city from that day shall be, “The Lord is there.” “Eighteen thousand” – see explanation st. 16. – “From that day,” from the day of the creation of the city; Heb. miyom can mean also “henceforth,” “thereafter.” – “The Lord is there.” A more essential dwelling than before (cf. Joel 3:21), producing unprecedented prosperity of the city (Isa 60:14; Isa 62:2) and not interrupted by dishonor of the name of God. – “There,” Heb. shamma – more energetic and solemn than sham. Change of name – change of all essence. And “Jerusalem” is a meaningful name (according to St. Jerome, means “vision of peace”), the new name – more excellent. N. Skabалlanovich

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Introduction

The fourth place among the prophetic books of the Old Testament in the Greek-Slavonic Bible is held by the book of the Prophet Daniel, which received this name from its author. He was Daniel (“God judged me” or “God is my judge”), a noble Jew (Dan 1:3), taken captive in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim to Babylon (Dan 1:1), raised here at the royal court (Dan 1:4), elevated because of his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to a high court rank (Dan 2:48-49), and maintaining it until the third year of the reign of Cyrus (Dan 10:1).

The book of Daniel is recognized as the work of this person both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament church. The representative of the view of the first is the Jewish historian Josephus.

“Having finished his life,” says he, “Daniel gained eternal memory, for the books which he left written are read among us even now. And we are assured by them that he conversed with God. He left this recorded, and it made clear to us the accuracy and immutability of his prophecies” (Jewish Antiquities 10:7). In the same work (Jewish Antiquities 10:11) Josephus considers the desecration of the Jerusalem temple by Antiochus Epiphanes to be the exact fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy (Dan 11:31), “spoken 408 years before.”

The evidence cited is not at all weakened by the remark of the Talmud that the book of Daniel was written by the men of the Great Synagogue. First of all, the Talmudists included the Prophet Daniel in the membership of this last body, and in that case his book could have been compiled by him himself. Second, the activity of the members of the Great Synagogue consisted, according to the Talmudic tradition, in the review, purification, and division of sacred books, or more precisely, in the compilation of the canon. Accordingly, the book of the Prophet Daniel was “written” by them only in the sense that after preliminary review it was included in the canon.

The Christian Church, having received from the Old Testament the canon of sacred books, testified to the authenticity of the book of the Prophet Daniel through the words of its Divine Founder. “Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the Prophet Daniel standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” (Matt 24:15-16). In these words Jesus Christ affirms not only the existence of the Prophet Daniel himself but also the attribution to him of the prophecy about the seventy weeks (Dan 9:25-27). It was “spoken” by Daniel in the sense that it was recorded and transmitted to the church by him himself. In later times the authenticity of the book of Daniel was recognized and defended against the attacks of the Neoplatonist Porphyry by Eusebius of Caesarea, Methodius of Tyre, Apollinaris of Laodicea, and the blessed Jerome. And such a view of it finds firm foundation in the writer’s own testimony. Very often he calls himself by his own name: “I, Daniel” (Dan 7:2; Dan 8:1; Dan 9:2; Dan 10:2; Dan 12:5), says that others called him the same way (Dan 9:22; Dan 10:11-12; Dan 12:4), repeatedly notes that he received from an Angel the command to record his visions, even to seal them (Dan 10:11), and indeed recorded them (Dan 7:1).

The Prophet Daniel presents himself as a contemporary of the Babylonian captivity. In accordance with this, his book bears traces of Babylonian origin: as a genuine work of a contemporary of the captivity, it bears the stamp of that era. The first indicator is the language of the book—Hebrew (Dan 1-2:3 and Dan 8-12 chapters) and Aramaic (Dan 2:4-7:28 chapters). As a Jew by descent, the author knows his native language, and as a Babylonian by residence—the common Aramaic spoken in Babylon. He also assumes the same familiarity with both languages in his readers, the Jews. The common people became acquainted with Aramaic only during the period of captivity; before that it was the possession of the educated alone (2 Sam 18:26; Isa 36:11). But while using the Aramaic language during the period of captivity, the people did not forget their native language (Ezra writes in Hebrew), as we see subsequently during the Maccabean period.

The Babylonian captivity was indeed a time when both languages were in use among the Hebrews in the book of the Prophet Daniel. Equally clear evidence of its Babylonian origin comes from the peculiarities of the language. According to biblical scholars, the Hebrew language of the book of Daniel is similar to the language of the book of the Prophet Ezekiel contemporary with the captivity, and the Aramaic is similar to the language of the postexilic books of Ezra and Nehemiah. This similarity is most clearly seen in the use of rare words, the so-called hapax legomena. For example, “bag” Dan 1:5 = Ezek 25:7; “huv” Dan 1:10 = Ezek 18:7; “tsebi” Dan 8:9 = Ezek 20:6; “kelal” Dan 10:6 = Ezek 1:7; “zegar” Dan 12:3 = Ezek 8:2; “ben-adam” Dan 8:17 = Ezek 2:1; Ezek 3:1 and so on. Examples of correspondence between the languages of Daniel and Ezra include such expressions as: “shemu” Dan 6:5 = Ezra 4:22; “nevali” Dan 2:5 = Ezra 6:11; “pitgama” Dan 4:14 = Ezra 6:17; “sim teem” Dan 5:2 = Ezra 5:4; Ezra 6:1; “di” Dan 5:30 = Ezra 5:17 and so on.

Fully corresponding to the period of the writing of the book of the Prophet Daniel is the presence in it of Persianisms and Babylonianisms, that is, words explained by Persian and Babylonian terminology. Such are, according to the indication of exegetes: “azza” Dan 2:5 from ancient Persian “aranda”—science; “gaddam” Dan 2:5; Dan 3:29 from Persian “handam”—member; “patbag” Dan 1:5 from ancient Persian “patibaga”—table of the gods; “gedarim” Dan 3:2 from ancient Persian “gasbar”—treasurer; “peha” Dan 3:3 from ancient Persian “paik”—governor. “Arioch” Dan 2:14 = Assyr. Eri Achu, that is, servant of the Moon goddess; “Meshach” Dan 1:6 = Assyr. Misa Achu, that is, who is like Aku—the moon god; “Shadrach” Dan 1:6 = Sudar Achu, that is, command of the god Aku; “Abednego” Dan 1:6 = Abad Nabu, that is, servant of the god Nebo; “ashafim” Dan 2:2 = Assyr. “assipu”; “tabagaya” Dan 2:14 = Assyr. “tabihu”; “gashkhin” Dan 3:16 = Assyr. haspuhu and so on.

As the work of a contemporary and eyewitness of the events described, the book of the Prophet Daniel is further distinguished by complete historical accuracy in its accounts. Such are, for example, the accounts of the taking of Jewish captives to Babylon not by Nebuchadnezzar personally but by his command through Ashpenaz (Dan 1:3), of the education of the captive youths at the royal court and in court schools (Dan 1:5-6), of the division of the Chaldean priests and government officials into various classes (chapters 2 and 4; Dan 3:3), of the great golden statue set up by Nebuchadnezzar on the plain of Dura (Dan 3), of the procession accompanying its dedication, of the illness of Nebuchadnezzar, and so on. All of them are confirmed by cuneiform inscriptions and the testimony of ancient writers. (See more detailed discussion of this and much else in the commentaries on the text.) Even that which was previously considered an error on the part of the prophet—the names and persons of Belshazzar and Darius the Mede—turns out now, thanks to the latest discoveries in the field of Assyriology, to be unquestionable truth. It is not surprising, therefore, that in the eyes of impartial scholars this peculiarity of the book of the Prophet Daniel is one of the convincing proofs of its authenticity.

“The more often I read the book of the Prophet Daniel,” says Lenormant, “the more clearly the truth of the picture of ancient Babylon appears before me. Only a contemporary and eyewitness could have drawn such a picture.”

“The book of Daniel,” remarks another scholar, Menant, “reproduces with greatest accuracy the Chaldean civilization of the era of Nebuchadnezzar. An apocryphal writer could not have written this.”

The testimony given by the content of the book and confirmed by the account of the Prophet Daniel about himself as a contemporary of the Babylonian captivity is finally attested by the book of the Prophet Ezekiel. His address to the king of Tyre: “You are wiser than Daniel” (Ezek 28:3)—presupposes the contemporaries of the captivity were acquainted with the content of the first five chapters of the book of Daniel, which tell of his outstanding wisdom. Another passage of the book of the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 14:14-20) refers to the account in the second chapter of the book of Daniel about his saving the lives of the Chaldean wise men.

While the question of the authenticity of the book of the Prophet Daniel is decided affirmatively by orthodox biblical scholarship in light of the cited data, representatives of the negative school attach no importance to them. Thus, Kuenan tries to weaken the force of Jesus Christ’s testimony about Daniel by pointing out that the words about “the abomination of desolation spoken by the Prophet Daniel” belong not to Him but to the evangelist, and Bertholdt and de Wette put forward against Daniel’s own testimony the consideration that the book bearing his name contains so much excessive praise of Daniel that the prophet himself could not have written so about himself. But as regards Kuenan’s assertion, it cannot be proven that the evangelist changed the words of the Lord concerning the attribution to Daniel of the prophecy about the seventy weeks: by the context they belong to the Savior, not to the evangelist Matthew. Equally, the instances of praise of Daniel found in the book do not speak at all against the authorship of the prophet.

And indeed, in Daniel’s references to his own merits (Dan 1:17; Dan 6:4) there is not a shadow of boastfulness. He regards them as the work of divine mercy, not the fruit of personal effort. God’s mercy brought it about that the prophet was pleasing to the chief of the eunuchs (Dan 1:9); God, not his own wisdom, reveals to him the highest mysteries (Dan 2:18-23); He granted him understanding of “visions and dreams” (Dan 1:17); the spirit of God exalted Daniel under Darius the Mede (Dan 6:3). The modesty and humility of the prophet are not weakened by praise of himself, since alongside these he speaks of his sins, of which he repented (Dan 9:20), of his mental and moral weaknesses (Dan 10:8; Dan 12:8). Even less do those passages of his book testify to the boastfulness of Daniel in which he reports the opinions of others about himself (Dan 5:11-12; Dan 9:23; Dan 10:11).

Not content with attempts to weaken the force of external and internal proofs of the authenticity of the book of the Prophet Daniel, representatives of the negative school present in support of the idea of its spuriousness a whole series of positive data. According to some of them, the book of the Prophet Daniel is not the work of one writer but a collection of separate fragments composed at different times by different authors and then united by an unknown editor. Thus, Michaelis counts 8 such fragments and consequently eight original writers, Bertholdt counts 9, and Eichhorn even 10. Gansberg and most recently Delitzsch regard the book bearing his name as a collection of separate accounts about Daniel. Other scholars—Zack, Herbst, Keller—distinguish in the book of Daniel two parts: the historical and the prophetic (chapters 1–6 and 7–12) as two independent literary works.

The basis for denying the unity of the book of the Prophet Daniel, and consequently its authenticity, is the use in it of two languages—Hebrew (Dan 1:1-2:3—Dan 8-12 chapters) and Aramaic (Dan 2:5-7:28 chapters), the reference to the prophet now in the first person (chapters 7–12) and now in the third (chapters 1–6), and finally, some alleged contradictions (Dan 1:21 cf. Dan 10:1; Dan 2:47 cf. Dan 3:15; Dan 2:48-49 cf. Dan 5:11-14). The considerations that are convincing for rationalist critics and not even for all of them (an exception is made by Bleek—Wellhausen, Berman) are in reality so weak that they cannot by any means speak against the unity and authenticity of the book of the Prophet Daniel. In its dual language it is similar to the writings of Ezra and Nehemiah.

In Ezra, Aramaic is used chiefly to set forth foreign royal decrees and letters confirming their historical authenticity (Ezra 4:11-22; Ezra 5:6-17). For the same reasons, Daniel presented in Aramaic the speech of the Chaldean wise men and responses to it by Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 2:4-11), his two decrees (Dan 3:96-100 chapter), issued probably in the Aramaic language, and the decree of Darius the Mede (Dan 6:25-27). Equally, the rest of the content of the Aramaic section required expression only in this language. All the events described in it proclaim the infinite almightiness of the supreme King, the Lord, who holds all the kingdoms of the earth in His power; they are a manifest self-revelation, the self-testimony of the true God among the pagans of the Babylonian empire. And if the latter were to grasp this truth, then the only means to this was to set forth the events revealing it in their native, understandable language. The prophet sets forth what is necessary for the Babylonians in the Aramaic language. Accordingly, it can be said without error that the rest of his book was written in Hebrew because it was intended for the Hebrew people, and had significance exclusively for them. Such indeed is the account of the life of the Prophet Daniel, his upbringing and exaltation at the royal court (chapter 1). Such are the visions of pagan kingdoms in their relations to the Hebrew people (chapters 8, 10–11), the prophecy about the seventy weeks (chapter 9), and the future resurrection.

Daniel 2:4–6. The dual language of the book of the Prophet Daniel thus does not speak against its unity. But that is not all. The unity is not disrupted by the dual language. The Aramaic and Hebrew sections are in the closest connection, and one without the other is incomprehensible. Thus, the Aramaic section of the historical part (Dan. 2:4–6 chapters) cannot be separated from the Hebrew (Dan 1:1-2:3), because the beginning of the account about Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is in the Hebrew section, and the direct continuation is in the Aramaic. Specifically, in Dan 2:4 it is said: “and the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic.” Who are the Chaldeans, on what occasion, when, and to what king did they say this?—the answer to these questions is given only by the Hebrew passage Dan 2:1-3. In the Aramaic part, both names of the prophet are used without explanation: Daniel and Belshazzar (Dan 2:26; Dan 4:5-6; Dan 5:12), as the explanation is given by the author in the Hebrew part (Dan 1:7). The Aramaic account of Belshazzar’s desecration of the vessels of the Jerusalem temple (Dan 5 and following) refers back to the Hebrew narrative Dan 1:2. Equally, the Hebrew section presupposes in its expressions the Aramaic section. Thus, the expression Dan 8:1: “there appeared to me, Daniel, a vision after the one that appeared to me before,” sends the reader back to the vision of the seventh Aramaic chapter. In the same way, the other words of that eighth chapter: “I… began to occupy myself with royal affairs” (Dan 8:27), find their explanation in the preceding Aramaic section (Dan 2:48-49; Dan 5:29; Dan 6:28). Differing in language, the Hebrew and Aramaic sections of the book of the Prophet Daniel are also similar in symbolic images (chapter 7 compared with chapters 8, 10, and 11), expressions (Dan 7:25 = Dan 8:25; Dan 7:25 = Dan 12:7; Dan 2:34 = Dan 8:25; Dan 4:27 = Dan 8:24; Dan 12:7), and the thoughts they express. They are pervaded by the idea of the dependence of pagan kingdoms and rulers on the almighty God of Israel, who holds all the kingdoms of the earth in His power, of the transience of these kingdoms and the eternity of God’s kingdom, triumphing over paganism. The unity of the book of the Prophet Daniel is also not undermined by the fact that in the historical part (chapters 1–6) the prophet is spoken of in the third person as an outside person, while in the prophetic part (chapters 7–12) he speaks in the first person about himself. Such a manner of expression is not unusual in biblical writings—it is observed with other prophets as well. In setting forth the visions that came to them, they, like Daniel, speak of themselves in the first person (Isa 6:1; Isa 8:1; Isa 21:2; Jer 1:4; Jer 2:1; Ezek 1:4), while in historical accounts they use the third person (Isa 1:1; Isa 2:1; Isa 7:3; Jer 1:1; Jer 7:1; Jer 14:1; Ezek 1 and so on). The reasons for this phenomenon lie, according to exegetes, in the fact that in visions requiring vivid representation the first person is far more fitting than the third. Like opponents of the unity of the book of the Prophet Daniel, those exegetes also reject its authenticity who claim that it is not the work of a contemporary of the Babylonian captivity but was written by an unknown person in Palestine during the time of Antiochus Epiphanes and the Maccabees between 170 and 164 BC. The first defender of such a view was the Neoplatonist Porphyry, followed by Spinoza, Bertholdt, Lengerke, Knobel, Hitzig, Bunsen, Bachmann, Ewald, Noldeke, Graf, Riehm, Stade, Kuenan, Cornill, Koenig, Meinhold, and most recently Delitzsch. The sole direct basis for attributing the origin of the book of the Prophet Daniel to the era of Antiochus Epiphanes is Dan 8:23-25 and Dan 11:31, regarded by the scholars mentioned above, beginning with the Neoplatonist Porphyry, not as prophecy of a distant future but as a description of past events in prophetic form. But such an interpretation of these passages encounters an insuperable objection in the testimony of the writer of the First Book of Maccabees. If the book of Daniel was written during the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, why did the supposed contemporary author of the Book of Maccabees regard it as a prophecy about this period (1 Macc 2:49-62; 1 Macc 1:39-54 = Dan 9:27; Dan 11:31-32)? Attributed by the aforesaid considerations to the era of Antiochus Epiphanes, the book of Daniel is considered by the scholars mentioned above to be an allegorical legendary reproduction of the history of this king and the Maccabean times. Under the names of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius the Mede, Antiochus is supposedly depicted in various manifestations of his hatred of Judaism, and under the names of Daniel and his friends—the Jews persecuted by Epiphanes. The unnaturalness of such parallels is self-evident. Daniel with his friends is raised at the royal court, surrounded by honors, sometimes living apart from governmental affairs; the Maccabean Jews, on the contrary, were the object of the persecutions of Antiochus, ruthlessly pursued by him. Daniel was the friend of kings who honored him, treated them with respect and sympathy (Dan 2:38; Dan 4:16); the Maccabees call Antiochus “the inventor of all evils, impious and the most wicked of all men” (2 Macc 7:31-37) and foretell to him the terrible wrath of God. Through Daniel’s guidance, Babylonian and Median kings came to know the power of the Most High, glorified the power of His omniscience, almightiness, and justice (Dan 2:47; Dan 3:95; Dan 4:34; Dan 6:26-27), while Antiochus set himself the goal of destroying the Jewish religion, replacing it with paganism, and with this in view demanded from the Jews the renunciation of their observances, circumcision, and sacrifices to the Lord (1 Macc 1:41-42; 1 Macc 1:44-50). No less weak are the other arguments of scholars in defense of the Maccabean, or rather postexilic, origin of the book of the Prophet Daniel. First among them is their reference to the absence of the prophet’s name in the list of famous men of antiquity found in Jesus son of Sirach: from Ezekiel and the twelve prophets he proceeds directly to Zerubbabel (Sir 49:10-13), and to the unfamiliarity of the postexilic prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi with the book of Daniel. The unexplained omission by Sirach of the Prophet Daniel cannot serve as a basis for placing the time of his life in a later era on the sole ground that Josaphat and Ezra, also not mentioned by Sirach, must also be recognized as having lived in the 3rd century BC. Not mentioning Daniel’s name, Sirach, as it is thought, was nevertheless acquainted with his book, evidence of which is his teaching about the leaders of each people and his remark about the successive change of monarchies (Sir 17:14; cf. Dan 2:37-45). As for the unfamiliarity of the postexilic prophets with the book of Daniel, it is fabricated rather than actual. Thus, some obscure passages of the prophecies of Zechariah become clear only when compared with the corresponding prophecies of Daniel, which are presupposed by them as known. This includes the visions of the four horns “that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem” (Zech 1:18-21) and of the four chariots with different horses in each (Zech 6:1-8). The visions of Daniel about the four kingdoms that successively ruled over the Jews constitute a complete parallel to each of these. The peculiarities of the language of the book of the Prophet Daniel also say nothing about its Maccabean origin—first of all, the Greek words found in it. Bertholdt counts ten of them: panterim (Dan 1:3)—distinguished, from προτιμοι; pitgam (Dan 3:16; Dan 4:14)—word, from φλεγμα; karoz (Dan 3:4)—herald, from κηρυξ; keraz (Dan 5:29)—to proclaim, from κηρυσσειν; patisch (Dan 3:21)—undergarment, from πετασος; nebisba (Dan 2:6; Dan 5:17)—gift, from νομισμα; sabka (Dan 3:5) from σαμβυκη; sumphonia (Dan 3:5), from συμφωνια; pesanterim (Dan 3:5) from ψαλτηριον, kriros from κιυαρις. Other scholars—Lucke and de Wette—considerably limit this number: they recognize as certainly Greek only the names of four musical instruments. Their use in the book of the Prophet Daniel cannot serve as proof of its composition in the era of Alexander the Great and the spread of the Greek language in the East, that is, not earlier than the 3rd century, as scholars claim, for two reasons. First, mutual contact between Babylonians and Greeks began long before Alexander the Great, even before Nebuchadnezzar. Thus, Sargan, the Assyrian king contemporary with the prophet Isaiah, was acquainted, as seen from an inscription, with the Ionians, and called the Mediterranean Sea that washes the island of Cyprus the Ionian Sea and even received envoys from seven princes of this island (Ragozina, History of Assyria, p. 306). Later Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal subjected to their power the Greek kings of the islands of Paphos, Cyprus, and others; finally, during the Babylonian captivity, Greeks were so well acquainted with the East that Anaximander, a contemporary of the captivity, compiled a map of the ancient world. With such familiarity there is nothing surprising if the Assyro-Babylonians were long acquainted with Greek musical instruments and adopted them into use under their Greek names. And indeed, the psaltery is depicted on the bas-relief of Ashurbanipal, and the kithara in an improved form—on the monuments of later kings. Second, the Greek origin of the instruments mentioned by Daniel and their names is far from as certain as is thought. Athenaeus, for example, considers the place of origin of the sambuke to be Syria, and Strabo calls it a “barbarian instrument.” It passed from the East into Greece, not the other way around. Dependent on this, the Semitic “sabka” can be recognized not as a derivative form from the Greek “σαμβυκη” but as the original form in relation to this latter. As for the name “kithara,” it may come from the Persian “sitareh”—six-stringed. Finally, “pesanterim” is also recognized as a word of Semitic origin—derived either from “phas”—hand and “natar”—leap, or from the Arabic “santir”—zither. Such is the conclusion reached recently by the Danish scholar Dietlef-Nielsen, who asserts that kithros, pesanterim, synopeya represent words formed not from Greek but from the roots of the Chaldean or ancient Aramaic language (Christian Readings, 1903, 1, p. 674). Besides the names of musical instruments, other peculiarities appear in the language of the book of the Prophet Daniel, which, according to scholars, distinguish it from the language of captivity and bring it closer to the language of the postexilic era. Thus, Daniel, it is said, calls Nebuchadnezzar “Nebuchadnezzar,” while the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 26:7), as well as in cuneiform inscriptions, uses “Nebuchadrezzar.” Daniel’s pronunciation is a later sound shift of this name, having parallels in the Septuagint, Berossus, and Josephus. But to cite only these parallels is to pass over in silence that the name Nebuchadnezzar occurs in the Prophet Jeremiah Jer 26:7; Jer 29:18 and in 2 Sam 25:22, and therefore its use in the book of Daniel cannot serve as proof of its later origin. This is not the case either with instances of coincidence between the language of Daniel and that of the Talmud and Aramaic: in both “continual sacrifice” is designated by the word “tamid” (Dan 8:11-12; Dan 11:31), whereas in Nehemiah it is “olah tamid” (Nehem 10:34); “generation,” “age” is “gil” (Dan 1:3; Dan 3:10), “to circumcise” is “chattak” (Dan 9:24), “to write” is “rascham” (Dan 10:21). These and similar examples—the form of the second person plural “Khom” and “hom”—testify only to the closeness of the language of the book of the Prophet Daniel to Aramaic and to its being colored with Aramaic forms more than other writers, although even in these latter one can often encounter hapax legomena having parallels only in Aramaic (Yungerov, ibid, p. 95–6). As a sign of postexilic origin of the book of the Prophet Daniel, scholars also point to the use in it of the word “Chaldeans” in the sense of “wise men” (Dan 1:4; Dan 2:4; Dan 5:7); they claim this meaning could not have existed in the Babylonian era. But the use of the term “Chaldeans” in the sense of “wise men” is confirmed by the testimony of ancient writers, including Diodorus Siculus and Herodotus, the first of whom calls them people “devoted their entire lives to philosophical thought and astrology.” Equally unfounded is the claim that Babylonian wise men could not have spoken Aramaic (Dan 2:4), the language of Palestinian Syrians. Already the Prophet Isaiah notes that Aramaic was spoken by the Assyrian officials of Sennacherib and the Jewish officials of Hezekiah (Isa 36:11). The Prophet Jeremiah recognized Aramaic as the common language in Babylon (Jer 10:11). The final data for assigning the book of Daniel to the postexilic—Maccabean era are its supposedly later beliefs. Such are the teaching about God (Dan 7:9-10), about the Messiah—the Son of Man (Dan 7:13) and His everlasting kingdom (Dan 2:44; Dan 7:13-14; Dan 12:1-3), about higher and lower angels (Dan 8:16; Dan 9:21; Dan 12:1), about the resurrection of the dead (Dan 12:2), about the custom of praying three times a day, facing Jerusalem (Dan 6:10), about fasting, and so on. But all these beliefs have an earlier origin. Thus, the image of the Most High is defined in the Prophet Ezekiel by almost the same traits (Cf. Dan 7:9-10 and Ezek 1:26-27); the Messiah and His eternal, righteous, and peaceful kingdom are spoken of by Isaiah and other pre-exilic prophets (Isa 9:6-7; Ps 71:1). The teaching about angels constitutes one of the essential points of Old Testament dogmatics. Pre-exilic books speak of archangels and the heavenly host (Josh 5:14; Ps 102:20-21), of the angels of nations and peoples (Exod 14:19; Exod 23:20; Exod 32:34), of guardian angels of private individuals (Gen 16:7-9; Gen 19:1; Gen 21:17; Job 33:23 and others); they are also not ignorant of the teaching about the resurrection of the dead (Job 19:25-32; Isa 26:19; Hos 13:14; Ezek 37:3-14). The custom of praying three times daily to God existed long before the captivity (Ps 54:18). Toward Jerusalem and its temple, as the dwelling place of the Lord, those in captivity ought also to have directed their prayerful thoughts (1 Sam 8:47-48; 2 Chr 6:34). As for fasting, the Prophet Ezekiel, a contemporary of the Babylonian captivity, was likewise concerned with preserving himself from defilement through food (Ezek 4:14). By its content the book of the Prophet Daniel is divided into two parts: historical (chapters 1–6) and prophetic (chapters 7–12). In the first part, the life of the Prophet Daniel and the contemporary events in the Babylonian and Medo-Persian kingdoms are described, in which he or his friends took direct part; in the second part are set forth the visions and revelations that came to him about the fate of Judah and the pagan kingdoms that had influence on the history of God’s people, from the Babylonian captivity until the establishment on earth of the kingdom of “the saints of the Most High.” The first of them, falling on the first year of Belshazzar, is the vision of four beasts, signifying the four kingdoms in their successive order: Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Macedonian (Greek), and Roman (chapter 7); the second (the third year of Belshazzar) is the vision of the ram and the goat—symbols of the Medo-Persian and Greek kingdoms (chapter 8); the third (the first year of Darius the Mede) is the vision of the seventy weeks (chapter 9); and finally, the fourth is the vision of the future fate of the Hebrew people in connection with the history of two pagan kingdoms—Egyptian and Syrian (chapters 10–12). Though differing in content, both parts of the book of the Prophet Daniel reveal one teaching about the universal kingdom of God and the Son of Man in their triumph over paganism. In its development it amounts to two principles: the universal kingdom cannot remain forever in the power of pagans; it exists only by means of and for the sake of Israel; in the person of the Son of Man the latter is destined for dominion over the world and the establishment on earth of God’s kingdom. The clarification of the first principle is devoted to the first six chapters of the book of the Prophet Daniel. They teach that power over the world belongs to the one God Most High. But His kingdom will open and come after the passage of a certain time, after the fall of four world monarchies (chapter 2). Until that time the Lord entrusts power over the universe to one or another monarch. Pagan kings can be rulers of the world only on the condition that they recognize the dependence of their power on the supreme power of God. Thus, Nebuchadnezzar, deprived of the throne for pride and arrogant attitude toward the Lord of hosts, remained king only because at the end of his life he confessed the greatness and power of the God of Israel (chapter 4). But both his and the two preceding confessions (chapters 2–3) have significance for him alone and are not accompanied by any results for his subjects. They remain pagans, not knowing the true God, that God who gives salvation not only to the Jews but also to them. Therefore they cannot be rulers of the world. And the further time advances, the clearer and clearer this impossibility becomes. Nebuchadnezzar’s successors lose the concept of the origin of their power. His descendant Belshazzar knew that the kingdom, greatness, honor, and glory are given by God (Dan 5:18-22), and yet he exalted himself against the Lord of heaven—defiled the vessels of the Jerusalem temple. For this he lost the throne and his life: the Babylonian empire perishes when its ruler forgets the true God. Power passes to another king—Darius the Mede. He did not need, like Nebuchadnezzar, instruction from the Prophet Daniel to know the true God, whom he considers the Lord of the universe. He also respects Daniel, seeing in him a servant of God. But this abstract knowledge brought Darius no benefit. He had no strength and courage to publicly confess his faith in God and protect His servant Daniel—he allowed him to be thrown into the lion’s den. Darius is not an enemy of God, like Belshazzar, but neither is he as convinced a worshiper as Nebuchadnezzar. He acts indecisively, now contrary to conscience, now in accordance with it. Lacking character and firm in faith, Darius could not be ruler of the world any more than the frivolous Belshazzar. Thus is explained on the examples from the lives of pagan kings the fundamental principle of the book of the Prophet Daniel about the incapacity of pagans to be rulers of the world. The concept of the true God, through whom kings reign, not only makes no progress among them but is increasingly weakened. Under such conditions, power over the world cannot remain in the hands of pagans but must pass to another people. And this people can only be Israel. As a ruler of the nations and of the universe, it appears already under Nebuchadnezzar in the person of its representative, the Prophet Daniel. But it will become the actual ruler of the world only after the fall of the fourth monarchy. The kingdom will then pass to “the saints of the Most High,” led by the Son of Man, and they will possess it “forever and ever.” The restoration of the glory and might of Israel in this, and not some other, period is determined by the fact that only by that time will all its transgressions be forgiven, which up to now have hindered the revelation of the universal kingdom of God in it (chapter 9). In the composition of the universal kingdom that opens from this moment on will enter all “inscribed in the book.” Its members will include even those who awaken afterward from the dead. They will rise for participation in the blessings of salvation, for receiving reward for their righteousness. Sinners will also rise, but—to suffer punishment for the evil they committed (chapters 10–12). The head of this eternal kingdom will be the Son of Man—the promised Messiah. In the Greek-Slavonic Bible the book of the Prophet Daniel holds the fourth place among the prophetic books. It is assigned to it according to the numbering of Old Testament books in the Sinai Codex (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the twelve prophets). In the Codices Alexandrinus, Vaticanus, in the 85th Apostolic Rule, the 60th Rule of the Council of Laodicea, in the 39th festive epistle of Athanasius the Great, and among the Church Fathers—Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory the Theologian, Amphilochius of Iconium, Epiphanius of Cyprus, John of Damascus—the book of Daniel is placed last among the prophetic books, while in the list of Melito of Sardis and Origen—before the book of the Prophet Ezekiel. Being placed in the Christian canon in the section of prophetic writings, the book of Daniel occupies a different place among the Hebrews. In the time of Sirach it apparently was not considered prophetic (Sir 49:10-12); in the time of Josephus it was recognized as such (Jewish Antiquities 10–11); now, as in the time of the blessed Jerome, it is placed in the section of the writings (Ketubim). “I remind,” says he, “that the Hebrews did not count Daniel among the prophets but among those who wrote historical accounts.” And indeed, the Talmudists did not recognize Daniel as a prophet. “Daniel,” we read in the Midrash, “was not a prophet, even in comparison with the three last prophets, but he was a seer and an apocalyptist, which they were not” (Furst. Canon., 101 p.). According to the Jews contemporary with the blessed Jerome, the assignment of the book of the Prophet Daniel to the section “writings” was conditioned by his life at a foreign court (Commentary on Daniel Dan 1:3). The presence of the book of the Prophet Daniel in the earliest lists of canonical books is convincing and clear evidence of its canonical worth. As canonical, though without mention of the author’s name, it is frequently cited in the New Testament in the speech of Jesus Christ and His apostles. Thus, apart from the reference to Dan 9:27, the Savior applies to Himself the designation “Son of Man” (Dan 7:13; Matt 10:23; Matt 16:27-28; Matt 19:28; Matt 24:30; Matt 25:31 and so on), taken, by general agreement, from the book of Daniel, and thereby confirms its messianic divine teaching. The image of the “Son of Man” outlined by Jesus Christ fully agrees with Daniel. He comes on the clouds with power and glory, sits at the right hand of power (Matt 24:30; Matt 25:31-32; Luke 22:69; Mark 14:61-62; Dan 7:13-14). The vision of the Son of Man by the protomartyr Stephen finds its explanation in that very prophecy of Daniel (Acts 7:56). Equally, the Apostle Paul, speaking of those who “quenched the power of fire and stopped the mouths of lions” (Heb 11:33-34), undoubtedly refers to the persons described in the book of Daniel (chapters 3 and 6), and like him characterizes the antichrist (2 Thess 2:4; Dan 11:36-39). Finally, in the Apocalypse there are many images and symbols explained from the book of the Prophet Daniel, especially from chapter 7 (Rev 11:7 = Dan 7:7; Rev 5:11 = Dan 7:10; Rev 20:4 = Dan 7:9 and so on). The book of the Prophet Daniel has come down to us in two ancient translations—Hebrew Masoretic and Greek. The latter was accepted by the church not in the Septuagint recension but in that of Theodotion. “The Church of the Lord,” says the blessed Jerome in the preface to his translation of the Book of Daniel, “does not read the book of the Prophet Daniel according to the translation of the Seventy interpreters, using the edition of Theodotion.” Having come into use at the end of the 4th or beginning of the 5th century, the recension of Theodotion enjoyed reputation also in an earlier time. According to his translation did people read the book of Daniel—not only Origen, Hippolytus, Tertullian, but Hermas and Clement of Rome; and from it were made translations of the book into other languages: Old Latin, Coptic, Arabic, and Slavonic. Such a preference for Theodotion’s translation over the Septuagint text in the Book of Daniel is explained by the corrupted state of the latter. According to the blessed Jerome, it “strongly deviates from the truth (Hebrew text) and therefore was rightly rejected.” Recent research has confirmed as much as possible the justice of such an assessment. In the Septuagint translation, the book of the Prophet Daniel far from reproduces its Hebrew-Aramaic original. At every step there are all sorts of changes in phrases and individual expressions of the original, omissions and abbreviations alternate with expansions of the text. Not one chapter is free from such lapses and defects. In this respect they are all the same; the difference between them lies only in the fact that the general imperfection of the translation takes on different shades in different chapters, appearing now in larger, now in smaller dimensions. The greatest closeness to the original is distinguished by the translation of chapters 1–3 and 7–12. In general they are translated correctly and carefully, although they adhere more to meaning than to the letter. This characteristic is especially evident in chapters 1–3 and 7. The thought of the original is conveyed in them historically and correctly and skillfully, so that neither the original significance of the words nor the genius of the language suffers. On the contrary, chapters 8–12 follow the letter of the original so slavishly that, for example, chapter 11 can be understood only when compared with the original. But with the general satisfactoriness of the translation, this group of chapters presents many cases of various deviations from the original. Literal translation alternates in them with additions, omissions, and outright misunderstanding. Moreover, some of the incorrectly translated passages reveal in the author the absence of historical knowledge, others a straight tendency. Thus, verses 5–20 of chapter 11 present in the original a bare but accurate survey of the history of the Ptolemies and Seleucids, and verses 21–39 a detailed prophetic picture of the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. Meanwhile, the translator, not understanding the original, distorted it and drew a completely false picture. An example of such tendency is the translation of chapter 11. The prophecy contained in it about the 70 weeks, the author refers to the times of Antiochus Epiphanes and accordingly changes the numbers of the original: instead of the 7 and 62 weeks that must pass from the decree about the restoration of Jerusalem until Christ, he put 77 and 62, which sum to 139—a number indicating the beginning of the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes according to the Seleucid era. A completely different character distinguishes the translation of chapters 4–6. The deviation of their Greek Alexandrian text from the Aramaic is such as if it were a matter not of different readings but of two completely independent accounts. The translator uses the text of these chapters with unlimited freedom: he now expands it (Dan 4:7-9; Dan 5:4; Dan 6:18 and so on), now abridges it (Dan 4:3-7; Dan 5:1-3; Dan 6:8). The arbitrary nature here is incredible: without any justification the translator interprets the text, then paraphrases it, then abridges it. Almost no verse of the Greek text corresponds to the Masoretic, in many cases only a word or two remains of the original (Bludau. The Alexandrian Translation of the Book of Daniel and its Relationship to the Masoretic Text. Freiburg. 1897.). The rejection by the ancient church of the Alexandrian translation of the book of the Prophet Daniel was the reason that it fell out of use in subsequent times and was nearly lost. It was found at the end of the 18th century and published in Rome in 1772 from a 9th-century manuscript. Another peculiarity of the Alexandrian translation of the Book of Daniel is the existence in it of additions beyond the Hebrew text. These are verses 24–90 of the third chapter (Dan 3:24-90), the history of Susanna set forth in chapter 13, and the accounts in chapter 14 of Bel and the dragon. (See the discussion of them in the corresponding places.) Bibliography: Archbishop Theodore (Bukharev). The Holy Prophet Daniel. A Sketch of His Age, Prophetic Service, and Holy Book. M. 1864. - On the Book of the Holy Prophet Daniel. Supplement to the Works of the Holy Fathers. 1871, 1–146 p. - Smirnov. The Holy Prophet Daniel and His Book. Ryazan. 1879. - Razumovskiy. The Holy Prophet Daniel. SPB. 1891. - Lesotskiy. The Holy Prophet Daniel. Kiev. 1897 - A. Rozhdestvensky. The Revelation to Daniel of the Seventy Weeks. SPB. 1896 - P. Yungerov. A Special Historical-Critical Introduction to the Sacred Old Testament Books. Issue 2. pp. 87–110. Kazan. 1907. He also lists the outstanding foreign literature on the Book of the Prophet Daniel. * * * Notes Yungerov. Special Introduction to the Sacred Old Testament Books. Issue 2, p. 100 In Dan 1:3 and in the Russian and Slavonic translations from the Septuagint there is no word “distinguished” in this verse; a note by the editor. The word “word” is absent in the Russian translation; it is in the Slavonic from the Septuagint: Dan 3:16—we have no need to answer you about this word; Dan 4:14—with the declaration of a brave word, and the utterance of the holy is a prayer; a note by the editor. Gifts; in the Slavonic Septuagint—giving; note by the editor. Sabka, sumphonia, pesanterim, kriros—names of musical instruments. Note by the editor. “Daily sacrifice” In the Russian translation—“altar”; in the Slavonic—“altar”; note by the editor.

Chapter One

1–7. The taking of Daniel and his friends into captivity in Babylon. 8–17. Their life and education at the court of Nebuchadnezzar. 18–21. The king’s testing of the wisdom of his friends.

Daniel 1:1. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The first historical event from the life of the Prophet Daniel noted in the Bible—his taking into the Babylonian captivity (verses 3–6)—coincides in time with the conquest of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar “in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah.” Found in all ancient translations of the book of Daniel, this date conflicts with the accounts of the Prophet Jeremiah. The latter knows nothing of the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar either in the third year of Jehoiakim or even in the fourth. His prophetic speech marked by this year speaks of the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar into Judea as an event only yet to come (Jer 25:1). It marks the beginning of the 70-year captivity (verses 11–12); consequently, it is the first in time of the Chaldean incursion into Judea; there was no earlier one (before the 4th year of Jehoiakim). The same conclusion is reached by comparing verses 15–26 of the same 25th chapter of the Prophet Jeremiah with chapter 46. The subjection to Nebuchadnezzar, together with the Jews, of other peoples, beginning with the Egyptians, mentioned in the first passage, will occur, according to the indication of the second, after the battle of Carchemish. And since this last falls on the fourth year of the reign of the Jewish king Jehoiakim (Jer 46:2), it is evident that until this time Judea and Jerusalem did not experience an invasion by the Babylonians. One of the most reliable means for removing the noted discrepancy is considered by exegetes to be a somewhat different translation of the 1st verse compared to the accepted one. Namely, based on the fact that the Hebrew verb “ba,” rendered in the present case by the phrase “came” (“in the third year… came Nebuchadnezzar”), also means “set out, begin, undertake a journey” (Jonah 1:3; cf. Gen 37:10; Exod 6:11; Exod 9:1; Exod 10:1; Num 32:6 and so on), the whole passage is read thus: “in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, set out (from Babylon) Nebuchadnezzar toward Jerusalem and besieged it.” The prophet Daniel notes, thus, only the beginning of the campaign and then points to its result, without determining either the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s arrival at Jerusalem or the length and conclusion of the siege of the city. According to the view of other exegetes (Rashi, Saadias), by the third year of Jehoiakim is meant the third year from his rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar (2 Sam 24:2). But such an understanding is incompatible with the biblical expression: “in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim,”—the third year from his accession to the throne, not from the time of an attempt to restore independence.

Daniel 1:2. And the Lord gave into his hand Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and part of the vessels of the house of God, and he carried them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought these vessels into the treasure house of his god. According to the view of the ancients, including the Assyro-Babylonians, the might of a particular people was in full correspondence with the power of its national god (2 Sam 18:33-35), so that the defeat of one people by another was considered the defeat of its god and victory over it by the god of the victors (Jer 46:14-15). As a sign of this, the Assyro-Babylonian conquerors, together with military booty, seized the statues of the gods of the conquered peoples, brought them as a gift to their national deities—placed them as trophies in the temples of these latter. “I, says, for example, Sargon in one of his inscriptions, took the city of Musasir, carried away with me the god Halti with other gods and a great multitude of their sacred vessels.” “The inhabitants of Bit-Yanina and their gods,” recounts Sennacherib, “I led away with me.” “I,” remarks Ashurbanipal, “returned to the Babylonian city of Uruk the image of the goddess Nana, carried away from there as military trophy to Susa by the Elamite king Kubur-Nanhundi.” With the same considerations Nebuchadnezzar was guided in sending to Shinar (the general name of the regions of the Babylonian kingdom), in the absence of images of the Most High, the vessels of the Jerusalem kingdom and placing them in the treasury located at the temple of his god Bel (cf. Ezra 1:7; Ezra 5:14). According to the biblical account, Nebuchadnezzar did not participate directly in delivering the vessels to Babylon: he “sent” them. And this small detail is confirmed in every way by the account of the Chaldean historian Berossus (end of 4th—beginning of 3rd century BC) of the campaign of Nebuchadnezzar against the Egyptian pharaoh Necho, during which Jerusalem was conquered. Having defeated Necho in the battle of Carchemish and then taking from him after that Syria, Phoenicia, Palestine, and Egypt, Nebuchadnezzar, recounts Berossus, heard of the death of his father Nabopolassar. On account of this, he ordered his generals to set out for home with all the spoil, with the army and captives from the Jews, Phoenicians, Syrians, and Egyptians, while he himself with a small detachment hastened to Babylon by the shortest route through the desert and, upon arriving in the capital, ascended the throne. (Josephus. Antiquities. Part 2, pp. 162–163).

Daniel 1:3. And the king said to Ashpenaz, the chief of his eunuchs, that he should bring Daniel 1:4. Young men in whom there was no physical defect, beautiful in appearance, and capable of all science, and knowing science, and sensible and suitable to serve in the chambers of the king, and that he should teach them the books and language of the Chaldeans. The order of Nebuchadnezzar to educate at the royal court some well-born Jewish youth captives is not an exceptional occurrence in the history of Assyro-Babylonian rulers. Upon conquest of a country, they often took small boys of noble birth as captives, gave them excellent education at court alongside the children of the first officials of state, and later provided them not only with appropriate positions in state service but also made them rulers of entire regions. “The Babylonian Beliba, brought up like a little puppy in my palace,” says Sennacherib in one inscription, “I appointed ruler over them in Sumir in Akkad.” For the education of such children, special schools were established at the courts of Assyrian and Babylonian kings; regarding their curriculum one can judge from the recently discovered library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh. Its tablets contain guides to alphabet, grammar, history, a Chaldean-Turanian dictionary, a dictionary of ancient inscriptions, a dictionary of Assyrian synonyms and entire phrases; records of legal content, information about the epithets and attributes of various gods, about the principal temples; fragments of mythological content and so on. The sum total of all this knowledge and information fully corresponds to the remark in the book of the Prophet Daniel that he was instructed in “the books and language of the Chaldeans”—the language of Babylonian science. The execution of the royal order is entrusted to “the chief of the eunuchs” Ashpenaz, not eunuchs in the literal sense, that is, castrated men, but high court officials (Gen 37:36 cf. 1 Sam 22:9; 2 Sam 20:18; 2 Sam 25:19; Isa 39:7). He had authority over all who lived and served at the royal court; it was he who selected from the well-born captives the young men who would be future court officials—his immediate subordinates.

Daniel 1:5. And the king appointed for them a daily portion of the king’s food and wine, and commanded to educate them for three years, after which they were to appear before the king. Nebuchadnezzar’s directive is fully in accordance with the Eastern custom by which all courtiers received food from the royal table. Thus, at the Persian court, according to Ctesias, dinner was prepared daily for 15,000 people (cf. 2 Sam 25:29-30; Jer 52:33-34).

Daniel 1:6. Among them were of the sons of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. From the third verse it follows with certainty that the Prophet Daniel was descended from the tribe of Judah and belonged either to the royal or to a noble princely house, but to which exactly, in the absence of information, is unknown. Josephus considers him a relative of the Jewish king Zedekiah; some Christian writers count him among the descendants of David (Symeon Metaphrastes), others (Epiphanius) among one of the most noble families of Jewish nobility. Similarly unclear is the information about the genealogy of his friends.

Daniel 1:7. And the chief of the eunuchs renamed them—Daniel he called Belshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. Daniel 1:4. Daniel and his friends are being educated as future officials at the royal court (“to serve in the chambers of the king”—Dan. 1:4). In view of this, they receive new names: it would be strange to leave future Babylonian officials with their former Hebrew names—they are given Babylonian names. Composed from the titles of the principal Babylonian deities: Belshazzar (Belteshna king) “May Bel (Bel) protect his life,” Abednego “servant, servant (of the god) Nebo,” Meshach “who is like Aku,” Shadrach “command (of the god) Aku,” they could recall the recent victory of the Babylonian gods over the Jews and their God (see the commentary on verse 2), thanks to which the change of names served, as always, as a sign of the dependence of the conquered on the conqueror (2 Sam 24:17; 2 Chr 36:4). Daniel 1:8. Daniel resolved in his heart that he would not defile himself with the food from the king’s table and the wine that the king drank; and therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Daniel’s refusal to partake of food and wine from the royal table was prompted by fear of defilement—violation of the prescriptions of the law of Moses regarding food forbidden to the Jews. The defiling foods could be the very dishes prepared from the flesh of animals and birds forbidden by Moses (Lev 11:4-19; Deut 14:7-18), and perhaps even sprinkled with the blood of sacrificial animals; the manner of their preparation (Lev 11:32-38) inconsistent with the law, and finally, the whole situation of eating food: before its receipt, idols were invoked, in honor of them sacrifices were made, during the meal hymns of praise to the gods were sung (Dan 5:4). The desire to avoid defilement could be all the stronger in Daniel since the prophets had foretold him concerning this (Hos 9:3; Ezek 4:13-14).

Daniel 1:9. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion from the chief of the eunuchs; Daniel 1:10. And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel: I fear my master, the king, who himself appointed your food and drink; if he sees your faces looking thinner than the youths, your peers, then you will make my head guilty before the king. Despite all his goodwill toward Daniel, Ashpenaz does not agree to his request to change the food. He fears bringing down the wrath of Nebuchadnezzar upon himself. And this is understandable. The possible thinness of Daniel and his friends from the change in diet could provoke various unfavorable interpretations by the court official, beginning with the suggestion of careless execution of the personal royal order (“he himself appointed your food and drink”) and ending with suspicion of theft: he is taking the food appointed for the youths for himself. Josephus Flavius expresses this thought, adding to the biblical account the remark that Daniel asked Ashpenaz to take the food appointed to him for himself, and send them and his friends vegetable food.

Daniel 1:11. Then Daniel said to Melzar, whom the chief of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Daniel 1:12. “Please test your servants for ten days; let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink; Daniel 1:13. And then let our faces be seen before you and the faces of the youths who eat the king’s food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.” Daniel 1:14. And he listened to them in this and tested them for ten days. Ashpenaz’s answer made it clear that in substance he was indifferent to what food Daniel and his friends would eat. He carries out the royal order only from fear of responsibility before the king and is ready to repeal it if that responsibility is removed from him. Taking advantage of this, Daniel turned to his immediate superior, Melzar, that is, the wine steward, since the Hebrew name “gamltzar” (Persian “messar” steward) with the definite article is a title of office, not a personal name. And this latter, being an official not responsible to Nebuchadnezzar for the youths, because supervision of them was entrusted to him by Ashpenaz (Dan 1:11), consents to Daniel’s wish. His yielding is also explained by the fact that the vegetable diet was at first limited to ten days—such a period during which the thinness of the youths could not be too noticeable.

Daniel 1:15. And at the end of ten days their faces appeared better and they were fuller in body than all the youths who ate the king’s food. Daniel 1:16. Then Melzar took their portion of food and the wine for their drink, and gave them vegetables. The healthy appearance of Daniel and his friends on a vegetable diet was for the steward sufficient reason not to oppose their wish throughout the remainder of their education.

Daniel 1:17. And God gave to these four youths knowledge and understanding in every book and wisdom, and Daniel also received the ability to understand and all visions and dreams. Daniel 1:18. At the end of those days, when the king commanded them to be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them before Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel 1:19. And the king spoke with them, and among all the youths he found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; and they stood before the king. Daniel 1:20. And in every matter of wise understanding, about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the wise men and enchanters who were in all his kingdom. Daniel’s refusal of pagan food was a manifestation of his piety, for which he is endowed by God with more-than-human wisdom, displayed both in the assimilation of Chaldean science and in the ability to interpret dreams and visions (Dan 2:17-19). “Not Chaldean instruction,” says the blessed Theodoret, “made Daniel wise and filled him with all wisdom, but by God’s grace, having been granted understanding and wisdom of every knowledge, he proved superior to all.”

Daniel 1:21. And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus. The Hebrew preposition “ad” (Russian “until”) in determining a known state of a thing or person until such or such a time does not exclude the continuation of that same state beyond that time boundary, or more precisely, leaves aside the question of the further continuation or ending of that state (cf. Gen 8:7; Ps 109:1). In view of this, the present verse is not in contradiction with Dan 10:1. It states only that Daniel lived and acted at the royal court throughout the entire period of the Babylonian captivity and does not touch on his fate in subsequent time (cf. Jer 1:3 and chapters 40 and following).

Chapter Two

1. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in the second year of his reign. 2–11. The impotence of the Babylonian wise men to reveal the dream’s content and the king’s command for their destruction. 12–24. The revelation of the dream to Daniel and his prayer of thanksgiving. 25–45. Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. 46–49. The king’s acknowledgment of the omnipotence and wisdom of the God of Israel and his exaltation of Daniel and his friends.

Daniel 2:1. In the second year of King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, and his mind was disturbed, and his sleep left him. The interpretation by Daniel of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream occurred after the completion of his three-year education Dan 1:5. This is guaranteed by the fact that after explaining the dream he was appointed chief of the Babylonian wise men Dan 2:48, which surely could not have happened had he not completed his study of books and the Chaldean language Dan 1:4, and which is, on the contrary, fully understandable after the education was complete, since in the examination following its completion Daniel proved ten times wiser than all the Babylonian wise men Dan 1:20. Similarly, if the interpretation of the dream had preceded the completion of his education, something incredible would have resulted: the chief of the wise men undergoes an examination in wisdom. Finally, a student who had not completed his education could not be included among the wise men, and yet Daniel and his friends were in danger of being killed together with the latter Dan 2:18. By the time the dream was explained, Daniel’s three-year education had been completed, but in that case this event could not have fallen in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, as the Bible affirms. In order to resolve such a contradiction, exegetes resort to various hypotheses. According to some of them, by the second year of Nebuchadnezzar is meant not the second year of his reign, but the second after Daniel’s three-year education (Jachiads), the second after the destruction of Jerusalem (Josephus), or finally, the second after the subjugation of all surrounding peoples to Nebuchadnezzar (Cornelius a Lapide, Maldonatus). But such a way of reconciliation is inconsistent with the direct, unambiguous words of the Bible: “in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar.” Other exegetes explain the present reading as a corruption of the original text, which dated Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams to either the 12th or 20th year of his reign. From 12 arose the second, through the omission of the Hebrew letter “yodh” (12 in Hebrew כי), and from 20 through the substitution of the letter kaph with the similar-looking letter beth (20 in Hebrew ב, two כ). Weakening such a supposition is evidence relating to the 14th year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign in the testimony of the prophet Ezekiel concerning Daniel’s wisdom Ezek 28:3: Daniel’s wisdom was known to his contemporaries before the 20th year of Nebuchadnezzar. More natural and plausible is the resolution of this disagreement by the assumption of a twofold method of reckoning the years of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. His accession fell in the middle of 605 B.C., and from the twentieth of Tishri (beginning of October) of that year there are already official documents with Nebuchadnezzar’s name as reigning sovereign. Meanwhile, according to the custom of the Babylonians to reckon the reign of their rulers from the 1st of Nisan of the year following his accession to the throne, the first year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign was, as is evident from the so-called Ptolemaic Canon, not 605 but 604 B.C. In accordance with this reckoning, which the prophet Daniel followed, the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign (602 B.C.) is the third since his accession and, consequently, the third year of Daniel’s and his friends’ education, since it began in 605 B.C. (Pesotsky. The Holy Prophet Daniel, pp. 296–298). The unusual character of the images and the overall enigmatic and mysterious nature of the dream produced in the king’s heart a feeling of unease: “his spirit was troubled.”

Daniel 2:2. And the king ordered that they call the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. Daniel 2:3. And the king said to them, I have had a dream, and my spirit is troubled; I want to know what this dream means. In the view of Nebuchadnezzar, dreams were one of the means through which the gods announced their will to men. Thus, in one of his inscriptions, he addresses a prayer to the god Shamash, asking him to reveal his mercy and favor to him in a dream. Regarding even this new forgotten dream as a revelation from above, the king naturally desires to know it, since this is equivalent to knowing the will of the gods, and he is troubled and tormented by the uncertainty (“my spirit is troubled to know this dream”). In order to restore the forgotten thing to memory and thereby find peace, he turns to the only possible and reliable means available to him—to the aid of the Babylonian wise men of five classes, each of which possessed specialized knowledge. Among them the “magicians” (Hebrew hartumim)—experts in sacred Chaldean writing, interpreters through its aid of dreams in a religious sense and sorcerers of evil demons by words alone without the aid of magical means (cf. Exod 7:11. Expository Bible vol. 1); the “astrologers” (Hebrew asaphim, from asaph to blow; Greek μαγοι; Slavonic volkhvy)—men who, according to blessed Jerome, pursued philosophical investigation of various matters, explained miraculous visions and prophecies of oracles, proclaimed the will of the gods to the people, composed hymns in honor of them, and finally produced incantations by means of blowing; “mekasfim”—sorcerers, magicians, who employed visible magic for their sorcery, using among other things for these purposes the blood of sacrificial animals (blessed Jerome); “kasdim”—Chaldeans in the proper sense, or priests (Herodotus; Diodorus Siculus), who observed the movements of the stars, engaged in astronomical calculations and on the basis of them predicted human destiny (blessed Jerome), and finally “gazrim” (verse 27)—the same as astronomers, diviners by stars, by the entrails of animals, by the flight and cry of birds, etc. Nebuchadnezzar summons the wise men, of course their representatives, from all five classes, since the knowledge of any one group was insufficient for explaining the dream. The hartumim were to give its interpretation, the asaphim to communicate the will of the gods to the king; in order to more precisely determine the good fortune or misfortune foretold by the dream, it was possible to divine by the stars and entrails of animals, which the kasdim and gazrim engaged in; should the dream have portended some misfortune, the same kasdim, as priests, were to appease the gods by sacrifices, and the mekasfim were to attempt to avert the calamity by their magic.

Daniel 2:4. The Chaldeans answered the king in Aramaic, O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will reveal its meaning. Beginning their speech with the customary greeting in addressing a king in the east: “O king, live forever” 1 Sam 10:24; 1 Sam 1:31; Nehem 2:3; Dan 3:9; Dan 5:10, the wise men are convinced that they have been summoned to explain a dream well known to the king.

Daniel 2:5. The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The dream has left my mind. If you do not make known to me the dream with its meaning, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be destroyed. Daniel 2:6. But if you show the dream and its meaning, you will receive gifts, rewards, and great honor from me. Therefore show me the dream and its meaning. The requirement presented to the wise men to relate the content of the forgotten dream did not seem to Nebuchadnezzar to be impossible. Claiming the ability to discover hidden and secret things with the aid of the gods, they could obviously learn in one way or another even the dream he had seen. And therefore Nebuchadnezzar considered himself justified in, for failure to fulfill his requirement, imposing on them the customary Babylonian punishment—dismemberment into pieces Ezek 16:40; Ezek 23:47.

Daniel 2:7. They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its meaning. Daniel 2:8. The king answered and said, I know for certain that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the dream has left me. Daniel 2:9. Because you do not make known the dream to me, your fate is sealed: you have prepared falsehood and deception to speak to me until the time passes. So tell me the dream, and then I will know that you can show me its meaning. From the answer of the wise men, Nebuchadnezzar understood that they did not possess higher knowledge, and understood as well that they were unwilling to confess this, hoping in one way or another to extricate themselves from their difficult position (“they are stalling for time”). The wise men waited, “for time to change,” that is, for the king himself to express something definite about what he had seen in his dream, or for some circumstance to appear that would make it possible to penetrate into the secret unknown to them. But an answer constructed on the basis of such hints and guesses must be far from the truth (“they intend to say something false and cunning”). Therefore, Nebuchadnezzar demands that the wise men at once communicate the content of the dream he saw. This will serve as proof of their higher knowledge and at the same time as a guarantee that the interpretation itself is free from error.

Daniel 2:10. The Chaldeans answered before the king and said, There is not a man on earth who can reveal this matter to the king, and therefore no king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. Daniel 2:11. What the king is asking for is so difficult that only the gods can reveal it, and the gods do not dwell with mortal flesh. Daniel 2:12. Because of this the king became angry and furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar exposed the designs of the wise men, and they, understanding the futility of further excuses, confessed their inability to fulfill the king’s command. Their declaration that he is asking them, mere mortals, for something impossible and unheard of, and that his desire can be satisfied only by the gods themselves, is at once both a justification and a protest against the punishment imposed. For Nebuchadnezzar, it deprived him of his last hope of learning the dream he had seen and therefore threw him into a rage, which manifested itself in a command to strike down all the wise men. If their representatives proved to be deceivers, falsely claiming higher knowledge for themselves, then those too, evidently, are their assistants—the lesser wise men.

Daniel 2:14. Then Daniel answered with wisdom and prudence to Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. Daniel 2:15. And he said to Arioch, the king’s commander, Why is the decree from the king so harsh? Then Arioch explained the matter to Daniel. Daniel 2:16. Then Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time so he could show the king the interpretation. And Arioch, the captain of the guard (Hebrew rav. tabbachaia), was one of the most important officials, since this title was borne by Nebuchadnezzar’s military commander Nebuzaradan Jer 39:9; Jer 41:10; Jer 43:6; Jer 52:12, and Nebuchadnezzar himself knew of Daniel’s outstanding wisdom Dan 1:19-20. And this circumstance (Daniel “approached Arioch with counsel and wisdom”) caused the former to halt the execution of the royal command, and the latter to agree with the prophet’s request. A new hope was born in the king to learn his forgotten dream.

Daniel 2:20. Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and strength belong to him. The basic thought of the prayer: the glorification of the power and wisdom of God, manifested in the revelation to Daniel of the dream.

Daniel 2:21. He changes the times and the seasons, removes kings and sets up kings, gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who understand. Daniel 2:22. He reveals what is deep and hidden, knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with him. Foretelling great revolutions in mankind and speaking of God’s supreme dominion over the fate of the world, the dream testifies to God’s power: the Lord according to His will and authority “changes times and seasons, removes kings, and sets up kings” (Cf. 1 Sam 2:7-8; Prov 8:14). Inaccessible in its significance to human wisdom, revealed and explained to Daniel by God Himself, it speaks of divine wisdom Dan 2:22.

Daniel 2:23. I praise and glorify you, God of my fathers, because you have given me wisdom and strength and have made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter. Thanksgiving for the revelation of the meaning of the dream.

Daniel 2:24. After this Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon. Bring me before the king, and I will reveal the interpretation to the king. Daniel 2:25. Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king and said to him, I have found a man from the captives of Judah who can make known the interpretation to the king. Having postponed the death sentence for a time Dan 2:13-15, Arioch should not carry out the royal command at all: the content of the dream seen by Nebuchadnezzar has been revealed to Daniel. Following Eastern custom, which forbids access and entry to the king without prior announcement Esth 4:11, the prophet is brought to Nebuchadnezzar by Arioch, as a person interested in the outcome of the whole affair. He, having halted the death sentence, as it were justifies his act: he brings to the king a man able to reveal the meaning of the dream.

Daniel 2:26. The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Are you able to make known to me the dream I have seen and its meaning? Directly acquainted with Daniel’s wisdom, Nebuchadnezzar is nevertheless not yet entirely sure that he, a foreigner Dan 2:25, can reveal what proved beyond the capacity of the Babylonian wise men.

Daniel 2:27. Daniel answered before the king and said, The secret that the king asks cannot be revealed by the wise men, astrologers, magicians, or soothsayers. Daniel 2:28. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the coming days. Your dream and the visions of your head upon your bed are these: Daniel 2:29. As for you, O king, thoughts came to you on your bed about what will happen afterward, and he who reveals secrets has made known to you what will come to pass. Daniel 2:30. But this secret has been revealed to me not because I have more wisdom than all people, but so that the king might be shown the interpretation and understand the thoughts of your heart. The doubt of the king is lawful when considered in the light of ordinary human wisdom: it is powerless to resolve the mystery. The latter is known to God alone. He, having sent the dream to Nebuchadnezzar, can explain it. The Lord chose Daniel as His instrument in this case. It follows that Daniel is capable of recounting and explaining the dream, thanks to illumination from above. Therefore, the king can be assured that his dream will be revealed and explained.

Daniel 2:31. You, O king, saw a great image. This great image, whose appearance was brilliant, stood before you, and its form was terrifying. Daniel 2:32. The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs were of bronze, Daniel 2:33. Its legs were of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. Daniel 2:34. You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Daniel 2:35. Then all of it broke in pieces together—the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold became like chaff on the summer threshing floor, and the wind carried them away so that no trace was left of them. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled all the earth. Daniel 2:36. This is the dream. Now we will tell its meaning before the king. In accordance with the king’s question Dan 2:26, Daniel first sets forth the content of the dream, and then Dan 2:36 proceeds to its explanation. In answer to the king’s thoughts about what will come after him Dan 2:29, that is, whether the monarchy he created will remain the master of the fate of the world or will give way to other empires, the dream presents the history of the succession of four earthly kingdoms and the establishment on earth of the Kingdom of God.

Daniel 2:37. You, O king, are a king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given a kingdom, power, strength, and glory. Daniel 2:38. And wherever people live—the animals of the field and the birds of the heaven—he has given into your hand and has made you ruler over all of them. You are the head of gold. Referring the symbol of the golden head to Nebuchadnezzar (“You are this head of gold”), the prophet understands by him the whole Babylonian monarchy, as is indicated by the words: “And after you another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours” Dan 2:39. According to history, this other kingdom arose not after Nebuchadnezzar, but after all his successors to the throne—it replaced the Babylonian empire. In the dream it is personified in the person of Nebuchadnezzar, since to him, the “king of kings” (cf. Ezek 26:7), the world conqueror (cf. Jer 27:6; Jer 28:14), it owed its existence, power, glory, and world-wide character. As the first in the succession of world empires, the Babylonian monarchy is depicted as the head; as distinguished, especially under Nebuchadnezzar, by greatness and brilliance, it is the head of gold.

Daniel 2:39. After you will arise another kingdom inferior to yours, and then a third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth. The symbolic image of the two silver arms, joining in one breast Dan 2:32, indicates at the same time both its bipartite nature and its unity. Such was the Medo-Persian empire, united and indivisible Dan 8:20 in spite of two peoples that composed it. As the successor to the Babylonian, it is regarded also by the prophet Daniel himself Dan 5:28. The history of the Medo-Persian kingdom was not distinguished by the greatness and brilliance that characterized the Babylonian monarchy, which is why it is called “inferior to it.” The third kingdom in the succession, while yielding to the first two in external brilliance (the brass belly of the statue), would significantly surpass them in power and strength: “which shall bear rule over all the earth.” Such a character was ascribed by the First Book of Maccabees to the Greek kingdom. Its founder—Alexander the Great—traversed to the ends of the earth, ruled over regions, peoples, and rulers, and made the earth fall silent before him 1 Macc 1:3-4. The Greek kingdom, which succeeded the Medo-Persian monarchy, is considered as such by the prophet Daniel Dan 8:8-7 and in the First Book of Maccabees 1 Macc 1:1.

Daniel 2:40. And the fourth kingdom will be strong as iron, because iron breaks in pieces and destroys all things. Like iron that shatters all of these, it will break in pieces and destroy. Daniel 2:41. And whereas you saw the feet and toes partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom will be divided, but there will be in it the strength of iron, since you saw the iron mixed with clay. Daniel 2:42. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. Daniel 2:43. And whereas you saw iron mixed with clay, they will mix with the seed of men, but they will not stick together, just as iron does not mix with clay. The fourth kingdom is represented by the image of iron shins and feet partly of iron and partly of clay. According to the prophet, this means that, while possessing all-crushing power, it will be as brittle as clay. The simultaneous manifestation of these two opposite qualities is not admissible because a kingdom falling apart cannot be at the same time all-crushing and destroying. It is more natural therefore to see in the words of the prophet an indication of two different moments in the history of the fourth monarchy: a period of extraordinary power, strength and might, and a period of decline, decomposition, caused by the impossibility of consolidating into one all the disparate parts of the state. Initially firm as iron, it will subsequently become brittle as iron-clay. The prophet Daniel himself distinguishes these two moments, giving separate explanations of the iron shins and the iron-clay feet of the statue. Characterizing in this way the fourth kingdom, the prophet does not, however, name it by name, as he does for the second and third monarchies, and this circumstance serves as grounds for identifying it either with the Syrian-Egyptian kingdom or the Roman. As for the first opinion, it finds no foundation in the vision in chapter 8 parallel to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The Syrian and Egyptian kingdoms are presented in it as horns growing on the head of the goat Dan 8:21-22, that is, as kingdoms formed out of the Greco-Macedonian monarchy, and therefore should be regarded as its continuation and modification, which cannot be said of the fourth kingdom. Further, according to Dan 8:22 and Dan 11:4, the Syrian and Egyptian kingdom will be weaker than the monarchy from which they arose; meanwhile the fourth kingdom is presented as surpassing all preceding ones in power. There are more grounds for understanding the Roman monarchy by it: it possessed the qualities of Daniel’s fourth kingdom. With its all-crushing, invincible in its initial stages power, its worldwide devastating conquests, it surpassed all preceding states. But originally united as an indivisible whole and therefore firm as iron, the Roman kingdom subsequently entered a period of brittleness and self-destruction, which began at the moment of the conquest of various peoples. The diverse nationalities that entered into its composition did not consolidate into one, and the more its boundaries expanded, the more elements of clay entered into it, contributing not to the strengthening of power, but to its weakening through constant uprisings and numerous civil wars. “Converting into Roman citizens Gauls and Egyptians, Africans and Huns, Spaniards and Syrians, how could emperors expect,” says blessed Augustine, “that such a motley crowd would be loyal to the interests of Rome, which had persecuted them?”

Daniel 2:44. And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not be given to another people. It will break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, but it will stand forever. Daniel 2:45. Because you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and it broke in pieces the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold, the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is true, and its interpretation is reliable. Daniel 2:35. At the time of the existence of the fourth monarchy (the stone struck the feet of the statue) appears a new kingdom, represented as a stone. Divine in its origin (“the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom”), eternal (“which shall never be destroyed”), itself indestructible, toward earthly kingdoms all-crushing (Dan. 2:35), it will gradually become a universal kingdom (“the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled all the earth”—Dan 2:35). All these characteristics point to the messianic kingdom, founded by God in heaven, which appeared in the days of the Roman kingdom, crushing by its higher spiritual and moral force the brutal force of the pagan world and filling all the earth. In accordance with the conception of the Old Testament church, under the image of a mountain Isa 2:2-3; Mic 4:2, the small at its appearance messianic kingdom is depicted in the form of a stone. It tears away from the mountain Dan 2:34—the New Testament church arose from the heart of the Old Testament. However, some exegetes on the basis of Isa 8:14; Isa 28:16; Matt 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet 2:4; Rom 9:32 understand by the stone the Messiah himself, and by the mountain—the Virgin Mary (“O cornerstone cut from the uncut mountain, O Virgin, from you was cut a cornerstone”). With this understanding, the messianic kingdom is personified, like the first monarchy, in the person of its Founder. Daniel 2:46. Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and worshiped Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be brought to him. Daniel 2:47. The king answered Daniel and said, It is truly so, that your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of secrets, since you were able to reveal this secret. In the person of Daniel, who revealed and explained the dream, Nebuchadnezzar recognized not an ordinary wise man versed in Chaldean wisdom, but a man endowed with higher divine knowledge Dan 2:47; cf. Dan 4:5-6. He expressed such a view in that he rendered to the prophet divine honors, as is indicated by the Hebrew verb “sagad”—worshipped Isa 44:15; Isa 46:6, and the offering of incense before him. According to the opinion of blessed Jerome and Josephus Flavius, Nebuchadnezzar worshipped in the person of Daniel the God dwelling in him, whom he recognized as the highest of all gods.

Daniel 2:48. Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. The title “chief of the Babylonian wise men” (cf. Dan 4:6) was apparently for Daniel only an honorific title, but did not give him the actual and real power. At least, from the subsequent history it is evident that he stood apart from the Chaldeans: the latter appeared repeatedly at the king’s summons, but the prophet was not among them Dan 4:3-4. Daniel’s nominal membership in the caste of Chaldeans is quite natural, as it was strictly closed and did not admit foreigners into its ranks; moreover, according to Diodorus, the title of Chaldean was passed from father to son.

Chapter Three

1–7. The erection by Nebuchadnezzar of a statue on the field of Dura and the decree concerning worship of it. 8–23. The non-compliance by Daniel’s friends with the royal command and their casting into the fiery furnace. 24–48. The penitent and supplicatory prayer of the three youths. 49–90. Their deliverance and song of thanksgiving. 91–100. The glorification by Nebuchadnezzar of the almightiness of the God of Israel and the elevation of the youths.

Daniel 3:1. King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Samuel 25:8. According to the testimony of the LXX, the translation of Theodotion in the Slavonic Bible, the erection by Nebuchadnezzar of a statue fell in the 18th year of his reign—the year of the final destruction of Jerusalem, 19th (2 Kgs. 25:8; Jer 52:12) from the actual ascension of Nebuchadnezzar to the throne, it is the 18th according to the official Babylonian reckoning, which the prophet Daniel followed (see the exposition of Dan 2:1). The conquest of Judah, which had caused him no little trouble, provided sufficient cause to thank the gods, his helpers in war, by a special celebration in their honor. Its form—the erection of a statue and worship of it—fully corresponded to the spirit of the time. According to the testimony of cuneiform inscriptions, Nebuchadnezzar had the custom of honoring his gods on certain days of the year. Thus, he arranged solemn processions in honor of Marduk, in which priests or state officials carried among the people the statues of the gods, and he reverently bowed before them. We see the same thing in the present case. According to the Hebrew name “tselem” (cf. Dan 2:31 et seq.), the statue erected by Nebuchadnezzar represented a human figure, in which form painting in the catacombs depicts it. Here it has the appearance of a human bust standing on a tall column. But whom the statue represented—Nebuchadnezzar himself, as Saint John Chrysostom, blessed Jerome, Simeon Metaphrastes, and some modern exegetes think, or some god—is difficult to say. In support of the first opinion, one usually refers to the words of the three youths to the king: “we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image that you have set up” Dan 3:18. They, it is said, clearly distinguish between the service of gods and worship of the golden statue: the latter was not the image of any deity. In reality, the friends of Daniel only refuse to worship the former idols and the newly erected one. In their eyes, the latter is such a forbidden idol, forbidden by the law, as the first. Neither the colossal dimensions of the statue (60 cubits = 13 fathoms 6 vershoks [approx. 30 m] in height and 6 cubits = 1 fathom 15 vershoks [approx. 3 m] in width), nor its enormous value, assuming it was all gold, are fabulous. The history of Oriental peoples knows cases of construction of even larger statues. Thus, according to Herodotus, in Memphis there stood a statue of 75 feet (225 m) in height—and the Heliopolis idol of the sun had 150 cubits (75 m) in height and 75 c. (37 m) in width. The value of the statue should not astonish. The complete authenticity of the biblical narrative is confirmed by the testimony of ancient historians about the existence among the Assyro-Babylonians of enormous cast golden statues. Of them, Herodotus saw in the Babylonian temple a large golden image of Bel sitting, before which a table, a chair, and a bench were arranged, all of pure gold weighing 800 talents (worth up to 26,000,000 rubles). According to Diodorus Siculus, on top of the temple of Bel stood three cast-gold statues—of Bel himself, Milita, and Juno. The first of them weighed 1,000 Babylonian talents (about 30.3 tons); the second, placed on a golden chariot, had the same weight; the third, holding in its right hand a serpent, and in its left a scepter adorned with precious stones, weighed 800 talents. For these three deities on top of the temple there was a common golden table weighing 500 talents, on it two golden goblets weighing 30 talents (about 900 kg), two incense boxes weighing 300 talents, and three bowls, of which the one belonging to Bel weighed 1,200 talents, and each of the other two 600 talents. Finally, Nebuchadnezzar himself speaks in one inscription of how he covered with pure, heavy gold the altar for one Babylonian statue and covered with gold the interior of the upper sanctuary of the pyramid in Borsippa. The value of the statue would be significantly reduced if it was only gilded. The possibility of this is confirmed by the account of the prophet Daniel about the statue of Bel, made of clay and covered with bronze on the outside Dan 14:7. The site of the erection of the statue was the valley of Dura or Duir, which name is borne to the present day by the plain located to the southeast of Babylon. Daniel 3:2. Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather the satraps, prefects, governors, judges, treasurers, counselors, sheriffs, and all the administrators of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. The dedication ceremony of the statue erected by Nebuchadnezzar was attended with appropriate pomp. It was attended by the most important officials summoned from all parts of the Babylonian empire: satraps (Hebrew achashdarpenin)—governors of individual provinces 2 Sam 25:22; Dan 6:2; Ezra 8:36, combining in their hands the highest military and civil authority; military commanders (Hebrew signaia, Assyrian saknu)—military leaders of provinces Jer 51:23; governors (Hebrew pachavata; Assyrian pihu)—civil rulers of provinces subordinate to the satraps (cf. peha Ezra 8:36; Nehem 2:7 in relation to peha abar nara—Ezra 5:3; Ezra 6:6 according to Ezra 5); judges (Hebrew adargazraia); treasurers (Hebrew gedabraia)—officials who supervised economic and financial matters of the country; counselors (Hebrew detabraia)—supreme guardians of laws, who oversaw the legal affairs of the state; judges (Hebrew tiptaia) in the proper and narrow sense of the word, and finally all sorts of provincial officials of various ranks and positions.

Daniel 3:4. Then a herald cried out loudly, To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, Daniel 3:5. At the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, harp, and all kinds of music, you will fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. The dedication of the statue and its worship were accompanied, according to Nebuchadnezzar’s command, by the playing of various wind and string instruments, which fully conformed to the spirit of the time. According to the testimony of Assyrian monuments, music took place at every outstanding celebration. Thus, Esarhaddon, after the battle with Sanduarri, king of the cities Kundu and Sizu, returned to Nineveh with singers and musicians. On one bas-relief from the time of Ashurbanipal, this king’s triumphal procession is depicted accompanied by 11 musicians and 15 singers. Similarly, the musical instruments mentioned by the prophet Daniel were in use among the Assyro-Babylonians. Thus, the trumpet (Hebrew keren)—a simple horn, distinguished by a pure and strong sound, appears on a bas-relief of Sennacherib; the flute (Hebrew mashrокita)—a simple shepherd’s pipe, is represented on bas-reliefs of various periods as consisting of two pipes, but not joined by a mouthpiece, but completely separate; the harp—something like our guitar, is depicted on Assyrian monuments in its original form, in the form of two beams, one horizontal and one perpendicular, on which eight to ten strings were stretched; the psaltery (Hebrew pesanterin)—an instrument like your guitar, but without a neck: an empty box inside, on which up to 10 strings were stretched, is reproduced on the bas-relief of Ashurbanipal, depicting a solemn procession in Susa. As for the sackbut (Hebrew savka) and symphony, their structure is precisely unknown (See drawings, for example, in Delitzsch: “Bible and Babylon,” pp. 87–89). The moment of worship of the statue was announced to the peoples, tribes (Aramaic jummaia)—constituent parts of a given people (cf. Hebrew jummah, jummoth, used to designate individual tribes of the Ismaelite and Midianite peoples—Gen 25:16) and languages—societies speaking one dialect, through a herald (karoz). This word, formerly derived from the Greek “κηρυξ”, is now recognized as an ancient Chaldean word: according to the testimony of Professor Hommel, it appears in an Aramaic inscription of the 7th or 6th century B.C.

Daniel 3:6. And whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. Worship of the statue was a solemn recognition of the power of the gods who had given Nebuchadnezzar dominion over his enemies. From this point of view, resistance to the king’s command was a rebellion against the gods of the king, against him himself as their worshipper, and therefore was punished by burning in a furnace—the customary execution method among the Assyro-Babylonians for rebels and insurgents. It was practiced, for example, by Shalmaneser II and Ashurbanipal, who burned captives, including children. The latter even burned his own brother Shammugas for insurrection. This kind of execution passed from the Assyrians to the Chaldeans: according to the testimony of the prophet Jeremiah, Nebuchadnezzar burned two Jewish false prophets—Sedekiah and Ahab—who preached among the Jewish captives of the speedy fall of Babylon, the return to their homeland, and thereby stirred the captives against his power Jer 29:21-22.

Daniel 3:8. Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and brought charges against the Jews. Daniel 3:9. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever! Daniel 3:10. You, O king, have issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, harp, and all kinds of music shall fall down and worship the golden image, Daniel 3:11. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. Daniel 3:12. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men have not obeyed your decree, O king. They do not serve your gods and will not worship the golden image that you have set up. Daniel 3:13. Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought, and they brought these men before the king. Daniel was absent from the ceremony for some reason, but his friends, remaining faithful to the law of Moses Exod 20:2-4, did not obey the king’s command, of which he was informed by the Chaldeans who were jealous of their elevation. The friends are accused of not serving the king’s gods and of not worshipping the statue he had erected. The first part of the denunciation does not necessarily require recognition that images and statues of other gods were present at the dedication ceremony. From the fact of the youths’ non-worship of the golden statue, the Chaldeans could draw a general conclusion about their denial of all Babylonian deities. Constructed in this way, the accusation became particularly grave. The act of the youths was a blasphemy not only against the Babylonian gods, but also against Nebuchadnezzar himself, in whose name the violated command had been issued. Hence the comprehensible nature of his anger.

Daniel 3:14. Nebuchadnezzar said to them, Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods and will not worship the golden image that I have set up? Daniel 3:15. Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, harp, and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you will be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire that same hour. And what god can rescue you from my hand? But however strong was the irritation seized the king, he could not entertain the thought that his command was violated by persons clothed with his special trust. Therefore, before putting into effect the threat, he wishes to know: for what reasons did his friends not obey his command—by chance or intentionally. If consciously, let them reconsider and worship the statue. Otherwise, death awaits them, from which there is no escape.

Daniel 3:16. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. Daniel 3:17. If our God, whom we serve, is able, he can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire and from your hand, O king. Daniel 3:18. But even if he does not, know, O king, that we will not serve your gods and will not worship the golden image that you have set up. The threat of the king is not terrible to the friends. God, whom they serve, will save them from death, will deliver them even as He delivered them before (chapter 2). And if for some reason this does not happen, then fear of death is overcome by the consciousness that, by not worshipping the statue, they will remain faithful to their religion.

Daniel 3:21. Then these men were bound in their tunics, their trousers, their hats, and their other garments, and were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. The speed with which the angry king’s command was carried out did not allow time to remove the clothing from the youths. They were cast into the furnace “in their coats, hosen, and hats,” in Aramaic: “besarbaleigon patisheigon vekorbaleigon”. Sarbalin—a lower garment closely fitting the body, like our long shirt; patish—a tunic, worn over the shirt; and corblan—a garment worn over the two lower ones, like a mantle. The use by the Assyro-Babylonians of such clothing is confirmed by Herodotus. According to him, they wore a long, flowing tunic, over it another woolen one, and over it a small white mantle.

Daniel 3:22. Because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace was overheated, the flame killed the men who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in. From a human point of view, the destruction of the youths was inevitable. If those who cast them in were killed by the flame, then all the more should those cast into the furnace perish. But the more inevitable the destruction seemed, the more remarkable was the miracle of their deliverance. Dan 3:24-90. In the present Hebrew text of the Book of the Prophet Daniel, this passage is absent, just as it was in ancient times—in the era of Origen and blessed Jerome. It has been preserved in the LXX translation, from which was compiled the ancient Latin translation, cited by Tertullian, Theodotion, the Vulgate, in all Eastern, Syrian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Armenian, Arabic, and finally Slavonic and Russian translations, composed according to the text of Theodotion. The absence of the passage in the original Hebrew-Aramaic text of the book gives, apparently, grounds for thinking that it was not there originally either. But this conclusion is weakened, in the first place, by the presence of verses 24–90 in the translation of Theodotion. He translated directly from the Hebrew, independently of the LXX; consequently, he could only have derived this excerpt from there. The existence of it in the original text is further attested by the unnaturalness of the present Hebrew reading of verses 23 and 24: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell bound into the furnace heated by fire (23). King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished, and hastily rose up, and said to his nobles: “Did we not cast three men… behold, I see four” Dan 3:91-92. As is evident, there is no connection between the verses; an overly abrupt transition has occurred, presupposing an undoubted omission. And this latter is excellently supplied by verses 24–90 of the Greek text, which speak of the deliverance of the youths cast into the furnace, of the Angel descending to them in the flames, of their singing and walking in the midst of fire. Having seen them alive, and noticing another fourth, Nebuchadnezzar “was astonished,” etc. The Greek reading is far more consistent and logical than the Hebrew. The omission in the latter presupposes the existence also in the original original text of a more extensive version of this passage, one similar to that which exists in the Greek translations. But admitting its existence in the Hebrew language, it is necessary to admit that the author of the considered passage is different from the writer of the third chapter of the Book of the Prophet Daniel. This is guaranteed by the use of Hebrew names for the youths: Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, while the canonical part of the chapter uses exclusively the Chaldean names: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The exact time of writing of this passage is unknown. However, the fact that its Greek language is identical with the language of the entire LXX translation of the Book of the Prophet Daniel gives grounds for thinking that it also belongs to the author of the latter. In that case, the Hebrew or Aramaic original of verses 24–90 must have existed by the beginning of the 3rd century B.C. As for the historical authenticity of the reviewed passage, particularly the narrative of the miraculous deliverance of the three youths, it is confirmed by the canonical part of the chapter: verses 19–92 speak of the appearance in the furnace of an Angel, this “fourth man, like the Son of God” Dan 3:49. Dan 3:24-45. The prayer presented in these verses is divided into three parts: verses 26–33; verses 34–38; verses 39–45. It begins with a doxology to God and an acknowledgment that all the deeds of the Lord, His ways and judgments, manifested in relation to the God-chosen people in its captivity, and in relation to the city of Jerusalem—in its destruction, are true, that the people had sinned constantly, and therefore deservedly had been delivered into the hands of lawless enemies, the most hated apostates, and to an unrighteous king. The continuation of the prayer is a petition that the Lord, for the sake of His name and the covenant with the patriarchs, to whom He spoke saying He would multiply their seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand of the sea, would not abandon His people, now reduced more than all peoples, humbled so much that it has neither prince, nor prophet, nor whole offering, nor sacrifice, nor a place where it might offer them and find His mercy (cf. Lam 2:9). The prayer concludes with the supplication of Azariah on his own behalf and that of his companions, that the Lord would accept their spiritual sacrifice, offered from the fullness of a contrite heart, as a sacrifice of thousands of fat lambs, calves, and rams, that He would not put them to shame, those who hope in Him with all their heart, but would, according to the abundance of His mercy, save them, thereby glorified His name, but put their enemies to shame.

Daniel 3:46. But the servants of the king who threw them in did not stop stoking the furnace with naphtha, pitch, tow, and brushwood. Daniel 3:47. And the flame of the fire rose above the furnace forty-nine cubits. Daniel 3:48. And it burst forth and burned the Chaldeans who were near the furnace. Daniel 3:49. But the angel of the Lord came down into the furnace with Azariah and his companions, Daniel 3:50. And drove the flames of fire out of the furnace, and made it so that in the middle of the furnace there was a moist wind blowing, and the fire did not touch them at all, and it did not hurt them, and it did not trouble them. By the power of divine omnipotence, the spatial action of the fire was limited. It did not touch the interior, the center of the furnace, but extended only to its periphery. And therefore, while the flames issuing from the furnace were burning those who tended the fire, throwing into it the naphtha customary in Babylon, the center of it was filled with a moist rustling wind. Dan 3:51-90. The miraculous deliverance of the three youths filled their souls with a feeling of the deepest gratitude, which poured forth in an exultant hymn. Full of spiritual rapture, they blessed and glorified the greatness of the Lord, calling upon all to sing and extol the Creator—both the heavenly powers, and the heavens, clouds and luminaries, and the magnificent phenomena of nature (night and day, light and darkness, lightning), and all physical elements and changes (rain, wind, fire, etc.), and the earth, and all terrestrial elements and organisms (mountains, hills, springs), all aquatic and earthly creatures (whales and fish, birds and beasts), finally all men in general, then Israelites, priests, etc. (cf. Ps 148).

Daniel 3:91. Then King Nebuchadnezzar, startled, rose up quickly and said to his counselors, Did we not throw three men bound into the fire? They answered the king, It is true, O king. Daniel 3:92. He answered and said, Look, I see four men loose, walking about in the fire, and they are unharmed, and the appearance of the fourth is like the Son of God. The sight of the youths, singing and walking unharmed in the midst of the fire, brought Nebuchadnezzar to astonishment. This feeling was heightened by the presence in the furnace of a fourth figure—not resembling a man, but appearing to be a higher being. In accordance with the Babylonian belief that gods have wives and children (thus Sin was considered the father of the gods, Nergal—their mother; Shamash—the son of Sin; Nebo—the son of Marduk), Nebuchadnezzar called him (the Angel), different in appearance from men, the “Son of God.”

Daniel 3:93. Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the opening of the furnace of blazing fire and called out, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here! Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. Desiring to ascertain whether he had been deceived, Nebuchadnezzar approached the furnace and asked the youths to come forth. His desire was fulfilled: there is no doubt about their deliverance from death.

Daniel 3:94. And the satraps, prefects, governors, and counselors of the king gathered around and saw these men—the fire had had no power over their bodies, their hair was not singed, their tunics were not damaged, and no smell of fire was on them. The Babylonian officials, who had witnessed the death of those closely approaching the furnace Dan 3:48, were so struck by the miracle of deliverance of those who had been in the fire that they still could not believe it. And only personal examination of the delivered youths convinced them to acknowledge the act of deliverance from death.

Daniel 3:95. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted in him and disobeyed the king’s command, giving up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Daniel 3:96. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their house shall be destroyed, for there is no other god who can rescue in this way. For a second time, Nebuchadnezzar became convinced of the greatness of the God of the Hebrews, and for the second time he confessed His power. But this confession does not go beyond the acknowledgment of His superiority over other gods and does not contain faith in the Lord as the sole true God. Therefore, in his decree, Nebuchadnezzar does not require his subjects to believe only in the Most High, but threatens them with death in cases of blasphemy against Him, that is, imposes the very punishment that is due according to Babylonian laws for blasphemy.

Daniel 3:97. Then the king elevated Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon [and magnified them and granted them authority over the rest of the Jews in his kingdom]. Acknowledging the greatness of God the Hebrew, Nebuchadnezzar could not fail to honor the youths so miraculously saved by Him. He not only restored his favor to them, but endowed them with greater powers than before—he appointed them as chief governors over all the Jews living within the Babylonian empire.

Daniel 3:98. King Nebuchadnezzar, to all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: May peace be multiplied to you! Daniel 3:99. It has seemed good to me to tell you of the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. Daniel 3:100. How great are his signs! And how mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and his dominion extends from generation to generation. The event in the last years of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign—his second dream, his illness and recovery (chapter 4)—were so momentous that he announced them to his subjects in a special manifesto. In this he acted like other Assyrian kings who related in solemn proclamations the outstanding events of their reign and even their dreams. Beginning with a wish for peace to the peoples and tribes entering the Babylonian empire (cf. Ezra 4:17), Nebuchadnezzar’s decree proceeds to the glorification of the greatness of the Most High God and the wonders performed by Him over the king. Judging by such a beginning and similar conclusion Dan 4:31-34, one can suppose that the immediate occasion for the issuance of the manifesto was the feeling in Nebuchadnezzar of the deepest reverence before the hand of the Most High that had struck and healed him. Convinced by personal experience of the truth that the Most High governs kingdoms Dan 4:29, he also desires to convince others by his account. There were, as is supposed, other reasons for the issuance of the manifesto. The illness of Nebuchadnezzar was not a secret. It was known, for example, by court officials who excluded him from people Dan 4:29-30, known by counselors and nobles who found the king after his recovery Dan 4:33. From them and through them, rumors and reports of the king’s illness naturally penetrated into the people. Therefore, in order to prevent false and harmful rumors and to spread the correct understanding of the illness and its causes, Nebuchadnezzar deemed it necessary to recount it in a special decree.

Chapter Four

1–4. Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream and the helplessness of the Babylonian wise men to interpret it. 5–15. The king’s appeal for Daniel’s help; the content of the dream. 16–24. The prophet’s explanation of the dream. 25–30. The fulfillment of Daniel’s prediction: Nebuchadnezzar’s illness. 31–34. His recovery, return to power, and his glorification of God.

Daniel 4:1. I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palaces. Daniel 4:2. But I saw a dream that terrified me, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head disturbed me. The dream coincided in time with the years of peaceful reign of Nebuchadnezzar. These began after the campaign against Egypt in the 37th year of his rule, in accordance with which the dream is dated by interpreters to this period. On the basis of his previous experience, Nebuchadnezzar could understand that this new dream foretold something important. The complete uncertainty of this latter naturally aroused feelings of confusion and fear.

Daniel 4:3. And I gave orders to bring all the wise men of Babylon to me, so that they might tell me the meaning of the dream. The helplessness shown earlier by the wise men (Dan 2:1-11) does not, however, prevent Nebuchadnezzar from turning to them for an explanation of the dream. They proved unable to reveal the vision (Dan 2:8-11), but did not refuse to give an explanation if the content were told to them (Dan 2:4). With this in mind, the king resorts to their aid.

Daniel 4:4. Then came the enchanters, sorcerers, Chaldeans, and diviners; I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it to me. Daniel 4:5. Finally, Daniel came before me, whom I named Belshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy God; I told him the dream. Daniel 4:6. O Belshazzar, chief of the wise men! I know that the spirit of the holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you; explain to me the visions of my dream that I saw, and their meaning. Only the fresh failure that befell the wise men recalled to Nebuchadnezzar the memory of Daniel’s superhuman wisdom and forced the king to summon him to explain the dream. Until now he had not been invited, both because of Nebuchadnezzar’s faith in his wise men, and also, perhaps, because the gap of 35 years between the first and second dream had faded from the king’s mind the memory of the prophet through whom the first revelation had been explained to him.

Daniel 4:7. The visions of my head as I lay on my bed: I saw, and behold, a tree very high in the midst of the earth. Daniel 4:8. The tree was great and strong, and its height reached to heaven, and it was visible to the ends of all the earth. Daniel 4:9. Its foliage was beautiful, and its fruit abundant, and it provided food for all; under it the beasts of the field found shade, and in its branches the birds of the heavens nested, and all flesh was nourished by it. Daniel 4:10. And I saw in the visions of my head as I lay on my bed; and behold, a Watcher, a Holy One, came down from heaven. Daniel 4:11. He cried aloud and said: ‘Cut down the tree and lop off its branches, strip its foliage and scatter its fruit; let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches; Daniel 4:12. but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the midst of the grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let its portion be with the beasts of the field in the grass of the earth. Daniel 4:13. His heart shall be changed from a man’s heart, and a beast’s heart shall be given to him; and seven times shall pass over him. Daniel 4:14. The sentence is by the decree of the Watchers, the decision is by the word of the Holy Ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will, and sets over it the lowliest of men.’ The content of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is pervaded by the worldview and spirit of that time. Among ancient peoples the tree was considered and served as a symbol of human life. A tall, spreading tree meant a man of power and majesty; a green tree meant a man of prosperity, and conversely, a withered tree was the symbol of a man who had lost his former greatness, a felled tree meant a man in some way annihilated or erased from the face of the earth (Ps 1:3; Isa 6:13; Jer 17:8; Ezek 17:22; Ezek 19:10; Amos 2:9). In particular, the tree served as an emblem of the Assyro-Babylonian kingdom. As a symbol of a man, the tree also appears in the famous dream of Astyages. The image has precisely the same meaning in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Direct indication of this is found in the words of the Watcher about the removal from the tree’s root of the human heart and the bestowal of a beast’s heart (Dan 4:12-13) – deprivation of human feelings and desires and the bestowing of animal feelings, which can be done only to a human being. Likewise, the prophet Daniel considers the tree seen by Nebuchadnezzar to be a symbol of this king in all the splendor and majesty of his reign (Dan 4:17). Such details of the dream as the appearance of the “Watchers and Holy Ones” descending from heaven to earth (Dan 4:10) fully correspond to Nebuchadnezzar’s worldview. According to the teachings of the Babylonians as set forth by Diodorus Siculus, in the world of planetary deities a distinction was made between supreme deities and secondary deities subordinate to them, the so-called “theoi boulaioi” – counselor gods. One half of these counselor gods had oversight of the subterranean regions, while the other half kept vigilant watch over what was happening on earth among men and in heaven. The latter appear in the dream under the name of “Watchers.” As Nebuchadnezzar further sees, they pronounce judgment over him (Dan 4:14). The idea of divine judgment expressed by this detail was not foreign to the Babylonians. According to the testimony of the same Diodorus Siculus, they did not believe in fate and chance, but attributed all events to “the precisely determined judgment of the gods.” And in accordance with such beliefs, on ancient Babylonian monuments one finds depictions of the god Bel in the position of a judge, surrounded by inferior deities.

Daniel 4:24. Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins through righteousness, and your iniquities through mercy to the oppressed, if perhaps there may be a prolonging of your peace. Foreseeing the cause of Nebuchadnezzar’s impending punishment – his pride – Daniel counsels the king to humble himself, manifesting it through righteousness and mercy, and thereby avert the coming calamity.

Daniel 4:26. At the end of twelve months, as he was walking on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon, Daniel 4:27. the king said: ‘Is not this great Babylon, which I have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?’ According to the words of the Watcher and the explanation of the prophet Daniel, the punishment destined to befall Nebuchadnezzar was meant to convince him of the truth that the Most High holds dominion and rules over the kingdom of men (Dan 4:14). The cause of his punishment is accordingly the denial of the Most High’s supreme rule – the judgment comes upon the king at the very moment of his denial. This is expressed in the words: ‘Is not this great Babylon, which I have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?’ In these words Nebuchadnezzar says, so to speak, that the Most High does not rule the kingdom; the existence and greatness of Babylon is owed to me and my power. Strictly speaking, Nebuchadnezzar’s words are not an exaggeration. Both according to the testimony of his own inscriptions and according to the account of historians, Babylon was indeed a creation of his hands. “Babylon and Borsippa,” says Nebuchadnezzar in one of his inscriptions, “the greatest cities of my kingdom, founded by me. I carefully gathered riches to adorn my palace. I completely built and adorned it as a royal dwelling… This house, which is to be the object of wonder, I built.” Likewise, according to the testimony of the historians Berossus and Abydenus, Nebuchadnezzar spent the greater part of his immense wealth on the beautification and development of Babylon. By him, among other things, were built the new walls of Babylon, of which the outer ones encompassed an area of 513 square km (450 square versts), and the inner ones an area of 290 square km (260 square versts), and the famous hanging gardens. These latter, which adorned the environs of his palace built on the western bank of the Euphrates, occupied an area of 400 square feet (3,600 square meters) and rose higher than the palace towers, which had a height of 150 feet (45 meters). The platforms supporting them were made of brick and supported at every 10 feet by stone pillars 22 feet (7.3 meters) thick; upon the brick platforms were laid stone slabs, thick layers of reeds, asphalt, and gypsum, covered for protection from moisture by thick sheets of lead. Upon this lead covering, a layer of earth was spread thick enough to allow tall trees to grow freely. Within the gardens, pumps were installed that lifted water from the Euphrates to the uppermost terrace, from where it was distributed by channels over the remaining terraces, serving to artificially irrigate the gardens. Among other structures of Nebuchadnezzar are known channels running through Babylon to protect it from the overflowing of the Euphrates, and numerous temples. And yet, the above phrase of Nebuchadnezzar is pervaded by extraordinary pride. The fact is that in other cases he attributes all his successes not to personal effort but to the assistance and protection of the god Marduk, whom he calls the “chief of the gods.” In this case, however, his words are a deliberate denial of the divine power he himself acknowledged. Haughty even for a pagan, they become in the mouth of Nebuchadnezzar, who had received revelation of the Most High’s supreme rule (Dan 4:14), open defiance against Him.

Daniel 4:28. While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven: ‘O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: the kingdom has been removed from you! Daniel 4:29. And you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will.’ Daniel 4:30. Immediately the word was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and he was driven from among men, and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws. The denial of divine power was a state of insanity, a deprivation of human reason. By God’s will, this condition was transformed from a temporary one into a prolonged one lasting “seven times.” Nebuchadnezzar was subjected to one of the most terrible forms of mental illness, the one called lycanthropy. He lost his reason (Dan 4:31) and imagined himself to be an ox, as a result of which human desires and needs were replaced by animal ones. Abandoning human society, the king began to feed on grass and, as a result of atmospheric influences, acquired the appearance of a beast; his uncut hair grew like a lion’s mane (Slavonic reading), and his nails became like the claws of fierce birds. The illness that befell Nebuchadnezzar does not represent anything unprecedented or unbelievable: forms of madness similar to this have been known since ancient times. Thus, Herodotus tells of the Neuri who were transformed, according to him, into wolves; the existence of lycanthropes is also reported by Oribasius, the court physician of the Emperor Julian, and the monuments of the 14th and 15th centuries speak of the appearance of this illness in Europe as well. On the basis of these testimonies, Nebuchadnezzar’s madness is considered to be an actual fact, not a fabrication of the author of the Book of Daniel. The reliability of his account is further confirmed, in the opinion of interpreters, by an inscription of Nebuchadnezzar himself, in which he speaks of a four-year interruption in his reign. ‘For four years,’ he remarks, ‘my heart did not rejoice at the throne of my kingdom; I undertook no building projects, sang no hymns in honor of Marduk, offered him no sacrifices, and did not cleanse the canals.’ Understanding this interruption in Nebuchadnezzar’s reign as his removal from the affairs of government due to illness, interpreters find a reference to it in an inscription of Nebuchadnezzar’s second successor Neriglissar, in which he calls himself ‘son of Belasumiskun, king of Babylon.’ In the Babylonian chronicles there is no name of this king, on the basis of which the supposition is made that Belasumiskun was not an actual king but only a regent during Nebuchadnezzar’s illness. His ambitious son (Neriglissar) called his father ‘king.’ As for the duration of the illness, the biblical designation of it – ‘seven times’ – is understood in various ways. Some (Hengstenberg, Hevernik, Keil), proceeding from the consideration that seven is the number of completeness, and the Hebrew word ‘iddan’ is used in the Book of Daniel to designate time in general, in an indefinite sense (Dan 2:8-9; Dan 3:5), understand by ‘seven times’ a period that is indefinite but entirely sufficient for the king’s instruction and enlightenment. Others (Hitzig, Rosenmüller, Fürst), citing Dan 7:25; Dan 12:7, where the expression ‘a time, times, and half a time’ is defined as 1,290 or 1,260 days, understand ‘seven times’ as meaning seven years. And finally, still others (from the ancient Church Fathers, John Chrysostom and Ephrem the Syrian) take ‘seven times’ to mean 3.5 years. Confirmation of this view is provided by Nebuchadnezzar’s own testimony of a four-year interruption in his reign.

Daniel 4:31. At the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes to heaven, and my reason was restored to me; and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored Him who lives forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and whose kingdom endures from generation to generation. Daniel 4:32. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and He does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’ Daniel 4:33. At that time my reason was restored to me, and to the glory of my kingdom my majesty and splendor were restored to me; my counselors and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne, and my greatness was increased even more. Daniel 4:34. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and honor the King of Heaven, all of whose works are true and whose ways are just, and who is able to bring low those who walk in pride. According to physicians, lycanthropy is not an incurable disease. Like other forms of insanity, it can pass away, and the patient may have his reason restored. This is what happened to Nebuchadnezzar. His reason returned to him, bringing with it the thought of the unnaturalness and impropriety of pride. Convinced by personal experience of the justice of the revelation (Dan 4:14), he glorified the majesty of the Most High who had punished him and confessed the insignificance of man before Him. But in this case, as before, the expressions of religious feeling characterize Nebuchadnezzar as a pagan. They remind one of his appeals to Marduk, whom he calls ‘lord of the gods,’ ‘prince of the gods,’ and to whom he attributes power over all men. In the decree, there shines through the belief held by most pagan peoples in a supreme Deity who governs the fates of all nations and kingdoms. But if, despite all this, the language of the decree strongly reminds one, as interpreters note, of the language of certain psalms and the Book of Isaiah (Dan 3:10; Dan 4:31 cf. with Ps 144:13 and Dan 4:32 cf. with Isa 40:17), this phenomenon is explained, it is thought, by the fact that it was composed not without the influence of the prophet Daniel.

Chapter Five

1–9. Belshazzar’s feast, the appearance of the hand that wrote mysterious letters on the wall, the helplessness of the Babylonian wise men to read them. 10–16. The summons of Daniel at the advice of the queen mother. 17–29. The prophet’s speech to Belshazzar and his explanation of the mysterious inscription. 30–31. The death of Belshazzar and the accession of Darius the Mede.

Daniel 5:1. Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine before the thousand. According to the Book of Daniel, the last Babylonian king was Belshazzar (Belshatsar), the son of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 5:2), who reigned for more than two years (Dan 8:1) and was killed on the night Babylon fell (Dan 5:30). But among the successors of Nebuchadnezzar to the throne, as listed by the Chaldean historian Berossus, there is no Belshazzar. He calls Nebuchadnezzar’s successor Evil-merodach, and places the conquest of Babylon in the 17th year of an unknown king, Nabonidus, who was not known to the prophet Daniel. Similarly, according to Herodotus, the last Babylonian king was not Belshazzar but Labynetus. Such a discrepancy between biblical and non-biblical accounts, which gave some interpreters reason to deny the authenticity of the Book of Daniel, causes others to seek reconciliation. The most natural and correct means to this end was long considered to be the identification of Belshazzar of the Book of Daniel with one of the successors of Nebuchadnezzar mentioned by Berossus. Josephus Flavius made the first attempt at this, saying that the last Babylonian king was Belshazzar, ‘called Nabonidus by the Babylonians.’ The same view was held by the renowned historian Niebuhr, who affirmed that the name Belshazzar was an honorary title of Nabonidus, as also by Michaelis, Cornelius à Lapide, Calmet, Knobel, and Ewald; among Russian interpreters, Bukharev. Others – Kranichfeld, Clifford, Keil and Delitzsch, Hevernik, Hupfeld, and Smirnov – based on the designation of Belshazzar as ‘the son of Nebuchadnezzar’ – identified him with the actual son of the latter, Evil-merodach, who reigned two years, and finally, still others – with Labosoardus. As for the validity of these views, it is very insignificant. Against the identification of Belshazzar with Evil-merodach and Labosoardus is the fact that neither of them was the last Babylonian king, as Belshazzar is in the Book of Daniel. His death and the division of the Babylonian empire between the Medes and Persians are presented as inseparably linked events (Dan 5:30-31). Likewise, the identification of Belshazzar with Nabonidus is inadmissible. First, neither the prophet Daniel nor Berossus mentions a double name that the last Babylonian king supposedly bore; second, the fates of Belshazzar and Nabonidus, as presented by the prophet Daniel and Berossus, are completely different. The first was killed on the night Babylon was taken (Dan 5:30), while the second, defeated by Cyrus, was sent by him from Babylon to Carmania, where he died. Abandoning all these attempts as clearly untenable, the latest literature on the Book of Daniel holds the view that Belshazzar mentioned in it is the actual, real name of the last Babylonian king – the name of the son of Nabonidus. This view is based on cuneiform inscriptions from the time of the latter. In one of them, discovered by the Englishman Loftus in the ruins of Ur of the Chaldees, Nabonidus addresses a prayer to the god Sin with the following petition: ‘As for me, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, keep me from any sin against your bright deity and grant me a long life, and turn the heart of Belshazzar, my firstborn son, my heir, so that he reveres your bright deity, does not walk in the path of sin, but enjoys the happiness of life.’ In another inscription of the same king, the following phrase occurs twice: ‘May I, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, reverent of your bright deity, enjoy a long and happy life, and prolong the days of Belshazzar, my firstborn son, so that he does not turn aside into sin.’ On the basis of these inscriptions, Rawlinson identifies Belshazzar mentioned in them with Belshazzar of the Book of Daniel. ‘Nabonidus’s eldest son,’ he says, ‘is named Bel-shar-usur, a name shortened in the Book of Daniel to Belshatsar, just as the name Nergal-sharezer was turned into Neriglissar by the Greeks.’ Identity of names alone, of course, does not prove identity of persons. But the full possibility of identifying the biblical Belshazzar with Belshazzar, the son of Nabonidus, from the cuneiform inscriptions does not admit, in the opinion of interpreters, of any doubt. And first of all, judging by the promise to make Daniel the third ruler in the kingdom (Dan 5:16), Belshazzar was not the supreme king of Babylon; he himself held the second place, and therefore could only offer Daniel the third. In other words, Belshazzar of the Book of Daniel appears in the role of co-regent: sole rulers sometimes granted the second place in the kingdom for services (Esth 10:3; 1 Esd 3:7; 1 Esd 4:42). Belshazzar, the son of Nabonidus, is clothed with precisely this power. According to Vigoureux, the text of the so-called Cyrus Cylinder presents him as viceroy: he stood at the head of the army, surrounded by high officials, in the strongholds of the land of Akkad (the northern part of Babylonia), while his father for several years voluntarily withdrew from the affairs of government. Similarly, Rawlinson, drawing attention to certain inscriptions of Nabonidus that limit themselves to prayer for the salvation of his son Belshazzar alone, asserts that the mention of the royal prince instead of the king himself represents a phenomenon completely without precedent, and the only explanation for it is that Belshazzar was participating in the rule of his father during his lifetime. As for the co-regency of Belshazzar, its causes are thought to lie in the following. Nabonidus, being a usurper, in order to secure power for his descendants, declared his son king during his own lifetime; this son was born to him of a daughter or granddaughter of Nebuchadnezzar, whom he married with the same intention of retaining the Babylonian throne (Vigoureux, Knabenbauer). Appointed co-regent with his father, Belshazzar in the later years of his reign became the actual king. In view of the military campaign of Cyrus the Persian, Nabonidus was forced to spend the end of his reign in constant absence from Babylon, first as an ally of Croesus of Lydia, and then as the defender of his country on its frontiers. Under these circumstances, the transfer of power over Babylon to Belshazzar, left there, was a natural thing. Subsequently, according to Xenophon, Nabonidus, defeated by Cyrus, returned not to Babylon but to Borsippa. The ruler of the first, the arbiter of its fate, became Belshazzar, as the Book of Daniel tells us. Belshazzar’s feast fell at the time of the siege of Babylon by the Medes and Persians (Dan 5:28). In accordance with this, Herodotus also tells that the Babylonians, at the time their capital was taken by Cyrus, were celebrating merrily; the whole people gave themselves over to dances and amusements. Strikingly apparent in this circumstance is the king’s carelessness – he feasts with his nobles at a critical moment – and this finds its explanation first of all in his confidence in the strength of the Babylonian walls (see explanation of Dan 4:27). They seemed impregnable not only to him but even to Cyrus, who, according to Herodotus, doubted the possibility of taking Babylon by force and resorted to trickery. No less significant a role in Belshazzar’s carelessness was played by his youth. According to Berossus, Nabonidus reigned 17 years. And if his marriage to a relative of Nebuchadnezzar, who bore him Belshazzar, fell in the first year of his rule, then at the time of Babylon’s conquest, the latter could not have been more than 16 years old. According to Assyro-Babylonian depictions of feasting kings, feasts consisted of drinking rather than eating: the feasters are usually represented only as drinking. The prophet Daniel describes Belshazzar’s feast with these same features. Among those portrayed on the same monuments are women. The presence of women at the feasts of ancient Persians is also noted in the Book of Esther (Esth 1:9 and others).

Daniel 5:2. When he tasted the wine, Belshazzar ordered that the vessels of gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. Daniel 5:3. Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the sanctuary of the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. Daniel 5:4. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. The feast, proceeding in the usual manner, unexpectedly ended with blasphemy against God, expressed in the transformation of vessels dedicated to Him into festive drinking cups and in songs of praise in honor of pagan gods. The first said that in the eyes of believers the God of Israel deserved no respect – His vessels were taken for a base use; the second even more intensified and underscored this thought – arrogantly set the power of pagan gods against the powerlessness of the God of the Hebrews. Therefore, Josephus Flavius is completely right in calling Belshazzar “bolder” than Nebuchadnezzar, who did not dare to use the vessels of the Jerusalem temple for himself and placed them in the temple of his god.

Daniel 5:5. Immediately the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall opposite the lampstand in the king’s palace, and the king saw the palm of the hand as it wrote. Daniel 5:6. Then the king’s face turned pale, and his thoughts alarmed him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees knocked together. Forgetful Belshazzar was brought to his senses by the appearance of the hand that wrote mysterious letters on the palace wall: boldness was replaced by terror. As the excavations carried out in Babylonia testify, the inner walls of houses were covered with stucco – a strong cement of slaked lime and gypsum, and this in turn was covered with white plaster, on which sometimes entire pictures were depicted. The letters written on this prepared wall were visible to those feasting, as they were illuminated by the lampstand that lit up the feast hall.

Daniel 5:7. The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon: Whoever reads this writing and tells me its interpretation shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. For reading the inscription, Belshazzar promises the customary reward given by Eastern kings for important services: purple garments, the manufacture of which Babylon was especially famous for (Ezek 27:24), and a golden chain. Such custom was observed among the Egyptians (Gen 41:42), the Medes, Persians (Esth 6:8; Esth 8:15), Syrians (1 Macc 10:20; 1 Macc 14:43-44), and other ancient peoples.

Daniel 5:8. Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. According to the opinion of Prideaux and Kranichfeld, the Chaldean wise men could not read the inscription because it was written in ancient Phoenician. But such an assumption is hardly probable: the ancient Phoenician language was known to the Babylonians by virtue of their constant commercial relations with Phoenicia. The Talmudists explain the helplessness of the Chaldeans by the fact that the inscription was made in a special cabalistic way, for instance, not horizontally but vertically, or the words were written in reverse order, or, finally, from each word only one or two initial letters were written, which is why neither the sense of individual expressions nor that of the entire phrase could be grasped.

Daniel 5:9. Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his face turned pale, and his lords were perplexed. Daniel 5:10. The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the feasting hall. And the queen said: O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you, nor let your face grow pale! Daniel 5:11. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God; in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners – Daniel 5:12. because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems were found in Daniel, whom the king named Belshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation. Placed in a hopeless position by the helplessness of his wise men, Belshazzar was extricated from it by the advice of the “queen” to summon Daniel to read and explain the mysterious inscription. The presence of royal wives in the feast hall (Dan 5:2-3), the fact that the queen enters the “feasting hall” (Dan 5:10), and moreover her determination to give the king public advice, which a wife of an Eastern despot would not dare venture – all suggest that by “queen” is meant not the wife of Belshazzar but his mother, a daughter or granddaughter of Nebuchadnezzar (Josephus). In Belshazzar being called the son of Nebuchadnezzar in her words, the sense is not literal but transferred – he is a descendant. The word “son” is used in this sense in the cuneiform inscriptions as well. Thus, in the inscription of Shalmaneser II, Jehu, king of Israel, is called the son of Omri, even though he was actually the son of Jehoshaphat (2 Sam 9:2). If Nebuchadnezzar had been Belshazzar’s actual father, there would be no need to add his name: ‘Nebuchadnezzar, your father.’

Daniel 5:13. Then Daniel was brought in before the king. And the king said to Daniel: Are you Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah? Daniel 5:14. I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. Daniel 5:15. The wise men and enchanters were brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. Daniel 5:16. But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold about your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. Belshazzar was familiar with the history of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, at least the history of his illness (Dan 5:22; cf. v. Dan 5:18-21), but he does not know Daniel (‘Are you Daniel?’) and hears of his wisdom, seemingly for the first time (Dan 5:16; Dan 5:13). The reasons for this lie, it seems, in the palace upheavals and revolutions that began after Nebuchadnezzar’s death: his son Evil-merodach, having reigned only two years, was killed by the husband of his sister, Neriglissar; the latter ruled about 4 years and was killed in war with the Persians; his son and successor Labosoardus reigned only 9 months and was killed by conspirators, among whom was numbered Nabonidus, Belshazzar’s father. The inevitable upheavals resulting from such revolutions led to a change in officials, which affected Daniel with his removal from Babylon: at least in the third year of Belshazzar’s reign he is found in Susa (Dan 8:1-2). There is nothing strange that under such circumstances the prophet was unknown to Belshazzar.

Daniel 5:17. Then Daniel answered and said before the king: Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. By refusing the reward, Daniel wanted to show that he, as a prophet of the Lord, would declare the truth without any self-serving motives and calculations, whatever it might be – pleasant or unpleasant for the king.

Daniel 5:18. O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. Daniel 5:19. And because of the greatness that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed; and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up; and whom he would, he brought low. Daniel 5:20. But when his heart was lifted up and his mind was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. Daniel 5:21. He was driven from among men, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and he dwelt with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of men and appoints over it whom He will. Daniel 5:22. And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this, Daniel 5:23. but you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of His house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know; but the God in whose hand is your breath and whose are all your ways, you have not honored. Daniel 5:24. Then the hand was sent from His presence, and this writing was inscribed. Daniel 5:25. And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. Daniel 5:26. This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end; Daniel 5:27. Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; Daniel 5:28. Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians. The example of Nebuchadnezzar should have warned Belshazzar against exalting himself before the true God. But he did not heed this lesson – he displayed unprecedented pride – he consciously blasphemed the Most High. By this act Belshazzar showed that he possessed no virtues whatever, nothing that could warrant the prolonging of his and his kingdom’s existence (“Tekel – you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting”). Therefore, God determined to make an end of them – to terminate their further existence (“Mene – God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end”).

Daniel 5:29. Then by command of Belshazzar, Daniel was clothed in purple, a chain of gold was put about his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. Despite the terrible prediction, Belshazzar fulfills his promise, rewards the prophet, perhaps hoping thereby to earn God’s forgiveness through him, or at least to postpone the impending punishment (John Chrysostom, Ephrem the Syrian). Daniel now accepts the reward (cf. Dan 5:17), something he had refused earlier. St. Jerome explains this by saying that the prophet wanted to become known through it to Belshazzar’s successor and thus be more useful to his people.

Daniel 5:31. and Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being sixty-two years old. See Dan 6:1

Chapter Six

1–3. The accession of Darius the Mede and the elevation of Daniel under him. 4–9. The attempt of the prophet’s enemies to destroy him. 10–17. The carrying out of their scheme. 18–24. Daniel’s salvation and the death of his enemies. 25–28. The decree of Darius the Mede.

Daniel 6:1. It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, that they should be throughout the kingdom, From the connection of this verse with verse 30 of the preceding chapter, and from verses 28 and onward of the present chapter, it clearly follows that Darius, son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes (Dan 9:1), was the successor of Belshazzar and the predecessor of Cyrus in the governance of the Babylonian monarchy. Yet, according to the testimony of the Greek historians Herodotus and Xenophon, the power over Babylon passed after Belshazzar’s death not to Darius, whom they do not know, but to Cyrus, who took possession of the Babylonian empire. Similarly, Alexander Polyhistor and the Canon of Ptolemy, after recounting the conquest of Babylon, immediately speak of Cyrus’s reign in it. Neither does the testimony of the Book of Daniel accord with that of the Babylonian inscriptions. According to the so-called Cyrus Cylinder, the viceroy of Babylon after its conquest was Cyrus’s general Ugbaru. The discrepancy between biblical and non-biblical testimony is further intensified by the fact that the non-biblical sources do not know the name of Darius the Mede at all. In view of all this, the opponents of the authenticity of the Book of Daniel suspect the very existence of this king and reject the historical reliability of the account in chapter 6. But as for the succession of Babylonian kings after Belshazzar, the reliability of the Book of Daniel’s account is confirmed by the testimony of the Babylonian inscriptions. In them, Cyrus is not called a Babylonian king earlier than the third year after Babylon’s fall, but during the first two years is simply called ‘king of the peoples.’ Clearly, he did not occupy the Babylonian throne immediately after its conquest; someone else was king before him for two years. This is exactly what the Book of Daniel affirms, naming Darius the Mede as the predecessor of Cyrus in the Babylonian kingdom. And since, according to Josephus Flavius, he bore a different name among the Greeks, defenders of the authenticity of the Book of Daniel do not consider him a mythical figure, but attempt to identify him with one of the contemporaries of Cyrus who assisted him in the conquest of Babylon. Such a person, according to the Greek historian Xenophon, was Cyaxares II, the son of the Median king Astyages. In favor of identifying him with Darius, the identity of the meanings of the names Cyaxares and Darius speaks first. Cyaxares is a Median name, Uwakshatr, and means “autocrat.” The meaning of the Greek name Doreiios (Darius), the Persian Darjawusch, is, as Herodotus himself defines it, by the word “herxeies” – “holder,” “ruler,” “lord.” Further, Astyages (Cyaxares, son of Astyages) – corresponding to the Median “Ajisdahaku” – “biting serpent” – is a name common to kings of the Median dynasty. The Hebrew name Achaschwerosch, rendered by Theodotion as Ασσουηρος (see Darius, son of Assuerus) and by the LXX as Ξερξης, is the name of Xerxes, derived from the Persian Kschaja – kingdom – and likewise constitutes a common name of Persian kings, as does the Median name Astyages. Thus, the Persian name Darius and the Median name Cyaxares have the same meaning, and the names of the father: Assuerus and Astyages turn out to be common dynastic titles. The only difference between the prophet Daniel and Xenophon is that in the former, the successor of Belshazzar is called by Persian names (Darius, son of Assuerus), whereas in the latter he is called by Median names. Defenders of the Darius–Cyaxares hypothesis further point to the similarity in the circumstances of Cyaxares’s and Darius’s accession. According to Xenophon’s account, Cyrus, having conquered Babylon by Cyaxares’s authority, went to Media and told him that if he came to Babylon, houses and a palace would be prepared for his residence there. Cyaxares agreed and, upon arriving in Babylon, appointed satraps over the conquered regions and peoples. In short, Cyaxares became king in Babylon by Cyrus’s wish and insistence. In full accord with this, the prophet Daniel remarks of Darius that he was “appointed king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans” (Dan 9:1), “received the kingdom” (Dan 5:31). The last argument in favor of identifying Darius with Cyaxares is a reference to the similarity of their character and their identical age at accession. Judging from Xenophon’s accounts, the character of Cyaxares presented a mingling of opposites. He could appreciate and select worthy men and at the same time displayed great lack of perception; he was lazy and given to sensual pleasures; so weak-willed that he sometimes wept, he was capable of strong outbursts of anger. Such is also Darius the Mede. Having appreciated the merits of Daniel and brought him close, he at the same time agreed with the proposal of his officials to issue the known decree (Dan 6:9), not suspecting its hidden purpose. Having yielded after a whole day’s argument to the demands of the officials (Dan 6:14-16), he subsequently fell into deep sorrow (Dan 6:18). Not wishing to burden himself with the affairs of government, he appointed 120 satraps to govern the state. Darius ascended the throne at the age of 62 (Dan 5:31). Likewise, according to Xenophon, Cyaxares was of such an age that he no longer hoped to have male heirs. He was older than Cyrus, who was over 60 when he conquered Babylon. All these facts make the supposition of the identity of Darius the Mede with Cyaxares II fairly plausible.

Daniel 6:2. and over them three chief officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Daniel 6:3. Then this Daniel was distinguished above all the other officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king thought to set him over the whole realm. The division of power among 120 satraps and its concentration in the hands of three chief officials made it easier for Darius, who was not particularly inclined toward labor, to govern the vast monarchy. One of the supreme officials was Daniel. He owed his elevation to this office both to his outstanding wisdom, which news of might have reached Darius, and also to the events of Babylon’s last night – to his prediction about its conquest by the Medes and Persians. Darius elevates the man who prophesied success to him, that is, a person, as he understood it, who was favorable to him. In his new position, Daniel not only justified the king’s trust but, by his wisdom, appeared in the king’s eyes worthy of appointment to the post of supreme and absolute ruler of the state.

Daniel 6:4. Then the other officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom; but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful and no error or fault was found in him. Daniel 6:5. Then these men said: We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God. Darius clearly did not hide from his associates his intention (Dan 6:3). And this circumstance provoked envy in Daniel’s ill-wishers, and envy gave rise to a desire to destroy him, to get rid of a fortunate rival. But the state activities of the prophet provided no material for accusations: he was too honest and disinterested. In view of this, the enemies decided to exploit his religious convictions for their purposes, and indeed they did.

Daniel 6:6. Then these officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him: “King Darius, live forever! Daniel 6:7. All the officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Acquainted with the prophet’s life, the officials were convinced that he would not abandon his religion and its demands under any circumstances. The law they were proposing, however, demanded the renunciation of that religion. Daniel, the conspirators reasoned, would not obey the law and therefore must perish. The edict devised by the satraps exalted the king to the status of divinity – it required all subjects to pray to him as to God. Strange at first glance, it is in reality historically accurate – it fully corresponds to the religious conceptions of the Medes, who allowed the deification of the royal person. Like the Persians, they considered their kings to be gods – incarnations of Ahura Mazda – and thus rendered them divine honors. So it is known that when Darius Hystaspes went out of the palace, court attendants burned fragrant incense before him. Similarly, kings, having adopted such a view, sought to present themselves as inaccessible, invisible to ordinary mortals as celestial beings. According to Herodotus, for example, the Median king Deioces forbade his subjects to appear before him, hid himself from the people’s eyes, so that the subjects, not seeing him, would recognize him as a higher divine being. The right to see the king’s face belonged only to seven high officials. The edict is also historically accurate in its second part – in the condemnation of the disobedient to be devoured by lions. As is evident from Assyro-Babylonian inscriptions, this was one of the customary methods of execution in Assyria and Babylon.

Daniel 6:8. Now, O king, establish the edict and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked. Daniel 6:9. Therefore King Darius signed the document and edict. With royal approval and ratification, the edict received the force of an obligatory law, a character that distinguished all Medo-Persian edicts (Dan 6:12), despite the injustice and monstrosity of some of them (Esth 1:19; Esth 8:8). In view of the complete acceptability of the proposed law, Darius agreed with the proposal of his officials.

Daniel 6:10. When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went to his house where the windows of his upper chamber opened toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. The conspirators’ calculations proved correct. Upon learning the content of the edict, Daniel did not abandon his custom of praying three times a day, perhaps in the morning, at noon, and in the evening (Ps 54:18), or at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, the hours of worship services in the temple in Jerusalem (Ps 140:2; Dan 9:21), toward Jerusalem. (On this custom, see the Introduction in the section on the authenticity of the book).

Daniel 6:13. Then they answered and said before the king: Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no regard to you, O king, nor to the edict you have signed, but he makes his petition three times a day. Daniel 6:14. When the king heard this, he was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. He spent the whole day trying to rescue him. Daniel 6:15. Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king: “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that any edict or ordinance that the king establishes cannot be changed.” Daniel 6:16. Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel: “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” In the mind of Darius, who understood the conspirators’ schemes against Daniel, a struggle ensued between the feeling of duty, which required him to enforce the law, and the desire to save the prophet. The latter was so strong that it initially prevailed: the king devised various means to circumvent the edict he himself had approved (Dan 6:14). But in the end, the awareness of the necessity of being faithful to the law overcame his disposition toward Daniel. Unable to save him, unable to offer him any help, he lived only with the hope that Daniel’s protector would be God, whom he served.

Daniel 6:17. And a stone was brought and laid on the opening of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. The stone that had been placed over the opening of the den was sealed with the seal of Darius and his officials with the purpose that “nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.” The seals of the officials prevented Darius from taking any measures to free the prophet; the king’s seal deprived the officials of the ability to kill Daniel if the lions did not touch him.

Daniel 6:18. Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought before him, and sleep fled from him. Daniel 6:19. Then, at break of day, the king rose and went in haste to the den of lions. Daniel 6:20. When he came near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a lamentable voice. The king said to Daniel: “Daniel, servant of the living God! Has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” The deep sorrow for his beloved official did not extinguish in Darius the hope of his miraculous salvation (Dan 6:16). Urged on by it, the king set out early in the morning to discover whether his expectations had been fulfilled.

Daniel 6:21. Then Daniel said to the king: “O king, live forever!” Daniel 6:22. My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions, and they have not hurt me, because I was found blameless before Him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.” Daniel 6:23. Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. And Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found upon him, because he had trusted in his God. Daniel’s salvation was a work of God’s omnipotence and the consequence of an angel’s appearance to the prophet. Just as the angel miraculously altered the action of nature’s elements, commanding the fire not to burn but to cool the righteous (Dan 3:49-50), so in this case he forbade the lions to touch the prophet. It is baseless to think that Daniel himself possessed a magnetic power of his gaze by which he tamed the wild beasts. It is also impossible to suppose that the lions were satiated, or that the angel miraculously satisfied their hunger (Cornelius, Knabenbauer): these very same animals tore to pieces the enemies of the prophet, before they reached the bottom of the den (Dan 6:24).

Daniel 6:24. And the king commanded, and those men who had accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions, they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces. Against Daniel’s enemies was applied the law of the ancient Persians concerning slanderers. According to it, they were subjected to the same punishment to which they had condemned their victim. Into the lion’s den were thrown not only the officials but also their families, which fully accords with Herodotus’s testimony about the Persian custom of executing with the guilty their wives, children, and even close relatives.

Daniel 6:25. Then King Darius wrote to all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. Daniel 6:26. I make a decree, that in all the realm of my kingdom, men should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for He is the living God, enduring forever; His kingdom shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall be without end. Daniel 6:27. He delivers and rescues; He performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth; He has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.’ In recognizing the God of Daniel as the living God, eternally abiding, working miracles and wonders in heaven and on earth, Darius does not, however, require his subjects to renounce their own gods and believe only in the one God of Daniel, but only forbids them to blaspheme Him. Consequently, like Nebuchadnezzar, he falls short of faith in the Lord as the sole true God (cf. Dan 3:96).

Chapter Seven

1–8. Vision of the four beasts. 9–14. The divine judgment over them and the establishment of the Kingdom of God. 15–28. Interpretation of the vision by a heavenly being.

Daniel 7:1. In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and prophetic visions of his head upon his bed. Then he wrote down this dream, setting forth the substance of the matter. Like the dream of Nebuchadnezzar (ch. 2), the vision of ch. 7 unfolds the thought of the successive replacement of four earthly monarchies and the establishment, after divine judgment over them, of the eternal Kingdom of God. United in their fundamental thought, they differ primarily in the images that embody it. In the second chapter, these images are drawn from the realm of inanimate, material objects; in chapter seven, from the realm of living creatures. Such a distinction in images serves to express two unequal points of view concerning the Kingdom of God and earthly kingdoms. To the pagan Nebuchadnezzar, the power of the world was brilliant metal, while the Kingdom of God was nothing of consequence—a stone; earthly kingdoms appeared to him incomparably superior to the Kingdom of God. To Daniel, on the other hand, the superiority of the latter over the former is plain, and therefore it is depicted under the image of its Head—the Son of Man, while earthly kingdoms are shown as different beasts: man is higher than animal. Moreover, the vision of ch. 7 differs in its greater fullness, substance, and—though spoken of obscurely—tells of the destinies of the Kingdom of God connected with the appearance of the antichrist.

Daniel 7:2. Speaking, Daniel said: I saw in my night vision, and behold, four winds of heaven were contending upon the great sea. Daniel 7:3. And four great beasts came up out of the sea, unlike one another. In accordance with the words of verse 23 of this chapter Dan 7:23: “the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon the earth, different from all the kingdoms,” each of the four beasts seen by the prophet symbolizes a known kingdom. Their depiction as animals accords both with biblical Old Testament symbolism, in which leaders of wars, princes, supreme rulers of peoples are portrayed as animals Isa 34:6-8; Ezek 39:18, and with non-biblical symbolism. In the Zend Avesta, for example, the guardian spirit of the Persian kingdom is represented as a ram with sharp horns. The beasts come up out of the sea—kingdoms arise from the depths of the pagan world.

Daniel 7:4. The first was like a lion, and it had eagle’s wings. I watched until its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand upon its feet like a man; and a human heart was given to it. As the head among members and gold among metals Dan 2:32, so the lion, first among animals, and the eagle, first among birds, indicate the royal place of the first monarchy among the subsequent others. Among the prophets near in time to Daniel, the kingdom of Babylon is depicted under the symbol of the lion and the eagle Jer 2:15; Jer 4:7; Jer 5:6; Jer 48:40 and so on; Hab 1:8. Accordingly, the lion with eagle’s wings in Daniel’s vision also symbolizes the same monarchy. Mighty at first, it loses its original strength over time—the lion’s eagle wings are plucked off, and it is transformed into an ordinary human kingdom—the lion is given a human heart.

Daniel 7:5. And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear, was standing on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told thus: “Rise, devour much meat!” The symbol of the second kingdom is the bear. The savagery and voraciousness (“Rise, devour much meat!”) of this beast rather clearly point to the Medo-Persian monarchy that succeeded Babylon, insatiable, as history testifies, in its conquests. They began under Cyrus with the subjection of Bactria, small peoples of Asia Minor, who acknowledged the authority of Croesus the Lydian, Lydia, Greek Asia Minor colonies—Aeolia, Ionia and Babylon allied with Lydia—and continued under Cyrus’s son Cambyses with the conquest of Egypt and were completed under Darius Hystaspis and Xerxes, who extended Persian power over almost all the historical East Esth 1:1. The three ribs in the bear’s mouth point to Babylonia, Media, and Persia, united under the authority of Cyrus and his successors.

Daniel 7:6. After this I looked, and behold, another beast like a leopard, and it had four wings of a bird upon its back, and the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. 1 Maccabees 1:1–4. The third kingdom is represented under the image of a leopard with four bird wings and four heads. The bloodthirst of this beast, its extraordinary swiftness in seizing prey, characterize quite precisely the swift Greek-Macedonian empire in its conquests. The empire spread to the ends of the earth under Alexander the Great (1 Mac. 1:1–4) owing not only to its might but also to its decisive, swift actions against enemies (for more detail on this, see the commentary on Dan 8:5-7). The Macedonian empire’s spread to all four quarters of the earth, its dominion “over regions and peoples and rulers,” “over all the earth” 1 Macc 1:3-4 is indicated in the vision by the four wings, while its division after the death of Alexander the Great into four parts—the kingdoms of Thrace, Macedonia, Syria, and Egypt—is indicated by the four heads. Daniel 7:7. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrible and dreadful and exceedingly strong; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet; it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. According to the words of the heavenly messenger of the prophet Daniel, the fourth beast signifies a kingdom different from all those preceding Dan 7:23. Its distinctive features consist in terrible all-crushing strength, symbolized by enormous iron teeth, and in outstanding greed for destruction, annihilation: “it devours and breaks in pieces, and stamps the residue with its feet.” Such an all-crushing, devouring kingdom that consumed all the earth Dan 7:23 and destroyed the obstacles standing in the way of dominion over the world was the Roman kingdom. This characteristic is noted already by ancient historians. Thus Herodian remarks “that there is no country under the heavenly vault to which the Romans did not extend their power.” Dionysius of Halicarnassus, comparing the Roman empire with previous ones, says: “The Chaldean, Persian, and Greek kingdoms—the most glorious of all those hitherto—but Rome extends its dominion over all lands and seas which are accessible to man. By its immense dominion it embraces all the East and all the West.” The ten horns on the head of the beast—ten kings Dan 7:24.

Daniel 7:8. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, and three of the first horns were plucked up before it; and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. Like the first ten horns, the new horn that grew upon the head of the fourth beast also signifies a king, but one sharply different from the first. And indeed, if the human eyes and mouth speaking great things given to it indicate a human being of exceptional cunning—outstanding knowledge (cf. Gen 3:5), pride—the heavenly messenger’s explanations testify that these properties are pervaded by a character of exceptional godlessness. The eleventh horn will use its strength to wage war against the saints of the Most High, whom it will strike during a time, times, and half a time, attempting to abolish the festivals and law among them, while manifesting its haughtiness in proud words against the Most High Dan 7:21-25.

Daniel 7:9. I watched until thrones were placed and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, his wheels were burning fire. Daniel 7:10. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. The activity of the eleventh horn ends with judgment over it. The majestic appearance of the Judge—the Lord—the appearance of the Ancient One—testifies to the awe He inspires; the white garment clothing Him and hair pure as wool speak of His most perfect purity and holiness Isa 1:18. His holy zealousness is symbolized by the fiery appearance of the throne, while its action extending to all living things is symbolized by the river flowing from beneath the throne. Surrounded by innumerable hosts of Angels called to participate in judgment, the Judge takes his seat upon the throne, and “the books were opened,”—the deeds of the accused were revealed and examined, not hidden from God’s omniscience.

Daniel 7:11. I watched then because of the sound of the great words which the horn spoke; and I watched until the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. Daniel 7:12. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. The result of the judgment was the complete destruction of the godless force that was embodied in the fourth beast—it was slain, and its body was given to be burned with fire (cf. Isa 66:24). The first three beasts also lost their power. They perished earlier, each at the time appointed by God.

Daniel 7:13. I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. Daniel 7:14. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. The judgment over the fourth beast, contemplated by the prophet, culminated in the revelation of the universal, eternal and glorious Kingdom of the saints of the Most High Dan 7:27, presided over by the Son of Man. In the vision, He appears as a separate person from the assembly of the Most High. The latter was revealed earlier than His appearing: the eleventh horn wages war against the saints and overwhelms them until the Ancient of Days comes, passes judgment, after which the Son of Man appears on the clouds Dan 7:21-22. Second, He appears as a person of higher rank, for such is the meaning of the words: “coming with the clouds of heaven” Dan 7:13; cf. Ps 103:3; Isa 19:1; Nah 1:3; Matt 24:30; Rev 1:7. The godless activity of the eleventh horn, its duration and its fate are traced in Daniel’s vision not only similarly but entirely identically with the activity of the last and greatest enemy of the Christian Church—the antichrist. This latter also has a mouth speaking with pride and blasphemy, and is given power to wage war against the saints. “And he opened his mouth for blasphemy against God,… and it was allowed him to make war on the saints and to conquer them,” it is said in the Revelation Rev 13:6-7, but like the horn, he is cast “into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur” Rev 19:20. After the destruction of the 11th horn comes the revelation of the universal Kingdom of the saints. This gives grounds to understand the eleventh horn of the fourth beast as the antichrist. His death will be followed by the revelation of the kingdom of glory with the subjection to the Son of Man of peoples, tribes, and nations Dan 7:14. Likewise in the New Testament it is said that at the universal judgment and the revelation of the kingdom of the Word, every knee shall bow before Christ Rom 14:11. * * * Notes Properly speaking, wool (in Slavic) is sheep’s wool processed and bleached. Translator’s note.

Chapter Eight

1–14. Vision of two animals—a goat and a ram. 15–27. The interpretation by a heavenly being.

Daniel 8:1. In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me at the first. The subject of the vision of this chapter is the history of the succession of Medo-Persian rule by Greek-Macedonian rule Dan 8:3-7 and the characterization of the latter’s relation to the chosen people Dan 8:8-14. In both respects it supplements the vision of the preceding chapter.

Daniel 8:2. And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa, the capital city in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision, and I was by the river Ulai. The vision was received by the prophet in Susa on the bank of the river Ulai. According to the opinion of some exegetes (Bertholdt, Kuenen, Cornely, Knabenbauer), Daniel was indeed in Susa, whither he had withdrawn during the reign of Nabonidus and Belshazzar; according to the words of others (Smirnov, Pesotsky), he only imagined that he was in Susa. He was here spiritually (cf. Ezek 8:3; Ezek 40:2), but not physically. However, the prophet’s presence of mind can be admitted only upon the Ulai, as this is testified to by the expression of the present verse: “and I saw in the vision, as though I were by the river Ulai.” In contrast to this, concerning Susa he says: “and when I saw, I was in Susa.” The country or province of Elam, of which Susa was the principal city, received its name from one of the sons of Shem Gen 10:22. Mentioned repeatedly afterwards in the Bible Gen 14:1; Isa 21:2; Isa 22:6-7; Ezek 32 and so on, and known in cuneiform inscriptions by various names: Numaki in ancient Akkadian, Kissi and Ilammu in Assyrian, Uyaga in Persian (“mountainous land”), it was situated to the northeast of the mouths of the Tigris and Euphrates along the southwestern slope of the Zagros mountain range. Representing a powerful state in antiquity, Elam was devastated for the first time by the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal and subsequently, among other regions, was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar Jer 25:25; Jer 49:34; Ezek 32:24 and became part of the Babylonian empire. Its principal city of Susa was founded, according to Strabo, by Typhon, father of Memnon, a contemporary of the siege of Troy, and is mentioned in one of the inscriptions of Ashurbanipal. “I,” he says, “returned to the Babylonian city of Uruk the image of the goddess Nana, carried off from there as military plunder to Susa by the Elamite king Kubur-Naihundi 1,635 years before this.” In the time of Cyrus, Susa was the spring residence of the Persian kings, and under Darius Hystaspis it was made the capital. It was situated on the river Ulai, known to the Greeks and Romans as the Eulaios (the modern Karun east of Susa).

Daniel 8:3. I looked up and saw a ram standing beside the river. It had two horns, and both horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. According to the interpretation by the angel Gabriel, the ram with two horns signifies “the kings of Media and Persia” Dan 8:20, that is, the Medo-Persian kingdom, personified in its kings (cf. Dan 2:38)—the great horn between the eyes of the goat is the first Greek king, while the four other horns on the same animal are “four kingdoms arising from that nation.” The animal is the image of the whole people. Composed of two peoples but in fact inseparable, the Medo-Persian kingdom began its history as actually the Median kingdom: under Cyaxares the Persians were in subjection to the Medes. But under Cyrus the Persian, the relations between the peoples changed: power passed to the Persians Esth 1:3, who created the world monarchy. This historical succession in the predominance of the stronger Persians over the Medes is denoted in the vision by the detail that “the higher [horn] came up last.” As for the representation of the Medo-Persian kingdom under the image of a ram, this, corresponding to Persian symbolism (see the commentary on Dan 7:2-3) and also in Ammianus Marcellinus, according to whose words the Persian king, standing at the head of the army as its leader, wore instead of a diadem the head of a ram, characterizes the Medo-Persian monarchy from the standpoint of its solid material prosperity, stability, combined with lack of mobility and inflexibility.

Daniel 8:4. I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No other beast could stand before it, and none could rescue from its power. It did what it pleased and magnified itself. With the appearance of the “higher horn,” the ram began to display its strength: it charged (an image of dominance Ezek 34:21), and no other beasts could stand before it. And indeed, with the enthronement of Cyrus came a whole series of campaigns undertaken for the purpose of conquest by the Persian kings to the west (the cities of Asia Minor, Syria, Babylon), north (the peoples of Pontus and Scythia), and south (Egypt).

Daniel 8:5. As I was watching, a male goat appeared from the west, coming across the face of the whole earth without touching the ground; the goat had a horn between his eyes. Daniel 8:6. He came to the ram that had the two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and he ran at him in his powerful rage. Daniel 8:7. I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram breaking both his horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but cast him down to the ground and trampled upon him, and there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. The west, north, and south experienced the all-crushing power of the Medo-Persian kingdom. Only the east remained untouched; as is known, the campaign of Xerxes against Greece ended unsuccessfully, but from the same quarter (Persia lies to the west with respect to Greece—the goat comes from the west) came destruction in the person of the first Greek king Dan 8:21. The incredibly swift campaign of Alexander the Great into Asia (the goat moves with extraordinary swiftness, “without touching the ground”), his victories over Darius Codomannus at the Granicus, at Issus, and finally near Susa and the river Eulaios—between Gaugamela and Arbela—put an end to the existence of the Medo-Persian monarchy.

Daniel 8:8. The goat became very great; but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and in place of it came up four horns toward the four winds of heaven. 1 Maccabees 1:5–6. Having reached the highest degree of glory as a result of the campaigns undertaken after the conquest of the Medo-Persian kingdom in Bactria, Sogdiana, and India to the Hyphasis, the Greek-Macedonian monarchy lost its famous leader Alexander the Great: “the great horn was broken,” and with this it lost a considerable part of its power and strength. By his testament (1 Mac. 1:5–6), it was divided into four new kingdoms (four horns—four kingdoms Dan 8:22), smaller of course both in size and in strength Dan 8:22: the Macedonian (Macedonia and Greece), the Syrian (Syria, Babylon, and Persia), the Thracian (Thrace, Bithynia, and the Asian possessions along the Hellespont and Bosporus), and the Egyptian (Egypt, Libya, Arabia, and Palestine). Daniel 8:9. Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly toward the south, toward the east, and toward the beautiful land. According to the explanation by the heavenly being Dan 8:23, the new horn that appeared on the head of the goat signifies a shameless and cunning king, who is to arise at the end of the period of political existence of the four kingdoms, “when the transgressors have reached their fullness.” On the basis of 1 Macc 1:7-15, under this king one must understand Antiochus Epiphanes. “Alexander,” says the author of the first Book of Maccabees, “reigned for twelve years, and when he died, his servants took over his kingdom, each in his own place. After his death, all of them put on crowns, and his sons after them for many years; and they increased the evil in the land. And there sprung up a sinful root—Antiochus Epiphanes…. In those days lawless men came forth from Israel, and persuaded many, saying, ‘Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles round about us, for since we separated from them many evils have come upon us.’ This proposal pleased them well. Some of the people eagerly went to the king and he gave them leave to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles…. And they set up a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to Gentile custom, and removed the marks of circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant.” If according to the words of the book of the prophet Daniel, the shameless and cunning king shall arise when “the transgressors have reached their fullness,” then according to the testimony of the first Book of Maccabees, the rise of Antiochus Epiphanes coincides with the appearance among Israel of “those who had broken the holy covenant.” The introduction of uncircumcision is the highest measure of lawlessness. The identity of the time and persons admits no doubt. The little horn at first grew exceedingly toward the south, toward the east, and toward the beautiful land. Exactly so Antiochus Epiphanes, initially king of Syria, waged successful wars against the south—Egypt 1 Macc 1:16-18, the east—Persia 1 Macc 3:31; 1 Macc 6:1-4, Babylon 1 Macc 6:4, and Armenia, subduing the Armenian king Artaxias. His power also subjected the beautiful land, that is, Palestine Jer 3:19; Ezek 20:6, so called for its fertility.

Daniel 8:10. and it grew up to the host of heaven; and some of the host and of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled upon them. According to the interpretation by the Angel, under the “host of heaven” trampled by Antiochus Epiphanes is understood the “people of the saints” Dan 8:24, that is, the Old Testament Israel, given such a name by virtue of its calling to be a people of saints. The name “hosts” ascribed to it in the Bible Exod 12:41 is supplemented in the present case by the epithet “heavenly” in view of the fact that Israel performed a heavenly mission on earth, had as its king the Lord of heaven. According to the testimony of the first Book of Maccabees, the trampling by Antiochus Epiphanes of the “heavenly host” was expressed in the slaughter of many sons of Israel 1 Macc 1:24.

Daniel 8:11. and it grew up even to the prince of the host; and by it the continual burnt offering was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. Not content with the destruction of the Jews, Antiochus Epiphanes rose up against the Prince of the heavenly host, which he manifested in taking away the continual burnt offering from him and in desecrating the place of his sanctuary. Expressing a desire that all his subjects be one people and leave their former law (religion), he, as stated in the first Book of Maccabees, made such a demand also of the Jews: he forbade them to offer burnt offerings and sacrifices, to make libations to God, and to observe the Sabbaths 1 Macc 1:45, and on the places of the destroyed altars he built shrines and altars to idols, forcing the Israelites to offer sacrifices on them to pagan gods 1 Macc 1:47-49. And the command of Antiochus was carried out: on the fifteenth day of Chislev he set up the abomination of desolation on the altar, and in the cities of Judah they built pagan altars 1 Macc 1:54; cf. 2 Macc 6 and onwards.

Daniel 8:12. And the host was given over together with the continual burnt offering because of transgression; and he cast truth down to the ground and acted and prospered. Daniel 8:24. The reason for such success lay not in the strength of Antiochus (Dan. 8:24), but in the “transgression of the host.” Palestine was handed over into his hands by those who rebelled against the holy covenant; they “joined themselves to the Gentiles and sold themselves to do evil” 1 Macc 1:15; cf. Dan 8:11-13. Daniel 8:13. And I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to the one that spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the continual burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the trampling underfoot of both the sanctuary and the host?” Daniel 8:14. And he said to me, “For two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.” The duration of the giving over to Antiochus for trampling both the sanctuary and the people, according to the Angel’s words, equals 2,300 evenings and mornings. And since, according to biblical usage, the expression “evening and morning” denotes a particular, separate day Gen 1:5 and so on, in the present case “2,300 evenings and mornings” should be understood in the sense of 2,300 complete days—full days. The final point of this period is the time of cleansing of the sanctuary—“then the sanctuary shall be cleansed,” that is, the restoration of true worship in the temple on the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev in 148 B.C. 1 Macc 4:52-53. As for the initial point, it does not admit of precise determination. The open conflict of Antiochus Epiphanes with the Old Testament church began in 143 B.C., when after his defeat in Egypt he moved on Jerusalem, entered the sanctuary, and plundered it 1 Macc 1:20-23; but his godless activity in general manifested itself somewhat earlier. In particular, in 142 B.C., with his consent, the high priest Onias was deprived of his position by the efforts of the impious Jason. In turn, this latter was removed by a certain Menelaus, who stole and sold the vessels of the temple 2 Macc 4:32. In view of this, the entire period of the godless activity of Antiochus Epiphanes is determined as the time from 148 to 142 B.C., during which span there are contained 2,300 days, which equal 6 years and 3 or 4 months with several days. Besides the understanding and calculation of the “2,300 evenings and mornings” noted above, there is another. The prophetic revelation has, it is said, the matter of sacrifices as its chief subject. And since they were offered according to the law of Moses morning and evening, the expression evening—morning points to the fact that the prophet Daniel has in view the morning and evening sacrifices—the temporal points of their performance. Accordingly, evening and morning should be reckoned separately, and the number 2,300 evenings-mornings should be determined as 1,150 days, or complete days. But such a calculation is first of all contrary to biblical usage. In those cases when a Hebrew wishes to indicate separately the components of a day—day and night—he keeps a separate count of each part; he says: forty days and forty nights Gen 7:4; 1 Sam 19:8, three days and three nights John 2:1; Matt 12:40. Second, taking into account the chronological dates of Antiochus Epiphanes’ activity according to the Books of Maccabees, in it one cannot find such a period of time to which it would be possible to attach 1,150 days. Thus the initial point of the desecration of the sanctuary is considered to be either the 15th day of Chislev—the time of the setting up of the idol altar in the temple 1 Macc 1:54, or the time of the arrival in Judah of the tax collector Apollonius and the capture of Jerusalem in the same 145 B.C. (Black 1 Macc 1:29 and so on 2 Macc 5:24). But in the first case until the end of Antiochus Epiphanes’ godless activity—the 25th day of the month Chislev in 148 B.C. 1 Macc 4:52—there passed only 3 years and 10 days, or 1,090–1,105, and not 1,150 days. In the second case without any basis, but only in order to obtain the needed number, one refers the time of Apollonius’ arrival to the first month of 145 B.C.

Daniel 8:15. And when I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; and behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. Daniel 8:16. And I heard a human voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision!” Daniel 8:17. So he came near where I stood. When he came, I was frightened and fell upon my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end!” Daniel 8:18. And as he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me and set me on my feet, Daniel 8:19. The sudden and swift appearance of a being like a man testified to his non-earthly existence and heavenly nature. The name of the one who appeared convinced the prophet of the same thing—Gabriel, “the man of God.” According to Gabriel’s words, the vision pertains “to the time of the end” (cf. Dan. 8:19). But as shown in Dan 8:20-23), under the “end of the time” is understood the time of the ending of the Old Testament period, upon which falls the activity of the “shameless king” Antiochus Epiphanes. And only considering the vision of chapters 10–12, where the Old Testament enemy of the saints emerging from the third monarchy is clearly presented as a forerunner of the last enemy of the Church—the antichrist—must one conclude that in the vision of chapter 8 there is dimly contemplated the difficult position of the Church at the end of the world. Daniel 8:26. “The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true; but seal up the vision, for it pertains to many days hence.” The vision about the evening and the morning should be “sealed up,” that is, should be kept and preserved in its entirety and integrity.

Chapter Nine

1–2. The meditations of the prophet Daniel in the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede upon the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah concerning the end of the Babylonian captivity. 3–19. The prayer of Daniel for the Hebrew people and for Jerusalem. 20–23. The appearance of the Angel Gabriel. 24–27. Revelation concerning the seventy weeks.

Daniel 9:1. In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, of the race of the Medes, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans, Daniel 9:2. in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood from the books the number of the years which the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years for the desolations of Jerusalem. The first year of the reign of Darius the Mede (538–537 B.C.) was at the same time the year of the fall of the Babylonian empire Dan 5:30-31. And since this event is placed by the prophet Jeremiah in direct connection with the end of the seventy-year Babylonian captivity Jer 25:9-12, the prophecy of Jeremiah now drew special attention from Daniel (the Synodal translation “understood”—Hebrew “binoti”—“paid attention”). He dwelt on it at length in his thought. Babylon fell; the 70 years of captivity draw to a close, yet the Hebrew people still remain in bondage. What does this mean? As is evident from Dan 9:15-19, Daniel did not doubt either the truth of Jeremiah’s prophecy or the fact that the time had come for its fulfillment. His mind was troubled by the thought that perhaps the fulfillment of the prophecy was being delayed by the sinfulness of the people. And since it had sufficient grounds Dan 9:16, his meditation on the prophecy of Jeremiah led Daniel to pray for forgiveness of the people and to beseech that the wrath hanging over Jerusalem be turned away Dan 9:16.

Daniel 9:3. And I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. Daniel 9:4. And I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and dreadful God, who keepest covenant and mercy with those that love you and keep your commandments!” Daniel 9:5. We have sinned, and have dealt wickedly, and have acted ungodly, and have rebelled, and have departed from your commandments and from your ordinances; Daniel 9:6. and have not hearkened to your servants the prophets, which spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. Daniel 9:7. Righteousness belongeth to you, O Lord, but confusion of face to us, as at this day; to every man of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those that are near, and those that are far off, through all the countries whither you have driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against you. Daniel 9:8. O Lord, confusion of face belongeth to us, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. Daniel 9:9. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness; for we have rebelled against him, Daniel 9:10. and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. Daniel 9:11. Yea, all Israel have transgressed your law, even by departing, that they might not obey your voice; therefore the curse and the oath that are written in the law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us; for we have sinned before him. Daniel 9:12. And he has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven has not been made the like to that which has been made upon Jerusalem. Daniel 9:13. As it is written in the law of Moses, so all this evil has come upon us: yet made we not our supplication before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand your truth. Daniel 9:14. Therefore has the Lord watched over the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: but we hearkened not to his voice. In the prayer the prophet appears as though the representative of his people and an intercessor for it before the righteous God. Confessing the sins of Israel, he acknowledges that the punishment endured by it—captivity—is fully deserved, in accordance with the sinfulness of the people Dan 9:4-11 and the righteousness of God Dan 9:12-14. The sinfulness was expressed in the fact that all “have sinned,”—departed from the right path indicated by God’s law, “have dealt wickedly,”—led a perverted life, “have acted ungodly,”—stubbornly resisted God’s will and His law Dan 9:5; cf. 1 Sam 8:47; Ps 105:6. The guilt of the people is further increased by the fact that God used every means to bring them to understanding, but they would not listen to the instructions Dan 9:6. From this it came to pass that the unerring justice of God in His dealings with Israel is now revealed in the position of the latter, and on their faces is stamped shame from the bitter consciousness of sins and the contempt brought about by them. God fulfilled the curse with which he had threatened for the non-fulfillment of the law of Moses Dan 9:11-14.

Daniel 9:15. And now, O Lord our God, that broughtest your people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have gotten you renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly. Daniel 9:16. O Lord, according to all your righteousness, I beseech you, let yours anger and your fury be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people are become a reproach to all that are about us. Daniel 9:17. Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of your servant, and his supplications, and cause your face to shine upon your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. Daniel 9:18. O my God, incline yours ear, and hear; open yours eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by your name: for we do not present our supplications before you for our righteousnesses, but for your great mercies. Daniel 9:19. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for yours own sake, O my God: for your city and your people are called by your name. Following the confession of the sins of the people and due acknowledgment of the punishment visited upon them, comes the supplication for mercy for the suffering Israel and an end to the captivity. The prophet founds his request first of all on the great deed of the liberation of the Jews from Egypt, as that deed through which God established the covenant concluded with Abraham for his seed Exod 3:6. For the sake of this covenant God repeatedly delivered His people Ps 105:45-47; cf. Deut 9:26. Another basis for the prophet’s supplication is the fact that because of the sins of the people Jerusalem is in disgrace Dan 9:16, upon which God’s name is called Dan 9:18-19. But for the sake of His own name He has repeatedly turned away His wrath, for He does not permit reproach upon it, and for the sake of His glory He restrained Himself from the destruction of the stiff-necked people Isa 48:9-11; cf. Num 14:13-17; Deut 9:26.

Daniel 9:20. And whilst I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God; Daniel 9:21. While I was still continuing in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen before in the vision, flying swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening sacrifice. The prayer of Daniel was so pleasing to God (cf. Deut 30:1-4) that even before its completion He sent His Angel to answer it and to comfort the prophet, tormented with sorrow for his ruined homeland and suffering people. The messenger of God’s will was Gabriel, known to Daniel from the vision of ch. 8 Dan 8:16, who “touched” the prophet, more precisely from the Hebrew—“stood before him” about the time when, if the temple had existed, the evening sacrifice prescribed by the law would have been offered Exod 29:39; Num 28:4.

Daniel 9:22. and said, “Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill and understanding.” Daniel 9:23. At the beginning of your supplication the commandment came forth, and I am come to show you; for you art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. Daniel’s prayer was the occasion of the revelation to him concerning the fate of the people; but the true reason is the wisdom of God, which found it opportune and beneficial to communicate the revelation to Daniel. He is chosen for its reception because “you art greatly beloved”—a person worthy of God’s love. The revelation concerning the seventy weeks given to the prophet Daniel provided precisely that answer to his prayer which he needed. Daniel asked for an end to the present calamitous condition of the Jews. He founded his prayer on the prophecies of Jeremiah. This latter, like the other prophets, did not distinguish in his discourse between the time of the deliverance of the Jews from captivity and the time of the coming of the Messiah, presenting these events as if simultaneous Jer 30:8-10; Jer 31. Therefore it was necessary to show Daniel that not immediately after the liberation of the Jews from captivity would the kingdom of the Messiah begin, that many years would pass before this. This is communicated to Daniel in the revelation concerning the weeks. Daniel, as is evident from his prayer Dan 9:15-17, desired the good of his people because he was a bearer of true worship of God: “For your sake, O Lord.” But God foresaw that the Jews would reject the Messiah, and for which, by God’s righteous judgment, they themselves would be rejected by God and handed over to enemies. And this is communicated to the prophet to show him that the Kingdom of God will not be eternally bound to the Jewish people (A. Rozhdestvensky. The Revelation to Daniel Concerning the Seventy Weeks, p. 50).

Daniel 9:24. Seventy weeks are determined for your people and your holy city, so that transgression may be covered, sins sealed up, and iniquities blotted out, and so that everlasting righteousness may be brought in, and vision and prophet sealed up, and the Holy of Holies anointed. The revelation begins with the determination of the period’s duration during which the events recounted below will take place. It is equal to seventy weeks (“shabuum”). Shabbua literally means “a sevenfold time,” “a week,” that is, a time consisting of seven parts regardless of what these parts are. Depending on this lack of definition of the given term, the determination of the duration of the week, and consequently the entire period, is not uniform. And formerly the expression “shabbua” is used in some places of Scripture Gen 29:27; Lev 12:5; Num 28:26; Deut 16:9 and in the prophet Daniel himself Dan 10:2-3 in the sense of a week. But in this place Dan 9:24-26 it cannot be understood in this sense first of all because the events referred to the period of 70 weeks could not be accomplished in such a short span as 490 days. Second, when speaking in chapter 10 about weeks in the sense of weeks, Daniel calls them not simply “weeks,” but “weeks of days.” He would express himself in exactly the same way in chapter 9, if he had in mind a week here. One cannot limit the duration of a week to a month, for months represented among the East a very unstable unit of reckoning: some were shorter, others longer. Moreover, a period of 490 months (about 41 years) is too short for such events as the building of the city and temple, their destruction, and so forth to be accomplished within it. It is more natural to understand the week in the sense of a seven-year period. This view is held by ancient Christian commentators: Clement of Alexandria, Hippolytus of Rome, Tertullian, Cyril of Jerusalem, John Chrysostom; by Jewish scholars Saadia Gaon, Rashi, Ibn Ezra, medieval exegetes, and the majority of modern ones. Such a reckoning of the week is not contrary to Scripture. The week in the sense of seven years is represented by the sabbatic jubilee year Lev 25:2-4; Lev 26:34-35, directly called “a sabbath of years” Lev 25:8. With the equality of a week to seven years, a period of 70 weeks will comprise 490 years. They, the revelation says, are determined (literally from Hebrew “nehgak”—cut off, separated) for your people and for your holy city, that is, the events to be accomplished during them will have immediate relation to the Hebrew people. Following the indication of the period’s duration, its purpose is clarified—the blessings it will bring are described. The 70 weeks are determined first of all so that “the transgression be finished,” literally from Hebrew “lekalle hagpescha”—“the transgression be ended.” By the end of the seventy weeks, sin will cease, its power and might over men will end. And since “pescha” means “transgression of God’s law,” “falling away from God and His commandments,” the whole considered expression is applied to the redemption by Christ of the original sin, which consisted in man’s violation of God’s command, in his falling away from God. Among ancient writers such a view is held by Basil of Seleucia. The 70 weeks are appointed further so that “sins be sealed,” In Scripture the image of sealing is used, first, to express the cessation of freedom of action of a known person Job 37:7, the restriction of freedom to use a known object Dan 12:4; Job 9:7; Matt 27:66. Moreover, the same image denotes the appropriation of an object, recognition of it as one’s own John 6:27; Eph 1:13; 2 Cor 1:22. But such a meaning cannot apply in this case; it contradicts the preceding expression: “finish the transgression.” It is more natural to understand “sealing” in the sense of cessation of freedom of action. To seal sins—means to end their power over men, to restrain their force. With the coming of Christ the original sin is destroyed, and with it the sinful inclinations of man are restrained 1 John 3:9; Rom 6:1. Sins are sealed, weakened, and not destroyed, like the original sin, since man is given only grace to help him struggle against sinful inclinations that live and work in him. The following phrase of the Synodal reading: “make reconciliation for iniquity” represents a translation of the Hebrew expression: “lekapper avon.” “Lekapper” comes from “kafar”—to cover, and in relation to sins—to cleanse them through sacrifice, to atone for them. “Avon” means “depravity,” “sinfulness,” and then “guilt for sins.” Accordingly “lekapper avon” means to atone for guilt. According to the opinion of church fathers and teachers, this expression speaks of the very act of atonement—the sacrifice of Christ, the result of which was the destruction of original sin and the restraint of separate sinful inclinations of man. On the negative side, the period of 70 weeks is characterized by the destruction of original sin and the weakening of the force of sinful inclinations; on the positive side—by “the bringing in of everlasting righteousness.” Judging from the context, “everlasting righteousness” is to replace the sinful condition of men. Accordingly, it is understood as the state of man “justified,” the state under grace, free from sin, life according to the laws and commandments of God, required by God’s righteousness 1 Pet 2:24; Rom 5:1; Rom 6:18-20. Such is the New Testament sense of “righteousness”—“δικαιοσυνη”; such also is the sense of the Old Testament “tsedeq” as applied to Messianic time Ps 84:11; Isa 53:11; Jer 23:6 and so on. Righteousness is called “everlasting” both because of the eternity of its Origin and Source—God, and also because on earth it will remain eternally. The establishment on earth of “everlasting righteousness” must be accompanied by the sealing of vision and prophecy—“vision and prophecy be sealed,” that is, the cessation of the further continuation of the Old Testament prophetic gift, Old Testament prophetic predictions and visions, the object of which was the destruction of evil on earth and the establishment of righteousness. The bearers and proclaimers of the Old Testament revelation—the prophets—were anointed ones. But with the cessation of prophecies the anointing of those who proclaimed them will cease; it will be replaced by the anointing of “the Most Holy”: “and to anoint the Most Holy.” The majority of commentators of the church fathers’ time understand by “the Most Holy” the Messiah, and by anointing—either His Divinity, as Eusebius of Caesarea, Athanasius the Great, or the anointing of His humanity with the Holy Spirit, as Clement of Alexandria, blessed Theodoret, and Ammonius.

Exodus 26:33. The Jewish exegetes, Ibn Ezra and Abarbanel, also refer this expression to the Messiah. In more recent times, however, many find it impossible to agree with such an understanding, as it is not compatible with the meaning of the Hebrew expression “kodesh kodashim” (“the Most Holy”). In Scripture this name is given almost exclusively to objects, not to persons. First of all, it is used for the compartment of the tabernacle and temple in which the ark of the covenant stood (Ex. 26:33, 34; 1 Sam 6:16; 1 Sam 7:50; 1 Sam 8:6; 1 Chr 6:49 and so forth), then the altar of burnt offering Exod 29:37; Exod 40:10 and incense Exod 30:10, further—all the vessels and furnishings of the tabernacle Exod 30:28-29, all the sacrifices offered in it Lev 2:3; Lev 6:17; Lev 7:1. In the prophet Ezekiel the name “kodesh kodashim” is used for the sanctuary Ezek 45:3 and all the space on the summit of the mountain around the new temple Ezek 43:12. The only place where “kodesh kodashim” is apparently used of persons is 1 Chr 23:13: “Aaron was set apart, to consecrate him to the most holy things.” But in the Septuagint this verse reads otherwise: “to consecrate the holy of holies.” And the Greek reading is preferred in exegetical literature to the Hebrew. In view of such a meaning of the term “kodesh kodashim,” modern exegetes apply this expression to the Church founded by Jesus Christ, arguing in proof that the image of the temple is always used to express the concept of the Church and never denotes the person of the Messiah Ps 14:1; Ps 22:6; Ps 62:3 and so on. But since the Church, the body of Christ Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 6:15; 1 Cor 12:12; Eph 4:4; Eph 5:30, is inseparable from its Head—Jesus Christ—it is more natural to refer the words “kodesh kodashim” to both Christ and His Church (A. Rozhdestvensky). The anointing of the Most Holy is the communication of the Spirit of God, participation in Divinity 1 Sam 10:1-6; 1 Sam 16:13; Acts 10:38; 1 John 2:20; 2 Cor 1:21-22. The Head of the Church, Christ, bore such an anointing of Divinity in His incarnation and received a twofold anointing at His baptism; through Him, as the Head, the Church is joined to Divinity, and its individual members receive anointing in the sacraments.

Daniel 9:25. So know and understand: from the time the command goes forth to restore Jerusalem until Christ the Ruler there are seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; and the people will return and the streets and walls will be rebuilt, but in difficult times. After the indication of the general content of the period of 70 weeks, the beginning point of the entire period and its parts is noted. The seventy weeks will begin with the going forth of the commandment (Hebrew “dabar” in the meaning of “commandment,” “decree”) to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. From this time until the Anointed One, the Prince (Hebrew “mashiah nagid”—the Anointed One-Prince; cf. Isa 9:6; Ezek 24:24; Mic 5:2) will pass seven weeks and sixty-two weeks, a total of 69 weeks. The year of the going forth of the commandment to restore Jerusalem becomes the initial year of the 70 weeks. And since such a commandment was given only by Artaxerxes Longimanus in the twentieth year of his reign Nehem 2:8-9; earlier commandments of Cyrus—Ezra 1:1-4; Ezra 6:3-5 and Darius Hystaspis—Ezra 6:1-12 permit the building of the temple but not the restoration of the city, and therefore cannot be taken into account), some exegetes begin the reckoning of weeks from this time. Others, paying attention to the testimony Nehem 1:1-3; Nehem 2:3) of the destruction of the Jerusalem wall and the burning of the gates, suppose that this circumstance occurred during the time interval between the arrival in Jerusalem of Ezra and Nehemiah—between the 7th and 20th years of Artaxerxes (P. Tikhomirov. The Prophet Malachi. P. 56–59. A. Rozhdestvensky. The Revelation to Daniel Concerning the Seventy Weeks, p. 193–194). Ezra, making use of the permission of Artaxerxes, began the restoration of the Jerusalem walls (cf. Ezra 9:9), but they were destroyed by enemies. In view of this, the decree of Artaxerxes from the twentieth year of his reign is considered a confirmation of his own decree from the 7th year Ezra 7:11-26, from which the period of seventy weeks begins. And since, according to the Ptolemaic canon, Artaxerxes ascended the throne between 18 December 465 B.C. and 18 December 464 B.C., the seventh year of his reign, and at the same time the initial point of the period of weeks, will be 458 or 457 B.C. From this time until the Anointed One, the Prince, that is, until His appearing to the world, there should pass 69 weeks, or 483 years. According to the testimony of the evangelist Luke, the beginning of Jesus Christ’s public ministry coincided with the beginning of John the Baptist’s preaching—both events took place in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Luke 3:1-23. Tiberius ascended the throne after the death of Caesar Augustus, which occurred on 19 August, 14 A.D. Thus, if the first year of Tiberius’ reign lasted from 19 August 14 to 19 August 15 A.D., then his fifteenth year falls on the time from 19 August 28 to 19 August 29 A.D. Some scholars, on the basis that Tiberius was the co-ruler of Augustus during his lifetime, reckon his reign from 13 A.D. In this case the 15th year of Tiberius will be 27 A.D. The distance between this point in time and the beginning of the weeks (458 B.C. or 457 B.C.) will be 483 years. The beginning of the weeks is marked by the going forth of the commandment “to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.” It is natural that the decree began to be carried out immediately after its promulgation. Accordingly, it must be thought that for the building of the city the revelation appoints the first seven weeks. In favor of this also speak the opening words of verse 26: “And after the sixty-two weeks Christ will be put to death.”

Psalm 79:4. The second part of the period—the 62 weeks is clearly separated from the first—the seven weeks. During this latter, its own special events will occur; but other than the building of the city, the revelation knows of nothing. Concerning this latter it is expressed thus: “tashuv venibveta rechob vecharutz,” or in literal translation into Russian: “shall be restored and built streets and walls,” that is, the recovery (“shuv” in the sense of restore, Psalm 79:4, 8, 20) and building of the streets (“rechob”—Gen 19:2; Judg 19:20; 2 Chr 32:6 and others) and walls (“charuz” from “charaz”—to be “sharp,” “to cut,” literally means “cut,” “carved,” hence “moat”). The restoration of Jerusalem as a populated place (streets) and as a stronghold (moat) will occur amid unfavorable circumstances: “in difficult times,” which is confirmed by the testimony of the book of Nehemiah of the destruction of the city walls erected under Ezra Nehem 1:3 and the obstacles encountered by Nehemiah himself in their repair from Tobiah and Sanballat. As to whether the building of Jerusalem did indeed continue for 49 years, this question cannot be solved definitively. There is, however, an attempt to solve it in the affirmative. It is based on the suggestion that the building of Jerusalem continued for all the time that Ezra lived and then—from time to time, with absences in Babylon—Nehemiah. Ezra labored on the building of Jerusalem for 13 years (from the 7th to the 20th year of Artaxerxes, Nehem 2:1). In the 20th year of Artaxerxes came to his aid Nehemiah and restored in 52 days the destroyed wall Nehem 4:1; Nehem 6:15. Having remained in Jerusalem 12 years after this, Nehemiah returned to Artaxerxes, and then returned again to his homeland Nehem 13:6. The time of this second arrival of Nehemiah to Jerusalem is determined by the time of the life of his contemporary “Joyada,” son of the high priest Eliashib Nehem 13:28. Since, according to the Alexandrian chronicle, Eliashib died in 413 B.C., and nothing prevents thinking that Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem about five years after his death, then before his return to his homeland from the 7th year of Artaxerxes there will pass exactly 49 years (457–408 B.C.). (A. Rozhdestvensky, p. 215).

Daniel 9:26. And after the sixty-two weeks Christ will be put to death, and will be no more; and the city and the sanctuary will be destroyed by the people of a leader who will come, and its end will be like a flood, and until the end of the war there will be desolations. After the expiration of the second part of the period of weeks, “the Anointed One shall be cut off.” The Hebrew preposition “achаrey”—“after,” “following,” “behind”—indicates only that the events that are spoken of hereafter occurred no earlier than the end of the 62 weeks, but does not give an exact date: they could have occurred immediately after the 62 weeks or through a known time interval after them. The exact determination of the time of the death of the Messiah is given in verse 27. Similarly, although the revelation does not speak directly of who will kill Him, but judging by the fact that the consequences of Christ’s death will be felt by the Hebrew people, the perpetrator of the killing of the Anointed One is the Jews. The first of these consequences is expressed in the Hebrew expression: “beein lo.” Being transmitted in the translations sometimes with literal exactness (Aquila: “και ουκ εστιν αυτω”; Symmachus: “και ουχ υπαρξει αυτφ”), sometimes with alterations representing a kind of interpretation (LXX: “και ουκ εσται”, implying with “εσται” a subject—“chrisma,” from where the Synodal “and it shall not be”; Theodotion: “και κριμα ουκ εστιν εν αυτω,” from which the Slavonic: “and judgment shall not be in him”; Vulgate: “et non erit ejus populus qui eum negaturus est” “and the people shall no longer be His, as they will deny Him”), equally understood and differently interpreted, the considered expression means: “and it shall not be for him.” Judging from the context, the understood subject at “shall not be” is the Messiah, and the pronoun “him” refers to the Hebrew people. Under such a translation the entire phrase: “and the Messiah shall not be for him,” that is, for the Hebrew people, speaks of the rejection of the Hebrew people as the first consequence of the killing of the Messiah by them. Such an understanding was expressed in the Latin translation of this passage (see above), and such a view is also held by Ephrem the Syrian (see Rozhdestvensky. The Revelation to Daniel, p. 113 and further). The second consequence of the killing of the Messiah will be the destruction of the city and the sanctuary by the people of the prince that shall come. The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple is attributed not to the prince but to his people. This detail causes exegetes to think that the revelation has in view the conquest of Jerusalem by Titus in 70 A.D. As is known, Titus desired to spare the temple, issued several orders to his soldiers about this, but they disobeyed him this time. A glowing ember accidentally thrown by a soldier set the temple afire, and no effort could stop the conflagration. With the destruction of the city and the temple—the centers of the civic and religious life of the Jews—there will come an end to the political and church order of the Jewish people: “and its end will be like a flood.” More accurately from the Hebrew: “psekizzo bagisheteф”—“and the end of it shall be in a flood.” The verb “shatаf,” from which the noun “sheтeф” comes, is used in the prophet Daniel in a metaphorical meaning of an army, inundating the conquered land and sweeping all from it Dan 11:10. The Roman armies will pour upon Judea like the waves of a flood upon the land Isa 28:2 and sweep all away. Although the assault of the Romans resembles an all-crushing flood, yet it will provoke resistance from the Jews and be accompanied by constant warfare: “to the end of the war.” This latter will be caused not by human considerations, but will be a result of the divine determination: “desolations are determined.” The Synodal reading: “and until the end of the war there will be desolations,” does not convey from the corresponding Hebrew phrase: “ve ad ketz milchama necheretzet shomomot,” the word “necheretzet”—determination. The entire phrase should be rendered: “to the end—war,” determination of desolations. The chronological dates Dan 9:25 are interrupted in Dan 9:26 by an indication of the death of the Messiah and its consequences in relation to the Hebrew people. In Dan 9:27, as we shall see below, the revelation again returns to the chronology of Messianic time. The reason for this occurrence is thought to be as follows. The Jews were inclined to “expect the Messiah” as a glorious earthly king, having to restore and magnify their earthly kingdom and subject to them the remaining peoples. This thought could be favored by verse 25, which calls the Messiah “prince” and speaks of the restoration of Jerusalem as a stronghold. In view of this, to deprive Daniel of the possibility of understanding by the Messianic kingdom the earthly Jewish kingdom, he is directly pointed to that which best speaks of the falsity of such an understanding: the rejection of the Messiah by the Hebrew people and its consequences. And only after this does the discourse again return to the chronology of Messianic time (A. Rozhdestvensky. The Revelation to Daniel, p. 133–134).

Daniel 9:27. And one week will confirm the covenant for many, and in the middle of the week sacrifice and offering will cease, and on the wing of the sanctuary there will be the abomination of desolation, and the final, predetermined destruction will overtake the desolator. Upon the last, that is the seventieth week, falls “the establishment of a covenant with many.” The word “covenant” (Hebrew “berit”) is used in Scripture to denote unions between peoples Josh 9:6 and so forth, individual persons 1 Sam 18:3; 1 Sam 23:18 and so on, but most often, and in the book of the prophet Daniel primarily Dan 9:4; Dan 11:22, to denote the covenant—union of God with men. But the noted above Dan 9:26 rejection of the Hebrew people for the murder of the Messiah should have told the prophet Daniel that by this covenant is understood not the former union of God with the Jews, but the new, eternal covenant, of which prophets living near to him in time—Jeremiah Jer 31:31-34; Jer 32:40-41 and Ezekiel Ezek 16:60; Ezek 34:25; Ezek 37:26—had foretold. The covenant will be established “with many.” Since the revelation was given to Daniel on account of his prayers for his own people and concerned the fate of the latter Dan 9:24, under “many” it is naturally understood as “many” from the Hebrew people. Not the entire nation enters into a new communion with God: from it came the murderers of the Messiah, and to the mass of the people the revelation announces, for this reason, rejection and destruction Dan 9:26. And indeed, according to the testimony of the Book of Acts of the Apostles, it was not all Jews, but only “many” of them, who believed in Jesus Christ and became members of the New Testament church. Among them are the 3,000 people who turned to Christ on the day of Pentecost Acts 2:5, the 5,000 Jews after the miracle of the Apostle Peter and his preaching in the temple Acts 4:4. The rest of the mass was so hostile to Christianity that after the murder of the holy Stephen the believers were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria Acts 7:58-59; Acts 8:1, and the apostles transferred their preaching to the Gentiles Acts 8:26. The establishment of the “New” Covenant makes unnecessary, superfluous the existence of the former “Old” Covenant. It is annulled; annulled with it are those external forms in which it manifested and showed itself. And since the essence of the Covenant was the reconciliation of man with God, and this was achieved through sacrifice Lev 17:11, then with the annulment of the Old Covenant the sacrifices are annulled: “in the middle of the week sacrifice and offering will cease” (Hebrew “zevach”—the bloody sacrifice) and the offering (Hebrew “mincha”—the bloodless sacrifice, the grain offering). But the Old Testament sacrifices lost their significance as means of atonement only because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Who “through his own blood once for all entered into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption” Heb 9:12. Therefore the expression: “in the middle of the week sacrifice and offering will cease,” is an indication of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, which, according to the revelation, is to fall in the middle of the last seventieth week, or, that is the same, is to occur 3 1/2 years after His public ministry began. According to the opinion of the majority of commentators, the death of Jesus Christ occurred in 30 A.D.: in this year the 15th of Nisan—the day on which the Jews ate the Passover and on which Christ was crucified—fell on a Friday Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; cf. Matt 27:62; Matt 28:1. The public ministry of the Savior lasted approximately 3.5 years. The further words of the revelation in the Hebrew text read thus: “ve al kenаf shikkutzim meshomem.” “Kenaf,” from the verb “kanaf,” is used in the meaning of “wing,” and then in the figurative meaning—the edge of an object or space: the edge of a garment Num 15:38; 1 Sam 24:5, the edge, boundary of a country Job 37:3; Job 38:13; Isa 11:12. “Shikkutzim”—the plural of the noun “shikkutz”—abomination Dan 11:31; Dan 12:11, and “meshomem,”—the participial form of the verb “shamem,”—desolating, desolator. In the Hebrew text “shikkutzim” is an attribute to the word “kenaf,” and the subject becomes “meshomem.” Under such a construction, the whole phrase should be translated thus: “and upon the wing of abominations shall appear the desolator.” So is the Hebrew (Masoretic) text, the Syriac translation (Peshitta): “and upon the wings of abomination a desolator,” Aquila and Symmachus: “και επι της αρχης των βδελυγματων ερημωυησεται,” transmitted. Other translations consider “shikkutzim” to be the subject and “meshomem” an attribute to it. Thus the LXX translates: “και επι τον ιερον βδελυγμα των ερημωσεων εσται”; the Vulgate: “et erit in tempto abominatio desolationis”; the Russian Synodal: “and upon the wing of the sanctuary shall be the abomination of desolation.” As for the interpretation of this passage, it is not distinguished by diversity and stability of understanding. The majority of ancient commentators understood by “the abomination of desolation” the statue of a pagan god or images of the Roman emperor set up in the Jerusalem Temple shortly before its destruction. Blessed Theodoret and Eusebius of Caesarea thought that the image of Caesar was brought into the temple by Pilate; John Chrysostom speaks of an image set up in the temple by Hadrian; Clement of Alexandria asserts that Nero set up the abomination in the holy city of Jerusalem, and Basil of Seleucia—that this was done by Caligula. But such interpretations are not justified by history: it knows of no instance of the setting up in the Jerusalem Temple of the image of a Roman emperor. From history it is known only that Pilate ordered the setting up of sacred shields with the image of the emperor in the Herodian palace of Jerusalem, but by the order of Tiberius they were removed. In the reign of Caligula the Jerusalem Temple was indeed threatened with defilement: it was ordered by him to the procurator of Judea Petronius to set up the statue of the emperor in the temple; but the latter did not carry out the command. In distinction from the named fathers and teachers of the church, Origen understands by “the abomination of desolation” the Roman army. Finally, some, such as, for example, Eusebius of Caesarea, understand by “the abomination of desolation” the Jerusalem Temple itself. According to his words, from the time that Christ died and the veil of the temple was torn, the Jews lost their sacrifice and libation, and the abomination of desolation began in the temple. To this Christ pointed in His words: “Behold, your house is left to you desolate.” Matt 23:38. The blessed Theodoret holds the same view. “Through the sacrifice of the cross,” he says, “not only will that (the law of Moses) sacrifice cease, but the abomination of desolation will be given to the sanctuary, that is, it, formerly honored and filled with fear, will become desolate.” Adhering to this interpretation, the considered expression is paraphrased thus: “upon the wings of the sanctuary shall come the desolator” (“the boundary of the defiled city and temple”), that is, upon the boundaries of the desecrated city and temple there will appear the all-desolating army—the Roman legions (A. Rozhdestvensky. The Revelation to Daniel. p. 151–155). According to the sense of the Hebrew reading, the LXX and Vulgate readings: “and in the temple shall be the abomination of desolation.” The fulfillment of this prophecy is seen in the assault of the Roman armies upon Jerusalem. Beginning under the procurator Gessius Florus in 66 A.D., they concluded with the destruction of the city and the temple under Vespasian in 70 A.D. The Romans, executors of the divine judgment on the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, will bring it to completion: “and to the end a decree shall be poured out upon the desolate” (exact translation of the Hebrew phrase: “ve ad kala venecheretzet tippach al shomem”).

Chapter Ten

1. A vision of Daniel in the third year of Cyrus’s reign. 2–3. The state of the prophet before the vision. 4–10. The time of the vision, its setting, and the state of the prophet and his companions at that time. 11–21. The content of the revelation.

Daniel 10:1. In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel, who was called by the name Belshazzar; and the revelation was true and of great magnitude. He understood the revelation and perceived the vision. By its character the revelation was perfect truth; it was a communication of what would certainly be fulfilled and come to pass. By its subject it was a revelation of great tribulation (“magnitude”).

Daniel 10:2. In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks of days. Daniel 10:3. I did not eat pleasant bread; meat and wine did not enter my mouth, and I did not anoint myself with balm until the end of three weeks of days. The occasion for the revelation was the profound sorrow of the prophet, expressed in fasting. He refrained from meat, wine, and pleasant bread, which were considered festive food among the Jews (Gen 27:25; Isa 22:13), and did not anoint himself with fragrant oil, which was a sign of joy (Eccl 9:8; Isa 61:3; Amos 6:6). Thus the prophet kept three weeks of the first month (Dan 10:4), that is, of Nisan, and thus also the days of the Passover celebration. The reasons for such sorrow, as one may infer, were as follows. Judging from (Dan 10:12), the prophet Daniel even in the third year of Cyrus’s reign did not abandon his thoughts and concerns for his people, those thoughts which had begun with the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede (Dan 9:1 and following). Disheartening and without consolation, since the contemporary state of the Jews was sorrowful and the future promised nothing good, they plunged the prophet into grief. And indeed, although two whole years had passed after the return of the Jews to their homeland, those who returned found no happiness there. After restoring the altar (Ezra 3:1-2), they undertook the building of the temple. But already at its laying the joyful shouts of the people were mixed with the weeping of the elders, who had seen the former temple in its glory (Ezra 3:12-13), and a little later the joy was entirely to disappear. The intrigues of the Samaritans began, with all their effort arming the Persian government against the Jews and stopping the construction of the temple (Ezra 4:1-5). Their aim was achieved, whereby two years after their liberation the Jews could not celebrate the Passover feast in proper form. It is not surprising, therefore, if the prophet Daniel himself shared in those days the grief of his countrymen.

Daniel 10:5. And I lifted up my eyes and behold, one man clothed in linen, and his loins girded with gold of Uphaz. Daniel 10:6. His body was like topaz, his face like the appearance of lightning; his eyes like burning lamps, his hands and feet like polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude. The appearance of the man who appeared to Daniel resembles the appearance of the Son of Man (Rev 1:13-15), which is why some consider him a divine being. But as is evident from (Dan 10:11), he who appeared was one of the ministering spirits, and all his speech (Dan 10:11-12) resembles, or more precisely, reproduces the words of the Archangel Gabriel (Dan 9:21-22), on which account it is possible to identify the man of the present vision with the latter.

Daniel 10:7. And I alone, Daniel, saw the vision; the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great fear fell upon them and they fled to hide themselves. The prophet’s companions did not see the vision itself, but they heard, probably, the extraordinary voice of him who appeared (Dan 10:6), and, feeling the nearness of a heavenly messenger, fled in terror.

Daniel 10:8. And I remained alone and looked upon this great vision; there was no strength left in me, and my appearance was greatly changed, I had no vigor. Daniel 10:9. And I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a stupor on my face and lay face to the ground. Daniel 10:10. And behold, a hand touched me and set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. The prophet felt himself inwardly as though completely stricken. From the state of stupor his rising hand lifted him; but even after this he was in a state to barely raise himself upon his knees, remain in a half-standing position, supporting himself against the ground by his hands and knees.

Daniel 10:12. But he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel; for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come on account of your words.” Daniel 10:13. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but behold, Michael, one of the first princes, came to help me, and I remained there beside the kings of Persia. Even in the first year of Darius the Mede the angel was bringing before God the fervent prayer of the prophet Daniel for the liberation of the Jews from captivity (Dan 9:4-19); now, in the 3rd year of Cyrus, the same angel was laying before God’s throne the fervent prayer of the prophet about what was crushing him—about the improvement of the wretched condition of the exiles. On his own account Michael, “the prince of the Jews,” was making intercession for the same thing. And this united intercession was heard by God from the very first day. But the fulfillment of the requests of the angel and Prince Michael is resisted by “the prince of the kingdom of Persia,” acting in favor of his own people. “The prince of the kingdom of Persia,” the guardian of Medo-Persian interests, resists God’s fulfillment of Daniel’s prayer because with the fulfillment of the promise of salvation for the Jews and the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth is closely linked the diminishment and destruction of the power of God-hostile nations (Zech 1:11-12). From this side the resistance of the spirit, the guardian of the Medo-Persian kingdom, is analogous to the slander of Satan against the high priest Jesus (Zech 3:1-3). The balance in the spiritual struggle between the representatives of the heavenly host did not incline to either side; and the prayer of the prophet could not be granted; even now the angel departs to struggle with the prince of Persia (Dan 10:20). The speech of the angel, explaining the cause of the opposition which the Jews encountered from the Persian government in building the temple, also brings comfort to the prophet Daniel, inasmuch as it reveals that for the good of the Jews he, the Archangel Michael, is fighting.

Daniel 10:14. But now I have come to make known to you what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision is for days yet to come. Daniel 10:20. Having no means, however, to fulfill Daniel’s prayer: the struggle with the prince of the kingdom of Persia is not over and in the future its continuation lies ahead (Dan.10:20), the angel promises to reveal to the prophet the fate of his people in distant times. As far as one may infer from (Dan 10:20), by them is meant the period of Greco-Macedonian rule (“the prince of Greece will come”). To the exposition of the history of the latter in its relations to the people chosen by God the revelation of chapter 11 is devoted.

Chapter Eleven

1–2. A brief outline of the history of the kingdom of Persia. 3–20. The Greco-Macedonian kingdom and the mutual struggle of the Syrian and Egyptian monarchies arising from it. 21–45. The activity of Antiochus Epiphanes.

Daniel 11:1. Therefore, from the first year of Darius the Mede I have been his supporter and strengthening force. Daniel 11:2. Now I will tell you the truth: behold, three more kings will arise in Persia; then a fourth will exceed all in great wealth, and when he becomes strong by his wealth, he will stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. Since the revelation was given to the prophet in the third year of Cyrus (Dan 10:1), by the three kings that are to arise in Persia are meant three successors of Cyrus: Cambyses (529–522 B.C.), Pseudo-Smerdis (522–521 B.C.), and Darius Hystaspes (521–486 B.C.), and the fourth king, “exceeding all in great wealth,” is the famous Xerxes (486–465 B.C.), renowned indeed for immense wealth and known for his unsuccessful campaign against the Greeks. Continuing the wars begun by Xerxes’s father, Darius Hystaspes, it ended in the complete defeat of the Persians at Salamis.

Daniel 11:3. And a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and will do as he pleases. Daniel 11:4. But when he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, and not to his posterity, and not with the power with which he ruled; for his kingdom will be divided and given to others besides these. From the time of the battle of Salamis the Persian kingdom began plainly to decline; Greece becomes the world power. In view of the importance of Xerxes’s campaign, the heavenly being passes over in silence his successors to the throne and moves from the Persian monarchy to the third world kingdom—the Greco-Macedonian—and among its representatives to Alexander of Macedon, for it is only from this time that the Greeks come into contact with the people of God. Concerning Alexander of Macedon and his activity the revelation imparts the same things that were known to the prophet Daniel from the preceding visions (Dan 7:6; Dan 8:5-8). What is new is the indication that after Alexander’s death power will not pass to his descendants but to others. And indeed, Alexander of Macedon left behind him a feeble-minded brother Arrhidaeus and two young children. None of them was capable of governing the vast empire, and it was divided among Alexander’s generals, with each part naturally turning out to be weaker than the whole realm.

Daniel 11:5. And the king of the South will grow strong, and one of his princes will overcome him and rule, and his rule will be great. Daniel 11:6. But after some years they will make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to make a covenant; but she will not retain her strength, nor will she endure, and she along with those who brought her, and he who fathered her, and he who strengthened her in those times, will be delivered up. Of the four kingdoms arising from the monarchy of Alexander of Macedon, the northern (Syrian) and southern (Egyptian) became strengthened over time, standing in constant struggle with each other. Located between them, Palestine was also drawn into their disputes and, as formerly subject to Alexander of Macedon, repeatedly changed hands: from Syria to Egypt and vice versa. The revelation concerns only these two kingdoms, as having contact with the people of God; the history of the other two—the Thracian and Macedonian—is left aside. The successors of Alexander of Macedon on the thrones of Egypt and Syria were Ptolemy Lagus (323–285 B.C.) and Seleucus Nicator. The first of them, the “king of the South,” soon became a strong and wealthy ruler; however, Seleucus Nicator, ruling from Phrygia to the Indus, was not inferior to his rival, with whom he was forced to wage war, making attempts to draw under his rule the Jewish people subject to Ptolemy. An attempt at a more or less lasting rapprochement between the two kings, “northern” and “southern,” was made under the successor of Ptolemy Lagus—Ptolemy II Philadelphus—and the second successor of Seleucus—Antiochus Theus. Desiring to put an end to the disputes, Ptolemy Philadelphus gave to Antiochus his daughter Berenice, granting in her dowry, among other things, Cœle-Syria and Phoenicia. At that time Antiochus was already married to Laodice and had two sons by her—Seleucus Callinicus and Antiochus. Although Laodice with her children was removed before the marriage to Berenice, she returned to the court after Ptolemy Philadelphus’s death and, fearing her rival, poisoned her husband, had Berenice and her young son killed, and elevated her son by Theus, Seleucus Callinicus, to the Syrian throne. Thus “the daughter of the king of the South… did not retain strength in her hands, and did not endure, and her offspring.” The attempt at rapprochement between the kingdoms came to nothing.

Daniel 11:7. But a branch will arise from her roots, he will come against the army and will enter the fortifications of the king of the North, and he will act against them and prevail. Daniel 11:8. Even the gods of them, their idols with the precious vessels of them, the silver and the gold, he will carry away captive to Egypt, and for some years he will stand higher than the king of the North. Daniel 11:9. Though this one will make an invasion of the realm of the king of the South, yet he will return to his own land. The avenger of Berenice was a “shoot from her root,”—the brother of Berenice, son and successor of Ptolemy Philadelphus—Ptolemy Euergetes. He killed the murderer and rival Laodice, then seized territories belonging to Syria: Cilicia, Pamphylia, Ionia, Palestine, and others. The menacing invasion of the “king of the South” ended only through an uprising that broke out in Egypt. Returning home, Ptolemy seized from the conquered territories countless treasures, 40,000 talents of silver, and 2,500 precious vessels and idols, among which were the statues that had been transferred from Egypt to Persia by Cambyses. For their return Ptolemy received the title Euergetes. While he was occupied with pacifying Egypt, Seleucus again drew to his side the Lesser Asian territories and undertook a campaign against Egypt, but in a decisive battle suffered such a defeat that he returned to Antioch with only a few companions.

Daniel 11:10. Then his sons will arm themselves and assemble a great multitude, and one will certainly come and overflow and pass through, and he will return and fight against him to the fortifications of his realm. Daniel 11:11. And the king of the South will be enraged and will go out and fight with the king of the North, and will muster a great army, and the army will be given into his hand. Daniel 11:12. And the army will be strengthened, and the heart of the king will be exalted; he will lay low tens of thousands, but will not prevail. Daniel 11:13. For the king of the North will return and will assemble a multitude greater than the former, and after some years will come with a great army and much wealth. After the death of Callinicus, who died in captivity among the Parthians, the throne passed to his son Seleucus Ceraunus. Poisoned by his attendants two years after his accession, he accomplished nothing against Egypt. Ceraunus was followed by his brother Antiochus, who, desiring to annex Cœle-Syria and Phoenicia to his kingdom, began war against the Egyptian king Ptolemy Philopator. During this war he seized Seleucia on the Orontes, Tyre, and Ptolemais, twice advanced to the city of Dora, lying two miles north of Caesarea, besieged it, and finally concluded a four-month truce. Upon resumption of hostilities, in 218 B.C. he undertook a new campaign against Egypt, during which he trapped Egyptian forces at Sidon and seized Gilead, Samaria, and Phoenicia. But at the beginning of 217 B.C. Ptolemy Philopator came against Antiochus with an army of 70,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, and 73 elephants, and inflicted a terrible defeat upon him at Raphia, near Gaza. Having lost 10,000 infantry and 300 cavalry in the battle, Antiochus escaped death by flight; the war, however, ended in peace. Eighteen years after the defeat at Raphia, Antiochus, taking advantage of the minority of Ptolemy Philopator’s successor—Ptolemy Epiphanes—the internal disorders in Egypt arising from the cruelty and misrule of the regent Agathocles, and finally the aid of Philip of Macedon, came against Egypt and succeeded first of all in seizing Phoenicia and southern Syria (Dan 11:16).

Daniel 11:14. In those times many will stand against the king of the South, and the violent ones of your people will exalt themselves in order to fulfill the vision; but they will fall. Daniel 11:15. And the king of the North will come and build a siege mound and capture a fortified city; and the forces of the South will not stand, neither the elite of his army; they will lack the strength to resist. Daniel 11:16. And the one who comes to him will do as he pleases, and no one will stand before him; he will take his stand in the glorious land, and it will be in his power. In the war of Antiochus with Egypt, part of the Palestinean Jews took his side, forgetting the benefits shown to them by the Ptolemies. They went out to meet Antiochus, joined his forces, and helped them in attacks on the garrison left by the Egyptian commander Scopas on the hill of Jerusalem. But this alliance with the Syrian king brought the Jews nothing but harm. Antiochus began his conquest of Egyptian territories with Palestine itself, as a possession of the king of the South; he took many cities subject to Egypt, including Jerusalem. The “forces of the South” could not resist him—the Egyptian generals with the elite army. It was Scopas, who had managed to conquer Cœle-Syria, who suffered a heavy defeat in 198 B.C. at Paneas, near the sources of the Jordan, as a result of which all Cœle-Syria and Palestine up to Gaza came under Antiochus’s control again.

Daniel 11:17. And he will intend to come with the full strength of his kingdom, and will come with equitable terms with him; and he will give him a daughter of women in order to ruin him, but she will not stand with him or be on his side. Desiring to seize the Egyptian possessions of the “king of the South” as much as possible, Antiochus began to act with cunning. After ravaging Palestine he concluded peace with Ptolemy and betrothed to him, a seven-year-old boy, his daughter Cleopatra, hoping that with her help he would destroy the young king and seize Egypt. But Ptolemy and his nobles, having discovered Antiochus’s designs, were very cautious; moreover, Cleopatra herself clearly inclined toward her husband rather than her father. Thanks to all this, Antiochus’s treacherous designs “did not succeed” and brought him no benefit whatsoever.

Daniel 11:18. Then he will turn his face toward the coastlands and will seize many, but a certain commander will put an end to his shame, and moreover will turn his shame upon him. Daniel 11:19. Then he will turn his face toward the strongholds of his own land; but he will stumble and fall and will not be found. After failing in his attempt to seize Egypt, Antiochus satisfied his passion for conquest with a successful campaign in 197 B.C. against the islands and coastal regions of Asia Minor: he conquered Rhodes, Samos, Colophon, Phocaea, and others. The end of his victories came from the Roman consul Scipio Nasica (“a certain commander”) and his brother Scipio Africanus. Sent by the Roman government to protect the islands under Roman protection, they in 190 B.C. inflicted a terrible defeat on Antiochus at Magnesia. Having concluded a humiliating peace with the victors, he returned to his land and soon perished during a popular uprising that broke out over the king’s plundering of the temple of Zeus, or Bel, in the city of Elymais, south of the Caspian Sea.

Daniel 11:20. And there will arise in his place one who will exact the tribute of the kingdom of his honor, but within a few days he will be broken, and not in anger, nor in battle. The successor of Antiochus was his son Seleucus IV Philopator, who reigned 12 years and accomplished nothing outstanding. He only managed to disgrace himself by attempting to rob the treasures of the Jerusalem temple, for which purpose he sent under a plausible pretext his official Heliodorus to Palestine. But the Lord miraculously saved His sanctuary from the impious man (2 Macc 3:7-29).

Daniel 11:21. And there will arise in his place a despicable person, to whom they will not give the honor of kingship; but he will come in without warning and seize the kingdom through intrigue. Daniel 11:22. And the overflowing forces will be swept away before him and broken; and also the prince of the covenant. Daniel 11:23. And after the treaty is made with him, he will act deceitfully, for he will go up and become strong with a small number of people. Daniel 11:24. He will enter the prosperous regions of a province and will accomplish what his fathers never did, nor his fathers’ fathers; he will distribute plunder, spoils, and possessions among them, and he will devise his plans against strongholds, but only for a time. The successor of Seleucus Philopator was his brother, the son of Antiochus, Antiochus Epiphanes (175–164 B.C.). He is characterized as “despicable,” that is, contemptible in moral worth and unworthy by his rights to the throne, so “they will not give him the honor of kingship,” but “he seizes the kingdom through intrigue.” And indeed, Antiochus Epiphanes cleverly removed the legitimate heir to the throne—Demetrius, the son of Seleucus, who was then a hostage in Rome—and prevented the claims to the same throne of the state treasurer Heliodorus and his own sister, the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, in favor of her young son, the Egyptian king Ptolemy Philometer. With the latter Antiochus Epiphanes began a war in which the “overflowing forces” of Egypt were defeated by him (1 Macc 1:17-19). Then, having concluded a temporary alliance with Philometer, Antiochus, using his kinship as a pretext, entered Memphis and here, under the pretense that he was taking charge of the young nephew-king and his affairs, began to rule Egypt absolutely: he “entered prosperous provinces” of Egypt and plundered them heavily; he thought about how to destroy Egyptian strongholds and weaken the country and then finally seize the southern kingdom.

Daniel 11:25. And he will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army, and the king of the South will be stirred up to battle with an even greater and mightier army; but he will not stand, because there will be plots against him. Daniel 11:26. And those who eat at his table will seek to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall slain. Daniel 11:27. As for both kings, their hearts will be bent on doing evil, and they will speak lies at the same table; but it will not succeed, for an end is still to come at the appointed time. The designs of Antiochus to “rule over both kingdoms” (1 Macc 1:16) and the campaign undertaken by him for this purpose against Egypt did not, however, meet with success: he returned to Syria with the plundered spoils.

Daniel 11:28. And he will return to his land with great riches, and his heart will be set against the holy covenant, and he will accomplish his purpose and return to his land. Enraged by this failure, Antiochus compensated himself at the expense of Judea. With a strong force he entered Jerusalem, went into the temple and took from it the golden altar, the temple vessels, and all the furnishings of the temple, removed its outer decorations, seized the gold, silver, and all the treasures he found in the sanctuary, and with this plunder returned to his capital (1 Macc 1:20-24).

Daniel 11:29. At the appointed time he will return and go toward the South; but it will not be like the former time. Daniel 11:30. For ships from Kittim will come against him; therefore he will be disheartened and will return in rage against the holy covenant and will take action. So he will return and show favor to those who abandon the holy covenant. Daniel 11:31. And he will station troops who will profane the sanctuary, the fortress, and will take away the daily sacrifice, and they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. Soon Antiochus again marched against Egypt (2 Macc 5:1), but this campaign was unsuccessful: Roman legates arrived at the same time and demanded that Antiochus withdraw from the lands of Rome’s friends. According to the accounts of Livy and Justin, the commander of the Roman fleet (“ships from Kittim”) Popillius Laenas, meeting Antiochus four miles from Alexandria, drew a circle around him and said: “You will not leave here until you promise to leave Egypt.” Antiochus left Egypt, but he vented his failure on the Jews: plundered and burned their cities, took their livestock, etc. (1 Macc 1:29-32); entered into a covenant with the “apostates from the holy covenant,” who themselves “joined with the heathen and sold themselves to do evil” (1 Macc 1:11-15); stationed in Jerusalem a “garrison” that “shed innocent blood around the sanctuary” and desecrated the holy place in every way (1 Macc 1:33-37; 2 Macc 6:4-5), and finally, having stopped the daily worship, he set up in the temple of Jerusalem a statue of Jupiter Olympius and called the temple itself the temple of this god (1 Macc 1:54; 2 Macc 6:2).

Daniel 11:32. With flattery he will corrupt those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action. Daniel 11:33. And those with insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, for many days. Daniel 11:34. Now when they fall, they will receive a little help, and many will join them, but not with a pure heart. Daniel 11:35. And some of those with insight will fall, to refine, purge, and make them white, up to the time of the end; for it is still to come at the appointed time. By flattery and cunning, promising rewards and earthly advantages, Antiochus attracted to his side those who came forth from Israel as “sons of lawlessness,” who joined in alliance with the heathen and persuaded others to do likewise, built heathen schools, introduced heathen rites, departing from the law of Moses, sacrificed to idols, etc. (1 Macc 1:11-15). The greater glory was thus acquired by those people truly “knowing their God”: devoted to the faith of their fathers, in the epoch of persecution they “grew strong” and “were strengthened” in their religious zeal, preferring rather to die than violate the law of the Lord (1 Macc 1:62-68; 2 Macc 2:16-30). These zealots drew to themselves the best part of the people of God, although they themselves suffered terrible persecutions from the heathen: they were compelled by force to abandon the law of the Most High, to sacrifice to idols, to eat swine’s meat, to participate in heathen religious processions, and for refusal they were killed, burned, hanged, subjected to torture and torment, led into captivity, their cities and houses were burned, etc. (1 Macc 1:24-32; 1 Macc 2:26-38; 2 Macc 5:13; 2 Macc 6:7-11; 2 Macc 7:1). True, the Jews had at this time “some help” in the person of Mattathias and his sons, who gathered around him the zealots of the faith and by force of arms “defended the law from the hand of the heathen” (1 Macc 2:16-48), and his children purified the Jerusalem temple from heathen abominations and restored true worship (1 Macc 4 and following), but this help was insufficient for the struggle against the cruel persecutor of Judaism. Even those Jews who under the influence of the victories of the Maccabees joined the society of the zealots of the faith (1 Macc 7:6), at every opportunity fell away from it (1 Macc 6:21-23; 1 Macc 9:23).

Daniel 11:36. And the king will do as he pleases. He will exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and will speak dreadful things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is accomplished, for that which is decreed will be done. Daniel 11:37. He will have no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he have regard for any god; for he will magnify himself above them all. Daniel 11:38. But instead he will honor a god of strongholds; a god whom his fathers did not know he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. Daniel 11:39. And he will deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god; he will acknowledge and increase the honor of those who recognize him, and he will cause them to rule over many, and will distribute the land for a price. In his persecution of the Jews Antiochus reached such pride and arrogance that he considered himself above every god: he slandered the “God of gods,” considering himself equal to Him, and despised even the “gods of his fathers”; only the “god of strongholds”—Jupiter Olympius—he set up in the temple of Jerusalem, fortifying the stronghold itself—the capital of Judea—and dedicating both “god” and the temple itself; only this god, “whom his fathers did not know” and whose cult he became acquainted with in Rome, he honored, making rich offerings and rewarding with honor, glory, and power those who “acknowledged” and honored the god he favored (1 Macc 2:18).

Daniel 11:40. At the time of the end the king of the South will collide with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them, and pass through. Daniel 11:41. He will also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries will fall; but these will escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the foremost of the Ammonites. Daniel 11:42. Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. Daniel 11:43. But he will gain control over the treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians will follow at his heels. Daniel 11:44. But rumors from the East and from the North will alarm him, and he will go forth in great rage to destroy and annihilate many. Daniel 11:45. And he will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him. Toward the end of his reign Antiochus with a large force again marched against the Egyptian king and, passing through the territories of the “king of the South,” devastated them. Judea was plundered by him as well. Only the possessions of the Idumaeans, Moabites, and Ammonites remained untouched: he left them in peace, hastening against the Egyptian king so as not to give him time to strengthen himself. Rumors spreading about an uprising against him in distant territories of his kingdom to the north and east forced Antiochus to hurry his return home (cf. 2 Macc 5:11). Enraged, the king moved toward the boundaries of his realm and encamped between the sea and Jerusalem. Soon after this, while returning from a campaign to Persia, between Antioch and Ecbatana, Antiochus died, struck down by God with a terrible disease (2 Macc 9:1).

Chapter Twelve

1–3. Revelation about the last destinies of the world. 4–13. The conclusion of the book.

Daniel 12:1. And at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise; and there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; but at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. Daniel 12:2. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:3. And those who are wise will shine like the luminaries in the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness—like the stars, forever and ever. The protector of the Jewish people in the epoch of severe calamities which will befall it from Antiochus Epiphanes will be the Archangel Michael, the “prince” and guardian of the Jews (Dan 10:13). It is only through the intercession of this “great prince” that they will be saved from complete destruction. But just as Antiochus, the enemy and persecutor of the Jewish people, reminds one of the last and cruelest enemy of Christianity—the antichrist—so the grievous time endured by the chosen from the people of God under him serves as a type of the latter days of the new covenant church—a type of the tribulation of the times of the antichrist. To this epoch, the time of the end of the world, the revelation now turns. It is depicted as a time of unprecedented affliction since the creation of the world, which cannot be said of the calamities inflicted on the Jews by Antiochus Epiphanes, and which, according to the testimony of Jesus Christ, applies to the end of the world (Matt 24:21). In this grievous hour only those “written in the book of life” will be saved (cf. Exod 32:32; Ps 68:29; Phil 4:3; Rev 3:5; Rev 13 and so on), that is, all those righteous and true members of the people of God whom the Lord has appointed to everlasting life. Just as the living, so too some of those “sleeping in the dust of the earth” will rise to everlasting life, and others—to eternal torment (John 5:29; 1 Cor 15:51-53; 1 Thess 4:16). The first will shine forth like the heavenly bodies (Matt 13:43; 1 Cor 15:40-42).

Daniel 12:4. But as for you, Daniel, conceal the words and seal up the book until the time of the end; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase. The revelation concludes with an instruction directed to the prophet to “conceal the words,” that is, to take care to preserve the given vision carefully. And since it was the last in the series of all the other visions, simultaneously with the first instruction a second is given: “seal up the book”—to take care to preserve all the earlier revelations in the same way. In preserving them in their original purity and integrity, the “knowledge” of the ways of the Lord will increase.

Daniel 12:5. Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others were standing, one on this side of the bank of the river and the other on that side of the bank of the river. Daniel 12:6. And one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be until the end of these wonders?” Daniel 12:7. And I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it will be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end, all these things will be completed. Daniel 12:2. The indicated requirement could have ended the revelation. But then there would be lacking an explanation regarding the duration of the predicted events, and yet, by analogy with the vision of chapter 8, the prophet might have expected such an explanation. And it is indeed given, and moreover twice. First, to one of the heavenly beings who posed the question to the man in linen: “How long will it be until the end of these wonders?” If by the latter, as judged by the context, is meant the resurrection of the dead (Dan.12:2), then the answer of the man in linen: “a time, times, and half a time… all these things will be completed,” as clearly alluding to (Dan 7:25), indicates the duration of the activity of the antichrist. With such an understanding, the meaning of his words is this: the resurrection of the dead will follow immediately after the time of the antichrist. Daniel 12:8. As for me, I heard but did not understand; so I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?” The prophet did not understand the answer, and accordingly, to the question: “What will be the outcome of these events?” he is told to be content with what has been revealed and to leave to the future the resolution of doubts regarding what is unclear in the revelation. Understanding of the latter belongs to future times, for which the revelation must be carefully preserved.

Daniel 12:9. And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are concealed and sealed up until the time of the end.” Daniel 12:10. Many will be purged, made white, and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those with insight will understand. Daniel 12:11. From the time when the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Daniel 12:12. Blessed is the one who waits and attains to the 1,335 days. Daniel 12:10. The prophet’s mental gaze cannot penetrate into the future of the new covenant church. As if in compensation for this, he is given the duration of the sufferings of his people, thoughts about which could torment and trouble him. Dan.12:10, as parallel to (Dan 11:35), and (Dan 12:11), as directly related to (Dan 11:32) of the same chapter, clearly show that the speech of the heavenly being concerns the activity of Antiochus Epiphanes—his persecution of the Hebrew people. Accordingly, the numerical data (Dan 12:11-12) must define its duration. The latter equals 1,290 and 1,335 days. The beginning of the count of these days relates to the “time when the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up,” which took place on the 15th of Chislev in the year 145 (1 Macc 1:54). On the 25th of Chislev in the year 148, the altar in the temple of Jerusalem was restored, and on that day the Jews offered a sacrifice to God on the newly constructed altar (1 Macc 4:52). This event should be recognized as the final point for the period indicated by the angel. But since the interval between the desecration of the temple by Antiochus (15th of Chislev, year 145) and its restoration (25th of Chislev, year 148) equals 3 years and 10 days, or 1,105–1,102 days, then the difference between this number of days and the 1,290 days announced by the angel equals 185–188 days, and between 1,290 and 1,335 days—another 45 days. In order to explain such a discrepancy, it is supposed that 185–188 days passed before the time when Antiochus, having heard in Persia that his forces, directed against the Jews under the command of Lysias, were defeated, and that the Jews had destroyed the desecrated altar, built a new one, and restored their sanctuary, was frightened and troubled, coming to the realization that the misfortunes that had befallen him constituted punishment from above (1 Macc 6:5-13), and the following 45 days the illness of Antiochus lasted (1 Macc 6:9), ending in death in the year 149. If this latter is recognized as the end of the period of 1,335 days, then to some extent the words of the angel become clear: “Blessed is the one who waits and attains to the 1,335 days.” The death of Antiochus Epiphanes put an end to the religious persecutions of the Jews and is therefore regarded as a joyful and gladsome event.

Chapter Thirteen

Chapters 13 and 14 are translated from the Greek, because they are absent in the Hebrew text.

In the contemporary Hebrew text there is no account of Susanna, nor was there in ancient times—at the time of Origen (Epistol. ad Afr. 13) and Jerome (Com. in Dan. Pro). The text of this account has been preserved in the Greek translations of the LXX and Theodotion, in the Old Latin, Coptic, Arabic, Syriac, Vulgate, Armenian, and other translations. In the Chisian codex containing the LXX translation and in the Theodotion translation, as well as in the Vulgate, it is placed at the end of the book of the prophet Daniel, forming chapter 13; but in the Vaticanus, Alexandrinus codices, in the Old Latin, Coptic, Arabic, and Armenian translations it comes before the first chapter. The absence of the account of Susanna in the Hebrew-Aramaic text of the book suggests, apparently, that it was not originally in it, but first appeared only in the LXX and Theodotion translations.

Such an assumption was expressed in ancient times by the Neoplatonist Porphyry and Julius Africanus, supporting it among other things by the fact that in the Greek text of the account there is a play on words… “from the schinus to be split and from the prinus to be sawed” (vv. 54–69), more characteristic of the Greek language than of the Hebrew.

In modern times the existence of a Hebrew original of the account of Susanna, based on Hebraisms found in the Theodotion translation, is defended by Catholic exegetes and some of the Protestant ones: Eichhorn, Delitzsch, De Lagarde, and the English scholars Bissell and Ball, while the majority of the latter reject it. A similar division of views is notable in Russian theological literature on the book of the prophet Daniel. The possibility of a Hebrew original is admitted by Professor Pesotsky, while Archbishop Bukharev and Smirnov decidedly reject it; Professor Yungerov, however, does not incline toward either opinion.

The question of the historical reliability of the account also has not received a definitive answer. While recognized by Catholic exegetes, it is denied not only by Protestants, but also by some Russian theologians: Metropolitan Philaret and Metropolitan Arseny. According to the former, “the history of Susanna is subject to doubt, because at the very beginning of the captivity it attributes to the Jews their own tribunal with the right of life and death; to Joakim a magnificent house and gardens, which are very difficult to expect at the beginning of the Babylonian captivity, and are not confirmed by the testimony of the Jews themselves.”

Metropolitan Arseny, in support of the historicity of the account, points to the “too hasty judgment” both of the elders against Susanna and of the elders themselves, “inconsistent with the manner of Eastern justice,” and to the fact that the Jews “did not have the right of life and death” (Cf. Pesotsky, p. 283, note 3; p. 290, note 2). The question of the reasons for the deviations of the Theodotion translation from the LXX text—its greater extent and peculiarities in the account (vv. 6–19; 22–27; 30–35; 36–40; 41, 42–50; 51–60, etc.)—is also decided differently. According to the defenders of the Hebrew-Aramaic original, Theodotion had a different Hebrew-Aramaic manuscript, according to which he “corrected and supplemented” the LXX text; but according to the defenders of the Greek origin, Theodotion used oral tradition and made his deviations accordingly. As for the time of composition of the account of Susanna, it is certain that, as being similar in language to the LXX translation, it existed by the time of the latter.

Chapter Fourteen

Chapters 13 and 14 are translated from the Greek, because they are absent in the Hebrew text.

Known from the LXX translation (Chisian codex) and many manuscripts of the Theodotion translation, but not found in the Hebrew text of the book of the prophet Daniel, the account of Bel presents many oddities that suggest its legendary character. Such is first of all the beginning of the account according to the LXX reading: “from the prophecy of Habakkuk the son of Jesus, of the tribe of Levi. There was a man, a priest, named Daniel, son of Abal, a companion of the king of Babylon.” Judging from this superscription, the account is drawn from an unknown apocryphal work attributed to the prophet Habakkuk. The principal character is not the prophet Daniel, descended from the tribe of Judah (Dan 1:3-6), but some unknown priest Daniel (cf. Ezra 8:2). In the Theodotion translation, the account begins differently: “King Astyages was gathered to his fathers, and Cyrus the Persian took his kingdom. And Daniel lived with the king.” The account is thus placed in connection with the canonical content of the book of the prophet Daniel, but it differs from it in the remark about Astyages: it was not he who was the contemporary of Daniel, but Darius (Dan 5:31), and in the unusual closeness of the prophet to Cyrus.

It also raises doubts that Cyrus was a worshiper of the Babylonian idol Bel (Dan 14:3-4). True, the Babylonians had the idol Bel (Isa 46:1), but Cyrus, a sun-worshiper, who, like all Persians, had no idols, could hardly have worshiped them. The history of Bel concludes with the “destruction” of his idol and even the “temple” by Daniel with Cyrus’s permission (Dan 14:22). Yet according to the testimony of Herodotus, this temple existed even after Cyrus, under Xerxes, by whom it was plundered. It is also strange that the temple was destroyed by Daniel alone. Catholic exegetes see here a partial destruction of some kind of vestibule or floor of the temple (cf. and Pesotsky, p. 457, note 1), but the text does not warrant this.

Doubtful from the point of view of historical reliability is also the second half of chapter 14—the account of the dragon. Its obvious implausibility is evident from the fact that it considers the prophet Habakkuk a contemporary of Daniel (Dan 14:33). In reality, Habakkuk lived long before the invasion of the Chaldeans into Judea, since he characterizes them as a people completely unknown to his listeners (Hab 1:6-12), and depicts the invasion itself as an unlikely occurrence (Hab 1:5-6). The prophet Habakkuk is considered a younger contemporary of Isaiah, but not of Daniel. Further, it is also improbable that the defeated Babylonians would make demands on Cyrus and threaten “to kill him and his household” (Dan 14:29-30) for the slaying by Daniel of a serpent. It resembles a similar demand before Darius; but the latter was made not by the defeated but by court officials, and on the basis of “the laws of the Medes and Persians” (Dan 6:15, Yungerov, p. 288).

As for the original of the account of Bel and the Dragon, defenders of its existence in the Hebrew-Aramaic language point to one Aramaic fragment from a Jewish commentary on the book of Genesis, published in 1290 by Raymond Martini and similar in content to (Dan 14:27-41).

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Introduction

In Russian and Slavic Bibles, after the book of the prophet Daniel, and in Hebrew after the book of Ezekiel, come the books of the Twelve Minor Prophets. In antiquity all these books formed one, which among the Hebrews was called schaejasar (Aram. trejasar, treisar), and among the Greeks δωδεκαπιρόφητον. The earliest attestation that the books of the minor prophets were joined into one can be found in Jesus son of Sirach (Sir 49:10). This attestation then finds confirmation in Josephus Flavius, who counts only 22 books in the Hebrew canon (Against Apion I, 8) and in the church fathers Melito of Sardis (Eusebius, Church History IV, 26), Athanasius the Great (39 Paschal Letter), Cyril of Jerusalem (Lecture IV, 35), Gregory the Theologian (33 verses) and others, who employ the term δωδεκαπιρόφητον in defining the number of Old Testament canonical books at only 12. The motives for joining 12 prophetic books into one are unknown, since the reasoning proposed by Blessed Theodoret (Preface to the Commentary on the Minor Prophets) and Rabbi Kimchi (Commentary in psalms, preface) and accepted by some modern authors (Hoonacker), that the books were joined due to their small volume, to prevent their loss, cannot be considered well-founded.

While forming one book, the writings of the Twelve Prophets occupied different places in the codices of the Bible: according to Melito, they were placed after the books of the great prophets, according to Origen and Epiphanius before this book, as they are now in the received text of the Septuagint. Similarly, the order of individual works in the collection of minor prophets changed. In Hebrew Bible the order accepted in our texts was preserved, while in the Septuagint the books were arranged differently, namely: Hosea, Amos, Micah, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. What motives underlay the indicated distribution of the books of the minor prophets, one cannot say with certainty; apparently there was no firm principle, but partly they were guided by a chronological principle, and partly took into account the volume of the books. Therefore the books of the post-exilic prophets were placed at the end of the entire collection, while from the pre-exilic books the larger in volume book of Hosea was placed before the book of Amos, although Amos was Hosea’s predecessor in prophetic ministry.

The literature devoted to the interpretation of the books of the minor prophets is extremely extensive. Among church fathers, the books of the minor prophets were interpreted by Blessed Theodoret, St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. Ephrem of Syria, Blessed Jerome and Blessed Theophylact. Among works composed in modern times, the most important are the following: Hitzig, Die kleinen Propheten (4th edn. 1881); Keil, Die kl. Proph. (3rd edn. 1888); Knabenbauer, Comment. in prophetas minores. 1866. Nowack, Die kl. Proph uberzetzt und erklart, 1904, Marti, Dodekapropheton erklart 1904. Hoonacker Les douze petits prophetes. 1908. In Russian literature, the interpretation of the minor prophets is devoted to the works of Palladius, Bishop of Sarapul (1872 onwards). Ruzemont, A Brief Explanation of the 12 Minor Prophets 1880 and I. Smirnov (1873 onwards).

The Prophet Hosea (Greek ᾿Ωσηέ, Hebrew Hoschea, from jascha to save, to help, means salvation, savior, helper), according to the testimony of his book, was the son of a certain Beeri. Regarding the prophet’s life, it can be considered reliably known only that he was a native of the ten-tribe kingdom and in that same kingdom conducted his prophetic ministry. This is witnessed by: 1) the thorough familiarity with the internal state of the Israeli kingdom that appears throughout the book of Hosea (Hos 4:1-2); 2) his exclusive mention of the cities of that kingdom (Samaria Hos 7:1; Gilead Hos 6:8; Shechem Hos 6:9; Gilgal Hos 4:15; Bethel or Beth-Aven Hos 4:15). 3) The peculiarities of the prophet’s speech, or Aramaisms characteristic of the language of the inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom (Hos 11:4 Ochil instead of aachil; Hos 13:15 japrija instead of japreh; Hos 13:10 ehi instead of asseh).

If chapters I-III of the book of Hosea are understood in the sense of a description of actual events from the prophet’s life (which, however, is not indisputable), then from these chapters it follows that Hosea had a wife and children, but was unhappy in his family life, for his wife was unfaithful to him.

The brief information derived from the book of Hosea itself is supplemented by the traditions reported in ancient writers (Ephrem the Syrian, Dorotheus) that Hosea was from the city of Beelmoth or Beleemon in the tribe of Issachar, that he died in Babylon, and was buried in upper Galilee. The reliability of these traditions is as difficult to defend as it is to uphold the supposition of Duhm (Duhm, Theologie der Propheten 1875, p. 130) that Hosea belonged to the priestly class: familiarity with the past history of Israel, a lofty view of sacrifices, mention of God’s law and other features noted by Duhm in the book are found in the book of the prophet even without the supposition that he belonged to the priests.

The time of Hosea’s prophetic activity cannot be determined with precision. From the inscription of the book it follows that the prophet conducted his ministry during the period of the Judahite kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah (791–698). If we interpret the inscription to mean that Hosea began his activity only in the second half of Uzziah’s reign and concluded it already in the beginning of Hezekiah’s reign, still the time of the prophet’s ministry must be determined as a period of 59–63 years. (26–28 of Uzziah, 16 of Jotham, 2 Sam 15:33 of Ahaz 2 Sam 16:2 and 1–3 of Hezekiah). Such considerable duration of the prophet’s activity raises doubts in some scholars about the accuracy of the inscription. The ground for this doubt is found also in the fact that among the kings of Israel, for the entire period of the prophet’s ministry, only one, Jeroboam II, is named, who was a contemporary of only Uzziah. From this not without reason the conclusion is drawn (by almost all Western authors, and among Russians by Yavorsky) that the inscription in the book of Hosea is corrupted and that the time of the prophet’s ministry should be determined only on the basis of the indications found in the content of the book itself. According to these indications, the prophet began his ministry at the end of the reign of Jeroboam II (787–746). By Hos 1:4 the house of Jehu is only just threatened with falling; the latter happened after Jeroboam’s death, under his son Zechariah. The prosperity of the kingdom presupposed in chapters I-III (Hos 2:7) corresponds exactly to the time of Jeroboam. The indications of the subsequent chapters of the book concerning times of anarchy, when princes and judges fell (Hos 7:7) about wavering between friendship with Egypt and alliance with Assyria (Hos 7:11) correspond already to the time of Jeroboam’s successors. The end of the prophet’s ministry is determined by the following data: 1) The prophet everywhere presupposes the existence of the ten-tribe kingdom and speaks of its destruction (722 B.C.) as future; 2) in the book there are no indications of the war that took place with the Judahite kingdom. The Israeli king Pekah and the Syrian Rezin (735); 3) In Hos 6:8; Hos 12:12 Gilead is still called a city of Ephraim, whereas the region of Gilead was ravaged by Tiglath-Pileser already in 734 B.C. Thus, on the basis of the book’s indications, the time of the prophet’s ministry can be limited to the period from 750 to 735 B.C.

The prophet Hosea had to conduct his ministry under difficult circumstances. The country was experiencing a grave political situation. Jeroboam II expanded the boundaries of the Israeli kingdom from Hamath to the Dead Sea (2 Sam 14:25-28) and gave it power and strength, which it had not had since the days of David and Solomon. But immediately after Jeroboam’s death a rapid decline of the kingdom began. The last representative of the house of Jehu, Zechariah, on the sixth month of his reign fell victim to a conspiracy of Shallum (2 Sam 15:8 and 9). A month later Shallum was killed by Menahem. Menahem was able to hold the throne only with outside help. He received this help from the Assyrian king Pul, paying him a large tribute. The son and successor of Menahem, Pekahiah, after two years of his reign was murdered by Pekah (2 Sam 15:26). Pekah in his turn was deposed and killed by Hoshea (2 Sam 15:30). Thus, after Jeroboam’s death, anarchy was established in the ten-tribe kingdom, the throne passed from one usurper to another, the Assyrians interfered in the country’s internal affairs, soon putting an end to the northern kingdom. The country was also experiencing grave conditions with respect to religious and moral matters. The country was dominated by the worship of calves introduced by Jeroboam I for political reasons, the centers of which were sanctuaries in Bethel and Dan. Representing Jehovah in the image of a calf, the people began to equate Jehovah with pagan deities and, mixing him with the Baals, ascribed to Jehovah the name Baal (Hos 2:16). The unlawful worship of calves in itself became thus a step toward the transition from the religion of Jehovah to pagan worship. This apostasy from Jehovah was reflected in the moral state of the people. Among the people there disappeared fear of both the holiness of the law and the holiness of God. There was neither truth nor kindness; oath-breaking, murder, deceit, theft, adultery (Hos 4:1-2) spread throughout the country, penetrated all levels of society. Priests engaged in robbery and plunder (Hos 4:8), princes “were hot for wickedness, like a heated oven,” the people wallowed in depravity (Hos 4:13-14).

Division of the book and general content. The book of Hosea presents not a collection of separate speeches of the prophet, but a digest of them, a condensed exposition of what the prophet preached during his ministry. This exposition, as in other biblical books, does not have a strictly systematic character. Usually the book of Hosea is divided into two parts: the first includes chapters I-III, and the second chapters IV-XIV. The first part encompasses the beginning of the prophet’s ministry, that is, speeches from the time of Jeroboam II, and the second contains an exposition of the prophet’s reproaching and consoling speeches from a later period of his ministry. Both parts of the book of Hosea are, meanwhile, permeated with one idea, around which all the prophet’s speeches revolve. Corresponding to the state of the people contemporary to the prophet, the book of Hosea has a reproaching character. The starting point of preaching for the prophet is the idea of the marital union of the people of Israel with Jehovah. From the perspective of this idea, the prophet examines both the present of the people and its future. The image of the marital union constantly appears before the prophet, and he uses it both in the symbolic action with which his preaching began, and in subsequent speeches. Jehovah, having established a covenant with the people in love, remained faithful to this covenant. Jehovah’s love for his people never dimmed. He brought Israel out of Egypt (Hos 2:1), gave him the law (Hos 8:12), saved him from enemies (Hos 7:13), raised up prophets for him (Hos 11:2), poured abundant mercies upon him (Hos 12:9). But Israel broke the marital union with Jehovah, became an adulteress and harlot, like Gomer (I-III). Already at the first time after the establishment of the covenant with Jehovah, Israel went to Baal-Peor (Hos 9:10). Later he completely forgot his Creator (Hos 8:14), became attached to idols (Hos 4:17), began to offer incense to the Baals (Hos 2:15), set up altars (Hos 8:2) and perished through Baal. (Hos 13:1). “Exceedingly the land commits prostitution, departing from the Lord” (Hos 1:2). The forgetting of Jehovah and the worship of Baal is the first great sin of Israel. But this sin became the source and cause of other transgressions, which the prophet denounces in his speeches. Connected with the deviation from Jehovah stands first of all the second sin of Israel – departure from the house of David; the people set up kings for themselves (Hos 8:4) or, if they were given to them by God, they were given in anger (Hos 13:9-11). Then, as a consequence of Israel’s ungodly disposition, came the kingdom’s false policy, seeking friendship with foreigners. Wishing to escape God’s punishment through the help of foreigners (Hos 5:13), striving, contrary to its proper calling, to play a role among the nations (Hos 7:8), Israel began to make alliances with Egypt and Assyria, and this making of alliances was accompanied by “empty and false words and oaths” (Hos 12:2). – “And Ephraim became,” the prophet says, “like a foolish dove without understanding, calling on Egypt, going to Assyria” (Hos 7:11). And so the results of this policy: “Ephraim is mixed with the peoples… Strangers devour his strength, and he does not know it, gray hairs are scattered upon him, and he does not know” (Hos 7:8-9). Finally, deviation from Jehovah led the people to extreme moral decline (Hos 4:1-2) “there is no truth, nor kindness, nor knowledge of God in the land; swearing and breaking faith, killing and stealing and committing adultery abound” and bloodshed follows bloodshed. By denouncing the people’s apostasy, the prophet at the same time delineates for it an ideal toward which it ought to strive. Israel must be a faithful wife to Jehovah and not remember the name of the Baals (Hos 2:16-17). It must seek the Lord its God and David, its king (Hos 3:5). It must know (jadah) the Lord, for knowledge of God in God’s eyes has greater value than entire burnt offerings, because the Lord says: “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hos 6:6). The Hebrew verb jadah – to know – conveys the idea of such knowledge as is based on the closest, immediate union with what is known and therefore is used to denote marital relations. When the prophet puts forward knowledge of God as an ideal for the people, he means not the acquisition of theoretical knowledge about God, but precisely the achievement of the closest fellowship with God, unity in love. The absence of knowledge of God, that is, love for God, was the cause of the people’s moral transgressions; the achievement of knowledge of God will be for them the source of new, pure life. The means for the return of the people to the goal of their election, according to the thought of the prophet Hosea, will be punishment. Like his older contemporary Amos, Hosea speaks with decisiveness about the inevitability of punishment for the Israeli kingdom. This punishment the prophet represents under the image of the people’s return to Egypt (Hos 8:13). The prophet proclaims the coming destruction of the kingdom, deportation into captivity and scattering of the people (Hos 11:1), decrease in its numbers (Hos 9:11), destruction of the royal house (Hos 10:7) destruction of sanctuaries (Hos 10:8) and the coming of a series of heavy calamities (Hos 13:7-6). Amid these calamities, according to Amos, Hosea proclaims the people’s remaining without God’s revelation (Hos 3:4), as well as the loss of sacrifices and altars (Hos 3:4). In general, according to the prophet’s thought, in order to fulfill its purpose, to be cleansed, to live, the people must die, and only by a creative, divine act can it be raised to life. The prophet foresees that time when the Lord will return his people from the land of captivity (Hos 1:11), will raise him from death, and he will live before his face (Hos 6:2), when even the power of death and the dominion of Hades are abolished (Hos 13:14). After this the goal will be realized that was had in view at the calling of Israel. In the new society, – among the new Israel – chaste, like a virgin (Hos 2:19 aras – “to betroth” is used of betrothal to a virgin), numerous, like the sand of the sea, as a result of the joining of those who were not previously the people of God (Hos 1:10), – the marital union with the Lord will be restored in all its purity and depth (Hos 2:16 and following). The foundation of this new covenant on God’s part will be righteousness, judgment, kindness and mercy (Hos 2:19), and on the part of the people, knowledge of the Lord, that is, union with God in love. This restoration of the marital union of the people with the Lord in purity will be accompanied by the restoration of complete harmony in nature, that peace which was once broken by human sin (Hos 2:17-22).

From what has been said it is evident that the prophet Hosea in his speeches appears as a preacher of love for God; in the absence of this love (knowledge of God) he sees the cause of the people’s sins, and in the return to it he points out the true source of life. The depth of feeling, the ardent love for his people are the distinguishing characteristics of the prophet Hosea’s own person. By these qualities the prophet Hosea can be brought close to the New Testament apostle of love, John the Theologian, and his book to the epistles of the beloved disciple of Christ.

In exposition the book of Hosea is distinguished by an abundance of images borrowed from the realm of nature (Compare Hos 2:21 and others), and by rapid transitions from one thought to another, – from denunciation to threat, from threat to promise. In the prophet’s language are found rare words and forms (Hos 4:18 ahavu hevu; Hos 5:13 nahah; Hos 6:10 Schaarurijah and others), as well as deviations from usual construction and spelling (Hos 5:2). In general, the book of Hosea in both content and language represents one of the most difficult books of the Old Testament to understand. The Hebrew text of the book can be considered preserved in sufficient purity, with the deviations of translations from the original, except for a few places (Hos 6:5), being explained by the errors and liberties of the translators.

Literature. Besides the noted general works on the books of the Minor Prophets, the book of Hosea is treated in a series of special monographs. Among them the important ones are – the foreign Wunsche, Der Prophet Hosea. 1868; Nowack, Der Prophet Hosea. 1880; Scholz, Commentar zum Buche Pr. Hosea 1882; Valeton, Amos und Hosea. 1898; Russian – Smirnov, St. Prophet Hosea and Joel; Yavorsky, Symbolic Actions of the Prophet Hosea (1903) and especially Professor I. A. Brodovich, Book of the Prophet Hosea. Introduction and Exegesis. K. 1903. Professor Brodovich’s monograph is a learned commentary on the book of Hosea, compiled on the basis of study of extensive literature.

Chapter One

1. Inscription. 2–9. Symbolic action depicting Israel. 10–11. Consoling promises to Israel.

Hosea 1:1. The word of the Lord that came to Hosea, son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel. The inscription of the book, speaking about the person of the prophet and the time of his activity.

Hosea 1:2. The beginning of the word of the Lord to Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea: Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land commits great harlotry by forsaking the Lord. “The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea”: an inscription, which is thought to relate to the first three chapters of the book of Hosea. – From the second half of verse 2 begins the description of the symbolic action. In this symbolic action (compare also the note to chapter III) the prophet depicts Jehovah, the harlot Gomer – the people of Israel, the children of the harlot – the generation of Israel contemporary to the prophet. The criminal life of Gomer – an image of the idolatrous life of Israel, the symbolic names of her children – a prediction of the future fate of the people of Israel. – Hosea receives a commandment from the Lord to take a “wife of harlotry (escheth senunim) and children of harlotry” (jaldej senunim) to express that the land of Israel greatly commits harlotry. The expression (akach ischsich) “to take a wife” means in biblical language – to enter into marriage (Compare Gen 4:19). Thus the prophet is not simply commanded to take a woman into his house – (for example with the purpose of reforming her) or to enter into sexual relations with her, but precisely – to enter with her into lawful marriage. The woman whom the prophet is commanded to take is called escheth senunim, a woman of harlotries, that is, wholly devoted to harlotry. Although the word sanun, harlotry, is used in the Bible, and in particular in the prophet Hosea, often in a metaphorical sense, denoting idolatry (Compare Hos 2:2), in the verse under consideration, as is clear from the context, the prophet speaks of harlotry in the proper sense. Many commentators (Hitzig, Hengstenberg, Hoonacker) believe that the woman is called a harlot not in regard to her past, but in view of her future infidelity to the prophet. “And children of harlotry”, vejaldej senunim, in Slavonic (from the Vulgate) “and give birth to (fac) children of harlotry”. About what children of harlotry is the speech? The form of the prophet’s expression (go, take), as it were, speaks to the fact that children of harlotry – the illegitimate children of Gomer, distinct from those named later (Jezreel, Lo-Ruhamah, Lo-Ammi). The prophet, thus, receives a commandment to take these children, that is, probably to acknowledge them as his, to adopt them. But according to the opinion of the majority of exegetes (Ephrem the Syrian, Blessed Theodoret, Hengstenberg, Nowack) in verse 2 the future children of the prophet are meant, whose names are given later in Hos 1:3 and who were born after Gomer entered into marriage with the prophet. They are called children of harlotry either because they were the fruit of Gomer’s conjugal infidelity, or in view of their own moral depravity. Thus the characterization of Gomer and the children in verse 2 is made on the basis of a prediction of their future life. “For the land commits great harlotry by departing from the Lord”. The prophet has in mind only the land of the ten-tribe kingdom, for according to Hos 1:7 it is she who will face punishment for harlotry. Under the latter the prophet understands idolatry.

Hosea 1:3. And he went and took Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. Exegetes who consider Hosea’s symbolic action merely as an allegory try to find an allegorical sense also in the names mentioned in verse 3 – Gomer, Diblaim. The name “Gomer” (Gomer) is derived from the root gamar, taking the latter either in the sense of to finish, to complete (Ps 56:3) or in the sense of to end, to cease (Ps 7:10). From this Blessed Jerome translates Gomer with the word τετελεσμένη finished, “the most perfect daughter of sensuality”; so too Keil, Hengstenberg, Scholz; others render it with the word – “perfection” (Hitzig), “destruction” “ruin” (Gesenius, Hoffmann). The name Diblaim according to Blessed Jerome’s interpretation means παλαθας (παλάθη – paste), according to others (Gesenius, Hoffmann) “fig cake”, “fig”. The variety of interpretations shows that it is difficult to find in the name Gomer an allegorical sense corresponding to Gomer’s significance in the prophet’s narrative. From this it is concluded that this is not an invented name of the prophet, but a purely historical one (Ewald, Nowack, Brodovich, Yavorsky). – The word “Diblaim” some authors want to understand in the sense of a geographical name, the place of origin of Gomer, considering, at the same time, Gomer to be a Moabite (compare Num 33:46; Jer 33:22). But it is simpler to see in this name the name of a person. “And she conceived and bore a son”: the form of expression (compare Isa 8:3: “and I approached the prophetess, and she conceived, and bore”), commentators reasonably believe, gives the thought that Jezreel and subsequent children of Gomer were not the prophet’s children.

Hosea 1:4. And the Lord said to him: Call his name Jezreel, for yet a little while and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. The prophet gives the first son a symbolic name according to God’s command – Jezreel. This name must serve as a sign that the Lord “will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel” and will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. Jezreel (now the village Zerin) – a city and valley in the tribe of Issachar (Josh 19:18). In Jezreel was the palace of Ahab (1 Sam 21:1) and the residence of the king, so that the city, along with Samaria, was temporarily the capital of the ten-tribe kingdom. The valley adjacent to it was called the valley of Esdralon (Jude 1:8), the valley of Megiddo (2 Chr 35:22) and the great valley (1 Macc 12:49). As for the meaning of the name Jezreel, it can be interpreted in two ways: God scatters and God sows. In the denunciatory part of his speech Hosea uses the name Jezreel in the first sense, in the consoling part (Hos 2:23) – in the second. “The blood of Jezreel of the house of Jehu” – the prophet, without doubt, has in mind the event described in 2 Sam 9:21, namely the destruction of the house of Ahab by Jehu, anointed as king of Israel. For the shedding of innocent blood of Naboth (1 Sam 21:1-16), for the killing by Jezebel of the prophets of God and, in general, for the extreme impiety, the house of Ahab was, by God’s judgment, subject to destruction. The executor of this judgment was Jehu, who killed in Jezreel the son of Ahab, king Joram (2 Sam 9:21-26), the wife of Ahab, Jezebel, and seventy of his sons, all his officials and priests (2 Sam 9:30-10:11). For the execution of judgment on the house of Ahab, Jehu, according to the testimony of the writer of Kings, received the promise that his sons to the fourth generation would sit on the throne of Israel (2 Sam 10:30). But the destruction of the house of Ahab was only a means in the struggle against idolatry and impiety being spread in the ten-tribe kingdom under the patronage of Ahab. “The blood of Jezreel” had as its final purpose the restoration in pure form of the trampled religion of Jehovah, which Jehu was supposed to accomplish. But Jehu did not prove himself equal to his calling. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, that is, from the worship of the golden calves (2 Sam 10:29) which had such a disastrous effect by the time of Hosea (Hos 4:13-14 and others) on the religious life of the people. The successors of Jehu also patronized this cult. Thus the bloodshed in Jezreel not only lost its value, but also turned into a sin lying on the house of Jehu and demanding vengeance. According to the prophet’s word, the Lord in the near future (“yet a little while”) will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, that is, will overthrow the dynasty of Jehu, and then will put an end to the house of Israel, that is, will destroy royal power in general in the ten-tribe kingdom. The overthrow of the house of Jehu was accomplished soon after Jeroboam’s death in the fact of the murder by Shallum of Zechariah in the sixth month of the latter’s reign. But this was the beginning of the end, that is, the anarchy that was established in the ten-tribe kingdom and after 50 years ended in its conquest. In our Slavonic text, corresponding to the Greek, instead of the words from the house of Jehu it reads “on the house of Judah”. This reading is erroneous; it is refuted both by ancient translations and by the context. Instead of the words: “I will put an end to the kingdom” in Slavonic “I will give rest”, καταπαύσω as a result of a literal translation of the Hebrew by the Septuagint vehischbathi (from sehabath).

Hosea 1:5. And it shall be on that day, I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel. “And on that day”, that is, on the day of punishment of the house of Israel. I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel. The bow – an image of military power (compare Gen 10:24; 2 Sam 1:4; Jer 1:35). The prophet, thus, speaks about the defeat of the Israeli army in war, in battle in the valley of Jezreel that preceded the fall of the kingdom. In the narrative of the conquest of the ten-tribe kingdom by the Assyrians there is no mention of a battle on the Jezreel plain. But in view of the fact that this plain was on one hand the key to dominating the whole country, and on the other presented reliable means for resistance, it is quite natural that it was on the Jezreel plain that the Israelites made their last attempt to halt the Assyrian advance.

Hosea 1:6. And she conceived again and bore a daughter. And He said to him: Call her name Loruhamah, for I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them. Instead of the words “to forgive them” (ki nasa essa lachem, that I forgiving, would forgive them) in Slavonic according to the Septuagint text: “opposing, I will oppose them”: they presume that the Septuagint read the words nasa essa as nasi aschith, άντιτασσαμενος αντιταξομαι.

Hosea 1:7. But the house of Judah I will have mercy on and will save them in the Lord their God, I will save them neither by bow nor by sword nor by war nor by horses and horsemen. At the same time as the punishment of Israel, God’s mercy will be manifested toward Judah, which for its faithfulness to Jehovah will be saved by almighty power. The prophet, it must be supposed, has in mind the coming invasions of the Assyrians, during which there was manifested a different relation of Jehovah toward Israel and Judah: the ten-tribe kingdom was destroyed by the Assyrians, but under the walls of Jerusalem the Assyrian army was destroyed by miraculous power. (Isa 36:1). “The house of Judah”: in Greek Slavonic “the sons of Judah”; the Septuagint often translates the Hebrew beith through υἰοί – sons (compare Gen 45:11; Josh 17:17), while the words banim, sons, are translated as οΐκος house. Not by war, that is, not by military skill.

Hosea 1:8. And when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. Hosea 1:9. And He said: Call his name Lo-ammi, for you are not My people, and I will not be your God. Through the symbolic name Lo-Ammi, the prophet proclaims the rejection of Israel, compare 2 Sam 17:18: “and the Lord was very angry with the Israelites and rejected them from his presence. Not one was left of the house of Israel.”

Hosea 1:10. But the number of the sons of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted; and in the place where it was said to them, “You are not My people,” it shall be said to them, “You are sons of the living God.” Verse 10 in Hebrew is 2:1; in the Septuagint verses 9–10 are assigned to chapter I. The speech concerns the ten-tribe kingdom. From a comparison of verse 10 with what precedes it, one must conclude that, according to the prophet’s thought, the rejection of Israel will be only temporary, and therefore the promise given to the fathers (Gen 22:17) concerning the multiplication of their descendants is not abolished by the threat. “Like the sand of the sea”: a common image in the Old Testament, expressing the idea of an innumerable multitude. “And in the place where it was said” (in Slavonic “and it shall be, in the place in which it was said to them”), that is, in Palestine, where the rejection of Israel was proclaimed and to which Israel will eventually be gathered from the places of its scattering.

Hosea 1:11. And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel shall gather together, and they shall appoint themselves one head, and they shall go up from the land of exile, for great is the day of Jezreel! The form of the prophet’s speech is borrowed from the fact of the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt, when the entire people gathered and was appointed for all the tribes of Israel a single head – a leader and lawgiver Moses. The exodus from Egypt serves for the prophet in verse 11 as an image of the future, namely, the liberation of Israel from Assyrian captivity. “They shall go up from the land”, vealah min haarez. Some interpreters understand the verb alah in the sense of – “to march out beyond”, “to go out to battle”. Therefore they interpret all the expression as a prediction of future conquests for the purpose of expanding territory (Hitzig, Umbreit). But the context of the speech and the use of the verb alah do not provide grounds for such an interpretation of the words under consideration. “For great is the day of Jezreel”, that is, the day of the beginning of the captivity of Israel, the day when Israel will be defeated and scattered in the valley of Jezreel (compare Hos 1:4-5); this day is great by its consequences for the future, as it will lead to the turning of Israel and union with the house of Judah. The church fathers (Blessed Jerome, Theodoret, Cyril of Alexandria), in explaining verse 11 pay attention to the meaning of the word Jezreel, understanding it in the sense of God sows. All the expression, according to their interpretation, means: glorious is the day when the people will go up from the land of captivity and become the seed of the living God (Jezreel).

Chapter Two

1–15. Israel’s transgressions and punishment for them. 16–19. Israel’s future repentance. 20–23. Restoration of the covenant between the people and God.

Hosea 2:1. Say to your brothers, “My people,” and to your sisters, “Mercy has been shown.” Verse 1 by its content belongs to the end of the preceding chapter and contains a consoling promise that mercy of God will be returned to Israel. “Say…” the prophet contemplates the people whom God has had mercy on and demands that its members address one another with new names (ammi – My people, ruchamah – “She has obtained mercy”), which have been given to them by God. The prediction contained in the end of chapter 1 (Hos 1:10) and in the beginning Hos 2 by the prophet about the coming change in Israel’s fate was in part fulfilled in the fact of the return from Babylonian captivity, when under the leadership of Zerubbabel, a descendant of David, the remnants of the ten-tribe kingdom united with the Judeans. But the prophet’s vision, obviously, penetrates in the verses under consideration into a more distant future, and it is here precisely that the prophet expects the fulfillment of his predictions. The number of the children of Israel became as the sand of the sea only when Israel according to the spirit appeared, when all who believed in Christ began to enter the Church. The words of the prophet: in the place where they were told, “You are not my people,” they will be told, “You are the children of the living God” were fully realized only when Gentiles became the children of God through entry into the Church. Therefore Apostle Peter (1 Pet 2:10) and Paul (Rom 9:26) cite the words of the prophet Hosea (Hos 1:10) as a prophecy about the calling of the Gentiles to sonship in Christ.

Hosea 2:2. Contend with your mother, contend; for she is not My wife, and I am not her husband; let her put away her harlotry from her face and her adultery from between her breasts. From verse 2 begins the denunciation of Israel’s transgressions. As is evident from Hos 2:3 the speech is conducted from the person of Jehovah, not from the prophet. “Plead with your mother”. The prophet represents under the image of a mother the whole society of Israel, in relation to which individual members are children. The call of the prophet is directed to those members who, during the apostasy of the entire people to idolatry, remained faithful to Jehovah. “Plead”, that is, protest, oppose impiety, in order to prevent punishment. By the twofold repetition of the call (“plead, plead”) the prophet emphasizes the urgency of this call and the necessity to heed it quickly. Let her put away her harlotries from her face: the address relates both to Gomer, evidently having broken her marital union with the prophet, and to Israel, having defiled the covenant with Jehovah. Regarding Israel, harlotry is the deviation into the worship of the Baals. In the Greek and Slavonic texts instead of the imperative “let her put away” is read the future tense and “I will put away”.

Hosea 2:3. So that I may strip her naked and expose her as on the day of her birth, and make her like a wilderness, and make her like a dry land, and cause her to die of thirst. A husband of an unfaithful wife can take back all his gifts and as it were strip her naked. In like manner Jehovah will deprive the unfaithful people of all his gifts. Israel will again come to such a miserable state as it was in “on the day of her birth,” – that is, on the eve of its political independence, during its stay in Egypt (Blessed Theodoret) and at the time of the exodus from Egypt; it will become like “a wilderness and a parched land”, that is, it will be deprived of necessary food. The prophet, without doubt, has in mind the times of captivity.

Hosea 2:4. And I will have no mercy on her children, for they are children of harlotry. Punishment will befall both the whole society (“mother”) and individual members (“children”). These children are “children of harlotry”, that is, as St. Ephrem explains, together with the mother sank into her evil deeds.

Hosea 2:5. For their mother has played the harlot; she who conceived them has done shamefully, for she said, “I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my linen, my oil and my drink.” The reason for the mother – Israel’s deviation to harlotry (idolatry) lies in the false idea that idols (lovers) give her both food and clothing, and all that is necessary. Instead of the words “wool and flax” in Slavonic from Greek “my garments and my cloaks”.

Hosea 2:6. Therefore behold, I will hedge up her way with thorns and build a wall around her, so that she cannot find her paths. “Therefore” – for the deviation to idolatry – “I will hedge up her way with thorns”: an image of the straits and deprivations that Israel will experience in captivity and which will cause her to cease from idolatry (will not find her lovers).

Hosea 2:7. And she will pursue her lovers but will not overtake them, and she will seek them but will not find them. And she will say, “Let me go and return to my first husband, for then it was better with me than now.” “And she shall pursue her lovers but shall not overtake them”. The prophet expresses the idea that Israel will serve idols zealously, but will not receive the salvation she expects from them. This will cause her to come to her senses (and she shall say) and return to her first husband, that is, to Jehovah.

Hosea 2:8. But she did not know that I, I gave her the grain and the wine and the oil, and multiplied silver and gold for her, which they used for Baal. “Made idols for Baal”, Hebrew asu labbaal: the verb asah with a preposition means to make something (Isa 1:17) and to use for something (2 Chr 24:7). In verse 8 it is better to understand the verb asah in the latter sense. Thus the prophet rebukes Israel for using the silver and gold received from Jehovah to support the worship of the Baals. Under the name Baal the prophet understands all idols, including the golden calves, which in 1 Sam 14:9 are placed alongside idols.

Hosea 2:10. And now I will uncover her shame before the eyes of her lovers, and no one shall rescue her from My hand. “In the sight of her lovers”, that is, before the idols, who will not help Israel on the day of judgment upon her.

Hosea 2:11. And I will put an end to all her mirth, her feasts and her new moons, and her Sabbaths, and all her appointed seasons. The people are threatened with deprivation of festivals, which were days of rejoicing. “Her feasts”: probably the annual festivals – Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles are meant here.

Hosea 2:12. And I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees, about which she said, “These are my wages, which my lovers have given me,” and I will make them a forest, and the wild beasts shall eat them. The words of the prophet can be understood directly about the laying waste of gardens and vineyards. But besides that, the vine and the fig tree in the Old Testament writers are images and, in general, of all goods sent by God (compare 1 Sam 4:25; Isa 36:16; Joel 2:22). The prophet threatens the taking away of these goods. “My lovers” – that is, idols. Instead of the words and “I will make them a forest” (lejaar) in Slavonic “and I will turn them into a testimony” είς μαρτύριον; evidently the Septuagint instead of jaar (forest) read a similar word ed (testimony). The final words of the Slavonic text (“and the birds of heaven, and the creeping things of the earth”) are not in the original, nor in other translations except the Greek. Probably they are a gloss taken from Hos 2:18 and fell from the margins into the text.

Hosea 2:13. And I will punish her for the days when she made offerings to the Baals, when she burned incense to them and decked herself with her jewelry and went after her lovers, and forgot Me, says the Lord. “And I will punish her for the days of serving the Baals”. At different times and in different places Baal was worshipped in different forms. In the Bible are mentioned Baal of the Covenant, baal-berith (Judg 8:33), Baal of the Flies baal-zevuv (2 Sam 1:2-3), Baal-Peor (baal-peor; Hos 9:10). Therefore the prophet uses the name Baal in the plural in Hos 2. – The Slavonic text “nose-rings” Hebrew nesem Greek ενώτια a ring of gold or ivory, which was hung from the nostrils or ears (Gen 35:4; Ezek 16:12); “necklaces”, Hebrew сhali καθόρμια, a neck ornament of precious stones (Prov 25:12; Song 2:1).

Hosea 2:14. Therefore behold, I will allure her, bring her into the wilderness, and speak to her heart. The speech of the prophet in verses 14–15 is wholly figurative in character. Therefore it is not easy to establish its precise meaning. Among both ancient and modern commentators verses 14–15 are understood both as a consoling promise (in bono sensu) and as a threat (in malo sensu). According to the Septuagint translation (Slavonic: “I will seduce her and make her like a wilderness”) and according to Blessed Theodoret’s explanation, in verse 14 the prophet speaks of captivity, when, having become a captive, the unfaithful wife will wander and be deprived of all goods (also Hitzig, Ewald). According to the interpretation of Blessed Jerome, the Lord will caress the land of Israel and lead it out from evils (“bring into the wilderness”). The majority of commentators understand the prophet’s words in the latter sense, that is, as a consoling promise. The prophet likens the future salvation of the people to the miraculous deliverance from Egypt and borrows his images from the events of that period. “Bring her into the wilderness”… the prophet has in mind the Arabian wilderness, where, after leaving Egypt, Israel was brought up as a people of God and where the mercies of the Lord were poured out upon him. “And speak tenderly to her”, that is, to console (compare Gen 34:8; Judg 19:3; Isa 40:1-2). Instead of “I will allure her” in Slavonic: “I will seduce her”. The Septuagint understood the verb patach (to persuade, to seduce) in malo sensu.

Hosea 2:15. And I will give her from there her vineyards and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope, and she shall sing there as in the days of her youth and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. And I will give her from there (mischscham) her vineyards. The grapevine – an image of goods sent by God. The prophet wants to say that just as once Israel, having passed through the wilderness, entered the land of vineyards, so also in the future he will enjoy precious goods. “And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope”. The image is borrowed from the time when the Hebrews entered the land of Canaan. The Valley of Achor – (Hebrew achor – trouble) a valley that was on the northern border of the tribe of Judah, near Jericho (Josh 15:7). Here God’s judgment was executed on Achan, who hid part of the cursed thing (Josh 7:1). After this judgment God’s anger turned away from Israel. Thus the Valley of Achor became a memorial of how the Lord, after cleansing the people’s guilt through the punishment of the transgressor, returned his mercy to the community (Brodovich). This return of God’s mercy to Israel, according to the prophet’s thought, will happen again in the future. “And she will sing there as in the days of her youth”, that is, she will sing a song of thanksgiving for salvation. The prophet, obviously, recalls the song sung at the crossing of the Red Sea (Exod 15:1) and from this takes his image. In Slavonic instead of the words and I will give her from there her vineyards (et keramajha) is read – “and I will give her possessions (κτήματα) her thence”: the Septuagint often uses the general instead of the particular. Instead of the words “and she will sing (veanethah) there” in Slavonic from Greek “and she will humble herself (ταπεινωθήσεται) there”. The verb anah has several meanings: to answer, to sing, to humble oneself. In the sense of to sing, to answer, the verb is understood by most ancient translations (Aquila υπακούσει, Theodotian άποκριθήσεται, Vulgate canet).

Hosea 2:16. And it shall be on that day, says the Lord, you will call Me “My husband,” and you will no longer call Me “My Baal.” Hosea 2:17. And I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips, and they shall be remembered no more. “Baal” – “My Lord”. The prophet proclaims the restoration of Israel’s marital relations with Jehovah, that is, the restoration of the Covenant. The name Baal in verse 16, apparently, is used in its common meaning – master, as it is contrasted with the common noun my husband. The prophet wants to express the idea that when the marital relations of Israel to Jehovah are restored in purity, the foundation of these relations will be not so much fear (“you will no longer call me, My Master”) as love (“my husband”). If we understand the name Baal in its proper sense, then the prophet’s meaning will be: the people will not only cease to call Jehovah Baal – and thus confuse them, introduce pagan elements into the worship of Jehovah – but will also generally forget the name Baal.

Hosea 2:18. And I will make a covenant for them on that day with the beasts of the field and the birds of heaven and the creeping things of the earth, and I will break the bow and the sword and war from the land, and I will make them lie down safely. The Lord’s mercy toward the people will be expressed in that the Lord will, as it were, make a covenant with animals for the benefit of Israel, (compare Isa 2:4; Zech 9:10). At the same time Jehovah will protect Israel also from people, so that the instruments of war and war itself will be abolished.

Hosea 2:19. And I will betroth you to Me forever, and I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in kindness and mercy. Hosea 2:20. And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord. “And I will betroth you”. The verb aras – to betroth is used of betrothal to a virgin (Deut 20:7). Thus the prophet expresses the idea that Israel will enter the new marital union with Jehovah as a chaste virgin, that is, Israel’s sinful past will, by God’s mercy, be forgotten. Through the threefold repetition of the words betroth, the prophet aims to assure of the infallible fulfillment of the great promise. Characterizing the new marital union of Israel with Jehovah, the prophet says that its foundation will be righteousness and justice (“I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice”), that is, the righteousness of God and his Justice, cleansing from all defilement, steadfast love and mercy (Slavonic: “in mercy and in compassion”). The pledge of the indissolubility of the covenant will be “faithfulness” (emunath) of God, that is, firmness, immutability. The consequence of the restoration of the covenant will be that Israel shall know (vejadath) the Lord; the Hebrew verb jadah expresses the idea not of theoretical knowledge alone of God, but of inner union with him in love.

Hosea 2:21. And it shall be on that day, I will answer, says the Lord, I will answer the heavens, and they will answer the earth. Hosea 2:22. And the earth will answer the grain and the wine and the oil, and they will answer Jezreel. In a series of images the prophet expresses the idea that Jehovah will hear every petition of the mercied people, and nature, which is in the “hand of God”, will serve the well-being of Israel. In the world there will come complete harmony. “They shall answer Jezreel”, that is, Israel. The prophet calls Israel by the symbolic name Jezreel, with the meaning of the latter name in mind – “God will sow”.

Hosea 2:23. And I will sow her for Myself in the land, and I will have mercy on Lo-ruhamah, and I will say to Lo-ammi, “You are My people,” and he shall say, “You are my God!” At the time of the blessed state of Israel the inauspicious names of the prophet’s sons – Jezreel, Lo-Ruhamah, and Lo-Ammi – will be changed to names full of good tidings. The course of the prophet’s thought and the expressions he has chosen show that in his consoling promise he has in mind not only the immediate future – liberation from captivity – but also the distant, which came with the advent of the Messiah. The end of chapter II represents the unfolding of the Messianic promise Hos 1:10 and Hos 2:1, and verse 23 in the New Testament (1 Pet 2:10; Rom 9:25) is interpreted as a proclamation of the calling of the Gentiles to divine sonship in Christ.

Chapter Three

1. God’s commandment to the prophet. 2–3. The prophet’s execution of the commandment. 4–5. Symbolic significance of the prophet’s actions.

Hosea 3:1. And the Lord said to me: Go again, love a woman loved by another man, an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the sons of Israel, while they turn to other gods and love raisins of wine. Through a new symbolic action the prophet proclaims God’s forgiveness of the sinful people. “And the Lord said to me: Go again, and love a woman beloved by an affectionate husband, but an adulteress”. The meaning of the commandment received by the prophet is understood differently. Many exegetes (Hengstenberg, Keil, Scholz) see in verse 1 a reference to the prophet’s second marriage with another woman unknown by name. At the same time it is supposed that Gomer either died or was divorced. But the majority of commentators understand by the woman whom the prophet is commanded to love the wife named in chapter I, Gomer. This understanding is based on the following reasons: a) If the woman of whom the prophet speaks were different from Gomer, the prophet would have given more definite information about her, as he did in Hos 1:3. b) True, the word ischah, woman in Hos 3:1 does not have the article, which causes doubt in relating this word to a person mentioned earlier and known to the reader; but the example of such omission of the article by the prophet Hosea is encountered repeatedly (compare Hos 5:11 acharej zav “according to the ordinance” Hos 4:11 ikkah lev, seize the heart; with the words zav and lev one would expect the article here). c) From the context it is evident that through symbolic action the prophet wants to point to the unchanging love of God for Israel, despite Israel’s betrayal and unfaithfulness. This idea will be expressed only if under the wife in verse 1 we understand Gomer, who betrayed the prophet and yet is loved by him. d) Of the woman it is said that she is loved by an affectionate husband, Hebrew achubath rea, properly loved by a friend (Slavonic “loving evil,” because the Septuagint instead of rea read ra – wickedness). In this place rea can denote a lover or husband (compare Jer 3:1; Song 5:16). Since of the woman, loved by rea, it is noted that she “commits adultery” (and not prostitution), it seems, under rea, whose faithfulness is violated, we must understand the husband. Thus a wife is loved by a husband. At the same time the prophet is also commanded to love the woman. Assuredly, the prophet could not have been commanded to appropriate another’s wife and violate the sanctity of another’s marriage. Therefore it is necessary to conclude that the prophet is commanded to love his own wife, that is, that under the wife in Hos 3:1 is meant the wife mentioned in chapter 1, Gomer. The meaning of the commandment “love a woman” is not entirely clear. But this commandment cannot be understood in the sense of a commandment to enter into marriage, as the term lakach eschschah (take a wife) is usually used in the Old Testament to denote the conclusion of a marital union. Besides, the idea of the prophet’s second marriage is excluded by the fact that there is no mention of either Gomer’s death or divorce from her. In view of what has been said, in the commandment to love a woman one should see only an indication “of a new episode from the history of the prophet’s marriage with Gomer” (Brodovich). We must suppose that Gomer not only violated her marital union with the prophet but completely left him in order with greater freedom to indulge her evil inclination. Now the prophet receives a commandment “to love her again”, that is, to find her, once more declare his love to her and “renew the signs of love” (Kurtz, Nowack, Ruzemont, Brodovich). – “They love raisin cakes” asihischej anavim, Slavonic: “variances with currants,” πέμματα μετά σταιριδος, pastry with raisins: probably these cakes were offered as sacrifices to idols and used for sacrificial meals.

Hosea 3:2. And I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer of barley and a half homer of barley. Hosea 3:3. And I said to her: “Many days you shall remain for me; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you be with another man; so also I will be for you.” In verses 2 and 3 is reported the prophet’s execution of God’s commandment. It is not entirely clear what exactly was done by the prophet. The Hebrew vaekreha (Russian “and he bought”), translated by commentators differently (Abenezra – “became acquainted”, Umbreit, Hitzig, Nowack – “bought”, Keil, Scholz – “acquired”, Kurtz – “made a contract”) is best, together with the Septuagint, understood in the sense of hired (έμισθωσάμην), made a contract. Apparently, before renewing marital relations with Gomer, the prophet assigned her, as it were, a penance with the purpose of correcting her and strengthening her in virtue: namely, for a certain time Gomer was to refrain from all sexual relations. At the same time the prophet gave his wife means of subsistence, but very meager means (to strengthen in her the thought of the necessity of humility), namely barley, from which the worst bread was made, and a small sum of money (according to the Greek and Slavonic texts also “a little wine”). These means were given to the wife herself, and not to her parents or to her lover as a ransom, as some commentators suppose (Scholz, Knabenbauer, Ewald, Nowack): the existence among the Hebrews of a custom of buying wives from parents or relatives cannot be proven, and the supposition that the prophet negotiated with his wife’s lover is unnatural. “Nor shall I have intercourse with you”, that is, the prophet will be in the same relations with his wife as she ought to be with other men, – in other words, will not have sexual relations with her.

Hosea 3:4. For the sons of Israel shall remain many days without a king and without a prince and without a sacrifice, without an altar, without an ephod and teraphim. In verse 4 is given an explanation of the prophet’s symbolic action. Like Gomer, Israel in captivity will be deprived of civil government and the worship of Jehovah. At the same time she will reject idols with disgust. “Without pillar”. Hebrew mazzebah from nazab to set up, – means properly a stone, a statue, a stone memorial. Such pillars were used by pagans in honor of Baal (Exod 23:24; 2 Sam 3:2), and by the Hebrews were dedicated to Jehovah (Gen 28:18). By the law of Moses mazzeboth, in view of their use by the Canaanites, were forbidden (Exod 23:24; Lev 26:1; Deut 7:5 and others). But nevertheless they were widely distributed both in the Israeli people and in the Judahite Kingdom (1 Sam 14:23; 2 Sam 17:10 and others). “Ephod and teraphim” Slavonic “neither priesthood, nor manifestation”: ephod – the high priest’s upper garment, on which was placed the breastplate with Urim and Thummim; teraphim – human-like idols, depicting household gods. Teraphim were considered gods-oracles, to which the people turned for prediction of the future (Ezek 21:26; Zech 10:2; compare Judg 17:1). The Septuagint understood the Hebrew teraphim as referring to the Urim and Thummim and therefore translated the word as δήξοι, Slavonic “manifestation”.

Hosea 3:5. Afterward the sons of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king, and they shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days. The prophet speaks of the consequences of Israel’s punishment. As the apostasy from Jehovah was accompanied by Israel’s estrangement from the house of David, so also the turning to Jehovah will be accompanied by reunion with David. The words “in the latter days”, denoting in prophetic speeches usually the Messianic time (Isa 2:2; Ezek 38:8; Jer 30:24 and others), show that by David the prophet means not the royal dynasty of David, but the great descendant of David – the Messiah. Slavonic: “they will wonder about the Lord” εκστήσονται, means: they will stand in awe, tremble before the Lord. Chapters I-III contain a description of the prophet’s symbolic action. Was this symbolic action actually carried out? On this question there are three opinions in the exegetical literature. Some commentators accept the prophet’s account as a literary device, a parable or allegory for expressing a certain truth; others consider chapters I-III to be a description of what the prophet experienced only in spirit, in spiritual contemplation or vision; still others, finally, believe that the prophet is recounting actual external facts, a symbolic action that was performed. The first understanding (allegorical) is defended by the most well-known exegetes of Rosenmüller, Hitzig, Wünsche, Hoonacker; among Russians by Smirnov; the second (visionary) was expressed by Blessed Jerome, then was shared by the entire Origenian school, Jewish commentators and in modern times was upheld by Hengstenberg and Keil; the third (realistic) understanding of chapters I-III in antiquity had as its defenders St. Cyril, Blessed Theodoret, and in modern times – Kurtz, Schegg, Nowack, Cheyne and others, Russian commentators – Bishop Palladius, Brodovich and Yavorsky. The visionary understanding of the chapters in question of the book of Hosea at the present time has no defenders and can be rejected without hesitation. For the inner experience by the prophet of his figurative account, one cannot point to any purpose, and the very process of this experience is incomprehensible. It is more difficult to make a choice from the two remaining understandings of chapters I-III – the allegorical and the realistic – since each of them can find in the prophet’s brief narrative more or less firm grounds for itself. In favor of the realistic interpretation, accepted in our literature (Brodovich, Yavorsky), are usually adduced the following principal grounds: 1) the prophet nowhere indicates that he is communicating a parable, but a narrative of actual events; Hos 3:1; Hos 3:1-3 receive a satisfactory meaning only when interpreted in the literal sense. 2) If we admit that the narrative of chapters I-III represents a parable, but that in reality the prophet was either not married at all, or was happy in marriage, then the prophet’s narrative about himself, not corresponding to reality well known to his listeners, should have produced on them a strange impression and aroused only bewilderment. 3) In favor of the literal interpretation one can point also to the fact that the name of the main character – Gomer – cannot be interpreted in an allegorical sense: if chapters I-III represented a parable or generally a fictional narrative, it would be natural to expect that the main character bears a name symbolic in character – a name obviously corresponding in its meaning to the purpose of the narrative. In turn, the allegorists can not without sufficient grounds put forward the following in favor of their interpretation: 1) The form of the narrative itself does not speak to the fact that what is described in chapters I-III was actually performed by the prophet, as it is undoubted that not all symbolic actions were performed (compare Jer 25:15). 2) In interpreting chapter I in the sense of a narrative of a historical fact, the psychological performance of God’s commandment by the prophet is incomprehensible: it is strange to suppose that in contracting marriage the prophet was to be guided by foreknowledge that a certain woman would be an adulteress and would have illegitimate children. 3) In the allegorical understanding of chapters I-III the discrepancy of some features with actual life cannot cause bewilderment, as in a parable or allegory deviations from reality are entirely possible. 4) If we recognize chapters I-III as a parable, then the prophet’s preaching will present something unified; if, however, we see in the chapters under consideration an indication of an actual fact of the prophet’s life, then his preaching will be broken into a series of separate moments, divided by a considerable interval of time, that is, will lose its unity and force of impression. Given the brevity of the prophet Hosea’s narrative and the disputability of many individual expressions in chapters I-III, it is difficult to decidedly prefer one of the interpretations given. But whether we interpret chapters I-III in an allegorical sense, or consider them a description of actual facts from the prophet’s life, the general meaning of the prophet’s denunciations and predictions is clear, and it remains unchanged under both interpretations.

Chapter Four

1–4. Corruption of Israel. 5–10. The coming judgment over the people. 11–14. The nation’s sexual depravity (unchastity) and spiritual (serving idols). 15–19. Warning to Judah and the impending destruction of Israel.

Hosea 4:1. Hear the word of the Lord, sons of Israel, for the Lord has a judgment against the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth and no mercy and no knowledge of God in the land. The prophet’s address is directed to the “children of Israel,” or to the inhabitants of the ten-tribe kingdom. The prophet announces the Lord’s complaint against the inhabitants of this kingdom (“this land”). The complaint arises from the fact that in the land there is “no truth” (emeth), meaning sincerity in words and actions, “nor mercy” (chesed) toward the poor and suffering, “nor knowledge of God” (knowledge of God, Slavonic “knowledge of the Divine”). The prophet Hosea understands the knowledge of God not merely in the sense of theoretical knowledge of God’s essence and attributes (since such knowledge existed), but in the sense of the apprehension of God and inner union with Him in love. The absence of such knowledge of God is the cause of the absence of truth and mercy and the spread of those transgressions which the prophet exposes further.

Hosea 4:2. Swearing and deceit and murder and theft and adultery have spread widely, and blood follows upon blood. Cf. Hos 4:18. “Swearing,” meaning false swearing.

Hosea 4:3. Therefore this land shall mourn, and all who dwell in it shall languish, with the beasts of the field and the birds of heaven, even the fish of the sea shall perish. The prophet proclaims the punishment coming upon the people. This punishment will affect not only men but also animals. “Shall languish,” meaning shall perish. The punishment will consist in the devastation of the land of Israel, resulting in the death of both people and animals. The cause of this devastation will apparently be an invasion by enemies, and specifically by the Assyrians, who later destroyed the Northern Kingdom. The words of the Slavonic text: “and with reptiles of the earth” have no correspondence either in the original or in ancient translations. It is probable this is an addition that originally arose in the margin (cf. Hos 2:18) and was later incorporated into the text.

Hosea 4:4. But let no one contend, and let no one rebuke another; and your people are like those who contend with a priest. The meaning of this verse is unclear and is interpreted variously. Apparently in verse 4 the prophet forbids Israel to dispute the judgment pronounced above. Since the Israelites were inclined to justify themselves and consider the punishment undeserved, the prophet warns them, saying: “let no one contend.” “For your people are like those contending with the priest.” “Your people”—the ten-tribe people of Israel, conceived as a person. According to the Law of Moses, the priest was the judge of the people, who rendered final decisions. One who did not submit to the decision of the priest’s court was, according to the law, subject to death (Deut 17:8-13). And Israel, rising up against God’s determinations, becomes like those audacious people who dispute the priest’s decisions, and deserves the punishment appointed them. The Slavonic text’s expression “as it were a spurned priest,” which does not give a clear meaning, represents a translation from the Greek. In the Greek text, instead of the present ώς αντιλεγόμενος ιερεύς, it was probably previously ώς´ αντ. ιερεύσι, “with priests.”

Hosea 4:5. And you shall fall by day, and the prophet shall fall with you by night, and I will destroy your mother. Destruction will come both day and night. The people (“you shall fall”) will fall, and the prophets will fall with the people—of course, the false prophets who led the people into sin. “I will destroy your mother”—a figurative expression by which the prophet foretells the destruction of the kingdom and people; mother stands for the people or kingdom. Instead of the last expression the Slavonic text reads: “in the night I have made like” (Hebrew vedamithi—ωμοΐωσα) “your mother.” This reading, which does not give a clear meaning, arose because the LXX understood the Hebrew verb damah in the sense of “to be like,” whereas the verb has another meaning more suited to the context of this passage, namely—to cease, to stop, to end, to destroy.

Hosea 4:6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from serving as priest to Me; and since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. According to verse 6, the people will be destroyed because of lack of knowledge of God and because of their unwillingness to gain this knowledge from the source of the knowledge of God—the law, due to their rejection of the law. Instead of the Russian “destroyed shall be My people,” the Slavonic reads: “My people have become like.” This reading arose because the LXX mistakenly produced the Hebrew verb nidmu as in verse 5, from the root damah in the sense “to become like.”

Hosea 4:7. As much as they multiplied, so much do they sin against Me; I will turn their glory into shame. The more the Israelite people increased in number, the more their sins grew quantitatively. For this reason their glory, which rested on their great numbers, will be taken from them and turned into shame.

Hosea 4:8. They feed on the sin of My people and are greedy for their iniquity. Hosea 4:9. And what happens to the people will happen to the priest; and I will punish him according to his ways and repay him for his deeds. The prophet’s speech in verse 8 is addressed to the priests: “They feed on the sin of My people,” meaning they feed on the sacrifices for sins of the people (Lev 6:26). Therefore they desire an increase in the number of sins, because with this the number of sin offerings increases. But since the priests do not differ in their life from the people, the same punishment that falls on the people will fall on them.

Hosea 4:10. They shall eat but not be satisfied; they shall play the harlot but not increase, because they have abandoned service to the Lord. Because of their abandonment of service to Jehovah, the priests will not satisfy their greed, and the people will not increase. Instead of the last expression in the Slavonic text it reads: “and shall not be healed.” It is probable that the LXX, instead of the Hebrew paraz (to multiply), read taraz (to heal, -self).

Hosea 4:11. Harlotry, wine, and strong drink have taken away understanding. Hosea 4:12. My people consult their wooden idols, and their staff gives them oracles, for a spirit of harlotry has led them astray, and they have played the harlot, abandoning their God. Devoting themselves to sensual pleasures, the people at the same time engaged in senseless divination practices. “Consult their wooden idols,” meaning they inquire of idols made of wood, or specifically teraphim, which were credited with the power to foretell the future (Hos 3:4; Zech 10:2). The Slavonic reading: “by marks they inquired” arose from an erroneous Greek reading. In the words “their walking stick gives them answers” the prophet has in mind that method of divination about the future called rhabdomancy or divining by rod. Divination by means of a rod was widespread among many ancient peoples and took various forms. Pagan divinations were connected with the service of pagan gods, which the prophet in verse 12 calls harlotry.

Hosea 4:13. On the mountaintops they sacrifice and on the hills they burn incense under oak and poplar and terebinth, because their shade is pleasant; therefore your daughters play the harlot and your brides commit adultery. Mountaintops, hills, and the shade of large trees were favorite places for pagan idolatry (cf. Num 33:52; Deut 12:12; Isa 15:2 and others). The Slavonic: “and under a poplar” corresponds to the Hebrew libneh, Greek λεύκη (LXX) white poplar, πεύκη (Symmachus, Theodotion), pine. In the Northern Kingdom the worship of Astarte, which was connected with unchastity, predominated, and to which the “daughters” and “daughters-in-law” surrendered themselves.

Hosea 4:14. I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot, nor your brides when they commit adultery, for the men themselves consort with harlots and sacrifice with cult prostitutes, and a foolish people comes to ruin. According to the prophet, the Lord will leave the daughters and daughters-in-law unpunished (Slavonic: “I will not visit”), because the fathers, on whom rests the primary responsibility for their children, are even worse than they in regard to unchastity. Obligated by the law to appear at the sanctuary with their wives for sacrifice, they brought harlots with them. The ending of the verse in the Slavonic text, differing from the Russian reading, says: “and people with understanding consort with harlots” which is an accurate translation from the Greek (ό λάως συνιών συνεπλέκετο μετά πόρνης). The reading ό συνιών (understanding one) arose from an error in Greek from the original ού συνιών as in the commentary of Ephrem the Syrian and in several manuscripts with Noah. The reading σονεπλ. μετά πόρνης arose, as scholars suppose, from an incorrect understanding of the Hebrew verb labat (to fall, to go to ruin), taken by the LXX in the sense of to be joined, to copulate, and from the transfer from the next verse of the word im soneh (“if you play the harlot”), understood in the sense of im sonah, with a harlot.

Hosea 4:15. If you play the harlot, Israel, do not let Judah become guilty; and do not go to Gilgal, and do not go up to Beth-aven, and do not swear, “As the Lord lives!” The prophet exhorts Judah—(the Judean kingdom) not to take part in idolatry and the unchastity of the Israelites. “Do not go to Gilgal.” Gilgals (wheel, circle) were originally called certain monuments that consisted of a group of large stones arranged in a circle. Later the word became the name of localities that were marked by such monuments; there were several such localities (Josh 4:19; Deut 11:30). According to the opinion of most commentators, in the prophet Hosea in the verse under consideration a Gilgal is meant that was located between the Jordan and Jericho at the site of the hill Jilgileh. This Gilgal was full of sacred memories: here Joshua placed a monument to the miraculous crossing of the Jordan (Josh 4:1), the tabernacle stood temporarily (Josh 6:1), the people were circumcised and the first Passover was celebrated in the land of Canaan (Josh 5:3); Samuel held court here (1 Sam 7:16). It is natural that this Gilgal became a place of worship of the calves. “Do not ascend to Bethel,” Slavonic “to the house of the gods.” By Bethel the prophet means Bethel (cf. Amos 4:4), another place of calf worship. This city, glorious for its historical memories (Gen 12:8; Judg 20:18; 1 Sam 7:16; 2 Sam 2:3) once serving, as its name shows, as the house of God, from the time Jeroboam I established the worship of calves there, became a house of idols beith aven. It is with this latter name, which expresses the true character of the city, that the prophet replaces its main historical name. The Hebrew beith aven is translated by the LXX as the house of the gods, Slavonic: “the house of the gods.” The LXX translation arose from assumptions different from those of the Masorites regarding the vowels under the word aven, which the LXX read as if it were ōn. It is possible that the LXX also wished to point out an analogy between Bethel and Egyptian On or Heliopolis, where, as in Bethel, a sacred bull (Mnevis) was worshipped.—Warning the inhabitants of the Judean kingdom not to participate in the worship of calves, the prophet also forbids them the oath in the name of Jehovah, for with their inclination toward idolatry, such an oath would be nothing but hypocrisy and impiety.

Hosea 4:16. For as a stubborn heifer, Israel is stubborn; will the Lord now pasture them like lambs in a broad pasture? Like a heifer not accustomed to the yoke, or according to the Slavonic text pricked by a gadfly (“goaded by a goad”), Israel stubbornly resists the yoke of the law. Therefore the Lord will allow Israel to go free, will leave it in the position of a lamb in a broad pasture (Slavonic: “in an open space”), that is, will leave it defenseless, will provide it, like a lamb, as prey for beasts of prey—the pagan nations. The interrogative form of the last sentence should, in accordance with the testimony of ancient translations and commentators, be turned into an affirmative statement.

Hosea 4:17. Ephraim is devoted to idols; leave him alone! The name Ephraim in verse 17 designates the entire Northern Kingdom, of which the tribe of Ephraim was the most powerful. The words “let him alone” are addressed by the prophet, it is to be thought, to Judah. The Slavonic text’s reading: “prepare yourself obstacles” (instead of the Russian “let him alone”) arose, according to scholars’ supposition, from an erroneous reading of the Hebrew hannach-lo (“let him alone”).

Hosea 4:18. Their drinking is vile; completely have they given themselves to harlotry; their rulers love shame. The speech continues about the corruption of Israel. Instead of the Hebrew text reading “debauchery” (properly “has reached extremity”) “their drinking” the Slavonic text has: “they chose the Canaanites.” It is thought that instead of the Hebrew savcam (sove—wine, drunkenness) the LXX read sevaim, Sabeans, whom they identified with Canaanites; the word “chose” (ηρέτισε) arose from chavar (“joined”) of the preceding verse through the transfer of the word and rearrangement of letters (vachar, to choose). “Their princes”: from the Hebrew literally—“their shields,” meaning those of Ephraim—a figurative expression for the rulers of the land. Instead of maginnejcha (its shields) the LXX probably read migconam, εκ φρυάγματος αυτής, from its pride. Hence in the Slavonic: “loved shame (idolatry) from their fear” (φρύαγμα, neighing, audacity, pride).

Hosea 4:19. The wind shall wrap them in its wings, and they shall be ashamed of their sacrifices. “The wind will wrap them in its wings.” Under the image of the east wind (cf. Hos 12:1) the prophet represents the enemies who will invade the country like a destructive wind, and lead the people into captivity. Then the people’s hope in their idol sacrifices will prove futile and will only bring shame.

Chapter Five

1–15. Exposure of Israel’s wickedness and threats of punishment.

Hosea 5:1. Hear this, O priests, and pay attention, O house of Israel, and listen, O house of the king, for judgment belongs to you, because you have been a snare at Mizpah and a net spread upon Tabor. The prophet addresses those who led the people into sin and guided it to destruction. “Hear this,” meaning the accusations and threats spoken in the preceding chapter. Among the representatives of the people, the prophet names the priests of calf worship and the royal house, meaning the king (probably Menahem, cf. Hos 5:13) and those around him. The guilt of the representatives of the people is that they were a “snare” (pach, παγίς—a trap, net—Slavonic “a snare”) for the people “at Mizpah and a net” (Slavonic: “a net”), “spread upon Tabor.” By Mizpah, as can be concluded from comparison of the locality with Mount Tabor, the prophet understands Mizpah or Mizpeh of Gilead, which lay in the trans-Jordanic region, within the Gilead range (Judg 10:17), also called Ramoth of Gilead (Josh 20:8; 2 Sam 9:1), identified with es-Salt, near Jebel-Osh. Mount Tabor is a well-known mountain in the Jezreel Valley (Josh 19:22; Judg 4:12). In antiquity the places mentioned by the prophet apparently abounded in birds and were favorite hunting places for bird catchers. From this the prophet borrows his image. Furthermore, by mentioning two important places in the country—one in the eastern part and the other in the western—the prophet wished to designate the entire country. The prophet’s thought is thus: just as bird catchers set their nets in Mizpah and on Tabor, so the representatives of the people throughout the country ensnare the people in idolatry and unchastity. The Slavonic text’s reading “like a snare you were a watchtower” arose because the LXX understood the Hebrew lemizpah (Russian “at Mizpah”) in an appellative sense—a watchtower (τή σκοπια, Slavonic watchtower), which meaning the word has. The Hebrew “on Tabor” is rendered by the LXX as επι το Ιταβύριον, Slavonic “on Itabyrion.”

Hosea 5:2. Deep they have sunk in depravity, but I will discipline all of them. The original text is unclear. The Russian translation represents only one understanding of the original. In the Slavonic text according to the LXX, the beginning of verse 2, “which they hunted, they struck” (κατέπηξαν) is connected to the end of verse 1.

Hosea 5:3. I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me, for you have played the harlot, Ephraim, and Israel has become unclean. Hosea 5:4. Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God, for the spirit of harlotry is within them, and they do not know the Lord. Israel will be punished for the fact that the “spirit of harlotry” has taken possession of its heart, making it impossible to return to Jehovah.

Hosea 5:5. And the pride of Israel is humbled in their eyes, and Israel and Ephraim shall fall in their guilt, and Judah shall fall with them. Slavonic text: “the shame of Israel will be humbled.” And the shame of Israel will be humbled.

Hosea 5:7. They have dealt faithlessly with the Lord, for they have borne foreign children; now the new moon will devour them with their fields. Some commentators understand the words “borne illegitimate children” to mean that, having turned away from the service of the Lord, the Israelites also entered into marriages with pagan women, from whom they bore children. But the prophet’s words can also be understood in a general moral and religious sense. By the words “now the new moon will devour them along with their fields,” the prophet wishes to express the idea that the sacrifices offered on the days of the new moon will not bring salvation to the hypocritical, idol-worshipping people, but will instead lead to their ruin, “will devour them along with their fields” (cf. Jer 3:23-24) or according to the Slavonic text with their “allotments,” meaning their lands. Instead of the Russian “new moon” the Slavonic has “rust” (ἑρυσίβη), since the LXX apparently read cheres (scourge) instead of chodesch.

Hosea 5:8. Blow the horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah; sound the alarm in Beth-aven: “After you, Benjamin!” The prophet already foresees the invasion of enemies into the land. Therefore he commands alarm signals to be given in the cities. The prophet speaks of Gibeah and Ramah. The Bible mentions several localities with these names. The prophet probably has in mind the Gibeah of Saul (1 Sam 10:16; cf. Josh 15:57; 1 Sam 13:16; 1 Sam 15:22; Josh 18:24; Judg 19 and Judg 20:1), located between Ramah and Jerusalem, 20–80 stadia from Jerusalem, and the Ramah of Benjamin, lying near Gibeah (Judg 19:13; Isa 10:29; 1 Sam 15:17; cf. Josh 18:25). Both cities mentioned by the prophet were on the southern border of the Northern Kingdom and already belonged to the southern kingdom. By naming precisely Gibeah and Ramah, the prophet wishes to say that enemies have already reached the southern border of the kingdom, having occupied its entire territory. “Sound the alarm at Bethel,” Slavonic “preach in the house of the gods”: Bethel is meant (cf. note to Hos 4:15). The words “we are with you, Benjamin” are apparently taken from Judg 5:14. Their meaning is not entirely clear and is rendered variously. According to some commentators, the prophet indicates by these words the danger threatening Israel from Benjamin; according to others, the words contain a warning to Benjamin itself (the words acharecha, “we are with you,”—considered a special form of the accusative and translated “beware, Benjamin”) or express the idea that the enemies not only passed through the Northern Kingdom but also the territory of Benjamin’s tribe and are already behind (after) Benjamin. Instead of the words “we are with you, Benjamin” the Slavonic has “Benjamin was terrified” εξέστη B. It is thought that instead of the Masoretic acharecha (“we are with you”) the LXX read jeherad from harad, “to tremble.”

Hosea 5:9. Ephraim shall become a desolation in the day of punishment; among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure. “Ephraim”—not the single tribe of Ephraim alone, but the entire Northern Kingdom.

Hosea 5:10. The princes of Judah have become like those who move the boundary; I will pour out My wrath upon them like water. Cf. Deut 19:14. The prophet accuses the leaders of Judah of violating the law—more specifically of participating in Israel’s idolatry, of shifting the boundaries of the law, and of becoming like those who seize the fields of others.

Hosea 5:12. And I will be like a moth to Ephraim and like rottenness to the house of Judah. The prophet wishes to point to the inevitability of divine punishment. The difference between the Slavonic and Russian texts in verse 12 arose because the LXX expressed the thought of the original figuratively: “I am like a moth (asch—a moth) to Ephraim, and like a thorn (κέντρον—thorn, sting, Hebrew rapy—worm) to the house of Judah.”

Hosea 5:13. And when Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to the great king; but he is not able to cure you, nor can he heal your wound. Wishing to free himself from the hardships that have befallen him, Ephraim and Judah seek help not from God but from men: Ephraim sends messengers to the Assyrians and to the king Jareb (jarev LXX ῾Ιαρείμ). An Assyrian king with the name Jareb is not known; furthermore, the word mechech (“to the king”) is used in the verse without the article. From this it is concluded that the prophet uses the word jarev (Jareb) not in the sense of a proper name but in an appellative sense, deriving it from the verb riv, to contend, to judge, to defend: to the king the defender. The prophet ironically calls the Assyrian king Jareb, from whom Ephraim vainly hopes to receive help.

Hosea 5:14. For I am like a lion to Ephraim and like a young lion to the house of Judah; I, I will tear and go away; I will carry off, and no one shall rescue. Instead of the Russian “like a lion” (schachal) the Slavonic has: “like a leopard.” The word schachal is rendered variously by the LXX: λέων (Job 4:10) ασιης (Ps 90:13), πανθηρ (Hos 5:14; Hos 13:7). The Hebrew keph’ir “young lion” is rendered by the LXX both as σκύμνος and as λέων as in verse 14.

Hosea 5:15. I will go and return to My place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face. After executing judgment on the people, the Lord will return “to His place,” meaning He will turn away His face from Israel, will deprive it of His presence until the people recognize its guilt and turns to the Lord. In the Slavonic text instead of the words “until they acknowledge their guilt” it reads: “until they perish,” έως ού αφανισθώσι. It is probable that the LXX read ascham, (to sin, to bear punishment, to repent, cf. Lev 4:3; Hos 4:15; Isa 24:6) instead of schamam (to perish, cf. Hos 10:2).

Chapter Six

1–2. Israel’s resurrection in the future. 3–11. Israel’s sinfulness in the present.

Hosea 6:1. In their distress they will seek Me early, saying: “Come, let us return to the Lord! For He has struck us—and He will heal us; He has wounded—and He will bind up our wounds. Hosea 6:2. He will revive us after two days; on the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live before Him. Afflicted by disasters and in captivity, the people will once seek the Lord with special zeal (“early in the morning”). Israel will recognize that only the Lord, who struck him, is able to bind up his wounds and heal him, that only the Lord is able to raise him from the spiritual death that will befall the people in captivity: “He will revive us after two days, on the third day He will raise us.” By putting these latter words in the mouth of the people, the prophet points to the swift (two or three days is a short time) and certain revival of the people. The Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians says that Christ “rose on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:4). Since there is no other clearer indication of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day in Old Testament scripture, it should be thought that the apostle has in mind precisely this passage in the book of Hosea and therefore finds in it a prefiguring of Christ’s resurrection. Following the apostle, church teachers—the blessed Theodoret, Gregory of Nyssa, the blessed Augustine and others—saw in these verses of chapter VI a typological prophecy of Christ’s resurrection. In the most immediate sense, the prophet spoke of Israel. But Israel was a type of the Messiah (cf. Exod 4:22-23; Hos 11:1; Isa 4, Isa 44, Isa 52, Isa 53), and the most important facts in Israel’s history prefigured aspects of the earthly life of the Messiah. Just as Israel must die and be resurrected, so the Messiah Christ will die and be resurrected. The Messiah is the soul of the people, the source of life for them. Therefore, if the people must be resurrected from death, then before this the resurrection from the dead of the Messiah must take place.

Hosea 6:3. So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord; His appearing is as sure as the dawn, and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain that waters the earth.” The prophet calls the people to the knowledge of God, meaning not theoretical knowledge of God but union with God in love, the practical fulfillment of God’s commandments. In the words “His coming forth is sure as the dawn” the prophet wishes to express the idea that just as after the darkness of night the dawn appears, announcing the coming of day, so after the darkness of captivity God’s mercy, like a clear day, will shine again over the people. The Slavonic reading “like morning ready” arose because the LXX read nimzeo (we shall find) from maza (to find) instead of mozao (His going forth, “His manifestation”). The significance of God’s mercy for the people the prophet compares to the life-giving rain for the promised land, the early rain (geschem) and the latter rain (cf. Deut 11:13-14; cf. Lev 28 and Lev 26:4). The “early” rain in Palestine refers to the period of rains from November to March, the “latter” rain continues for several days from mid-March to mid-April. The first rain is important for the sowing of winter crops, the second for the sowing of summer crops.—At the end of the verse the Hebrew joreh (from jarah—to cast, to water), was apparently read by the LXX as a noun, hence instead of the Russian “will water” in the Slavonic—“early rain” (jorech).

Hosea 6:4. What shall I do with you, Ephraim? What shall I do with you, Judah? Your goodness is like a morning cloud and like dew that goes early away. The prophet wishes to show that, despite various punishments, the people did not learn, and its “piety” (chesed, love of neighbor, ελεος Slavonic “mercy”) proved to be short-lived.

Hosea 6:5. Therefore I have hewed them by the prophets; I have killed them by the words of My mouth, and My judgment goes forth like light. “I have hewn them by the prophets,”—more accurately “I have hewn/shaped” (hazabti), “cared for” (Slavonic “I have afflicted (by) your prophets”). “I have killed (Slavonic “I have struck”) them by the words of My mouth,” meaning I have rebuked them, proclaimed punishment. The words of the Russian text: “My judgment goes forth like the light” render the original, which owing to its corruption is adapted to the LXX text.

Hosea 6:6. For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. Contrary to the people’s inclination to limit all service to God to ceremonies and sacrifices, the need is pointed out (cf. Matt 9:13) for spiritual service consisting in love of neighbor (chesed—mercy) and in the knowledge of God (Slavonic “in the seeing of God”). By knowledge of God, as in other places, the prophet means not theoretical knowledge of God but union with God in love.

Hosea 6:7. But they, like Adam, have broken the covenant and acted treacherously against Me. Instead of the Russian text’s words “like Adam” the Slavonic reads “like a man,” corresponding to the Greek LXX ώς άνθρωπος. The LXX, as well as the Syriac, apparently understood the Hebrew adam in an appellative sense rather than as a proper name. The Russian reading compared to the Slavonic gives a more clear thought.—The words “there they dealt faithlessly with Me” indicate the place (scham, there—an adverb of place) of Israel’s transgression of the covenant with God, at Bethel or Gilgal.

Hosea 6:8. Gilead is a city of those who work iniquity, tracked with bloody footprints. From the whole land of Israel, defiled by idolatry, the prophet singles out “Gilead,” stained with blood. Gilead is here not the city of Ramoth of Gilead or Mizpah, as some commentators think, but the trans-Jordanic region occupied by the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh. The prophet represents the whole of this country, where frequent bloodshed occurred, as one great city “stained with blood” (akubbah middain). Instead of the last expression the Slavonic reads: “darkening the water” Greek ταρασσουσα υδωρ. The Hebrew akubbah the LXX understood in the sense of “to darken,” and instead of middam (“from blood”) apparently read maim (“water”).

Hosea 6:9. And as brigands lie in wait for a man, so a band of priests murders on the way to Shechem; they commit villainy. The wickedness of Israel reached the point that bands of priests murdered on the way to Shechem. Because of the brevity of the speech, it is unclear what exactly is meant in verse 9. It is thought that the passage speaks of murders for the purpose of robbery of pilgrims who traveled from northern Palestine through Shechem to Bethel for holidays. The Slavonic text of verse 9 deviates significantly from the Russian. It can be thought that instead of the verb kechakkej (“like they lie in wait”) the LXX read kochacha (“your strength”) and the first half of verse 9 referred to verse 8 (“your strength—Gilead like a man a sea robber”). In the second half of verse 9, instead of cheber (“band”) the LXX probably read chebbu (εκρυψαν—“hid”); derech (on the way, accusative of place) they took as a direct object (όδόν, way), with the addition in some manuscripts of the word Κυρίου (Slavonic “the way of the Lord”); the word schechemah (“at Shechem”) was also taken as an object of the verb jerazzchu (“they murder”), hence it became εφονευσαν Σίκιμα, “they murdered Shechem.”

Hosea 6:10. In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing; there Ephraim has played the harlot, and Israel has become unclean. In verse 10 the prophet speaks of Ephraim’s crimes—Israel’s: the word “Judah” standing at the end of the verse in the Slavonic text should be referred to the following verse.

Hosea 6:11. And for you too, Judah, a harvest is appointed, when I restore the fortunes of My people. “For you also, Judah, a harvest is appointed.” In this unclear expression some commentators see a vision of future prosperity for Judah (St. Ephrem the Syrian), others find an indication of future hardships also for Judah. The blessed Jerome explains the prophet’s words thus: “Do not think yourself safe, Judah, for you will be carried away captive to Babylon and a time of harvest will come for you.” The words “when I restore the fortunes of My people” are interpreted variously. Some see in them an indication of when hardships will come to Judah: this will be when Israel suffers punishment and is returned to its homeland. Others, given that the expression “restore fortunes” (schuvet-schavuth) has a broad meaning in general (cf. Jer 29:14; Job 13:10), give it in verse 11 a figurative meaning: “when I restore the fortunes of My people”—when I change the calamitous, sinful state of My people. The prophet wishes to say that Judah too will undergo a purifying judgment of God, when the Lord comes forth as Judge of the people, with the purpose of correcting its lawlessness and returning it to the state of holiness.

Chapter Seven

1–7. Continuation of the accusations against Israel; the internal corruption of the people. 8–16. The false politics of the Israelite kingdom and its consequences.

Hosea 7:1. When I would heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim is revealed and the wickedness of Samaria, for they deal falsely; a thief breaks in and a robber strips on the streets. “When I healed Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim was revealed.” The prophet wishes to say that as the Lord employed various means for the correction of the people, the religious and moral corruption of the national organism, its sins, became even more apparent.

Hosea 7:2. And they do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness; now their deeds surround them; they are before My face. The people does not realize its transgressions; it is so steeped in them that it is as if surrounded by them. The Slavonic text reading “in order that they might sing together, like one who sings with all his heart” arose from a peculiar understanding of the original by the LXX.—Instead of the words (“their deeds surround them”) in the Slavonic “their conscience” διαβούλια, a term by which the LXX translates the Hebrew maallej (cf. Hos 4:9).

Hosea 7:4. They are all adulterers, burning like a furnace that a baker ceases to stir from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened. The prophet spoke of both physical lechery and spiritual, namely the service of idols. The prophet compares the people, inflamed by passions, to a burning oven. Just as a baker stops heating the oven only for a short time (Slavonic “from the addition of fat,” from kneading the dough), so Israel only briefly abandons its passion, only to return to it after a rest.

Hosea 7:5. On the day of our king the princes became sick with the heat of wine, and he extended his hand to mockers. The words “day of our king” are understood either as a time designation (when this happens—“on the day of your king”), or as a greeting with which the princes, heated with wine on a holiday, address the king. The Slavonic reading “in the days of your kings” arose from a correction in Greek, where it now reads: ημέραι βασιλέων υμών. “They stretch out their hands with the mockers” in the accepted Greek text speaks of the king (εξετείνε τήν χείρα αυτοῦ), who “stretches out his hand,” meaning enters into friendly relations with mockers.

Hosea 7:6. For they make ready their heart like an oven; their thoughts burn all night, their baker sleeps, and in the morning it burns like a flaming fire. The meaning of the verse is not entirely clear. Apparently the prophet continues to characterize the princes and explains why he called them mockers (hypocrites). The prophet wishes to say that while greeting the king, the princes are plotting in their hearts, so that their heart in this respect can be compared to an oven that is extinguished only at night. The translation of the LXX and our Slavonic, which departs in verse 6 from a literal rendering of the Hebrew text, represents actually an interpretation of the latter. The reading “all night sleep Ephraim was satisfied” apparently arose from the LXX confusing the Hebrew ophehem (their baker) with ephraim (Ephraim).

Hosea 7:7. All of them are heated like an oven, and they devour their judges; all their kings fall, and no one among them calls upon Me. The whole people are consumed by passion for scheming, devouring their judges (by which name the prophet probably means the kings). The result is that “all their kings fall.” The history of the Northern Kingdom indeed shows us a long series of dynastic upheavals, victims of which were Nadab (1 Sam 15:25-27), Elah (1 Sam 16:8-10), Joram (2 Sam 9:24), Zechariah, Menahem, Pekahiah (2 Sam 15:10.). But by upheavals and the frequent fall of kings, which came as punishment to the people, no one was instructed.—The words of the Slavonic text “burned and fire” are found only in some manuscripts; the received text of the LXX does not read them.

Hosea 7:8. Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned. Hosea 7:9. Strangers devour his strength, and he knows it not; gray hairs are scattered upon him, yet he does not know it. Set apart from among the peoples and chosen to be a holy people, Israel deviated from its calling and became like all the pagans, mingling with them. “Ephraim has become like bread not turned”—Slavonic “unleavened bread not turned over.” … uggah—a thin cake baked by gradually turning it on hot ashes or hot stones; an unturned cake is burned on one side and raw on the other. Just as fire burned the unturned bread, so strangers, meaning pagan peoples, consumed Israel. Gray hair covered him. Gray hair is a sign of old age, the approach of death. The prophet wishes to say that Israel, having departed from its calling, is approaching decomposition and death.

Hosea 7:10. And the pride of Israel is humbled before his face, yet they do not return to the Lord their God, nor do they seek Him with all this. Cf. Hos 5:5.

Hosea 7:11. And Ephraim has become like a silly dove, without heart; they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria. The prophet condemns the false politics of the Israelite kingdom. He compares Israel to a dove which, in its search for food, foolishly throws itself into spread nets. Similarly, Israel, instead of seeking help from God, seeks it from those from whom destruction threatens—from Egyptians and Assyrians.

Hosea 7:12. When they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like the birds of heaven; I will discipline them according to what their congregation has heard. The prophet continues the comparison begun in verse 11. While Israel turns for help to pagan nations, Jehovah, like a bird catcher, will cover them with a net and “bring them down” like a bird from a state of freedom into a state of captivity. “I will chastise them as their congregation has heard”—the idea is that punishment will follow according to the threats made to sinners in the law (Lev 26:14; Deut 28:15) and in the words of the prophets (2 Sam 17:23; 2 Chr 24:18). Instead of the words “as their congregation has heard” in the Slavonic text it reads: “in the hearing of their grief.” It is thought that instead of adatam (their congregation) the LXX read zarafam (their grief).

Hosea 7:13. Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me! Ruin to them, for they have transgressed against Me! I myself would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me. Hosea 7:14. And they do not cry out to Me from their hearts, but they wail upon their beds; for grain and wine they gather themselves, but they turn away from Me. The prophet, exposing the nation for its turning away from Jehovah and threatening destruction (Slavonic: “they are wretched,” δείλαιοι, pitiable, miserable), has in mind in verse 13 the false politics of Israel, the seeking of help from pagan nations and lack of faith in Jehovah, who had repeatedly saved Israel. By turning away from God’s help, the people thereby as it were testify that the Lord cannot save them, and this is a lie against the Lord (“they speak lies against Me”). And in general, instead of heartfelt turning to God, the Israelites only cry out on their beds, being troubled (itgoraru, from gur—to gather, to crowd together, also to fear, to tremble, cf. Job 19:29; Hos 10:5) about bread and wine, which have become the prey of enemies. The Slavonic text’s reading “about wheat and wine they were cut” (κατετέμνοντα) arose, as it is thought, because the LXX derived itgoraru from garar, which in Arabic means to cut. The LXX apparently saw in the prophet’s words a reference to the Eastern custom when faced with heavy grief—to torment themselves and make cuts (“were cut”). The end of verse 14, “and rebel against Me,” is omitted in the Slavonic and by the LXX.

Hosea 7:15. I trained them and strengthened their arms, but they imagine evil against Me. “Yet they plan evil against Me.” The prophet has in mind Israel’s apostasy from Jehovah. Instead of the beginning words of the verse “I taught (issarti) them” the Slavonic reads: “they will be disciplined by Me,” Greek—επαιδευθησαν έν εμοί.

Hosea 7:16. They turn, but not upward; they are like a treacherous bow; their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue; this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt. “They return, but not to the Most High,” more accurately from the Hebrew, “but not upward,” lo al. It is probable that the LXX made a transposition in the expression and read al lo, είς ουδέν, hence the Slavonic “they turned to nothing.” “Became like a treacherous (remijah) bow:” the meaning of the comparison is that just as a treacherous bow does not hit its target, so Israel departed from its calling—to worship Jehovah. Instead of the Slavonic text’s reading “like a bow stretched tight,” ώς τοξονεντεταμένον, which may have arisen from the substitution of the Masoretic remijah with romeh (shooting), many manuscripts have ώς τοξον ου τεταμενον, “like a bow not drawn.”—“Their princes shall fall by the sword for the arrogance of their tongue:” arrogance of tongue was expressed in lies against Jehovah (Hos 7:13), in reviling His omnipotence. The princes of Israel rely on Egypt. But this reliance is futile; they will fall, and this fall will be a subject of mockery in Egypt.

Chapter Eight

1–7. Proclamation of destruction for Israel. 8–14. Exposure of Israel’s sins.

Hosea 8:1. Put the trumpet to your lips! Like an eagle comes upon the house of the Lord, because they have broken My covenant and transgressed My law! The word is spoken in the name of Jehovah. The prophet receives the command to proclaim by trumpet to the people the coming time of calamity sent for the people’s sins. Because of the violation of the covenant, of transgression of God’s law (torah), enemies, like an eagle swooping on prey, will swoop “on the house of the Lord,” meaning on Israel, which is part of the Lord’s community. Instead of the Hebrew words “put the trumpet to your lips” the Slavonic with Greek has “into their inwards, like an impassable land”—the Slavonic text combines readings from different manuscripts; these readings apparently arose from an erroneous understanding of the Hebrew text.

Hosea 8:2. To Me they cry: “My God, we Israel know You!” Calamities will make the people cry to the Lord. But in turning to God, the people say to Him: “We are Israel,” meaning they only remind God of their election and the promises they have received, but do not show true repentance for their errors. The last words of verse 2, “We are Israel,” are omitted in Greek and the Slavonic, probably accidentally, owing to the repetition of words at the beginning of the following verse.

Hosea 8:3. Israel has rejected the good; the enemy shall pursue him. Verses 3 and following represent God’s answer to the appeal of the people turning to Him. Refusing the people further mercy, Jehovah points out that Israel itself rejected (zanah—rejected with loathing) the “good”—rejected the blessing that would have been secured by faithfulness to the covenant. The end of the verse in Hebrew can be translated: “let the enemy pursue him”; the Slavonic text instead reads “they drove away the enemy,” LXX: έχύρόν κατεδίωξαν. This reading, which does not accord with the context, probably arose because the LXX vocalized irdpho (let him pursue) as irdphu instead.

Hosea 8:4. They set up kings without Me; they made princes without My knowledge; from their silver and gold they made idols for themselves, to their own destruction. The prophet names those sins for which Israel must endure punishment, namely departure from the house of David, the self-willed setting up of their own kings and princes, and the introduction of calf worship.

Hosea 8:5. Your calf, O Samaria, I reject; My anger burns against them; how long before they are clean? “Your calf has provoked (zanah) you, Samaria!” Some translations and commentators understand the verb zanah in this expression in an active sense: according to the LXX απότιψαι τόν μόσχον σου, Slavonic “crushed your calf,” Russian Synodal “your calf has cast you off,” others (Hitzig, Ewald): “He (Jehovah) rejected your calf.” But the context of the speech better suits understanding the verb zanah in verse 5 in an intransitive sense—to be abominable: your calf, Samaria, is abominable. The name of Samaria is apparently used here instead of the entire kingdom—since the existence of a golden calf in the city of Samaria is unknown.—“How long will they be incapable of purity”—to be purified of the defilement of calf worship.—The words at the end of verse 5 in the Slavonic text, “which is in Israel,” are transferred from the beginning of verse 6, and apparently instead of ki mijisrael (for he is Israel) the LXX read bisrael.

Hosea 8:6. For it is from Israel, even this calf; a craftsman made it; it is not God; the calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces! “The calf of Samaria shall be broken (schevavim) to pieces.” The Hebrew word schevavim is a hapax legomenon and is therefore understood variously. Most commentators (Rosenmuller, Gesenius), as well as Russian translators, derive it from the root schavav in the sense of to split, to shatter, to break to pieces. With this understanding, the idea is that the Samarian calf will suffer the same fate as the calf of Sinai once suffered (Exod 32:20; Deut 9:21). The LXX apparently derived Schevavim from the verb Shuv (to turn), in the Piel form—to deceive, and therefore translated the phrase διότι πλανών ήνο μόσχος σου, Slavonic “for your calf was deceiving.” According to the explanation of the blessed Jerome the word Schevavim means a spider’s web, and the prophet’s idea is that just as the wind destroys a spider’s web, so the Samarian calf will be destroyed. The Russian translation gives an idea well suited to the context.

Hosea 8:7. For they sow the wind and they shall reap the whirlwind; the grain has no ear, therefore no flour shall come from it; and if it should yield, strangers shall devour it. “For they sow the wind,” ruach; Slavonic “are wasted by the wind” (Greek ανεμόφθορα), “so they reap the whirlwind,” a figurative expression containing the idea that for their vain deeds (wind is an image of vanity and emptiness) Israel will reap only ruin and destruction (whirlwind is an image of devastation). The prophet further threatens the people with disaster and famine, but his speech has also a more general meaning: the prophet wishes to say that all the undertakings of Israel will be unsuccessful and will serve not him but his enemies.

Hosea 8:8. Israel is swallowed up; now they are among the nations like a useless vessel. Hosea 8:9. For they have gone up to Assyria, like a wild donkey wandering alone; Ephraim has hired lovers for themselves. Israel is being consumed by foreign nations. He brought this fate upon himself when he began to seek protection from the Assyrians and to secure their favor with gifts. “Like a wild donkey wandering alone:” the conjunction “like” is not in the Hebrew; according to the meaning of the original, the prophet does not compare Israel to a wild donkey but contrasts them. A wild donkey, destined for a life in the wilderness, wanders alone, guarding its freedom and as if understanding its purpose. But Israel, set apart from among the peoples, itself began to strive for communion with pagans, contrary to its calling. Thus reasonable beings departed from their path, while unreasoning creatures remained true to their calling.—The cited comparison is rendered differently in the LXX, namely ανέθαλε καθ εαυτόν Εφραίμ, Slavonic “Ephraim flourished of himself.” But all ancient translations, with the exception of Symmachus, agree with the Masoretic text.

Hosea 8:10. Although they have hired gifts to the nations, now I will gather them together, and they shall begin to be diminished under the burden of the king of princes. Verse 10 in the original is very obscure and is understood variously; the Russian translation of the verse represents only one of the interpretations. According to the meaning of the Russian text, verse 10 contains a threat to the people: despite the fact that Israel tried with gifts (ithnu) to gain the friendship of pagans, it will be “gathered” among them, gathered, as commentators add, for judgment, for destruction (ad pugnam, ad judicium subeudum, ad excidium, Knabenbauer),—sent as a captive to a pagan land. The verb kabaz (to gather), is used in Jer 12:3; Ezek 22:20; Mic 4:12; Hos 9:6 of gathering for the purpose of punishment. While in captivity, Israel will suffer or from the Hebrew (vajechelu meat) “shall begin to diminish,” to decrease in number from the burden of the king of princes. The expression melech schaim (king of princes) is equivalent to the expression melech melachim and, according to many commentators (Ewald, Hitzig, Knabenbauer), is used by the prophet of the Assyrian king (cf. Isa 10:8; Ezek 26:7). The Slavonic text of verse 10, corresponding to the Greek, gives a different idea. The reading “for this reason they will be handed over to the nations” arose because the LXX vocalized ithnu (they give) as juthnu and translated παραδοθήσονται (will be handed over). Instead of the Russian text’s words “they shall suffer from the burden of the king of princes” the Slavonic with Greek reads: “and shall rest for a moment from anointing a king and princes.” Modern commentators (Oort, Wellhausen, Nowack, Hoonacker) give preference to the Greek text and understand the passage as referring to the Israeli king and princes. In the prophet’s words there is irony: let Israel in captivity rest from those upheavals by which they so often had to anoint new kings.

Hosea 8:11. Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, altars have become to him for sinning. Instead of the words “have become to him altars for sinning” the Slavonic with Greek reads: “their beloved altars became to them for sins” (ηγαπημένα); the latter word, having no correspondence in the Hebrew text, apparently was brought in from the following verse.

Hosea 8:12. I have written to him the great things of My law, but they are considered strange to him. “I wrote for him My abundant law.” The Hebrew expression ektaiv-lo rubbej thorathi, freely rendered in the Russian translation, is translated and understood variously; rubbej thorathi more accurately should be rendered—“myriad (multitude) of My law” or, reading with Graetz (gesch. II, 1, 460) dibrej thorathi—“words of My law.” Since there were no written laws given to Israel alone, the prophet’s speech should apparently be understood as referring to the Law of Moses, which thus existed already, contrary to the assertion of negative criticism, in written form at the time of the prophet Hosea.—The Slavonic text, corresponding to the Greek, presumes a different reading of the original and gives a less clear idea. The end of the verse, “their beloved altars,” which is not in the original, is thought to have been transferred from the beginning of the following verse, erroneously read by the LXX.

Hosea 8:13. As for the sacrifices of My offerings, they sacrifice meat and eat it; the Lord does not accept them. Now I will remember their iniquity and punish their sins; they shall return to Egypt. The prophet accuses the Israelites not of offering sacrifices in general, but of the fact that these sacrifices were motivated only by the desire to satisfy their appetites, were merely feasts, the offering of meat, and not of a contrite spirit. As punishment for this negligence in God’s service, Israel, according to the prophet’s word, shall return to Egypt (cf. Deut 28:68). By mentioning Egypt, the prophet does not threaten Egyptian captivity but wishes to express the general idea of the inevitability of slavery for the people: just as the creation of the people began with Egyptian slavery, so too the restoration of the theocracy will be preceded by captivity. In the Slavonic and Greek texts, instead of the future tense “shall return to Egypt,” the past tense is read: “returned to Egypt,” which does not give a clear idea. The last words of the Slavonic-Greek text, “and in Assyria they will eat unclean food,” are not found either in the original or in other ancient translations; probably they were introduced by a later hand from Hos 9:3.

Hosea 8:14. For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces, and Judah has multiplied fortified cities; but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour his strongholds. “Israel has forgotten his Maker,” the prophet points to the source of Israel’s sins. “And built palaces,” Slavonic “built temples:” the Hebrew heichloth (“palaces”) means a large building in general and is used of palaces (Amos 8:3), of the temple of Jehovah (2 Sam 18:16), of pagan temples (Joel 3:5). The translation of heichal as a temple harmonizes with the prophet’s accusatory speech, although the understanding of heichal in the sense of a palace, accepted by many exegetes (Rosenmuller, Scholz, Nowack), does not contradict the context.—Along with Israel the prophet mentions Judah in verse 14, whose sin consisted in that, instead of hope in God, he placed his trust in fortified cities. “I will send fire upon his cities:” the prophet’s words can be understood both in a literal sense of the burning of cities (2 Sam 25:8; Jer 3:13) and in a more general sense as an indication of all the calamities that will come upon Judah’s cities.—Some modern commentators (Wellhausen, Nowack, Hoonacker) consider verse 14 to belong not to the prophet Hosea but to be a later insertion. The basis for this opinion is the observation that the end of the verse presents an expression taken from the prophet Amos (I and II), and the mention of Judah does not accord with the entire discourse, which is devoted to Israel. But similarities between the book of Hosea and the book of Amos can be observed in other passages, the authenticity of which is not disputed (Hos 4:3 – Amos 8:8; Hos 4:15 – Amos 5:7; Hos 5:7 – Amos 7:4; Hos 9:3 – Amos 7:17 and others). They are explained by the fact that Hosea was the younger contemporary of Amos and probably knew his book. Similarly, separate mentions of Judah in the discourse of a prophet of the Israelite kingdom can hardly raise doubts if one takes into account that for the prophets the true bearer of the theocratic idea was always only the Judean kingdom, to which, therefore, their thought could not fail to turn.

Chapter Nine

1–7. Pronouncement of disasters for Israel. 8–10. Condemnation of Israel’s sins. 11–17. Recollection of Israel’s past history.

Hosea 9:1. Do not rejoice, O Israel, in exultation like the peoples, for you have played the harlot, abandoning your God; you have loved gifts on every threshing floor. Hosea 9:2. The threshing floor and the wine press shall not feed them, and the wine shall fail them. “Do not rejoice, Israel, with jubilation”: from verse 2 it is evident that the prophet warns Israel against rejoicing because of an abundant harvest—rejoicing expressed, no doubt, in special festivals marked by pagan characteristics. Like other nations (in Slavonic, “pagans”) Israel saw in the abundance of earthly produce a sign of favor from the Baals they worshipped (“you love the wages of harlotry on every threshing floor”) and, consequently, rejoiced that (ki, or “for”) he had turned away from God and given himself to harlotry, that is, to the service of Baals. But this joy is empty, for Israel will not enjoy the abundance of produce: “the threshing floor and the winepress will not feed them, and the hope for new wine will deceive them.” In verse 1, instead of the words “with jubilation” the Slavonic text reads “nor be glad” (μηδέ εύφραίνου), as the LXX read al gil instead of el gil. In verse 2, instead of the Hebrew lo ireem, “will not feed them,” the LXX read the similarly written lo jedaam; from this comes the Slavonic “will not know them.”

Hosea 9:3. They shall not remain in the land of the Lord; Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and in Assyria they shall eat unclean food. Ephraim will return to Egypt: the prophet expects punishment of the Israelite people through the Assyrians (Hos 5:13), and in Hos 11:5 says plainly: “he (Israel) will not return to Egypt, but Assyria—he will be their king.” Therefore the expression in verse 3, “Ephraim will return to Egypt,” as also in Hos 8:13, has the sense of a general indication of impending captivity. “In Assyria they will eat what is unclean”—both as a consequence of lack of food and as a consequence of the impossibility, with the cessation of the sacrificial cult, of observing the ordinances of Moses concerning food.—The LXX read lo jeschvu as a perfect form, jaschvu, and translated it as ύ κατώκησαν; from this comes the Slavonic “you will not dwell” (instead of the Russian “will not dwell”). Instead of the expression “Ephraim will return to Egypt” in the Slavonic “Ephraim dwelt in Egypt,” because the LXX derived the form veschav (from schuv, to return) from jaschav, to dwell.

Hosea 9:4. They shall not pour out wine for the Lord, and their sacrifices shall not please Him; like bread for the dead they shall be for them; all who eat of it shall become unclean, for their bread is for themselves; it shall not come to the house of the Lord. Hosea 9:5. What will you do on the day of appointed festival and on the day of the feast of the Lord? The prophet speaks of the hardships of captivity, when legitimate sacrifices cease. “They will be to them like bread of mourning”—from Hebrew kelechem onim lahem, “like bread of mourning for them.” Bread of mourning (in Slavonic, “bread of sorrow”) is unclean bread, defiled by the presence of a dead person in the house (cf. Lev 21:1; Num 19:14; Deut 26:14). The Russian translators understood this comparison with respect to sacrifices and therefore added: “they will be” (that is, sacrifices). But from the further words of the verse it should be concluded that the prophet is speaking of ordinary bread, not sacrifices, and therefore, together with many commentators, the expression can be rendered as: “like bread of mourning—their bread will be to them.” The prophet wishes to express the thought that in captivity Israel will be defiled even by bread, because with the cessation of all sacrifices this bread will not be hallowed by being offered to the Lord; it will be only bread “for themselves” (for them), “but it will not enter the house of the Lord.”

Hosea 9:6. For behold, they are going away because of destruction; Egypt shall gather them, Memphis shall bury them; nettles shall take their precious things of silver, thorns shall be in their tents. In verse 6 a picture of Israel’s future destruction is presented. “Egypt will gather them”—as is evident from the following words (“Memphis will bury them”)—will gather them for burial. Of Egypt and its capital, Memphis, the city of lower Egypt, the prophet again speaks, as in Hos 8:13, in a general sense.—With the destruction of the people, according to the prophet’s words, the land too will be laid waste. The mention of “precious things of silver” need not be understood as referring to idols (Nowack): in accordance with the context (cf. “in their tents”) it is better to see here a reference to precious objects in homes.—The Greek and Slavonic texts of verse 6 deviate from the original. The word Egypt the LXX referred to the first sentence; from this came the reading: “from the devastation of Egypt.” The subject of tekabzem, “will gather them,” the LXX took to be the word “Memphis.” The name of the city Mahmas appeared in the Greek-Slavonic through the error of translators who read machmas instead of the Hebrew machmad, desired, precious.

Hosea 9:7. The days of reckoning have come; the days of repayment have come; Israel shall know it! The prophet is a fool, the man of the spirit is mad, because of the abundance of your iniquity and great enmity. “Let Israel know”—from Hebrew more exactly “Israel will know”—will know that the days of recompense have come. Instead of jeden (from jada, to know) the LXX read jerav (from jara, to tremble); from this comes the Slavonic “will be vexed (κακωθήσεται) Israel.”—“The prophet is a fool, he who claims to be inspired is mad.” A difficult expression, variously interpreted by commentators. In our text the Hebrew hannabi (prophet) and isch haruach (man of spirit, inspired one) is understood as referring to false prophets. Therefore I render hannabi as “fool,” and isch haruach as the expression “he who claims to be inspired.” This is how Hitzig, Knabenbauer, and many others understand it. But such understanding cannot be accepted: a) the word nabi with the definite article is usually used in the Bible for the true prophet (cf. 1 Sam 18:19; Ezek 13:3; Zeph 3:4), b) the word ruach with the definite article can only be referred to the Spirit of God, and it is unlikely that a true prophet would attribute to a false one the title “man of the Spirit.” One must therefore think that verse 7 speaks of true prophets. The meaning of the expressions is transmitted differently. According to some commentators, Hosea wants to express the thought that from the heaviness of calamities that have overtaken the people, from sorrow because of awareness of the impossibility of averting disaster, the prophets have become as if maddened,—or—that for the people’s sins the Lord punished the prophets with madness (Schegg). According to others (Wellhausen, Nowack), Hosea in the passage under consideration sets forth judgment about the prophets not his own, but that of wicked Israel, and gives a response to this judgment. The prophet might say to the people: you say—the prophet is a fool, the inspired one is mad; but the cause of this lies solely in the multitude of your iniquities and in your great hostility (toward the prophets).

Hosea 9:8. Ephraim is a watchman with my God, a prophet; yet a fowler’s snare is on all his ways, enmity in the house of his God. Verse 8, like the preceding one, is very difficult to understand and is interpreted variously. “Ephraim is a watchman with my God,” zopheh Ephraim imi – elohaj. The word zopheh (watchman) is used in the Bible of a tower watchman, standing at his post (2 Sam 9:17-20; 2 Sam 18:24-27; 1 Sam 14:16), and in a figurative sense of a prophet, awaiting divine revelation (Jer 6:17; Ezek 3:17; Hab 2:1). According to some commentators (Hitzig, Brodovich), in verse 8 the word zopheh is used precisely in the latter sense, and the prophet’s thought is: Israel expects divine revelations not from God—Jehovah—but “with” God, that is, from Baals, from false prophets. Other commentators (Umbreit, Ewald) take the word zopheh in the sense of lurker, sentinel, and the preposition im (Russian “with”) in the sense of against; the prophet’s thought at this interpretation takes on the sense that Ephraim attacks God himself, with Hosea having in mind the people’s persecution of prophets (cf. Amos 7:10-17). According to Hoonacker’s opinion, the words zopheh Ephraim im elohaj serve as an apposition to the further nabi, and their sense in connection with what follows can be rendered thus: he who is a watchman of Ephraim together (on behalf of) God,—the prophet,—is a snare of a fowler on all his paths, that is, snares and hostility against him. “In the house of his God”… The house of God, evidently, the prophet calls all the land of Israel. The difference of the Greek text from the Hebrew in verse 8 consists in the fact that instead of the words poh jakosch “snare of a fowler,” the LXX read pah ikkesch and translated παγίς σκολιά, Slavonic “crooked snare.” Hebrew mastemah (enmity) the LXX, as in verse 7, translated with the word μανία; from this comes the Slavonic “maddened,” and the verb κατέπηξαν—“were fixed”—they transferred to verse 8 from the following (Hebrew heemiku).

Hosea 9:9. They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins. The prophet recalls a known event from the period of the Judges, when the Benjaminites, inhabitants of Gibeah, committed a vile outrage upon the concubine of a Levite (Judg 19-21). He wants to say that his contemporaries have sunk into sin as once the inhabitants of Gibeah. In the Greek text the first verb of verse 9, heemiku, is referred to verse 8, and the proper name Gibeah is taken as a common noun—hill; from this came the reading in our Slavonic text: “you became corrupt in the days of the hill.”

Hosea 9:10. Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel; like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season, I saw your fathers—but they went to Baal-peor and devoted themselves to the shameful thing, and became detestable like the thing they loved. “As berries in the wilderness are pleasant to a traveler,” says Saint Ephrem the Syrian in explanation of verse 10, “so were your fathers (the Israelites) dear to God, when they lived among foreigners—the Amorites and Egyptians, represented here by the image of the wilderness.” But the Israelites proved unworthy of Jehovah’s love, having turned to the service of pagan gods. “To Baal-Peor,” baal-poor: in the Hebrew text the proper name of the place is meant, where Baal-Peor was worshipped (cf. Num 25:3). The worship of Baal-Peor, to which the Israelites devoted themselves on the plains of Moab, consisted of crude licentiousness, which women and girls pursued. Therefore the prophet says: “they devoted themselves to shame” (in Slavonic, “turned aside to shame”) “and became detestable like the thing they loved,” that is, became objects of the abhorrence of Jehovah, like Baal-Peor himself.

Hosea 9:11. As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird—no birth, no pregnancy, no conception! Hosea 9:12. And even if they bring up their children, I will bereave them until none is left; yes, woe to them when I depart from them! The prophet threatens Israel with deprivation of the promise given to the patriarchs to multiply their descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand of the sea (Gen 12:2). In verse 11 the prophet repeats the threat once made by Moses (Deut 32:25)—The LXX read ghl, itheopheph (“to lie idle”) in past tense εξεπετάσθη, and the word kebodam (“their words”) they referred to the following sentence; from this came the obscure reading in our Slavonic text: “Ephraim like a bird flew away, their glory from childbearing and labor and from conception.” At the end of verse 12, instead of Hebrew besuri (from sur, with silent shin) mehenn (“when I depart from them”) the LXX read besari, mehem, σαρξ μου έξ αυτών, from this comes the Slavonic “my flesh from them.”

Hosea 9:13. Ephraim, as I have seen, was planted in a pleasant place; but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the slayer. “Ephraim, as I have seen him, is planted in a pleasant place”—in the Hebrew text the expression is considered disputed and is translated variously. Difficulty arises from the word zor (Tyre), since the mention of Tyre seems unnatural in verse 13. Therefore many commentators instead of the proper name see a common noun. Some (Arnoldi, Hitzig, Nowack), deriving the word zor from the Arabic root, take it in the sense of a palm and then the entire expression takes the form: Ephraim, as I see, is a palm tree planted in a pleasant place; others (Scholz) instead of zor read zur, rock, or zurah (Ewald). Modern commentators (Marti, Hoonacker) consider the Hebrew text corrupted and propose their own emendations (Marti): Ephraim—I see him like a man who appointed his children as booty: The LXX instead of zor read zoid (booty) instead of benaveh, on pasture,—baneiha, sons; from this comes the Slavonic text: “Ephraim, as it is seen, appointed his children to hunting.” According to the Russian translation, the prophet’s thought in verse 13 is this: the land of Ephraim flourishes splendidly all the way to Tyre; but it will soon become depopulated and desolate, and Ephraim himself will deliver his children to the enemy.

Hosea 9:14. Give them, O Lord—what will You give? Give them a barren womb and dry breasts. In anger at the great corruption of Israel, the prophet asks for the carrying out of God’s judgment against the people.

Hosea 9:15. All their evil is in Gilgal; there I hated them for the evil of their deeds; I will drive them out of My house; I will love them no more; all their princes are rebels. “All their evil is in Gilgal.” Gilgal was one of the centers of idolatry. Perhaps in this city idolatry reached extreme limits, which is why the prophet mentions Gilgal repeatedly (Hos 4:15). “I will drive them out of My house”—that is, out of the communion of the Lord.

Chapter Ten

1–5. Condemnation of Israel and pronouncement of impending punishment.

Hosea 10:1. Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit; the more his fruit increased, the more he multiplied his altars; as his land prospered, he beautified his pillars. The prophet wants to say that the more Israel received mercies from God, the more it forgot God and became attached to idols. Instead of the words of the Russian text “they beautify the pillars” (mazzeboth) in the Slavonic “they build shrines,” Hebrew mazzeboh means statue, and in this place probably means a statue of Baal.

Hosea 10:2. Their heart is divided; now they shall bear their guilt; He will break down their altars, He will destroy their pillars. “Their heart is divided”—that is, divided between God and Baal, has become false. The LXX read chalak (libbam) in the plural; from this comes the Slavonic: “they have divided their hearts.”

Hosea 10:3. For now they say: “We have no king, for we do not fear the Lord; and a king—what could he do for us?” Usually commentators refer the prophet’s speech in verse 3 to the future. Struck by calamities, the Israelites will say: “We have no king,” who would help us; if we did not fear the Lord, what can a king do for us? At the same time, many interpreters (Schegg, Knabenbauer, Scholz) understand the king about which the prophet speaks as the golden calf or idols. According to Hoonacker’s explanation, the prophet speaks of the present (“but now”); the words “we have no king” are the words of the people, and what follows is the prophet’s answer. The prophet’s thought is: They say, “We have no king.” But, the prophet replies, if we do not fear the Lord, what can a king do? The words “we have no king” are either an expression of regret (we have no king, and hence our disasters) or an objection to the prophet’s predictions (surely we have a king who would defend us?).

Hosea 10:4. They speak empty words, swearing falsely when making covenants; therefore judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field. The prophet addresses the political life of the country and enumerates a series of Israel’s crimes. “They speak empty words” (instead of debru the LXX read the participle form dober, hence the word: “speaking”)—that is, only words, empty talk. “Swear falsely”—instead of aloth, to swear, the LXX read irwth “pretense,” “excuse,” treating this as a supplement to the preceding dober; from this comes the Slavonic: “false excuses.” “Make covenants” (in Slavonic, “he covenants a covenant”): the prophet means covenants with foreigners—with Egyptians and Assyrians. “Therefore judgment will spring up as poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field” (in Slavonic, “like grass (αγρωστις) on abandoned land”). The speech is of punishment (judgment) of Israel. The prophet compares the coming of God’s judgment in severity of punishment with the abundance of poisonous weeds (rosch, bitter poisonous herb) appearing in the furrows of the field.

Hosea 10:5. The inhabitants of Samaria shall tremble for the calf of Beth-aven; for his people shall mourn for it, and his priests shall wail over it, because its glory has departed from it. In the days of calamity the calf of Beth-Aven (Bethel) not only will fail to help the people, but will itself become a subject of concern and lamentation. “For the calf,” in the Hebrew egeloth, for the heifers—feminine plural used to express an indefinite, abstract concept, for the service of the calf. “Will cry out for its glory (kebodo), because it will depart from it”: Hebrew kebod (glory), some commentators (Hitzig, Hoonacker) not without reason understand as referring to the treasures of the Bethel sanctuary, given to the enemy. The Greek and Slavonic text of verse 5 has a series of deviations from the Hebrew: Hebrew gur, meaning (with a preposition) to fear, be afraid, the LXX translated παροικήσουσι, Slavonic “will inhabit,” kemarajy, “its priests,” the LXX read kemararu, “as they angered”; from this comes the Slavonic: “and just as they angered it, they will rejoice in its glory.”

Hosea 10:6. The calf itself shall be carried to Assyria as a gift to the great king; Ephraim shall be shamed, and Israel shall be ashamed because of his counsel. The degradation of the people will be expressed particularly in the fact that the very calf, to which they bowed down, will be carried away as a gift to Assyria. To the king of Jareb (or Jerim) is an indefinite name, a king as defender. The prophet is doubtless speaking of the Assyrian king, but which specific historical fact he means is difficult to say. The reading of the Slavonic text “having bound it,” δήσαντες, has no correspondence in the Hebrew. It is supposed that the Hebrew ashshur (“to Assyria”) the LXX read twice and the first, deriving from asar (asur), they translated with the word δησαντες.

Hosea 10:7. The king of Samaria shall perish like a splinter on the face of the water. “The king of Samaria will be cut off”—the prophet is not speaking of the golden calf (Scholz, Knabenbauer), but of the king, of royal power, foretelling the impending destruction of it. The Slavonic “was cast off” (instead of “will be cut off”) arose because the LXX read nidmeh (from damah—to destroy) as jarmeh (from ramah, to throw, overthrow). “Like a chip on the surface of the water”; the exact meaning of Hebrew kezeph is unknown; some ancient translators (Aquila, blessed Jerome) translated it as foam (αφρός, spuma), while others (LXX, Theodotion, Peshitta) translated it as stalk, brush, straw (φρύγανον); from this comes the Slavonic “like brush.”

Hosea 10:8. And the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed; thorns and thistles shall grow up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, “Cover us,” and to the hills, “Fall upon us.” “The high places of Aven,” Slavonic “Shrines of that thing,”—high places (shrine and altar) not of Bethel.

Hosea 10:9. You have sinned more than in the days of Gibeah, O Israel; there they stood firm; shall not war overtake them in Gibeah against the sons of iniquity? “More than in the days of Gibeah,” Hebrew mimej haggrvah should be translated—“from the days of Gibeah.” The LXX took the name haggjvah in verse 9 as a common noun, hill, from this comes the Slavonic: “from whence the hill” and further “on the hill war.” The prophet either wants to say that Israel has been sinning since the time when the terrible crime described in the book of Judges (Judg 20-21) was committed in Gibeah, or, as some interpreters think (Nowack, Wellhausen), the prophet has in mind the fact of Saul’s election in Gibeah and the establishment of royal power, in whose bearers the prophet sees the authors of Israel’s sins. “There they stood,” an unclear expression, which is understood in the sense that in a sin similar to that of Gibeah, Israel has persisted until now. “The war in Gibeon against the sons of iniquity did not overtake them.” Commentators turn the prophet’s speech into a question and establish such a connection of the stated words with the preceding ones; the Israelites persist in sin as the inhabitants of Gibeah did; will not a similar fate, a similar punishment, overtake them as once overtook the inhabitants of Gibeah? (Brodovich). According to Nowack’s view, the prophet’s thought is that because of Israel’s sins the enemies will conquer its entire kingdom—even Gibeah, lying on the southernmost border of the kingdom, will be overtaken by war.

Hosea 10:10. I will discipline them according to My desire, and peoples shall be gathered against them when I bind them for their double transgression. “When I desire I will discipline them”; that is, Jehovah will punish Israel in full accordance with justice, commensurate with his guilt. The very punishment will consist in this: that nations (the Assyrians) will be gathered against the Israelites. The cause of punishment is Israel’s double transgression, that is, Israel’s turning away from Jehovah and falling away from the house of David. In the Slavonic text, verse 10 begins with the words “came to punish.” The word “came” corresponds to ήλοε in some manuscripts, probably arising from an erroneous interpretation of Hebrew beavvathi (“when I desire”).

Hosea 10:11. Ephraim was a trained heifer, accustomed to the threshing floor; and I myself have placed a yoke on her tender neck; I will harness Ephraim, Judah shall plow, Jacob shall break up the ground. “Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh.” Threshing in the East was done by driving yoked animals over spread sheaves so that they beat out the grain with their hooves; or by special threshers, which they pulled. At the same time, according to Moses’ commandment (Deut 25:4), a muzzle was not put on the animals so that they could eat the grain they were threshing. Because of this, threshing for an ox was easy work, profitable, and as if a favorite activity. The image of a heifer accustomed to threshing in relation to Israel means that he has become accustomed to enjoying the benefits sent by Jehovah, and therefore “has grown fat, has fattened, has become sleek” (Deut 32:15; Hos 13:6) and has forgotten his God. As punishment for this, Israel and Judah will have to perform hard labor.—Instead of the reading in the Russian text “trained to thresh” in the Slavonic: “which loves to dispute.” The LXX instead of ladusch (to thresh), apparently read ladun (from dun, to judge, dispute). Instead of the Russian text reading “Judah will plow” the LXX took ghl. jacharo ch (from charach) in an inappropriate sense—to be dumb, be silent, and jeschadede (to break ground) they punctuated as jeschadede (from schadad—to overcome by force, overpower).

Hosea 10:12. Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap according to mercy; break up your untilled ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, until He comes and rains righteousness upon you. The prophet calls for conversion from sinful life. “Reap mercy”—from Hebrew: reap mercy. “Break up your fallow ground”—a figurative expression having the sense: abandon sinful life, prepare the soil for new life.—In the Slavonic, instead of the words “reap mercy” (lephi chesed), they read—“gather the fruit of life,” Greek εις καρπον ζωής (the LXX apparently read liphl-chajjim). Instead of the words “will rain righteousness upon you” in the Slavonic: “until there comes to you grain of righteousness.”

Hosea 10:13. You have plowed iniquity and reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of deception, because you trusted in your way, in the multitude of your warriors. Instead of the words “you have plowed wickedness”; in the Slavonic: “why did you keep silent about iniquity” ινατί παρεσιωπήσατε ασεβειαν: the verb charaschtem (plowed) the LXX, as also in verse 11, took in the sense “to be silent” and ινατί (why) was taken, probably, from the end of verse 12, where instead of la chem (for you) the LXX read lamah (why).

Hosea 10:14. And a tumult shall arise among your people, and all your strongholds shall be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel in the day of battle; the mother was dashed to pieces with her children. In foretelling the destruction of the strongholds of Israel the prophet uses a comparison: “as Shalman destroyed Beth-Arbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed to pieces with her children.” Shalman is doubtless an abbreviated name (cf. 1 Chr 4:29, where eltholad (Josh 15:30) stands in the form tholad; and Hos 10:8, where the name beithaven appears in the form aven) for Shalmaneser. Under this Shalmaneser is meant one of the Assyrian kings (Shalmaneser III, 783–773; Shalmaneser IV, 727–722) or Shalmaneser, king of Moab, mentioned in the solemn inscription of Tiglath-Pileser III (745–727). “Beth-Arbel”—a city in Galilee, between Sepphoris and Tiberias, corresponding to the present Ibrid. Apart from Hos 10:14, no information about the time and circumstances of this city’s destruction has been preserved. The words “the mother was dashed to pieces with her children” represent, apparently, a proverb by which the highest degree of cruelty was designated (cf. Gen 32:12). The entire utterance of the prophet is intended to point to the extreme severity of the defeat that awaits the Israelite people.—In the Slavonic text, instead of the words “as Shalman destroyed Beth-Arbel” it reads “just as the prince Shalman from the house of Jeroboam perished.” The LXX apparently, instead of Keschod (destroyed) read Kesar (as a prince), then took the Hebrew beit in a common sense as house, and referred the entire comparison to the fact of the slaying of the Midianite king Salman by Gideon (Judg 7:21). Gideon bore the name Jerubbaal (Judg 6:32), and from this came the reading “from the house of Jeroboam.” (Alexander and Sinai manuscripts read Ἱεροβααλ).

Hosea 10:15. Thus shall Bethel do to you because of your great wickedness. Instead of the words “thus Bethel will do to you” (beith-el) in the Slavonic “thus I will do to you, house of Israel.” The LXX translated the Hebrew beith-el freely as οίκος τσΰ ᾿Ισραήλ.

Chapter Eleven

1–4. The love of Jehovah and the ingratitude of Israel. 5–7. The punishment of Israel. 8–11. God’s mercy toward the chosen people.

Hosea 11:1. At dawn the king of Israel shall perish! When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. The words “in the dawn the king of Israel will perish” in the Hebrew Bible are attributed to the end of the tenth chapter, to which they also belong by sense. The prophet speaks not of the destruction of any particular king, but of royal power in general or the kingdom. This destruction will overtake the kingdom at dawn, that is, at a time, apparently, of incipient prosperity.—The Lord’s love for Israel began even from the days of its youth (Slavonic: “when child Israel”), that is, from the time when Israel first appeared as a people. The Lord’s love for Israel was expressed first and foremost in delivering him from Egypt (according to Hoonacker, from the time of Egypt the Lord began to make appeals to Israel). “Out of Egypt I called My son” (beni), in the LXX τα τέκνα αυτοΰ, his children. All ancient translations and the Gospel of Matthew, which quotes this passage (Matt 2:15), read it in agreement with the Hebrew. Therefore one must suppose that the LXX erroneously translated the Hebrew beni in plural and with a third person suffix. The Gospel of Matthew treats the words of Hosea as a prophecy of the return of the infant Jesus with His Mother from Egypt. The prophet, of course, speaks directly of Israel. But Israel, for the purposes of the economy of salvation, was adopted by God through the Sinai Covenant (Exod 4:22), was a type of the incarnate Messiah—the Son of God—for the salvation of mankind. Therefore, all the most important moments in Israel’s history were directed so that they appeared as indications pointing to the promised Messiah. Just as Israel’s stay in Egypt was necessary so that Israel, when he was still as if in infancy and was being formed into a chosen people, would be removed from the pernicious influence of Canaanism,—so the Savior’s stay in Egypt was necessary so that Christ, while in childhood and appointed by God for a great mission, would be preserved safe from the murderous violence of Herod. Just as Israel’s stay in Egypt had to continue until the measure of the iniquities of the Amorites, pernicious to him, was filled up (Gen 15:16), when God called His named Son out of Egypt,—so the Savior’s stay in Egypt had to continue until the dangerous Herod died (Matt 2:19), when God “returned from Egypt His True Son” (Brodovich, p. 379).

Hosea 11:2. The more they called them, the more they went from their presence; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning incense to idols. “When I called them.” The words of verse 2 can be understood concerning the preaching of the prophets, whom the Lord sent to His people; or impersonally (Hoonacker): “however much they were called, they went away.” Some commentators, in agreement with the LXX text, read the verb at the beginning of the verse in singular and understand it of Jehovah (I called them).

Hosea 11:3. I myself taught Ephraim to walk; I took them in My arms, but they did not know that I healed them. The prophet points to the manifestation of the Lord’s love for Israel at the beginning of his history: probably the fact (Exod 15:27-26) is meant when, through God’s action, the waters of Mara became sweet, and Jehovah thus revealed Himself as the healer of His people.

Hosea 11:4. I drew them with human kindness, with bands of love, and I became for them like those who lift the yoke from their jaws, and I gently let food come down for them. “I was to them as one who lifts a yoke from their jaws”: a new image of God’s love; the Lord in relation to Israel is likened to a kind master who removes the yoke from the jaws of oxen to ease their grazing on pasture. The sense of the image is that Jehovah lightened the burden of the law for Israel and gave him the means to fulfill this law. The LXX text (and Slavonic) in verse 3 has many deviations from the original. These deviations are usually explained by the assumption of errors in reading the Hebrew text by Greek translators.

Hosea 11:5. He shall not return to the land of Egypt, but Assyria shall be his king, because they refused to return to Me. “He will not return to Egypt” (lo jaschul); “but Assyria—he will be their king.” Modern commentators (Nowack, Hoonacker) do not read the negation in the verb jaschuv, supposing that lo should be referred to the end of verse 4 (where instead of lo—no, it should be lo—to him). The mention of Egypt, as also in Hos 8:13, is understood in the sense of a general indication of the land of slavery. The prophet’s thought in this case takes on the following sense: Israel rejected the fatherly care of Jehovah (Hos 11:1-4); because of this he will go into slavery and will be subjected to the tyrannical rule of Assyria—The LXX read jaschuv (will return) as jaschav (to dwell, settle), from this comes the Slavonic: “Ephraim dwelt.”

Hosea 11:6. And the sword shall fall upon his cities and shall destroy his gates and devour them because of their schemes. Instead of the words “and a sword will fall (chalah)” in the Slavonic “and the weapon (ησθένησεν) became weak”: The LXX took the Hebrew chalah in the sense of to sicken, become weak. “And will destroy his bars,” in the Slavonic “and was silent into his hand.”

Hosea 11:7. My people are bent on turning away from Me; and though they call to the Most High, He does not raise them up together. The sense of the verse is clear. But the Hebrew text is rendered in our translation freely (“are bent on” from Hebrew “hung”). Modern commentators (Wellhausen, Nowack, Hoonacker) consider the verse text corrupted and, proposing their own emendations, render the sense of the verse differently. In the Greek text the verse has deviations, arising from a different reading of the original.

Hosea 11:8. How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboim? My heart recoils within Me; My compassion grows warm and tender. Hosea 11:9. I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not return to destroy Ephraim, for I am God and not man, the Holy One in the midst of you, and I will not come in wrath. Admah and Zeboim are cities of the valley of Siddim that perished together with Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:24; Deut 29:23). Israel deserved the fate of these cities. But by His love for the chosen people, the Lord will have mercy on it.—The end of the verse “I will not come with terror,” ve lo abo beir, is translated and interpreted variously. Some commentators (Brodovich), by the city, understand the community of the Israelite people and give the entire expression the sense that the Lord will not come into the community of Israel to deliver it to destruction, as He once came into Admah and Zeboim. Others (Keil, Nowack) take the word ir (city) in the sense of heat, passion, anger, and see in it an indication of the cessation of God’s anger toward Israel. Hoonacker corrects the Hebrew text of the expression, reading velo obeh aveir, and translates, “and I do not love to destroy.”

Hosea 11:10. They shall go after the Lord; He will roar like a lion; when He roars, His children shall come trembling from the west. Hosea 11:11. They will tremble out of Egypt like birds, and out of the land of Assyria like doves, and I will settle them in their houses, says the Lord. A pronouncement of Israel’s future restoration. At the call of God, the scattered Israel will someday gather from all the lands into which it will be scattered and will settle in the native land, where it will serve the Lord faithfully (“they will follow the Lord”). The terms “west,” “Egypt” and “Assyria” are used in the sense of indicating various directions of the horizon from which the scattered will return. The images of “birds” and “doves,” indicating the speed with which the people will gather to the Lord’s call, are common in the Bible (Isa 60:8; Ps 60:7; cf. Hos 7:11-12). In the Slavonic text, instead of the words they will follow comes the first person “I will walk.”

Hosea 11:12. Ephraim has surrounded me with lies and the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah still holds to God and is faithful with the Holy One. In the LXX, the Vulgate, and in our texts, it is referred to the end of chapter eleven; in the Hebrew it begins the following chapter. Since this verse already contains condemnation, it stands in closer connection precisely with chapter twelve. The prophet condemns Israel for lies and deceit (Slavonic “with iniquity”). The second half of the verse “but Judah still walks with God and is faithful to the Holy One,” in the Greek-Slavonic text is understood not with respect to Judah, but with respect to Israel: “now God knows him (Israel), and the people called holy to God.” The Hebrew text presents difficulties for translation and is rendered in our text conjecturally. The words od rad im-el Russian (“still walks with God”) are translated (Ewald, Hitzig) as: Judah is still unconquered in relation to God, and to the faithful holy ones (kedoschim),—or differently (Cornill): “Judah is still stubborn in relation to God and has joined himself with those who deceive” (kedoschim); “Judah is a false witness against God, but faithful to those who deceive” (Hoonacker), that is, to the Egyptians and Assyrians, on whose aid Israel still relies. In any case, the sense given by the Russian text does not fully correspond to Hosea’s view of Judah.

Chapter Twelve

1–2. Israel’s false politics. 3–4. Recollection of the patriarch Jacob. 5–14. Condemnation of Israel’s ingratitude and pronouncement of punishment.

Hosea 12:1. Ephraim feeds on wind and pursues the east wind; all day long he multiplies lies and desolation; they make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried to Egypt. Chapters twelve through fourteen form a new section of the prophet’s speeches. In them Hosea condemns the people for impiety and idolatry and proclaims the coming of punishment. The image of the wind (kadim—east wind) which Ephraim pursues in verse 1 means that Ephraim pursues unattainable goals. In this case the prophet specifically means the making of covenants with foreigners, from which Israel vainly expects help.—Instead of the words “feeds on wind” in the Slavonic “evil spirit,” because the LXX read the word roch (“feeds”) as rаа (from rа—bad, evil). The words “he multiplies lies and violence” (schod) in the Slavonic are rendered: “he has multiplied vain and empty things,” the LXX apparently read schod as schav (lie, vanity).

Hosea 12:2. But the Lord also has a case against Judah and will punish Jacob according to his ways; He will repay him according to his deeds. In verse 2 the prophet recalls Judah, which also faces punishment. “He will punish Jacob”: by the law the prophet means the ten-tribe kingdom, and by the punishment of Judah he designates the future punishment of the Judeans.—The mention of Judah in verse 3 appears to modern commentators (Nowack, Hoonacker) as disrupting the flow of prophetic speech, the subject of which is Israel. Therefore they suppose that the name of Judah was placed by later copyists in place of the name Israel.

Hosea 12:3. In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, and in manhood he wrestled with God. Hosea 12:4. He wrestled with the Angel and prevailed; he wept and begged Him; in Bethel He found us, and there He spoke to us. In verses 4–5 the prophet recalls Jacob, for whom he called the people in verse 3. The prophet’s mention of the patriarch is understood differently. According to some commentators (Umbreit, Hitzig, Nowack), the prophet wants to say that from the beginning, even in the person of his progenitor, who seized his brother and struggled with God, Israel displayed deception and violence (Gen 25:26). But the prophet could not consider the weeping and pleading of Jacob (“wept and pleaded with Him”) as an expression of trickery or violence on Jacob’s part. Therefore other interpreters understand the prophet’s mention of Jacob in a different sense, namely that by his striving for the birthright and for obtaining through it God’s blessing, and by his struggle with God, in which Jacob conquered through weeping and pleading, “the patriarch left an example to follow and a pledge of salvation for those who bear his name” (Brodovich). Instead of the words “in his maturity” (beono—in strength, having achieved strength) “he struggled with God” in the Slavonic: “with his labors he grew strong toward God”; Hebrew sarah, to struggle, contend (Gen 32:28), the LXX translated as ενίσχυσε—came into strength, grew strong. He struggled with the angel—namely with the Angel of Jehovah, who is nothing other than God Himself or the divine Logos in his Old Testament operation (A. Glagolev, The Old Testament Biblical Doctrine of Angels. Kiev. 1900). “Wept and pleaded with Him” (in Slavonic “Me”); it is supposed that the prophet supplements here the narrative of the book of Genesis (Gen 32:24-29) on the basis of the very words of the narrator: Jacob said “I will not let you go until you bless me.” In Bethel He found us, and there He spoke with us. The speech is about the patriarch Jacob, but Jacob is viewed as the bearer of the entire Israelite people; therefore the prophet uses the pronoun of the first person, plural (“us,” with us). The prophet’s thought is that the promises given in Bethel to Jacob upon his return from Mesopotamia belong also to the people of Israel.—The LXX understood the prophet’s words directly about the people and therefore translated: “in the house of Bethel (in Bethel) they found Me.”—One of the new commentators (Hoonacker) considers verses 3–4 a folk song in which Israel’s glory is spoken of, which the prophet puts into the mouth of the people. The following words are the prophet’s answer to this song.

Hosea 12:5. And the Lord is the God of hosts; the Eternal [Jehovah] is His name. In verse 5 the prophet establishes the thought expressed at the end of the previous verse. The promises given in Bethel belong to the descendants of Jacob because the Lord is the Almighty, unchangeable God. “God of hosts” (zabah, host, army)—the Ruler of the hosts of heaven (Gen 32:2), the luminaries (Isa 40:26; Ps 102:21), and earthly armies (Isa 24:21-23; Exod 7:4): a designation expressing the idea of God’s omnipotence.—Instead of the words “the Lord”—(Jehovah) is His name in the Slavonic “His remembrance will be,” because the LXX instead of God’s name read the verb Ihjeh (will be), and took the word sichro (his name) in its literal sense—“remembrance.”

Hosea 12:6. And you, turn back to your God; observe mercy and justice, and hope in your God continually. An exhortation to Israel. “Observe mercy and justice” (chesed—love, mishpat—justice). Instead of the words “wait for your God” in the Slavonic “draw near to your God.”

Hosea 12:7. A Canaanite with dishonest scales in his hand loves to oppress; Hosea 12:8. and Ephraim says: “Yet I have become rich; I have acquired wealth, though in all my labors they will find nothing unlawful that would be sin.” According to the prophet’s thought, Israel instead of being a people of God became a merchant—a petty trader who has made profit and enrichment his goal through deception and violence. In such blindness, Israel is so in its acquisition of wealth through deception that it sees nothing illegal or sinful in it (cf. Lev 19:36; Deut 25:18-16). Canaanite—from Hebrew Canaan (as also in Slavonic): as a proper name—the word Canaan is used in the Bible to designate a land (Exod 15:15; Num 13:29) and to designate a people; inasmuch as the inhabitants of Canaan, particularly the Phoenicians, were mainly engaged in commerce, the word Canaan acquired the sense of a common noun—merchant, trader (Isa 23:8; Zeph 1:11). Instead of the words “I have found wealth for myself” (on) in the Slavonic “I found rest”: The LXX derived on, as Schleusner supposes, from the Arabic root and translated it with αναψυχή. The end of the verse the LXX translated in the third person.

Hosea 12:9. But I, the Lord your God from the land of Egypt, will again make you dwell in tents, as in the days of the feast. Israel boasted that he had become rich by his own labor. But in reality—the Lord from the time of the exodus from Egypt is the sole source of Israel’s prosperity. And because the people forgot this, he will be punished. “Will make you dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed feast.” It is not entirely clear whether the prophet’s words contain a threat or consolation. The prophet, apparently, speaks of the Feast of Tabernacles, when the Israelites were supposed to dwell in tents in remembrance of the fact that God had made them dwell in tents after their exodus from Egypt (Lev 23:42-43). Dwelling in tents reminded the people both of the hard wilderness wandering and of God’s merciful miraculous guidance. Therefore in verse 9 the figurative expression may be understood in the sense that when the people are overtaken by God’s punishment, they will be as if taken back into the wilderness, but they will not have their hope and God’s guidance taken away from them (Brodovich).

Hosea 12:10. I spoke to the prophets, and I multiplied visions, and through the prophets I spoke in parables. The prophet reveals the thought that the Lord is the benefactor of Israel. Instead of the words “through the prophets I used parables,” bejad hannebiim adammeh in the Slavonic “in the hands of the prophets I was likened”; The LXX translated the text literally. Hoonacker, in accordance with Hos 4:6, sees in adammeh the verb daman, to destroy, and translates: through the prophets (messengers of God’s will) I will destroy them.

Hosea 12:11. If Gilead has become Aven, then they have become vain; in Gilgal they sacrificed bulls as offerings, and their altars stood like heaps of stones on the field. Verse 11 is very difficult to understand. Apparently, the prophet’s thought is as follows. The Lord has instructed Israel through the prophets, but Israel remained deaf to God’s words and turned away from serving Jehovah both in Gilead (the Transjordanian part) and in Gilgal (the Cisjordanian part). “If Gilead is worthless, then they are worthless” (schave): more exactly from Hebrew—“If Gilead is nothingness (aven), then they are nothing”; schave apparently is used of worthlessness in the sense of physical destruction, which the prophet thus threatens against Israel.—The LXX instead of aven (nothingness) read ain (there is not); from this comes the Slavonic text: “if not Gilead there is.”—“In Gilgal they sacrificed bulls” (schevanm sibbechu). The prophet condemns Israel not for sacrificing bulls, but for making offerings in an unauthorized place, which should have been only Jerusalem (cf. Hos 4:15). Instead of the words “in Gilgal” the LXX read έν Γαλααδ, in Gilead. Instead of schevarim (bulls) the LXX read sarim (princes) and connected the sentence with the preceding; from this comes the Slavonic: “therefore false were in Gilgal princes making offerings.” The Vulgate reads the last words: bobus immolantes, offering sacrifices to oxen. Given the disagreement of the translations, some commentators propose instead of schevarim, sedim, demons (“offering sacrifice to demons”). “And their altars are like heaps of stones in the furrows of the field.” The altars are compared with the heaps (gallim) which are made up of stones dug up in the cultivation of land. The speech of the prophet, containing a play on words (galgal will turn into gallim), refers to the future and contains a threat of the destruction of Israel’s altars: The LXX translated the word gallim as χελώναι, turtles; from this comes the Slavonic: “like turtles on the field boundaries.”

Hosea 12:12. Jacob fled to the fields of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he tended flocks. Hosea 12:13. By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet He preserved him. The prophet again turns to past times. The sense of verses 12–13 is understood differently. According to some interpreters (Ewald), the prophet points out the caring relationship of the Lord both to the patriarch of the Israelite people (verse 12) and to Israel itself. According to others (Brodovich), the prophet contrasts the fate of the patriarch of Israel with the fate of Israel itself: Jacob had to flee to a foreign land and, like a slave, keep sheep; but his descendants were miraculously brought out of Egypt and were protected by God through the prophets. With this contrast Hosea points to God’s love for Israel, so as to emphasize the ingratitude of the latter.

Chapter Thirteen

1–15. Condemnation of Israel’s sins, pronouncement of impending punishment, and God’s mercy toward Israel.

Hosea 13:1. When Ephraim spoke, everyone trembled. He was exalted in Israel; but he became guilty through Baal, and perished. According to the sense of the Russian translation in verse 1, the prophet speaks of the significance of Ephraim among the tribes of Israel—a significance lost as a result of apostasy from Jehovah and turning to Baal. But the original text of verse 1 presents difficulties for translation: namely, retheth (Russian “trembled,” Greek δικαιώματα, Slavonic “ordinances”) does not occur elsewhere in the Bible, and its meaning is disputed; furthermore, the fact that elsewhere the name Ephraim serves the prophet as a designation for all of Israel causes difficulty, while in verse 1, according to the sense of the Russian translation, it is used as the name of a single tribe. In view of this, commentators translate the verse differently than in the Russian translation. Some commentators understand the Hebrew retheth in the sense of terrible, understanding by this the words of Jeroboam (1 Sam 12:28) (Rosenmüller-Hasselberg) on the introduction of calf worship or the defiling name of Baal (Umbreit), while others understand it in the sense of “tumult” (Ewald). The prophet’s words in this case represent a rebuke to Israel; either for his rebellion against the house of David, or for turning to the service of Baal. According to Hoonacker’s view, the word retheth is a proper name, namely Dathan (corrupted in retheth), known in history for his rebellion against Moses (Exod 16:7). Hoonacker translates verse 1 thus: “according to the word of Ephraim (cf. Slavonic “by the word of Ephraim”) was Dathan; he was a prince (nasa, Russian “exalted,” Slavonic “took”) in Israel; he became guilty against his master (babaal, Russian “through Baal”) and perished.”—The LXX and our Slavonic in verse 1 deviate from the original and give an unclear thought.

Hosea 13:2. And now they have added to their sin: they have made for themselves cast idols of their silver, according to their understanding—the complete work of craftsmen—and they say to those who offer sacrifice: ‘Kiss the calves!’ The former sin—rebellion against God—Ephraim increased with a new one: he made idols to which sacrifices are offered. “Cleverly made from their silver” (kitebunach azavim): Slavonic in accordance with the LXX “according to the image of idols”; the reading of the Hebrew text is confirmed both by the context and by all translations. “And they say of them who make offerings to them, ‘Kiss the calves!’” The Hebrew text of this passage (lahem hem omrim sobchej adam agalim iszszakun) is unclear and allows various translations and interpretations. (The words sobchej adam, rendered in our text as “those who make offerings to them,” are understood by some exegetes (Rosenmüller, Hitzig, Schegg) as referring to human sacrifices, and the entire sentence is translated: those who sacrifice humans say—kiss the calf; or: they are Amorites (omrim—speakers, amorim, Amorites), they offer humans in sacrifice, they kiss calves (Marti). But it is unlikely that the prophet would mention human sacrifices in passing. Furthermore, such sacrifices took place in the worship of Molech, and nothing is known about the connection of such sacrifices with calves (“kiss the calves”). Other interpreters (Scholz, Schmöller, Brodovich) take the words sobchej adam as the subject in the sentence and translate the entire utterance of the prophet thus: (to them, to the idols) the people who offer sacrifice say, calves they kiss. The verb omrim (“say”) in this case is understood in the sense of prayer to idols, and the kissing of calves is viewed as an expression of devotion to them. The LXX read the Hebrew sobchej as an imperative (sibchu) and translated it as the verb θύσατε; they derived the verb iszszakun (kiss) from sakak, to melt, waste away; from this comes the Slavonic “these say: sacrifice humans; for the calves have wasted away”—a thought unclear.

Hosea 13:4. But I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt, and you should know no other god besides Me, and there is no savior but Me. Hosea 13:5. I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought. The prophet, as in chapter Hos 12:9-10, reminds of the mercies of Jehovah to Israel. I knew (jedathicha) “you”: (Slavonic “I tended you”); the verb used by the prophet expresses the thought of love and fatherly care with which Jehovah related to Israel in the wilderness. In verse 4 the Greek and Slavonic texts have an addition to the original, not found in other translations (the words: “who establishes heaven and creates earth, whose hand created all the host of heaven, and I did not reveal them to you so that you would follow them: and I brought you out of the land of Egypt”). These words are doubtless a gloss that entered the text from the margins.

Hosea 13:6. Having pastures, they were satisfied; and when they were full, their hearts became proud, and therefore they forgot Me. Hosea 13:7. And I will be to them like a lion, like a young lion I will lurk by the path. Hosea 13:8. I will attack them like a bear robbed of her cubs, and I will tear open the chamber of their hearts, and devour them there, like a lioness; the wild beasts will tear them apart. The Lord was a good shepherd of Israel, shepherding him on fair pastures. But Israel proved ungrateful and forgot the Lord. For this the Lord will now be to the people like a lion, leopard, (kenamer, like a leopard, Russian as “leopard”) and a bereaved bear, which tear their prey (cf. Hos 5:14). The prophet has in mind the beginning and impending calamities for Israel. Instead of the words “I will lurk” (aschur) beside the path in the Slavonic “on the way of the Assyrians”: The LXX (as also the Vulgate, Syriac) erroneously took aschur (from schur, to surround, lurk) as the name of the Assyrians.

Hosea 13:9. You have destroyed yourself, Israel, for only in Me is your support. The Hebrew text of verse 9 allows various translations. Most commentators translate it: “destroys you Israel (what) you (put) against Me, your help.” Others: Your destruction is Me, Israel; who will help you? (Nowack). In the Slavonic, “in your destruction, Israel, who will help you?”

Hosea 13:10. Where is your king now? Let him save you in all your cities! Where are your judges, of whom you said: ‘Give us a king and rulers’? Verse 10 does not say that Israel no longer has a king: the prophet only points to the helplessness of the Israelite kings in view of the enemy’s invasion of all the cities. “You said: Give us a king and princes,” an indication of Israel’s falling away from the house of David.

Hosea 13:11. And I gave you a king in My anger, and took him away in My wrath. The verbal forms used by the prophet (gave, took away) express an action that is often repeated and can be rendered in the present tense. The prophet speaks of royal power in general. Instead of the word took away in the Slavonic “I was strong” (Greek possibly έσχον arose from the original απέσχον—I removed).

Hosea 13:12. The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up, his sin is preserved. “As in the temporal world,” says blessed Jerome in explanation of verse 12, “what is bound is kept and is not lost for the one for whom it was bound, so all the iniquities through which Ephraim sinned against God are bound for him and are kept as if hidden in a purse.”—Hebrew Zarur (bound up) the LXX read as the noun Zeror, συσιροφή—a bundle; from this comes the Slavonic “accumulation” (of iniquity).

Hosea 13:13. The pangs of childbirth will overtake him; he is an unwise son, or else he would not stand so long in the time of those being born. The coming calamities for Israel are compared with the pangs of childbirth in verse 13. At the same time the thought is given that these calamities, like the pangs of the laboring woman, will serve as the beginning of new life. “He is an unwise son, for he does not present himself at the time in the place of breaking forth of children.” The second half of the utterance from the Hebrew should more accurately be rendered: “for he at the time (et—accusative of time) does not stand in the opening of the womb,” that is, “does not enter into the opening of the mother’s womb,” slowing and hindering thereby the birth (Brodovich). The prophet wants to say that Ephraim could ease his birth into new life, could lessen through repentance the pangs of God’s judgment. But Ephraim is an unwise son. The Greek-Slavonic reading: “for he now will not stand in the breaking of the children” arose from too literal a rendering of the LXX text of the original.

Hosea 13:14. From the power of Hades I will redeem them, from death I will deliver them. Death! where is your sting? Hades! where is your victory? There will be no repentance in this for Me. Many exegetes (Schmöller, Simon, Nowack, and others) interpret verse 14 in the sense that it expresses the thought of the inevitable destruction of Israel (“relenting is hidden from My eyes”). The opening sentences of verse 14 are considered to be questions, moreover such as that presuppose a negative answer (Will I deliver? Will I redeem?). And in the second half of the verse, in the words “O death, where are your plagues? O grave, where is your destruction?” they see a summons addressed to death and the grave or an exhortation to them to destroy Israel. But the stated interpretation of verse 14 is not fully in harmony with the context of the speech. In verse 13 the prophet compares Ephraim’s condition with the pangs of the laboring woman and expresses thereby the thought that calamities will be the beginning of new life. Therefore in verse 14 we should expect speech of deliverance, not of final destruction. According to the New Testament and patristic interpretations (St. Cyril of Alexandria, Ephrem the Syrian, blessed Theodoret), in verse 14 the prophet gives a promise of the annihilation of the power and authority of death and the grave. “But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?” (1 Cor 15:54-55). Immediately, the prophet’s promise relates to the liberation of Israel from captivity. In full measure it is fulfilled when all those who have become prey to the grave and death are restored to life, that is, in the fact of the resurrection of the dead. In the Slavonic text instead of the words “where are your plagues” it reads: “where is your dispute.” Hebrew dеbarejcha, meaning: ruin, pestilence, plague, the LXX translated freely with the word δίκη, in the sense of strife, lawsuit (Exod 18:16; Exod 24:14). “Where is your destruction” Slavonic “where is your sting”: Hebrew katabela (Greek κέντρον) means: ruin, destruction, pestilence (Deut 32:24; Exod 28:2). “Relenting is hidden from My eyes” (nocham—repentance), (from Hebrew opened from My eyes): that is, God’s determination of deliverance is firm and unalterable. In the Slavonic “comfort is hidden from My eyes.”

Hosea 13:15. Though Ephraim is fruitful among his brothers, yet the east wind will come, the wind of the Lord will rise from the wilderness, and his spring will be dried up, and his fountain will fail; he will plunder the storehouse of all precious vessels. The prophet again returns to the proclamation of calamities for Israel. The most fruitful (the name Ephraim means double fruit or double fruitfulness) among the tribes, Ephraim will not be spared, for the source of his fruitfulness will be dried up by the east wind. The wind in verse 15 is the image of an enemy, namely the Assyrians. Instead of the Russian “though Ephraim is fruitful among his brothers,” in the Slavonic “for this one will divide among brothers,” Hebrew japheri (fruitful) the LXX read as japherit and translated it with the word διαστελεί, will divide.

Chapter Fourteen

1. The destruction of Samaria. 2–5. Exhortation to Israel. 6–9. Healing of Israel’s wounds and bestowal of mercy. 10. Concluding exhortation.

Hosea 14:1. Samaria will be desolate, for she has rebelled against her God; they will fall by the sword; their infants will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women will be torn open. The prophet directs his threat to the capital of the Israelite kingdom, Samaria, which was a nest of wickedness.

Hosea 14:2. Return, Israel, to the Lord your God; for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. “Return, Israel”—the expression in the original text gives the thought of complete and total return to God. “Stumbled (kaschal) because of your iniquity”—the speech is not of moral falling, but of general decline of Israel.

Hosea 14:3. Take with you words of prayer and return to the Lord; say to Him: ‘Take away all iniquity and receive us for good, and we will present the sacrifice of our lips. Hosea 14:4. Assyria will not save us; we will not ride on horses, and we will not say anymore to the work of our hands: you are our gods; for in You there is mercy for the fatherless. The prophet points out in what precisely the people’s return to Jehovah should consist. “Take with you words,” that is, words of prayer, words of sincere repentance for sins and prayer for forgiveness. “Accept that which is good,” vekach tov, “accept the good,” that is, probably, the good thing we, in repentance, wish to bring you, namely the sacrifice of our lips (Brodovich). Israel’s return to God should, according to the prophet’s thought, also consist in the fact that the people would not rely on the Assyrians or on military force (on horses), would trust only in Jehovah and would not serve idols. “You are the God of the fatherless”—in this is the inducement to repentance and hope for forgiveness. The deviation of the LXX text from the original is not confirmed by other translations. The words of the Slavonic text (verse 3): “you can turn away all sin” are read only in a few Greek manuscripts and may be considered a later insertion.

Hosea 14:5. I will heal their faithlessness, I will love them freely; for My anger has turned away from them. “I will heal their backsliding (meschubotam—their apostasy), I will love them freely.” The LXX read moschubotam and therefore translated—“I will heal their villages,” understanding the restoration of Israel’s villages after captivity. Instead of the words “freely” (nedavam—voluntarily) in the Slavonic “openly” (δμολίγως), that is, so that all may see and know, I will love especially.

Hosea 14:6. I will be as dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily, and send out his roots like Lebanon. Hosea 14:7. His branches will spread out, and his beauty will be like the olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon. A figurative description of God’s mercy toward Israel and the people’s prosperity. “He will strike root like the cedars of Lebanon,” that is, like the mountains of Lebanon. In the image is reflected the notion that the mountains appear as the very foundations of the earth, standing firm and unshakeable. “His beauty will be like the olive tree,” from Greek in the words: “his beauty will be like the fruitful olive tree”; Hebrew chod (beauty, splendor) the LXX translated freely with the word χατάκαρπος, fruitful.

Hosea 14:8. Those who dwelt in his shade will return, they will be abundant in grain, and will blossom like the vine, their fame will be like the wine of Lebanon. The speech is about individual members of the Israelite people. “Those who dwell in his shade,” that is, of Israel. Israel is represented here under the image of a spreading tree, covering individual members of the people with its shade. “They will flourish like grain”; in the Slavonic “they will be strengthened by wheat,”—reading: στρριχθήσονται (will be strengthened) in many manuscripts, but the original should be considered the reading accepted by the LXX text μεθυσθήσονται, will be made drunk.

Hosea 14:9. “What more have I to do with idols?” Ephraim will say. I will hear him and look upon him; I will be like a green cypress tree; from Me will come your fruit. After Ephraim forgets idols, the Lord will appear to him “as a green cypress,” that is, as a constant, inexhaustible source of life and prosperity. Instead of the words “like the green cypress,” (kiberosch raanan) in the Slavonic “like the thickening juniper” αρχευθος ποικαζουσα, dense juniper.

Hosea 14:10. Who is wise to understand these things? Who is discerning to know them? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous walk in them, but the transgressors fall upon them. Verse 10 refers to the entire book of the prophet and represents a summary of the teaching set forth in the book. The essence of this teaching is that the ways of the Lord (cf. Deut 32:4, God’s guidance) are right and lead the righteous to life while leading the wicked to destruction.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Introduction

On the Book of the Prophet Joel

The prophet Joel (Hebrew Joel yehovah el means “Jehovah is God”), as is evident from the inscription of his book, was the son of Pethuel (Hebrew pethuel). No other information is given about the person of the prophet and the circumstances of his life either in the book of Joel itself or in other records of biblical literature. The Bible mentions several persons named Joel (1 Sam 8:2; 1 Chr 5:4 and others). But Joel, the writer of the prophetic book, cannot be identified with any of these persons, nor is there reason to identify, along with the rabbis, Pethuel (pethuel) the father of Joel with Samuel or with Petahiah, mentioned in 1 Chr 24:16, the chief of the 19th priestly order. Some scholars, on the ground that the Book of Joel repeatedly mentions priests (Joel 1:9), the temple (Joel 1:9), and sacrifices, conclude that the prophet belonged to the priestly class. But in the speeches of prophets, who were guardians of the theocracy, such mentions are quite understandable even without supposing that the prophet belonged to the priesthood. The church fathers (Epiphanius and Dorotheus) report a tradition that Joel came from the tribe of Reuben or Gad and lived in the city of Betharan or Bethara beyond the Jordan. But this tradition also has no guarantee of its reliability. From the Book of Joel itself it rather follows that the prophet carried out his ministry in the kingdom of Judah, namely in Jerusalem (Joel 1:9), since his speech is addressed to the sons of Zion, to the inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem.

The time of life and activity of the prophet Joel is determined exclusively on the basis of the content of his book. But this content is not everywhere clear and does not contain any characteristic and completely precise historical indications. Hence the question of the time of life of the prophet Joel and the origin of his book is controversial and is resolved differently both in Western literature and in ours. Joel was considered a contemporary of Rehoboam (Karl, Pearson), his activity was attributed to the first years of the king of Judah Joash and specifically to 868–838 BC (Credner, Ewald, Hitzig, Orelli, Dobronravov, Yungerov), to the time of Jeroboam II, when Amos carried out his ministry (Schmolper, Knabenbauer, Pokrovsky), to the postexilic period (Hoonacker) and specifically to the 6th century (Scholz), to the middle of the 5th century (Hilgenfeld, Kuenen, Merx), to the end of the 5th and beginning of the 6th century (Nowack, Wellhausen, Marti). Modern researchers of the Book of Joel usually attribute the time of life of the prophet and the origin of his book to the postexilic period. This view is based on the following data:

1) The features of the political, social, and religious state of the people that appear in the Book of Joel correspond to the postexilic time. The prophet says nothing about a king or princes, but only about priests and elders (Joel 2:16-17). Joel presents the Jerusalem temple as the only sanctuary, mentioning neither idolatry nor worship on high places. The prophet speaks only of Judah (Joel 3:1), to which he assigns the name Israel (Joel 3:2), and makes no mention of the ten-tribe kingdom. At the same time, Joel points to the scattering of Israel-Judah among the nations and even to the division by the nations of the land of Israel (Joel 3:2).

2) The Book of Joel has many parallel passages with other books (cf. Joel 3:16 and Amos 1:2; Joel 3 and Amos 9:13; Joel 1:1-4 and Amos 7:1-6; Joel 2:11 and Zeph 1:14-15; Joel 2:14 and Job 3:9; Joel 2:11, 3 and Mal 3:2-3 and others) and especially with the Book of Ezekiel (cf. Joel 3:18 and Ezek 47:1). The general character of the Book of Joel, meanwhile, according to Hoonacker, suggests that the parallel passages were borrowed by the prophet Joel, who consequently must have lived after Ezekiel.

3) Finally, the views expressed in the Book of Joel correspond to the postexilic period. Thus, in the spirit of postexilic time, the prophet attaches great importance to sacrifices and regrets nothing more than the cessation of sacrifices. Meanwhile, the pre-exilic prophets attach secondary importance to sacrifices. Likewise, they say, the view of the “Day of the Lord” as a day of judgment over all nations could arise only in the epoch of Assyrian-Babylonian conquests, but not in ancient times.

It cannot be denied that some features of the Book of Joel, indeed, correspond well to the postexilic period (see items 1 and 2). But on the other hand, the ancient view of the Book of Joel as a pre-exilic book also has sufficiently solid foundations, the evidential force of which is recognized even by representatives of modern critical scholarship (Baudissin, Gautier). The main argument in favor of the antiquity of the Book of Joel and its pre-exilic origin is the place of the book among the earliest prophetic books (Hosea, Joel, Amos). In the very content of the book there are features more understandable in pre-exilic time than in postexilic. Thus, as enemies of Judah in the Book of Joel are mentioned peoples who had relations with Judah in ancient time—namely, Tyre, Sidon, the Philistines, Edom. According to the testimony (2 Chr 21:16) in the time of King Joram (9th century), the Philistines and Arabs indeed attacked the Judean territory, and the sons and wives of the king were captured. Also under Joram the Edomites revolted from the Judeans and the city of Libnah was captured (2 Sam 8:20-22), probably by the Philistines. On the other hand, many features indicated by commentators in the Book of Joel as characteristic of postexilic time can be explained from the perspective of pre-exilic history. Thus, the representation of the people of God, Israel, only as Judeans and the silence about the ten-tribe kingdom is permissible also for the time before the destruction of Samaria: it can be explained by the ten-tribe kingdom’s deviation into the worship of calves. Mention of the temple as the only lawful place of worship is understandable also in pre-exilic time. The Book of Joel’s speech about the scattering of Israel among the nations, about the division of the land of Israel, about the selling into captivity of the Judeans is undoubtedly more understandable in postexilic time; but the facts noted in 2 Chr 21:16; 2 Sam 8:20-22 also could have provided sufficient occasion for such speech. The prophet’s silence about idolatry, about high places, in which some see a feature of postexilic time, would be nothing particularly surprising if we take into account that in the Book of Joel individual sins of the people are not named at all. The non-mention by the Book of Joel of a king, without doubt, appears surprising for pre-exilic time. But on the other hand, if one were to recognize the Book of Joel as a postexilic work, it would be no less surprising not to mention the high priest during a general calamity.

As for the evidence of the postexilic origin of the Book of Joel set forth above, derived from the views of the prophet and from the fact of the similarity of many passages of his book with other prophetic writings, these proofs cannot be considered especially strong. Joel’s view of the significance of sacrifices does not contradict the view of the pre-exilic prophets on sacrifices, since they too did not deny the significance of sacrifices, but struggled against only an external, formal approach to sacrifices (cf. Amos 5:21-24; Isa 1:11). The idea of the “Day of the Lord” is known also to pre-exilic prophets (Amos 5:18). And the fact that many passages of the Book of Joel have parallels with other books can be explained as well by the borrowing on the part of the prophet Joel from other writers as by the assumption that the parallel passages in the Book of Joel served as the original.

From what has been said it follows that the question of the time of life of the prophet Joel and the origin of his book is difficult to resolve with certainty. But it is certain that the ancient view of the Book of Joel as a pre-exilic book has sufficiently solid foundations. If we regard the Book of Joel as a pre-exilic work, then its origin should be attributed to the first years of the reign of Joash, king of Judah, that is, approximately to the middle of the 9th century (868–838). The prophet’s mention of the attack by the Philistines (Joel 3:4), we may suppose, has in mind the fact of the attack by the Philistines on Judea under Joram (2 Chr 21:10). Consequently, the prophet wrote his book after this fact, that is, approximately after 879 BC. On the other hand, the silence about the Assyrians and Syrians in the depiction of judgment on the nations gives reason to conclude that the prophet wrote his book before the invasion of the Assyrians (746) and before the plundering of Jerusalem by the Syrians (2 Chr 24:23), which took place in 828 BC. The supposition of the origin of the Book of Joel in the first years of King Joash, when the pious high priest Jehoiada guided him during his minority, well explains both the non-mention of the book about the king, and its silence about idolatry, and the recognition of particular significance for priests and elders.

The content of the Book of Joel. The Book of Joel in our Bible consists of three chapters, and in the Hebrew Bible of four, so Joel 2:27-32 is separated there into a special chapter. The Book of Joel, besides the inscription, contains, it seems, two speeches, divided by a brief historical note in Joel 2:18-19. The book represents something whole and contains a prophecy about the great “Day of the Lord,” that is, a day of judgment of the Lord over the nations. The first speech of the prophet is pronounced by him on the occasion of a severe calamity that befell the country, namely the invasion of locusts (Joel 1:2-16) and drought (Joel 1:17-20). The prophet describes this calamity in detail and calls all to repentance and prayer for mercy (Joel 2:13-17). Regarding the first speech of the prophet Joel, the question has long been discussed in the exegetical literature of how the descriptions of calamity contained in the speech should be understood. Some ancient and modern commentators on the Book of Joel believe that the description of the invasion of locusts contained in Joel 1:4-2:11 should be understood in an allegorical sense, as a description of an invasion of enemies, and should be referred not to the present or past, but to the future. Thus, Saint Ephrem the Syrian interprets the descriptions of the invasion of locusts in Joel in relation to the Assyrians and Babylonians. “Into the land of Israel,” says the holy father, “different armies from Assyria and from Babylon invaded under the leadership of four leaders. The first invaded was Tiglath-Pileser, this is the caterpillars; the second was Shalmaneser, this is the winged locusts; the third Sennacherib is the palmerworms; the fourth Nebuchadnezzar, this is the grasshoppers. Therefore the meaning of the prophecy is this: the remnant of caterpillars, that is, what was left by Tiglath-Pileser was consumed by locusts, that is, by Shalmaneser; the remnant of locusts was consumed by palmerworms, that is, by Sennacherib, and the remnant of palmerworms was consumed by grasshoppers, that is, by Nebuchadnezzar” (Works of Saint Ephrem the Syrian, vol. 8, Moscow 1853, p. 131–132). Blessed Jerome, while not denying also the literal sense in the description of locusts in the prophet Joel, at the same time interprets this description allegorically, understanding under the different types of locusts the Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes, Persians and Romans. In modern times the allegorical interpretation of the first speech of Joel was held by Hengstenberg and Hilgenfeld, the latter finding in the name of four types of locusts an indication of four Persian armies that ravaged Palestine during campaigns to Egypt (under Cambyses in 525 BC, under Xerxes 484 and under Artaxerxes in 460 and 458 BC). By modern commentators both Western and Russian (Dobronravov, Book of Joel, p. 82) the first speech of the prophet Joel is usually understood literally, and one should agree with such understanding. If the prophet had in mind in his description an invasion of enemies, he would have named them directly, as is done in Joel 3. Moreover, the description of the devastation of the country made by the prophet corresponds precisely to devastation from the invasion of locusts ((Joel 1:7)—“the branches became white”; (Joel 1:12)—“the grapevine withered and the fig tree withered”). And in Joel 2:7 the locust is compared with an army, which suggests that the speech is not about an army. The description of the destruction of the locust is not applicable to an army (Joel 2:20). To what has been said should be added that the description of the calamity refers to a fact that has already occurred, not to the future. All the verbs encountered in the description are used in the form of the perfect.

In Joel 1:16 the prophet says: “Is not the food taken away before our eyes,” that is, he clearly represents himself and his listeners as witnesses of the calamity. If the prophet were speaking of the future, then his appeal to the elders “was there such a thing in your days, or in the days of your fathers?” (Joel 1:2) would have no sense.

Thus, the first speech was pronounced by Joel on the occasion of the invasion of locusts that had befallen the country. This severe calamity, contrary to the opinion of defenders of the allegorical understanding (Joel 1-2), was sufficient occasion for the prophet to come forward with a call to repentance. But in the eyes of the prophet this calamity has, moreover, special significance: it is an image and a herald of the dreadful Day of the Lord, a day of judgment. Therefore, in the description of the prophet the image merges with what is depicted, the features of the “Day of the Lord” are transferred to the calamity that has befallen the country, and the latter he describes partly hyperbolically (Joel 2:2-3).

The people heeded the prophet’s call to repentance and prayer. Then the Lord became jealous for his land and spared his people (Joel 2:18). After this the prophet turned to the people with a second, comforting speech (Joel 2:19-3:1). The prophet announces in this speech that the Lord will send the people an abundance of grain, wine and oil, will destroy the locusts and will send both the early and the late rain (Joel 2:19-26). But the abundance of earthly blessings is only an image of spiritual blessings that will be sent to the people at some time. The prophet announces that some day the Holy Spirit will be poured out upon all flesh and the fruit of this will be that all will become prophets (Joel 2:27-30). With the fulfillment of this will come the Day of the Lord, which will be preceded by fearful phenomena in heaven and on earth (Joel 2:30-31), and in which only those who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Joel 2:32). The Day of the Lord will be a day of judgment. The prophet in Joel 3 depicts this judgment of the Lord in a series of magnificent images. On this day something will happen similar to what once happened in the valley of blessing, where Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, defeated the enemies who had attacked Judah (2 Chr 20:1-30). The Lord will punish the Phoenicians and Philistines, oppressors of his people (Joel 3:1-8), and then will execute judgment also over all other nations. But the Day of the Lord’s judgment will not be terrible for Israel: for it will be the beginning of a blessed life, when “the mountains will flow with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk, the springs will be filled with water, and from the house of the Lord will flow a stream, which will water the barren valley of Shittim” (Joel 3:18).

The language of the Book of Joel is distinguished by purity, simplicity and clarity. His speech flows with consistency, without digressions and abrupt transitions encountered in other prophets. The images of the prophet are distinguished by beauty and vividness (Joel 1:6). In general, by its literary qualities the Book of Joel is ranked by researchers among the most perfect works of biblical literature. The text has been preserved in purity and without significant variations, is transmitted in the original and in ancient translations.

Literature on the Book of Joel

1) Foreign.

Credner, Der Prophet Joel Ubersetz. und erklart. 1831.

Merx. Die Praphetie Joel und ihre Austeger. 1879.

Scholz, Commentar zum Buche Joel. 1885.

Driver, The books of Joel and Amos. 1801.

2) Russian.

E. Palladius, Commentary on the Holy Prophet Joel, 1872.

Smirnov, The Holy Prophet Joel. 1873.

Pokrovsky. The Time of Activity of the Prophet Joel and the Composition of His Book. Christian Reading 1876, vols. I-II.

N. Dobronravov. The Book of the Prophet Joel. 1885 (Master’s dissertation). See Gante general works on the books of the minor prophets.

Chapter One

1–16. Description of the devastation produced by locusts; call of the people to turn to Jehovah. 17–19. Another calamity that befell the country—drought.

Joel 1:2. Hear this, you elders, and give ear, all inhabitants of the land! Has such a thing happened in your days, or in the days of your fathers? Joel 1:3. Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation: Hebrew sekenim (elders) is often used in the Bible as an honorable designation of elders, rulers and governors (Deut 21:2; Isa 24:23; Lam 2:10 and others). In Joel 1:2 the prophet Joel uses the word sekenim in a general sense. The prophet addresses his speech first of all to the elders, as to people who have seen and heard much and who are especially able to appreciate the significance of events that are the subject of the speech. At the same time the prophet calls all inhabitants of “the land,” that is, inhabitants of the kingdom of Judah that was struck by calamity, to listen to his words. By the further words (Joel 1:2-3) the prophet wishes to indicate the severity of the calamity that struck the country (cf. Exod 10:1).

Joel 1:4. What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten. In speaking of the devastation of the land by locusts, the prophet in Joel 1 uses four designations of locusts: gasam (“caterpillars”), arbeh (“locusts”), jelek (“hopping locusts”) and chasil (“destroying locusts”, Greek ἐρυδίβη). Many commentators (ancient Jews, Kimhi, Calvin) see in these four designations an indication that, according to the prophet’s thought, locusts for four years in succession devastated the Judean land, and the vegetation that escaped in one year perished in the next. According to the opinion of other commentators (Credner), the prophet does not have in mind four years of calamity, but one: four names of locusts designate only stages of its development: gasam—fully developed locust, arbeh and jelek—in the state of larvae, and chasil—winged locust. The developments of gasam, arbeh, jelek and chasil etymologically do not contain indications of any characteristic features, and can hardly designate four different types of locust or four stages of its development (cf. Joel 2:25). In the Bible arbeh, jelek and chasil are used as synonymous terms (cf. Deut 28:38; Ps 104:34; Nah 3:15; 1 Sam 8:37; 2 Chr 6:28; Ps 77:46; Isa 33:4). According to the opinion of the best exegetes (Hengst., Keil), the prophet uses different names for locusts as poetic epithets for the common name of them—arbeh. In this way the prophet wishes to depict more vividly the picture of the great devastation produced by locusts.

Joel 1:5. Awake, you drunkards, and weep; and wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine, for it is cut off from your mouth! The devastation of the country first of all affected those who drink wine, who lost the sweet wine, and to them the prophet turns.

Joel 1:6. For a nation has come up against my land, powerful and innumerable; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and it has the fangs of a lioness. According to blessed Jerome, by “nation” in Joel 1:6 the prophet understands the Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes, Macedonians and Romans. But, evidently, the prophet continues the speech about the invasion of locusts begun above; by “nation” (goi) he calls the locusts, just as in Prov 30:25-26 the word am—nation is applied to ants and rabbits, and in Ps 73:14 (goi) to beasts. In the Bible locusts, which usually come in enormous masses, are often an image of an innumerable multitude (Judg 6:5; Jer 46:23; Nah 3:15). The prophet Joel also calls locusts a powerful and innumerable nation. Having in mind the destructive nature of locust invasions, which not only destroys vegetation but even gnaws dry trees and doors of dwellings, the prophet compares the teeth of locusts to the teeth of a lion, and the jaw with the jaw of a lioness, which with special fury throws itself to defend its young. Slav. “membranous,” Greek μῦγαι, root teeth, jaws. “Lioness,” Greek σκύμνου, young lion; but Hebrew lavi, correspondingly the context and the opinion of many commentators, is better understood in the sense of—“lioness.”

Joel 1:7. It has laid waste my vines and splintered my fig trees; it has stripped their bark and thrown it down; their branches are made white. The grapevine and the fig tree constituted the foundation of the well-being of the country. Therefore the prophet in describing the devastation caused by locusts especially emphasizes the destruction of the named plants—Slav. (“seeking insult” and corresponds to Greek ἐρευνῶν ἐξερέυνησεν αυτήν, while in the Greek text the speech is about grapes, and in Slav. about figs; the Greek reading apparently arose because instead of Hebrew hapchoph haschaphah (“stripped bare”) the LXX read haphosch hapahascha (searched, searched). “And cast them down” (Slav. “cast them down”): the speech is about young branches, gnawed by locusts and fallen to the ground. “Their branches are made white,” that is, because locusts have gnawed the bark, the branches became white. The picture of devastation drawn by the prophet corresponds completely to the accounts about locust invasions that we have from ancient writers (Tacitus, Annals XV, 5) and from modern travelers.

Joel 1:8. Mourn like a virgin dressed in sackcloth for the husband of her youth. In view of the severe calamity that befell the country, the prophet invites all the Judean land to mourn, which he compares to a bride who has lost her bridegroom. Instead of the Russian “like a maiden” in Slav. “like a bride,” Greek ὐπὲρ νύμφην. The Greek reading arose either because instead of Hebrew kibethulah the LXX read mibbethulah, considering the preposition min here to express comparison, or because of an error of the Greek copyist, who changed ὡσπερ νύμφη to ὐπὲρ νύμφη. “For the husband of her youth”: the word baal, husband, is used here, apparently, instead of alluph, bridegroom, since in the Mosaic law the betrothed are regarded as actually having entered into marriage (Deut 22:23). Instead of the words: “for the husband of her youth” in Slav. we read: “for the husband of her virginity,” correspondingly Greek ἐπί τὸν ανδρα αὺτῆς παρθενικόν; the LXX reading arose because Hebrew neureicha, of her youth, the LXX referred to baal, husband, not to bethulah maiden.

Joel 1:9. The grain offering and drink offering have ceased from the house of the Lord. The priests mourn, the ministers of the Lord. The devastation of the country by locusts caused a shortage of flour, wine and oil, and hence the cessation or, at least, the reduction of grain offerings to the temple (minchah) and libations (nesech). The prophet speaks, apparently, of the cessation of not the daily sacrifices prescribed by law (Exod 29:38-42), but of voluntary sacrifices, offered by zeal. Since part of these offerings went to the priests, the latter had to experience the weight of the calamity that struck the country (Rus. “the priests mourn”). The Greek reading πενθεῖτε, Slav. “mourn” arose because the LXX instead of the subjunctive form Hebrew ablu (mourn) read imperative (ivlu). Instead of the words “ministers of the Lord” in Slav. text “serving the altar of the Lord.”

Joel 1:10. The field is laid waste, the ground mourns; for the grain is destroyed, the wine fails, the oil languishes. Joel 1:11. Be ashamed, you farmers, wail, you vinedressers, for the wheat and the barley; for the harvest of the field has perished. Joel 1:12. The vine withers, the fig tree droops. Pomegranate, palm, and apple—all the trees of the field are withered; gladness fails from the children of men. The prophet speaks of the severity of the calamity that struck the country for farmers, vinedressers and all inhabitants in general. It is not entirely clear whether the prophet speaks here of only one calamity, the invasion of locusts, or whether in Joel 1:9-12 he means also another calamity—the drought that struck the country after the invasion of locusts. Credner insists on the latter understanding. But blessed Jerome and the majority of modern commentators see in the passages under consideration only speech about the consequences of the locust invasion. “Pomegranate tree”: Hebrew rimmon. Since this tree has thorns on its branches, in Slav. it is called “thorns.” “Palm” “and phoenix”: in Hebrew gamtamar, also a palm. In ancient times Palestine abounded in palms. Palms grew near Jericho, which was called the city of palms (Deut 34:3), in Eteddi, on the shores of the Dead Sea and the Sea of Gennesaret. “ Apple tree”: properly Hebrew tappuach—a tree that bears full fruits. According to the Song of Songs (Song 2:3) these fruits are very sweet and fragrant; their color is golden (Prov 25:11). It is believed that tappuach is properly Pyrus Cidonia. Probably from the abundance of these trees two cities named Tappuah received their name, one of which lay in the tribe of Judah (Josh 12:17), and the other on the border of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (Josh 16:8). “Gladness fails from the children of men,” that is, the joy that was connected with the gathering of the harvest.

Joel 1:13. Gird yourselves and lament, you priests; wail, you ministers of the altar. Go in, lie all night in sackcloth, you ministers of my God! For the grain offering and the drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. The prophet indicates a means for turning away the calamity that struck the country: namely, he orders the priests to appoint a fast and prayer. “Gird yourselves”: the verb chigru (from chagar) has no object; but it is clear from what follows; in some codices (in the Kennicinstein and Rossi manuscripts) the word sak or sakim, Rus. sackcloth, is even directly added. “Mourn,” Slav. “strike yourselves,” Hebrew vesiphdu (from saphad), properly beat your breast to express sorrow (Isa 32:12; Nah 2:7). “Lie all night in sackcloth, ministers” of my God. Do not remove mourning clothes even at night—served among the Hebrews in general as an expression of the deepest sorrow (1 Sam 21:27; 2 Sam 19:1). And to the priests in particular, the law permitted them to put on mourning clothes only in the case of the greatest misfortunes (Lev 21:2).

Joel 1:14. Declare a holy fast, call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord. Declare a fast, kaddschu zom, properly “sanctify a fast,” as in Slav. The Bible repeatedly reports about the appointment of a fast in time of public calamities (1 Sam 21:9; 2 Chr 20:3; Ezra 8:21; Jer 36:9). Declare “a solemn assembly” Hebrew kiru azarah the LXX translated κηρύξατε θεραπείναν, Slav. “proclaim healing,” that is, appoint what would heal the people from the calamity that struck it. The LXX apparently wanted only to convey the thought of the original. “Gather the elders”: the prophet singles out the elders from the mass of the people, in part expressing respect to them, in part indicating that the temple should be called to all.

Joel 1:15. Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes. “Alas, the day!” (ahah lajom) and so forth: this is not an exclamation that the prophet puts in the mouths of priests or people (Justi), but an indication of the reason why a fast and assembly should be appointed. The LXX for greater expressiveness translated the interjection ahah (alas, O!) three times, and lajom understood in the sense of indicating time; hence, in Slav. “woe to me, woe to me, woe to me in the day.” “For the day of the Lord is near” (Hebrew karov): the prophet speaks not of the devastation of the country by locusts (according to Justi it came near), but of the day of Divine judgment for the whole world. In the invasion of locusts the prophet sees a foreboding or even the beginning of this judgment. “As destruction from the Almighty it comes:”, keschod mischschaddaj javö the LXX instead of mischschaddaj read mischschod; therefore in Slav.: “and as calamity from calamity comes.”

Joel 1:16. Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? In Joel 1:16 the prophet indicates the reason why one should expect the nearness of the Day of the Lord: the severe calamity that struck the country is a harbinger of this day. “Is not the food cut off,” Slav. “the food was taken away,” Hebrew ochel nichroth—expresses the thought of the suddenness of the devastation (nichroth—cut off). In Joel 1:17-20 the prophet describes another calamity that befell the country, namely drought, from which grain died, grass was burned, trees were scorched, as if by fire, streams of water dried up. The description of the prophet has an figurative character. But all the images used by him are so simple and natural that there is no need to interpret, together with some commentators (Ephrem the Syrian, Hengst.), Joel 1:17-20 in an allegorical sense, about Jews and gentiles.

Joel 1:17. The seeds shrivel under the clods, the storehouses are desolate; the granaries are torn down because the grain has failed. “The seeds shrivel under their clods”: Hebrew aygehu perudoth thachath megerephotheichem. (The beginning words of Joel 1:17 except thachtah) are ἁπαξ λεγόμ, the meaning of which is debated. Therefore these words are translated differently, namely: in the LXX—ἐσκίρτησαν δαμάλεις ἐπί ταῖς φάτναις αὺτων, Slav. “calves jumped in their stalls”; in Aquila—ηυρωτίασε σιτοδοχεῖα ἀπο τῶν χρισμάτων αυτῶν, “storehouses were covered with mold from their oils,” in the Vulgate—computruerunt pementa in stercore suo, “the cattle rotted on their manure.” The rendering adopted in the Rus. Bible has on its side authoritative Hebrew scholars (Wünsche, Nowack). “The storehouses are desolate,” Greek ηφανίσθησαν θυσαυροὶ, Slav. “treasures perish” (that is, treasure houses). “The granaries are torn down”—Hebrew nehersu mammguroth: the LXX instead of the last word apparently read giththoth, winepresses and therefore translated κατεσκάφησαν ληνοὶ, “winepresses were dug up.” “For the grain has failed”: in Slav. “for the wheat has dried up.”

Joel 1:18. How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed because there is no pasture for them; even the flocks of sheep are suffering. “How the beasts groan!” mah neenchah behemah: in the LXX τὶ ἀποθησομεν ἑαυτοῖσ, Slav. “what shall we lay up for ourselves.” In explaining the differences between Hebrew and Greek texts, one supposes either corruption of the Hebrew text or an error on the part of the LXX. According to the LXX translation, the beginning of Joel 1:18 represents a question: what shall we do in such calamity?

Joel 1:19. To you, O Lord, I cry. For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and flame has burned all the trees of the field. “Fire (esch) has devoured the pastures of the wilderness” (neoth midbar). The prophet figuratively speaks of unbearable heat from the sun that has dried all the vegetation. Further this heat the prophet calls flame (cf. Amos 7:4; Isa 9:17). Hebrew midbar means any treeless space in general, either a steppe covered with dense grass (Jer 9:10) or a bare desert (Isa 32:15) Joel 1:19 it is better to understand midbar in the first meaning. In Slav., instead of “pastures of the wilderness,” the reading is “the red wilderness,” since the LXX word neoth in many cases understood as an adjective (cf. Lam 2:2; Ps 22:2) and translated the word ωραῖος, blooming, beautiful.

Chapter Two

1–11. The locusts and drought as heralds of the coming Day of the Lord. 12–17. Exhortation of the people to repentance and prayer. 18–27. Announcement of the cessation of calamity by the sending of an abundant harvest. 28–32. Prophecy of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit.

Joel 2:1. Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near— In Joel 2:1-11 the prophet examines the calamity that struck the country in relation to the forthcoming greater calamity—the day of the judgment of the Lord. The speech of the prophet at this develops so that the features of the present and future merge in him. “Blow the trumpet.” The prophet addresses the priests (Num 10:8). By the name sohophaz (trumpet) among the Hebrew, according to the testimony of blessed Jerome, was called a metal trumpet, having the form of a horn and emitting strong sounds. It was used for signals during battle (Judg 7:8; Jer 4:19-21; Zeph 1:16), at a sudden enemy attack (Judg 3:27; Jer 4:5), at the announcement of the coming of holidays (Num 10:10; 2 Samuel 6 and others). The prophet invites to announce by the sound of a trumpet the coming soon of the Day of the Lord. “On Zion”: the name Zion in the Bible is used both in the sense of the special designation of a certain hill, and denotes all Jerusalem. In Joel 2:1 it is used in the latter sense. The speech of the prophet at this has a figurative character. Therefore, from the command to gather the people by trumpet, one cannot conclude (Nowack) that the prophet has in mind a time when all the people lived near Zion and could really be gathered by the sound of a trumpet, that is, the postexilic period.

Joel 2:2. A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people comes; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them in ages to come. The prophet speaks of the invasion of locusts, but since in this calamity he sees a foreboding and a type of the impending terrible Day of the Lord, the features of that and this merge in the speech of the prophet, and the description of the invasion of locusts takes on in part a hyperbolical character (cf. “like has never been before”). “A day of clouds and thick darkness”: jom anon vaaraphel—the word araphel (in Exod 14:20; 2 Sam 22:10) means a storm cloud. It is better to understand it in this sense also in Joel 2:2. The words “like blackness spread upon the mountains” (Slav. “like morning spread upon the mountains”) in the Hebrew Masoretic text are referred to the preceding (“a day of clouds and thick darkness”). According to the opinion of many commentators, to the spreading of the morning dawn the prophet compares the coming of the Day of the Lord, wishing to express the idea of speed (quickness) of coming (Irenaeus, archbishop of Pskov) or else taking shahar (morning dawn) in the sense—dawn, harbinger of a bad day (Justi), pre-dawn darkness (Wünsche). In the latter case the expression of the prophet will have the form: a day of cloud and cloud like pre-dawn darkness covering the mountains. Better, however, following the LXX, to refer the passages under consideration to what follows “a great and powerful people” and so forth. “ Nation,” as in Joel 1:6, the prophet calls locusts and by comparison with the morning dawn gives the thought of the speed with which locusts spread throughout the country.

Joel 2:3. Fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them. In Joel 2:3 some commentators (Dobronravov) find a description of two calamities that struck the country: drought and invasion of locusts: “before him,” that is, before the invasion of locusts; “behind him,” that is, after it; fire consuming and flame—images of drought. But the expressions of the prophet retain their full meaning if, according to the context, we will see in Joel 2:3 only a description of the invasion of locusts, which makes the impression of all-consuming flame. “Like the garden of Eden” (cf. Ezek 36:35): kegan—eden; the LXX translated the Hebrew gan with the word παρὰδεισος, and eden with the nomen appelativum τρυφι—sweetness; hence in Slav. “like the paradise of sweetness.”

Joel 2:4. Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like war horses they charge. In Joel 2:4 locusts are compared in external appearance and speed of movement to a horse. In explanation of Joel 2:4 blessed Theodoret remarks: “if anyone carefully examines the head of a locust, he will find it very much like the head of a horse. When a locust flies, it is in no way inferior to horses in speed.” “They charge like warriors” in the LXX, like Rus. translation, the second half of the comparison is understood in the sense of a comparison of locusts with cavalry (Hebrew keparaschim, Greek ὡς ίππεῖς), but not simply charging, but pursuing an enemy; hence in Slav. “like cavalry so they will pursue.” Parallelism would be more consistent if paraschim were translated as “horses.”

Joel 2:5. They leap upon the tops of the mountains like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle. The prophet compares the invasion of locusts with the invasion of the country by an enemy army (cf. Rev 9:9). Eyewitnesses also compare the noise of flying locusts to the noise of a river or waterfall.

Joel 2:6. Before them peoples are in anguish, all faces grow pale. “All faces grow pale.” The Hebrew word for pale is kibzu parur. The meaning of the word parur is unclear. The LXX translated it with the word χὺτρα “pot,” and the verb kubzu they translated freely; hence πᾶς πρὸσωπον ὡς πρόσκαυμα χύτρας resulted, Slav. “like the burning of a pot.” Others (Dobronravov) understand parur (from paar) in the meaning decoration and the words of the prophet convey as: “all faces gather their decoration.” This understanding corresponds in the Rus. translation to “grow pale.”

Joel 2:7. Like warriors they charge, like soldiers they scale the wall. They march each on his path, they do not swerve from their tracks. Joel 2:8. They do not jostle one another, each marches in his path; they burst through the weapons without breaking ranks. Joel 2:9. They rush upon the city, they run upon the walls; they climb up into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief. The attack of locusts is compared to the siege of a well-arranged army of a city. The Hebrew text Joel 2:8 is disputed and admits of different translations. Instead of the words “each marches in his path” in Slav. “encumbered with their weapons” (ἐν τοῖς ὀπλοις). The words “and they burst through the weapons” in Hebrew correspond to; uvead hasehschelah ippolu. The preposition vead (Rus. upon) is accepted in different meanings (Gesenius—near, Ewald—around, Wünsche—behind, Meyer—through, between); the word schelah (Rus. weapons), from shalah, to send, may mean any weapon—sword, spears, bows, arrows (cf. 2 Chr 32:5; Nehem 4:13). Therefore the entire expression is rendered differently: καὶ ἐν βέλεσιν αὐτῶν πεσοῦνται (LXX, Slav. “and in their arrows they will fall”; “they hurl themselves through weapons” Dobronravov, Nowack, Marti Hoonacker); “and behind weapons fall arrows” (Holtzausen). The prophet apparently wishes to express the idea that locusts cannot be stopped by any means, even if an army were sent against them.

Joel 2:10. Before them the earth quakes, the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. Blessed Jerome explains the words of the prophet thus: “The prophet says that heaven shakes and earth trembles not because locusts could produce this, but because those who suffer, because of great fear, believe that heaven is collapsing and the earth trembles.” Other commentators (Nowack) believe that in Joel 2:10 the prophet speaks of a storm that preceded the appearance of locusts. In view of the general character of prophetic speech, in which in the description of locust invasion are introduced also features of the impending fearful Day of the Lord, it is possible that Joel 2:10 refers to the latter (Dobronravov). (Cf. Isa 13:10; Nah 1:5 and so forth. Ezek 32:7; Matt 24:29).

Joel 2:11. The Lord utters his voice before his army; how vast is his host! Mighty are those who obey his word. For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it? A figurative depiction of the day of calamity: at the head of the army that is devastating the country, the Lord himself is represented, giving orders about the devastation (cf. Isa 13:2-5). Similarly, in the day of terrible judgment over the world, the Lord will appear at the head of the heavenly army, that is, with all his holy angels (Matt 24:30-31; Matt 25:31; cf. Ps 102:20; Dan 7:10). Instead of Rus. “Mighty are those who obey his word” in Slav. we read: “for the deeds of his word are strong”; apparently the LXX Hebrew azum oseh, strong do, read azum maasch, strong deed. Hebrew venora meod, “and very awesome” (the day). The LXX translated ἐπιφανης σφόδρα, Slav. “bright very,” since instead of nora they apparently read naro, from or to be bright.

Joel 2:12. Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. In Joel 2:12-17 the prophet turns to exhortation of the people; the prophet says that despite the nearness of the day of the wrath of the Lord, it can still be turned away by true repentance, expressed not in external rites alone, but chiefly in the contrition of the heart.

Joel 2:13. Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. “And he relents over disaster,” in Slav. “repenting of evils.” Hebrew raah means both physical evil and moral evil; in Joel 2:13 it is used in the first sense. The whole expression has an anthropomorphic character. The change by the Lord of his plans and decisions does not contradict the immutability of God, because promises and threats are given by God on the condition of the fulfillment or non-fulfillment of his commandments by people.

Joel 2:14. Who knows whether he may not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God? The prophet expresses hope in mercy, combined with a certain doubt, so that, according to the opinion of commentators, on the one hand not to bring the people to despair, and on the other not to give them reason for carelessness. Instead of the words “and leave a blessing behind him” in Slav. more accurately: “and will leave for himself (Hebrew acharaj) a blessing.” By blessing the prophet means the harvest of grain and fruits.

Joel 2:15. Blow the trumpet in Zion; declare a holy fast, call a solemn assembly. Cf. Joel 1:14.

Joel 2:16. Gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. “Invite the elders,” the LXX unsuccessfully ἐκλέξασθε πρεσβ. Slav. “choose elders”: the speech is about gathering all up to and including infants at the breast, not about the selection of representatives. Instead of the words “children and infants at the breast” (olalim vejonkej) in Slav. “infants sucking the breast.”

Joel 2:17. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep. Let them say, “Spare your people, O Lord, and do not make your heritage a mockery, a byword among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” “Between the vestibule (ulam) and the altar”: in Slav. “between the steps (degrees) of the altar.” By the word ulam was designated a vestibule attached on the eastern side of the temple and leading into the sanctuary, twenty cubits long, twenty high and ten broad (1 Sam 6:3). In the following part of the temple, in the inner court of the priests (1 Sam 6:36; 2 Chr 4:9) stood the altar, toward which the priests should stand facing. “Do not make your heritage a mockery” and so forth. The speech is not about the enslavement of Israel by pagan nations, as defenders of the allegorical interpretation of the Book of Joel suppose, but in general about the distressed condition of the country, which could give occasion for the mockery of pagans.

Joel 2:18. Then the Lord became jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. Joel 2:19. The Lord answered his people, “Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a mockery among the nations.” According to the Rus. translation in Joel 2:18-19 the speech is about the future. But with such understanding the connection with what precedes is unclear. Therefore, in agreement with the guidance of ancient translations (LXX and Vulg.), it is better, together with the majority of commentators, to understand the verbs vajjomer, vajaan, vajjachmol, vojjekane not in the sense of the so-called perfectum propheticum, but in the sense of perf. historicum, that is, to translate not in future tense, as in Rus. text, but in the past (as in the LXX and in Slav. “became jealous,” “had pity,” “answered,” “said”; in Vulg. zealatus est, pepercit, respondit, dixit). In Joel 2:18-19 we have a historical note that the Lord had mercy on the Hebrew people. Since in Joel 2:15-17 the prophet gave hope of such mercy only on the condition of the people’s turning, the appointment of a fast and a solemn assembly, then, evidently, all this was fulfilled, although the prophet does not mention it. “The Lord answered his people and said:” the prophet probably wishes to express only the general idea that the Lord heard the prayer of the people and fulfilled their requests. Starting from the middle of Joel 2:19, a new speech of the prophet Joel begins, pronounced after the first. In this speech the prophet announces the cessation of the calamities that struck the country and the sending of an abundant harvest (Joel 2:19-27); then gives a promise of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh (Joel 2:23-32) and, finally, depicts the judgment over all nations and its consequences (Joel 3).

Joel 2:20. I will remove the northerner far from you, and drive it into a parched and desolate land, its front into the eastern sea, and its rear into the western sea; and the stench of it will rise, and the foul smell of it will ascend. Surely he has done great things. In Joel 2:20 the speech is about deliverance from locusts. “And the one from the north”: properly in Hebrew veeth hazzephoni, and the northern one. Although the native land of locusts is the south, and namely the deserts of Arabia and northwestern Africa, however, because of change of winds, it could be carried to Palestine also from the north and could be named hazzephoni. Therefore there is no need to understand hazzephoni in a figurative sense—“bringing calamities” (Justi, Cook), in view of the fact that north was for Palestine a source of calamities, or dark (Maurer, Gesenius), that is, covering the rays of the sun and so forth. “And drive it into a parched and desolate land”: locusts usually die in deserts and seas. In Joel 2:20, perhaps the Arabian desert or the desert lying between Idumea and Judea is meant (Dobronravov). “Eastern sea” (Slav. “sea first”)—the Dead Sea, also called “Salt” (Gen 14:3; Num 34:12). “Western sea” or the Mediterranean Sea, called great (Num 34:6-7). “And the stench of it will rise”: according to the report of blessed Jerome, in his time the decay of locusts that died in the Dead and Mediterranean seas so poisoned the air that it caused plague in people and cattle. “Surely he has done great things”; Slav. “for he has magnified his deeds.” In the Bible irrational creatures are often represented as culpable (cf. Gen 9:5; Exod 21:28-32; Job 41:25; Job 39:7).

Joel 2:21. Do not fear, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things! Joel 2:22. Do not fear, you animals of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield. Joel 2:23. O children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the Lord your God; for he has given the early rain for your vindication, he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the late rain, as before. In view of deliverance from calamity the prophet invites to rejoice the land, the animals and the people, as earlier he invited them to mourn and weep. “O children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the Lord your God.” The prophet names only the inhabitants of Zion, that is, the people of Jerusalem, but certainly means not only them, but all who suffered and are now delivered from calamity. “For he has given the early rain (moreh) for your vindication” (lizedakah). Hebrew moreh (from jarah threw, watered and indicated) has two different meanings—rain and teacher. In the latter sense the word is understood in the Chaldean paraphrase and in the Vulgate, in which the given expression reads: quia dedit vobis doctorem justitae, because he gave you the teacher of righteousness. In the same sense many modern exegetes (Keil, Merx, Hoonacker) accept moreh. Meanwhile the words of the prophet are understood in the sense of a promise that the Lord will give the people a teacher and prophets (Knabenbauer), in particular in the person of the prophet Joel (Orelli) or that the Lord will send the teacher of Righteousness—the Messiah (Shedd, Hoonacker). But apparently, in the expression under consideration, it is better to understand the word moreh in the meaning rain. It is precisely in this meaning that the word is used in the same verse further; besides, the mention of the teacher of righteousness would not correspond to the context Joel 2:22-26, where the speech is about earthly blessings, not about spiritual blessings. As for the word lizedakah, the rendering of it in our text (“for your vindication”) can hardly be agreed with. Hebrew zedakah is used only in a moral sense (righteousness, justice) and in the expression under consideration can refer only to Jehovah. The prophet wishes to say that Jehovah will give rain according to (in view of) righteousness, that is, considering the Jews worthy of mercy, in view of their turning (Cook, Dobronravov), or gives rain as a sign of the righteousness of the Jews before God after repentance (Wellhausen, Nowack): The LXX Hebrew moreh lizedakah was rendered—βρώματα εὶς δικαιοσύνην, Slav. “gave you food in righteousness.” It is believed that the LXX instead of the cause (rain) wished to point directly to the consequence (fertility). “The early and the late rain”: the early rain—autumn rain, falling in the second half of October or the beginning of November; the late rain—spring rain, falling before the time of harvest in the end of March or the beginning of April.

Joel 2:25. I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent against you. The Lord promises to richly reward the Judeans for the time they suffered from locusts. “I will repay you for the years”: there is no need to think that the invasion of locusts struck the country for several years (Nowack); the prophet’s speech can be understood in a poetic sense, as an indication of the severity of the devastation of the country, which was so great that it seemed as if locusts had come for several years in succession (Hitzig, Dobronravov).

Joel 2:27. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God and there is no other. And my people shall never again be put to shame. The favor of the Lord toward the people will not be limited to the sending of earthly blessings only; with special power this favor will be manifested some day in the sending of spiritual blessings, in the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh. Joel 2:27-32 in the Hebrew Bible constitutes a special chapter (Joel 3), so that our Joel 3 will be in the Hebrew Bible already Иоил.4.

Joel 2:28. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. “And it shall come to pass afterward” (acharej-chen), Slav. “and it shall be after these”: the Hebrew expression acharej-chen (after these), like similar ones bcacharith hajjamim, Slav. “at the end of the days, in the last days,” points to the distant future and serves among the prophets as a customary term for the designation of Messianic times (Isa 2:2; Mic 4:1). “I will pour out my Spirit,” from Hebrew (aschepoch roach) I will pour out my Spirit: the prophet borrows the image from the pouring out of rain, of which the speech was above (Joel 2:23); he wishes to express the idea that just as the pouring out of natural rain will be a source of enlivening nature, so the sending of the Holy Spirit will some day enliven all mankind (cf. Isa 32:15; Zechariah 12 and others). The LXX, apparently wishing to indicate that the gifts of the Holy Spirit will be poured out not in full measure, instead of the expression “I will pour out my Spirit” put: ἐκξεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεὺματὸς μου, “I will pour out from my Spirit.” “Upon all flesh,” al-kol basar. The word basar (flesh) in the Bible is used to denote all living creatures, both people and animals (Gen 6:13). One of the commentators (Credner) finds it possible to understand the word basar in such a broad sense (cf. Isa 11:6) also in the passage under consideration, attributing to the prophet Joel a promise of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit also upon animals. But the further words of the prophet (old men, young men and others) show that he uses the word basar in a narrow sense and speaks only of people. However, one cannot narrow down the promise of the prophet and believe, together with Hitzig, Wünsche, Merx and others, that he announces the pouring out of the Holy Spirit only upon the Jews: the words Joel 2:32—“and it shall be: every one who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”—testify that the prophet was free from particularism and expected the sending of grace gifts for all mankind, not for the Jews alone. But since immediately he announces his promise to the Hebrew people, he says: “your sons, your daughters.” The fruit of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit will be that all will be illumined by the Spirit of God, all will become prophets. “Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” The prophet foretells the fulfillment of what the lawgiver Moses once desired, when he said: “O that all in the Lord’s people were prophets, when the Lord would send his Spirit upon them!” (Num 11:29). The prophet names the forms in which revelation was communicated to men: dreams and visions (1 Sam 3:1, Zech 2:1-9; Dan 7:1, 8 and others). He does not wish to say that each age will have access to only one known form of revelation—old men dreams, youths—visions: his expression is only a device of poetic speech, and the thought of the prophet is that divine revelation will be received both in sleep and in visions.

Joel 2:29. Even upon the male and female slaves in those days I will pour out my Spirit. “Even (vegam) upon the male and female slaves”: the particle gam (also) strengthens the speech and indicates that something unusual is being announced (vegam—and even). Indeed, in Old Testament history, the gift of prophecy was not given to slaves. Therefore the LXX understood the words of the prophet in the sense that he speaks of slaves of Jehovah, that is, Jews, and supplemented them with the personal pronoun of the first person, translating: “upon my slaves, and upon my maidservants.”

Joel 2:30. And I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The prophet turns to the depiction of the terrible Day of the Lord or the day of judgment and indicates the signs of its coming. The immediate transition of the speech to another event does not indicate that the prophet considers both events to be about to happen simultaneously. Prophets often juxtapose two events not according to their chronological connection, but according to their inner, ideological closeness, because when two events are placed side by side, the significance of each becomes clearer (cf. Isa 40). “Blood and fire and columns of smoke.” Apparently, in these words are meant wars accompanied by bloodshed and the burning of cities and villages (cf. Matt 24:6-7; Mark 13:6-7; Luke 21:9-10).

Joel 2:31. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. The prophet does not speak of ordinary solar and lunar eclipses, because he indicates wondrous, unusual signs. There is no basis either to understand the words of the prophet in an allegorical sense, as an indication of the mental state of people before the coming of the Day of the Lord, when from the weight of suffering the heavenly luminaries would seem to them to be obscured (Theodore of Mopsuestia, Calvin, Hengstenberg). The prophet speaks precisely of terrible signs in nature.

Joel 2:32. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”: the prophet speaks not of Israelites only, but of all nations. The Apostle Paul applies the words of Joel also to the gentiles, when he remarks that in the Church of Christ there is no distinction between Jew and gentile, because one Lord is for all, rich for all those calling upon him, for “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom 10:12-13). “For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that escape” (peleitah). The prophet means the spiritual Zion and Jerusalem, that is, the Kingdom of God (Heb 12:22). Hebrew pelejtah is better translated as—those saved, as in the LXX ἀνασωζ´ομενος. “As the Lord has said”: these words are understood either as the prophet’s confirmation of the truth of his prophecy (as the Lord said), or in the sense of an indication of a prophecy that existed before Joel about salvation on Zion. Under this latter is commonly understood (Keil, Cook, Nowack) the prophecy of Obadiah about salvation on Zion (Obad 1:17). “And among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls”: thus, those from those calling upon the Lord shall be saved whom the Lord himself calls. In the LXX the Hebrew ubasswidim (Rus. and among the survivors) was translated, as a result of a different reading, with the word εὑαγγελιζόμενοι; hence in Slav. “and those who are being proclaimed gospel.” Concerning the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy about the pouring out of the gifts of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh, the following should be said. In the Old Testament, the gift of prophecy was given only to certain persons, while abundant sending of the gifts of the Holy Spirit was expected by Old Testament writers in the time of the Messiah (Isa 32:15; Jer 31:33; Zech 12:10). This time, without doubt, is what the prophet Joel has in mind. According to the explanation of the Apostle Peter, in the speech he pronounced before the people, the prophecy of Joel indeed was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, in the fact of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles (Acts 2:14-21). But according to the apostle’s thought, the day of Pentecost was only the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecy, since the apostle, on the basis of the words of the prophet, promises in the future the sending of the gifts of the Holy Spirit also to all those who repent and are baptized (Acts 2:38-39). One can therefore say that the prophecy of Joel will be fulfilled as long as through repentance and baptism have not entered into the Church, through which the gift of the Holy Spirit is given, “the fullness of the gentiles” (Rom 2:25). With the promise about the sending of the Holy Spirit, the prophet Joel’s foretelling of the coming of the Day of the Lord, that is, of the Last Judgment, is connected. Since the Apostle Peter, in explaining the great event of the day of Pentecost, also brings this foretelling of the prophet Joel, then he considers it to have been fulfilled also on the day of Pentecost. And indeed, by the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles the work of the salvation of mankind was completed, all necessary grace-giving powers were given to people. From this day each person is offered to choose either eternal bliss or condemnation to eternal torment; a new period opens in the history of mankind, to be completed by the day of the Last Judgment over the world. But the great event of the day of Pentecost was only the beginning of the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy about judgment. In its full measure this prophecy will be fulfilled when the foretold terrible phenomena come about, when “the heavens and earth shall be shaken,” “and all the tribes of the earth will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt 24:30).

Chapter Three

1–15. The judgment of the Lord upon the nations in the valley of Jehoshaphat. 16–21. The blessed state of Israel.

Joel 3:1. “For behold, in those days and at that very time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,” In the end of Joel 2 the prophet spoke of the day of the Lord in relation to the Jews; in Joel 3 he speaks of the significance of that day for the nations. Joel 3:1 connects to Joel 2:32 – salvation will be only on Zion, for all other nations must undergo the judgment of God. “In those days and at that very time,” that is, at the time when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon all flesh, when the restoration of the well-being of Judah and Jerusalem is accomplished. The expression “restore the fortunes” (aschiv schevuth) means not only the return of captives, but also the return to them of what they enjoyed before the captivity (cf. Job 42:10). In speaking of captivity, the prophet may have had in mind both the minor captivities of the Hebrews, which began in ancient times (cf. Amos 1:6-9), and the Babylonian captivity, which he foresaw (St. Cyril of Alexandria).

Joel 3:2. “I will gather all the nations and bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will judge them there on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and my land they have divided.” All the nations (kol hagoim), the pagan nations, according to the prophet’s depiction, are to be gathered for judgment in the valley of Jehoshaphat (emek jehoschafath). Many commentators take the Hebrew jehoschafath in a common noun sense – the Lord judged – and understand the prophet’s words to mean an indefinite reference to some valley that will become the valley of God’s judgment (Merks, Keil, Nowack) (Bp. Palladius). Other interpreters (Ewald, Hitzig, Hoonacker, Dobronravov) take jehoschafath as a proper noun and see in Joel 3:2 a mention of that valley where, during the reign of the Judean king Jehoshaphat, the allied forces of the Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites that attacked Judea were miraculously struck down (2 Chr 20:1). In this same valley the people glorified the Lord for the miraculous deliverance, and so the valley received the name emek berachah, the valley of blessing (2 Chr 20:26). In present times the name Jehoshaphat is given to the valley lying between the Mount of Olives and the hill of Moriah, to the east of Jerusalem. But this valley was not the battlefield during Jehoshaphat’s reign and was named after him for other reasons – either by supposition (cf. 2 Chr 21:1) that it was the burial place of Jehoshaphat or because the king established certain institutions there. The prophet may have had in mind not this valley, but another, which, as appears from 2 Chr 20, was located south of Bethlehem in the wilderness of Tekoa (now Wadi-Bereikut). According to 2 Chronicles this valley was called the “valley of blessing,” but besides this name, according to the testimony of the Talmud, it had other names (Erubin 19a); therefore, it could also have been called the valley of Jehoshaphat. The prophet’s words that the Lord will gather all nations in the valley of Jehoshaphat need not be understood in a literal sense (According to the testimony of blessed Jerome in his commentaries on the prophet Joel, even in his time the Jews believed that they would all be returned to Jerusalem and that the pagan nations would be cut down by the sword in the valley of Jehoshaphat. This faith is preserved among the Jews even today. See Dobronravov, p. 378.). The prophet wishes only to express the thought that on the day of the Lord’s judgment upon the nations, something similar will occur to what happened in the valley of blessing during Jehoshaphat’s reign. The judgment upon the pagan nations, according to Joel 3:2, will be executed because “they scattered Israel among the nations, and divided my land.” It is difficult to say what specific facts the prophet has in mind in the last words. Those commentators who regard Joel as a post-exilic prophet see in the cited words a reference to the period of the captivity in the subsequent century, when the land of Judea was divided among the tribes that settled in it. Other commentators understand the prophet’s words either in relation to the misfortunes that befell Judea during the reign of Joram (cf. 2 Sam 8:20-22; 2 Chr 21:8-18), or in relation to all subsequent enemy attacks, which attacks Joel prophetically recounts. In the Greek-Slavonic translation, the end of Joel 3:2 deviates from the original: “concerning Israel, who were scattered among the nations and divided my land.”

Joel 3:3. “And for my people they cast lots, and traded a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine that they might drink.” “And for my people they cast lots,” the division of captives by lot was an ancient custom of conquerors (cf. Nah 3:10; Obad 1:11). “And traded a boy for a harlot” (bezzonah), Slavonic “and gave boys to harlots:” the prophet’s thought is that Hebrew boys were given as payment to harlots – they valued them so little. Merks and Nowack, in view of the following words “and sold a girl for wine,” propose reading bamazzon, for food, instead of bazzonah, for harlots, in the expression under consideration.

Joel 3:4. “Moreover, what are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back in return? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly return your retaliation on your own head,” Among the nations that face punishment on the day of judgment, the prophet names the Phoenicians and Philistines. “What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon and all the regions of Philistia?” The prophet wishes to say by this question that these cities and regions, like others, will be punished. Tyre and Sidon are the chief cities of Phoenicia. By the regions of the Philistines are understood the cities of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, located along the western shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Instead of the words “and all the regions of the Philistines” vecol geliloth pelascheth, the LXX reads καὶ πᾶσα ηαλιλαί ἀλλοφυλών, Slavonic “and all the Galilee of foreigners.” It appears that the LXX took the Hebrew geliloth in the sense of a proper noun – the northern region of Palestine, Galilee (cf. Josh 20:7; 1 Sam 9:11), which, according to the testimony of blessed Theodoret, belonged to Tyre. It is also possible that, as in Josh 22:10, the Hebrew geliloth was left untranslated and transcribed as ηαλιλὼθ; from Γαλιλὼθ later copyists made ηαλιλαία (Yakimov). The Hebrew pelescheth or peloscheth, the name of the land of the Philistines, derived from an unused verb palasch, means “land of foreigners.” In the LXX, therefore, it is constantly rendered by the word ἀλλιφ`υλος. “Are you paying me back in return?” that is, do you wish to avenge yourselves for the defeats you have suffered from me. It is supposed that the prophet speaks of the attack of the Philistines on Jerusalem during the reign of Joram. By this attack the Philistines, in the prophet’s thought, as it were avenged themselves upon the Lord upon his chosen people because he allowed them to be tributaries of the Hebrews during Jehoshaphat’s reign (2 Chr 17:11). “Do you harbor a grudge against me?” Slavonic “or do you bear malice against me?”: the thought is the same as that expressed in the preceding sentence.

Joel 3:5. “Because you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my precious treasures into your temples,” Joel 3:6. “And the people of Judah and the people of Jerusalem you have sold to the Greeks, that you might remove them far from their own border.” Thus the crime of the Phoenicians and Philistines (“vengeance” against the Lord) consisted in the fact that they plundered the Judean land and sold captive Hebrews to distant lands. According to the explanation of the Church Fathers, in Joel 3:5-6 the prophet has in mind future events – the invasion of the Babylonians (blessed Theodoret), the time of Zerubbabel (St. Ephrem the Syrian), or the era of Roman rule (blessed Jerome). But it may be thought that the prophet speaks of the plundering of Jerusalem by the Philistines, which occurred during the reign of Joram (2 Chr 21:16-17), although in the narrative of 2 Chronicles there is no mention of the fate of the Phoenicians. By the words “my silver” and “my gold” the thought is given that both the land of the chosen people and all its possessions are the property of the Lord. But strictly speaking, the prophet speaks of the treasures of the temple. “And my finest treasures,” Hebrew umahamaddaj hattovim, in Slavonic “my chosen ones and good things,” corresponding to the reading of some Greek manuscripts: τὰ ἐπιλεκτά μου καὶ τὰ καλὰ. “You sold the people of Judah and the people of Jerusalem to the Greeks,” from the Hebrew libnej hajjeyanim to the sons of Javan: in the prophet Ezekiel there is mentioned (Ezek 27:19) a city of Javan (javan), which was located in happy Arabia. Some commentators (Hitzig, Wünsche) also see in the cited words of the prophet Joel a reference to the inhabitants of Javan in Arabia. But in the Bible, javan is ordinarily used as the name of Ionia or Greece (Isa 66:19; Ezek 27:13; Zech 9:13). This meaning is most natural to accept for the word javan also in Joel 3:6 of the prophet Joel. The Phoenicians, not only in post-exilic times, but in deep antiquity had trading relations with Greek tribes, with slaves being a subject of trade (Iliad VI, 28; XXIII, 741–745; Odyssey XV, 402). The prophet, it appears, speaks precisely of the sale into slavery in Greece of Judean captives.

Joel 3:7. “Behold, I am going to rouse them from the place to which you have sold them, and I will return your retaliation on your own head.” “And I will return your retaliation (Slavonic ‘your recompense’) on your own head”: retaliation or recompense is called, as also in Joel 3:4, the attack of enemies on Israel, whereby the enemies as it were avenged themselves upon the Lord.

Joel 3:8. “Behold, I am going to sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far away,” for the Lord has spoken. As a punishment for the sale of Judean captives, the enemies of Judah are threatened with sale into slavery to the Sabeans. The land of the Sabeans or Sheba, which was famous for aromatic substances, gold, and precious stones (Isa 60:6; 1 Sam 10:1; Ps 71:15), and which conducted extensive trade, was located in happy Arabia, on the shores of the Red Sea. The LXX took the Hebrew lischevaim (to the Sabeans) as a plural form of schevi captivity, and translated it εὶς αὶχμαλωσίαν, hence in Slavonic: “into captivity, to a land far distant.” The words of the prophet in Joel 3:7-8 may be understood in a general sense of the return of the scattered Jews to their homeland and of their dominion over their enemies (Hengstenberg). But it is possible to see the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel also in those conquests of the land of the Philistines, which were carried out by the Jews under Uzziah and Hezekiah (2 Chr 26:6 ff., 2 Sam 18:9), as well as in post-exilic times, and specifically in the era of the Maccabees (1 Macc 10:86).

Joel 3:9. “Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war; rouse the mighty men; let all the soldiers draw near and come up.” Beginning with Joel 3:9, there is a depiction of the very picture of universal judgment, whose coming the prophet proclaimed in Joel 3:2. “Proclaim this,” Slavonic “announce these things:”: it is not entirely clear to whom the prophet is speaking – to the nations (Ephrem the Syrian, blessed Jerome, Keil), or to the Hebrews (Dobronravov). One may understand the prophet’s words also as an address, as it were, to heralds, who must summon the pagan nations. “Prepare for war:”: more precisely from the Hebrew, sanctify war, kaddeschu milchamah, that is, offer sacrifices, pray (cf. 1 Sam 7:8; Jer 6:4). “Rouse the mighty men” hairu haggjbborim, Slavonic “let the warriors arise:”: the verb hairu (from ur) has both transitive and intransitive meaning (Job 8:6). Therefore, some understand the cited words as an address to the mighty men: arise, mighty ones. “Let all the soldiers draw near,” Slavonic “lead them,” Greek προσαγάγετε: the verb προσάγω has both transitive and intransitive meaning (cf. Josh 3:9), in which, apparently, it was used in the LXX in the passage under consideration. In Slavonic it should be, as also in Josh 3:9; 1 Sam 9:18, “come near,” “draw nigh.”

Joel 3:10. “Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say ‘I am strong.’” According to some (Nowack), the prophet’s speech is addressed to the nations, who are invited abundantly to prepare weapons for the forthcoming struggle; according to others, to the Jews. The images used in Joel 3:10 are found also in Isa 2:4 and Mic 4:3.

Joel 3:11. “Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves; there bring your mighty men down, O Lord.” “There bring your mighty men down, O Lord:”: “there,” that is, into the valley of Jehoshaphat, where judgment is to take place; “mighty men” (Hebrew gibborim, strong ones), that is, the Angels, who fulfill the will of God (cf. Ps 102:20) and who will appear as instruments of God’s judgment over the nations. But it should be noted that in the ancient translations the cited words are read differently than in the original text: in the Peshitta – “and there the Lord will crush your strength”; in the Chaldean paraphrase – “there the Lord will crush the strength of their mighty men”; in the LXX and in Slavonic – “let the meek be brave.”

Joel 3:12. “Let the nations stir themselves and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the nations all around.” Joel 3:12-13 presents the answer of the Lord to the prayer of the prophet in Joel 3:11: “bring your mighty men.”

Joel 3:13. “Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; go in, tread, for the wine press is full, and the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.” “Put in the sickle” and so on: the speech is from the face of God and is addressed to the mighty men, that is, to the Angels, whom the Lord has brought to the valley of judgment. “Go, descend” go – into the valley of Jehoshaphat; instead of “tread” in Slavonic “trample” (πατεῖτε); the LXX derived the Hebrew redu, in accordance with the context, not from jarad descended (as in Russian), but from radah to tread. “For the wine press is full and the vats overflow:”: a wine press (Hebrew gath) – an indentation for pressing grapes and olives, hewn in a rock or dug in the earth and lined with stone. The wine press consisted of two parts: the actual wine press, where grapes or olives were placed, and the cistern or vat, where the pressed juice flowed (cf. Zech 14:10; Isa 5:2; Matt 21:33; Mark 12:1; Rev 14:20). The image of harvest and gathering of grapes – an image of terrible judgment. The image of the harvest conveys the thought that judgment will come at the appointed time, when the harvest ripens, and that at judgment there will be a separation of good from evil, similar to how after the harvest of grain, during threshing and winnowing, the grains are separated from the chaff (cf. Matt 13:39; Rev 14:15-18). The image of the wine press is an image of the wrath of God, inflamed against sinners and consuming them, similar to how the grapes are pressed in the wine press. – Instead of the words “for the harvest is ripe,” in Slavonic: “for the gathering of grapes is at hand” (ὁτρυγητός). The Greek τρυγητός means not only the gathering of grapes, but also the harvest in general.

Joel 3:14. “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” The prophet already beholds the nations gathered in the valley of judgment. By the repetition of hamonim, hamonim (multitudes, multitudes), the prophet indicates the countless multitude that has assembled. The Hebrew hamonim means both a cry and a crying crowd. Hence the LXX translated it ηχονἐξήχησαν, Slavonic “voices rang forth;”; the second hamonim the LXX probably took as a predicate and read hamenim – “voices sounding.” “In the valley of decision,” Hebrew beemek hecharuz. The Hebrew charuz in Isa 28:27 has the meaning – “threshing machine,” “thresher.” In this meaning some commentators (Credner, Holzhausen) accept the word charuz also in the passage under consideration, seeing here an indication that the nations in the valley of Jehoshaphat will be treated the same as captives who are struck by threshers (cf. 2 Sam 12:30; 2 Sam 13:7 and others). However, it is generally accepted to understand charuz in Joel 3:14 in the sense of judgment, decision.

Joel 3:16. “And the Lord roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake; but the Lord is a refuge for his people and a stronghold for the people of Israel.” Beginning with Joel 3:16, the prophet speaks of the significance of the day of judgment for the people of God. In striking down the nations, the Lord will appear as a refuge for Israel, which will flourish in blessedness.

Joel 3:17. “Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain; and Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall not pass through it anymore.” “Dwelling in Zion:”: according to the depiction of the prophet Ezekiel, before the conquest of Jerusalem, the glory of God departed from the city, and through this it was delivered as a prey to enemies (cf. Ezek 8:4, Ezek 27). In the cited words Joel gives the thought that the triumph of enemies over Jerusalem will already be impossible, for the Lord will dwell on Zion. “And strangers shall not pass through it anymore,” that is, pass through with the purpose of attacking or conquering.

Joel 3:18. “And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streams of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the valley of Acacia trees.” A figurative depiction of the future well-being of Israel: the mountains, on which grapes are cultivated, will be so abundant with them that wine will drip from them; the hills, on which cattle graze, will flow with milk; and instead of drought, there will be an abundance of water. “All the streams,” vekol aphikej, that is, the beds of streams (“brooks”), which are nourished by water from the mountains and dry up in summer. “And a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the valley of Acacia trees” (nahal haschschittim), in Slavonic “a water-course of reeds” (fountain of reeds). The valley of Acacia trees or “valley of acacias” was the name of a valley in the land of Moab, on the other side of the Jordan (Num 25:1 ff. Josh 3:1). This valley received its name from schittah acacia, because many acacias, which love dry soil, grew there. According to the opinion of many commentators, the prophet understands in Joel 3:18 precisely this named valley. Others understand the Hebrew nahal hashshittim in the sense of a common noun, a dry land in general, and suppose that the prophet has in mind either the Kidron valley (Michaeli) or the Wadi al Sult, lying to the west of Jerusalem, through which the road to Ashkelon passes (Wellhausen, Nowack). With both understandings of the words hashshittim, the meaning of the image is that in the land there will be an abundance of water and the very means of irrigation will be miraculously changed (cf. Ezek 47:1; Zech 14:8). In connection with the promise of the prophet Joel concerning the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and in the images of Joel 3:18, one can see the images of grace poured out in the Church of Christ.

Joel 3:19. “Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom shall become a desolate wilderness – because of the violence they did to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood.” Among the enemies of Judah, the prophet particularly singles out the Egyptians and the Edomites, to whom is imputed the fact that they oppressed the people of Judah and shed innocent blood in their land. By the shedding of innocent blood, the prophet apparently means either the murder of those Jews who found refuge in Egypt and Edom (in their land, in the land of the Edomites and Egyptians), or the murder during the plundering raids of the Edomites on Judea (then – in their land, in the land of the Hebrews). What specific historical facts the prophet has in mind is unknown; in any case, such facts could have occurred both in post-exilic times and in pre-exilic times.

Joel 3:20. “But Judah shall be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem to all generations.” A similar promise is proclaimed to the people of God also by other prophets. (Cf. Isa 60:21; Ezek 37:25).

Joel 3:21. “I will avenge their blood which I have not yet avenged, and the Lord will dwell in Zion.” “I will avenge their blood, which I have not yet avenged,” Hebrew venikkethi damam lo nikkethi. The verb nikkah (Niphil from an unused nakah) has the meaning – to declare someone innocent, to leave without punishment. Therefore, the words of the prophet, giving them an interrogative form, some render (Steiner) thus: “and shall I leave them (that is, the nations) without punishment? I will not”; otherwise: “shall I declare their blood innocent, which I have not yet declared innocent” (Driver); the meaning of the latter translation is that the punishment of the nations for the shedding of the blood of the people of Judah will be proof of the innocence of this blood in the eyes of God. The LXX translate the expression under consideration as καὶ ἐκζητήσω τὸ αιμα αὐτῶν καὶ οὐμὴ ἀθωώσω, and I will avenge their blood and will not leave unpunished, Slavonic “and I will avenge their blood and will not declare innocent.” In view of the translation of the LXX and the context, the Masoretic venikkethi recent commentators (Gesenius, Hoonacker) correct to venikkamthi (from nakam to avenge) and translate the beginning of the verse: “I will avenge their blood, I will not leave unpunished,” which gives a clearer thought. The Lord gives the promise to avenge the blood of the Jews shed by enemies. – “And the Lord will dwell in Zion:”: the dwelling of the Lord on Zion will be the source of the well-being of Israel. The depiction by the prophet Joel in Joel 3 of judgment upon the world and the salvation of the chosen people undoubtedly cannot be understood in a literal sense. The entire speech of the prophet in Joel 3 has a figurative character. Since the prophecy of Joel concerning judgment has not yet been fulfilled in its entirety, it is not yet possible to distinguish in this prophecy between the images and the ideas that the prophet embodies in images. And in general, this distinction between images and ideas constitutes the most difficult point in the interpretation of prophecies. Only one thing is certain, that he who proclaimed the most sublime promise concerning the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh and the enlightenment of all people by this Spirit, Joel could not have represented the judgment of the Lord upon the world as a judgment exclusively upon the nations (Joel 2:16), as a gathering of peoples in a small valley (Joel 3:12), as a struggle with the nations (Joel 3:9-13), but as the well-being of Israel, as an abundance of wine, water, and milk (Joel 3:18); all this is only images and symbols of the mysterious and terrible judgment of the Lord and the eternal blessedness of the righteous that is to follow it.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Introduction

The prophet Amos (Amos from amas—bearer of burden), as the inscription of his book testifies, was a native of Tekoa—a small city that, according to the testimony of Jerome, was located six miles south of Bethlehem in the tribe of Judah, near the Judean desert (now the village of Tekua). Thus, by his origin the prophet belonged to the kingdom of Judah. Concerning the public standing of the prophet before his calling to prophetic service, the inscription of the book states that Amos was one of the shepherds (nokedim) of Tekoa. Since the word noked in 2 Sam 3:4 is applied to the Moabite king Mesha and denotes a wealthy livestock owner, some scholars consider the prophet Amos likewise a wealthy possessor of herds and sycamore plantations (Kimchi, Iannes, Hitzig, Baur, Gaume). But in Amos 7:14 the prophet himself testifies about himself that he was a shepherd (boker), taken by the Lord directly from the flock and gathered (boles—stripped) sycamore fruit, evidently for food. From this one must conclude that Amos was a poor man and, perhaps, a hired worker. In his stepping forth to preach, therefore, there was something similar to the calling of the apostles: as upon the apostles, upon him was displayed the almighty power of the Divine Spirit, choosing “the foolish things of the world, and the weak things and things despised.”

The place of Amos’s preaching activity was the Israelite kingdom, and specifically Bethel, the center of the unlawful worship of calves, introduced by Jeroboam I (Amos 7:10-15). By his bold denunciations of the impiety of Israelite nobles the prophet stirred up persecution against himself from the Bethel priest Amaziah, who even attempted to accuse Amos before the king of inciting the people and insulting the king’s person. Amos, he reported to the king, “is stirring up insurrection against you in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus says Amos: Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely be led away captive” (Amos 7:10-11). After this Amaziah drove Amos from Bethel. “And Amaziah said to Amos: O seer, go and withdraw to the land of Judah, and there eat bread and prophesy there: But do not prophesy again any more at Bethel; for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is the king’s residence” (Amos 7:12-13). The pious tradition, supplementing the testimony of the book of Amos, reports that the prophet, driven from Bethel, received a heavy blow to the head from the son of Amaziah on the road to Judah, from which he died in Tekoa (Epiphanius, On the Lives of the Prophets).

Amos carried out his service during the reign of Jeroboam II, king of Israel (? 787–746), and Uzziah, king of Judah (Amos 1:1). More precisely, the time of Amos’s stepping forth to preach is defined by the words—“two years before the earthquake” (Amos 1:1). But the year of this earthquake is unknown (cf. Zech 14:5). Therefore it is difficult to indicate with precision the time of Amos’s stepping forth to service. In any case he stepped forth to preach not in the early years of Jeroboam II, because as is evident from the content of the book of Amos and especially from Amos 6:14, he found already the borders of the kingdom expanded “from the entrance of Hamath to the sea of the plain,” and the state standing at the height of its might. And this was achieved by Jeroboam only after several years of reign, by victories over the Damascus Syrians (2 Sam 14:25). It is possible to suppose that the victories of Jeroboam II over the Syrians were facilitated by the preceding attacks upon them by the Assyrian kings Rammanirari III and Shalmaneser III, who repeatedly captured even Damascus itself. Since the Assyrian conquests fall upon the years 806–772, the victories of Jeroboam over the Syrians, and also the stepping forth of Amos to preach are referred to a time somewhat later, that is to the second half of the reign of Jeroboam II or to the first half of the eighth century 1.

During the time of Amos’s prophetic service the Israelite kingdom was at the height of its might. The borders of the kingdom were expanded to the borders of the glorious kingdom of Solomon (2 Sam 14:25-29). The neighboring peoples became tributaries of the Israelites. The land was adorned with magnificent buildings (Amos 3:15) and was enriched with plunder, which gave the Samarian nobles the opportunity to devote themselves to idleness and luxury (Amos 6:4-6). Together with this, under the influence of temporary might, among the nobles of the ten-tribe kingdom there developed extreme arrogance (Amos 6:8), confidence in their own strength (Amos 6:13), a striving for gain, driving them to oppress the poor and the needy (Amos 2:7), a love of luxury and feasts (Amos 6:4-6).

The book of Amos, consisting of 9 chapters, may be divided into three parts: an introduction, embracing chapters I–II, speeches against the Israelite kingdom (chapters III–VI), and visions with prophesies explaining them (VII–IX). The fundamental theme of the book of the prophet Amos is the proclamation of judgment upon the ten-tribe kingdom for its impiety. The prophecy of God’s judgment is unfolded both in Amos’s speeches and in his visions. The prophet begins the proclamation of this judgment with foreign peoples—the Syrians, Philistines, Phoenicians, Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites, whom he denounces for various crimes (Amos 1:2-2:3). Then the prophet turns to the kingdom of Judah and because of its turning aside to foreign gods threatens that the fire sent by Jehovah will devour the palaces of Jerusalem (Amos 2:4-5). After this the prophet speaks almost exclusively of judgment upon the Israelite kingdom. The peculiarity of Amos’s denunciatory speeches lies in the fact that he has in view chiefly the people’s crimes against the demands of the moral law—the prophet entirely avoids, unlike for instance Hosea, the politics of Israel, and speaks only in passing about religion and worship. The prophet is indignant at the violation of justice by the Samarian nobles, at the fact that they gather treasures for themselves by robbery and violence (Amos 3:10), oppress the poor (Amos 4:1), buy the needy for silver and the poor for a pair of sandals (Amos 8:6). “You,” says the prophet, “are enemies of the righteous, you take bribes and pervert the cause of the poor in the gate” (Amos 5:12). The prophet denounces the Samarian nobles for the fact that by violence (Amos 3:10), fraudulent trade (Amos 8:5), bribes from the poor (Amos 5:11) they have become wealthy, built magnificent houses, planted vineyards, live in luxury and ease (Amos 6:3-6). With particular indignation, furthermore, the prophet speaks of the Samarian women, whose love of luxury prompted their husbands to oppress the poor and afflict the needy (Amos 4:1). Softness and reliance upon their own strength (Amos 6:13) is already an abomination before the Lord. But the Samarian nobles added to this also the fact that they did not care about the misery of the people (Amos 6:6) and, as if mocking the Lord who delivered them from Egypt (Amos 2:9-10) “gave wine to the Nazirites and commanded the prophets, saying: Do not prophesy” (Amos 2:11-12). The gravity of the crimes indicated was increased by the fact that Israel did not recognize them. The Lord instructed the people through punishments (Amos 4:6-11), but it was not instructed; hoping on the covenant with God (Amos 5:14), Israel even desired the coming of the day of the Lord or the day of judgment, confident that this judgment would not touch them (Amos 5:14). Meanwhile the people continued to perform unlawful worship of God in Bethel, Dan, Gilgal, and Beersheba (Amos 5:5), limiting itself to the offering of sacrifices and the observance of festivals (Amos 5:21-23).

In denouncing the people’s crimes, the prophet points out to it also the ideal of moral life. The prophet invites them to seek the Lord (Amos 5:4). In Amos 5:24 the prophet says: “Let judgment roll down as waters, and righteousness as an ever-flowing stream!” The prophet has in mind here, without doubt, first of all the sphere of public and private law, righteousness in the juridical sense. But the concepts of judgment and righteousness express in the prophet’s usage something greater: the prophet demands compassion, mercy, pity (1–2), in general not only good deeds, but also a disposition toward good, when he invites them to seek good and not evil, to hate evil and to love good (Amos 5:14-15). Touching the properly religious life of the people, the prophet denounces those who “swear by the sin of Samaria and say, ‘As your god, O Dan, lives; and as the way to Beersheba lives’” (Amos 8:14), and meanwhile exhorts them “do not seek Bethel, and do not come to Gilgal, and do not travel to Beersheba” (Amos 5:5).

But the people as a whole is no longer able to receive the prophet’s exhortation and prevent punishment. Therefore Amos proclaims God’s judgment upon the people. According to the prophet’s word, the punishment is unavoidable and the people can hide from it nowhere (Amos 9:2-4). The prophet already composes a lamentation for the house of Israel: “The virgin of Israel is fallen; she will rise no more: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up” (Amos 5:1-2). Punishment will come not only upon the reigning house, which had been foretold by Elijah and Elisha, but upon the whole kingdom. Destruction awaits all the sanctuaries of the people, all the houses great and small, and all the people (Amos 3:14-15). The prophet proclaims, furthermore, the destruction of the house of Jeroboam by the sword (Amos 7:9), the coming of various physical calamities (Amos 6:10), the captivity of the people (Amos 6:7) and its transportation beyond Damascus (Amos 5:27). Among the coming calamities upon the people the prophet points out with particular force the deprivation of the word of God and the thirst to hear this word (Amos 8:11-13). The communication of the word of God to the Israelite people was proof of their theocratic election, a privilege of the people above others, and a guarantee of their future greatness. Thus, the deprivation of the word of God, with which the prophet threatens them, is equivalent to the removal of the privileges of the chosen people and deprivation of their theocratic future.

The prophecies of God’s judgment upon Israel, set forth in the speeches, are also unfolded in the symbolic visions which the prophet beheld (VII–IX). In the fourth vision (Amos 8:1-2) the prophet is shown in the form of a basket filled with ripe fruit that Israel is ripe for judgment, and in the fifth (Amos 9:1) vision the prophet already hears the command to let fall the temple upon which the people had gathered, upon the heads of those gathered, so that all of them perish.

But in threatening God’s judgment upon the house of Jacob and occupied chiefly with the thought of this judgment, the prophet extends his gaze beyond this judgment, and his thought turns to a bright future. For the Israelite kingdom, as an independent political whole, there is no future, and it is doomed to destruction. But this future exists for the kingdom of Judah with its royal family and, evidently, for individual persons of the ten-tribe kingdom. The scattering of the people, according to the prophet’s word, will accomplish only the separation of chaff from grain, of sinners from the righteous (Amos 9:9). The latter may be saved by taking refuge under the tent of the tabernacle of David, that is, the reigning house of David. In the period of the terrible judgments of God that are to come upon both Judah and Israel (Amos 2:4), the house of David will lose its splendor and greatness and will become as it were a half-ruined tent (pavilion). But the Lord will at some time restore the destroyed tabernacle of David, will repair its breaches and gaps and will set it up as in the days of old. The house of David will be placed at the head of the purified people, which will consist of all those who call upon the name of the Lord. By its inner character the new kingdom will be a kingdom of peace, abundance of all blessings and the absence of all calamities (Amos 9:11-15).

Such is the content of the book of Amos. The prophet Amos sets forth his denunciations, exhortations and threats from the person of God. At the same time in the person of God Amos especially brings to the fore His greatness, almightiness and Justice. The greatness and almightiness of God, in the prophet’s view, is revealed both in nature and in history. In nature it is revealed in the fact that the Lord is God of hosts (Amos 3:13), He “formed the mountains and created the wind” (Amos 4:13), He created the constellation and Orion, transforms the shadow of death into the light of morning, and makes the day dark as night; shakes the earth, calls the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the face of the land (Amos 5:8). In history the greatness and almightiness of God have been shown in the fact that He brought Israel out of Egypt, destroyed the Amorite before them (Amos 2:9-10), “He strengthens the spoiler against the strong” (Amos 5:9), and brought the Philistines from Caphtor and the Syrians from Kir (Amos 9:7). But in pointing to God’s greatness, the prophet at the same time with particular force wishes to set before the people the moral properties of the Divine Being and specifically His Justice. According to the prophet’s view the demand for righteousness is the fundamental demand of God, presented both to Israel and to all other peoples (I–II), only the keeping of righteousness gives value to ceremonies and sacrifices in God’s sight (Amos 5:21-25). The contemporaries of the prophet hoped upon the covenant with God, supposing that by virtue of this covenant, independently of their deeds, they would be secure, and that the day of the Lord’s judgment could bring them only well-being (Amos 5:18). Contrary to these views, the prophet wishes to make it understood that the Lord will deal with Israel also according to Justice, that from this justice the people cannot hide anywhere (Amos 9:3-4), that the election of the people itself, independently of the conduct of the people, is not only no guarantee of its security, but rather increases the gravity of its responsibility (Amos 3:2).

If we compare the teaching of the book of Amos with the teaching of the book of Hosea, then despite their essential agreement, we can note a difference between them. Amos sets forth the person of God, His greatness and Justice; Hosea sets forth especially the mercy of God and love. Arising against external worship of God not united with internal attitude, Amos demands chiefly the keeping of righteousness, the demands of the moral law; Hosea sets forth the need for love toward God and fidelity to Him. Jehovah established moral demands; their fulfillment is the service of Jehovah: such is the essence of Amos’s teaching. Jehovah loved you; answer this love with love, and you will serve the Lord: such is the essence of Hosea’s teaching. Evidently Amos and Hosea complete one another and unfold the divinely revealed teaching according to their personal characteristics. If Hosea, according to his personal characteristics and the character of his teaching can be compared with the New Testament preacher of love John the theologian, then Amos can be compared with the New Testament preachers of justice John the Baptist and the Apostle James.

From the standpoint of exposition the book of Amos is distinguished by high qualities and is one of the most perfect productions of Old Testament literature. Contrary to the opinion of Jerome, who calls Amos—imperitus sermone, inexperienced in speech, the recent commentators unanimously recognize that the prophet’s language is distinguished by simplicity, purity, elegance and power. The prophet’s speech abounds in images, and the prophet very often borrows these images from pastoral life. Thus the voice of the Lord the prophet compares to the roar of a lion, terrifying the shepherds (Amos 1:1-2); the salvation of Israel he compares to the snatching by a shepherd of a leg or part of an ear from the mouth of a lion (Amos 3:12), the Samarian women he compares to the heifers of Bashan (Amos 4:1) and the like. In general, according to the opinion of one of the commentators of the book of Amos (Ewald), “pastoral life is reflected not only in the similes and prophetic images, but in the finest threads of the representations and language of this prophet, in all his life experience and world view” (Ewald, Die Propheten. I, 84). From other peculiarities of the prophet’s exposition the commentators distinguish the frequent use of the same formulas in order to emphasize a thought (Amos 1:3-2:6; Amos 7:1-3), the use of assonance or plays on words (Amos 5:5), the frequent use of hapax legomena. At the same time recent authors find that in the construction of Amos’s speeches a division into strophes is observed, though in the indication of these strophes recent authors diverge greatly.

Regarding the text of the book of Amos it is held that it has been preserved in greater purity than, for instance, the text of Hosea. But at the same time there are in the book of Amos several passages whose obscurity makes one presume corruption of the text in them.

Literature on the book of Amos: 1) Foreign: Baur, Der Proph. Amos erklart 1847. chel, Amos. 1893. Valeton. Amos und Hosea 1894 Harper, Comment. on Amos and Hosea. 1906. Touzard, Le livre d’Amos. 1909. See also general works on the books of the Minor Prophets. 2) Russian: M. O. Verzbolovich, Proph. Serve in the isr. ten-tribe kingdom. 1891. Prof. P. A. Yungerov. Book of the Prophet Amos. Introduction, translation and explanation. 1887. Here on pp. LIV–LV see bibliographic references.

* * *

The years of the reign of Jeroboam II are difficult to determine with precision, and they are indicated differently: 823–783 (Yungerov), 787–746 (Hoonacker), and others. In the cuneiform inscriptions under the year 736 the Israelite king Menahem is mentioned as a tributary of the Assyrian king Pul (Tiglath-Pileser), with whose help he evidently established himself on the throne. If we suppose that before this Menahem reigned for several years, then add 7 months of the reign of Zechariah and Shallum and 41 years of the reign of Jeroboam II, then the beginning of the latter’s reign will fall upon the years 785–780.

Chapter One

1. Inscription. 2–5. Proclamation of God’s judgment upon the Syrians. 6–8. God’s judgment upon the Philistines. 9–10. God’s judgment upon the Phoenicians. 11–12. God’s judgment upon Edom. 13–15. God’s judgment upon the sons of Ammon.

Amos 1:1. The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa, which he received in vision concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. The inscription indicates the origin of the prophet and the time of his activity.—“The words… which he received in vision”: from the Hebrew it should be more precisely rendered as “which he saw (chazah), that is, saw with spiritual eyes.” In the Slavic text, in accordance with the LXX, the beginning of the inscription reads differently from the Hebrew, namely: “The words of Amos, which were in Kariathiarim from Tekua, which he saw concerning Jerusalem.” Cyril of Alexandria, instead of the name Kariathiarim, read Akkarim. The blessed Theodoret explains the Greek text in the sense that, coming from Tekoa, Amos received his calling to prophetic service in Kariathiarim. But it is better to agree in the understanding of verse 1 with the blessed Jerome, who considers the Greek addition a simple error.

Amos 1:2. And he said: The Lord will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds will mourn, and the top of Carmel will wither. In verse 2 is indicated the subject of Amos’s prophecies—the proclamation of judgment upon the earth. According to the prophet’s description on Zion, where the Lord dwells, as it were the sound of thunder rings out, bringing destruction everywhere. Wishing to indicate the degree of calamity, the prophet says: “and the top of Carmel will wither.” Mount Carmel was located to the north of the country, on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea at the mouth of the Kishon (Josh 19:26; 1 Sam 18:19). It was rich in vegetation and excellent pastures. Vegetation covered Carmel even when everything dried up around. In proclaiming that the top of Carmel will wither, the prophet wishes to point to the extraordinary nature of the calamity, and also to suggest the idea that especially the northern part of the kingdom will suffer from this calamity. As a former shepherd, Amos notes the sorrow of shepherds at the loss of pastures.—From what follows it is evident that of thunder and drought the prophet speaks not in the literal sense.

Amos 1:3. Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment of it; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron. The proclamation of God’s judgment upon the heathen peoples the prophet begins with Syria and Damascus, the chief city of Syria. The prophet proclaims destruction upon the Syrians for their cruelty toward the inhabitants of Gilead.—“For three transgressions of Damascus and for four”: a peculiar expression by which the prophet indicates the multitude of transgressions of Damascus (cf. Prov 30:15).—“Because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron.” Gilead—the Transjordanian region of the ten-tribe kingdom, the region that suffered most from Syrian invasions during the campaigns of Hazael against Jehu (2 Sam 10:32-33). An iron threshing sledge, Hebrew charuzah—a wheel or roller sheathed in iron, used for threshing grain. The prophet’s words can be understood both in the literal sense, as an indication of the application of a certain cruelty in war (cf. 2 Sam 12:31), and in a general sense as an image of the strong devastation of Gilead by the Syrians. The LXX rendered the Hebrew charuzah with the word σάγη saw, and besides explained the word Gilead with an addition: ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσας, hence in the Slavic: “because they threshed with iron saws those who were pregnant in Gilead.”

Amos 1:4. But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which will devour the palaces of Ben-hadad. Hazael and Ben-hadad—names of Syrian kings (2 Sam 13:24), who especially concerned themselves with the beauty and glory of Damascus and were known for their relations with the Israelite kingdom (2 Sam 12-14). By naming the names of the kings, the prophet is speaking essentially of the fate of their kingdom. The prophet proclaims destruction by fire, without doubt in connection with the devastation of the land by enemies. Instead of the name Ben-hadad in the Slavic text it reads “the son of Ader”; likewise in the LXX and Syriac. In the Assyrian documents Ben-hadad is called Bin-hidri.

Amos 1:5. And I will break the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria will go into captivity to Kir, says the Lord. “And I will break the bar of Damascus,” bericha—the bars of city gates, Slavic “verei.” The geographical names standing further in verse 5 are understood differently. Hebrew bigath-aven (Russian “plain of Aven”; Slavic “from the field of Ono”)—some commentators consider it the name of a valley between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon—Coele-Syria (el Biga among the Arabs), and a city in this valley, later called Heliopolis or Baalbek. It is supposed that the city is called Aven or On by the prophet by analogy with the Egyptian On (cf. Gen 41:45), as a city of the cult of the sun, which cult, according to the testimony of Macrobius (Sat. 1, 23) and Lucian (De dea Syra 5), was transferred from Egypt to Coele-Syria. Other commentators (Yungerov, Hoonacker) understand Hebrew aven in the sense of wickedness; bigath-aven—plain of wickedness. According to Hoonacker, Coele-Syria could be called the plain of wickedness because at the entrance to it, at the foot of Hermon, there existed a cult of Baal-Gad. Hebrew Beth-Eden (Russian “from the house of Eden,” Slavic “from the men of Harran”) is usually identified with the mention in the records of Ashurbanipal and Shalmaneser II Bit-Adini, an Aramean kingdom lying on both banks of the middle Euphrates. In such a case the words of the prophet receive the sense that the whole region of the Arameans will be smitten from Lebanon (bigath aven) to the Euphrates. Some commentators (Yungerov) understand, however, beth-eden in the sense of a proper name “house of rejoicing,” referring this appellation to Damascus, which was distinguished by the beauty of its position and the fertility of its land. But in the understanding of bigath-aven and beth-eden as proper names the context is better preserved, and the speech receives greater fullness and completeness.—“Holding the scepter” (thoneh)—not a governor, but an independent ruler.—“And the people of Syria will go into captivity to Kir”: the Arameans—descendants of Shem, a people related by kinship to the Hebrews (Gen 10:22-25); the location of the land of Kir is unknown; it is indicated in northern Armenia (Baur), to the north of Aleppo (Socin), in southern Babylonia (Galevy), in Media (Schrader), between the Orontes and Euphrates (Dillmann). The fulfillment of Amos’s prophecy concerning the destruction and captivity of the Syrians can be seen in the fact of the capture of Damascus by the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser. Tiglath-Pileser destroyed Damascus, killed the king of Damascus Rezin, and settled the inhabitants in distant regions of his kingdom (2 Sam 16:9; Isa 7:1-10). Instead of the words “holding the scepter—from the house of Eden” in the Slavic text it reads “And I will cut off the tribe from the men of Harran.” Probably the LXX rendered the Hebrew thomech (holding) from the verb damah to cut off, scevet (scepter) they took in the sense of φυλὴ tribe, clan; the words mibbeith eden they read—mibbeith aran and translated ἐξ ἀνδρων Χαρρᾶν. Hebrew Kiroh (to Kir) the LXX interpreted as an adjective from karah to call, to name and translated sл. ἐπίκλητος, celebrated; hence in Slavic: “the celebrated Syrians.”

Amos 1:6. Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment of it; because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom. Amos 1:7. But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which will devour the palaces of it. In verses 6–8 the prophet proclaims God’s judgment upon the Philistines for the reason that they took captives and delivered them to Edom. Instead of the whole land of Philistia the prophet names Gaza, one of the five so-called royal Philistine cities. From verse 6 it is not evident of what captives the prophet speaks; it is also unclear whether the prophet considers the Philistines guilty only of selling into slavery captives, or also of taking captives. Some commentators (Yungerov) suppose that the prophet speaks of captives from the Hebrews (cf. verse 9). What precisely the prophet has in mind by historical facts is difficult to say. The Philistines attacked Jerusalem and Judah during the reign of Joram (2 Chr 21:16-17), then during the reign of Uzziah (2 Chr 26:6). The prophet’s words may refer to these facts, as well as to others unknown to us. The mention by the prophet of Edom in verses 6 and 9 shows that the Edomites were the chief middlemen in the slave trade.—Instead of the words “because they carried away all (schelemah) into captivity” in the Slavic text with the Greek it reads “because they took into captivity the captivity of Solomon.” Some commentators understand the LXX reading as an interpretation of verse 6, as an attempt to determine of what captives the text speaks: the captivity of Solomon—Judeans, those once subject to Solomon (the blessed Theodoret), descendants of Solomon (the blessed Jerome), inhabitants of cities built by Solomon (Cyril of Alexandria). It is simpler to think that the LXX rendered the Hebrew Schelemah (all, wholly) as the proper name Schelomoh—Solomon.

Amos 1:8. And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines will perish, says the Lord God. Among the Philistine cities the prophet does not mention Gath—probably because by the time of Amos it had been conquered and, perhaps, destroyed.—“And the remnant of the Philistines will perish”—that is, all to a man will perish.

Amos 1:9. Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment of it; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant. Amos 1:10. But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which will devour the palaces of it. To Tyre and the Phoenicians is charged the crime of selling captives into slavery. Of what captives the prophet speaks, as in verse 6, he does not indicate. Some (Nowack) suppose that the prophet speaks of Phoenician captives, whom the Tyrians captured during the frequent internecine wars of the Phoenician cities (cf. “did not remember the brotherly covenant”). The majority of commentators, however, refer the prophet’s words to the sale of captives of the Hebrews. The prophets Joel (Joel 3:6) and Ezekiel (Ezek 27:13) also accuse the Phoenicians of this. Probably the Tyrians were the middlemen in the sale of captives, taken from the land of Israel during attacks upon it by powerful neighbors (cf. 2 Sam 10:32; 1 Sam 14:25-26).—“And remembered not the brotherly covenant,” if we understand the captives to be Hebrew captives, then the words spoken are of the brotherly covenant of Edom with Judah (Gen 33:3-15). These words are also understood as a reference to the treaties of peace concluded between Hiram and David and Solomon (2 Sam 5:11; 1 Sam 5:1-12). The word Schelemah (all captives) was understood by the LXX, as in verse 6, in the sense of a proper name; hence in the Slavic text: “they shut up the captives of Solomon.”

Amos 1:11. Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment of it; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever. The Edomites, kinsmen of the Hebrews by descent from the brother of Jacob—Esau, were always implacable enemies of the Hebrews and at every opportunity drew the sword against them (Ezek 25:12; Obad 1:7-12). For this age-old enmity toward the Hebrews the prophet threatens the Edomites with judgment. What precise historical facts he has in mind is difficult to say. But it is certain that not only after the Babylonian captivity, but in ancient times there were many occasions for the manifestation of Edom’s enmity toward Judah (cf. 2 Sam 8:20 and following; 2 Sam 14:7 and following). The second half of verse 11 in the Slavic text is rendered: “and he corrupted the womb on the earth, and seized the anger in testimony, and his rushing he provided for victory.” Hebrew schicheth rachamim, “pierced the intestines,” or in a figurative sense “quelled mercy,” the LXX understood literally and translated ελυμηνατο μητραν (Yungerov), “corrupted the womb,” which was later corrected to ελυμηνατο μητερα (Slavic “corrupted the mother”) and explained by the addition of words επι γης, “on the earth.”—“And his anger tore perpetually,” from Hebrew “his anger tore perpetually”; Hebrew taraph the LXX took in the sense of “to seize,” laed—“perpetually” was pointed as leed—and rendered eis μαρτυριον; apo—his anger, rendered φρικην αυτου, “his terror.” Hence in the Slavic: “and he seized the terror in testimony.”—“And he kept his wrath for ever”: in the LXX και ᾿ορμημα αυτου εφυλαξεν εις νικος, Slavic “and his rushing (Hebrew ebratho his rage) he provided (Hebrew schemarah) for victory” (nezach from Aramaic, nazach to conquer). The Church teachers Cyril of Alexandria and the blessed Theodoret interpret the words of the Greek text in the sense that the Edomeans, descendants of Esau, warring with the descendants of Jacob, in doing so tore at their common mother Rebecca.

Amos 1:12. But I will send a fire upon Teman, and it will devour the palaces of Bozrah. Teman (land of the South) is the region of Idumea, opposite to Dedan (Ezek 27:15); according to the testimony of the blessed Jerome (in Onomasticon), Teman was also called a fortress of Teman, located five miles from the city of Petra and serving as the residence of a Roman garrison. Bozrah, mentioned repeatedly in the Bible (1 Chr 1:44; Isa 34:6; Jer 49:13), an Idumean city, located, it is thought, on the site of the present village of El-Buseirah, to the southeast of the Dead Sea. The calamitous condition of which the prophet speaks was experienced by the Edomites repeatedly during the invasions of the Assyrians and Babylonians and other peoples (Isa 11:14; Jer 49:7-22).

Amos 1:13. Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment of it; because they ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border. The proclamation of God’s judgment upon the Ammonites. According to the prophet’s word, they will be punished for the cruelty manifested in Gilead. The Bible speaks of manifestations of extreme cruelty in the form of ripping open pregnant women in other places (2 Sam 15:16; Isa 13:16; Nah 3:10; Hos 14:1). What precise facts the prophet has in mind is unknown.

Amos 1:14. But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it will devour the palaces of it, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind. Rabbah (Slavic “Rabbata”) or more precisely Rabbah of the sons of Ammon—the only city of the Ammonites mentioned in the Bible. Its location is supposed to be 25 miles to the northeast of the Dead Sea, where now stands the village of Amman.

Amos 1:15. And their king will go into captivity, he and his princes together, says the Lord. And their king (malkam) will go into captivity, he and his princes together: Hebrew makam, according to Jer 49:3, some commentators take as the proper name of an Ammonite deity. But the words standing alongside “and his princes,” as well as the mention in all the preceding speeches of scepter-bearers, shows that in verse 15 the prophet uses malkam in the sense of their king. In the LXX before the words “and his princes” there is an addition ᾿ι ἱερεῖς αυτῶν, Slavic “and their priests.”

Chapter Two

1–3. God’s judgment upon the Moabites. 4–5. God’s judgment upon Judah. 6–14. Proclamation of God’s judgment upon Israel and denunciation of its transgressions.

Amos 2:1. Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment of it; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime. The Moabites are charged with the desecration of the corpse of an Edomite king, whose bones they burned to lime. The blessed Jerome in his commentary on Amos 2:1 reports the supposition of contemporary rabbis that the fact of which the prophet speaks took place during the invasion of the Moabite land by the Israelite king Joram and the Judean king Jehoshaphat in alliance with Edomites (2 Sam 3). But from the narrative of 2 Sam 3 it is not evident that during the mentioned invasion the Idumean king fell or was taken captive. In general, it is difficult to say what event the prophet has in mind in verse 1. Recent commentators propose an emendation of the Masoretic text in verse 1, changing the prophet’s report; instead of the words sarfu azemoth melech-edom laschschid, “burned the bones of the king of Edom,” Condamen reads sarfu azemoth lamolech adam lesched, “burned bodies to Molech, humans—to the demon” (Hoonacker). But there is no basis for changing the Masoretic text, which gives a thought fully intelligible and natural.

Amos 2:2. But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it will devour the palaces of Kerioth: and Moab will die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. Kerioth—a Moabite city identical with the one mentioned by Isaiah (Isa 15:1) in the inscription of Mesha Kir-Moab (Jer 48:24). This was the center of the cult of Chemosh. It is supposed that Kerioth was located on the site of the present ruins of Koriath or Kuriyat. The LXX rendered the Hebrew hakerioth from kirah city and, understanding it in the sense of common noun, translated: πὀλεων αὐτης, Slavic “its cities.”—“And Moab will die,” from Hebrew “and will die (umeth) Moab”; the prophet personifies the nation and therefore its destruction is called death. Hebrew beschaon, “with tumult,” the LXX translated: ἐν ἁδυναμία; hence in the Slavic “with weakness.”

Amos 2:3. And I will cut off the judge from the midst of it, and will slay all the princes of it with him, says the Lord. “And I will cut off the judge from the midst of it”: by judge in verse 3 is meant the king of Moab.

Amos 2:4. Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment of it; because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked. Amos 2:5. But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem. Judgment upon Judah (Slavic “upon the sons of Judah”) is declared for the reason that Judah rejected both the entire divinely revealed law as a whole (thorah), and individual commandments of it (chkkaj), and turned aside after idols (kisbejchem—their lies, that is false gods. Cf. Ps 40:5).

Amos 2:6. Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment of it; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes. From verse 6 the prophet turns to Israel, which becomes the subject of all his further speeches. Israel is charged with the violation of the rights of the poor, violation of moral laws and the desecration of places of public worship.—“They sold the righteous (zadik) for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes”: the prophet speaks of judges, or generally of powerful men, who for the sake of gain violated the rights of others (zadik—righteous in the juridical sense) and for the sake of a pair of shoes, for the sake of a trifling debt (Lev 25:39), sold the debtor.

Amos 2:7. That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in to the same maid, to profane my holy name. “That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor”: the prophet expresses the idea of extreme oppression of the poor, when everything—both right, and honor, and property—is as it were trampled to the ground (Yungerov). In the Slavic text according to the translation of the LXX the beginning of verse 7 is rendered somewhat differently: “those going on the dust of the earth (in accordance with the preceding “on shoes”), and beat with the fist on the heads of the poor.”—“And turn aside the way of the meek,” that is fill with sorrows and miseries the life-path of the defenseless (meek) people.—“And a man and his father will go in to the same maid, to profane my holy name”: some commentators (Wellhausen, Nowack) suppose that the prophet speaks of harlots connected with the cult (hierodules). But the form of expression of the prophet (cf. Jer 30:6) does not give basis for such an understanding. The prophet probably speaks of immorality in general. Hebrew hannaarah (to a maid) can be understood in the sense of maidservant, slave woman, belonging to a household (Hoonacker). Then in the words cited one can find a continuation of the thought about the oppression of the weak by the strong.

Amos 2:8. And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god. The prophet speaks of the conduct of the nobles and strong men in the house of worship. According to the opinion of some (LXX, the blessed Jerome), by the house of their God (beith elogeichem) the prophet means the house of Jehovah, but according to the opinion of others (Slavic and Russian translations), the house where unlawful cult is performed, that is the sanctuary of the calves, that is the sanctuary in Bethel or Dan (Yungerov). With the latter understanding one must agree, since the prophet uses the expression their gods, showing thereby that he himself believes in another God. The prophet denounces in verse 8 the Samarian nobles for the fact that by goods obtained through injustice and violence they made use of during religious celebrations, namely they reclined upon garments taken from the poor and drank wine improperly collected from the accused. In the LXX and in our Slavic text the beginning of verse 8 is rendered freely: “and they bind their garments with cords, curtains they make at the altars.” According to the explanation of the Church teachers, the Greek text of verse 8 indicates the commission of licentiousness in the Israelite sanctuaries, the fact that from garments they fashioned in the sanctuaries tents for licentiousness. Amos 2:9-12. In contrast to the people’s relations toward Jehovah the prophet points to Jehovah’s relations toward the people, thereby denouncing the people for ingratitude.

Amos 2:9. Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. Amos 2:10. Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. The prophet first recalls the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. By the Amorite the prophet understands all the Canaanite tribes (cf. Josh 24:15; Num 21:21; Deut 2:26).

Amos 2:11. And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites: is it not even thus, O you children of Israel? says the Lord. The prophet points to the privileges by which the Israelite people was distinguished from others: prophecy and Naziriteship (Slavic “to holiness”).

Amos 2:12. But you gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Do not prophesy. “And commanded the prophets, saying: Do not prophesy”: the facts confirming the words of Amos are reported in 1 Sam 17-22 and refer to the activity of Elijah and Micaiah, son of Imlah. Amos 2:13-16. In verses 13–16 the prophet proclaims judgment upon Israel. The images employed by the prophet in describing the judgment are intended to point to the severity and unavoidableness of the calamity. What kind of calamity the prophet is speaking of is unclear. It is supposed (Yungerov) that the prophet proclaims a terrible earthquake, about which he speaks repeatedly in his book (Amos 1:1). Ancient rabbis related the words of the prophet to Israelite kings—Jeroboam, Baasha, Omri, Pekah, and Hoshea.

Amos 2:13. Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves. Verse 13 is translated and understood by commentators differently, since the word meik (“am pressed”) is a hapax legomenon. In the LXX and Slavic text it reads: “Behold, I will turn under you, as a cart full of straw turns.” In the opinion of recent commentators: “Behold, I will make the earth tremble under you, as the earth trembles under a cart full of sheaves” (Nowack, Hoonacker).

Chapter Three

1–8. The prophet’s right to proclaim denunciations against the people. 9–13. Denunciation of Israel. 14–15. Proclamation of punishment upon Israel.

Amos 3:1. Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, With chapter III begins the second part of the book of Amos. Here are contained the speeches of the prophet against Israel, containing the denunciation of the people’s transgressions and then the proclamation of the fall of the Israelite kingdom.

Amos 3:2. You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. Contrary to the contemporary view that Israel, as the people of Jehovah, cannot be subject to God’s judgment, the prophet makes clear the inevitability of this judgment: Jehovah has known Israel alone; consequently the transgressions of Israel are as it were especially known to Him, and Israel more than any other people must bear responsibility (cf. Luke 12:48). The verb jadah (“known”) means not merely simple knowledge of a people, but also special care of it by Jehovah.

Amos 3:3. Can two walk together, except they are agreed? In a series of images the prophet explains his stepping forth with preaching.—“Can two walk together, except they are agreed?”—the prophet wishes to say that he would not have stepped forth with a speech from the person of God if he did not have God’s command for this (St. Ephrem the Syrian).

Amos 3:4. Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? The meaning of the images is as follows: just as a lion roars only when there is prey before him, so the prophet steps forth with threatening speeches of God’s judgment because he sees the coming of this judgment, when Israel will appear as it were a prey to God’s Justice. As a young lion (Slavic “lion cub”) begins to roar when it tears its prey, so the prophet utters speeches because the judgment upon Israel is already ready to begin.

Amos 3:5. Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no snare is set for him? will one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all? The prophet wishes to say that just as a bird, falling into a snare, is caught, so the Israelite people for its sins must inevitably be punished and as it were be caught by God’s judgment. Moreover the judgment of God will not cease until it destroys Israel, just as a snare does not rise from the earth until it has caught a bird (Yungerov, p. 51).

Amos 3:6. will a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? will there be evil in a city, and the Lord has not done it? Verse 6 expresses the idea that the prophetic preaching, like the sound of a trumpet announcing danger, should remind the people of the approaching calamity, and moreover a calamity that is terrible, unavoidable by human means, because it is sent by God Himself.

Amos 3:7. Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret to his servants the prophets. Amos 3:8. The lion has roared, who will not fear? the Lord God has spoken, who can but prophesy? In verses 7–8 the prophet explains the images he has employed. The prophet makes clear that he proclaims the calamity which is revealed to him by the Lord, that he cannot but proclaim when the Lord speaks—just as a man cannot but be terrified when a lion roars.

Amos 3:9. Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst of it, and the oppressed in the midst of it. From verse 9 to Amos 4:3 are contained the denunciations of the prophet directed against the Samarian nobles. To give greater force to his denunciations, the prophet invites the inhabitants of Ashdod and the land of Egypt to be witnesses of the lawlessness being committed in Samaria. Instead of the words beaschdod (“in Ashdod”) the LXX read εν᾿ ᾿Ασσυριος (Slavic “in Assyrians”); the LXX reading does not contradict the context, but it is easier to suppose that from aschdod arose aschur, than the reverse.—“Upon the mountains of Samaria”: in the LXX ἐπὶ τὸ ὸρος Σ, upon the mountain of Samaria; since the prophet speaks further only of the inhabitants of the city of Samaria, some commentators prefer the LXX reading (Hoonacker).—“Upon the great tumults” (mehumoth): the latter word, whose sense is not entirely clear, was rendered by the LXX as θαυμαστά (Slavic “wonderful”), by Aquila as ἀχορτασίαν—insatiableness, intemperance.

Amos 3:10. For they know not to do right, says the Lord: who store up violence and robbery in their palaces. The criminality of the Samarian nobles has reached such a degree that they have as it were lost the concept of justice. The second half of the verse is rendered freely in the Russian; from Hebrew it should be: “violence and robbery they fill their palaces with,” in the blessed Jerome: thesavrisantes iniquitatem et rapinas.

Amos 3:11. Therefore Thus says the Lord God; An adversary there will be even round about the land; and he will bring down your strength from you, and your palaces will be spoiled. The prophet proclaims punishment upon Samaria for its crime.—“An adversary there will be even round about the land”: the translation is suppositive. Hebrew zaar useviv haarez is not clear. The LXX understood zar (Russian “adversary”) in the sense of a proper name Tyre and referred the entire expression to Tyre, as in the Slavic “Tyre, round about your land will be laid waste.” In the Targum, in Theodotion and Symmachus and in some recent commentators zur is taken in the sense of: distress (Targum aba), strength (Theodotion fortitudo), siege (Symmachus πολιορκία), calamity (Hitzig). The words of our text and the word “round about” in Hebrew correspond to useviv. But seviv without i nowhere is used in the sense of a preposition; besides, in the Syriac text there stands instead of seviv a verb. Therefore recent commentators (Nowack, Hoonacker) not without reason suppose that in the original text it read jesovev to surround or, as in Isa 23:16; 1 Sam 7:16; Ps 49:7; to pass (Hoonacker). The entire expression in such a case will take the form of an exclamation: “an adversary surrounds the land.” The prophet without doubt has in mind the Assyrians.—“He will bring down your strength from you” (ussecha): under ussecha the prophet probably means the walls and towers which defended Samaria.—Instead of the words “your palaces” in the LXX it is translated χῶραι σου, “your lands”: the LXX rendered Hebrew armon, palace, variously according to the context—in Amos 1:3 θεμέλιον (Slavic foundation); in Jer 17:27 ἁμποδον, ατρον.

Amos 3:12. Thus says the Lord; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so will the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch. The prophet expresses figuratively the idea that only a wretched remnant will escape from God’s judgment. The image is borrowed from Exod 22:12.—“Sitting in Samaria in the corner of a bed and in Damascus on a couch,” reath mittach, corner of a bed (couch), the most honored place during a feast. The LXX pointed mittach (bed) as mateh tribe, clan, φυλη; hence in the Slavic text instead of the Russian “in the corner of a bed” one reads: “according to the tribe.” The mention at the end of verse 12 of Damascus (ubidemeschek ares, Russian “in Damascus on a couch”) raises perplexity. The speech concerns the inhabitants of Samaria. Why are they called “sitting in Damascus”? In view of the difficulty of retaining in verse 12 the name of the city of Damascus, many commentators consider domeschek to be the name not of a city, but of a special material (damask) or take it in the general sense—artful, fanciful Damascus work (Yungerov).—The end of verse 12 in such a case takes the form: those reclining in Samaria on the corner of a bed and on a damask couch (Yungerov), or: reclining—“on dama couches” (Hoonacker). But many commentators (Wellhausen, Nowack, Driver) find it highly doubtful that the well-known precious material was already known to the Hebrews in the time of Amos under the name demeschek. Therefore they propose various emendations of the word demeschek: Grätz and Nowack—bassemichah, on a carpet (of a couch); Duhm and Marti—dabbescheth. Hoonacker, understanding demeschek in the sense of the name of the city of Damascus, proposes instead of the name of Samaria reading the name of Ashkelon. According to Hoonacker, in speaking of the nobles of Samaria the prophet would not have called them “the children of Israel,”—a term designating the whole people. Therefore the words “sitting in Samaria,” etc. are not an explanation of the words “the children of Israel,” but begin a new thought expressed in verse 13. In verse 13 the prophet calls to “testify to the house of Jacob,”—evidently he invites, as in verse 9, the neighboring peoples. From this it is clear why the mention of those sitting in Damascus (demeschek); and instead of the name of Samaria one would naturally expect the name of some neighboring heathen city. According to Hoonacker’s opinion, with the ancient script the confusion of Samaria and Ashkelon is not impermissible.

Amos 3:13. Hear, and testify in the house of Jacob, says the Lord God, the God of hosts. The prophet addresses the heathen peoples (cf. verse 9) and asks them to testify, that is as it were to approve the divine decision concerning the punishment of Israel, or to confirm that this punishment is just and it was proclaimed beforehand. To give greater solemnity to the speech, the prophet in verse 13 calls God by the full name adonai jehovah elogej hazzebaoth, the Lord God, God of hosts (cf. Amos 6:14). In calling God the God of the hosts of heaven, the prophet wishes to point to God’s almightiness. According to the Greek and Slavic texts the prophet’s speech in verse 13 is addressed to the Samarian priests (ιερεῖς ἀχουσατε, Slavic “priests, listen”). The word ιερεῖς it is supposed arose erronously from the Hebrew ares (bed, couch, lying place) standing at the end of verse 12. At first this word was left without translation, and then the incomprehensible ares, written in Greek letters, was corrected into ιερεῖς.

Amos 3:14. For in that day when I will visit the transgressions of Israel upon him, I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar will be cut off, and fall to the ground. Amos 3:15. And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory will perish, and the great houses will have an end, says the Lord. In verses 14–15 is set forth that to which the prophet invites listening in verse 13. The prophet proclaims the destruction of the altars of Israel and of dwellings. Some authors (Wellhausen, Nowack, Hoonacker), in view of the fact that the mention of the altar of Bethel alongside houses seems unexpected in a speech where the prophet denounces Samarian nobles for their luxury, propose the supposition that the second half of verse 14 is a later addition or has been transferred from the following chapter (cf. Amos 4:9 and following). But there are no firm grounds for such a supposition.—“And the horns of the altar will be cut off.” The four horns of the altar of burnt-offering are spoken of in Exod 27:2; of the horns of the altar of incense in Exod 30:2. The horns were an essential part of the altar (cf. however Exod 20:24; Josh 8:30; 1 Sam 14:33). During certain sacrifices they were anointed with the blood of the sacrificial animal (Exod 29:12; Lev 4:7). The atoning significance of the horns was expressed in the fact that they served as a place of refuge: Adonijah and Joab sought salvation at the altar, having grasped its horns (1 Sam 1:50; 1 Sam 2:28). In consequence of the important significance of the horns, the prophet specifically mentions the destruction of the horns of the altar.—“The winter house” and “the summer house”: according to the explanation of the blessed Jerome, wealthy inhabitants of Samaria could have had separate houses for winter and for summer; the former were turned to the north, and the latter to the south. Other commentators suppose that winter and summer houses were only different stories of one and the same house: the lower ones—for coolness from summer heat (Judg 3:20), the upper ones, surrounded by galleries and supplied with braziers (Jer 36:22),—for winter (Harper, Yungerov). In the Slavic text the winter house is called “the house with outbuildings,” that is a house encircled for protection from the wind by a wall, fence, or gallery.—“And the houses of ivory will perish”—Hebrew beththej hashshen (cf. 1 Sam 10:18; 2 Chr 9:17; Ps 44:9) means either houses adorned with ivory, or, as St. Ephrem the Syrian explains, houses filled with ivory vessels. The prophet speaks of the houses of the Samarian nobility and foretells their destruction or by the enemy, whom he means the Assyrians, or by an earthquake.

Chapter Four

1–3. Denunciation of Samaritan women and the proclamation of punishment for them. 4–5. Denunciation of the people of Israel. 6–11. Israel’s neglect of divine admonition. 12–13. The coming of the judgment of God.

Amos 4:1. Hear this word, you well-fed cows of Bashan, who are on the hill of Samaria, you who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, “Bring us drinks!” “This word,” that is, what the prophet proclaims further in v. 2–3. “Cows of Bashan”: Bashan, the ancient kingdom of Og, constituted the northern part of the territory beyond the Jordan, which fell to half the tribe of Manasseh (Num 21:33; Deut 3:10-13). Bashan was renowned for its oaks (Isa 2:13; Ezek 27:6; Zech 11:2), rich pastures, and livestock (Deut 32:14; Ezek 39:18). In the Vulgate, the word “Bashan” is translated pinguis, meaning fat. By “cows of Bashan,” as is evident from what follows, the prophet means the wealthy and noble women of Samaria, who enjoyed a life of ease, the means for which were obtained by their husbands through the oppression of the poor and needy. “Speaking to their husbands”: that is, to their own husbands.

Amos 4:2. The Lord God has sworn by his holiness that behold, days are coming upon you when they will drag you away with hooks, and your remnant with fishing implements. Instead of the words “the Lord God has sworn by his holiness,” the LXX has “by his holy ones,” that is, by Angels: the LXX deviated from the original, wishing to convey the thought more clearly. In v. 2, the prophet proclaims the coming punishment for the Samaritan women, which will consist in this: from underneath the ruins of their houses, they will be dragged away with hooks (bezinnoth) and implements (besiroth). The Hebrew zinah is an hapax legomenon, and therefore it is unclear what instrument it designates. Aquila translates bezinnoth as “shields,” Theodotion as “spears,” the LXX as “weapons” (Slavonic: “in arms”); others translate it as “hooks” (Synodal, Nowack), “nets” (Yungerov). The Hebrew besiroth dugah (implements) is commonly understood as referring to fishing implements. The image of fishing, as an image of complete destruction from which no one escapes, also appears among other sacred writers (Hab 1:14-15; Jer 16:16). The implements mentioned by the prophet were indeed used by the Assyrians in their wars. The LXX derived besiroth from sir, kettle or pot, and translated it as “pot”; the following words dugah uperazim the LXX translated as “burning miseries”; from this arose the unclear reading in Slavonic: “they will cast into hearths, consumed by burning destroyers.” “And your remnant,” Hebrew veacharithchem, the LXX “and those with you,” Slavonic: “and those who are with you”: the discourse concerns not the children of the Samaritan women (Yungerov), since acharith does not mean “offspring,” but the remnant of women who survived the first plague.

Amos 4:3. And you will go out through the breaches in the walls, each one as she happens, and will cast away all the furnishings of your mansions, says the Lord. “And you will cast away all the furnishings of your mansions”: the translation is conjectural. In the Hebrew the expression in question is read as: vehischlachthcnah haharmonah. In the Russian text, vehischlachthenah is taken as an active form, and haharmonah is considered a complement and is translated in the sense of “furnishings of mansions.” But haharmonah is a hapax legomenon, and its meaning is disputed. Scholars have assigned it the meanings: mansion (Gesenius), place of execution (Dederleyn), harems (Pavsky). Ancient translators and modern commentators commonly understand haharmonah as a proper name of a locality, and render it: “to Mount Remman” (LXX, Slavonic: “to Mount Rimmon”), “into Armenia” (Symmachus), Armon (the blessed Jerome), Hadad-Rimmon (Hitzig, Smend; at Hadad-Rimmon was the sensual worship of Adonis), Mount Harmon (Orelli), Armón (Yungerov), and others. But if we understand haharmonah in the sense of a place name, then the verb vehischlacht-henah cannot be assigned an active meaning; therefore, the verb is vocalized differently (Hophal form) and translated as “you will be cast out.” Given the variety of translations, the meaning of the place in question becomes doubtful; but in ancient witnesses there is more ground for considering haharmonah the name of some locality to which, according to the prophet’s word, the Samaritan women will be led.

Amos 4:4. Go to Bethel and sin, go to Gilgal and multiply transgressions; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days. From v. 4, the prophet addresses himself already to the whole people and points out to them the uselessness and senselessness of the service at Bethel and Gilgal. The speech of the prophet has an ironic character. “Bring your sacrifices every morning (laboker),—your tithes every three days” (lischloscheth jamim): labokef and lischloscheth jamim, modern commentators (Wellhausen, Nowack) understand as an indication of the practice that existed in Bethel; worshippers on the day after their arrival, in the morning (laboker, in the morning, not “every morning”), would bring sacrifices, and on the third day (lischloscheth jamim on the third day, not “every three days”) would render their tithes. The prophet, as it were, says: do as you do, this will not be of benefit. Others see the ironic character of the prophet’s words in this: that by custom, sacrifices were brought only at the great yearly festivals (1 Sam 1), and tithes were given every three years (Deut 14:28); the prophet thus mocks the unwise and fruitless zeal of the Israelites (Nowack, Yungerov).

Amos 4:5. Offer a sacrifice of leavened bread in thanksgiving, proclaim your voluntary offerings and spread word of them, for this is what you love, O children of Israel, says the Lord God. “Offer a sacrifice of leavened bread in thanksgiving,” in Hebrew vekatter mechamez thodah, burn from the leavened a sacrifice of thanksgiving. According to the law (Lev 7:12), unleavened bread was offered in a thanksgiving sacrifice; although, according to (Lev 7:13), leavened bread was also added to it, but the latter was not designated for the altar. Therefore, the prophet’s invitation to burn leavened bread is not entirely clear. Maintaining the ironic tone of the prophet’s speech, some commentators (Harper) discern in his words an invitation to the Israelites to display their zeal for worship in some extraordinary or extraordinary manner—burn even leavened bread. The LXX apparently took the Hebrew vekatter as vekaru (vocalization), read mechamez as bachuz and translated it as “outside” (εξω), and the word thodah (thanksgiving sacrifice) they took as thorah (law); from this in the Slavonic text: “and they read outside the law.” The deviation of the LXX, and the difficulty of reconciling v. 5 with (Lev 7:12), leads Hoonacker to suppose a corruption of the text, and he renders the beginning of the verse: “proclaim (vekiru bachuz) a thanksgiving sacrifice.”

Amos 4:6. And I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities and lack of bread in all your settlements; but you did not turn to me, says the Lord. From v. 6, the prophet points to the calamities in the past by which the Lord wished to turn Israel, and first of all mentions famine. “And I gave you cleanness of teeth,” literally, cleanness of teeth, nikjon schinnaim. The rarely used word nikjon (cleanness) and commonly having a moral sense (Gen 20:5; Ps 26:6) was rendered variously by ancient translators: toothache (LXX and Aquila—γομφιασμὸς), a setting of teeth (Jerome—stupor). The figurative expression “gave you cleanness of teeth” points to famine, when there is nothing to eat, so that “not even a crumb of food catches between the teeth” (the blessed Theodoret).

Amos 4:7. And I withheld rain from you three months before harvest; I sent rain on one city, and sent no rain on another city; one field was watered by rain, and another field, deprived of rain, dried up. Amos 4:8. And two or three cities wandered to one city to drink water, and could not drink enough; yet you did not turn to me, says the Lord. The famine of which the prophet speaks was caused by the absence of the late rain, which comes three months before harvest. This absence of rain created a second calamity—lack of water to drink. Since this absence of rain was not universal, in it, according to the prophet’s thought, the Israelites should have recognized the punishing hand of God. But they did not take the lesson to heart.

Amos 4:9. I smote you with blight and mildew; the multitude of your gardens and your vineyards, and your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured,—yet you did not turn to me, says the Lord. The prophet points to other calamities that befell Israel: the loss of harvests from diseases and of orchards from locusts. Blight—from Hebrew schiddaphon, literally, blackness, blackening of grain from the east wind (Slavonic: “I smote you with withering”); mildew—from Hebrew irakon, yellowness, yellowing of grain (Deut 28:22; 1 Sam 8:32), which occurs from the wind that blows in November (Slavonic: “and with paleness”).

Amos 4:10. I sent plague among you like the plague of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, carrying away your horses, and the stench of your camps rose up to your nostrils; yet you did not turn to me, says the Lord. After these calamities failed to achieve their purpose, the Lord smote Israel with new, more severe ones, afflicting the people directly. “A plague like the Egyptian plague,” that is, like the one that afflicted Egypt at the time of the Hebrews’ exodus (Exod 9:3-5), or in a general sense—like the epidemic plagues that occur in Egypt. The LXX translated the Hebrew bedderech miziraim (like the Egyptian plague) literally; from this in the Slavonic: “I sent upon you death on the Egyptian way.” “And the stench of your camps rose up to your nostrils”: the cause of the stench was the multitude of corpses. The LXX read the Hebrew beasch (stench) as baesch (ἐν πυρί) “in fire,” and beapechem (“in your nostrils”) as beapi (εν τη οργη μου) “in my wrath”; from this in the Slavonic: “and I led forth your forces in fire in my wrath.” The translation of the LXX gives a thought more suited to the context of the speech. Probably in v. 11, the prophet has in view the unfortunate wars with the Syrians (2 Sam 8:12).

Amos 4:11. I brought destruction upon you, as God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the fire,—yet you did not turn to me, says the Lord. The prophet speaks of the calamities of earthquakes, perhaps the one of which he mentions in (Amos 1:1) of his book.

Amos 4:12. Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; and because I will do thus to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel, Since the punishments have not instructed the people and have not turned it, now the most severe calamity will befall it, and the prophet invites the people to prepare to meet the coming Judge.

Amos 4:13. For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to mankind what his thought is, turning the morning darkness into gloom, and treading upon the high places of the earth,—the Lord, God of hosts, is his name. To show the inevitability of the judgment of God, the prophet sets forth the almightiness and omniscience of God. Instead of the words “declares to mankind what his thought is” (mah-secho), in the Slavonic from the Greek “revealing to men his Christ”: the LXX read the Hebrew mah-secho as maschiach and translated it as “his Christ.” The mention of the Messiah-Christ in v. 13 does not correspond to the context of the speech. Therefore, the blessed Theodoret found it necessary to understand the word “Christ” as referring to Cyrus. But even in such a meaning, the word “Christ” would disrupt the flow of the speech, for the prophet speaks of the wrath of God, while Cyrus was an instrument not of wrath but of comfort (Isa 45:1). Together with the blessed Jerome, it is better to see in the text of the LXX an error.

Chapter Five

1–17. Denunciation of Israel for the violation of justice and the proclamation of punishment. 18–20. The Day of the Lord. 21–27. Denunciation for hypocritical service to God.

Amos 5:1. Hear this word that I take up for you, a lament, O house of Israel. With chapter V, a new discourse begins, in which the prophet denounces Israel for the violation of justice and proclaims God’s judgment. The prophet already sees this judgment in the spirit as having come to pass; Israel has already fallen. Therefore, the prophet raises a lament over the house of Israel. “Lament,” Hebrew kinah, is a mournful song on account of the death of a hero or on account of the ruin of a city. Among the Hebrews, as among other peoples, it was customary to compose such mournful songs, and the Bible preserves specimens of them: such is the elegy of David upon the death of Saul and Jonathan (2 Sam 1:17-27), as well as the entire book known as “The Lamentations of Jeremiah.” Mournful songs or kinoth were composed by biblical writers with the observance of a special meter, which is commonly called the kinah meter (Budde. Das Voikslied Israels im Munde d. Propheten. Zeit. AIt. Wiss. II, 1). The essence of the kinah meter consists in this: the song is set forth in the form of bipartite verses, where the second member is always shorter than the first, as if in dependence on the sorrow that filled the poet’s soul. In the mournful song of the prophet Amos, the kinah meter is also observed. The words “house of Israel,” which constitute an address, in the text of the LXX are taken in the sense of the subject, the predicate for which is found in v. 2 (he fell); from this in the Slavonic “the house of Israel fell.”

Amos 5:2. Fallen is the virgin Israel; she rises no more: she is cast down upon her own ground, and there is no one to raise her up. By “virgin Israel” the prophet means the people of Israel. The personification of a nation or inhabitants of a city in the image of a virgin in ancient literature was customary; by this personification the thought is conveyed that the city or people had not been conquered before (Nowack). In the prophet Amos, the personification of Israel in the image of a virgin has, according to the interpretation of church fathers, another meaning as well: “the people Israel is called a virgin not because it remained in moral purity, but because it once, like a virgin, was in union with the Lord. And the prophet is commanded to raise a lament over it, because it will never return to its former state of virginity” (the blessed Theodoret).

Amos 5:3. For thus says the Lord God: the city that marched out a thousand strong will have a hundred left, and the city that marched out a hundred strong will have ten left, in the house of Israel. In v. 3, the foundation of the prophet’s mournful song is indicated in the coming extreme diminishment of the number of inhabitants of the kingdom. “The city that marched out (hajjozeth) a thousand strong”: the verb jazah (to march out) denotes marching out to war. The reduction in the number of warriors sent out by cities by a ratio of 1 to 10 presumably corresponds to a reduction of the general population of the country as well. The subsequent history of the ten-tribe kingdom confirmed the prophet’s words (2 Sam 14:26).

Amos 5:4. For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: seek me, and you shall live. In v. 4–13, the prophet proves the justice of God’s punishment of Israel. The designation “house of Israel” in v. 4 is used by the prophet not of the whole chosen people, as in (Amos 3:1), but only of the ten-tribe kingdom, to the inhabitants of whom the invitation to seek the Lord is addressed.

Amos 5:5. Do not seek Bethel, and do not go to Gilgal, and do not cross over to Beersheba, for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing. The prophet points to the deviation from the way of Jehovah, to the worship at Bethel, at Gilgal, and at Beersheba. Bethel and Gilgal were centers of worship of the calves. A special worship at Beersheba is also mentioned in (Hos 4:15) and (Amos 8:14). The city of Beersheba belonged to the kingdom of Judah and was located on the southern border of this kingdom, twenty miles south of Hebron, at the place of the present Ber es-Seba. Beersheba is first mentioned in the history of the patriarchs (Gen 21:33). Here Abraham made a covenant with Abimelech, king of Gerar, and called upon the name of the Lord God eternal (Gen 21:33). Isaac, having received a theophany at Beersheba, set up an altar there (Gen 26:25). About Jacob, too, it is reported that, having come to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac (Gen 46:1). Sacred from the memories of patriarchal times, Beersheba during the period of the existence of the ten-tribe kingdom became a place of the worship of high places (2 Sam 23:8). By mentioning wandering to distant Beersheba, the prophet wishes to make more evident the futility of the people’s zeal. Some commentators (Hoonacker) consider the words “and do not cross over to Beersheba” to be a later insertion, since the inhabitants of the ten-tribe kingdom, to whom the prophet speaks, supposedly could not have had relations with Beersheba. But in view of the lack of detailed information about the religious life of the ten-tribe kingdom, there is hardly reason to accept the noted opinion. In the LXX, the proper name Beersheba is replaced by a common noun “the well of the oath”; in the Slavonic: “and to the well of the oath do not go.”

Amos 5:6. Seek the Lord, and you shall live, lest he break out like fire upon the house of Joseph, and it devours him, with no one to quench it in Bethel. The prophet urges the people to seek the Lord, so as not to perish. “The house of Joseph”—the ten-tribe kingdom, in which the tribe of Ephraim (the son of Joseph) always predominated. “And there will be no one to quench it in Bethel”: the LXX, apparently finding the mention of Bethel in v. 6 unintelligible, instead of the name Bethel substituted the words: “the house of Israel.” But all ancient texts agree with the Hebrew and read the name Bethel in the place in question. Modern commentators consider the word to be a later gloss (Nowack).

Amos 5:7. O you who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground! The prophet points out why worship at Bethel, Beersheba, and Gilgal cannot be considered a seeking of the Lord: Israel “turned justice into bitterness” (laanah, literally, bitterness, bitter plant) and righteousness “cast to the ground.” The LXX, in view of v. 8, understood v. 7 to speak of God and translated: “The Lord who makes justice into a high place and puts righteousness upon the earth,” Slavonic: “The Lord who makes justice on high and puts righteousness on earth.” According to some commentators (Vallon, Hoonacker), the LXX read a text different from the Masoretic text (chophech lemaalah mischschaphat), according to others (Yungerov), they erroneously rendered the present Hebrew.

Amos 5:8. He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into morning, and darkens the day into night, he who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the surface of the earth,—the Lord is his name! To show the gravity of transgression against God’s laws, the prophet points to the almightiness of God. The expression of the prophet should not be understood, together with Keil and others, in a figurative sense: the prophet speaks precisely of the creative almightiness of God. “He who made (oseh—the maker) the Pleiades (chimah) and Orion” (chesil): chinah and chesil are the names of two constellations—the Great Bear and Orion (cf. Job 9:9). “He calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the surface of the earth”: apparently, destructive floods are meant. The LXX rendered the words chimah and chesil as proper names in (Job 9:9) and (Job 38:31) (the LXX words as “Arcturus and the Pleiades”), but in the verse in question translated them as common nouns; from this in the Slavonic: “who makes all and turns.” In the latter part of the verse, instead of the words “the Lord is his name,” in the Slavonic according to the LXX, there is an addition: “the Lord God Almighty is his name.”

Amos 5:9. He strengthens the strong against the mighty, and the strong invades the fortress. The meaning of the verb hammablig, with which v. 9 begins, is not precisely known, since balag is an hapax legomenon. In the Russian text, v. 9 is rendered conjecturally and by other translators differently. Assuming in v. 9 a direct continuation of the thought in v. 8, Hoffman gives the translation: “He who makes the constellation of the Bull (schor instead of schod Masoretic text) rise after Capella (ez instead of az) and the constellation of the Bull sets after.” This translation cannot be accepted: it gives an image too weak to express the thought of almightiness; moreover, neither in the Hebrew text nor in other ancient texts is the name of any constellation mentioned in v. 9. According to Hoonacker, v. 9 should be translated: “He causes salvation to shine upon the unfortunate and threatens strength with destruction.” According to Yungerov: “He strengthens the ruin of the mighty, and ruin enters the fortress.” According to the accepted Russian text, the thought of the prophet is that the Lord, as the Almighty, against a mighty nation boasting of its fortresses, can raise up an even more mighty destroyer; thus, the punishments sent by God to Israel, no one can turn aside. This same thought about the almightiness of God is expressed in the Slavonic text of v. 9: “who divides destruction upon strength, and brings calamity upon fortress” (in the LXX: “who divides the breaking upon strength, and brings hardship upon the fortified places.”)

Amos 5:10. They hate the one who reproves in the gate, and they loathe the one who speaks the truth. The prophet continues in v. 10–13 the denunciation of the violation of justice. “They hate the one who reproves (mochicha) in the gate”: the one who reproves in the gate is he who strives to prove the truth during the administration of justice, which was ordinarily carried out at the gate of the city (cf. Job 13:15). “And they loathe the one who speaks the truth,” that is, the one who speaks the truth in court.

Amos 5:11. Therefore, because you trample upon the poor and exact from him levied grain, though you have built houses of hewn stone, you shall not dwell in them; though you have planted pleasant vineyards, you shall not drink their wine. “You trample upon the poor”: in the Slavonic according to the LXX—“with fists you beat the poor.” “And exact from him levied grain,” Hebrew umaseathbar tikchü bar means both choice kinds of bread (Gen 41:35; Ps 71:16) and in general what is finest or choice (Job 11:4; Song 6:9-10); from this in the Slavonic: “and choice gifts you accepted.” The prophet speaks not only of unjust gifts which judges demanded, but in general about the exploitation of the poor. At the same time, the prophet threatens that the oppressors will not profit from the fruits of their exploitation.

Amos 5:12. For I know how manifold are your transgressions, and how great are your sins: you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who thrust aside the needy in the gate. “You take a bribe”: in the LXX, the word kopher (ransom, bribe) is rendered as “exchange”; from this in the Slavonic “accepting changes.” “And who thrust aside the needy in the gate”: the Russian translators conveyed the meaning of the prophet’s words more closely to the letter of the original; in the Slavonic “and the poor from the gates remove.”

Amos 5:13. Therefore the prudent keeps silent in such a time, for it is an evil time. “Therefore the prudent keeps silent in such a time”: the prophet speaks of his own time; the prudent one is he who knows his own interest. The prophet neither gives counsel nor praises anyone (cf. Sir 20:7), but only states the fact.

Amos 5:14. Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord God of hosts will be with you, as you have said. Amos 5:15. Hate what is evil, and love what is good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. The prophet repeats his exhortation to the people to love what is good and justice. “The remnant of Joseph”—that small part of the population of the Israelite kingdom which will be saved from the calamities about to befall the kingdom. The opening words of v. 15 are understood by the LXX as the words of the Israelites, not as an invitation directed to the Israelites by the prophet; from this in the Slavonic “you hated what is evil and loved what is good.”

Amos 5:16. Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts, the Lord: In all the squares there shall be wailing, and in all the streets they shall say, “Alas! alas!” and they shall call the farmers to mourning, and those skilled in lamentation to wailing, Amos 5:17. And in all the vineyards there shall be wailing, for I will pass through the midst of you, says the Lord. Despairing of awakening the people to good by exhortations alone, the prophet adds a threat as well. The prophet proclaims the coming of a time of universal lamentation. Explaining the cause of this lamentation, the prophet from the mouth of the Lord speaks: “For I will pass through the midst of you” (v. 17). The image is taken from (Exod 12:12-30); the prophet wishes to remind them of the tenth plague of Egypt. Consequently, according to the prophet’s thought, universal lamentation will be caused by a great number of the dead—both from diseases and from wars.

Amos 5:18. Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! For what good is the day of the Lord to you? It is darkness, not light, Amos 5:19. as if a man fled from a lion, and was met by a bear; or went into a house and leaned with his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him. Amos 5:20. Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light? and gloom with no brightness in it.? As is evident from v. 18, the contemporaries of Amos not only did not fear the day of God’s judgment, but, on the contrary, awaited it with impatience, hoping that for them, as belonging to the chosen people, the day of judgment would be a day of special happiness. The prophet destroys these false hopes. According to his depiction, the day of judgment will be a day of deadly dangers, so that if someone escaped from one danger, he would fall into another, and escaping from this, he would be exposed to a new one.

Amos 5:21. I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in the sacrifices at your solemn assemblies. The false hopes of Israel and its stubbornness were based on the conviction that by their sacrifices and the performance of rituals, they pleased God. The prophet reveals the error of such a conviction and shows the inadequacy of external worship of God alone. “At your solemn assemblies,” Slavonic: “in your gatherings”; Hebrew beazzerotheichem can be understood both in the sense of festive gatherings in general (2 Chr 7:9), and as the designation of concluding assemblies on the last day of great festivals (Deut 16:8; Lev 23:36; Num 29:35).

Amos 5:22. If you offer to me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the offering of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon. The prophet enumerates the sacrifices (oloth uminchotheichem) in the order of (Lev 1-3). Instead of the words “and I will not look upon the peace offering (schelem) from your fat animals” (meriejchem), the Slavonic text reads: “and upon your peace offerings I will not look”: the LXX apparently understood schelem in a general sense—peace, salvation (σωτηρίους), and rendered the word meriejchem (meri—fat animals) from mareh, appearance, and translated it “your appearances.”

Amos 5:23. Remove from me the noise of your songs; the melody of your harps I will not listen to. From the context of the speech, one should conclude that the prophet speaks of music and singing at the time of sacrifices or at the feasts that followed the offering of sacrifices.

Amos 5:24. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a perennial stream! The thought of the prophet in v. 24 is understood differently by different commentators. Some commentators (Hitzig, Keil, Hoonacker) see in the verse a discourse about the Justice of God and a prediction of punishment for Israel. Others (Nowack, Yungerov) understand the prophet’s words as an appeal directed to Israel—restore justice. The words mischapat (justice) and zedakah (righteousness), which are used both of divine Justice, are used by the prophet Amos in (Amos 5:7) in an ethical sense, of human righteousness. In this sense it is better to understand these words in v. 24 as well. “Like a perennial stream”: Hebrew nachal ethan means a stream that flows both in summer and in winter. Just as such a stream, justice should not be a casual and temporary impulse, but should be a constant norm of life. The LXX apparently understood v. 24 as concerning God’s judgment; from this in the Slavonic: “and justice shall roll down like water, and righteousness like an impassable watercourse.”

Amos 5:25. Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel? The meaning of v. 25 and its connection with what precedes is understood differently. According to the opinion of most commentators, the prophet expects a negative answer to his question: the Israelites did not bring sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness for forty years. What is the purpose of the prophet pointing to this? According to some, in order to show the futility of Israel’s hopes in its numerous sacrifices (Yungerov)—to show the unimportance of sacrifices in themselves, by referring to the fact that during the period of the flourishing of the theocratic order, Israel did not bring sacrifices, and yet enjoyed special favor of God. According to other commentators, on the contrary, the prophet denounces the Israelites in v. 25 precisely because they did not bring sacrifices even in the wilderness, and in the next verse explains this negligence regarding sacrifices by the Israelites’ turning to idolatry. The first understanding better corresponds to the context of the speech: in v. 22–24, the prophet speaks of the uselessness of sacrifices not united with moral life; therefore, it is difficult immediately after v. 22–24 to expect a reproach for the failure to bring sacrifices. Evidently, by his question in v. 25, the prophet intends to point to the unimportance of sacrifices in themselves. But it is hardly likely that the prophet assumes a negative answer to his question, since in the wilderness, in fact, Israel did bring sacrifices (cf. Exod 24:5; Lev 7:14-21). The flow of the prophet’s thought apparently was different, and he assumes, as Hoonacker supposes, a positive answer to his question. The prophet wanted to say that in spite of the bringing of sacrifices, Israel nevertheless for forty years had to wander in the wilderness and be under God’s wrath. From this, the prophet’s listeners should have drawn the conclusion that sacrifices alone are not enough to obtain God’s mercy.

Amos 5:26. You shall take up the shrine of your king, and the pedestal of your star-god, your images that you have made for yourselves. V. 26 is translated in our text only conjecturally. The verse represents one of the most obscure and disputed passages in the Old Testament books. Commentators understand differently both the individual expressions of the verse and its general meaning and its connection with what precedes it. The beginning of the verse, unesathem, is translated: “you carried” (Russian text), “did you not carry” (Yungerov), “you shall carry” (Nowack, Hoonacker). The following words of v. 26, el sikkuth malkohem, corresponding to the translation of the LXX (σκηνὴν τοῦ Μολόχ), in our text are rendered: “the shrine of your king” (that is, sikkuth is taken as a common noun, and melech as a proper name). Modern commentators, however, consider sikkuth or sakkuth to be the proper name of the Assyrian god Adar, and understand the word malkchem in the sense of a common noun; the entire expression they translate: Sakkut (Adar), your king (Nowack, Mitchell, Hoonacker). The further words of the prophet in v. 26, Veet kijun zaimechem kochav elogechem, the LXX translated: “and the star of your god Raiphan, the images.” According to this, in the Russian text, one reads: “and the star of your god Remfan, the images that you have made for yourselves.” The translation of the LXX and the Russian and Slavonic texts presume a word arrangement different from that in the original. The Hebrew kijjun, transmitted by the LXX as Raiphan, is an hapax legomenon, and its meaning is disputed. According to the usual understanding, kijjun, corresponding to the Arabic kaivan (Raiphan—Kaina) and the Assyrian kaavanu, is the name of the planet Saturn, and also of the god Adar, whose symbol is Saturn. Thus, sikkuth and kijjun are two names of one and the same deity, found also in Assyrian hymns (Hoonacker). According to the opinion of modern commentators, the entire verse should be translated: “you shall carry Sakkut, your king, and the star of your god (your star-god) Kevan, your idols, which you made for yourselves” (Nowack, Hoonacker). With such a translation, it appears that the prophet denounces his contemporaries for the worship of Assyrian deities and threatens them with the captivity of these deities, powerless to save their worshippers. The prophet wishes to say that just as in the past the bringing of sacrifices in the wilderness did not save the people from punishment, so now sacrifices to Assyrian deities will not save the people from captivity. However, the interpretation set forth in v. 26 encounters difficulties: 1) Amos nowhere denounces his contemporaries for worshipping foreign deities; 2) the carrying of gods by Old Testament writers is ordinarily attributed to the conquerors, not to the conquered (Hos 10:5; Isa 46:1; Jer 48:7; Jer 49:3); consequently, in threatening with captivity, the prophet could not say to the Israelites—you shall carry Sakkut, and so forth; 3) in the LXX in (Acts 7:42-43), in the speech of the archdeacon Stephen, the words of the prophet are interpreted as a denunciation of the Jews for the worship of pagan deities during their stay in the wilderness. In the same sense v. 26 is understood by our native interpreters of the book of Amos—bishop Palladius and professor P. A. Yungerov. The shrine of Moloch is a special tent in which images of Moloch were carried. “The star (kochav) of your god”—that is, your star-god or—the god worshipped in the image of a star. Remfan is the name of a star-god—possibly Saturn, which on Egyptian monuments was hieroglyphically depicted: repanneteru (Yungerov). The worship of Moloch during the Hebrews’ stay in the wilderness is mentioned in the Pentateuch (Lev 18:21). The worship at that same time of the star-god Remfan is first mentioned only in the prophet Amos. But already the second commandment of the Decalogue presumes knowledge by the Hebrews of the worship of the heavenly luminaries and an inclination toward it (Exod 20:4; Deut 4:19). The Hebrews could have become acquainted with the star-cult in Egypt, for according to the testimony of Herodotus (II, 42, 145) and Diodorus (I, 11, 25), the Egyptians worshipped the sun, moon, and stars. With the interpretation given, the connection of v. 26 with what precedes will not be direct.

Amos 5:27. Therefore I will take you into exile beyond Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is God of hosts. “Therefore I will take you into exile beyond Damascus”: the prophet does not directly indicate the place of the exile of the Israelites, but apparently he has in view Assyro-Babylonia. Supplementing the words of the prophet, the archdeacon Stephen in his speech said: “And God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: O house of Israel! Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness for forty years? You took up the shrine of Moloch, and the star of your god Remfan, the images which you made to worship them: and I will remove you beyond Babylon” (Acts 7:42-43).

Chapter Six

1–8. Denunciation of carelessness, luxury, and arrogance of Israelite nobles. 9–14. The proclamation of punishment.

Amos 6:1. Woe to those at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, the honored ones of the first among the peoples, to whom the house of Israel comes! Chapter VI contains a new denunciatory speech of the prophet against those who considered the day of the Lord to be far off and turned away from themselves any thought of the coming judgment. In this speech, the prophet addresses the nobles of Samaria, placing alongside them the nobles of Zion. “Woe to those at ease in Zion”: according to the translation of the LXX—“to those who despise Zion.” According to the Greek translation, then, the prophet addresses only the nobles of Samaria, which fully corresponds to the context, although it is not confirmed by other translations. “The honored ones of the first among the peoples,” Hebrew nekuvejreschith haggoim: by “the first among peoples,” or more accurately from the Hebrew, “the first-born of the peoples,” the prophet means the people of Israel; such a designation was given to the people by the Lord himself through Moses (Exod 4:22; Num 24:20). The prophet uses this designation in an ironic sense, wishing to indicate that Israel is more conscious of its rights than it remembers its obligations. The LXX apparently took the Hebrew nekuvej as a form of the verb jakar and by analogy with the noun jekev (wine-press) gave it the meaning—ἀποτρυγάω—I gather at the wine-press; the word reschith (beginning, firstborn) the LXX read as reschim and translated it as ἀρχάς—heads, beginnings; from this in the Slavonic: “you gathered the beginnings of the peoples.” The thought of the Greek-Slavonic text is itself unclear and bears no relation whatsoever to the context. “To whom the house of Israel comes,” Slavonic: “and to them came the house of Israel”: the expression is unclear; one ordinarily presumes that the verb ubau (comes) should be supplemented: “for judgment.”

Amos 6:2. Pass over to Calneh and see; go from there to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory larger than your territory? Calneh is a city mentioned also in (Gen 10:10); (Isa 10:9) and (Ezek 27:23) (Cannah). Its location is supposed to be either in Babylonia (Gen 10:10), or in northern Syria (Winkler). In the latter case, the Calneh mentioned by the prophet Amos and in (Isa 10:9) is identified with the city of Kallani or Gullani, conquered by Sargon (Nowack). The LXX apparently incorrectly read the Hebrew kalneh as kulchem (from kol, all) and translated it as “go all”; in our Slavonic text both the Greek translation and the reading of the original are retained, as a result of which one gets: “pass by Khalna, all.” “Hamath the great”—(in the LXX Aemararaba) a city on the bank of the Orontes River, which later, according to the testimony of the blessed Jerome, bore the name Antioch, and then Ammas. “Gath”—a well-known Philistine city, very frequently mentioned in the Bible (1 Sam 6:17; 2 Chr 26:6); the word “aliens” or “foreigners,” the LXX renders with the Hebrew word pelischthim—Philistines. As for the meaning of the question with which the prophet addresses his listeners in v. 2, it is not entirely clear and is understood by exegetes differently. According to the opinion of Keil and others, in v. 2 the prophet provides a foundation for the designation he used in v. 1 regarding Israel—the first (first one) among the peoples, showing that indeed Israel is better than the neighboring kingdoms, and its boundaries are greater than theirs. But the listeners to the prophet hardly needed proof of the position that Israel is the first among the peoples. Moreover, if the prophet had intended such a purpose in v. 2, he would have mentioned Assyria and Egypt, not Gath. According to the opinion of other commentators (Yungerov), the prophet wants to show that the well-known pagan kingdoms “enjoyed lesser happiness, strength, and significance than Israel and Judah (during the time of Jeroboam II and Uzziah), and that their boundaries were less extensive than those of the Israelite kingdom.” But special well-being was given by Jehovah to Israel on condition of its observance of his laws. However, the Israelite nobles do not observe the law. With the interpretation presented, it is similar to another one, according to which the flow of the prophet’s thought should be presupposed as follows: the nobles of Samaria and Zion relied on their past. But if it were true that the past is a guarantee also for the future, then Calneh, Hamath, and Gath in the present time should have been at a higher degree of power than Israel. But is this really the case? Are they better than these kingdoms and is their territory larger than your territory? Consequently, Israel should not rely on its glorious past (Hoonacker). The interpretations presented scarcely satisfy, since they give the flow of thought in the speech of the prophet something unclear and forced. According to the Russian translation of v. 2, the prophet points not to the advantage of the Israelite kingdom over the neighboring pagan peoples, but on the contrary, to the advantage of these latter. The prophet, it is presumed, wants to say that if such kingdoms as Calneh, Hamath, and Gath have been destroyed, then all the more so can the kingdom of Israel or Judah be destroyed, and therefore it is foolish to be careless in Zion or to rely on the mountain of Samaria. Such an interpretation of v. 2 is held by the majority of modern commentators of the book of the prophet Amos (Wellhausen, Vallon, Nowack, Harper, and others). This interpretation gives a thought that is clear and corresponds to the context of the prophet’s speech. Doubt in some commentators arises only because, according to the testimony of the inscriptions, Hamath fell in 720 B.C. under Sargon,—and Calneh, if identified with Kulanu or Kullani of the inscriptions, was conquered by Sargon after 710 B.C. (Nowack). Thus, it appears that the events presupposed by v. 2 took place after the time of Amos, and that v. 2 should be considered a later insertion, as recent commentators think. But there is no need to suppose that v. 2 has in mind precisely the facts of the conquest of Hamath and Calneh by Sargon recorded in the cuneiform texts. The prophet could have had in view also the conquest of Gath by Hazael, king of Syria, and the taking of Hamath by Jeroboam II (2 Sam 12:17). Regarding Calneh, the prophet could have meant the general decline of the kingdom.

Amos 6:3. Woe to those who put far away the evil day, and bring near a seat of violence; V. 3–6 present a development of the general thought expressed in v. 1 and give a detailed description of the luxury of the Samaritan nobles. “You, who put far away the evil day”: in the Hebrew, hamenaddim lejom ra, those who remove the day of evil. The LXX apparently read the Hebrew hamenaddim (from niddah) as harrawnaderim and translated it with the word “praying” (Codex Alexandrinus, Syrogenesis, 26), which was later corrected to “coming”; the particle ל with the word jom (day), denoting the accusative as in (Hos 10:12), was taken by the LXX as a preposition; from this arose the unclear reading “coming into a day of evils,” Slavonic: “coming in a day of evils.” The second half of v. 3 with Hebrew reads: “and you bring near a seat of violence,” vaththagischun scheveth chamas. In the LXX, these words are rendered as “those who draw near and touch Sabbaths of lies,” in the Slavonic: “drawing near and touching Sabbaths false.” Apparently, the word “touching,” which represents an excess against the original, was initially a marginal note and later entered the text; the word “Sabbaths” arose in the LXX because they vocalized scheveth (throne, seat) as schabbath (Sabbath). According to the sense of the Greek-Slavonic text, in the second half of v. 3, the prophet censures the Israelites for hypocritical observance of the laws concerning Sabbaths and festivals (the blessed Theodoret). Some of the modern commentators (Hoonacker) understand the Hebrew scheveth (Russian “seat”) in the sense of rest (for example, from jashaV), in which case the expression of the prophet will take the form: “you consider the evil day to be far away and now you give yourselves over to (bring near) criminal rest.” With such an understanding, v. 3 will stand in close connection with the following verses, in which the “criminal rest” of the Samaritan nobles is characterized in more detail.

Amos 6:4. You who lie on beds inlaid with ivory, and lounge on your couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, In v. 4–6, the prophet denounces the feasting of the Samaritan nobles, and namely, as is supposed (Yungerov), religious feasts celebrated in temples. “You eat the best rams from the flock,” Hebrew karim mizzon, the LXX “choice ones from herds,” Slavonic: “kids from pastures.” “And calves from the midst of the fattening pen”: from the Hebrew vaagalim mithoch marbek, calves from the stall (for fattening); in the LXX—“and calves fed with milk from the midst of herds,” in the Slavonic: “and calves fed with milk from the midst of herds.”

Amos 6:5. You sing idly to the sound of the harp, and like David you improvise on instruments of music, The text of v. 5 is unclear and is rendered in our translation conjecturally. “You sing idly to the sound of the harp,” happortim al pi hannayel: the meaning of the verb parat (you sing) is not precisely known; happartim is rendered as “those who clap” (LXX: in the Slavonic “clapping”), qui canitis (Vulgate), “you sing vainly” (Yungerov), “swaying” (Hoonacker), and the like; nevel—harp, a stringed instrument—a special twelve-stringed instrument (Judean Antiquities 7:12, 3), called by the LXX an “instrument” (in the Slavonic text: “clapping to the sound of pipes”). “Like David you devise for yourselves instruments of music”: the words of the original kedavid chaschvu lahem kelej–schir are rendered in the Russian text freely. Kelej–schir is understood in the sense of “musical instruments,” instruments for accompanying the song (schir), or, considering kelej to be wrongly arising from kol (all), they translate: every song, all songs (Nowack). The second half of v. 5 more accurately from the Hebrew should be rendered: “like David, they devised musical instruments for themselves,” or: “like David, they consider themselves to have invented every song.” The expression of the prophet has an ironic character. But from it follows that already in ancient times the name of David was known in Israel as the name of a singer and musician. The part of v. 5 we are considering is rendered in the LXX quite differently from the original, namely: “like one standing they thought, and not like one fleeing,” Slavonic: “as standing they thought, and not as fleeing.” How this reading of the LXX arose is difficult to say. The thought of the Greek translation is not clear. According to the interpretation of the blessed Theodoret and Cyril of Alexandria, the Greek text points to the forgetfulness by Israelite sensualists of the transience of earthly pleasures, which they represented as “standing,” that is, permanent.

Amos 6:6. You drink wine in large bowls, and anoint yourselves with the finest oils, but you have no concern for the ruin of Joseph! “You drink wine in large bowls (bemizrkrej)”: mizrak—a vessel of enormous capacity, used in worship (Num 4:14; Exod 38:3); the prophet thus points to the consumption of wine in too great a quantity. The LXX instead of bemizrkej jain apparently read bimzukkek jain, which they rendered as “strained wine.” Since the prophet in v. 4–6 denounces for refinement in pleasures, the reading of the LXX better corresponds to the context and is preferred by some (Hoonacker) to the reading of the original. “And you have no concern for the ruin of Joseph,” Slavonic: “and they did not suffer anything in the destruction of Joseph”; by the name Joseph the prophet means the people of Israel. Perhaps by this name the prophet wished to remind the Samaritan nobles that their attitude toward the calamities of the people is like the attitude of Joseph’s brothers toward Joseph: the latter, having lowered Joseph into a well, calmly sat down to eat and drink (Gen 37:25), not thinking of their brother’s sufferings; and the Samaritan nobles act likewise.

Amos 6:7. Therefore now they shall go into exile at the head of the exiles, and the reveling of the loiterers shall pass away. From v. 7, the proclamation of punishment by exile begins. “At the head of the exiles,” that is, before other nations captured by the conquerors, as an example of punishment. The LXX instead of the Hebrew “at the head of the exiles” (berosch golim) apparently read “from the beginning of the mighty” (merosch gedolim) and rendered it “from the beginning of rulers,” Slavonic: “from the beginning of the mighty,” understanding, according to the explanation of the blessed Jerome, in the capacity of conquerors—the leaders of the mighty, that is, the Assyrians. “And the reveling of the loiterers shall pass away”: Hebrew vesar mirzach seruchim is rendered variously. The Hebrew mirzach (R. reveling) Symmachus translates as “fraternity,” the blessed Jerome as “faction,” a society, brotherhood; in view of this, Hoonacker renders the entire expression: “and there will disappear the society of the dissolute.” In (Jer 16:5), mirzach is used in the sense of a wail, a sorrowful cry; therefore, the expression in question is also rendered: “the dissolute will depart with lamentation” (Yungerov). In the LXX, the second half of v. 7 contains a thought completely different from the thought of the original: “and the neighing of horses will be removed from Ephraim,” Slavonic: “and the neighing of horses from Ephraim will be taken away.” The origin of the LXX reading is unclear. Cyril of Alexandria explains it in the sense that the prophet speaks of the removal into exile of princes who gloried in their expensive horses and their pleasant neighing. The thought of the original better corresponds to the context.

Amos 6:8. The Lord God has sworn by himself, says the Lord, the God of hosts: I abhor the pride of Jacob and hate his fortresses, and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it. By the words “the Lord has sworn,” the prophet points to the unchangeableness of the divine determination regarding the punishment of Israel. “And I will deliver up the city,” that is, the city of Samaria. In the Greek-Slavonic text, instead of the words “and I hate his fortresses” (veamnothaj), one reads: “and I hate his villages”; the LXX generally renders the Hebrew armon (fortress) differently and conjecturally (cf. Amos 1:4; Amos 3:9; Jer 17:27).

Amos 6:9. And if ten men remain in one house, they shall die. V. 9–11 describe more fully the calamity coming upon the people. In v. 9, there is a discourse about the extreme scarcity of population. “And if ten men remain in one house (bebaith echad), they shall die.” Since the prophet speaks of the extreme reduction in population, the number of ten remaining in a house (that is, saved from war) appears too large, and modern commentators (Wellhausen, Nowack) suppose that the word “ten” (asarah) arose from an error of copyists. Proceeding from the same considerations, Marti understands the number ten as an indication of the maximum (not the minimum) of those remaining: even if ten remained, they shall die. The understanding proposed by Marti does not correspond to the context of the speech, from which it is evident that the prophet wishes to indicate the small number of survivors. But on the other hand, there is no need to correct the word asarah as erroneous. Apparently, the prophet speaks of ten remaining not in the house, but in the city. The prophet’s thought can be expressed more fully as follows: if one house is left (bebaith echad in one house) in the city, and if only ten men of the whole city population are saved, they shall die (Hoonacker). The prophet apparently means death from plague. At the end of the verse, the LXX has an addition: “and those remaining will be left.”

Amos 6:10. And when a man’s relative, the one who anoints him for burial, takes him up to bring the bones out of the house, he shall say to a man in the innermost part of the house, “Is there anyone else with you?” He will say, “No.” Then he will say, “Silence! for we must not mention the name of the Lord.” In v. 10, the exposition of the thought about the extreme reduction in population continues. The beginning of v. 10 is unclear and raises doubts among modern commentators about the integrity of the text. “And a man’s relative (unesao dodo) or one who anoints him (umesarfo) shall take him to bring the bones out of the house”: in the Hebrew text, the pronouns stand in the singular (a relative of his, or the one who anoints him), and it is unclear to what they refer (hardly can one think that they refer to the noun “ten” from v. 9 (Yungerov), because in that case one would expect the plural); moreover, in the Hebrew text of v. 10, the word mesaref raises difficulty. The LXX translated it with the verb “to force,” in the Slavonic: “and they will be forced.” Ordinarily, mesaref is understood in the sense of “one who anoints” or “one who burns.” But the existence among the Hebrews of a custom of burning corpses appears doubtful (cf. Amos 2:1). Ordinarily, the Hebrews buried their dead (Vincent Canaan. 1907. р. 212, 262), and if the Bible speaks of burials “with burnings,” in these cases only the burning of various aromatic substances is meant (Jer 34:5; 2 Chr 16:14). In view of the indicated difficulties, modern commentators propose corrections to v. 10. Zeidner and Vallon instead of unesao dodo umesarfo lehozi (Russian: “and a man’s relative shall take him to bring”) propose reading “and one survivor will remain, a fugitive, to bring.” According to Hoonacker, the beginning of v. 10 originally read “veniszerau nodedei miseppar, a small number of fugitives (that is, those saved by flight) will remain—to bring out of the house the bones.” In the Russian translation, the beginning of v. 10 is understood as an indication of the burning of corpses—perhaps from fear of infection (Yungerov). “And he shall say to him: Silence! for we must not mention the name of the Lord”: “It is natural for the one remaining alive to invoke the name of God in response to the grave-digger. This intention the grave-digger will forestall by remarking: be silent, because at this terrible time it is not fitting to invoke the name of God. The prophet Amos, through the mouth of the grave-digger, even forbids to invoke the name of the Lord and to concentrate attention on prayer. No, and prayer will not be needed then, but only tomb-like silence” (Yungerov, 127). It is better, however, to understand the words simply in the sense of a prohibition to speak the name of God; the prophet wishes to express the thought about the extreme wrath of God against the sinful city—that the city will be as it were an unclean place, on which even the name of God cannot be spoken. Instead of the words “for we must not mention the name of the Lord,” in the Greek and Slavonic texts one reads: “not for the sake of the name of the Lord”: the LXX understood the words of the prophet as an indication of the reason for the punishment of the people, the fact that the people had not called upon the Lord.

Amos 6:11. For behold, the Lord commands, and the great house shall be struck into fragments, and the small house into bits. The blessed Jerome sees in the words of the prophet an allegorical meaning: great houses—the kingdom of Israel, small houses—the kingdom of Judah. But there is hardly reason to understand the prophet’s speech in this way, because he speaks only of the Israelite kingdom. Great houses—the houses of the rich, small houses—the dwellings of the poor.

Amos 6:12. Do horses run on rocks? Does one plow the sea with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness; The prophet points in v. 12 to the foundation for God’s judgment upon Israel. This foundation consists in this: in Israel, the whole order of life has been violated and something strange and incomprehensible is done, contrary to sound reason. The prophet expresses this thought by means of two questions: “Do horses run on rocks? Can one plow (Tacharosch) the sea with oxen” (babekarim)? The Hebrew bakar is a collective noun meaning: a herd of cattle, oxen; therefore, the use of it in v. 12 in the plural is unclear; moreover, with the verb jacharosch (do they plow) there is no object (Russian translation conjecturally adds—the sea). These difficulties are resolved if one assumes a different word division in the sentence in question, and instead of jacharasch babekarim read: jacharasch babbakar jam, do they plow the sea with oxen (Michaeles, Nowack, Hoonacker). The LXX took the word charasch in the sense of “to be silent,” which it has, and rendered it παρασιωπήσονται; the Hebrew babokarim the LXX rendered as ἐν θηλείαις (perhaps confusing it with banekevim from nekebah chena); the result was a scarcely understandable expression, which in the Slavonic is rendered: “and if they are silent in the feminine gender?”. “You have turned justice into poison (Slavonic: “into wrath,” Greek: εἰς θυμόν) and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness”: that is, justice, which should serve as a means to protect safety, you make a source of danger; instead of good, it brings only bitterness.

Amos 6:13. You who rejoice in a thing of naught, who say, “Have we not by our own strength taken horns for ourselves?” As a consequence of the violation of the order of life indicated in v. 12, the temporary success which Israel is enjoying will turn out to be unstable. The word lo dabar, rendered in our text as “a thing of naught,” recent commentators consider to be the proper name of the city of Lo-debar, mentioned in (2 Sam 9:4-5). The proper name of the city is also considered the word “horns” (karnaim), translated in the Russian text as “strength.” About Karnaim, it is mentioned in (1 Macc 5:43). Both mentioned cities were located in Gilead and could have been taken by the Israelites during wars with Syria under Jeroboam II. The mention of these insignificant cities would well express the thought of the prophet about the insignificance of the success of the Israelites in comparison with the impending calamity. There is a foundation in the text for understanding the words lo dabar and karnaim in the sense of proper names: if we understand karnaim in the sense of a common noun, strength, then in the latter interpretation of v. 13, one gets mo-bohorim—“have we not by our own strength taken strength for ourselves.”

Amos 6:14. For behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, says the Lord, the God of hosts; and they shall oppress you from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of the Arabah. Jeroboam II expanded the boundaries of the Israelite kingdom from the entrance of Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, that is, to the Dead Sea (2 Sam 14:25). Now throughout this entire territory, a nation raised up by the Lord will oppress Israel. The prophet is speaking, of course, of the Assyrians. “To the brook of the Arabah” (ad nahal haarabah): by this brook, most often, is understood the present Wadi el-Ahzi, the Arabah stream (haarabim), mentioned by the prophet Isaiah (Isa 15:7), and which served as a boundary between Moab and Edom (Nowack, Hoonacker). The prophet, in distinction from (2 Sam 14:25), where the boundary of the Israelite kingdom is indicated only as the Dead Sea, extends this boundary further. Other commentators suppose that by nahai haarabah the prophet means the Dead Sea (Hoffman) or some Egyptian stream (Yungerov). In the Slavonic text, the end of the verse reads: “And they shall crush you so that you do not enter into Hamath, and to the water-course of the western regions.”

Chapter Seven

1–3. A vision of locusts. 4–6. A vision of fire. 7–9. A vision of the Lord with a plumb line in his hand. 10–13. Opposition to the prophet’s preaching by the Bethel priest Amaziah. 14–15. The prophet’s response. 16–17. Announcement of punishment upon Amaziah.

From Chapter VII the third section of the book of Amos begins, containing descriptions of visions that the prophet received. In these visions are revealed the thoughts expressed also in the prophet’s speeches. A series of visions is interrupted in Chapter VII by a historical narrative about the opposition to the prophet’s preaching by the Bethel priest Amaziah and concludes in Chapter IX with a messianic promise about the restoration of the fallen tabernacle of David.

Amos 7:1. Thus the Lord God showed me a vision: behold, he formed locusts at the beginning of the sprouting of the late vegetation, and this was grass after the king’s harvest. Verses 1–3 speak of the vision of locusts. «Behold, he formed locusts (govaj) at the beginning of the sprouting of late vegetation» (hallakesch). The word lekesch (Russ. “late vegetation”) is an hapax legomenon; in the Chaldean language the verb lakisch means to be late and applies to late rains, to the late autumnal season, to plantings and grain harvest (Levy, Meuhebr. Lex. 415); therefore the Russian translators gave the word lekesch in Amos 7:1 the meaning of late grass or, as with Nowack, aftermath (Nachurichs). But apparently it is more correct to compare lekesch with mikosch, spring rain, and understand it as the name of early vegetation sprouting at the beginning of spring under the influence of spring rains. Wishing to indicate more clearly what is meant by lekesch, the prophet then adds: «and this was grass after the king’s harvest» (achar gizzej hammeleeh). The king’s harvest is the collection of grass for the king’s benefit, for the maintenance of his horses (1 Sam 18:5). Apparently this collection was not made annually, for with his remark the prophet wishes to point to an exceptional concurrence of circumstances, not to note something that occurs annually. The exceptional concurrence apparently consisted in the fact that in the preceding year grass had gone to the king’s benefit, and in the new year, after the king’s harvest that had occurred, locusts ate the grass. Thus the people were deprived of grass for two consecutive years. Moreover, locusts appearing in spring, at the beginning of vegetation growth, threatened to destroy it altogether. Therefore the prophet turns to the Lord in prayer. The Greek and Slavonic texts depart considerably from the original at the beginning of verse 1: «and behold, the offspring of locusts coming in the morning, and behold, a grasshopper, one Gog the king.» The LXX apparently read the Heb. jozer («formed») as jezer and translated it epitogone—offspring, brood; the Heb. bithchillath aloth («at the beginning of sprouting») the LXX read differently and translated erchomene eothine; the words lekesch achar gizzej hammelech (and the grass was after the king’s harvest) the LXX read as jelek echad gog hammelech, Brouchos eis Gog o basileus, in Slavonic: “a grasshopper one Gog the king.”

Amos 7:2. And it came to pass, when it finished eating the grass of the land, that I said: Lord God! have pity; how will Jacob stand? he is very small. When seeing the calamity threatening the people, the prophet turns to the Lord in prayer for mercy: «And it came to pass, when it finished (Vehajah im killah) eating the grass of the land, I said»: it is unclear why the prophet appeals to God after the calamity had occurred and the locusts had finished eating the grass of the land. In view of this, commentators propose an emendation of the text of the expression given—namely, instead of vehajah imkilah they read, as in Gen 24:15 Vojehi terem killah, before it ate the grass (Wellhausen), or Vajehi hu mekalleh (Torrey). In the LXX and Slavonic text the expression is rendered in the sense of a question: «and it will be (i.e., there appeared a question or fear), if the one eating finishes the grass of the land,» which corresponds well to the context. «How will Jacob stand (mijakum).» The LXX read mijakim jaakov, tis anasthessei Iak., in Slavonic: «who will raise Jacob»; the Vulgate also has: quis suscitabit. Some commentators (Yungerov) prefer this reading to the Masoretic, in which the word mi (who, not how) raises doubt. «He is very small,» that is, has few means to rise after the calamity.

Amos 7:3. And the Lord repented of it; “this shall not happen,” said the Lord. After the prophet’s prayer the Lord spared Israel. The vision of locusts described in verses 1–3 is understood by most commentators in the literal sense as a threat of a locust invasion. The Church Fathers Ephrem the Syrian, the blessed Theodoret and Jerome, as well as some later exegetes (Grotius, Yungerov), not limiting themselves to the literal understanding of the prophet’s words, explain the vision as a prophecy of the devastation of the Israeli land by Assyrians, Babylonians, and other peoples.

Amos 7:4. Thus the Lord God showed me a vision: behold, the Lord God called forth fire for judgment—and it devoured the great deep, and devoured a part of the land. Amos 7:5. And I said: Lord God! stop; how will Jacob stand? he is very small. Amos 7:6. And the Lord repented of it; “and this also will not be,” said the Lord God. A description of the second vision of the prophet—the vision of fire. The general meaning of the description and individual expressions are not entirely clear. «Behold, the Lord God called (kore) for judgment (lariv) fire» (baesch): the Hebrew text of the expression given is rendered differently, namely—“called for judgment fire” (LXX and Slavonic: “behold he called a contention in fire”), “proclaimed that he comes to punish with fire” (Ewald), “summoned to dispute fire” (Harper), and others. «And it devoured the great deep (eth-thechom rabbah), and devoured a part of the land» (ethehachelek): thechom rabbu—the abyss, the ocean, that chaos from which the world was formed (Gen 1:2); or those subterranean waters which, in the view of ancient Hebrews, nourished the springs and rivers. In the latter case, by the fire that devoured the deep we naturally understand intense solar heat, a terrible drought, under whose influence the subterranean waters dried up. The word cheiek (part, portion) commentators usually understand as part of the land, as clarified in our translation, and specifically as part of the Israeli land. That the fire devoured both the deep and part of the Israeli land is what prompted the prophet to intercede before the Lord for an end to the calamity. It should also be noted that some commentators (the blessed Theodoret, Ephrem the Syrian, Keil) understand the second vision in an allegorical sense as a foretelling of an invasion of enemies or in general God’s wrath; fire is the wrath of God, the great deep is the pagan world, part of the land is the people of Israel.

Amos 7:7. Thus the Lord showed me a vision: behold, the Lord stood upon a plumb line wall, and in his hand was a plumb line of lead. Amos 7:8. And the Lord said to me: What do you see, Amos? I answered: a plumb line. And the Lord said: behold, I will place a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will no more spare them. The description of the prophet’s vision in verses 7–9 is understood differently because the meaning of the word anach, translated in our text as “plumb line of lead,” is disputed, as anach is an hapax legomenon. The LXX translated it with the word adamantadamant—hard stone having the appearance of iron (Slavonic: “and behold a man standing upon a wall of adamant, and in his hand an adamant”), Aquila—ganoosis, a bright object, Theodotion—tekoomenon. Some modern commentators agree with the LXX translation, understanding anach in the sense of iron, whose image denotes in the vision the impending resolution (Condamin, Revue bibl. 1900, 586). The blessed Jerome accepted anach in the meaning of “polished lead,” with which walls were evened and coated to give them strength and beauty. According to the explanation of the blessed Jerome, the prophet saw the Lord standing upon a wall coated with lead (Heb. al-chomath anach), and with lead in his hands. The wall coated with lead is an image of the people of God; the Lord’s standing on the wall—with lead in his hands—is an image of the fact that the Lord guarded his people and as if adorned them with his blessings. The words of the Lord: “behold, I will place a plumb line in the midst of my people” mean that henceforth the Lord ceases to strengthen and adorn the wall, i.e., the people of Israel, and the lead he transfers to the people themselves, who must now take care of themselves. The interpretation of the blessed Jerome is accepted also by Catholic theologians (Knabenbauer, Hoonacker). In the Russian text the word anach is understood in the sense of a plumb line used for leveling and correcting curvature, and the expression al-chomath anach is translated as: “on a plumb vertical wall.” According to this translation the meaning of the vision is that Jehovah applies a plumb line to the life of the people (“I will place a plumb line in the midst of my people”) of Israel, to determine how straight its ways are; and behold, everywhere there are deviations and crookedness, which the Lord had forgiven until now, but which he will now punish. Many commentators hold such an understanding of verses 7–8 (Harper, Wellhausen, Nowack, Yungerov). But scarcely can this understanding be preferred to the interpretation of the blessed Jerome. If we accept anach in the meaning of a plumb line, it is unclear what meaning the image of chomathi anach, a plumb vertical wall, has, and then the prophet notes that the wall was perpendicular, when other walls are not [perpendicular]. Equally, it is not quite clear how the expression “I will place a plumb line in the midst of my people” can indicate impending destruction, when a plumb line is an instrument used in construction, in building. As instruments used in destruction, the Bible (Isa 34:11; cf. 2 Sam 21:13) names “a line of destruction” (ka-thohu) and “a plumb line of annihilation” (avnej-vohu).

Amos 7:9. And the sacrificial high places of Isaac shall be desolated, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be destroyed, and I will rise with a sword against the house of Jeroboam. The coming destruction will first touch the high places and sanctuaries, because they primarily turned the people away from the path of righteousness and were the center of lawlessness. Instead of the proper name Isaac, the LXX put a common noun (bomoi) gelots, in Slavonic: “places of laughter,” expressing by this the idea of the significance of the high places (sanctuaries worthy of ridicule). “And I will rise with a sword against the house of Jeroboam”: in these words lies a threat not to the house of Jeroboam I, as Ephrem the Syrian supposes, because that house had long since been destroyed (1 Sam 15:27-30), but to the reigning house of Jeroboam II. The Bethel priest Amaziah understood the prophet’s words precisely in this sense, as is evident from what follows. God’s determination concerning the house of Jeroboam II was soon fulfilled: under Shallum, king of Israel, the son of Jeroboam Zechariah was killed, and his entire family perished (2 Sam 15:10).

Amos 7:10. And Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to Jeroboam, king of Israel, saying: Amos has stirred up rebellion against you among the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. The prophet’s speeches, pronounced in Bethel, perhaps before the people gathered in large numbers for some great festival, provoked opposition from the Bethel priest Amaziah. In reporting the prophet to the king, Amaziah wishes to present himself as a defender of the king’s interests. But at the same time he defends also his own interests, as well as those of the entire priestly class, since they were connected with the prerogatives of the sanctuaries, concerning the destruction of which the prophet had spoken.

Amos 7:11. For thus says Amos: “Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be taken into captivity from their land.” Amos did not actually say that Jeroboam himself would die by the sword (verse 9): Amaziah, apparently intentionally, presents the accusation in such a form as to provoke the king’s intervention.

Amos 7:12. And Amaziah said to Amos: O seer! go and flee to the land of Judah; there eat bread, and there prophesy, It is unknown how Jeroboam responded to the report of the Bethel priest. Theodore of Mopsuestia supposes that the king undertook nothing after the priest’s report because of his respect for the prophet and from fear of the power of prophets, as manifested in the days of Elijah and Elisha; it is also possible that Jeroboam attached no importance to the prophet’s preaching and therefore was too confident in his own power and prosperity. Then Amaziah decided to act on his own and expelled the prophet from Bethel. Seer (Heb. chozeh, Slavonic: “seeing”); prophets were called seers, indicating thereby the special gift of vision possessed only by them; but Amaziah, as one can conclude from the tone of his entire speech, calls Amos a seer in an ironic sense. “Go and flee (lech berach lecha) to the land of Judah”: more precisely—go quickly, save yourself in the land of Judah; possibly with these words Amaziah was alluding to the report sent to the king, the consequences of which may be dangerous for the prophet (Hoonacker). “There eat bread and there prophesy”: Amaziah insults the prophet by suspecting that he prophesies out of greed, for the sake of bread.

Amos 7:13. but in Bethel prophesy no more, for it is a sanctuary of the king and a royal house. Stating the reason for his demand for the prophet’s removal from Bethel, Amaziah says: “for it (Bethel) is a sanctuary of the king and a royal house.” Amaziah thus calls attention to the fact that the sanctuary of Bethel was established by the king (1 Sam 12:28-29), is a state sanctuary (royal house, beth mamlachah), and consequently only with the king’s permission can priests and prophets appear here.

Amos 7:14. And Amos answered and said to Amaziah: I am not a prophet nor a son of a prophet; I was a shepherd and I picked sycamores. In response to the words of the Bethel priest, Amos points out that he came forward to preach not arbitrarily and not for material gain, but was called to his service by God himself, whom he cannot help but obey. “I am not a prophet (navi) nor a son of a prophet” (ben navi): sons of prophets or prophetic schools were special societies of disciples of prophets, having their own organization and guided by prophets (1 Sam 10:5; 1 Sam 22; 2 Sam 4:1). By the time of Amos, apparently not all members of prophetic societies stood at the proper level, and unworthy people penetrated into their midst, assuming the title of prophets merely to earn bread. Amaziah apparently counted Amos among such prophets. When Amos rejects the designation “prophet” or “son of a prophet,” he is in no way rejecting any connection with prophets, but only wishes to say that he is not a prophet in the sense that Amaziah meant. “I was a shepherd (boker) and I picked (voles) sycamores,” Slavonic: “a shepherd I was and gathering fruit”: the verb voles is an hapax legomenon, and its meaning is not precisely known; it is understood in the meaning of gathering as in the Russian text, cleaning (Theodotion), having (Symmachus), caring for (Hoonacker), or slitting, as in the LXX (knizion); slitting of sycamores was necessary for the fruit to ripen (Pliny, Hist nat. 13, 14).

Amos 7:15. But the Lord took me from following the flocks and the Lord said to me: “go, prophesy to my people Israel.” In his direct calling by God himself, Amos points out the foundation for coming forward to preach. “But the Lord took me from following the flocks” (meacharej hazzon): in verse 15 the prophet calls himself a shepherd of small livestock, flocks (hazzon), while in verse 14 he applies to himself the term boker, which means a shepherd of large livestock. This difference in names prompts some commentators to suspect the word boker and consider it a correction (Nowack). But scarcely can one say that a shepherd of large livestock (boker) could not also pasture small livestock.

Amos 7:16. Now hear the word of the Lord. You say: “do not prophesy against Israel and do not speak words against the house of Jacob.” Amos 7:17. For this, thus says the Lord: your wife shall be dishonored in the city, your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword, your land shall be divided by a measuring line, and you shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely be carried away from its land. Resistance to the prophet was at the same time resistance to God’s command. Therefore Amos announces from the name of the Lord punishment upon Amaziah. This punishment will strike the entire house of Amaziah. To Amaziah himself—that he will die in an unclean land, that is, in a pagan land. The fulfillment of this prophecy could have taken place as early as 734 BC when Tiglath-Pileser deported to Assyria part of the inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom.

Chapter Eight

1–3. A vision of a basket of ripe fruit. 4–6. Exposure of the greed of merchants. 7–14. Announcement of God’s judgment upon the transgressive people.

Amos 8:1. Thus the Lord God showed me a vision: behold, a basket of ripe fruit. Chapter VIII begins with a description of a new vision. «Behold, a basket of ripe fruit» (keluv kaiz): the word keluv can mean both a basket for fruit and a bird-catcher’s snare; in the latter meaning the word is used by the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 5:27). The LXX gave the word this latter meaning in the passage in question in the book of Amos; hence in Slavonic: “and behold, a vessel of a bird-catcher” (aggos ixeuto).

Amos 8:2. And he said: What do you see, Amos? I answered: a basket of ripe fruit. Then the Lord said to me: the time has come for my people Israel; I will no more spare them. The ripe fruit shown to the prophet is an image of the fact that Israel is ripe for judgment and punishment. Expressing this thought, the prophet employs a play on words using the sound similarity between kaiz (ripe fruit) and kez (end). If we accept along with the LXX keluv (basket) in the sense of “a bird-catcher’s vessel,” then the image shown to the prophet would designate, according to the interpretation of Church Fathers, the coming capture of the people of Israel by enemies (the blessed Theodoret, Jerome, Cyril of Alexandria).

Amos 8:3. The songs of the palace in that day shall become mourning, says the Lord God; many corpses will be on every place, cast forth silently. “Songs of the palace,” Heb. schiroth hejchal according to the LXX is rendered as ta phatnomata tou naou, Slavonic: “the rafters (beams) of the temple”; in the Vulgate: cardines templi, door hinges in the temple. According to the text of the LXX and Vulgate, the prophet in verse 3 foretells the destruction of a temple—surely not the Jerusalem temple (Theodore of Mopsuestia), about which nothing had been said, but the Bethel temple. The prophet employs a figurative expression, representing that on the day of the temple’s destruction the rafters of the temple or door hinges would as it were weep. The reading of the current Masoretic text schiroth (songs) presents certain difficulties; first, the plural of schir (song) should be schirim, not schiroth; second, the combination vehejlilu schiroth “and the songs wept” is not natural. In view of this, commentators typically read instead of schiroth either sharoth, female singers (Hoffman, Wellhausen, Nowack), or follow the reading of the Greek text (Hoonacker), whereby hejchal (in the LXX naou, temple) is understood in the collective sense of “palace.” The image introduced by the LXX into the prophet’s speech is found also in Isa 14:31; Zech 11:2, and others. “On every place they will be cast forth silently” (hischlich has): the word chas (silently) is considered both a noun (Slavonic: “I will cast down silence”) and an adverb (silently), and an exclamation (silence!) which bursts from the prophet as he contemplates (in spirit) the multitude of corpses (Hoonacker: on every place they cast them forth. Silence!). This last interpretation is preferable to the others. In any case, there is no need to discern (Nowack) in the word has corruption of the text and suppose that it arose instead of hasch, i.e., a shortening of the verb haschlich (Harper).

Amos 8:4. Hear this, you who pant to swallow the poor and bring ruin to the needy, In verses 4–6 the prophet again turns to the upper classes of Israeli society, namely to wealthy grain merchants, and exposes them for the oppression of the poor. Bring ruin to the needy: in Hebrew anivvej arez, the needy of the land, as in Slavonic.

Amos 8:5. you who say: “when will the new moon pass, so that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath, so that we may open our storehouses, reduce the measure, increase the weight of the shekel, and cheat with false weights,” In their desire for gain the wealthy denounced by the prophet were weary of even new moons and Sabbaths, for on these days, according to the law’s prescription and custom, commerce ceased. The wealthy wanted these days to pass quickly so they could engage in their fraudulent trading. “Reduce the measure” (ephah): an ephah is a measure for dry goods; reduce the measure—to give less than is due. “Increase the weight of the shekel”: in Hebrew lehohdil schekel—increase the shekel; the shekel is a weight measure and later a certain coin; sellers, increasing the weight of the shekel, received from purchasers more than was proper.

Amos 8:6. to buy the needy for silver and the poor for a pair of sandals, and sell the offal of the wheat. The wealthy wanted the Sabbath or festivals to pass quickly for other reasons besides those set out in verse 5. The prophet states these reasons in verse 6. “To buy the needy for silver”: the prophet wishes to show that the poor were for the wealthy a subject of commerce. “And the poor for a pair of sandals”: apparently reference is made to the enslavement of the poor because of insignificant debts. The wealthy could achieve their goals toward the indebted poor only through the courts. And since the courts did not sit on Sabbaths and festivals, the wealthy wanted these days to pass quickly.

Amos 8:7. The Lord has sworn by the glory of Jacob: surely I will never forget any of their deeds! From verse 7 begins the announcement of judgment. “The Lord has sworn by the glory of Jacob,” (bigeon jaakov): in Amos 6:8 the prophet uses the word geon (Russ. “glory”) in the sense of pride, which the Lord detests; in this same sense should the word geon be understood in the expression in question, as in Slavonic: “upon the haughtiness of Jacob.” The Lord swears by the pride of Jacob, that is, the Lord brings forth the pride as a witness or evidence against Israel as an especially grave sin. Some commentators, however, understanding geon jaakov in the sense of the glory of Jacob, think that the Lord swears by him who is the source of this glory, that is, by himself.

Amos 8:8. Will not the land tremble for this, and will not everyone living on it mourn? The whole land will surge like the Nile, and will heave and settle like the river of Egypt. The deeds of Israel are such that the land cannot bear them. “Will not the land tremble for this”: the prophet not only wishes to make the coming of an earthquake understandable (Wellhausen, Nowack), but directly foretells it; the prophet’s question presupposes an affirmative answer. The trembling of the land during the coming earthquake the prophet compares to the rising and falling of water in the Nile River. Some commentators (Nowack) think this comparison is not entirely felicitous, since water in the Nile falls and descends gradually. But it is possible that the prophet has in mind not the picture of the Nile flood, but the picture of the Nile cataracts (Hoonacker). According to the explanation of Church Fathers and ancient commentators, verse 7 can be understood as expressing in figurative form a prophecy of an invasion of the Israeli land by enemies—the Assyrians: just as the Egyptian river covers all the land, so a multitude of enemies will cover the land of Israel (the blessed Theodoret); “the Assyrians will come, like the Nile excessively overflowing, will drive out and force the Israelites to leave their land” (Ephrem the Syrian).

Amos 8:9. And it shall be in that day, says the Lord God: I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in the middle of the day. The trembling of the earth will be accompanied by other terrible phenomena in nature. “I will make the sun go down at noon”: the expression need not be understood (Yungerov) in the strictly literal sense that the sun will set at noon; the prophet wishes to say that the light of the sun at noon will be such as it is at sunset. It is unknown whether the prophet speaks of a solar eclipse or whether his words should be understood metaphorically. The picture of an eclipse the prophet could have observed on February 9, 784 BC and on June 15, 763 BC, when, according to astronomical calculations, solar eclipses were visible in Palestine.

Amos 8:10. And I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation, and I will bring sackcloth upon all loins and baldness upon every head; and I will bring upon the land lamentation as for an only son, and its end shall be as a bitter day. On the day of calamity all joy will disappear and everyone will as it were clothe themselves in mourning. “And baldness upon every head”: an indication of the custom of shaving the head as a sign of mourning (see Isa 3:23; Mic 1:16). At the end of the verse the coming lamentation upon the land is compared to lamentation for a deceased only son. In Slavonic the end of the verse reads: “and I will put him like the grief of a beloved, and those with him like a day of illness”; the words “those with him” correspond to the Hebrew aharithah, its end.

Amos 8:11. Behold, days are coming, says the Lord God, when I will send a hunger upon the land—not a hunger for bread, not a thirst for water, but a hunger for hearing the words of the Lord. The special severity of the coming judgment upon Israel, as depicted by the prophet, will be the deprivation of the words of the Lord or divine revelation. Possession of divine revelation was the privilege of Israel before pagan nations (Deut 18:13-22) and was proof of his election by God. The deprivation of divine word means, therefore, the coming rejection of the people by God.

Amos 8:12. And they shall wander from sea to sea and from north to east, seeking the word of the Lord, but they will not find it. “And they shall wander from sea to sea”: according to some commentators, the prophet refers to the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean (Hitzig, Miguel), or to the Eastern and Atlantic oceans (Keil); but it is better to understand the expression in an indefinite sense—throughout all the land. In this the Hebrew nua (Russ. “shall wander”) properly means to sway, to stagger, to walk with a swaying gait, that is, expresses the thought of longing for God’s word. Instead of the words given in Slavonic it reads: “and the waters will be shaken from sea to sea”; the word hydrata, waters arose in the LXX from mijam (from the sea), which was read twice and at first was read as maim (waters). Explaining the Greek text, the blessed Theodoret adds before the word waters the conjunction “as”; the waters will be shaken as, that is, “just as the undulating waters will the Israelites wander, turning hither and thither.”

Amos 8:13. In that day the fair young women and young men will faint from thirst, “In that day”—in the day of judgment, which the prophet understands in verse 13 as a long period. “From thirst”: both from physical and from spiritual thirst, the hunger for hearing God’s word. By naming maidens and young men, the prophet wishes to say that if they, the stronger ones, will faint from thirst, how great will be the sufferings of others!

Amos 8:14. those who swear by the sin of Samaria and say: “as your god lives, O Dan! and as the way to Beersheba lives!”—they shall fall and never rise again. The reason for the coming punishment is the service to false gods. “Those who swear by the sin of Samaria” (Slavonic: “by the purification of Samaria”): to swear is to express veneration (see Deut 6:13; Jer 12:16; Isa 48:1); the sin of Samaria is undoubtedly the Bethel idol, which in Hos 8:6 is called “the calf of Samaria.” “As your god lives, O Dan! and as the way to Beersheba lives!”: Dan and Beersheba are two points of unlawful worship and at the same time were the border points of the land of God’s people—Dan in the north and Beersheba in the south. The expression “from Dan to Beersheba” in the Bible denotes the entire territory of Israeli land. By naming Dan and Beersheba (rather than Bethel and Gilgal), the prophet also wishes to express the thought that just as lawlessness has embraced the entire land, so punishment will strike it from end to end. The expression “as the way to Beersheba lives” is unusual because the formula chej, may he live, in sacred writings is ordinarily applied to living beings (2 Sam 2:27; Job 27:2; Gen 42:15-16; 1 Sam 1:26). Some commentators suppose that they swore by the way to Beersheba, as the Arabs swear by pilgrimage to Mecca (Knabenbauer). Others, in view of the obscurity of the expression, propose emendations of its text. The LXX rendered the expression as: ze o theos sou Biersabee, Slavonic: “may your god Beersheba live.” In view of this, some suppose that in the original text instead of derech (way) khai (the lives) was read elcha, your god (Nowack). But a god Beersheba is not mentioned anywhere: according to 2 Sam 23:8 in Beersheba there was only a high place, not an idol. Winckler and Hoonacker read instead of derech the similar dodcha. About an altar of Dod mentioned in the inscription of Mesha. Dod of Beersheba is a deity considered the patron of the city. Prof. Yungerov, keeping the existing text of the expression, translates it: let the way to Beersheba prosper, let it not perish.

Chapter Nine

1. A vision of the Lord standing over the altar. 2–10. Announcement of Israel’s destruction. 11–15. Prophecy of the restoration of the fallen tabernacle of David.

Amos 9:1. I saw the Lord standing upon the altar, and he said: strike the capital so that the thresholds shall shake, and break them upon the heads of all of them; and the remainder I will slay with the sword: none of them shall flee away, and none of them shall escape. The fifth and final vision of the prophet Amos. The prophet sees the Lord standing at the altar (al hamisbeach, as in 1 Sam 13:1 it is better to translate “at the altar,” rather than “upon the altar”), and hears the command to bring down the temple upon the heads of the gathered people. According to the opinion of many interpreters (the blessed Jerome, Theodoret, Shegge, Knabenbauer, Yungerov), the temple spoken of in the description of the vision should be understood as the Jerusalem temple, since 1) the word misbeach (altar) is used with the article and points to a certain lawful altar, which was only the Jerusalem altar; 2) the Lord could not appear in another temple where worship not pleasing to him was conducted. But it is better to agree with those interpreters of the book of Amos who Amos 9:1 refer it to the sanctuary of Bethel, near which the prophet preached. (Cyril of Alexandria, Nowack, Hoonacker, Bishop Palladius). The prophet, indeed, speaks of Israelites; consequently, he could not represent them as filling the Jerusalem temple. And the feature of the vision that the Lord appears in an unlawful sanctuary contains nothing strange if one recalls that the Lord appears for judgment and punishment. The article before the word misbeach is perfectly understandable even if we suppose that the prophet is speaking about the Bethel altar. “And he said”: to whom the Lord addressed the words is not indicated; either to the Angels accompanying the Lord (the blessed Jerome, Knabenbauer, Yungerov), or to the prophet himself (Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Shegge). “Strike the capital above the gate (hakapthor), so the thresholds (hasippim) shake.” The word kapthor (Russ. the capital above the gate) in Exod 25:31 means an ornament of the lamp stand (“ramerku”) and in the passage in question probably names the capital of a column (Nowack, Hoonacker). The LXX, apparently, instead of kapthor read kapporeth and therefore translated it with the word hilasterion, the mercy seat (Slavonic: “strike the mercy seat”). The word sap (in Russ. threshold) is used in other places of the Bible to mean threshold (Judg 19:27; 2 Sam 12:9), and a basin (1 Sam 7:50). The LXX translated it as—propylon, vestibule (Slavonic: “and the vestibules shall shake”). Modern commentators (Nowack, Hoonacker) usually take hasippim in the meaning of thresholds; all the expression—“strike the capital of the column (the capital above the gate), so the thresholds shake”—will be equivalent to this: strike so that the entire building shakes from top to foundation. An objection against translating hasippim as thresholds is the following phrase “break them (bezaam) upon the heads,” for thresholds cannot be broken upon the heads. This same phrase also shows the unsatisfactoriness of the translation of hasippim accepted in our text as thresholds, because thresholds cannot be broken upon the head. The difficulty of the expression may perhaps be explained by the fact that biblical architectural terms are not precisely known to us. The proposal of Hoonacker also deserves attention—to read instead of hasippim the hasippun, ceiling (1 Sam 6:15), changing at the same time Vejreaschu (“and they will shake”) to the singular veiraasch. “And the remainder of them,” that is, those saved from the destruction of the temple or all without exception. The part of verse 1 from the words “and the remainder” is considered not a continuation of the description of the vision, but already the beginning of speech concerning the vision and its clarification (Nowack).

Amos 9:2. Though they dig into Sheol, from there my hand will take them; though they climb to heaven, from there I will bring them down. The prophet uses a hyperbolic expression expressing the thought that there is nowhere to escape from the avenging hand of God.

Amos 9:3. And though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, I will search for them and take them from there; and though they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the sea serpent to bite them. Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel. See Amos 1:2. The prophet names Carmel as a supposed place of refuge for fugitives, perhaps because of the abundance of caves in Mount Carmel, as well as because the summit of the mountain was covered with dense vegetation suitable for concealment. “And there I will command the sea serpent to bite them”: the sea serpent or Leviathan is a creature, according to popular representations, living in the seas (see Ps 103:26; Isa 27:1).

Amos 9:4. And if they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it will kill them. I will set my eyes upon them for evil and not for good. Those who escape the sword of enemies will perish in captivity.

Amos 9:5. For the Lord God of hosts is he who touches the earth and it melts, and all who dwell upon it mourn; and the whole land shall rise like the Nile and shall sink like the river of Egypt. As in Amos 5:13, the announcement of judgment concludes with a glorification of the greatness and almightiness of God. The image of speech in verse 5 is borrowed from the memory of a recent earthquake (Amos 4:11). From there in Amos 8:8 the prophet borrows also the form for expressing a threat. See the note to Amos 8:8.

Amos 9:6. He has built his upper chambers in the heavens and founded his vault upon the earth; he calls for the waters of the sea and pours them upon the face of the earth; the Lord is his name. The prophet gives a figurative description of God’s greatness. “He built his upper chambers (maalothav) in the heavens”: maalah properly means an ascent or step on a ladder (1 Sam 10:19; Ps 120:1, and others); the LXX translated it with the word anabasis, Slavonic: “ascent”; modern commentators usually identify maalothav with the Hebrew aliyoth—upper dwellings, heavenly chambers. “And his vault” (Vaaguddatho): Hebrew aguddah means a tie, a yoke, a belt (Exod 12:22; Isa 58:6), a crowd of people (2 Sam 2:25); in application to a building aguddah can mean a vault, a foundation, in which sense this word is used in verse 6. The prophet calls the foundation (vault) of the upper chambers the firmament or visible sky. The whole expression of the prophet is identical to the strong utterance of Isaiah: “the heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool” (Isa 66:1): the LXX derived the word aguddah from the verb nagad and translated—epanggelia—testimony, promise; hence in Slavonic: “promise his on earth establishing.”

Amos 9:7. Are not you to me like the children of the Ethiopians, O children of Israel? says the Lord. Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Arameans from Kir? Israel could have hoped that it would be saved from the coming judgment of God as a covenanted nation, chosen by God from among others. The prophet destroys this vain hope. In Chapters I–II he placed Israel on the same level with pagan nations before the avenging Justice of God. In Amos 3:1-2 the prophet showed that the special mercies of God toward the people, his election—imposed upon it special obligations and would serve as the foundation for a stricter judgment upon them. In Amos 9:7 the prophet again points out that Israel has no advantage before other nations. The sons of Israel are to the Lord the same as despised Ethiopians, and just as the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt, so he brought the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir. Caphtor, the homeland of the Philistines (Deut 2:23; Jer 47:4), is identified with the island of Crete (Hitzig, Keil), with Cyprus (Hoonacker), or with the Nile Delta (Ebers). The LXX and Vulgate mistakenly identified Caphtor with Cappadocia; hence in the Slavonic text: “and the foreigners (Philistines) from Cappadocia.” “And the Arameans from Kir”: according to the translation of the LXX—“and the Syrians from a pit”; the LXX apparently derived the word Kir from karoh to dig. Symmachus, the blessed Jerome translated kir as Kyrene, Cyrenae, Theodotion—toichos, wall. Regarding the location of Kir, see the note Amos 1:5. The prophet equates the leading out of Israel from Egypt with the relocation of the Philistines and Arameans, because the special meaning of the leading out from Egypt and the theocratic calling of Israel has now been lost: only simple historical events remained, analogies to which can be found also in the history of pagan nations.

Amos 9:8. Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth; but I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, says the Lord. The election of the people was not unconditional but conditional; if the people did not fulfill the conditions of the covenant, the requirements of righteousness, then Jehovah breaks the covenant and instead of showing mercy, will destroy and exterminate. “Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom”: the prophet apparently speaks not generally of the kingdom of sinners (Driver), but specifically of the kingdom of Israel. Moreover, there is no reason to think that the prophet with the expression “sinful kingdom” wished to show a contrast between the Israeli and Judahite kingdoms, contrary to what is said in Amos 3:1; Amos 6:1) the equal condemnation of both kingdoms. (From this Wellhausen, Nowack, and others conclude that verses 8 and following are inauthentic). The prophet speaks of Israel without relation to Judah. From verse 8 begins the conclusion of the book of Amos and there is set forth the promise of salvation of the remnant of the house of Jacob. The prophet, supplementing what was said earlier, announces that only the sinners will perish (8–10), that after trials the restoration of the people will be accomplished (11–12), and abundant mercies of God will be poured out upon the saved. Negative criticism (Baudissin, Smend, Wellhausen, Nowack) considers verses 8–15 an addition made by the hand of the last editor of the book of the prophet Amos, in view of the fact that in the preceding speeches the prophet decisively speaks of the destruction of all the people led out of Egypt (Amos 3:1; see Amos 2:4-5; Amos 6:1). But this argument cannot be considered convincing. The division of threat and promise in prophetic discourse is a usual practice. The speeches of Amos in Chapters I–VIII do not exclude the thought of salvation, for apparently the threat of punishment the prophet described hyperbolically. In the first half of verse 8 it is also said of the destruction of the house of Israel in an absolute sense; but after this, in the second half of the verse, there is speech of salvation. This is not a contradiction, but the usual accepted form of presentation. And if one cannot reject the authorship of verse 8 to one author, there is no reason to doubt the authorship of verses 8–15 to the same prophet who earlier announced the destruction of the people in absolute form. As for the images used in verses 8–15 to depict the future salvation, they fully correspond to the peculiarities of the speech of the prophet Amos and thus prove the authorship of verses 8–15 by the same prophet. The expression “house of Jacob” in verse 8 denotes the Israeli kingdom, and in some LXX manuscripts, as well as in the Slavonic text, is replaced by the words: “house of Israel.”

Amos 9:9. For behold, I will command, and the house of Israel shall be shaken among all nations, as grain is shaken in a sieve, and not a pebble shall fall upon the earth. The prophet explains the words of the preceding verse—the house of Jacob I will not utterly destroy—in the sense that only sinners will perish. The coming trial of the people—apparently captivity and dispersion—the prophet compares, according to the Russian text, to the cleaning of grain by means of a sieve, or, as in the Slavonic text, a fan. “As grain is shaken in a sieve, and not a pebble shall fall upon the earth”: in Hebrew kaascher innoa bakebarah velo ippol zeror arez, “as they shake in a sieve, and not a zeror will fall on the earth. The image is not clear, as the meaning of the word zeror (in Russ. “grain”) in verse 9 is questionable. The LXX translated it with the word syntrimma, Slavonic: shattering (“and no shattering shall fall upon the earth”). The blessed Jerome gives the word zeror the meaning lapillus, a pebble, as in 2 Sam 17:13. Some commentators accept zeror in verse 9 in this meaning. With this, they explain the image of the prophet to mean that, as only stones will remain in a sieve, so in the land of captivity only sinners will remain (Hoffman). Etymologically zerar (from zarar to squeeze, to bind, to pay) means something hard, compact, a solid mass. Hoonacker understands the word in such a general sense, which translates the end of verse 9 as: (I will shake the house of Israel) “as they shake in a sieve, and as a solid mass it will not fall to the earth.” The image turns out, as seen, strained, and therefore there is no reason to prefer it to the one accepted in our text.

Amos 9:11. In that day I will raise up the fallen tabernacle of David, and repair its breaches, and restore its ruins, and build it as in the days of old, The prophet begins to describe the future restoration of Israel «in that day» (bajom hahu),—that is, after the period of trials designated for the people. «I will raise up the fallen tabernacle of David»: by the fallen tabernacle of David the prophet understands the royal house of David; calling this house a fallen tabernacle, that is, a half-ruined tent, the prophet indicates the decline of the dynasty of David, likening its inhabitants to tent-dwellers. The thought of the decline of the house of David is strengthened by the following expressions: «and repair its breaches and restore its ruins.» Critics of the negative school (Baudissin, Smend, Wellhausen, Nowack) pay attention to the fact that Uzziah, a contemporary of Amos, was a Judahite king who gave the state power and splendor (2 Sam 14:22; Isa 2). From this they find it impossible for Amos to speak of the house of David as a fallen tabernacle with breaches and ruins, and refer verses 11–15 to the post-exilic period (Nowack). But in Amos 5:1-2 the prophet calls the Israelite kingdom also a fallen maiden, although at that time, under Jeroboam II, the Israelite kingdom reached the height of its power. Apparently, the prophet evaluates the actual situation, and the temporary splendor of the house of David does not blind him: essentially and with Uzziah this house was already a tabernacle with breaches and ruins, ready to open at any moment. Consequently, there is no reason to deny the authorship of the verses in question to Amos. «And build it as in the days of old,» that is, in the days of David and Solomon, the most glorious period in the history of the house of David (2 Sam 7:1; 1 Sam 9:5). The LXX understood the words of the prophet as indicating the eternal existence of the restored tabernacle and translated: oikodomeso katho tai emerai tou aionos, in Slavonic: “and I will build it as in the days of eternity.”

Amos 9:12. that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations upon whom my name has been called, says the Lord, who does this. The restored house of David in its former splendor and the people of Israel will again possess those nations over which it ruled in the days of David, namely Edom, of which only (Amos 1:11) a remnant will remain; and it will also possess all nations «upon whom the name [of the Lord] is called” (Russ. not precisely: “among whom my name will be proclaimed”), that is, which honor the Lord and constitute the property of the Lord (see 2 Sam 12:28; Deut 28:10; Jer 7:10). The LXX convey the thought of verse 12 differently, for instead of ijrschu eth-scheerith edom they apparently read idrischuni (from darasch to search, to seek) scheerith adam: the result is the translation hopos ekzestousin Me oi katalloipoi ton anthropon, in Slavonic: “that I may be sought by the remaining people.” Thus, according to the translation of the LXX, the prophet speaks not of the possession by Israel of Edom and other nations, but of the conversion to God of all nations. The reading of the LXX corresponds perfectly to the context of the discourse in Chapter IX, gives a thought in agreement with the prophetic worldview, and is confirmed by the words of Apostle James, who cites verse 12 of the prophecy of Amos precisely according to the Greek text (Acts 15:15-17).

Amos 9:13. Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the one treading the grapes shall overtake the one sowing the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. The prophet speaks of the blessings that the restored people of Israel will enjoy following the restoration of the tabernacle of David. The prophet foretells an extraordinary abundance of fruit; because of this, there will no longer be the usual break between field work (“the plowman shall overtake the reaper,” etc.), grape juice will flow directly from the hills covered with vineyards, and the hills on which herds pasture will be covered with such abundant vegetation that as it were milk will flow from them. Instead of the words “the plowman shall overtake the reaper” in the Slavonic it reads: “and the harvest will overtake the picking of grapes”: the LXX omitted the word choresch, plowman, and rendered the phrase bemoscheh hazzarah freely as merkassei en to sporo hesataphyle, grapes will ripen at the time of sowing. The figurative expressions of the original at the end of verse 13 are simplified by the LXX; hence in Slavonic we read: “and the mountains will distill sweetness, and all the hills will be planted.”

Amos 9:14. And I will restore the captivity of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit. Amos 9:15. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them, says the Lord your God. The prophet announces the restoration of cities, the rebirth of former peaceful life, and complete safety from enemies. The prophecy of Amos regarding the restoration of the tabernacle of David and the bestowal of blessings upon the people of Israel is understood by some commentators (Cyril of Alexandria, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Calmet) as a prediction of the return from the Babylonian captivity and the times of Zerubbabel. In particular, the prophecy that Israel will at some time possess the remnant of Edom was fulfilled, in the opinion of Calmet, by the subjection of Edomites to the Jews under Hyrcanus (Josephus, Antiquities 13:1, 1–6). But the prophet in verses 11–15 foresees the outpouring of such an abundance of blessings as never occurred either under Zerubbabel or still less under Hyrcanus. The form of the prophet’s expression (verses 11, 12) shows that he contemplates the same times which are described by similar traits also by other prophets (Isa 11; Hos 2:21-23), that is, the messianic times. In the messianic sense the prophecy of Amos was understood even by ancient Jews, who called the Messiah «bar naphalim, “Son of the fallen,” evidently borrowing this name from verse 11. In the New Testament the prophecy of Amos about the restoration of the tabernacle of David is interpreted by Apostle James in his speech delivered at the apostolic council in Jerusalem (Acts 15:16-17). According to the explanation of the apostle, the prophet foretells the conversion to Christ of all pagan nations and the formation from them of the people of God or the Church, which is obviously the restoration of the tabernacle of David. Following the apostle, the words of the prophet Amos were interpreted in the messianic sense also by Church Fathers. According to the explanation of Saint John Chrysostom, the restoration of the tabernacle of David was accomplished in the “re-creation of the offspring of David in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, the offspring of David according to the flesh and the King of the new spiritual kingdom on earth” (Homilies on Acts 15:16-17). According to the interpretation of Saint Ephrem the Syrian, by the “tabernacle of David” the prophet calls all of humankind, which was brought low by the transgression of the commandment and restored from its fall by Christ, or the Church. The blessed Theodoret understands by the restoration of the tabernacle the Savior’s assumption of humanity from the lineage of David. The times should be referred the verses 13–15, which speak of the bestowal upon the restored people of abundant blessings. The very expressions of the prophet in verses 13–15 show that his speech is not direct and should be understood in a spiritual sense. In the law, an abundance of earthly blessings is promised as a reward to the people for faithfulness to God’s commandments (Lev 26:3-6). Hence, an abundance of blessings becomes for the prophet a symbol of spiritual perfection of the people, their holiness, an image of those spiritual gifts that will be bestowed upon the members of the restored tabernacle of David or the Church of Christ. Church Fathers interpret even the individual features of the image of the glorious future presented by the prophet spiritual Israel. “The prophet means,” says Saint Ephrem the Syrian in the explanation of verses 13–15, “divine blessings and heavenly gifts bestowed upon us after the resurrection of Christ. He calls the churches mountains, and the teaching imparted in them—sweetness. He calls the holy abodes and the hermit caves of those who worship God hills, which flourish in the mountains, engage in glorification.” According to the explanation of Saint Cyril of Alexandria, the words of the prophet about the return of the people from captivity and their settlement forever in their land (verses 14–15) should be referred to the deliverance given by Christ to people from the captivity to the devil and sin and eternal life in the Kingdom of glory. The expression of the prophet in verse 15—and they shall no more be plucked up out of their land—is a prophecy about the Church of Christ, which enemies will persecute but never overcome and never enslave. (Yungerov, pp. 201–202).

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Introduction

The Book of the Prophet Obadiah is the smallest work of Old Testament biblical literature. Its content consists of a vision concerning Edom. The essence of this vision lies in the prediction of Edom’s destruction and the proclamation of salvation on Zion. The prophet hears that a messenger has already been sent to the nations calling them to arise and go forth against Edom in war (Obad 1:7). The prophet perceives that Edom is now diminished and held in contempt (Obad 1:2), laid waste and plundered despite the inaccessibility of the rocky heights on which it dwells (Obad 1:3-6), and even driven to its borders (Obad 1:7). Edom’s former allies have become its enemies (Obad 1:7); the wise men of Edom are destroyed (Obad 1:8), its warriors are seized with fear and the entire people is brought to ruin (Obad 1:9). The cause of such grievous attack upon Edom is its transgression against Judah, namely its treacherous behavior toward a kindred people on the day of their distress (Obad 1:9-14). But for the prophet, Edom is not merely an enemy of Judah but also a representative of the pagan world hostile to God. Therefore, from judgment upon Edom the prophet turns to judgment upon all the pagan world (Obad 1:15-21). In the day of judgment, all nations, in the prophet’s depiction, “will drink and will swallow down and will be as though they had never been” (Obad 1:16). The house of Esau, the Edomites, will then be like straw burning in flame (Obad 1:18), while on Zion there will be deliverance, the house of Jacob will take possession of its inheritance (Obad 1:17), and the Kingdom of the Lord will be established (Obad 1:21).

Nothing is reported concerning the person of the Prophet Obadiah—neither in his book nor in the rest of biblical literature. Some scholars (Augustine, Coccejus) are inclined to consider even the name of the prophet itself to be merely a pseudonym rather than his actual name. However, there are no solid grounds for this. But there is equally no ground for identifying Obadiah the writer of the prophetic book with any other Obadiah mentioned in the Bible (2 Sam 1:13; 2 Chr 17:7), or for accepting as authentic the conflicting reports about Obadiah preserved in ancient literature.

It is very difficult to establish with precision the time of Obadiah’s life and the origin of his book, as the necessary evidence is lacking. In the absence of external testimony regarding the Book of Obadiah, the principal bases on which the question of its origin is decided are ordinarily: 1) the indications in Obad 1:10-14 concerning Edom’s conduct toward Judah at the time of Jerusalem’s capture by enemies, and 2) the fact of close similarity between Obadiah’s prophecy concerning Edom and the prophecy about the same people by Jeremiah (Jer 49:7-22). Yet even these data are of such a nature that they can be interpreted in various ways. In the first place, Jerusalem was plundered by enemies repeatedly: namely under Rehoboam (approximately 975–958) it was taken by the Egyptian pharaoh Sheshonq (1 Sam 14:26; 2 Chr 12:2-4), under Jehoram (approximately 889–882) the Philistines and Arabs captured it (2 Chr 21:16-17), under Amaziah (approximately 839–811) the Israelite king Joash did so (2 Sam 14:13-17; 2 Chr 25:23-24); under Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah the city was seized by the Babylonians (2 Sam 24:1; 2 Chr 36:6-7; Dan 1:1-4). In the second place, the relationship of the Book of Obadiah to the similar passage Jer 49 can be understood in different ways. Hence, there exist in the literature on biblical dating very diverse opinions regarding the time of Obadiah’s origin. Some scholars regard the Book of Obadiah as the most ancient prophetic work (Hoffmann, Orelli, Cornely, Yungerov), while others assign its origin to the period of exile and the post-exilic era (the majority of modern scholars). Of these views, the one that appears most soundly based is that which connects Obad 1:10-14 with the fact of Jerusalem’s conquest under Nebuchadnezzar. The advantage of this view over the others is that it rests not on assumptions but on clear biblical testimony. The fact of the Edomites’ participation in the conquest of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans is noted in the Bible in several places and described precisely with those features that are emphasized in Obad 1:10-14.

The prophet calls the calamity of Jerusalem which he has in mind the “day” of Judah—a fateful day, a day of terrible catastrophe. According to the prophet’s description, Jerusalem was brought to the final extremity, so that lots were already being cast over it (Obad 1:11). The fate that befell Judah then is the fate destined in the day of judgment for all pagan nations and particularly Edom (Obad 1:15-16)—namely, destruction. Only in such terms could the prophet depict the conquest of Judea and Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. The prophet Ezekiel further directly charged the Edomites with delivering the sons of Israel into the hand of the sword “in the time of their calamity, at the time of their final destruction,” and with mocking, saying of the mountains of Israel: “They are desolate! They are given to us to devour!” (Ezek 35:5). In Lam 4:21 the Edomites are charged with rejoicing and being glad at Judah’s misfortune: “Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, O inhabitant of the land of Uz! The cup shall pass to you also; you shall drink it and be stripped naked.” Finally, in Ps 136 the conduct of the Edomites toward Judah’s distress on the day Jerusalem was taken is characterized thus: “Remember, O Lord, the sons of Edom in the day of Jerusalem, when they said, ‘Tear it down, tear it down to its foundation!’” The conduct of the Edomites at Jerusalem’s conquest is described in similar terms also in Obad 1:10-14: “You should not have looked with gladness—gloated over the sons of Judah on the day of their destruction and broadened your mouth on the day of their distress” (Obad 1:12).

Against the exposition of Obad 1:10-14 the usual objection is raised that the prophet does not speak in these verses of the destruction of the temple. But the center of the prophet’s discourse is not the conquest of Jerusalem, of which the destruction of the temple was the principal moment, but rather the conduct of the Edomites during this conquest. Therefore, the mention of the temple’s destruction was not necessary for the prophet. Attention is also drawn (Cornelius, Orelli, Yungerov) to the fact that neither in Obad 1:10-14 nor subsequently does the prophet name the Babylonians by name, and that in general the enemies of Judah in Obad 1:10-14 are called by him the indefinite “sarim”, “nachrim” (“foreigners”, “aliens” – Obad 1:11). In this some see an objection against attributing Obad 1:10-14 to the conquest of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans. Yet by the same reasoning, the indefiniteness of the naming of enemies in the verses under consideration can be taken as an objection against every other interpretation of these verses as well. If the Chaldeans must be named, then the Syrians and Philistines must also be named. According to Nowack’s view, the Chaldeans are not named because by the time the book was written they had ceased to be a historical force.

Another explanation is possible: the enemies are so much in everyone’s view and so well known that there is no need to name them specifically. In any case, the relationship of Judah and Edom (Obad 1:10-14) fits no other historical moment as well as the moment of the hostile actions of the Edomites at the conquest of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. Therefore, 586 BC, the year of Jerusalem’s capture, is the time before which the Book of Obadiah could not have appeared (the terminus a quo).

Besides the data contained in the content of the Book of Obadiah, scholars have long drawn upon, as noted above, the fact of close similarity between Obadiah’s vision concerning Edom and the prophecy about the same people by Jeremiah (Jer 49:1).

The question of the relationship between the Book of Obadiah and Jer 49 is resolved in very different ways. From this it follows that the relationship between the biblical passages in question is difficult to establish with complete certainty. Most reasonably, the similarity between the Book of Obadiah and Jer 49 can be explained by the hypothesis that they are dependent on a third, more ancient source. In any case, the disputed fact of close similarity between the Book of Obadiah and Jer 49, especially given the clarity of the data contained in the Book of Obadiah itself, cannot contradict the conclusion that the Book of Obadiah was written after Jerusalem’s destruction. To establish precisely which moment of the post-exile period the composition of the Book of Obadiah should be assigned to is impossible in the absence of clear evidence. If the closure of the canon is to be attributed to the era of Ezra and Nehemiah, then this time—namely the middle of the fifth century BC—is the terminus ad quem of the Book of Obadiah. Further indication can be drawn from the book’s content. The prophet speaks of Edom’s final destruction as a future event. But by analogy with other prophetic predictions, one must suppose that the immediate occasion for his speech about Edom’s future fate, Obadiah takes from circumstances contemporary to him: such an occasion was provided to the prophet by some devastation of Idumea that occurred in his time. The prophet considers this devastation as a presage and image of the final destruction destined for Edom in the future. In the era of the rise of the Babylonians and then the Persians, Idumea could be devastated repeatedly, since it inevitably had to be drawn into the wars of the Babylonians and Persians with Egypt. Moreover, from the sixth century, Idumea began to suffer from attacks from the south, from Arab incursions, who with time completely expelled the Edomites from their region and occupied Tyre in 312 BC. One of the attacks of the Arab nomadic tribes on Idumea could well have provided the occasion for Obadiah’s discourse.

The Book of the Prophet Obadiah thus belongs to the category of prophecies concerning the fate of foreign nations. Along with the great world monarchies—Assyria, Babylon, Egypt—Edom is a people on whom the prophets more frequently focused attention (cf. Isa 21:11-12; Jer 49:7-22; Ezek 25:12-14, 35 and others). This insignificant people, related by descent to the Hebrews, proud of the wisdom for which it had long been renowned, relying on the inaccessibility of the rocky heights on which it was settled, was always one of the most cruel and implacable enemies of the house of Judah. Hence Edom represents to the prophets a representative of the world hostile to the Kingdom of God, and in their thought concerning the triumph of this Kingdom is joined the thought concerning the defeat of Edom and judgment upon it (Isa 34:1). In revealing the future fate of Edom, Obadiah generally follows the other prophets. There are no peculiarities in the book’s content. Jerome, in characterizing the Book of Obadiah, rightly observes: “It is a minor prophet in the number of verses, not in its thoughts.” In the exposition of the book, biblical scholars note the force of expression, the vividness and purity of Hebrew language (Cheyne, Selbie, Baudissin). Condamine, not without reason, points out that throughout the entire Book of Obadiah the same device is employed—the use of synonymous expressions and even repetition of the same words (Obad 1:1-3). Moreover, Condamine finds in the Book of Obadiah consistent strophic structure throughout. These features of the book’s exposition, as well as the development of its content, give grounds to reject attempts by modern scholars (Nowack, Marti, Wellhausen) to deny the unity of the Book of Obadiah and to break it up into parts belonging to different authors and different eras.

1–9. The future destruction of the nation. 10–14. The reason for Edom’s punishment. 16–20. Judgment over Edom—a proclamation of judgment over the entire world. 21. Salvation on Zion.

Obadiah 1:1. The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom: A report we have heard from the Lord, and a messenger has been sent to announce to the nations: “Arise and let us go up against him in war!” The words “the vision of Obadiah” (in the Slavonic, “Obadiahino”) form the inscription of the book. By the term chazon, “vision,” prophets designate not only revelations received in the form of vision or contemplation (Amos 7; Amos 8:1; Ezek 1 and others), but also revelations perceived in the form of a word (Isa 1:1). It is in this latter sense that the term “vision” is employed in the inscription of the Book of Obadiah. “Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom” (in the Slavonic, “Idumea”): not a different inscription of the book representing a later gloss, but the customary prophetic formula that precedes the speech of Jehovah or confirms the divinely revealed character of the following words of the prophet. “A report we have heard (schamanu) from the Lord and a messenger (zir) has been sent (schullach) to announce to the nations: Arise and let us go up against him in war.” Instead of the plural “schamanu” in the LXX and the Slavonic there is the singular: akohn hkousa, “I heard a hearing,” as also in Jeremiah XLIX (schamathi). The Hebrew text agrees with the Chaldee and Syriac; since the reading “schamanu” is more difficult than “schamathi,” it should be preferred to the latter, although some commentators (Knabenbauer) give preference to the LXX reading. The Hebrew zir the LXX translated as “perioch,” “enclosure”; Symmachus, the Syriac and Chaldee as “aggelian”; the Syriac-hexapla as “angustias”; and the verb “schullach” they punctuated as “schillach”; hence in the Slavonic “the announcement to nations, sent forth.” The relationship of the words “report we have heard” to what precedes is not entirely clear. Assuming that by the words “thus says the Lord God concerning Edom” God’s own speech is introduced, which begins only from verse 2, some commentators (according to Kaspar) consider the second half of verse 1 an introductory clause explaining the circumstances under which the prophet received the revelation. The prophet, they think, wishes to mark that he received the revelation concerning Edom at the moment when he learned of the intention of the nations to attack the Edomites. But the words “thus says the Lord” can also be understood in the sense of a general indication that the revelation communicated by the prophet was received from God. In such case, the end of verse 1 can be considered the beginning of the prophecy concerning Edom’s fate. The prophet speaks in the plural: “we have heard,” because he regards himself as a member of the Israelite people and as their representative. The content of the report heard by the prophet is that the nations are rising up against Edom with war. There is no need to understand the prophet’s mention of “a messenger sent to the nations” as referring to Nebuchadnezzar sending messengers to neighboring nations for the purpose of inciting them to attack the Edomites (Cornelius à Lapide) or to an Angel sent by God to the nations with the same purpose (Knabenbauer). The prophet’s expressions are figurative: war against Edom is inevitable; the prophet, as it were, sees a messenger sent by God, calling the nations to rise up against Edom. The words “Arise and let us go up” etc. are placed by the prophet in the mouth of the messenger, and do not represent an appeal by the Lord (Shedd).

Obadiah 1:2. Behold, I have made you small among the nations, and you are in great contempt. From verse 2 begins the speech of Jehovah proper. “Behold, I have made you small among the nations.” The Slavonic has “Behold, small have I made you among the nations.” Some refer these words “I have made you small” to the past of the Edomites and understand them in the sense of an indication that the Lord did not intend the Edomites to be a great nation, yet they, as appears from what follows (verse 3), presumed to this out of pride (Jerome, Ibn Ezra, Cornelius à Lapide, Bishop Palladius). “You, Edom,” paraphrases Jerome the words of the prophet, “being the smallest among the nations and few in number compared with other nations, speak haughtily beyond your strength.” But such understanding does not correspond to the facts of Edomite history (Numbers XX:15, 9; 2 Sam 8:20). By the words “Behold, I have made you small” is proclaimed a future which, because of its certainty, is represented as already past.

Obadiah 1:3. The pride of your heart has deceived you; you dwell in the clefts of the rocks, in your high place, and say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the earth?” Edom’s future humiliation will be particularly heavy for it because of its arrogance. “The pride of your heart has deceived you (hishshiecha)”: the LXX punctuated the last word as “hissiecha” (from “nasa”) and therefore translated it as “ephre se”; in the Slavonic, “the pride of your heart has lifted you up.” Edom’s pride flowed from its confidence in the inaccessibility of the rocky heights it inhabited. The mountainous Idumea abounded in caves, partly natural and partly artificial. In these caves lived the horites, the earliest inhabitants of Idumea (Gen 14:6; Deut 2:12), and later they were occupied by the descendants of Esau. By the words “behvej-sela,” “in the clefts of the rocks,” the prophet probably means to indicate the chief city of the Edomite kingdom, Sela, the later Petra. Even Pliny testifies to its inaccessibility, remarking: “It was a city surrounded by inaccessible mountains.” “In your high place”: the Hebrew “merom schivto,” with the suffix of the third person should be translated as “on the height of his place”; the LXX instead of “merom” read the participle form “merim” and therefore translated: “exalting his dwelling,” the Slavonic, “raising on high his dwelling.”

Obadiah 1:4. But though you make your nest as high as the eagle and though you set it among the stars, I will bring you down from there, says the Lord. In verse 4 the prophet expresses in strong language “the futility of hope to acquire strength and might apart from God.”

Obadiah 1:5. If thieves came to you, if robbers came by night, would they not steal only as much as they desired? If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave some grapes? Verses 5–6. Through a series of questions and comparisons in verses 5–6 the prophet depicts the extreme degree of devastation destined for Edom. As in verse 2, the coming devastation is spoken of as an accomplished fact on account of its certainty. “Would they not steal only as much…”: The LXX translate the Hebrew “ech nidmethah” as “pou an aperrifhV” (Slavonic: “how would you have been cast down”), reading instead of the verb “damach” (cf. Hos 4:6; Hos 10:7; Isaiah VI:6) the verb “ramah,” to cast down; the Syriac and Vulgate derive “nidmethah” from “dum” (to be silent); hence in the Vulgate, “how would you have been silent,” to be silent. More correctly the Hebrew “ech nidmethah” should be translated: “how are you laid waste,” and the expression should be seen as an exclamation interrupting the flow of speech. Hoonacker calls attention to the fact that this exclamation—“how are you laid waste”—does not fully harmonize with the sense of the questions in verse 5, since the questions are intended to express the thought that Edom would not be so “laid waste” if only thieves and robbers came to him. Therefore Hoonacker supposes that the exclamation “how are you laid waste” has accidentally been transferred from verse 6 to verse 5. Winckler thinks it necessary to transfer the words “ech nidmethah” to verse 4, while Marti omits them entirely. Yet in view of the lyric character of the speech, which allows for digressions in the development of thought, there is no special need for Hoonacker’s and Winckler’s supposition, and there are still fewer grounds for removing the words under consideration from the text. “Grape pickers”—probably thieves who steal grapes.

Obadiah 1:6. How thoroughly Esau has been searched! How his treasures have been discovered! The prophet speaks of Edom now in the third person, though this does not give reason, as Marti does, to consider verse 6 a gloss. “How thoroughly Esau has been searched”: instead of the name of the people, in verse 6 the prophet uses the name of the ancestor of the Edomites—Esau. Since “Esav” is taken in a collective sense, the predicate with it stands in the plural: “nechpesu” (from “chapas”), “have been searched”; in the Russian text the word “thoroughly” has been added. “How his treasures have been discovered,” “niveu rnazpunaj”: the prophet means not only caves generally, in which the Edomites hoped to hide, but also the places where they stored their treasures. The LXX understood “mazpunim” in the sense of “treasures” and translated the entire expression as “and his hidden things have been taken,” Slavonic, “and his treasures have been taken.” As is well known, Edom was renowned for its wealth: according to the testimony of Diodorus (XIX, 95), Petra was a principal point of trade between Syria and Arabia.

Obadiah 1:7. All your allies have driven you to the border; those at peace with you have deceived you and overcome you; those who eat your bread have laid a snare for you. There is no understanding in him! In verse 7 the prophet depicts the conduct of Edom’s allies toward it on the day of its distress. It is difficult to establish the precise meaning of the individual expressions in verse 7. “To the border (ad-haggevul) have they driven you (schilchucha) all your allies (kol anschej berithecha).” The LXX referred the words “kol an. berith.” to the following clause as the subject. The first supposition of verse 7 appears in the LXX as “even to the borders they sent you forth,” Slavonic, “even to the borders have they cast you out.” Scholars interpret the words of the prophet in different ways. In the opinion of some, the prophet wishes to say that the allies drive out the Edomite messengers asking for help to the border, that is, they send them away with nothing (Maurer, Keil), or that the allies, refusing the messengers, escort them with honor to the border (Kleinert). In the opinion of others, the prophet expresses the general thought that the allies will drive Edom to the borders of the earth, that is, take them into captivity (Chaldean), “will drive them not only from the cities but from the very borders of the land” (blessed Theodoret). According to Hitzig, the prophet’s thought is that the allies will drive out even those Edomite fugitives who will seek protection among them on the day of distress. Nowack and Hoonacker suppose that the words “to the border” should be referred to the end of verse 6, which will then read: “his treasures have been searched to the border,” that is, throughout the extent of the land. In view of the difficulty of understanding verse 7, Winckler instead of “ad-haggevul” proposes to read “ad-geval” (to Geval). But obviously nothing is achieved by such correction, just as by Cheyne’s correction, who instead of “ad-haggevul” reads “ir jerachmeel” (city of Jerahmeel), considering these words as a clarification of the preceding “anschej berithecha.” It appears that at the beginning of verse 7 the discourse is about the expulsion of the Edomites from their territory. “Have deceived you (hischschiecha)”: in the LXX “opposed you,” Slavonic, “resisted you.” “Those who eat your bread have laid a snare for you”: an approximate translation of the original, which reads “Lachmcha jasimu mazor thachtecha.” The Hebrew “lachmcha,” omitted in the LXX, should be rendered as “your bread”; the word “those who eat” has been added by Russian translators, while in the Slavonic the expression “those eating bread” is borrowed from the Vulgate. The Hebrew “mazor” in Hosea V means “wound”; the ancient translations render it also with the words “enedra” (LXX), “epidesiV,” “sundemoV” (Aquila), “insidiae” (Vulgate), that is, “deception, plots, destruction.” All the expression should then convey: “your bread they place a wound (plots) under you,” or, as in Aquila: “your bread they shall place in destruction.” The result is an unclear thought, which prompts commentators to suppose in the expression under consideration a corruption of the text and to supplement or correct it. The textual corrections proposed are diverse (cf. Marti, 234). Thus the Vulgate and Russian translation, as also Knabenbauer and Condamine, suppose that in the Hebrew text before “lachmcha” the word “ochelej,” “those who eat” (Vulgate: who eat with you) is omitted. The Syriac text makes the word “lactuncha” dependent on the preceding “anschej schlomecha” (men of peace, those living in peace) and renders: “men of your peace and your bread” (also Ewald, Maurer). Hoonacker proposes instead of “lachmcha” to read “lechimecha” and understand it in the sense: “your allies.” “There is no understanding in him”: in him, that is, in Edom. Apparently the exclamation expresses a conclusion from the relations to Edom described in verse 7: the prophet wishes to say that Edom, which prided itself on its wisdom, did not understand the hypocritical character of the friendship of its allies.

Obadiah 1:8. On that day, says the Lord, I will destroy the wise men from Edom and understanding from the mountain of Esau. Verses 8–9 contain a description of the distress destined for Edom. “On that day”: the word “day” is used by the prophet in a general sense—a time, a period. “I will destroy the wise men from Edom”: according to Job 2:11; Bar 3:22; Jeremiah XLIX Edom was renowned among the nations for its wisdom. “And understanding from the mountain of Esau”: in the LXX, in the Slavonic in the abstract sense—“and wisdom (sunestin) from the mountain of Esau.” The LXX translate verse 8 not in interrogative but in declarative form.

Obadiah 1:9. Your warriors, O Teman, shall be struck with fear, so that all on the mountain of Esau will be cut off by slaughter. Besides the loss of wisdom and understanding, the Edomites, even the bravest among them, will be seized with fear. “Teman”—the usual designation of the southern part of Idumea, sometimes denoting the whole of Idumea (Jeremiah XLIX:7; Jer 25:13). According to Jerome’s testimony, in his time there was also a city of Teman, located at a distance of five miles from Petra and having a Roman garrison. “So that all on the mountain of Esau will be cut off by slaughter (mikkatel)”: The LXX and Vulgate referred the word “mikkatel” to verse 10; therefore, at the beginning of verse 10 instead of one noun “za pritesneniye” (mechamos) in the Slavonic text one reads two—“by slaughter and impiety” (LXX: dia sfaghn kai thn asebeian). The rest of the clause in the Greek-Slavonic text is rendered more accurately than in the Russian, namely—“so that a man shall be cut off (Hebrew: ikkareth isch, Russian: all) from the mountain of Esau.”

Obadiah 1:10. Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. The cause of Edom’s destruction, according to the prophet’s words, is its oppression of Israel, a people related to it.

Obadiah 1:11. On the day when you stood aloof, on the day when foreigners were taking captive his wealth and strangers were entering his gates and casting lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. In verses 11–14 the prophet more specifically points out Edom’s transgressions against Israel, while emphasizing Edom’s kinship with Israel, which aggravates the guilt of the former. “Foreigners were taking captive (schevoth) his wealth (chelo)”: the word “chel” in verse 13 of the Book of Obadiah is used in the sense of possessions, wealth, as understood by the Russian translators (cf. Isa 8:4). In this sense many commentators understand the word “chel” also in verse 11. Although the verb “schabah” (Russian: “take captive”) is ordinarily used with reference to the leading away of people, yet in 2 Chronicles XXI it is used also with reference to the seizure of possessions. Nevertheless, the LXX and Vulgate understand the expression in question of verse 11 as referring to the captivity of Judah’s army. “Casting lots for Jerusalem,” that is, for the division of the captives from Jerusalem and their possessions (cf. Joel 3:3; 2 Chronicles XXI:17). The Slavonic text of verse 11 represents a literal rendering from the Greek: “from that day you opposed them on the day when foreigners were leading away his strength, and strangers entered his gates and about Jerusalem cast lots, and you were like one of them.”

Obadiah 1:12. You should not have gloated over your brother on the day of his ruin; you should not have rejoiced over the sons of Judah on the day of their destruction and should not have enlarged your mouth on the day of distress. The prophet presents his reproval of Edom’s transgression in the form of admonition. “Gloat over the day of your brother,” that is, gloat over the day of your brother’s misfortune. “You should not have enlarged your mouth,” in Hebrew “tegdel pisha” (your mouth), that is, widen it “for mockery” at the misfortune (cf. Isa 57:4). It deserves attention that the prophet designates Judah’s distress through a series of synonyms: “on the day of his estrangement,” “on the day of their destruction,” “on the day of their distress,” and in verse 13—“on the day of his calamity”; the prophet clearly wishes to emphasize the exceptional severity of the catastrophe that befell Judah. In the Hebrew text the speech of the prophet in verses 12–14 refers to an “event already accomplished”; in the LXX and in the Slavonic—to an event “still to happen”: verse 12—“do not overlook the day of your brother,” verse 13—“do not enter the gates…do not overlook…do not take counsel,”—verse 14—“nor stand firm.”

Obadiah 1:13. You should not have entered the gate of my people on the day of their calamity; you should not have watched—even you—their affliction on the day of their ruin, nor should you have looted his wealth on the day of his distress. In verse 13 instead of the words “upon their misfortune” (beraatho) in the Slavonic (do not overlook) “their multitude”: the LXX apparently derived “beraatho” from “rab”—“many”; therefore they translated it as “their multitude.” “Nor should you have looted (al-thischlachnah) his wealth (bechelo)”: the Hebrew “thischlachnah,” representing the second person feminine plural, has no corresponding subject in verse 13; therefore it is considered corrupt; instead of “al-thischlachnah” it is proposed (Ewald, Marti) to read: “al-thischlach jad,” “nor stretch out your hand” (nor loot), as in the Russian translation. The LXX translated the Hebrew “al-thischlachnah bechelo” with the expression “and do not plot against their strength,” Slavonic, “and do not take counsel concerning their might”: “chel,” as in verse 11, is understood by the LXX and also by the Vulgate in the sense of “army.”

Obadiah 1:14. And you should not have stood at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; you should not have handed over those of his who escaped in the day of distress. Not content with participation in the plundering of Jerusalem, the Edomites, as appears from verse 14, lay in wait for Jerusalem’s fugitives and killed them or handed them over to the enemy. “Nor should you have stood at the crossroads (al happerek)”: instead of the word “perek” some (Graetz) read “perez,” understanding it in the sense of “a breach in the wall,” but this sense does not fit the context. The LXX translated “perek” as “exit,” adding the pronoun “of theirs”; hence in the Slavonic—“nor stand firm at their exits.” By “crossroads” in verse 14 there is no need to understand specifically the roads leading to Egypt, where Judeans sought refuge from Babylonian captivity (Schnurrer): the prophet speaks in general of the roads near Jerusalem, as well as of the mountain passes (Marti) through which those fleeing from the enemy entering the city escaped. “Nor should you have handed over (vealthasger) the survivors (seridaj) on the day of distress”: in the LXX the expression reads—“nor shut in those fleeing from him on the day of affliction,” Slavonic, “nor shut in those fleeing from them in the day of grief.” The verb “sagar” means “to shut,” “to enclose,” and in the hiphil form—“to hand over,” “to deliver up”; the LXX translate “sagar” as “shut in” and in Amos 1:6. The prophet probably speaks of the handing over by the Edomites to the enemy of those Judean fugitives who were hiding in Edomite territory (Jer 40:11).

Obadiah 1:15. For the day of the Lord is near upon all nations: as you have done, so shall it be done to you; your treatment will return upon your own head. The prophet proclaims the coming of “the day of the Lord,” that is, the day of judgment, when Edom together with all nations shall receive retribution for its conduct toward the people of God (cf. Numbers XXIV:12–24; 1 Sam 2:10; 2 Sam 23:5-7). The prophet calls this day “near” because he expects the swift punishment of Edom, and every defeat of power hostile to God is part of that terrible moment of God’s judgment which shall be at the end of time. “Your treatment (gemulcha),” that is, “your deed,” your transgressions.

Obadiah 1:16. For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow down, and they shall be as if they had never been. “For as you have drunk (Slavonic: “Because like you have drunk”) upon my holy mountain.” Many commentators refer the words of the prophet to the Edomites and see in them an indication that the Edomites, at the capture of Jerusalem, held orgies on the holy mountain of the Lord, celebrating their victory (Cyril of Alexandria, Shedd, Knabenbauer). Correspondingly, the second half of the comparison—“so all the nations shall drink continually”—is also understood in relation to the Edomites, whereupon the word “drink” is given a figurative meaning: so all the nations shall drink “upon the mountains of Edom” (Koenig), that is, celebrate their victory and the defeat of the Edomites. Other commentators paraphrase the prophet’s thought differently: as you (Edomites) “drank” (held orgies) upon the holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink “the cup” of the wrath of the Lord (in Hoonacker’s interpretation). Apparently, the first half of the comparison in verse 16 should be referred not to the Edomites but to the Jews, and the entire expression should be regarded as figurative language, not as a description of a historical fact: 1) the verb “drank” is used in the plural, while the earlier address to Edom was in the singular (the LXX, however, read in verse 16 “he drank”—you singular); 2) in the second half of the comparison it says: “all nations “shall drink”; since in verse 15 Edom is included among all nations, it means the words “as you drank” are not spoken about Edom; 3) if the first half of the comparison is understood of the Edomites, then the relation of the second half to the first will be strained (“as you feasted, so all nations shall drink the cup of wrath”). Furthermore, the supposed thought in the second half of the comparison by some commentators—that all nations shall drink “upon the mountains of Edom”—is alien to the prophetic worldview. The entire expression of verse 16 should be understood thus: as you (Jews, more precisely—the inhabitants of Jerusalem) drank the cup of wrath upon the holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink this cup of wrath continually (Hebrew: thamid), with the result being their destruction. The expressions “drink” and “drink the cup” in Holy Scripture are often used in a figurative sense—to bear a heavy lot (cf. Jer 25:27-29; Ezek 23:36; Nah 3:11; Matt 20:22). Scholars who consider Obadiah the earliest prophet-writer suppose that the figurative expression “drink the cup” was first used by Obadiah and from him was borrowed by other prophets. In the Vatican codex of the LXX the words “all nations shall drink continually” are omitted; in the Alexandria and Sinai codexes instead of the Hebrew “thamid,” continually, there is “wine,” Slavonic (“all nations shall drink”) wine; it is thought that the LXX instead of “thamid” read “chemer” (Deut 32:14) or, used in later language, “themed,” denoting a particular kind of strong wine (Marti). “They shall swallow down”: the sense of the Hebrew “lau” is uncertain; the LXX translated it as “shall go down” (in the Slavonic “shall drink and descend”), reading perhaps instead of “velau” a similar “vpjardu”; modern commentators accept “lau,” as in Job 6:8; Prov 20:25, in the sense of “to be furious in speech” (Delitzsch), in the sense of “to swallow down,” as in the Russian text, or else read instead of “lau” the verb “nud” (cf. Isaiah XXIV:20; XXIX:9), “shall reel” (Wellhausen, Nowack). The translation accepted in the Russian text gives a thought not fully satisfactory.

Obadiah 1:17. But on Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy; and the house of Jacob shall possess its inheritance. On the day of the Lord, the mountain of Zion will appear as a mountain on which there will be deliverance for the house of Jacob; the mountain will be an inviolable sanctuary. In addition, the house of Jacob will take possession of its inheritance (moraschehem), that is, its former territory. The LXX and Vulgate instead of “morascehchem” read “morischechem” and translated it “those who shall have been dispossessed,” “those who shall possess it”; hence, the end of verse 17 in the Slavonic reads: “and the house of Jacob shall inherit those who had possessed them.” Modern commentators prefer the LXX reading to the Masoretic text. Thus, according to verse 17, the saved house of Jacob shall take possession of those who possessed it, that is, shall have their territory: “shall take possession,” explains blessed Theodoret, “of your (Idumea’s) and other neighboring peoples’ land.” By “house of Jacob,” as in verse 4, the prophet calls Judah (cf. Nah 2:3).

Obadiah 1:18. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, but the house of Esau shall be stubble; they shall burn them and consume them, and there shall be no remnant of the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken it. In verse 18 the prophet compares Judah and the house of Joseph, or Israel, to fire and flame (cf. Isaiah X:17; XXXIII:14), while Esau is compared to straw, wishing to express the thought of the might and superiority of the people of God before their enemies. The possession of the people of God of the inheritance (verse 17) will be, according to the sense of verse 18, such that other nations must either merge with it into one people or undergo destruction. The prophet indicates this by the example of Esau. “And there shall be no survivor (sarid) of the house of Esau,” Slavonic: “and there shall be no fugitive from the house of Esau”: the Hebrew “sarid” in some LXX manuscripts (Vatican) is translated as “fire-bearer,” which Jerome renders as “commissary,” “supplier of provisions,”—in others as “fire-bearer” (Alexander, Cyril, Theodoret, Jerome); by both readings there is expressed the thought that all of Edom shall perish, even those who were with the army but did not directly participate in battle. In some LXX manuscripts the Hebrew “sarid” is translated as “having fled”; hence also in the Slavonic “and there shall be no fugitive from the house of Esau.”

Obadiah 1:19. Those of the Negev shall possess the mountain of Esau, and those of the Shephelah the land of the Philistines; they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. In verses 19 and 20 the thought expressed at the end of verse 17 is explained. The text of verses 19–20 is obscure and in the Russian is translated presumably. “Those of the Negev (vejarschu hannegev) shall possess the mountain of Esau (eth-har esav).” The designation “hannegev” (literally “dry land”), translated by the LXX as the proper noun Nageb, or as a common noun “wilderness” (cf. Gen 13:1; XXIV and others), was originally a “geographical term” and designated that part of southern Judea which in comparison with the rest of Palestine was without water. The border of the “negev” on the north was a chain of hills near Hebron or the mountain of Judah; on the south the “negev” extended to the plateau of Jebel el-Magrah, on the east to southern Ghor and the Arabah, and on the west to the sandy strip along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. With the passage of time, the word “negev” came to designate already the “country of the south.” In the Book of Obadiah the word is used as a geographical term. The word “hannegev” in the Russian translation is taken as the subject of the verb “vejarechu” (“shall possess”), whereupon, in accordance with the plural “vejarechu,” it is rendered freely as the expression “those of the Negev.” Another subject of the same verb “vejarachu” Russian translators consider to be the word standing further “hashshephelah,” translating it as the expression “those of the Shephelah.” The LXX understood the Hebrew text in the same way, leaving the words “negev” (in Nageb) and “hashshephelah” (in the Shephelah and in the valley) without translation; hence in the Slavonic there is: “and shall inherit those in the Negev the mountain of Esau, and those in the Shephelah (LXX: those in the Shephelah) the Philistines.” According to the sense of the Russian and Slavonic texts, those Judeans who live (or will settle) in the southern part of Judea shall possess the mountain of Esau, that is, Idumea, while those settled on the plain shall subdue the Philistines. Modern commentators understand the text of verse 19 differently: namely, they consider the subject of “vejarachu” to be the words of verse 18: “the house of Jacob and the house of Joseph”; they regard “negev” and “hashshephelah” as the direct object of “vejarachu,” and the words “eth-har esav” (“mountain of Esau”) and “eth-pilischthim” (“Philistines”), as apposition to “negev” and “hashshephelah.” The first half of verse 19 in such case will be: “and shall possess (the house of Jacob and the house of Joseph) the Negev—mountain of Esau, and the Shephelah—Philistines” (Nowack, Wellhausen, Hoonacker; while the words “mountain of Esau” and “Philistines” are considered a gloss). The thought is clearer than according to the accepted text. The second half of verse 19 according to our text reads: “and they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, while Benjamin shall possess Gilead.” “The land of Ephraim,” or according to the LXX: “the mountain of Ephraim”—that is, the same as the “land of Samaria,” that is, the territory of the ten-tribe kingdom. According to the Russian text, the subjects of the verb “shall possess” are the words standing in the first half of verse 19: “those of the Negev” and “those of the Shephelah.” The sense of the expression according to the Russian text is that the Judeans shall occupy the territory of the Israelite kingdom, while Benjamin, at the same time, shall possess Gilead, that is, the territory beyond the Jordan. It should be noted that the word “shall possess” after the name of Benjamin has been added by Russian translators; in the original it is not. In the second half of verse 19 the mention of Benjamin causes perplexity in view of the fact that the entire house of Jacob, including Benjamin, has already been mentioned earlier. The LXX eliminated this perplexity, regarding the word “Benjamin,” like the word “Gilead,” not as the subject but as the object of the verb “vejarschu” (shall possess); hence in the Slavonic the second half of verse 19 reads: “and they shall take the mountain of Ephraim, and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin, and Gilead.” The thought has become even more obscure. Modern commentators suppose that 1) the subject in the second half of verse 19, as in the first, should be considered the words of verse 19: “the house of Jacob” and “the house of Joseph”; 2) the words “land of Samaria” should be considered as apposition to the preceding—“land of Ephraim”; 3) instead of the name of Benjamin in the original text should be assumed the name of a land, in relation to which the word “Gilead” is apposition,—namely the name of the land beyond the Jordan (veabarhajarden). The second half of verse 19, in such case, will be read: “and shall possess the land of Ephraim—land of Samaria, and the land beyond the Jordan—Gilead” (Hoonacker). The prophet expresses the thought that the new theocratic kingdom will not only have the former boundaries but will be further expanded (cf. Isa 54:1). In doing so, the prophet indicates the expansion of boundaries separately for the house of Jacob (for the Jews) and for the house of Joseph (for the Israelites).

Obadiah 1:20. The exiles of this host of the sons of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the Negev. In verse 20 the unfolding of the thought of verse 19 concerning the expansion of the boundaries of the new theocratic kingdom continues. The text of verse 20 again raises certain perplexities and is rendered in our Russian translation presumably. “And the exiles (vegaluh) from the army (uchel hasseh) of the sons of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath.” In translating these words in the Russian text the pronoun “hasseh” is omitted; the verb “irschu,” “shall possess,” is added; the word “hachel,” like in the Vulgate, is understood in the sense of “army” (wherein it is assumed that “hachel” is only another spelling of “hachejl” of verse 11). The LXX, probably deriving “hachel” from “chalal,” translated it as “beginning,” and gave the expression a meaning different from the Masoretic text: in the Slavonic “and the beginning of this removal shall be to the sons of Israel.” Modern commentators (Shedd, Orelli, Condamine) ordinarily also understand “hachel” in the sense of “army.” But some give the word a different sense,—namely “fortress” (Hitzig), “sand” (according to Ewald, “chel = chol”; “the exiles from this sand,” that is, “from this shore”). The thought, however, in all the cases indicated becomes unclear; it is incomprehensible why the demonstrative pronoun “hasseh”—“this”—is added to the word “army,” and also why the removal of only the “army” is highlighted, when the entire people was removed. In view of this, Marti proposes to see in “hachel hasseh” a corrupted place name, from which the exiles were displaced. Hoonacker proposes instead of “hachel hasseh” to read “hachalah seh.” Considering “hachalah” as a participle (with the article) from the verb “chul,” used (Gen 8:10; Judg 3:25) in the sense of “to await,” Hoonacker translates the Hebrew words “vegaluth hachel-hasseh” as: “and the exiles, awaiting [return],” from the sons of Israel.” The prophet addresses those who, as he foresees, have not yet returned to their homeland and are awaiting this. The prophet then speaks separately of the sons of Israel and of the captives from Jerusalem. “The land of the Canaanites”: in the Hebrew text unclear “ascher kanaanim,” in the LXX: “the land of the Canaanites,” in the Vulgate “all places of the Canaanites.” The relative pronoun “ascher” (which), not understood in the present connection, gives reason for Nowack and Hoonacker to suppose that after “ascher,” corresponding to the second half of verse 20 (“who are in Sepharad”), in the original text there stood a designation of the locality where the captives dwelt, and further followed a verb, whose object was the word “canaan” (that is, Phoenicia, Isaiah XXIII:8). “As far as Zarephath”: Zarephath—a Phoenician city, located between Sidon and Tyre, known for the miracle performed there by the prophet Elijah, the resurrection of the widow’s son (1 Sam 17:17-23). “And the exiles (vegaluth) from Jerusalem, who are (ascher) in Sepharad (bisepharad), shall possess (irschu) the cities (eth araj) of the Negev.” The discourse is about captives from Jerusalem, living in Sepharad. It is said that they,—it is presumed—uniting with the house of Jacob, shall take possession of the southern cities. It is not known precisely what the prophet means by the name “Sepharad.” The LXX instead of this designation read: “as far as Ephrata,” Slavonic, “as far as Ephrata.” The Targum, the Syriac translation, Ephrem the Syrian, medieval rabbis, and some Christian commentators understood “Sepharad” in the sense of a distant land, namely Spain. In the Vulgate “bisepharad” is translated as “in Bosphorus,” and in the commentary Jerome reports that he learned of the identity of Saphara with Bosphorus from a Jew who assisted him in his studies. Modern commentators identify the designation “Sepharad” with the “Sparda” or “Spharda” mentioned in Persian inscriptions—the name of a people or region, understood as Media or the city of Sardis (Hitzig, Knabenbauer), or with Sparta (Keil), whose name could have been known to the Jews through the Phoenicians. Lenormant and Schrader identify “Sepharad” with the “Schaparda” mentioned in Sargon’s inscriptions, a region in the southeastern part of Media (Sayce, The land of Sepharad. Expositor’s Times. 1902, 4, 303). Hoonacker proposes to read instead of “Sepharad”—“Sepharah” and consider this designation a singular form of the Sepharvites mentioned in the Bible (2 Sam 17:24; XVIII:34) or Babylonian Sippar. Winckler and following him Marti identify Sepharad with “Separda” of cuneiform literature and regard it, having come into use from the time of Persian rule, as the designation of Asia Minor and, especially, Phrygia. “Cities of the Negev” (hannegev), in the Slavonic according to the LXX, “cities of the Negev.”

Obadiah 1:21. Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule the mountain of Esau, and the Kingdom shall be the Lord’s. “Saviors shall go up (moschilim) to Mount Zion (behar zion)”: as formerly, in the time of the Judges, the Lord raised up saviors for His people (Judg 3:9; 2 Sam 13:5; Nehem 9:27), so in the future He will deliver the people through the mediation of extraordinary men, while Edom shall be subjected to God’s judgment. Such saviors of the people, preparing the Kingdom of God, were Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Maccabees (Knabenbauer and medieval Catholic interpreters). Marti sees in the prophet’s expression “and they shall go up to Mount Zion, saviors,” an indication that these saviors will come not from Jerusalem but from the province, as the Maccabees came from Modein. The LXX, as well as Aquila and Theodotion, read the Hebrew “moschilim” (saviors) as “noschaim” or “muschaim” and therefore translated it as “being saved” and “saved” (Aquila, Theodotion), Slavonic, “saved ones”; they read “behap zion” as “from the mountain of Zion,” Slavonic, “from the mountain of Zion.” “To rule the mountain of Esau”; in the Slavonic, “to exact vengeance (tou ekdikhsai) upon the mountain of Esau.” Marti calls attention to the fact that in the preceding verses there was already spoken of the destruction of Edom; therefore the thought of judgment over Edom appears to him unnecessary, and the expression “to rule the mountain of Esau” Marti strikes out as a gloss. But in the figurative speech of the prophet this expression is not a contradiction: it is only a new expression of the idea being developed by the prophet of the future exaltation of the people of God. Regarding the fulfillment of Obadiah’s prophecy, the following should be noted. Pressed from the sixth century by Arabs in the north, the Edomites gradually occupied southern Palestine, so that Hebron became an Idumaean city. From this time began the struggle of the Jews with the Edomites, reaching its highest development in the era of the Maccabees. In 165 BC Judas Maccabeus took Hebron from the Edomites (1 Macc 5:3), and in 126 BC John Hyrcanus completely subjugated the Edomites, forcibly converting them to Judaism (Antiquities XII; VIII, 1; XIII; IX, 1; 1 Macc 4:28-61; 2 Macc 10:15). From this time began the merger of the Idumaeans with the Jews, and after the destruction of Jerusalem the very name of the Edomites disappeared. The facts noted can be regarded as the fulfillment of Obadiah’s prediction in verses 17–21 of the Jews’ possession of the mountain of Esau. In general, however, the prophet’s speech concerning the future of Edom and Judah is figurative in character and it is difficult to connect it with specific historical facts. Concerning the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about the “destruction” of Edom, see K. Keil. Proofs of the Truth of the Christian Faith. St. Petersburg. 1870. pp. 298–360.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Introduction

About the Book of the Prophet Jonah

Information about the prophet Jonah, like that of most Old Testament divinely-inspired writers, is marked by great scarcity. The book bearing his name, while providing detailed accounts of his mission—his embassy and preaching in Nineveh—says little about Jonah himself, noting only that he was “a Hebrew, a worshipper of the God of heaven, the son of Amitai” (Church Slavonic: Amaphii). A valuable supplement to this information is provided by the fourth book of Kings. In describing the expansion of the boundaries of the Kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam II, it remarks that this was accomplished “by the word of the Lord God of Israel, which He spoke through His servant Jonah, son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher” (2 Sam 14:25). This remark resolves for us an important question about the time of life and place of the prophet Jonah’s ministry. Coming from Gath-hepher, he was therefore descended from the tribe of Zebulun, in which this city was located (Josh 19:13), and belonged to the prophets of the Kingdom of Israel. His name is connected with the reign of Jeroboam II, who ascended the throne in 835 BC and occupied the Israelite throne for 41 years (2 Sam 14:23). The war with Syria, as a result of which the boundaries of the Israelite kingdom were expanded according to Jonah’s prediction, should be dated to the beginning of Jeroboam II’s reign, since it was begun by his predecessors (Jehoahaz and Jehoash) and merely brought to a successful conclusion by him. Thus Jonah’s life must be pushed back to an earlier period. If Jonah’s prophecy was fulfilled at the beginning of Jeroboam II’s reign, then it was uttered earlier, during the reign of Jehoash that preceded it. To this king the prophet Elisha, before his death, predicted that he would defeat the Syrians, but only “not to the end” (2 Sam 13:14-20). Jonah’s prophecy concerning the final victory over Syria and the restoration of the ancient boundaries of the Israelite kingdom thus appears as a continuation and complement to Elisha’s prophecy, and was most likely spoken to this same Jehoash as consolation. From the foregoing it follows that the prophet Jonah lived in the middle of the ninth century BC; consequently in the time of his ministry he was the most ancient of the prophets who left us their writings. He was the younger contemporary of Elisha and possibly even of the prophet Elijah and their successor in prophecy. Jewish tradition not without reason considers him a disciple of the prophet Elisha, having received training in those prophetic schools that were founded by Elijah (2 Sam 2:2-6; 2 Sam 6:1-8); it identifies him with that impetuous young man whom Elisha sent to anoint Jehu as king (2 Sam 9:1-10). Another tradition, transmitted by blessed Jerome, considers the prophet Jonah to be the son of the widow of Zarephath, raised to life by Elijah (1 Sam 17:17-23). These traditions, establishing a connection between Jonah and the great Israelite prophets—Elijah and Elisha—have been received by the Orthodox Church and are included in the liturgical service for this prophet on September 22. We have no further information about the activity of the prophet Jonah beyond the account in his book about his preaching in Nineveh. The other places in Scripture where Jonah is mentioned (Tob 14:8; 3 Macc 6:6; Matt 12:41; Luke 11:30-32) only confirm this fact. Regarding the end of the prophet’s life and his death, we learn from tradition. According to one account, the prophet Jonah remained to live in Nineveh after his preaching there until the end of his life, and died there. His tomb is still pointed out on a high hill near the village of Mosul, where the ruins of Nineveh were uncovered. According to another tradition, Jonah returned from Nineveh and died in his homeland in Gath-hepher. Here, as near Nineveh, a venerated tomb of the prophet is found. This latter version concerning the prophet Jonah’s death is confirmed by the words of the third book of Maccabees, that God “showed Jonah after his stay in the belly of the whale to all his relatives unharmed” (3 Macc 6:6). This means he returned to his homeland.

Concerning the nature and origin of the book of the prophet Jonah. The question of the nature of the book of the prophet Jonah is answered differently in exegetical literature. The most ancient opinion, relying on direct testimony of the biblical text, considers the book of the prophet Jonah to be a historical narrative, conveying an account of actual events and persons. Another opinion, developed and widely argued in critical literature, does not recognize Jonah’s book as genuine history, because much in it appears extraordinary, incomprehensible in its miraculous character, and historically incredible. Defenders of the second opinion regard the book of the prophet Jonah as a more or less fictional work. Some see in it an account of a vision that came to the prophet, others consider it a fable, allegory, or parable told for moral instruction, still others accept it as a legend that embellished a simple and natural fact with miraculous and incredible details. We will not pause to discuss how successfully the book of the prophet Jonah can be equated with the literary forms mentioned above and found in Scripture (see the Introduction for that); the very diversity of attempts to present Jonah’s book not in the form of a historical account shows that none of them was entirely satisfactory. All these attempts flow from the idea that it is impossible to regard the events recounted in Jonah’s book as having actually happened. In explaining the text of the book, we will try to remove obstacles to its historical understanding, and for now we offer external testimony in favor of its historical character.

The most ancient testimony in favor of the historical character of Jonah’s book we find in the books of Tobit and Third Maccabees. In them is attested a historical understanding of the two principal facts of Jonah’s book, most often met with objection: the prophet’s stay in the belly of the whale (3 Macc 6:6) and his preaching in Nineveh (Tob 14:8). Then Josephus Flavius, in recounting the contents of Jonah’s book in his “Jewish Antiquities” (Иона 9:2), considers it to be genuine history. Only if Jonah’s book were historical in character would it have been possible for it to be included in the canon of sacred divinely-inspired books by the Old Testament church; a work that was fictional or distorting reality could not have enjoyed such great respect. Following the Old Testament church, the early Christian church also understood and interpreted Jonah’s book in the historical sense. In this matter it followed the unquestionable authority of Jesus Christ Himself. In response to the Pharisees’ demand that He show them miraculous signs, He said that the fact of Jonah’s staying in the belly of the whale should serve as the greatest sign for them: “for as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights” (Matt 12:40). These words of the Savior could have had their convincing force only if He was speaking of an actual fact. Another miracle analogous to it and necessarily historical (not fictional) could serve as a sign of the miracle of Christ’s resurrection. In the same way the Savior attested the historical character of another event in Jonah’s book—the repentance of the Ninevites. He said: “The Ninevites will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here” (Luke 11:32). The Savior could set the Ninevites as an example of responsiveness to God’s word to His contemporaries only when both He Himself and His listeners regarded the account in Jonah’s book as genuine history.

But the book of the prophet Jonah is not only a historical narrative, but also at the same time a prophetic writing. Its prophetic and typological meaning is indicated in the words of the Savior cited above (Matt 12:40). Jonah by his three-day stay in the belly of the whale prefigured the Savior’s three-day stay in the heart of the earth. This is the main point of the book, but nonetheless one cannot limit all of the prophetic meaning of the book to this, for in that case all the remaining content of the book, except chapter II, would be a completely unnecessary addition, inexplicably told. Moreover, the typological meaning of the book pointed out by the Savior would have been understood only by Christians, not by Jews—whereas it was the Jewish church that included it among the prophetic books. In light of all this, the prophetic meaning and significance must be found not only in individual parts of the book, but in the whole of it, in the fundamental idea developed throughout the entire book. This idea is that salvation through repentance can be granted by God not to Jews alone, but also to pagans. Jehovah is not the national God of the Hebrews alone, but God of all peoples. Theocracy (the manifestation of God) extends to all humanity; pagans will enter God’s Kingdom, because the path to it is one for all—moral perfection. Unfolding this idea in a historical narrative, Jonah’s book prepared the Jews for assimilating the chief Messianic idea about the spiritual and universal character of the Messiah’s Kingdom. In Jonah’s age this idea first so clearly illumined the religious consciousness of the Jews and, as the example of Jonah himself shows, was adopted by them with great pain, after a heavy struggle with their narrowly nationalist prejudices. Subsequent prophets down to John the Baptist continued to teach about the salvation of all people in the Messiah’s Kingdom, that is, to develop the fundamental idea of Jonah’s book, and this constituted the chief task of their prophetic ministry. Thus the book of the prophet Jonah must be recognized as the first by time and content of the prophetic books.

Regarding the origin of Jonah’s book, as well as its nature, representatives of critical exegesis express very diverse opinions. With great effort they seek in the book signs of its later origin, and on this basis date the time of its writing—some to the Assyrian captivity, others to the time of the Judahite king Josiah or to the period of the Babylonian captivity, still others believe it was written in the post-exilic period, possibly even in the time of the Maccabees. In our exposition of the book we shall note that those places in it which are seen as evidence of its later origin do not actually contain such indications; for now let us concentrate on the positive side of the question. The book of Jonah was known to Ben Sira, who speaks of the Twelve Minor Prophets (Sir 49:12); Tobit is familiar with its contents (Tob 14:8). It could not have been written later than 430 BC, the time the Old Testament canon was closed, since it was included in it. From the character of the book’s content, it is most probable that it was written by the prophet Jonah himself. No one besides him could have known and so vividly portrayed the most secret movements of his inner life, and particularly such movements as did not serve to his credit. The author of the book was undoubtedly in Nineveh, became familiar with its life and customs. The language reveals in him an Israelite, not a Judahite. It is true that Jonah is spoken of in the book in the third person, but this is the custom of many sacred writers to put themselves in the shadows and to bring to the foreground God’s word acting through them.

Chapter One

1–2. The mission of the prophet Jonah to Nineveh, 3. his attempt to avoid this mission, and 4–16. God’s punishment for this.

Jonah 1:1. And the word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittai, “And it came to pass” (vajehij)—thus many books of the Old Testament begin (Josh 1:1; Ruth 1:1; Judg 1:1; 1 Sam 1:1; and others), and on the basis of such a beginning it is incorrectly concluded that the book of the prophet Jonah is not a complete work but a fragment. “The word of the Lord”—the customary designation in Scripture of divine revelation communicated precisely to prophets (Isa 2:1; Jer 1:1; Hos 1:1; Zeph 1:1; Mic 1:1; Hag 1:3; Zech 1:9, and others). As for the form of this revelation, there are no indications of it in this case. By analogy with other places in Scripture where this expression is used, one can understand this word as a simple inner impulse which a person senses not as his own, but as coming to him from outside, from a higher power, namely from God. If, therefore, the revelation that came to the prophet Jonah was not accompanied by any extraordinary signs, but occurred entirely within him, it becomes understandable how the prophet could have resolved to disobey the “word of the Lord.” “To Jonah, son of Amitai” (Church Slavonic: Amaphii). The name of the prophet—“Jonah” (from the verb janah in the passive sense—to be oppressed) according to the explanation of blessed Jerome means an oppressed being, one who groans, and then a moaning dove. He is called the son of Amitai without doubt by patronymic, not in a metaphorical sense—“son of truth” (amitai with the Hebrew meaning truth), as the rabbis explain it (D. Kimchi, I. Abarbanel), to confirm the Jewish tradition identifying Jonah with the son of the widow of Zarephath, raised to life by the prophet Elijah (1 Sam 17:17-23).

Jonah 1:2. Rise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me. “Rise, go to Nineveh…” The mission of a Hebrew prophet with preaching to heathen Nineveh seems to many to be an unprecedented event in the history of Hebrew prophecy, contradicting even the very purpose of prophetic ministry, which was established to preserve the true religious life in the Hebrew people alone, and therefore even incredible. One cannot deny, certainly, that the immediate task of Old Testament prophets was to “be watchmen over the house of Israel” (Ezek 3:17), but in keeping with the fact that the Hebrew people had a universal purpose, prophetic ministry too must have fulfilled not only national but also universal tasks. And we can point to many examples of prophetic word being directed straight at heathen nations and calling them to amendment and participation in salvation (Isa 13:1-24:1; Jer 46:1-51:1; Ezek 25:1-32:1). If that is so, there is nothing strange in Jonah’s mission to Nineveh, when other prophets prophesied about Egypt, Edom, Moab, Syria, Babylon, and even Nineveh itself (Nah 1:1-3:1; Zeph 2:13-15). “Call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” The Hebrew “ki,” translated in this verse as “for” (Church Slavonic: yako, Latin: quia), more often means not a causal connection but the conjunction of a dependent clause—“that.” Translating thus in this place, we get an indication of the content of Jonah’s preaching in Nineveh: call out that their evil has come up before me. In this way, Jonah’s preaching in Nineveh must have contained not merely a prediction of its speedy destruction, as might appear from (Jonah 3:4), but also a rebuke of their evil deeds, undoubtedly accompanied by a call to repentance and therefore to salvation. The prophet Jonah himself understood his mission in this way, which is why he fled from it, so as not to be a messenger of salvation to the heathen; similarly, Jesus Christ points to the repentance and salvation of the Ninevites as the fruit of Jonah’s word (Matt 12:41). This understanding is confirmed by the Hebrew verb “kara” used here, which means not to predict the future, but to preach in the broad sense of the word, to proclaim, to make known what God has commanded.

Jonah 1:3. And Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. “And Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” By Tarshish, to which Jonah fled, must be understood the country inhabited by the descendants of Tarshish, son of Javan (Gen 10:4). Initially the descendants of Tarshish settled in Cilicia, where they built the city of Tarsus; however, in this case we must understand not the Tarsus near Palestin, but rather distant Spain, the chief center of Phoenician maritime commerce (Isa 23:1-14; Jer 10:9), from whose name ships of distant sailing were called Tarshish ships (Ps 47:8; 1 Sam 10:22). The impulse for Jonah to flee to Tarshish was undoubtedly that he wished by this to divert the mission to Nineveh from himself. The example of attempting to avoid a divine mission in the history of Old Testament prophets is not unique (Exod 3:11; Jer 1:6), but it is peculiar in its motives and in part in its form (flight). The prophet decided not to go to Nineveh because he did not want its salvation, did not want this salvation to be accomplished through him. “That is why I fled to Tarshish,” he says in exasperation when he saw that Nineveh was not destroyed, “for I knew that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and compassionate” (Jonah 4:2). Are such thoughts and feelings worthy of an Old Testament prophet and can they be imagined as traits of the character of God’s messenger? To answer this question correctly, we must free ourselves from the prejudiced view by which biblical sacred figures, to preserve their halo of holiness, are presented to us in a kind of spiritual immobility. We must remember that biblical saints are “men like us in all respects” (Acts 14:15); therefore their moral height they attained not all at once, not without struggle and suffering, not without dependence on the influences of the time and environment surrounding them. And the prophet Jonah was a man of his own time and people. The Jews then generally thought that all pagans were enemies of Jehovah and deserved only His anger and punishment. The law itself partly fostered this attitude toward them, with the purpose of turning them away from all things pagan. It was quite natural, then, that the prophet Jonah before his calling thought about pagans as his compatriots did. Now, when the voice of God within him called the prophet to go with a message of repentance and salvation to the Ninevites, his soul was seized by a profound struggle. He must overcome the narrow religious nationalism ingrained in him from birth, according to which only the Jews were considered God’s people, and acquire the opposite view, that God has mercy for all, that pagans too are called and capable of receiving God’s salvation. The prophet could not go to preach in Nineveh without penetrating to this conviction, his obedience to Jehovah could not be automatic. And so the prophet does not hide from us the human weakness that he displays in this spiritual struggle: without extraordinary signs from God he could not reeducate himself, and therefore determined to “flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” The prophet probably chose this method of avoiding the mission because he supposed that beyond the boundaries of the promised land, as a place of special presence of God (“the presence of God”, cf. Gen 4:14), he would no longer hear within himself the voice calling him to preach to the pagans. The Orthodox Church in its hymn supplements the remark made about the prophet Jonah’s motives for flight by saying that the prophet fled “lest the prophecy be falsified” (canon of Andrew of Crete). That is, the prophet Jonah had no confidence in the sincerity and durability of the repentance of the pagans and thought that, having received salvation for a momentary repentance and then returning again to their sins, they would laugh at the unfulfilled prophecy spoken against them, mock the impotence of the Hebrew God, and insult Him. In this way, the prophet’s flight was not a conscious resistance to God’s will, but a manifestation of special zeal for the glory of Jehovah before the pagans. “And came to Joppa”—the only harbor the Hebrews had since the time of Solomon (See concerning it 2 Chr 2:16; 1 Esd 5:53; 1 Macc 10:76).

Jonah 1:4. And the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break apart. “And the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea.” Tempests on the Mediterranean Sea and especially off the coast of the Joppa harbor are a common occurrence. According to the testimony of Josephus Flavius (“On the Jewish War” II, 9, 3) and modern travelers (de-Solis, Noroff) the roadstead of the Joppa harbor and in general the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean are subject to winds, so that here frequent disturbances are observed. In view of this, Jonah’s book is often reproached for an excess of the miraculous. It is said that such natural phenomena as the rising of a storm on the sea and its cessation (Jonah 1:4), the swallowing of a man by a great fish (Jonah 2:1), the noonday heat, a scorching wind, a worm eating into plants (Jonah 4:6-8), which occur through natural forces and the laws of nature, are presented in the book as special acts of God, accomplished by God’s direct command. In this way, for the full naturalness of the phenomenon, it is considered necessary to eliminate any thought of God’s participation in the workings of nature. Such is undoubtedly the widespread view of our time, but not such is the religious view of the world. According to the latter, everything that occurs in the world, as the so-called laws and forces of nature, is at the same time the work of God, ruling the world. The very laws of nature constitute not something entirely separate from God’s will, but are viewed as the expression of the Creator’s will regarding nature. In this understanding, there is nothing strange in the fact that a person presents even natural phenomena as occurring by God’s will and passes over the laws of nature, as only intermediate causes. In Jonah’s book, as a work having religious and moral purpose, such mention is more than appropriate (although in it natural factors of natural phenomena are also mentioned: the wind producing the storm, the worm eating into plants). On the basis of this one can only note the religiosity of its author, and not criticize it for an excess of the miraculous and alleged incredibility of the narrative.

Jonah 1:5. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. “Then the mariners were afraid and each cried to his god.” The mariners were not chance passengers on the ship, but men for whom sailing was a livelihood, from Hebrew malahijm—rowers, oarsmen. They were undoubtedly heathens and probably came from Phoenician coastal cities. In the religion of all coastal peoples generally, prominent place was occupied by gods of the sea and water, and to them, naturally, the mariners appealed with prayers for deliverance from the raging waves. At the same time, they did not neglect natural means of deliverance: “And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them.” “But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.” The behavior of the prophet seems strange: while the others on the ship in fear for their lives are praying for deliverance, he goes to the hold and calmly falls asleep. This happened because the text’s author in this place speaks of a later moment before an earlier one, employed the device hysteron proteron, as in verse 10 and Jonah 4:5. In reality, the prophet Jonah undoubtedly went to rest before the storm occurred. Exhausted by the internal struggle occurring in him and perhaps by hasty travel to Joppa, having calmed himself by the decision finally made, Jonah “was fast asleep.” Some commentators understand the entire subsequent narrative up to and including chapter II as a dream that came to the prophet. However, there is absolutely no basis in the text for this supposition, and the historical authenticity of the narrative in chapter II is no less attested than other parts of the book (See the Introduction for this).

Jonah 1:6. So the captain of the ship came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call upon your God! Perhaps this god will give a thought to us, that we do not perish.” In this verse one need not be troubled by the fact that the ship’s captain, a heathen, addresses an unbeliever, a Hebrew, with the request that he pray to his God, and expresses hope of obtaining deliverance from Him. A heathen polytheist, alongside his own gods, acknowledged the real existence of the gods of other peoples. In particular, Scripture speaks of cases where heathens acknowledged Jehovah as the God of the Hebrews more than once (2 Sam 18:25; Ezra 1:2-3), and we have the same thing in this place.

Jonah 1:7. And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this calamity has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. “So they said to one another, ‘Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this calamity has come upon us.’” In ancient times it was a widespread belief that extraordinary calamities befall people because of some great sins (Job 4:8-11). Sharing this belief, the mariners decided that the great storm had come upon them because of some extraordinary sin committed by someone aboard the ship. They sought to discover the culprit by casting lots. This custom existed among many ancient peoples, both pagan and Hebrew, and both believed that not blind chance decided the matter, but God (or the gods) controlled the lots (Josh 7:14; 1 Sam 10:20-23; Acts 1:26; Cicero, De natura deorum, 3:36). “So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.” Thus the book of the prophet Jonah gives us to understand that not only those casting the lots believed that God controlled them, but in reality this was the case.

Jonah 1:8. Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this calamity has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” Contains a series of questions which the mariners addressed to Jonah after the lot pointed to him as the cause of the calamity. These questions were probably asked from different sides and by people in a state of agitation, so there is no strict sequence in them. The first question: “on whose account has this calamity come upon us?” is absent in some codices (Cod. 115), and in others (384) it stands in the margin; it should be understood not as a question to Jonah about some third person, but as directed at him: who are you, speak up? The following questions concern the origin of the prophet Jonah, his occupation and immediate intentions (the latter is clear from the addition in the Church Slavonic text: “Where are you going?”) In all this the mariners thought to find something that would shame Jonah and explain to them why the lot fell upon him.

Jonah 1:9. And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” We must suppose that the words cited constitute only the beginning of Jonah’s speech aboard the ship; then Jonah sincerely told about his mission to Nineveh and his flight from the presence of Jehovah, as is evident from the second half of verse 10. The storm that had occurred and the lot that had fallen upon him must have struck the prophet more than the rest on board; in them he saw signs of God’s infinite greatness and his own wrongness; both of these he sincerely confesses before the heathens, first clarifying to them that the God of the Hebrews is the God of the whole universe (heaven, sea, and dry land), only upon acquiring this idea could the heathens understand all the rest in his speech: what concern does Jehovah have with Nineveh and why is it terrible to disobey such a God.

Jonah 1:10. Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. It conveys the impression the mariners received from the prophet’s speech. They “were exceedingly afraid… for the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord,” meaning that their fear was religious, before Jehovah; they were afraid of His greatness and might. Undoubtedly, the mariners also sensed that before them stood not an ordinary man, but one chosen by God to receive a revelation from Him, although heavily guilty before Him; this is evident from the whole subsequent relationship of the mariners to the prophet Jonah (verses 12–14).

Jonah 1:11. Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. “Then they said to him, ‘What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?’” In the usual case, the mariners of course knew what they must do with a man who had incurred the anger of the gods and brought great calamity, but this was no usual case. Before them stood not a great sinner, but one chosen by God, truly bearing heavy guilt before God, but they hardly clearly understood it (see verse 14); the God who had punished them, Jehovah, was so unlike their pagan gods that they did not dare to appease Him in the usual pagan ways. Therefore, they turned to the prophet, asking him to pronounce judgment upon himself and to indicate a way to appease Jehovah.

Jonah 1:12. He said to them, “Take me and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” “Take me and hurl me into the sea… for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” In this answer from Jonah, first of all, is evident his deep consciousness of his guilt before God. Because of his consciousness of his extraordinary guiltiness, he wishes to be punished in an extraordinary manner, as the storm and the lot indicated: “hurl me into the sea.” There is not the slightest display here of bravado about his life, nor extraordinary pride and self-love, by which the prophet supposedly wishes to die sooner than go against conviction to preach to the heathens, and thus continue to dispute with Jehovah “even to death.” Death in the waves of the sea appears to the prophet Jonah as the only way out to save his innocent fellow travelers, whom he certainly pitied: “hurl me into the sea and the sea will quiet down for you.” In this case the prophet performed an act of the highest love for people (John 15:13) and his person appeared before us in all its immeasurable height.

Jonah 1:13. Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Jonah 1:14. Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood; for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” Jonah 1:15. So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. The mariners did not at once carry out Jonah’s judgment against himself. First they tried to use all means to save the prophet by putting him ashore. When this failed, before hurling him into the sea, they addressed a fervent prayer to Jehovah, asking Him not to count “innocent blood” against them. Here one is struck by the sympathy the men aboard showed for Jonah and their deep religiosity. It is said that in this place, as later in the account of the Ninevites (Jonah 3:5-9), the heathens in Jonah’s book are idealized. What is recounted of them is both incredible in itself and incredible that it was written by Jonah or anyone close to him in time, for the negative attitude of the Jews toward pagans is well known. Thus, on a small foundation a great conclusion is built about the inauthenticity of the book, its later origin, and the legendary rather than historical character of its content. But what is incredible in the fact that the heathens on the ship turned out to be good men, capable of expressing sympathy for a man who, for their salvation, determined to suffer alone? What is incredible in the fact that sailing on the sea amid dangers taught them to pray? But it is pointed out that they prayed not only to their own gods, but also to Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews (verse 14). Indeed, in the use of God’s names, the author of Jonah’s book is very precise: when speech concerns God in general, as the Almighty Creator and Master of all, he uses the divine name Elohim (Jonah 1:5-6), while when God is spoken of in His relationship to the prophet Jonah, as the God of the Hebrew people, He is called Jehovah (Jonah 1:1). Therefore, in verse 14, where “Jehovah” stands, one must understand that the ship’s crew prayed to the God of the Hebrews, the God of Jonah, because they asked that He not count Jonah’s death against them, and it would be strange if they asked this of their own gods. If there is nothing of incredible idealization in the place we are examining, but only truth about the heathens, then such truth Jonah could fully have written, for he did not fear to speak it even in the face of death (verse 12).

Jonah 1:16. And the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. “And they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.” Jewish tradition says that those aboard the ship became proselytes to Judaism. There is nothing incredible in this. The power of Jehovah they saw with their own eyes and confessed it in their prayer: “for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you” (verse 14); saved by Him (not by their own gods) from evident death, they felt themselves obligated to Him, and therefore “made vows.” However, the text speaks only of the fact that those aboard were seized by religious enthusiasm; this after everything that had happened cannot be subject to doubt.

Chapter Two

1–11. The swallowing of the prophet Jonah by the great whale and Jonah’s prayer.

Jonah 2:1. And the Lord appointed a great whale to swallow Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights. The fact of the prophet Jonah’s three-day stay in the belly of the great whale is the central point of his book, around which all the rest of its content is grouped; at the same time, because of its nature, this event appears to extend beyond all bounds of belief. Met with perplexity or fierce attack, it has been subjected to various kinds of reinterpretation and distortion perhaps more than any other place in Scripture. In light of this, we shall dwell upon it at greater length. The chief efforts of critics are directed toward demonstrating the impossibility of the fact of the three-day stay of Jonah in the belly of the whale as an actually historical event, and to prove that it must be considered a fiction. To achieve this goal, attempts are made to present the whole book as a fictional work with some moral purpose, and to equate it in literary form sometimes to a parable, sometimes to a fable, sometimes to an allegory. Without pausing to discuss how successfully Jonah’s book can be identified with the above-mentioned and biblically occurring forms of creative fiction (see the Introduction for that), we shall first point out that to call the account of Jonah’s three-day stay in the belly of the whale a fiction does not settle the question. One must still say whence this fiction came. A fiction does not appear from nothing; even the richest imagination takes its images and pictures, or rather the elements of fiction, from reality; it is impossible to invent something that would not appear in reality in any form or resemblance whatsoever. This principle is difficult to dispute, so the theory of pure fiction has in recent times found few defenders. Another view is beginning to prevail, according to which it is considered necessary to place the content of Jonah’s book in some relationship to reality, and making this concession, the narrative of Jonah’s book is called a legend or myth. In this case, it is supposed that some real historical event lies at its base, or some phenomenon, but remaining for a long time in oral tradition, it has been so embellished and distorted by popular imagination that about this historical foundation of the narrative one can only with difficulty guess. To not be making unsupported claims, defenders of this view attempt to free the content of Jonah’s book from later layers of imagination and to find its historical kernel, with some pointing to the life of the prophet Jonah or generally to Hebrew history for this historical basis, while others turn to the narratives of pagan mythology. According to the opinion expressed even by Jewish rabbis and then by Protestant exegetes, one has only to free Jonah’s book from miraculous details, and before us appears the authentic history. Jonah, they say, was truly sent to preach in Nineveh, but disobeyed God and sailed to Tarshish; during the voyage, a storm truly did occur, but no miracle happened, but simply the ship suffered wreck, and Jonah unexpectedly for himself was saved. This shipwreck and deliverance were understood by Jonah as a warning from above, and he turned toward Nineveh. To represent the manner of Jonah’s deliverance more closely resembling the narrative of his book, it is said that another ship, called “The Whale,” saved Jonah, and he remained on it (inside it) for three days, and then was put ashore and set out for Nineveh, or that after the shipwreck Jonah seized a dead whale that happened to be floating on the surface, and together with it was cast by the waves onto the shore. Other commentators remove the miraculous elements from Jonah’s book by relating them to the realm of dreams: Jonah, they say, while sailing to Tarshish on a ship, fell asleep (Jonah 1:5), a storm occurred. As often in sleep we react to impressions of the surrounding reality, so Jonah from the noise of the waves and the rocking began to see the same storm in sleep. Conscious of his guilt before God, he in sleep sees that they seek the culprit of the storm, cast lots, the lot falls on him, they throw him in the water, and lo, a terrifying sea monster seems to swallow him, but to his surprise, he lives within this monster and in desperate prayer begs God for deliverance, then the monster throws him out onto the shore. Then Jonah wakes up. The storm continued to rage on the sea, there was confusion aboard the ship; this intensified the impression of Jonah’s terrible dream, and he repented of his disobedience to God. Besides the ones cited, there exist other attempts to simply and naturally present the plot of Jonah’s book. We need not cite them all; we can confine ourselves to two cited as the most successful. What is their value as attempts at explaining Jonah’s book? Undoubtedly, they can be appealing in their simplicity and naturalness, but this is insufficient: simplified representation of a fact often becomes its distortion. It is necessary that these simplifications have some basis other than simple unwillingness toward the miraculous. Meanwhile, defenders of the legendary character of Jonah’s book, rejecting it as a historical witness, give no other basis in confirmation of their words. Thus their attempts to present matters differently themselves represent simple suppositions which they like. Many such suppositions have been made, and still more could be made, but they cannot bring us nearer to the truth, which is one. The unsatisfactory nature of attempts to find a historical basis for the book of the prophet Jonah in the circumstances of his life forces many commentators to seek sources for it even in pagan mythology. In this case, they most often point to the Greek myth of Heracles and Hesione, the Phoenician myth of Perseus and Andromeda, and the Babylonian myth of Ea-Oannes. It is said that the book of the prophet Jonah, and particularly the narrative of the three-day stay in the belly of the whale, is a reworking of one of these. However, if we compare the content of Jonah’s book with the indicated myths, we find very little in common between them. In particular, in the myth of Heracles as transmitted by the most ancient pagan writers—Apollodorus, Ovid, Diodorus Siculus, Homer (Iliad, XX)—there are no details that could serve as a basis for the narrative of Jonah being swallowed by a whale: Heracles’ struggle with the sea monster is presented as external, as single combat; moreover, with Greek myths the Hebrews could have become acquainted no earlier than the time of Alexander the Great, but Jonah’s book had entered the canon of sacred books more than a hundred years before this time. However, the chief objection against all attempts to point to a mythological basis for Jonah’s book lies not in the fact that between the indicated myths and the content of the prophet Jonah’s book there is little similarity, and not in the fact that some of the indicated myths turn out to be later in origin compared to Jonah’s book, but in the moral impossibility for a Hebrew writer to use pagan myths for reworking them into a narrative about the prophet of Jehovah. Although the Hebrews were attracted to paganism, this was an attraction to the forms of pagan worship and easy pagan ways; they never forgot the ideological opposition between pagan polytheism and faith in the One God. In particular, the author of the prophet Jonah’s book firmly believed in one God, Creator of the universe (Jonah 1:9), and considered pagan gods vain and false (Jonah 2:9); how then could such a person, with ideas and feelings opposed to all things pagan, take a narrative about pagan gods and rework it for the purposes of his religion. After attempts to point out sources for the narrative of the three-day stay of Jonah in the belly of the whale in popular tradition that allegedly adorned a simple event with miraculous details, and in pagan mythology have proven unconvincing, we are strengthened in the conviction that it must be considered a narrative of an actual event, and shall try, as far as possible, to clarify it to ourselves. “And the Lord appointed a great whale to swallow Jonah.” The sea animal which God appointed to swallow Jonah is called in the Hebrew text dag gadol, which means a great fish. To designate sea mammals, not fish, in Hebrew the words levijatan, tanijm are used (Job 40:20; Ps 103:26; Gen 1:21), but the word dag is not used, so in this case one cannot think that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Thus falls the objection that the miracle of Jonah’s swallowing is unnatural, since the whale has a very narrow throat. As for the Greek and Church Slavonic translations, they use the word κητος (ketos), whale, because at that time this word was not connected with the concept of a particular species of mammal, and they understood it generally to mean a sea monster, including here a huge sea fish (“a miraculous fish-whale”). What fish swallowed Jonah the text does not specify, but it can be supposed that it was a shark. The species of shark called squalus carcharias—the man-eating shark, which lives in the Mediterranean Sea, reaches a length of 32 feet and is quite capable of swallowing a man whole. “And Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights.” The expression “three days and three nights” in biblical language does not necessarily mean three full days (1 Sam 30:12-13; Esth 4:16), but can mean a period of time even of 26–28 hours (Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34), if it borders on the end of the first day and the beginning of the third day. However, even if we limit the time of the prophet Jonah’s stay in the belly of the fish to 26–28 hours, this fact continues to remain a miracle, that is, an event inexplicable by natural forces alone in their ordinary operation. Therefore, the Savior calls this event a “sign,” similar to the miracle of His resurrection after three days’ death, and Jonah’s stay in the belly of the fish is compared with the Savior’s stay in the tomb and in Hades. Thus, in the belly of the fish Jonah was as it were buried; the natural conditions in which he found himself must inevitably lead to his death, and if he remained alive, then only by the extraordinary action of God’s Almightiness. “Where God wills, the natural order is overcome.” In what way God preserved Jonah’s life in the belly of the fish is not given to us to know; we cannot understand how God acts in working miracles, yet the human mind does not entirely refuse attempts to represent to itself the possibility of this or that miracle, to find analogies to it in natural phenomena, and thus in its knowledge to find support for faith. Such clarifying analogies for the miracle of staying in the belly of the fish can be the restoration to life of a person after staying under water, cases of apparent death (lethargy), and finally, the nine-month stay of an infant in the mother’s womb. From the cited facts it follows, first of all, that death may not occur at once when a person is deprived of air. It is true that the delay of death for a person under water is brief, but it is important that such a phenomenon no longer becomes absolutely impossible; and what is possible under natural conditions, though only for a moment, is easily imagined as continuing by the action of God’s Almightiness over a longer period. Such action will for us no longer be unnatural but only supernatural; the laws of nature are not violated by it, but God uses them for His providential purposes. Cases of lethargy, when the seemingly dead are buried in the earth and continue to live for some time afterward, testify that a person with reduced vital functions can go relatively long without the normal amount of air. If this is possible in the natural order, how much more is such an event imaginable in the miraculous order. Finally, the natural laws by which the life of an infant in the mother’s womb is preserved are, in their essence, for us no less incomprehensible and miraculous than the stay of Jonah in the belly of the fish. If the Creator created such laws by which the life of one being is preserved within another whole months, is it not in His power to direct and combine these laws so that the life of a man within the belly of a fish might be preserved three days.

Jonah 2:2. And Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the whale, Jonah 2:3. saying, I called to the Lord out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. Jonah 2:4. For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waters and your waves passed over me. Jonah 2:5. Then I said, I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple. Jonah 2:6. The waters closed in over me; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped around my head. Jonah 2:7. I went down to the land whose bars closed behind me forever; yet you brought up my life from the Pit, O Lord my God. Jonah 2:8. When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. Jonah 2:9. Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love, Jonah 2:10. but I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Deliverance belongs to the Lord! The prayer of the prophet Jonah from the belly of the whale provides very many reasons for objections against its authenticity. Attention is drawn to the fact that it is in parts similar to various passages of the psalms, and from this is concluded that it is compilative in character and on this basis its origin is dated to the period of the decline of Hebrew letters. Indeed, the similarity of Jonah’s prayer to the psalms is undeniable: the third verse reminds one of Ps 17:7 and Ps 119:1; the fourth verse Ps 68:3; the fifth verse Ps 30:23; the sixth verse Ps 17:5-6 and Ps 68:15; the seventh verse Ps 17:16; the eighth verse Ps 142:4-7. But can one from this conclude that Jonah’s prayer is a later compilation? Is it not more natural to think that Jonah in the belly of the whale was expressing his feelings in images familiar to him from the psalms, for the state he was experiencing would not allow him to engage in creative work. He took from the psalms not phrases and words, as a compiler would do, but images and pictures, and specifically such as suited his state even more than the state of the psalmist (such are all the pictures of water hazards). Then it is pointed out that Jonah’s prayer by its content allegedly does not suit the spiritual state experienced by Jonah; the chief motive of it—thanksgiving for deliverance—while Jonah in the belly of the whale should not have been giving thanks, but begging God for deliverance from mortal danger. They explain this by saying it was so unsuccessfully composed by some later person. But besides thanksgiving, Jonah’s prayer contains also the portrayal of water hazards (verses 4, 6–7) and the cry to God for salvation in the peril being experienced (verses 3, 5, 8), in a word, all that is considered necessary for a prayer to be natural in Jonah’s mouth; only all this in the prayer is portrayed as moments already passed. The prophet experienced the chief fear for his life at the time when, thrown into the sea, he was sinking ever deeper into the abyss, descending to the foundation of the mountains, as if into Hades, felt how the seaweed was wrapping around his head, and the water was reaching as it were to his soul, and there he was calling to God for deliverance from death. When the fish swallowed him and he continued to live in it by the action of God’s almightiness, he began to feel himself already saved by God; where and how God was keeping him, he probably did not know at that time, but he only felt that he was alive, saved from death, hoped that God would deliver him to the end (“yet I shall again look upon your holy temple”), and therefore in his prayer he was giving thanks to Him. In this way we see that Jonah’s prayer by its content wholly suited the spiritual state experienced by Jonah. The main subject of it is a portrayal of Jonah’s stay in distress and his deliverance. This subject is developed in the prayer in strict sequence. First in it there correctly alternate pictures of the prophet’s external perils (verses 4, 6, 7) and descriptions of his spiritual state during this time (verses 3, 5, 7–8), and it concludes (verses 9–10) with thanksgiving for the deliverance that the prophet felt even in the belly of the fish. It is divided into four stanzas of two verses each and is constructed according to the laws of poetic parallelism, with verses describing the prophet’s external situation written in synthetic parallelism, while those depicting his spiritual state are written in antithetic parallelism. From this we see that Jonah’s prayer by its logical construction and literary form represents a harmonious and organically connected whole. By its pictorial language it, as a poetic work, essentially differs from the remaining parts of the book containing historical narrative.

Jonah 2:11. And the Lord spoke to the whale, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. The place where Jonah was cast out is not indicated in the text, but from the connection of this verse with the beginning of chapter III, it is most likely here to understand the Palestinian shore of the Mediterranean.

Chapter Three

1–3. The second mission of Jonah to Nineveh and 4–10. the repentance of the Ninevites.

Jonah 3:1. Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, Jonah 3:2. Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you. Of the second mission of Jonah to Nineveh it is spoken in the same words as of the first (Jonah 1:1-2); one can suppose that this second “word of the Lord to Jonah” was given in the same form as the first (see note to Jonah 1:1). The content of the prophet’s preaching in Nineveh the second time is not indicated, but a reference is made to the former commandment from God about this: “proclaim to it the message that I tell you” (see note to Jonah 1:2).

Jonah 3:3. So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ journey in breadth. “So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord.” The prophet obeyed the second voice of Jehovah because the preceding events (the storm at sea, the lot falling on him, being swallowed and cast out by the whale) were for him signs convincing him of the truth and immutability of the revelation he was receiving. “Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ journey in breadth.” On the basis of these words it is often concluded that Jonah’s book was written later in origin. The past tense of the verb used here: “was an exceedingly great city” indicates, it is said, that at the time of the writing of Jonah’s book, Nineveh no longer existed, otherwise it would have been spoken of in the present tense, as for example in Gen 10:12. Moreover, the very remark about the magnitude of the city allegedly is completely unnecessary for Jonah’s contemporaries, who knew well about Nineveh and would be quite appropriate only in the mouth of a writer living after its fall. As for the past tense of the verb, it should be noted that here a form is used, the so-called preteritum. It expresses a thought about the real existence of an object in the described past time without any relation to the present, and therefore this past tense form in no way excludes the existence of Nineveh at the moment the book was written. It is used only in correspondence with the same form of other verbs relating to the same event, so the whole passage can be rendered thus: Jonah arose and went to Nineveh and it proved to be a great city. Describing the magnitude of Nineveh to Jonah’s contemporaries, of whom the majority had not seen this city, and some perhaps had not even heard its name, is as natural as in our time describing various large cities. To conclude on this basis that Nineveh could not exist at the moment of description is possible only from a prejudiced viewpoint. Direct evidence that Jonah’s book was written before the destruction of Nineveh we find in the book of Tobit (Tob 14:8), where Tobit persuades his son Tobias to leave Nineveh, “because Nineveh will be destroyed, as the prophet Jonah said.” Obviously the Israelite captives in Assyria believed that Jonah’s prophecy about the destruction of Nineveh (Jonah 3:4) was only deferred because of the city’s repentance, and in time, seeing the extreme corruption of the Assyrians, expected its fulfillment. In any case, they were familiar with Jonah’s book long before Nineveh’s fall. The remark about Nineveh’s magnitude is supplemented with the words “in the sight of God.” By this the author wished to determine Nineveh’s position in relation to God, to say that it was great in God’s eyes, before God, meaning that there was in it some moral might and greatness. The purpose of such a remark could have been to justify in the eyes of Israeli readers the action described below (Jonah 3:10)—God’s revocation of His determination about Nineveh’s ruin. The magnitude of the city of Nineveh in verse 3 is determined by the words “a three days’ journey.” A day’s journey, that is, the distance one can traverse in the course of one day, among ancient peoples, according to the testimony of Herodotus, was determined at 160–200 stadia, in our measures of length—25–30 versts. Thus, a distance of three days’ journey would equal 75–90 versts. To determine the magnitude of cities and regions, their circumference is usually taken, so one must suppose that in this place the words “three days’ journey” determine the circumference of Nineveh, not its length. If we take for Nineveh an area with circumference of about 80 versts and a diameter of less than 30, these will be precisely the dimensions by which the magnitude of Nineveh is measured by many ancient writers: Strabo, Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, Xenophon. Thus, the information about Nineveh in Jonah’s book is in agreement with the testimonies of other historical records and contains nothing incredible, as those who understand the expression “three days’ journey” as determining the length of Nineveh try to represent. One must keep in mind also that Nineveh was one of the most ancient cities in the world, that its builders—Nimrod according to Scripture (Deut 10:10-11) or Ninus according to secular history—intended to build a city of outstanding dimensions and magnificence; moreover, that in antiquity cities were not built continuously, but the city limits left considerable area in case of siege for pasture and cultivation, so there is nothing to be surprised at about the magnitude of the city in the description in Jonah’s book. The modern excavations of the ruins of Nineveh on the left bank of the Tigris, near the village of Mosul, once again confirm the evidence of Jonah’s book.

Jonah 3:4. And Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown! “And Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey.” The cited words do not indicate that Jonah walked in one direction and traversed in length through the city a distance of one day’s journey (out of three). The Hebrew expression is more accurately rendered: “and Jonah walked about in the city,” meaning not in one straight direction, but as his preaching required. The addition “going a day’s journey” therefore does not stand in connection with the last words of verse 3 (“a three days’ journey”) and does not relate to determining Nineveh’s magnitude, but was made to show the prophet’s zeal in preaching to the Ninevites. Pausing with his preaching on squares, marketplaces, and streets, he nevertheless managed to walk about the city such a distance as an ordinary traveler accomplishes in a day. “And he called out, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” In the Greek, and from it in the Church Slavonic translation, instead of “forty” (days) from the original stands three. This reading must be considered erroneous, because it is incredible that all the events of chapter III and IV—Jonah’s preaching to the Ninevites, their repentance, the king’s decree concerning the forms of penitential mourning, Jonah’s waiting for the fulfillment of his prophecy, and God’s revocation of His determination about Nineveh’s ruin—would have occurred in the brief three-day period. More likely, the Septuagint translators also read “forty” in the Hebrew and translated it; but later copyists, mistakenly replacing the letter μ denoting forty with the similarly shaped letter γ—three. Jonah’s preaching in Nineveh cannot undoubtedly be limited to a bare prediction of its destruction in forty days. He must have rebuked the wickedness of the Ninevites (see Jonah 1:2) and at the same time pointed to the possibility of salvation through repentance. If the prophet had not done the latter, the Ninevites would not have had such hope (see Jonah 3:8-9), but only despair. But could the prophet Jonah preach to the Ninevites, and moreover so comprehensively and successfully, when they say he did not know their language, did not know their life, their customs, and their sins? He was completely foreign to the Ninevites, and they could not understand him. As for language, one must remember that the Assyrian language belongs to the Semitic family and has great similarity with the Hebrew language, especially this must be said regarding the Galilean dialect which Jonah spoke. From this one can easily imagine that Jonah could learn the Assyrian language, just as educated Ninevites could understand Hebrew. An example of Hebrews knowing Assyrian and Assyrians knowing Hebrew is known to us in Scripture (see 2 Sam 18:26-28). Knowledge of Assyrian life necessary for preaching, the prophet Jonah could easily have acquired. Assyria was only about 200 versts from the boundaries of the Israelite kingdom, and in Jonah’s time it maintained lively political and commercial relations with Israel. The religion of the Assyrians was similar to the religions of the pagan peoples neighboring Israel; the sins of the Assyrians certainly had much that was universal to all humans, and much could be concluded from the outward appearance of the inhabitants and the city. Therefore, not only Jonah, who had personally been in Nineveh, but also prophets who had never seen it, knew and vividly portrayed its moral state (see Nah 1-3; Zeph 2:13-15).

Jonah 3:5. And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. Jonah 3:6. The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. Jonah 3:7. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, neither herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, Jonah 3:8. but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Jonah 3:9. Who knows? God may yet relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish. Jonah 3:10. When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would bring upon them, and he did not do it. In the cited verses the repentance of the Ninevites following the prophet’s preaching is recounted. Opponents of the historical authenticity of Jonah’s book consider this entire narrative incredible. It is allegedly incredible that a whole vast city should turn to repentance at the preaching of one unknown man, and the participation of the king in this and the issuing of a special decree are also alleged to be incredible; incredible too are said to be the external forms in which the Ninevite’s feeling of repentance was expressed. The cited objection rests to a considerable degree on a subjective sense of the probable and improbable, and in its very nature it is not particularly strong. Indeed, it often happens that reality surpasses our notions of what is probable. Meanwhile, in the prophet Jonah’s narrative, there is nothing exceeding all bounds of probability. Cases of the influence of individual persons on the masses of people, when these masses are infected with a common mood reaching enthusiasm and obey literally every word of the one who has succeeded in placing himself at the head of the movement—are known to all (for example, the inspiration of the French by Joan of Arc in her struggle, the arousal of the peoples to the crusades by Peter the Hermit, etc.). Why could this phenomenon, so consonant with the psychology of the masses, not have occurred in Nineveh? The responsiveness of an Eastern people, heightened in the Ninevites by effeminacy and luxury, their high respect for divination, faith in all kinds of prophecy—created favorable ground for them to respond to the inspired preaching and terrible prophecy of a foreign prophet. An especially powerful impression must have been made on the Ninevites by Jonah’s account of his three-day stay in the belly of the whale; in this miracle they saw for themselves a sign of the prophet’s divine mission and the truth of his preaching, as the Gospel points out: “Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites” (Luke 11:30-31; Matt 12:40). Perhaps they even compared his account with the myths widespread among them of Ea-Oannes, coming forth from the sea to teach people the worship of the gods and a holy life; in such a case, an inspired Jonah with a threatening rebuke and authoritative speech might seem to them to be Oannes himself (this was also aided by the similarity of names). Thus the universal repentance in Nineveh at the word of the prophet is a very probable fact. The participation in this of the king of Nineveh and the issuing by him of a special decree do not diminish the historical probability of the fact. The king of Nineveh, at the same time, was also the high priest, and his nobles held the hierarchical positions following after him, so their participation in the religious fervor that seized the people was inevitable. As for the forms of repentance, here the involvement of domestic animals raises a question. Ancient peoples stood closer to the animal world and believed that the animals themselves could take part in their life, and therefore shared with them both sorrow and joy. Herodotus, for example, recounts that the Persians after the battle of Plataea, when their general Masistes fell, as a sign of mourning clipped the hair of all animals in the camp; the same is true also in the passage we are examining (verses 7–8). This detail can be noted only as a deeply truthful historical feature. In conclusion, it must be said that the historical authenticity of the Ninevites’ repentance at Jonah’s preaching is confirmed by the Gospel. The Savior said that “the Ninevites will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah” (Luke 11:32). Clearly, the Savior and His contemporaries considered the repentance of the Ninevites to be an actual event; otherwise the reference to them would have had no significance.

Chapter Four

1–4. The prophet Jonah’s grief at the sparing of Nineveh. 5–11. And God’s instruction of him.

Jonah 4:1. But this displeased Jonah greatly, and he was angry. Jonah 4:2. And he prayed to the Lord and said, O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Jonah 4:3. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live. Jonah 4:4. And the Lord said, Do you do well to be angry? The beginning of chapter IV stands in close connection with the final words of the preceding one: “God relented of the disaster… and he did not do it” (Jonah 3:10) to Nineveh; the prophet Jonah learned of this, probably because the forty-day period passed safely for the city, and lo he “was greatly displeased and was angry” (Jonah 4:1). That Jonah was displeased not by anything else, but precisely by the sparing of the heathens—the Ninevites—is not left in doubt by his prayer. In it he says that what he feared has now come to pass, when he was yet in his country, why he fled to Tarshish: “for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster” (verse 2). Thus, at the end of the book the prophet Jonah appears before us the same as we saw him at the beginning: unwilling that salvation come to the heathens and even protesting against God’s merciful judgment of them, as though all the signs were lost on him and his obedience to Jehovah were not a conviction of his soul. Now he considers himself right in his thoughts about the heathens, and God unjust in His mercy toward them, and, being unable to bear this disagreement, begs God for his own death: “Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live” (verse 3). This return to national Hebrew thoughts and feelings in the prophet Jonah probably occurred because he personally in Nineveh saw the full immeasurable depth of the moral corruption of the heathens, while either did not notice the fruits of repentance or did not believe in their sincerity and durability. As a person who was emotional and always sincere, who could not do anything halfway but gave himself entirely to every feeling, Jonah expresses his protest against the sparing of those he deemed unworthy heathens in the harshest form. In this case he perhaps imitated the prophet Elijah, whom he could have known personally, when he too asked for death if God did not wish to destroy those who had fallen away from Him (1 Sam 19:3-14).

Jonah 4:5. So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city. Jonah probably hoped that his prayer, expressing indignation at the sparing of Nineveh, would be heard by God and the city, though with delay (not in forty days), would still be punished. Therefore, he went out of the city and sat on the east side of it, “waiting to see what would become of the city.”

Jonah 4:6. And the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. Jonah 4:7. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. Jonah 4:8. When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, It is better for me to die than to live. Jonah 4:9. But God said to Jonah, Do you do well to be angry for the plant? And he said, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die. Jonah 4:10. And the Lord said, You pity the plant, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. Jonah 4:11. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle? Before instructing Jonah about his murmuring at God’s mercy toward the Ninevites, God made him himself feel pity for the plant that grew over his head. Then He said that if Jonah pities the withered plant, should not greater pity and mercy be shown to a city in which there were more than a hundred thousand innocent children? This simple narrative in itself raises a difficulty only in the obscurity of how to understand the growth and withering of the plant over Jonah’s head—whether to consider it a natural phenomenon or a miracle. The miraculous character of the phenomenon is indicated, as it were, by the fact that this plant grew unnaturally quickly and withered (“it came into being in a night and perished in a night”), and moreover, in this case the immediate participation of God is repeatedly noted (“appointed… appointed… appointed…”). However, these data are not decisive: in Scripture it is often spoken of even natural phenomena as happening by God’s will, because according to religious consciousness, all that occurs in the world is accomplished by God’s action (Matt 10:30; see note to verse 4 of chapter 1). The expression in verse 10 about the quick growth of the plant “it came into being in a night and perished in a night” does not necessarily have to be understood with literal exactness; it could have been used hyperbolically to express the idea of the insignificance of the plant compared with human life (Isa 40:6; Ps 102:15). The natural character of the phenomenon is suggested, as it were, by the fact that the author mentions natural factors accomplishing one or another action: a worm eats into the plant, from the scorching east wind it withers. Moreover, a miracle was not presupposed by the course of the narrative: for instruction of the prophet it was not necessary, and in natural order he would have learned compassion just as much as in the miraculous. The plant spoken of here is designated in the Hebrew text by the word kijkajon, which is usually derived from the Egyptian kjkj. It is possible that the Hebrews became acquainted with this plant in Egypt, so when they encountered it in their own land, they called it by a word modified from the Egyptian. This plant is described by Herodotus, Pliny, and blessed Jerome. All of them consistently say that it has a herbaceous stalk, broad leaves, reaches a height of 8–12 feet, grows quickly and withers. Thus it is not a pumpkin and not ivy, as stated in the Church Slavonic and Latin translations, but a special plant, called in botany palma Christi.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Introduction

The wise Micah (Heb. Michah or in fuller form michajahu – 2 Chr 13:2 – means “who is like God”) is called “the Morasthite” (Heb. hammoraschthi) in the title of his book. This name is ordinarily understood as indicating the place of the prophet’s origin – Morasthah. According to Jerome’s testimony, Morasthah was located in the south of Judah, near Eleutheropolis. Modern commentators identify Morasthah with the Moreshah-Gath mentioned by Micah in Mic 1:14. Traces of Morasthah are said to point to insignificant ruins found south of Beit-Jibrin.

A native of Judah, Micah carried out his prophetic ministry in the Kingdom of Judah. According to the title of the book, this ministry falls in the reign of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, that is, the end of the eighth century before the Christian era. In the Book of Jeremiah (Jer 26:18-19) it is reported that when the people wanted to put him to death for foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem, some of the elders of the land said to the assembly: “Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and said to all the people of Judah: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: Zion will be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded hill. Did they put him to death for this, Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah?’” Without doubt, these words refer to Micah, the writer of the prophetic book. Since Micah is presented in these words as a prophet of the time of Hezekiah, some modern commentators limit the entire activity of the prophet to this period, supposing that the names of kings Jotham and Ahaz standing in the title of Micah’s book represent a later addition. But the testimony of Jer 26:18-19 confirms only that one known prophecy of Micah, namely the prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem (Mic 3:12), was pronounced in the reign of Hezekiah, not that all the prophet’s activity was confined to this reign. It is true that we do not have direct and clear indications of the times of Jotham and Ahaz in the Book of Micah. But this may be explained by the fact that the prophet’s book presents not all the speeches he pronounced, but only ancient versions of them and excerpts from them. Moreover, the content of Micah’s prophecy from the time of Hezekiah may partly be considered a reflection of the mood of the Jewish people that developed in the reigns of Jotham and Ahaz. This pertains, for instance, to indications of a warlike spirit, which was especially strong under Jotham (Mic 4:8; cf. 2 Chr 27:1-7), and to witchcraft and idolatry, which were widespread under Ahaz (Mic 5:12-14, Mic 1:5). Just as there are no grounds for postponing the beginning of Micah’s activity to the time of Hezekiah, so there is no evidence for extending it into the reign of Manasseh (cf. Mic 7:6).

According to its content, the Book of Micah is ordinarily divided into three parts, the first of which encompasses chapters I–III, the second chapters IV–V, and the third chapters VI–VII. The subject of Micah’s prophetic speeches was Samaria and Jerusalem. The prophet begins his speeches with an announcement of the destruction coming upon Samaria. With similar threat he addresses Jerusalem, depicting in a series of images the impending calamity (ch. I). The cause of God’s wrath against Jerusalem is the impiety of the inhabitants of Judah, especially the transgressions of Judean nobles, priests, false prophets, and judges (ch. II–III). For these transgressions, the prophet announces, “Zion will be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the House will be a wooded hill” (Mic 3:12). These threats in Mic 2:12-13 are interrupted by the prophet with a promise about the future union of the remnants of Israel and Judah and their return from captivity. Such is the general content of the first part of Micah’s book. The speeches of ch. I–III, predicting the destruction of Samaria, were uttered before this event, that is, before 722 BC. As may be seen from Jer 26:18, the prophet’s threats against Jerusalem had a conditional character. Since the people repented, they were not carried out. After the conquest of Samaria by the Assyrians, they ceased military operations in Palestine, and the threat to Jerusalem passed. But the spirit of the people was restless, and so the prophet addresses the people with consoling speeches. The second part of Micah’s book, ch. IV–V, presents a detailed unfolding of the consoling promise of Mic 2:12-13 and the announcement of messianic times. In these times all nations will turn to the law of Jehovah, and the Kingdom of peace will come (Mic 4:1-5). This will be preceded by the restoration of the people (Mic 4:6-8) and their triumph over enemies, those plotting against Zion (Mic 4:9-13). The author of this glorious future will be the one to be born in Bethlehem, the Ruler of Israel, whose “origin is from the days of eternity.” His dominion will give Israel power over enemies, like those of Assyria, and will make it the true people of God, in which false worship will no longer be present (ch. V). The third part of Micah’s book (ch. VI–VII) contains in its first half an accusatory speech of the prophet to Israel. Calling the mountains and hills as witnesses to the judgment of the Lord with Israel, reminding of God’s mercies (Mic 6:1-5), the prophet points out to the people their injustice – their falsity, deception, absence of mercy, in general “the customs of Omri and the deeds of the house of Ahab” (Mic 6:16). The people must bear punishment for their sins, and the prophet from the mouth of the Lord says: “I will strike you incurably with desolation for your sins” (Mic 6:13-15). Yet at the same time, the prophet again expresses confidence that the Lord will have mercy on the remnant of His inheritance, will blot out the people’s lawlessness, will show, as in the days of the exodus from Egypt, His wonderful deeds, will restore the theocracy and extend its boundaries (Mic 7:11-20). It is not entirely clear what kingdom the prophet is speaking of in ch. VI–VII. Most commentators understand the speeches of ch. VI–VII as a prophecy about Jerusalem and the Kingdom of Judah, about the captivity of the Jewish people and the restoration of the kingdom after captivity (Mic 7:11). But some expressions in the chapters under consideration give reason for other commentators to refer these chapters not to Jerusalem and the Judean Kingdom, but to Samaria and the Kingdom of Israel. Hoonacker correctly points out that in ch. VI–VII neither Judah nor Jerusalem or Zion nor Babylon is mentioned. Furthermore, in the prophet’s prayer for the restoration of the people (Mic 7:14 et seq.) we do not find a single one of those predictions of glorious future that are customary in descriptions of Zion’s greatness. The words of the prayer: let them pasture in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old (Mic 7:14) are more intelligible with respect to the Kingdom of Israel than with respect to the Kingdom of Judah. The overall picture of impiety of the people drawn in ch. VI–VII completely corresponds to what we see in the prophet Hosea (cf. Hos 4:1-2). Such an expression as Mic 6:16 is again more naturally understood with respect to Samaria than with respect to Jerusalem. The noted features of ch. VI–VII give basis for seeing in them a speech about Samaria, and specifically a retrospective review of the events accomplished in Samaria, a justification of God’s divine judgment that struck the ten-tribe kingdom, and an announcement to the remnant of that kingdom of hope for a bright future. Ch. VI–VII thus become an echo of those fraternal feelings that were aroused by the fall of the ten-tribe kingdom in the souls of the best representatives of the Jewish people. The speeches of the prophet Micah are distinguished by the depth and vividness of feeling. Especially strong are those accusations with which the prophet addresses the nobles of the people and false prophets. The vividness of feeling, animating the prophet, is reflected in his speeches by rapid transitions from one thought to another (from accusation to threat, from threat to promises (Mic 2:8-12), frequent use of comparisons and wordplay (Mic 1:10-15), abundance of images. Moreover, as a native of the village, Micah, like Amos, draws his images and comparisons most often from pastoral life (cf. Mic 2:12).

Recent criticism denies the authenticity of most of the Book of Micah, asserting that the original book of the prophet was reworked and supplemented in post-exile times. But the basis of such a view lies, first, in the unjust application to the book of requirements from a modern literary work, and second, in a special understanding of Old Testament prophecy, reducing the latter only to vague expectations of the future and not permitting definite predictions of that future.

The text of the Book of Micah presents many difficulties, since the original and translations transmit it differently.

Literature: Professor R. A. Yungerov, The Book of the Prophet Micah. Kazan, 1890. Archpriest Antony. Commentary on the Book of the Holy Prophet Micah. St. Petersburg, 1891. Roorda Commentanus in Vatic Michae, 1869. Ryssel, Die Textgestalt und die Echthert d Buches Micha, 1887. Cheyne, Micah with notes and Introduction 1895. See also commentaries by Nowack, Marti, and Hoonacker.

Chapter One

1. Title of the book. 2–7. The Lord’s judgment on Samaria. 8–9. The prophet’s sorrow. 10–16. Calamity befalling Judah.

Micah 1:1. The word of the Lord that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Verse 1 is the title of the book. See the introduction. In the title commentators call attention to the fact that the prophet names Samaria before Jerusalem; this is explained by the fact that the prophet speaks of judgment upon God’s people, and this judgment first fell upon Samaria. – “Which he saw” (ascher chazah); in the Septuagint ὑπὲρ ῶν εῖδε – an abbreviated form instead of ὑπὲρ τοὺτων, ἅ εῖδε, in Slavonic: “concerning those whom he saw.”

Micah 1:2. Hear, all peoples; let the earth and all it contains listen! Let God be witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple! The prophet addresses his speech to all peoples and to the earth. From what follows it becomes clear that the prophet is speaking of the peoples and the earth against which God comes as a witness, that is, not of pagan nations (Nowack), but of the people and land of Israel. – “The Lord from His holy temple”: biblical writers often call heaven the temple of God (Ps 11:4; Hab 2:20); as may be seen from verse 4, Micah understands by the temple of the Lord the heavenly dwelling of God. In the Septuagint, instead of the Hebrew “hear all peoples” in verse 2, ἀχούσατε λαὸι λόγους; in Slavonic “hear all people (πάντες, only in some editions in the Septuagint manuscripts) words”; the latter probably arose from the Hebrew kullam (all peoples), read as millim (words). The expression “all it contains” is transmitted by the Septuagint periphrастically and understood of people; hence in Slavonic “earth and all who are upon it.” Instead of the word “witness” (cd) the Septuagint has abstractly εῖς μαρτυριον, in Slavonic “for a testimony,” as a testimony.

Micah 1:3. For behold, the Lord goes forth from His place, and He will descend and tread upon the high places of the earth. In verses 3–4 the prophet depicts the descent of the Lord to judgment upon Samaria. The conjunction “for” indicates that verse 3 serves as an explanation of the preceding, namely the words of verse 2 “let God be witness against you.” The adverb “behold” indicates the nearness of God’s judgment. – “From His place” – that is, from heaven.

Micah 1:4. And the mountains will melt under Him, and the valleys will split apart, like wax before fire, like waters flowing down a slope. The features of the image of the Lord’s descent are borrowed by the prophet from physical phenomena characteristic of Palestine, but probably not from the melting of snow on the peaks of Palestinian mountains (Yungerov), rather from a thunderstorm cloud bursting with abundant rain. In the Slavonic text, instead of the expression “the valleys will split apart” we read “the dales will melt”: the Septuagint transmitted the text of the original freely. Instead of the words “flowing down a slope” in Slavonic “coming down with impetus”; the Greek ἐν καταβάσει could be transmitted as “along a mountain slope.”

Micah 1:5. All this is for the transgression of Jacob, for the sin of the house of Israel. From whom is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not from Samaria? Who has set up the high places in Judah? Is it not Jerusalem? The prophet indicates the cause of the impending punishment upon Samaria and Jerusalem in the people’s impiety. “From whom (mi) is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not from Samaria?” From the Hebrew the above sentence should be more exactly rendered: “Who is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria?” The prophet, presenting Samaria as the embodiment of sin, expresses the thought that the life of the Israelite kingdom is nothing but impiety or sin. “Who (has set up) the high places (bamoth) in Judah”: in the Septuagint the Hebrew bamoth corresponds to the word ἁμαρτίας (in Slavonic “what sin (is there) to the house of Judah”). In view of the reading of the Septuagint, as well as the Syriac and Targum, some commentators (Nowack) suppose that in the Hebrew text instead of bamoth (high places) there originally stood chathoth (sins) beth jehndah, where chathoth was lost and beth was changed into bamoth. But the correction of bamoth to chatchoth is motivated mainly by the debatable reasoning defended by representatives of negative criticism that Micah, a prophet of the eighth century, could not in such strong form condemn the worship at high places. The parallelism of the clauses will be maintained even with the present reading of the Hebrew text (transgression of Jacob – high places of Judah); moreover, it is easier for bamoth to produce chathoth, which was in copies of the Septuagint, than the reverse.

Micah 1:6. Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the field, a place for planting vineyards; I will roll her stones into the valley and bare her foundations. The prophet announces judgment upon Samaria and threatens it with complete destruction; according to the prophet’s word, of the city nothing will remain but a heap of stones thrown down into the valley from the hill on which Samaria stood, the foundations of the houses will be exposed, and the place of the city will be occupied by vineyards. The Septuagint translated the Hebrew lei hassadeh (“into a heap of ruins in the field”) as εἰς ὀπωροφυλάκιον ἀγ po ῦ, in Slavonic “into a vegetable storehouse in the field.” A vegetable storehouse – a hut set up in the field to preserve fruit. Samaria was destroyed more than once: namely in 722 BC by Sargon, king of Assyria (2 Sam 17:1), then around 107 BC by John Hyrcanus, who tore down the city’s fortifications and leveled it to the ground (Josephus Antiquities 13; 10:2–3). Restored after Hyrcanus by the Roman proconsul Gabinius (57–55 BC), Samaria was rebuilt and enlarged by Herod the Great, who renamed the city in honor of Augustus as Sebaste. But even under the new name the city did not long enjoy prosperity; gradually it declined and turned into ruins. Now on the site of ancient Samaria stands a small village Sebaste, and much of the territory of the once renowned city is occupied by fields and vineyards (cf. Keith. Evidences of the Truth of the Christian Religion, 1870. P. 244–253).

Micah 1:7. All her carved idols will be broken to pieces and all her payment for prostitution will be burned with fire, and all her idols I will destroy; for from the payment of prostitution she gathered them, and to the payment of prostitution they will return. Along with the destruction of Samaria will perish the Samaritan idols, Resileicha – stone carvings, Russian “idols,” and ozabecha – statues, thus proving their powerlessness. – “Her payment for prostitution,” that is, various offerings to pagan gods, (the service of whom, from the prophet’s perspective, is prostitution, or perhaps outright payments collected as payment for the prostitutes who existed at pagan temples (in Slavonic “because from the payment of prostitution she gathered”). – “For from the payment of prostitution she gathered them, and to the payment of prostitution they will return”: that is, the idols, which Samaria set up from the payment of prostitution, will pass to another prostitute – Nineveh, will be turned into offerings to Assyrian gods. The prophet calls the worship of the heathen to their gods prostitution, proceeding from the thought that they, like the Judeans, have departed from the covenant which the Lord made with all humanity in the person of Adam and Noah (cf. Hos 6:7; Ezek 16:1 and Ezek 23:1). The verbs jukkththu (will be broken) and issarphu (will be burned) were either read by the Septuagint in active voice forms (jakothu isrphu) or they simply replaced the passive form with the active; hence in Slavonic: “all her carved things will be shattered and all her payments (μίσθωμα, payment to the harlot. Hos 2:12; Deut 23:19; Ezek 16:50) will be burned with fire.”

Micah 1:8. On account of this I will mourn and wail, I will go stripped and barefoot; I will make a lamentation like the jackals, and mourning like the ostriches. The prophet expresses his sorrow over the destruction of Samaria, since this destruction serves as an indication of the impending calamities for the Jewish people, upon which from verse 8 the prophet concentrates his attention. – “I will go stripped and barefoot”: the prophet intends to put on mourning – to dress, like captives robbed by enemies (Isa 3:23), in sackcloth and even to strip himself, that is, either to tear his clothing, as was done as a sign of mourning (Gen 37:34; 2 Sam 14:2), or to strip himself entirely as was done with captives (Isa 20:1-6). The prophet’s clothing was to express not only his sorrow but also to prefigure the coming captivity of the people. – “Like the jackals, and mourning like the ostriches”: the cry of jackals, according to the testimony of travelers, resembles the weeping of a man; likewise, ostriches at night emit a sound reminiscent of human weeping. The Septuagint referred the words of verse 8 not to the prophet but to Samaria; therefore in Slavonic: “on account of this Jerusalem will weep and lament, will go barefoot and naked, will make a lamentation like serpents (ὡς δρακὸντων) and mourning like daughters of the Sirens.” In the Greek text, thus, the lamentation is compared to the lamentation of dragons (Hebrew thanim) – mythical beings which supposedly could emit unusual hissing or whistling (Jerome, in his commentary) and with the wailing of Sirens. By Sirens (σειρήν) or Sirens the Septuagint understood either those mythical beings which, according to the tale of Odysseus, were distinguished by an extraordinarily pleasant voice (Jerome, Theodoret), or night birds emitting a sorrowful moan (Yungerov), the female ostriches.

Micah 1:9. For her wound is grievous; it has reached Judah, it touches the gate of my people, to Jerusalem. The cause of the prophet’s sorrow over the destruction of Samaria is that a similar calamity threatens Judah and Jerusalem. The prophet, at this point, calls Jerusalem the “gates of the people,” because Jerusalem had the same significance for the country as gates have for a city – it was the place of the supreme court, the residence of kings, the place of the assembly of the people (Deut 21:19; Jer 17:19). The taking of Jerusalem was the key to the conquest of the country, as the taking of city gates gave into the hands of enemies the city itself. Instead of the words of the Russian text “her wound is grievous (anuschah)” in Slavonic we read: “because the plague (κατεκρατησεν) conquered her,” that is, “the plague has prevailed over her”; instead of ея (αὐτῆς, genitive from κατεκρ.) in Slavonic there should be it – (dependent on the verb “conquered”).

Micah 1:10. Do not announce it in Gath; do not weep at all in Beth-leaphra; roll yourself in the dust. In verses 10–16 the prophet in a series of images speaks of the impending calamity. Making use of wordplay, the prophet names at this point the cities which will suffer from the calamity. The text of Mic 1:10-16 appears not to have been preserved in its original purity and is read differently in the original and translations. Therefore the meaning of verses 10–16 is very unclear and is usually established by commentators only provisionally. In verse 10 the prophet forbids Judah to announce the disaster that has befallen them and even to weep loudly in the Philistine city of Gath, so as not to provoke the malice of the sworn enemies and thus worsen the calamity. Instead of this the prophet invites the people to devote themselves to sorrow and dress themselves in mourning at Ophrah. “Ophrah” – is ordinarily identified with the city of Shamír mentioned in Josh 18:23; 1 Sam 13:17), which according to the testimony of Jerome and Eusebius was located on the plain between Eleutheropolis and Ascalon. The prophet names, in depicting the calamity coming upon Judah, precisely the listed places, in view of the philological significance of their names: the prophet desires to make use of wordplay. To the inhabitants of Ophrah (the name Shamír means: beauty, ornament) it is predicted that they will be shamefully naked, to the inhabitants of Tzaan (tzaan – from jaza to depart), that they will not escape the calamity, and of the village of Etzal (side, direction, support) it is said that it will not provide help to the fugitives. The translation of the Septuagint and our Slavonic text in verse 10 conveys a thought different from that of the original and obscure. The verb Ibri lachem (depart) the Septuagint referred to the end of verse 9. Instead of “the inhabitants of Ophrah, shamefully naked” in Slavonic, according to the translation from Greek, we read – “dwelling well in their cities”: the word “well” (Greek καλῶς) the Septuagint translated the Hebrew name Ophrah, the words “in their cities” (τὰς πόλεις αύτῆς) the Septuagint translated, evidently, the Hebrew erjah (nakedness, Russian “naked”), deriving it from ir (city), while the Hebrew boscheth shame (Russian “shamefully”) was left without translation. Instead of the name Tzaan in the Greek text we read Σενναὰρ, as well as Σεnnὰν (Jerome, Complutensian, Aldine and manuscripts) and ἡnnaὰρ (Theodoret, Chrysostom). The Anakites, Greek οι ῾Ενακείμ – descendants of Anak (Num 13:34; Deut 9:2; Josh 14:15), which once occupied the southern part of Palestine, and then the Philistine cities of Gaza, Gath, Ashdod (Josh 11:22; Judg 1:20; 1 Sam 17:1 and others). The appearance of the name Anakites is explained by an error in the Greek text: (middle bacho (from bachah to weep) was translated by the Septuagint with the word ῾Εν῾Ακείμ (as in the Alexandria list and lists 23, 95, 145, 187), which by subsequent scribes was corrected to ῾Εν Βακεὶμ (Judg 2:1-5), as reads blessed Jerome (in Bachim), Syriac-hexapla and XII code., and then to ῾Ενακείμ, which reading, found in many manuscripts, was adopted and by the Elizabethan editors of the Slavonic Bible. On the basis of the original Greek reading ῾Εn ῾Ακείμ or ῾Εn ῾Ακεί modern commentators (Hoonacker) suggest in the present Hebrew text the word bacho to be considered a proper name of the Phoenician city Accho (Judg 1:31): bacho al thibehu – do not weep loudly, do not weep in Accho. The expression of the Slavonic text: “do not build from a house for mockery” means – do not make from the house (of Judah) an object of mockery.

Micah 1:11. The inhabitant of Shaphir will pass by in shame; she will not come out; the inhabitant of Beth-ezel will take away its standing place from you. In view of the impending invasion of enemies, the prophet calls the inhabitants of Shaphir to depart into an enemy country as captives, from whom clothes have been torn off (“shamefully naked”); those living in Tzaan will not escape the calamity and will not find themselves a refuge – everywhere, as, for example, in Etzal, they will meet lamentation and wailing. “Shaphir” – is usually identified with the city of Shamír mentioned in Josh 15:48, which according to the testimony of Jerome and Eusebius was located on the plain between Eleutheropolis and Ascalon. “Tzaan” or Tzeanan – a hamlet mentioned in the book Josh 15:37, now Kirbeth-es-Senat near Beit-Jibrin. Etzal – a hamlet mentioned also in the prophet Zech 14:5 and was supposedly located near Jerusalem. The prophet names, in depicting the calamity coming upon Judah, precisely the enumerated places, in view of the philological significance of their names: the prophet desires to make use of wordplay. To the inhabitants of Shaphir (the name Shamír means: beauty, ornament) it is predicted that they will be shamefully naked, to the inhabitants of Tzaan (tzaan – from jaza to depart), that they will not depart from the calamity, and about the village of Etzal (side, direction, support) it is said that it will not provide help to fugitives. The translation of the Septuagint and our Slavonic text in verse 11 gives a thought different from that of the original and obscure. The verb Ibri lachem (depart) the Septuagint referred to the end of verse 10. Instead of “the inhabitants of Shaphir, shamefully naked” in Slavonic, according to the translation from Greek, we read – “dwelling well in their cities”: the word “well” (Greek καλῶς) the Septuagint translated the Hebrew name Shaphir, the words “in their cities” (τὰς πόλεις αύτῆς) the Septuagint translated, evidently, the Hebrew erjah (nakedness, Russian “naked”), deriving it from ir (city), while the Hebrew boscheth shame (Russian “shamefully”) was left without translation. Instead of the name Tzaan in the Greek text we read Σενναὰρ, as well as Σεnnὰν (Jerome, Complutensian, Aldine and manuscripts) and ἡnnaὰρ (Theodoret, Chrysostom). Church Fathers (blessed Theodoret, Cyril of Alexandria) think that the name Sennaar the Septuagint used to allegorically name Jerusalem. The name Etzal (beth-azel) is transmitted by the Septuagint in a common sense: “mourn for the house near her” (ἐχόμενον αὐτης). Instead of the words “will not provide help to you” the Septuagint read another expression, which in Slavonic is transmitted: “will take from you the plague of ailments.”

Micah 1:12. The inhabitant of Maroth writhes in pain; for good has departed from the Lord to the gates of Jerusalem. By the words “inhabitant of Maroth” the prophet designates the inhabitants of Maroth in general. The location of Maroth is unknown. Provisionally they identify Maroth with Mooraph mentioned in Josh 15:59, which was located not far from Jerusalem in the territory of the tribe of Judah. But some commentators think that Maroth is a Phoenician settlement (Hoonacker). The prophet in describing the picture of the impending calamity to Judah makes use of the name Maroth in view of the meaning of the name (bitterness, sorrow). The very expression of the prophet about Maroth is understood differently: in our text the Hebrew chalah tetov is rendered by the words “writhes in pain about… good”, where tov is understood in the sense of property; modern commentators (Nowack, Hoonacker), in view of the abstract meaning of the word tov, render the given expression: “hopes for good.” If Maroth is understood not as a Judean, but as a hostile to Judeans settlement, then the meaning will be that Maroth (bitter) expects good for itself from the impending calamity to Judah. The prophet notes about the calamity that it has come to the gates of Jerusalem: this means that the calamity has drawn near, but has not yet arrived. – The first half of verse 12 in Greek and Slavonic text gives a thought different from that of the original. Instead of ki chalah (for grieves) the Septuagint, evidently, read mi chalal, which they translated τίς ἤρξατο (in Slavonic “who began”). The word maroth (Maroth) is understood by the Septuagint as a common noun and rendered by the word ὀδυνη, pain. All the expression in the Slavonic text received the form: “who began in good things dwelling in pains,” or, as it should be: who began to send pains living in good things, that is, “who began to send pains to one dwelling in well-being.” The speech is about Jerusalem, which in verse 11 is called Sennaar.

Micah 1:13. Harness the horses to the chariot, inhabitant of Lachish; she was the beginning of sin for the daughter of Zion; for in you are found the transgressions of Israel. The city called in verse 12 Lachish, now Um-Lachish on the way from Beth-Jibrin to Gaza, was located on the Judean plain, in the territory of the tribe of Judah (Josh 10:3). The city was well fortified (2 Chr 11:9) and could therefore withstand a prolonged siege by Sennacherib (2 Sam 18:14) and serve as the last refuge for the Judeans at the conquest by Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 30:7). It is supposed that Lachish was one of the “chariot cities” of King Solomon (1 Sam 10:26) and that horses were stationed to the sun in it (2 Sam 23:11), although for the latter there is no basis. The meaning of the prophet’s address to Lachish is not clear, since the Hebrew rethom hammerkabah larechesch is translated differently. According to the meaning of the Russian text, the prophet calls upon the inhabitants of Lachish to save themselves with fast horses – evidently, in view of the impending calamity. In the Slavonic text, in accordance with the translation of the Septuagint, the prophet’s address to Lachish is rendered by the words: “the sound of chariots and horsemen,” which words are referred to the end of the previous verse and understood as about Jerusalem. – “You (Hebrew hi – he) – are the beginning of sin for the daughter of Zion, for in you are found the transgressions of Israel”: it is not known why Lachish could be called the beginning of sin for Jerusalem. Calmet, Shegg, and other commentators suggest rephrasing the second half of verse 13 as follows: “the beginning of sin for the daughter of Zion was that in you are found the transgressions of Israel” (Knabenbauer).

Micah 1:14. Therefore you will give gifts in Moreshah-Gath; the houses of Achzib will be a deception for the kings of Israel. “Therefore you will give”: the speech is addressed not to Lachish (Yungerov), but to the daughter of Zion. “Gifts” – Hebrew schiluchim means gifts given to a bride as a dowry (1 Sam 9:16). “Moreshah-Gath” – apparently a hamlet which had some relations with Gath, – either being near it or even lying within its territory. The name of the hamlet morescheth is consonant with meorasah bride (Deut 22:23-27); therefore in the expression “you will give dowry to Moreshah” there is wordplay. The meaning of the expression probably is that the daughter of Zion must send dowry to Moreshah because of the transition of his possession to a new master. Moreshah is named by the prophet as the representative of the whole country. – “But the houses (beth) of Achzib (Achziv) will be a deception (leachzav) for the kings of Israel”: in the prophet’s expression there is wordplay, obtained not only from the consonance of the name Achzib with the word achzav (deception), but also from the fact that in the sense of a common noun achziv means a stream drying up in summer and thus deceiving the traveler hoping to quench his thirst; like a stream, the city of Achzib will deceive the hopes of the kings of Israel. By the latter the prophet understands the kings of Judah. Achzib will be a deception for them in the sense that it, together with other cities, will pass into the hands of the enemy. Achzib is a city in the tribe of Judah, to the west of Jerusalem (Gen 38:5; Josh 15:44). – The Septuagint translated the proper names Moreshah and Achzib, as in other cases, with common nouns; hence in the Slavonic text we read: “for this reason will give those given even to the inheritance (variant Moreshah) of Gath, houses of vanity (from Hebrew houses of Achzib): in vain they were to the kings of Israel.”

Micah 1:15. Still I will bring the heir to you, inhabitant of Mareshah; the glory of Israel will go to Adullam. “Mareshah” (“inheritance”) is a city in the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:44), now the ruins of Marah to the southwest of Beit-Jibrin. According to the prophet’s word, to Mareshah an heir (hajoresch) will be brought, that is, Mareshah will pass into the possession of the enemies of Judah. Mareshah is named by the prophet as an example, as one of the cities of Judea. – “He will go to Adullam, the glory of Israel.” Adullam – an ancient city (Gen 38:1) in the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:36), surrounded by rocks and caves, which once served as a refuge for David and his companions (1 Sam 22:1; 1 Chr 11:15). Its location is identified with the present-day village of Koreytun. According to the Russian translation, the second half of verse 15 has the meaning that the heir, that is, the enemy, will reach the southern border of Judea, to Adullam. “The glory of Israel” Adullam, as is supposed (Yungerov), could have been named because the surrounding caves and rocks made it a good defensive point for the Judeans (2 Macc 12:35). But the Hebrew text of the expression under consideration can be translated differently: “to Adullam will come the glory of Israel.” “The glory of Israel,” in such a case, the prophet calls Judean nobility and desires to express the thought that with the coming of calamity the nobles of Judah, like David once, will hide in the Adullam caves. The Septuagint referred the first half of verse 15 to Lachish (Slavonic “until the heirs I will bring to you dwelling in Lachish”), and in the second instead of the name of Israel they put daughter of Zion (the inheritance will even come to Adullam, the glory of the daughter of Zion). The name of Lachish is in no translation except the Greek.

Micah 1:16. Make yourself bald, cut your hair in mourning over the children you cherish; enlarge your baldness like the molting eagle, for they will go into captivity from you. The prophet addresses Judah, representing Judah as a mother grieving over her children. The prophet calls upon Judah to mourn because of the impending captivity of the people. – “Enlarge your baldness”: during mourning the Hebrews cut and even shaved the hair on their head and beard (Isa 15:2; Jer 7:29); to do this the prophet calls upon Judah. – “Like the molting eagle”: that is, like an eagle, which every year in spring loses feathers and is covered with new ones. Instead of the expression “make yourself bald” in Slavonic we read: “be covered with sores.” Instead of the words “enlarge your baldness” in Slavonic “enlarge your mangy covering.”

Chapter Two

1–2. Accusation of the rulers of Judah. 3–5. Announcement of punishment. 6–7. Address to false prophets. 8–11. Crimes of the powerful and thoughtlessness of the people. 12–13. Promise of deliverance from captivity.

In chapter II the prophet clarifies the causes of the judgment he announced in chapter I. To this end he describes the moral state of the Jewish people. The prophet, first of all, speaks of the rulers of Judah, whom he accuses of injustice and oppression, and then accuses the false prophets and the whole people. Next the prophet announces punishment to the people for their impiety (verses 4–5, 11), and concludes his entire speech with a promise of salvation (Mic 2:12-13).

Micah 2:1. Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil on their beds; when the morning dawn appears, they accomplish it, because they have power in their hands! Desiring to depict the depth of impiety of the rulers of Judah, the prophet represents them at night devising plans of evil deeds, and during the day carrying out these plans. The Septuagint read the Hebrew hoj (woe) as hajju (were); therefore in Slavonic instead of the Russian text “woe to those devising iniquity” we read: “there were those devising troubles” (konos, misfortune, hardship). – “Because they have power in their hands” (leel): the word el is understood by the Vulgate and some translators in this passage as the name of God. The Septuagint understood the word in the same sense, and wishing to soften the expression (“because their hand is their God”), changed its meaning; hence in Slavonic “because they did not raise their hands to God.” According to the Septuagint text, the cause of the iniquities of the rulers of Judah is that they did not turn to God in prayer (“did not raise their hands to God”).

Micah 2:2. They covet fields and seize them; and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance. The violence of the rulers of Judah manifested itself in the appropriation of other people’s fields, houses, and other people’s inheritance. The Septuagint, wishing to clarify the prophet’s speech, added after the verb gasalu (seize) the noun ὀρφανοὺς, for which reason in Slavonic we read – “and robbed the orphans” (instead of Russian “and seize them”).

Micah 2:3. Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I am devising against this family calamity from which you cannot remove your necks; nor will you walk erect; for it is an evil time. The prophet speaks in verse 3 of the impending invasion of enemies and captivity. The prophet compares this calamity to a yoke that cannot be cast off from the neck.

Micah 2:4. On that day they will take up a taunt-song concerning you and wail with a bitter lamentation, saying, “We are utterly ruined; he changes the portion of my people; how he removes it from me! To the apostate he divides our fields.” The prophet continues to depict the punishment coming upon the people. The calamity of the people, according to the prophet’s word, will find expression in a mournful song, which at the same time will be a taunt-song or satire upon the people. The prophet composes this taunt-song. – “On that day,” that is, on the day when punishment strikes the people. – “And wail with a bitter lamentation.” The Hebrew expression nahah nehi nibjah is difficult to understand and is translated differently. The Septuagint and Vulgate understood nihjah as a noun and translated it with the word μέλο я (Slavonic “and will lament with a song of lamentation,” ἐἐ μέλει) and suavitas (Vulgate with suavity). Modern commentators regard nihjah as a participial form (infal) from the verb hajah to be and translate it: done, became, completed, and give to the following verb amar (Russian “will say”) the meaning of the Latin inquit “so it turned out,” they will say, “we are utterly ruined” (Ewald, Hitzig, Knabenbauer). Russian translators took nihjah for another form of the noun nehi lamentation and translated all the expression nahah nehi nilijah as: “and wept with weeping a lamentation,” or “bitter lamentation.” The Jews had the custom of composing mournful songs or kinoth at the death of heroes and at the destruction of cities (cf. Amos 5:1). From this custom the image of the prophet was borrowed, – “We are utterly ruined!” The Septuagint and Slavonic literally render the Hebrew text of the expression, translation – “we have suffered disaster.” – “The portion of my people has been changed” (jamir) to others: (the speech, according to the meaning of the Russian text, from the mouth of the source or composer of the mournful song). The Septuagint probably read yamid instead of jamir, κατεμετρήθη (from madad to measure) and for clarity added the word ἐν σχοινίῳ – with a rope; hence in Slavonic “the portion of the people of mine was measured with a rope.” – “How (ech) it will return to me”: the Septuagint apparently read the Hebrew ech as ain (no) and therefore translated the expression καὶ οὐκ ῆν; instead of li (to me) they read lо (to him); the word leschovev, referring to the following sentence, they took as an infinitive from schuv (to return); hence in Slavonic “and there was nothing preventing its being turned away,” that is, nothing preventing the taking away of it. – “Our fields have been divided among the apostate” (leschovev): the last word was referred by the Septuagint to the previous sentence and understood in the sense of a verb; therefore the end of verse in Slavonic reads: “your fields have been divided.”

Micah 2:5. Therefore there will be no one to cast a measuring line by lot for you in the assembly of the Lord. Verse 5 many commentators understand as words directed against the prophet by wicked people, irritated by his predictions. The enemies of the prophet express a desire that he die without leaving offspring (Hitzig, Orelli, Nowack). Other commentators (Yungerov, Hoonacker) consider verse 5 the conclusion of the mournful song laid out in the preceding verse. After the conquest of the land of Canaan the Hebrews cast lots to divide the land among the tribes (Josh 18:8-10) in the assembly at the door of the tabernacle in Shiloh. Borrowing from this fact the image of his expression, the prophet wants to say that at the time of the coming calamity all the land will pass into the hands of enemies, and the people will go into captivity, so that there will be no one to cast lots (Slavonic “there will be no one for you to measure out a lot”) to divide parcels.

Micah 2:6. Do not preach, they preach; they should not preach about these things, for shame will not depart from us. Verses 6–7 are very difficult to translate and interpret. Commentators understand these verses differently, and our Russian translation represents only one of the interpretations of these verses. The difficulty in interpreting verse 6 arises from the unclear meaning of the verb nataph used three times in the verse. The verb nataph means to pour, to drip, in the transferred sense – to pour, that is, to pronounce speeches, to preach, to speak. The Septuagint understood the verb in the sense of “to pour tears,” and hence in Slavonic arose: “do not weep tears, nor let tears fall on account of this.” As may be seen from further words (“for it will not reject reproach”) the Septuagint understood verse 6 as an invitation from the prophet not to shed tears because of the impending calamity in view of its inevitability. This resulted in a thought little suited to the context of the speech. Other translations and all modern commentators usually understand the verb nataph in verse 6 in a transferred sense – to speak, to prophesy. But the question arises: what kind of prophesying is being discussed in verse 6? According to the meaning of our translation, verse 6 discusses false prophesying: the prophet addresses an exhortation to false prophets not to prophesy, so that their prophecies, which usually announce peace and well-being, do not bring dishonor upon them, because these prophecies will not come true (cf. Deut 18:22). According to the Vulgate and according to the interpretation of modern commentators (Orelli, Nowack, Hoonacker), verse 6 represents an address to the prophet Micah himself or generally to true prophets from the false prophets or from wicked contemporaries. The meaning of the address is such: Micah should not prophesy, because shame will not befall the people (Vulgate: “do not prophesy; it will not rain upon them, shame will not come upon them”).

Micah 2:7. O house of Jacob, is it shortened, the Spirit of the Lord? Are such his works? Do not my words do good to him who walks uprightly? Verse 7, like the previous one, is very difficult to understand and is interpreted differently. The composers of the Russian translation apparently saw in verse 7 a censure by the prophet Micah of the false prophets, to whom the words of verse 6 are also addressed. The false prophets, calmly viewing the immorality of the people, explained the calamities befalling him by saying that the Spirit of Jehovah was diminished, that is, His power weakened, and He cannot save. Refuting such a view, the prophet addresses the entire house of Jacob and points out that God’s works are not like this, that they prove His omnipotence, and if He does not save the people, it is only because of the latter’s fault, for its impiety: the words of the Lord are good, but only for those who act justly (Yungerov). According to the Vulgate and according to the interpretation of the majority of commentators, verse 7 represents a rejoinder from the false prophets or all the people against the threatening prophecies of Micah and other true prophets. Against the truthfulness of Micah’s prophecy about the coming calamity, the prophet’s contemporaries (instead of the Russian text reading “O house of Jacob says” in the Vulgate: “the house of Jacob says”) put forward that the Spirit of the Lord, long suffering toward the people before, has not been diminished and is still now (that is, has not become less patient), and that the greatness of God’s deeds is not in destroying the people (“Are such his works?”). In answer to this the prophet from the mouth of the Lord says that the words of God are good only for those acting justly.

Micah 2:8. But lately my people arose as an enemy; you strip the mantle along with the garment from those who pass by peacefully, from those turning away from war. Verse 8 is difficult to understand and is translated in the Russian text provisionally. According to the meaning of the Russian translation, in unveiling the thought expressed at the end of the preceding verse about the fact that God is good only to those acting justly, the prophet shows in verse 8 how far the Judean people are from justice. The people has become as if an enemy to God, because they act against His commands: from peaceful wayfarers, from people turning away from war and violence, they take both upper and lower garments. Modern commentators translate verse 8 differently, permitting some corrections to the text; for example, according to Hoonacker: “but you are against my people, you help his enemy, before Salmaneser (Hebrew saimah eder, upper garment, Hoonacker reads salmanazar) you take from those who go confidently on their way the spoils of war”; according to Nowack: “you come out, as enemies, against my people, from friends you take away (the property) and from the carelessly passing the spoils of war.” The Greek and Slavonic texts give in verse 8 a thought deviating from the original and very unclear: “and before the people of Mine in enmity rose up, against peace his own: their skin you stripped, from which to take away hope, breaking (the) war.” According to the meaning of the Greek-Slavonic text, the prophet wants to say that because of the hostile relations of the people toward God, which relations contradict the well-being of the people itself, all is taken away from it – both property (its skin) and hope.

Micah 2:9. The women of my people you cast out from their pleasant homes; from their young children you take away my glory forever. The prophet points out other crimes of the people – the oppression or expulsion of women and children. What expulsion of women the prophet is speaking of is not clear. Hitzig supposes that the prophet is speaking of the refusal to provide shelter to women and children fleeing from the Israelite kingdom. But the prophet’s speech is of a general character. Probably, he has in mind both the expulsion of women for the purpose of divorce, and the expulsion of widows and orphans for the purpose of appropriating their property. This expulsion from homes could entail removal from the country, as a result of which exiled children would be deprived of the honor of belonging to God’s people. It is supposed that it is precisely this deprivation that the prophet means when he says: “from their young children you take away my glory forever.” Some commentators, however, understand the prophet’s last words in the sense of an indication of the deprivation of children of property (Yungerov). The Greek translators understood the Hebrew nschej (women) as an abbreviated nasiej (from nasi prince) and therefore referred the entire verse 9 to the elders; hence in the Slavonic text we read: “for this reason the elders of the people of mine will be cast out from their pleasant homes for evil deeds of theirs (meal ololejha from children, the Septuagint apparently read; meavel alilejha, from evil deeds of theirs) they were rejected. Draw near to the eternal mountains.” The last words, having no correspondence in the original, apparently contain a call to flee to the mountains in view of the impending calamity.

Micah 2:10. Rise and depart! For this is not a place of rest; because of uncleanness it will be destroyed, and that with a grievous destruction. The prophet threatens the lawless with captivity and directly calls upon them to depart from the land, defiled by the sins of those living in it and having ceased to be a land of rest (Deut 12:9; Isa 28:12). The Greek and Slavonic text transmit the thought of the original periphrастically (Slavonic “rise and depart, for neither is there for you this rest of uncleanness; you are destroyed with destruction”).

Micah 2:11. If a man walking in the spirit and speaking falsely were to say, “I will preach to you about wine and strong drink,” then he would be the preacher for this people. In censuring the people, the prophet realizes that his preaching arouses not the attention of the people, but irritation. In his soul there involuntarily arises a mournful thought about what kind of preaching the people would desire: preaching about wine and strong drink. The Greek and Slavonic text in verse 11 deviate from the original and give a thought little comprehensible. The beginning of verse 11 in the Slavonic text “you will be driven by none driven” arose because the Septuagint referred out of verse 11 the preceding verse the word nimraz (powerful, fierce), taking it for a form of the verb ruz (to run), and the first words of verse 11 lu isch holech (if someone walking) read lo isch helech (there is no one going or chasing). The further words of verse 11 in the Greek and Slavonic texts do not give a satisfactory meaning (“the spirit established a lie, dug for you in wine and drunkenness; and it will be, from the drop of these people”).

Micah 2:12. I will surely gather all of you, Jacob; I will surely assemble the remnant of Israel; I will bring them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in the midst of pasture; they will make a loud noise because of the multitude of people. The connection of verses 12 and 13 with the preceding is understood differently by commentators. Many think that these verses, containing a joyful promise to Israel, represent the speech of false prophets (Michaelis, Ewald, Orelli): contrary to Micah’s prophecy about impending calamities, the false prophets announce God’s mercy toward the people and its glorious deliverance. But it is scarcely possible to regard verses 12–13 as the speech of false prophets; the latter are attributed in verse 11 to other speeches in general; moreover, verses 12–13 speak of return from captivity, while the false prophets did not even admit the thought of captivity. Hoonacker, regarding 12–13 as a prophecy of Micah himself, sees the meaning of this prophecy in the announcement to the people not of salvation, but of calamity and specifically of captivity. According to Hoonacker’s opinion, the prophet wants to say that the people will be gathered together in calamity, and that it will go into captivity under the leadership of the king. But such an understanding of verses 12–13, although establishing a direct connection of the verses with the general content of chapter II, which speaks of the inevitability of calamity, cannot be recognized as correct: the expressions at the beginning of verse 12 and the end of verse 13 (“and the Lord will be at their head”) clearly show that the speech is about salvation, not calamity, and Hoonacker must without any grounds separate the stated expressions as a gloss in order to defend his understanding. The prophet in verses 12–13 speaks, undoubtedly, of the gathering of Jacob and the remnants of Israel in captivity and of the deliverance of the people from captivity. There is no need to regard the verses under consideration as a later insertion (Nowack and others) or to suppose that they are transferred to the end of chapter 11 from another place in the book of Micah (Steiner, Rissel). Transitions from the prediction of calamity to the announcement of a glorious future are customary in prophets (cf. Isa 7:1 and others). – “I will bring them together like sheep in Bozrah”: Bozrah is an ancient Judean city (Gen 36:33; Isa 34:6), evidently rich in livestock. However, the Septuagint, Jerome, Syriac, Aquila, Symmachus, and some modern commentators (Knabenbauer) prefer to understand the Hebrew bozrah in the sense of a common noun: in Slavonic according to the Septuagint: “as sheep in tribulation”; according to Jerome bozrah is accepted in the meaning of “sheepfold.” – The Greek-Slavonic text transmits the thought of the original; instead of the words: “they will make a loud noise because of the multitude of people” (meadam – “because of people”) in Slavonic we read: “they will rush out of (on account of) people,” that is, they will rush like sheep when people pursue them.

Micah 2:13. The one who breaks through will go up before them; they will break through and pass by the gate, and go out by it; their king will pass before them, and the Lord at their head. In verse 13 the prophet gives an image description of the return of the Judeans from captivity. The prophet represents that the Lord himself will go at the head of the people and that those going before the people – the “wall breaker” – will break through all barriers in the path. In the Greek text the verbs of verse 13 are translated in the past tense, and the words alah happorez (will go the wall breaker) were read by the Septuagint as al happerez (through the breaches); hence in the Slavonic “go up (ἀνάβηθι only in some Greek manuscripts, in others absent) by breaches (through the breaches) before their face, broke through and passed by the gates, and came out by them: and their king came out before their face, the Lord will be their guide.” The fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy about the union of Jacob and the remnants of Israel and their liberation from captivity, interpreters point out in the fact of the return of the Jewish people from captivity under Zerubbabel and in the fact of the redemption of mankind through the Messiah – Christ, who gathered all peoples into one flock.

Chapter Three

1–4. Condemnation of princes and judges for violating justice. 5–7. Condemnation of false prophets for their flattering, reassuring speeches. 8. The character of Micah’s preaching. 9–12. Proclamation of the destruction of Jerusalem for the ungodliness of the Jews.

Chapter III, like the preceding one, has a condemnatory character. The prophet addresses the princes and false prophets. To the former he proclaims God’s wrath for the violation of justice and oppression. Micah condemns false prophets for their flattering attitude toward the people, because they, driven by greed, proclaimed peace to the people when disaster was impending. As a true servant of Jehovah, Micah comes forward with open condemnation of the people’s crimes and proclaims the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.

Micah 3:1. And I said: Listen, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel—is it not your responsibility to know justice? Instead of “and I said” (vaomar), the LXX reads καὶ ἐρεῖ, the Slavic “and he shall speak.” Accordingly, verses 1–4 in the Slavic text represent speech from the mouth of the Lord, whose name the prophet mentioned at the end of chapter II. According to the Russian text, verses 1–4 contain the words of the prophet himself and begin a new speech, which, as is clear from Jer 26:18, was delivered in the time of Hezekiah and made a strong impression on the people. “The heads of Jacob and the rulers of the house of Israel,” as is evident from what follows (Mic 3:10-12), denote Judah: heads and rulers are chiefs of clans, judges, commanders of thousands, and others. “Is it not your responsibility to know justice” (or “judgment” in the Slavic): the prophet speaks not of theoretical knowledge of justice, but of its practical implementation; is it not your responsibility to know justice—is it not your responsibility to care for justice? In place of the name Jacob, the LXX read beth Jaakov, hence in the Slavic “the authorities of the house of Jacob.” The Hebrew kezinej (rulers) the LXX apparently derived from kazah (to end) and translated with the word οἱ κατριλαποι, in Slavic “those who remain in the house of Israel.”

Micah 3:2. But you hate good and love evil; you flay the skin from them and flesh from their bones, “You flay the skin from them”: the prophet wishes to point out the oppression of the people by the leaders and rulers.

Micah 3:3. You eat the flesh of my people, and flay the skin from them, and break their bones, and cut them up as into a pot, and their flesh as into a kettle. The prophet expresses figuratively in verse 3 the thought of oppression of the people. The images in verse 3 represent a development of the image used in Mic 2:12 with respect to the people of a flock.

Micah 3:4. And they shall cry to the Lord, but he shall not hear them, and he shall hide his face from them at that time, because they have done wickedly. The punishment for the oppressors of the people will be that the Lord will not hear them in time of need, that is, on the day of judgment.

Micah 3:5. Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who bite with their teeth and proclaim peace, but against him who does not put food in their mouth, they declare war. In verses 5–7 the prophet condemns false prophets, and his condemnations are similar to the condemnations of Jeremiah (Jer 6:14) and Ezekiel (Ezek 13:10-19). Micah addresses those false prophets who were guided in their activity not by any convictions different from those of true prophets (Jer 7:4), but purely by greed. Taking advantage of the people’s trust, they comforted some by proclaiming abundance—wine and strong drink—and were hostile to others. “Bite with their teeth”: that is, they receive bread (compare Amos 6:14) for their predictions (Yungerov: “bold of tongue”). Against him who does not put food in their mouth, they declare war, from Hebrew “consecrate (kidschu) war,” that is, they give it a God-pleasing character. The prophet wants to say that false prophets covered their personal enmity toward those who “did not put food in their mouths” with the mask of serving God.

Micah 3:6. Therefore night shall come over you without visions, and darkness without divination; the sun shall set over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. The images of “night” and “darkness” in the Bible are used to express the thought of calamities (Isa 5:20). Micah proclaims that the false prophets will be overtaken by calamities for their greedy predictions.

Micah 3:7. And the seers shall be ashamed, and the diviners shall be abashed, and all of them shall cover their lips, because there is no answer from God. The onset of calamities will serve as proof of the falseness of the predictions of the false prophets who lulled the people with their promises of prosperity. The false prophets will cease to be trusted, and also because there will be no answer from the Lord at all, that is, revelation through the prophets will cease (compare Amos 8:12; Lam 2:4; Ps 73:9). “Cover their lips” (ol—sapham): from Hebrew, cover their beards (compare Lev 13:45; Ezek 24:17-22), that is, cover them as a sign of mourning on account of calamity. The LXX expressed the last thought differently: according to the Greek-Slavic text, given the exposure of the falseness of the predictions of the false prophets, “all will speak against them,” that is, everyone will condemn them. Instead of the words “because there is no answer from God” in the Slavic “because there will be none to hear them”: maaneh elogim (answer of God) the LXX read as maaneh elejhem.

Micah 3:8. But I am filled with power by the Spirit of the Lord, with justice and courage, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. The prophet points out the authority of his words, which proceed from the power of the Holy Spirit, and indicates the character of his preaching. In the Slavic text, instead of the affirmative form of speech, there is a conditional one: “if I do not fill myself with the power of the Spirit of the Lord.”

Micah 3:9. Listen to this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and pervert everything straight, Micah 3:10. Who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity! From verse 9 the prophet returns to the beginning of his speech and again condemns the heads and rulers of the house of Jacob (compare Mic 3:1). “Who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity”: the prophet condemns the rulers in that they built their houses, which constitute the beauty of Zion, from the means obtained by oppression and injustice; one can give the prophet’s words a more general sense: the princes commit so much violence and injustice that Zion and all Jerusalem seem to be built out of them.

Micah 3:11. Its heads judge for a bribe, and its priests teach for pay, and its prophets divine for money; yet they lean on the Lord and say, “Is not the Lord in the midst of us? No disaster shall overtake us!” The prophet continues to enumerate the sins that will provoke the wrath of Jehovah. “Its priests teach for pay”: according to the Mosaic law, in difficult judicial cases, judges were supposed to consult the priests and act “according to the law that they teach you and according to the ruling that they give” (Deut 17:8-11). Clearly, the priests took bribes and perverted the law, issuing unjust rulings, for which the prophet condemns them. The severity of the crimes condemned by the prophet was particularly increased by the fact that those responsible for them considered themselves true worshippers of the Lord, were confident in the Lord’s dwelling in their midst and in His protection from calamities. With such false convictions, Jeremiah had later to contend (Jer 7:4).

Micah 3:12. Therefore, because of you, Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house shall become a wooded hill. For the sins of the rulers, the prophet proclaims the complete destruction of Jerusalem. “Zion” is the name of the fortress of the Jebusites, located on the southern part of the eastern hill of Jerusalem, and later the name of the entire eastern hill and even all of Jerusalem. “The mountain of the house”—the mountain of the temple, that is, the same Zion or that part of Zion where the temple stood. The LXX transmitted verse 12 in accordance with the Masoretes, except that the word “heap” (“pile of ruins”) was translated by them, as in Mic 1:6, as ὀπωροφυλάκιον, Slavic “vegetable storage,” and the word bamoth (“hill”) as ἄλσος, a grove (Slavic “and the mountain of the house like a sacred grove”). Micah’s prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem is also cited in the Book of Jeremiah (Jer 26:18). From the Book of Jeremiah, we learn that the prophecy under consideration was uttered in the time of Hezekiah, made an impression on the king and the people, and prompted them to turn to the Lord. As a result of this repentance, the Lord “averted the disaster.” Thus, while the prophet’s threats were expressed in a definitive form, they had a conditional character. Moreover, the Book of Jeremiah reports that the fact of Micah’s prophesying concerning the destruction of Jerusalem served to save the prophet Jeremiah from death, to which they wanted to condemn him because he prophesied against the city (Jer 26:11-19).

Chapter Four

1–5. Prophecy concerning the exaltation of the mountain of the Lord and the gathering of all peoples to it. 6–8. The reign of the Lord on Zion. 9–11. The coming captivity for Judah. 12–11. The future glorification of the daughter of Zion.

Micah 4:1. And it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the chief of the mountains and raised above the hills, and peoples shall flow to it. From the sorrowful present, the prophet turns in chapters IV–V to the bright future that will be realized in the last days, that is, in the messianic times. The speeches of chapters IV–V were pronounced by the prophet later than the preceding speeches of chapters I–III. The threats uttered by the prophet in chapters I–III regarding the impending destruction of Samaria were not carried out, because the repentant people were pardoned by the Lord (Jer 26:18). After the taking of Samaria by Sargon, whose invasion was expected in Jerusalem, occupied by military expeditions against Babylon and thus the immediate danger of invasion of Judah for the time had passed. But the spirit of the people was not at ease about the future. The prophet now (after 722 B.C.) turns to the people with consoling words. The prophet proclaims that the mountain of God’s house—Zion, which had been threatened with being plowed under (Mic 3:12), shall one day be established as the chief of the mountains and receive pre-eminence of honor and glory before them. The prophet speaks, of course, not of a physical change in the mountain (Marti), but of its spiritual glorification. To the Hebrew gal vehajah (“it shall be”), in Greek the explanatory εμφανές is added, in Slavic “made manifest”; instead of the Hebrew-Russian “the mountain of the house of the Lord” in the LXX in the Slavic version simply “the mountain of the Lord,” although in Cyril of Alexandria in the complete edition and in many manuscripts there is also the full reading of the Hebrew text; the Hebrew nakon berosch haharim, Russian “established as chief of the mountains,” in the LXX and in the Slavic is rendered: “prepared (ε῀οιμος, as nakon is also translated in Exod 15:17; 1 Sam 8:13-39-43) over the summits of the mountains.”

Micah 4:2. And many nations shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. In verse 2, the prophet explains the reason for the gathering of peoples to Zion—namely, the proclamation of the law from Zion and the glory of the Lord from Jerusalem—and the purpose of the gathering—instruction in God’s ways. The ways of God are the commandments of the Lord (Ps 5:9). “Law” means generally the commandments of the Lord, not the Torah in the later technical sense. The Hebrew vejorenu (“and he will teach us”) in the LXX, though not in all manuscripts, is rendered in the plural—δείξουσιν, Slavic “and they will show.”

Micah 4:3. And he shall judge many peoples and rebuke strong nations far and wide; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, and they shall learn war no more. The prophet depicts the influence of the law that is to be proclaimed from Zion on the hearts of men. Instead of the words “many nations” in the Greek-Slavic version and in the Vulgate, “strong peoples” is what the Hebrew azum means, as is also translated in Num 22:6; Isa 18:7.

Micah 4:4. But each shall sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and none shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. The image of sitting under a vineyard and fig tree depicts the peaceful character of the glorious future seen by the prophet. The prophecy Mic 4:1-4 in ancient times was understood by the Jews as a prediction of the return of the Jews from Babylon. In the same sense, as is evident from the interpretation of blessed Theodoret, some interpreters understood the verses in question. However, the majority of interpreters, such as Justin Martyr (Dialogue with Trypho 109), Irenaeus (Against Heresies IV, 34), Tertullian (Against the Jews, ch. 3), blessed Theodoret, Cyril of Alexandria, Ephrem the Syrian, John Chrysostom (on Ps 48-49), explained the words of Micah in a messianic sense. Confirming such an interpretation, blessed Theodoret asks: “What peoples, both near and far, after returning from Babylon, flocked to the temple of the Jews with joy, received their law, and loved the word that came from there? Among what peoples or among ‘many men’ did the word decide, exposing what evil was done by them? And immediately following this, the statement added by the prophet in the text exposes the falsehood of the Jewish interpretation. For after returning from Babylon (as those who understand this passage as referring to the return will agree), the Judaeans were attacked by Gog and Magog with many peoples, all their neighbors continued to wage war with them, and after a short time they were struck by calamities from the Macedonians, described in the Books of the Maccabees. But the prophet’s word promises here a profound peace.” According to the explanation of blessed Theodoret himself, in Mic 4:1-4 Micah foretells that the Gospel preaching will extend to the furthest reaches of the earth. The mountain of the Lord, of which the prophet speaks, is the Church of Christ; the law that will come forth from Zion is Gospel law, the New Testament. The images used by the prophet express, in particular, the thought that the Old Testament and New Testament form a single whole, that the New Testament will be given on the basis of the Old and given not to one people but to all. The words of the prophet have been fulfilled, moreover, not only in their essential meaning but also in letter, for with the coming of Christ the Savior, “the mountain of the Lord,” the mountain of Jerusalem, sanctified by the sufferings of Christ and also by His resurrection and ascension, has been glorified before all other mountains and has become a holy place for all peoples. The statement in chapter IV of the Book of Micah, with the exception of verse 4, is found almost in the same form in the prophet Isaiah, and was taken from him by Micah; it is commonly debated which of the two prophets properly owns this saying. The question is answered differently: some scholars believe that the saying about the mountain of the Lord belongs to Isaiah and was taken from him by Micah; others assume the opposite relationship; it is also possible to think that Isaiah and Micah both reproduce some saying that had been preserved from ancient times.

Micah 4:5. For all peoples walk each in the name of their god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever. The connection of verse 5 with the preceding verses is not entirely clear, which even gives some scholars (Marti, Nowack) reason to consider verse 5 a gloss explaining the current attitude of the peoples toward the Lord. This connection is established as follows: Judah will live in security (verse 4) because it has God as its protector, to whom it faithfully serves, while other peoples serve other gods (Keil, Cheyne); or: in light of the promises of verses 1–4, Judah must walk in the name of the Lord, even if other peoples go after their gods (Reinking) and others. Instead of the words “in the name of their god” in the LXX, unwilling to ascribe the name of gods to pagan gods, they put τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ, “in their own way.” “Walk each in the name of their god” means “they act according to the laws established by their false religions.”

Micah 4:6. In that day, says the Lord, I will assemble the lame and gather those who have been driven away and those to whom I have brought calamity. Micah 4:7. And I will make the lame a remnant and those far cast off a strong people, and the Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion from now on and forever. In verses 6–8, the prophet supplements the thought of Mic 4:1-4 and clarifies what the position of the Jewish people itself will be in the future. The people will reach a position of sick sheep, separated from the flock, that is, will reach utter calamity. Like a good shepherd, the Lord will gather the scattered sheep. But not all will follow the voice of the shepherd: only a remnant will be gathered, over which the Lord will reign. This remnant, however, despite its small number, by its inner essence can be called a “strong people.”

Micah 4:8. And you, O tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion! to you shall it come, the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. The prophet addresses Jerusalem or Zion directly and proclaims the return of its former dominion to it, that is, the return of the former kingdom of David, which served as a foreshadowing of the Kingdom of Christ. “And you, O tower of the flock, hill (ophel) of the daughter of Zion,” Slavic “and you, tower of the flock, misty hill, daughter of Zion”: the prophet foresees such desolation of Jerusalem that the city will become a pasture, on which, as is customary, a tower for watching over the flock will be erected (compare 2 Chr 26:10); in particular, the prophet is addressing Ophel or the southeast hill of the temple mount; the expression “daughter of Zion” means the inhabitants of Zion or all of Jerusalem and even the entire Jewish kingdom (compare Isa 1:8; Ps 16:8). The LXX read the word ophel with the letter aleph and understood it in the sense of darkness, gloom (αὐχμώδης); in the same sense, Aquila understood this word (σκωτιώδης), Symmachus (ἀπόκρυφος), and Jerome (nebulosa); hence in the Slavic “tower of the flock, misty.” “And the former dominion (Slavic ‘the first power’) shall come, the kingdom to the daughters of Jerusalem”: the prophet speaks of the restoration of the kingdom of David on Zion. The LXX understood the prophet’s speech in a different sense and after the word kingdom added: ἐκ Βαβυλωνος, Slavic “from Babylon.” Blessed Theodoret interprets the reading of the LXX as follows: “the prophet threatens them (the Jews) with the army of the Babylonians, because Nebuchadnezzar, as soon as he ascended the throne, attacked them in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim. Therefore the Babylonian kingdom the prophet called ‘the first power,’ since Nebuchadnezzar shortly after ascending the throne set out on a campaign.” But the reading ἐκ Βαβυλωνος does not give a thought corresponding to the context and should be considered a later insertion: it is absent in some Greek manuscripts, in the LXX, in Cyril of Alexandria and Jerome.

Micah 4:9. Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Or has your counselor perished, that pangs have seized you like a woman in labor? In verses 9–10, the prophet speaks of the impending calamities—the taking of the city and the deportation of the people into captivity. The prophet seems to hear the cries and wails of the people. Instead of the Hebrew “now why do you cry aloud?” (tharij rea) in the Slavic from the Greek: “and now why did you recognize evil?” because the LXX apparently read thedii (from jadah, to know) ra. “Is there no king in you?” the question of the prophet is understood (Keil, Yungerov) either as a supposition about the cause of sorrow (the destruction of the king) or in an ironic sense, as an indication that the king himself, that is, external force, which the people hope in so much, will not protect it (Nowack). “Or has your counselor perished?” (LXX Βουλη, Slavic “counsel”): state counselors, as is evident from biblical references (2 Sam 15:12; 1 Sam 12:1-7; 1 Chr 27:32-33; Isa 1:26), had very important significance in the Jewish kingdom, were near the king and exerted influence on the course of the people’s entire life.

Micah 4:10. Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you shall go forth from the city and dwell in the open country; you shall go to Babylon. There you shall be rescued; there the Lord will redeem you from the hand of your enemies. “Writhe and groan” (vagochi): given the obscurity of the last verb (gochi), it is transmitted differently: in the LXX—ἀνδρίζοῦ, Slavic “show courage,” in Jerome—satage (think), in others—διατείνου (strain). To the verb “show courage” in the Slavic version another verb is joined—“and draw near,” Greek ὲ῾γγιζε, but this verb is absent in many Greek manuscripts. “You shall go to Babylon”: the deportation of the people from the city will end with their settlement in Babylon. The prophet speaks of Babylon not only as a province of the Assyrian kingdom, to which the Jews were deported by the Assyrians, but as an independent kingdom: it is from the Babylonians, not from the Assyrians, who were subject to the Babylonians in Micah’s time, that the prophet expects captivity. Negative criticism (Nowack, Marti), not allowing that prophetic predictions would rise above the horizon of the prophets’ times, considers it impossible that Micah would prophesy about the conquest of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, since Babylon at that time was not yet a world power and was only a province subject to Assyria. On this basis, the words in question are considered a later insertion in the Book of Micah. But clearly, when prophecy is recognized as a supernatural phenomenon, this difficulty disappears. At the end of verse 10, the prophet speaks of the future liberation of the people from captivity.

Micah 4:11. And now many nations are gathered against you, saying, “Let her be profaned, and let our eyes gaze upon Zion!” The prophet addresses the current situation of the people and points out how the enemies of the people treat them. “Let her be profaned,” that is, profaned with human blood, the blood shed in the course of war, generally destroyed; in the Vulgate—lapidetur (let her be struck with stones), as an adulteress—the LXX conveyed the thought of the original more freely: ἐπιχαροὺμεθα, Slavic “let us rejoice.” “Let our eyes gaze upon Zion”: the prophet wishes to point out the malicious glee of the enemies at the destruction of Zion.

Micah 4:12. But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord; they do not understand his counsel, that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor. Micah 4:13. Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for I will make your horn iron and your hoofs bronze; you shall crush many peoples and shall dedicate their gain to the Lord, their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth. The prophet points out the outcome of the struggle of the nations against Zion—their defeat according to God’s decree. “I will make your horn iron and your hoofs (Slavic ‘claws’) bronze”; having compared in verse 12 the peoples to sheaves gathered on a threshing floor, the prophet compares Israel to an ox threshing: by giving him iron horns and bronze hoofs, the prophet wishes to indicate the strength and might of Israel in its struggle with enemies. “And you shall dedicate their gain to the Lord,” in the Slavic “their multitude,” πληθος αδτίῶν; in the LXX the word πλῆθος is used in the sense of “property” (Ezek 27:33; Jer 46:16; Nah 2:13); therefore the Greek text precisely conveys the thought of the original. “And their wealth” Slavic “and their strength”; in Greek ἰσχύς (strength) which word in Isa 61:6 also means wealth. What war of pagan nations against Jerusalem does the prophet Micah speak of in Mic 4:9-13? Ancient and modern commentators answer this question differently. So, according to blessed Theodoret, the prophet from Mic 4 begins to prophesy about the Scythian peoples who attacked the Jews after their return. According to the opinion of St. Ephrem the Syrian, to which among modern commentators Keil adheres, the prophet speaks of the invasion of Gog and Magog, the final enemies of God’s kingdom. In the opinion of other interpreters (St. Cyril of Alexandria, Cornelius a Lapide, Yungerov), Micah in Mic 4:9-13 has in mind the invasion of the Assyrian kings Salmaneser and Sennacherib. But hardly should the prophet’s words be understood in relation to any particular historical fact of the invasion of enemies: the prophet points out generally the path of history of the chosen people—the path of struggle with the enemies of Zion and triumph over them by the aid of God.

Chapter Five

1. The impending humiliation of Zion. 2–6. The birth of the Ruler of Israel, his properties and significance for the greatness of the people. 7–9. The significance of the “remnant of Jacob” for other peoples. 10–15. The transformation of Israel.

Micah 5:1. Now you are walled in, O daughter of hosts; a siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. In the Hebrew Bible, verse 1 is assigned to the end of the preceding chapter as its conclusion (Mic 4:9-13). But it is better to consider it as the beginning of a new speech. The meaning of verse 1 is not clear and is determined by commentators differently. “Now arm yourself (thithgoddi), O daughter of hosts,” in the cited words it is unclear: 1) to whom the prophet addresses himself, and 2) what is the essence of the prophet’s call. According to the meaning of the Greek-Slavic text, where instead of “O daughter of hosts” we read “daughters of Ephraim,” the prophet in verse 1 addresses the Israelite (ten-tribe) kingdom. In this very sense, blessed Cyril of Alexandria and many commentators interpret the prophet’s address (Yungerov). But although the word Εphraim is in the Alexandria manuscript, in Cyril of Alexandria in some manuscripts of Holmes, in the majority of manuscripts, including the Vatican manuscript, as well as in blessed Theodoret and Jerome, it is absent. Therefore, it should be considered a later insertion by some commentator. The understanding of verse 1 in relation to the Israelite kingdom does not correspond to the context of the speech. One cannot also, as do some commentators (Akerman, Cheyne, etc.), relate verse 1 to the enemies besieging Jerusalem, for example the Babylonians, because, as is evident from verse 2, the speech concerns the chosen people. According to Hoonacker, instead of bath gedud (“daughter of hosts”), one should read beth-gader—the name of a city, the name of which means “place of enclosure.” The city is named instead of the entire country of Judah, to create a play on words. But it is simpler to relate the address of verse 1 to Jerusalem. The meaning of the name of Jerusalem as “daughter of hosts” is disputed. The expression in the Russian translation “daughter of hosts” can be understood by analogy with biblical expressions: “man of knowledge” (Prov 24:5), “man of words” (Exod 4:10), “son of death” (1 Sam 20:31): “daughter of hosts,” that is, a kingdom prepared for war, in a state of military readiness. The prophet, according to the meaning of the Russian translation, invites Jerusalem to come out to struggle with enemies, “to arm yourself,” wishing thereby to point out the severity of the impending struggle. But this translation is only speculative. The LXX translated the beginning of the verse as ‘ Εμφραχθὴσεται ἡμφραγμφ; Slavic “be fortified by a fortification”; Hoonacker translates the same way. In the Vulgate the expression in question is rendered as: vastaberis filia patronis, “you will be devastated, O daughter of the oppressor.” Modern commentators (Nowack, Wellhausen, Marti) understand the verb gadad (“to arm yourself”) in the sense of—to lacerate oneself, to make cuts as a sign of mourning, and, reading instead of bath-gedud the verbal form hithgoded hithgoddi, translate as: “lacerate yourself in torment of sorrow.” But, as Hoonacker rightly points out, such a translation gives a thought that does not correspond to the context, for the prophet predicts a favorable outcome of the struggle. “They have laid a siege against us,” in the Slavic “make war (Greek συνοχὴ, siege works, Jer 52:3; Judg 2:3) against you”; but in many Greek manuscripts there is also a reading corresponding to the Hebrew ‘ Εφ᾿ ἡμᾶζ, “against us.” “With a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.” The prophet points out the impending humiliation of the people. The judge of Israel is understood as either Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, or Hosea, the last king of Israel, or, more correctly, the king in general. Since the prophet speaks of a judge without immediate definitions, it is assumed that he has in mind the supreme judge mentioned in the law (Deut 17:9), to whom the title belonged to the kings. Instead of the Hebrew schopheth (judge) or perhaps schivthej (judges), the LXX apparently read schivthej (tribes); hence in the Slavic: “they will strike the rod on the jaw of the tribes of Israel.” Other Greek translators read in accordance with the Hebrew τὸν κριτhen, the judge.

Micah 5:2. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. From general and insufficiently determined predictions of the glorious future, the prophet in verse 2 turns to the cause of this future and proclaims the manifestation of the Ruler of Israel. “And you, Bethlehem Ephrathah.” The prophet speaks of Bethlehem in Judah (Matt 2:1-6), from which David and his house came. The name Bethlehem (bethlehem, house of bread) indicates the fertility of the locality in which Bethlehem is situated. Another, and more ancient, name of the city, Ephrathah (compare Gen 35:19; Josh 15:59), also means fertile. At the same time, Ephrathah is the name of the ancestor of the inhabitants of Bethlehem, who were called Ephrathites (Ruth 1:2; 1 Sam 17:12). In the LXX the Hebrew beth-lehem Ephratha is rendered as Βηθλεὲμ οῖκος το υ ᾿Εφραθα. From this it is concluded that originally the Hebrew text contained only beth-ethratha, and that the name Bethlehem was inserted later for a more precise definition of Beth-Ephrathah (Marti, Nowack, Wellhausen). Moreover, Oort and Staude suppose that this insertion is erroneous and that the prophet speaks of Ephrathah, located in the tribe of Benjamin near Tebez, predicting the emergence of a new dynasty from this Ephrathah, that is, the overthrow of the dynasty of David. But even if the name Bethlehem were a later gloss, which is contradicted by its presence in all texts, the identity of Ephrathah and Bethlehem is nevertheless certain and is recognized by all. “Though you are small among the clans of Judah”: the Hebrew people were divided by Moses into fifty-thousands, hundreds, and thousands (Exod 18), which division was preserved in later times (Judg 6:15; 1 Sam 10:19; 1 Chr 27:1); the city of Bethlehem, according to the words of the prophet, was so small that it did not constitute a separate thousand from its inhabitants and was included in a thousand formed by several cities. The prophet indicates the insignificance of Bethlehem compared with the glorious future that awaits the city. “Out of you shall come forth for me one who is to be Ruler in Israel.” In the Slavic text in the cited sentence the word “Elder” is added (“for from you shall come forth for me the Elder”), which corresponds to ἡγοὺμενος in the Alexandria manuscript, in the Moscow edition of the LXX; but in the Vatican manuscript, in Cyril of Alexandria, blessed Jerome, blessed Theodoret and blessed Theophylact, this word is absent, therefore it can be considered an explanatory gloss. The verb jeze (“shall come forth”) has a general sense; but often it is used of coming forth in the sense of being born. As is evident from the parallel expression Mic 5:3 “until she who is in labor has borne,” in verse 2 the prophet speaks of the birth in Bethlehem of the future Ruler of Israel. It shall come forth for me, that is, for God, for the glory of God, for the fulfillment of divine plans. “Whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” Modern commentators understand the words of the prophet as an indication that the future ruler shall come out of the house of David, the beginning of which goes back to the deepest antiquity (Urzeit, Vorzeit), “to the days of old.” Since in the eighth century, when Micah prophesied, the beginning of the dynasty of David could not seem so ancient, commentators reject the attribution of the entire saying to Micah, relating it to the post-exilic time, when the era of David, separated by the exile, could seem as if removed by entire centuries (Nowack, Marti). Hoonacker, finding the expression unnatural even in the mouth of a post-exilic prophet, supposes that Micah represents the time of David as ancient not from his own point of view but from the point of view of the future era of the very Ruler of Israel. Other authors (Keil, Orelli) understand the words of the prophet about the ancient origin of the Ruler of Israel in the sense that even in the beginning of history this Ruler appeared in the form of the Angel of Jehovah, and that the entire history of Israel was a revelation (in the LXX ἐξοδοί, comings forth, exits), consisted of a series of manifestations of the power of the future Ruler. Church teachers, however, explain the words of the prophet in question as an indication of the property of the nature of the future king, the pre-eternal birth of the Ruler of Israel. “This,” observes, for example, blessed Theodoret, “is completely in agreement with what was said at the beginning of the Gospel: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God’ (John 1:1-2). This is also in agreement with what God declared through the mouth of blessed David: ‘From the womb before the morning star I have begotten you’ (Ps 109:3). ‘His coming forth,’ says Jerome, ‘was accomplished not only at the time when He became visible in flesh, but from the beginning of eternity or from the beginning of the age.’” As is evident from Matt 2:4-6, the ancient Jews understood the verse in question as a prophecy of the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem. The same understanding is expressed in the Targum on the Book of Micah, in the Talmud (Berod. 68), in the Midrash on the Book of Lamentations, and among Jewish interpreters Jarchi, Kimchi and others (Yungerov, 195). But in the time of blessed Theodoret, the Jews explained Mic 5:2 in relation to Zerubbabel, and blessed Theodoret refuted this interpretation, pointing against it the fact that Zerubbabel was born after the exile and in Babylon, whereas the Ruler, of whom the prophet speaks, has his origin from the beginning of eternity. As for the Church, it, in accordance with the interpretation of St. Matthew, has always seen in the words of Micah a messianic prophecy (Justin, blessed Theodoret, Jerome, Ephrem the Syrian), and at the Fifth Ecumenical Council condemned the opinion of Theodore of Mopsuestia, who interpreted the verse in question in relation to Zerubbabel. It should be noted that the evangelist Matthew cites the words of the prophet Micah with some departure from the letter of them, but retaining their sense.

Micah 5:3. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has borne; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the children of Israel. In verse 3, the prophet speaks of what the position of the Jews will be before the coming of the Messiah. “Therefore he shall give them up (ithnem) until the time”: therefore, that is, because deliverance will come only when the Messiah comes, and he has not yet come; “shall give them up”—from Hebrew “shall give them”: the prophet speaks of Jehovah; the verb nathan in this case should be understood not in the sense that the Lord will preserve the Jews from destruction until the time of the Messiah (blessed Jerome and many medieval commentators), but in the sense that the Lord will deliver the Jews into the hands of enemies (compare Judg 2:9; 1 Sam 8:46; 2 Chr 30:7). Until she who is in labor has borne. Under “she who is in labor” commentators understand the Church (blessed Jerome, Theodoret), Jerusalem, which through the pangs of birth will reach a better position, Babylon, which will let go as it were the captives imprisoned in its womb (Kalmar), and finally, the Most Holy Virgin, the Mother of the Messiah. This last interpretation belongs to Ephrem the Syrian, Cyril of Alexandria, and many modern exegetes (Keil, Cheyne, Reinking, etc.). This interpretation should be proposed over others. The prophet does not give a nearer definition of “she who is in labor.” Consequently, she is assumed to be known to the listeners of the prophet. In Mic 4:9-10 the prophet Micah ascribes the pangs of labor to Zion; at the same time, Micah’s contemporary, Isaiah foretold of a Virgin (almah) who would bear Immanuel (Isa 7:14). Correspondingly, the words Mic 2:3 can be understood either in relation to Zion or in relation to the almah of Isaiah. If under “she who is in labor” we understand Zion, then the expression of the prophet will not obtain a clear sense. Such a sense is obtained only when the words of Micah are explained in the same way as the words Isa 7:14, as a prophecy about the Most Holy Virgin Mary. Then the rest of his brothers shall return to the children of Israel, to the true Israel, faithful to the dynasty of David; “shall return,” that is, shall become united spiritually and in a religious sense, “the rest of his brothers”: from Hebrew “the remnant of his brothers,” that is, the brothers according to the flesh of the Ruler of Israel, the Messiah. Thus, the fruit of the coming of the Messiah will be, according to the prophet, the restoration of Israel in its entirety.

Micah 5:4. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God, and they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. In verse 4, the prophet describes the activity of the future ruler as a shepherd. “And he shall stand,” that is, shall stand as a shepherd surveying his flock, as its guardian—in general shall enter into the government of his people. Instead of the words “and he shall feed” in the Slavic from the Greek “and he shall see and he shall feed his flock,” the words “his flock” represent a positive supplement not having correspondence in the Hebrew text, and the verbs “shall see” (δψεται) and “shall feed” (καὶ ποιμανεἰ) are a double translation of the Hebrew text, and the verbs veraah, which (with ayin) means to feed and (with aleph) to see. “In the majesty of the name of the Lord his God”: according to the Hebrew text, these words are spoken about the Ruler of Israel, but in the LXX they are understood in relation to the people under His government; hence in the Slavic “in the glory of the name of the Lord his God shall they abide”; this reading cannot be accepted, for divine majesty is not ascribed to members of the messianic Kingdom in the Bible. “For now he shall be great to the ends of the earth”: in the LXX again the speech is about the members of the messianic Kingdom—διὸτι νυν μεγαλυνθὴσονται, “for they shall then be magnified,” although in some manuscripts there is also the singular, as in our Slavic text.

Micah 5:5. And this one shall be peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads on our soil, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes. “And this one shall be peace” (seh) peace (schalom): according to the meaning of the Russian translation, the prophet characterizes the future reign of the Ruler of Israel, designates its properties by ascribing to him the name “peace.” The Messiah is presented as the creator and source of peace already before Moses in the Book of Genesis (Gen 49:10) and in the prophet Isaiah, who called the future king a “prince of peace” (Isa 9:6). Similarly, the apostle, wishing to denote in one word the work of the Messiah, says: “He is our peace” (Eph 2:14). However, the translation adopted in the Russian text of the words of Micah in question is not confirmed by the Greek translation. The LXX translate the Hebrew seh (Russian “this one”) as either αυτῆ (this one or it, that is, the land mentioned at the end of verse 4) or ἅυτη (this one or such), agreeing with the following εἰρηνη (“such will be peace”). Modern commentators (Nowack, Marti, Hoonacker) also believe that the pronoun seh (this one) refers to the following schalom, and understand the entire expression in accordance with the LXX. The peaceful character of the rule of the ruler of Israel will be a consequence of the might with which Israel will defeat enemies. This might will be such that Israel will triumph over all the god-hostile world. As representatives of this world, the prophet names the Assyrians. “Tread on our soil” (bearnmothenu). The LXX read something similar in beginning with beadmathenu (from adamah—earth) and therefore translated—“ascend upon your land,” which reading, as more natural, should be preferred to the Hebrew. “Then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes” (nesiche): an indefinite indication of the strength of Israel, of the might of his defense (compare Amos 1:3; Eccl 11:2). The LXX instead of nesiche (with samekh) read neschiche (with shin) and, deriving the latter from naschachc (sting), translated δήγματα ενθρώπων or as in the Slavic: “eight wounds of men”; probably the LXX meant the calamities that befell Assyria.

Micah 5:6. And they shall rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances; and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land and treads on our soil. The prophet strengthens the thought of the future triumph of Israel over enemies. The land of Nimrod, that is, Babylon (Gen 10:9). By naming separately “the land of Assyria” and the “land of Nimrod” belonging to it, the prophet indicates the vastness of the territory on which the might of Israel will be manifested. “At its entrances” (bipthacheha), that is, in its fortifications (Keil, Yungerov). The LXX have an unclear ἐν τη τἀφρφ αύτῆς, in its pit or ditch encircling the city. The Vulgate reads “in lanoeis ejus, with its spears”; the Vulgate reading passed into our Slavic text; as with this reading the parallelism of the clauses is maintained, it should be preferred to the Hebrew. Probably, the present Hebrew “bipthacheha” arose from “bapthichah” (pthichah—sword, spear).

Micah 5:7. And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for anyone or depend on the children of man. The prophet speaks of the remnant of Jacob, that is, the renewed Israel, and compares it to drops of dew or rain. What is the meaning of the prophet’s comparison? Usually, this comparison is understood as an indication of the beneficial significance of the new Israel for the pagan world, for which Israel will be the same as dew and rains are for Palestine (blessed Theodoret, Cyril of Alexandria, Sanctius, Yungerov, etc.). But the second half of the verse—“which do not wait for anyone or depend on the children of man”—gives reason for modern commentators (Nowack, Marti, Hoonacker) to understand the prophet’s comparison as an indication that the remnant of Israel will multiply like drops of dew or rain, and that this growth will depend not on people but on God, just as the falling of dew and rain do not depend on people but on God. In the Greek text, after the name of Jacob, the word ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν is added, Slavic “among the peoples,” which suggests the loss in the Hebrew text of what once existed bagoim. The word “dew” in the Slavic text, corresponding to the Greek πίπτουσα, adds “falling.” Instead of the expression “like showers (kirvivim) on the grass” in the Slavic “like lambs (rechichim) on grass,” which blessed Theodoret explains: “as hungry lambs devour grass, so and they like grass will devour ungodliness.” The sense of the Greek text is clearly unnatural; it is supposed that the Greek ἄρνες (lambs) arose from the original ρανιες (drops) (Kopell, Yakimov). Instead of the Russian “which do not wait for anyone” (lo jekaweh leisch) in the Slavic “that no one shall be gathered together”: the LXX took the piel form jekaweh (from kavah, to be connected) meaning “to hope,” as a niphal form ikavveh and translated συναχθῆ (shall gather). Instead of the words “nor depend” (jejachel) in the Slavic “neither shall stand” (μηδὲ ὑποσῆ), for the LXX derived jejachal from chail, strength (will not have strength). The proper name Adam in Greek and Slavic is rendered as the common noun “man” (Slavic “in the son of men”).

Micah 5:8. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, when it goes through, tramples and tears, and there is no one to deliver. Micah 5:9. Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off. In a series of images, the prophet depicts the might of the new Israel (the Church) and its head—the Messiah, who is the lion from Judah (Gen 49:9) and the star from Jacob (Num 23:24).

Micah 5:10. And it shall be in that day, says the Lord, that I will cut off your horses from among you and destroy your chariots; Micah 5:11. I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds; Micah 5:12. I will remove sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more soothsayers; Micah 5:13. I will cut off your carved images and your pillars from among you, and you shall no longer bow down to the work of your hands; Micah 5:14. I will uproot your sacred groves from among you and destroy your cities. Micah 5:15. And I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that did not obey. The prophet in verses 10–15 describes the condition of the people under the rule of the future Ruler. Since his kingdom will be a kingdom of peace, and on the other hand, a kingdom of God, the people will be deprived of both instruments of war, such as military horses, chariots, fortified cities, and means and objects of false worship, that is, carved images, pillars (mazzeboth), sacred groves, and various kinds of sorcery. At the end of verse 14, instead of the reading “cities” (areicha), which does not correspond to the parallelism (“your sacred groves”), modern commentators propose reading “your trees” (ezecha).

Chapter Six

1–2. Judgment with Israel. 3–5. God’s benefits to Israel. 6–9. Means of reconciliation of the people with God. 10–16. Moral condition of the people and the impending punishments.

Chapter VI presents the prophet’s accusatory speech to Israel, which takes the form of a legal dispute. For the general meaning of chapters VI–VII, see the introduction.

Micah 6:1. Hear what the Lord says: stand up, plead before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice! “Stand and plead” and similar words are directed by God to the prophet. “Plead before the mountains (eth-beharim), and let the hills hear your voice”: the mountains and hills are called as witnesses to the Lord’s judgment with Israel. “Since rational beings suffer from irrationality,” as the blessed Theodoret explains, “I will make inanimate things judges over rational beings.” The mountains and hills are called as witnesses also because they were witnesses to the benefits God gave the people, which are discussed below. In the Slavic text this expression is rendered somewhat differently—“plead with the mountains” (πρὸς τὰ ὄρη), as the Hebrew eth-haharim should properly be rendered: that is, the mountains appear not as witnesses of the judgment but as the object of judgment. Many ancient and modern interpreters found this meaning in verse 1 (Hoonacker). In that case, instead of the people, the prophet addresses the mountains and hills on which the people are settled. The ancients also interpreted the words of verse 1 in an allegorical sense: mountains and hills are Angels entrusted with care over human affairs (the blessed Jerome) or before whom judgment is conducted (St. Cyril of Alexandria), demons, princes and magnates of Judea (Sankey, Menohius), Abraham and the patriarchs, and others. But there is no need for such allegorical interpretations.

Micah 6:2. Hear, mountains, the Lord’s judgment, and you, strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord has a case with His people, and He contends with Israel. “Strong (haethanim) foundations of the earth”: the meaning of the word haethanim is unclear, and it is translated variously (Symm. ancients, the blessed Jerome audifte, listen; LXX—φάραγγες, gorges, valleys). Some commentators suggest reading instead gl. haazinu (Wellhausen, Nowack, Marti)—listen, pay attention, as in the blessed Jerome. “Foundation of the earth” (Isa 24:18; Ps 81:5; Prov 8:29)—mountains, which by their roots as if hold the earth. In the LXX, in the Slavic text instead of “strong foundations of the earth” it reads “gorges (φάραγγες) foundations of the earth,” that is, deep valleys serving as the foundation of the earth. Mic 6:3-5. Beginning the very judgment with Israel, the prophet points to the ingratitude of the people for forgetting God’s benefits—specifically the deliverance from Egypt, salvation from the curse plotted by Balak and Balaam (Num 22:24), and in general, the miraculous help during the conquest of the land of Canaan.

Micah 6:3. My people! What have I done to you and in what way have I burdened you? Answer Me. “My people”: in the Slavic text, plural “My peoples,” correspondingly even the pronouns are in the plural. To the words “in what way have I burdened you” (Slavic “afflicted you”) the LXX and Slavic have added ῆ τὶ ἐλύπησὰ σε, “in what way have I grieved you.”

Micah 6:5. My people! Remember what Balak, king of Moab, plotted, and what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what took place from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous deeds of the Lord. “From Shittim to Gilgal” (Slavic from Shittim to Gilgal): by naming two places in Palestine, the prophet wishes briefly to recall the time of the conquest of Canaan. The valley of Shittim served as the last camp of the Hebrews on the east side of the Jordan (Num 22:1); near Gilgal was the first camp of the Hebrews after crossing the Jordan; here stood the tabernacle throughout the time of the conquest of Canaan (Num 33:49; Josh 2:5). The Hebrew word schittim is the name of a tree—acacia—from whose abundance the valley received its name. The LXX instead of the proper name schittim translated the common noun απὸ των σχοίνων (σχοινος—reed, cane), but in the Slavic it is translated from the Hebrew—“from Shittim.”

Micah 6:6. “With what shall I come before the Lord, bow before the God of heaven? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?” Micah 6:7. Or can I please the Lord with thousands of rams or with innumerable streams of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression and the fruit of my womb for the sin of my soul? The series of questions in verses 6–7 is posed on behalf of the people, personified in one person. According to the opinion of some commentators (Keil, Schgg), with these questions the people respond to accusations of ingratitude by pointing out that they fulfill all the prescriptions about sacrifices. But the mention in verse 7 of pleasing God, of sacrifice for sins, gives grounds to the majority of commentators to believe that the questions express the people’s repentance and desire to know the path of true knowledge of God. The prophet speaks on behalf of the repentant and explains that sacrifices by themselves cannot be sufficient for the Lord. To express this thought more forcefully, the prophet mentions the most generous and costly sacrifices one could imagine. The prophet’s words about “sacrifice of the firstborn” do not necessarily indicate that such sacrifices were offered in his time in the Judean kingdom, and that verses 6–8 relate to the reign of Manasseh (Nowack): the prophet speaks of what is possible and what happened at other times (2 Sam 3:27; Jer 7:31). “With innumerable streams of oil,” in Slavic “with ten thousands of fat goats,” corresponding to the LXX reading χ´ιμἀρρων πιόνων, Vulgate hirorum pingvium. It is possible that χ´ιμἀρρων (goats) arose from the preserved in some manuscripts original χειμὰρρων (“streams”).

Micah 6:8. O man! It is told you what is good and what the Lord requires of you: to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before your God. The prophet points to the true path of pleasing God: justice, mercy, and humility. The prophet, like his predecessors Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, does not deny sacrifices in general in verse 8, but explains under what conditions sacrifices obtain value in the eyes of God (cf. Amos 4:4; Hos 5:6; Isa 1:1). Mic 6:9-16. The prophet describes behavior contradicting true worship of God and proclaims impending calamities.

Micah 6:9. The voice of the Lord cries to the city, and wisdom reveres Your name: hear the rod and Him who appointed it. Verse 9 is difficult to translate and is rendered differently in various texts. “The voice of the Lord cries (Slavic “will be called”) to the city,” that is, to the city of Jerusalem, as the majority of commentators think, or to Samaria, as some think (the blessed Jerome, Yungerov, Hoonacker). “Wisdom (thuschijjuh) reveres (ireh) Your name” (schemecha): the translation is conjectural, the meaning of which is that the wise should listen to God’s voice with reverence. In the LXX in Slavic the present statement reads: “will save those who fear His name.” The verb σωζει saves appeared in the LXX because the Hebrew tewchijjah they, like the blessed Jerome, erroneously took as a form of the verb jascha (to save). The reading φοβουμένους (fearing) shows that the LXX, like the Syriac, Chaldaic, and the blessed Jerome, instead of the Hebrew raah (to see with reverence) had in the text jareh (to fear). Modern commentators also prefer the latter reading and, correspondingly, render the entire expression: “wisdom is—to fear His name” (Nowack, Hoonacker—“Your name”). “Hear the rod (matteh) and Him who appointed it” (umi jeadah): according to the meaning of the Russian text, the prophet calls the coming punishment a rod (cf. Isa 10:5-15; Ezek 7:10-11) and calls on the people to listen to the Lord who sent the punishment. But the words of the original can be translated otherwise. In the LXX and Slavic text they are rendered: “listen, tribe, and who will beautify the city.” The LXX reading arose because the Hebrew matteh, which means “rod” and “tribe,” they took in the sense of tribe; jeadah (appointed) they read as jaadeh (from jadah—to beautify), and, moving the particle od (yet) from the following verse, they read it as ir (city). The understanding of matteh in the sense of “tribe” is accepted by the blessed Jerome (audite tribus), and the LXX reading ir (city) also by modern commentators; hence the entire not fully clear expression is rendered: “listen, tribe and assembly of the city” (Nowack, Hoonacker).

Micah 6:10. Are there not treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and an abominable reduced measure? Micah 6:11. Can I be clean with false weights and with deceptive weights in the bag? In verses 10–11 the causes of the approaching calamities are wickedness, in particular the accumulation of treasures through deceit, deception by means of incorrect measure (ephah) and weights. Mic 6:11 presents certain difficulties for translation and is rendered by the LXX, Vulgate, and by modern commentators differently from the Russian text. The Hebrew haisch, taken in our text for haesch (ha particle of interrogation and each—“there is”), (cf. 2 Sam 4:19) and rendered by the words “are there not,” is understood by the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate in the sense of esch—fire; beth (in the house) the LXX took as nominative (“given”); the noun ozroth (from azar—to gather), possessions, treasures, they translated twice θηραυρίζων θησαυροὺς; the words veephah (measure, ephah) rason (thin, reduced) seumah (abominable), reading perhaps instead of veephalveeth (with μετα), they rendered explanatorily μετὰ ὑβρεος ἀδικῖας, with reproach of injustice. Hence in Slavic reads: “is it not fire and the house of the lawless gathering unlawful possessions and with reproach of injustice,” that is, “is not fire, which will consume all, contained in the house of the lawless, gathering unrighteous wealth.” Modern commentators correct the unclear haisch to haeshshah (from naschah—to shift, remove, in hiphil—to leave unpunished) and render: “will I leave unpunished the house of the wicked” and so on (Marti, Hoonacker). Verse 11 supplements the thought of verse 10. “Can I be clean” (haeskeh from sachah): the speech is in Mic 6:9-16 from the person of God; therefore verse 11 should be rendered—“can I purify him” (haasakkehu), as also in the Vulgate num guid justificabo, shall I justify. In the LXX it is rendered in the third person; hence in Slavic: “shall the lawless be justified in the measure (ἐν ζυγφ—in the weights) and in the sackcloth (sack) of the measure (Russian “weights and”) of injustice.”

Micah 6:12. Because His rich are full of violence, and His inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceit in their mouth, Micah 6:13. Therefore I will also strike you incurably, devastating you for your sins. The prophet in direct form expresses what in Mic 6:10-11 is expressed in interrogative form. The speech concerns the inhabitants of the city, with which the Lord has a case—Jerusalem or Samaria. Instead of the words “because his rich are full of violence,” in Slavic according to the LXX reads: “from them (ἐξ ῶν) their wealth they fill with wickedness”; the LXX connected verse 12 with the preceding: “from them”—from incorrect measures and weights. “And their tongue is deceit (remijjah) in their mouth”: in Slavic “and their tongue was lifted up in their mouth,” since the LXX noun remijjah they took as a form of the verb rum (to lift up). “I will also strike you incurably (hakkothecha) (hechelethi)”: in Slavic “and I will begin to strike you”; the LXX instead of the second verb (chalal—to strike), synonymous with the first (nachah—to strike), read hachilothi from chalol—to begin, which reading modern commentators also accept. The form haschmem (indefinite from schamem—to be silent, devastated) the LXX rendered in the indicative mood ἀφανιῶ, Slavic “I will destroy.”

Micah 6:14. You will eat and not be satisfied; emptiness will be within you; you will save, but will not keep, and what you keep, I will give to the sword. Micah 6:15. You will sow but will not reap; you will crush olives but will not anoint yourself with oil; you will press grapes but will not drink wine. The prophet explains what the punishment of the people will consist of. The cause of the calamities, according to the meaning of verses 14–15, will be the invasion of enemies. The prophet thus repeats the threats already expressed by Moses (Lev 26:26). The Greek and Slavic text have departures from the original in verses 14–15. Instead of the words “emptiness (jeschacha) will be within you” in Slavic “and it will grow dark in you, and you will turn aside”; the LXX, apparently, instead of jeschacha read similar jecheshach (from chaschach—to grow dark), and the verb vethaseg (Russian “you will save,” from nasag—to conceal, remove) they rendered with the word ἐκνεύσει or, as in many manuscripts, ἐκνεύσεις—to turn aside. At the end of verse 15 in Slavic reads the proposition: “and the ordinances of my people will perish”; this proposition has no correspondence in the original text, it is thought that it arose from an erroneous reading of the beginning of verse 16 veischthammer chukkoth amri, kept the customs of Omri.

Micah 6:16. The customs of Omri have been kept by you and all the deeds of the house of Ahab, and you walk according to their counsel; therefore I will give you to devastation and your inhabitants to ridicule, and you will bear the contempt of My people. Omri is the founder of the dynasty that stained itself with idolatry and lawlessness (1 Sam 16:31). Ahab was the most striking representative of this dynasty. Through Athaliah, daughter of Ahab (2 Sam 8:18), who married the Judean king Jehoram, the wickedness of the house of Omri passed also to Judea. “You will bear the contempt of My people” (ammi), that is, you will bear punishment appointed for My people. Not without foundation, however, do some commentators (Nowack) read, according to the LXX, instead of ammi (“of My people”)—amim—of peoples, men. The thought will be that Israel, for its wickedness, will become an object of contempt to all peoples. In the Slavic text of verse 16, instead of Omri is named Zimri, as also in the LXX, which is of course erroneous; the words “your inhabitants” in the LXX and Slavic are referred to the inhabitants of Samaria, therefore reads: “those living in it.”

Chapter Seven

1–6. The prophet’s sorrow over the corruption of the chosen people. 7–10. God’s judgment and mercy toward the people. 11–17. The glory of Israel before the pagan peoples. 18–20. A hymn of praise of the prophet to the Lord.

Micah 7:1. Woe is me! For with me it is now as with the gathering of summer fruit, as with the gleanings of the vintage: there is not a single berry to eat, not a ripe fruit that my soul desires. “Woe is me”—the description of wickedness in verses 1–6 is understood either as a speech from the person of the prophet, grieving over the corruption of the people entrusted to his care (Hieromonk Anthony, Yungerov), or as a speech of personified Zion (Nowack) or Samaria (Hoonacker), grieving over their children. The expressions Mic 7 “do not rejoice over me” in Mic 7 “my enemy woman will see this” and so on rather give grounds to think that in Mic 7:1-6 appears a collective person—Zion or Samaria. In verse 1 the prophet expresses figuratively the thought developed below—the thought of the absence in the people of righteousness, good, virtuous people: as after the gathering of grapes and the collection of fruits one cannot find a single berry, a single ripe fruit, so in the people not a single virtuous person. In the LXX and Slavic text the same thought is expressed, but the images are somewhat different. Instead of the words “with me it is now—as with the gathering of summer fruit” (or more accurately from the Hebrew “I have become as the gathering (keaspej) of summer fruit” (kaiz) in Slavic “I became as gathering (ώς συνάγων) straw (καλάμην) in harvest,” where καλάμην (straw) was added by the LXX. Instead of the words “as with the gleanings of the vintage, not a single berry to eat, not a ripe fruit” in Slavic “as a small grape cluster (ώς ἐπιφυλλίδα, small grape cluster, accusative from the preceding verb συνάγων, gathered) in gathering grapes (ἐν τρυγητφ῀, with grape gathering) there not being a grape cluster to eat first fruits.” The words “which my soul desires” in most manuscripts of the LXX are absent.

Micah 7:2. The merciful have ceased from the earth, there are no righteous among people; all lay snares to shed blood; each one sets a trap for his brother. Micah 7:3. Their hands are turned to doing evil; the official demands gifts, and the judge judges for bribes; and the magnates speak the evil desires of their soul and pervert justice. The prophet unfolds the meaning of the image from verse 1 and repeats the accusations already made earlier, extending them now to the whole people, not only to the nobility (cf. Mic 2:1-2). “The official demands gifts,” the last word is added by translators according to the sense. The Slavic text of verses 2–3 gives a thought similar to the Hebrew-Russian, but in some expressions departs from the first. The words of the Slavic text “And, woe is me, soul,” Greek ὄι μοι ψυχή, have no correspondence in the original of verse 2 and apparently arose because the LXX referred to verse 2 the end of verse 1—ivvethah naphschi (“desires my soul”), which they read ojah naphschi, woe to my soul. “All lay snares (jerovu) to shed blood” (ledamim, for bloods): “all in bloods are hidden” (δικάζονται), that is, all contend to blood, since the LXX instead of jeerovu (from arav—to weave a net, to lie in wait) read similar jarivu (from rix—to contend). “Each one sets (jazudu) a trap (cherem) for his brother”: the image is borrowed from hunting pursuits; in Slavic “each one of his neighbor vexes with vexation,” since instead of jazudu (weave, set) the LXX read jazuru (from zur—to oppress), and the word cherem (net) they took in the sense of ἐκθλιβή, vexation. “And the judge judges for bribes” (baschillum): in Slavic from the Greek “the judge speaks peaceful words,” that is, he allows lawlessness instead of punishing it; the LXX reading apparently arose because the Hebrew baschillum (for bribes) was read keschalom (as peace, of peace), and the word haggadol (“magnate”) that follows was applied to the preceding clause, read as haddabar (word). “The magnates (haggadol) speak the evil desires of their soul and pervert justice” (hajeavthuha): the LXX word haggadol (magnate), as already noted above, they referred to the preceding clause; the rare vajeavthuha (from adath—to hang, pervert) they derived either from abar (ἐξαιρέω, I take away, 2 Chr 35:23) or from abad (ἐξαίρω, Num 33 52); besides, they moved from the following verse the words thovam, their good; hence an unclear reading of the Slavic text resulted: “the desire of his soul is: and I will take away their good.”

Micah 7:4. The best of them is like a thorn, and the righteous like a prickly hedge; the day of your sentinels, your visitation comes; now confusion will overtake them. At the beginning of verse 4 is a general characterization of the people. By comparison with a thorn, which makes the land unfit, brings harm, the prophet wishes to indicate the moral unfitness of the people. For this the people is visited with judgment—“the day of your sentinels,” that is, the day foretold by the prophets, the day of visitation or punishment. The LXX and Slavic in verse 4 deviate from the original. Apparently, cherek (thorn) the LXX understood as a participle from shart (to cut) or from charaz (to cut), and they supplemented the participle with the noun σὴς, moth; the word jaschar (righteous) standing further the LXX understood as a participle from jaschar (to walk straight); the Hebrew jom mezappecha (day of your sentinels) they read as jom mizpeh (day of watch) and referred it as a temporal adverbial to the preceding clause, not the following; hence instead of the Russian reading “the best of them is like a thorn, and the righteous like a prickly hedge; the day of your sentinels” in Slavic reads: “as a moth eating and walking according to rule (ἐπὶ κανὁνος, on a weaving loom) on the day of watch.” According to the Slavic, verse 4 supplements the thought expressed at the end of verse 3 and depicts God’s relation to the people on the day of judgment (“watch”—surveillance, oversight): the Lord will be to the people as a moth eating threads (cf. Hos 5:12; Isa 50:9). Instead of the Russian reading now confusion will overtake them (mevuchatham) in Slavic “now there will be wailing for them”: the LXX apparently derived mevuehatham from bachah—to weep.

Micah 7:5. Do not trust a friend, do not rely on a companion; from the woman lying in your bosom guard the doors of your mouth. Micah 7:6. For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; the enemies of a man are the members of his household. The prophet speaks not only of the future, as some commentators believe (Keil, Knabenbauer), but also of the present. In these same words the Lord Jesus Christ depicts the condition of mankind before the second coming (Matt 24:10-12; Mark 13:12). Instead of the words “do not rely on a companion” (bealuph) in Slavic “do not hope in the elders,” since aluph sometimes has the meaning of a leader (Gen 36). “Guard the doors of your mouth”: in the LXX and Slavic it is clearer: “guard yourself from speaking to her anything.” “The enemies of a man are the members of his household”: in the LXX “all enemies—all men of his household.”

Micah 7:7. And I will look to the Lord, I will wait for God my Savior: my God will hear me. In verses 7 onward the speech is from the person of personified Zion or Samaria. The prophet expresses hope in the mercy of God, which will be shown, despite the corruption of the people.

Micah 7:8. Do not rejoice over me, my enemy woman! Though I have fallen, I will rise; though I am in darkness, the Lord is light for me. Micah 7:9. I will bear the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him, until He settles my case and executes judgment on my behalf; then He will bring me to the light, and I will see His righteousness. “Do not rejoice over me, my enemy woman”; the prophet calls enemy woman either a particular hostile nation—the Assyrians or Babylonians, or the entire pagan world in general, which looked with malicious joy on the calamity of God’s people. “Until He settles my case” (in Slavic “until He vindicates my plea”), that is, the case with enemies, who, having suffered nothing from me, have dealt so cruelly with me (Knabenbauer).

Micah 7:10. And my enemy woman will see this and shame will cover her, she who said to me: “Where is the Lord your God?” My eyes will gaze upon her as she is trampled like mud in the streets. In the humiliation of Israel the pagan nations saw proof of the impotence of Jehovah (Isa 10:9-11). But Israel’s enemies will be covered with shame when they see that Israel is restored, while they have been subjected to humiliation. According to the opinion of the majority of commentators, the prophet speaks of Babylon (Ephrem the Syrian, Cyril of Alexandria, the blessed Jerome), according to others, of Nineveh (Hoonacker). “My eyes will gaze upon her”: the prophet expresses not malicious glee at the ruin of enemies, but joy at the triumph of God’s righteousness.

Micah 7:11. On the day your walls are built, on that day the decree will be far away. Verse 11 is rendered differently in the Hebrew and Greek texts and is difficult both for translation and for interpretation. The Russian translation does not give a clear thought. According to the usual opinion, the prophet speaks of the future restoration of the walls of Jerusalem, or if gader (Russian wall) is understood in the sense of the boundary of a vineyard, of the future restoration of the theocracy, compared with a vineyard. The prophet expresses his thought in the form of an exclamation: “the day of building walls” (boundary)! The word jom in our translation is understood as the accusative of time to the question when (“on the day of building”), but usually it is taken as the nominative. “On that day (from hahu) the decree (chok) will be far away”: the thought of the Russian translation is unclear. The word chok, meaning something established, determined (Exod 5:14; Lev 10:13; Prov 30:8) has, in particular, the meaning of “boundary” (Prov 8:29) and namely “a determined boundary” (Job 14:5; Isa 5:14). In this sense, apparently, one can understand the word chok also in the verse in question: the boundary will be far away, that is, the boundary of the theocracy, the restriction of it to one Hebrew people will be removed. Thus the prophet not only foresees the restoration of the theocracy but also the expansion of its boundaries, the inclusion of other peoples besides Israel in it. The LXX understood the prophet’s words in the opposite sense—as an explanation Mic 7:10, as a prophecy of the destruction of a hostile city and the extermination of the people hostile to Israel. Hence in the Slavic reads: “the day of destruction of brick (that is, the destruction of bricks): your destruction that day, and He will wipe away your laws that day.” The blessed Theodoret clarifies these words thus: “you for all will be accessible and easily caught by all; all those living around will begin to ravage and devour you. Then your lawless laws will also come to an end.” Other commentators, however, understand the LXX text about Jerusalem (Jerome Antony, Yungerov).

Micah 7:12. On that day people will come to you from Assyria and from the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt to the River Euphrates, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain. “On that day they will come to you,” that is, to Zion or Jerusalem, or according to Hoonacker, to Samaria. The commentators who refer verse 12 to Zion see in it a prophecy of the gathering of peoples to Zion after the restoration of the theocracy in its pure form. Hoonacker, who refers verse 12 to Samaria, understands it as a retrospective indication of the siege of Samaria. The LXX give in verse 12 a thought different from the Hebrew text. The words jom hu (“on that day”) are referred by the LXX to the end Mic 7:11; adecha (“to you”) is read as arecha (“your cities”), with the word εἰς ὀμαλισμόν (“to leveling”) added; the Hebrew leminni (from) is derived from manah (to divide); hence the beginning of the verse in Slavic reads: “and your cities will come to leveling (that is, will be destroyed, leveled to the ground) and to division Assyrian.” In the same way the LXX understood the further words of verse 12: “and the cities Egyptian (mazor), and from (uleminni) Egypt (mazor) to the River Euphrates” (ad – nahar): the word mazor, the name of Egypt, is taken in the first instance in the common noun sense fortress (Hab 2:1; Ps 31:21), and in the second as the name of the city of Tyre; uleminni (and from), as above, is derived from manah, to divide, and the indefinite ad – nahar (to the river) clarified in the Russian text by the name of the Euphrates, is clarified by the LXX with the word Συρίας, Syria; hence the reading of the Slavic text resulted: “and your strong cities to division from Tyre to the River of Syria.” At the end of the verse in some LXX manuscripts and in the Slavic text reads the words: days of water and noise, which have no correspondence in the original; by these words the translators could indicate the speed of the enemy invasion. Thus according to the LXX text in verse 12 it is about the destruction of cities “from sea to sea,” not about the gathering of peoples to Zion. The blessed Theodoret, thus, understands this speech about cities hostile to the Judeans; other commentators about Judean cities (Yungerov).

Micah 7:13. And that land will be a desolation because of its inhabitants, because of the fruits of their deeds. “That land,” that is, the land of peoples hostile to Israel, not the land of the Judean kingdom or Palestine, as Hitzig, Kleinert, and others believe.

Micah 7:14. Shepherd Your people with Your rod, the sheep of Your inheritance dwelling alone in the forest in the midst of Carmel; let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in ancient days! In verse 14 is the prophet’s prayer for the people. Jehovah is compared with a shepherd, and the people with sheep. “Carmel” is a mountain range on the border of the tribes of Asher, Zebulun, and Issachar (Josh 19:11), rich in vegetation and pastures. (Isa 35:2; Jer 50:19; Amos 1:2). The common noun form of the name Carmel is garden, orchard. “Bashan” is a region east of the Jordan, famous for its oaks (Isa 2:12; Ezek 27:6) and excellent pastures for livestock (Amos 4:1; Ezek 39:18). “Gilead” is the region east of the Jordan from the stream Arnon to Mount Hermon (Deut 34:1; Josh 22:9), rich in vegetation and pastures (Num 32:1; 1 Chr 5:9). The meaning of the prophet’s prayer, due to the incomplete clarity of the text, is rendered differently by commentators. The words “dwelling alone in the forest in the midst of Carmel” are referred both to the future (Keil, Knabenbauer, Yungerov) and to the present (Nowack, Hoonacker) condition of the people. According to the first understanding, the prophet prays that in the future the people be alone, separated from others, and that they be provided with the best pastures, that is, abundance of blessings. According to the second understanding, there is no thought of future isolation of the people from others, but the prophet speaks of the contemporary condition of the people, who is cut off from fertile places and cries as if in the wilderness—and speaks precisely of the remnants of the ten-tribe kingdom (Hoonacker). “As in ancient days,” that is, either in the days of David and Solomon, or better, corresponding to verse 15, in the days of the conquest of the land of Canaan under Moses and Joshua. Instead of “let them feed” in Slavic “They will feed,” but in Greek νεμήσονται, will pasture.

Micah 7:15. As in the days of your exodus from the land of Egypt, I will show him wonders. According to the meaning of the Russian translation, verses 15 onward contain the answer of the Lord to the prophet’s prayer. But both the LXX reading and the context of the speech argue for the fact that verse 15 continues the prophet’s prayer. Therefore it is better instead of areenu (he raah sees, hiphil with 3rd person suffix) “I will show him” to read haneenu (imperative with 1st person suffix) show us. In view of the difficult situation of the people the prophet prays to the Lord for such miraculous assistance as was shown at the exodus from Egypt.

Micah 7:16. The nations will see this and be ashamed of all their might; they will lay hand over mouth, their ears will become deaf; Micah 7:17. they will lick dust like a snake, like the worms of the earth they will crawl out from their fortresses; they will fear the Lord our God and will fear You. The prophet depicts the impression of the great deeds of God, which are to be accomplished over Israel, on the pagan nations. “They will be ashamed of all their might,” that is, they will lose faith in their power and in their gods. “They will lay hand over mouth”—an image of astonishment and reverent silence. “Their ears will become deaf,” that is, as it were from the thunder of the great deeds of God, from the thunder of God’s judgment (cf. Job 26:14; Isa 33:3). “They will lick dust like a snake,” that is, they will be cast down to the earth from terror. The LXX and Slavic give in verses 16–17 thoughts similar to the original text.

Micah 7:18. Who is a God like You, forgiving iniquity and not accounting transgression to the remnant of Your inheritance? He does not remain angry forever, because He delights in showing mercy. Micah 7:19. He will have compassion on us again, He will erase our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:20. You will show faithfulness to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, which You swore to our fathers from ancient days. A hymn of praise to the Lord, presenting the foundation of the prophet’s hope expressed in his prayer, as well as the conclusion to the entire book. The general thought of verses 18–20 is that in His infinite goodness the Lord will have compassion on the people and erase their iniquities. In verse 18 instead of the Russian reading “does not remain angry” (laad) in Slavic “did not hold his anger as a witness” (εἰς μαρτύριον, as a testimony): the LXX read not bad (forever), but leed (“as a witness”); the thought they conveyed is this: the Lord does not hold anger within Himself so that it (anger) would be as it were a witness against the people, preventing the manifestation of mercy toward the latter.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Introduction

The Book of the Prophet Nahum occupies the seventh place in the section of sacred books called the Minor Prophets, after the Book of the Prophet Micah or, as in many editions of the LXX text, after the Book of the Prophet Jonah, and before the Book of the Prophet Habakkuk in the sacred Old Testament canon. The Hebrew name is Nakhum, נחום, Greek Naoum, Ναουμ, Latin Nahum. The proper name of the prophet has a descriptive meaning from Hebrew: “full of consolation” (nakhum, passive participle), and also “comforter” (“consolator,” according to the explanation of blessed Jerome), which perfectly marks the content, character, and significance of his prophetic book. The content of the book, as shown already by the first half of its superscription, is “a prophecy concerning Nineveh,” from Hebrew “the burden of Nineveh” (massa—Ninwe), that is, the foretelling and depiction of the final destruction, the ultimate ruin of the city of Nineveh, and together with it the whole Assyrian kingdom. And this world event will bring joy to all peoples and kingdoms oppressed by Assyria (cf. Nah 3:19), including the kingdom of Judah (Nah 1:15; Heb. 2:1). “The Ten Tribes,” says blessed Jerome in the prologue to his commentary on the Book of the Prophet Nahum, “were already led away captive by the Assyrians under Hezekiah, king of Judah, in whose reign this vision now appears (that is, described in the Book of the Prophet Nahum) against Nineveh for the consolation of the transplanted people. And it was no small consolation both for those who had already been enslaved by the Assyrians and for the rest, belonging to the tribe of Judah and Benjamin and subjected under Hezekiah to siege from those same enemies, to hear that the Assyrians, in their turn, would themselves be taken captive by the Chaldeans, as will be shown further in this book.” (Blessed Jerome, one book of commentaries on the Prophet Nahum. Works in Russian translation, vol. 13. Kiev, 1896, p. 254).

Thus, if in the Old Testament proper names at all times served as expressions of hope and religious expectations of God’s people, and in great God-chosen representatives of that people frequently appeared as a living and constant preaching for their contemporaries about God and His deeds, about the proper relation of Israel to Him, then the name of the Prophet Nahum too appeared as an expression of hope in God’s mercy, “the expectation of Israel’s Comforter” (Luke 2:25) amid all the troubles that Assyrian dominion had brought upon Israel. Another witness about him, besides the meaning of the prophet’s name, is the epithet “the Elkoshite” applied to him in the superscription itself, LXX: tou Elkesaiou. Elkesaei—Slavonic: “of the Elkeshites,” Russian: “the Elkoshite.” As is evident from comparing different renderings of this epithet by various translations, and likewise from comparing different ancient and modern commentaries, two different understandings of the word Elkosh have been proposed at different times: 1) patronymic—in the sense of indicating the father or patronymic of the prophet, and 2) geographic—in the sense of designating the locality of his birth. But against the first interpretation already speaks the absence in the Hebrew text and in most manuscripts of the LXX translation of the usual expression in such cases: “son,” Hebrew ben, בן (cf. Isa 1:1; Jer 1:1; Ezek 1:3; Hos 1:1; Joel 1:1; Jonah 1:1; Zeph 1:1; Zech 1:1), and also the complete obscurity of the prophet’s father not only in the Bible but also in tradition. In favor of the second understanding, on the contrary, speaks this very circumstance: ordinarily in the Bible such expressions as the one in question are used to indicate the place of birth of persons of humble origin, for example: Ahijah the Shilonite (Heb. ha-Shiloni, 1 Sam 11:29), Micah of Moresheth (Heb. ha-Morashtite, Mic 1:1), Jeremiah of Anathoth (ha-Anathothi, Jer 19:27), and others. The high authority of blessed Jerome compels us without hesitation to recognize in the expression under consideration an indication of the prophet’s birthplace. “Concerning the words of the Prophet Nahum the Elkoshite (elcesaei),” says blessed Jerome, “some suppose that Elkosh was the father of Nahum and that he, according to Hebrew tradition, was himself also a prophet, whereas in Galilee to this day there exists a village Elkesi (Elesi); although it is small, and ruins barely indicate the ruins of ancient buildings, yet it is known to the Jews and was also pointed out to me by a guide.” (Prologue, p. 255). In the sense of a Palestinian, more particularly Galilean, locality blessed Jerome understands the word Elkosh, Elkesh, and in another place in his Onomasticon, in agreement with Eusebius of Caesarea (Onomast. 418). Other ancient commentators as well—for instance, Cyril of Alexandria and blessed Theophylact—consider the word in question to be the name of the native city of the Prophet Nahum, placing it in Palestine; only some of them, such as blessed Theophylact, Pseudo-Epiphanius, Pseudo-Dorotheus, and Isidore of Seville, in distinction from blessed Jerome, asserted that Elkesh lay beyond the Jordan, in the region of Bethavara (Judg 7:24; John 1:28, Onomast. 233), and that the Prophet Nahum came from the tribe of Simeon. This opinion is difficult to reconcile with the direct and clear testimony of blessed Jerome, but here the indication of Palestinian origin of the Prophet Nahum is important. This latter in recent times has been more than once disputed: some commentators (Ewald, Kleinert, and others) considered the village of Elkush or Alkosh on the eastern side of the Tigris, north of Mosul (which, together with Kunjik and Nebi-Yunus, marks the position of ancient Nineveh) to be the birthplace and also the burial place of the Prophet Nahum—on the grounds that 1st, the prophet’s close acquaintance with the locality of Nineveh and Assyria in general (see for example Nah 2:5-7; Nah 3:12-14 of his book) and the extraordinary vividness of depiction would seem to require recognition of indigenous, Assyrian origin for the prophet, and 2nd on account of the circumstance that local tradition near this village in a Roman Catholic monastery of Saint Anthony indicates the grave of the prophet, venerated among Christians, Muslims, and Jews and attracting thousands of pilgrims to itself (of this Assemani, Niebuhr, Layard, and others testify). But this tradition concerning Assyrian Elkosh is very late: it does not go back earlier than the sixteenth century; the renowned Hebrew traveler of the twelfth century Benjamin of Tudela, who visited the territory of ancient Assyria and in particular Nineveh, mentions nothing of Elkosh or Alkush as the homeland of the Prophet Nahum. This locality shows no marks of antiquity, and the very house in which the tomb is housed is of modern architecture. The very content of the book contains nothing that would necessarily require its composition in Assyria: the prophet’s familiarity with the nature and culture of the latter in the seventh century before the Common Era could have been accessible to any Hebrew living in Palestine, as the frequent destructive campaigns of the Assyrian kings in Palestine could not fail to acquaint its inhabitants with features of Assyrian culture; in the same way one can explain the presence in the Prophet’s book of two undoubtedly Assyrian root words (minnezer and tiphsar in Nah 3:17). Thus, in the tradition under consideration we have an example of the not infrequent materialization in the East of beliefs and traditions by attaching them to one or another locality; an analogy to this is presented by the naming of another village in the south of the ancient Nineveh territory bearing the name Nebi Yunus, that is, “Prophet Jonah,” where they point out the grave of the Prophet Jonah. On the contrary, all the content and the whole character of the book point to Palestine as the place of origin of the prophet and his book; in particular, the prophet’s speech, generally pure and elegant, bears the imprint of the northern part of Palestinian territory, and this confirms the thought of blessed Jerome concerning the Galilean origin and dwelling place of the Prophet Nahum. We may here mention the opinion of Strauss, Hitzig, Knobel, and others that Elkosh, the prophet’s homeland, is identical with Capernaum, whose name in translation from Hebrew means: “village of Nahum.” This opinion is confirmed by neither Scripture nor historical evidence nor philology, but it may have some significance—as indirect confirmation of Jerome’s testimony concerning the Galilean location of Elkosh—the homeland of the Prophet Nahum.

Thus the opinion concerning the Prophet Nahum’s presence in Assyria and his composition of his book there must be abandoned. On the contrary, in the Prophet’s book there are quite clear indications that he prophesied in Judah (Nah 1:15; Heb. 2:1) and among the Judeans, to whom he directs his speech (Nah 1:7). Finally, the Prophet Nahum’s close acquaintance with the preaching and writings of other prophets (cf. for example Nah 1:4 and Amos 1:3), especially the Prophet Isaiah (cf. Nah 1:13 and Isa 10:27; Nah 3:5 and Isa 47:2-3; Nah 1:4-5 and Isa 24:1; Nah 3:7 and Isa 51:19; Nah 1:15 [Heb. 2:1] and Isa 52:7)—the closest similarity of the turns of speech and images he employed, the similarity of language—all of this was the consequence of his constant intercourse with his native Judean environment and his study of the sacred-national writings of biblical Israel.

Concerning the time of life and activity of the Prophet Nahum and the time of writing his prophetic book, in view of the absence of direct testimony about this in the Bible and tradition, we must judge only by indirect, internal data contained in the book itself. The indications of the book serving to determine its chronological date are as follows. The prophet presupposes the accomplished fact of the fall of the northern or Israelite kingdom (Nah 2:2), which took place in the sixth year of the reign of the Judean king Hezekiah 2 Sam 18:10 or, according to the accepted biblical chronology, around 722 before the Common Era (cf. “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. II, p. 537 and 544), and also the invasion of Judea by the Assyrian king Sennacherib and his devastation of this land (Nah 1:9-11), which occurred in the fourteenth year of the reign of the same Judean king (2 Sam 18:13), that is, around 714 years before the Common Era (Commentary on the Bible, vol. II, p. 544), and this latter calamity has passed (Nah 1:15), and serves only as a subject of a terrible but also comforting (cf. 2 Kings 19:35-37) memory for the people (Nah 1:12). Thus, the terminus a quo of the prophet’s activity and the writing of the book cannot be placed earlier than the last event, and, for example, the opinion of Josephus, according to which the Prophet Nahum prophesied under the Judean king Jotham (Jewish Antiquities 9:11, 3), must be rejected. As for the other boundary—the terminus ad quem, it is absolutely evident that the prophecy concerning Nineveh was uttered by the Prophet Nahum no later than the very event of the fall of Nineveh—according to the chronology accepted in scholarship in 607-606 years before the Common Era (following the example of Clement of Alexandria, Nahum prophesied under Zedekiah), but much earlier than this event. Nineveh still exists, its ruin is only foretold (Nah 2:9 and many others), nay more, the power, glory, and wealth of the Assyrians are at the very highest degree of their development, and Nineveh is completely prosperous (Nah 1:12; Nah 2:1; Nah 3:8). The prophet does not name the future perpetrators of the fall of Assyria and Nineveh, and the fall itself appears as a deed of the distant future, and moreover (in view of the prosperity of Assyria and Nineveh) so little probable from the human point of view that the prophet needed to bring concrete examples of the fall of the political power of the great Egyptian city No-Ammon (Nah 3:8 v.) or (by the most probable explanation) the great Diospolis or hundred-gated Thebes in Upper Egypt. This historical evidence at the same time furnishes a solid foundation for establishing the chronological date of the prophecy and writing of the book with which we are concerned. The historical fact of the destruction of No-Ammon or Thebes, according to the testimony of Schrader, is firmly attested by Assyrian cuneiform inscriptions, according to which this was accomplished by Ashurbanipal, son and successor of Esarhaddon, during his second Egyptian campaign against Urḏamani, the successor of Pharaoh Tirhakah. The Assyrian annals date this event to the time shortly after the death of the latter, which occurred in 664 years before the Common Era. In the following year 663, the destruction of Thebes or No-Ammon may have taken place. And since the Prophet Nahum threatens Nineveh with the fate of No-Ammon, clearly under the fresh impression of the ruin of this city, both the uttering of the prophecy concerning Nineveh and the writing of his prophetic book must be referred approximately to 662-660 years before the Common Era, that is, to the time of the reign of Manasseh, according to the accepted chronology reigning from 698 to 643 (see in detail about this “Commentary on the Bible”, vol. II, p. 443-444). With this supposition some features of the book’s content become more comprehensible than in the case of referring the prophecy of Nahum to the second half of the reign of Hezekiah, as many researchers and commentators assert. But it is quite possible to see in the words of the prophet Nah 1:13: “Now I will break his yoke (the enemy’s, Assyria’s) lying upon you, and your bonds I will tear apart” an indication of the chained and led into captivity by Assyrian commanders king Manasseh (2 Chr 33:11). And the Prophet Nahum’s acquaintance with the prophetic books of Isaiah and Micah in this case becomes much more understandable. The Talmudists not without reason affirmed, on the basis of ancient tradition, that the Prophet Nahum lived until the time of Manasseh (as did Isaiah, who suffered, according to tradition, from this king), and that it was precisely the captivity of this king by the Assyrians (2 Chr 33:11) that was the occasion for the utterance of the prophecy concerning the fall of Nineveh, in consolation of the subjects left by the king, whose name the prophet omitted in the superscription of his book, as unworthy of memory (Seder Olam rabba, p. 55).

In respect to the order and sequence in the unfolding of content, the book of the Prophet Nahum presents a remarkably coherent whole. The division of the book into three chapters corresponds entirely to three stages in the unfolding of the prophet’s thought. In the first chapter, which represents as it were an introduction to the whole book, the theme of the entire book is indicated: the all-holy, all-powerful, all-righteous God always brings His determinations into fulfillment, both merciful toward the God-fearing and terrible toward the impious and ungodly; therefore the final lot awaiting the haughty, ungodly Assyrians is destruction, and salvation awaits those faithful to the Lord—the Jews. The second chapter already depicts the fulfillment of God’s judgment over Assyria and Nineveh, as seen by the prophet’s spiritual eyes: complete and final fall of their power and termination of their very existence. The third chapter, answering the naturally arising question about the causes and very possibility of the ruin of the all-world monarchy with its wonderful capital, points to these causes in the vices that nested in Assyria and Nineveh, as well as in Divine Justice, which embraces the whole world. Thus, the entire book of the Prophet Nahum represents one perfectly properly arranged and completely finished poem. According to the judgment of experts in the Hebrew language (for example, Lota, De s. poes. Hebr. p. 216 sq.), the language and style of the book of the Prophet Nahum is classical in all respects, and in height of fiery inspiration and boldness of thought, in vividness of colors and liveliness of exposition the Prophet Nahum appears first among all the minor prophets. The scenes he describes he depicts with extraordinary vividness, draws them as an eyewitness. His speech is like a swift stream in its rapid and unexpected transitions with frequent conciseness and harshness (meanwhile frequent alternation of singular with plural, masculine with feminine, singular and plural numbers (Nah 1:10-12; Nah 2:9; Nah 3:7-10) and the like).

The significance of the prophetic book of Nahum in the general organism of sacred biblical books must be determined from two points of view: historical and theological (including specially the messianic). In the first respect the prophecy in question belongs, by its origin, to the so-called “Assyrian period” of biblical history and sacred literature of the Old Testament, that is, to the time of the predominance of Assyria over other peoples and kingdoms. The prophets of the Assyrian period include partly the most ancient—Jonah, Joel, Amos, and chiefly those following them: Hosea, Isaiah, Micah; Nahum, however, closes the series of prophets of the named period, as his book contains the last prophecy concerning Nineveh (it is true that later the prophet Zeph 2:13-15 also speaks of the ruin of Nineveh, but he was already almost a contemporary of the very event of the destruction of Nineveh and spoke as it were of the fulfillment upon it of the prophecy of Nahum), announcing, of course, the triumph of the world-ruling righteousness of God over the unrighteousness of Assyria (Nah 2:13, Heb. 14; Nah 3:19). Blessed Theodoret says: “The Ninevites, fearing God’s threat proclaimed to them by the God-wise Jonah, resorted to earnest repentance and found salvation for themselves; instead of the threatened final ruin they received God’s mercy. But after a short time, they forgot this unspeakable mercy, returning to their former vices, committed thousands of new transgressions and dared to march with an army against Israel… But subsequently, after the royal throne was transferred to Babylon, the whole race of these kings perished; the city of Nineveh was destroyed and given over to complete desolation. This very ruin of Nineveh the blessed prophet Nahum foretells, receiving the power of God’s spirit, and by what is foretold he teaches that the Almighty God leaves nothing without His care and providence, but according to His righteous determination requires an account from each one of all that he has done in his life” (Works in Russian translation, vol. V, p. 5-6). In these last words the theological significance of the content of the book of the Prophet Nahum is also indicated—it is precisely this, common to him with other prophets, teaching about the world-ruling providence of God who is Holy, Almighty, and Righteous, appearing at one and the same time as both a consuming fire for the impious and an unshakeable refuge for the pious and those who hope in Him. At the foundation of this relation of God to the world and to people lies His plan of universal salvation, the foretaste of which is heard also in the utterances of the Prophet Nahum (Nah 1:15; Heb. 2:1), as in similar expressions in the Prophet Isaiah (Isa 3:7), and then after the accomplishment of the work of our salvation it is reproduced in the apostle (Rom 10:15).

The ancient Hebrew tradition concerning the life and activity of the Prophet Nahum has been preserved in a peculiar form in our Menologia. In the Life of the holy prophet Nahum here (on the first of December), among other things, we read: “The Holy Prophet Nahum, not from Elkesh beyond the Jordan, opposite Bethavara, from the tribe of Simeon. This one after the holy prophet Jonah prophesied to the Ninevites, that their city would perish by water and fire, which came to pass… Their ruin therefore came to pass thus: near Nineveh there was a great lake of water surrounding the city, and when there occurred a great earthquake, the city sank in that lake; a part of it remaining on the mountain fire issued from the wilderness and burned it. And so the prophecy of Nahum was fulfilled, God punishing sinful people with His righteous judgment… And the holy prophet also prophesied other future things, and died in peace in his forty-fifth year from his birth, and was buried honorably in his land.” It is difficult to say to what extent these pieces of information are reliable; but the report of the ruin of Nineveh by water and fire is clearly attached to the data of the prophetic book itself (Nah 1:10; Nah 3:13-15).

The memory of the holy prophet Nahum is celebrated in the Christian Orthodox Church on December first.

Holy Father commentaries on the book of the Prophet Nahum: Cyril of Alexandria, blessed Theodoret, blessed Jerome, blessed Theophylact. Among rabbinical commentaries on this book the most remarkable is R. Abarbanel In Nahum commentarius, Latin donation by I. D. Sprechero 1703. Of the very numerous works in the west we will name a few of the most recent: Strauss, Nahumi de Nino vaticinium explicavit ex assyris monuments illustravit 0. Sir. 1853; Breiteneicher, Ninive und Nahum. Mit Beiziehund der Resultate der neuesten Entdeckungen histor. - exeget. beabeit 1861; Reinke, To more or less brief general remarks about the book of the Prophet Nahum in such guides as: Priest V. Smaragdov (SPB. 1869), H. Ordy (Bishop Irenaeus, Kiev 1871), Metropolitan Arseny (Kiev 1873), A. Hergoserskoi (SPB. 1885), Prof. A. A. Olesnitsky (SPB. 1894), D. N. Narcissov (Guide to the study of the prophetic books of the Old Testament. Poltava 1904. p. 193-200, as well as articles from Sunday Reading 1854/55 (vol. XVIII) “Memory of the holy prophets: Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah” (p. 321 et seq.) there are several special works specifically on the book of the Prophet Nahum. These are: 1) I. Smirnov (now Bishop John), The Prophet Nahum from Aug. book “Readings in the Society of Lovers of Spiritual Enlightenment” 1876); 2) Prof. M. A. Golubev, The Holy Prophet Nahum and his book (Christian Reading 1852, part I, p. 518-562). and 3)—surpassing both the first in volume and thoroughness—the book of M. Simashkevich (now Bishop Mitrophan). The Prophecy of Nahum concerning Nineveh. An Exegetical Investigation, with an outline of the history of the Assyrian state and a historico-critical solution of the question about the origin of the book of the Prophet Nahum SPB. 1875, p. 342.

* * *

In the opinion of Strauss and others, the name of the Palestinian locality serving as the homeland of the Prophet Nahum has been preserved in the name of the Elkesaites, one of the most ancient sects that appeared in Palestine in the time of Trajan (according to the testimony of Epiphanius cited by Eusebius, Church History VI, 38). But this circumstance, of course, adds nothing essentially new to the already known arguments for the Palestinian origin of the Prophet Nahum and his book.

Chapter One

1. Superscription of the prophetic book. 2-6. Depiction of the divine attributes of Jehovah: righteousness and wrath (2-3), then omnipotence (4-6), as introduction and foundation for the subsequent discourse. 7-14. Consequences appearing as a conclusion from the indicated attributes of God: for the pious (7), and for the impious and hostile to God (8-10), more particularly—God’s determination concerning the complete ruin of the Assyrians (11-14). 15. Salvation and peace of the Jews.

Nahum 1:1. Prophecy concerning Nineveh; the book of the visions of Nahum the Elkoshite. The meaning of the first word of the superscription: Heb. massa here as in other prophetic books (Hab 1:1; Zech 9:1; Zech 12:1; Mal 1:1) and others is rendered differently by ancient translations and at the same time interpreted differently by ancient and modern commentators. LXX render this word here and in Hab 1:1; Zech 9:1; Zech 12:1; Mal 1:1 by the word: lemma, reception, receiving, and in a similar sense it is understood by blessed Theodoret: “by vision of the mind and transition from everything human, the prophet called prophecy (lemma)”. On the contrary, the Targum renders massa through Chald. mattaya or mattoya—burden; likewise in the Vulgate massa is constantly rendered by the Lat. word onus, weight, burden, and blessed Jerome considered only this translation to be the exact correspondence of Heb. massa, which, according to him, “is used at the beginning only when something seems important, full of labor and burdens” (Commentary on the Prophet Habakkuk, Russian translation vol. 14, p. 130), that is, contains an indication of the threats contained in the prophecy. Luther’s German translation renders massa through Last, burden, and many commentators (Reinke, Keil, Kurtz, Prof. P. V. Tikhomirov and others) understand the word in question in the sense indicated by blessed Jerome. On the contrary, other modern commentators (Hupfeld, Delitzsch, Kleinert, Prof. I. S. Yakimov) understand it in the general sense: “utterance” (prophetic). However both the literal meaning of Heb. massa and its almost universal use in the Bible precisely in the sense of: burden, load, predispose in favor of Jerome’s translation. And if we pay attention specifically to the use of this term in prophetic writings, we will see that by the name massa, for example in the Prophet Isaiah, is denoted a special kind of prophecy—namely terrible prophecies foretelling disasters and ruin chiefly to foreign peoples (Isa 13:1; Isa 15:1; Isa 17:1; Isa 21:1; Isa 21:11; Isa 23:1; and others). In view of the general content known to us of the book of the Prophet Nahum announcing the ruin of Nineveh (with all Assyria), this meaning “terrible prophecy”, “the burden of the prophetic word” (concerning Nineveh) should be accepted, all the more as the indication of such meaning of massa may give v. 8, grammatically closely joining to the first part of the superscription (see a more detailed investigation of massa in the book of Prof. P. V. Tikhomirov, the Prophet Malachi. Holy Trinity Lavra 1903, p. 139-152. Cf. at Simashkevich, Cit. work, p. 107-113). The second part of the superscription “the book of the visions of Nahum the Elkoshite” indicates the divinely-inspired writer of the book—the Prophet Nahum—and the very source of his prophetic word—vision, Heb. ḥazon, that is, mysterious inspiration of the content from God’s Spirit. “The grace of the Holy Spirit,” says in explanation of this blessed Theodoret, “acting differently in wonderful prophets, arranged that some saw something, as the God-wise Isaiah, Micah, Daniel, Ezekiel and Zechariah; and to others through voice was communicated what was akin to the Spirit, and to them it seemed they heard someone speaking with them, other prophets prophesied in inspiration, and what was pleasing to the Spirit, he proclaimed through their tongue. For the prophetic grace, suddenly encompassing their mind and separating them from everything human, made them capable of becoming vessels and servants for the utterance of prophetic words.” The word “book” standing in the superscription R. Abarbanel interpreted in the sense of indicating that the Prophet Nahum, having not preached personally in Nineveh (as did the Prophet Jonah), sent his prophetic book there. But simpler and more naturally to see here testimony to the fact that the prophetic utterances of Nahum, by God’s command, were recorded by him in a book: this is known also of other prophets (Isa 8:1; Isa 30:8; Jer 30:2; Jer 36:2; Jer 51:60; Dan 7:1; Dan 12:4-9; Hab 2:2-3), who recorded their prophecies not only for future generations (Isa 30:8), but also for broader circulation among contemporaries (Jer 36:1-6). Thus, the expression “book” presupposes the existence of the prophetic utterances of Nahum in the present form long before the closing of the canon of sacred books.

Nahum 1:2. The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and terrible in his wrath: the Lord takes vengeance on his enemies and vents his wrath against his adversaries. Nahum 1:3. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; the Lord has his way in the whirlwind and storm, and clouds are the dust beneath his feet. Nahum 1:4. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither, and the bloom of Lebanon wilts. Nahum 1:5. The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, and the world and all that dwell therein. Nahum 1:6. Before his wrath who can stand? And who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath pours out like fire, and the rocks crumble before him. “The prophet begins his discourse with a majestic description of the attributes of Jehovah, God the avenger, who has pronounced through the prophet his terrible sentence upon the ungodly. The order of thoughts is as follows: God is Righteous (v. 2), consequently His sentence must necessarily come to pass; He is longsuffering (v. 3a), consequently His sentence, called forth by the extreme iniquities of Nineveh, is decisive; He is almighty (vv. 3b-6), consequently nothing can stand before His terrible wrath” (Simashkevich, p. 114-115). Depicting God’s Righteousness in the same spirit as it is depicted in the Pentateuch of Moses, the prophet borrows precisely from there the title of Jehovah as a jealous God, el-kanno, Gr. Θεος Ζηλωτης, Vulg.: Deus aemulator. The concept of jealousy, ascribed to God in the epithet kanno (in this form the word appears, besides Nah 1:2, only in Josh 24:19) or, by more customary use, kanna (Exod 20:5; Exod 34:14; Deut 4:24; Deut 5:9; Deut 6:15), has, evidently, a metaphorical sense, being borrowed from the realm of human conjugal relations—the jealousy of a husband toward a wife (Num 5:14-30). The applicability of this metaphor to God is understandable from the fact that the relations between Jehovah and His people in Holy Scripture are frequently depicted as conjugal relations (Isa 62:1 chap.; Ezek 16:1; Hos 1:1 — Hos 3:1 chap. and others), and the very Sinaitic covenant is presented under the image of marriage (Hos 2:19). And just as human conjugal jealousy is the reverse side of conjugal love, so God’s jealousy toward the people of God has two aspects: Jehovah is jealous for His honor and glory, precisely He alone, like a lawful husband, on the basis of the covenant, has the right to the exclusive love and fidelity of Israel and cannot allow the worship of other gods alongside Himself (Exod 34:14: Deut 4:24; Josh 24:19; Isa 42:8; Isa 59:17-18 and others), and in general does not tolerate and does not leave unpunished the transgressions of His own people (Josh 24:19); on the other hand, in His love for Israel He cannot allow that His chosen people suffer any kind of evil from other peoples or anyone else: Jehovah is jealous for the integrity of His land (Joel 2:18), for the well-being of His people (Deut 32:43; 2 Sam 19:31; Isa 37:32; Zech 1:14-15; Zech 8:2). In general, the title of God as “jealous one” denotes the energy of God’s being, God’s relation to man as a living God, punishing evil and protecting innocence and holiness; by this is indicated His distinction from pagan gods, incapable of any activity (see Exod 20:4-5; Deut 5:9). Such dual significance has this title in the mouth of the Prophet Nahum. In application to the Assyrians this title means the coming punishment of God upon them. “Since they,” says blessed Theodoret of the Assyrians, “having rushed upon Jerusalem with fury pronounced blasphemous words against the God of all; the prophet rightly calls them enemies and adversaries, and threatens them with destruction. Jealousy he calls the righteous wrath” (p. 7). And this thought is unfolded in powerful poetic images throughout the space of verses 2-6. The other aspect of the concept of God’s jealousy—the merciful, caring relation of Jehovah to the chosen people, to pious people, is indicated in v. 7. But the whole force of logical emphasis and the whole center of gravity of the thought expressed by the prophet in his introductory words is, without doubt, concentrated in the name Jehovah. This name, as is evident from Exod 3:14-15, denotes not only the eternal being of the true God but also the inviolability of the covenant made by Him with Israel, the absolute faithfulness of His oath-bound promises given to the patriarchs, and so forth. (Concerning the name “Jehovah” see the article by Prof. Priest A. Glagolev in the Theological Encyclopedia, vol. VI (SPB. 1905), p. 194-203). God is jealous and avenges the Assyrians precisely for the humiliation of His people, as God of the covenant with it, and just as unchangeable in essence is this covenant, so is His judgment over the Assyrians decisive and unchangeable. As God-jealous and as God of the covenant, Jehovah appears as the avenger for all who are hostile to His glory and to His covenant: Jehovah not passively only is angered and indignant at the enemies but actively avenges them, and therefore is called “God of vengeance” (Ps 93:1), and Himself retains the inalienable right of vengeance (Deut 32:35; Rom 12:19). Therefore the prophet thrice and with special force attributes to Him the epithet nokél, Gr. εκδικων, Lat. ulciscens. This threefold repetition of the epithet “avenger” in application to God need not be understood (with some commentators, including Professor M. Golubev) in the sense of indicating the coming threefold vengeance upon the Assyrians for threefold captivity of the people of God (whereby three captivities are arbitrarily indicated in 1 Chr 5:26; 2 Sam 15:29 and 2 Sam 17:6 or 2 Sam 18:9), still less in the sense of a pre-indication of the three persons of the Holy Trinity (opinion of Tarnovius). In reality, such a form of speech is easily explained by the properties of the Hebrew language, in which—judging from similar biblical cases (for example Isa 6:3; Jer 7:4; Jer 22:29)—threefold repetition of one and the same word expresses special intensification of its meaning or the superlative degree of the concept. In particular, in the three constituent parts of the verse in question a strict gradation of thought is maintained: first in the prophet’s presentation vengeance of Jehovah appears as merely a consequence or unfolding of His jealousy; then an indication is given of the character and manner of manifestation of God’s vengeance: God is called ba’al-hemah, possessor of wrath, Vulg. habens furorem—in the sense of a property belonging exclusively to Him (such is the meaning of Heb. ba’al in combination with various nouns, for example Exod 24:14; Gen 37:19 and many others); LXX: εκδικων Κυριος μετα θυμου, Slav. avenging Lord with rage; finally, the object or subject of God’s vengeance is named—His enemies. As conclusion and generalization of the whole discourse in v. 2 concerning God’s wrath and vengeance stands the final expression: netzar lo le-oyevav, he keeps wrath for his enemies, as though nourishing it in Himself (cf. Ps 102:9; Jer 6:5), restraining it until the time. “By enemies and adversaries we must understand the Assyrians, to whom the Lord long manifested His longsuffering, but afterwards He will take vengeance upon them with wrath and fury” (blessed Jerome, p. 257).

Nahum 1:3. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; The expression “slow to anger” Heb. zarak appayim, properly: slow or delayed in anger, Vulg. patiens, LXX: μακροθυμος, is borrowed by the prophet from the Pentateuch (Exod 34:6; Num 14:18); is used also in other sacred books (Nehem 9:17; Ps 85:15; Ps 101:8, Ps 144:8; Joel 2:13). “He does not immediately and instantaneously impose punishment, but preserving great longsuffering. You Ninevites are witnesses to this, having resorted to repentance and found salvation for yourselves, but again having given yourselves over to even greater vices, and having not yet borne punishment for them. But he who for so long bears human transgressions also knows how to impose punishment on the unrepentant” (blessed Theodoret, p. 7). God’s longsuffering is by no means a sign of weakness of Jehovah—He, on the contrary, “is great in strength”: “He could in an instant destroy the ungodly, if He so wished, because He possesses the greatest power; but He restrains punishment for the chief reason of giving time for repentance” (blessed Jerome). Then all the more irresistible is His judgment over the unrepentant (cf. Exod 34:6-7): “he who for so long bears human transgressions also knows how to impose punishment on the unrepentant. For thus the prophet expressed this, saying: those who cleanse will not cleanse, that is, those whose transgressions are worthy of punishment He will not free from punishment” (blessed Theodoret). After general statements concerning God’s judgment on sinners in general, the prophet moves to the depiction of judgment specifically upon the Assyrians, but for now depicts this judgment in verses 3b-6 in general and familiar to other sacred Old Testament writers images of natural phenomena as a manifestation of the punishing activity of God appearing in the world (cf. Exod 19:1; Judg 5:1; Ps 17:1; Ps 49:1; Ps 67:1; Ps 96:1). As in other biblical depictions of theophany, and here is brought forward the punishing activity of Divine omnipotence: the victorious journey of Jehovah is accompanied by destructive phenomena of nature: storm and whirlwind, clouds and mist attend the fearful manifestation of God (v. 3b), before the face of God the sea dries up and rivers fail, the vegetation withers and bleaches (v. 4), mountains, hills and all the earth convulse (v. 5), even the rocks split apart, and nothing can stand before the fire of God’s wrath (v. 6). The depiction is of such strength, majesty and beauty as can be found only among the God-inspired poets of Scripture! What then are the particulars of this artistic picture?

Nahum 1:3. in the whirlwind and storm is the way of the Lord, the cloud is the dust beneath his feet. “Whenever the descent of God to earth is recounted in Scripture, the manifestation of Him in one place or another on earth, mention is made at the same time of the trembling and quaking into which nature then enters. At the descent of God upon Mount Sinai ‘there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast (Exod 19:16); the whole mountain smoked… and out of it came smoke, as out of a furnace, and the whole mountain shook exceedingly’ (v. 18). From accounts of other cases of God’s manifestation one also sees that these manifestations were accompanied by one kind or another of upheaval in nature” (Prof. M. Z. Skabalanovitch. The First Chapter of the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel. Essay on Explanation. Mariupol. 1904, p. 112). These phenomena of nature are embraced by the concept of “storm”, taken in the broad sense of upheaval in all parts of nature (cf. Ps 49:4). And the Prophet Nahum contemplates the journey of the appearing Jehovah in judgment precisely in such phenomena: “in the whirlwind and in the storm”, Heb. besuffah uvissarah, LXX: εν σοντελεια και εν συσσεισμψ, Vulg. in tempestate et turbine; “the cloud is the dust beneath his feet”—anan—avak raglav: all these phenomena, absolutely obeying the mighty word of God as their Master (Ps 9:6-7; Jer 10:13; Jer 51:16; Job 38:22-25). This majestic image of almighty Jehovah was known to the Hebrews from the time of Sinaitic legislation (Exod 19:16; Deut 5:22) and constantly appears in the sacred writers when depicting the manifestation of Jehovah for judgment upon sinners (Ps 17:10-11; Ps 16:3-4; Isa 19:1 sq.; Dan 7:13 sq.; Joel 2:2; Zeph 1:15 and others). “Most appropriately the prophet to the way added also dust: he wishes to say by this that he will now show no more longsuffering but will subject them to destruction, encompassing them on all sides with a cloud of calamities” (blessed Theodoret, p. 8).

Nahum 1:4. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither, and the bloom of Lebanon wilts. New manifestations of God’s omnipotence—first in relation to the sea and rivers (cf. Isa 50:2). “If He wishes, He can in an instant turn all the water in the sea and rivers into nothing, and can do this in a moment. As proof of this the prophet presented what has already been accomplished” (blessed Theodoret), that is, the prophet’s mind was presented with great moments of miraculous help to Israel—at its passage through the Red Sea (Exod 14:21; Ps 105:9), and later—through the Jordan (Josh 3:13; Josh 5:1; Ps 113:3). But from the fearful journey of God’s omnipotence not only the sea and rivers dry up, but all that constitutes the wealth and glory of the land—the promised land, everything that is best and strongest, beautiful and most fertile in it, and this for the biblical Hebrew was bound up with the conception of the now called localities of Palestine: Bashan on its east, Carmel on its west and Lebanon on its north. Bashan, Heb. bashan (Num 21:33; Josh 13:29-32; Mic 7:14 and many others) Gr. and Slav. Basanitis, Basanitida—a region in the eastern land beyond the Jordan to the north of the stream Yarmuk, once the region of the mighty king Og (Num 21:1; Deut 1:4) was famous for excellent pastures, high unshakeable oaks and willows, tall, strong horned cattle (Isa 2:13; Ezek 27:6; Deut 32:14; Amos 4:1; Ps 21:13); now a completely barren region, known as el-Battin or Ard-el Besenia (Onomast. 17:5, 224). Concerning Carmel, the majestic mountain on the boundary of Issachar and Asher tribes, which because of the beauty of its vegetation (it appeared as a continuous garden, hence in its name—from Heb.: “garden of God”) entered into a proverb (Song 7:6), now djebel-Karmal, see note to 1 Sam 18:19. Commentary on the Bible, vol. II, p. 453. The snow-white Lebanon, Heb. lebnanon (“white from snows” cf. Jer 18:14) to the north of Palestine was also, thanks to the abundance of water and springs (Song 4:15), famous for its luxuriant vegetation (Hos 14:6-8), especially high cedars, fragrant cypress and myrtles (Ps 28:5; Song 3:14; Song 5:15); now djebel-Libnain (Onomast. 640). The mention by the prophet of precisely these localities serves as indirect proof that he lived, acted and wrote his prophetic book precisely in Judea, not in Assyria, whose localities, except only Nineveh, are directly not reflected in the images of speech used by the prophet; although, by the remark of blessed Jerome, “metaphorically through Bashan, Carmel and Lebanon, fertile land and mountains covered with vegetation, is indicated the devastation of Assyria—that it, having once been mighty and flourishing and ruling over numerous peoples, will be destroyed as a result of God’s wrath” (p. 290). It is evident that in v. 4, as in the whole series of verses 3-6, there is still general, typical, as it were, abstract depiction of God’s judgment, not concrete and detailed foretelling of it.

Nahum 1:5. The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, and the world and all that dwell therein. Nahum 1:6. Before his wrath who can stand? And who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath pours out like fire, and the rocks crumble before him. To the indicated manifestations of God’s wrath the prophet adds (v. 5) a new one: from the action of God’s wrath the mountains and hills come into convulsion, shake in their foundation, and all the world with its inhabitants (images very usual both in poetic and prophetic sacred books of the Old Testament (Ps 17:8; Ps 96:4-6; Amos 8:8; Mic 1:4 and many others). In v. 6 a conclusion is drawn from what has been said in the three preceding verses (3-5), and the prophet uses interrogative form of speech in place of categorical negation: “no one can stand before the fury and wrath of almighty God, no one can endure the all-consuming fire of God’s judgment.” Depictions of God’s judgment in the form of all-consuming flame (Gen 19:24; Num 11:1-3; Num 16:35; 2 Sam 1:10; Job 1:16), as well as the naming of God as fire consuming (Deut 4:24) were very familiar to Israel. Therefore from the depiction of God’s wrath itself flowed the inevitability of the future ruin of Assyria, ungodly and presumptuous, by its transgressions exceeding the measure of God’s longsuffering and calling forth the action of God’s judgment. “If those exalted in their power and thinking of themselves as possessing the strength of stone, He crushes and grinds without difficulty; who is able to withstand the punishment sent by Him?” (blessed Theodoret, p. 8).

Nahum 1:7. Good is the Lord, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. Here is indicated the goodness of Jehovah and His mercy toward the pious seeking protection in Him, which on the one hand testifies that God’s wrath has a moral foundation and ethical character, and is by no means a blind destructive force, and on the other hand brings out a sharp contrast with God’s goodness and mercy, the impending irresistible judgment of God upon the ungodly Assyrians. These two aspects, God’s wrath and mercy, Assyria and Judea, are presented to the prophet in the whole content of his book. In the highest degree beautiful and majestic is the transition in v. 7 from the depiction of the wrath of the almighty and all-righteous Jehovah to the depiction of His goodness; it acts upon the reader’s soul irresistibly, producing in him the impression of a kind of blessed breeze of cool freshness after the spectacle of a great destructive storm (1 Sam 19:11-12. See Commentary on the Bible vol. II, 485-486), arousing firm hope in God’s help and protection (see Ps 30:1-4; Ps 90:1-4). But the prophet, “having shown how well-disposed Jehovah is toward those who bear the punishments imposed upon them and do not pronounce anything against God, again leads the discourse to the punishment of the ungodly” (blessed Theodoret, p. 9).

Nahum 1:8. But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of its place, and will pursue his enemies into darkness. Nahum 1:9. What do you plot against the Lord? He will make a complete end; distress will not rise up a second time. Nahum 1:10. For they are entangled in thorns, drunk as drunkards; they are consumed like dry stubble. According to v. 8, “those daring against the Lord He will give over to final ruin and unceasing darkness; for by flood and completion the prophet called final ruin” (blessed Theodoret, p. 9). Overflowing of waters, inundation in biblical writers is the usual image of invasion of enemies upon a land and their destructive actions in it (Judg 6:1-5; Isa 8:7-8; Isa 27:12; Isa 28:17; Isa 30:30; Dan 9:21; Dan 11:10 sq.). Such precisely is the destruction the Prophet Nahum proclaims to Nineveh, foretelling the disappearance of its very place, Heb. mekoma (feminine suffix here ordinarily refers to the name Ninwe, Nineveh in v. 1) see in the Vulgate translation: consummationem faciet ioci ejus. However blessed Jerome himself indicates another rendering of this word by ancient translations, saying: “the word tasota, which we translated as ‘place’, all divided into two words, so that some rendered the preposition apo, that is, from, a coma through standing up. Thus, Aquila says: apo antistamenom, that is, from standing up, LXX: standing up, Theodotion: against him standing up, fifth edition: from standing up against him. Only Symmachus alone, in agreement with our translation, says: and after the passing of the flood he will put an end to its place” (p. 264). In any case—the discourse is about a flood of calamities destined to put an end to the existence and misdeeds of Nineveh on earth. At the same time some (A. Keith, Prof. M. Golubev) in the words of v. 8 saw an indication of the very manner of destruction of Nineveh—by means of the flooding of the Tigris, of which Diodorus Siculus testifies (lib. II, 61-83). But in the prophet the expression about the flood (Heb. shetef), as in many biblical places, has a metaphorical sense, which is evident, in particular, from the second half of the verse: “and his enemies he pursues into darkness”: the metaphorical sense of the latter words is beyond doubt (cf. Wis 18:4).

Nahum 1:9. What do you plot against the Lord? He will make a complete end; distress will not rise up a second time. In v. 9 the prophet, addressing now to the Assyrians, asks, what is their opinion of the power of Jehovah? It is evident that the prophet had in view the occasion when the Assyrians, becoming intoxicated with their victories and forgetting that they themselves—were nothing more than a simple instrument of the punishing hand of God (Exod 10:15), dared—in the person of Sennacherib—to mock at Jerusalem and the power of Jehovah (2 Sam 18:29-35; Exod 36:18-20). Then, in the second half of the verse, the prophet turns again to the Jews and consoles them, that the distress caused to their land by the invasion of Assyrian army with Sennacherib at its head (2 Sam 19:1; Isa 37:1) shall not occur again in view of the impending final ruin of Assyria (cf. vv. 11-12).

Nahum 1:10. For they are entangled in thorns, drunk as drunkards; they are consumed like dry stubble. It grounds what was said in v. 9 about the coming ruin of Assyria and its inhabitants. Here it is said that this ruin is inevitable because of the deep moral corruption of the population of Assyria; this corruption is expressed by the prophet in twofold comparison of the Assyrians: 1) to thorns entangled among themselves—symbol of the closeness of the Assyrians in enmity against the people of God and their haughty self-confidence in their own strength (cf. Num 33:55; Isa 27:4; Ezek 2:6; Ezek 28:24); 2) to drunken drunkards (on Assyrian monuments depictions of feasts are frequent). These two vices of the Assyrians should lead to the fact that their fearsome kingdom should in the end perish, similar to quickly and without trace destroyed by the impetus straw. “As dry straw is easily destroyed by fire, and grass growing near walls, and especially that entangling itself with prickly plants, and prevents them from blooming, and itself withers in time, so you, having destroyed the kingdoms of others, will be both deprived of kingdoms and given over to destruction” (blessed Theodoret). “It is entirely just that the numerous army of theirs (Assyrians) is compared to a feast of drunkards, and the feast itself is likened not to roses, not to lilies, not to flowers, but to thorns entangling among themselves, which are always given to fire and, like always dry straw, burn in weak flame” (blessed Jerome, p. 268). The enmity of Assyria against all peoples, including the Hebrews, is known historically. No less known is the addiction of the Assyrians to drunkenness: according to the testimony of Diodorus Siculus, the Persians succeeded in dealing a mortal blow to Nineveh only because the king of it, confident in his state power, indulged with his magnates in feasts and drunkenness. Those commentators are therefore right who consider the words of the prophet in v. 10 to have been literally fulfilled in the tragic end of Nineveh.

Nahum 1:11. From you there came forth one plotting evil against the Lord, one counseling worthlessness. Here, as in v. 9, the prophet has in mind the historical fact that once from Assyria and Nineveh the king Sennacherib with terrible multitudes went forth against those who worship Jehovah—the Jews—with the goal of complete subjugation and even destruction of them, and together with evil and God-opposing intent destruction of the theocratic kingdom of God on earth (cf. 2 Sam 18:27-32; 2 Sam 19:25-23; Isa 26:12-17). This constant enmity of Assyria and its kings toward the people of God, toward the Kingdom of God, against God’s saving plans, made the Assyrians appear as servants of Satan, God’s adversary, and this idea is expressed by the prophet here in v. 11 and below in v. 15 (Heb. 2:1) by using the term Beliyya’al, ungodly, wickedness and the like. Both in abstract and in concrete sense the word this in the Old Testament always denotes behavior, acts contrary to God-given law and God-ordained order of life, and together people of such godless disposition (Deut 13:14; Judg 19:22; 1 Sam 2:12; 1 Sam 21:10 and others). Later toward the times of the New Testament this word, in its Greek form Βελιαλ or Βελιαρ (2 Cor 6:15) became therefore one of the proper names of Satan (see in the book of Prof. Priest A. Glagolev. Old Testament Biblical Teaching about Angels. 1900, p. 619-622). If the prophet uses such a strong expression in relation to Assyria, then he understands, probably, not only Sennacherib alone and generally not one defined person, one defined moment of the Assyrians’ hostile attitude toward Judea, but includes all the sum of evil, depravity and malice against the Kingdom of God demonstrated by the Assyrians throughout the time of Assyria’s existence as a world power. In vv. 12-14 the prophet expresses the last sentence of God’s judgment upon the fate of Assyria, its population and its gods.

Nahum 1:12. Thus says the Lord: Though they be complete and many, even so they shall be cut down and pass away; With the words “thus says the Lord” the prophet expresses the whole importance, inviolability and strictness of the following determination of God concerning Assyria. The Assyrians now enjoy complete well-being, are very strong, secure, numerous, so that seemed completely invincible in the eyes of others (Nah 2:12-13; Heb. 13-14; Isa 10:24) and themselves considered themselves inaccessible to any danger (Zeph 2:15). But however mighty the Assyrians are and however much their strength increases through all peoples, yet they will be cut through their destruction by an Angel. For as numerous hairs cannot stand against sharp scissors, so numerous enemies of God will easily be destroyed, and Assur will vanish “and cease to exist”… (blessed Jerome p. 268-269). In the Hebrew text the discourse of God’s punishment over the Assyrians has special expressiveness: “they will be cut down”, properly: shorn (shamefully—like sheep), shaved, Heb. nagozzu. As the Assyrian army during its campaigns in Judea produced terrible devastations there and therefore resembled in its effect a razor shaving clean not only hairs on head and legs but also on beards (Isa 7:20; 2 Sam 16:7-8), the taking of which, according to Eastern concepts, was a sign of mockery (2 Sam 10:4-5), so a similar fate—complete shame and utter destruction—awaits Assyria itself. The reading of the first half of v. 12 in the LXX is different, and it is this that blessed Theodoret has in mind when he remarks to v. 12: “the multitude of waters the prophet calls the Babylonians who marched against Nineveh, who, like waters, divided into detachments, approached the siege of the city” (p. 10).

Nahum 1:12. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more. From the announcement of complete ruin of Assyria (v. 12a) the prophet’s thought—by contrast—turns to the deliverance of Judea and Jerusalem; “though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more.” “By this,” explains blessed Jerome (p. 269), “is given not a promise of permanent security but a promise of security only for the time and against those enemies who then besieged them.” The Jews had already been destined for captivity in Babylon (Isa 6:39), and this determination had to remain in force. But temporary cessation of their calamities, termination of Assyrian violence was possible, and this promises to the Jews the prophet in God’s name, and the promised deliverance of them from the slave yoke of the Assyrians is denoted by the usual for biblical writers images of expression “break the yoke”, “rend the bonds” (cf. Lev 26:13; Isa 10:27; Jer 2:20; Jer 5:5; Jer 28:2; Jer 30:8 and others).

Nahum 1:11. From you there came forth one plotting evil against the Lord, one counseling worthlessness. The ruin of Assyria here is identified with the ruin of its reigning house, inasmuch as the king is the representative of all the people. Besides, with the ruin of the Assyrian state here is connected the ruin of the worship of the gods of Assyria, as, according to the views of antiquity and especially of the East, the cessation of a people’s independent national existence meant the decline of the power of its god (cf. Isa 36:18). The prophet as it were says to Assyria: “in your ruin will also participate your man-made gods, whom you will hide in the earth and bury as in graves, so they do not become plunder of enemies” (blessed Theodoret, p. 10). The fierce sentence of God’s judgment applies, evidently, to all the Assyrians, who in their unanimous enmity toward Jehovah and His people appear here as one man, the personification of all the people—Assur (cf. Amos 2:2). The last cause of Assur’s ruin—known to God who tests all things—the worthlessness of Assur: Heb. ki hallota, you are found light, worthless (on the scales of God’s justice—as later Babylon—Dan 5:27). In similar manner it is rendered in the Vulgate: quia inhonoratus es. In the text of the LXX accepted stands the expression: οτι ταχεις, Slav. yako skori, by the just remark of blessed Jerome (p. 270), having no definite sense, unless one refers it to the word raglej, oi ποδες feet of the following verse (15, according to Heb. vol. 2:1). It is evident that LXX read: kallot and took it for the adjective kal light, swift. The reading of the massoretic text in this verse deserves full preference over the reading of the LXX. In some manuscripts of the latter (22, 36, 51, 238, 95, 114, 185, in Holmes) stands—οτι ητιμωθης, which represents a periphrasis of Hebrew ki kallota.

Nahum 1:15. Behold, upon the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings, who announces peace! Celebrate, O Judah, your festivals; fulfill your vows. For nevermore shall the wicked pass through you; he is utterly cut off. In the Hebrew text v. 15 is assigned to the II chapter as its introduction, as also in the Syriac translation Peshitta. On the contrary, in the LXX, in the Vulgate and in the Chaldaic Targum it closes chapter 1. There can be arguments in favor of one or the other division, but with either division the significance of this verse is preserved as a transition from the general announcement of Assyria’s ruin to detailed and concrete notification about this subject, to the discourse of the fulfillment of God’s sentence: the first consequence of Assyria’s and Nineveh’s condemnation is the political and religious freedom of Judea, to which the prophet now turns. He in spirit sees the appearance upon the mountains of the Jews of the herald, Heb. mebasser, LXX: ευαγγελιζομενου, Vulg. evangelizantis, with joyful news of peace opening for Judea with the impending humiliation and subsequent ruin of Assyria. Now Judea can and must entirely devote herself to the fulfillment of her religious duties, which were previously hindered by the oppression of Assyrian dominion: she must testify to Jehovah her joy and thanksgiving to Jehovah in festivals in His honor (which indeed were all the most important festivals of the ancient Jewish ecclesiastical year), and equally fully fulfill the vows given to Him in a time of Assyrian tribulations. “The wicked”, Heb. beliya’al, Vulg. Belial—servant of Belial (cf. v. 11), the king of Assyria with his army, will no longer carry out its destructive journeys through Judea—their ruin is decided and carried out. “But you,” says the prophet, “having heard of the overthrow of enemies, celebrate the festivals ordained by God, and bring the customary sacrifices; because final ruin was endured by the one who many times marched against you, and will not take up again intentions to destroy and devastate you” (blessed Theodoret, p. 11). The prophet’s speech in v. 15a (Heb. 2:1) exactly similar to the words of the Prophet Isaiah (Isa 52:7), having most directly historical sense, contains in itself also the foretaste of the blessings of peace and salvation in New Testament times; in such sense both prophets’ words are applied by the holy Apostle Paul (Rom 10:15), to the preaching in the world of the evangelical teaching. * * * Notes The word searah (with the letter sin) appears in the Bible, besides Nah 1:3, only one time: in Job 9:17. Much more frequently is used the word identical with it in meaning and consonant with it searah (with the letter samekh). In cod. 1, 17, 23, 29, 7:2, 93, 96, 126, 150, 154 and some others in Kennicott’s edition in the book of the Prophet Nahum stands this latter word.

Chapter Two

1–4. The judgment of God upon Nineveh, and along with it the whole of Assyria, is already coming to fulfillment: by the command of Jehovah, the mighty enemy forces approach Nineveh to avenge the Assyrians for all the evil they have done to the people of God. 5–10. A picture of the actual destruction of Nineveh: siege, capture, and plundering of the city, the panic terror of its inhabitants – the flight of some and the captivity of others. 11–13. A sad picture of the complete desolation of Nineveh, lying in ruins, struck to the dust and destroyed by the power of Jehovah, God of vengeance, in contrast to its former greatness and might.

Nahum 2:1. A destroyer rises against you: guard the strongholds, watch the road, strengthen your loins, gather your strength. Nahum 2:2. For the Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob, as the splendor of Israel, because the ravagers have ravaged them and destroyed the branches of their vines. Nahum 2:3. The shields of his mighty men are red; the soldiers are clothed in crimson; the chariots flash with fire on the day of preparation for battle, and the forest of spears quivers. Nahum 2:4. The chariots race through the streets, they rumble in the squares; their appearance is like fire; they flash like lightning. (Heb. 2–5). Whereas in Nah 1:15 (Heb. 2:1) there was only talk of the messenger of Nineveh’s destruction and Judah’s salvation, now the prophet vividly contemplates and presents the actual fulfillment of God’s judgment upon Nineveh, describing future events as if they were taking place before his eyes. The united forces of enemies (Babylonians and Medes), marching against Nineveh, appear to the prophet as a destroyer or hammer (Heb. mephitz, mappets, cf. Jer 51:20. Prov 25:18), ready to strike Nineveh with a decisive, mortal blow (since in the Bible – Jer 51:20; Prov 25:18, and on Assyrian monuments the hammer figures among military weapons, the image of a hammer in relation to Nebuchadnezzar is understandable, Jer 51:20-23, as with later powerful and destructive conquerors like the Hun Attila). At the same time, the prophet with bitter irony advises Nineveh to hasten to take defensive measures: carefully guard her strongholds and fortifications, post sentries on elevated places (cf. Hab 2:1; Isa 21:6) to watch which way the enemy will come and from which side he will attack; moreover, in view of the extraordinary strength and courage of the enemies, Nineveh’s army must be entirely ready for the terrible war, gather all its strength and not lose presence of mind (such full combat readiness is expressed here by two related turns of speech: “to strengthen (or gird) the loins” (cf. Isa 5:27; Job 38:3; Job 40:2) and “to gather one’s strength”). But all these measures, in the prophet’s firm conviction, will be fruitless and in vain. The LXX, instead of mephitz in v. 1, probably read mephiakh (from puakh), and thus translated it as emphysion, Slavic “breathing (into your face)”, which Blessed Theodoret interprets as God’s giving new life to the Jews after the destruction of the Assyrians: “the author of this for you is God, who by his gesture, as by some breath, crushed them, and freed you from their dominion” (p. 11). But the reading of the Hebrew text, in which the address is to Nineveh rather than to Judea, is more natural and better fits the context of the discourse.

Nahum 2:2. For the Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob, as the splendor of Israel, because the ravagers have ravaged them and destroyed the branches of their vines. (Heb. 3). Now the chief cause of the fateful power of the enemies of Nineveh and the complete futility of her efforts at self-defense is indicated: her enemy will be Jehovah himself, who precisely through the destruction of Nineveh, which is hostile to the Kingdom of God, will restore that kingdom, and restore the outward beauty and inner sacred magnificence (Heb. gaon, Vulg. Superbiam) of Jacob-Israel, that is, of the chosen people of God in general; “it must be known,” notes Blessed Theodoret here (p. 12), “that to Jacob the name Jacob was given by his parents, and the name Israel by God, and the people descended from Jacob received both names. Therefore, says God: for the tribulations you suffered, O Jacob, from the Assyrians, I will punish them for the sake of the virtue of your forefather, by which I gave him also the designation of Israel.” Precisely through the destruction of Nineveh, the glory of the people of God, the magnificence of the Kingdom of God, must be restored, because Nineveh – in the persons of its kings – Tiglath-Pileser, Shalmaneser, Sennacherib and others – produced great ravagers of Israel – this true vineyard of God (Isa 5:1), planted by God’s hand, yet mercilessly destroyed by enemies (Ps 79:9-14). Now, at the moment of restoration of the splendor of Jacob and the glory of Israel, the time has come for vengeance upon their former enslavers – the Assyrians (cf. Isa 33:1).

Nahum 2:3. The shields of his mighty men are red; the soldiers are clothed in crimson; the chariots flash with fire on the day of preparation for battle, and the forest of spears quivers. Nahum 2:4. The chariots race through the streets, they rumble in the squares; their appearance is like fire; they flash like lightning. (Heb. 4–5). The prophet, as though already seeing the orderly, beautifully armed and ominously advancing ranks of Nineveh’s enemies, paints in fine poetic strokes the picture of the enemy army (Medes and Babylonians): the shields of the mighty men are red – Heb. meaddam – possibly made of red copper (J. Flav. Jew. Antiq. 13:12, 5; cf. 1 Sam 14:27) or dyed red – the color of blood; the garments of the heroes – crimson or purple, as was especially usual for warriors among the Chaldeans, Medes and Persians (the latter, according to Xenophon’s testimony, borrowed purple garments from the Medes; red was the favorite color of the Babylonians, cf. Ezek 23:14). Clad in red garments, brave soldiers “displayed daring in their eyes, and like torches and lightning struck fear” (Blessed Theodoret, p. 13), playing fearlessly, as it were, with fire (cf. LXX Slavic) and terrifying with dread chariots armed with serrated wheels (Heb. peladom) and other metal weapons; all seemed to burn with fire; – the soldiers, full of consciousness of their strength, raced into battle and impatiently shook a forest of spears. “In the words: the chariots flash with fire, through the flashing reins of the chariots, the speed of those preparing is indicated and there is portrayed, as it were, the brilliance of the equipment (episkeuēs) of those preparing for war” (Blessed Jerome, p. 278).

Nahum 2:4. The chariots race through the streets, they rumble in the squares; their appearance is like fire; they flash like lightning. (Heb. 5). Continuing to describe the enemy army, the prophet sees how already in the suburbs of Nineveh itself, through the outer streets leading to its fortified inner parts, numerous cavalry rush, and colliding with one another, produce an unimaginable roar; and in the speed of movement, the outward appearance reminds one of burning torches in the depths of night (cf. Judg 7:16) or even the flash of lightning. “So great is the number of those coming that the army is mixed on the way, and nothing can be distinguished. Also the very chariots, finding no passage, will, by their multitude, collide with one another in the squares. The appearance of the Babylonians is like lanterns, like flashing lightning, so that by their very appearance they will strike their opponents with fear before they strike them with the sword” (Blessed Jerome, p. 278–279). Such is the majestic image of refined, as lightning (Deut 32:41; cf. Zech 9:14), wrath of God! In v. 5–10 (Heb. 6–11) is described: 1) the capture of Nineveh (v. 5–7) and 2) its plundering (8–10).

Nahum 2:5. He summons his brave ones, but they stumble in their course; they hasten to the walls of the city, but the siege is already set. Nahum 2:6. The river gates open, and the palace falls. Nahum 2:7. It is decreed: she will be stripped and taken captive, and her maids will moan like doves, beating their breasts. (Heb. 6–8). At the very moment of impending fatal danger, the king of Assyria will remember his most glorious commanders (Heb. addirav), distinguished by wisdom and courage together, gather them all so that they, with the help of the best warriors, might repel the enemy ready to break into the center of the city from its walls. But all the heroes of Nineveh will prove insignificant: losing presence of mind, pushing each other and stumbling on the way, they will rush to the city walls besieged by the enemy, but it will already be too late: the terrible siege battering-rams (Heb. hasoheh, Vulg.: umbtaculum) with warriors hidden within them are already in full combat order ready to move on their wheels toward the walls of Nineveh. “Here is meant,” says Simashkevich (Archbishop Mitrofan, cited work, p. 196 note) “a certain kind of wooden machine known to the Assyrians and Babylonians, resembling a huge tower, mounted on 4 or 6 wheels, under which was a battering-ram (aries) or a machine for breaking walls (karim in Ezek 4:2 etc., krios 2 Macc 12:15)… Archers, stationed in the upper tier of the machine, with terrible speed, like hail, shoot arrows, both from the top of this tower and from its side openings; but they themselves and the ram are completely protected, which fully corresponds to the name of the machine ‘soheh’. Cf. P. Kleinert, p. 114.”

Nahum 2:6. The river gates open, and the palace falls. Verse 6 (Heb. 7), namely its first two words: “the gates of streams,” “river gates” (Heb. shaare-hanaharot) have always caused difficulty for interpreters, who offered several mutually contradictory interpretations of this verse. Given the evident difficulty, even the apparent impossibility of a literal understanding of the opening expression, many ancient and modern interpreters allowed a metaphorical interpretation: thus Blessed Jerome paraphrases the entire verse 6: “the gates of Nineveh are opened, which had a multitude of citizens like rivers, and her temple, that is, her kingdom, is destroyed, and the warrior is led into captivity, that is, all are led to Babylon” (p. 27:9; the words marked by us in italics in Blessed Jerome explain the biblical text expression “the gates of streams”). A similar transferred interpretation of the expression under consideration can be seen in the LXX, transmitting it by the words; pylai tōn poleōn, Slavic “gates of cities”. This understanding is also pursued in modern times (De Wette, Rosenmüller, Hitzig, Umbreit, etc.). However, here, as in the interpretation of any other biblical passage, one should adhere to the general hermeneutical principle – not to depart from the literal sense in the explanation of Sacred Scripture without extreme necessity; moreover, the second half of the verse (“the palace falls”) must undoubtedly be understood in a literal sense. Therefore, the literal interpretation should be recognized as predominant also for the first half of the verse. But here two main varieties are possible and exist. One of these interpretations has a more special character, the other a more general one. According to the first interpretation (Kleinert’s, Professor Golubev’s and others), the expression “gates of streams” means gates through which streams flow or which are blocked by channels, whose purpose was – to divert excess water from the city and prevent flooding; in such a sense the mentioned words interpret the flooding of Nineveh’s rivers Tigris and Khosar (Khosar), relying on the account of Ctesias-Diodorus (Diod. II, 25, 27, 28) that in the 3rd year of the siege of Nineveh by the Babylonians, the Tigris waters overflowing their banks destroyed a significant part of the city wall, which facilitated the taking of the city for the besiegers; additionally, they assume that the royal palace, of which destruction is spoken in the second half of the verse, lay near this wall destroyed by the flood. But, although the general thought of this interpretation is confirmed not only by the mentioned external historical evidence, but also by the general correspondence to the biblical worldview, which admits direct intervention of God in the life of the elements and their service to the punitive action of God’s judgment (cf. Judg 5:20-21), as well as individual touches of the picture outlined by the prophet himself (cf. Nah 1:8; Heb. 2:8,9), the assumptions allowed here are, of course, the weak side of this interpretation. Therefore, the more general interpretation of a likewise literal character deserves preference, according to which “the gates of streams” – are gates lying by streams or gates lying by streams, gates sufficiently strengthened not only by art, but also by nature. Not only the less fortified parts of the city, but even the most fortified gates – by the streams – and strongholds, such as the royal palace and temple (Heb. heykal has this dual meaning), built on artificial terraces (Philipson, Simashkevich, Martin, etc.) The LXX in verse 6 have an addition against the Hebrew χαι η αποστασις αποκαλυφθη, Slavic “and the dwelling was revealed”, which according to Blessed Theodoret, means: “what was previously kept in secrecy and was locked by many bolts, became open to all” (p. 13). In the accepted Greek text, these words are referred to the following 7th verse (in the Slavic text they are placed at the end of verse 6).

Nahum 2:7. It is decreed: she will be stripped and taken captive, and her maids will moan like doves, beating their breasts. The opening words of verse 7, and especially the first word: hu’zzav, are even more difficult for interpretation, since some modern biblical scholars (Ruben, Cheyne), ready to derive it from the Assyrian root eteIIu (fem. p. eteIIitu, great, exalted), are prepared to consider it untranslatable in its own right on Hebrew soil. All existing attempts at interpreting this word can be reduced to three following ones. According to one opinion (Keil’s, Lange-Kleinert’s, Strauss’ and others), adopted also in the Russian Synodal translation, this word can be rendered impersonally: “it is decreed,” “it is ordained,” “it is determined,” whereby the judgment of enemies over Nineveh is meant, which at the same time is also God’s determination concerning it (cf. Nah 1:14). But in favor of such an understanding, no testimony from any of the ancient translations can be cited; moreover, such an understanding narrows the content of the judgment over Nineveh, uttered by Jehovah (Nah 1:14). The ancient translations, on the other hand, more support the recognition of “hu’zzav” as a noun (LXX: hypostasis, Vulg; miles). Here there are two opinions. The Rabbis, Nicholas of Lyra, Luther, and in modern times Robinson, Ewald, Rückert, Zunz, Marti and others, considered this word the proper name of the Assyrian queen – according to conjecture, captured by the Babylonians at the taking of Nineveh. In this sense, the Targum of Jonathan renders the first half of verse 7:: “it regina currui insidens cum deportandis exit.” Other interpreters (Sheegg, Reinke, Philipson, Professor Golubev, Simashkevich, and others), finding no support in the text for this opinion, and finding no historical confirmation of it, see hu’zzav as a symbolic name for Nineveh (as Sesach for Babylon, Jer 25:26; Jer 51:41, or Ariel for Jerusalem, Isa 29:1-2), and this opinion is justified both by biblical analogies (just mentioned and others) and by the most probable and accepted derivation and meaning of the word hu’zzav – (Hophal from the verb natzav) “firmly, steadily established,” hence – considering herself beyond dangers. A name with such a meaning is quite fitting for Nineveh, a city of excessive self-confidence (Zeph 2:15). This city, proud of her strength, beauty and safety, will be disgraced by enemies, who will treat this queen of the country and all the East as a slave and harlot: they will strip her, rob her and lead her into captivity (cf. Nah 3:4-6). If, thus, the thought of Nineveh is inseparable in the prophet’s mind from the image of a captive queen, then this latter image is even more directly presupposed in the second half of verse 6: “and her maids will moan like doves, beating their breasts.” If under the image of an outraged queen is symbolically represented the capital of the state – Nineveh, then under the maids, sharing the grief of their mistress, moaning like doves and giving themselves only to secret sorrow from fear of the enemy, are meant not only the inhabitants, the population of Nineveh, but also the cities subject to it and the Assyrian kingdom: “the cities and villages subject to Nineveh will share her captivity with her, sighing in heart, and imitating the voice of doves” (Blessed Theodoret, p. 13). “Under the maids of Nineveh one must metaphorically understand the lesser cities, villages and hamlets. Or, perhaps, the captured women were threatened before the eyes of the conquerors, and such will be the terror that sorrow will not even be expressed in sobs and cries, but silently and to themselves they will moan and with a muffled whisper swallow tears like cooing doves” (Blessed Jerome, p. 279). A similar image is found in Isa 38:14; Isa 59:11; Ezek 8:16); beating in the breast cf. Luke 18:18; Luke 23:27.

Nahum 2:8. Nineveh has been like a reservoir full of water from ancient times, yet they are fleeing. “Stand, stand!” But none turn back. Nahum 2:9. Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold! There is no end to the treasures, to all manner of precious articles. Nahum 2:10. She is stripped and emptied and devastated – the heart melts, the knees shake; there is anguish in all loins, and all faces grow pale. (Heb. 9–11). Now the prophet moves on to depicting the calamitous state into which Nineveh will fall once the besieging enemies break into it – a state sharply opposite to her former prosperity, power and greatness as the capital of Assyria. The prophet first expresses her former greatness and power by comparing her to a “reservoir full of water” (Heb. kirehhat-mayim), denoting Nineveh’s complete flourishing in all respects: the multitude of her inhabitants (peoples and tribes in the Bible are often compared to waters, for example, Rev 18:15), as well as the abundance of all earthly blessings, both material and spiritual (such is the meaning in the Bible of the expressions “living water,” “water of life,” Jer 2:13 ff. John 4:10-15; cf. also biblical symbolic depictions of earthly well-being and future blessedness, for example, Ps 1:3; Ps 13:13; Jer 47:1-13). Such Nineveh had been “from the time of her existence” (Heb. mimegi; Targum Jonathan meyomkeydem “from days of old”). The latter expression is otherwise read and transmitted in the LXX and Vulgate, which apparently read not mime, from days, but meymeyya, her waters (LXX: hydata autes, Vulg. aquae ejus, Slavic “her waters”). The general sense of the passage, however, is the same: Nineveh’s well-being was complete. But now it has come to an end: the city is being abandoned, its inhabitants foresee its destruction, and multitudes flee, and no encouraging cries of Nineveh’s defenders and leaders will have effect; panic terror has seized the inhabitants, not one of them only does not think of stopping and defending the city, but does not even dare simply to look back (cf. Jer 46:5). “With such a multitude of people inhabiting this city, who was like a basin full of water pouring out its excess, everyone had one purpose – to flee without even stopping to look back” (Blessed Theodoret, p. 13–14).

Nahum 2:9. Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold! There is no end to the treasures, to all manner of precious articles. (Heb. 10). Left by inhabitants seized with panic terror, the city is delivered over to plundering by the enemies. Since they have fled, the Babylonians are told: “plunder the silver, and through sudden emptying plunder the riches accumulated over a long time” (Blessed Jerome, p. 81), the call to plunder the city coming, as it were, from Jehovah, that is, the entire fall of Nineveh is to take place not by chance, but by the decree of God’s judgment (cf. Jer 50:26-27; Ezek 7:19: Hab 2:5-13). “What was gathered wrongly,” remarks Blessed Theodoret on verse 9 (p. 14), “will be handed to others. For a multitude of enemies will fall upon their treasures. The prophet speaks of the future as of something accomplished, in that manner of expression which is especially characteristic of Scripture” (The LXX read and placed at the beginning of verse 9 not an imperative, but an aorist: diēphaston, Slavic: “they plundered”).

Nahum 2:10. She is stripped and emptied and devastated – the heart melts, the knees shake; there is anguish in all loins, and all faces grow pale. (Heb. 11). The terrible picture of Nineveh’s complete desolation the prophet depicts with extraordinary force of expressiveness – through the combination of three rhyming and synonymous words, yet containing progressive intensification both in thought and in sound form, Hebrew words: bukah, mebukah, mebukkah. But this is only one, external or objective side of Nineveh’s destruction. No less expressively does the prophet depict the internal, subjective side of the event – the panic terror of the inhabitants, in which, as it were, their very hearts melt, their knees weaken, and they are ready to fall, their anguish and trembling like the anguish of a woman in labor, their faces distorted with terror darkening like furnaces. Such pictures of desolation and terror can be found, for example, in the prophet Isaiah (Isa 24:1-3; Isa 13:7-8). “What usually happens in earthquakes, when the earth’s fabric trembles and shakes, that same, the prophet says, will be in the fall of the enemies, because when hearts are struck with fear and the joints of the knees grow weak, all will suffer, like a woman in labor, and faces from the thickening of blood will take on a leaden color and will resemble that side of the furnace which is always turned to the fire” (Blessed Theodoret, p. 14). “Devastated, destroyed and torn Nineveh is described under the image (sub metaphora) of a captive woman; her heart is broken, her knees are weakened, her loins are crushed, and the faces of all her inhabitants, worn down and disfigured by fear and great terror of the enemies, pale, seem like burned pots” (Blessed Jerome, p. 284).

Nahum 2:11. Where now is the lions’ den and the pasture for the young lions, where the lion and lioness walked and the lion’s cub, and none terrified them – Nahum 2:12. The lion, tearing apart to feed his cubs, and strangling for his lionesses, and filling his dens with prey and his lairs with kill? Nahum 2:13. Behold, I am against you! declares the Lord of hosts. And I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions, and I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard. (Heb. 12–14). From the terrible spectacle of the destruction and desolation of Nineveh, the prophet’s thought turns to the vanished greatness of ancient Nineveh, and with a sense of wonder and joy, he speaks of the coming disappearance of this center of all possible treasures, gained by violence and wrongs, this true lions’ den (v. 11–12; cf. Zeph 3:3). In the concluding verse (13, Heb. 14), the prophet makes known to the readers that what is being declared is still a prophecy, not an event, but an unalterable prophecy that will certainly come to pass: the historical role of Assyria, as a world power, by the irrevocable judgment of God, will unconditionally end; its complete destruction is inevitable. Thus, in this stanza, as then and in the following (III) chapter, not so much new touches of the factual side of the impending catastrophe for Nineveh are communicated, but rather an indication of the internal and external motives for this catastrophe.

Nahum 2:11. Where now is the lions’ den and the pasture for the young lions, where the lion and lioness walked and the lion’s cub, and none terrified them – Nahum 2:12. The lion, tearing apart to feed his cubs, and strangling for his lionesses, and filling his dens with prey and his lairs with kill? In the form of a rhetorical question, not requiring an answer but directly presupposing the complete absence of the object (cf. Isa 19:12; Isa 33:18, Isa 34:19; Isa 42:13; 1 Cor 1:20; Jer 13:20; Mal 1:6; Mal 2:17 and others), the prophet makes a majestic and deeply expressive comparison of cruel Nineveh and her inhabitants with a lions’ den, which among all peoples is considered, by its ferocity and superiority of strength, the king of all beasts (cf. Isa 15:9; Jer 4:7; Amos 3:8). “The lions’ den” the prophet calls Nineveh, lions – the kings, lion cubs – their sons, and pasture – the subject cities… It is the custom of these beasts to strangle the animals they catch and bring them as food to their young. And the Assyrians, crushing whole kingdoms of other peoples, gathered tributes from them (Blessed Theodoret, p. 14, 15). The profound truth of the comparison of the Assyrians with lions and Nineveh with their lair is completely justified historically by the characteristic features of this people known from history and its relations to the contemporary world, appearing in such a light both in other sacred writers (Isa 5:29; Jer 50:17; Joel 1:1 and others) and on Assyria’s own ancient monuments: the Assyrians loved to adorn entrances and doors, walls, vessels, weapons with lion images, seeing in this, of course, the symbol of their strength and power, so that the figure of the lion became, as it were, the state and national Assyrian emblem; the Assyrians’ own accounts of their military exploits, read on obelisks and other cuneiform monuments, fully harmonize with biblical depictions of the ferocity and cruelty of the Assyrians as conquerors.

Nahum 2:13. Behold, I am against you! declares the Lord of hosts. And I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions, and I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard. (Heb. 14) The difficulty that inevitably arises in the reader when contemplating the contrast between Nineveh’s invincible power and cunning and her complete disappearance from the earth (v. 11–12), the prophet resolves by pointing to the judgment of the almighty God (cf. 3:5a). In this, “since the prophet above in a transferred sense mentioned lions and lion cubs, about hunting and pasture; accordingly, he also announces the destruction of the Assyrians allegorically. And since hunters, when beasts take shelter in some caves and do not wish to come out, bringing smoke to the cave entrances, compel them to come out, and the coming-out beast they receive on spears; the God correspondingly said that he will give all the multitude to smoke, and the lions to the sword: this signifies the burning of the city and the killing of kings, after which the hunt is ended” (Blessed Theodoret, p. 15). The imaginal speech of the prophet in the closing phrase of the verse transitions to a direct proclamation of the irrevocable destruction of Assyrian dominion: “and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard,” which Blessed Jerome paraphrases thus: You will no longer lay waste the lands and demand tribute, and the ambassadors will not be heard in the countries (p. 289), that is, the messengers of the Assyrian king, who spread his commands to the subject peoples and demanded their unconditional submission to the will and orders of their master; such was the famous Rabshakeh (2 Sam 18:17-37; Isa 36:13-20). Such is the judgment upon Nineveh by the almighty God – the Lord of hosts, Heb. Jehovah-Tsebaoth. The threefold meaning of this divine name is well known: in relation to the hosts of Israel (Exod 6:26; Exod 7:4), in application to the heavenly luminaries (Isa 40:26; Zeph 1:5 and others) and especially – to the army of Angels (1 Sam 22:19; Isa 24:21, cf. in the work of Prof. Sacred A. A. Glagolev, The Old Testament Biblical Teaching on Angels. Kyiv, 1900, p. 238–256). In view of the cult of the heavenly bodies that existed among the Assyrians, the designation of the God of Israel as Jehovah Tsebaoth must of itself have indicated to the Assyrians that nothing could save them from the hand of this God, Who is the sole Master of their own gods (see Deut 10:17).

Chapter Three

1–7. Reflecting on the causes of the fearful judgment of God upon Nineveh, depicted in the first two chapters, the prophet here indicates these causes: a) in the fact that this criminal city mercilessly shed the blood of other peoples (v. 1–3) and b) in the fact that it served the peoples conquered by it as a corrupting and seductive example with regard to idolatry and vices of all kinds (v. 4–7). 8–13. Then the prophet proves the inevitability of the determination of God’s will concerning Nineveh’s destruction and the very possibility of this destruction: a) by pointing to the destruction of another strong city – Thebes (v. 8–10) and b) by the evident weakness of Nineveh, the insignificance of her fortifications and forces in the face of the enemy, who is the instrument of God the Avenger (v. 11–13). 14–19. Finally, once more the inevitability of Nineveh’s destruction is affirmed due to the complete inadequacy of the means of defense at her disposal; at the same time, the destruction of the world’s capital and world power will be met with universal joy by the peoples and nations subject to Assyria.

Nahum 3:1. Woe to the city of blood! all of it is full of lies and rapine; plunder does not cease in it. Nahum 3:2. The sound of the whip, the sound of the rumbling wheel, the noise of the galloping horse and the jolting chariot. Nahum 3:3. Horseman mounting, flash of sword and gleam of spear; abundance of slain, heaps of corpses and dead bodies without end; they stumble over the bodies. Before the God-enlightened vision of the prophet rises a whole sea of blood shed by Nineveh, which gave her the name “city of blood” (v. 1, cf. Ezek 22:2-4), as well as deception, violence, plundering. As a preacher of repentance, the prophet would wish to move Nineveh toward the path of moral self-reform, but at the same time as a God-enlightened seer of the future, he sees the complete impossibility of reform for Nineveh, which has reached the last degree of fall, and this dual feeling toward her is expressed often used by the prophets (Isa 10:1; Isa 18:1; Jer 48:1; Amos 6:1; Mic 2:1) sad exclamation “woe!” (Heb. hoy), as the prophet Zephaniah later spoke of Nineveh with the same exclamation “woe!” (Zeph 3:1), almost already a contemporary of the fulfillment of Nahum’s terrible prophecy about this capital of Assyria.

Nahum 3:2. The sound of the whip, the sound of the rumbling wheel, the noise of the galloping horse and the jolting chariot. Nahum 3:3. Horseman mounting, flash of sword and gleam of spear; abundance of slain, heaps of corpses and dead bodies without end; they stumble over the bodies. But the prophet’s reflection on the causes of Nineveh’s destruction is interrupted, as it were, by the now-heard and visible approach of the enemy army to it, and he gives an incomparable in beauty, vividness and force of depiction (if, of course, one reads the prophet’s speech in the Hebrew original 3) of the rapid movement of these executors of God’s judgment upon lawless Nineveh: there sounds the whistle of the horse whip, like an earthquake, the sound of the charioteer’s wheels, the trampling and neighing of horses, the rapid, rushing movement of chariots (v. 2), and then appears the enemy himself: in orderly and innumerable ranks rides the cavalry, flashing swords like flame and spears like lightning (3a), and at last there emerges a new terrible picture, as a consequence of the preceding: the prophet sees the dreadful place of bloodshed and on it – first a multitude of fallen, mortally wounded and lying in death agony, and then – whole heaps of corpses, countless multitude of bodies over which one cannot help but stumble (3b). Thus will be fulfilled over the “city of blood” the immutable law of God’s retribution for every murder (Gen 9:6), all the more for such a sea of shed blood.

Nahum 3:4. This is for the many harlotries of the harlot, charming and of witchcraft, who sells peoples through her harlotries and families through her witchcraft. Nahum 3:5. Behold, I am against you! declares the Lord of hosts. And I will lift up your skirts over your face, and I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame. Nahum 3:6. And I will throw abominable filth upon you and make you vile and set you as a gazing stock. Nahum 3:7. And it shall be that all who see you will flee from you and say: “Nineveh is laid waste! Who will mourn for her? Where shall I find comforters for you?” From the depiction of Nineveh’s guilt in various kinds of murders and bloodshed and her punishment for these crimes, the prophet moves on to the depiction of another kind of Nineveh’s crime – “harlotries,” Heb. zenunim, LXX porneia, Vulg. fornicationes. This expression, as well as the entire image under which in v. 4 Nineveh is represented, can be understood in two ways: in a narrower, special sense – in accordance with the prophetic view of the relationship of Jehovah to His people – Israel, as a marital union (Ezek 16:8; Hos 1-3 ch), and on the departure of the Israelites from the true God and turning to idolatry (Ezek 16:30-31; Hos 1:1 – Hos 3:1) – in the sense of idolatry – and in a broader sense. In the first sense understands the expression under consideration Blessed Theodoret, when he names as the cause of Nineveh’s destruction “idol deception and great impurity” of her (p. 16); likewise, according to Blessed Jerome, “Nineveh will be punished for the reason that she committed harlotry with many peoples and worshipped the idols of the entire world which she had subjected to herself” (p. 291), but such a special understanding of the term under consideration in relation to Nineveh, strictly speaking, cannot be applied, since there were no covenantal relations between Jehovah and pagan peoples (like the covenant with Israel); moreover, the text under consideration (v. 4–7) does not speak of Nineveh’s idolatry proper. Evidently, the expression under consideration must have a broader meaning, in which, however, the element of idolatry may not be absent, as in the Apocalypse (Rev 17:1 ff.) Babylon is named “the great harlot,” as the type of paganism. Thus, the name of harlotry in the passage under consideration may mean generally “the godless life of the Assyrians, who did not have God in their hearts and, carried away by their own passions, in essence loved only themselves and in their relations to others were guided by their self-love, which always covers itself with the mask of love and under its cover seeks the satisfaction of its own lust: so a harlot scatters her caresses on others only in pretense and under these caresses hides only the care for her own advantage. Such was Nineveh, which by all tricks and deceitful treaties attracted peoples to herself and subjected them to her power” (Simashkevich, p. 250–251). From this side, the seductive tactics of Nineveh were all too well known to Israel, which had repeatedly experienced through bitter experience all the deceptiveness of her scattered kindnesses and the given favorable promises (such was the activity of Tiglath-Pileser (2 Chr 28:20-21; 2 Sam 16:7-8; Isa 7:18-20; Shalmaneser – 2 Sam 18:13-17; and Sennacherib Isa 36:1; 2 Sam 18:1). The means for her purpose, for the harlot Nineveh, were: brilliant appearance and the appearance of invincible power and, besides, specific means of a magical nature. And the consequence of all this was the universal enslavement of all the surrounding tribes and peoples by her (v. 4). In this general interpretation of Nineveh’s sin, a more special interpretation given by Blessed Theodoret may be allowed: “Living in impiety and lawlessness, you seemed (Nineveh) glorious and famous to those who have no right to judge the essence of things, and abandoning the Creator and Savior, Who deemed you worthy of great mercy when you repented, you gave yourself over to sorcery and did everything by witchcraft… Not satisfied with your own impiety, you compelled your subjects to hold the same opinions as you” (p. 16). Such is the crime of Nineveh, and further, v. 5–7, indicates God’s punishment to her, which in its kind corresponds to the character of the crime, as the first crime of Nineveh – bloodshed – is to call forth corresponding retribution (v. 1–3). The stripping and extreme shaming of the harlot Nineveh is expressed by the prophet in harsh terms, but not unusual and found also in other prophets (Isa 47:2; Jer 13:22; Ezek 16:36-40; Hos 2:3) and, in general, characteristic of the East. “Since you, Nineveh, sold peoples through your harlotries and families through your witchcraft, and like a public woman of depravity, spread your legs to everyone, I myself will come to destroy you, – I will not send an Angel nor entrust the judgment to others. I will uncover your shameful parts before your face, so that before your eyes will be what you had not seen before. I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your dishonor, so that those very ones with whom you committed harlotry will despise you, mock you and shame you, and you will serve as an example to those who see you. All of this is laid out under the image (sub metaphora) of an adulterous woman who, having been caught, is led before the people and shamed before the eyes of all” (Blessed Jerome, p. 295). According to Blessed Theodoret, everything said in v. 5–6, “is said in a figurative sense and taken from slaves subjected to great mockery and dishonor” (p. 16). Verse 7 indicates the consequence of Nineveh’s mockery and the attitude of other nations toward it. “Whoever sees that Nineveh is laid waste and that she has become an example to all will be frightened, amazed and say: who will be grieved for you, who can be your comforter? While you were powerful, you, as a cruel mistress, did not spare the elderly, did not pay attention to the child, and did not prepare anyone as a friend for the time of your grief, because you did not want to have anyone as a participant in your reign” (Blessed Jerome, p. 297).

Nahum 3:8. Are you better than Thebes, which is by the rivers, surrounded by water, whose wall was the sea, and sea was her rampart? Nahum 3:9. Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; the Libyans were her helpers. Nahum 3:10. Yet she was carried away, she went into captivity; even her young children were dashed in pieces at the head of all the streets; and they cast lots for her honorable ones, and all her great ones were bound in chains. To eliminate any doubt regarding the possibility of the destruction of Nineveh depicted by the prophet (v. 1–3) and her extreme humiliation (v. 4–7), which was especially necessary in view of Nineveh’s deep self-confidence, considering herself impregnable, invincible (Nah 2:11; cf. Zeph 2:15), the prophet points to the destruction under the blows of Assyrian weapons of an even more powerful than Nineveh city of Upper Egypt – No, otherwise Diospolis (Onomast. 390), according to the accepted opinion in science, the Hundred-Gated Thebes (Jer 46:25; Ezek 30:14-15) with the famous oracle of the god Amun. The characteristics indicated in v. 8 ff. precisely fit this famous ancient city. The city of Thebes in Upper Egypt was a capital, as Memphis in Lower Egypt. Even in Homer’s time it was renowned for the greatest power and countless treasures (Iliad IX. 381–383), which gave it the name of the first of the cities of the world (Diod. Sicul. II, c. 2, § 4). It is precisely, – as indicated in v. 8, – located on both sides of the Nile, among the waterways and canals of this sacred river for the Egyptians, so that, like an impregnable fortress, it was surrounded by waters as if by walls. On the contrary, one cannot see in No-Amun either Alexandria 5 (an opinion based on the Chaldean translation and the testimony of Blessed Jerome, see p. 299–300), nor the so-called small Diospolis in Lower Egypt: the characteristics indicated in v. 8 fit each of these cities poorly, and moreover, a comparison of world-famous Nineveh with such an insignificant city as small Diospolis would be strange and unconvincing. For the great Diospolis or Thebes, the very name of the city of Amun is characteristic – from the temple of this god, built by Ramses I, pharaoh of the XVIII dynasty. In v. 9, the prophet, continuing his discourse, expresses the thought that the city of No-Amun was strong not only through the inaccessibility of its natural position and not only through its own power, but also through its numerous and equally powerful allies and defenders, named here in the direction from south to north with a subsequent turn to the west, namely the inhabitants of the land of Kush or Hush – Ethiopia (Gen 2:13; 2 Sam 19:9, see note to the last place – Exposing. Bible II, p. 549) and Mitzrayim – Egypt (in the very name of the latter – in the dual form – there is an indication of the two component parts of the country: Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt). Along with the Egyptians and Ethiopians, as the chief allies and defenders of No-Amun, are named still Put-Copts or Mauritanians (Jos. Flav. Jew. Antiq. 1:6, 2) and Luvim – Libyans (usually mentioned together in the Bible with Mitzrayim and Khush. 2 Chr 12:3; 2 Chr 16:8; Dan 11:43). In sharp contrast with the depicted power of No-Amun is the calamitous fate of it and its inhabitants after the taking and devastation of the city, the captivity and extreme humiliation of its inhabitants – v. 10. The prophet apparently speaks of the recent and still fresh in the memory of the Assyrians and Jews the taking of No-Amun or Thebes, accomplished namely by the Assyrian king Esarhaddon, son of Sennacherib (the captor of Manasseh 2 Chr 32:11), named on Assyrian monuments not simply as a king, but also as the conqueror of Mitzrayim and Khush (see in Simashkevich, p. 27:6–284). On the contrary, it is completely unacceptable the opinion of Blessed Theodoret, Blessed Jerome and some modern interpreters, who see in v. 10 an indication (or rather a prophecy) of the final destruction of Thebes by Cambyses in 525 BC. The prophet intensifies the striking force of the event even more with three pictures of the barbarism of the conquerors of the city of No-Amun, and since the conquerors of this city, having dealt so cruelly with its inhabitants, were the Assyrians, these new touches of a whole terrible picture could, by the intention of the prophet, intensify the coming retribution for Nineveh and all Assyria, once again indicating the complete justice and deservedness of the awaiting punishment (the commonness of such pictures during wars and conquests in the East is proved by comparing for example 2 Sam 8:12; Hos 10:14; Isa 13:16; Ps 13:9; Judg 5:30; Deut 20:1; Judg 16:21 and others);

Nahum 3:11. You also will be drunk and hidden; you also will seek a refuge from the enemy. Nahum 3:12. All your fortifications are like fig trees with early figs: if shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater. Nahum 3:13. Behold, your troops are women in your midst; the gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies; fire devours your bars. A completely similar fate unavoidably awaits Nineveh. She is destined to drink and drain the cup of God’s wrath (cf. Ps 74:9; Jer 25:15-17; Jer 51:7; Hab 2:16 and others). “As if into drunkenness some disaster will overtake you and rushing here and there, you will seek some deliverance from the evils oppressing you, but will not find it… Like fig trees shaken by the wind, from which it is easy for unripe figs to fall, you will be deprived of inhabitants: your brave warriors, seized with fear, will be no different from women; but without effort the gates will open to you when fire consumes the posts, and like a flood, the hostile ones will break through them” (Blessed Theodoret, p. 18). In v. 11 the noteworthy expression “you will be hidden” tehi nahlama: the wonderful accuracy of the fulfillment of this prophecy can be seen in the fact that the ruins of once-famous, world-renowned Nineveh soon after the fateful event of 606 years indeed fell into oblivion and long remained completely unknown to the world, and at the present time, with the establishment of the location of ancient Nineveh, its ruins still present a sad picture of hopelessly and irretrievably lost, completely destroyed and despised greatness. In v. 12–13 is shown the ease and unobstructed nature of the conquest and fall of Nineveh, the inevitability and certainty of which was shown in v. 8–11. The comparison used in v. 12 of Nineveh’s fortifications to early-ripening figs biккurim bears a Palestinian color: this type of figs ripened not only in June, but even earlier (Mark 11:13), whereas the normal season for gathering figs is only the end of August; they are held on the tree very loosely and easily fall (Isa 28:4; Hos 9:10; Mic 7:1; Jer 24:4). So all Assyria’s strongholds will fall into the hands of the enemies without effort on their part. The first half of verse 13 explains the cause of the ease of Nineveh’s conquest – a decisive collapse of courage in the army: Assyrian warriors through despondency and cowardice will be like women (cf. Isa 19:16; Jer 50:37; Jer 51:30). In the 2nd half of the verse not only is there once more an indication of the ease of conquest of Assyria’s chief strongholds, but there is also shown the very manner of their destruction, namely the unusual speed of the fateful catastrophe: “the gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies, fire devours your bars.” In the latter words some see an indication of the Assyrian custom – when besieging cities and fortresses to use lit torches with the purpose of setting fire to the door posts and thus opening access to the besieged city; they will do likewise to them.

Nahum 3:14. Draw your water for the siege; strengthen your fortresses; go into the mud and trample the clay; rebuild your brick furnace. Nahum 3:15. There fire will consume you, the sword will cut you down, it will devour you like the locust. Multiply yourselves like the locust, multiply like the grasshopper! Nahum 3:16. You have increased your merchants more than the stars of heaven; the locust sheds its skin and flees. Nahum 3:17. Your guards are like grasshoppers and your generals like swarms of locusts, which nestle in the walls on a cold day; when the sun rises, they scatter, and no one knows where they are. Just as in chapter II verse 1, Heb. 2, so also here, v. 14, the prophet with bitter irony advises Nineveh to exert all her strength, employ all means of defending the city against the besieging enemies, but all these efforts and measures will be completely fruitless, v. 15–17. Blessed Theodoret expresses the general thought of this section thus: “Do not rely on these strongholds, for they will render you no aid, but like mud, which for making bricks from it is trampled together with chaff, you will be trampled by those who have fallen upon you: the city will be burned, and you inhabitants will be struck by all kinds of arrows, as locusts and gnats will be destroyed to the end – all of you; the riches that you gathered from everywhere and which are also no less difficult to count than the stars of the sky, the hostile ones will take” (p. 18–19). In v. 17, two words stand in the Hebrew original: minnetzarim and tiphsarim, whose phylological structure, etymological formation and precise meaning are difficult to determine. Jewish interpreters (for example, Abarbanel) derived minnetzarim from Heb. nezer diadem, transmitted the meaning of this term thus: principes, quorum capitibus diadema et corona inest. In modern times, Gesenius, König and others have associated this word with the word nazir, prince, consecrated, Nazirite. But according to the more accepted opinion in science (Jeremiah, Jensen, Zimmer), both minnetzarim and tiphsarim – both of Assyrian root and are names of important military positions or ranks in the Assyrian army; the prototype of the first is considered to be Assyr. massaru (tanzaru) “guards,” and the second – Assyr. dupsarru (tupsams) “scribes.” In any case, the comparison of Assyrian military commanders to locusts and gnats (v. 17) indicates simultaneously – the extraordinary multitude of them, and the particular speed with which they will disappear, rendering Nineveh no protection.

Nahum 3:18. Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria; your nobles rest; your people are scattered on the mountains, and there is no one to gather them. Nahum 3:19. There is no healing for your wound; your injury is severe. All who hear the news of you will clap their hands over you, for upon whom has not your cruelty continually passed? In concluding his prophetic “burden” upon Nineveh, the prophet once more returns to the thought of the inevitable, by God’s judgment, fatal end of Nineveh. Addressing in the person of the Assyrian king the whole proud Asshur, the prophet proclaims to him the coming deathly peace on his territory, namely: the bewitching eternal sleep of death awaits all the representatives, leaders and commanders of the Assyrian people, who will fall by the enemy’s sword in the very first engagement with the foe; the soldiers, left without leaders, will flee, and along with the army will flee and scatter over the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd, all the inhabitants of Assyria (cf. 1 Sam 22:17; Zech 13:7; Ezek 34:6). With this, the political existence of the powerful world Assyrian power will be completely terminated. And this fall of Nineveh together with the destruction of the entire state, despite all its tragedy, will provoke in the surrounding peoples not sorrow, compassion and regret, but amazed joy and a sense of deep satisfaction at the death of the cruel mistress of the world – Nineveh, who brought them nothing but great evil and harm. “Recalling the misfortunes you have caused them, they will rejoice that you also suffer the same, and will clap their hands” (Blessed Theodoret, p. 20). The fearful prophecy of Nahum concerning the fate of Nineveh was fulfilled with complete accuracy in the destruction of Nineveh and with it the whole of Assyria by the united forces of the Medes and Babylonians. A brief, but accurate account of this important world event is read in the book of Tobit (Tob 14:15); this testimony is confirmed by comparison with similar testimonies of classical writers – Herodotus, Abydenus, Alexander Polyhistor, Ctesias, and especially by the data of the inscription of Nabonidus discovered in 1894, where the chronological date of the destruction of Nineveh and the fall of Assyria is indicated – 607 or 606 BC – a date which can now be recognized as generally accepted in science (Cf. in Simashkevich, p. 324–341; in Prof. N. M. Drozdov, On the Origin of the Book of Tobit Kiev. 1901, p. 515–527; cf. Exposing. Bible, v. III, p. 691–692). * * * Blessed Jerome remarks to v. 2–3: “In the Hebrew text the depiction of the army preparing for war is so beautiful and so like a picture that my speech is much weaker” (p. 290) Blessed Theodoret clearly has in mind Nineveh’s repentance following the preaching of the prophet Jonah Vulg.: numquid es melior Alexandria populorum. The reading of the first half of v. 8 in the LXX and Slavic is obscure and unclear. Slavic: “will prepare a portion, will arrange a string, prepare a portion to Amun”

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Introduction

The eighth place among the books of the twelve minor prophets is occupied in both the Hebrew and Greek Bible by the book of the prophet Habakkuk, in Hebrew: Habakuk, LXX: Ambakum (or: Abbakum, as in codices 51, 97, 106, 228, 310 in Holmes and others), Vulg.: Habacuc. The Hebrew name of the prophet, according to the rabbis, blessed Jerome, and many modern commentators, is pronounced from the Hebrew root habak, to embrace. According to the explanation of blessed Jerome, the prophet’s name is understood in the sense of embrace, or, as we shall use it more expressively in Greek: perilepsis—that is, encompassing. The prophet is called embrace either because he is beloved of the Lord, or because he enters into dispute, into struggle, and as it were into hand-to-hand combat with God, so that his name comes from a contender—that is, one who embraces (an opponent) with his hands (Blessed Jerome. Two books of commentaries on the prophet Habakkuk to Chromatius. Russian trans. Works, vol. 14. Kiev 1898, pp. 130–131), on the basis of the prophet’s bold appeal to God to resolve the question of justice (Hab 1:2-4). This etymology with regard to the name of the prophet Habakkuk is fairly widespread in modern times as well, but alongside it there now exists another, by which the prophet’s name is derived from the Assyrian root hambakuku, meaning a certain garden plant (just as, for example, the feminine name Susanna (Dan 13:2; Luke 8:3) is also taken from the world of plants—meaning lily): in favor of this derivation the form of the prophet’s name in the LXX can speak. However, the traditional etymology has its advantages, inasmuch as it is not only fully justified by the laws of word-formation in the Hebrew language (an analogy in this case is represented by, for example, the word theballul, a cataract, in Lev 21:20), but also corresponds to the general content and fundamental idea of the book of the prophet Habakkuk. Professor M. A. Golubev (“The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk” in Christian Readings 1867, II, 681 ff.) correctly notes: In the significant name of one contending with God, who sends ruthless and terrible men against his people (just as Jacob struggled with God, saying with firm faith: ‘I will not let you go until you bless me’ (Gen 32:26), or as if embraced by God and embracing God’s people—comforting them, after terrible revelations, with hope of a better future, just as a mother embraces or comforts a weeping child (cf. 1 Thess 2:7; Gal 4:19-20), in the name of Habakkuk there is already foreshadowed a special character of the burden to be announced to the Judeans and to their enemies: for the first—a burden of correction or instruction (cf. Hab 1:12), for the latter—a burden of destruction by fire (cf. Hab 2:13) or irrevocable ruin (pp. 705–706).

Reliable information about the life and activity of the prophet Habakkuk has not been preserved, since neither the prophetic book belonging to him nor the historical sacred books communicate anything on this subject. Only in the non-canonical part of the book of the prophet Daniel (Dan 14:33-37) is contained a legendary account of a certain prophet Habakkuk—a contemporary of the prophet Daniel, to whom the former, by God’s command, brought food from Palestine to Babylon, to the lion’s den. The information communicated about the prophet Habakkuk is partly dependent on this apocryphal account, partly based on arbitrary conjectures, and in general is improbable. Such, for example, is the opinion of the rabbis, who saw in Habakkuk the son of a devout Shunnamite woman, who heard from the prophet Elisha the promise that after a year she would be embracing—(Hebrew: Hobeket)—a son (2 Sam 4:16); against this opinion speaks its chronological incongruity: the time of the prophet Elisha’s life—the end of the 10th and beginning of the 9th century B.C.—does not fit the time of the prophet Habakkuk—the author of the book, since, from the data contained in it, it was written considerably later, namely in the 7th century B.C.; moreover, the supposed connection of this prediction with the name Habakkuk is entirely arbitrary. Concerning the origin of the prophet, there are two different traditions. According to one—in pseudo-Epiphanius and pseudo-Dorotheus and in our Menologies (under December 2), the prophet Habakkuk came from the tribe of Simeon and was the son of a certain Asaphat, from the village Bethchozer. According to another, found in one codex (Cod. Chisianus) of the superscription of the Greek apocrypha on Bel and the Dragon and defended by some modern researchers (especially Delitzsch), the prophet was from the tribe of Levi, like Jeremiah and Ezekiel. The basis for this latter opinion is the mention in Hab 3:1 of “his own stringed instruments” (neginot) musical in the temple, but conclusive proof of the Levitical origin of the prophet cannot be seen here, since King Hezekiah—not a Levite—in gratitude for his healing expresses the intention throughout all the days of his life to praise Iahweh with the sounds of stringed musical instruments neginot (Isa 38:20). On the contrary, the failure to mention in the prophet’s own book his Levitical origin—whereas the belonging of the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel to the priestly line is directly stated in their books (Jer 1:1; Ezek 1:3)—may raise serious doubt about the historical truth of the opinion about the prophet Habakkuk’s belonging to the tribe of Levi. The synagogal and Christian traditions have been thoroughly investigated and critically elucidated in the work of Delitzsch, De Habacuci propheta, vita alque aetate, adiecta ditriba de Pseudodorotheo et Pseudoepiphanio. Leipzig. 1843.

Given such scarcity of information about the life and activity of the prophet Habakkuk, the positions usually accepted in works on the book of the prophet Habakkuk are nevertheless fairly undisputed: 1) that he conducted his prophetic ministry in the kingdom of Judah, which is proved by the complete absence in his book of any allusion to the ten-tribe kingdom; 2) that the placement of his book in the canon after the book of the prophet Nahum and before the book of the prophet Zephaniah indicates the time of Habakkuk’s activity—between the second half of the reign of Manasseh, around the middle of the 7th century, when the prophet Nahum was active, and the beginning of the reign of Josiah, when Zephaniah began his prophetic activity (Zeph 1:1). In more particular determination of the time of Habakkuk’s prophetic service, opinions of researchers diverge, since, as blessed Augustine remarked, three prophets among the minor ones—Obadiah, Nahum, and Habakkuk—themselves do not speak of the time of their prophecy; it is not indicated when they prophesied, either in the chronicles of Eusebius and Jerome (De Civit. Dei, Lib. XVIII, cap. XXXI, Russian trans., vol. VI, Kiev 1887, pp. 49–50). But it is clear that from the Orthodox-church perspective, the opinion considering Habakkuk a contemporary of the Babylonian captivity is unacceptable: this opinion clearly sins with rationalist disbelief in the historical authenticity of prophetic predictions of the future. (A similar opinion on the time of the prophet Habakkuk’s life—of course, without these rationalist presuppositions—was also expressed by blessed Jerome, p. 132). In the book itself there is data allowing us to assign its composition to the middle of the 7th century B.C., around 650 B.C. The prophet on behalf of God threatens, ch. I (Hab 1:5-6), his contemporaries, the Judeans, for their impiety, Hab 1:3-4, with an unexpected and astonishing calamity—the invasion of the Chaldeans, a people never before seen by them. This calamity has not yet come to pass; the prophet only foresees its approach (Hab 3:2); Jerusalem and the temple still exist (Hab 2:20), and proper worship is performed in the temple (Hab 3:1-19), although in public life injustice and all manner of impiety reign (Hab 1:2-4); the divinely-appointed royal authority also exists (Hab 3:13). The external and internal signs indicated here equally fit the second half of the reign of Manasseh, after his return from Babylonian captivity (2 Chr 33:11). Indeed, the prediction about the event of the Chaldean invasion must necessarily be assigned before the invasion itself, which took place in the 4th year of the reign of Jehoiakim (2 Sam 24:1-2), that is, according to the most probable calculation, around 604–600 B.C. (see Commentary Bible, vol. II, p. 57, 5), necessarily to be pushed back several decades, if the very prediction about this to the prophet’s contemporaries appeared incredible (Hab 1:5). Of course, the Judeans had heard of the Chaldeans even before the time we suppose (see Isa 39:1), but in this case it is remarkable the almost literal correspondence between the words of the prophet about the Chaldean invasion (Hab 1:5) with the expression of the sacred writer 2 Sam 21:10-12 about threats to the Judeans in the time of Manasseh, uttered by unnamed prophets (see Commentary Bible, vol. II, p. 529). Among these prophets, by all probability, should be counted the prophet Habakkuk. The features of internal Judean life—namely: normal conduct of worship, and on the other hand injustice in public life—fully correspond to the general character of the second half of the reign of Manasseh, when on the one hand worship of Iahweh was restored in the Jerusalem temple (2 Chr 33:10-16), after its desecration by idolatry in the first half of Manasseh’s reign (2 Sam 21:2-9), on the other hand, the repentant Manasseh could not eradicate violence and oppression in the people (cf. 2 Chr 33:17). Whether the prophet Habakkuk survived the destruction of Jerusalem is not certainly known, although pseudo-Epiphanius has information that the prophet Habakkuk not only survived the fall of the Judean kingdom but died just two years before the return of the Judeans from captivity. (See in prof. M. A. Golubev, pp. 685–695). The tomb of the prophet in the time of Eusebius was shown at Kila in Palestine, in the tribe of Judah, near Eleutheropolis. The memory of the holy prophet in the Orthodox Church is celebrated on December 2.

From all that has been said, it is evident that, in its content, “the prophecy of Habakkuk is directed against Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Chaldeans; so that, just as before Nahum, after whom Habakkuk follows, had a prophecy against Nineveh and the Assyrians, who defeated the ten tribes called Israel, Habakkuk receives a prophecy against Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar, through whom Judah, Jerusalem, and the Temple are subjected to devastation” (blessed Jerome, p. 132). At the same time, the attention of the prophet, as undoubtedly that of the devout Judeans of his time, is occupied by the thought of internal troubles in the religious and social life of his homeland, and especially about the chief evil of the time—the predominance of force over right, the impiety of judges, the complete destruction of the law, and the fall of the very sense of legality (Hab 2:2-4). This was the subject of sorrowful bewilderment and heavy grief of the entire community contemporary with the prophet Habakkuk, and the thoughts and sentiments of the latter he boldly expressed in his “complaint” to Iahweh. This aspect of Habakkuk’s prophetic outlook is noted with sufficient prominence in the church service for the prophet (Menaion, December, day 2). Here, among other things, we read: “Habakkuk the wondrous, having received the dawn of the Spirit, became wholly divine, and seeing the impiety of judges and unjust judgment, was indignant, showing forth the righteousness of Christ and the Master, and with godly and fervent thought, as if oppressed, burned with zeal” (Stichera at “Lord I have cried,” 1st); and further: “How long, O Lord, does the prophet speak, will I cry to You, and You do not hear me; why have You shown me the impiety of judges?” (Canon, song 1st, trope 2nd); “You held every virtue, and hated every evil from your mind, and justly were disgusted with lawbreakers, O most blessed one” (song 2nd, trope 2nd). As a prophet, as the divinely-appointed “watchman” of the people (Hab 2:1; cf. Isa 52:8; Ezek 3:17), Habakkuk more than others showed zeal for the holiness of the trampled law of God, and like many divinely-enlightened men of the Old Testament (cf. Job 21:6-9; Ps 70:2-3; Jer 12:12), especially posed himself the question “why are audacious people more successful in their deeds than people of good character, and why does punishment not pursue lawbreakers in their footsteps” (blessed Theodoret, Commentary on the book of the prophet Habakkuk, Russian trans., 2nd ed., Sergiyev Posad, 1907, p. 22). However, “not the prophet himself, as some supposed, suffered from doubt, but he introduces the questions of others and presents teaching about what they are seeking… That he did not present his own thoughts to us, but preparing preventative medicine for the troubled, represented the prophecy in the form of bewilderment and its resolution, this is testified by the very beginning of the prophecy” (he, pp. 21–22). These bewilderments gained particular force and acuity from the fact that the Chaldeans, chosen by God to punish the Judeans and other peoples, were themselves more impious than the Judeans, glorified their own power, placing it in place of God, and committed unchecked lawlessness (Hab 1:9-16). Under such circumstances, the question about the relation of God’s providence to manifestations of evil human will arose with particular force. Therefore, the entire first chapter of the book of the prophet Habakkuk has the appearance or form of complaints and lamentations full of bewilderment from the prophet concerning the incomprehensible forbearance of God in relation to the oppressors of God’s people (pp. 9–16). In chapter two, a divine answer is given to the sighs of the prophet and the people; the essence of this answer consists of the thought that “a haughty soul will not be at rest, but the righteous shall live by his faith” (Hab 2:4), from which follows also the inevitability of the destruction awaiting the Chaldeans by divine judgment (Hab 2:8-17), by which at the same time will be ensured the subsequent salvation of Israel (cf. Hab 2:20). The divine threats and promises received by the prophet bring him into an exalted inspired state of mind, which resolves itself in a wonderful “prayer” or prayer-hymnic song, depicting the most magnificent manifestation of Iahweh in the world for judgment over the enemies of His kingdom and for the salvation of His chosen ones at the head with His anointed one. Such is the content of the third and final chapter of the book of the prophet Habakkuk.

From this it is evident that, despite its small volume, the book of the prophet Habakkuk has very important—both historical and doctrinal—significance. Just as the book of the prophet Nahum reflects the conclusion of the Assyrian period in the history of biblical Israel, so the book of the prophet Habakkuk marks the beginning of Chaldean influence in this history. Then the depiction of the divine manifestation in ch. III, resting on the ancient biblical depiction of the Sinai legislation (Deut 33:9 and others), is very characteristic of the pre-captivity prophetic outlook, whereas after the Babylonian captivity divine revelations to the prophets took on a different form—of apocalypses. But far more important is the internal, ideological aspect of the book. Here with great clarity are expressed the most important thoughts of Old Testament biblical theology and the Old Testament teaching about the kingdom of God and about the coming salvation in Christ. Very expressively, first of all, is posed and definitely resolved the previously mentioned question about the relation of the ruling Providence of God to human life relationships in general and in particular with the manifestation in these relationships of evil human will. The prophet testifies that the dominion of Iahweh is subject to great world pagan powers, that He brings them forth for judgment over other peoples, and then, when they do not acknowledge His ruling power and deify their own powers (Hab 1:5-7), they themselves become the object of judgment and punishment by God (Hab 2:5-8 and others), consequently, no god-opposing force can resist. With great definiteness are indicated then the positive internal characteristics of the members of the Old Testament kingdom of God: their firm, unwavering faith and faithfulness to God (Hab 2:4), their patience, humility and forbearance in sorrows (Hab 3:16), their complete dedication to God with rejoicing in the salvation granted by Him (Hab 3:18). Especially remarkable is the elevated ethical outlook of the prophet on the moral nature of Iahweh “the Holy One of Israel” (Hab 1:12), Lord of hosts (Hab 2:13): “it is not in the character of Your pure eyes (O Iahweh) to look upon wrongdoing, and to look upon oppression You cannot” (Hab 1:13). With such elevated teachings the prophet as it were steps beyond the bounds of the Old Testament and in spirit enters the realm of the New Testament. And the Orthodox Church sees in the book of the prophet Habakkuk particularly clear prophecy about the coming Christ the Savior; in the service to the prophet we read, for example: “Standing on the divine watch, the honorable Habakkuk heard the mystery toward us of Your coming, O Christ, inexpressible: and Your proclamation, he prophesies most clearly, foreseeing and the wise apostles as horses, the language of many-tribal people disturbing the sea” (verse at Lord I have cried, 2nd). “Having proclaimed the Lord of glory, and having predicted His coming from the Holy Virgin manifestly revealed, and seeing it shown, rejoice, O blessed Habakkuk” (Can. song 9, trope 2). The opening words of the second chapter of the book “at my watch” served as the basis for the irmos of the 4th song of the Paschal canon (“At the divine, truly God-speaking, Habakkuk let him stand with us”). Especially the third chapter of the book, appointed by the prophet for singing in the temple, and already in the Old Testament certainly having liturgical use, had a strong influence on the structure of church songs, namely the fourth song of the canon, and many words and expressions of the prophet from this (III) chapter are constantly heard in church irmoses: “O Lord, I have heard Your fame and I feared,” “From the mountain overshadowed with thick darkness You came,” “Covered are the heavens with Your virtue, O Christ,” and many others. Not without significance, therefore, the remark of one commentator (Kleinert) that after Isaiah, Habakkuk was the mightiest evangelist among the prophets.

However, this does not at all give grounds for relating the origin of the book to a later time and fragmenting it into parts of different epochs (as do, for example, Rosenmüller, Marti, and others). Apart from what has been said above about the historical situation, the origin of the prophet’s book soon after the book of the prophet Nahum, in any case not later than the middle of the 7th century B.C., is attested by the universally recognized purity and correctness of the language of the book and the form of speech, due to which it comes closer to the ancient prophetic era, for example, the time of the prophet Isaiah, than to that close to the captivity. The remark of Delitzsch is completely justified: “If we divide all the prophets by the features appearing in them into two kinds—into prophets of the school of Isaiah and prophets of the school of Jeremiah—then Habakkuk is evidently still of the most ancient—the school of Isaiah. The form of his language is constantly classical, filled with rare words and expressions, in part peculiar to him alone; his view and exposition bear the imprint of independent power and contemporary beauty. Despite the strong striving and high flight of his thoughts, his prophetic book represents a finely delineated, artfully-rounded whole; nowhere (of other books of the Bible) is the form of mutual discourse between God and the prophet conducted so well; nowhere is prophetic speech so tightly fused with lyric speech (even down to the structure of stanzas, ch. II, and down to musicality, ch. III). In content and form he, like Isaiah, is relatively far more independent of his predecessors than other prophets: everywhere is reflected still the time of the highest flourishing of prophecy, the time when in place of sacred lyricism, in which heretofore religious feeling of the church had expressed itself, there stepped forth, by means of the mightiest action of God, prophetic poetry with its trumpet voice, to awaken again the fading consciousness in the spiritually dying church, so that, if the time of the prophetic activity of the prophet were to be determined solely from the form of his prophecy, we would feel ourselves forced to assign him to the time of Hezekiah, or at least to Manasseh” (Cited work, pp. XII–XIII, see in prof. Golubev, p. 689, note). And by the acknowledgment of another researcher, the book of the prophet Habakkuk “belongs by its separate lyric parts to the most significant works of biblical literature. Form and content are always found in Habakkuk in the purest harmony. Complaint and consolation, suffering and joy complement each other; with fiery imagination are combined beautiful sense of measure, untroubled clarity, and thus one can say that from these discourses breathes Greek beauty, which is especially strong in the prayer of the prophet ch. III” (Gustav Karpeles. History of Hebrew Literature. Trans. under the ed. of A. Y. Garkavi. Vol. I (St. Petersburg, 1896), p. 104).

Among German commentaries and investigations on the book of the prophet Habakkuk one can name (besides the already mentioned work of Delitzsch): 1) Cumpach, Der Prophet Habakuk. Brixen. 1870. Besides, in the series: a) Lange Bibelwerk. Vol. XIX, U. Kleinert (Bielefeld and Leipzig, 1868 (pp. 126–157)), and b) K. Marti, Das Dodecapropheton. Tübingen. 1904, pp. 326–356.

Among rabbinical commentaries the most remarkable are: B. Abarbanel, Commentary on the book of Habakkuk, ed. 5. Munk. Paris. 1843.

In Russian—more or less brief remarks on the book of the prophet Habakkuk in the handbooks of Ordin, Smaragdov, metropolitan Arseny of Khergozersky, professor A. A. Olesnitsky, Spassky. An extensive and serious isagogico-exegetical work (already mentioned by us above) belongs to the late professor of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy M. A. Golubev: “The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk” in Christian Readings 1867, vol. II, pp. 681–743, 861–919.

Chapter One

1. Superscription. 2–4. Complaints or laments of the prophet to God regarding the unpunished dominance of injustice and impiety in the land. 5–11. The first divine answer to the prophet’s laments—announcement of the terrible calamity of enslavement of the Judeans by the Chaldeans. 12–17. The impression of the answer on the prophet, new bewilderments, new laments and new questions to God.

Habakkuk 1:1. The prophetic vision which the prophet Habakkuk saw. The book of the prophet Habakkuk, like the book of the prophet Nahum, begins in the Hebrew original with the word massa, one of the basic meanings of which is: “burden,” “load.” Blessed Jerome, here as in the book of the prophet Nahum, renders this word with the Latin onus, burden. But in relation to the book of the prophet Habakkuk, massa has a more neutral meaning (prophecy in general) than a special one (announcement of threats, calamities),—since in this book the threatening and consolatory elements especially closely penetrate one another. Therefore, here the translation of the LXX better suits the content: lemma, which blessed Theodoret explains thus: “Vision (lemma) is called the rapture of the mind and passing from human works to divine revelation. Therefore, if the prophet spoke this through the action of the Spirit, then clearly not he himself suffered bewilderment, but he lays bare the wound of those suffering from it, and applies medicine” (p. 23). To this general or neutral understanding of massa here apparently inclines also blessed Jerome, when he remarks: “One must note also that the vision of the prophet is a lifting or burden, which, as we have already said, designates grave (calamities) and that he clearly understands his vision” (p. 131). One must also bear in mind that the superscription massa (Hab 1:1) can and does pertain only to the content of the first two chapters of the book of the prophet Habakkuk, since the third chapter has its own special superscription or heading: tefilah, prayer. This neutral sense of massa is thereby further confirmed. As in the first superscription (Hab 1:1), so in the second (Hab 3:1), to the proper name Habakkuk is added the designation nabi, prophete, prophet, which also occurs in the superscriptions of two prophetic books of Haggai (Hag 1:1) and Zechariah (Zech 1:1). But this circumstance in itself cannot at all indicate the late origin of the superscription of the book of the prophet Habakkuk (as Marti thinks, p. 331), but simply aims to indicate the office of Habakkuk among the members of the Old Testament church—he was a prophet both by office (munus propheticum) and by gift (donum propheticum),—and at the same time provide a pledge of the truthfulness of all revelation, give testimony to its origin from on high—that “he speaks not from his own heart, but communicates the word of God, as a prophet and filled with divine grace for this” (St. Cyril of Alexandria. See in prof. Golubev, p. 706). This latter corresponds to the basic meaning of the word nabi, by which “a prophet is a person speaking not from himself, but announcing the will of God and His revelation to men, moreover chosen by God and receiving from Him divine authority; the prophet appears as the interpreter and expositor not of anything whatever, but only of the will and words divine, appears as a mediator between God and men, a trusted person of God (Exod 7:1-2; Gen 20:7; Jer 26:9). (M. Verzbolovich, Prophetic Ministry in the Israelite (ten-tribe) Kingdom. Kiev. 1891, pp. 5–6. See more fully in R. E. Laur’a, Die Prophetennamen des Alten Testamentes. Ein Beitrag zur Theologie des Alten Testamentes. Freiburg (Switzerland) 1903, p. 2, particularly pp. 11–42).

Habakkuk 1:2–4. How long, O Lord, will I call out, and You will not hear? Will I cry to You concerning violence, and You will not save me? Why do You allow me to see wrongdoing, and look upon calamity? Plunder and violence are before me, and strife and contention arise. Because of this the law has lost its strength, and there is no true justice: since the wicked overpowers the righteous, therefore judgment comes out perverted. The laments depicted here of the prophet in his address to the God of the covenant—Iahweh—were caused, according to the opinion of some Jewish interpreters, and also blessed Jerome and some modern commentators (Philippson, Maurer, Rosenmüller, Ewald, and others), by expected or already factually occurring violence of the Babylonians or Chaldeans in Judea. “The prophet,” says blessed Jerome, “cries out against God regarding why Nebuchadnezzar will lay waste the temple and Judah, why Jerusalem will be subjected to destruction, although it is the city of God. Why does the prophet call out, but God does not hear him? He cries to the Lord oppressed by the Chaldeans, but does not receive salvation?” (p. 133) “The impious king Nebuchadnezzar prevailed against righteous Judah (2 Sam 24:1)… and the righteous king Josiah will be killed by the king of Egypt (2 Sam 23:29), and Daniel, Ananiah, Mishael, and Azariah will be in slavery (Dan 3), and the Babylonian ruler will be the master” (p. 135). In favor of such understanding modern supporters point out that the words met in v. 2 and 3—hamas, violence, and amal, oppression—are also met below in v. 9 and 13, where they unquestionably mean tyrannical actions of the Chaldeans. But besides these words, in the passage being examined in v. 3, the prophet uses still other words riv, lawsuit, quarrel, and madan, strife, discord; furthermore, in v. 4 it is said that the law, torah—clearly the Mosaic law—lost strength, that righteousness does not prevail, that judgment comes out perverted: all these features are unquestionably applicable only to the internal life of the people of Judah, as a people with positive law, torah, moreover one that sinned through frequent departures from the latter,—and on the contrary are completely inapplicable to the Chaldeans—a people that recognized no other law than their own will (Hab 1:7) and power, deified by them (v. 11, cf. v. 16). Moreover, if we agreed with the refuted interpretation of v. 2–4, then the subsequent v. 5–10, announcement about the invasion of the Chaldeans, as an entirely new and incredible event, and detailed description of them would have no meaning, remaining completely incomprehensible. On the contrary, when explaining v. 2–4 regarding the internal dissolution of the religious, moral and legal side of the life of the Jews themselves, contemporaries of the prophet, it is fully understandable, first of all, the general relation of this section to the subsequent v. 5–11: this is the relation of cause to consequence, transgression and punishment; then, in particular, the mentioned same naming (hamas, amal) of the crimes of the Jews and the manner of action of the Chaldeans is based in the deepest way on the idea of correspondence between divine retribution and the sin that caused it, according to the word of the Wise: “by what things a man sins, by these he is also tortured” (Wis 11:17). The sin of the Jews consisted in oppressions, in various kinds of trampling on the law (Hab 1:2-4); in the same divine punishment was to consist in the form of the invasion and violence of the Chaldeans (Hab 1:5-11), just as these latter for their godless oppressions against the people of God (Hab 1:12) awaited, by divine judgment, a similar ruinous fate (ch. II). See in prof. Golubev, p. 699–701, note. Thus, the prophet Habakkuk in v. 2–4, like the prophet Micah (Mic 7), expresses his deep sorrow regarding the impiety prevailing in his people in social life. As a deeply believing member of the theocratic community, more than that—as the divinely-appointed watchman of theocrasy (cf. Hab 2:1), the prophet in holy zeal for the “frozen” (Hebrew pug) as it were law, for trampled divine righteousness (Hab 1:4), with prayerful boldness (like the psalmists, for instance Ps 21:2) cries out to God about the long-awaited divine intervention in the life of his compatriots, not corresponding to divine law. Of course, the prophet complains about the general direction of life, not about individual wicked ones, much less about his personal oppressors.

Habakkuk 1:5–11. Look among the nations and gaze carefully, and you will be exceedingly astounded; for I will do in your days a work that you would not believe if it were told to you. For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, a people cruel and unrestrained, who march across the breadth of the earth to take possession of settlements not belonging to them. He is terrible and fearful; from himself come his judgments and his authority. His horses are swifter than leopards and quicker than evening wolves; his cavalry gallops far and wide; his horsemen come from afar, they fly like an eagle swooping for prey. He comes entirely for plunder; his face pressed forward he takes captives like sand. And he mocks at kings, and rulers are a mockery to him; he laughs at every fortress: he heaps up an earthwork and takes it. Then his spirit becomes proud and he transgresses; his might is his god. Here a divine answer is given to the sorrowful bewilderments of the prophet—without any special preparation—with the aim of convincing the prophet and all his contemporaries that the inattention of providence to what is occurring in the sphere of human relations (v. 2–4) is only seeming, and that soon the judgment of God is about to be revealed over the unworthy generation of the chosen people of God. In His answer to the prophet God first of all (v. 5) demands attention from the Judeans to His revelation and thereby already shows its extraordinary importance: already terrible events hang over their heads, of which their life and history have never before known, and which are capable of astonishing and bringing terror to those over whom they burst (this supposed unexpectedness of the approaching calamity of enemy invasion clearly shows that previously, in v. 2–4, the discourse was not about the Chaldeans). The second word of v. 5—according to the accepted Hebrew text baggoyim, among the nations. Vulg. in gentibus, the LXX (and also the Peshitta) read differently,—apparently: bogedim, faithless ones, evildoers (as below Hab 1:13, cf. Zeph 3:4; Jer 12:1) and rendered: kataphronetai, Slavic “despicers.” Blessed Theodoret, accepting this reading of the LXX, in its explanation says: “the careless calls God those boldly violating the law and afflicted with insensitivity” (p. 23), and blessed Jerome, himself inclining toward the present reading of the Hebrew text and rendered in his translation the word in question in gentibus, at the same time in his commentary mentions two unnamed codices, in one of which the beginning of v. 5 read: “look at the scorners!” and in the other: “look at the rebels!” and remarks that with such reading “these words convict the audacity and contempt toward God of people on behalf of whom the prophet cried out, their bold rising up against the magnitude of God, their reckless words, their censure of divine providence and their departure from God with the reproach of His injustice” (pp. 136–137). Thus, the beginning of v. 5 in the LXX has more expressiveness than according to the accepted Hebrew text, the meaning of which, as explained by the same blessed Jerome,—is that “the prophet should look closely and see among the nations the injustice which, in his opinion, is only among Israel alone, and that to the Chaldeans are given over not only Judah and Israel, but also all the surrounding peoples” (p. 137). Then in the revealed “work” (poel v. 5) are indicated the following moments: its main source—the will of God, pronouncing his judicial sentence about the fate of the impious; its visible instrument, performer or executor at a given historical moment of the decrees of God—the people—the Chaldeans, as much severe and cruel as they are swift and mighty in executing their cruelties (Hab 1:6-10), finally, its consequence for the very performers, all together completely depicting the enormous power of the terrible calamity. The main thought of the first divine answer consists of the position stated at the beginning of v. 6, that the coming invasion of enemies upon Judah—a phenomenon not accidental, but one that must take place according to the almighty will of God; namely, God will raise up against Judah the Chaldeans, He will arm them with invincible power, but they must consider themselves only His instrument, and forgetting this will be ruinous for them. By the name “Chaldeans,” Hebrew Kasdim. LXX: chaldaioi, in the prophets, beginning with the prophet Habakkuk (Hab 1:6-11) and Jeremiah (Jer 21:4, 24 and others) is designated the nation, known in cuneiform records under the name Kaldu. Initially this tribe lived in the south of the biblical valley of Sennaar or Mesopotamia, along the shores of the Persian Gulf, but in the 7th century it became extremely strengthened, extended its conquering aspirations to the north, and in 625 B.C. the leader of the Chaldeans Nabopolassar on the ruins of the already perishing Assyria laid the foundation of the Chaldean-Babylonian or Neo-Chaldean kingdom. These Chaldeans were Semites, as the Bible testifies (Gen 22:22), and therefore cannot be identified with the Chaldeans of Kurdistan and Armenia, who were Aryans. According to both the Bible (Gen 22:22; Gen 11:28) and cuneiform documents, the name of the Chaldeans was known for several centuries before their appearance as world conquerors, but in this capacity they first appear in the prophecy of Habakkuk 1, and therefore he, first of all, specially warns his listeners and readers about the terrible event of their invasion (Hab 1:5), and then gives a very detailed characterization of the properties of these terrible conquerors (Hab 1:6-11). These properties to a certain extent completely correspond to the criminal properties of the Jews, and in this one cannot fail to see the punishing action of divine Providence. “Upon you, living in injustice and lawlessness, for whom those not knowing the laws of Providence grieve, I will bring fierce and unrestrained Chaldeans, who from greed for what is alien fight against all peoples” (blessed Theodoret, p. 24). For the characterization of the military nature of the Chaldeans the passage considered must be recognized as classical, just as Isa 5:26-30 gives a classical characterization of the Assyrians. “A people cruel,” Hebrew hagoy-hammar—bitter as wormwood, for everyone who tastes fellowship with them—a people fearful, lacking humanity, mercy (cf. Jer 50:42; Deut 28:50); “unrestrained,” hannigar, literally swift, LXX: tachinos, Vulg.: velocem, who march across the breadth of the earth to seize settlements not belonging to them” (cf. Hab 2:6)—a people foreign to settled life and culture, on the contrary, accustomed to rapine and robbery; “a most warlike and unrestrained people, witnesses of whose power and military valor were almost all Greeks who wrote the history of barbarians. And its affairs consist not in tilling the earth with a plow, but in living by the sword and robbery, and in capturing cities not belonging to them” (blessed Jerome, p. 138). Indeed, in the depiction of the Chaldeans, for example in Xenophon (Cyropaedia III, 2), the features of the prophet’s description of the Chaldeans are as it were very accurately reproduced. Naturally, such a people “is terrible and fearful” to all neighboring peoples—“through cruelty, through uncontrollableness in anger, through impregnability of heart, through ferocity in punishments” (St. Cyril of Alexandria)—most of all because it recognizes no other law over itself than its own, and believes that only to itself, and to no one else, is it obliged for its superiority over other peoples: “from itself (and not from God, as in Ps 16:2) comes his judgment (mishpat, rule, norm of action) and his authority (seut, greatness, LXX: lemma, Slavic: “taking,” Vulg.: onus) his” (v. 7)—“makes law of what comes into its mind” (blessed Theodoret, p. 24): like their ancient ancestors, who dreamed of building the Tower of Babylon to make themselves a name (Gen 11:4), and especially following the self-deifying king Nebuchadnezzar (Isa 14:13), the Chaldeans do not acknowledge that their power and authority are given from the Lord (see Hab 1:11-12). The unlimited power of the Chaldeans appears all the more alive and unobstructed in their thrust for plunder: “his horses are swifter than leopards”—an animal as predatory as a lion (Jer 5:6; Isa 11:6; Hos 13:7), but endowed with greater, compared to it, ease of motion, similar to a whirlwind in him, so that it is almost impossible for prey to escape from him; “and quicker than evening wolves”—exhausted by long, throughout the day, hunger and fruitless search for food, and therefore with greater greed rushing at food found in the evening and by morning leaving nothing of it (in the LXX here, as also in Zeph 3:3, instead of “evening,” Hebrew erev, stands “Arabian,” tes Arabias, so the Slavic LXX also read, apparently, not erev, but arab, Arabia). The long journey (“from afar,” that is, from Babylon, Isa 39:3; cf. Jer 5:15) does not weary them, on the contrary, like eagles they swiftly fly at rich prey and, like eagles, without difficulty take possession of it (v. 8, cf. Deut 28:49; Jer 4:13; Ezek 17:3). “By all this the Prophet depicted their power, courage and swiftness. For such is among winged creatures the eagle, to which he compared the horsemen, such among beasts are the leopards and Arabian wolves, to whose swiftness he compared the swiftness of horses” (blessed Theodoret, p. 24). The success of the Chaldeans is certain and decisive: “all of them (without exception) come for plunder; the thrust (Hebrew megammat) of their face forward” (kadima)—ever farther they surge in greed for what is alien (v. 9). The first half of v. 9, very obscure both in the Hebrew Masoretic text and in the LXX and in the Vulgate, was more clearly expressed by Symmachus: “all will become plunder of covetousness, the appearance of their faces a scorching wind. Just as the swiftness of horses and horsemen the prophet depicted in similes, so the ferocity of faces he compared to a simile of a scorching wind; for just as this wind burns exposed bodies, so the very sight of the Chaldeans is enough that in those who see them all brightness would fade” (blessed Theodoret, p. 24). “He captures captives like sand” (v. 9, cf. Hab 2:5), that is, in great multitude (cf. Gen 32:12; Hos 1 and others). The hopes of the Judeans will be in vain for alliances with earthly kings, for the support of princes, for the impregnability of fortresses,—nothing will terrify, nothing will stop the conquering movement of the enemy, mocking every attempt to defend against him (v. 10). “Playing rather than exerting any effort, he will destroy both legitimate kingdoms and illegitimate dominions! Drawing around ramparts and employing battering machines in action, he will lay waste to their very foundations every fortified stronghold” (blessed Theodoret, p. 25); “he will be so powerful and proud that he will think to conquer nature itself and take cities by the force of his army, even the most fortified. For he will come to Tyre and, making an embankment in the sea, out of an island will make a peninsula and from land will prepare for himself an entrance into the city among the waves of the sea. Therefore he will mock at every fortification” (blessed Jerome, p. 139). In all this unbreakable power of the universal conqueror, of course, the almightiness of God—Iahweh, the Lord mighty in war (Ps 23:8)—acts. But the victor will not understand this. Just as formerly Assyria (Isa 10:5-15), so this new conqueror will forget to see in himself only the rod or instrument of the wrath of God: “then—following extraordinary success—his spirit will change, he will transgress (the limit of humility, modesty) and will sin; his might will become his god” (v. 11) or, as blessed Jerome explains (p. 140), “when nothing more will hinder his powers, then his spirit will change toward pride, and, thinking that he is God, he will set up for himself a golden image in Babylon, and to worship it will summon all peoples”; thus the greatest impiety of the victor-enemy will consist in the fact that he will not thank God Almighty for his might, who owns the kingdom of men and according to His will gives both kingdom and authority and power (Dan 4:14; see Hab 3:14-15), but will deify his very own might, will make it an object of reverence and worship (cf. Hab 1:16), finally, as if will declare himself to be god (cf. Job 12:6; Ezek 28:2). With this mention of the manifestation of the greatest impiety of the victor-enemy as a consequence of his greatest might, ends the transmission of the first, threatening answer of God to the laments of the prophet.Habakkuk 1:12–17. But are not You from of old, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We will not die! O Lord, You have appointed him for judgment; O Rock, You have established him for punishment. Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and to look upon wrong You cannot; why then do You look upon the treacherous and remain silent when the wicked swallows up one more righteous than he, and leaves men like fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler? All of them he drags off with a hook, catches them in his net and gathers them in his dragnet, and therefore he rejoices and is glad. On account of this he sacrifices to his net and burns offerings to his dragnet, because by them his portion becomes rich and his food sumptuous. Is he therefore to keep emptying his net and continually slay nations without pity? Upon receiving a strange answer from God (Hab 1:5-11), in the spirit of the prophet not understanding God’s decrees, although deeply believing, there inevitably arises a new bewilderment: why did God decide to punish the Judeans precisely through the Chaldeans, whose greater criminality compared with the former is already evident from the first divine account? How can one reconcile the destructive work of the hands of the wicked with divine election of Israel, with the holiness, mercy and righteousness of God? In this feeling of bewilderment the prophet once again with the boldness of faith questions God: to what limit will the dominion of impious pagans extend over the God-chosen people (v. 12–17), as before he asked about the predominance of the wicked over the righteous in his own people (Hab 1:2-4). The basis of the prophet’s bold new address to God is provided by the special, gracious relations of God-Iahweh with Israel, which began long ago—at the Sinai Covenant (Exod 19:4-6), as well as the true understanding of God and His properties given in Old Testament revelation and to the highest degree inherent in the prophets. The supreme, infinite perfections of God serve the theocratic community as the surest pledge and guarantee of its salvation by the power and mercy of God. The true God of Israel exists “from of old” Hebrew mikkedem, Greek ap arches, Vulg. a principio—this property of His is known to Israel from the first moment of its existence (cf. Ps 73:12), but it pertains to Him always, as the eternal God (Deut 32:27). He, furthermore, is Iahweh—a being self-subsistent and in all His words and deeds equal to Himself, true and unchangeable (Exod 3:14; 1 Cor 1:9), “higher than all that exists” (blessed Theodoret, p. 25). In the most vivid feeling and consciousness of his belonging to the God-chosen people, to whom a terrible threat of God has been pronounced, the prophet calls Iahweh his God, his Holy One, meaning himself, of course, not in an individual sense—against which the immediately following plural verb “we will not die” would speak—but as a representative of the whole people, on behalf of whom, as a people of the covenant, he cries out to the God of the covenant: “Is it not You, O Lord my God, my Holy One,—and this is said with a feeling of gentleness, humility and repentance,—not You, who created us from the beginning and by whose mercy we are sustained until now” (blessed Jerome, p. 144). But the chief support of the hope of the prophet (and in his person of all the people of God) is the property of divine holiness: “my Holy One,” that is, the Holy One of Israel—an expression occurring especially frequently in the prophet Isaiah (Isa 1:4 and others). Divine holiness means not only the unapproachability, infinite exaltation of God above all earthly things (1 Sam 6:20) and the awe and reverence inspired by Him in men (Ps 98:3), equally and the fact that His name cannot with impunity be subjected to dishonor (Ezek 39:7) and He does not tolerate sin and loves only righteousness (Isa 5:16), but also in general the highest perfection of God (Isa 6:3), more narrowly the boundless goodness, love and mercy of God (1 Sam 2:2; Isa 57:15; Hos 11:9). Divine holiness—deadly terror for the sinner, but for the believer, for the righteous it is—the foundation of hope “in the holy name” of God (Ps 32:21), hope for life from God—therefore the prophet for himself and all believers in his people (cf. Hab 2:4) confidently cries out: “we will not die!” cannot be that we—the people of the Holy and Living God—shall be completely destroyed, and the word of God’s promises has not come to pass for us because of the greed of enemies. “We will not die!” Many ancient and modern interpreters in this “lo namut” saw one of the examples of the so-called “tiqqune sopherim,” corrections of scribes; they supposed that the original reading was: lo tamut—You will not die, and then this expression, seeming offensive, was replaced by the one standing in the text (see A. Geiger. Urschrift u. Uebersetzungen der Bibel in ihrer Abhängigkeit von der inneren Entwicklung des Judenthums. Breslau 1857, p. 309). However, this conjecture is supported by nothing; on the contrary, the ancient translations apparently read namut, so in the LXX stands ou me apothanomen. In the second half of v. 12 the prophet develops the same assurance from the positive side: like other divinely-inspired men of his people (cf. for instance Ps 117:18; Jer 46:28), he expresses the conviction that the grievous calamity of Chaldean enslavement will be only temporary, pursuing the goal of correction and instruction of Israel, not its destruction. He connects this hope here with the name of God—Tzur, rock, fortress, a concept that figuratively denotes the same as is directly expressed in the name Iahweh (cf. Deut 32:4; 2 Sam 22:2; Ps 17:32). Beginning with v. 13, the prophet from his look at the chosen people (v. 12) turns to the impious people—the instrument of the wrath of Iahweh, and thereby strengthens himself even more in his bold prayer to Him who judges righteously the peoples and tribes of the earth (Ps 65:5). And first of all, dwelling again on the mentioned earlier (v. 12) property of divine holiness, the prophet asserts (like the psalmist, Ps 5:5-6), that everything morally unclean is unworthy of the sight of the brightest eyes of the Most Holy God, and from this (as above v. 3) concludes that God cannot look with indifference at the extreme oppression (devouring, Hebrew bala in II) of the righteous Judeans by the wicked, who, despite all their guilt before divine justice, are nevertheless more righteous than their enslavers. “This does not mean that the oppressed is completely righteous, but only that he is more righteous than his oppressor” (blessed Jerome); “just as Sodom and Gomorrah seem righteous when compared to Jerusalem (cf. Matt 11:24), and as the publican in the Gospel is justified more in comparison with the Pharisee (Luke 18:10-14), so here the oppressed is indeed sinful; nevertheless he is more righteous than the one who oppresses him” (he, p. 149). This prophetic (and at the same time of all the people) bewilderment unfolds further, to the end of the chapter (v. 14–17). In v. 14–15 the notion of complete helplessness of peoples in general and Israel in particular before the rapacity of the Chaldeans is expressed in the image comparison of the victims of their rapacity with fish, living as if in anarchy, and therefore easily captured (cf. Amos 4:2). If in these two verses the notion is expressed in images, directly stated in part already above in v. 10, then verse 16 represents a similar image expression of the thought about the self-deification of the Chaldeans, stated earlier in v. 11; that the Chaldean-Babylonians actually offered sacrifices to instruments of war (as such is known, for instance, about the Scythians and Sarmatians from accounts of Herodotus, Histor. IV, 59, 62, and Clement of Alexandria, Protrept. 64), nothing is known from history. Blessed Theodoret in explaining v. 16 says “having fallen into the passion of pride, the enemy—the Chaldeans—considers the cause of what they do to be their own power alone, and commands that divine honors be rendered to it. More clearly revealed this to us divine Daniel, saying that the king of Babylon erected a golden image, and forced all multitude of his subjects to worship it” (p. 23). V. 17 represents a summarizing of the preceding questions of the prophet’s bewilderment as a conclusion: “will there be no end to the slaying of peoples?” * * * In the book of the prophet Daniel (Dan 2:2) the name Chaldeans is given to the class of Chaldean wise men—astrologers, since Chaldea was considered the birthplace of astrology: in such meaning the term is also known to the classics. The addition eis hymas, to you, is essentially correct (cf. 2 Sam 12:11; Amos 6:14) and stands in the codices of the LXX: 26, 106, 239 in Holmes.

Chapter Two

1. Introductory remark on the prophet’s reception of the second divine response set forth in this chapter. 2–3. The importance of this response and revelation as attested by God Himself, and its relation to the distant future. 4–5. The theme or principal and likewise initial point of all the subsequent content of the chapter. 6–20. Fivefold “woe” upon the wicked, godless conquerors.

Habakkuk 2:1. I have taken my stand on the watchtower and positioned myself on the fortress, so that I might see what He will say to me, and what answer He will give to my complaint. Having laid before God his doubts or complaints regarding the dominion of pagans over the chosen people of God (Hab 1:12-17), the prophet desires from God Himself “with prophetic eyes to see the solution of what he sought” (blessed Theodoret, p. 27). “He says: I will stand on my guard, that is, in the rapture of the prophetic Spirit, and I will watch to see what will follow after the captivity of the people and after the fall of the city and temple… We must also note that the prophetic vision and the word of God came to the prophet not in an external manner, but in an internal way and was addressed to the inner man. For this reason also the prophet Zechariah said: And the Angel who spoke in me (Zech 1:9), and in the Psalms it is said: I will listen to what the Lord will say to me (Ps 84:9)” (blessed Jerome, 154–155). The concepts of “watch” (Hebrew mishmereth) and “fortress” (Hebrew matzor) in this case have not a literal meaning but a figurative one, namely they represent a symbolic designation (as in Isa 21:8) of the performance of prophetic ministry; thus, the first half of verse 1 may be paraphrased thus: “The prophet says: I will remain in that position to which I have been exalted, and I will not forsake the fortress” (blessed Theodoret). The prophets in general were watchmen of the house of Israel (Ezek 3:17; Jer 6:17; Isa 52:8), whom God Jehovah, the supreme Shepherd and Watchman of Israel (Ps 79:2), raised up for the preservation of the integrity and holiness of the covenant and theocracy among the people of God – in view of their frequent departures from these principles. (See P. Laur. Die Prophetennamen des Alten Testamentes. Freiburg. 1903. s. s. 103–107). “Always exalting themselves in all respects above their contemporaries, constantly uttering to them instructions, rebukes, threats, afflictions, and thereby being illuminated by the Spirit of God who searches the deepest things of God, – these men, in cases of particular importance and doubt, especially intensified their effort of standing on the spiritual watch entrusted to them of the walls of Jerusalem (Isa 62:6) and themselves prayerfully questioned God about His will, so as to announce it to the people. This prayer in general was recognized as one of the special duties of the prophets (Jer 32:16; Dan 9:3), and sometimes it was directly commanded to them by God” (prof. Golubev, p. 863). So also the prophet Habakkuk, wishing to receive a new divine response to the doubts he had raised, to his complaint (Hebrew tokahat) (ch. I), gathers all his attention, ascends to a certain “stone, that is, to some elevated and safe fortress of thoughts” (St. Cyril of Alexandria) and awaits the revelation of God for communication to men. Thus, “the present place is highly important from a psychological point of view – for judgment about the condition of those who were deemed worthy of the prophetic gift. From the opening words of the passage it is revealed that it was not constantly present in the soul of the prophets, but required beforehand some special disposition of the soul for its reception; that the prophets constantly needed divine illumination and received it only at times and in parts, as students, having received instruction in the fundamentals of doctrine, still need instruction about each of them in particular (Isa 50:4). From the words of the latter, that this gift was not self-deception, prophecy from their own heart (Jer 23:16; Ezek 13:2-3), but the word proceeding from the mouth of God (Isa 55:11), a gift truly divine” (prof. Golubev, p. 866). Apart from these peculiarities, the speech of the prophet in verse 1 has parallels in Mic 7:7 and in the Psalms: Ps 85:9.

Habakkuk 2:2. And the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, so that the one reading it may run, The divine response on this occasion came, it seems, immediately, which is why we do not read the former mournful: “how long” (Hab 1:2). In this response Jehovah, first of all, commands to write down the revelation that follows, namely to inscribe it with perfect clarity on certain tablets, Hebrew galluhot, so that the one reading it may run (verse 2). The tablets here are understood, it seems, to be similar to the Sinai stone tablets (Exod 24:12; Deut 9:9); the prophet Habakkuk, like those who received similar commands, such as the prophet Isaiah (Isa 30:8), was to write “with a human pen” (Isa 8:1) what was communicated on boards – stone or bronze (cf. Deut 9:9; 1 Macc 14:27), in view of the slow fulfillment of the revelation and its particular importance (cf. Jer 30:2; Job 19:24). It is not improbable that the opinion of certain scholars (Ewald, Kleinert and others) that such boards with prophetic utterances written on them, after their proclamation to the people, were delivered to the temple and preserved there, to which we owe the preservation of so many prophecies; such a method of preserving written monuments in antiquity is confirmed by Assyro-Babylonian cuneiform documents which occupied entire rooms. The end of verse 2 according to the Hebrew text literally is: “so that the one reading it may run” (as in the LXX: ὅπως διώκῃ, Slavonic: “so that he may overtake”), that is, “run for the purpose of spreading the news in the regions of Jerusalem where it was given, and further… The good news of prophecy must be spread with all speed” (cf. Nah 1:15; Isa 52:7; Dan 12:4; Jer 23:21) (prof. Golubev, p. 868).

Habakkuk 2:3. For the vision still refers to an appointed time and speaks of the end and will not deceive; and though it may delay, wait for it, for it will surely come to pass, it will not fail. In verse 3 the cause or basis of what is said in verse 2 is indicated; the event prefigured by the vision relates to an appointed, namely distant time (cf. Dan 8:17). But at the same time it “hastens, literally breathes, eagerly strives, is drawn forth, so as not to be late (as is said in parallel at the very end of the verse): true prophecy, as the word of the living, all-knowing and almighty God, is as it were animated by the desire for its end, fulfillment, similar to how healthy emerging life is animated by the desire for birth, the search for ultimate development, – which is absent in false prophecy – deception” (prof. Golubev, p. 871). It will not deceive – as false prophets deceived people, promising their hearers various blessings in the near future (cf. Mic 2:11). “But if by chance, as a result of your, reader, impatience and fiery desire it seems to you that what was promised has somewhat delayed in fulfillment, do not despair in its coming, but wait patiently” (blessed Jerome, p. 156). “Truly the word of this prediction is steadfast, therefore do not doubt, though after the passage of much time you do not see the end; because it will surely be accomplished and will not remain unfulfilled” (blessed Theodoret, p. 28). “It will surely come to pass, it will not fail,” Hebrew: bo yabo lo eaḥer, Vulgate: veniens veniet, et non tardabit. LXX: ἐρχόμενος ἥξει, καὶ οὐμὴ χρονίση). The LXX, as well as the Vulgate, understood the Hebrew bo not as an infinitive absolute, but as a participle (Hebrew ba), and in this participle (ἐρχόμενος) saw an indication of the personal Messiah, who will surely come as judge of the world. In this sense the words of verse 3 under consideration are cited also in the Epistle to the Hebrews, Heb 10:37 “the coming one will come, and will not delay.” Such an understanding, in its idea and in its essence, is certainly quite acceptable and entirely correct, but the form of the Hebrew expression bo yabo is more favorable to an abstract than to a concrete understanding of the subject in this predicate (“the coming one” would be gabba).

Habakkuk 2:4–5. Behold, the proud soul will not be at rest, and the righteous shall live by his faith: The haughty man, like fermented wine, does not find rest, so that he enlarges his soul like the grave, and like death he is insatiable, and gathers to himself all peoples, and seizes all nations for himself. In the divine response of verse 4, in two opposite but mutually clarifying statements, the divine judgment is depicted both concerning the people that will oppress the people of God and about this latter – to the former is foretold condemnation, to the latter – justification, life, salvation. The sin of the conquering people is denoted by the verbs: upleted and lo-yashar. The first verb means: to swell, to puff up (the corresponding noun hofol means: a swelling, a growth) and expresses the principal characteristic of the Chaldeans as a conquering people: pride, self-deification with bold forgetfulness of God (cf. Num 14:44; Deut 1:43), where the same verb afal is used of the bold attempt of the Hebrews, after they were condemned to forty years of wandering, to occupy Canaan contrary to the will of God). Similarly, the second verb means the absence in the character of this people of moral rectitude, sincerity, meekness (the verb yashar in the material sense means the evening of roads, the lowering of mountains, hills and cliffs (Isa 40:3-4), and in the moral sense – the rectitude of the paths of life, and humility and rectitude of heart (Ps 31:11). By both verbs, thus, the divine confirmation of the truthfulness of the prophet’s judgments about the character of the conquering people (Hab 1:15-16) is given, and agreement is expressed with the thoughts expressed by the prophet about the latter and about the moral superiority of the people of God before it (Hab 1:13). Already from the first half-verse of verse 4 one can, thus, deduce the thought of the punishment from God awaiting the wicked people of the Chaldeans. But this thought is even more evident from the second half-verse of verse 4: “and the righteous shall live by his faith” (Hebrew vetzaddik beemunataṿ iḥye). Here the divine response calls the chosen people of God by the name of the righteous, which the prophet had earlier called them (Hab 1:13), and likewise the happy, blessed future awaiting them is briefly but fully denoted by the name of life – also in correspondence and opposition to the words of the prophet about the death threatening his people (Hab 1:12); life, of course, is understood in that higher meaning and sense which is generally inherent to the law of Moses (Deut 30:15-19) and to the prophets (Ezek 18:22; Amos 5:4). Such life will be granted through the faith of the righteous (beemunato). That the latter name – emunah in this case means precisely faith and trust in God and His salvation (and not human honesty and righteousness, as some rationalist interpreters expounded), this is evident both from the context of this passage, verses 3–4, in which it speaks only of the relations of man to God, and from other Old Testament places where this same word (emunah), as well as the verb of one root with it (namely, in the Hiphil form heemin) means in the technical sense faith in God (Gen 15:6; Exod 14:31; Num 14:11; Deut 1:32; 2 Sam 17:14; 2 Chr 20:20; Jonah 3:5; Isa 43:10 and others) and wherein happiness of life and salvation was usually placed in dependence on faith (2 Chr 20:20; Isa 28:16 and others). So the ancient Hebrew tradition also interpreted the passage under consideration, as evidenced by the preserved traces of it in the Talmud and among individual rabbis (Babul, Gemara, tr. Makkot f. 24a). But most important of all is that such an understanding from the Old Testament church passed into the New Testament church and was confirmed by the threefold testimony of the holy Apostle Paul: Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38, and in the latter case the apostle cites the words of the prophet of verse 4 according to the LXX translation and moreover with a reversal of the two halves of the verse one for the place of the other. The translation of the LXX differs in rendering verse 4 in that, first, in the first half of the verse it speaks not of the pride of the enemy but of doubt, wavering, lack of faith (in the Hebrews themselves), and, second, in the second half of the verse it has “by My faith” (and not “his own”), although many codices do not read μου (see codices 26, 36, 42, 49, 62, 68, 70, 86, 87, 91, 97, 228, 240, 310, 311 in Holmes). The first peculiarity is present also in the Vulgate and in the Slavonic translation (“If [My soul] doubts, it will not be pleased with him, and the righteous shall live by faith”). Verse 4, which depicts the very essence of the struggle lying before Israel, properly concludes the divine response to Habakkuk, and the prophet, now as before (Hab 1:12), attaches to it his extensive meditation on the revelation received by him on the divine watch, verses 5–20, which meditation, as uttered by the prophet in the moment of illumination by the Spirit of God, is also true prophecy. In order to give his thoughts about the terrible fate awaiting the Chaldeans greater expressiveness, the prophet, beginning from verse 6, places his speech, full of bitterness and irony, in the mouths of the peoples and tribes oppressed and humiliated by the Chaldeans. From their lips the Chaldeans are proclaimed fivefold “woe.” But the theme of these terrible pronouncements for the Chaldeans is given in verse 5. Here the ruinous pride and haughtiness of the Chaldeans is explained by comparison with drunkenness: both concepts are related, and besides, the Chaldeans, according to the testimony of history, greatly indulged in wine, and the very fall of their capital occurred amid drunkenness (Jer 51:31; Isa 21:5; Dan 5:1). “As wine produces on the one who becomes drunk such an effect that, when he rises, neither his feet nor his thoughts fulfill their duties, but the speed of thoughts comes into disorder; so also the haughty man will not be magnified, and will not bring his desire to fulfillment. That one, who is like death and the grave, will not be satisfied and will not see the end of his greed, even when he subjugates all tribes and all peoples to his power” (blessed Jerome, p. 161). Cf. the same image of insatiability in Isa 5:14; Prov 20:1. The very reproaching speech, proclaiming “woe” to the Chaldeans, consists of five stanzas, each of three verses: 1) 6–8; 2) 9–11; 3) 12–14; 4) 15–17; and 5) 18–20). Moreover, in the first four stanzas each first verse contains the utterance of woe or curse, the second – the designation of its nature or form, and the third, constantly beginning with the conjunction because (Hebrew ki), – the indication of its basis, the motive for punishment or woe. Only in the fifth stanza the utterance of “woe” (Hab 2:19) is preceded by the indication of its basis (Hab 2:18). All the speech, as has already been said, is placed in the mouths of the defeated and oppressed peoples and tribes once oppressed by the Chaldeans, now rejoicing at the fall of their oppressor (cf. Nah 3:19), and, by its content and character, is called a “parable,” mashal in the special sense of a “mocking song” (Hab 2:6, as also in Isa 14:4; Mic 2:4), “a sharp, biting riddle,” melitza hidot (cf. Prov 1:6). Having the closest relation properly to the Chaldeans and Babylon, this song or speech contains also general, universal thoughts of a religious-moral nature, which is indicated by the concluding exclamation of the speech: “let all the earth be silent before the face of Jehovah” (Hab 2:20).

Habakkuk 2:6–8. Will not all of them pronounce a parable and a mocking song about him: “Woe to him who enriches himself without measure not by his own – how long? – and burdens himself with pledges!”: Will not those who bite you rise up suddenly, and will not those who rob you rise up against you, and you will become plunder for them?: Because you have robbed many peoples, all the remaining peoples will rob you in turn for the shedding of human blood, for the devastation of the land, city, and all who dwell in it. The first “woe”: to the people – the enemy, embodying, as in verse 5, in the image of one man, is charged with his boundless greed, by reason of which he mercilessly robbed many peoples and cities; he immoderately burdened himself with “pledges” or “hostages,” Hebrew abṭit (verse 6). This obscure word the rabbis and the Syriac translation understood as compounded from ab, cloud, density, and tit, mud, – “a mass of mud”; such an understanding was known to Jewish teachers and to blessed Jerome: “Pay attention,” he says, “also to how subtly he called the accumulated wealth a thick mud” (p. 162). The crime of Babylon will be answered with perfect retribution: the peoples robbed by it will with usury, with interest (verse 7) exact their property from him, and he will become to them for complete plunder (verses 7–8, cf. Isa 33:1).

Habakkuk 2:9–11. Woe to him who seeks unjust gains for his house, so as to set his nest on high and thereby protect himself from the hand of misfortune!: You have devised shame for your house, destroying many peoples, and you have sinned against your own soul.: For the stones of the walls will cry out and the wooden beams will answer them: The second “woe” sets as the object of reproach again the greed of the enemy, but from the standpoint of the falsely understood goal of protecting himself from the enemy: evil cannot hide from evil, and one cannot build his well-being on plunder and injustice (verse 9; cf. Jer 22:13-19); by the law of God’s justice, the lot of one acting thus – shame, disgrace and ruin (verse 10). “Truly he is thrice wretched and most wretched, who desires more and by such means attempts to enrich his house, and endeavors to raise himself above all people. Such a one will suffer a greater fall, as one cast down from a great height into the abyss. Having caused thousands of evils to many peoples, you have pierced your own soul with sins and covered your whole house with shame” (blessed Theodoret, p. 29). A similar image – in Prov 1:19 and in Ps 9:16-17. The very stones and wood – the material of the unjustly created house – will testify to the instability and ruinousness of such building. “Not only rational creatures, but also inanimate and senseless things will cry out about your foolishness and madness” (blessed Theodoret, p. 30). Cf. Matt 21:9; Luke 19:40.

Habakkuk 2:12–14. “Woe to him who builds a city by blood and establishes a fortress by injustice!” Behold, is it not from the Lord of hosts that peoples labor for the fire and tribes afflict themselves in vain? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters fill the sea. The thought of the previous stanza continues also in the present stanza, but is developed with greater breadth: the enemy previously reproved was represented as a builder of houses of injustice, here entire cities and fortresses, and as a builder emerges not one, but a whole multitude of peoples. The complete worthlessness of the deeds done on the basis of iniquity by entire peoples (verse 13; cf. Jer 51:58), the prophet shows in the very name of God, by the determination of whom, all their undertakings prove to be worthless without God’s cooperation (cf. Ps 126:1), – namely in the designation of the Lord of hosts, Jehovah of armies (Jehovah Tsebaot; on the meaning of this name of God, used precisely in the royal-prophetic period of biblical history, see in the book of sacred professor A. A. Glagolev, Old Testament biblical teaching about Angels, 1900, p. 238–256). In contrast to the worthlessness of human deeds (cf. Mic 3:10; Eccl 1:3), the more brightly will shine the greatness and glory of the Lord in His judgment over the proud and wicked kingdom (the Chaldeans), and the knowledge of this glory must spread throughout all the earth (verse 14; cf. Isa 11:9).

Habakkuk 2:15–17. Woe to you, who give your neighbor a drink, mixing in your poison, so as to see his shame!: You have become surfeited with shame instead of glory; drink also you and show shame – so also the cup of the right hand of the Lord will turn to you, and shame upon your glory.: For your violence against Lebanon will come down upon you for the destruction of the terrified animals, for the shedding of human blood, for the devastation of the land, city, and all who dwell in it. In the fourth “woe,” namely in the first statement (verse 15) is indicated a particularly characteristic mark of the cunning, treacherous malice of the Chaldeans: like a deceitful friend who forces his neighbor to drink wine only so as to afterward maliciously enjoy his debased appearance. Babylon lured peoples into friendly alliances with itself (cf. 2 Sam 20:12-18), so that afterward, having plied them from the cup of its malice (cf. Jer 25:15; Nah 3:11), it would delight in their extreme humiliation and shame (cf. Nah 3:5; Isa 47:3), – an image borrowed from the extraordinary depravity of morals to which the enemy indulged on its feasts (whereby, according to Hebrew tradition, captives were brought to these feasts, were plied with wine, made to dance until exhaustion and nakedness, and thereby contemptibly amused themselves). The crime will be answered exactly with punishment – according to the general law of God’s righteousness: by Jehovah, once having entrusted the cup of His wrath to Babylon for presentation to other peoples (Jer 25:15; cf. Isa 51:17; Ps 59:5), is now returned to Babylon itself – it will inevitably have to drink it to the last drop (see Obad 1:16; Jer 51:7), and it awaits the same humiliations, shame and disgrace which it prepared for others (verse 16: gearel, show uncircumcision; kikalon – vomit, cf. Isa 28:8). In verse 17 the basis of such retribution from God to Babylon is indicated, namely – the evils and devastations committed by it upon Lebanon (verse 17), as representative of the promised land (Jer 22:6).

Habakkuk 2:18–19. What profit is there from a carved idol made by the craftsman, this cast image, a teacher of lies, although the one who makes it relies on his own creation? Woe to him who says to the wood: “Awake!” and to the senseless stone: “Wake up!” Will it teach anything? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, but there is no breath in it. The fifth and last “woe” denounces the root of the malice and wickedness of the Chaldeans (as of other pagan peoples), namely: their idolatry. Idols of all kinds: a wooden or stone idol, a graven image or one cast from metal, a molten image – utter nothingness, and prayerful appeal to it – absurdity; the first is proved by the usual indication among biblical writers that the idol – is the work and product of human hands (verse 18; cf. Ps 113:11-16; Isa 44:9), the second – by the fact that idols are “teachers of lies” – in the sense that from them people expected wise counsels and prophecies, but both turned out to be nothing but lies.

Habakkuk 2:20. But the Lord – in His holy temple: let all the earth be silent before His face! Verse 20, which no longer belongs to the threatening speech of “woe” but serves as a transition to chapter III, indicates that the only worthy objects of the faith and hope of men can be only Jehovah. Before Jehovah, dwelling in heaven (cf. Deut 26:15; Ps 10:4), as well as in the temple of Jerusalem (cf. Isa 66:6; Joel 3:16; Amos 1:2) the whole earth (cf. Zeph 1:7) must be silent, and not only the Chaldeans. “The idols are mute and deprived of all power; and for our Master as it were a temple serves the heaven, and on earth in Jerusalem, there is a place dedicated to Him.” * * * Notes Philologically, emunah first and foremost means firmness, steadfastness in the word and promise of God, a faith unshaken by any contradictions of reality in the invisible Greek ὑπόστασις, Heb 11:1; Latin constantia, fiducia.

Chapter Three

1. Superscription. 2. Introduction to the “prayer” with an indication of its principal content – the wrath and mercy of God, revealed to the prophet in the theophany that follows. 3–7. The terrible coming of God to earth from the south. 8. Transition to the following discourse on the meaning of the terrible theophany. 9–15. Further depiction of the theophany with clarification of its significance. 16–19. The prophecy communicated in the revelation, the prophet receives with trembling faith and firm confidence in salvation.

Habakkuk 3:1. Prayer of the prophet Habakkuk, for singing. The designation “prayer,” Hebrew tephillah, Greek προσευχή, Latin oratio, here, as in the superscriptions of several Psalms, Ps 16:1), has a general meaning: a song, used for singing in divine service (in this sense in the place just mentioned Ps 71:20 all Psalms of David are called “prayers,” tephillot). Designated by the prophet upon its writing for liturgical use, this song, undoubtedly, soon received such use, – thanks to the authority of the prophet, and his name remained forever in the superscription of his song (as in the LXX Ps 137:1 are inscribed with the names of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, and Ps 71:1 – with the name of the prophet Zechariah alone) for distinction from other liturgical hymns, as an echo of the liturgical use of chapter III of the book of the prophet Habakkuk, appears also the aforementioned influence of this chapter on Orthodox Christian worship, namely on the formation and structure of the fourth canticle of the canon, in the stanzas and troparia of which very often resound literal expressions from Habakkuk chapter III in the Greek-Slavonic translation. The significance of the last word of verse 1, shiggionot, can only be determined provisionally, as generally musical-liturgical terms in the superscriptions of Psalms are very obscure in their meaning, and remained enigmas even for the ancient translators. The LXX render the word under consideration by the general designation of a song: μετα ωδης, which according to the supposition of blessed Jerome, may mean that “the prophet prays for the coming of Christ and prophesies about Him with gladness, with psalm and song, so that, on one hand, in prayer he earnestly entreats the Father, and on the other hand, in song he praises the Father, Who will send the Son, and the Son, Who is to come” (p. 187). Blessed Jerome himself understands the word under consideration differently – derives it from the verb shaga, to err, and in his translation the Vulgate renders it pro ignorantiis, clarifying in his commentary: “now the prophet brings repentance and laments that he spoke rashly; he asks forgiveness for what he did in ignorance, so as later to receive mercy” (p. 186). Thus, according to the testimony of the same Jerome (p. 135), did also Aquila, Symmachus and the Fifth rendition render this word. To such a derivation of this word, as well as of the word shiggaion in Ps 7:1, also incline some modern commentators (Ewald, Delitzsch, Hitzig, Kleinert), attributing, however, a different meaning to it – cantio erratica, a passionate song, a dithyramb, and affirming that this designation has no connection with the content of the prophecy. Accepting this latter position as entirely uncontroversial, also agreeing with the philological analysis of the word under consideration in modern scholars, as well as in blessed Jerome and in some other ancient translations, nonetheless one should prefer all of them the rendering of the LXX: a song. It is possible, however, as some researchers suppose, that the LXX read not shiggionot, but neginot, as stands in the Hebrew text of verse 19 of this chapter.

Habakkuk 3:2. Lord! I have heard of Your fame and I am afraid. Lord! accomplish Your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy. The difficulty in understanding verse 2 lies in the instability of the Hebrew Masoretic text at this place and in the very marked difference of it from the LXX text; the text of the Vulgate here is closer to the Hebrew text than to the Greek. The opening words of the verse: “Jehovah! I have heard the report of You, and I was afraid” are read in all texts identically. The sense of the words in application to the future judgment upon the Chaldeans is conveyed by blessed Theodoret: “I was filled with fear, Master, hearing Your words; but having seen the justice of Your determination, seeing how You govern all things righteously, I remain in extreme wonder” (p. 32). Then in the Greek text and Slavonic translation follow words not read in other texts: κατενόησα τὰ ἔργα Σου καὶ ἐξέστην ἐν μέσῳ δύο ζώων γνωσθήση. Slavonic: “Understanding Your deeds and being amazed, in the midst of two creatures you will be known.” The first half of the expression constitutes a variation of the opening words of the verse; as a pleonasm, it probably did not stand in the original text, and these words are omitted also in many Greek codices (for instance 22, 36, 42, 49, 51, 62, 86, 91, 95, 97, 130, 147, 165, 228, 238, 240, 310, 311 in Holmes). But the second part of the expression mentioned represents a peculiar rendering of the Hebrew: pooleḥa beqerev shanim ḥayeṿu “revive Your work in the middle of years,” cf. Vulg.: opus tuum, in medio annorum vivifica illud. But what animals are spoken of here, opinions differ greatly. Blessed Theodoret says: “Some understood by two animals the Angels and men; others – those of the incorporeal powers who are brought near to God’s glory, – the Cherubim and Seraphim; and some – the Judeans and Babylonians. But it seems to me that the prophet speaks not of two animals but of two lives, the present and the future, in the midst of which appears the righteous Judge” (p. 32). According to the testimony of blessed Jerome, “the simple interpretation and usual understanding refers this place to the Savior, because He was recognized at the time of the crucifixion in the midst of two robbers (Mark 15; John 19)” or better – “that in the primitive church, which was composed of the circumcised and uncircumcised, the Savior was called and became the object of faith for the two peoples surrounding Him from all sides. And there are also those who understand by animals the two Covenants, Old and New, which are truly spiritual and have life, which breathe and through which the Lord will be known” (p. 189). The corresponding expressions of the Hebrew text and the Vulgate express the general thought – the prayer of the prophet for the revival (as in Ps 79:15) or restoration in Israel of the work of God’s grace, that is – in the historical sense for the restoration of the Old Testament theocracy after the Babylonian captivity, but in the foreshadowing sense – for the work of redemption of mankind by the coming Messiah. The concluding part of the verse expresses that, running through all biblical teaching about God, the thought that in His relations with the world and mankind God is guided above all by His goodness and mercy, and that He remains kind and merciful even when He punishes men: “When You disturb men in punishments, and then, being led by mercy, You change their sorrowful condition again” (blessed Theodoret, p. 32). Thus, despite all the differences in reading verse 2 in various texts, the general Messianic thought of the verse is preserved, which in any case contains a prophetic presentiment of the coming Messiah. The theophany that follows, verse 3 and onward, depicts His very coming in the future.

Habakkuk 3:3. God comes from Teman, and the Holy One – from the mount of Paran. His majesty covers the heavens, and His praise fills the earth. The prophet depicts the future manifestation of God in the images and scenes that took place at the manifestation of God at the time of the Sinai legislation (Exod 19:18; Deut 4:11), which event, by virtue of its extraordinary importance for the entire religious-national life of Israel and all humanity, is repeatedly recalled by the sacred biblical writers (Deut 33:2; Judg 5:4; Ps 67:8-9). According to the prophetic depiction “God comes from Teman and the Holy One – from the mount of Paran. His majesty covers the heavens, and His praise fills the earth” (verse 3). Teman, Hebrew teman, – a region or locality in Idumea (Amos 1:12; Jer 49:7 and others), namely in its northwestern part (Ezek 25:13), but at the same time this word has in the Hebrew language a common meaning: south, and in such sense it is rendered in the translation of Theodotion and in some codices (LXX ἀπὸ λιβὸς ἥξει, codices 62, 86, 147 in Holmes), as well as in the Vulgate (ab austro). “Paran” – Hebrew paran, – the proper name of a desert locality to the south of Palestine, between the wilderness of Shur on the west and the Egyptian Gulf on the east (Gen 21:21; Num 10:12 and others); here, as in Deut 33:2, the discourse concerns not the whole desert of Paran, but only the mountain of this name. In the accepted text of the LXX, besides the name Paran, stand also two words that have no correspondence in the Hebrew text, – κατασκιοῦ δάσεως, although in many codices of the Greek text (for instance 23, 42, 49, 51, 68, 91, 97, 158, 228, 238, 239, 240 in Holmes) the name P. is entirely omitted, as also in the Slavonic: “from the mountain of a shaded forest.” Blessed Jerome noted by one Hebrew: “Bethlehem, in which the Savior was born, is located to the south; that is what the words mean: the Lord will come from the south, that is, will be born in Bethlehem and from there will rise. And since the One born in Bethlehem once gave the law on Mount Sinai, He is the Holy One who comes from Mount Paran, because Paran is a place adjacent to Mount Sinai” (p. 193). Similarly, blessed Theodoret says: “The prophet predicts and foretells the incarnation of God and our Savior, which took place in Bethlehem, which lies to the south; or to the left, from Jerusalem. And he calls the mountain a shaded one because Jerusalem itself, which once abounded in manifold gifts, was overshadowed by clouds and remained under the shelter of God in heaven” (p. 33). – The word standing in the Hebrew text in the middle of the verse, sela (also below in verses 9 and 13, as well as used 71 times in the Psalms), Greek διάψαλμα, – is in its etymology and meaning unclear; it is usually considered to be a musical term denoting a pause in singing and the like (see Sommer – Biblische Abhandlungen. B d. I, Explanation of Sela, p. 1–84). The second part of the verse depicts the glory and majesty of the appearing Lord; His glory and glorification must fill the whole earth (cf. Ps 8:1-2; Isa 6:3). “For the only-begotten Word of God, having become incarnate, was dispelling the darkness of ignorance and illuminating mankind with the rays of the knowledge of God, and taught all that God is the Creator of heaven, earth and all things” (blessed Theodoret, p. 33).

Habakkuk 3:4. His brightness is like the sunlight; rays issue from His hand, and there is the hiding place of His power! Verse 4 depicts the external, extraordinarily brilliant setting of the future manifestation of God: and in all the material nature only the bright light of the sun can approximate an understanding of the celestial magnificence of the theophany; at this time the rays of the sun, as if adorning the manifestation of God (cf. Ps 103:2), are compared – as this is usual also in Arabic poetry – to horns (cf. Exod 34:29; Ps 21:1). There is no need to say how fitting this image is in reference to Christ – the Sun of righteousness. The last words of verse 4 – instead of the Hebrew vesham ḥivyon uzzo, Vulg ibi abscondita est fortitudo ejus, Russian synod: “and there is the hiding place of His power,” – the LXX have: καὶ ἔθετο ἀγάπησιν κραταιανίαχυος αὐτοῦ, Slavonic: “and placed love strong in His mighty power,” from which it is evident, remarks blessed Jerome, that according to the LXX reading “even these words should be understood in reference to Christ, (namely) that God the Father covered the heavens with His power, and filled the earth with praises, and made His shining like light, and placed the kingdom in the hand of His Son, so as to move men to love the Beloved One and to love not with weak love, but strongly and mightily” (blessed Jerome, p. 196–197).

Habakkuk 3:5–7. Before His face goes pestilence, and plague follows in His steps. He stood and shook the earth; He looked, and made the nations tremble; the eternal mountains were scattered, the primordial hills sank; the ways of eternity are His. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian trembled. Verses 5–7 point to various terrible phenomena accompanying the manifestation of God in the world, whereby the images of these phenomena are very common in other sacred writings. Thus, for verse 5, speaking of pestilence, Hebrew deber, and deadly heat, Hebrew reshaf, parallels are Exod 9:3 and Deut 32:24. In the LXX text the word deber, evidently read as dabar, a word (which was always possible in the absence of vocalization) is rendered as λόγος, word; differently is it rendered in the Greek-Slavonic text and the second half of verse 5. Blessed Jerome remarked: “if according to the LXX we read: Before His face goes the word, and in His steps goes forth the word into the fields, then this means that the word of God preceding His coming, which figuratively is called the face, will precede Him and prepare the hearts of believers, so as to straighten what is crooked and make even what is uneven, and so that the soul of the listener, as it were like a tilled field, could receive spiritual seed” (p. 198). But Jerome himself regarding reshef accepts the opinion of the Jews of his time, who thought of Reshef as the name of the prince of demons (like Beelzebul Matt 12:24), who in the form of a serpent seduced Eve in paradise and received the name itself from the curse pronounced by God (as creeping on the belly), and in his translation the Vulgate renders the second half of verse 5 thus: et egredietur diabolus ante pedes ejus, seeing here a prediction of the forty-day temptation of the Lord by the devil in the wilderness (p. 197–198). But it seems better to remain with the direct, literal meaning of the Hebrew Masoretic text. “By all that has been said (in verses 3–7), the Prophet showed us the inexpressible power of God; because what is determined by God is followed by the deed itself; merely by wishing (the prophet expressed this by the words: He stood and looked) He shakes the earth, destroys the human race, tears asunder the mountains, makes the hills melt like wax. And God does such things for the benefit of men. For by his journeys the prophet calls the deeds; and signifies by them all that He poured out for all men salvation through the cross. Upon it stood the Master Christ, and shook the earth, moved and tore asunder the mountains, struck terror into the demons, destroyed the temples on the mountains and hills, having determined this from the beginning to the end of the world, and accomplished it in the last days” (blessed Theodoret, p. 34). The remark of verse 7 about Midian and Cushan (probably a near and kindred tribe to the Midianites) has its historical basis in the facts of the defeat of the Midianites under Moses (Num 31:7) and Gideon (Judg 7:21).

Habakkuk 3:8. Did Your wrath blaze against the rivers, O Lord? Was Your anger against the rivers, or was Your fury against the sea, that You rode upon Your horses, upon Your chariots of salvation? The question contained here in the sense of the terrible phenomena described earlier has the significance not of an actual question requiring a corresponding answer, but rather is a poetic device – a usual pause in biblical-poetic works (cf. Gen 49:14; Judg 5:12; Ps 67:20), serving as a transition to the depiction of a new theophany. The general sense of the verse and especially the second half of it is that, according to the biblical view, the natural elements and all individual phenomena of it serve the purposes of God’s world-governance (cf. Ps 103:4), and the very image of chariots and horses the prophet borrowed from the history of the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea by the Hebrews (Exod 14:25-26). “As You dried up the Jordan and the Red Sea, fighting for us, not because You were angry at the rivers and sea, and not because inanimate objects could incur Your wrath; so now, mounting Your chariots, grasping the bow, You will grant salvation to Your people, and forever fulfill the oaths by which You swore to our fathers and to peoples” (blessed Jerome, p. 202). By contrast (contrary to the opinion of rationalist biblical scholars, such as: Gunkel, Marti), there is no trace in the prophet’s words of any allusion to mythological struggle with the elements, for instance to the Assyriology myth of Tiamat (the abyss, chaos).

Habakkuk 3:9–15. You drew Your bow bare, according to the oaths sworn to the tribes. You cleft the earth with rivers.: The mountains saw You and trembled; a torrent of water swept by; the deep gave its voice, lifting its hands on high; the sun and moon stood in their place, at the light of Your flying arrows, at the brightness of Your gleaming spear.: In wrath You went through the earth and in anger You trampled upon the peoples.: You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for the salvation of Your anointed. You crushed the head of the wicked house, laying it bare from foundation to top. You pierced with his own spears the heads of his warriors, when they storm forth like a whirlwind to scatter me, exulting as though to devour the poor in secret.: You have made a path through the sea with Your horses, through the surge of the great waters. The general sense of this section is clear: as is evident from verse 12, here an answer is given to the question (Hab 3:8) about the sense and basis of the elemental phenomena, magnificent and destructive, which accompany the manifestation of God in the world: God’s wrath is turned not against the sea and rivers, but against men, namely against the Chaldeans and similar peoples angered at God by their wickedness. But understanding of particulars encounters difficulty in the difference of the Hebrew and Greek texts. Not entering into detailed comparison and reconciliation of both texts, we will limit ourselves to a brief analysis and clarification of the content of the prophet’s discourse in this section. Verses 9–11, judging by the images contained here, recall the history of the miraculous crossing of the Hebrews through the Red Sea under Moses (Exod 14:21) and across the Jordan before the occupation of Palestine under Joshua (Josh 3:16), as well as the miraculous standing still of the sun under him as well (see Josh 10:13). This recollection is intended to revive in the listeners or readers of the prophet the consciousness of the boundless omnipotence of God, the irresistible power of Jehovah in the struggle with peoples hostile to the chosen people of God (Hab 3:12), and with individual heralds of the divine truth from among it at different times. “And when the prophets sent by You to the peoples rise in revolt, You, says the prophet, having inexpressible power, abounding in all punitive weapons, though You are able by one baptism to destroy all the earth with its inhabitants, will nonetheless remain long-suffering” (blessed Theodoret, p. 36–37). In verse 18 at last, clearly and definitively, the purpose of the whole theophany is indicated: the salvation of the anointed one or the anointed ones of God. Under the name anointed, Hebrew mashiaḥ, according to biblical usage, here, as in very many other places, one can understand the king of Judah, since the kings of Judah, as appointed by God, were usually called by this designation (1 Sam 2:10; Ps 2:2; Lam 4:20 and others). But since the later Judean kings were people unworthy of their theocratic calling, it is more natural under this honorable and sacred name to understand the whole people of God, especially in its idea rather than in its concrete actuality. Such a broad sense of the term under consideration was generally known to the Old Testament, where, besides kings, the anointed were also the patriarchs – the founders of the Hebrew people (Ps 104:15), later the high priests (Lev 4:3), and later, in only one place, the Persian king Cyrus (Isa 45:1). Of the whole Hebrew people this name was used, it appears, in Ps 88:39 (cf. Ps 83:10), as well as, probably, in the place under consideration. Finally, in the perspective of prophetic vision the name Mashiaḥ, Messiah, Christ, is not infrequently applied to the coming Christ the Savior (see Ps 2:2; see John 1:41), as well as to all His followers, as participants in His anointing. In this sense blessed Theodoret remarks to verse 13: “the prophet calls anointed those deemed worthy of the calling, who in faith have received the preaching, and have been deemed worthy of the grace of the divine Spirit” (p. 37). The second half of verse 13 expresses the thought of the protection of God’s Providence over His chosen ones through the punishment of their wicked enemies, – more closely the Chaldeans. The thought of the inevitability of God’s punishment for the enemies and enslavers of the people of God prevails also in the following, verses 14 and 15. The sense of verse 14 blessed Theodoret paraphrases in the following manner: “When Your power becomes manifest to all peoples; then those clothed with high authority will come into such fear that they will not openly but in secrecy and secretly express their resistance, so that justly another would compare them to a poor man, who does not dare to eat food openly, but chews it without opening his mouth” (p. 37). The content of verse 15 is closely reminiscent of the second half of verse 8.

Habakkuk 3:16–19. I heard, and my inward parts trembled; at the sound of it my lips quivered, and decay entered into my bones, and my steps tottered beneath me; yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble, when he comes up against the people who invade us.: Though the fig tree should not blossom and there should be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields should yield no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there should be no cattle in the stalls, –: yet I will rejoice in the Lord and exult in the God of my salvation.: God the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer, and makes me walk on the heights! In the conclusion of his “prayer,” and at the same time of his entire book, the prophet depicts his impressions of the theophany, as well as the feelings and thoughts evoked by it and by the entire content of the prophecy. The first impression of the vision and revelation received by the prophet, – an impression of all-encompassing fear and trembling (Hab 3:16), similar to what was precisely the impression of visions on the prophet Daniel (Dan 8:18). At this the fear that seized the prophet, and which he had already mentioned at the beginning of his prayer (Hab 3:2), was caused not only by the supernaturalness and heavenly nature of the theophany, but also by the terrible character of the events foretold by it, closely and fatefully affecting the destiny of his native people: “moved by compassion for foreigners, he came into trembling and fear from the predictions uttered in prayer” (blessed Theodoret, p. 38). But as a true messenger of the will and judgments of God, the prophet knows and announces to men, that alongside the horror of afflictions there must also be calm confidence and hope in God and His never-ceasing and even amid wrath mercy (Hab 3:16, cf. Isa 14:13). This is not enough: in the following verses, 17–19, the prophet, as a true teacher of faith and morality, of holiness and good, expresses the exalted thought that God should be glorified even in the midst of the greatest afflictions. In verse 17 the prophet draws a picture of the greatest and most painful life deprivations and difficulties: the prophet foresees the approach of such a time, when the inhabitants of Palestine, this land flowing with honey and milk, will experience – due to the invasion of enemies – extreme lack of the necessities of life satisfying biblical Hebrews: there will be neither the products of garden cultivation – the fruits of the fig tree, the grape vine and the olive, nor the fruits of agriculture and the field, nor the products of cattle raising – a vivid picture of the desolation of the holy land, reminiscent of a similar depiction of it by the prophet Joel during a time of national calamity, the invasion of locusts (Joel 1:17-20). But even under such heavy conditions of existence, regardless of all the weight of national afflictions, the prophet Habakkuk, like the prophet Micah in similar circumstances (Mic 7:7), expresses firm faith in God Jehovah, perfect confidence in Him and complete devotion to Him, and therefore expresses and complete readiness to praise Him (Hab 3:18-19). Here, as in many other biblical places (for instance in Ps 72:25-26), is given a vivid and evident testimony to the absolute value of religious good, the good of communion with God, of true religion in general: no matter what misfortunes a person may suffer, the duty remains in full force “to serve the Lord with fear and rejoice in Him with trembling” (Ps 2:11). And whoever, like the prophet, is penetrated by this conviction, will find, like him as well, a gracious power for his religious struggle, and will exclaim with the prophet: “God the Lord is my strength: He will make my feet like those of a gazelle, and will set me upon the heights” (Hab 3:19), that is, “God will strengthen the weakness of my nature, and will make it so that like a gazelle I will tread upon serpents and scorpions and spirits of wickedness, until I ascend to the height of virtue and sing the victory song to my Savior and Creator” (blessed Theodoret, p. 39–40). Concerning the general sense of the “prayer” of the prophet Habakkuk, blessed Theodoret remarks: “I know that some, understanding all the prayer of Habakkuk historically, asserted that the prophet predicted this concerning the return from Babylon. I will not contradict, if someone wishes to suppose that what was prophesied in figure was about those who returned from captivity; because such an understanding is also in accord with my interpretation; for if the Old Testament is indeed a true foreshadowing of the New Testament, then… I would consider it in no way incongruous, when reality prevails, and the body covers the shadow, to understand prophecy not entirely corresponding to it…” (p. 40). From this remark of the church teacher, an authoritative interpreter of Holy Scripture, it follows that both elements – the historical and the typological in the explanation of the content of the “prayer,” as well as in the explanation of the entire book of the prophet Habakkuk in general – should find their equal, harmoniously unified application. The same rule should be observed also in the interpretation of other prophecies of the Old Testament.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Introduction

The ninth place in the order of the books of the minor prophets, both in the Hebrew Masoretic Bible and in the Greek LXX, Latin Vulgate, and other translations, is occupied by the book of the prophet Zephaniah. The Hebrew name of the prophet – Tsephania – transmitted in the LXX as Σοφανίας, from Hebrew means, according to the words composing it: tsaphan (to cover, to protect) and ia(h) – Jehovah, thus meaning “he whom Jehovah protects, to whom Jehovah shows favor.” This name in the Old Testament, besides the prophet, was borne by three other persons mentioned in various biblical places (among them, the high priest of the temple contemporary with the prophet, Jer 21:1; Compare Zech 6:10 and 1 Chr 6:21), and according to the indicated etymology of this name, it generally expressed the theocratic confidence of the faithful people of the Old Testament in the gracious protection continuously exercised by Jehovah’s concern (compare Ps 26:5). Not quite as closely responsive to the direct literal meaning of the first part of the Hebrew name of the prophet is the transmission and explanation of the word Tsephata given by blessed Jerome. “The name Zephaniah,” says he 1, some translated as ‘a high place for watching’ (specula from the verb ‘tsaphat,’ watched), others as ‘the secret of the Lord’ (from the verb ‘tsaphan’ – to be hidden). However, whether this name is interpreted as ‘a tower of watching for the day’ or as ‘the secret of the Lord,’ both equally suit the prophet. Indeed, it is said to Ezekiel: ‘Son of man, I have made you a watchman (tsopheh) for the house of Israel’ (Ezek 3:17), and in another place: ‘For the Lord God does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants, the prophets’ (Amos 3:7). In accordance with this explanation, blessed Jerome conveys the meaning of the Hebrew name of the prophet Zephaniah by the expression: ‘Speculator et arcanorum Dei cognitor.’ But despite the truth and depth of the thought contained here, there is no exact correspondence to the Hebrew etymology of the prophet’s name in blessed Jerome’s explanation: the verbs ‘tsaphat’ and ‘tsaphan,’ despite their mutual closeness in origin and meaning, nonetheless each has an independent meaning, and the second verb more often has a concrete meaning (to cover, to protect) than an abstract one (secret). In view of this it is better to remain with the first etymology of the name Tsephania-Zephaniah, which we indicated.

No information about the person, life, and activity of the prophet Zephaniah has been preserved in the historical and contemporary prophetic writings of the Old Testament, and the sole direct biblical testimony about the prophet as the author of the prophetic book known by his name, about his origin and the time of his prophetic activity, is the inscription of the book, Zeph 1:1: “The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah, son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah, son of Amon, king of Judah.”

What is the meaning of the indication of the prophet’s ancestors named here? “The Hebrews,” says blessed Jerome (cited commentary 237), “hand down that if in the title of a book the name of a father or grandfather of some prophet is indicated, then these also were prophets. Therefore, Amos also, one of the twelve prophets, who says: I am not a prophet, nor am I a son of a prophet; I was a shepherd and I gathered figs of the sycamore tree (Amos 7:14), in the title of the book does not have the name of his father. If this tradition is true, then the prophet Zephaniah was born, so to speak, from a prophetic name and from a glorious line of ancestors…” But this Hebrew-rabbinical tradition has questionable historical validity: the father of the prophet Jeremiah named Hilkiah (Jer 1:1) and Ezekiel’s father, Buzi (Ezek 1:3), were priests, and about their prophetic dignity or service, as well as about other persons named as fathers of prophets (Amoz, father of the prophet Isaiah, Isa 1:1, Beeri, father of Hosea, Hos 1:1, Barachel, father of Joel, Joel 1:1; Amathiah, father of Jonah, Jonah 1:1; Barachiah, father of the prophet Zechariah, Zech 1:1), nothing reliable is known, and this is very improbable, since prophetic service among God’s people generally did not have a hereditary character. Other ancient and modern commentators maintain that such an unusually long genealogy of the prophet even to the fourth generation in the ascending degree indicates that the prophet came from a noble family and had several ancestors distinguished by their deeds. Passing over the unknown to history – the father of the prophet, Cushi, the grandfather, Gedaliah, and the great-grandfather, Amariah – researchers usually concentrate on the fourth and last member of the genealogical table – the great-great-grandfather Hezekiah, by whose name the nobility of the prophet’s origin ought to be determined, and some (in modern times Black, Strauss, Hitzig, Stade and others) identify this great-great-grandfather of the prophet with the contemporary king of Judah named Hezekiah (2 Sam 18:1), thus recognizing the prophet’s belonging to the royal line. This opinion in itself contains nothing impossible. Although the contemporary of the prophet Zephaniah, King Josiah of Judah, was not a great-great-grandson but only a great-grandson of King Hezekiah – separated from him not by three intermediate members, as in the prophet’s genealogy, but only by two (Manasseh – Amon), and although biblical testimony does not mention Amariah, the son of King Hezekiah and brother of King Manasseh, both are quite possible and explicable in light of the long period of time separating Josiah and the prophet Zephaniah from King Hezekiah. However, two circumstances speak against this supposition: 1) the absence in the considered inscription of the title “king of Judah” (Hebrew “melekh Yehudah”) at the name Hezekiah, which the prophet would have directly and positively established the nobility of his lineage; 2) the testimony of the Hebrew tradition, preserved in the work “de vita prophetarum” of Pseudo-Epiphanius, according to which the prophet Zephaniah came from the tribe of Simeon from the region of Saraphat. This tradition is entered into our Menologies under December 3, the day of church commemoration of the memory of the prophet, and although the credibility of this tradition is not above doubt, the very existence of such a tradition about the origin of the prophet Zephaniah from the tribe of Simeon sufficiently strongly speaks against the supposition about the prophet’s belonging to the royal line, consequently to the tribe of Judah, since otherwise it would be incomprehensible how the tradition could have ascribed him to another tribe, while indicating precisely and the place of his birth. Thus, the opinion about the prophet Zephaniah’s belonging to the royal line of David cannot be recognized as certain. It is better to accept the opinion of St. Cyril of Alexandria, that (as can be concluded from the long enumeration of the prophet’s ancestors) the prophet Zephaniah “was by birth not of an ignoble family” (οὐκ ἄσημος ὤν κατὰ σὰρκα γένος) 2. The tradition has not preserved other information about the life and activity of the prophet, just as Scripture has not. The Christian Orthodox Church, celebrating the church glorification of the prophet Zephaniah on December 3, in the church service to the prophet especially notes the solemn Messianic prophecy of the glorification of Zion with the manifestation of Christ, Zeph 3:14-15. “You appeared radiant with the Divine Spirit, prophet Zephaniah, proclaiming the revelation of God: rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion, Jerusalemite, proclaim: behold, your king comes saving you” (kontakion of the prophet. See canon song 6, troparion 2).

The time of the prophetic service and also the utterance of the speeches of the prophet Zephaniah is determined in the very inscription of his book “in the days of Josiah, son of Amon, king of Judah,” who reigned, as is known from 2 Sam 22:1 and 2 Chr 34:1, for thirty-one years – according to the accepted chronology from 641 to 610 BC. But to which exactly period of this reign the beginning of Zephaniah’s prophetic activity belongs – researchers differ in answering this question.

It is known that the reign of the pious Josiah was a time of religious reform directed at eradicating idolatry among God’s people – the unfortunate legacy of Josiah’s father Amon and grandfather Manasseh. Comparing the account of this reform 2 Sam 22-23 and 2 Chr 34-35, in modern times they ordinarily divide the reign of Josiah into three periods, different in character: the first eleven years of his reign form the first, pre-reform period, then from the 12th year to the 18th (when the book of the Law was found in the temple by the high priest Hilkiah, 2 Sam 22:8; 2 Chr 34:15 and following), follows the period of the reform activity of King Josiah directed at destroying all forms of idolatry and restoring the worship and service of Jehovah in complete purity, finally, from the 19th year to the 31st year the post-reform period. To which of these periods should the utterance of Zephaniah’s prophetic speeches be assigned? In the absence of any direct external testimony about the activity of the prophet Zephaniah, in solving this question one must be guided by internal data from the book itself, as well as by certain comparisons and analogies from the book of the prophet Jeremiah, who came to his prophetic service, as is known (Jer 1:2), in the 13th year of the reign of Josiah, consequently, undoubtedly being – for a more or less prolonged time – a contemporary of the prophet Zephaniah. But the indications in the book about the internal state of the Judean people, as well as about its external relations with other peoples, have such a general character that they do not allow establishing precise dates and do not exclude the possibility of different opinions about the time of utterance of Zephaniah’s prophetic speeches. Thus, some researchers and interpreters of the book of the prophet Zephaniah assign the time of the utterance of the speeches contained in it to the first period preceding the reform of worship during the reign of Josiah (Ewald, Gesenius, Stade and others, among Russians – Tyurnin, Narcissus). The grounds for this are the following data about the internal state of the Judean kingdom borrowed from the book itself: 1) in the land prevails – the cult of Baal with special priests, chemarim, worship and service of the heavenly bodies and the cult of Molech (Zeph 1:4-9), 2) the chief significance in the life of the people belongs to the secular and spiritual aristocracy, which, however, abuses its position and only corrupts the people (Zeph 3:2-4); 3) from without, the state enjoys peace, in the hands of the ruling persons and merchants considerable wealth has accumulated (Zeph 1:13), but material comfort created in them a complete indifference to the teaching and threats of the prophets, absolute moral indifference, and the sole means to destroy evil is the complete destruction of the lawless (Zeph 1:3). All these features, they say, indicate that time when on the part of state power, due to Josiah’s minority, measures had not yet been undertaken to eradicate idolatry in the land, and the religious life of the people remained in the state inherited from the two preceding impious reigns. These features, taken from the content of the book itself, were indeed present in the life of the people to whom Zephaniah’s prophetic speeches were addressed, but they were not the exclusive possession of only the first period of the reign, on the contrary, all of them and in their entirety were present both during Josiah’s reform and after it, as becomes especially clear from the comparison of Zephaniah’s prophetic speeches with the threatening speeches of the prophet Jeremiah, Jer 11-17, uttered already after Josiah’s reform, moreover even during his own lifetime. The opinion about the earlier origin of Zephaniah’s prophecy could gain greater force and stability only if it were probable the supposition of many historians of antiquity and learned researchers of the book of the prophet Zephaniah (Duncker, Niebuhr, Schrader, Maspero, Stade and others), that in the latter, specifically in the prophecy about the nearness of the dreadful day of the Lord, a day of wrath and distress, a day of trumpet and battle cry, Zeph 1:14-16, one can see a premonition of the invasion of the Scythians which in the second half of the 7th century BC shook all of Western Asia. The principal and perhaps even sole source of historical information about this event is the account of Herodotus, according to which the Scythians invaded Media at the time when Cyaxares the Mede was besieging Nineveh, forced him to lift this siege, defeated him and dominated in Asia for 28 years; attempted to penetrate Egypt, but Pharaoh Psamtik succeeded in buying them off with a tribute, and on the return journey they plundered the temple of Aphrodite-Astarte in the Philistine city of Ascalon; finally, were expelled by that same Cyaxares (Herod., Histor. I, 103–106; I, 73; IV, 1). But first of all, it must be known that historians do not agree on the precise chronology of the Scythian invasion, and one can only with greater or lesser probability assign it to the time of the Judean king Josiah (i.e., generally after 640 BC). The main point – is that the invasion of the Scythians, so memorable to other peoples of Western Asia, apparently scarcely touched Judea and the Judean people at all (the Scythians perhaps only passed through part of Judea, capturing only booty, as they did in the land of the Philistines), and therefore did not find any significant, or even direct echo in the speeches of the contemporary prophets of God’s people – Zephaniah and Jeremiah. In the depiction by the prophet Jeremiah of the enemies who should appear as executors of God’s judgment over the Judeans (Jer 4:6-7) there is not a single feature which could not be fully attributed to the Babylonians (Jer 25:9-11); clear indications of the Scythians we do not find in him. A similar thing must be said about the prophet Zephaniah and his book. There is no need to see in the depiction Zeph 1:14-16 of the terrible day of Jehovah necessarily the disaster of Scythian invasion (this invasion for Judea, as has been said, apparently had no significant importance). Rather, the invasion of the Scythians and their dominion over various peoples of Asia could only give occasion to the prophet Zephaniah to depict God’s judgment over the Judean people, hardened in its corruption and become blind and deaf to the great signs of the time (Zeph 2:1-2); meanwhile the prophet discerned in the intense enmity and conflict of various peoples with each other only the beginning of a bloody struggle for supremacy in the world, which was to shake almost all the states of that time (Zeph 2:4-11) and lead Judea to complete destruction (Zeph 1:2-3). The Scythian invasion, thus, could only give occasion to the terrible perspective depicted by the prophet, awaiting the Judeans. An indirect allusion to this devastating for many Asian peoples invasion of the Scythians is not without reason discerned in the words of the prophet Zephaniah Zeph 3:6-8, as well as in the first half of the verse Zeph 1:18. In the latter place one can hypothetically see an intense indication of the especially distinctive greed of these plunderers that characterized their conquering campaigns.

According to the opinion of other researchers (Keplna, Hitzig, Strauss), the origin of Zephaniah’s prophecy is contemporary with the very reform activity of King Josiah. But however probable in itself the actual participation of the prophet Zephaniah together with other contemporary prophets (see 2 Sam 23:2) in the renewal of the covenant and the subsequent cleansing of the temple, Jerusalem, and the land from the attributes of idolatry, there is no direct indication in the prophet’s book of the religious worship reforms of King Josiah, and therefore the idea of placing the content of the book in a temporal and causal connection with the event and details of King Josiah’s reform must be abandoned.

It remains, thus, to assign the speeches of the prophet Zephaniah to the third and final period of the life and reign of Josiah, that is, after the 18th year of his rule, which some researchers do (Delitzsch, Kleinert, Philippson and others). The entire situation of the book – the depiction of the people’s sins against faith and morality, as well as the punishments awaiting them – is analogous to the prophetic speeches of Jeremiah, uttered undoubtedly during the time after Josiah’s reform already. To speak of the impending destruction of the “remnants of Baal” (Zeph 1:4) could only be done after Josiah, upon reaching maturity, initiated religious reform, especially after the discovery of the book of the Law (in the 18th year) with new zeal undertook the destruction of the remnants of idolatry in his land. Similarly, about the official use of the Law in the land, although violated by priests (Zeph 3:4), could there be any question until before the discovery of the “book of the Law.” And the prophet Jeremiah speaks of idolatry (Jer 7:17) alongside the official dominion of true worship and legalism (Jer 6:19-30), of false swearing in the name of Jehovah alongside swearing by idols (Jer 5:2; compare Zeph 1:5), of malicious transgression of the Law (Jer 8:8-9), of the corruption of all classes of the people – the royal family, princes, prophets and priests (Jer 2:8; see Zeph 1:4). Therefore both prophets recognize the sole possible outcome for the people of their time – universal destruction, the dreadful wrath of God, the kindling of all-consuming flames of God’s wrath (Zeph 1:18; see Jer 7:20), which is to destroy from the face of Palestine people and all that lives (Zeph 1:2-3; see Jer 4:25), and thus, as it were, repeat and develop the substance of the dreadful prophecy of Huldah concerning the discovery of the book of the Law and its curses (2 Sam 22:16 following 2 Chr 24:24). Finally, the very fact that the prophet Zephaniah, adhering to the well-known prophecy of Nahum (see especially Nah 1:14), foretells the speedy destruction of Nineveh and all of Assyria (Zeph 2:13-15), which according to the now accepted count in science occurred in 606 BC, more favors the relatively later rather than earlier composition of the book.

In accordance with the inscription of the book, in the authenticity of which there is no reason for doubt, earlier researchers recognized it as the work of one sacred writer who lived about 25 years before the Babylonian exile. But from the middle of the nineteenth century, when the so-called higher criticism of biblical writings posed the question of the origin and composition of each of them, objections began to arise against the recognition of the unity and coherence of the book of the prophet Zephaniah. At present, some biblical critics (Stade, Schwally, Budde) assert that only the first chapter unquestionably belongs to the prophet Zephaniah, whose name stands in the inscription, while in the second and third chapters critics point out both individual verses and entire sections allegedly of post-exilic origin. These include all those passages which, in the opinion of critics, in tone and direction do not accord with the content of the first chapter, namely do not have a threatening reproving character with respect to the Judeans, but on the contrary are intended to protect the Judean people from other peoples – such is the section Zeph 2:4-10, containing the foretelling of judgment on the peoples neighboring Judea; or else in their content they contain indication of circumstances of the time of the Babylonian exile or even the post-exilic period, such as: Zeph 3:9-10 (see Zeph 2:11), expressing the idea of the conversion of the heathen to Jehovah, and Zeph 3:14-20, containing the solemn prophecy about the future renewal and glorification of Zion after the times of abasement. But the pre-exilic prophecies also contain not only reproofs and threats against the unfaithful and criminal Judean people, but also comforting prophecies about the salvation and glorification of the faithful remnant (Amos 5:15; Joel 2:32; Isa 37:32; Mic 5:6). Likewise, the conditions favorable for the spread of true knowledge of God among the heathen existed long before the Babylonian exile, and biblical history knows not only many individual cases of the conversion of heathen to faith in Jehovah: Rahab (Josh 2:10-22), Ruth, Naaman the Syrian (2 Sam 5:1), but also whole masses of heathen, such as the Gibeonites (Josh 9). Especially favorable conditions for this conversion of the heathen to faith in Jehovah opened from the time of the fall of the northern ten-tribed kingdom of Israel, when the Assyrians relocated to the place of the Israelites began to acquire the principles of the religion of Jehovah, although at first this worship of theirs could only be very imperfect (2 Sam 17:24). It is still less strange or incomprehensible what is contained in the expression of the prophet that Jehovah “will restore the captivity” of the Judeans (Zeph 2:7), which, according to the opinion of critics, indicates that the Judeans at the time of writing these sections were already in exile. In reality, the thought about the necessity, the inevitability of the captivity of the chosen people in the event they do not fulfill God’s commandments, as well as about their liberation in the event of repentance for correction – this thought is very ancient, expressed even by Moses (Deut 30:3) and repeated more than once by prophets who lived undoubtedly before the exile (for example Hos 6:11). All the more, of course, is this speech understandable in the mouth of a prophet who lived and prophesied some 30 years before the very Babylonian captivity.

In correspondence or relation with the circumstances of the life of the chosen people, and in part also with the neighboring peoples, stand both the content and form of the prophetic preaching, the prophetic speeches of Zephaniah. Namely, in view of the religious-moral state of God’s people at this time, sad to the point of hopelessness, which presented no hopes for correction, and on the other hand in view of the heavy and dreadful events of the contemporary external history, the predominant tone of Zephaniah’s speeches is eschatological, and their chief and central subject is the punitive and purifying judgment over Israel, and then over other peoples and over the whole world generally. But this dreadful judgment of God does not have its purpose in itself; on the contrary, it appears only as a means and path of God’s actions toward the goal of universal, comprehensive salvation. The beginnings of this salvation will appear in “the humble of the earth, who observe His commandments” (Zeph 2:3), not doing injustice, in the “remnants of Israel” (Zeph 3:13), who will comprise the new theocratic community. The religious-moral foundations of the life of this future community will be directly opposite to the life of the Judean community contemporary with the prophet (Zeph 3:11-13), and consequently the relations of Jehovah to the people will be completely changed: instead of a dreadful Judge, as now, He will be for His chosen ones King, Protector, Defender, and His relations to the new community will be as full of love as the relations of a bridegroom to a bride (Zeph 3:14-17), and the final result of this will be honor, peace, and glory to the renewed theocratic community (Zeph 3:18-20). And then still more elevated and broad perspectives appear before the prophet: in the salvation will also participate other peoples, the false gods of whom will be destroyed (Zeph 2:11), and they themselves will turn to a pure, sincere, and unanimous invocation of Jehovah (Zeph 3:9-10). In view of the fact that all the marked main points of the content of Zephaniah’s prophecy have parallels or analogies in more ancient prophets, the question arises of the relation of the book of the prophet Zephaniah to the prophecies of the earlier prophets and, generally, of the position and significance of the former in the series of other prophetic writings. On this question two rather widespread views have been expressed in Western biblical scholarship. First, following one of the ancient researchers of the book – Martin Bucer (Comment. in Tzephanjam. Argentor. 1528), it is often called a brief exposition, a successful epitome of all prophetic speeches (breve compendium, elegans epitome). Secondly, Delitzsch and others divide the prophetic writings into two series – Isaiah and Jeremiah – and place Zephaniah’s prophecy at the head of those which stand under the determining influence of the prophet Jeremiah. But it should be noted that from the Orthodox-church point of view, the thought of the literary dependence of prophets and generally of sacred writers upon one another is not fully acceptable. Besides, more thorough study of the prophetic writings in the light of the data of external history, and especially when illuminated by the history of the successive course of Revelation, shows that the observed sometimes correspondence of thoughts and expressions in different prophets is explained not by direct borrowing, but by the closeness or similarity of the events of the time, and also by the internal connection of the ideas proclaimed by them of the religious and moral order of the world. Finally, in the exposition of their prophetic speeches each prophet to a certain degree manifested also the personal characteristics of his spirit, placed upon his books the stamp of his personality. Taking into account all these indisputable features of prophetic speeches, we cannot fully and without reservations accept both of the adduced judgments of Western scholars about the book of the prophet Zephaniah. In fact, his prophetic speeches cannot be called a generalization of the content of the preceding prophets already because not all features of the future Messianic kingdom found revelation or even mention in Zephaniah: thus, for example, there is absent the teaching about the Personal Establisher of the future kingdom – the Divine Branch of the house of David, which earlier prophets speak of (Hos 3:3; Mic 5:2; Isa 11:1) and later ones (Jer 23:5; Ezek 34:23-25; Zech 3:3) – although in the elevated depiction by the prophet, Zeph 3:14-15, of the coming joy and triumph of Zion one cannot but see a foreshadowing of the future solemn entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem (see Matt 21:5; John 12:15), wherefore the section Zeph 3:14-19, in the Orthodox Church is appointed for reading as a paremia on the feast of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem. Similarly, the essential points of the content of the book of the prophet Zephaniah – judgment and salvation are expressed by him with a special character, distinguishing him from other prophets (Nahum, Obadiah, Isaiah, Habakkuk, Joel): the “day of Jehovah” in him is not only a day of wrath and judgment (as in Joel, Nahum), but also the beginning of restoration, and moreover not of the chosen people alone, as in the prophet Joel (chapter III), but of all humanity. This universal idea of judgment and salvation appears in the prophet Zephaniah in such a distinctive revelation that it does not permit speaking of any dependence or lack of independence on the part of the prophet Jeremiah or any other prophet. But of course, contacts of thought and expression of the prophet with the teaching and language of other prophets exist, and one ought not to overlook them in the interpretation of the book.

In its content, the book of the prophet Zephaniah, as is evident from what has been said above, can be subdivided into three parts, in general coinciding with the present division of the book into three chapters. The first chapter depicts the judgment of God awaiting Judea for idolatry and the wickedness of its inhabitants. The second chapter foretells the destruction of other, heathen kingdoms. The third chapter – after a repeated depiction of the punishment of Judea and other peoples (Zeph 3:1-8) – gives a magnificent depiction of the coming new form of life – the salvation of the Judeans and the heathen. For the interpretation, as well as generally for the study of the book of the prophet Zephaniah, the following may serve: 1) translations into Russian – the interpretations of St. Cyril of Alexandria, blessed Theodoret, blessed Jerome; 2) isagogical-exegetical works of Western scholars: P. Kleinert’s in Bibelwerk Lange 1868, L. Philippson’s in his D. Israelitische Bibel. II, 1858, H. Ewald’s, Die Propheten d. Alten Bundes. 1840, I, T. Strauss, Vaticiniaephaniae 1843. Keil, Bibl. Commentar ub. d. 12 Klein. Propheten 1873. K. Marti, Dodekapropheton 1904 and others. 3) in Russian bibliological literature – Irineaus, archbishop of Pskov, interpretation of the twelve prophets. SPB. 1807, vol. V, Palladius, bishop of Sarapul, interpretation of the holy prophets. 1876, vol. V, Historical-exegetical investigation “Book of the prophet Zephaniah” by I. Tyurnin. Sergiev Posad. 1897 and regarding this book – Prof. O. G. Eleonsky, on the question of the book of the prophet Zephaniah. Christ. Readings. 1898, II. The venerable work of Mr. Tyurnin we make considerable use of in compiling the introduction and interpretation of the book of the prophet Zephaniah. See also in D. A. Narcissus. Guide to the study of the prophetic books of the Old Testament. Poltava. 1904, pp. 208–214.

* * *

Notes

Of blessed Jerome, one book of interpretations on the prophet Zephaniah. Works of blessed Jerome, Russian translation, vol. 14. Kiev 1898, pp. 237–238

Of our holy father Cyril of Alexandria, interpretation on the prophet Zephaniah. Russian translation. Theological Bulletin. 1895, I, p. 327.

Chapter One

2–3. The universality of God’s terrifying judgment that is to break forth upon the world. 4–7. A general indication of the transgressions of the inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem, by which they have drawn God’s wrath upon themselves, with specification of particular forms of their idolatrous worship – the cults of Baal, the heavenly bodies, and Moloch; the proximity and inevitability of the terrible day of the Lord. 8–13. The different classes of the population are named more specifically, whose transgressions and impiety have provoked God’s wrath: members of the royal family and court nobles, then people who place their hopes on their wealth, and people who are morally hardened and deny God’s action in the world. 14–18. A depiction of the horrors of the day of the Lord, as a consequence of which the land and its inhabitants will perish.

Zephaniah 1:2. I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth, says the Lord: Zephaniah 1:3. I will sweep away people and animals, I will sweep away the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks along with the wicked; I will sweep away people from the face of the earth, says the Lord. Full of divine inspiration and, as it were, absorbed by the thought of the serious importance of the revelation he has received, the prophet at the very beginning of his speech, without any preamble, directly expresses the essence of his prophecy, which consists in proclaiming the nearness of all-consuming God’s wrath and judgment. God’s judgment is unalterable and moreover universal – it encompasses all the earth: Jehovah will sweep away “everything” from the face of the earth (2), namely: people and animals, birds and fish (3a). But this universality of God’s destructive wrath over all according to His judgment is here itself limited by the indication that what will be destroyed are precisely the wicked with their stumbling blocks (3b). “The Lord says – as blessed Jerome explains the words of God in vv. 2–3 – through the prophet: ‘I will no longer give time for repentance, but will sweep everything from the face of the earth. There will remain neither human nor beast, nor bird, nor fish of the sea.’ Thus even irrational animals experience the Lord’s wrath; for in the desolation of cities and the destruction of people, there will be either complete annihilation or a significant diminution of animals, fish, and birds. Witnesses to this are Illyricum, Thrace, and the land where I was born, where everything perished except the sky and earth, constantly growing thorns and impassable forests. And this will happen, as the prophet says, because the multitude of the wicked is too great. Thus the wicked will fall, people will perish, and there will be a desert over the face of the earth” (pp. 240–241). Nevertheless, whether the desolation of the country – Judea – predicted here would come to pass with entire literal precision, at least if one adheres to the historical limits of the prophecy, is hardly the case. “Here,” says holy Cyril of Alexandria, the prophecy speaks in hyperbolic expressions about how their land will become a complete wilderness and scarcely fails to perish with all its inhabitants… But as when a ship is wrecked nothing remains of those swimming in it, so when Judea is captured, nothing, he says, will be saved: neither person nor animal nor bird nor fish. But since there were probably among them those who lived in accordance with the law and had conduct that was seemly and worthy of admiration; so that it might not appear that He directs His wrath against everyone indiscriminately and without discernment and destroys the righteous together with the unrighteous and together with the lawless and wicked destroys the godly; for this very reason He expressly points out against whom the consequences of His wrath will fall; for He said that “the wicked will fail, and I will remove the lawless from the face of the earth” (pp. 330–331). The Greek text of the LXX accepted by many of its most authoritative manuscripts – the Sinaitic, Vatican, and Alexandrian – omit in the translation of v. 2 the word “all” (Hebrew kol), which is also omitted in Hebrew ms. 245 at Kennicott. “Probably,” remarks Mr. Turnin, “the word was not originally in the text, and was inserted later for clarity; otherwise the omission of this word in the LXX would be inexplicable” (p. 6). But the presence of this word in almost all without exception copies of the Hebrew text – if we assume that it was not original – would be even less permissible. Besides, this word is rendered in the Chaldean, Syriac, Vulgate, and Slavonic translations; it has πὰν in many Greek manuscripts; the Aldine and also mss. 22, 36, 42, 51, 62, 86 (38 targ.), 97, 114, 147, 238, 240. And the parallelism of the prophet’s speech in vv. 2–3 with similar prophetic declarations by other prophets (for example Jer 4:23-25; Hos 4:3 etc.) requires acknowledging the originality of the generalizing “all.” Taken as a whole, the terrible words of vv. 1–3 have a world or cosmic character and can be most directly compared with God’s terrible judgment upon the antediluvian world, Gen 6:7: “I will sweep away the people I have made from the face of the earth – people and animals, creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air.” The prophet does not indicate the manner itself by which all living things on earth will be swept away, but judging from the description of the disasters awaiting Judea below in vv. 12–18, the prophet threatens the earth with devastating wars which in the ancient East indeed brought complete desolation and death to the warred-upon land (see 2 Sam 3:19 etc.).

Zephaniah 1:4. I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and I will cut off from this place the remnants of Baal, the name of the priests along with the priestly servants, Zephaniah 1:5. and those who on rooftops worship the host of heaven, and those worshipers who swear by the Lord and also swear by their king, Zephaniah 1:6. and those who have turned away from the Lord, who have not sought the Lord and have not inquired of Him. Zephaniah 1:7. Be silent before the Lord God! for the day of the Lord is near: the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, He has consecrated His invited guests. After the general indication of the wrathful judgment of God that is to be manifested in the world, the prophet speaks more specifically and definitively, explaining that the first and chief object of the punitive actions of God’s wrath and judgment will be Judea, and first of all Jerusalem with its inhabitants. “What he had said covertly he now clarifies and says directly that God’s wrath will fall upon the tribe of Judah and Jerusalem. He says that His hand will be stretched out against them, as if seizing and striking and subduing them by those who are soon expected and will bring devastation…” (Holy Cyril of Alexandria). The inhabitants of Jerusalem, although they are included in the concept of Judea, are named separately in view of their special culpability: Jerusalem, which had been the center of the national and political life of the Jews and had within itself the only temple on earth to the True God, in which Jehovah promised to dwell forever, receiving the prayers not only of members of God’s people but also of foreigners (1 Sam 8:41-42; 2 Chr 7:15-16), in the reign of impious kings not only ceased to be the center of true religion and life according to the principles of theocracy, but also became the center and source of all the abominations of idolatrous worship throughout the country. It is for this reason that the prophet particularly threatens the inhabitants of Jerusalem with punishment. Next (vv. 4b–6) the prophet more specifically indicates the form of punishment, and in doing so reveals and enumerates the chief types of transgressions of the Jews against the purity of faith and worship, by which “enumeration of sins the justice of the punishment is proven” (blessed Theodoret, p. 42). First of all, the “remnants of Baal” will be destroyed – Hebrew she’ar habba’al, Vulg. reliquiae Baal, or according to the Slavonic Bible “the names of Baal.” LXX: τὰ ὀνόματα τῆς Βαάλ (τῶν Βααλιμ, as in ms. 95, 182, 240. Τῶν Βααλειμ – mss. 22, 36, 42, 51, 62, 147, 233 in Holmes). Evidently the LXX read instead of she’ar, “remnant” – shem, “name”; and this latter word stands also in some Hebrew copies 96, 150, 201 marg. Kennic. Such vacillation in the Hebrew text itself, then the comparison of parallel passages to the one under consideration – Zeph 1:4 two prophetic passages – Hos 2:18 (shemot habba’alim) and Zech 13:2 (shemot-ha’azabim), as well as the authority of the LXX text, give grounds for preferring here the originality of the Greek translation’s reading over the Masoretic text, especially since the second component of the expression – ba’al – in some Hebrew manuscripts is read as in the Greek: habba’alim (96 Kennic. 22, 36, 51 Lucian). The meaning of the expression, however, does not differ significantly in the one or the other reading. God’s punitive action will wipe out from the face of the earth the anti-God Sidonite cult of Baal, introduced first by Ahab in the kingdom of Israel (1 Sam 16:31), and later spread also in Judea. The destruction will be complete and perfect – all traces of idolatrous worship will be eliminated, so that the very names of both the idols of Baal and his priests, the kemarin, will vanish from memory. By kemarin, here as in 2 Sam 23:5, distinguished from kohanim, priests, one must understand, apparently, those not of Levitic origin in distinction from the kohanim, who belonged to the tribe of Levi. (See Commentary Bible, vol. II, p. 569). That the people of Judah will be destroyed by war and brought to such small numbers that there will perhaps be no one left to pronounce the name of Baal or to be able to remain at the idolatrous temples, to this (the prophet) subtly alluded by saying that the names of the idols and their priests will be destroyed (Holy Cyril of Alexandria). The judgment of God will strike next those “who on rooftops worship the host of heaven” (tzeva hashemayim), v. 5a. Here is meant the Babylonian cult of the heavenly bodies known to the Jews from ancient times (Deut 4:19), but which spread in Judea only from the time of Kings Ahaz and especially Manasseh, a cult of Sabaism; not connected with the temple and priests, performed on the rooftops of houses, this cult took deep root among the Jews and even survived the destruction of Jerusalem – it was practiced by Jews who fled to Egypt (Jer 13:13). As a parallel to this sinful cult (in 5b) is named the custom of the Jews simultaneously swearing by Jehovah and by “their king” – Hebrew bemalkim. The expression: “to swear by someone,” according to Old Testament understanding, means the practice of a certain cult (see Isa 19:18; Amos 8:14; Jer 4:3); from this it is already evident that the Hebrew malkim must mean “deity.” In the manuscripts of the Lucian recension of the LXX: 22, 36, 51, 95, 185, 238 one reads Μελχόμ or Μολόχ, ms. 62, 66, 147, or χολχομ – 240 in Holmes, and similarly in the Peshitta and in the Vulgate: Melshom. All this gives ground to see here, as in 1 Sam 11:5-7, the Ammonite deity Moloch (See Commentary Bible, vol. II, p. 418). Thus, into God’s punishment will fall people of divided religious consciousness, who in their faith and in their cult displayed a unique syncretism, whose beginning in Judea went back to the time of Ahaz (2 Sam 16:3) and even much earlier. Finally, God’s wrath and judgment are provoked, according to v. 6, by the apostates generally, those who have changed toward Jehovah in heart, faith or life: “by those not seeking the Lord and not caring to cleave to Him (not holding to the Lord), one should apparently understand those living a wicked and shameful life and who have loved lawless behavior” (holy Cyril of Alexandria, p. 334) or these were people completely indifferent to matters of religion, and such religious indifference is a natural consequence of the widespread distribution in the country of diverse cults, which indeed was the case in Judea under Manasseh. This religious indifference naturally prepared the ground for complete unbelief, one type of which below (Zeph 1:12) the prophet calls. Having depicted the various forms of ungodliness among the Jews, the prophet contemplates the immediate nearness of the impending judgment of God as the inevitable consequence of the transgressions he has listed, and as a messenger and herald of God he himself bows in reverent prostration before the majesty and terrors of the coming judgment of God, and summons his listeners also to such reverence by the exclamation “Silence!” customary among biblical writers (compare Judg 3:19; Amos 6:10; Hab 2:20; Zech 2:13, Hebrew 17): “Be silent before the Lord God” – an expression altogether like that used by the prophet Habakkuk (Hab 2:20) and the prophet Zechariah (Zech 2:13, Hebrew 17). The meaning of the particle “silence” is explained by blessed Jerome, saying: “instead of what the LXX translated as ‘tremble’ (εὐλαβεῖτε) and we have as ‘be silent’ (silete), in the Hebrew is found an exclamatory word of one who commands silence” (p. 247). There is no need, as some commentators (such as Hitzig, Schwally, Marti) do, to see in this exclamation a direct relation to the sacrificial action (like the exclamation customary in Roman sacrificial ritual: favete linguis). Rather, as shown by the prophetic parallels Zech 2:13 (17) and especially Hab 2:20, this exclamation, being an expression of reverential awe before the Lord and Judge called God, represents the prophet’s immediate impression from his general contemplation of the threatening picture of God’s judgment that lies before him and at the same time serves as a transition to the detailed depiction of the latter. The prophet expresses the content or essence of God’s judgment briefly in three propositions: a) the day of the Lord is near; b) the Lord has already prepared a sacrifice (zevach); c) He has designated those to be invited (hikdish keruav). “The day of the Lord” (Yom Jehovah), according to the observation of blessed Jerome, is “a day of captivity and vengeance against a sinful people” (p. 247). Indeed, in the sacred books of the Old Testament, “the day of the Lord” appears as a day of the triumph of God’s righteousness and almightiness in the world and is presented as if a day of God’s reign over the earth (Ps 96:1; Isa 2:12; Zech 14:9) and precisely that moment when after a certain patience toward those who violate God’s righteousness the Lord manifests Himself as the terrible Master and Judge of the world and restores the violated justice by terrible punishments upon the wicked, and first and foremost among the chosen people of God, and then among other peoples of the world (Amos 5:18, Mic 1:3, Joel 1:15, Obad 1:15; Hab 3:16; Jer 30:7 and many others). Even the most distant moment in the prophetic conception of “the day of the Lord” is the contemplation of a bright future – the formation of a renewed theocracy on the ruins of Israel destroyed by God’s punishment and the world (Amos 9:8; Hos 2:20), the restoration of God’s kingdom from a small surviving “remnant” (Isa 7:1); and so also in the prophet Zephaniah, see Zeph 3:8-20. And the ultimate foundation of the prophetic teaching about “the day of the Lord” is a presentiment of the inevitability of a day of final universal judgment of God over the entire world, about which the prophet Malachi speaks more clearly (Mal 3:1-2 Hebrew, 3:23), and especially clearly in the New Testament writings (2 Pet 3:10; 1 Thess 5:2; 2 Thess. 2, etc.). “The day of the Lord” in the prophet Zephaniah in the passage under consideration appears with two attributes: a prepared sacrifice and designated guests or participants in the sacrificial feast. But what is this sacrifice and who are the invited? The sacrifice is the destruction of violators of God’s law, see Isa 34:6; Jer 46:10, and the invited or elect are the executors of God’s judgment, most precisely – the Babylonians Isa 13:3; Jer 25:9. “By sacrifices,” says blessed Theodoret, “the prophetic word often names – and the slaying of the lawless; this can be found also in other prophets and in the divinely wise Ezekiel. And by the invited he names enemies.” According to the words of holy Cyril of Alexandria, “he names a sacrifice the destruction of the wicked that was to take place by His will. And he names the invited the Chaldeans, of whom he says that they are consecrated, not because they became holy, but because they were appointed and called by God to burn Judea and destroy her inhabitants without mercy. The Holy Scripture says something similar also in another place. The Persians and Medes who fought with Cyrus were called against Nineveh, and about them God said: ‘they are consecrated, and I will lead them, warriors will come to carry out my anger, rejoicing together and mocking’ (Isa 13:3). Thus, in these words consecration means not the putting away of sinfulness and not the receipt of the Holy Spirit, but as if the predestination and appointment of certain people to the fulfillment of some such deed” (pp. 336–337). Here comes forth, therefore, a two-sided understanding of holiness and consecration among biblical Hebrews, common to them with other Semites, by which, according to the words of blessed Theodoret, “as the truly holy is separated and removed from the unclean, so those appointed to bear punishment, as separated for this by God of all things, he calls sacred. Thus he also named it a sacrifice not in the precise sense of the word. Thus also the word ‘anathema’ has a dual meaning, for by it is meant not only what is dedicated to God, but what is alienated from Him” (p. 43).Zephaniah 1:8. And on the day of the Lord’s sacrifice: I will punish the princes and the sons of the king and all who are clothed in foreign apparel; Zephaniah 1:9. and I will punish on that day all who leap over the threshold, who fill the house of their Lord with violence and deceit. Zephaniah 1:10. And on that day, says the Lord, a cry will come from the Fish Gate, and a wail from the Second Quarter, and a great crash from the hills. Zephaniah 1:11. Wail, inhabitants of the Mortar, for all the merchant people are destroyed, and all who load themselves with silver are cut off. Zephaniah 1:12. And it shall come to pass at that time: I will search Jerusalem with a lamp, and I will punish those who are settled on their dregs, those who say in their heart: “The Lord does not do good, nor does he do evil.” Zephaniah 1:13. And their wealth will become plunder and their houses desolation; they will build houses but not dwell in them, they will plant vineyards but will not drink the wine. Having proclaimed (Zeph 1:7) the approach of the terrible day of the Lord’s sacrifice, before he proceeds to depict the disasters of this day, the prophet lingers yet on the moral state of the upper classes of society, who are the chief culprits in the corruption of the people, and upon whom, therefore, the punishing hand of Jehovah will be stretched out first. “There exist,” says holy Cyril of Alexandria, “the following three institutions on which the well-being of cities and countries depends: royal power, the governmental offices subordinate to it, and the glorious priesthood. If they remain in a good state, corresponding to each of them, then all affairs depending on them are in a well-ordered condition, and the subjects prosper. But if they wish to follow a perverse course and immediately begin to walk in it, then everything falls into disorder and, as if in drunkenness, rushes toward destruction. Just as when pain strikes the bodily head, the remaining members necessarily sympathize and grieve with it; so when the rulers have turned to evil and suffer from a tendency toward vices, the subordinates necessarily become corrupted together with them. So, on that day, he says, which is pleasing to God – that is, at that time when the slaying of those who committed terrible crimes should take place – wrath (of God) will find the very first objects distinguished from others by glory and excellence. Such are: the house of the king, then the house of people clothed in glory and honor nearest to him, and third after them, the house of the divine priesthood, which has received more prerogatives from God than the others” (pp. 337–338). Condemned first are the “princes” – Hebrew sarim, Greek ἄρχοντες, Latin principes – persons possessing administrative or judicial power, government officials, magnates, abusing their position. Then the prophet condemns the “sons of the king” – Hebrew bene-hammelekh, Vulg. filios regis – according to the LXX, τὸν οἶκον τοῦ βασιλέως, Slavonic “the house of the king.” The LXX evidently read not bene (hammelekh) sons, but bet, house. In view of the similarity of both words in spelling, and also their relationship in meaning, both the scribes and translators of the Hebrew text often took one of these words instead of the other. Thus in Jer 16:15; Ezek 2:3; 1 Chr 2:10 the LXX have οἴκος, while the Masoretic text in these places has bene (sons of Israel and similar); and conversely, in Exod 16:31; Josh 17:17; Josh 18:5; Nehem 7:8; Hos 1:7 in the LXX: υἱοί (sons), in the Masoretes – bet. The sense of the expression remains essentially the same in both cases. However, we, contrary to the opinion of Mr. Turnin (named work, p. XXXI note and p. 29), believe that the original reading in this case is the Hebrew Masoretic, not the Greek. The Hebrew text here has no variants at all (in favor of bet), whereas in Greek ms. 91 there is a reading expressing the sense of the Hebrew bet (τοὺς ἐκγόνους Ἰωσίου τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου). The inappropriateness of the Greek reading is evident also from the fact that in the following v. 9 the word bet – “house” – has an entirely different sense. But accepting the Masoretic reading, we cannot relate the expression “sons of the king” exclusively only to the children of King Josiah, as some researchers and commentators of the book of the prophet Zephaniah think, basing their opinion on the supposed comparatively late date of the writing of the book on the fact that the sons of Josiah – Joahaz, Joakim, Zedekiah, Shallum (1 Chr 3:14-15) – at the time of the writing of the book must have already been adults, and this could not have been if the book was written in the first half of the reign of Josiah (who ascended the throne, as is known, at only eight years of age, 2 Sam 22:1) (Hitzig, Philippson, and others). It is far more natural to understand the expression bene-hammelekh in the broad sense of members of the royal house (compare 2 Sam 10:3) and to see here a general reference to the ruling dynasty of the house of David (compare Jer 21:11-12). – The second half of v. 8 condemns “all those clothed in foreign apparel” (kol hagov’im malbush nokri). Does this expression indicate a new, third class of people who have provoked the great wrath of the Judge God, or do these words relate only to the preceding, revealing the guilt of the magnates and members of the royal family? Holy Cyril of Alexandria sees in this the condemnation of a third class of the leading population – the priesthood: “He strongly accuses (the prophet) them and the priests because they clothed themselves in garments foreign, that is, finally came to such an aversion to all that is divine and so neglected the ancient ordinances of Moses that they did not even preserve the outward appearance of priesthood, when a definite time called them to the performance of priestly service. Wherefore, as the sons of Aaron were destroyed by fire, and their transgressions and guilt consisted in that they offered on the altar a fire foreign (Lev 10:1-2); in exactly the same way these, of whom we have spoken, undergo punishment because they, neglecting the propriety befitting them, did not clothe themselves according to priesthood, in accordance with the will of the lawgiver, but clothed themselves in garments foreign, daring to perform sacred functions” (p. 338). In favor of such a special explanation of the expression “clothed in foreign apparel” may also speak the content of v. 9, which however is understood unevenly. But the general sense and context of the speech requires accepting this expression in a broader sense not of priests alone, but of the upper classes of the population in general, who at this time were strongly and dangerously attracted to Assyrian, Babylonian, and Egyptian customs and fashions (compare Isa 2:6; Amos 6:4-6). In the first place here, as is always the case in cultural borrowing, stood the attraction to foreign clothing, especially among women of wealthy status (Isa 3:16-23). And following foreign clothing, those eager for foreign cultural acquisitions borrowed also the spiritual characteristics of other peoples, including, what was especially destructive, religious-moral outlooks and cultic, worshipful forms (see for example Ezek 8:7-8). It is understandable therefore how severely the prophets condemned such borrowings, which they observed among the Hebrews of their time, and which appeared in the eyes of the prophets as symbols of idolatrous worship. Nevertheless, to see in 1:8b directly the condemnation of the criminal wearing of women’s clothing by men, forbidden in Zeph 1, and precisely to see in this passage an indication of the cult of Astarte with its sacred prostitutes – self-eunuchs – who wore women’s garments – there is no basis, both because priests – sacred prostitutes of the cult of Baal and together with it the related cult of Astarte – had already been mentioned above (Deut 22:5), and because the word nokri always means: foreign, alien, of another nation, foreign (for example Zeph 1:4-5; Exod 21:8; 1:8b. Deut 17) and never has the meaning: belonging to, characteristic of another sex. Rather here one must see, as noted among others by blessed Theodoret, a relation to the prohibition by the law of Moses of the making of cloth from wool and linen together, Judg 19:12; Lev 19:19. “The law,” remarks blessed Theodoret, “forbids garments woven from linen and wool (Deut 22:11; Deut 22:11). It is probable that those glorying in wealth and devoted to luxury in clothing imitated neighboring peoples and on linen garments made around them some varied and excessive ornaments of purple wool; and this was directly contrary to the divine commandment. Wherefore God threatens both them and those who with ungodliness and deceit enter the divine temple” (p. 44). In the closing words of blessed Theodoret the most acceptable explanation of v. 9 is given, especially the first half of which is distinguished, chiefly in the Greek-Slavonic text, by considerable obscurity and unintelligibility. There are three chief explanations of the words: “and I will punish on that day all who leap over the threshold (Hebrew kol-hadolegim al-hamif tan), who fill the house of their Lord with violence and deceit.” The ancient understanding, found already in the Targum, of the expression “those leaping over the threshold” sees in it an indication of the fact related in 1 Sam 5:5: namely, the custom established among the Philistines after a certain incident with their idol Dagon in the presence of the Israelite Ark of the Lord (ibid., vv. 2–4) not to step on the threshold of their temple (sanctified by the presence upon them of parts of the named idol), but to leap over it. It is presumed that this Philistine custom in the times of Manasseh was adopted by the Jews, wherefore the Targum transmits the first half of v. 9: “(those who punish) those who walk in the customs of the Philistines.” This opinion would most closely answer the letter of the biblical text, but its weak side is the complete non-mention in the Bible of the existence of the named Philistine custom among the Jews. Two other explanations are even weaker: a) that here is the discussion of magnates, sarim, who adopted the custom widespread in the East of honoring the threshold of the royal palace and not stepping on it (and the expression “the house of their Lord,” bet-adoneihem, is understood of the king); and b) of the retainers of magnates, who, availing themselves of the power of their patrons, robbed the people and brought into the houses of their masters (in such sense is the expression adoneihem understood here) unrighteously acquired treasures. But the thought of the royal palace or of the mansions of magnates is entirely foreign to the text. On the contrary, all ancient translations understand the expression bet-adoneihem in the sense of the house of God, that is, the temple, LXX: τὸν οἶκον Κυρίου θεοῦ αὐτῶν, Vulg. domum Domini Dei sui. Then, “the threshold,” Hebrew mif tan, in the Bible means only the threshold of a temple – pagan (1 Sam 5:4-5) or Jewish (Ezek 9:3). Taking into account the condemnation in v. 8 of those carried away by foreign garments, and here in v. 9, one can see the condemnation of some attraction, but now not in the realm of daily life but in the realm of worship. Apparently what is meant is a complete lack of reverence for the holiness of the temple on the part of the ministers of religion, as this is shown, among other things, by the translation of the Vulgate: et visitabo super omnem qui arroganter ingreditur super limen. The second half of the verse points to the very essence of the transgression of these ministers of religion. What is this ungodliness and what is this deceit (with which they fill the house of God)? Another prophet explains this to us, speaking of Jerusalem: “her leaders judge for bribes… and her prophets divine for money” (Mic 3:11); and the wise Isaiah rises up against it (Jerusalem) and says: “Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves” (Isa 1:23) (holy Cyril of Alexandria). The great sorrows of the day of the Lord will strike not only the leading and guiding classes of the people, but all the inhabitants of Jerusalem (and all of Judea), and the coming deprivations will be especially acutely felt by the wealthy. Verses 10 and 11 depict a picture of universal disaster in Jerusalem. The enemy will enter Jerusalem from the north, and therefore are named points lying in the northern part of Jerusalem: 1) the Fish Gate – shar-haddagim, 2) the Second Quarter – hashne, 3) the hills – gebavot, 4) the valley – machtesh. The location of all these localities in view of insufficient data on the topography of ancient Jerusalem can be indicated only with approximate accuracy. The Fish Gate, whose Hebrew name – shar haddagim – was rendered unsuccessfully in the LXX: πόλη ἀποκενταύντων, Slavonic “from the gates of those piercing” (probably the LXX read instead of haddagim – horegim – “killers”), is mentioned also in 2 Chr 33:14, Nehem 3:3. Blessed Jerome in his commentary gives an imprecise indication of the location of these gates: “the Fish Gate was called the gate which led to Diospolis and Joppa, among all the roads of Jerusalem this was the closest to the sea” (p. 251). Based on this account, the Fish Gate should have been located on the western side of Jerusalem. But in fact, as is particularly clear from Nehem 12:39, the Fish Gate lay on the northern side of the city, perhaps at the site of the present Damascus Gate, in the middle of the second wall of Jerusalem near the fish market (Nehem 13:16) (See Commentary Bible, vol. III, pp. 615 and 644). The expression: “the Second” (part of the city), “hamishne,” which in Josephus Flavius, Antiquities 15:11, 5, is transmitted by the words: ἄλλη πόλις, denotes the northern part of Jerusalem, located on the hill of Lyra and lying between the first and second wall of the city (holy Commentary Bible, vol. I, p. 248). The LXX – ἀπό τῆς δευτέρας – and the Vulgate – a secunda – understand the word hamishne in the sense of gates, but 2 Sam 22:14 (where the “Second Quarter” is presented, moreover, as the dwelling place of the prophetess Huldah) are not favorable to such an understanding. – The location of the “hills,” gebavot, cannot be determined with precision; however, the location of them in the northern part of the city, in view of the general context of vv. 10–11, is beyond question, and in this case, by this word could be meant Moriah, Zion, and other elevations of the city’s territory. Equally indefinite is the location of the locality machtesh, mentioned in v. 11. The nominal meaning of this Hebrew word: “mortar,” montes (2 Chr 34:22) or “pit” (Prov 27:22), and the ancient translations transmit the nominal meaning unevenly. LXX: κατοικοῦντες τὴν κατακεκομενην, Slavonic “living in the hewn place” (blessed Theodoret: “he called Jerusalem hewn on account of the disaster befalling it”). Vulg: habitatores pilae (blessed Jerome: “living in the mortar, because they are jostled about just as grain is crushed by a wooden piece from above”), Theodotion: ἐν τῷ βάθει – Aquila and Symmachus: ὅλμος, “valley.” Chaldean Targum: nekhala Kidron, valley of Kedron. In later researchers the representation of a valley, hollow, associated with machtesh prevails, and it seems most soundly to see here the valley separating Zion from the Acra and Moriah and known in Josephus Flavius by the name φάραγξ τοροποιῶν, the valley of the potters, now Tyropoeon. The prophet threatens the inhabitants of this valley with complete destruction, and the inhabitants of this locality are designated first as “the people of Canaan,” Hebrew am-kana’an, and then as “those burdened with silver,” netule-kesef. Both concepts, parallel to each other, are evidently synonymous in meaning, which is fully understandable from the frequent use in the Bible of the word “kena’ani,” Canaanite (or, the same as am-kana’an, the people of Canaan, as in the passage under consideration) in the sense of: merchant (Judg 15:19; Hos 12:8; Isa 23:8), since the most famous of the Canaanites – the Phoenicians – were the chief trading people of the ancient world, making their tribal name a synonym for trade (compare also Job 40:30). Therefore valid is the meaning of the Hebrew am-kana’an in the Russian Synod: “trading people.” The Canaanite or Phoenician origin of these inhabitants of the Jerusalem quarter Machtesh is fully permissible: before the captivity of Judea did not yet know that rigorism which after the captivity prompted them to forbid Phoenicians and other Canaanites from settling in Jerusalem (Ezek 17:4; Nehem 13:16); before the Babylonian captivity many of them certainly dwelt in Jerusalem (compare Zech 14:21). It is entirely natural, however, that the negative properties of merchants: a passion for gain, dishonesty and the like could easily be transmitted from the Phoenicians to the Jews. It is entirely acceptable therefore to explain the expression “the people of Canaan” and in application to the Jews. “By Canaan’s people (populus Chanaan),” says blessed Jerome, “he (the prophet) named the Jewish people, corresponding to what we read in the book of Daniel: seed of Canaan, not of Judah” (Ezek 44:4-8) (p. 254). According to blessed Theodoret, “since (the inhabitants of Jerusalem) rivaled the impiety of the Canaanites, they also suffered the final destruction like the Canaanites; and in no way did their wealth help them” (p. 45). The same is the explanation in v. 11 and of holy Cyril of Alexandria (Dan 13:56) (pp. 342–343). In view of the fact, however, that the prophet’s threats of the terrible horrors awaiting the city of Jerusalem – plunder, bloodshed, murders by enemies – could meet with indifference, disbelief, and even contempt on the part of unbelieving people, the prophet in vv. 12–13 insistently speaks of the inevitability and inescapability of the complete and total destruction of the inhabitants of Jerusalem and their property. At the beginning of v. 12, instead of the reading of the accepted Hebrew text, Hebrew ba’et hagig, Vulg. intempore illo, the Greek text of the LXX has, without any variants, a different reading: ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ. In view of the fact that in the first chapter of the book of the prophet Zephaniah to denote the moment of the revelation of God’s judgment both before and after v. 12 the word yom, “day” is used, not et, time, and also in view of the fact that the expression be-yom-hagig is found also in some Hebrew copies at Kennicott (30, 139, 150, 158), the reading of the LXX – Slavonic: “on that day” – deserves preference over the reading of the Masoretes. Vulg. – The impossibility for anyone to escape the punishing hand of Jehovah on the day of His wrath the prophet presents in 12a vividly, depicting Jehovah Himself walking with a lamp (LXX Slavonic, μετὰ λύχνου, “with a lamp” is more precise here than Hebrew Vulg. ba-nerot. In lucernis) through the dark and secret places of the city where the inhabitants of Jerusalem could hide from enemies. “It is expressed figuratively, and the manner of speech is taken from those who use a lamp in the search for something lost, and do not put it down from their hands until they find it” (blessed Theodoret). This image is especially understandable in view of the known darkness and small size of Eastern buildings (see Luke 15:6). This prediction came to pass in all its terrible precision already at the capture of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans and even more so at the time of the destruction of this city by the Romans. Blessed Jerome to this passage remarks: “Let us read the accounts of Josephus (Flavius), and there we will find a description of how even from dungheaps, caves, animal dens, and grave depressions they extracted princes, kings, and men of rank and priests, who under the influence of fear of death hid in these places” (p. 257. See also holy Cyril of Alexandria, p. 344). The deserved and merciless punishment will strike first “those who are settled on their dregs” (Hebrew hak-qofim al-shimerim – curdled on their lees), saying in their heart: “The Lord does not do good, nor does He do evil.” The image here, as in similar words about Moab by the prophet (Jer 48:11), is apparently taken from aged wine which, once poured into a vessel, was not filtered from the sediment or poured into another vessel, and therefore invariably retained its characteristic smell and taste. So immobile, indifferent, and deaf to all exhortations and threats of the prophets are the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Making use of the goods of peace and neglecting all calls to repentance, they sank deeply into their sinful life and entirely ceased to fear God’s judgment. Explaining the words of the prophet under consideration 12b, blessed Theodoret says: “here he condemns those who reject Divine Providence, daring to say that everything is chance, affirming that God of all things neither benefits nor punishes” (p. 45). And according to blessed Jerome, they will be visited with God’s wrath “those who, setting aside Divine Providence, said that God is not the author of good for the good people, nor of evil – for the evil, but everything is governed by the will of chance and carried about by undefined casualness” (p. 257). Such thoughts and convictions essentially bordered on unbelief (see Ps 9:25), were a practical denial of God’s existence. Indeed, the prophets of God themselves present as the strongest proof of the worthlessness of idols the fact that they can neither cause harm nor do good (Isa 41:23; Jer 10:8); was it not an extreme expression of disbelief on the part of the inhabitants of Jerusalem when they blasphemously attributed to Jehovah, the one true God and Judge of the world, the same property of inactivity which constitutes an undoubted attribute of idols and serves as the most reliable sign that they are inanimate? Obviously, the religious indifference mentioned by the prophet in v. 6 toward God and religion in many was hidden disbelief in God’s existence. In the text of the LXX-ists the Hebrew expression “hak-qofim al-shimerim” corresponds to words of entirely different meaning and sense: τοὺς καταφρονοῦντας ἐπὶ τὰ φυλάγματα αὐτῶν, Slavonic: “those caring not for their guard.” This same reading is presumed in their commentaries by holy Cyril of Alexandria and blessed Theodoret. “By guards,” says the latter, “he means what is established by law; the law commands to keep” (p. 45). And holy Cyril of Alexandria understands guards or in the general sense of the laws appointed for fulfillment in a given situation, or in particular the priestly ordinances (p. 344). Attempts to explain the origin of so essential a variant in the Greek text, made by various scholars, do not achieve their aim; in any case, the originality here is more on the side of the Hebrew Masoretic text than the LXX translation (see Mr. Turnin, pp. 46–47). The persisting of the inhabitants of Jerusalem in disbelief, impenitence, and vices will inevitably lead, as the prophet says with complete force and persuasiveness in v. 13, to swift and complete deprivation of them of all material well-being. In this the threat of the prophet – about the impending deprivation for the people of Jerusalem of the enjoyment of wealth, property of all kinds, houses, vineyards, and wine – is expressed by him in that very form which has its beginning still from the reproachful speech of Moses (Deut 28:20) and then appears repeatedly in the reproachful speeches of the prophets (for example Amos 5:11; Mic 6:15; etc.). Having depicted thus far the religious-moral state of his contemporaries and shown for them the inevitability of God’s punishment, the prophet now, in vv. 14–17, draws a general threatening picture of “the day of the Lord.” The characterization of the latter, made by the prophet in expressions interrupted and powerful, is classical in its expressiveness and force, and in essence represents an unfolding of what was said of “the day of the Lord” in v. 7.“Zephaniah 1:14. The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening greatly: the voice of the day of the Lord is bitter, the mighty man cries out there!” “Zephaniah 1:15. A day of wrath – that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of wastement and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and thick darkness,” “Zephaniah 1:16. a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the high towers.” “Zephaniah 1:17. And I will bring distress on humanity, and they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord; and their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.” The internal causal connection of the new and final section of the chapter with the preceding is shown by the placing in some Hebrew manuscripts at Kennicott (for example ms. 150) of the causal conjunction ki, the causal conjunction is also found in the Greek text of the LXX – ὅτι or διότι, as also in the German translation (denn). In contrast to the persistence of the Jews in disbelief and lawlessness, as also in complete indifference and full carelessness toward the prophetic exhortations and threats, with incredible swiftness will approach the day of the revelation of God’s terrifying judgment: “the day of the Lord is near, the day is hastening greatly” (14a). “The prophet called the day great because those to be subjected to it will experience not some light correction, but decisive punishment” (blessed Theodoret, p. 45). He calls this day swift, nimble, “as one that is to come without any delay and is to reveal itself in a short time” (holy Cyril of Alexandria, p. 348). In depicting the horrors of this day the prophet first names (14b) the military cry of the heroes – the enemies who have broken into Judea as the executors of the judgment predetermined by God. This picture and the very form of speech resemble similar prophetic depictions, for example, in the prophet Nahum (Zeph 1:7), in the prophet Isaiah (Nah 3:2). The further characterization of the day of Jehovah, vv. 15–16, consists of all possible calamities that will rush in one stream upon the nation subjected to God’s judgment, within whose limits enemy forces have already entered. Here are woven together into one terrible picture such heavy disasters as the confined position and all possible deprivations of the besieged, desolation and destruction of the country, threatening atmospheric phenomena, the horrors of assault and bloodshed. Although for the individual expressions of this characterization numerous parallels can be indicated from other prophetic and in general sacred writings, the speech of the prophet Zephaniah loses nothing because of this in unusual force of depictiveness and artistry. The general name of the fateful day – “the day of wrath,” yom ezrah – that is, God’s wrath (compare Isa 13:3; Isa 13:9; Ezek 21:36 etc.), as the ultimate cause and sole source of all other various disasters of this day. Dies irae dies illa (Vulg) – behold the classical definition of the day of the Lord. A more detailed disclosure of this general definition is given by the prophet in the form of a whole series of paired words of synonymous meaning, which imparts to the entire speech extraordinary expressiveness and poetic charm. The first pair of words: tzarah, θλῖψις, tribulatio, sorrow, and – metzoukah, LXX: ἀνώγκη, Vulg.: angustia, Slavonic: need, Russian: distress (compare Ps 77:49) means chiefly that inner state of sorrow and depression in the one punished by God which is an echo in his soul of various external disasters (see Rom 2:9). The second pair – cognate words shoah and meshoe – ἀωρία and ἀφανισμός, Slavonic: day of devastation and vanishing, Vulg.: calamitas, miseria, Russian: wastement and desolation. By the combination of these two concepts the prophet expresses most fully the thought of complete emptiness (compare Job 15:24) awaiting Judea. The second half of v. 15 is formed by four synonymous words expressing the idea of darkness, dimming, and all these words are found in the prophet Joel’s depiction of “the day of the Lord” (Job 30:3). Hebrew: hoshekh (darkness), aphelah (thick darkness), anan (cloud), arafel (darkness); Greek: γνόφος, σκότος, νεφέλη, ὀμίχλη, and Latin: tenebrae, caligo, nebula, turbo – all express various shades of the concept of darkness, gloom, storm, which all, according to biblical understanding, is a manifestation not only of an extraordinary manifestation of Jehovah in the world in general (as at Sinai, Joel 2:2), but and preeminently of the punitive actions of God’s righteousness and judgment (Deut 5:19; Ps 96:2-4; Amos 5:18; Joel 2:2 etc.). And if light is a synonym for life and joy (Ps 35:10), then darkness always served as a synonym for sorrows of all kinds and death itself. “By darkness, gloom, cloud, and thick darkness – says blessed Theodoret, – the prophet names the approach of disasters, at the coming of which the sun will not shine brightly for those looking upon it on a clear day; but all will appear full of darkness” (p. 46). – Verse 16 indicates the objective cause of unbearable sufferings awaiting the Jews – in the horrors of the assault of Jewish cities with their fortifications; “the day of the Lord” will be “a day of trumpet” and battle cry (shofar uteruah, compare Josh 6:19; Judg 7:17-22; Amos 1:14) against the fortified cities and high towers (more precisely: corners, pinnot). “Can one doubt,” remarks to this place holy Cyril of Alexandria, “that the attack of enemies will be unbearable both for cities very populous and for those expert in military art? And to other cities, although they might be surrounded by walls of fortifications, he declared that the day of the Lord will be a day of trumpet and outcry against the strong cities and against the high corners. He calls cities strong those abounding in brave men and having very many people capable of war. By high corners he means cities fortified by walls; for always on the walls of fortresses corners protrude upward and rise into towers, which are higher than other buildings” (p. 349). Verse 17. All these strong fortifications will not save the Jews from the enemy, especially since under the weight of disasters they will lose the ability to act wisely (see Nah 2:5); in fulfillment of the terrible prophecy of Moses (Deut 28:29-30), they will be visited with both spiritual and bodily blindness, and they themselves will persistently strive toward their destruction (compare Jer. chs. XXVII–XXVIII; XXXII–XXXIV; XXXVI–XXXIX; XLII–XLIII). The final assault of the cities of Judea will be accompanied by terrible bloodshed, so that through the streets of the cities instead of dust there will be poured an ocean of blood, and instead of dung there will lie corpses (compare Jer 25:32-33), “that is, they will not be granted even that which is established by law: they will have no burial,” (blessed Theodoret), which the Hebrews feared above all (Ps 78:2; Jer 22:18-19 etc.).

Zephaniah 1:18. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath, and in the fire of His jealous anger all this earth will be consumed, for a sudden end, indeed a sudden destruction, He will accomplish upon all the inhabitants of the earth. The prophet again proclaims the inevitability and swiftness of the destruction of the Jewish people. “And wealth will not help the wealthy; because they will not obtain by money deliverance from disasters, but as if by fire, they will be destroyed by God’s wrath, which will subject those inhabiting the earth to sudden destruction. So he threatens them with sorrows, and then offers them an exhortation to resort to repentance” (blessed Theodoret, p. 46). * * * that is, Dalmatia, where the city of Stridon was located, where blessed Jerome was born

Chapter Two

Verses 1–3. An exhortation from the prophet to the people of Judah in general and to their best representatives in particular—to turn to the Lord before the day of His wrath and judgment arrives. God’s judgment will extend not only to Judea but to the whole world: 4–7. to the Philistines, 8–11. to the Moabites and Ammonites, 12. to the Ethiopians, and finally, 13–15. to the Assyrians, whose capital Nineveh will be completely devastated.

Zephaniah 2:1. Gather together and examine yourselves carefully, shameless people, Zephaniah 2:2. before the decree comes—the day will pass away like chaff—before the burning wrath of the Lord comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s fury arrives for you. “He portrayed the harshness of war and the greatness of the disaster that will come, and then mercifully turns his speech to awaken their repentance when it was possible to prevail over them, since they must have been brought to fear. When the soul hardens and is governed by a strong inclination toward the shameful and disgraceful, then we do not easily come even to desire to repent, but often fear compels us to do so against our will. Thus he calls them to communion with Himself” (St. Cyril of Alexandria, p. 34). Whereas the destruction of foreign peoples, whose prophecy is contained further below with Zeph 2:4, will be irreversible and final, the Judean people, at least its better part, can still be saved. The path to salvation lies in a change of the people’s spiritual disposition, in repentance and reformation, which must begin with the gathering of all the people’s spiritual forces, self-examination of each and all. To this the prophet calls his contemporaries in verse 1, pointing out, as a motive for this, in verse 2 the inevitability of the coming of the day of God’s judgment in all its terror if otherwise. In light of the deep indifference of contemporary society, already known from Zeph 1:12, toward the higher spiritual demands and matters of religion, and also its complete carelessness and irresistible pursuit of fleeting goods and pleasures of life, the prophet calls his people goy lo-nicsaph, LXX: τὸ ἔθνος τὸ ἀπαίδευτον, Vulgate: gens non amabilis (a people not worthy of love), Slavonic: “a people unpunished,” and addresses it with the call hitkoshesu vakoshu, LXX: συναχθῆτε καὶ συνδεθῆτε and Vulgate: convenite, congregamini, Slavonic: “gather together and bind yourselves,” that is, he urges all contemporary Judeans to concentrate all their thoughts and feelings on one subject—to avert destruction through repentance: “come to your senses and humble yourselves, helpless people!” Otherwise destruction, and complete destruction at that—like disappearing chaff (Heb. kemos; cf. Isa 24:5), and terrible as the flame of the wrath of Yahweh (Heb. haron Adonai).

Zephaniah 2:3. Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth who fulfill His laws; seek righteousness, seek meekness; perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s wrath. After exhortations to the whole people (vv. 1–2), the prophet, seeing no response from the masses to his preaching, abandons the people to their own fate and now addresses a small, chosen group of pious, believing members of the people, calling them anve-haaretz, ταπεινοὶ γῆς, mansueti terrae, “the humble of the earth.” He persuades them: “seek the Lord,” Heb. bakkeshu et Elohim, ζητήσατε τὸν Κύριον, quaerite Dominum, that is, as blessed Theodoret explains: “turn your attention to the nothingness of your nature, to your forefather—dust—and seek the Creator, who has blessed you with so many good things. Then the prophet teaches in what way one can seek God: do justice, seek righteousness, (seek meekness), and he says: Hold fast to uprightness and fairness, love a humble and moderate life” (p. 47). The chief and basic virtue which, according to the prophet, most brings a person near to God and unites him with Him, and which therefore the prophet commands to “the humble of the earth,” is humility, Heb. anava. The word anava—of the same root as anav, “humble,” and like the latter expresses not physical oppression or degradation of a person (Ps 9:13; Prov 14:21), but his moral qualities: patience, humility, meekness (Num 12:3; Prov 3:34), and moreover frequently means not merely a manifestation in a given case of a person’s submission to God’s will, but as a constant, dominant disposition of the whole spiritual life, in Greek denoted by the names: πραύτης, ταπεινοφροσύνη… It is in this sense, in the sense of piety, that the word anava is found in the Book of Proverbs (Prov 15:33), and the adjective anav—in the Book of Psalms (Ps 11:6). Some scholars (Schwally, etc.) unjustly asserted that the Hebrews and their prophets before the Exile did not consider humility a religious virtue, since the Hebrew people were then distinguished by opposite qualities and therefore saw other ideals of moral life, and because the word anav (Amos 2:7; Isa 11:4) found in a few prophetic places of unquestionable pre-Exile origin simply means “poor.” On this basis, these scholars attribute to the passage Zeph 2:3, where anav and anava appear as well-defined religious terms, a post-Exile origin. But here, first of all, the numerous passages from the Books of Psalms and Proverbs, where the words anav and anava have an unquestionably ethical character, are quite unjustly overlooked (the dating of these books to the post-Exile period is done quite arbitrarily). Further, there are also prophetic passages whose pre-Exile origin is not questioned even by critics, in which the concept of anav has an undeniable relation to the moral characterization of a person, for example, in Amos 2:6-7, where anav stands in parallel with tsaddiq—righteous—a concept undoubtedly relating to the characterization of a person’s inner moral state (cf. Isa 11:4), and to this also belongs the passage Mic 6:8, where among God-pleasing virtues is named that of “walking humbly before God” (cf. also Num 12:3 and others). Finally, the assertion that only the common Hebrews but not the prophets themselves held other ideals of moral life before the Exile, among which humility before God had no place, has very questionable value. Against this decisive testimony is given not only by individual instances of the biblical Hebrews’ display of profound humility before God—Jacob (Gen 32:10), David (2 Sam 7:18), even Ahab (1 Sam 21:29), and so forth, but chiefly—the great image of the Servant of Yahweh created by the pre-Exile prophets, whose service in its deepest essence is formed by unparalleled humility. One can further add that true religion is impossible without humility, and such the biblical religion undoubtedly was throughout all the centuries of its existence. Under the condition of righteousness and meekness the prophet offers his listeners some hope of escaping the common destruction.4 But this is only a partial and not unambiguous hope. Judgment is inevitable, and it will extend not only to Judea but to other peoples. But precisely because of the coming judgment of God over the wicked, the righteous should manifest the virtues required of them by the prophet: after God’s judgment over the wicked a new and better order of things will come, in which the correspondence required by the moral law between a person’s moral dignity and his external state will be restored. Hence the speeches against foreign peoples, beginning with verse 4, are connected with the previous exhortation to the Judeans by the causal conjunction ki, διότι, quia; blessed Theodoret expresses the immediate connection of the two sections of chapter II thus: “If you turn to the repentance mentioned above, you will gain salvation, and the cities of foreigners will suffer the predicted disasters” (p. 47).

Zephaniah 2:4. For Gaza will be abandoned and Ashkelon will be desolate, Ashdod will be driven out in the middle of the day and Ekron will be uprooted. Zephaniah 2:5. Woe to the inhabitants of the coastland, nation of the Cretans! The word of the Lord is against you, Canaanites, land of the Philistines! I will destroy you, and there will be no inhabitants left— Zephaniah 2:6. and the coastland will become pastureland, a field for shepherds and a pen for flocks. Zephaniah 2:7. And this coastland will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah, and they will pasture there, and in the houses of Ashkelon will rest in the evening, for the Lord their God will visit them and restore their captivity. The terrifying speech of the prophet first turns to the western neighbors of the Hebrews—the Philistines. The name of Philistine territory, Heb. Pleshet (in Greek rendering Παλαιστίνη; cf. Herod. Hist. II, 104; VII, 89), Ps 59:10; Isa 14:29 and others, in the Bible denotes the coastal region of present-day Syria from Jaffa to Gaza, which in biblical times bordered the tribes of Dan, Simeon, and Judah. The name appears in cuneiform writings in the forms Palastu, Pilistu. The root also found in the Ethiopian language expresses the concept of wandering, migration, which reminds us of the LXX rendering of the ethnic name Pelishtim by a common noun: ἀλλόφυλοι, foreigners. In the very name of the Philistines there seems to have been the thought of their migration to Palestine from some other country. And the Bible has preserved the tradition of their prehistoric emigration from some Caphtor (Amos 9:7; Deut 2:23; cf. Gen 10:14; 1 Chr 1:12) or island of Caphtor (Jer 47:4)—according to the predominant opinion in scholarship (Ewald, Knierin, Stade, and others) the island of Crete. Hence two other names for the Philistines—Caphtorim and Cretans (cf. Ezek 25:16; Zeph 2:5). The opinion about the Philistines’ origin from the island of Crete was widespread in antiquity, as evidenced, among other things, by the commentaries of St. Cyril of Alexandria and blessed Theodoret and Jerome. In favor of this opinion, scholars (Stade) not without reason cite Homer, Odyssey, XIX, 172–177. The history of the Philistines according to the Bible runs parallel to the history of the biblical Hebrews in nearly all of its scope; now they dominated the Hebrews (for example, in the period of the Judges, partly under Saul), now they submitted to them (under David, later under Hezekiah, etc.), and in general were connected with the Israelite-Judean history by numerous threads. In terms of political and administrative organization, the Philistine land was divided into five districts, subject to five rulers (seranim; cf. 1 Josh 13:3) and each having its own capital city: Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, or according to the LXX reading, Akkaron, and Gath, with Gaza predominating. Information about the geographical position of all these cities and their districts is given in the Commentary Bible, vol. II, pp. 330 and 326–329. The prophet Zephaniah does not mention the fate of Gath (as do other prophets who prophesied the desolation of the Philistine land, Amos 1:6-8; Jer 25:20; Zech 9:5-6): apparently, after its destruction by the Judean king Uzziah (2 Chr 26:6), it lost all significance and around 711 BCE was finally destroyed (cf. Onomast. 302). The prophet first names the southernmost and most significant of the Philistine cities—Gaza (see Onomast. 306). Gaza (in cuneiform Hazzatu, Hazzutu, Haziti, in the Tell Amarna letters Azzati)—according to Hebrew etymology from az—“strength.” To depict the future fate of the city the prophet uses a word consonant with the city’s name: azuva, “abandoned” (LXX: διηρπασμένη, Vulg.: destructa erit). According to blessed Jerome, “Gaza means my strength. Therefore, those who boast of physical strength or worldly power and together with the devil say, ‘I will overcome,’ will be destroyed and brought to nothing in the day of the Lord’s wrath” (p. 271). Ashkelon (Onomast. 162), (Assyr. Iskaluna, Askaluna, in Tell-Amarna letters Ackaluna), on the Mediterranean Sea; according to Josephus (Jewish War 3:2, 1) was an excellent fortress, long famous for the temple of the goddess Derketo-Melita, destroyed by the Scythians. Blessed Jerome (with doubtful philological foundation, however) observes: “Ashkelon, which means ‘weighed’ or ‘man-slaying fire’—when the day of the Lord comes, will feel the measure of its transgression and will be oppressed by the weight it produced. And since it burned with a desire for bloodshed, then… it will be turned into a desert and burned to ash by the fire of Gehenna” (p. 271). Ashdod (Onomast. 36) (Assyr. Asdudu)—the main center of the cult of Dagon, in whose temple the Ark of God was once placed (1 Sam 5:1). Uzziah destroyed its walls (2 Chr 26:6), but afterward it remained independent. Later it was repeatedly besieged by the armies of the Assyrians and Egyptians (Isa 20:1) until, according to Herodotus (II, 157), it was taken by Pharaoh Psammetichus after a 28-year siege. The prophet threatens Ashdod with the exile of its inhabitants batzagrim, in broad daylight, that is, at a time when everyone considers themselves most safe (cf. Jer 6:4). Ekron or Akkaron (Onomast. 51) (Assyr. Am Karruna) was the northernmost city among the Philistine pentapolis; in the period of the divided Hebrew kingdom it was the place of the cult of Baal-Zebub with a temple and oracle at it (2 Sam 1:1; See: Commentary Bible, vol. II, p. 495). As with Gaza, the prophet in relation to the fate of Ekron admits an image expressed in a form consonant with the city’s name: Ekron te-iker, “Ekron will be uprooted,” LXX: ἐκριζωθήσεται, Vulg.: eradicabitur, Slavonic: “Akkaron will be uprooted” (cf. Zech 9:5). Further, in verses 5–7, the prophet speaks of the destruction not only of individual Philistine cities but of the entire Philistine land as a whole. In verse 5 the names “inhabitants of the coastland,” “Cretan people” on the one hand and then “Canaan” and “land of the Philistines” are undoubtedly parallel and synonymous with each other, meaning the Philistine land and its inhabitants. Therefore, one cannot accept a common noun meaning for Cretim (in the expression: goy Cretim), reading it as Cretim and rendering it with the Vulgate: (gens) perditorum (such a reading was accepted, according to the testimony of blessed Jerome, by the ancient Greek translators: Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, and Quinta). Rather, one should accept the reading consistent with the Hebrew Masoretic, Greek LXX, and Syriac texts in the sense of a proper name for the inhabitants of the Philistine land.—A major, heretofore unresolved textual difficulty is presented in verse 6 by the Hebrew word kerot (usually understood as “cistern”), rendered by the LXX also as Κρήτη, Slavonic: “Crete,” without doubt contrary to the original and authentic meaning of the text; in the Vulgate this word is completely omitted in translation. All attempts by scholars to clarify this difficulty have been unsuccessful (see Fr. Schwally, Das Buch Ssephanja… Zeitschrift fur altestament-liche Wissenschaft, 1890, K. II, S. 185–186. Cf. Tyurnina, Cited work, pp. 100–104). The general sense of verses 5–7, however, is completely clear. The prophet in a distant vision sees a picture of the coming catastrophe on the Philistine land and the aspect the land will take after it. The coastal country, now serving as the arena of teeming life, filled with populated ports and crowded fortified cities, famous for wide maritime and land trade, by God’s command will be desolate, transformed into a barren steppe in which only shepherds with their flocks will dwell. Then, in verse 7, this empty land will become the possession of “the remnant of the house of Judah,” which “in the houses of Ashkelon will rest in the evening, when (mercifully) the Lord their God will look upon them and restore them from captivity.” According to blessed Theodoret, “this came to pass when the Judeans returned from captivity; for in the Books of the Maccabees we find that Jonathan and Simon, having taken control of Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ptolemais, subordinated them to their authority. The exact and indisputable fulfillment of the prophecy can be seen after the ascension of our Savior and after the preaching of the holy apostles: for they, having departed from Judea, stayed in these cities toward evening, that is, before the end of evening, when God of all things looked upon the nations and freed them from bitter slavery and ‘captivity’ (p. 48).Zephaniah 2:8. I have heard the reproach of Moab and the insults of the sons of Ammon, how they taunted My people and boasted against their borders. Zephaniah 2:9. Therefore, as I live! says the Lord of hosts, God of Israel: Moab will be like Sodom, and the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, a salt pit, a desolation forever; the remnant of My people will plunder them, and the survivors of My nation will inherit their land. From the Philistines, the western neighbors of the Judeans, the prophet turns to the eastern neighbors of the chosen people, the descendants of Lot—the Moabites and Ammonites. Though kindred to Israel, both of these peoples, throughout almost the entire biblical history, with the exception of isolated instances of peaceful and friendly relations (Ruth 1:1 and others; 1 Sam 22:1-3), continuously warred with the chosen people. The enmity of the Moabites toward Israel manifested itself already in the time of Moses, as is known from the story of Balaam (Num 22:1 and others). In the period of the Judges the yoke of the Moabites weighed on the Hebrews for eighteen years (Judg 3:12-14). With varying success the struggle between the two peoples continued throughout the entire period of the kings (2 Sam 8:2; 2 Sam 1:1, and following; III and others). The relations of the Ammonites to the Hebrews were almost the same, except that they apparently were characterized by even greater cruelty on both sides. (1 Sam 11:16-7; 2 Sam 12:31). The Ammonites warred with Israel especially under Jephthah (Judg 11:32-33) and David (2 Sam 8:12), and also many times after him. When Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judea, the Ammonites joined his armies and took part in the devastation of the land (2 Sam 24:2; Ezek 25:1). Their fierce enmity toward the Judeans did not cease even after the latter returned from captivity, manifesting itself in many instances (Nehem 5:2-7 and others). The prophet, verse 8, speaks of the reproach, Heb. herpa, of Moab and the insults, gidduph, of the sons of Ammon against God’s people. According to St. Cyril of Alexandria, “over the devastated Jerusalem and the afflicted Israelites the neighboring peoples mocked; they imagined that the captivity of Judea was the work of their own false gods, whereas the almighty Arm that had always helped them from on high, as it were, was overthrown and brought to nothing… Therefore, he says, I heard the ‘reproaches’ of the Moabites and ‘the insults of the sons of Ammon’; whether with a rod or a stone, one who reviles afflicted people is no different from one who opens his unbridled mouth against them, utters and speaks such words by which, without doubt, some are brought to grief and sorrow and by which the weight of misfortune becomes even heavier. Since, however, they were casting defamatory speech against the divine glory itself; therefore, he says, cast down under the punishment of the Sodomites, they will come to destruction, and, in their sufferings, though somewhat showing the suffering of Gomorrah, late and scarcely through what befell them will they recognize the power of the one calling” (pp. 360–351). From what was said above about the relations of the Moabites and Ammonites to Israel known from history, it is evident that the cause that prompted the divine judgment announced by the prophet may be considered the entire totality of the internal and active enmity of both peoples toward the chosen people of God and at the same time toward God Himself and His religion. This not only political, national but also religious imprint of the irreconcilable enmity of Moabites and Ammonites toward Israel determines the solemn tone of the prophet’s threatening speech against them in verses 9–10. A profound solemnity and sanctified tone to the prophet’s speech is above all imparted by the oath of Yahweh by Himself (cf. Heb 6:13): “As I live!” Heb. Hai Ani, a form of oath occurring in Scripture not often, precisely when it is necessary to assure people of the inevitable occurrence of events, improbable by human reckoning (cf. Num 14:21; Deut 32:40; Isa 49:18; Ezek 5:11 and others). The meaning of this oath—the assertion of the immutability of what is announced by pointing to the immutability of God’s will and the unchangeableness of His being. And this idea is the foundation and in the following divine name Yahweh (Exod 3:14 and others. See our article “Yahweh” in the “Theological Encyclopedia,” published under the editorship of Prof. N. K. Glubokovskii, vol. VI). The following divine name “Yahweh Tsevaot,” the Lord of hosts, at which in this place also stands the epithet Elohe Yisrael, God of Israel, means the God of Salvation, King of the theocratic kingdom established by Him among the chosen people (see G. Tyurnina, p. 120–123. See Prof. Fr. B. A. Glagolev, Old Testament biblical teaching on Angels, p. 238 and following). What is announced to the Moabites and Ammonites is—complete destruction of inhabitants and utter desolation of the land—like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah—an image of God’s judgment constantly used by the prophets when they threaten a country with terrible desolation (Isa 1:9; Amos 4:11; Hos 11:8; Jer 49:18), but in this case especially appropriate, since both peoples lived at the very shore of the Dead Sea and thus constantly had before them a visible monument of God’s dreadful punishment. From this same association by proximity it is evident how inappropriate is the rendering by the LXX (as also by St. Cyril of Alexandria and blessed Theodoret) of the Hebrew mimshak with the proper name Δαμασκός, Damascus (as if it read: Dammeshek). Slavonic: “and Damascus is left as hay in the threshing floor.” The introduction of the idea of Damascus into a speech about the Moabites and Ammonites cannot be explained by anything. Therefore, for the expressions of the Hebrew text mimshakh kharul and the following: miker-melah more appropriate meanings are the common noun meanings, which, however, are determined very differently by translations and commentators and thus can be established only with approximate precision. The first expression most likely can be rendered: “a place or region of thorn” (Russian Synodal: “a possession of nettles”), the second: “a salt pit” (Russian Synodal: “a salt ravine,” Vulg.: acervi salis). Both figurative expressions are further clarified in the prophet by the expression of direct, literal meaning: ushmama ad-olam, “and a desert forever.” To the prophet’s vision apparently appeared the desert region in the vicinity of the Dead Sea, already in biblical times striking observers with its barrenness; due to the abundance of salt in the soil only wild prickly plants could grow there. With such desolation the prophet threatens the land of the Moabites and Ammonites. But, the prophet says at the end of verse 9, the devastated land will someday become the possession of the remnant of the chosen people of God saved after captivity. “That the executors of these punishments will be none other than the very people who underwent afflictions and humiliation itself, this he shows by saying: and the rest of My people will plunder them; and those left of My nation will inherit them; for by those left of the people he means those saved from captivity, who conquered the nations and, taking the cities of the foreigners, turned them into desert” (St. Cyril of Alexandria, p. 361).

Zephaniah 2:10. This is their reward for their pride, because they taunted and boasted against the people of the Lord of hosts. In verse 10 the fundamental cause is indicated for the depiction in verse 9 of the destruction of the Moabites and Ammonites, namely their extraordinary arrogance, pride (Heb. gaon, Gr. ὕβρις, Lat. superbia), by virtue of which they mocked the people of the Lord of hosts. Other prophets also repeatedly condemned the haughty and contemptuous attitude of the Moabites toward the Hebrews (Isa 16:6; Jer 48:29-30; Ezek 25:3), and this attitude extended among them to the religion of Yahweh: “they, miserable as they were, dared to pronounce insolent words and belch forth blasphemous speech against the very ineffable Glory and, acting under the influence of strange and unbridled boldness, hardly stopped short of revolting against Him who is above all” (St. Cyril of Alexandria, p. 362). This idea that the mockery and reproaches of the Moabites and Ammonites concerned the very religious beliefs of the chosen people is directly expressed in the accepted Greek text of the LXX: ἐπί τὸν Κύριον, τόν παντοκράτορα (that is, with the omission of the word τὸν λαόν, corresponding to the Hebrew et-am—people. But in other Greek manuscripts, for example: 22, 36, 51, 62, 86, 114, 147, 228, 238, 240 in Holmes’ edition, the reading is consistent with the Masoretic Hebrew; and in Slavonic: “against the people of the Lord Almighty”).

Zephaniah 2:11. Terrifying to them will be the Lord, for He will destroy all the gods of the earth, and they will worship Him, each from his place, all the islands of the nations. Verse 11, in accordance with the main thought of the book of the prophet Zephaniah (see Zeph 1:2-3) about the universality of God’s judgment and its extension to all the nations of the earth, points out the inner meaning and final purpose of this judgment. This meaning and purpose consist in showing the pagan nations the nothingness of their gods and the futility of their beliefs, and then prompting them to recognition and acknowledgment of the divine almightiness of the one Yahweh and to true worship of Him. The first word of the verse “nora”—terrifying, Vulg.: horribilis, in the LXX is rendered differently: ἐπιφανήσεται, Slavonic: “will appear.” Apparently the LXX read in the Hebrew: nira, “will appear.” Which of these two readings is more correct is difficult to decide, since each has analogies (Hebrew—cf. Ps 65:5; Greek see Isa 60:2). Moreover, there is no significant difference in the meaning of the verse from these variants: in any case, what is spoken of here is a manifestation of Divine Justice, first and foremost in relation to the peoples mentioned in the preceding verses, but also in relation to other nations of the world. The whole essence, the whole meaning and the whole purpose of the manifestation of God’s judgment over the pagans are expressed in the following words: ki rasa et-kal-elohey-haaretz, “for He will destroy all the gods of the earth”; Vulg.: attentuabit omnes deos terrae. LXX: ἐξολοθρεύσει πάντας τούς θεούς τῶν ἐθνῶν τῆς γῆς, Slavonic: “will consume all the gods of the nations of the earth,” (The addition in the Greek-Slavonic text of the word “nations,” some think, was intended to prevent the thought that the prophet acknowledges the existence of other gods). To understand this punishment of the pagan gods, a parallel passage may serve Exod 12:12, speaking of Yahweh’s judgment over the gods of Egypt, cf. Isa 19:1-4; Ps 81:7. Each nation presented its own god or gods as protectors of only that nation, placing all its national strength in the gods. To destroy the gods of paganism means: to expose their utter powerlessness to help their worshippers, to show their utter nothingness. “Since they attributed to their own gods the glory of omnipotence, the Lord will be revealed to them, that is: will demonstrate His own power by destroying all their gods; for their sanctuaries were destroyed and fell by the hand of Israel, and the man-made idols of conquered nations turned out to be truly the work of human hands everywhere and among every people. So then, where is the power of the gods? Or how could those help others who are unable to help themselves?” (St. Cyril of Alexandria, p. 362–363). The consequence of the pagans’ realization of the nothingness of their gods will be the acknowledgment of the one true God Yahweh: “and they will worship Him, each from his place, all the islands of the nations.” The expression “all the islands of the nations,” kol—iyey-haggoyim (Isa 41:1), according to prophetic usage, designates all peoples, even the most distant from Israel, the entire pagan world in its totality. The worship of Yahweh, which is here, Zeph 2:11, attributed to the pagans, is not yet the complete conversion of the latter to Yahweh, of which it is spoken below in Zeph 3:9-10. Here the recognition and acknowledgment by the pagans of Yahweh’s almighty power is only the initial moment in the turning to the true God—that feeling of dread which, according to the ideas of the sacred writers, the pagans always experience when divine wonders and God’s judgment manifest themselves on earth (Exod 14:4; Ps 95:9-10; Isa 19:16; Hab 3:9 and others). But the pagans’ realization of Yahweh’s almighty power is not yet their perfect turning to Him; such a turning will follow only when Yahweh after judgment turns His mercy also to the pagan nations (Zeph 3:9-10). Besides the general thought of the conversion of the pagans to Yahweh, in Zeph 2:11 is contained also a more specific thought of worship of Yahweh “each from his place”: therefore the future service of the pagans to Yahweh here is understood not in the sense of their coming to Jerusalem to worship Him (as in Isa 2:2-3; Jer 3:17; Mic 4:1-2), but in the sense of their expression of their religious sentiments toward Yahweh in the countries of their dwelling. Later the prophet Malachi prophesied about this (Mal 1:11), but the beginning of the complete fulfillment of this was proclaimed by Christ the Savior in His conversation with the Samaritan woman (John 4:23). “The prophetic word,” he says, “that they will worship Him each from his place. And this takes place not according to the law, but according to the evangelical teaching; for the law gathered everyone in that one temple. But the Lord in the Gospel says to the Samaritan woman: Truly, truly I tell you, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem, but in every place. John 4:21-23). The wise Zephaniah speaks the same” (Blessed Theodoret, p. 50). After pointing out the main purpose of God’s judgment over the world (verse 11), the prophet again returns to depicting God’s judgment in the fate of individual peoples, now stopping on two peoples remote from the land of Israel and the most powerful of that time: the Ethiopians (verse 12) and the Assyrians, chiefly on their capital Nineveh (verses 13–15).

Zephaniah 2:12. And you, Ethiopians, will be struck down by My sword. The prophet “remembers every tribe or nation that warred against Israel and spoke ill of divine glory. Thus from the Moabites and Ammonites he turns to the Ethiopians, or to peoples living in the east and dwelling in the land bordering Persia, or to the Egyptians, as neighboring and adjacent to the Israelites; and the land of Egypt is part of Ethiopia” (St. Cyril of Alexandria, p. 365). For information about the location of the land of the Kushites, Heb. Kushim, or Ethiopians, Gr. Αἰθιόπες, Slavonic “Moors,” see the Commentary Bible, vol. II, p. 525. Naming the Kushites and probably also implying the neighboring and historically connected Egyptians (cf. Ezek 29:10; Isa 20:3-5; 2 Sam 19:9), the prophet threatens them on behalf of Yahweh that they will be struck by His sword, Heb. haplet-sharbi (cf. Isa 66:16; Jer 25:33). The might of the Ethiopians (cf. Isa 18:2; Nah 3:8), from a human perspective, might have seemed invincible, but Yahweh says that their enemies will be aided by Him—the black skin color of the inhabitants of Ethiopia (Jer 13:23) served as a pretext for Christian symbolism to see in the “Ethiopians,” “Moors” the image of evil spirits; “he means by the word ‘Moors’ a host of demons conquered by the approach of the saving cross” (blessed Theodoret, p. 50). From the dwellers of the distant southwest the prophet now turns in the directly opposite direction—to the distant northeast, to a people that was one of the most frightful enemies of God’s people—the Assyrians, Zeph 2:13-15. Considerably greater detail in the prophet’s speech about the destruction and desolation of Assyria and Nineveh, possibly has in view the turning away of the contemporary Judeans, including Josiah, who perished, as is known, due to an unwise devotion to the interests of Assyria, which prompted him to voluntarily set out against the Egyptian Pharaoh (2 Sam 23:29; 2 Chr 35:20-24), from an unwise and disastrous attraction to an alliance with Assyria, whose days were already numbered.

Zephaniah 2:13. And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria, and will turn Nineveh into a desolation, a dry place like a desert, All the prophet Zephaniah’s threatening speech about the imminent devastation of Assyria and Nineveh in content and character resembles the prophecy of Nahum about the same subject (see Nah 1:1 and following). Only in the words of the prophet Zephaniah one seems to feel the immediate nearness of the coming catastrophe on Assyria and Nineveh: God’s punishing hand is already stretched over Nineveh and Assyria (v. 13a), and fatal disasters are ready to rush upon this city and land as an irresistible flood. “I will look,” he says, “at the inhabitants of lands to the east and north, and together with others will destroy the Assyrians and to the devastated cities will also add the most famous Nineveh—the chief city of the Chaldeans. It will be without water, like impenetrable and uninhabited lands… To this he adds a considerable number of other signs…” (St. Cyril of Alexandria, p. 367).

Zephaniah 2:14. and herds will lie down in the middle of it, and all kinds of animals; the pelican and the hedgehog will lodge in its ornamental capitals; their voice will resound in the windows; desolation will be seen on the thresholds, for the cedar will be stripped bare. A powerful and vivid artistic picture of the terrible desolation awaiting Nineveh and all Assyria, resembling the equally magnificent depiction by the prophet Isaiah of the complete desolation of Babylon (Isa 13:1, especially Isa 13:20-22) and of Edom (Isa 34:11-15). Wild beasts like the pelican and raven, animals like the hedgehog will be the only inhabitants of the ruins of once-flourishing land. “For any rational person there is no doubt that neither hedgehogs live in houses nor beasts choose lodging for themselves in the middle of a city, and nocturnal ravens reluctantly live in its gates, unless in these places there is complete and very pleasant peace for a being with such a nature; because beasts and other animals of which the speech is made do not like to live together with people, but seek places where there would be the possibility of greater solitude and perfectly quiet life for them, and where the vast desert as it were provides them safety and frees them from all fear” (St. Cyril of Alexandria, pp. 367–368). “But all this,” says the prophet, “Nineveh will suffer for the arrogance of its soul; because its arrogance was like a cedar” (blessed Theodoret, p. 51).

Zephaniah 2:15. Behold what this city has become—the one that lived in triumph, that said in its heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.” How she has become a desolation, a lair for beasts! Everyone passing by her will hiss and shake his hand. The final verse gives a characterization of Nineveh’s pride and at the same time depicts the striking contrast that exists between the former flourishing state of this city and its final desolation and transformation into a beast’s lair—in the near future. The boundless and unbridled pride of Nineveh was expressed in the conviction devoid of all measure: “I am—and there is no one besides me” (cf. Isa 47:8). All the greater astonishment, bordering on horror, will be aroused by the sight of the complete desolation of the once-glorious capital of not only Assyria but of all Asia; every passer-by in astonishment and horror will hiss and shake his hand (cf. 1 Sam 9:8; Jer 48:16)—“because it is the custom of people, when disasters come unexpectedly, to hiss and raise their hands up.” (blessed Theodoret, p. 51). * * * Annotations “Perhaps you will somehow be hidden in the day of the burning wrath of God,” that is, perhaps by chance, as a result of seeking the Lord and practicing His righteousness, you will have the possibility to escape the wrath in the coming day and avoid captivity” (blessed Jerome, p. 270). Slavonic: “Woman, believe Me, for a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem!”

Chapter Three

Verses 1–7. Turning from pagan nations again to the Judeans and chiefly to their capital and religious center—Jerusalem—the prophet finds it stained with many vices and completely deaf to the promptings of Yahweh and His law. 8. Therefore on the day of Yahweh’s wrath and judgment Jerusalem will also perish like Nineveh and other cities and entire kingdoms of the world. 9–10. But the day of God’s judgment over the wicked will mark the beginning of the renewal of all humanity, and the first to turn to the worship of Yahweh will be the pagans of different lands. 11–13. Then evil and sin will also disappear from within the theocratic community, which, though diminished in number, will qualitatively consist of righteous people. 14–20. As a consequence of the moral reformation of the chosen people, God’s attitude toward it will change and its external fortune will improve: Yahweh will revoke the sentence of its destruction, will again dwell graciously in the midst of His people, filling it with the good of His mercy and protection from all nations; the people of God’s former sufferings will now be replaced by peace, well-being, and glory throughout the earth.

Zephaniah 3:1. Woe to the city that is unclean and defiled, the city of oppression! The Hebrew text of the verse: goy mora venig’la hir ha’ona, Russian Synodal: “woe to the city unclean and defiled, oppressive,” and the Greek translation of the LXX: ὢ ἐπιφανὴς καὶ ἀπολελυτρωμένη πόλις ἡ περιστερά; Slavonic: “O Bright and freed city, dove!” have opposite meaning and significance, insofar as the Hebrew text gives a dark characterization of Jerusalem’s moral state, while the Greek text, on the contrary, exalts Jerusalem as a city of divine reverence and glory. The Vulgate in this case follows the LXX more, approaching the Masoretic text only in one second word: vae provocatrix et redempta civitas, columba. However, with the context of the prophet’s speech, precisely with the characterization immediately following, in Zeph 3:2-4, of the inhabitants of Jerusalem by him, the Masoretic text of verse 1 is in agreement, and therefore this text deserves preference in the whole composition of words of the verse. Thus, first of all, with the general characterization of the people inhabiting Jerusalem and Judea (vv. 2–4) the name of Jerusalem as a city of rebellion, defiance, Heb. mora, agrees well; poorly rendered by the LXX: ἐπιφανής. This word comes from the verb mara, whose main meaning is: to be disobedient, to resist (Deut 21:18-20), very often in relation of people to God (e.g., Num 20:24; 1 Sam 12:15; 1 Sam 13:21 and others). It is precisely this way that blessed Jerome conveys the meaning of this word in his interpretation: “Woe to the city Defiant, which is understood more clearly in Hebrew as the word taga—that is, παραπικραίνουσα, and which we can express in the words: offending God, that is, by its vice turning the merciful Lord to offense, so that He who wishes to be merciful is compelled to punishment” (p. 293). Similarly, the verb ga’al, from which the participle of the passive form produces the word nig’la, in this place should be given not the meaning of redeem, rescue (which it has in other cases), as do the LXX, Vulgate, and Slavonic, but the meaning: to defile, pollute (as in Mal 1:7), understood of course in a moral sense (cf. also Isa 59:3). Finally, the rendering of the word “ha’ona” by the word “dove” is completely inappropriate to this place (the dove in the Bible is usually a symbol of innocence, chastity). Therefore, justly, modern scholars derive this word from the verb yona, to oppress (cf. Jer 22:3; Ezek 18:7), so that the word ha’ona can be rendered: city of oppressions, or: oppressing city, which is fully confirmed by the indication in verse 3 of grievous violations of justice on the part of the aristocracy of Jerusalem.

Zephaniah 3:2. She does not listen to the voice, does not accept instruction, does not trust in the Lord, does not draw near to her God. Zephaniah 3:3. Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions, her judges are evening wolves, they leave nothing for the morning. Zephaniah 3:4. Her prophets are rash and faithless men; her priests profane the sanctuary, they do violence to the law. The opening verse of the section, verse 2, contains a general, disheartening characterization of Jerusalem’s population in a moral sense. The religious and moral life of the Jerusalemites contemporary to the prophet is in complete decline: the people “do not listen to the voice”—do not heed the commandments of Yahweh’s law (see Ps 94:7) and do not observe them in life (cf. Deut 28:1-2), “do not accept instruction”—all kinds of moral and educational means: word or act of teaching (Prov 1:2). Divine instruction of people of various kinds through manifestations (Job 5:17; Isa 26:16; Prov 3:11), as well—rebuke and instruction of the chosen people through the prophets (Jer 7:21-28); this is not enough: the people seem to have lost all faith in Yahweh and His power—“does not trust in the Lord”—relying solely on the strength and importance of their material possessions (cf. Zeph 1:12), “and does not draw near to her God”—turning to various false cults (cf. Zeph 1:4-6). In the following two verses, 3–4, a more specific characterization is given of the ruling classes of Jerusalem’s population, namely: the civil rulers—princes and judges (v. 3) and the spiritual, religious leaders of the people: prophets and priests (v. 4). The entire characterization of these leading members of the people closely resembles the one later given by the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 22:25-28). In verse 3 are mentioned separately “princes,” Heb. sarim, those administratively high-placed in the state, namely here—members of the royal house together with important court officials—judges, shofetim—persons who presided over justice in the state. The former are compared to roaring lions, greedily pouncing on prey—the customary image in the Old Testament in relation to violent men of power (Prov 28:15; Ezek 19:2; Amos 3:4); like lions roaring as they rush at prey (Isa 5:29; Ps 103:21), Jerusalem’s nobility constantly strives toward self-aggrandizement, plundering and violence, and, like lions, remain completely unpunished. Similarly, the judges of the people, who, forgetting justice and law, turned their service into a craft for self-enrichment (see Mic 3:11), and in the pursuit of greed resemble greedy wolves, occupied all night with hunting prey, but by their greed manage to consume it before dawn, “her judges are predators who leave for others nothing that could be plundered” (blessed Jerome, p. 293). The expression “evening wolves,” Heb. zeeve-erev, is poorly rendered by the LXX (as if the original Hebrew read: ‘erev: Λύκοι Ἀραβίας), as in Hab 1:8. In both cases, by common opinion of scholars and commentators, the truth—is on the side of the Masoretic Hebrew text. Alongside the organs of civil authority—the nobles and judges (v. 3)—the spiritual representatives of the Judean people are not high in a moral sense, and they should be mediators between God and His people—prophets and priests. The prophets are charged (Heb. puhazim) with the criminal frivolity with which they accept their own opinions and dreams as divine revelations (cf. Jer 23:32); LXX: πνευματοφόροι, Slavonic: “wind-bearers” (cf. Ezek 22:28). Acting thus, they deceived God and people, committed in the proper sense deception and treachery, Heb. bogdot, in religion. The priests act no less criminally. Set by God to serve the sanctification of God’s people (Lev 11:44), the priests above all must themselves strictly distinguish between the sacred (Heb. kodesh) and the non-sacred, worldly (kol), and then teach others ritual and moral purity (Lev 10:10-11; Exod 29:23). But instead the priests themselves defiled the sanctuary (cf. Ezek 22:26) and knowingly violated the law even in the place of sacred action—“in the place of the holy place committed sacrilege and, acting contrary to the law, according to the prescriptions of the law brought sacrifices” (blessed Jerome, p. 293).

Zephaniah 3:5. The Lord is righteous in the midst of it; He does no wrong. Every morning He shows His justice, never failing; but the wrongdoer does not know shame. Zephaniah 3:6. I have destroyed the nations; their fortifications are laid waste. I have made their streets desolate, with no one walking in them. Their cities are destroyed, with not a single person left, not even an inhabitant. Zephaniah 3:7. I said: ‘You will fear Me, you will accept instruction!’ and his dwelling will not be destroyed, and all the calamity I have decreed will not strike him; but they eagerly set about to corrupt all their deeds. “Now the perfect righteousness and faithfulness of Yahweh are depicted in opposition to the wickedness of the chosen people—those qualities of God which determine Yahweh’s relation to violators of His theocratic commands. Since they acted unjustly, the righteous Lord will not act unjustly but will requite the wicked city according to its deserts. In the morning, that is, completely openly and without any mercy will carry out righteous judgment upon it, and nothing will be hidden from Him. The Lord will do this so that the corrupted city might turn to better things. But the wicked Israel did not feel confusion and did not understand the afflictions struck upon it to such a degree as to bring repentance.” (blessed Jerome, p. 294). “Soon the Lord will lay punishment on those who dared to do so much harm… And the Lord will do this, overthrowing the boldness of injustice and not allowing it to prevail to the end” (blessed Theodoret, p. 52). From verse 6 speaking is Yahweh Himself, and first of all, in proof that He “every morning shows His justice unfailingly” (v. 5), points out the constant manifestation of Divine Justice over the wicked nations, instructive examples are served by numerous historical cases of the destruction of whole nations with all their culture (the Canaanites and others); whole once densely populated lands have become desolate to the end (cf. Jer 2:15). Yet all these examples of God’s judgment over sinners passed without a trace for God’s people. “After such threats the Lover of Mankind again exhorts and advises to fear what has been said and to learn this proper lesson—to escape the threatened destruction brought on by lawlessness, not to delay and not to postpone, but quickly to repent,” (blessed Theodoret, p. 52). The text of the LXX and Slavonic of verse 7 contains much that is unintelligible, and in interpreting it one should better follow the Hebrew text and that consistent with it the Latin translation of the Vulgate and the Russian Synodal.

Zephaniah 3:8. Therefore wait for Me, says the Lord, until the day when I rise for plunder; for I have determined to gather the nations, to assemble the kingdoms, to pour out upon them My indignation, all the fury of My wrath; for the whole earth will be consumed by the fire of My jealousy. Verse eight represents an unusual in prophetic speeches transition from threats to consoling promises (cf. Isa 10:24; Jer 16:14; Ezek 39:25). The content of this preliminary consolation to God’s people is served by the final act of world judgment according to prophetic eschatology (cf. Joel 3:1 (Hebrew IV), Ezek 38:1-39:1; cf. Mic 4:12): the final gathering of all pagan nations before Jerusalem and their final destruction in decisive battle. If earlier, Zeph 2:4, the prophet spoke of the coming punishment on individual foreign nations, and precisely—on the territories of their habitation, then now he in his thought gathers all the peoples of the world to Jerusalem, announcing on behalf of Yahweh that “the whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” Of course, the expression “the whole earth,” Heb. kol-haaretz, here should allow for restrictive interpretation: only the elements opposed to God in His religion among the pagans and Judeans will be destroyed—“throughout the whole earth will be destroyed all earthly things—everything relating to the deeds of the earth, that is, the flesh; the flame of My jealousy will consume to the end all her thorns and prickly shrubs” (blessed Jerome, p. 303). The prophet’s vision is by no means limited to a dark picture of Yahweh’s judgment over the sinful world; rather, it penetrates much further and in a distant perspective sees the dawn of a better future not only for Israel but for all humanity: after judgment evil will disappear from the earth, first moral, then physical, and the true Kingdom of God will come. The first blessing and immeasurably important consequence of God’s judgment will be the complete conversion of the pagans to faith in Yahweh (vv. 9–10).

Zephaniah 3:9. Then I will give the nations pure lips, so that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve Him with one accord. Zephaniah 3:10. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, My suppliants, the children of My scattered people, will bring me gifts. This event of utmost importance—the transition of countless people from the darkness of false belief to the light of true knowledge of God, from falsehood to eternal truth—the prophet represents as an extraordinary deed of special creative act of cleansing by God the lips of countless people: az egeah el-ammim safa berura, then again “I will give the nations pure lips.” By “pure lips,” Heb.: safa berura, Vulg.: labium electum, many Jewish rabbis understood the Hebrew language, in which, they thought, all nations would speak after their conversion to God: “just as before the tower of Babel, when all nations spoke one language, so after the conversion of all to the worship of the true God, all will speak Hebrew, and the whole world will serve the Lord” (blessed Jerome, p. 301). In reality, the prophet, speaking of giving peoples clean lips by God (Aquila and Theodotion: “chosen lips”), understands this—the work of God by analogy with that cleansing act which, according to Isa 6:5-7, was performed, by God’s command, by one of the Seraphim on the lips of the prophet Isaiah, as a result of his lamentation over the uncleanness of his lips and the lips of his people: the Seraph took with tongs a burning coal from the altar and, touching the prophet’s lips with it, said: “Your guilt has departed from you, and your sin is forgiven.” Purity of lips here presupposes purity of thoughts, feelings—the whole spiritual content of a person. By analogy with this one should understand that collective cleansing of lips which the prophet announces to the nations on behalf of God: he has in mind the granted cleanliness of religious faith. The lips of the pagans were defiled and unclean by the calling upon false gods (Hos 2:19; Ps 115:4); “but pure lips means the lips that name not gods but God” (blessed Theodoret, p. 53). “To give pure lips” means: to effect such a change in the inner disposition of the pagans that all of them would duly honor God and express their sentiments in speech filled with true piety and free from all trace of pagan superstitions, as well as in corresponding religious and moral life—“that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve Him with one accord.” To a similar effect God spoke through the lips of Isaiah: those who were silent will soon learn to speak peace (Isa 32:4), and again: the speech of those with stammering lips will be clear (Isa 35:6). Therefore, those people trained in polytheism He will turn and make chosen and pure, so that all will call on the name of the Lord and all nations will serve “under one yoke” (blessed Theodoret, p. 53). This universality of the future spread of true knowledge and worship of God among all peoples is confirmed in verse 10 by the example of the inhabitants of Ethiopia—the most distant southern country known in the geography of that time (cf. Zeph 2:12; Isa 18:1), watered by “rivers”—the White and Blue Nile. “Those dwelling on the outermost limits” of the earth, having received the teaching from the scattered everywhere preachers of Mine, will bring to Me a sacrifice of praise. So Symmachus translated: from the ends of the rivers of Ethiopia, praying to me, the children of the scattered ones of Mine will bring Me a gift; that is, becoming children of the scattered ones of Mine throughout all nations to preach piety, they will bring Me spiritual gifts (blessed Theodoret, pp. 53–54). The thought of verses 9 and 10 had already been foreshadowed earlier in verse Zeph 2:11 and is now disclosed more fully and further (cf. Isa 66:20; Mal 1:11). Here it is shown that the beneficial effect of God’s judgment on pagans will as beneficially affect the Judeans. Namely, further first, Zeph 3:11-13, is depicted the moral change of the Judean community, and then, Zeph 3:14-20, is drawn a magnificent picture of the great mercies which Yahweh is to pour upon the remnant of His people purified by the afflictions of captivity.

Zephaniah 3:11. On that day you will not be ashamed for any of your deeds by which you have sinned against Me; for then I will remove from your midst those who exalt in your pride, and you will no longer be arrogant on My holy mountain. Zephaniah 3:12. But I will leave in your midst a humble and lowly people, and they will take refuge in the name of the Lord. Zephaniah 3:13. The remnant of Israel will do no wrong, will not speak lies, and no deceitful tongue will be found in their mouth. But they will feed and lie down, and no one will terrify them. After God’s judgment a better future will dawn for the Judeans as well. “When this comes to pass and the pagans are granted salvation; then you, living in Jerusalem, having received salvation through faith, will be freed from former wickedness, will not despise My commandments and will not be arrogant about the ancient temple”—thus blessed Theodoret paraphrases verse 11 (p. 54). The means of cleansing the moral and social condition of the contemporary Jewish community from its moral diseases, the prophet here as before, Zeph 1:4-6, points out in the destruction of the wicked, in the removal of all that does not correspond to the ideals of theocracy, first of all pride and presumption. On the other hand, the better part of the people will be saved from destruction, namely those humble and afflicted (v. 12) whom the prophet earlier, Zeph 2:2, singled out from the general sinful mass of people and called to a life worthy of God’s people. These pious people from the harsh school of the afflictions of the time of captivity will take out an experiential consciousness of the impotence of captivity and complete dependence of its well-being on God; therefore they will be wholly devoted to the will of God, in all things placing their hope in God (v. 12b.). At the same time, the community formed of them will be a community of truly righteous people: falsehood, injustice, wrong, and in general all kinds of moral evil will have no place among the members of this community. And such a moral height of the community will correspond to an external, carefree and safe life of it (v. 13). Of course, all the moral perfection indicated here in the post-captivity Jewish community was realized only in part, and in full measure it is applicable only to the times of the Gospel and Christianity. Blessed Theodoret notes to verses 12–13: this clearly points to us the apostolic order, praising which, the Master said: [‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth’ (Matt 5:5); and again: ‘Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls’ (Matt 11:29). These are the ones blessed Zephaniah calls ‘the meek and humble people,’ because the Israelites are not such, but ‘foolish and unwise people’ (Deut 32:6) and according to another prophet: ‘I have a stiff neck and a bronze forehead’ (Isa 48:4) (p. 54).

Zephaniah 3:14. Rejoice, daughter of Zion! Shout, Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem! Zephaniah 3:15. The Lord has removed the judgment against you, He has turned back your enemies. The Lord, the King of Israel, is in your midst. Never again will you fear any evil. Zephaniah 3:16. On that day it will be said to Jerusalem: “Do not be afraid, Zion; do not let your hands grow weak.” Zephaniah 3:17. The Lord your God is in your midst, a Mighty One who will save. He will delight over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will exult over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:18. I will gather those who mourn for the appointed feasts—your own, upon whom rests the burden of reproach. Zephaniah 3:19. Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. I will save the lame, and gather the scattered, and I will give them honor and renown in every land where they were put to shame. Zephaniah 3:20. At that time I will bring you home, yes, at the time when I gather you, for I will make you famous and honored among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes, says the Lord. Already in the second half of verse 13 the prophet indicated that the internal righteousness of the new community of Israel will correspond to its serene external life. In the concluding verses of chapter III and the whole book the prophet becomes completely absorbed in the thought of the complete and unshakable well-being of the holy city and God’s people, and this thought fills his soul with exalted rapture, flowing from living consciousness and immediate experience of the actions of God’s love. The rapture and rejoicing of the people, expressed through the prophet’s lips, appear already in the opening words of the section under consideration: “Rejoice, daughter of Zion, celebrate, Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem!” (v. 14). These words, closely reminding us of passages from the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 62:11) and the prophet Zechariah (Zech 9:9), as is known, are reproduced in sense in the Gospel account of the solemn entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem (Matt 21:5; John 12:15). The entire elevated and rapturous speech of the prophet about the new benevolence of Yahweh toward His people, vv. 14–19, in all its power and exactness relates only to the times of the Gospel, Christian. “I know,” says blessed Theodoret, “that some understand this concerning the return from Babylon and the renewal of Jerusalem, and I do not dispute what they have said, because the prophecy is fitting and what came to pass then. But the exact event can be found in the incarnation of our Savior; for then the brokenhearted were healed by the Lord through the bath of rebirth, then He renewed human nature, so loving us that He gave His very soul for us.” … According to the section Zech 9:9-15, the section under consideration Zeph 3:14-19 is read as a paremia at the evening service of the feast of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem.

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Introduction

The prophet Haggai, Hebrew Haggai – “festive” or “celebratory”; LXX: Αγγαῖος, Vulgate: Aggaeus, whose book occupies the tenth place among the twelve minor prophets in both the Hebrew and Greek Bibles, is the first prophet of God after the Babylonian captivity who left behind written records. The significant historical importance of the book of the prophet Haggai, which sheds definite light on the first days and years of the life of the Judeans after their return from captivity, is universally recognized. Many modern scholars (Schrader and others) believe that for the established dates of the beginning of the construction of the second Jerusalem temple, the only reliable source is the account of the book of the prophet Haggai (the 24th day of the 9th month in the 2nd year of the reign of Darius Hystaspes – according to Hag 2:15, see Hag 1:1 and following), which is entirely in agreement with the account of the book of the contemporary prophet Zechariah (Zech 1:16), whereas the account of the book of Ezra (Ezra 3:1–chapter 4) about the laying of the foundation of the temple in Jerusalem still in the reign of Cyrus, specifically in the 2nd month of the 2nd year after the return of the Judeans with Zerubbabel and Joshua from captivity Ezra 3:8 and following), is declared by them to lack historical authenticity in light of the silence of the books of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah about any work on temple construction before their time. The extremity and falsity of this view is evident: there is no necessity to deny the fact of the laying of the foundation of the second temple still in the 2nd year after the return of the Judeans from captivity around 536 B.C.; the account of this in the book of Ezra is entirely compatible with the dates of the books of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah concerning the resumption of construction work on the temple in the 2nd year of the kingdom, in 519 or 518. But here it is rightly noted that the book of the prophet Haggai demonstrates precision and definiteness of chronological dates and the entire historical situation.

Regarding the life and activity of the prophet Haggai – the only person of this name known from Scripture, besides what is reported in his own book and confirmed by the testimony of the first book of Ezra (Ezra 5:1) about the appearance of the prophet Haggai together with the prophet Zechariah with a proclamation concerning the resumption of work on the construction of the second Jerusalem temple – biblical literature has not preserved. Jewish tradition calls (Baba Batra 15a) the prophet Haggai a member of the so-called Great Synagogue (Knesset-Haggadolah), just as rabbis also included the prophets Zechariah and Malachi in this Great Synagogue, as well as many other somewhat distinguished figures of the post-captivity era; as members of this Great Synagogue, the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi are attributed in the Talmud with the composition of many rules and ordinances of ritual character (Eruvin II, 1; Shekalim III, 1). But against the reliability of this testimony speaks the fact that, according to Jewish tradition itself, the Great Synagogue was instituted only by Ezra (458 B.C.), consequently only 62 years after Haggai’s appearance on prophetic ministry (about 520), and chiefly – the extreme questionableness, indeed complete unreliability of the very existence of the Great Synagogue. In ancient Christian tradition likewise, there was not preserved nor fully established a consistent view on the person of the prophet Haggai. According to what is transmitted by Pseudo-Epiphanius, Pseudo-Dorotheus, and Pseudo-Hesychius, it is known that Haggai came from Babylon to Judea in early youth, prophesied about the return of the people from captivity, saw in part the restoration of the temple, and was the first to sing “Alleluia” there; he died in Jerusalem and was buried there near the graves of the priests. It is difficult to say how reliable these accounts are, but it is possible that they rest on a genuine historical kernel, all the more since the work “De vita et morte prophetarum,” which contains all these accounts, is now recognized in scholarship to have been originally written in Hebrew. How little, however, was this view on the time and circumstances of Haggai’s prophetic ministry accepted as common in the ancient Church is evident from the fact that blessed Augustine (commentary on Psalm 147) believed that the prophets Haggai and Zechariah began their prophetic ministry already in Babylon, and even more from the fact that, according to the testimony of blessed Jerome and Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Origen and his followers and some others, on the basis of Hag 1:13, regarded Haggai not as a man but as an Angel sent by God for preaching. In his commentary on Hag 1:13, blessed Jerome writes: “Some think that John the Baptist, Malachi, whose name means the Angel of the Lord, and Haggai, whose book we now have in our hands, were Angels, but by God’s consent and command assumed human bodies and walked among men” (Blessed Jerome – in the Russian translation – One book of commentary on the prophet Haggai, to Paula and Eustochium. Works, Part 16: p. 333). This unacceptable opinion, which provoked refutation from blessed Jerome and Saint Cyril of Alexandria, could have arisen, besides a literal understanding of the term melakh Yah in Hag 1:13 – also from the absence of the customary indication of the prophet’s father’s name among the prophets, as well as from the obscurity of the prophet’s grave among the people.

These grounds are, of course, entirely insufficient, all the more so because at the present time the name of the prophet’s father may already be known. During excavations in the courtyard of Haram es-Sharif, formerly occupied by the Jerusalem temple, an ancient Hebrew seal was found with letters in ancient Hebrew script inscribed on it: “Haggai, son of Shevanyahu.” In view of the mention of a signet ring worn by men found only in the prophet Haggai, there is reasonable grounds to see in this seal the very seal of the prophet Haggai, and one may suppose that he could have lost it near the temple, in the vicinity of which he must have been frequently, since he followed with great interest the proper conduct of work on the temple construction (Professor A. A. Olesnitsky, The Old Testament Temple, p. 855).

Given such meagerness and questionability of the information preserved by tradition about the person, life, and activity of the prophet Haggai, the historical kernel can be perceived in the accounts of Epiphanius, Dorotheus, and Hesychius, on the basis of which lies, apparently, an ancient, original Hebrew tradition. In the spirit of this tradition, some modern scholars (for example, Reuss) suppose that the prophet Haggai belonged to the sacred Levitical tribe and returned from Babylon in his youth. The opposite opinion of other scholars (Ewald, Keil, and others) – which relies on an interpretation of Hag 2:3 – to the effect that the prophet Haggai belonged to those elders who still saw Solomon’s temple (see Ezra 3:12), and thus at the beginning of the temple construction was at least 80 years old, is not consistent with the former and has little probability. The account of Epiphanius and Dorotheus, in their essential features, is reproduced also in our Prologue and Menaion under December 16, when the Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of the holy prophet Haggai. In the Menaion of Saint Dimitry of Rostov for December 16 we read the following about the prophet Haggai: “He was from the tribe of Levi, born in Babylon in captivity; still young, he came from Babylon to Jerusalem, and prophesied together with the holy prophet Zechariah for thirty-six years. They prophesied about the incarnation of Christ four hundred and seventy years before it, and openly the holy Haggai prophesied about the restoration. He saw in part the establishment of the church being renewed by Zerubbabel after the return from the Babylonian captivity. He died and was buried splendidly near the graves of priests because he too was from the priestly line. He was bald and old, with hair around his beard, and honorable in appearance, and testified by virtue. He was beloved and honored by all as a celebrated and great prophet, and his name means feast or one who feasts.” Here the chronological dates are little reliable both regarding the duration of the prophet’s ministry – according to Scripture his activity lasted only a few months – and regarding the time of the prophet’s life according to the definite testimony of Scripture itself; according to Scripture, the prophetic preaching of Haggai relates to the 2nd year of the reign of Darius, that is, around 520 B.C.; the same may be said regarding the indications of the external appearance of the prophet. As for the mention, omitted here, by Epiphanius and Dorotheus that the prophet Haggai was the first to sing “Alleluia” at the restoration of the temple, this circumstance is in all probability connected with the inscriptions found in ancient translations of the book of Psalms of certain psalms by the names of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah: psalms Ps 3:1 according to the LXX and Slavonic, while the last three psalms in the Greek text are inscribed: Αλληλούια Αγγαίου καί Ζαχαρίου; similarly the names of these prophets stand according to the text of the Vulgate in psalms Ps 111:1 and in the Peshitta – in psalms Ps 125:1 – Ps 126:1. But all these inscriptions, in which two contemporary prophets are usually and constantly connected, speak, evidently, not of the authorship of these prophets regarding the listed psalms, but only of the time of their greatest, namely liturgical use, namely during the period of the activity of both prophets named in the inscription.

But however meager and obscure the biographical information about the prophet Haggai provided by tradition, so clear are those historical circumstances and relations that most directly occasioned the prophetic preaching of Haggai and generally constituted, so to speak, the historical background of his activity. The Judeans who returned according to the decree of Cyrus (2 Chr 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-3) in 538–537 B.C. – in the number of 42,360 free persons, 7,337 servants, and 245 male and female singers (Ezra 2:64-65; Nehem 7:66-67) – in the first year in the seventh month – Tishrei – built an altar to Yah in Jerusalem and restored the proper performance of sacrifices and all worship in general (Ezra 3:2-6), and in the second month – Iyar – of the following second year, full of hope for the fulfillment of the promises connected with the return from captivity, they zealously prepared building materials and laid the foundation of the Lord’s temple (ibid., Ezra 3:7-11). This apparent haste in the settlers’ concern for building the temple is entirely natural and fully understandable in light of the important significance in the Old Testament of the temple as the true center and vital nerve of the theocracy (see Deut 12:5; 1 Sam 8:29; 2 Sam 21:4; Jer 32:34). God’s covenant with the chosen people and the promises given by God to Israel required, for the realization of beneficial communion between God and the people, a special place – the temple, and the new Judean community by laying the foundation of the temple factually testified to its sincere desire to restore its communion with God, broken and as it were interrupted by the destruction of Solomon’s temple, and to obtain the fulfillment of the promises. The prevailing mood of the masses at first was cheerful and full of energy and joy (Ezra 3:7). However, in the general chorus of rejoicings there immediately sounded a discord at the very laying of the new temple, and likewise, of course, in the subsequent time along with the rejoicings of the young generation there sounded also the weeping of the elders who had seen the magnificence of Solomon’s temple and who, by the laying of the new temple, judged concerning the comparative poverty and insignificance of the latter (Ezra 3:12-13; Hag 2:4), and this greatly weakened the zeal for construction and, besides, presented occasion to doubt the fulfillment of God’s promises connected with the temple.

Further unfavorable external obstacles affected the energy of the builders and the success of the construction. The Samaritans had proposed to the Judeans their participation in the building, and when their proposal was rejected by the Judeans, they began to hinder the work of construction, which was facilitated by the absence of Cyrus, who was at that time conducting a fatal war with the Massagetae, and after the death of Cyrus (529 B.C.), the Samaritans obtained from the Persian court an official prohibition of the construction of the Jerusalem temple (Ezra 4:2-6). The construction, stopped by royal decree, was then not resumed during the entire reign of Cyrus’s son – Cambyses (529–522 B.C.), nor during his successor – False Smerdis (522–521 B.C.). This continued until the beginning of the reign of Darius Hystaspes (521–485 B.C.). The very external state of the Judean community in the first years after their return from captivity did not at all correspond to those brilliant hopes which undoubtedly the returning people cherished on the basis of prophetic predictions connecting with the return from captivity the complete renewal and worldwide glorification of Israel (see, for example, Isa 60:1 and Isa 62:1 chapters): instead of this, the settlers were oppressed by the joyless consciousness of their servile dependence on the Persians (Nehem 9:36), their extreme poverty, and all sorts of failures (Hag 1:6 and others).

All this led to the fact that the initial zeal and energy for building the temple among the people disappeared and was replaced by complete indifference to the begun work; there even arose the conviction that “it is not time to build the house of the Lord” (Hag 1:2). Instead, the Judeans occupied themselves with the building of their own dwellings, sometimes even very adorned (Hag 1:4), and generally with the arrangement of their own prosperity. But God did not bless the success of these labors: the land was constantly visited by droughts and complete harvests failures (Hag 1:6). And this, in connection with all that has been mentioned, aroused in the people a feeling of abandonment by God, a conception of the cessation on God’s part of the covenant relations with his people, a taking away of his Spirit (Hag 2:5).

When, thus, not only could the construction of the temple be postponed for an indefinite time, but great danger of spiritual death threatened the entire religious and moral life of the theocratic community, then God raised up Haggai for prophetic ministry. The purpose and meaning of the activity of the prophet Haggai, evidently, consisted in explaining to the people the causes of their disastrous state and lack of success in their labors and undertakings; raising the fallen spirit of the settlers, convincing them with threats and exhortations to speed up the construction of the temple; inspiring in them faith in the immutability of God’s covenant relations with the Judeans and God’s promises, which were to be fulfilled precisely in the temple being built – convincing them that in it the Messiah would appear and lay the foundation of his eternal and universal Kingdom, and that the upheavals among earthly kingdoms that were to precede that would not be fatal for the Judeans as those standing under God’s protection.

Such is the circle of principal ideas of the book of the prophet Haggai, small in volume (38 verses in its two chapters). It consists of four speeches, precisely dated by the time of their pronouncement. The first speech in chapter 1 Hag 1:1-11 was pronounced on the first day (on the festival of the new moon) of the 6th month (Elul) of the 2nd year of the reign of Darius Hystaspes. In it the prophet reveals the actual cause of the stoppage in the construction of the temple and shows its groundlessness, urgently demands the resumption of work on the temple construction, pointing at the same time to the calamities experienced by the people at present and possible in the future, as a manifestation of God’s anger for the neglect of God’s work. The speech is accompanied by a historical note, Hag 1:12-15, about the favorable consequences of the prophet’s first appearance: the resumption of temple construction. The second speech, Hag 2:1-9, is dated the 21st day of the 7th month (Tishrei) of the same year (on the 7th day of the Feast of Tabernacles) and contains an exhortation – to continue the construction courageously, not being disturbed by its visible poverty and the lack of means to furnish the new temple with the splendor of the first, Solomon’s temple; then it shows those high spiritual blessings – the mercies of God’s covenant and the grace of the presence of Yah, and then also of the Messiah – which would be present in the new temple in even greater degree than in the first. In the third speech, Hag 2:10-19, pronounced on the 24th day of the 9th month (Kislev) of the same year, the prophet, to sustain the zeal of the temple builders, points out that without the temple, in which people obtain purification and sanctification, all were unclean, even the sacrifices were not pleasing to God, and God in his anger punished people with the unfruitfulness of the land; but when the Judeans already showed their zeal for the arrangement of the temple, the Lord announces his blessing on the people and all spiritual and material blessings that it brings to people. The last, fourth speech, Hag 2:20-23, pronounced on the same day as the preceding, is addressed specifically to Zerubbabel, and announces to him, as a descendant of David and faithful and obedient servant of Yah in the work of building the temple, wholeness, preservation, and prosperity under the special protection of Yah at that very time when great political upheavals and worldwide catastrophes were to occur.

All these speeches, as is evident even from a cursory review of them, are distinguished, firstly, by peculiar brevity, because of which many scholars have seen in them no more than an abridgment of longer speeches pronounced to the people (see Hag 1:13), – and then – direct (as in the 1st and 2nd speeches) or indirect (speeches 3rd and 4th) relation to the construction of the temple. The latter characteristic led some Protestant scholars to accept a diminished estimate of the theology of the prophet Haggai – considering, for example, a lack in his book an “un-prophetic zeal for the restoration of ancient worship” (De Wette) and even supposing that the prophet Haggai with his zeal for the building of the temple was guilty of the blame cast by the prophet Jeremiah on people saying: “Here is the temple of the Lord” (Jer 7:4) (Duhm). But such views are fundamentally false and collapse of themselves in light of the known central significance of the temple in the religion and theocracy of the Old Testament. The high biblical theological significance of the content of the book of the prophet Haggai is confirmed also by other ideas contained in it of divinely revealed teaching. Such is, in connection and agreement with the general biblical teaching on God’s providence, the prophet’s thought that God punishes those who neglect the glory of his name with barrenness (Hag 1:6, see Deut 28:22; Jer 12:13; Mic 6:15; Zech 8:10). Profoundly important and justified by the New Testament is the messianic thought about the superiority of the glory of the second temple over the glory of the first, and about the coming bestowal of peace in the second temple (Hag 2:9): in this temple the Lord Jesus Christ appeared and preached his Gospel of peace. Even the two legal questions in Hag 2:11-14 are set forth and resolved not only in exact agreement with the letter of the law (Lev 6:26; Num 19:22), but are accompanied in the prophet with definite and elevated moral requirements. Finally, high theological and messianic meaning has the idea that amid the shakings of nations and kingdoms, of earth and heaven, the Lord saves the chosen and receives them all into his immovable Kingdom (Hag 2:6-7. See Heb 12:26-28).

The authenticity and unity of the book of the prophet Haggai, with few exceptions, is universally recognized in scholarship (only Andre denies the authenticity of the section Hag 2:10-19, and Böhme considers the section Hag 2:20-23 spurious, but on grounds that are too insufficient and untenable). In the language of the book, as one composed already after the captivity, scholars rightly point out considerable stylistic peculiarities of biblical Hebrew in its later stage of development.

Literature for the study of the book of the prophet Haggai:

A) In Russian language translations: 1) blessed Jerome. Works part 14; 2) Saint Cyril of Alexandria – Works part X; 3) blessed Theodoret, bishop of Cyrrhus. Works part V. 1907. Of textbooks, the best is – D. N. Narcissus. A Guide to the Study of the Prophetic Books of the Old Testament. 1904.

B) Foreign. Andre, Le prophete Aggee. Paris. 1895. Keil, Biblischer Commentar über die zwöll kleinen. Propheten. 1886. Lange. Die Propheten HaggaI, Sachara Mateachi 1876. Marti, Dodekapropheton. Tübingen 1904, s. 378 ff. and others.

Chapter One

1. Historical-chronological introduction. 2–4. The cause of the stoppage in temple construction and the groundlessness of this cause. 5–8a. The disastrous consequences of the people’s neglect of temple building. 8b-11. Exhortation to resume construction. 12–15. Historical note on the success of the prophet’s first speech – on the beginning of work on temple construction.

Haggai 1:1. In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, governor of Judea, and to Joshua, son of Jozadak, the high priest: In accordance with the predominantly historical character of the book of the prophet Haggai, it begins with a precise and definite chronological date of the first appearance of the prophet, just as all his subsequent speeches are precisely dated by the time of their pronouncement (Hag 2:1). The method of dating reveals the notable influence of Babylonian reckoning on Judean: it is evident that the Babylonian calendar and Chaldean reckoning in general were well assimilated during the captivity by the Judeans, as is proven by similar dates in the books of the prophets Daniel (Dan 10:1) and Zechariah (Zech 1:7), as well as Nehemiah (Nehem 1:1). The difference from the ancient Hebrew method of dating here consists, first of all, in the fact that, if previously the sacred writers dated events by the years of three related Hebrew, Judean, and Israelite kings (for example, Jer 25:1), then from the time of captivity and after it, the beginning in the reckoning of events, the sacred writers took the years of the reign of foreign kings who conquered the Judeans. “Before the captivity,” says blessed Theodoret, “the prophets inscribed the years of Judean and Israelite kings; after the return from captivity, since the Judeans no longer had their own kings, the divine Haggai sets forth the year of the Persian king, and mentions not only the year but also the month and day, wishing to show not only the speed of building, but also the abundance of mercies with which God of all things gives his blessing to those who build” (p. 58). The name Darius, Hebrew Daryavesh, ancient Persian Darayavaus, Babylonian Darijamus 1, here, as in the book of Ezra (Ezra 4:24), is commonly recognized to denote Darius Hystaspes, who occupied the Persian throne from 521 to 485 B.C.; consequently, his second year of reign was 520 B.C. This year, according to the calculation of blessed Jerome, was the seventieth from the destruction of the temple – according to the prophecy of Jeremiah (Jer 25:12) and according to the testimony of the prophet Zechariah (Zech 1:7) – a significant coincidence, because it shows the precision of the fulfillment of the predictions of the prophet Jeremiah about the desolation of the Holy Land, in particular and of the temple, for seventy years; that the temple from the year 520 remained in desolation, Hebrew hareev, is spoken of in Hag 1:4. If the prophet Haggai indicates the year of his appearance for prophetic ministry by the year of the contemporary reign, then the month and day of this event he – in the spirit and practice of both the pre-captivity (Ezek 1:1) and post-captivity (Zech 1:7) reckoning – dates according to the calendar year – the Hebrew, during and after captivity, which received names for each of the 12 months. The sixth month, later called Elul (Nehem 6:15), according to this calendar, corresponds to the second half of our August and the first of September. Thus, the appearance of the prophet fell in the second half of August 520 B.C., specifically on the new moon, or the first day of the month, always considered a festival, first only a religious one (Num 28:11-14), and then also civil (1 Sam 20:5) and onward, Amos 5:8; especially according to the Talmud). – In the expressions: through (Hebrew beyad, LXX: ἐν χειρὶ, Vulg. in manu) Haggai, as well as in the addition to the prophet’s own name of the name of his function nabbi – prophet, some commentators wrongly saw an indication of the too late origin of the book: for both peculiarities one can find parallels even from more ancient, pre-captivity prophetic literature, – for the first, for example, in Isa 20:2; Hos 1:2; for the second – in Hab 1:1 (see our remark on the latter place). The rendering of the first expression in the LXX, Vulgate, and Slavonic should be recognized as too literal, and the Russian “through” should be preferred. The LXX Slavonic contain a pleonastic addition: λέγων εὶπῶν, Slavonic: “speaking: say.” But this addition, apparently, was borrowed only from analogy with other speeches of the prophet, see Hag 2:1. The Vulgate, however, renders one of these words: dicens. The word of the Lord through the prophet Haggai was addressed to the secular head of the Judean community in Jerusalem – Zerubbabel, and to its spiritual representative – the high priest Joshua. Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel, LXX: Ζοροβάβελ, a descendant of David, son of Shealtiel, and in many other biblical places is presented as the leader of the first caravan of Judeans who returned from captivity, the founder of the temple, and governor of Judea (see Ezra 2:2; Nehem 7:7; Zech 4:6). But on the other hand, in the book of Ezra, the same activity is ascribed to a certain Sheshbazzar, also called “the prince (nasi) of Judea” and governor or provincial administrator (pehah) of Judea (Ezra 1:8). The question that arises from this about the relationship of Zerubbabel and Sheshbazzar is solved by most Western scholars in the sense of the distinctness of these persons (see Marti, p. 382, Andre, p. 48–63), whereby in Sheshbazzar some see a Persian official (Stade, Smend), appointed as a representative of the Persian government as head of the Judean province, and others see a Judean – with similar functions (Meyer, Renan, and others), perhaps a distant relative of the royal house. But closer to the truth, although not excluding objections against itself, should be recognized the opinion of scholars who see in the names Zerubbabel and Sheshbazzar only two names, Hebrew and Chaldean, of one and the same person – namely, a descendant of David, son of Shealtiel (1 Chr 3:19), one of the ancestors of the Lord, our Savior in the flesh (Matt 1:12-13). (See “Explanatory Bible” vol. III p. 624.) “This Zerubbabel,” says blessed Jerome, “by birth of the tribe of Judah, that is, from the line of David, is a type of the Savior, who truly restored the ruined temple, that is, the Church, and again led the people out of captivity. He built the Church both from the old stones of the temple and from new ones that had not been worked before, that is, he built a dwelling place for God the Father both from the remnants of Israel and from the multitude of heathen peoples” (p. 320). By etymology, the most probable Hebrew Zerubbabel can be rendered: “born (properly: sown) in Babylon.” According to blessed Jerome, this word “can mean either: a nearby stream, ρεῦ:σις παρα κειμένη, – or: born in Babylon, or: prince of Babylon… according to Hebrew tradition this name consists of three completely independent words: zo – that one, rob, teacher, or: elder, and babel, Babylonian…” (p. 320–321). As the first meaning (“a nearby stream”), so also the last, supposedly traditional Hebrew etymology of the name Zerubbabel, cannot certainly be accepted. So much the more deserving of attention is the further comparison made by blessed Jerome: “just as Jesus, son of Joshua, who was also a type of the Savior, led the people from the wilderness into the land of promise, so also this one (Zerubbabel) was born in Babylon in order to lead those who were in Babylon back again to the land of promise, from which they had been led away as captives” (p. 321). The official title of Zerubbabel in the book of the prophet Haggai: pehah, more fully: pehat – Yehudah (Hag 1:1). The name pehah with the meaning: “provincial administrator” is encountered even in the time of Solomon (1 Sam 10:15; 2 Chr 9:14), is repeated then in the commanders, pahot, of Syria (1 Sam 20:24). As the designation of a viceroy or leader with authority at once civil and military, pehah was encountered among the Assyrians (2 Sam 18:24, Isa 36:9), among the Chaldeans (Ezek 23:6; Jer 51:23) and among the Persians (Esth 3:12), in particular – in application to the administrators of provinces beyond the Euphrates (Ezra 8:36: Nehem 2:7-9). The word derives from the Assyrian pahatu, properly: bel-pahatu, administrator of the district; a variant of it is the Turkish “pasha.” Alongside the secular head or prince of the Judean community, with the prophet Haggai, as in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, is named the spiritual head of the post-captivity Judeans – the high priest Joshua, son of Jozadak (Zech 3:1 see also Ezra 2:2 and onward, Nehem 7:7). Such a division in the Judean people of supreme power into secular and spiritual is entirely natural and fully corresponds to historical reality. And if some Protestant scholars (Marti, Stade) deny the existence among the Hebrews in the pre-captivity period of the high-priestly dignity and the very name kehengadol “high priest,” then against this speaks, for example, even the testimony of 2 Sam 12:11. But besides the historical significance of both powers, they could have typological significance, which is pointed out by blessed Jerome, saying: “In relation to history, one – Zerubbabel – is from the royal tribe, the other – Joshua – from the priestly tribe, but in relation to spiritual understanding, here is meant one and the same Lord and Savior of ours, King and Great High Priest, the type of whom in his kingly service was borne by Zerubbabel, and in his high-priestly service – by him who was named Jesus, which means salvation, Jao, that is, the salvation of the Lord…” (p. 322).

Haggai 1:2. Thus says the Lord of hosts: “This people says, ‘The time has not come, the time for the Lord’s house to be built.’” Haggai 1:3. And the word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet: Haggai 1:4. “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” In light of the fact that in quality of those to whom the first speech of the prophet is addressed, only Zerubbabel and Joshua are named in verse 1, while the people are not named, as they are named (sheerit ha’am, the remnant of the people) later in Hag 2:2, some commentators (Ley, Andre) supposed that the first speech was addressed exclusively to the ruler Zerubbabel and high priest Joshua, and they alone related the reproaches expressed in it regarding indifference to the construction of the temple. In reality, both the general meaning of the speech and certain particulars of it indicate that it is directed to the entire people and contains both reproaches and accusation of the people itself: the very opening of the speech: “this people says…” (v. 2) shows that the prophet condemns the actions of the whole people: the reproach concerning solicitude for the adornment of their own houses, neglect of the House of the Lord (v. 4), also relates to whole groups of the people; the chief matter, however – those natural disasters which, according to the prophet’s words, struck and still were to strike the people in case of its stubbornness (Hag 1:6), as naturally understood, can relate only to the whole people who returned to Palestine and settled in it. If Zerubbabel and Joshua had any guilt, it consisted solely in insufficient vigor in compelling the people to construction. This guilt was rather indirect, and in the accusation of the people Zerubbabel and Joshua appeared rather as witnesses of the accusation than as the accused. “Think carefully,” says blessed Jerome, “about the fact that it is not Zerubbabel and not Joshua who say: ‘The time has not yet come to build the house of the Lord,’ but the people, which, being under the authority of King Darius, has not yet thrown off the yoke of slavery” (p. 322). “When,” remarks blessed Theodoret, “Joshua was high priest and Zerubbabel was leader of the people, God before them, as before certain judges, accuses the people through the prophet and says: so much strenuous care do they apply to their own houses, not only do they build, but also adorn them, and they do not want to build the house of God, for which all of them participate in their common salvation, claiming that the time does not favor the creation” (p. 59). The opening words of the speech: “Thus says the Lord of hosts” (v. 2a) are very customary in prophetic usage as an introductory formula when prophets announce divine revelation. This formula, specifically with the inclusion of the name of the Lord of hosts, is encountered most frequently, besides the prophet Haggai, also among the prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, Malachi. It is necessary, therefore, to reject the opinion of Marti, that by the frequent repetition of the mentioned formula the prophet Haggai reveals the weakness or lack of clarity of his consciousness of his divine mission and wishes to give his words divine authority, which in an intense degree was possessed by ancient prophets (p. 382). On the contrary, this formula is very frequently used precisely by earlier prophets, in whom, according to Marti’s supposition, the consciousness of their mission from God was especially vivid. The essence of the reproach made by the prophet on behalf of Yah to the people in verses 2 and 4 consists in pointing out the sharp contrast which was created by the exaggerated care of the people for their own private dwellings and – complete neglect in the creation of the temple, which presented a spectacle of desolation: the Judeans themselves, at least the wealthiest of them, dwelt “in houses that were adorned and well-arranged, and intended not so much for the satisfaction of needs as for luxury, while the dwelling place of God, in which there was the Holy of Holies, the cherubim, and the table of the showbread, was rained upon, was soiled from lack of care, and was exposed to the action of the sun’s burning rays” (blessed Jerome, p. 323).

Haggai 1:5. Therefore, now thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways carefully.” Haggai 1:6. “You have sown much, but harvested little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but are not filled; you clothe yourselves, but are not warm; and the one who earns wages works for a bag with holes.” Haggai 1:7. “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Consider your ways carefully.’” The prophet, with an address very customary for him to the people (v. 5, see v. 7), calls them to reflect on the consequences of the above-described (Hag 1:2) behavior of the people regarding the construction of the temple. The prophet speaks as if thus: “be guided by sound reasoning, be judges of your own undertakings, and know how much difference there is between zeal for the divine and neglect” (blessed Theodoret, p. 59). “Then he says that, scattering much seed, they harvested very little fruit, from which they always suffered hunger and thirst, and never were satisfied, but lived in poverty and were in distress, so that they did not have necessary clothing” (ibid.). “No labor of those who had set up their houses and neglectfully related to the house of God had success” (blessed Jerome, p. 325).

Haggai 1:8. “Go up to the mountain and bring wood and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it and be glorified, says the Lord.” Now the prophet in direct and positive form expresses to the leaders of the people and to all the people a definite demand to take the decision to begin construction and proceed to work, the reward for which will be all success in their affairs, granted by God’s blessing. The requirement expressed in the first half of the verse has a general character of a call to begin construction work; therefore, there is no basis – neither in seeing in the mountain, Hebrew hagar, to which the prophet invites ascending, a definite mountain (the temple – Moriah, as some commentators supposed, or Mount Lebanon, as others thought), nor in perceiving in the call to carry wood an indication of the nature of the construction itself, that is, thinking that only wooden, forest material was needed, when, on the contrary, it is known (Hag 2:15; Ezra 4:4) that for the construction of the foundation and other parts of the second Jerusalem temple, much stone was required and used. Thus, the “mountain,” hagar, means in v. 8 a general, generic concept of a mountain and can be applied to each of the Palestinian mountains, which in that era still abounded in forest (Nehem 2:8), and “wood,” “forest,” Hebrew etz, expresses the idea of building material for the temple in general. The second half of v. 8 speaks of those saving, beneficial consequences that the people could expect from God’s favor toward it as a result of the change in or relationship to the important work of temple construction.

Haggai 1:9. “You expected much, but behold, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? says the Lord of hosts. Because of my house, which lies in ruins, while each of you hurries to his own house.” Haggai 1:10. “Because of this the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce.” Haggai 1:11. “And I have called for a drought on the land and on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on that which the ground brings forth, and on human beings and animals, and on all their labors.” Having expressed in v. 8 a positive demand to the people – to begin the construction of the temple, the prophet now in the closing verses (9–11) of his first speech expresses his retrospective view of the failures already experienced by the Judeans and the true cause of them – neglect of the building of the temple. In this, the thought expressed by the prophet (v. 10, 11) on the dependence of the fertility or barrenness of the earth and the success or failure of human labor – a thought that is undoubtedly biblical (see Deut 28:22-23), rests on biblical teaching about God’s Providence, and therefore it will be equally correct whether to apply the content of the verses under consideration to the past or the future, as do, for example, blessed Jerome and blessed Theodoret. The latter conveys the content of the verses under consideration with such a paraphrase: “As you neglect the service of me, and apply much care to your own houses, so I will forbid the clouds to water the earth and will command the earth to become barren, and the punishing force, like a sword, I will turn not only on the fruits of the earth, but also on those who cultivate the earth, with them their livestock will suffer punishment, created by them for service. God of all things threatens to do this because of neglect of the house of God, not because he has need of it (the Creator of all things has no need even in heaven, he created all things for the sake of loving-kindness alone); but caring for them themselves, for their salvation, he commands that a temple be built, so that they, in the temple fulfilling the law, would draw benefit from this, and perform lawful worship, until, according to the word of the apostle, the Heir comes” (Rom 8:17) (p. 60).

Haggai 1:12. So Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua, the son of Jozadak, the high priest, and all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord, their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, since he was sent by the Lord, their God; and the people feared the Lord. Haggai 1:13. Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke in the Lord’s message to the people, saying: “I am with you, says the Lord.” Haggai 1:14. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judea, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, Haggai 1:15. on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius. The simple and artless, yet powerful and convincing speech of the prophet produced the desired effect not only on Zerubbabel and Joshua, but also on the entire mass of the people: by the designation: “all the remnant of the people,” Hebrew kol-sheerit ha’am, properly: “all the remnant of the people,” Vulgate: omnes reliquiae populi, – is meant “the entire collection of that part of the Hebrew nation which had returned from captivity and, in comparison with the former people and state, could indeed be called a ‘remnant’; this expression then became very common, a common term for designating (see Zech 8:6) the returned from captivity and generally those not destroyed in the Jerusalem catastrophe and in captivity” (Marti, p. 334). The word of the prophet Haggai exerted serious influence on all his listeners, causing them to think deeply about the revelation given through him. But this effect could not be identical in relation to Zerubbabel and Joshua, on the one hand, and – the people – on the other. “Pay careful attention,” says blessed Jerome, “to the fact that in accordance with the twofold type of the Savior in the person of Zerubbabel-leader and Joshua-priest (for he himself is both King and High Priest), the book does not say: ‘Zerubbabel and Joshua were afraid,’ but it is said that although Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the people heeded the words of the prophet Haggai, which are the words of the Lord, nevertheless, on behalf of the Lord, only the people were afraid, that is, only the crowd, not yet turned into a perfect man” (p. 333). In response to the fear and confusion of the people (v. 12b) and in prevention of further wavering on its part in the work of temple construction, the prophet Haggai solemnly announces to the people consolation and encouragement on behalf of Yah, as if saying to the people: “Do not lose courage; I am your helper and assistant” (blessed Theodoret, p. 61). The extraordinary importance of the moment, the necessity to at once raise the spirit of the people, explains also a somewhat unusual in Scripture designation of the prophet as an Angel of the Lord, Hebrew malakh Yah (the use of this term in application to the prophets cannot be considered wholly exceptional in Scripture; on the contrary, all prophets in general are named Angels in 2 Chr 36:15-16; see Isa 44:26). We have already spoken in the introduction to our commentary about the unacceptability of the widespread explanation in Christian antiquity of Hag 1:13 in the sense of an indication of the angelic nature of the prophet. The exhortations and encouragement of the prophet, and then the special, deliberate action of God to raise the spirit of the temple builders, v. 14, finally overcame all wavering of the people in the work of temple construction, and it actively began work on its construction, so that the beginning of the resumption of these works is named in v. 15 as the 24th day of the sixth month, that is, the construction of the temple was resumed only three weeks after the first appearance of the prophet Haggai (see Hag 1:1). * * * Blessed Jerome (p. 317–313) renders the meaning of Hebrew Daryavesh nominally. “Generationes factae, births that occurred.” The philological validity of this translation is more than questionable, but blessed Jerome in this case had in mind those moral-allegorical conclusions which he made from the mentioned translation

Chapter Two

Verses 1–9. The second discourse of the prophet Haggai speaks of the despair of the builders of the second Jerusalem temple in view of its poverty compared with the temple of Solomon, and in connection with this, it proclaims the greatest glory of the future temple in messianic times. Verses 10–19. The third discourse strengthens the dedication shown by the people to building the temple with a promise of God’s blessing upon the people in earthly affairs, which they had previously lacked because of their neglect of God’s work. Verses 20–33. The fourth discourse—an address to Zerubbabel, as a descendant of the house of David and bearer of the promises given to that house.

Haggai 2:1. In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: According to the LXX and the Slavonic version. The twenty-first day of the seventh month—Tishri—was a festival day, the seventh or last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, celebrated for seven days beginning on the 15th of Tishri (Exod 23:16; Lev 23:34; Deut 16:13). The gathering of the people in Jerusalem on these days was particularly great, and it is likely that the prophet deliberately took advantage of this favorable opportunity to proclaim to the people an encouraging prophecy about the glorious future of the temple being built, in view of their despondency. The rapid succession of this prophecy after the preceding one shows that the good movement of hearts (Hag 1:12-14) of the listeners of the prophet’s first discourse (Hag 1:1-11) drew God’s mercy and God’s help upon them. “From this,” remarks the blessed Theodoret, “we clearly perceive that, having resolved upon the good, we quickly receive God’s help. For they too, having inclined toward the better, availed themselves of God’s assent, and divine grace made them most zealous” (p. 61).

Haggai 2:2. Tell now Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and Joshua, son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the rest of the people: However, the zeal of the common people could easily have weakened, and the prophet apparently was already discerning signs of some despair in the people, which, perhaps, explains the addition (contrary to Hag 1:1) in the address or direction of the speech of new words: the remnant of the people, according to codex 155 of Kennicott, also: kol (remnant), LXX: πρὸς παντας τους καταλοἰπους τοῦ λαοῦ, Slavonic: “and to all the rest of the people.”

Haggai 2:3. Who is there among you that remains, who saw this house in its former glory, and how do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes as nothing? Haggai 2:4. But now be strong, Zerubbabel, says the Lord, be strong, Joshua, son of Jozadak, the high priest! Be strong, all people of the land, says the Lord, and work; for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts. Further, the prophet indicates the main circumstance that was particularly able to cool, and indeed did cool, the zeal of the builders of the second Jerusalem temple: this was the comparative simplicity and even poverty of it compared with the magnificence of the temple of Solomon. And such a comparison for persons who had seen the latter was natural and necessary. That such old-timers could be present at the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple and listen to the speeches of the prophet Haggai is beyond all doubt: the seventy-year period of the Babylonian captivity could easily have been survived by children and even youths of the pre-captivity era. The book of Ezra (Ezra 3:12) directly confirms the presence, at the laying of the foundation of the second temple, of persons who had seen the former temple. But that the prophet Haggai himself was among these old-timers, as some scholars suppose, cannot at all be inferred from this passage. The prophet merely notes the fact of the fainthearted response of his contemporaries in the construction of the temple begun, and himself unhesitatingly states the reality of the difference between the second temple and the first, so that then (Hag 2:7) the glory of the second temple might stand out in particular splendor, being destined to far exceed the first. Now, however—verse 4—he first encourages all the people and their two leaders and representatives to continue without interruption the work begun. The encouragement, as before (Hag 1:5), is expressed in the name of the Lord of hosts. The content of this encouragement is set forth in Hag 2:5-9.

Haggai 2:5. The covenant which I made with you when you came out of Egypt, and my spirit abides among you: do not fear! This verse (5), difficult to explain precisely from the point of view of its grammatical construction, contains a completely definite thought about those inalienable pledges of God’s favor and salvation that, throughout all the times of Old Testament salvation-history, for biblical Israel were bound up with the idea of the Sinai Covenant (Exod 19:5 and following; Deut 5:1 and others), the clear indication of which is contained in the text of the verse under consideration. The blessed Theodoret paraphrases this verse as follows: “Putting aside all sloth and fear, receive the strength that is being given to you, believing that I remain with you in the law-giving, and that the grace of the all-holy Spirit provides for you” (p. 62). This last concept (concerning the grace of the all-holy Spirit) on the soil of Old Testament biblical thought must be understood, however, in the more general sense of the power of God that accomplishes the salvation of the people of God and all humanity, the divine promises in the consciousness of the inviolability of the covenant relations of God with them and in the living sense of the presence among them of the Spirit of God; the Jews, in the mind of the prophet, should not be troubled and fall in spirit, even though the external circumstances of the present moment did not answer their covenant desires and burning expectations.

Haggai 2:6. For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once, and it will be soon, I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land, Haggai 2:7. and I will shake all nations, and the Desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. Haggai 2:8. Mine is the silver and mine is the gold, says the Lord of hosts. Haggai 2:9. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give peace, says the Lord of hosts. Having mentioned in the preceding (5th) verse the covenant of God with His people as the main foundation of the hope of the latter, the prophet now, in verse 6, reproduces the very picture or setting of the Sinai legislation, points precisely to the awesome phenomena in the physical and moral world that accompanied this event, and here also places alongside the Sinai event the future cosmic catastrophe destined to precede the extraordinary glorification of the temple and people. What then is this shaking of heaven, earth, sea, and dry land (verse 6b) and all nations (7a), of which the prophet now speaks? Being set in parallel with the action upon nature and upon peoples of the Sinai legislation, the action of God properly upon peoples will, evidently, be the moral influence of the true religion of Israel on the heathen world. About the character, properties, and consequences of this kind of influence, one can judge only in connection with the clarification of the meaning of the difficult expression of verse 7: “the desire of all nations.” What meaning does the word “desire” (hedmah) have in this place, ordinarily meaning desire, object of desire, finally, something precious? The opinions of the ancient versions, as well as of the ancient and modern commentators, here divide into three main groups. Some give to the abstract “desire” a concrete meaning and see here an indication of the personal Messiah as the object of the desire of all nations. In this sense the Vulgate renders the mentioned expression: veniet Desideratus cunctis gentibus; Russian Synodal: “and the Desire of all nations shall come.” But, however natural and plausible such an interpretation from the point of view of the history of biblical messianic idea might be, seeing in the expression under consideration an indication of the personal Messiah is not permitted either by the grammatical construction (the predicate is in the plural form) or by the context of the speech, which speaks properly of the coming glory of the temple being erected. Moreover, the very relationship of various heathen peoples of antiquity to biblical Israel and its messianic hopes could be and indeed was very different. The blessed Theodoret understands the shaking of peoples of which verse 7a speaks in the sense of the victory of God’s power over peoples hostile to Israel and God, namely Gog and Magog: “he foretells this concerning Gog and Magog; when they resolved with many peoples to array themselves against Jerusalem, God permitted this and brought it about that, arming themselves against one another, they destroyed each other, and God gave their wealth to the builders of the temple” (p. 62).—In view of the insufficiency of textual indications concerning the person of the Messiah, the translations and commentators place the word “desire” in closer connection and dependence with the words “of all nations,” whereby again two views are distinguished: according to one view, the entire expression “desire of all nations” means: “the best, chosen ones from all nations” (who are to enter the Kingdom of God); according to the other: “the treasures, precious gifts of all nations” (which treasures the nations are to bring as a gift to the Jerusalem temple). The first of these views is already carried through in the LXX: “the chosen things of all nations,” and also in the Latin translation—the ancient Italic: “let all the chosen of the nations come”; Slavonic: “the chosen things of all the nations shall come.” Both of the interpretations under consideration are equally admissible, since both have analogies for themselves, for instance, in the depiction by the Prophet Isaiah, chapter 60, of the future glory of Jerusalem. By the context of the speech, the meaning of “desire” in the sense of the gifts which the heathen peoples turned to Jehovah are destined to bring to the Jerusalem temple is nearer answering (compare Hag 2:3, where it was spoken of the poverty of the temple being erected, and verse 8, where with special emphasis it is spoken of the silver and gold lying in the temporary use of the heathen, but in essence belonging to the one Jehovah); a full parallel to the expression under consideration in such a case constitutes the words Isa 60:5: “the wealth of the nations shall come to you.” The second half of verse 7: “and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts” speaks with greater definiteness of the consequences of those world and national upheavals spoken of in the first half of the verse. One of the essential consequences of “the shaking of all nations” (verse 7a, see Hag 2:22) will be the filling of the house of the Lord, now being erected, with extraordinary glory. The external expression of this glory will be the flowing of the riches of nations into the Jerusalem temple, of which, indeed, verse 8 does not speak directly, but is paraphrased by the blessed Theodoret as follows: “I do not appropriate to myself what is foreign, but take back what is mine; in generosity I gave them wealth, and since they did not recognize the Giver, it is right that I deprive them of the gifts” (p. 62). In the reading of verse 9, there is a difference between the Hebrew Masoretic and Greek LXX texts in construction: namely, whereas in the Hebrew text the glory of one—the second temple—is compared with the glory of the other—the first (Russian Synodal: “the glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former”), in the LXX text a comparison is drawn between the first and last glory of one and the same temple, “the last glory of this house shall be greater than the first.” And this latter arrangement of words, in which the temple of Jehovah is presented as something always identical, differing only in its manifestations, deserves preference over the former, as most answering the prophetic view of the continuity of the movement of salvation-history. “The prophet declares,” remarks the blessed Theodoret, “that this temple will be more glorious not in the magnitude and beauty of the building, but in that the heathen peoples will be destroyed; for with the rumor spread everywhere, the power of God almighty was revealed” (p. 62). “And in this place I will give peace (to you), says the Lord of hosts.” In what place and what kind of peace? Most nearly in the temple, and then generally in Jerusalem (the “foundation of the world,” according to Hebrew meaning), which, like Zion, in prophetic contemplation is often very closely brought together and as it were identified with the temple (compare Isa 2:3; Mic 4:2). The peace promised by God to the people in the holy temple being built and in the holy city—judging by the political upheavals expected at that time—must be, first and foremost, the peace of external security of the people of God, political peace, but also and spiritual peace, peace of souls in conscience reconciled with God. “Not only will I end human wars, but I will grant them also divine peace, which will bring salvation to souls” (blessed Theodoret, p. 63). Although the prophecy of verses 6–9 contains no direct indication of the person of the Messiah, nevertheless the general messianic meaning of the passage is evident from the examination of its text already presented, and besides, is confirmed by the citation in the epistle to the Hebrews by the Apostle Paul of the prophecy of Haggai concerning the second shaking (after the Sinai legislation) of heaven and earth. But the question as to what time the fulfillment of this prophecy belongs concerns those mysteries of the Kingdom of God which are destined to long remain as if a sealed book. It can only be said that the fulfillment of this prophecy must be recognized not as momentary but as prolonged, embracing whole centuries, and that only the beginning of its realization should be referred to, as one can conclude from Hag 2:6, to the time shortly following the pronouncement of the prophecy, namely to perceive the beginning of the upheaval of all peoples foretold by the prophet in the frequent and rapid political upheavals and changes of the ancient world empires that began soon after.Haggai 2:10. On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: Haggai 2:11. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests concerning the law and say: Haggai 2:12. If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and touches with the fold bread, or porridge, or wine, or oil, or any food: shall it become holy? And the priests answered and said: No. Haggai 2:13. Then said Haggai: If one who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, shall it become unclean? And the priests answered and said: It shall become unclean. Haggai 2:14. Then answered Haggai and said: Thus is this people, and thus is this nation before me, says the Lord; and thus are all the works of their hands! And whatever they offer there, it is all unclean. Haggai 2:15. Now consider from this day backward, before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord. Haggai 2:16. When one came to a heap of grain expecting twenty measures, there were but ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures from the vat, there were but twenty. Haggai 2:17. I smote you with blight and mildew and hail all the work of your hands; but you did not turn to me, says the Lord. Haggai 2:18. Now consider from this day backward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day when the temple of the Lord was founded; consider: Haggai 2:19. Is there yet seed in the granaries? Do the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree still yield nothing? From this day I will bless you. The third discourse of the prophet was delivered to the people two months and three days after the second discourse (verse 10, see verse 1). Some peculiarities of this, the third discourse of the prophet, in comparison with the other discourses, gave reason to some modern commentators (for example, André) to deny its authenticity—principally on the ground that it, supposedly, interrupts the natural sequence of speech and the connection between the second (Hag 2:1-9) and fourth (Hag 2:20-23) discourses of the prophet. But this circumstance is fully satisfactorily explained by the consideration that the sequence of discourses and their speech in the prophet is determined not by a logical system, but by the chronological order of their pronouncement and by the very subject matter of their content. From the standpoint of content, the third discourse of the prophet is noticeably divided into two equal halves: in the first half of the discourse (verses 10–14) the prophet examines the position and condition of the Jews contemporary with him upon their return from captivity—from the point of view of religious-ritual purity, namely he proves the presence of religious-ritual uncleanness in the people because of the absence of a temple among them; in the second half (verses 15–19), the life of the people, its misfortunes and prosperity, are made dependent upon the varying at different times dedication of the people to the building of the temple, which determined the differing attitude toward the people of God’s providence: punishing or correcting formerly, and merciful and blessing afterwards—from the moment of the laying of the foundation of the temple. The distinction of points of view in one case and the other is evident, but both halves of the discourse equally serve the main purpose of the prophet—to convince his listeners that with all zeal and with full strength of spirit they should carry on the construction of the temple begun.—Only a few separate expressions of the discourse require special explanation, and moreover, not so much in themselves as because of the arbitrary assumptions made about them by modern commentators of a negative-critical direction. Thus they suppose (André, Marti) that by the word “law,” LXX: νόμον, Vulg.: legem, in verse 11, one understands not exactly the written law, but oral tradition preserved among the priests, who in necessary cases gave answers about liturgical, ritual, and other such questions. Furthermore, in the very questions of verses 12–13 of the prophet to the priests, commentators see unusual, supposedly, for a prophet, attention to the temple and cult, which ancient prophets, for example, Jeremiah (Jer 7:1 chapter of his book) did not show; some are even inclined to see in these ideas of holiness and uncleanness the influence of the religion of the Magi—Parsism or Zoroastrianism—on biblical-Jewish thought and theology. But the first thought is based on the general view of the new biblical-critical school (of Wellhausen and others), a hypothetical assertion that the written tora in its present form appeared no earlier than Ezra: a hypothesis which at the present time already in the West does not have great scientific credibility. Moreover, the very turning of the prophet or any other person to the priests for the sake of one or another clarification concerning the provisions of the law can in no way testify to the non-existence at that time of written law, since the law of Moses itself everywhere presupposes and more than once states that it is the duty of the priests to give answers, instruction, and explanation concerning the questions proposed to them by ordinary Israelites about matters of faith, ritual, and generally the way of life (see Lev 10:10; Deut 17:8). Likewise, unnecessary is the attempt to draw a sharp distinction between the attitude of more ancient prophets and the prophet Haggai toward cult and ritual. Those accusations of the Hebrews for the ungodly performance of religious rites contained in more ancient prophets, for example, Amos (Amos 5), Isaiah (Isa 1), Jeremiah (Jer 7), do not contain a negation or simple condemnation of the cult itself, but only warn the Hebrews against exaggerated confidence in the power and significance of the temple, cult, and all the external pledges generally of their covenant with God, while at the same time pointing out the very spirit of God-pleasing service, expressed in the steadfast fulfilling of God’s will. The prophet Haggai, not denying this latter point of view, merely emphasizes in verses 12–14—in accordance with the circumstances and condition of the Jewish community after the captivity—the significance of the temple and the religious ritual associated with it. The LXX add to the text of verse 14 (verse 15 according to the LXX) the further words: on account of their morning offerings they shall suffer pain from the face of their sorrows, and you shall hate in the gates those who reprove. Slavonic: “for the sake of their morning offerings, they shall suffer pain from the face of their wickedness, and you shall hate in the gates those who reprove.” According to the remark of the blessed Jerome, these words “are not in the Hebrew text, nor in other interpreters” (p. 343). It appears that these words should be recognized as a later gloss; if they are accepted as authentic, their explanation is difficult. The general thought of them is a reproach to the contemporary Jews for greed and passion for profit. The second half of the discourse under consideration represents the unfolding of the thought expressed by the prophet earlier in his first discourse (Hag 1:6 and Hag 1:9), but in application to the given moment of the renewed work of restoring the temple: from this turning point, by the promise of God given through the prophet, a new life of the Jews is destined to begin, full of all good things, granted by God’s blessing. In verses 15 and 18, namely in the word “backward,” encountered in both verses, and in the expression “from that day”—peculiarly understood—proponents of the view already known to us (see our introduction to the book of the prophet Haggai) (Schräder and others) concerning the laying of the foundation of the temple precisely in the year 520, and not at all under Cyrus, as the book of Ezra says, found support for their view. But the impartial analysis of these terms convinces that this argument cannot at all be drawn from this passage, that rather from this it follows that the temple was laid down far earlier than the 24th day of the 9th month of the 2nd year of Darius (see on this in greater detail in Professor V. D. Popov, The Return of the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity and the First Years of Their Life in Palestine Until the Arrival of Ezra in Jerusalem. Kiev, 1905, pp. 295–305).

Haggai 2:20. And the word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying: Haggai 2:21. Tell Zerubbabel, governor of Judah: I will shake the heavens and the earth; Haggai 2:22. and I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms, and destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. Haggai 2:23. In that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, my servant, says the Lord, and I will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you, says the Lord of hosts. Regarding the fourth discourse of the prophet, addressed properly to Zerubbabel alone, but in its content representing a reproduction of the essential part of the second discourse (Hag 2:1-9, properly Hag 2:6-9), exegesis poses principally two questions: 1) why and in what sense is the prophecy, which is an unfolding of the prophecy Hag 2:6 and given previously to the whole people, now communicated to Zerubbabel alone? and 2) what meaning does God’s promise to Zerubbabel to keep or hold him like a ring or signet have? The first question is by some modern historians-biblical scholars (Stade, Wellhausen) decided in the sense that the entire fourth discourse is an expression of the political and messianic hopes of the Jewish people, concentrated after the captivity upon Zerubbabel as the representative of the community and descendant of the royal house of David—hopes, which, supposedly, were revived thanks to the building of the temple or under the influence of revolutionary movements in the Persian empire, which stirred up in the peoples subject to Persia hopes for the speedy collapse of Persia and their liberation from its yoke. But the presence in the Jews of that time of such hopes and aspirations is not confirmed by either biblical or non-biblical sources. The book of the prophet Haggai, however, sufficiently clearly testifies that the Jews contemporary with the prophet not only did not entertain such bold hopes and political tendencies, but were deeply depressed by various failures and calamities to the point of almost complete loss of faith in themselves, in their strength, even in the immutability of their covenant with God and the promises given to the people of God by Jehovah (compare Hag 2:4-6); in particular, the 4th discourse, with its consoling, encouraging tone, testifies to the oppressed, depressed state of mind of Zerubbabel, and through him the whole people. The undoubted connection of the 4th discourse with the second, especially with verse Hag 2:6-9, shows that, on the contrary, what was said earlier to the people is now repeated to Zerubbabel—evidently to clarify possible doubts—namely, as a member of the royal house of David, to whom with his descendants were once given the lofty, eternal-significance promises (2 Sam 7:13; Ps 88:28 and others). With this, we approach the solution also to the question of what meaning the promise to Zerubbabel in verse 23 has, that God will keep him like a ring—a signet. The analogy of other biblical passages, where a ring is spoken of (for example, Jer 22:24; Song 8:6; Sir 17:18) undoubtedly confirms that here (verse 23) there is speech of special, gracious protection by God’s Providence of Zerubbabel, and namely not so much of him personally, as of him as the representative of the God-chosen royal house of David, from whom the Messiah was to come. To such typological meaning of the prophecy the memory preserved by Jesus, son of Sirach, concerning the prophecy of Haggai about Zerubbabel points: “How great was Zerubbabel! Even as a signet on the right hand!” (Sir 49:13). That which in Hag 2:22-23 is ascribed to Zerubbabel, in the true sense belongs to the great descendant of Zerubbabel—the divine Servant of Jehovah—Christ the Savior (compare 1 Chr 3:16-19; Matt 1:12-13; Luke 1:27).

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Introduction

Information about the life and work of the prophet Zechariah. The name of the prophet Zechariah has been given various meanings; according to the majority of modern scholars, the name Zekharjah means: “(he whom) the Lord remembers” (Keif, F. B. Meyer, Bredeukamp, Smith Farrar, and others).—Zechariah twice names his ancestors by name: the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, son of Berechiah, son of Iddo (Zech 1:1). In accordance with other genealogical indications found in the books of Sacred Scripture, one can suppose that the father of the prophet was named Berechiah and his grandfather Iddo. But in view of the fact that the Hebrew ben is used to denote not only a son but also a descendant in general, one cannot decisively assert that the prophet Zechariah cites the names of his immediate ancestors. Therefore, we do not find among the Holy Fathers who interpreted the book of Zechariah an agreement in understanding the indicated information on the prophet’s ancestry. According to the interpretation of St. Cyril of Alexandria, Zechariah was born “from his father Berechiah in the flesh,” but he was at the same time also the son of Iddo—a prophet in spirit and “was brought up, as one must think, in the manner of the latter and became an imitator of such deeds of virtue” (Works of St. Cyril of Alexandria, Part XI. Sergiyev Posad, 1893. P. 2). Bishop Palladius, after mentioning this opinion of the Holy Father, noted that “it is not reliably known whether Iddo raised Zechariah” (Palladius, bp. Sarapulsky, Commentary on the books of the holy prophets Zechariah and Malachi. Vyatka, 1876. P. 1, note 2). The explanation of one of the later scholars comes close to the opinion of St. Cyril, who points to the possibility of levirate marriage, by which the mother of the prophet, after the death of her husband Berechiah, from his brother Iddo (Iddo) bore Zechariah: only with such an understanding would Iddo be the father of Zechariah in the flesh, and Berechiah according to law (Dr. L Bertholdt, Historischkritische Einleitung… Schriften des alten und neuen Testamente. 4—ter Theil, Erlangen, 1814. S. 1698). Jerome identifies Iddo of the book of Zechariah with the one mentioned in 2 Chr 12:15 and 2 Chr 13:22; and he considers the latter to be that man of God about whom he writes in 1 Sam 13:1-6 (Works of the blessed Jerome of Stridon, Part XV. Kiev, 1900. P. 4—Migne, patrologia latina, vol. XXV, col. 1419); consequently, according to Jerome’s opinion, Iddo could not have been the grandfather of our prophet, but a more distant ancestor. According to the opinion of the blessed Theodoret, “the prophet announces the name of the father who gave him birth and the name of the one by whom his father was born” (Works of the blessed Theodoret, bishop of Cyrrhus, part V. Sergiyev Posad, 1907, p. 68). However, the parallel indications of other sacred books (Ezra and Nehemiah) not only do not confirm this most probable opinion, but on the contrary raise doubts about its soundness. In Ezra 5:1 and Ezra 6:14 Zechariah is called simply the son of Iddo, without mention of Berechiah. But in any case, this does not give the right to see an irreconcilable contradiction between the statements of the book of Ezra and the book of the prophet Zechariah and does not serve as sufficient grounds to consider benberekhja in the latter an interpolation (such an opinion was expressed by Knobel and Ortenberg), because, first, ben and the later bar, in biblical usage, can mean not only a son but also a descendant in general; second, the Bible has many examples of people being called by the name of their more famous grandfather with the omission of the father’s name. Therefore, the omission of the name Berechiah in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah (Nehem 12:16) the majority of interpreters explain by the fact that Berechiah was not only unremarkable in any way but also died at a young age. In fact, at the time of the return of the captives under Zerubbabel and Joshua, Iddo (Iddo) was the head of his priestly family (Nehem 12:1), and in the time of the successor of the high priest Joshua, his son Joiakim (Nehem 12:10), the head of the family was not Berechiah but Zechariah (Nehem 12:12); there is nothing unlikely in the assumption that the prophet is more often named after his grandfather, who may have outlived his son and passed on his position as representative of the family to his grandson.

As for the time and place of Zechariah’s birth, in the absence of precise indications in the books of Sacred Scripture, one has to be satisfied with only more or less probable assumptions. The most widely accepted opinion among scholars is this: if at the time of the high priesthood of Joshua the grandfather of the prophet Iddo was still the representative of his priestly family, then consequently Zechariah, at the return of the captives to Jerusalem in the reign of Cyrus, was a relatively young man; and from the fact that he, eighteen years later, in the second year of Darius Hystaspes (519 BC), calls himself naar—a young man (Zech 2:4; verse 8 of the Masoretic text), this assumption becomes even more probable. From this follows such a conclusion: the prophet was born in Babylon shortly before the edict of Cyrus was issued and arrived in Jerusalem as a child (A. Kohler, Der Weissagungen Sacharjas erste Hallte, Cap. 1–8. Saugen 186f. Ss. 9–10).

Like Jeremiah (Jer 1:1) and Ezekiel (Ezek 1:3), the prophet Zechariah belonged to a priestly family. St. Cyril of Alexandria directly calls Zechariah “descended from priestly blood, that is, from the tribe of Levi” (p. 2). The majority of modern interpreters (Keil, Cornill, Pusey, Marti) believe that in Nehem 12:4 by Iddo and Zechariah the same persons are meant as Ezra 5:1 and Ezra 6:14. From this follows the conclusion: the prophet Zechariah belonged to a priestly family,—consequently, he himself was a priest. Moreover, Zechariah was the head of his priestly family, which title he inherited from his grandfather Iddo at the time of the high priest Joiakim, son of Joshua (Nehem 12:10).

Zechariah began his prophetic ministry not long after Haggai (in the second year of the reign of Darius Hystaspes, only two months later), when Joshua was high priest; at the time of Joshua, Iddo, the grandfather of the prophet, was still the head of his family (Nehem 12:4), consequently, Zechariah began his prophetic ministry before his priestly ministry (that is, as head of the family). There is some ground to suppose that prophetic ability was in the family of Zechariah in a sense hereditary. St. Basil the Great, in his commentary on Isa 1:1, remarks; “why did the prophet add the name of his father? To show that prophetic ability in him is a paternal inheritance” (Works of our holy Father Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, Part II. Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, 1900. P. 16). And St. Cyril of Alexandria, reading in Zech 1:1 instead of τὸν προφήτην—τὸν προφήτου, directly calls Iddo a prophet, who was, according to the commonly accepted opinion, the grandfather of Zechariah. According to the opinion of Baumgartess and Keil following him, the prophetic activity of Zechariah belongs primarily to the first period of his life, and the priestly—to the later (cit. S. 9); although by this is not denied, of course, the possibility of combining the duties of both kinds, which we see in the example of Jeremiah.

The first recorded prophecy of Zechariah dates to the second year of Darius Hystaspes. But on the basis of Ezra 5:1-2 it can be supposed that he appeared in prophetic ministry before this time; for the settlers from Babylon were led, namely through the prophetic exhortations of Haggai and Zechariah, to take up the restoration of the temple construction. But this testimony of the book of Ezra is factually confirmed only with respect to Haggai—the first chapter of his book; the prophetic exhortations of Zechariah of corresponding content thus remained unrecorded. The last of Zechariah’s prophecies having a definite time indication dates to the ninth month of the fourth year of Darius (Zech 7:1). The prophecies of chapters IX-XIV are thus to be referred to a later time; for the exact determination of the entire period of Zechariah’s prophetic ministry there is no possibility, due to the lack of reliable data. One can only affirm that this ministry of Zechariah coincides with the time of the initial establishment of the Jewish community after the return from Babylon and the time of the temple’s reconstruction, or, as Western scholars express it (de-Wette, Sellin, Klostermann and others),—the time of restoration. Compared with the prophetic activity of Haggai, the ministry of the prophet Zechariah was more prolonged, if one judges by the indications of the books of both prophets.

Besides the books of Ezra and Nehemiah and the book bearing the name of our prophet, there are several psalms in whose superscriptions the name of Zechariah appears, alongside the name of Haggai or separately. According to the Slavonic translation, the names of the mentioned prophets appear in the superscriptions of the following psalms: 137, 145, 147, and 148 (Haggai and Zechariah); Ps 138:1 is inscribed as: To the end, a psalm of David, Zechariah in the scattering. That the psalms having in their superscriptions the names of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah were not composed by them can be concluded from the fact that in some superscriptions David also appears as the author. And the very use in the superscription of the names of two prophets raises doubt about their authorship. Keil recognizes as most probable the following assumption: Haggai and Zechariah gave to the psalms bearing their names in the superscriptions that form in which they were sung by the community and have come down to us (Die Weissagungen Haggai. S. Erlaugen. 1860. S. 33). In the first book of Ezra we read: when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests were stationed in their vestments with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord according to the ordinance of David, king of Israel. And they began to sing in alternation: “Praise” and: “Glorify the Lord,” “for he is good, for his mercy to Israel is forever” (Ezra 3:10-11). Here one can see an indication of the use at the described celebration of the laying of the temple’s foundation of psalms 145–148 and 105–106, whose opening words indicating their content are cited in the book of Ezra. From this, perhaps the corresponding psalms received in their superscriptions the addition of the names of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, who were the initiators of the restoration of the temple and probably the organizers of the liturgical ritual upon the return of the Babylonian captives to their homeland,—so to speak imparting to these psalms even greater authority.

In the books of Sacred Scripture we find no precise and detailed information about the circumstances of the life and work of the prophet Zechariah. From his namesake book, as well as from the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, we can with sufficient clarity determine only the person of the prophet and the time of his life and work. We can affirm that Zechariah was a contemporary of the prophet Haggai, Zerubbabel, and the high priest Joshua; surviving the latter, he was at the time of his son Joiakim the head of his priestly family. The beginning of Zechariah’s prophetic activity according to the data of Scripture is determined with sufficient precision; but as for the end of it, as well as the time of the prophet’s death and the place of his burial, we have in Scripture absolutely no indication whatsoever.

The general content and division of the book of the prophet Zechariah. The book of the prophet Zechariah is divided by all interpreters and scholars, both ancient and modern, whether upholders of tradition or deniers, with almost complete unanimity into two parts: the first contains eight initial chapters, the second—the last six.

The first part, which contains the revelations given to the prophet in the second and fourth years of the reign of Darius Hystaspes (Zech 1:17; Zech 7:1), in turn can be divided into three sections. The first section (Zech 1:6) contains an introductory exhortation to turn from evil ways to God, with an indication of the calamities to which the ancestors of the prophet’s contemporaries were subjected for their impenitence, and of the immutability of God’s determinations. The second section (Zech 1–Zech 6:15) consists of a description of eight prophetic visions and the concluding symbolic action. In the third section, which contains two chapters (VII and VIII), the prophet offers in the name of God the resolution of the question concerning the observance of fasts established in memory of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, with an addition of exhortations and promises offered to the people by God’s command.

The second part of the book of the prophet Zechariah contains a depiction of the future destinies of the world in general and the Kingdom of God in particular; this second half of the book can be divided into two prophecies beginning in the same way with the words: massa debhar lehova; there is no indication of time when the revelations were received or the name of the prophet in the second part. The first prophecy, uttered concerning the land of Hadrach, depicts the struggle between the pagan world and Israel and the destruction of pagan power; and the second prophecy (concerning Israel) presents pictures of the future glorious state of the chosen people, when, cleansed by calamities, having bitterly lamented their transgressions and freed from unworthy members, it will attain a high degree of holiness and glory. Each of the two prophecies can, in turn, be divided into two halves, and the division of the entire second part will be thus: the first section of the first prophecy—ch. Zech 9 and Zech 10, the second section — Zech 11 ch.; the first section of the second prophecy—ch. Zech 12:1–Zech 13:6, the second section—from Zech 13:7 to the end.

The purpose of writing the book. In turning to the question of the purpose of writing the book of the prophet Zechariah, it is necessary above all to note the author’s intention to encourage the temple builders and all the people during the difficult period of restoring the community after the captivity; at the same time, the prophet seeks to dispel the false belief about the righteousness and acceptability to God of those freed from captivity, sons of a sinful people, and about the immediate proximity of Messianic times. To achieve these ends, the prophet depicts the future Kingdom of the Messiah and the glorious destiny of God’s people in general, as destined to be realized after a prolonged struggle with paganism, after repeated falls of the chosen people itself; the acts of Providence leading the chosen people to their appointed goal will be expressed in miraculous assistance to the sons of Israel in their struggle with paganism on one side and in severe punishments for their own sins on the other; moreover, pagans serve as an instrument in God’s hands for punishing the sons of God’s people, as in times past.

Particular occasions for the writing can be indicated only for two sections: Zech 6:9-15 and VII-VIII. The external occasion for the writing of Zech 6:9-15 was the arrival in Jerusalem of Heldai with his companions from Babylon, with gifts for the temple. Chapters VII and VIII were written on the occasion of the question raised by a certain part of the Jews about the appropriateness of observing the fasts established in memory of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, given the changed circumstances.

The question of the authenticity of the second part of the book of the prophet Zechariah. The book of the prophet Zechariah has been included in the canon of Old Testament sacred books in its fourteen chapters; the New Testament cites the second part as divinely inspired; the Fathers and teachers of the Church have not expressed doubt about the belonging of all fourteen chapters to the prophet Zechariah, the contemporary of the building of the second temple. Orthodox exegetes have always held (with the exception, it seems, of only Protopriest Pavsky), and continue to hold to this day the view that the said book in its full extent belongs to the prophet Zechariah. Western scholars held the same opinion until the middle of the seventeenth century; and then increasingly sharper voices began to be heard against the authenticity of the last six chapters of the book of Zechariah; so that in our time for the majority of Western scholars this is a universally recognized truth (K. Marti. Dodekapropheton. Tubiugen 1904. S. 391), and the book of Zechariah is divided by them into two: the first contains the prophecies of Zechariah the contemporary of Zerubbabel; and the second belongs to an unknown author, whom it is customary to call Deutero-Zechariah. (However, some scholars attributed the composition of Zech 9-14 and determined specific individuals).

The grounds for dividing the book of Zechariah for scholars of the negative direction were the difference in content of the two parts, in language, methods of exposition, and so forth; and the external occasion for separating the last six chapters was the circumstance that in the evangelist Matthew in Matt 27:9-10 the citation from Zech 11:12-13 is given not under the name of Zechariah but Jeremiah, although Jer 32:9 (and some verses from chapters XVIII, XIX, and XXXII) present only a remote similarity to the gospel text, while the passage from Zechariah corresponds to it quite precisely.

Having embarked on the path of denial, the scholars of the indicated direction attempt to comprehensively elucidate points of difference between the first and second part and to prove the impossibility of their origin from one author. First of all, the conclusion is reached about the difference in authors by comparing the content of the two parts. In the first part, consisting mainly of visions, the thought of the prophet is concentrated on the building of the temple and the main actors of that time, Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua. In the last six chapters visions are absent, Joshuah and Zerubbabel are not mentioned at all, and nothing is said of the temple construction. Here the discourse is about the overthrow of the world power hostile to the chosen people, about the good and wicked shepherd, about a great transgression of the people and its repentance, about the abolition of Levitical service and universal sanctification. In the second part, there are no acting Angels and evil spirits, which we encounter in the visions of the first part. It is said there is no such close similarity in religious views set forth in the two parts as to allow one to suppose the unity of origin of both parts.

As for the language and methods of exposition of the second part, in this respect the difference from the first appears, it would seem, even with greater prominence. The first part is written in prose, the second—in poetic language; in the first part each more or less independent passage begins with a brief introductory formula, such formulas in chapters IX-XIV are completely absent. In the second part the name of the prophet is not mentioned, nor is the time when the revelations were communicated to the prophet indicated even once. Comparing the language of the two parts, they find allegedly irrefutable proofs of the difference in their authors: in the book of Zechariah there are certain words and expressions peculiar to only one or another part; in chapters IX-XIV there are a relatively greater number of Aramaisms indicating the later origin of these chapters; and especially, deciding significance here is the circumstance that both parts use the same words in more or less different senses or, conversely, give different names to the same thing.

Rejecting the authenticity of chapters IX-XIV of the book of the prophet Zechariah, scholars of the negative direction in further development of this position diverge in various directions, presenting extraordinary diversity of views on the time of origin of the disputed chapters and on the personality of their author. Some scholars refer the composition of the second part of Zechariah or some chapters to the time before the fall of the kingdom of Israel. Others—to the Maccabean epoch; that is, the disputed chapters, according to some, belong to the eighth century, according to others—to the middle of the second century BC; and within these limits—over a span of, consequently, six centuries—the most varied dates are indicated. While recognizing, in the majority of cases, the anonymity of Deutero-Zechariah, representatives of the negative view attribute the utterance and composition of the prophecies contained here to specific individuals: to the prophet Jeremiah, Zechariah, mentioned in 2 Chr 26:5 and in Isa 8:2, and Uriah, mentioned in Jer 26:20-23. This alone can testify to a certain extent to the instability of those grounds on which the opponents of the traditional view on the belonging to Zechariah, the contemporary of Zerubbabel, of all fourteen chapters of the book bearing his name, attempt to base their negative judgments.

And upon closer examination, the arguments of the opponents of the authenticity of the second part of the book of Zechariah generally appear to be suffering from bias, exaggeration, and false generalizations and, as such, far from possessing the degree of convincingness which they attribute to them. Against the fact that the two parts of the book of Zechariah present too sharp a difference in content, one can object that this difference, however, is not so great as to allow one to exclude on this basis all possibility of the origin of both parts from one author. The second part does not contain visions; but in the first part, too, there is a fairly significant section, apart from the introduction to the whole book, that is, chapters VII-VIII, which presents narrative and ordinary prophetic speech; to the symbolic action described in the first part in chapters IX-XIV correspond symbolic actions in Zech 11:4-17. Good and evil spirits do not appear as actors and are not mentioned in the second part, but they are not spoken of in chapters VI-VIII either; on the other hand, the Angel of the Lord is mentioned in Zech 12:8 and under the “saints” in Zech 14:5, in the opinion of the majority of interpreters, only Angels can be understood.

The discordance of the content of the second part of Zechariah with historical circumstances also cannot be proved with complete soundness. For instance, the mention of the house of Judah and the house of Israel does not at all speak to the fact that chapters IX-XI were written before 722 BC: in that case, one would have to reject the belonging to Zechariah of chapter VIII also, in which (Zech 8:13) these designations are used; however, critics do not do this. The mention in Zech 9:5 of the king of Gaza in no way testifies to the pre-captivity origin of this chapter, for Babylonian and Persian rulers had the custom of leaving to conquered peoples their kings: only so that they would recognize their dependence on them and give them the opportunity to be titled king of kings.

The methods of exposition stand in connection with the content and therefore it is entirely natural that in describing visions the prophet employs the language of prose, while the exalted prophecies concerning the future destiny of the chosen people and the whole world he expounds in rhythmic speech.

In contrast to the scholars of the negative direction, those defending the traditional view, with sufficient consistency and clarity, demonstrate the correspondence of the content of the two parts of the book of Zechariah. While not denying external differences, Pusey, for instance, sees a remarkable unity of purpose throughout the book. The starting point in all sections of the book is the time following the captivity, but all lead to the distant future: the first two have as their subject the time before the coming of the Savior, the third from the campaigns of Alexander and the victorious Maccabean wars brings us to the fact of the rejection of the Good Shepherd; the last, connected with the third by the same heading, beginning with a depiction of the future repentance of the people on account of the death of Christ, reaches the final conversion of Jews and pagans. The same scholar draws attention to the fact that in both parts of the book there is no mention of a king or of any earthly ruler: the coming Lord is the Messiah. By content of the book in general, the division between the two Hebrew kingdoms has passed; the house of Israel and the house of Judah are presented in the depiction of the prophet as united by a community of interests—not as an independent whole, but as constituting one society of the remnant of the people chosen by God (op. cit. pp. 503–504). Keil finds between the prophetic visions of the first part and the predictions of the second a very close correspondence, so that chapters IX-XIV, in his opinion, contain a prophetic depiction of that which the prophet beheld in night visions, that is—the future destiny of the Kingdom of God in its struggle with the pagan world. Chapters VII-VIII represent, according to Keil, a connecting link between the first and second parts. In both parts of the book Zechariah places his prophecies in connection with the writings of former prophets. Parallels in thought and expression can be seen in comparing Zech 2:9 with Zech 9:8; Zech 3:2 with Zech 12:8; Zech 8:20 and following with Zech 14:16 and following; Zech 8:23 with Zech 9:7 and others. One can point to the juxtaposition of Judah and Jerusalem in Zech 1:12; Zech 2:2; Zech 8:15; Zech 12:2 and following; Zech 14:14; to the use of symbolic numbers in both parts (Zech 3:9; Zech 11:8) to the use of rare expressions not occurring in other books of scripture but present in both parts of the book of Zechariah.

In subjecting to careful analysis the arguments of opponents of the authenticity of the second part of the book of Zechariah, we have the right to make the following conclusion: negative criticism does not point to any ground which would give the right to the conclusion that the disputed chapters cannot belong to the prophet Zechariah; all negative arguments are only presumptive and in the conclusion the deniers give more than in the adduced grounds. One must have in mind also another very important circumstance, giving significant weight to the positive data in favor of the unity of the book of the prophet Zechariah. The Twelve Prophets shortly after Malachi formed a separate collection; the book of Zechariah occupies in this collection not the last place: it is unlikely that the insertion into the middle of the collection of a spurious or anonymous work, having, in comparison with separate books of the minor prophets, a fairly considerable volume. In any case, such an insertion could only have been made before the writing of the book of Malachi, which is improbable, for Malachi is separated from Zechariah by a period of time of no more than half a century: the younger contemporaries of Zechariah could have lived to the writing of the book of Malachi and to the conclusion of the collection of “the twelve” and at the same time of the entire section of the prophetic books of the Old Testament. In conclusion, one can further add that the original occasion for denying the authenticity of the disputed chapters has now lost all significance for negative criticism; for Zech 9–Zech 14 were attributed to the prophet Jeremiah (in accordance with the citation in the evangelist Matthew, which was noted above) only in the first period after the arising of this question, and subsequently the vast majority of scholars refer the second part of Zechariah to the post-captivity period.

Literature. From commentaries of the Holy Fathers on the prophet Zechariah which have come down to our time are: commentaries of St. Ephrem the Syrian (on Zech 3-14), St. Cyril of Alexandria, the blessed Theodoret, and the blessed Jerome,—all exist in Russian translation. From the patristic period we also have a commentary by Theodore of Mopsuestia.

The commentaries of Western scholars on the book of the prophet Zechariah that appeared before the beginning of the eighteenth century are indicated in Carpzov (Carpzovius) in Introductia ad libros propheticos Bibliorum Veteris Testamenti, Lipsiae, MDCCXXXI. Pp. 451–452,—under three headings: Lutheran, Catholic, and Reformed. Later isagogic and exegetical aids until the end of the nineteenth century are enumerated in Reinke (Ss. 32–34), de Wette (W. M. L de Wette, Lehrbuch der historisch – kritischen Einleitung in die kanonischen und apokryphischen Bucher des Alten Testaments… Berlin, 1869. S. 475), Bachman (Dr. Joh. Bachmann’s Preparationen und Commentate zu den gelesensten Buchem des alten Testaments. Kleine Propheten. Heft 11: Sacharja. Berlin 1896. Ss. 79–80) and Nowack (Die Kleinen Propheten ubersetzt und erklert Von D. W. Nowack. Gettingen 1897. S. 316). In the present century in the West there have already appeared many interpretive works on the prophet Zechariah. Such are: A. von Hoonacker, Les chapitres IX-XIV du livre de Zacharie (Revue biblique internationale. 1902. Pp. 161–183 et 347–378) F. C. Eiselen, Commentary on The Old Testament. Vol. IX – the Minor Prophets. New York, 1907. Pp. 571–686; Perowne, The Books of Haggai and Zechariah. Cambridge, 1908 (First Edition 1886); K. A. Leimbach. Die Weissagungen der Propheten Joel, Abdias, Ionas, Nahum, Habakuk, Sophonias, Aggaeus, Zacharias und Malachias. Fulda, 1908. Ss. 125–179; E. F. Stroter, Die Nachtgesichte des Propheten Sacharja. Bremen, 1908; A. Maclaren, The Books of Ezekiel, Daniel and the minor Prophets. London. MCMVIII. Pp. 264–322.

In Russian should be noted: Commentary on the book of Zechariah by Irenaeus (Klementievsky), archbishop of Pskov; Palladius, bp. Sarapulsky (Commentary on the books of the holy prophets Zechariah and Malachi); I. Samborsky (Readings in the Society of Lovers of Spiritual Learning. 1872, XL-XII, pp. 205–283: “On the book of the prophet Zechariah”). The question of the authenticity of the second part (chapters IX-XIV is devoted to a small study by D. Bogorodsky (Vilna, 1886).—Besides, in Russian there is the “Brief explanation of the twelve last prophetic books of the Old Testament” by Friedrich Rochemont, translated from the French (St. Petersburg, 1880).

Chapter One

1–6. Heading and introductory prophetic exhortation. 7. Heading of the second revelation through visions and symbolic action. 8–17. First vision: horseman among myrtles and horses of various colors. 18–21. Second vision—four horns and four workmen (Synodal Zech 1:18-21) 2:1–4 Masoretic text).

Zechariah 1:1. In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, the prophet: In the heading, according to the original text, the LXX, Vulgate, Targum, only the year and month of the prophet’s receiving the revelation are indicated; the Syriac adds: “on the first (day) of the month.”—“In the second year of Darius” refers to the Persian king Darius I Hystaspes, who reigned from 521 BC to 485 BC.

Zechariah 1:8. And I saw at night: behold, a man on a reddish horse standing among myrtles, which are in a depression, and behind him horses reddish, speckled, and white, Zechariah 4:1. The revelation through visions occurred at night, but these were not dreams but ecstatic contemplations in a waking state; this state of prophetic insight was like an awakening from the ordinary state of a person, which the prophet himself compares to a state of sleep (Zechariah 4:1). One can suppose that intense reflection on the destiny of the chosen people brought Zechariah to such a state, as it did Moses in the wilderness and other prophets.—The prophet sees a man mounted “on a reddish horse,… among myrtles, which are in a depression.” Interpreters attempt to clarify the significance of myrtle trees in the sense of an image of the Hebrew Church, humble and inconspicuous to the eye, but blooming and fragrant even in difficult times such as the time of Babylonian captivity (Targum Jonathan has: among myrtle trees, which are in Babylon; Keil 527, Rochemont 178, Glagolev 170). But it is more likely to recognize here a corruption of the Masoretic text, for the LXX read here (and in Zech 1:10-11): ανα μεσον των ορεων των κατασκιων, that is, instead of hahad-hassim-heharim (mountains); the reading of the LXX, along with many scholars, can be recognized as more correct, based on the fact that it will then correspond completely with the eighth vision of chariots coming forth from a ravine between two mountains (Zech 6:1; Marti 402).—Behind the horseman are “horses reddish, speckled (Venetian: chestnut) and white”; from the following (Zech 1:11) one can conclude that these horses had riders; although one can see the executors of God’s will in the horses themselves. The colors of the horses, without question, have symbolic significance, as an indication of those calamities with which the Lord will strike the peoples living in security and prosperity and therefore having no fear of God (Zech 1:15).—The man on the reddish horse is not the leader of the horses found behind him; in Zech 1:10 he does not count himself among those whom the Lord sent to go about the earth; but from Zech 1:11 it is evident that this man is the Angel of the Lord, to whom the horses (or their riders) report on the completion of the mission entrusted to them (see Glagolev, p. 169, note 1). In the first vision, acting in the form of horses of various colors, are without question the Angelic forces (Theodoret 71), inferior to the Angel of the Lord and carrying out the will of the Lord. Among the other heavenly forces mentioned in the book of the prophet Zechariah, the Angel of the Lord holds the highest, predominant position, as is evident already from the first vision. According to the remark of Professor Glagolev, in the fourth vision (Chapter III) “the Angel of the Lord appears decidedly as a divine person, having power, like God, to forgive sins” (p. 171). The author of a special monograph on the Old Testament Angel of the Lord, Roling, at the beginning of his study, pointing to the significance which the Old Testament teaching on the Angel of the Lord possesses, cites the expression of Stollberg, according to which “and the Old Testament Church—is the Church of the incarnate God” (Lic. Aug. Roling, Ueber den Iehovaongel des Alten Testaments, Tubingen, 1866. S. 3). The book of the prophet Zechariah fully confirms this thought of Stollberg: the Angel of the Lord here appears as a Divine Person, who at the end of time became incarnate as the Son of God. According to the interpretation of the first vision of the prophet Zechariah in the blessed Jerome, “the man mounted on the reddish horse is the Lord Savior, Who, taking upon himself the providence of our flesh, is heard in the book of the prophet Isaiah: Why are your garments red” (Isa 63:2; p. 12). Zechariah 1:11. And they answered the Angel of the Lord standing among the myrtles and said: We have gone about the earth, and behold, all the earth is inhabited and at rest. The report of the heavenly forces, personified in the form of horses, is reassuring and comforting in its general content, but not for the given circumstances. The peace and prosperity of the pagan peoples excluded the possibility of peace and prosperity for the chosen people.

Zechariah 1:12. And the Angel of the Lord answered and said: O Lord of hosts! How long will you withhold your mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years? Therefore, the Angel of the Lord turns to the Lord of hosts with intercession for the return of mercy to Jerusalem and to his people, which has been under God’s wrath for seventy years already. From Zech 1:15, and equally from the visions of the second and eighth, it becomes clear that the intercession of the Angel of the Lord for the chosen people, evidently, presented in its content something reminiscent of Rev 6:10; how long, O Holy and True Lord, do you not judge and avenge, and so forth.

Zechariah 1:16. Therefore thus says the Lord: I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, says the Lord of hosts, and a measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. Zechariah 1:17. And again proclaim and say: thus says the Lord of hosts: my cities shall again overflow with good, and the Lord shall comfort Zion and shall again choose Jerusalem. The content of the good, comforting words uttered by the Lord (Zech 1:13) directly concerning Jerusalem and other cities, which the Lord calls his own (Zech 1:17), is this: the calamities of the chosen people are coming to an end; in Jerusalem the temple will be built (consequently, the Lord, dwelling in the temple, will again be close to his people), and the city itself will be rebuilt. The calamities of captivity will be forgotten, for the favor of God will manifest itself in the fullness of blessings with which the cities of worshippers of the true God will abound.

Zechariah 1:18. And I lifted my eyes and looked: and behold, four horns. The second vision stands in close connection with the preceding one: it represents a continuation and clarification of the thoughts expressed in the first vision regarding pagan peoples.—The prophet sees four horns. A horn, in biblical usage, is a symbol of power and might,—the expression is used for both the chosen people and for pagans, enemies of the people of God and of God himself.

Zechariah 1:19. And I said to the Angel who was speaking with me: What are these? And he answered me: These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. The blessed Jerome places this vision of Zechariah in connection with the vision of the four monarchies in Daniel (Dan 2:31-44) and understands by the horns in the second vision of Zechariah four definite kingdoms: Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Macedonian, and Roman.

Zechariah 1:20. Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. By craftsmen or workers, the blessed Jerome says, “we understand Angels obedient to the might of the Lord, so that they build up what the pagans have destroyed” (p. 18).

Zechariah 1:21. And I said: What are they going to do? He said to me thus: These horns scattered Judah, so that no one could raise their head; but these have come to terrify them, to strike down the horns of the peoples who raised their horn against the land of Judah, to scatter it. In the first vision it is made clear that the peaceful and prosperous state of the pagan kingdoms does not correspond to the intentions of the Lord to return his favor and prosperity to the chosen people; in the second—it is expressly stated that the pagans face punishment for their cruelty toward Judah and Israel.

Chapter Two

1–5. (according to Masoretic text verses 5–9). Third vision: a man with a measuring line. 6–13. (according to Masoretic text verses 10–17). A call to return from Babylon and promises serving as a clarification of the third vision.

Zechariah 2:1. And again I lifted my eyes and saw: and behold, a man, in whose hand was a measuring line. Zechariah 2:2. I asked: Where are you going? And he said to me: To measure Jerusalem, to see what its width is and what its length is. The third vision is an elucidation of what was revealed in the first vision concerning the impending restoration of Jerusalem (Zech 1:16-17).

Zechariah 2:4. And he said to him: Go quickly, say to this young man: Jerusalem shall be inhabited in the countryside because of the multitude of people and cattle in it. Jerusalem, because of the great multitude of people and cattle, cannot be confined within certain boundaries; it will represent a very extensive inhabited space, not enclosed by walls, and therefore the intention of the man to determine the dimensions of Jerusalem is pointless.

Zechariah 2:5. And I myself will be for it, says the Lord, a wall of fire all around it and will show my glory in its midst. However, the absence of walls will not threaten the safety of the inhabitants, for the Lord himself will guard that city in which his glory will again dwell, protecting it as if with a wall of fire. St. Cyril, besides the historical sense of the prophecy concerning the restoration of Israel after captivity, refers this vision also to the Church of Christ.

Zechariah 2:6. Ho, ho! Flee from the northern land, says the Lord; for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven, says the Lord. In the third vision, the expansion of the boundaries of Jerusalem is depicted, as a result of the multitude of its inhabitants, to the point of the impossibility of enclosing it with walls. How then does this multitude of people? Only a few have returned from captivity as yet. In Zech 2:6-13, which comprise a supplement to the third vision, the thought is expressed that those sons of Israel scattered throughout all lands will gradually return to their native city. The Lord himself, through his Angel, calls them, first of all, from the northern land, that is, from Babylon.

Zechariah 2:7. Escape, O Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon. Dwelling in Babylon, which faces God’s wrath, as shown in the two first visions, becomes unsafe: those remaining among the pagans may meet the same fate as them.

Zechariah 2:11. Many nations shall turn to the Lord in that day and shall be my people; and I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. But the mercy of the Lord toward Jerusalem and his people, which is to express itself in the gathering of all Israel and in the dwelling of God on Zion, will reveal itself also in the fact that many pagan peoples will turn to the Lord and join his people.

Chapter Three

1–5. Fourth vision: the vindication of the high priest. 6–10. Promises accompanying the fourth vision.

The general thought of the fourth vision is thus. The blessings promised to the chosen people will undoubtedly be granted to it, but only on the condition that it be cleansed from sins that separate it from God, who cannot dwell among a people defiled by sin. In this vision the prophet is shown the forgiveness of the people’s sins, as a new mercy of God, which must, of course, be earned through one’s own efforts. Only a people cleansed from sin can hope for the promised prosperity and glorification.

Zechariah 3:1. And he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. It is not entirely clear from Zech 3:1 who shows this new vision to the prophet; but in correspondence with Zech 1:20 and with the context one can suppose that the Lord himself does it. So understood the LXX, who add in Zech 3:1 the word κυριος (the same in the Vulgate).—The high priest, head of the priests, in whose hands were the means of cleansing the people’s sins, is presented to the prophet’s view as standing before the Angel of the Lord, as if in the position of an accused. Satan stood at the right side of the high priest, opposing the Lord’s decision to return his mercy to Israel. The high priest Joshua in the vision of Chapter III appears as the representative of the entire people, not as a private individual answering before God for his personal sins (Plat. 665–668). Satan insists, consequently, essentially on the fact that the people cannot have effective intercession before God in the person of the high priest wearing defiled garments (Zech 3:3): as a representative of the priesthood, he could be accused “of not observing the laws of Levitical and priestly purity, the violation of which was at the same time a profaning of theocratic society” (ib. 663).

Zechariah 3:2. And the Lord said to Satan: The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord rebuke you, you who have chosen Jerusalem! Is he not a brand plucked from the fire? The sins of the people of Israel were, it is true, great, but they have suffered sufficient retribution for them in the calamities of captivity; these calamities were so severe that among them Israel almost perished; now he is—like a brand snatched from the fire: further punishment would be pointless cruelty.

Zechariah 3:3. Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments and stood before the Angel, Zechariah 3:4. and he answered and said to those standing before him: Remove from him the filthy garments. And to him he himself said: See, I have taken away your guilt from you and will clothe you in fine garments. The justice of God is satisfied; now is the time for mercy and forgiveness, in token of which, by the command of the Angel of the Lord, the Angels subject to him remove from the high priest the filthy garments in which he stood before the Angel of the Lord, his judge; and to him he himself explains that this removal signifies the forgiveness of sin. Following this, by the command of the Angel of the Lord, the high priest is clothed in fine garments (Venetian: clean). Since the high priest in this case appears as the representative of the entire people, his vindication serves as a symbol of the vindication of all the people.

Zechariah 3:5. And he said: Let them put a clean turban on his head. And they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him in garments; and the Angel of the Lord stood by. Regarding the placing of a clean turban on the head of the high priest in particular, St. Ephrem makes the following remark: “to the priest who served before the coming of captivity it was said: I will remove from you the ornament and the turban (Ezek 21:26), which is on your head; but now the Angel orders, saying: place a turban on the head of the returning priest from captivity clean” (p. 229).

Zechariah 3:8. Hear now, Joshua, high priest, you and your colleagues sitting before you, men of portent: behold, I bring my servant, the Branch. Zechariah 3:9. For behold the stone which I set before Joshua; upon this one stone are seven eyes; behold, I will engrave its inscriptions, says the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the sin of this land in one day. In conclusion, a promise is given that concerns the object of the expectations of all Israel. Joshua and his brother priests are told of the coming of the servant of God, whose name is the Branch. By this name is meant, of course, the Messiah. But scholars of the negative direction attempt to prove that in Zech 3:8 Zerubbabel is called the Branch (and only he); Sellin, for instance, argues: according to Zech 4:9 the founder and builder of the temple is presented as Zerubbabel, and according to Zech 6:13 — the Branch: from this the identity of Zerubbabel and the Branch cannot be questioned (And. 2:77). This interpretation, in which the context is left out of account, cannot be recognized as sound. How, for instance, can the expression of the next verse be reconciled with it: I will remove the sin of this land in one day? It is clear that the removing of the sin of the land stands in direct connection with the inscriptions on the stone, which is called the Branch in the preceding verse, with inscriptions expressing both the dignity and the mission of the Branch. This expression is completely inapplicable to Zerubbabel, but only to the Messiah, of whom he was a foreshadowing and ancestor in the flesh. Here is an impartial interpretation of the relation of Zerubbabel to Christ in the explanation of Zech 4:9 in St. Cyril: “if God speaks of Zerubbabel: the hands of Zerubbabel founded this house, and his hands shall complete it, then, considering it historically, you can refer these words to him, but in the spiritual sense you can understand them of Christ; for he became our foundation and we are all spiritually built for him as a holy temple” (p. 7–8). The combination in one person of royal power and priestly dignity, of which Zech 6:13 speaks, also cannot be referred to Zerubbabel: king and priest again was only the Messiah. (Reinke, ss. 71 and 84).

Zechariah 3:10. In that day, says the Lord of hosts, you shall invite one another under the vine and under the fig tree. After the people’s sins are forgiven, there will come upon them such prosperity as the Jews enjoyed in the peaceful reign of Solomon (1 Sam 4:25).

Chapter Four

Fifth vision: 1–5. The prophet’s vision of a lampstand and two olive trees. 6–10. The word of the Lord to Zerubbabel. 11–14. The meaning of the two olive branches explained.

Zechariah 4:1. Then the angel who had been speaking with me returned and woke me, like a man who is awakened from his sleep. From Zech 4:1 it is clear that a second series of revelations begins here, set apart from the first by an interval during which the interpreting angel withdrew, or the prophetic inspiration left the prophet.

Zechariah 4:2. And he said to me: “What do you see?” And I answered: “I see a lampstand all of gold, and a bowl for oil on top of it, and seven lamps upon it, and seven tubes for the lamps that are on top of it;” According to Keil’s interpretation, the seven lamps represent the image of the chosen people, which shines before the Lord with the light of their knowledge of God and illuminates the darkness of pagan ignorance of God. The lampstand itself, in this case, signifies the external structure of the Old Testament Church; and the oil, which sustains the burning of the lamps and the light flowing from them, are symbols of the Spirit of God. The lampstand seen by the prophet has special arrangements so that the light of its lamps would never go out for lack of oil, symbolizing the spirit of God that sustains the Church. In its essential features, according to Holy Ephrem, the golden lampstand… signifies the royal dignity, on which everything rests; the lamp on top of it signifies the priesthood. Two olive trees, one on the right side of the lampstand and the other on the left, signify two rulers of the people of Judah—Joshua and Zerubbabel, one of whom was anointed for kingship and the other for priesthood. Under the seven lamps, Holy Ephrem understands three post-captivity prophets and persons mentioned in Zech 6:10 the book of Zechariah (p. 223–224, cf. Theodoret 86).

Zechariah 4:6. Then he answered and said to me thus: This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying: Not by an army, and not by force, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:7. “Who are you, O great mountain, before Zerubbabel? You shall become a plain, and he shall bring out the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace upon it!’” Zechariah 4:8. And the word of the Lord came to me: Zechariah 4:9. “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.” Zechariah 4:10. For who disdains the day of small things? Yet these seven—they are the eyes of the Lord, which scan throughout all the earth. All this vision relates not to the condition of the Old Testament Church as it existed before the time of Zechariah, but principally to its future glory. The Levitical Church will be restored, and the rebuilding of the temple is the beginning of this restoration, which is necessary for the conduct of Old Testament worship. The Lord, having determined to restore Israel, will now use not external force, as was done, for example, at the exodus from Egypt, but the force of the Spirit; no difficulties can overcome this force. Before Zerubbabel stands what seems to be a great mountain of insurmountable obstacles in the construction of the temple and the restoration of the society that returned from captivity. But this mountain will become a plain. Zerubbabel, who laid the foundation of the temple, will also complete the construction; he will bring out the capstone, or, according to some, set (Vienna Vulgate) the stone that crowns the entire building, amid universal expressions of goodwill. Let those who doubt the successful completion of the undertaken enterprise and look with contempt upon the newly built temple as inferior in its splendor and richness of ornament to the pre-captivity temple, abandon their doubt and give way to the assurance that glory awaits the temple which does not promise to be magnificent outwardly. The appearance of Zerubbabel as builder of the temple should therefore call forth universal joy.

Zechariah 4:14. And he said: “These are the two anointed ones who stand before the Lord of all the earth.” The anointed ones are Joshua and Zerubbabel, representatives of priestly and royal power.

Chapter Five

1–4. Sixth vision: the flying scroll. 5–11. Seventh vision—the ephah.

Zechariah 5:1. Again I lifted my eyes and looked: and there, a scroll was flying. In a new vision the prophet beholds a flying scroll. The LXX, instead of the Hebrew meghilla—scroll, read maggal—sickle; hence the prophet came to be called “the seer of the sickle.”

Zechariah 5:2. And he said to me: “What do you see?” I answered: “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits, and its width is ten cubits.” The scroll was of enormous size: twenty cubits long and ten wide. Some scholars attribute symbolic significance to the scroll’s dimensions, pointing to the correspondence of its measurements with the dimensions of the vestibule of the first temple (1 Sam 6:3); according to others, the dimensions of the scroll only indicate its immensity and have no symbolic significance.

Zechariah 5:5. And the angel who had spoken with me came forth and said to me: “Lift your eyes again and look at what appears.” After an interval following the sixth vision, the interpreting angel appears again and urges the prophet to prepare himself for beholding a new vision, which forms a natural continuation of the previous one, yet is nevertheless separate and independent.

Zechariah 5:6. When I said: “What is it?” He answered: “This is an ephah that appears.” And he said: “This is their image throughout the land.” The prophet sees an ephah appearing before his eyes: this is the largest measure for dry goods among the Hebrews, one that existed in fact. According to the angel’s explanation, it is meant to signify that the measure of the sinfulness of unrepentant sinners throughout the land has been filled up. Here are represented those who embody wickedness, upon whom judgment has already been pronounced and whom inescapable punishment awaits, as was shown in the previous vision of the flying scroll.

Zechariah 5:7. And there, a round weight of lead rose, and there sat a woman inside the ephah. Zechariah 5:8. And he said: “This woman is wickedness itself,” and he cast her into the midst of the ephah, and cast the weight of lead upon its opening. The opening of the ephah, after the prophet had seen the woman inside the vessel, who personified wickedness, was closed with a round weight of lead (kikkar’ ophereth).

Zechariah 5:9. Then I lifted my eyes and looked: and there, two women came forth, and the wind was in their wings, and they had wings like the wings of a stork; and they lifted the ephah and carried it between the earth and the heaven. Then two winged women appeared, whose wings were capable of rapid movement over vast distances. The phrase “the wind was in their wings” is obscure in itself; and the comparison to the wings of a stork indicates, according to the interpreters, that the women must undertake a distant journey, for which the wings of a stork are necessary—the bird that accomplishes its great flights without fatigue (Marti 417). The vessel was lifted by the women, and they carried it between the earth and the heaven, that is, through the air (the Hebrews have no word corresponding to “air”).

Zechariah 5:10. And I said to the angel who spoke with me: “Where are they carrying the ephah?” Zechariah 5:11. Then he said to me: “To build a house for it in the land of Shinar, and when that is prepared, it will be set there on its base.” To the prophet’s question about the purpose of the symbolic journey, the angel answered that for the vessel with the personification of wickedness enclosed in it a house will be prepared in the land of Shinar, and it will be set there forever. Under Shinar we may best understand Babylon, and the meaning of the whole vision is this: wickedness is removed from the Jews to their enemies in Babylon, where and it shall be the constant dwelling place of wickedness, which shall have no place in the holy land. Note. Some commentators (Keil, Kliefoth, Orelli, Rougemont) treat chapter V as a single vision (the sixth), not finding sufficient grounds for dividing it into two parts, describing two independent visions (sixth and seventh), as does the majority of interpreters (Carpzov, Kohler, Kuenen, Driver, Brodovich, Nowack, Smith, Marti, Streeter, Bishop Palladius, and others). The opinion of the majority should be recognized as more solid, since those holding the opposite view do not fully consistently prove their idea of an inseparable connection between the first half of chapter V and the second. Thus, for example, Keil, discoursing on two pictures (Bilder) constituting a single vision (Gesicht), and calling the vision of chapter five a Doppelvision, a double vision (pp. 560 and 565), evidently makes a certain concession to the opinion he is refuting. Rougemont counts seven visions and a symbolic action in the second revelation to the prophet Zechariah (p. 176), but speaks also of eight visions (p. 210), falling into contradiction with himself.

Chapter Six

1–8. Eighth vision—four chariots. 9–15. Symbolic action, concluding the series of night visions; the coronation of the high priest Joshua.

Zechariah 6:1. Again I lifted my eyes and looked: and there, four chariots came out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of bronze. God’s dwelling-place is presupposed by this vision to be in Jerusalem; consequently, the departure of the chariots from God’s presence Zech 6:5 should be understood to take place from the vicinity of Jerusalem, from the surrounding mountains. The mountains are called bronze: this signifies, according to Keil’s phrase, “the unshakable strength of the place where the Lord abides and where He has established His Kingdom” (cf. Kohl. Sach. 1–8, p. 182).

Zechariah 6:4. And I began to speak and said to the angel who talked with me: “What are these, my lord?” Zechariah 6:5. And the angel answered and said to me: “These are the four spirits of heaven, which stand before the Lord of all the earth.” The content of this last vision corresponds closely with the first vision: there, horses of symbolic colors traversed the whole earth to learn the condition of kingdoms and peoples; here, chariots drawn by horses of the same colors, heading into various lands to execute God’s judgment upon the pagans. The first mission is carried out by the horses (or their riders); the second can be carried out by armed war chariots, so only in the last vision are they mentioned. Earlier, threats were pointed to distant, indefinite future afflictions; now the executors of God’s will, called in Zech 6:5 heavenly spirits, standing before the Lord of all the earth—under the image of combat chariots—are already bringing the afflictions of war, with its consequences, to all pagan lands. At the same time, the eighth vision is connected with the immediately preceding visions. In the sixth and seventh visions are depicted the punishment of sinners in the holy land and the removal of wickedness to the bounds of paganism. The eighth vision depicts God’s judgment upon all pagan peoples for their godlessness and for the wickedness which has found a place for prolonged dwelling among them. This judgment shall come upon all the kingdoms of the earth, in all four quarters of the world, to which the very number of chariots alludes.

Zechariah 6:6. The black horses go toward the north country, and the white ones go after them, and the spotted ones go toward the south country. Zechariah 6:7. And the strong ones went forth and strove to go forth to traverse the land; and he said: “Go, traverse the land,” so they traversed the land. The eighth vision has close resemblance to the second vision. There, four horns and four craftsmen designate the pagan powers of all lands and the afflictions that smite them. Here, more specifically indicated are the north country, by which Babylon is understood, and the south, representing Egypt, according to Cornill’s phrase: “Egypt and Babylon always appear as hostile powers to the Lord” (p. 167, Kohl. Sach. 1–8, pp. 185, 187–188); but other lands are not left unvisited by the executors of God’s wrath (Zech 6:7).

Zechariah 6:8. Then he called to me and said to me: “Behold, those going toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.” The punishment falling upon Babylon, it appears, corresponds most fully to the intentions of God; the enemies of God’s people, who have brought upon them great afflictions that have not yet been forgotten, deserve God’s wrath in the strongest measure.

Zechariah 6:9. And the word of the Lord came to me: Zechariah 6:10. “Take from the exiles—from Heldai, from Tobijah, and from Jedaiah—and go that same day, go to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah, to which they have come from Babylon,” The content of the second half of chapter six, not understood in the same way by all interpreters, is as follows: the Jews remaining in Babylon, wishing to come to the aid of their compatriots who had returned to Jerusalem in the work of temple restoration, sent via chosen representatives of the Babylonian Jews to the builders gold and silver. The prophet receives a command from the Lord—on the very day the Babylonian envoys arrive in Jerusalem, to go to the house of a certain Josiah, where they will stop.

Zechariah 6:11. “Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest,” Zechariah 6:11. Taking from the arrivals gold and silver, the prophet was to make a crown and set it on the head of the high priest Joshua. To designate the crown intended for the high priest, the original uses the plural: “crowns.” From this Ewald concludes that, according to God’s command, two crowns were to be made: for Joshua and for Zerubbabel; thus, in the text of Zach. 6:11 one must presume an omission of the words: “and on the head of Zerubbabel.” But the context does not support this interpretation: by the sense of the entire section, the crown was intended for one person—namely, for the high priest Joshua. According to some, the plural ataroth indicates only the complexity of the crown’s structure, which perhaps had not one rim (resembling the papal tiara). Zechariah 6:12. And say to him: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, a Man—His name is the Branch, and He shall grow up from His place and build the temple of the Lord.” Zechariah 6:13. He shall build the temple of the Lord, and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between the two. The placing of a crown, which the high priest had no right to wear, has only a symbolic meaning, as is evident from the subsequent revelation about the Man whose name is the Branch; He shall come forth from His people, build the temple of the Lord (the handmade one: Zerubbabel’s temple is but a type), and, having reached glory from humiliation, shall be king and priest upon His throne; then there shall be no place for discord and enmity between the royal and priestly powers, sorrowful examples of which occurred in Jewish history. Saint Cyril, after giving the literal and simple explanation of the historical sense (of the prophecy) contained in the passage under discussion, continues: “but that this, evidently, relates to the mystery of Christ, in this no one will doubt, if he investigates well. We have from the beginning asserted that in Zerubbabel and Joshua, Christ is depicted both in each individually and in both together as a single person; for in Him are combined both the King of Israel and the High Priest” (p. 78).

Zechariah 6:14. And the crown shall be for Helem and for Tobijah, and for Jedaiah and for Hen son of Zephaniah, as a memorial in the temple of the Lord. The crown is to remain in the temple as a memorial of the donors, so that from this too we can see that the crown has only a symbolic meaning. In Jewish tradition, there is testimony of the actual preservation of the crown made by Zechariah in the temple. (Babylonian Talmud Codex Middoth… Opera et Studio Constantini l’Empereur de Oppyck. Luqduni Batarorum, 1630. pp. 130–132). The very names of the donors, according to the text of the LXX, should also have symbolic significance (Reinke 63).

Zechariah 6:15. And those from far away shall come and build the temple of the Lord, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you, and it shall be if you will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God. The fact of the donation for the temple on behalf of those remaining in Babylon shall not be an isolated occurrence: many from afar will come and take part in the construction of the temple of the Lord; and other promises shall also be fulfilled if the people do not cease to listen to the voice of the Lord their God.

Chapter Seven

1–3. The question of whether to continue observing the fasts established in memory of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. 4–7. The fasts established apart from God’s commandment have no relation to God. 8–14. The ancestors of the generation contemporary with the prophet were punished by the devastation of the land and dispersion for not observing the moral commandments.

Zechariah 7:1. In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev, Zechariah 7:2. when Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and his men to ask for the favor of the Lord, Zechariah 7:3. and to ask the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and the prophets, saying: “Should I continue to mourn in the fifth month and fast, as I have for these many years?” In memory of the sorrowful events that led Israel to final defeat and dispersion, fasts were established, which were observed both during the captivity and after its end. There were four such fasts: 1) the fast of the tenth month—in memory of the day (the tenth day of the tenth month) when the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar began (2 Sam 25:1), 2) the fast of the fourth month, on the ninth day of which the destruction of the walls of Jerusalem began (Jer 52:5-7), 3) the burning of the temple and city and the final destruction of the walls on the seventh day of the fifth month (2 Sam 25 and following) led to the establishment of a special, most important among the others, fast, and 4) finally, a fast was established in memory of the murder of Gedaliah in the seventh month (2 Sam 25:25). But in the fourth year of Darius’s reign, the temple construction had advanced so far and affairs were taking such a favorable turn that some began to be troubled by the thought of whether it was opportune to observe the fast of the fifth month (in memory of the destruction of the temple) now, when the traces of destruction had been erased and the reason for fasting and mourning was, consequently, removed. Was it not time to abolish the fast? It is difficult to determine from whom exactly the question about the abolition of fasts proceeded. “Bethel” (Zech 7:2), which seems to designate the community or person sending envoys before the Lord, is interpreted by scholars in various ways: some understand this designation in the sense of “house of God,” that is, the community of the faithful (without a more precise definition); others understand the city of Bethel, to which part of the Babylonian captives returned. These captives, who had settled in their native city, send an embassy (the envoys, evidently, were born in Babylon and therefore bore Chaldean names) to Jerusalem to pray before the Lord and to propose to the priests and prophets the question of the timeliness of ceasing the fast in the fifth month observed for many years.

Zechariah 7:4. And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me: Since the priests, to whom the delegation turned for a resolution of the question about the fasts, apparently had difficulty giving an answer from themselves, the prophet Zechariah answers in the name of God. The people do not need comfort only and approval: it is also inclined now to give itself to negligence in regard to its moral condition: it should be urgently reminded both of its sinfulness and of the necessity of spiritual vigilance over itself. The question placed in Zech 7:3 gives the prophet a good opportunity to first address the people with reproaches and warnings, and then with promises and words of approval. The prophet’s answer to the question about the observance of fasts can be divided into four parts; an introductory formula, almost the same in all cases, serves as the external marker for separating one part from another: the word came (Zech 7:4).

Zechariah 7:5. “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests: When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for these seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? For me?” Zechariah 7:6. And when you ate and drank, did you not eat and drink for yourselves, for yourselves? From the prophet’s answering speech, having received revelation from God, it is clear that the questioners attributed excessive importance to the fasts established apart from God’s commandment, ascribed moral value to this purely ceremonial institution. The prophet, by God’s word, instructs not only the common people but also the priests, who apparently were also inclined to confuse the observance of rituals with the fulfillment of moral commandments. The priests established fasts, and the people observed them throughout the long period of captivity; but did this have any moral value in itself? God did not require the establishment of these fasts, and they have, consequently, no relation to Him. Man eats and drinks to sustain his life; self-restraint in itself does not necessarily lead to moral perfection. Fasts, if given undue importance, can distract a person’s attention from the observance of the commandments and ordinances given by God through the former prophets at the time when Jerusalem and its environs and the whole land still enjoyed peace and prosperity. Peace has been broken, prosperity has disappeared: it is clear that the commandments given by God were not observed, and inattention to them brought God’s wrath upon the whole land. Neither now should one forget the commandments altogether or equate them with ordinances not based on God’s will.

Chapter Eight

1–17. God’s promises regarding the change in the fate of the remnant of the chosen people for the better. The certainty and conditions of this change. 18–23. Under the conditions set forth, the fasts can be transformed for the house of Judah into solemn celebrations, and the Jews themselves will become mediators between God and the unbelieving pagans.

The first seventeen verses of chapter eight present a necessary connecting link between chapter VII and the second half of chapter VIII, which contains the direct answer to the questions posed in Zech 7:3 about the fasts. In chapter VII the prophet draws the attention of his listeners to times past and instructs them through lessons derived from history; in chapter VIII he paints pictures of the future, clarifying under what conditions the fasts can be transformed into solemn and joyful celebrations.

Zechariah 8:1. And the word of the Lord of hosts came: Zechariah 8:2. “Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am zealous for Zion with great zeal, and with great anger I am zealous for her.” The prophecy contained in the passage under discussion begins with the same words we find almost at the very beginning of the prophecy of the eight night visions (Zech 1:14-15). The Lord speaks of His love for Zion, that is, for His people; by zealousness here is certainly meant the zealousness of love, and the expression of anger refers to the pagans, who have caused so much evil to the chosen people.

Zechariah 8:3. “Thus says the Lord: I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the mountain of holiness.” But the Lord has determined in regard to it to change His anger to mercy. He will return to Zion and will dwell in Jerusalem, which He abandoned at the destruction of the temple and city, at the beginning of the captivity, as the prophet Ezekiel beheld (Ezek 9:3; Ezek 10:4; Ezek 11:22-23). Jerusalem and its environs will again be the repository of truth and holiness, as well as of peace and well-being.

Zechariah 8:7. “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west;” Zechariah 8:8. “and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.” God’s mercy will extend not only to those already in Jerusalem but also to those scattered throughout all lands of the earth. They will have the opportunity to return to Jerusalem from all lands, from east to west, and shall again be God’s people. Zech 8:7-8 serve as explanation of the foregoing: the gathering of the dispersed sons of Israel from all places will increase the population of Jerusalem, which had been emptied since the captivity, and it will be filled with inhabitants of all ages.

Zechariah 8:9. “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Let your hands be strong, you who are hearing these words now from the mouths of the prophets who were present at the laying of the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts, for the building of the temple.” In the successful completion of the undertaking one cannot doubt, because the preaching comes from the mouths of the prophets who were present at the laying of the foundation of the temple: some of their predictions have already been fulfilled; one can fully hope that all they predict will not remain unfulfilled.

Zechariah 8:18. And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me: Zechariah 8:19. “Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth shall become times of joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; only love truth and peace.” Under the conditions set forth above, the fasts must be transformed for the Jews into solemn and pleasant celebrations.

Zechariah 8:20. “Thus says the Lord of hosts: There shall yet come peoples and the inhabitants of many cities;” Zechariah 8:21. “and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying: ‘Let us go to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself will go.’” Zechariah 8:22. “And many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord.” Zechariah 8:23. “Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days it will be that ten men of all the languages of the nations shall grasp the robe of a Jew, saying: ‘We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” Although the prophet, in accordance with the general Old Testament understanding of the correspondence between well-being in temporal life and piety, says: the seed shall produce peace; the vine shall give its fruit, and the land shall give its yield, and the heavens shall give their dew: and all this I will give to the remnant of this people (Zech 8:12, cf. Zech 3:10); but in concluding his teachings and promises given in resolving the question about the abolition of fasts, the prophet speaks of higher, spiritual blessings—the spread of true knowledge of God and worship of God among the pagans, by the mediation of the Jews, as a result of their complete conversion to the path of keeping the commandments. Representatives of various nations from all around will gather at the once scattered and now restored people in their land, inhabitants of pagan cities will call on one another to go to the holy city to pray before the Lord. Pagans will have need of the guidance and mediation of the Jews—the people close to God; one Jew will guide ten pagans. Jehovah, as the creator of all the world, must be the Lord and God of all peoples; but in Old Testament times He appears as God predominantly for the people of Israel alone, and only through their mediation does true knowledge of God become universal. The thought that pagans too are intended to enter the kingdom established by God reaches full clarity only in the prophets (Oehl. 216–217).

Chapter Nine

1–6. The fall of the power of the pagan kingdoms surrounding Israel. 7–8. The conversion of the pagans to the true God and the safety of God’s people. 9–10. The appearance of the King of Peace. 11–15. The return of the scattered sons of Israel, their victories over the pagans, with God’s help. 16–17. A state of complete safety and an abundance of earthly goods.

Both prophecies of the second part begin with the expression: massa debhar lehova, which can be considered, together with the subsequent definition, as it were the title of the entire prophecy. Ancient and modern translations diverge in understanding this expression in two directions. The Targum renders it as onus verbi Domini (the burden of the word of the Lord), as does the Vulgate; Grotius clarifies this translation with the words: prophetia tristis (sorrowful prediction. – Hugonis Grotii Annotata ad Vetus Testamentum. Tomus II. Lutetiae Parisiorum. MDCXLIV. p. 633); in Luther’s version, in correspondence with the Vulgate, the word Last (burden) is used. The LXX have: λημμα (assumptio, taking up) λόγου Κυρίου, the Peshitta (a translation made from the Hebrew under significant influence of the LXX; see Yungerov Old Testament, p. 448)—sermo Domini; Church Slavonic: prophecy of the word of the Lord; similarly, in essence, the Russian translations, Synodal and Vienna. From the comparison of various translations of the word massa, the following conclusion is quite correct: Palestinian tradition (Targum and Jerome) stands for “burden,” understanding by it prophetic threat, announcement of misfortune. Alexandrian tradition (LXX) stands for something more general in meaning—“vision,” “word,” “receiving of the word” (P. Tikhomirov, The Prophet Malachi. Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra 1903. p. 142). Originally, the word massa designated a special kind of prophecy that foretold disaster to pagan lands and peoples: thus in Isa 13:1; Isa 15:1; Isa 17:1; Isa 19:1 and others; Nah 1:1; Hab 1:1. When this word in the indicated meaning came into general use, the Jews showed special preference for this kind of prophecy and expressed a desire to hear massa’s against pagans as often as possible from the mouths of the prophets, forgetting that they themselves deserved prophetic threats and predictions of disaster. The Wise Jeremiah condemned his contemporaries for abusing this expression (Jer 23:33-38). It can be supposed that the Jews turned it into mockery and addressed to the prophets a blasphemous question: “What burden of the Lord?” Köhl. Sach. 9–14, p. 2–3: Dr. Joseph Fraus Allioli. Die Heilige Schrift des Alten und Neuen Testamentes. Aus der Vulgata mit Bezug auf den grundtext neu übersetzt and mit Kursen Anmerkungen Erläutert Sweiter Band. 1894, Regensburg, New York and Cincinnati. p. 711, Note 42–45; S. F. Keil, Bibl. Comm. über den Propheten Jeremia u. die Klagelieder. Leipzig, 1872. pp. 271–272. “After Jeremiah’s protest against the misuse of this term… the term massa debar lehova comes into use among post-captivity writers, which is now applied equally to both Hebrews and foreigners, while the meaning of the term, of course, is preserved as the same” (Tikhomirov. 148–149).

Zechariah 9:1. A prophecy of the word of the Lord to the land of Hadrach, and it shall rest upon Damascus—for the eye of the Lord is upon all mankind, as well as upon all the tribes of Israel— Zechariah 9:1. In the first verses of chapter IX the prophet depicts the fall of the power of pagan kingdoms. The beginning of Zach. 9:1: a prophecy of the word of the Lord to the land of Hadrach can be considered the general title for the following verses, in which the disastrous fate of pagan kingdoms is depicted. But what is “Hadrach”? Among the multitude of interpretations of this expression, both in literal and symbolic sense, there is not one that can be considered unquestionable. In the literal sense, that is, as the designation of the proper name of a country or city, the name Hadrach is accepted by the Church Fathers: St. Cyril of Alexandria and the blessed Theodoret. According to St. Cyril, “the land of Adrach is a country lying to the east, in the neighborhood of which Hamath lies… and Damascus” (p. 114); according to Theodoret, “Adrach is an Arabian city” (p. 99). Among modern interpreters, Marti defines the location of Hadrach as follows: “the chadrakh region according to Assyrian inscriptions (Hatarika) is located north of Lebanon, where Hamath (Epiphania on the Orontes – 8, 427) is found. According to Schröder’s supposition, Hadrach is probably some region of Syria neighboring Damascus; he also draws attention to the close sound correspondence of the name Hadrach with Hatarik (Haudwörterbuch des Biblischen Altertums für gebildete Bibelleser. Hrsg… von Dr. Eduard C Aug. Riehm. 1. Band. Bielefeld und Leipzig. 1864. p. 551), whose location north of Lebanon Marti defines. It can most probably be supposed that the prophet designates by the name Hadrach the Medo-Persian state in general (Keil 593), under whose authority both the pagan East of that time and the chosen people were subject. But where the name came from and what it means, if taken not in the literal sense, is evidently not clear. The blessed Jerome proposed the following interpretation: “the consecutive meaning of these words (namely, the beginning of Zech 9:1) is as follows: The fulfillment of the word of the Lord, terrible to sinners and gentle toward the righteous—for this is the meaning of the word Adrach, composed of two whole words: of them ad means severe (sharp, terrible) and rach—“gentle, soft.” Following this, Jerome mentions those interpreters “who under the word Adrach understand the Jewish people, and under the word Damascus—those called (into the Church) pagans. The fulfillment of the word of the Lord takes place in the land of Adrach, upon which the Lord showed both His severity and (His) mercy—severity toward those who would not believe, and mercy toward those who turned (to the Church) together with the apostles” (p. 97). Mr. Grotius, explaining the meaning of the enigmatic name, makes the following remark: “it is acceptable (non dispeicet) the opinion of those who take chadar in the sense of a common noun rather than a proper name, so that the meaning is obtained: to a land which surrounds you (oh, Judean!), that is, Syria” (II, 633). See Keil pp. 591–598 and other suppositions regarding the word Hadrach. In the prophetic books examples are often found of the use of symbolic names, or artificially obscuring the prophet’s reference to a particular kingdom or people. The prophet Jeremiah, using a special alphabet “Athbash” (one must write the Hebrew letters in the usual order in one column, and in reverse order in another, starting with the last letter of the alphabet, and use instead of each letter of the first column the corresponding letter of the second), writes instead of babhel Babylon—scheschakh (Jer 25:26; Jer 51:41; see Keil, Jeremiah pp. 264–285). In the prophet Zechariah we see the use of the name “Shinar” instead of “Babylon” (Zech 5:11) or the designation of Babylon as “the country, the land of the north” (Zech 6:6). See explanation of Zech 6:7. The all-seeing eye of the Lord, turned toward Israel and toward all people (pagans), dwells first of all on Damascus, the chief city of Syria, and upon it falls all the weight of the burden of the word of the Lord; for it Damascus becomes, as it were, a place of rest, or prolonged dwelling (cf. Zech 5:11). Zechariah 9:2. “and upon Hamath, which borders on it, upon Tyre and Sidon, for all they are very wise.” The burden of God’s word falls upon Hamath, a great Syrian city (on the Orontes River), the region of which adjoined the region of Damascus. After the chief cities of Syria, Damascus and Hamath, the prophet names the most important cities of Phoenicia, Tyre and Sidon. “He (Tyre) has become very wise”—“with that worldly wisdom, proud and blind, which robs God of glory and does not know wherein the true strength of a man and peoples consists.”

Zechariah 9:3. And Tyre built itself a fortress, accumulated silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets. Zechariah 9:4. Behold, the Lord will make her poor and strike her power into the sea, and she herself will be consumed by fire. Mention is made of the strong and high wall surrounding New Tyre, situated on an island, and of its immeasurable wealth, because of which Tyre considered itself in complete safety and did not think of God’s avenging hand. Zech 9:4 threatens rich Tyre with the loss of wealth and the destruction of his strongholds by fire.

Zechariah 9:5. Ashkelon shall see it and be afraid, and Gaza, and tremble greatly, and Ekron; for her hope shall be ashamed: there shall be no king in Gaza, and Ashkelon shall be uninhabited. Zechariah 9:6. A foreign tribe shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the arrogance of the Philistines. Next are enumerated several Philistine cities, to each of which separately different disasters are threatened, essentially applying to all in aggregate; and each particular feature makes clearer the indication of the final destruction of the cities mentioned by the prophet.

Zechariah 9:7. I will remove blood from his mouth and unclean things from between his teeth, and he too shall be left for our God, and shall become like a leader in Judah, and Ekron like the Jebusite. But over the Philistines will be achieved an even more brilliant victory. They will be utterly destroyed as a pagan people: bloody sacrifices to idols will cease, and foul sacrificial foods (Isa 65:4) will be torn from the mouths of idolaters, and the remnant of the Philistines will become the property of the true God and part of Judah—the land of God’s people; the same will happen to Ekron; Ekron, that is, the Philistines in general, will enter the ranks of God’s people, as once happened to the Jebusites, the ancient inhabitants of Jerusalem, after the conquest of that city by David. Interpreters consider the fulfillment of the prophecy regarding the fate of the Philistines to have occurred in the time of the Maccabees, who conquered their land; in the time of Jesus Christ it constituted part of Judah; and somewhat later, some part of the Philistines accepted the Christian faith, and the bishops of the Philistine cities mentioned in this section—Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ashdod (Azqoga)—participated in the councils of the IV, V, and VI centuries (Keil 597–598, Rougemont). The prophet threatens the Philistines by saying that, having abandoned idolatry, they will serve the true God. From the perspective of the prophet himself and those who turned from error to truth, there is, of course, nothing undesirable and frightening in these threats; but from the perspective of the pagan stuck in error, threatened with deprivation of what is most dear to him, this was undoubtedly a great disaster. A change of faith, even independently of external coercion, naturally provokes hard inner struggle.

Zechariah 9:8. And I will encamp about My house as a garrison, so that none shall pass through or return; and no oppressor shall pass over them again, for now I will look upon them with My own eyes.” God’s chosen people and the land they inhabit will be under the constant watchful protection of the Almighty. The state of complete safety of God’s people is so certain that it is represented as if already accomplished: the Lord watches over it with His own eyes.

Zechariah 9:9. Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; shout for joy, daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble, riding on a donkey, on a young donkey, foal of a she-donkey. But the pledge of the permanence of peace and safety, not in any particular case but for a long time, forever, is the appearance of the messianic King, journeying to Jerusalem on a young donkey. This journey testifies both to the peaceableness of this King (the horse is an animal used for military purposes) and to His extraordinary humility: “the donkey, according to Rougemont’s observation, undoubtedly enjoys less contempt in the East than among us, and riding on a donkey presents nothing ridiculous there; nevertheless, neither kings nor nobles use this animal” (p. 218, see Keil 600). The distinguishing qualities of this King are also justice and readiness to save His subjects. We see the fulfillment of the prophecy Zech 9:9 in the solemn entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, described in Matt 21:2 and following, Mark 11:2 and following, Luke 19:30 and following, and John 12:14 and following. The content of the prophecy corresponds most precisely with the description of its fulfillment in the evangelist Matthew, who mentions both the she-donkey and the young donkey Matt 21:2:) for the Lord it was necessary only one animal; and that the saying might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet (Matt 21:4), by the Lord’s word, both the she-donkey and the donkey were brought. According to Keil’s observation, “the she-donkey was to accompany so as to fully represent the image outlined by Zechariah” (p. 602). However, it could not have been intentional in any case to reproduce in fact what is prefigured in the prophet: it would be easy to make the disciples do something pleasing to their Teacher; but how is one to persuade the crowd, in large part hostile to the prophet from Galilee, to cry out to Him: “hosanna!”? In this case, to soften hardened hearts was as difficult as to make stones cry out: it is clear that Zechariah did not foreknow in the future such a momentous fact from the life of the Savior by natural human wisdom. Besides the interpreters following St. Ephrem and interpreting the fact of the King of Peace’s journey on a donkey as an indication of His voluntary humiliation, some scholars regard the fulfillment of the prophecy discussed in the New Testament as a silent rebuke to the carnal expectations of the Jews (Erich Haupt, Die alttestamentlichen Citate in den vier Evangelien, Colberg. 1871. pp. 277 and 279; W. W. graf Baudissin, Einleitung in die Bücher des Alten Testamentes, Leipzig 1901 p. 577; Keil 600, Ephrem 240).

Zechariah 9:10. Then I will cut off the chariots from Ephraim and the horses from Jerusalem; the bow of war shall be broken. And He shall speak peace to the nations, and His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.” With the reign of the King of Peace, the people of God will have no need for military chariots and war horses; all implements of war shall be destroyed, because peace shall be proclaimed to all nations throughout all the corners of the earth.

Zechariah 9:11. As for you, because of the blood of your covenant I will free your captives from the waterless pit. Zechariah 9:12. Return to the stronghold, prisoners of hope! I declare it today: I will repay you double. In depicting the fall of pagan might and the enthronement of the King of Peace on Zion, not forgotten are those Jews scattered in pagan lands and languishing in captivity. Because of the covenant sealed by sacrificial blood, the Lord determines to bring all the participants of the covenant out of dispersion and free them from the afflictions of captivity. Of all the peoples the Lord made a covenant only with the one Jewish people; in virtue of this covenant, those who now are, as it were, in a waterless pit will be placed on an elevated and safe place; Hebrew captives, as not deprived of hope for deliverance, are named in Zech 9:12 prisoners of hope. In the blood of the covenant and the inviolable promises of God lies, therefore, the firm foundation of hope for deliverance from enslavement and captivity; and for all the afflictions suffered by the sons of Israel they shall be rewarded doubly.

Zechariah 9:13. For I have bent Judah as My bow and filled it with Ephraim, and I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and make you like a warrior’s sword. Among the oppressing pagan persecutors and the oppressed Hebrew captives the roles will be reversed. Judah and Ephraim will become in God’s hands implements of war—a bow and arrows—against the pagans. And in God’s hands even weak implements are unbreakable. The sons of Zion rise up against the sons of Greece and wage victorious struggle with them. Thus, in Zech 9:13 and following it is indicated that the chosen people must wage a necessary struggle, as an instrument in God’s hands, against the godless kingdoms so that the kingdom of universal peace, foretold in Zech 9:10, might be accomplished. The prophecy Zech 9:13 can be referred to the (often victorious) struggle of the Maccabees against the Greek kings of Syria (Seleucids). Saint Cyril understands here another kind of victories: “What children of Zion rose against children of the Greeks, if not the divine disciples and those who later became leaders of churches?.. They strive against the sons of Greeks and wage war against those in error” (p. 129). Similar understanding, alongside the above, is found also in the blessed Theodoret.

Zechariah 9:14. Then the Lord will appear above them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning; and the Lord God will blow the trumpet, and march in the tempests of the south. Zechariah 9:15. The Lord of hosts will protect them, and they will devour, and they will trample the sling stones, and will drink and roar as if from wine; and they will be full, like the basins, like the corners of the altar. The Lord gives aid to His chosen ones, striking the enemies with lightning arrows—amid the warlike sounds of trumpets, marching in the awe-inspiring storms coming from the south. The Lord protects them, therefore their victory over the enemies is certain. They will destroy the enemies, but the deadly implements of the enemies will be harmless to those whom God Himself helps: the sons of Zion will walk safely across the field of battle strewn with sling stones (In correspondence with the comparison that follows of the sons of Zion to precious stones, one can here understand the sling stones to mean the pagans, who have insignificant value in God’s sight). The blood of enemies flows in such abundance (cf. Ps 57:11; Ps 67:24) that the victorious warriors come into a state of intoxication and frenzy from the contemplation of the extreme distress of enemies, from great joy and triumph. In describing the triumph of the victory of God’s people over the pagans, the sacred author strives to express as clearly as possible the basic idea—the certainty of victory and the fullness of the joy of the victors—and borrows for this purpose particular features from universal reality, leaving aside the question of how much such frenzied joy after a bloody reckoning with enemies is praiseworthy from, say, a moral point of view.

Chapter Ten

1–2. God is the giver of blessings; hope in idols is futile and serves as a source of calamities. 3–7. A depiction of the coming restoration of the house of Judah and the house of Ephraim. 8–12. The gathering of scattered Israel from all lands and their complete turning toward God.

Zechariah 10:1. Ask of the Lord for rain in the season of spring rains; the Lord will produce lightning and give you abundant rain, vegetation for each in the field. Chapter X presents an expansion and clarification of the foregoing. Interpreters disagree only as to where to assign Zech 10:1-2: to Zech 9:17 or to Zech 10:3. Keil sees in Zech 10:1 the beginning of a new series of thoughts, though one in connection with Zech 9:17 (p. 607). The ninth chapter concludes with a promise of an abundance of earthly blessings for God’s people; the tenth, in its opening verses, points to the Lord as the sole giver of these blessings: to Him one must turn with prayer for rain at that time when it is most necessary for the successful growth of all the products of the earth—that is, in the springtime.

Zechariah 10:2. For the teraphim speak emptiness, and the diviners see falsehood and recount lies; they bring comfort with nothing; therefore they wander like sheep, suffer distress, because there is no shepherd. It would be vain to make such petitions to idols (teraphim): pronouncements in their name are mere emptiness; those who worship them—diviners and false prophets—deceive themselves and others; their consoling predictions are futile: they not only fail to come to pass but bring unavoidable calamity in their wake. Stade, in his Critical Study on Deutero-Zechariah, points to the peculiarity with which teraphim appear here: this is the only place in the Old Testament in which teraphim are represented as speaking; only here and in Ezek 21:26 (Ezek 21:21 Synodal version) do they appear at all as uttering oracles (ZAThW 1881, p. 60; cf. Nowack, p. 364). One cannot, however, draw any conclusions regarding the date of origin of the second part of the Book of Zechariah on the basis of the mention of idols in it, as critical scholars attempt to do. The question of idols had not lost its significance even after the exile: though the Jews no longer had a taste for crude idolatry, the rebellious spirit of departure from the true faith, which had always been so closely connected with idolatry, did not disappear entirely. Rougemont reasons: “At the time of Zechariah, doubtless the Jews no longer had teraphim, but the spirit of idolatry was not completely destroyed, and if the false prophets with whom Nehemiah still had to deal (Neh 6 ff.) disappear in the ages of the Maccabees and Herods, they give way to false teachers and false messiahs, in whom this same spirit lives” (p. 222; cf. ZAThW 1881, p. 61 and note).

Zechariah 10:3. Against the shepherds My anger burns, and against the goats I will bring punishment; for the Lord of hosts will visit His flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like His glorious war-horse. By the unfaithful shepherds who are subject to God’s anger, interpreters understand either the leaders and guides of the Hebrew people from among their own people (Theodoret, p. 105; Jerome, p. 116–117) or the kings and rulers of pagan nations under whose dominion the Hebrews were (Keil, p. 608). St. Cyril proposes a somewhat distinctive interpretation, understanding by the shepherds “false prophets and false diviners and teachers of error,” and finds it not contrary to truth “to add to the false prophets some of the great men of the Greeks, who, being considered very wise, led astray by their eloquence those people who followed them” (p. 137).

Zechariah 10:4. From him shall come the cornerstone, from him the tent-peg, from him the bow for war, from him shall come forth all rulers. Zechariah 10:5. And they shall be like warriors, trampling the enemy in war, like street mud, and they shall fight because the Lord is with them, and they shall put to shame those who ride on horses. The house of Judah, now humiliated and enslaved, shall again serve as a support for God’s people in civic order and military might; from Judah shall come forth rulers who will subdue the power of the nations.

Zechariah 10:8. I will signal to them and gather them, for I have redeemed them; they shall be as numerous as before; Zechariah 10:9. and I will scatter them among the nations, and in distant lands they shall remember Me and shall live with their children and return; This victorious struggle with paganism and the fulfillment of other promises must be preceded by the gathering of Israel from all lands. The Lord gives a sign by which all those whom He has decided to deliver from the calamities of dispersion are brought together as one. The Hebrews shall not cease to multiply, just as they once multiplied in Egypt amid heavy labor and long oppression. Those for whom there shall not be room in their native land due to their large numbers shall again be scattered among the nations, but they shall not forget the true God and shall proclaim His name to the pagans. According to Keil’s opinion, there is no mention here of a secondary scattering of Ephraim as a means of punishment (p. 611). Rougemont, on the contrary, interprets the first word of verse 9 precisely in the sense of scattering for sin: “He will scatter them because they will sin against Him, but they will become seed that will bear good fruit throughout all the earth” (p. 224). This disagreement does not concern the essence of this prophecy, which consists in the fact that through the scattering of the Jews throughout all lands, true knowledge of God shall be spread everywhere. By laying the foundation of families and clans in foreign lands, that is, by living there for a long time, they will not sever completely the ties with their homeland and shall return to it as far as it is possible.

Zechariah 10:11. And affliction shall pass over the sea, and strike the waves of the sea, and all the depths of the river shall dry up, and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the scepter shall be taken from Egypt. Zechariah 10:12. I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they shall walk in His name, says the Lord. The means of Israel’s deliverance shall be so miraculous as to recall the circumstances of the departure of the Hebrews from Egypt under Moses. The Nile, the source of fertility of the land of Egypt, shall dry up; the dominion of Egypt shall come to an end; the proud conqueror Assyria shall be humiliated. And the sons of Ephraim, of whom speech is made chiefly from verse 6 onwards, the Lord shall make strong; their undertakings shall be successful because they shall walk in His name. Note. The arrangement of chapters IX–XI, according to Rougemont’s observation, does not fully correspond to the actual course of events depicted in the prophetic vision: in chapter IX “the prophet concluded the portrayal of the first prosperous epoch that he has before his eyes. He opens the second, more distant epoch (Zech 10:4-12), but he is separated from it by a period of fall and punishment. However, he does not yet want to draw the attention of his listeners to this dark night; he will return to it later (XI), but now points to it as briefly as possible (Zech 10:1-3), because he must first of all encourage and comfort his people” (p. 221). According to Keil’s interpretation, the prophecy of chapter X was fulfilled in the period of time from Zechariah to Christ; many Jews in this period returned to their land, and Galilee was again thickly populated; in the struggle of great monarchies for dominion over Palestine, the Lord showed His protection over His chosen people. In essence, however, this prophecy is spiritual in character and comes to fulfillment through the acceptance of Jews into the Kingdom of Christ (p. 613).

Chapter Eleven

1–3. God’s judgment, revealed in the devastation of the land. 4–14. A symbolic depiction of the activity of the good Shepherd and the ingratitude of the sheep. 15–17. The negligence and selfish greed of the worthless shepherd and the severe punishment foretold for him.

Zechariah 11:1. Open your gates, Lebanon, that fire may consume your cedars. Zechariah 11:2. Wail, fir tree, because the cedar has fallen, because the mighty ones are laid waste; wail, oaks of Bashan, for the impenetrable forest has been brought down. Zechariah 11:3. A sound of wailing of the shepherds, because their pasture is destroyed; a sound of the roaring of young lions, because the majesty of the Jordan is laid waste. God’s judgment upon the chosen people is depicted under the form of devastation of the land, destruction of its most important products. The devastation of the land is a sign of the final destruction of the kingdom. This judgment upon Israel was carried out by the Romans. Such is the understanding of St. Cyril: the prophet “foretells the future unbelief in Him (in Christ) of the sons of Israel… and that on account of this the very temple should be burned and, of course, Jerusalem… This was accomplished by the hand of the Romans, led once by Vespasian and Titus” (p. 148; Keil, p. 616; Rougemont, p. 226; Urguhardt, Die erfüllten Weissagungen… 1903, pp. 169–170).

Zechariah 11:4. Thus says the Lord my God: Tend the sheep marked for slaughter, Zechariah 11:5. whose buyers kill them with impunity, and those who sell them say, “Blessed be the Lord, I have become rich!” and their own shepherds show them no pity. The chosen people, punished by God for their sins and disobedience, are likened to a flock of sheep marked for slaughter. No one feels any compassion for them; each thinks only of extracting as much profit as possible from them. Those who buy kill the sheep whenever they wish, without fear of any accountability; the sellers rejoice at their gain, while the shepherds are completely indifferent to the fate of their sheep (Jerome, p. 132; Cyril, pp. 153–155).

Zechariah 11:6. For I will not spare the inhabitants of this land any longer, says the Lord; but I will deliver each person into the hand of his neighbor and into the hand of his king, and they shall strike the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand. However, the Lord does not entirely abandon His care for the sinful and transgressful people. For the sake of preserving them from complete destruction, He pours out His wrath upon those inhabitants of the land who are so cruel toward Israel, suffering the calamities of bondage. According to St. Cyril, here the Lord “threatens destruction both to the flock and… since though they had the opportunity to turn to the guidance of the chief Shepherd of all, I mean Christ, and to be under His dominion, yet ignorantly they preferred to surrender to those who slew and sold them” (pp. 155–156).

Zechariah 11:7. And I tended the sheep marked for slaughter, truly the most wretched sheep. And I took for myself two staffs; the one I called Favor, and the other I called Unity, and with them I tended the sheep. Next, the prophet symbolically depicts the activity of the good Shepherd, who henceforth takes upon Himself the task of caring for the flock; by the course of the speech, this Shepherd is God Himself (or the divine Person, i.e., the Messiah—Keil, p. 617). The wretched sheep marked for slaughter He tends by means of two staffs: one He names Favor (or Grace, according to some versions), the other Unity. According to Laur’s expression, the symbolic names of the staffs given by the good Shepherd were to represent as it were the motto of His pastoral ministry (P. Elred Laur, Die Prophetennamen des Alten Testamentes, Freiburg I, 1903, p. 115). The ancient interpreters and Luther instead of chobhelim—“unity”—in verse 7 read chabhalim—“griefs, sorrows” (Luther, p. 222; Marti, p. 441).

Zechariah 11:8. And I destroyed three shepherds in one month; and My soul was grieved with them, as their soul was also grieved with Me. Zechariah 11:9. Then I said: I will not tend you; let the dying die, let the perishing perish, and let those that remain eat one another’s flesh. The activity of the good Shepherd during the period symbolically denoted as one month manifests itself chiefly in the destruction of three shepherds—obviously those who oppressed the sheep, treated them unjustly and cruelly. According to a very widespread interpretation from the time of the Fathers, by the three shepherds one should understand the Hebrew kings (or generally representatives of secular power), the priests, and the prophets. Thus with St. Ephrem (p. 249) and the blessed Theodoret (p. 110). Jerome cites this interpretation but follows another, understanding by the three shepherds Moses, Aaron, and Miriam: “of these, Miriam died in the first month, called Nisan, in the wilderness of Sin; and in the same place and the same month by reason of the waters of contention, Moses and Aaron were condemned not to enter the land of promise (Num 20:10-13). And it came to pass that of those three leaders one was struck by actual death, the other two condemned to death by the judgment of divine decree” (p. 136). According to St. Cyril, these are “priests, judges and those learned in the writings of the law”—“scribes” or “lawyers” (pp. 159–160). In later times, interpreters are more inclined to understand here three harsh monarchies under which the Jews successively were in subjection (Keil, p. 620; Haupt, p. 280; ZAThW 1881, pp. 27, 71; Marti, p. 439). But the sheep also do not remain unpunished; when the three harsh shepherds are removed, they do not show proper trust and obedience toward their Shepherd, and He finds Himself compelled to cease His care for the flock, leaving it to the mercy of fate, to destruction from external calamities and internal discord.

Zechariah 11:10. And I took My staff Favor and broke it, to annul the covenant that I had made with all peoples. As a sign of this, He breaks the staff named “Favor” or “Grace,” and the covenant that He had made with all peoples is dissolved on that very day (Zech 11:11). This covenant was beneficial for the flock protected by the Shepherd, because it largely prevented the evil that the pagan nations might have caused to the chosen people (Keil, p. 622).

Zechariah 11:11. And it was annulled on that day, and thus the poor of the sheep, those that waited for Me, understood that it was the word of the Lord. This action of the good Shepherd is rightly understood only by part of the sheep, the humble and obedient ones, who thereafter came to understand the truth of the divine commission of the good Shepherd and surrendered themselves entirely to Him, which saved them from the destruction that befell the disobedient sheep.

Zechariah 11:12. And I said to them: If it seems good to you, give me my wages; and if not, keep them. And they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. To these the Shepherd employs a final means of bringing them to understanding and clarifying their true relationship to Him. The Shepherd asks the sheep to declare how much they value His activity—whether they find it worthy of reward or not; and He receives in reward for His care of the flock thirty pieces of silver—the price of a slave (Exod 21:32), which clearly were not meant to reward the Shepherd for His labors, but to inflict upon Him a grave insult.

Zechariah 11:13. And the Lord said to me: Cast it to the potter, that noble price at which I was valued by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver and cast them into the house of the Lord, to the potter. By God’s command, the prophet, symbolizing the action of the good Shepherd, must cast this insulting reward into the temple treasury, and he casts the thirty pieces of silver into the house of the Lord to the potter. The reading of “el hajjozer” in Zech 11:13 is disputed. Many read instead of hajjozer—potter—haozar—treasury (Gessenius, Siegfried and Slade, Hebräisches Wörterbuch zum Alten Testament, 1893, Leipzig; Nowack, p. 372; Marti, p. 440). The shift of aleph to yodh is usual in biblical-Aramaic; it is not inconceivable even for a book of post-exilic origin (H. Strack, Grammatik des Biblisch-aramäischen, Leipzig, 1901, p. 13; ZAThW 1881, p. 28, note. The Synodal version translates the first “el hajjozer” of this verse as “into the temple treasury,” the second as “to the potter”). In explanation of the expression “to the potter” or “for the potter,” Rougemont reasons thus: “The Field of Blood or Akeldama, on the southern side of the valley of… Hinnom, represents the only place in Jerusalem and its environs where soil for the potter’s workshop can be found. Thus in this city there could be only one potter… Hinnom was the “sink of the whole city, into which all the filth flowed,” according to the Talmud, which calls it the mouth of hell. Thus the potter, in the eyes of the people, took upon himself a certain share of the defilement of the place in which he dwelt; and to cast something to the potter meant to express the most decisive contempt for him” (p. 230). According to Haupt, the potter is mentioned because he constantly deals with clay, with dirt, so that “to cast to the potter” may denote nothing else but to cast into a dirty, unclean place (p. 262). Some German commentators compare the expression used in the prophet Zechariah zum Töpfer with German expressions: zum Henker or zum Schinber (Reinke, p. 144; Keil, p. 624). The juxtaposition of the expressions “into the house of the Lord” and “to the potter” and the understanding of the latter in the indicated sense leads Haupt to the conclusion that the first of these expressions represents a parallel with that place of Scripture where the temple is called a house of trade and a den of robbers (p. 283). In the LXX hajjozer is translated as χωνευτηριον, Slavonic ‘hornilo’ (see W. H. Lower, The Hebrew Student’s Commentary on Zechariah, Hebrew and LXX, London, 1882, p. 103). The blessed Theodoret, interpreting the text of the LXX, considers the words εις το χωνευτηριον an explanation of εις τον οικον Κυριου, reasoning thus: “The Lord commands the prophet, as it were with fire, to test whether this reward is worthy of His benefits; and the prophet said that he cast the pieces of silver into the temple of God, which he rightly called a furnace, because those coming there for repentance, as in some furnace, are renewed, having cast off the poison of sin and been deemed worthy of God’s mercy” (p. 112). And the blessed Jerome understands by jozer that potter “who is the Creator and Fashioner of all things” (p. 140). The use in the Bible of the verb jazaur also in application to God’s creative activity (an example of which we see in Zech 12:1; see Gesenius, p. 10, 13) to some extent justifies such understanding in this place as well. The Fathers and teachers of the Church unanimously see the fulfillment of the prophecy Zech 11:11-13 in the assignment of precisely thirty pieces of silver to Judas for his betrayal, as related by the evangelist Matthew in Matt 27:5, though he mentions the name of Jeremiah rather than Zechariah (Ephrem, p. 251; Cyril, p. 165; Theodoret, 3rd vol., p. ???; Jerome, pp. 139–140).

Zechariah 11:14. And I broke My second staff, called “Unity,” to annul the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. After that there was no longer any possibility of remaining a shepherd of such disobedient and ungrateful sheep, and the good Shepherd breaks His second staff, severing the brotherhood between the two halves of the chosen people, between Judah and Israel, delivering them to the mercy of internal discord and factional strife (Keil, p. 625). Thus the care of the good Shepherd for the ungrateful sheep comes to an end. St. Cyril interprets the meaning of the staffs with symbolic names in application to the preaching of the Gospel and the law of Moses: “not knowing the staff of the good, that is, the preaching of the Gospel, and moreover dishonoring thereby the second staff, which is called the law of Moses, the Jews did not come to faith, did not come to know through the law and the prophets the One foretold” (p. 168).

Zechariah 11:15. And the Lord said to me: Yet again, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd. Zechariah 11:16. For behold, I will raise up in this land a shepherd who does not care for the perishing, does not seek the lost, and does not heal the sick; but he eats the flesh of the fat ones and tears off their hooves. But the flock cannot remain entirely without a shepherd; having rejected the good Shepherd, it again falls under the power and guidance of a foolish and cruel shepherd. The prophet, according to God’s command, must take on the implements of one of the foolish shepherds. These implements denote, of course, the unwise management and neglect of the flock on the part of the shepherd. “The breaking of the hooves, according to Keil, points to the use in food of the fat taken from the hooves” (Marti, p. 442). St. Cyril and the blessed Jerome, by the unwise, selfish, and cruel shepherd, understand the Antichrist (Cyril, p. 169; Jerome, p. 142; cf. Luther, p. 329). Modern commentators understand by the evil shepherd the Roman Empire, to whose harsh power the Jews fell around the time of the coming of the Savior and from which, by their rejection of Him, they suffered final destruction (Keil, p. 631; Haupt, p. 284).

Zechariah 11:17. Woe to the worthless shepherd, abandoning the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! Let his arm be utterly dried up, and his right eye be utterly dimmed. Retribution awaits the worthless shepherd who cares nothing for the flock. The most necessary members—his arm and right eye—are struck: his arm loses the ability to act, and his eye to see—because they did not serve the interests of the flock. * * * Schweis

Chapter Twelve

1–9. The schemes of those hostile to Jerusalem are unsuccessful and serve their own destruction. 10–14. Universal repentant lamentation for the grievous transgression of the people.

Zechariah 12:1. An oracle—the word of the Lord concerning Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of humanity within him: In Zech 12:1 stands the same word massa that begins the first prophecy of the second part of the Book of Zechariah. Here a precise translation of the expression massa debhar yehovaah al Yisrael would not fully correspond, it seems, to the further exposition of the prophecy, if one takes the word massa in the sense of “burden.” “The burden of the word of the Lord upon Israel”—in a prophecy depicting chiefly the triumph of God’s people over the pagans, would be inappropriate. Since the word massa, used originally in predictions directed exclusively against the pagans, later began to be applied also to prophecies about Israel, it could lose its specific nuance (the meaning of a threatening prediction of calamities). Consequently, in this case, the said expression can be understood in the sense of a prophecy about Israel in general. One cannot, however, overlook the fact that in all three final chapters of the Book of Zechariah there is mention of the distressed condition of the members of the chosen people (Zech 12:2; Zech 13:7-9; Zech 14:1-2). Rougemont explains the correspondence of the prophecy’s title with its content thus: neither the name of Israel nor its synonyms appear in that prophecy, which speaks only of Judah and the pagans. Thus this title constitutes a true riddle. Nevertheless, this riddle is not insoluble: the great promises contained in chapters XII, XIII, and XIV are given to Judah alone, and the silence maintained regarding Ephraim, who worshipped the golden calf and revolted against David’s house, is such a heavy burden as harsh threats would be. This exclusion of Ephraim should not, however, nullify the promises that Zechariah made to him earlier (Zech 10:6-12) and which also relate to the end of time (p. 233). In correspondence with Zech 9:1, where attention is drawn to God’s omniscience, in Zech 12:1 attention is called to God’s creative activity as the foundation of confidence that all that is spoken in God’s name shall certainly be accomplished.

Zechariah 12:2. Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of reeling for all the surrounding peoples, and also for Judah in the siege of Jerusalem. Zechariah 12:3. And on that day, I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will surely hurt themselves, and all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it. The subject of this chapter, as well, is the struggle of the pagans with God’s chosen people. The prophet depicts the futility of the designs of the pagan peoples against Judah and Jerusalem and the destructive consequences for themselves. Jerusalem, surrounded by hostile peoples, shall become for them a cup of reeling; in their struggle against it, they will, as it were, become intoxicated and weaken to such a degree that they will be unable to stand on their own feet. All Judea, under the leadership of Jerusalem, will contribute to this weakening of the pagans when they begin their hostile actions against Jerusalem, which in Zech 12:3 is compared to a heavy stone: those lifting it will only strain their strength and inflict wounds upon themselves. Thus it will be with all the peoples gathering to fight against Jerusalem.

Zechariah 12:4. On that day, says the Lord, I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. But on the house of Judah I will keep My eyes open; when I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. Zechariah 12:5. And the leaders of Judah shall say in their hearts: The strength of the inhabitants of Jerusalem is in the Lord of hosts, their God. For Judah, which is under special divine protection, the military forces of the pagans will be safe, and the horses and riders will not only lose the properties necessary for warfare, but, coming into panic, will do harm to their own. For the leaders of Judah it will then be clear that the inhabitants of the besieged Jerusalem are strong through divine help.

Zechariah 12:6. On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a firepot among wood and a flaming torch among sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples, right and left, and Jerusalem shall again be inhabited in its place, in Jerusalem. The leaders of the Jews will be inaccessible to the hostile actions of the pagans: approach to them will be as dangerous as a firepot among wood or a burning lamp among sheaves; this fire of courage, kindled by God Himself, will consume all the surrounding peoples on all sides; Jerusalem meanwhile will remain at peace in its place.

Zechariah 12:7. The Lord will give salvation first to the tents of Judah, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not be exalted over Judah. The victory over the pagans will be miraculous, and the tents of Judah will be saved before the fortified capital; “and never again will either the royal house or the nobly-born and distinguished of the tribe of Judah, or the inhabitants of Jerusalem, boast before the tribe of Judah that it was under their rule and submitted to their decrees; but they shall know that over them and over the tribe of Judah the victory belongs to the Lord” (Jerome, p. 150).

Zechariah 12:8. On that day the Lord will shield the inhabitants of Jerusalem; even the one who stumbles among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the Lord, at their head. Zechariah 12:9. And on that day, I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. Sustained by divine strength, even the weak among the Jews will be strong like David, the glorious hero and victor; and the house of David will manifest supernatural courage, displaying superhuman strength. Then all the nations rising up against Jerusalem will be condemned to destruction.

Zechariah 12:10. And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication; and they will look on the One whom they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him as one weeps over the firstborn. But external security and brilliant victories over the pagans are not enough. The house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem must purify their grave transgression by repentance and remove from themselves the burden of sin. This is accomplished not without the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit; having received from above a spirit of grace and contrition, they turn their gaze toward Him whom in their blindness they delivered to death and mourn for Him with the most sincere and inconsolable weeping: as one weeps only for an only son, so they grieve only for the firstborn. Zech 12:10, according to the literal sense of the original expression (they will look upon Him whom they pierced), contains the thought of the delivery to death of Jehovah Himself, as it were. In explaining verse 10, Keil remarks that “of course one cannot understand this verse to mean the delivery to death of Jehovah Himself, Creator of heaven and earth. Here one should understand the death of the Angel of Jehovah, one in essence with Jehovah, who in the person of Jesus Christ became man. Since Zechariah depicts the coming of the Messiah several times as the manifestation of Jehovah to His people in the person of His Angel, he could accordingly denote the death of the Angel as the death of Jehovah Himself… The transition from first to third person indicates that the One who was slain in essence is one with Jehovah, while being, however, a distinct person separate from the transcendent God” (p. 638). St. Ephrem, interpreting the words: “They will look upon Him whom they pierced” in the historical sense, refers them to Judas Maccabeus (p. 225; Marti, p. 447); but at the same time he himself also refers them to the crucified Christ, whose rib was pierced (cf. Cyril, pp. 187–188; Theodoret, p. 167; Jerome, p. 154). Thus the evangelist John, the ancient interpreters, and the commentators following them in modern times see in Zech 12:10 a prophecy of the crucifixion of the Savior. Regarding the fact of the literal fulfillment of this prophecy even in its external details, Keil remarks that “it serves to make the internal connection between the prophecy and its historical fulfillment so clear that even unbelievers would not have sufficient grounds to deny it” (p. 638; cf. p. 662).

Zechariah 12:11. On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be great, like the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The lamentation for Him whom they pierced can be compared only to the weeping over the godly king Josiah, slain at Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. “Josiah… fell, according to Rougemont’s observation, a victim of a terrible curse of God that weighed upon his people, not because of his own lack of wisdom (2 Sam 23 and following), and his death was the subject of national funerary songs, doubtless not yet forgotten in the time of Zechariah” (2 Chr 35:25, p. 237; see Oehler, pp. 98–99, 274; Reinke, p. 231; Yungerov, II, pp. 74–75, 77).

Zechariah 12:12. The land will mourn, each clan by itself: the clan of the house of David by itself, and their women by themselves; the clan of the house of Nathan by itself, and their women by themselves; Zechariah 12:13. the clan of the house of Levi by itself, and their women by themselves; the clan of Shimei by itself, and their women by themselves; Zechariah 12:14. All the remaining clans, each clan by itself, and their women by themselves. The mourning will be great and universal: all clans will weep, men will weep no less than women. Zech 12:13 according to the Symm. version is read thus in the Venetus codex: “and the land will mourn, each clan by itself… the clan of the house of Levi by itself, and their women by themselves, the clan of Shimei by itself, and their women by themselves”; also in the Slavonic, Syriac, and in the LXX, that is, as if in this verse stood the Hebrew name of a son of Jacob, in the patriarch’s blessing placed in parallel with Levi. However, the Massoretic text, the Aramaic Targum, the Vulgate, and Luther have here a name reminiscent of Schim’on but different from it—Schim’i, referring to another person, namely the grandson of Levi, son of Gershon (Exod 6:17. Symm. version—“Shimei”). Thus the prophet names the chief founders of the royal and priestly line and one branch of each line (Keil, p. 640; Reinke, pp. 237–239). Of the ancient interpreters, Cyril (p. 191) and Theodoret (p. 118) understand here, corresponding to the LXX reading, Simeon, son of Jacob; and by Nathan in Zech 12:12 the prophet of that name, a contemporary of David rather than his son. So also Jerome (though in his version the form of the name corresponds to the Hebrew text) interprets this passage with reference to the founder of one of the twelve tribes—apparently in accordance with the observation of the Jerusalem Targum on Gen 49 concerning Simeon as the founder of “men of understanding and those learned in the Law” (p. 155; Cyril, p. 191; Reinke, p. 237). St. Ephrem, in the brevity of his commentary, does not address the question of Simeon—Shimei’s identity.

Chapter Thirteen

1–6. The destruction of idolatry and the removal of false prophets. 7–9. God’s judgment upon His people.

Zechariah 13:1. On that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness. Following repentance, naturally comes cleansing from sin and sanctification. The availability of this cleansing is depicted under the form of a fountain of cleansing water for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that is, for all Jews without exception, without distinction of their station.

Zechariah 13:2. And on that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall be remembered no more; and I will also remove from the land the false prophets and the unclean spirit. Sin and uncleanness were sustained in the midst of the Jews chiefly by their attachment to idolatry and the activity of false prophets, inspired by an unclean spirit (1 Sam 22:19-23). Henceforward even the names of idols will be forgotten, that is, idolatry will disappear completely; false prophets will cease to appear among the chosen people, the activity of the unclean spirit will be paralyzed (see Cyril, p. 194). With Zechariah, as a predecessor of Malachi, the “seal of the prophets,” in Zech 13:2 and following one can see a hint of the approaching cessation of prophecy in Israel. Here the speech is obviously about false prophets; but the very use of the name nebhiim without a qualifier, according to interpreters’ opinion, testifies that Zechariah has in mind that time when only false prophets will exist (Keil, pp. 642–643; ZAThW 1881, p. 90–91; Koen, Einl. II, p. 14; Smith, p. 484; Marti, p. 449; I. Korsunskii, Jewish Interpretation of the Old Testament, Moscow, 1882, p. 88–89).

Zechariah 13:3. And if anyone again prophesies, his father and his mother who bore him will say to him, “You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the Lord”; and his father and his mother who bore him will pierce him through because he prophesied. The aversion to false prophecy will be so strong that parents will not spare their own children, daring to speak lies in the name of the Lord, delivering them to death, as the Law had prescribed (Deut 13:6-11; Deut 18:20; see Keil, p. 642).

Zechariah 13:4. On that day the prophets will be ashamed, each of his vision when he prophesies; and they will not put on a mantle of hair in order to deceive. Zechariah 13:5. Each will say: “I am not a prophet; I am a man working the soil, for the land has been my possession since my youth.” And the false prophets themselves will be ashamed of their disreputable activity and will cease to wear the clothing ordinarily used by prophets. Instead of the lofty title of prophet, they will prefer to pose as farmers.

Zechariah 13:6. If someone asks him, “What are these wounds on your hands?” he will answer, “The wounds I received in the house of my loved ones.” If anyone had cuts on their hands, made in service to pagan deities, those having them will carefully hide the true cause of their origin, claiming they are blows received from their parents. By those “who loved” one understands the parents of the false prophet, who inflict wounds upon him for the utterance of lies in the name of the Lord.

Zechariah 13:7. Awake, O sword, against My shepherd and against the man who is close to Me, says the Lord of hosts. Strike the shepherd, that the sheep may be scattered; and I will turn My hand against the little ones. At the end of chapter XIII the prophet again depicts God’s judgment upon His people. According to the divine plan of dispensation, the shepherd of the Israeli people, who stands in immediate proximity to God Himself, the divine Person, the Messiah is struck by death. “Strike the shepherd!”—the prophet’s address from God’s behalf to the sword—in the words of Jehovah can be understood in the sense of God’s permission and foreknowledge; yet at the same time there is heard a rebuke toward those who will raise their hand against the Shepherd. Deprived of the shepherd, the sheep are scattered, but they do not perish completely; because God again stretches forth His right hand, defending the little ones, that is, the humble and obedient sheep. “I will turn My hand against the little ones,” that is, against those meek and obedient sheep of whom there was mention in chapter XI, as some researchers suppose. In the Slavonic version the corresponding passage reads: “I will turn My hand upon [the little] shepherds.” According to researchers’ assumption, the LXX either had a scribal error or incorrectly read instead of hazzóarim—haróim (omission of the letter tsade and transposition of letters ayin, yodh, resh); therefore the Alexandrian codex reads τούς ποιμένος (Reinke, p. 265, note). From the combination of the LXX reading according to the Alexandrian and Vatican codices (which corresponds to the Massoretic text, τούς μικρούς) a reading emerged: τούς μικρούς ποιμένας, which is found in Theodoret and our Slavonic version. Aquila’s reading: του (ποιμένας) βραχεῖς (τούς μικρους ποιμένοις), according to Gesenius, means: die Hirtenjungen (the young shepherds); this understanding also aligns with the Haldeic cal tinjanajja—super secundos (over the secondary ones); with this interpretation, the original text and the LXX Alexandrian codex come into complete agreement and do not present any essential disagreement (see Brian Walton, Bibliorum Sacrorum tomus tertius, London, MDCLVI; Field, op. cit.; The Old Testament in Greek according to the Septuagint, edited… by H. B. Swete, Vol. III, Cambridge, 1894; Gesenius, Hebr. W.B., Keil, p. 645; Kohl, Zach. 9–14, p. 241; Marti, p. 443). The Messianic character of Zech 13:7 and following is testified to by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (Matt 26:31; Mark 14:27). The ancient interpreters understand here by the scattering of the sheep either the prophetic indication of the fact of the scattering of the apostles on that night when Christ was taken for crucifixion (Matt 26:56), or more generally the scattering resulting from persecutions of Christ’s followers (Ephrem, p. 259; Cyril, p. 200; Theodoret, p. 120; Иер 164; see Haupt, pp. 128–129; ZAThW 1891, p. 32).

Zechariah 13:8. And it shall come to pass that in all the land, says the Lord, two-thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one-third shall remain in it. Zechariah 13:9. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as one tests gold. They will call upon My name, and I will answer them. I will say, “They are My people,” and they will say, “The Lord is our God.” Those who were culpable in the death of the Shepherd or sympathized with this evil deed will not escape deserved punishment. In all the land, that is, the land of Israel, two parts of the inhabitants will be cut off and perish, while one part will remain. The entire Jewish people appears here as the inheritance left behind by the slain Shepherd, which is divided into three parts: of these, death, asserting its right of firstborn, receives two parts, life receives one (Keil, p. 646). But even the remaining third part will be tested and purified by the fire of misfortunes and trials; after that this part shall become truly God’s people, not calling upon God’s name in vain.

Chapter Fourteen

1–5. The last assault of the pagans on Jerusalem, the manifestation of the Lord and the granting to the survivors after the city’s defeat of a miraculous means of salvation. 6–11. A change in the order of world life and the reign of the Lord over all the earth; the significance of Jerusalem as the central, elevated point above the entire surrounding area. 12–19. The final defeat of the peoples who warred against Jerusalem; the conversion of the pagans and the punishment of those persisting in unbelief. 20–21. The coming of a time of universal sanctification.

Zechariah 14:1. Behold, a day of the Lord is coming, and your plunder will be divided in your midst. Zechariah 14:2. And I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle; the city shall be taken, the houses plundered, and the women violated; and half of the city shall go into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. In chapter XIV, in its opening verses, the thoughts of Zech 14:7-9 from the previous chapter are developed in greater detail. There will come a day for the revelation of God’s power and justice and for the final testing of the remaining third part of the Jews, when Jerusalem shall become the prey of enemies before the eyes of the defeated who control their own property. All nations will gather for war against Jerusalem; the captured city will be plundered, women will be violated, and half the population will go into captivity; however, the destruction will not be universal and final: part of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will survive.

Zechariah 14:3. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as when He fights on a day of battle. Zechariah 14:4. On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that half of the mountain shall move toward the north, and half of it toward the south. Zechariah 14:5. And the valley of the Lord’s mountains shall be blocked, for the valley of the mountains shall extend to Azal; yes, it shall be blocked just as it was blocked because of the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him. Then the Lord, the defender of His people, will go forth against His enemies and will fight them Himself, as He did many times before, miraculously striking down those who rose against Israel. Moreover, the inhabitants of Jerusalem will be given a means of salvation through flight. The Lord will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is located to the east of Jerusalem; the mountain will be split (according to Theodoret, p. 122, the mountain will divide into four parts) in the direction from east to west, so that those seeking salvation can easily escape from the enemies fighting against Jerusalem through the valley formed between the two halves of the mountain. Azal (Synodal version), or Azel (Venetus version)—a settlement to the east of the Mount of Olives; but some understand el’azal in the sense of “near,” “beside” (Cyril, p. 206; Jerome, p. 170; Keil, pp. 649–650; Kohl, Zach. 9–14, pp. 255–257). The flight in its speed will remind one of the well-known fact of flight from the earthquake that occurred during the reign of Uzziah (Amos 1:1; Alliati, II, 1094, 2). In this miraculous defense of God’s people against enemies, the Lord will appear surrounded by angelic hosts.

Zechariah 14:6. On that day there will be no light, no cold and no frost. Zechariah 14:7. It shall be a unique day, known to the Lord, neither day nor night; but at evening time there shall be light. Then there will also be a change in the order of world life: the distinction between day and night will disappear, the heavenly bodies will cease to give their light; or else—the usual order of the alternation of day and night will be completely changed; there will be no light during the day, but it will appear in the evening (Keil, p. 651). Marti explains jom ‘eshadh (literally “a unique day”) in the sense of a day not replaced by night, so that light will be present even in the evening (p. 452). The ending of Zech 14 is given by translators and interpreters completely different meanings. The Russian Synodal and Venetus versions, made from the Hebrew, allowing different readings and derivations of the two final words of Zech 14:6, render them in Russian—the first: “the heavenly bodies will disappear” (jadar—precious, magnificent; plural feminine jedaroth; according to Rougemont, p. 244—the treasures of heaven—the heavenly bodies. Passive form dapha—to contract, condense, shrink; see Keil, pp. 650–651; Reinke, pp. 294–297; Gesenius, Hebr. W.B.), the second: there will be cold and a thickening of the air (jegaroth read as vegaroth or vegaruth—“and cold”; instead of the Kethibh jegippáon—reading (ve)gippáon—(“and ice, frost”). The LXX read: ψύχη (singular ψῦχος—cold, chill) and παγος (ice—in classical language this meaning παγος has in plural). The Slavonic version: “winter and frost”. The Fathers read the ending of Zech 14 according to the LXX text, but interpret Zech 14:6-7 differently. The blessed Theodoret understands them in the sense of a prophecy of the circumstances of the crucifixion of the Savior (p. 123). In Jerome, cold and frost are interpreted both literally (in application to that time when “light and darkness, night and day will no longer alternate with each other”) and figuratively—in relation to the loss of fervent faith and the cooling of love before the second coming of the Savior (p. 173). According to St. Cyril, the prophet “by winter and frost designates the night… at that time when He (Christ, the Judge) comes from heaven and will transform all and change everything for the better, as Creator, then there will be neither night nor daylight” (p. 210). St. Ephrem the Syrian interprets thus: “all this depicts the unstable and changeable condition of the Jews in the times of the Maccabees, of which we have spoken above. But the careful and intelligent researcher will see in this prophecy that it applies precisely and clearly to the day of the Lord’s Passion…” (p. 262).

Zechariah 14:8. And on that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half toward the western sea; it shall continue in summer as in winter. From Jerusalem there shall flow forth a miraculous fountain of life-giving water toward the east (to the Dead Sea) and toward the west (to the Mediterranean Sea); this fountain shall give water throughout the entire year (whereas ordinarily in hot Palestine the springs dry up in the summer).

Zechariah 14:9. And the Lord shall be king over all the earth; on that day the Lord shall be one and His name one. Then the Lord will reign over all the earth; all will honor the one Lord.

Zechariah 14:10. The whole land shall turn into a plain from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem shall stand elevated on its site, from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses. Zechariah 14:11. And it shall be inhabited, and there shall be no more curse, but Jerusalem shall be secure. Jerusalem, as the seat of God, shall receive special significance and shall become the central elevated point of the entire country, which will turn into a plain; the holy city will remain elevated at its place within defined boundaries; then a time of complete security will come, and there will be no more destruction.

Zechariah 14:14. Even Judah shall fight against Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be gathered together, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. Zechariah 14:15. A plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and all the beasts that may be in those camps. St. Cyril, in explaining Zech 14:13-14 in application to the times of the Messiah, understanding here the believers in Christ and the enemies of the Church of Christ, remarks: “having drawn up in battle in Jerusalem, that is, they will conquer enemies and overcome opponents” (p. 220). The blessed Jerome, translating from the Hebrew: “and Judah shall fight against Jerusalem,” also gives the LXX reading: “and Judah shall prepare itself in Jerusalem”—και Ιούδας παρατάξεται ἐν Ιερουσαλήμ; παρατάσσω (in the middle voice—to take a stand, draw up, particularly—in a battle line, prepare for battle, fight), which he proposes to understand in two ways: either in the sense that Judah once confessed the name of the Lord but, driven by persecution, pursued the people of Christ…; or in the sense that Judah, that is, every believer and one who hopes, will not fight against Jerusalem, but will prepare itself in Jerusalem to fight against enemies (pp. 183–184). The latter interpretation fits the context better. The sequence of thoughts in Zech 14:12-14 is as follows: the pagans will be miraculously punished by God even before death begins with the decomposition of the organism, ultimate weakening of physical strength; confusion in the camp of the assailants will be such that they will strike one another; for Judah, thus, there remains only to complete the rout and seize rich plunder. Whereas previously the pagans divided the plunder seized from Jerusalem’s inhabitants, now, on the contrary, enormous wealth will be taken from all the surrounding nations as military spoils. The defeat of the pagans will be complete, their prosperity receives a final blow; in the enemy camps all animals—war horses, beasts of burden, and those necessary for the army’s provisions—will be destroyed.

Zechariah 14:16. And it shall come to pass that everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. Just as after the destruction of the disobedient sheep in Israel a remnant is preserved, tested and then purified so as to become truly God’s people, so the survivors of the described calamities and, evidently, with changed convictions, the pagans of all nations shall become worshippers of the true God, whom they will acknowledge as King and Lord. Every year they shall go to Jerusalem to worship Him and to celebrate the Feast of Booths; this feast had special significance for Israel as a grateful commemoration of how the Lord miraculously fed and protected His people during their wandering in the wilderness, after which He brought them into a land abounding in all good things; this feast also had the meaning of an annual thanksgiving service to God at the end of the harvest, which corresponds perfectly to the context of the speech here.

Zechariah 14:20. On that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “Holy to the Lord”; and the pots in the house of the Lord shall be like the bowls before the altar. Zechariah 14:21. And every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be sacred to the Lord of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take some of them and boil their meat in them; and there shall no longer be any merchant in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day. In conclusion, the prophet briefly depicts that time when the distinction between sacred and profane disappears, when a time of universal sanctification arrives and the complete destruction of all uncleanness. Then on objects such as horse bridles, one will be able to inscribe the same thing that is inscribed on the high priest’s headpiece: “Holy to the Lord” (Exod 28:36). The pots at the house of the Lord, in which the flesh of sacrifices was boiled, will be no less sacred than the sacrificial bowls before the altar; and not only the temple vessels, which had various purposes and different degrees of sanctity, will no longer be distinguished, but in general all household vessels in Jerusalem and throughout Judea will become sacred, and they will be allowed to be used in the performance of sacred rites. Thus, in Zech 14:20-21 is depicted the abolition of the Levitical service, which was entirely based on the distinction between sacred and profane. The Prophet Zechariah depicts here that time when the precise commandments of the law of Moses regarding the sacred and profane and the various degrees of sanctity ascribed to the objects of the temple’s equipment will lose their significance; when a time of universal sanctification arrives (Rougemont; Keil, p. 656–657). At the same time, access to the house of the Lord will be barred to those persisting in paganism or those who believe only in words but in reality are no different from Canaanites. According to St. Cyril, “there will be no Canaanite, that is, no foreigner and idolater” (p. 232); according to Theodoret, “there will be no one who thinks like a Canaanite, lives in impiety, acts lawlessly” (p. 127). St. Ephrem the Syrian briefly explains the first half of Zech 14:20 thus: “there will be no war and irritation, but sanctity and peace” and compares this prophecy with Isa 2:4 (p. 264; cf. Cyril, p. 227). This understanding is held by modern Western commentators as well. According to Wellhausen’s expression, “horses are a cause of vexation for the prophets” (quoted work, p. 203), but a time will come when they will no longer serve military purposes but will be dedicated to the service of God (Marti, p. 455). Some of the Fathers attribute the fulfillment of the prophecy Zech 14:20 to a specific historical fact from the life of Constantine the Great. Gregory of Tours, relating the fate of the nails found by St. Helen at the cross of the Savior, says of the two of them that were used to make the bridle of the emperor’s horse: it is well-known that the Prophet Zechariah foretold this, saying: what is placed in the mouth of a horse shall be Holy to the Lord (Erit, quod in os equi ponitur. Sanctum Domini—S. Georgii Florentii Gregorii Turoneusis episcopi opera omnia, ed. Migne, Patrol. 1. LXXI, Paris, 1849, Libri miraculorum, lib. I, cap. VI, col. 710; see also col. 710, g reference to other Fathers). And according to St. Cyril’s interpretation, “there is nothing… strange if… the Prophet Zechariah mentions a memorable event and a pious, true, and godly king, and times dedicated to love of Christ; for the adorning of the imperial horses with a nail taken from the holy Cross, to what else can it point us toward if not the greatest and truly most glorious piety of rulers?” (p. 228). The blessed Jerome, on the other hand, calls such an interpretation of the prophecy, while attributing it to pious feeling, amusing, leaving “to the reader’s discretion to accept or reject” it (p. 193; cf. Luther, p. 360).

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Introduction

On the Book of the Prophet Malachi. Introduction.

The Author of the Book. Who was the author of the book known as the “Book of Malachi”? Scholars of this book respond differently to this question. Some thought that the name Malachi was not the author’s proper name but a common designation. The meaning of the word Malachi itself—“messenger” or “envoy of Jehovah”—provided the basis for this. There were many such messengers of Jehovah. Which of them appears here? Some interpreters thought that an angel of God is meant here, who appeared in the form of a prophet-denouncer, and whose words were soon written down by someone. Others saw here the designation of one of the outstanding figures of the Jews after the Babylonian captivity—Ezra, Jesus the high priest, and others. Even the Seventy translators apparently took this name as a common designation: they placed in verse 1 of the book the expression “His angel” instead of “Malachi.” But all such suppositions cannot be recognized as well-founded. First, the tradition of the Jewish Church stands rather on the side of the view that Malachi was the proper name of the last prophet-author. Thus the Talmud expresses such a thought, calling the prophet Malachi a member of the great synagogue. Jerome also testifies that in the translations of Aquila, Theodotion, and Symmachus stood the proper name of the prophet Malachi. Finally, the interpreters of the Orthodox Church—both ancient and modern—acknowledge that the Book of Malachi was indeed written by a prophet bearing such a name as a proper name, and the Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of this prophet on January 3rd. The same is true: the majority of contemporary foreign interpreters also recognize the name Malachi as the proper name of the author of the Book of Malachi. And indeed, it would be strange if, in the collection of prophetic books, only one book was adorned with such an indefinite designation of its author: “messenger of Jehovah.” As for the supposed persons who, it is claimed, hid themselves under the name “messenger of God”—Ezra, Jesus the high priest, and others—everything that is known from history about these persons gives absolutely no grounds for recognizing any of them as the author of the Book of Malachi (see more on this in the dissertation of Mr. Tikhomirov, chap. I).

As for the personality and position of the prophet among the Jewish people, nothing definite can be said about this. There exist only traditions, more or less dependent on one and the same account found in the work titled “On the Life and Death of the Prophets.” This work was, in all probability, composed in the Hebrew language. From it, of course, Epiphanius of Cyprus drew his information about Malachi, and from him our hagiographer, St. Dimitri of Rostov, borrowed it. According to these accounts, Malachi was born in Supha, from the tribe of Zebulun. He received his name “Angel” from the people because of his extraordinary beauty and angelic purity, and also because he often conversed with an angel. Malachi died in his youth. Some interpreters suppose that Malachi came from the priestly line, since he takes great interest in the contemporary condition of the priesthood and worship. But this supposition lacks sufficient grounds, for, for example, any good Israelite could take interest in the condition of the priesthood and worship.

The Time of the Prophet Malachi’s Life. The majority of interpreters unanimously say that the prophet Malachi lived after the Babylonian captivity and some time after the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. The Temple had already been built, sacrifices were in full swing, although the initial zeal for this matter of piety had already sufficiently cooled (Mal 1:6-14). The moral defects of the Jewish people were now not those which formed the subject of the denunciations of Haggai and Zechariah, but rather were approaching those which existed in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. These defects have the greatest similarity to those which are denounced in chapter 13 of the Book of Nehemiah. Thus, Malachi (Mal 2:11) condemns the custom of marrying pagan women (cf. Nehem 13:23-25), reproaches the Jews for stinginess in bringing sacrifices (Mal 1:7-9) and tithes (Mal 3:10), as Nehemiah also does in part (Nehem 13:10-12). In the days of Ezra, when the government itself participated in the maintenance of the Temple (Ezra 6:8-10, 7:20), there would hardly be room for such laments over the scarcity of offerings as are contained in Malachi’s words. Similarly, it cannot be supposed that during Nehemiah’s presence in Jerusalem such incidents as Malachi reports (Mal 1:8) would be possible. In all probability, at the time when Malachi was pronouncing his words, Nehemiah was absent. Nehemiah himself reports about his departure from Jerusalem, which took place in the 12th year of his service as governor, that is, in the year 433, (Nehem 13:6). He also speaks of the disorders that became established in his absence among those who returned from captivity, and which he eliminated upon his return to Jerusalem. In view of this, it is hardly possible to suppose that Malachi could find such same disorders shortly after Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem and at this time would speak his denunciations. Most likely, these denunciations were uttered precisely during Nehemiah’s absence from Jerusalem. Hence it is certain that the activity of the prophet Malachi falls in the epoch of Ezra and Nehemiah, that is, in the 5th century before Christ.

The Content of the Book. The general thought of the words of the prophet Malachi is a protest against negligence in worship and, in general, against the violation of theocratic customs among the Israelite people. In particular, Malachi denounces with great force the lack of the fear of God in the priests and those Israelites who lightly dissolved their marriage bonds with their lawful wives. But with his denunciatory preaching, the prophet Malachi wishes not only to contribute to the restoration of morality among the people and the customs of true theocracy: his main goal was to prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. Many impatient Jews had already begun to doubt whether the promised Messiah would indeed come as a judge of sinners and benefactor for the righteous. The prophet Malachi proclaims that the Lord will come soon, that He will come forth as a judge for all people in general, and therefore also for the Jews. But both the priests and the common Jews would not be able to endure the fiery trial to which the Lord will subject all when He comes, if, by His condescension to the chosen people, He did not send them a new Elijah, who must turn Israel to the path of salvation.

This content of the book in the Hebrew Bible is contained in three chapters, to which division the Protestant editions of the Bible also follow. In the translation of the Seventy, the Vulgate, the Slavic, and the Russian, the Book of Malachi is divided into four chapters, so that the third chapter of the Hebrew Bible is divided into two: the first verse of the fourth chapter in our editions is the 19th verse of the third chapter in the Hebrew Bible.

Characteristic Traits of the Book of Malachi. The Book of the Prophet Malachi, from the external aspect, has the peculiarity that in it, instead of the ancient poetic-rhetorical manner of expressing ideas, there appears, predominantly, a dialectical exposition. The prophet, ordinarily, sets forth a general proposition, and then puts forward an opposite idea, which gives him occasion to explain thoroughly and substantiate the proposition he has put forward (see Mal 1:2-6). This gives a special liveliness to the speech of the prophet and may be explained by the fact that in the post-captivity period, soon there appeared in Judaism what is called “counter-questioning.” Malachi writes in prose—only rarely are verses encountered. His language is almost perfectly pure, sometimes only slightly colored by Aramaisms. The latter can be explained by the fact that after the captivity, the Jews were subjected, in their language, to the influence of Palestinian (western) Aramaeans, who lived near the rather small Jerusalem colony. Moreover, this West-Aramaic language was the official language of the western half of the Persian kingdom (p. 111).

As for the worldview of the prophet Malachi, as it is reflected in his book, he, like the two other post-captivity prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, attaches primary importance to the newly rebuilt Jerusalem Temple in the life of the chosen people. All the well-being of the people is founded, according to his conviction, on respect for the Temple and reverent performance of worship in it. Accordingly, he sets the strictest demands on the Jewish priesthood. But, on the other hand, Malachi regards pagans quite differently from both the other post-captivity prophets. He hates only the Edomites, these inveterate enemies of the Jewish people, while to other pagan nations he foretells acceptance into the Kingdom of God (Mal 1:11), whereas Haggai and Zechariah depicted the day of the Lord as a destruction of all pagan power (Hag 2:5-9; Zech 1:15). Malachi speaks only of this judgment, that it will concern the Jewish people (Mal 3:13-18). Also noteworthy is the sympathy that Malachi feels for all the weak and wronged, especially for the rejected wives. He is a fierce enemy of divorce (Mal 2:16). Finally, Malachi foretells that God will come to His Temple suddenly and here will execute His judgment over the Jews, and will be preceded by a Forerunner or Angel (Mal 3:1).

The Canonical Authority of the Book of Malachi. The Book of Malachi was undoubtedly included in the canon of sacred books when this canon received its completion, that is, at the end of Nehemiah’s work. This is confirmed to us, for example, by the circumstance that by the 3rd century before Christ there already existed a collection of 12 prophets (see Sir 49:12). Sirach, apparently, also quotes the Book of Malachi when speaking of the prophet Elijah (Sir 48; cf. Mal 4:6). In the New Testament, the book of the prophet is cited repeatedly, as a prophetic and divinely inspired book, well-known to all and recognized as canonical (Matt 11:10; Mark 1:2; Luke 1:17; Rom 9:13).

Commentaries on the Book of Malachi. Among the patristic commentaries on the book of the prophet Malachi, there are commentaries by Ephrem the Syrian, Jerome, Cyril of Alexandria, and Theodoret (all translated into Russian). Russian commentaries belong to Bishop Palladius, Smirnov I. K. (Bishop John), Gretov A. (Book of the Prophet Malachi. An Essay in Critical-Exegetical Study. Moscow, 1889) and Professor P. Tikhomirov (The Prophet Malachi. A Study. Holy Trinity Monastery of Sergius, 1903, p. 596). Commentaries in foreign languages are pointed out in the book of Prof. Tikhomirov. To the books indicated there should be added Moore’s book (on the prophet Malachi, 1903, in Latin) and the third, newly revised edition of Orelli’s commentary: “Minor Prophets,” 1908, in German. (Introductory information in the book was recently provided by Prof. P. Yungerov, “A Particular Historical-Critical Introduction to the Sacred Books of the Old Testament,” issue 2, 1907).

Chapter One

First discourse: complaint of disrespect toward Jehovah. 1–5. God’s special favor toward Israel. 6–14. Disrespect toward Jehovah shown by the priests and the people.

((Mal 1:1-5.) The prophet first of all wishes to awaken in the Israelites the consciousness of how much they are obligated by God’s mercy toward them. For this, he points to the fact that God loved the forefather of the Israeli people, Jacob, in preference to his brother Esau, and continues now to treat the descendants of Jacob with special love, not allowing the descendants of Esau to rise.

Malachi 1:1. The prophetic word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi. “The prophetic word.” The Hebrew word massa standing here denotes a burden, a weight (cf., for example, Isa 13:1). Until the time of the prophet Jeremiah, such a designation of prophetic speech was applied only to words addressed to foreign nations, but after Jeremiah it began to be applied also to words addressed to the Jews. This designation indicates the threatening character of the prophecy that follows. Indeed, Malachi strictly denounces sinful Jews and predicts punishment from God to them (Mal 2:3). “To Israel.” Malachi’s prophecy is directed to those who returned from captivity and were subjects of the Jewish kingdom, but he calls them by the name of “Israel” because the post-captivity Jews called themselves this as the sole representatives of the entire Israelite people (subjects of the Israelite kingdom did not return to Palestine). “Through Malachi,” that is, by means of Malachi.

Malachi 1:2. I have loved you, says the Lord. But you say: “In what way have You shown Your love to us?” Is not Esau the brother of Jacob? says the Lord; yet I have loved Jacob, The prophet proclaims that God has always loved and continues to love Israel. This is a proposition that certainly needs proof. The latter is given further as an answer to the presumed objection against the proposition just put forward. Malachi precisely points to Jacob’s brother—Esau—who by no means experienced from God the favor which Jacob was granted. The names Jacob and Esau here, clearly, denote the two sons of Isaac, about whom in the Book of Genesis there is a well-known prophecy (see Gen 25:23).

Malachi 1:3. but Esau I have hated, and I have made his mountains a desolation, and his heritage a dwelling place for jackals of the wilderness. Here the discourse concerns not Esau as the forefather of the Jews, but the Edomite people descended from Esau. The Lord hated the Edomite people. This expression is an anthropomorphism, which Malachi employed in order to convince his listeners—the Jews—that God indeed loves them. For, in loving the Jews, one could not at the same time avoid hating the Edomites, who always sought to cause the Jews all sorts of evil. God’s hatred for Edom denotes the perpetual wrath of God against this people, which also continued, without ceasing, to do all evil to the chosen Jewish people. “He made his mountains a desolation.” The mountains were the dwelling place of the Edomites (cf. Obad 1:3). To make the mountains desolate means, therefore, to destroy all the dwellings of the Edomites. “The jackals of the wilderness”—see Isa 34:13. Tikhomirov translates this passage thus: “his possessions (made) a desert pasture.” What desolation of Edom the prophet means here cannot be said for certain. Most naturally is the supposition that he is alluding here to the desolations caused to Edom by the Persian kings—Darius Hystaspes, Xerxes, and Artaxerxes, who during their campaigns to Egypt could not avoid Edom and naturally subjected it to desolation each time, while toward the Jews these kings were generally merciful.

Malachi 1:4–5. If Edom says: “We are laid waste, but we will rebuild the ruins,” then the Lord of hosts says: “They may build, but I will tear down, and they shall be called the land of wickedness, and the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.” And your eyes shall see this, and you shall say: “Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!” Not only from the past destruction of Edom is God’s hatred for Edom seen, but the entire subsequent history of Edom—the history of attempts to rise again as an independent state—will clearly prove how decisively God’s terrible determination regarding this hateful people is. Moreover, the prophet says that this hatred was provoked in God by the wickedness of the Edomites. Their wickedness will be clear to all (“they shall call them”). This prophecy was finally fulfilled under the Jewish ruler John Hyrcanus, who defeated the Edomites and forced them to accept circumcision (about 130 years before Christ). “Great is the Lord,” that is, great is the God of the land of Israel. (Mal 1:6-14.) The Jews, instead of paying the Lord proper honor for His love toward them, offend Him. The priests allow blind and lame animals, impure bread to be offered in sacrifice. The prophet, for this, proclaims to the priests God’s wrath and predicts the loss of their exclusive right to be the servants of the true God. He proclaims a curse also to the common Israelites, who offer God unsuitable animals, keeping the good livestock for themselves.

Malachi 1:6. A son honors his father, and a servant his master; if I am a Father, where is the honor due to Me? and if I am a Master, where is the fear of Me? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise My name. You say: “How have we despised Your name?” So, Jehovah loves Israel. But Israel does not love Him, though He is the Father of Israel (see Exod 4:22; Hos 11:1; Jer 31:9): this is a matter of direct unnaturalness, because it is natural for every son to love his father. At least Israel should fear Jehovah as his Master (Isa 41:8). But Israel shows no fear before Jehovah. In this case, the priests are chiefly to blame: they despise the name of Jehovah, whereas they ought to have been the example of reverence before Jehovah. The priests cannot calmly hear such accusation: whoever despised or blasphemed Jehovah was, according to the law, subject to capital punishment (Lev 24:10-16). Therefore, they hastily declare that the prophet is mistaken: how can it be said that they despise the name of Jehovah?

Malachi 1:7. You offer defiled food upon My altar, and you say: “How have we defiled You?” By saying: “The table of the Lord is contemptible.” The prophet answers the priests’ question by pointing out that they allow themselves to offer upon the altar—that is, for burning upon the altar—any kind, even leavened offering (Cyril of Alexandria), or they burn upon the altar all sorts of defective sacrifices (the word “bread” sometimes denotes any sacrifice, cf. Lev 21:6; Num 28:2). Yes, the priests sometimes even say directly that Jehovah’s altar is not worthy of special respect. These words of the prophet are better understood in a figurative sense, for it is hardly likely that the priests could speak thus of the altar, from which they themselves lived. The prophet apparently wishes to say: “By treating so carelessly the reception of animals offered in sacrifice by the people, you, O priests, thereby as it were openly invite the people also to a careless attitude in the matter of sacrifice.”

Malachi 1:8. And when you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is it not evil? Or when you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Try offering it to your governor; will he be pleased with you or accept you favorably? says the Lord of hosts. The prophet explains here what he means by “defiled bread”: these are blind, lame, and sick animals, with which one cannot appear even before a provincial official—in all probability, some Persian official—when one has to turn to him with a request. In the East, from ancient times, there has been established a custom of bringing gifts to rulers and judges, and the Jews could not help but submit to this custom, though their own judges the law forbade to accept gifts (Exod 23:8). Where did the post-captivity Jews get the custom of bringing such unlawful sacrifices? It is very possible that, at first, the offerers actually did not have better animals, and the priests decided to accept even such, in order not to offend the offerer, who in any case wished to express his devotion to Jehovah. But then, gradually, this became a habit, and the priests began to accept inferior animals even when they knew the offerer had good livestock. They became convinced: “Jehovah will pay no attention to this, because He did not punish it before!”

Malachi 1:9. So then, pray to God that He may have pity on us. But when such comes from your hands, will He receive you with favor? says the Lord of hosts. The Russian translation here contains a call to prayer and repentance. But it is more natural to see here a continuation of the denunciation begun in verse 8. The prophet ironically suggests to the priests to try to appease God with such unsuitable gifts. “No,” says the prophet, “it is hardly likely that God will receive you with such gifts.” “Says the Lord of hosts.” The prophet adds these words in order to show that the denunciation he has spoken is said by the command of Jehovah. In calling Jehovah, in this case, Jehovah of hosts, the prophet wishes to denote the seriousness of the priests’ transgression, who dare to treat with such negligence the service of the Almighty King of the universe.

Malachi 1:10. Would that one of you would shut the doors, so that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hands. God says that in such a case, it would be better than offering sacrifices displeasing to God, if one of the priests would shut the gates leading from the outer court to the inner court, on which stood the altar of burnt offering. Let the fire not burn uselessly on this altar—let no sacrifice burn on it (cf. Isa 1:11). The offering of the priests, both bloodless and blood sacrifices, brought by their hands, is displeasing to Jehovah (cf. Gen 4:3-5).

Malachi 1:11. For from the rising of the sun to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to My name, and a pure offering; for My name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. How great is the transgression of the priests who, by their contempt for sacrifices, defile the holiness of God’s name, is evident from the fact that in time, this name will be exalted (great will be) from the east to the west, that is, throughout all the earth (Zech 8:7), among all the (pagan) peoples. Everywhere will be offered incense, that is, the burning of all kinds of offerings (incense is an imprecise expression) in honor of God’s name, and among all peoples pure sacrifices will be brought to God, not such as the Jewish priests now bring. In agreement with the majority of the Church Fathers, we see here a prediction of the establishment of true worship in the Church of Christ and true divine service. Besides, many Fathers and teachers of the Church saw here a prophecy of the establishment of the mystery of the Eucharist.

Malachi 1:12. But you profane it by saying: “The table of the Lord is defiled, and its fruit, the food, is contemptible.” The prophet adds to his former denunciation of the priests that they themselves (to themselves) say that the table of the Lord, that is, the altar, is already desecrated (thus should these words of the priests be translated, instead of the Russian: “is not worthy of respect”), and they themselves unwillingly partake of the portions remaining to them from the sacrifices.

Malachi 1:13. And you say: “Behold, what a weariness this is!” and you sniff at it, says the Lord of hosts, and you bring what is stolen, and the lame, and the sick; thus you bring the grain offering. Should I accept this from your hand? says the Lord. The Russian translation here accurately conveys the meaning of the Masoretic text. The priests say that it is burdensome for them to choose which animal is suitable for sacrifice, which is not (“Behold, what a weariness!”). But a more correct sense is contained in the Septuagint text: “and this from grievous suffering.” According to this text, here is contained an excuse that the priests invented when the prophet reproached them for bringing blind and lame animals to be sacrificed to God. They said that this was permitted by them only because of the difficult circumstances in which the offerers found themselves. Tikhomirov, recognizing the Slavic reading (according to the Septuagint) as correct, translates the entire verse thus: “and you say, ‘this is done from difficult circumstances.’ And you despise Me,” says Jehovah of hosts: “you bring stolen, lame, and sick—and you bring an offering. Will I receive it from your hands?” says Jehovah.

Malachi 1:14. Cursed be the cheat, who has in his flock a male, and vows, but sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, and My name is feared among the nations. Now the prophet denounces the common Israelites for contempt of Jehovah’s altar. It turns out that the offerers had good animals, indeed, male animals (males were preferred to females), and yet the Jews kept such animals for themselves, bringing defective animals in sacrifice. “I am a great King”—a repetition of the thought from verse 11. The prophet attaches such importance to the outward order in sacrifice, of course, because the lack of attention to this order, established by law, testified to a lack of inward fear of God in the Jewish society of that time. Remarkable in this is that the prophet predicts the greatest revolution in worship. Formerly only Jerusalem was considered the lawful place for the performance of worship, and the line of Aaron—the lawful performer of worship. Now, however, the prophet foresees the possibility of offering a true pure sacrifice to God in every place, not only in Jerusalem. In connection with this is, of course, the abolition of the order by which only priests of the line of Aaron could bring sacrifices. Sacrifices will, in time, be brought, clearly, not only by the descendants of Aaron, but also by other persons, from different tribes and nations (verse 11). Is it not clear that Malachi is the harbinger of the destruction of national and local boundaries of true worship, about which the Lord Jesus Christ proclaimed with complete clarity (John 4:23-24)?

Chapter Two

Second discourse: treachery of priests and people. 1–9. Levi formerly and now. 10–16. Violation of the covenants of the fathers regarding marriage bonds and divorces.

(Mal 2:1-9.) If in the first discourse the prophet chiefly denounced the priests for their negligence in relation to worship, then here he directly threatens the curse of God upon the entire sacred Levitical class for the fact that it dishonors the name of Jehovah, instead of, as did the ancestors of the present priests, teaching the people to honor this great name. Since the priests, by allowing violations of the orders of worship, sought popularity among the people, God proclaims to them that the result which will arise from such actions will be completely opposite to what the priests expected: they will be subjected to complete contempt from the people.

Malachi 2:1–2. And now, O priests, this command is for you: if you will not listen, and if you do not lay it to heart to give glory to My name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; yes, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. The Lord gives the priests, in view of their negligent attitude toward their duties, a command—that is, a determination or decision of the following content: either they must reform themselves, or, on the contrary, accept punishment from God. The punishment itself will consist in the curse that God will send upon them. In Holy Scripture, curse is understood as various misfortunes (cf. Deut 28:20). Moreover, God will curse even the blessings of the priests. Thus, through their blessings, they will bring upon the blessed only misfortunes and troubles (on priestly blessing, see Num 6:23-27). Already now the Lord is acting thus with the priests’ blessings.

Malachi 2:3. Behold, I will rebuke your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, the dung of your festival offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. The Russian text here follows the translation of the Seventy: “Behold, I will take away from you the shoulder.” The Seventy, according to the interpretation of Jerome, understood here the shoulder of the sacrificial animal, which, according to the law, was to be given to the priest offering the sacrifice. Some modern translators see here the designation of the priest’s shoulder or muscle, from which God Himself will cut this muscle, thereby depriving the priest of the ability to perform sacrifice. According to the Masoretic text, instead of the word “shoulder,” here is read the word “seed.” The meaning of the Masoretic reading is that God will strike the priests by depriving them of the power to bear children. The dung, which lay in masses on the ground where the animals destined for sacrifice in the festivals stood, God will throw upon the faces of the priests, and they will be carried off to throw together with this dung on the refuse heap.

Malachi 2:4. And you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant with Levi might stand, says the Lord of hosts. The Russian translation does not quite accurately convey the meaning. A better reading is this: “and you shall know that I have sent you this commandment, that it may be a covenant of Mine with Levi” (Orelli, Tikhomirov, and others). When the curses that God has just spoken fall upon the priests, they will then know, that is, understand, that Jehovah has indeed decided that instead of blessings, He will send them all kinds of misfortunes—this will be, as it were, a covenant of His with the priests, that is, an exact and immutable agreement. “Levi”—the whole tribe of Levi, in which the priests, descendants of Aaron, formed the best part.

Malachi 2:5. My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave him the priesthood in reverence, and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name. Formerly Jehovah dealt with the tribe of Levi and, in particular, with the priests, otherwise. He sent Levi life and peace, or, in other words, a peaceful, happy life, and Levi, for his part, repaid Jehovah with boundless reverence (fear).

Malachi 2:6. The law of truth was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many away from iniquity. Formerly, the law of truth was constantly in the mouth of Levi. This means that the priests in their demands addressed to those offering sacrifices were guided only by the precepts of the Mosaic Law, not deviating from them by an iota. That falsehood, those unjustifiable excuses which the priests have now invented to justify those bringing unsuitable sacrifices, in those distant times were not yet spoken by the servants of the altar. Levi walked, that is, lived peacefully, because he lived in righteousness, as the law of Jehovah required. He turned many from sin—he did not act as the present priests, who by their excessive indulgence lead many to the thought of deceiving God by bringing a defective animal instead of a spotless one (cf. Mal 1:14).

Malachi 2:7. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and they seek the law from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. Here it is explained why Levi should have had a beneficial influence on ordinary Israelites. He possesses knowledge of the Law—of course, chiefly in its precepts concerning worship. He is a messenger announcing to people the will of God contained in the Law of Moses, just as the prophet announces to people the will of God which has been revealed to him personally. From whom, then, will the people learn, if not from the priest?

Malachi 2:8–9. But you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble in the law; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts. Therefore I have made you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you have not kept My ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law. The present-day priests, instead of teaching the people the true understanding and fulfillment of the Mosaic Law, mislead it by various excuses (see Mal 1:13). In this way, they have broken the covenant of Levi with God (see verse 5), and God, instead of being well-pleased with them, will deprive them of all authority in the eyes of the people: the people will cease to turn to them for instruction. “You show partiality in matters of the law.” Here the prophet points to another vice of the priests—their partiality in the judgment of judicial cases, in which the priests took part according to the law (cf. Deut 19:17). (Mal 2:10-16.) In the second part of the second discourse, the prophet denounces the Jews, first, because they enter into marriages with pagan women, and, second, because of their inclination to dissolve their marriage bonds, which they have concluded with their own countrywomen.

Malachi 2:10. Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? The prophet reminds the Jews that all of them have one Father—God (cf. Mal 1:6), and all, therefore, are brothers to one another. It is not proper for brothers to act treacherously and faithlessly toward each other. They should support one another and together fulfill the “covenant of the fathers,” that is, the Law of Moses given to the fathers. If some keep this law exactly and others do not follow it, then they will completely destroy the unity of the nation.

Malachi 2:11. Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. An example of such a violation of the law is the marriage of Jews to pagan women, strictly forbidden in the law (Exod 34:11-16). Israel—this is not the Israelite kingdom, which by this time no longer existed, but designates the Jewish people in general, as it was represented by the Jerusalem community. “The sanctuary of the Lord”—that is, the “covenant of the fathers” of which was spoken above (verse 10). “Daughter of a foreign god.” Since the Jews were sons of Jehovah, pagan women appear to the prophet as daughters also of a god, but a different, non-Jewish god (cf. Deut 32:19; Num 21:29).

Malachi 2:12. May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob anyone who does this—any to witness or answer, or to bring an offering to the Lord of hosts. God will cut off from the tents, or from the house of Jacob, all inhabitants of such violators of the law, who are in a state to speak (those watching on guard and answering—this is one and the same person, “a living man,” as was said in ancient Russia). Especially is there mention of the one who brings an offering to the Lord, that is, the priest. And the priests, as is known, were guilty of such violation of the law (Ezra 10:18-19).

Malachi 2:13. And this you do as well: You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. As is evident from the following verse, the prophet here has in mind the faithless behavior of Jewish husbands toward their wives. Husbands reject their wives, and these go to make their complaints at the altar of Jehovah, complaining about the wrong done to them to Jehovah. Jehovah, for His part, punishes the faithless husbands by ceasing to accept their sacrifices.

Malachi 2:14. But you say: “Why is it?” Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your lawful wife. The Lord is angry at such husbands especially because He was a witness to the oaths that were taken by the spouses. This may mean either that marriages were concluded before the invisibly present Jehovah (cf. Gen 31:50), or that originally God established monogamy, creating for Adam only one wife, thereby showing that he should never separate from her (Gen 2:24). “The wife of your youth”—that is, you lived with her through the best time of life—youth, and therefore you should always love and pity her.

Malachi 2:15. Has not the one God made and sustained for us the spirit of life? And what does the one God desire? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. The first question belongs to the Jews accused of violating the law. They point out to the prophet the “one,” that is, Abraham, who also, valuing only his offspring, which he saw in Isaac, cast out his concubine Hagar with his son Ishmael. And yet Abraham was a man of outstanding moral qualities (had an excellent spirit!). To this question, the prophet also answers with a question: what did this “one” do? He acted thus not from any personal selfish calculations and was not guided by carnal attraction, but desired to obtain, or more correctly, to keep with him Isaac, to whom Ishmael was beginning to become dangerous (Gen 21:9). Therefore, the Jews should guard themselves from God’s wrath (“guard yourselves in your spirit,” that is, your life) and should not divorce their wives.

Malachi 2:16. For the man who hates and divorces, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So take heed to yourselves and do not be faithless. The Russian translation of this verse is obscure. In Tikhomirov’s version, the translation is as follows: “for I hate divorce, says Jehovah, God of Israel, and the one who covers himself with injustice, says Jehovah of hosts. Therefore, guard yourselves in your spirit and do not be faithless.” The meaning of this translation is quite clear. God cannot approve of divorce, because the one who divorces commits a manifest sin (as if he clothes himself entirely with injustice). Noteworthy is the strictness of the prophet Malachi in resolving the question of mixed marriages and divorce. The Law of Moses forbade marriages only with Canaanite women (Exod 34:16; Deut 7:3), while Malachi forbids marriages with women of other nations in general. In this he agrees with Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra 9:2; Nehem 13:23). The new, post-captivity Jewish community, naturally, had to guard more strictly its theocratic isolation, lest it dissolve into paganism. Similarly, Malachi also strengthens the prohibition of the Mosaic Law regarding divorces. Moses permitted divorce under certain conditions (Deut 24:1), but Malachi completely denies the right to divorce, approaching, in this case, the commandment of Christ (Matt 19:8-9).

Malachi 2:17. You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say: “How have we wearied Him?” By saying: “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them,” or by asking: “Where is the God of justice?” Here is contained the introduction to the third discourse which follows. Seeing the prosperity of people who were not constrained by the requirements of morality—perhaps some wealthy Jews—the Jews began to say that God is pleased with the wicked, that divine justice is a pure fiction. By this they angered God—more precisely, wearied God, irritating Him to manifest His justice. * * * Notes In the temple of Zerubbabel there was not yet a special court for women

Chapter Three

Third discourse: The day of the Lord. 1–12. The cleansing action of God’s judgment. 13–18. God’s justice indeed exists.

(Mal 3:1-12.) In response to the Jews’ declared wish to see God’s righteous judgment, the prophet proclaims that Jehovah, as the Messenger of the Covenant, will first appear for judgment over the descendants of Levi, in order to cleanse them from their unrighteousness, and then will execute His judgment also over all Jews, who now offend Jehovah through self-interest in the choice of sacrificial animals and concealment of the tithes and offerings due to the Temple. Let the Jews reform—only then can they count on the mercies of God.

Malachi 3:1. Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple, the Messenger of the Covenant whom you desire; behold, He comes, says the Lord of hosts. To the question posed in verse 17 of chapter 2—does God’s justice actually exist—the prophet says that this justice exists, and soon Jehovah will appear, whom the Jews so long to see as a judge of the wicked. “Behold, I send”—more accurately: “Behold, I am sending.” In the Hebrew text, a present-tense participle is placed here in connection with the particle “behold,” and such a connection is especially often used to denote future events that are to come sooner or later. Therefore, in the present case, instead of “I send,” it is better to read “I will send.” I—as is evident from the last words of the verse—is the Lord of hosts Himself. “My messenger.” The Hebrew word “Malachi” here can mean both one of the bodiless spirits sent to fulfill the commands of Jehovah on earth, and a simple person, authorized by Jehovah, to proclaim His will to people. But the Lord Jesus Christ refers this designation to His Forerunner, John the Baptist (Matt 11:10). The Evangelists likewise interpret this designation (Mark 1:2-4). Therefore, to avoid misunderstanding, and especially in view of the fact that in the second half of the verse there is again mention of an “Angel,” which clearly refers not to a simple mortal, in the present case, instead of the expression “My messenger,” it is better to place the expression: “My herald.” What the “herald” meant to the listeners of the prophet—this question is not especially significant. It can only be said—on the basis of verse 5 of chapter 4—that they could have seen here a prediction of the coming of the prophet Elijah. For us, it is important that all the interpreters of the ancient Christian Church saw here, in accordance with the Gospel, a prediction of the coming of John the Forerunner. The analysis of the opinions of the newer Western interpreters is found in Tikhomirov, pp. 422–431. “And he will prepare the way before Me,” that is, through his preaching, he will make it so that the Jews will be morally able—to accept the Lord. The image itself is borrowed from the customs observed at royal arrivals in Persia. Special heralds announced the arrival of the king in one or another province so that the inhabitants could receive him worthily. “And suddenly,” that is, the activity of the herald will not prepare everyone for the acceptance of the Lord-Judge, and for many this coming will be completely unexpected. “In His temple”—as in His palace (Joel 3:5; Jer 7:4). God was King of Israel (Mal 1:14). “The Lord”—in Hebrew, Ha-Adon—without doubt, Jehovah Himself. “Whom you seek”—an allusion to the objection of the Jews against the existence of the Righteous Recompenser, see Mal 2:17. Perhaps in these words there is also an allusion to the fact that the Jews of Malachi’s time were not satisfied with the fact that in the newly built temple there was no cloud, that visible sign of the presence of Jehovah, nor was there the ark of the covenant, on which Jehovah mysteriously dwelt. It might have seemed to them that Jehovah did not live among His people (Tikhomirov, p. 436). “The Messenger of the Covenant.” Since a “herald” or Forerunner must precede this person, it is clear that here is meant some higher person, not a simple messenger of God. Who, then, is meant here? Most probably is the supposition that the expression “Messenger of the Covenant” is the same as the often-used expression in the Old Testament “Messenger of Jehovah.” As the newer exegetes understand “Messenger of Jehovah” to be Jehovah Himself, only not in His essence, but in His manifestation and activity among the chosen people (Tikhomirov), so also should “Messenger of the Covenant” be understood as Jehovah as well, inasmuch as He will appear as standing, in virtue of the covenant formerly concluded with the Jews, in special relations to the Jewish people. The Jews demanded that Jehovah reward them for their patience, as was promised in the covenant concluded at Sinai (Exod 24:7). Jehovah, therefore, will soon come to do this, to act with the Jews as the covenant requires. They should expect Him precisely as a Messenger or executor of the covenant, in which were indicated both the promises of Jehovah and the obligations of Israel. But it is nevertheless certain that Jehovah distinguishes from Himself the “Messenger of the Covenant” as a separate Person: He is the sender, the Messenger of the Covenant is the sent, though acting as Jehovah with all His rights and power. Therefore, the last words of the prophecy, “Behold, He comes,” cannot be understood only as a peculiar mode of expression, where the speaker speaks of himself in the third person (and in Malachi’s case, for example, God says, “Pray to God”—Mal 1:9), but, in accordance with the Gospel, should be regarded as a designation of the Son of God, Who, in virtue of His unity of essence with God the Father (John 10:30), appears here as Jehovah and Messenger of the Covenant.

Malachi 3:2–4. And who can endure the day of His coming, and who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap, and He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, that they may present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord, as in the days of old and as in former years. The Jews thought that the appearance of Jehovah for judgment would bring them only benefit, but in fact, it is doubtful that many among them would be found who could endure the trial awaiting them, like other peoples, in God’s judgment. “Fire for refining”—cf. Isa 1:25. “Fuller’s soap for cleansing”—cf. Jer 2:22. “The sons of Levi.” The cleansing, first of all, will be performed on the descendants of Levi, in particular, the priests, because with Levi there was a special covenant with Jehovah (Mal 2:5). “Offerings… in righteousness,” that is, as prescribed by the law. “The ancient days”—these are, for example, the happy times of David, who cared for the proper performance of worship.

Malachi 3:5. Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear Me, says the Lord of hosts. As for the common Jews, God will also judge them for various transgressions against the Law of Moses. God will be the one who exposes or, more precisely, bears witness against the Jews at this judgment. He will judge—He will also confirm the guilt of the accused, as the All-Knowing One. Thus, the judicial process will be conducted quickly (swift in bearing witness). On the criminality of sorcery, see Lev 20:27; adultery—Lev 20:10; false oaths—Exod 20:7; oppression of hired workers—Lev 19:13; oppression of widows and orphans and sojourners—Deut 24:17.

Malachi 3:6. For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, have not perished. The Lord is always faithful to His promises. Therefore, the Jews, whose ancestors the Lord promised to preserve their offspring, continue to exist, even though they have long deserved destruction for the offenses they cause to the Lord (Tikhomirov, somewhat correcting the Hebrew text, translates: “but you, sons of Jacob, do not depart from the unrighteousness of your fathers”).

Malachi 3:7–8. From the days of your ancestors you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say: “How shall we return?” Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say: “How are we robbing You?” In the tithes and the offerings. The Lord calls the Jews to reform, to repent, but they do not wish to understand their guilt before Him and are surprised at this invitation: after all, they are not guilty before God in anything! Then God directly declares their guilt: they rob or, more accurately, cheat God with regard to the tithe and the offering. On the tithe—see Lev 27:30; Num 18:20; Deut 14:22. On the offering—Ezek 44:30, as well as on both—Nehem 10:38-39.

Malachi 3:9. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me—the whole nation of you! The Jews have brought upon themselves a curse, laid down in the law, against those who violate the ordinances regarding the tithe and the offering.

Malachi 3:10. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and thus put Me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. This curse apparently manifests itself in drought, from which the crops in the land of Judah perish. It is necessary, therefore, to quickly correct this transgression before Jehovah and deliver in the storehouse—that is, into the storerooms of the Temple (Nehem 10:37-38)—the whole tithe, in its complete form, without leaving any of it in their own homes, as apparently was being done then. The Lord will then send rain on the dried-up land.

Malachi 3:11–12. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the produce of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear fruit, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you happy, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. Still troubling the Jews at that time was the locust (the devourer). And from this plague the Lord will deliver the Jews if they are diligent in bringing the tithe. In general, the Jews will enjoy the mercies of Jehovah, and even other nations will envy them. (Mal 3:13-18.) In contrast to the bold objections to divine justice, the prophet speaks of how the pious people think of God’s relation to the righteous and sinners. At this, God proclaims that soon the day of visible retribution for sins and virtues will come.

Malachi 3:13–15. You have spoken harsh words against Me, says the Lord. Yet you say: “What have we spoken against You?” You have said: “It is futile to serve God, and what do we profit by keeping His charge and walking about in mournful dress before the Lord of hosts? Now we count the arrogant happy; those who do wickedness are built up, and even when they put God to the test, they escape.” The prophet again turns to the objection which the Jews made against divine justice (Mal 2:17). Like the contemporaries of the prophet Zechariah (Zech 7:3), they murmured that serving God and walking in black garments (a sign of fasting, which in this case apparently was taken on voluntarily) brings no benefit. Better would it be already to act like the arrogant or those who pay no attention to the demands of the law of God, who continue to enjoy life in spite of the fact that their deeds tempt God, that is, appear to provoke His wrath to be revealed against them. Who are these arrogant—Jews or pagans? Most likely, some few Jews, since pagans were not obligated to observe the ordinances of the law of Jehovah at all.

Malachi 3:16–18. Then those who revered the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and listened, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who revered the Lord and thought on His name. “They shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, My own possession on the day when I act, and I will spare them as parents spare their children who serve them.” Then once more you shall distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. In contrast to such bold reasonings, the prophet now brings the conversations which pious people have with one another. These latter are fully convinced that the Lord listens and hears (the word “this” is superfluous). He sits, as a king, before whom are written, by his dictation, the deeds of those who have pleased him, in a special book of remembrance (cf. Esth 6:1). The Lord will make such people His own possession, His dear patrimony (Exod 19:5), on the day of His judgment over people. They will be beloved sons to Him, fulfilling His will. Then people who speak bold words will, like their distant ancestors, see that in the eyes of the Lord there is a difference between the righteous and the wicked!

Chapter Four

Conclusion of the Third Discourse: 1–3. Future punishment of the wicked and reward of the righteous. 4–6. Elijah the prophet as the Forerunner of the day of the Lord.

(Mal 4:1-3.) The wicked—concludes the prophet his discourse, begun in the preceding chapter—will be destroyed on the day of God’s judgment, while the righteous will receive a reward and will rejoice.

Malachi 4:1. For behold, the day comes, burning like an oven; then all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes will burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. The wicked will not always prosper. With the coming of the day of the Lord—that is, the day of God’s judgment—they will disappear like stubble quickly disappearing when thrown into a red-hot oven (cf. Isa 5:24); nothing will remain of them, neither root nor branches (the root is they themselves, the branches are their children).

Malachi 4:2. But for you who revere My name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. For the pious, the sun of righteousness, which does not always shine now, will rise—that is, they will receive a reward corresponding to their merits before God, or, in other words, salvation (cf. Isa 45:8). They will play about, like calves that have been in stalls for a long time and are let out to run.

Malachi 4:3. and you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. To trample the wicked underfoot was a reward for the Old Testament righteous, who in this way became instruments of God’s wrath. Cf. Mic 4:13. Tikhomirov, however, explains this expression in the sense that the wicked will be harmless to the righteous. (Mal 4:4-6.) Since, with the general, almost, unfaithfulness of the Jewish people to Jehovah, the future judgment of God must be extremely destructive for this people, the Lord, out of pity for it, will send before the coming of the judgment a special prophet, something like Elijah, who must prepare the way for Him and level the abyss separating the most holy God-Judge from the sinful people, and also reconcile the Jews to one another. (Mal 4:4.) “Remember the law of Moses My servant, which I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and the ordinances.” Having said what terrible punishment awaits the wicked, the prophet points out the means by which this punishment may be avoided. One must keep the Law of Moses. In this is shown the entire worldview of the post-captivity Judaism, which placed all its strength in the observance of the Law of Moses. Concerning Horeb, as the mountain of legislation, Malachi speaks in agreement with the indication of the Book of Deuteronomy (Deut 4:1-15).

Malachi 4:5. Behold, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. To bring the Jews to obedience to the Law, the Lord will send a special exhorter, or herald, as has already been said in verse 1 of chapter 3. But whom did the prophet Malachi mean by this exhorter—the prophet Elijah? The Jews saw here a prediction of the actual coming of the famous prophet Elijah known from the history of the Old Testament, who was to appear again on earth and specifically to the Jews, before the coming of the Messiah (see Matt 17:10-11; John 1:21). This Jewish belief was reflected in the translation of the verse under consideration by the Seventy, who instead of the phrase “the prophet Elijah” placed “Elijah the Tishbite,” that is, the well-known prophet Elijah, a native of Tishbe. According to the interpretation of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and the Evangelists, under Elijah here we should understand, first of all, John the Forerunner (see Matt 17:10-13; Luke 1:17), that is, therefore, Elijah in a figurative sense of the word, a prophet in the spirit and power of Elijah. Finally, according to the interpretation, almost universal, of the Fathers and teachers of the Church, here, besides the indication of John the Forerunner, who was the forerunner of the first coming of Christ, there is also an indication of the actual coming of the famous prophet Elijah, who shall appear on earth before the second coming of Christ (Chrysostom, Theodoret, and others). Since this “Elijah the prophet” must appear before the “day of the Lord, great and terrible,” it is clear that he should be identified with the “Angel” or herald who will also appear before God’s judgment, and about whom it is said in verse 1 of chapter 3, where it is undoubtedly a matter of John the Forerunner. Therefore, from an exegetical point of view, it is more correct to acknowledge that interpretation which was given to this place in the early times of Christianity (besides the Gospel writers, St. Justin Philosopher also referred this passage to John the Baptist). Yes, here the prophet means a prophet in the spirit and power of Elijah, that is, John the Baptist, and calls him Elijah in the same sense in which Jeremiah called the future ruler of Israel “David” (Jer 30:9; cf. Ezek 34:23). And the Fathers and teachers of the Church themselves did not reject such an explanation. But, at the same time, there are no obstacles to accepting also their interpretation, by which here may be found a prediction of the personal appearance of Elijah before the second coming of Christ. As with regard to all messianic prophecies, here one can apply that method of explanation by which almost every prophecy can be explained in relation both to the nearest events and to the events which must come to pass at the end of times. When, however, comparing this passage with Rev 11:3-13, the Fathers of the Church had even more grounds for interpreting Malachi’s prophecy about the prophet Elijah as relating not only to John the Forerunner, but also to the actual prophet Elijah.

Malachi 4:6. and he will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse. The activity of the prophet who will appear before the coming of the Messiah will consist in turning the hearts of fathers to their sons and vice versa. Here it is most natural to see an allusion to the disagreement existing between the old and young generation of the post-captivity Judaism. Apparently, the older generation disapprovingly regarded the actions of the younger (perhaps the conclusion of marriages with pagan women, cf. Mal 2:11), and that insisted on the correctness of its views. From this the Jewish community weakened in its strength, and God calls upon, or will call upon through the prophet who is to come, the Jews to reconciliation among themselves. The prophecy of Malachi (Mal 3:1-8 and Mal 4:5-6) is read as a reading on the feast days of St. John the Forerunner (February 24, May 25, and August 29), from which it is clear that the Orthodox Church sees here a prediction of the activity of John the Forerunner.

The First Book of Maccabees

Introduction

On the First Book of Maccabees

The orderly chronological flow of the sacred canon, and the more or less connected, historically sequential content of its books—after the books of Nehemiah and the prophet Malachi—is suddenly interrupted by a significant gap of several centuries (440–175 BC), which found no worthy commemoration in the sacred books. From 175 onward, the Books of Maccabees resume the narrative of events of a sacred character for Old Testament humanity and carry it through to 135 BC, after which the Old Testament canon again breaks off entirely, yielding to the sacred books of the New Testament canon, which begins with the Gospel accounts of the Savior’s birth.

The Maccabean books derive their name from the epithet initially given to the third son of the priest Mattathias—Judas—Maccabeus, meaning “hammer”¹, on account of his outstanding heroism and successes in the struggle against the enemies of the Jews (1 Macc 2:4 — Ιούδας ό επικαλούμενος Μακκαβαιος; cf. Ιούδας Μακκαβαιος — 1 Macc 2:66 and others. In the Second Book of Maccabees in many places (2 Macc 8:5) simply ό Μακκοβαιος, and even Μακκαβαίος alone — 2 Macc 10:1, as also found in 1 Macc 5:34).—From this epithet of Judas, the entire family of Judas’s brothers came to bear the name “the Maccabees,” and the movement they provoked and led became known as the struggle or era “of the Maccabees.”

Under the name “Maccabean” the Bible contains three books, recognized as non-canonical.

The First Book of Maccabees, having briefly recounted the circumstances of Antiochus Epiphanes’ accession to the Syrian throne, narrates the severe persecutions of this godless man against the Jewish people who remained faithful to God, and the heroic struggle for faith and freedom of the entire Maccabean family in succession, beginning with Mattathias, the founder of this line, and ending with Simon—that is, from 175 to 135 BC (Mattathias, 1 Macc 1-2; Judas, 1 Macc 3:1-9:22; Jonathan, 1 Macc 9:23-12:53; Simon, 1 Macc 13-16).

According to the testimony of Origen and Jerome, this book was originally written in the Hebrew language. The testimony of the former (in Eusebius, Hist. eccles. VI, 25) reads: έξω τούτων (i.e., apart from these canonical books of the Old Testament) έστ i τα Μακκαβαικα², απερ έπιγέγραπται Σαρβήθ Σορβανέ έλ—(Heb. …, i.e., “dominion,” or “History of the princes of the sons of God”).—Jerome in his testimony (prolog. galeat.) lists among the books not belonging to the canon only two Maccabean books, and adds: Machabeorum primum librum hebraicum reperi; secundus graecus est, quod ex ipsa quoque phrasi probari potest.—Both books are already found in the Itala codex, and from it passed into the Vulgate, so that Jerome did not translate them anew.

The date of the book’s composition. The date of the book’s composition can be approximately indicated as toward the end of the life of the high priest John, Simon’s successor. This follows from a note by the author himself at the end of the book, where, having reached the history of John, he refers the reader to the book of the days of his high priesthood, making no mention of his death, but enumerating—“and his wars and his brave deeds, which he performed gloriously, and the building of the walls which he built, and his other deeds… from the time when he became high priest after his father”—(1 Macc 16:23-24).

The translation of the Hebrew original into Greek was undoubtedly made very soon after the appearance of the original. Having been made with considerable freedom from the original and apparently by an equally authoritative figure, this translation displaced even the original, taking its place in the Greek canon. Josephus, the well-known Jewish historian, used exclusively the translated text for his classical work.

The author of the book (as also the translator) is not precisely known. He was probably a Palestinian Jew closely acquainted with the persons and events he describes, who was able in writing the book to draw not only on personal impressions and recollections but also on official documents of the time. This very fact places the authenticity and historical reliability of the described events beyond all doubt, all the more so because the same events are narrated in complete agreement by other Syriac and Greek historians (especially Polybius), who present the events of the reigns of the Syrian kings.

* * *

The Books of Maccabees were translated from the Greek, because there is no Hebrew text of them.

The same as the German “Martell.”

Although the expression τά Μακκαβαικά seemingly implies several books, nevertheless the Hebrew title of the book cited further leaves no room for doubt.

Chapter One

A brief account of events from Nehemiah to the accession of Antiochus Epiphanes (1 Macc 1:1-10). The apostasy of certain sons of Israel in deference to Hellenistic customs (1 Macc 1:11-15). The successful war of Antiochus Epiphanes against Egypt (1 Macc 1:16-19). The plundering of Jerusalem and the Temple by Antiochus, and the grief of the Jews on this account (1 Macc 1:20-28). The renewed destruction of Jerusalem and its conversion into a pagan fortress (1 Macc 1:29-40). Antiochus’s edict to his entire kingdom demanding that all profess one (Hellenic) faith and follow one set of (Hellenic) customs (1 Macc 1:41-51). Severe measures to enforce the edict, persecution and torment of the Israelites (1 Macc 1:52-61). The steadfastness and unwavering resolve of many of them (1 Macc 1:62-64).

1 Maccabees 1:1. After Alexander, son of Philip, the Macedonian, who came out of the land of Kittim, had struck down Darius, king of the Persians and Indians, and reigned in his place, having first reigned over Greece — The first nine verses of the book constitute a kind of “introduction” to the history of Antiochus Epiphanes and at the same time an attempt to connect the events of the preceding biblical book (Nehemiah) with subsequent events covering the entire period of the gap in the biblical narrative, from 440 to 175 BC. As such an attempt, this section is not entirely satisfying for the reader: first, it is very brief and too summary; second, it also suffers from historical inaccuracy, mentioning some kind of division by Alexander of his state among his friends, which he did not actually carry out. The narrative begins with the words—καί έγένετο—“and it came to pass”—the customary opening formula in Hebrew historical narratives.—“Alexander, son of Philip, the Macedonian…” Alexander the Great of Macedon, born 356, died 323 BC, founder of the Macedonian monarchy, whose power Daniel had prophesied (Dan 8:21), foretelling also the breakup of his kingdom into four parts “not with his power” and “not to his descendants.” “From the land of Kittim…”—cf. Jer 2:10 and Ezek 27:6 — “the islands of Kittim”—a designation for a region comprising a group of islands and a coastal strip in the western part of the Mediterranean, and specifically the Aegean, Sea (the present-day Archipelago); Macedonia is also included in this region, otherwise called Κιτιεις (1 Macc 8:5; cf. γή Κιτιαίων, Isa 23:1; Num 24:24 and Κίτιοι, Dan 11:30).—Darius—Δαρείος—the last king of the Persian Empire, Darius III, Codomannus, who reigned 336–331 BC.—King of the Persians and Indians (1 Macc 14:2)—the title of the Persian king from the time of the unification of Media and Persia into one monarchy under Cyrus (cf. Esth 1:14-19; Dan 5:28).—“Having first reigned over Greece…”—this expression must be understood not in the sense that Darius also ruled over Greece and that Alexander reigned there in his place, but rather that Alexander first reigned over Greece before reigning over the other dominions of Darius. The last words of this phrase—τ. ρότερον έπί τήν Ελλάδα—refer only to Alexander’s own earlier history, independent of any reference to Darius, in whose dominions Alexander afterward reigned. His prior reign over Greece was thus prior to his reign in Darius’s own lands and in Darius’s place. This is what the author wishes to say. As an interjection, as a digression of thought to events prior to those being described, the phrase “first over Greece” should properly be placed in parentheses. Alexander was actually proclaimed “king of Greece” considerably later; at first he conducted his wars against the Persians only as the freely elected supreme commander of the united Greek forces. The remark (1 Macc 6:2) that he was “the first (king) to reign over the Greeks” is not entirely accurate, since his father Philip had already governed the Greeks on equal terms; therefore it must be supposed that Alexander appeared to Jewish recognition as “the first (king) to reign over the Greeks” in the sense that he broke the power of the Persians and displaced their significance in the East, as the founder of a new world-wide Hellenic monarchy whose glory completely eclipsed that of his father. The right to call Alexander the first king of Greece was also given to the Jew by the well-known prophecy of Daniel (Dan 8:21) concerning the new world events then unfolding.

1 Maccabees 1:2. He waged many wars, captured many fortified places, and put to death the kings of the earth. “He put to death the kings of the earth…”—this was not their “killing” in battle, but the ancient custom of barbarians, including the Greeks, of putting captives to death after taking them prisoner—sometimes in an extremely cruel and inhuman manner (Jer 39:6-7). By “kings of the earth” (Greek Βασιλείς, without the article) are meant here the kings and princes subject to the Persian great king, and the governors and rulers of the various provinces of the great monarchy who bore royal titles.

1 Maccabees 1:3. He advanced to the ends of the earth and took plunder from many nations; and the earth was silenced before him, and he became great, and his heart was lifted up. “He advanced to the ends of the earth…”—a hyperbolic expression that has some justification in the conqueror’s extraordinary successes.—“The earth was silenced before him…”—the meaning of this expression may be the same as in Ps 75:9 — “the earth feared and was still” (cf. 1 Macc 11:38), or it may also denote actual calm and a peaceful disposition of the land, as in 1 Macc 7:50; cf. Judg 3:11.

1 Maccabees 1:4. He gathered a very strong army and ruled over provinces, nations, and rulers, and they became his tributaries. “They became his tributaries…”—Greek έγένοντο είς φόρον, cf. Judg 1:30.

1 Maccabees 1:5–6. After this he took to his bed and, feeling that he was dying, summoned the noble men among his servants who had been brought up with him from youth, and divided his kingdom among them while he was still alive. The account that Alexander “while still alive” divided his kingdom among his companions finds no confirmation in other historians of Alexander. The most reliable and detailed of them (Arrian, VII, 26 and Curtius X, 5) report on the last moments of his life that those surrounding his deathbed did indeed put to him the question: “To whom does he entrust his kingdom?” But to this question Alexander replied with only one word: “To the most worthy!” (τώκρατίστω). At the same time he handed his royal signet ring to his chief bodyguard, Perdiccas, as a sign of his appointment as regent of the kingdom, which was then divided up by Alexander’s chief commanders and companions themselves.

1 Maccabees 1:7. Alexander reigned twelve years and then died. “Alexander reigned twelve years…” According to Arrian, XII, 28—twelve years and 8 months. On the night before June 1 a severe fever overtook him, and by the evening of the 11th he was gone…

1 Maccabees 1:8. And his servants ruled, each in his own place. “His servants ruled, each in his own place…”—that is, in the portion that fell to each, having proclaimed themselves kings.

1 Maccabees 1:9. After his death they all put on crowns, and after them their sons for many years; and they multiplied evil on the earth. “They all put on crowns…” By “all” one should properly understand the “noble men” from among Alexander’s servants mentioned in 1 Macc 1:6, such as Antigonus, who received Asia; Ptolemy—Egypt; Seleucus—Babylon; Lysimachus—Thrace; Cassander—Macedonia.—“And after them their sons for many years…”—that is, they reigned, putting on crowns.—“And they multiplied evil on the earth…”—that is, they caused much suffering and grief through their internecine wars and injustices of every kind. From this point the author makes a natural transition to the description of the cruelties of Antiochus Epiphanes that fell upon Judea.

1 Maccabees 1:10. And there came out from them a sinful root—Antiochus Epiphanes, son of king Antiochus, who had been a hostage in Rome, and he began to reign in the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks. “And there came out from them a sinful root…” The meaning of the expression “sinful root” (ρίζα αμαρτωλός) is clarified by comparison with similar expressions in Isaiah (Isa 11:1)—“the root of Jesse,” a shoot, scion, branch from it, and also in Sirach (Sir 47:25)—“the root of David.” In all these cases “root” is used in the sense of “offshoot,” “shoot” from something, but not in the sense of “beginning” or “source.” “Sinful root” in the present case means “offshoot of sin,” as of an evil principle in the world, the embodiment of that principle in Antiochus and his godless life. This “root” “came out from them,” i.e., from Alexander’s successors, who in their totality provided a convenient environment or soil for this. More specifically, one may understand here the dynasty of the Seleucid kings, among whom Antiochus was the 8th, and the 4th bearing the name Antiochus⁴. His epithet Epiphanes—Επιφανής—means “brilliant,” “glorious,” “illustrious.”—“Son of king Antiochus…”—i.e., Antiochus III, or the Great, who reigned 223–187 BC and left behind two sons—Seleucus IV Philopator (187–175 BC) and Antiochus Epiphanes (175–163 BC).—“Who had been a hostage in Rome…”—this refers to the Antiochus Epiphanes mentioned earlier, not to his father, also named Antiochus, although his name stands closer to the relative pronoun “who.” This took place after the battle of Magnesia, in 189 BC.—“In the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks…”—i.e., of the Seleucid era, the beginning of which coincides with the 117th year of the Olympiad era, the first year from the founding of Rome’s 442nd year, and with 312 BC. For a more precise calculation and comparison of dates across all these eras, one must take into account, first, the different starting points or times of year from which each era’s count begins. Thus the year of the founding of the Seleucid monarchy—reckoned from autumn to autumn—falls in the first Olympiad of year 117, which counts from summer to summer, 312–311 BC, while this last (year of the Christian era) begins, as is well known, from winter to winter. Second, no little confusion in this matter is caused by the circumstance that the author of the Maccabean book always follows the odd practice of counting years by the Seleucid era, while counting months by the Jewish custom from Nisan to Nisan (i.e., from April to April, or from spring to spring), as is evident, for example, from 1 Macc 4:52 and other places, and sometimes also by the Roman custom from January to January. Taking these considerations into account, one can establish more precisely that the year of Antiochus Epiphanes’ accession—the 137th by the Seleucid era—corresponds to 175 BC, more precisely running from autumn 176 to autumn 175 BC.—The circumstances of Antiochus Epiphanes’ accession deserve to be noted, and it is also not superfluous for greater clarity and completeness to give at least a brief sketch of the events preceding the history of Antiochus. Seleucus Nicator, the founder of the Seleucid dynasty—one of the most remarkable generals of the great Alexander—was, among other things, the founder of a particular Syro-Macedonian kingdom, into which Babylon entered in 312, as well as many lands along the shores of the Mediterranean. Having thus united the greater part of Alexander’s monarchy, Seleucus inaugurates the powerful Seleucid era, with whose fortunes the fate of Jewry was long connected, including throughout the entire Maccabean period. The era of Seleucid rule over Syria and Palestine gave one of the most active and fruitful epochs of Jewish history, when the struggle against the fascination with Hellenic customs, ignited in the best portion of the Jewish people, not only brilliantly withstood a multitude of disasters that swept in, but also managed for a time to revive the happy days of the best kings of Judah. The early Seleucids were not only no great burden to the Jews but also distinguished themselves by many kindnesses toward them. Thus Seleucus Nicator granted civic rights to many Jews in the cities he founded in Asia and lower Syria, and even in his capital Antioch. These rights were maintained for the Jews by Seleucus’s nearest successors—Antiochus I Soter (282–262) and especially Antiochus II Theos (262–246). Under Seleucus Callinicus, the successor of Antiochus II (246–226), Judea began to endure many disasters, becoming the arena of the Seleucids’ struggle with the Ptolemies (kings of Egypt), compelled to please both sides and to pay equally in the victories of one and the defeats of the other. These disasters of Judea reached particular intensity with the rise of Antiochus III the Great (after Seleucus III Ceraunus, 226–223 BC), who was drawn into war not only with Egypt but with Rome (223–187 BC). The battle with the Romans (at Magnesia, in 189 BC), which was very unfavorable for Antiochus, forced him into a shameful peace with Rome, one of the conditions of which was, among other things, the holding of Antiochus Epiphanes as a hostage. For Antiochus Epiphanes himself this had the beneficial side that it helped him receive a proper, though in the Roman spirit, upbringing suited to his future destiny, and to establish connections with the young nobility of the powerfully flourishing world city. When Antiochus III died and Seleucus IV Philopator, Antiochus Epiphanes’ elder brother, ascended the throne, Antiochus Epiphanes was immediately summoned to the Syrian court. But even before Antiochus reached Syria, he was met with news of his brother’s death at the hands of Heliodorus, who, however, failed to establish himself on the murdered man’s throne and perished himself at the hands of Antiochus’s partisans. Having unhindered inherited his brother’s throne, Antiochus was not slow to apply in his situation all that Rome had taught him. Clearly understanding that the decline and weakness of the Seleucid monarchy had from the very beginning been conditioned by the absence of genuine national unity, Antiochus did not shrink from embarking, in order to achieve and consolidate this unity, on the new path of intensified “Hellenization” of his domains—i.e., the introduction everywhere of uniform customs, one language, one faith and one culture in the then-prevailing pagan spirit—a path that, among other things, brought him into a fateful conflict with the Jews and created for him such a sad notoriety in history. About all these events the First Book of Maccabees begins to narrate in greater detail from verse 11 onward.

1 Maccabees 1:11. In those days there came out of Israel lawless men who persuaded many, saying: Let us go and make a covenant with the nations around us, for since we separated ourselves from them, many troubles have overtaken us. 1 Macc 1:11-15: The successes of Antiochus Epiphanes in carrying out his plans against the Jewish people, and even the very emergence of these plans, were greatly aided by a party of apostates from the Lord that suddenly appeared within the people itself, who had come to love pagan customs and institutions. Regarding the time (and circumstances) of the formation of this party within a people who had hitherto been distinguished by faithfulness to the Lord, the author expresses himself indefinitely—“in those days”—έν ταίς ᾿ημέραις έκείναις, i.e., in the days of Antiochus. From the comparison of this passage with 2 Macc 4:7 and following, 2 Macc 4:23 and following, and with the date of verse 20 of this chapter (1 Macc 1:20), it can be established more precisely that this took place at the very beginning of Antiochus’s reign. These “lawless men,” who came out—i.e., stepped forward—from among Israel, managed first to lead astray “some,” and then “many of the people” (1 Macc 1:13; 2 Macc 4:13 and following) by their example and words. The call: “Let us go and make a covenant with the nations around us” represents a deliberate, intentional violation of the commandment of the law: “(do not mingle and) do not make a covenant with them or with their gods,” i.e., with the pagans, with foreign peoples (Exod 23:32).—The word “covenant” is used here in a broader sense. This was not a political agreement for the purpose of mutual defense against a threatening external danger, but far more a union with them in customs and way of life, up to and including the betrayal of religious convictions. Characteristic is the motivation for the apostasy of these Jews: “for since we separated ourselves from them (the surrounding nations), many troubles have overtaken us,” they say. First of all, already incorrect here is that the separation of the Jews from the pagans is treated as if it were a recent phenomenon, whereas it had been established from the very beginning of Israel’s consecration as the people of God, and as a natural consequence of that consecration; on the other hand, it also contradicts the truth to claim that this separation supposedly brought about “many troubles.” The entire history of the Jews, on the contrary, clearly shows the very close connection between the people’s welfare and their piety and faithfulness to the law of Moses: when that piety flourished, the Israelite people also prospered; but as soon as they were drawn into friendship with and imitation of pagan customs, they immediately began to bear divine punishment at the hands of those very pagans.

1 Maccabees 1:12–13. And this proposal seemed good in their eyes. Some of the people expressed willingness and went to the king; and he gave them authority to observe the ordinances of the nations. “Authority to observe the ordinances of the nations…” was needed, confirmed and protected by the king’s authority, since those who remained faithful among the people could have applied to the apostates the death penalty by stoning prescribed by Moses for such an offense.

1 Maccabees 1:14. They built a gymnasium in Jerusalem according to the custom of the nations “They built in Jerusalem a gymnasium according to the custom of the nations…” According to 2 Macc 4:9 — this godless undertaking was contrived by Jason, the brother of Onias. Seeking the high priesthood, he promised the king a large monetary bribe, and also pledged to underwrite the gymnasium itself, whose opening he sought by royal authority, with a large monetary contribution. All this was possible only for a candidate for the high priesthood who in any case was backed by a large party of which he was the head and spokesman; it is plausible that he himself had great influence over this party and easily expected to find its full sympathy and support for an enterprise so godless from the standpoint of faithful Jews.—“A gymnasium according to the custom of the nations”—γυμνάσιον, a gymnasium, i.e., an exercise ground for athletic exercises, contests, and games of young men, adorned with colonnades and with seating for spectators. By establishing such a school they hoped to strike the surest blow against the Mosaic religion, by raising an entirely new generation of young men in the pagan spirit.

1 Maccabees 1:15. and made themselves uncircumcised, and abandoned the holy covenant, and joined with the nations, and sold themselves to do evil. “Made themselves uncircumcised…” The meaning of the original is somewhat different: “they made themselves foreskins”—partly by a new surgical procedure and partly by other simpler means they concealed the mark of circumcision, so as not to provoke ridicule from the uncircumcised when they appeared unclothed at athletic contests.—“They abandoned the holy covenant…” Circumcision was the sign of this covenant; therefore its removal, and even more the obliteration of its marks on the body, constituted open destruction of the covenant, a complete renunciation of it—apostasy.—“They joined with the nations…”—έζεύχθησαν τ. εθ.—more precisely: “they yoked themselves to the nations”—taking on pagan convictions and customs.—“And sold themselves to do evil…”—i.e., they became willing slaves of sin—an expression that verbatim echoes 1 Kgs 21:20, where Elijah says to Ahab: “you have sold yourself to do evil…”—πέπρασαι ποιήσαι τό πονηρόν… (cf. Rom 7:14 and following). How widely all this found sympathy among the people is evident from 2 Macc 4:13-17.

1 Maccabees 1:16. When Antiochus saw that his kingdom was established, he resolved to become king over Egypt, in order to reign over two kingdoms, 1 Macc 1:16-28: The plundering of the Temple and the bloodshed that Antiochus carried out in Jerusalem is described in greater detail in 2 Macc 5:1-23. This evil deed he committed on his return from his successful campaign against Egypt (1 Macc 1:19). This was his second campaign (2 Macc 5:1) there, which took place (1 Macc 1:20) in the 143rd year of the Seleucid era, i.e., in the autumn of 170 BC.—“When Antiochus saw that his kingdom was established…” This consolidation consisted in the removal of Heliodorus, who had usurped the throne after the murder of Seleucus; then Antiochus received from Rome official recognition as king, even though the legitimate heir to the throne was properly Seleucus’s son Demetrius, who had just been sent as a hostage to Rome in exchange for Antiochus;—and finally, on the basis of a remark by Jerome (ad Dan 11:1), one may think that Antiochus succeeded in winning over to his side a powerful party that had been pulling toward the Egyptian Ptolemy and preventing him from feeling secure and firmly seated on the Syrian throne.—The goal of the war with Egypt was Antiochus’s desire to “become king over Egypt, in order to reign over two kingdoms,” although the pretext for war was chosen in a rather plausible form that gave his power-hungry plans a completely irreproachable appearance. After the death of Cleopatra, Antiochus’s sister, who had been married to the Egyptian king Ptolemy V Epiphanes and had ruled the throne as regent on behalf of her son Ptolemy VI Philometor, the guardians of the young king—Eulaeus and Lenaeus—demanded that Antiochus return Coele-Syria, which had once been ceded by Antiochus III the Great, Cleopatra’s father, to Egypt as a dowry for his daughter. Antiochus Epiphanes now declared this demand not only unjust following Cleopatra’s death, but himself laid claim to Egypt as the queen’s brother.

1 Maccabees 1:17. and he entered Egypt with a strong force, with chariots, elephants, horsemen, and a great fleet; “He entered Egypt with… a great fleet…”—this is not a fully accurate translation of the Greek έν στόλω μεγάλω, which properly means “with great armament.” Although στόλος is used in 2 Macc 12:9 in the sense of a naval armament, i.e., ships, nevertheless in the present case the context does not require with necessity the same interpretation.

1 Maccabees 1:18. and he engaged in battle with Ptolemy, king of Egypt; and Ptolemy was afraid before him and turned to flee, and many fell wounded. “Ptolemy was afraid before him (Antiochus)…”—After Ptolemy Epiphanes, who died in 181 BC, two young sons of Ptolemy remained: Philometor VI and Physcon VII. Which of these Ptolemies is meant in this verse is a matter on which commentators disagree. The majority point to the first, but since he fell into Antiochus’s hands already in the first war, others understand the second, and explain Antiochus’s very campaign by his desire to use Philometor’s rights against Physcon. In general the description of this war shows that the author of our book took little care to distinguish the two brothers—Philometor and Physcon—all the more so because Antiochus intended in fact to conquer Egypt and wished to dethrone both kings.—“Many fell wounded”—according to other texts more precisely translated as “killed”—(Heb. …, Syr. occisi, cf. Judg 9:40; 1 Sam 17:52).

1 Maccabees 1:19–20. And they captured the fortified cities of the land of Egypt, and he took plunder from the land of Egypt. After subduing Egypt, Antiochus returned in the one hundred and forty-third year and marched against Israel, and entered Jerusalem with a strong force; The occasion for Antiochus’s attack on Jerusalem and his brutal treatment of it was the disorder that had arisen in the city (specifically between Jason and Menelaus), which was reported to the king and interpreted by him as an attempt by Judea to break away from Syria (2 Macc 5:5 and following). However, the occasion itself provided far less justification than the use Antiochus made of it: he needed money for further military enterprises, and this motive drove his barbaric actions in Jerusalem and the Temple—without regard to any pretext.

1 Maccabees 1:21–24. He entered the sanctuary with arrogance and took the golden altar, the lampstand and all its vessels, the table of showbread, the libation vessels, the cups, the golden censers, the curtain, the crowns, and the golden decoration on the front of the Temple—he stripped everything. He took also the silver and the gold and the precious vessels, and he took the hidden treasures that he found. And having taken everything, he went away to his land, and he committed murder and spoke with great arrogance. Having enumerated part by part what Antiochus took, the author repeats everything plundered in summary, while the parallel passage in 2 Macc 5:21 even indicates the value of what was stolen—1,800 talents.—“He spoke with great arrogance…”—reviling the Lord God and His people with blasphemous words. The expression is obviously borrowed from Daniel (Dan 7:8).—This event is mentioned, apart from Josephus, by the historians Polybius, Strabo, Nicolaus of Damascus, Timagenes, Castor, and Apollodorus.

1 Maccabees 1:25–26. Therefore there was great lamentation throughout Israel, in every place. Rulers and elders groaned, young men and virgins languished, and the beauty of women was altered. “Rulers and elders groaned…”—άρχοντες καί πρεσβύτεροι; άρχοντες—heads of the tribes, πρεσβύτεροι—heads of the families.—“The beauty of women was altered…”—i.e., from grief and sorrow they grew thin and faded.

1 Maccabees 1:27–28. Every bridegroom took up mourning, and the one sitting in the bridal chamber was in sorrow. The earth shook on account of those who lived in it, and the whole house of Jacob was clothed in shame. “The earth shook on account of those who lived in it…”—i.e., for the sake of its inhabitants, as though sharing in their suffering and disgrace. All other translations of the Greek έπί with the accusative—such as: against the inhabitants, under the inhabitants, through the inhabitants, and the like—are less precise and fitting.—“The whole house of Jacob was clothed in shame…”—literally, “every house of Jacob,” “every family,” which collectively gave “the whole house of Jacob.”—“Clothed in shame”—for the disgraceful desecration of its sanctuary and the dishonoring of its religion.

1 Maccabees 1:29. Two years later the king sent a chief collector of tribute to the cities of Judah, and he came to Jerusalem with a large crowd; “Two years later…”—μετά δύο ᾿ετη ᾿ημερων—literally: “after two years of days, or time”—a Hebraism common in the Bible when designating time (Gen.; cf. 2 Sam 13:23; Jer 18:3). Since the first plundering of Jerusalem and the Temple was in the 143rd year of the Seleucid era, this second one was therefore in the 145th year (of the same era), or 168 BC (verse 54: “on the 15th day of Chislev”). This was exactly the year when Antiochus’s successes in Egypt were unexpectedly halted by the authoritative Roman veto, and he was compelled to leave the borders of Egypt. It was then that he, embittered by so vexing a failure and at the same time exacting vengeance for an insult (the assistance given by the Jews in Jason’s attempt to displace Menelaus, which was taken as brazen rebellion against the royal person, see 2 Macc 5:5 and following), fell upon Jerusalem, where he could act as master as much as he pleased without meeting resistance. On the other hand, he also pursued here the positive aim of pushing forward his intentions more decisively—to paganize Jewry, which had understandably gloated over the shame of the king-robber and temple-plunderer as the beginning of God’s punishment upon him, and which had long been in the king’s view as the chief obstacle to creating a unified Hellenistic force capable of withstanding such a power as Rome.—“The king sent a chief tax collector…”—άρχών της φορολογίας—in 2 Macc 5:24 he is named by name—Apollonius.—“With a large crowd…”—έν οχλώ βαρεί—according to 2 Macc. in the passage cited—with 22,000 men.—“He struck it with a great blow…”—a Hebraism, an intensified expression—similar to “you shall surely die.”

1 Maccabees 1:30–32. he spoke deceitful words of peace to them, and they trusted him; but he suddenly fell upon the city and struck it with a great blow, and destroyed many people of Israel; he took plunder from the city, burned it with fire, tore down its houses and its walls on every side; and they led away captive the women and children, and seized the cattle. According to 2 Macc 5:25 and following, this was deliberately timed to fall on the Sabbath, when the Jews were observing strict rest. The immediate pretext for the attack is unknown; the city probably refused to admit so large a Syrian force.

1 Maccabees 1:33. They surrounded the city of David with a great and strong wall and strong towers, and it became a fortress for them. “They surrounded the city of David…”—this is not the same as Jerusalem, but only the fortified southwestern part of it—on the hill of Zion (2 Sam 5:7; cf. 1 Kgs 8:1). This distinction is made in the book itself several times, see 1 Macc 6:26, cf. also 1 Macc 2:31 and many others.—As for the name “Mount Zion,” it must be kept in mind that the author of the book often applies this name not to the Zion fortress where the “city of David” stood, but to the “Temple Mount,” which was also fortified, in contrast to the Syrian citadel (1 Macc 4:60; even more clearly — 1 Macc 4:37 and following, 1 Macc 5:54). The basis for this was provided by the poetic and prophetic use of the name Zion, by which the Temple Mount was also designated as the dwelling of the Lord (Ps 2:6; Ps 73:2; Isa 8:18) and all Jerusalem, as the city in which the Lord, the God of Israel, reigns (Ps 47:2-3; Isa 16:1; Jer 8:19 and others).—The appropriation of the name Zion to the Temple Mount was further encouraged by the occupation of Zion by the pagan citadel, which made it difficult to associate with the concept of Zion the idea of the Lord’s dwelling.

1 Maccabees 1:34. They stationed there a sinful people, lawless men, and they strengthened themselves in it; “A sinful people…”—έθνος αμαρτωλόν—the Jewish designation for pagans (1 Macc 2:48; 1 Macc 3:15; cf. Tob 13:6; Gal 2:15); by contrast: holy, righteous people δικαίων or δίκαιον έθνος—the designation for Jews (Esth 1:7 addition).

1 Maccabees 1:35. they provided themselves with weapons and provisions, and storing the plunder of Jerusalem there, they became a great snare. “And they became a great snare…”—i.e., very dangerous and threatening to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, since by holding this hill they could at any time dominate the entire city.

1 Maccabees 1:36. And this was a constant ambush against the sanctuary and an evil adversary for Israel. “And this (i.e., the fortification of the city of David with the Syrian garrison entrenched in it) was a constant ambush against the sanctuary…” since from the hill it was very easy to hinder the restoration of the sanctuary (1 Macc 6:18), which is why Judas, on undertaking this restoration and cleansing of the sanctuary, was obliged to detach special “men to fight against those in the citadel, until he had cleansed the sanctuary” (1 Macc 4:41).—“And this… was an evil adversary for Israel…”—εις διάβλον πονηρόν—a translation of the Hebrew word. The clarification of this figurative expression is provided by the following verse 37: the pagans desecrated and caused the Jewish sanctuary to cease functioning—not only by their presence on this site, but also by their godless and bloodthirsty deeds (cf. 2 Macc 6:4 and following), deliberately performed in order the more to humiliate and defile the Jewish holy place.

1 Maccabees 1:37–40. They shed innocent blood around the sanctuary and defiled the sanctuary. The inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them, and it became a dwelling of strangers and became strange to its own offspring, and its children forsook it. Its sanctuary was desolate like a wilderness, its feasts were turned into mourning, its Sabbaths into reproach, its honor into contempt. As great as its glory had been, so great was its dishonor, and its exaltation was turned into grief. Using the expressions of the Old Testament (prophecy), the author describes the consequences of the settlement and predatory rule of the pagans on the Holy Mount (cf. Amos 8:10; Tob 2:6); see more fully 1 Macc 4:38.—“As great as its glory had been, so great was its dishonor…”—i.e., the more brilliant its former glory had been, the more dishonoring appeared the shame that had now come, and “its exaltation (i.e., its grandeur, dignity) was turned into grief.”

1 Maccabees 1:41–42. King Antiochus wrote to his entire kingdom that all should be one people and that each should abandon his own law. And all the nations agreed according to the word of the king. “Antiochus wrote (i.e., issued an edict) to his entire kingdom that all should be one people and that each should abandon his own law…”—i.e., should give up his national particularities. The edict was clearly aimed against the Jews. This was not a mere infatuation with the unrealizable dream of universal equalization and fusion of peoples into one ideal people, for which Judaism and paganism alike would be asked to make equal concessions. For the latter such concessions involved nothing particularly significant, given its cosmopolitan indifference and disregard toward any gods and customs, its own or foreign. But for the Jews, with their exclusive religious worldview, this was the complete destruction of their faith and convictions and of the very possibility of living and existing. After the Lord they could in no case place any other god, and alongside His law, which permeated not only their entire spiritual-religious but also their civil life, they dared follow no pagan laws or customs. For Antiochus, who knew all this—this obstacle did not, however, seem entirely insurmountable.—“His entire kingdom,” apart from the Jews, was already what he dreamed of; the one remaining opponent of these dreams seemed too isolated and too weak in its resistance; and if this resistance were to cost the Jews dearly, all the better it seemed to Antiochus, who appeared not only as the victim of a lamentable obsession but also as a malicious avenger of old scores with Jewry and a hater of the Jews. Finally, what must also have given Antiochus’s hopes of success much encouragement was the fact that among the Jews themselves a movement toward Hellenism had already arisen, which had produced such characteristic instances of apostasy even before the edict, and which after the edict took on an even fairly serious character. The edict was issued throughout the kingdom—both to present the Hellenistic ideal in a more vivid light and with incontestable authority, and also in the calculation that it might reach the Jews throughout all the regions of the kingdom, which they had by then already sufficiently seeded with their diaspora.

1 Maccabees 1:43. And many from Israel adopted his idolatry and sacrificed to idols and profaned the Sabbath. 1 Maccabees 1:44. The king sent letters by messengers to Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah, ordering them to follow customs alien to this land, 1 Macc 1:44-51: The contents of the edict are set out in greater detail.

1 Maccabees 1:45–46. and that burnt offerings, sacrifices, and drink offerings at the sanctuary should not be permitted, that they should profane Sabbaths and feasts and defile the sanctuary and the holy ones, “Defile the sanctuary and the holy ones…”—i.e., the Temple and its ministers—the priests and Levites (Sir 45:29). The ancient Latin translation, however, also has here a variant reading: sancta et sanctum populum Israel, from which other commentators understand by “the holy ones” simply the faithful Israelites in general (αγιοι according to Dan 7:18; Dan 8:24); this interpretation, however, seems less fitting in connection with what precedes and follows.

1 Maccabees 1:47–52. and to build altars, sacred precincts, and shrines for idols, and to sacrifice swine and unclean animals, and to leave their sons uncircumcised, and to make their souls abominable with every kind of impurity and profanation, so that they would forget the law and change all the ordinances. And whoever does not do according to the word of the king shall be put to death. In accordance with this, he wrote to his entire kingdom and appointed overseers over all the people, and commanded the cities of Judah to offer sacrifice in each city. And many from the people gathered to them—all who had abandoned the law—and did evil in the land; “They gathered to them…”—i.e., to the Syrians, the pagans—they entered into fellowship with them.

1 Maccabees 1:53–54. and they drove Israel to hide in every refuge they had. On the fifteenth day of Chislev, in the one hundred and forty-fifth year, they set up the abomination of desolation upon the altar, and in the surrounding cities of Judah they built altars, “On the 15th day of Chislev, the 145th year”—i.e., of the Seleucid era—in December 168 BC.—“They set up the abomination of desolation upon the altar…” (Dan 11:31)—i.e., a pagan altar, which made it entirely impossible to offer lawful sacrifices to the true God.

1 Maccabees 1:55. and they burned incense before the doors of houses and in the streets, “They burned incense before the doors of houses and in the streets…”—such incense (and offerings in general) was burned in honor of the gods regarded as guardians of houses and streets, such as among the Romans Janus, among the Greeks Hermes, Apollo, Dionysus, and partly Artemis.

1 Maccabees 1:56. and the books of the law, whenever they found them, they tore and burned with fire; “Books of the law…”—τά βιβλία τού νόμου—properly the books of Moses, the Pentateuch, although in the broad sense this can also denote the books of the Old Testament in general.

1 Maccabees 1:57. and if anyone was found possessing a book of the covenant, or if anyone adhered to the law, he was put to death by the king’s command. “The book of the covenant”—βιβλίον διαθήιης—containing the Ten Commandments of God with the exposition of the basic laws of Israel given at Sinai (Exod 20-23, cf. Exod 24:7). For a more thorough defeat and destruction of Jewry, the entire sacred literature of the Hebrews had to be subjected to persecution.

1 Maccabees 1:58. With such violence they treated the Israelites who were brought each month into the cities. “With such violence they treated the Israelites who were brought each month into the cities.” Some have understood here the monthly coming of the Jews into the cities to celebrate the new moon, which the king’s overseers exploited to seize and oppress these zealots of the law of Moses. Other commentators give the participle “brought” a passive sense and understand not their voluntary coming but their involuntary summoning, compelled by being called to account in the localities for their refusal to carry out the king’s will; in other words this should be expressed as follows: “with such violence they treated the Israelites arrested and brought each month (to imprisonment and punishment) into the cities (from the surrounding areas).”

1 Maccabees 1:59. And on the twenty-fifth day of the month, offering sacrifice on the altar that was above the altar, “On the twenty-fifth day of the month…” the offering of pagan sacrifices on the site of the Lord’s altar began. This date must be distinguished from the “15th day” of the same month (Chislev), when they only “set up the abomination of desolation upon the altar,” i.e., the pagan altar, but the actual offering of sacrifices began on the 25th (1 Macc 4:52; 2 Macc 10:5).

1 Maccabees 1:60. they put to death, by the command given, the women who had circumcised their children, “They put to death the women who had circumcised their children…”—here there is no need to understand necessarily the actual circumcision of their children by the mothers themselves, as in, for example, the exceptional case of Exod 4:25;—the text speaks simply of women who had allowed their children to be circumcised; the actual performers of the circumcision, who suffered the same sad fate, are mentioned separately further on (1 Macc 1:61).

1 Maccabees 1:61. and they hanged the infants by their necks, plundered their houses, and killed those who had circumcised them. As an example of the—not isolated—inhuman treatment of mothers and their children on account of circumcision, 2 Macc 6:10 cites the case of two women being killed together with their infants who had been hung at the mothers’ breasts: in that position the unfortunate women were cast down from a high city wall.

1 Maccabees 1:62. Yet many in Israel stood firm and resolved not to eat unclean food, “Resolved…”—όχυρούσθαι έν έαυτοις—strengthened themselves within themselves, firmly resolved.

1 Maccabees 1:63. and chose rather to die than to be defiled by food and to violate the holy covenant,—and they died. “Chose rather to die… and they died.” Here reference is probably made also to the courageous martyrdom of the seven brothers “the Maccabees” with their mother Solomonia and their teacher Eleazar, who are commemorated by the Christian Church on August 1 (2 Macc 6:18 and following; 2 Macc 7).

1 Maccabees 1:64. And there was very great wrath upon Israel. * * * The Books of Maccabees were translated from the Greek, because there is no Hebrew text of them. The genealogy of the Seleucids is as follows: Seleucus I Nicator, died 261 BC. Antiochus I Soter, died 261 BC. Antiochus II Theos, died 246 BC. Seleucus II Callinicus, died 226 BC.—Seleucus III Ceraunus, died 223 BC; Antiochus III the Great, died 187 BC.——From Antiochus the Great: Seleucus IV Philopator, died 175 BC; Antiochus IV Epiphanes, died 164 BC; Demetrius I Soter, died 150 BC; Antiochus V Eupator, died 162 BC. Alexander Balas; Antiochus VI. From Demetrius I Soter: Demetrius II Nicator, died 125–124 BC. Antiochus VII Sidetes, died 128 BC, and so on.

Chapter Two

Mattathias and his sons (1 Macc 2:1-5). Their mourning and grief over the devastation of Judea and Jerusalem (1 Macc 2:6-14). The occasion for the Maccabees’ uprising (1 Macc 2:15-26). Mattathias’s call to revolt by all who were faithful to the Law—for the faith of their fathers—and their withdrawal into the wilderness (1 Macc 2:27-38). The resolution of Mattathias and his companions not to observe the commandment of Sabbath rest in cases of necessary self-defense against attacks; the growth of his followers (1 Macc 2:39-48). The dying Mattathias’s testament to his children, his final instructions, blessing, and death (1 Macc 2:49-70).

1 Maccabees 2:1. In those days Mattathias, son of John, son of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib, arose from Jerusalem; he lived in Modein. “Mattathias, son of John, son of Simeon…”—This Simeon is more precisely identified by Josephus with the addition tou Asamonaiou, that is, son of Hasmonaeus (Antiquities Иуд. XII, 6, 1). From the name of this ancestor, the children and grandchildren of Mattathias are generally referred to in Jewish literature as the Hasmoneans; hence such expressions as: he Asamonaion genea, the race of the Hasmoneans (Antiquities Иуд. XIV, 16, 4); hoi Asamonaiou paides, the children of Hasmonaeus (Antiquities XX, 8, 11), and similar ones.—“A priest of the sons of Joarib…” means from the priestly division of Joarib, the first of the twenty-four priestly divisions, corresponding to the priestly genealogical lines into which David organized them when distributing their service in the Temple (1 Chr 24:7). According to Josephus (Vita, 1), this division or genealogy enjoyed preeminent honor above the rest, and descent from it was considered the highest rank in the spiritual hierarchy. Through the word iereus, Mattathias is designated as an ordinary priest, but later Jewish traditions also place him among the high priests, and some interpreters find this possible, pointing to the period when, after the death of Onias III (2 Macc 4:34) and following the apostasy of his brother Jason to paganism (2 Macc 4:7), and also due to the flight of Onias IV to Egypt, the high priesthood, after such disruptions, would naturally have passed to Mattathias.—“Modein”—Modein—was a city lying near Diospolis, that is Lydda, on the road from Jerusalem to Joppa (modern Jaffa), on a hill from which the sea could be seen (1 Macc 13:29).

1 Maccabees 2:2–5. He had five sons: John, who was called Gaddi, Simon, who was called Thassi, Judas, who was called Maccabeus, Eleazar, who was called Avaran, Jonathan, who was called Apphus. All five sons of Mattathias had, in addition to their given names, also nicknames that pointed either to their characteristic qualities or to their deeds. John (properly Iohannan) was called Gaddi—probably from the Hebrew… (Num 13:11, in the LXX—Gaddi), from…—“fortune,” thus—“the fortunate,” “the favored” (possibly an allusion to his martyr’s death, 1 Macc 9:36). Simon was called Thassi, from the Aramaic…—fervere effervescere—and means fervens, “fiery,” “passionate.” Judas bore the nickname Maccabeus (Makkabaios), the same as the Germanic “Martel,” that is, “hammer” (see above, the introduction). Eleazar was called Avaran (Auaran), from the verb…—to pierce, to raise one’s hand, to strike—a probable allusion to his heroic self-sacrificing combat with an elephant, in which the elephant’s death cost him his own life (1 Macc 6:43-46).—Jonathan was called Apphus (Apphous), meaning “secretive,” “cunning.”

1 Maccabees 2:6–10. Seeing the blasphemies that were taking place in Judea and Jerusalem, he said: Woe is me! Why was I born to see the ruin of my people and the ruin of the holy city, and to remain here while it is given into the hands of enemies and the sanctuary into the hands of foreigners? Its Temple has become like a man without honor, its precious vessels have been carried away into captivity, its infants have been slain in the streets, its young men have fallen by the sword of the enemy. What nation has not seized its kingdom and taken possession of its spoils? “What nation has not seized its kingdom?” Mattathias could say this with regard to the diverse composition of the Syrian army, in which representatives of the Philistines, Idumeans, Ammonites, Moabites, Samaritans, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Greeks, and Macedonians (2 Macc 8:9) were all present—longstanding enemies of the Jewish people. All of them had once again together participated in the desecration and devastation of the holy city, justifying the long-standing Jewish contempt for them.

1 Maccabees 2:11–17. All its glory has been taken away; from being free it has become a slave. And now our holy things, our beauty, and our glory are desolate, and the Gentiles have defiled them. Why should we live any longer? And Mattathias and his sons tore their garments and put on sackcloth and mourned bitterly. Then men came from the king to the city of Modein to enforce apostasy, that they should offer sacrifice. And many from Israel joined them; but Mattathias and his sons held firm. Then those who came from the king answered and said to Mattathias: You are a leader, honorable and great in this city, and supported by sons and brothers. “And those who came from the king answered…” Since one normally “answers” a question or objection, and neither is recorded here on Mattathias’s part, it seems natural that those who “came from the king” are here “answering” simply his still-silent protest against their actions (“held firm”—Mattathias and his sons).

1 Maccabees 2:18. So come now, be the first to carry out the king’s command, as all the nations have done, and also the men of Judah and those who have remained in Jerusalem, and you and your household will be numbered among the king’s friends, and you and your sons will be honored with silver and gold and many gifts. “Those who have remained in Jerusalem”—as opposed to those who had fled it to save their faith and their lives.

1 Maccabees 2:19–24. And Mattathias answered and said with a loud voice: Even if all the nations in the realm of the king obey him and every one of them departs from the worship of his fathers and submits to his commands, yet I and my sons and my brothers will follow the covenant of our fathers. God forbid that we should forsake the Law and its ordinances! We will not obey the words of the king to depart from our worship to the right or to the left. When he had finished speaking these words, a Jewish man came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein according to the king’s command. When Mattathias saw it, he burned with zeal, and his innermost being trembled, and his anger blazed according to the Law, and he ran up and killed him at the altar. “His innermost being trembled”—literally “his kidneys,” which in the understanding of that time were considered to be the seat or center of the emotional faculty.

1 Maccabees 2:25–26. And at the same time he killed the king’s man who had been compelling them to sacrifice, and he tore down the altar. So he burned with zeal for the Law, just as Phinehas did with Zimri the son of Salu. For a more detailed account of this event, see Num 25:7-8 and following.

1 Maccabees 2:27–30. And Mattathias cried out in the city with a loud voice: Let everyone who is zealous for the Law and stands by the covenant follow me! And he and his sons fled into the mountains, leaving behind everything they had in the city. Then many who were devoted to righteousness and the Law went out into the wilderness and stayed there—they and their sons and their wives and their livestock—because evils multiplied upon them. 1 Macc 2:28-30: Mattathias and his sons and others who were faithful to righteousness and the Law withdrew into the mountains and the wilderness. These are the Judean hills and the Judean wilderness on the western side of the Dead Sea. Right at the sea, this region is completely devoid of any trace of life or vegetation, but where it is watered by springs it is covered with lush growth, so that the fugitives could find there sufficient means of subsistence for themselves and their livestock.—“Devoted to righteousness and the Law”—Greek: zetountes dikaiosynen kai krima, literally “seeking justice and righteousness,” as translated more precisely in the Slavonic.

1 Maccabees 2:31. And it was reported to the king’s men and the forces stationed in Jerusalem, the city of David, that some men who had violated the king’s command had gone away into hidden places in the wilderness. “In Jerusalem, the city of David…”—that is, in Jerusalem, specifically in the part called “the city of David” (see on this above, at 1 Macc 1:33), which had been turned into a fortress for the Syrian army.—“Hidden places in the wilderness…” The Judean wilderness and its hills abounded in numerous caves and ravines that could serve as convenient refuges for fugitives; David himself had fled from his enemies here (1 Sam 24:4 and many other passages).

1 Maccabees 2:32–33. And many pursued them and overtook them, and encamped against them and drew up in battle array against them on the Sabbath day, and said to them: There is still time; come out and do according to the word of the king, and you will live. “There is still time…”—Greek: heos tou nyn, literally “until now,” “while there is still time…”

1 Maccabees 2:34. But they answered: We will not come out, nor will we do according to the word of the king, and we will not profane the Sabbath day. “We will not come out, nor will we do according to the word of the king, and we will not profane the Sabbath day…” The last statement—about not profaning the Sabbath day—relates properly to the first action (going out to battle). As for the second (obedience to the king’s will), the refusal of the Jews is absolute and clear in itself, regardless of any day of the week.

1 Maccabees 2:35–36. Then they hurried to attack them. But they did not answer them, nor did they throw even a stone at them, nor block off their hidden refuges, “They did not answer them…”—that is, they did not respond with any action to the enemy’s preparations for battle, as is further explained below.

1 Maccabees 2:37–39. and said: Let us all die in our innocence; heaven and earth are witnesses against you that you are destroying us without just cause. And they attacked them on the Sabbath, and they died—they and their wives and their children and their livestock—as many as a thousand souls. When Mattathias and his friends learned of it, they mourned bitterly over them; “They mourned bitterly over them…”—Greek: heos sphodra, Slavonic: “plakashesya o nikh zelo” (“wept over them greatly”).

1 Maccabees 2:40–41. and said to one another: If we all do as our brothers have done and refuse to fight against the Gentiles for our lives and our ordinances, they will quickly destroy us from the earth. And they resolved that same day, saying: Whoever comes against us to battle on the Sabbath day, we will fight against him, so that we do not all die as our brothers died in their hidden places. The resolution—to defend oneself against enemy attacks on the Sabbath day—in no way contradicts the spirit of Mosaic legislation. According to the meaning of the law concerning the Sabbath, only domestic and civic activities are prohibited on that day, but not acts of necessity, such as the defense of life and property against enemy attack.—To passively accept death on the Sabbath at the hands of enemies is characteristic only of holy simplicity and Pharisaic servility to the letter of the Law against its spirit—something the Savior so strongly and frequently rebuked in the scribes and Pharisees of his own time.

1 Maccabees 2:42–44. Then there gathered to them a company of Hasideans, mighty warriors of Israel, all who were devoted to the Law. And all who were fleeing from disaster joined them and became a reinforcement for them. So they formed an army and in their anger struck down the sinners and in their wrath the lawless men; and the rest fled to the Gentiles for safety. “They struck down… the sinners… and the lawless men…” These “sinners” and “lawless men,” Greek: hamartoloi kai andres anomoi, are not the Gentiles, but rather Jews who had apostatized from the faith, since they are counted in a different category from those who sought safety by fleeing to the Gentiles—“the rest” (hoi loipoi).

1 Maccabees 2:45–46. And Mattathias and his friends went around and tore down the altars; and they forcibly circumcised all the uncircumcised boys whom they found within the borders of Israel, “They forcibly circumcised the uncircumcised…”—“forcibly”—Greek: en ischyi, the Slavonic translation is more precise: “with strength,” that is, “with authority,” and where necessary also by compulsion, not yielding to the false fear of the parents before the Gentiles, nor to their indifference to the ancestral Law.

1 Maccabees 2:47. and they pursued the sons of arrogance, and the work prospered in their hands. “The sons of arrogance…”—hyioi tes hyperephanias—judging by the context, most likely refers to the Syrians.

1 Maccabees 2:48. So they rescued the Law from the hands of the Gentiles and from the hands of kings, and they did not let the sinner triumph. “They did not let the sinner triumph…”—Greek: ouk edokan keras to hamartolo, more precisely translated in the Slavonic: “ne dasha roga greshhniku,” that is, they did not allow the sinner to display his strength. The “horn” is a symbol of strength and valor, or ferocity—borrowed from the nature of horned animals.—“The sinner”—that is, the Gentiles and paganism in general; the singular is used in a collective, generic sense.

1 Maccabees 2:49. The days of Mattathias’s death drew near, and he said to his sons: Now arrogance and rebuke are gaining strength; now is a time of destruction and violent wrath. 1 Macc 2:49-70: Sensing the approach of death, Mattathias exhorts his sons to continue the struggle for the faith of the fathers with zeal, inspiring and encouraging them by the examples of the zeal of the most distinguished God-lovers of ancient times. “The days of Mattathias’s death drew near…”—Greek: kai engisan… apothanein—the Slavonic is more precise: “i priblizhishesya dnie Mattatfiyu umreti.” This formula is typically used in accounts of the final days of only the most distinguished men of antiquity; for example, concerning Jacob (Gen 47), Moses (Deut 31), Joshua (Josh 22), and David (1 Kgs 2).—“Arrogance has grown stronger…”—that is, the pride and insolence of godlessness (see 1 Macc 1:21).—“And rebuke”—that is, the testing for the faithful and devout through this dominion of godlessness.—“A time of destruction…”—kairos katastrophes—the equivalent of a revolution, but from above downward—a destruction of the foundations of life by the ruling power.—“Violent wrath…”—orge thymou—fierce wrath, which may be understood here specifically as God’s wrath.

1 Maccabees 2:50–51. And now, children, be zealous for the Law, and give your lives for the covenant of our fathers. Remember the deeds of our fathers which they did in their generations, and you will receive great glory and an everlasting name. “Remember the deeds of our fathers… and you will receive”—that is, having been inspired to perform similar deeds—“great glory and an everlasting name…” The motives that Mattathias holds before his children for the accomplishment of their great work might seem one-sided, because they do not touch upon the future reward in the afterlife, but have in view only the consequences of good deeds in this same earthly life—“great glory and an everlasting name.” It is permissible to think, however, that higher motives of heavenly, posthumous reward for good are not excluded here at all, as they were not excluded earlier in all the cases cited where the exploits of the great men of antiquity and the fruits or rewards of those exploits are noted. The sacred writers wish to show by this only that the reward of the righteous for their faith and good deeds begins already in this present life.

1 Maccabees 2:52. Was not Abraham found faithful in trial? And it was reckoned to him as righteousness. The “trial” of Abraham here refers to the testing of his faith by the Lord’s demand that he offer Isaac as a sacrifice (Gen 22:1; cf. Gen 15:6).

1 Maccabees 2:53. Joseph, in the time of his distress, kept the commandment and became lord over Egypt. By the “distress” of Joseph some here understand the entire period of his enslavement from his sale until his liberation and elevation to “ruler” over the land of Egypt (Gen 39:1-42:6).—“Kept the commandment” would in that case signify his faith in the promises of God, which gave him strength and courage in this trial. But closer to the truth would seem to be an understanding of the incident with the Egyptian woman, which placed him in a genuinely hopeless situation and gave him occasion to show rare self-denial and to “keep the commandment” concerning chastity and the inviolability of another man’s household.

1 Maccabees 2:54. Phinehas our father, because he was deeply zealous, received a covenant of everlasting priesthood. “Phinehas our father…”—ho pater hemon—that is, our forefather in the priesthood (Num 25:11-13).

1 Maccabees 2:55. Joshua, for fulfilling the word, became a judge over Israel. By “the word” of God for the fulfillment of which Joshua became a judge over Israel is meant the command given to him after the death of Moses—to lead the people into the Promised Land (Josh 1:2-10).

1 Maccabees 2:56. Caleb, for bearing witness before the assembly, received an inheritance in the land. “Caleb, for bearing witness before the assembly”—described in Num 14:6-8.—“Received an inheritance in the land” (Josh 14:6-14), more precisely—“received”—ges kleronomian—“an inheritance of land,” as it is also translated in the Slavonic—that is, a heritage and portion in the Promised Land—specifically, the city of Hebron.

1 Maccabees 2:57. David, because of his mercy, inherited the throne of the kingdom forever. “David, because of his mercy…”—Greek: en to eleei autou, the Slavonic is more precise: “in his mercy.”—“Mercy” here in the sense of piety in general (“I desire mercy, not sacrifice,” Hos 6:6; “I remembered the mercy of your youth,” Jer 2:2).—“Forever”—Greek: eis aiona aionos, Slavonic more precisely: “vo vek veka” (“forever and ever”). Taking “eternity” in the strict sense, one may find here a reference to the expected coming of the Messiah from the line of David, whose kingdom will indeed have no end.

1 Maccabees 2:58–61. Elijah, because of his great zeal for the Law, was taken up even to heaven. Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael were saved from the flame by faith. Daniel, because of his innocence, was rescued from the jaws of the lions. And so, from generation to generation, remember that all who hope in Him will not grow faint. “All who hope in Him…”—that is, in God—“will not grow faint” (cf. Ps 24:2 — “trusting in the Lord, I shall not grow faint”).

1 Maccabees 2:62. Do not fear the words of a sinful man, for his glory will become dung and worms. “Do not fear the words”—that is, the commands or threats—“of a sinful man…”—that is, a sinner in the general sense, whether a Gentile or an apostate Jew.

1 Maccabees 2:63–69. Today he is exalted, but tomorrow he will not be found, for he has returned to his dust, and his scheme has perished. But you, my children, be courageous and stand firm in the Law, for through it you will gain glory. And here is Simon your brother—I know that he is a man of counsel; listen to him all your days; he will be a father to you. Judas Maccabeus, who has been mighty in strength from his youth, shall be your commander and shall lead the war against the peoples. Gather around you all who observe the Law, and avenge the wrongs of your people; repay the Gentiles in full, and hold fast to the commandments of the Law. And he blessed them and was gathered to his fathers. “And he was gathered to his fathers…”—a common formula, especially in the Pentateuch, for the passing of the patriarchs, denoting their repose as a joining with those who had previously descended to Sheol—the place of their sojourn after death.

1 Maccabees 2:70. He died in the one hundred and forty-sixth year; and his sons buried him in the tomb of his fathers in Modein, and all Israel mourned for him with great lamentation. Mattathias died in the year 146 of the Seleucid era, three years after the desecration of the Temple (1 Macc 1:20) and one year after the installation of the abomination of desolation in its place (1 Macc 1:54), that is, in 167–166 B.C.—Regarding the “tomb of his fathers” in Modein, see 1 Macc 13:27. * * * The Books of the Maccabees have been translated from the Greek, since they do not exist in Hebrew.

Chapter Three

A description of the valor of Judas Maccabeus (1 Macc 3:1-9). Judas’s victory over Apollonius and Seron (1 Macc 3:10-26). Antiochus’s preparations to destroy the Jews, and the latter’s mustering and preparation for a new battle (1 Macc 3:27-60).

1 Maccabees 3:1–3. And in his place arose Judas, called Maccabeus, his son. And all his brothers and all who had been attached to his father helped him, and they waged the war of Israel with gladness. He spread the glory of his people; he put on armor like a giant, girded himself with his weapons of war, and waged war protecting the camp with the sword; “Protecting the camp with the sword”—that is, by personal bravery and vigilance, not hiding in fortresses and entrenchments, but keeping his camp in constant motion and formidable readiness.

1 Maccabees 3:4. he was like a lion in his deeds and like a young lion roaring after its prey; The “lion”—in the Old Testament a favored image for a valiant military hero (Gen 49:9; Num 23:24 and others).—“Young lion”—a lion cub, “roaring after its prey,” that is, as it rushes at its prey (Amos 3:4).

1 Maccabees 3:5–6. he pursued the lawless, searching them out, and those who troubled his people he burned. So the lawless shrank back from fear of him, and all the workers of lawlessness were dismayed before him, and deliverance went forward well by his hand. “Deliverance went forward well by his hand”—that is, the work of delivering the people from Syrian oppression and cruelty advanced swiftly, thanks to such zeal, bravery, and skill of Judas.

1 Maccabees 3:7. He brought grief upon many kings and made Jacob glad with his deeds, and his memory is blessed forever; “Brought grief upon many kings…”—cast them into sorrow and distress.—“Made Jacob glad…”—a rhetorical designation for the people of Israel.

1 Maccabees 3:8. he went through the cities of Judah and destroyed the ungodly out of the land, and turned away wrath from Israel, “He turned away wrath…”—that is, God’s wrath—“from Israel.”—The time of Mattathias had been more a time of covert struggle against the chief enemy of the Jews—Syria. Holding a strong fortress in Jerusalem, the Syrians still had every advantage on their side and had gone quite far in their successes. But maintaining their position at that height of success was harder than reaching it. The royal officials had gone throughout the whole land of Judea with the king’s commission regarding the introduction of idol worship, successfully pursuing those who remained faithful to the Law of Moses and destroying entire groups of those who fled for refuge to the mountains and caves; but for all that, they were evidently not strong enough to prevent Mattathias from also going through Judea with a band of brave men gathered around him, demolishing pagan altars everywhere, circumcising the uncircumcised, and exterminating apostates in large numbers. Preventing all this required drawing strong military units to the area. But while this was being accomplished, Mattathias died, buried peacefully by his sons in the tomb of his fathers, and in his place arose the no less energetic and courageous Judas Maccabeus, who in a very short time managed to consolidate and strengthen the position of the Jews even further. They were sufficiently prepared when the Syrians marched against them with a strong army under the command of Apollonius.

1 Maccabees 3:9–10. and was renowned to the ends of the earth, and he gathered in those who were perishing. Then Apollonius gathered the Gentiles and a large army from Samaria to make war against Israel. “Apollonius”—the commander of the Syrian forces, not more precisely identified at this point, is probably the same person as the “superintendent of tribute” mentioned in 1 Macc 1:29, who in the parallel passage at 2 Macc 5:24 bears this same name. In Josephus he is also called the governor of Samaria—tes Samareias strategos—though that designation may have been derived by the historian simply from this same verse.

1 Maccabees 3:11–16. Judas heard of it and went out to meet him, and he struck him down and killed him; and many fell slain, while the rest fled. And Judas took their spoils, and he took the sword of Apollonius and fought with it for the rest of his days. And Seron, the military commander of Syria, heard that Judas had gathered a company of faithful men who went out with him to war, and he said: I will make a name for myself and win glory in the kingdom; I will fight against Judas and those with him who have defied the king’s command. And he set out, and with him came a mighty host of the ungodly to help him and to take vengeance on the sons of Israel. When they drew near to the ascent of Beth-horon, Judas went out to meet them with a very small force, “Beth-horon” was divided by a narrow, steep pass into Upper and Lower Beth-horon (Josh 16:3), with a descent (katabasis) and an ascent (anabasis), in the locality where two small villages now stand—Beit-ur el Foka at the summit and Beit-ur el Tachta at the bottom of the valley, about one hundred stadia from Jerusalem, on the road to Nicopolis (Emmaus), Josh 10:10.

1 Maccabees 3:17–24. and when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to Judas: How can we, so few as we are, fight against so great and strong a multitude? And we are exhausted, not having eaten today. But Judas said: It is easy for many to be shut up in the hands of a few, and there is no difference in the sight of the God of heaven between saving by many or by few; for victory in war does not depend on the size of an army, but strength comes from heaven. They are coming against us in great pride and lawlessness to destroy us and our wives and our children, and to plunder us; but we are fighting for our lives and our laws. He himself will crush them before us; as for you, do not be afraid of them. When he had finished speaking, he rushed upon them suddenly, and Seron and his army were crushed before him. And they pursued them down the descent of Beth-horon to the plain; and about eight hundred of them fell, while the rest fled to the land of the Philistines. “They pursued them to the plain”—to pedion—the plain along the sea coast, from Joppa southward (Deut 1:7) all the way to the land of the Philistines (he pedine, Josh 15:33 and following, or ge pedine—verse 40 of the chapter under commentary (1 Macc 3:40), also known by the proper name he Sephela).

1 Maccabees 3:25–28. Then the fear of Judas and his brothers began to fall upon the Gentiles around them, and alarm fell upon the neighboring nations. His name reached the king, and all the nations were telling of the battles of Judas. When king Antiochus heard these reports he was enraged, and he sent and gathered all the forces of his kingdom, a very strong army, and opened his treasury and gave his soldiers their pay for a year, ordering them to be ready for any need. Having decided to send “all the forces of his kingdom” against Judas, Antiochus first of all paid “his soldiers their pay for a year,” which had probably been paid very irregularly up to that point, due to the extremely disordered state of the country’s finances; now, straining every last resource, he endeavored first of all to satisfy the army’s pay demand, without which he could not have sufficiently relied on its loyalty or demanded diligence and success from it.—“To be ready for any need…”—some rightly see here Antiochus’s fears that he would have to deal with revolts by other subject peoples as well, following the successful example of the Jews.

1 Maccabees 3:29–31. But he saw that the silver in his treasury was depleted, and that the tribute of the country was small because of the conflict and calamity he had brought upon the land by abolishing the laws that had been in force from ancient days. And he feared that, as had happened more than once or twice, he might not have enough for the expenses and gifts which he had previously given with a generous hand, surpassing the kings before him in this. He was deeply troubled in spirit, and resolved to go to Persia and take tribute from the regions and to collect a great sum of silver. “He resolved to go to Persia…”—more precisely, what is meant here is Persia in the broad sense of the word—specifically Persis (1 Macc 3:32), which comprised Persia and Media together, and the Seleucid provinces beyond the Euphrates in general (cf. 1 Macc 6:56).—“To collect a great sum of silver…”—not simply by the collection of lawful tribute, but also through requisitions of every kind, such as, for example, the seizure of temple treasuries (1 Macc 6:1 and following), the sale of high offices, the conquest and plunder of not-yet-subdued lands, such as Armenia—according to certain hints in Appian and Diodorus of Sicily—which had been reckoned, after the defeat of Antiochus III in 190 B.C., as under Roman dependence (Strabo, XI, 14; §§ 15 and 5).

1 Maccabees 3:32–33. And he left Lysias, a man of distinction who was of the royal family, in charge of the king’s affairs from the river Euphrates to the borders of Egypt, and also the upbringing of his son Antiochus, until he returned; “His son Antiochus”—who later reigned under the name Eupator (164–162 B.C.).

1 Maccabees 3:34–37. and he gave him half the forces and the elephants, and gave him orders about all that he wanted, and about the inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem—to send an army against them to crush and destroy the power of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to efface their memory from that place, and to settle foreigners in all their territory and to distribute their land by lot. And the king took the remaining half of his forces and departed from Antioch, his royal city, in the one hundred and forty-seventh year; and he crossed the river Euphrates and went through the upper provinces. “The upper provinces…”—that is, those lying higher up, beyond the Euphrates (1 Macc 6:1)—Persia and Media (cf. 2 Macc 9:25; in Polybius V, 40, 5—hoi ano topoi and ta ano mere tes Basileias).

1 Maccabees 3:38. And Lysias chose Ptolemy the son of Dorymenes, and Nicanor and Gorgias, mighty men among the king’s friends, “Ptolemy, son of Dorymenes…” is mentioned in the parallel passage at 2 Macc 10:12 with the surname Macron—makron. He had been appointed governor of Cyprus under Ptolemy Philometor but then surrendered the island to Antiochus Epiphanes (2 Macc 10:13), for which he won his favor and was given charge of Lower Syria and Phoenicia (2 Macc 4:45), but afterward fell from favor under Antiochus Eupator and ended his life by poisoning (2 Macc 10:13).—“Dorymenes” appears to be the same Aetolian of that name who fought alongside Antiochus the Great when the latter took possession of Lower Syria (Polybius V, 61, 9).—“Nicanor”—according to 2 Macc 8:9 — the son of the notorious Patroclus, a bitter enemy of the Jews, who met his death in battle with Judas (1 Macc 7:26 and following; 2 Macc 14-15).—About Gorgias and his deeds, a more detailed account is given at 1 Macc 4:1 and following; 1 Macc 5:56 and following; 2 Macc 10:14 and 2 Macc 12:32 and following.

1 Maccabees 3:39. and sent with them forty thousand infantry and seven thousand cavalry to go into the land of Judea and devastate it according to the king’s command. According to 2 Macc 8:9, Ptolemy, governor of Lower Syria and Phoenicia, sent Nicanor with twenty thousand men into Judea to lay it waste, and “joined Gorgias to him” as an experienced general. This can be reconciled with 1 Macc 3:38-39 by allowing that the entire army placed by Lysias at the disposal of the three commanders was divided among those commanders (1 Macc 4:1) and operated in separate detachments, perhaps not yet so ready to be employed all at once together immediately.

1 Maccabees 3:40. So they set out with all their forces and came and encamped on the plain near Emmaus. “Near Emmaus…”—Emmaum (in Josephus and the Syriac—Emmaous, or Ammaous)—a city about one hundred and seventy-six stadia from Jerusalem, on the plain, which was converted into a fortress by Bacchides (1 Macc 9:50). It was burned by Quintilius Varus (Josephus, Antiquities XVII, 10, 9), and under Heliogabalus was restored and renamed Nicopolis—modern Arnivas, a wretched hamlet of a few houses; it is not to be confused with Emmaus (Luke 24), which is sixty stadia from Jerusalem, as some have attempted (Jerome in Onomasticon; among more recent scholars—Robinson, bibl. Forsch, p. 190 and following).

1 Maccabees 3:41. When the merchants of the region heard their name and took very much silver and gold and many servants with them, they came into the camp to buy the sons of Israel as slaves; and the forces of Syria and the land of the Philistines joined them. “Their name…”—to onoma auton—that is, “news of them.”—“Took… servants with them…”—kai paidas—needed for guarding the slaves and herding them. Others, however, read here kai pedas—“and shackles,” which seems no less correct (so in the Syriac translation and in Josephus—Antiquities XII, 7, 3).—Trade in slaves was one of the most important branches of Phoenician and Philistine commerce.—According to 2 Macc 8:10 (cf. 2 Macc 8:25), Nicanor summoned merchants from the coastal cities to purchase future slaves from him, hoping thereby to pay the tribute owed by him to the Romans.—Alongside the Syrian army, mention is made of the army of “the land of the Philistines”—most likely the Philistines, longstanding enemies of their nearest neighbors the Jews (Judg 14 and following; 1 Sam 4 and following), for whom the destruction of Judea was also of the utmost importance.

1 Maccabees 3:42–43. Now when Judas and his brothers saw that troubles had multiplied and that the forces were encamping in their territory, and learned of the king’s command which he had ordered to be carried out against the people—to destroy and wipe them out—they said to one another: Let us restore our people who have been brought low, and let us fight for our people and for our sanctuary. “For our sanctuary…”—ton hagion oi ta hagia—the sanctuary, the Temple, as in 1 Macc 3:51 and elsewhere.

1 Maccabees 3:44–45. And the assembly gathered to be ready for battle and to pray and seek mercy and compassion. Jerusalem was uninhabited like a wilderness; none of her native children went in or out; the sanctuary was trampled down, and foreigners were in the citadel; the Gentiles were lodged there, and joy was taken away from Jacob, and the flute and the lyre fell silent. A lyrical outpouring of grief over the devastated and desecrated Jerusalem.—“Jerusalem was uninhabited like a wilderness…”—this “uninhabited” state is defined more precisely below in the sense that “none of her native children went in or out of her” and that “she became a dwelling of Gentiles…” (cf. 1 Macc 1:38).—“Foreigners were in her citadel…” (see at 1 Macc 1:33).

1 Maccabees 3:46. So they assembled and went to Mizpah, opposite Jerusalem, for Israel had a place of prayer at Mizpah in former times. “Mizpah”—Massepha, as in Judg 20:1, also Maspha, 1 Macc 5:35, and Josh 15:38, 1 Sam 7:5 and following—a city in the tribe of Benjamin, Josh 18:26, five miles from Jerusalem, not far from Ramah, at the site of present-day Neby Samuel, on a high hill with a wide view of Jerusalem, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Transjordanian mountains.—Here the Israelites had gathered to decide on a punishment for the tribe of Benjamin (Judg 20:1); here also Samuel gathered the people to humble themselves before the Lord, and by his prayer obtained from God a victory over the Philistines (1 Sam 7).—To these gatherings of the people at Mizpah in the time of the Judges and under Samuel refers the remark of 1 Macc 3:46 that “Israel had a place of prayer at Mizpah in former times.” Samuel had chosen this ancient sacred place for the people’s prayer after the Tent of Meeting, which had stood at Shiloh (Josh 18:26), lost its significance as the chief sanctuary of Israel through the loss of the Ark of the Covenant. So now the Maccabees also chose this same place for national prayer, after Jerusalem had fallen into the hands of enemies and, together with the Temple, had suffered such desecration.

1 Maccabees 3:47–48. And they fasted that day, and put on sackcloth and sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their garments; and they opened the book of the Law, copies of which the Gentiles had sought to paint with images of their idols, In order to mock the Mosaic religion and the reverence of the Jews for their sacred books, the Gentiles painted images of their gods on whatever copies of the Law they found. This desecration of the Word of God the Israelites now laid before the face of the Lord, opening at their prayer assembly one of these defiled and profaned books, so that the book itself by its very presence and pitiful appearance might silently cry out to the Lord against this lawlessness, and that the Lord, moved to wrath by this profanation of his Word, might execute his righteous vengeance upon the transgressors.—Something similar, and for the same purpose, was once done by Hezekiah, who brought before the face of the Lord in the Temple the blasphemous letter of Sennacherib — 2 Kgs 19:14 and following.

1 Maccabees 3:49. And they brought the priestly vestments and the firstfruits and the tithes; and they called out the Nazirites who had completed their days, “They brought… the firstfruits and the tithes…” The former (protogennemata) were redeemed at the Temple by the offering of a special sacrifice; the latter went toward the support of the Temple and the priests, Exod 23:19; Lev 23:10 and following; Num 18:12 and following; Deut 26:2 and following; Lev 27:30 and following; Num 18:20 and following.—The Nazirites who had completed the days of their vows were released from them also at the Temple, with the offering of specially prescribed sacrifices, Num 9:5; Num 6:13 and following.—All these God-ordained sacred rites had remained without possibility of performance, owing to the defilement and complete devastation of the Temple; and now they were brought forward as one of the most compelling means of moving the Lord God to aid and compassion toward the suffering people of Israel.

1 Maccabees 3:50–54. and they cried aloud to heaven, saying: What shall we do with these men and where shall we take them? Your sanctuary has been trampled and defiled, and your priests are in mourning and humiliation. And now the Gentiles have gathered against us to destroy us. You know what they are plotting against us. How shall we be able to withstand them, if you do not help us? And they sounded the trumpets and cried out with a loud voice. “They sounded the trumpets and cried out with a loud voice…”—to express the utmost fervor of prayer and confidence in being heard by God. This practice had its basis in a special commandment of the Word of God (Num 10:7), where the Lord commanded the use of trumpet calls for summoning assemblies, for raising an alarm in the event of enemy attack and for setting out on campaign, and for expressing festal joy during sacrifices and prayer. According to the intent of the divine ordinance, these trumpet calls were to serve as a memorial of the people before the God of Israel, and the people—who felt as though they had been abandoned and forgotten by God—particularly desired to make this memorial strong now.

1 Maccabees 3:55. After this Judas appointed leaders over the people—commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and commanders of fifties and commanders of tens. Judas’s establishment of lower commanders over the people—commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens—revived the ancient structure of the people, introduced by Moses (Num 31:43; 1 Sam 8:12; 2 Kgs 1:9 and following), which was designed to facilitate not only military operations but also the governance of the people in time of peace.

1 Maccabees 3:56. And he said to those who were building houses and those betrothed to women and those planting vineyards, and to those who were fainthearted, that each of them should return to his own house according to the Law. Following precisely the provision of the Law in Deut 20:5-8, Judas dismisses from the militia all those who had just recently either built a house, or become betrothed to a woman, or planted a vineyard—and had not yet had the chance to enjoy any of these—and also all the faint-hearted and fearful, “lest”—as stated in that passage—“his heart, that is, the fearful man’s heart, melt the hearts of his brothers like his own heart.”

1 Maccabees 3:57. Then the army marched out and encamped to the south of Emmaus. Having assembled a select force, Judas marched out and encamped “to the south of Emmaus,” that is, near the enemy (1 Macc 3:40), encouraging all with a passionate call to “die” in battle for “our sanctuary.”

1 Maccabees 3:58. And Judas said: Gird yourselves and be courageous; be ready in the morning to fight against these Gentiles who have gathered against us to destroy us and our sanctuary. “Gird yourselves…” At every important undertaking, the Jews approached it with “belts on their loins.”—“And be courageous…”—kai ginesthe eis hyious dynatous (cf. 2 Sam 2:7); the Slavonic is more precise: “i budite v syny silny…” (“and be as mighty sons…”)

1 Maccabees 3:59–60. For it is better for us to die in battle than to see the sufferings of our people and our sanctuary. But as the will of heaven may be, so he will do! * * * The Books of the Maccabees have been translated from the Greek, since they do not exist in Hebrew.

Chapter Four

Professor Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin. Explanatory Bible. Commentary on the First Book of Maccabees, Chapter 3. Chapter IV. Victory of Judas over the army of Gorgias (cf. 2 Mac VII: 23–36; Jos. Antt. XII, 7, 4) (1–25). Victory over the Syrian commander Lysias (cf. Jos. Antt. XII, 7, 5) (26–35). Cleansing and consecration of the Temple and restoration of lawful worship.—Fortification of the temple mount and Beth-zur (cf. 2 Mac X: 1–9; Jos. Antt. XII, 7, 6) (36–61).

Chapter Five

The hostility of the surrounding peoples toward the Jews (1 Macc 5:1-2). Victorious campaign against the Idumeans, Beanites, and Ammonites (1 Macc 5:3-8). Sufferings of the Jews of Gilead and Galilee at the hands of the pagans (1 Macc 5:9-15). Dispatch of aid to them (1 Macc 5:16-20). Simon’s victories in Galilee (1 Macc 5:21-23). Campaign of Judas and Jonathan into Gilead (1 Macc 5:24-36). Battle with Timothy at Raphon (1 Macc 5:37-45). Return to Judea (1 Macc 5:46-54). The ill-fated sortie of Joseph and Azariah against Jamnia (1 Macc 5:55-64). Victorious campaign of the Maccabees against the Idumeans near Hebron and against the Philistines (1 Macc 5:65-68).

1 Maccabees 5:1–2. When the surrounding peoples heard that the altar had been built and the sanctuary renewed as before, they were greatly angered; and they resolved to destroy the descendants of Jacob who lived among them, and they began to kill and exterminate the people of that nation. “The surrounding peoples…”—according to the context of the passage (cf. 1 Macc 5:3), these were specifically the Idumeans, the sons of Bean, and the Ammonites, who from ancient times had harbored irreconcilable hatred toward “the descendants of Jacob” (a theocratic designation for the Jews).—“Who lived among them…”, τούς ὄντας ἐν μέσω αὐτῶν, as an appositive to the preceding “descendants of Jacob.”

1 Maccabees 5:3. Then Judas fought against the sons of Esau in Idumea, in Akrabattene, because they had been besieging Israel, and he struck them with a great blow, humbled them, and took their spoils. “The sons of Esau…”—the ancient designation for the Idumeans, cf. Gen 36:10.—“In Akrabattene”—τὴν Ἀκραβαττίνην—an appositive to the preceding τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἠσ. ἐν τ. Ἰδ.—“Akrabattene” is not the toparchy of the same name in the center of Palestine east of Neapolis (Shechem) and further south along the Jordan (Jos. Bell. Jud. III, 12, 4, 20; 4, 22, 2; III, 3, 4 and Euseb. Onom.—Ἀκραββείν), from which name one district of land is still called Akrabi or Akrabeh—but rather a strip of land in Idumea, so named, probably from the Hebrew meaning “heights of scorpions,” on the southeastern border of Palestine (Num 34:4; Josh 15:3).—“Because they had been besieging Israel…”—περιεκάθηντο τ. Ἰσρ., more precisely—“surrounded on all sides”—not in the sense of besieging them militarily, but rather occupying the borders of Israel and, like the present-day Bedouins, constantly raiding the Israelite territories, threatening their peaceful well-being.

1 Maccabees 5:4. He also remembered the malice of the sons of Bean, who had been a snare and a stumbling block to the people, lying in ambush for them on the roads. “The sons of Bean…”—these υἱοὶ Βαιάν are taken to be the inhabitants of a small place called Bajjan, southeast of Hebron.

1 Maccabees 5:5–6. Although they shut themselves up from him in towers, he made war against them, devoted them to destruction, and burned their towers with fire, along with all who were in them. Then he crossed over to the sons of Ammon and encountered a strong force and a numerous people, and Timothy, their commander. “The sons of Ammon”—the Ammonites, who lived northeast of the Dead Sea between the Arnon and the Jabbok, with their main city Rabbath-Amman on the upper Jabbok (Deut 3:11).—“Encountered a strong force…”—χεῖρα κραταιάν, more precisely as in the Slavonic: “a strong hand,” hence a powerful force, a strong army (cf. 1 Macc 11:15).—Timothy, the commander of this army, was hardly an Ammonite with a Hellenized name, but most likely a Syrian military commander—and in all probability the same one mentioned further on in 1 Macc 5:11 as the commander of the Gilead pagans, defeated by Judas (1 Macc 5:24 and following), and possibly also the same person as the στρατηγός of the same name mentioned in 2 Macc 12:2 and following.

1 Maccabees 5:7–8. He had many battles with them, and they were routed before him; he struck them, took Jazer and its villages, and returned to Judea. “Jazer”—Ἰαζήρ—originally a Moabite, but by the time of Moses an Amorite city, given to the tribe of Gad, about 10 miles west of Philadelphia (Rabbath-Amman) and 15 miles north of Heshbon, probably where the ruins of es Szir now stand (Num 21:32); in the time of the kings this city is again seen in the hands of the Moabites (Isa 16:8; Jer 48:32); finally, we see it, according to this verse, in the hands of the Ammonites, who had then extended their dominions far to the west.—“And its villages…”—a literal translation: “and its daughters,” Slavonic: “and its daughters,” meaning the small cities and towns dependent on Jazer, also mentioned in Num 21:32, though there the Hebrew is rendered by the LXX as: καὶ τὰς κώμας αὐτῆς (“and its villages”).

1 Maccabees 5:9. Then the pagans who lived in Gilead gathered against the Israelites who were within their territory, to destroy them; but they fled to the fortress of Dathema. Γαλαάδ, in codex Alexandrinus Γαλααδῖτις—the mountainous region to the south and north of the Jabbok (Deut 3:10)—to the south as far as the Amorite highland stretching from Heshbon to the Arnon; this part of Gilead was given by Moses to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. The northern part extended to the region of Bashan and was given to the clan of Machir of Manasseh. In a broader sense, the entire territory occupied by the Israelites on the eastern side of the Jordan was called Gilead (Deut 3:10; Deut 34:1; Josh 22:9 and following).—Here Gilead is used precisely in this broader sense, as is evident from the list of cities in 1 Macc 5:26.—The fortress Dathema, Δάθαιμα—nothing further is known about it. One scholar (Hitzig) explains this name from the Arabic Dhatu-ma, meaning “the one with waters,” and conjectures that it refers to Nahaliel (meaning “brook of God”), Num 21:19.

1 Maccabees 5:10–11. And they sent letters to Judas and his brothers, saying: The surrounding peoples have gathered against us to destroy us, and they are preparing to come and attack the fortress to which we have fled, and Timothy commands their army. “Timothy commands their army…” This Timothy is probably the same one who “commanded” the Ammonites as well (1 Macc 5:6). Having been defeated by Judas and biding his time while Judas returned to Judea, Timothy attempted to shift the struggle against the Israelites to Gilead.

1 Maccabees 5:12–13. So come and rescue us from their hand, for many of us have perished; and all our brothers who were in the region of Tobi have been put to death, and their wives and children and property have been taken captive, and they have destroyed there about a thousand men. “Our brothers who were in the region of Tobi…”—ἐν τοῖς Τουβίν or Τουβίον—these are Jews of the region of Tobi, between the Ammonites and the Syrians, Judg 11:3; 2 Sam 10:6; λεγόμενοι Τουβίηνοι Ἰουδαῖοι — 2 Macc 12:17.—“About a thousand men…”—μίαν χιλιαρχίαν, one chiliarchy; χιλιαρχία is a unit of 1,000 men under the command of a single χιλίαρχος—a commander of a thousand (Num 31:48).

1 Maccabees 5:14–15. While these letters were still being read, other messengers came from Galilee with their garments torn, bringing this news: People have gathered against us from Ptolemais, from Tyre and Sidon, and from all pagan Galilee, to destroy us. Ptolemais—the port city of Acco (Judg 1:31), on the bay of the same name, above Cape Carmel—Γαλιλαία ἀλλοφύλων, Γαλ. τῶν ἐθνῶν, Isa 9:1; Matt 4:15 — pagan Galilee, whose population had been mixed from ancient times: at first of Jews and pagans, later of Syrians and Arabs.

1 Maccabees 5:16. When Judas and the people heard these words, a great assembly gathered to deliberate what to do for these brothers who were in distress and threatened with war by the pagans. “A great assembly…”—ἐκκλησία μεγάλη—there is no need here to suppose a Sanhedrin or any special assembly like a “constituent” one; this was simply a gathering of the people, alarmed by the distressing news, coming to Judas for joint deliberation and approval of the plan to be adopted for rescuing the distressed Galilean brothers.

1 Maccabees 5:17–18. Then Judas said to Simon his brother: Choose men for yourself and go and rescue your brothers in Galilee; while I and Jonathan my brother will go to Gilead. And he left Joseph son of Zechariah, and Azariah as commanders over the people with the remaining force in Judea as a guard. No more detailed information is available about Joseph son of Zechariah and Azariah. How large the “remaining force” given to them for the defense of Judea was can be judged in part by the losses (up to 2,000 men) they suffered in their ill-fated sortie from Jerusalem, in defiance of Judas’s prohibition (1 Macc 5:60).

1 Maccabees 5:19–23. And he gave them orders, saying: Take charge of this people, but do not begin war against the pagans until our return. Three thousand men were assigned to Simon for the campaign in Galilee, and eight thousand to Judas for Gilead. And Simon went to Galilee and fought many battles with the pagans, and the pagans were routed before him. He pursued them to the gate of Ptolemais, and about three thousand of the pagans fell, and he took their spoils. He also took with him those in Galilee and Arbatta (Jews) with their wives and children and all their belongings, and brought them to Judea with great joy. “He took with him those in Galilee…”—probably one should understand here not all Jews of Galilee, but only some of them who, fearing new attacks by the pagans, expressed a wish to resettle in Judea. Ἐν Ἀρβάττοις—in Arbatta—a region of this name is unknown. More probably the view is correct that this Ἀρβάττα is Harbattot—“hills of chasms”—a locality extending 60 stadia from Caesarea toward Samaria, where, according to Josephus (de bell. Jud. II, 14, 5 and 18, 10), the toparchy Νάρβαθα was located.

1 Maccabees 5:24. And Judas Maccabeus and Jonathan his brother crossed the Jordan and made a three-day journey through the desert. “A three-day journey through the desert…”—the length of a day’s journey in antiquity was reckoned very variously. Herodotus calculates it at 150–200 stadia, Procopius at up to 210, Vegetius at up to 160; in the present day, a day’s journey in the East is reckoned—on average with 7 hours of travel—at 4 geographic miles.

1 Maccabees 5:25. The Nabataeans met them and received them peaceably, and told them everything that had happened to their brothers in Gilead, “The Nabataeans”—descendants of Ishmael, Gen 25:13 — named after the firstborn of Ishmael—a peaceful, pastoral tribe of the Transjordanian desert.

1 Maccabees 5:26. and that many of them had been shut up in Bosora, Bosor, Alema, Chaspho, Maked, and Carnaim—all these cities being fortified and large — “Shut up in Bosora…” and so on. The meaning of this phrase (συνειλημμένοι εἰσίν) is not entirely clear. Συλλαμβάνω means properly “to attack, seize, take prisoner.” The cities named were powerful enemy fortresses that were taken by Judas by force, and their inhabitants were mercilessly exterminated (1 Macc 5:28-36). From this it must be concluded that the words noted above (“shut up…” and so on) do not mean that the Jews in these cities were enduring a proper military siege, but rather either that they were being held there temporarily as prisoners, or—if they occupied a particular sizable section of the city—that they were fortifying themselves there and waiting for rescue. This, however, still does not entirely clarify the matter. The further report of the Nabataeans (1 Macc 5:27) that the pagans had resolved to “take” these fortifications and “destroy all” those inside them leads one to suppose that these fortifications were either in the hands of the Jews or that the pagan citizens of them were on friendly terms with the Jews, so that the enemies had to conquer these fortresses first before exterminating the Jews. With neither of these suppositions, however, does the testimony of 1 Macc 5:28 and 1 Macc 5:35 seem to agree—that Judas, after taking the cities of Bosor and Mizpah, slew all the males in them, took their spoils, and then burned them with fire. This mode of action leads to the supposition that these cities were inhabited or occupied by pagans who showed malicious hostility to the Jews. The enemies who were about to attack these fortresses and take them were, according to 1 Macc 5:34, the forces of Timothy, probably the Syrian commander. We must therefore envision the state of affairs as follows: in the land of Gilead and its cities, the true Jews formed a significant part of the population; when Antiochus’s decree aimed at the destruction of Judaism was enforced, they were compelled to unite and concentrate in fortified cities. In some of these cities the population was disposed favorably toward them, in others hostilely. Where the former was the case, the whole city resisted the Syrian commander, so that he was forced to conquer such cities; in other cities, conversely, the pagan community turned against the Jews, who were compelled to defend and fortify themselves until the city was either taken by Timothy’s forces, whereupon the Jews were exterminated, or by Judas’s forces, whereupon the Jews were saved and the cities with their pagan population suffered the strictest, most merciless punishment.—Among these Gilead cities the following are named: Bosora—Βοσσόρα, or also Βόσορρα—is the Moabite city Bosra mentioned in Jer 48:24, whose identity with Bostra, metropolis Arabiae of the Romans, by more recent research can hardly be doubted.—Bosor—Βοσόρ—“in the desert,” that is, lying in the Moabite highlands, a Levitical city and city of refuge—Bezer, Deut 4:43; Josh 20:8 — the exact location of which has not been determined.—Alema—Ἀλέμοις (Ἀλάμοις)—nothing more exact is known about it.—Chaspho—Χασφώρ, in 1 Macc 5:36 — Chasphon—Χασφών—possibly the same as Κάσπιν, 2 Macc 12:13, on the Transjordanian road to Egypt.—Maked—Μακέδ—according to some, Maqadd, which geographers identify as Batanaa near Adharaat.—Carnaim—Καρναίν—the same as the Hebrew Karnaim — Gen 14:5 — the residence of Og, king of Bashan (Deut 1:4 and following).

1 Maccabees 5:27–28. And in the other cities of Gilead they are under siege, and tomorrow it is planned to attack these strongholds and take them and destroy all of them in a single day. So Judas suddenly directed his march through the desert to Bosor and took that city, and killed all its males with the edge of the sword, and took all their spoils, and burned it with fire; “He directed his march to Bosor…” To which specific city Judas directed his march is not easy to establish, especially because of the textual variants in the naming of cities. In some manuscripts we find here εἰς Βοσόρ, in others εἰς Βόσορραν (Bosra of verse 24, 1 Macc 5:24). The latter reading seems to be supported by the fact that Bosor was conquered later (1 Macc 5:36). A comparison of both references (1 Macc 5:24 and 1 Macc 5:36) in itself only establishes that one of the cities indicated here is meant to be Βοσόρ (Bosra), but in which verse—24 or 36?—the textual variants do not make this clear with precision. The addition that this “Bosor” was “in the desert” (εἰς τὴν ἔρημον) seems to point to Bosor—(Deut 4:43).—“With the edge of the sword…”—ἐν στόματι ῥομφαίας, Slavonic: “with the mouth of the sword”—an expression frequently found in the Old Testament, meaning “mercilessly.”

1 Maccabees 5:29–30. And from there he set out by night and went until the fortress. When morning came, they lifted up their eyes, and behold, a great multitude of people without number, carrying ladders and siege engines to take the fortress, and attacking those inside. “He went until the fortress…”—that is, according to 1 Macc 5:9 — to Dathema. This journey Judas made at night, before morning came, as is evident from 1 Macc 5:30 — from which it can be concluded that Dathema was not far from Bosor (Bezer).—“Attacking those inside”—ἐπολέμουν, Slavonic more precisely: “and they were making war upon them.”

1 Maccabees 5:31. When Judas saw that the battle had begun and that the cry of the city rose up to heaven with trumpets and a loud shout, “The cry of the city rose up to heaven with trumpets and a loud shout”—on the significance of the trumpet blast as a call to heaven for help, see the commentary on 1 Macc 3:54.

1 Maccabees 5:32–35. He said to his troops: Fight now for your brothers. He came up behind the enemy with three companies and blew the trumpets and cried out in prayer; and the army of Timothy recognized that it was Maccabeus, and they fled from his face, and he struck them with a great blow, and about eight thousand of them fell that day. Then he turned to Mizpah, besieged it and took it, killed all its males in it, took its spoils, and burned it with fire; Mizpah corresponds to the Hebrew “Mizpeh,” but this is not Mizpeh of Moab (1 Sam 22:3), since the latter must be sought if not in Moab proper then at least very close to it, and therefore placed much further to the south to be identified with our “Mizpah.” What is certain is only that the cities of Chaspho and Maked were considerably further north, to the west or southwest of Bostra (Βοσόρ, 1 Macc 5:36).

1 Maccabees 5:36–37. Setting out from there, he took Chaspho, Maked, Bosor, and the other cities of Gilead. After these events Timothy gathered another army and camped before Raphon beyond the stream. “After these events…”—μετὰ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα—Slavonic more precisely: “after these words.”—The word ῥῆμα is used here in the sense of “thing, deed, event”; compare also μετὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους — 1 Macc 7:33.—“Before Raphon…”—Raphon, called a city (πόλις) by Josephus (Antt. XII, 8, 4)—is identified by all researchers as Raphana and counted among the Decapolis.—“Beyond the stream…”—ἐκ πέραν τοῦ χειμάρρου, cf. Gen 32:22-23, where the Jabbok is also called a χείμαρρος, torrens, “swift, rushing,” which is especially the case during snowmelt or after heavy rains. Here this was probably the stream Mandhur (Hieromax).

1 Maccabees 5:38–39. And Judas sent scouts to observe the army, and they reported to him and said: All the surrounding pagans have gathered to them—a very large force, and they have hired Arabs to help them, and they are encamped beyond the stream, ready to march against you in war. And Judas went to meet them. 1 Maccabees 5:40–41. Then Timothy said to his commanders when Judas and his army were approaching the stream of water: If he crosses to us first, we will not be able to stand against him, for he will prevail over us. But if he is afraid and camps on the other side of the stream, then we will cross over to him and prevail over him. “If he (Judas) crosses to us first, then… he will prevail over us. But if he is afraid…, then we will prevail over him”—This was not an empty omen, nor a reckless surrender of their fate to chance or fortune. Timothy, on the one hand, knew from experience the daring of Judas and his greater skill in leading attacks; but on the other hand, he was also aware of his own numerical superiority. It was therefore natural to despair of victory if Judas with his customary boldness launched an attack on the enemy by crossing the stream, and one could hope for success if he doubted his own strength and, remaining on the other side of the stream, allowed the numerically superior forces to be moved against him.

1 Maccabees 5:42. As soon as Judas came to the stream of water, he stationed the people’s scribes beside the stream and commanded them, saying: Do not leave any man in the camp, but let all come to the battle. The people’s scribes—γραμματεῖς—were special officials charged with recruiting soldiers for war and keeping their registers. Even in the time of Moses there were special “scribes” and overseers for this task: Deut 20:5 and following; Josh 1:10. In the later period of the Kings an additional official was added for this task, 2 Chr 26:11. For the comparatively small army of the Maccabees such a doubling of officials was not required; one type of official was sufficient, and this word (not the other), as required by usage, the LXX renders by γραμματεῖς in the above-mentioned passages. From Josh 1:10 and Josh 3:2 we see that the Shoterim not only managed the recruitment and discharge of troops, but could also during wartime receive and convey the commander’s orders to individual units. This is precisely what we see in this verse 42—“Do not leave any man…”—literally: “do not let every man remain in the camp,” Greek: μή … πάντα, a Hebraism in place of μηδένα.

1 Maccabees 5:43–46. And he crossed over to them first, and all the people after him. And all the pagans were crushed before his face, and they threw down their arms and fled into the temple that was in Carnaim. Then they took that city and burned the temple with fire, along with all who were in it; and Carnaim was defeated and could no longer resist Judas. And Judas gathered all the Israelites who were in Gilead, from the least to the greatest, with their wives and children and belongings—a very great host—to go to the land of Judea. And they came to Ephron. This was a large city, very well fortified, on the way; there was no way to turn aside from it to the right or to the left; it was necessary to pass through the middle of it, “Ephron”—which must here be distinguished from Ephron in the territory of Benjamin (2 Chr 13:19)—lay in Perea, in the direction from Ashtaroth to Scythopolis, in a narrow gorge, strongly fortified especially at the entrance—τῆς εἰσόδου ὀχυρά σφόδρα, Slavonic more precisely: “strong at the entrance,” the Russian translation being less satisfactory: “very well fortified, on the way.”—The more precise location of the city is unknown.

1 Maccabees 5:47–48. But the inhabitants shut themselves in and blocked the gates with stones. Judas sent them a peaceful proposal: We will pass through your land to go to our land, and no one will harm you; we will only pass through on foot. But they would not open to him. The refusal of Ephron to let Judas pass was explained not only by the intensified hostility of the pagans toward the Jews, but also by the city’s particular loyalty to Lysias, who sometimes had his residence there (2 Macc 12:27).

1 Maccabees 5:49–52. Then Judas commanded to be announced throughout the host that each man should take his position; and the warriors took their positions and besieged the city all that day and all night, and the city was given into his hand. And he killed all the males in it with the edge of the sword, razed the city to its foundations, took its spoils, and passed through the city over the slain. And they crossed the Jordan to the great plain opposite Beth-shan. Beth-shan—Βαιθσάν—at one of the wider points of the Jordan valley, at its junction with the plain of Jezreel or Esdraelon, two hours’ journey from the Jordan, today’s Beisan (Josh 17:11)—known to the Greeks as Σκυθόπολις (Jdt 1:10, Jos. Antt. XII, 3, 5; XIII, 1, 6), or Σκυθῶν πόλις (2 Macc 12:29; Judg 1:27).

1 Maccabees 5:53. And Judas gathered those who had fallen behind and encouraged the people throughout the whole journey, until they came to the land of Judea. Judas’s return journey to Jerusalem probably went from Beth-shan along the military road through Shechem—that is, through territories hostile to the Jews—where those who had fallen behind could easily fall into enemy hands and there was even fear of attacks by hostile armies; especially the unarmed families relocating from Gilead to Judea feared this danger, and it was they who were primarily the object of Judas’s encouragement and concern.

1 Maccabees 5:54. And they went up to Mount Zion with joy and gladness and offered burnt offerings, for not one of them had fallen until they returned in peace. “Not one of them had fallen until they returned in peace.” From what exact point until the return in peace this “not one fell” is to be counted—the author does not specify, and this gave rise, on the one hand, to the claim that οὐδεὶς ἐν τούτοις τοῖς πολέμοις τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀπέθανεν—“not one of the Jews fell throughout the entire campaign, in all the battles”—that is, to acknowledge a striking miracle of God (Josephus). Others, without resorting to such an extreme possibility, hold that the text refers here specifically only to the circumstances of 1 Macc 5:53 (the return journey from Beth-shan), and that “not one fell” should be limited exclusively to this part of the entire journey (at the most, since the events of 1 Macc 5:45).—Which of these is more correct is left for each reader to judge.

1 Maccabees 5:55–64. In those days when Judas and Jonathan were in Gilead, and Simon his brother was in Galilee before Ptolemais, Joseph son of Zechariah and Azariah, the commanders, heard of their glorious military deeds, and said: Let us also make a name for ourselves; let us go and fight against the pagans around us. So they gave orders to the army under them and marched against Jamnia. And Gorgias came out from the city with his men to meet them in battle. And Joseph and Azariah were routed and pursued to the borders of Judea; and about two thousand men of the people of Israel fell that day. And there was a great defeat among the people of Israel, because they had not obeyed Judas and his brothers, imagining they would show bravery, though they were not of the lineage of those men by whose hand salvation of Israel had been granted. But Judas and his brothers were greatly honored before all Israel and before all the nations where their name was heard, and people gathered to greet them. The fame of the brilliant deeds of the Maccabee brothers in Gilead and Galilee led the commanders left with the Jewish forces—Joseph and Azariah—to attempt “to make a name for themselves” with similar exploits. This rash attempt took the form of a sortie from Jerusalem and an attack on Jamnia (a Philistine city; see the commentary on 1 Macc 4:15), in flat defiance of Judas’s prohibition (1 Macc 5:19), and ended in complete failure with a loss of 2,000 men. This failure is explained in the author’s view by the fact that they “were not of the lineage of those men by whose hand salvation of Israel had been granted,” whereby the Hasmonean family is thus accorded the significance of a special divine election, similar to other ancient chosen ones who were sent for the salvation of Israel at critical moments in its history.—“Judas the man” (1 Macc 5:63)—ὁ ἀνὴρ Ἰούδας:—like “Moses the man” (Exod 11:3; Num 12:3), that is, a true, valiant, worthy man.

1 Maccabees 5:65. After that Judas and his brothers went out and fought against the sons of Esau in the land to the south, and he struck Hebron and its villages, and demolished its fortifications, and burned its towers all around it, Hebron—Χεβρών—an ancient city of the patriarchal era, seven hours’ journey from Jerusalem into the hills of Judea, today’s el-Khalil, still inhabited by Jews in Nehemiah’s time (Neh 11:25), later seized by the Idumeans. It had been fortified even in the time of Rehoboam (2 Chr 11:10).

1 Maccabees 5:66. And he set out to go to the land of the foreigners, and passed through Samaria. From Hebron Judas “set out” to the “land of the foreigners” (ἀλλοφύλων), that is the Philistines, and “passed through Samaria.” In place of Samaria (Σαμάρειαν) some manuscripts read Μαρίσσαν. This variant, from a transposition of letters from which Σαμάρειαν could easily arise, is preferred by many researchers. And indeed, if Judas’s goal was in the land of the Philistines (verse 1 Macc 5:66, cf. 1 Macc 5:68), then from Hebron the road there did not at all pass through Samaria, whereas Marisa was in fact directly on the route, in the lowland of Judea—near Beit Dschibrin—and is explicitly mentioned in the parallel passage — 2 Macc 12:35.

1 Maccabees 5:67–68. At that time certain priests who wished to show bravery fell in battle, having gone out to war rashly. And Judas turned to Azotus, the land of the foreigners, demolished their altars, burned the carved images of their gods with fire, took the spoils of the cities, and returned to the land of Judea. “The land of the foreigners…”—γῆν ἀλλοφύλων—is an appositive to εἰς Ἄζωτον, not to indicate the location of Azotus, but to define more precisely the territory where Judas was fighting; hence further on it is stated that Judas “demolished their altars”—βωμοὺς αὐτῶν, that is, of the ἀλλοφύλων, the foreigners, and not of Ἀζώτου—Azotus alone. * * * The Books of Maccabees are translated from Greek, because no Hebrew text of them exists.

Chapter Six

Professor Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin. Explanatory Bible. Commentary on the First Book of Maccabees, Chapter 3. Chapter VI. The death of Antiochus Epiphanes (cf. 2 Mac, ch. IX) (1–17). Complaint of the Jewish renegades and the Syrian garrison of Antiochus Eupator against Judas, and the king’s extensive preparations for a new campaign against Judea (18–30). Siege of Beth-zur and the battle at Beth-zechariah (31–47). Siege of the temple mount fortifications, surrender of Beth-zur (48–54). Conclusion of an armistice; the king’s treachery and withdrawal to Antioch (55–63) (cf. Jos. Antt. XII, 9, 3–7 and 2 Mac XII: 18–27).

Chapter Seven

The accession of Demetrius Seleucus (1 Macc 7:1-4). His dispatch of Alcimus and Bacchides to Judea (1 Macc 7:5-11). Their treachery toward the pious scribes (1 Macc 7:12-18). The return of Bacchides and Alcimus to the king (1 Macc 7:19-25). The campaign of Nicanor against Judea, the battle at Capharsalama, the retreat of Judas (1 Macc 7:26-32). Nicanor in Jerusalem and the Temple (1 Macc 7:33-39). The battle at Beth-horon, the death of Nicanor, and the flight of the Syrians (1 Macc 7:40-47). The rejoicing of the people (1 Macc 7:48-50) (cf. 2 Macc 14:15; Jos. Antt. XII, 10, 1–5).

1 Maccabees 7:1. In the one hundred and fifty-first year, Demetrius son of Seleucus came out of Rome with a few men, entered a certain coastal city, and there became king. “In the 151st year,” that is, of the Seleucid era—161 BC.—“Son of Seleucus…”—that is, of Seleucus IV Philopator, the elder son of Antiochus the Great (see the commentary on I:10).—Upon the death of this Seleucus, his son Demetrius ought at that time to have inherited his throne. But since he was then a hostage in Rome, his uncle Antiochus Epiphanes assumed rule of the kingdom, and before his death entrusted the kingdom to his minor son Antiochus Eupator under the regency of Philip (VI:14 and following). But Demetrius, learning of the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, laid his claim before the Roman senate to the Syrian throne—unsuccessfully, however—probably because the senate, in the interests of the Roman state, found it more advantageous for Syria to be ruled by a boy rather than by an independent man of 22 years, as Demetrius was then. Nevertheless, after some time Demetrius still found an opportunity to sail from Rome to Syria on one of the Carthaginian ships (cf. Polyb. XXXI, 19–23, App. Syr. c. 47; Liv. Epit. XLVI and Justin, XXXIV, 3, 4–9).—“The coastal city” in which Demetrius became king was, according to 2 Macc 14:1, Tripolis.—“With a few men…”—according to Polybius XXXI, 22, 11—with 8 friends, 5 servants, and 3 boys. This statement does not contradict 2 Macc 14:1, where it is said that Demetrius arrived with a strong land and naval force—μετὰ πλήθους ἰσχυρου καὶ στόλου—if one allows that in the first case it concerns specifically Demetrius’s initial landing at Tripolis, and in the second—his setting sail from the harbor of that city with the aim of seizing the kingdom.

1 Maccabees 7:2. When he entered the royal house of his fathers, the army seized Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them to him. “The royal house of his fathers…”—οἶκος βασιλέως (Dan 4:27; Esth 1:9)—the royal residence, that is, Antioch.

1 Maccabees 7:3. When this became known to him, he said: Do not show me their faces. Demetrius’s command—“not to show him the faces” of Antiochus and Lysias—was probably prompted by his fear that he would not be strong enough to refuse them clemency if they began to beg him for it.

1 Maccabees 7:4–5. Then the soldiers killed them, and Demetrius sat on the throne of his kingdom. And all the lawless and ungodly men of Israel came to him, and Alcimus was their leader, seeking the high priesthood; “Alcimus”—Ἄλκιμος, according to Jos. Antt. XII, 9, 7 also Ἰάκειμος.—“Seeking the high priesthood…”—according to verse 21—“the high priesthood.” According to 2 Macc 14:3 — he had already been high priest earlier, but had been removed by the devout Jews because of his inclination toward pagan customs.

1 Maccabees 7:6. And they accused the people before the king, saying: “Judas and his brothers have destroyed your friends, and have driven us out of our land. “Your friends…”—that is, your supporters among the Jewish people.

1 Maccabees 7:7–13. So now send a man whom you trust; let him go and see all the destruction they have done to us and to the king’s land, and let him punish them and all who help them.” The king chose Bacchides, one of the king’s friends who held authority west of the River, was great in the kingdom, and was loyal to the king, and sent him and the ungodly Alcimus, granting him the high priesthood, and commanded him to take vengeance on the sons of Israel. They set out and came to the land of Judea with a large army; and he sent messengers to Judas and his brothers with peaceable but deceitful words. But they gave no heed to their words, for they saw that they had come with a large army. And there gathered to Alcimus and Bacchides a company of scribes to seek justice. The Hasideans were the first among the sons of Israel; they sought peace from them, “A company of scribes…”—συναγωγὴ γραμματέων—a crowd of scribes (συναγωγή—as II:42, γραμματεῖς—as Ezra 7:6; Езд. XI; Neh 8:4 — hence differently from our book V:42), who had devoted themselves to the study of the Word of God and to teaching and instructing others in it—“teachers of the Law.” These scribes came to Alcimus and Bacchides “to seek justice…”—ἐκζητῆσαι δίκαια, that is, the right and the right to live righteously, according to the ancestral laws, on the basis of the peace already concluded by the Jews with Antiochus Eupator (VI:59). The following verse (13), in connection or comparison with the preceding one, may have a twofold meaning. This depends on what meaning one assigns to the expression “the first among the sons of Israel.” If one sees in this expression the author’s wish to indicate the time or order of presentation to Alcimus and Bacchides of one or another part of the people, then verse 13 will have this meaning: “The first among the sons of Israel to seek peace from them (i.e. Alcimus and Bacchides) were the Hasideans.” But if “first” is used here in the sense of “best,” then the thought of both verses (12, 13) will be as follows: “There gathered to Alcimus and Bacchides a company of scribes to seek justice. Among them were also the best of the sons of Israel—the Hasideans, who sought peace from them…” It is also possible to imagine the matter such that the Hasideans did not form part of the scribes’ party nor a separate party from it, but rather—on the contrary—these scribes formed part of the Hasidean party or all of it. In that case the meaning here could also be: “There gathered to Alcimus… a company of scribes…: these were the best of the sons of Israel—the Hasideans…” and so on.—Alcimus was—according to Jos. Antt. XII, 9, 7—οὐκ ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἀρχιερέων γενεᾶς, or as he states more plainly in XX, 10—γένους μὲν τοῦ Ἀαρωνος, οὐκ ὄντα δὲ τῆς οἰκίας ταύτης, that is, not from the family of the slain Menelaus, whom he derives from Aaron through the line of Eleazar. Thus Alcimus became high priest bypassing the nearest candidate for the high priesthood, who was Onias, also a son of Onias (III), the eldest of those 3 brothers—sons of Simon—who in succession all served as high priests (Onias, Jesus (Jason), and Onias—Menelaus).

1 Maccabees 7:14–15. For they said: A priest from the lineage of Aaron has come with the army and will not wrong us. And he spoke with them peaceably and swore to them, and said: We will not do you or your friends any harm. “He swore to them…” Although no oath of Bacchides is mentioned here, it is evident from what follows (verse 18) that either Alcimus, in giving the people his oath, also gave it on behalf of Bacchides, or that Bacchides himself gave such an oath that is not mentioned here.

1 Maccabees 7:16–17. And they trusted him; but he seized sixty of them and killed them in one day, as it is written in Scripture: “The bodies of your holy ones and their blood they poured out around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.” The scriptural text that the author cites after reporting the treacherously cruel slaughter of 60 men is taken from Ps 78:2-3. This “psalm of Asaph” in its more immediate sense tells of the Chaldean destruction of Jerusalem; it is recalled here by similarity of events.

1 Maccabees 7:18. And fear and dread fell on all the people, and they said: There is no truth or justice in them, for they have broken the agreement and the oath they swore. “The agreement”—ἡ στάσις—that is, the treaty, the promise.

1 Maccabees 7:19. Then Bacchides withdrew from Jerusalem and camped at Bezeth, and sent and seized many of the men who had fled from him, and some of the people—he slaughtered them and threw them into a great pit. “Bezeth”—Βηζείθ—the location of this camp of Bacchides is not precisely known. Some think it was the hill of Bezeth that later became built up and became a suburb of Jerusalem or part of it (cf. Jos. De bell. jud. V, 4, 2); in any case, this place of execution of the Jews was not far from Jerusalem.—“He seized many of the men who had fled from him…”—that is, probably those Jews who, having abandoned their faith, had first joined the Syrians but then defected from them again.—“And some of the people…”—probably those whom Bacchides regarded as most suspicious in terms of sympathy and assistance to the Syrians.

1 Maccabees 7:20–21. Then, entrusting the country to Alcimus and leaving him a force to help him, Bacchides went to the king. And Alcimus sought to secure the high priesthood. Alcimus’s “seeking” of the high priesthood was achieved by force with the troops left to him by Bacchides. The statement of Jos. Antt. XII, 10, 3 that Alcimus endeavored to win the goodwill of the people by flattering speeches does not align well with the word ἠγωνίσατο in the original text and probably arose from a false interpretation of verse 22.

1 Maccabees 7:22. And all those who had stirred up trouble among his people gathered to him, and they took possession of the land of Judea, and inflicted a great defeat on Israel. “They inflicted a great defeat on Israel…”—that is, they killed many of the true Israelites.

1 Maccabees 7:23–24. And Judas saw all the evil that Alcimus and his companions had done to the sons of Israel—more than the pagans had done; and he went around all the borders of Judea and took vengeance on the renegades—and they stopped entering that land. “He took vengeance on the renegades”—that is, on those spoken of in verse 22—“and they stopped entering that land,” that is, with the purpose of “stirring up” their people and inflicting “a great defeat on Israel” (the same verse).—After Antiochus Eupator had concluded peace with the Jews, allowing them to live according to their ancestral customs and laws (VI:61), Judas had probably for a time let his army disperse to their homes, taking measures so that if necessary it could quickly rally around him again. When Demetrius, upon ascending the Syrian throne, then sent Bacchides and Alcimus with a large army to Judea, Judas and his brothers did not fall for the treacherously peaceful words of the newcomers and resolved to await further developments. The unhappy fate of the scribes and Hasideans who had been taken in by the enemies vindicated his fears and drew him out of his wait-and-see stance back into the work of armed struggle for faith and freedom. Judas’s successes in a short time led to Alcimus being forced to return to the king with complaints about the Jewish warrior and a request for the dispatch of a new large army against Judea (verses 23–26).

1 Maccabees 7:25–26. When Alcimus saw that Judas and those with him had grown strong, and realized he could not resist them, he returned to the king and bitterly accused them. Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his glorious commanders, a hater and enemy of Israel, and commanded him to destroy that people. Nicanor, who had already acted against the Jews under Antiochus Epiphanes (III:38), was—according to 2 Macc 14:12 — the officer in charge of war elephants; according to Josephus he had fled together with Demetrius from Rome; according to Polybius XXXI, 22, 4—was there one of his most trusted intimates. His hatred and hostility toward Israel are especially understandable after his defeat at Emmaus (III:38; IV:6 and following).

1 Maccabees 7:27–28. Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a large army and sent to Judas and his brothers with deceitful and peaceful words: Let there be no war between me and you; I will come with a few men to see your faces in peace. “To see your faces…”—to visit for a personal meeting or negotiations, cf. Exod 10:28 and following.—“In peace…”—that is, without ill intent, peaceably, in friendship.

1 Maccabees 7:29–30. And he came to Judas, and they greeted each other peaceably; but meanwhile soldiers had been prepared to seize Judas. It became known to Judas that he had come to him with treachery, and so he was afraid of him and would not meet his face anymore. The account of Judas’s peaceful dealings with Nicanor is passed down in the form of a full saga in 2 Macc 14:21-29 and following.

1 Maccabees 7:31. When Nicanor learned that his plot had been discovered, he went out against Judas in battle near Capharsalama. “Capharsalama”—Χαφαρσαλαμά—called by Josephus a κώμη—its exact location is unknown; one thing is certain: it lay to the south of Jerusalem, because after the battle Nicanor flees to Jerusalem (the city of David) and then to Beth-horon.

1 Maccabees 7:32–33. About five thousand of those with Nicanor fell, and the rest fled to the city of David. After this Nicanor went up to Mount Zion; and some priests and elders of the people came out from the sanctuary to greet him peaceably and to show him the burnt offering being offered for the king. “He went up to Mount Zion…”—that is, to the temple mount; see the commentary on I:33.—“The burnt offering for the king…” Under the rule of the pagans the Jews had introduced the custom of offering sacrifice for foreign kings, as for their own rulers, and praying for them. They did this for the Persian kings (Ezra 6:10), and later for the Roman emperors (cf. Jos. bell. Iud. II, 17, 2; c. Ap. II, 6, Philo, legat. ad Caj. Opp. II, 592). This was grounded in the admonition of the prophet Jeremiah (XXIX:7) to the exiles to pray for the welfare of the city in which they were settled.

1 Maccabees 7:34. But he mocked them, derided them, defiled them, and spoke arrogantly, “He defiled them…”—in what way?—is not stated. According to Jos. Gorion. III, 21, 12 he spat at them, or more precisely, in the direction of the Temple.

1 Maccabees 7:35–39. And swore in anger and said: Unless Judas and his army are delivered into my hands now, then when I return in safety I will burn this house. And he departed in great anger. And the priests went in and stood before the altar and the Temple, and wept and said: You, O Lord, chose this house so that your name would be called upon it, and that it would be a house of prayer and supplication for your people. Take vengeance on this man and his army, and let them fall by the sword; remember their blasphemies and do not let them remain any longer. And Nicanor went out from Jerusalem and camped at Beth-horon, and a Syrian army joined him there. On Beth-horon, see the commentary on III:16.—“A Syrian army joined him there…”—that is, a reinforcement detachment from Syria.

1 Maccabees 7:40. And Judas camped with three thousand men at Adasa; and Judas prayed and said: “Judas… camped… at Adasa…”—ἐν Ἀδασᾷ (Josephus: ἐν Ἀδασοῖς, and called κώμη). Adasa—according to Eusebius—was 30 stadia (3/4 of a mile) from Beth-horon, near Gophna, thus to the north (NE) of Beth-horon.

1 Maccabees 7:41. O Lord, when those sent by the king of Assyria blasphemed, your Angel came and struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand of them. On the striking down of 185,000 Assyrians by an angel—see 2 Kgs 18:13.

1 Maccabees 7:42–45. So crush now before us this host, that the rest may know that they have spoken blasphemy against your holy places, and judge them according to their wickedness. And the armies joined battle on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and the army of Nicanor was defeated, and he himself was the first to fall in battle. When his soldiers saw that Nicanor had fallen, they threw down their weapons and fled. And the Israelites pursued them for the whole day, from Adasa all the way to Gazara, and they sounded the signal trumpets after them. “The Israelites pursued them for the whole day…”—the Slavonic gives this more precisely: “a journey of one day.”—“All the way to Gazara…”—the Slavonic gives this more precisely: “until they came to Gazara”—ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν εἰς Γάζηρα—to the point of entering Gazara. Josephus reckons the enemy’s forces at 9,000. Strongly exaggerated, probably, is the figure given in 2 Macc 15:27 — “not fewer than 35,000 killed.”

1 Maccabees 7:46. And people came out from all the surrounding villages of Judea and surrounded them—and turning back toward those pursuing them, they all fell by the sword, and not one of them was left. “They surrounded them…”—more precisely in the Slavonic: “they enclosed them with their wings” (ὑπερκεράν).—“And they, turning back toward those pursuing them, all fell…”—ἀνέστρεφον οὗτοι πρὸς τούτους…, more precisely in the Slavonic: “and these turned back toward them…” The course of events here must apparently be imagined as follows: those being pursued, in order to break out of the encirclement that the Jews pouring toward them from all sides threatened to close, turned back—and of course ran headlong into their own men fleeing behind them; in the confusion and panic they came to blows with them, mistaking them for Jews, and possibly simply crushing one another.

1 Maccabees 7:47. And the Jews took their spoils and their plunder, and cut off the head of Nicanor and his right hand, which he had stretched out arrogantly, and brought them and hung them up near Jerusalem. “And their plunder…”—καὶ τὴν προνομήν, Slavonic: “and the captives.” This word among pagan writers means “foraging,” provisions; among the LXX—booty in general, cf. Deut 21:10, where also in προνομή captive women are included; here, probably, in the sense of the general plunder gathered by the enemies during the campaign and retaken by the Jews.—“And his right hand, which he had stretched out arrogantly…”—that is, during the oath—verse 35. This notes the correspondence of punishment to crime.—“Hung them up near Jerusalem…”—according to 2 Macc 15:32-33 — “opposite the Temple.”

1 Maccabees 7:48–49. And the people rejoiced greatly and celebrated that day as a day of great festivity; and they established that this day should be observed annually on the thirteenth of Adar. The celebration of “the 13th of Adar” (“Nicanor’s Day”), in memory of the victory over Nicanor, was still observed in Josephus’s time, but later went out of practice.

1 Maccabees 7:50. And the land of Judea was at rest for a few days. “The land of Judea was at rest for a few days…”—in the sense of a short time (ἡμέρας ὀλίγας), Slavonic: “for a few days.” * * * Notes The Books of Maccabees are translated from Greek, because no Hebrew text of them exists.

Chapter Eight

Reports about the Romans that prompted Judas to seek an alliance with Rome (1 Macc 8:1-16). The conclusion of the alliance (1 Macc 8:17-32).

1 Maccabees 8:1–2. Judas heard of the fame of the Romans, that they are mighty and powerful and look favorably on all who come to them, and with all who came to them they made friendship. And that they are mighty and powerful—he was told about their wars and the brave exploits they performed against the Galatians, how they subdued them and made them tributaries; Although the brilliant victory over Nicanor gave the land a respite, it was only for a short time. Everything led one to expect and fear that the Syrian king would endeavor to avenge this defeat and would direct against Judea such an army as would crush by sheer numbers the small band of Judas’s comrades, as had happened the last time under Antiochus Eupator (chapter VI).—In view of this, Judas hastened to make use of the brief interval of peace to conclude an alliance with the Romans, so that through this alliance he might gain powerful protection against the threat of complete enslavement of his people by Syria. He was moved to this step by reports reaching him from all sides about the unparalleled valor of the Romans and their invincibly victorious strength.—“Judas heard of the fame of the Romans…”—more precisely, as in the Slavonic: “Judas hearing the name of the Romans…” (ακούειν τό ὄνομα—as in III:41).—Following the main clause of this verse (“Judas heard…”) come 3 others, setting out the content of the reports about the Romans thematically, and this theme is then developed in more detail by reference to corresponding events (vv. 3–16).—First, the report that the Romans are “mighty and powerful”—δυνατοί ἰσχύϊ, cf. II:42; second, that they “look favorably on all who come to them”; third, that “with all who came to them they made friendship.”—Proceeding to cite the corresponding facts on the first theme, the author repeats it once more for clarity: “and that they are mighty and powerful—(in confirmation of this) he was told…”—“He was told”—διηγήσαντο—implies that before deciding to seek an alliance with the Romans, Judas made careful inquiries about them. Among their “brave exploits,” mention is made first of the subjugation of the Galatians. By these Galatians some understand the Galatians of Asia Minor or Celts, who were organized by Attalus, king of Pergamon, into a special district of Asia Minor called Galatia or Graecogallia, and in 189 BC were subdued by the consul Cn. Manl. Vulso (Liv. XXXVIII, 12, 20 ss. 37 ss.). Others, on the contrary, find that the text speaks here of the cisalpine (on the far side of the Alps) or Italian Gauls, whose cities, wars with Rome, and complete extermination are described by Polybius (II, 14–34). This latter opinion has three arguments in its favor: 1) only these, and not the Asian Gauls, were made tributaries of Rome; 2) these Gauls are mentioned before the Spaniards, whereas the Asian Gauls should have been mentioned later; and 3) Rome’s wars with these Italian Gauls were events that could have been reported to the East earliest of all. To these arguments must be added the fact that Rome spent far greater resources and time in conquering Italian Gaul than in subduing Asian Galatia.

1 Maccabees 8:3. also about what they did in the land of Spain to seize the silver and gold mines there, “In the land of Spain…”—Spain, as is well known, was the chief object of dispute and the arena of conflict during the second Punic War between Rome and Carthage, and after the battle of Zama in 201 BC formally passed from Carthage to Rome; but the final consolidation of this country under Roman rule cost Rome great struggle and many efforts, owing to the freedom-loving character of its inhabitants. Only in 19 BC, with the subjugation of the Cantabri, was the conquest of the entire peninsula completed, so that the Romans at the time of our historian were not yet fully sovereign masters of the whole country.

1 Maccabees 8:4. and with their prudence and steadfastness they gained control over the whole region, even though that region was very far from them, as well as about the kings who came against them from the ends of the earth, and they crushed them and dealt them a great defeat, while the rest pay them tribute every year; By the kings who “came against them (i.e., the Romans) from the ends of the earth…”—it is most likely that we are to understand the Spanish and especially the Carthaginian kings, or simply the chiefs of the various Spanish peoples and commanders, who in antiquity were often called kings.

1 Maccabees 8:5. they also crushed in war and subdued Philip and Perseus, king of the Kittim, and others who had risen against them, Philip mentioned here is Philip III, son of Demetrius II, king of Macedonia from 221 BC; after a long war with the Romans he was utterly defeated by Quinctius Flamininus in 197 BC at the Cynoscephalae hills (in Thessaly) and was forced to conclude a humiliating peace (Liv. XXXI, 5; XXXIII, 1–13, 30; Flor. II, 7).—Perseus, the son and successor of Philip, was defeated in 168 BC by Aemilius Paullus at the battle of Pydna, and died five years later in captivity (Polyb. XXIX, 6 and 7; Liv. XLIV, 40 ff.; XLV, 4 ff.; Flor. II, 12).—“King of the Kittim…” i.e., of Macedonia, see note on I, 1.—“And others who had risen against them…” i.e., probably, the peoples and princes who aided Perseus, such as the Epirotes, Thessalians, Thracians, and Gentians from Illyria.

1 Maccabees 8:6–8. and Antiochus, the great king of Asia, who came out against them in battle with one hundred and twenty elephants, with cavalry and chariots and a very large army, and he was defeated by them; they took him alive and required him and the kings who came after him to pay a large tribute, to give hostages, and to permit partition; and the region of India and Media and Lydia and some of the finest of his provinces, taking them from him, they gave to King Eumenes; The victory over Antiochus the Great is recalled. Antiochus is called “king of Asia” as the ruler of Syria and most of Asia Minor. After the battle of Magnesia (189 BC), all his Asian territories on this side of the Taurus passed to the Romans, who then transferred a portion of these territories (namely, Mysia, Lydia, and Phrygia) to the Pergamene king Eumenes II (Liv. XXXVII, 55; XXXVIII, 39). Nevertheless, even after this the Syrian kings of the Seleucid dynasty did not cease to call themselves “kings of Asia”—probably continuing to press their claims to the lost provinces (cf. 1 Macc 11:13; 2 Macc 3:3).—Antiochus advanced to war against the Romans with 120 elephants. This figure is not in absolute contradiction with Livy’s statement—XXXVII, 39—that Antiochus had only 54 elephants at the battle of Magnesia. It is well known that a significant defeat of Antiochus had already preceded that battle, and therefore, while it may be accurate that in the final engagement (at Magnesia) the king had 54 elephants, it may equally be true that at the start of the war he had more of them.—Eumenes, the king to whom the Romans gave the best of the territories taken from Antiochus, greatly contributed to the defeat of the latter by throwing his chariots (at the battle of Magnesia) into complete confusion. The statement that Antiochus was at that time taken prisoner (καί ἔλαβον αὐτὸν ζῶντα) is at odds with the accounts of all other classical historians and spread as an exaggeration of Roman glory. The tribute that Antiochus was required to pay after this defeat consisted—according to Polyb. XXI, 15, 4–6 (Liv. XXXVIII, 38)—of 15,000 Euboean talents, of which 500 were paid immediately on the conclusion of peace, 2,500 upon ratification of the peace treaty, and the remaining 12,000 over 12 years (1,000 talents annually); in practice, payment dragged on longer, so that even Antiochus Epiphanes was still seeking funds in 173 BC to pay off this indemnity (Liv. XLII, 6).—“To give hostages and to permit partition…” διδόναι ὅμηρα καί διαστολήν, the Slavonic more precisely: “to give pledges and a statute.” The meaning of the original is not entirely clear. Some understand by διαστολή here the portion taken from Antiochus’s dominions and given to Eumenes—v. 8—in which case the καί at the beginning of that verse should be understood as “namely.”—The mention of the region of India and Media (χώρα ἡ Ἰνδική καί Μήδεια) among the territories alienated from Antiochus is incorrect. India was never subject to Antiochus, and he was not obligated to cede Media, only the provinces on this side of the Taurus, the greater part of which (Phrygia, Mysia, and Lydia) subsequently went to Eumenes. This inaccuracy must be explained by the insufficient knowledge that Jews of that era had concerning foreign peoples and lands.

1 Maccabees 8:9–10. and how the Greeks planned to come and destroy them, but this plan became known to them, and they sent against them a single commander and made war on them—and many of them fell slain, and they took their women and children captive, and plundered them, and seized their land, and demolished their fortresses, and enslaved them to this day; The account of Greece’s struggle with Rome also has the character of “rumors” in which the actual historical course of events is badly confused. Nothing is actually narrated anywhere about a plan by the Greeks to “destroy” the Romans: apparently what is referred to in general terms here is the affair of the Romans with the Greeks in the war against the Achaean League in 147 and 146 BC.—At that time Thebes and Chalcis were indeed destroyed, Corinth was taken, all the men were slaughtered, all the women and children sold into slavery, the cities were barbarously plundered and burned, the walls of the remaining cities were demolished, and shortly afterward all of Greece was made a Roman province under the name of Achaea (Pausan. VII, 16, 562; Liv. Epit. LII; Flor. II, 16; Justin XXXIV, 2).—But if so, the question arises: how could the author speak of this event in the time of Judas, when Judas died fifteen years before the events described as belonging to his era?—To explain this anachronism, which does not undermine the general reliability of the book, one must take into account: first, that the historian wrote this book twenty to twenty-five years after the destruction of Corinth by the Romans; second, that the Jews of Palestine in general could have been insufficiently well informed about the historical and chronological details of this war between Rome and Greece; and finally, that in our verse (v. 10) the final outcome of the Greeks’ struggle with Rome may already be being cited.

1 Maccabees 8:11. And other kingdoms and islands that had ever risen against them they laid waste and enslaved. “Islands…”—here Sicily, Sardinia, and the Greek islands of the Archipelago may be intended.

1 Maccabees 8:12. But with their friends and those who trusted in them they maintained friendship and gained control over kingdoms near and far, and all who heard their name feared them. “They maintained friendship…”—insofar as this was consistent with Rome’s policy, Rome did indeed show itself loyal to friendship; but the ultimate aim of this friendship, in keeping with that same Roman policy, was always such that the allied country was turned into a province of the Roman Empire. The Jews too came to learn this through bitter experience.—“And gained control over kingdoms near and far…”—in the context of what precedes, these words are a direct continuation of the previous statement, and mean to say that the Romans possessed sufficient strength and authority that even their allies became powerful and capable of conquering kingdoms hostile to them.

1 Maccabees 8:13–14. If they want to help someone and make him king, he reigns; and whomever they wish, they depose; and they have become very great. But for all of this, none of them has ever put on a crown or dressed in purple to exalt himself with it. 1 Maccabees 8:15–16. They established a council among themselves, and every day three hundred and twenty men meet to deliberate about everything concerning the people and their welfare; and each year they entrust the leadership over themselves and dominion over all their land to one man, and all obey one person, and there is neither envy nor jealousy among them. The accounts of the Roman form of government and administration suffer from significant inaccuracies and errors, showing that at that time the Jews in general lacked adequate knowledge on this subject.—“They established a council among themselves…”—βουλευτήριον ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς—the Slavonic more precisely: “and they made themselves a council chamber.”—What is meant here is the Roman Senate. “Every day,” as is said here, it did not convene; rather, it met mostly on the Kalends, Nones, Ides, and on feast days; but it could convene more than once in a day. The number of senators under King Tarquinius Priscus was established at 300, remaining unchanged until C. Sempronius Gracchus, who in 123 BC (thus considerably after the time of Judas) increased this number by admitting 300 knights.—The statement in v. 16 that the governance of the Roman people was annually entrusted to one man could have arisen from the fact that the alliance treaty that followed the Senate’s decision mentioned, beside the names of the envoys, the name of the senatorial chairman (see according to Mottlen).—“And there is neither envy nor jealousy among them…”—this report is accurate to the extent that the disorders of the Gracchi, the internal factional struggle, and conflicts such as the long strife between patricians and plebeians, were in reality not expressions of the will and condition of the whole. Foreign lands could have heard little of this internal factional struggle, and it normally left no trace on Rome’s foreign policy.

1 Maccabees 8:17. Then Judas chose Eupolemus, son of John, son of Accos, and Jason, son of Eleazar, and sent them to Rome to conclude friendship and alliance with them, Judas sent Eupolemus and Jason to Rome. The father of this Eupolemus—John—is known from 2 Macc 4:11 for having obtained for the Jewish people gracious royal concessions through his intercession.—“Accos”—(“son of Accos”)—appears to designate the name of the clan to which Eupolemus and John belonged. Such a clan of Accos—among the priestly clans (τοῦ Ακκως)—is mentioned in Neh 3:4; Ezra 3:61; cf. 1 Chr 24:10 — to which Eupolemus and John probably belonged.—Jason, son of Eleazar—nothing more is known about him; judging by the name, he may also have belonged to a priestly clan.

1 Maccabees 8:18. and to lift the yoke from them, for they saw that the Greek kingdom wanted to enslave Israel. “The Greek kingdom…” i.e., the Syrian kingdom.

1 Maccabees 8:19. So they set out for Rome, though the journey was very long, and they entered the assembly of the council, and coming forward they said: “The journey was very long…”—because this sea voyage was customarily made not along a straight course across the open sea but along the coasts, so that, for example, the ship on which the holy Apostle Paul traveled to Rome spent a full six months on its voyage from Palestine to Rome (Acts 27:1).—The remark about the length of the journey to Rome shows that for the Jews this journey (to Rome) was still something novel.

1 Maccabees 8:20–22. Judas Maccabeus and his brothers and the whole Jewish people have sent us to you to conclude an alliance and peace with you, and to have you enroll us among your allies and friends. And this proposal was pleasing to them. And here is a copy of the letter that they wrote back on bronze tablets and sent to Jerusalem, so that it might serve them there as a memorial of peace and alliance: The Romans wrote their written decree in response to the envoys’ request “on bronze tablets and sent it to Jerusalem…” Josephus transmits this passage with the addition that the original decree was deposited on the Capitol, while a copy of it was sent to the Jews. Judging by the fact that at the conclusion of the peace treaty with the Carthaginians—according to Polyb. III, 6, 1—the same procedure was followed, it may be presumed that in the present case as well Josephus’s addition is more consistent with the truth.

1 Maccabees 8:23–28. “May it go well with the Romans and with the Jewish people on sea and on land forever, and may sword and enemy be far from them! If war comes first upon the Romans or upon any of their allies throughout their entire dominion, the Jewish people shall assist them wholeheartedly in the war, as the occasion may require; and to those at war they shall not give or supply grain, arms, money, or ships—for so it seems good to the Romans; they shall carry out their obligation without receiving anything. In the same way, if war comes first upon the Jewish people, the Romans shall assist them wholeheartedly in the war, as the occasion may require; and to those who assist them in the war they shall not give grain, arms, money, or ships—so it seems good to Rome; they shall carry out their obligations—and without deceit.” The text of the peace treaty opens with the customary Roman formula in such cases, expressing goodwill to the contracting parties: κάλως γένοιτο … etc.—“May it go well…!” Then follow the articles—one for each contracting party, of approximately the same content (vv. 24–26 concerning the Romans, vv. 27–28 concerning the Jews).—The essence of the treaty is that both sides—first, obligated themselves to assist each other in time of war; and second, to do so without requiring from the side at war any grain, weapons, money, or ships. In this way the Jews became “allies” of the Romans, subjecting themselves to the fate of all other Roman allies, who typically ended up under the Roman yoke. This was a mistake on Judas’s part, although perhaps an unavoidable and forced one given the difficult circumstances. Nevertheless, some quite rightly note that if Judas had taken greater care to verify the reports about the Romans and had become convinced that under the guise of friendship they were treacherously enslaving their allies, he would certainly never have desired any alliance with the Romans. This alliance is found objectionable also in another respect: it shows how far this era of “the people of God” had departed from the better times of its antiquity, and how the more recent impulses of that people stood below the pure inspiration of that antiquity—in the time of the prophets, this method of self-defense would have been decisively protested. However, Judas did not live to see the formal conclusion of the alliance, or at least did not wait for the return of his envoys from Rome, having laid down “his life for his people” in the final battle against Bacchides.

1 Maccabees 8:29–32. On these terms the Romans concluded an alliance with the Jewish people. But if after these terms either side decides to add or remove anything, they may do so at their mutual discretion, and whatever they add or remove shall be valid. As for the harm that King Demetrius is doing to the Jews, we have written to him as follows: “Why have you made your yoke heavy on our friends and allies the Jews? If they come to us again with a complaint against you, we shall defend their rights and make war on you by sea and by land.” * * * Notes The Books of Maccabees have been translated from the Greek, since they do not exist in the Hebrew text.

Chapter Nine

The renewal of the war with the Syrians and the death of Judas (Antt. XII, 11) (1 Macc 9:1-22). The wretched state of Israel and the election of Jonathan as leader and commander of the people (1 Macc 9:23-31). Jonathan’s retreat into the wilderness of Tekoa; the loss of John, seized by “the sons of Jambri” along with his entire caravan; Jonathan’s vengeance for him; the battle with Bacchides at the river Jordan (1 Macc 9:32-50). Bacchides’s fortification of the country (1 Macc 9:50-53). Alcimus’s wicked enterprise and his death (1 Macc 9:54-57). Bacchides’s second war with Jonathan and the conclusion of peace (1 Macc 9:58-73).

1 Maccabees 9:1. When Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his soldiers had fallen in battle, he sent Bacchides and Alcimus a second time into the land of Judea, and with them the right wing. Having heard of Nicanor’s defeat (VII:43 ff.), Demetrius sends Bacchides and Alcimus to Judea a second time “and with them the right wing…”—an expression that is not entirely clear. The more correct interpretation is that this refers to the southern portion of the army, which stood closest to Judea. The dispatch of this detachment took place, without doubt, before the conclusion of Judas’s alliance with the Romans, and in any case before the dispatch or receipt of the letter from the Roman Senate to King Demetrius mentioned in VIII:31 ff.

1 Maccabees 9:2. And they set out on the road to Galgala and encamped at Mesaloth, which is in Arbela, and seizing it they destroyed many people. “They set out… to Galgala and encamped at Mesaloth, which is in Arbela…” These place identifications cannot be determined with certainty today. Γάλγαλα in the LXX (cf. Josh 4:19 and 2 Kgs 2:1 and others) is the name of three localities in Palestine. Since it cannot be the Gilgal that lay between Jericho and the Jordan, the search must be among the other two, situated to the north and northwest of Jerusalem. It was, therefore, either the Gilgal at the site of the present large village of Dschildschule—between Gophna (Jifna) and Nablus, 2½ miles south of the latter (Deut 11:30), or at the site of the present Dschildschule—east or southeast of Kefr Saba (Antipatris) on the road from Damascus to Egypt—which may be assumed in Josh 12:23. This latter is also the candidate for the present passage, suggested both by the expression “they set out on the road to Galgala,” ὁδὸν τὴν εἰς Γάλγαλα, where a well-known main or military road is evidently implied—and also by the circumstance that an army wishing to advance as quickly as possible would have chosen the nearest open caravan route through the valley rather than the difficult mountain road from Shechem to Jerusalem. If this assumption about Galgala is correct, Μαισαλὼθ ἡ ἐν Ἀρβήλοις should be sought between Dschildschule and Jerusalem, perhaps at the ascent from the valley into the hilly terrain. Neither Μαισαλώθ nor Ἄρβηλα (setting aside…, Hos 10:14) are mentioned elsewhere in the Old Testament. And from “Mesaloth, which is in Arbela” one can only conclude that Arbela is a district name, not a town.

1 Maccabees 9:3–4. In the first month of the one hundred and fifty-second year they encamped against Jerusalem, but they broke camp and marched to Berea with twenty thousand men and two thousand cavalry. “In the first month of year 152…” (Seleucid era), thus shortly after the defeat of Nicanor (IX:3)—as quickly as possible, so as not to give Judas time to gather his forces—“…they marched to Berea…” in order to strike at Judas, who “had encamped at Elasa…” (v. 5). The location of both of these places—Berea and Elasa—is unknown. One thing that can be assumed with reasonable certainty is that the site of the clash between the opposing sides was west or southwest of Jerusalem.

1 Maccabees 9:5–6. And Judas had encamped at Elasa, and three thousand chosen men were with him. But when they saw the multitude of the army, how great it was, they were greatly afraid, and many from his camp fled, and no more than eight hundred men remained of them. “The war was oppressing him…”—Greek: ὁ πόλεμος ἔθλιβεν αὐτόν, Slavonic: “the battle was grieving him…”—i.e., it was bringing him sorrow by its inescapability.

1 Maccabees 9:7–10. When Judas saw that his troops had fled and the war was oppressing him, he was troubled at heart, because he had no time to gather them. He was grieved and said to those who remained: let us rise and go against our enemies; perhaps we shall be able to fight with them. But they were discouraging him and saying: we are not able, but let us now save our lives and then return with our brothers, and after that we will fight against them—but right now we are few. But Judas said: no, let it never happen to me that I flee from them; but if our hour has come, let us die bravely for our brothers and leave no stain on our glory. “No, let it never happen to me!”—μή μοι γένιτο ποιήσαι, Slavonic: “Let me not do this thing!”—“If our hour has come…”—ὁ καιρός—the time appointed for us, i.e., the time of death (Slavonic: “if our time has drawn near”).

1 Maccabees 9:11. And the army moved out of the camp and took a position against them; the cavalry was divided into two divisions, and the slingers and archers went in front of the army, and all the powerful men at the front. “And the army moved out…”—ἡ δύναμις—i.e., the Syrian army, whose formation into battle order is then described in more detail.

1 Maccabees 9:12–15. Bacchides was on the right wing, and the detachments drew near from both sides and they sounded the trumpets. Those with Judas also sounded the trumpets, and the earth shook at the noise of the armies, and the battle was fierce from morning until evening. When Judas saw that Bacchides and the strongest part of his force was on the right side, all the bravehearted rallied to him, and the right wing was broken by them, and they pursued them as far as Mount Azotus. “They pursued them as far as Mount Azotus…”—ἕως Ἀζώτου ὄρους … This reference raises considerable difficulty, which Josephus had already tried to resolve by reading Ἄζατου ὄρους in this passage. However, if one assumes that the battle took place to the west of Jerusalem on the border of the hills enclosing the Philistine plain, then Azotus could have been only 3–4 miles from the battlefield, and a pursuit of the enemy to the vicinity of that city or its hill would have been entirely feasible.

1 Maccabees 9:16. When those on the left wing saw that the right wing was broken, they turned and followed on the heels of Judas and those with him, from behind. “Turned and followed on the heels of Judas”—ἐπέστρεψαν κατὰ πόδας—more precisely in the Slavonic: “turned in the footsteps of Judas…”

1 Maccabees 9:17. And the battle was fierce, and many fell slain on both sides, “The battle was fierce…”—καί ἐβαρύνθη ὁ πόλεμος—more precisely in the Slavonic: “and the battle was made heavy…”

1 Maccabees 9:18–21. and Judas fell, and the rest fled. And Jonathan and Simon took Judas their brother and buried him in the tomb of his fathers at Modein. And all the Israelites wept for him and mourned greatly, and were sorrowful for many days and said: how has the mighty one fallen, who saved Israel? “How has the mighty one fallen?”—an echo of David’s lament over Saul and Jonathan — 2 Sam 1:19: “…how have the mighty fallen?”

1 Maccabees 9:22. The rest of the deeds of Judas, and his battles and brave acts that he performed, and his greatness are not recorded, for there were very many of them. Conclusion of the history of Judas. “The rest of the deeds of Judas…”—τὰ περισσὰ τῶν λόγων Ἰούδα—more precisely in the Slavonic: “the rest of the words and battles of Judas…”—i.e., the remaining part of the accounts about Judas or of his history—the customary formula at the conclusion of accounts about the kings of Israel and Judah (1 Kgs 11:41 and others), with only this difference: that there the reader is normally referred to where their remaining acts are recorded, whereas here, on the contrary, it is noted that they “are not recorded” (οὐ κατεγράφη)—and it remains unclear whether the author intended to say that they are not recorded in this book of his, or that they are not recorded in the source he was using for his account of the history of Judas. The analogy with the cited passages from the Books of Kings, and especially the comparison with XVI:23, argues for the latter interpretation.

1 Maccabees 9:23. After the death of Judas, lawless men appeared throughout all the regions of Israel, and all the workers of iniquity rose up. After the death of Judas (160 BC), Jonathan succeeded him, and the account of Jonathan continues unbroken through XII:53. The apostate party among the Jews, suppressed and enfeebled for a long time by Judas’s vigorous action against it (VII:24), raised its head again after his death and came forward to help the Syrians in oppressing the faithful. To complete the calamity of the latter, a severe famine broke out, which was also connected with the surge of the apostates, who had grown greatly in number. This is reflected in the remark of v. 24 that “the land joined sides with them”—ηὐτομόλησεν ἡ χώρα μετ᾿ αὐτῶν—more precisely in the Slavonic: “and the land fell away with them…” This interpretation presupposes that the apostates exploited the famine (by obstructing the acquisition of bread) for their own ends—enlarging their party—and acted so successfully in this regard that one could say in truth that the whole land had been carried along with them. There is, however, another interpretation of this passage, perhaps the more accurate one. It assumes here a poetic expression of the thought that “even the land,” i.e., the earth itself, the soil (as people say even now—nature itself), having refused to yield its harvests, as it were fell away from its law—of nourishing its children—took the side of the people’s enemies (“fell away with them”) and along with them rose against those in Israel who were faithful to God.

1 Maccabees 9:24–27. In those very days there was a very severe famine, and the land joined sides with them. And Bacchides chose wicked men and set them as rulers over the land. They would search out and track down the friends of Judas and bring them to Bacchides, who punished and mocked them. And there was great distress in Israel, such as had not been since the day when prophets ceased to be seen among them. “Since the day when prophets ceased to be seen among them…” The last prophet, as is well known, was Malachi in the time of Nehemiah—around 440 BC. Here a question naturally arises that is far from superfluous: why does the author, wishing to indicate the time since which there had not been such a calamity as the one he is describing, refer to the last prophet, rather than directly recalling some other comparable national disaster from the past—for example, the destruction of the Temple by the Chaldeans, or (like Josephus) at least the Babylonian captivity?—This is explained by the significance of the prophets as the best comforters in times of national calamity, in the view of the people themselves. By shedding the rays of divine revelations into the dark night of national suffering, the prophets at the same time pointed out the means and paths to the removal of the calamity. This consolation in affliction had been lacking to the people since the days of Malachi. The faithful Jews, who had rallied around the courageous Maccabees and gone into battle and death with prayer on their lips, had now lost with Judas their last hope for a victorious end to the war. In the person of this hero had fallen “the one who saved Israel”—σώζων τὸν Ἰσραήλ (v. 21)—who could only have been replaced in his significance and influence on the people by a prophet! It was this that made the weight of the coming calamity felt all the more heavily—such as had not been “since the day when prophets ceased to be seen among them…”

1 Maccabees 9:28–29. Then all the friends of Judas gathered together and said to Jonathan: since the time your brother Judas died, there has been no man like him to go out against the enemies and against Bacchides and against those who hate our people. “Against those who hate our people…”—καί ἐν τοῖς ἐχθραίνουσι—Slavonic: “against those warring against our nation…” Here we are to understand the pagans and apostates who had come out as enemies of the Jewish people.

1 Maccabees 9:30–33. Therefore, now we have chosen you to be our commander and leader in his place, to lead our war. And Jonathan accepted the leadership at that time and took the place of Judas his brother. And Bacchides learned of it and sought to kill him. Jonathan and Simon his brother learned of this, and all those who were with them fled into the wilderness of Tekoa and encamped by the water of the pool of Asphar. The wilderness of Tekoa begins about two hours’ journey southeast of Bethlehem and extends to the Dead Sea—it is a steppe very suitable for livestock.—Λάκκος Ἀσφάρ—not “lake Asphar” but precisely Λάκκος, which in the LXX corresponds to the Hebrew…—cisterns, artificial reservoirs, as in 2 Chr 26:10.—The site and name of these cisterns are not more precisely known.

1 Maccabees 9:34. Bacchides, learning of this on the day of the Sabbath, crossed over with all his army to the other side of the Jordan. The remark—about Bacchides’s crossing over the Jordan after receiving news of Jonathan’s retreat into the wilderness of Tekoa—is obscure and requires explanation: it is apparently unclear why Bacchides would cross the Jordan if he wanted to find Jonathan’s force, which had encamped in the wilderness of Tekoa, i.e., on the western side of the Dead Sea. It is also unclear why it was necessary to state that Bacchides learned the news “on the day of the Sabbath”—which clarifies nothing about the matter and appears entirely superfluous. The obscurity is further complicated here by the fact that the content of this verse (v. 34) anticipates the subsequent episode from the history of John, vv. 34–42, after which it is again repeated in its main features (v. 43) and connected with what follows. Clearly the historian intended to narrate directly about the confrontation between Bacchides and Jonathan at the Jordan (v. 44 ff.), but suddenly recalled that he had not yet reported how Jonathan with his company came to the Jordan, and so he inserted this event into his narrative in the form of a separate episode.

1 Maccabees 9:35. And Jonathan sent his brother—commander of the people—and asked his friends the Nabateans to allow him to store his large supply with them. “He sent his brother…”—His name is given in the following verse 36: it was John.—“Commander of the people…”—“The people” (ὁ ὄχλος) here in the sense of “crowd,” which in this case consisted partly of a detachment to escort the “supplies,” and partly of the crowds of old men, women, and children who were to be given refuge among the Nabateans (see note on V:25).

1 Maccabees 9:36. But the sons of Jambri came out from Medeba and seized John and all that he had, and went off. This caravan of John was seized in its entirety and carried off by “the sons of Jambri from Medeba,” while John himself perished (cf. v. 42). Οἱ υἱοί Ἀμβρί—i.e., “the descendants of Jambri”—are not mentioned elsewhere; Medeba—the place of their settlement—was originally an Amorite or Moabite city, then a border city of the tribe of Reuben (Josh 13:9), later again in the possession of the Moabites, and by that time probably settled by Nabateans—it still exists under this name in ruins.

1 Maccabees 9:37. After these events, Jonathan and Simon his brother were told that the sons of Jambri were celebrating a grand wedding and were escorting the bride from Nadabath with great pomp—the daughter of one of the great nobles of Canaan. Nadabath, Ναδαβάθ—an unknown place, identified with the village of Nudeibe in Wady el-Butm.

1 Maccabees 9:38–42. Then they remembered John their brother and went out and hid under cover of the hill. They raised their eyes and looked: there were shouts and a large bridal procession; the groom and his friends and brothers came out to meet them with tambourines and music and many weapons. Then those with Jonathan rose against them from ambush and struck them down, and many fell slain, while the rest fled to the hill; and they seized all their belongings. And the wedding celebration was turned into mourning, and the sound of their music into lamentation. So they avenged the blood of their brother and returned to the marshy place by the Jordan. “They returned to the marshy place by the Jordan…”—The Jordan before its emptying into the Dead Sea periodically overflows its banks. According to the account of an American traveler who explored this river, the Jordan flooded both banks in one place to a depth of 12 feet. Since in that place the eastern bank is more sloped, the overflowing water formed between the river and the mountains on the eastern shore of the sea a sizable bay. This bay, opposite Medeba, could well be the τὸ ἕλος—the marshy place on the eastern side of the Jordan where Jonathan encamped.

1 Maccabees 9:43. And Bacchides heard of this—and on the day of the Sabbath came to the banks of the Jordan with a large army. Here the narrator continues the account broken off at v. 34 by the story about Jonathan. From comparing these two verses with vv. 44 and following, it is evident that Bacchides stationed troops not only at the fords of the Jordan on the western side, but also advanced further north up the Jordan, in order to cut off all Jonathan’s escape routes and deal with him more effectively in the open and marshy lowland of the Jordan’s bank.

1 Maccabees 9:44–50. Then Jonathan said to those who were with him: let us rise now and fight for our lives, for today is not like yesterday and the day before. Look, the enemy is before us and behind us; the waters of the Jordan are on both sides, and swamp and forest, and there is nowhere to turn. So now cry out to Heaven so that you may be delivered from the hand of your enemies. And the battle began. And Jonathan stretched out his hand to strike Bacchides, but he turned back from him. And Jonathan and those with him leaped into the Jordan and swam across to the other side, and they did not cross the Jordan after them. And about a thousand men fell on Bacchides’s side that day. And he returned to Jerusalem and built strong cities in Judea: a fortress in Jericho, and Emmaus and Beth-horon, and Bethel and Timnath in Pharathon, and Tephon with high walls, gates, and bars, “He built strong cities in Judea…”—ᾠκοδόμησε—means not only “building anew” but also the rebuilding and equipping of fortresses and fortifications.—“A fortress in Jericho…”—τὸ ὀχύρωμα τὸ ἐν Ἰεριχώ—therefore not Jericho itself (as Josephus represents). Strabo—XVI, p. 763—mentions two fortresses situated at Jericho—Taurus and Thrax—which Pompey destroyed.—“Emmaus”—see note on III:40.—“Beth-horon…”—see note on III:16.—“Bethel…”—frequently occurring in the Old Testament—12 miles north of Jerusalem, the present-day Beitin.—“Timnath in Pharathon…”—Θαμναθά Φαραθωνί—Slavonic: “in Timnath and Pharathon…” There are several significant textual variants at this point. Some texts read Φαραθών, and in Josephus—Φαραθώ, and in both cases the two names are also separated by the conjunction “and” (as preserved in the Slavonic text): Θαμνοθά καί Φαραθώ. In Θαμνοθά the Hebrew… or… resonates (Josh 15:57 and others) and Φαραθών… Judg 12:5.—There are three cities named Timnath in the Bible: 1) in the hills of Judah, Josh 15:57 — its location has not yet been determined; 2) in the tribe of Dan, Josh 15:10; Judg 14:1 ff.—the present Tibneh, 4–5 hours’ journey west of Ain-Shems; 3) in the tribe of Ephraim, with the added designation…, Josh 19:50; Judg 2:9 — the present Tibneh, 7 hours’ journey north of Jerusalem and 2 hours west of Dschildschilia; this last one need not be counted here, as it probably belonged already to Samaria and thus should scarcely be included.—Pharathon corresponds either to the village of Ferata—2½ hours west or southwest of Nablus—or the village of Faraun—6 hours west of Nablus. Ferata is 3 miles from Timnath-Serah, 4¼ from Timnath in the tribe of Dan; Faraun is 4¼ from the first and 8 miles from the second (in a straight line on the map). If Φαραθών is identical with one of these points, then clearly this word should not appear as an appositive of Θαμναθά distinguishing it from another place of the same name, but should have its own independent meaning, being joined to what precedes—as in the variant reading—by the conjunction “and.” The only thing speaking against this view is that this Φαραθών lay without doubt in Samaria, not in Judea. But if Φαραθών is distinguished from Ferata and Faraun, it may also be an appositive of Θαμναθά.—Τεφών (Τεφώ—in some codices), in the opinion of some scholars, is the village of Teffuh situated to the west of Hebron (the ancient…, Josh 15:53), where to this day large sections of old fortress walls can be seen among the houses. But there are also two other Tappuahs that may have needed fortifying: one in the Shephelah (Josh 15:34), and the last (third) to the west of Nablus (Josh 16:8), which, however, probably already belonged to Samaria and should therefore scarcely be counted here.

1 Maccabees 9:51–52. and he placed garrisons in them to harass Israel. He also fortified the city of Beth-zur and Gazara and the citadel and left troops in them with provisions, “The city of Beth-zur…”—More correctly the variant reading of this place: τὴν πόλιν τὴν Βαιθσούραν (Sinai codex; Latin—emiatem Bethsuram). On Beth-zur see IV:29; on Gazara—note on IV:15.

1 Maccabees 9:53–54. and he took the sons of the leading men of the land as hostages and placed them under guard in the citadel in Jerusalem. In the one hundred and fifty-third year, in the second month, Alcimus ordered the demolition of the wall of the inner court of the temple and the destruction of the work of the prophets; and he had already begun the demolition. “In the 153rd year (Seleucid era), in the second month…”—in April or May of 159 BC, one year after the death of Judas.—“He ordered the demolition of the wall of the inner court of the temple…”—This “inner court of the temple” is the court of the priests. It must be borne in mind that the temple of Zerubbabel, built on the model of Solomon’s, had only two courts, of which the priestly one—with the altar of burnt offering in the middle—is explicitly called the inner court (1 Kgs 6:36, cf. 2 Chr 4:9). The wall of this court, therefore, is not the so-called “Soreg,” i.e., the low partition that separated the court of the Jews from the court of the Gentiles, but the actual wall between the court of the priests and the court of the people, by the removal of which Alcimus wished to strip the temple of its distinctive theocratic character. The author calls this undertaking the destruction of “the work of the prophets,” viewing the construction of the temple and the entire arrangement and plan of the sanctuary as the work of divine inspiration, basing this on Exod 25:9; 1 Chr 28:19, and having in view how the prophets Haggai and Zechariah had taken care that the restoration of the temple should be carried out according to the pattern indicated by God.

1 Maccabees 9:55–57. But at that very moment Alcimus was struck down and his undertakings were halted; his mouth was shut, he became mute and could no longer utter a single word or give instructions about his household. And Alcimus died at that time in great torment. When Bacchides learned that Alcimus had died, he returned to the king; and the land of Judea had two years of rest. Upon receiving news of Alcimus’s death, Bacchides returned to the king. Since Alcimus—by seeking the high priesthood and stirring up the king against the faithful Jews—had also brought about the sending of Bacchides to Judea (VII:5 ff.), the death of this ambitious man, who had energetically advanced the Hellenizing plans of the Syrians in Judea, could be a sufficient inducement for Bacchides’s return, for he now found himself alone and insufficiently strong for his task. This does not exclude other motives for his return suggested by commentators, such as, for example, the arrival of a Roman embassy with a demand to cease the harassment of Judea (VIII:31 ff.) and similar factors.

1 Maccabees 9:58. Then all the lawless men took counsel together and said: see, Jonathan and those who are with him are living in safety and at peace; let us now bring Bacchides, and he will seize them all in a single night. “Jonathan and those who are with him…”—i.e., his trusted friends and the leaders of the faithful people who were living with Jonathan.—“Are living in safety and at peace…”—κατοικοῦσι πεποιθότες—i.e., “fearing nothing evil.”

1 Maccabees 9:59–62. They went and put this plan to him. He decided to march with a large army and secretly sent letters to all his allies who were in Judea, to seize Jonathan and those who were with him; but they were unable to, because their scheme became known. And Jonathan’s men seized about fifty of the men of the land who were the ringleaders of this evil and put them to death. Then Jonathan and Simon and those with them withdrew to Bethbasi, which is in the wilderness, and they rebuilt what had been demolished there and fortified the city. “Bethbasi,” to which Jonathan withdrew with his men, is completely unknown.

1 Maccabees 9:63–65. When Bacchides learned of this, he gathered all his army, sending word also to those who were in Judea, came and besieged Bethbasi, and fought against it for many days and built siege engines. But Jonathan left Simon his brother in the city and went out into the country, and went out with a small number, “Went out with a small number…”—ἐν ἀριθμῷ—more precisely in the Slavonic: “went out in number”—i.e., in such a quantity that it could easily be counted, “with a countable few,” as people still say today.

1 Maccabees 9:66. and struck down Odomera and his brothers and the sons of Phasiron in their tents and began to strike and advance with force. About “Odomera (Ὀδοαρρής; otherwise Ὀδομηρά, as in the Slavonic) and his brothers and the sons of Phasiron” one can only say that they were probably Bedouin families living in the vicinity of Bethbasi and mentioned nowhere else.

1 Maccabees 9:67. Then Simon and those with him sallied out from the city and burned the siege engines, The second half of the preceding verse: “began to strike and advance with force…” already refers to Jonathan’s actions against those besieging Bethbasi, and must be read in connection with what follows as a subordinate clause of circumstantial time in relation to the main clause. The sense here is therefore as follows: “Having strengthened himself with the victory over the Bedouin chiefs and the addition of new comrades from among the faithful Jews, Jonathan gained the ability to strike and advance against the besiegers with greater force.” It was then that Simon, coordinating his actions with Jonathan’s intentions, made a successful sortie from the city, destroying the enemy’s siege engines with fire. What follows (v. 68) is clear in itself: “and they fought against Bacchides…”—both brothers, Simon from within the city with sorties and Jonathan by advancing from without—and through these combined operations Bacchides “was routed by them…”

1 Maccabees 9:68–72. and they fought against Bacchides, and he was routed by them; this caused him great distress, because his plan and campaign had come to nothing. He was very angry with the lawless men who had advised him to go into that country, and he killed many of them, and he resolved to return to his own land. When Jonathan learned of this, he sent elders to him to make peace and to arrange for him to return the prisoners. He accepted this and did as he had said, and swore to him that he would not do him any harm for all the days of his life; and he returned to him the prisoners he had previously taken in the land of Judea, and returned to his own land and did not come again into their territory. Having returned all the prisoners under his treaty with Jonathan, Bacchides departed to Syria, never again to trouble Judea. However, the Syrian garrison remained in the citadel of Jerusalem even after this, and the Jewish hostages held there under guard were not returned (IX:53; cf. X:6).

1 Maccabees 9:73. And the sword rested from Israel, and Jonathan settled in Michmash; and Jonathan began to judge the people and destroyed the wicked from Israel. “And the sword rested from Israel…”—κατέπαυσε ἐξ Ἰσραήλ—i.e., it was at rest and remained far from Israel—ῥομφαία—the sword of war, more precisely in the Slavonic: “and the sword ceased from Israel.”—This peace of the sword lasted until the year 160 of the Seleucid era, i.e., 152 BC—that is, (assuming that the war begun after v. 58 was resolved within a year) a full 4 years (cf. X:1).—“Michmash”—Μαχμάς (Micmas)—the place of Jonathan’s settlement after the war—is at present a ruined village of Mukhmas, 9 miles or 3½ hours’ journey north of Jerusalem (1 Sam 13:2).—“Began to judge the people…”—This does not yet signify fully autonomous rule by Jonathan over Judea, which is noted only later, but only for now the unobstructed right of adjudication in civil matters of the people, on the basis of Mosaic law and legal order. Syrian dominion was still present, making itself known by such irrefutable signs as tribute to the Syrian king, Syrian garrisons in the external fortresses of the country and in the very center of it—Jerusalem, hostages, and so on.—Only in X:6, 10 ff. are these unpleasant aspects and signs of foreign domination mentioned as weakening and being removed. * * * The Books of Maccabees have been translated from the Greek, since they do not exist in the Hebrew text. Our Telegram channel

Chapter Ten

The accession of Alexander and his rival Demetrius’s overtures to the Jews, who received great privileges (1 Macc 10:1-14). Alexander’s gifts to Jonathan: the high priesthood, a purple robe, and a golden crown (1 Macc 10:15-21). New promises of Demetrius to the Jews, which failed to earn their trust (1 Macc 10:22-47). Alexander’s victory, the death of Demetrius, the alliance with the Egyptian king, the favor of both kings toward Jonathan (1 Macc 10:43-66). Jonathan’s clash with Apollonius, the general of Demetrius, the defeat of the latter, and new honors from Alexander (cf. Antt. XIII, 2, 1–3 and following) (1 Macc 10:67-89).

1 Maccabees 10:1. In the one hundred and sixtieth year Alexander, the son of Antiochus Epiphanes, came forward and seized Ptolemais; and they received him, and he reigned there. “In the 160th year” (Seleucid era), i.e., 152 BC. Alexander is called here ο του Αντίοχου—“son of Antiochus.” According to Liv. Epit. 52, he was homo ignotus et incertae stirpis, and according to Diodorus (in Muller, Fragm. hist. Graec. ll praef. p. XII, n. 14), there lived in Smyrna a boy by the name of Balas, who closely resembled the deceased king Antiochus Eupator and was of the same age as he, and who presented himself as the son of Antiochus Epiphanes, though he was in reality of low birth (cf. Ios. Antt. XIII, 4, 8—Αλεξανδρος ο Βαλας λεγόμενος). This pretended son of Antiochus Epiphanes was put forward as a claimant to the Syrian crown by Attalus II, king of Pergamum, who—through Heraclides, the former treasurer under Antiochus Epiphanes—presented the young man along with a certain girl, Laodice (an actual or supposed daughter of Antiochus Epiphanes), to the Roman Senate, in order to gain weight and force for their supposed claims to the Syrian throne by having them recognized there as children of Antiochus and securing assistance. After that, Attalus of Pergamum, with the help of Ptolemy of Egypt and Ariarathes of Cappadocia, raised a special army for Alexander, with which Alexander marched against Demetrius, who had become hateful both to the aforementioned kings for his constant intrigues and warlike enterprises, and to his own subjects for his arrogance and negligence in the conduct of affairs (Jos. Fl. Antt. XIII, 2, 1; cf. Polib. Hist. XXXIII, 14 and 16, 7–14; Justin XXXV, 1; Appian Syr. 67). Alexander seized Ptolemais—according to Josephus—εκ προδοσίας των ενδοθεν στρατιωτών (through the treachery of soldiers within).

1 Maccabees 10:2–3. When King Demetrius heard of it, he gathered a very large army and went out against him to make war. And Demetrius sent letters to Jonathan with peaceful proposals, as if wishing to exalt him, “To exalt…” μεγαλύνειν—not in the sense of “to praise” or “to flatter,” but precisely “to elevate with great power and princely dignity.”

1 Maccabees 10:4–6. for he said: let us make haste to make peace with him before he makes peace with Alexander against us; otherwise he will remember all the harm we have done against him and his brothers and his people. And he gave him authority to gather troops and to prepare weapons, so that he might be his ally, and ordered the hostages held in the citadel to be handed over to him. Although Bacchides had, some time before this, concluded a peace with Jonathan, that peace was more like a suspension of military action—a truce—and if it had not yet been reviewed and confirmed by the king himself, it could obviously now be proposed again on terms that were more advantageous for Jonathan and more solid for Demetrius.

1 Maccabees 10:7–8. Jonathan came to Jerusalem and read the letters aloud before all the people and those in the citadel; and they were all seized with great fear when they heard that the king had given him authority to gather troops; The authority granted to Jonathan “to gather troops” and so on threw everyone into great fear—not only the Syrian garrison but also the city’s inhabitants: the pro-pagan party, which had held some influence in Jerusalem, was afraid of Jonathan’s vengeance; the faithful Jews too may have been alarmed at the prospect of a new war, and in any case by the fact that the Syrian garrison would not leave Jerusalem peacefully and Jonathan would have to drive it out by force.

1 Maccabees 10:9–11. And those in the citadel released the hostages to Jonathan, and he returned them to their parents. And Jonathan settled in Jerusalem and began to build and restore the city, and told those carrying out the work to build the walls and around Mount Zion with squared stones for strength—and they did so. “The walls and around Mount Zion.”—τα τείχη καί το ορός Σιων—not simply “walls around Zion,” but τα τείχη, i.e., the city walls—in which, since the time of Antiochus Epiphanes (I, 33), the City of David (Zion) had not been reckoned, having been turned into a citadel (acra)—and then separately τό ορός Σιων—Mount Zion, i.e., walls around Mount Zion.

1 Maccabees 10:12. Then the foreigners who were in the fortresses that Bacchides had built fled: “The foreigners who were in the fortresses…”—these appear to be not the soldiers of the Syrian garrison but specifically foreigners (αλλογενείς), non-Jews who had settled in those fortresses.

1 Maccabees 10:13–18. each left his place and went away to his own land. Only in Beth-zur there remained some of those who had forsaken the law and commandments, for it served as a refuge for them. And King Alexander heard of the promises that Demetrius had sent to Jonathan, and they told him of the wars and brave deeds that Jonathan and his brothers had accomplished, and of the hardships they had endured. Then he said: shall we find another such man as this? Let us make him our friend and ally. And he wrote and sent him a letter in these words: “King Alexander to his brother Jonathan—greetings. Alexander calls Jonathan “brother” here as a sign of special brotherly disposition and friendship toward him.—“Greetings…” χαίρειν—corresponding to the Hebrew…—the customary salutation at the beginning of letters—is mentioned not only in our book but also in the New Testament (Acts 15:23; Jas 1:1).

1 Maccabees 10:19. We have heard of you, that you are a man mighty in strength and worthy to be our friend. “We have heard…”—the plural, in which royal persons customarily speak of themselves even today in decrees and letters, though there are also cases where the singular is used (2 Macc 9:20 and following; Ezra 4:8-22 and following; Dan 3:98 and following; Dan 4:1 and following; Dan 6:25 and following).

1 Maccabees 10:20. Therefore we appoint you this day as high priest of your people; and you shall be called the king’s friend (he sent him a purple robe and a golden crown) and you shall take our side and maintain friendship with us.” The high priesthood, according to the Law of Moses, was hereditary, and the succession was determined by the right of primogeniture, so that the appointment of a high priest by secular authority was unthinkable. But with the introduction of royal power, the high priesthood came into a subordinate relationship to the king, so that Solomon had already deposed Abiathar for treason (1 Kgs 2:26-27), though without violating the lawful right of succession. At that time there stood beside Abiathar another co-equal high priest of the line of Eleazar—Zadok, and through the removal of the former it was achieved that the dual high-priestly authority of the Eleazarites and Ithamarites, which had become entrenched from the anarchic period of the Judges, was brought to an end, and a definite and more lawful order restored. This order—the inheritance of the high priesthood in one specific family, that of Zadok—continued not only until the Babylonian Captivity, but beyond it—until the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, without any particularly sharp violations or interventions by the secular power. Such interference and encroachment on this central point of theocratic religion on the part of secular authority begins, in fact, with the degeneration of the high priesthood itself. Thus, after Alexander the Great, when the Hellenistic-pagan way of life was spreading ever more widely even within Judaism and finding adherents within the very high-priestly family, it became possible for the pro-Greek Jason to seek the office of high priest for money from Antiochus Epiphanes (2 Macc 4:7 and following), and from this it was not far to the point where pagan kings—the masters of Judea—took into their own hands the right to appoint high priests at their own discretion, determined now by political ends, now by crudely self-interested ones such as improving their finances; in the best case this right was merely one of confirming and recognizing those who came to the high priesthood by succession. After the death of Alcimus (IX:56), whom Antiochus Eupator had forced on the Jews (see on VII:5), the position of high priest remained vacant for 7 years. Now Alexander makes use of this right of his predecessors and summons Jonathan to the high priesthood. And Jonathan could accept this office, since from the house of Jeshua, which had exercised the high-priestly ministry since the time of the Captivity, there was now—after the murder of Onias III and the departure of his son to Egypt (cf. Ios. Ann. XIII, 3, 1)—no other lawful successor. The sole such successor was Jonathan.—The translation of verse 20 is rendered more faithfully in the Slavonic than in the Russian text, preserving the infinitives in dependence on “we appoint”: καθεστακαμεν… καί φρονείν… καί συντηρείν—“we have appointed… to be called the king’s friend, and to hold our side, and to maintain friendship…”—The purple robe and golden crown—proper signs of royal dignity—were frequently given by kings, as a mark of special favor and goodwill, to highly placed and most distinguished persons (cf. Esth 8:15, and also in our book X:62, 64, XI:58 and 2 Macc 4:38).

1 Maccabees 10:21. And Jonathan put on the sacred vestments in the seventh month of the one hundred and sixtieth year, at the Festival of Tabernacles, and he gathered an army and prepared many weapons. What the Maccabees had been unable to achieve through all their victorious exploits—the freedom of the people from the Syrian yoke and independent self-government—all this came about completely unexpectedly, thanks to the dispute over the succession to the throne that was flaring up in Syria. A vivid expression of this was Jonathan’s investiture with the dignity of high priest and simultaneously with the marks of royal distinction. The mood of the people and the state of affairs fitted this news as well as could be. Jonathan had only just gained the undivided sympathy of the people as a leader who had won major successes from his skillful use of Demetrius’s offers, which had enabled him to renovate the holy city and clear it for the first time of its Syrian garrison. He was fully worthy of the new office both by his lineage and by the rights that had opened before him; it was welcomed too as the much-desired end of the prolonged seven-year vacancy of the high-priestly see, which had wearied everyone with the wait for a worthy candidate; finally, the very timing of Jonathan’s appointment—for the Festival of Tabernacles—caused his appearance in this dignity to be greeted with joy, without which for so many years the great Day of Atonement, which preceded the said festival, had passed with the deep sorrow of the people’s consciousness, as a day of unresolved repentance. All of this was evidently the crowning triumph not only of Jonathan but, in his person, of the triumph of the cause he had inherited from Mattathias and Judas—a cause which, through the unexpected convergence of so many favorable circumstances, had become the triumph of the whole people, the triumph of their freedom—brilliant, complete, both religious and political.

1 Maccabees 10:22–24. And Demetrius heard of this and was grieved and said: what have we done, that Alexander has gotten ahead of us in making friendship with the Jews to strengthen himself? I too will write them words of encouragement, of honor, and of promises, so that they may help me. “Words of encouragement, of honor, and of promises…”—a very unsatisfactory rendering of Demetrius’s meaning, more accurately and faithfully expressed in the Slavonic text: “words of entreaty (παρακλήσεως) and of elevation (καί ύψους) and gifts (καί δωμάτων) …”—“Words of entreaty”—i.e., encouraging, consoling words. “Of elevation”—i.e., not merely praising them in words, but actually elevating their position in the kingdom by granting greater rights. “And gifts…”—not promises, even though in practice this was only a promise.

1 Maccabees 10:25. And he sent them a letter in these words: “King Demetrius to the Jewish people—greetings.” King Demetrius addresses his letter not to Jonathan, as Alexander did, but to “the Jewish people.” This is probably explained by the fact that he no longer counted on Jonathan personally preferring him and retained hope only in the success of his overtures among the more credulous hearts of the people. That hope is immediately apparent in his letter, which he begins with ingratiating expressions of gratitude for their proven loyalty and steadfastness toward him. He then promises the people every possible privilege and gift. But these promises, which on their reverse side were merely a long list of the most extreme burdens imposed on the Jews by taxes and levies over the preceding decades, showed more clearly how oppressive their servitude had been and how hateful their oppressors deserved to be. On the other hand, most of these new promises and privileges were simply the removal of what would by now have been unthinkable abuses of Syrian power in any case: such as restoring to Jerusalem its sacred character, returning the legitimate use of sacred tithes and temple collections, which had hitherto gone into the king’s pocket, and so on. There are also undeniably generous concessions by Demetrius to the Jewish people, but from the whole tone in which they are offered one could not help noticing that all these apparently brilliant proposals, inspired more by harsh necessity, depended heavily on the still unresolved and doubtful fate of Demetrius, whom the people had reason not to trust—both because of his personal two-faced character and in general.

1 Maccabees 10:26–27. We have heard and rejoiced that you keep our covenants, remain in friendship with us, and have not gone over to our enemies. Continue now to maintain faithfulness to us, and we will repay you for what you do for us: “What you do for us…”—more precisely in the Slavonic: “what you do with us.” The Greek ποιείν μετά τίνος is a translation of the Hebrew…—ordinarily in the sense of doing something pleasant for someone, as in Ps 125:3: “the Lord has dealt greatly with us…” (cf. Ruth 2:11 and Ps 107:21 according to the LXX).—In Russian a similar construction exists to express an unpleasant act done by someone: “what have you done to me?” and so on.

1 Maccabees 10:28–29. we will grant you many exemptions and give you gifts. And now I release and exempt all the Jews from tribute and from the salt tax and from the crown tax; “The salt tax…”—on salt extracted in large quantities from the waters of the Dead Sea.—“…The crown tax,” i.e., on the golden garlands that were customarily sent as marks of honor by independent kings and free cities to the rulers of other cities (cf. XIII:37; 2 Macc 14:4); this is the so-called “crown levy”—στεφανίτης φόρος (aurum coronarium), mentioned by Cicero (In Pison. c. 37) and in other places in our book (XI:35; XIII:39).

1 Maccabees 10:30. and as for the third part of the grain-tax and the half of the fruit-tax that is due to me, I cancel the taking thereof from the land of Judea and from the three districts added to it from Samaria and Galilee, from this day forward and forever. This entire verse is clearer and more precise in the Slavonic rendering: “and that which instead of the third part of the grain… is due to me to take…”—i.e., arranging the words correctly by sense, we get: τού επιβάλλοντος μοι λαβείν αντί τού τρίτου…—“and that which is due to me (i.e., the money) in place of the third part of the grain…” and so on.—Here, therefore, it is redemption money that is meant, not a tax on one-third of the grain, as some thought who placed this verse in close connection with the preceding one, specifically with the expression άπο της τιμής (“from the tax on…”). This kind of levy was so burdensome that only the most fertile land could bear it.—“From the three districts added to it from Samaria and Galilee…” These three districts are named specifically in XI, 34: Apherema, Lydda, and Ramathem (cf. verse 38). The addition of “and Galilee” to “from Samaria” presents a difficulty, and it probably needs to be deleted as an error inconsistent with historical reality. Even if the geographical location of Apherema and Ramathem cannot be determined exactly, it is beyond doubt that no district from Galilee was then attached to Judea, since both these countries were spatially separated from each other by all of Samaria in between. However, some commentators find it plausible that Galilee is mentioned here as a land entirely distinct from Samaria and from the districts detached from Samaria and added to Judea, reading this passage (with a comma after “Samaria”) thus: “(I cancel the taking thereof) from the land of Judea and from the three districts attached to it from Samaria, and from Galilee.” Other commentators explain the addition of καί της Γαλιλαίας by supposing that the writer may have had in mind Demetrius’s promise to cede Ptolemais with its district as a gift to the Jerusalem sanctuary (verse 39). It is also possible to explain this addition by the writer’s view that Samaria and Galilee formed one whole, by virtue of which—although the distant districts constituted properly a part of Samaria—the writer presents them as part of the whole, i.e., Samaria and Galilee together. The occasion for attaching the three districts from Samaria to Judea is not more precisely known.

1 Maccabees 10:31. And let Jerusalem be holy and free, along with its surrounding area, its tithes and its revenues. “Let Jerusalem be holy…” In the edict of Antiochus the Great, according to Ios. Ann. XII, 3, 4, what was to ensure the sacred character of the city is enumerated in more detail: no pagan and no foreigner (αλλοφύλω) was permitted to enter the part of the temple closed to them, nor was any ritually impure Jew allowed to do so; furthermore, no meat or hides of unclean animals were permitted to be brought into the city, and only animals prescribed by the Law of Moses might be offered in sacrifice. The mention of the “liberation” of the tithes and revenues of the temple itself implies that up to this point these too had been subject to taxes going into the royal treasury, cf. 2 Macc 11:3 — “like other pagan temples.”

1 Maccabees 10:32–33. I also grant authority over the citadel of Jerusalem and give the high priest the right to place in it men of his own choosing to guard it; and every person from among the Jews taken captive from the land of Judea anywhere in my kingdom I set free without payment: let all be exempt from taxes on their persons and on their cattle. “And every person from among the Jews…”—more precisely in the Slavonic: “and every soul of the Jews…”—πασαν ψυχήν Ιουδαίων, i.e., man and woman, young and old…

1 Maccabees 10:34. All festivals and Sabbaths and new moons and appointed days—three days before a festival and three days after a festival—all these days shall be days of exemption and freedom for all Jews throughout my kingdom. “Three days before a festival and three days after a festival…”—the time needed for the festival journey there and back.

1 Maccabees 10:35–39. No one shall have the right to oppress or burden any of them in any matter. And let up to thirty thousand men from among the Jews be enrolled in the royal forces—they shall be given wages on the same terms as all the royal forces. And some of them shall be placed in charge of the great strongholds of the king; some of them shall also be placed over the affairs of the kingdom that require trustworthiness; their overseers and commanders shall be from their own people, and they shall live according to their own laws, as the king has commanded in the land of Judea. And the three districts that have been annexed to Judea from the region of Samaria shall remain annexed to Judea so as to be counted and subject as one, and shall not come under any other authority than that of the high priest. Ptolemais with its surrounding area I give as a gift to the sanctuary in Jerusalem to cover the expenses needed for the sanctuary; Demetrius gives Jerusalem Ptolemais, which was already in the hands of King Alexander. A crafty gift—to give what has already been taken away, in order to take it back—first by the hands of others, and then by his own. The calculation here was in any case to entice the Jews to take up arms against Alexander.

1 Maccabees 10:40–42. And I will give fifteen thousand shekels of silver annually from the royal revenues from the appropriate places. And all the surplus that those in charge of the revenues had not paid in, as in former years, shall henceforth be paid for the work of the temple. In addition, the five thousand shekels of silver that had been taken from the income of the sanctuary from the annual collection—those too are given up as belonging to the officiating priests. Allocations for the needs of the temple had been made previously by the Persian kings Darius Hystaspes and Artaxerxes I (Ezra 6:9 and following; Ezra 8:25), as well as by Ptolemy Philadelphus and Antiochus the Great (Ios. Antt. XII, 2, 7; III, 3) and Seleucus Philopator—according to 2 Macc 3:3.—“And all the surplus that those in charge of the revenues had not paid, as in former years…”—i.e., also that larger amount (τω πλεονάζον) which it had been established to give to the temple in the times of the Persians, Ptolemies, and Seleucids before Antiochus Epiphanes, and which since the time of that Antiochus those in charge of the revenues (οι από των χρειών, cf. XII, 45 and XIII, 37) had stopped paying as it had been paid in former years…—“For the work of the temple…”—τα εργα τού οίκου—in the sense of 2 Chr 35:2; Neh 10:33 and following.

1 Maccabees 10:43. And all who take refuge in the temple of Jerusalem and in all its surroundings on account of royal obligations or any other matter shall be free with everything that belongs to them in my kingdom. Here the temple of Jerusalem with all its surroundings is promised the right of asylum for insolvent debtors. According to the Law of Moses, the right of asylum was granted only to accidental killers and in cities of refuge, and by ancient custom—at the altar of the Tabernacle or temple (Exod 27:2; 1 Kgs 1:50), but not in the temple and its precincts in general, and not for insolvent debtors. This extension of the right of asylum is of Greek origin (Plutarch. de vitando aere al. c. 3).—“Shall be free with everything that belongs to them in my kingdom…”—i.e., nothing of their property shall be either confiscated or taxed on this account.

1 Maccabees 10:44–45. And for the building and restoration of the sanctuary the costs shall be met from the royal revenues. And for the building of the walls of Jerusalem and their fortification all around—the costs shall be met from the royal revenues, as also for the building of walls in Judea. “For the building of walls in Judea…”—i.e., in the other fortified places of the land. The Slavonic translation of the last two verses is more precise and closer to the original, preserving its infinitives: “to build and to restore the works of the holy place… and to build the walls of Jerusalem, and to fortify them all around… and to build walls in Judea”—for all of this “the expenses shall be given from the royal treasury (collection)…” (44–45). Finding Demetrius’s promises too generous, some scholars have cast doubt on the very authenticity of his letter. But one cannot fail to see that all these apparently generous promises are given so calculatedly that they in no way touch the essential interests and the supreme authority of the king in Judea. Thus, first, although he grants the high priest authority over the citadel of Jerusalem and the three districts annexed to Judea (verses 32, 38)—from which it might appear that all of Judea was to be subject to the high priest’s authority—he does not state this explicitly, and likewise says not a word about the order of succession to the office of high priest, the right to appoint to which the Syrian kings had claimed for themselves since Antiochus Epiphanes, so that the high priest, when appointed by the king or confirmed in his appointment by him, was no more than the Syrian king’s viceroy. Furthermore—although the high priest is given the right to govern the citadel of Jerusalem at his own discretion—the royal letter says nothing about withdrawing Syrian garrisons from the remaining Jewish fortresses. The privileges declared in case Jews were to join the royal forces grant nothing exceptional compared with all the rest of the king’s subjects.—Second, the king’s other promises concern mainly the unimpeded practice of the Jewish religion and the payment of annual subsidies for the needs of the temple. But Jews had both under the Persians, Ptolemies, and early Seleucids, and they were taken away only under Antiochus Epiphanes. The promise to subsidize from the treasury the construction of the walls of Jerusalem and the other fortresses of Judea was a kind of “gift of the Danaans,” by means of which the king could more completely bring Judea under his power by placing all the Jewish fortresses under Syrian garrisons and locking Jewish detachments in the other cities of the province.—Finally, third, only freedom from the heavy taxes and levies remains as genuine evidence of royal goodwill, preferable to that shown all other subjects and conveying to the Jews the rights and standing of the king’s allies; but even this was in large measure dependent on whether Demetrius truly intended to keep all these promises, or whether they were, like his praises of their loyalty at the beginning of the letter, mere captatio benevolentiae?…

1 Maccabees 10:46–47. Jonathan and the people, when they heard these words, did not believe them and did not accept them, for they remembered the great calamities that Demetrius had brought on the Israelites, oppressing them cruelly, and they preferred the alliance with Alexander, for he had been the first to make peaceful proposals to them—and they helped him in his wars all his days. As was to be expected, the Jews treated Demetrius’s promises with well-deserved contempt (verses 5, cf. chs. VII–IX) and remained on Alexander’s side.—“For he had been the first to make peaceful proposals to them…”—αρχηγός λόγων ειρηνικών—more precisely in the Slavonic: “because this man had been the initiator of peaceful words for them…”—i.e., first (or leader) not in chronological order, but in terms of worth and authority: “for he was the superior and more generous and more reliable party in his peaceful proposals.” In terms of time, Demetrius had approached Jonathan with peaceful proposals even earlier than Alexander (verses 3 and 6).

1 Maccabees 10:48–50. King Alexander gathered a large army and marched against Demetrius. And the two kings engaged in battle, and the army of Demetrius fled; Alexander pursued him and prevailed, and pressed the battle very hard until the sun went down—and Demetrius fell that day. According to Justin XXXV, 1, 10 and following, the two kings fought two battles, of which only the second and decisive one is mentioned in our book, as in Josephus. In the first, victory went to Demetrius; in the second as well it had initially been inclining toward him, but—due to an unfortunate incident involving the king (whose horse got stuck in a swamp)—it ended badly for him, and he himself perished.—The length of his reign is determined from a comparison of VII:1 with X:57—11 years, probably a bit more, which gave Polybius III, 5, 3 grounds to count 12 years.

1 Maccabees 10:51. After that Alexander sent envoys to Ptolemy, the king of Egypt, with these words: Ptolemy, the king of Egypt, mentioned here is Ptolemy VI Philometor, who reigned from 180 to 145 BC, initially under the regency of his mother. The name of his daughter is given further on—Cleopatra (verse 57), born of his marriage to a sister of the same name.

1 Maccabees 10:52–56. “I have returned to the land of my kingdom and have seated myself on the throne of my fathers, I have taken supreme power, I have crushed Demetrius and have become master of our land. I engaged him in battle and he was defeated by us and by our army, and we have taken the throne of his kingdom. So let us now establish friendship between us, and give me your daughter as a wife, and I will be your son-in-law and I will give gifts to you and to her worthy of you.” And King Ptolemy answered thus: “Happy is the day on which you returned to the land of your fathers and seated yourself on the throne of their kingdom. Now I will fulfill for you what you have written; only come out to meet me at Ptolemais, so that we may see each other, and I will become your father-in-law, as you have said.” Ptolemy calls Alexander to a meeting in Ptolemais. Evidently (cf. verse 1), after overcoming Demetrius, he had settled in the capital of the kingdom—Antioch. Ptolemy’s ready consent to become allied by marriage with Alexander had its own self-interested calculations. He hoped by this means to regain his former influence over the affairs of Syria, and in favorable circumstances to recover once more the provinces—Coele-Syria and Phoenicia—that had been lost since the time of Antiochus the Great. Subsequent events fully confirm these suspicions (ch. XI).

1 Maccabees 10:57. And Ptolemy set out from Egypt, he and his daughter Cleopatra, and came to Ptolemais in the one hundred and sixty-second year. The 162nd year of the Seleucid era—from autumn to autumn of 151–150 BC.

1 Maccabees 10:58–61. King Alexander met him, and he gave him Cleopatra his daughter and celebrated her wedding in Ptolemais with great splendor, as befits kings. King Alexander also wrote to Jonathan, asking him to come out to meet him. And Jonathan went to Ptolemais with pomp, presented himself to both kings and gave them and their associates gifts of silver and gold and many other presents, and gained their goodwill. And there gathered against him certain malicious men from among Israel, lawless men, to accuse him; but the king paid no attention to them. “Malicious men… lawless men…”—i.e., those who had fallen away from the Law of Moses.

1 Maccabees 10:62–67. And the king commanded that Jonathan’s garments be removed and that he be clothed in purple—and they did so. And the king seated him beside himself and said to his governors: go out with him into the middle of the city and make a proclamation that no one should dare bring any accusation against him in any matter and that no one should trouble him in any way. When those who had accused him saw his glory, how he was proclaimed and clothed in purple, they all fled. And the king honored him and enrolled him among the foremost of his friends, and appointed him general and governor. And Jonathan returned to Jerusalem in peace and gladness. But in the one hundred and sixty-fifth year Demetrius, the son of Demetrius, came from Crete to the land of his fathers. The 165th year of the Seleucid era—147 BC. The Demetrius mentioned here is Demetrius II, surnamed Nicator (App. Syr. c. 67), the elder of the two sons of Demetrius Soter. The latter, at the start of the war with Alexander, had sent them to one of his friends—to the city of Cnidus in Caria with a large treasury, ut belli periculis eximerentur et, si ita fors tulisset, paternae ultioni servarentur (Justin). Receiving word of the great weakening of Syria due to the excessive luxury and negligence of Alexander, Demetrius II judged the moment favorable for asserting his claims to “the land of his fathers,” and with an army assembled for him by the Cretan Lasthenes, landed in Cilicia (Liv. l. c., Just. l. c., Ios. Antt. XIII, 4, 3).

1 Maccabees 10:68. When King Alexander heard of it, he was deeply grieved and returned to Antioch. “He returned to Antioch…”—apparently from Ptolemais (cf. verse 57).

1 Maccabees 10:69. And Demetrius appointed Apollonius as commander, the governor of Coele-Syria—and he gathered a large army and encamped at Jamnia and sent word to Jonathan the high priest, saying: Coele-Syria—Κοίλη Συρία…—in the most immediate sense referred to the low-lying plain between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, but sometimes this name was used to encompass Phoenicia and Palestine up to Raphia (in Polybius). It is in this broader sense that “Coele-Syria” is understood here.—Apollonius—apparently the same man who in Polyb. XXXI, 19, 6 and 21, 2 is mentioned as a σύντροφος and friend of Demetrius I during his stay in Rome (probably the son of the Apollonius mentioned in 2 Macc 3:5-7). Hence it is understandable why he so readily declared himself for the new claimant, the son of his friend Demetrius.

1 Maccabees 10:70. You alone exalt yourself against us, while I have been made a laughingstock and brought to shame through you. Why do you set yourself against us in the hills? “I have been made a laughingstock and brought to shame through you…”—that is, by having allowed you all this time to remain on Alexander’s side, whereas I should long since have either brought you into submission to the lawful king (Demetrius II) or destroyed you.

1 Maccabees 10:71–72. If you are confident in your military strength, come down to us on the plain, and there we will test each other, for with me is the army of the cities. Ask and find out who I am and who the others are who help us, and they will tell you: you cannot stand before us, for your fathers were twice put to flight in their own land. “Your fathers were twice put to flight in their own land.” An allusion to two setbacks of the Maccabean period: the first—either V:60 (which, however, did not occur “in their own land”) or II:28, or still better VI:47 and following; the second—IX:6, 18.—If the expression “your fathers” is not understood in the more precise sense of “your ancestors,” then in that case the allusions of Apollonius may have had in mind the two most devastating defeats of the Jews at the hands of the Philistines—one under the high priest Eli, when the ark of the covenant was also captured (1 Sam 4:10), and the other under Saul, when that king himself perished (1 Sam 31).

1 Maccabees 10:73–75. And now you cannot withstand such cavalry and such an army on the plain, where there are no stones, no ravines, no place of refuge. When Jonathan heard these words of Apollonius, he was moved in spirit, and choosing ten thousand men he went out from Jerusalem, and his brother Simon joined him to help him. And he encamped before Joppa; but they would not let him into the city, for there was a garrison of Apollonius in Joppa, and they began to fight against it. Joppa—present-day Jaffa, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, 2 3/4 geographical miles or 4 1/2 hours’ travel from Jamnia, where Apollonius had encamped (verse 69).

1 Maccabees 10:76–77. Then the frightened inhabitants opened the city to him, and Jonathan seized Joppa. When Apollonius heard of this, he took three thousand cavalry and a large army and marched to Azotus, as if making a passage, but meanwhile he went out onto the plain, for he had a great number of cavalry and was relying on them. On Azotus, see at V:68—a city in the valley of Shephelah (on the Mediterranean coast) to the south of Joppa.

1 Maccabees 10:78–81. And Jonathan pursued him to Azotus, and the forces joined in battle. Meanwhile Apollonius had left a thousand horsemen hidden in the rear; but Jonathan learned that there was an ambush behind him. And they surrounded his army and shot arrows at the people from morning until evening, but the people held their ground as Jonathan had ordered; and at last the cavalry grew tired. According to Josephus, Jonathan drew up his army in the Roman fashion—as a “tortoise,” which made it nearly invulnerable to arrows and to the enemy’s cavalry. And when that cavalry had grown sufficiently exhausted by futile attacks and had spent its supply of arrows, the “tortoise” opened up and, simultaneously with Simon’s strike from his ambush position, drove the enemy in flight.

1 Maccabees 10:82–83. Then Simon brought forward his army and attacked the detachment, for the cavalry had grown exhausted—and they were routed by him and took to flight. And the cavalry scattered across the plain and fled to Azotus, and entered Beth-dagon, their temple, to find safety. “Beth-dagon…”—Βηθδαγών — 1 Sam 5:2 — “the temple of Dagon,” the chief idol of the Philistines, depicted as half human and half fish (with human head and arms, and a fish body and tail).

1 Maccabees 10:84–86. But Jonathan burned Azotus and the surrounding cities and took their plunder, and he burned the temple of Dagon with those who had fled into it. And those who fell by the sword, together with those burned, numbered up to eight thousand men. Jonathan then moved from there and encamped before Ashkelon; and the inhabitants of the city came out to meet him with great honor. Ashkelon—an ancient Philistine city on the Mediterranean coast, south of Azotus—today only ruins remain (destroyed by the Turks in the 13th century).

1 Maccabees 10:87–89. And Jonathan returned with all who were with him to Jerusalem, bringing much plunder. When King Alexander heard of these events, he honored Jonathan still more and sent him a golden clasp, such as was customarily given to the king’s kinsmen, and gave him Ekron and all its surrounding district as a hereditary possession. On the “golden clasp” see also XI:58 and XIV:44.—Apart from the king’s kinsmen in the strict sense, this distinction was also conferred on others who had distinguished themselves most and enjoyed the king’s special favor, similar to the present-day royal Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.—Ekron—Ακκαρών—one of the five principal Philistine cities, on the border of Judea, on the site of the present-day village of Akir. * * * Notes The Books of Maccabees are translated from the Greek, because they do not exist in the Hebrew text.

Chapter Eleven

The attempt of Ptolemy VI Philometor to seize the Syrian kingdom; battle with Alexander and the death of both kings (cf. Antt. XIII, 4, 5 and following) (1 Macc 11:1-19). The siege of the Jerusalem citadel by Jonathan and the agreement with King Demetrius (cf. Antt. XII, 4, 9) (1 Macc 11:20-37). Jonathan’s support for Demetrius in the renewed struggle over the succession to the throne (cf. Ann. XII, 4, 9 and 5, 1–4) (1 Macc 11:38-53). The newly enthroned Antiochus confirms Jonathan in the high priesthood and in his other rights. Jonathan’s transfer to Antiochus’s side and his struggle on the latter’s behalf against Demetrius (cf. Antt. XII, 5, 3–7) (1 Macc 11:54-74).

1 Maccabees 11:1–11. Meanwhile the king of Egypt assembled a large army, like the sand on the seashore, and many ships, and was seeking to seize the kingdom of Alexander by deceit and to add it to his own kingdom. He entered Syria with peaceful words, and the inhabitants opened their cities to him and went out to meet him, for King Alexander had given orders to receive him, since he was his father-in-law. When Ptolemy entered the cities, he left a garrison of troops in each city. When he came near Azotus, they showed him the temple of Dagon that had been burned, and Azotus and its surrounding cities destroyed, and the bodies slain and burned in the battle, for they had piled them in heaps along his path, and they told the king everything Jonathan had done, accusing him; but the king said nothing. Then Jonathan went out to meet the king at Joppa with honor, and they greeted each other and spent the night there. And Jonathan went with the king as far as the river called Eleutherus, and then returned to Jerusalem. But King Ptolemy seized the cities on the seacoast as far as Seleucia by the sea, and was forming evil designs against Alexander. And he sent envoys to King Demetrius, saying: come here, let us make an alliance between us, and I will give you my daughter who is now with Alexander, and you will reign in the kingdom of your father. I regret that I gave him my daughter, for he tried to kill me. And he slandered Alexander in this way, because he himself was coveting his kingdom. The stratagem by which Ptolemy sought to seize Alexander’s kingdom consisted in Ptolemy striving everywhere to present himself as the defender of Alexander’s rights as his son-in-law. Others, it is true, do not deny that Ptolemy also had a genuine desire to help Alexander, but in any case that desire is considered to have been self-interested, aimed at profiting one way or another at the expense of Alexander’s possessions. This, apparently not immediately, was understood by Alexander himself. Having initially ordered that his father-in-law receive the grandest possible reception in all cities along his route, he suddenly shifted to open enmity and, instead of an ally, declared him his enemy. Then Jonathan too, who had initially intended to take part in the whole campaign of Ptolemy as an ally of his son-in-law, parted from Ptolemy and moved against him. This also compelled Ptolemy to state his goal more directly and openly, especially after an attempt on his life had been made at Ptolemais, in which one of Alexander’s prominent favorites—Ammonius—turned out to be implicated. Alexander’s refusal to hand over Ammonius at Ptolemy’s demand gave him grounds to declare Alexander himself the instigator of the attempt, and thereby to justify his own offensive operations against Alexander’s possessions. But the writer of our book—XI:11—presents this entire conspiracy simply as “slander” fabricated by Ptolemy himself for the purposes described above.—The river Eleutherus (verse 7)—the boundary between Phoenicia and Syria (Strabo, XVI, p. 753), flows through Lebanon and between Tripolis and Arados empties into the Mediterranean Sea—probably the present-day Nahr el Kebir, a large, swift-flowing stream.—“Seleucia by the sea” (verse 8)—so named to distinguish it from 8 other cities built afresh or restored by Seleucus Nicator and named after him—lay 40 stades north of the mouth of the river Orontes, 3 miles from Antioch, the capital of Syria (also called Pieria, from Mount Pierius on which it stood).

1 Maccabees 11:12–13. And taking back his daughter from him, he gave her to Demetrius, and became estranged from Alexander, and their enmity became manifest. And Ptolemy entered Antioch and placed two crowns on his head—of Asia and of Egypt. “Two crowns—of Asia and of Egypt,” see at VIII:6.

1 Maccabees 11:14–16. King Alexander was in Cilicia at that time, because the people of those parts had revolted from him. When Alexander heard of it, he went to fight against him; then Ptolemy brought out his army and met him with a strong force and put him to flight. And Alexander fled to Arabia to find shelter there; and King Ptolemy rose to prominence. 1 Maccabees 11:17–18. And Zabdiel the Arab cut off Alexander’s head and sent it to Ptolemy. But King Ptolemy died on the third day, and those who were in the strongholds were destroyed by the inhabitants of the strongholds. More detailed accounts of Alexander’s death are found in Diod. Sic. I, c. Nr. XXI. On Ptolemy’s death see Josephus (cf. Liv. Epit. LII).—“On the third day…”—i.e., after receiving Alexander’s head.—“Those who were in the strongholds…”—see verse 3.

1 Maccabees 11:19. And Demetrius became king in the one hundred and sixty-seventh year. “In the 167th year” of the Seleucid era—146–145 BC.

1 Maccabees 11:20. In those days Jonathan gathered the Jews to take the citadel of Jerusalem, and set up many siege engines against it. The citadel of Jerusalem, as is evident from this, was still occupied by the Syrians, whom Demetrius had promised to remove (X:32), but had not yet removed after his proposals to the Jews had failed to achieve their purpose in general.

1 Maccabees 11:21–28. But some who hated their own people, renegades from the law, went to the king and reported that Jonathan was besieging the citadel. When he heard of it, he was angered and, quickly making ready, went to Ptolemais and wrote to Jonathan that he should not besiege the citadel, but should come to meet him in Ptolemais as soon as possible to discuss things with him. But Jonathan, when he heard this, ordered the siege to continue and, choosing from among the elders of Israel and from the priests, decided to face the danger. Taking silver and gold, clothing, and many other gifts, he went to the king at Ptolemais and gained his goodwill. And although some renegades from the same people accused him, the king treated him in the same way as his predecessors had treated him, and exalted him before all his friends, and confirmed him in the high priesthood and in the other honors he had previously held, and made him one of the foremost of his friends. And Jonathan asked the king to exempt Judea and the three districts and Samaria from taxes, and he promised him three hundred talents. On the “three districts” see at X:30.—“And Samaria…” The mention of Samaria here is very strange and can hardly have had any historical basis, not only in view of the hostile relations between the Samaritans and the Jews, but also in view of the contradiction created by such a reading with verse 34 and X:30. Most probably, the text here should read not καί την Σαμαρείτιν but τής Σαμαρείτιδος. Exemption from taxes had been promised to the Jews by Demetrius’s own father, but they had declined these proposals, distrusting the king who had caused them so much harm (X:25–46). Now Jonathan himself requests this, while promising the king three hundred talents as a redemption sum. Commentators are divided on whether this sum was to be paid as a one-time payment for everything conceded by the king, or whether this amount was to be paid annually in place of the taxes collected by royal officials. The expression here admits both interpretations, but verse 35, where the king cedes to the Jews all tithes, levies, and dues, seems to favor the first interpretation.—The talent—the highest ancient Greek unit of weight and currency, not of the same value everywhere: the most commonly used Attic talent being worth 2,210 rubles.

1 Maccabees 11:29–32. The king agreed and wrote to Jonathan a letter to this effect: “King Demetrius to his brother Jonathan and to the Jewish people—greetings. A copy of the letter that we wrote concerning you to Lasthenes our kinsman we send also to you, so that you may know it. King Demetrius to his father Lasthenes—greetings.” The king’s “letter” to Jonathan was in fact a copy of another letter addressed to Lasthenes. The expressions—“to his brother Jonathan…” and “to Lasthenes his father…”—are the customary forms for indicating a kinship-like and friendly relationship with especially trusted and distinguished persons (cf. IX:18; X:89; Gen 45:8).—Lasthenes, according to Ios. Ann. XIII, 4, 3, is the very Cretan who had assembled Demetrius’s mercenary army for his return “to the land of his fathers”—X:67. From the fact that Demetrius directed his favorable letter concerning the Jews to Lasthenes, it can be concluded with certainty that Lasthenes was either the governor of Coele-Syria or the chief minister of the kingdom.

1 Maccabees 11:33–34. To the Jewish people, our friends, who faithfully fulfill their duties toward us, we have resolved to do good on account of their goodwill toward us. Therefore we confirm to them both the borders of Judea and the three districts: Apherema, Lydda, and Ramathem, which have been annexed to Judea from Samaria, and everything belonging to all their priests in Jerusalem, in lieu of the royal dues which the king previously received annually from them, from the produce of the land and from the fruits of trees, “We confirm…”—i.e., not in the sense of “we newly give”—cf. at X:30.—“Apherema”—Αφαίρεμα—probably… — 2 Chr 13:19 Keri—the city of Εφραίμ, mentioned in the Gospel (John 11:54), which according to Ios. bell. jud. IV, 9, 9 lay near Bethel (Ephron, Ophrah, Josh 19:23).—“Lydda”—Λύδδα—the Old Testament Lod — 1 Chr 8:12, later called Diospolis, the present-day sizeable Muslim settlement under its ancient name Lud—between Jaffa and Jerusalem, north of Ramleh.—Ramathem—Ραμαθέμ, otherwise Ραθαμείν and Ραμαθαίμ, in Josephus Ραμαθά—undoubtedly the well-known city of Samuel, Ramathaim Zophim — 1 Sam 1:1, commonly called…, the present-day settlement er Ram, 4 geographical miles north of Jerusalem, the New Testament Arimathea (Matt 27:15; John 19:33).—Located on the border of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, this city may well at that time have belonged to Samaria and been annexed from it to Judea.—“Everything belonging to all their priests in Jerusalem…”—cf. Num 35:4 and X:39 of our book. From the words “to all their priests in Jerusalem…” a new sentence begins, the predicate of which comes at the end of verse 35: “we cede to them…” The preceding words “and everything belonging” should properly be read as a continuation of the mention of the districts annexed to Judea from Samaria (more precisely: “three regions… and everything pertaining to them,” and then: “to all their priests…”—and so on down to the words: “we leave to them”). In the expression “in lieu of the royal dues,” αντί τών βασιλικών, something is missing for completeness of sense. Some have supposed that a specific figure has dropped out here, indicating the sum that was paid to the king “in lieu of the royal dues” and is now being left to them. Other commentators, more plausibly, think that before αντί the simple definite article τά has dropped out (τά αντί τών βασιλικών—as in X:30: “that which was due in place of the third part of the grain” etc. τής τιμής… αντί τού τρίτου), or still more probably that αντί itself arose in place of τά (not: αντί τών βασιλικών, but: τά τών βασιλικών) or καί τά, which amid a convergence of several alphas (and with the confusion of “i” with “ν”) could very easily have occurred. The whole expression thus acquires the following simple and clear meaning: “and that, in place of the royal rights over the produce of the land,” which was paid in annual dues, “and all the rest… (verse 35)… we fully cede to them.” On tithes, dues, etc., see at X:29, 31.—“Salt lakes” in place of “dues from lake salt” (τιμή τού αλός X:29).

1 Maccabees 11:35–37. and all the rest belonging to us henceforth from the tithes and dues due to us, the salt lakes and the crown levy belonging to us—all of it we cede to them in full. And nothing shall be revoked from this henceforth and forever. Now take care to make a copy of this, and let it be given to Jonathan and placed on the holy mountain in a place known. A copy of the letter was to be placed “on the holy mountain in a known place,” as previously in VIII:22.

1 Maccabees 11:38. And King Demetrius saw that the land was at peace before him and nothing resisted him, and he dismissed all his troops, each to his own place, except the foreign troops whom he had hired from the islands of foreign peoples—and for this all the forces of his fathers hated him. “The land was at peace before him…”—ησύχασεν ή γή—more precisely in the Slavonic: “the land grew quiet before him…” cf. at I:3.—“From the islands of foreign peoples,” i.e., probably from Crete, Rhodes, Cyprus, and other islands of the Mediterranean Sea and the Archipelago.—“The forces of his fathers,” i.e., of Seleucus Philopator and Demetrius I. The hatred toward Demetrius II for his “cruelty” (ob crudelitatem) and “negligence” (propter segnitiam) is also noted by Livy (epit. LII) and Justin (XXXVI, 1, 9).

1 Maccabees 11:39. Trypho, one of Alexander’s former adherents, seeing that all the troops were muttering against Demetrius, went to Imalcue the Arab, who was raising Antiochus, the young son of Alexander; “Trypho”—his proper name was Diodotus, while Τρύφων, i.e., “the dissolute,” was actually his nickname (see about him in Diodorus, Livy, Strabo, and Appian).—“Imalcue the Arab…” is named very variously in other sources: Ειμαλκουαί, Ιμαλκουέ, Σινμαλκουή, Σιμαλκουέ, Emalchuel (Vulgate) and Malchus. He was an Arab ruler to whom Alexander had entrusted his son’s upbringing. Diodorus l. c. Nr. 20 calls him Diocles (Diokles), while in Nr. 21 he is called Iamblichus, though the latter may be the son of the former and his successor.—Antiochus, the son of Alexander, is noted by Diodorus (l. c.) as τον Επιφανή χρηματίζοντα; on coins he is named Επιφανής Διόνυσος. According to Livy—epit. LII—he was about two years old when Trypho took custody of him, and—according to epit. c. LV—ten years old when Trypho killed him.

1 Maccabees 11:40. and pressed him to hand him over, so that he might make him king in his place; and he told him of everything that Demetrius had done, and the hostility that the troops bore toward him, and he stayed there many days. “He stayed there many days…” During these “many days” (ημέρας πολλάς) falls the revolt of the Antiochenes against Demetrius, described in verses 41–53, which was suppressed with the help of the Jewish contingent sent by Jonathan.

1 Maccabees 11:41–43. And Jonathan sent word to King Demetrius to remove those he had left in the Jerusalem citadel and in the fortifications, for they were attacking Israel. Demetrius sent word to Jonathan: not only will I do this for you and your people, but I will also greatly honor you and your people as soon as I have the opportunity. Now you will do well if you send me men to help in the war, for all my troops have defected from me. “You will do well if you send…”—ορθώς ποιήσεις αποστείλας—a tactful way of making a request, cf. XII:18, 22; John 3:6.

1 Maccabees 11:44–47. And Jonathan sent to him in Antioch three thousand valiant men, and they came to the king, and the king rejoiced at their coming. And the citizens, having gathered to the center of the city to the number of one hundred and twenty thousand, wanted to kill the king. But the king fled into the palace, while the citizens seized all the streets of the city and began to besiege him. Then the king summoned the Jews to his aid, and they all gathered to him at once, and suddenly they scattered through the city, and they killed on that day in the city up to one hundred thousand people, “And suddenly they scattered through the city…”—i.e., it was the revolted Antiochenes who scattered, not the Jews, although in both neighboring sentences—the preceding and the following—the subject is “the Jews.” Such a rapid change of subject is very common in Hebrew speech (cf. IV:20).—The Slavonic text expresses the meaning of the original more precisely in this passage: “and they all gathered together at once (πάντες άμα, i.e., the Jews) to him; and they all scattered (πάντες άμα, evidently the Antiochenes) through the city…”. In the other understanding of the expression cited—πάντες άμα—it would be a pointless tautology. The number of those killed (100,000), as well as of those who revolted (120,000), may well be greatly exaggerated.

1 Maccabees 11:48–50. and set fire to the city, and took much plunder that day, and saved the king. And the citizens saw that the Jews had taken possession of the city as they pleased, and their spirits fell, and they began to cry out to the king, begging and saying: grant us your right hand, and let the Jews stop attacking us and our city. “Grant us your right hand…”—Greek: δος ημίν δεξιάς—more precisely in the Slavonic: “give us your right hand…” (cf. VI:58), i.e., “make peace with us.”

1 Maccabees 11:51. And they laid down their arms and made peace. And the Jews were honored before the king and before all in his kingdom, and they returned to Jerusalem with great plunder. “And they laid down their arms…”—ερριψαν τα οπλα—more precisely in the Slavonic: “and they cast down their arms…”—the subject is “the Antiochenes.”

1 Maccabees 11:52–54. And King Demetrius sat on the throne of his kingdom, and the land grew quiet before him. But he lied in everything he had promised, and he turned against Jonathan and did not repay him for the good he had received, and he greatly wronged him. After that, Trypho returned and with him Antiochus, still very young; he became king and put on the crown. On the age of Antiochus see at verse 39.

1 Maccabees 11:55. And all the troops that Demetrius had dismissed gathered to him, and they began to make war against Demetrius, and he fled and was defeated. According to Josephus, Demetrius fled to Cilicia; according to Livy (epit. LII)—to Seleucia.

1 Maccabees 11:56. And Trypho took the elephants and seized Antioch. Instead of “elephants” the original properly has τα θηρία (Slavonic: “and Trypho took the beasts…”). These elephants may have belonged to the Egyptian army and, after the death of Ptolemy Philometor (verse 18), passed into Demetrius’s possession—if indeed the condition of the treaty with the Romans, after the battle of Magnesia, not to use elephants in war, was still being observed (VI:30).

1 Maccabees 11:57. And the young Antiochus wrote to Jonathan, saying: I confirm you in the high priesthood and appoint you over four districts, and you shall be among the king’s friends. “I appoint you (i.e., as governor) over four districts…” We already know three of these districts from verses 28 and 34. Concerning the fourth, opinions differ. Some name Ptolemais, others Ekron (X:89), others Judea itself.

1 Maccabees 11:58. And he sent him golden vessels and table service and gave him the right to drink from golden vessels and to wear purple and a golden clasp, “And table service…”—καί διακονίαν—Slavonic: “and service…”—in other words, tableware (a “service set”).

1 Maccabees 11:59–61. and he appointed his brother Simon as commander from the region of Tyre to the borders of Egypt. And Jonathan set out on a campaign, and marched through the territory beyond the river (Jordan) and through the cities, and all the Syrian forces gathered to help him; and he came to Ashkelon, and the inhabitants of the city received him with honor. From there he went to Gaza; but the inhabitants of Gaza shut the gates; and he besieged the city and burned its suburbs with fire and plundered them. “Through the territory beyond the river…”—this could only be the Jordan.—“All the Syrian forces gathered to help him…”—i.e., those discharged by Demetrius. Such was the purpose of the campaign—to assemble the warriors of Demetrius scattered throughout all the cities of Palestine in order to use them afterward against the Philistine cities, which had until then remained on the side of Demetrius II. The inhabitants of Ashkelon received Jonathan with honor, as previously at X:86. The inhabitants of Gaza (present-day Ghuzzeh), on the other hand, shut the gates and were subdued only by force.

1 Maccabees 11:62–63. And the inhabitants of Gaza implored Jonathan, and he made peace with them, but he took the sons of their leaders as hostages and sent them to Jerusalem, and he passed through the country as far as Damascus. And Jonathan heard that Demetrius’s commanders had come to Kedesh in Galilee with a large army, intending to remove him from the territory. “Kedesh,” Κάδης (or Κηδες) in Galilee—is the ancient Levitical city of refuge in the mountains of Naphtali—the present-day small settlement of the same name northwest of the Sea of Galilee (Josh 12:22).—“To remove him from the territory…”—μεταστήσαι αυτον τής χρείας—properly: “to relieve him of his charge,” i.e., the one he had undertaken in favor of Antiochus. The expression “from the territory” is explained by variant readings in some texts—χώρας in place of χρείας.

1 Maccabees 11:64–66. But he went to meet them, leaving his brother Simon in the land. And Simon encamped before Beth-zur and besieged it for many days and blocked it off. And they asked for peace, and he agreed; but he drove them out from there, took the city, and placed a garrison in it. Before the account of Jonathan’s battle with the general of Demetrius, we are told of Simon’s capture of Beth-zur. This border fortress between Judea and Idumea (see at IV:29), since its capture by Antiochus Eupator (VI:50), had remained in Syrian hands, heavily fortified by Demetrius I (IX:52), and only now reverted to Judea.

1 Maccabees 11:67. And Jonathan and his army encamped by the waters of Gennesaret, and in the morning they moved to the plain of Hazor. “By the waters of Gennesaret…”—i.e., by the Sea of Galilee.—“The plain of Hazor.” Νασώρ—more correctly Ασώρ—the ancient Canaanite capital, the location of which is now difficult to identify precisely, but probably on the site of the present ruins of Huzzur or Hasireh—2 hours’ journey west of Bint Jbeil (Josh 11:1).

1 Maccabees 11:68–73. And behold, the army of the foreigners met him on the plain, having left an ambush against him in the mountains, while they themselves came to meet him from the opposite direction. And those who were in the ambush rose from their positions and began to fight; and all who were with Jonathan fled, and not one of them remained, except Mattathias, the son of Absalom, and Judas, the son of Chalphi, commanders of the military units. And Jonathan tore his garments and put dust on his head and prayed. Then he turned back to fight with them and routed them, and they fled. And those who had fled from him, seeing this, returned to him, and together with him they pursued them as far as Kedesh, to their very camp, and there they halted. It appears that the situation unfolded as follows: Jonathan’s army was so thrown off by the unexpected attack of the enemy that it wavered and began to flee; only Jonathan together with two other commanders remained bravely at their posts, and this had a sobering effect on the rest, who quickly recovered from their confusion and, returning, made a concerted charge at the enemy and prevailed.

1 Maccabees 11:74. On that day there fell from among the foreigners up to three thousand men; and Jonathan returned to Jerusalem. The pursuit of the enemy continued “to their very camp…” There the enemy had presumably taken shelter behind strong fortifications, and Jonathan, not considering himself strong enough to launch a storm, preferred to return to Jerusalem, leaving the enemy the opportunity to advance against him soon again with an even larger army (XII:24 and following). * * * Notes The Books of Maccabees are translated from the Greek, because they do not exist in the Hebrew text.

Chapter Twelve

Jonathan’s embassies to the Romans and Spartans (cf. Antt. XIII, 5, 8) (1 Macc 12:1-23). Jonathan’s and Simon’s further wars (1 Macc 12:24-34). The construction of fortresses in Judea (1 Macc 12:35-38). Trypho’s ambition to become king of Asia: Jonathan’s downfall (1 Macc 12:39-53).

1 Maccabees 12:1. Jonathan, seeing that the time was favorable for him, chose men and sent them to Rome to establish and renew friendship with the Romans, The ambassadors chosen to go to Rome to conclude the alliance were, as we learn further on (v. 16 and XIV:22), Numenius and Antipater.

1 Maccabees 12:2. and to the Spartans and to other places he sent letters about the same matter. From verse 16 it is clear that the same ambassadors who were in Rome also stopped by the Spartans to deliver the letter of the Jews and to conclude an alliance.

1 Maccabees 12:3–4. And they came to Rome, and entered the council, and said: “Jonathan the high priest and the Jewish people have sent us to renew friendship and alliance with you as before.” And there they were given letters to the local authorities, so that they might be conducted to the land of Judea in peace. The time of this embassy falls, in the opinion of some, on the year 169 or 168 of the Seleucid era—144–143 or 143–142 BC—shortly after the capture of Carthage and Corinth.

1 Maccabees 12:5–6. Here is a copy of the letter that Jonathan wrote to the Spartans: “Jonathan the high priest and the elders of the people and the priests and the rest of the Jewish people to their brothers the Spartans—greetings. Here for the first time in our book the assembly of the “elders” of the people (ἡ γερουσία τοῦ ἔθνους) is mentioned—together with other representatives (the high priest and the priests) they formed the supreme Jewish administration (the “Jewish senate”). In 2 Macc 4:44 (cf. I:10 and 3 Macc 1:8)—this “council of elders” is mentioned already under Antiochus IV and V. No more precise information about its organization is available.

1 Maccabees 12:7. Previously, from Darius (Areus) who reigned among you, letters were sent to the high priest Onias, showing that you are our brothers, as the copy shows. Jonathan’s letter to the Spartans begins by recalling the earlier correspondence between the Jewish high priest Onias and Darius, who reigned among the Spartans (the correct form is Ἀρεύς). A precise copy of the latter’s address with declarations of brotherhood is appended immediately after the account of the new letter (vv. 20–23).—A question arises about more precisely dating the first correspondence and the persons involved. This question is not easy to resolve, given that history records three Oniases and three Areuses, while the succession of these Oniases noted by Josephus—after Simon—is completely identical in two instances, as is clear from the following: Onias (I), son of Jaddus; Simon (I) the Righteous, son of Onias I; Eleazar, Simon’s brother (20 years); Manasseh, uncle; Onias (II), son of Simon the Righteous; Simon (II), son of this Onias; and Onias (III), son of Simon II. If we ignore the brother and uncle between Simon I and Onias II his son, then the succession is completely identical in both cases: Onias (I), Simon (I), Onias (II); and again: Onias (II), Simon (II), Onias (III)—always father and son. The matter is equally entangled among the three Areuses. Two Spartan kings by that name are reliably attested: Areus I, who reigned—according to Diodorus XX, 29—from 309–265 BC, and Areus II, who reigned around 255 BC but died at the age of eight (Pausanias, III, 66). Since Onias II can hardly have been a contemporary of Areus II, the only conclusion some commentators reach is that we must reckon as contemporaries only Areus I and Onias I (323–300 BC). The correspondence, therefore, falls in the time of the “Diadochi,” when the Spartans in their struggle with Antigonus and his son Demetrius Poliorcetes could naturally have conceived the idea of creating difficulties for their adversaries by establishing contacts in the east.—The immediate consequences of this correspondence and the Spartan-Jewish contacts are unknown. It is noteworthy, however, that in later times the former high priest Jason sought refuge precisely in Lacedaemon from his pursuers—showing that the idea of kinship between Jews and Spartans found practical application. As for the basis of this idea in biblical genealogies (“that they are brothers and of the stock of Abraham”—v. 21), after fruitless searches in the Bible itself we must seek those grounds perhaps only in Greek traditions about the Spartans’ descent from the Phoenicians. And how this notion could have appealed to Jewish hearts can be explained by the well-known tendency of this people to regard Judaism as the source of all cultural development.

1 Maccabees 12:8–9. And Onias received the man who was sent with honor, and received the letters, in which there was clear mention of alliance and friendship. We, however, although we have no need of these things, having as our consolation the sacred books that are in our hands, In what way were the sacred books a “consolation” for Israel and a substitute for alliance and friendship?—By nurturing the confidence that God was their protection and salvation, as was shown by their repeated deliverance from severe circumstances through special messengers of God.

1 Maccabees 12:10–11. nevertheless we undertook to send to you to renew the brotherhood and friendship, lest we become estranged from you, for much time has passed since you sent to us. We without fail at every opportunity, both on festivals and on other appointed days, remember you in our sacrifices and prayers, as it is right and proper to remember brothers. Prayer even for a pagan but considered kindred people could fully have been offered by Jews, like the prayers for their country’s pagan rulers.

1 Maccabees 12:12–16. We rejoice in your glory; as for us, many troubles and frequent wars have beset us, for the kings around us have made war against us. But we did not want to trouble you and our other allies and friends in these wars, for we have the help of heaven that helps us; we have been delivered from our enemies, and our enemies have been subdued. Now we have chosen Numenius son of Antiochus and Antipater son of Jason, and sent them to the Romans to renew friendship and the former alliance with them. The Jewish envoys bear Greek names, probably for greater convenience in dealings. Their identities are unknown; one thing seems likely—that Jason, the father of Antipater mentioned here, is the same one whom Judas had sent with Eupolemus to Rome (VIII:17).

1 Maccabees 12:17–23. We have instructed them to go also to you, to greet you and to deliver to you our letters about the renewal of our brotherhood with you as well. You will do well to reply to us about this.” Here also is the copy of the letters that Darius (Areus) sent: “Areus king of the Spartans to Onias the high priest—greetings. It has been found in writing concerning the Spartans and the Jews that they are brothers and of the stock of Abraham. Now that we have learned this, you will do well to write to us about your welfare. We, for our part, inform you: your livestock and your property are ours, and what is ours is yours. We have instructed that this be declared to you.” The desire for mutual support with all one’s resources is here expressed in the form of a proverb, which of course does not require a literal interpretation.

1 Maccabees 12:24. And Jonathan heard that the commanders of Demetrius had returned with a larger army than before to make war against him, The account of Jonathan’s and Simon’s new wars is a continuation of the wars with the Syrian commanders in Galilee described above (XI:74 and earlier v. 67), who had now come “with a larger army than before” (XI:68).

1 Maccabees 12:25. and he went out from Jerusalem and met them in the region of Hamath, and did not give them time to enter his territory. The “region of Hamath,” where Jonathan met the enemy—ἡ Ἀμαθῖτις χώρα—is the country of the city of Hamath—otherwise Αἴμαθ (Num 34:8 and others; 2 Kgs 25:21 and others), or Ἡμάθ (2 Sam 8:9 and others) and Ἐμάθ (Josh 13:5 and others): a large city on the Orontes at the northern slope of Lebanon, still existing today under the name of Hamah.

1 Maccabees 12:26–30. And he sent scouts into their camp, who returned and reported to him that they were preparing to attack them that very night. Therefore, when the sun had set, Jonathan ordered his men to keep watch, to be armed and ready for battle throughout the night, and he posted advance sentries around the camp. And the enemy heard that Jonathan and his men had prepared for battle, and they were afraid and their hearts trembled, and they lit fires in their camp and departed. Jonathan and those who were with him did not know of this until morning, since they saw the fires burning. And Jonathan pursued them but could not overtake them, because they had crossed the river Eleutherus. On the river Eleutherus, see the note on XI:7. This river formed the boundary between Phoenicia and Syria; therefore Jonathan did not cross it, not wishing to carry the war into Syria itself.

1 Maccabees 12:31. Then Jonathan turned against the Arabs called the Zabadeans, struck them, and took their plunder. What prompted Jonathan to turn against the Arab tribe of the “Zabadeans” is unknown, as is the tribe itself.—The most probable suggestion is that the name of this tribe is connected with the name of the plain, village, and river Zebdini on the eastern spur of the Anti-Lebanon, directly on the map about 4 geographic miles northwest of Damascus.

1 Maccabees 12:32–34. Then, on his return, he came to Damascus and passed through all that region. And Simon went out and marched as far as Ascalon and the nearby fortresses, and turned toward Joppa and took possession of it, for he heard that (the people of Joppa) intended to hand the fortress over to the troops of Demetrius, and he stationed a garrison there to guard it. On Ascalon, see the note on X:86; on Joppa—on X:75. Joppa had already been taken earlier by Jonathan (X:75 and following), but it had probably been left under the protection of only the local city unit, which could be quite sufficient for peacetime. Now, however, when this fortress showed inclination toward Demetrius, Simon again “takes possession” of it and leaves a stronger Jewish garrison to guard the city.

1 Maccabees 12:35. And Jonathan returned and called together the elders of the people and consulted with them about building fortresses in Judea, raising the walls of Jerusalem, and erecting a high wall between the citadel and the city, so as to separate it from the city, making it stand alone with no buying or selling in it. “With no buying or selling in it,” cf. XII:49.—The plan was thus to starve out the citadel, which was indeed achieved.

1 Maccabees 12:37. When they had assembled to build the city and the wall by the brook on the east side had been reached, they built what is called the Chaphenatha. “By the brook”—that is, the Kidron—“on the east side.” In this place either no walls had survived at all or the remains were so weak that they could not bear the weight of new masonry. Here the builders constructed the Chaphenatha, as this section of the half-collapsed walls was apparently called.

1 Maccabees 12:38. And Simon built Adida in the Shephelah and fortified its gates and bars. Adida—Ἀδιδά—(more precisely in Hebrew, Ezra 2:33; Neh 11:34)—east of Lydda, where today el Hadithe is—a large village on the eastern bank at the mouth of the Wady—a place very important strategically for the defense of Judea from the side of the Shephelah. Here Vespasian later established his entrenchments while preparing for the siege of Jerusalem (Jos. bel. jud. IV, 9, 1).

1 Maccabees 12:39–40. Meanwhile Trypho was scheming to become king of Asia and to place the crown on himself and to raise his hand against king Antiochus; but he was afraid that Jonathan might hinder him and make war against him. Therefore he looked for an opportunity to capture Jonathan and kill him, and he set out and went to Beth-shan. “Beth-shan”—that is, Scythopolis, the modern Beisan; see the note on V:52.

1 Maccabees 12:41–45. And Jonathan went out to meet him with forty thousand chosen men ready for battle, and came to Beth-shan. When Trypho saw that Jonathan had come with a large army, he was afraid to raise his hand against him. He received him with honor and introduced him to all his friends, gave him gifts, commanded his troops to obey him as himself. Then he said to Jonathan: Why are you wearying all this people, when there is no war threatening us? Send them home now, and choose a few men to stay with you, and come with me to Ptolemais, and I will hand it over to you, along with the other fortresses and the remaining troops and all those in charge of revenue, and then I will return; for this is why I came here. Trypho here apparently promises Jonathan the governorship over the entire coastal region from Ptolemais to Joppa.

1 Maccabees 12:46–49. And Jonathan trusted him and did as he said, and dismissed his troops, and they went away to the land of Judea; with himself he kept three thousand men, two thousand of whom he left in Galilee, while one thousand went with him. But as soon as Jonathan entered Ptolemais, the people of Ptolemais shut the gates and seized him, and killed with the sword all who had come in with him. Then Trypho sent troops and cavalry into Galilee and the great plain to destroy all of Jonathan’s men. “The great plain”—that is, the Jezreel Valley; see the note on V:52.

1 Maccabees 12:50. But they, when they heard that Jonathan had been seized and had perished along with those with him, encouraged one another and went forward in close formation, ready to fight. “Having heard that Jonathan had been seized and had perished”—this was for now an exaggerated report, since Jonathan’s actual death came somewhat later (XIII:23).

1 Maccabees 12:51. And those who were pursuing them saw that it was a matter of life and death, and turned back. Seeing “that it was a matter of life and death”—ὅτι περὶ ψυχῆς αὐτοῖς ἐστι, in Slavonic: “that it is for their soul”—that is, as people still say today, that they were ready to fight not for their lives but to the death—the pursuers dared not harass the retreating men and turned back.

1 Maccabees 12:52–53. And they all came safely to the land of Judea and mourned for Jonathan and those who were with him, and they were in great fear, and all Israel wept bitterly. Then all the surrounding nations sought to destroy them, saying: now they have no leader and champion; let us now make war against them and blot out the memory of them from among people. * * * Notes The Books of Maccabees have been translated from the Greek, since no Hebrew text of them exists.

Chapter Thirteen

The new leader and ruler of Judea—Simon (cf. Antt. XIII, 6, 3, 4) (1 Macc 13:1-11). The struggle with Trypho (cf. Antt. XII, 6, 5 and following) (1 Macc 13:12-24). The burial of Jonathan at Modein and the perpetuation of the memory of the Maccabees by a magnificent monument (1 Macc 13:25-30). Trypho’s murder of Antiochus and seizure of his crown (1 Macc 13:31-32). Simon’s fortification of Judea and negotiations with Demetrius (1 Macc 13:33-40). Complete freedom from the yoke of the pagans (1 Macc 13:41-42). The capture of Gaza (cf. Antt. XIII, 6, 7) (1 Macc 13:43-48). The taking of the Jerusalem citadel (1 Macc 13:49-53).

1 Maccabees 13:1. Simon heard that Trypho had gathered a large army to march into the land of Judea and lay it waste. “To lay waste” the country—ἐκτρίβειν γῆν—“to crush” (Slavonic), to raze to the ground—by fresh devastations, plundering, taking captive, and slaughtering its inhabitants; cf. v. 20; XIV:31.

1 Maccabees 13:2. And, seeing that the people were afraid and trembling, he went up to Jerusalem and gathered the people. “The people”—τὸν λαόν—in the persons of their representatives and most influential men.

1 Maccabees 13:3. And, encouraging them, he said to them: you yourselves know how much I and my brothers and the house of my father have done for these laws and the sanctuary; you know the wars and the oppressions we have endured. “The house of my father”—the brothers, children, and relatives of Mattathias in general (II:16).

1 Maccabees 13:4. Therefore all my brothers have perished for Israel, and I alone am left. Simon here regards Jonathan as already dead, having no hope at all of his release, even though his actual killing occurred later (cf. XII:50).—The deaths of the other brothers are described in VI:43 and following; IX:16 and following, 38, 42.

1 Maccabees 13:5–11. And now let it not be that I should spare my life at any time of oppression, for I am no better than my brothers. But I will avenge my people and the sanctuary, and our wives and children, for all the nations have united to destroy us out of hostility. And the spirit of the people blazed as soon as they heard these words; and they answered with a loud voice, and said: you are our leader in place of Judas and Jonathan your brother. Fight our battle, and whatever you tell us, we will do. Then he gathered all the men of war, and hurried to complete the walls of Jerusalem and fortified it on every side. Then he sent Jonathan son of Absalom, and with him a sufficient number of troops to Joppa, and he drove out those who were in it and remained there. According to XII:33 and following, Simon had already taken Joppa earlier and left a Jewish detachment in it. There is no contradiction here, however, since what is at issue is actually the reinforcement of the Joppa garrison, while those expelled—“who were in it,” that is, in the fortress—are understood to be not the forces of Demetrius or Trypho, but probably those inhabitants of the city about whom one might fear that they would hand the city over to Trypho (Antt. XIII, 6, 3).

1 Maccabees 13:12–13. Meanwhile Trypho set out from Ptolemais with a large army to enter the land of Judea; with him was Jonathan under guard. Simon camped at Adida facing the plain. On Adida, see the note on XII:38.

1 Maccabees 13:14–15. When Trypho learned that Simon had taken the place of his brother Jonathan and was intending to engage him in battle, he sent envoys to him saying: it is on account of the silver that your brother Jonathan owed to the royal treasury for the duties he had that we have detained him. The appeal to Jonathan’s debt was merely a pretext, a cunning (v. 17) justification of his cruel intentions, which had been correctly interpreted earlier (XII:40) and well understood by Simon. The plausibility of this appeal to Jonathan’s debt appeared in his promise to Demetrius of 300 talents for the exemption of Judea from taxes (XI:28). However, Trypho could not make such claims for the very reason that Demetrius had been deposed by him, and the Antiochus whom he newly installed had confirmed Jonathan’s rights without any prior conditions or financial obligations (XI:57).

1 Maccabees 13:16–18. So send now a hundred talents of silver and two of his sons as hostages, so that when released he will not defect from us—and we will release him. Simon understood that they were speaking to him deceitfully, but he sent the silver and the children, lest he bring great odium upon himself from the people, who would say: it is because I did not send him the silver and the children that Jonathan has perished. Despite his certainty that Trypho was acting treacherously, Simon nonetheless sends him the money and the hostages, so as to remove all responsibility for his brother, and so that the people would see that he valued neither money nor his own command above the life of the hapless prisoner.

1 Maccabees 13:19–20. He therefore sent the children and a hundred talents; but Trypho deceived and did not release Jonathan. After this Trypho set out to invade the country and destroy it, and went by a roundabout way to Adora. But Simon and his army followed him wherever he went. Adora—Ἀδορά — 2 Chr 11:9 — the modern Dura—a village 2½ hours west of Hebron, which at that time belonged, in all likelihood, to Idumea. From there Trypho hoped to penetrate more easily into the Judean hills and break through to Jerusalem from the direction of Hebron.

1 Maccabees 13:21. Those who were in the citadel sent envoys to Trypho, urging him to come to them through the desert and to send them provisions. “Those who were in the citadel”—that is, the Jerusalem citadel, which was already beginning to feel a severe shortage of supplies, cut off by the wall from any communication with the city (XII:36).—“Through the desert”—that is, the Judean desert on the western side of the Dead Sea.

1 Maccabees 13:22. And Trypho prepared all his cavalry to march that very night, but there was very heavy snow, and he did not go because of the snow; he departed instead and went into Gilead. In response to the plea of the starving garrison, Trypho readied “all his cavalry” for a march “that very night,” obviously with provisions. But the “very heavy snow” that fell that night disrupted this enterprise. Snow falls in Jerusalem and its surroundings quite often, especially in January and February, sometimes to a depth of a foot or more. But it almost never lies long. In February 1797, as a rare exception, deep snow lay for 12–13 days in Jerusalem; in 1818—for 5 days, a foot deep.

1 Maccabees 13:23. But when he drew near to Bascama, he killed Jonathan, and he was buried there. Bascama, near which Jonathan perished—in Greek Βασκαμά (in Josephus Βασκά)—is completely unknown.

1 Maccabees 13:24–27. And Trypho turned and went away to his own land. Then Simon sent and took the bones of Jonathan his brother, and buried them in Modein, the city of his fathers. And all Israel mourned for him with a bitter mourning, and lamented him for many days. And Simon built a monument over the tomb of his father and his brothers, and raised it high to make it impressive, with polished stone at the front and back, “To make it impressive”—τῇ ὁράσει—in Slavonic: “raised it in appearance”—that is, so that it could be seen better.

1 Maccabees 13:28. and set up on it seven pyramids, one opposite the other, for his father and mother and four brothers; “Seven pyramids—for his father and mother and four brothers”—the seventh, therefore, for himself, in the hope that he would be laid there as well.

1 Maccabees 13:29. and he made artistic ornaments for them, setting up tall columns around them, and on the columns full suits of armor as an everlasting memorial, and beside the armor carved ships, so that they could be seen by all who sailed the sea. “Carved ships” were meant to represent the maritime connection the Jews had opened with foreign nations through the capture of Joppa.

1 Maccabees 13:30. This tomb which he made in Modein stands to this day. “Stands to this day”—that is, to the time of the author of our book. Since Modein lay near Lydda (see the note on II:1) and the mausoleum built there could be seen from the sea, it is believed that it stood either at the site of the modern village of el Burdsch, where on the very highest point of the hill travelers recently noted two pyramid-shaped mounds of rubble with a fine view of the sea—or more probably at the site of the modern el Midjeh (also el Mediyeh), 2½ hours east of Lydda, where traces of graves and tombs are still visible under the name of Kubur el Yahud—the graves of the Jews. From this place not only is there a clear view of the sea, but the height is in general very suited so that, without needing excessively tall pyramids, one could make them clearly visible from the sea, which is only 3½ miles away, especially in the light of the sun.

1 Maccabees 13:31. But Trypho treacherously set out with the young king Antiochus and killed him, The event of the killing of the young Antiochus by Trypho the author places immediately after the capture and murder of Jonathan, and before the campaign of Demetrius into Media mentioned below at XIV:1 and following, where he also perished. Josephus is far more correct—in agreement with Diod. Sic. (in Müller’s Fragm. hist. gr. II, p. XIX, Nr. 25), Appian. Syr. 68 and Justin, Hist. XXXVI, 1, 7—in placing the death of Antiochus after Demetrius’s campaign and his death in Media. Indeed, Demetrius becomes king in year 167 of the Seleucid era (XI:19), and around the same time (after Demetrius’s disbanding of troops, XI:38–40 and 54) Trypho makes the infant Antiochus king, who was—according to Livy Epit. LII—only two years old; and since—according to another testimony, Livy Epit. LV—Antiochus perished as a ten-year-old boy, he therefore reigned eight years. Meanwhile, Demetrius, who in any case became king before Antiochus, reigned—judging from the data in the book (cf. X:67 and XIV:1)—only seven years. Evidently, either the reign of Antiochus must be set at less than eight years, or the time of his death must be placed beyond Demetrius’s death in Media by at least one year.

1 Maccabees 13:32. and reigned in his place and put the crown of Asia on himself, and brought great destruction upon the land. 1 Macc 13:31-32: “But Trypho treacherously set out”—ἐπορεύετο δόλῳ, more precisely in Slavonic: “he walked with cunning”—that is, he conducted himself deceitfully, analogously to the expression πορεύεσθαι σοφίᾳ (Prov 28:26)—“to walk in wisdom”—apostolic: “walk in wisdom toward those who are outside”—“the crown of Asia,” as in VIII:6.

1 Maccabees 13:33–36. But Simon built fortresses in Judea, fortifying them with high towers and great walls, with gates and bars, and stored food in the fortresses. Then Simon chose men and sent them to king Demetrius to ask him to grant relief to the country, for all the actions of Trypho were those of a plunderer. And king Demetrius sent him a reply to these words and wrote a letter as follows: “King Demetrius to Simon the high priest and friend of kings, and to the elders and the Jewish people—greetings. “Friend of kings”—φίλῳ βασιλέων. The plural—βασιλέων—here probably means that Simon is to hold the dignity of “friend” not only under Demetrius but also under his successors on the throne.

1 Maccabees 13:37. The golden crown and the palm branch that you sent we have received, and we are ready to make complete peace with you and to write to those in charge of revenue to remit your tribute. Simon sends Demetrius “a golden crown and a palm branch” (τὴν βαΐνην), which was probably also of pure gold (cf. 2 Macc 14:4).

1 Maccabees 13:38–39. And all that we have decreed concerning you shall remain in force, and the fortresses that you have built shall remain yours. We also pardon your offenses and oversights up to this day and remit the crown tax which you were obliged to pay, and if anything else has been levied in Jerusalem, let it be levied no more. “The crown tax,” which Demetrius I, Soter, had also promised to abolish (see the note on X:29).

1 Maccabees 13:40–42. And if any of you are qualified to be enrolled among those who serve us, let them be enrolled, and let there be peace between us.” In the one hundred and seventieth year the yoke of the pagans was removed from Israel; and the people of Israel in their correspondence and agreements began to write: “In the first year under Simon the great high priest, leader and ruler of the Jews.” “In the year 170” of the Seleucid era—143–142 BC.—“The removal of the yoke of the pagans” from Israel did not eliminate his ultimate dependence on the Syrian king: this is evident not only from the very tone of the royal letter in vv. 36–40, but also from the subsequent course of events—XIV:38 and following.—The high priest, under the new arrangement, was only an independent ruler of his people’s affairs, under the sovereignty of the Syrian king, and received the title of “ethnarch” (ἐθνάρχος, XIV:47; XV:1 and following).—No documents with the new chronological reckoning established under Simon have survived, since for official dating purposes the Seleucid era remained in use (XIV:27).—No coins minted under Simon have survived either.

1 Maccabees 13:43. At that time Simon attacked Gaza, surrounded it with his troops, built siege engines and brought them up to the city, breached one tower, and captured it. “Gaza”—ἐπὶ Γάζαν. The variant reading ἐπὶ Γάζαρα—“Gazara”—is considered more correct here. In favor of this: first, in the enumeration of Simon’s achievements (XIV:5 and following), the capture and fortification of Beth-zur, Joppa, and Gazara is specifically noted. This very Gazara is mentioned again among Simon’s conquests disputed by Antiochus VII (XV:28; XIV:1). But while there are clear passages about the capture of Beth-zur and Joppa (XI:65 and following; XII:33 and following), the capture of Gazara can be placed only here, reading ἐπὶ Γάζαρα instead of ἐπὶ Γάζα. Second, as can be seen from v. 48, Simon, after taking the fortress, built a residence for himself in it: this accords perfectly with the fact that his son John settled in Gazara (v. 53). Third, the report in XIV:34 that Simon “fortified Gazara on the border of Azotus, in which enemies had previously lived, and settled Jews there”—clearly points back to the previously described capture of this city (XIII:47 and following), and the very geographical addition to the city’s name leaves no doubt here that XIII:47 refers to the conquest of Gazara, not Gaza. Finally, the entire subsequent war (forty years later) of the Jews with Gaza would be a puzzle if this fortress had already been taken and its population changed. It is thus clear that Gazara should be understood here instead of Gaza.

1 Maccabees 13:44–48. Those who were on the engine leaped into the city, and great tumult arose in the city. And the citizens went up on the wall with their wives and children, tearing their garments, and they cried out aloud, begging Simon to grant them mercy, saying: treat us not according to our evil deeds but according to your mercy. And Simon had compassion on them and did not fight against them, but he drove them from the city and cleansed the houses in which idols had been, and so he entered the city with hymns and blessings. He removed from it all that was unclean, and settled there men who observed the law, and strengthened it, and built himself a residence there. “All that was unclean”—in Greek: πᾶσαν ἀκαθαρσίαν, more precisely in Slavonic: “every uncleanness”—that is, all objects of idolatry and pagan impiety.

1 Maccabees 13:49–50. Those who were in the Jerusalem citadel were not permitted to go out or to enter the country, or to buy or sell, and they suffered severe hunger, and many of them perished from famine. Then they cried out to Simon for peace, and he granted it to them, but drove them out from there and cleansed the citadel from its defilement, “They cried out to Simon for peace”—ἐβόησαν δεξιὰς λαβεῖν, more precisely in Slavonic: “they cried out to Simon to receive the right hand.”

1 Maccabees 13:51. and entered it on the twenty-third day of the second month of the one hundred and seventy-first year with hymns, palm branches, with harps, cymbals, and lyres, with psalms and songs, for a great enemy of Israel had been crushed. “On the 23rd day of the 2nd month of the year 171” of the Seleucid era—141 BC.—“With palm branches,” as symbols of peace and triumph (cf. 2 Macc 10:7; John 12:13).—“A great enemy of Israel had been crushed.” As long as the citadel of the Jewish capital was in the hands of the Syrians, the Jews could not regard their independence as secure despite all their victories. The achievement of this independence and the removal of the Syrian garrison from Jerusalem was the result of such a weakening of Syria that it was possible to speak of the “crushing” of this most important enemy of Israel.

1 Maccabees 13:52. And he decreed that this day should be celebrated every year with joy, and he strengthened the temple mount that was next to the citadel, and settled there himself and those with him. The establishment of an annual celebration of the day of Jerusalem’s liberation from the pagans (similar to IV:59) apparently did not remain in force for long; at least, in subsequent times nothing more is mentioned about this festival.

1 Maccabees 13:53. And Simon saw that his son John had come of age, and he appointed him commander over all the forces, and he settled in Gazara. This son of Simon—John—was the subsequent high priest, Prince John Hyrcanus. * * * Notes The Books of Maccabees have been translated from the Greek, since no Hebrew text of them exists.

Chapter Fourteen

Demetrius’s campaign to Media and his capture there (Antt. XIII, 5, 11) (1 Macc 14:1-3). The prosperity of Judea under Simon’s rule and his services to his people (1 Macc 14:4-15). Renewal of friendship and alliance with the Romans and Spartans (1 Macc 14:16-24). The perpetuation of Simon’s merits and those of the Maccabean family to the Jewish people on bronze memorial tablets (1 Macc 14:25-49).

1 Maccabees 14:1. In the one hundred and seventy-second year King Demetrius assembled his forces and marched into Media to obtain help there for his war against Trypho. “In the 172nd year” of the Seleucid era—141–140 BC. Demetrius “marched into Media to obtain help for his war against Trypho.” This statement can only be understood to mean that Demetrius wished first of all to conquer Media, so that from that conquered land he could then gather an auxiliary army for his struggle against Trypho.

1 Maccabees 14:2. But Arsaces, king of Persia and Media, when he heard that Demetrius had entered his territory, sent one of his commanders to take him alive. “Arsaces,” Ἀρσάχης—the common name of all Parthian kings, named after the founder of the Parthian kingdom. Here it is generally held to be Arsaces VI, whose personal name was Mithridates (I). This king annexed to his kingdom all the Seleucid provinces beyond the Euphrates, which had been striving for independence since the time of Antiochus III, and thereby extended his kingdom from the Euphrates to India. In this passage he bears the title of king of Persia and Media after the two most important provinces used to designate the whole kingdom (cf. VI:56). Arsaces sends a commander to seize Demetrius “alive.” It is supposed that by this Arsaces wished to more easily carry out his intention of becoming king of Syria himself. It is also possible that the order to “take him alive” simply expressed contempt for the strength of the opponent.

1 Maccabees 14:3. He set out, defeated the army of Demetrius, took him prisoner, and brought him to Arsaces, who put him in prison. The capture of Demetrius, according to other accounts, did not occur so easily. According to Justin (XXXVI, 1 and XXXVIII, 9), he fought several (“many”) battles with the Parthians and was finally captured only through cunning (under the pretext of peace negotiations and by means of an ambush). As a prisoner he was paraded through all the provinces that had revolted from him, for the final humiliation of himself and his supporters; but later Mithridates’s favor toward him was restored to such a degree that he was even honored with marriage to Mithridates’s daughter Rhodogune, after which he made several unsuccessful attempts at escape—while according to Jos. Antt. VIII, 4 he was released.

1 Maccabees 14:4. And the land of Judea rested all the days of Simon; he sought the good of his people, and his authority and glory pleased them all his days. In the phrase “all the days of Simon” one must make the qualification that toward the end of his reign the peace was disturbed by a new war with Antiochus Sidetes (XV:27 ff.; XVI:1 ff.). What follows (vv. 5–15) lists the glorious deeds and services of Simon to his people.

1 Maccabees 14:5–7. And to add to all his glory, he took Joppa as a harbor and opened access to the islands of the sea; he extended the borders of his people and gained control of the land. He gathered many captives and held sway over Gazara and Beth-zur and the citadel, which he cleansed of defilement, and there was no one to resist him. 1 Macc 14:5-7: The liberation of Judea from the enemy yoke and the extension of its borders.—“He took Joppa as a harbor,” ἔλαβε τὴν Ἰόππην εἰς λιμένα. This expression alludes to the natural unsuitability of Joppa as a harbor, a deficiency that had to be remedied artificially—by improving its port and providing protection from the sea.—“He opened access to the islands of the sea,” i.e., to the trading commerce of their inhabitants with Judea through Joppa. “He gathered many captives,” more precisely in the Slavonic: “he gathered (συνήγαγεν) much captivity”—an expression that evidently means not that he “took” many enemies prisoner in war, but that he “freed” a great many Jewish captives and “gathered” them again in their homeland. On the capture of Gazara, Beth-zur, and “the citadel” (in Jerusalem), see XIII:43 ff.; XI:65 ff.—“There was no one to resist him”—an expression meaning not literally the absence of opponents, but merely the absence of any successful resistance on their part.

1 Maccabees 14:8–10. The Jews peacefully tilled their land, and the land yielded its produce and the trees of the fields their fruit. The elders sat in the streets, all deliberating on matters of public welfare, and the young men put on splendid and military garments. He supplied the cities with provisions and made them into fortified places, so that his glorious name was spoken to the ends of the earth. A description of the civil prosperity of the people. The elders sitting in the streets in peaceful conversation is an image of the peaceful, blessed state of the land (Zech 8:4 ff.).—“On matters of public welfare,” περὶ ἀγαθῶν, more precisely in the Slavonic: “on good things”—de salute publica.—Just as it is fitting and natural for a happy old age to express its contentment in peaceful conversation in the streets, so the self-satisfied mood of the young found expression in flaunting military attire, which at that time could constantly prove useful for defending the homeland against a possible enemy attack.—“Made them into fortified places,” ἔταξεν αὐτὰς ἐν σκεύεσιν ὀχυρώσεως, more precisely in the Slavonic: “he set them in vessels of fortification”—meaning that he not only fortified them, but by supplying them with all kinds of provisions and military equipment made them strongholds capable of firmly and unshakably fulfilling their purpose, even in the event of a very prolonged siege.

1 Maccabees 14:11–15. He restored peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy. Each man sat under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one made them afraid. No one was left in the land who fought against them, and kings were humbled in those days. He strengthened all the poor among his people, sought the fulfillment of the law, and eliminated every lawbreaker and evildoer; he adorned the sanctuary and multiplied the sacred vessels. The restoration of peace in the land. The “sitting” of each person “under his vine and under his fig tree” is an image of contentment, peace, and the generally blessed state of the land, frequently used in Holy Scripture; cf. 1 Kgs 4:25; Mic 4:4; Zech 3:10.—“No one was left in the land who fought against them,” more precisely in the Slavonic: “and he that warred against them (ὁ πολεμῶν) was lacking in the land.”

1 Maccabees 14:16–24. When news reached Rome and Sparta that Jonathan had died, they were greatly grieved. But when they heard that his brother Simon had become high priest in his place and was ruling over the land and the cities in it, they wrote to him on bronze tablets to renew with him the friendship and alliance they had made with his brothers Judas and Jonathan. These were read before the assembly in Jerusalem. This is a copy of the letters that the Spartans sent: “The rulers of the Spartans and the city, to Simon the high priest and to the elders and priests and all the people of the Jews, our brothers—greetings. The envoys sent to our people told us of your glory and honor, and we rejoiced at their arrival and recorded what they said in a public council as follows: Numenius the son of Antiochus and Antipater the son of Jason, envoys of the Jews, came to us to renew the friendship with us. It pleased the people to receive these men with honor and to insert a record of their words in the public registers, as a memorial for the people of Sparta. And a copy of this we have written for the high priest Simon.” After this, Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a large golden shield weighing a thousand minas, to confirm the alliance with them. 1 Macc 14:16-24: Among Simon’s services to his people is counted his renewal of friendship and alliance with the Romans and Spartans. Judging by vv. 16–18, the initiative for this renewal seems to be credited to the Romans themselves; however, it is more natural to think that Simon, and not the Romans, sent the envoys for this purpose, as the matter is also presented in the renewal of friendship with the Spartans (vv. 21–33). This follows still more clearly from v. 24, which explicitly states that “Simon sent Numenius to Rome to conclude an alliance with them,” and the response brought from the Romans by Numenius (cf. XIV:24; XV:15–21) leaves no doubt that Simon himself initiated the matter.—“They wrote” (v. 18)—here one must understand not only the Romans, who had concluded an alliance with Judas and Jonathan (chs. VIII and XII), but also the Spartans, although these had renewed an alliance only with Jonathan (XII:6). This same double subject (Romans and Spartans) also applies to the expression “they were grieved” (v. 16). The Spartan letter (vv. 20–23) is headed not with the name of a king but with “the rulers of the Spartans and the city,” ἄρχοντες Σπαρτιατῶν, i.e., the ephors: after Pelops, who succeeded his father Lycurgus in 211 BC, Sparta had no more kings, and after the assassination of Nabis in 192 BC it had no more tyrants.—The envoys sent to the Spartans were the same as previously, at the time of Jonathan (XII:16).—“In the public registers,” ἐν τοῖς ἀποδεδειγμένοις τοῦ δήμου βιβλίοις, in the Slavonic: “in the special public books,” i.e., books intended for public use and information. “Weighing a thousand minas.” Taking the mina as 1/60 of an ancient Greek talent (see note on XI:28), we get in a thousand minas a value of about 37,000 rubles in our money.

1 Maccabees 14:25–27. When the people heard about this, they said: How shall we thank Simon and his sons? For he stood firm, he and his brothers and his father’s house, and they drove away the enemies of Israel and secured its freedom. And they wrote about this on bronze tablets and set them up on pillars on Mount Zion. This is a copy of what was written: On the eighteenth day of Elul, in the one hundred and seventy-second year—this was the third year under the high priest Simon — “On Mount Zion,” i.e., more precisely on the Temple mount (see note on I:33, and also v. 48 of the present chapter).—“On the 18th day of Elul (i.e., the 6th month of the ecclesiastical year; cf. Neh 6:15) in the 172nd year” of the Seleucid era—140 BC.

1 Maccabees 14:28. in Asaramel, in a great assembly of priests and people and leaders of the nation and elders of the country, the following was proclaimed to us: “In Asaramel,” ἐν Σαραμέλ (in some texts ἐν ἀσαραμέλ, vet. Lat.: in Asaramel)—an obscure name that is difficult to interpret, probably designating the place of public assemblies in Jerusalem.

1 Maccabees 14:29. Since wars have often occurred in this land, Simon the son of Mattathias, a son of the sons of Jarib, and his brothers exposed themselves to danger and resisted the enemies of their people, in order to preserve its sanctuary and the law, and they brought great glory to their people. “A son of the sons of Jarib,” ὁ υἱὸς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰαρίβ; see II:1.

1 Maccabees 14:30. Jonathan gathered the people together and became their high priest, and he was gathered to his people. “Jonathan gathered his people,” cf. IX:28–31.—“He was gathered to his people,” i.e., he died (see note on II:69).

1 Maccabees 14:31. But when their enemies planned to invade their land, to ravage their land and lay their hands on their sanctuary, On the enemies’ intentions after Jonathan’s death, see III:1 ff.; 20 ff.; on Simon’s coming forward in defense of the homeland, see XIII:10 ff.

1 Maccabees 14:32–34. Simon then rose up and fought for his people and spent much of his own money, supplying the brave men of his people with weapons and paying their wages. He fortified the cities of Judea and Beth-zur on the borders of Judea, where the weapons of the enemy had formerly been kept, and he stationed a garrison of Jews there. He also fortified Joppa by the sea and Gazara on the borders of Azotus, where the enemy had previously dwelt, and settled Jews there, providing these places with everything needed to restore them. On Beth-zur, see XI:65 ff.; on Joppa, XII:33 ff.; on Gazara, XIII:43–48.

1 Maccabees 14:35–36. The people saw the deeds of Simon and the glory he had sought to bring to his people, and they made him their leader and high priest because of all that he had done, and because of the justice and loyalty he had maintained toward his people, seeking in every way to exalt them. In his days, at his hands, the Gentiles were successfully driven out of the land, as well as those who had occupied the city of David in Jerusalem, who had built themselves a citadel from which they would sally out and defile everything around the sanctuary and cause great harm to its holiness. On the expulsion of the Gentiles from the citadel of Jerusalem, see XIII:49 ff. Vv. 38–39: A reference to Demetrius’s letter, XIII:36–39 ff.

1 Maccabees 14:37–40. He settled Jews there and fortified it for the security of the land and the city, and he raised the walls of Jerusalem. Accordingly, King Demetrius confirmed to him the high priesthood, enrolled him among his friends, and honored him with great glory. For he heard that the Romans had called the Jews friends and allies and brothers and had received the envoys of Simon with honor, “Friends and allies and brothers.” In reality, the Romans called the Jews only φίλοι καὶ σύμμαχοι; cf. v. 18 and note on VIII:20; XV:17.

1 Maccabees 14:41. and that the Jews and priests had agreed that Simon should be their leader and high priest forever, until a faithful Prophet should arise, “Leader and high priest forever.” Here, accordingly, this dignity is recognized as hereditary for Simon’s descendants—for all time (cf. vv. 25 and 49).—“Until a faithful Prophet should arise,” ἕως τοῦ ἀναστῆναι προφήτην πιστόν—a faithful Prophet, that is, one whose pronouncements would command full belief, since he would proclaim divine Revelation, in contrast to prophets who spoke from their own invention. Some have understood this to mean the “Messiah” as well, although the absence of the article ὁ before προφήτης seems to argue against this interpretation. However one interprets it, the faithful Prophet was to decide whether the hereditary dignity of the principate and the high priesthood should be assigned to Simon and his successors—a question made all the more sharply urgent by its intrinsic importance, since a certain innovation was permitted—namely, the transfer of the high-priestly succession to the Hasmonean family (after the flight of Onias, the last legitimate high priest, to Egypt), in which the high priesthood was inseparably joined with kingship, something that was properly to be realized (and “forever, after the order of Melchizedek”) in the person of the promised heir of the house of David (2 Sam 7:14 ff.; cf. 1 Macc 2:57; Ps 109).

1 Maccabees 14:42–49. and that he should be their commander and take charge of the holy things and appoint them over their duties, and over the region, and over the weapons, and over the fortresses, and that he should take charge of the sanctuary, and that all should obey him, and that all contracts in the land should be written in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple and wear a golden ornament. And let no one among the people or the priests be permitted to annul any of these things or to oppose his words, or to convene an assembly in the land without him, or to be clothed in purple or wear a golden clasp. Whoever does anything contrary to this or annuls any of this shall be liable to punishment. And all the people agreed to grant Simon the right to act in accordance with these provisions. Simon accepted and agreed to be high priest, commander, and ruler of the Jews and the priests, and to preside over all. And they decided to inscribe this record on bronze tablets and place them in the wall of the sanctuary in a prominent place, and to deposit copies of them in the treasury, so that Simon and his sons might have them. * * * The Books of the Maccabees have been translated from the Greek, for they do not exist in Hebrew. Subscribe to our Telegram channel

Chapter Fifteen

Letters of the new king Antiochus to Simon and the Jews (Antt. XIII, 7, 1–2) (1 Macc 15:1-9). Antiochus’s landing in the kingdom of his fathers and his struggle against Trypho (1 Macc 15:10-14). The return of the Jewish envoys from Rome with letters concerning the alliance (1 Macc 15:15-24). Antiochus’s second siege of Dora. Antiochus’s treacherous treatment of Simon (1 Macc 15:25-36). Trypho’s flight and the attack of the royal commander Cendebeus on Judea (1 Macc 15:37-41).

1 Maccabees 15:1. And Antiochus, son of King Demetrius, sent letters from the islands of the sea to Simon, the great priest and ruler of the people of the Jews, and to all the people. Antiochus VII Sidetes, son of Demetrius I and younger brother of Demetrius II, who had been taken captive by the Parthians. He acquired his surname—Σιδήτης—from the Pamphylian city of Sida, where he was raised.—“From the islands of the sea.” According to Appian Syr. c. 65, Antiochus learned of his brother’s capture on the island of Rhodes. At this time Trypho was waging a fierce struggle with Demetrius’s commanders and satraps—Dionysius in Mesopotamia, Sarpedon and Palamedes in Syria, and Aeschion in coastal Seleucia, where Queen Cleopatra also resided. Antiochus, meanwhile, wandered helplessly from one place to another, nowhere being received out of fear of Trypho, until at last Cleopatra—on the advice of her friends and out of fear that the city would go over to Trypho—offered him her hand and the throne.

1 Maccabees 15:2–6. They read as follows: “King Antiochus to Simon the high priest and ruler of the people, and to the Jewish people—greetings. Whereas wicked men have seized the kingdom of our fathers, I intend to recover the kingdom in order to restore it as it was before. I have raised a large army and built warships; and I want to march through the land to punish those who have devastated our land and laid waste to many cities in the kingdom. Now I confirm to you all the tax exemptions that the kings before me have granted you, and whatever other gifts they have granted you; I permit you to coin your own money in your land. See note on XIII:42.

1 Maccabees 15:7. Let Jerusalem and the sanctuary be free; and all the weapons that you have prepared and the fortresses that you have built and which are in your possession—let them remain with you. See note on X:31; cf. XIII:38.

1 Maccabees 15:8. And every royal debt and all future royal debts—from now on and forever—shall be released to you. See note on XIII:39.

1 Maccabees 15:9–10. When we have established our kingdom, we will honor you and your people and the temple with great honor, so that your glory may be known throughout the whole world.” In the one hundred and seventy-fourth year Antiochus entered the land of his fathers, and all the troops rallied to him, so that only a few remained with Trypho. “In the 174th year” of the Seleucid era—139–138 BC. Antiochus entered “the land of his fathers,” i.e., Seleucia, where Cleopatra had promised him her hand and the throne.

1 Maccabees 15:11. And King Antiochus pursued him, and Trypho fled to Dora, which is by the sea; Dora—Greek τὰ Δώρα and ἡ Δώρα, built by the Phoenicians on the Mediterranean Sea, deep in the promontory of Carmel, 9 miles north of Caesarea (near modern Tantura or Tortura). The account of Antiochus’s siege of this Dora is interrupted by the story of the return of Simon’s envoys from Rome (vv. 15–24) (cf. XIV:24).

1 Maccabees 15:12–15. For he saw that troubles had overwhelmed him and that his troops had deserted him. And Antiochus came to Dora with one hundred and twenty thousand infantry and eight thousand cavalry, surrounded the city, and the ships approached from the sea; he pressed the city from land and sea and allowed no one to enter or leave. Then Numenius and those with him arrived from Rome with letters to kings and provinces, in which the following was written: “With letters to kings and provinces”—in copies, as we learn from v. 24.

1 Maccabees 15:16. “Lucius, consul of Rome, to King Ptolemy—greetings. The letter, whose content is cited here by way of example, is addressed to “King Ptolemy,” i.e., Ptolemy Euergetes II or Physcon, who after the death of his brother Philometor (XI:16) reigned for another 29 years. The letters are signed in the name of the consul Lucius—Λεύκιος, the Greek form of the name Lucius. This was therefore either Lucius Caecilius Metellus or Lucius Calpurnius Piso—contemporaries of Simon. It is more likely that reference is made to the second Lucius, who was consul (with M. Popillius Laenas) in the year 615 from the founding of Rome—139 BC.

1 Maccabees 15:17–18. There have come to us the Jewish envoys, our friends and allies, sent by the high priest Simon and the people of the Jews to renew the ancient friendship and alliance, and they have brought a golden shield weighing a thousand minas. See note on XIV:24.

1 Maccabees 15:19–20. It has therefore seemed good to us to write to the kings and the provinces that they should do them no harm and not make war against them or their cities or their land, and not assist those making war against them. We have decided to accept the shield from them. “We have decided to accept the shield from them”—as if in a gesture of goodwill toward the Jews, but by no means as a favor on their part that obliged acceptance of the treaty conditions; which is why some have found it more natural to read this verse between vv. 18 and 19.

1 Maccabees 15:21. Therefore, if any wicked men have fled to you from their country, hand them over to the high priest Simon so that he may punish them according to their law.” The extradition of fugitives was customarily included among the conditions in concluding peace or alliance treaties (cf. Polyb. XXII, 23 (26) 10; Liv. XXXVII, 38).

1 Maccabees 15:22–23. The same was written to King Demetrius and to Attalus, Ariarathes, and Arsaces, and to all the provinces, and to Sampsames and the Spartans, and to Delos, and to Myndos, and to Sicyon, and to Caria, and to Samos, and to Pamphylia, and to Lycia, and to Halicarnassus, and to Rhodes, and to Phaselis, and to Cos, and to Side, and to Aradus, and to Gortyna, and to Cnidus, and to Cyprus, and to Cyrene. The consul wrote similar letters (like the one in vv. 16–21) to: “King Demetrius.” He had departed to Media at that time and had either not yet been taken captive by the Parthians, or news of his capture had not yet reached Rome.—“Attalus” was the king of Pergamum, probably the second of that name—Philadelphus, since his successor Attalus III Philometor ascended the throne only in 138 BC.—“Ariarathes” (Ἀριαράθης, otherwise Ἀράθη, rendered by Luther as Aretas) is Ariarathes III Philopator, king of Cappadocia, who died in 130 BC.—“Arsaces,” king of Parthia: see note on XIV:2.—“Sampsames” (Ζαμψαμη, otherwise Ζαμψάκη, Latin Lampsaco)—a port city mentioned by Abulfeda, located between Sinope and Trebizond, the modern Samsun, west of Trebizond.—“Delos,” the smallest of the Cycladic islands in the Archipelago, which had carried on a significant trade since the destruction of Corinth—modern Dili, uninhabited and desolate.—“Myndos,” a port in Caria (in southwestern Asia Minor)—modern Mentesche.—“Sicyon,” on the northern coast of the Peloponnese, west of Corinth.—“Caria,” the region of southwestern Asia Minor with the cities of Halicarnassus, Cnidus, and others.—“Samos,” the well-known island near the Ionian coast.—“Pamphylia,” an Asia Minor region on the Mediterranean between Lycia and Cilicia.—“Lycia,” the same, southeast of Caria.—“Halicarnassus,” the large and strongly fortified capital city of Caria, the former residence of Carian kings, birthplace of Herodotus, destroyed by Alexander the Great.—“Rhodes,” the well-known island south of the Carian coast.—“Phaselis” (Φασηλίς)—a large city in Lycia on a rocky promontory with three harbors, destroyed in 78 BC during the Roman struggle against pirates, later revived as a small settlement, but destroyed again in the Turkish war; after that a settlement arose in its place under the name Alaia, now in ruins.—“Cos”—a small island opposite the cities of Cnidus and Halicarnassus (better known by the indeclinable form Κώ).—“Side” (Σίδη)—a port city of Pamphylia.—“Aradus”—an island and city near the Phoenician coast at the mouth of the Eleutherus (see note on XI:7).—“Gortyna” (Γόρτυν)—a significant city in Crete on the southern coast, by the river Lethaus, with two harbors.—“Cnidus”—a Carian city on the Triopion promontory, opposite the island of Cos, connected to the mainland of the Cnidian peninsula by a causeway.—“Cyrene”—the capital city of upper Libya or Cyrenaican Libya (Libya Cyrenaica or Pentapolitana), whose population included an especially large number of Jews.

1 Maccabees 15:24–25. A copy of these letters was written for the high priest Simon. King Antiochus besieged Dora a second time, continually directing assaults against it and constructing siege-engines, and he shut in Trypho so that he could neither enter nor leave. “King Antiochus besieged Dora a second time.” This expression is puzzling if taken in direct connection with the account of the siege of Dora begun in v. 14. The difficulty is resolved by a different rendering of the original: ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ, which means not “a second time,” as the Russian and Slavonic texts translate it, but “on the second day” (ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ, sc. ἡμέρᾳ), i.e., on the second day after Antiochus had surrounded the city (“a second time” would be δεύτερον, τὸ δεύτερον, ἐκ δευτέρου).—“Continually directing assaults against it,” more precisely in the Slavonic: “constantly bringing hands against it” (a translation of the Greek προσάγειν τὰς χεῖρας), i.e., “troops” (cf. Greek V:6 and XI:15).

1 Maccabees 15:26–27. And Simon sent him two thousand picked men as auxiliary forces, along with silver and gold and considerable supplies; but he refused to accept them and rejected everything he had previously agreed with him, and became estranged from him. Simon sends Antiochus an auxiliary detachment, gold, silver, and supplies, but Antiochus arrogantly rejects them. The reason for such a change in Antiochus’s attitude toward Simon can be found solely in the change in Antiochus’s own position. As long as he was in straitened circumstances, he courted the Jews and promised them every possible benefit, keeping those promises only as long as was necessary.

1 Maccabees 15:28–31. And he sent Athenobius, one of his friends, to negotiate with him and say: “You hold Joppa and Gazara and the citadel in Jerusalem—cities of my kingdom; you have laid waste their territories and inflicted great damage on the land, and have seized many places in my kingdom. Therefore, hand over the cities that you have taken, and the tribute from the places you control outside the borders of Judea. Otherwise, give five hundred talents of silver for them, and five hundred more for the destruction you have wrought and for the tribute of the cities; or else we will come and make war on you.” The demands that Antiochus presented to Simon through Athenobius stand in striking contradiction to the earlier royal favors of his letter (vv. 5–9). In these demands the king distinguishes between τὰ ὅρια τῆς Ἰουδαίας proper (the borders of Judea) and the cities of Joppa, Gazara, and others as cities of his own kingdom seized by the Jews; he thus understands by “the borders of Judea” only that region which the Jews had occupied on their return from captivity and had held when they came under the dominion of the Syrians. To this region neither Joppa nor Gazara belonged—both had been taken by Simon not long before (XIV:5 and XIII:43 ff.). Likewise, the Jerusalem citadel, having been built by Antiochus Epiphanes and until recently in Syrian hands (cf. I:33 with XIII:49 ff.), could with confident right be counted by Antiochus among the cities (πόλεις) of his kingdom. The “many places” in Antiochus’s kingdom (v. 29) that the Jews held “outside the borders of Judea” may have included Ekron, given to Jonathan by Alexander Balas (X:69), and Gaza, conquered and burned by Jonathan (XI:61).—Among the “devastated” territories there were certainly the plains of Philistia, which had been a constant theater of Jewish military operations (X:83 ff.).

1 Maccabees 15:32. And Athenobius, the king’s friend, came to Jerusalem, and when he saw Simon’s splendor and the treasury with its vessels of gold and silver and the surrounding magnificence, he was astonished and reported to him the king’s words. Simon’s “splendor” (ἡ δόξα) that struck Athenobius was the luxury of his court.—The “treasury” with its vessels of gold and silver (κυλικεῖον, from κύλιξ, calix—cup, goblet) was something like a “sideboard” department or cabinet with buffet and table fittings.—“The surrounding magnificence” (παράστασιν ἱκανήν), in the Slavonic: “a sufficient array”—properly speaking, “a rich retinue of court attendants,” befitting a truly royal court.

1 Maccabees 15:33–37. Simon replied: “We have neither taken foreign land nor seized the property of others, but we hold the inheritance of our fathers, which our enemies at one time unjustly appropriated. We, having found the right moment, have recovered the inheritance of our fathers. As for Joppa and Gazara, which you demand—they themselves caused much harm to our people throughout the land; for these we will give one hundred talents.” Athenobius made no reply, but returned to the king in anger and reported these words to him, and told him of Simon’s splendor and everything he had seen; and the king was greatly enraged. Trypho meanwhile boarded a ship and escaped to Orthosia. The narrative about the siege of Dora, which had been interrupted by the account of Antiochus’s break with Simon (vv. 26–35), now continues. Despite the tight blockade of the fortress (v. 25), Trypho managed to board a ship and sail away to Orthosia. This Orthosia or Orthosias—a Phoenician port city north of Tripolis, south of the mouth of the river Eleutherus (Strabo, XVI p. 753 ff.; cf. Plin. V, 17 and Ptol. V, 15, 4)—its ruins can still be seen on the northern side of the Nahr el Barid.

1 Maccabees 15:38. Then the king appointed Cendebeus commander of the coastal region and gave him infantry and cavalry forces Cendebeus, a known enemy and persecutor of the Jews, is called in some codices ἐπιστράτηγος στράτηγος πρώταρχος 2 Macc 10:11.—“The coastal region” over which he was made “chief commander” is the same narrow coastal strip of land (τῆς παραλίας) along the Mediterranean previously mentioned—XI:8.—“Kedron”—no precise information about it has survived. Judging from v. 40 and XVI:4, 8–10, it lay on the western border of Judea on the plain, southwest of Modein, in the region of Azotus. Further investigation points to its identification with Gedera on the plain (Josh 15:36), southeast of Jamnia, where today Gedrus or Ghedera—a village one hour’s journey southeast of Jamnia—is located.

1 Maccabees 15:39–40. and ordered him to make war on Judea; he also ordered him to build up Kedron and fortify its gates, and to make war on the people; while the king himself pursued Trypho. And Cendebeus came to Jamnia and began to provoke the people and to raid Judea and take the people captive and kill them; “To provoke,” ἐρεθίζειν, more precisely in the Slavonic: “he began to provoke the people.”

1 Maccabees 15:41. and he built up Kedron and stationed cavalry and forces there, so that they would go out from there and patrol the roads of Judea, as the king had commanded him. * * * The Books of the Maccabees have been translated from the Greek, for they do not exist in Hebrew.

Chapter Sixteen

The defeat of Cendebeus by Simon’s sons (1 Macc 16:1-10). The death of Simon and the conclusion of the book (1 Macc 16:11-24).

1 Maccabees 16:1. And John returned from Gazara and told his father Simon what Cendebeus had done. The news of Cendebeus’s hostile actions is brought to Simon by his son John, who as commander of all the Jewish forces resided in the fortress of Gazara (XIII:53).

1 Maccabees 16:2–3. Then Simon summoned his two elder sons, Judas and John, and said to them: I and my brothers and my father’s house have fought against the enemies of Israel from our youth until this day, and many times we have successfully delivered Israel by our hands. But now I have grown old, and you, by God’s mercy, are in your mature years: take my place and my brother’s place, go and fight for our people, and may the help of heaven be with you. “In your mature years” (τῷ ἐλέει, i.e., by God’s mercy) (ἱκανοί ἐν τοῖς ἔτεσι)—more precisely in the Slavonic: “you are sufficient in years,” i.e., strong enough in your age to replace an old man in the upcoming war.—“Take my place and my brother’s place,” γίνεσθε ἀντ’ ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου, more precisely in the Slavonic: “be in place of me and my brother”—i.e., of Jonathan, together with whom (XI:59) he had come forward in defense of Judea, and who was most immediately present to Simon’s memory as his successor, though with equal right Judas could have been mentioned here as well (giving: τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου).

1 Maccabees 16:4. And he chose from the land twenty thousand warriors and horsemen, and they marched against Cendebeus and spent the night at Modein. A distinctive feature of the new campaign was the use of cavalry (ἱππεῖς), not previously mentioned among the Jews, which evidently arose as a result of Simon’s reorganization of the army—something cited among his merits in XIV:32.

1 Maccabees 16:5–6. Rising in the morning, they went out to the plain, and there was a large army marching toward them, both infantry and cavalry, and between them was a stream. And he himself moved against them with his forces, and seeing that the people were afraid to cross the stream, he crossed first, and his warriors saw this and crossed after him. “And he himself moved against them” (αὐτός), i.e., the chief commander of the Jewish army—John (XIII:53). He was probably the elder of the two mentioned in v. 2, even though he is listed there in second place (cf. v. 14, where the third brother—Mattathias—is also mentioned in first place, though he was clearly younger than Judas, per v. 2).

1 Maccabees 16:7. He divided his forces, placing the cavalry among the infantry; and the enemy’s cavalry was very numerous. By his disposition of troops, despite the inequality of cavalry, John reveals himself as a remarkably experienced and wise strategist: by placing his cavalry among the infantry, he first prevented the possibility that under the pressure of the enemy’s overwhelming cavalry, his own cavalry would fall into disorder that would inevitably affect the rest of the army—the infantry—with disorder, and perhaps even panic. Second, placing the cavalry among the infantry did not hinder it from fulfilling its role, but actually aided it. Shielded by the infantry attacking the enemy cavalry and therefore hardly vulnerable from the enemy’s side, whose attention had to be entirely focused on the nearest attacking ranks, the Jewish horsemen inflicted double damage on the enemy by shooting arrows over the heads of their own men, while at the same time remaining a threat to the enemy and a protection to their own from the rear and front. The last Jewish war with the Romans provided many examples of this inexhaustible resourcefulness of the Jewish mind in feats of combat, courage, and self-sacrifice.

1 Maccabees 16:8. And they sounded the sacred trumpets, and Cendebeus and his army were put to flight, and many of them fell wounded; the rest fled to the fortress. “Fled to the fortress,” i.e., to Kedron, as follows from the context (XV:39 and 41).

1 Maccabees 16:9. At that time Judas, the brother of John, was wounded; but John pursued them until he came to Kedron, which he had built. “Until he came to Kedron,” ἕως ἐλθεῖν (Slavonic: “until he came to Kedron”)—this properly means: to the region of Kedron—to the point where one is about to enter Kedron; therefore, in contrast to the Russian and Slavonic translation, this does not yet indicate entry into Kedron itself, but only into the surrounding area where Kedron begins (cf. XI:73–74 and others).

1 Maccabees 16:10. And they fled to the towers in the region of Azotus, but he burned it with fire, and about two thousand of them perished; and he returned in peace to the land of Judea. Ten years earlier, Azotus had already been taken and burned by Jonathan (X:84); evidently it had managed to be rebuilt and now suffered the same fate again.

1 Maccabees 16:11. Now Ptolemy the son of Abubus had been appointed commander over the plain of Jericho, and he had much silver and gold; Ptolemy, son of Abubus (Ἀβούβου). The Greek name—Πτολεμαῖος—of a man of Jewish origin leads one to suspect that he or his family were inclined toward Hellenism.

1 Maccabees 16:12–14. For he was the son-in-law of the high priest. And his heart grew proud, and he desired to take control of the land, and he formed treacherous plans against Simon and his sons, to destroy them. Now Simon was making a tour of the cities of the land and attending to their needs, and he came to Jericho—he himself and his sons Mattathias and Judas—in the one hundred and seventy-seventh year, in the eleventh month, that is, the month of Sabbat. “In the 177th year” of the Seleucid era, “in the eleventh month” (Sabbat, Zech 1:7)—in February 135 BC.

1 Maccabees 16:15. And the son of Abubus received them deceitfully in a small fortress called Dok, which he had built, and he made a great feast for them and hid men there. “The son of Abubus”—without his own name, this rings with contempt for this individual on account of his vile deed.—“A small fortress called Dok (Dok).” The vile act of patricide and fratricide was committed not in Jericho itself, but in a small fortress or castle near it, where, given the complete dependence of everyone on the commandant, it could be carried out more reliably. The name Δώκ (in Josephus Δαγών) has survived in the modern Ain Duk—a large, beautiful spring to the northwest of Jericho, on the northern slope of Mount Quarantania (Dschebel Kuruntul). Above this spring, ruins of very ancient and substantial walls can still be seen—perhaps the remnants of this ill-fated trap of Simon.

1 Maccabees 16:16–17. And when Simon and his sons had drunk freely, Ptolemy and those with him arose, took their weapons and burst in upon Simon during the banquet and killed him and his two sons and some of his servants. Thus he committed a great act of treachery and repaid good with evil. 1 Maccabees 16:18–21. Ptolemy wrote about this and sent word to the king asking him to send troops to help him and to hand over to him their land and their cities. He sent some men to Gazara to kill John, and he wrote letters to the military commanders asking them to come to him so that he could give them silver and gold and gifts; and he sent others to seize Jerusalem and the Temple mount. But someone ran ahead to John at Gazara and told him that his father and brothers had been killed and that Ptolemy had sent men to kill him as well. Ptolemy did not achieve the full realization of his treacherous plans, despite the success of the first step and the careful taking of all other precautionary measures. John, his main rival, safely escaped the ill-fated fate of his father and brothers and, having taken up the throne and high priesthood of his father, continued the glorious history of the Maccabean dynasty. With the account of the death of Simon Maccabeus (143–135 BC) along with his family at the hand of Ptolemy, and of John’s escape from the same fate, the canon of the sacred Old Testament books in their chronological order breaks off, leaving the reader in complete ignorance of nearly one and a half centuries before the New Testament events. Fortunately, the well-known historian Josephus comes to the rescue here, and later little by little other classical sources as well, which more or less thoroughly—depending on one’s skill in using them—will recount what is so important and interesting to know beyond the limits of the biblical books.

1 Maccabees 16:22–24. When John heard this, he was greatly alarmed, and he seized the men who had come to kill him and killed them, for he had learned that they were seeking to destroy him. The rest of the deeds of John, and his wars and brave exploits which he performed with distinction, and the walls he built, and his other achievements—these are recorded in the chronicle of his high priesthood, from the time when he became high priest after his father. The history of John, known by the name Hyrcanus, is merely, so to speak, titled by the author, who immediately replaces it with a simple reference to other special sources (“the chronicle of his high priesthood”). Unfortunately, this precious book has not only not survived to our time, but it is difficult to say even whether it was used by the principal chronicler of John’s history in its present form—Josephus. Those interested in this most instructive history and in the general question of what happened in Judea one and a half centuries before Christ the Savior would best satisfy their commendable curiosity by reading the special section on this subject (pp. 277–355) under the title “From the Bible to the Gospel” in the recently published scholarly work: “History of the Jewish People according to the Archaeology of Josephus,” by Hieromonk Joseph (Holy Trinity–St. Sergius Lavra, 1903, price 2 rub. 50 kop.).—Particular attention and interest for every enlightened and believing Christian is required by the history of the well-known Herod, the killer of the Bethlehem infants, which abounds in gripping events and scenes (pp. 323–355 in the same work). * * * Notes The Books of the Maccabees have been translated from the Greek, for they do not exist in Hebrew.

Second Maccabees

Introduction

On the Second Book of Maccabees

Known as 2 Maccabees, the book presents itself as a brief summary or epitome of the five books of a certain Jason of Cyrene (2:24)—covering the narrative “of the deeds of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers,” as well as “of the wars against Antiochus Epiphanes and against his son Eupator.” Following this plan, the book divides into two clearly defined parts: the first (3:1–10:9) recounts events in Jerusalem under Seleucus IV and Antiochus Epiphanes, while the second (10:10–15) covers events under his son Antiochus Eupator, ending with the death of Nicanor (in the year 151 of the Seleucid era—161 BC). This abridgment of Jason of Cyrene is preceded by two letters from Palestinian Jews to Egyptian Jews (1:1–2:19), and contains two brief authorial remarks—one at the beginning (after the letters, 2:20–33) and another at the end (15:37–39). Since the opening events of the book (chapter 3) took place in the last or second-to-last year of the reign of Seleucus IV, who died in 176 BC, it can be established with certainty that 2 Maccabees covers a historical period of fifteen years (176–161 BC). The question arises: to what degree does this period as presented in 2 Maccabees coincide with its presentation in 1 Maccabees, which also includes it as a component—where the two agree and where they differ, where one supplements the other’s account or is itself supplemented? Compared to 1 Maccabees, which begins its narrative with Antiochus Epiphanes (1 Macc 1:10), 2 Maccabees reaches back to somewhat earlier events (3:1; 4:6) and describes in greater detail the disasters that befell the Jews following the apostasy of High Priest Jason (1 Macc 4:7-7:42 – 2 Macc 1:10-64). From chapter 8 onward, the account runs parallel to 1 Macc 3-7 chapters, with certain more or less significant and important differences and inaccuracies that are explained partly by the book’s more religious-didactic rather than strictly scholarly historical aims, and partly by inevitable oversights in the abridgment of the source and its adaptation to those predetermined purposes. The person and life of Jason of Cyrene are little known. From his hometown of Cyrene one can only conclude that he was a Hellenistic Jew and that his five books of history were written in the Greek tongue. Equally little information can be given about the abridger of his work—the author of 2 Maccabees. It appears likely only that he, also a Hellenist, was not acquainted with 1 Maccabees, though he may have gathered materials for his history in Palestine, as is shown by the many popular Jewish traditions that found their way into his work. As for the date of the book’s composition, it can be partially inferred from 1:10 that it was written no earlier than the year 188 of the Seleucid era—124 BC; but when exactly cannot be determined with precision, in any case before the extinction of the Hasmonean dynasty and the capture of Jerusalem by Pompey (63 BC). Thanks especially to its moving and instructive account of the sufferings for the faith of seven brothers—“the Maccabees”—with their mother and teacher, the book enjoyed great attention and respect from ancient church writers and preachers (Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Jerome, Augustine, and others), although it was not considered canonical.

Chapter One

The first letter of the Palestinian Jews to the Egyptian Jews (1–9). The second letter of the same kind (10–36).

2 Maccabees 1:1. To the Jewish brothers in Egypt—greetings; the Jewish brothers in Jerusalem and throughout the land of Judea wish you good peace. The letter of the Palestinian Jews to the Egyptian Jews begins with a greeting expressed both in the Greek form (chairein) and in the Hebrew form (eirenen agathen—good peace!).

2 Maccabees 1:2. May God show you favor and remember his covenant with his faithful servants: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! “May God show you favor”—this is further defined by the following expression “may he remember his covenant with… Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” that is, with regard to their descendants.

2 Maccabees 1:3. May he give you all a heart to honor him and to do his will with all your heart and a willing soul! “May he give… a heart to honor him”—that is, “a heart that honors him,” devoted to him.—“His will”—ta thelemata autou—Slavonic: his desire, as expressed in his commandments.—“With all your heart”—kardia megale—Slavonic: with a great heart.

2 Maccabees 1:4. May he open your heart to his law and his commandments and grant you peace! “To his law and his commandments”—en to nomo autou—Slavonic: in his law, that is, in the realm of his law, in the days of its fulfillment.

2 Maccabees 1:5. May he hear your prayers and be merciful to you, and may he not forsake you in the time of affliction! “In the time of affliction”—en kairo ponero, Slavonic: in an evil time, in a time of misfortune.

2 Maccabees 1:6. Even now we are here praying for you. “Even now…”—kai nyn (cf. v. 9), and now, that is, in accordance with the wishes just expressed.

2 Maccabees 1:7. In the reign of Demetrius, in the one hundred and sixty-ninth year, we Jews wrote to you in the distress and trouble that came upon us in those years, when Jason and his confederates defected from the holy land and the kingdom. 2 Macc 1:7-8. A communication that the grief and misfortune that had befallen the Jews under Demetrius (in the year 169 of the Seleucid era—144–143 BC), about which they had previously written, had now ceased. Here Demetrius II Nicator is meant, who came to the throne after the deaths of Alexander Balas and Ptolemy Philometor in the year 167 of the Seleucid era (see commentary on 1 Maccabees 11:15–19).—“From the holy land”—he hagia ge Zech 2:12 — Judea is so called as the place of God’s special presence and the manifestations of his power.—“And the kingdom,” that is, equally holy, God’s: such a designation is applied to the Old Testament people and their dwelling place only in this passage of the Old Testament.—By the “defection” or apostasy of Jason and his confederates from the holy land and kingdom, the author refers to the well-known act of Jason, when he decided to purchase the high priesthood from the Syrian king in exchange for money and permission to introduce pagan customs in Jerusalem.

2 Maccabees 1:8. They burned the gates and shed innocent blood. Then we prayed to the Lord and were heard, and we offered sacrifice and fine flour, and lit lamps, and set out the loaves of bread. “They (burned the gates)”—that is, the enemies of the Jews in general, the Syrians, especially Antiochus Epiphanes and his associates.—“The gates”—ton pylona, in the singular, but probably in a collective sense—the temple gates, or sacred gates (pylones hieroi), the burning of which is spoken of in 1 Macc 4:38 and 2 Macc 8:33.—“They shed innocent blood” corresponds to 1 Macc 1:37 and following; 2 Macc 5:13 and following. 26. This expression may also refer generally to the disastrous life of the people in those years of Jason’s defection from the holy land and kingdom, that is, not only under Antiochus Epiphanes but also under his successors.—“Sacrifice and fine flour”—thysian kai semidalen—corresponds to the Hebrew offering of animal and grain sacrifice. Semidalis (semidalis)—fine wheat flour, as the chief component of the bloodless grain offering, is often used by the LXX, as a representation of the whole, in the sense of the Hebrew term.—On the lighting of lamps and the setting out of bread — 1 Macc 4:50-51.

2 Maccabees 1:9. And now celebrate the feast of Tabernacles in the month of Chislev. “Celebrate the feast of Tabernacles in the month of Chislev”—that is, not the feast of Tabernacles proper, but the feast of the purification of the temple—after the pattern or rite of the feast of Tabernacles (cf. 10:6), celebrated in the month of Tishri. By calling the feast of the temple’s purification “the feast of Tabernacles in the month of Chislev,” the authors of the letter show that although the celebration of the temple’s purification immediately became an annual universal custom, the proper name of the feast—as the feast of the “purification of the temple”—was established not simultaneously with the institution of the feast but somewhat later.

2 Maccabees 1:10. In the one hundred and eighty-eighth year, those dwelling in Jerusalem and in Judea, and the elders and Judas—to Aristobulus, teacher of King Ptolemy, who is of the family of the anointed priests, and to the Jews dwelling in Egypt—greetings and good health. The first half of verse 2 Macc 1:10, containing the chronological date (“in the year 188” of the Seleucid era—124 BC),—in the opinion of commentators, should be assigned to the first letter and not to the second that follows. In support of this one may point to the letters cited in chapter 11, where the date is actually placed at the end of the letter and not at the beginning (11:21, 33, and 38). 2 Macc 1:10-36 and following—the second letter of the Palestinian Jews to the Egyptian Jews has no definite date, but from its content one may conclude that it was composed not long after the death of Antiochus Epiphanes. Among the authors of the second letter are mentioned “the elders”—gerousia (1 Macc 12:6), that is, probably the later Sanhedrin, and Judas, undoubtedly Maccabeus, who stood at the head of his people at that time, as is evident from 2:14. He survived Antiochus Epiphanes by about four years. This is in agreement with the mention, among the addressees, of “Aristobulus, teacher of King Ptolemy,” the well-known Peripatetic philosopher during the reign of Ptolemy Philometor (ruled 180–145 BC). The title of this Aristobulus as didaskalos of King Ptolemy should not be taken in its strict literal sense. Aristobulus is so called only as the author of an allegorical commentary on the Pentateuch composed for Ptolemy—with the aim of acquainting the king with the laws and wisdom of the Jews. Aristobulus’s closeness to the king could have been greatly aided by the fact that he was “of the family of the anointed priests,” that is, a high priest, to whom this designation was especially applied (Lev 4:3), owing to the special rite of his anointing, distinguishing him from other priests. Such a position of Aristobulus makes it quite natural that a letter of such important ritual significance should have been addressed to him.

2 Maccabees 1:11. Delivered by God from great dangers, we solemnly thank him, as those who had been arrayed against the king, “As those who had been arrayed against the king”—hos an … paratassomenoi—as such who were ready to fight, if it had been necessary. The Jews thus give thanks here for the fortunate avoidance of a battle that had seemed inevitable.

2 Maccabees 1:12–13. for he drove out those who had gathered against the holy city. For when the king advanced into Persia with an army that seemed invincible, they were cut down in the temple of Nanea by a deceit employed by the priests of Nanea. “In the temple of Nanea”—Nanaias, variant: Ananaias, Syriac: Nani, Latin: Naneae. This Nanea is considered identical with the deity mentioned by Strabo (XI, 532) as a national name of the Persians, and also with Anaitis or Anaia and Aneitis (Plutarch), venerated by the Medes, Armenians, and many inhabitants of Asia Minor, whom the ancients also called Artemis (of Tauris) and Tanais.

2 Maccabees 1:14. When Antiochus came to the place, as if intending to marry her, and his friends who were with him came to take the money as a dowry, “As a dowry”—eis phernes logon—Slavonic: “under the name of a bride-price,” in payment of a dowry.

2 Maccabees 1:15–17. and the priests of Nanea had presented them, and when Antiochus with a few attendants had entered the inner sanctuary—then the priests closed the temple as soon as Antiochus had entered, and opening a secret trapdoor in the ceiling, they began to throw stones, and struck down the leader and those with him, and having cut them to pieces and cut off their heads, they threw them out to those standing outside. Blessed in all things is our God, who delivered the ungodly. In the description of Antiochus’s death here, no small confusion is caused by the contradiction with 1 Macc 6:3 and following, and even with 2 Macc 9:1 and following. Some commentators tried to resolve this contradiction by taking the hegemon Antiochus to mean Antiochus III the Great; others—Antiochus VII Sidetes; neither interpretation has sufficient basis—at least, ancient historians say nothing about Antiochus Sidetes plundering temples. These same historians also give differing accounts of the circumstances of the death of Antiochus Epiphanes. According to Josephus and Justin, he was killed in battle with the Parthians and Persians; according to Appian, taken captive, Antiochus killed himself; according to still others, he was killed by his brother Demetrius, whom Arsaces had released.—Regarding Antiochus III the Great, some historians (Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, Justin) do indeed state that he perished in an attempt to plunder the Elymaean temple of Bel, along with his entire detachment, at the hands of the local inhabitants; but, on the other hand, this Antiochus was, as is known, well disposed toward the Jews, and therefore can hardly be the one meant in this passage. It is more probable that the author of the book here conflates different kings and similar events in their histories.

2 Maccabees 1:18. Therefore, intending to celebrate the purification of the temple on the twenty-fifth of Chislev, we thought it necessary to inform you, so that you also might celebrate the feast of Tabernacles and of the fire, just as Nehemiah, having built the temple and the altar, offered sacrifice. “Intending to celebrate the purification of the temple…” Here the intent is not the initial establishment of the celebration, but only the repetition of an already established custom of previous years in memory of the purification, and an invitation by the Palestinian Jews to the Egyptian Jews to introduce this custom among themselves as well, with the aim of closer mutual fellowship and a greater concentration of all Jewish hearts around their own sacred heritage.—“The feast of Tabernacles and of the fire, just as Nehemiah…”—agetai tes skenopegia kai tou pyros, hote Neemias… Instead of rendering the Greek hote with the Russian “just as,” it is more accurate here to preserve the exact meaning of hote—“when” (Slavonic: egda), and to understand the entire statement not in a comparative sense but in an explanatory relation to tou pyros—of the fire: “the feast of Tabernacles and of the fire (instituted in memory of) when Nehemiah… offered sacrifice,” etc. (having received heavenly fire anew). Regarding the combination of the celebration of the purification of the temple with the feast of fire, 1 Macc 4:52 and following says nothing. Probably such a combination was not established all at once.—“Nehemiah, having built the temple and the altar…”—Greek: oikodomesas to hieron… The building of the temple and the altar, actually completed by Zerubbabel, is here attributed to Nehemiah as well—evidently for his merits, which had as great a significance for the Jews and for Jerusalem as the work of Zerubbabel, and were as it were a continuation of that work.

2 Maccabees 1:19. For when our fathers were led away into Persia, the devout priests of that time took some of the fire from the altar and hid it secretly in the hollow of a dry cistern, and kept it safe there, so that the place was unknown to anyone. “When our fathers were led away into Persia”—eis ten persiken, that is, choran. By later usage, the lands beyond the Euphrates were often called Persia (see commentary on 1 Macc 3:31); this was reasonable also because the Jews in the Babylonian exile came under the rule of the Persians, and were released from captivity by the Persian king Cyrus.

2 Maccabees 1:20. After many years had passed, when it pleased God, Nehemiah, having been sent by the Persian king, dispatched the descendants of those priests who had hidden the fire to look for it. When they reported to us that they found no fire but only thick liquid, The Persian king who sent Nehemiah was Artaxerxes Longimanus, according to the book of Nehemiah itself (ch. 1).—“When they reported to us”—hemin, that is, to the Jews in Jerusalem.—“Thick liquid”—hydor pachy, that is, a thick substance resembling thick oil or honey (Jos. Gorion I, 21, 1), something perhaps like naphtha (see commentary on v. 36).—“(A great) fire was kindled”—pyra (he)—a hearth, combustible mass (cf. 7:5), a bonfire.

2 Maccabees 1:21–23. he ordered them to draw it up and bring it; and when the sacrifices had been prepared, Nehemiah ordered the priests to sprinkle the wood and the things laid upon it with that water. When this was done, and the time came when the sun shone out, which had been covered by clouds, a great fire blazed up so that everyone marveled. While the sacrifice was burning, the priests offered prayer—the priests and all the others; Jonathan led and the rest responded, as did Nehemiah. “Jonathan” (Jonathan), mentioned here and in Neh 12:11, is undoubtedly an error for the Hebrew Yochanan, as Josephus also names this high priest (Antiquities XI, 7, 1).

2 Maccabees 1:24. The prayer was this: “O Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, fearful and strong, and just and merciful, the only King and benefactor, The doubled “O Lord, Lord”—in imitation of Ps 70:5 and following (Kyrie Kyrie; cf. Matt. 7:21; 25:11). The epithets that follow designate God as the almighty Creator and Ruler of the world: phoberos kai ischyros—denotes his omnipotence; dikaios kai eleemon—his attributes as Judge; ho monos basileus—the absolute nature of his dominion (analogous to monos dynastes in 1 Tim 6:15), and chrestos—his goodness as his chief attribute.

2 Maccabees 1:25. the only giver of all things, the only righteous, and almighty, and eternal, who deliver Israel from every evil, who chose our fathers and consecrated them! Ho monos choregon—the only “chorus-master” of all, as the Greeks called those who maintained and directed choirs entirely at their own expense.—Ho monos dikaios kai pantokrator kai aionios—expressions of the absolute, all-encompassing, and eternal nature of God. The following expressions in verse 25 describe the relationship of God, as the almighty and eternal Creator and Lord of all the world, to Israel: “who deliver Israel from every evil, who chose our fathers and consecrated them.” The original and Slavonic texts here express the second thought more precisely and significantly: poiein eklektous means much more than simply eklegein: not merely to choose, but to make chosen, to confer upon them the special status of his elect (“who made our fathers chosen”), through a special guidance and favor toward the chosen.—“Consecrated them”—Here is meant the external separation and isolation from impure paganism and the purification of the heart from pagan customs.

2 Maccabees 1:26. Accept this sacrifice for all your people Israel, and preserve and sanctify your portion; “All your people Israel”—that is, not only those dwelling in Jerusalem and Judea, but also those in the dispersion.—“Your portion”—meris autou—Deut. 32:9.

2 Maccabees 1:27. gather our dispersed ones, free those enslaved among the nations, look mercifully upon those humbled and despised, and let the nations know that you are our God; In the further petitions the hopes of the people are expressed: the gathering of the dispersed (“gather our dispersed”—he diaspora, abstractum pro concreto), the liberation of those enslaved among the nations, and a merciful look upon the humbled and despised. Within the concept of diaspora one should distinguish hoi douleuontes, that portion of the diaspora that was in pagan servitude, whereas it is also known that many other Jews of the dispersion in certain pagan countries even enjoyed the rights of citizenship.

2 Maccabees 1:28–29. punish those who oppress and wrong us with arrogance, and plant your people in your holy place, as Moses said.” “As Moses said” — Exod 15:17: “Plant him on the mountain of your inheritance, in the place which you have made your dwelling…” (cf. 2 Sam 7:10; Jer 24:6).

2 Maccabees 1:30–31. The priests then sang hymns. When the sacrifice was consumed, Nehemiah ordered the remaining liquid to be poured over large stones. After the sacrifice was consumed, Nehemiah ordered “the remaining liquid to be poured over large stones”—both to use up the sacred liquid and to demonstrate its sacred and miraculous character to all. And indeed, what followed immediately dispelled any suspicion that this had been some ordinary combustible liquid such as naphtha or petroleum. The power of God immediately manifested itself, shining from the altar as a light that covered the flame of that liquid.

2 Maccabees 1:32–34. When this was done, a flame blazed up; but it was consumed by the light shining from the altar. When this event became known and was reported to the king of the Persians—that in the very place where the exiled priests had concealed the fire, there was water with which Nehemiah and those with him had consecrated the sacrifice—the king, after investigating the matter, enclosed the place and declared it sacred. “Enclosed the place and declared it sacred”—periphraxa… hieron epoiese (ton topon), Slavonic: “having enclosed it, the king declared (that place) holy”—he proclaimed that place sacred.

2 Maccabees 1:35–36. And to those toward whom the king was gracious, he distributed many gifts, which he himself had received. Those with Nehemiah called the place Nephthar, which means “purification”; but by many it is called Nephthai. 2 Macc 1:36. This verse has been called by commentators the crux interpretum (the interpreters’ cross). Instead of Nephthaei, one finds in various manuscripts Nepthai, Neptha, Latin: Nephi, Syriac: Nephti, while in others Nephtar is repeated (only with a different accent—instead of Nephtar in the first part of this verse). The word appears to be of Medo-Persian origin, to which the people gave a Semitic ending and subjected it to the laws of their own etymology. Perhaps at the root of it all is naphtha, mineral oil, petroleum, which the Greeks called Medeias elaion, “Median oil,” whose remarkable properties—burning even in water—evoked superstitious veneration among the ancients (remnants of this veneration still survive among our Caucasian fire-worshippers).

Chapter Two

Continuation of the letter of the Palestinian Jews to the Egyptian Jews (2 Macc 2:1-19). Preface of the author (2 Macc 2:30-23).

2 Maccabees 2:1–3. In the records of the prophet Jeremiah it is found that he commanded those being led into exile to take some of the fire, as had been shown, and that the prophet, giving the law to those being carried into exile, commanded them not to forget the commandments of the Lord and not to go astray in their minds when they saw the golden and silver idols and their adornment. Speaking also of other similar things, he urged them not to let the law depart from their hearts. “In the records of the prophet Jeremiah it is found”—Greek: en tais apographais heurisketai Ieremias—hoti… instead of: heurisketai hoti Ieremias…, that is: “in the records (of some unnamed writer) it is found that Jeremiah commanded…” and so on. This event described here is indeed not found in the canonical books of the Old Testament; this makes the proposed emendation of the present verse entirely plausible and sound.

2 Maccabees 2:4. It was also found in the records that the prophet, in accordance with a divine revelation given to him, commanded the tent and the ark to follow him as he went up to the mountain from which Moses had ascended to behold the inheritance of God. “It was also found in the records”—te graphe—not in the record par excellence (canonical, sacred Scripture), but in the aforementioned apographais.—“Commanded the tent and the ark to follow him”—This “following” of the tent and the ark is presented more clearly by Syncellus: “Jeremiah commanded the priests to take up the divine ark and the tent and to follow him” (p. 409 ed. Bonn.). Some hint of this kind of following of the tent can be found in the present passage in the mention of those “accompanying” Jeremiah (v. 6), who may have been the bearers of the sacred parts of the tent.—“The inheritance of God”—kleronomia, that is, the holy land, given by God to his people as a possession, a portion. The mountain from which Moses was shown this “inheritance of God” is Nebo (Deut 34:1).

2 Maccabees 2:5–7. When he arrived there, Jeremiah found a dwelling in a cave and brought in the tent and the ark and the altar of incense, and sealed the entrance. When some of those who followed came to mark the way, they could not find it. When Jeremiah learned of it, he rebuked them and said that the place would remain unknown until God, showing mercy, gathered the assembly of the people. “Until God, showing mercy, gathered the assembly of the people.” This gathering of the people and the restoration of God’s favor toward them was expected from the Messiah, in accordance with the many prophecies concerning it.

2 Maccabees 2:8. And then the Lord will show it, and the glory of the Lord and the cloud will appear, as they appeared in the time of Moses, and as Solomon prayed that the place might be especially consecrated. “In the time of Moses”—at the consecration of the tent—Exod. 40:34 and following; Num 9:15 and following; 14:10.—“That the place might be especially consecrated”—ho topos, that is, the site of the temple (v. 18; 3:2, 18, 30; 5:16, etc.). The account of the fulfillment of this prayer of Solomon — 1 Kgs 8:10 and following; as well as 2 Sam 6:41-7:1 and following.

2 Maccabees 2:9. It was also recorded how he, filled with wisdom, offered a sacrifice at the dedication and completion of the temple. “It was also recorded how he, filled with wisdom…”—Slavonic: “and it appeared that, as having wisdom…”; Greek: diesapheto de, kai hos sophian echon anenegnke thysian…—More precisely: “it was found (in the records) also how Solomon, as one possessing wisdom, offered…” and so on.—“Offered a sacrifice at the dedication and completion of the temple”—enkainismou kai tes teleioseos. The latter is added to express the thought that only with the offering of the dedication sacrifice was the temple fully consecrated and became the place of God’s dwelling, in which prayers could now be offered.

2 Maccabees 2:10. As Moses prayed to the Lord, and fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice, so Solomon also prayed, and the fire that came down consumed the burnt offerings. About this one may read Lev 9:24; 2 Chr 7:1.—Regarding Moses’s prayer at the consecration of the tent, nothing is mentioned in Leviticus 9; however, from verse 23 there it follows of itself that Moses and Aaron entered the tent for no other purpose than prayer (they entered… and came out, and blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared…).

2 Maccabees 2:11. And Moses said: since the sin offering was not eaten, it was consumed by fire. The saying quoted here is found nowhere in the Pentateuch of Moses. In the most relevant parallel passage—Lev. 10:16 and following—there is only a narrative of how Moses, after Aaron had offered the goat as a sin offering, was angry with the priests for having burned the entire offering rather than eaten it themselves, as required by God’s command as a “great holy thing.” Aaron’s explanation of this omission satisfied Moses, and although the book of Leviticus expresses this satisfaction briefly with the words “and Moses heard, and approved” (v. 20), in the present verse 11 it is presented also as God’s approval, the visible sign of which was the consuming of this sacrifice together with the others (cf. Lev 10:16).—“The sin offering”—Greek: to peri tes hamartias, Slavonic more precisely: “what was for sin”—what had been offered for sin. This form, or even more simply peri hamartias, is very frequently found in the LXX to designate the sin offering (Lev 5:11 etc.).

2 Maccabees 2:12. In the same way Solomon also kept the feast for eight days. The feast of the dedication of the temple under Solomon, according to 2 Chr 7:8 and following, lasted seven days proper, not eight. Here eight days are counted, evidently including the day mentioned in 2 Chronicles 7:9, the day after the feast.

2 Maccabees 2:13. It is also narrated in the records and memoirs of Nehemiah, how he, in founding a library, collected books about the kings and prophets and about David, and letters of kings concerning sacred offerings. “In the memoirs of Nehemiah”—en tois hypomnematismois hoi kata ton Neemian—similar to the Gospel superscriptions: kata Matthaion, kata Markon, etc. This presupposes that there were also other writers covering the same material; in the present case, kata ton Neemian suggests either the existence of another work of a pseudo-Nehemiah, or that the intention is to distinguish Nehemiah’s work from some Greek adaptation of the canonical Nehemiah with substantial interpolations, like the Third Book of Ezra.—“Books about the kings and prophets and about David”—ta peri ton basileon kai propheton kai ta tou Dauid. The Russian translation of this passage seriously distorts the meaning of the original: Nehemiah collected “books” of the Kings (here apparently Judges are included as well), not “accounts”; further, he collected not “accounts about the prophets” but “the prophets” themselves, that is, the prophetic books of the Old Testament; and finally he collected not “accounts about David” but “David,” for which reason ta tou Dauid is specifically repeated in the original—that is, the writings of David, or Psalms—the Psalter (cf. Luke 24:44). To all this are added the letters of kings concerning sacred offerings—epistolai basileon peri hagematon, where in all probability the books of Ezra and Nehemiah are meant, containing the letters of the Persian kings from Cyrus to Artaxerxes, and the account of their benevolent relations toward the temple and the Jewish people. There is thus contained here a not insignificant testimony and indication regarding the collection of the canonical books of the Old Testament (the canon) in the times of Ezra and Nehemiah and specifically through the labors and authority of the latter. The fact that the Pentateuch (nomos) is not mentioned among the books listed has the simple explanation that “the law” had long been the foundation of all of Israel’s life and had been entrusted by the prophet Jeremiah to the Jewish exiles (v. 2). And the very “gathering” of books by Nehemiah was properly a supplement to the “law” that already existed, as expressed also by the verb in the original: episynegage (“added to”).

2 Maccabees 2:14. In the same way Judas collected all the books that had been scattered because of the war that had come upon us, and they are now in our hands. “Judas collected all that had been scattered” (ta diapeptokota, that is, biblia), “because of (dia) the war that had come upon us”—Here the unfortunate period of Antiochus Epiphanes is in view, when many copies of Holy Scripture perished, owing to Antiochus’s decree ordering their search and destruction. But despite all this, the books were preserved and are now being offered to the Egyptian Jews.

2 Maccabees 2:15–17. If, therefore, you have need of them, send people to bring them to you. Since we are about to celebrate the purification, we have written to you; you would do well to celebrate these days. God, who saved all his people and restored to all of them the inheritance, and the kingdom, and the priesthood, and the sanctuary, “The inheritance and the kingdom and the priesthood and the sanctuary” (Slavonic: “the consecration”)—ten kleronomian kai to basileion, kai ta hierateuma kai ton hagismon—that royal and priestly dignity of the chosen people of which Exod 19:5-6 speaks (“you shall be to me a royal priesthood and a holy nation”). From this is also evident the incorrectness of translating the word hagismon as “sanctuary”: the Slavonic “consecration” is more accurate.—Kleronomia—the property of Jehovah.

2 Maccabees 2:18. as he promised in the law—we hope in God—he will soon have mercy upon us and will gather us from under heaven to the holy place. “Promised in the law”—dia tou nomou—strictly, through the law, or by means of the law, on the condition of faithfulness to it on Israel’s part.—“To the holy place”—eis ton hagion topon, where the temple is.—“Will soon have mercy”—tacheos eleese—here the expectation of the coming of the Messianic kingdom in the near future is expressed; strong grounds for this expectation were provided by the fact that God had “saved them from great disasters and purified the place,” the holy place, from pagan altars, idols, and idol-worship.

2 Maccabees 2:19–20. For he delivered us from great disasters and purified the place. Now concerning Judas Maccabeus and his brothers, and the purification of the great temple and the rededication of the altar, On the surname Makkabaeus—see commentary on 1 Macc 2:3 and on the brothers of Judas — 1 Macc 2:2-5.—“The purification of the great temple and the rededication of the altar” is spoken of in 1 Macc 4:42 and following.—“Great”—for the sake of its purpose to serve the worship of the true God.

2 Maccabees 2:21–22. also about the wars against Antiochus Epiphanes and against his son Eupator, and about the appearances from heaven granted to those who fought for Judaism so zealously that, though few in number, they plundered the whole country and drove away the barbarian hordes, “About the appearances from heaven”—is narrated in 3:24 and following; 5:2–4; 11:8; 15:12–16.—“For Judaism”—hyper tou ioudaismou—for Jewishness, for the Jewish faith, laws, and customs (cf. 8:1; 14:38), in contrast to Hellenism—hellenismos, 4:13; 6:24, or to foreign ways in general—allophylismos.—“The barbarian hordes”—ta barbara plethe—Slavonic more precisely: “the multitude of the barbarians they drove away.” Barbarians here are the Syrian troops, so called for their cruelty and brutality, and in general the enemies of the Jews (cf. Ezek 21:31; Ps 113:1, as well as 2 Macc 4:25 and 3 Macc 3 chapters).

2 Maccabees 2:23–25. and recovered the temple famous throughout all the world, and liberated the city, and restored the laws that were about to be abolished, the Lord having shown great kindness upon them with all graciousness—all this, as set out by Jason of Cyrene in five books, we shall attempt to condense into a single volume. For, considering the flood of numbers and the difficulty arising from the abundance of material for those wishing to engage with historical accounts, “The flood of numbers”—in the citing of years, months, numbers of troops engaged, and similar details.

2 Maccabees 2:26–33. we have taken pains to provide spiritual edification for those who wish to read, ease for those striving to commit things to memory, and benefit for all who happen to read; though for us who have undertaken the labor of abridgment, this is no easy task, but one requiring effort and sleepless application, as it is not easy for one who prepares a banquet and seeks the profit of others. Yet, with the gratitude of many in view, we gladly take upon ourselves this labor, leaving the precise treatment of details to the historian, while trying to follow the pattern of a condensed account. For just as the architect of a new house must take care of the entire structure, while one who undertakes the painting and decoration need only seek what is suitable for its adornment, so we think it is with us. To enter deeply into every matter and to investigate every detail belongs to the original writer of the history. The one who makes an abridgment, however, must be permitted to pursue only brevity of expression and to avoid thorough investigation. So then, having begun with these remarks, let us now start the narrative; for it is foolish to extend the preface to the history while abridging the history itself. Our Telegram channel

Chapter Three

Heliodorus’s attempt to plunder the temple (2 Macc 3:1-40).

2 Maccabees 3:1. When the holy city was inhabited in complete peace and the laws were kept most carefully, owing to the piety and hatred of evil of the high priest Onias, “Owing to the piety and hatred of evil”—dia ten… misoponerian, Slavonic more precisely: “for the sake of piety and hatred of wickedness…”—Misoponiria—not merely aversion from evil, but the pursuit and eradication of it in others as well. This is what is attributed here to Onias (the third with this name, son of Simon; see commentary on 1 Macc 12:5-18).

2 Maccabees 3:2–3. it came about that even kings honored this place and glorified the sanctuary with the finest gifts, so that even Seleucus, king of Asia, contributed from his own revenues all the expenses required for the sacrificial service. “This place,” that is, the holy place of the temple (cf. 2:18). Among the kings who honored the Jewish sanctuary, especially notable are Ptolemy II Philadelphus and Ptolemy III Euergetes (Josephus, Antiquities XII, 2.4 and following; Against Apion II, 5), Antiochus the Great, and “Seleucus,” as one whose patronage, as king of Asia, toward the Jewish sanctuary was of particular importance (cf. 1 Macc 10:40). Seleucus—the fourth with this name, surnamed Philopator, son and successor of Antiochus the Great, reigned 187–176 BC. Regarding Asia as a designation of the Seleucid kingdom, see commentary on 1 Macc 8:6.

2 Maccabees 3:4. But a certain Simon of the tribe of Benjamin, who had been appointed administrator of the temple, entered into a dispute with the high priest about the violation of the laws in the city. “Simon, who had been appointed administrator of the temple”—prostates tou hierou. Commentators differ in their close definition of the nature of this office. Some regard it as advocatus templi; others, as superintendent of the temple treasury and head of the temple guard (strategos tou hierou, Acts 4:1); still others as praepositus templi in rebus politicis, a person with oversight over temple property, revenues, and the integrity of the temple; yet others saw here a mere honorary title conferred for important services to the temple, which gave its bearer considerable influence and respect among the Jerusalem citizens—of all these views the last is the most probable.

2 Maccabees 3:5. Since he could not prevail against Onias, he went to Apollonius the son of Thraseas, who at that time was governor of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, Apollonius, son of Thraseas—is hardly the same person as the tax commissioner of the same name mentioned in 5:24 and 1 Macc 1:29, whom Josephus calls Samareias strategos (see commentary on 1 Macc 3:10); more probably he is identical with the Apollonius whom Polybius (XXXI, 21, 3) mentions as an influential person under Seleucus, whose son, Apollonius, was also governor in Coele-Syria—see commentary on 1 Macc 10:69.

2 Maccabees 3:6–7. and told him that the treasury in Jerusalem was full of untold riches, and that the total of the funds was incalculable, amounting to countless talents of money, and that they did not belong to the account of the sacrifices but that it was possible for them to fall under the control of the king. When Apollonius met the king, he told him of the money that had been pointed out; and the king designated Heliodorus, who was in charge of his affairs, and sent him with orders to arrange for the removal of the aforementioned funds. Heliodorus is described as in charge of state affairs (ho epi ton pragmaton), as an administrator of government business (cf. 1 Macc 3:32); this Heliodorus is the same one who later murdered his own royal master (tis ton peri ten aulen, Appian, Syr. c. 45).

2 Maccabees 3:8. Heliodorus at once set out on his way, under the pretense of inspecting the cities of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, but in reality to carry out the king’s will. The concealment of the actual purpose of the journey was arranged by Heliodorus, of course, so that the Jews would not be able to hide their treasures in advance or take measures to defend them. Josephus explains the immensity of these treasures, despite having been plundered repeatedly (not only by Antiochus Epiphanes but also by Pompey, Crassus, and others), by the fact that the Jews sent their offerings here from all parts of the known world, from Europe and Asia.

2 Maccabees 3:9–11. When he arrived in Jerusalem and had been received graciously by the high priest of the city, he told him of the information that had been given and explained why he had come, and asked whether this was really so. The high priest pointed out that there was money deposited belonging to widows and orphans, and some belonging to Hyrcanus the son of Tobias, a man of very high standing, and that the total amounted to four hundred talents of silver and two hundred of gold, and that it was utterly impossible that wrong should be done to those people who had trusted in the sanctity of the place and in the honor and inviolability of a temple venerated all over the world. Hyrcanus, son of Tobias… Some identify him with the Hyrcanus mentioned by Josephus (Antiquities XII, 4.2 and following), whose father Tobias—Joseph—had begotten in an unlawful liaison with his own niece, and who, like his father, through cunning and scheming managed to gain favor at court and amassed great wealth by such means. But if this is so, one must say that Hyrcanus was a grandson, not a son, of Tobias, contrary to the designation used, which may, however, indicate a generally close family relationship between Tobias and Hyrcanus.—“A man of very high standing”—sphodra andros en hyperoche kemenou, by virtue of his office and wealth.—“Four hundred talents of silver and two hundred of gold”—given the vagueness of the statement as to which talents are meant—Hebrew or Syrian, which are half the value of Hebrew—it is difficult to judge the exact amount of the sum indicated, which may be half the nominal value. Taking into account also that a significant portion of it constituted private and not temple property, merely deposited for safekeeping in the temple, it turns out that the strictly temple sum was considerably less—not only than the nominal but also the actual sum, a considerable part of which belonged to Hyrcanus. Taking a Hebrew talent of silver at roughly 3,000 rubles and one of gold at about 30,000 rubles, the total sum of the talents amounts to over 1,000,000 in silver and up to 6,000,000 in gold.

2 Maccabees 3:12–15. But to wrong those who had placed their trust in the sanctity of the place, in the dignity and inviolability of the temple honored throughout all the world, was entirely out of the question. Heliodorus, however, with the royal orders in hand, stated categorically that this money must be confiscated for the royal treasury. Having appointed a day, he went in to make an inspection of these matters, and no small distress arose throughout all the city. The priests, in their priestly vestments, prostrated themselves before the altar and called upon heaven for the One who had given the law concerning deposits to keep them safe for those who had deposited them. “The law concerning deposits” is found in Exod 22:7 and following.

2 Maccabees 3:16–18. Whoever saw the face of the high priest was wounded in heart, for his face and the change in his color revealed the anguish within his soul. A terror and a trembling of the body had come over him, by which the distress of his heart was evident to those who looked at him. Some ran hurrying out of their houses in crowds to make public supplication because the holy place was about to be brought into contempt; “Because the holy place was about to be brought into contempt”—dia to mellein eis kataphronesen erchesthai ton topon…, Slavonic: “For the place was about to come into disgrace”—accusative with infinitive: by reason of the fact that the sacred place was about to come into disgrace.

2 Maccabees 3:19. women, girded with sackcloth about their breasts, thronged the streets; the virgins who were kept indoors ran some to the gates, others to the walls, and still others looked out from the windows, “Thronged the streets”—kata tas hodous eplethinon, Slavonic more precisely: “multiplied along the paths,” that is, gathered in large numbers.

2 Maccabees 3:20–21. while all, stretching out their hands toward heaven, prayed. Moving it was to see how the crowd fell prostrate in a mass, and the high priest, in deep anguish, stood waiting. “Moving it was to see how the crowd fell prostrate in a mass”—Eleein d’en ten tou plethous pammigy proptosis…, Slavonic more precisely: “moving was the mingled prostration of the multitude…”—that is, the simultaneous falling prostrate of a great mass of people representing a mixture of all sorts of ages, estates, and conditions—“while the high priest, in deep anguish, stood waiting.” The Slavonic text continues this thought differently, with subject and predicate in close relation without the mediating “how”: “Moving was… the prostration, and the expectation of the high priest in the utmost distress…” (Greek: eleein d’en…proptosis, ten te tou megalos diagoniountos archieros prosdokian). In Russian, this turn of phrase could more precisely be rendered: “Moving was the combined prostration of the whole multitude and the expectation of the utterly undone high priest.” In diagoniontos there is already in itself an intensification—something far greater than the simple agoniontos; but here it is intensified even more by the addition of megalos—denoting the complete undoing of the high priest.

2 Maccabees 3:22–24. They entreated the almighty Lord to keep the deposits safe and secure for those who had deposited them. But Heliodorus carried out what he had decided. When he arrived at the treasury with his armed escort, the Lord of spirits and of all authority manifested a great sign; and all who had dared to follow him were struck down by the fear of God’s power and fell into a state of helplessness and terror, The “sign” itself that the Lord manifested is described in verse 25; here (in v. 24) only the consequence of the sign is stated. Hence both the Greek text (as in the Slavonic) has after the word “sign” the conjunction: hoste (“so that”), which is entirely incorrectly replaced in the Russian translation by a colon.

2 Maccabees 3:25–30. For there appeared to them a horse with a fearful rider, adorned with a magnificent covering, and it rushed violently and struck Heliodorus with its front hoofs, while the rider seemed to have armor of gold. Two other young men also appeared to him, radiant with strength and glorious in beauty and splendidly attired, who stood on either side of him and kept flogging him, inflicting many blows upon him. When he suddenly fell to the ground and deep darkness came over him, they picked him up and put him on a stretcher. The man who had just entered the aforementioned treasury with a great retinue and with his entire bodyguard was carried out, utterly helpless, thus making clearly evident to all the sovereign power of God. He lay speechless and deprived of all hope and relief through the power of God. They then praised the Lord who had glorified his holy place; and the temple, which a little while before had been full of fear and disturbance, was filled with joy and gladness at the manifestation of the Lord Almighty. “At the manifestation of the Lord Almighty”—that is, in the sign described, in which his angels may have been the active agents.—It is noteworthy that a record of this “sign” has also been preserved by Polybius (in book XVI of his history), who may have heard of it from Demetrius I (son of Seleucus IV), with whom he was on close terms.

2 Maccabees 3:31–40. While Heliodorus lay prostrate, some of his close friends quickly appealed to Onias to call upon the Most High to grant life to the one who lay in his last breath. The high priest, fearing that the king might form the suspicion that some foul play had been perpetrated on Heliodorus by the Jews, offered a sacrifice for the man’s recovery. As the high priest was making the offering of atonement, the same young men appeared again to Heliodorus dressed in the same garments, and they stood and said: “Give great thanks to Onias the high priest, since for his sake the Lord has granted you your life. And you, having been flogged by heaven, proclaim to all men the majestic power of God.” Having said this, they vanished. Then Heliodorus, after offering a sacrifice to the Lord and making great vows to the One who had preserved his life, and giving thanks to Onias, returned with his troops to the king. He bore witness before all men to the works of the great God, which he had seen with his own eyes. When the king asked Heliodorus what sort of person would be suitable to send again to Jerusalem, he replied: “If you have any enemy or one who plots against your government, send him there and you will get him back thoroughly flogged, if he escapes at all, for there is truly some divine power about the place. For he who dwells in heaven watches over that place and brings it aid, and he strikes and destroys those who come to do it injury.” This, then, is how the affair of Heliodorus and the preservation of the temple treasury came out. Our Telegram channel

Chapter Four

The further intrigues of Simon and Onias’s opposition to them (2 Macc 4:1-6). Jason, through bribery, seizes the high priesthood and introduces Hellenistic customs in the holy city (2 Macc 4:7-22). Menelaus ousts Jason by offering the king a larger bribe, and squanders the sacred treasury. The murder of Onias for exposing Menelaus’s lawlessness. The people’s mob justice against Onias’s murderers. Menelaus prevails and becomes a bitter enemy of the people (2 Macc 4:23-50).

2 Maccabees 4:1. But the aforementioned Simon, having become a betrayer of the treasury and of his homeland, slandered Onias, claiming that he himself had encouraged Heliodorus and was the instigator of the evils. “The aforementioned Simon…”—III:4 ff.

2 Maccabees 4:2–4. A benefactor of the city, a guardian of his countrymen, and a zealot for the laws—him he dared to call an enemy of the government. And when the hostility had reached the point that murders were being committed through one of Simon’s trusted men, then Onias, seeing that the struggle was dangerous and that Apollonius, as military commander of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, was raging and adding fuel to Simon’s malice, 2 Maccabees 4:5–6. set off to the king, not as an accuser of his fellow citizens, but having in view the welfare of each person and of all the people; for he saw that without the king’s care it was impossible to bring affairs to a peaceful settlement, and that Simon would not abandon his madness. Nothing is known of the outcome of Onias’s journey to the king. From the mention in verse 7 of the death of Seleucus and the retirement of Onias to Daphne, a suburb of Antioch (v. 33), it is generally assumed that he never returned to Jerusalem. But this assumption is quite arbitrary, since the murder of Onias did not occur until four or five years after the death of Seleucus, and likewise his removal from office by Jason can hardly have followed immediately upon the accession of Antiochus Epiphanes.

2 Maccabees 4:7. But when Seleucus died and Antiochus, surnamed Epiphanes, received the kingdom, Jason, the brother of Onias, sought the high priesthood, On Antiochus Epiphanes—see the note on 1 Macc 1:10.—Jason, Ιάσων, is a Hellenized form of the Hebrew name Yeshua—Ιησούς—Jesus, and this change of name, according to Josephus, Antiquities XII, 5, 1, was entirely Jason’s own doing.

2 Maccabees 4:8. having promised the king at an interview three hundred and sixty talents of silver and from certain revenues eighty talents. “Three hundred and sixty talents of silver and from certain revenues eighty talents…” This last addition seems to indicate that Jason apparently intended to give the 360 talents of silver from the temple treasury or temple property. The total bribe, if reckoned in Hebrew talents, amounts to more than 1,000,000 rubles; in Syrian talents, about half that sum. This enormous amount was obviously promised not as an annual tribute but as a one-time, once-and-for-all payment—perhaps only with some deferral, in installments.

2 Maccabees 4:9. In addition to this he promised to write down another hundred and fifty talents, if permission were granted him by the king’s authority to establish a gymnasium for the physical training of youth and to enroll the inhabitants of Jerusalem as Antiochenes. “By the king’s authority…”—that is, by royal authority—διά τής εξουσίας αυτού.—“And to enroll the inhabitants of Jerusalem as Antiochenes”—καί τους έν Ίεροσολύμοις Αντιοχείς αναγράφαι—that is, either: “to register the Antiochenes living in Jerusalem,” emphasizing their distinction by conferring citizenship rights, or: “to enroll all the inhabitants of Jerusalem as Antiochenes,” granting them all the rights of Antiochene citizenship but thereby also obliging them to adopt Antiochene customs.—The second interpretation is supported by verse 19, which mentions these “Antiochenes from Jerusalem,” who were evidently Jews. Like Alexandrian and Roman citizenship, Antiochene citizenship consisted in certain privileges, among which was the right to attend Greek public games and festivities (v. 19).—Jason obviously hoped to make the prerogative of distributing these rights a rich source of income for himself, more than covering the costs of acquiring this prerogative.

2 Maccabees 4:10–11. When the king gave his consent and Jason came to power, he immediately began to draw his countrymen toward Greek customs. He set aside the royal privileges humanely granted to the Jews through the intercession of John, the father of Eupolemus, who had undertaken an embassy to the Romans concerning friendship and alliance; and, violating the lawful ordinances, he introduced customs contrary to the law. “The royal privileges humanely granted to the Jews…”—τα κείμενα τοις Ιουδαίοις φιλάνθρωπα βασιλικά; Slavonic: “the royal humanity established for the Jews…” This refers probably to the rights and privileges granted to the Jews by Antiochus the Great (Josephus, Antiquities XII, 3, 3 ff.), which included: the right to live undisturbed according to ancestral laws, exemption of priests and other temple ministers from taxes, a subsidy for temple expenses and for the requirements of worship, and the like.—“Through the intercession of John, the father of Eupolemus, who (according to 1 Macc 8:17 ff.) undertook (more precisely: who had undertaken—τού ποιησαμένου…) an embassy to the Romans concerning friendship and alliance…”

2 Maccabees 4:12. Deliberately he built a gymnasium for the physical training of youth right below the citadel and, drawing in the finest of the young men, he brought them under a shameful covering. “Under a shameful covering…”—υπό πέτασον—left untranslated in the Slavonic: “under the petasos…” The word πέτασος properly means a broad-brimmed hat worn for protection from the sun and rain, which the epheboi customarily wore over their cloaks and put on during exercise at the palestra. Hence the expression “to bring under the petasos” could mean simply to invite participation in physical exercise or games, and then more broadly—to give a Greek education. But the matter did not, as is clear, stop there. The further meaning of πέτασος is that of a screen or curtain, something like the modern stage wings, behind which indecent acts took place. It was into such “wings”—or, to put it plainly, into houses of ill repute (according to the Vulgate—lupanaria)—that the finest Hebrew youth were led, in deference to Syrian customs.

2 Maccabees 4:13. So there arose a craving for Hellenism and a drawing toward foreign ways, through the excessive impiety of Jason, that ungodly man and no true high priest, “So there arose a craving for Hellenism and a drawing toward foreign ways…”—Ήν δ᾿ ούτως ακμή τις ελληνισμού καί πρόσβασις αλλοφυλισμού; Slavonic more precisely: “and thus there was a certain zeal for Hellenism and success in gentile life…” A more exact rendering of this passage would be: “and to such a degree was there a kind of voluptuousness in Hellenism and fascination with foreign ways…, that even the priests…” and so on in verse 14.

2 Maccabees 4:14. that the priests were no longer zealous for the service of the altar and, despising the temple and neglecting the sacrifices, hastened to take part in the unlawful exercises of the palestra at the call of the thrown discus. “To take part in the unlawful exercises of the palestra…”—μετέχειν τής έν παλαίστρα παρανόμου χορηγίας; Slavonic: “(they hastened) to be partakers of the palestra of unlawful tradition…”—it would be more accurate to render this in Russian as: “they sought to take part in the choral revels of the palestra of lawlessness,” that is, in the palestra games accompanied by choral singing and all manner of merriment.—“At the call of the thrown discus…”—μετά τήν τού δίσκου πρόκλησιν. The discus—ό δίσκος—was a small bronze disc, thicker in the middle and without a handle (like a plate), which made the exercise rather difficult. A throw of this discus customarily opened the games (palestra contests).

2 Maccabees 4:15. They counted as nothing the honors of their fathers; they esteemed only Greek distinctions as the finest. “The honors of their fathers…”—πατρώοι τιμαί; Slavonic: “the paternal honors”—everything that was one’s own, native, and held in honor by the fathers.—“Greek distinctions…”—ελληνικαι δόξαι—everything that among the Greeks was considered glorious and desirable. What is said here—about preferring the latter over the former—applies not only to the priests mentioned in verse 14, but also to all the Jews who sought pleasure in the Greek pagan way of life.

2 Maccabees 4:16–18. For this reason a grievous visitation befell them, and the very people whose way of life they had imitated and whom they had wanted to resemble in everything became their enemies and tormentors; for it is impossible to act impiously against the divine laws and to escape punishment, as the time that followed showed. When the quinquennial games were being celebrated in Tyre and the king was present there, “Quinquennial games”—celebrated every five years.

2 Maccabees 4:19. then the ungodly Jason sent there, as spectators, the Antiochenes from Jerusalem, bringing three hundred silver drachmas for a sacrifice to Hercules; but the bearers themselves asked that the money not be used for a sacrifice, deeming that unseemly, and that it be allocated for other expenses: Games and festivals were customarily combined with solemn, lavish sacrifices to Hercules and with banquets in his honor; it was for these expenses that Jason sent the 300 silver drachmas.—The “Antiochenes from Jerusalem” whom Jason sent as spectators to the Tyrian games were, as emerges from the following, simply freshly minted “Antiochene citizens” drawn from full-blooded Jews—Jerusalem residents (see note on v. 9), who therefore could not bring themselves to carry out Jason’s wishes precisely, and themselves requested that the money sent with them be used, instead of a sacrifice to Hercules, for the construction of warships.—300 silver drachmas—if the drachmas here are reckoned in the Attic standard, an exceedingly trifling sum relative to the dignity of the Jewish people and to Jason’s intentions (less than 100 rubles), so that certain manuscripts prefer to read 3,300 drachmas (about 1,000 rubles) here. Some commentators, however, leaving the first figure unchanged, consider it likely that the writer of the book here called by the name “drachmas” the common coins of the Seleucid era, equivalent to the Aeginetan didrachm or the Attic tetradrachm and to the Hebrew shekel (specimens surviving to this day in certain European museums), which were then widely circulated in Phoenician and Syrian cities. If so, 300 drachmas would represent a considerably larger sum than the one calculated above—approximately 400 rubles.

2 Maccabees 4:20. So the money sent for a sacrifice to Hercules in the name of the sender was, by those who carried it, applied to the construction of warships. Due to the imprecision of the translation and, perhaps, a scribal error by the author of the book himself, the thought in this verse is devoid of all sense. Instead of έπεμψεν (sent, not “were sent” as the Russian text renders it), certain manuscripts read έπεσεν (from πίπτω), which modifies the entire meaning thus: “So for the sake of the sender, this money went (fell to, was applied) not to a sacrifice to Hercules, but for the sake of the bearers—toward the construction of warships…”

2 Maccabees 4:21. When Apollonius, the son of Menestheus, was then sent to Egypt on the occasion of the accession to the throne of King Ptolemy Philometor, Antiochus suspected him of being hostile to him and began to take measures to secure himself against him; accordingly, after going to Joppa, he came to Jerusalem. “Apollonius son of Menestheus”—to be distinguished from Apollonius son of Thraseas (III:5, 7; IV:4)—may be the very Apollonius who accompanied the embassy dispatched by Antiochus Epiphanes to Rome (Livy XLII, 6).—“On the occasion of the accession to the throne of King Ptolemy Philometor…”—δια τα πρωτοκλήσια; Slavonic: “for the solemnity of receiving the throne…” Ptolemy Philometor had already been king before this, but as a minor he was under the guardianship of his mother Cleopatra, and after her death under the nobles Eulaeus and Lenaeus. The accession to the throne here described was the solemn celebration of his coming of age and his independent assumption of rule (in the 14th year of this king’s life—173 BC).—“Suspected him of being hostile to him…”—μετελαβών Αντίοχος αλλότριον αυτόν τών αυτού γεγονέναι πραγμάτων; more precisely in the Slavonic: “Antiochus, supposing him to be a stranger to his affairs,” that is, suspecting his hostility to his interests, he took care of his safety—κατ᾿ αυτόν ασφαλείας εφρόντιζεν (the Russian text is crude and awkward: “began to take measures to secure himself against him…”). Ptolemy was indeed dreaming of restoring the province of Coele-Syria, together with Palestine and Phoenicia—wrested from the Ptolemaic monarchy under Antiochus III and once given as a dowry with his mother—and on this account he even started a war (cf. Polybius XXVII, 17).—Having noticed this hostility toward himself, Antiochus undertook his journeys—first to Joppa, an important coastal city, to take measures for its defense there, and then to Jerusalem, to establish the goodwill of this chief Jewish city toward his rule and to secure its loyalty. From there Antiochus went to Phoenicia, obviously with the same aim as when he went to Jerusalem.

2 Maccabees 4:22–23. He was magnificently welcomed by Jason and the city, escorted with torchlight and acclamations, and then went from there with his army to Phoenicia. Three years later Jason sent Menelaus, the brother of the aforementioned Simon, to carry money to the king and to make representations concerning several pressing matters. “Three years later…”—not from the king’s visit to Jerusalem mentioned in verse 21, but from the beginning of Jason’s high priesthood (v. 10).—“Menelaus, the brother of the aforementioned Simon…” (III:4 ff.; IV:1). Josephus (Antiquities XII, 5, 1; cf. XX:10) considers him the brother of the deposed Onias and notes that his Jewish name was also Onias. This seems to be contradicted by the statement in III:4, from which it follows that Menelaus, as a Benjaminite, could not have been invested with the high-priestly dignity, though there is nothing surprising in the fact that with Antiochus money could easily outweigh the ordinances of Moses. Josephus’s statement about the identity and name of Menelaus is in any case quite suspect—given the improbability that Simon had two sons with the same name; on the other hand, the joy of the Jewish loyalists (Chasidim) that Alcimus proved a worthy high priest of the line of Aaron (1 Macc 7:14), would be understandable only if his predecessor Menelaus was not of that lineage and not of high-priestly descent.—The money (τα χρήματα) that Menelaus was to deliver to the king was either the sum promised (v. 8) for the high priesthood, or for the permission to open the Jerusalem gymnasium (v. 9), or it could have been a fixed annual tribute from the temple.—“Representations concerning several pressing matters…”—περί πραγμάτων αναγκαίων υπομνηματισμοί—properly: a reminder to carry out what had until then remained without effect.

2 Maccabees 4:24. He, however, having been received by the king and having flattered his authority, seized the high priesthood for himself by outbidding Jason by three hundred talents of silver. “Having flattered his authority…” Greek: και δοξασας αυτόν τω προσώπω τής εξουσίας—Slavonic more precisely: “and having glorified him in the face of power…”

2 Maccabees 4:25. Receiving royal orders, he returned, bringing nothing worthy of the high priesthood, but only the fury of a cruel tyrant and the rage of a wild beast. “Receiving royal orders”—βασιλικάς εντολάς—by which Jason was declared deposed from the high priesthood and Menelaus was confirmed in his place.

2 Maccabees 4:26. So Jason, who had deceived his own brother, was himself deceived by another and, driven out as an exile, withdrew to the land of the Ammonites. 2 Maccabees 4:27–28. Menelaus, having obtained authority, paid nothing at all of the money he had promised to the king, though Sostratus the commander of the citadel continued to demand it, since the collection of the tributes was his responsibility; for this reason both of them were summoned by the king. Menelaus obtained authority and, along with it, access to the temple treasuries—which was really all he needed. The sum promised to the king he did not pay, apparently because this schemer no longer had any further need to. Even if non-payment of the bribe threatened him with dismissal, he—as the saying goes—would know how to come out on top. After even Sostratus, the commander (ἔπαρχος) of the city fortress (that is, of the Syrian garrison stationed there for order) who also served as tribute collector, could not recover the promised bribe, the king summoned both men—one for non-payment, the other for incompetence and failure to collect the tax. Both leave behind “successors,” that is, properly deputies (διάδοχος) for the duration of their absence, as follows also from the fact that Menelaus subsequently reappears in the role of high priest (vv. 39, 43 ff.; V:5).

2 Maccabees 4:29. Menelaus left his brother Lysimachus as deputy in the high priesthood, and Sostratus left Crates, the commander of the Cypriots. Menelaus’s deputy, Lysimachus, proved himself fully worthy of his “brother” (vv. 39 ff.).—Of Crates, Sostratus’s deputy, nothing more is mentioned below. The narrator describes him as τόν επί των Κυπρίων—commander of the Cypriots. At that time (173 BC) Cyprus was not under Seleucid rule but belonged to the Ptolemies. In 168, on his last Egyptian campaign, Antiochus seized this island, but was immediately compelled to restore it on the demand of the Romans (cf. Polybius XXIX, 11, 9–11 and Livy 45, 11 ff.). Accordingly, Crates is called ό επί τών Κυπρίων either as a former governor of the island, like Ptolemy Macron, who had gone over to Antiochus’s side, or as commander-in-chief in Cyprus during the Syrian occupation of the island. As to what answer Menelaus and Sostratus gave before the king’s tribunal, nothing is known. Evidently the affair turned out well for Menelaus, thanks to an unexpected complication for the king. The revolt of the Tarsians and Mallotes (vv. 30 ff.) forced him to depart hastily from Antioch, where he left as his viceroy a certain Andronicus, entrusting him with, evidently, also the case of Menelaus. The latter’s generosity ensured that Andronicus not only settled the case in his favor, but even, to please him, committed a further grave crime—murdering Onias, the man who had exposed Menelaus’s lawlessness.

2 Maccabees 4:30. At the time when this was happening, the Tarsians and Mallotes revolted because they had been given as a gift to Antiochus, the king’s concubine. “At the time when this was happening…”—that is, when Menelaus and Sostratus were preparing to appear before the king’s tribunal.—The Tarsians were the inhabitants of Tarsus, the capital of Cilicia.—The Mallotes were the inhabitants of Mallus, also in Cilicia and not far from the sea. The practice of granting provinces and cities—that is, their revenues—as dowry or as “allowance” to royal brides and wives was customary among the ancient Asian sovereigns. Antiochus goes even further in this case, attempting to extend this custom to his concubines as well, which naturally could please no one, as it did not please the Tarsians.

2 Maccabees 4:31–33. The king therefore went hastily to put things in order, leaving in his place Andronicus, one of the honored dignitaries. Then Menelaus, thinking to seize a favorable opportunity, stole some golden vessels from the temple and gave them to Andronicus, and sold others in Tyre and in the surrounding cities. When Onias learned this for certain, he rebuked him and withdrew to a place of safety—Daphne, near Antioch. Daphne was a small town near Antioch, properly a suburb of it, beyond the river Orontes, with a famous grove in which there was a temple of Apollo and Artemis and an ἄσυλον τέμενος (Strabo XVI, 750).

2 Maccabees 4:34–36. Therefore Menelaus, having caught Andronicus alone, urged him to kill Onias; and Andronicus, coming to Onias and craftily reassuring him and giving his hand under oath, despite being under suspicion, persuaded him to leave his sanctuary—and immediately killed him, with no regard for justice. This outraged not only the Jews but also many people of other nations, and they were indignant at the unlawful murder of this man. When the king returned from the regions of Cilicia, the Jews who were in the city, together with the Greeks who shared their indignation, reported to him that Onias had been put to death without cause. “The Jews who were in the city…”—Οί κατά πόλιν Ιουδαίοι—that is, the Jews who lived in Antioch.

2 Maccabees 4:37. Antiochus, grieved in his soul and moved to pity, wept over the virtue and great sobriety of the departed “The virtue and great sobriety of the departed…”—σωφροσύνη καί ευταξία—descriptions of Onias’s character from a pagan point of view, which—from a Jewish perspective—are expressed (III:1) in the concepts ευσέβεια and μισοπονηρία.

2 Maccabees 4:38. and in his anger against Andronicus, he immediately stripped him of his purple robe and tore off his garments, and commanded that he be led through the whole city and that the murderer be executed on that very spot where he had wickedly done Onias to death—whereby the Lord rewarded him with the punishment he deserved. Πορφύρα—the purple robe worn by Andronicus was not a sign of royal dignity but simply a mark of the king’s special favor toward Andronicus.—“Commanded that he be led through the whole city and on that very spot… to be executed…” Greek: περιαγαγών καθόλην τήν πολιν έπ᾿ αυτόν τόν τόπον… απέκτεινε…; Slavonic more precisely: “commanded that he be led throughout the whole city; in that very place… he destroyed him…” Both of these actions served, so to speak, one purpose: Antiochus—to put it more exactly—having ordered Andronicus to be led through the whole city to that same place (επ᾿ αυτόν τον τόπον) where Onias was killed, executed the murderer there.

2 Maccabees 4:39–40. When many acts of sacrilege had been committed in the city by Lysimachus with the connivance of Menelaus, and word of it had spread, the people rose up against Lysimachus, for a great many golden vessels had been stolen. When the crowd had risen up, full of fury, Lysimachus armed up to three thousand men and launched an unjust assault under the leadership of a certain tyrant, a man old in years and no less aged in madness. “Launched an unjust assault…”—κατήρξατο χειρών αδίκων—analogous to ἄρχειν πολέμου, to start a war.

2 Maccabees 4:41–45. When they saw the violence of Lysimachus, some seized stones, others heavy clubs, while still others, snatching up handfuls of dust from the ground, hurled everything together at the men of Lysimachus; and in this way they wounded many of them, struck down others, and put all of them to flight, while the sacrilegist himself they killed near the treasury. A judicial inquiry into this matter was held against Menelaus. When the king came to Tyre, three men sent by the council of elders presented him with a complaint. Menelaus, already under arrest, promised Ptolemy son of Dorymenes large sums of money if he would intercede with the king on his behalf. On Ptolemy son of Dorymenes—see the note on 1 Macc 3:38.

2 Maccabees 4:46. And Ptolemy, drawing the king aside into a colonnade on the pretext of taking a rest, turned the affair around. “Into a colonnade…”—εἴς τι περίστυλον; Slavonic: “into a certain vestibule.” This was probably a gallery or colonnade adjoining the palace or the hall of justice.

2 Maccabees 4:47. He freed Menelaus, the guilty party in everything, from the charges, and sentenced to death the unfortunate men who, had they pleaded their case even before Scythians, would have been acquitted. The “unfortunate men” sentenced to death were those three men who had been sent by the Sanhedrin as defenders of the city, the people, and the temple in this trial.—The Scythians were regarded by the Greeks and Romans as the most barbarous of peoples. Hence the expression “had they pleaded their case even before Scythians, they would have been acquitted” denotes the highest degree of injustice and barbarity. The expression itself strongly recalls the well-known saying of Cicero (In Verr. II, 5, 58): si haec apud Scythas dicerem, tamen animos etiam barbarorum hominum permoverem.

2 Maccabees 4:48–50. So swiftly did those who had spoken in defense of the city, the people, and the sacred vessels suffer an unjust punishment. The Tyrians, indignant at this, supplied generously what was needed for their burial. But Menelaus, through the greed of those in authority, remained in power and, growing in wickedness, became a bitter enemy of his fellow citizens. “Of his fellow citizens…”—that is, of the city of Jerusalem.

Chapter Five

The bloodshed in Jerusalem caused by Jason, and the shameful end of this lawbreaker’s life (2 Macc 5:1-10). The outrages of Antiochus in Jerusalem (cf. 1 Macc 1:16-28) (2 Macc 5:11-20). The oppression of the people by Antiochus’s cruel overseers (2 Macc 5:21-27).

2 Maccabees 5:1. Around this time Antiochus undertook another campaign into Egypt. On Antiochus’s campaign into Egypt—cf. 1 Macc 1:17 ff.

2 Maccabees 5:2–3. It came to pass that over the whole city, for almost forty days, there appeared in the air horsemen charging about in golden garments, armed with lances in the manner of soldiers, and squadrons of cavalry in orderly formation, and attacks and withdrawals from both sides, and shields turning, and a multitude of spears, and the brandishing of swords, and the shooting of arrows, and the gleam of golden armor and all kinds of armament. Of a similar heavenly apparition Josephus speaks (Jewish War VI, 5, 3) before the last Jewish war and the destruction of Jerusalem, and this is also confirmed by another, pagan, writer—Tacitus (Hist. V, 3: visae per coelum concurrere acies, rutilantia arma, et subito nubium igne collucere templum). Whether such a heavenly phenomenon—which popular imagination interprets as a portent of terrible wars and political calamities—was a pure product of an excited imagination, or actually represents the result of some inexplicable connection between heaven and earth, between the higher spiritual world and the lower, material one—this, given the limits of our knowledge, remains beyond final explanation.

2 Maccabees 5:4. Therefore all prayed that this apparition might be for good. “All prayed that this apparition might be for good…”—that is, for the victory of the Jewish people, since it in any case portended war.

2 Maccabees 5:5. When afterwards a false rumor spread that Antiochus had died, Jason gathered no fewer than a thousand men and made a sudden attack on the city; when they had ascended the wall and the city had at last been taken, Menelaus fled to the citadel. Jason exploits the rumor of Antiochus’s death for his attack on Menelaus—naturally, because Antiochus was Menelaus’s entire support. The seizure of the city by only a thousand men is perfectly plausible given that the attack was sudden, and also because Jason had quite a few supporters within the city itself who greatly assisted him in this, as Josephus presents the matter (Antiquities XIII, 5, 1).

2 Maccabees 5:6–7. But Jason pitilessly massacred his own fellow citizens, without reflecting that success against one’s kinsmen is the greatest of misfortunes, and imagining that he was winning trophies over enemies rather than his own people. The command, however, he did not attain; and the outcome of his intrigues was that he departed again in disgrace, as a fugitive, to the land of the Ammonites. “The command, however, he did not attain…”—that is, the high priesthood. Menelaus, relying on the citadel, apparently offered such strong resistance to Jason that the latter was again compelled to flee from the city.

2 Maccabees 5:8. The end of his malicious life was that, having been accused before Aretas, ruler of the Arabs, he fled from city to city, pursued and hated by everyone as a transgressor of the laws, and despised as an enemy of his homeland and his fellow citizens, and was driven out into Egypt. “The end of his malicious life was that…”—Greek: πέρας ούν κακής αναστροφής έτυχεν, έγκλεισθείς…; Slavonic more precisely: “the end of an evil life he obtained, enclosed…” More accurately in modern English this could be rendered: “The end, then, of his evil conduct he obtained as follows: shut up by Aretas”—that is, either imprisoned and having escaped, or in the sense of: being denied the possibility of finding refuge with Aretas, owing to the demands of Menelaus or of the Syrian prefect to hand over the fugitive—“he fled from city to city…”—The rulers of Arabia (τύραννος), as Aretas is here called, were at that time the Nabataean kings, whose chief city was Petra. The land of the Ammonites, where Jason had fled, belonged to their domains at that time.

2 Maccabees 5:9. He who had driven so many from their homeland died himself in a foreign land, having come to the Lacedaemonians and hoping, by reason of kinship of origin, to find refuge among them. On the kinship of origin between the Hebrews and the Lacedaemonians—see the note on 1 Macc 12.

2 Maccabees 5:10. He who had left so many without burial was himself left unlamented and did not receive a burial or a tomb among his fathers. “A tomb among his fathers…”—that is, a tomb in the family burial vault on his ancestral soil.

2 Maccabees 5:11. When word of what had happened reached the king, he concluded that Judea was in revolt against him; he set out from Egypt in a rage of soul and took the city by force of arms. “In a rage of soul…”—τεθηριωμένος τή ψυχή; Slavonic: “enraged in soul…”—literally: bestial in soul…

2 Maccabees 5:12–14. He commanded his soldiers to cut down without mercy all those they encountered, and to kill those who took refuge in their houses. So there was a slaughter of young and old, a massacre of men, women, and children, a killing of maidens and infants. In the course of three days eighty thousand perished: forty thousand fell by the sword, and no fewer than the slain were sold into slavery. In 1 Macc 1:24 — this is mentioned only briefly and vaguely, that Antiochus “committed murders…”; the plundering of the temple, however, is described in considerably greater detail (vv. 20–23). Josephus gives only the number of captives, placing this at 10,000 (Antiquities XII, 5, 4).

2 Maccabees 5:15–18. But not content with this, he dared to enter the most holy temple on earth, with Menelaus as his guide—that traitor to the laws and to his homeland. Taking the sacred vessels into his defiled hands, and other things dedicated by other kings for the glorification, glory, and honor of the holy place—seizing them with impious hands, he distributed them. And Antiochus grew arrogant in his thoughts, not perceiving that the Lord had been angered for a little while on account of the sins of those who dwelt in the city, which is why the place had been left without his care. Had they not been caught up in so many sins, then, just as with Heliodorus who was sent by King Seleucus to inspect the treasury, he too would have been punished the moment he burst in and would have abandoned his audacity. The unsuccessful attempt of Heliodorus is spoken of above—III:24 ff.

2 Maccabees 5:19. But the Lord chose the people for the sake of the place, not the place for the sake of the people. “Not the place for the sake of the people, but the people for the sake of the place…”—a saying similar to that of the Savior: “the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). The temple in and of itself was not the purpose of the election of the people; rather, the election and nurturing of the people was the purpose for which the Lord was pleased to have the temple and the worship conducted therein.

2 Maccabees 5:20–21. Therefore the place itself, having shared in the calamities that befell the people, afterwards shared in the benefits from the Lord; and, having been abandoned by the Almighty in his wrath, it was restored in all its glory once the Supreme Ruler was reconciled. So Antiochus, having taken from the temple one thousand eight hundred talents, hurried off to Antioch, thinking in his arrogance of heart that he could make land navigable by sea and sea passable on foot. “Thinking that he could make land navigable by sea and sea passable on foot…”—that is, considering himself capable of the most impossible things, such as the plundering of the temple just described.

2 Maccabees 5:22. Meanwhile he left overseers to oppress the people: in Jerusalem—Philip, a Phrygian by birth, and in character a man even more cruel than he who had appointed him, On Philip the Phrygian—see 1 Macc 6:14.—“He who had appointed him…”—that is, Antiochus himself.

2 Maccabees 5:23. and in Gerizim—Andronicus; and besides these, Menelaus, who surpassed the others in malice toward the inhabitants and harbored a hostile disposition toward the Jewish citizens. Gerizim, the well-known mountain near Shechem (Deut 11:29), on which the Samaritans had their temple (later VI:2; cf. Josephus, Antiquities XI, 8, 2). The name of the mountain is used in place of the city of Shechem at its foot, in order to express more vividly that the Syrian overseers were installed in the central sites of Jewish and Samaritan worship, where revolts against Syrian rule were most likely to break out. These overseers (ἐπιστάται) are to be distinguished from the inspectors (ἐπίσκοποι) mentioned in 1 Macc 1:51. The latter (ἐπίσκοποι) watched over the execution of the king’s measures and efforts to Hellenize the Jews; the former (ἐπιστάται) were appointed to suppress actual or imagined discontents and disturbances among the people and were probably under the chief command of the military governor of Coele-Syria, Samaria, and Judea.—The Andronicus left as overseer in Gerizim is obviously a different person, distinct from the one mentioned earlier (IV:31 ff.). (Menelaus) “harbored a hostile disposition toward the Jewish citizens,” that is, toward those who remained faithful to their Jewish faith and customs: πολίτης Ιουδαίος—instead of ἀνήρ Ιουδαίος (1 Macc 2:23).

2 Maccabees 5:24. He sent Apollonius, the instigator of impiety, with twenty-two thousand troops, commanding him to kill all the adult men and to sell the women and children. Apollonius mentioned here, the instigator of misfortunes (more accurately in the Slavonic: the hateful leader—μυσάρχης), is the very same chief tax collector mentioned in 1 Macc 1:29.

2 Maccabees 5:25–26. He, coming to Jerusalem and pretending to keep the peace, waited until the holy sabbath day and, catching the Jews in a time of rest, commanded his men to arm themselves. All who had come out to watch this spectacle he killed, and, forcing his way into the city with his troops, he massacred a great multitude of people. “Commanded his men to arm themselves. All who had come out to watch this spectacle he killed…” Evidently something in the nature of maneuvers or military exercises was staged, which everyone was drawn to watch as an innocent spectacle. And this became the death of many.

2 Maccabees 5:27. But Judas Maccabeus, the tenth in his company, withdrew to the wilderness and lived there with his followers in the mountains after the manner of wild animals, feeding on vegetation, so as not to become a participant in the defilement. “The tenth in his company…”—δεκατός που γενηθείς—an expression of cardinal, not ordinal, meaning: the tenth, that is, with nine others, analogous to the expression: ὄγδοον Νώε (2 Pet 2:5)—“Noah the eighth,” that is, with seven other members of his family (“in eight souls”).—“Withdrew to the wilderness…”—εἰς τήν ἔρημον—that is, to the Judean wilderness (see note on 1 Macc 2:29).—“Feeding on vegetation (χορτώδης τροφή—plant-based food), so as not to become a participant in the defilement”—through eating meat, which they were by force and various ruses compelled to eat from animals offered in sacrifice to pagan gods (cf. 1 Macc 1:62).

Chapter Six

The attempt of an old Athenian to extirpate Judaism in Jerusalem (2 Macc 6:1-7). The persecution of the Jews in the neighboring Hellenistic cities (2 Macc 6:8-11). Reflections on the divine purposes of so severe a trial (2 Macc 6:12-17). The martyr’s death of the elder Eleazar (2 Macc 6:18-31).

2 Maccabees 6:1. Not long afterward the king sent an old Athenian to compel the Jews to forsake the laws of their fathers and to cease living according to the laws of God, “Not long afterward…”—that is, after the dispatch of Apollonius with his army (V:24 ff.).

2 Maccabees 6:2. and also to defile the temple in Jerusalem and to rename it the temple of Zeus Olympius, and the temple in Gerizim—since those who lived in that place were foreigners—the temple of Zeus Xenius. “To defile the temple…”—this was achieved by renaming it the temple of Zeus Olympius, which made true worship impossible within it and introduced into it all the filth of pagan godlessness and impiety (vv. 4–5). As the executor (ἐπίσκοπος) of the king’s intention to de-Judaize Judea, an Athenian is sent—evidently a man Athenian by birth who was in the king’s service.—“To rename it the temple of Zeus Olympius…”—that is, to dedicate it to this deity. The Gerizim temple was to be renamed the temple of Zeus Xenius. Zeus Olympius—Ζεύς Ολύμπιος—is regarded as lord of the heavens and of the other deities. Zeus Xenius—Ζεύς Ξένιος—is the patron of hospitality and of strangers. Josephus’s remark that the Samaritan temple was dedicated to Zeus Hellenios (Ζεύς Ελλήνιος) must be considered an error (Antiquities XII, 5, 5).

2 Maccabees 6:3–5. The calamity that came upon them was severe and intolerable. The temple was filled with debauchery and revelry by the Gentiles, who consorted with prostitutes and mixed with women in the most sacred courts, bringing in things that were not permitted. The altar was also filled with abominable things forbidden by the law. This refers to the offering on the altar of animals unclean according to the law, which is mentioned more explicitly in 1 Macc 1:47.

2 Maccabees 6:6–7. It was impossible to observe the sabbath, to keep the ancestral feasts, or even to call oneself a Jew. They were led with bitter compulsion every month, on the king’s birthday, to the pagan sacrifices, and on the feast of Dionysus the Jews were compelled to walk in the festal procession in honor of Dionysus, crowned with ivy. “On the king’s birthday…”—γενέθλιος ἡμέρα—dies natalis—the celebration of this day is one of the most ancient customs, already mentioned among the Egyptians (Gen 40:20), among the Persians (in the works of Plato and Herodotus); the Gospels preserve a reference to the celebration of this day by Herod Antipas (Matt 14:6).—“Every month, on the king’s birthday…” This means either that the celebration was held once a year in the month in which the king’s birthday fell, or that this day (which fell, it seems, on the 25th of the month of Chislev, 1 Macc 1:59) was celebrated every month of the year, twelve times in all. This could have been either by special decree of the king himself, who believed too strongly in his own divinity (on coins he is styled θεός), or through the particular zeal of his overseers, who exploited this feast to most easily discover and punish those who disobeyed the king.

2 Maccabees 6:8. Such a decree also went out to the neighboring Greek cities, at the instigation of Ptolemy, that they should act in the same way against the Jews and compel them to sacrifice to idols, The neighboring Greek cities were probably the Philistine and Phoenician cities that had been Hellenized since the time of Alexander the Great, and where a considerable number of Jews lived.—“At the instigation of Ptolemy…”—that notorious enemy of the Jews, the son of Dorymenes (IV:45 ff.).

2 Maccabees 6:9–10. and those who refused to go over to Greek customs were to be killed. Then one could see real calamity. Two women were accused of having circumcised their children; and for this, they hung their infants at their breasts and, having led them publicly through the city, threw them down from the wall. Examples of the cruelties that accompanied the enforcement of the royal decree (cf. 1 Macc 1:60 ff.).

2 Maccabees 6:11. Others who had run to nearby caves to keep the seventh day in secret were betrayed to Philip and were burned alive, since they considered it wrong to defend themselves out of respect for the holiness of the day. On Philip—see V:22. On the death of many Jews out of reverence for the holiness of the sabbath—see 1 Macc 2:31 ff.

2 Maccabees 6:12–17. I urge those who happen to read this book not to be dismayed by these calamities, but to recognize that these sufferings were not meant for the destruction but for the chastening of our nation. For the fact that those who act impiously are not left long without punishment but are quickly overtaken by retribution is a sign of great beneficence. For not as with other nations does the Lord wait long to punish them until they have filled the measure of their sins; so too he did not decide concerning us to punish us afterward, when we would have reached the end of our sins. He never withdraws his mercy from us, and though he chastises with misfortune, he does not abandon his people. However, let these words serve as a reminder to us: after these few words let us return to the narrative. The writer sets forth his view on the moral and educative significance of the sufferings being endured—a view fully consistent with the biblical understanding of the matter (VII:33; Wis 11:11 ff.; XII:22; cf. Isa 54:7 ff.).

2 Maccabees 6:18. There was a certain Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes, a man already well advanced in age but of very fine bearing; they forced him to open his mouth to eat pork. “Eleazar…already well advanced in age…” According to verse 24, he was already 90 years old.

2 Maccabees 6:19–23. Preferring a glorious death to a defiled life, he went forward willingly to the place of torture and spat out the food, as those who have the resolve to refuse what it is not lawful to taste out of love for life ought to do. Those who were presiding over the unlawful sacrifice, knowing this man from long ago, drew him aside privately and urged him to bring meat prepared by himself which he was permitted to eat, and to pretend that he was eating the sacrificial meats appointed by the king, so that by doing this he might be rescued from death and, through their old friendship with him, benefit from their kindness. But he, having resolved on a course worthy of his age and the dignity of his revered old age and the glory of his grey hairs, and his upbringing in virtue from childhood, and above all the holy legislation given by God, responded accordingly and said: send me without delay to my death; He said: “send me without delay to my death…” Greek: ταχέως λέγων προπέμπειν είς τόν αδην; Slavonic: “quickly, saying: I choose to be sent down to Hades…” Eleazar explains his resolve to die by two reasons: 1) that such hypocrisy is unworthy of his age and might lead young people into cowardice and apostasy from the faith (vv. 24–25); 2) that God’s judgment cannot be escaped either in this life or, all the more, in the life to come (v. 26). How so in the future life?—This is made clear in what follows, VII:14, where the faith of the Jews in the future resurrection is also plainly expressed: “for one dying at the hands of men it is a sweet hope to look to God that he will raise him up again; for you there will be no resurrection to life…”

2 Maccabees 6:24–27. for it is unworthy of our age to pretend, lest many of the young, learning that the ninety-year-old Eleazar has gone over to paganism, should themselves through my pretense, for the sake of a brief and paltry life, be led astray through me—and I should bring dishonor and a stain upon my old age. For even if at this present time I should escape the torment of men, I shall not escape the hand of the Almighty, either in this life or in death. Therefore, by courageously parting with life now, I shall show myself worthy of old age, “Worthy of old age”—which, in the belief of the Jews, was given as a reward for faithfulness to the law and for piety.

2 Maccabees 6:28–31. and will leave to the young a noble example of how to die willingly and nobly for the revered and holy laws. When he had said this, he went at once to the torture. And those who were leading him, who had shown him kindness not long before, changed their attitude to hostility because of what he had said, for they considered these words to be madness. When he was already at the point of death from the blows, he groaned and said: It is known to the Lord, who has perfect knowledge, that though I could have been delivered from death, I am enduring these cruel bodily sufferings under the lash, while in my soul I bear them gladly out of fear of him. So he died, leaving in his death not only to young men but to the great majority of the nation an example of nobility and a memorial of virtue.

Chapter Seven

The martyr’s death of seven brothers together with their mother (2 Macc 7:1-42).

2 Maccabees 7:1–2. It also happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested and, under torture with whips and cords, were compelled by the king to eat unlawful pork. One of them, speaking on behalf of all, said: what do you wish to ask or learn from us? We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our fathers. “Speaking on behalf of all, said:…” Here, accordingly, the king’s scourging of the martyrs is presented as though it were putting a question to them: how great is their resolve to stand firm for the laws of their fathers?

2 Maccabees 7:3–6. Then the king, enraged, commanded that pans and cauldrons be heated. When they were heated, he immediately commanded that the tongue of the one who had spoken on behalf of all be cut out, and that his skin be torn off and his limbs be cut off before the eyes of his remaining brothers and mother. When he was deprived of all his limbs but still breathing, the king commanded them to bring him to the fire and fry him on the pan; and as a strong vapor spread from the pan, they together with their mother encouraged one another to die nobly, saying: the Lord God sees this, and truly he will have compassion on us, as Moses declared in his song as a testimony before all the people: “and he will have compassion on his servants.” “And he will have compassion on his servants…” — Deut 32:36 (cf. Ps: “and for his servants he will be entreated”). For those being deprived of their temporal life, this mercy of God should be expressed in the fact that God, who kills and gives life, who strikes and heals (Deut 32:39), will also raise up these innocent sufferers to a new and unending life. This faith was grounded especially on Dan XII:1–2, 13; Isa XXVI:19; Ezek 37:1-6.

2 Maccabees 7:7. When the first had died, they led the second forward to be mocked, and tore off the skin of his head with the hair, and asked him whether he would eat before his body was tortured limb by limb. “They asked whether he would eat…”—that is, pork, forbidden by the law (cf. v. 1).

2 Maccabees 7:8–14. He answered in the language of his fathers: no. Therefore he also received his torture in the same manner as the first. When he was at his last breath he said: you, torturer, destroy us from this present life, but the King of the universe will raise us up, who die for his laws, to everlasting life. After him, the third was brought forward for mockery and when commanded to put out his tongue, he did so at once, and fearlessly stretched out his hands as well, and said nobly: from heaven I received these, and for his laws I do not value them, and from him I hope to receive them back again. The king himself and those with him were astonished at the spirit of the young man, that he considered his sufferings as nothing. When this one too had died, they tormented and mutilated the fourth in the same way. Being near to death, he spoke thus: it is better for those dying at human hands to cherish the hope in God that he will raise them up again; as for you, there will be no resurrection to life. “As for you, there will be no resurrection to life.” It appears, therefore, that resurrection is here limited to the righteous alone, while sinners and pagans are excluded from it. This explains why the dying martyrs threaten the torturer only with punishments in temporal life (vv. 17, 19, 31, 34 ff.).—The fulfillment of these threats against Antiochus is shown in chapter IX, and against his children in 1 Macc 7:4.

2 Maccabees 7:15–18. Then the fifth was brought forward and they began to torture him. He, looking at the king, said: you have authority over people and, being yourself subject to corruption, you do what you will; but do not think that our nation has been forsaken by God. Wait, and you will see his great power, how he will torment you and your offspring. After him the sixth was brought, and, being at the point of death, he said: do not deceive yourself in vain, for we suffer this for our own sakes, having sinned before our God, therefore what has happened is worthy of wonder. “We suffer this for our own sakes…”—“We” here means not I and my brothers, but we—the Jews as a people.—“For our own sakes” is defined more precisely by what follows: “having sinned before our God…”—Greek: αμαρτάνοντες είς τόν εαυτών θεόν; Slavonic: “sinning toward our God…” The present participle—αμαρτάνοντες—“sinning”—here denotes human sinfulness in general, as something in him constant and continuously ongoing.

2 Maccabees 7:19. But do not think that you will escape punishment, you who dared to fight against God. 2 Maccabees 7:20–27. But most deserving of admiration and worthy of glorious memory was the mother, who, seeing her seven sons perish within a single day, bore it with good courage, in her hope in the Lord. Filled with noble feelings and strengthening her womanly reasoning with a manly spirit, she encouraged each of them in the language of their fathers and said to them: I do not know how you appeared in my womb; it was not I who gave you breath and life; it was not I who fashioned the nature of each one. Therefore the Creator of the world, who fashioned human nature and who ordered the origin of all things, will in his mercy give back to you again both breath and life, since you now have no regard for yourselves for the sake of his laws. Antiochus, thinking that he was being despised and suspecting this speech of being an insult to himself, began to urge the youngest, who alone remained, not only with words but also with sworn assurances, that he would make him rich and happy if he would abandon the laws of his fathers, and that he would make him a friend and would entrust him with offices of honor. But as the young man paid no attention, the king called the mother and urged her to advise the son to save himself. After many urgings on his part, she agreed to persuade her son. Bending down to him and mocking the cruel torturer, she spoke to him in the language of their fathers thus: my son, have pity on me, who carried you nine months in the womb, suckled you for three years, nourished and raised you and brought you up to this age. “Suckled you for three years…”—such prolonged nursing of infants apparently was not rare among ancient and contemporary women of the East (cf. Gen 21:8 and Exod 2:9 ff.).

2 Maccabees 7:28. I implore you, my child, look up at the heaven and the earth and see all that is in them, and understand that God made them out of nothing, and that the human race also came into being in this way. “Out of nothing…”—εξ ούκ όντων. Some manuscripts here also have ουκ εξ όντων, which still more strongly emphasizes the thought of creation out of nothing (creatio ex nihilo), in contrast to the doctrine of creation from primordial (pre-existing) matter—άμορφος ύλη (Philo’s τά μή όντα).

2 Maccabees 7:29. Do not be afraid of this murderer, but prove yourself worthy of your brothers and accept death, so that by the mercy of God I may receive you back together with your brothers. “By the mercy of God…”—εν τω ελέει; Slavonic: “in mercy…”—that is, “in the days of God’s mercy,” when the Lord will restore us by his mercy—a hint at the Messianic age and the resurrection of the dead (Dan XII:2, 13).

2 Maccabees 7:30–39. While she was still speaking, the young man said: what are you waiting for? I do not obey the command of the king, but I obey the command of the law that was given to our fathers through Moses. But you, who have devised every manner of evil against the Hebrews, will not escape the hands of God. We are suffering for our own sins. And if our living Lord has been angry with us for a little while, for the purpose of chastening and correcting us, he will again be reconciled with his servants; but you, ungodly and most vile of all people, do not be elated without cause, inflated with false hopes, for you have not yet escaped the judgment of Almighty God, who sees all. Our brothers, having endured a brief suffering, have now received everlasting life under God’s covenant, but you, by the judgment of God, will receive just punishment for your arrogance. I, as my brothers have done, surrender both soul and body for the laws of our fathers, calling upon God to show mercy quickly to our nation, and that through torments and plagues you may confess that he alone is God, and that in me and in my brothers the wrath of the Almighty may cease, which has justly fallen upon all our people. Then the king, enraged, treated him even more cruelly than the others, being vexed at the contempt shown him. “Being vexed at the contempt shown him…”—κρώς φέρων τω μυκτηρισμω; Slavonic more precisely: “bitterly bearing the contempt…” The full thought is better rendered thus: “the king treated him even more cruelly than the others, bearing most bitterly the contempt shown him…” Such “contempt” was to the king most especially the martyr’s wish that the king too might confess the Almighty God—the actual fulfillment of which is shown in IX:12–17.

2 Maccabees 7:40–42. So this one too ended his life in purity, placing all his trust in the Lord. Last of all, after her sons, the mother also died. Let what has been said about idol sacrifices and about extraordinary sufferings be enough.

Chapter Eight

Judas’s campaign to save his people (2 Macc 8:1-7). Brilliant victory over Nicanor (2 Macc 8:8-29). Victory over the Syrian commanders Timothy and Bacchides; celebration of the victory in Jerusalem; the shameful flight of Nicanor to Antioch (2 Macc 8:30-36).

2 Maccabees 8:1–3. Meanwhile Judas Maccabeus and his companions secretly entered villages and summoned their kinsmen; and taking in those who had remained faithful to Judaism, they gathered about six thousand men. They appealed to the Lord to look upon the people who were trampled down by all, and to have pity on the temple that had been defiled by ungodly men; to have mercy on the city that was being destroyed and was on the verge of being leveled to the ground, and to hear the blood crying out to him; “On the verge of being leveled to the ground…”—μέλλουσα ισόπεδον γίνεσθαι …, rendered more precisely in Slavonic: “about to become equal with the earth…”

2 Maccabees 8:4–5. to remember the lawless destruction of innocent infants and the blasphemies committed against his name, and to show wrath against the wicked. When Maccabeus had gathered his forces, he became invincible to the Gentiles, because the wrath of the Lord had turned to mercy. “He became invincible to the Gentiles, because the wrath of the Lord had turned to mercy…” Here, thus, the success of Judas is attributed not so much to his courage and that of his soldiers as to God’s turning his wrath to mercy: the prayer of the last of the martyr-brothers (VII: 38) had begun to find its fulfillment.

2 Maccabees 8:6. Swooping down on cities and villages without warning, he burned them and, seizing advantageous positions, defeated not a few enemies and put them to flight; “Swooping down on cities and villages…”—that is, those inhabited specifically by pagans or by Jewish traitors.

2 Maccabees 8:7. he preferred especially to use nights for such enterprises, and the report of his valor spread everywhere. 2 Maccabees 8:8. Philip, seeing that this man was gaining ground little by little, and that he was succeeding in his enterprises more and more frequently, wrote to Ptolemy, the commander of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, to give aid to the king’s cause. The account of Judas’s victory over Nicanor presents a somewhat abbreviated account of events 1 Macc 3:38. Both here and there the leaders of the struggle on the Syrian side are Ptolemy, Nicanor, and Gorgias (vv. 8 ff.; cf. 1 Macc 3:38), and there are also merchants for buying captives (vv. 11, 25, and 34; cf. 1 Macc 3:41). The difference between the two narratives lies in the greater attention given to the fate of the principal leader of the struggle—Nicanor—in whose defeat the courage of Judas and divine intercession, that is, the turning of God’s wrath to mercy toward the Jewish people, were especially displayed.—On Philip, see V: 22.—On Ptolemy, see IV: 45 and 1 Macc 3:38.—On Nicanor and Gorgias, see 1 Macc 3:38.

2 Maccabees 8:9. He immediately chose Nicanor, the son of Patroclus, one of his foremost friends, and sent him with no fewer than twenty thousand men of various nations to wipe out the entire race of Jews; he also attached to him Gorgias, a commander experienced in military matters. “No fewer than 20,000 men…”—according to 1 Mac. III: 39, there were more than twice as many: 40,000 infantry and 7,000 cavalry.—In the account of those commanding and organizing the struggle, 1 and 2 Maccabees present some differences, though not essential ones and easily explained. According to 1 Macc 3:38, the campaign into Judea was organized by the regent of the kingdom, Lysias, acting on a special command of the king who had gone off to the eastern provinces of his realm. This same Lysias sent Ptolemy with Nicanor and Gorgias into Judea with an army; thus Ptolemy appears here simply as the executor of Lysias’s commission, and he in turn entrusted it to two other commanders—Nicanor and Gorgias. This of course does not exclude the fact that Ptolemy himself had previously, at Philip’s report (2 Macc 8:8), informed Lysias of the state of affairs, and Lysias had then made further arrangements for declaring and waging war through Ptolemy and his generals, carrying out the king’s command at the same time.

2 Maccabees 8:10–14. Nicanor determined to make up the tribute of two thousand talents owed by the king to the Romans by selling Jewish captives as slaves. So he immediately sent to the coastal cities, inviting them to buy Jewish slaves and promising to hand over ninety captives for a talent; but he did not reckon on the punishment that was about to come upon him from the Almighty. Judas heard of Nicanor’s approach, and when he told those with him about the arrival of the army, the cowardly and those who did not trust in God’s justice deserted and ran away, abandoning their positions. Others sold everything they had left and implored the Lord to rescue them from that wicked Nicanor, who had sold them before the battle had even begun, “Ninety captives for one talent”—that is, about 10–15 rubles per person. Taking into account that the “conqueror” wished to raise up to 2,000 talents, we find that he calculated on selling at least 180,000 captives—evidently from the Jews in general, beyond those who participated in the battle.

2 Maccabees 8:15. if not for their own sakes, then for the sake of the covenants made with their ancestors and for the sake of his holy and glorious name, which had been called upon them. “For the sake of … his holy and glorious name being called upon them…”—that is, for the sake of their being declared the property and portion of God, by virtue of which their captivity would mean the captivity of God’s own property and portion.

2 Maccabees 8:16. Then Maccabeus gathered those who were with him, six thousand in all, and urged them not to be alarmed by the enemy and not to fear the great host of Gentiles coming against them unjustly, but to fight bravely, “Six thousand men…”—according to 1 Macc 4:6, only 3,000.

2 Maccabees 8:17–20. keeping before their eyes the unjust outrage committed against the holy place and the ravaging of the mocked city and the overturning of their ancestral institutions. For, he said, they rely on weapons and boldness, but we rely on the Almighty God, who is able with a single nod to strike down those coming against us and even the whole world. He also told them of the interventions their ancestors had received, and how under Sennacherib 185,000 had been destroyed, and of the battle against the Galatians that had taken place in Babylon—how when the Macedonians were in disorder, those eight thousand men, against the Galatians with their four thousand, with help from heaven destroyed one hundred and twenty thousand and gained great plunder. “Against the Galatians…”—with intensification in Greek: πρὸς αὐτοὺς Γαλάτας—“against the Galatians themselves”, or: “even against the Galatians”, who were distinguished by exceptional warlike spirit and courage (Justin, Hist. XXV, 2, 10).—On the Galatians, see the note on 1 Mac. VIII: 2.—“The Macedonians”—οἱ Μακεδόνες—here means the Syro-Macedonians, the Seleucid Syrians (cf. Strabo XVI, 744; Ptol. X, 7; Jos. Archaeol. XII, 5, 4, etc.).—The mention that this battle took place “in Babylon” (ἐν τῇ Βαβυλωνίᾳ) probably refers to the battle of Antiochus the Great against the rebellious satrap Molon of Media, since at that time Galatian soldiers participated on both sides. The number of Galatians—120,000—seems greatly exaggerated, having entered our text either from popular inflated traditions or through a copyist’s error.

2 Maccabees 8:21–22. By these words he made them resolute and ready to die for their laws and their homeland, and he divided the army into four units, appointing his brothers Simon, Joseph, and Jonathan as commanders of each unit, and assigning each one fifteen hundred men. “Joseph”—here and in X: 19—should be taken as John (1 Macc 2:2; IX: 36, 38). The fourth of the brothers—Eleazar—is mentioned further on (v. 23), with a special function but without command of a unit. He was to perform during the battle everything that the law prescribed for priests (Deut 20:2 ff.; Num 10:8 ff.; 2 Chr 13:12).

2 Maccabees 8:23. He then ordered Eleazar to read from the holy book, and after giving the watchword “God’s help,” he himself took command of the first unit and engaged Nicanor in battle. Judas commanded the “first unit”—πρώτη σπεῖρα—that is, the first of four, probably also the best, which could truly be the vanguard.—“After giving the watchword ‘God’s help’…”—δοὺς σύνθημα θεοῦ βοήθεια, more precisely in Slavonic: “having given the sign of God’s help…” Σύνθημα in classical authors is a technical term for a military password. In this case the password was the phrase “God’s help” (cf. XIII: 15). The precise meaning of this passage is therefore: “having given the watchword ‘God’s help’, by which the Jews in the general melee could better recognize their own and maintain common enthusiasm, Judas then began the battle.”

2 Maccabees 8:24–25. Since the Almighty was their helper, they killed more than nine thousand of the enemy, and wounded and disabled the greater part of Nicanor’s army, and compelled them all to flee. They seized the money of those who had come to buy them; then they pursued the enemy for a considerable distance, but returned because the hour was getting late. “Stopped by the hour…”—ἡ ὥρα—the time of sunset on the eve of the Sabbath.

2 Maccabees 8:26. For it was the day before the Sabbath; and for that reason they did not continue the pursuit. “Did not continue the pursuit…”—οὐχ ἐμακροθύμησαν κατατρέχοντες αὐτούς …, rendered more precisely in Slavonic: “they did not prolong pursuing them…”

2 Maccabees 8:27. They collected the enemy’s weapons and stripped the fallen foes of their arms, and then kept the Sabbath, giving fervent thanks and praise to the Lord who had preserved them on that day and who had begun to show them his mercy. “On that day…”—εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην, Slavonic: “on this day”—the day on which they kept the Sabbath for the first time in peace and safety.

2 Maccabees 8:28–29. After the Sabbath they gave a share of the spoil to those who had been tortured, to the widows and orphans, and divided the remainder among themselves and their children. After this they held a public prayer and implored the merciful Lord to be fully reconciled with his servants. “To be fully reconciled…”—εἰς τέλος καταλλαγῆναι, Slavonic: “to be reconciled to the end…” The beginning of the return of God’s mercy was the described victory of Judas. Full reconciliation here represents complete liberation from the Syrian yoke (cf. VII: 33 and VIII: 5).

2 Maccabees 8:30. When Timothy and Bacchides came against them together, they killed more than twenty thousand and took possession of the high strongholds with ease; they divided the very great plunder equally among themselves, those who had been tortured, the orphans and widows, and also the elders. “Timothy and Bacchides” are introduced here suddenly and in a definite manner, as if they had already been mentioned and were known to readers. For this reason it is thought that in Jason’s work they were indeed mentioned as Nicanor’s assistants—at the same time as him. The return of the narrative to this same Nicanor in v. 34 and especially the mention of Timothy alongside Nicanor in IX: 3 makes this supposition even more plausible (cf. X: 24). This Timothy may also be the same person who (in 1 Macc 5 ch.) appeared as commander of the Ammonite and Galaadite pagans against Judas and was defeated by them (cf. 1 Macc 5:5 ff.; vv. 36, 46 ff., 65). Bacchides is not so easily identified with 1 Macc 7:8 ff. He may however have been assumed to have been among those defeated alongside Nicanor (cf. 1 Macc 7:8 and vv. 26 ff.), or he may indeed have participated with Timothy and Nicanor in the campaign against Judas.

2 Maccabees 8:31–32. After gathering the weapons of the enemy, they stored everything carefully in convenient places, and carried the rest of the spoils to Jerusalem. They killed the commander of Timothy’s forces, a most wicked man who had done great harm to the Jews. “The commander of Timothy’s forces…”—τὸν δὲ φύλαρχον τῶν περὶ Τιμόθεον …, Slavonic: “and the phylarch of Timothy…” Here the phylarch—according to some—is not a common noun (“commander of forces”) but the proper name of one of Timothy’s associates (οἱ περὶ Τ. …).

2 Maccabees 8:33. Then, celebrating their victory in their homeland, they burned Callisthenes and some others who had set fire to the sacred gates and had fled into a house, so that these men received a fitting recompense for their impiety. “Celebrating the victory in their homeland”—ἐν τῇ πατρίδι—that is, “in the native city”, as Matt 13:54, and specifically in Jerusalem.—The burning of the sacred gates is also mentioned by 1 Macc 4:33.—On the merchants for buying Jews, see above, v. 11.

2 Maccabees 8:34–35. The most wicked Nicanor, who had brought a thousand merchants to buy Jews, was humbled with the help of God by those he had considered of no account, and, throwing off his magnificent apparel, fled alone through the interior to Antioch in the guise of a runaway slave, extremely distraught over the destruction of his army. “Throwing off his magnificent apparel…”—because it could betray his high rank and endanger him during the flight.—“In the guise of a runaway slave…”—δραπέτου τρόπον ἔρημον ἑαυτὸν ποιήσας, Slavonic more precisely: “making himself solitary after the manner of a fugitive…”—that is, keeping himself apart from all, as a fugitive.—“Through the interior…”—διὰ τῆς μεσογείου—that is, by the inland road, the shorter and faster one (Slavonic: “through the Mediterranean (sea)”—which is hardly correct).

2 Maccabees 8:36. He who had undertaken to bring tribute to the Romans from the captives of Jerusalem proclaimed that the Jews had God as their champion and therefore remained unharmed, because they followed the laws established by him.

Chapter Nine

The shameful death of Antiochus Epiphanes (2 Macc 9:1-29).

The narrative of this chapter concerning the end of Antiochus Epiphanes differs considerably from the account of the same events in 1 Macc 6:1-16 — not only in the motivation of individual circumstances, but also in certain other details of a historical character whose accuracy cannot be proven.

2 Maccabees 9:1. About that time, Antiochus returned in dishonor from the region of Persia. “From the region of Persia…”—ἐκ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Περσίδα τόπων—that is, from places located in Persia. On the king’s campaign into Persia, see 1 Macc 3:31.

2 Maccabees 9:2. For he had entered a city called Persepolis and attempted to rob the temple and seize the city. Consequently, the people rose up in arms, and Antiochus was put to flight by the inhabitants and forced to turn back in disgrace. Persepolis was the principal city of the Persian province, to the north of the Araxes, in a fertile valley—the ancient Parcakarta, that is, the city of the Persians, which under the Sassanids bore the name Istakhar. It was plundered by Alexander but not destroyed, only badly damaged by fire, and—according to Diod. Sic. XIX, 22—it remained a significant city for another century until it fell into ruins. In this city there may have been the temple of Nanea, the national deity of the Persians, which Antiochus attempted to plunder; though according to 1 Macc 6:1 and App. Syr. ch. LXVI it was the temple of Elymaïs, a temple in one of the cities of Elymaïs. The name Persepolis may have been attached to this city by unreliable popular tradition (see 1 Macc 6:1).

2 Maccabees 9:3. When he was near Ecbatana, he received news of what had happened to Nicanor and Timothy. “Ecbatana…”—Ecbatana, the principal city of Media, is located so far to the north that a return journey from Persepolis or from the Persian provinces to Babylon via Ecbatana is highly improbable. The direct route ran through Susa, whereas Ecbatana lay 40 miles to the north of Susa. To this must be added that, according to Polybius, Antiochus died at Tabae in Paraetacene (see note on 1 Macc 6:16); and that city lay on the main military road from Persepolis to Ecbatana, some 70 miles from Ecbatana and only 30 from Persepolis. Evidently the mention of Ecbatana here is not historically accurate.—“What had happened to Nicanor and Timothy…”—τὰ κατὰ Νικάνορα καὶ τοὺς περὶ Τιμόθεον γεγονότα—more precisely: what had been done to Nicanor and to the forces of Timothy (τοὺς περὶ Τιμόθεον).—On this, see VIII: 23 ff. and 30 ff.

2 Maccabees 9:4–8. Burning with anger, he thought to take out on the Jews the misfortune of those who had put him to flight; so he ordered the charioteer to drive without stopping and to hasten the journey, while the judgment of heaven was already pursuing him. For with great arrogance he had said: I will make Jerusalem a cemetery for Jews when I arrive there. But the all-seeing Lord, the God of Israel, struck him with an incurable and invisible blow: as soon as he had finished those words, an unbearable pain in the bowels seized him, with severe internal torments—and very justly so, for he had tortured the bowels of many others with many strange torments. Yet he did not cease his arrogance but continued to be filled with pride, breathing fire of rage against the Jews and ordering the journey to be hastened. Then it happened that he fell from the chariot as it rushed along, and by the hard fall he injured all the members of his body. And he who just before in his more-than-human pride had thought to command the waves of the sea and to weigh the heights of mountains on scales was now thrown to the ground and carried on a litter, making God’s evident power plain to all, “To command the waves of the sea… to weigh the heights of mountains on scales…”—these are expressions denoting the boundless almighty power of God (cf. Job XXXIII: 11; Ps 64:7-8: Isa 51:15). The expression of this passage closely echoes Isa 40:12 in particular.—A similar expression appears in v. 10—“to touch the stars of heaven…” cf. Is. XIV: 13 ff.

2 Maccabees 9:9–10. so that worms swarmed out of the body of the ungodly man in great numbers, and while he was still alive pieces of his flesh fell off from the diseases and suffering; and the stench of his decomposition was unbearable throughout the whole army. And the man who had not long before thought to touch the stars of heaven, no one could carry because of the unbearable stench. The disease of Antiochus described here is not without precedent in history. According to Acts XII: 23, Herod Agrippa I died of a similar disease; according to Josephus, so did Herod the Great (Archaeol. XVII, 5, 6). Herodotus also mentions (IV, 205) an African queen who was devoured alive by worms (ζῶσα εὐλέων ἐξέζεσε). Modern medicine knows such a disease under the name helminthiasis; it is indeed accompanied not only by internal colic (v. 5), but also by external abscesses and wounds caused by worms eating through the intestinal canal (ulcera verminosa), with an unbearable putrid odor.

2 Maccabees 9:11–12. And so, when he was broken down, he began to give up his great arrogance and to come to his senses, since by the punishment of God his sufferings were intensifying from moment to moment. Even he himself could no longer endure his own stench, and spoke thus: it is right to submit to God, and a mortal should not presume in pride to think himself equal to God. “A mortal should not presume in pride to think himself equal to God…”—μὴ θνητὸν ὄντα ἰσόθεα φρονεῖν ὑπερηφάνως …; Slavonic more precisely: “being mortal, not to think presumptuously things equal to God…”—literally, “not to think things equal to God” (as in vv. 8 and 10).

2 Maccabees 9:13–15. The ungodly man prayed to the Lord who would no longer have mercy on him, and said: “The holy city, which I was hurrying to level to the ground and make into a cemetery, I now declare free; the Jews, whom I had decided not to bury but to throw out together with their children for the birds and beasts of prey, I will make all equal to the Athenians; “I will make all equal to the Athenians…”—that is, I will give them the right of free popular self-government.

2 Maccabees 9:16–23. the holy temple, which I once pillaged, I will adorn with the finest gifts, and I will return all the sacred vessels, and more than before, and the necessary expenses for the sacrifices I will provide from my own revenues; moreover, I myself will become a Jew, and will go through every inhabited place proclaiming the power of God.” But when the pain did not abate at all—for the just judgment of God had already come upon him—he despaired of himself and wrote a letter to the Jews in the form of a petition, as follows: “The king and commander Antiochus to the good citizens who are Jews—many greetings, good health, and prosperity. If you are well with your children and your affairs are going as you wish, I give the greatest thanks to God, placing my hope in heaven. As for me, I am lying sick and affectionately remember your respect and goodwill toward me. On returning from the region of Persia and suffering a severe illness, I have thought it necessary to care for the common safety of all. Though I do not despair of myself and have full hope of recovering from my illness, yet knowing that even my father, when he was making war in the upper regions, appointed a successor, “My father, when he was making war in the upper regions…”—here the reference is to Antiochus the Great’s attempt to plunder the temple of Elymaïs, which cost him his life. That Antiochus the Great appointed a successor to himself when setting out to war in the upper regions is not mentioned anywhere in history; perhaps it was also unnecessary, given that the succession (Seleucus Philopator) could not have given rise to any doubt.

2 Maccabees 9:24. so that, if something unexpected should occur or any adverse news should be reported, the people of the region would know to whom the government had been entrusted and would not be troubled; “If something unexpected should occur…”—beyond the death of the king, other eventualities are meant here as well, such as capture, and so forth.

2 Maccabees 9:25. moreover, observing that the neighboring rulers and those bordering our kingdom are watching the time and waiting to see what will happen, I have appointed as king my son Antiochus, whom I have already often commended and presented to many of you during my campaigns into the upper satrapies; and to him I have written separately. The appointment of a lawful and definite successor was prompted for Antiochus also by the fact that, while waiting for a favorable moment, neighboring rulers were already preparing to profit from Antiochus’s territories. Such a favorable moment could be not only the king’s death, but also his first setback. Antiochus’s neighbors could count on one or the other of these outcomes in any case.

2 Maccabees 9:26–28. So I urge and appeal to you that, remembering the benefits done to you both in general and in particular, you will maintain your present goodwill toward me and toward my son. For I am confident that he, following my wishes, will deal with you with gentleness and kindness.” Thus this murderer and blasphemer, having suffered the same severe torments he had inflicted on others, ended his life in a foreign land in the mountains in the most pitiable way. “In the mountains…”—specifically at Tabae, in the province of Paraetacene, which—according to Strabo XVI, 12—is very mountainous and infested with wild brigand bands.

2 Maccabees 9:29. Philip, his foster-brother, brought back his body; but fearing the son of Antiochus, he withdrew to Ptolemy Philopator in Egypt. On Philip, to whom Antiochus, while on his deathbed, had entrusted the administration of the kingdom’s affairs and the upbringing of his son for the kingship—see note on 1 Macc 6:14.—“To Ptolemy Philopator…” The Greek and Slavonic texts have here not Philopator but Philometor. According to 1 Macc 6:55, Philip first returned home with Antiochus’s forces, hoping to seize power for himself, and had already captured Antioch when Lysias, who had recognized Antiochus’s son as king (v. 17), also arrived at the capital. Here a battle between the rivals took place, in which Lysias gained the upper hand (v. 63) and “took the city by force.” Where Philip went is mentioned not at all. Only Josephus (Archaeol. XII, 9, 7) adds that Philip was taken prisoner and put to death by Lysias. Where Josephus obtained this detail, we do not know. He appears to report it by simple conjecture—on the basis that Philip is not mentioned afterwards. If so, it is entirely plausible to allow that Philip escaped from Lysias and—in accordance with 2 Macc 9:29 — “withdrew to Ptolemy Philometor in Egypt.” This account creates no contradiction or difficulty with 2 Macc 9:29, since there is no indication there that Philip withdrew to Egypt immediately after Antiochus’s burial. He could therefore have done so after returning home, having failed in his contest with Lysias. Less probable is the alternative supposition that Philip, leaving the eastern army in place, went straight to Egypt to obtain Ptolemy Philometor’s assistance against Lysias and then returned to Persia, from where—at the head of combined forces—he advanced on Antioch, captured it, but was defeated by Lysias, taken prisoner, and executed. Our Telegram channel

Chapter Ten

The cleansing of the temple and the celebration of its dedication (2 Macc 10:1-9). The accession of Antiochus Eupator (2 Macc 10:10-15). The Maccabees’ victories over the Idumeans, the capture of their strongholds, and the punishment of traitors (2 Macc 10:16-23). The brilliant victory over Timothy, the capture of the fortress of Gazara, and the killing of Timothy (2 Macc 10:24-38).

2 Maccabees 10:1. Now Maccabeus and his companions, under the Lord’s guidance, recaptured the temple and the city, On the cleansing of the temple, cf. 1 Macc 4:31-54. According to 2 Macc 8:31 and 33—the Maccabees took the city of Jerusalem after the victory over Nicanor and Timothy.—About this time (IX: 1), Antiochus fell ill while returning from Persia. According to the more precise account in 1 Macc 4:7, the king’s very illness was brought on by the unpleasant news of these events. The cleansing of the temple took place—according to 1 Macc 4:52 — in year 143 of the Seleucid era, and the death of Antiochus—according to 1 Macc 6:16 — in year 149 of the Seleucid era.—Yet 2 Macc 10:1-8 places the cleansing of the temple as if it came after the death of Antiochus (cf. IX: 29 and X: 9). This is explained by the author’s intention to balance the conclusions of both halves of his work, each of which ends with the establishment of a special festival—the first after the death of Antiochus, the second after the death of Nicanor (“the day of Nicanor”, and as a counterpart to it, so to speak, “the day of Antiochus”). In the interest of chronological accuracy, this section—X: 1–8—is better read after v. 36 of chapter VIII; after v. 29 of chapter IX one may read directly and conveniently v. 9 of chapter X and following.

2 Maccabees 10:2. and they demolished the altars that had been built in the public square by foreigners and the pagan shrines as well. On the construction of pagan shrines and altars, see 1 Macc 1:54 and following.

2 Maccabees 10:3. Having cleansed the temple, they built another altar, and by striking stones and kindling fire from them, they offered sacrifice after a gap of two years, burned incense, lit lamps, and set out the bread of the Presence. “By striking stones and kindling fire from them…”—by rubbing or striking stones against one another, a special fire was obtained for the sacrifice, so as to sever all connection between the new fire and the former one that had been defiled through its use for pagan offerings.—“After a gap of two years…”—μετὰ διετῆ χρόνον—according to 1 Macc 4:52 (cf. 1 Mac. IV: 54), this gap should be reckoned as three years.

2 Maccabees 10:4–5. Having arranged all this, they fell prostrate and implored the Lord not to let them suffer such calamities again; if they should sin at any time, that he would discipline them with forbearance and not hand them over to blasphemous and barbarous nations. On the same day on which the temple had been defiled by foreigners, the cleansing of the temple took place, on the twenty-fifth day of the same month of Kislev. In agreement with 1 Macc 6:52 and 54.

2 Maccabees 10:6–7. They celebrated it for eight days with gladness like the festival of booths, remembering how not long before they had spent the festival of booths wandering like wild animals in the mountains and caves. Therefore, bearing ivy-wreathed wands and beautiful branches and also palms, they offered hymns of praise to him who had given success to the purifying of his own holy place. “With ivy-wreathed wands…”—θύρσους … ἔχοντες, Slavonic: “having thyrsi…” These “thyrsi wreathed with ivy” were used among the Greeks specifically in celebrations and dances in honor of Bacchus, and it is unlikely that Jews would have borrowed them from the pagans in the same form in which the pagans used them. Most probably the Jewish “thyrsi,” as in Judith XV: 12, were branches of date palms, grapevines, myrtles, and citrus trees (cf. Josephus—XIII, 13, 4: θύρσου ἐκ φοινίκων καὶ κιτρίων). The use of these “wands” at Jewish festivals could be justified by the special prescription in Lev 23:40; the Gospel “palm branches” are nothing other than these same Jewish “thyrsi.”

2 Maccabees 10:8–11. By a public decree and vote, they ordained that the whole nation of the Jews should observe these days every year. Such was the end of Antiochus, who was called Epiphanes. And now we will tell what happened under Antiochus Eupator, the son of that ungodly man, limiting ourselves to the calamities of the wars. Upon receiving the kingdom, he entrusted its administration to a certain Lysias, the chief commander of Coelesyria and Phoenicia. “Upon receiving the kingdom, he entrusted…” Eupator was nine years old at that time. If, however, he is credited with such important independent acts as appointing a governor, or — 1 Macc 6:22 and 33—receiving delegations and waging wars against the Jews, all of this was either done without his real independence, or represented the realization and continuation of an order of affairs shaped or outlined in part during the preceding reign. Thus the appointment of Lysias as regent and guardian of the prince had been made already by the latter’s father before setting out on the campaign that ended in his death (1 Macc 3:32-33). This Lysias was a kinsman of the king (XI: 1 and 35). As chief commander of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, he appointed Gorgias as military commander of these provinces, in place of Ptolemy Macron (VIII: 8)—evidently the same one mentioned earlier in VI: 8 and IV: 45.

2 Maccabees 10:12–13. For Ptolemy, who was called Macron, choosing to deal justly with the Jews because of the wrong that had been done to them, tried to maintain peaceful relations with them. As a result he was accused before Eupator by the king’s friends, and on every occasion he heard himself called a traitor for having abandoned the Cyprus that Philometor had entrusted to him and then having gone over to Antiochus Epiphanes; and since he could not command respect by any honorable means, he took poison and ended his life. “On every occasion…”—παρ’ ἕκαστα—“at every opportunity.”

2 Maccabees 10:14–15. Gorgias, having been made military commander of those regions, hired foreign troops and used them to maintain continuous war against the Jews. Along with him the Idumeans, who held convenient strongholds, kept harassing the Jews and, receiving those who had been expelled from Jerusalem, undertook to wage war. “Who held convenient strongholds…”—for example, Hebron (1 Macc 5:65).

2 Maccabees 10:16–18. The men of Maccabeus, having made supplication and begged God to be their ally in the fight, rushed against the strongholds of the Idumeans. Attacking them with great force, they captured these positions, beat back all who fought on the walls, slaughtered those who came their way, and killed no fewer than twenty thousand. When no fewer than nine thousand had fled into two particularly strong towers well supplied for withstanding a siege, 2 Maccabees 10:19. Maccabeus left Simon and Joseph and also Zacchaeus with an adequate number of men to besiege them, and he himself went off to places where he was needed more urgently. On Zacchaeus, nothing more is known. On Simon and Joseph—the brothers of Judas—see note on VIII: 22.

2 Maccabees 10:20. But the men with Simon, being greedy for money, allowed themselves to be bribed by some of those who were in the towers; upon receiving seventy thousand drachmas, they let some of them escape. “The men with Simon…”—οἱ περὶ τὸν Σίμωνα—here the reference is to his associates or commanders of individual units (v. 21).—70,000 drachmas = 15.5 talents.

2 Maccabees 10:21–23. When what had happened was reported to Maccabeus, he gathered the leaders of the people and accused them of having sold their kinsmen for silver by releasing the enemies. He put these men who had turned traitor to death, and then immediately captured the two towers. In all the military action, which was in his hands, he was successful, and in these two strongholds he destroyed more than twenty thousand. “Successful in the military action that was in his hands…”—τοῖς δὲ ὅπλοις τὰ πάντα ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν εὐοδούμενος …, Slavonic more precisely: “with weapons succeeding well in all things in his hands…” The Russian translation incorrectly relates ἐν ταῖς χερσίν to τοῖς ὅπλοις; it is far more natural to connect it with εὐοδούμενος and τὰ πάντα, in which case the meaning is quite definite: “with weapons keeping everything successfully in his hands”—that is, “succeeding in all his undertakings,” and so forth. The use of “strongholds” (ὀχυρώμασι) instead of “towers” (πύργοις, v. 18) shows that these could hold even 20,000 men, since evidently the towers were only the central defensive points (loopholes), referred to in v. 18 in place of the whole fortification. It is also possible, however, that the number of those who shut themselves in these tower-fortresses and were killed by Judas (20,000) was greatly exaggerated by popular report. Perhaps it was even fewer than 9,000, as is implied in v. 20.

2 Maccabees 10:24. Timothy, who had been previously defeated by the Jews, gathered a very great force of foreign troops and assembled not a few of the cavalry from Asia, and came to Judea intending to conquer it. “Previously defeated by the Jews…”—see VIII: 30 ff.—“Asia” is used here not in the diplomatic Roman sense after 133 B.C. (the province of Mysia, Lydia, and Caria, since those provinces no longer belonged to the Seleucid kingdom at that time), but probably in the sense of Greater Asia, within which Mysia was particularly renowned for its cavalry and had a great and powerful horse as its emblem.

2 Maccabees 10:25–26. At his approach, the men of Maccabeus turned to prayer, sprinkling dust on their heads and girding their loins with sackcloth. Falling down at the base of the altar, they implored him to be merciful to them and to be the enemy of their enemies and the adversary of their adversaries, as the law declares. “As the law declares…”—καθὼς ὁ νόμος διασαφεῖ … (See Exod 23:22).

2 Maccabees 10:27–31. When they had finished their prayer, they took up their weapons and advanced a considerable distance from the city; and as they drew near to the enemy, they halted. At the break of dawn the two sides joined battle—the one side having, besides their own valor, trust in the Lord as the pledge of their success and victory, the other making fury their leader in battle. When the fighting became fierce, there appeared to the adversaries from heaven five magnificent men on horses with golden bridles, and two of them led the Jews—they took Maccabeus into their midst and, protecting him with their own armor, kept him unharmed, while against the adversaries they hurled arrows and thunderbolts, so that the enemy, confused by blindness and filled with fear, struck down one another. Twenty thousand five hundred infantry and six hundred cavalry were killed. 2 Maccabees 10:32. Timothy himself fled into a stronghold called Gazara, very well fortified and commanded by Chaereas. The location of Gazara (Gaza) requires no comment (1 Macc 9:52; cf. 1 Macc 13:43 ff.).—Chaereas, who commanded Gazara, was, according to v. 37, the brother of Timothy.

2 Maccabees 10:33. The men of Maccabeus cheerfully besieged the stronghold for four days. “Cheerfully…”—ἀσμένως—joyfully, confident of victory, in contrast to the besieged, who were confident in the inaccessibility of the place (ἐν τῇ κρημνότητι τοῦ τόπου πεποιθότες, v. 34).

2 Maccabees 10:34–35. Those in the stronghold, confident in the strength of the position, blasphemed greatly and uttered impious words. At dawn of the fifth day, twenty young men from the army of Maccabeus, fired with anger because of the blasphemies, rushed bravely against the wall and with fierce fury cut down everyone they encountered. The siege of the stronghold according to some manuscripts lasted 24 days instead of 4, and according to the Alexandrian codex even 40 days.—“With fierce fury…”—in another sense: “with the fury of lions,” with the fury of lions.

2 Maccabees 10:36–37. Others also during the confusion rushed at those inside, set fire to the towers, and burned the blasphemers alive; still others smashed the gates and let in the rest of the army, and captured the city. Timothy, who had hidden himself in a cistern, was killed, along with his brother Chaereas and Apollophanes. “Apollophanes”—nothing more is known of him. Since Timothy is mentioned again later (see note on XII: 2), the mention of his being killed is explained by the fact that popular tradition here probably conflates circumstances from two different battles.

2 Maccabees 10:38. When this had been done, they gave thanks with hymns and songs of praise to the Lord, who shows great kindness to Israel and gives them victory. Subscribe to our Telegram channel

Chapter Eleven

Victory over Lysias (cf. 1 Macc 4:26-35) (2 Macc 11:1-12). Conclusion of peace (2 Macc 11:13-15). Four letters on the conclusion of peace (2 Macc 11:16-38).

2 Maccabees 11:1. Very shortly after this, Lysias, the king’s guardian and kinsman, who was in charge of the government, greatly displeased by what had happened, On Lysias, see note on 1 Macc 3:32.

2 Maccabees 11:2. assembled about eighty thousand infantry and all his cavalry and marched against the Jews with the intention of making their city a residence for Greeks, Instead of “80,000 infantry” and all his cavalry, 1 Macc 4:28 gives 60,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry.—“Their city…”—that is, Jerusalem.

2 Maccabees 11:3. to impose a tax on the temple just as on the other pagan sanctuaries, and to put the office of high priest up for sale annually. “To put the office of high priest up for sale annually…” This served not only material interests but also political ones, since the sale of the high-priestly office was better suited to the selection of more compliant and politically convenient persons.

2 Maccabees 11:4–5. He gave no thought at all to God’s power, but was emboldened by his tens of thousands of infantry, his thousands of cavalry, and his eighty elephants. Entering Judea and approaching Beth-zur, a fortified place some five stades from Jerusalem, he pressed it hard. On Beth-zur, see 1 Macc 4:29. The indication that Beth-zur was five stades from Jerusalem is evidently in error, since Beth-zur is in fact 160 stades (4 miles) from Jerusalem. The figure of stades varies also across other manuscripts: one of them gives 500, while the Syriac text even gives 10,005; the Alexandrian codex uses σχοίνους instead of σταδίους. This is more correct (a σχοῖνος is about 30 stades), though the author normally measures distances in stades (cf. XII: 9 ff., 17, and 29); it is therefore possible that the error here lies only in the number of stades given.

2 Maccabees 11:6. When Maccabeus and his men learned that Lysias was besieging the strongholds, they and all the people together with lamentations and tears implored the Lord to send a good angel to save Israel. “A good angel…”—that is, an angel who would defend and help them.

2 Maccabees 11:7–8. Maccabeus himself was the first to take up arms and urged the others to risk their lives with him and come to the aid of their kinsmen; they then set out with him eagerly. When they were close to Jerusalem, a horseman appeared at their head in white clothing and brandishing golden weapons. “A horseman in white clothing, brandishing golden weapons…”—this was indeed the angel, as is clear also from v. 10.

2 Maccabees 11:9–14. They all together gave thanks to the merciful God and were strengthened in spirit, ready to pierce not only men but the fiercest wild animals and even iron walls. So they advanced in ordered ranks, with the heavenly ally fighting beside them, since the Lord had mercy on them. Springing on the enemy like lions, they struck down eleven thousand infantry and sixteen hundred cavalry, and put all the rest to flight. Many of the enemy escaped wounded and stripped naked, and Lysias himself escaped by shameful flight. But since he was not senseless and was reflecting on the defeat he had suffered, he understood that the Hebrews were invincible, because the Almighty God was their fighting ally; and so he sent to them and persuaded them that he agreed to all just demands and would convince the king to become their friend. 2 Maccabees 11:15–17. Maccabeus, looking to what was advantageous, agreed to all that Lysias proposed; for the king approved everything that Maccabeus had submitted to Lysias in writing regarding the Jews. The letter written by Lysias to the Jews was as follows: “Lysias to the people of the Jews—greetings. John and Absalom, who were sent by you, transmitted the signed petition and asked about the matters written therein. “Signed…”—that is, signed by the elders of the people—“the petition,” that is, with the peace terms.

2 Maccabees 11:18–21. “Whatever needed to be reported to the king I have explained, and he has agreed to what could be accepted. If you will maintain your goodwill toward the government, I will endeavor in the future as well to be of benefit to you. As for the particular matters, I have directed your representatives and mine to confer with you about them. Farewell. The one hundred and forty-eighth year, the twenty-fourth day of Dioscorinthius.” “Year 148”—166–164 B.C.—“The month of Dioscorinthius”—Διοσκορινθίου (genitive of Ζεὺς Κορίνθιος)—it is difficult to determine more precisely which month is meant here. The Syriac translation gives the second month of Tishri (Marcheshvan, cf. Josephus in this passage), which corresponds to the Macedonian Dius—our November. This appears to be the correct date, and Δίου is the original reading of this month name.

2 Maccabees 11:22–25. The king’s letter was as follows: “King Antiochus to his brother Lysias—greetings. Now that our father has gone to join the gods, we wish that the subjects of the kingdom should be undisturbed in conducting their own affairs. When we heard that the Jews do not consent to our father’s intention of adopting Greek customs but prefer their own way of life and therefore request that their own laws be allowed them, choosing that this people should not be troubled, we determine that their temple shall be restored to them and that they shall live according to the custom of their ancestors.” “That their temple shall be restored to them…”—τὸ ἱερὸν ἀποκατασταθῆναι …—here the reference is not to the physical restoration of the temple, but to the restoration or reinstatement of its rights and privileges.—“That they shall live according to the custom of their ancestors…”—πολιτεύεσθαι κατὰ τὰ ἐπὶ τῶν προγόνων αὐτῶν ἔθη—here the reference is to the civil life of the petitioners (πολιτεύεσθαι).

2 Maccabees 11:26–27. Therefore you will do well to send word to them and give them right hands of fellowship, so that they, knowing our intentions, may be of good cheer and gladly carry on in the conduct of their own affairs.” The letter of the king to the people was as follows: “King Antiochus to the elders of the Jews and to the other Jews—greetings. “To the elders of the Jews…”—see 1 Macc 12:6.

2 Maccabees 11:28–29. If you are in good health, it is as we desire; we ourselves are also in good health. Menelaus has informed us that you wish to return to your own people who are with us. “Menelaus…”—in all likelihood the high priest appointed by Antiochus Epiphanes (IV: 23 ff., 50).

2 Maccabees 11:30. Therefore, a pledge of safety is extended to those who come by the thirtieth day of the month of Xanthicus: The month of Xanthicus—the 6th Macedonian month (according to Jos. Fl. Archaeol. I, 3, 3; X, 3)—corresponds to the Hebrew Nisan, our April.

2 Maccabees 11:31–34. The Jews may use their own foods and observe their own laws, just as before, and none of them shall be disturbed in any way for what may have been done in ignorance. I have sent Menelaus to reassure you. Farewell. The one hundred and forty-eighth year, the fifteenth day of Xanthicus.” The Romans also sent them a letter with the following content: “Quintus Memmius and Titus Manlius, envoys of the Romans, to the people of the Jews—greetings. “The Romans” through their representatives mentioned below. The names of these representatives appear in the manuscripts with some variation: instead of Μάνλιος one finds Μάνιος; the Syriac text has Quintus Menisthius Manius; the Latin has Titius instead of Titus. These “envoys of the Romans” are unknown from other sources, though this of course gives no grounds for denying the possibility of an actual embassy from Rome, whose legates were spread throughout the then-known world and exerted decisive influence on all major political affairs. And there is nothing surprising in the fact that many of the names of Rome’s representatives have been forgotten or lost: Tous fere terrarum orbis a Romanis legatis et civibus erat obsessus (qui populi Romani auctoritate freti omnibus se immiscebant rebus, praesertim quun regum nomini Romano infestorum potestatem possent infringere), quotum nomine nobis servata non putem (Bertheleau, p. 34).

2 Maccabees 11:35. What Lysias, the king’s kinsman, has conceded to you, we also have ratified. On Lysias’s kinship with the king, see note on 1 Macc 3:32.—The conclusion of peace with the Jews mentioned in this chapter most probably took place in year 150 of the Seleucid era—162 B.C., when Lysias received news of Philip’s advance and was compelled to turn his forces against this more serious adversary (1 Macc 6:42-62). The date of the letters (year 148) is then explained by supposing that Jason of Cyrene or the “compiler” of his work (the author of 2 Mac.) himself corrected year 150 to year 148—on the assumption that the text referred to the peace after the first and not the second war with Lysias.

2 Maccabees 11:36–38. As for what needs to be referred to the king, send someone promptly, so that we can determine what is right for you, for we are on our way to Antioch. Make haste, therefore, and send us word, so that we also may know your mind. Farewell. The one hundred and forty-eighth year, the fifteenth day of Xanthicus.”

Chapter Twelve

The war of the Jews with the surrounding pagans: vengeance on the people of Joppa and Jamnia and their treachery toward the Jews (2 Macc 12:1-9). The pacification of the Arabs (2 Macc 12:10-12). The capture of the fortress of Caspis (2 Macc 12:13-16). The pursuit of Timothy and other enemies (2 Macc 12:17-37). The incident at the city of Adollam (2 Macc 12:38-45).

2 Maccabees 12:1–2. After these agreements were concluded, Lysias went to the king, and the Jews attended to their farming. But the local commanders Timothy and Apollonius, son of Gennaeus, as well as Hieronymus and Demophon, and also Nicanor, the governor of Cyprus, would not allow them to live in peace and safety. Timothy, as may be seen by comparing v. 17 ff. with 1 Macc 5:11-12 and vv. 21, 26 with 1 Macc 5:34 ff., is none other than the one previously mentioned (VIII: 30, 32; X: 24, 32, 37). The fact that in the last passage he is shown as having been slain by the Jews does not preclude identifying him here, and shows only that his death has been wrongly ascribed to this campaign.—Apollonius—distinguished by the addition “son of Gennaeus”—is to be differentiated from the two other Apolloniuses—the son of Thrasaeus (III: 5, 7) and the son of Menestheus (IV: 21); he must also be distinguished from the Apollonius who was governor of Coele-Syria under Demetrius I, since that Apollonius was probably then with Demetrius in Rome (see on 1 Mac X: 69).—Hieronymus and Demophon are mentioned nowhere else.—Nicanor, by the addition of “Κυπριαρχης,” is distinguished from Nicanor son of Patroclus (VIII: 9) and from the commander of elephants under Demetrius (XIV: 12).—Κυπριαρχης—either the governor of Cyprus during Antiochus Epiphanes’ period of control over that island, or the superintendent of the sacred games in honor of the gods, by analogy with the Ἀσιάρχαι, Συριάρχαι, etc. (Acts 19:31).

2 Maccabees 12:3–7. The people of Joppa committed such a godless act: they invited the Jews living among them, along with their wives and children, to board boats that had been prepared, as if they bore them no ill will. When the Jews agreed—for they wanted to maintain peace and had no suspicion—then, by a common decision of the city, the people of Joppa set out to sea and drowned them, no fewer than two hundred persons. When Judas learned of such cruelty inflicted on his countrymen, he reported it to those with him and, invoking God as the righteous Judge, marched against the vile murderers of his brothers, set fire to the harbor by night, burned the boats, and killed those who had fled there. And since that place was fortified, he withdrew, intending to return and wipe out the entire community of the people of Joppa. “Since that place was fortified…”—that is, strongly defended, and could not be taken without a siege or assault.

2 Maccabees 12:8–9. Learning that the inhabitants of Jamnia were planning to do the same to the Jews living there, he also attacked the people of Jamnia by night and set fire to the harbor and the ships, so that the blaze was visible in Jerusalem, two hundred and forty stadia away, 240 stadia—6 miles—approximately 40 versts. On Jamnia, see on 1 Macc 4:15.—“The blaze…” αί αυγαί τού φέγγους—Slavonic: “the glow of the fire,” that is, the reflected light of the conflagration.

2 Maccabees 12:10. When they had moved nine stadia away from there, heading toward Timothy, Arabs fell upon them—no fewer than five thousand infantry and five hundred cavalry. Arabs—that is, Bedouin nomads who had from ancient times inhabited the border region between Egypt and Palestine (from where they also made incursions into the territory of the Philistines).

2 Maccabees 12:11–13. The battle was fierce, and when those with Judas, by God’s help, won the victory, the defeated nomadic Arabs asked Judas for peace, promising to supply them with livestock and to be useful to them in other ways. Judas, understanding that they could indeed be of great use to him in many things, agreed to make peace with them; and having made peace, they departed to their tents. He also attacked a city with a strong bridge, surrounded by walls and populated by various peoples, named Caspis. Caspis is considered identical with the fortress of Khasfor or Khasfon mentioned in 1 Macc 5:20 and v. 36, and is probably the present-day Khastin on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

2 Maccabees 12:14–15. The inhabitants, trusting in the strength of the walls and their food supplies, behaved very arrogantly, blaspheming those with Judas, reviling God, and uttering unseemly words. But those with Judas, calling upon the help of the great Sovereign of the world, who without battering rams or siege engines had destroyed Jericho in the time of Joshua, threw themselves fiercely against the wall. Θηριωδώς, as in X: 35—with the courage of lions.

2 Maccabees 12:16–17. With God’s help they took the city and carried out countless slaughters, so that the adjacent lake, two stadia in width, appeared to be filled with blood. Departing from there seven hundred and fifty stadia, they came to Charax, to the Jews called the Tubianites; “Seven hundred and fifty stadia”—16 and three-quarters geographical miles.—“Charax”—εις τον χάρακα—a very indefinite location. The fact that Jews called Tubianites lived there indicates that this place was somewhere in the land of Tob (between Ammonitis and Syria). It is also uncertain how to read this χάρακα—as a proper name or as a common noun. In the latter case, χάρακα (from χάραξ) would mean—a stockaded, fortified camp. In favor of this latter interpretation speak both the article τον before χάρακα and the statement in v. 16 that the Jews did not find Timothy in those localities—επί των τόπων—because he had withdrawn from those places—από των τόπων. The double use of the plural τόποι—places, localities—and particularly in contrast to εν τινι τοπω (“leaving a very strong guard in a certain place…”) suggests that τον χάρακα is a general designation for several localities that probably constituted a camp district—either at that time or at some earlier period.

2 Maccabees 12:18–20. but they did not find Timothy there, for he had withdrawn from the district without accomplishing anything, though he had left a very strong guard in one place. Thereupon Dositheus and Sosipater, commanders under Maccabeus, set out and killed the men Timothy had left in the fortress, more than ten thousand. Maccabeus then divided his army into detachments, placed those two over the detachments, and pressed on against Timothy, who had with him one hundred and twenty thousand infantry and fifteen hundred cavalry. “Placed them”—that is, Dositheus and Sosipater—“over the detachments…” The size of Timothy’s forces, like the later figure for those wounded by Judas (v. 23), appears considerably exaggerated.

2 Maccabees 12:21. When Timothy learned of the approach of Judas, he sent the women and children and the rest of the baggage to the so-called Carnaion, for that fortress was difficult to besiege and inaccessible because of the narrowness of the whole terrain. Timothy’s army (1 Macc 5:38) consisted in large part not of disciplined soldiers but of nomads from the surrounding regions. The wives and children of these nomads had followed Timothy’s army out of fear of Judas’s forces.—Carnaion—a fortress—is beyond doubt Karnain 1 Macc 5:26, Ashtaroth-Karnaim, the seat of King Og of Bashan. The precise location of the fortress is unknown.

2 Maccabees 12:22–23. When the first detachment of Judas appeared, fear fell upon the enemies and dread seized them at the manifestation of the All-Seeing One; they turned to flight, rushing in different directions, so that more often than not they were struck down by their own people, pierced by the edge of their own swords. Judas pressed the pursuit relentlessly, killing the lawless men, and destroyed up to thirty thousand persons. According to 1 Macc 5:34, which most likely refers to this same battle, only about 8,000 fell in it.

2 Maccabees 12:24. Timothy himself fell into the hands of those with Dositheus and Sosipater, and with great cunning begged to be let go alive, for he held in his power the parents of many (Jews) and the brothers of some, and they would not be spared if he died. “With great cunning he begged…” The cunning consisted in the fact that Timothy actually held no Jewish “parents” or “brothers” at all; however that may be, he did plead his way to life.

2 Maccabees 12:25–26. When he had convinced them with many words of his promise to return the hostages unharmed, they released him for the sake of saving their brothers. Then Judas marched against Carnaion and Atargateion and slaughtered twenty-five thousand persons. “Against Carnaion (see on v. 21) and Atargateion…” Atargateion—τό ᾿Αταργατείον—is not a city but properly the temple of the goddess Atargatis or Derketo in Carnaion (1 Macc 5:43 ff.). Atargatis—a Babylonian-Syrian-Philistine female deity with a fish’s body, similar to Dagon, the male deity of the same form (half fish, half human—the deification of water or moisture in general as one of the generative forces of nature).

2 Maccabees 12:27. After the victory over them and their defeat, Judas marched against the fortified city of Ephron, where Lysias had his residence along with a great multitude of different peoples: strong young men standing before the walls fought stubbornly; there too were large stores of engines and arrows. On Ephron, see on 1 Macc 5:46 ff.

2 Maccabees 12:28–29. But they, calling upon the Almighty, who with His power crushes the strength of enemies, seized that city and killed those in it—up to twenty-five thousand. Rising from there, they pressed on toward the city of the Scythians, which was six hundred stadia from Jerusalem. “The city of the Scythians”—Scythopolis, or Beisan (see on 1 Macc 5:52).

2 Maccabees 12:30–33. But since the Jews living there bore witness to the goodwill that the Scythian inhabitants showed toward them and to their gentle treatment of them in times of trouble, they gave thanks to them, asked them to continue their kindness toward their people in the future, and set out for Jerusalem, because the feast of Weeks was approaching. After the feast called Pentecost, they marched against Gorgias, the military commander of Idumea. Judas took the field with three thousand infantry and four hundred cavalry. “Judas took the field with 3,000 infantry and 400 cavalry…” In the Slavonic and Greek text no subject is indicated here (εξηλθεν δέ … “came out…”). All commentators consider that the subject here should be not Judas, as the Russian translation has it, but Gorgias, since Judas had no cavalry. However, cavalry in his army is mentioned later.

2 Maccabees 12:34–35. When they engaged in battle, a few of the Jews happened to fall. But Dositheus, one of those under Bacenor’s command, a cavalryman and a man of great strength, seized Gorgias and, grabbing his cloak, was dragging him forcibly in order to take the accursed man alive as a prisoner; but one of the Thracian horsemen rode at him and cut off his shoulder, and Gorgias escaped to Marisa. The Dositheus, a cavalryman, mentioned here is obviously to be distinguished from the one mentioned in vv. 19 and 24.—On Marisa, see on 1 Macc 5:66.

2 Maccabees 12:36. When those with Esdrin had long been fighting and were exhausted, Judas called upon the Lord that He would prove to be their leader in the battle. “Those with Esdrin…” Οί περί τόν Ἐσδριν. This Esdrin (Greek form of the name ???, cf. 1 Chr XXVII:26 in the LXX) is not mentioned anywhere else. Some commentators think this is another name for Gorgias himself; so it appears in the Slavonic text as well: “the warriors of Gorgias fighting for a long time…”

2 Maccabees 12:37. Having begun a battle-hymn in his native tongue at full voice, he shouted and, charging unexpectedly upon those with Gorgias, put them to flight. “Having begun a battle-hymn in his native tongue at full voice…” χαταρξάμενος τή πατρίω φωνή τήν μεθ᾿ ύμνων κραυγήν …; Slavonic: “having begun a shout with hymns in his fathers’ tongue…” The hymns—υμνοι—are the psalms of David (such as Psalms 113, 117, 123, 135, 149), which were sung at the onset of battle (cf. 2 Chr 20:21 ff.).

2 Maccabees 12:38. Then Judas, taking his army with him, went to the city of Adollam, and since the seventh day was approaching, they purified themselves according to custom and observed the Sabbath. The city of Adollam—Hebrew ???, a city in the Shephelah of Judah; its precise location is unknown.

2 Maccabees 12:39–40. On the following day, those with Judas went, as duty required, to bring back the bodies of the fallen and to lay them together with their kinsmen in their ancestral tombs. And they found on each of the dead, under their tunics, objects consecrated to the idols of Jamnia—something the law forbids to Jews—and it became clear to all why they had fallen. ᾿Ιερώματα των ειδώλων—things consecrated to idols—some understand here various valuables, while others think that these were small images of pagan gods, in gold or silver, worn as amulets on the body, which the Jews had put on either for safekeeping or out of superstition. The law’s prohibition of this: see Deut 7:25 and v. 26.

2 Maccabees 12:41. And so all praised the Lord, the righteous Judge, who reveals what is hidden, “They praised the Lord,” who had revealed the hidden—partly as a warning to those who had survived and been preserved from this sin, and partly so that those survivors might intercede with Him for the sin of those who had fallen, which is precisely what follows.

2 Maccabees 12:42. and they turned to prayer, asking that the sin which had been committed might be completely blotted out; and the valiant Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves free from sin, seeing with their own eyes what had happened because of the guilt of those who had fallen. The Jews pray that the sin which was committed might be completely blotted out, because its weight bore upon the survivors as well and could be a cause of God’s wrath upon them too (Josh 7:1 ff.; 2 Sam 21:1 ff.; XXIV:1 ff.).

2 Maccabees 12:43. And having made a collection among the men amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, he sent it to Jerusalem to have a sin-offering made, and he acted very well and piously, bearing in mind the resurrection; Instead of 2,000 drachmas, the Latin text indicates 12,000, and the Syriac 3,000.

2 Maccabees 12:44–45. for if he had not hoped that those who had fallen in battle would rise again, it would have been superfluous and futile to pray for the dead. But he had in mind that those who had fallen asleep in godliness had been prepared an excellent reward—what a holy and wholesome thought! Therefore he offered an atoning sacrifice for the dead, that they might be loosed from sin. 2 Macc 12:43-45. The act of Judas is commonly cited in defense of the Orthodox (and Catholic) teaching on the power and significance of prayers for the dead. Objecting to the use of the aforementioned episode in support of this teaching, Protestant theologians argue that neither the actual fact of Judas’s offering a sacrifice after this event, nor the recording of that fact in this passage of Scripture, speaks clearly to the effect that Judas offered the sacrifice specifically for the sin of the dead. According to v. 42, the sacrifice is offered simply for sin—that is, in the Protestant view, for the entire Jewish community, which to a certain degree bore the weight of the sin of those who had fallen, and which in such cases, by solidarity with the transgressors of the law, had previously also suffered the punishments of God’s wrath (see on v. 42). The sin of the dead is not mentioned in v. 43 either. And if the author of the book—or perhaps even the primary source behind it, Jason of Cyrene—does add his own interpretive comments to the account of the event, those very comments providing the basis on which Catholics and Orthodox rely, then these additions and interpretations, Protestant theologians say, carry no weight at all, even if they originated with Judas himself; they would have such force only if uttered by an inspired prophet and messenger of God; and since that is not the case here, the religious views of these private individuals ought not to be binding for the symbolic truths of the faith. That the author’s interpretation of the event was so accurate as to be—in all probability—in agreement with the actual convictions of both Judas and his contemporaries is something that is felt without any particular proof being required. As for the fact that Judas did not hold the authority of a prophet and messenger of God, his act here is not the sole support of the teaching on the salvific efficacy of prayers for the dead. In dogmatic discussions of this teaching, the act of Judas is properly cited simply as a historical reference to how long-standing the belief in the salvific efficacy of prayers for the dead actually is (it matters little here whether only the author or Judas himself held this belief; what matters is that the author expresses this belief here as universally held in his day and is already able to provide a reasoned basis for it!). The primary proof for this belief is of course found only in the New Testament teaching of the Savior and the Apostles. Our Telegram channel

Chapter Thirteen

The campaign of Antiochus Eupator against Judea (2 Macc 13:1-2). The disgraceful death of Menelaus (2 Macc 13:3-8). The preparations of the Jews for battle (2 Macc 13:9-14). The rout of the Syrian camp. The failure of the enemy at the siege of Beth-zur. The victory of Judas and the conclusion of peace (2 Macc 13:15-26).

The identity of the campaign described in the present chapter with that described in 1 Macc 6:28-62 is universally acknowledged. The not entirely significant differences in some details between the two accounts are either apparent, or are explained by the difference in the plans and aims of each book. The only obvious irreconcilable discrepancy appears in the indication of the year (2 Macc 13:1) and the size of the enemy force (2 Macc 13:2; cf. 1 Macc 6:30).

2 Maccabees 13:1. In the one hundred and forty-ninth year, news reached those with Judas that Antiochus Eupator was coming against Judea with a large army “In the 149th year…” of the Seleucid era.—According to 1 Macc 6:20-28 ff., this campaign was undertaken in the 150th year. This discrepancy can only be explained as an error on the part of the author of our book, possibly connected with another erroneous statement—that the desolation of the Temple lasted only two, rather than three, years (X:3, cf. 1 Macc 4:52).

2 Maccabees 13:2. and with him Lysias, his guardian and administrator of the realm, and each of them had a Greek force: one hundred and ten thousand infantry, five thousand three hundred cavalry, twenty-two elephants, and three hundred scythed chariots. On Lysias, see 2 Macc 11:1 and on 1 Macc 3:32. The size of the enemy forces (not only doubled but even taken singly) is clearly exaggerated.

2 Maccabees 13:3. Menelaus also joined them, insistently urging Antiochus on with great duplicity—not out of concern for the safety of the homeland, but in the hope of being reinstated in authority. Menelaus—the former high priest, IV:24 ff.; V:15.—“Urging Antiochus”—that is, toward the destruction of all orthodox-believing parties in Judaism, assuring him that only by this means could the complete pacification of Judea be achieved (cf. IV:8, 10).—“With great duplicity”—explained further by the addition: “not out of concern for the safety of the homeland, but in the hope of being reinstated in authority.” He had evidently been removed from that office along with the restoration of the Temple and Temple worship by Judas.

2 Maccabees 13:4. But the King of kings stirred up Antiochus’s wrath against the criminal, and when Lysias explained that Menelaus had been the cause of all the troubles, Antiochus ordered him to be led away to Beroea and put to death according to the custom of that place. Beroea—Βέροια—a city in Syria between Hierapolis and Antioch (Plin. V, 19; Strab. XVI, 751), probably on the site of present-day Aleppo; it must therefore not be confused with the Macedonian Beroea after which it was named by its founder Seleucus.—“According to the custom of that place…”—described in what follows (vv. 5 and 6).

2 Maccabees 13:5. In that place there is a tower fifty cubits high, filled with ashes; in it there was a device that rotated and lowered the condemned into the ashes. No clear picture of the device of execution by ash described here is given. According to Josephus (Ant. XII, 9, 7), the execution of Menelaus took place only after the conclusion of peace with the Jews, when Eupator returned to Antioch in anger over his failure, and Menelaus made an unsuccessful attempt to urge him again toward war.

2 Maccabees 13:6–9. There the one guilty of sacrilege, or the one who had surpassed others in wickedness, was always hurled to his doom. By such a death the impious Menelaus was fated to die without even burial in the ground—and entirely justly so. For since he had committed many sins against the altar of the Lord, whose fire and ash are holy, he received his death in ash. Meanwhile the king, hardened in his purposes, continued his march, intending to inflict on the Jews worse disasters than those that had come upon them in his father’s time. 2 Maccabees 13:10–13. When Judas learned of this, he commanded the people to call upon the Lord day and night, that He might now, as before, show them His help in the danger of losing the law, the homeland, and the holy Temple, and that the people, who had only just gained a little rest, might not be given over into bondage to the blasphemous pagans. All carried this out with one accord and for three days, with weeping and fasting and prostrations, they prayed without ceasing to the merciful Lord; then Judas, having encouraged them, ordered them to hold themselves in readiness. Remaining alone with the elders, he held counsel, intending to go out and settle the matter with the Lord’s help before the king’s army could enter Judea and take the city. “He held counsel, intending to…”—Greek: εβουλεύσατο…; Slavonic: “he took counsel…”—that is, he reached a decision in council with the elders.

2 Maccabees 13:14. Entrusting his care to the Creator of the world, he urged those with him to fight bravely to the death for the laws, for the Temple, the city, the homeland, and the civil order, and he stationed the army near Modein. “The civil order…” πολιτεία—Slavonic: “for the commonwealth”—that is, for the civil constitution of the Jewish people.—On Modein, see on 1 Macc 2:1. According to 1 Macc 6:32, Judas encamped at Beth-zacharias opposite the enemy camp, north of Beth-zur (see on 1 Macc 4:29).

2 Maccabees 13:15. Giving those with him the watchword “God’s victory,” he with a picked force of strong young men charged the king’s tent at night, killed up to four thousand men in the camp, and besides that, the largest elephant together with the men who rode in the tower upon it. The watchword “God’s victory”—see on VIII:23. Instead of 4,000 slain in the camp, other manuscripts give 2,000, or 1,000, or 3,000.

2 Maccabees 13:16–19. Finally, having filled the army with fear and confusion, they withdrew safely. This took place already at the break of dawn, under the Lord’s protection. The king, having learned by experience the boldness of the Jews, attempted to take positions by cunning. He advanced against Beth-zur, the strong fortress of the Jews, but was put to flight and suffered defeat and losses; 2 Maccabees 13:20–23. Judas kept sending everything necessary to those in the fortress. A certain Rhodocus from the Jewish army disclosed this secret to the enemy, but he was sought out, arrested, and imprisoned. The king negotiated a second time with the inhabitants of Beth-zur; gave them his pledge and received theirs in return, withdrew, and turned against those with Judas—but was defeated. Learning that Philip, whom he had left as governor in Antioch, had rebelled, he was thrown into consternation: he began to appeal to the Jews, humbled himself, and swore to fulfill all their just demands, then made peace with them, offered sacrifice, honored the Temple, and showed kindness to the city, “Learning that Philip had rebelled…” cf. 1 Macc 6:55 ff.—“Honored the Temple…”—probably through gifts (cf. III:2).

2 Maccabees 13:24. received Maccabeus and appointed him commander from Ptolemais as far as the Gerrhenians. “Received Maccabeus and appointed him commander…” Greek: καί τον Μακκαβαίον απεδέξατο, κατέλιπε στρατηγόν… ηγεμονίδην…; Slavonic: “and he received Maccabeus, appointed a general… a prince…” The meaning of this passage is not sufficiently clear. If one takes ηγεμονίδην here, as some do, as a predicate in relation to στρατηγόν, the sense of the Slavonic text results, but with a certain tautology (repetition of the cognate concepts στρατηγόν… ηγεμονίδην); one or other of these expressions becomes superfluous, especially with the addition of “him,” as the Russian text has. It is also hard to apply this expression to Judas, since he was a native of these parts, while the verse clearly speaks of someone who had come here with the king and was left by him as commander on his departure—which of course Judas could not have been. In view of this, other commentators regard ηγεμονίδην as a proper name, which gives a more coherent expression of the thought, though it is not confirmed by any other mention of that name.—“From Ptolemais as far as the Gerrhenians…” από Πτολεμαιδοέως τών Γερρηνών—that is, over the coastal strip to the borders of Egypt. Γερρηνοί—in the opinion of some—the inhabitants of the city of Γέρρα between Rhinocorura and Pelusium (Strab. XVI, 760). Other commentators, on the ground that Γέρρα did not then belong to the Syrian kingdom, suggest that one should read Γεραρηνοί—inhabitants of the ancient city of Gerar, southeast of Gaza. Some manuscript variants of this passage do indeed read Γεραρηνών.

2 Maccabees 13:25–26. Then he went to Ptolemais; the people of Ptolemais were displeased with the agreement, resented its terms, and wanted to annul them. Lysias came before the tribunal, defended himself as best he could, persuaded them, calmed them, made them well-disposed, and set out for Antioch. Such was the outcome of the king’s invasion and retreat.

Chapter Fourteen

Demetrius—king of Syria. His incitement to war against the Jews by the deposed high priest Alcimus. The dispatch of Nicanor to Judea (2 Macc 14:1-14). The clash of the Jews with enemies; the peace treaty of Judas with Nicanor (2 Macc 14:15-25). The intrigues of Alcimus, the king’s dissatisfaction with Nicanor, attempts to seize Judas (2 Macc 14:26-36). The exploit of the elder Razis (2 Macc 14:37-46).

The content of both final chapters of the book corresponds to 1 Macc 7, with some differences, as before, which have the same explanation.

2 Maccabees 14:1. Three years later, news reached Judas and those with him that Demetrius, son of Seleucus, had sailed into the port of Tripolis with a strong land and naval force “Three years later…”—that is, after XIII:1, the campaign of Eupator against Judea. This expression should be understood as the Evangelic “after three days”—that is, counting even partial years; hence “three years later” is not 149+3, but the 149th, 150th, and 151st years, which accords with the statement in v. 4: “in the one hundred and fifty-first year” (consistent with 1 Macc 7:1).—Tripolis—a Phoenician coastal city north of Sidon, between Byblos and Aradus, located at the foot of the highest part of Lebanon, and so named because it was formed from three colonies that had settled there from three neighboring cities—Sidon, Tyre, and Aradus (Strab. XVI, 754).

2 Maccabees 14:2–3. and, having seized the country, killed Antiochus and his guardian Lysias. A certain Alcimus, who had formerly been high priest but had willingly defiled himself in the time of troubles, reflecting that there was no way for him to be saved and no access for him to the holy altar, On Alcimus, see on 1 Macc 7:5.—“In the time of troubles…” Here is meant the period from the removal of the high priest Onias by Jason under Antiochus Epiphanes to the execution of Menelaus.—“No way for him to be saved…” When religious freedom was granted to the Jews under Antiochus Eupator, Alcimus could no longer rely on the support of his Syrian friends, nor could he earn the due respect and recognition of the Jews for his half-pagan way of life and convictions.—“No way for him to be saved…” ούκ αυτώ σωτηρία—not “for him,” or “salvation is not for him”—that is, there was no possibility for him to occupy the high-priestly office.

2 Maccabees 14:4. in the one hundred and fifty-first year came to King Demetrius and brought him a golden crown and a palm branch, and besides that, the olive branches that were considered appurtenances of the Temple—and on that day Alcimus undertook nothing. “And besides that, the olive branches that were considered appurtenances of the Temple…” προς δέ τούτοις τών νομιζομένων θαλλων του ιερού—Slavonic: “and besides these, branches that were held to belong to the sanctuary…” The meaning is that Alcimus, so to speak, overdid his show of reverence for the king. What was used as a token of veneration in the Temple he used in relation to a mere mortal, thereby debasing what was holy. On that first visit to the king Alcimus undertook nothing because the first solemn audience was not the most suitable occasion for complaints and petitions—he needed to wait for the right moment and first win over those close to the king.

2 Maccabees 14:5–6. Having found an opportunity favorable to his mad scheme, when he was summoned by Demetrius into the royal council and asked about the disposition and mood of the Jews, he said in reply: “Those among the Jews called Hasideans, whose leader is Judas Maccabeus, are sustaining the war and stirring up seditions, not letting the kingdom attain prosperity.” On the Hasideans, see on 1 Macc 2:29.

2 Maccabees 14:7. “Therefore I, stripped of my ancestral honor—that is, the high priesthood—have now come here,” “Stripped of my ancestral honor…” αφελόμενος τήν προγονικήν δόξαν—Slavonic: “removed from my forefathers’ glory”—by reason of his descent from the line of Aaron.

2 Maccabees 14:8–11. “first, out of genuine concern for the interests of the king, and second, having in mind the welfare of my fellow citizens; for because of the folly of the persons named, our entire nation is suffering no small hardship. Now you, O king, learning all this, take care of the country and our oppressed nation, in accordance with the benevolence accessible to all that you have shown—for as long as Judas remains, there can be no peace.” When this had been said by him, the rest of the council members, who held hostile feelings toward Judas, inflamed Demetrius still more. “The rest of the council members…” οί λοιποί φίλοι—Slavonic, more precisely: “the rest of the friends.” Alcimus is thus counted among those friends.—“Inflamed still more”—πρασεπύρωσαν…; Slavonic: “kindled”—set ablaze, inflamed.

2 Maccabees 14:12–15. He at once summoned Nicanor, who was in charge of the elephants, and appointed him military commander of Judea and sent him off with orders to kill Judas, disperse his followers, and set up Alcimus as high priest of the great Temple. Then the pagans who had fled from Judea before Judas came flocking to Nicanor in crowds, hoping that the misfortunes and disasters of the Jews would become their own prosperity. When the Jews heard about Nicanor’s campaign and the joining of the pagans to him, they sprinkled earth on their heads and prayed to Him who had established His people from of old and always manifestly protected His own portion. “From of old…” άχρι αιώνος—Slavonic: “even to the ages”—for all eternity.

2 Maccabees 14:16. At their leader’s command they quickly set out from there and met the enemy at the village of Dessau. “Set out from there”—from the place where they had gathered, that is, probably from Jerusalem. The village of Dessau is mentioned nowhere else.

2 Maccabees 14:17–21. Simon, the brother of Judas, engaged in battle with Nicanor, but soon suffered a minor setback at the sudden advance of the enemy. However, Nicanor, hearing of the valor those with Judas possessed and the boldness they showed in battles for their homeland, was reluctant to decide the matter by bloodshed; therefore he sent Posidonius, Theodotus, and Mattathias to conclude peace with the Jews. After lengthy deliberation over this matter, and when the commander had communicated it to the people, a unanimous decision was reached and they agreed to negotiations; they appointed a day on which they might meet privately, and when it came, separate seats were set for each. 2 Maccabees 14:22–26. Judas stationed armed men in suitable positions in readiness, so that no treachery might suddenly come from the enemy—and they held a peaceful conference. Nicanor stayed in Jerusalem for some time, did nothing improper, and dismissed the assembled people. He kept Judas constantly in his company and became warmly attached to the man; he persuaded him to marry and have children. Judas married, settled down, and enjoyed life. But Alcimus, seeing their mutual affection and the bond that had formed between them, took heart, went to Demetrius, and said that Nicanor harbored intentions hostile to the kingdom, for he had designated Judas, a schemer against the kingdom, as his successor. “Had designated Judas as his successor…” Greek: διαδοχον ανέδειξεν… It is not known whether Alcimus produced factual evidence for this accusation, or whether it followed simply from the fact that Nicanor was treating Judas in a friendly manner and was taking no steps toward establishing Alcimus in the high-priestly office.

2 Maccabees 14:27–31. The king, angered and exasperated by these slanders of the villain, wrote to Nicanor, expressing that he found such an agreement intolerable, and ordered him to send Maccabeus at once to Antioch in chains. When Nicanor learned of this, he was troubled and distressed that he would have to break the established bond with a man who had done nothing unjust. But since there was no way to oppose the king, he waited for a favorable moment to carry this out by cunning. Maccabeus, however, noticing that Nicanor had begun to treat him more harshly and that his manner had become ruder in their usual meetings, and concluding that such harshness could not come from anything good, gathered a sizeable number of those with him and hid from Nicanor. When the latter learned that Judas had skillfully outmaneuvered his cunning, he came to the great and holy Temple while the priests were offering the prescribed sacrifices, and ordered them to hand over that man. 2 Maccabees 14:32–35. When they with an oath declared they did not know where the one he was seeking was to be found, he, stretching out his right hand toward the Temple, swore saying: “If you do not deliver Judas bound to me, I will level this sanctuary of God to the ground, tear down the altar, and erect here a splendid temple to Dionysus.” Having said this, he withdrew. The priests, stretching out their hands toward heaven, implored the perpetual Defender of our people and said: “You, O Lord, having need of nothing, were pleased that this house should be the place of Your dwelling among us.” “You, O Lord, having need of nothing…” Greek: Σύ Κύριε τών όλων απροσδεής ᾿υπάρχων…; Slavonic: “You, O Lord of all, who lack nothing…” In the opinion of some, τών όλων here should be connected not with Κύριε but with απροσδεής ᾿υπαρχων, as the Russian translator does (cf. Jos. Ant. VIII, 3, 3; 3 Macc 2:7 ff., and also 1 Kgs 8:27).

2 Maccabees 14:36–38. “And now, O Holy Lord of all holiness, keep this house, so recently cleansed, free from defilement forever, and stop the mouths of the unjust.” Nicanor was told about a certain Razis from among the elders of Jerusalem as a friend of his fellow citizens, a man of excellent reputation, for his goodwill called the father of the Jews. He in the preceding time of troubles had stood by Judaism and had given both body and soul with all zeal for Judaism. ᾿Ην γαρέν τοίς εμπροσθεν χρόνοις τής αμιξίας κρίσιν εις ενηνεγμένος ιουδαισμού…; Slavonic: “For he in the preceding times of non-mixing had brought a judgment in Judaism…” The Russian translation is a very free paraphrase of this passage: “he in the preceding time of troubles had stood by Judaism…” χρόνοι τής αμιξίας—“times of non-mixing”—that is, the times when Judaism was especially endangered by mixing with paganism and therefore was especially on guard against such mixing.—Κρίσις ιουδαίσμού—that is, the separation of Judaism (from pagan customs), a decision in favor of Judaism.—Κρίσιν εισφερεσθαι—to introduce, to make plain, to prove “the separation” (of Judaism), to insist on the separation (of Judaism from paganism).

2 Maccabees 14:39–41. Nicanor, wishing to make plain the hatred he bore toward the Jews, sent more than five hundred soldiers to arrest him, for he thought that by seizing him he would do them injury. When the crowd was trying to take the tower and force entry through the gates of the courtyard, and the order had already been given to bring fire to burn the gates, he, now inescapably about to be seized, ran himself through with his sword, “Inescapably about to be seized…” περικατάληπτος γενόμενος—Slavonic, more precisely: “surrounded on all sides.”

2 Maccabees 14:42. preferring to die nobly rather than fall into the hands of the lawless and suffer indignity unworthy of his noble birth. 2 Maccabees 14:43–46. But as the blow had missed because of the haste, and the crowds were already bursting through the doors, he ran boldly up onto the wall and threw himself bravely down upon the crowd. But as those standing nearby quickly stepped aside and an empty space remained, he fell in the middle upon his stomach. While still breathing and ablaze with anger, despite the blood streaming down and the severity of his wounds, he got up, ran through the crowd, and stopped on a steep rock. Now completely drained of blood, he tore out his entrails and, taking them in both hands, threw them at the crowd and, calling upon the Lord of life and spirit to restore to him life and breath again, ended his life in this manner.

Chapter Fifteen

Nicanor’s attempt to attack Judas on the Sabbath day (2 Macc 15:1-5). The encouragement of the Jews by Judas (2 Macc 15:6-16). The bold advance of the Jews into battle and the victory. The death of Nicanor. The establishment of the festival (2 Macc 15:17-37). The conclusion of the book (2 Macc 15:38-39).

2 Maccabees 15:1. When Nicanor learned that those with Judas were in the region of Samaria, he thought he could attack them completely without penalty on the day of rest. “In the region of Samaria…” έν τοίς κατα Σαμαριαν τόποις…—in the localities bordering Samaria, that is, on the boundary with Samaria, between Beth-horon and Gophna (1 Macc 7:39 ff.).

2 Maccabees 15:2. When the Jews who were forced to accompany him said: “Do not destroy them so cruelly and savagely; honor the day consecrated by the All-Seeing One”; “The day consecrated by the All-Seeing One…” τή προτετιμημένη υπό τού παντα εφορώντος μεθ᾿ αγιότητος ᾿ημέρα…; Slavonic, more precisely: “the day honored above others by the All-Seeing One in holiness”—that is, the day whose observance has been sanctified by the example and commandment of the All-Seeing Lord Himself (cf. Gen 2:3; Exod 20:8-11 ff.).

2 Maccabees 15:3. this godless man asked: “Is there really a Sovereign in heaven who has commanded the Sabbath to be observed?” The question: “Is there really a Sovereign in heaven who has commanded…” expresses not a denial of the existence of God, but only a denial of the said commandment—a denial that among the gods there was any such one who had issued this commandment.

2 Maccabees 15:4. And when they answered: “There is the living Lord, the heavenly Sovereign, who has commanded the seventh day to be kept holy”, “The living Lord”—ό Κύριος ζών—“living”—in contrast to the dead gods of the pagans.

2 Maccabees 15:5. he said: “And I am master on earth, commanding to take arms and carry out the king’s service.” However, he did not succeed in carrying out his intention. What prevented Nicanor’s plan to attack the Jews on the Sabbath is unknown.

2 Maccabees 15:6–10. Nicanor, boasting with great arrogance, thought to erect a general victory trophy over those with Judas. But Maccabeus never ceased hoping with full confidence that he would receive support from the Lord. He urged those with him not to fear the onslaught of the pagans, but, recalling past experiences of heavenly help, to expect for themselves victory and aid from the Almighty now as well. Comforting them with the promises of the law and the prophets, reminding them of the deeds they themselves had performed, he filled them with courage. Stirring their spirit, he urged them on, pointing at the same time to the treachery of the pagans and their violation of oaths. Examples of pagans’ treachery and perjury: 1 Macc 16:17; 1 Macc 6:62; 2 Macc 5:25 ff. and XII:5.

2 Maccabees 15:11–12. He armed each of them not so much with solid shields and spears as with persuasive and encouraging words, and besides that, he cheered them all with an account of a trustworthy dream he had seen. The vision he had was this: he saw Onias, the former high priest, a man of honor and goodness, revered in appearance, gentle in manner, pleasant in speech, who from childhood had diligently cultivated everything pertaining to virtue—he saw him stretching out his hands and praying for the entire Jewish people. On this Onias, see 2 Macc 3:1 ff.

2 Maccabees 15:13–16. Then there appeared another man, adorned with white hair and glory, surrounded by wondrous and extraordinary majesty. And Onias said: “This is the one who loves his brothers, the one who prays much for the people and the holy city—Jeremiah, the prophet of God.” Then Jeremiah, stretching out his right hand, gave Judas a golden sword and, presenting it, said: “Take this holy sword, a gift from God, with which you will strike down the enemies.” “The holy sword…” as given to him by God to strike down evil and godlessness that was assailing His sanctuary.

2 Maccabees 15:17. Encouraged by the most excellent words of Judas, which were capable of arousing courage and steeling the hearts of the young, the Jews resolved not to encamp but to attack boldly and, entering the battle with full courage, to settle the matter by force of arms, since the city, the sanctuary, and the Temple were in danger. “The city and the sanctuary and the Temple…” τήν πόλιν και τα αγία και τό ιερόν—Slavonic: “the city, and the holy things, and the sanctuary…” τα αγία alongside and placed before ιερόν shows that here it (τα αγία) is used in the broad sense of the word—sacred order, sacred institutions of the people.

2 Maccabees 15:18. The struggle for wives and children, brothers and kinsmen seemed to them a matter of lesser importance; their greatest and primary concern was for the holy Temple. “The primary concern was for the holy Temple”—in view of Nicanor’s threats, XIV:33.

2 Maccabees 15:19–21. For those who had remained in the city there was also no small anxiety, since they were troubled about the battle that was to take place in the field. And so, when all were awaiting the coming decision of the matter, when the enemies had already joined forces and the army was drawn up in battle order, the elephants positioned in their proper places and the cavalry arrayed on the flanks, Maccabeus, seeing the advance of the numerous host, the variety of weapons arrayed, and the ferocity of the beasts, stretched out his hands to heaven and called upon the Lord, the worker of wonders and the all-seeing, knowing that victory is won not by weapons, but that He Himself, as He wills, grants victory to those who deserve it. “The ferocity of the beasts”—that is, of the elephants.

2 Maccabees 15:22–24. In his prayer he spoke thus: “You, O Lord, when Hezekiah was king of Judah, sent an Angel—and he struck down from the camp of Sennacherib one hundred and eighty-five thousand. And now, O Lord of heaven, send a good Angel before us to bring fear and trembling upon the enemies. By the might of Your arm let those who have come with blasphemy against Your holy people be struck down.” With these words he ended. 2 Maccabees 15:25–27. Those with Nicanor advanced with the sound of trumpets and battle cries, while those with Judas entered the battle against the enemies with prayer and supplication. Fighting with their hands and praying with their hearts to God, they struck down no fewer than thirty-five thousand, greatly gladdened by the manifest help of God. 2 Maccabees 15:28–30. When the engagement was over and they were returning with joy, they learned that Nicanor had fallen in his full armor. When the outcry and noise had died down, they praised the Lord in their native tongue. Then Judas, the foremost champion of his people in body and soul, who had kept his loyalty to his countrymen throughout the best years of his life, gave the order for Nicanor’s head to be cut off, along with his hand and shoulder, and carried to Jerusalem. 2 Maccabees 15:31–33. Arriving there, he summoned his countrymen and stationed the priests before the altar, invited those who were in the fortress, and, having shown them the head of the vile Nicanor and the hand of the blasphemer which he had stretched out against the holy house of the Almighty and with which he had boasted, ordered the tongue of the godless Nicanor to be cut out and given in fragments to the birds, and the hand of the madman to be hung up opposite the Temple. “The hand of the madman…” τα δ᾿ έπιχειρα τής ανοίας; Slavonic, more precisely: “and this in recompense for his madness… hang up.” The singular τό επίχειρον is very rarely (Jer 48:25) used in the sense of “shoulder”; in the plural τα επίχειρα it means what “comes to hand” for someone, what is fated, what is deserved—the recompense of a deed, and if the deed is evil, then—punishment. Consequently, in this passage—to hang τα δ᾿επίχειρα τής ανοίας—means to hang the sign of the punishment of the madman, that is, his severed hand.

2 Maccabees 15:34–35. Then all, turning to heaven, praised the Lord who had manifested His help and said: “Blessed be He who has kept His place undefiled!” He hung the head of Nicanor on the fortress as a visible and clear sign of the help of the Lord, for all to see. “On the fortress…” Here, as in v. 21, what is meant is not the Zion fortress, which was cleared of pagans later, under the successors of Judas, but probably the fortifications of Jerusalem itself and the Temple, in contrast to the Zion fortifications.

2 Maccabees 15:36. And all by common decision decreed: never to let this day pass without celebration, but to mark with festivity the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, called Adar in the Syrian tongue, the day before the day of Mordecai. On the establishment of the festival on the 13th day of Adar, see 1 Macc 7:49.—“The day before the day of Mordecai”—that is, the eve of the feast of Purim (Esth 9:31 ff.).—“In the Syrian tongue”—τή Συριακή φωνή—that is, in the Aramaic dialect, which had by then come into general use among the Jews of Palestine.

2 Maccabees 15:37–39. Thus ended the affair with Nicanor; and since from that time the city has remained in the possession of the Hebrews, I will bring my account to an end here. If I have told it well and with proper form, that is what I wished; if inadequately and mediocrely, I have done what was within my powers. For just as it is unpleasant to drink wine alone and then water alone, while wine mixed with water is pleasant and produces enjoyment, so also a composition that blends its elements well is pleasing to the ear of the reader by virtue of its proportionality. Here let there be an end. Subscribe to our Telegram channel

Third Maccabees

Introduction

On the Third Book of Maccabees

The content of the Third Book of Maccabees is an event that took place in Egypt under Ptolemy IV Philopator and threatened the Egyptian Jews with the terrible danger of wholesale extermination (somewhat similar to what is recounted in the Book of Esther). The catalyst for the event was Ptolemy’s desire to “enter the sanctuary”—a desire met with the unanimous, energetic protest of the Jews (ch. 1). The enraged king, whose attempt was thwarted additionally by a sudden severe paralysis, declared the Jews “slaves” and ordered them to be branded with a special “mark of Dionysus” (ch. II). The Jews’ refusal to submit to this last operation finally drove the despot to fury, and he gave the order to exterminate all Jews throughout the kingdom (ch. III). For forty days the Jews were sought throughout the kingdom and entered into special registers, so that on an appointed day they might all more conveniently be destroyed; however, because of the vast number of Jews scattered throughout the kingdom, these registers could never be completed: there were not enough papyrus sheets or writing reeds, by the working of “the heavenly Providence that was helping the Jews” (ch. IV, v. 16). On the appointed day, five hundred enraged elephants were to be unleashed on a group of Jews. But several times the king himself, in an inexplicable manner, frustrated his own terrible plan (ch. V). And at the most critical moment, when the elephants finally did indeed charge at the wretched people, a manifest miracle saved them: instead of the Jews, the animals suddenly turned on the troops accompanying them and threw them into complete confusion. This brought the king himself to his senses, and he changed his attitude toward the Jews entirely (ch. VI). A new edict followed, declaring the Jews to be under the king’s special protection; at the same time, all those who in this severe trial had shown weakness in faith and a faint-hearted departure from the law were handed over to the Jews for punishment. These were destroyed by the Jews, and in memory of the event a special festival was established (ch. VII). On the authenticity of the event. In view of the considerable number of details in the account of the event that arouse strong doubt as to their plausibility (the enormous number condemned to death, their being brought to Alexandria to the hippodrome, their registration consuming all supplies of papyrus and reeds, etc.), it is admitted that the event forming the content of our book may in reality have had only a much less significant historical kernel, which the author used as the basis for an embellished narrative aimed at extolling the Jewish people in the eyes of the pagans and showing God’s special care for them. The actual event, therefore, probably took place on a much more modest scale. It is also mentioned by Josephus, though with the name of a different king (Ptolemy VII Physcon) and with different causes and motives cited (Against Apion II, 5). The time of writing of the book, as well as the place and author, are unknown. In any case, the book was written after 164 B.C., because it mentions events from the Book of Daniel, and no later than the early years of the Savior’s life. Certain features of speech may also indicate that the book was written by an Egyptian Jew, in Egypt. The esteem in which the ancient Church held this book found expression in its mention in the Apostolic Canons, as well as in the works of Theodoret and other ecclesiastical writers.

Chapter One

Philopator’s clash with Antiochus III at Raphia. His return through the neighboring cities (3 Macc 1:1-8). His attempt to enter the sanctuary (3 Macc 1:9-13). The protest of the whole people (3 Macc 1:14-25).

3 Maccabees 1:1. Philopator, having learned from those who came to him that the territories in his domain had been seized by Antiochus, gave orders to all his forces, both infantry and cavalry, and, taking with him his sister Arsinoe, set out for the region of Raphia, where the armies of Antiochus were encamped. “But Philopator…” The particle δέ at the very beginning of the narrative (δέ μεταβατικόν) indicates either that this narrative follows on from some other well-known text (as in the autobiography of Josephus), or suggests the loss of several verses, or perhaps even whole chapters, at the beginning of the book. Philopator—the epithet of Ptolemy IV, ordinarily applied to him in an ironic sense, for the murder of his parents (Justin XXIX, 1, 5: “Aegyptum patre ac matre interfectis occupaverat Ptolemaeus, cui ex facinoris crimine cognomen Philopator fuit…” [Egypt had been seized by Ptolemy, who, on account of his crime of killing his father and mother, received the surname Philopator]). The use of this epithet on coins and other monuments from the king’s time indicates, however, that the epithet also had an honorific sense. The dates of his reign are given variously as 222–202 B.C. and, by some, as 221–203 B.C. In 221 B.C. Antiochus III the Great began his Coele-Syrian war and his successes alarmed Ptolemy around 217 B.C. It is from this point that the book’s narrative begins. Ptolemy’s army consisted of 70,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, and 73 elephants; while Antiochus’s army had 62,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, and 102 elephants (Polybius V, 79).—Arsinoe—Ptolemy’s sister—was also his wife (Polybius V, 83, 3; XV, 25, 2; 33, 11); Livy calls her Cleopatra (37, 4); Justin calls her Eurydice (XXX, 1, 7; 2, 6).—Raphia—the first Coele-Syrian city after Egypt, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, on the road from Gaza to Rhinocolura, is mentioned in the Bible only here.

3 Maccabees 1:2. Then a certain Theodotus resolved to carry out his plan, took with him the best of the armed men entrusted to him by Ptolemy, and made his way by night into Ptolemy’s tent in order to kill him alone and thus prevent the war. “A certain Theodotus…”—an Aetolian by birth, he had been an Egyptian commander of Coele-Syria, but subsequently went over to the side of Antiochus. According to Polybius, Theodotus had only two companions.

3 Maccabees 1:3. But he was thwarted by Dositheus, son of Drimylus, a Jew by birth who had later apostatized from the law and abandoned his ancestral faith: he had placed in the tent an insignificant man, who received the death intended for Ptolemy. “He was thwarted…” Τούτον δε διαγαγών… It would seem more accurate to translate here: “but leading him (i.e., Ptolemy) away, conducting him out of the tent to another place, Dositheus…” etc.—Dositheus, son of Drimylus, was evidently one of the king’s bodyguards, who could easily have persuaded the king not to sleep in the same place out of fear of secret assassins.

3 Maccabees 1:4. When a fierce battle broke out and the cause of Antiochus was gaining the upper hand, Arsinoe, with her hair disheveled, went through the ranks weeping and with tears, urgently urging them to fight more bravely for themselves, for their children and wives, and promising, if they were victorious, to give each of them two minas of gold. Details of the battle at Raphia are in Polybius V, 83–86.—“With her hair disheveled”—as a sign of deep grief (cf. Polybius V, 83, 3).—The mina was 1/60 of a talent; the talent itself varied in value from place to place; the most widely used Attic talent was worth 2,210 rubles, so a mina was about 37 rubles. Two minas of gold equaled 20 minas of silver—about 75 rubles.

3 Maccabees 1:5. And so it happened that the enemy were struck down in hand-to-hand combat, and many were taken prisoner. According to Polybius V, 86, 5—Antiochus’s army lost up to 10,000 infantry and more than 300 cavalry killed in this battle, more than 4,000 were taken prisoner, and 5 elephants were lost.

3 Maccabees 1:6. Having achieved his goal, Philopator decided to pass through the neighboring cities to encourage them. “To encourage them…”—that is, to consolidate his hold over them, to strengthen his influence among them, in opposition to Syrian influence.

3 Maccabees 1:7–9. Having done this and furnished the temples with gifts, he inspired courage in his subjects. When the Jews then sent to him ambassadors from the council and the elders to congratulate him, to present gifts, and to express joy over what had happened, he wished to come to them as quickly as possible. Arriving in Jerusalem, he offered sacrifice to the great God, gave thanks, and performed all the other things appropriate to the sacred place; “He offered sacrifice to the great God…” Philopator’s father, Ptolemy Euergetes, had done the same earlier, upon returning from his victorious campaign into the Medo-Persian regions. The designation of Jehovah as “the great God” (μέγιστος Θεός) is very frequent in our book.

3 Maccabees 1:10–11. and when he entered it, he was amazed by the magnificence and beauty, and, marveling at the orderliness of the temple, he desired to enter the sanctuary. He was told that this was not permitted, for not even anyone from their own people was allowed to enter there, not even priests, but only the one high priest who presided over all, and that only once a year; yet he was utterly unwilling to listen. “Once a year…”—on the great Day of Atonement, on the 10th day of the 7th month. On that day the high priest entered the Holy of Holies at least twice; therefore the expression “once a year” has the sense: on one day only in the year (Lev 16:12-16).

3 Maccabees 1:12. The law was read to him, but even then he did not abandon his intention, saying that he must enter: let them be deprived of this honor, but not he. And he asked why, when he had entered the temple, none of those present had forbidden him. “The law was read to him”—clearly meaning the above-mentioned passage of Lev 16 ch., with the prohibitions that had the force of law.—“Why, when he entered the temple, none of those present had forbidden him?” Greek: δια τίνα αιτίαν εισερχόμενον αυτόν εις παν τέμενος ούδεις εκώλυσε τών παρόντων …; the Slavonic more precisely: “for what reason, as he went into every shrine, did none of those present forbid him…” Thus, Ptolemy here appeals to his unhindered visits to all pagan shrines, and expresses bewilderment at such an unexpected obstacle to entering the Jewish sanctuary. Others give a different interpretation of this passage, translating εἰς παν τέμενος not as “into every shrine” but as “into the whole temple.” On this reading, Ptolemy wishes to expose the Jews’ inconsistency, wondering why they admitted him into the temple generally, into the whole temple, without objection, yet now they obstruct inspection of individual parts.

3 Maccabees 1:13–15. And when someone thoughtlessly said that this had been done amiss, he replied: but since it has already been done, for whatever reason, should he not in any case enter, whether they wish it or not? Then the priests in their sacred vestments prostrated themselves and prayed to the great God that He would help them in their present extremity and restrain the rush of one who was violently forcing his way in; the temple was filled with lamentation and weeping, while those remaining in the city ran together in dismay, thinking that something extraordinary had occurred. Even the young women who were confined to their chambers rushed out with their mothers, sprinkled ashes and dust on their heads, and filled the streets with wailing and moaning. 3 Maccabees 1:16–18. Others, in full bridal attire, left the bridal chamber prepared for their reception and the modesty befitting them, and ran distractedly through the city. Mothers and nurses, abandoning newborn children here and there—some in the houses, others in the streets—rushed unrestrained to the all-holy temple. So varied was the prayer of those assembled on account of the sacrilegious attempt. “So varied was the prayer of those assembled…”—that is, varied by the kind, age, condition, and station of those assembled: some in one way, others in another, though the object of the prayer was the same for all—the removal of the sacrilegious attempt.

3 Maccabees 1:19–21. At the same time some of the citizens took courage not to allow him to succeed in forcing his way in and carrying out his intention. They cried out that they must take up arms and die bravely for the law of their fathers, and they created a great commotion in the temple; being restrained with difficulty by the elders and the priests, they remained in the same posture of prayer. The people, as before, continued to pray. Even the elders who were with the king made repeated attempts to draw his arrogant mind away from the intention he had formed. “The elders who were with the king…”—that is, his retinue.

3 Maccabees 1:22–23. But filled with boldness and contemptuous of everything, he was already taking a step forward to accomplish fully what he had previously declared. When those who were with him also saw this, they began to call together with our people upon the Almighty to help in the present need and not to allow such a lawless and arrogant act. “That He would help in the present need…” τοις παρούσιν έπαμύναι …, Slavonic: “that He would help those present…” Since in classical authors τά παρόντα is usually understood with implied τά πράγματα, the Russian translation is more appropriate here; for greater accuracy it would be even better to say: “that He would help in the present circumstances…”

3 Maccabees 1:24–25. From the combined, strained, and heavy outcry of the people there arose an indescribable clamor. It seemed that not only the people, but even the very walls and all the foundations were crying out, as if already dying at the desecration of the holy place. Our Telegram channel

Chapter Two

Professor Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin Explanatory Bible Commentary on the Third Book of Maccabees ◄ Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 ► Chapter II The Prayer of the High Priest Simon (1–16). The striking of the king, his return to Egypt and the persecution of the Jews there (16–24).

1. But Simon the high priest, kneeling before the sanctuary and reverently spreading out his hands, offered a prayer:

1. The Simon mentioned here, by his time, must be Simon II, son of Onias II, identical with the one mentioned in Sirach (L: 1).—Righteous, he was held in the highest esteem by the people for his exemplary life (219–199 B.C.).

2. “Lord, Lord, King of heaven and Master of all creation, Holy of holies, Sole Sovereign, Almighty! Look upon us, who are oppressed by a godless and wicked man, arrogant in his boldness and power.

2. “Holy of holies”—a descriptive expression for the highest holiness, surpassing all holiness—angelic and any possible human.

3. For You, who created all things and govern all things, are a righteous Master: You judge those who act with arrogance and presumption.

4. You once destroyed those who were doing lawlessness, among whom were giants who trusted in their strength and boldness, and You brought upon them an immeasurable flood of water.

4. “Giants…” (Gen. VI: 4)—they are often cited as examples of brute force and arrogance.

5. You burned with fire and sulfur the Sodomites who were acting arrogantly, committing evil openly, and set them as an example for those who came after.

5. “Set them as an example (παραδειγμα) for those who came after…”—that is, not only in historical tradition, but also in the monuments or traces of their punishment; in this case, an allusion to the well-known properties and peculiarities of the Dead Sea.

6. You visited the arrogant pharaoh who had enslaved Your holy people Israel with various and many plagues, manifested Your authority, and displayed Your great power.

7. And when he pursued them, You drowned him with his chariots and his great host in the depths of the sea, while those who put their trust in You, the Master of all creation, You led through unharmed, and they, seeing the works of Your hand, praised You, the Almighty.

8. You, O King, who created the boundless and immeasurable earth, chose this city, and sanctified this place for Your glory, who have need of nothing, and glorified it with Your majestic appearing, making it a place of renown for Your great and honored name.

8. “The boundless and immeasurable earth…”—a hyperbolic expression for the vastness of the earth, set in contrast to the tiny space occupied by Jerusalem, the place of Jehovah’s choosing.

9. Out of love for the house of Israel You promised that, if misfortune should befall us and oppression should overtake us, and we, coming to this place, should pray, You would hear our prayer.

9. The thought of this verse is borrowed from 1 Kings VIII: 33 and following, where it is expressed not as a divine promise but as Solomon’s prayer to God. Calling this thought a divine promise is justified by virtue of God’s promise to do everything in accordance with the king’s prayer (1 Kings IX: 3).

10. And You are faithful and true, and many times, when our fathers faced hardships, You helped them in their distress and delivered them from great dangers.

11. And now, O Holy King, for our many and great sins we are suffering, delivered into the hands of our enemies, and we are exhausted by our afflictions.

12. In our present downfall this bold and wicked man presumes to violate this holy place, consecrated on earth to Your glorious name.

13. For although Your dwelling, the heaven of heavens, is beyond the reach of men, yet You, having been pleased to manifest Your glory to Your people Israel, have sanctified this place.

13. “Heaven of heavens…” ουρανός του ουρανού …, Slavonic: “heaven of heaven…”—a Hebraism ???—used to denote, first, the uppermost bounds of the space above the earth,

14. Do not punish us for their uncleanness, and do not chastise us for their desecration, lest the lawless boast in their thoughts and exult in the pronouncement of their tongue, saying: we have trampled the house of holiness, as houses of abomination are trampled.

14. “Do not punish us for their uncleanness…” Greek: μή καταδικάσης ήμας έν τή τούτων ακαθαρσία …, more accurately in the Slavonic: “do not avenge upon us the uncleanness of these”—that is, “do not punish us (for our sins) by allowing the pagan uncleanness to defile Your holy place!” Similarly, what follows: “do not chastise us for their desecration…” μηδέ ευθύνη ήμας έν βεβηλώσει …, more accurately in the Slavonic: “neither chastise us with the desecration of these…”—that is, “do not punish us by allowing pagan desecration!” Thus, the Jews here fear not punishment for the pagan uncleanness and desecration, as if already accomplished, but rather this very uncleanness and desecration as a punishment from God, ready to overtake them for their sins. The Russian translation renders the thought quite incorrectly.—“House of holiness…” οίκος άγιασμού—instead of οίκος αγιος.

15. Forgive our sins, pardon our iniquities, and show Your mercy in this hour; let Your compassions quickly come before us; grant praise to the lips of those who have fallen in spirit and are broken in heart; grant us peace.”

16. Then the all-seeing God and Holy above all in holy things, having heard the prayer of humility, struck down the one who was puffed up with violence and boldness, shaking him here and there like a reed in the wind, so that he lay motionless on the floor, his limbs paralyzed, unable even to speak, being overtaken by a righteous judgment.

16. “Holy above all in holy things…” πρό πάντων άγιος έν αγίοις .., Slavonic: “Holy before all in holy things…”—an intensified expression to denote the all-surpassing holiness of God.

17. Then his friends and bodyguards, seeing the sudden and severe punishment that had overtaken him, and fearing that he might lose his life, hastily carried him out, themselves struck with extraordinary terror.

18. After some time, when he recovered from the punishment he had experienced, he showed not the slightest repentance and departed with harsh threats.

19. Returning to Egypt and multiplying the deeds of his wickedness, he, along with the aforementioned companions in feasting and friends who had forgotten all justice, not only gorged himself on countless debaucheries, but reached such a degree of boldness that he uttered curses against the Jews in those places, and many of his friends, following the king’s example, themselves followed his desires.

19. “He uttered curses against the Jews in those places…” δυσφημίας έν τοις τόποις συνίστασθεν, Slavonic: “he composed blasphemies in those places…”—that is, he uttered blasphemies against their places—specifically, against Jerusalem and the Jews.

20. At last he resolved publicly to disgrace the Jewish people, and set up on the tower of his palace a pillar with an inscription on it: “Let no one who does not offer sacrifice enter their sacred places; all Jews are to be registered among the common people and enrolled in the status of slaves; and those who resist are to be taken by force and deprived of life;

20. “Let no one who does not offer sacrifice enter their sacred places…”—an obscure rendering of the Greek: μηδένα τών μή θυόντων εις τα ιερά αυτών εισιέναι …, Slavonic: “let none of those who do not sacrifice enter their sacred places…” While the inscription is quite general in character, some commentators argue clearly that it concerned the Jews specifically, since they alone in Egypt did not offer sacrifices in their synagogues; consequently, the king’s order was tantamount to a command to close all Jewish synagogues in the country and a prohibition of their public worship. On another interpretation, the king set up his own statue, and the inscription beneath it had the meaning that “whoever does not offer sacrifice to him cannot enter the temple of God”—that is, either their places of prayer generally, or the royal palace, which signified the deprivation of all royal help, protection, and justice. Polybius (in Strabo XVII, 797) distinguishes three classes in the population of Alexandria: 1) Macedonians, as founders of the city, enjoying preferential rights. In close proximity to them, in almost equal rights, were the Jews, both captives and voluntary settlers, from the time of Alexander the Great and Ptolemy I; 2) the “numerous and independent” mercenary army; 3) native Egyptians. The Jews apparently occupied a middle position between the first (Alexandrian citizens) and the last (the Egyptian people generally). Now by the king’s decree they were decisively reclassified among the latter.

21. and those registered are to be marked by burning into their body the sign of Dionysus—an ivy leaf—after which they are to be released into the assigned status with restricted rights.”

21. Dionysus was considered the patron deity of the Ptolemaic dynasty, and Philopator was especially devoted to his cult.

22. But so as not to make himself hateful to all, he added in the inscription that if any of them wished to live according to pagan rites, they would be granted equal rights with Alexandrian citizens.

23. Therefore some, for the sake of citizenship rights and despising their ancestral religion, hastily went over, as if expecting to gain great glory through their future association with the king.

24. But the greater part strengthened themselves in the courage of their spirit and did not fall away from their religion; they paid money for their lives, and fearlessly attempted to escape registration, having a good hope of receiving help, and they turned away from the apostates, counting them as enemies of their people and avoiding all contact and friendly dealings with them.

Chapter Three

The royal order to gather and bring all Jews to their execution (3 Macc 3:1-22).

3 Maccabees 3:1. Learning of this, the wicked man flew into such a rage that he became furious not only with the Jews living in Alexandria, but displayed cruel hostility toward those dwelling throughout the whole country as well, ordering them all to be gathered together at once and put to a most shameful death. 3 Maccabees 3:2. While this was being prepared, a malicious rumor was spread by people of like wickedness against the Jewish people, on the pretext of this order, that they were shirking the fulfillment of their lawful obligations. The point of the verse is this: the king’s malicious design was greatly inflamed by the enemies of the Jews, who also provided the pretext for carrying out this design—by spreading all manner of rumors about the Jews’ shirking of their lawful obligations.

3 Maccabees 3:3. Meanwhile, the Jews maintained good will and unwavering loyalty toward the kings; but they worshiped God, lived by His law, and therefore in certain cases permitted themselves departures and exceptions: it was for this reason that they appeared hostile to some; yet in the eyes of all other people they won favor by their conscientious fulfillment of all that was just. “Departures and exceptions…”—what is meant here is, in all probability, the Jewish dietary laws and other ritual distinctions by which they differed from the pagans (see further, v. 4).

3 Maccabees 3:4. Despite this, the aliens held the well-known good way of life of this people for nothing. They noticed only the difference in worship and diet and said that these people did not permit table fellowship with either the king or the magnates, that they were ill-disposed and great enemies of the state, and so they spread deliberate slanders against them. “Aliens”—αλλόφυλοι—these are those who must be understood under “some”—ένιοι—of verse 3. They are contrasted with “all other people”—άπαντες άνθρωποι (v. 3) and the “Greeks living in the city” (v. 5), with “Greeks” here meaning not all non-Jews, as in Rom 2:9 and following, but probably specifically Greeks as the more educated and noble part of the urban population.

3 Maccabees 3:5. The Greeks living in the city, who had experienced no wrong at their hands, seeing the unexpected commotion against these people and their sudden gathering, though they could not help them—for the command was the king’s—nevertheless comforted them, expressed indignation, and hoped that things would change: “Their sudden gathering…” The Greek text has no “their” here—συνδρομας απροσκόπους—and therefore one may understand here not the gathering of the Jews (“their”), but the gathering of the pagans that gave rise to the disturbances, so to speak—popular assemblies with speeches stirring up animosity against the Jews.

3 Maccabees 3:6–8. for it was impossible to disregard such a multitude of people who had done no wrong. Moreover, certain neighbors and friends and those who traded with them secretly received some of them, promising to help them and do everything possible for their protection. And he, puffed up by his momentary prosperity and not reflecting on the power of the greatest God, thought that he would persist unchanged in his design, and wrote against them a letter of this kind: 3 Maccabees 3:9–12. “King Ptolemy Philopator to the inhabitants of Egypt and to the local commanders and soldiers—greetings and good health. I myself am well, and our affairs are prospering. After the campaign we undertook in Asia, which, as you yourselves know, came to a happy conclusion through the unexpected aid of the gods and our own strength in accordance with our intention, we decided to settle the peoples inhabiting Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, not by force of arms, but by clemency and great benevolence, gladly benefiting them. Giving generous donations to the temples in the cities, we came also to Jerusalem, intending to honor the sanctuary of these worthless men who never leave off their folly. They, however, received our arrival with words of welcome, but in deed treacherously, and when we wished to enter the temple and honor it with appropriate and finest gifts, they, puffed up by their ancient pride, prevented our entry, not suffering any violence from us, because of the benevolence we have toward all men. 3 Maccabees 3:13–15. Clearly displaying their hostility toward us, they alone of all peoples stubbornly resist kings and their benefactors and refuse to do anything that is just. We, however, bearing with their folly, and both when we returned victorious and in Egypt itself, treating all peoples with benevolence, acted as was fitting. Among other things, announcing to all our forbearance toward their compatriots, we resolved to introduce changes: since they had served us in war and attended to very many affairs long since entrusted to them in good faith, we even wished to grant them the rights of Alexandrian citizenship and to make them participants in the ancestral priesthood. By “ancestral priesthood”—the king evidently refers here to the cult of Dionysus, setting it in contrast to the Jewish religion which he was suppressing.

3 Maccabees 3:16–17. But they, receiving this contrary to their own advantage, and by their inherent wickedness rejecting the good and inclining always toward evil, not only despised the invaluable right of citizenship, but also openly and covertly hold in contempt those few of their number who are sincerely well-disposed toward us, ever expecting that through their disorderly way of life we will soon revoke our ordinances. We therefore, being sufficiently convinced by experience that they at every opportunity harbor hostile designs against us, and foreseeing that at some point, in the event of an unexpected revolt against us arising, we would have among these wicked men traitors and cruel enemies behind our backs, By the revolt that might someday arise against him, the king means either war with Syria, or an uprising of his Egyptian subjects, or a soldiers’ mutiny, or palace intrigues; in all of these the open or covert involvement of the Jews could manifest itself (a remarkably characteristic trait of the Jewish nation, well known to everyone to the present day).

3 Maccabees 3:18–21. we command that, as soon as this letter is received, those people mentioned by us, together with their wives and children, be seized with violence and torments, put in iron chains, and sent from all directions to us for merciless and disgraceful execution, befitting such malefactors. For if they are all punished at once, we hope that for the future our affairs of state will be brought into complete order and the best arrangement. And if anyone conceals a Jew, from old man to child, not excluding nursing infants, that person is to be destroyed with all his household in the most cruel manner. And whoever reports someone shall receive the offender’s property and in addition two thousand drachmas from the royal treasury, shall receive freedom, and shall be honored. “Shall receive freedom and shall be honored…” και της ελευθερίας στεφανωθήσεται …, Slavonic: “shall receive freedom and shall be crowned.” Many texts add τεύξεται to the Greek τής ελευθερίας. Here, evidently, the text speaks of informers and agents from among slaves and the lower classes of the population. All such are promised freedom and crowning—that is, with the civic crown, with civic rights.—Other commentators read τής ελευθερίας without any implied word, as a genitive of time, and translate the whole expression as: “shall be crowned at the festival of Dionysus,” which bore the name τά ελευθέρια (from the epithet of Dionysus—Ελευθερευς or Ελευθήρ).

3 Maccabees 3:22. Every place where a Jew in hiding is caught is to be laid waste and burned, so that it will be of no use to any mortal for anything forever.” Such was the content of the letter.

Chapter Four

The sending of the Jews to Alexandria, their imprisonment and registration (3 Macc 4:1-16).

3 Maccabees 4:1–3. Everywhere the order arrived, the pagans held public feasts with joyful shouts, as if the enmity long lodged in their souls had now boldly come to light. Among the Jews, on the other hand, there began inconsolable grief, bitter weeping, and lamentation; for the groans of those mourning the unexpected destruction suddenly decreed against them burned in their hearts from every side. What province or city, or what inhabited place, or what roads were not filled with their weeping and cries? “What province…” τις νομός. Νομός—a common noun for the designating of the districts or counties into which Egypt was divided.

3 Maccabees 4:4. They were sent out harshly and without any mercy by the authorities of each city all together, so that at the sight of this extraordinary punishment even some of their enemies, observing the common suffering and reflecting on the unknown vicissitudes of life, wept over their most wretched exile. 3 Maccabees 4:5. Crowds of the elderly, covered with gray hair, bent over by the weakness of old age in their legs, were driven, and by the demand of the violent expulsion were shamelessly forced to quicken their pace. 3 Macc 4:5-8. Having mentioned in general terms the calamity that had befallen the Jews, the writer goes on to describe individual cases of how the dispatch of the Jews to their execution in Alexandria was carried out.

3 Maccabees 4:6. Young women who had just been joined in the union of marriage and entered the bridal chamber, instead of rejoicing began to weep, sprinkled ashes over their hair fragrant with ointments, were led with uncovered heads, and instead of bridal songs raised a common wail, being tormented by the abuse of aliens. In chains they were openly dragged away with violence, until they were thrown onto a ship. “They sprinkled ashes over their hair…”—as a sign of the deepest grief and mourning.—“Until they were thrown onto a ship…” The Jews of each district were evidently led as far as the nearest wharf on the Nile River, where they were loaded onto special transport vessels sailing downstream from the upper reaches to the mouths of the Nile.

3 Maccabees 4:7. And their husbands, bound around their necks with ropes instead of garlands, in the bloom of their youth, instead of a feast and the enjoyment of youth, spent the remaining days of the wedding in lamentation, for beneath their feet they saw the open pit of the underworld. The mention of the husbands’ garlands—cf. Isa 61:10. These were either actual crowns, or special head ornaments resembling them.—“The remaining days of the wedding…” The wedding celebration ordinarily lasted seven days (Judg. XIV: 12, 15; Tob. XI: 18).—“Beneath their feet (i.e., in immediate proximity, spatial or temporal) they saw the open pit of the underworld…”—that is, inevitable destruction—corresponds to our expressions: death at one’s shoulder, or—on the threshold of death.

3 Maccabees 4:8. They were conveyed like animals under the yoke of iron chains; some were fastened by their necks to the ship’s benches, others were bound hand and foot with tight bonds. In addition, covered over with a dense floor-planking, they were cut off from the light, so that surrounded by darkness on all sides, they were kept throughout the entire voyage like malefactors. 3 Maccabees 4:9. When they were brought to the place called Schedia, and the voyage was completed as the king had commanded, he ordered them to be placed before the city on the hippodrome, which had a vast circumference and was very convenient for making a public spectacle of them in the sight of all who were entering the city and those going back into the interior of the country, so that they might have no communication with his troops and should generally not be accorded any shelter. “The place called Schedia…” is mentioned also by Strabo (XVII, p. 800)—120 stadia from Alexandria, probably a river harbor or anchorage for vessels arriving in the city by way of the Nile.—The hippodrome of Alexandria was situated, according to Strabo (XVII, p. 795), before the eastern gates of the city.—“So that they might have no communication with his troops…” Here one can see the king’s fear that wealthy Jewish prisoners might induce the army to release them through promises of a good ransom.

3 Maccabees 4:10. When this was done and the king heard that their compatriots were frequently going out secretly from the city to mourn the shameful distress of their fellow Jews, he grew very angry and ordered that these too be treated in exactly the same way as the others, so that they might receive no less a punishment. From this verse it appears that the local Alexandrian Jews were still, as it were, at liberty, and had been deprived of it only the provincial Jews, whose Alexandrian kinsmen had begun to visit them. This, however, is poorly consistent with III: 1, where it is said that the king first fell upon the Alexandrian Jews specifically, and only then upon the rest, “who dwelt throughout the whole country.”

3 Maccabees 4:11–14. He ordered the whole people to be registered by name, not for the heavy labor of slavery announced a short time before, but in order that, having worn them out with the declared punishments, he might finally destroy them all in a single day. And although this registration was carried out with the utmost haste and zealous diligence from sunrise to sunset, it could not be fully completed in the course of forty days. The king, excessively and constantly given over to pleasures, held feasts before all the idols, and with a mind that had gone far astray from the truth and with unclean lips praised those that are deaf and cannot speak or give help, while against the greatest God he uttered what was unseemly. After the stated interval, the scribes reported to the king that they were unable to complete the registration of the Jews because of their countless multitude; moreover, a still greater number of them were in the provinces; some remained in their homes, others were scattered in various places, so that this was impossible even for all the authorities in Egypt. These verses convey their meaning either obscurely, or the meaning itself is difficult to accept and explain. At the very least, the question remains entirely open and unresolved: does the writer speak of a registration of all Jews, or only of the Alexandrian Jews, or only of those on the hippodrome? In each of these cases strong contradictions and difficulties arise that are hard to sort out given the obscurity of the writer’s speech.—Philo counts all the Jews in Egypt at up to 1,000,000 (Against Flaccus, § 6). This causes one to doubt strongly many of the writer’s statements in our book. If indeed all the Jews from all the provinces of Egypt were gathered in Alexandria, it is incomprehensible how they could have been confined to the hippodrome in the number of a full million. How could they have been trampled underfoot by the feet of 500 elephants? How could they have been fed and subsequently abundantly supplied by the king with everything each one needed until his arrival home (VII: 16)? How could they have celebrated, being supplied with everything by the king, for fourteen days (VI: 36)? All these difficulties suggest a whole series of exaggerations on the part of the writer, inconsistent with the truth and admitted by him for the greater glorification of the Jewish name.

3 Maccabees 4:15–16. When the king threatened them more sternly, supposing that they had been bribed with gifts and were deceitfully avoiding the punishment, it was then that he was made to see this concretely. They demonstrated that they had run out of papyrus sheets and the necessary writing reeds. This was the working of the unconquerable heavenly Providence that was helping the Jews.

Chapter Five

The king’s triple, unfulfilled order to trample the Jews with elephants. (3 Macc 5:1-36).

3 Maccabees 5:1. Then the king, filled with fierce anger and unrelenting in his hatred, summoned Hermon, who was in charge of the elephants, and ordered that the next day all the elephants—five hundred in number—be given frankincense to eat in the largest possible doses and be given their fill of undiluted wine to drink, and that when they had been maddened by the abundance of drink given to them, they should be led out against the Jews who were condemned to meet their death. The strongly stimulating effect of frankincense in large doses is known from other sources as well (Dioscorid. I, 70). According to verse 30, the elephants were brought “into a state of frenzy by the fragrant drink of wine laced with frankincense.”—The number of elephants (500) seems greatly exaggerated. Ptolemy II Philadelphus had only 300 of them toward the end of his reign.—At the battle of Raphia, Ptolemy Philopator had only 73 elephants in all.—“Led out against the Jews who were condemned to meet their death…” Greek: εισαγαγείν προς συνάντησιν τού μόρου τών Ιουδαίων …, Slavonic: “to lead out to meet the death of the Jews…” The author personifies the death of the Jews and depicts the elephants as if they were its instruments, going forth to meet it in order to become the executors of its dreadful work.

3 Maccabees 5:2–3. Having given this order, he went to a banquet, inviting especially those among his friends and soldiers who were hostile toward the Jews; and Hermon, the commander of the elephants, carried out his order to the letter. The servants appointed for this purpose went in the evening to bind the hands of the wretched people, and others took precautions against them, thinking that by dawn the entire nation would meet utter destruction. “Went… to bind the hands of the wretched people…” By the king’s order, this was supposed to have been done earlier (III: 18), and indeed it is already mentioned as having been done (IV: 8). Its mention here once more only creates puzzlement.

3 Maccabees 5:4. The Jews, who seemed to the pagans to be stripped of all protection, for they were hemmed in on all sides by heavy chains, called upon the almighty Lord, who rules over every authority, their merciful God and Father—all of them calling out unceasingly with tears, imploring him to turn away the wicked plot against them and to save them from the death prepared for them by his glorious appearing. God is called Father of Israel here as its Creator, loving Nurturer, Guide, and Caretaker; cf. Deut 32:18; Isa 64:8; Tob 13:4 and in many other places—especially in the later books.

3 Maccabees 5:5–6. Their earnest prayer ascended to heaven. Hermon, having made the unruly elephants drunk with an abundant supply of wine and frankincense, appeared at the palace in the morning to report this to the king. But God sent upon the king a deep sleep—that good gift which he has sent down from of old, both by night and by day, to all whom he wills. “A deep sleep…” Greek: ύπνου μέρος …, Slavonic: “a portion of sleep…” Perhaps the author wished to express the thought this way: God sent upon the king a fit of sleep, that is, a sleep of abnormally great heaviness and pleasantness.

3 Maccabees 5:7–8. Plunged into a pleasant and deep sleep by God’s arrangement, he forgot his lawless undertaking and was utterly deceived in his firm resolve. The Jews, having been delivered from the appointed hour, praised their holy God and again implored the Reconciler to display to the arrogant pagans the power of his almighty right hand. “Having been delivered from the appointed hour…”—that is, from the misfortune that awaited them at the appointed hour.—“Implored the Reconciler…”—him who could allow this misfortune in his wrath toward the people, but who, heeding this people’s prayers, could just as quickly be reconciled with them and save them (cf. 2 Macc 7:33).

3 Maccabees 5:9. When half of the tenth hour had already passed, the servant who was entrusted with the invitations, seeing that the invited guests had already assembled, went in to the king to wake him. Having roused him with difficulty, he announced that the time of the banquet was passing and gave an account of his commission. The king, trusting him and setting out to drink, ordered those who had come to the feast to recline directly opposite him. “Half of the tenth hour…”—that is, our four o’clock in the afternoon. The royal table therefore began at three o’clock in the afternoon—the customary time for banquets. The planned execution of the Jews was supposed to serve as a kind of “dessert” or conclusion to the royal feast. But the king’s tardiness and the unrestrained prolongation of the banquet would have considerably curtailed the pleasure of the concluding spectacle—and it was therefore postponed.

3 Maccabees 5:10–12. When this had been done, he encouraged those gathered for the banquet to spend the remaining part of the feast in full merriment. During the extended conversation, the king summoned Hermon and sternly and menacingly asked for what reason the Jews had been allowed to survive that day. Hermon announced that he had carried out his commission during the night, and the king’s friends confirmed this. Then the king, cruel in his ferocity even beyond Phalaris, said that they should be grateful for that day’s sleep: An undesirable shade of meaning is given here by the expression “during the night…” This “during,” in the opinion of some commentators, should not appear here at all, because it is nothing other than ότι (read as έτι). Hermon simply reports that (ότι) he “had in the night brought the commanded thing to completion” (Slavonic text), that is, everything he had to do during the night (prepare the elephants, bind the Jews as a precaution, etc.) had been done, and the rest, so to speak, was no longer his concern.—Phalaris was the notorious cruel tyrant of Acragas (Agrigentum), who lived in the sixth century (565–549 BC). From his very name, cruelty itself was called by ancient writers φαλαρισμός (Cic. ad Att. 7, 12).

3 Maccabees 5:13–15. “But you must tomorrow likewise prepare the elephants to destroy the lawless Jews.” When the king had said this, all those present expressed their approval to him with pleasure and joy, and departed each to his own house. The hours of the night were spent not so much in sleep as in devising all manner of mockeries for the supposed criminals. Early in the morning, as soon as the rooster crowed, Hermon led out the beasts and began to enrage them in the spacious courtyard. In the city, crowds of people had gathered for the sorry spectacle, eagerly waiting for dawn. 3 Maccabees 5:16–18. The Jews unceasingly, agonized in spirit, offered up prayer with many tears and mournful songs, and stretching out their hands to heaven, they implored the mightiest God to send them swift help again. The rays of the sun had not yet spread forth, and the king was still receiving his friends, when Hermon appeared before him and invited him to come out, reporting that everything the king desired was ready. Hearing this and astonished by the unusual invitation to come out, he completely forgot everything and asked what this matter was that had been carried out with such haste. This was the work of the God who rules over all, who had brought upon the king’s mind forgetfulness of everything he himself had previously devised. 3 Maccabees 5:19–21. Hermon and all his friends explained, saying: O king! the beasts and the troops have been prepared according to your urgent command. He was filled with fierce anger at these words—for by God’s providence his entire scheme had been destroyed—and, flashing his eyes, he spoke with a threat: if you had parents or children, they would have served as abundant food for the wild beasts in place of the innocent Jews, who have kept unbreakable and perfect loyalty to me and to my ancestors. Were it not for my attachment to you from our upbringing and your services, you would have been deprived of life in their place. 3 Maccabees 5:22–24. Thus Hermon met an unexpected and terrible threat and changed in gaze and countenance, and each of the friends withdrew in displeasure, and all those who had assembled were dismissed each to his own business. When the Jews heard of such favor on the part of the king, they praised God and the King of kings for the help received from him. After these decisions the king once again arranged a banquet and invited them to give themselves over to merriment. Summoning Hermon, he said menacingly: how many times must I command you, you worthless man, about one and the same thing? Arm the elephants again in the morning to destroy the Jews. “After these decisions…” Greek: κατά δέ τούτους τούς νόμους …, Slavonic: “by these customs…”—that is, in the same way as before—the king once again arranges a feast.

3 Maccabees 5:25. Then his relatives who were reclining with him, astonished at his inconstancy of mind, said: O king! how long will you put us to the test as if we were fools, ordering for the third time that they be destroyed, and then when it comes to the point, you revoke and annul your own orders? “Relatives…” συγγενείς—a designation for those of the highest rank closest to the king (even if they were not actually related to him by blood), according to the customs of the Egyptian court.

3 Maccabees 5:26–28. Because of this the city is in turmoil from the expectation, is filled with crowds of people, and often faces the danger of plunder. After this the king, completely filled with madness like Phalaris and counting for nothing the changes of heart toward the Jews that had occurred within him, confirmed with a most wicked oath and resolved immediately to send them to ruin, maimed by the feet and hooves of the beasts, then to march against Judea, soon to devastate it with fire and sword, and to burn with fire their temple—which, he said, is inaccessible to us—and to make it forever desolate for all who wish to offer sacrifices there. “To send them to ruin…”—that is, to put them to death.—“Their temple, which, he said, is inaccessible to us…” Here the words “he said” should have been placed in parentheses, since they do not exist in the original and have been inserted, so to speak, to legitimize the unexpectedly appearing “us.”

3 Maccabees 5:29. Then the friends and relatives, greatly delighted, departed confidently and positioned troops in the most convenient places in the city as a guard. “In the most convenient places…”—probably on squares and streets near the hippodrome.—“As a guard…”—that is, to prevent any attempt to rescue the Jews on the part of their friends among the pagans (III: 5 ff.).

3 Maccabees 5:30. And the commander of the elephants, having brought the beasts into a state of, one might say, frenzy with the fragrant drink of wine laced with frankincense, armed them with terrible implements, and early in the morning, when countless crowds were already streaming from the city to the horse-racing track, he came to the palace and reminded the king of what was to be done, “Armed them with terrible implements”—that is, probably with some kind of sharp cutting attachments which, when fastened to the elephants, would cut and stab everything in their path as they moved.

3 Maccabees 5:31. The king, full of fierce anger and with a wicked intent, marched out with all his forces along with the beasts, wishing in the cruelty of his heart to witness with his own eyes the pitiful and wretched destruction of the aforementioned people. “With all his forces…” Greek: παντί τώ βάρει …, Slavonic: “with all his might…”—more precisely, “with all his weight,” the impression that elephants moving through the city’s streets produced.

3 Maccabees 5:32–34. When the Jews saw the dust raised by the elephants coming out through the gates and the armed troops accompanying them, and also from the multitude of people, and heard the loud shouts that rang out, they thought the last moment of their lives had arrived and the end of their most wretched waiting was at hand. Raising lamentation and cries, they kissed one another and embraced their relatives, throwing themselves on their necks—fathers onto their sons, and mothers onto their daughters, while others held newborn infants at their breasts, still nursing at the last milk. 3 Maccabees 5:35–36. Knowing, however, the interventions from heaven that had been made for them before, they fell down together with one accord, taking the infants from their breasts, and cried out loudly to the One who rules over every authority, imploring him to have mercy on them and to show help to them who now stood at the very gates of the underworld. The underworld, as the dwelling place of the souls of the dead, is known not only to the Jews and to early Christian times, but also among the Greeks and Romans. This underworld is depicted as having gates through which, however, it does not give passage to those it contains, but only uses them for the entry of new souls.

Chapter Six

The prayer of Eleazar the priest (3 Macc 6:1-14). The deliverance of the Jews (3 Macc 6:15-37).

3 Maccabees 6:1. Meanwhile a certain Eleazar, a man held in honor, from among the priests of the land, already having reached old age and adorned throughout his life with every virtue, called upon the elders who stood around him to invoke the holy God, and prayed thus: “From among the priests of the land…” Among the Jews of the diaspora there were many from the priestly class who, even in a foreign land, continued to be called by their title—in Greek, ιερείς—and if they were also from leading families, then αρχιερείς as well. The elders (πρεσβύτεροι) mentioned alongside them administered the affairs of the synagogue together with the head of the synagogue. These were like the gerontes and archons of the Alexandrian Jewish community.

3 Maccabees 6:2. “King most mighty, most high, God Almighty, who governs all creation with mercy! Look down, O Father, upon the seed of Abraham, upon the children of the sanctified Jacob, upon the people of your holy inheritance, who are wandering in a foreign land and being unjustly destroyed. On the various names of God—see 2 Macc 1:24 ff.—“Who governs all creation with mercy…” τήv πασαν διακυβερναν οικτιρμοίς κτίσιν …, Slavonic: “who orders all creation in tender mercies…” If God governs all creation with mercy, then given his special relationship to Israel, this gave particular grounds in such extraordinary circumstances to hope that he would not refuse his mercy.—“The people of your holy inheritance…”—the people who constitute your sacred possession, consecrated by you as your own. On the name “Father”—see note to V: 4.

3 Maccabees 6:3. You destroyed Pharaoh, the former ruler of Egypt, who had a multitude of chariots, who had exalted himself in lawless insolence and arrogant words, along with his proud army, drowning them in the sea, while you showed the light of mercy to the race of Israel. Cf. Exod 14:26-28.

3 Maccabees 6:4. You brought down the cruel king of Assyria, Sennacherib, who boasted of his countless armies, who had conquered all the land by the sword and risen against your holy city, and who in his pride and insolence uttered blasphemies—you brought him down, manifestly showing your power to many nations. Cf. 1 Macc 7:41; 2 Macc 8:19.—“Your holy city” — 1 Macc 2:7; 2 Macc 1:12. Before “brought down,” the Russian translation has omitted “O Lord” (δέσποτα, Slavonic: “O Master”).

3 Maccabees 6:5. You kept the three young men in Babylon unharmed—not a hair of them—who had willingly given their lives to the fire rather than serve vain idols, cooling the blazing furnace with dew, and you turned the flame upon all their enemies. Cf. Dan 1:6 ff.; vv. 23 and 24.—“Vain idols…” κενοίς …, Slavonic: “vile.” The neuter of the Greek κενός in the sense of—vain, futile, empty, nonexistent—hence “idols.” A similar meaning in verse 9 is carried by μεταίοις (cf. Amos 2:4: τά μάταια αυτών), literally their deception, lie; Slavonic: guile, deceit.—“Cooling the blazing furnace…”—cf. Dan 3:50.—“Kept unharmed—not a hair of them…”—cf. Dan 3:94.—“Turned the flame upon all their enemies…”—cf. Dan 3:22.

3 Maccabees 6:6. You brought Daniel up to the light unharmed—he who had been cast into a pit on account of slanderous envy to be torn apart by lions; and you, O Father, also showed Jonah unharmed to all his kin when he was hopelessly wasting away in the belly of the whale that dwells in the depths of the sea. Cf. Dan 6:2-28. On Jonah—cf. Jonah 2 ch.—“Jonah, when he was hopelessly wasting away in the belly of the whale that dwells in the depths of the sea…” Greek: τόν τε βυθοτρεφούς έν γαστρί κήτους ᾿Ιωναν τηκόμενον άφειδώς …, more precisely Slavonic: “Jonah, wasting away without mercy in the belly of the sea-whale…”—“Showed unharmed to all his kin.” The Book of the Prophet and the Old Testament in general record nothing about this.

3 Maccabees 6:7. And now, O Avenger of wrongs, O greatly merciful One, Protector of all, appear quickly to those who are of the race of Israel, wronged by abominable lawless pagans. “Appear…”—that is, with your saving power for Israel, and with punishing power—for the pagans.

3 Maccabees 6:8. But if our life in this place of exile has been filled with wickedness, then, delivering us from the hand of the enemies, destroy us, O Lord, with whatever death you see fit, “In this place of exile…” κατά τήν αποικίαν—properly, during the time of sojourn in a foreign land, and precisely as a result of this sojourn. The one praying allows that despite all precautions, the Jews could not have avoided many impure influences from the surrounding paganism. In that case, the desire is expressed to suffer from the hand of God any punishment whatsoever—up to and including death—rather than suffer such punishment from the hand of the pagans, who could attribute it to the power of their gods (v. 9).

3 Maccabees 6:9–11. so that the superstitious may not glorify their vain idols over the destruction of your beloved ones, saying: “their God did not deliver them.” But you, O Eternal One, who have all power and every authority, look down now: have mercy on us, who are being deprived of life like criminals through the senseless violence of the lawless. 3 Maccabees 6:12–14. Let the pagans now stand in awe before your invincible might, O Most Glorious One, who have the power to save the race of Jacob. All the multitude of little children and their parents implore you with tears: let it be made manifest to all the pagans that you are with us, O Lord, and have not turned your face away from us; bring it about as you yourself said, O Lord, that even in the land of their enemies you will not despise them.” “As you yourself said…”—cf. Lev 26:44: “and even when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not despise them and will not abhor them so as to destroy them…” Something similar—see Deut 30:2-4.

3 Maccabees 6:15. Just as Eleazar finished his prayer, the king arrived at the racing track with the beasts and with all his fearful army. “With all his fearful army…” Greek: σύν παντί τω τής δυνάμεως φρυάγματι …, Slavonic more precisely: “with… all the pride of his force…”

3 Maccabees 6:16–17. When the Jews saw him, they raised a loud cry to heaven, so that even the nearby valleys resounded with the echo, and stirred up irresistible compassion in all the army. Then the greatly glorious Almighty and true God, displaying his holy face, opened the heavenly gates, from which two glorious and fearful angels descended, visible to all except the Jews. “Displaying his holy face…”—that is, “looking with joy and mercy,” cf. Num 6:25; Ps XXX: 17; LXXIX: 4, 8, 20.

3 Maccabees 6:18. They stood in front of the army and filled the enemies with confusion and fear, and bound them with motionless bonds; likewise the king’s body was seized with trembling, and forgetfulness overtook his inflamed insolence. “Bound them with motionless bonds…”—that is, brought them into such a state that they could not move their feet and take a single step.

3 Maccabees 6:19–22. Then the elephants turned upon the armed troops that accompanied them and trampled them and destroyed them. The king’s wrath turned to pity and tears over what he had previously schemed to carry out. For when he heard the cries of the Jews and saw them all prostrated for destruction, he wept and angrily threatened his friends, saying: you are abusing your authority and have surpassed in cruelty even tyrants and me, your benefactor, and are attempting to deprive me of power and life by secretly plotting what is harmful to the kingdom. “Plotting what is harmful to the kingdom, attempting to deprive me of power and life…” The king places the welfare of the kingdom and its head in an inseparable connection here.

3 Maccabees 6:23–24. Who madly gathered here those who so faithfully guarded the fortifications of our land, removing each from his home? Who subjected those who from ancient times have surpassed all nations in their loyalty to us in everything, and who have often suffered the most severe oppression at the hands of men—who subjected these people to such undeserved disgrace? On the faithfulness of the Jews to their kings, Josephus speaks at particular length, Arch. XII, 1.

3 Maccabees 6:25. Release, release the unjust bonds, send them away in peace to their homes, asking forgiveness for what has been done before; release the sons of the heavenly Almighty, the living God, who from the time of our ancestors until now has given uninterrupted prosperity and glory to our kingdom. “To their homes…” είς τα ίδια …, Slavonic more precisely: “to their own…”

3 Maccabees 6:26. This is what the king said. At that very moment the Jews, released and delivered from death, glorified their holy Savior God. “Released at that very moment…” If one considers the multitude of those in chains, how many executors of the royal command to release the chained “at that very moment” one must suppose! From this too it is clear that the number of Jews condemned to death must be greatly exaggerated.

3 Maccabees 6:27–28. After that the king, returning to the city and summoning the overseer of the expenditures, ordered that for seven days wine and everything else needed for feasting be given to the Jews, having decreed that they should celebrate their salvation with full merriment on the very same place where they had awaited their destruction. Then those who had previously been in disgrace and had stood near the underworld—or rather had been descending into it—instead of a bitter and mournful death arranged a feast of salvation and, filled with joy, divided among themselves for reclining the place that had been prepared for their destruction and burial. “Had been descending into the underworld…” βεβηκότες …, Slavonic more correctly: “having descended…”—that is, as if they had already descended into the underworld.—“A feast of salvation…”—that is, a feast celebrating their deliverance.

3 Maccabees 6:29–30. Abandoning their most pitiful song of lamentation, they took up the song of their fathers, praising the Savior of Israel and God the Worker of wonders, and casting aside all mourning and weeping, they formed choirs as a sign of peaceful rejoicing. Likewise the king, having arranged on this occasion a grand feast with many guests, expressed his gratitude to heaven for the glorious and triumphantly bestowed deliverance. “Expressed his gratitude to heaven…” είς ουρανόν ανθωμολογείτο …, Slavonic: “he gave thanks toward heaven…”—that is, looking toward heaven, he acknowledged the beneficence of God, glorifying God for the deliverance (cf. Luke 2:38).—“For the deliverance…” The king’s deliverance consisted in the fact that he, in the commotion that occurred with the elephants, had not perished like many of the troops accompanying him, and also in the fact that his unjust deed was stopped in time and did not bring upon him the full righteous wrath of the Most High God.

3 Maccabees 6:31–33. Those who had consigned them to destruction and to be food for birds of prey, and who had joyfully made a register of them, now, seized with shame, groaned aloud, and their boldness that had breathed fire was extinguished in disgrace. The Jews, as we have said, having formed the aforementioned choir, celebrated the feast with joyful hymns and psalms. They even passed a public resolution that throughout all their communities, generation after generation, they should joyfully observe these appointed days—not for drinking and overindulgence, but in memory of the deliverance that God had granted them. “Throughout all their communities, generation after generation…” επί πάσαν τήν παροικίαν αύτων εις γενεάς …, Slavonic more precisely: “throughout all their sojourning, for generations…”—that is, for the entire time of their dwelling in a foreign land.

3 Maccabees 6:34–35. Then they came before the king and asked to be sent home. Their registration had been carried out from the twenty-fifth day of the month Pachon to the fourth day of the month Epiphi, a period of forty days; their destruction had been set from the fifth day of the month Epiphi to the seventh, a period of three days, during which the Master of all manifestly showed his mercy and saved them unharmed and completely. Pachon was the ninth and Epiphi the eleventh month of the Egyptian-Alexandrian year. The beginning of the first fell on the 26th of April, and of the second on the 25th of June in the Julian calendar. The number of days in an Egyptian month is 30; from the 25th of Pachon to the 4th of Epiphi is exactly 40 days, during which the registration of the Jews took place.

3 Maccabees 6:36–37. They celebrated, being supplied with everything by the king, until the fourteenth day, on which they also presented their petition for dismissal. The king, granting their request, generously wrote in their favor the following letter with his own signature to the city commanders: Our Telegram channel

Chapter Seven

Professor Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin Explanatory Bible Commentary on the Third Book of Maccabees ◄ Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter VII The king’s letter favorable to the Jews (1—7). The execution of the apostates (8—13). The return of the remaining Jews to their homes (14—20).

1. “King Ptolemy Philopator to the commanders of Egypt and all those appointed to positions—greetings and good health. We ourselves are in good health, as are our children, for the great God prospers our affairs according to our desire.

1. “And our children…” τα τέκνα ημών … In 217 or 216 BC, the year to which the event described in our book belongs, Ptolemy, as far as is known, did not yet have any children, at least not a single legitimate one. Later there was born to him by his sister-wife a crown prince, Ptolemy V Epiphanes, who at the death of his father (in 203 BC) was only 5 years old.—“The great God…” Here this is unquestionably Yahweh, whom the king now confesses as the true God (VI: 25).

2. Some of our friends, acting out of malice, frequently represented to us and persuaded us to gather all the Jews in the kingdom and to torture them with extraordinary punishments as traitors,

3. adding that until this was done, the affairs of our kingdom would never be set in good order, on account of the hostility they harbor toward all peoples.

3. On the hostility that the Jews harbored toward all peoples, many other ancient writers speak: cf. Tacitus, Hist. V, 5, 2; Dio Cass. 49, 22; Diod. 34, 1, p. 524; Philostr. Apoll. 5, 33; Josephus, Against Apion 2, 10, 14; 1 Thess. II: 15; Esth. III: 13; Juven. 14, 103 ff.

4. These men brought them here in chains, with violence, as slaves, or rather as plotters, and without any examination or investigation attempted to destroy them, devising cruelties more savage than even Scythian customs.

4. “Devising cruelties more savage than even Scythian customs…” Greek: νόμου σκυθών αγριωτέραν έμπεπορπημένοι ωμότητα …, Slavonic more precisely: “girded with a savagery fiercer than the law of the Scythians…”—that is, as if they had clothed themselves (or armed themselves) with a cruelty more savage than Scythian customs.—The word νόμος—law—is frequently used in the sense of “custom.”

5. We strictly forbade this, and out of the goodwill we bear toward all people we immediately granted them their lives; and when we learned that the heavenly God is the faithful protector of the Jews and always defends them as a father defends his sons, and also taking into account their well-known goodwill toward us and toward our ancestors, we justly freed them from every charge of any kind whatsoever

6. and ordered everyone and each one to return to their own homes, so that nowhere should anyone in any way insult them or reproach them for what happened through no fault of their own.

6. “Reproach them for what happened through no fault of their own…”—that is, for the fact that they were condemned to punishment as traitors and rebels.

7. Know that if we undertake anything evil against them or in any way offend them, we shall have against us not a man but the Most High God, who rules over every authority, as the avenger of our deeds in all things and always without fail. Be in good health.”

8. Upon receiving this letter, the Jews did not hasten to depart at once, but asked the king that those of the Jewish race who had willfully abandoned the holy God and the law of God might receive through them the punishment they deserved,

8. “Receive through them the punishment they deserved…”—by virtue of the law of Moses in Deut. XIII: 6 ff.

9. adding that those who had transgressed the divine ordinances for the sake of the belly would never have good dispositions toward the king’s rule either.

9. “For the sake of the belly…”—that is, for the sake of sensual pleasures and excessive love of ease, or for temporary advantages (see II: 23). In later history a curious example of similar reasoning was offered by Constantius Chlorus, the father of Constantine the Great, who said: ne imperatori quidem fidos fore, qui Deo fidem non servarent (cf. Eusebius, Vit. Constant. I, 16).

10. The king found that they were speaking the truth, approved of them, and gave them full authority in everything, so that they might destroy throughout every place of his kingdom, without hindrance and without special royal permission or oversight, those who had transgressed the law of God.

11. Then, having thanked him as was proper, the priests and all the people’s multitude sang “alleluia” and joyfully departed.

12. Every fellow-tribesman from among those who had been defiled, whom they encountered on the road, they punished and killed as an example to others.

13. On that day they killed more than three hundred men and celebrated with joy, putting the impure to death.

14. They themselves, having remained faithful to God to the death and having received the full joy of salvation, set out from the city, crowned with all manner of fragrant flowers, with joy and shouts, with praises and melodious songs, giving thanks to God, the Father of their ancestors, the eternal Savior of Israel.

15. Having arrived at Ptolemais, called Rhodopheron (Rose-bearing) after the character of the place, where by their common agreement ships awaited them for seven days,

16. they arranged there a feast of salvation, for the king had generously provided them with everything that each person needed until reaching his home.

15. “At Ptolemais, called Rhodopheron after the character of the place…” Such a locality, abounding in rose plantations that produce the finest rose oil in the entire East, exists to this day in middle Egypt, in the district of Arsinoite, on the western bank of the Nile and on the northeastern shore of the great Canal of Joseph. This was probably the gathering point for the Jews returning to their homes.

17. Since they arrived here in peace, with appropriate acts of thanksgiving, they likewise established these days to be celebrated joyfully during their sojourn there.

18. Having consecrated these days and confirmed their vow by erecting a pillar at the place of the feast, they set out further by land and sea and river, each to his own home, unharmed, free, in full joy, protected by the royal command. At that time they also gained greater power and glory than before and became feared by their enemies, with no one oppressing them in the least with regard to their possessions,

18. “Having consecrated these days…”—that is, dedicating them to the Lord as festive days and decreeing that they be recognized as such for all future times.

19. and all received back their own property according to the register, so that those who had something of theirs returned it with the greatest fear, for the greatest God had manifested the greatest benefactions to them for their salvation.

19. “All received back their own property according to the register…” The author here assumes it to be known that at the time of the registration and arrest of the Jews (IV: 11) an inventory of their movable and immovable property had also been compiled and declared to belong to the treasury. This subsequently greatly facilitated each person’s recovery of his own.—“Returned it with the greatest fear…”—with fear, on the one hand, of the king’s displeasure, and on the other hand, of the wrath of God as well.

20. Blessed be the Savior of Israel for ever and ever! Amen.

2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Introduction

Preface

Title of the Book

Contents of the Book

Time of Composition

Author of the Book

Place of Composition

Purpose of the Book

Text of the Book

Merit of the Book

Bibliography

Preface

Title of the Book

The last Old Testament book in the Slavonic and Russian Bible bears the name of the great priest Ezra. In the Latin Bible it is called the 4th Book of Ezra, since in that Bible the Book of Nehemiah is also attributed to Ezra and called the second book of Ezra. But it is clear that this name was given to the book not because Ezra was its author, but chiefly because he is the person through whom, via an Angel, revelations about the fate of the Hebrew people are received here.

Contents of the Book

The first two chapters constitute a prologue or preface, in which God commands Ezra to point out to the Hebrews their sins and sorrows and to comfort them with predictions of future joys. From the III to the XIV chapters are seven visions. In the first three of these visions (ch. III–IX:25) the author depicts a conversation between the Angel Uriel and Ezra. This conversation addresses the question of why the chosen people suffer while their pagan oppressors enjoy peaceful prosperity. It becomes clear that here, as in the basis of all suffering, the cause lies in the guilt of man himself, and comfort is given through the prediction of Israel’s imminent triumph and the destruction of those who break the law. In the following three visions of an apocalyptic character, the future fate of Zion is depicted symbolically in the image of a woman (IX:26–X:60), the judgment upon the pagan monarchy ruling over the chosen people (XI:1–XI:51), and the activity of the Messiah, liberating the scattered ten tribes of Israel from captivity and appearing in the form of a man coming out of the sea (XIII:1–58); here too are depicted the cosmic—physical and political catastrophes. The seventh vision contains a legend of the miraculous restoration by Ezra of the lost books of the Old Testament (XIV:1–48). In the last two chapters—XV and XVI (epilogue)—there is a prophecy of the calamities threatening sinners, particularly the destruction threatening Egypt, Babylon, Asia, and Syria, as well as an exhortation to the chosen to preserve truth amid the trials that lie ahead.

Time of Composition

It is beyond doubt that the main component part of the book—ch. III–XIV—represents an older work, while chapters I, II, XV, and XVI are of later origin. When did the main part of the book arise? The religious worldview of the author of this section reveals the typical characteristics of post-exilic Judaism. In Israel, according to the author’s conception, the whole meaning of world history is concentrated. For the sake of Israel the world was created, and exclusive possession of the good of the future age will be its own (VI:55; VII:11). For all the hopelessness of his view of the sinfulness of human nature, the author never for a moment abandons faith in the significance of the law of Moses (IX:37) and places lawful righteousness very high (XII:7). The author considers the task of the Messiah to be only the liberation of the chosen people from foreign domination, the destruction of enemies of the Hebrew people, and the establishment of a four-hundred-year kingdom in Jerusalem, where the righteous will enjoy not only spiritual but also sensual blessings. The Messiah is subject to the law of mortality like any man, and his death has no significance for mankind in general (VII:29). The last judgment is the exclusive work of the Creator of the universe (V:56–VI:6). In view of all this, it can be said with certainty that the section under examination appeared in pre-Christian times.

As for chapters I–II and XV–XVI, familiarity of the writer with New Testament sacred books is evident in them (expressions encountered also in the Gospel—“Kingdom of Heaven,” “Gehenna,” and others are met) and therefore it is more probable to attribute the origin of this part to the beginning of the Christian era—the first century A.D.

Author of the Book

That Ezra was not the author of the main component part of the book is beyond doubt. This section contains many anachronisms and other errors which the priest Ezra could not have committed in his book. Thus here it is said that Ezra received a revelation in the 30th year after the destruction of Jerusalem (III:1), while from the indisputably authentic first book of Ezra it is clear that he was only born some fifty years after the destruction of Jerusalem (Ezra 7:7). Then, according to 3 Esdras, Jerusalem is still ruled by the “inhabitants of Babylon” (III:28–31), while according to 1 Esdras—Jerusalem was under the dominion of the Persians (Ezra 1:1) and other places.

Thus, the author of chapters III–XIV was not Ezra, but some unknown Hebrew. Some scholars attribute him to the Essenes, others to the Pharisees, but the grounds for such conclusions are too weak. It is more probable to suppose that he was a simple, piously inclined Hebrew from among the people, drawing his material not from learned treatises but from current views, free from the fanaticism and exclusivity of the school. Regarding the preface and conclusion to the book, one can say that they owe their origin to two different persons: the preface—to a Hebrew already somewhat acquainted with Christian teaching, and the conclusion—to an ordinary Hebrew standing on a narrowly Jewish point of view. But who combined all three parts into one book—is completely unknown.

Place of Composition

The question of the place of composition of the book cannot be resolved with certainty. According to some scholars, the main component part of the book was written in Alexandria, according to others—in Palestine, and by still others—in Rome. However, the second supposition appears more probable to researchers—concerning the Palestinian origin of chapters III–XIV of the book: the symbolism and apocalyptic character of this section remind us of certain monuments of Palestinian Judaism. “A Palestinian Jew would naturally understand the frequent mentions of Zion and Jerusalem, the sorrow over their destruction, and prayers for their restoration” (Yungerov, p. 261). In the same way, the preface with the epilogue can more readily be attributed to a Palestinian author, because a Jew living in Palestine in the 1st century could more readily become acquainted with Christian sacred books than a Jew living somewhere outside Palestine.

Purpose of the Book

The purpose of the author of the book, taking the book in its complete form, was to comfort his own people in the misfortunes which it had suffered at the time the book appeared. If one presumes—which is quite probable—that the 3rd book of Esdras in its final form appeared in the 1st century A.D., then the author’s purpose could have been the desire to calm the Jewish people, stricken by the fall of Jerusalem at the invasion of Judea by the forces of Titus.

Text of the Book

The main component part of the book—ch. III–XIV—exists in a Latin translation, which scholars recognize as the best reproduction of the lost original Greek text of the book, and in Syrian, Ethiopic, Arabic, and Armenian translations. Only fragments of this part have been preserved in Greek and Coptic. Its prologue and epilogue are known only from the Latin text. That the book was originally written in the Greek language is evidenced by the variants in the Latin, Syrian, and Ethiopic texts of the book, the origin of which is easily explained by different readings of the Greek text. This is also indicated by the fact that, for example, the Latin translator places adjectives and pronouns in the same gender in which they were used in Greek (e.g., saeculum, qui… IX:2). Moreover, many Greek words are left completely untranslated (plasma, thalamus, etc.). Our Slavonic and Russian translations were made from the Latin text.

Merit of the Book

In the Book of Esdras there are many strange thoughts and unsupported statements, for example, the tales of two monsters—the behemoth and the leviathan (VI:49–52), of the miraculous forty-day writing by Ezra of 204 books, including 70 secret ones (XIV:21–48), and so forth. One can agree with blessed Jerome that this book would better be reckoned among the apocrypha. But in it there is also something worthy of attention—for instance, an explanation of why the righteous Hebrew people suffer while sinful pagans rule over them (chapters III and IV), or the writer’s effort to turn the attention of readers away from the pleasures of earthly life and concentrate this attention on the future judgment and retribution in the life beyond.

Bibliography

Fabricias. Codex pseudoepigraphus Vetens Testamenti. Vol. I, II (1713, 1723). Codex Apocryphus Novi Testamenti (1719). – Corrodi. Kritische Geschichte des Chiliasmus. Bd. I (1781). – Gfrorer. Geschichte des Urchristenthums. Das Jahrhundert des Heils. Bd. I-II (1638). – Lucke. Versuch einer wollstandigen Einleitung in die Offenbarung des Johannes (2 Aufl. 1852). – Hilgenfeld. Die judische Apokalyptik (1857). Die Propheten Esra und Daniel (1863). Messias Judaeorum (1869). – Gutschmid. Kleine Schriften Bd. II (1890). – Dillmann. Herzog’s Real Encyklopedie. Bd. XII (2 Aufl. 1883). – Volkmar. Handbuch der Einleitung in die Apokryphen. II Abth. Das vierte Buch Esra (1863). – Ewald. Geschichte des Volkes Israel. Bd. VII (3 Aufl. 1868). – Langen. Das Judenthum in Palastina (1866). – Weseler. Das vierte Buch Esra nach Jnhalt und Alter untersucht (Studien und Kritiken. 1870). – Hausrath. Neutestamentliche Zeitgeschichte. Bd. W (1877). – Renan. L’Apocaljpse de l’an 97 (Revue de deux Mondes, 1875). Les evangiles (1877). – Drummond. The Jewisch Messiah (1877). – Thomson. Books, which influenced Our Lord and His Apostels (1891). – Zockler. Die Apokryphen des Alten Testaments (1891). – Bissell. The apokrypha of the Old Testament (1880). – Baldensperger. Das Selbstbewusstsein Jesu (2 Auf 1892). – Kabisch. Das vierte Buch Esra auf seine Quellen untersucht (1889). – James. Introduction to the 4 Book of Ezra (Robinson’s Texts and Studies. Vol. III, № 2 (1895). – Clemen. Die Lisammenhang des Buches Enoch, der Apokalypse des Baruch und des IV Buchs Ezra (Studien und Kritiken, 1898). – Wellhausen. Skizzen und Vorarbeiten. Bd. VI, 1899). – Gunkel. Das 4 Buch Esra (Kautzsch’s Die Apokryphen und Pseudepigraphen des Alten Testaments. Bd. II, 1900). From later works known are: Lagrange. Notes Sir le Messianisme au temps de Jesus (Revue Biblique, 1905). – Schürer. Geschichte des Judischen Volkes im Zeitalter Jesu Christi (4 Aufl. 1909). – Bertholet. Apokryphen und Pseudepigraphen (Buddé’s Geschichte der althebraschen Literatur. Bd. VII, I Abth. 1906).

From Russian works known are: Shavrov. On the Third Book of Esdras (1861). – Bukharev. Study on the merit, integrity, and origin of the third book of Esdras (1864). – Ananinsky. The condition of enlightenment among Palestinian Jews in the last three centuries before A.D. (Works of the Kiev Theological Academy, 1865). – Smirnov. Messianic expectations and beliefs of Jews around the time of our Lord (1899). – Glubokovskii. The Gospel of the Holy Apostle Paul in its origin and essence (1905). – D. Yungerov. A special historical-critical introduction to the sacred Old Testament books (1907).

* * *

Notes

This book exists neither in Hebrew nor in Greek. Both the Slavonic and Russian translations were made from the Vulgate. In the latter it is divided into two parts: the first consists of chapters 3–14 (according to the Slavonic translation); the second contains chapters 1, 2, 15, and 16. In the Russian translation the order of chapters from the Slavonic translation has been retained.

Chapter One

Genealogy of Ezra (1–3). Rebuke of the Hebrews for idolatry and forgetfulness of God’s benefactions (4–23). Rejection of the Jews and calling of the Gentiles (24–40).

The text of the first two chapters exists in two recensions, differing significantly from each other in many places: the French and the Spanish. The French forms the basis of the modern printed text. According to the opinion of James (XLIV–LXIII) the Spanish version preserves the text in a more ancient unimpaired form, while the French, along with care for elegance of style, aims to smooth over those passages which could raise questions.

2 Esdras 1:1. The Second Book of the Prophet Ezra, son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Helkiah, son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 1. At the beginning is placed the title of the book: “Liber Ezrae prophetae secundus.” The naming of Ezra as a prophet is explained by the fact that the author had before him the prophetic book of Ezra (III–XIV) and in his work strove to expand its scope, extending its prophecy to the pagan world, called into the Christian Church in place of rejected Israel. The numerical designation of the book can hardly be considered to have come from the author’s pen. In one of the French manuscripts it is omitted, in one of the Spanish manuscripts the opening words are given in such form: “The Book of Ezra son of Xusia, a prophet, a priest (sacerdos).” The similarity of the latter word in spelling to the word secundus prompts one to recognize in the modern numerical inscription of the book the fruit of a misreading. Ezra is called a priest or minister for the purpose of clarifying the preceding designation of him as a prophet, which nowhere else in the apocrypha is encountered.

2 Esdras 1:2. son of Ahijah, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, son of Amariah, son of Asiel, son of Meraioth, son of Arna, son of Uziah, son of Borith, son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, 2. Ezra’s genealogy in the Spanish version is omitted and he is named only as the son of Xusia. In the French version nineteen members of Ezra’s genealogy are listed, beginning from Aaron. The basis of this genealogy lies in the data from the canonical book of Ezra (VII:1–5) and the non-canonical second book of his name (VIII:1–2). In addition, three new members are introduced: Ahijah, Phinehas, and Eli. In the opinion of Gutschmid (s. 234), Hilgenfeld (205), and James (XLIV), they are taken from 1 Samuel (XIV, cf. XIV:18; I:3), but without sufficient grounds. James expresses himself in favor of the shorter genealogy, since it could hardly occur to anyone to replace a well-known genealogy with a completely new name, Xusia. The name Xusia is mentioned in the Bible three times, in 2 Samuel (XVIII: 21–23, 31–32), in the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (XXXVI:14), and in the Prophet Zephaniah (I:1. “The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah, son of Xusia”). Since excerpts from the latter prophet occur in other places of the book as well, one can suppose that the genealogy of Ezra, strange at first glance, is taken from Zephaniah.

2 Esdras 1:3. son of Aaron of the tribe of Levi, who was a captive in the land of Media, in the reign of Artaxerxes, king of the Persians. 3. The time of Ezra’s activity in the French version is placed in accordance with the canonical book of his name (VII:1) during the reign of Artaxerxes. According to Spanish manuscripts Ezra is a contemporary of Nebuchadnezzar. This latter anachronism also occurs in the older prophetic book of Ezdras (III:1), where he receives a revelation in the 30th year of the Babylonian captivity.

2 Esdras 1:4. And the word of the Lord came to me: 2 Esdras 1:5. Go and tell my people of their evil deeds and their children of the iniquities which they have committed against me, so that they may tell their children’s children; 2 Esdras 1:6. for the sins of their fathers have increased in them; they have forgotten me and offered sacrifices to strange gods. 2 Esdras 1:7. Did I not bring them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery? But they angered me and despised my counsels. 2 Esdras 1:8. Tear out the hair of your head and cast all evils upon them, for they have not obeyed my law—an unrestrained people! 2 Esdras 1:9. How long shall I bear with them, to whom I have shown such benefactions? 2 Esdras 1:10. For their sake I have overthrown many kings; I smote Pharaoh with his servants and all his army; 10. Cf. Exod 14:23-30.

2 Esdras 1:11. All the nations I destroyed before their face, and in the east I scattered the people of the two provinces, Tyre and Sidon, and slew all their enemies. 11. The Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon were the bitterest enemies of the Hebrews after Egypt. Prophets Isaiah (23) and Ezekiel (26–27) foretold their destruction. Indeed, Tyre was conquered by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C. Somewhat earlier Sidon was destroyed by the Persian king Artaxerxes III Ochus (351 B.C.).

2 Esdras 1:12. Thus you shall say to them: So says the Lord: 2 Esdras 1:13. I led you through the sea and made for you a protected path in its depths, and gave you Moses as your leader and Aaron as your priest, 2 Esdras 1:14. and gave you a light in a pillar of fire, and worked many wonders among you; yet you forgot me, says the Lord. 2 Esdras 1:15. Thus says the Lord Almighty: The quails were a sign to you. I gave you encampments for your protection, but you murmured there 2 Esdras 1:16. and did not rejoice in my name over the destruction of your enemies, but to this day still grumble. 2 Esdras 1:17. Where are the benefactions which I bestowed upon you? When you were hungry and thirsty in the wilderness, did you not cry out to me, 2 Esdras 1:18. saying, “Why did you bring us into this wilderness? It would be better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in this wilderness”? 2 Esdras 1:19. I took pity on your groaning and gave you manna as food; you ate the bread of angels. 2 Esdras 1:20. When you were thirsty, did I not split the rock, and water flowed in abundance? To protect you from the heat I covered you with leaves of trees. 2 Esdras 1:21. I divided to you fertile lands; I cast out the Canaanites, the Perizzites, and the Philistines before your face. What more shall I do for you? says the Lord. 21. Cf. Josh 12:8. Of the six nations enumerated in the book of Joshua, only the Canaanites and Perizzites are named here, and in the Spanish version, in addition, the Hittites. Without concern for chronological accuracy, the author mentions among the nations expelled by the Hebrews from the promised land the Philistines. The Philistines continued to maintain their independence and wage war with the Hebrews not only during the period of the Judges but also under the kings. Only God’s patronage gave Israel the ability to emerge victorious in their struggle against them.

2 Esdras 1:22. Thus says the Lord Almighty: When you were in the wilderness at the river Merah, and were thirsty and cursed my name, 22. In the Slavonic Bible, in accordance with the printed text of the Vulgate, the reference is to the River of the Amorites (amorreo). The correct reading is given by the Spanish version: “at the bitter river” (amaro), which undoubtedly refers to the stream Merah (Exod 15:23). In connection with the preceding list of Palestinian nations, the word “amaro” was applied to the Amorites.

2 Esdras 1:23. I did not send fire upon you for your blasphemy, but threw wood into the water and made the river sweet. 2 Esdras 1:24. What shall I do for you, Jacob? You did not obey me, Judah. I will go over to other nations and give them my name, that they may keep my laws. 24. The passing over of God to other nations and the giving to them of God’s name refers to the calling of the Gentiles into the church.

2 Esdras 1:25. Because you have abandoned me, I also will abandon you; I will not have mercy on those who ask me for mercy. 2 Esdras 1:26. When you call upon me, I will not hear you; for you have defiled your hands with blood, and your feet are swift to commit murder. 26. Prov 1:28; Isa 1:15. Cf. Prov 1:16; Isa 59:7; Rom 3:15.

2 Esdras 1:27. You, as it were, have not abandoned me, but yourselves, says the Lord. 2 Esdras 1:28. Thus says the Lord Almighty: Did I not beg you as a father begs his sons and as a mother begs her daughters and as a nurse begs her charges, 2 Esdras 1:29. that you should be my people and I should be your God, that you should be my sons and I should be your Father? 2 Esdras 1:30. I gathered you as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. What shall I now do for you? I will cast you out from my face. 30. To depict God’s relationship to his people, the author uses an evangelical comparison, taken from the life of birds. “How many times,” the Savior cries out to Jerusalem, “did I want to gather your children as a bird (όρνις) gathers its chicks under its wings, and you were unwilling” (Matt 23:37). Since such an image does not exist in the Old Testament, it appears certain that the author borrowed it from the Gospel of Matthew. In the Book of Deuteronomy, God’s love for the chosen people is compared with the care of an eagle for its chicks (XXXII:11).

2 Esdras 1:31. When you bring me an offering, I will turn my face from you; for I have rejected your feast days and new moons and circumcisions. 31. Cf. Isa 1:13-15.

2 Esdras 1:32. I sent to you my servants, the prophets; you seized them and killed them and tore their bodies in pieces. Their blood I will demand, says the Lord. 32. In the Latin text the prophets are called not servants but servants (pueri) of God. This entire passage closely approaches the Gospel of Luke (XI:49; cf. Matt 23:34), in which Christ depicts the sad fate of the messengers of God’s will—the prophets and apostles. In the Spanish version the second half of the Gospel words is preserved, where it speaks of the apostles. “And they tore the bodies of the Apostles to pieces, and for their souls and blood I will demand an accounting.” Since the Christian origin of the book is beyond doubt, it is much simpler and more natural to consider this passage to have come from the author’s own pen than to allow for a later interpolation.

2 Esdras 1:33. Thus says the Lord Almighty: Your house is desolate. I will scatter you like chaff before the wind, 33. The expression “Your house is desolate” is taken from the condemnatory speech of the Savior in the Jerusalem temple (Matt 23:36: Luke 13:35). The comparison of the fate of devastated Israel with chaff carried away by the wind from the threshing floor is found in the Prophet Hosea (XIII:3). In one of the Spanish manuscripts the immediate cause of God’s abandonment of the Jews and their scattering is advanced as the fact that they rejected the Lord and handed Him over to death on the wood. Thus says the Lord Almighty: “You did not receive me as a Father who freed you from slavery, but as a lawless one, and handed me over to death, hanging me on a tree. Behold the deeds which you have done. Therefore says the Lord: “My Father will return and His angels will judge between Me and you. Did I not fulfill my Father’s command, did I not feed you, did I not do what my Father commanded? I will contend with you at judgment,” says the Lord.” The authenticity of the cited passage is beyond question, since it is quoted with indication of source in the Greek “Disputation of Sylvester with the Jews” and in the Latin translation of this monument (James, XXXVIII–XL). It is evident that the book we are examining once existed in the Greek language, from which the Latin translation was made (Lucke, 212, Hilgenfeld XLVI–XLIX, Gutschmid, 233). On this basis the recent hypothesis of Labour must be rejected (Labour. Le cinquierme livre d’Ezdras. Revue Biblique), which argues for the appearance of the book in the Latin language in the V or VI century. The omission of this passage in the French version and in the Vulgate is explained by the fact that it too clearly revealed the Christian origin of the book. Speech about the crucifixion of the Lord on the cross as an accomplished fact appeared unnatural in the mouth of an Old Testament Ezra.

2 Esdras 1:34. and your children shall have no posterity, because they have despised my commandment and done what is evil in my sight. 2 Esdras 1:35. I will give your houses to peoples that will come; they will believe in me without having heard me, will fulfill what I have commanded without seeing my signs, 2 Esdras 1:36. and will remember their iniquities without having seen the prophets. 35–36. In contrast to the stiffnecked Israel, the coming people from the pagan world freely bring to God their faith as a gift, needing for this neither miracles nor even the preaching of prophets. They believe in God not hearing about Him from anyone’s lips, but obeying only the voice of their conscience (cf. Rom 2:15).

2 Esdras 1:37. I am giving grace to the peoples that come; their children, whom they have not seen with their fleshly eyes, but will believe in my words through the spirit, shall rejoice with gladness. 37. The coming of the Messiah in the flesh is represented here as a past event. The pagan world, not having seen the Messiah, believes His words. One cannot help noting here an echo of the Savior’s words to the Apostle Thomas: “Blessed are those who have not seen yet have believed” (John 20:29).

2 Esdras 1:38. Now then, see, brother, the glory—see the people coming from the east, 38. God calls the prophet brother. This form of address, not found in Old Testament writings, is borrowed from the Gospel, where the Savior repeatedly calls His followers brothers (Matt 28:10; John 20:17; cf. Rom 8:29; Heb 2:11-12; Ps 21:23). Under the people coming from the east are meant Christians from among the Gentiles.

2 Esdras 1:39. To whom I will give as leaders Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Hosea, Amos, Micah, Joel, Obadiah, and Jonah, 2 Esdras 1:40. and Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, who is also called the Angel of the Lord.

Chapter Two

A new rebuke of the Hebrews for their indifference and coldness toward their mother—Zion or Jerusalem (1–4). Shame on Israel and his mother for their lawlessness (5–9). The giving of the Kingdom of Jerusalem as an inheritance to a new people of God from the Gentiles (10–14). Speech of God to the New Testament church with a call to love and the promise of the highest blessings in heaven (15–32). Speech of Ezra concerning the soon coming of the Shepherd and avoiding the temptations of the world (33–37). Glorification of those who profess the truth by the Son of God (38–48).

2 Esdras 2:1. Thus says the Lord: I brought this people out of slavery and gave them my commandments through my servants the prophets; but they would not listen to them, but rejected my counsel. 2 Esdras 2:2. The mother who bore them says to them: “Go, my children; I am a widow and alone. 2 Esdras 2:3. I brought you up with gladness; but I sent you away with weeping and sorrow, because you sinned before the Lord your God and did what is evil in his sight. 2 Esdras 2:4. But now what can I do for you? I am a widow and alone. Go, my children, and ask the Lord for mercy.” 2–4. Zion or Jerusalem, as the center of the Old Testament church, is compared repeatedly in the prophets to a mother (Jer 50:12; Hos 2:5). The mother grieves over the sinfulness of her children and her powerlessness to help them. Abandoned by both her children and by God, she reminds us of a defenseless widow for whom joy is inaccessible (Isa 54:4).

2 Esdras 2:5. I call upon you, Father, as a witness against the mother of the children, because they would not keep my covenant. 2 Esdras 2:6. Give them over to shame and their mother to plunder, so that there be no offspring of theirs. 2 Esdras 2:7. Let their names be scattered among the peoples and their memory blotted out from the earth, for they have rejected my covenant. 5–7. God condemns to destruction both the sons, who have broken their covenant with Him, and the mother, who was found powerless to fulfill the task laid upon her of bringing up her children in fidelity to God’s covenant.

2 Esdras 2:8. Woe to you, Assyria, who conceal the unrighteous! O wicked nation! Remember what I did to Sodom and Gomorrah; 8. The reference to Assyria appears quite unexpected from the mouth of one living many centuries after the fall of the Assyrian monarchy. The ten tribes of Israel were led into captivity in Assyria long before the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. Despite the fact that Assyria soon ceased to have a political existence, the name of Assyria continued for a long time to be applied to the monarchies that succeeded it.

2 Esdras 2:9. Their land lies in bituminous hills and heaps of ashes. That is how I will deal with those who do not obey me, says the Lord Almighty. 2 Esdras 2:10. Thus says the Lord to Ezra: Tell my people that I will give them the kingdom of Jerusalem which I promised to Israel, 2 Esdras 2:11. and I will receive their honor and give them eternal dwellings, which I have prepared for them. 11. The expression “eternal dwellings” is taken from the parable of the Savior about the unrighteous steward (Luke 16:9).

2 Esdras 2:12. The Tree of Life will be for them a fragrant garment; they will not be wearied by labor nor will they grow weary. 12. The Tree of Life is described in detail in the Revelation of John (II:7; XXII:2), from which the author borrows this image.

2 Esdras 2:13. Go and receive; ask for short days, lest they be delayed for you. The kingdom is already prepared for you: keep watch. 13. Belief in the imminent coming of the Kingdom of the Messiah on earth (chiliasm) prevailed in the Christian church during its first three centuries. Expectation of it conditioned the extraordinary success which apocalyptic literature enjoyed among Christians. With a terse apocalyptic call, “keep watch,” the author addresses his readers, foreseeing the nearness of the end. This winged word was passed from mouth to mouth among the bloody persecutions which Christians endured. The Christ Himself called His followers to constant watchfulness (Matt 24:42; Mark 13:35; Luke 21:36 and many others).

2 Esdras 2:14. I bear witness, heaven and earth, that I have done away with evil and created good. I live, says the Lord. 14. The brief utterance “I live, says the Lord,” awakened in the consciousness of early Christians the thought of imminent vengeance upon all His enemies who had persecuted Christianity. It was used by the Old Testament prophets (Isa 49:18; Jer 22:24).

2 Esdras 2:15. Mother! Embrace your children; bring them up with gladness; like a dove, strengthen their feet, for I have chosen you, says the Lord. 15. The comparison of the new Zion (cf. II:40) with a dove is drawn by the author from the Greek text of the Prophet Zephaniah (III:1): “O bright and delivered city, a dove!” (cf. 3 Esdras V:26).

2 Esdras 2:16. And I will raise the dead from their resting places and bring them out of the tombs, for I recognize my name in Israel. 16. Cf. Isa 26:19-20; Ezek 37:12-13.

2 Esdras 2:17. Do not fear, mother of the children, for I have chosen you, says the Lord. 2 Esdras 2:18. I will send you my servants Isaiah and Jeremiah; with their advice I have consecrated and prepared for you twelve trees laden with various fruits, 2 Esdras 2:19. and as many springs flowing with milk and honey, and seven very high mountains producing roses and lilies, by which I will fill your children with joy. 18–19. The Prophet Ezekiel (XLVII:12), in depicting the blessings awaiting Israel, mentions a stream and trees on which new fruits will ripen every month. The Revelation of John (XXII:2) applies this description to the Tree of Life growing in the midst of paradise. The author of the book under consideration speaks of twelve trees and twelve springs, having in mind to represent symbolically the high significance for the church of the twelve apostles, nourishing all Christians with spiritual food. The new Zion is protected on all sides by mountains immersed in the aroma of roses and the profusion of lilies. According to the testimony of the ancient prophetic book of Esdras (V:24) from all the flowers in the universe God chose the lily as his special possession (cf. Matt 6:28).

2 Esdras 2:20. Vindicate the widow, execute judgment for the poor, help the needy, protect the orphan, clothe the naked, 2 Esdras 2:21. care for the infirm and the weak, do not mock the disabled, defend the maimed, and lead the blind to the vision of my light, 2 Esdras 2:22. keep the old and the young within your walls, 2 Esdras 2:23. wherever you find the dead, commit them, sealed, to a grave, and I will give you the first place in my resurrection. 20–23. The list of moral precepts is drawn partly from the Prophet Isaiah (I:17; cf. Ps 81:3-4), but chiefly from the Gospel of Matthew (XXV:35–39).

2 Esdras 2:24. Rest and be at peace, my people, for your rest has come. 24. Cf. Heb 3:11 (Ps 94:7-11); IV:3, 10–11.

2 Esdras 2:25. Nurse your children, good nurse; strengthen their feet. 2 Esdras 2:26. Of the servants whom I gave to you, let none of them perish, for I will demand them from you. 2 Esdras 2:27. Do not falter. When the day of tribulation and distress comes, others will weep and groan, but you will be joyful and abundant. 27. Here the attitude of the Christian church toward persecutions expected in the near future is depicted. Obviously the book was written at a time when the church enjoyed comparative peace. This was during the early reign of Septimius Severus before the edict of 202 A.D. Crowns of martyrdom not only did not inspire fear in Christians but drew them to themselves. Even the most severe persecutions were powerless to disturb the bright outlook on life that Christians possessed.

2 Esdras 2:28. The Gentiles will envy you, but they will not be able to do anything against you, says the Lord. 28. Christianity aroused envy in the Gentiles because it alone gave true peace (v. 24) and satisfied all the demands of the human spirit.

2 Esdras 2:29. My hands will cover you so that your children will not see Gehenna. 29. The concept of Gehenna as a place of eternal torment is not found in the Old Testament and is clearly taken from the Gospel (cf. Matt 5:29-30 and many others).

2 Esdras 2:30. Be comforted, mother, with your children, for I will save you. 2 Esdras 2:31. Remember your children that sleep, for I will bring them out from the hidden places of the earth and show them mercy; for I am merciful, says the Lord Almighty. 31. The most vivid expression of the strong bonds of love, unbroken even by death, during the era of persecutions against Christianity was the celebration of the Eucharist at the tombs of martyrs.

2 Esdras 2:32. Embrace your children until I come and show them mercy; for my springs are overflowing and my grace will not fail. 32. An appeal for firmness, fully understandable in the time of persecutions.

2 Esdras 2:33. I, Ezra, received the command on Mount Horeb from the Lord to go to Israel. When I came to them, they rejected me and despised the commandment of the Lord. 33. From Mount Horeb Moses received the command from the Lord to go to Israel (Exod 3:1), hearing the voice from the burning bush. At the same place Ezra was deemed worthy of a revelation. The origin of this detail is explained by the author’s desire to draw a parallel between Ezra, who recreated the destroyed sacred books, and Moses, the lawgiver of the Hebrew people. Post-exilic Judaism recognized the significance of both for the people of God as completely identical. In the older prophetic book of Ezdras there likewise takes place a revelation from a bush, closely reminding one at first of God’s conversation with Moses at Horeb (XIV:1–6).

2 Esdras 2:34. Therefore I say to you, O nations, who can hear and understand: wait for your Shepherd. He will give you eternal rest, for He is near, the One who will come at the end of the age. 34. The name Son of God as Shepherd is taken from the parable of the Savior (John 10:11).

2 Esdras 2:35. Be prepared for the reward of the kingdom, for the undimmed light will shine upon you for eternity. 2 Esdras 2:36. Flee from the shadow of this age. Accept the sweetness of your glory. I openly testify concerning my Savior. 2 Esdras 2:37. Receive the entrusted gift and rejoice, giving thanks to Him who called you into the heavenly kingdom. 36–37. Here is revealed the view of the relationship of the Messiah’s work to divine plans. The Savior, having called people into the Kingdom of Heaven, fulfilled the will of God. The concept of “Savior” (Luke 2:11; John 4:14) and “Kingdom of Heaven” (Matt 5:19) the author drew from the Gospels.

2 Esdras 2:38. Rise up and stand, and behold the number marked for the supper of the Lord, 2 Esdras 2:39. who, having departed from the shadow of this age, received bright garments from the Lord. 2 Esdras 2:40. Receive your number, Zion, and conclude your people, clothed in white garments, who have fulfilled the law of the Lord. 2 Esdras 2:41. The number of your desired sons is full. Ask for the power of the Lord, that your people may be sanctified, called from the beginning. 2 Esdras 2:42. I, Ezra, saw on the mountain of Zion a great multitude, which I could not number, and all of them praised the Lord in songs. 38–42. Ezra beholds on Mount Zion (v. 42) the praise of those who have confessed the name of God, that is, the martyrs. The author paints his picture with the colors of the Apocalypse. A countless multitude of martyrs is marked or sealed (Rev 7:4-5) by God. According to the Apocalypse (XIV:1) this mark consists in the fact that the name of the Father is written on their foreheads. They shall be partakers of the supper of the Lord (Rev 19:9). They shall be clothed in white garments. White garments are the symbol of martyrdom. The Apocalypse gives such an explanation (VII:13–14): “These are those who have come out of great tribulation; they have washed their garments and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

2 Esdras 2:43. Among them was a youth of majestic beauty, surpassing all of them, and he placed crowns on the head of each one of them, and he grew more exalted still; I was seized with wonder. 2 Esdras 2:44. Then I asked the Angel: Who are these, my lord? 2 Esdras 2:45. He answered me, saying: These are those who have laid aside their mortal garment and clothed themselves in the immortal, and they have confessed the name of God; now they are crowned and receive the palms of victory. 2 Esdras 2:46. I asked: And who is this youth who places crowns upon them and gives them the palms? 2 Esdras 2:47. He answered me: This is the Son of God Himself, whom they glorified in this age. And I began to praise those who had stood firm so courageously for the name of the Lord. 43–47. The majestic youth places crowns (cf. Rev 4:4) upon the head of each of the confessors and distributes to them palm branches as a sign of their victory over the flesh. With palm branches an innumerable multitude of people stands before the throne according to the testimony of the Apocalypse (VII:9).

2 Esdras 2:48. Then the Angel said to me: Go and tell my people what wonderful deeds of the Lord God you have seen. 48. The first and second chapters present a perfectly complete whole. Their main purpose is to comfort Christians and give them steadfastness in the bloody trials that lie ahead. Having described the blessings bestowed upon the Church as a result of Israel’s rejection, the author concludes his book with a vivid picture of the triumph of Christian martyrs in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Chapter Three

The time and place of receiving the revelation (1). The author’s doubts at the sight of the sufferings of the chosen people and the prosperity of the nations (2–3). Ezra’s prayer to God for the resolution of these doubts. The significance of sin in the history of humanity in general and of the chosen people in particular (4–27). A comparative evaluation of the nations and the Jews from a moral standpoint (28–36).

2 Esdras 3:1. In the thirtieth year of the devastation of the city, I was in Babylon, and I was troubled, lying upon my bed, and anxious thoughts arose in my heart, 1. The thirtieth year of the Babylonian captivity (558 B.C.) falls a whole century earlier than the time when Ezra came forward as the leader of the chosen people. According to the canonical books of Ezra and Nehemiah, only in 458 B.C. did Ezra receive permission from the Persian king Artaxerxes to return to his native land together with the Jews who had not availed themselves of Cyrus’s edict. According to the author’s portrayal, Ezra takes no part whatever in the life of post-exilic Judaism. His activity is confined within the bounds of the Babylonian captivity. Ezra was a witness to the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (III:29). Along with the other Jews, he was led into captivity. In captivity, by divine inspiration he restores the lost sacred books and soon thereafter leaves the land. Hilgenfeld (Die Judische Apokalyptik, 190, 191; Esra und Daniel, 10; Messias Judaeorum, 36, 37) and Ewald (65) recognize the anachronism as a product of the author’s and his circle’s weak historical knowledge. This deficiency is suffered by even the learned works of the rabbis that appeared during the post-exilic period of Judaism. Some passages in the canonical books could have given occasion to transfer Ezra’s activity a whole century earlier. In the canonical book bearing his name (VII:1–2) he is named the son of the high priest Seraiah, who was killed, according to the testimony of 4 Kings (XXV:18, 21), at the conquest of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. Evidently, only the chief members of Ezra’s house were enumerated in the genealogy. Moreover, in the book of Nehemiah (XII:1) the name Ezra is found among the priests who returned with Zerubbabel. A later tradition united Ezra the Elder and Ezra the Younger, attributing to the latter extraordinary longevity. An echo of this was preserved by Epiphanius of Cyprus (Haereses, VIII, 8). According to his account, around the 30th year of the Babylonian captivity, a certain priest Ezra was sent from Babylon to Samaria, a teacher of the law (παιδευτήν του νόμου) to instruct in the law of Moses those Assyrians, Cuthites, and other peoples living there. Here to Ezra the Elder were transferred all the main traits of the creator of the Hebrew canon. Ewald suggests that the 30th year of captivity arose through the omission of the hundreds digit from 130; examples of similar abbreviations are encountered in the Talmud. However, the hopeless condition of the dispersed Israel portrayed by the author fits only to the time he indicates, and is completely inapplicable to the era of Persian rule, when there could scarcely be any question of slavery. He chooses the time when the Babylonian monarchy was at the height of its splendor, long before its conquest by the Persians, who considerably eased the lot of the Jews. It is possible that the reference to the 30th year of captivity is borrowed from the prophet Ezekiel, from the beginning of his book (Lucke, 195. Hilgenfeld. Messias Judaeorum, 36. Wieseler, 234. Gunkel, 352). Among the Jews, the age of thirty was considered a time of the full flowering of bodily and mental powers. The author uses this round figure to emphasize the idea that the pagan monarchy, under the oppression of which the Jewish people suffer, stands at the height of its might and has revealed in all its fullness its iniquities toward the scattered Jews. Volkmar (4, 363–370) and Wieseler (283) recognize the deviation from firmly established chronology as intentional. Through his anachronism, the author supposedly from the very first lines impressed upon the reader that his book deals not with a well-known historical figure of post-exilic Judaism but with contemporary Roman rule, depicted only under the transparent veil of Babylonian captivity. But in order to ensure the book’s success with readers, it was necessary to give it the appearance that it was the genuine work of Ezra. If the anachronism of its opening lines had struck readers in the eye, the book could not have had any attention paid to it. Therefore, it is more just to recognize it as unintentional. It could not undermine confidence in the book in the circle of its unsophisticated readers. The authority enjoyed by the priest Ezra among the Jews who returned with him from captivity testifies to his venerable age. This book takes an earlier period in his activity, not touched upon by the canonical books. Ezra plays the same role of a teacher of the people, taking measures to preserve the law, even in captivity (V:17–18; XIV:18–48).

2 Esdras 3:2. for I saw the desolation of Zion and the wealth of those dwelling in Babylon. 1–2. The author portrays the psychological state that conditions the reception of the revelation. Visions occur at night (III:1; XI:1; XIII:1), when Ezra sleeps in his dwelling (III:1) or waits for them in the open field in complete solitude (IX:26; XIV:1). He prepares for each vision several days in advance according to the direction of the Angel: for whole weeks he fasts (V:20; VI:35), nourishing himself only on vegetables (IX:26; XII:51). Only the last visions, because of their joyful character, are accompanied by shorter fasts.

2 Esdras 3:3. And my spirit was troubled, and I began to speak with fear to the Most High, 3. The name God Most High is characteristic of post-exilic Hebrew literature. It is used in the book 68 times and not once encountered in the two opening and two concluding chapters. The author uses it in preference to all other designations of God. God is called Strong far more rarely, and the Lord still less often. As a true Jew, the author carefully avoids the word “Jehovah” (Deus). In post-exilic Judaism, of all God’s attributes, His transcendence and inaccessibility to man stand foremost (Baldensperger, 45, 46, 57). Therefore, between Ezra and God there appears a mediator, the Angel Uriel.

2 Esdras 3:4. and said: O Lord, Sovereign! You said from the beginning, when You alone founded the earth, and commanded the dust, 2 Esdras 3:5. and gave Adam a mortal body, which was also the work of Your hands, and breathed into him the spirit of life, and he became living before You, 4–5. The author poses for himself a twofold question: one is purely abstract, where do evil and miseries in the world come from, and the other is concrete, why is the chosen people so sinful and unhappy. The latter question is merely a more particular subdivision of the former. To illuminate these questions, the author, like other apocalypses and New Testament books, unfolds the entire history of humanity from the appearance of the first people on earth. The tendency toward broad formulation of questions sharply distinguished post-exilic Judaism from the narrowly national tendencies that characterized earlier Hebrew literature. In the account of the creation of the world and man, the idea is emphasized that God alone participated in the act of creation. This lends still greater force to the question about the source of evil in the world. By divine command man is created from dust: his lifeless body is the work of God’s hands. Then God breathed into him the breath of life. The idea that the body of the first man was created by the hands of the Creator is based on Gen 2:7. It was already expressed by Philo (De nobilitate § 3, p. 440). In the Slavonic Bible, in accordance with the Vulgate, God’s command is directed not to dust but to people (et imperasti populo). The correct reading is given by the Syrian and Ethiopian texts (pulveri). The error arose because a command addressed to inanimate earth seemed somewhat strange to readers. It was understood as applying to a rational being, but in complete contradiction with the context.

2 Esdras 3:6. and led him into the paradise which Your right hand had planted, before the earth brought forth fruit; 6. The Russian and Slavonic translations incorrectly convey the meaning of the Latin text. There the idea is expressed that paradise was created “before the earth appeared (antequam Terra adventaret).” The opinion that the creation of paradise preceded the creation of the world rests on a misunderstanding of the account of the Chronicler (II:8). The word miqqedem can be understood in two ways: “in the east” (Gen 11:2) and “formerly” (Exod 9:11). Such a view is held by most Talmudists (Gfrorer II, 8, 30–31, 42–43. Hamburger. Real-Enciklopedie des Judenthums. B. II. Talmud und Midrasch, Leipzig, 1896. P. 893). According to the Jerusalem Targum, explaining Gen 3:24, “before the foundations of the world were laid, God created the law and prepared paradise for the righteous, that they might enjoy it there and eat from the fruit of the tree” (Gfrorer, 42). In another place this idea is expressed even more clearly: “The lower (earthly) paradise was created 1365 years before the creation of the lower (that is, earthly) world where we live” (Pirke Eliezer, c. 3). Paradise is not placed on earth, for it exceeds it in size many times over. The garden of Eden is 60 times larger than the world, and paradise itself (Eden) is 60 times greater than the garden of Eden (Corrodi. 188–189).

2 Esdras 3:7. And You commanded him to keep Your commandment, but he violated it, and You condemned him to death, and his race and the generations and tribes born from him and peoples and families, which have no number. 7. Death is a divine judgment as punishment for sin. But the descendants of Adam sin and die not as a result of inherited corruption of nature from the fall, but as a result of the same evil heart which was in Adam even before his violation of the commandment.

2 Esdras 3:8. Every nation began to walk according to its own will, and it performed deeds of foolishness before You and spurned Your commandments. 8. In the Eastern translations and Spanish version the idea of the full freedom of human will is emphasized. God did not prevent people from sinning (et tu non prohibnisti eos).

2 Esdras 3:9. In time You brought a flood upon the inhabitants of the earth and destroyed them, 9. The author calls the earth an age. In other places, to distinguish it from the future age, he uses a more precise designation: “this age,” “the present age.”

2 Esdras 3:10. and it was fulfilled on each of them—as death came upon Adam, so the flood came upon these. 10. The Latin manuscripts give this passage in a clearer form: “And immediately (in uno, cf. simul, Syr., Aesth.) destruction came upon them. As death came upon Adam, so the flood came upon them.”

2 Esdras 3:11. One of them You left—Noah, with his household, and from him all the righteous came. 11. The end of the verse, according to the Vulgate (ex eo justi omnes), is transmitted in the Syriac and Ethiopian text. Of the researchers, the majority (Volkmar, Hilgenfeld, Bensly, and Gunkel) accept the reading: “ех eo justos omnes,” seeing here an indication that from Noah’s descendants God spared only the righteous. But it is far more natural to recognize this reading as later, arising for the purpose of eliminating the puzzlement of readers, since Ham could hardly be called righteous.

2 Esdras 3:12. When the inhabitants of the earth began to multiply, and many sons and nations and generations came forth, and they began again to practice impiety, more than those before them, 2 Esdras 3:13. when they began to do iniquity before You: You chose for Yourself one man from among them, whose name was Abraham, 2 Esdras 3:14. and You loved him and revealed to him alone Your will, 14. In the Spanish version and in the Syrian and Ethiopian translations the content of the revelations given to Abraham and the time of their bestowal are more precisely indicated: “And You loved him, and to him alone You revealed the end of times secretly at night” (cf. Gen 15:9). Post-exilic Judaism was not satisfied with the information provided by the Chronicler that Abraham was foretold the fate of the Jews in Egyptian captivity, and extended the scope of the visions to all subsequent time, especially to the time immediately before the end of the world. In the setting in which Abraham learns about the ultimate fate of the world, it is not difficult to note a similarity with the visions of the author himself.

2 Esdras 3:15. and established with him an everlasting covenant, and said to him that You would never forsake his seed. And You gave to him Isaac, and to Isaac You gave Jacob and Esau; 15. Gen 17:7.

2 Esdras 3:16. You chose Jacob for Yourself, but Esau You rejected. And Jacob multiplied exceedingly. 16. Josh 24:3-4; Gen 32:11; Mal 1:2-3; Rom 9:13.

2 Esdras 3:17. When You brought his seed out of Egypt and led him to Mount Sinai, 2 Esdras 3:18. then You bent the heavens, established the earth, made the world tremble, brought the deeps into turmoil and shook all the age. 18. Exod 19:16; 2 Sam 22:8-16; 1 Kgs 19:11-12; Ps 17:8-16. The expression “established the earth” (statuisti terram) does not harmonize well with the setting of Sinai legislation. The Eastern translations give the correct reading: the Syriac, Ethiopian, and second Arabic: “shook the earth.” Volkmar (8) and Gunkel (353) suppose that the Latin translator incorrectly read the Greek word ‘ έσεισας, which could have been written in itacized form έσέησας: he took it for ‘ έτησοίς. Bissell (645) and Zöckler (449) admit that in the Greek text stood the expression έστης έις τήνγην (cf. 2 Sam 22:10). But the Eastern translations give no grounds for this. The conferring of Sinai legislation was accompanied by a whole series of signs to which all nature and the peoples of the whole universe paid attention. The end of the verse depicts echoes of them in the underworld and in heaven: “You brought the deeps into turmoil and shook the heavens (saeculum).” By the age, judging from the context, is undoubtedly meant the heaven (cf. VI:1; VIII:20; Ps 67:9). Such a substitution was made in one of the Latin manuscripts.

2 Esdras 3:19. And Your glory passed through four gates: in fire, in earthquake, in wind, and in frost, to give the law to the seed of Jacob and to impart Your commandments to the race of Israel, 19. In the original, as well as in the Slavonic translation, it is spoken of the passage of God’s glory through four gates (portas quattuor). These gates are fire, earthquake, wind, and hail. Gunkel (354) sees here traces of Hebrew teaching about seven heavens. This hypothesis was created by Babylonian astronomers to explain the movement of planets and underwent significant changes in Judaism. In the four lower heavens are placed the fire, earthquake, violent wind, and hail mentioned here. The first three of them are mentioned in the account of the manifestation of the Lord to the prophet Elijah (1 Kgs 19:11-12). In the Psalter, among other magnificent manifestations of nature that accompany heavenly intervention in earthly affairs, hail is also named (XVII:13–14).

2 Esdras 3:20. but You did not take away from them their evil heart, so that Your law might bear fruit in them. 2 Esdras 3:21. For with an evil heart the first Adam transgressed Your commandment and was overcome; and so all who were born from him. 2 Esdras 3:22. The weakness remained, and the law in the heart of the people along with the root of evil, and the good departed and the evil remained. 20–22. The cause of sin lies in the evil heart (cor malignum) of man (cf. Gen 6:5). The evil heart led to Adam’s violation of the commandment and continues to act so destructively upon all his offspring. It cannot be identified with the breath of life which God breathed into man: it belongs to that side of man which was created from dust. Because of blood kinship all offspring inherit from Adam the properties of his heart. This relationship does not extend to the spiritual side of man: the souls of all people were created from the beginning (IV:36). The concept of “first Adam” (adam gaqqademoni or garischon) in the post-exilic period is usually applied to the progenitor of mankind. The Apostle Paul uses it (1 Cor 15:45). Since the root of evil (cum malignitate radicis) continued to remain in man, the law itself could not attain its purpose. It is nothing surprising that evil has spread its dominion so widely in the world, while good has disappeared completely.

2 Esdras 3:23. The times passed and the years were completed—and You raised up for Yourself a servant, whose name was David; 2 Esdras 3:24. and You commanded him to build a city in Your name and in it to offer to You incense and sacrifices. 23–24. The author pauses on a few bright events of Jewish history which testified to the triumph of good. The reign of David, the founder of Jerusalem, seemed to promise an abrupt turn in the life of Israel toward good. But the hopes were not fulfilled. Jerusalem in the author’s eyes has special importance as the center of Israel’s religious life. On it is called the name of God (cf. Jer 25:29; Dan 9:18-19). In the Russian and Slavonic translations, in accordance with the Vulgate, there is mention of the burning of incense and the offering of sacrifices in Jerusalem (thus et oblationes). The reading de tuis oblationes (Sp. version; cf. Syr., Ar. 1, 2) is more correct, expressing the idea of offering in sacrifice that which constitutes God’s own property, as the Creator of all, or that which God has chosen for Himself as His portion (V:26).

2 Esdras 3:25. Many years this was done, and then the inhabitants of the city sinned, 2 Esdras 3:26. and did in all things as Adam and all his descendants had done; for they also had an evil heart. 2 Esdras 3:27. And You delivered Your city into the hands of Your enemies. 2 Esdras 3:28. Do not those who inhabit Babylon live better and therefore possess Zion? 28–31. Comparing Judaism with the pagan world, the author must give preference to his own people. The prosperity of the nations by no means testifies to their righteousness. The Jews have the law, the beneficial effect of which is felt in all aspects of public and private life. The nations have only blind hatred toward God, whom God employs no signs to turn them from the destructive path upon which they have embarked.

2 Esdras 3:29. When I came here, I saw countless impieties, and in this thirtieth year of captivity my soul saw many sinners—and my heart groaned, 29. The Latin text (hoc tricesimo anno) should be corrected according to the majority of Eastern translations (Ar. 1, Eth., and Arm.), where it is said that the author observed the life of the nations for whole thirty years. Such a prolonged period gave the opportunity to study it most thoroughly.

2 Esdras 3:30. for I saw that You uphold these sinners and spare the wicked, but You have destroyed Your people, and preserved Your enemies, and have not shown any sign of this to anyone. 2 Esdras 3:31. I do not understand how this course could be changed. Is it not true that Babylon acts better than Zion? 30–31. In the Vulgate there is incorrect punctuation. The author expresses the following thought: “And You have shown no sign (nemini) to anyone concerning how this course should be changed” (Sp. version, Eth., Ar. 1). The author realizes the abnormality of the present situation, intensified by complete ignorance of when it will be replaced by another, more worthy lot for Israel. In the Vulgate the word nemini was taken for memini, from which arose further changes with a view to greater intelligibility.

2 Esdras 3:32. Or has any other nation known You beside Israel? or what tribes believed Your covenants like Jacob? 2 Esdras 3:33. Yet their reward is not equal to their labor, nor their toil productive of fruit, for I have journeyed through the nations, and I have seen that they live in abundance, though mindful of Your commandments they are not. 32–33. The nations do not have proper knowledge of God and faith in Him and do not remember His commandments. The transgressions of the pagan world are not mitigated by its ignorance. According to the view of the Jews, which found its place in Philo (De sept. Ed. Mang. II, 295), when the law was given on Sinai, besides Israel seventy nations heard it. The last figure is used in the sense of a round number to designate all mankind. Very characteristic is the author’s view of the fulfillment of the law as a heavy burden or labor. According to the Psalmist, the law brings only a sense of joy. Post-exilic Judaism, feeling the impossibility of fulfilling the law, saw in it an insupportable burden for man. This view is shared by the Apostle Paul.

2 Esdras 3:34. Therefore, weigh in the balance our iniquities and the deeds of those inhabiting the earth, and nowhere will Your name be found except among Israel. 34. In the uncorrupted text (Lat. mss., Ar. 1, 2, Arm.) this verse is given in the following form: “Therefore, weigh on the balance our iniquities and the iniquities of those who dwell on the earth, and it will be revealed where the scale tips” (et invenietur momentum puncti ubi declinet). The word momentum was taken for nomen tuum, and the end of the verse was supplied according to the context.

2 Esdras 3:35. When have the inhabitants of the earth not sinned before You? or what nation has so kept Your commandments? 2 Esdras 3:36. You will find, it is true, among them those who keep Your commandments by name, but among the other nations you will not find them. 36. In the Vulgate the meaning of this passage suffered significant change because of an incorrectly read abbreviation. The author’s thought embraces all mankind (homines), while the Vulgate restricts it to the chosen people alone (hos). Ezra brings to God’s attention that no nation as a whole observed the commandments like Israel. “You will find, to be sure, men by name who have kept Your commandments, but nations you will not find.” The righteous in a pagan environment, like Job, are a rare exception: they can be counted by name. Only among the Jews did the fulfillment of the law capture the entire people. Gunkel (354), Volkmar (11), and Kabisch (26–28) also refer the first half of the verse to the righteous of the people of God like Abraham and Moses. Kabisch cites a whole series of excerpts from the Talmud where only the Jews are recognized as having the right to be called people, while the nations are considered swine. Even the souls of the nations are said to be a fruit of the mixture of the demon Sammael with Eve. But such an understanding fits poorly with the course of thought. The author tries to remove the objection that among the nations one can find examples of the fulfillment of commandments. There they have a singular character; meanwhile among Israel, with all its sinfulness, the commandments were kept by all with such zeal as could not be found among any other people in the masses.

Chapter Four

The appearing of the Angel Uriel (1). A rebuke of Ezra for the immoderation of his claims (2). The helplessness of man in solving even the simplest mysteries of nature (3–12). The parable of the forest and the sea (13–21). Ezra’s prayer for an answer given the importance of these questions for Israel (22–25). The lawfulness in the development of good and evil on the earth (26–43). The nearness of the end, illustrated by the vision of a furnace and a cloud (44–50). The impossibility of determining the time of the end with precision (51–52).

2 Esdras 4:1. Then answered me the Angel sent to me, whose name was Uriel, 1. The author notes in very brief words the appearing of the Angel Uriel. This brevity is explained by the fact that in our book it is philosophy, not history, that stands foremost. The word uriel means “the light of God.” This name appears twice in the Old Testament: it was borne by one Levite, a contemporary of David (1 Chr 6:24) and the grandfather of the Judean king Abijah on his mother’s side (2 Chr 13:2). The Angel Uriel is also mentioned in an earlier monument of the post-exilic period—the Apocalypse of Enoch. (XX, 2). Here he is called “the Angel appointed over the host of angels and over the pit” (Kautzsch, II, 250). In the prophetic book of Ezra, from the second vision, the Angel Uriel is identified with God Himself. Such examples in the Old Testament books are not rare. In contrast to Ezra, torn by various doubts, the Angel constantly strengthens the vacillating faith of his interlocutor in the justice of God’s judgments. He sometimes tries to curb Ezra by pointing to the insignificance of human nature, sometimes, within the bounds of possibility, slightly lifts the veil of mystery enveloping the most important questions of the human spirit.

2 Esdras 4:2. and said: Your heart has soared too far in this age, that you would comprehend the way of the Most High. 2 Esdras 4:3. And I answered: Yes, my lord. And he said to me: I have been sent to show you three ways, and to set before you three comparisons. 2 Esdras 4:4. If you can explain to me one of them, then I will show you the way that you desire to see, and I will teach you where the evil heart has come from. 2 Esdras 4:5. And I said: Speak, my lord. And he said to me: Go, weigh for me the weight of fire, or measure the force of the wind for me, or bring back to me the day that has passed. 2 Esdras 4:6. And I answered: What man can do what you are asking me? 2 Esdras 4:7. And he said to me: If I asked you: How many dwellings are in the heart of the sea? Or how many springs in the very foundation of the abyss? Or how many streams above the firmament? Or what are the borders of the paradise? 7. The Latin manuscripts give the second half of the verse in a somewhat different form: “How many sources in the very foundation of the abyss? Or how many paths above the firmament? Or what are the gates of Hades? Or what are the paths of paradise?” The speech about streams was possible because it was supposed that above the firmament there existed sources, based on the book of Genesis (I:7). Paths above the firmament designate the directions in which the stars move. In the Vulgate the question about the gates of Hades is omitted: such gaps in the second half of the verse there are not uncommon.

2 Esdras 4:8. you would perhaps say to me: I have not descended into the abyss, nor have I entered Hades, and I have never ascended into heaven. 8. In the majority of Eastern translations (Ar. 2, Eth., Arm.) the answer fully meets all the questions posed above. To the last one, the Angel answers: “and I have not seen paradise.”

2 Esdras 4:9. Now I have asked you only about fire, wind, and the day which you have experienced, and things without which you cannot exist, and to these you have given me no answer. 2 Esdras 4:10. And he said to me: You cannot even understand those things which you possess and which are with you from childhood; 10. Fire and wind grow and develop together with the human organism: they are your age-mates (tecum coadulescentia). Williamowitz (Gunkel, 355) sees here traces of Eastern teaching about the composition of man. The microcosm consists of the same four elements as the macrocosm (cf. VIII:8). Of them water and earth are omitted.

2 Esdras 4:11. how could then your vessel contain in itself the way of the Most High, and how could one corrupted in the corruption of this age understand the incorruptible? 11. In the Latin text there is a rather extensive gap in the middle of the verse, because of which the meaning of this passage is extremely confused. On the basis of the Eastern translations (Eth., Syr., Arm.) it appears in the following form: “How could your vessel contain in itself the way of the Most High, and corrupted by the corruption of this age, understand the uncorrupted. And when I heard this, I fell upon my face.” The Angel clarifies to Ezra the reason why the ways of the Most High are inaccessible to man. The vessel is called the human body by Philo and Barnabas. Man belongs, by his body, to the corruptible age. By virtue of this, everything that pertains to the incorruptible age is a mystery to him. The doctrine of the two ages created by God is revealed more fully below.

2 Esdras 4:12. And I said: It would have been better if we had not been at all, than to live in wickedness and suffer, not knowing why. 12. “It would have been better for us not to appear (adesse) than, having come (advenientes), to live in lawlessness.” The expressions used here about man’s coming into the world are explained by the Jewish teaching about the creation of souls before the establishment of the visible world (cf. Wis 8:20).

2 Esdras 4:13. And he said to me: I went into a forest, and behold, the trees took counsel, 2 Esdras 4:14. and said: “Come, let us make war against the sea, so that it may recede from us, and we may gain more ground to sow our fields and forests.” 2 Esdras 4:15. Likewise, the waves of the sea took counsel and said: “Come, let us go up and conquer the forests of the land, so that we may gain more territory for ourselves.” 2 Esdras 4:16. But the counsel of the forest came to nothing, for the fire came and consumed it. 2 Esdras 4:17. Likewise, the counsel of the waves of the sea came to nothing, for the sand stood up and prevented them. 2 Esdras 4:18. If you were their judge, whom would you condemn, or whom would you acquit? 2 Esdras 4:19. And I answered and said: Truly, both their counsels were foolish; for the land is given to the forest, and to the sea is given a place to carry its waves. 2 Esdras 4:20. And he answered and said to me: You have judged rightly; why then do you not judge the same way concerning yourself? 2 Esdras 4:21. For just as the land is given to the forest and the sea to its waves, so those who inhabit the earth can understand only what is on the earth; and those who dwell in the heavens can understand what is in the heights of heaven. 13–21. The parable of the forest and sea in form closely resembles the parable from the book of Judges (IX:8–15) about the trees that wanted to set up a king for themselves. The encroachments of the water element upon the land and the helplessness of the sea before sand represent an everyday phenomenon. Furthermore, they are encountered in legends about the creation of the world (cf. Jer 5:22).

2 Esdras 4:22. And I said: I beseech You, O Lord, grant me understanding and knowledge. 22. “I beseech you, O Lord, why (ut quid) was I given the capacity for understanding?” The author agrees that questions which are the concern of heaven are not accessible to man. But he is not asking about heavenly things but about earthly matters, and moreover matters which concern him very closely. If even the fate of his native people must remain a mystery to him, then involuntarily there arises a doubt about the benefit of human reason.

2 Esdras 4:23. For I did not ask to know the things on high, but about what happens daily among us: why is Israel given over to reproach before the nations? Why is the people whom You have loved given over to ungodly nations? Why has the law of our fathers been made of no account, and the written ordinances are no longer observed? 23. By the law of our fathers the author means the law of God, which has so entered into the flesh and blood of Israel that it has completely merged with the national custom inherited from the fathers. In exactly this sense the Apostle Paul uses the expression: “the traditions of the fathers” (Gal 1:14). The legend about the destruction of sacred books in the Babylonian captivity is based on the actual incident of the burning by the king of Judah Jehoiakim of the scroll containing the prophecy of Jeremiah (Jer 36:23) and the remark of the prophet Habakkuk (I:4) about the violation of the law or its destruction.

2 Esdras 4:24. Passing from this age, like locusts, our life passes in fear and terror, and we have become unworthy of mercy. 24. In the Eastern translations human life is compared to vapor. “Our life is like vapor” (ut vapor, Syr., Eth., Ar. 1, 2). The origin of the Latin reading (pavor) is explained by the transposition of letters.

2 Esdras 4:25. But what will He do for His name, which is invoked upon us? For this I have asked. 25. Israel bears the name of God (isra-el). Cf. III:24; X:22; Sir 36:13; Dan 9:18-19.

2 Esdras 4:26. And he answered me and said: The more you seek, the more you will wonder; for the age runs swiftly to its end, 26. In response to the question about the fate of the chosen people, the Angel replies that its resolution is connected with the coming of the future age. It is near, so that if Ezra should live long (Syr.), he himself will witness it. “If you will exist, then you will see, and if you remain alive, then you will continually be amazed at how the age hastens to its own end” (cf. 1 Cor 7:31).

2 Esdras 4:27. and cannot contain what is promised to the righteous in future times, because this age is filled with injustice and infirmities. 2 Esdras 4:28. But about what you asked me, I will tell you: evil has been sown, and the time of its rooting out has not yet come. 2 Esdras 4:29. Therefore, as long as what has been sown is not torn out, and the place where evil has been sown is not abolished, the place where good has been sown will not come. 2 Esdras 4:30. For the grain of evil seed has been sown in the heart of Adam from the beginning, and how much wickedness it has produced up to now and will produce until the threshing comes! 2 Esdras 4:31. Consider with yourself, how much grain of evil seed has produced fruits of wickedness! 2 Esdras 4:32. When his innumerable ears will be reaped, what an enormous granary will be needed for this! 27–32. The present age, in which evil reigns supremely, cannot contain the goods promised to the righteous. This necessitates its destruction. A new age will come in its place, created by God like paradise entirely independent of the present age. Complete despair about the possibility of establishing an ideal order on earth was entirely unknown to the Jewish people before the exile. The future age appeared to their imagination as a direct continuation of the present, limited only to its transformation toward the bright side. The heavy blows that fell upon the Jews in exile broke the earlier optimism. Only faith in the coming of a new age, representing the direct opposite of the present, gave strength to overcome the bleak situation under the oppression of Rome. The afflictions experienced were now regarded as the lot not of Israel alone, but of all humanity. Evil, producing all misfortunes in the world, is compared to seed sown in the heart of Adam from the beginning (ab initio). Comparing this passage with the teaching of our book about the evil heart, of which Adam was the bearer (III:21), one must recognize that the sowing of evil is attributed here to the creation of the first human, not to his fall, which merely revealed the evil propensities innate to human nature from the beginning. The comparison of the final fate of people with a harvest is found in the prophet Jeremiah (LI:33), where it is thus named the punishment threatening Babylon. The Savior also uses it in the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matt 13:30).

2 Esdras 4:33. How and when will this be? I asked him; why are our years few and miserable? 2 Esdras 4:34. Do not hurry to rise, he answered, above the Most High; for you hurry in vain to rise above Him: you go too far. 33–34. The author asks the impatient question: how long must we wait for the revelation of the new age and when must the present age disappear. The Angel’s statement that Ezra himself may perhaps witness it convinces him of the nearness of the end. Human life is so short. Even Jacob spoke bitterly: “few and miserable are the days of my life” (Gen 47:9). The Angel calls Ezra to patient waiting for the end with submission to God’s will. “Do you not show greater haste than the Most High; but you hasten for your own sake (propter semet ipsum, Syr., Aeth, Ar. 1, 2, Arm.), and the Most High for many” (excelsus pro multis)

2 Esdras 4:35. Did not the souls of the righteous in their chambers ask about this, saying: “How long shall we hope thus? And when will the fruit of our recompense come?” 35–36. The doctrine of storehouses (prumptuaria) or chambers where the souls of the righteous dwell represents a further development of Talmudic views. The basis for it was provided by the Book of Proverbs of Solomon (VII:27), which mentions the inner dwellings of death, and the book of the prophet Isaiah (LVII:2), where it is foretold that the righteous will rest upon their beds. Before being clothed in a body, or as Pseudo-Ezra expresses it, coming into this world (IV:12), souls dwell under the throne of the Most High in special storehouses (guph), called treasuries. As people are born, the treasuries empty. The Son of David will not come until no soul remains in the storehouses (Corrodi, 195. Fabricius. Codex Pseudepigraphus V. T. II, 211. Volkmar, 19). The Talmudic teaching, shared by the author (IV:41; VI:23), is here extended to the fate awaiting the righteous beyond the grave. The storehouses (Heb. mischcabot, Isa 57:2. Zöckler, 451) of the souls of the dead are placed in the underworld (in infoire IV:41). The future age will come only when the number of dead righteous reaches a certain limit. The Apocalypse of John gives an exact figure of the sealed from all the tribes of Israel, namely 144,000 (VII:4). The Angel Jeremiel gives them (ad eas) this answer. Like Uriel, the name Jeremiel (ierahmeel, “God’s mercy”) is found in canonical books: in the genealogies of the book of Chronicles (1 Chr 2:25-27) and in the prophet Jeremiah (XXXVI:26). According to the testimony of the Apocalypse of Elijah, the Angel Jeremiel guards the souls in the underworld (Gunkel, 357), Lücke (162) and Kabisch (33) assume here an extract from an apocryphal book. Volkmar (XIX, 400) sees here borrowing from the Apocalypse of John (VI:9–11), brought in without particular exactness, from second-hand sources. In the Apocalypse, the souls of those killed for the word of God cry out loudly before the throne of the Most High: “How long, O Holy and True Lord, do you not judge and avenge our blood upon those living on earth?.. And it was said to them that they should rest yet a little while, until their fellow servants and their brothers, who will be killed as they were, complete the number.” But the similarity between the two books is purely external. In the Apocalypse, souls of Christian martyrs cry out for vengeance for the blood shed by them. In our book, the souls of deceased righteous await with impatience their own glorification. The mention of seeds in Jeremiel’s answer scarcely fits the course of the discourse. In the Latin text, the word “similium” (Syr. Aeth. Ar. 2) was taken for the word “seminum”. The glorification of the righteous will come when “the number of those like you reaches fullness.”

2 Esdras 4:36. To this the Archangel Jeremiel answered me: “When the number of seeds in you is fulfilled, for the Most High has weighed this age, 2 Esdras 4:37. and has measured the times by measure, and has numbered the hours by number, and will neither move nor hasten until the determined measure is fulfilled.” 36–37. The doctrine of Divine predestination is expressed in a threefold formula in the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon (XI:21): “You have arranged all things by measure, number, and weight” (cf. Job 28:25-26). The Magi expressed this thought (Hilgenfeld. Messias Judaeorum, 45). It stood in connection with the astronomical views of the East and was formed under the influence of the observed regularity in the motion of the heavenly bodies. The conviction that God had beforehand distributed the course of world history lies at the basis of its various divisions into periods and calculations of the world’s end. As is customary in all apocalyptic literature, the author speaks in cryptic language. Judaism determined the measure appointed for the world’s existence as 7,000 years.

2 Esdras 4:38. And I answered him, saying: O Lord Sovereign! but we are all full of wickedness. 2 Esdras 4:39. And perhaps because of us the granaries of the righteous are not filled, and because of the sins of those living on earth. 2 Esdras 4:40. To this he answered me: Go, ask a pregnant woman whether, when nine months are fulfilled, her womb can still hold the fruit? 2 Esdras 4:41. I said: It cannot. Then he said to me: The chambers of the souls in the underworld are like the womb. 2 Esdras 4:42. As she who bears hastens to give birth to be freed from the pains of childbirth, so also these hasten to deliver what has been entrusted to them. 2 Esdras 4:43. First, you will be shown what you desire to see. 42–43. Due to incorrect punctuation, the word “in the beginning” (ab initio) was referred in the Vulgate to the forthcoming revelations. According to the Angel, the storehouses strive to deliver to the world the souls entrusted to them at the beginning, before the creation of the world, with the same impatience with which a pregnant woman awaits the birth of a child.

2 Esdras 4:44. If I have found favor in your eyes, I answered, and if this is possible and I am capable, 2 Esdras 4:45. show me: is what is to come greater than what has passed, or is what has happened greater than what will be? 2 Esdras 4:46. What has passed, I know this, but what will come, I do not know. 2 Esdras 4:47. He said to me: Stand on the right side, and I will explain to you the meaning by a parable. 2 Esdras 4:48. And I stood, and I saw: behold, a burning furnace passed before me; and when the flame passed, I saw: smoke remained. 2 Esdras 4:49. After this a cloud full of water passed before me, and heavy rain poured from it; but as soon as the force of the rain stopped, drops remained. 2 Esdras 4:50. Then he said to me: consider for yourself: as the rain is more than the drops, and the fire is greater than the smoke, so the measure of what has passed exceeded, and there remained drops and smoke. 44–50. The author tries to know more exactly the coming of the end by comparing the time elapsed from the creation of the world with the period that remains until the end. The answer is given by means of two symbols. Ezra sees a blazing furnace; the furnace passes before his eyes, and only smoke remains from it. After this, a cloud with heavy rain passes over him; when the rain began to weaken, only separate drops fell from the sky. The vision of the furnace and smoke is taken from the book of Genesis (XV:17), where an account is given of the manifestation of God to Abraham at night. This manifestation was mentioned earlier (III:14). Both visions are intended to show that compared to the past, the time remaining until the end is as brief as smoke is insignificant compared with flame and raindrops compared with a downpour.

2 Esdras 4:51. Then I begged him and said: Do you think I will live to see these days? And what will be in those days? 2 Esdras 4:52. To this he answered and said: About the signs of which you ask me, I can partly tell you, but about your life I was not sent to speak with you, nor do I know. 51–52. The author wishes to know whether he will live to see the end. The Angel replies with not knowing (cf. Mark 13:32). Post-exilic Judaism strived, on the one hand, to determine precisely the time of the end, and on the other, to emphasize the thought that it is a mystery even to the angels and known to God alone. The events destined to happen before the coming of the end are called signs (signa). For a person able to understand the meaning of the phenomena unfolding before his eyes, they will indicate the nearness of the end (IX:1–2).

Chapter Five

The signs preceding the end (1–13). The impression from the Angel’s speech (14–15). The exhortation of Phaltiel with a call to return to the people (16–19). The second vision. Ezra’s perplexity about the fact that God punishes his chosen people not directly by His own hand, but with the help of pagans (20–30). The Angel’s answer. The impotence of man to comprehend God’s love for Israel and to penetrate into the plans of Divine providence (31–40). The strict gradualness in the accomplishment of God’s plans, excluding the possibility of injustice to anyone at the judgment (41–49). The world’s approach to old age (50–55). The question of who will conduct the last judgment (56).

2 Esdras 5:1. Concerning the signs: behold, days will come in which many of those living on earth, possessing knowledge, will be taken away, and the way of truth will be hidden, and the universe will fail in faith, 1. The Vulgate, accurately transmitted by the Slavic translation, among the signs points first to the burdening of inhabitants by a great tax (in censu multo). The Russian Bible is guided by Fabricius’s correction, made in application to the Arabic text (in sensu multo). This places here the meaning that in the last days wise people will be taken from the face of the earth (cf. Matt 24:40; Luke 17:34-37). Volkmar (22), Hilgenfeld (Messias Judaeorum, 124; Esra und Daniel, 16), Fritzsche (28), Bissell (647), and Zöckler (45) accept the reading in sensu multo, seeing here an indication of the madness with which people will be possessed before the end of the world. Bensly (15), in accordance with the Syriac translation, proposes the reading in excessu multo. Similar ecstasy or terror will seize people when the Most High comes to free His enslaved people (XIII:30).

2 Esdras 5:2. and wickedness will increase, which you now see and which you have heard of from antiquity. 2. The increase of lawlessness in the last days is spoken of more than once in the New Testament books (Matt 24:12).

2 Esdras 5:3. And it will be that the land which you now see ruling will be laid waste. 3. The text of the Vulgate suffers from obscurity. In the Russian Bible, the incomprehensible expression imposito vestigio is completely omitted; in the Slavic it is rendered by the words “in which having entered,” which in this place turn out to be completely superfluous and unexpected. Ezra had no need to enter the land that ruled over all the world in his time: he lived in it, like the other Jews of the diaspora. Hilgenfeld (Judische Apokaryptik, 193) sees in the indicated words an allusion to extreme despotism in the relations of the Romans to the Jews. The Roman Empire ruled over Israel, trampling it under foot. But for such an understanding there is no basis for the word vestigium. Volkmar, Bissell, and Zöckler propose to read here incompositio e vestigio, understanding the whole verse as follows: “And the devastation will be on the way of that land which you see now ruling, and they will see how it becomes a wilderness.” Bensly, in accordance with the Syriac translation, reproduces the Latin text in the following way: “And the land which you see now ruling will be unordered (incomposita, Syr. instabilis) and without traces of man (sine vestigio, Syr. not trampled).” Not a single person will tread upon it with his feet. However, the Latin manuscript text (incomposita vestigio) can be correctly understood even without Bensly’s supplement. The land which Ezra sees now ruling will be disordered for movement, for walking, through it will not be beaten a path by the steps of men, it will be impassable.

2 Esdras 5:4. But if the Most High grants you to live, you will see that after the third trumpet suddenly the sun will shine at night and the moon three times in a day; 4. The Latin text introduces into the intentionally obscure speech of the author a number of arbitrary interpretations not supported by Eastern translations. The mention of the third trumpet (post tertiam tubam) is inappropriate, since below, in the second vision, there is mention of only one trumpet, announcing the end of the world. Volkmar (23–24) arbitrarily identifies the third trumpet with that final trumpet after which, according to the words of the Apostle Paul, the resurrection of the dead will follow (1 Cor 15:52; cf. Matt 24:31; 1 Thess 4:16; Rev 8:2). Lücke understands the expression “after the third trumpet” as an indication of the time when Ezra will be worthy of a more detailed revelation about the last days of the world. According to the testimony of the Gemara, confirmed by Flavius (On the Jewish War, IV, 9, 12), the trumpet sound among the Jews announced the beginning and end of the Sabbath. The third trumpet denotes here the third Sabbath, to come two weeks after the present vision. The first three visions, representing one whole, occur on Sabbaths. Before each of them the author fasts for a week. Thus, by the beginning of the third vision, three weeks of fasting are fulfilled (VI:31), commanded to Ezra in this passage. The three-week fast represents an imitation of the book of the prophet Daniel (X:2). In the Eastern translations, instead of the sound of the third trumpet, another sign is indicated: earthquake (cf. Matt 24:29; Rev 11:13). Van der Ulis supposes that the Latin text originally had terram turbatam. Hilgenfeld (47) defends the reading post tertiam turbatam and places in this passage such meaning: “You will see how the land having to follow the third will experience upheavals.” He attributes it to the fourth Danielic monarchy (Syrian). Gutschmid (282), sharing Lücke’s view on the meaning of the third trumpet, sees here an allusion to an earthquake that occurred in spring 31 B.C. According to the Hebrew calendar, it falls on the third Sabbath after the beginning of the new year, in the middle of the month Nisan. The most natural explanation of the expression post tertiam is given by Blass and Gunkel (359), understanding it in the sense of indicating the third day (μετώ τηντρίτην), after which the end of the world should come. Three days are used in apocalyptic writing to mean a mysterious number for determining the period remaining until the coming of the new age. The end of the verse, where it speaks of the threefold appearance of the moon during the day (ter in die), is corrupted in the Vulgate. In the manuscripts, there is only talk that the moon will shine during the day (interdie). At the end of the world there will be neither day nor night: the sun will shine at night, and the moon will pour its pale rays during the day (Mark 13:24; Matt 24:29; cf. Isa 13:10; Ezek 32:7-8; Joel 2:30-31). The whole verse can be reproduced in the following way: “But if the Most High grants you to live, you will see how after the third day the earth will come into confusion: the sun will suddenly shine at night, and the moon during the day.”

2 Esdras 5:5. and blood will drop from a tree, a stone will give its voice, and nations will be shaken. 5. Throughout all of nature, a deviation from the usual order will be evident. Drops of blood will appear on a tree; a stone will be heard making sounds. These details are inspired by the book of the prophet Habakkuk, II:11: “The stones of the walls will cry out, and the beams from the wood will answer them” (cf. Luke 19:40). The thought of the flow of blood from trees is connected with the view of the pagan world that sacred trees possess a soul. In the Epistle of Barnabas (ch. XII) there is an excerpt from some prophetic book closely approaching this passage: In a similar way the cross is also testified to in another prophet, who says: “When will this be fulfilled?” And the Lord says: “When the tree bends and rises, and blood flows from the tree.” A whole series of scholars (Le Moyne. Notae ad varia Sacra, 836. Fabnotus. Codex pseridepigraphus V. T. II, 184–185. Corrodi: 180. Volkmar, 403, 408. Hilgenfeld. Messias Judaeorum, 47. Harnack. Barnabas briee, p 12. Schürer, 329. Gunkel, 359. Shavrov, 165–166. Bukharev, 3–5. Smirnov, 37) assume here a free borrowing from the prophetic book of Ezra (IV:33; V:5). With such a view, the Epistle of Barnabas acquires very great significance for determining the time of the appearance of our book. However, Cotelerius long ago drew attention to the fact that there is nothing in common between the meaning of blood flowing from a tree at Ezra and at Barnabas. The first half of the excerpt in the book of Ezra is not present at all. It is certain that the author himself combined it with Christian meaning, applying it to the wood of the cross of the Lord. Meanwhile, the writer of our book knows nothing of redemption. Therefore, it is much more reasonable to recognize that the author of the Epistle of Barnabas cites some other book (Cotelerius, Lucke, Gfroer, 70, 71, Ewald, 137, Keil, 740, Wieseler, 289–291, James, XXVIII-XXIX). From this there are no grounds whatever to rely on the Epistle of Barnabas to prove that the prophetic book of Ezra originated before the destruction of Jerusalem (Smirnov, 37). At the end of the verse in the Vulgate there is an omission: “and the exits (egressus) will come into disorder.” By exits are meant the heavenly gates through which the stars pass (eph.) and winds blow (Syr., Ar. 2). The order established in heaven was never disturbed throughout the entire history of the world. Its cessation will testify to the nearness of the end. Volkmar sees in this passage an allusion to the confusion in the order of succession that occurred in Rome with the cessation of the Julian dynasty. But there is no sufficient basis for the historical understanding of each of the signs of the end. The author strove to exhaust the eschatological material that folk tradition provided, not even being concerned sometimes about its consistency with itself.

2 Esdras 5:6. Then will reign he whom those living on earth do not expect, and the birds will fly to other places. 6. Among the signs of the end is mentioned the ascent to the throne of one who was not expected. Hilgenfeld (Judische Apokalyptik, 236–237, Messias Judaeorum, 47–43) sees here an indication of the reign of Octavian; Gutschmid (281) applies it to Herod the Great, a nominee of Rome; the appointment of Herod as ruler of Judea was a complete surprise even to himself (Flavius. On the Jewish War XIV, 14, 5). Volkmar (363) applies this passage to Galba, who ascended the throne, although other persons had much greater rights to it (Tacitus, I, 5–10. Suetonius. Galba, 11. Otto, 3). Wellhausen (247) sees here an echo of the legend that Nero lives and will suddenly appear from the East to reclaim his throne. Schneckenburger (Jahrbucher fur deutsche Theologie. 1859. S. 413–414) understands by the ruler who is to reign at the end of the world, Satan; Gunkel (359) – the Antichrist. The very variety of presented opinions testifies to the fact that there is no basis for the historical interpretation of the signs of the end. The thought that in the last time the crown will be worn by he whom no one expected is expressed in the book of Jesus, Son of Sirach (XI:5). The increase of evil on earth before the end of the world prompted folk consciousness to the thought of the sudden reign of the author of evil – Satan. The flight of birds and the movement of animals are everyday phenomena. Birds and animals are distinguished by the gift of presentiment, therefore they abandon in advance the places threatened by earthquakes.

2 Esdras 5:7. The Sea of Sodom will cast forth fish and send forth an unknown voice by night; however all will hear the sound of it. 7. In the Dead Sea there is no fish whatsoever. Wellhausen (246–247) attempts to remove the difficulty by recognizing this passage as an insertion inspired by the books of Hosea (IV:3) and Zephaniah (I:3). There the destruction of sea fish is prophesied during the final visitation of Judea by the Lord. Much more light on the riddle is shed by the book of Ezekiel (XLVII:8–11). Before his eyes the following vision unfolds. A stream issuing from under the threshold of the temple falls into the sea, whose waters become healthy; under the influence of this, life will reign there; fish will be so abundant as in the great sea; its marshes and pools, which will not become healthy, will be left for salt. Doubtless, this vision should be interpreted in application to the Dead Sea. From here is taken the thought that the Sea of Sodom, where in the last time there will be an extraordinary abundance of fish, will cast it forth before the coming of the new age. The roar of sea waves also indicates the nearness of the end. This is an echo of the ancient notion of the perpetual struggle between sea and land. The sound heard from the bottom of the sea at night in complete silence usually portends an earthquake. Wellhausen refers the extraordinary voice which will be heard at night, not to the sea, but to the mysterious man who will suddenly seize power. But this in no way removes the enigmatic nature of the wondrous passage. Evidently, the author took it entirely from folk tradition. There is no basis to conclude from this geographical detail that the author lived in Palestine not far from the Dead Sea (Wieseler, 268–289. Baldensperger, 39. Kabisch, 39).

2 Esdras 5:8. There will be confusion in many places, fire will often be sent from heaven; wild beasts will change their haunts, and unclean women will give birth to monsters. 8. “And in many places an abyss (chaus) will be visible and fire will often be cast forth from there, …and women, capable of bearing children (menstruatae) will give birth to monsters.” In the Russian Bible, in application to the Gospel (Matt 24:29; Mark 13:25), there is mention of fire fallen from heaven. By the course of the thoughts, it is more natural to see here a continuation of the discourse about the abyss. Wellhausen sees here an allusion to the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D.

2 Esdras 5:9. Sweet waters will become salty, and all friends will take up arms against one another; then wisdom will be hidden, and understanding will withdraw to its treasure house. 2 Esdras 5:10. Many will seek it, but will not find it, and wickedness and incontinence will increase on the earth. 2 Esdras 5:11. One region will ask another neighboring region: “Has righteousness which makes righteous passed through you?” And that will say: “No.” 9–11. The presence of salt in fresh water is a sign of an approaching earthquake. Mind and understanding before the end of the world withdraw to their treasuries. Post-exilic Judaism presented the principal abilities of the human spirit as special beings living in the same treasuries as human souls. From there, righteousness undertakes its journey across the earth (cf. 1 Esd 4:38-40).

2 Esdras 5:12. People at that time will hope and not achieve what they desire, will labor and not accomplish their ways. 12. Cf. Amos 6:10. Volkmar (364–365) applies the enumerated signs to the history of the Roman Empire after the cessation of the Julian dynasty until the accession of the house of the Flavians. Tacitus (Historial, 2) notes for this time an extraordinary abundance of civil wars and uprisings, unheard of cruelties even in peacetime and monstrous debauchery reigning in Rome. Rome was threatened with danger from uprisings in Gaul, attacks by Sarmatians, Suevi, and Parthians (6). Illyricum and Campania were visited by earthquakes. It destroyed part of Rome and the entrance to the royal palace. Moreover, Rome was devastated by fires (6). All mutual relations between people were inspired either by hatred or by fear (9–10). Gutschmid with equal success selects a whole series of extraordinary phenomena before the Battle of Actium. At the beginning of the chapter (1–3) he sees indications of those violations of religious feeling of the Jews which were perpetrated by Herod to satisfy his sins. The opening of the earth indicates the destruction of Pizzara, a small city on the shore of the Adriatic Sea, due to a chasm formed under it. In Rome itself, a lightning strike burned part of the circus, the sanctuary of Ceres, and the temple of the goddess Hope. A wolf entered Rome and was killed. Hilgenfeld and Kabisch lean toward this understanding. Against the historical interpretation is primarily the circumstance that similar phenomena can easily be selected in the history of each people. All the signs are borrowed by the author from the rich store of eschatological ideas that were the vital nerve of post-exilic Judaism and retained their charm even in the early years of the existence of Christianity. Eschatology is completely foreign to that definiteness which historical interpretation imparts to it.

2 Esdras 5:13. About these signs, I am allowed to tell you, and if you again pray and weep as now, and fast for seven days, then you will hear even more than that. 2 Esdras 5:14. And I came to myself, and my body trembled greatly, and my soul fainted as if it were disappearing. 2 Esdras 5:15. But the Angel who came to me sustained me and strengthened me, and set me on my feet. 14–15. The feeling of terror, reaching the point of loss of consciousness and requiring support from the Angel, finds its place in the book of the prophet Daniel (VII:15; VIII:17–18; X:8–10, 15–18), which our author imitates.

2 Esdras 5:16. And it was, on the second night, that Phaltiel, leader of the people, came to me and asked me: Where have you been, and why is your face so sad? 16. The name of the leader of the people in the Vulgate should be corrected. In Eastern translations and in one of the Latin codices he is called Phaltiel. In canonical books, the name Phalti is found, a contemporary of Saul and David (2 Sam 3:15). The Hebrew word phaltiel means “God’s salvation.”

2 Esdras 5:17. Do you not know that Israel is entrusted to you in the land of its sojourning? 2 Esdras 5:18. Therefore arise and eat bread, and do not abandon us like a shepherd abandoning his flock to the hands of evil wolves. 18. Cf. Matt 10:16.

2 Esdras 5:19. Then I said to him: Go away from me, and do not come near me. And he, hearing this, departed from me. 19. The introductory episode with Phaltiel is fully understandable if the vision took place in Ezra’s house. The absence of Ezra from those places where the public life of scattered Jews took place gave reason to suppose that he had left the city. This explains Phaltiel’s first question. There is no basis for the assumption that the first vision occurred outside the city, as Kabisch without sufficient grounds supposes, because Ezra sees the fire and rain. But from the text of the vision it is clear that he contemplates both pictures in a dream. For this there was no need to leave his dwelling.

2 Esdras 5:20. But I fasted for seven days, groaning and weeping, as the Angel Uriel commanded me. 2 Esdras 5:21. And after seven days, the thoughts of my heart became again very grievous to me; 2 Esdras 5:22. but my soul received the spirit of understanding, and I began again to speak before the Most High 2 Esdras 5:23. and said: O Lord Sovereign! You from all the forests on earth and from all the trees upon it have chosen for yourself only one grapevine; 23. The chosen people is compared to a grapevine by the Psalmist (LXXIX:9–17). The prophet Isaiah (V:7) calls the house of Israel the vineyard of the Lord of hosts. A grapevine is the usual symbol of Judea on coins. The author illuminates the thought of the God-chosen dignity of Israel by means of seven symbols applied in Old Testament literature to Judea and Jerusalem.

2 Esdras 5:24. You from all the lands of the earth have chosen for yourself one cave, and from all the flowers in the universe You have chosen for yourself one lily; 24. In the Russian Bible, the beginning of the verse, where there is mention of a cave, is translated incorrectly. The meaning of the word fovea (pit, hole) is correctly transmitted in the Slavic Bible, understanding it in the sense of a valley or dale. Evidently, the author has in mind a depression in the earth dug out for planting plants, and in particular a grapevine. Vineyards were usually placed in low places, in river valleys. Here the Valley of the Kidron is meant, distinguished by the splendor of plant life. The lily surpasses all other flowers in its abundance. According to the Savior’s words, even Solomon was not clothed as the flowers of the field (Matt 6:28-29; Luke 12:27). Solomon compares his Shulamite to a lily (Song 2:2). The prophet Hosea (XIV:6) depicts the glorious future of Israel under the image of the blossoming of a lily.

2 Esdras 5:25. You from all the depths of the seas have filled for yourself one spring, and from all built cities You have sanctified for yourself one Zion. 25. Volkmar understands by the spring the river Jordan, but by the course of the discourse it is rather here that the Kidron stream is meant, whose waters washed Jerusalem. The comparison with a stream is found in the Song of Songs (IV:15). Solomon calls his beloved a garden spring – a well of living waters and streams from Lebanon. The naming of Zion as a city testifies to the close connection that existed between the religious and political life of Israel. Zion, which was the center of religious life, was identified with Jerusalem, the capital of the Jewish state.

2 Esdras 5:26. Of all birds created by You, You have named for yourself one dove, and of all created animals You have chosen for yourself one sheep; 26. The dove and turtledove were ordained by Moses to be brought as sacrifices (Lev 1:14-17; cf. Luke 2:24). In the mouth of the Psalmist (LXXIII:19), the turtledove is a symbol of the chosen people. Solomon calls his beloved by this same unclear name (Song 2:14). Similarly, the sheep was used as a sacrificial animal (Lev 1:10-13). In the Psalter, the people of God are recognized as the sheep of His pasture (LXXVIII:13), led by God as by a Shepherd (LXXIX:2). Since a whole series of images shows similarity with the Song of Songs, Gunkel (361) concludes from this that contemporary Judaism understood it allegorically as a depiction of the covenant between the Lord and His people.

2 Esdras 5:27. of all numerous nations You have acquired for yourself one nation, and loved it, gave it a perfect law. 27. In the Latin text is expressed the thought that the law was approved by all people (ab omnibus probatam). The pagan world even without knowledge of the written law paid tribute to it, since the suggestions of the natural law, expressed in the voice of conscience, coincided with the precepts of Mosaic law (Rom 2:14-15). This reading is defended by Volkmar (28), Hilgenfeld (50), Zöckler (452), and Bissell (648). Gunkel (361) prefers the reading of the Syriac and Ethiopic translations, where there is mention of the fact that God approved one law of all (et ex omnibus probavisti legem). Each nation has its own laws. They are as numerous as the nations in the world. But no nation, according to Moses, will find such just statutes and laws as Israel has (Deut 4:8).

2 Esdras 5:28. But now, Lord, why then have You delivered up the one to the many, and on one root You have planted other branches and scattered Your only nation among many peoples? 28. The thought of planting other branches on one root, expressed in the Vulgate (et praeparasti super unam radicem alias), closely resembles the speech of the Apostle Paul (Rom 11:16-24) about the grafting of pagans into the good olive. It stands in obvious contradiction with the worldview of the author, for whom the native people is the alpha and omega, and in whose eyes the pagan world is nothing (VI:56). The manuscript of the Latin text, despite all its obscurity, leaves no doubt that the author had the opposite thought here about the election of Israel in preference to all other peoples: “you prepared one root greater than others” (et praeparasti unam radicem super alias). In Eastern translations, there is mention of the preferential rejection of one root compared to the others. Israel, rejected by God for sins, suffers much more humiliation than the pagans, who were hostile to God. Volkmar (29), Fritzsche (30), Zöckler (452), and Gunkel (361) recognize the latter reading as original, explaining the origin of the Latin text by an incorrectly read Greek word ητίμασας (from the verb ατιμάζω – I dishonor). It was taken for ήτοίμασας (from the verb ετοιμάζω – I prepare).

2 Esdras 5:29. And his adversaries have trampled him and those who have not believed Your covenants. 29. The pagan world in the author’s eyes is the adversary of God’s promises, disbelieving His covenants. The transgressions of paganism are not the sin of ignorance, since at the Sinai legislation the whole universe heard the voice of the Lord.

2 Esdras 5:30. And if You have already greatly hated Your people, then let it be punished by Your hand. 30. One cannot deny the deservedness of the punishments that befell Israel. It is only incomprehensible why God does not punish it with His own hand by means of hunger, plague, and earthquake, but chooses for this task pagans, deserving even more severe punishment.

2 Esdras 5:31. When I was speaking these words, the Angel was sent to me who had come to me before at night, 2 Esdras 5:32. and said to me: Listen to me, and I will teach you; pay attention to me, and I will tell you even more. 2 Esdras 5:33. Speak, said I, my lord. And he said to me: You have gone too far in your curiosity about Israel; do you love it more than He who created it? 2 Esdras 5:34. No, my lord, I replied, but I spoke from great sorrow. My inner being torments me every hour as I strive to grasp the way of the Most High and to examine even some part of his judgment. 2 Esdras 5:35. He answered: you cannot. Why not, my lord? I asked. It would have been better for me not to have been born, and let my mother’s womb have become a grave for me, than to see the oppression of Jacob and the wasting away of the lineage of Israel. 35. Cf. Jer 20:17-18. This passage was quoted by Clement of Alexandria with a definite reference to the author (Strom. III, 16): “Why should not my mother’s womb have become a grave for me, that I might not see the afflictions of Jacob and the wasting away of the lineage of Israel?” says the prophet Ezra. This excerpt marks the endpoint beyond which the emergence of the prophetic book of Ezra cannot be pushed. Clement’s regard for it, recognizing it as a genuine work of Ezra, testifies that by the end of the second century it had achieved considerable antiquity, so that Clement knew nothing of the circumstances of its origin. In view of this, the theories of Hartwig, Gutschmid, and Le Havre, which push the book back to the beginning of the third century or more specifically to 218 AD, must be rejected.

2 Esdras 5:36. And he said to me: tell me what has not yet come, and gather for me the scattered drops, and bring to life the withered flowers; 36. Cf. Ezek 17:24.

2 Esdras 5:37. open the closed storehouses and bring out to me the winds shut up in them, and show me the form of the voice: and then I will show you what you are striving to see. 37. According to the representation of the ancients, winds were shut up as if in bellows, with a special place appointed for each (Job 37:9). In the Ethiopian and Arabic translations, instead of winds, the discourse concerns storehouses of souls. The difference is explained by the possibility of a twofold translation of the word πνεύμα. The Eastern translations (Syr., Eth., Ar. 1) provide a fuller list of phenomena inaccessible to human understanding: “Show me the form of those faces which you have not yet seen.” According to the belief of postexilic Judaism, voice, like everything that exists, has a sensible form inaccessible to human perception only by reason of the limitation of his mind.

2 Esdras 5:38. Master Lord! I answered, who can know this, save only one who does not live among people? 38. Cf. Dan 2:11.

2 Esdras 5:39. And I am foolish, and how can I speak about that which You asked me? 2 Esdras 5:40. Then He said to me: as you cannot accomplish any of what I said, so you cannot perceive my judgments, nor the extent of my love, which I promised to your people. 40. The angel identifies himself with God. Likewise, Ezra himself calls him Master and Lord (5:38) and Creator of the world (5:45). Similar examples appear repeatedly in the Old Testament.

2 Esdras 5:41. But look, Lord, you are near to those who draw near to the end, and what will those who were before me do, or we, or those who will come after us? 41. The author raises the question of how to reconcile the successive change of one generation to another with the simultaneity of judgment for all people. In the Russian translation, in accordance with the Vulgate, the advantage is noted of those who will be living at the end of the world over the contemporary and all past generations (tu prope es his qui in finem sunt). In the manuscripts, the thought is different: tu praees his qui in fine sunt. Volkmar arbitrarily introduces such a meaning: God rules over everything from the beginning to the end of the world, and therefore can answer the question of the fate of mankind. Gunkel’s supposition is more probable, that the word praees represents a translation of the Greek προφθαίνεις (προφθαίνω means to assert, to anticipate, to meet). In this case, the sense becomes as follows: “You meet (with blessings and blessedness) only those who will be alive at the end.” In Judaism there was originally the conviction that the entire people in the person of its final generations would be a participant in the new age. It reflected itself in this case. Later, with greater development of eschatological conceptions, the Kingdom of the Messiah came to be considered the possession of the righteous alone (VI:25; VII:27; XIII:16–24; cf. Luke 2:29-32). The question posed here long occupied the minds and hearts of Jews and early Christians, who awaited the end with impatience. The Apostle Paul resolves it in his first letter to the Thessalonians (IV:13–17).

2 Esdras 5:42. He said to me: I will liken my judgment to a crown; as there is no delaying of the last, so is there no hastening of the first. 42. The judgment will be performed simultaneously over all humanity, over both those who died earlier and the contemporary and subsequent generations. As in a crown, because of its round shape, one cannot find beginning or end, so at the final judgment, people will not differ at all in their fate depending on the time when they lived. According to Kabish’s view (45), this refers to the distribution of crowns to victors at games (cf. 1 Cor 9:24-27). Just as victory crowns are distributed not immediately after each individual competition, but at the conclusion of all games, so the crowns of blessedness will be granted at once to all the righteous. This passage is cited by Ambrose of Milan (De bono mortis, 10): “Anticipating the complaints of people that righteous ones who died earlier would be unjustly deprived of their deserved rewards until the day of judgment comes, Scripture wonderfully says that the day of judgment will be like a crown, since there will be neither the delay of the recently arrived nor the haste of those who came before.” Moreover, it is used by the author of the 34th homily on the Gospel of Matthew, attributed to Chrysostom (Opus imperfectum in Mattaeum Hom. 34). According to Lieke’s opinion (148), the homily belongs to an Arian who lived under Theodosius the Great. It was preserved only in Latin. Here a detailed interpretation of the symbol of the crown is given: “Wishing to show the simultaneity of the calling of all saints and the absence of any difference among them because of time, the prophet Ezra says that all saints in their totality will present as if a crown, for, as in a crown due to its round shape, you will not find where to your eye beginning or end, so among the saints no one is called a beginner or first depending on the time of staying in that age.” Hilgenfeld (Esra und Daniel, 69. Messias Iudaeorum, 52) and Hausrath bring the end of the verse, which speaks of first and last, close to the Gospel of Matthew (XIX:30; XX:16) and allow the possibility of literary dependence of one book on another. But all similarity is limited to individual words. The Gospel prophecy, that the first will be last and the last first, has in mind the rejection of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles. This thought is completely foreign to our author.

2 Esdras 5:43. I answered and said: could you not have united those who were created before, and those who exist, and those who will be, that you might declare your judgment to them more quickly? 43. The Latin text is exactly reproduced in the Slavonic Bible. “Could you not have created at once those who were created before, who live now and who will live?”

2 Esdras 5:44. He answered me: creation cannot hasten the purpose of its Creator, nor can this age contain in itself all together who are to be created. 44. “Creation cannot display greater haste than the Creator.” It is unable, contrary to God’s plans, to hurry with its appearance in the world and its development.

2 Esdras 5:45. And I said: how then have you said to your servant that you gave life to created creation together, and yet creation endured this; therefore those existing now could also endure together. 45. The author refers in the beginning of the verse to the words of the Angel about the final judgment upon which all humanity will stand. The further sense is quite obscure due to the substitution in the Vulgate of future tense for past. Volkmar, defending the Vulgate reading, sees in the first words a reference to the account in the Book of Genesis about creation. But the text of the book provides no grounds for this. According to Volkmar, Bissell, and Lepton, the doctrine of Philo is set out here, that God created all things at once (Cf. Sir 18:1, κοινή). In the manuscripts, it is about the future resurrection of all humanity. “How then have you said to your servant that you will give life at once (in-unum) to the creation created by you? If they will live (viventes vivent) all together (in unum), and creation will be able to bear them on itself (sustinebit), then it is now able to bear on itself all people together (in unum) in their present state (praesentes).” The author continues to defend his thought that the best thing would have been to create all people at once. This would have hastened the judgment, which he awaited so impatiently (Van-der-Olis, Hilgenfeld, 53. 129, Zöckler, 453, and Gunkel, 363).

2 Esdras 5:46. He said to me: ask a woman and say to her, “if you bear ten, why do you bear them at different times?” and ask her to bear all ten at once. 2 Esdras 5:47. I said to Him: it is impossible, but it must happen in time. 2 Esdras 5:48. Then He said to me: even so have I given to the womb of the earth the ability that what is sown on it should grow at the proper time. 2 Esdras 5:49. As an infant cannot produce what belongs to the aged, so I have appointed the age that I created. 49. In its development, the world passes through the same ages as an individual human. “As an infant cannot give birth, and she who has already grown old, so I have distributed the age that I created.”

2 Esdras 5:50. Then I asked Him and said: when you opened to me the way, permit me to say to you: is our mother, about whom you spoke to me, still young, or is she approaching old age? 50. The Slavonic translation expresses the thought that although the world by the time of its existence must be recognized as young, by all other signs it is approaching old age. In Volkmar’s and Zöckler’s opinion, the Angel in the preceding speech gave to understand that the world is still young. This prompts the author to raise the question again about the nearness of the end. However, it is much more natural to see in this verse a question expressed in a disjunctive form. Such a meaning it has in the Syriac, Armenian, and our Russian translation (Hilgenfeld, Fritzsche, Bissell, Bensly, Gunkel). This is the same question that Ezra posed in the previous vision (IV:33), about the time remaining until the advent of the new age. The thought of the world’s decay is found in pagan (Lucretius), Jewish (Philo. De mundi opificio, S. 49) and Christian (Cyprian. Letter to Demetrius) writers. Ambrose (De bono mortis, 10) cites an extensive passage from our book (V:50–55) to explain the diminishment of humanity observed in his time: “Scripture has not concealed why those born in former times are taller in appearance, and those born later are weaker. It compares the offspring of the present age with the womb of a mother; for those born in flourishing youth are stronger, and those born in old age are weaker. From the multitude of those born, the present age has grown old; like the loins of a woman in labor and an aging creature, it loses youthful strength due to the weakening of its forces.”

2 Esdras 5:51. Ask about this the one who bears, and she will tell you. 2 Esdras 5:52. Say to her: “why are those born to you now not like those who were born before, but smaller in stature?” 2 Esdras 5:53. And she will say to you: “some have been born to me in the strength of my youthful power, and others have been born in my old age, when my loins began to lose their strength.” 2 Esdras 5:54. Consider then: you now are smaller in stature than those who were before you; 2 Esdras 5:55. and those who will be born after you will be even smaller than you, as creation, now growing old, and the strength of youth has already passed away. 2 Esdras 5:56. And I said: if I have found favor in your sight, show your servant through whom you visit your creation? 56. From what was said above about God’s final visit to the world, there were no grounds for assuming any mediator between God and people. The special importance that the author attaches to this question suggests that he is here polemicizing against views widespread at his time in Jewish circles, to the effect that the final visit of the world would be carried out through the mediation of the Messiah (Volkmar, 37. Kabish, 48. Gunkel, 337). Volkmar’s supposition that he is struggling here against the Christian preaching of the near coming of the Messiah (Matt 25:31-46, Rom 2:16) is not sufficiently grounded.

Chapter Six

The final visitation of the world by the Creator (1–6). The boundary between the present and future age (7–10). Ezra’s prayer for the revelation to him of further signs of the end (11–12). Signs of the end (13–28). Promise of a new revelation (23–34). Third vision. A new prayer of Ezra for the resolution of doubts arising from the oppression of the chosen people by the Gentiles (35–59).

2 Esdras 6:1. And He said to me: from the beginning of the creation of the circle of the earth and before the limits of the age were established, and before the winds blew; 1. To prove his thought that God will perform the final visitation of the world himself, the author draws a complete analogy between the beginning of the world and its end. Just as in creating the world, the Creator did not resort to anyone’s help, so He will not need a mediator to perform the final judgment on people. The high poetic picture of creation portrayed here is drawn from tradition (cf. Prov 8:24-29; Ps 89:2). In the Slavonic Bible, the sense of the Latin expression exitus saeculi is exactly conveyed as “the exits of the age.” Since further the discourse concerns the winds, it is evident that by age here the sky is understood, with heavenly gates named those openings in the firmament of heaven through which winds blow and stars emerge to accomplish their appointed path. According to the representation of the ancients, each atmospheric phenomenon had a special place in heaven furnished with doors.

2 Esdras 6:2. before the voices of thunder were heard, before the lightning flashed, before the foundations of paradise were established; 2 Esdras 6:3. before the beautiful flowers appeared, before the moving powers were established, and before the innumerable hosts of Angels were assembled; 3. By beautiful flowers, according to the course of speech, are understood the flowers of paradise. According to the mythological representations of the ancients, the flowers of the heavenly garden are the stars scattered across the sky. Since in this section nothing more is said about the stars, despite the author’s attempt to give an exhaustive picture of the universe, it is evident that the flowers refer here to the heavenly lights. Instead of moving powers (motae virtutes, Vulg.) should be read: “powers of movement,” “powers governing movement” (motte virtutes, Lat. Mss.). According to Gunkel, these refer to the angelic powers (αί δυνάμεις των ουρανών, Matt 24:29) in whose jurisdiction the lights are. This view was shared by the pagan world. Sabeism saw in each star a Deity.

2 Esdras 6:4. before the heights of the air rose, before the measures of the firmament were determined, before the fires burned on Zion; 4. The discourse about the fires burning on Zion is taken from the Vulgate (antequam aestuarent camini in Sion). It represents a result of an error, for in the Eastern translations this passage speaks of the establishing of the foundations of Zion. On the basis of manuscripts, Bensly restores the text in such a way: “before Zion was appointed as a footstool” (antequam aestimaretur scabellum Sion). Zion is repeatedly called in the Old Testament a footstool (ύποπόδιον) of God (Ps 98:5; 1 Chr 28:2; Ezek 43:7; Lam 2:1). Hilgenfeld, Bissell, and Zöckler propose to read aediticaretur instead of aestimaretur, applying this passage to the settlement of Mount Zion. But the author could in no way have placed, alongside phenomena preceding the creation of the world, an event that took place many years later. “Before the present years were reckoned, and the assaults of those who now sin were rejected, and those who gather treasure of faith were sealed.”

2 Esdras 6:5. before the ages were examined, and the sinners separated, and those who kept faith sealed as a treasure: 5. Before the creation of the world, God determined with unusual precision all the stages in its development. Therefore the assaults of sinners cannot pass the boundary set for them; they will be rejected. The Apocalypse speaks of seals placed on the foreheads of God’s servants (VII:2–8).

2 Esdras 6:6. then I considered, and all things were created by me alone, and not through another; the end also shall proceed from me, and not from another. 6. Gunkel draws attention to the fact that the author speaks not of creative word, but of creative thought, and sees here evidence of a more exalted understanding of God’s creative activity. The end of the world will be similar to the beginning. As at creation God acted alone, so at the end of the world He will act himself, not resorting to anyone else. The coming of the Messiah is not excluded at all here. But for the author, it is merely one of the phenomena preceding the end of the world. The concluding moment in world history will occur apart from the Messiah.

2 Esdras 6:7. Then I answered: what division of times is there, and when will be the end of the first and the beginning of the last? 2 Esdras 6:8. From Abraham to Isaac, when from him were born Jacob and Esau, Jacob’s hand held from the beginning the heel of Esau. 2 Esdras 6:9. The end of this age is Esau, and the beginning of the following is Jacob. 2 Esdras 6:10. The hand of man is his beginning, and the end is his heel. Do not ask me about anything else, Ezra. 7–10. The boundary between the present and future age drawn here is distinguished by a half-mysterious character, only slightly lifting the veil of mystery over the last days of the world (cf. Gal 4:21-31). It is considerably softened in the Latin translation and even more so in the printed text of the Vulgate. The Angel’s discourse on the division of times in unaltered form is preserved in the Syriac text: “From Abraham to the offspring of Abraham (ab Abraham usque ad generatorionem Abrahami), for from him Jacob and Esau were born, and the hand of Jacob from the beginning held the heel of Esau. The heel of the first age is Esau, and the hand of the second is Jacob, for the beginning of man is his hand, and the end of man is his heel. Between the heel and the hand do not seek anything else, Ezra!” (Cf. Eth., Ar. 1, 2). The Arabic translation explains why the present and future age are compared with the heel and hand of man: “And behold, the heel and the hand are joined together.” In the Latin translation, the symbols of heel and hand are interpreted, resulting in the thought that Esau will be the end of the present age and Jacob the beginning of the future. The task of the author was to show that between the present and the coming age there will be no gap: the second will immediately follow the first. For this he uses three comparisons. By the first, the author, in Volkmar’s opinion (41), wishes to say that the image of the end is drawn in the early history of the chosen people. There is no break in the succession of generations. Abraham is followed by his descendant, followed by Esau and Jacob, and so on. Kabish (43–50) explains the comparison even more simply: the transition from the present age to the future will occur just as the appearance of each new generation in the chosen people occurs, without the participation of foreign blood. Zöckler (454) understands the comparison in application to the further words in the sense that the future age will follow immediately after the present, just as two grandsons of Abraham were born to Isaac while the grandfather was still alive. In the circumstances of the birth of Esau and Jacob (Gen 25:26), the author sees a complete analogy with the change of the present age by a new one. Besides historical examples, he refers to the structure of the human organism. In it is noticed a close connection between the lower extremity of man—the heel, and the hand, which in the vertical position constitutes the upper extremity of the body. In the Latin manuscripts, the Angel’s answer begins with an incomprehensible expression: “from Abraham to Abraham (ab Abraham usque ad Abraham).” It is explained by the fact that in the Greek text stood από τού Αβραάμ έπί τόν τού Αβραάμ (Volkmar) or έπί τόν τού Αβραάμ (Hilgenfeld). The Greek article was left untranslated. In the Vulgate, in accordance with the context, a correction has been made: “From Abraham to Isaac.” The sense of the concluding words of the Angel is no less obscure, where apparently there is an omission: “the hand of man between the heel and the hand; ask me not about anything else, Ezra.” Volkmar (41) and Bissell (649) understand by the hand of man the reign of Nerva, falling in the interval between neighboring descendants of the Herodian dynasty of Idumean origin and the advent of the rule of Jacob. But such an understanding is too arbitrary. Hilgenfeld (Esra und Daniel, 21. Messias Judaeorum, 134) reads membra instead of manus, but this unjustified correction only complicates the elements comprising the comparisons. Therefore, most researchers speak in favor of the authenticity of the Syriac recension. Gunkel assumes here only incorrect punctuation in the translation of the Greek phrase: μεταξύ πτέρνης καί χειρός ούδέν άλλο ώήτει Ἐζρα. The angel points out that “between the heel and the hand, there is nothing else,” that would not be part of the human organism, and calls Ezra to understanding: “understand, Ezra” (cf. Mark 13:14; Matt 24:15). By all his comparisons, the author wishes to express the thought that the new age will follow the present on its heels. The coming age is named the age of Jacob because the Messiah, a descendant of Jacob, will reign in it. In the opinion of most researchers, through the symbol of Esau, the writer of the book depicts the contemporary political situation of the Jews. Hilgenfeld (Judischs Apokalyptik 195); (Esra und Daniel. 22–23; Messias Judaeorum, 55), Gutschmid, Volkmar (41, 361–362), and Wieseler (278) see here an allusion to the Herodian dynasty of Idumean origin, which ruled Palestine. The first two researchers attribute the origin of the book to the reign of Herod the Great; the others to the reign of the last offspring of the Herodian house, Herod Agrippa. Through his sister Berenice, who was the mistress of Titus, Herod Agrippa concentrated in his person a rather extensive power over Palestine. However, the Herodian dynasty never played in the eyes of the Jews such a great world role as to be designated by the name of the earthly age. These were merely obedient servants of Rome, servilely carrying out all the desires of the Roman Caesars. Therefore, it is much more just to see in Esau or Edom the symbol of Rome, whose power at the moment of the book’s appearance seized the entire universe. This understanding is held by Eiler (Herzog. Real–Encyklopedie, 2 Aufl., K, 660), Ewald, Langen (125–126), Wellhausen (245), Gunkel (365), Schürer (320–321), and Lagrange (490). Among the rabbis, Rome was often called Edom. In blessed Jerome, there is noted the fervor with which the Jews applied all passages of the Bible about Edom to Rome: “Some of the Jews read rumah instead of dumah, wishing to apply the prophecy to the Romans because of the false belief that by the name of Idumea, the Romans are always meant” (Comment. ad Jesajam, XXI, 11–12). Such an interpretation penetrated into the New Testament literature (Origen, Tertullian, Ambrose, Gregory the Great, Augustine, Isidore of Seville, Ephrem the Syrian, and Jacob of Edessa). It should be noted that the boundary drawn by the author between the old and new age is not firm. Here, apparently, the reign of the Messiah, a descendant of Jacob, marks the beginning of the coming age. Below, in the third vision (VII:29), it is referred to the present age. The difference is explained by the fact that the author made extensive use of folk traditions, where the coming of the Messiah was regarded sometimes as the concluding moment in the development of the present age, sometimes as the beginning of the future.

2 Esdras 6:11. And I answered and said to Him: O Master Lord! if I have found favor in your sight, 2 Esdras 6:12. I ask you to show your servant the end of your signs, which you partly showed me in the night past. 2 Esdras 6:13. He answered me and said: rise on your feet, and hear a voice full of sound, 13. The sonorous voice, reminiscent of the sound of many waters (Ezek 1:24); (Rev 1:15), belongs to God. In this detail one cannot fail to notice the influence of Jewish teaching about bath–qol (daughter of voice). Postexilic Judaism taught that God’s voice in its immediate form cannot be perceived by man. It is replaced only by an echo that reaches the earth and is called the daughter of voice (Hamburger, II, 92–95 Weber. System der altsynagoglichen Theologie, 188–189).

2 Esdras 6:14. and it shall be as if an earthquake; but the place where you stand shall not be shaken. 2 Esdras 6:15. Therefore, when he speaks, do not be afraid; for concerning the end there will be a word, and the foundations of the earth shall be understood. 2 Esdras 6:16. And as the discourse is about them themselves, the earth will tremble and quake, for it knows that the end of them must be changed. 14–16. The text of the Vulgate should be corrected. “And if the place where you stand will shake greatly while He is speaking, do not be afraid.” The present reading arose from incorrect division of the words commotione commovebitur.

2 Esdras 6:17. And it was, when I heard the voice, I rose on my feet, and heard, and behold a voice speaking, and its sound was like the sound of many waters, 2 Esdras 6:18. and he said: behold, the days are coming when I shall begin to draw near to visit those who dwell on the earth, 2 Esdras 6:19. when I shall begin to require of those who have done wrong through their injustice, when the measure of the humiliation of Zion shall be filled. 2 Esdras 6:20. And when the age is marked, behold the signs which I will show: the books will open before the face of the firmament, and all will see together; 20. The age will be sealed (supersignabitur). The comparison is taken from a written document, in which the affixing of a seal constitutes the concluding act. The opening of books among other signs of the end is mentioned by the prophet Daniel (VII:10) and in the Apocalypse (V:1). Gunkel attaches to these books the same significance that the book sealed with seven seals has in the hand of Him that sits on the throne. The books visible in heaven for all announce various kinds of scourges about to fall upon mankind. Kabish understands here books in which are recorded the good and evil deeds of people. By them God will judge people at the final visitation of the world.

2 Esdras 6:21. and one-year-old infants will speak with their voices, and pregnant women will give birth to premature children in three and four months, and they will remain alive and grow strong; 21. In the previous vision, already extraordinary phenomena in the realm of childbearing were noted as harbingers of the approaching end. Women will give birth in the third or fourth month of pregnancy. Nevertheless, the children will live. Their development will proceed at rapid pace: one-year-old children will speak like adults. This anomaly depends on the fact that before the beginning of the judgment, all souls dwelling in storehouses must leave them. The rapidity of development is calculated to enable all to answer at the judgment for their free acts, not unconscious deeds.

2 Esdras 6:22. the sown fields will suddenly appear as unsown, and the full storehouses will prove empty; 2 Esdras 6:23. then a trumpet will sound with a loud noise, and when all hear it, they will suddenly be afraid. 23. The trumpet sound announces the danger threatening the world (cf. Amos 3:6; Matt 24:31; 1 Cor 15:52; 1 Thess 4:16).

2 Esdras 6:24. And it shall come to pass at that time, friends will make war one against another like enemies, and the earth will be in terror with those who dwell on it, and the springs of the fountains will stop and fail to flow for three hours. 24. Cf. V:9. Three hours represent an apocalyptic designation of the period during which evil will reign on the earth.

2 Esdras 6:25. Whoever shall remain alive after all this that I have foretold to you will himself be saved, and will see my salvation and the end of your age. 25. The blessings of the future age constitute the possession of the righteous alone. All sinners by this time will be destroyed. Only the righteous will come through all trials unharmed (VII:28; IX:8; XIII:16–24; 1 Thess 4:15).

2 Esdras 6:26. And men shall see those chosen whom I did not taste death from their birth, and the heart of those who dwell will change and turn into another sense. 26. “And they will see people who were taken up (qui recepti sunt homines) and who have not tasted death from their birth.” These refer to Enoch (Gen 5:24; Sir 44:15, Heb 11:5), Elijah (2 Kgs 2:10-11, Sir 48:9, cf. Wis 4:11), Moses, Ezra himself (3 Ezra 1:4), and other righteous persons whose advent was awaited before the end of the world. Their fervent preaching will produce a radical change in the hearts of people (cf. Mal 4:5-6).

2 Esdras 6:27. For evil shall be destroyed, and deceit shall vanish; 2 Esdras 6:28. faith will flourish, corruption shall be overcome, and truth shall appear, which has remained barren for so long. 2 Esdras 6:29. When He spoke, I looked upon the one before whom I stood. 29. The text of the Vulgate, like verse 14, requires correction. “And while He spoke with me, behold the place where I stood gradually began to shake.”

2 Esdras 6:30. And he said to me: I came to show you the time of the coming night. 30. In complete form, this verse has the following sense. “I will come (veni) to show you this in the future night. So if you again pray and again fast for seven days, then I will tell you even more during the day.” The angel has in view the third and fourth visions. Revelation granted in the daytime, in the author’s eyes, is a higher stage compared to the usual nightly visions. In the Latin text, past tense is used for the revelations about to be made, as a sign that the Angel’s words will certainly be fulfilled.

2 Esdras 6:31. So if you pray again and fast again for seven days, I will show you more on the day when I heard you. 2 Esdras 6:32. Your voice has been heard before the Most High; the Mighty has seen your righteous action, and has seen also the purity which you have kept since your youth. 32. In the Latin text, instead of righteous action, there is discourse about righteousness (directionem).

2 Esdras 6:33. Therefore He has sent me to show you all this and to tell you: trust and do not fear; 2 Esdras 6:34. do not be hasty in your thoughts about the first times, that you may not be hasty in your judgment about the times of the end. 34. In Gunkel’s opinion, a folk proverb is quoted here. Its sense is rather obscure (Et noli festinare in prioribus temporibus cogitare vana, ut non properes in novissimis temporibus). Volkmar sees here a call that the author should not thoughtlessly indulge in idle musings, similar to the present age, but at the same time not too impatiently await the new age. Gunkel supposes that the words ut non properes represent a translation of the Greek μή σπεύσης. The verb σπεύδω in the LXX is often used in the sense of “to come in fear,” “to be afraid.” The Angel warns Ezra against excessive fascination with reasonings, pointing to the possible danger of losing blessedness thereby: “Do not eagerly surrender yourself to idle thoughts that revolve around the past age, so that you do not experience fear in the last time.”

2 Esdras 6:35. After this I again prayed with tears and also fasted for seven days, to complete the three weeks that were commanded me. 35. Before this there was no discourse about whether the author was commanded to fast for three weeks. It is noted only that he fasted according to the will of the Angel seven days before the second (V:13, 20–21) and third visions (VI:35). Since three sevens of fasting were completed by the beginning of the third vision, it must be presumed that similar preparations took place before the first vision. The silence about them is explained by the fact that the author’s attention was concentrated not on the outward setting, but on the philosophical problem he attempted to resolve. Already Fabricius was struck by the similarity of this passage with the Book of the Prophet Daniel (X:2), which the author imitates in many cases. Daniel fasts three weeks before his main vision, not eating bread or meat or wine. Volkmar and Ewald recognize in these words a reference to the Book of Daniel, for in God’s commandment to Daniel, the writer of our book saw an injunction addressed to himself as well. The Bible at that time was looked upon as God’s word addressed not only to a certain person, but to each reader individually. Against such an understanding speaks the independence that the author demonstrates in relation to his model: he divides the three-week fast preceding Daniel’s vision into three fasts of one week each before each of the first three visions.

2 Esdras 6:36. And on the eighth night my heart was moved again, and I began to speak before the Most High, 2 Esdras 6:37. for my spirit was greatly kindled, and my soul was in anguish. 2 Esdras 6:38. And I said: Lord! You spoke from the beginning of creation; in the first day you said: “let there be heaven and earth,” and your word was a finished deed. 38. Cf. Gen 1:1-3. The creative word “let there be” is here referred to the beginning of heaven and earth. This word was immediately fulfilled: it produced its effect. “And your word brought (perfecit) about the deed.”

2 Esdras 6:39. Then the Spirit hovered, and darkness encompassed round about and silence; and there was no sound of human voice yet. 39. Gen 1:2. “There was no sound of human voice according to your will” (abs te). God is considered the Creator of the human voice: He guides man in naming the beasts (Gen 2:19-20)

2 Esdras 6:40. Then you commanded from your treasures to come forth abundant light, that your work might be made manifest. 40. Light exists before the creation of the world. It is part of the Divine Essence. On earth, one can see only a meager part of this light; the other constitutes the possession of that world, whose creation preceded the earth.

2 Esdras 6:41. On the second day you created the spirit of the firmament and commanded it to divide and make a separation between the waters, so that one part should rise upward and the other part remain below. 41. Ambrose identifies the spirit of the firmament with the Holy Spirit (De Spiritu Sancto, II, 7). Ezra teaches us that the Spirit is created, saying in the third book: “And on the second day you created the spirit of the firmament.” But there are no grounds for such understanding. Earlier (39), discourse was already about the Spirit hovering at the beginning of creation. It is undoubtedly understood as the Spirit of God, the organ of Divine revelation. Postexilic Judaism was convinced that God’s command could be addressed only to a rational being. Thus arose the representation of the Spirit of the firmament, i.e., an Angel standing at the head of the celestial vault (cf. Gen 1:6).

2 Esdras 6:42. On the third day You commanded the waters to gather together on the seventh part of the earth, and You dried up the six parts in order that they might serve before You for sowing and working. 42. The teaching that the world is divided into seven parts, of which water occupies one part and the rest is dry land, was taken by the author from the cosmological beliefs of his time. It is encountered in the mythology of the Hindus and Persians. Greek mathematical scholars accept it (Clement of Rome, Recognitiones, IX, 26). According to the views of Aristotle, Seneca, and Pliny the Younger, the sea occupies a small part compared to the dry land. The division of the earth into seven parts is a characteristic feature of Judaism. According to the views of the rabbis, paradise and hell are likewise divided into the same number of parts (Gfrorer, II, 43). In connection with the view of the relationship between dry land and sea stands the mystical meaning which Philo connected with the number one and six. In his conviction, six is the first perfect number after one. According to these numbers everything is accomplished, both the measure of the dry land and the measure of the sea. Ptolemy’s theory, which taught that only the sixth part of the earth is habitable and the remaining space is covered by water, for some time displaced the previous views, but in the Middle Ages they emerged again. Roger Bacon (Opus Majus) recognizes this view as divinely revealed. Relying on the prophetic book of Ezra, Christopher Columbus argued that the ocean occupies a limited part of space (Lucke, 167–168; Volkmar, 49; Hilgenfeld Judische Apokatyptik, 229; Gunkel, 367).

2 Esdras 6:43. Your word went out, and at once the work appeared; 2 Esdras 6:44. and suddenly there appeared an immeasurable abundance of fruits and many different delights for the taste, flowers with their appearance unchanged, with fragrance inexpressibly sweet: all this was accomplished on the third day. 44. In the manuscript text, there is mention of flowers with an inimitable coloring (colore inimitabiles).

2 Esdras 6:45. On the fourth day You commanded there to be the light of the sun, the light of the moon, and the arrangement of the stars 2 Esdras 6:46. and commanded that they should serve the man who was to be created. 45–46. See Gen 1:14. The author puts forward the servant role of the stars in the first place, since he knows that the pagan world worships them as gods.

2 Esdras 6:47. On the fifth day You said to the seventh part, where the water was gathered, to bring forth living creatures, birds and fish, which it did. 2 Esdras 6:48. The mute and lifeless water, at God’s command, brought forth living creatures so that all kinds might declare Your wonderful works. 47–48. Gen 1:20-22.

2 Esdras 6:49. Then You preserved two creatures: one was called Behemoth, and the other Leviathan. 2 Esdras 6:50. And You separated them from each other, because the seventh part, where the water was gathered, could not hold them together. 2 Esdras 6:51. To Behemoth You gave one part of the dry land that had been dried on the third day, that it might dwell in it, wherein are thousands of mountains. 2 Esdras 6:52. To Leviathan You gave the seventh, the watery part, and You preserved him that he should be food for whom You will, and when You will. 49–52. In the Vulgate and the Slavonic Bible, Behemoth is erroneously named Enoch. The legend of two gigantic creatures—Behemoth and Leviathan, created by God on the fifth day—arose in Judaism as a result of misinterpreting the words of the Author of Genesis: μεγάλα (Gen 1:21). The Jerusalem Targum explains them thus: “On the fifth day God created mighty water monsters—Leviathan and his mate—which are preserved for the day of consolation.” The Wisdom of Isaiah calls them indifferently Leviathans (XXVII:1). Behemoth and Leviathan are clearly distinguished in the book of Job (XL:10; XLI:26). In all the legends that formed about Behemoth and Leviathan in the post-exilic period, there is reflected amazement at their extraordinary size and strength. Gunkel sees here an echo of ancient mythological ideas of the ocean. Originally, the water element was designated for both Behemoth and Leviathan, but since the seventh part of all the earth, occupied by water, could not contain them, God separated them from each other. Behemoth lives on land, Leviathan in the waters. Behemoth is otherwise called a wild ox, which lies on a thousand mountains (Ps 49:10). Daily it destroys all vegetation on them, but at night the grass grows again as if it had not been touched at all, according to Scripture (Job 40:15): “the mountains bring him food.” This ox is destined for the sumptuous feast of the righteous, and therefore it is said of him: “He who created him brought his sword against him” (Job 40:14). In other places of the Talmud, the sensual character of the feast awaiting the righteous in the future life is described even more sharply. The gigantic creatures created by God on the fifth day were dangerous for the existence of the world. If they had begun to multiply, they would have laid waste the entire world. For this reason, God emasculated the male and killed the female, and salted her meat for the future solemn feast by which the righteous will greet the coming of the Messiah (Laurence. Gfrorer. Prophetae Veteres Pseudepigraph, 160. Hilgenfeld. Messias Jedaeorum, 60; Judische Apokalyptik, 178, 230. Volkmar, 51, Gfrorer. Geschichte des Urchristenthus, II, 32–35. Gunkel, 368).

2 Esdras 6:53. On the sixth day You commanded the earth to bring forth before You cattle, beasts, and creeping things; 53. Gen 1:24-25.

2 Esdras 6:54. and after them You created Adam, whom You made ruler over all Your creatures, and from him all of us are descended—the people whom You have chosen. 54. Gen 1:26.

2 Esdras 6:55. All this I have said before You, O Lord, because You created this age for us. 55. 3 Esdras VI:59; VII:11; Rom 4:13. The ideals of ancient Israel did not go beyond Canaan; post-exilic Judaism already dreamed of dominion over the whole world.

2 Esdras 6:56. But concerning the other nations that descend from Adam, You have said they are nothing; they are like spittle, and You have likened the multitude of them to drops falling from a vessel. 56. The comparison of other nations to drops falling from a bucket, and of their multitude to dust on a scale, is found in the prophet Isaiah (XL:15, 17). Here this view of the pagan world is expressed only with even greater sharpness.

2 Esdras 6:57. And now, O Lord, behold, these nations, which are accounted as nothing, have begun to rule over us, and they devour us. 2 Esdras 6:58. We, Your people, whom You called Your firstborn, Your only-begotten, Your beloved, have been delivered into their hands. 58. The firstborn people of Israel is called in the Psaltery (LXXXVIII:28). The author points out, in an increasingly rising order, the advantages which Israel possesses before other nations. In the Latin text he is called also a zealot of God (aemulatorem). In Gunkel’s opinion this expression represents an inexact translation of the Greek ζηλωτός. The meaning here is about God’s relationship to His people, not the reverse. The Lord calls Himself a zealot (Exod 34:14) to denote the close bonds of love binding Him to Israel. The author of the prophetic book of Ezra notes that his native people was the object of God’s most ardent love, united with zealousness.

2 Esdras 6:59. If this age has been created for us, why do we not possess an inheritance along with the age? And how long will this be so?

Chapter Seven

The necessity of sufferings on earth as a transitional step toward future blessings (1–16). The deservedness of the torments of sinners (17–25). The last judgment upon the world (26–44 according to the Bensly edition). The fewness of those who are saved and their special value in God’s eyes (45–61). The responsibility of rational beings for their deeds and, as a consequence of this, the righteousness of torments in the future life (62–74). Seven stages of torment for sinners (75–87) and seven stages of blessedness for the righteous (88–101). The ineffectiveness of the intercession of the righteous for sinners at the last judgment (102–115). Life as a struggle, the outcome of which depends on man’s free choice (116–131). The compatibility of the condemnation of sinners with God’s mercy (132–139).

2 Esdras 7:1. When I had finished speaking these words, the angel who had been sent to me on the previous nights was sent to me again, 2 Esdras 7:2. and said to me: Rise, Ezra, and hear the words that I have come to speak to you. 2 Esdras 7:3. I said: Speak, my lord. And he said to me: The sea is set in a wide place so as to be deep and vast; 2 Esdras 7:4. but its entrance is set in a narrow place, so that it is like rivers. 2 Esdras 7:5. If anyone should wish to go into the sea to view it or to rule over it, then if he does not pass through the narrowness, how can he come to the breadth? 2 Esdras 7:6. Or consider another example: a city is built and set on a plain, and it is full of all good things; 2 Esdras 7:7. but its entrance is narrow and set in a steep place, so that on the right there is fire and on the left deep water. 2 Esdras 7:8. Between them, that is, between the fire and the water, there is only a single path, which is wide enough for only one step of a man. 2 Esdras 7:9. If this city were given as an inheritance to someone, how would he obtain his inheritance unless he had passed through the danger lying in the way? 3–9. The present world, full of sorrows and deprivations, represents an inevitable transitional stage toward the blessings of the future age. To illustrate his thought, the author offers several similitudes: he compares the future age to a boundless sea, access to which is possible only through a narrow strait, and also to a well-built and strongly fortified city, which one can enter only through a narrow path, on one side of which a flood rushes forth, and on the other fire (cf. Matt 7:13-14).

2 Esdras 7:10. I said: So it is, O Lord. And He said to me: Such is also the portion of Israel. 2 Esdras 7:11. For them I have created the age; but when Adam violated My commandments, it was determined that what had been created should be condemned. 11. Because of Adam’s violation of God’s commandments, “it was determined that what was created should be condemned” (judicatum est quod factum est). The Apostle Paul speaks of the condemnation of all creation for the sins of the ancestors (Rom 8:20; cf. III:17).

2 Esdras 7:12. And the entrances of this age became narrow, mournful, toil-filled, and also strait, deceitful, full of miseries, and requiring great labor. 2 Esdras 7:13. But the entrances of the future age are broad, safe, and bring forth the fruit of immortality. 12–13. The meaning of the Latin text is rather obscure and hardly connects with the previous comparisons, where the narrowness of the entrance leading to the blessings of the future age is emphasized. In one of the Arabic translation recensions (ar. 2), the present age is recognized as a difficult entrance into the future age. In the Ethiopian translation, in both cases the discourse is not about entrances, but about the ways of life in the broad sense of the word. Here the present life, full of grievances and constrictions at every step, is opposed to the future life, where human personality is given full scope to manifest itself and where all dangers are eliminated.

2 Esdras 7:14. Therefore, if those who live do not enter through this narrow and sorrowful path, they cannot obtain what has been prepared. 2 Esdras 7:15. Why then are you troubled, since you are mortal, and why are you upset, since you are subject to death? 15. Ezra should not grieve because he is mortal and should not be distressed because he is subject to death. This is merely an inevitable transitional stage toward a glorious future.

2 Esdras 7:16. Why have you not taken to heart the things that are to come, and why have you received only the things of the present? 2 Esdras 7:17. I answered and said: O sovereign Lord! Behold, You have determined by Your law that the righteous shall inherit this, but the wicked shall perish. 17. The inheritance of the future age by the righteous and the destruction of the wicked are promised in Deuteronomy (VIII:1, 19–20).

2 Esdras 7:18. The righteous endure the narrowness, hoping for the breadth; but the wicked, though they too have endured the narrowness, have not seen the breadth. 18. The sufferings that befall the righteous are softened by the hope of blessings awaiting them in the future life. But all people suffer on earth. The fate of sinners in this life is thus even more sorrowful, since no hope of relief in the world beyond the grave warms their soul.

2 Esdras 7:19. And He said to me: There is no judge above God, and none who understands more than the Most High. 2 Esdras 7:20. Many perish in this life because they neglect the law of God set before them. 20. “Let many rather perish among the living than that the law of God, set before them, should be neglected” (Bensly).

2 Esdras 7:21. For God strictly commanded those who came that if they did what they were told, they would live; and if they kept the commandments, they would not be punished. 2 Esdras 7:22. But they did not obey Him and resisted Him, and established in themselves vain thoughts. 2 Esdras 7:23. They were seduced by sinful deceptions, said that the Most High does not exist, did not know His ways, 2 Esdras 7:24. despised His law, rejected His promises, did not believe His ordinances, and did not perform His works. 22–24. The author tries to thoroughly explain what the transgression of sinners consists of. They not only disobey the law, but also resist it, despise it, make their own lawlessness into a law, deny the existence of God (Ps 13:1), do not keep His commandments. It is hardly fair to apply this passage to all sinners in general, but only to certain parties known for their impiety among Judaism itself, such as the Sadducees (Gutschmid), or to attribute it to Christians (Nowack) or pagans (Kabish).

2 Esdras 7:25. And therefore, Ezra, what is empty for the empty, what is full is for the full. 25. See Jer 2:5. Those who are poor in good works on earth await scantiness in the blessings of the future age, while those who abound in good works will receive a like abundance of blessings in the future life. In its form, the author’s saying closely approaches the Gospel prediction about the future fate of men: “To everyone who has, more will be given and he will have an abundance; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Matt 13:12).

2 Esdras 7:26. Behold, the time will come when the signs which I have foretold to you will come, and the bride will appear, and appearing will show—she who is now hidden by the earth. 26. The author depicts the future judgment upon the world. In the Vulgate text it speaks of the appearance of the bride, hidden by the earth (et apparebit sponsa, et apparescens ostendetur quae nunc subducuitur terra). The image of a bride is applied in the Apocalypse to the New Testament church (XXI:9). Since in the author’s words, a stranger to Christianity, it is unnatural, preference should be given to the Eastern translations—Armenian, Arabic, and Ethiopian, where instead it is predicted that with the coming of the future age “the city which is invisible now will be revealed.” This refers to the heavenly Jerusalem. It is spoken of below in this same vision (VIII:52) and in the following (IX-X ch.). According to the beliefs of the rabbis, the land of Israel will be so insignificant in extent in the last days that no inhabitant will be able to be placed on it. With the coming of the Messiah it will seize the whole world (Corrodi, 200). The mention of the bride arose from a misreading of the Greek text, where, probably, the expression was used: καί φανησεται ή νύν μή φαινομένη πόλις. Instead of νύν μή, it was mistakenly read as νύμφη and understood in application to the Apocalypse.

2 Esdras 7:27. And whoever escapes from the evils I have enumerated will see My wonders. 2 Esdras 7:28. For My Son Jesus will be revealed with those who are with Him, and those who remain will rejoice for four hundred years. 28. The Latin text should be corrected. The naming of the Son of God as Jesus represents a Christian correction, refuted by all Eastern translations, where the usual designation of the Messiah found in the Old Testament is used (Ps 2:2; Dan 9:25-26). It arose before the fourth century: Ambrose of Milan cited this passage as proof that the name Jesus was given to the Savior long before birth by the Father Himself. “Our Lord Jesus received His name before His birth, and it was bestowed not by an angel but by the Father. For He says: My Son Jesus will be revealed together with those who will be blessed with Him, who will remain for 400 years. After the lapse of these years My Son Christ will die, and the age will pass away. Do you see that the angels proclaim what they heard, and did not seize it willfully” (Comment. in Luc. I, 60). The Old Testament righteous, who have not tasted death, will appear with the Messiah. According to the Talmud, He dwells in paradise with Enoch, Elijah, and Moses. Each lives in a separate dwelling. The teaching about the coming of Christ with all the saints is encountered in the Apostle Paul (1 Thess 3:13; cf. 2 Thess 1:7). The idea of a four-hundred-year Kingdom of the Messiah on earth has its foundation in the narrative of the Author of Genesis about the Egyptian captivity. In God’s conversation with Abraham (Gen 15:13), its duration is determined to be 400 years. On the basis of Psalm 89 (verse 15), the rabbis drew a complete parallel between the time when God smote Israel with various calamities and the time of the future triumph of the people of God (Gfrorer II, 252–253). In the Apocalypse, the Kingdom of the Messiah covers 1,000 years (XX:2, 7). Chiliasm arose as a fruit of the striving to reconcile the earlier purely sensual conception of the kingdom of the Messiah with the newer more spiritual view, in which the transcendental aspect predominated. The teaching of the prophetic book of Ezra about the Messiah is distinguished by duality: He is represented now as a heavenly, now as an earthly being. In view of this, equally unjust are both the attempts to represent the Messiah as a mere man, endowed only with extraordinary power (Vizer, Smirnov, Glubokovskii), and the striving to consider Him exclusively a supernatural being, for the sake of which passages are sacrificed where His human origin is mentioned. The Messiah is given various names in this book. Most often He bears the name of the Son of God, but since the conversation about Him is conducted by Ezra’s interlocutor, identified with God Himself, it is found in the form “My Son” (VII:28–29; XIII:32; XIV:9). Hamburger (II, 753) places this designation in connection with the mystical teaching about the pre-existence of the Messiah, seeing in it an indication of the supernatural character of His personality. But it is hardly possible to give it a New Testament meaning. The very fact that it is not the author himself but the Most High who calls the Messiah the Son of God makes one doubt that a special meaning is connected with it (Smirnov. 309–312. Posnov. Judaism, 205). Usually in Old Testament writing it indicates only outward adoption: thus, the entire Hebrew people God calls His son (Exod 4:22). In the same sense, it is applied in non-canonical (Wis 2:3) and apocryphal literature to Old Testament righteous men. In the Ethiopian text, instead of this the Messiah is called the Servant of God (puer meus, V:30, corresponds to lat. VII:29). The word puer represents a translation of the Greek παις. Stauffer (Les idees religieuses en Palestine, 129), Langen (458), and Smirnov (310) argue that the Messiah is called in all places of the book the Son of God in precisely this sense. But there is no basis for such an assumption. The Servant of God, of whom Isaiah prophesied, was not at all the Messiah whom Pseudo-Ezra expected. There is nowhere in his book any mention of the sufferings of the Messiah. The Son of God dies according to the law of all flesh. His violent death would be completely incomprehensible after He had destroyed all His enemies (XIII:2–4, 9–11, 32–38). The name Messiah is ascribed to the future Deliverer in the Psaltery (II:2) and by the prophet Daniel (IX:25–26), as the ideal king of God’s people, endowed with the highest gracious gifts and powers. On the basis of the book of the prophet Daniel (VII:13), the Messiah is depicted as a man coming with the clouds (XIII:2–3; cf. Rev 1:7), whom the Most High keeps for many times for the deliverance of His people (XIII:26). He dwells in heaven with Old Testament righteous men, who have not tasted death (VII:26). Next to this, names are ascribed to the Messiah that leave no doubt whatever as to His earthly origin. He is called a lion (XI:37; XII:1, 31–32), of whom the dying Jacob prophesied in his blessing to Judah (Gen 49:9; cf. Rev 5:5). Affirming that the beginning of the future age will be Jacob (VI:9), the author was certainly alluding to the Messiah as a descendant of Jacob. In all Eastern translations, the Messiah, or the Anointed One (Unctus), is said to have origin from the seed of David (XII:32). The authenticity of this passage cannot be denied, as Hilgenfeld does, since the designation of the Messiah as a descendant of David constitutes a common phenomenon in apocalyptic and Talmudic writing (Smirnov, 300–302. Hamburger, 739). The opinion of Vernes (Vernes. Histoire des idees mesianiques depuis Alexandre jusqu a l’empereur Adrien. P. 134–137) and Smirnov (300–306), that the expression “Son of David” did not carry the thought of the Messiah’s descent from the seed of David, since the very house of David had become extinct by this time, contradicts Gospel history. The Gospels testify that the Pharisees expected precisely the Son of David (Matt 21:41-42; John 7:41-42; Acts 2:22-30; Rom 1:3; 2 Tim 2:8; Rev 22:16; cf. Matt 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38). Speaking of the coming of the Messiah, the author uses the expression: “My Son Messiah will be revealed” (VII:28). In De Faye’s opinion (De Faye. Les apocalypses juives. 126–127), revelation (revelatio) means not only the appearance of the Messiah to the people, or His entry into public service, but a transition from one sphere of being to another. To be revealed, in application to the Messiah, means to come out of the invisible world in order to enter the visible one. The pre-existence of the Messiah is presupposed in those passages of the prophetic book of Ezra where it is said that the Most High keeps Him for many times (XIII:26) or will preserve Him until the end (XII:32). Some scholars, including Smirnov, see here an echo of the Talmudic teaching about the so-called hidden state of the Messiah. This teaching attempted to reconcile the sudden appearance of the Messiah from heaven with His fleshly origin. The Jews believed that the Messiah at birth would remain in complete obscurity until His entry into service to the people. According to Talmudic belief, the Messiah was carried away by a whirlwind while still a nursing child. St. Justin Martyr in his “Dialogue with Trypho” reproduces the views of Judaism contemporary with him. “If Christ was born and exists somewhere, he continues to remain unknown and does not even realize His true purpose himself, having no power until Elijah comes, who will anoint Him and make Him manifest to all.” In regard to the origin of Jesus from Nazareth, the Jews expressed bewilderment: “concerning this we know where He is from; but when the Christ comes, no one will know where He is from” (John 7:27). But it is unjust to see in the prophetic book of Ezra only the Talmudic teaching about the hidden state of the Messiah. The Messiah is depicted here by such features as clearly show in Him not an earthly, but a heavenly being. The teaching about the Messiah as a supernatural being having pre-eternal existence is expressed in it with sufficient definiteness, although not placed in organic connection with the representation of Him as a descendant of David. This duality runs like a red thread through all the dogmatic teaching of post-exilic Judaism. The contradiction was eliminated only by the Christian dogma of the incarnation, which was foreign to the author of the 3rd book of Ezra.

2 Esdras 7:29. But after these years My Son Christ will die, and all who draw the breath of life. 29. The Messiah, as a man, is subject to the law of death. His death has no relation to the Christian teaching of His redemptive sacrifice (cf. 1 Cor 15:28). The prophetic book of Ezra is foreign to the thought of the abasement and sufferings of the Messiah.

2 Esdras 7:30. And the age will return to primeval silence for seven days, just as it was at the beginning, so that no one will be left. 30. See VI:39. Silence at the beginning of the world’s existence lasted until the creation of man. In this passage again a parallel is drawn between the first and last days of the world’s life.

2 Esdras 7:31. After seven days the age that has been asleep shall awake, and the corrupted age shall die. 31. See 1 Cor (XV:26) “concerning these dwellings the Lord says” (John 14:2).

2 Esdras 7:32. And the earth shall yield up those who are asleep in it, and the dust those who are silent in it; and the storehouses shall give back the souls entrusted to them. 32. According to Ambrose (De bono mortis, X), “concerning these dwellings the Lord says” (John 14:2), that His Father has many dwellings, which He will prepare for His disciples, ascending to His Father.

2 Esdras 7:33. Then the Most High will appear on the throne of judgment, and suffering will pass away, and long-suffering will come to an end. 33. The book of the prophet Daniel (VII:9) and the Apocalypse (XX:11) mention the throne on which the Judge of the world will sit. At the last judgment there will be no place for pity and long-suffering. “And compassion will pass away (et pertransibunt misericordiae), and long-suffering will depart.”

2 Esdras 7:34. There will be one judgment, truth will be confirmed, faith will be established. 2 Esdras 7:35. Then works will follow, rewards will be revealed, righteousness will rise up, and unrighteousness will cease to prevail. 35. The deeds which each one has accomplished will follow him to judgment (Rev 14:13), and he will receive fitting recompense for them (cf. Isa 40:10). The last thought in the manuscripts is transmitted in the following form: “and unrighteousness will not rest.” Just as the deeds of the righteous will not remain hidden, so also the unrighteousness and wickedness of sinners, committed in secret, will come before the eyes of all 2. 36 I said: Abraham was the first to pray for the people of Sodom; Moses—for the fathers who sinned in the wilderness; 36 (106). Gen 18:32. Exod 32:32. Abraham asked God for the salvation of Sodom, where his relative Lot dwelt. Moses besought God for the forgiveness of the people of Israel after the Hebrews made a golden calf, but otherwise expressed a desire to be blotted out of the book into which he was written.

2 Esdras 7:37. Jesus after him—for Israel in the days of Ahab; 37 (107). In the printed text of the Vulgate, the name of Joshua is not mentioned because later his time of activity is attributed to Ahaz and Samuel. The passage referred generally to leaders who lived after Moses. Achar’s transgression consisted in taking from that which was devoted. At Joshua’s prayer about the causes of military failure, God pointed out the guilty man and commanded him to be stoned (Josh 7:1). In manuscripts of the Latin text and Eastern translations, the guilty one is named Achar, in agreement with the LXX. The origin of the error in the printed text is explained by the similarity in Greek letters of the words A χάρ and A χαζ.

2 Esdras 7:38. Samuel and David—for those who were perishing; Solomon—for those who came to sanctification; 38 (108). In Eastern translations—Syrian, Ethiopian, and Arabic—the time of Samuel’s activity is indicated: “Samuel in the days of Saul.” Samuel, by his own words, did not cease throughout his life to offer prayers for his people both in peaceful and warlike times (1 Sam 7:9). David prayed for the cessation of the plague that had taken 70,000 people (2 Sam 24:15-25). Solomon at the dedication of the temple interceded before God for all who would come to the sanctuary to pour out their feelings before God about the various events of public and private life (1 Kgs 8:22-61).

2 Esdras 7:39. Elijah—for those who received rain, and for the dead, that he might live; 39 (109). Under Ahab, because of the sins of the people, the kingdom of Israel became the victim of terrible famine as a result of drought. At the prayer of the prophet Elijah, rain was sent, and the famine ceased (1 Kgs 18:1-2). Even more powerfully was Elijah’s intercession before God manifested in the raising of the son of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kgs 17:17-23).

2 Esdras 7:40. Hezekiah—for the people in the days of Sennacherib, and many—for many. 40 (110). When the armies of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, drew near to Jerusalem, Hezekiah prayed for the punishment of the Assyrian king for blaspheming the name of God (2 Kgs 19:15-19).

2 Esdras 7:41. Therefore, if in those times, when corruption had increased and unrighteousness had multiplied, the righteous prayed for the unrighteous, why should it not be so now? 41 (111). Having presented many examples in the history of God’s chosen people of the intercession of the righteous for sinners, which mitigated the punishment ready for them, the author asks whether it will not be so at the judgment: “why should it not be so then” (et tunc).

2 Esdras 7:42. He answered me and said: This present age is not the end; glory in it does not often remain, and therefore they prayed for the weak. 42 (112). In the Latin text is expressed the idea that glory is too frequent an occurrence in the present age (gloria in eo frequens manet). Apparently the translator intended the partiality of every judgment of a man during his life, thanks to which many people are unjustly surrounded by glory, in contrast to the day of judgment, when glory will be the possession of few. In Eastern translations, there is discourse of the inconstancy of earthly glory. Since the present age is full of imperfections and has a dependent, merely preparatory significance for the future age, it permits intercession “of those who could” (qui potuerunt) for the weak. In the printed text of the Vulgate, the contrast between the strong through the action of the prayers of the righteous on the one hand and sinners on the other is eliminated, since prayer for one’s neighbors constitutes the natural duty of every Christian.

2 Esdras 7:43. But the day of judgment will be the end of this age and the beginning of the age to come, immortal, when corruption shall pass away, 2 Esdras 7:44. intemperance shall come to an end, unbelief shall be cut off, and righteousness shall grow, truth shall shine forth. 2 Esdras 7:45. Then no one shall be able to save the lost, nor to oppress the victorious. 45 (115). “Then no one will be able to have compassion (misereri) for the one who is defeated at the judgment, or to drown the one who gains victory.”

2 Esdras 7:46. I answered and said: This is my first and last word: it would have been better if the earth had not produced Adam, or, when it had produced him, had restrained him from sinning. 46 (116). The author had already earlier expressed the thought (VII:63; cf. IV:12) that it would have been better for Adam not to appear in the world than to live in sins. Now he repeats it: “it would have been better if the earth had not brought forth Adam to life, or, since it brought him forth, should have restrained him from sin.” In the Slavonic and Russian translation, contrary to the context, it speaks of the fact that Adam should not have been given dominion over the earth, while the author had in mind the creation of man from the earth.

2 Esdras 7:47. What benefit is it to men to live in sorrow in the present age, and in death to expect punishment? 2 Esdras 7:48. O, what did you do, Adam? When you sinned, the fall came not upon you alone, but upon us also, who are descended from you. 48 (118). See III:7, 21–22; IV:30. Rosenthal (Vier apokryphischer Bucher aus der Zeit und Schule Rabbi Akibas, S. 45, 60) recognizes the teaching of the prophetic book of Ezra about sin to be borrowed from Judeo-Christians. Against this it is said that in the book of Ezra, the transmission of sin from ancestors to descendants or its heritability is not put in the foreground, but rather the beginning of sin in Adam. The latter thought is found in non-canonical books belonging to post-exilic Judaism. In the book of Jesus, son of Sirach (XXV:37), it is said: “from a woman sin had its beginning, and by her we all die.” The teaching about an evil heart, passing down by inheritance from parents to children, has in the book of Ezra the very same meaning as in the Talmud. An evil heart is an original property of the physical side of man. Each one in consequence of this performs sins with the same inevitability as Adam. In this respect there is no difference between Adam and his descendants. From this it is too far to the Christian teaching about the heredity of original sin and imputation for it.

2 Esdras 7:49. What benefit is it to us that we are promised immortal time, but we have committed mortal deeds? 49 (119). See Heb 6:1 (νεκρά έργα).

2 Esdras 7:50. We have been promised eternal hope, but we who are worthless have become vain. 50 (120). See 1 Pet 1:3 (έλπίς ζώσα).

2 Esdras 7:51. Dwellings of health and rest have been prepared for us, but we have lived wickedly; 2 Esdras 7:52. and the glory of the Most High has been prepared to cover those who lived humbly, but we have walked in the ways of evil. 52 (122). See Isa 4:4-6.

2 Esdras 7:53. Paradise shall be revealed, the fruit of which remains incorruptible, in which there is peace and healing; 53 (123). “The fruit of paradise remains incorruptible, in which are satiation (saturitas) and healing.” All these details found their place already in the prophet Ezekiel (XLVII:12), and from there they were taken into the Apocalypse (XXII:2).

2 Esdras 7:54. but we shall not enter it, because we have walked in unfruitful places. 54 (124). See Wis 5:7.

2 Esdras 7:55. The faces of those who have practiced self-control shall shine brighter than the stars, but our faces shall be darker than darkness. 55 (125). Hell is represented now as a place of eternal darkness and night, now as a place of unquenchable fire. The author with bitter feeling notes the unattainability of the blessings of paradise. Although man is promised immortality, he works dead deeds; although living hope is given to him in the future, he has given himself completely over to vain thoughts, which are so inconstant. Paradise is not created for those living amid sins. The covering of the Most High overshadows only those who live purely (caste). The fruit of paradise nourishes and heals not those who revolve amid the wicked, in unfruitful places, where the soul cannot receive proper training. The glorification of the righteous brings only the thought of the darkness in which the wicked will remain.

2 Esdras 7:56. We did not think in life, when we committed lawlessness, that after death we should suffer. 2 Esdras 7:57. He answered and said to me: This is the significance of the struggle which every man born on earth must wage, 2 Esdras 7:58. so that if he is defeated, he shall suffer what you have said, but if he overcomes, he shall obtain what I say. 57–58 (127–128). “The significance of the struggle which a man born on earth must wage is as follows: if he is defeated, he shall suffer what you spoke of, and if he is victorious, he shall obtain what I speak of.” Throughout the preceding discourse, Ezra speaks of the sorry fate of sinners, to whom he ascribes himself; the Angel, on the contrary, to comfort his interlocutor, depicts the bright future of the righteous.

2 Esdras 7:59. This is the life about which Moses spoke when he lived and said to the people: “Choose for yourself life, that you may live.” 59 (129). While Moses in his farewell discourse to the people had exclusively earthly existence in view (Deut 30:15), the author of our book imparts a higher meaning to his words, extending them to the future age.

2 Esdras 7:60. But they did not believe him, nor the prophets after him, nor Me who spoke to them, 2 Esdras 7:61. that there would be no grief for the perishing, as there will be joy for those to whom salvation has been prepared. 2 Esdras 7:62. I answered and said: I know, O Lord, that the Most High is called merciful, because He has mercy on those who have not yet come into the world, 2 Esdras 7:63. and He shows mercy to those who conduct their life in His law. 63 (133). In manuscripts of the Latin text, God is called “merciful” (miserator) or “compassionate,” since He shows compassion to those who conduct their lives in His law.

2 Esdras 7:64. He is patient, for he shows patience to those who have sinned, as to his own creation. 2 Esdras 7:65. He is generous, for he is ready to give according to need, 2 Esdras 7:66. and very compassionate, for he increases his mercies toward those living now and those who lived and those who will live. 2 Esdras 7:67. For if he did not multiply his mercies, the world could not continue to live with those who inhabit it. 2 Esdras 7:68. He grants gifts; for if he had not given out of his goodness to ease those who have done evil of their lawlessness, not even a ten-thousandth part of mankind could remain alive. 2 Esdras 7:69. He is judge, and if he did not forgive those who have been created by his word, and did not blot out many transgressions, 69 (139). Since above the mercy of God has been comprehensively illuminated, the naming of God as Judge sits poorly with the context. Volkmar attempts to explain its origin as an error in reading the Greek text: instead of χρηστός (gracious) it was supposedly read as κριτής (judge). Gunkel seeks the answer in the Hebrew text, where in his opinion the word schometh (forgiving, pardoning) was taken for schopheth (judge). God is called forgiving because if he did not forgive those who are created by his word, and did not blot out their transgressions, very few people would long ago remain on earth. The author sets forth seven epithets that exhaust the fullness of divine mercy.

2 Esdras 7:70. perhaps out of an innumerable multitude only very few would have remained. 2 Esdras 7:36. And the lake of torment will be revealed, and opposite it the place of rest; the furnace of Hades will be seen, and opposite it the paradise of delight. 36. See Luke 16:23; Matt 25:41.

2 Esdras 7:37. And the Most High will say at that time to the nations that have been awakened: “Look and understand, whom have you rejected, whom have you not served, and whose commandments have you despised. 2 Esdras 7:38. Look straight before you and see what is opposite: there is sweetness and rest, but here is fire and torment.” This is what you will say to them on the day of judgment. 2 Esdras 7:39. This day is such that it has neither sun, nor moon, nor stars, 2 Esdras 7:40. nor clouds, nor thunder, nor lightning, nor wind, nor rain, nor fog, nor darkness, nor evening, nor morning, 2 Esdras 7:41. nor summer, nor spring, nor heat, nor winter, nor frost, nor cold, nor hail, nor rain, nor dew, 2 Esdras 7:42. nor midday, nor night, nor twilight, nor radiance, nor brightness, nor light, except only the radiance of the glory of the Most High, by which all are able to see what is before them. 39–42. The thought at the basis of the present picture is that all creation vanishes before the face of the Creator in consciousness of its nothingness. See Amos 5:18; Isa 9:19-20; Rev 21:23.

2 Esdras 7:43. Its duration will be as long as the weeks of years. 43. The judgment encompasses as much time as the creation of the world. In this detail the author continues the parallel between the beginning and the end of the world.

2 Esdras 7:44. Such is my judgment and its order. To you alone I have revealed this. 2 Esdras 7:45. And I answered: “I have spoken already, and now I will say: blessed are those living and fulfilling what has been commanded by you. 45. See VII:17.

2 Esdras 7:46. But I have asked about the following: will there be found anyone of the living so as not to sin, or will there be found anyone born so as not to violate your covenant? 46. See VII:18.

2 Esdras 7:47. And now I see that the coming age will bring sweetness to few, but torment to many. 2 Esdras 7:48. For within us has grown an evil heart, which has separated us from him and led us into corruption and the ways of death, shown us the paths of perdition, and removed us from life, and that not a small number, but almost all who were created.” 2 Esdras 7:49. And he answered me and said: Listen to me, and I will instruct you and make you understand what is to come. 2 Esdras 7:50. For this reason God created not one age, but two. 50. According to the beliefs of the rabbis, the coming age was created before the creation of the visible world.

2 Esdras 7:51. As for your words, that the righteous are not many but few, while the wicked are many, then listen to this answer: 2 Esdras 7:52. “if you have very few precious stones, you will store them according to their number, but lead and clay are in abundance”. 52. There is obviously a lacuna in the Latin text, which is why the meaning of the comparison is quite obscure. In its full form the author’s thought is expressed in the form of a question: “If you had very few precious stones, would you not mix lead and clay with them; but lead and clay are abundant.” A man possessing precious stones will not, in order to have more of them, add to them ingots of lead or pebbles of baked clay.

2 Esdras 7:53. And I said: “How is that possible?” 2 Esdras 7:54. And he said to me: “Not only this, but ask the earth, and it will tell you, approach it with respect, and it will reveal to you. 2 Esdras 7:55. You will say to it: you produce gold, silver and bronze, and also iron, lead and clay. 2 Esdras 7:56. But there is more silver than gold, more bronze than silver, more iron than bronze, more lead than iron and more clay than lead. 2 Esdras 7:57. Judge now for yourself which is precious and attracts desire? That which is abundant, or that which is rare?” 2 Esdras 7:58. And I said: “O Master Lord! What is found in abundance is worse, and what is found more rarely is more precious.” 2 Esdras 7:59. And he answered me and said: “Consider in your mind what you have thought: he who possesses what is difficult to acquire is more glad than he who possesses what is found in abundance. 54–59. The author draws the other comparison from the mineral kingdom. The more noble the metal, the more rarely it is found and the more difficult it is to process. On the contrary, clay, which occupies the last place in value, by its abundance should be placed before all metals.

2 Esdras 7:60. So it is with the creation promised by me. I will rejoice in the few who have been saved, for they have now established the dominion of my glory, and my name is now called upon them.” 60. The Latin text must be corrected in accordance with the Eastern translations, the Syriac and Arabic. There, instead of creation, judgment is mentioned. Obviously, the Latin translator mistakenly read κτήσις (creation) instead of κρίσις (judgment) in the Greek text, seeing in the latter word an allusion to the “new creation” that will be revealed after the judgment.

2 Esdras 7:61. The multitude of the lost will not grieve me: they are the same ones who now are like vapor and are equated to fire and smoke. Behold, they flashed up, burned brightly, and died out. 61. See Isa 43:17. The wicked even in their present life resemble burning fire, bringing devastation around itself, but at the same time inflicting a death blow to their own existence. Sooner or later it must die out. It is transformed into smoke, scattered without a trace in the air. It is quite natural that in the coming age, the lawless become the property of that element, which their deeds so closely resembled.

2 Esdras 7:62. And I answered and said: “O earth! What have you brought forth, if reason has come from dust, as has the rest of creation? 2 Esdras 7:63. It would have been better for dust not to appear, so that reason might not arise from it. 2 Esdras 7:64. But now, reason grows with us, and because of this we are tormented, because we knowingly go to destruction.” 62–64. Reason (sense) like the heart is related to the carnal side of human existence. The capacity for empirical knowledge through the organs of sense and the evil heart irresistibly draw man to transgression. Therefore every man is sinful just as Adam, who transmitted to his descendants a body with all the capacities that he himself possessed.

2 Esdras 7:65. Let mankind weep and rejoice the beasts of the field; let all who are born weep and let the quadrupeds and cattle be glad. 2 Esdras 7:66. For it is much better for them than for us, since they do not await judgment, they do not know either torment or the beatitude promised them after death. 2 Esdras 7:67. What good is it for us that we will live again, but will be cruelly tormented? 2 Esdras 7:68. For all who were born are saturated with lawlessness, full of sins, and burdened with transgressions. 2 Esdras 7:69. And perhaps it would have been better for us if we did not need to go to judgment. 65–69. The author’s despair reaches a striking force. In spite of the fact that in the canonical books (Gen 1:26-28; Ps 8:6-9) the high position occupied by man in relation to creation is compared with the lot of the angels, the author finds that reality shows the exact opposite. Man ought to envy the animals, which in the present life do not suffer because of the absence of reason, and in the future life will not be subjected to punishment. It is characteristic that the author numbers himself among sinners equally with other men (67, 69).

2 Esdras 7:70. And he answered me and said: “Before the Most High created the age with Adam and all those descended from him, he had prepared judgment and what is prepared for judgment. 70. According to the teaching of post-exilic Judaism, paradise, the place of the beatitude of the righteous, and Hades, the place of punishment of sinners, were created before the creation of the world.

2 Esdras 7:71. Now understand according to your own words; for you said that reason grows with us. 2 Esdras 7:72. Therefore those who live on earth suffer torment here, because, having reason, they committed lawlessness, and receiving commandments, they did not fulfill them, and though followers of the law, they rejected the law that had been given to them. 2 Esdras 7:73. What will they have to say at judgment, or what answer will they give in the near future? 2 Esdras 7:74. For in truth, how long has the Most High shown patience toward those who inhabit the ages, and not for their sake, but for the sake of fulfilling the time he foreknew?” 74. See IV:37.

2 Esdras 7:75. And I answered and said: “If I have found favor before you, O Lord, show your servant further: After death, that is, when each of us gives up his soul, will we rest in peace until the times when you begin to renew creation come, or will we at once be subjected to torment?” 2 Esdras 7:76. And he answered me and said: “I will show you this as well. But do not number yourself with those who despised, and do not count yourself among those who are tormented, 2 Esdras 7:77. for you have a treasure of works, kept with the Most High, but it will not be shown to you until the coming of the last time.” 77. The Gospels speak of laying up treasures in heaven (Matt 6:20; Luke 12:33: see 1 Tim 6:17-19).

2 Esdras 7:78. Now there will be discussion of death, when a decree will go forth from the Most High concerning the time appointed for a man to die, and when the spirit will go out from the body to return to the one who gave it, first to bow down before the glory of the Most High. 78. Ecclesiastes 12:7. Having divested itself of the sensible covering of the body, the human soul feels much more strongly its dependence on God. Even the souls of sinners first go to bow down before the glory of the Most High, which they forgot on earth. Gunkel sees in this teaching a further step forward compared to the views of Ecclesiastes. According to Ecclesiastes, the spirit returns to God and dissolves in him, ceasing its individual existence. Ezra holds a different view, according to which the soul continues its independent existence after death. He puts into the words of Ecclesiastes the thought that the soul at its appointed time leaves the body and stands before the face of God.

2 Esdras 7:79. And if these will be the souls of those who despised and did not keep the ways of the Most High, who neglected his law and hated those who fear God, 2 Esdras 7:80. then such souls will not enter dwellings, but will begin at once in torments, in constant sorrow and grief, to wander on seven paths. 79–80. Here is found the echo of the popular belief that the souls of the wicked wander the earth after their death, mourning their transgression. The torments of sinners are divided into seven kinds. The basis of this division is the Hebrew conception, common with the Babylonian, of the existence of 7 heavens and 7 underworlds. Here the dead experience the blessedness or torment they have deserved. The teaching of the prophetic book of Ezra on the posthumous torments of the wicked has a purely spiritual character.

2 Esdras 7:81. The first path is that they despised the law of the Most High. 2 Esdras 7:82. The second path: they can no longer bring forth good repentance so as to live. 2 Esdras 7:83. The third path: they will see the reward kept for those faithful to the covenants of the Most High. 83. See VII:77.

2 Esdras 7:84. The fourth path: they will see the torments kept for them for the very last time. 2 Esdras 7:85. The fifth path: they see the dwellings of others, guarded in profound silence by angels. 2 Esdras 7:86. The sixth path: they see that at once they will pass from here to torments. 84–86. The difference between the sixth and the fourth torments is that the fourth torment is caused by the consciousness of the punishments awaiting sinners in the future, perhaps sufficiently far off, while the sixth is inspired by the thought of the nearness of the punishment. Bissell and Zöckler explain the sixth path in the sense that the wicked are shattered by witnessing how some of them are directed to the place of torments.

2 Esdras 7:87. The seventh path, surpassing all the aforementioned paths, is that they melt away in confusion, are consumed by shame, they are overcome with fear at the sight of the glory of the Most High, before which they sinned in life and before which they are to face judgment in the last days. 81–87. The torments of sinners consist: 1) in the consciousness of their transgressions, 2) in the impossibility of repentance, 3) in the contemplation of the blessedness awaiting the righteous, and 4) the torments that will befall sinners, 5) in the contemplation of the place where the righteous will dwell, 6) in the consciousness of the nearness of their torments, and finally, 7) in the feeling of fear at the thought of standing before the face of the Judge.

2 Esdras 7:88. As for those who kept the ways of the Most High, their lot after separation from the mortal vessel will be as follows: 88. The body is recognized here as a prison of the soul.

2 Esdras 7:89. while living in it they served the Most High with difficulty and were exposed to danger every hour, just so that they might fully keep the law of the Lawgiver. 2 Esdras 7:90. Therefore the judgment concerning them will be such: 2 Esdras 7:91. First of all they will see with great joy the glory of the one who accepts them to himself; and they will taste rest in seven kinds: 2 Esdras 7:92. The first kind is that they struggled with great difficulty in order to overcome the evil imagination created with them, so that it might not turn them away from life to death. 2 Esdras 7:93. The second kind: they behold the confusion in which the souls of the wicked wander, and the punishment awaiting them. 2 Esdras 7:94. The third kind: they behold the testimony given them by their Creator, that they kept the law entrusted to them during their life. 2 Esdras 7:95. The fourth kind: they are aware of the rest which they now enjoy, having gathered in their repositories and guarded in profound silence by angels, and the glorification awaiting them in the last times. 2 Esdras 7:96. The fifth kind: they rejoice over having now left the perishable and will receive the future inheritance; they see also the narrowness, full of distress, from which they have been freed, and begin to feel spaciousness, blessed and immortal. 2 Esdras 7:97. The sixth kind: their face will be shown to shine like the sun, and they will become like the brightness of the stars, having become incorruptible at once. 97. See Dan 12:3; Matt 13:43; 1 Cor 15:41.

2 Esdras 7:98. The seventh kind, surpassing all the ones mentioned before: they will rejoice with confidence, hope without shame, and be glad without fear, since they hasten to see the face of the one whom they served in life, and from whom they will receive a reward consisting of glorification. 98. See Matt 5:8.

2 Esdras 7:99. Such is the lot of the souls of the righteous, announced to them immediately. The paths of those torments which sinners suffer at once have been mentioned above. 91–99. The blessedness of the righteous, like the torments of sinners, has seven kinds or degrees. It consists: 1) in the consciousness of victory over the evil imagination, 2) in the contemplation of the torments awaiting sinners, 3) in the consciousness of one’s righteousness, resting on the law, 4) in the contemplation of future blessedness, 5) in joy over liberation from the mortal bonds of the body, 6) in the presentiment of approaching glorification, and 7) in the vision of God.

2 Esdras 7:100. And I answered and said: “So souls after separation from the body will be given time to see what you have told me?” 2 Esdras 7:101. And he said to me: “Seven days will their freedom last, so that they may see within seven days what was spoken of above, and after that they will be gathered in their dwellings.” 101. It is characteristic that Plato expresses a similar thought. According to popular representations, the soul remains free for 40 days. Volkmar without sufficient grounds suggests that by the dwellings where the righteous abide, graves are meant. In contrast to sinners wandering in unrest on earth, the righteous peacefully rest in the graves. Therefore, to observe the beatitude awaiting them and the torment faced by sinners, they are given 7 days, corresponding to the 7 kinds of beatitude, after which peaceful rest ensues. Undoubtedly, by dwellings the author means the place where the souls of the righteous abide after separation from the body. It closely resembles those repositories where the souls of all people remain before their birth. The extensive section depicting the beatitude of the righteous and the torments of sinners reflects the popular representations contemporary with the author. They are drawn by the author to illuminate his main question: is it possible for the righteous to intercede for the wicked. They could have significance only if, before the judgment, both the righteous and the wicked were in a state of complete rest, receiving neither rewards nor punishments. But since this is not the case, and after death, as soon as the soul is separated from the body, the dead begin, although not entirely, to experience the fate awaiting them in the coming age, then the prayers of the righteous are already powerless to change their fate.

2 Esdras 7:102. And I answered and said: “If I have found mercy in your sight, show your servant further: can the righteous achieve justification of the wicked or intercede for them before the Most High on the day of judgment, 2 Esdras 7:103. fathers for sons, sons for parents, brothers for brothers, relatives for their kindred, or friends for those dear to them?” 2 Esdras 7:104. He answered me and said: “Since you have found mercy in my sight, I will show you this as well. The day of judgment is decisive and reveals the seal of truth to all. Just as now a father does not send a son, nor a son a father, nor a master a servant, nor a friend the most dear man to think for him, or to sleep or to eat or to be healed for him, 2 Esdras 7:105. so no one will ever intercede for anyone, but each will bring his righteousness or unrighteousness.” (The 36th verse (106) of the Synodal translation of the 3rd book of Ezra follows. Editor’s note for the HTML version) * * * After verse 35, there is an extensive lacuna in the printed text of the Vulgate, which arose because in the manuscript codex that served as the basis for the manuscripts used by the first editors of the book, a whole page was torn out (Codex sangermanensis). The authenticity of this passage is beyond doubt, since Ambrose cites excerpts from it (De bono mortis, X-XII). Vigilantius in the 4th century referred to it, who rejected prayers for the dead, a position against which Jerome fought (Contra Vigilantium). Until 1875, this gap was filled based on Eastern translations. In that year, Bensly discovered the Amiens codex (Codex Ambianensis), which filled this gap, and then 4 more Latin codices were found, containing the complete text of the book. In Bensly’s edition, 4 codices are used. According to Lücke, Volkmar, and Renan, the lacuna was made under pressure from the church. Lücke dates its appearance to the time of Pope Gregory the Great, when the doctrine of purgatory took its final form in the Catholic church. Gregory the Great’s teaching on purgatory, to which the souls of all the dead are directed, and the associated idea of the legitimacy of prayers for the deceased, found an irreconcilable opponent in the author of the prophetic book of Ezra (Volkmar, 92–93. Renan. Evangiles, 133–139). As early as the 4th century, the book served as support for Vigilantius’s defense of his heretical views. However, the lacuna of passages contradicting church teaching was made purely mechanically, so that much disappeared that presented no difficulty from the perspective of Christianity, and at the same time, passages expressing this thought in a more moderate form or in general terms survived. The proposed translation is made according to the Bensly edition while retaining his division into verses.

Chapter Eight

The purpose of the coming age for the few (1–3). Ezra’s perplexity about the harsh fate of man, who came from the hands of the Creator himself and is under the special protection of Providence (4–14), and in particular about the fate of the chosen people (15–19). Ezra’s prayer for mercy on his own people (20–36). The naturalness of the destruction of sinners, illustrated by the example from the life of a farmer (37–46). A promise to Ezra of blessedness in the coming age (47–55). The legitimacy of the punishment of sinners given the existence of free will (56–62). Ezra’s question about the time of the end (63).

2 Esdras 8:1. He answered me and said: This age the Most High created for many, but the coming age for few. 2 Esdras 8:2. I will tell you, Ezra, a comparison. As if you ask the earth, it will tell you that it gives very much material from which clay vessels are made, but not much dust from which gold is made, so it is with the affairs of the present age. 2 Esdras 8:3. Many are created, but few will be saved. 3. See Matt 22:14. Hilgenfeld and Hausrath bring together the expression from the prophetic book of Ezra: “many are created, but few will be saved” with the words of the Savior: “many are called, but few are chosen.” The first of them suggests that the evangelist drew this passage from the book of Ezra, the second allows for the opposite borrowing. However, despite the similarity of individual words, there is too great a difference in the thoughts put into these expressions by the two books. Pseudo-Ezra has in mind all mankind created by God, and is amazed at the small number of those being saved. The Gospel compares the fate of the chosen people, who were the object of God’s special favor, called into his Kingdom through the prophets, with the fate of the gentiles, who were in worse conditions. In spite of this, the gentiles became members of the church of Christ, while the people of God were rejected for their stubbornness.

2 Esdras 8:4. I answered and said: O soul! Devour understanding and swallow wisdom. 2 Esdras 8:5. For you promised to listen, and you wished to prophesy, but you were given time only in which to live. 5. The text of the Vulgate in this place is corrupted, so that its meaning is quite obscure. Most clearly the author’s thought is conveyed in the Syriac text: “You come not of your own wish and you leave when you do not wish. For you do not have power except for a short time of life.” The Latin manuscripts give this passage in such a form: “you came to listen (obaudire) and you left not of your own will, for you are given to live only during a short period.” Gunkel explains the origin of the word obaudire, which fits poorly with the course of thoughts, by the incorrect reading of the Greek word ‘άκουσα (against will, sine voluntate, Syr.), taken for the verb άκούσαι (to hear). 126.

2 Esdras 8:6. O Lord! Will you not allow your servant so that we may pray before you for the granting of a heart to our mind and understanding to cultivate, so that fruit may come forth, by which any corrupt person able to bear the name of man might live? 2 Esdras 8:7. You alone, and we are a single creation of your hands, as you said. 7. Isa 45:11.

2 Esdras 8:8. And how is the body formed in the womb of the mother now, and you give members, and how is your creation preserved in fire and water, and how does your creation endure for nine months the one who bears and the creation in him that was created by you? 8. See IV:10.

2 Esdras 8:9. And the one who keeps and the one who is kept, both are preserved, and the womb of the mother in its time gives forth the one kept in it that has grown. 2 Esdras 8:10. You commanded to give milk, the fruit of the breasts, from the members themselves, that is, from the nipples, 2 Esdras 8:11. so that the created may be nourished for a time, and then you will entrust it to your mercy. 2 Esdras 8:12. You nurtured it with your righteousness, taught it your law, instructed it in your wisdom, 2 Esdras 8:13. and will kill it, as your creation, and will make it live again, as your work. 2 Esdras 8:14. If you destroy the one created with such care, it is easy for your command to arrange that what was created should also be preserved. 14. A reading of the Latin manuscripts comes closer to the following words. “If, on the other hand, you easily destroy by your command the one who is created with such labors by your own command, why did he have to appear in the world?”

2 Esdras 8:15. And now, O Lord, I will say: about every man you know more; but I will speak about your people, for whom I grieve, 2 Esdras 8:16. about your inheritance, for which I shed tears, about Israel, for which I sorrow, about Jacob, for which I am troubled. 2 Esdras 8:17. I will begin to pray before you for myself and for them, for I see the transgressions of us who dwell on earth. 2 Esdras 8:18. But I heard that the Judge will come soon. 2 Esdras 8:19. Therefore hear my voice, pay attention to my words, and I will speak before you. [The beginning of the words of Ezra, before he was taken up.] 2 Esdras 8:20. I said: O Lord, living eternally, whose eyes are directed on high and in the heavens, 20. Ezra’s prayer for mercy on the people is placed among the hymns in the Vulgate and in the liturgical collections of the Catholic church. In view of this, there is a heading before it: “The beginning of the words of the prayer of Ezra, before he was taken up.” The text of it has been preserved in two recensions, brief and extended. Gunkel speaks in favor of the authenticity of the Spanish version (Codex Mazarinaeus). The others introduce additions taken from liturgical collections. The manuscripts give the beginning of the prayer in such a form: “O Lord, dwelling in the age (qui inhabitas seculum), whose eyes are on high, and whose chamber (superiora) is in the air.” The word “age” is used here in the sense of heaven (see III:18). Gunkel sees the source of the view that the Godhead dwells in heaven in Sabeism. In Judaism, it had a purely spiritual meaning, pointing to the transcendence of the Godhead and its inaccessibility to man. By the eyes of God are meant the stars. The word “superiora” is a translation of the Greek ύπερωα (Hilgenfeld, Gunkel). Such significance of it is supported by the Armenian translation (coenacula). The world according to the author’s conception is arranged like a dwelling. The earth with all its population constitutes its lower floor. The upper, most honorable floor, embraces the heavenly space where God dwells.

2 Esdras 8:21. whose throne is invaluable and whose glory is beyond comprehension, before whom the hosts of angels stand in fear, serving in wind and fire, whose word is true and whose utterances are immutable, 21. See Ezek 1; Ps 103:4 according to the LXX; Heb 1:7.

2 Esdras 8:22. whose command is mighty and whose dominion is fearful, whose gaze dries up the abysses, whose anger melts mountains, and truth abides forever! 2 Esdras 8:23. Hear the prayer of your servant, and pay attention to the petition of your creation. 2 Esdras 8:24. As long as I live, I will speak, and as long as I have understanding, I will answer. Do not look upon the sins of your people, but upon those who serve you in truth; 2 Esdras 8:25. do not pay attention to the wicked deeds of the gentiles, but to those who have kept your covenants in the midst of afflictions; 2 Esdras 8:26. do not think of those who acted falsely before you, but remember those who, by your will, have known fear; 2 Esdras 8:27. do not destroy those who lived like beasts, but look upon those who clearly taught your law; 2 Esdras 8:28. do not grow angry at those accounted as worse than beasts; 2 Esdras 8:29. but love those who have always hoped in your righteousness and glory. 2 Esdras 8:30. For we and our fathers suffer such illnesses; 30. “For we and our fathers lived in mortal ways.” See VII:119; Heb 6:1.

2 Esdras 8:31. but you, because of us sinners, will be called merciful. 2 Esdras 8:32. If you wish to have mercy upon us, you will be called merciful, because we do not have works of righteousness. 2 Esdras 8:33. But the righteous, who have acquired many works, will receive reward according to their own works. 2 Esdras 8:34. What is man that you are angry with him, or what is a corrupt generation that you are so grieved by it? 2 Esdras 8:35. Truly, there is no one born who has not acted lawlessly, and none among those who confess you who has not sinned. 2 Esdras 8:36. In this your righteousness and goodness will be revealed, O Lord, when you show mercy to those who have no abundance of good works. 32–36. The author here touches upon the teaching of the Apostle Paul (Rom 3:21-31), according to which salvation is obtained only through the work of justifying grace. The fundamental difference between them consists in the fact that Ezra allows for the possibility of righteousness that does not require God’s mercy for salvation. The righteous will be judged according to their own merits (v. 33). This testifies that righteousness is understood by the author in the sense of formal observance of the law.

2 Esdras 8:37. And he answered me and said: You have spoken well and truly, and according to your words it shall be. 37. Here the prayer of Ezra is meant, in which he asked God to focus his attention not on sinners, but on the righteous (vv. 24–29).

2 Esdras 8:38. For truly I do not consider the deeds of those creatures who have sinned, before death, before judgment, before destruction; 2 Esdras 8:39. but I delight in the efforts of the righteous, and I remember how they traveled, how they were saved and strove to earn their reward. 38–39. “For indeed I will not consider the things that sinners have created for themselves, over death, condemnation, or destruction, but will rejoice in what the righteous have acquired, their departure, salvation, and the obtaining of reward.” The departure of the righteous into another world is an object of cherished wishes for them (2 Cor 5:8), and therefore it is placed here first among the good things that await them in the future.

2 Esdras 8:40. As I have said, so it is. 2 Esdras 8:41. As a farmer sows many seeds in the ground and plants many plants, but not all that is sown will be preserved in time, and not all that is planted will take root, so those who are sown in this age will not all be saved. 2 Esdras 8:42. I answered and said: If I have found favor, I will speak. 2 Esdras 8:43. As the seed of the farmer, if it does not come up, or does not receive your rain in time, or is damaged by much rain, perishes: 2 Esdras 8:44. so also man, created by your hands,—and you are called his image, for you are like him, for whom you created all things and whom you made like the seed of a farmer. 44. “But man who is created by your hands and is called your image, for he is made like (you), for whom you created all things … and him you made like the seed of a farmer.” The author finds it too degrading to human dignity to compare him to a grain cast upon the field.

2 Esdras 8:45. Do not be angry with us, but spare your people and have mercy on your inheritance,—and you are compassionate to your creation. 2 Esdras 8:46. And he answered me and said: The present for the present and the future for the future. 2 Esdras 8:47. You lack much in order that you could love my creation more than me, although I have often drawn near to you yourself, but never to the unrighteous. 47. As time goes on, God emphasizes with greater insistence his love for mankind, which far exceeds ordinary human compassion. The thought of this should calm Ezra’s sorrow at the destruction of most people. Moreover, God reveals to Ezra that he himself belongs to the righteous, and therefore should forget sinners, who have deserved their fate, and think only of his own blessedness. “You have often compared yourself to the impious; may this never be” (Syr). In the printed text of the Vulgate the discourse concerns not Ezra, but God.

2 Esdras 8:48. But you are marvelous before the Most High, 2 Esdras 8:49. for you have humbled yourself as is fitting for you, and have not judged of yourself so as to boast much among the righteous. 2 Esdras 8:50. Many and grievous disasters will befall those who inhabit the age, at the last time, because they walked in great pride. 2 Esdras 8:51. And you, take care of yourself, and seek glory with those like you; 2 Esdras 8:52. for paradise is revealed to you, the tree of life is planted, the future age is prepared, abundance is made ready, a city is built, rest is prepared, perfect goodness and perfect wisdom. 52. Rest is an ordinary eschatological concept (Heb 3:18); further the discourse concerns not goodness, but good deeds (bonitas), preserved with the Most High, which will be shown to the righteous at the judgment (cf. Eph 2:10). Concerning the wisdom prepared from eternity for the glory of mankind (ante perfecta sapiential), the Apostle Paul speaks (1 Cor 2:7).

2 Esdras 8:53. The root of evil is sealed from you, weakness and decay are hidden from you, and decay flees into hell in forgetfulness. 53. Cf. Dan 9:24.

2 Esdras 8:54. Sorrows have passed, and at the end the treasure of immortality has appeared. 2 Esdras 8:55. Cease trying to inquire about the multitude of the perishing. 2 Esdras 8:56. For they, having received freedom, despised the Most High, disregarded his law, and abandoned his ways, 2 Esdras 8:57. and even trampled upon his righteous ones, 2 Esdras 8:58. and said in their heart: “There is no God,” although they knew that they were mortal. 58. Ps 13:1.

2 Esdras 8:59. As awaits you what was said before, so also them—thirst and torment, which are prepared. God did not desire to destroy man, 59. Luke 16:24.

2 Esdras 8:60. but the creatures themselves dishonored the name of the one who created them, and were ungrateful to the one who prepared life for them. 2 Esdras 8:61. Therefore my judgment now draws near, — 2 Esdras 8:62. about which I have not revealed to all, but only to you and a few like you. I answered and said: 2 Esdras 8:63. Behold now, O Lord, you have shown me many signs, which you will begin to perform at the end, but you have not shown me in what time.

Chapter Nine

The time and signs of the end (1–13). The corruption of morals as the cause of the small number of the saved, those chosen by God beforehand (14–22). The promise of a new revelation (23–25). The fourth vision. Ezra’s perplexity regarding the preservation of the law despite the destruction of the chosen people (29–37). A vision of a woman and the account of her about the birth of a son and his marriage (38–47).

2 Esdras 9:1. And he answered me and said: Measure the time for yourself carefully, and when you see that a certain part of the signs mentioned before has passed, 2 Esdras 9:2. then you will understand that this is the time in which the Most High will begin to visit the age, created by him. 2 Esdras 9:3. When unsteadiness is revealed in the age, disturbance of peoples, 3. In the printed text the list of signs of the end is given in brief form. In the Latin manuscripts five are named: “And when troubles are observed in the age in countries, disorderly movement of peoples, encroachments of tribes, instability of leaders, and confusion among rulers, then you will understand that the Most High spoke of this.” The mentioned violations of the usual order of political life are a necessary attribute of all eschatological pictures. Historical interpretation does not have grounds in its favor. Gutschmid (272–275) sees in the first sign an echo of an earthquake that occurred in the year of the Battle of Actium and buried 30,000 people and many cattle. By encroachments of tribes he understands the invasion of the Parthians into Palestine (40 B.C.); by the defilement of peoples, mentioned in the Ethiopian text, the bloody war between the supporters of Antigonus and Herod, the siege of Jerusalem by Sossius, the bloody reprisal of Herod against patriots (37 B.C.), and finally the murder of Aristobulus, which his youth did not save him from (36 B.C.). The absence of unity of power, according to Gutschmid, indicates the quarrels that broke out between Antony and Octavian; the hopeless situation of the toparchs indicates the horror experienced by Herod at the news of the Battle of Actium. Going to Octavian, he killed the elder Hyrcanus and, in case of failure in his attempt, ordered his wife and her mother from the house of the Maccabees to be killed. Hilgenfeld sees here a reference to the murder of Caesar, which caused extraordinary turmoil in the state (44 B.C.), ended only with the accession of Octavian. Volkmar (365–367) with equal success selects a whole series of facts that took place after the death of Domitian. The peoples, just tamed by him, the Sarmatians, Dacians, Marcomanni, Parthians, and Germans, rose again under Nerva and prevailed over the Roman legions. Confusion in the rulers, according to Volkmar, indicates the mutiny that occurred at court and ended with Nerva’s abdication.

2 Esdras 9:4. then you will understand that the Most High spoke of this from the days that were before you, from the beginning. 4. The author means apocalypses similar to his book inscribed with the names of ancient patriarchs, Adam, Seth, Enoch, Noah, and others.

2 Esdras 9:5. As all that is created in the age has a beginning, likewise also an end, and an ending is evident: 2 Esdras 9:6. so also the times of the Most High have beginnings, revealed by wonders and powers, and endings, shown by actions and signs. 5–6. Volkmar puts into this place the sense that the last time, like everything existing in the world, will have its beginning and its end. But it is more correct to see here a comparison of the present age with the future one. It is most clearly developed in the Ethiopian text. “Just as everything that appears in the light has a beginning in the word (i.e., in the creative word), and an end in its manifestation outwardly, so also the world of the Most High has its beginning in speech (i.e., in the revelation given to the prophets, v. 4), in signs and in power, and its end in action and wonder.” The comparison of the creative word with its action is found in Justin (Apology I, 12, 10). “As soon as everything that is newly arising, the appearance of which he previously foretold, manifests itself in action, we are confirmed in all that he taught us, namely, that what is the work of God was spoken of before it appeared in the light, and what appeared is revealed in the way it was foretold.” In order to more sharply emphasize the difference between the present age and the future, the author dwells on the beginning and end of everything existing in the world. The generation of new beings, having its source in the creative word (Gen 1:22), is covered by mystery; their death all the surrounding see. Similarly, mankind lived on earth under the guidance of prophetic word and miracles incomprehensible to man; in the future age all mysteries will be removed; mankind will possess wisdom that penetrates into the essence of the phenomena occurring before it; everything that was predicted by the prophets in words will be accomplished in action in signs far exceeding the miracles that took place by the word of the prophets. In the Latin manuscript text there is an obvious gap. With the words: “all that appeared in the light has a beginning due to an end, and an end is evident,” the Latin scribe, perhaps, connected the sense that the generation of new creatures is caused by the destruction of the preceding generation, therefore birth and death are an inevitable law of all world life, in view of this the author extends the analogy to the plans of Divine Providence regarding the present and future age.

2 Esdras 9:7. Whoever is saved and will be able through his deeds and faith, which you believe, to escape from the aforesaid evils, 7. The righteousness of which the author spoke before is righteousness under the law. Man, in his conviction, is justified by his own deeds (VIII:33); God’s mercy is necessary only for sinners, whose transgressions can be forgiven if they observe the law (VII:132–139). The law stands foremost both in the present and in the future life. It is eternal. Despite the destruction of the sacred books where it was expressed (IV:23; XIV:21), it retains its former force (IX:37). Its observance is the condition for the acquisition of blessedness in the future life (VII:127–131). The law is a powerful instrument in the hands of the Messiah. Through the law he destroys the entire pagan world (XIII:38). From this it is evident that the faith of which there is discourse here occupies in the worldview of the author far from the place which the Apostle Paul assigns to it. Faith is not an independent principle of justification. “It is merely a specific matter among the other deeds of the law” (Wieseler, 293). It is faith in the law (VII:24), as the source of eternal life (VII:127–131). After what was said with the expressions in the book about the preservation by the righteous of faith as a treasure (VI:5), or about the flourishing of faith in the future age, or, finally, about salvation through deeds and faith (IX:7–8; XIII:23), one cannot unite the New Testament sense. Faith was proclaimed as a justifying principle already by the prophet Habakkuk (II:4). But only Christianity revealed the full significance of faith in the work of salvation. Hilgenfeld unfairly sees in the prophetic book of Ezra a renunciation of the former view of righteous-law and a noticeable step forward from the Mosaic law of deeds to Paul’s law of faith (Die Judische Apokalyptik. 235). Post-exilic Judaism was permeated only with the consciousness of the impossibility of the law, but the main step—the denial of the law as the sole source of justification—had not yet been taken.

2 Esdras 9:8. shall remain, and shall see my salvation on my land and in my borders, which I have sanctified for myself from of old. 2 Esdras 9:9. Then those who have departed from my ways will repent, and those who rejected them with contempt will remain in torments. 9. “Then those who transgressed my ways will regard them with admiration” (mirabuntur—translation of the Greek θαυμάσουσι. Hilgenfeld. Gunkel).

2 Esdras 9:10. Those who did not know me, receiving benefits in life, 2 Esdras 9:11. and abhorred my law, did not understand it, but despised it, while they still had freedom and while repentance was still open to them, 2 Esdras 9:12. they will know me after death in torment. 2 Esdras 9:13. Do not be curious any longer about how the impious will be tormented, but inquire how the righteous will be saved, to whom the age belongs and for whom the age exists, and when. 13. The salvation of the righteous is the subject of the next three visions.

2 Esdras 9:14. I answered and said: 2 Esdras 9:15. I said before, and I say now, and I will say hereafter, that more are those who perish than those who are saved, as a wave is greater than a drop. 15. VII:47.

2 Esdras 9:16. And he answered me and said: 2 Esdras 9:17. As is the field, so are the seeds; as are the flowers, so are the colors; as is the worker, so is the work; as is the farmer, so is the cultivation; for it was the time of the age. 17. The fate of sinners is sad, but they have fully deserved it. The world, as a creation of God, should have existed eternally. Such is the worker, such is his work. But as soon as people appeared on earth, evil arose through them in the world, requiring restraint. However, in his mercy God does not destroy all people, but keeps for himself Israel, as a chosen planting or berry.

2 Esdras 9:18. When I prepared the age before it was, for the habitation of those who now live in it, no one contradicted me. 2 Esdras 9:19. But now, when this age was created, the morals of the creatures were corrupted in the unending harvest, in the unsearchable law. 18–19. In the printed text of the Vulgate there is incorrect punctuation that obscures the thought. “For it was the time of the age, when I prepared for the present people before their appearance the age in which they were to live, and no one contradicted me then, nor was anyone there. Now those who were created in this world and were destined (parati) for the unending table (mensa, Syr, Aeth.) and virgin pastures (habitationes, quae non possunt comprehendi, Ar.) have become corrupt in morals.” In the Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic translations, it is said of the destiny of people for the unsearchable law (lege investigabili). This thought arose due to an incorrectly read stress in the Greek text: νομός (pasture) was taken for νόμος (law). Clearly, the author has in mind paradise with its tree of life, the fruits of which the righteous will eat.

2 Esdras 9:20. And I considered the age, and behold, danger appeared from the thoughts that arose in it. 20. Gen 6:12.

2 Esdras 9:21. I saw and spared it, and kept for myself one berry from a grape cluster and one planting from a multitude. 21. In the Eastern translations there is discourse about God’s choice of one planting from a great forest. The Latin translator confused the word ύλη (forest) with the word φυλή (tribe), seeing here an allusion to an infinite multitude of plant species, from which God chose only one.

2 Esdras 9:22. Let the multitude perish that was born in vain, and may my berry and my planting be preserved, which I have cultivated with great effort. 2 Esdras 9:23. And you, when seven other days have passed, not fasting however in them, 2 Esdras 9:24. you will go out into the flowering field, where there is no built house, and you will eat only from the field flowers and you will not eat meat, nor drink wine, but only flowers, 2 Esdras 9:25. pray to the Most High without ceasing, and I will come and will speak with you. 23–25. Seeing that the further visions have a bright character, depicting exclusively the blessings of the future age, the author, at the command of the Angel, ceases fasting. He now eats vegetables growing in the field, from which he receives the fourth revelation, abstains from meat and wine. The use of flowers as food as a religious institution took place both in the pagan world, in the schools of Pythagoras and Plato, and in Jewish sects, among the Essenes, Therapeutae, and Ebionites, in short, in those systems where metaphysical opposition between dark earth and bright heaven was affirmed. In their conviction, flowers are less than other products of nature subject to matter and closest approach to heavenly substance. By consuming them, man prepares his body for communion with the unearthly world. In the fourth vision, indeed, Ezra beholds the heavenly Jerusalem.

2 Esdras 9:26. And I went, as he said to me, into the field called Ardath, and sat there in the flowers and ate from the field plants, and food from them was given to me for satisfaction. 26. The fourth vision takes place in the field of Ardath (Ardat). Lücke (174) on the basis of the Ethiopian text, where the name Arphad is used, brings it close to the Hebrew word arabah (steppe desert). Under the desert, where the prophet withdrew, according to Lücke, is meant the Judean desert, to the right of which he sees Jerusalem. From here he sees the view of the Mediterranean Sea, over which the eagle hovers in the fifth vision. But the text of the book clearly states that the prophet prays not in the midst of a lifeless desert, but in a field scattered with flowers and overgrown with grass. Moreover, the author sees directly only the heavenly Jerusalem, and the earthly one he beholds under the symbol of a woman. This symbol did not at all require the author to be transported even in imagination to Judea. Volkmar sees in the entire setting of the fourth vision a hint at Palestine, which indeed presented a true virgin meadow, speckled with flowers, but in the author’s time lay in ruins and lacked signs of human dwelling. Such interpretation clearly contradicts the text of the vision, where it is asserted that there were no buildings in the field (IX:24; X:51). According to the author’s own explanation, the absence of traces of man testifies to the fact that the heavenly Jerusalem will appear without human involvement. In view of this, it is far more natural to consider the place of the fourth vision a field in the vicinity of the apocalyptic Babylon (Hilgenfeld, Gutschmid, Kabisch, Gunkel). Gunkel brings the Latin name of the field close to the Eastern measure of dry goods (ardab). Probably this is such a purely eschatological name as the name of the land of Arsareth (XIII:45).

2 Esdras 9:27. After seven days I lay on the grass, and my heart was troubled again, as before. 2 Esdras 9:28. And my mouth opened, and I began to speak before the Most High and said: 2 Esdras 9:29. O Lord! showing yourself to us, you appeared to our fathers in the impassable and barren desert, when they came out of Egypt, 2 Esdras 9:30. and said: “Listen to me, Israel, and heed my words, seed of Jacob. 2 Esdras 9:31. Behold, I sow my law in you, and it will bear fruit in you, and you will be glorified in it forever.” 2 Esdras 9:32. But our fathers, having received the law, did not keep it and did not preserve your ordinances, and although the fruit of your law did not perish and could not perish, because it was yours, 32. VII:24.

2 Esdras 9:33. but those who received the law perished, not keeping what was sown in it. 2 Esdras 9:34. It is usually the case that if the earth received seed, or the sea a ship, or some vessel food or drink, and if what is sown will be destroyed, or what is placed in it, 2 Esdras 9:35. then the very thing sown or placed or received perishes, and what was received no longer exists before us. But with us it is not so. 34–35. The Vulgate notes the everyday phenomenon that in case of destruction of a vessel the contents also disappear. In contrast to this, Judaism, which was the bearer of the law, perished, but the law itself remained and retains all its force. But the destruction of the earth and sea is not at all an ordinary phenomenon and fits poorly with the author’s intention to illuminate his thought with examples from surrounding life. Therefore, the manuscript text should be preferred. “And behold, it usually happens so that when the earth receives seed, or the sea a ship, or some vessel food or drink, and when it happens to perish what is sown, or sent, or placed, then it perishes, and that in which they were placed remains; with us it is not so.” In everyday life the contents perish, but the container continues to exist. With mankind and the law given to it things are the opposite. Israel, the keeper of the law, perishes, but the very law entrusted to the chosen people remains. The law is eternal, as it proceeds from God (IX:31). Because of this it is spiritual (Rom 7:14) and remains in eternal glory (2 Cor 3:7-11). Its fruit also is eternal (IX:31): for the righteous the law brings eternal blessedness, for sinners eternal torment.

2 Esdras 9:36. We, having received the law, sinned and perished, as also our heart which received it; 2 Esdras 9:37. but the law did not perish and remains in its force. 2 Esdras 9:38. When I spoke this in my heart, I lifted my eyes and saw on the right side a woman; and behold, she wept and grieved with a great cry, and was deeply grieved in her soul; her garment was torn, and there was ashes on her head. 38. The ancients connected with the right side the significance of a good omen. The priest Zacharias sees the Angel who came to announce the birth of a son on his right side (Luke 1:11), and the myrrh-bearing women see a young man sitting in the grave of Christ after the resurrection on his right side (Mark 16:5).

2 Esdras 9:39. Then I left the meditations in which I was occupied, and turned to her and said to her: 2 Esdras 9:40. Why do you weep, and why do you grieve so in your soul? 2 Esdras 9:41. She said: Leave me, my lord, that I may weep for myself and increase my sorrow, for I am very grieved in soul and very humiliated. 41. Cf. 1 Sam 1:10.

2 Esdras 9:42. I asked her: What have you suffered? Tell me. And she answered me: 2 Esdras 9:43. I was barren, your servant, and did not bear children, having a husband, for thirty years. 2 Esdras 9:44. Every hour, every day in these thirty years I prayed to the Most High without ceasing, 44. The woman prayed to God night and day (nocie ас die) for the gift of a son. The author follows the Hebrew reckoning of days. Each day begins in the evening.

2 Esdras 9:45. and God heard me, your servant, after thirty years, saw my humility, heeded my sorrow, and gave me a son, and I greatly rejoiced in him, and my husband, and all my fellow citizens, and we greatly glorified the Most High. 45. Barrenness was considered a shame among the Hebrews (Luke 1:25). The wife’s account of the gift to her of a son after many years of prayer, and of his sudden death at the wedding, is not independent. The author used for his purpose a touching story from family life, resembling in character the book of Tobit (Clemen, 241. Gunkel, 344). The opinion of Kabisch, that the material for the fourth vision came directly from the book of Tobit, has no foundation, as the content of both books has too great a difference. The content of the vision is much broader than its interpretation, which satisfies itself with comparatively few details, passing over the majority in silence. Thus, the personality of the son, occupying a prominent place in the story, is left in shadow in the interpretation. It is incomprehensible why the son dies at the wedding night, why all the feast participants extinguish the lamps, why all citizens take such close part in the woman’s grief, why, finally, she flees to the field and desperately seeks her own hungry death there. All these details could not have taken place if the wife’s account belonged to the pen of the author himself and played exclusively a service role in illuminating the past and future fate of Jerusalem.

2 Esdras 9:46. I reared him with great labor, 2 Esdras 9:47. and when he grew up and came to take a wife for himself, I arranged the day of the wedding feast.

Chapter Ten

The wife’s account of the sudden death of her son during the marriage and her sorrow (1–4). Ezra’s rebuke of the wife for forgetting the public disaster because of family grief (5–24). The sudden disappearance of the wife and the appearance in her place of a fortified city (25–27). Ezra’s prayer for the interpretation of the vision (28–37). The angel’s explanation of the vision in application to Jerusalem in different periods of its existence (38–57). The promise of a new revelation (58–60).

2 Esdras 10:1. But when my son entered his wedding chamber, he fell and died. 2 Esdras 10:2. And we all overturned the lamps, and all my fellow citizens rose up to comfort me, and I rested until the next night. 2 Esdras 10:3. And when all ceased to comfort me, to leave me in peace, I rose in the night, ran away, and came, as you see, to this field. 2 Esdras 10:4. And I think no longer to return to the city, but to remain here, neither eat nor drink, but lament and fast continuously, until I die. 1–4. Lamps on the East were the usual belongings of a wedding feast, as it took place at night (Matt 25:7). With great sorrow there is no place for tears and weeping. The mother, having lost her son, was frozen with grief and spent whole days in this state. Volkmar tries to interpret all the details in the wife’s account in application to the first and second destruction of Jerusalem. The son’s death is a symbol of the first capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. The darkness into which the house where the feast took place is plunged indicates the time of the Babylonian captivity. The woman’s comforting under the influence of neighbors’ consolations hints at the construction of the second temple through the work of Ezra and Nehemiah. After this, a whole period passes embracing the apocalyptic days, night, and day. Finally, the night of the new destruction comes. Citizens no longer try to comfort the woman. This is a hint at the extreme despair of the Jews at the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, which did not allow them even to dream of the restoration of the holy city. Volkmar’s explanation suffers from extreme artificiality. A series of details left by the author without interpretation was taken by the author from a ready-made story, which may have existed in written form.

2 Esdras 10:5. Abandoning the meditations in which I was engaged, I answered her angrily and said: 2 Esdras 10:6. O most foolish of all women! Do you not see our sorrow and what has happened to us, — 2 Esdras 10:7. that Zion, our mother, grieves immensely, is greatly humiliated, and weeps bitterly? 2 Esdras 10:8. And now, when we all grieve and are afflicted, because we are all distressed, will you grieve for one son of yours? 7–8. The woman’s sorrow over family grief should give way to the background in the face of the destruction of Jerusalem and be replaced by an even more burning sorrow at the occasion of a national disaster.

2 Esdras 10:9. Ask the earth, and it will tell you that it should bewail the fall of so many born upon it; 2 Esdras 10:10. for all born from it from the beginning and others that are yet to come, almost all perish, and such a multitude of them is delivered to destruction. 9–10. Earth is the common mother, as all people came forth from her. She has much more reason for sorrow, as the majority of people perished because of an evil heart that drove them to sin.

2 Esdras 10:11. So who should grieve more than the one who lost such a multitude, and not you, grieving for one? 2 Esdras 10:12. If you say to me: “My weeping is not like the weeping of the earth, for I lost the fruit of my womb, which I bore with sorrow and gave birth to with pain; 2 Esdras 10:13. and the earth—by the nature of the earth; upon it a great multitude as it departs, so also comes in”: 2 Esdras 10:14. and I say to you, that as you bore a son with difficulty, so the earth gives forth its fruit to the one who created it from the beginning. 14. “As you gave birth to a son with sorrow, so the earth gave its Creator (ei qui fecit eam) its fruit—mankind (fructum suum hominem).”

2 Esdras 10:15. Therefore refrain now from your sorrow and bear courageously the loss that has happened to you. 2 Esdras 10:16. For if you acknowledge God’s judgment as righteous, then in due time you will receive your son, and you will be glorified among women. 16. It is difficult to say whether the text here speaks of the resurrection of the son, or simply foretells the birth of a new son, because of which she will be surrounded by former glory.

2 Esdras 10:17. Therefore return to the city to your husband. 2 Esdras 10:18. But she said: I will not do so, I will not return to the city, but I will die here. 2 Esdras 10:19. Continuing to speak with her, I said: 2 Esdras 10:20. Do not do this, but listen to my counsel. For how many disasters afflict Zion? Be comforted for the sorrow of Jerusalem. 2 Esdras 10:21. For you see that our sanctuary is laid waste, our altar is overthrown, our temple is destroyed, 2 Esdras 10:22. our psaltery is brought low, our songs have ceased, our joy has vanished, the light of our lamp is extinguished, the ark of our covenant is seized, our sanctuary is defiled, and the name that is called upon us is nearly profaned, our children have suffered shame, our priests are slain, our Levites have been taken captive, our virgins are defiled, our wives have suffered violence, our righteous have been carried away, our youths have perished, our strong men have grown weary; 2 Esdras 10:23. and what is most grievous, the standard of Zion has been deprived of its glory, because it has been delivered into the hands of those who hate us. 21–23. The burning sorrow that is felt behind the words of the author inclines one to see in them the echo of the second destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, a witness of which the author was. The name of Israel was called upon on Israel. As is known, the name of Israel was given by God himself to Jacob and his descendants (Gen 32:28). In the Latin instead of the standard, there is discourse about the seal (signaculum) of Zion, from which former glory has been taken away and which is in the hands of pagans. Here the state seal is destroyed, as a symbol of the independence of Jerusalem. The transfer of a ring with a state seal meant the transfer of power to a new possessor (Gen 41:42; Esth 3:10; 1 Macc 6:15). Hilgenfeld unfairly puts forward this detail as proof that Jerusalem and the temple continued to exist during the writing of the book and merely came under the power of Rome. Since above it is clearly stated about the destruction of the city, the burning of the temple, and the scattering of the Jews, there is not sufficient reason to prefer this general remark to a detailed picture of destruction. In the mention of the ark of the covenant one cannot see proof that the author means here the first destruction of Jerusalem (Merx. Protestantische Kirchenzeitung, 1863, № 37. S. 826–827. Hilgenfeld. Messias Judaeorum, 80). True, in the second temple there was no ark of the covenant. However, the secondary position, which the ark of the covenant is given among other possessions of the temple, testifies to the fact that the author is not at all connected with it that central significance which it occupied in ancient Jewish worship before the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar.

2 Esdras 10:24. Therefore lay aside your great sorrow, and put off the multitude of sorrows, that the Mighty One may have mercy on you, and the Most High may grant you rest and relief of troubles. 2 Esdras 10:25. At these words of mine to her, suddenly her face shone and her appearance became bright, so that I, terrified by her, considered what this might be. 25. Rev 21:9-22:5.

2 Esdras 10:26. And behold, she suddenly uttered so loud and terrible a sound that the earth was shaken by the sound. 2 Esdras 10:27. And I saw, and behold, the woman no longer appeared to me, but a city was being built, and the place of it appeared to me on broad foundations, and I was terrified and cried out loudly and said: 27. In the Eastern translations the discourse is about a city already created, built with buildings (civitas aedificata). The heavenly Jerusalem is transferred to the earth in a completely finished form (XII:44), without human involvement.

2 Esdras 10:28. Where is the angel Uriel, who came to me at the beginning? For he has brought me into such a frenzy of mind, in which the goal of my striving has disappeared, and my prayer has turned into reproach. 2 Esdras 10:29. While I spoke this, he came to me; 2 Esdras 10:30. and he saw me, and behold, I lay as one dead and in an unconscious state; he took me by the right hand, strengthened me, stood me up, and said to me: 28–30. The author wanted to know the future fate of Israel (IX:29–37). Instead of an answer, he beholds a vision which his limited human reason is unable to fathom. Thus all his prayers turn out to be vain, as the vision does not achieve its goal, but only plunges the prophet into even greater horror before the unknown fate awaiting the Jewish people. He falls to the earth as one dead, and consciousness abandons him. Then begin the painful efforts to comprehend the meaning of what has occurred.

2 Esdras 10:31. What is wrong with you? Why are you disturbed in mind and troubled in heart? Why are you troubled? 2 Esdras 10:32. For this reason, I answered him, that you abandoned me, and I, proceeding according to your words, went out into the field, and behold I saw and still see that which I cannot relate. 2 Esdras 10:33. And he said to me: Stand strong, and I will explain to you. 2 Esdras 10:34. Speak to me, my lord, I said, only do not abandon me, that I may not die in vain; 2 Esdras 10:35. For I have seen what I did not know, and heard what I do not understand. 2 Esdras 10:36. Does my senses deceive me, or is my soul dreaming in sleep? 2 Esdras 10:37. Therefore I ask you to explain to me, your servant, this turmoil of my mind. When I answered him, he said: 2 Esdras 10:38. Attend to me, and I will teach you and explain to you what has terrified you; for the Most High will reveal to you many secrets. 2 Esdras 10:39. He sees your upright path, that you grieve continually for your people and sorrow greatly for Zion. 2 Esdras 10:40. This is the meaning of the vision that appeared to you before: 2 Esdras 10:41. the woman whom you saw weeping and whom you tried to comfort, 2 Esdras 10:42. who then became invisible, and there appeared to you a city being built, 2 Esdras 10:43. and who told you about the death of her son, this is what it means: 2 Esdras 10:44. the woman whom you saw is Zion. And what she said to you, whom you saw as a city just now being built, 2 Esdras 10:45. that she was barren for thirty years, this indicates that for thirty years no sacrifice was offered on Zion. 45. In the printed text of the Vulgate the period during which sacrifice was not offered on Zion is determined as 30 years. Wieseler (285–286) accepts this reading, noting the mystical significance given to this number elsewhere in the book (III:1). In his view the author has in mind the years from the capture of Jerusalem from the Jebusites by David to the founding of Solomon’s temple. Jerusalem became the city of God only under David. However, the apparent attempt here to draw a complete parallel between the years of barrenness of women and the time when Zion remained without offerings makes it impossible to accept this reading as original. It was only an unsuccessful attempt to put meaning into an obscure expression of the ancient Latin text: “three years by the century” (anni seculo tres). In the Eastern translations it speaks of 3,000 years. It is possible that the Latin translator connected with the word “century” the thought simply of an extensive period of time, just as he uses it to denote the present and future life. “Three days” is used in apocalyptic literature in a mystical sense. Van der Ulis, Gfrorer (II, 73), and Lucke (175–176), in order to reconcile the Latin text with the Eastern translations, combine the present reading of the Vulgate with the reading of manuscripts and assume that the author speaks of 30 centuries (anni seculo triginta). Most researchers incline in favor of the Eastern translations, seeing here an indication of the number of years that passed from the creation of the world to the building of Solomon’s temple (Gutschmid, Hilgenfeld, Volkmar, Wellhausen, Gunkel). Since the number indicated by the author does not agree with the reckoning of either the Greek Bible, where it is determined as 4,227 years, or the Hebrew, where it is reduced to 3,146 years, we must assume that the author followed the chronological system of Flavius and the Christian chroniclers. Flavius counts from the creation of the world to the flood 1,656 years, from the flood to Abraham 365, from Abraham to the exodus from Egypt 430, and from Moses to the building of the temple 592 years. Thus from the creation of the world to the building of the first temple 3,043 years elapsed. If we assume that the author reckons the time of the Egyptian captivity, based on the book of Genesis (XV:13; see 3 Ezra VII:28), as 400 years, then the entire number is reduced to 3,013 years.

2 Esdras 10:46. After thirty years of barrenness the barren woman bore a son: this happened when Solomon built the city and offered sacrifices. 46. The building of Jerusalem and the temple is attributed to Solomon. This error is explained by the fact that in the author’s mind the city of God was inseparable from the temple. Only the building of the temple, which was built by Solomon, gave Jerusalem the significance of a permanent political and religious center for Palestine. In this sense Solomon could be called the founder of Jerusalem. In his peaceful reign the city was adorned with rich buildings and far surpassed in its splendor the fortress taken by David from the Jebusites.

2 Esdras 10:47. And what she said to you, that with difficulty she raised him, this was the dwelling in Jerusalem. 47. The raising of her son, which cost the mother much labor, is compared with the life that surged in Jerusalem before its fall. The difficulties associated with its existence are explained, on the one hand, by the frequent instances of the people turning to idolatry, and on the other hand, by attacks of enemies and internal disturbances, which more than once threatened the further existence of the city.

2 Esdras 10:48. And that her son, as she said to you, entering into his chamber, fell and died, this was the fall of Jerusalem. 2 Esdras 10:49. And behold, you saw her image, and as she grieved over her son, you tried to comfort her in what had happened: it should be revealed to you concerning this. 2 Esdras 10:50. And now the Most High, seeing that you grieve in soul and are troubled with all your heart for him, has shown you the brightness of his glory and the beauty of him. 2 Esdras 10:51. For this reason I commanded you to live in the field, where there is no house. 2 Esdras 10:52. I knew that the Most High would show you this; 2 Esdras 10:53. for this reason I commanded that you come to the field, where no foundation of a building was laid. 2 Esdras 10:54. For the work of human building could not exist there, where the city of the Most High was beginning to be revealed. 51–54. The teaching about the heavenly Jerusalem, descending to the earth without human participation, appeared in Judaism after its second destruction (Gfrorer, I, 74–75). Seeing here the Jerusalem built by the labors of Ezra and Nehemiah (Shavrov, 113) is prevented by the conviction that reigned among the Jews that the second Jerusalem was only a weak shadow of the first.

2 Esdras 10:55. Therefore do not fear, and let your heart not be frightened, but enter and see the brightness and greatness of the building, as much as your eyes are able to see. 2 Esdras 10:56. After that you will hear, as much as your ears are able to hear. 55–56. The dazzling picture of the heavenly Jerusalem opening before the eyes of Ezra so far exceeds the limits of human perception that he can account for only a known part of what he has seen and heard. The rest remains inaccessible to him (cf. 2 Cor 12:4; 1 Cor 2:9).

2 Esdras 10:57. You are more blessed than many, and called to the Most High, as few are. 2 Esdras 10:58. Tomorrow night remain here, 2 Esdras 10:59. and the Most High will show you visions of the greatest deeds which He will accomplish for the inhabitants of the earth in the last days. 2 Esdras 10:60. And I slept that night and the following, as he commanded me.

Chapter Eleven

A description of the eagle rising from the sea (1–6). The rule of twelve large wings and two subordinate wings (7–23). Attempts at dominion by the four subordinate wings (24–28). The sovereignty of the three heads of the eagle (29–36). The appearance of the lion and its accusatory speech to the eagle (37–46).

2 Esdras 11:1. And I saw a dream, and behold, an eagle rose from the sea, which had twelve feathered wings and three heads. 1. The prophet sees in a dream an eagle rising from the depths of the sea (de mari). The eagle has 12 wings and three heads. Eight subordinate wings, which play a secondary role, are not yet named. The symbol of the eagle was used in application to a monarchy both in the East among the Assyrians and Persians, and in the West among the Romans. Among the Hebrew prophets it is applied both to an entire monarchy and to individual persons. Ezekiel depicts under the image of an eagle the Babylonian (XVII:3, 12) and Egyptian monarchy (XVII:7, 15); Jeremiah—the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar (XLVIII:40; XLIX:22). In the book of Daniel the first world monarchy, contemplated under the symbol of a lion, is ascribed eagle wings (VII:4). In the Roman Empire the image of the eagle was used as a state emblem on standards and coins. Since the time of Herod the Great it was placed on the Jerusalem temple itself and on Jewish coins. In this symbol of the royal bird the author wished to emphasize, on the one hand, the extraordinary power and might of the Roman Empire, which reigned over almost the entire world, and on the other hand, its predatory inclinations. The eagle comes forth from the sea like the four beasts of Daniel (VII:3). From the same book are taken the principal components of the vision: wings and heads. In Daniel the third beast—the leopard has 4 bird wings and 4 heads (VII:6).

2 Esdras 11:2. And I saw: behold, he spread his wings over the whole earth, and all the winds of heaven blew upon him and the clouds gathered. 2. In Daniel’s vision there likewise, over the great sea from which the four beasts come forth, all four winds of heaven blow (VII:2). Despite the storm, the eagle rises smoothly from the sea and reaches the clouds.

2 Esdras 11:3. And I saw that from his feathers other small feathers came forth, and from those yet smaller and shorter ones. 3. The appearance of small or subordinate wings before Ezra’s eyes is analogous to the emergence among the 10 horns of the fourth beast of Daniel a small horn (VII:8). The designation of the component parts of the vision in the Latin text is not clearly distinguished. The 12 large wings at first bear the name of “feathered wings” (alae pennarum) or simply “wings” (alae). In the epithet adjoined to the word alae, Volkmar sees either poetic ornament or a desire to prevent the possibility of understanding it in the sense of a wing of a military force. In any case, the addition had an unfavorable effect on the subsequent text, which is why often (XII:7, 12–13) instead of wings erroneously there is talk of feathers. The secondary part of the vision in the Latin translation also bears the name of feathers (pennae) or little feathers (pennacula), whereby the difference between the 12 original wings and the 8 newly appeared subordinate wings completely disappears. In the Eastern translations—Syrian, Arabic, and Armenian—the organs growing on the eagle’s body subsequently are named “smaller, fine, and short wings” (alae minutae et exiles et modicae, Syr.). The distinction between them and the 12 large wings in the Latin text is expressed in the designation of them as “contrary feathers” (contrariae pennae), “smaller and short little feathers” (in pennaculis minutis et modicis, XI:3), and “subwings” (subalares, XI:31; XII:19). According to Gutschmid’s hypothesis (241–242), the first of these names hints that they separate from the main feathers and occupy a perpendicular position relative to them. However, it is far more natural to consider it an imprecise translation of the Greek word άντιπτέρυγες or άντίπτερα. The Greek prefix άντι, marking the secondary significance of the subordinate wings, at the same time should have indicated the position occupied by the persons represented under this symbol, in relation to the rulers depicted in the form of 12 large wings. If the large wings are understood in most cases (XI:21) as the legitimate bearers of power who actually occupied the royal throne (πτέρυξ βασιλεύς), then behind the subordinate or small wings are hidden the pretenders to the throne and usurpers who sought to seize power (άντιπτέρυξ άντιβασιλεύς). This view is held by Volkmar (152–153), Hilgenfeld (Judische Apokatyptik, 204–205), and Gunkel (390). Wieseler (271–272) explains this designation in the sense that the small wings are placed opposite the large ones, which occupy, apparently, the right side of the eagle (XI:12). The Greek word άντιπτέρυγες, as well as the Latin designation subalares, in his opinion, indicates the dependent, subordinate position occupied by the small wings in relation to the large ones. But in the vision itself all the difference between them is limited only to the brevity of the reign or the failure of the claims to the throne of the persons depicted in the form of small wings. Therefore, the theories of Gfrorer (I, 88–91), Wieseler (271–281), and Kabish (164), seeing in the 8 small wings the rulers of Palestine from the dynasty of Herod, or the leaders of the last Jewish revolt, do not possess persuasiveness.

2 Esdras 11:4. His heads rested, and the middle head was greater than the other heads, but it also rested with them. 4. After a brief indication of the main characteristics of the eagle (XI:1) the author dwells on them with greater detail (XI:3–4). He distinguishes between large and small wings and heads. Characteristically, the number of subordinate wings is still not named. By this the author wishes to say that he grasped the details of the vision not at once but gradually, as he gazed upon the eagle soaring high in the sky.—Three emperors from the house of the Flavians are represented under the image of the three heads of the eagle, because by their destruction of Jerusalem they completed and headed the lawlessness which Rome committed against the defenseless Judea. Judea was as if swallowed by them. The three heads retain peace (Lat., Syr.), or silence (Eth., Ar., Arm.). Their calm at the sight of the separating from the 12 main wings appendages hints that the pretenders to the throne and usurpers could play a known role only with the tacit consent or due to the inaction of the Flavii. In their silence one can, in particular, see an indication of the withdrawn character of the head of the dynasty—Vespasian. When after Nero’s death the Roman throne became a plaything in the hands of military commanders who lost it with the same speed with which they seized power, Vespasian by no action revealed his ambitious designs. Though according to Flavius’s testimony in 68 AD all saw in him a future emperor, yet he with unusual readiness swore allegiance to a whole series of emperors: Galba, Otho, and Vitellius. Despite the requests of friends, he not only does not prevent Galba from occupying the throne, but even sends Titus to him to render imperial honors. He manifested the same restraint after Galba’s death. Even when the Pannonian legions proclaimed him emperor and received support from Egypt and Syria, he persistently delayed taking the throne (Volkmar, 340). It is also possible that the name of the last emperor from the house of the Flavians stirs in the mind of the author-Semite the thought of silence. In the Hebrew and Aramaic languages the first three letters of Domitian’s name “dom” mean “silence”. At the time people were inclined to give mysterious meaning to the initial letters. Vespasian and Titus, who had already died by the time the book appeared, could be called silent following the example of the surviving Domitian (Gfrorer, 87–68. Wieseler, 269). The middle head is understood as Vespasian, as the founder of the dynasty. The three heads of the eagle, acting in union with one another, exactly reproduce the relations between Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian. Wishing to secure the throne for his dynasty, Vespasian at the very beginning declared both his sons Caesars, and soon after made Titus his co-ruler. At public celebrations he usually appeared among his sons. Such a picture was presented, according to Flavius, by the triumphal procession occasioned by Titus’s capture of Jerusalem. On coins pertaining to the reign of Vespasian, all three members of the Flavian house usually appear, the father on the obverse, and the sons on the reverse.

2 Esdras 11:5. And I saw: behold, the eagle flew on his wings and reigned over the earth and over all its inhabitants. 2 Esdras 11:6. And I saw that all the region under heaven was subject to him, and none opposed him, nor any of the creatures that exist on earth. 2 Esdras 11:7. And behold, the eagle took his stand on his talons and spoke with a voice to his feathers, and said: 2 Esdras 11:8. do not all keep watch together; sleep each in your own place, and keep watch in turn, 2 Esdras 11:9. and let the heads be preserved for the last time. 2 Esdras 11:10. I saw that his voice came not from his heads but from the middle of his body. 7–10. Eagles depicted in the book of the prophet Ezekiel (XVII:3, 7 according to the LXX) possess talons. The talons are in Volkmar’s opinion (342) a symbol of the Roman legions, which were distinguished by their predatory character and thirst for blood. On them rests the entire power of the Roman Caesars. The voice proceeding before the reigning of the first wing not from the heads, as one would expect, but from the middle of the eagle, the interpretation of the vision (XII:17–18) assigns to another moment in the history of the Roman Empire. Here it plays a purely auxiliary role, showing that the kings and usurpers who appear in the general picture together and simultaneously, in reality rule or seek to rule one after another. In Gutschmid’s opinion in the eagle’s command that not all wings keep watch together, there is hinted at the change from republican rule in Rome to monarchical. From this time on its world dominion begins. The interpretation of the prophet himself assigns the voice to the time of interregnum after the cessation of the Julian dynasty, when with special clarity appeared the necessity of a monarchical order for ensuring Rome’s further existence.

2 Esdras 11:11. I counted his small feathers; there were eight of them. 11. The reference is to subordinate wings.

2 Esdras 11:12. And behold, from the right side one feather rose and reigned over the whole earth. 2 Esdras 11:13. And when it had reigned, its end came, and it was seen no more; then another feather rose and reigned; and this exercised dominion for a long time. 12–13. A feather is erroneously named in the Latin text for a large wing. The author successively recounts the history of the kings depicted under the image of the 12 large wings. Since the history of Rome could be the subject of his influence only from the moment when Rome laid its iron hand upon Judea, obviously under the large wings are understood, first and foremost, the emperors from the house of Julius and subsequent rulers until Vespasian. Since the second wing, distinguished by unusual longevity, undoubtedly denotes Octavian Augustus, then the first obviously conceals Julius Caesar. Flavius considers him the first Roman emperor (Antiquitates judaicae XVIII, 2, 2; 6, 10). The Sibylline Books hold the same reckoning (V, 10–15), Roman historians—Suetonius (Vitae XII Caesarum), Aurelius Victor, and Julian (cited. Renan. Apocalypse, 407), and Christian writers—Theophil of Antioch (To Autolycus III, 25) and Epiphanius of Cyprus (De pondere et mensuris, 12). Though juridically the Roman Empire began with Augustus, in fact the transition from republican rule to absolute monarchy was accomplished by Caesar. He fell a victim to his own idea. Caesar’s unexpected death, leaving no offspring, was the greatest danger to the nascent order. This event is indicated by the disappearance of the first wing without any trace, so that even its place was not seen.

2 Esdras 11:14. When it had reigned and when its end drew near, that it would disappear like the first, 14. Augustus, like Caesar, left no direct heir after him.

2 Esdras 11:15. and behold, there was heard a voice speaking to it: 2 Esdras 11:16. Hear, you who have held the earth so long! Behold what I announce to you before you begin to disappear: 2 Esdras 11:17. no one after you will rule so long as you, and not even half as long. 15–17. The author draws attention to the unusual longevity of the second king as an exceptional phenomenon in the history of the fourth beast of Daniel. For the first time the riddle was properly solved by Fabricius (Codex Pseudepigraphus Veteris Testamenti, II, 275), who saw here an indication of Octavian Augustus. Roman historians Tacitus, Suetonius, and Eutropius count the years of his reign beginning with his election as first consul (43 BC–14 AD). Thus it comes to about 56 years. Flavius determines the duration of his rule at 57 and a half years, as he takes as the starting point the year of Caesar’s death. No Roman emperor until Constantine the Great reigned even for half this figure.

2 Esdras 11:18. And the third feather rose and exercised dominion, as the former, but it also disappeared. 2 Esdras 11:19. Thus it was with all the others: they ruled and then disappeared forever. 19. All the other wings on the right side of the eagle “reigned individually” (singulatim). This remark, as well as the serial count which the author applies to the first three wings, prompts one to see in the 12 large wings 12 representatives from Julius Caesar to Vespasian.

2 Esdras 11:20. I saw that from time to time from the right side other feathers rose in order to have dominion, and some of them attained to rule, but immediately disappeared; 2 Esdras 11:21. and others rose but did not obtain rule. 20–21. Since history knows only 9 Roman emperors during this period, it is evident that the remark concerning some wings represents usurpers or pretenders to the Roman throne applies also to the 12 main wings. In the Ethiopian translation indeed, in this place there is talk of large wings arranged on the left side of the eagle, whose turn comes after the disappearance of all the right wings. Most researchers support this reading (Van der Ulis. Dissertatio critica de Ezrae libra apocrypho, vulgo IV dicto. Amstelodami 1839. P. 61, 136, 182. Lucke, 197. Gutschmid, 247. Hilgenfeld. Messias Judaeorum, 87. Langen, 129. Gunkel, 391). In accordance with the significance which is attached to the right and left sides, the author places on the right 6 emperors from the house of Julius, under whom Rome was in a flourishing state, and on the left, the usurpers who followed them, whose appearance threatened Rome with destruction. Under the 6 right wings are indisputably understood: 1) Julius Caesar (60–44 BC), 2) Octavian Augustus (44 BC–14 AD). 3) Tiberius (14–37 AD). 4) Caius Caligula (37–41 AD), 5) Claudius (41–54 AD), and 6) Nero (54–68 AD). It is harder to decipher the 6 left wings. The simplest is the assumption of Gfrorer (84–85), Wieseler (270–271), Dilman (Herzogs Real-Encyklopedie. 1 Aufl. XII, 312), Kabish (113–114), Schürer (326–327), and Gunkel (345) that behind the 6 left or ill-fated wings are concealed three emperors who held the throne for only a few months after Nero: Galba (from April 6, 68 AD to January 15, 69 AD), Otho (from January 15 to April 17 of the same year) and Vitellius, overthrown by Vespasian (in December 69 AD), and three pretenders to the throne: Vindex, who raised a revolt against Nero (67 AD), which prepared the way for Galba’s enthronement, Nymphidius, who vainly tried to incite the praetorian guards to revolt against Galba, and finally Piso, killed together with Galba at the moment when the latter was about to proclaim him his co-ruler. Against this explanation there is only one objection, that in view of the division of wings adopted by the author into main and subordinate, it is hardly likely he could have assigned three pretenders to the throne, who suffered defeat, to the main wings. But if we take the point of view of the author, there will be nothing strange in his evaluation of historical figures. During the disturbances that tore the country after Nero’s death, the Jews avidly caught every rumor from court life which bore testimony to Rome’s proximity to destruction. Minor, almost forgotten by history seekers of power like Vindex, Nymphidius, and Piso could be represented under the symbol of large wings, since their claims played no small role in the beginning dissolution of the Roman Empire, and it cost Vespasian much effort to restore its former might.

2 Esdras 11:22. After this the twelve feathers ceased to appear, neither the two small ones; 2 Esdras 11:23. and nothing remained in the eagle’s body except the two resting heads and six small feathers. 2 Esdras 11:24. I saw, and behold, from the six small feathers two separated and remained under the head which was on the right side, and four remained in their place. 2 Esdras 11:25. Then the subwings attempted to rise and take rule; 2 Esdras 11:26. and behold, one rose up but immediately disappeared; 2 Esdras 11:27. and the others disappeared even more quickly than the former. 2 Esdras 11:28. And I saw: behold, the two remaining feathers also attempted to take rule. 2 Esdras 11:29. When they attempted this, one of the resting heads, which was the middle, awakened; and it was greater than the other two heads. 2 Esdras 11:30. And I saw that the other two heads united with it. 2 Esdras 11:31. And this head, turning with those who were united with it, devoured the two subwings which attempted to take rule. 22–31. To list by name those individuals to whom the author assigned a modest role as eight auxiliary wings appears impossible. Corrodi (207), Schürer (326), and Gunkel (345) attribute their appearance to the time of upheaval in 68–70 CE. These are provincial rulers, throne-seekers, and plain rebels who raised revolts for the sake of personal ambition. Their number could reach six. According to Gunkel’s view, the two last small wings transitioning under the middle head represent the rulers of Syria and Egypt, Mucianus and Tiberius Alexander, who contributed to Vespasian’s rise to power. Gfrorer (88–91), Wieseler (271–281), and Kabisch (164) suppose that a secondary place in the author’s broadly conceived picture belongs to the history of Judea. What strikes the eye is the arbitrariness with which Gfrorer and Kabisch select 4 kings from the house of Herod, adding to them 4 instigators of the last Jewish rebellion. Behind the first two small wings, disappearing simultaneously with the 12 large ones, according to their view, hide Herod the Great and Agrippa I; behind the 4 following ones the leaders of Jewish rebels Eleazar, John of Giscala, Simon bar Giora, and John the Idumean; and finally, behind the two small wings transitioning under the right head, the rulers of Judea contemporary with the Flavians, Agrippa II and his sister Berenice. The leaders of the zealots dreamed of separation from Rome, so that the designation of opposing or hostile wings suited them perfectly. All of them sought to rule, but this succeeded only briefly for them. The first two leaders perished by the hand of the Jews themselves; the next two were deprived of power by Vespasian. Wieseler perceives in the 8 small wings the members of the dynasty of Herod. Its founder Antipater and his son Herod the Great form the first group, ruling until the onset of the middle period; the reign of three children of Herod—Archelaus, Herod II Antipas, and Philip—and then Herod III, also bearing the name Agrippa I, covers the middle period; Agrippa II and Berenice hold sway at the very end. The transition of the two last wings under the right head precisely reproduces the relationship of Agrippa II and Berenice toward the house of Julius and the Flavians. They were confirmed on the throne by Claudius and Nero, but upon Vespasian’s accession came into the most friendly relations with the Flavians. Berenice was the lover of Titus and nearly became his wife. Agrippa II owed his standing with the Roman emperors to her influence. The behavior of both during the last Judean war gave the author reason to call them the worst of the small wings (pennacula pessima): they stood on Rome’s side. Despite greater coherence compared with what preceded it, Wieseler’s interpretation conflicts, however, with the text in many essential points. The prophet’s remark about the shortness of the reign of the small wings (XI:20, 25–31) and their disappearance with the speed of lightning applies entirely wrongly to the house of Herod: with the exception of Archelaus and Agrippa I all of them reigned for quite a long time. The text of the vision gives no grounds for considering the small wings as acting simultaneously with the large ones. On the contrary, the thought is clearly expressed here that the rule of the 6 small wings follows after the 12 large wings and precedes the awakening of the three heads. The last two auxiliary wings arise upon the disappearance of the third head. The subordinate position occupied by the small wings in relation to the large ones is not noted in the book, despite the author’s desire to indicate the difference between the two groups. The behavior of the middle head, devouring the fifth and sixth auxiliary wings, encounters no analogous event in the history of the house of Herod. Given this, Wieseler is forced contrary to the coherence of his system to refer this passage to two kings of Commagene Antiochus and his son Epiphanes. In alliance with the Parthians they struggled against Rome, but were overthrown by Vespasian. Since it is difficult to find a corresponding number of historical figures for the 12 main and 8 auxiliary wings, the thought emerged to somehow reduce this number in accordance with the data of universal history. Ewald (Geschichte des Volkes Israel. 3 Ausg. VII, p. 77–82) and Drummond (106–110) suppose that under the 8 auxiliary wings, as well as under the 3 heads, the same kings are depicted who previously found their place under the image of the 12 large wings. Their distinction in a separate group testifies only to the fact that the author, for the sake of thoroughness, evaluates them from different points of view. In the vision of the eagle there is discussion of only 12 Roman Caesars known to history beginning with Julius Caesar and ending with Domitian. The perpetrators of the fall of Jerusalem, in view of the importance of the role they played in the fate of Judea, are represented in the form of three heads of the eagle. The 8 auxiliary wings denote 8 emperors who ruled for less than 10 years. These are Caesar, Caligula, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian. Moreover, the 12 Caesars, depending on the fortunate or unfortunate character of their rule, are arranged on the right or left side of the eagle. To the house of Julius, during which the Roman Empire reached extraordinary brilliance, the right side is assigned. The disappearance of the 12 large wings (XI:22) together with 2 small ones relates to the moment of Nero’s death. After him the empire, torn by civil wars, resembles a mutilated eagle, powerless to soar in the sky. By the two small wings that disappeared simultaneously with the large ones are meant Caesar and Caligula. A group of 4 small wings consists of Galba, overthrown from power soon after his accession (XI:26), Otho, who lost power with even greater speed (XI:27), Vitellius, and Vespasian. The chief difficulty arises when one tries to understand how Vespasian, depicted as the middle head, destroys among two small wings attempting to rule none other than himself. Ewald, in order to find a way out of this, supposes a corruption in the text, where supposedly it was about one of the two small wings. Drummond sees here a hint that the former Vespasian, who played a modest role as a small wing during the struggle with Vitellius, since he was recognized as emperor only in the East, after victory was as it were absorbed and disappeared without a trace in Vespasian, the great and victorious ruler of the whole empire. Two auxiliary wings, sheltering under the right head of the eagle, mean Titus and Domitian, acting jointly with their father. Vespasian, presented in the vision as the founder of the dynasty under the image of the middle head, could also be depicted as the right head, as more fortunate compared with his sons in the length of reign. At the same time the right head is the symbol of Domitian, and the left is Titus, who perished by the hand of his own brother. The fact that two small wings are not arranged under both extreme heads, but under one right one, and with it disappear (Vulgate), testifies probably to the fact that in Domitian, the murderer of Titus, the author saw the cause of the shortness and misfortunes of both his own and the preceding reign. Ewald’s and Drummond’s explanation completely ignores the chronological sequence which the author outlines in the rule of the large wings, auxiliary wings, and heads (XI:22; XII:2). With Corrodi (207–208) and Thomson (457) are included in the composition of the 12 large wings the 3 heads. Thomson even attempts to list by name the contenders for the Roman throne and usurpers corresponding to the 3 small wings of the eagle. These are the two Pompeys, father and son, Brutus and Cassius, Antony, Piso, Nymphidius, and Vindex. However, the chronological relation between the small and large wings, as well as the struggle between two small wings and the middle head of the eagle, are left unattended here. Langen (131–133) sees in the numerical data concerning large and small wings round numbers. In his opinion, the author, knowing Roman history as any other Jew (Gfrorer. I, 79), very superficially and not presenting to himself in the ancient period of the empire anything sufficiently clearly except the longevity of Augustus, could not care about accuracy. With the numbers he connected not historical but mystical significance, which was in circulation in apocalyptic literature. He noted only that there would be more legitimate emperors than contenders for the throne and usurpers. By the large wings the author meant 6 Caesars from the house of Julius; by the third and fourth auxiliary wings Galba and Otho; by the fifth and sixth usurpers who perished by Vespasian’s hand; and by the seventh Nerva. Langen’s supposition sharply conflicts with the interpretation of the prophet himself, where it is clearly stated first of 12 (XII:14), and then of 8 (XII:20) kings. Volkmar (338–358), Renan (365–366), Dillmann recently (Über das Adlergesicht in der Apokalypse des Esra. Sitzungsberichte der Berliner Akademie, 1888. p. 215–237), Wellhausen (241–245), and Clemen (242–243) suppose that the solution to the numerical data of the vision lies in the paired counting of wings, whereby each pair corresponds to one emperor. This reduces the number of Caesars to 10. In the history of the Roman Empire 6 pairs of large wings correspond to 6 Julius, 3 pairs of small wings ruling in the interregnum to Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, and the last pair of them, rising upon the disappearance of the right head, to Nerva. In favor of such an understanding they refer to the paired counting of small wings, which takes place in the book (XI:22, 27–31; XII:2, 20–21). Only a pair of wings arranged on both sides of the eagle was a completely successful symbol of a Roman Caesar. A bird can fly only on the necessary condition that both its wings are in action. In this symbol was felt a hint that the Roman emperor is the lord of East and West. For all its simplicity this explanation in many ways contradicts the text of the vision, and especially the interpretation attached to it. According to the latter, the 12 Kings, brought forth as 12 large wings, rule one after another (unus post unum, XII:14); in the same way 8 small wings correspond to 8 kings who will hold the throne for a very short time (XII:20). The paired counting of small wings is not maintained with such strictness as to extend it to the large wings (XI:26). The large wings, to which it is more natural to recognize a guiding significance in the explanation of the whole vision, are constantly counted singly: the author speaks of the accession of the first, second, and third of them (XI:12–13) and extends this law to the rest (XI:19). Given this Dillmann expressed the supposition that the interpretation of the vision was revised at the beginning of the 3rd century with the purpose of adapting Ezra’s prophecy to the events of 216 CE. Wellhausen (241–245) and Clemen (242–243) extend Dillmann’s opinion to the text of the vision itself. The striking agreement of all translations in those particulars of the vision and interpretation where they desire to see the work of later generations serves as the chief objection against them. Certainly all came from the pen of the author himself. The obscurity of the vision, as well as of the interpretation, is explained not by their revision in adaptation to the events of the beginning of the 3rd century, but by purely arbitrary corrections which were introduced by later copyists who did not understand the meaning hidden in them. 31. Vespasian seized the throne with the help of his sons. When they proclaimed him emperor, Titus took command of the armies in the east in his hands, while Domitian acted in his father’s favor in Rome itself.

2 Esdras 11:32. This head terrified all the earth and ruled over the inhabitants of the earth with great oppression, and held power on the earthly sphere more than all the wings that were. 2 Esdras 11:33. After that I saw that the middle head also suddenly disappeared, as did the wings; 2 Esdras 11:34. two heads remained, which in the same manner ruled over the earth and its inhabitants. 2 Esdras 11:35. And behold, the head on the right side devoured the one that was on the left. 35. By the left head is unquestionably meant Titus. His position on the throne was very precarious. Domitian constantly schemed against him (Suetonius. Titus, ch. 10). Upon his father’s death he declared that his brother was proclaimed emperor solely because of a forged will (Dio Cassius, LXVI, 26). When Titus died of fever, popular rumor accused Domitian of his death. According to the testimony of historians, the latter hastened to proclaim himself emperor while his brother was in agony. A rumor spread among the people that Domitian ordered Titus, who was dying, to be thrown into a box of snow in order to hasten his death (Dio Cassius. Ibid. Domitianus, 2). Other historians suspected that Titus was poisoned by his brother, and from Titus’s own words before death one can conclude that he suspected Domitian (Aurelius Victor. Caesares, ch. 10–11). According to the Sibylline Books Titus perished by a two-edged sword (XII, 120–123). In the same way in the interpretation of Ezra himself it is said that the sword of one of the Caesars, represented in the vision under the image of the right head, will devour the other (XII:27–28). In this detail the author appears not as a prophet, but as a historian writing after Titus’s death. Therefore one cannot recognize as convincing the opinion of Corrodi (207–208) and Ewald (76, 81–82), who attribute the appearance of the book to the reign of Titus (79–81), around the year 80.

2 Esdras 11:36. And I heard a voice saying to me: look before you, and ponder what you see. 2 Esdras 11:37. And I saw: behold, like a lion bursting out of the forest and roaring, he uttered a human voice to the eagle and said: 37. The representation of the Messiah as a lion was inspired by Jacob’s prophecy about Judah, from whose line the Messiah was to come (Gen 49:9; Rev 5:5).

2 Esdras 11:38. hear what I will say to you and what the Most High will say to you: 2 Esdras 11:39. are you not the one remaining from among the four animals which I set to rule in my age, so that through them the end of those times might come? 2 Esdras 11:40. And the fourth of them came, defeated all the beasts that were before, and held the age in great dread and the whole world in dreadful oppression, and with the most grievous subjection ruled over those subject to it, and for such a long time dwelt upon the earth with cunning. 39–40. The author here means Daniel’s (VII:3–27) vision of 4 animals coming out of the depths of the sea. The vision of the eagle, according to the author’s own words, explains only what was not explained to the prophet Daniel (XII:11). In the fourth Danielic monarchy contemporary Jewry saw the symbol of Rome (Flavius. Antiquities, X, 9–11; On the Jewish War, VI, 5, 4; IV, 6, 3).

2 Esdras 11:41. You judged the earth not in justice; 2 Esdras 11:42. you oppressed the meek, injured the peaceful, loved liars, destroyed the dwellings of those who brought benefit, and razed the walls of those who did you no harm. 41–42. The cruel treatment of Judea by Rome, particularly by the house of the Flavians, is depicted. In the destruction of dwellings and razing of city walls echoes the second destruction of Jerusalem. This was the height of injustice: the meek and peaceful inhabitants of Judea submitted willingly, paid tribute, and caused harm to none.

2 Esdras 11:43. And your injury went up to the Most High, and your arrogance to the Mighty One. 43. Cf. Isa 37:29.

2 Esdras 11:44. And the Most High looked upon the times of your arrogance, and behold, they have ended, and the measure of your evils has been fulfilled. 44. In the manuscripts this passage has a different meaning. “And the Most High looked upon His own times, and behold they have ended, and the ages have reached fullness” (complete sunt). The author wishes to say by this that the period appointed in the Divine plans for the development of evil upon the earth has expired (cf. Gal 4:4).

2 Esdras 11:45. Therefore vanish, you eagle, with your terrible wings, with your vile feathers, with your evil heads, with your cruel talons, and with all your worthless body, 2 Esdras 11:46. so that all the earth may rest and be freed from your violence, and may hope for the judgment and mercy of its Creator.

Chapter Twelve

The disappearance of the last head of the eagle and the destruction of all of it in flame (1–3). Ezra’s prayer for the interpretation of the vision (4–9). The interpretation of the vision (10–36). The commandment of God to write all that has been seen, but to keep it secret from the people (37–38). The promise of a new revelation (39). The requests of the people who came for Ezra to return to the city to guide the life of the captives (40–45) and Ezra’s consent to this (46–51).

2 Esdras 12:1. When the lion spoke these words to the eagle, I saw, 2 Esdras 12:2. that the head that remained no longer appeared with the four wings that went over to it and rose up to rule, but whose kingdom was weak and full of tumult. 2. In the Vulgate unexpectedly instead of two (XI:24; XII:29) there is mention of four small wings that went over to the right head. This error resulted from an omission. In the manuscripts of the Latin text at this point there is first discussion of the disappearance of 4 small wings, and then of the two wings that took shelter under the right head. Just as before, while noting the destruction of the 12 large wings (XI:22), the author in passing mentions the two auxiliary wings that disappeared with them, so now, having recounted the destruction of the third head, he appends a note about the destruction of the 4 small wings attached to the 3 heads, which did not change their place. In the eastern translations the thought is expressed with greater clarity. “And behold the head that remained alive no longer appeared. And two wings rose up that had gone over to it, and rose up to rule, and their rule was weak and full of rebellion.” Since the third head perishes from the hand of the Messiah, while the coming of the Messiah is expected by the author only in the future, one must recognize that the book appeared in the last years of Domitian’s reign (61 CE–96 CE), around 96 CE. Domitian left no successors after him. The author, who had lived through the troubled time from Nero’s death to the Flavians’ accession to power, sensed the renewal of trouble and depicted in the form of two auxiliary wings ruling after the third head probable contenders for the throne upon Domitian’s death. Scholars assign the composition of the prophetic book of Ezra to not later than 96 CE: Gfrorer (I, 88), Dillmann (Herzogs Real-Encyklopedie V. XII. 1st edition and 2nd edition, 355), Wieseler (281–283), Bissell (644), Reuß (736), Schürer (328), Wellhausen (241–245), Gunkel (352), and Lagrange (497, 498, 500). Other scholars, such as Volkmar (352–354), Langen (130–134), Renan (366–369), Hausrath (84–86), Rosenthal, Zöckler (446–447), Dillmann in his last work (Über das Adlergesicht in der Apokalypse des Esra) and Clemen (242–243) incline to the view that the author lived through Domitian’s death, who fell by the sword of the praetorians (Suetonius, Domitianus, 27. Dio Cassius, LVII, 15–17), since the interpretation of the vision entirely agrees with history in speaking of the death of the last head from the sword (XII:27–28). The decline of power and tumults characterizing the rule of the two last auxiliary wings were indeed strongly felt under Nerva (96 CE–98 CE). A decrepit old man, relying not on the army but on peaceful citizens, powerless to breathe life into the decaying Greco-Roman empire. Finally, in October 97 CE a mutiny of the praetorians broke out, after which Nerva to save the empire from turmoil invited Trajan to himself as co-ruler. Not long before this the author composed his book. However the text of the vision itself decidedly speaks against such a view. The appearance of the Messiah, after whose accusatory speech the last head disappears, is merely expected by the author in the very near future. For an allegorical understanding of it in the sense of obviousness to each of swift retribution for the blood spilled by fratricide (Volkmar) there are no grounds. Even more strange appears the view of Lücke (in the first edition of his book, 1832) and Baldensperger, who push back the writing of the book to the reign of Trajan. In his reign could not arise the thought of the near destruction of the Roman eagle.

2 Esdras 12:3. And I saw, and behold they disappeared, and the whole body of the eagle burned, and the earth became terrified, and I from anxiety, confusion of mind, and great fear awoke and said to my spirit: 3. In the following vision the enemies of the Messiah are destroyed by flame coming forth from His mouth (XIII:10–11). With the prophet Daniel (VII:1) the fourth beast is given to burning.

2 Esdras 12:4. behold, you have caused this to me in that you search the ways of the Most High. 4. The author is aware that the chief reason for the granting to him of the terrible vision which he has just contemplated is his inquisitive mind, which eagerly strives to penetrate the ways of the Most High. Cf. Dan 7:15-16.

2 Esdras 12:5. Behold, my heart is still trembling, and my spirit is very exhausted, and there is no strength in me from the great fear by which I am struck in this night. 2 Esdras 12:6. And now I pray to the Most High to strengthen me until the end. 2 Esdras 12:7. And I said: Master Lord! if I have found favor in your eyes, if you have found me righteous before many, and if my prayer has truly come before your face, 7. Cf. VI:32.

2 Esdras 12:8. strengthen me and show me, your servant, the meaning of this terrible vision, to fully comfort my soul: 8. The prophet asks God to comfort his troubled soul fully by explaining the meaning of his dream. The vision of the woman, depicting the glorious future of Zion, comforted him only in part. The main question of how the yoke of the Romans was to be overthrown is revealed only in this vision.

2 Esdras 12:9. for you have judged me worthy to show me the last times. And He said to me: 2 Esdras 12:10. This is the meaning of this vision: 2 Esdras 12:11. the eagle which you saw coming up from the sea is the kingdom shown in the vision of Daniel, your brother; 11. XI:39.

2 Esdras 12:12. but what was not explained to him is now explained to you. 12. The interpretation of the vision is not distinguished by clarity. A similar feature is strongly felt in the book of the prophet Daniel, which served as a model for the author. This circumstance prompts, in the analysis of the vision, to assign the interpretation only a secondary place, especially in view of certain contradictions noticed between the interpretation and the text of the vision itself.

2 Esdras 12:13. Behold, the days are coming when a kingdom more dreadful than all kingdoms that have been before it will rise on the earth. 13. XI:40–43.

2 Esdras 12:14. In it twelve kings will rule, one after another. 14. XI:1.

2 Esdras 12:15. The second of them will begin to rule, and will hold power for a more prolonged time than the other twelve. 15. XI:13–17.

2 Esdras 12:16. This is the meaning of the twelve wings which you saw. 2 Esdras 12:17. And what you heard, the voice speaking, coming not from the heads of the eagle, but from the midst of his body, 2 Esdras 12:18. means that after the time of that kingdom there will be great disturbances, and the kingdom will be in danger of falling; but it will not fall at that time and will be restored to its original state. 17–18. XI:7–10. The Latin translation refers the troubles threatening Rome with falling to the time after the rule of the 12 large wings (post tempus regni illius). According to the eastern translations they take place during their rule (inter tempus regni illius). Evidently the author is hinting at the upheavals tearing the empire after Nero’s death until Vespasian’s accession to power. The latter restored Rome to its former greatness.

2 Esdras 12:19. And what you saw were eight small wings joined with the wings, this means, 2 Esdras 12:20. that there will arise in the kingdom eight kings, whose times will be light and their years swift, and two of them will perish. 2 Esdras 12:21. When the middle time approaches, four will remain until then, when its end shall be near; and two will remain until the end. 19–21. XI:11, 22–31; XII:2–3. The punctuation should be corrected. The phrase “when the middle time approaches” refers to the first two small wings. By “middle time” (tempus medium) is meant the period of interregnum spoken of just now (XII:18, according to the Ethiopic and Armenian translations). The four further wings precede the 3 heads (XI:24–31) and the last two follow them.

2 Esdras 12:22. And what you saw were three heads at rest, this means, 22. XI:4.

2 Esdras 12:23. that in the last days of the kingdom the Most High will raise up three kings, and they will subdue many others, and they will rule over the earth and its inhabitants 23. XI:32. The Latin translation suffers from obscurity because the Greek word βασιλείς (kings) was taken for βασιλείας (kingdoms). The eastern texts reproduce the author’s thought in this form: “In the very last days of it the Most High will raise up three kings, and they will introduce many innovations in it and will rule over the earth.”

2 Esdras 12:24. with greater oppression than all that went before; therefore they are called the heads of the eagle, 2 Esdras 12:25. because they will fulfill his evils and will put an end to him. 25. XI:44 (Latin manuscripts). The author explains why for three kings, whose rule will entail the end of the fourth world monarchy, the symbol of the heads of the eagle is chosen. They “will recapitulate” (recapitulabunt – a translation of the Greek ἀνακεφαλαιώσουσι) the evils of their predecessors. This term has an apocalyptic character. According to Jewish eschatology at the end of the world the scattered evil, as well as good, will be gathered together and will reach complete fulfillment. In the eyes of the Jews all foreign rule was evil. This was felt even more strongly after the destruction of Jerusalem and the burning of the temple by Titus (70 CE). Religious feeling of the Jews was most offended by the cult of emperors, completely developed among the Flavians. Upon his death Vespasian was declared a god. Titus established for this purpose a whole college of priests bearing the name of the Flavials (Flaviales). Titus also was numbered among the gods immediately after his death. Domitian even during his lifetime declared himself a god, permitting Roman citizens to call him dominus and deus noster (Plinius. Panegyricus II. Suetonius. Domitianus 4, 5, 13). The didrachma, which had been paid by Jews to their temple, after its burning had to be given to the Capitoline temple, restored by the Flavians after the fire. Under Domitian beside it a new temple was built dedicated to the house of the Flavians (gens Flavia).

2 Esdras 12:26. And what you saw, that the great head no longer appeared, means that one of the kings will die on his bed, nevertheless with torment, 26. XI:33. The details of the disappearance of the first head correspond entirely to the circumstances of Vespasian’s death. To him the book’s expression that he “will die on his bed, but with torments” applies fully. Vespasian died suddenly from dysentery (Suetonius. Vespasianus 24. Dio Cassius, LXVI, 17. Aurelius Victor, 9). The Jews thought that he perished from the same tormenting illness which brought Antiochus Epiphanes to the grave, and saw in this the avenging hand of Providence.

2 Esdras 12:27. and the two remaining ones will be devoured by the sword; 2 Esdras 12:28. the sword of one will devour the other, but he also in the course of time will die by the sword. 27–28. XI:35. The destruction of the third head by the sword expresses only the general thought that Domitian will meet a similar violent death for his fratricide. The Messiah kills him by the action of His speech.

2 Esdras 12:29. And what you saw, two small wings moved to the head on the right side, 29. XI:24.

2 Esdras 12:30. these are those whom the Most High has preserved for the end of the kingdom, that is, the kingdom meager and full of confusion. 30. XII:2 (according to the eastern translation).

2 Esdras 12:31. The lion which you saw rising out of the forest and roaring, speaking to the eagle and rebuking it in all its unrighteousness with all the words which you heard, 31. XI:37–46.

2 Esdras 12:32. this is the Anointed One, preserved by the Most High for the end against them and their evils, who will rebuke them and present before them their oppression. 32. In the Vulgate and the Slavic translation instead of the Anointed One (Unctus) there is mention of wind (ventus). The error is explained by the similarity in the spelling of the corresponding Latin words. The copyist pictured the Messiah as a wind rising from the sea and sweeping the evildoers from the face of the earth (XIII:27). In all eastern translations the origin of the Messiah from the seed of David is noted.

2 Esdras 12:33. He will set them for judgment of the living, and when he has convicted them, he will punish them. 2 Esdras 12:34. But He by His mercy will free the remnant of My people, those who have been preserved in My borders, and will make them glad until the end comes, the day of judgment of which I have told you from the beginning. 34. After the fourth Danielic monarchy’s destruction, God bestows His mercies upon the survivors of the trials among the Hebrews: a four-hundred-year Kingdom of the Messiah is revealed (VII:27–29). The historical interpretation of the eagle vision presented above, as applied to the Roman Empire during the period from Julius Caesar to Domitian, is now the commonly accepted view (Corrodi, Lücke in the 1st edition of his work, Gfrerer, Dillmann, Volkmar, Ewald, Langen, Wieseler, Keil, Hausrath, Renan, Drummond, Reuss, Bissell, Rosenthal, Baldensperger, Zöckler, Thomson, Wellhausen, Schürer, Gunkel, Lagrange, and Bertholet). All other interpretations fall considerably short of it, allowing a whole series of contradictions to the vision in essential details. Shavrov (114–133) applies the eagle vision to the Syro-Egyptian monarchy that arose after the death of Alexander the Great. Its yoke weighed upon Israel until the Maccabees, when Judea obtained independence. According to his view, the prophetic Book of Ezra appeared during the time of Simon the Just (143 B.C.–125 B.C.). Shavrov justifies the union of two kingdoms in the image of the eagle by claiming that both were equally hostile toward Palestine and each attempted in turn to subjugate it. Under the 12 large wings are understood 7 Syrian kings: 1) Seleucus I Nicator (312–232), 2) Antiochus I Soter (282–261), 3) Antiochus II Theos (261–246), 4) Seleucus II Callinicus (246–225), 5) Seleucus III Ceraunus (225–231), 6) Antiochus III the Great (223–187) and 7) Seleucus IV Philopator (187–176), and 5 Egyptian: 1) Ptolemy I Lagi (324–284), 2) Ptolemy II Philadelphus (284–246), 3) Ptolemy III Euergetes (246–221), 4) Ptolemy IV Philopator (221–204) and Ptolemy V Epiphanes (204–180). The prophet’s remark that some of the 12 large wings, though they rose, did not obtain power (XI:21), indicates that they did not possess Palestine. The Syrian kingdom, which had greater success in the struggle to possess Palestine, occupies the right side of the eagle in the vision; the Egyptian kingdom, the left. Behind the second wing, distinguished by its longevity, is concealed Ptolemy Lagi (324–284). The three heads of the eagle are Antiochus IV Epiphanes (176–164), Antiochus V Eupator (164–162) and Demetrius I Soter (162–150). Under Antiochus Epiphanes, the second Jerusalem temple was converted into a sanctuary of Zeus. Antiochus IV died from a tormenting disease (XII:26). After him, claimants to the throne appeared in Demetrius Soter, son of Seleucus Philopator, and Antiochus Eupator, son of the deceased. The first defeated the second and slew him with his sword (XI:35), and he himself was later killed by Alexander Balas (XII:28). Under the form of 8 small wings are depicted persons who stood in hostile relations to the 12 kings listed above. In two of them one can see Alexander’s generals, Antigonus and his son Demetrius. Both waged war against Seleucus Nicator and Ptolemy Lagi and at one time possessed Palestine (XI:22). The following 4 denote Heliodorus, who poisoned Seleucus Philopator in order to seize the throne, Demetrius Soter, depicted besides as the symbol of the right head, and two sons of Ptolemy Epiphanes, Ptolemy VI Philometor (180–146) and Ptolemy VII Physcon (146–117). Antiochus Epiphanes, taking advantage of his nephews’ minority, seized Egypt and deprived it of the possibility of rivalry (XI:24–31). Behind the two final subordinate wings are concealed: the pretender Alexander Balas (150–145), who claimed to be the son of Antiochus Epiphanes, and Demetrius II Nicator (145–144). Under them Syria lost its former importance, and in 143 B.C. Judea obtained independence. The leader of the people was recognized as the high priest Simon, depicted in the vision as a lion, and also as the Anointed One. Shavrov’s interpretation encompasses two monarchies, whereas the vision speaks of one (XI:39–40; XII:11). As a result, Shavrov is forced to allow the simultaneous rule of two kings, a Syrian and an Egyptian, whereas the Book of Ezra says that 12 kings will rule one after another (XI:8; XII:14). The details given in the Book of Ezra about the duration of the second large wing’s rule (XI:16) are left without attention by Shavrov. Indeed, Ptolemy Lagi did not rule nearly twice as long as Seleucus Nicator. The middle head’s consumption of the fifth and sixth subordinate wings, Shavrov understands only in an allegorical sense. Simon the Just was far from playing the major role that is attributed to the Messiah in the vision. There could be no question of the final destruction of the Syrian and Egyptian monarchies in his time. Hilgenfeld (Judische Apokalyptik, 217–221; Esra und Daniel, 43–57; Messias Judaeorum. 85–95) acknowledges that under the fourth Danielic monarchy can only be understood Greco-Macedonian dominion. It ended in the middle of the 1st century B.C., when Egypt and Syria were conquered by Rome. In this, a sign of the future end was discerned. In the form of three heads are depicted members of the Second Triumvirate. Julius Caesar is understood under the middle one, Antony under the left and Octavian under the right. The book’s words about the death of the middle head on a bed but with torments indicate that Caesar’s death occurred not in war but in peacetime. Similarly, death by the sword means only defeat in war, since Antony remained alive after his defeat by Octavian at Actium (30 B.C.). To 30 B.C. is attributed the appearance of the prophetic Book of Ezra. Hilgenfeld reveals no less arbitrariness with respect to the 12 large and 8 small wings. First (Judische Apokalyptik), he saw in them the Ptolemies who ruled the Egyptian monarchy. The first group consists of: 1) Alexander the Great (336–323), 2) Ptolemy I Lagi (323–283), 3) Ptolemy II Philadelphus (385–247), 4) Ptolemy III Euergetes (247–222), 5) Ptolemy IV Philopator (222–206), 6) Ptolemy V Epiphanes (204–181), 7) Ptolemy VI Philometor (181–146), 8) Ptolemy VII Physcon (146–117), 9) Cleopatra I (130–89), 10) Ptolemy VII Latirus (117–107, 86–81), 11) Ptolemy IX (Alexander I 107–69), 12) Ptolemy X (Alexander II 81), 13) Ptolemy XI (Alexander III 80) and 14) Ptolemy XII Auletes or Dionysius the Younger (80–51). Ptolemy X and Ptolemy XI, who reigned for only a few days, should be assigned to the small wings, disappearing simultaneously with the 12 large ones. Under two small wings transferred under the right head are probably understood two sons of Physcon, Ptolemy I Apion, who ruled until 96 B.C. Cyrene and Ptolemy I, who ruled until 58 B.C. Cyprus. Both their possessions were seized by the Romans. The right head in this place is only a symbol of Roman power. Behind the following 4 subordinate wings are concealed: the daughter of Ptolemy Auletes Berenice (58–55) and his son Ptolemy XIII (51–47), then Ptolemy XIV (47–44) and Cleopatra II (51–31). Under Cleopatra, in 47 B.C., Egypt became a Roman province. In this interpretation, the artificiality with which the rulers of Cyrene and Cyprus are included among the small wings, solely in order to make up the missing number, is particularly striking. Feeling the weakness of this interpretation himself, Hilgenfeld (Esra und Daniel; Messias Judaeorum) applied the same method to the house of the Seleucids. But since here there were more names than needed, he was forced to exclude some. In all such cases, he relies on the lists of Syrian kings given by various historians. The Seleucids are listed by him in this order: 1) Alexander the Great (336–323), 2) Seleucus I Nicator (323–280), 3) Antiochus I Soter (280–261), 4) Antiochus II Theos (261–246), 5) Seleucus II Callinicus (246–229), 6) Seleucus III Ceraunus (227–224), 7) Antiochus III the Great (234–187), 8) Seleucus IV Philopator (187–175), 9) Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175–163), 10) Demetrius I Soter (162–150), 11) Demetrius II Nicator (146–138, 128–125) and 12) Antiochus VII Sidetes (137–128) correspond to the 12 large wings. To them are adjoined two small wings – Antiochus VIII Grypus (125–96) and Antiochus IX Cyzicenus (113–95), constantly at war with one another. Into the middle time (tempos medium, XII:21) between the disappearance of the large and two small wings and the awakening of the heads falls the reign of Grypus’ son, Seleucus VI (95–93), son of Antiochus IX Cyzicenus, Antiochus X Eusebes (93), another son of Grypus, Demetrius Eucherus and, finally, the son of Eusebes, Antiochus XIII Asiaticus, or a son of Grypus, Philip. In 64 B.C., the Seleucids lost the throne forever. In this sense should be understood the book’s words about the two small wings being consumed by the middle head. The two small wings, separated from the rest, denote a cadet line of the Seleucids that outlived the destruction of Antony; this is a son of Grypus, Philip, to whom in 57 B.C. they offered to occupy the Egyptian throne, the husband of Berenice, Seleucus Kybiosactes, who took part in the rule, or the brother of Antiochus XIII Asiaticus. One can also see here an indication of the kings of Commagene, Antiochus and Mithridates, who numbered themselves among the Seleucids. The very complexity of the devices to which Hilgenfeld is forced to resort speaks against his opinion. It is difficult to recognize the author to be so knowledgeable a historian as Hilgenfeld represents him to be. And it is also incomprehensible why the author, who lived in Egypt according to his view, should undertake to write the history of the Syrian monarchy. In both of Hilgenfeld’s theories are not maintained: the unity of the monarchy depicted under the symbol of the eagle, the longevity of the second wing, more than twice exceeding the time of rule of its successors, and the book’s exact information about the death of the first and second head, in no way admitting of allegorical interpretation. Lawrence (Gfrorer. Prophetae Veteres Pseudepigraphi, 162–166), Van-der-Vlis (179–189), Lücke (in the 2nd edition of his book 196–209) apply the eagle vision to the history of Rome from Romulus to Julius Caesar. Under the three heads they understand Sulla, Pompey and Caesar. Sulla, represented under the image of the middle head, died in accordance with the Book of Ezra from a tormenting disease (XII:26). In the book’s remark that the right head kills the left (XII:26), there is contained a hint of Julius Caesar’s victory over Pompey. The Book of the Prophet Ezra was written, according to their view, either during Caesar’s life (Lücke), or soon after his assassination (Van-der-Vlis), or, finally, after Antony’s death, between 28 and 25 B.C. (Lawrence). Earlier, this view was expressed by Zeller (Vorzfugliche theologische Briefe. Ipsiae, 1781. Vol. I. P. 134–195) and Vogel (Commentatio de conjectures usu in crisi Novi Testamenti. Altonij, 1795. P. 50–51), who did not attempt to explain the vision as a whole. Lawrence selects from Roman history during the period from the foundation of Rome to Caesar 20 names of kings and seekers of power and divides them into 2 groups. In the first of them, corresponding to the 12 large wings, are included 7 Roman kings: 1) Romulus, 2) Numa Pompilius, 3) Tullus Hostilius, 4) Ancus Marcius, 5) Tarquinius I the Elder, 6) Servius Tullius and 7) Tarquinius II the Proud, and then five greater seekers of the throne: the decemvir Appius Claudius, Spurius Maelius, Marcus Manlius, Tiberius Gracchus and Gaius Gracchus. The 8 small wings are made up of persons who attempted to seize power: tribune Sulpicius, Marius the Elder, Cinna, Marius the Younger, Carbo, Sertorius, Lepidus and Antony. Van-der-Vlis and Lücke eliminate the union of kings and defenders of the republican order in the explanation of the large wings, which Lawrence allowed. They assert that the numerical data of the vision cannot be given strict significance. According to the first, the author of the prophetic Book of Ezra increased Daniel’s number of horns of the fourth beast in order to show that all rulers of Rome are more than 11. In his choice of the number he used, he could have been guided by the structure of an eagle’s wings. Ancient ornithology counted 6 groups of feathers in each eagle wing, governing its flight. The author combined with his number the idea of a significant, though not infinite, quantity of Roman rulers and at the same time of the fullness of their power. In explaining particulars, Van-der-Vlis replaces the numbers in the eagle vision with numbers from Daniel’s vision of the fourth beast. He accepts 11 large wings. The disappearance of two small wings simultaneously with them would testify that the author knew not all Roman rulers, but only 9. The remaining 6 small wings hint at Marius the Elder, Cinna, Marius the Younger, Carbo, Antony and Lepidus. Lücke brings the number of large wings close to the legend of the auspices, which Romulus and Remus used when founding the city. These were 12 ravens. Lücke allows the possibility that under the last of the small wings is understood Octavian before his proclamation as emperor. The chief deficiency of Lawrence’s, Van-der-Vlis’ and Lücke’s theory is that the world-historical character of the fourth Danielic monarchy is not maintained. Before the conquest of Palestine by Pompey, Roman history presented no interest for a Hebrew. To explain the fullness with which the author depicts the history of Rome during its darkest period, one must assume that he studied it from Livy. One cannot recognize the author to be so well-acquainted with this history as to imitate the Book of Daniel in its numerical data: the author treats his model quite freely, omitting from it the most important detail, the appearance of an eleventh horn that destroys all the rest. For the interpretation of the destruction of the left head by the sword in the sense of Pompey’s defeat in war there is no foundation. Gutschmid (II, 240–258) and Le-Hir (Ler-Hir. Etudes bibliques, I, 184–192) extend the eagle vision to the history of the Roman Empire from Julius Caesar to the beginning of the 3rd century. Earlier this view was expressed by Corrodi (cited Laurence. Gfrorer. Prophetae Veteres Pseudepigraphe 161) and Hartwig (Apologie der Apokalypse. Vol. IV. Chemnitz, 1783. P. 211–212). Under the three heads they understand Septimius Severus (193–211) and his two sons, Geta (211–212) and Caracalla (211–217). Caracalla killed Geta, with whom they both came to power after their father’s death, but he himself was later killed by Macrinus (XII:27–28). The remaining emperors Gutschmid and Le-Hir divide into two groups depending on the length of their reigns. The 6 large wings on the right side of the eagle correspond to 6 emperors from the house of the Julii; under the form of large wings lying on the left are presented Vespasian (69–79), Domitian (81–96), Trajan (98–117), Hadrian (117–138), Antoninus Pius (138–161) and Marcus Aurelius (161–180). The first 2 small wings signify Titus (79–81) and Nerva (96–98), the next 4 Commodus (180–192), Pertinax (193), Didius Julianus (193) and Pescennius Niger (193–194) and, finally, the last 2, the slayer of Caracalla, Macrinus (216–217) and his son, Diadumenianus, killed in 218 B.C. Shortly before this event, the eagle vision was composed. It represents a later interpolation in the book, which appeared, according to Hilgenfeld, in 31 B.C. Le-Hir introduces minor changes into his predecessor’s list. He unites the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus following the example of Clement of Alexandria. In his place, he names Clodius Albinus, who was co-ruler of Septimius Severus (194–197). The unsoundness of this view flows from the fact that the eagle vision constitutes an essential part of the book, closely connected with the preceding vision of the woman and the subsequent vision of the man. In the selection of names, one senses the same arbitrariness which characterizes Hilgenfeld’s painstaking constructions – Galba, Otho and Vitellius are completely omitted as unnecessary. Gaius Caligula is placed among the large wings on the right side, although he occupied the throne for only 3 years. Gutschmid violates the criterion he adopted, by which emperors are assigned to large or small wings, by assigning Commodus to the small wings contrary to his twelve-year reign. The explanation under consideration is not consistent with the chronological indications given in the vision about the small wings. Titus and Nerva ruled not before the time of interregnum (XII:21), but then already, when Vespasian had secured the peace of the empire. The remark about the participation of the right and left heads in the consumption of the third pair of small wings does not apply to Geta and Caracalla. Both took not the least part in the deposition by their father of Didius Julianus and Pescennius Niger. Assigning the origin of the entire book to the beginning of the 3rd century (Hartwig) is prevented by the circumstance that Clement of Alexandria, who died in 217 B.C., cites an extract from the prophetic Book of Ezra as a divinely inspired work. From this it is evident that it appeared long before the third century, when the enthusiasm for eschatology had already vanished, and such a work could not have attracted the attention of readers.

2 Esdras 12:35. Such is the dream you have seen, and such is its meaning. 2 Esdras 12:36. You alone were worthy to know this secret of the Most High. 2 Esdras 12:37. All that you have seen, write in a book and place in a hidden place; 2 Esdras 12:38. and teach this to the wise from your people, whose hearts you know capable of receiving and keeping these mysteries. 37–38. The revelation granted to Ezra was not to become the possession of all the people, since far from everyone is capable of understanding it. The prophet is commanded to perpetuate it by committing it to writing, and to place the book in a hidden place. A similar example occurs twice in the Book of Daniel (VIII:26; XII:4). A characteristic feature of all apocalyptic literature is a certain veil of mystery with which the book was enveloped. Since each apocalypse was usually attributed to a person who lived several centuries, and often even thousands of years ago, it had to be explained to the reader in a more or less plausible manner why the book had been completely unknown for so long and only recently put into circulation. There grew up the conviction that revelations about the last days of the world were intended only for the wise from the people, who preserved them in deep secrecy from others, or were to lie in a hidden place until the very last time.

2 Esdras 12:39. And you remain here yet seven days, so that it may be shown to you what the Most High is pleased to show you. And he departed from me. 2 Esdras 12:40. When after the passing of seven days all the people heard that I had not returned to the city, all gathered together from the smallest to the greatest and, coming to me, said to me: 2 Esdras 12:41. Why have you sinned against us? And in what way have you offended us, that you, abandoning us, sit in this place? 41. Just as after the first vision the leader of the people Phaltiel comes to the prophet (V:16–19), so now all the people from young to old gathers to Ezra and begs him to return to the city. The whole introductory episode characterizes the high role of Ezra for the Jews in captivity. He is the only prophet, and the people would have preferred to become the victims of the fire that consumed Jerusalem rather than lose him.

2 Esdras 12:42. You alone of all the people have remained to us, as a bunch of grapes from the vineyard, as a lamp in a dark place and as a haven and a ship saved from a storm. 42. The text of the Vulgate requires correction. “You alone have remained to us of all the prophets, as a bunch of grapes from the vineyard, as a lamp in a dark place and as a harbor for a ship saved from a storm.” The significance of the prophet is compared with the significance of a harbor, where a ship caught in a storm finds for itself a safe refuge and salvation.

2 Esdras 12:43. Is not the suffering that has befallen us enough? 2 Esdras 12:44. If you abandon us, it would have been better for us to have burned when Zion burned. 2 Esdras 12:45. For we are not better than those who died there. And they wept with a loud cry. Answering them, I said: 44–45. The author remembers the burning of Jerusalem by Titus and expresses reverence for its defenders who perished in the flames.

2 Esdras 12:46. Have hope, Israel, and do not grieve, house of Jacob; 2 Esdras 12:47. for the Most High remembers you, and the Mighty One has not forgotten you in your affliction. 2 Esdras 12:48. And I have not abandoned you nor departed from you, but have come to this place to pray for the desolate Zion and to ask mercy for your degraded sanctuary. 2 Esdras 12:49. Now go each to your home, and I will come to you after these days. 2 Esdras 12:50. And the people went, as I said to them, to the city, 2 Esdras 12:51. and I remained in the field for seven days, as was commanded to me, and I was nourished in those days only by the flowers of the field, and grass was my food.

Chapter Thirteen

The appearance of a man from the depths of the sea (1–3). His destruction of the enemy (4–11) and summons to himself a peaceful company (12–13). Ezra’s prayer for the interpretation of the vision and the resolution of the question about the advantages of those who live to see the Messiah’s revelation over the preceding generations (14–20). Resolution of the question posed by Ezra (21–24). Explanation of the Messiah’s actions in relation to enemies (25–38) and peaceful society (39–53). Promise of a new revelation (54–58).

2 Esdras 13:1. And it happened after seven days, I saw a vision in the night: 2 Esdras 13:2. and behold, a wind rose from the sea to disturb all its waves. 2 Esdras 13:3. I looked, and behold, there came forth a mighty man with the armies of heaven, and wherever he turned his face to look, all trembled at what was seen beneath him; 3. The text of the Vulgate contains a lacuna, supplied by the Eastern translations. “And I saw, and behold, from the effect of this wind came forth from the depths of the sea as it were a likeness of a man. And I saw, and behold, that man flew with the clouds of heaven.” In the Vulgate, instead of clouds it is said of the thousands of heaven, by which the copyist evidently understood the angelic armies. The description of the man is inspired by the Book of Daniel (VII:13–14), where the Son of Man appears in the same manner coming with the clouds of heaven. The difference between them is that in Daniel, the Son of Man appears directly on the clouds, whereas in Pseudo-Ezra He comes forth from the sea, like the four beasts of Daniel, depicting world monarchies (VII:2), and only then begins to fly in the clouds. Wieseler (299–302) unjustly sees in this addition a striving to soften the supernatural character which the Son of Man bears in Daniel. The author himself explains the detail he introduced in exactly the opposite sense to Wieseler. The man’s appearance from the depths of the sea is a symbol that no one on earth can see him before his revelation. The teaching about the Messiah as a “heavenly man” is found in Philo, the Rabbis, Paul and the Gnostics.

2 Esdras 13:4. and wherever the voice from his mouth came forth, all who heard his voice burned, like wax when it feels fire. 4. Mic 1:4-5, cf. Dan 2:45. In the dream sent to Nebuchadnezzar, a stone cut from a mountain breaks the statue. In the same manner the Son of God hews out for himself a great mountain.

2 Esdras 13:5. And after this I saw: behold, a multitude of people gathered, without number, from the four winds of heaven, to overcome this man who rose from the sea. 2 Esdras 13:6. I saw, and behold, he hewed out for himself a great mountain and flew up upon it. 2 Esdras 13:7. I strove to see the land or place from which this mountain was hewn, but I could not. 2 Esdras 13:8. After this I saw that all who had gathered to overcome him were greatly afraid, yet dared to fight against him. 2 Esdras 13:9. But he, when he saw the assault of the approaching multitude, did not raise his hand, nor held a spear, nor bore any weapon of war; 2 Esdras 13:10. but only, as I saw, he sent forth from his mouth as if a breath of fire, and from his lips as it were a flame of fire, and from his tongue he sent forth sparks and storms, and all this mixed together: a breath of fire and a flame and a mighty storm. 2 Esdras 13:11. And swiftly he rushed upon this multitude which had prepared to fight, and burned them all, so that nothing was seen of the countless multitude except dust, and only a smell from the smoke was left; I saw this, and I was terrified. 9–11. The only instrument of the Messiah in the struggle with enemies is His word, acting as an irresistible stream of fire. Volkmar (183) discerns here an echo of the eruption of Vesuvius which occurred in 80 A.D. But there are no grounds for historical interpretation (cf. Isa 11:4).

2 Esdras 13:12. After this I saw that man descending from the mountain and calling to himself another multitude, a peaceful one. 2 Esdras 13:13. And many approached him; some with joyful faces, and some with sorrowful ones; some were bound, others were carried – and I was overwhelmed with great fear, awoke and said: 13. After the destruction of enemies, the Messiah descends from the mountain and calls to himself peaceful people. Some of them show joy, others show sorrow; some are bound, others are brought as sacrificial gifts (aliqui adducentes ex eis qui offerebantur). By the bound people are understood the Jews held in bondage by Rome (Lücke, 180, Gunkel, 395). Volkmar’s assumption that deceased persons are meant here cannot be accepted, since according to the author’s view, the resurrection of the dead precedes not the “parousia,” but the last judgment. The meaning of the last words of this verse is very obscure. Lücke (180) sees in them a discourse about sacrifices. Ewald sees gifts brought to God by people. It is most natural to understand them in the sense that the survivors from destruction, peacefully inclined toward Israel, lead Jews to the Messiah as sacrificial gifts. The image is taken from the Book of Isaiah (LXVI:20): “The saved from among the gentiles shall present all the Jews from all nations as a gift to the Lord on horses and chariots, on litters and on mules, and on swift camels, just as the sons of Israel bring a gift to the house of the Lord in a clean vessel” (Lücke and Gunkel).

2 Esdras 13:14. You have shown me these wonders from the beginning and judged me worthy to receive my prayer; 2 Esdras 13:15. show me also the meaning of this dream, 2 Esdras 13:16. because, as I understand with my mind, woe to those who will be left behind until those days, but even more woe to those who are not left behind. 2 Esdras 13:17. For those who are not left behind were sorrowful. 2 Esdras 13:18. Now I understand that what is appointed for the last days will meet them, but also those who are left behind. 2 Esdras 13:19. Therefore they have come into great dangers and great difficulties, as these dreams show. 2 Esdras 13:20. But it is easier for one in danger to endure this than to pass away from this world like a cloud and not see what will happen in the last times. He answered me and said: 17–20. This passage should be corrected. “Those who are not to be left behind will be saddened, knowing what is kept for the last days, and not participating in it; but woe to those who remain, for they will see great dangers and great need, as these dreams show. But it is better by means of dangers to attain this than to disappear from the world like a cloud and not to see what will happen in the last time.” The question about the fate of the dead before the “parousia” in relation to the living is posed by the Apostle Paul (1 Thess 4:15), using for the designation of the living the same term περιλειπόμενοι, which the 3rd Book of Ezra uses (VI:25; VII:28; IX:8; XIII:16–24). Hilgenfeld concludes on the basis of the similarity in particular expressions that the Apostle Paul borrowed the solution of this question from the Prophet Ezra. But there is a fundamental difference between them. According to the Apostle, those remaining alive will have no advantages over the dead. The dead are raised and together with the living are caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord. In the prophetic Book of Ezra, on the contrary, the fate of those who died before the last days is compared with a cloud, which leaves no trace on the heavens. The advantage of those remaining consists in the fact that they will be participants in the four-hundred-year Kingdom of the Messiah. Only after it does the general resurrection and last judgment commence.

2 Esdras 13:21. And I will tell you the meaning of the vision, and will open to you what you are speaking of. 2 Esdras 13:22. As you have spoken of those who are left behind, behold the explanation: 2 Esdras 13:23. whoever endures the danger at that time will preserve themselves, and those who fall into danger are those who have deeds and faith in the Almighty. 23. “He who brings danger at that time will himself preserve those who fell into it, who have deeds and faith in the Almighty.” God will render His help to the righteous amid the dangers which they must endure at the end of the world.

2 Esdras 13:24. Know then that those who are left behind are more blessed than the dead. 2 Esdras 13:25. Behold the explanation of the vision: for you saw a man rising from the midst of the sea, 2 Esdras 13:26. this is He whom the Most High has kept for many times, who by Himself will deliver His creation and direct those who are left behind. 26. The Messiah in the Latin text is attributed creative activity in contradiction to other clearer testimonies of the same book about all being created by God alone without any mediation (VI:6). The Eastern translations contain the correct reading. “This is He whom the Most High keeps for a long time, through whom (per quem) He will free His creation.”

2 Esdras 13:27. And as for what you saw coming forth from his mouth as it were a wind, fire and a storm, 2 Esdras 13:28. and that he held neither spear nor any weapon of war, but his assault destroyed the multitude that came to overcome him, behold the explanation: 2 Esdras 13:29. behold, the days are coming when the Most High will begin to deliver those who are on the earth, 2 Esdras 13:30. and will bring amazement to those living on the earth. 2 Esdras 13:31. And they shall undertake wars one against another, city against city, one place against another, people against people, kingdom against kingdom. 31. Isa 19:2; Matt 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:10.

2 Esdras 13:32. When this happens and the signs appear which I showed you before, then my Son will be revealed, whom you saw as a man ascending. 2 Esdras 13:33. And when all peoples hear his voice, each will abandon war in their own land, which they have among themselves. 32–33. Zechariah XIV:2–3; Ezek 38-39; Joel 2:20; Rev 19:19.

2 Esdras 13:34. And there will gather together in one assembly a countless multitude, as if wishing to go and overcome Him. 34. Rev 16:16.

2 Esdras 13:35. And He shall stand upon the summit of Mount Zion. 35. Rev 14:1.

2 Esdras 13:36. And Zion will come and be shown to all, prepared and built, as you saw the mountain carved without hands. 36. VII:26.

2 Esdras 13:37. And My Son will convict the impieties devised by these nations, which their evil thoughts brought near, the storms and torments by which they will begin to be tormented, 37. “And My Son will Himself convict the nations coming to Him for their impieties, which are compared to a storm, and will set before them their evil designs and the torments which they will begin to suffer…”

2 Esdras 13:38. and which are like fire; and He will destroy them without labor by the law, which is like fire. 2 Esdras 13:39. And as for what you saw, that He gathered to himself another, peaceful company: 2 Esdras 13:40. these are the ten tribes which were carried away captive from their land in the days of King Hoshea, whom Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, carried into captivity, and transported them beyond the river, and they were carried into another land. 39–40. By the river beyond which Shalmaneser resettled the captive Israelites is understood the Euphrates (Syr.). In the manuscripts of the Latin text it says either 10 or 9 tribes of Israel. The latter count is accepted by the Ethiopic and one of the Arabic translations (Arab. 2). The Syriac and another Arabic text (Arab. 1) count 9 and a half tribes. The first reading is the simplest. It excludes from the 12 tribes 2 tribes – Judah and Benjamin, which made up Judea. The number of Israelite tribes decreases by one if one excludes from them the tribe of Dan, which apparently died out early (1 Chr 4-7; Rev 7:4-8). Some scholars (Lücke, 181) explain the fractional count by the fact that only half of the tribe of Joseph was considered, namely the tribe of Ephraim; others (Ewald, III, 410. Gutschmid, II, 278) by the fact that the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and half of Benjamin were included in Judea.

2 Esdras 13:41. They resolved in their counsel to leave the multitude of gentiles and to depart to a distant land, where mankind had never dwelt, 2 Esdras 13:42. so that there they might keep their own laws, which they had not kept in their own land. 2 Esdras 13:43. With difficulty they came near the river Euphrates; 2 Esdras 13:44. for the Most High wrought wonders for them at that time and stopped the flowing of the river, while they passed through; 44. Cf. Josh 3:15-17; Isa 11:15-16.

2 Esdras 13:45. for through that land they traveled for a long time, a year and a half; this land is called Arsareth. 41–45. The land to which the Israelites were resettled is characterized by 4 features. No one dwelt there before them. It lies far from Assyria, so that the journey there takes 1 and a half years. The land is situated beyond the Euphrates. Its name is Arsareth (Arsareph). The legend about this resettlement is devoid of all credibility and stands in obvious contradiction with other sacred books. One cannot allow that the Assyrians would permit the captive people in full measure to emigrate. History testifies that the Israelites were far from distinguished by that loyalty to the law which is here presented as the chief reason for emigration. On the contrary, they completely dissolved in the pagan mass, adopting its faith and language and losing their nationality. The complete silence about the 10 tribes of Israel in the accounts of the canonical books about the return from captivity of the Jews under Cyrus and Artaxerxes created a legend that the 10 tribes live somewhere in an unknown land, enjoying all possible benefits. Some scholars’ attention was directed toward finding a city of antiquity closely approaching in name the here-mentioned land of Arsareth. Basnage (Historia Judaeorum. Lib. VI, c. 2. Goth. IV, p. 934. Cited Fabricius. Codex Pseudepigraphus Veteris Testamenti, II, 190) discerns in it a city in Media beyond the River Araxes; Gutschmid (II, 278–281) – the principal city in southeastern Armenia, Arsarata, which was the center of an extensive Jewish colony, established long ago in Greater Armenia. Volkmar derives the name of the land from the Hebrew eretz arat. This name was applied to Mount Ararat in Northern Armenia. Many scholars were satisfied by enumerating various states where the Israelites might have found refuge. They allowed resettlement in China, India, Turkestan, Afghanistan, and even America (Corrodi. 231–238). Most plausible is the supposition of Renan (355), Zöckler (470), and Gunkel (397) that here is given not some particular, but the most general designation of “another land,” to which the Israelites went from captivity. They bring the land of Arsareth closer to the Hebrew eretz acheret (another land). This name is used by the author himself (XIII:40) and by the Talmudists. Even Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews XI, 5, 2) believed in the existence of the land of Arsareth, where the Israelites carried into captivity live.

2 Esdras 13:46. There they lived until the last time. And now, when they begin to come, 46. Cf. Sir 48:10; Isa 49:6. In the prophets, liberation from captivity embraces all Jews.

2 Esdras 13:47. The Most High will again stop the waters of the river, so that they might pass; therefore you saw a peaceful multitude. 2 Esdras 13:48. But those who are left of your people are those who are within my boundaries. 48. Having passed along the legend of the ten tribes of Israel, the author turns to the fate of the Jews living after their return from captivity within the bounds of the Holy Land. By this he wishes to express the thought that all Jews who came safely through the final trials will be participants in the messianic Kingdom.

2 Esdras 13:49. For when He begins to destroy the multitude of gathered peoples together, He will protect His people who remain. 2 Esdras 13:50. And then He will show them a multitude of wonders. 2 Esdras 13:51. I said: Lord God! Explain this to me: why did I see a man rising from the midst of the sea? 2 Esdras 13:52. And He said to me: just as you cannot search out and know what is in the depths of the sea, so no one on earth can see My Son, nor those who are with Him, except at the time of His day. 51–52. Gunkel points out that the appearance of the Son of God from the depths of the sea is unusual for prophetic literature, where the Messiah is represented as coming from heaven. In view of this, he connects the image of the man with the mythological conception of the god of the sun, who rises up to heaven from the sea, climbs the heavenly mountain, destroys his enemies with his burning rays, and establishes his peaceful kingdom. Against this view one must say that the explanation given by the author for the emergence of the man from the depths of the sea is distinguished by such simplicity and naturalness that there is no need to question the author’s independence in this particular. Through his image, the prophet wanted to say that the Son of God is as inscrutable to the human mind as the depths of the sea.

2 Esdras 13:53. Behold, this is the interpretation of the dream that you saw and by which you alone have been enlightened here. 2 Esdras 13:54. You have forsaken your deeds and devoted yourself to My law and sought it, 2 Esdras 13:55. for you have ordered your life in wisdom and called understanding your mother. 2 Esdras 13:56. Therefore I have shown you the recompense from the Most High; after three days I will show you another and reveal to you the important and wonderful. 2 Esdras 13:57. Then I went and came out into the field, much praising and thanking the Most High for the wonders that He performed from time to time, 2 Esdras 13:58. and that He governs the present and what will come in times, and I sat there three days.

Chapter Fourteen

A command heard by Ezra from a bush concerning the bestowal of the writing of the visions granted to him (1–8). A prophecy of Ezra’s near removal from the earth into the fellowship of the Son of God (9) in view of the approaching end (10–12) and command to set all earthly affairs in order (13–17). Ezra’s prayer for the bestowal of the Holy Spirit upon him to restore the burned law (18–22). God’s command concerning the division of sacred books into those accessible to all and hidden ones (23–26). Ezra’s farewell address to the people (27–36). The miraculous restoration of sacred books with the aid of the Holy Spirit (37–48). A note about Ezra’s death (48–50 according to the eastern translation).

2 Esdras 14:1. And it came to pass after three days, I sat under an oak, and behold, a voice came forth from the bush toward me and said: Ezra, Ezra! 2 Esdras 14:2. I said: Here I am, Lord. And I rose up on my feet. 1–2. Since Ezra in the eyes of post-captivity Jewry was a second Moses, the setting of the last vision wholly reproduces the circumstances of the first revelation received by Moses in the bush. The author adds only the detail that Ezra sat under an oak. The oak, like the cedar, was considered a sacred tree. Like Moses (Exod 3:2-4), Ezra hears a voice from the bush calling him twice by name. Ezra’s response presents a full parallel to the words of Moses.

2 Esdras 14:3. Then He said to me: in the bush I was revealed and spoke to Moses, when My people were enslaved in Egypt; 3. To Moses, Jehovah appears as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; to Ezra, the new lawgiver of the Hebrew people, as the God of the ancient lawgiver Moses.

2 Esdras 14:4. and sent him and brought My people out of Egypt, and led him to Mount Sinai and held him with Me for many days, 4. Exod 34:28.

2 Esdras 14:5. and revealed to him many wonders and showed him the mysteries of the times and the end, and commanded him, saying: 2 Esdras 14:6. “These words proclaim, but the others keep hidden.” 5–6. Post-captivity Jewry was inclined to attribute many customs to ancient times, connecting their origin with the name of Moses. Hence arose a legend that Moses wrote a whole series of books hidden from the people (cp. Deut. V:1), where were set forth prophecies about the last days of the world. The author cites it in order to show that Ezra, having written besides the canonical books a whole series of apocrypha, was merely a continuator of Moses.

2 Esdras 14:7. And now I say to you: 2 Esdras 14:8. the signs which I have shown you, and the dreams which you have seen, and the interpretations which you have heard, lay in your heart; 2 Esdras 14:9. for you will be taken from among men and will dwell with My Son and with those like you, until the times are ended. 9. In the Slavonic Bible instead of the Son of God it speaks of counsel. The error is explained by the fact that in the Vulgate the words cum filio meo were read as cum consilio meo.

2 Esdras 14:10. For the age has lost its youth, and the times are approaching old age, 2 Esdras 14:11. for the age is divided into twelve parts, and nine parts of it and half of the tenth part have already passed, 2 Esdras 14:12. and what remains after the half of the tenth part. 11–12. The Latin translation is quite obscure. “The age is divided into 12 parts, and 10 parts of it have already passed, and also half of the tenth part; two parts remain after the middle of the tenth part.” The text contains obvious contradictions. If the world remains to exist for 2 1/2 parts, then evidently 9 1/2, not 10 1/2 parts have elapsed until that time. In the Syriac and Armenian translations, the division of the world into periods was omitted due to its obscurity. In one of the Arabic texts it was replaced by a general indication that the time remaining until the end of the world is insignificant compared to the time elapsed. In the Ethiopic translation the age is divided into 10 parts; it has entered the tenth part; 1 1/2 parts remain. In another Arabic text there is mention of the division of the world into 12 1/2 parts, of which 10 have passed. The teaching about the division of world history into 12 parts was widespread among the Magi, who borrowed it from the division of the year into 12 months (Hilgenfeld. Das Judenthum in dem Persischen Zeitalter. Zeitschrift für Wissenschaftliche Theologie, 1666, S. 402–403; Esra und Daniel, 63). It is found among Christian writers: Origen (In Matthaeum Tom. XV, 32. Opera, III, 700), Hilary (Commentarius ad Matthaeum, XX, 6; XVII, 2) and Jerome (In Mich. IV. Opera, VI, 474 sq.). The extent of these periods prompts the supposition that the author calculates the time remaining until the end of the world not from his epoch, but from the epoch of the historical Ezra. Lücke (182) gives preference to the Ethiopic text, which counts only 10 periods. Basing himself on the book’s teaching about the four-hundred-year Kingdom of the Messiah (VII:28), he defines each period as 400 years. In this case the elapsed 9 1/2 parts yield 3,800 years and fall approximately on the epoch of Pompey and Caesar, to which Lücke ascribes the appearance of the book. Hilgenfeld in his first work (Jüdische Apokalyptik, 224–225) like Lücke accepts periods of 400 years, but in his opinion the twelfth period encompasses the Kingdom of the Messiah. From 558 B.C. to 30 B.C., when in his view the present book was written, about 1 1/2 parts elapsed. Along with the time of the messianic Kingdom until the last judgment, exactly 2 1/2 parts remain. Subsequently, Hilgenfeld expressed the view that the author has in mind periods embracing 7 jubilee years, i.e., 343 years. Such a count is found at the end of the book (XIV according to the eastern translation). The fulfilled 10 parts and the beginning of the eleventh fall precisely on the time of the historical Ezra’s life. Then 3,500 1/2 years elapsed from the creation of the world. All 12 parts end around 30 B.C. Volkmar (199–201) recognizes the duration of each period as equal to the number of days in a year, i.e., 360 or 365 years. Two contradictory indications regarding elapsed and remaining time he reconciles by proposing to take the mean between these two limits. On the mean between 10 1/2 and 9 1/2 periods (3780–3420 years), or 3600 years from the creation of the world, falls approximately 30 years from the first destruction of Jerusalem (558 B.C.). The coming of the new age is expected between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 periods elapsed since 30 years of the Babylonian captivity, or between 18 B.C. and 342 A.D., at the very beginning of the 1st century B.C. Around this time the prophetic book of Ezra appeared. Wizelius (286–288) accepts the phoenix periods of 500 years. He supposes the author refers the end of the world to the sixth thousand years. The twelfth period encompasses the four-hundred-year reign of the Messiah, to which is added 100 years, when the world returns to ancient silence (VII:28–29). In the first half of the eleventh period lived Ezra according to the data of the book itself (XIV:48). From Ezra to Domitian more than 400 but less than 500 years elapsed. In the 5500th year the author expects the manifestation of the Messiah. None of these interpretations can be considered convincing. There are not even sufficient grounds to consider the periods equal, since in the Apocalypse of Enoch an opposite phenomenon is found. Gunkel corrects the contradictory Latin text by means of the Ethiopic in the following form: “for into 12 parts is divided the age, it has come already to the tenth, to the half of the tenth part; two parts remain after the half of the tenth part.” He proposes that in the Latin translation there could stand nine parts instead of ten elapsed from the creation of the world until Ezra. In the time remaining until the coming of the end he sees an echo of the apocalyptic number determining the duration of trials (3 1/2 times; cf. Rev 11:9). The author, shortening this term, wishes to say that for the world there have long since come those difficult days which will precede its end.

2 Esdras 14:13. Therefore now set in order your house and instruct your people, comfort the afflicted, and renounce corruption, 2 Esdras 14:14. and put away from you mortal thoughts, lay down the burdens of mankind, put off the weaknesses of your nature, and set aside the troublesome thoughts for you, and prepare yourself to pass away from these times. 14. Cf. 2 Cor 5:4.

2 Esdras 14:15. For hereafter there will be more adversities than how much you now see. 2 Esdras 14:16. As much as the age will weaken from old age, so much will evil be multiplied for those living. 16. “Already the eagle hastens, which you beheld in the vision” (XI:1; XII:35).

2 Esdras 14:17. Yet further truth will depart and lie will draw near; already the vision you saw hastens to come. 2 Esdras 14:18. Then I answered and said: Behold, I am before You, Lord; 2 Esdras 14:19. I will go as You have commanded me and instruct the present people; but who will teach those who are born after? 2 Esdras 14:20. For the age lies in darkness, and those living in it are without light; 2 Esdras 14:21. because Your law is burned, and therefore no one knows what has been done by You or what they ought to do. 21. IV:23. The legend of the destruction of the Old Testament books by Nebuchadnezzar rests on the case of the burning of a scroll with Jeremiah’s prophecy by the Jewish king Jehoiakim (Jer 36:23) and the remark of the prophet Habakkuk (I:4) about the perishing of the law, as well as the destruction of sacred books and persecution by Antiochus Epiphanes. Due to the lack of sacred books, no one knows either the past history of the Hebrew people or its future.

2 Esdras 14:22. But if I have found favor with You, send the Holy Spirit upon me, so that I may write all that has been done in the world from the beginning, what was written in Your law, so that people might find the way, and that those who wish to live in the last times might live. 2 Esdras 14:23. And He answered and said to me: Go, gather the people and tell them that they must not seek you for forty days. 23. Cf. Exod 24:18; Deut 9:9.

2 Esdras 14:24. And you prepare yourself much wood and take with you Saraiah, Davrias, Salemiah, Eehan, and Asiel, these five, able to write quickly. 24. The names of the five men are found in the Old Testament books. This is Seraiah (Ezra 2:2; Neh 10:2), Davri (Lev 24:11), Shelemias (Ezra 2:46), Ethan (in Syriac and Armenian, Elkanah, 1 Chr 9:16) and Aziel (Tob 1:1; cf. Neh 3:8; Num 3:27).

2 Esdras 14:25. And come here, and I will kindle in your heart a lamp of understanding, which will not go out until what you begin to write is finished. 2 Esdras 14:26. And when you have finished this, reveal some things and hide others in secret. Tomorrow at this hour you will begin to write. 2 Esdras 14:27. Then I went as He commanded me and gathered all the people and said: 2 Esdras 14:28. Hear, Israel, these words: 2 Esdras 14:29. our fathers were sojourners in Egypt, and were delivered from there, 2 Esdras 14:30. and received the law of life, which they did not keep, and which you have transgressed after them. 2 Esdras 14:31. And the land of Zion was given to you as an inheritance, and the land itself; but you and your fathers committed lawlessness and did not keep the ways that the Most High commanded you. 2 Esdras 14:32. And He, as a righteous judge, has now taken away from you what He gave you. 2 Esdras 14:33. And now you are here and your brothers are among you. 33. Hilgenfeld (100), Zöckler (471) and Gunkel (400) transmit this passage in the form: “And now you are here, and your brothers are in the most inward places of the earth” (introrsum, Greek ἐνδότερον). The author speaks of the ten tribes of Israel (XIII:41–46).

2 Esdras 14:34. If you direct your senses and form your heart, you will preserve life and after death will receive mercy. 2 Esdras 14:35. For after death judgment will come, when we are revived; and then the names of the righteous will be declared and the deeds of the ungodly shown. 2 Esdras 14:36. No one come to me now and do not seek me for forty days. 2 Esdras 14:37. And I took five men as He commanded me, and we went into the field and remained there. 2 Esdras 14:38. And behold, on the next day a voice called to me: Ezra! open your mouth and drink what I give you. 2 Esdras 14:39. I opened my mouth, and behold, a full cup was offered to me, which was filled as if with water, but its color was like fire. 39. Cf. Acts 2:3. The cup offered to Ezra is filled as if with water, but the color of this water is like fire. These are symbols of the Divine Revelation, pure as water, and acting on the heart of man with the same irresistible and purifying force as fire.

2 Esdras 14:40. And I took it and drank; and when I had drunk, my heart poured forth understanding and in my breast wisdom grew, for my spirit preserved memory; 40. The author gives a most detailed analysis of the spiritual state of a man upon receiving Divine revelation. “And behold I took it and drank, and when I drank, my heart brought forth understanding, in my breast wisdom grew, and my spirit retained memory.” The action of the Holy Spirit on the heart of man is depicted in accordance with the psalmist (XLIV:2). The remark that the spirit of the prophet in a state of spiritual illumination retains memory is intended to distinguish true revelation from false. While in simple states of ecstasy a man acts unconsciously and can remember nothing about them, Ezra, inspired by the Holy Spirit, retains full consciousness and can reproduce in his mind everything that happened to him.

2 Esdras 14:41. and my mouth was opened and ceased to close. 2 Esdras 14:42. The Most High gave understanding to the five men, and they wrote in order what was said and which they did not know. 42. The men “wrote in order” what was said to them by signs (notis, eastern translation) which they did not know. Evidently here is an echo of the replacement by Ezra of the ancient square script with a new one.

2 Esdras 14:43. By night they ate bread; and I spoke by day and was not silent by night. 43. In a state of spiritual illumination Ezra does not fall silent day or night, not feeling even the need for food. Even when the scribes sustain themselves with water, he does not cease to pour forth his feelings in hymns of praise to the Creator.

2 Esdras 14:44. And ninety-four books were written in forty days. 44. In Latin manuscripts and the Vulgate the number of books restored by Ezra is named incorrectly (904, 974; in the Vulgate 204). The eastern translations speak of 94 books, consisting of 24 books of the Hebrew canon and 70 apocrypha. The author counts 24 canonical books according to the number of letters of the Greek alphabet, following later tradition, which departed from the count of Flavius (Contra Appionem, I, 8). This division of books with minor changes was accepted by Epiphanius of Cyprus (De mensuris et ponderibus, 10). According to his testimony, the Jews sent Ptolemy II 22 books included in the canon and 72 apocrypha. The legend transmitted in the 3rd book of Ezra about the restoration of sacred books by Ezra found an echo in patristic literature. The burning of them during captivity is accepted by Leontius of Byzantium (De sectis, p. 428), Photius of Constantinople (Angel Meier. Scriptores Veteres T. I, p. 171), Isidore of Seville (Origines VI, 3; De officiis Ecclesiasticorum II, 12; De vita et morte Sanctorum LXI) and Optatus of Milevis (De schismate donatistarum. Edit. Dupin. Liber VII, p. 110). Most of the fathers and teachers of the church speak only of the corruption of books. These are Irenaeus (Adversus haereses, III, 21, 2), Clement of Alexandria (Stromata, I, 22; cf. I, 21), Eusebius of Caesarea (Historia Ecclesiastica V, 8; Chronica Angel Meier. Scriptores Veteres. T. VIII, p. 344), Chrysostom (Homilia VIII in Epistolam ad Hebraeos. Montaucon T. XII, p. 90) and Theodoret (Praefatio in Psalmos; Praefatio in Cantica Canticorum). The restoration of sacred books was, in the opinion of Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Eusebius, Basil the Great (Epistola ad Chilonem), Theodoret and Isidore of Seville, accomplished by Divine inspiration without the aid of any copies. Origen (Hexapla. Monfaucon. T. I. Praeliminaria, p. 85), Leontius of Byzantium, and Optatus of Milevis affirm that Ezra restored the sacred books from memory, not mentioning Divine illumination. Chrysostom accepts the presence of Divine illumination in the revision of corrupted books. The Synopsis of Athanasius and James of Edessa (Epistola XIII. Ed. Wright. The Journal of Sacred Literature for January 1867) deny not only the restoration of the books but even their correction, attributing to Ezra only the publication of the surviving copies he had. Jerome (Adversus Helvidium, 7) and Tertullian (De cultu feminarum I, 3) speak of the restoration of sacred books in general terms, regardless of their former condition. The legend found an echo even in Islam (Calmet. Dictionnaire historique de la Bible. T. II, 426).

2 Esdras 14:45. And when the forty days were fulfilled, 2 Esdras 14:46. The Most High said: The first that you have written, reveal openly, so that the worthy and unworthy might read; 2 Esdras 14:47. but the last seventy keep hidden, to give them to the wise of the people; 2 Esdras 14:48. for in them is the guide of understanding, the source of wisdom and the river of knowledge. So I did. 48. The apocalypses in certain circles of Jewry were valued higher than the canonical books. The eastern translations briefly note after the account of the miraculous restoration of books the year of Ezra’s death. Here is this passage according to the Syriac text: “48. And I did so in the seventh year of the sixth week, after 5,000 years, 3 months, and 12 days from the creation of the world. 49. And then Ezra was taken and received into the land of those like him, after he had written. 50. And he himself was called the scribe of the knowledge of the Most High forever and ever.” All other translations indicate the time of Ezra’s death in the same way as the Syriac with minor changes (Armenian 5,000 years, 2 months; Ethiopic 5,000 years, 3 months, 10 days; one Arabic 5,025 years, 3 months, 12 days; another 5,000 years, 3 months, 22 days). In the 3 months and 12 days Gunkel sees an apocalyptic term, for which the Apocalypse (XI:9, 11) uses the expression “three and a half days.” According to Julius Africanus, the Jews reckoned from the creation of the world to A.D. 5,500 years. The time of the historical Ezra’s life under such chronology falls precisely on the years indicated in the eastern translations.

Chapter Fifteen

A command to the prophet to record the present revelation (1–4). The impending punishment of the ungodly and the liberation of God’s people from the Egyptian bondage (5–13). The misfortunes threatening the world in public life (14–27). The devastation of Assyria by Arabs and Carmanians (28–37). The destruction of Babylon through terrible manifestations in nature (38–45). The misfortunes threatening Asia, a co-conspirator with Babylon (46–63).

Chapters XV and XVI form a wholly independent work, usually entitled in the manuscripts of the Latin text “Liber Quintus Esdrae” or briefly “Esdras V.” Hilgenfeld (Messias Judaeorum, XLVI-XLIX), Fritzsche (Libri Veteris Testamenti pseudepigraphi selecti. Liptiae 1871 S. X) and Shavrov (92–94; 158–163) join these chapters to the first two, considering them merely a continuation of the first. Hilgenfeld acknowledges that the “second book of the prophet Ezra” thus obtained came from the author’s pen in its present form. Fritzsche and Shavrov suppose that it has not reached us in its entirety. Both suppositions are not justified by the content of the last chapters, which differ sharply from the first two. While the author of the first two chapters uses New Testament images and expressions at every turn, the author of the last two reveals almost nothing of Christian literature’s influence on him. His models are the Old Testament prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Nahum, and Joel. All this compels us to acknowledge the independence of the final chapters.

2 Esdras 15:1. Speak to My people the words of prophecy which I put in your mouth, says the Lord; 2 Esdras 15:2. and cause them to be written on parchment, for they are faithful and true. 2 Esdras 15:3. Fear not that they will plot against you, and do not be troubled by the unbelief of those who will speak against you, 2 Esdras 15:4. for every unbeliever in his unbelief will die. 2 Esdras 15:5. Behold, I bring, says the Lord, upon the circle of the earth misfortunes: sword and famine, death and destruction 2 Esdras 15:6. for the wickedness of men has defiled the whole earth, and their destructive deeds have been filled to the brim. 2 Esdras 15:7. Therefore says the Lord: 2 Esdras 15:8. I will no longer be silent about the iniquities which they commit wickedly, nor will I tolerate in them what they do unlawfully: behold, innocent and righteous blood cries out to Me, and the souls of the righteous cry continually. 2 Esdras 15:9. I will avenge them, says the Lord, and will take every innocent blood from them to Myself. 2 Esdras 15:10. Behold, My people is led like a flock to the slaughter; I will not suffer that it should live in Egypt any longer, 8–10. Cf. Rev 6:10. The book was written during a time of fierce persecution of Christians. Shavrov (101–163) sees in it the persecution of Domitian, Lucke (186–187) of Decius, Trajan, or Diocletian. The mention of Arabs prompts relating the origin of the book no earlier than the second half of the 3rd century, when Arabs first became prominent among the peoples of antiquity. Gutschmid (212–232) places it in 263 A.D., Volkmar (277) in 260, Hilgenfeld (XLVII, 208–211), Fritzsche (X) and James (LXXVIII) in 268. Ewald (Geschichte des Volkes Israel, VII, 82–83; Jahrbücher der Biblischen Wissenschaft, X, 223–224) completely disregards this detail, placing the book’s appearance in the reign of Trajan (98–117) around 116 A.D. and considering it to have come from Jewish circles. Trajan did not undertake any bloody persecution of Jewry at all. Although the name Egypt could be used in a figurative sense, as a designation of the land of captivity, the subsequent details leave no doubt that Egypt in the exact sense of the word is meant here. This is confirmed by the fact that the prophet directs his accusations against separate provinces of the Roman Empire: Egypt, Syria, Babylon, and Asia (XVI:1). Indeed, Egyptian Christians underwent fierce bloody persecution under the usurper Macrianus (261–262). This is testified by Dionysius of Alexandria (Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica VII, 22, 4). At this time in other places, Christians according to the edict of Gallienus enjoyed freedom of religion.

2 Esdras 15:11. but I will lead it out with a strong hand and a high arm, and will smite Egypt with plagues as before, and will destroy all its land. 2 Esdras 15:12. Egypt will mourn, and the foundations of it, smitten with plague and vengeance which God will bring upon it. 12. Since below the author recognizes that the misfortunes he predicts have already come to pass (XV:27), it is evident that along with purely eschatological elements, the historical details appear in the misfortunes Egypt was destined to experience. Under the guise of prophecy, the author gave a vivid picture of the social misfortunes that Egypt experienced in the middle of the 3rd century. It is possible that he begins his accusations with Egypt because he himself lived in Alexandria, where troubles made themselves felt with particular strength.

2 Esdras 15:13. The husbandmen who till the land will mourn, because their seeds will fail from rust and from hail and from the dread star. 13. Rev 9:1.

2 Esdras 15:14. Woe to the age and to those who live in it! 2 Esdras 15:15. for the sword and destruction are near, and nation shall rise up against nation for war, and swords in their hands. 15. Here are meant the constant wars of the Romans with the Goths (253, 255, 258, 259–263, 266) and the Persians (256, 260), as well as the wars conducted with the Persians by the founder of the Palmyrene Kingdom, Odaenathus (261, 263).

2 Esdras 15:16. Men will become inconstant, and one overpowering another, will disregard their king, and the rulers will neglect the course of their affairs within the bounds of their power. 16. In the reign of Gallienus (260–268) Egypt saw a whole series of usurpers who proclaimed themselves emperors. The first of these was Macrianus, a cruel enemy of Christianity, with two sons. He ruled Egypt for 2 years (261–262). After him, for about the same time, Egypt was under the power of Aemilianus (262–263). In 268, the peace that had been briefly restored was again disturbed by Domitian. The intestine conflicts that tore Egypt apart prompted the attempt of the Palmyrenes to seize it. At first it failed, but in 270 the queen of Palmyra, Zenobia, conquered this Roman province and ruled it on behalf of her son until her downfall (273). The remark of the book that in the time of misfortunes one will overpower another, as it were, hints at this unexpected loss of Egypt to Rome.

2 Esdras 15:17. A man will wish to go into a city, but will be unable to, 2 Esdras 15:18. for because of their pride the cities will be thrown into confusion, houses will be laid waste, and fear will fall upon people. 2 Esdras 15:19. A man will not spare his neighbor, bringing their houses to destruction with the sword, plundering their possessions because of hunger and many misfortunes. 17–19. The farmers, in view of the troubled times, will seek protection behind fortified city walls, but in vain. At Passover 261 a disturbance occurred in Alexandria that divided all inhabitants into two camps. Both sides mercilessly destroyed each other. The Nile continuously bore in its current the bodies of the slain or drowned. Macrianus made use of these disorders to seize power over Alexandria for himself. In 262, Egypt was visited by terrible famine and plague that destroyed many people (XIII, 16–35). After Macrianus’ fall, Alexandria for a short time acknowledged Gallienus as emperor. The new usurper Aemilianus imposed an embargo on grain supplies and thereby caused famine in many cities. The Roman general Photius besieged him in Bruchium. After a long siege, the city surrendered due to hunger.

2 Esdras 15:20. Behold, I summon, says God, all the kings of the earth, from the east and south, from the north and Lebanon, that they may stand in awe before Me and turn to themselves, and render to them what they have done to others. 20. “Behold, I summon, says God, all the kings of the earth, that they rise from the east and south, from the south-east and south-west.” The mention of Lebanon among the cardinal directions from which God calls all the kings of the earth is rather unexpected. It is explained by the incorrect reading of the Latin word libe (it is found in one of the Spanish codices in the form libie), which represents a translation of the Greek λιβός. The word λίψ (Latin lips) means the southwest wind. The kings by God’s will are assembled from different parts of the world to punish Rome for the innocent blood it has shed. The eastern kings, in Gutschmid’s opinion, refer to the Persian dynasty that ruled—the Sassanids, who claimed the Roman provinces to the shores of the Aegean and Black seas, as these were once part of the Persian monarchy. In the southeast lay Palmyra, whose rulers pretended to be on Rome’s side, but in reality founded a new Syro-Arabic kingdom in the east. In the southern kings one can see a hint at the usurper Alexander Aemilianus, who passed through the Thebaid and all Egypt to suppress the barbarous raids that began at that time. These were the Blemmyes, whose attacks under Diocletian culminated in the annexation of part of Upper Egypt and Libya. The kings from the side of Liba (προς λίβα) refer to the Marmarids in Libya, with whom the Romans warred. The prophecy encompasses the main states that were hostile to Rome. In their summons by God lies an indication of the impending onslaught from their direction that was to end the existence of the Roman Empire.

2 Esdras 15:21. As they have done to My chosen ones, so will I do to them and render into their bosom, says the Lord God. 2 Esdras 15:22. My right hand will not spare sinners, and the sword will not cease to strike down those who shed innocent blood on the earth. 21–22. Under Valerian (253–260) there took place a bloody persecution of Christians lasting 3 1/4 years (257–260). The edict of Gallienus put an end to it, but in Egypt it continued, for power there was in the hands of Macrianus, the chief instigator of Valerian’s struggle against Christianity.

2 Esdras 15:23. Fire has come forth from His wrath and consumed the foundations of the earth and the sinners like kindled straw. 2 Esdras 15:24. Woe to sinners and those who do not keep My commandments! says the Lord. 2 Esdras 15:25. I will not spare them. Depart, sons of transgression, do not defile My sanctuary. 2 Esdras 15:26. The Lord knows all who sin against Him; therefore He has delivered them to death and slaughter. 2 Esdras 15:27. Upon the circle of the earth have already come misfortunes, and you will remain in them. God will not deliver you, because you have sinned against Him. 2 Esdras 15:28. Behold, a terrible vision, and its face from the east. 2 Esdras 15:29. The offspring of the dragons of Arabia will come forth on many chariots and with the speed of the wind will be borne over the earth, so that they will instill fear and terror in all who hear of them. 29. Before the rise of Islam, the Arabs occupied a threatening position in relation to the eastern states only once. This was during the time of the Palmyrene kingdom founded by the Arab Odaenathus. He was a Roman decurion in Palmyra and was considered a prince of Arab nomads living along the Euphrates. His brilliant military actions against the Persians forced Gallienus in 264 to proclaim him emperor of the east. In the reign of Odaenathus’ successor, Zenobia (267–273), Palmyra stood at the height of its power. Zenobia even succeeded in conquering Egypt. Ewald tries to see here an indication of the reign of Trajan, who had to conduct prolonged warfare in the east with Arabs and Persians. But hardly in the reign of Trajan, which shone with external victories, could anyone have thought of Rome’s imminent ruin.

2 Esdras 15:30. The Carmanians will come forth, like boars from the forest, raging fiercely, and will come in great force, will engage in battle with them and will lay waste a part of the land of Assyria. 2 Esdras 15:31. Then the dragons, remembering their origin, will prevail and turning their great might, will pursue those. 2 Esdras 15:32. These will be confused, will be silent before their might and will turn their feet to flight. 30–32. The Carmanians are the inhabitants of the Persian city of Carman. Carman was the first conquest of the Sassanids. Evidently the name here is used in a broad sense to designate the Persians. After a successful struggle with Rome, during which the Persians defeated the emperor Valerian (253–260), they conquered Mesopotamia and swept through all Syria and Cilicia. Finally, at the siege of Pompeiopolis, the Persians were defeated. The Romans in alliance with the Palmyrene Odaenathus continued the struggle against the Persians so successfully that Sapor was even cut off from retreat. He was forced to give a huge ransom to the Roman garrison stationed in Edessa to secure his return to Persia. After victory over Sapor, Odaenathus invaded Persian territory, conquered Carrhae and Nisibis, took from the Persians all Mesopotamia and besieged Ctesiphon. The first siege was not brought to completion due to the intervention of Macrianus. Later, taking advantage of Macrianus’ presence in Europe, Odaenathus killed his younger son and took Emesa and Ctesiphon. The invasion of Cappadocia by the Goths prompted him to depart to fight them in the Cappadocian city of Heraclea, but the enemy had already departed. Soon Odaenathus was killed together with his son. Under the part of Assyrian land devastated by the Carmanians is meant the region between the Tigris and Euphrates, which did not enter into the Roman Empire under the Sassanids. The Persians took Mesopotamia, and in particular the Arab city of Cithara, in 255. Under Odaenathus, all this region passed to Palmyra.

2 Esdras 15:33. But the one lying in ambush on the side of the Assyrians will surround them and kill one of them; fear and trembling will arise in their army, and a murmuring against their kings. 33. Lücke and Hilgenfeld see in this place an echo of the violent death of Odaenathus. He perished at the hands of his nephew Maeonius. In the book’s remark about murmuring against the kings one can see an allusion to the uprising of the army that broke out after Odaenathus’s assassination. The villain himself fell as its victim. Gutschmid without sufficient grounds refers this passage to the Persians. Ewald sees in the name of the Carmonians (Carmonii) an alteration of the word Armageddon (Rev 16:16). This is how Rome was called in apocalyptic literature (Jahrbucher der Biblischen Wissenschaft I, 62; VIII, 31). This understanding is supported by a comparison of the Carmonians with wild boars, taken from the Psalter (LXXIX:14). The psalmist’s words were interpreted in the post-exilic period as referring to the Romans. Ewald’s opinion that Rome is meant by Armageddon cannot be considered firmly proven. The comparison with boars, moreover, represents an interpolation. In some manuscripts there is simply mention of the departure of mad Carmonians from the forest (James).

2 Esdras 15:34. Behold, clouds from the east and from the north to the south, and their appearance is most terrible, full of fierceness and storm. 34. In the form of a cloud (nubes) rushing from the east and north, the Goths are represented. From 255 onward they constantly plundered Thrace, Macedonia, and Achaia. Although they suffered defeat at the hands of the general Marianus, they departed in 262 with great plunder. Another part of the Goths in 259 crossed the Bosporus into Bithynia and burned the cities of Nicomedia and Nicaea. For about 4 years the Goths plundered Asia Minor and only in 263 returned home. At the same time Germanic tribes were laying waste to Illyricum and Italy and threatening Rome itself. In 263 Gallienus was honored with a triumph for the expulsion of the Goths. In 267 the Goths together with the Scythians again invaded Asia Minor and completed the former devastation. Gallienus set out on a campaign against the Scythians, but in the west the mutiny of Aureolus broke out, and the emperor had to return. To 268, when Rome was threatened with dangers from all sides, the origin of the book should be referred.

2 Esdras 15:35. They will clash with one another, and many stars will be cast down to the earth along with their star; and there will be blood from the sword to the belly, 2 Esdras 15:36. and the dung of human beings – to the saddle of a camel; great fear and trembling will be upon the earth. 2 Esdras 15:37. All who see this fierceness will be terrified, and they will tremble. 2 Esdras 15:38. After that many times storms will rise from the south and north, and in part from the west, 2 Esdras 15:39. and strong winds will rise from the east and open him and the cloud which I have driven forward in anger; and the star appointed to terrify at the east and west wind will be damaged. 2 Esdras 15:40. And there will rise clouds, great and strong, full of fierceness, and a star to terrify all the earth and its inhabitants; and they will pour upon every high and elevated place a terrible star, 2 Esdras 15:41. fire and hail, flying swords and many waters, to fill all fields and all streams with an abundance of waters. 2 Esdras 15:42. And they will inundate the city and the walls, and mountains, and hills, and trees in the forests, and grass in the meadows, and their grain crops; 2 Esdras 15:43. and they will pass without ceasing until Babylon and destroy it; 43. In apocalyptic literature Rome was known by the name Babylon. The author is convinced that the end of the Roman Empire is inevitable.

2 Esdras 15:44. they will gather to it and surround it; they will pour the star and fury upon it. And dust and smoke will rise up to heaven, and all around will mourn it, 2 Esdras 15:45. and those who remain subject to him will serve those who have brought the fear. 2 Esdras 15:46. And you, Asia, partner in the hope of Babylon and in its glory: 46. The prophet addresses a special speech to Asia, that is, Asia Minor. This is explained by the fact that the persecution of Christians was carried out here with even greater ferocity than in Rome.

2 Esdras 15:47. woe to you, wretched one, because you imitated him and adorned your daughters in harlotry, so that they might be pleasing and glorified among your lovers, who always desired to commit harlotry with you. 2 Esdras 15:48. You imitated the hateful one in all his deeds and undertakings. 2 Esdras 15:49. Because of this, says God, I will send upon you calamities: widowhood, poverty, and hunger, and sword, and plague, to lay waste your houses by violence and death. 2 Esdras 15:50. And the glory of your power will wither like a flower when the heat comes upon you. 2 Esdras 15:51. You will faint like a poor woman, beaten and wounded by women, so that the prominent men and your lovers are unable to receive you. 2 Esdras 15:52. Would I hate you so, says the Lord, 2 Esdras 15:53. if you did not kill my chosen ones at all times, lifting your hand against them to strike them and mocking their death, when you were in a drunken state? 53. The author alludes to the persecution under Decius Traianus (249–252). Under his successor Valerian (253–260) the governance of Asia Minor fell into the hands of Macrianus, the worst enemy of Christianity. The bloody persecution of Christians undoubtedly continued at this time with no less ferocity.

2 Esdras 15:54. Adorn your face. 2 Esdras 15:55. The hire of your harlotry is in your bosom; therefore you will receive the recompense. 2 Esdras 15:56. As you have dealt with my chosen ones, says the Lord, so God will deal with you, and will subject you to calamities. 2 Esdras 15:57. Your children will perish from hunger, you will fall by the sword, your cities will be destroyed, and all your people will fall in the field by the sword. 2 Esdras 15:58. And those on the mountains will perish from hunger, and will eat their own flesh for lack of bread and drink blood for lack of water. 57–58. In 262 plague raged in Asia Minor, and before that it was visited by a terrible earthquake. Besides, the hordes of Goths during their two invasions destroyed or plundered almost all of its major cities.

2 Esdras 15:59. In misery you will go by the seas, and there you will meet troubles. 59. “In misery you will go the first time and again be subjected to troubles.” The author contrasts the calamities that have already befallen Asia Minor with those that await it in the future.

2 Esdras 15:60. During your journeys they will rush upon the devastated city and will destroy part of your land and annihilate part of your glory. 60. “As you return from the destroyed Babylon, on the way they will attack the emptied city and destroy part of your land and eradicate part of your glory.” Punishment overtakes Asia Minor following Babylon, that is, Rome. The executors of it will be numerous enemies of Rome, who will be only obedient (XV:20) instruments in the hands of God. The prophet speaks not of all cities, but only of those that escaped the ravages of the Goths.

2 Esdras 15:61. Laid waste, you will be straw to them, and they will be fire to you; 2 Esdras 15:62. and they will destroy you and your cities, your land, your mountains, all your forests and fruit-bearing trees will they burn with fire. 2 Esdras 15:63. Your sons they will take captive, your possessions they will seize as plunder, and your glory they will destroy.

Chapter Sixteen

The inevitability of calamities threatening Babylon, Asia, Egypt, and Syria (1–16). Depiction of these calamities (17–35). Their proximity (36–49). A call to the sinful world to repentance (50–68). Trials awaiting those chosen by God (69–78).

In chapter XV the author spoke separately of Egypt, Palmyra, Rome, and Asia. Now he addresses all together. In his denunciatory speech it is important to highlight the historical element that encompasses the calamities contemporary to the author.

2 Esdras 16:1. Woe to you, Babylon and Asia, woe to you, Egypt and Syria! 2 Esdras 16:2. Gird yourselves with sackcloth and hair cloth, mourn for your sons, and grieve, because your destruction has drawn near. 2 Esdras 16:3. A sword has been sent upon you, and who will turn it back? 2 Esdras 16:4. Fire has been sent upon you, and who will extinguish it? 2 Esdras 16:5. Calamities have been sent upon you, and who will avert them? 2 Esdras 16:6. Will someone drive a hungry lion in the forest, or extinguish fire in straw when it begins to blaze? 2 Esdras 16:7. Will someone turn back an arrow shot by a strong archer? 2 Esdras 16:8. The Lord, the Mighty One, sends calamities, and who will avert them? 2 Esdras 16:9. Fire will go forth from his anger, and who will extinguish it? 2 Esdras 16:10. He will flash lightning, and who will not fear? He will thunder, and who will not be terrified? 2 Esdras 16:11. The Lord will look with fury, and who will not be crushed to the ground at the sight of him? 2 Esdras 16:12. The earth trembled and its foundations shook; the sea was stirred up from its depths, and its waves were troubled, and the fish of the sea from the presence of the Lord and from the greatness of his strength. 12. In 262 the Roman Empire was visited by a terrible earthquake, during which many cities were inundated by the sea. However, one can see here the usual depiction of God’s anger against sinners.

2 Esdras 16:13. For his right hand is strong, stretching the bow, his arrows are sharp, sent forth by him, they will not grow weak when sent to the ends of the earth. 2 Esdras 16:14. Behold, calamities are sent and will not return until they come upon the earth. 2 Esdras 16:15. Fire burns and will not be extinguished until it consumes the foundations of the earth. 2 Esdras 16:16. Like an arrow shot by a strong archer, calamities that are sent upon the earth will not return. 2 Esdras 16:17. Woe to me, woe to me! Who will save me in those days? 2 Esdras 16:18. Sorrows will begin, and many will groan; famine will begin, and many will perish; wars will begin, and the rulers will be afraid; calamities will begin, and all will tremble. 2 Esdras 16:19. What shall I do then when calamities come? 2 Esdras 16:20. Behold, famine and plague and sorrow and distress are sent as scourges for correction: 2 Esdras 16:21. but with all this, people will not turn from their wickedness, and they will not always remember the scourges. 2 Esdras 16:22. Behold, on earth there will be cheapness of all things, and they will think that peace has come; but then calamities will overtake the earth – sword, famine, and great confusion. 2 Esdras 16:23. From famine very many inhabitants of the earth will perish, and the rest, who endure the famine, will fall by the sword. 2 Esdras 16:24. And corpses, like dung, will be thrown out, and there will be no one to mourn them, because the earth will be laid waste, and its cities will be destroyed. 18–24. The picture of calamities drawn here fully corresponds with the events that took place in Egypt in the middle of the third century (XV:16–19).

2 Esdras 16:25. No one will remain to till the earth and sow on it. 2 Esdras 16:26. The trees will give fruit, and who will gather them? 2 Esdras 16:27. The grapes will ripen, and who will tread them? For there will be great desolation everywhere. 2 Esdras 16:28. It will be hard for a person to see a person or hear his voice, 2 Esdras 16:29. for from the inhabitants of the city there will remain no more than ten, and from the country folk – two people, who will hide in the dense groves and in the crevices of the rocks. 2 Esdras 16:30. As in an olive orchard sometimes three or four olives remain on the trees, 2 Esdras 16:31. or in a plundered vineyard some clusters are not noticed by those who carefully gather the grapes: 2 Esdras 16:32. so in those days three or four will remain when the houses are searched with the sword. 29–32. Compare Matt 24:40-41.

2 Esdras 16:33. The earth will remain desolate, its fields will become barren, its roads and all its paths will be overgrown with thorns, because no one will walk on them. 2 Esdras 16:34. Maidens will weep, having no bridegrooms; wives will weep, having no husbands; daughters will weep, having no helpers. 2 Esdras 16:35. Their bridegrooms will be killed in war, and their husbands will perish from hunger. 2 Esdras 16:36. Hear this, and understand, servants of the Lord! 2 Esdras 16:37. This is the word of the Lord: listen to it, and do not believe the gods of which the Lord speaks. 2 Esdras 16:38. Behold, calamities are approaching and will not delay. 2 Esdras 16:39. As in a pregnant woman, when in the ninth month the time comes for her to give birth to a son, two or three hours before the birth pains seize her womb, and when the child comes forth from the womb, they do not delay a single moment: 2 Esdras 16:40. so the calamities will not delay in coming upon the earth, and the people of that time will groan; pains will seize them. 2 Esdras 16:41. Hear the word, my people: prepare for battle, and in the midst of calamities be like strangers on the earth. 2 Esdras 16:42. Let the one who sells be like one preparing to flee, and the one who buys – like one ready for destruction; 2 Esdras 16:43. let the one who trades be as one expecting no profit, and the one who builds a house – as one not hoping to live in it. 2 Esdras 16:44. Let the sower think that he will not reap, and the vinedresser – that he will not gather the grapes; 2 Esdras 16:45. those entering into marriage – that they will not bear children, and those not entering – like widowers. 42–45. Compare 1 Cor 7:29-30.

2 Esdras 16:46. Therefore all who labor labor in vain, 2 Esdras 16:47. for strangers will use the fruits of their labor, and despoil their possessions, ruin their houses, and enslave their sons, because in captivity and hunger they will bear their children. 47. By foreigners the author means the Goths, whose sudden appearance was regarded at that time as a sign of the imminent end. Their name was brought into connection with the names of the apocalyptic peoples of Gog and Magog (Rev 20:7; Ezek 38-39), companions of the antichrist. How great was the expectation of the second coming in the middle of the third century is evidenced by the appearance of an entire schism over the question of the thousand-year Kingdom.

2 Esdras 16:48. Whoever engages in plundering – the more they beautify their cities and houses, their possessions and their faces, 2 Esdras 16:49. the more I will hate them for their sins, says the Lord. 2 Esdras 16:50. As a harlot hates a virtuous and very well-behaved woman, 2 Esdras 16:51. so righteousness will hate unrighteousness, adorning herself, and will convict her in the sight when He comes Who will defend against every sin on the earth. 2 Esdras 16:52. Therefore do not imitate unrighteousness and its deeds, 2 Esdras 16:53. for yet a little while, and unrighteousness will be removed from the earth, and righteousness will reign over you. 2 Esdras 16:54. Let not the sinner say that he has not sinned, for burning coals will ignite upon the head of the one who says: I have not sinned before the Lord God and his glory. 54. Compare Prov 25:22-23; Rom 12:20.

2 Esdras 16:55. The Lord knows all the deeds of people and their undertakings, and their thoughts and their hearts. 2 Esdras 16:56. He said: “Let the earth be,” and the earth came to be; “Let the sky be,” and it was. 56. Gen 1:1.

2 Esdras 16:57. By his word the stars were created, and he knows the number of the stars. 57. Ps 146:4.

2 Esdras 16:58. He contemplates the depths and what is hidden in them, has measured the sea and what is in it. 2 Esdras 16:59. By his word he enclosed the sea in the midst of waters and hung the earth upon the waters. 2 Esdras 16:60. He spread out the sky like a tent over the waters and founded it. 60. Isa 40:22.

2 Esdras 16:61. He placed springs of water in the desert and lakes on the peaks of mountains, to send rivers down from the high rocks, to water the earth. 2 Esdras 16:62. He created man and placed his heart in the midst of his body, and gave into him spirit, life, and reason 2 Esdras 16:63. and the breath of the Almighty God, Who created all and observes all that is hidden in the hidden places of the earth. 2 Esdras 16:64. He knows your intention and what you think in your hearts when you sin and wish to hide your sins. 2 Esdras 16:65. Therefore the Lord clearly sees all your deeds, and will convict you all; 2 Esdras 16:66. and you will be ashamed when your sins are revealed before people, and your wickedness will stand as accusers on that day. 2 Esdras 16:67. What will you do and how will you hide your sins before God and his Angels? 2 Esdras 16:68. Behold, God is the Judge; fear him; abandon your sins and forever cease to do wickedness, and God will lead you out and save you from all distress. 2 Esdras 16:69. For behold, the fury of a large multitude is kindling against you, and they will seize some of you and kill them as an offering to idols. 2 Esdras 16:70. Those who agree with them will be subjected to mockery, insult, and trampling by them. 2 Esdras 16:71. For in all places and in neighboring cities many will rise up against those who fear the Lord. 69–71. Gallienus’s reign, with insignificant exceptions, was a time of comparative peace for Christians. Christians were granted the rights of a religious society. Their religion was declared free from persecution. The author foresees in the near future a new persecution. Perhaps this is the persecution of the antichrist, whose coming was then expected.

2 Esdras 16:72. Like mad men, without mercy they will plunder and rob all from those who fear the Lord. 2 Esdras 16:73. They will lay waste and rob their possessions, and expel them from their houses. 2 Esdras 16:74. Then will come the trial of my chosen ones, as gold is tried by fire. 2 Esdras 16:75. Listen, my beloved ones, says the Lord: behold, days of sorrow are before you, and I will deliver you from them. 2 Esdras 16:76. Do not be afraid and do not doubt, for your leader is God. 2 Esdras 16:77. If you keep my commandments and precepts, says the Lord God, then your sins will not be a burden pressing you down, and your wickedness will not prevail against you. 75–77. The author’s task was to strengthen Christians in firm endurance of the coming sufferings. He achieves this by promising the chosen of God speedy deliverance from all trials. The author believes in the nearness of the Kingdom of the Messiah, the participants of which will be Christians who remain unshaken amid the calamities of the pagan world

2 Esdras 16:78. Woe to those who are bound by their sins and covered by their wickedness! This is a field overgrown with undergrowth and through which the way is covered with thorns, so that a person cannot pass through it: it is abandoned and condemned to fire for destruction. 78. Compare 2 Sam 23:6. N. Abolensky.

The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Introduction

Almost nothing certain is known about the identity of the author of our first Gospel except what is reported about him in the Gospels themselves. He was originally a tax collector, or publican, and was called Levi and Matthew (the latter—donum Dei, that is, gift of God, the same as the Greek Theodoros, Russian Theodore). With high probability it can be established that before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, Matthew was engaged in spreading Christianity in Palestine among the Jews, and at their request wrote his Gospel for them. The information about Matthew provided by some later historians (Rufinus, Socrates, Nicephorus Callistus) concerning his activity outside Palestine is extremely scanty and moreover somewhat contradictory, so that complete reliance cannot be placed on it. According to these accounts, Matthew preached Christianity chiefly in Ethiopia, Macedonia, and in Asiatic countries, and died a martyr’s death either in Hierapolis, which is in Phrygia, or in Persia. But others say he died a natural death either in Ethiopia or in Macedonia.

Nothing is known about the occasion for the writing of the Gospel according to Matthew, and one can only make suppositions about it. If Matthew actually first preached his Gospel to his own countrymen, then, upon the apostle’s departure to other pagan lands, the Palestinian Jews might have requested him to set forth in writing for them the information about the life of Christ, which the apostle did accomplish. Unfortunately, this, it appears, is all that can be said on the subject. As for the purpose of writing the Gospel, it too can be determined only by supposition, based on its internal content. This purpose was, of course, first of all the presentation of information about the historical person of Christ. But if Matthew was preaching initially among Palestinian Jews, then it was entirely natural that, in presenting information about the person and activity of Christ in his Gospel, he also had in mind certain special goals that answered to the wishes and disposition of Palestinian Christians. The latter could only recognize as the Messiah a person who had been the subject of the expectations of the Old Testament prophets and who fulfilled the ancient prophetic predictions. This goal is satisfied by the Gospel according to Matthew, where we encounter a series of Old Testament quotations, skillfully and at the same time naturally and without the slightest straining applied by the evangelist to the Person, Whom he himself undoubtedly recognized as the Messiah sent by God.

As for the time of its composition—this is the earliest of all four Gospels, written shortly after the Ascension of Jesus Christ, in any case before the destruction of Jerusalem.

The plan of the Gospel according to Matthew is natural and is determined by the material or information about Christ that the evangelist possessed. He clearly and concisely presents the earthly life of Christ, beginning from His birth and ending with His death and Resurrection. In executing such a plan we do not encounter any artificial grouping of the material, although we should note that, due to the desire to maintain brevity, we encounter numerous gaps in the Gospel, and, on the other hand, we find that many events which occurred over more or less lengthy periods of time are connected to one another mostly only by external links. But this in no way hinders either the wholeness of the narrative or its general sequence. One is positively amazed at how over the course of only a few pages of the Gospel, such artistry and such simplicity and naturalness have concentrated, one might say, inexhaustible material in its richness of content.

As for the general content of the Gospel, we encounter here very diverse divisions. The general content of the Gospel according to Matthew can be divided into four main parts:

1) The preliminary history of the earthly life of Christ before the beginning of His public ministry (Matt 1:1-4:11).

2) Activity in Galilee—a period of increasingly growing glory of Christ as a Teacher and Miracle-worker, which ended with His highest earthly glorification on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt 4:12-17:8).

3) The intermediate period of Christ’s ministry in Galilee and adjacent regions, which serves as a link between His glorification and suffering in Jerusalem (Matt 17:9-20:34).

4) The final days of the earthly life of Christ, His suffering, death, and Resurrection (Matt 21:1-28:20).

Literature

Origen (186–254). “Commentary on the Gospel according to Matthew” (Migne, PG.13).

Hilary of Poitiers (ca. 320–368). “Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew” (Migne, PL.9).

John Chrysostom (347–407). “Commentary on the Holy Evangelist Matthew” (Migne, PG.57–58).

Eusebius Jerome (340–420). “Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew” (Migne, PL.26).

Gregory of Nyssa (370–after 394). “On the Lord’s Prayer” (Migne, PG.44). “On the Beatitudes” (ibid.).

Augustine, Bishop of Hippo (354–430). “On the Harmony of the Evangelists” (Migne, PL.34). “On the Sermon on the Mount” (ibid.).

Paschasius Radbertus, Catholic theologian (9th c.). “Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew” (Migne, PL.120).

Rabanus Maurus (9th c.). “Eight Books of Commentaries on Matthew” (Migne, PL.117).

Theophylact, Archbishop of Bulgaria (†ca. 1107). “Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew” (Migne, PG.123).

Euthymius Zigabenus (†1119 or 1120). “Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew” (Migne, PG.129).

Foreign commentators: Cornelius a Lapide (1857), Bengel (1860), De Wette (1857), Lange (1861), Meyer (1864), Alford (1863), Morison (1902), Merx (1902), Holtzmann (1901), Zahn (1905), Alien (1912).

Russian commentators: Bishop Michael. “Explanatory Gospel according to Matthew”; Professor M. Tareev. “Philosophy of Gospel History”; Archpriest A. V. Gorsky. “Gospel History and the Church of the Apostles”.

Chapter One

1–17. Title. Genealogy of Jesus Christ. – 18–25. The Nativity of Christ.

Title. The Gospel according to Matthew in the Russian and Slavonic translations is titled the same way. But this title differs from the title of the Gospel in the Greek language. There it is not as clear as in Russian and Slavonic, and is shorter—“according to Matthew,” and the words “Gospel” or “good news” are absent. The Greek expression “according to Matthew” requires explanation. The best explanation is the following: The Gospel is one and indivisible, and belongs to God, not to people. Different people only set forth that single good news, or Gospel, given to them by God. There were several such people. But strictly speaking, four people are called evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They wrote four Gospels, that is, they presented, each from different points of view and in their own way, the one common good news about the one indivisible Person of the God-man. Therefore, in the Greek Gospel it says: according to Matthew, according to Mark, according to Luke, and according to John—that is, one Gospel of God according to the account of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Nothing, of course, prevents us from adding the word Gospel or good news to these Greek expressions for the sake of clarity, as was already being done in the deepest antiquity, especially since the titles of the Gospels—according to Matthew, according to Mark, etc.—did not belong to the evangelists themselves. Similar expressions were used by the Greeks for other people who wrote something. Thus, in Acts 17:28 it is said: “as also some of your poets have said,” and in the literal translation from Greek: “according to your poets”—and then their own words follow. One of the Church Fathers, Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus, speaks of “the first book of the Pentateuch according to Moses” (ἡ πρώτη βίβλος τῆς κατὰ τὸν Μωυσέα πεντατεύχου; Epiphanius, Adversus haereses, ed. K. Holl, Epiphanius. [Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller 25] Band 1, Leipzig 1915. liber VIII, 4, p. 190:1), meaning that the Pentateuch was written by Moses himself. In the Bible the word Gospel means good news (for example, 2 Sam 18:20—according to the translation of the Seventy), and in the New Testament the word Gospel is used only for the good news or good tidings about salvation, about the Savior of the world.

Matthew 1:1. Genealogy of Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of Abraham. The Gospel according to Matthew begins with the genealogy of the Savior, which is presented from verse 1 to verse 17. In the Slavonic translation, instead of “genealogy,” it says “book of kinship.” The Russian and Slavonic translations are accurate, though not literal. In Greek it is “biblos geneseos” (βίβλος γενέσεως). “Biblos” means book, and “geneseos” (genitive case; nominative—“genesis” or “genesis”) is a word that cannot be translated into Russian or other languages. Therefore it has passed into some languages, including Russian, without translation (genesis). The word “genesis” denotes not so much birth as “origin,” “coming into being” (German: Entstehung). Generally it denotes a comparatively slow birth, more the process of birth than the act itself, and in the word is implied germination, growth, and final appearance in the world. Hence the connection between the Hebrew expression, which begins some genealogies (Gen 2:4-4:26) in the Bible, “sefer toledot” (book of births), and the Greek “biblos geneseos.” In Hebrew—plural—book of births, and in Greek—singular—geneseos, because the latter word implies not one birth but a whole series of births. Therefore, to denote the multiplicity of births, the Greek “genesis” is used in the singular, although it sometimes occurs in the plural. Thus, we should recognize our Slavonic (“book of kinship,” book of relatives, enumeration of families) and Russian translations as if not entirely, then approximately accurate, and admit that the Greek (“biblos geneseos”) cannot be translated otherwise than by the word “genealogy” for want of a suitable Russian word. If instead of the word “origin” sometimes “being” is used in Slavonic, and sometimes also “life,” then such inaccuracy can be explained by the same reason. In what sense are the words “Jesus Christ” used in verse 1? Of course, in the sense of the proper name of a known historical Person (so also in verse 18—the word “Christ” without the article), whose life and activity the evangelist intended to present to the readers. But was it not enough to call this historical Person simply Jesus? No, because that would have been indefinite. The evangelist wants to present the genealogy of Jesus, Who had already become known to both Jews and Gentiles as Christ and Whom the evangelist himself recognized not as a simple person but as Christ, the Anointed, the Messiah. Jesus is a Hebrew word, transformed from Yeshua, which means God the Savior. Similarly in verse 18. This name was common among the Jews. Christ, in Hebrew Messiah, means anointed or the anointed one. In the Old Testament this name was common. Thus called were the Hebrew kings, priests, and prophets, who were anointed with sacred oil. In the New Testament the name became proper (which is usually indicated by the Greek article), but not at once. According to the interpretation of Blessed Theophylact, the Lord is called Christ because, as King, He reigned and reigns over sin; as Priest, He offered a sacrifice for us; and He was anointed as Lord with true oil, the Holy Spirit. In naming this known historical Person Christ, the evangelist had to prove His descent both from David and from Abraham. The true Christ, or Messiah, was to come from the Jews (to be the seed of Abraham) and was unthinkable for them if he did not come from David and Abraham. From some Gospel passages it is clear that the Jews not only assumed the descent of Christ—the Messiah—from David, but also His birth in that same city where David was born (see Matt 2:6). The Jews would not have recognized as Messiah anyone who did not come from David and Abraham. These patriarchs had received promises concerning the Messiah. And the evangelist Matthew wrote his Gospel first and foremost for the Jews. “Nothing could have been more pleasant for a Jew than to be told that Jesus Christ was a descendant of Abraham and David” (St. John Chrysostom). The prophets prophesied about Christ as the son of David, for example, Isaiah (Isa 9:7), Jeremiah (Jer 23:5), Ezekiel (Ezek 34:23), Amos (Amos 9:11), and others. Therefore, having spoken of Christ, or Messiah, the evangelist immediately says that He was the Son of David, the Son of Abraham—Son in the sense of descendant—as is so common among the Jews. In the words: “Son of David, Son of Abraham,” as in the Greek Gospel as well as in the Russian, there is a certain ambiguity. One could understand these words as: Jesus Christ, who was a Son (descendant) of David, who was (in turn) a descendant of Abraham. But one could also understand them thus: Son of David and Son of Abraham. Both interpretations, of course, in no way change the essential matter. If David was a son (descendant) of Abraham, then, of course, Christ, as the Son of David, was also a descendant of Abraham. But the first interpretation comes closer to corresponding with the Greek text.

Matthew 1:2. Abraham begat Isaac; Isaac begat Jacob; Jacob begat Judah and his brothers; (See Luke 3:34). Having said that Jesus Christ was a Son of David and a Son of Abraham, the evangelist, beginning with verse 2, proves this idea in more detail. By naming Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, the evangelist points to known historical personalities to whom were given the promises that from them would come the Savior of the world (Gen 18:18, etc.).

Matthew 1:3. Judah begat Perez and Zerah by Tamar; Perez begat Hezron; Hezron begat Ram; Matthew 1:4. Ram begat Amminadab; Amminadab begat Nahshon; Nahshon begat Salmon; (See Luke 3:32-33.) Perez and Zerah (Gen 38:24-30) were twin brothers. Hezron, Ram, Amminadab, and Nahshon were probably all born and lived in Egypt, following Jacob and his sons’ settlement there. About Hezron, Ram, and Amminadab nothing particular is known except their names mentioned in 1 Chr 2:1-15. Nahshon’s sister, Elizabeth, married Aaron, the brother of Moses. In 1 Chr 2:10 and Num 2:3 Nahshon is called a “prince” or “ruler” of the children of Judah. He was among those engaged in counting the people in the Sinai wilderness (Num 1:7), and he was the first to bring an offering at the dedication of the tabernacle (Num 7:12) approximately forty years before the taking of Jericho.

Matthew 1:5. Salmon begat Boaz by Rahab; Boaz begat Obed by Ruth; Obed begat Jesse; Salmon, son of Nahshon, was among the spies in Jericho, whom the prostitute Rahab hid in her house (Josh 2:1). Salmon married her. According to the evangelist, from this marriage was born Boaz. But the Bible does not report that Rahab was the wife of Salmon (see Ruth 4:13; 1 Chr 2:11). Hence some conclude that the evangelist, in compiling the genealogy, “had access to information other than the Old Testament books.” The reading of the name Rahab is unsettled and indefinite: Rahab, Raab, and in Josephus—Rahaba. There are chronological difficulties regarding her. The birth of Obed from Boaz and Ruth is told in detail in the book of Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite, a foreigner, and the Jews hated foreigners. The evangelist mentions Ruth in order to show that among the ancestors of the Savior were not only Jews but also foreigners. From the reports about Ruth in Sacred Scripture one can conclude that her moral character was very attractive.

Matthew 1:6. Jesse begat David the king; David the king begat Solomon by the wife of Uriah; It is known that Jesse had eight sons (1 Sam 16:1-13), and according to 1 Chr 2:13-15—seven. The youngest of them was David. Jesse lived in Bethlehem and was the son of Ephratah from the tribe of Judah; during the time of Saul’s persecution of David he reached old age and was the chief among men. In saying Jesse begat David, the evangelist adds that “Jesse begat David the king.” There is no such addition for other kings, descendants of David. Perhaps because it was unnecessary; it was sufficient to name David as king to show that the line of kings—ancestors of the Savior—began with him. David, besides others, had sons Solomon and Nathan. Matthew the evangelist traces the further genealogy through the line of Solomon, Luke (Luke 3:31)—through Nathan. Solomon was the son of David “by the wife of Uriah,” that is, by a woman who had previously been the wife of Uriah. The details of this are set forth in 2 Sam 11–2 Sam 12 and are well known. The evangelist does not name Bathsheba by name. But mention of her serves here to express the desire to mark a departure from the proper order in the genealogy, since the marriage of David with Bathsheba was a transgression. Very little is known about Bathsheba. She was the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite, and, in all probability, was distinguished by many personal virtues, if she became the beloved wife of the king and had considerable influence on him. Solomon was proclaimed heir to the royal throne at her request.

Matthew 1:7. Solomon was the father of Rehoboam; Rehoboam was the father of Abijah; Abijah was the father of Asa; Solomon reigned forty years (1015–975 BC). During his reign the temple was built in Jerusalem. Rehoboam, or Rehoboam, son of Solomon, reigned in Judea “only over the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah” (1 Sam 12:17; 2 Chr 10:17). He ascended to the throne at age forty-one and reigned in Jerusalem for seventeen years (975–957). After him his son Abijah ascended to the throne and reigned for three years (957–955). After Abijah his son Asa reigned (955–914).

Matthew 1:8. Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat; Jehoshaphat was the father of Joram; Joram was the father of Uzziah; After Asa his son Jehoshaphat (or Jehoshaphat) reigned at age thirty-five and ruled for twenty-five years (914–889). After Jehoshaphat his son Joram, aged thirty-two, reigned for eight years (891–884). After Joram Matthew shows a gap of three kings – Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah, who reigned together from 884 to 810. If this gap was made not by chance, through a scribe’s error, but intentionally, then the reason for excluding these three kings from the genealogy should be sought in the fact that the evangelist considered them unworthy to be numbered in the line of heirs of David and ancestors of Jesus Christ 1.

Matthew 1:9. Uzziah was the father of Jotham; Jotham was the father of Ahaz; Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah; The great-grandson of Joram, Uzziah (810–758) is called in the Bible also Azariah. After Uzziah his son Jotham (or Jotham), aged twenty-five, reigned in Jerusalem for sixteen years (758–742). After Jotham his son Ahaz, aged twenty, ascended to the throne and reigned in Jerusalem for sixteen years (742–727).

Matthew 1:10. Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh; Manasseh was the father of Amon; Amon was the father of Josiah; After Ahaz his son Hezekiah ascended to the throne and reigned for twenty-nine years (727–698). After Hezekiah his son Manasseh, aged twelve, ascended to the throne and reigned for fifty years (698–643). After Manasseh his son Ammun or Amon ascended (in the Gospel of Matthew, according to some manuscripts, the Sinai, Vatican, and others, one should read Amos, but in other manuscripts no less authoritative but more numerous – Amon), aged twenty-two, and reigned for two years (643–641).

Matthew 1:11. Josiah was the father of Jechoniah; Jechoniah was the father of… and of his brothers, before the carrying away to Babylon. Josiah ascended to the throne at age eight and reigned for thirty-one years (641–610). After Josiah only his son Jehoahaz reigned for three months, an impious king whom the “people of the land” raised to power (2 Sam 23:30). But he was deposed by the king of Egypt. Since Jehoahaz was not among the ancestors of the Savior, the evangelist does not mention him. Instead of Jehoahaz his brother Eliakim, aged twenty-five, was put on the throne and reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years (610–599). The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, subdued Eliakim and changed his name to Jechoniah. After him his son Jechoniah (or Jehoiachin), aged eighteen, reigned for only three months (in 599 BC). During his reign Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, approached Jerusalem, besieged the city, and Jechoniah went out to the king of Babylon with his mother, servants, and princes. The king of Babylon took him and carried him away to Babylon, and placed Matthania, Jechoniah’s uncle, on his throne, and changed the name of Matthania to Zedekiah. Since the evangelist then traces the line from Jechoniah and already after the carrying away to Babylon, there was no need to mention Zedekiah. After his captivity to Babylon Jechoniah was put in prison and remained there for thirty-seven years. After this Evilmerodach, the new king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign released Jechoniah from the house of imprisonment, spoke kindly to him, and set his throne above the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon. Jechoniah ended the period of the kings of Judah, which lasted more than four hundred and fifty years. However simple the eleventh verse appears to be, its interpretation presents insurmountable and almost unsolvable difficulties. In the Greek text, and specifically in the best manuscripts, it is not as in the Russian: “Josiah was the father of Jechoniah (not Jechoniah)… at (during) the carrying away to Babylon,” i.e., to Babylon. Further in verse 12 the same as in the Russian. It is assumed that the words of the Russian translation: “Josiah was the father of Jechoniah; Jechoniah was the father of Jechoniah” (in italics) – is an insertion into Matthew’s original words, though very ancient, known already to Irenaeus in the second century after Christ, but still an insertion, originally made in the margin in order to reconcile Matthew’s genealogy with the Old Testament scripture, and then also to answer the pagans who reproached Christians that the name Jechoniah is omitted from the Gospel. If the mention of Jechoniah is genuine, it can easily be seen (from the Russian translation) that from Solomon to Jechoniah there were not fourteen generations or ages, but fifteen, which contradicts the evangelist’s statement in verse 17. To explain this gap and restore the correct reading of verse 11, the following should be noted. In 1 Chr 3:15-17 the sons of King Josiah are enumerated thus: “the firstborn Jehoahaz, the second Jechoniah, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum.” From this it is clear that Jechoniah had three brothers. Further: “the sons of Jechoniah: Jechoniah, his son, Zedekiah, his son.” From this it is clear that Jechoniah had only one brother. Finally: “the sons of Jechoniah: Assir, Shealtiel” and others. Here the evangelical genealogy almost coincides with the genealogy from 1 Chronicles. In 2 Sam 24:17 Matthania or Zedekiah is called Jechoniah’s uncle. Having examined these accounts carefully, we see that Josiah had a son (the second) Jechoniah, he had several brothers, about whom the evangelist does not speak, but speaks about the brothers of Jechoniah, whereas according to 1 Chr 3:16 the latter had only one brother, Zedekiah, which does not accord with the evangelist Matthew’s statement. Therefore it is supposed that there were two Jechoniahes, Jechoniah the first, who was also called Jechoniah, and Jechoniah the second. Jechoniah the first was originally called Eliakim, then the king of Babylon changed his name to Jechoniah. The reason why he was also called Jechoniah was explained in antiquity (Jerome) by the fact that the scribe could easily confuse Jehoiachin with Jechoniah, changing “h” to “k” and “n” to “m.” The name Jehoiachin can easily be read as: Jechoniah in Hebrew, because of the complete similarity of the consonants used in both names. Accepting such an interpretation, we should read the eleventh verse of Matthew’s Gospel as: “Josiah was the father of Jechoniah (otherwise Eliakim, Jechoniah) and of his brothers” and so forth; verse 12: “Jechoniah the second was the father of Shealtiel” and so forth. Against such an interpretation it is objected that such designation of generations contradicts the customs observed in genealogy. If the aforesaid interpretation were correct, the evangelist should have expressed himself thus: “Josiah was the father of Jechoniah the first, Jechoniah the first was the father of Jechoniah the second, Jechoniah the second was the father of Shealtiel” and so on. This difficulty apparently is not resolved even by the assumption that “the names of father and son are so similar that they were accidentally identified or confused when reproduced in Greek.” In view of this, other interpreters, to resolve this difficulty, assume that the original reading of verse 11 was as follows: “Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and of his brothers; Jechoniah was the father of Jechoniah at the carrying away to Babylon.” This last interpretation is better. Although it, due to the transposition of the words “and of his brothers” and does not accord with the existing, confirmed by ancient and important manuscripts, Greek text of Matthew’s Gospel, nevertheless we can suppose that the transposition was made by mistake by ancient scribes. In support of the latter interpretation one can also point to the fact that the existing Greek text, i.e., as stated above, “Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and of his brothers at (in the Russian translation – “before”) the carrying away to Babylon,” cannot be accepted without such or other changes and transpositions and is clearly erroneous, because Josiah lived not at the carrying away to Babylon or during it, but twenty years before that. As for Jer 22:30, where it says of Jechoniah: “thus says the Lord: write this man as childless, a man who shall not prosper in his days,” the words “childless” are explained by the subsequent expressions of the prophet, from which it is clear that the children of Jechoniah will not “sit on the throne of David and rule in Judah.” In this very last sense the expression should be understood: “childless.”

Matthew 1:12. And after the carrying away to Babylon, Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel; Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel; (See Luke 3:27). Among the sons of Jechoniah in 1 Chr 3:17 Shealtiel is mentioned. But according to 1 Chr 3:18-19 Jechoniah had another son, Pedaia, and it was through him that Zerubbabel was born. Thus, in Matthew’s Gospel there again appears to be an omission – that of Pedaia. Meanwhile in many other places of Holy Scripture and in Josephus Zerubbabel is called the son of Shealtiel (Ezra 3:2; Nehem 12:1; Hag 1:1; Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities.” St. Petersburg, 1900, book XI, chapter 3, 1 (reissue: Moscow, 1994, vol. 1, p. 442) and others). To explain this difficulty it is assumed that Pedaia, according to the law of levirate marriage, took the wife of the deceased Shealtiel and in this way the children of Pedaia became by law the children of Shealtiel, his brother.

Matthew 1:13. Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud; Abiud was the father of Eliakim; Eliakim was the father of Azor; Matthew 1:14. Azor was the father of Zadok; Zadok was the father of Achim; Achim was the father of Eliud; Matthew 1:15. Eliud was the father of Eleazar; Eleazar was the father of Matthan; Matthan was the father of Jacob; According to 1 Chr 3:19 and following, among the sons and grandsons of Zerubbabel there is no Abiud. Based on the similarity of Hebrew and Greek names, it is assumed that Abiud is identical with Hodaviah 1 Chr 3:24 and Judah Luke 3:26. If so, then in verse 13 of Matthew’s Gospel there is again an omission. The genealogy in the indicated place of Chronicles is given thus: Zerubbabel, Hananiah, Isaiah, Shechaniah, Neariah, Elioenai, Hodaviah. Although filling such an omission with six persons would bring Matthew’s genealogy closer to Luke’s genealogy in the number of generations, despite the complete difference in names, nevertheless the identification of Abiud with Hodaviah is very doubtful. Nevertheless, some modern interpreters accept such an explanation. About the persons after Zerubbabel and, perhaps, Abiud, mentioned in verses 13–15, nothing is known either from the Old Testament, or from the writings of Josephus, or from the Talmudic and other writings. It can only be noted that this contradicts the opinion that the evangelist compiled the genealogy of the Savior only from the Bible, or at least does not support this opinion.

Matthew 1:16. And Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. (See Luke 3:23.) According to the evangelists Matthew and Luke, the genealogies clearly belong to Joseph. But Matthew calls Joseph’s father Jacob, while Luke calls him Eli (Luke 3:23). And according to tradition, the father and mother of Mary were Joachim and Anna. The Savior, according to the clear narrative of Matthew and Luke (Luke 1:26), was not the son of Joseph. Why then was it necessary for the evangelists to compile and place in their Gospels the genealogy of Christ, which in fact did not apply to Him? Most interpreters explain this circumstance by the fact that Matthew traces the genealogy through the ancestors of Joseph, wishing to show that Jesus was not the natural, but the lawful Son of Joseph and, consequently, the heir of his rights and privileges as a descendant of David. Luke, if in his genealogy he also mentions Joseph, then in fact gives the genealogy of Mary. This opinion was first expressed by the Church writer Julius Africanus (third century), an excerpt from whose work is placed in Eusebius’ “Church History” (1, 7), repeated with alterations in Ambrose of Milan’s commentary on the Gospel of Luke, and was known to Irenaeus (Irenaeus Lugdunensis, Adversus haereses, book 3:32).

Matthew 1:17. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the carrying away to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon to the Christ, fourteen generations. The word “all” refers most closely to the generations enumerated by Matthew from Abraham to David. In the subsequent expressions of the verse, when enumerating further generations, the evangelist does not repeat this word. Therefore, the simplest explanation of the word “all” appears to be as follows. The evangelist says: “all” indicated by me in the present genealogy “generations from Abraham to David” and so forth. The number fourteen was hardly sacred among the Hebrews, although it is composed of the repeated sacred number seven. We can think that the evangelist, having counted from Abraham to David fourteen generations, as well as from Jechoniah to Christ, wished to show some roundedness and correctness in the enumeration of generations, and therefore adopted the number fourteen also for the middle (royal) period of his genealogy, omitting for this purpose some generations. This method is somewhat artificial, but fully consistent with the customs and thinking of the Jews. Something similar is found in Gen 5:3 and following; Gen 11:10 and following, where from Adam to Noah and from Noah to Abraham up to ten generations are enumerated. By “generations” are understood successions – from father to son. Thus, the genealogy of Christ according to Matthew can be presented in the following form: I. Abraham. Isaac. Jacob. Judah. Perez. Hezron. Ram. Amminadab. Nahshon. Salmon. Boaz. Obed. Jesse. David. II. Solomon. Rehoboam. Abijah. Asa. Jehoshaphat. Joram. Uzziah. Jotham. Ahaz. Hezekiah. Manasseh. Amon (Amos). Josiah. Jechoniah. III. Jechoniah. Shealtiel. Zerubbabel. Abiud. Eliakim. Azor. Zadok. Achim. Eliud. Eleazar. Matthan. Jacob. Joseph. Jesus Christ.

Matthew 1:18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened in this way: when his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. (See Luke 2:5.) At the beginning of this verse the evangelist uses the same word as at the beginning of verse 1 – “genesis.” In Russian and Slavonic this word is now translated as “birth.” The translation is again inaccurate for lack of a suitable Russian word. In the proper sense it would be better to translate thus: “the origin of Jesus Christ (from the Virgin Mary) was thus.” The betrothal ceremonies among the Jews somewhat resembled ours, which take place at the blessing of the groom and bride. Concerning the betrothal a contract was drawn up or a solemn oral promise was given in the presence of witnesses that such and such a man took such and such a woman as his bride. After the betrothal the bride was considered the betrothed wife of her groom. Their union could only be dissolved by a proper divorce. But between the betrothal and the wedding, as with us, sometimes whole months passed (see Deut 20:7). “Mary” is a Greek name, in Aramaic – Mariam, and in Hebrew – Miriam or Miriam, derived from the Hebrew word “meri” – “stubbornness, obstinacy,” or from “rum” – “to be exalted, high.” According to Saint Jerome, this name means domina (“mistress.” – Note of editor). All derivations are doubtful. “Before they came together,” i.e., before the wedding itself took place. Whether Joseph and Mary lived in one house after the betrothal is not known. According to Saint John Chrysostom, “Mary already lived in his (Joseph’s) house.” But the expression: “do not be afraid to take Mary, your wife” (verse 20), seems to show that Joseph and Mary did not live in one house. Other interpreters agree with Chrysostom. “Was found to be,” – became noticeable to outsiders. “From the Holy Spirit.” All the circumstances of which the evangelist speaks, distinguished by their miraculous character, are incomprehensible to us (see Luke 3:22; Acts 1:16; Eph 4:30).

Matthew 1:19. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. “Her husband,” – the word “husband,” by literal translation from the Greek, means literally husband, not betrothed. But it is clear that the evangelist uses this word in the sense of protector, guardian, and perhaps even betrothed. Otherwise there would be an obvious contradiction in his own narrative. In Holy Scripture the words “husband” and “wife” are sometimes used not in the sense of spouses. “Being righteous” – Hebrew “tzaddiq.” So were called people who were pious, always striving to fulfill the ordinances of the law. Why Joseph is called so here is clear. Seeing that Mary was pregnant, he thought that She had done something wrong, and since the law punished for evil deeds, Joseph resolved to punish Mary, although this punishment, because of his kindness, should have been light. The word “righteous,” however, does not mean “good” or “merciful.” In the Gospel one can clearly observe a struggle of feelings in Joseph’s soul: on the one hand, he was righteous, and on the other – he dealt mercifully with Mary. According to the law he should have exercised his power and punished Her, but out of love for Her he did not wish to expose Her, i.e., to disgrace Her, to tell others about Her and then on the basis of his telling demand the punishment of Mary. The word “righteous” is not explained by the expression “unwilling”; the latter is an additional and special participle (in Greek – a participle). Joseph was a strict observer of the law and, moreover, did not wish to expose Mary. The word “expose” is read in the Greek in different ways. 1. According to one reading “expose” (δειγματίσαι) should be explained thus: to set an example, to expose as an example. The word is rare, not used among the Greeks, and in the New Testament found only in Col 2:15. It may be equivalent to the expression: “simply to dismiss.” 2. In many other manuscripts a stronger word is used, meaning – to put to shame or to endanger, to expose and thereby to bring something evil, to deliver to death as a woman who proved unfaithful (παραδειγματίσαι). “Planned” – here in the Greek another word is used, not “unwilling” – means a decision, a desire to carry out one’s intention. The Greek word, translated as “dismiss,” means “to divorce.” A divorce could be secret and public. The first was accomplished in the presence of only two witnesses, without explanation of the reasons for the divorce. The second – solemnly and with explanation of the reasons for the divorce in court. Joseph resolved to do the first. “Quietly” can mean here both secret negotiations, without a bill of divorcement. This, of course, was unlawful (Deut 24:1), but a bill of divorcement, even if it were secret, would contradict the word used in the Gospel “quietly.”

Matthew 1:20. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit; “But just when Joseph had resolved to do this,” – the word “resolved” in the Greek implies hesitations and doubts and even suffering, – “behold, an angel of the Lord…” The word “behold,” in Russian – “look,” is used mainly in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke and gives special force to the speech that follows. The reader or listener is invited here to special attention. Then the evangelist recounts how Joseph’s doubts and hesitations were removed. An angel of the Lord appeared to the Virgin Mary in her waking life at the Annunciation, because on Her part there was required a conscious relation to the angel’s message and consent; the angel’s annunciation to Mary referred to the future and was supreme. Joseph is visited by an angel in a dream, choosing a dream as if an instrument or means, and moreover a less perfect one than a waking vision. The annunciation to Joseph did not have the same significance as the annunciation to Mary – it was simply a warning. “Angel” – means messenger, envoy, but here is meant not a simple messenger, but “the Lord’s.” As one can conclude from the Gospel of Luke, this was the Archangel Gabriel. He told Joseph in a dream (“Joseph, son of David” – in the Greek nominative cases instead of vocative), that he should not be afraid to take Mary, his wife. “Do not be afraid” – here in the sense of: do not hesitate to do something. “Take” – the interpretation of this word depends on whether Mary was in Joseph’s house or outside it. If She was, then “take” will mean the restoration of Her rights as a betrothed; if She was not, then, besides this restoration, the word will also mean the taking of Her into Joseph’s house from Her own house or that of a relative. “Your wife” – not in the sense of “as your wife.” The reason why Joseph should take Mary, – “the child conceived in her,” i.e., the not yet born or appeared Infant, but only conceived, therefore also neuter. From the time of the dream Joseph was to become the keeper and protector of both the Mother and the Infant.

Matthew 1:21. and she will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” “She will bear a son” – the verb (τέξεται) used is the same as in verse 25, indicates the act of childbirth itself (see Gen 17:19; Luke 1:13). The verb γεννάω is used only when it is necessary to denote the descent of children from a father. “And you are to name him” – (thus in the Greek; in the Slavonic and some Russian editions – “they will name”) instead of name, call, a future instead of an imperative, is used and in our language to express softened commands, sometimes completely not differing in form from the imperative (write, learn, look, look, and so on). “For he will save his people from their sins.” He, namely He, He alone, will save the people (Greek) His, i.e., a certain people, belonging precisely to Him, not to anyone else. First of all, the Jewish people is understood here – so Joseph could have understood these words; then people from every nation. However, from among the Jewish and other nations only those persons who are His followers, believe in Him, properly belong to Him. “From their sins” (Greek – his, i.e., the people’s) – not from punishment for sins, but from the sins themselves – a remark very important, pointing to the authenticity of Matthew’s Gospel. At the very beginning of the gospel announcement, when the subsequent activity of Christ had not yet become clear and defined, it is indicated that Jesus Christ will save His people from its sins, not from worldly subjection to secular power, but precisely from sins, transgressions against God’s commandments. Here we have a clear designation of the nature of the future “spiritual activity of Christ.”

Matthew 1:22. All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: It is not known whose words are given in this verse, those of the angel or of the evangelist. According to Saint John Chrysostom, “it is worthy of wonder and worthy of the angel himself that he cried out, saying.” I.e., according to Chrysostom, the Angel “directs Joseph to Isaiah, so that, having awakened, even if he forgets his words, as being completely new, being nourished by Scripture, he recalls the prophetic words, and at the same time remembers his words also.” Such an opinion is supported by some modern interpreters on the grounds that if we consider these words to belong to the evangelist, then the speech of the angel would appear unclear and incomplete.

Matthew 1:23. “Look, the virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” The words cited by the Angel (or, according to another opinion, by the evangelist himself) are found in the prophet Isaiah (Isa 7:14). They are cited with minor deviations according to the Septuagint translation, and were spoken by Isaiah to the Jewish king Ahaz at the occasion of the invasion of Judah by the Syrian and Israeli kings. The words of the prophet refer most closely to the circumstances of his time. The word used in the Hebrew text and Greek translation “virgin” means literally a virgin who has borne a son in a natural way and from a husband (see Isa 8:3, where the same virgin is called a prophetess). But then the prophet’s thought expands; he begins to contemplate future events, which will come when there is a complete change in circumstances of his time – instead of an invasion of the Israeli and Syrian kings Judah will be subdued by the king of Assyria. He “will come through Judah, overflowing it and passing on, reaching up to the neck; and the spreading of his wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Emmanuel” (Isa 8:8)! If in the first prophecy one should understand an ordinary virgin, ordinary childbirth, and an ordinary Jewish boy named Emmanuel, then in Isa 8:8 by this name, as is evident from the words of the prophet, God Himself is meant. Although the prophecy was not related to the Messiah in the Talmudic writings, it is clear that it has a higher meaning. The Messianic application of the prophecy was made first in Matthew’s Gospel. If the words of verse 23 were the words of the Angel, then the expression “which means” and so forth should be attributed to the evangelist himself. This is a common Greek expression showing that a Hebrew word or words are translated or interpreted when translating from Hebrew to Greek. According to some interpreters, the expression “which means” serves as proof that the Gospel of Matthew was not originally written in Hebrew but in Greek. On the other hand, it was said that when the Gospel was translated into Greek, then already at that time this expression was inserted by the translator or by the evangelist himself.

Matthew 1:24. When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, When Joseph awoke from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded (properly, foreordained, established, determined) him.

Matthew 1:25. and had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. (See Luke 2:7.) In this verse first of all the words “until she had borne” need explanation, literally “until,” in the Slavonic translation – “until” (ἕως οὗ), until. According to ancient and modern interpreters, this word does not have the meaning: “until, consequently afterwards” (see Gen 8:7; Ps 89:3 and others). The correct explanation of this verse is as follows: the evangelist speaks only of the time “until” the birth of the Infant, and does not speak or reason about the subsequent time. In general “what happened after the birth, you should judge for yourself” (St. John Chrysostom). The word “firstborn” is absent in the Sinai and Vatican manuscripts. But in other manuscripts, less important but more numerous, this word is added. It is found in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2:7), where there are no variations. It means and first – last, but not always. In some cases – the first son, followed by others. “He named him” – this expression refers to Joseph. He named the Infant according to the command of the Angel and by virtue of his authority as the lawful, although not natural father (see Luke 1:62-63). * * * According to popular understanding, neither in the kingdom of Judah nor in the kingdom of Israel did wickedness and strife ever reach such a development as in the days of Ahab, with whose house, through Athaliah, the kings Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah were connected.

Chapter Two

1–12. The adoration of the wise men to the Savior. – 13–15. The flight of Joseph and Mary with the Infant into Egypt. – 16–18. The slaughter of the innocents by Herod in Bethlehem. – 19–23. The return from Egypt to Nazareth.

Matthew 2:1. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem and were saying: In explaining this verse, we must first pay attention to the likelihood of a rapid succession of events in the early childhood of the Savior. We can scarcely suppose that His stay in Bethlehem after His birth was lengthy, that much time passed from His birth until His presentation in the temple, and from His flight to Egypt until His return from that country. Most probably, all these events took only a few months. The commonly accepted current opinion about the order of events of Christ’s Nativity is as follows: the departure of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem (Luke 2:4-5); the Nativity of Christ (Matt 1:18-25; Luke 2:6-7); the worship of the shepherds and the presentation (Luke 2:8-39); the worship of the wise men and the flight to Egypt (Matt 2:1-18), and then the return to Nazareth (Matt 2:19-23; Luke 2:39). The words: “when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, came to Jerusalem”… could be understood in the Greek text in two ways, if it corresponded to the Russian—that is, either Jesus was born in the days of Herod, or the wise men came in the days of Herod. But this latter understanding is prevented by the word ἰδού—“behold” (in the Russian translation omitted; in Slavonic—“see”), which divides the speech and requires relating the words “in the days of King Herod” to the word “was born.” Why the word “behold” or “see” is omitted in the Russian translation is unknown to us. For such an omission in the existing codices there is no basis. “In Bethlehem of Judea.” That Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea is confirmed by two evangelists—Matthew and Luke (Luke 2:4). Bethlehem, where the Savior was born, is called in the Gospel “of Judea,” to distinguish it from another Bethlehem which was in the tribe of Zebulun not far from the lake of Galilee (Josh 19:15), although the evangelist did not intend to provide geographical information here. Bethlehem was also called by another name in antiquity—Ephrata (Gen 35:16; Mic 5:2 and in many other places of the Old Testament). Here Rachel gave birth to Benjamin for Jacob, “and her labor was hard” (Gen 35:16); she died and was buried on the road to Ephrata, that is, to Bethlehem. Here Ruth came with Naomi (Ruth 1:19), gathered grain in the field of Boaz, married him, and bore him Obed, whose father was Jesse, the father of David (Ruth 4:17). Since David was born and lived first in Bethlehem, it is also called “the city of David” (Luke 2:4). At present, Bethlehem is the same small town it has always been, three hours’ journey from Jerusalem (about six to seven miles), on the road to Hebron, situated somewhat to the side from this road, about a mile to the east. In springtime, when the grass sprouts, trees leaf out, and wild fragrant anemones bloom, the region around Bethlehem is very picturesque. From the flat roofs of Bethlehem’s houses one can see the terrain descending steeply to the southeast, where there are many rounded, whitish-yellowish hills, and in the distance one can see the Dead Sea, lying thousands of feet below the region where Bethlehem is located. In Bethlehem there are neither rivers nor streams, and water is usually taken from cisterns, which are filled with rainwater. But on the plain somewhat farther to the south of Bethlehem flows a stream where there is much water from “Solomon’s pools.” The inhabitants are industrious, occupied chiefly with making and selling various items to travelers and with tilling the soil, which from time immemorial has been distinguished by its fertility. On the site of Christ’s birth a cave still exists now, hung with precious lamps. “In the days of King Herod”—that is, Herod, called “the Great.” He was the son of the Edomite Antipater, and his mother was an Arab. He was crowned king of the Jews in Rome and after that had to conquer his kingdom by force of arms. The Jews hated him, despite the fact that to please them he rebuilt the Jerusalem temple with great magnificence. Herod was very cruel and stopped at nothing, desiring to secure the kingdom for himself. He executed his brother-in-law (the brother of his wife Mariamne), his father-in-law, his mother-in-law, three of his sons, and many other persons, suspecting them of conspiracies against him. He died according to sufficiently accurate calculations in the year 750 from the founding of Rome, shortly after the Savior’s birth, in the 38th year of his reign and in the 70th year of his life. Detailed information about his reign is provided by Josephus Flavius in his work “Jewish Antiquities” (books 14–17). “Wise men from the East.” About the origin of the wise men who came to worship the Savior, nothing definite is known except that they came from eastern countries, in relation, of course, to Jerusalem. There are many indications that the wise men, who in both Hebrew and Greek were called “magoi,” lived in many countries and among many peoples—in Arabia, Persia, Chaldea, and Parthia. Recently, on the basis of new discoveries of Assyro-Babylonian cuneiform inscriptions, the German exegete Zahn and others have proposed a hypothesis about the origin of the magi, which appears to be the most probable. Briefly, it consists as follows. The expression “from the east” (ἀπ’ ἀνατολῶν), without the article and in the plural, communicates the idea of an indefinite distance in the eastern direction from Palestine, and by this alone eliminates the idea of Arabia—even if the kingdom of the Nabataeans, which in Gal 1:17 (see also 2 Cor 11:32) is called Arabia, which was to the east of the Judean region, and extended to Damascus. If we pay attention to the fact that the expressions of the evangelist Matthew indicate above all magoi as astrologers (the Gospel of Matthew does not say at all that these were any kind of sorcerers and magicians, of which there were many in the Roman Empire at that time), then it cannot be doubted that the wise men came from some region of the Parthian kingdom, which then ruled over almost all of Mesopotamia or directly, or through kings dependent on it, subject to the Parthians, as in Edessa and Adiabene. Thus, the wise men came either from Babylonia or from some other part of Mesopotamia, or from the adjoining regions. Babylonian magi are mentioned several times in the Bible. Thus in Jer 39:3 mention is made of a slave—magus (“chief of the magi”), as a title of a noble, who accompanied Nebuchadnezzar. In the book of the prophet Daniel the word “magus” does not occur, but various wise men, enchanters, dream-interpreters, and so on are listed—they are called Chaldeans as a special class (Dan 2:2). In other places they are called “the wise men of Babylon” (Dan 2:12), and also Chaldeans (Dan 2:4). The word “Chaldeans” was commonly used by Greeks and Romans to denote a caste of priests and learned men among the Babylonians, and their characteristic was constantly considered to be occupations with astronomy and astrology. The gifts brought by the magi abound not only in Arabia. Such is Zahn’s opinion. In support of the fact that these eastern magi were interested in Palestine, they quote such sayings of “the magi and astrologers of Nineveh and Babylon”: “when a star is on her (constellation of the Virgin) left horn, there will be a darkening of the ring of Agarru” (Phoenicia and Palestine); “when the Lion is dark, the trade of Agarru will meet with difficulties”; “when Venus appears in the Virgin, the harvest of Agarru will be good”; “when Jupiter enters the middle of the moon, there will arise need in Agarru”; “when Saturn, the star of Agarru, becomes dim, it is bad for Agarru; there will be a hostile attack on Agarru.” One should recall in this connection that Balaam, the prophet, lived in Mesopotamia and prophesied about the star of Jacob. The calling of the wise men “kings” should be considered later inventions, as well as their names Balthazar, Casper or Jasper, and Melchior, first indicated (by Bede) only in the 7th century, as well as the determination of their number (three—corresponding to the three gifts brought by them or to the number of the persons of the Holy Trinity) and dignity, as representatives of the three main peoples descended from Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Only one thing can be considered authentic: the wise men were not Jews. This is evident from their question: “where is the newborn King of the Jews” (not “our” king)? (verse 2), and also from their obvious unfamiliarity with Herod, whom it was not safe to ask such questions to in that era, as the magi did; their ignorance of where Bethlehem is located, and so on.Matthew 2:2. where is the newborn King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the East and have come to worship him. Regarding the star of the wise men, there are several opinions and suppositions. 1. It is thought that the star that appeared to the wise men was not an ordinary one, but miraculous. So thinks Saint John Chrysostom, an opinion shared by many exegetes, including modern ones. Thus, the English commentator on Matthew’s Gospel, Morison, arguing against the opinion of Kepler (see below), says that this opinion is untenable both from a scientific and an exegetical point of view. “From verse 2 we conclude that the star which the magi saw was not a star that appeared in the sky in the modern and scientific sense of the term ‘star.’ It was neither a fixed star, standing at an enormous distance from the earth, nor a planet revolving around our solar center. The magi never thought of stars as distant worlds. For them a star was only a shining point in the sky. And such a shining point appeared to them from the west of them when they were observing the heavenly vault. It appeared to them, indicating Judea, and calling them there. Why then could it not be a miraculous star? Jesus Christ was the center of an enormous circle of supernatural beings, and this circle crossed in many points the multitude of other circles, both in the external and human nature. Hence—preparations for His manifestation not only among Jews but also among the surrounding pagans… Hence too the concentration of miracles at His birth, life, and death and around them. Hence too (why not?) and the star of the wise men.” Against this opinion one can object that neither from the Gospel nor from any other sources (which, besides, do not exist) is it evident at all that the star of the wise men guided them on the way to Jerusalem. If the journey of the wise men had been accomplished under the guidance of the star, one asks, why did it lead them to Jerusalem and not straight to Bethlehem? Does not the wise men’s question itself about the place of the birth of the King of the Jews contradict such suppositions? Further, it is clear that the wise men set out for Bethlehem not because the path there was indicated to them by the star, but because they learned about the place of Christ’s birth, though not necessarily from their own observation, but through the mediation of others, from the “high priests and scribes” (verse 4). When the star appeared to the wise men again on the way to Bethlehem, it was only a confirmation of the information they had previously obtained, which would be completely unnecessary (and there would be no reason to mention it) under exclusively miraculous guidance. Finally, Morison’s opinion that the star appeared to the wise men “from the west” of them and in the direction of Jerusalem is completely arbitrary and contradicts the clear assertion of the wise men themselves that the star appeared to them “in the East.” If we remove from such phenomena all that is natural, then this means not only distorting the Gospel text, but also diminishing the miraculous significance of the Gospel events themselves. What benefit is there for any miracle if we explain it by another miracle? Does clarity and comprehensibility of any miracle come from such explanations? A miracle is not an action or event accomplished with the help of other miracles, but a miracle in itself. In the present case the miracle is the manifestation of God in the flesh. Nature could testify to this miracle naturally, in no way diminishing the chief miracle, just as the sun does not diminish or increase its brilliance if during the day we light or extinguish a lamp in our room. It is true that the coming of the Redeemer into the world was accompanied by miracles, but alongside them there were such phenomena and events which we can and must attribute to the realm of natural and even abnormally natural (monstrous, like, for example, the killing of infants) events. 2. The second opinion belongs to the famous astronomer Kepler (1571–1630), who observed in 1603–1604 a conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn, to which in the following year the planet Mars also joined, so that from the three planets one planet was formed, which shone for some time. This conjunction was, of course, only visible, optical—in reality the planets were as far from each other as at any other time; only to the eye it seemed that they had merged or joined. By means of mathematical calculations, Kepler found that such a planetary conjunction occurs once in 800 years. If we subtract from 1604 the figure 800 and then subtract another 800 years, it turns out that the time of the planetary conjunction falls exactly on the time of the Nativity of Christ. On the basis of these considerations, Kepler determined the year of Christ’s birth as 748 from the founding of Rome. But subsequent scholars found this date inaccurate and not fully corresponding to the Gospel accounts (Christ was born shortly before Herod’s death in 750 from the founding of Rome) and determined the year of Christ’s birth as 749 from the founding of Rome. The determination of the time of Christ’s birth as December 25, 749 from the founding of Rome agrees well with some other data by which the year of birth can be determined, and also explains the circumstance why Herod ordered the killing of infants in Bethlehem from two years old and younger—because the new star appeared, according to Kepler’s calculations and those of others, two years before the birth of Christ, in the year 747 from the founding of Rome. However, it is objected against such interpretation that in verse 9 it is clearly spoken of that same star that in verse 2, which in Greek is called ἀστήρ. If the “star” of verse 9 was formed from the conjunction of three planets, how did it happen that it “went” before the wise men and stopped above the house where the Infant was? Further, another circumstance is pointed out. If the star of the wise men were a conjunction of three planets, it would have been called ἄστρον—“constellation,” and not ἀστήρ—“star,” and this consideration is given decisive significance in the present case. But such objections are hardly strong. In Russian we distinguish “constellation” from “star” in that by “constellation” we understand a group of stars not connected either optically or in nature (for example, the constellations of the Big or Little Bear). One can think that the Greeks understood by ἄστρον precisely such constellations. But if several stars, say, from the Big Bear, joined into one, then both Greeks and we would call such a joining a star (ἀστήρ), which would be an imprecise scientific term but quite understandable in everyday language. To this we add that Zahn refers to any good Greek dictionary, from which one can learn that the distinction between ἄστρον and ἀστήρ among the best Greek writers is not upheld. In the New Testament Luke 21:25 ἄστροις corresponds to Matt 24:29—ἀστέρες. Thus, the objection based on the distinction between constellation and star falls away. But how can the circumstance that this star went before the wise men and stopped above the house where the Infant was be explained? It was said above that the wise men were directed to Bethlehem not by the star but by people. When they left Jerusalem, that same star, which they had seen before, acquired for them a new and more definite meaning, and it seemed to them that it went before them. In other words, it was simply an optical phenomenon. Such an interpretation, it is true, is accepted only by a few scholars (including among other things the well-known apologist Ebrard and Zahn), but in it there is nothing unnatural or arbitrary. We constantly feel that, when we move or travel, the moon, for example, appears to move before us and we cannot overtake it. Why was it not the same with the wise men? “The star moved while they moved; when they stopped, the star also stopped” (Zahn). Kepler’s opinion is currently accepted by many serious interpreters, and it can be said that this is the best and most well-founded opinion. If one accepts it, then there is no need to resort to further suppositions, for example, that the star which the wise men saw on the way to Bethlehem was not the one they had seen before, but a different one. The expression “in the East” is also disputed and requires explanation. Some think that this expression means “at the rising,” others argue against this on the grounds that then the Greek would read: “at its rising” (ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ αὐτοῦ). This objection is not convincing. By saying “at the rising,” the wise men indicate not only that they saw how this star rose or rises, but also indirectly the time itself of its appearance. They saw the star at the very beginning, when it had just risen or had risen. A far more difficult question is how the wise men came to know from the star that the King had been born, and moreover, the King of the Jews. Here we can only reason about probabilities, and we must in some measure detach ourselves from contemporary conceptions of the starry sky and enter, as much as possible, into the psychology of the wise men. Even to a modern person accustomed, due to the successes of astronomy, to look at the starry sky differently than the ancients did, the celestial vault may appear covered with writings which no one has yet been able to read and explain. There is here some special language, the language of stars. There are here some special written signs which are much more intricate than any Egyptian hieroglyphs. These writings visible to us on the vault of heaven are not fused together. Except only for the Milky Way, where stars only seem to be fused and present to our vision almost a continuous haze, not a single star closer to us obscures another, does not merge with it. This could not be if chaos reigned in the stellar world. Thus, to us as well, the stars can speak of the order in which they move by the command and decree of the Almighty. But the ancients could read what is written in the stars differently than we. To their vision the vault of heaven was not a multitude of many worlds separated from each other at a vast distance, but a series of brilliant points whose movements were somehow related to our earthly life. There were people who devoted themselves to the study of these brilliant points and from them tried to predict the fate of individual people, peoples, and kingdoms. Heavenly knowledge thus was not scientific but rather served practical and earthly purposes. However, matters were not without science. The counting of stars, their distribution into constellations, the comparison of one star with another, the study of their movements—all this we owe to the ancients and primarily to Arab astrologers. The star that appeared to the wise men was noticed in the sky only by them and perhaps a few other people interested in celestial phenomena. While the wise men were troubled by the extraordinary heavenly phenomenon they had observed, thousands and millions of other people at that time noticed nothing unusual in the sky, because the star was not, in any case, so great as to attract the eyes of those who did not know astrology. Even at a time when astrology had transformed into astronomy and became a science, the star was seen by hardly anyone but Kepler himself, who described it, while many others perhaps regarded the phenomenon with indifference. An extraordinary star, by the understanding of the wise men, was to portend an extraordinary event. If it appeared two years before the birth of Christ, then the wise men could talk about it among themselves, and perhaps, coming into contact at this time with Jews scattered throughout the world, they learned from them that in Jerusalem they were expecting a great King, and they set out there to worship Him. The word “worship” in Greek almost always has the same meaning—to fall to the ground and bow down to someone. Here there is an indication of purely Eastern, and moreover only pagan, customs. The Jews, remembering the second commandment, did not bow down to earthly rulers but only to God. The Jewish writer Philo (De Sos. 28) justifies what is related in Gen 42:6 by ancient custom. Worship of men provoked protests (Acts 10:26; Rev 19:10). Among pagans it was different. According to Herodotus, “instead of greeting others they kiss them on the lips, and if another is a little inferior, they kiss him on the cheeks; and if someone is much lower than the other, he bows down before him, falling prone (προσκυνέει).” The word “worship” denoted thus the respect of a lower person for a higher one, and this same word means worship of gods or God. But in speaking of their intention to worship Christ, the wise men hardly conceived of Him as God; it is only certain that they conceived of Him as a King, and moreover, an extraordinary King, whose birth was announced by a star.

Matthew 2:3. But when Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Herod probably heard of the arrival of the wise men from others. “Herod the king was troubled.” The word “be troubled” (Greek) is used of stormy seas and means—to heave. In a figurative sense it means any kind of spiritual agitation and disquiet. If we consider how much labor Herod expended to acquire the throne for himself, recall how he went to Rome for this purpose, his murders, the executions of suspected persons, and then the troubled state of Judea and Jerusalem, where there were sufficient reasons, no matter how insignificant, for serious disturbances, then Herod’s anxiety becomes understandable. It entered, so to speak, into his habit, and apparently never left him even before his death. In him there was a kind of insane, morbid striving to secure the throne for himself and for his descendants, and—what is most striking—such striving apparently arose not so much from love for his descendants as from ambition or other motives. Along with Herod, all Jerusalem was troubled. The commentators are agreed that the cause of Jerusalem’s trouble was Herod’s trouble. And this is entirely natural. But as applied to Jerusalem the word also indicates somewhat different phenomena. Jerusalem was troubled because of fears as to what Herod might do. The word “all” can be taken as a hyperbolic general expression used to denote the prevailing, dominant sentiment or public opinion. Such expressions are often used. Thus: the entire city was horrified, although, of course, there were people in it who were free from horror. The word Jerusalem in Matthew’s Gospel (Greek text) usually occurs in the neuter gender of the plural number, in the singular number of the feminine gender only here and perhaps in Matt 3:5. Once (Matt 23:37) in Matthew there occurs a special form (Ἱερουσαλήμ instead of Ἱεροσόλυμα).

Matthew 2:4. And when he had gathered together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born. Matthew 2:5. They said to him: In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: The chief priests and scribes had no opportunity to communicate to Herod any precise and definite information and only referred to an ancient prophecy, perhaps hoping that Herod, who tried to appear to be a Jew, would believe their words and find their answer satisfactory.

Matthew 2:6. “You, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not least among the princes of Judah; for from you shall come a Governor, who will shepherd my people, Israel.” The prophecy of Micah (according to the Hebrew text Mic 5:1, according to the Russian Bible Mic 5:2) according to a literal translation from Hebrew reads thus: “and you, Bethlehem Ephrata, small you are to be among the tribes of Judah, from you shall go forth for Me a leader for Israel, and his origins from ancient time, from the days of eternity.” According to the translation of the Seventy, verse Mic 5:2 reads thus: “and you, Bethlehem, house of Ephrata, the smallest to be in the thousands of Judah; from you shall go forth for Me a chief (archon, or according to another reading, a leader ἡγούμενος) of Israel, and his departures from the beginning, from the days of eternity.” The differences between the Hebrew and Greek text of the Seventy depend on the fact that the Hebrew word “eleph,” used here, has different meanings, meaning both origin, tribe, family, and thousand. From what has been said, it is clear that the words of the evangelist Matthew do not agree either with the Hebrew text or with the translation of the Seventy. Whether this change was made by the evangelist himself or he only literally conveyed the words of the chief priests and scribes—this is not of great importance. The deviation is explained thus: the words of the prophet Micah are quoted not from the Hebrew original and not from the translation of the Seventy because at that time interpretive translations and commentaries of the sacred books were widespread, which were not permitted to be written down. They were a kind of interpretive translation: “In those days each person made a targum (interpretation) for himself.” This is a common phenomenon in the New Testament. In the interpretation of Mic 5:1 (according to the Hebrew text) it meant “Bethlehem land of Judah” instead of “Ephrata”; and “princes” instead of “thousands.” However one translates the words Mic 5:1 (according to the Hebrew text), they contained a prophecy of Christ, or the Messiah, and of the fact that He would be born in Bethlehem. The translation through ἡγεμόσιν clearly shows that the evangelist read in Micah not “beeleph” (tribe, family), but “belufe” (chiefs and chief dwelling places of the tribes, governors). Bethlehem in this expression is personified—“land of Judah,” properly the land of Judah. There is no need to understand by the land only the city of Bethlehem; one should understand the land itself on which it stands, or, even better, the district, the environs of Bethlehem.

Matthew 2:7. Then Herod secretly called the wise men and ascertained from them the exact time of the star’s appearance. Herod had no hope that the wise men would communicate to him any accurate information about the King, but he could learn precisely from the wise men the time of the star’s appearance. Accurate information about the star could help him get his bearings in this dark matter for him, to consider how to act further, because the time of the star’s appearance, in his opinion (and in that of the wise men), coincided with the time of the new King’s birth. The words “the time of the star’s appearance” can be otherwise conveyed (from the Greek) thus: “the time of the appearing star”; the translation “the time when the star appeared” is considered inaccurate. Some interpreters think that Herod already at that time began to suspect that the wise men would not return to him, and for that reason was ascertaining from them about the star, in order to decide the matter even without them.

Matthew 2:8. and, having sent them to Bethlehem, said: “Go and search carefully for the Child, and when you have found him, bring word to me, so that I also may come and worship him.” Matthew 2:9. And they, having heard the king, went their way. And behold, the star which they saw in the East went before them, until it came and stood over the place where the young child was. Matthew 2:10. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy, The star that appeared to the wise men was the same one they had seen at home and perhaps during their journey to Jerusalem. This is confirmed by the Gospel account, which cannot be misinterpreted, about the star, “which the wise men saw in the East.” But it now acquired a new meaning for them. Before they knew it only as a star announcing the birth of some great King. Now they were sure that this King had already been born and precisely in Bethlehem. Additional knowledge about the King was gained. If we pay attention to the difference that exists in people’s views of the same things, depending on the enlightenment and development of their spirit, it is easy to understand the psychological state of the wise men. It now seemed to them that the star was going before them, rejoiced with them, indicated to them the place (that is, Bethlehem) where the Infant was born. The wise men resembled sea travelers sailing by the stars that indicate the path. Amid the waves and storms—what joy to see a star indicating a quiet harbor!

Matthew 2:11. And entering the house, they saw the infant with Mary, His mother, and falling down, they worshipped Him; and opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The evangelist does not report how the wise men found the house where the Infant was. This, it appears, would be difficult to explain if one were to assume that the star, which went before them, was a natural star. But the difficulty is removed if we recall that people in Bethlehem had already begun to speak about the Infant. Doubtless, the worship of the Bethlehem shepherds took place before the worship of the wise men; the shepherds told what had been announced to them by the angels about the Infant, “and all who heard it marveled at what the shepherds told them” (Luke 2:18). It is very probable that these who heard were at first few in number, but this does not eliminate the appearance of even hearsay about the Infant, at least in Bethlehem. Confirmation of this we find in the circumstance that Mother and the Infant were now lodged “in a house,” and not in the previous inn or cave (as in Justin Martyr E.J. Goodspeed. Die ältesten Apologeten, Göttingen, 1915, p. 78, 5). The Russian and Slavonic translations “having opened their treasures” are not accurate. According to all probability, in Russian the word “treasures” was used in correspondence with the Slavonic translation and also because the Greek word θησαυρός in some cases really does mean treasure (Matt 6:19-21; Luke 12:33; Heb 11:26, etc.). But in some cases it means “a place where precious things are stored,” and here is meant precisely this latter. Because it would be incomprehensible how the wise men could open (the precise meaning of the Greek word ἀνοίγνυμι see Matt 17:27) their treasures, that is, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Thus, instead of the word “treasures,” one should adopt “treasure chests,” and the meaning will be clear. The wise men brought Christ “gold, frankincense, and myrrh” according to Eastern custom, which was observed when presenting to kings, embassies to them, and so on. In sending his sons to Egypt, Jacob ordered them to take a gift “for that man” (Joseph)—“some balm and some honey, stacte and myrrh, pistachios and almonds” (Gen 43:11). In sending his son David to Saul, Jesse took “a donkey with bread and a skin of wine and one young goat, and sent them by David his son to Saul” (1 Sam 16:20). These examples are characteristic. From them it is seen that gifts were presented according to the resources of those who brought them. In this case, the wise men brought to Christ the productions of their land. With their offering, they themselves hardly connected any symbolic meaning. But this meaning became clear to subsequent interpreters, who in the gold brought to Christ saw an indication of His royal dignity, in frankincense—the honoring of Him as God, and in myrrh—an indication of His death as a man.

Matthew 2:12. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. The wise men withdrew to the east “another way,” that is, they did not go north along the road that led to Jerusalem, but went east or south—in the latter case so as to turn again to the east.

Matthew 2:13. When they had left, behold, an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream and says: Rise, take the infant and His mother and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you; for Herod is seeking the infant to destroy Him. Matthew 2:14. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt; The angel of the Lord appears in a dream (the same word as in verse 12—κατ’ ὄναρ) to Joseph alone, not to the Mother of God, which was entirely natural, since Joseph in all cases appears here as the guardian of the Infant and His Mother. “Flee into Egypt.” Undoubtedly, of all the places where Mother and Her Infant could be hidden, Egypt was more convenient. From ancient times it was a place where Hebrew refugees found safety. At about the time of Christ’s birth, many Jews were living there. Egypt at that time was under Roman authority. The place where Joseph settled with Mary and the Infant is not indicated in the Gospel, and no details of their stay in Egypt are provided. Tradition indicates Matareia near Leontopolis in the Heliopolis district, and therefore in Lower Egypt at the very edge of the Nile delta. It is known that 150 years before the birth of Christ, in Leontopolis there was built a temple by a Hebrew refugee, the priest Onias. Leontopolis was beyond the Nile. Matareia is sometimes identified with On or Heliopolis. But where this city was located is not known with certainty. In the words: “wishes to seek the young child in order to destroy Him,” it is evident that there is an indication of Herod’s intention that manifested itself already after the departure of the wise men. Before he wished secretly to destroy the Infant; now he openly seeks Him in order to destroy Him.

Matthew 2:15. and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. Herod’s death occurred around April 12, 750 from the founding of Rome. If this is so, then one should assume that the Infant lived in Egypt for a short time, only a few months from the end of December 749 to the end of April 750 from the founding of Rome. The opinion that Joseph remained in Egypt for one or two years should be considered untenable. “Out of Egypt have I called my Son” (see Hos 11:1). As Israel was delivered by God from Egypt, so Christ was called out from there—but under new circumstances, different from the previous ones. The parallel between the stay of Israel and Christ in Egypt could have struck the mind of the evangelist, and he points to it, in order to place Christ in connection not only with the descent of Israel from Abraham, but also with the history of Israel itself. “The young Jesus was called out of Egypt, like the young Israeli people, to show us that He is the true seed of Abraham.”

Matthew 2:16. Then Herod, seeing himself mocked by the wise men, was very angry, and sent to kill all the male children in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men. Herod’s crime is indicated, manifested in the slaying of the Bethlehem children. Against the authenticity of this passage, as well as the historical significance of the facts presented here, it is objected that Josephus knew nothing of the slaying of the children. Regarding this, it can be said that the slaying of the children is also passed over in silence by the evangelists, except for Matthew. Why this is the case, to this question it is impossible at the present time to give a fully satisfactory answer. However, the fact reported by Matthew does not lose its historical significance because of this, since it is fully consistent with the information we have about Herod’s character, which was distinguished by its cruelty and bloodthirstiness. At the present time, scholars agree that the number of children killed was not great, since Bethlehem was never a large city. References in the liturgical books to 14,000 and even to 144,000 children should be considered later, without any basis, and greatly exaggerated, likely arising from a desire to intensify Herod’s guilt. But his crime is neither diminished nor increased as a result of whether he killed 20 or 14,000 children, remaining equally shameful and inhumane in either case.

Matthew 2:17. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, who says: Matthew 2:18. A voice was heard in Rama, weeping and great mourning; Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted, because they are not. The words of the prophet Jeremiah are cited (Jer 31:15), which relate to the dreadful deed of Herod reported by the evangelist. A question arises as to why Rachel, weeping over the children killed by Herod, is specifically portrayed. In this case, the evangelist, as it were, personifies the contemporary weeping and wailing of the mothers and probably other persons at the slaying in one person—Rachel, the beloved wife of Jacob and ancestress of the tribes of Joseph and Benjamin. Although Bethlehem was located in the tribe of Judah, nevertheless the name of Rachel was closely connected with Bethlehem. The Bible tells that Jacob, after being reconciled with Esau, first settled in Shechem, then moved to Bethel, and from there reached Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem, where Rachel bore him Benjamin, died here, and was buried on the road to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem (Gen 35:19). Jacob set up a memorial stone over her grave, and it is shown there to the present time. Thus, it was quite natural for the evangelist to speak of Rachel in connection with the events in Bethlehem. However, the prophet Jeremiah does not mention Bethlehem, but speaks of Rama. There were up to five cities named Rama (in the singular, or plural—Ramoth) in Palestine. It is not known with certainty whether the Rama of Benjamin (or in the tribe of Benjamin—Josh 18:25; in Judg 4:5 it is said of Rama that it was on the hill of Ephraim; Judg 19:13; Isa 10:29; Hos 5:8—in these places Rama is placed together with Geba, or Gibeah) and Rama, where Samuel was born and lived (1 Sam 1:19 and others), were identical. The basis for the connection of Rachel with Rama is found not in Matthew, but in Jeremiah. The evangelist only applied to the Bethlehem events a prophecy borrowed from Jeremiah, or rather, a figurative account of the events before the carrying away of the Jews into Babylonian captivity. According to the prophet, Nebuzaradan, the captain of Nebuchadnezzar’s guard, released him, the prophet, from Rama, where he had taken him bound in chains among other captive Jerusalemites and Judeans who were being taken into Babylon (Jer 40:1). If the prophet meant here the Rama of Benjamin, then it was natural for him to say that Rachel weeps for her children and would not be comforted concerning them, because they are not (Jer 31:15; according to the Hebrew text—Jer 31:14). The prophet wishes to say not that Rachel actually weeps because she was no longer living, but that if she had risen from the grave and come to Rama, she would have begun to weep for her descendants and would have been inconsolable, because they are not, they have been taken into Babylonian captivity. In exactly the same sense does the evangelist apply Rachel’s weeping to the male children killed in Bethlehem.

Matthew 2:19. And after Herod’s death, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream in Egypt, Matthew 2:20. saying, “Rise, take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the life of the Child are dead.” Herod died, but it is spoken in the plural sense, in a general sense, both of Herod and of his accomplices and subordinates who carried out his wishes and intentions.

Matthew 2:21. And he rose, took the Child and His mother, and came to the land of Israel. Matthew 2:22. But hearing that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there; but receiving a warning in a dream, he departed into the region of Galilee, It is thought that Joseph, hearing of Herod’s death, initially intended to go to Bethlehem and settle there. But this was prevented by the accession of Archelaus to the throne. Herod in his final will divided his kingdom among his sons Archelaus, Herod Antipas, and Herod Philip. The first received in possession Judea, Samaria, and Idumea; the second—Galilee and Perea; and the last—the lands beyond the Jordan. Archelaus was distinguished by the same cruelty as his father, but did not possess his intelligence. Living in his territories would have been dangerous. Herod Antipas was characterized more by licentiousness than cruelty. The tyranny of Archelaus became so intolerable in a short time that he was deposed by Augustus and exiled to Gaul, the present-day France, where he died. Galilee means the land between the western shore of the Sea of Galilee and the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. This was the dwelling place of the tribes of Issachar, Zebulun, Asher, and Naphtali. The population in it was mixed, consisting of Jews and Gentiles. The Jews living there spoke their own language, somewhat different from the Hebrew of that time. Josephus speaks of the division of Galilee into upper and lower (“The Jewish War,” III, 3, 1). He describes this region as fertile, cultivated, and very populous. According to his account, there were 204 cities and towns in it (“Life,” 45). The population in it was distinguished by boldness and was warlike.

Matthew 2:23. and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.” “Nazareth” is a small town three days’ journey from Jerusalem. If one draws a straight line on the map from the lower edge of the Sea of Galilee westward to the Mediterranean Sea, Nazareth is found almost in the middle of this line. Nazareth is located on the slope of a hill. White houses with flat roofs are built on the hill in the form of terraces. Mountains surround the city on all sides. The inhabitants are engaged in the cultivation of land, cattle-raising, shaving and hair-cutting, the sale of fruits and vegetables, shoe repair, blacksmithing, carpentry, and other trades. Their houses are built in the same way as they were built in ancient times: the walls are bare and furnished with benches on one side, the floors are earthen, a complete indifference is shown toward windows, with light usually entering through the open door. “So that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets.” If the evangelist had said that because of settling in Nazareth Jesus would be called a Nazarene, then the explanation of this expression would present almost no difficulties: then Nazarene (ναζωραῖος) would mean simply “a native of Nazareth,” “an inhabitant of the city of Nazareth.” Since Nazareth was an insignificant town and was located in Galilee, which was equally insignificant and despised, settling in Nazareth would have been one aspect of the earthly humiliation of Christ. The evangelist, in calling Christ a Nazarene, apparently looks at the matter in this way. Explanations in the sense of “Nazirite,” Nazarene, according to which the evangelist calls Christ a Nazarene in the Old Testament sense, as one who took upon himself the vows of Naziriteship, should be considered untenable, because the Hebrew “Nazir” (Nazarene) has no relation to the word Nazareth, and the root letters of both these words in the Hebrew language are different. The difficulty in explaining the passage in question lies in the addition made by the evangelist: “so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets,”—in that Matthew attributes the words “He shall be called a Nazarene” to the prophets. Which ones? This question has not yet been successfully answered, because the words attributed by the evangelist to the prophets do not appear in any of them. Jerome the Blessed says: If the evangelist had pointed out a definite example from Scripture, he would never have said ‘which was spoken by the prophets,’ but simply: ‘which was spoken by the prophet.’ A Hebrew word similar to the name Nazareth (‘natsar’) appears as ‘nezer’ (branch) in the prophets Isaiah (Isa 11:1) and Daniel (Dan 11:7)—in the latter in the sense of ‘offspring’ (in the Russian translation—‘branch’) and does not have a messianic significance. In Isa 14:19 it does not have a messianic significance, and in Isa 60:21 the messianic significance is doubtful. Thus, messianic in the proper sense is only one of the mentioned places where the word ‘nezer’ is used—Isa 11:1. Meanwhile, the evangelist speaks not of one prophet, but of prophets. Exegetes have therefore attempted to connect the word ‘nezer’ with another Hebrew word ‘tsemah,’ which also means ‘branch’ and is used by Isaiah and other prophets (Isa 4:2; Jer 23:5; Zech 3:8). Thus, if in some prophets the future Deliverer was called ‘tsemah,’ which means ‘branch,’ and in Isaiah—‘nezer,’ also meaning ‘branch,’ then the evangelist, connecting the word ‘nezer’ with the name Nazareth, had every right to call Christ a Nazarene, that is, a Branch, and to point out that He was named so on the basis not of one Old Testament prophecy, but of several, that is, to write: “which was spoken by the prophets.” * * * Morison. A Practical Commentary on the Gospel according to Matthew. London, 1899. P. 14. According to Zahn, however, the exegete cannot answer the question about the year and day of Christ’s birth.—Zahn. Das Evangelium des Matthäus. Leipzig, 1905. S. 98, note.

Chapter Three

1–4. The appearance of John the Baptist to preach, his outward appearance and way of life in the wilderness. – 5–12. Baptism by John and rebukes of the Pharisees and Sadducees. – 13–17. The baptism of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 3:1. In those days John the Baptist comes preaching in the wilderness of Judea, (Compare Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3.) “In those days.” If we had only the Gospel of Matthew, then reading it, we might think that the expression “in those days” refers to the words of the evangelist about Joseph’s settling in Nazareth. And since this was during the childhood of the Savior, we would then relate the appearance of John to the people to the time of His childhood. True, this first impression, which one gets from reading the Gospel, would soon be corrected, because in connection with the people’s baptism by John it is said that Jesus Christ Himself was baptized (verse 13 and following), and about His subsequent temptation (Matt 4). In both these events Christ is presented as already a grown man. Why, then, in transitioning to the account of the events of John’s baptism, does the evangelist not begin this section differently? Why does he not say, for example, instead of “in those days,” “in those years”? Why does he not say directly: when Jesus reached or was reaching thirty years of age? To remove this difficulty, they compare the expression “in those days” with the Hebrew “beyamim hagahem,” which has the same meaning and is also used to denote an indefinite time. For example, Exod 2:11 (according to a literal translation): “and it was in those days, and Moses was great,” etc. (in the Russian translation—“after a long time,” etc.; see also Exod 2:23; Isa 38:1). In the evangelists Mark (Mark 1:9) and Luke (Luke 2:1), the expression is literally the same, with the only difference that, referring to recent events, it is placed with the article (ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις—Mark; ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις—Luke; cf. Blass, Gram., p. 145, 147). From this, in any case, one can conclude that if Matthew had wished to indicate here the time of the Savior’s childhood, he would have used the article before the word “days.” Therefore, Matthew’s expression is considered indefinite, general, used not so much for the precise designation of the time of the events as for the transition to the account of new events. Matthew often uses the word “then”—not to denote time, but simply for connection with the preceding narrative (Matt 3:13 and others). Most closely this corresponds to our Slavonic expressions “in those days” or “at that time.” In the word “those” (ἐκεῖνος, from ἐκεῖ—“there,” means literally “of that place,” or, in application to time—“of that time”) one can see a simple contrast of the time then—the time of the writer. On the basis of the supplements of Luke’s Gospel (Luke 3:1), one can determine the time of John’s appearance at the Jordan. This was, according to Luke, “in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar.” Tiberius (counting the time of his joint rule with Augustus) ascended the throne, according to our reckoning, at the end of the 11th or beginning of the 12th year according to the calendar (year 765 from the founding of Rome). Augustus died in the 14th year (year 767 from the founding of Rome); the fifteenth year of Tiberius, from his joint rule with Augustus, falls, according to our reckoning, on the year 30 according to the calendar (year 780 from the founding of Rome). Since now almost all exegetes accept that Christ was born at the end of the year 749 from the founding of Rome, or 2–3 years before the beginning of our Christian era (Metropolitan Philaret. Biblical History. 1866. P. 393: “The true time of the Nativity of Christ should precede the era of Dionysius by one or more years, in which all Christian antiquity agrees”), then, it means, in the first year of our era Christ was about three years old, and in the 26th (30th of our era) about thirty, which is completely consistent with Luke’s testimony (Luke 3:23). If, further, one accepts that the ancient designation of Christ’s birth time as December 25 (year 749) is accurate, and that John was six months older than Christ (Luke 1:26), then one can approximately determine the time when the events reported in this chapter of Matthew’s Gospel occurred. Counting back from December 25 six months, we arrive at June 24—the time of the Baptist’s birth. When he began to preach, he was therefore already thirty years old, and his appearance to preach and the baptism of the people in the Jordan can be attributed to the interval from June 24 to December 25 of the year 779 from the founding of Rome, or the year 29 according to the calendar (according to our reckoning). This reasoning is supported by the fact that John was of the priestly line, and priests were required to begin their service not before thirty years of age (Num 4:3), although this term was later, apparently, shortened (1 Chr 23:24; 2 Chr 31:17). “John,” Hebrew Johanan, or Jehohanann,—God is merciful, as Jeroboam, Jehu, Joram, Jezebel, and others, where Yeh or Yo—a prefix meaning—God. “Baptist”—literally one who immerses. Matthew previously said nothing about the former life of the Baptist, nor about his father and mother, nor about his upbringing. John appears directly from the wilderness and preaches to the people. It can be supposed that he was already known to those readers for whom Matthew’s Gospel was written. Speaking of the Baptist, Josephus calls him John, called the Baptist (“Jewish Antiquities,” XVIII, 5, 2). “Preaches”—in Greek a participle “preaching.” The Greek word used here has a constant and definite meaning both in classical writers and in the Bible and New Testament—a solemn proclamation of something. Heralds (κήρυκες) performed the duties of heralds sent by the king or other important persons to announce royal decrees, assemblies, the beginning of war, and victories. The word is used in this sense in the Bible, for example: Cyrus “commanded to make proclamation” (κηρύξαι) “throughout his kingdom” (2 Chr 36:22). As a solemn proclamation, the word κηρύσσειν differs from the expressions “to bear good news” (ἀγγέλλειν, ἐπαγγέλλειν), “to teach” (διδάσκειν), and “to preach” (λέγειν, ὁμιλεῖν). By the word κηρύσσων is meant generally a solemn and brief announcement. This understanding of the word is fully consistent with the subsequent accounts of the evangelist concerning John’s preaching. “In the wilderness of Judea.” By the word “wilderness” here is not meant a completely barren desert lacking all vegetation and population, but such a place where there is little culture, population, and vegetation, but convenient for pasturing. The Wilderness of Judea is the largest by area in Palestine, bounded on the north by the Jericho wilderness, located almost in the middle of a line running from the northern edge of the Dead Sea to Jerusalem, on the east by the Dead Sea, on the west by the mountains of Judea, and on the south by the wildernesses of Sin and Edom, and consists of several smaller wildernesses: En-gedi, or En-gaddi, Maon, Ziph, and Tekoa. Although the Wilderness of Judea did have population, it was always harsh and dreadful. John preached in the wilderness by the Jordan. This should be understood not as the Tekoa wilderness, but as the Jericho wilderness, which is called the Wilderness of Judea only in a general sense (see Judg 1:16; Josh 15:62).

Matthew 3:2. and says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.” By the kingdom of heaven, John understands the dominion of God as King, in contrast to earthly dominion of worldly kings. Earthly kingdoms continued as before, but amid them appeared a new kingdom, which had nothing in common with them, because it had not earthly, but heavenly origin. However, such an understanding of the words “kingdom of heaven” is possible for us only in part, and not even fully. The Jews to whom John spoke could understand these words in the sense that soon a kingdom would come where the expected Messiah would be King—a person who by few was conceived as the King of Heaven, but by more as an earthly king, only with special powers given him by God, of a predominantly earthly character. He would be the executor of heavenly or divine promises. The King was the embodiment of the kingdom. In speaking of the drawing near of the kingdom, John spoke of the drawing near or imminent coming of the King.

Matthew 3:3. For he is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke, saying, “A voice of one crying in the wilderness: make ready the way of the Lord, straighten His paths.” (Compare Mark 1:2-3; Luke 3:4-6.) The connection of the speech is not fully clear. John preaches repentance to the people because the kingdom of heaven has drawn near, for he, that is John, is the one and so forth. Because of a certain obscurity and indefiniteness of expressions, the 3rd verse in connection with the 2nd verse was explained approximately thus: John the Baptist comes, saying: repent… for (it is implied that John spoke of himself) he is the one of whom Isaiah prophesied, etc. In other words, in the 2nd verse the evangelist gives the literal actual speech of John, and in the 3rd—also his speech, but only expressed in his own words (cf. John 1:23). Such an explanation is rejected by modern critics, who say that the words “he is the one” and so forth belong not to John, but to the evangelist himself. As for the word γάρ (for, because), it is used in order to give more weight to the words spoken by John. The evangelist says, as it were: if some ordinary person began preaching to the people and saying “repent…” then his words would have no significance and no one would pay attention to them. These words are important because the one who spoke them was a person foretold by Isaiah. Thus, the word “for” points to “the reason why John should have appeared as is depicted in the 1st and 2nd verses, because so it was foretold” (Bengel). And the verb “is” (omitted in the Russian translation: “for he” is “the one”) interpreters consider equivalent to the verb “was.” “Concerning whom the prophet Isaiah spoke”—literally: “he is the one of whom it is said (in the Slavonic translation—‘spoken’) through (διά—according to the more probable reading) the prophet Isaiah, saying.” The words of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 40:3) are given almost literally according to the Septuagint, with the only difference that instead of the last words “straighten His paths to Him,” in the Septuagint: “straighten His paths for our God.” In the Hebrew text it is otherwise: “a voice crying: in the wilderness prepare a way for the Lord, make straight in the steppe a highway for our Lord.” “A voice of one crying in the wilderness”—these words are separated from the following ones in our editions of the Bible, but in antiquity no punctuation marks were used and words were not separated, so this text can be read in two ways: either “a voice of one crying in the wilderness,” or “a voice of one crying: in the wilderness prepare.” In this case, the question is not resolved by the fact that in the Hebrew “in the wilderness” refers to “prepare” (to which the following “in the steppe” points), because in the Greek there is no basis for separating both these expressions. Explaining the verse, interpreters hesitate. However, in Matthew’s Gospel, “in the wilderness” is usually referred to the word “crying,” apparently by analogy with κηρύσσων ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ (verse 1). The relation of the words of the prophet Isaiah to the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity is considered doubtful. But what then does “a voice of one crying” mean in the prophet? In what sense did the prophet understand this expression? If we note that chapters 40–66 of the book of the prophet Isaiah relate to the so-called Deutero-Isaiah, a prophet living during or after the captivity, and allow that this was known to the evangelist, then we will better understand what the words “a voice of one crying in the wilderness” mean. The prophet contemplates the return of Israel from captivity and at the same time, as it were, the return of the Lord, the King of Israel, to Jerusalem. The Lord sends through the wilderness, separating Babylon from Palestine, messengers to proclaim His coming, and at the same time gives commands that a way be prepared for Him, and that the road by which He will go be made straight. One of these messengers was φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ. The analogy with John’s preaching appears to be complete. How should one understand the very expression: “a voice of one crying”? Was John only the voice of another person crying in the wilderness, or was the voice his, of one crying? By analogy with Luke 3:2, where it is said that “a word of the Lord came to John,” it would appear that John himself was only the voice of God crying in the wilderness. But in Luke a different word is used, not φωνή, ῥῆμα (word, utterance). Furthermore, Luke gives in the following verse the same words from Isa 40:3, depicting the circumstances that came about after the word of God came to John. Finally, in the mouths of the evangelists it would seem somewhat strange to say: “the voice of one crying in the wilderness of God, prepare the way for God.” On the basis of these considerations, we must attribute both words “a voice of one crying” to John himself. He was both the voice and the man uttering that voice. “In the wilderness”—both in a physical and a moral sense. John preached in a physical wilderness, but the people coming to him represented a moral wilderness. This twofold meaning of the speech extends further, in the words: “straighten His paths to Him.” In the Septuagint Isa 40:3—“the Lord,” in Hebrew—Jehovah God, and this shows that here is not meant an ordinary repair of roads and correction of the path during the journey of some ordinary king, for God has no need of anything like this. Therefore, the correct observation is that by paths and ways is meant here the souls of men. “The evangelist calls the way of the Lord and His paths the souls to which the Gospel word was about to come” (Euthymius Zigabenus). From the ordinary repair of a way, only the images are taken here.

Matthew 3:4. And John himself had clothing of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. (Compare Mark 1:6.) It is possible to suppose that in pointing to John’s way of life, the evangelist also wished to point here to the ancient prophecy about him in the image of the life of the prophet Elijah. “Had clothing of camel’s hair.” Such clothing, distinguished by its roughness, according to travelers, is still worn in the East, chiefly by dervishes. “And his food was locusts and wild honey.” Locusts were called grasshoppers, which are still eaten as food in Nejd and Hijaz. In shops selling locusts they are sold by measure. In preparing them for food, they are thrown alive into boiling water, which is heavily salted; after some time the locusts are removed and dried in the sun. The English doctor Thomson, who lived in Palestine for many years and wrote a very good book about it, says: “No one eats grasshoppers in Syria except Bedouins on the extreme borders, and they are constantly spoken of as the lowest grade of food, viewed mostly with revulsion, since this food is endured only by the lowest classes of people. John the Baptist, however, belonged precisely to this class, whether by necessity or by choice. He also lived in the wilderness, where such food is still used; and therefore in the Gospel is related a simple truth. The ordinary food of the Baptist was grasshoppers, probably fried in oil and mixed with honey, as is still done now.” By wild honey, some understand the juice from palm trees, fig trees, and other trees, or the so-called Persian manna. The basis for such opinion is found in the fact that honey in Greek is simply called μέλι, without the addition ἄγριον (wild). In support of this opinion, they refer to Pliny (“Natural History,” 15, 7) and Diodorus Siculus (Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica, XIX, 94, 10), who says that among the Nabataeans “there grows… much honey (μέλι), called wild (ἄγριον), which they use as a drink mixed with water.” But others hold that “wild honey” is ordinary bee honey, which bees carry into the hollows of trees and crevices of rocks. According to Tristram (whose book on Palestine has been translated into Russian), there are many more wild bees in Palestine than hive bees, and the honey sold in southern localities comes from wild swarms. Indeed, says Tristram, there are few places as suitable for bees as Palestine. And in the Wilderness of Judea, bees are more numerous than in any other part of Palestine, and honey to this day serves as a home food for Bedouins, who extract it from the honeycomb and store it in skins. One cannot but agree that such an understanding of the words “wild honey” is more natural than the previous one. Locusts were permitted as food by Jewish law (Lev 11:22), and regarding the eating of wild bee honey, it is mentioned in the Bible (Deut 32:13; Judg 14:8; 1 Sam 14:25-27; Ps 80:17).

Matthew 3:5. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan went out to him, (Compare Mark 1:5.) The appearance of an extraordinary man in the wilderness and from the wilderness, looking like a severe recluse, soon attracted the attention of the inhabitants of nearby places, and they began to flock to him. Even if John were an ordinary man and had no divine mission, then even so his person would probably have become an object of curiosity. It is quite understandable that Jerusalem, Judea, and the region of the Jordan are figurative expressions, instead of “the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Judea, the region of the Jordan.” In the Bible, places near the Jordan were called from ancient times the region of the Jordan (Gen 13:10-11; 1 Sam 7:46; 2 Chr 4:17). Thus, by the region of the Jordan, excluding Jerusalem and Judea, should be understood the areas bordering the Jordan in Perea, Samaria, Galilee, and Gaulanitis.

Matthew 3:6. and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. (Compare Mark 1:5.) The manner of performing baptism by John is generally difficult to determine. The historical basis for baptism may have been the ablutions and purifications established in the law (Gen 35:2; Exod 19:10; Num 19:7; Jdt 12:7). Among the Jews, the baptism of proselytes was practiced, that is, Gentiles wishing to adopt Judaism. On the basis of the testimony of the Babylonian Gemara Yevamot 46, 2, and the fact that Philo, Josephus, and ancient Targumists are silent about the baptism of proselytes, the opinion was held that it was introduced only after the destruction of Jerusalem, but this opinion cannot be considered correct. Some suppose that externally John’s baptism was similar to the baptism of proselytes. “When,” says Alford, “men were admitted as proselytes, three ceremonies were performed: circumcision, baptism, and offering; when women, two—baptism and offering. Baptism was performed during the day, by immersion of the entire person being baptized, and when the proselyte stood in the water, certain sections of the law were taught to him. The entire families of proselytes were baptized, including children.” All this is true, however, one can ask: was John ever a witness to the baptism of proselytes? Did he know about it? Nowhere in the New Testament is it said that Christian baptism resembled the baptism of proselytes. Thus, we conclude that John’s baptism, if it was not in terms of its external form something entirely new, nevertheless had no connection with any previous purely Jewish rites. John’s preaching was entirely self-directed, independent of any historical conditions and circumstances; it was a consequence of revelation received from on high, from God. Why not suppose that such were also John’s actions? He approached the Jordan, saw its waters before him, called the people to repentance, because the kingdom of heaven had drawn near, and in this called the people’s attention to the waters of the Jordan when the people asked him what they should do. Probably only men came to John, for there is no trace in the Gospels of the presence of women at the waters of the Jordan. At John’s word, men immersed themselves in the water. Such is undoubtedly the precise meaning of the Greek word used here—ἐβαπτίζοντο, which means “to immerse,” “to plunge,” but not to sprinkle and wash, as some exegetes would like. And why would people who came to the Jordan need to be sprinkled, when there was no need for this with the abundance of Jordan waters, and when John himself hardly had whatever objects would be needed for sprinkling? But another question: did those being baptized immerse themselves by John’s invitation, or did John himself immerse all of them without exception? This question is difficult and not easy to answer. The word “were baptized” in this verse (Greek) is apparently used in the passive voice, as indicated by the further “by him” (ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ). Furthermore, John everywhere refers the very act of baptism to himself: “I baptize” or “baptized” (Matt 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:26 and others), as do others in attributing the act of baptism to John himself. On the basis of these considerations, one can suppose that John himself, personally immersed each person in the water, laying his hand or hands upon him. Such a supposition is not only not contradicted, but, on the contrary, confirmed by the words used in John’s Gospel: “When, therefore, Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John—although Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples” (John 4:1-2). At least the Pharisees could think that Christ Himself performed the baptism. In fact, this was not so, and the evangelist here only repeats the opinion of the Pharisees, precisely indicating who baptized. But from this, in any case, one can conclude that the baptized and the baptizer were in such close proximity during the act of baptism that it would be impossible for outsiders to distinguish who baptized and who did not. In other words, baptism was not merely a permission, allowance, invitation, or exhortation to baptism, but an act proper to both the one being baptized and the one baptizing. Perhaps only the quantity of people gathered to John presents a difficulty to this understanding, so that he could not immerse each one. But in this one must bear in mind the sufficient duration of John’s ministry. Baptism, therefore, was not simply bathing in the Jordan, although we do not know exactly what external rites or symbols John used in this, and whether they were even proper rites and symbols in the strict sense.

Matthew 3:7. But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to him to be baptized, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” (Compare Luke 3:7.) “And seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” The Pharisees and Sadducees at that time were two parties (but not sects), hostile to one another; their historical origin is obscure. The origin of the Pharisees is attributed to the time of Jonathan, the successor of Judas Maccabee (161–143 years before Christ). They were successors of the Hasidim. The Hasidim (zealots of the law, the pious) insisted on the fulfillment of the law and considered the duty of man to be exclusively obedience to the will of God, as it was revealed in the Bible. Since the Hasidim for various reasons kept apart from the common people, they received the name Pharisees, or the Separated. The number of Pharisees around the time of Christ reached about 6,000. Their distinguishing characteristic was hypocrisy. Since they devoted all their strength to the study and observance of the law, they considered themselves the true leaders and teachers of the people. And the people to a certain extent agreed with this. Under Jonathan, the party armed itself against the fact that he was high priest, although his mother had once been a slave. This angered Jonathan, and he went over to the side of the Sadducees. Under the name Sadducees was understood a party of practical people who bound themselves to the fate of the Maccabee house. They were devoted to the law, insofar as this was consistent with their plans to secure Israel’s independence. This was the party of priestly aristocracy. Some derive the name from Zadok, who was a priest under David and Solomon (1 Sam 1:32-39); others—from Zadok, who lived much later and was a student of Antigonus Socho, a Jewish scribe known only by name. In Avot de Rabbi Nathan (ch. 5) it is said that “the Sadducees are called by the name of Zadok.” Both of these derivations, however, are beset with linguistic difficulties. Epiphanius (Adversus haereses, XIV, 2; ed. K. Holl, Band 1, Leipzig, 1915, p. 207, 14–16) says that members of the party call themselves Sadducees apparently because this name comes from the word “righteousness,” for σεδέκ means “righteousness.” According to this explanation, the Pharisees considered themselves righteous and were called “tsaddikim.” The change to “tsaddukim” could have occurred due to popular wit. The Sadducees were few in number during the time of Christ; they belonged to the highest persons of the church hierarchy, and were distinguished by obsequiousness, hard-heartedness, and cunning. “Coming to the baptism”—literally: “coming to his baptism” (αὐτοῦ is omitted, however, in the Sinai and Vatican codices, in Tischendorf, Westcott and Hort). That is, John’s baptism. The preposition to (ἐπί) denotes movement to a place. That it indicates the purpose of the coming of the Pharisees and Sadducees—to be baptized by John—is questionable in view of the fact that the “Pharisees and lawyers,” according to the evangelist Luke (Luke 7:30), “rejected the will of God” and were not baptized by John. Probably the Sadducees did the same. “You brood of vipers.” By vipers are meant small snakes, which live only in hot countries, very venomous and dangerous. John does not call the Pharisees and Sadducees vipers, but offspring of vipers. By this can be understood the offspring of vipers or the viper tribe in general. In both cases it points to the moral condition of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which caused them to resemble venomous snakes or their offspring. “Coming wrath.” Undoubtedly John represented the coming kingdom not only as a kingdom of mercy, but as a kingdom of wrath, and chiefly, which is evident from his further words, where he compares the kingdom to a threshing floor, men to wheat and chaff, speaks of the Messiah, that He has a winnowing fan in His hand. He will burn the chaff (straw) with unquenchable fire. Such representations did not fully correspond, of course, to the spirit of the new kingdom and the activity of Christ, as we know from subsequent events, and were still Old Testament in character.

Matthew 3:8. So bear fruit in keeping with repentance, (Compare Luke 3:8.) Literally: “therefore, bring forth fruit worthy of repentance” (in the Slavonic translation—“therefore bring forth fruit worthy of repentance”). John calls the Pharisees and Sadducees not to repentance, but to deeds from which it would be clear that they wish to bring about repentance, or, what is the same, to change their former way of thinking and conduct displeasing to God; otherwise their coming to the Jordan will not benefit them, will not help them avoid the coming wrath. What this fruit consisted of is partly evident from what follows.

Matthew 3:9. And do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.” For I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. (Compare Luke 3:8.) In Luke almost exactly the same words are given as in Matthew. Instead of “do not presume” in Luke it is “do not begin,” although both expressions are translated the same way in the Russian Bible. John expresses himself not simply: “do not say to yourselves,” but: “do not presume.” The expression: to think about saying something, was “a Jerusalem phrase, which is found everywhere in the Talmud.” However, it should not be viewed only as a Hebraism, for it is also characteristic of the Greek language. “Presume to say to yourselves”—to say to oneself (cf. Ps 13:1; Rev 18:7 and others). The Pharisees and Sadducees did not so much declare in words about their origin from Abraham as they were convinced of it, and this conviction determined much of their behavior. “We have Abraham as our father”—literally: “we have Abraham as a father.” Abraham is called “father” instead of “forefather,” “ancestor.” The Pharisees and Sadducees transferred to themselves, appropriated to themselves the merits, honor, and dignity of Abraham, thought that their chief dignity consisted in the fact that they were descended from Abraham. Priding themselves on their descent, they completely forgot that what matters most before God is not descent, but a person’s morality. “For I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham,”—a thought that refutes what the Pharisees thought about themselves. The Baptist does not say: from trees, animals, and so forth, but “from stones,” because to these stones the Pharisees and Sadducees were more like anything. They were spiritually dead, cold, insensible, lifeless. The comparison is thus chosen not arbitrarily, but was very much to the point and sharply characterized the spiritual condition of the Pharisees and Sadducees. John’s speech, despite its brevity, is distinguished by extraordinary force. The expression: “from these stones” (instead of simply “stones”) gives the impression that John was pointing to those stones visible at the Jordan. These were probably relatively small stones (λίθος), in contrast to larger stones or rocks (πέτρα). The latter, if spoken of by John in relation to men, could testify to their firmness. The Greek word translated as “raise up” (ἐγείρω) literally means to awaken from sleep. Since in Russian one cannot say: God is able from these stones to awaken or arouse from sleep children to Abraham, in the Russian translation the most suitable word “raise up” is used, although it does not fully correspond to the Greek word. God can awaken these stones so that they become alive, begin to move, and become children of Abraham. From the New Testament it is evident that this is what happened as a result of Christ’s preaching to spiritually dead people (cf. Rom 4:16; Gal 3:29).

Matthew 3:10. And now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree, therefore, that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (Compare Luke 3:9.) One can ask: why is it not said—at the trees, but at the roots of them? To express the thought and condemnation more strongly. The ax is at the very root, that is, on the surface of the ground close to the very root. A tree cut off at the root loses all its viability. By the ax can be understood any implement used to fell trees. The image now, instead of stones, is different: not a completely dry tree, but one that does not bear fruit, and good fruit at that. “Every tree, therefore, that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire,”—literally: “therefore, every… tree is cut down and into fire is thrown.”

Matthew 3:11. I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is stronger than I; I am not worthy to carry His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire; (Compare Mark 1:7-8; Luke 3:16.) In Luke (Luke 3:10-15) the speech is supplemented with rebukes and exhortations spoken by John to other persons besides the Pharisees and Sadducees. John has only just spoken about judgment on men, presenting them as unfruitful trees. This judgment is already beginning, is approaching. But, says John, the judge is not I; judgment belongs to another person. This is evident from the fact that John recognizes his baptism as lower compared to another baptism, which will soon begin. I, says John, only perform lower, preliminary duties, so to speak, only rough work. Another, higher, deed belongs not to me. “I baptize you with water.” In Luke (Luke 3:16)—“with water.” There is no difference between these expressions, because the preposition ἐν (“in”) indicates here, as in other cases, the material by means of which the action is performed, in the present case—baptism. “For repentance”—in Luke these words are not present. Some suppose that here this expression means: in a state of repentance. Others: “I baptize, requiring you to repent,” or: “for the purpose of repentance,” that is, “baptism meant that those who received it were repenting of their sins and wished to be cleansed from them.” “But He who is coming after me is stronger than I.” The present tense indicates the beginning of the coming. Strictly speaking, the future would be required: He who will come. But the present is stronger and indicates the higher dignity and greater moral power of the One Coming. “I am not worthy to carry His sandals”—I do not have sufficient strength, I am not able, I do not consider myself capable. In Mark: “I am not worthy, bending down, to untie the strap of His sandal” (Mark 1:7). There is no difference here, because both lay on the duty of slaves, and moreover the lowest, who knew how to do nothing else. Loosening and tying sandals and carrying the necessary items for him to the bath were signs of slavery, which made the slave the property of the master. Here is expressed the deepest humility of the Baptist, which the world has not witnessed until then. “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire”—literally: “He will baptize in the Holy Spirit and fire.” Correctly, they have pointed out the important significance of the word “He” here. He, and no one else, the One Coming after John. The word “baptize” is used here in a figurative sense, meaning properly to immerse in the Holy Spirit and fire. Many disputes and disagreements have been provoked by the expression “the Holy Spirit and fire.” According to some, hellfire is not implied here. The Baptist adds the word “fire” (which is not in Mark 1:8) to give a vivid picture of the powerful and purifying action of the Holy Spirit. Such an interpretation is accepted by Chrysostom and many others, old and new, interpreters. One of them remarks that here is meant fire that purifies, enlightens, transforms, awakens sacred inspiration and zeal, and raises upward, like the fiery chariot on which Elijah was taken to heaven. Others think that hellfire is meant here, based on the expression “unquenchable fire” in verse 12. In this latter interpretation an obviously dreadful element is introduced, and objecting to it, they say that it contradicts Acts 2:2-17, where it is said of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples in the form of fiery tongues. But one may ask: could John have had in mind this latter event? We think not. The second interpretation takes the word “fire” too literally, taking it for actual fire or even punishment and torment in general. The truth, apparently, is between these two interpretations. John speaks of exactly what the elder Simeon spoke about during the meeting of the Savior: “Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed”. As evangelical history shows, around the Savior there were always gathered people either devoted to Him or hating Him. The cause of this was chiefly His speeches, some approving of them, others condemning them. Many who hated Him are covered with eternal shame. This is precisely the future activity of Christ that John has in mind when saying that He will baptize “with the Holy Spirit and fire.” This is in no way contradicted by “you,” because undoubtedly baptism with the Holy Spirit was offered to the Pharisees and Sadducees as well, but they did not accept it. On the other hand, the fire of rebuke caused some of the Pharisees to believe in Christ. The same baptism and by means of the same means was offered to all, but some responded to this baptism in one way and others in another. The second interpretation explains the word “fire” too literally, taking it as material fire or even as punishment and torment altogether. The truth, it seems, lies between these two interpretations. John speaks of precisely what the elder Simeon spoke of at the time of the Savior’s presentation: “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed” (Luke 2:34). As the gospel history shows, people always gathered around the Savior—either devoted to Him or hating Him. The reason for this was chiefly His words, some approving them and others condemning them. Many who hated Him are covered with eternal shame. It is this future activity of Christ that John has in mind when he says He will baptize “with the Holy Spirit and fire.” The word “you” does not contradict this at all, since the Pharisees and Sadducees were undoubtedly offered baptism with the Holy Spirit, but they did not accept it. On the other hand, the fire of convictions brought about such a result that even some of the Pharisees believed in Christ (Acts 15:5). The same baptism by the same means was offered to all, but some received it one way and others in another way.

Matthew 3:12. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire. The speech is full of images. The Coming One takes up the winnowing fork and is ready to clear the threshing floor, but has not yet begun the very action, which refers to future time (to clear—διακαθαριεῖ). If John had spoken only of ordinary straw, he would have stopped at the word “fire” (πυρί), but since he was speaking figuratively of people, he used “unquenchable.”

Matthew 3:13. Then Jesus comes from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. (Cf. Mark 1:9.) In discussing verse 1, we saw that the evangelist uses the expression “in those days” in an indefinite sense. In the same sense the word “then” is now used. Therefore, this expression cannot be understood more specifically—“then, when John preached about the Messiah and baptized the people.” It is not exactly known when the Lord’s baptism took place. The place of baptism was Bethany (an ancient reading) beyond the Jordan (John 1:28). The evangelist does not indicate the purpose or occasion of Christ’s coming to baptism, except for the words indicated in verse 15: “for thus it is fitting for us”… “Jesus comes from Galilee.” These words can be interpreted in two ways: either He comes from Galilee, or Jesus is from Galilee. It is better to interpret them in the first sense. Both here and in the first verse, the present tense is used.

Matthew 3:14. But John was hindering Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and You come to me?” “I need to be baptized by You, and You come to me?” With respect to these words, two assumptions can be made: either this is a question or it is not. If there is no question, then it should be translated: “I need to be baptized by You, and You come to me.”

Matthew 3:15. But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John permits Him. The words “for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” ultimately remain, it seems, the only ones in which we should seek the motive for Christ’s baptism. But what does the word “righteousness” (δικαιοσύνη) mean here? The word has such a broad meaning and such varied sense that it is now extremely difficult to determine what sense it had in the mouth of Christ. In our opinion, attention should first be drawn to the fact that the word δικαιοσύνη was evidently rightly understood by John, who after Christ’s words did not hinder Him from being baptized and immediately baptized Him. And the evangelist who recorded the conversation of Christ with John at the baptism, this expression also, as we should suppose, was perfectly clear. In what did this righteousness consist that was fulfilled by Christ at baptism? It consisted, apparently, in nothing else than in Christ’s taking upon Himself the form of a servant. It was such a deep and true evangelical righteousness as was expressed sharply in yet another case, at the time of the washing of the disciples’ feet. Christ’s words to John have an exact parallel in John’s account (John 13:6-8). Christ came not to rule, but to serve. Only recently John said that he was not worthy to carry (or to loosen) the shoes of the One who comes after him, that is, he represented Him as a lord or a master who was immeasurably above him. But now John should have been convinced that his former conceptions of the Coming One were somewhat wrong. Christ, who came to John for baptism, wished to show him that if John is a servant, then Christ wishes to submit to this servant, wishes to be a servant in relation to that man who himself considered himself lower than a servant. With this interpretation the entire context agrees. Jesus Christ refutes John’s former views, saying that His “righteousness” does not consist in what John supposes. The expression of John becomes clear: “I did not know Him” (John 1:31), that is, did not know Him as He appeared at baptism. John’s words: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29) receive new light. The account further told by Matthew becomes also more clear. The words “for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” are better translated: “for thus it is fitting for us (that is, for Christ and John) to fulfill all righteousness.”

Matthew 3:16. And when Jesus was baptized, He straightway came up out of the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him. (Cf. Mark 1:10; Luke 3:21-22.) The act of the Savior’s humiliation was all the more remarkable in that it was hidden from the eyes of outsiders, except perhaps John. There is no reason to suppose that anyone except John saw and understood at that time the humiliation of the Messiah. Since only John saw this, the glory of the Messiah that accompanied this humiliation was revealed only to the Baptist. Christ submitted to him as a Servant, and this Servant is immediately proclaimed as a Son. “And behold, the heavens were opened, and John saw the Spirit of God.” One variant of translation: “and behold, the heavens were opened (the word ‘to Him’ is omitted in some manuscripts) and He saw the Spirit of God.” How this opening of the heavens came about, we cannot judge or imagine. The thought expressed here becomes clear only on the supposition that by “heavens” here are understood clouds (as St. John Chrysostom and others think). “Saw”—who? The original text says nothing about this, but by the sense of the speech this word should first refer to Jesus Christ. In Mark (Mark 1:10) the word “John” inserted into the Russian translation is stressed. In Luke nothing is said about John and Christ seeing the dove, and the event is related objectively, independent of those observing it. In John (John 1:32-34) the vision is attributed to the Baptist alone, but this does not exclude the probability that Christ also saw the dove. The Spirit of God descended upon Jesus Christ in the form of a dove. Literally—as if (ὡσεί, compounded of ὡς and εἰ as if, as, as though; before numerals—about, almost). On this basis some interpret the manifestation in a spiritual sense or at least think that the Holy Spirit only resembled a dove, was “as if” a dove, but was not actually a visible dove. But such interpretations contain their own refutation. If the manifestation were wholly spiritual and the dove is only a verbal image, a figurative expression, why introduce it at all? It would have been possible to say directly: the Holy Spirit descended upon Christ; or: He was filled with the Holy Spirit. The concrete and material “dove” testifies to the reality of the dove’s manifestation in a sensible form. The very appearance of a dove (and not an eagle) had here a symbolic significance and pointed to the character of Christ’s activity. In the appearance of the dove two facts are implied: the descent of the dove downward and its approach to Jesus Christ. The objection that if the text referred to Jesus Christ who saw the dove, then in the Greek text “upon Himself” (ἐφ’ ἑαυτόν) would have been used, has little weight (cf. Heb 9:7, where ἑαυτοῦ is placed instead of αὐτοῦ).

Matthew 3:17. And behold, a voice from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Cf. Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22.) The use of “behold” twice in verses 16 and 17 points to the novelty and extraordinary nature of the manifestations. “A voice from heaven”—Greek φωνή means properly “sound.” Hebrew “qol” (cf. Exod 9:28; Ps 28:3), but hardly “bat-qol”—“daughter of the voice,” which is found in rabbinic writings, although the word “bat-qol” in meaning equals the word “qol” (“bat-qol” in Aramaic actually means “word.”—Editor’s note). “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” In Mark (Mark 1:11) and Luke (Luke 3:22), Matthew’s expression “This” (οὗτος—this, he) is replaced by the words: “You are My beloved Son.” In a similar utterance said at the time of the transfiguration (Matt 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35; 2 Pet 1:17), the expression “You” is replaced everywhere by the word “This” (οὗτος). From a comparison of the heavenly words spoken at baptism, one can conclude about the imprecise transmission of them by the evangelists.

Chapter Four

1–11. The temptation of Jesus Christ by the devil in the wilderness. – 12–16. Withdrawal to Galilee and settling in Capernaum. – 17–22. Preaching of Jesus Christ and the choosing of disciples. – 23–25. Further preaching in Galilee, healing of the sick, and the gathering of a great multitude to Christ.

Matthew 4:1. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. (Compare Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-2.) “Then” serves here not so much to denote time as to connect the speech. However, from a comparison with the accounts of other evangelists, one can conclude that Christ’s temptation was immediately after baptism. In Mark (Mark 1:12) instead of “then”—“immediately” (εὐθύς), in Luke it is indicated not the time but the circumstances, placing the temptation and baptism in the closest connection (Luke 4:1). Luke says, as it were: upon Jesus Christ during baptism the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove, and at the time when He was filled with the Holy Spirit, He returned from the Jordan and so forth. Thus, we should not suppose that there was an interval between baptism and temptation. What in Matthew alone would seem unclear, becomes clear from the accounts of other evangelists. “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness.” Matthew replaces the more forceful expression of Mark ἐκβάλλει, softly translated in the Russian Bible—“leads,” the precise meaning—throws out, pushes out, with the word “led up” (ἀνήχθη). In Luke—“was being led” (ἤγετο)—an expression by meaning equal to the expression in Matthew, with the only difference that in Matthew the verb, composed with ἀνά, means—to ascend from below upward, to rise (properly, to be led upward). Following Matthew, one should understand some elevated locality compared to the one where the baptism took place. “Into the wilderness.” It is unknown what wilderness is meant here. We saw that John preached in the Wilderness of Judea (Matt 3:1), and by this word cannot be understood a desert in the proper sense (such as, for example, the Sahara), but—a locality, although little, but inhabited and not deprived of all vegetation. Speaking of Christ being led away, the evangelists do not mention the Wilderness of Judea. Given such indefiniteness, some exegetes have in mind here that wilderness through which the Hebrews wandered for forty years. To such a supposition leads obvious parallels existing between the wandering of the Hebrews in the wilderness and the circumstances of the temptation, and namely the following: 1) the crossing of the Hebrews across the Jordan and the baptism of Jesus Christ; 2) hunger in the wilderness and hunger of Jesus Christ; 3) trials of the Hebrews in the wilderness for their moral purification and elevation—and the temptation of Christ by the devil; 4) satisfying the hunger of the Hebrews with manna and the temptation to turn stones into bread to satisfy hunger; 5) the bronze serpent and the cross of the Savior, and namely in dependence on the stay in the wilderness. However, against the opinion that Christ was on the Sinai Peninsula, one can object that the evangelists probably would have mentioned this fact, if it were so. Mark’s account, that the Savior was immediately led into the wilderness and that there, probably also immediately, His forty-day fast began, serves, although partly, as confirmation that these events occurred in closely following and not distant one from another intervals, whereas a journey to Sinai would have required at least three days (Elijah went there forty days and forty nights—1 Sam 19:8). It is supposed that the place of temptation was some solitary and elevated place near the place where John baptized. The word “Spirit” is unclear. In Greek it is used with the article. One can understand here both the Holy Spirit and Christ’s own spirit. In the first case, the expression would mean that Jesus Christ was led into the wilderness by some external force, namely the power of the Holy Spirit; in the second—that He withdrew into the wilderness because of the internal requirements of His own spirit, by His own desire or inclination. The expression in Mark is also ambiguous. In Luke it is more definite: πλήρης πνεύματος ἁγίου, “filled with the Holy Spirit” and (literally) “in this Spirit” was led… Therefore we must refer the leading into the wilderness to an external (this expression is, of course, imprecise) force of the Holy Spirit, because, although Christ’s own spirit was holy, nevertheless, bringing it into connection with the circumstances of baptism gives the right to assert that Christ was led by the Holy Spirit, who descended upon Him in the form of a dove. “To be tempted by the devil.” The very possibility of temptation is based on the fact that man can commit some sin. Apparently, the temptation of Jesus Christ would have been vain, if He had not sinned before the temptation and could not allow any sin during the temptation. If it is true that He Himself told the disciples about His temptation and the disciples correctly transmitted His words, then the question arises: in speaking of His temptation, did He Himself suppose in Himself the possibility of sin and fall? These questions represent one of the deepest theological problems. Accepting the church teaching that Christ was sinless and not only sinless, but could not sin (see Orthodox Dogmatic Theology of Metropolitan Macarius. St. Petersburg, 1868. Vol. II. P. 79), we leave this question and confine ourselves only to a brief analysis of the expressions used in the Gospel and partly the very facts of the temptation. The expression: “to be tempted”—indicates the purpose for which Jesus Christ was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, and moreover a special, exclusive purpose. He was led into the wilderness and withdrew exclusively for this purpose. If any other purpose had been intended, the evangelists would certainly have said something about it. We saw that, having accepted baptism, Christ accepted upon Himself the form of a servant. This was the greatest feat in the history of mankind. Then He is led into the wilderness and undergoes temptation, not as God, not simply as a man, but as a man-servant, voluntarily accepting upon Himself the duties of servile service to mankind, so that through this service to rule over people. Here one sees the connection of the temptation with the preceding event, baptism. As Israel the servant, having come out of Egypt, was tempted in the wilderness, so Christ, having passed through the waters of baptism (which correspond to the waters of the Red Sea), undergoes such temptation. The word “devil” means literally: the one who scatters, separates one object from another or some people from others. The word is used in this sense, for example, in Xenophon at the beginning of his “Anabasis”: Tissaphernes scatters (so almost literally) Cyrus and his brother, persuading Cyrus that his brother is plotting against him (I, 1, 3). Thus, the word “devil” means generally such a person who causes discord, division, confusion in thinking and feelings. Since this is done chiefly through slander or deception, hence the usual (although figurative) meaning of the word devil—slanderer or deceiver. Hence in a figurative sense—opponent, enemy. The devil is the enemy of men because he tears the bond (as it were scatters, divides) between God and man (Cremer). In the New Testament, the devil is generally not distinguished from Satan, except for a few cases (Rev 12:9), where both words are placed together and apparently serve only as different names of the same “ancient serpent.” Satan is a Hebrew word and means opponent. In the New Testament the word is sometimes applied to men (Matt 16:23; Mark 8:33). But in other cases it always means the “ancient serpent,” the devil, a bodiless spirit, who opposes God and produces evil in the world.

Matthew 4:2. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. (Compare Luke 4:2.) Literally: “and having fasted forty days and forty nights.” This apparently does not mean approximately forty days, since to denote approximation in Greek, special adverbs are used. Regarding the Savior’s fast, apparently, one can pose only a single question: is it possible for a man to go for such a long time without any food and remain alive after this? It is known that a few years ago, experiments of this kind were conducted in America and these experiments under medical observation proved that a man, even an ordinary one, can endure a complete forty-day fast. Regarding the mental state of the Savior in the wilderness, it is, of course, difficult to judge. But the most natural explanation seems to us to be the one according to which this time was spent in unceasing prayer. Such an explanation first of all places the forty-day stay in the wilderness in connection with the circumstances of the baptism itself. “Jesus, having been baptized, was praying,” is said in Luke’s Gospel (Luke 3:21). Why not suppose that His further stay in the wilderness was a continuation of this baptismal prayer? He went into solitude many times afterward to pray. There is no need to suppose that all forty days and nights He spent completely without sleep, as some exegetes think. By nature this would hardly have been possible. In any case, there is no hint of this in the Gospels. But that He did not eat any food is evident from Luke’s testimony, who says that He “ate nothing during these days” (Luke 4:2). In the Gospels of Matthew and Luke it is indicated that He “was hungry at the end.” It is explained that only at the end of His prolonged fast did He feel hunger, but one can think that He felt hunger throughout the fast, which increased progressively toward the end and became at the end the strongest and unbearable. This is what the words ὕστερον ἐπείνασεν point to.

Matthew 4:3. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” (Compare Luke 4:3.) Literally: “and, having approached, the tempter said to Him.” Regarding the form which the devil assumed in this case, exegetes have a complete disagreement. Some think that it was a real, external, but purely spiritual appearance, and the devil had no need to assume any external form, which would only have aroused suspicion in the tempted Person, and therefore the temptation would not have had great force. Others—that the devil, having approached the Savior, assumed some external form (most likely that of a man), remaining the devil. The first opinion is based on our own spiritual and internal experience, when we sometimes undergo the strongest temptations without noticing the tempter, and yet we attribute our temptations precisely to him. If one pays attention to the fact that the emphasis in the Gospels is placed more on temptations than on the person of the tempter, which is not clearly described, one can allow that, tempting Christ, the devil did not assume an external form. The first opinion is apparently not hindered by expressions that hint at some realism of the appearance, like “came,” “takes Him,” “places,” “says” and such, because all of them can be explained anthropomorphically, as similar expressions are explained regarding God Himself. If, however, one accepts such an explanation, then one will have to allow that the entire temptation took place in the wilderness, and that the placing of Christ on the roof of the temple and then bringing Him to a high mountain were only apparent phenomena. Objecting to this, exegetes allow that the devil assumed a truly real form of a man. “If You are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” It is correctly noted that in the conditional “if” here does not express doubt by the devil in Christ’s dignity as the Son of God. If the devil doubted this, he would not be able to propose to Christ to perform such a miracle as turning stones into bread. Thus the words of the devil had an inciting sense. You (as a Servant, embodiment of a servant-man) are almost dying of hunger, but You should not die, because both to You Yourself and to me it is well known that You are the Son of God. You were recently openly acknowledged as the Son of God at baptism. For You, therefore, it is not at all difficult to perform such a miracle as turning stones into bread. You need only to speak a word and these stones, which You see, will immediately become bread.

Matthew 4:4. But He answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Compare Luke 4:4.) “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Let us first explain, insofar as it is possible, what meaning these words could have, the first words spoken by the Savior after baptism. The body is sustained by food. But man consists not only of a body. The body cannot feed itself or be fed by itself; it, so to speak, conveys information to the spirit about its needs and requirements, and only with its help does it receive what is needed for its continuation and existence. The spirit provides for the body and its needs; without such providence it would perish. In tempting Christ, the devil, therefore, turned not to the chief source of human life. Wishing to achieve his goal, he turned to the slave (the body) instead of its master (the spirit), and tempted the body to gain dominion over its master, to subject it to its will. But such an order was not normal. The spirit is not dependent on the body, but the body on the spirit. For the body to be alive, the spirit must be alive. But the life of the spirit does not depend on physical nourishment. This only seems so. The spirit is nourished by other food. Since the image and likeness of God is contained not in the body but in the human spirit, the food that nourishes the spirit is given by God—this is the word of God. The devil presented man as primarily a bodily being; the Savior presents man as primarily a spiritual being. The Lord as it were forgot about the nourishment of the body, nourishing His spirit; the devil forgot about the nourishment of the spirit, showing outward concern for the body. The error was exposed and the temptation was repelled. Christ’s answer to the devil is taken from Deut 8:3. According to the Septuagint translation this place reads literally thus: “that he might tell you that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word proceeding through the mouth of God, shall man live.” Literally from the Hebrew: “that not by bread alone shall man live, that by all proceeding from the mouth of Jehovah shall man live.” Our Russian text of Deuteronomy, as is evident, departs both from the Greek and from the Hebrew, and is closer to the Latin text of the Vulgate. It is difficult to say according to which text the citation is given in the verse under examination in Matthew. But it is certain that Matthew departs here both from the Hebrew text and from the translation of the Seventy, which is evident already from the fact that “shall live,” repeated both in Greek and in the Hebrew text, is not repeated in the evangelist. But the genuine and precise meaning of the original is preserved in the Gospel, and instead of the Hebrew “lives” it is said “shall live,” as in the Septuagint. In Deuteronomy, Moses reminds the people of their wandering in the wilderness and says that God there “humbled you, afflicted you with hunger, and fed you with manna… in order to show you that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word proceeding from the mouth of the Lord.” How a man lives by the word of God is shown by the life of the Jews in the wilderness. Despite hunger, Israel remained alive because the Lord commanded it to live, and when needed, according to the word of God, manna fell. Consequently, neither did the Savior have any need to care about bread; God would give Him food when it was necessary. He would not die if He did not turn stones into bread. In Luke, this speech is shortened.

Matthew 4:5. Then the devil took Him up into the holy city and stood Him on the pinnacle of the temple, (Compare Luke 4:9.) “Then the devil took Him”—literally: “then takes Him (the same) devil.” The indefinite “then” does not indicate how much time passed between the first and second temptation. In some (completely unknown) way Jesus Christ was taken “to the holy city.” All exegetes unanimously interpret that “the holy city” is Jerusalem, although it is not named here by name. This is indicated, on one hand, by the article (τήν), and on the other—by the use by the Hebrews of these words to denote precisely Jerusalem (see Matt 27:53; Rev 11:2 and others). There is reason to suspect that in Philo the temple is not only called holy, but also “holy of holies,” that is, by this word Philo denotes not only “the holy of holies” in the temple, but the entire temple. That “the holy city” here means precisely Jerusalem is also proved by the further words of this verse: “and stood Him on the pinnacle of the temple.”

Matthew 4:6. and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written, ‘He will give His angels charge concerning You,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, that You may not strike Your foot against a stone.’” (Compare Luke 4:9-11.) To properly understand these words, we should rephrase them somewhat, substituting for the words “Son of God” the titles of some other high persons, for example: if you are a king, prophet, priest, and so forth, then throw yourself down. If such a proposal were made to ordinary people placed on some height or steep place, and if there were no need to throw themselves down, although it would be safe, they would simply point out the lack of logic in such a proposal. If someone is a king, prophet, priest, or some other official, or even simply a person possessing some special powers, then why should he throw himself down? In the devil’s temptation, this lack of logic is heavily masked and supported by a reference to the words of Scripture, apparently spoken in response to the Savior’s previous word: γέγραπται (it is written), which is repeated by the devil here. The Son of God should possess and does possess miraculous power and should demonstrate it. Before performing other miracles, the Son of God should test, verify the existence of miraculous power upon Himself. For the test, for the trial, a miracle is chosen that would seem, both by the concepts of the ancients and by ours, truly a miracle of miracles, a supernatural feat, and therefore the most convincing to everyone—a miracle that would equal the complete annihilation of all laws of gravity. For the Son of God this is possible and safe. “For it is written: He will give His angels charge concerning You, and on their hands they will bear You up, that You may not strike Your foot against a stone.” The Russian text is translated from the Greek literally, except for the word “bear,” which in the Greek text means properly “lift” (ἀροῦσιν). The text is taken from the 90th Psalm (Ps 90:11-12), which according to the translation of the Seventy reads literally thus: “because He will give His angels (Himself) charge concerning You to guard (preserve, protect) You on all Your paths; they on their hands will lift You up, that You might not strike Your foot against a stone.” Matthew omits the words “to guard You on all Your paths,” and Luke—“on all Your paths.” If in the Greek text of the Seventy one crosses out the words omitted by the evangelist and pays no attention to the connective conjunction “and” (καί) and to ἀροῦσιν instead of ἀροῦσι, then between the text of the Seventy and Matthew one cannot notice any difference. Looking at the Hebrew text, we find that it reads literally thus: “because His angels He will command for You to guard You on all Your paths; on their hands they will lift (from Hebrew ‘nasu’) You up, that You not strike Your foot against a stone.” The texts are so similar that it is difficult to decide which text the evangelist followed. But more likely—the text of the Seventy. In Ps 90:11-12 nothing is said about being placed on a high place, falling from there, and being supported by angels. Upon reading these verses immediately one can see that the devil incorrectly applied the text to the circumstances in which Jesus Christ found Himself. It is remarkable that He does not consider it necessary here to reveal any logical error or incorrectness of thought, but repels the temptation only with a text, apparently having little direct relation to the second temptation, and relating equally to all other temptations.

Matthew 4:7. Jesus said to him, “It is also written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” (Compare Luke 4:12.) Literally: “Jesus said to him: again it is written: do not test the Lord your God.” The word “again” is used here not in the sense of “but,” but in the sense of “further,” “moreover.” The character of the refutation here differs from what it was in the first temptation. In the first temptation, the thought which the devil instilled in the Savior was the devil’s own thought and therefore it was natural if it were refuted by the words of Scripture. To use the same method of refutation in the second temptation would mean to refute Scripture. The text chosen by the devil was itself correct; its application to people and to the Savior Himself was correct, although not under the circumstances in which He found Himself. The incorrectness lay in the fact that this text was put forward as an instrument of temptation. Therefore Christ, not refuting the devil’s words in themselves, only points to the character of his action or deed. It is not right to tempt God, who gave Scripture and gave it His Divine authority. Therefore, in this case, “the addition by Jesus Christ of an expression from Scripture is a qualification and interpretation of it, but not a refutation” (Alford, 1863). The text cited by the Savior is borrowed from Deuteronomy (Deut 6:16) and contains a reminder to the Jews of the temptations (murmurings, provocations, and so forth) with which they tempted God in Massa, a locality on the Sinai Peninsula. In Matthew and Luke (Luke 4:12) the text is given in exactly the same expressions and is more similar to the translation of the Seventy than to the Hebrew, the latter addition in the Hebrew text and in the Seventy—“as you tempted in temptation”—being omitted in the Gospels. The latter word—“temptation,” in Hebrew “massa”—means both “temptation” and the name of a locality.

Matthew 4:8. Again the devil took Him up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, (Compare Luke 4:5.) The verb “takes” (παραλαμβάνει) is the same as used at the beginning of verse 5. From this one can conclude that the devil’s action before the third temptation was the same as before the second. The word “again” also points to this. The impression from the narrative is that the devil took Jesus Christ not from the temple, where he was with Him, but “again” from the same wilderness. And again it is difficult to say what exactly took place here in reality. We can, of course, both imagine and see a very high mountain, and even ascend it. But we do not know of any mountain on earth from which all the kingdoms of the earth were visible. The difficulties which we encounter in explaining the passage in question are completely the same as when explaining the initial proposal of verse 5, if only not greater. In the first case, we are at least pointed to a definite place where the devil “placed” Jesus Christ—the holy city and the pinnacle of the temple. In the second case, there is no such definiteness either in the words of Matthew or of Luke, which borders on complete vagueness. “Mountain” (ὄρος, used without the article) may not have been known even to the evangelist himself. It is called only ὑψηλὸν λίαν—exceedingly high. All attempts by exegetes to break through the impenetrable wall of expressions used here should, apparently, be recognized as unsuccessful. Some say that since the kingdoms of the world were shown to the devil “in a moment of time” (ἐν στιγμῇ χρόνου—Luke 4:5), there was no need to go up the mountain, and that only a vision should be understood here, something like a mirage. Further, they place the third temptation in connection with Rev 21:10, where it is said: “and he carried me” (one of the seven Angels) “in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem.” Since in the Apocalypse it is said “in the spirit” (ἐν πνεύματι), then, in view of the very noticeable similarity of the apocalyptic and evangelical expressions, one can conclude that the placing on the mountain was only spiritual and, consequently, unreal. Some say that Palestine was under the dominion of God, not of the devil, and therefore the devil did not show Christ Palestine from a high mountain, but showed only pagan countries in his power. Some even asserted that the devil simply took and unrolled before Jesus Christ “a geographical map” on which all the earthly kingdoms were drawn. But the previous objection has force here—that for this it would hardly have been necessary to ascend or rise to a very high mountain. “The third temptation,” writes one of the most recent exegetes, “again (πάλιν, verse 8), like the second, is introduced by an indication of Satan’s power to affect the sensory life of Jesus Christ. This time He feels and sees Himself set upon a very high mountain and receives the impression that from there He surveys all the kingdoms of the world together and their glory. How little Matthew thinks that there existed such a mountain on earth from which a man could, with his bodily eyes, enjoy such a vision and such a sight is proved by the words δείκνυσιν αὐτῷ (‘shows Him’). Here something more is communicated than that the devil drew Jesus Christ’s attention to objects which He would have seen anyway or could have seen. The expression, rather, denotes the vision of what Jesus saw, as well as the action of Satan, similar to the placing on the temple wall through ἔστησεν αὐτόν (verse 5). The devil enchants the eye of Jesus with a picture that imposes upon Him the impression expressed through πάσας βασιλείας κτλ. He sees not only the land of Israel, ruled partly by the sons of Herod, partly directly by the Romans, which there is no reason to leave out here, but also all the dominion areas which in another sense were also part of this world-picture; and Christ sees not only these distant views, but also all that serves to adorn or beautify them—scenes of nature as well as works of art, which God has caused to grow and which kings have caused to be constructed” (Zahn, 1905). Such are the modern attempts to clarify this phenomenon. To what has been said, probably for the sake of imparting greater reality to the picture, is sometimes added that Jesus Christ saw “Fluren, Stätte, Paläste, Schätze usw.” (fields, places, palaces, treasures, etc.). To such modern interpretations we may with full right prefer the ancient interpretations. “The glory of the world,” writes Jerome, “which will pass away with the world, is shown on the mountain and in the twinkling of an eye; the Lord, however, descended into the lowlands and fields to overcome the devil through humility. Furthermore, the devil hastens to raise Him upon the mountain so that others also might fall from there, from whence he himself fell, according to the apostle: ‘that he may not become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil’ (1 Tim 3:6).” This interpretation, though of course it does not explain everything and does not penetrate (nor does it aim to penetrate) into the mysteries, is distinguished at least by the simplicity characteristic of the gospel narrative itself. Taking such simplicity as our model, we should interpret the passage in question approximately thus: the devil takes Christ, shows Him on a certain mountain all the kingdoms of the world in an unknown manner. The essence of the temptation consists not in placing Jesus Christ upon a high mountain and alluring Him with the beauty of earthly kingdoms, but in acting upon His human nature to make Him bow down to the tempter and thereby offer insult to God. This is the chief aim which the devil sought to achieve by means unknown and incomprehensible to us, yet such as find constant echo in the human soul and life. The devil also places many other people sometimes upon a very high mountain, and these people diligently bow and serve him, strongly masking their service to the devil as service to God. But Christ took upon Himself the form of a slave. He set for Himself the goal not of lordship but of service to men. Therefore in the third temptation the devil seems to appeal to those people whom Christ intends to serve. People will exalt Christ because of His service to them. According to a psychological law, in voluntary service is implied authority; in voluntary slavery and humiliation lies freedom and greatness. People will exalt Christ, but the devil would do it more easily and quickly if Christ would serve him. People will exalt Christ by His elevation upon the cross; the devil would exalt Him by giving Him with all their glory and beauty the earthly kingdoms which belong to him, causing Christ no suffering. But Christ came to save men, not the devil. The means of saving men could not be applied to the devil. Men represent, though very small, still positive quantities; the devil is a negative quantity.

Matthew 4:9. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give to You if, falling down, You will bow down to me.” (Cf. Luke 4:5-7.) In some manuscripts it is “said” or “was saying” (εἶπεν). To understand the meaning of this temptation, it is necessary, apparently, to reason not so much about what belonged to the devil as about what belonged to Christ. In explaining the connection between baptism and temptation, we said that baptism was on Christ’s part an act of submission to John and an acceptance of the form of a slave. The temptation was, so to speak, a continuation of baptism, a transition from the external immersion in the waters of the Jordan to the internal baptism, which consisted of prayer and fasting. At the last stage of this internal baptism, Christ’s slave-like state and appearance reached the extreme degree. He did not even have bread with which to satisfy His extreme hunger. The first temptation had the appearance of the devil’s care for Christ’s body, and whoever has been hungry knows how attractive even a stone turned into bread appears to the hungry. But such a temptation proved too small in quantity and was rejected. In the subsequent temptations the attraction gradually increases. The attraction for a hungry body is replaced by that which attracts the spirit. At the final stage, what is most attractive to a hungry man is offered. It is true that for the rich, poverty is sometimes attractive, but this happens only in rare cases, in cases of satiety. But for the poor and hungry slave, the very idea of lordship, happiness, and well-being is always attractive. Here the matter concerns not only the daily bread but abundance. Thus the third temptation very clearly serves as if as a consequence of the first. Without doubt, not a single ordinary man, even in a better condition than that in which the Savior found Himself, would have stood firm before such a temptation. He would have bowed to the devil and, most wonderfully, would have found it possible to justify himself. Thousands, even millions of people dream only of such a bow. Thus here also we encounter a plus and minus, and the magnitudes placed before them are far from close and disproportionate. On Christ’s side was the minus of every earthly well-being. On the devil’s side was a positive magnitude, and even if it were not particularly enormous, not distinguished by an absolute character, it could still attract one deprived of all possessions and suffering as a slave of Jehovah. But on the other hand, in the spiritual sense, the numbers were completely reversed. The suffering slave, precisely in virtue of this very suffering, was the Lord (Κύριος); He ruled by virtue of the very idea of service which He had taken upon Himself; the devil was a slave. The deceptive invitation to bow was a call for the Lord to bow to a slave. In this lay the logical inconsistency of the temptation, and it was rejected.

Matthew 4:10. Then Jesus said to him, “Get away from Me, Satan, for it is written: ‘The Lord your God you shall worship, and Him alone you shall serve.’” (Cf. Luke 4:8.) Despite their brevity, Christ’s words (especially in Greek) breathe energy and force here. Ὕπαγε in Greek is stronger than “get away,” and means “away from My sight.” The force of the temptation called forth the final and angry expulsion of Satan. The addition ὀπίσω μου, which means “get behind Me,” i.e., almost “follow Me,” found in some comparatively unimportant manuscripts and confirmed by Justin the Martyr (Dialogus cum Tryphone, 103:6), Athanasius of Alexandria, Chrysostom, Theophylact, and others, is, though consequently and very ancient, considered an insertion from other places in the New Testament (Matt 16:23; Mark 8:33). Origen directly states that it should not be added (χωρὶς τῆς ὀπίσω μου προσθήκης). Ignatius, Irenaeus, Jerome, Eusebius, and others omit it. It is absent from the most important manuscripts, the Sinaitic and Vatican. Most likely, these words were omitted in the original text. This presumption is supported by the fact that similar words to Peter (with the addition ὀπίσω μου) do not mean a command to depart from Christ but only not to stand in His way and not to hinder His intentions. From this, if such a command had been given to the devil as well, he would not have been driven away, but either could or should have followed Christ. The devil withdrew from Christ only for a season, but it is very unlikely that Christ could have given a command for the devil to follow Him continually. The text in Christ’s reply is taken from Deuteronomy (Deut 6:13). In the Septuagint this passage reads: “The Lord your God you shall fear and to Him alone you shall serve.” Literally from the Hebrew: “Fear Jehovah your God and serve Him (be His slave).” In view of such a difference, some think that the text was translated in a free rendering from the Hebrew, others that it was taken from the Septuagint translation with small changes. From which source the text was actually borrowed is difficult to determine. Probably from the Septuagint translation. In the Bible the text in question is cited almost immediately after another one, indicated by Christ in the second temptation, and has the meaning that Israel should serve the Lord God (Jehovah God) and worship Him alone. Consequently, in the passage in the Gospel under consideration, the discourse is not about Jesus Christ but about God the Father, and the meaning is that, instead of bowing to the devil, Jesus Christ should bow to God and serve Him. But in a figurative and reflected sense, these words could also have reference to the devil. The Savior speaks to him, as if saying: You tempt Me to bow to You and serve You, but You Yourself should bow to God and serve Him. And since before the devil stood God, equal to the Father and the Spirit in essence, Christ’s words can have the meaning: instead of My bowing and serving You, You Yourself should bow and serve Me. Blessed Jerome in his interpretation briefly and clearly expresses this thought: “The devil, speaking to the Savior: if, falling down, You bow to me, hears in response that he himself should rather bow to Him as his Lord and God.”

Matthew 4:11. Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and served Him. (Cf. Mark 1:13.) The words Luke 4:13: “for a season,” shed some light on the character of all three temptations, showing that they were the chief, outstanding, and strongest, but that the devil tempted Christ afterward as well. Since we do not know that the devil appeared to Christ afterward for temptations in any sensory form, we could conclude from this that the first three main temptations were not also crudely sensory, i.e., that the devil at that time did not appear to Him in any sensory form. “And behold, angels came and served Him.” Luke has not a word about the service of the angels; Mark places the word “angels” with the article; Matthew does so without the article. It is difficult to explain upon what such a difference depended, but it hardly gives the right to consider the similar expressions found in Matthew and Mark (Mark: καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι διηκόνουν αὐτῷ; Matthew: καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄγγελοι προσῆλθον καὶ διηκόνουν αὐτῷ) as proof that from the second half of verse 11 Matthew, previously following together with Luke an unknown source, now returns again to Mark 1:12-13. Whether the appearance of the angels was visible or only spiritual is unknown. But whatever it was, it seems arbitrary to attach to the gospel narrative the addition that the angels “served” Christ allatocibo—that they brought Him food. It may have been so, but this is not mentioned in the Gospels and therefore we know nothing of it. The logical emphasis, both in Matthew and Luke, appears to rest not on what the angels served Christ with, but on the fact that they served Him at all. The devil demanded worship from Him; the angels served Him. Such a sharp change in the indication of relationships hardly seems to be merely metaphorical. The word διηκόνουν (served) indicates a certain duration of service, not a brief act of worship. In some cases it indicates “service” or “attending” at table (Luke 4:39; Matt 8:15; Mark 1:31; John 12:2), but is not always used in such a sense, and means more general services. Here we can observe that the service of the angels corresponded to the intention of Christ Himself “to serve.” In contrast to δουλεύειν—διακονεῖν means service that is free, with love. When there was no need, Christ did not use the service of the angels (see verse 6; Matt 26:53), but at the necessary time they began to serve Him as a slave of Jehovah, according to the will of Jehovah Himself.

Matthew 4:12. Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee, (Cf. Mark 1:14.) When did this happen? It is hardly possible to determine precisely. We can only present probable considerations. It is hardly to be assumed that the Baptist’s activity lasted more than two years. If we deduct from this about a year for John’s imprisonment, we get the following. From the baptism of Jesus Christ in January of the year 780 from the foundation of Rome until the conversation with the Samaritan woman about five or six months had passed. During this time John apparently was already in prison (John 4:1-3; cf. Mark 1:14; Luke 4:14) and in the following year 781 or 782—was executed. “He withdrew into Galilee.” This withdrawal into Galilee may be understood as simultaneous with the news about John, though this news was not, however, the cause of the withdrawal. In any case, the reasons for the withdrawal into Galilee are not indicated.

Matthew 4:13. And leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, (Cf. Luke 4:31.) Literally: “and leaving Nazareth, having come, He settled in Capernaum by the sea in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali.” From Hebrew, Capernaum means “village of Nahum” (the prophet). At present the city is in ruins on the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee, on a sloping plain that descends to the lake and then gradually transitions to hilly country beyond the town. The place where Capernaum once stood is now called Tell-Hum, where Hum means “black,” because the stones here, with few exceptions, are of black basalt. The name Capernaum has no relation to Tell-Hum. Among the ruins of the present Tell-Hum are visible the remains of some building, perhaps a fortress, church, or synagogue, built, as some think, by a centurion, though the antiquity of the building is somewhat questionable. Pilgrims, from the fourth century onward, have left records of their travels and agree that the present Tell-Hum was indeed Capernaum in the time of Christ. It may be, however, that local traditions, which are often unreliable, formed the basis of such judgments. The word “by the sea” was probably added because verse 15 speaks of the “sea road.”

Matthew 4:14. So that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, saying, The evangelist does not indicate the grounds for why Jesus Christ moved to Capernaum but indicates what meaning this settlement had. In this fact an ancient prophecy was fulfilled, which is cited in the next verse.

Matthew 4:15. “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles,” Matthew 4:16. “The people who were sitting in darkness have seen a great light, and to those sitting in the land and shadow of death light has dawned upon them.” The speech in the given verses (in Greek) is distinguished by extraordinary beauty, almost rhythmical, measured, sonorous, and musical. These verses are taken from Isa 9:1-2. When compared with the Septuagint translation, strong deviations are noted. In the Septuagint it reads literally thus: “Drink first, do quickly, land of Zebulun, you, land of Naphtali, and the rest, which are in the coastal region and beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people walking in darkness, behold the great light; those living in the land, shadow of death, light will shine upon you (over you).” In the Septuagint translation the Hebrew text is translated by completely incorrect Greek expressions, but while the structure of speech in them remains rather Hebrew than Greek. The differences between the Septuagint translation and Matthew’s text lead one to suppose that in the present case Matthew took the text not from Greek but from Aramaic or Hebrew. This is indicated by the form ὁδόν (accusative case), characteristic of the Hebrew language. “The meaning of the Hebrew text (Isa 8:23-29:1) is distinguished both in itself by obscurity, and the Septuagint has made it even more obscure by its translation” (Zahn, 1905). Literally from the Hebrew: “In earlier times He regarded the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali as insignificant, but in later times has regarded it as important—the sea road, on the other side of the Jordan, the Galilee of the Gentiles. The people walking in darkness will see a great light; those living in the land of the shadow of death—light will shine upon them.” The Greek text of Matthew can be read in two ways, depending on where the comma is placed: “by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,” or: “by the way of the sea beyond the Jordan.” The first is more probable. As we can see, here are designated various localities, of which Capernaum became the center, namely: 1) the land of Zebulun and Naphtali by the way of the sea, i.e., not all, but only localities adjoining the lake; upper Galilee, a part of it, belonging to the tribe of Naphtali, where Gentiles were mixed with Jews (1 Macc 5:15); 2) the localities lying beyond the Jordan, i.e., Perea. The inhabitants of these localities are characterized as a people living “in darkness” (ἐν σκότει) and in the land and shadow of death (it is unclear why Meyer refers the word θανάτου only to χῶρα). If such they were in the time of Isaiah, did they remain the same in the time of Christ? The prophet, of course, attributes their barbarism to barbarous invasions (Isa 8) and then passes on to depicting better days. In the times of Christ, it hardly seems that the inhabitants of the listed lands were in greater darkness than others, although the judgment upon the cities lying near the lake (Matt 11:21 ff.) does testify to the development among them of unnatural vices, which never, of course, serve as a sign of high intellectual and moral development. The evangelist here contrasts the relative light of national development with the great light that dawned with the coming and activity of the Savior. The first light, national, might seem to the evangelist darkness and the shadow of death in comparison with this great light.

Matthew 4:17. From that time Jesus began to proclaim and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.” These words are almost literally similar to the words Matt 3:1-2, where he speaks of the beginning of the preaching of the Baptist. But what meaning did now the same preaching have from the lips of Jesus Christ? In explaining these words, some (Strauss) even expressed the opinion that it was not John who considered himself the forerunner of Christ, but Christ Himself considered Himself the forerunner of John; but such an opinion is not justified by any historical criticism whatsoever. It is much better to explain the matter thus: that the initial preaching of Christ was a continuation of the preaching of John and, as a continuation, had at first an inner connection with it. However, the meaning of the initial preaching in the mouth of John and Jesus Christ was not the same. The difference, as one may suppose, lay in the following. John spoke, as if to say: Repent, because the King will soon come (appear) and His kingdom has drawn near. Jesus Christ: “the kingdom has drawn near.” Following the order of gradualness, He did not present Himself before the people as the Messiah but preached as a prophet, connecting His activity with the preceding activity of John as a prophet. But Christ’s preaching soon became the Gospel of the kingdom (εὐαγγέλιον τῆς βασιλείας), whereas this is not said of John (though in Luke 3:18 he is said to have preached the gospel). Thus, the initial preachings of Jesus Christ and John were similar, but soon there came what is called differentiation.

Matthew 4:18. As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers: Simon, called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. (Cf. Mark 1:16.) The word “walking” (περιπατῶν) indicates repeated visits to the Sea of Galilee, though it does not here have the meaning attached to it in Greek classical prose—for denoting the teaching communion of philosophers (the Peripatetics) with their disciples, and at this time their instruction and arguments. The Sea of Galilee is called a “sea” (θάλασσα) instead of “lake” (λίμνη). It has an oval shape. Its length from north to south is about 18 versts, its width about twelve. On its western side, where Capernaum was, rounded hills with long slopes begin from the very shore. The highest of them is Hattin. In one place only does a limestone rock project into the lake like a cape. Here a path passes, which existed long before Christ and was then, as now, the only way northward, so that at this place one feels one is walking the soil on which the Savior and His disciples walked many times. From the Gospel of John we know that Simon and Andrew were called by Christ earlier, shortly after the temptations, at which time Simon (Hebrew Simeon) was renamed Peter. Here let us note the fact that Matthew already knows that Simon was called Peter (cf. John 1:42). The question of whether the disciples chosen by Christ accompanied Him when He went to the feast of Passover and remained constantly with Him after their calling, is one of the most difficult, because reading the Gospels of Matthew and Mark (Mark 1:16) creates the impression that Jesus Christ for the first time “saw Simon and Andrew” (so in Mark—without the addition of the name Peter) and called them to Himself. It is further incomprehensible why Matthew and Mark do not mention other disciples called by the Savior—John, Philip, and Nathanael. One thinks only that the account of the evangelist John excellently supplements the accounts of the Synoptics and by means of John we can well understand their accounts. The apostles, perhaps, set out to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, but not together with Christ. After their calling they occupied themselves with their former work, fishing, as they did after the resurrection. “For they were fishermen.” In John the word “fishermen” (ἁλιεῖς) does not occur, but the verb “to fish” (ἁλιεύειν) is found, applied to the apostles (John 21:3).

Matthew 4:19. And He said to them, “Come after Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Almost literally Mark 1:17). A few words were sufficient at that time for the disciples to follow the Savior. “Come after Me”—this expression fully corresponds to the Hebrew (“lechu acharai”), which by usage among the Hebrews meant discipleship. The Savior was saying: Come after Me, that is, be My companions and disciples. “And I will make you fishers of men.” Simon and Andrew were fishermen in the literal sense. The Savior says to them that He wants to make them fishermen in the spiritual sense; instead of ordinary fish, the apostles will catch men in the net of the gospel.

Matthew 4:20. And immediately, leaving their nets, they followed Him. (Almost literally Mark 1:18). The meaning of the expression depends on where one places the comma. It is more correct to relate “immediately” to “leaving.”

Matthew 4:21. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. (Cf. Mark 1:19-20.) Concerning the calling of James and John, the same observations apply as were made about verse 18. John was called earlier along with Andrew, though he does not name himself (John 1:37 ff.). James was called now, apparently for the first time. He is here distinguished from James the son of Alphaeus (Matt 10:3). As for Zebedee, the father of James and John, he did not follow Christ. He did not follow because, as Saint John Chrysostom says, “apparently he did not believe (μὴ πιστεῦσας). Therefore the disciples left him. And not only did he not believe, but he also opposed virtue and piety.”

Matthew 4:22. And immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him. (Cf. Mark 1:20.) Saint John Chrysostom and blessed Theophylact set forth the deed of the brothers as an example for those following and wishing to follow Christ, who leave for this sake their property and relatives.

Matthew 4:23. And Jesus went about all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people. (Cf. Mark 1:39; Luke 4:44.) It is to be supposed that Jesus Christ made several journeys throughout Galilee. It is unknown whether the journeys spoken of here by Matthew are identical to those spoken of by Mark and Luke in the indicated places. Traveling throughout Galilee, Jesus Christ taught in the synagogues. John preached in the open air; Jesus Christ also did so, but in some cases and, apparently, many times, in the synagogues. Synagogues arose during the Babylonian captivity, when the temple was destroyed, and were prayer places of the Jews where, however, no sacrifices were made. Synagogue means assembly. The word “their” refers to the inhabitants of Galilee. “And healing every disease and every infirmity among the people.” The word “healing,” in Greek—θεραπεύων—means to heal, to care for the sick, to serve. The following words: “every disease and every infirmity,” indicate the miraculous character which the evangelist attributes to this word.

Matthew 4:24. And His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those who were demon-possessed, those who were epileptic, and those who were paralyzed, and He healed them. Literally: “and the report about Him went out into all Syria.” Syria was to the north and northeast of Galilee. Although Jesus Christ went about, taught, and healed in Galilee, His fame went beyond the borders of Galilee. During this journey they brought to Him all who were suffering, those afflicted with various diseases and torments, those possessed by demons, epileptics, and the paralyzed, and He healed them.

Matthew 4:25. And large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan. The word Decapolis here requires explanation. It was the name given to a region to the east of the Jordan, which, according to Pliny (Natural History, 18, 74), included ten cities: Damascus, Philadelphia, Raphana, Scythopolis, Gadara, Hippos, Dion, Pella, Gerasa (Gerasa), and Canatha. Of these, however, only Scythopolis lay west of the Jordan. The exact number of cities cannot be determined. Subsequently, more or fewer cities were added to the group, yet the region continued to be called the Decapolis. This was a league of free Hellenistic cities. The Decapolis ceased to exist at the beginning of the second century of the Christian era, when some of the most important cities of this league were annexed to the Roman province of Arabia (Schürer, Geschichte).

Chapter Five

The Sermon on the Mount. 1–12. Nine beatitudes. – 13–16. Salt of the earth and light of the world. – 17–20. Christ’s relation to the Old Testament law. – 21–26. The commandment “You shall not kill.” – 27–32. The commandment “You shall not commit adultery.” – 33–37. Oaths. – 38–42. Law of retaliation. – 43–48. Love for enemies.

Matthew 5:1. Seeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and when He sat down, His disciples came to Him. (Cf. Mark 3:13; Luke 6:12.) To the time between the events set forth by Matthew at the end of the previous chapter (verses 23–24) and the pronouncing by the Savior of the Sermon on the Mount are attributed, among other things: the healing of the paralyzed man in Jerusalem, of which only John speaks (John 5:1-47), the passing through the sown fields, the plucking of grain by the disciples and the rebuking of the Pharisees (Matt 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-27; Luke 6:1-5); the healing of the withered hand (Matt 12:9-13; Mark 3:1-5; Luke 6:6-11). Then, after the events briefly set forth in Matt 4:25; Mark 3:7-8, the Savior went up on the mountain; according to Mark and Luke, immediately following this came the choosing of the 12 (Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16), which Matthew recounts afterward. From this brief enumeration of events it is evident that the order adopted by Matthew is completely different from that of the other evangelists, and this alone rules out the likelihood of any borrowing from one another. “Seeing the crowds.” According to Luke (Luke 6:12-13), it was early in the morning, after the Savior had spent the night in prayer. The article before the word “crowds” (τοὺς ὄχλους—the crowds) shows that the evangelist is speaking of the same crowds of which he spoke in Matt 4:25, where the word “crowd” is placed without the article (ὄχλοι πολλοί). Ὄχλοι is used many times in all four Gospels, the book of Acts, and the Apocalypse (but not in the Epistles) and apparently always to denote the common people, a crowd of people, a gathering of unprivileged people (Latin plebs in distinction from populus), which is especially clear from John 7:49, where the Pharisees call the crowd ignorant “in the law” and say it is “cursed.” In Rev 7:9 it speaks of “a great multitude” (ὄχλος πολύς) “from every tribe and nation and tongue”—that is, a mixed gathering of all common people (cf. Rev 17:15). To the Savior gathered all who wished; those who had heard of His glory, which had now spread widely. “He went up on the mountain.” According to Luke (Luke 6:12), at first he speaks in agreement with Matthew that He “went up” on the mountain, but then (Luke 6:17)—that He came down from the mountain and stood on a level place. This latter circumstance is omitted in Matthew, but we do not see any contradiction between the evangelists here. Matthew does not say that Jesus Christ, having gone up on the mountain, did not come down from it, but only passes over this in silence. In other words, in Matthew one circumstance is indicated, in Luke two. From the accounts of the evangelists one can only conclude that the sermon was delivered in the mountainous regions of Palestine, where amid the mountains there were also level places. The word “level,” joined with τόπος (τόπος πεδινός), found in the New Testament only in Luke (Luke 6:17), though indeed it may mean “plain,” does not always, and in the present case it speaks simply of some level place (small) amid mountains. As for the word “mountain” itself in Matthew, to the present time all attempts to determine its location can be considered futile. “This mountain has never been able to be determined by any geography” (John Weiss). In Jerome’s time some thought it was the Mount of Olives. But this, Jerome says, could in no way be true, because in the preceding and following discourse the reference is to Galilee. Jerome himself supposes it was Mount Tabor “or some other high mountain.” Later Catholic exegetes (for example, Cornelius Lapide) on the basis of the traditions of the “chorographers of the Holy Land” affirm with great confidence that this mountain is called the “Mount of Christ” because Christ was accustomed to pray and preach on it. It is located to the west of Capernaum about three miles, not far from the Sea of Galilee, and lies near the city of Bethsaida. Its height is such that from it one can see the land of Zebulun, Naphtali, Trachonitis, Ituraea, then Seir, Hermon, and Lebanon. The value of the testimony of these “chorographers of the Holy Land” can be seen from the fact that their testimony dates from not earlier than the thirteenth century and is found only among the Latins, whence of itself it “has no historical value.” The opinion that it was the so-called “Mount of Beatitudes” (present-day Kurn or Carn Hattin) should be considered only “plausible,” but by no means certain (it is unclear from Cornelius Lapide’s words whether he has in mind this particular mountain). The evangelists themselves do not name the mountain by name, though they place the word “mountain” with the article. Perhaps the article merely means that the mountain was at the place where the Savior saw the crowd. Meyer considers the opinion that this was a “well-known mountain” arbitrary and not consistent with analogies Matt 14:23. Having gone up on the mountain, the Lord sat down. According to Augustine, this was “becoming to the dignity of a teacher” (ad dignitatem magistri). Among the Hebrews preachers usually preached sitting. Christ Himself did not always preach sitting (see John 7:37), and Christian preachers preached standing only in exceptional cases when delivering elevated, more prophetic than teaching, discourses (Acts 2:14). Some stone lying on the surface could serve as a simple and convenient platform for the Savior. Zahn points out that the Savior sat down because He wanted to pronounce a long discourse. “And His disciples came to Him.” “Came” (προσῆλθον)—a favorite word of Matthew, occurring 52 times in him, 6 in Mark, 10 in Luke, and only once in John (John 12:21). The expression indicates not that only the disciples drew near, but that they stood out from the crowd and approached the Savior more closely than others. One can understand here the 12 disciples only on the basis of Luke’s indication (Luke 6:13 ff.), from Matthew’s words alone this is not directly apparent, because earlier he had spoken only of four disciples (Matt 4:18), and the calling of Matthew himself, according to his account, occurred already after the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 9:9). The question is adequately resolved by understanding that here, in any case, the general disciples of Christ who had joined Him during His early activity in Galilee should be kept in mind. But this does not exclude the possibility of the presence of the 12 near Christ, including Matthew, even if he had not yet been called to discipleship. Christ began to speak His sermon to them aloud before all the people (Matt 7:28). According to Theophylact and others, He taught not only the disciples but also the people.Matthew 5:2. And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying, Matthew 5:3. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Cf. Luke 6:20.) The same discourse, but in an abbreviated form and with changes, appears in Luke (Luke 6:20-49). The question of the relationship between Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount and Luke’s Sermon on the Mount is extraordinarily difficult. Some say that it is one and the same discourse, spoken under identical circumstances and at one time, but only set forth in different editions. Others, conversely, think that these were two discourses, spoken twice for different reasons and under different circumstances. In favor of the first opinion speaks the fact that many expressions in Matthew and Luke coincide, for example, Matt 7:3-5 and Luke 6:41-42, or Matt 7:24-27 and Luke 6:47-49. The beginning, course of thought, and conclusion of both discourses are almost identical. The historical circumstances are similar. Against the identity of the discourses it is pointed out that the similarity does not extend to complete exactness. In Matthew the Savior pronounces His discourse sitting; in Luke standing; in Matthew on a mountain, in Luke on a level place. According to Matthew, before the pronouncing of the discourse the Savior had only four disciples; according to Luke twelve. The Greek Church recognizes both discourses as identical. The differences, in our opinion, are well explained only and exclusively by the theory of fragments, nor does it deny that some parts of the teaching could have been repeated. We must suppose that the Savior’s discourse was recorded soon after its pronouncing by one or several persons; and both Matthew and Luke made use of the records of the discourse, while for Matthew they served to help his personal recollections. It is quite probable that Matthew himself recorded the discourse. The opinions of recent critics on the compilative character of the Sermon on the Mount are so unstable that they hardly deserve any consideration and are refuted simply by the fact that the Sermon on the Mount surpasses in its depth the understanding even of contemporary theologians, and therefore could not at all have been an invention of antiquity. One of the most recent German critics (John Weiss) says that this discourse of Christ is “all-embracing and richest in content, is not exhausted by any interpretation and is not lived through by any human life.” The Sermon on the Mount, according to the same author, is intelligible only from the conditions of the time when it was pronounced. Of the 107 verses in Matthew of which it consists, Luke has only 30. The sermon begins in both evangelists, Matthew and Luke, with the so-called “beatitudes.” There has been much dispute over their number. Without going into detail, we can point out that some exegetes accepted only seven beatitudes on the ground that in verses 3 and 10 the same expressions are repeated: “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” and therefore these two beatitudes should be taken as one. Others say that all beatitudes are ten, by analogy with the ten commandments. A third group says eight, counting verses 11 and 12 as an expansion of verse 10. Some regarded verse 5 as a marginal gloss. It is evident that the question about this is not of essential importance. The number of beatitudes is best determined by the word itself “blessed,” which is repeated nine times, and therefore one must acknowledge that there are altogether nine beatitudes. To express the concept of blessedness, there are four Greek words: μακάριος, εὐδαίμων, εὐτυχής, and ὄλβιος. In Russian all of them can be translated as “happy.” At first glance at these words, one can immediately see that neither εὐδαίμων nor εὐτυχής were suitable here, since the first is connected with the (purely pagan) notion of a happy demon living in man and contributing to his happiness, while the second is connected with pagan notions of fate and chance. Thus, only ὄλβιος or μακάριος remained. But ὄλβιος indicates chiefly external happiness, worldly wealth, while μακάριος indicates chiefly spiritual happiness. The first word does not appear at all in the New Testament, the second appears many times. Among classical authors the word μακάριος is used to denote the heavenly and also the future blessedness of gods and men. The word expresses the notion of ideal happiness without admixture of earthly sorrows, though it is used to denote earthly happiness as well, especially in a religious sense. Μακάριος corresponds to the Hebrew “ashre” (“ashar,” “esher”), which means chiefly “salvation.” This word begins the first Psalm. The Seventy translators translated the Hebrew “ashre” as μακάριος 38 times. Thus, by the blessed, if one takes into account the meaning of Greek and Hebrew words, one may understand people for whom eternal salvation and blessedness are prepared. They possess inner qualities, inner peace, and happiness here on earth. The word “blessed” serves as the guiding idea for the beatitudes. This is evident from the fact that the Savior repeats it in all the beatitudes. It is much harder to explain the expression “poor in spirit” (πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι). This difficulty is increased because in Luke (Luke 6:20) it says (in the Greek text) simply “the poor” without the addition “in spirit” (in the Russian and Slavonic Bibles it is added—“in spirit”). In different commentaries we have found about twenty translations of this expression, very different from one another. The given definitions include: the poor, poor in spirit, the humble, those who have voluntarily taken upon themselves poverty, the spiritually poor, poor sinners, poor souls, poor children, people occupying a low social position; the oppressed, humiliated, wretched, unfortunate, those in need of help, those who hope in God, the blessed in spirit (or in spirit) poor, the pious, people who have turned their thoughts, heart, and love away from the things of the present world and lifted them to heaven, so that if externally they appear poor, they feel themselves satisfied, but if externally they are rich, they do not attach themselves to their riches but are humble and modest, diligently seek God, are hospitable, make generous donations for deeds of mercy, piety, or generally for whatever is required in the service of God and neighbor. It has been established with sufficient probability that the Greek word πτωχός corresponds to the Hebrew “ani,” which means poor, needy, and also humble, meek. “The pious person, who is troubled in his heart by the awareness that he is wretched and helpless, turns to God and knows and expects no help for himself except that which he asks from the merciful God, is the true ‘ani.’” Of the indicated translations, none, in our opinion, withstands criticism. The most probable seems to us the translation of the expression οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι as “the humble,” “the modest.” It is certain that it can be accepted, at least in elementary explanations of this expression. However, this does not mean that such a translation is quite sufficient. Aside from the fact that the notions of humility and modesty are expressed further by πραεῖς, one can ask why the Savior did not express them through the word ταπεινός, if He spoke precisely of humility, because ταπεινός with its derivatives occurs many times in the New Testament and was better known to all than the somewhat enigmatic οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι. If indeed all the indicated translations are wrong, can one explain the expression in question? To explain it, let us say that exegetes encounter similar difficulties when explaining many other sayings of the Savior in the Sermon on the Mount. From what does this result? In our opinion, from the fact that the Sermon on the Mount possesses one remarkable property, to which little attention is paid: it does not allow, or allows very little, abstraction in interpretation. It is so well adapted to the customs and notions of the simple people surrounding Christ that as soon as we forget about this crowd, we immediately enter the realm of abstraction, and Christ’s expressions become not entirely clear to us. This, of course, does not at all prevent us from considering Christ’s sayings as abstract theological-theoretical teaching, but in doing so we should never lose sight of the ground on which we should stand for the nearest and concrete explanation of the Sermon on the Mount. We must, consequently, first of all imagine what kind of crowd gathered before Christ, in order to understand the meaning of the first beatitude, and after it the rest. This crowd, of course, stood silently before Him with bated breath, and the eyes of all the people gathered from different places, in different clothes, of different ages and positions, were fixed on Him. We see that the crowd is so attentive that it even notices how and when He opened His mouth. How does Christ Himself relate to this simple people? He does not drive them away from Him, wishes to teach them, and teaches in such a way that His words, being fully comprehensible to the people, are at once indelibly impressed in the memory and heart of His listeners. Therefore, the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount and, as we shall see, in some places its continuation, can be considered as a whole series of greetings from Christ to the gathered ὄχλοι, as a certain kind of captatio benevolentiae on the part of the Great Teacher toward His numerous simple listeners. If we agree with this interpretation, then to us immediately and in complete plasticity will appear clear the expression: “blessed are the poor in spirit,” and we will not need to resort to any arbitrary guesses and unsatisfactory translations. Anyone who has seen a popular crowd or dealt with it knows well that it always consists of those πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, poor in spirit. If it were otherwise, no preacher would ever see any crowd around his pulpit. But even a developed crowd is no exception, and not only a crowd, but every individual person. Standing, so to speak, face to face before Christ’s teaching and before His Person, to which is inherent extraordinary “spiritual power,” both the individual person and the crowd always feel their extreme spiritual poverty, poorness, and destitution. Once, the contemplation of this crowd was expressed from Christ in sympathy and concern for it concerning its material needs (John 6:5; Matt 15:32; Mark 8:2). And in the present case, the Lord also, probably, looked with sympathy on the crowd and, greeting it, called all, without exception, of those who composed it “poor in spirit.” Clearly, there was not the slightest thought of humility or anything of the sort, but merely a simple characterization of the people who came to Christ to hear His teaching. And all the more did that crowd differ in poverty of spirit precisely those people who came to the Savior and, without doubt, caught every word of His—all the more by reason of their extreme opposite state with the state of Christian enlightenment and advancement in the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. In the midst of this still unenlightened and not yet assimilated to itself the spirit of Christ’s teaching crowd were heard delightful, enchanting sounds. The Lord called the crowd gathered before Him happy precisely because of its Christian underdevelopment and in view of the possibilities lying before it—with a full and open heart and an undamaged and uncorrupted mind—to receive the Christian truths, which are the very spirit. To it, this crowd which the religious teachers of that time had abandoned, belongs the kingdom of heaven. It has come to her, and she receives it. Such is the nearest, direct meaning of the first beatitude, fully comprehensible to Christ’s listeners and assimilated by them. From what has been said it follows that the “poor in spirit” must be seen, observed, imagined. But precise definitions of these words are difficult and hardly possible. This we must always bear in mind and in explaining other beatitudes, as well as in general the teaching set forth in the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5:4. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Cf. Luke 6:21.) First of all, let us point out that in various manuscripts verses 4 and 5 are transposed, and this transposition was known as early as the second century. After the first beatitude (“blessed are the poor in spirit”) in Tischendorf and in the Vulgate follows: “blessed are the meek.” But in several manuscripts (Sinaitic, Vatican, Ephrem, and many uncial) following the first beatitude is “blessed are those who mourn.” The latter order may be considered the accepted one; it is adopted both in our Slavonic and Russian texts. The difference, of course, either has no effect, or has very little effect on the meaning and content of the beatitudes. Why it occurred is difficult to say. The existing explanations of the connection between the first and second beatitudes are generally unsatisfactory. As was said above, the guiding idea of the beatitudes is given by the word “blessed” (μακάριοι). Attempts to explain them by a different connection should be recognized as unsuccessful. In explaining logically the course of thought of the Savior in the beatitudes, one presents (Toluck (1856) and others) the matter as follows. At first in man there is an awareness of his inner poverty, his spiritual destitution; as a consequence of this there is sorrow, which arises from awareness of one’s guilt and imperfection; and from this there arise meekness and striving for righteousness. As this striving is satisfied and man is granted forgiveness, compassion and love for others are awakened in him, he is cleansed from sins and strives to impart the peace which he himself has attained to others. But, not to mention the fact that such construction is unclear and somewhat artificial and, in any case, could not have been understood by Christ’s immediate listeners, it can have some application only to the beatitudes set forth in verses 3–7, and suffers from great stretches and even greater obscurities in application to the remaining beatitudes. Because how, after poverty of spirit, sorrow, meekness, striving for righteousness, and mercy, should follow beatitudes depending on various reproaches, persecutions, and pursuits? The theory does not explain this. It is much more probable to suppose that the Savior simply wished to enumerate the qualities and character of people who should become citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom He was establishing, the ground for which was given by the very appearance of the crowd standing before Him, and not at all to indicate a psychological process, in the order of gradualness aimed at preparation for the Kingdom and toward the spiritual development of man (cf. Luke 6:20 and ff., where the beatitudes are indicated in a completely different order than in Matthew). To the question of whether Christ’s words exhaustively express all man’s happiness in the new Kingdom, or, in other words, whether all those people are listed who should become blessed, it is hardly possible to answer. Perhaps if before Christ had stood still other people, different from those in the surrounding crowd, then other beatitudes would have been added to His discourse. We at least know that besides the blessed enumerated by Christ, worthy of becoming members of His Kingdom, there were also other blessed people (Matt 11:6; Luke 7:23; Acts 20:35). Without doubt, no matter how simple and obvious the truths indicated by Christ, natural man could not have reached them by his own reason, and they should be recognized as revelation, and indeed the highest and divine revelation. The parallels drawn from the Talmud have reference not to all the beatitudes. Attempts to draw together verses 3–4 of Matthew with Isa 61:1-3 and to show that Christ only repeats the words of the prophet can be considered unsuccessful, because for anyone reading the Bible it is completely obvious that there is no similarity between Christ’s discourse on the beatitudes and the indicated passage from the prophet Isaiah, except for only individual expressions. However, it is possible that the order of the first two beatitudes, that is, the discourse about the mourning after the poor, could have been determined by the indicated passage from the prophet Isaiah. As for the meaning itself of the word “those who mourn” (πενθοῦντες), the distinction from other Greek words expressing sorrow and grief seems to be that it means sorrow accompanied by the shedding of tears. Therefore the indicated Greek word is opposed to laughter (Luke 6:25; Jas 4:9). In general the expression means both literally and figuratively—mourning, and particularly as a result of some suffering (πένθος from πάσχω—I suffer). To say that here is meant mourning for sins and the like is to move again into the realm of abstraction. According to our explanation, Christ, seeing before Himself the poor in spirit, could perhaps also see those who mourn. Without doubt, such people are known to every ordinary preacher as well. If there were no mourners near Christ at that time, He could have seen them before. He greeted them in the second beatitude, from whatever cause their mourning originated. The word “will be comforted” most fully corresponds to the word “those who mourn,” differs in complete naturalness. Of course, for all those who mourn, the most natural state is that they will be comforted. The word “will be comforted” does not fully, however, express the thought of the Greek word (παρακαλέω), which means, properly, “to call,” “to summon,” then “to say something to someone,” “to exhort,” “to persuade,” “to request help from someone and to render help.” The last expression most closely corresponds to the παρακληθήσονται used in verse 4. Therefore the meaning of the beatitude in question may be thus: blessed are those who mourn, for they will receive help, at which their tears will cease.

Matthew 5:5. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” By the word “meek” are understood the quiet, humble, harmless, modest, gentle. Such people are opposite to the harsh (χαλεποί), the irritable (πικροί), the wild (ἄγριοι). According to blessed Augustine, “the meek are those who yield to importunate acts (improbitatibus) and do not resist evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21).” The Greek πραΰς or πρᾷος means quiet, calm, meek, soft, merciful. The observation of meek people is accessible to all, and therefore the meaning of the word “meek” (πραεῖς) presents no particular difficulties. On the other hand, the explanation of the further expression: “they will inherit the earth,” presents great difficulties, because there arise the following questions: what earth? Why does the meek inherit the earth? Such questions were posed by Chrysostom. “What earth? Tell me. Some say that a spiritual one. But that is not so, because in Scripture we nowhere find any mention of a spiritual earth. But what does this mean? Christ here established a sensory reward, as did Paul as well.” What exactly is meant by such a sensory reward or earth, Chrysostom does not explain. Some light on these words of Christ is cast by the circumstance that His words almost literally coincide with the words Ps 36:11: “the meek will inherit the earth” (οἱ δὲ πραεῖς κληρονομήσουσιν γῆν—according to the Septuagint translation). In the Hebrew and in the Septuagint psalm the word “earth” is used without the article (earth in general, unknown which). In the Gospel—with the article. It is noteworthy that the expression: “will inherit the earth,” is repeated in the psalm several times (Ps 36:9), and the word “earth” is used in the same indefinite meaning as in the Gospel. In the psalm those hoping in the Lord, the meek, the righteous, the blameless, etc., are contrasted with evildoers, wicked people, those doing evil, the godless, the lawbreakers. The discourse is of the destruction (on the earth) of evildoers, who, “like grass, will soon be mown down and, like growing grain, will wither, perish” with their descendants. “I have seen,” says the psalmist, “a wicked man in his pride, spreading himself like a green tree; but he passed, and behold he is no more; I seek him and cannot find him” (Ps 36:2). Consequently, the chief thought of the psalm is that the wicked will be replaced by the righteous and in this sense will inherit the earth. One can think that the Savior spoke in the same sense. He spoke not of the fact that the meek inherit the Holy Land, Palestine, but in general will inherit the earth, will become masters of the earth, the universe. History justifies such a prophecy. Christians, having assimilated to themselves the Christian ideals of meekness, harmlessness, humility, truly inherited the earth which before was occupied by the wicked (pagans). This process continues to the present time and when it will end is unknown. Οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι and πραεῖς—are not synonymous terms.

Matthew 5:6. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” (Cf. (Luke 6:21)—simply “those who hunger.”) These words in themselves present no difficulties for interpretation. What is somewhat difficult is only the word “righteousness.” What righteousness? One could say that under righteousness is understood truth, but then in Greek it would be ἀλήθεια, not δικαιοσύνη. This latter word has many meanings. In the passage in question, most likely, it means the righteousness of God, a life in accord with the laws and commandments given by God. As for the figure adopted by Christ, it is not unusual in Scripture (see Ps 41:3 ff.; Ps 62:2; Isa 55:1-3; Amos 8:11-14). Christ’s followers should strive toward righteousness before God with the same force that the hungry strive to find themselves food or the thirsty to find water.

Matthew 5:7. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” And here, as in the second and fourth beatitudes, the reward is set in the most natural correspondence with the virtue. The word “merciful” is used in the sense of people in general who show mercy, benevolence toward their neighbors, and not only the poor. In the Old Testament the same truth was expressed quite similarly to the Savior’s commandment, but mercy is limited only in relation to the poor (Prov 14:21—according to the Septuagint translation). More similar to the Savior’s words are the words of the prophets (Hos 6:6; Mic 6:8). Quite correctly writes Saint John Chrysostom: “It seems to me that He speaks here not only of the merciful in distributing their possessions, but also of the merciful through deeds. For diverse are the ways of mercy and broad is this commandment.” As for the showing of mercy toward the merciful, it is understood by some interpreters as showing mercy only at the Last Judgment. But it is hardly likely that the Savior had in mind such a precise limitation. The merciful, of course, will be shown mercy at the Last Judgment, but this does not at all prevent their being shown mercy in the present life as well.

Matthew 5:8. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” One of the deepest truths. Purity of heart is set as the condition for seeing God. But the term used to designate this vision (ὄψονται—will see, shall behold) relates to the eye and means optical vision. Since from other passages of Scripture it is evident that man cannot see God, we must think that the discourse here is figurative, ordinary vision serving as an image of the spiritual. This is evident from the combination of terms: “pure in heart” and “will see.” To see God requires purity of heart. What is purity of heart? Such a state of man when his heart, the source of feelings, is not darkened by any influences that obscure it with vicious passions or sinful deeds. Between absolute or complete purity of heart and relative purity there exist in men many intervals where partial sickness and partial perfection are observed, as also in the eye. Man’s ability to see (spiritually) God increases as his heart, his conscience, is cleansed. Pure heart = clean conscience. Although the thought of the possibility of seeing God did exist in antiquity (cf. Ps 23:4-6), it is found, for example, several times in Philo, we have not found examples where the vision of God, as in the New Testament, is placed in dependence on purity of heart (cf. Heb 10:22).

Matthew 5:9. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” That by peacemakers are understood not only the so-called peaceful, calm people who themselves bother no one and no one bothers them, but also people working to achieve and establish peace on earth, hardly admits of doubt. Jerome understands by peacemakers those “who first in their own heart and then among brothers at odds with one another establish peace. What use is it if you make peace with strangers while vices war in your soul?” But Jerome does not explain why peacemakers will be called (recognized as) sons of God. What connection is there between peacemaking and sonship? Why will only peacemakers be called sons of God? What are sons of God? When will peacemakers be called sons of God? Attempts to resolve these questions with the help of Old Testament analogies, as well as examples from rabbinical and apocryphal writings, hardly can be considered successful. In these latter cases, peacemakers are sometimes called simply “blessed” or “happy,” in others “disciples of Aaron”; or here is spoken of “sons of God,” and Israelites are called “sons of God,” but not because they are peacemakers. One must acknowledge that Christ’s expression is original and the combination of peacemaking with sonship belongs to Him alone. What He said and intended to say is extraordinarily difficult to explain. Nothing remains but to make use of the explanations given by Saint John Chrysostom and blessed Theophylact. The first says: “The work of the Only-Begotten Son of God consisted in uniting what was divided and reconciling what was at enmity.” Consequently, peacemakers will be called sons of God because they imitate the Son of God. Theophylact says that here “not only are understood those living in peace with others, but also those who reconcile others quarreling. Peacemakers are also those who through their teaching bring God’s enemies to God. They are sons of God. For the Only-Begotten also reconciled us with the Father.”

Matthew 5:10. “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Those persecuted are meant not simply persecuted, but persecuted for righteousness’ sake. “Many suffer persecution for their sins, and are not righteous,” says blessed Jerome (“multi enim persecutionem propter sua peccata patiuntur, et non sunt justi”). People persecuted for righteousness are found often in every society. The truth-loving are unbearable in bad and wicked society. By righteousness may be understood truth in general. Since these people find no peaceful place on earth among the bad and wicked, they receive the promise of “kingdom”—earthly in a spiritual sense and future—heavenly.

Matthew 5:11. “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you on account of Me.” (Cf. Luke 6:22.) The reading of this verse varies considerably. In numerous manuscripts and patristic citations, ῥῆμα is added—they will say every evil word (εἴπωσι πᾶν πονηρὸν ῥῆμα). In Tischendorf, Westcott and Hort, in the Sinaitic and Vatican codices, and in many Latin translations (also in the Vulgate), the word ῥῆμα (or its corresponding Latin equivalent) is omitted. But in meaning there is almost no difference whether ῥῆμα is accepted or omitted—in the first case the discourse appears merely somewhat clearer. Furthermore, the recepta, Tischendorf, Westcott and Hort, and all the uncial manuscripts (except D) accept ψευδόμενοι. This word is omitted in many Latin translations and the Vulgate. In the Russian translation ψευδόμενοι is rendered: “and falsely say all evil of you.” Such a translation not only poorly corresponds to the original, but is also imprecise in itself, because one can hardly slander anyone truthfully. The Slavonic “lying” is quite exact, but in Russian one cannot express this word through a gerund, which probably was the reason why “lying” was necessarily replaced in the Russian translation by the word “falsely.” Being precise, the Slavonic translation is not, however, free from ambiguity: it is unclear to what “Me” should be related—to “lying” or to “will say all evil.” It is more probable to understand the expression thus, that “Me” relates to all the preceding verbs—“they insult,” “persecute,” “will say all evil.” “It is not recommended to relate ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ (“Me”) only to the last verb because all three verbs in these propositions, taking the place of διώκειν (to persecute) in verse 10, equally need this addition” (Zahn, 1905). The Savior speaks here not of some particular possible case (then “if” would stand at the beginning of the verse—ἐάν—instead of “when”), but of the actual coming persecutions, insults, slanders coming to the disciples and calls the people who will bear all this happy.

Matthew 5:12. “Rejoice and be very glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Cf. Luke 6:23.) To the general expression of Matthew, “rejoice and be very glad,” Luke adds “in that day,” i.e., in the very time of insults, persecutions, and slander, in the very day of grief resulting from all these evils. The thought of a higher heavenly reward for people who encounter nothing in this world except malice, persecution, and insult for Christ’s sake is natural and fully meets the demands of sound logic and morality. One cannot agree with the opinion that the Savior here had in mind only the disciples, and that only through them He spoke to all others who intended to imitate the disciples (Euthymius Zigabenus and others). The fact that His words did not refer only to the immediate disciples was proved by the history of persecutions of Christians. Christ confirms His thought by saying that “in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you,” on the one hand, placing and elevating His listeners to the same degree as the prophets, and on the other—indicating the general, usual character of the prophetic lot and service. What exactly are the facts of persecution of the former prophets that the Savior has in mind, He does not say. It must be supposed that Christ’s listeners were well acquainted with these facts (cf. Acts 7:52; Heb 11:32-40; Jer 20:2; 2 Chr 24:21).

Matthew 5:13. “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has lost its taste, how will it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” From what we have seen, the word μακάριοι was a greeting to the gathered crowd. In all the beatitudes a thin, barely perceptible thread of criticism of existing opinions and views on human happiness runs through, and to them is opposed a completely new view of what this happiness consists in. One can observe that in the given verse this greeting continues and even intensifies; the dignity of Christ’s disciples is still further elevated, but at the same time, now in regard to the disciples, a light, very bright criticism passes—in case the disciples do not correspond to their high calling. “You,” He says to them, “are the salt of the earth.” Salt, being a necessary food product without which neither men nor animals can do, was considered in antiquity a noble, highly-valued substance. Nil sole et sale utilius (nothing is more useful than sun and salt), said the ancient Romans. “The chief of all necessities for human life,” says Jesus, son of Sirach, “are water, fire, iron, salt, flour of wheat, honey, milk, grape juice, oil, and clothing” (Sir 39:32). Plutarch calls salt a grace (χάρις), Homer applies to it the epithet—divine (θεῖον), and Plato calls salt a god-loving substance (θεοφιλὲς σῶμα). The disciples of Christ (in the broader sense) are necessary and equally as valuable for the world as salt. The following words are understood in two ways: either, as in Russian: “if the salt has lost its taste, how will it be made salty again?” or: “if salt loses its power, then how will it be made salty, i.e., the earth?” The following discourse shows that the discourse is about salt; the Russian translation should be considered correct. The possibility of salt losing its power was a subject of many discussions among exegetes. Some tried to prove that salt could indeed lose its power when mixed with other substances, for example with resin, or when it “evaporates,” others that one salt could be more salty because of its greater purity, another less; a third group, contrary to all philology, understood “asphalt,” “potassium carbonate,” “saltpeter” here or referred to Pliny, who mentions salem inertem nec candidum (ineffective and non-bright salt). Finally, some thought that the Savior indicated here an impossible fact. A Jewish rabbi, Jesus ben Hanania, when asked by Athenian sages: if salt spoils, how will it be made salty, expressed the opposite opinion, that salt can never become unsalty (see Zahn. Das Evang. d. Matt., p. 198, note). To understand Christ’s utterance, we need to leave the realm of chemistry—simply because Christ does not reason about chemical questions at all, but refers to simple daily (some say even “kitchen”) experience, known to everyone—when salt spoils for various reasons and is thrown out for uselessness. In the commentaries on this verse, Jerome, as is known, not particularly favorably disposed toward “city” clergy, exclaims: caveant ergo doctores et episcopi potentes potenter tormenta sustinere; nihilque esse remedi: sed majorum ruinas ad tartarum ducere (let teachers and bishops beware: “the mighty will be punished severely” (Wis 6:6), nothing will help, but the ruin of the great will lead them to perdition). To this one can respond that in the passage in question the Savior hardly had in mind only teachers and bishops.

Matthew 5:14. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” The greeting becomes even more lofty and with no, not even the slightest shade of criticism in regard to the disciples. The Savior calls His disciples “the light of the world.” Augustine rightly observes that Christ Himself is lumen illuminans (the light that illuminates), while John the Baptist was lumen illuminatum (borrowed light). In the latter sense, of course, one must understand the expression also in regard to the disciples of Christ. Christ Himself was “the light of the world” (John 8:12), “the true Light” (John 1:9) and so forth; the disciples, however, were “light in the Lord” (Eph 5:8), “children of light” (Luke 16:8) and others. Here one can note even the fullness of the feeling of Christ. He passes from one comparison to another and then again returns to the former. The comparison with light quickly ends and the disciples are further compared with a city standing on top of a mountain. They point here to a parallel expression from the “Sayings,” 7: “a city built and established on the summit of a high mountain cannot fall or be hidden.” In this parallel, if it can be called such, three words remind us of verse 14: πόλις (city), δύναται (can), and κρυβῆναι (be hidden). The thought expressed in the “Sayings” is similar to the thought of the verse in question. One hardly needs to say much about the fact that the precise determination of which city exactly Jesus Christ had in mind here is not of great importance. Πόλις—without the article, any city. The thought expressed by the Savior is clear.

Matthew 5:15. “And having lit a lamp, they do not put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.” The thought about a city set on top of a mountain is immediately broken off, and the Savior again returns to discourse about light. Now the disciples are compared to a lamp which “gives light to all in the house.” By the word λύχνος here one cannot understand a “candle” (as in the Russian translation), but a lamp filled with oil, because candles were little used among the Greeks and Eastern peoples (Zahn, 1905). The words translated in the Russian Bible as “under a basket,” in the Slavonic as “under a bushel,” are Latin modius, a grain measure adopted also among the Greeks, equal to 8.754 liters. According to Morison it was equal to the Hebrew “sate” or “seah” (capacity of 432 eggs). Λυχνία—properly a stand for a lamp, sometimes arranged up to one and a half meters in height (Heb 9:2—“lampstand” in the tabernacle; in the Apocalypse there is mention of golden lampstands—Rev 1:12 and others).

Matthew 5:16. “So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” The greeting takes on a pathetic tone, and the discourse is distinguished by great beauty, especially in Greek and probably in all languages. Salt of the earth, a city standing on a mountain and visible to all, “you are light,” lamps which no one puts under a basket—and then again “light,” which should shine before all people—all these poetic images are here mingled together and present themselves as a shimmering brilliance of diamonds turned now in one direction, now in another. Light issues as much from the persons as from their “good deeds,” which are characteristic of them. These deeds let men see and glorify for them the Father in heaven. The word καλός (= Latin pulcher) in the expression τὰ καλὰ ἔργα indicates more the outward beauty of deeds, “the manifestation of good in praiseworthy actions,” than only the thought of them or their moral-theoretical merit. The distinction between ἀγαθός and καλός is difficult to express in Russian. Both words mean “good.” But the first means good in itself, independent of external manifestation, while the second, first of all—beautiful, pleasing, pleasant. The Savior speaks here of deeds not only good, virtuous in themselves, but also beautiful, pleasant to look at, light from which is as pleasant and necessary as the light of the sun or a lamp in a dark room.

Matthew 5:17. “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” With this verse begins a new discourse, not connected with the preceding by any transitional particles (οὖν, δέ, ἀλλά). If it belonged to an ordinary speaker, we could speak of the fact that after the greetings addressed to the listeners, He now proceeded to set forth the matter itself. But although, as we said above, Christ’s discourse in verses 1–16 was greeting in nature and only under such a supposition is it somewhat clear to us, it is nevertheless completely rightly considered an exposition of the new—New Testament—law. This law was new because nothing like it had ever been heard before. To the listeners of Christ it could seem that, in teaching new laws, He was completely abolishing the former ones. It could also be that the earlier teaching of Christ, known to us only in part, chiefly from the Gospel of John, also seemed new in comparison with Old Testament legislation. Such an opinion of the listeners the Savior now subjects to criticism. He says that He does not abolish the former law, does not wish to destroy or break it (καταλῦσαι). He sets His new laws in a genetic connection with the former. This is well expressed by the Savior Himself in another place, in the parable of the seed: “first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear” (Mark 4:28). “The Old Testament was the first steps in the great course of revelation and redemption, which reach their completion in Christ.” Christ had indeed previously based Himself on the Old Testament law, rejecting temptations. Now He, as it were, confirms what He said before. The fulfillment of the Old Testament law by the new was a great historical process. The Old Testament was like an empty, unfilled vessel, or, in other words, was only a form without inner content. Christ fills this vessel, gives the form inner content and meaning. Jesus Christ filled or fulfilled the Old Testament law completely with His own person, life, His teaching, where He expounded the absolute truths of religion and the universal principles of morality. In such a fulfillment everything that had a firm value and significance in Old Testament religion remained inviolate. But the process itself of fulfillment presupposes the abolition of Old Testament religion by itself. It could not continue its existence now independently of the New Testament. Only together with it and in its light not a single feature or jot of the Old Testament passes away or will pass away until the end of the world. In explaining the expression “law and prophets” it is enough to say that all the Old Testament Scripture is meant, which was indeed called in this way: “torah” (law) and “neviim” (prophets), with the addition here of “ketuvim,” or Hagiographa. Since the Psalms were the first book of the Hagiographa, the latter were also called by the general name “Psalms” (cf. Luke 24:44; Acts 24:14). If Christ had said here only of the law and had not mentioned the prophets, even then the word “law” could be understood of all the Old Testament Scripture (cf. 1 Cor 14:21). The objection that the reference to the prophets here is inappropriate because the Savior further says nothing about them is therefore without significance. Nor is the other objection strong, that Matthew only put these words in the mouth of Jesus Christ because “false prophets” appeared, attempting to reject the Old Testament law both wholly and in parts, referring to the words of Christ, which were distorted for this purpose. About Marcion, for example, it is known that he changed the expression of verse 17 thus: “Why do you think that I came to fulfill the law and the prophets? I came to destroy them, not to fulfill” (τί δοκεῖτε; ὅτι ἦλθον πληρῶσαι τὸν νόμον ἢ τοὺς προφήτας; ἦλθον καταλῦσαι, ἀλλ’ οὐ πληρῶσαι). But these words—one of the oldest heretical references to the verse in question by Matthew—only show that it was not Matthew who put the words of verse 17 in the mouth of Jesus Christ for defense against heretics, but heretics borrowed Matthew’s words for their own purposes and distorted them.

Matthew 5:18. “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass away from the Law until all is accomplished.” “For” shows that the following discourse serves as confirmation of the preceding. “Until heaven and earth pass away.” In the Greek text—“until passes away…” (without negation); in the Slavonic Bible exactly—“until passes away.” The Russian translation does not fully correspond to the original, but the meaning is expressed precisely. The law, both Old and New, was given for the earth, for people living on it. As long as people live on the earth and see the sky, both laws will continue. The meaning of the Savior’s words is clear. It is somewhat harder to understand the following words: “not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter…” All interpreters agree that by “jot” here is meant the small Hebrew letter “yod” (י), resembling our comma, and by “part of a letter” are meant scarcely visible to the eye small marks by which the Hebrew letters differ, such as “bet” and “kaph” (ב and כ), “dalet” and “resh” (ד and ר), “heh” and “het” (ה and ח) and others. The Savior says that as long as heaven and earth exist, even the smallest marks, minor provisions in the law, will not be destroyed, will not pass away, will not be forgotten, will not disappear from view.

Matthew 5:19. “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” “What is spoken of in the law is called least; what Christ intended to say is greatest” (Augustine). In Christ’s discourse (in Greek text) a series of aorists in the subjunctive mood “annuls,” “teaches,” “keeps and teaches” (λύσῃ, διδάξῃ, ποιήσῃ καὶ διδάξῃ), and twice “shall be called” (κληθήσεται)—future indicative mood. From this it is concluded that “annuls” and so forth and “shall be called” do not indicate actions that are simultaneous, contemporary, or accompanying one another. Not at once and not simultaneously shall he be called when he annuls, but in the future, in the Kingdom of Heaven. The word “least” (commandments) is in correspondence with “least” (shall be called); but whoever keeps, that is, fulfills, one of the “least” commandments and teaches others this, he shall be called “great” and so forth. Here, however, is understood not mechanical fulfillment of commandments, from great to least, but rather understood, inner, spiritual. The explanation of this thought is served by the following and further verses.

Matthew 5:20. “For I say to you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Concerning the Pharisees see the commentaries on Matt 3:7.) Scribes are called those persons who were engaged in the study of Scripture, the “learned” (homines literati), in Hebrew—“soferim.” Since they were occupied with the study of the law, they were also called lawyers or teachers of the law. Josephus calls them interpreters of the ancestral laws, sophists, and sacred scribes (ἱερογραμματεῖς). They were also given the honorable title of rabbis. These were people who managed the scribal business of that time, up to and including the writing of private letters. Scribes enjoyed great influence among the people. As for the meaning of the verse, it is evident that what is meant is the fulfillment by the scribes of only the Old Testament law, only Old Testament righteousness (δικαιοσύνη), without the addition of such actions as would testify to the fulfillment indicated by Christ. The Old Testament law is not abolished by Christ’s teaching. But if it is fulfilled, to speak crudely, without the additions made by Him, then such a fulfillment of the law, characteristic of the scribes and Pharisees, should be considered insufficient, imperfect, mechanical, unthinking, unreasonable, and even immoral. The disciples of Christ should surpass the scribes and Pharisees in the fulfillment of the law. If the disciples do not do this, they will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Thus, the law and its fulfillment—this should be characteristic of the disciples. Either the law alone, or the law without its fulfillment—this is characteristic of the scribes and Pharisees.

Matthew 5:21. “You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘You shall not kill,’ and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.” The passage begins with the expression: “you have heard.” It should be noted that Christ does not say: you have read. The same applies to the further expression: “it was said” (ἐρρήθη), but not “it was written” (γέγραπται). Such expressions were clearly chosen with the intention to simplify the speech as much as possible and adapt it to the understanding of ordinary people. If Christ had said: you have read, this would have been factually false, since the crowd in general consisted of illiterate or insufficiently literate people. But Scripture was read in Hebrew synagogues at that time, and the people were able to hear this reading. He heard what was said “to the ancients.” This last word has been the subject of much dispute, because grammatically it can be understood: to the ancients (dative case) or by the ancients (instrumental case). Nowadays almost all interpreters accept that here the dative case is not in the sense of the instrumental, which is chiefly evident from the contrasts found in verses 21, 22, 27, 28 – “but I say to you.” Further, against the understanding of τοῖς ἀρχαίοις in the sense of ὑπὸ τῶν ἀρχαίων it is argued that such a use of the dative case is foreign to Matthew and occurs very rarely in the New Testament (Holtzmann, Zahn). The objections that τοῖς ἀρχαίοις is contrasted not with “you,” but with the pronoun “I” (“to the ancients” it was said, but I, and so forth), that Christ in subsequent expressions has in mind the interpretation of the law given by the scribes rather than the law that was given by God through Moses, and that the formula of Christ corresponded to a similar formula used by the rabbis at that time, cannot be considered strong. Of course, with one or another translation of ἀρχαίοις the meaning changes. If we translate: “it was said to the ancients,” this will mean that God Himself said it through Moses to the ancient Hebrews. If – “it was said by the ancients,” this will mean that the utterances of the ancients may not have had or did not have divine sanction and were an addition to the Old Testament law, or its interpretation made on the basis of human authority. But in the latter case, Christ would hardly have used the word “ancient” about the scribes, because they appeared with their interpretations not long before Christ – though it must be said that in the New Testament the word “ancient” denotes not only times and circumstances long past (cf. 2 Cor 5:17; 2 Pet 2:5; Rev 12:9), but sometimes it is also used of recent people and events (Acts 15:7). The commandment “do not kill” is repeated in the law several times (Exod 20:13; Lev 24:17; Deut 5:17) in various forms of expression, but the words: “whoever kills is subject to judgment,” literally do not occur in the law, unless one refers to Deut 17:8. One may suppose that here the Savior either briefly stated the last of the mentioned passages, or pointed to an interpretation which the scribes attached to the commandment “do not kill.” Zahn decisively expresses himself for the latter, saying: “With this (that is, with the commandment ‘do not kill’) the scribes connected something not attached in the Decalogue and not literally encountered in the law at all, namely a definition according to which whoever violated the commandment ‘do not kill’ was subject to judgment, and the judge was required to demand an answer from him.” Such a definition, if made by the scribes, naturally contradicted neither the letter nor the spirit of the Old Testament law. To clarify the further speech of Christ, first of all let us note that the commandment “do not kill” undoubtedly applied only to people, not to animals (mercy toward which, however, was required), that its fulfillment in the Old Testament, according to some exegetes, was not required with decisive strictness, and in general it did not have an absolute and immutable significance. Such an interpretation is based on the fact that, as it is said in many places of the Old Testament, punishments occurred by command of God (Agag and Samuel, priests of Baal and Ashtaroth and Elijah, and so forth). Killings in war were not, of course, denied. But on the other hand, Cain for the murder of Abel, David – of Uriah were strictly punished. From this it was inferred that in the Old Testament killings were divided into legal and illegal, and only for the latter were the guilty subject to and did they undergo responsibility. But if one were to agree with such an interpretation, one would have to recognize nevertheless that the commandment “do not kill” was not given so that it would be violated, and that it retained its force for all possible cases, and its categorical expression ought constantly to shed light on the gloomy life relationships of that time. Thus, if there were violations of this commandment in the Old Testament, it was not because this was legal, but as a result of “hardness of heart,” or one or another practical necessity. In other words, the commandment was sacred and immutable and was law, but its violations for one or another reason were permitted, and precisely these violations, and nothing else, were illegal, if we attend to the causes of the violations, which lay in the conduct of those being punished themselves, and not in those who were punishing them. The word “judgment” is used, apparently, only in a general sense, and therefore there is no need to elaborate on what kind of judgment this was.

Matthew 5:22. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother without cause is subject to judgment; and whoever says to his brother, “Raca,” is subject to the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, “You fool,” is subject to the fire of Gehenna. “But I say to you” – contrast with the previous speech: “it was said to the ancients.” According to the interpretation accepted above, it was said by God through Moses. If the Savior had said: “God did not command you to kill, but I say to you – kill,” then His words would contain a complete refutation of the Old Testament commandment and complete contradiction of the word of God. This means that the contrast here is only verbal and does not relate to the substance of the commandment itself. Just as God through Moses, the Savior forbids killing, but with even greater categoricalness, eliminating the very causes upon which killings have depended and depend. In the Old Testament obstacles were created to the fact of killing, but attention was not paid to its internal causes. People were to refrain from killings not only because of the commandment but also from fear of being subjected to judgment. The Savior transfers the matter, so to speak, from the external court to the internal – to the heart of a man. To understand the meaning of these words, one must again first of all bear in mind the people to whom Christ spoke. We do not think there were members of the Sanhedrin or local court around Him, those who had authority to decide on capital punishment, or any rulers, officials, judges who “bear the sword.” But even if they were present, certainly they bore no signs of their civil honors or duties, mingling with the crowd and in no way distinguished from it. Therefore, in all His Sermon on the Mount, Christ apparently pays no attention to any officials but speaks only to the common people, who could understand His words only in a strictly literal sense. Since the chief cause of ordinary killings in human society has always been, is, and will be anger at one’s brother, in the New Testament not only killings themselves are forbidden but also the anger from which they proceed. At this point it is remarkable that, so to speak, the domain of anger here is limited only to relations with one’s “brother,” but nothing is said about anger at an enemy or even a neighbor. Why is the word “brother” specifically chosen, and not some other? Did Christ wish to say that anger is forbidden only toward one’s brother and is entirely appropriate toward all other people, our enemies and those in general who do not stand in any particularly close relationship with us? Or should the word “brother” be taken in a broad sense – all people in general? Ἀδελφός is used very frequently in the New Testament – to designate brotherhood by birth and brotherhood in a spiritual sense. In the verse under consideration, the word “brother” should be understood in the sense of both a blood brother and a fellow countryman and a human being in general (quivis alius homo – Mitmensch). Thus, according to at least Grimm and Kremer, if we interpret the word “brother” precisely in this sense, we must recognize that, according to the thought of Christ, not only murder of brother by brother or of man by man is forbidden, but even the anger of one man toward another. In other words, on the basis of Christ’s commandment we must deny every kind and possible killing. Thus indeed, and not otherwise, could the people gathered to Him understand Christ’s speech. They were not “official” people in our sense and therefore could not draw any teaching for themselves regarding “official” killings from Christ’s speech. Continuing the interpretation and departing from the crowd, we at once enter here too into the domain of abstractions. But we must always remember that the concepts of “official” and “unofficial” are invented by men. Before Christ, however, all people are equal and no such distinctions exist. Before Him the entire domain of the “official” is smoothed out and all “official” people should mingle with the crowd surrounding Christ, if they wish to listen to and understand His speech. From this flows a clear conclusion that no official killings, killings in war, or executions of criminals, according to the teaching of Christ, should exist. This is the law. Everything else is a departure from the law. But then further questions arise: what should be done when enemies attack us – should we also go to war against them and kill? How should one act if killing is required, for example, for the purpose of defense against attacks by robbers, who, if not killed, themselves will commit many killings, and of completely innocent and defenseless people? Can killings in war and in general for purposes of defense be justified? Yes, and in exactly the same way as they were justified in the Old Testament when there existed a clear, categorical, and immutable commandment “do not kill.” In the Old Testament this commandment was given, which was really directed against the old man with his passions, and yet the “Old Testament” man existed. In the New Testament a new commandment was given that supplemented the Old Testament one. But this does not mean at all that as soon as the New Testament commandment was given, the Old Testament man immediately ceased to exist. He existed after Christ and exists now. The thought of the New Testament is the expulsion and disarming of the old man, and this goal is constantly being achieved. But this is a very slow process. When all people become New Testament people, then, of course, there will be no need for either wars or death sentences for criminals. But while the Old Testament continues to exist and the Old Testament man lives, wars and death sentences are a matter of practical necessity, although they are departures from the law. One must only always and without fail remember that those defending wars and death sentences, like the defenders of them and the criminals whom they kill, are in no way moving in the sphere of purely New Testament concepts, but conduct all their reasoning only on Old Testament ground. Being themselves old men, they struggle of necessity with the Old Testament man and very often in the process completely forget about the light given in the Old Testament commandment – “do not kill” – and about the teaching given by Christ. The word “without cause” usually serves to justify unjustified anger. But “without cause” is not in the Sinai and Vatican codices; it is omitted by Tischendorf, Westcott, and Hort. In some codices, Jerome notes, “without cause” (sine causa) is added, but in the majority of codices the thought is definite, and anger is completely eliminated when Scripture says: “whoever is angry with his brother” (that is, without the addition: “without cause”). For if we are commanded to turn the other cheek to one who strikes us, to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us, then every occasion for anger ceases. Consequently, “without cause” should be omitted, because “the anger of a man does not accomplish the righteousness of God” (Jas 1:20). Origen said that some people inopportunely (μὴ καλῶς) add in the Gospel εἰκῇ, thinking that in some cases reasonable anger is possible. Some omit the word “without cause” – Basil the Great and Athanasius of Alexandria (not Irenaeus, Justin, Eusebius, Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysostom, and others). However, Euthymius Zigabenus says that “by adding εἰκῇ, the Savior did not exclude all anger but only inopportune anger. For timely anger is useful. The latter occurs against those who act contrary to God’s commandments, when not for vengeance but for the benefit of those living wickedly, from love and kindness, one gives oneself to anger with proper decorum.” We agree that when the word “without cause” is omitted – that is, when the Savior’s saying is understood in an absolute sense – it is difficult to explain the “anger” of the Savior (Mark 3:5). But the word ὀργή applied to Him apparently does not have the meaning it has in the verse under consideration. The expression of the latter is in direct correspondence with verse 21. There the one who kills is subject to judgment (it is not said – without cause); here – the one who is angry with his brother and disposed as a result of this to killing. The one who is angry is subject to judgment, but not of course in all cases. In the further expressions there is an indication of different degrees of an angry state, which are indeed reprehensible. Ὀργιζόμενος implies a prolonged but more concealed, hidden anger, which can lead to killing without being expressed in any actions or words. The angry state is then expressed in the utterance of “Raca,” a verbal insult or insults. The word “Raca” was explained variously. Chrysostom considers it an expression of slight anger, rather of scorn and contempt. This word, according to Chrysostom, in the Syrian language is equivalent to “you.” Augustine considers it more probable that this word does not mean anything definite but expresses the movement of an angered spirit, and refers the word “Raca” to angry exclamations. Theophylact and Euthymius Zigabenus agree with Chrysostom. Jerome supposes that the word is equivalent to the Hebrew “raka,” which means “empty,” brainless. Morison considers the word to remain unexplained to the present day. The derivation of “raca” from Aramaic “reka” or “reika,” meaning “empty,” presents linguistic difficulties. One can only accept that this word, which is similar to several Hebrew and Aramaic expressions, designates in general contempt, disrespect, spitting, and the like, although its exact meaning is unknown. The word μωρέ, expressing, as is evident from the responsibility, already a strong, irreconcilable anger, has been compared with the Hebrew word “more” (unizh dignified; or disobedient, stubborn – Deut 21:18), but unsuccessfully. This Greek word, corresponding to the Hebrew “naval,” means “foolish.” It is difficult to establish a precise distinction between “Raca” and μωρέ. The opinion of Zahn that Jesus Christ here wished to punish the rabbis by imitating their method and that the casuistic rabbinic distinctions and reasonings found in abundance in almost every tractate of the Mishnah served as a model for Christ here can hardly be accepted. In the present case, the meaning of the word, which in itself is obscure, can be determined only if we pay attention to the greater responsibility which Christ points to for the utterance of this word. From this responsibility it is clear that μωρέ does not simply mean “foolish” and is not equal to the word “Raca,” but means something else, because otherwise there would be no need to single out this crime from the general jurisdiction of human institutions. But what exactly is the precise meaning of μωρέ is difficult to say. The best explanation of this word and the punishment following it is that here is meant anger at one’s brother for his religious opinions, which, naturally, is no longer subject to civil judgment. Confirmation of this is found in the fact that μωρέ is Hebrew “naval,” and the latter is used in Deut 32:21; Ps 13:1; Job 2:10 (cf. 1 Sam 25:3) to designate predominantly religious errors. As for the words: “judgment,” “Sanhedrin,” “fire of Gehenna,” they in this verse undoubtedly have a more definite meaning than in the preceding one and point to the lower court composed of 3 judges in small towns with a population of about 120 people, to a court of 23 – where the population exceeded 120, and to the highest tribunal – the Sanhedrin of 71 (according to Schürer) in Jerusalem. The word “Gehenna” points to a place south of Jerusalem where the worship of Moloch was practiced (2 Chr 28:3; Jer 7:31 and others). Josiah “defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the sons of Hinnom, so that no one might pass his son or his daughter through the fire to Moloch” (2 Sam 23:10). The corpses of criminals, animals, and all filth were thrown here. To destroy the smell and decomposing matter, fire was kindled here. This place became an image for designating eternal torment. The word “Gehenna” occurs several times in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and in the epistle of James (Jas 3:6).

Matthew 5:23. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, Matthew 5:24. leave your gift there before the altar, and first go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. In the previous verse, addressing his listeners, the Savior spoke of their own anger, which serves to disturb peace. Now He speaks of anger from the side of the brother, and this anger also must be stopped. The existence of the temple and sacrifices in the words of the Savior is necessarily presupposed – that is, the words were spoken (and the Gospel was written) before the destruction of the Jerusalem temple; otherwise such speech would be impossible. Many brought various sacrifices in the temple, which were then the highest expression of service to God and worship. If anyone brings any gift to the temple and, being present in the temple himself, remembers that his brother is angry at him, then he should leave his gift before the altar, return, and be reconciled with his brother. Interpreting these verses, the holy archbishop John Chrysostom exclaims: “O kindness! O ineffable compassion! The Lord commands that worship of Him be abandoned because of the demands of love for one’s neighbor… Let, says He, service to Me be interrupted, only so that your love be preserved, because even that is a sacrifice when someone reconciles himself with his brother. Therefore, He does not say: be reconciled after making an offering or before making a gift, but sends to be reconciled with the brother when the gift lies before the altar and the sacrifice has already begun.” Nothing prevents literally fulfilling these beautiful words and beautiful interpretation in practical life. The word κἀκεῖ in the expression “there you remember” occurs in the most important codices, is accepted in the received text, in Tischendorf and Westcott and Hort, but is omitted in more than 50 cursive manuscripts. Both κἀκεῖ and καὶ ἐκεῖ are written. The verb “be reconciled” (διαλλάττεσθαι) occurs in the New Testament only here.

Matthew 5:25. Be reconciled with your accuser quickly, while you are still on the way with him, lest the accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be put in prison; The thought of verse 24 is repeated regarding speedy, immediate reconciliation, but the matter is considered from somewhat different sides. Whoever is forced to go to a judge should be reconciled with his accuser more quickly, on the road itself which leads to the court. The word “accuser” (ἀντίδικος) was interpreted variously. Under accuser, according to Augustine, one can understand here “either the devil, or a man, or the flesh, or God, or His commandment. But I,” says Augustine, “do not see how one can show favor to the devil or be reconciled with him, for where there is favor, there is also friendship; one cannot say to anyone that one should make friendship with the devil, it is inconvenient to make an agreement with him. Therefore,” continues Augustine, “only one thing remains – to understand by accuser God’s commandment, which resists those who wish to sin.” Others understood the devil as the accuser, and this thought was, one might say, universally accepted in the ancient Church and among ancient interpreters. The basis for such interpretation was 1 Pet 5:8, where it says: “your” “adversary” (ἀντίδικος) “is the devil.” But all the interpretations mentioned above are based on an obvious misunderstanding, because ἀντίδικος both in Old Testament usage and among the classics simply means a man who wishes to litigate or is litigating with another, in our language “plaintiff” and “defendant” – both these persons are called ἀντίδικος, although in verse 25 the word is used evidently in the sense of “plaintiff.” It is incorrect to understand “judges” here (Saint John Chrysostom), because how would one be reconciled with them on the road to court? The practical advice which Chrysostom gives here is very good: “As long as you have not entered into the court, you are the full master of yourself, but as soon as you cross its threshold, you are already the subject of another, and however much you might struggle, you cannot already dispose of yourself as you wish.” The variants in this verse are not of special importance.

Matthew 5:26. Truly I say to you: you will not get out of there until you pay the last quadrans. The meaning of the speech is that if a man does not reconcile himself with his accuser and brings the matter to court, he must undergo legal punishment and pay the entire debt. From this one can see how necessary early reconciliation is. The quadrans was a small Roman coin mentioned in the New Testament only twice (also Mark 12:42), the Latin quadrans = 1/4 of an as or assarius = 2 leptons = nearly a German pfennig and the old Russian half-kopeck (1/4 of a kopeck). It was the smallest copper coin of the time of the Roman Empire.

Matthew 5:27. You have heard that it was said: do not commit adultery. The same speech as at the beginning of verse 21, but (according to the best readings) without the addition of “to the ancients.” In the received text, many cursive manuscripts, the Vulgate and others, the word “ancients” crept in from verse 21. In the Old Testament the commandment in the same words as in Matthew is set forth in the Hebrew text and in the translation of the Seventy Exod 20:14. In Deut 5:18 it is repeated with the addition in the Hebrew text of a conjunction “and,” which in the Seventy and Matthew is omitted. The Hebrew word “nach” means all kinds and types of unchastity.

Matthew 5:28. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with desire has already committed adultery with her in his heart. The Greeks distinguished μοιχεία and πορνεία. The first, according to Theophylact and others, refers to adultery with a married woman, the second – with a divorced (or literally, “dismissed” – εἰς ἀπολελυμένην) woman. Lawful marital relations are excluded from the Savior’s speech, and the strengthening of family relations is His chief purpose. The word “woman” is in a general sense, any woman. A look at a woman with the intention of satisfying lust is in itself adultery in the heart. According to Old Testament law the sin was the fact of adultery itself, but according to the teaching of the Savior sin occurs when adultery is committed in the heart. The listeners of Christ could understand His speech in the sense that He commanded strict abstinence from unchastity, even in thoughts. The Savior speaks of the sin of a man, but it is entirely understood that the same applies to a woman as well. Their adulterous sins can be forgiven, nonetheless – they are sins and a departure from the norm, and people should abstain from them. Luther remarks: “If we cannot prevent a bird from flying over our head, we can prevent it from building a nest in our hair.” The expression “with her” (αὐτήν) may be spurious.

Matthew 5:29. If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is better for you that one of your members perish than that your whole body be cast into Gehenna. “Right eye” – the right, not the left, because it, like the right hand, is more precious to man. In antiquity this was expressed by Aristotle thus: φύσει βελτίων τὸ δεξιὸν τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ (by nature the right is better than the left). The ancient exegetes hardly dared to interpret the words of the Savior literally. Augustine says that by an eye we (usually) understand a very beloved friend… But here one should understand by an eye a friend-counselor, because an eye shows the path. “Hearing about eye and hand,” says Theophylact, “do not think that here we are speaking of limbs, because then (the Savior) would not have added the words ‘right’ and ‘right.’ Here we are speaking of seeming friends, who bring us harm.” Such interpretations cannot be considered correct. The Savior said “right” and “right” (verse 30) precisely because he spoke of limbs of the body, and such expressions do not apply to friends. Moreover, the speech evidently relates to adultery, and the limbs of the body are spoken of as instruments of passion. The best explanation of the word “scandal” (stumbling block) is found in Trench (Parables, 2nd ed. 1888, p. 89): “σκάνδαλον (in its classical form σκανδάληθρον) is that part of a trap or snare on which bait is placed and which, as soon as one touches it, springs out and causes a spring suddenly to tighten the snare; then in general the word designates snares. In the New Testament it is applied to spiritual things and includes everything that, entangling the feet of people, causes them to fall, as a result of which it closely approaches the word πρόσκομμα and is closely connected in meaning also with the words παγίς and θήρα, with which it is sometimes used together, as, for example, in Rom 2:9.” Cf. Lev 19:14, where under σκάνδαλον (in the Seventy) is understood an object over which one stumbles on one’s path when blind. Modern interpreters understand the expressions of Christ literally, that is, He says that if even the right eye or right hand causes you to stumble, then it is better to pluck out the eye or cut off the hand and so forth. This interpretation seems to be as incorrect as the first one, because all this is abstraction. The crowds could understand the words of Christ only as figurative expressions, where the necessity of observing great strictness is indicated when the matter concerns the sin of adultery.

Matthew 5:30. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is better for you that one of your members perish than that your whole body be cast into Gehenna. By construction and meaning this verse is in no way different from the preceding one. The same truth is considered from different sides and thus more firmly impressed on the consciousness of the listeners.

Matthew 5:31. It is also said that if anyone divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce. Again the formula of verse 21 and 27, repeated in verses 33, 38, 43, which indicates that all this speech of the Savior was uttered simultaneously and at one time. The connection is well explained by the holy archbishop John Chrysostom: “The Savior only transitions to a new subject after he fully reveals the previous one. So also in the present case He shows us yet another form of adultery.” A detailed discussion of this subject is in Deut 24:1-4 set forth by the Savior very briefly and completely freely. Only the substance of the matter is conveyed and circumstances are not at all indicated that gave rise to divorce mentioned in Deuteronomy.

Matthew 5:32. But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for the cause of fornication, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. In explaining this, one of the most difficult verses – not that it is difficult in itself, but because it touches very complex practical life relationships – we must first of all consider the meaning of separate terms and then the general meaning of the Savior’s speech. We will set forth this subject with the utmost brevity, and those interested in details we refer to a very valuable scientific brochure by Professor N. P. Glubokovskii entitled: “Divorce for Adultery and Its Consequences According to the Teaching of Christ the Savior” (St. Petersburg, 1895). The first difficult word encountered in considering this verse is παρεκτός. In Russian it is translated as “except,” in Slavonic as “unless,” Vulgate: excepta (fornicationis) causa. Παρεκτός is everywhere translated the same way with the word “except,” with the exception of Luther’s translation, which is not sufficiently clear; modern German translators, instead of es sei denn um Ehebruch, as in Luther (in parentheses), translate better and more precisely – ausser dem Grunde der Hurerei. “Παρεκτός,” says Professor N. Z. Glubokovskii, “was not original to the Greek language” and its origin dates to the period between 322 and 150 BC. In any case, it is not found in the classics or in the Septuagint, where the equivalent π άρεκ and πάρεξ are used. It is established, however, that παρεκτός, according to the same professor, indicated (along with other expressions) “an exception for what is outside the given order and does not fall under its laws.” The further λόγος is necessary. If it were not, then the expression “divorces, except for adultery” would be incomprehensible. Λόγος here means “cause” (causa, Grund). The meaning: if anyone divorces, excepting that case when he is compelled to this by a solid cause – the adultery of the wife or generally of one of the parties and so forth. The next word is πορνεία. Euthymius Zigabenus says: Christ “commands not to divorce one’s wife ‘for another cause, except fornication’” (such should be the Russian translation of verse 32 based on the above), that is, without (δίχα) debauchery (πορνεία), and debauchery (πορνείαν) here He calls adultery (μοιχείαν). According to Professor Glubokovskii, the term πορνεία is not so specialized that there could be no dispute over its content. At this point it is quite interesting that Christ uses πορνεία, although – actually – the speech is about μοιχεία. If there is no πορνεία, then the one releasing the wife “tramples on the very foundation of marriage itself, separates what God has joined together by the law of nature and consecrated in Christianity by a special Sacrament.” After these explanations the meaning of the subsequent words of the Savior will appear to us clearer. One who divorces his wife (or a wife her husband) for any other cause except the guilt of adultery causes (gives reason), as a result of lack of satisfaction of carnal passion, the divorced (abandoned) party to commit adultery. Thus, one evil – voluntary separation from one’s wife (or from one’s husband) without any solid cause (guilt of adultery) – brings with it another, causes the innocently abandoned (or abandoned) to fall into sin, to commit adultery, and this sin, as one can judge from the tone of Christ’s speech, falls with its full weight not on the divorced (or divorced), but on the one who divorces without guilt on her part, and his guilt becomes thus twofold. This is evident from the verb ποιεῖ used here. Moreover, one who enters into a new union with a woman divorced without guilt also commits sin, but this sin should again be charged both to that man and to the man who divorces his wife without guilt on her part. Thus a groundless divorce is a conjunction of many evils, many sins, which fall with their full weight on the person who allowed the voluntary and unjustified divorce. Such is the essence of Christ’s teaching set forth in the given verse. He perhaps did not speak of women because they were not among those listening to Him. But “if anyone should assert that the Lord allowed, as a cause for abandoning a spouse, only debauchery that is committed in unlawful concubinage, then you can say that the Lord spoke of both the faithful, not allowing them to abandon each other, except for the guilt of adultery” (Augustine). Such a view of the Savior of marriage can quite be justified by reasonable considerations. “Relations between the sexes,” says Tolück, “introduce us into the deepest mystery of life; without duality there is no living unity; without opposition between positive and negative there is no birth. The law of polarity runs through the kingdom of stars and planets, as well as through other forces, elements, matter and kingdoms of the world, only, naturally, in each kingdom it is expressed differently.” Thus the union between man and woman is an expression of natural, fitting the world order established by God, “polarity,” and its violation contradicts all natural laws. The Savior nowhere opposed marital life and, as is known, sanctified marriage by His presence. But He condemned the violation of marital bonds more than once. Further, “the birth of a child,” says the same scholar, “need not be considered a separate act; it necessarily presupposes upbringing as a continuation of the initial act of obtaining life through bodily birth.” And this also cannot serve as justification for voluntary and groundless divorces, except in those cases when the Sacrament of Marriage itself is destroyed because of the guilt of adultery. But beyond all this, of course, a multitude of further legal questions arise. We fully agree that “the canonical tradition permitted divorce for adultery and even allowed a new marriage for the innocent party, even though it occurred for causes less worthy of consideration”; that “the release of one’s wife is conceivable even in the Christian Church on the basis of a cause punctually noted by the Redeemer” (Glubokovskii). But how should one act if adultery, being the only fault when divorce is permitted, will be presented as a means to obtain a divorce from an unloved wife or unloved husband? In other words, if for the sake of obtaining a divorce an intentional adultery will be committed, as does happen in practice, when even “they take the fault upon themselves,” not being guilty of it. Can only adultery be considered a valid cause for divorce, or can there be other causes as well, for example impotentia, illnesses, incompatibility of character, crimes and so forth? These legal questions are resolved by the fact that the Savior looks at the violation of marital bonds in general as a sin. Each person can then, in his conscience, decide whether he permits the sin of divorcing his wife or whether his wife allows divorcing her husband, and act according to the dictates of his conscience, always keeping the commandment in view. Here, obviously, we again depart from the sphere of pure moral teaching and enter the practical-legal realm, the development and particular application of the commandment which the New Testament always leaves to people themselves. It provides only the light by which practical moral relations should be resolved. In practice almost always an individual case comes forward, which is resolved through one or another application of teaching and principle to it. On this we will conclude the present discussion, noting only that a departure from the sphere of pure moral teaching and its violation always and invariably testify only to “another law,” which opposes in man the law of his mind and makes him a prisoner of the law of sin found in his members (Rom 7:23). All the numerous abuses that occur in marital life testify only to the continuing life of the “old man” and to nothing else.

Matthew 5:33. Again you have heard that it was said to the ancients: do not break your oath, but fulfill your oaths to the Lord. The commandment is set forth in Lev 19:12; Num 30:3; Deut 23:21. And here again the Savior conveys only the essence of the Old Testament law briefly. In Lev 19:12 it forbids not all oaths in general but only false ones. The translation of the Seventy almost corresponds to the Hebrew text. In the last two mentioned passages vows are spoken of. The Russian and Latin translations: “do not break your oath,” Vulgate: non perjurabis – are not precise; the Slavonic: “you will not swear falsely”; in the Hebrew text Lev 19:12 to “do not swear” is added the word “lashaquer” – “for falsehood,” which is expressed by the Greek verb ἐπιορκέω, which unlike the simple ὀρκέω means “I swear falsely.” Therefore the meaning of the Savior’s words appears to be as follows: do not swear falsely, but when you swear (not falsely), then fulfill before the Lord (in the Slavonic translation more precisely – “you will render to the Lord”) your oaths. Thus approximately Chrysostom: “What does it mean: ‘you will fulfill before the Lord your oaths’? This means: when you swear, you must speak truth (ἀληθεύεις ὀμνύς).” There is no mention of oath-breaking here.

Matthew 5:34. But I say to you: do not swear at all – neither by heaven, because it is the throne of God; Matthew 5:35. nor by the earth, because it is the footstool of His feet; nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King; Matthew 5:36. nor by your head shall you swear, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. Matthew 5:37. But let your word be: yes, yes; no, no; and what is more than this, comes from the evil one. The teaching of Christ concerning oaths. The verb ἐπιορκέω (I swear falsely) of the previous verse is replaced here by ὄμνυμι. Ὀρκέω, ὄρκος corresponds to the Hebrew “shaba,” which they derive from “sheva” – seven – a sacred number among the Hebrews and used in the East in oaths (Gen 21:28 seq.) and curses (Num 23:1), and “shebuya” – oath. Ὄμνυμι corresponds to the Hebrew “nishba,” that is, the same verb but in the form “nifal,” which has a reflexive meaning in contrast to “kal.” “Nishba,” consequently, – “he swore,” in contrast “he cursed” or “he cursed.” Thus, assuming that Christ spoke in Aramaic, we can permit that His words differed only in form and were consequently in meaning the same; the translator, however, expressed them in Greek with two different verbs. The first impression created in reading verses 34–37 is that Christ forbade every kind of oath whatsoever, completely and unconditionally. This impression is supported by the parallel passage Jas 5:12, where the apostle says: “Above all, my brothers, do not swear – neither by heaven nor by earth nor by any other oath (μὴ ὀμνύετε… ἄλλον τινὰ ὄρκον), but let your word be: ‘yes, yes’ and ‘no, no,’ so that you do not fall under judgment.” Thus the ancient Church understood these words of Christ, in the sense of absolute abstinence from every oath. Justin the Martyr: “He (Jesus Christ) commanded us not to swear at all, but to speak always the truth, in the words: ‘do not swear at all’ and so forth (literally citing words from verse 37 with minor variations).” Eusebius of Caesarea (“Church History,” VI, 5) recounts of the martyr Basilides that his companions in some circumstance demanded an oath from him, but he affirmed that it was not permitted him to swear at all because he was a Christian – and openly confessed this. The confession of Basilides was at first taken as a joke, but since he firmly stood by his position, he was taken to the judge, who, having heard the same thing, placed him in prison. After some time Basilides was beheaded. Saint John Chrysostom decisively rises up against every oath, saying that it was permitted only to the ancients, just as the breast is permitted only to children, not to adults. What is proper for a boy is improper for a man. Dress a boy in the clothes of an adult – it will be both ridiculous and dangerous for him to walk, because he will often become entangled. Entrust to him the conduct of civil affairs, entrust trade to him, make him sow and reap – it will again be ridiculous. “But what,” you say, “if someone requires an oath and even compels one to do so? Fear of God must be stronger than any compulsion. If you make such excuses, you will not keep any commandment.” Theophylact: “An oath, except for ‘yes’ and ‘no,’ is unnecessary and is a work of the devil. But you will say, was not the law of Moses, commanding one to swear, bad? Know that at that time an oath did not constitute a bad deed, but after Christ it – is a bad deed, just as circumcision and being Jewish in general. For it is proper for an infant to nurse, but improper for a man.” Euthymius Zigabenus: “Let, says He (the Savior), your confirmatory word, when you assert something, be ‘yes,’ and when you deny – ‘no.’ And use only these words for confirmation instead of an oath and do not use anything else except ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ Anything superfluous beyond this (the Savior) calls an oath.” Among Latin fathers and ecclesiastical writers we find some hesitation. Augustine, it is true, expresses himself in one place just as categorically against an oath as John Chrysostom: “The Lord did not wish that we, without pronouncing an oath, should depart from the truth, but that, pronouncing an oath in the truth, should not approach perjury.” But Jerome thought somewhat differently. Paying attention to the fact that the Savior did not forbid swearing by God, Jerome says: “Whoever swears swears either honoring or loving him by whom one swears. In the law we are given a commandment so that we do not swear except only by the Lord our God (Deut 6-7)… Pay attention to the fact that the Savior here did not forbid swearing by God but by heaven, earth, Jerusalem, and your head.” However, notes Jerome, “evangelical truth does not require an oath (non recipit juramentum), since all speech is truthful and replaces an oath (cum omnis sermo fidelis pro jurejurando sit).” According to Tolück (1856), “only from the fifth century onward did they begin to consider refusal to swear as a heretical deed” (S. 284). And this is understandable why. Having become dominant, the Christian Church entered into closest relations with civil authority and had to make a concession, because an oath was required to confirm loyalty to kings and rulers, as well as in courts. Later we constantly encounter various ingenious bypassing of the positive law given by Christ, which was almost unanimously recognized in the ancient Church. It is true that modern exegetes sometimes directly and boldly declare themselves for the illegality of an oath. Thus the German commentator on the Gospel of Matthew, Meyer, says: “Christianity, as it ought to be according to the will of Christ, should not know any oath… The presence of God should be so alive in the conscience of a Christian that his ‘yes’ and ‘no’ and for himself and for others in Christian society equal the meaning of an oath.” But, adds Meyer, an oath becomes nevertheless necessary at the imperfect state of Christianity. Therefore, for example, Anabaptists and Quakers incorrectly reject the oath altogether, as did Justin, Irenaeus, Clement, Origen, John Chrysostom, Jerome, and many others. According to Zahn, “Jesus forbids not only forms of false oath but all kinds of it.” However, among Protestant and Catholic scholars there are many voices in defense of an oath. They point to the Savior, Who Himself did not always use only “yes” (yea) or “no,” but accompanied His words with stronger assurances (amen and so forth). When the high priest demanded an oath from Him, asking whether He is the Son of God, He apparently repeated his oath in the expression: “you have said” (σὺ εἶπας) (Matt 26:63-64). The Apostle Paul not only did not teach abstinence from an oath but himself pronounced it several times (Rom 1:9; Phil 1:8; 1 Thess 2:5; 2 Cor 11:11; Gal 1:20; 1 Cor 15:31; 2 Cor 1:23; Heb 6:16-18). The denial of an oath in the ancient Church was not unconditional but found firm defenders. Tolück points to the example of (heretic) Novatus (the second half of the 3rd c.), who during communion “compelled poor people to swear instead of thanksgiving, and meanwhile, holding their hands with both hands, did not release them until the one receiving (the gifts) had sworn and pronounced the known words and so forth.” (Eusebius of Caesarea, “Church History,” VI, 43); and also to Athanasius of Alexandria, who, as much as he avoided an oath, swore before Constantine, – and to the decisions of councils (against the Pelagians). The denial of an oath, says Morison, is based on an incorrect interpretation of verse 34, where the Savior forbade oath not absolutely but relatively – oath by those objects which are listed further. God Himself sometimes pronounced an oath (Ps 109:4; Ezek 33:11; Heb 6:13-18), and Angels (Rev 10:6). By the nature of things it cannot be considered incorrect the lifting of the soul to God, as a Witness, Protector, Defender of truth and Avenger of falsehood. A man who is in communion with God cannot free himself from references to God in one form or another. Zahn, asserting that an oath is contrary to Christianity, writes that only a misunderstanding of verses 33–37 leads to the thought that Christ allegedly forbade an oath by the requirement of civil authorities and at the same time the voluntary use of confirmatory forms in everyday life. Such an opinion is incompatible with the general purpose of the commandments from verse 21. Just as the Savior refrained from any judgment about whether power should or should not apply capital punishment, or in what cases divorce is impermissible or permissible, so now He did not say that disciples must literally fulfill the laws indicated in verse 33. The words of the martyr Apollonius (180–185 AD), who declared to his judge that pronouncing an oath for a Christian is something shameful, and at the same time added: “If you wish me to swear that we honor the emperor and pray for his rule, then I will bring reliable oath of this before the true God,” Zahn calls excellent. Observing what impartiality is possible, we have adduced arguments pro and contra oaths. But what conclusion can the reader draw from all that is set forth above? That the Savior did not forbid oaths but limited the words of an oath only to ‘yes, yes,’ ‘no, no,’ which in meaning equal every oath. This is completely sufficient in every practice. This in no way contradicts the above-cited quotations from the Epistles of the Apostle Paul and so forth, because in his words there is not a trace of any formal and especially forced oaths, and they are only simple assurances in which the apostle invokes the name of God. Extensive oath formulas in no way serve as greater and higher confirmation of truth compared with simple ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ Detailed and extensive oath formulas, pronounced either by mistake or by misunderstanding or because of the practical impossibility of fulfilling them, sometimes had fatal consequences. In general, as is evident, in the words of the Savior the speech is about forbidding not an oath but only various oath formulas except ‘yes, yes,’ ‘no, no.’ The defense of forced and extensive oath formulas, if one takes into account the numerous abuses that occur with them, shows only that the defenders move among the deeds of the flesh, where “adultery, fornication, uncleanness, depravity, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, dissension, division, [temptations,] heresies, hatred, murder, drunkenness, carousing” (Gal 5:19-21). And for governments and the governed, in this Old Testament realm, testifying to the continuation of the life of the Old Testament man, oaths are necessary as are killings, which are a counteraction to killings themselves. But once again let us repeat that the defenders of both extensive oaths and killings should never say that they stand on purely New Testament ground, have completely freed themselves from the power of the Old Testament man, and have crossed into the new realm where love, “joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, mercy, faith, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). In this New Testament realm, when all people enter into it, no oaths except simple assurances are required and will be required. Coming forth from the Old Testament and striving toward the New, the Old Testament man becomes less and less inclined to murders, executions, oaths, and so forth. Conversely, leaving the new testament and striving toward the old, the New Testament man manifests an ever greater inclination toward them – because of the understandable practical necessity, confirmed by all sorts of legal codes. The first ‘yes’ in verse 37 some consider as subject, and the second – as predicate. The meaning: let ‘yes’ be your ‘yes,’ that is, true in affirmations, and ‘no’ be ‘no,’ that is, true in denials. But Zahn objects and considers such translation “grammatically inadmissible,” because ἔστω, as copula, is evidently related to λόγος, and “yes, yes” and “no, no” – are predicates. Therefore Zahn “dares” to repeat the guess that the translator here obscured the meaning of the original, which probably read: “let your affirmation be yes, and your no – no,” that is, let your ‘yes’ and ‘no’ be true and worthy of trust, not simultaneously ‘yes’ and ‘no,’ or today ‘yes’ and tomorrow ‘no.’ Regarding τοῦ πονηροῦ of verse 37, the best interpreters recognize that this is neuter singular and consequently here is not meant the devil but evil in general. Instead of plural τῶν πονηρῶν, the singular is used because this is grammatically possible when the speech concerns collective notions.

Matthew 5:38. You have heard that it was said: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. The words are taken from Exod 21:24; Lev 24:20; Deut 19:21, wherein “and” is only added, which is in none of the indicated places in the Hebrew language. But in comparison with the Hebrew, the speech is shortened, omitting: “hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, injury for injury” (Exod 21:24-25), “fracture for fracture” (Lev 24:20); “soul for soul… hand for hand, foot for foot” (Deut 19:21). The Hebrew text is literally conveyed in the Seventy, and also with the omission of “and.” In the Old Testament, as in other ancient peoples, there existed the so-called law of retaliation (among the Romans – jus talionis), which was applied not only in court but also in relations between private persons. Christ here points to this law.

Matthew 5:39. But I say to you: do not resist the evil one. But whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other as well; Luke 6:29 with the omission of the words “do not resist the evil one.” John Chrysostom and Theophylact suppose that under “evil” here is meant the devil acting through a man. Theophylact asks: “Should one not resist the devil?” – and answers: “Yes, but only not by striking him, but by patience. For fire is not extinguished by fire but by water. But do not think that here the Savior speaks only of a blow on the cheek; He speaks of every other insult and injury and in general simply of danger.” Other exegetes understand τῷ πονηρῷ to mean an evil man, and moreover in the dative: “do not resist an evil man.” Morison asks: “Should we never resist an evil man?” – and answers: “Yes, we should resist him often and to the utmost degree. But this resistance should never be an act of personal revenge, and here the Savior speaks precisely of personal revenge and only of it.” According to Zahn’s opinion, here the speech is not about resistance to the devil nor to a man but to evil existing in the world, insofar as it shows us its strength, that is, that we should not combat evil with evil, because resistance to hostile attack upon us, even in cases of necessity, constantly tends to increase the power of the opponent. Under τῷ πονηρῷ, according to Zahn, one should understand not ὁ πονηρός, which would mean the devil, but τὸ πονηρόν, because the Savior could only announce resistance to the devil as a sacred duty. Zahn proves this assertion by noting that when ὁ πονηρός (in masculine) is used, there are ordinarily put ἁνήρ (man), διδάσκαλος (teacher), δοῦλος (servant) for the avoidance of ambiguity. These interpretations are undoubtedly good. But we will understand better what the matter is if we imagine how the disciples and common people standing around Christ could have understood His words. They could not understand His words in some abstract-philosophical sense but naturally understood only some definite, threatening evil. What exactly it consisted of is difficult, of course, to say, although in the subsequent words definitions of it are given: “strike on the cheek,” “litigate,” “take,” “compel” and so forth. These four definitions well characterize the evil of Palestine at that time. From this one can conclude that the “evil” of which the Savior speaks must always be concrete, and only in such a way determine what evil one should resist and what – not. If Christ spoke of “worldly evil” and non-resistance to evil in general, then certainly His speech would be incomprehensible to the listeners. Besides, they could see in the words of Christ a contradiction to His own actions, because it is certain that the entire activity of Christ was a resistance to evil. And yet in the indicated contradiction in the words of the evangelists we do not meet any hint. Indicating that in concrete cases one should not resist evil, Christ in reality points to ways not of non-resistance but of resistance to evil by patience and gentleness. We have expressed the abstract doctrine of non-resistance to evil especially by the Count L. N. Tolstoy. The chief error of this doctrine lies precisely in that it is distinguished by abstraction. A good analysis of this doctrine can be found, among other things, in the book of the late Professor A. F. Gusev “The Fundamental Religious Principles of Count L. Tolstoy,” Kazan, 1893, pp. 33–108, although not all the conclusions of the author can be agreed with. For example, one cannot translate the passage under consideration as did the Kazan professor Nekrasov, to whom Gusev refers: “But I say to you not to yield to an evil man, but, on the contrary, whoever strikes you on the right cheek, offer to him the other as well.” Although the verb ἀνθίστημι is sometimes used in the sense of prospere cedo, successfully yielding, such usage of the verb is foreign to the New Testament (see Luke 21:15; Acts 6:10; Jas 4:7; Rom 9:19; Gal 2:11; Eph 6:13; 2 Tim 3:8). Briefly and clearly the principal teaching of the Savior can be expressed thus: whoever insults commits a sin; if anyone resists the one insulting, he commits the same sin as the other, because he wishes to insult him. Whoever does not resist is free from sin and consequently is justified by God. This ought to have and always has enormous practical significance, because in such cases God Himself becomes the avenger of the guilty and the defender of the innocent and defeats the evil with which an individual man finds it difficult or impossible to struggle. Such appears to be the chief thought of the final sentences of verse 39 and the following ones.

Matthew 5:40. And whoever wishes to contend with you and take your shirt, let him have your cloak as well; Cf. Luke 6:29. Interpreters agree that under χιτών is understood the lower garment, the tunic, shirt; under ἱμάτιον – the upper garment, the cloak and the like. The general thought is the same as in the preceding verse.

Matthew 5:41. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. The meaning of the verse is clear and does not require explanation. One need only explain the word ἀγγαρεύσει (“compel you to go”). This word comes from Persian, which the Greeks expressed through ἀγγαρος, in the Ionic dialect ἀγγαρήιος, a courier. It was transferred into the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin languages (Vulgate: angariaverit). These couriers were established by Cyrus and carried out a kind of postal and transport service, forcibly requiring at stations mainly people and beasts of burden (Herodotus, “History,” VIII, 98). The verb ἀγγαρεύω is found in Josephus Flavius (“Jewish Antiquities,” XIII, 2–3 – ἀγγαρεύεσθαι τὰ Ἰουδαίων ὑποζύγια), in Epictetus (Dissertationes, IV, 1, 79 – ἂν δὲ ἀγγαρεία ᾖ καὶ στρατιώτης ἐπλάβηται, ἄφες, μὴ ἀντίτεινε μηδὶ γόγγυζε). From this the expression becomes clear: “whoever compels you to go one mile.” The numerals “one” and further “two” should not be considered strictly defined. The meaning: do more than what you are compelled to do. “A mile” in its exact meaning equals a Roman mile (Greek μίλιον), which, according to Holtzmann, equals 1000 paces, or 8 stadia, or 1472 meters.

Matthew 5:42. Give to him who asks you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. Cf. Luke 6:30, where the same thought is expressed somewhat differently: “Give to everyone who asks you, and if someone takes what is yours, do not ask him to return it.” The speech obviously concerns property relations and nothing else. Therefore, discussions about whether this commandment should be fulfilled literally and whether in all cases requests can be satisfied, for example, when a child asks for a knife to kill himself, are superfluous.

Matthew 5:43. You have heard that it was said: love your neighbor and hate your enemy. The first part of the commandment is borrowed from Lev 19:18; the second part: “hate your enemy,” is not in the ancient Hebrew law, and the Savior refers here either to later ordinances of Ezra, or to ordinances of the scribes intended to develop hatred of people in the Jews. The “hostile hatred toward all others” (Tacitus, “History,” V, 8) on the part of the Jews was well known to the pagans of that time, who themselves hated the Jews.

Matthew 5:44. But I say to you: love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who insult you and persecute you, (Cf. Luke 6:27-28.) In the text there is considerable variation. The expression: “bless those who curse you” is omitted in the Sinai, Vatican, Vulgate, and some other Latin translations, in Tischendorf, Westcott, and Hort, and is present in the received text, almost all cursive manuscripts, John Chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylact, and many others. The expression: “do good to those who hate you” is omitted in the Sinai and Vatican but is present in the received text, almost all cursive manuscripts, the Vulgate, and the Syriac Peshitta. Finally, “those who insult you” is omitted in the Sinai and Vatican, in Tischendorf, Westcott, and Hort, but is present in the received text, almost all cursive manuscripts, ancient Latin translations, and the Peshito. Thus, in a number of codices the indicated words are not present, but in favor of them an overwhelming majority of manuscripts and citations from church writers. Many exegetes think that these words are interpolated from Luke 6:27-28. Comparing the text of Matthew and Luke, we find that, if we disregard transpositions, it is the same in both evangelists. But other exegetes hold other opinions and say that there is no sufficient basis for suspecting interpolation here. Zahn recognizes the text as genuine, although does not express himself decisively. The meaning is clear. Saint John Chrysostom finds, beginning with verse 39, nine degrees by which the Savior leads us ever higher – “to the very peak of virtue.” “The first degree is not to initiate offense; the second, when offense has already been caused, not to repay the one who offended with equal evil; the third – not only not to do to the one offending what you suffered from him but to remain calm; the fourth – to submit oneself to suffering; the fifth – to give more than the one causing offense wishes to take; the sixth – not to bear hatred toward him; the seventh – even to love him; the eighth – to do good to him; the ninth – to pray to God for him.” Such teaching was not foreign even to pagans. Thus, Buddhist sayings are known: “Overcome anger by the absence of anger, Overcome injustice by kindness, Overcome the base man by a gift, And the liar by truth.”

Matthew 5:45. that you may be sons of your Father in heaven, for He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. The speech very subtly and imperceptibly transitions again into a series of blessings, which is characteristic of brilliant oratory. A kind of pause occurs and the orator gives his listeners a chance to, so to speak, catch their breath. The Savior now equates them with sons of His Father in heaven, and they should act as their Father does, imitate Him. And the Father commands the sun to rise over evil and good and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous. In Seneca one finds a remarkable parallel to these words of Christ: si deos imitaris, da et ingratis beneficia; nam et sceleratis sol oritur, et piratis patent maria (if you imitate the gods, bestow benefits even on the ungrateful; for the sun also rises for the wicked and the seas are open to pirates).

Matthew 5:46. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? Cf. Luke 6:32, where “tax collectors” are replaced by Luke with the word “sinners.” The word “tax collectors” in our Russian and Slavonic texts is less probable than “gentiles,” which occurs in the Sinai, in BD, in about 18 cursive manuscripts, in most Latin translations, in the Vulgate, and is accepted by Tischendorf, Westcott, Hort, and the publishers of the English revised Bible. In either case the meaning is almost the same, because tax collectors were considered no better than gentiles. The disciples of Christ should be above scribes and Pharisees. But if they love only those who love them, they will not stand above even gentiles (or tax collectors), who act this way according to the natural law of love implanted in man.

Matthew 5:47. And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing that is extraordinary? Do not even the gentiles do the same? The word “brothers” is used here obviously in a general meaning – relatives, fellow countrymen, and the like. This is the more correct reading than “friends” (φίλους), occurring in more than 150 cursive manuscripts. Brothers are contrasted with “gentiles” (in other codices – “tax collectors”). The difference in meaning between the readings οὕτω (thus) and τὸ αὐτό (the same – Sinai, Vatican, Tischendorf, Westcott, Hort, and others) is too insignificant to dwell on. Reference is made, of course, to Eastern customs most familiar to the listeners of Christ. The German commentator on the Gospel of Matthew, Merke, brings several clarifying examples of greetings from contemporary Eastern life.

Matthew 5:48. Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. In Luke (Luke 6:33-36) there are additions that Matthew does not have, and in general the speech is set forth somewhat differently. The concluding verse in Luke (Luke 6:36): “be merciful, just as your Father is merciful,” is similar in construction to the verse of Matthew given but differs in wording. The word τέλιος (perfect) occurs among the evangelists only in Matthew twice (also Matt 19:21), but occurs several times in the apostles Paul, James, and once in 1 John 4:18. It comes from τέλος – in the sense of an achieved goal, is used of sacrificial animals having no bodily defects, of adults in their distinction from infants, and in a moral sense means perfection, completeness, irreproachableness, spotlessness. The words of the Savior have a clear connection with verse 45, where not all properties of God but only kindness is enumerated. In this sense only could the listeners of Christ understand His speech.

Chapter Six

The Sermon on the Mount. 1–4. Concerning almsgiving. – 5–13. Concerning prayer. – 14–15. Concerning the forgiveness of the sins of neighbors. – 16–18. Concerning fasting. – 19–21. Concerning earthly and heavenly treasures. – 22–23. Concerning the bright and darkened eye. – 24–25. Concerning the impossibility of serving two masters. – 26–27. Concerning food. – 28–30. Concerning clothing. – 31–34. Concerning trust in God and the seeking of the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 6:1. Beware of practicing your righteousness before men in order for them to see you; otherwise, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. The word “beware” renders the Greek προσέχετε. In the Slavonic translation – “heed.” Since there is reason to think that in antiquity this word was used as a signal by which others were warned of some danger, the word πρόσεχε meant: be on guard, watch yourself carefully. This is also the main meaning of the corresponding Hebrew word “shamar,” which the Seventy renders through προσέχειν. Thus, more precisely one could translate this Greek word in the given verse as: beware, be on guard, lest (μή). The further δέ is omitted in the Vatican and other manuscripts but is present in the Sinai and others. Some interpreters assert that the presence of this particle in the text is “too little proven.” Chrysostom omits it. Others say that δέ vanished only with time and moreover because of a very simple reason contained, if not in discord, then in any case in some inconvenience in pronouncing the adjacent Greek “te” and “de” (προσέχετε δέ). Some place δέ in brackets, but the majority of modern and best interpreters defend the presence of this particle either in part or in full. Thus, Alford, although placing δέ in brackets, says that the omission of this particle probably arose because attention was not paid to the connection of verse 1 with chapter 5 and it was supposed that a new subject begins here. The importance of the particle is evident from the fact that with the acceptance or omission of it the meaning changes greatly. Christ previously (Matt 5) spoke about what true “righteousness” consists of (Matt 5:6), defined by the true and correct interpretation of the spirit and meaning of the Old Testament law, and about the fact that if the “righteousness” of His disciples is not greater than the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, then the disciples will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Now the Savior proceeds to elucidate the same subject from other and new sides. In a free translation the meaning of His words could be conveyed thus. But if you, He says to the disciples, reach the ideal of which I spoke to you earlier, if you assimilate the true “righteousness” (according to the translation of some German scholars Frömmigkeit – piety), then be on guard nonetheless lest this righteousness of yours become an object of careful observation on the part of other people. In this paraphrase, as the reader sees, the word “righteousness” is substituted for the word “alms” used in the Russian and Slavonic translations. Such a substitution has very firm bases. First of all, note that German and English translations (received text) agree with Russian and Slavonic (Almosen, alms). But in the Vulgate a completely different expression is used – justitiam vestram, corresponding to the Greek διακιοσύνην, meaning “righteousness.” The question of what word should be placed here – “righteousness” or “alms” (διακιοσύνη or ἐλεημοσύνη) – was the subject of painstaking research. Authoritative editors and interpreters of the New Testament incline toward “righteousness.” This reading has been approved almost unanimously by all distinguished editors and critics. The word occurs in the Vatican codex, in Beza, in ancient Latin translations, as well as in Origen, Hilary, Augustine, Jerome, and many others, but in Chrysostom, Theophylact, and many others – “alms.” Western critics and interpreters have labored to trace where and why such substitution occurred. Omitting the first “and” or “but” in the first verse, the copyists, as stated above, paid no attention to the connection of chapter 6 with the preceding one and thought that in chapter 6 a new subject begins. What subject? This was shown to them by verse 2, which speaks of “alms.” Since the first verse (with the omission of δέ) seems to serve as an introduction to the second, they thought that in the first also the speech should be about alms and substituted it for the word “righteousness.” This substitution could occur all the more easily because there were certain circumstances justifying it. If the reader takes the trouble to review according to the Russian and Slavonic Bible the following places: Deut 6:25; Ps 23:5; Isa 1:27; Dan 4:24, he will find that in the Slavonic text everywhere are encountered mercy, alms, mercy, forgiveness, while in the Russian – righteousness, justice, justice, and only in one place the Russian text almost agrees with the Slavonic, namely in Ps 23:5 (alms – mercy). Thus the same texts in Slavonic and Russian translations sometimes have a completely different meaning. For example, in Dan 4:24 we read in the Slavonic text: “ransom your sins by alms,” while in the Russian: “ransom your sins by righteousness.” This difference arose from the fact that our Slavonic translation was made from the translation of the Seventy, where in the above-mentioned cases (which for brevity we have not all indicated) the word ἐλεημοσύνη – alms is used, while the Russian – from the Hebrew, where the word “sedakah” – righteousness occurs. The question consequently arises why the Seventy found it possible to translate Hebrew “sedakah” through ἐλεημοσύνη – “alms,” and whether “sedakah,” meaning properly “righteousness,” sometimes served to express the concept of alms. The answer should be affirmative. Righteousness – a difficult word, especially for a simple, undeveloped man, difficult to understand what it means; it is much easier to understand this word if righteousness takes on a more concrete form – mercies, compassion, alms. Hence very early, even before the common era, the word “sedakah” began to denote alms, which, as stated, probably facilitated the substitution of “righteousness” for alms in the verse under consideration from Matthew’s Gospel (see for example Gesenius W. Hebräisches und aramäisches Handwörterbuch über das neue Testament. 17. Auflage, Berlin-Göttingen-Heidelberg, 1962. S.675, left column. – Editor’s note). However, such substitution was unfortunate, and this can be shown on the basis of “internal considerations” (context) in examining our passage. The meaning of the instruction of this verse is so that disciples do not practice their righteousness before people for the purpose of showing, so that people glorify them. From subsequent indications it is evident that for show should not be given alms, but not only it – shown should not be also prayer (verse 5 and following) and fasting (verse 16 and following). If “righteousness” in the verse under consideration is replaced with “alms,” one might think that only it is practiced for show and that only ostentatious alms Christ condemns, because the 1st verse will then be placed in the closest relation only to verses 2–4. From what is said it follows that, accepting “righteousness” in verse 1, we should consider the word as the designation of a “generic” or general concept that includes alms, prayer, and fasting. In other words, according to the thought of Christ, alms, prayer, and fasting serve as an expression of human righteousness. A man distinguished by these virtues can be considered righteous if his righteousness is based on love for God and neighbor. It is necessary that all virtues constituting righteousness in no case serve for display. The Greek word used for the latter concept (θεαθῆναι) means a steady, prolonged, intense, and attentive looking at something, as is done, for example, in a theater, indicates contemplation, in contrast to βλέπειν, which simply means to see, to look, to have this ability. From this the instruction of the Savior is clear: He teaches His disciples that their “righteousness” should not be an object of careful observation, a steady looking at on the part of other people. Instead of “so that they see you” in Greek “so as to be seen” (or “so as to be seen by them, αὐτοῖς, that is, ἀνθρώποις, people,” cf. Matt 23:5). Thus, the first half of the given verse would better be translated as: but be on guard (beware, lest) practice your righteousness before people with the purpose that it be visible to them (strike them in the eye, be subject to their steady, prolonged observation). The further “otherwise” (in the Russian Bible) seems as if to relate to the words: “you will not have a reward” and so forth. In the original the meaning is somewhat different: be on guard… if, however, you do not be on guard, then you will not have a reward, and so forth. That is, here for brevity of speech an omission has been made in the Gospel (cf. Matt 9:17; 2 Cor 11:16). Christ does not define what the reward should consist of. It is unknown whether He has in mind an earthly or heavenly reward, or both together. Nothing prevents understanding here both earthly and heavenly reward. But instead of the Russian “you will not have,” one should translate simply “you do not have” (οὐκ ἔχετε), so that the whole expression is as follows: if you do not be on guard, then you do not have a reward from your Father in heaven.Matthew 6:2. Therefore, when you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to you: they already receive their reward. The translation is precise, wherein the somewhat ambiguous “they” in the final sentence should of course relate not to people in general but to hypocrites. In the original the ambiguity is avoided by the usual omission of the pronoun before verbs and the placement of verbs (ποιοῦσιν – ἀπέχουσιν) in like voices, tenses, and moods. The Jews more than all other peoples were distinguished by benevolence. According to Tolück, the well-known pedagogue Pestalozzi used to say that Mosaic religion stimulates benevolence even more than Christianity. Julian held the Jews up to pagans and Christians as an example of benevolence. Reading the long and tedious Talmudic tractate on benevolence “Concerning the Remnants for the Benefit of the Poor at Harvest” (Pefferkovich translation, vol. I), we encounter a multitude of petty ordinances intended to ensure the gathering of remnants for the poor after harvest. It was even said that “alms and free service are equal to all the commandments of the Torah.” Questions arose as to whether failure to give alms and worship of idols were one and the same thing, and how to prove that alms and free service protect Israel and promote harmony between him and the Father Who is in heaven. Therefore it is beyond doubt that the Jews had developed benevolence even in the time of Christ, of which the mentions of the poor by Christ Himself and their obvious presence testify, especially in Jerusalem. It is equally beyond doubt that “hypocrites,” whom Christ condemns here, also participated in this benevolence and distribution of alms to the poor. But the question of whether “they sounded a trumpet before themselves” has given much difficulty both to ancient and modern exegetes. Chrysostom understood the expression: “do not sound a trumpet before yourself” in a non-literal sense. The Savior “in this figurative expression does not mean to say that hypocrites had trumpets, but that they had a great passion for showing off, mocking (κωμωδῶν) it and condemning them… The Savior requires not only that we give alms but that we give alms as we should.” In a similar manner Theophylact expresses himself: “Hypocrites did not have trumpets, but the Lord mocks (διαγελᾷ) their thoughts, because they wanted to trumpet their almsgiving. Hypocrites – those who seem to others different from what they actually are.” It is not at all surprising that many modern interpreters in their remarks on these “trumpets” follow the patristic interpretations just cited. “Nothing remains but to understand this expression in a non-literal sense,” says Tolück. Such opinions are confirmed by the fact that to the present day no case has been found among Jewish customs when “hypocrites,” in distributing alms, in the literal sense “sounded a trumpet” before themselves. The English scholar Lightfoot spent much time and effort searching for such or a similar case but “although he searched much and seriously, did not find even the slightest mention of a trumpet at the distribution of alms.” Regarding Lightfoot’s remark, another English commentator Morison says that Lightfoot had no need “to search so diligently, because it is well known that, at least in synagogues, when private individuals wished to distribute alms, trumpets in the literal sense could not be used.” This is not enough. It was said that if “hypocrites” sounded trumpets, then such “boasting” (καύχημα) before people would be poorly understood, and that if they wished, they would have been able to conceal their bad motives better. Even cases are known opposite to what Christ speaks of. Thus, for example, about one rabbi whose charitable activity was considered exemplary, it is recounted in the Talmud that, not wishing to shame the poor, he attached an open purse with alms to his back, and the poor could take from it what they could unobtrusively. All this, of course, is not an objection to the gospel text, and ordinarily is not presented as such. However, the concreteness and vividness of the expression “do not sound a trumpet before yourself” and its evident connection with the subsequent condemnations of hypocrites, confirmed factually in the information about their customs that has come down to us (verses 5 and 16), caused searches for some real, factual confirmation for it as well. It was found that such customs really existed among pagans, in whom the servants of Isis and Cybele, asking for alms for themselves, beat on tambourines. The same, according to the description of travelers, was done by Persian and Indian monks. Thus among pagans the poor themselves who asked for alms made noise. If we apply these facts to the case under consideration, then the expression “do not sound” should be interpreted in the sense of a prohibition on the part of hypocrites of the poor making noise when demanding alms from themselves. But the author who pointed out these facts, the German scholar Iken, according to Tolück, himself “honestly” confessed that he cannot prove such a custom either among Jews or among Christians. Even less probable is the explanation according to which the words “do not sound…” are borrowed from the thirteen trumpet-shaped boxes or cups placed in the temple for collecting donations (γαζοφυλάκια, or in Hebrew “shoferot”). Arguing against this opinion, Tolück says that the money dropped into these tubes (tubae) had no relation to charity but was collected for the temple; the cups for donations to the poor were called not “shoferot” but “kufa,” and nothing is known about their form. But if we encounter in Matthew’s Gospel an indication that trumpets were used in charitable work, this does not at all exclude the possibility that it actually happened. Trumpets were used by priests in the temple and synagogues, there were “trumpet-shaped” boxes, and therefore the expression “do not sound,” having become metaphorical, could have some foundation in reality and have as a metaphor. In Talmudic tractates Rosh Hashanah and Taanit there are many ordinances concerning “sounding,” so that if the expression of Christ could not be understood in the sense: do not sound a trumpet before yourself at the distribution of alms, then it is quite possible to understand it thus: when you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before yourself, as hypocrites do in various other cases. The meaning of the expression – attracting public attention to one’s charity – is completely clear and is in no way changed whether we consider the expression to correspond to reality or only be metaphorical. And how can one demand that in the Talmud, despite the Jews’ attention to minutiae, all the Jewish customs of that time with all their numerous complexities be reflected? By synagogues in this verse should be understood not ‘assemblies,’ but rather synagogues themselves. To the boasting ‘in synagogues’ is added boasting ‘in the streets.’ The purpose of hypocritical almsgiving is stated clearly: ‘so that they may be glorified by people.’ This means that through charity they wanted to achieve their own, moreover selfish, aims. They were guided in their charitable deeds not by genuine desire to help their neighbor, but by various other selfish motives—a vice characteristic not only of Jewish hypocrites, but of hypocrites generally in all ages and nations. The usual goal of such charity is to gain the trust of the powerful and rich and from a penny given to a poor man to receive rubles from them. One might even say that truly genuine, perfectly sincere benefactors have always been few. But even if no selfish aims could be achieved through charity, the ‘glory,’ ‘fame,’ ‘renown’ (the meaning of the word δόξα) constitute in themselves a sufficient goal for hypocritical almsgiving. The expression ‘they receive their reward’ is clear enough. Hypocrites seek reward not from God, but first of all from people, receive it and must be satisfied with it alone. In exposing the wicked motives of hypocrites, the Savior at the same time points to the emptiness of ‘human’ rewards. For living according to God, for the future life they have no significance whatsoever. Only a person whose horizon is limited to the present life appreciates earthly rewards. One who has a broader outlook understands both the emptiness of this earthly life and of earthly rewards. If the Savior said ‘truly I say to you,’ he showed his true insight into the secrets of the human heart.

Matthew 6:3. But you, when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, Matthew 6:4. so that your almsgiving may be in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly. To explain these verses we must remember that the Savior makes no prescriptions and gives no instructions regarding the actual methods of charity. It can, without doubt, be expressed in thousands of different ways, depending on convenience and circumstances. Someone said that a deed done for the benefit of neighbors, or a word, efforts and such can be as much a benefaction to them as material alms in the form of kopecks, rubles, and provisions. The Savior does not point to the methods of charity, but to what makes it true and pleasing to God. Charity must be secret, and profoundly secret. ‘But you, when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.’ Yet even the most open and public charity does not contradict the teaching of Christ if it is entirely permeated by the spirit of secret charity, if the openly visible benefactor fully adopted or is trying to adopt the methods, conditions, motives, and even habits of the secret benefactor. In other words, the inspiration for charity must be the inner, sometimes scarcely noticeable even to the benefactor himself, love for people, as fellow brothers in Christ and children of God. The benefactor has no need for his deed to come to light. But if he will concern himself with this, his deed loses all value. Open charity has no value without the intention to preserve secrecy. This will be simpler and clearer from the further exposition on prayer. For now we will say that neither Christ Himself nor His apostles prevented open charity. In Christ’s life there are no known instances of Him offering any monetary assistance to the poor, although the disciples who followed the Savior had a money box for offerings (John 12:6). In one instance, when Mary anointed Christ with precious ointment and the disciples began to say, ‘Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?’ The Savior even, it seems, raised an objection to this usual charity, approved Mary’s act and said, ‘The poor you always have with you’ (John 12:4-8; Matt 26:6-11; Mark 14:3-7). Yet no one will say that Christ was indifferent to all charity. His charity is characterized by the same words which were spoken by the apostle Peter when he healed the lame man from birth: ‘Silver and gold I do not have; but what I have I give you’ (Acts 3:1-7). The charity of the apostle Paul is well known; he himself collected offerings for the poor in Jerusalem, and this work of his was completely open. Yet it is entirely clear that such charity, although completely open and public, differed sharply in spirit from the alms of hypocrites and had not the goal of human glorification.

Matthew 6:5. And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the corners of the streets, in order to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they receive their reward. According to the best readings—plural—‘when you pray, do not be like hypocrites, for they love in the synagogues and at the corners of the streets standing (ἑστῶτες) to pray,’ and so on. In the Vulgate the plural (‘pray’) agrees with the Vatican Codex, Origen, Chrysostom, Jerome and others. In the 2nd verse—singular—‘when you give alms’; in the following 6th—‘you’ and so forth. This seemed inconsistent to scribes, and in many manuscripts they replaced the plural with the singular. But if ‘pray’ and so on is correct, then the question why the Savior changed the previous and subsequent singular to plural is extremely difficult, if not impossible to answer. The variants ‘when you pray, do not be’ show that this difficulty was felt already in the deepest antiquity. One can only say that the discourse is equally natural in both cases. It may be also that the plural is used for stronger contrast to the following verse. You, listeners, sometimes pray like hypocrites; but you, true pray-er, and so forth. In examining the characteristics of the ‘hypocrites,’ one can observe that the structure of speech is almost identical in the 2nd and 5th verses. But μή (in the expression ‘do not sound a trumpet’) relates generally to the future and presumed and is replaced in the 5th verse by οὐκ (do not be). As in the first, so in the second case ‘in synagogues’ is encountered, but the expression of the 2nd verse ‘in the streets’ (ἐν ταῖς ῥύμαις) is replaced in the 5th verse by ‘at the corners of the streets’ (ἐν ταῖς γωνίαις τῶν πλατειῶν). The difference is that ῥύμη means a narrow street, while πλατεῖα means a broad street. The word ‘glorified’ (δοξασθῶσιν—were glorified) is replaced by the word ‘appear’ (φανῶσιν). Otherwise the 5th verse is a literal repetition of the end of the 2nd verse. If one could assert that the 2nd verse and does not contain anything corresponding to the then Jewish reality, but consists only of metaphorical expressions, then regarding the 5th verse one can say that it contains an actual (without metaphors) characteristic of ‘hypocrites,’ known also from other sources. Here one must first of all know that both the Jews and later the Muhammadans had definite hours of prayer—the 3rd, 6th, and 9th hour of the day, according to our reckoning the 9th, 12th, and 3rd. ‘And now the Muhammadan and conscientious Jew, as soon as the appointed hour strikes, perform their prayer, wherever they may be’ (Tholuck). In the Talmudic tract Berakot there is a multitude of prescriptions from which it is evident that prayers were performed on the road and even despite dangers from robbers. One encounters, for example, such characteristics. ‘Once Rabbi Ishmael and Rabbi Elazar, son of Azariah, stopped in one place, and Rabbi Ishmael lay down, and Rabbi Elazar stood. When the time for evening Shema (prayer) came, Rabbi Ishmael arose, and Rabbi Elazar lay down’ (Talmud, translation of Perefiercovitch, vol. I, p. 3). ‘Workers (gardeners, carpenters) read Shema, remaining on a tree or on a wall’ (ibid., p. 8). Given such characteristics, the stops of hypocrites completely clearly become understandable ‘at the corners of the streets.’ “Do not be”—in Greek this is an indicative (ἔσεσθε), not an imperative. We have already encountered such usage (ἔστε never occurs in the New Testament; see Blass, Gram. S. 204). The word ‘love’ (φιλοῦσιν) is sometimes translated as ‘have the custom, habit.’ But this word never has such meaning in the Bible (Zahn). Standing (ἑστῶτες) is the ordinary position during prayer. There is no need to suppose that hypocrites prayed standing precisely because of their hypocrisy and love of ostentation and that Christ rebukes them precisely for this. Here there is a simple characterization on which no logical emphasis is placed. The purpose of prayers at the corners of streets was to ‘appear’ (φανῶσιν) as praying. A vice characteristic of all sorts of hypocrites and sanctimonious people, who often pretend to pray to God, but in reality—to people, and especially the powerful of this world. The meaning of the last two phrases: ‘truly I say to you’ … ‘receive their reward,’ is the same as in the 2nd verse: they receive completely—such is the meaning of the word ἀπέχουσιν. It should be noted that after the words ‘truly I say to you’ (as in the 2nd verse), in some codices ‘that’ (ὅτι) is placed: ‘that they receive’ and so forth. The addition of ‘that,’ although correct, can be considered superfluous and is not supported by the best manuscripts.

Matthew 6:6. But you, when you pray, enter into your chamber and, having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly. As in the teaching on charity, so here we are pointed not to the methods of prayer, but to its spirit. To understand this, we must imagine a person shut in his room and addressing prayer to our Heavenly Father. No one compels him to pray; no one of men sees how he prays. He may pray, pronouncing words or not pronouncing them. No one of men hears these words. Prayer is an act of free, unforced, and secret communion of a person with God. It proceeds from the human heart. Already in antiquity the question arose: if Christ commanded to pray in secret, did he not thereby forbid public and church prayer? To this question the answer was almost always negative. Chrysostom asks: ‘And so what? In church, the Savior says, one should not pray?’ and answers: ‘One should and very much should, but only depending on the intention. God everywhere looks to the purpose of deeds. If you even enter your chamber and shut the doors behind you, but do this for show, then the shut doors will bring you no benefit… So, even if you shut the doors, He desires that you, before shutting them, drive vanity out of yourself and shut the doors of your heart. To be free from vanity is always a good deed, and especially during prayer.’ Such an interpretation is correct, although at first glance it seems to contradict the direct sense of the Savior’s words. Somewhat differently and quite cleverly the modern exegetes explain this. ‘If,’ says Zahn, ‘almsgiving is by its very nature open and concerning brothers and therefore cannot be completely secret, then prayer by its very essence is the speech of the human heart to God. Therefore for it any abandonment of publicity is not only not harmful, but it is even protected from all admixture of extraneous influences and relations. The Savior did not see fit to weaken the energy of His speech with petty warnings against unreasoning generalizations, such as, for example, a prohibition of all public prayer (see verse 9 and following; Matt 18:19 and following) or generally of any prayer heard by others (see Matt 11:25 and following).’ In other words, secret prayer does not need any restrictions. The spirit of secret prayer can be present in open prayer. The latter has no value without secret prayer. If a person prays in church with the same disposition as at home, then his public prayer will benefit him. This is not the place to discuss the significance of public prayer in itself. The important thing only is that neither Christ nor His apostles denied it, as is evident from the above citations. The transition from ‘you’ of the 5th verse to ‘you’ (singular) may again be explained by the desire to strengthen the contrast between true prayer and the prayer of hypocrites. “Chamber” (ταμεῖον)—here understood as any room that can be shut or locked. The original meaning of this word (more correctly ταμιεῖον) was—a storeroom for provisions, a storehouse (see Luke 12:24), then a bedroom (2 Sam 6:12; Eccl 10:20). Here attention should be called to the general conclusion which Chrysostom draws, examining this verse. ‘Let us perform prayers not with movements of the body, not with a loud voice, but with good spiritual disposition; not with noise and tumult, not for show, as if to drive away our neighbor, but with all propriety, contrition of heart and unfeigned tears.’

Matthew 6:7. And when you pray, do not speak uselessly, as the gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard by their wordiness; Again a clear transition to speech in the plural ‘you.’ The example is now taken not from Jewish but from pagan life. The entire explanation of the verse depends on the meaning we assign to the words ‘speak uselessly’ (μὴ βατταλογήσητε; in the Slavic Bible—‘do not speak unnecessarily’; Vulgate: nolite multum loqui—do not speak much). First of all let us note that determining the meaning of the Greek word βατταλογήσητε is important for determining the properties of true prayer. If we translate ‘do not speak much,’ then, it seems, our (as well as Catholic and other) church services are unnecessary according to Christ’s teaching because of their verbosity. If we translate ‘do not repeat,’ then this will be a rebuke of repeated use of the same words in prayer; if ‘do not speak uselessly,’ then the meaning of Christ’s teaching will remain indefinite, because it is unknown what we should understand by ‘uselessly’ here. It is not at all surprising that this word has occupied exegetes from ancient times, especially since it is extremely difficult, because in Greek literature it is found independently only here, in Matthew’s Gospel, and also in one writer of the 6th century Simplicius (Commentarii in Epicteti enchiridion, ed. F. Dubner. Paris, 1842, in cap. XXX, p. 91, 23). One could hope that with the help of the latter one might be able to shed light on the meaning of the word under examination in Matthew. But unfortunately, in Simplicius the meaning of the word is as unclear as in Matthew. First, in Simplicius it is not βατταλογεῖν, as in the Gospel (according to the best readings), but βαττολογεῖν, but this is not particularly important. Second, in Simplicius the word clearly means ‘to babble,’ ‘to talk nonsense’ and has consequently an indefinite meaning. In the West there exists an entire literature on this word. So much has been said about this that even exegetical ‘battalogy’ has provoked mockery. ‘The learned interpreters,’ said one writer, ‘are responsible for saying so much battalogizing about this word.’ The result of numerous investigations has been that the word is still considered to this day ‘mysterious.’ They tried to derive it from the proper name Βάττος. Since tradition points to three different Battoses, they tried to find from which one the word in question comes. In the “History” of Herodotus (IV, 153 and following) there is a detailed account of one of them who stammered, and from him they derived the word ‘battalogy.’ Support for such an opinion could come from the fact that Demosthenes was called in mockery βάτταλος—stammerer. Thus the evangelical word βατταλογήσητε could be translated ‘do not stammer,’ as the gentiles do, if only the sense of the speech and the context allowed this. The assumption that the Savior exposed here pagan and any ‘stammering’ is completely impossible and is now completely abandoned. Of the proposed derivations the best seems to be that this is a so-called vox hybrida, a mixture from different words, in this case Hebrew and Greek. The Greek that entered into the composition of this compound word is λογέω, the same as λέγω, meaning ‘to speak.’ But as to which exactly Hebrew word the first part of the expression is derived from, the opinions of exegetes differ. Some derive it from the Hebrew ‘bata’—to babble, speak nonsensically; others—from ‘batal’—to be idle, inactive, or from ‘betel’—not to act, to cease and to hinder. From these two words could be formed the word βατάλογος instead of βαταλόλογος, similar to how idolatra is formed from idololatra. But in Hebrew there are not two ‘t’s as in Greek, but one. To explain the two ‘t’s they used the rather rare word βατταρίζειν, which means ‘to babble,’ and thus was formed βατταλογέω Matt 6:7. Of these two derivations, the first should be preferred on the basis that ‘l’ is contained in the Greek λογέω (λέγω), and therefore to derive it there is no need to take into account this letter. If we derive from ‘bata’ and λογέω, then the explanation of the word will be similar to that which Chrysostom gave it, considering βαττολογία—φλυαρία; the latter means ‘empty babbling,’ ‘trifles,’ ‘nonsense.’ So this word was rendered in the German translation of Luther: sollt ihr nicht viel flappern—you should not babble much. In English: ‘do not make vain repetitions.’ The only objection that could be made against this interpretation is that the Hebrew word ‘bata’ already by itself contains the notion of talking nonsense, and it is unclear why the Greek λογέω is added, which also means ‘to speak,’ so if we translate the expression literally into Russian, it would have such a form: ‘to talk nonsense—to speak.’ But is it really true, as Zahn asserts, that λογέω means precisely ‘to speak’? This verb in Greek appears only in compound words and always means, like λέγω, to speak sensibly, by plan, with reasoning. To denote senseless speech the Greek word λαλεῖν is ordinarily used. One gets something incongruous if we combine λογέω—to speak sensibly with the Hebrew word ‘bata’—to speak senselessly. It is possible, it seems, to avoid this difficulty if we give λογέω the meaning—to think rather than to speak. This gives a clearer meaning to the verb in Matt 6:7—‘do not think idly,’ or, better, ‘do not think idle-words, as the gentiles do.’ Confirmation of such an interpretation can be found in the fact that, according to Tholuck, among the ancient church fathers ‘the concept of verbosity receded to the background and, on the contrary, prayers with unworthy and improper thoughts were emphasized.’ Tholuck supports his words with a significant number of examples from patristic writings. Origen says: μὴ βαττολογήσωμεν ἀλλὰ θεολογήσωμεν, directing attention not to the process of speaking, but to the content of the prayer itself. If, further, we attend to the content of the Lord’s Prayer, which, it seems from the sense of the speech, should serve as a model for the absence of battalogy, we can see that in it everything unworthy, senseless, trivial and worthy of blame or scorn is eliminated. Thus we come to the conclusion that in the word βαττολογεῖν what is criticized is first of all idle thought during prayer, the idle speech depending on it and among other things verbosity (πολυλογία)—the Savior himself uses this word further on, and this, it seems, is important also for explaining battalogy. Above it was said that Christ now warns not of imitating hypocrites but of imitating gentiles. Examining this warning from the factual side, we find examples proving that in their appeal to their gods the gentiles were distinguished both by little thought and much verbosity. Such examples can be found in the classics and in the Bible it is confirmed twice. The priests of Baal ‘called upon’ his ‘name from morning until noon, saying, Baal, hear us!’ (1 Sam 18:26). The gentiles in Ephesus, filled with rage, cried out, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’ (Acts 19:28-34). Nevertheless, it seems doubtful whether these instances can serve as an illustration of the verbose prayers of the gentiles. Much more appropriate here is the general observation that the gentiles were generally characterized by verbosity and it even had various names among them—διπλασιολογία (repetition of words), κυκλοπορεία (going around), tautology and talkativeness in the proper sense. The multiplicity of gods prompted the gentiles to talkativeness (στωμυλία): the gods were said to number up to 30 thousand. During solemn prayers to the gods one had to list their titles (ἐπωνυμίαι), which were numerous (Tholuck,). For the interpretation of this verse of Matthew’s Gospel it would be completely sufficient for us if in paganism we encountered even one clear case confirming the Savior’s words; such a coincidence would be quite important. But if we have not one but rather quite clear cases, then we come to the conclusion that the Savior describes the contemporary historical reality precisely. Protests against long and senseless prayers are found also in the Bible (see Isa 1:15; Amos 5:23; Sir 7:14).

Matthew 6:8. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you have need of, before you ask him. The meaning of this verse is clear. “Them,” that is, the gentiles. Jerome points out that as a result of this teaching of the Savior a heresy arose and the perverted dogma of certain philosophers who said: if God knows what we will pray about, if before our requests He knows our needs, then why pointlessly do we speak to Him, who knows? In response to this heresy, both Jerome and other church fathers answer that in our prayers to God we do not recount our needs, but only ask. ‘It is one thing to recount to one who does not know, another to ask of one who knows.’ These words can be considered sufficient for the explanation of this verse. We can only add, together with Chrysostom and others, that Christ does not hinder persistent and earnest requests of people to God, which is indicated by Christ’s parables about the poor widow (Luke 18:1-7) and the persistent friend (Luke 11:5-13).

Matthew 6:9. Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, let your name be held holy; “Pray then in this way”—literally: ‘then, pray you in this way.’ The Russian word ‘then’ (οὖν) in connection with “in this way” (οὕτως) was obviously the reason why ‘then’ was changed to ‘thus.’ The Greek particle is expressed in the Vulgate with the word ‘therefore’ (si ergo vos orabitis), and in German and English with ‘therefore’ (darum, therefore). The general thought of the original is expressed in these translations not sufficiently clearly and accurately. This depends not only on the difficulty, but on the impossibility of transmitting the Greek speech precisely in other languages. The thought is that ‘since in your prayers you should not be like praying gentiles and since your prayers should be distinguished by a different character compared to their prayers, pray in this way’ (Meyer,). But even this is only a certain approximation to the sense, beyond which, it seems, it is impossible to go. Yet much depends on the correct explanation of the word ‘way.’ If we take it in the strictest sense ‘in exactly this way, not otherwise,’ then it will be clear that all our church and other prayers, with the exception of the ‘Our Father,’ are unnecessary and contrary to the teaching of the Savior. But if the Savior had commanded to pronounce only this prayer (ταύτην τὴν εὐχήν) or only what He said (ταῦτα), then full precision should be expected in the expression, and it would, moreover, be unclear why in two versions of the Lord’s Prayer, in Matthew and Luke (Luke 11:2-4), there is a difference. There are more differences in Greek than in Russian, but even in the latter they are noticeable in the fourth petition (Luke 11:3). If we make the translation of οὕτως—in this way, in this kind, in this sense, in this manner (simili or eodem modo, in hunc sensum), then this would mean that the Lord’s Prayer, in the Savior’s thought, should serve only as a model for other prayers, but not exclude them. But in this latter case we would assign to the word οὕτως a meaning which it does not actually have, and especially it is not used in the sense of simili modo or in hunc sensum. Further, they say that if the expression were to be understood not in a strict sense, then it should have been said: ‘pray somehow in this way’ (οὕτως πως—Tholuck,). The accuracy and definiteness of the words of the prayer, according to the opinion of some exegetes, are indicated also by the words from Luke’s Gospel: ‘when you pray, say’ (Luke 11:2), where the word ‘say’ expresses a precise command to pronounce precisely those words which Christ has indicated. Neither of these interpretations, however, can be fully agreed with because of their one-sidedness. We must remember that Christ, as before, so here, leaves it to people themselves to draw further conclusions and consequences from His words. So here too the initial or first prayer is simply set forth, the prayer of all prayers, the most excellent prayer. Its study is above all necessary for every Christian, whether child or adult, because by its childish simplicity it is accessible to a child’s understanding and can serve as a subject for profound reasoning for an adult. It is the childish babbling of a child beginning to speak and the deepest theology of an adult man. The Lord’s Prayer is not a model for other prayers and cannot be a model, because it is inimitable in its simplicity, artlessness, substantiality and depth. It alone is sufficient for a man who knows no other prayers. But, being initial, it does not exclude the possibility of continuations, consequences and clarifications. Christ Himself in Gethsemane prayed, pronouncing precisely this prayer (‘your will be done’ and ‘lead us not into temptation’), expressing it only in other words. Also His ‘farewell prayer’ can be considered an expansion or development of the ‘Our Father’ and serves for its interpretation. As Christ, so also the apostles prayed differently, and gave us an example of the pronouncing of other prayers. According to Luke’s account, the Savior in a somewhat altered form pronounced the same prayer at another time, under different circumstances. But there is also the opinion that He pronounced this prayer only once and that either in Matthew or Luke the time and circumstances of its pronouncement are not defined precisely. To decide how it was, at present there is no possibility. Is the Lord’s Prayer an independent composition or is it as a whole or in individual expressions borrowed from Holy Scripture and other sources? Opinions again divide. Some say that ‘the entire prayer is skillfully composed from Hebrew formulas (tota haec oratio ex formulis Hebraeorum concinnata est tam apte).’ Others hold the opposite opinion. Asserting that the first view, if accepted, would contain nothing disrespectful or subject to objection, they point out, however, that attempts to find parallels for the Lord’s Prayer from biblical or rabbinical sources have so far proven unsuccessful. This opinion now predominates in New Testament exegesis. Distant parallels, it is asserted, can be found, if at all, only to the first three petitions. The similarity pointed out by Bengel and others between the Lord’s Prayer and some passages in the First Epistle of the apostle Peter (1 Pet 1:15-16 and others) should be recognized as only very distant and perhaps merely accidental, although the parallels encountered here have some significance for interpretation. In ecclesiastical literature, the earliest mention of the Lord’s Prayer is found in ‘The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles’ (‘Didache,’ ch. 8), where it is given in full according to Matthew with a small difference (ἀφίεμεν—ἀφήκαμεν), with the addition of ‘a doxology’ and the words: ‘so pray three times a day.’ The number of petitions is determined differently. Blessed Augustine accepts 7 petitions, Chrysostom—6. The prayer begins with an invocation, where God is called ‘Father.’ Such a name is encountered, though rarely, in the Old Testament. Not to mention that in the Old Testament people are sometimes called ‘sons of God,’ direct names of God as Father are also found (Deut 32:6; Wis 14:3; Isa 63:16; Jer 3:19; Mal 1:6). In Sir 23:1 and Jer 3:4 the name of God, as Father, is used in the form of an invocation. And not only the Jews, but also the pagans called, for example, Zeus or Jupiter father. In Plato’s ‘Timaeus’ there is a passage where God is called Father and Creator of the world (ὁ πατὴρ καὶ ποιητὴς τοῦ κόσμου); Jupiter according to Tholuck = Diovis = Deus et pater. But in general ‘in the Old Testament idea (not to speak of the pagans) we observe that it was rather special than universal, and did not become a conception determining God’s character. God’s relation to Israel was fatherly, but there was no sign that it was so by its very essence and that all people were subject to God’s fatherly love and care. The legal idea of God still predominated. Power and transcendence were God’s outstanding properties. Acknowledgment of this was right and important, but it was subject to one-sided development, and such development took on a peculiar form in later Judaism. The legalism and ritualism of the later Jewish period arose to a considerable extent from the people’s inability to supplement the truth about God’s royal Power with the truth about His fatherly love. Legal submission, expressed in rituals through which they thought to express respect for God’s transcendent greatness, more than filial respect and moral obedience, was the dominant note of Pharisaic piety.’ But Jesus Christ spoke of God primarily as Father. The expression ‘Our Father’ is the only place where something said by Christ is ‘our’ rather than ‘your’; ordinarily ‘My Father’ and ‘your Father.’ It is easy to understand that in the invocation the Savior does not place Himself in a relation to God identical with other people, because the prayer was given to others. The words ‘who is in heaven’ do not express the thought: ‘most exalted and omnipresent Father,’ or ‘most high, almighty, supremely good and supremely blessed’ and so on. Here the usual representation is indicated which people have about God, as a Being having a special abode in heaven. If the words ‘who is in heaven’ were not added, the prayer could almost refer to any earthly father. The addition of these words shows that it refers to God. If in the invocation it had been said: ‘Our God,’ then there would be no need at all to add ‘who is in heaven,’ because this would be understood anyway. Thus, ‘Our Father’ is equivalent and synonymous with the word God, but with the addition of an important characteristic—God’s fatherhood and at the same time the thought of God’s tender relation to people as a Father to His children. The observations of exegetes that the Savior here wanted to denote not only fatherhood or fatherly love for people, but also brotherhood of people among themselves, participation of every believer in this brotherhood, can be accepted. The filial relation of people to God, however, is based on their personal relation to Christ, because only through Him do people have the right to call God their Father. “Let your name be held holy.” Instead of any clever reasoning and interpretation of these words, it is easiest, it seems, to understand the meaning of the petition from the opposition. When is God’s name not held holy among people? When they do not know God, teach about Him incorrectly, do not honor Him in their lives and so on. The relation of people to God in all the petitions is presented under the images of earthly relations. We fully understand when children do not honor their earthly father. The same can be said regarding the honoring of God’s name. God Himself is holy. But we contradict this holiness when we relate disrespectfully to God’s name. The matter, thus, is not in God, but in ourselves. As regards the very expression ‘let your name be held holy,’ and not God’s very essence or some property of God, this is so because God’s essence and properties are incomprehensible to us and because God’s name is a designation in a sense accessible to all simple people of the very divine Being. Not about God’s essence, but about His name do simple people speak, about His name they think, by means of His name they distinguish God from all other beings. According to Tholuck, the word ‘to hold holy’ corresponds to ‘to glorify’ and ‘to praise’ (εὐλογεῖν). In Origen—ὑψοῦν, to exalt, to magnify and to glorify. Theophylact says: ‘Make us holy, just as You are glorified through us. As blasphemies are pronounced by me, so let God be held holy by me, that is, let Him be glorified, as the Holy One.’

Matthew 6:10. let your kingdom come; let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven; Literally: ‘let your kingdom come; let your will be done, as in heaven, and on earth.’ In the Greek text only the words are arranged differently, but the sense is the same. Both petitions of this verse Tertullian transposes, placing after ‘let your name be held holy’—‘let your will be done’ and so on. The words: ‘as in heaven, so on earth’ can refer to all three first petitions. Many discussions are found among exegetes about the words: ‘let your kingdom come.’ What kingdom? Some relate this expression to the end of the world and understand it exclusively in the so-called eschatological sense, that is, they think that Christ here taught us to pray for the Last Judgment to be completed sooner and for God’s Kingdom to arrive in the ‘resurrection of the righteous,’ with the destruction of evil people and all evil in general. Others dispute this opinion and assert that the second and third petitions have a close connection—God’s will is fulfilled when God’s Kingdom comes, and, conversely, the coming of God’s Kingdom is a necessary condition for the fulfillment of God’s will. But to the third petition is added: ‘as in heaven, and on earth.’ Consequently, here we are speaking of an earthly kingdom, in distinction from the heavenly. Clearly, the heavenly relations serve here simply as a model for the earthly relations and at the same time. This, in any case, is the best explanation. Christ hardly spoke here of the distant future in the eschatological sense. The coming of God’s Kingdom on earth is a slow process, implying constant perfection of man, as a moral being, in moral life. The moment when man realized himself as a moral being was already in itself the coming of God’s Kingdom. Further, the Hebrews to whom Christ spoke were acquainted with the continuation and development of God’s Kingdom from their preceding history, amid constant failures and obstacles from evil. God’s Kingdom is God’s dominion, when the laws given by Him receive more and more strength, significance and respect among people. This ideal is achievable in this earthly life and about achieving it Christ taught us to pray. Its achievement is connected with prayer for God’s name to be held holy. ‘Before the eyes is placed a goal which can be achieved’ (Zahn,).

Matthew 6:11. give us this day our daily bread; Literally: ‘our daily bread give us today’ (in the Slavic Bible—‘this day’; in the Vulgate—hodie). The word “bread” is entirely analogous to that used in our Russian expressions: ‘to earn one’s bread by labor,’ ‘to labor for a piece of bread’ and so on, that is, under bread here should be understood generally the condition for life, livelihood, certain well-being and so on. In Holy Scripture the word ‘bread’ is often used in the proper sense (cibus, a farina cum aqua permixta compactus atque coctus—Grimm), but also means generally any food necessary for human existence, and not only bodily but also spiritual (see John 6—about heavenly bread). The commentators pay no attention whatsoever to the word “our.” This, let us say, is a trifle, but in the Gospel trifles are important. At first it seems not quite clear why we need to ask God for bread for ourselves when this bread is ‘ours,’ that is, already belongs to us. The word “our” seems, apparently, superfluous; one could simply say: ‘give us daily bread today.’ The explanation will be given below. “Daily” (ἐπιούσιος) is explained differently and belongs to the most difficult words. The word is found only here and again in Luke’s Gospel (Luke 11:3). In Old Testament and classical Greek literature it has not yet been found anywhere. The explanation of it ‘was torture for theologians and grammarians’ (carnificina theologorum et grammaticorum). One writer says that ‘to want to achieve something precise here is the same as driving a nail with a sponge’ (σπόγγῳ πάτταλον κρούειν). They tried to avoid difficulties by suggesting that here is an error of a scribe, that in the original there was first τόν ἄρτον ἐπὶ οὐσίαν—bread for our existence. The scribe inadvertently doubled the τον in the word ἄρτον and correspondingly changed επιουσιαν to επιουσιον. Thus was formed the evangelical expression: τοναρτοντονεπιουσιον. To this, without going into details, we will say that the word ἡμῶν (τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον) completely prevents such an interpretation, besides which, in Luke 11:3 undoubtedly stands ἐπιούσιον—as it does in Matthew. Therefore the interpretation under consideration is now completely abandoned. Of the existing and accepted by modern scholars interpretations, three can be noted. 1. The word ‘daily’ is derived from the Greek preposition ἐπί (upon) and οὐσία from εἶναι (to be). Such an interpretation has the authority of the ancient church fathers, and precisely those who wrote in the Greek language. Among them John Chrysostom, Gregory of Nyssa, Basil the Great, Theophylact, Euphymius Zigavenus and others. If the word is understood in this way, then it will mean: ‘bread necessary for our existence, necessary for us, give us today.’ Such an interpretation, evidently, is adopted also in our Slavonic and Russian Bibles. Against it they object that if the word ἐπιούσιος does not occur anywhere except in the Lord’s Prayer, yet ἔπεστι and others do occur, words composed from the same preposition and verb, but with the omission of ι. Therefore, if the Gospel spoke precisely of ‘necessary’ bread, it would not be ἐπιούσιος, but ἐπούσιος. Further, οὐσία in common usage meant property, estate, and if Christ had used οὐσία precisely in this sense, then this would be not only ‘pointless’ (Winer-Schmiedel), but would make no sense. If He used it in the sense of ‘being’ (bread necessary for our being, existence) or ‘essence,’ ‘substance,’ ‘reality,’ then all this would be distinguished by a philosophical character, since οὐσία in this sense is used exclusively among philosophers and the words of Christ would not be understood by simple people. 2. The word ἐπιούσιος is derived from ἐπί and ἰέναι—to come, to arrive. The word has different meanings; for us the important thing is only that in the expression ἐπιοῦσα ἡμέρα it means tomorrow, or the coming day. This word was composed by the evangelists themselves and applied to ἄρτος in the meaning ‘future bread,’ ‘bread of the coming day.’ Support for such an interpretation is found in the words of Jerome, who among his quite brief commentaries has the following note. ‘In the Gospel which is called the Gospel of the Hebrews, instead of daily bread, I found “mahar,” which means tomorrow (crastinum), so that the meaning should be such: our future bread, that is tomorrow’s, give us today.’ On this basis, a multitude of modern critics, including the best, for example, the German compilers of New Testament grammars Winer-Schmiedel, Blass and the exegete Zahn, assumed that the word means tomorrow (from ἡ ἐπιοῦσα, that is, ἡμέρα). Renan also gives such an explanation. It is completely understandable what difference in sense results from whether we accept this interpretation or agree with the previous one. However, if we accept Jerome’s interpretation, then it would have to be recognized, not to mention various philological difficulties, that it contradicts the Savior’s words: ‘do not be anxious about tomorrow’ (Matt 6:34); it would also be unclear why we would ask: ‘tomorrow’s bread give us today.’ Indicating ‘mahar,’ Jerome himself translates ἐπιούσιος with the word super-substantialis. According to Cremer, from ἰέναι and compounds with it one cannot prove any derivation with the ending -ιουσιος, on the contrary, many such words are derived from οὐσία. In words composed with ἐπί, where the root begins with a vowel, the fusion is avoided through the omission of ι, as in the word ἐπεῖναι. But this does not always happen and ι is retained, for example, in words such as ἐπιέτης (in other cases—ἐπέτειος), ἐπιορκεῖν (in ecclesiastical Greek—ἐπιορκίζειν), ἐπιεικής, ἐπίουρος (in Homer ἔθορος). Thus, it should be admitted that ἐπιούσιος was formed from οὐσία, similar to analogous formations from words ending in ια—ιος (ἐπιθυμία—ἐπιθύμιος, ἐπικαρπία—ἐπικάρπιος, περιουσία—περιούσιος and others). The meaning of οὐσία in the place under discussion will be not philosophical, but simply—being, nature, and ἄρτος ἐπιούσιος means ‘bread necessary for our existence or for our nature.’ This concept is well expressed in the Russian word “daily.” Such an explanation is confirmed also by the use of the word οὐσία in the classics (for example, in Aristotle) in the sense of even life, existence. ‘Daily bread,’ that is, bread necessary for existence, for life, is, according to Cremer, a brief designation of the Hebrew ‘lechem hoc’ found in Prov 30:8—daily bread, which by the Seventy is translated with the words ‘necessary’ (necessary) and ‘sufficient’ (in the Russian Bible—‘daily’). According to Cremer it should be translated: ‘our bread necessary for our life give us today.’ The fact that the interpretation ‘tomorrow’ is found only among Latin writers, but not Greek, is decisive here. Chrysostom, of course, knew the Greek language well, and if he had no doubt that ἐπιούσιος was used in the sense of ‘daily,’ then this interpretation should be preferred to the interpretation of Latin writers, who sometimes knew Greek well, but still not as well as native Greeks. 3. An allegorical interpretation, apparently provoked in part by the difficulties of other interpretations. Church fathers in ancient times explained this word in a spiritual sense: Tertullian, Cyprian, Cyril of Jerusalem, Athanasius, Isidore of Pellusium, Jerome, Ambrose, Augustine and many others. Of course, in the application of the expression to ‘spiritual bread’ there is, properly speaking, nothing to be objected to. However, in the understanding of this ‘spiritual bread’ among the interpreters there is such a difference that this deprives their interpretations of almost all significance. Some said that by bread here is understood the bread of the Sacrament of Communion, others pointed to spiritual bread—Christ Himself, reckoning the Eucharist here, still others—only to Christ’s teaching. Such interpretations are contradicted most of all, it seems, by the word ‘today,’ and also by the fact that at the time when Christ pronounced His words, according to the evangelist, the Sacrament of Communion had not yet been established. The translations: ‘everyday’ bread, ‘supernatural,’ should be considered completely inaccurate. The reader sees that of the interpretations above the first seems the best. With it the word “our” acquires some special significance, which they say, although it ‘does not seem superfluous,’ could have been omitted. In our opinion, on the contrary, it has sense, and quite an important one. What bread and by what right can we consider ‘ours’? Certainly, that which is acquired by our labors. But since the concept of earned bread is quite elastic—one works much and acquires little, another works little and acquires much—the concept of ‘ours,’ that is, earned, bread is limited by the word ‘daily,’ that is, necessary for life, and then by the word ‘today.’ It was well said that here simply is indicated the golden mean between poverty and wealth. Solomon prayed: ‘give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with bread adequate for my life’ (Prov 30:8).

Matthew 6:12. and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors; The Russian translation is accurate if only we recognize that “forgive” (in the Slavic Bible)—ἀφίεμεν is indeed placed in the present tense, and not in the aorist (ἀφήκαμεν), as in some codices. The word ἀφήκαμεν has ‘the best attestation.’ Tischendorf, Alford, Westcott, Hort place ἀφήκαμεν—‘we have forgiven,’ but the Vulgate—present tense (dimittimus), as does John Chrysostom, Cyprian and others. Meanwhile the difference in sense, depending on which reading we accept, is significant. Forgive us our sins, because we ourselves forgive or have already forgiven. Everyone can understand that the second, so to speak, is more categorical. Forgiveness of sins by us is set as a kind of condition for forgiveness of ourselves; our earthly activity here serves as a kind of image for heavenly activity. The images are borrowed from ordinary moneylenders, who lend money, and debtors, who receive them and then repay. An explanation of the petition is the parable of the rich, but merciful king and the merciless debtor (Matt 18:23-35). The Greek word ὀφειλέτης means a debtor, who must repay someone ὀφείλημα, a monetary debt, someone else’s money (aes alienum). But in a broader sense ὀφείλημα means generally any obligations, any payment, tax, and in the place under discussion the word is placed instead of the word ‘sin,’ ‘transgression’ (ἀμαρτία, παράπτωμα). The word is used here in accordance with Hebrew and Aramaic “lov,” which means both a monetary debt (debitum) and a fault, transgression, sin (culpa, reatus, peccatum). The second clause (‘as we also forgive’ and so on) has from of old brought interpreters into great difficulty. First of all they reasoned about what should be understood by the word “as” (ὡς),—should it be taken in the strictest sense or in a more lenient sense, in accordance with human weakness. Understanding in the strictest sense brought many church fathers to trembling at the thought that the measure or quantity of divine forgiveness of our sins is completely determined by the measure of our own ability or possibility to forgive the sins of our neighbors. In other words, divine mercy is determined here by human mercy. But since man is not capable of such mercy as is characteristic of God, the situation of the one praying, unable to reconcile, caused many to shudder and tremble. The author of the work attributed to John Chrysostom, “Opus imperfectum in Matthaeum,” testifies that in the ancient Church those praying would completely omit the second clause of the fifth petition. One writer advised: ‘Saying this, O man, if you will do so, that is, pray, remember what has been said: “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”’ (Heb 10:31). Some, according to Augustine, tried to make a kind of circumlocution and instead of sins understood monetary obligations. Chrysostom, it seems, wished to remove the difficulty when he pointed to the difference in relations and circumstances: ‘First of all, forgiveness depends on us, and the judgment pronounced upon us is in our power. The judgment you yourself pronounce upon yourself, the same judgment I will pronounce upon you. If you forgive your brother, you will receive the same favor from Me—although this latter is actually much more important than the former. You forgive another because you yourself have need of forgiveness, but God forgives, Himself having need of nothing. You forgive a brother, but God—a servant; you are guilty of countless sins, but God is sinless.’ Modern scholars are also conscious of these difficulties and try to explain the word “as” (ὡς),—apparently correctly,—in a somewhat softened sense. A strict understanding of this particle is not permitted by the context. In the relations between God and man, on the one hand, and man and man, on the other, there is no complete equality (paritas), but only a similarity of reasoning (similitudo rationis). The king in the parable shows the servant greater mercy than the servant shows his companion. Ὡς can be translated with the word ‘similarly’ (similiter). Here a comparison of two acts is implied in kind, not in degree. In conclusion, let us say that the thought about forgiveness of sins from God under the condition of forgiveness of sins of our neighbors was, it seems, foreign to at least paganism. According to Philostratus (Vita Apollonii, I, 11), Apollonius of Tyana proposed and recommended to the one praying to address the gods with such speech: ‘You, O gods, pay me my debts,—what is owed me’ (ὦς θεοί, δοίητέ μοι τὰ ὀφειλόμενα).

Matthew 6:13. and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. The words ‘lead us not’ immediately make it clear that God leads into temptation, is its cause. In other words: if we do not pray, we can fall into temptation from God, who will lead us into it. But is it possible and in what way is it possible to attribute such a deed to the Highest Being? On the other hand, such an understanding of the sixth petition seems to contradict the words of the apostle James, who says: ‘in temptation (in the time of, amid temptation) let no one say: God tempts me, because God is not tempted by evil and Himself does not tempt anyone’ (Jas 1:13). If so, then why pray to God that He not lead us into temptation? He and without prayer, according to the apostle, tempts no one and will tempt no one. In another place the same apostle says: ‘with great joy accept, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations’ (Jas 1:2). From this one can conclude that, in at least some cases, temptations are even beneficial and therefore to pray for deliverance from them there is no need. If we turn to the Old Testament, we find that ‘God tempted Abraham’ (Gen 22:1); ‘the anger of the Lord again kindled against the Israelites, and He incited David to number Israel and Judah’ (2 Sam 24:1; compare 1 Chr 21:1). We will not explain these contradictions if we do not recognize that God permits evil, although He is not the cause of evil. The cause of evil is the free will of free beings, which becomes divided because of sin, that is, takes either a good or evil direction. Due to the existence in the world of both good and evil, worldly actions or phenomena are also divided into evil and good; evil appears like mud amid clear water or like poisoned air in clean. Evil can exist independently of us, but we can become its participants because we live amid evil. The verb εἰσφέρω, used in the verse under discussion, is not as strong as εἰσβάλλω; the first does not express force, the second does. Thus ‘lead us not into temptation’ means: ‘do not lead us into such an environment where evil exists,’ do not allow this. Do not allow that we, because of our lack of wisdom, go toward evil, or that evil should come upon us independently of our guilt and will. Such a request is natural and was completely understood by the listeners of Christ, because it is based on the deepest knowledge of human nature and of the world. Apparently, there is no special need to discuss the very character of temptations, of which some appear beneficial for us, and others—harmful. In Hebrew there are two words, ‘bachan’ and ‘nasa’ (both words are used in Ps 25:2), which mean ‘to test’ and are used more often of just than unjust testing. In the New Testament there is only one word for both—πειρασμός, while the Seventy translate them with two (δοκιμάζω and πειράζω). The purpose of temptations can be to make a man δόκιμος—‘tested’ (Jas 1:12), and such activity can be characteristic of God and beneficial for people. But if a Christian, according to the apostle James, should rejoice when he falls into temptation, because as a result he can prove to be δόκιμος and ‘receive the crown of life’ (Jas 1:12), then even in this case he should ‘pray for protection from temptations, because he cannot affirm that he will overcome the test—δόκιμος. So Christ calls blessed those who are persecuted and slandered for His name (Matt 5:10-11), but what Christian will seek slander and persecution, and even strongly strive for them?’ (Tholuck,). All the more dangerous for man are temptations from the devil, who is called πειραστής, πειράζων. This word eventually acquired a bad meaning, as did the word πειρασμός, used several times in the New Testament. Hence under the words ‘lead us not into temptation’ can be understood temptation not from God, but from the devil, who acts upon our inner inclinations and thus throws us into sin. The interpretation of ‘lead’ in a permissive sense: ‘do not allow that we be tempted’ (Euphymius Zigavenus), and πειρασμός in a special sense, in the sense of temptation which we cannot bear, should be rejected, as unnecessary and arbitrary. If, thus, temptation in the place under discussion means temptation from the devil, then such an explanation should influence the subsequent meaning of the words ‘from evil’—τοῦ πονηροῦ. We have already encountered this word; here it is translated in Russian and Slavonic indefinitely—‘from evil,’ in the Vulgate—a malo, in the German translation of Luther—von dem Uebel, in English—from evil (also found in English variant from the evil one—note), that is, from evil. Such a translation is justified by the fact that if here one were to understand ‘from the devil,’ there would be tautology: lead us not into temptation (presumably—from the devil), but deliver us from the devil. Τὸ πονηρόν in the neuter gender with the article and without a noun means ‘evil’ (see the commentaries to Matt 5:39), and if Christ meant here the devil, then, as justly remarked, He could have said: ἀπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου or τοῦ πειράζοντος. In connection with this should explain and ‘deliver’ (ῥῦσαι). The verb is joined with two prepositions ‘from’ and ‘out of,’ and this, apparently, is determined by the real meaning of such connections. Of a man plunged in mud, one cannot say: deliver him from (ἀπό), but out of (ἐκ) mud. One might expect therefore that in the 13th verse it would be better to use ‘out of’ if here we were speaking of evil, and not the devil. But there is no need for this, because from other cases it is known that ‘deliver out of’ indicates actual, already arrived danger, ‘deliver from’—supposed or possible. The meaning of the first combination ‘deliver from,’ the second—‘protect,’ while it does not at all eliminate the thought of deliverance from already existing evil to which man is already subjected. In conclusion, let us note that the two petitions set forth in this verse are by many sectarians (reformers, Arminians, Socinians) considered as one, so that the Lord’s Prayer has only six petitions. The doxology is accepted by John Chrysostom, the Apostolic Constitutions, Theophylact, the Protestants (in the German translation of Luther, in the English translation), also the Slavonic and Russian texts. But there are some grounds to think that it was not said by Christ, and therefore it was not in the original evangelical text. This first of all is indicated by the differences in the pronunciation of the very words themselves, which one can observe even in our Slavonic texts. So, in the Gospel: ‘for yours is the kingdom and power and glory forever, amen,’ but the priest pronounces after ‘Our Father’: ‘for yours is the kingdom and power and glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever.’ In the Greek texts that have come down to us, such differences are even more noticeable, which could not be if the doxology were borrowed from the original text. It is absent in the most ancient manuscripts and the Vulgate (only ‘amen’), it was not known to Tertullian, Cyprian, Origen, Cyril of Jerusalem, Jerome, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa and others. Euphymius Zigavenus directly says that it ‘was added by church interpreters.’ The conclusion that can be drawn from 2 Tim 4:18, according to Alford, rather speaks against the doxology than in its favor. The only thing that can be said in its favor is that it is found in the ancient work ‘The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles’ (Didache XII apostolorum, 8, 2) and in the Syriac translation Peshitta. But in ‘The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles’ it appears in such a form: ‘because yours is the power and the glory forever’ (ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας); and the Peshitta ‘is not beyond suspicion in certain interpolations and additions from lectionaries.’ It is supposed that this was a liturgical formula which, with the passage of time, was inserted into the text of the Lord’s Prayer (compare 1 Chr 29:10-13). At first perhaps only the word ‘amen’ was inserted, and then this formula was expanded partly on the basis of existing liturgical formulas, and partly by the addition of arbitrary expressions, similar to how the Gospel words spoken by the Archangel Gabriel are expanded in our church (and Catholic) hymn ‘Rejoice, Virgin Mary’ (Hail Mary). For the interpretation of the evangelical text the doxology either has no significance, or has only a slight one.

Matthew 6:14. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; Matthew 6:15. but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (See Matt 18:35; Mark 11:25-26.) These words can be considered a supplement and development of the fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer, using the same Greek verb ‘to forgive’ (ἀφιέναι), but ‘debts’ are replaced by ‘trespasses’ (παραπτώματα).

Matthew 6:16. Also, when you fast, do not be gloomy, like the hypocrites, for they make their faces dark, so that they may appear to men to be fasting. Truly I say to you, they receive their reward. Literally: ‘And when you fast, do not be, like hypocrites, gloomy. They darken their faces, so that they may appear to men to be fasting. Truly I say to you, they receive their reward.’ The Bible tells of many instances when those fasting put on mourning clothes and sprinkled ashes on their heads as a sign of sorrow. The Hebrew names of fasting point primarily to humbling and contrition of heart, and the Seventy translate these names through ταπεινοῦν τὴν ψυχήν—to humble the soul. In the Talmudic tracts Taanith (fasting) and Yoma there are several prescriptions concerning fasting. It is not at all surprising that with the passage of time gross hypocrisy developed here, which Christ exposed. “Gloomy” (σκυθρωποί, from σκύθρος—gloomy, and ὤψ—face; compare Luke 24:17—in the Seventy; Gen 40:7; Nehem 2:1; Sir 25:25—Russian translation; Dan 1:10, πρόσωπα σκυθρωπά) can be translated also ‘dark’ or ‘sad.’ The prophet Isaiah (Isa 61:3) characterizes fasting (lamentation) with ashes, weeping and gloomy spirit (compare Dan 10:3; 2 Sam 12:20). The hypocrites especially made use of these methods to attract attention to their fasting, to make them noticeable. Regarding ἀφανίζω, translated in Russian ‘make their faces dark,’ the sense is understood differently and much has been written to explain it. Chrysostom understood it in the sense of ‘to disfigure’ (διαφθείρουσιν, ἀπολλύουσιν—the latter means ‘to destroy’). The examples indicated by Meyer of such disfigurement in the Bible (2 Sam 15:30; Esth 6:12) hardly suit here. Ἀφανίζω generally means to darken, to make unclear, unrecognizable. Some explained this in the sense that hypocrites soiled, dirtied their face, although this is and a later meaning of the word (in antiquity it was used in the sense of completely covering—τελεως ἀφανῆ ποιῆσαι). In the sense of ‘to soil,’ ‘to dirty,’ it apparently was used by the classics: they used it of women who ‘paint.’ Therefore, says Alford, the hint here is not to covering of the face, which could be looked upon as a sign of sorrow, but to the uncleanness of the face, hair, beard and head. This is also indicated by the further contrast—the 17th verse. They rightly see here a play on words (ἀφανίζουσι—φανῶσι), understandable, of course, only in the Greek language.

Matthew 6:17. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, Here there is almost exact correspondence with the prescriptions of Taanith and Yoma. Only there it served as a sign of the ending of a fast, while here it is a sign of its beginning and continuation. It was thought that the Savior speaks only of private fasts, in which it is possible to observe the prescriptions given by Him. As for public fasts, it was inconvenient to appear with a washed face and a cheerful appearance at a time when everyone else was behaving differently. But such a distinction seems not to be necessary; both fasts could serve for hypocrites as an occasion for show, and this latter is condemned for all types of fasting. According to the Savior’s teaching, fasting should be in all cases secret, an inner disposition of a person in his relation to God, fasting for God, not for man.

Matthew 6:18. so that you may appear to be fasting not to men, but to your Father, who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly. The construction and expressions of this verse are very similar to the 6th verse. The word ‘in secret’ of the 6th verse (ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ) is replaced twice with ἐν τῷ κρυφαίῳ. There is no difference in meaning between these expressions, although it is difficult to explain why one expression is replaced by the other. The word ‘openly,’ like in the 6th verse, is absent in almost all uncials, more than 150 cursives, in the main ancient translations and in the important church fathers. It is thought that this expression was inserted here from the margin of some ancient manuscript.

Matthew 6:19. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, In this verse the Savior immediately transitions to a subject which has, it seems, no connection with His preceding teachings. Zahn explains this connection thus: ‘Jesus, speaking to His disciples in the hearing of the Jewish crowd, here preaches not generally against pagan and worldly thinking (compare Luke 12:13-31), but shows the incompatibility of such thinking with the piety concerning which the disciples should and will care. Precisely here is found the connection with the preceding parts of the speech. The Pharisees were considered in the people predominantly as pious men, but together with the pious zeal, which Jesus never denied to them, many Pharisees and rabbis were characterized by worldly interests. Along with pride (Matt 6:2; Luke 14:1; John 5:44) their love of money is pointed out particularly. Thus this section serves to explain Matt 5:20.’ One can accept that such an opinion fully accurately reveals in what the connection consists, if indeed it exists between these various sections. But the connection can be expressed more clearly. We think that the entire Sermon on the Mount presents a series of obvious truths and that to find connections between them sometimes is extremely difficult, similar to how it is difficult to find connections in a dictionary between words printed on the same page. It cannot be overlooked that Zahn’s opinion about such a connection is marked by a certain artificiality, and in any case, such a connection could hardly be perceived by the disciples to whom Jesus Christ spoke and by the people. On the basis of these considerations we have full right to consider this verse the beginning of a new section, where completely new subjects are discussed, and moreover without direct relation to Pharisees or pagans. Christ in the Sermon on the Mount does not so much expose as teach. He uses exposures not for their own sake, but again—for the same purpose—to teach. If one can suppose a connection between the various sections of the Sermon on the Mount, then it seems to consist in the variety of indications of perverted concepts about righteousness, which are characteristic of natural man. The thread of the Sermon on the Mount is the description of these perverted concepts and then the clarification of what true, correct concepts should be. Among the perverted concepts of sinful and natural man are included his concepts and views about worldly goods. And here again the Savior leaves it to people to be guided by the teaching given to them; it is only light, by which moral work is possible, aimed at moral perfection of man, but not the work itself. The correct and general view about earthly treasures consists in the following: ‘Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth.’ There is no need to reason, as Zahn does, about whether here only ‘great accumulations,’ ‘amassing of great capital,’ the enjoyment of them by a miser, or also the gathering of insignificant capital, care about daily bread, is meant. The Savior apparently speaks of neither one nor the other. He only expresses the correct view about earthly riches and says that their properties themselves should prevent people from relating to them with special love, making their acquisition the goal of their life. The properties of earthly riches indicated by Christ should remind people of non-possessiveness, and the latter should determine man’s relation to riches and in general to earthly goods. From this perspective, a rich man can be as non-possessive as a poor man. Any, even ‘great accumulations’ and ‘amassing of great capital’ can be correct and lawful from a moral point of view, if only the spirit of non-possessiveness, indicated by Christ, is introduced into these acts of man. Christ does not require asceticism from man. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth” (μὴ θησαυρίζετε θησαυρούς) is better, it seems, translated thus: do not value treasures on earth, with ‘on earth’ referring, of course, not to treasures, but to ‘do not value’ (‘do not lay up’). That is, do not lay up on earth. If ‘on earth’ referred to ‘treasures,’ that is, if here ‘earthly’ treasures were meant, then, first, probably θησαυρούς τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς would stand, and it would be in the following verse as well, or perhaps τοὺς θησαυρούς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. But Zahn’s indication that if ‘on earth’ referred to treasures, then one should expect οὕς instead of the ὅπου placed here, can hardly be accepted, because οὕς could stand in both cases. Why should we not lay up treasures for ourselves on earth? Because (where they have deterioration) there ‘moth and rust consume and thieves break in and steal.’ “Moth” (σής) is similar to the Hebrew word ‘sas’ (Isa 51:8—only once in the Bible) and has the same meaning, should be taken generally as some harmful insect which damages property. Also the word “rust,” that is, corrosion. By this latter word should be understood decay of every kind, because the Savior certainly did not mean to say that only things subject to decay from moth or rust (although the literal sense of these words is such) should not be preserved, but expressed it only in a general sense; the subsequent words are expressed in the same sense, because the cause of losses is not only breaking in and theft in the literal sense. A parallel passage in Jas 5:2-3. Among the rabbis the common word for rust was ‘chaluda’ (Tholuck, 1856).

Matthew 6:20. but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal, A contrast to the preceding verse. Clearly, spiritual treasures are meant, which are not subject to the same destruction as earthly ones. But what precisely these spiritual treasures should consist of is not defined further (see 1 Pet 1:4-9; 2 Cor 4:17). Here clarification is needed only for ‘do not consume’ (ἀφανίζει—the same word used in the 16th verse about faces). Ἀφανίζω (from φαίνω) here means ‘to remove from sight,’ hence—to destroy, to ruin, to consume. In the rest the construction and expression are the same as in the 19th verse.

Matthew 6:21. for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The sense is clear. The life of the human heart centers on that which man loves. Man not only loves certain treasures, but lives or tries to live around them and together with them. Depending on what treasures man loves, earthly or heavenly, his life is either earthly or heavenly. If in man’s heart the love of earthly treasures predominates, then heavenly ones recede to the background for him, and vice versa. Here in the Savior’s words is a deep exposure and explanation of the hidden, secret human thoughts of the heart. How often we care, apparently, only for heavenly treasures, but are attached in our heart only to earthly ones, and our very aspirations toward heaven are only appearance and pretext for concealing from others our love for treasures only of the earth. Instead of ‘your’ some—Tischendorf, Westcott, Hort and others—have ‘your treasure,’ ‘your heart.’ So on the basis of the best authorities. Perhaps in the Received Text and many cursives ‘your’ is replaced by the word ‘your’ to agree with Luke 12:34, where ‘your’ is undoubtedly. The purpose of using ‘your’ instead of ‘your’ perhaps consisted in denoting the individuality of the heart’s inclinations and aspirations of man with all their infinite variety. One loves one thing, another loves another. The familiar to everyone expression ‘my heart is set on’ or ‘my heart is not set on’ that one is almost equivalent to the evangelical expression of this verse. It can be paraphrased thus: ‘where is that which you consider your treasure, thither will be directed your heart’s thoughts and your love.’

Matthew 6:22. The lamp of the body is the eye. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; Matthew 6:23. but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness? The interpretation of this passage in the ancient church fathers was marked by simplicity and literal understanding. Chrysostom accepts ‘simple’ (ἁπλοῦς) in the sense of ‘healthy’ (ὑγιής) and interprets thus: ‘For as the eye simple, that is, healthy, illuminates the body, but if evil, that is, diseased, darkens, so the mind also grows dark from care.’ Jerome: ‘As all our body is in darkness if the eye is not simple (simplex), so, if the soul has lost its original light, then all feeling (the sensible part of the soul) remains in darkness.’ Augustine understands by the eye the intentions of man—if they are pure and correct, then all our deeds issuing from our intentions are good. Modern exegetes look at this matter differently. ‘The idea of the 22nd verse,’ says one of them, ‘is rather naïve—as if the eye is an organ through which light gains access to the whole body, and as if there is a spiritual eye through which spiritual light enters and illuminates the whole personality of man. This spiritual eye must be pure, otherwise light cannot enter and the inner man lives in darkness.’ But even from the perspective of modern science what other organ could be called the lamp (though for the body) if not the eye? The idea of the 22nd verse therefore is not at all as ‘naïve’ as imagined, all the more so because the Savior does not use the expressions ‘gains access,’ ‘enters,’ which are used by people familiar with the latest conclusions of natural science. Holtzmann calls the eye a ‘specific light organ (Lichtorgan), to which the body owes all its light impressions.’ Without doubt the eye is an organ for their reception. If the eye is not pure, then—whatever expression we choose—the light impressions we receive will not have the vividness, correctness and strength characteristic of a healthy eye. It is true that from the modern scientific perspective the expression: ‘the lamp of the body is the eye,’ might seem not entirely clear and scientifically correct. But the Savior did not speak in the contemporary scientific language of our time. On the other hand, modern science is not free from similar inaccuracies; for example, ‘the sun rises and sets,’ while the sun remains motionless, and no one can blame such inaccuracies. Thus the expression should be considered correct and equivalent to the modern scientific expression: the eye is an organ for the reception of light impressions. With such an understanding there is no need to introduce further reasoning, as if the contrast of this and the following verse suggests the contrast between generosity and charity, and that according to a Jewish axiom a ‘good eye’ is a metaphorical designation of generosity, ‘evil eye’—of stinginess. It is true that in several places of Holy Scripture a ‘greedy’ and ‘envious’ eye are used in this sense (Deut 15:9; Prov 23:6; Tob 4:7; Sir 14:10). But in the passage under discussion there is no talk of either generosity or charity, but simply the question is clarified regarding how man’s relation to earthly goods should be. In this latter is found the connection of the 22nd and 23rd verses with the preceding speech. A dim, darkened, sick eye loves more to contemplate the earthly; for it it is difficult to look at bright light, at the heavenly. According to Bengel, in Holy Scripture words expressing simplicity (ἁπλοῦς, ἀπλότης) are never used in a negative sense. Simple and good, having heavenly intentions, striving toward God—are one and the same. In the 23rd verse there is a contrast to the preceding speech. The last sentences of this verse have always seemed difficult. One can observe in this passage an extremely poetic and subtle play on words and translate just as in our Russian (in the Slavonic translation—‘darkness how great’—exactly, but unclear) and the Vulgate (ipsae tenebrae quantae sunt), not referring the word “darkness” to ‘the inner thoughts of man, his passions and inclinations.’ The latter sense is only a further and improper one, insofar as images and metaphors serve to designate internal spiritual relations. The metaphor is based on the distinction of degrees of darkness, beginning from lack of light, twilight and ending in complete gloom. The eye is unhealthy (πονηρός) in contrast to the healthy (ἁπλοῦς), and the body is illuminated only in part; in other words, the eye perceives only partly the light impressions, and moreover incorrect ones. So that ‘if light in you’ equals darkness, then ‘how much darkness.’ Grimm explains this expression thus: ‘If your inner light is darkness (dark), that is, if the mind is deprived of the ability to understand, then how great will be the darkness (how much more is it worthy of compassion in comparison with bodily blindness).’ Σκότος is one of the so-called ‘fluctuating’ words in the classics, which they use both in masculine and neuter gender. In Matt 6:23 it is neuter and used in the sense of ‘sickness,’ ‘ruin’ (compare John 3:19; Acts 26:18; 2 Cor 4:6—Cremer).

Matthew 6:24. No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other; or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Instead of ‘prefer one’ it is better to say ‘prefer one and despise the other’ (in the Slavonic translation: ‘or he will hold to one and begin to neglect another’). The first thing that draws attention is the realistic sense of the expression: is it really true that a man cannot serve two masters? To this one can say that there is no rule without exceptions. But ordinarily it happens that when ‘there are many masters,’ slave service is not only difficult, but impossible. Even for practical purposes, therefore, the concentration of one power in one’s hands is effected. Then the construction of the speech draws attention. It is not said: ‘he will hate one (τὸν ἕνα) and despise one,’ because in this case there would be unnecessary tautology. But he will hate one, will prefer one, will love another, will hate another. Two masters are indicated, sharply distinguished in character, which, it seems, is expressed by the word ἕτερος, which (in distinction from ἄλλος) generally denotes generic difference. They are completely heterogeneous and of different character. Therefore ‘or’…’or’—are not repetitions, but propositions inverse to each other. Meyer expresses it thus: ‘He will hate A and love B, or will prefer A and despise B.’ Different relations of people to two masters are indicated, beginning with complete devotion and love on the one hand and hatred on the other, and ending with simple, though even feigned, preference or contempt. In the interval between these extreme states various relations of greater or lesser force and intensity can be implied. Again an extremely subtle and psychological depiction of human relations. From this a conclusion is drawn, justified by the images taken, though without οὖν: ‘you cannot serve God and mammon,’—not simply ‘serve’ (διακονεῖν), but be slaves (δουλεύειν), be in complete subjection. Jerome explains this place very well: ‘For he who is a slave to riches protects riches as a slave; but he who has thrown off the slave’s yoke becomes their master.’ The word mammon (not mammona and not mammonas,—the doubling of ‘m’ in this word is proven very weakly, Blass) means all kinds of possession, inheritance and acquisition, in general all property and money. Whether this, later formed word, existed in Hebrew, or it can be traced to an Arabic word, is doubtful, although Augustine asserts that mammona among the Hebrews means riches and that a Punic designation agrees with this, because lucrum in the Punic language is expressed by the word mammon. Among the Syrians in Antioch the word was common, so that Chrysostom did not see fit to explain it, substituting χρυσός (golden coin—Zahn) for it. Tertullian translates mammon with the word nummus. That mammon is the name of a pagan god—this is a medieval fable. But the Marcionites explained it mainly about the Jewish god, and Chrysostom considered it the name of the devil Beelzebul.

Matthew 6:25. Therefore I say to you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat and what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? The connection to the preceding verse is expressed through διὰ τοῦτο—therefore, “for this reason.” The Savior speaks here as it were thus: “Since you cannot at once gather treasures both on earth and in heaven, because this would mean serving two masters, therefore abandon thoughts of earthly treasures, and even of what is necessary for your life itself.” According to Theophylact, the Savior “does not forbid here, but forbids saying: what shall we eat? Thus the rich speak from evening: what shall we eat tomorrow? Do you see that the Savior forbids luxury and excess here?” Jerome remarks that the word “drink” is added only in certain manuscripts. The words “and what to drink” are omitted by Tischendorf, Westcott, Hort, in the Vulgate, and many others. The sense is scarcely changed. The words “for the soul” are set in opposition to the further “for the body,” but they should not be understood merely as “for the soul” but, as Augustine correctly notes, for life itself. John Chrysostom says that “for the soul” is said not because it needs food, and that here the Savior is simply condemning a bad custom. The further words cannot be translated as “life,” is it not more than life what is food, and the body what is clothing? Therefore ψυχή must have some other meaning here. One must suppose that something close to soma—a living organism—is understood here, and that yuc is used in some common, everyday sense, like our saying: the soul does not accept, etc.

Matthew 6:26. Look at the birds of the sky: they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of much greater value than they? Can a man live like the birds of the sky? The impossibility of this led ancient commentators to explain the verse in an allegorical sense. “What then?” asks Chrysostom. “Must one not sow? But the Savior did not say: one should not sow and do useful work, but that one should not be faint-hearted and fruitlessly give oneself over to worries.” Later writers (including Renan) even allowed themselves to mock this saying and argued that Christ could preach thus in a land where daily bread is obtained without particular effort, but that His words are entirely inapplicable to people living in harsher climates, where concern for food and clothing is necessary and sometimes bound up with great labors. In popular usage the expression “to live like the birds of the sky” became almost proverbial, coming to mean a carefree, homeless, and untroubled life, which is of course reprehensible. The true meaning of these expressions lies in the fact that the Savior only compares human life with the life of the birds of the sky, but does not at all teach that people should live as they do. The thought itself is correct and expressed vividly. Indeed, if God cares for the birds, why then should people place themselves outside His care? If they are convinced that God’s Providence cares for them no less than for the birds, then this conviction should determine all their activity regarding food and clothing. One ought to be concerned about them, but while doing so one must remember that food and clothing for people are at the same time also objects of God’s care and solicitude. This should turn the poor away from despair and at the same time restrain the rich. Between complete absence of care and excessive, even, so to speak, morbid concern, there exist many intermediate stages, and in all of them the same principle—hope in God—should operate equally. Birds of the sky are chosen as an example in order to express more clearly whom man should imitate. The word “sky” is not superfluous and points to the freedom and openness of the birds’ life. The birds meant are not predatory, for the expressions used characterize such birds as feed on grain. These are the most harmless and pure of birds. The expression “birds of the sky” is found in the Septuagint—they render thus the Hebrew expression “yof ha-shamayim.”

Matthew 6:27. And which of you, by being anxious, can add even one cubit to his height? The Greek word ἡλικία means both height and age. Many commentators prefer to translate it as “age,” that is, the duration of life. In a similar sense a similar expression is used in Ps 38:6: “behold, you have made my days as handbreadths,” that is, very short days. But against this interpretation it is objected that if the Savior had in mind the duration of life, it would be quite convenient for him to use instead of “cubit” (πῆχυς) some other word denoting time, such as a moment, an hour, a day, a year. Further, if He were speaking of the prolongation of life, His thought would not only be not entirely clear, but also untrue, because by means of care and solicitude we can, at least in most cases, add to our life not only days but entire years. If one agrees with such an interpretation, then “the whole medical profession would appear to us an error and nonsense.” This means that ἡλικία must be understood not as age, but as height. But with such an interpretation we encounter difficulties no less great. A cubit is a measure of length, perhaps also a measure of height, equal to roughly 46 cm. It is scarcely that the Savior wanted to say: which of you, by being anxious, can add to his height even one cubit and thus become a giant or a great man? There is added to this yet another circumstance. In the parallel passage in Luke (Luke 12:25-26) it is said: “And which of you, by being anxious, can add to his height even one cubit? If therefore you are unable to do even the least thing, why are you anxious about the rest?” The addition of height by one cubit is considered here a matter of the very least. To settle the question of which of the two interpretations given is correct, from the philological analysis of both words (age—ἡλικία, and cubit—πῆχυς) one can borrow but little. The original meaning of the first is undoubtedly the continuation of life, age, and only in the later New Testament usage did it acquire the meaning of height. In the New Testament it is used in both senses (Heb 11:11; Luke 2:52; John 9:21; Eph 4:13). Thus the expression appears to be one of the difficult ones. For its correct interpretation it is necessary first of all to pay attention to the fact that verse 27 undoubtedly has the closest connection to the preceding verse, not to the following one. This connection in the present case is expressed by the particle δέ. According to Morison, exegetes have paid little attention to this particle. The connection of speech is thus. Your heavenly Father feeds the birds of the sky. You are of much greater value than they (μᾶλλον there is no need to translate as “more”), consequently, you can fully hope that the heavenly Father will also feed you, and that without particular troubles and cares on your part. But if you abandon hope in the heavenly Father and yourselves exert much care about food, this is completely useless, because you yourselves, through your cares, cannot add “to your sustenance” height even by one cubit. The correctness of this interpretation can be confirmed by the fact that in verse 26 there is talk of bodily nutrition, which, of course, primarily contributes to growth. Growth occurs naturally. Any intensive feeding cannot add to the growth of an infant even one cubit. Therefore there is no need to suppose that the Savior speaks here of giants or great men. The addition of height by a cubit is an insignificant measure in human height. With such an explanation, all contradiction with Luke is removed.

Matthew 6:28. And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; If a man should not be excessively concerned about food, then for him likewise it is unnecessary to have great cares about clothing. Instead of “consider” in some texts is “learn” or “come to understand” (καταμάθετε)—a verb implying more attention than “look at” (ἐμβλέψατε). The field lilies do not fly through the air but grow on the ground, from which people can more easily observe and study their growth (now—αὐξάνουσιν). As to the field lilies themselves, some understand by this the “imperial crown” (fritillaria imperialis, κρίνον βασιλικόν), which grows wild in Palestine, others—amaryliis lutea, which with its golden-violet flowers covers the fields of the Levant, still others—the so-called Golia lily, which is very large, has a luxuriant crown, and is unrivaled in its beauty. It is found, though apparently rarely, on the northern slopes of Mount Tabor and the hills near Nazareth. “Having spoken of necessary food and shown that one need not worry about it, He passes further to that about which even less need one worry, because clothing is not as necessary as food” (St. John Chrysostom).

Matthew 6:29. yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these; (Concerning Solomon’s glory, see 2 Chr 9:15 and following.) All human adornments are imperfect in comparison with those of nature. Man, until now, has not been able to surpass nature in arranging various beauties. The ways of making adornments wholly natural have still not been found.

Matthew 6:30. and if the grass of the field, which exists today and tomorrow will be thrown into the furnace, God clothes in this way, how much more you, O you of little faith! The grass of the field is distinguished by beauty, it is clothed as Solomon was not clothed. But ordinarily it is good only for the fact that it is thrown into the furnace. You worry about clothing. But you incomparably surpass the field lilies, and therefore you can hope that God will clothe you even better than He clothes the field lilies. “O you of little faith”—a word not found in Mark, but once in Luke (Luke 12:28). In Matthew—4 times (Matt 6:30). In pagan literature this word does not appear.

Matthew 6:31. Therefore do not be anxious and do not say: what shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or what shall we wear? The meaning of the expressions is the same as in verse 25. But here the thought is presented already as a conclusion from the preceding. It is brilliantly proved by the examples given. The meaning is that all our cares and worries should be pervaded by the spirit of hope in the heavenly Father.

Matthew 6:32. for all these things the Gentiles seek, and your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. It seems somewhat strange at first that mention is made here of the Gentiles (τὰ ἔθνη). This is explained quite well by John Chrysostom, saying that the Savior mentioned the Gentiles here because they labor exclusively for the present life, not thinking about the future and the heavenly. Chrysostom also attaches significance to the fact that the Savior did not say here “God” but called Him “Father.” The Gentiles have not yet taken on the position of children toward God, but the listeners of Christ, with the approach of the Kingdom of Heaven, were already becoming so. Therefore the Savior inspires in them a higher hope—in the heavenly Father, Who cannot but see His children if they are in difficult and extreme circumstances.

Matthew 6:33. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you. It has been translated precisely and yet not in accordance with the original. According to the Russian translation it appears that “His” refers to the Kingdom, that is, seek the Kingdom of God and the righteousness of this Kingdom, while in the original, if the pronoun “His” referred to the Kingdom (βασιλεία), then instead of αὐτοῦ (masculine) there would be αὐτῆς. This means the word “His” should refer to “your Father in Heaven” and the meaning of the expression is thus: seek first the Kingdom and the righteousness of your heavenly Father. In the Russian translation, this is however expressed by the fact that “His” is printed with a capital letter. To avoid any ambiguity in Greek, in several manuscripts the addition of τὴν βασιλείαν—τοα θεοα (in the Vulgate and Latin translation: regnum Dei, et justitiam ejus), and in some τοῦ θεοῦ also after δικαιοσύνην, which is superfluous. The Vatican Codex transposes: seek first righteousness and the Kingdom,—which was probably occasioned by the consideration that righteousness serves as a condition for entering the Kingdom (Matt 5:20) and therefore should come first. The saying of Christ found in Origen, Clement, and Eusebius: “ask for much and the least will be added to you; ask for heavenly things and earthly will be added to you” explains the meaning of this verse, but not entirely. “Seek” here is replaced by “ask.” People should first of all strive for the Kingdom and righteousness of God to appear or become established on earth, and in every way contribute to this by their life, conduct, and faith. This is in the positive sense; in the negative—to turn away from all unrighteousness (lies, deception, pretense, etc.) wherever it exists. If such striving were universal, then everything else that the Gentiles so eagerly seek and are so concerned about would appear without particular labors and cares. Experience indeed shows that prosperity among people appears not when they focus all their attention on worldly interests and self-interest, but when they seek righteousness. Christ never denies the well-being of people.

Matthew 6:34. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious about itself: it is sufficient for each day its own trouble. Saint John Chrysostom explains these words thus: “He did not say—do not worry, but do not worry about tomorrow.” If one accepts this interpretation separately and without connection with other interpretations, then a certain ambiguity is obtained. One should not worry about tomorrow, but in that case one should worry about other, further days. One can think that the Savior gives here in general a teaching not to worry about the future, which is clear from the context. Therefore concerning tomorrow it is said in a general sense, and perhaps also because tomorrow is usually the object of our nearest and particular cares. “It will be anxious about itself”—μεριμνήσει ἑαυτῆς;—in the Greek a rather crude construction, owing to translation from Aramaic. Apparently, in order to give a somewhat classical appearance to this expression, in some manuscripts τὰ ἑαυτῆς or τὰ περὶ αὑτῆς is placed. The second clause serves as proof of the first. We do indeed worry only about the present day. To extend our cares to tomorrow and several days—is not in our power. Our so-called “foresight” is often not justified in the future. The meaning of the expression therefore is thus. Worry (you can worry) only about the present day, as you ordinarily do. Tomorrow will bring its own particular cares, peculiar to that day alone. And this is proved by the fact that “it is sufficient for each day its own trouble.” “Sufficient” in both Russian and Greek—neuter gender, literally: “sufficient for the day evil” (instead of “trouble”). Such a combination is impossible in Russian, but in Greek it is admissible, is found in other places of the New Testament (see 2 Cor 2:6; Luke 22:38), though it cannot be brought under a general rule. The word “evil” (κακία) has many meanings, generally opposite in meaning to the word “virtue” (ἀρετή), but here is used in the sense of “heaviness,” “calamity,” “evil” (as in Sir 19:6; Amos 3:6; 1 Maccabees 7:23 and others). To the ordinary daily activity of man there is always admixed an “element of evil” in the form of various annoyances, failures, unpleasantnesses, disappointments, fatigue, exhaustion, sickness, and the like. In the New Testament this word is sometimes placed alongside a listing of various vices (Rom 1:29; Col 3:8; Titus 3:3).

Chapter Seven

The Sermon on the Mount. 1–5. Judgment (condemnation) of others. – 6. Perverted, improper zeal for “holiness.” – 7–12. On prayer. – 13–14. Narrow gates and narrow path leading to life. – 15–23. False prophets. – 24–27. The concluding parable. – 28–29. The general impression on the people of the Sermon on the Mount of the Savior.

Matthew 7:1. Do not judge, so that you will not be judged, (Cf. Luke 6:37.) First of all, it is striking that there is a question whether there exists a connection, and what kind, between the first verse and all of chapter 7 in general with what was said in the preceding chapter and, most closely, in verse 34 of chapter 6. One needs only to connect simply these two verses: “it is sufficient for each day its own trouble.” “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged,” to see that there is no connection between these verses at all. This conclusion is confirmed by the fact that in the verse in question there is no connecting particle, such as “but” (δέ), “and,” “or,” etc., used in Greek to express connection. If, therefore, any connection at all exists with the preceding, it can refer not to a single verse but to the whole preceding chapter. But many exegetes deny even this connection, saying that in chapter 7 begins the discussion of completely new subjects. “No connection with the preceding,”—thus a brief and vigorous German commentator expresses it (De Wette,). Those exegetes who acknowledge a connection give explanations which sometimes are completely unlike each other. Some explain the connection, saying that in chapter 7 there is presented opposition to what is said in Matt 6:14 and following, or else to what is said in chapter 6 about the Pharisees, and thus it is indicated that judgment should not be because of the obligation of people to forgive one another, or at least that judgment should not be Pharisaic. Others explain the connection thus: in chapter 6 it was spoken of the relation of people to the Kingdom of Heaven, now begins the discussion of their relation to one another. Citizens of the Kingdom of Christ should prudently judge their fellow-citizens and first of all improve themselves if they wish to be judges and correct others. Still others: if you seriously and zealously strive for perfection, then toward your neighbors as well you should be meek and not condemn. Still another explanation: “With the obscuring of human feeling about God, which is expressed in concern only for earthly goods, there develops more and more the extreme corruption of religious life, expressed in Pharisaic righteousness, and among people, on the one hand, fanaticism develops, which judges the neighbor with increasing harshness, while on the other—more and more carnal behavior and contempt of holiness” (Lange,). Alford expresses the connection in the following formulas: “The connection with the preceding chapter is directly served by the word κακία (Matt 6:34), by means of which the Savior casts a look at the best at the poverty and sinfulness of human life; and now He gives rules how one should live in this world among such sinners as ourselves; mediately and in a more general sense—the continuing warning here against hypocrisy in us and others.” All these and similar suppositions appear improbable. The best interpretation appears to be that of Zahn, who says that if hitherto the speech in the Sermon on the Mount has been an ordered whole, composed of clearly distinguished but nevertheless internally connected groups of thoughts, then from the beginning of chapter 7 there follows a series of very diverse small passages, whose connection at first glance seems like a string on which pearls are strung, and with the two-part speech Matt 6:19-34 this connection is not clear. Such an explanation apparently comes closest to the point. The whole Sermon on the Mount consists of so-called obvious truths, gradually becoming unclear to natural man and clarified for his consciousness by the Savior. If so, then to seek a close connection between individual sayings, at least in some cases, is fruitless. Here one can only seek the string on which pearls are strung, all of equal worth, but not touching one another. Where is this string? Without going back too far, let us take only chapter 6 and see whether one can find it here. We encounter here a whole series of negative expressions, or prohibitions, to which in places positive commandments are added. The prohibitions do not have the same form everywhere (in the Greek text), but it is clear that they contain a listing of what people should not do. Thus, schematically, with the addition of expressions from chapter 7, all the matter can be presented thus. The Savior says: “do not trumpet before yourself, do not be like the hypocrites; do not speak uselessly, like the Gentiles, do not be like them; do not be sad; do not gather treasures for yourself on earth; do not be concerned for the soul of your body; do not be concerned and do not say; do not be concerned about tomorrow” (Matt 6:2). In chapter 7 the speech continues in the same spirit: “do not judge; do not give what is holy to dogs” (Matt 7:1). If it is said that there is no connection between Matt 7:1 and Matt 6:34, then it was also unclear before, for example, in Matt 6:19, because there was no connecting particle there either. Surveying all the above-mentioned negative expressions, what connection can we discover between them? Evidently there is no connection or it is very slight in places. And yet we see that all this speech is completely natural and corresponds to popular oratorical speech, in which thoughts flow strictly logically and coherently. This connection is distinguished by extreme simplicity and is so artless that in some cases it seems to disappear entirely. All this may cause difficulty for scholars, but on the contrary, greatly facilitates understanding of the speech for simple people, who usually follow not how one proposition logically proceeds from another, but rather separate thoughts themselves. To what has been said must be added that the search for the proper connection between chapters 6 and 7 and in the sayings of this latter is further complicated by the fact that chapter 7 has similarity with a part of the Sermon on the Mount as expounded in Luke (Luke 6:37-49), whereas the whole chapter 6 of Matthew is omitted in Luke. It is said that in Luke’s exposition there is more connection than in Matthew. But at first glance this is not evident. As to the meaning of the very expression: “do not judge, so that you will not be judged,” for its explanation can serve first of all the fact that the apostle Paul decisively protests against the custom of Corinthian Christians “to judge themselves among the wicked,” exhorts them to judge themselves “among the saints,” clearly denying the then-current civil court (1 Cor 6:1 and following). It is useful to note that in the earliest Christian literature the saying of Christ is cited in the Epistle to the Philippians of Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna (Epistula ad Philippenses, II, 3), and Clement of Rome (Epistula I ad Corinthios, 13, 2). Since the real meaning of Christ’s saying, despite its apparent simplicity, appears to be one of the most difficult to interpret, it is far from unnecessary to pay attention to how the saying was understood in the very deep antiquity by the direct and nearest disciples of the apostles. Polycarp invites those to whom he writes to abandon empty vain-talking (ἀπολιπόντες τὴν κενὴν ματαιολογιάν—Epistula ad Philippenses, II, 1). He who raised Christ from the dead, says Polycarp, will also raise us if we will accomplish His will, will love what He loved, and will turn away from all unrighteousness, greed, love of money, slander (or defamation—καταλαλιᾶς—there II, 2). Polycarp proves these theses with texts borrowed from the Sermon on the Mount as expounded by Matthew and Luke (Matt 7:1; Luke 6:20). The text “do not judge, so that you will not be judged” is cited verbatim according to Matt 7:1. For us now what is important is not this, but that the text is clearly cited by Polycarp as proof of the sinfulness of slander, defamation, and false testimony. Polycarp does not apply it to judicial institutions and their activity, but only—to various sins and shortcomings in human society. According to Clement, “non-judgment” of others is a result of humility. Further follows such an exhortation: “Have mercy, so as to be pitied, forgive, so that you be forgiven, as you do, so shall it be done to you; as you give, so shall be repaid to you; as you judge, so shall you be judged (ὡς κρίνετε οὕτως κριθήσεσθε); by what measure you measure, so shall it be measured to you.” And here again there is no talk of either official judges or judicial institutions. The general tone of the reasoning of later Church writers, so far as we know, is the same. They do not speak of civil court. Discussing private judgment, they point out that man should not be a harsh judge (πικρός δικαστής) and that the judgment itself should consist of admonition, counsel, desire for correction. But private judgment is not denied. “What then?” asks John Chrysostom. “If (someone) commits fornication, is it not that I should say that fornication is bad, and should I not correct the fornicator? Correct, but not as an enemy, and not as an enemy seeking vengeance, but as a physician applying medicine. The Savior did not say, do not stop the sinner, but: do not judge, that is, do not be a harsh judge.” John Chrysostom says that both Christ Himself and the apostles judged many times and condemned sinners and that if one were to understand the text in the literal sense, then such understanding would contradict many other places of the New Testament. These words are correct, because in the New Testament it is indeed indicated that Christ Himself judged people (Matt 23:14); He gave authority to judge also to the apostles, who used this authority (1 Tim 5:20; 2 Tim 4:2; Titus 1:9; also 1 Tim 4:1; 2 John 1:10; 1 Thess 5:21). Augustine proposed to explain here “doubtful facts,” interpreting them “in the best light.” “In two cases,” he says, “we should be careful of rash judgment: when it is unknown with what intention some deed was done, or when it is unknown what sort of person is he who seems either good or bad.” Jerome, having pointed out that Paul condemned the Corinthian fornicator (1 Cor 5), and Peter Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), says that Christ did not forbid, but taught how to judge. Thus it is clear that Church writers, refraining from discussion of civil court, nevertheless acknowledge the necessity of private or even ecclesiastical judgment, making concessions to the practical necessity of condemning sin as such. In later times some commentators understood the commandment of the Savior much more strictly. The categorical and stated without any limitations commandment was by many, especially by sectarians, understood literally as the negation of any judgment, protest against authorities and their overthrow (Anabaptists). On the other hand, similar interpretations in modern times were often made a pretext for adopting “weak sentimentality” and “subjective looseness” with regard to criminals, served as justification for broad tolerance, which treated falsehood and sin, truth and justice indifferently. And in cases where judgment for crimes was not weakened, they tried to base on Christ’s commandment at least tolerance toward false teachings or people erring in opinions or teachings. No wonder then if modern exegetes have concentrated all their attention on explaining this difficult saying and tried to clarify this. The opinions expressed by them are so diverse that it is difficult even to enumerate them. It was asserted, for example, that Christ speaks not “de ministeriis vel officiis, divinitus ordinatis, sed de judiciis, quae fiunt extra seu praeter vocationes et gubernationes divinas (not about ministries or offices divinely appointed, but about judgments which occur outside or apart from divine callings or governments).” Objecting to the negation of secular courts, they pointed out that Christ’s commandment cannot be understood categorically in view, on the one hand, of the opposition: do not judge—you will not be judged, which supposedly can be altered thus: judge, but so that you can receive an acquitting judgment when you yourself stand before judgment, and on the other—that Christ in verse 5 does not forbid judgment of a neighbor entirely, but requires that the judge first remove the log from his eye. Thus in verses 2–5 there is implied a limitation of the categorical commandment given in verse 1. Christ forbids not judgment in general, but only “incompetent” judgment, which is committed not by calling, not by office, and without love. Further, the opinion was expressed that in the verse in question is meant only Pharisaic judgment, that Christ continues here to condemn only hypocrites. But, people said, man possesses reason, and this faculty is critical. If we were deprived of the faculty of judgment, we would be dependent not only on every wind of doctrine, but also on every surge of passion. Therefore the Savior, saying “do not judge,” does not understand here either ordinary judgment or ordinary criticism. His speech is “epigrammatic” and directed against scribes, Pharisees, and others, who loved to judge about and condemn others (Matt 9:11-13; Luke 7:39; John 7:49). However, against such an opinion one can say that Christ addresses Himself to the disciples, not to the scribes and Pharisees. If He had in mind only the latter, then probably He would have said: do not judge as the scribes and Pharisees. The expression is limited by nothing at all. The words κρίνειν, κατακρίνειν, καταδικάζειν can mean judgment in general, whether it be official or private. Perhaps one of the newer exegetes, Zahn, had this in mind when, in interpreting the expression in question, he said that Christ in it indeed has in mind any and all judgment whatsoever. But the prohibition to judge, according to Zahn, refers only to the disciples, who should not take upon themselves the obligation of judges, entrusting this to others. This opinion cannot be considered sound. Did not the Savior foresee that judges in His Kingdom might also be His disciples? We shall apparently never understand this, on the one hand clear and extremely simple expression, and on the other—extremely difficult, if we do not suppose that it, like other expressions of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, is not abstract or theoretically philosophical. Again one must keep in mind that Christ spoke to simple people, not to official judges, who perhaps were not even among the simple people surrounding Him. How could simple people understand His saying? Undoubtedly in the sense that Christ was not speaking here about civil judges or judicial institutions at all. Therefore one can look at His teaching as a light illuminating human activity in the sphere of all judgment and criticism. But this is only a light. All the rest the Savior leaves to the people themselves, who should work out various legal questions when the dominion of the old man in themselves and others forces them to this. The expression “so that you will not be judged” is interpreted in the sense that here exclusively God’s judgment is meant. “Do not judge, so as not to be judged at the last judgment.” Others say that here exclusively human judgment is meant, that is, if we judge people, then in turn we shall be judged by them. As an analogy to this passage, reference is made to the parable Matt 24:48-51, where there is talk of an evil servant and it is indicated, first, on worldly care and anxiety (“but if that servant, being evil, shall say in his heart: my lord is not soon coming”), second, on legal fanaticism, condemnation and punishment of neighbors (“and shall begin to beat his fellow-servants”), and, third, on the abuse of holiness (“and to eat and drink with drunkards”). However, in this latter interpretation exegetes do not agree much among themselves. Some understand here directly human judgment, others—properly God’s judgment, which uses human judgment as an instrument for its purposes. In the divine arrangement of the world a law of retribution (jus talionis) dominates in a certain sense. As we ourselves deal with people, so will they deal with us; often this happens even here on earth, but of course it will be inevitable at the last judgment (Mark 4:24; Jas 2:13). It is more correct, apparently, to see in the words in question judgment in general, both God’s and human, produced by people, usually acting though unconsciously, but according to the commands of God. Man reaps what he sowed.

Matthew 7:2. for by the judgment you judge, you will be judged; and by the measure you measure, it will be measured to you. (Cf. Luke 6:38.) Literally: “in what judgment you judge, you will be condemned; and by what measure you measure, it will be measured to you.” The meaning of this saying is clear. What is our judgment, or how we judge our neighbors, so will we be judged (by people or by God). If we judge harshly, mercilessly, then we ourselves can expect such harsh and merciless judgment. Judgment without mercy to him who himself does not have or know or show mercy. This is not so much confirmed as clarified by the comparison: “by what measure you measure”… And this image is understandable, especially to us Russians, where both grain and fruits are sold and bought “by measures.” There is no need to suppose that in the word “measure” (μέτρον) is understood not some definite, precise measure, such as a “modius” or a gornec (Russian measure), but any “measure” of grain, for example, a vessel with which grain is measured, regardless of its size. In the East (and in Russia), the customs depicted by the Savior exist even now. In Palestine, according to travelers, grain is brought or carried to markets in sacks and poured from them into a “measure,” and traders do this constantly. Sitting on the ground with folded legs, they fill with their hands a “timna,” which they shake so that the grain settles well, and when the “measure” is full, they level off the grain on top with their hand and, if asked, add more. It is clear that both buyer and seller must use the measures that are in use. Such or such judgment is a measure that can equally be used both for the defendant and for the judge himself if the latter commits some crime. There remain some remarks of a more philological character to be made. Κρίμα (judgment)—a rare word among classical writers, replaced by them with the word κρίσις (judgment)—has different meanings: judicial sentence, punishment (in case of condemnation), and even equivalent to the word “right.” In the given verse it is used in the first of the indicated meanings. The expression has only the appearance of dativus instrumenti, but by meaning cannot be taken as such, because neither “measure” nor “judgment,” at least in this place, serves as “instruments,” but is used simply to express “correspondence” or “proportionality,” as in the apostle Paul (2 Cor 10:12). In Luke (Luke 6:38) the same expression as in Matthew, but without ἐν. This expression was current among the Jews and is found in various places in the Talmud and “seems to have been a proverb” (Edersheim).

Matthew 7:3. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, and do not notice the log in your own eye? (Cf. Luke 6:41.) In interpreting this verse much depends on what is understood by the word κάρφος, whether a speck that has fallen into the eye or actually a real twig, though small. The word, of course, has both meanings (Vulgate—festuca—twig; Luther’s German translation—Splitter—splinter, chip, match; English translation—mote—small particle, match). In all likelihood, the inaccurate words placed in German and English translations were the reason that Western exegetes apparently almost completely misunderstood this text and their reasonings sometimes appear even strange. However, this reproach can be directed not only at them but also at some ancient commentators. For example, Theophylact writes: “The Lord shows that he who sins greatly cannot see the sin of his brother well (δείκνυσι δὲ ὁ κύριος, ὅτι οὐδὲ δύναται ἰδεῖν καλῶς τὸ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἀμάρτημα ὁ μεγάλα ἀμαρτάνων), because how will he be able to see the transgression of another, easily wounded, he who himself has a log in his eye?” But is this what the Savior is saying? It seems that He is saying exactly the opposite, that we ordinarily see well the sin of a brother but do not notice our own great sin. The explanations of Western exegetes are even more unsatisfactory than Theophylact’s. Thus Toluck says that “man’s own sinfulness deprives him of a proper spiritual view in order to judge the moral crimes of others.” Zahn asserts that a “small foreign body fallen in the eye hinders vision, while a large one makes it impossible.” A speck or log, therefore, are images of small and large moral defects and hinder us from properly knowing and dealing with things. Therefore Zahn considers it incomprehensible that one who has a great defect (like a log) notices an unimportant defect in another, and thinks that “in the sphere of bodily life” this is even “impossible.” Although it so happens on “moral ground,” however, all this appears so “unnatural” that to the question why the person to whom the Savior addresses the speech (τί δὲ βλεπεις) acts exactly so, “no satisfactory” answer, justifying his deed, is conceivable. Regarding this interpretation one should say that indeed, if in my brother’s eye there is a speck causing him pain, and in my eye there is a much larger body, a whole log, then the latter not only should cause me pain, but moreover completely hides from me any foreign specs or sins. That a speck can get into a brother’s eye—this happens often and is quite understandable. But how can a whole log fall into and remain in my eye? In commentaries we have nowhere found the necessary explanation. If it is said that all this is only images to denote moral relations, then to this one can answer that images should at least to some extent correspond to nature and reality, otherwise they will turn out to be too crude, unnatural and exaggerated, which various commentators quite acknowledge. We, for our part, think that by κάρφος in verse 3 should be understood not a “speck” and not a “straw” causing pain (the Savior says nothing about this pain), but a real actual “twig,” festuca, as in the Russian, Slavonic, and Vulgate, and that this twig does not cause any pain at all. In the eye various external objects are always reflected, like in a mirror, which can be seen (βλέπειν) by anyone who looks closely into his brother’s eye. He can see objects reflected beyond the cornea and other membranes in the eye, in the pupil (διαβλέπειν). It is clear that such reflected objects do not produce and cannot produce any pain, and do not at all hinder vision. In my eye can be reflected a whole log, while in my brother’s eye—a twig. I do not see the log, but I see the twig. With such an interpretation, the other expression is also satisfactorily explained: κατανοεῖν. The Savior does not say: you do not feel pain from the log, or you do not see it, but rather you do not think, do not reflect on what is reflected in your own eye (the meaning of κατανοεῖν only as an exception—intransitive = simply to reflect, the usual meaning is transitive, to direct attention to something, to regard, to notice, to observe—Cremer). Consequently, the images used by the Savior appear to be quite natural and answer to reality. True, against the interpretation proposed by us one can object that it seems to be contradicted by the expressions of the following verses 4 and 5. We shall speak about this in its place; now we note that the connection of verse 3 with the preceding is clear. In verse 3 the Savior explains why we should not judge others, because to judge—means to look into the eyes of a brother, to notice his shortcomings and not pay attention to one’s own. And yet the latter—are greater than the sins of a brother. The thought is the same as expressed in the parable Matt 18:23-35. To what has been said let us add that a similar thought is found in the Talmud in several places (see Edersheim. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, vol. I, p. 678 and following).

Matthew 7:4. Or how can you say to your brother: ‘Let me pull out the speck from your eye,’ and behold, there is a log in your own eye? (Cf. Luke 6:42). The thought of this verse seems to contradict the interpretation given above. If the Savior speaks only of reflected or reflecting objects, it is unclear how one can say to a brother: ‘let me pull out,’ and further (verse 5) ‘pull out the log’ and so forth. The explanations of exegetes are also unsatisfactory here. Thus, for example, one of them thinks that here there is talk of “eye operations” and that the Savior supposedly says: with a log in your eye you are a poor eye surgeon. But what is beyond doubt here is that the Savior is not speaking of eye operations at all. The speech is figurative, but in verse 3 it has a literal sense, while in verse 4—a figurative one. The natural and quite comprehensible images of verse 3 give occasion to speak in a figurative sense of extracting specks or logs from the eye. The former images are not abandoned, but their application is different. So it often happens in ordinary speech; something similar is found in the Gospels. The first thought, so to speak, the root of the image, is exclusively concentrated on the flower, on the lily, on how they grow; and then through the aid of intermediate thoughts (do not toil, do not spin—all this corresponds to reality) the transition occurs to the thought of how the lilies are “clothed.” It is quite clear that “clothing” of lilies can be spoken of only in an improper, figurative sense, because in reality lilies have no clothing at all. Thus, in the speech of the Savior, the simple mention of log and speck reflected in the eyes gives rise to new images, still true to reality and not having a figuratively spiritual meaning, but clarifying the truth already from other sides. All listeners of Christ knew how people deal with specks and logs: they take them, carry them, throw them out, cut them, saw them, build houses from them, burn them. All these predicates could also be applied to logs reflected in the eye. But for the purpose that the Lord set for Himself, it was convenient to use only one word: ἔκβαλε (literally—throw out, verse 5). The Savior could have expressed Himself differently: stop looking at the log, turn away from it so that it is not reflected in your eye. But such speech would not possess the requisite power and would not be to the point. Instead of “how can you say” some translate: “how are you able to say.” This, apparently, without any need. “Let me pull out”—in Greek and in Russian it would be more correct: let me pull out (infinitive). But the combination of two verbs in the imperative and indicative (instead of the infinitive) moods is not unusual elsewhere in the New Testament. The Savior condemns here the evil when people, and precisely the better part of them, never listen to anything more eagerly and talk about nothing more willingly than about the errors of other people. In Cicero there occurs the saying: “It is characteristic of fools to see the faults of others and forget their own.”

Matthew 7:5. Hypocrite! First remove the log from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Cf. Luke 6:42.) First of all, the word “hypocrite” attracts attention. It gives some commentators occasion to suppose that the Savior here returns to His former speech about hypocrites and again begins to condemn them. This also influences the explanation of verse 1, since here also it is supposed that the Savior’s condemnation is only of such judgment as is committed by Pharisees. But all this is arbitrary. The word ὑποκριτά, of course, means “hypocrite,” and there is no need to seek or devise any other meanings of this word. But one cannot fail to notice that it has great similarity with the words used at the beginning of the speech κρίνειν, κρίματι, κριθήσεσθε and has with them the same root, though in meaning it differs. Therefore one can think that it is inspired by these words, and should understand here not the Pharisees but all people in general who judge the errors of a neighbor while having whole logs in their own eye. To judge a neighbor—it is easy. But it is always difficult to judge oneself. This is what the comparisons point to. The Savior, further, does not say: you will see clearly the speck in your brother’s eye, after you remove the log from your own eye; but: you will see clearly how to remove the speck. One must first accomplish and before all accomplish the most difficult deed, and then the small deed will be easy. If these rules were to be followed by all, both private people and judges, then a golden age would come on earth.

Matthew 7:6. Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, so that they do not trample them with their feet and, turning around, tear you to pieces. The translation itself raises no questions, but the connection of the words in question with the preceding has always appeared difficult. Some say that this verse directly follows the preceding. The activity of those capable of judging and correcting the defects of others should not consist of throwing precious stones before swine. Therefore there is no need to deny a connection here. The connection is also explained by the fact that if the preceding verses point to excess in judgments, not excessive strictness in judging the lapses of neighbors, then verse 6, on the contrary, points to the thoughtless or critical weakness of people when, without any deliberation and fear, with complete condescension, paying no attention to different characters, they give people what they cannot accept because of their evil and character. Thus, according to this opinion, the internal connection lies in denoting the essential difference between fanatical harshness and moral weakness in dealing with holiness. Further, one thinks that besides the internal there is also an external connection, which lies in the opposition of a brother, about whose correction and salvation we hypocritically are concerned, to dogs and swine, who treat us completely differently than brothers, and completely differently receive our cares than does a brother. The Savior speaks as it were thus: you are a hypocrite with respect to a brother, to whom you should according to your love preach only holiness. But with respect to other people, whom you cannot call your brothers and cannot conduct yourself with them as with brothers, you are not a hypocrite, but actually preach holiness. There is still another opinion: people whom we judge, but whom, however, we should not judge, represent themselves as swine and dogs. We refrain from judgment over them, but should we at the same time be too sentimental, that is, refraining from condemning, preach holiness to them. To condemn others—this is one extreme, to be too condescending to people, to enter into communion with them, to try to enlighten them, to give them what is holy when they are unworthy of it,—this is another extreme, from which the disciples of Christ should refrain. In the first five verses severity in judgment is condemned; in verse 6—excessive weakness. The disciples should not strive to be judges of others, but they should not unreasonably expose before people their high calling. Because what is sacred and valuable is given to them not only for possession, but also with the purpose that they communicate it to other people. But the disciples would fulfill badly this obligation if they communicated their entrusted valuable and sacred goods to such people about whom they know or can know that they lack any understanding of the sacred and its value. All these opinions do explain, to some extent, the content of verse 6, but not by much. It is more probable to think that here begins a new speech, not having marked internal connection with the preceding. The external connection is given, as before, by negations. However, one can think that both the Lord Himself and His listeners could look upon all that He had said before as holiness. In verse 6 the Savior says that this holiness should not be revealed before people not understanding it. Or one can consider verse 6 an introduction to the following speech and explain it in the same sense. Since the word “holiness” is obviously figurative and applied to human relations, the interpretation depends much on the precise definition of the word “holiness” itself. This word is so difficult that in order to explain it appeal was even made to the Sanskrit language and there people tried to understand what it means. In this language words similar to Greek τὸ ἅγιον jag, jagami mean “I bring sacrifice,” “I honor,” and jagus, jâgam, jagnâm (in Russian—agnus)—“sacrifice.” Further they compared this word with the Hebrew “kodesh”—holiness; and this latter was derived from the word “kad,” which means “distinguished,” “separated.” But although the etymology, says Cremer, casts some light on the word in question, it rarely reveals its meaning in ordinary usage. One scholar made the guess that the Aramaic word used here by Christ was “kedasha.” In the Greek translation of the Gospel of Matthew this word is rendered inaccurately by the word “holiness” (τό ἅγιον), whereas it means properly an amulet, mainly an earring. With such an interpretation, “holiness” could be brought near and with further “pearls,” as an object which can just as, as pearls, be thrown before animals. However, such a hypothesis is now recognized as untenable, and if one can still speak of it, then not in exegetical but in purely historical interests. Unable to find suitable images in actual life and nature, people tried to explain the word “holiness,” as well as the other words of this verse, “pearls,” “swine,” and “dogs,” in an allegorical sense. Thus, for example, Jerome understood by holiness the bread of children. We should not take away the bread from the children and throw it to the dogs. John Chrysostom and others understood by dogs the Gentiles both because of their deeds and because of their faith, while by swine—the heretics, who, apparently, do not acknowledge the name of the Lord. Interesting is the reference to this verse found in one of the most ancient documents, namely in the “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles” (IX, 5). Here there is talk of the Eucharist: “No one should eat and drink from our Eucharist except those baptized in the name of the Lord, for concerning this the Lord said: ‘do not give what is holy to dogs.’” Of the five words by which the Greeks designated “the sacred,” the word ἅγιος is the rarest and in distinction from other synonymous terms indicated mainly “the holy” in the moral sense. Being little used among the Gentiles, this word, one can say, penetrates the whole Old and New Testament and expresses the concept in which all Divine revelation is concentrated. Therefore the word has generally a broad meaning. But the main moment here—the moral concept, an understanding of which the Greeks and Romans almost completely lack. The concept of holiness receives its special coloring from the fact that holiness is ascribed to God and to what belongs to Him. Besides God this concept is applied only to such people and objects as belong especially to God. The word “holiness” or “holy” or “holies” (plural) is used in the Old Testament of the temple. Further it is used, as in Lev 22:14, of sacred food, usually in the plural number (cf. Lev 22:2-5). Therefore the majority of commentators are inclined to think that the image in verse 6 is taken by the Savior from sacrificial meat, which could not be eaten by anyone except priests (Exod 29:33; Lev 2:3; Num 18:8-19). This meat could not be given to dogs at all—it would be a transgression, and if anyone did so, he would be punished with death (Toluck,). Sacred meat was not to be eaten and by any unclean person (Lev 22:6-7). Some understand by holiness everything opposite to what is unclean, or “pure.” The Savior thus applied Old Testament images to truths which should become new wine and new garments in the Church He was founding, as the Kingdom of God. He Himself called His teaching the mysteries of the Kingdom of God (cf. Matt 13:11; Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10). He said to His disciples that it is given to them to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to other people it is not given, and He refrained from direct revelation of these mysteries before people without the help of parables. Further, in explaining the mysteries of the Kingdom, He said that the Kingdom of Heaven is like “treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid, and from joy about it goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matt 13:44); “a merchant seeking good pearls, who, having found one precious pearl, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matt 13:45-46). The first part of the verse: “do not give what is holy to dogs,” can be separated from the second and considered by itself. This is necessary because some commentators could not understand how swine could, turning around, tear at people, because it is dogs that are capable of this, and they referred the latter words of the verse to dogs. But such an opinion has no basis for itself. Sacrificial food, meat and bread, for dogs—is pleasant food. In the first half of the sentence therefore the verb “give” (δίδωμι) is used, not the further one—throw. Dogs are often mentioned in Old Testament writings. Moses says to his fellow-countrymen that their exodus from Egypt occurred in such silence that not even a dog moved his tongue against any man or beast (Exod 11:7). Judith says the same to Holofernes—that she will lead him to Jerusalem so that a dog will not move its tongue against him. Much from good old times has remained even to the present time, including dogs, which even now live in great numbers in Palestinian cities. They sleep during the day, rise at sunset and begin their cleanup of dirty alleys on the streets. At this time they howl, growl, and among them begins fighting over scraps and filth, which are thrown from houses, because in Eastern cities everything is thrown into the streets and eaten by dogs. They are the only sanitation workers in dirty Eastern cities. We turn to another image. The former “do not give” (μὴ δῶτε) is replaced by the words “do not throw” (μὴ βάλητε). By pearls (μαργαρίτας) should be understood pearls, and perhaps mother-of-pearl, but not beads, as in our Slavonic translation. In the Vulgate—margaritas—the same word as in Greek. Pearls resemble peas or even acorns, which swine like and eat. But for them these cheap edible objects are of greater value than precious pearls. Of course, facts when swine tear, for example, a man are little known, if known at all. There is no need to understand by the word “swine” some fierce breed of swine, such as, for example, a wild boar. From ordinary household swine it is known from practice that they eat animals and sometimes bite children to death; they can consequently bite to death an adult man. On the basis of the context there is no grounds to specifically refer the words of Christ either to the Gentiles or to heretics. The first would be incorrect because He came to preach to the Gentiles and save them, and the apostles were to go by His command and teach all peoples (Matt 28:19). And heretics could not exist then, and if Christ should speak about them now, His speech hardly would be understood by His listeners. In conclusion to the explanation of this verse we note that in it there is an intensification from the beginning to the end: first there is talk of dogs, which do not become fierce, but can eat sacred meat, and then of swine, which become fierce and tear the giver. According to Toluck, here is meant in general shamelessness (ἀναισχυντία) of people.

Matthew 7:7. Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you; It is remarkable that in this verse there are no variations in the manuscripts. The translation is precise. But the connection of this verse with the preceding is even more difficult to explain than that of verse 6 with verse 5. Some commentators find no connection here at all, and verse 6 appears to them written as it were out of place in the general exposition. Some explain the matter thus. From the preceding verses it was clear that everyone should strive to be wise and good in order to serve his neighbors, his brothers, as much as possible. Who is able to do this? We cannot do this by our own strength. But this is possible for us if God gives us His help. Therefore the Savior commands us to turn to God with prayer for the gifts and grace needed by us. It is easy to see that such a connection is purely external and does not touch the essence of the matter. Of the exegetes with whom we have become acquainted, Zahn comes closest to the mark, it seems. But his explanation, as we shall soon see, is distinguished by some peculiarities. “When,” he says, “the commandment was given not to give what is holy to dogs and not to throw pearls before swine, then a listener, being conscious of his ignorance, could say: I do not see that I have what you forbade me to give to swine. And therefore it is well that the Savior added, saying: ask and receive.” It seems to us that if Zahn had expressed himself only somewhat differently, he would have explained the matter better. The Savior did not command people to be stingy in dealing with earthly goods. But quite another should be the relation of people to spiritual goods. Here is required a certain restraint or even stinginess, because otherwise holiness can fall into the possession of such people who, being unclean, will either desecrate it or, not understanding its value, will trample it. Consequently, these people, not understanding and not valuing holiness, should be deprived of it. It is given to believers, will remain with them and will increase. And in order that it increase, one must make requests to the heavenly Father. You do not give, and it will be given to you. In the words designating how people should request goods for themselves there is a certain gradation and transition from the lesser to the greater. First simply “ask,” then are implied greater efforts and labor in comparison with ordinary petition—“seek”; then, when these actions will not lead to the goal,—“knock.” The expressions of verses 7 and 8 are literally repeated in Luke (Luke 11:9-10), but in a different context, and there, according to the opinion of exegetes, this context is “more skillfully done.” After the Lord’s Prayer Luke speaks of a man who asks for bread from his friend. The latter at first asks not to bother him, but then, by his persistent request, gives him what he asks. Then follow the words: “ask” and so forth to verse 11 literally the same as in Matthew, and from verse 11 there is a difference. Therefore it is thought that in Matthew the expressions of verses 7 and 8 would have connection with the preceding only if they stood after Matt 6:15, and that if one does not suppose that Matthew borrowed these verses from the “Logia” and placed them in an improper order, the connection in general is difficult to explain. But this seems hardly particularly important. Much more important is the question what exactly man should ask himself. Verse 11 with clarity shows that people should ask for goods from God. What goods? The majority of commentators assert that here exclusively spiritual goods are meant. Such an interpretation is well expressed in the words of Saint John Chrysostom: “Ask for nothing worldly, but for everything spiritual, and you will receive all.” However, the Savior Himself does not limit our requests to only the spiritual and generally says nothing about what the content of our requests should be. The speech set forth in verses 7–11 is one of the most attractive and most beloved to the human heart. Apparently, the Church also understands these words in a broader sense, not only in the spiritual, that is, the Savior in response to the requests of believers promised them the giving not only of spiritual but also of material goods. These words are read among us at services to the Savior, performed for various occasions and under various circumstances. Consequently, according to the words of the Savior, we can ask God for all goods, both spiritual and bodily, and hope for receiving them. But we consider as good many things that are not actually good. Material goods, according to evangelical teaching, are in closest connection with spiritual goods, and consequently we can ask for material goods, such as well-being, health, success in life, always keeping in view the close dependence of the material on the spiritual, and especially striving for God’s righteousness, being confident that all else will be added to us.

Matthew 7:8. for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. In some manuscripts, instead of “it will be opened”—“they open,” or, better, “it opens itself.” The expressions of this verse are fully parallel to those of the preceding. They serve as it were an encouragement to prayer. There are no limitations to the word “everyone.” The images are taken from actual life, where indeed those who ask ordinarily receive, those who seek find, and those who knock have it opened to them. As with people, so with God. Persistent and unrelenting requests lead to the desired. If God, according to Augustine, often does not give us what we want, He gives what we want even more.

Matthew 7:9. Is there among you such a man who, when his son asks him for bread, would give him a stone? The difference in translation here may depend on how we first understand the particle ἤ placed at the very beginning of the verse, and further whether we understand τίς as a relative or interrogative pronoun. If we translate ἤ as “otherwise,” “on the other hand” (alioquin), we do not get a satisfactory meaning; if as “for” (nam), then it is not clear why verse 9 serves as proof of what precedes it and in what exactly. This cannot be accepted all the more because in the preceding verse there is already its own “for,” which serves as proof for verse 7. In exactly the same way it is hardly possible to translate: “is there among you such a man” (an quisquam vestrum), as in our Russian and Slavonic translations, considering ἤ as an interrogative particle and τίς—as an indefinite pronoun. In verse 10 this ἤ is repeated, but the Russian translators expressed it as “and.” According to Toluck, ἤ should be understood here as a disjunctive particle, corresponding to the same one in verse 10. Such usage is frequent (verse 4; also Matt 12:29; Rom 3:1). In the Vulgate the particle is translated correctly by the twice-repeated aut in verses 9 and 10: either who is there of you a man, who, if his son asks him for bread, will surely give him a stone? Thus, in the Vulgate there are two particles (or and surely—aut and numquid), one serving to divide speech, and the other—interrogative. The first (ἤ) is almost equivalent here to our expressions: on the one hand, in other words, first, second. The words of the Savior in this verse are distinguished by complete naturalness. It appears with intention that the poverty of the son is not directly shown, who is in need only of bread. The son asks for a piece of bread to satisfy hunger, and only as an exception might one find such a cruel father who would give him a stone instead of bread. The extraordinary reality and vividness of the comparison is increased still more by the circumstance that a stone resembles bread, and thus giving a stone instead of bread would be not only cruelty but also deception. With this it is remarkable that for illustration the very simplest, most uncomplicated circumstances are chosen, which, despite their simplicity and lack of complexity, are still almost impossible even among people who are evil by nature. Under bread here one cannot in any way understand only “teachings or mercy” or “the spiritual.” Of course, such a meaning the word can have, but only in a figurative sense. In Luke to this speech is added: “or, if he asks for a fish, would give him a serpent?” (Luke 11:12).

Matthew 7:10. and when he asks for a fish, would give him a serpent? Literally: “or if he also asks for a fish (besides bread), would surely give him a serpent?” In the Vulgate and in the Slavonic translation “and” is omitted. The construction of the verse and meaning are the same as in the preceding. But from the difference in translation a somewhat different sense is obtained. In the Russian and other translations, the request is presented as separate, independent, that is, the son asks for fish before all, without first asking for bread. In the Greek, this request serves as it were a supplement to the preceding, which appears more natural. To satisfy hunger, one needs bread first of all, and fish and other things appear already to be a certain luxury for a hungry man. But even with this, the father who gives his son a serpent instead of fish would appear to be an extreme and repugnant exception. The comparison is based on the similarity of fish, and especially some, to serpents. If the talk were only of spiritual goods, the Savior could well conveniently replace these images with also spiritual objects, for example, saying: if your son asks you for love, or good will, or instruction, would you give him something else? This completely refutes the thought that our requests to God should be limited to only spiritual goods.

Matthew 7:11. Therefore, if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him. The verse is connected with the preceding by the connecting particle “therefore,” which shows that it is a continuation of the preceding speech. The particular facts of human life indicated in verse 10 are here as it were generalized, understood in a broader sense. The Savior speaks as it were thus: behold, how it is done among you and what occurs. And this is done among you at a time when you are evil. The word πονηροί in connection with πόνος—work, fatigue, and πενία—poverty, properly indicates affliction, weakness; in the moral sense πονηρός—bad, evil; in both cases opposite to χρηστός. Further, πονηρός means a concrete manifestation relatively to the general, expressed by κακός. The latter more about essence and character, the first—about activity and value of our deeds with regard to others (cf. Matt 5:45; Luke 6:35,—Cremer). It is completely incorrect to express the thought of this verse as Augustine does, according to whom people are called evil here because, being lovers of this world and sinners, when they give some goods, call them good in their sense, though by nature they are not true goods but only temporary, relating to the present unstable life. But why should bread and fish be considered goods only in our own, sinful sense? Does the Savior call these goods untrue or false? The essence of the matter is evidently not in the goods, which are goods in any sense, but in the fact that people are evil. Good gifts—this is opposition to people being evil. People are evil, and yet they know how to give their children good gifts. Some harshness and categoricalness of expression: “if you, being evil,” gave ground for commentators to think that here the Savior wanted to point to the original sin inherent in people. According to one writer, “this saying appears to be the strongest dictum probans in all scriptures in defense of original sin.” But why did the Savior not say: therefore, if all of you, being evil?.. Then His words would with greater probability testify to the presence in people of universal original sin. Therefore one can think that in the expression in question there is no thought of original sin. The teaching of original sin can, of course, be derived from other places of Scripture, but not from this. Here there is simply an ordinary characterization of people who indeed show in their relations more evil and malice than good and good will. The word “know” (οἴδατε) is translated variously: know how to give, are accustomed to give. Some say that “know” or “understand” (in translations) is completely unnecessary and that one can simply translate: you give. Finally, others assert that here are compressed two thoughts: if you, being evil, give gifts to your children; and, if you know how to give good gifts, it makes sense to give what is good, not stones instead of bread and not serpents instead of fish… But such an interpretation appears somewhat artificial and hardly necessary. In opposition to people is shown the heavenly Father, Who, not like people, is good and kind by His very nature. When people turn to Him with requests, then He evidently gives more than people do, “good” to those asking Him. The former “good gifts” (δόματα ἀγαθά) are replaced here, in the second half of the sentence, simply by the word “good” without mention of gifts. But it is clear that the sense is the same. It is remarkable, however, that as in the first case δόματα ἀγαθά stands without the article, so in the second, the simple ἀγαθά also without the article. This would be difficult to expect if by “gifts” or “good” something definite were meant. In Luke (Luke 11:13) we find an attempt to define somewhat more closely and concretely what these “good gifts” are. Instead of “will give good,” in Luke: “how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.” Meyer thinks that this expression in Luke—a later, more definite embellishment. The reading at this place in Luke varies greatly. In some manuscripts “Holy Spirit,” in others—“good Spirit” (πνεῦμα ἀγαθόν) or “good gift”; Vulgate—spiritum bonum. For us now, of course, there is no need to discuss whether this expression in Luke is authentic or not. One should pay attention to the expressions: “the Father in the heavens” (ὁ πατὴρ ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς), as here, and “the Father from heaven” (ἐν οὐρανοῖς). The first is used when people turn to the heavenly Father with a request, the second—when the heavenly Father Himself bestows some goods from heaven (Luke 11:13).

Matthew 7:12. Therefore, in all things, as you wish that people would do to you, so also do to them, for this is the law and the prophets. (Cf. Luke 6:31.) In the Greek the speech is somewhat peculiar and characteristic of only this language: therefore all, as many as you wish people would do (not “would deal”) to you, so also you do to them, for such (is) the law and the prophets. In the interpretation of this verse much depends on whether we recognize as authentic the “therefore” (οὖν) placed at the beginning of the verse. The reading varies greatly: in many manuscripts this particle is absent. In the Vulgate—ergo. If “therefore” is to be retained, then there will be a close connection between verse 12 and the preceding verses. The given verse will be simply a conclusion from the preceding verse. If “therefore” is omitted, then the thought of the given verse will take on an independent and independent of the preceding speech value, in other words, the connection here will either be entirely unclear, or will not exist at all. Some of the newer exegetes accept the latter. According to Zahn’s opinion, one can find sufficient evidence that in the original text there was no “therefore” and that it is suspicious also elsewhere, despite the ancient and more or less strong testimony in its favor (Matt 6:22; Luke 11:35). Let us try first of all to weigh what thought is obtained by omitting “therefore.” The almost unanimous explanation is that this verse is not placed by Matthew in its proper place. We are presented with whole theories. At Luke 6:30 the expression is parallel to Matt 5:42. Therefore the verse in question of Matthew, in any case, is more appropriate at Matt 5:38-48, where there is talk of how we should treat others. But the expression could be placed also after Matt 7:1-2. Verses 3–5 and 7–11—“interpolations” from different parts of the Logia. From this it is easy to see what chaos is obtained if one omits οὖν. Other exegetes are not so strict. They do not suspect the verse of being inauthentic, but say that it has no connection with the preceding, and οὖν should be completely struck out and one should allow that in Matt 7:12 there is contained an independent link in the chain of equally having no syntactic connection exhortations (Matt 7:1-5). The connecting thread in these expressions is only κρίνειν. To this thread one should attach also verse 15. Now let us see what thought is obtained if οὖν is recognized as authentic. John Chrysostom accepted οὖν, though he considered it puzzling. The connection which he supposes between verse 12 and the preceding verses, according to Toluck’s opinion, is unnatural, though one cannot understand it otherwise, says Toluck, than as Chrysostom does. How did John Chrysostom understand this connection? “In these brief words (of verse 12) the Savior concluded all and showed that virtue is both brief and easy, and known to all. And He did not simply say: ‘in all things, as you wish,’ but: ‘therefore’ (οὖν) ‘in all things, as you wish’; the word ‘therefore’ did not use without intention, but with special thought. If you wish, He says, to be heard, then besides what I have said to you, do also this.” Which of the indicated opinions should be considered correct? Should οὖν be considered authentic? Of the two suppositions, in our opinion, the second is more probable: οὖν should be accepted as authentic. The words of verse 12 refer not to the nearest verse 11, but to all the preceding speech, which speaks of the relation of people to one another. Similar insertions are found in all other oratorical speeches and serve either for the rest of the orator himself or to enable listeners to gather their thoughts. In many cases frequent repetitions or generalizations or simply a fleeting glance at what was said before is found. The content of the verse or the thought expressed in it was known in antiquity. Gibbon, apparently with the purpose of disparaging the rule proposed by Christ, pointed out that it is found in Socrates four hundred years before the Nativity in the following form: “what others anger you by doing, do not do to them.” Diogenes Laërtius says that Aristotle, when asked how we should conduct ourselves toward friends, answered: just as we wish they conducted themselves toward us. Confucius, when asked whether there is a word expressing all that we should conduct ourselves, answered: is it not reciprocity? “What you do not do to yourself, do not do to others.” Similar expressions are attributed to Buddha, Seneca, Philo, and rabbis. In the Old Testament such an expression is not found. But the ancients, who lived before Christ, never expressed with such power an ideal as He. In Aristotle—about friends, in the words of Jesus Christ—about all people. In other persons who expressed such a thought (including the Hebrew rabbi Hillel), the rule is expressed in a negative form, in Christ—positively. Further, it is rightly noted that Christ, having expressed the commandment and laid its foundation in natural law, does not claim that He wished to come forward with any new discovery and indicates that “in this is the law and the prophets” (cf. Matt 22:40). However, the prophets reached this rule only “barely,” as Mic 6:8. In this commandment is expressed rather the spirit and essence of Old Testament law and the expectations of the prophets, than their own words. The expression does not mean: “what people do to you, do the same to them,” because we often cannot do to others all that they do to us. It should be understood in a more general sense: for love we should repay with love. The general thought is that we should do to people what we wish for ourselves. Further, we cannot always and should not do to others what we wish for ourselves, because, as Alford rightly notes, sometimes what would be convenient for us would be inconvenient for others. “We should think about what pleases us, and then apply this rule to our treatment of others, that is, do to them what we have reason to suppose they wish. This is a very important distinction, and one which is often not paid attention to in the interpretation of this golden rule” (Alford).

Matthew 7:13. Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter through it; Literally: “enter through the narrow gates, because smooth and wide is the path leading to destruction, and many are those who enter through it.” First of all, we note that the speech in verses 13–27 is considered the epilogue of the Sermon on the Mount. When it is compared with the Ten Commandments, it is said that the latter has a “prologue”: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt” (Exod 20:2). In the Sermon on the Mount, on the contrary, instead of a prologue there is an epilogue. It consists of separate concluding exhortations and warnings. In verses 13–14 there is an exhortation to serious seeking of the right path, in 15–23—a warning against such bad guides on the path who have the appearance of righteousness but deny its essence; in 24–27—a concluding exhortation to strengthen faith by deeds. In general, here are presented especially strongly the dangers of hypocrisy and a warning is given against hypocritical teachers in our internal life. At the beginning of the discourse there is an invitation to enter through the narrow gates. First the gates, then the path. If it were otherwise, such a presentation of the matter, according to Meyer and other scholars, would be ascetic—that is, before entering the gates, a long path is required to achieve the proper goal, beyond which eternal life comes. Christ’s thought is entirely different: first the narrow gates, through which one can enter into life, and then the path. To enter these gates, one must obviously accept the teaching that Christ has offered regarding how to conduct oneself toward our neighbors and toward God. Much of what Christ proposed seemed difficult to fulfill, but then it may turn out that the commandments He offered are marked by ease. The emphasis is placed on the choice of the narrow gates, not on the requirement to enter them. Through the narrow gates one must enter because the wide gates and broad path are those through which many enter to their destruction. It should not be understood that the narrow gates refer only to the commandment just set forth—not to do to others what we do not wish for ourselves—as some have interpreted this place. With respect to the second ἡ πύλη, it must be said that it is omitted in some codices and by many Church Fathers. Its authenticity is generally doubtful. Tischendorf places it in brackets. The word was probably inserted by copyists “to complete the parallelism.” The existence of this word would not be subject to doubt if in the Greek instead of ἡ ἀπάγουσα there stood the plural, and instead of “through it”—“through them,” as incorrectly in the Russian translation (“leading,” “through them”).

Matthew 7:14. Because narrow are the gates and constricted is the path that leads into life, and few are those who find it. The correct translation of this passage depends on resolving the question of which word should stand at the beginning of the verse, τί or ὅτι. In many uncial codices and ancient Latin translations τί is read, but Chrysostom and others read ὅτι. If the reading were τί, the meaning would be sentimental: how narrow are the gates and how constricted is the path that leads into life! Theophylact says that τί here is exclamatory. Jerome translates: quam angusta porta! Zahn accepts τί. On the other hand, if it were ὅτι, this verse would contain an almost completely unnecessary proof of the thought expressed in verse 13. “Enter through the narrow gates… because narrow are the gates…” But with the acceptance of ὅτι, one can understand the expression also thus: in the first proposition of verse 13 a commandment is given: “enter through the narrow gates,” and it is proved in the following words, whose meaning is that the wide path beyond the gates leads to destruction. In the following verse 14 the same thought is proved, but from a different side. If many go on the wide path, this alone serves as sufficient reason for Christ’s disciples not to follow the indulged luxury and corrupt crowd; they must go their own way, which Christ has pointed out to them. The logical emphasis stands here, therefore, not on the words wide or narrow path, but on the fact that many either perish or receive life. On these grounds one can consider ὅτι (“because”—as in the Russian translation) more probable.

Matthew 7:15. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but within are ravenous wolves. For the word “beware” the Greek verb is the same as in Matt 6:1. Whom should one understand here by false prophets? Some understand simply guides who are encountered on the wide path that Christ pointed out earlier. As soon as the Savior spoke of a path, He immediately had the thought of people who stand on the path and show it. On the false path stand false guides who deceive the people, or rather way-guides—they must be guarded against. These are the false prophets. Others understand the Pharisees, who were teachers and corrupted the people. Finally, still others—“heretics,” or false messiahs, false Christian teachers, of whom there were so many in the early apostolic Church, as Christ Himself and the apostles testify. One can easily see that Christ speaks here of false prophets in a completely general sense, not specifically identifying individual persons or separate classes of people. The word “false prophets” itself can be understood not in the sense that here are understood people endowed with the gift of prophecy, even if false, but generally those speaking falsehood and deceiving. These false prophets come to believers in sheep’s clothing. The latter, in distinction from ἱμάτιον, means a whole or complete garment. German scholars cannot understand how wolves could dress in sheep’s clothing. “Wolves,” says Zahn, “do not wear any clothing so as not to be recognized, even when a sheep is their prey. On the other hand, sheep’s clothing, which is worn by people of lower classes and shepherds, is not a sign of their sheep-like thinking.” Of course, a real wolf, an animal, never dresses in or could put on sheep’s clothing. But do we not speak of animals as if they do actions similar to human ones? This is known in literature. On the basis of his reflections, Zahn concludes that sheep’s clothing should be understood here as the rough prophetic haircloth that false prophets wore (Zech 13:4). Of course, one can. But the heart of the matter is not in this. The expressions “wolves” and “sheep’s clothing” are obviously figurative, and here images very familiar in Hebrew literature are employed. The people of Israel were represented under the image of a sheep pen (Ps 77:52). Among other predatory animals (Jer 5:6) is the wolf (Zeph 3:3; Ezek 22:27; Matt 10:16; John 10:12; Acts 20:29), and to them belong false prophets as well (Ezek 22:28; Mic 3:9-11). Thus according to the words of Zahn himself. In this way, false prophets were known in antiquity from the Old Testament Scripture. According to Saint John Chrysostom, the Savior here understands by false prophets not heretics, but those who, leading a dissolute life, cover themselves with the mask of virtue, those commonly called deceivers. The expression is found in the writings of Hermas. He says: “Judge by the deeds and life the man who says of himself that he has received inspiration from God” (Hermes, Pastor, commandment XI, p. 43, 16; the translation is not entirely accurate; see: δοκίμαζε οὖν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων καὶ τῆς ζωῆς τὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν λέγοντα ἑαυτὸν πνευματοφόρον εἶναι. – Editor’s note).

Matthew 7:16. By their fruits you will know them. Do they gather grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Great confusion even among ancient interpreters was caused here by the word “fruits”—what exactly should be understood by it? Jerome interpreted the word thus: you will know false prophets by their teachings. Such was the opinion held by many Western theologians, including recent ones. Christ’s saying became the weapon—the anchor of the Inquisition, which persecuted sectarians for their teaching. But an important difficulty presented itself: some sectarians, despite their heresy, distinguished themselves by great purity of life. How was this to be explained? They resorted to a miserable sophistry, that at this time the devil entered into the sectarians and forced them to live a good life. But Christ’s discourse here is so simple and intelligible that one need only look at the matter directly to understand its meaning. People are divided into good and evil. Good people bring forth good fruits. Included in these fruits is everything good in people, whether it be teaching, virtuous life, or in general any activity beneficial to people. The good fruits of the spirit are so many that they cannot even be counted, just as the different good fruits that grow on various good trees. As for the plants themselves taken here as examples, under ἄκανθαι here are understood generally spiny plants, and especially thorn bushes, which grow in abundance in Palestine. By outward appearance it somewhat resembles grapes, and perhaps for this reason it is said: “Do they gather grapes from thorn bushes”? Under τρίβολος is understood a spiny plant known as thistle or burdock. From this plant, of course, figs are never gathered. The latter, although useful medicinally, is always considered a weed, harmful to grain plants.

Matthew 7:17. So every good tree brings forth good fruits, but a bad tree brings forth bad fruits. Comparisons taken from the actual life of nature. We divide trees into good and bad, not reasoning, or reasoning little about how well such a division corresponds to reality itself. For example, one can say of a wild apple tree that it brings forth bad apples, and of a grafted one, that good fruits appear on it. But there are different kinds of trees which, however useful medicinally, are not considered good trees bearing good fruits. The Savior makes the comparison in this general sense, paying no attention to how well it corresponds to scientific reality.

Matthew 7:18. A good tree cannot bring forth bad fruits, nor can a bad tree bring forth good fruits. To explain the same thought four verses are used, in which the subject is examined from different angles, almost to the point of tautology. But according to Chrysostom, if the Savior speaks of one and the same thing twice, there is no tautology here. “Lest someone say that a bad tree, though it brings forth bad fruits, might also bring forth good ones, and with such double fruiting it would be difficult to make a distinction. In refutation of this the Savior says that this does not happen, that it brings forth only bad fruits and can never produce good ones, and vice versa. What, is it possible that a good person cannot become bad and conversely? Human life is filled with many such examples. But Christ does not say that it is impossible for a bad person to change or for a good one to fall, but that a person cannot bring forth good fruit while living badly.” According to Augustine, by tree here is understood the human soul. By fruit—the deeds of a person, because an evil person cannot do good and a good one cannot do evil. Consequently, if an evil person wishes to do good, he must first become good.

Matthew 7:19. Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. And here Christ speaks only in a general sense. Of course, not every tree suffers such a fate. Many trees are preserved intact despite bearing no fruit. But ordinarily it happens otherwise.

Matthew 7:20. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Ἐπιγνώσεσθε is stronger than simple γνώσεσθε. You will know them fully, completely. Cf. 1 Cor 13:12. According to some—a solemn repetition of what was said before to affirm the thought expressed. But others see it differently. They cite the insertion of Matt 20:1-15 to explain Matt 19:30, also the insertion of parables of Matt 24:43-25:12 to explain Matt 24:42. In Matt 25:13 Matthew also repeats the verse from which he began (Matt 24:42). Matthew probably found, in the Sayings, after the saying about false prophets (verse 15), the words of verse 16: ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς—by their fruits you will know them, and this prompted him to insert “from somewhere” from the Sayings the saying about trees and fruits, which he concludes by repeating the words that inspired this saying. But the matter is so dark that it is difficult to say how it was in reality. One can recognize what the true character of people is in various ways: by the friends they choose, by the words they speak, by their occupations, way of life and so forth. But the best and most reliable testimony about a person is the fruits he brings forth. The fruits brought forth by evil people sometimes seem even good. But in reality they are always evil and harmful.

Matthew 7:21. Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord! Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. The meaning of this passage is very well explained by Clement of Rome in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians: “Therefore let us not merely call Him Lord, because that will not save us. Because He says: not everyone who says to Me: Lord! Lord! will be saved, but he who does righteousness (οὐ πᾶς ὁ λέγων μοι Κύριε Κύριε, σωθήσεται ἀλλ´ ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην). Therefore, brothers, let us acknowledge Him in works of love toward one another, not committing adultery, not slandering others, nor envying, but being self-controlled, merciful, and good.” Here, as one can see, the words taken from Matthew are somewhat altered. The expression “not everyone” does not mean “no one,” as it was sometimes explained. That is, it means that many people will be found who, calling upon the name of the Lord, will be saved. But not all who merely do this will be saved. The passage generally indicates false invoking of the name of the Lord, feigned piety. People are meant, according to Zahn, who can bring nothing else as proof of their righteousness except that they have invoked the name of the Lord. If there is no question of enemies of the Savior and whether they will be saved, then the latter is understood of itself. It should be noted that from this verse until the end of the discourse the Savior “imperceptibly” appears as the future Judge of people (Zahn, Alford). Yet He here speaks not of His own will, but of the will of His heavenly Father. Alford considers this important and invaluable, instructive at the very beginning of His ministry. In rabbinical writings one finds many parallels to this passage.

Matthew 7:22. Many will say to Me on that day: Lord! Lord! Did we not prophesy in Your name? And in Your name cast out demons? And in Your name do many mighty deeds? The aorists placed in this verse indicate completed actions that have left no trace behind them. By the words “on that day” (in the Greek text with the article), the great judgment day is meant, before which all other days appear completely insignificant (Bengel). In the Hebrew language this expression corresponds to “be yom hagu,” often found in the Old Testament Scripture. People at the time of the judgment day, when the question is about entering the Kingdom of Heaven, will approach Jesus Christ and say to Him the same words as were previously mentioned, that is, the doubled Κύριε Κύριε. Since it will seem that He is slow to recognize them as His disciples, they will present Him with proofs of their faith in Him, point to their prophecies, deeds and miracles which, as they will say, were accomplished “in His name.” In the Greek there is here the dative of instrument, in distinction from ἐν τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι. That is, they used Christ’s name as an instrument for performing their miracles. By the word “prophesied” here is meant simple preaching, not prophecy in the proper sense, though the latter is not completely excluded. Toluck raises the question of how false prophets were able to accomplish such extraordinary deeds. Many exegetes have drawn a distinction here between devilish and divine miracles, but this does not apply here. The false prophets mentioned did not consciously call for the devil’s help here; they wished to serve Christ’s cause, but they approached Him for this with complete self-conceit and expectation of reward from Him, like those depicted by Luke (Luke 13:26). A much more important question, which one can raise, is this: can miracles be performed when faith exists so unclean and clouded? To this one can answer that incantations and miracles in Christ’s name were produced from the first century of Christianity. Miracles by appearance, kind and character of their performance are various. Many miracles seem to be only miracles, are accomplished through deceit and represent only fraud, though the people believe in them. Miracle-workers are especially numerous in eras of the development of superstition.

Matthew 7:23. Then I will tell them plainly: I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness. Some translate: “and I will explain to them: since I never knew you, depart from Me all who practice lawlessness.” Thus the word ὅτι is related to the word “depart” (ἀποχωρεῖτε). Others so: “and then I will explain to them: depart from Me all who practice lawlessness, because I never knew you.” Meyer believes that the meaning obtained from this last translation is correct. The words are borrowed from Ps 6:9: “depart from Me all who practice lawlessness,” with a slight difference from the Septuagint translation (ἀποχωρεῖτε instead of ἀπόστητε). The word “lawlessness” presupposes either ignorance of the law or a conscious, contemptuous attitude toward it. Often encountered in the Septuagint, which translates it by the Hebrew “awen,” meaning properly nullity, vanity, and then falsehood, deception. The Greek ἀνομία better than the Hebrew expresses the thought that these people, invoking Christ’s name, performing miracles in His name, prophesying and casting out demons, committed transgressions against the moral law. The word can have a meaning similar to ἀδικία—injustice or sin. Ὁμολογέω was chosen, as it seems, to better express the contrast between the words of these wonder-workers and the declaration of the Judge. It means in a figurative sense to acknowledge, also to speak something openly, not to keep silent, to declare.

Matthew 7:24. Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them will be likened to a wise man who built his house on rock; (Cf. Luke 6:47.) Literally: “therefore everyone who (anyone) hears these words and does them will be likened to a wise man,” and so forth. There is of course no difference in meaning. However, in the Greek the reading “will be likened” is once approved (ὁμοιωθήσεται). “Everyone who”—a form characteristic of the New Testament, instead of ὅς. One can hardly suppose that ὅς here would mean identification, while ὅστις would mean classification (Alford). “These words” have considerable importance in explaining the Sermon on the Mount, because they clearly refer to all that was said before by Christ, from which one concludes that the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s account is not a collection of fragments from various places, but was spoken entirely at one time. To enter the Kingdom of Heaven requires not only hearing the words of Christ, but also practical fulfillment of them in life. Whoever not only hears the words of Christ but fulfills them is likened to a wise man, or properly speaking, a reflecting person, who built his house on rock (generally on some firm place). Zahn notes that, as a preacher of the word, Christ gave His true listeners the first impetus to establish the Kingdom of God. Now He evaluates His work as Judge and defends it so that it may come through judgment unharmed and vindicated. Here the requirement is for deed, not as, for example, with Luke (Luke 8:4-18).

Matthew 7:25. And rain fell, and floods came, and winds blew and beat against that house, and it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. (Cf. Luke 6:48.) The Greek word ἡ βροχ means rain. A later and rare word. Of course, all the discourse here is not literal, but metaphorical; under these images are understood the fates of people and misfortunes, such as slander, attacks, sorrows, death, the loss of loved ones, insults from others, and any other evil whatever that occurs in the present life (Saint John Chrysostom).

Matthew 7:26. And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be likened to a foolish man who built his house on sand; (Cf. Luke 6:49.) Opposite explanation of the same truth. The construction of the verse is completely identical to the previous one (24), with only the replacement of positive affirmations by negative ones.

Matthew 7:27. And rain fell, and floods came, and winds blew and beat against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall. (Cf. Luke 6:49.) Again both the construction and meaning of this verse are the same as in verse 25. This verse concludes the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 7:28. And when Jesus had finished these sayings, the multitude was amazed at His teaching, In this verse are set forth historical details about what impression the discourse of Christ made on the people. When He had finished His sermon, the people were amazed at His teaching. Literally: “and it came to pass when He finished” and so forth. Instead of “was amazed” it would be better to translate: was struck, was amazed, as at a wonder. In the Greek it is stronger than in Russian.

Matthew 7:29. for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes and Pharisees. The reason is indicated why the people “were amazed.” For simple listeners surrounding Christ, the sharp difference between His speech and the speeches of the scribes and Pharisees was very noticeable. They taught without having the spiritual power that Christ possessed. The evangelists’s words can be verified even now. Reading the Talmud, where the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees of that time is set forth, we are struck by the poverty of its contents and the complete absence of the spirit of life. In not a single Talmudic treatise can one find such “power of spirit” as is characteristic of all the sayings of the Savior’s Sermon on the Mount. This is now recognized by all exegetes.

Chapter Eight

1–4. Healing of the leper. – 5–13. Healing of the centurion’s servant. – 14–17. Healing of Peter’s mother-in-law and many other sick people. – 18–22. Account of people who wished to follow Christ. – 23–27. Stilling of the storm on the Sea of Galilee. – 28–34. Healing of the Gadarene demon-possessed men.

Matthew 8:1. When He came down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. “Great multitudes” (ὄχλοι πολλοί). Explaining this expression, John Chrysostom says that now those followed Christ, not some of the rulers and scribes, but only those who were free from guile and had sincere disposition. Throughout the Gospel one can see that only these latter clung to Him. So when He was speaking, they listened silently and added nothing to His words, and did not seek opportunity to trap Him like the Pharisees, and after the sermon was finished, with wonder they followed Him. The people in the New Testament is called both πλῆθος, which means “multitude,” sometimes with the addition of πολύ (Mark 3:7), which means “great multitude” or “multitude of people” (πλῆθος τοῦ λαοῦ), or “all the multitude” (πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος), and as in the case considered here ὄχλος. The explanation of this word, see in the commentaries to Matt 5:1.

Matthew 8:2. And behold, a leper came and bowed down to Him, saying: Lord! If You are willing, You can make me clean. (Cf. Mark 1:40; Luke 5:12.) Mark reports of the same healing of the leper (Mark 1:40-45) as Matthew, with considerable deviations and in a somewhat different context. Luke (Luke 5:12-14) says that the leper was healed in a city, not simply on the way from the mountain. Therefore, it is presumed that these events occurred in such order. When Jesus Christ came down from the mountain, He headed toward Capernaum. On the way He went into a city, which is unknown, there met a leper and He healed him. Then He continued His journey and arrived in Capernaum. The leper was probably not on the mountain and did not hear His sermon. This thought is actively supported by Chrysostom and other interpreters. According to his “prudence” and “faith” the leper “did not interrupt the teaching, did not try to push through the gathering, but waited for a convenient time, and approaches when Christ came down from the mountain. And not simply, but with great fervor he fell before Christ on his knees, as Luke reports, and asked Him for healing.” Leprosy was a terrible disease which even now occurs, and not only in hot countries. In antiquity it was considered incurable, although laws were established “concerning the cleansing of lepers,” which of course would have had no reason to be established if all lepers were irreversibly condemned to death. Leprosy in any case belonged to the most serious diseases. Some consider it non-contagious and prove this by the fact that Naaman was a leper and yet served as commander-in-chief of the Syrian king; Gehazi, although a leper, talks with the King of Israel (2 Sam 8:4-5). Priests had to examine lepers carefully, but nowhere is it evident that they themselves became infected with leprosy. They also cite opinions of modern scholars as proof of leprosy’s non-contagiousness. However, the precautions against it taken by both the Jews and inhabitants of other countries show that it cannot be considered completely non-contagious. The disease affected the limbs of the body, they rotted and fell off, teeth loosened and fell out, the palate caved in. During his lifetime every leper was considered a living death, had to conduct himself as the dead, and everyone had to treat him as the dead. Every leper was unclean. Christ, as was customary, treated the leper with love. Some explain the meaning of his request thus: if You wish, then cleanse me; You can do this. This supposedly requires the conditional particle ἐάν, indicating future time or some possible case. According to Zahn, the expression: “if You wish,” indicates the leper’s doubt regarding Jesus Christ’s inclination to accomplish the healing. Doubt was caused by the very nature of his disease. It is difficult of course to judge how it was in reality, the original gives no right to speak either for or against such interpretations. Better and more simply Origen explains the leper’s request: “Lord! Through You all things are done; for if You will, then You will have power to cleanse me. Your will is deed, and all things obey Your will. You have before cleansed Naaman the Syrian of leprosy, and if only You wish, You can cleanse me also.”

Matthew 8:3. Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying: I am willing; be clean. And immediately he was cleansed of leprosy. (Cf. Mark 1:41-43; Luke 5:13.) The last expression literally: “and immediately he was cleansed of leprosy (from) him.” Luke’s expressions are almost literally identical with Matthew’s expressions (in the Greek text); Mark adds: “moved with compassion toward him.” To heal the leper, the Savior stretched out His hand and touched him, which was forbidden by Jewish law. But here Jesus Christ, to prove that He heals “not as a servant, but as Lord, touches him” (Saint John Chrysostom). According to Chrysostom, Elisha did not go out to the leper Naaman, observing the law. But the hand of the Lord through touching leprosy did not become unclean, while the body of the leper from the holy hand became clean. The Lord, speaking in words spoken by the leper himself, answers: “I am willing, be clean.” In the first case the verb “cleanse” was used by the leper himself apparently in the active voice, in the two latter—in the passive. Jerome observes that one cannot read together with “many Latin texts”: “I am willing to cleanse” (volo mundare), but separately; first Christ said: “I am willing,” then speaks commandingly: “be clean.” To the healing of the leper, swift, miraculous, we must look as upon a real historical fact, not as an allegory having symbolic meaning. Christ now passes, according to Matthew, from teaching to miracles. Much has been said about the fact that miracles were performed by Christ to confirm His teaching. But here at least the command to the leper to tell no one about the miracle testifies to the contrary.

Matthew 8:4. Jesus said to him: See, tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them. (Cf. Mark 1:44; Luke 5:14.) The healed man was to go simply in silence to the priest. Not words, but the deed itself, the miracle of healing the leper itself, should testify about Christ both before the people and before the priests. Such was the direct commandment. An indirect one was contained in the requirement that the leper be silent about the miracle. “And indeed, what need was there that the leper would communicate in words about what his body testified to?” (Jerome). The Savior requires the miraculous knowledge to be proclaimed by the deed, not the word—and first of all to the priests, for obtaining access to Israelite society, in accordance with the legal establishments set forth in the book of Leviticus (Lev 14). The leper had to go to Jerusalem, present himself there for examination to the priests and offer the prescribed sacrifices. The expression “as a testimony to them” is not precise, because it is unknown who exactly is understood by “them.” Some say that here is meant generally all people who could see the leper and with whom he could enter into communion. A far greater number of interpreters hold that here is meant only the priests. So hold Saint John Chrysostom and many others, and the testimony of the healed man was to consist either in the fact that Jesus Christ observed the legal establishments, or simply in the announcement of recovery. That the plural “them” refers to the class of priests, Zahn considers natural and grammatically uncontestable (cf. Luke 23:50, hence – βουλευτὴς αὐτῶν; also Luke 2:22; Rom 3:1-2). With Jerome the indefiniteness of speech is eliminated by introducing into the text and interpretation the word sacerdotibus (priests).

Matthew 8:5. When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, asking Him, (Cf. Luke 7:1.) In the accounts of Matthew and Luke there is significant disagreement here. The best explanation of this disagreement is given by Augustine and Calvin. The former expressed the view that Matthew’s aim was to put the centurion’s faith in the foreground. Therefore, he did not find it important to preserve historical details and precise transmission of events. Luke, on the other hand, aimed to transmit with precision the very historical fact. Calvin notes that the difference in accounts is simply negligible (nihil), although it of course exists, as seen from his own words, because a negligible difference is still a difference. According to Morison, Matthew did not wish to give a scientific description of the fact. In the eyes of the evangelist the centurion “truly was present near the Lord through his servants.” It appears that the centurion approached the Savior on His way through the streets of Capernaum. It is even possible to think that this was not at the beginning, but at the very end of the journey, when Christ was already near the centurion’s own house. The evangelist omitted the words of those sent and was forced to put them in the mouth of the centurion himself. That this in no way harms the accuracy of historical narrative, is evident from the fact that both in Matthew and Luke the words belong to the centurion himself. About the personality of the latter one can say only a little. Since there is no report that Roman troops were stationed in Capernaum at that time, it must be thought that the centurion served under Herod Antipas, whose forces, according to the testimony of Josephus Flavius, consisted of mercenaries. Centurions are called in the Gospels and Acts ἑκατοντάρχος, χης or κεντυρίων (=centurio, Mark 15:39). Roman legions were divided into 10 cohorts (Acts 10:1), or regiments, each cohort had three maniples, and each maniple consisted of hundreds; if this number decreased, a hundred still remained a hundred. In each legion there were 60 hundreds. The centurion was apparently a pagan. This, according to Zahn, is self-evident and is the essence of the account. It is even thought that Matthew intentionally placed two accounts side by side—of the healing of a leper and of a servant of a pagan, both of whom were ceremonially unclean. A centurion could be unclean even if he were a Jew, because Jews who entered armies composed of foreign soldiers, according to the testimony of Josephus Flavius, were considered like publicans. But he was probably one of the pagans who were inclined toward Judaism and took active part in synagogue worship. The ruins of a synagogue built by the centurion in Capernaum are pointed out even now.

Matthew 8:6. Lord! My servant is lying at home, paralyzed, and suffering greatly. Matthew 8:7. Jesus said to him: I will come and heal him. Literally: “my boy is overcome in the house, paralyzed, terribly suffering.” Regarding the Greek word “boy” (παῖς), it must be said that it is used both in the sense of “son”—so it is translated in other places (John 4:51; Acts 3:13), and “slave” or “servant” in Luke (Luke 12:45). In the passage under consideration the word certainly means “servant,” because it is clarified thus in Luke (Luke 7:2 – δοῦλος). The name of the disease is indefinite. Referring to 1 Macc 9:55-56, Alford says that perhaps this was tetanus, which ancient physicians confused with paralysis. Such a disease is more common in hot countries than with us. According to Luke, the boy was at the point of death. It was thought that this was the reason the centurion himself did not come to Christ with a request for his healing. But Saint John Chrysostom does not agree with such an explanation, believing that the centurion’s non-appearance was a work of his faith as much as his words. This was, according to Jerome, the first paralytic healed by Christ. The description of the disease by Matthew does not contradict Luke’s account (Luke 7:2), but Matthew is somewhat more detailed and exact.

Matthew 8:8. The centurion replied saying: Lord! I am not worthy for You to enter under my roof, but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed; (Cf. Luke 7:6-7.) In Luke, the “unworthiness” of the centurion is presented as the reason not only that he does not ask Christ to come to his house, but also that he did not come to Christ himself.

Matthew 8:9. for I too am a man under authority, but having under myself soldiers, I say to one: Go, and he goes; and to another: Come, and he comes; and to my servant: Do this, and he does it. (Cf. Luke 7:8.) Ancient interpreters have long paid attention to the arrangement of words (in the Greek text). If in the Slavic text a comma is placed after “I am a man” (ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπός εἰμι), then the translation should be: I am a man, under authority having soldiers under myself, and so forth; if however after “under authority,” then the expression will mean that the centurion himself is under authority (“under authority,” as in Russian), and, being under authority, has “under himself” (in Russian translation—“in submission”), that is, also under his authority, and soldiers. The last opinion is held by Saint John Chrysostom. The meaning of the centurion’s speech will be more clear if relating the beginning of verse 9 to λόγῳ (“word”) of verse 8 and considering verse 9 as a continuation of this expression. The centurion thought that the “word” of Christ is subject to Him. It is under His authority and He commands it authoritatively. Thus the continuation becomes clear. The “word” of Christ is under His authority or in His power, for I also am under authority… The centurion compares himself not to Christ Himself, but to His Word. It is more difficult to explain “because” (γάρ). It has here a very subtle and almost imperceptible meaning. We can set forth the centurion’s speech in such an expanded paraphrase: “Your word is under Your authority, You govern it at Your will. Why? Because (γάρ) I know this from my own experience. You are not under authority, I am under authority. Yet if I say only one word, I am obeyed.”

Matthew 8:10. Hearing this, Jesus was amazed and said to those following Him: Truly I say to you, I have not found such faith even in Israel. (Cf. Luke 7:9.) There is no exaggeration in Christ’s words, because the centurion was one of the first fruits of the gentile harvest, which will be abundant and exceed the harvest of Israel. The explanation of the words can be found in part in Matt 11:11; Luke 7:28. Here “Christ for all makes known that salvation is from faith, not only from works of the law.”

Matthew 8:11. I say to you that many will come from east and west and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven; It is well remarked that the Savior here did not directly mention the gentiles, which would have been offensive to the Jews, but expressed Himself descriptively: “many from east and west” (literally: “from the easts and wests”). This particular case provides occasion to cast a prophetic glance at the future, when gentiles will press into the Church of Christ. This prophecy was and is being fulfilled literally. To its utterance there was cause the faith of only one gentile, living among Israel. Further—depiction of a messianic banquet, of course only metaphorical. This metaphor of a messianic banquet, as Edersheim and others show, was customary among the Jews. The features depicting a messianic banquet are borrowed by Christ from the customs of His time in arranging banquets. It does not say “will sit,” but—“will recline.” Reclining at a banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was the highest happiness a Jew could imagine in the days of the Messiah, and it was distinguished not so much by worldly character as by spiritual.

Matthew 8:12. but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 8:13. Jesus said to the centurion: Go; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you. And the servant was healed in that very hour. The proclamation of the kingdom began with the Hebrews, and in this sense they were recognized as sons of the kingdom (ὑιοί), but since they did not wish to enter it, they were rejected. The expression: “outer darkness” is found only in Matthew (cf. Matt 22:13). Under outer darkness one can most nearly understand “darkness outside the house”—this figurative expression points to the dark street of a filthy eastern city and to the position of a person outside the kingdom. The expression: “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,” is characteristic of Matthew (cf. Matt 13:42) and is found only once in Luke (Luke 13:28). The article before the words “weeping” and “gnashing,” according to Bengel, is very significant: in the present life sorrow is not yet sorrow. The article stands probably because certain real facts are meant, accessible to general observation in then contemporary Jewish life. It is clear that this expression here has a figurative meaning: in the life to come there will be no weeping and gnashing of teeth, but only torment.

Matthew 8:14. Coming to Peter’s house, Jesus saw his mother-in-law lying down in a fever, Matthew 8:15. and touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she rose up and waited on them. (Cf. Mark 1:29-30; Luke 4:38.) Literally: “he saw his mother-in-law, thrown down and suffering from fever.” The time when this occurred is not indicated precisely by Matthew, and reading his Gospel, anyone might think that this was after Christ came down from the mountain and set out for Capernaum; on the way to it a leper came to Him, then the centurion asked about healing a servant, and finally He arrived in Capernaum and right then entered Peter’s house. The correction made by Mark shows that the healing of the centurion’s servant and the mother-in-law of Peter are events recounted by Matthew not in chronological sequence and not closely connected in time. According to Mark, the miracle in Peter’s house was “immediately” or “soon” (εὐθύς) after Jesus Christ came out of the synagogue, where He taught (Mark 1:21-22) and healed a demon-possessed man (Mark 1:23-28). With this Luke’s account agrees, although the expressions differ (Luke 4:31-39). The last mentioned events occurred, according to Mark, immediately after the calling of certain disciples (Mark 1:17-20; cf. Matt 4:19-22). Saying “soon” (Mark 1:29), Mark wished to indicate time. Matthew, however, only recounted the miracle without indicating time (Saint John Chrysostom). Another difference lies in the fact that Christ was asked to come to Simon’s house (Mark 1:30; Luke 4:38), but Matthew is silent about this. Regarding the fact that Peter had a mother-in-law, and therefore was married, Theophylact remarks that “marriage does not hinder virtue, for the first of the apostles had a mother-in-law.” In the same house, besides Peter, his wife (of whom the evangelists do not mention) and his mother-in-law, lived his brother, Andrew (Mark 1:29). If John (John 1:44) says that Peter and Andrew were from Bethsaida, there is no contradiction with the present account. There were two Bethsaidas, one (Julia) on the northwestern side of the Sea of Galilee, the other, Galilean, on the western or better, northwestern side. The latter, as Edersheim supposes, was a suburb of Capernaum, and the name means “house of fishing,” that is, a fishing town or fishing village. There will be no contradiction if one identifies Capernaum with Khan-Menie and Bethsaida with the modern settlement of Ain-Tabiga, about two-thirds of a mile (about one verst) to the north of Khan-Menie, because then Bethsaida would comprise almost a suburb of Capernaum (Tell-Huma). The disease from which the mother-in-law of Peter suffered is not specified precisely. The description of the disease in Matthew is stronger than in Mark (in the latter κατέκειτο lay, instead of βεβλημένη). The word πυρέσσουσα from πύρ—fire, has connection with the Latin word febris—fever, but this disease was apparently severe, and it is better to translate it as “fever,” generally some inflammatory process that caused the patient to suffer greatly (which explains why she was approached about going to Christ) and to be thrown upon a bed—βεβλημένη.

Matthew 8:16. When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed, and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, (Cf. Mark 1:32-34; Luke 4:40-41.) Matthew’s account is abbreviated compared to Mark and Luke. From the accounts of the latter two evangelists one can conclude that this was in the evening of the day when Jesus Christ taught in the synagogue. It was on a Sabbath (Mark 1:21; Luke 4:31). This explains why the sick were brought or carried to Christ only in the evening, as on the Sabbath itself neither treatment nor being treated was permitted. To Matthew’s words: “When evening came,” Mark adds: “when the sun was setting”; also that “the whole city gathered at the doors”; that the sick “suffered from various diseases” and that Christ “did not permit the demons to speak, because they knew that He was the Christ.” Luke also has additions, in part the same as Mark, in part different: Christ laid His hands on the sick people, and demons came out (not from all) but “from many,” and they cried out: “You are the Christ, the Son of God.” This last addition, though indirectly, sheds light on the reason why the Savior forbade the demons to call Himself thus. It apparently lay in the unwillingness to be proclaimed as the Son of God by demons. As to the reason why in Matthew mention is made first of all of the demon-possessed, it is explained by the fact that in the morning of that Sabbath Christ healed a demon-possessed man (Mark 1:23-27), and this stirred up great movement among the people. Thus, from the comparison of the evangelists’ accounts one obtains a more or less complete picture of what is briefly recounted by Matthew about this. It is very important to note that for the true and all-powerful Healer there were, apparently, no restrictions in manifesting His miraculous power. Luke’s expression (Luke 4:41) ἀπὸ πολλῶν (“from many,” but not from all demon-possessed did demons come out) does not in itself serve as testimony to the limitedness of the manifestation of divine power, and it should be interpreted according to the accounts of other evangelists, which affirm that Christ healed “all” (πάντας) sick people, properly “those in bad condition” or those feeling bad. And among ordinary people there are those who heal, but usually far from all who resort to them receive healing, so that in some cases it is quite possible to explain healing by natural causes. But it is different when not only “many” but “all” are healed; such a fact is impossible to explain by any natural causes, and the seemingly unintentional indication of it by the evangelists can serve for apologetics as one of the strongest proofs of the presence in Christ of extraordinary divine miraculous power.

Matthew 8:17. that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, who says: He Himself took our infirmities and bore our diseases. The passage is borrowed from Deutero-Isaiah 53:4, whom the evangelist calls Isaiah, speaking in the language of his time. The circumstance that the passage in the evangelist is borrowed from Deutero-Isaiah 53:4, does not “have no,” but should have significance for scientific exegesis. All exegetes agree that the Isaiah passage is cited here not according to the Septuagint translation, but according to the Hebrew text, and moreover “independently” of any translations and interpretations. In Isaiah the passage reads thus: “truly our diseases He took up and our sufferings (torments) He bore their.” In translating this passage, the Seventy replaced the Hebrew expression “our diseases” (“chalaynu”) with the word “sins” (ἁμαρτίας). Whether this was due to the translators’ misunderstanding of the Hebrew text or whether it is explained by the difficulty of translating Hebrew words (“chalaynu” and “makovnu”), which have almost identical meaning, cannot be said with certainty now. But the evangelist in his translation did not mention “sins” but translated the word “chalaynu” by “infirmities,” while the Hebrew word “nasha,” which means “to take upon oneself,” he translated by ἔλαβεν—took, in distinction from the Hebrew “sabal” having the same meaning as “nasha,” which he translated by the word “bore” (ἐβάστασεν). But however we translate this passage, the difficulty lies not in translation but in applying this passage to the circumstances just described by the evangelist. He has just recounted miracles of healing accomplished by Christ of the demon-possessed and sick, and this gives him occasion to cite the mentioned prophecy of Isaiah. In what sense can one understand that in healing the sick, Christ took upon Himself our infirmities and diseases? Did He Himself suffer and become sick, or did the sight of human suffering cause Him His own suffering? Or is the prophecy cited by the evangelist in the sense that the healing cost Him His own strength and He suffered from exhaustion and fatigue? All these questions have been raised at different times and resolved, as should be expected, variously—in the affirmative. One exegete resolves the difficulty thus: Jesus Christ healed the sick, as the just recounted healings show. In doing so, He “took and bore” diseases in every sense in which this can be said of a physician. The translator chooses two colorless words λαμβάνειν and βαστάζειν to express the Hebrew text. In order to clarify this matter somewhat, let us say that the words of the evangelist are a conclusion and generalization of what was said before by him. If, therefore, he set forth details before, then now expresses a general view, bringing particulars to unity. If the evangelist, which is probable, was an eyewitness of Christ’s works, then this evening in connection with subsequent activity and sufferings of the Savior reminded him of the words of the prophet Isaiah. The evangelist did not understand them scientifically, like modern critics, who see in the “Man of Sorrows” of Isaiah a figure answering for a people before avengers requiring satisfaction for insult by the delivery of one person as respondent for the common guilt, with the threat, if this requirement is not met, to destroy all, as ancient concepts of vengeance required. The evangelist, by citing the prophecy from Deutero-Isaiah, first of all points to the ideal sufferer—the Servant of Jehovah, predicted by the prophet. But the Person predicted by the prophet is not something abstractly ideal for the evangelist; it is fully embodied in the Servant of Jehovah, whom the evangelist saw before him, that is, in Jesus Christ. The ideal Servant of Jehovah, predicted by Isaiah, is the Savior of His people in the literal sense. By His sufferings He saves, delivers His people from torments and sufferings, who would have perished if there had been no such substitution. The embodiment of the ideal Sufferer predicted by the prophet in the person of Christ has not one or two, but many aspects, and the evangelist wishes to present these aspects prominently before his readers. As we saw, before the Savior’s appearance in the work of public ministry appears before Him a herald, “a voice crying in the wilderness,” exactly corresponding to φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ (Isa 40:3, see commentaries to Matt 3:3). The bringing together of Christ with the Servant of Jehovah depicted in Isaiah can be observed further, in the circumstances of baptism and temptation. Now before us appears the same Servant of Jehovah, but only from completely new aspects—touching human infirmities, diseases and sufferings, from which He frees people. Since the Servant of Jehovah in the prophet is undoubtedly depicted as such a Person Who takes upon Himself our infirmities and bears our diseases, this gives the evangelist occasion in a new bringing together of the predicted Servant of Jehovah by Isaiah with the real Christ to ascribe to Christ the same traits which were characteristic of the Servant of Jehovah in Isaiah. The meaning of this lay in the fact that if Christ healed diseases, then this meant that He took upon Himself responsibility for them before God, made people innocent and, consequently, not subject to diseases and infirmities, by transferring the people’s guilt upon Himself and thus subjecting Himself to its consequences. From the considered passage of Matthew this is not yet seen entirely clearly. Here is depicted, one might say, only the beginning of the sufferings of the Messiah, which was to be completed by literal fulfillment of the prophecy—in His sufferings and Cross death. Thus in the 3rd, 4th, and 8th chapters of Matthew we can observe very subtly, but clearly carried out the main idea—about the suffering Servant of Jehovah for humanity. This idea is also carried out, but not so clearly in the 1st and 2nd chapters of Matthew, where the origin and sojourn in Egypt of the same Servant of Jehovah are depicted in reality; and perhaps even in the Sermon on the Mount, where the “power of spirit” characteristic of Him is depicted. The Servant of Jehovah is indicated by the entire subsequent evangelical history set forth by Matthew. The bringing together of the Servant of Isaiah with Christ in the considered verse is not, therefore, mechanical, but has a deep inner and hidden meaning, corresponding to the idea of the Gospel. The evangelist now sees in the activity of Christ a participation in our infirmities and diseases and in this sense applies to Him the prophecy of Isaiah in view of the great similarity of the ideal sufferer with Christ. With such an interpretation the circumstance becomes clearer why the Seventy replaced the “diseases” of the prophet with “sins.” The Servant of Jehovah as an expiatory Sacrifice properly answers not for diseases but for sins, which bring down upon people God’s wrath on account of the offended “righteousness” (cf. Matt 3:15).

Matthew 8:18. But when Jesus saw great crowds around Him, He gave orders to cross over to the other side. (Cf. Mark 4:35-36; Luke 8:22.) According to Mark and Luke, the departure was in the evening of the day when Jesus Christ spoke parables to the people. The very fact is reported by all evangelists in agreement, although each has differences in details. The simple “gave orders” encountered in Matthew is replaced by Mark and Luke with actual speech of the Savior, with the indication that this occurred at the approach of evening.

Matthew 8:19. Then a scribe came and said to Him: Teacher! I will follow You wherever You go. (Cf. Luke 9:57.) The verbs indicating “departure” in verses 18 and 19 are the same, but in different tenses—ἀπελθεῖν and ἀπέρχῃ. Russian translators rendered the verb in verse 18 ἀπελθεῖν more according to meaning than according to its actual meaning, because this verb does not mean properly “set sail,” but simply “go away” or “depart.” But if the way is by water, then of course the verb means “set sail.” The scribe who came to Christ used the same Greek verb, and this means that he asked Christ to take him with Himself in the boat when setting out to the other side. In Luke there is an account of the same circumstance, but again in a different context, and it is indicated that this was on “the way,” that is, on the road to the lake. Formal, but not real contradiction, which one cannot eliminate. That there is truly no real contradiction here is well shown by Augustine, when he says: “If, according to Matthew, this (that is, the scribe’s request) was when Christ gave orders to cross the lake, but according to Luke—when they (that is, Christ and the disciples) were going on the road, then there is no contradiction, because in both cases they were going on the road to approach the lake.” In any case, from Matthew’s account one cannot definitively conclude that the request was not on the way, but at the lake itself. But one can also think that verses 19–22 are inserted here by Matthew out of context and that the correct context is in Luke. It could be that the thought about the Savior as the bearer of diseases suggested or reminded Matthew of Christ’s words about the Son of Man’s homelessness, and in order to prove this he presents one case from the life of the Savior, and by connection with it another (verse 21), somewhat different from the first. To what has been said must be added that Luke reports not of two people wishing to accompany the Savior, but of three (Luke 9:61-62—the third). The word “one” has obvious relation to “another” of verse 21 and is simply an enumeration of persons coming to Christ with a request. However, Blass (Gram., p. 140) and Winer-Schmiedel (p. 243) hold that “one” here is used in the sense of an indefinite pronoun “someone” (τις), which is quite understandable, since numerals are often used in this very sense. The scribe calls the Savior Teacher, a Greek word taken from the customary Hebrew (Aramaic), expressing respect for persons who knew how to teach or taught well. The reasons prompting the scribe to turn to Christ with the request to allow him to follow Him are determined variously. Hilary of Poitiers, in whose commentary there is much allegory, gives here an interesting and witty explanation. “This scribe—one of the teachers of the law, he asks whether he should follow; as if in the law there is not an indication that this is Christ, after whom one could follow with benefit. Thus the scribe expressed his disbelief in a skeptical question, because the believer should not ask, but follow.” Such an opinion has its grounds. Scribes, Jewish scholars, devoted themselves to the study of writings. But studying their letter, they lost understanding of their spirit. The subsequent discourse of Christ shows that He did not trust the scribe’s sincerity.

Matthew 8:20. Jesus said to him: Foxes have holes and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. (Cf. Luke 9:58.) In Luke “says” is replaced by the word “said,” and otherwise the verse is literally similar to the one considered in Matthew. From this verse it is clearer than from the previous one why the Savior rejected the scribe. The latter saw the greatness of miracles accomplished by Christ, and wished, as Jerome, Theophylact, and others suppose, to follow Him in order to gain profit from this, wishing precisely what Simon the Magician wanted to gain from Peter. That the scribe really had in mind earthly advantage can be deduced from the very words of Jesus Christ, in which it is correctly found an indication of His poverty—“Son of Man.” This name is found frequently in the New Testament, according to Zahn—in Matthew—30 times (according to others—33 times), in Mark—13 times (according to others—14, where Mark 8:31 does not represent an exception), in Luke—24 times, in John—12 times (according to others—11). Such a name is not found at all in the apostle Paul; in the Acts only once (Acts 7:56). In examining the relevant places one can see that no one but Jesus Christ Himself called Him the Son of Man, with the sole exception (John 12:34), where the people only repeat the expression of Christ Himself. He calls Himself the Son of Man only Himself. The name is never used in the form of a predicate, but always either as a subject or as a complement. The meanings in which it is used can be divided into three groups: 1) it indicates generally the earthly life of Jesus Christ (examples: Mark 2:10; Matt 8:20; Luke 19:10); 2) His suffering life and death (examples: Mark 8:31); 3) His glory in the present and future (examples: Matt 24:30). At the present time, after the work of numerous scholars engaged in the study of this subject, it may be considered proved that the expression “Son of Man” in the days of Christ was not a popular name for the Messiah. But the expression was well known in the Old Testament and was used there either to denote human weakness, imperfection, helplessness, dependence on God and the like (for example, Ps 8:5 and often in Ezekiel, in whose book this name is applied to the prophet up to eighty times), or greatness (Dan 7:13-14). If, as stated, the expression “Son of Man” was not a name for the Messiah in the days of Christ, it could, however, pass into popular speech and, being popular, could be borrowed by Christ and applied to Himself. In what sense? In answer to this question, many theories were offered. But the most probable and better explaining the matter seems to be that according to which Christ’s work on earth was the establishment and confirmation on earth of the Divine Kingdom; He Himself proclaimed Himself as the King of this Kingdom. The ideal King was represented in Daniel (Dan 7:13-14), but this idea of Christ, to whom were given power, glory, and kingdom, was united with the idea of the Man of Sorrows or the suffering Servant of Jehovah in the prophet Isaiah. Christ applies all these ideas—the Old Testament idea of human weakness, helplessness and dependence on God, the idea filled with glory and power of the King of the prophet Daniel, and the idea of the suffering Servant of Jehovah of Isaiah—expressing all these three ideas in the words “Son of Man.” For immediate listeners of Christ such a name could not seem a name for the Messiah, but was associated with expressions familiar to Jewish hearing. Among Hebrew language idioms belongs the use of the words “son” (“ben,” “bar”) and “daughter” (“bat”), “house” (“bet”) in such cases where in other languages these words are not used at all. Thus the expression “ben-adam” (the same as Son of Man) could seem to outsiders to contain nothing unusual. But in the mouth of Christ it was a veiled name for Himself as the Messiah and a designation of His messianic dignity, and precisely in the three indicated senses of it, as the representative of humanity, the King of the Kingdom and the suffering Servant of Jehovah. The best proof that this was truly so, that Christ, in calling Himself the Son of Man, proclaimed Himself as the Messiah, is that subsequently the expression was truly understood in the messianic sense by His disciples.

Matthew 8:21. Another of His disciples said to Him: Lord! Allow me first to go and bury my father. (Cf. Luke 9:59.) Why such a request was directed to Christ, Matthew does not make clear. From Luke’s addition it becomes clearer. According to Luke, Christ Himself said to one of His disciples (αὐτοῦ is however lacking in some codices): “Follow Me.” In response to this, the disciple spoke the words given almost identically in both Matthew and Luke (instead of ἐπίτρεψόν μοι πρῶτα ἀπελθεῖν καὶ θάψαι – ἐπίτρεψόν μοι πρῶτον ἀπελθόντι θάψαι (and so forth). This account is cited by Clement of Alexandria (Stromata, III), and there it is said that the Lord spoke these words to Philip. But such an addition can hardly be considered accurate. It is thought that it was some person from among Christ’s disciples in the broad sense, not from those who belonged to the Twelve. This disciple did not ask Christ whether he should follow Him, but only asked Him to allow him to delay following by spending some time before the journey and crossing to the eastern shore of the lake. The request was, according to Hilary, very reasonable and respectable, if one omits the word πρῶτον (first).

Matthew 8:22. But Jesus said to him: Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead. (Cf. Luke 9:60.) Follow (me)—“ the words omitted in verse 21 and found in Luke, Matthew places here. It could be that the disciple followed Christ to the shore of the lake, but when he saw that Christ wished to cross to the other side, he asked Him for permission to return, so that he might bury (θάψαί) his father. To this natural and lawful request the Savior replies with, apparently, harsh refusal. But one must note that in other cases the Savior placed love for Himself higher than love for father, mother, and nearest relatives. This is spoken of also in Matthew (cf. Matt 19:29). If Jesus Christ invited the disciple to follow Him, leaving the deceased (as is clear from the speech itself) father and entrusting his burial to others, then in no way did this remove or weaken filial feelings, but only replaced them with higher ones—love for Christ Himself. Thus the Savior’s invitation gives occasion for no moral difficulties on our part. A far more difficult question is what He understands by “dead” in the first case (“let the dead bury their own dead”). The second word “dead” is not troublesome, it can be understood in the literal sense. But what does the first word mean? The question is resolved variously. Theophylact says that the petitioner’s father was “unbelieving” or “faithless” (ἄπιστος) and that this is clear from the words “let the dead,” that is, explains Theophylact, “unbelievers.” But if the “unbelieving” ones were those burying, how does it follow from this that the father was also “unbelieving”? Somewhat differently Augustine explains the Savior’s answer. The Savior said as if thus: “your father is dead; there are also (autem) other dead ones, who will bury their dead, because they are unbelieving.” Here disbelief is attributed not to the petitioner’s father, but only to those burying. Modern exegetes repeat in various ways this thought of Augustine. So Meyer holds that in the first case νεκρούς means “spiritually dead” (cf. Matt 4:16 with John 5:21 and Luke 15:24) and cites a place from Origen, according to which ψυχὴ ἐν κακίᾳ οὖσα νεκρά ἐστιν—a soul, abiding in evil, is dead. Meyer is agreed with by Alford and others. This interpretation can be considered generally accepted and widespread. But if in both cases, or only in one, one replaces “dead” with “unbelieving,” should one not conclude from this that Christ’s speech was contemptuous and insulting to the disciple whom He had only recently invited to follow Him? Could this disciple understand it in the sense that Christ under “dead” understands “spiritually dead,” “abiding in evil” and “unbelieving”? The way out of this difficulty is hardly possible and even by supposing that Christ’s expression was a “saying,” the meaning of which is this: “turn away from the past, when the present demands your attention.” If one accepts such an interpretation, then it means one can think that Christ did not speak of the dead at all. But this is hardly the case. Furthermore, there are no data to affirm that the considered expression was a saying. It seems to us that the matter is explained if instead of the word “dead” in the first case we put the word “mortal.” The Greeks, it seems, did not distinguish these concepts well. The word, which can be translated as “mortal,” they had θανατόεις and θνητός. Although one cannot prove that νεκρός in the first case here means “mortal,” yet the meaning of Christ’s words will be fully understood only in interpreting this word in the indicated sense. In any case, “spiritually dead”—this concept was more obscure for the ears of then disciples of Christ than simply “mortal,”—concept this is moreover almost identical with “spiritually dead.” According to the usage in the New Testament νεκρός sometimes means not a dead man, but a living one, although having been dead (see Luke 7:15; Acts 20:9; 1 Thess 4:16).

Matthew 8:23. When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. (Cf. Mark 4:35-36; Luke 8:22.) In this verse the thread of the account is resumed, broken off from verse 19 by the insertion about persons wishing to follow Christ, and this brings the Matthew account closer to the accounts of Mark and Luke. The Savior entered the boat first, that very one that had been prepared by His order (verse 18), which the article before the word “boat” indicates (τὸ πλοῖον), however, omitted in some codices and editions. Judging from the fact that besides Christ, His disciples got in the boat and, as is thought, other persons (ἄνθρωποι—verse 27), it was fairly spacious. Mark: “they took Him into the boat just as He was.” Some hold that the disciples here do not mean the Twelve apostles on the ground that they are called in the Gospel of Matthew οἱ δῶδεκα (Matt 10:1-2). But in the subsequent discourse those who entered the boat are called disciples (cf. Matt 10:1—τοὺς δῶδεκα μαθητάς; Matt 11:1 the same; Matt 12:1—simply οἱ μαθηταί and others). If, according to the account of other evangelists, the journey was after the pronouncing of parables, there is nothing improbable in thinking that the Twelve disciples entered the boat. Theophylact even says that the Savior “retained only the disciples so they might see the miracle.” Origen notes that, having accomplished great and wonderful miracles on land, Jesus Christ crosses to the sea so as to show there even more excellent works—how much more He shows Himself here as Lord of both land and sea.

Matthew 8:24. And behold, a great storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was swamped by waves; but He was sleeping. Matthew 8:25. Then the disciples came and woke Him, saying: Lord! Save us, we are perishing. Matthew 8:26. He said to them: Why are you fearful, you of little faith? Then, rising up, He rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. (Cf. Mark 4:39-40; Luke 8:24-25.) In Matthew the rebuke to the disciples for little faith is stated before the stilling of the storm, in the other two synoptics—after. This difference has no great importance, since in general the evangelists, when recounting events, sometimes string fact after fact with little concern for precise determination of time and chronological sequence.

Matthew 8:27. People, amazed, were saying: Who is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him? (Cf. Mark 4:40; Luke 8:25.) Literally: “people indeed were amazed, saying: whence is He, that the winds and the sea” and so forth. The Greek word translated as “people” (οἱ ἄνθρωποι) is by the article specified as people in the boat. But why are they called here “people” rather than “disciples”? This expression has long caused interpreters difficulty, which is increased by the fact that the other synoptics (Mark 4:40; Luke 8:25), when recounting the event, mention neither disciples nor people. An attempt to resolve the question of who was in the boat is encountered already in Origen, who asks: “But what people were amazed?”—and answers: “Do not think that the apostles are indicated here, because never is there such a name for the disciples of the Lord, not corresponding to their dignity, but they are always called either apostles or disciples. Consequently, people were amazed, those sailing with Him, to whom the boat belonged.” Even more definitely Jerome speaks on this subject, saying that it was not the disciples who were amazed, but the boatmen and those who were in the boat. If someone argues against this and says that the people who were amazed were the disciples, then we answer that here people are called, not yet knowing of the power of the Savior.” Many modern exegetes hold similar views. However, such an explanation should be recognized as not entirely natural. According to it, it comes out that the miracle was in any case a matter of amazement not to the disciples, but only to other people, and this because the disciples were already previously acquainted with the miracles of the Savior and could not now ask: who is this? But why could not the disciples be amazed? Why could they not ask “who is this” of a Person whom they had not yet known as the all-powerful stiller of the storm? That in the boat were together with Christ and disciples and other people, it is possible to suppose. But, not wishing to indicate that it was only or the disciples, or only other people, who were amazed, the evangelist brought them all under one category—οἱ ἄνθρωποι—all men in the boat, and perhaps even those who were in boats sailing nearby (Mark 4:36).

Matthew 8:28. When He came to the other shore in the region of the Gergesenes, He was met by two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one was able to pass by that way. (Cf. Mark 5:1-6; Luke 8:26-27.) The place where the Savior arrived, Matthew calls ἡ χώρα τῶν Γαδαρηνῶν, the region of the Gadarenes. In antiquity there were three cities from which the evangelists might have derived the name of this locality. 1. Gerasa—this city was situated far to the southeast of the Sea of Galilee, on the border with Arabia, two days’ journey from the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee, somewhat to the north of the Jabbok River, a tributary of the Jordan. From the city remained the most significant ruins in that locality. It stood on the site of present-day Jerash. It is supposed, however, that it could not have given its name to a locality near the Sea of Galilee and that the reading γερασηνῶν found in some manuscripts is only a corrupted γεγρεσηνῶν. 2. Closer to the lake was Gadara, in the southern direction from the Yarmuk River, also a tributary of the Jordan. Josephus Flavius says that Gadara was the fortified capital of Perea. The words of Eusebius are not clear; he reports that Gadara was situated opposite (ἀντικρύ) Scythopolis and Tiberias to the east, on a mountain, where hot medicinal springs existed. The unclearness here lies in the fact that Tiberias was somewhat more northerly than Gadara on the other (eastern) side of the Jordan, and Scythopolis (Beisan) much more southerly. Gadara was known for its hot springs far beyond the boundaries of Palestine; Strabo, among others, mentions this. The city was destroyed by the Jews, but later restored by Pompey, and many coins have been left from it. Gadara was populated for the most part by heathens, and Josephus calls it πόλις ἑλληνίς—a Greek city. It was one of ten cities of the so-called Decapolis. Now it is called Um-Qeis. The district of Gadara bordered on the west with the district of Scythopolis, and on the north with Hippos. Gadara owned part of the strip on the eastern side of the lake. What relation this Gadarene strip had to the strip of Hippos, which also owned the lake shore in the middle-eastern part of the lake, is difficult to say, and this difficulty is the main one. 3. According to the testimony both of Origen and Eusebius, there was a Gerasa, of which no trace remained (the locality is now known by the name of Kursi). It is difficult to say whether, and if so, how, Gerasa belonged to Gadara, if only the district of Hippos lay between them, and why this district was not named after the latter city. Zahn, however, confidently supposes that the entire district was called Gadarene, including the place where Gerasa was situated. This explains the differences in the accounts of the evangelists, of which one (Matthew) calls the locality (according to more probable reading) the region of the Gadarenes, and the other two synoptics (also according to more probable reading), Mark—γερασηνῶν (Mark 5:1), and Luke—γεργεσηνῶν (Luke 8:26; in the Russian Bible Matthew has “in the region of the Gergesenes,” while Mark and Luke have “Gadarene”). Thus, the Savior came ashore near Gerasa and wished to head from here toward Gadara, if such a road existed. The further account presents even more difficulties. According to Matthew, two demon-possessed men came out to Christ, but according to Mark and Luke—only one. There is no other way to reconcile the evangelists except by supposing that Matthew paid attention to two persons, while the other synoptics paid attention only to one, comparatively more fierce than the other. This second, less fierce one, in Matthew does not stand out clearly, as if somewhat fades. However, some interpret Mark’s expression (Mark 5:9) “because our number is great” in the sense that in that realm there were many not demons, but demon-possessed people. Whether there was one demon-possessed man, or two, or even more, one cannot decide with precision. It is known only that they lived in tombs. Travelers even now on the road to Gadara meet tombs (cemeteries), hewn in the mountains. The reason why demon-possessed men lived in tombs was explained by saying that it was a Jewish superstition by which demons had preferential dwelling in tombs and cemeteries, and the demon-possessed simply followed this superstition. But it is more natural to explain the dwelling of the demon-possessed in tombs by the fact that they were driven out of cities and villages. What did they eat? To this question it is again difficult to answer precisely. Perhaps plants and grasses, but perhaps food was brought them by some people, although this last is of course doubtful. The evangelist Matthew’s expression: “no one was able to pass by that way” is hardly to be understood only in a conditional sense, namely, that the way was dangerous for one or several persons, not in the sense that all communication between Gadara or Gerasa and the lake ceased due to the presence of demon-possessed people. That they were not dangerous for all is evident from the fact that at least one demon-possessed man was even attempted to be bound (Mark 5:4; Luke 8:29). The danger posed by the demon-possessed lay in the fact that they were χαλεποὶ λίαν, not simply, but exceedingly fierce.

Matthew 8:29. And behold, they cried out, saying: What have we to do with You, Jesus, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the appointed time? (Cf. Mark 5:7-10; Luke 8:28-31.) Literally: “what to us and You” (cf. Judg 11:12; 1 Sam 17:18; 2 Sam 3:13). In the Russian text the meaning of the words is well expressed: “what have You to do with us?”—that is, by this question the demons simply asked Christ not to touch them. According to Augustine, the demons called Christ the Son of God more from suspicion. The words “before the appointed time” can be connected either with the word “came” or with the word “torment.” In either case the demon-possessed wished to say that Jesus Christ came before His messianic glorification, before the final victory over hell and death, to torment them. The word “Jesus” is lacking in many and better codices; it is, as is supposed, inserted here from the margin of the manuscript after the example of Mark and Luke. The speech of the demon-possessed to Jesus Christ shows that they were Jews, not pagans.

Matthew 8:30. Now a herd of many swine was grazing at some distance from them. Matthew 8:31. And the demons entreated Him, saying: If You cast us out, send us into the herd of swine. (Cf. Mark 5:11-12; Luke 8:32.) The expression “from them” is indefinite, that is, it is unknown whether from Christ and His disciples, or from the demon-possessed, or from all of them. But since the discourse in verses 29–31 is predominantly about the demon-possessed, it is more correct to understand “from them” in the sense of “from the demon-possessed.” “At some distance” (μακράν) should be understood in a relative sense: not at too great a distance, so that the herd was visible. With such a supposition there will be no contradiction between Matthew on the one hand, and Mark and Luke on the other, who say that the swine were grazing “there,” that is, where the demon-possessed were found. If the latter were Jews, then the owners of the swine, inhabitants of the Gadarene country, were most likely pagans. It was forbidden by Jewish law to keep swine. And among other peoples swine were also considered unclean and foul animals, for example, among the Egyptians. But the latter had swine herds and herders. Herodotus reports of the Egyptians that they “consider the swine an unclean animal, and to such a degree that, firstly, if anyone, while passing, happens to touch a swine even with his clothing, he immediately goes to the river and bathes in it, and, secondly, the swine herders, although natural Egyptians, are the only inhabitants of Egypt who cannot enter the temple. And no one gives his daughters in marriage to them and does not take their daughters in marriage, so that for the herders of swine marriages occur exclusively within their own class” (“History,” XI, 47). Among Jews, swine-raising was engaged in by only the “lower classes,” and especially those who were in more or less close contact with pagans. Travelers report that there are many swine in the mentioned locality even now; they pasture there freely and eat whatever comes their way, being in a “wild state.” Swine were an object of Jewish commerce.

Matthew 8:32. He said to them: Go! And they, coming out, went into the herd of swine. And behold, the whole herd of swine rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. (Cf. Mark 5:13; Luke 8:32-33.) Why did Christ permit demons to enter the pigs when they left the people? In response to this question, Chrysostom points to three reasons for the permission granted by the Savior. He did this not because demons persuaded Him, but first, to show those freed from evil spirits the extent of the harm those spirits caused them; second, to teach all that demons would not dare enter the pigs without His permission; and third, that demons would have acted far worse toward the people they possessed if they had not fortunately been delivered from them through God’s providence. This answer does not settle the question essentially, because Christ could have taught people all this without resorting to the destruction of the entire herd. But it is the only answer that can be given without resorting to any overly subtle reasoning. Theophylact observes that Christ wished to show what bitterness demons inflict upon people, and that if they have power and no one hinders them, they treat people worse than swine. Christ protects the demon-possessed so that the demons do not kill them. It must be noted that some exegetes attempt to resolve the difficulty by asserting that the Greek word ἐπέτρεψεν, occurring in Mark and Luke, does not mean “permitted,” but only “did not prevent.” Such a meaning (concedo, sino) the verb indeed has, and in this case Christ gave no positive command. Matthew uses the word ὑπάγετε, which apparently also does not express a positive command. When reflecting on this event, one cannot overlook the fact that for the sake of recording some moral truth, both in Scripture and in life itself, not only plants and animals, but also people are often sacrificed. The repeated destruction of people in the Old Testament would have no meaning if each time a new idea or moral truth did not emerge afterward, indicating, on one hand, a deviation from the proper order, and on the other, outlining it. Life and death, therefore, probably do not have the significance in God’s eyes that they have for people. He who created life can restore it, and therefore uses death for human instruction. Thus, the question in this case can only concern what moral lessons can be drawn from the fact being examined, not why it took this form rather than another. The first moral lesson lies in the fact that God loves people more than animals, while for demons both have equal worth. They enter people and animals with equal pleasure, if only to remain in the region. The second lesson concerns the power of God, which rules over demons.

Matthew 8:33. And the shepherds fled, and going into the city, reported all things, and concerning those who had been demon-possessed. Matthew 8:34. And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they begged that He would depart from their borders. (See Mark 5:14-20; Luke 8:34-39.) “Observe,” says Saint John Chrysostom, “the meekness of Jesus Christ united with power. When the inhabitants of that region, who had been so blessed by Him, compelled Him to depart, He departed without resistance and left those who had shown themselves unworthy of His teaching, giving them as instructors those freed from demons and the swine herds, so that they might learn from them all that had happened.”

Chapter Nine

1–8. Healing of the paralyzed man in Capernaum. – 9–17. The calling of Matthew, the feast he gave, and the discussion about the objections raised by the Pharisees and John’s disciples. – 18–26. Healing of the woman with a flow of blood and resurrection of Jairus’s daughter. – 27–31. Healing of two blind men. – 32–34. Healing of a mute demon-possessed man. – 35–38. Preliminary remarks spoken before the sending of the apostles on a preaching mission, which is discussed in detail in chapter 10.

Matthew 9:1. Then, entering the boat, He crossed over and came to His own city. (See Mark 5:18-21; Luke 8:37-40.) The city to which the Savior came, Matthew calls “His own.” According to Jerome, this was Nazareth. But others think it was Capernaum. The latter opinion has very strong grounds in its favor. Matthew says that Christ left Nazareth and “settled in Capernaum by the sea” (Matt 4:13). This was before the events recounted by the evangelist in chapter 9. Furthermore, the miracle of which Matthew speaks in the following verses of chapter 9, according to the evangelist Mark, was performed in Capernaum (Mark 2:1 and following). John Chrysostom, Theophylact, Augustine, and others say that Bethlehem was the city in which He was born, Nazareth was where He grew up, and in Capernaum He had His permanent dwelling. As for the order in which Matthew and the other synoptics recount the healing of the paralyzed man in Capernaum, it must be noted that it is almost entirely different. In Mark (Mark 2:1 and following) the account is placed immediately after the healing of the leper, as it is also in Luke (Luke 5:17), but the time of the paralyzed man’s healing is determined in more general terms. Chiefly from this, it is concluded that Matthew’s account should be assigned to an earlier time, that is, to the circumstances recounted by him in Matt 8:1-4 and following. We cannot here enter into a detailed examination of the question of the precise order in which Gospel events should have followed the healing of the leper, because this question is extremely difficult and complex. It suffices to note that in Matthew the verse in question is directly connected with the preceding chapter, that is, when the inhabitants of the land of the Gadarenes asked Christ to depart from their borders, it was precisely because of this request that He entered the boat, crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, and then in Capernaum healed the paralyzed man.

Matthew 9:2. And behold, they brought to Him a paralyzed man lying on a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralyzed man, “Be of good cheer, child; your sins are forgiven you.” (See Mark 2:3-5; Luke 5:18-20.) Mark and Luke recount the event with greater detail than Matthew (Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26). The word “their” faith (αὐτῶν) should first of all refer to those who brought the paralyzed man. If the sick man himself had strong faith, there would be no need to remind him of his sins. It is very possible that the sick man viewed his illness as punishment for his sins. Thus he could suffer not only physically but also spiritually. To end these sufferings, it was necessary first of all to heal him of his spiritual sickness. Therefore, as if deferring the matter of miraculous healing, Christ says first: “your sins are forgiven you.” By speaking these words, the Savior “first healed the soul, forgiving sins; if He had first healed the sick man, this would not have brought Him great glory” (Saint John Chrysostom).

Matthew 9:3. And behold, some of the scribes said within themselves, “This man blasphemes.” (See Mark 2:6-7; Luke 5:21.) The word “some” in Matthew and Mark apparently shows that there were quite many scribes, but not all of them participated in condemning Christ. The scribes and Pharisees thought that He blasphemed because He was claiming for Himself, as a man, prerogatives (forgiving sins) that belong only to God.

Matthew 9:4. And Jesus, seeing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” (See Mark 2:8; Luke 5:22.) The accusation is refuted not only by the fact that Christ heals the paralyzed man (verse 6), but also by the fact that Christ becomes known what His enemies secretly thought about or spoke of. This very penetration into their thoughts could show them that He had power to forgive sins.

Matthew 9:5. For what is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven you,” or to say, “Arise and walk”? (See Mark 2:9; Luke 5:23.) The question posed to the scribes is remarkable in its depth and subtlety. They thought it difficult to say what had already been said by Christ. They themselves would not have said such a thing. And “arise and walk”—they would not have dared say it at all. Thus for them both were impossible. But for Christ it was different. The first He had already said, so it was easy for Him. But was it equally easy to say “arise and walk”? Inter dicere et facere (between doing and saying), as Jerome says, multa distantia est (there is great distance). The expected answer was that it is easier to forgive sins, because those words had already been spoken; but in themselves, they could be neither proved nor disproved. On the other hand, if the words “arise and walk” proved ineffectual, they could only provoke ridicule. Therefore Christ confirms His apparently easier utterance by demonstrating His power through the harder deed. In the proof presented by the Savior, careful attention must be paid to the fact that He does not ask: what is easier—to forgive sins or to raise the sick man? Because one cannot assert that forgiving sins is easier than healing. But—what is easier to say. “By human judgment it is easier to say: they are forgiven” (Bengel)—by human reckoning it is easier to say “forgiven.” But I, the Savior explains, will prove My right to speak thus by saying a harder word (Trench).

Matthew 9:6. But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins—then He said to the paralyzed man, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Matthew 9:7. And he arose, took up his bed, and went to his house. (See Mark 2:11-12; Luke 5:24-25.) In some codices the words “took up his bed” are missing. In the Russian translation they are underlined; in the Slavonic translation they are placed in brackets; in the Vulgate, German, and English translations they are omitted. In the Russian and Slavonic translations they were inserted arbitrarily, probably only in correspondence with the accounts of the other evangelists. The original Greek of Matthew has no variation at all in this verse. The narrative of the miracle is distinguished by extreme simplicity. A man who could not be carried into the house while sick comes out of it healthy without outside assistance.

Matthew 9:8. And when the crowd saw this, they were amazed and glorified God, who had given such authority to men. (See Mark 2:12; Luke 5:26.) “Who had given such authority to men.” The evangelist in this verse is clearly depicting the impression produced on the people by the healing of the paralyzed man, and probably in those very words in which this was expressed by the people themselves—and the people were in general composition simple (ὄχλοι). Could they think of anything particularly lofty or philosophical rather than express themselves in their ordinary popular language? Clearly, the force of the expression here is almost equivalent to our usual popular expressions used when, having heard of someone’s good fortune, we say: “what blessing comes to people.”

Matthew 9:9. Passing along, Jesus saw a man sitting at the place of toll, named Matthew, and says to him, “Follow Me.” And he arose and followed Him. (See Mark 2:13-14; Luke 5:27-28.) In the Gospels of Mark and Luke the same account is transmitted with certain details and in the same context. According to Mark, the Savior, after healing the paralyzed man in Capernaum, went out again to the sea; the crowd followed Him, and He taught them. On this path He saw Levi, who, after the command to follow, “arose” and went after Him. In Luke there is no mention of Christ’s journey to the sea, but it is noted that after the calling Matthew left all things and, arising, followed Christ. The transmission of Christ’s words by the three evangelists can be considered identical. All three evangelists connect the account of the calling with the preceding miracle of the healing of the paralyzed man in Capernaum and the subsequent feast at Matthew’s house. From this it is clear that all speak of one and the same event. The only difference is that the first evangelist calls himself Matthew, while Mark and Luke call him Levi. Such disagreement was the cause of numerous disputes and investigations. Some hold that it could not possibly be that accounts nearly identical to the point of literalness would report about different persons. The identity of Matthew and Levi has therefore been recognized from ancient times. It is thought that under the name Levi the evangelist was known before he became a disciple of Christ. And the name Matthew was either taken by him after the calling and given to him by Jesus Christ (see John 1:42), or he had two names before, like John Mark (Acts 12:12). According to other exegetes, the name Levi properly indicates his descent from the tribe of Levi, while Matthew (in Hebrew—a gift of God, the same as the Greek Theodore) was the name by which the evangelist was known. Speaking of his calling, Matthew, out of humility, calls himself by the name under which he was known as a tax collector, so that he might more fully designate his former sinful life and, by contrast, exalt Christ, who did not disdain him, the sinner and tax collector. Matthew himself has not the slightest hint that he was called Levi, while the other evangelists, having called Matthew Levi in the accounts of his calling, in the list of apostles called by Christ (Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15), mention Matthew here and make no reference to Levi. “This,” says Alford, “is almost inexplicable if we assume that Matthew had two names.” The circumstance that according to the meaning of the account Matthew immediately followed Christ raised doubt in ancient times about the authenticity of the fact reported by the evangelist. Porphyry and Julian said that it would be unreasonable for a tax collector to follow after “some” person who called him. But this objection is refuted by the fact that Matthew could have heard both the earlier teaching of Christ and seen His miracles, and thus could have known Him long before his calling. In reality, the account does not show at all that Matthew immediately followed Christ, because the word “immediately” does not appear in the Gospel. But if the following had begun immediately (see John 1:43), this would not at all exclude the possibility of Matthew settling his accounts and calculations from his former activity. There is no necessity to suppose that the feast at Matthew’s house was arranged immediately after he was called by Jesus Christ to apostleship, although the latter was possible. Matthew was a tax collector, or collector of tribute. We have no detailed information about the methods of collecting taxes in the land which at that time was ruled by Herod Antipas, so it is very difficult to say for certain whether Matthew was an official serving precisely under Herod Antipas (see βασιλικός — John 4:46, ἐπίτροπος Ἡρώδου — Luke 8:3), or an agent of the general collection of taxes for the Romans (Zahn,). Matthew was undoubtedly a Jew. If so, this circumstance alone provoked distrust and contempt from his compatriots, who considered such people traitors and enemies of their country. Matthew belonged to the class of tax collectors whom the Romans called portitores (those who collected taxes at ferries). Tax collectors were unpopular throughout the empire. But their position was profitable. Mark and Luke say that Matthew was sitting at the “tax booth,” which probably should be understood not as a house but as some kind of hut or tent with a table, where accounts were kept and money was paid for various goods transported across the lake. According to Mark (Mark 2:14), Matthew’s father was Alphaeus. Since Matthew relates the account of his calling in the midst of the narrative of miracles performed by the Savior, it was suggested that his calling was such a great miracle as the other miracles of Christ, a miracle in the sense that a tax collector became an apostle. Theophylact, it seems, is the only one to remark that the Savior called Matthew after Peter and John.

Matthew 9:10. And when Jesus reclined in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and reclined with Him and His disciples. (See Mark 2:15; Luke 5:29.) Mark speaks in greater detail about the same matter, Luke speaks more clearly. Matthew, on the other hand, recounts the matter very briefly, not placing this verse in close connection with the preceding one. For him the matter is presented as follows: Matthew followed Christ, without indicating where exactly. Then the speech seems to be interrupted, the picture of following is replaced suddenly by the picture of reclining at table, and the evangelist gives no indication of whose house this took place in. In Mark it is added that this took place “in his house,” but whose house is still unknown, because the word “his” could refer to Jesus Christ Himself. Luke adds a phrase saying that Levi arranged a great feast “in his own house” (ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ), from which it is concluded that the house belonged to Levi himself. If Matthew had come to Christ’s house, there would have been relatively nothing particularly remarkable about it. But if Christ visited Matthew’s house, that was remarkable. He, the Divine Teacher, who taught not as the scribes and Pharisees did, who performed such great miracles, came to the house of a poor tax collector and reclined in his house, accepting his hospitality! Naturally, Matthew and the other synoptics wish to present to their readers precisely this remarkable fact.

Matthew 9:11. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Matthew 9:12. And Jesus, hearing this, said to them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick,” Matthew 9:13. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (See Mark 2:16-17; Luke 5:30-32.) The line of thought appears to be thus: You think that I acted wrongly in coming to the sick. You think so because you are too attached to the law and its sacrifices, and believe that all piety and pleasing God are exhausted in people bringing Him sacrifices. But sacrifices are one thing; in communion with people needing help, what is required is not sacrifices but mercy. You bring sacrifices and remain indifferent toward people requiring mercy and love; I act differently—the foremost place in My activity is occupied by mercy. And this mercy consists in the fact that I have come to call them to Myself—and only them, sinners, not the righteous—and to heal them of their ailments. Concerning the words: “I have come to call…” some Church writers raise the following questions. Christ came to all—why then does He say He did not come to the righteous? Consequently, were there people who did not need Him to come? Did Christ really wish to express the thought that He came only to sinners? If He includes both sinners and the (supposedly) righteous in the same category and actually understands only sinners as both, then can we ascribe to Him the thought of dividing sinners into classes? In response to these questions, we shall say that Christ’s expression should be understood only in the broadest, if not absolute sense: He came exclusively to sinners. Why not to the righteous? Because they do not exist. Who is the man who lives and does not sin? Only Christ is absolutely righteous, while all others are sinners. In verse 13, therefore, Christ expresses the thought about the sinfulness of all people. The scribes and Pharisees, who considered themselves righteous, were mistaken: they were not only sinful, but even more sinful than these tax collectors and their companions. Thus the distinction should be made not between sinners and the righteous, but only between those who are relatively sinful and those who are absolutely sinful. The former are not so sinful as to refuse to receive Christ; the latter are more sinful because, faced with living and absolute Righteousness and Sinlessness, they consider themselves righteous and therefore cannot receive Christ. Christ never said that all must receive Him, have received Him, or do receive Him. Throughout the Gospel runs the thought of sinners being saved and sinners for whom the door of salvation is closed.

Matthew 9:14. Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” (See Mark 2:18; Luke 5:33.) All three evangelists recount the event with essential similarity, but the expressions vary completely. To clarify what is involved, let us attempt to present it somewhat more vividly through comparing all three evangelists. Those who come: Matthew (Matt 9:14) – the disciples of John Mark (Mark 2:18) – the disciples of John and Pharisees Luke (Luke 5:30) – Pharisees and scribes Those who speak: Matthew (Matt 9:14) – about themselves and the Pharisees Mark (Mark 2:18) – about themselves and the disciples of the Pharisees Luke (Luke 5:30) – about John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees. From this comparison it is evident that both the disciples of John and the Pharisees came to Christ and spoke both about themselves and about other people with whom they were in agreement. Since the subsequent speech of Christ is clearly directed to the disciples of John, one can conclude that they came forward chiefly before Christ and spoke to Him. But since the Pharisees are mentioned alongside them, we can understand that the latter instigated the disciples of John to propose questions to Christ and perhaps hoped thereby to place Him in difficulty.

Matthew 9:15. And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.” (See Mark 2:19-20; Luke 5:34-35.) The general meaning of Christ’s speech is the same in all three evangelists. This speech was apparently directed to the disciples of John and reminded them of what John the Baptist had spoken of before. According to the testimony of the evangelist John, when the disciples of the Baptist had a dispute with Jews about cleansing and when his disciples came and spoke to him about Christ (John 3:25-28), the Baptist spoke among other things: “The one who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, standing and hearing him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice” (John 3:29). The meaning of the speech in the synoptics is identical in meaning down to the letter with this speech of the Baptist. But instead of John’s words, in which only he himself considered himself the “friend of the bridegroom,” Christ now speaks of many “friends,” “sons of the bridegroom chamber”—almost what we call “groomsmen” at weddings. The Savior does not answer the first part of the question posed to Him at all, the assertion that John’s disciples and the Pharisees fast much. He completely leaves it to the Pharisees and John’s disciples to follow their own conscience. All the content of His answer is directed to the defense of His disciples. He Himself takes on the image of bridegroom indicated by the Baptist. This image is not something new but has its basis in the Old Testament (Ps 44; Song 2; see also Eph 5:22-23; Rev 19:7-9). Among the Hebrews, wedding feasts continued for seven days and this was a time of joy and gladness. Meanwhile, fasting served as a sign of sorrow. The presence of Christ as bridegroom among the sons of the bridegroom chamber should have eliminated sorrow from them. But this time would not last forever. Just as wedding celebrations end and the “groomsmen” depart to their homes, so too Christ’s dwelling with the disciples will end. After His departure the disciples will fast. These words should not be understood as a commandment. The Savior speaks here as though saying: “the disciples cannot fast now, but a time and occasion will come for both fasting and various expressions of sorrow.” Rightly it is noted that here for the first time in Matthew the Lord points to His sufferings.

Matthew 9:16. And no one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. (See Mark 2:21; Luke 5:36.) Here the expressions of all three evangelists are distinguished by extreme obscurity, and this has always presented enormous difficulties for exegetes. The meaning of this verse is expressed more clearly in Luke (Luke 5:36): no one sews a patch from a new garment on an old garment; if they do otherwise, the new tears apart and the patch from the new garment does not fit the old garment. So by the most literal and possibly accurate translation. Now, what connection do these words have with what precedes? The discussion was about fasts. The absence of fasting, while the groomsmen are with the bridegroom, in the new religion was one of its characteristics. A characteristic of the old religion was the existence of fasts in it. If one now takes away the new characteristic and applies it to the old, then in the new a gap will appear, which, however, will be useless for the old garment, because it cannot be mended with this patch. If there is a hole in the old garment, it does not matter. It is destined for destruction. But in the new garment a hole will appear, which one would be unhappy to have and see.

Matthew 9:17. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are ruined. But they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved. (See Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37-39.) The speech in this verse is much clearer than in the preceding verse, and the images are more intelligible. It is well known that if a liquid capable of fermentation is enclosed in some weak vessel, it will burst it and itself be spilled. Christ intentionally uses the image of young and consequently fermentable wine, which in Palestine even to this day is poured into wineskins. If they are not sturdy, the wine bursts them, makes them completely useless, and itself is spilled. In Mark and Luke the meaning is the same, if we do not take into account the addition in Luke’s verse 39, which is absent in both Matthew and Mark. The expressions of all three evangelists are different. What should be understood by “new wine”? It should be noted that the connection between the speech about new and old garments, new wine and old wineskins, with the images of verse 15, where there is talk of a wedding feast and of Christ as bridegroom—if one thinks that new garments and new wine are characteristic of a wedding feast—is only external. The parable was spoken in answer to a question about fasts. Under them one should understand the old garments and old wineskins. The new teaching about fasts—this is the new garment and new wine. To require of the disciples the former observance of fasts means to pour new wine into old wineskins or to sew new patches onto an old garment. According to Zahn, the teaching in this verse is essentially the same as in verse 16, but the goal is different: there it speaks of maintaining the old, here—of preserving the new.

Matthew 9:18. While He was speaking to them, behold, a certain ruler came and knelt before Him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come, lay Your hand on her, and she will live.” (See Mark 5:22-23; Luke 8:41-42.) The contradiction arising here between Matthew and the other synoptics some exegetes consider irreconcilable. But this can scarcely be agreed with if we allow that Matthew presents events briefly, omitting the details found in the other synoptics. Factually the matter presents itself as follows: Jairus left his daughter only dying but not dead, and when he came to the Savior, he thought that she had already died. He spoke, therefore, of his daughter’s death either by conjecture or because he received news of her death during his very negotiations with the Savior. Matthew and Mark do not mention the raising of the widow’s son of Nain. From Luke’s account one can conclude that this event occurred before the raising of Jairus’s daughter. If so, it is easy to understand why Jairus asked Christ to come and lay His hand on his daughter. But if the raising of Jairus’s daughter was the first resurrection, it is not easy to understand Matthew’s speech of the father, for he asks the Savior for nothing other than the raising of his daughter. One must, therefore, assume that Jairus was already acquainted with the fact of the raising of the widow’s son of Nain. As for the name Jairus, it means what shines or glows, from the Hebrew root “or,” that is, “caused to shine” (luxit). Jairus was undoubtedly a Hebrew.

Matthew 9:19. And Jesus arose and followed him, and his disciples. (See Mark 5:24; Luke 8:42.) From the word “arose” one cannot conclude that Jesus Christ was at that time reclining at the feast at Matthew’s house. According to the account of Mark, this was when Jesus Christ was surrounded by much people (ὄχλος πολύς). In the Bible the word ἐγείρεσθαι, like ἀνίστασθαι (the Hebrew “kam”), often means only “transition from rest to movement” (Zahn,).

Matthew 9:20. And behold, a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment; Matthew 9:21. for she said to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I will be healed.” (See Mark 5:28-29; Luke 8:44.) Mark provides details about the very process of healing; Luke speaks of the same very briefly. Matthew does not speak of the healing, but of course it is implied of itself. The deed of the woman and her thoughts cannot be considered “superstitious” because that word means vain, futile faith; but the circumstances showed that the woman’s faith was neither vain nor futile. This eliminates all reasoning about the superstitious deed of the woman and about her belief in the efficacy of touching the clothes of the Savior.

Matthew 9:22. And Jesus, turning and seeing her, said, “Take courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” And from that hour the woman was made well. (See Mark 5:30-34; Luke 8:45-48.) Compared with the accounts of Mark and Luke, Matthew’s account is distinguished by brevity. Matthew conveys only that the Savior, turning back and seeing the woman, told her that her faith had saved her, and she was made well from that hour. In Matthew it is not as clear as in the other synoptics what was the source of the woman’s fear. However, that she was indeed afraid of something can be inferred from his account, for she touched Christ secretly, and speech with Him was prevented her, of course, by her fear or dread. “Daughter” in this case can serve as an addition to the word “be of good cheer.” The woman should be brave because she is not a stranger to Christ, but His daughter, just as the paralyzed man was His “child” (Matt 9:2), and all other people who believed in Christ. A greeting full of loving-kindness.

Matthew 9:23. And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the crowd in confusion, Matthew 9:24. He said to them, “Leave this place; the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they laughed at Him. (See Mark 5:35-40; Luke 8:49-53.) The account that on the way to Jairus’s house people came to the ruler (according to Luke, τις—a certain man) saying that the girl had died, that he should not trouble the Teacher, and the other details given by Mark and Luke—Matthew omits. The most detailed account is in Mark. According to Matthew’s account, Jesus Christ enters Jairus’s house (who is not called by name) and sees pipe players (αὐλητάς) and the people thrown into turmoil (τὸν ὄχλον θορυβούμενον), commands everyone to go out (ἀναχωρεῖτε—expresses backward movement, retreat, withdrawal), because the girl did not die but sleeps. The circumstance that the girl had indeed died is not indicated clearly by Matthew, but the further account, that “they laughed at Him”—they laughed, of course, because they saw in His words at least an error—points to the reality of death. The evangelist, though in the shortest expressions, here presents us with the ordinary picture of preparation for burial, which was customarily performed among the Jews on the very day of death. In a small town, where everyone knows each other, they know what is happening with their neighbors, and the death of a girl was learned quickly. And as soon as it was learned, hired pipe players and mourners appeared. The mention of pipe players does not appear in the parallel accounts of Mark and Luke. The instruments used by them were flutes. The number of pipe players usually exceeded the number of mourners, if we can draw such a conclusion from the assertion in the Talmud that the poorest Israelite was obliged to provide for two pipes and one mourner when his wife died. The number of both increased according to the means of the family, and in this case, there was probably a considerable number of both. Mourners are already mentioned by the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 9:17). The custom of lamentation over the dead existed among Greeks and Romans. Since the flute players and mourners were hired, there was of course much falsehood and hypocrisy in this matter. In their laments they enumerated the merits and virtues of the deceased in order to move their close relatives to even greater weeping. It was precisely this falsehood and hypocrisy that provoked Christ’s indignation. He commanded all present to depart, leaving (according to the other synoptics) only a few people. As we should understand, His words: “the girl is not dead but sleeps,” aimed to counteract not only hired and hypocritical, but even sincere lamentation. For the former they were a rebuke, for the latter—a comfort. The further meaning of Christ’s words, as is rightly noted, was that He counted death as sleep. So more than once, but also in the raising of Lazarus. Death is a lie in human life, and being a lie, it produces and causes other lies. This truth is opposed to truth, which commonly provokes mockery from lies and liars. This explains the mockery of Christ. In the deepest and most serious moments of human history, people mocked the Son of Man. But all this only proves more strongly the truth of the words of Truth Himself: the evangelists would not have said κατεγέλων αὐτοῦ if the whole matter seemed like a baseless legend or if the girl had fallen into a lethargic sleep. Κοράσιον—a diminutive from κόρη—means “little girl” or “maiden.” In interpreting these verses, John Chrysostom seems to make an error, asserting that, according to Mark and Luke, Christ took three disciples with Him, while Matthew simply says that (Christ took) disciples.

Matthew 9:25. But when the crowd had been sent out, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. (See Mark 5:40-42; Luke 8:54-56.) This was the first resurrection reported by Matthew. In the account of the raising of Jairus’s daughter, Matthew is almost as brief as Luke, but Mark provides vivid details. No accounts, of course, have been subjected to such great doubts as the accounts of resurrection. Attempts were made to explain them by lethargic sleep, fainting, and similar conditions of the people raised. One thing is certain: the evangelists themselves intended to set forth and convey the facts in such a way that those reading their accounts could see that persons who had truly died were brought back to life by Christ. However sparse the details, from various small features one can see that this was indeed the case. Without entering into a detailed exposition of this subject, we can only note that “investigations in the most recent period tend to affirm the greater, not lesser historical value of the Gospels” (Sanday). The proofs of all the miracles recounted in the Gospels are very strong. Especially favored ways of naturally explaining miracles are contained in the following three propositions: 1) Gospel miracles are imitations of Old Testament accounts; 2) exaggeration of natural events; 3) transformation of what was originally a parable into actual facts. But whatever value we assign to these propositions in themselves, they are unable to explain either all together or separately the greater part of the miraculous Gospel accounts (Sanday). To this we add that if we acknowledge one series of miracles as unreliable—physical miracles—we will encounter another series of miracles—in word, to which should be attributed the parables and speeches of Jesus Christ. If physical miracles were fabricated, who could have fabricated the teaching attributed to Him?

Matthew 9:26. And the report of this went out through all that land. Properly, not “report” but utterance, rumor (ἡ φήμη αὔτη, Latin fama); such was the natural consequence of the great miracle. Matthew does not mention the horror reported by Mark and Luke (Mark 5:42; Luke 8:56) over the miracle and the prohibition to speak of it. The expression: “through all that land” (properly, “into all that land”), serves for some exegetes (Bengel) as proof that the Gospel was written not “in that land” but in another. Otherwise Matthew would have said not “that” but “this.”

Matthew 9:27. And when Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” Only Matthew reports the two miracles recounted in verses 27–31 and 32–34. The words of the blind men “Son of David,” addressed to Christ, appear in Matthew’s Gospel in all three cases of the Savior healing blind men (see Matt 12:23). Frequently, too, prophets called kings “who they wished to honor and exalt” (Saint John Chrysostom). Very probably this title was connected with earthly ideas of a conquering Worldly King, which explains Christ’s clearly expressed displeasure both in this case and in the healing of the Canaanite woman.

Matthew 9:28. And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” It is unknown into what house the Savior entered. That the event occurred on the road from Jairus’s house cannot be asserted with certainty, even in view of Matthew’s disregard for chronological and partly topographical data. In any case, we can think that it was not Jairus’s house. It would be incredible if it were Matthew’s or Peter’s house. Most probably it was the house where Christ’s mother, brothers, and sisters lived (John 2:12; see Matt 4:13). As is evident from the account, the Lord at first did not respond to the cries of the blind men for the aforementioned reason, but they went after Him into the house itself and there asked Him for healing. Healing did not happen immediately, but after the question: “Do you believe” and so forth. “In general, Matthew reports a great variety of actions in healings: a simple word (Matt 8:13), word and touch (Matt 8:3), only touch (Matt 8:15, otherwise Mark 5:41), neither one nor the other (Matt 9:20-22); no description at all (Matt 9:33)” (Zahn, 1905). The word translated into Russian as “yes” is expressed in Greek by ναί, which appears many times in the New Testament and means: yes, exactly, certainly.

Matthew 9:29. Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be done to you.” It is reported that the blind men’s eyes were opened as a result of the touch of His hand. This was a response to the faith of the blind men. The account is so brief that one cannot speak of the character of the blindness or what and how they saw when their eyes were opened.

Matthew 9:30. And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows about this.” The reason for forbidding the blind men to spread news of their healing, according to the interpretation of John Chrysostom, Theophylact, and others, was the humility of the Savior, who did not wish His glory to spread and hinder His preaching. It is also quite possible that He observed in the faces of those to whom He addressed such prohibitions certain individual characteristics that prompted Him to give such commands.

Matthew 9:31. But they went out and spread the word about Him throughout that land. “Going out,” that is, from the house. “Throughout that land”—probably Galilee. The healing of the blind men was the tenth miracle (Jerome). Church writers justify the blind men in that they spread news of the healing. They did this not as a result of disobedience, but out of gratitude (Theophylact). But others hold a different view, although, if we may say so, no harmful consequences of this spreading appear in the Gospel. It could be that the prohibition was given in view of the malicious intentions of the enemies of Jesus Christ, who were already preparing to declare that He cast out demons by the power of Beelzebul.

Matthew 9:32. As they were going out, behold, a dumb demon-possessed man was brought to Him. Matthew 9:33. And when the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowd, amazed, said, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel.” (See Matt 12:22.) About the miracle of healing the mute demon-possessed man, only Matthew reports. The healing evokes amazement in the crowd, but such amazement as is characteristic when seeing a miracle (as indicated by the verb θαυμάζω).

Matthew 9:34. But the Pharisees said, “By the prince of demons He casts out demons.” Concerning what significance this accusation had, it will be said below, in the explanation of Matt 12:24 and following. For now, let us note with Bengel that magnitudinem miraculorum negare non poterant: magno igitur ea auctori, sed pessimo, adscribunt (they could not deny the greatness of the miracles: therefore they ascribe them to a great author, but the worst one).

Matthew 9:35. And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness among the people. (See Mark 6:6.) From this verse begins a new section, constituting a transition to the instructions given at the sending of the apostles on a preaching mission, set forth in chapter 10. The time is not determined. According to Mark and Luke, the apostles were called before (Mark 3:16; Luke 6:13).

Matthew 9:36. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. The reason for compassion is stated as the fact that people were worn out (“harassed”) and “helpless.” What these concepts mean is not easy to determine, though the comparison shows that the people resembled sheep in the wilderness with no shepherd. These sheep from hunger are emaciated in body and have a suffering appearance; they have no unity, they are not gathered into one flock, but wander wherever they happen, being subjected to numerous dangers. Such was the picture that presented itself to Christ’s eyes during His travels.

Matthew 9:37. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;” (See Luke 10:2.) The image of exhausted and helpless sheep is replaced by the image of harvest (θερισμός)—a field upon which grain has grown and ripened so that it may be reaped. See John 4:35 and following, where the same word is used. The field is large and the harvest is plentiful, but there are no workers who would undertake this work. Here for the first time we encounter the thought of a harvest that was the fruit of the intensive activity of the Savior during these months.

Matthew 9:38. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Christ refers the sending of “laborers” (workers, though laborers is more precise from the Greek) not to Himself but to God, whom He calls the Lord of the harvest, the owner of the field where the grain ripened for harvest has grown. And the Savior Himself, no doubt, prayed to the Lord of the harvest, and invited His disciples to take part in His prayer.

Chapter Ten

1–16. The sending of the twelve apostles on a preaching mission. – 17–25. An indication of the dangers which the apostles will face during their preaching. – 26–33. An exhortation to fearless confession of Christ. – 34–36. Enmity among people. – 37–39. Conditions for following Christ. – 40–42. Conclusion.

Matthew 10:1. And He called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity. (See Mark 6:7; Luke 9:1). In the verse being considered, there is speech not of the calling and not of the choosing of the apostles, but only of sending them on a preaching mission. Matthew had earlier reported the calling of several disciples (Matt 4:18 and following) and Matthew alone (Matt 9:9); altogether, according to his account, only five disciples had been called before: Peter and Andrew, James and John the sons of Zebedee, and Matthew. About the calling of the remaining disciples Matthew nowhere speaks, and “the twelve disciples” appear before us for the first time, although it is quite possible to suppose that before being sent on the preaching mission, they were already with the Savior (μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ — Matt 5:1, Matt 9:10-11 and others). The evangelist could have not even listed the names of the apostles in Matt 10:2, and the speech seems to incline that way. But having written this verse, he perhaps only then recalled that it was inconvenient to designate these people by a mere numeral, and therefore deemed it necessary to call them by name as well, which in any case was clearer for his readers. The main point of the matter now lay in the fact that the Savior gave these disciples authority over unclean spirits and healing power. The speech of all the synoptics about the sending of the apostles does not stand out for similarity of expression. Matthew’s speech is closer to Luke’s. From Luke’s account (Luke 6:13) it appears that the twelve apostles were called or chosen before the delivery of the Sermon on the Mount. Here one should note the gradual broadening of Christ’s activity as depicted by Matthew. At first (Matt 4:23) he speaks of the journey of Christ alone throughout Galilee. Then in Matt 9:35 almost in the same words he speaks of the same Galilean activity, only with the addition of speech about “cities and villages.” Finally, in Matt 10:1-2 to this is added the sending of the apostles on a preaching mission. Therefore, it is thought that this verse contains the conclusion of the speech begun in Matt 4:13. Jerome rightly remarks that the Savior did not envy that His disciples and servants would possess powers that belong to Him. And just as He Himself healed every disease and infirmity, so He also gave the disciples this authority. But there is great distance between the words “to have” and “to grant,” “to give” and “to receive” and the actions they denote.

Matthew 10:2. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; (See Mark 3:16-17; Luke 6:13-15; Acts 1:13). In interpreting this verse, first, one must keep in mind its connection with the remaining verses where the apostles are spoken of, that is, with verses 3 and 4, and second, the special meaning of verse 2 alone. 1. We have four lists of apostles—three from the synoptics and one in the Acts. The first observation we can make when examining these lists is that they are all different. This will be clearer from the following table: It is beyond doubt that Simon is the same person as Peter. He is placed in all four lists in the first position (but in the Acts he is not called Simon); Philip is everywhere in the fifth; James of Alphaeus in the ninth; and Judas Iscariot (replaced in Acts 1:26 by Matthias) in the last place. These persons serve as it were dividers of the apostolic lists into three “quaternions,” four persons in each. Some persons in the lists, though called by different names, should be identical, because if we accept that here are named different persons by different names, this would not accord with the direct testimony of the synoptics that there were “twelve” apostles, the silent acknowledgment in Acts 1:13 on the part of the writer of Acts of the same truth, and the clear statement in Acts 1:26. On the one hand, elementary and too simple characteristics given the apostles (“Simon, called Peter, his brother, a tax collector, a Canaanaean,” a traitor, etc.), and on the other—variations in the names of the same people (if we acknowledge that they were truly identical) serve as irrefutable testimony of: a) the absence of forgery or fabrication; b) the ancient origin, in the time of Christ Himself, of the apostolate as a fact; c) the composition of the lists after the resurrection of Christ. The reason is that: 1) How could we admit here intentional forgery or fabrication if those compiling the lists, despite all discrepancies, preserved considerable similarity, which fully allows us to consider the lists identical? On the other hand, the differences in the lists give us no right to suspect the evangelists of mutual agreements and borrowing from each other. One can borrow and rework a fact, but rarely and only with extreme carelessness does one borrow and rework, or rather, in borrowing rework, such a simple matter as a small number of names of certain people. Thus, there can be no doubt that the evangelists, so to speak, copied the names from actual persons, but did not pay attention to the fact that the lists they compiled would cause great misunderstandings in the future or provide an occasion for them. 2) If the apostles had not been called by Christ Himself, we could expect more elaborate discussions about them, depictions of their activities and such, but there is almost no such speech in the lists. What significance and importance was there in the fact that such and such was, for example, the brother of another? In a brief historical narrative lacking historical details, it probably would not be worth mentioning. But it is different if the apostles had a real (and not imaginary) relation to Christ. The fact that He chose and sent on a preaching mission such a one and together with him his brother has not only real but also deeply touching significance, all the more so since, as the subsequent speech shows, there was not the slightest trace of the nepotism characteristic of church life in subsequent times. 3) If the fact of the calling of the apostles and their sending on a preaching mission was historically contemporary with Christ, then, as should be thought, the composition of the lists themselves, considered as a fact, occurred after His death and resurrection. If it were otherwise, that is, if the composition of the lists and the very act of choosing were simultaneous or occurred very close to each other, then we perhaps would encounter only such characteristics as “sons of thunder” (Βοανηργές — Mark 3:17), but would not have such a characteristic as “traitor.” 2. Having made these general remarks, let us turn to the particular examination of verse 2 and the subsequent verses where the apostles are discussed. First of all, the word “apostle” stands out. It appears for the first time in Matthew’s Gospel and never again. In Mark apostles are mentioned only once, and only after they had already completed their first journey (Mark 6:30). In John the word “apostle” appears in John 13:16, but in a general sense—a messenger—and the disciples are never called apostles. An exception is Luke, who mentions the apostles several times, namely, at the same place as Matthew and Mark, and moreover, in all “important cases” (Luke 6:13). Bengel explains the sole mention of apostles in Matthew and Mark by the fact that the apostles were until then more disciples than apostles. But after the descent of the Holy Spirit the twelve were never called disciples, but apostles. In the Acts disciples are called persons who either taught together with the apostles or learned from them. Matthew simply lists the apostles by name, but Mark and Luke report that it was at this time that they were either called apostles (Luke 6:13), or that on the occasion of this calling some apostles were given other names (Mark 3:16-17). Simon is called “first” (πρῶτος) only in Matthew’s Gospel, but with this the listing ends, and of the further apostles it is not said that he was “second,” “third,” and so on. The explanation of the meaning of this numeral is very difficult. Catholic exegetes use this occasion to impress on the minds of their readers ideas about Peter’s supremacy and power over all apostles, and then about the “primacy” of Peter and Roman pontiffs. Protestants, of course, do not agree with them. Thus Beza, denying the primacy of Roman popes, believed that the word “first” was inserted into Matthew’s Gospel “erroneously” (mendose) and therefore should be removed. On their part, Catholic exegetes assert that πρῶτος (first) is found in all codices—Greek, Latin, Syrian, and so forth. Furthermore, say Catholic exegetes, the Greeks, whom Catholics regard as schismatics denying Peter’s primacy, would probably have excluded the word “first” from the Gospel if they could have done so “honestly,” that is, without any damage to truth. Peter’s primacy gives reason to Catholic theologians for other kinds of reasoning, which are not without interest, but seem not always to tend toward the exaltation of the Roman pontiff’s see. Some Catholics greatly exalt Peter not only over the apostles but also over bishops, considering it almost inconceivable that bishops would have the right to be successors of Peter and other apostles. “You will say: bishops, as it is said, are successors of the apostles. I reply: this is said only by analogy and for convenience, only in the sense that bishops receive from the apostles the power of ordination and episcopal jurisdiction, and because bishops surpass other priests as the 12 apostles surpassed the 70 disciples; otherwise bishops would lack apostolic power, namely, the threefold power. But the power of bishops extends only to their own dioceses, while the power of the apostles extended to all peoples scattered throughout the whole world. Thus, between the two institutions—apostleship and episcopacy—one cannot properly even draw a comparison. The power of the apostles in the Church was highest and far greater than the power of bishops. For the apostles were taught and sent directly by Christ the Lord, being as it were His appointed legates with absolute power over the whole world and with supreme power over the entire Church, so as to have power everywhere, first, to preach the Gospel and confirm their preaching by the gift of tongues and miracles, and also to write literary works, for the apostles had the power to write canonical books—as indeed happened when Matthew and Mark wrote the Gospels—canonical epistles and the Apocalypse; second, they had power everywhere to found churches and so on.” If the word “first” causes much exegetical labor for Catholic learned exegetes, it causes no less difficulty for Protestant scholars and theologians, who are given an occasion to discourse on the famous German “ranks.” Moreover, it is almost entirely forgotten that in the parallels of the other synoptics to the place being considered there is not the slightest hint of the word “first” and that, according the teaching of Christ Himself, spoken to the disciples, he who wished to be “first” in His Kingdom should be last of all and servant of all. The general sense of Protestant reasoning on this matter can be expressed in the fact that Peter was only first among equals, that is, among the apostles. This is confirmed by the subsequent history of the apostle’s life, when he was told by Christ that “upon this rock” He would build His Church and “the gates of Hades will not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18). Peter was the first after the descent of the Holy Spirit to come forward with preaching on behalf of all the disciples and was the first to preach to the Gentiles. The Savior sometimes addresses Peter as first (Matt 26:40; Luke 22:31; see also Matt 17:24; Acts 1:15, Acts 4:8). But in further considerations regarding this “primacy” of Peter among equals, opinions again differ. According to some Protestant exegetes, the word “first” has relation only to “order,” though it does not have precise significance that Peter was “first” in rank or authority. All apostles were of equal rank and authority. Their office was the same. There was no “hierarchy” within this class. But, as is always the case among people equal in office, and among the apostles there existed differences in character, gifts, and position. The word can mean only that Peter was an outstanding personality among the apostles. In view of such considerable diversity of opinions, it is interesting to consult Saint John Chrysostom and see how precisely he interpreted the word in question. He says: “First… Peter. Because there was also another Simon, the Canaanaean. Mark lists the apostles by dignity, placing Andrew after the two chief ones, but Matthew does not list them in the same way; rather, he puts Thomas, who was far inferior, above himself.” This interpretation may not seem fully satisfactory. But it clearly shows that identical expressions can be viewed quite differently compared to how Catholic and Protestant theologians view them. We do not intend to give an interpretation that would not be subject to any criticism and immediately eliminate all further questions and misunderstandings. However, let us note that much which at first appears to people in a completely natural way acquires in the course of time a significance which it did not have at its first appearance or origin. That Christ Himself anywhere called Peter “first” and set him as head over all apostles—nowhere is this evident. The meaning of the word “first,” referred to Peter by the evangelist, would be best understood if we were to continue this enumeration and place corresponding numerals before the name of each further apostle, that is, second, third, and so on, to the twelfth. In that case it would immediately be evident that the entire speech of the evangelist would be spotted with numerals, in which there was no particular need and which without any necessity would only lengthen and expand the speech. Here let us note that what the evangelist wrote often happens in practice in our own time. In compiling various lists, we rarely provide all names with corresponding numerals, but place 1, 5, 10, and so on. Having written πρῶτος, the evangelist perhaps wished only to show thereby that all the apostles could easily be counted, but he left this counting, for the sake of brevity of speech, to the readers themselves, if they wished. If the evangelist wished to indicate Peter’s higher dignity through πρῶτος, he would have placed this numeral with the article. However, the thought is not at all denied that both Matthew and the other evangelists and the writer of the Acts regarded Peter with special respect and even considered him “first among equals.” One cannot only assert that such respect they intended to express through any numerals. But if it were otherwise, that is, if the evangelist wished through πρῶτος to express Peter’s higher dignity before the other apostles, then even in that case this would not give the Roman popes any right to express any claims of their own and advantages and cover them with the authority of an apostle or the apostles, because the personal merits of no single person can be transferred to other persons and belong only to him alone. Peter’s original name, as is especially clear from John’s Gospel, was Hebrew—Simon (Shimeon), which means “hearing” (and not “listener”), the same as Simeon. The derivation of the name Peter from the Hebrew “patar”—to decide, divide into parts, interpret dreams, explain—cannot be accepted. The Greek name Peter means the same as the Hebrew Cephas—stone. So explained by the Savior Himself (John 1:42). Beside Peter the evangelist places his brother Andrew, who, according to John (John 1:40), was called before Peter. Andrew and Philip are Greek names; the first means “adult, mature, manly, man, human being,” and the second—“lover of horses or steeds.” The supposition that both apostles also had Hebrew names, while possible, is unsupported. In any case their Hebrew names are quite unknown to us. From the Gospels and Acts little is known about Andrew. It is thought that he, together with Philip, was especially close to the Savior after Peter, James, and John (Mark 13:3; John 6:8). According to Eusebius (“Church History,” III, 1), he preached in Scythia. By ancient tradition, recorded in the Russian Chronicle, it was Andrew who established the beginning of Christianity in Russia. “While traveling with his preaching through Thrace, Scythia, and Sarmatia, he is said to have reached as far as the Dnieper mountains, where afterward Kiev arose” (Prof. I. Znamensky). He died, by tradition, in Achaia, crucified on a cross. Epiphanius (Adversus Haereses, LI, 17) supposed that Andrew was Peter’s older brother, but some consider him younger, because the evangelist calls him precisely Peter’s brother. The apostles following Andrew, James and John, were sons of Zebedee, fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. The name of their mother was Salome (see Matt 27:56; Mark 15:40). If she indeed was John’s sister to the Theotokos (John 19:25), then James and John were cousins of the Savior. Both worked with their father, and their activity was so successful that they had hired workers, though this does not imply very much. The Gospel says that they had only one boat. If Zebedee’s boat was like modern boats on the Sea of Galilee, it could hold four people and could carry 6 or 7 tons. But probably the size of boats was greater then than now, given the flourishing fish trade. The hired wages for fishermen were probably the same as for workers in a vineyard, that is, a denarius a day. Mark mentions James and John before Andrew, as does Acts 1:13. Zebedee is mentioned here probably only to distinguish his son James from James of Alphaeus, mentioned afterward. John was the writer of our fourth Gospel.Matthew 10:3. Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus called Lebbaeus; (See Mark 3:18-19; Luke 6:15-16; Acts 1:13). These names, except for Matthew, are indicated by Matthew for the first time. In the subsequent chapters of Matthew’s Gospel, none of these persons, except Judas the traitor, is mentioned. This verse has many variants, so that determining how it should be read was considered very difficult even in ancient times. Little is known about Philip, who joined Christ the day after Andrew, Simon (Peter), and John (John 1:43). Together with Peter and Andrew, he was a fisherman and lived in Bethsaida (western, a suburb of Capernaum). Philip the evangelist, mentioned in the Acts (Acts 8:5), was a different person. Philip the apostle is mentioned in the Acts after the ascension (Acts 1:13), as well as in several passages of John’s Gospel (John 1:44-49; John 12:21-22). Aside from this, we have only unreliable traditions about the life and activity of the apostle. Eusebius (“Church History,” III, 30; V, 24) from Clement of Alexandria and Polycarp, bishop of Ephesus, lists the apostles “who, contrary to those who reject marriage, lived in a married state.” “Will they censure the apostles?” asks Clement. “Peter and Philip begot children; Philip gave his daughters in marriage.” It was also said that Apostle Philip died in Hierapolis in Phrygia, taking upon himself together with John the care of the churches of Asia Minor. In recounting this, Eusebius seems to confuse apostle Philip and his daughters with Philip the evangelist and his daughters (“Church History,” III, 31; V, 24). The name Philip itself, as we said above, is clearly Greek, but by some tedious medieval exegetes it was derived from Hebrew words meaning the opening of a lamp (os lampadis or lampadarius), from the Hebrew words “pe,”—mouth, and “lapid,”—lamp, light, torch, because Philip’s mouth resembled a lamp illuminating the world. Bartholomew follows Philip in all the synoptics, but in Acts 1:13 — Thomas. Since Nathanael is mentioned in no one of the apostolic lists we have, this gave occasion to some of the fathers, including John Chrysostom and Augustine, to think that Nathanael did not belong to the number of the twelve. Even in the most recent times the opinion has been expressed that this was Matthew. However, no confirmation of such opinions is found anywhere. By a very widespread tradition, though not particularly ancient, Nathanael was the same person as Bartholomew. This tradition is confirmed by the fact that John’s Gospel makes no mention of Bartholomew, but only of Nathanael (John 1:46-50). The word Bartholomew was not a name but a patronymic (son of Tolmai), and consequently the apostle’s name was different. Nathanael is connected with Philip in John’s Gospel, while in Matthew and Mark (καί)—Bartholomew. Therefore it was supposed that Bartholomew was the same person as Nathanael. Some also supposed that Bartholomew-Nathanael was Philip’s brother, but such supposition is unsupported and highly improbable. When the evangelist John, having said of Andrew that he found and brought to Jesus Christ “his brother” Simon, makes no similar remark about Philip when he found Nathanael. It is thought that the name Bartholomew was not Hebrew but Aramaic. Medieval exegetes derived the meaning of this name from Hebrew words “bar”—son, “tala”—hang, suspend (Latin suspendere) and “mayim”—waters, thinking that the miracle of turning water into wine in Cana of Galilee was performed for Bartholomew’s sake, who was the bridegroom at this wedding feast. Such opinion should rightly be attributed to the realm of baseless fabrications, though it is accepted by some of our church historians, for example by Philaret, Archbishop of Chernigov (see his “Lives of the Saints” June 11). It is far more probable to derive the name Bartholomew from the Hebrew “bar”—son, and Tolmai, or Talmay—a proper name found in Josh 15:14; 2 Sam 3:3 (Tolmai). The derivation of the name from “son of Ptolemy” is even less probable than the first. Who this Tolmai was is unknown; little is known also about his son, who became a disciple of the Savior. We meet Nathanael on the shore of the Sea of Galilee after the resurrection (John 21:2). Thomas is placed after Matthew in Mark and Luke. This was probably also an Aramaic name and meant, as in Hebrew, twin, in Greek Didymus (John 11:16). But there are also approximations of the name Thomas to the Greek “abyssos”—abyss, because “the longer he doubted the resurrection, the deeper was his faith.” Such interpretation, belonging to one medieval exegete, can hardly be accepted. By tradition, Thomas preached the Gospel in Parthia or Persia, and his body was buried in Edessa. Chrysostom mentions his tomb as one of four authentic apostolic tombs. In Eusebius (“Church History,” I, 13) there is preserved a tradition that Thomas was also called Judas: “Judas, that is, also Thomas.” According to Chrysostom, Matthew places himself after Thomas “out of humility.” But aside from this single fact, nothing, it seems, can be drawn from such placement. If Matthew indeed placed himself after Thomas “out of humility,” then the question arises why he did not preserve such humility with respect to the other apostles, but only precisely to Thomas? Matthew calls himself here “a tax collector,” and does this, perhaps, truly out of humility, although it is unclear why this recollection of his former activity was appropriate precisely in this case. Perhaps Matthew wished to express here the thought that he, a tax collector, a man previously considered by all as completely unworthy and rejected, was now deemed worthy of such great honor, having become not only a disciple of the Savior, but also being sent by Him on such a great matter as the preaching of the coming of the Kingdom of God. In the passage in question, Matthew clearly identifies himself with the person mentioned by him in Matt 9:9. He was the writer of the Gospel, which from ancient times bore his name. Some supposed that he was Thomas’s brother, moreover that they were twins. But nothing positive can be said about this. Regarding James of Alphaeus, first of all let us note that in the calendar accepted in our Church (see “Complete Calendar of the East” of Blessed Sergius. 2nd ed. 1901), three Jameses mentioned in the New Testament are accepted as three different persons, namely: James the son of Zebedee (April 30, June 30), James of Alphaeus (October 9), and James, the Lord’s brother (October 23). The fact that James the son of Zebedee, mentioned in verse 2, is not identical with James of Alphaeus is hardly worth saying given that the evangelists themselves clearly distinguish these persons, and of course to this end add Zebedee and Alphaeus. As for the relation of James of Alphaeus to James, the Lord’s brother, the traditions and opinions on this matter are so vague and confused that it is positively impossible to say or establish anything precise about these apostles. Some medieval writers held that this James (that is, of Alphaeus) was the Lord’s brother and he is also mentioned in the Epistles (1 Cor 9:5; Gal 1:18-19), because Mary (Mark 15:40), wife of Alphaeus, was the sister of Mary, Mother of the Lord, and the evangelist John (John 19:25) called the wife of Alphaeus Mary of Clopas; perhaps he was called both Clopas (Klofas) and Alphaeus. Or the same Mary after the death of Alphaeus and after giving birth to James married Clopas. But the fact that Mary of Clopas was the sister of the Theotokos is not confirmed by anything. The circumstance that two sisters (the Theotokos and Mary of Clopas) were called by the same name is improbable. The opinion about the identity of James of Alphaeus and James, the Lord’s brother, can therefore at present be considered completely abandoned. John Chrysostom and Theophylact distinguish two Jameses—James of Zebedee and James of Alphaeus, two Judases—Thaddaeus and Judas the traitor, three Simons—Peter, the Canaanaean, and the traitor, who, according to Theophylact, was also called Simon. But in the interpretations of the passage being considered in Matthew’s Gospel, they do not mention James, the Lord’s brother. This Alphaeus, father of James, was not the same Alphaeus who was the father of Matthew (Mark 2:14). By Alphaeus and Mary were born James and Judas. James is called the Small, or Lesser (μικρός — Mark 15:40), that is, by age, as some suppose, or perhaps by the time of his calling he was younger than Big James, the brother of John. According to Zahn, regarding the second James there exists great textual variation, which apparently arose from the desire to smooth out the discrepancies between the evangelists. Apart from very strained reconciliations and combinations, which because of their very insufficiency and improbability are left without consideration, harmonistic texts are also suspect, where Matthew and Mark have identical names. If we encounter such a diversity of opinions regarding James the son of Alphaeus, then the accounts of the next apostle mentioned by the evangelist, Lebbaeus, are even more confused. John Chrysostom distinguishes Judas Iscariot from Judas Lebbaeus, also called Thaddaeus; Luke calls him Judas the son of James, saying: Judas, son of James (Luke 6:16). Augustine thought that one and the same apostle was called by three names, that is, Thaddaeus, Lebbaeus, and Judas, “because who ever forbade anyone to be called by two or three names?” Historically nothing can be objected to the fact that one apostle was called by three names. In the Middle Ages it became generally established that Thaddaeus was the one whom Luke calls Judas son of James, that is, the brother of James – the writer of the Epistle of Jude. According to Bengel, Thaddaeus and Lebbaeus (“tad” and “leb”) are synonyms, and both these names mean a man of heart. It was suggested that Thaddaeus was a name somewhat problematic for an apostle because the Aramaic word “tad” means literally a woman’s breast. Therefore its name was replaced with the corresponding Lebbaeus, which is similar to the first because it means heart, but was more, so to speak, fitting for an apostle. The words of Luke that besides the traitor one more apostle was called Judas are powerfully, according to Zahn, confirmed by John 14:22, and by this alone is satisfactorily explained the unwavering designation of the traitor as Iscariot.

Matthew 10:4. Simon the Cananaean and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. (Compare Mark 3:19; Luke 6:16). Jerome derives the name Cananaean from Cana of Galilee, and the difference in Luke, who calls the apostle Simon the Zealot (Luke 6:15), he reconciles by saying that the word Cana itself means zeal. Some other exegetes interpret the word the same way. According to this interpretation Simon the Cananaean (so one should read, not Cananite – see Schürer, Geschichte des jüdischen Volkes, I, 486, note 138) was called so exclusively because he lived in Cana of Galilee. In modern times this interpretation has been entirely abandoned because it is completely unknown whether Simon was a resident of Cana. The name of the apostle is explained not from the city of Cana and not from the word Cananaean, that is, an inhabitant of Canaan, but simply from the Hebrew “kanna” – to be zealous, or “kania” – zeal, which correspond to the Greek ζηλόω (to be zealous) or ζηλωτής (one who is zealous). Thus the name of the apostle indicates not his life in Cana of Galilee and not his origin from that city, but only his belonging to the party which at that time had only just arisen in Palestine, namely the Zealots. As grounds for why this name cannot be derived from Cana, they point to the fact that then the apostle would have been called not κανανάες but κανναῖος, examples of which are found among the classical writers (inhabitants of Κάναι in Aeolia, Strabo, “Geography”, XIII, 1). The party of Zealots gradually brought Jerusalem to its fall. They fanatically hated the Romans. Josephus calls them robbers, but these were not ordinary robbers but avengers who dealt with their political enemies by means of war and plunder. The Roman procurator Felix captured the head of this party, Eleazar, and sent him along with his associates to Rome. And many other “robbers” were crucified by Felix. But since they were enemies of Rome, they enjoyed great sympathy from the Jewish people. According to Meyer, the fact that Judas Iscariot was the only disciple who did not come from Galilee cannot be proved. As for the very form of the surname Judas Iscariot, attempts have been made to explain it in various ways, most of them unsatisfactory. It was supposed, for example, that this word is equivalent to the Hebrew “Iskarioth” (from “Eskar” – purchase, merchandise), but if it were actually so, it would be surprising why this form remained untranslated in the Gospels. The view that Judas came from the village of Kerioth or Karioth in the tribe of Judah, and was therefore called Iscariot, seems to remain the best up to the present time. Confirmation for it is found in the words of Josephus, who calls one man from Tob “Istovos”, that is, “man from Tob”. Thus one might suppose that Judas too was “a man from Karioth”. Furthermore, in some manuscripts, also in the Syriac and Armenian translations, it is written not Iscariot but Karioth or Scarioth. The village of Kerioth (Kiriath) is mentioned in the Book of Joshua (Josh 15:25). But perhaps Judas came from a village in the tribe of Ephraim called Kerioth, about which Jerome speaks in his commentary on Isa 1:9. Much more interesting and important is the question of why the Savior admitted into the circle of His closest disciples a man such as Judas was. In answering this question, Ambrose says that “the Savior chooses Judas not out of lack of prudence but out of foresight, that is, from him Christ wished to be betrayed, so that you too, if a friend abandons you, if you are betrayed by him, might judge your error and the emptiness of your attachment to him temperately”. Some later exegetes offered other explanations. Just as there was a serpent in paradise, and just as in Noah’s ark there was Ham, so in the midst of the Savior’s disciples there could be Judas. To raise questions about why he was chosen among the disciples is the same as to raise questions about why God created not only good spirits – angels – but also those who afterwards became evil. Did not God foresee that they might abuse their freedom? But most reliably, it seems, we should explain this matter thus: Judas at his first encounters with the Savior showed sincerity and genuine devotion to Him. But the actual purpose of such sincerity and devotion was worldly good or even money. If we look at all this directly, it is hardly possible to suppose that Judas was any outstanding personality out of thousands of other persons for whom religion serves as a subject of speculation. From the Gospels it is known that even other disciples besides Judas did not have truly ideal relations to Christ, at least insofar as other interests mixed into these relations, for which the Savior rebuked the disciples. As for the question of why the Savior chose exactly twelve disciples, the usual explanation is that this corresponded to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel. One Catholic medieval theologian even cites a whole series of quotations from which it is clear in what manner the Old Testament “foreshadowed” this New Testament event – the choosing of twelve apostles. Besides the twelve tribes, there were twelve sons of Jacob, twelve heads of the sons of Israel (Num 1:16), twelve springs of fresh water in Elim (Exod 15:27), twelve loaves of the bread of presence, twelve spies, twelve stones taken and placed in the Jordan, twelve bronze bulls of the so-called bronze sea in the temple, and so forth. But if one attends only to the numbers, then one can ask, first, why did Christ choose and send seventy disciples as well, and secondly, why was the number of disciples not always strictly limited to twelve, but later Paul and others were added, who were also called apostles. In all probability, the number of disciples was determined by purely practical considerations – the fact that twelve men were found who were suitable for apostolic work, but if only ten had been found, or thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, then the number would have correspondingly decreased or increased. We cannot imagine that Christ on the basis of any numerical or merely symbolic considerations rejected people who wished to be His disciples and would have proved capable of it. John also had disciples, but their number is not indicated. Only after the coincidence of the twelve with the numbers of the Old Testament did it become possible to discourse on their symbolic significance, but these numbers did not influence and could not have influenced Christ’s choice, any more than the example given by the rabbis, who also gathered and had disciples around them – though Christ could have acted in accordance with the customs of His time in this case.

Matthew 10:5. These twelve Jesus sent out, and instructed them, saying: Do not go on the road to the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; According to the general opinion of ancient interpreters, which is particularly well expressed by Chrysostom, Jerome, and Theophylact, the prohibition against going to preach to the Gentiles and Samaritans was prompted by the fact that the disciples were to preach first of all to the Jews, who after this could no longer have any excuse to say that the initial preaching was not directed to them, and to bring this fact to their justification. As a parallel, they point to Acts 13:46. The prohibition to preach to the Gentiles and Samaritans was given despite the fact that both the Gentiles and the Samaritans were even more capable than the Jews of accepting the Gospel preaching. Later, after the Resurrection, this prohibition was revoked.

Matthew 10:6. but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; By lost sheep there is no need to understand only the immoral or criminal classes of the population, but all Jews without any distinction or exception, who had not yet believed in the Messiah and had not turned to Him in heart and life.

Matthew 10:7. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near; (Compare Luke 9:2). Literally: “proclaim, saying, that the kingdom of heaven has come near.” In the absence of chronological data it is difficult to determine with precision when exactly this mission of the apostles on preaching took place. However, it is evident that according to the view of the evangelist himself, this was already after the Savior Himself had preached much and healed the sick. If we keep this circumstance in mind, we will better understand what the initial preaching of the apostles should have consisted of. The material for it is outlined in the words: “the kingdom of heaven has come near.” If those sent had only uttered these words before someone, that alone would have been sufficient. But if they had been asked to explain what this means, they could simply tell of the appearance of an extraordinary person who worked miracles and spoke as none of the scribes and Pharisees spoke. Thus the mission on preaching of people inexperienced in it, owing to the very simplicity of the preaching, in no way exceeded the powers of the apostles. This preaching was not bookish, did not require study or any scholarly knowledge or pursuits, but was taken straight from life and was carried on for its sake. The word “repent” before “for the kingdom has come near” is found only in one Coptic translation in the Sahidic dialect.

Matthew 10:8. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons; freely you have received, freely give. (Compare Luke 9:2). According to Jerome, Jesus Christ gave the apostles “authority to heal the sick, cleanse lepers, and cast out demons in order to prove the greatness of the promises by the greatness of miracles”. The words: “freely you have received” and so forth refer, of course, to the miracles, not to the teaching (Meyer, 1864). The miracles were to serve as confirmation of the authority given by the apostles. But if they were not performed freely, that would be poor confirmation. No other expression, it seems, bears such marks of trustworthiness and authenticity as precisely this simple expression. It could not have been said by anyone except the Savior Himself.

Matthew 10:9. Do not acquire gold or silver or copper for your belts, Matthew 10:10. nor a bag for the journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the worker deserves his sustenance. (Compare Mark 6:8-9; Luke 9:3). An interesting explanation of this verse is given by Thomas Aquinas: “Before suffering the apostles were sent to the Jews. The Jews had the custom of caring for their teachers, therefore Christ, sending disciples to the Jews, commanded them to take nothing with them. But the Gentiles had no such custom. Therefore, when the disciples were sent to the Gentiles, they were given permission to take support; and so they took it when preaching to others, besides the Jews”. In connection with this commandment, exegetes raise questions about whether the commandment was only temporary or permanent, that is, whether it concerned only the apostles, and moreover only during their initial preaching, or had binding force for all preachers of the Gospel. Some answer that the commandment was permanent (Hilary, Jerome, Ambrose, Augustine), so that the apostles were to observe this form and manner of poverty throughout their lives when preaching to the Gentiles. But others hold that the Savior’s commandments were of a temporary character and were binding only during the apostles’ preaching to the Jews during the time of Christ. Of course, strict fulfillment of the Savior’s commandments, for example in preaching in severe climates, is sometimes impossible. However, the spirit of non-attachment commanded by Him remains in full force for all preachers of the Gospel. Why then were the disciples to refrain from all cares before their journey? Because the people will be glad to hear the new Gospel tidings and if necessary will supply those who brought them with all that is needed. This thought is expressed in the further words (“for the worker deserves his sustenance”), which became almost a proverb. Theophylact remarks that the Savior said here τροφῆς (sustenance, food), not τρυφῆς (luxury, softness), because it is not right for teachers to give themselves over to luxury. In Luke (Luke 10:7) instead of “sustenance” – “reward”: “for the worker deserves his reward (τοῦ μισθοῦ αὐτοῦ) for his labors”.

Matthew 10:11. Now whenever you enter a town or a village, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave; Matthew 10:12. As you enter the house, greet it, saying, “Peace be to this house”; (Compare Mark 6:10; Luke 9:4). The Savior’s commandment is marked by simplicity. Those sent by Him were to enter some city and there by available means find out who was “worthy” – a word which may mean a person capable and inclined to accept the Gospel tidings, hospitable, God-fearing, pious, of honest life, longing for salvation, and so forth. Such people are not particularly difficult to find even in large cities, much less in small and provincial ones, such as were generally the cities of Palestine at that time. To a “worthy” person the apostles were to go directly and remain there as long as needed, – until the time of their departure from there – an indefinite expression, but one that well characterizes the work of the apostles.

Matthew 10:13. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. “Peace” in the words of the Savior is as it were personified, represented as it were as a person who enters to the master but, rejected by him, returns to the apostles. By peace one can understand general well-being, depending on tranquility, health, absence of enmity, quarrels, disagreements, divisions; in a figurative sense the word “peace” means salvation.

Matthew 10:14. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town; (Compare Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5). According to Alford, the “solemn” act of shaking dust from one’s feet could have two meanings: 1) that the apostles took nothing from those who rejected them and are free from any connection with them; 2) that they are free from any share in the condemnation which will befall those who refused hospitality. The apostles were to show the unbelieving that they considered them unclean and responsible for their uncleanness (see Acts 18:6). Perhaps this commandment was so clear to the apostles because the Jews had the custom upon returning from pagan lands where they had wandered to shake the dust from their feet.

Matthew 10:15. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. Matthew 10:16. Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Compare Luke 10:3). From the sixteenth verse begins a new section. The connection of this section with the preceding one may consist in the fact that the Savior spoke of people who did not receive the apostles, whom He was to leave and shake dust from their feet. In the further verses He portrays in greater detail the environment in which the apostles would have to labor, and His view shifts from the immediate reality to future times, and He, so to speak, depicts both the present and the future simultaneously. The environment to which the apostles were sent was unsatisfactory. The mention of Sodom and Gomorrah indicates its low condition, the decline of the general moral level, under which everything of which the Savior speaks further was possible. When the disciples enter this environment, they may be required to make all sorts of sacrifices. Thus, in the view of the Savior, on the one hand, there could appear sheep without a shepherd, and on the other – a world full of sin, malice and hatred. Now, it is as if the sheep are forgotten, and all attention is concentrated on the wolves in the midst of which the apostolic preaching was to take place. If there were only sheep everywhere, there would be no danger for the apostles, but since sheep are surrounded by wolves, the apostles will encounter great dangers. Confirmation of such an interpretation is found in the words of the holy John Chrysostom: “He begins to speak now also of those misfortunes that were to befall them, and not only of those that were soon to befall them, but of those that were to follow after a long time, and thus he prepares them beforehand for battle against the devil”. In the next part of the sentence the images change: the apostles, on the one hand, in the midst of wolves should remain sheep as before, but, on the other, also transform themselves into serpents. “The pious often appear to the impious in the image of serpents and thus overcome the ancient serpent” (Bengel). The wisdom of the serpent became a proverb probably from the time of the account of the fall. But in reality the serpent apparently is not at all as wise as is reported of it in the Bible and in particular in the Gospel. In Gen 3:1 the Hebrew word “arum” is translated by the Seventy as ὄφις, the same word is used here in the Gospel. It does not necessarily mean an animal distinguished from others by wit. From natural history it is known that, for example, the elephant and the dog are much wiser than any serpent. Therefore it is thought that the word translated as “wise” is imprecise, especially in the present application. The Greek word more signifies prudence regarding one’s own safety rather than mental or moral wisdom (Greek σοφός; here is used φρόνιμος prudent). Here reference is made to the real or supposed caution or cunning of the serpent in time of danger. Therefore the commandment is better translated thus: be as prudent as serpents. The Savior does not say: be wise as foxes, whose cunning consists in deceiving others; but – as serpents, whose policy consists in defending themselves, not in cunning for their own safety. In the work of Christ we should be wise enough not to bring misfortunes on our heads without need. The word innocent – ἀκέραιος is derived from ἀ and κεράννυμι. Thus ἀκέραιος means “unmixed”, “pure”, and in such sense this word is used, for example, of metals to denote their purity and the absence of any impurities in them. In figurative meaning the word is similar to the Latin sincerus, or to the Greek “pure in heart” (Matt 5:8) and “clean”, “simple” (ἁπλοῦς – Matt 6:22). In this sense, it is unquestionably used also in the Epistles (Rom 16:19; Phil 2:15). Some ancient manuscripts replace the word ἀκέραιος with the word ἁπλούστατοι.

Matthew 10:17. Beware of men, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; (Compare Mark 13:9; Luke 21:12). As for whether the apostles suffered any floggings during this first journey of theirs, nothing is known. It may be that the Savior spoke here, as was explained above, only in the prophetic sense. But that persecution of the disciples could have been raised even during the first journey (although we know nothing about this), this is indicated by the malice of the scribes and Pharisees that had already begun, which is clearly spoken of in the Fourth Gospel. Floggings were common among the Jews at that time. We have sufficiently detailed information even about how they were carried out. Such, for example, was the famous flogging of forty stripes except one, to which the apostle Paul was subjected. One commonly thinks that the last blow was not delivered in order not to cause death to the condemned. But the matter is explained differently. The Hebrew scourge originally consisted of only one lash, and then perhaps, according to the law, they actually gave forty blows except one. But later this scourge began to be made with three lashes, whereupon they gave thirteen blows, so that exactly thirty-nine resulted, and if another blow were to follow, it would be a violation of the law which forbade delivering more than forty blows to a criminal. This punishment was assigned by courts of three, seven, or twenty-three, which were established in each city to resolve civil and criminal cases. That such punishments were indeed carried out in synagogues, we have indisputable testimony from the Book of Acts (Acts 22:19). This is evident, among other things, from the testimony of Eusebius (“Church History”, V, 16), who cites a work of unknown authorship against the Montanists (perhaps of Apollinaris, or Apollonius), where it is said that in synagogues Jewish women were never subjected to flogging and never stoned. Thus from this it is evident that men were no exception. Floggings in synagogues were appointed, as it is supposed, by verdicts of a tribunal of three, who were judges in them.

Matthew 10:18. and you will be brought before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. (Compare Mark 13:9; Luke 21:12). By governors and kings one can understand generally any persons to whom the Jews or the Gentiles, out of their malice, might lead preachers now or later. The delivery of the apostles will take place not on account of any crimes committed by the apostles, but “because of me” (cf. Matt 5:11), that is, the sufferings of the apostles were to serve as a testimony about Christ before all the people before whom the disciples will suffer, indifferently whether before Jews or before pagan governors and kings or before Gentiles. The thought is that at a time when people will satisfy their cruelty and malice by subjecting the Savior’s disciples to disgrace and suffering, these very trials for them will be directed by God to the benefit and advancement of the Gospel and the Kingdom of Heaven (Morison).

Matthew 10:19. When they deliver you up, do not be anxious about how or what you should speak; for it will be given you in that hour what you should speak, In the synoptists (Mark 13:10-11; Luke 21:13-14) everywhere the same thought is expressed, only in different words. The disciples should not be anxious. Should not deliberate on what to say. Should not defend themselves. “In that hour”, when they will stand before the court, it will be given them what to speak.

Matthew 10:20. for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (Compare Mark 13:11; Luke 21:15). The Holy Spirit will use the disciples as it were as His instruments for speaking and in their own and in His own defense. He knows better than the disciples themselves how and what to say. However brief these words of the Savior are, they express such profound thoughts that analysis can only diminish their force. One can only say that no man could speak as the Savior spoke here.

Matthew 10:21. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; This verse is repeated almost literally in Mark (Mark 13:12) and somewhat differently in Luke (Luke 21:16). Since in the latter two synoptists these words are cited in the last speech of Christ upon leaving the Jerusalem temple in Holy Week, it is thought that here is the so-called isteology, that is, an afterwards inserted, introduced here by Matthew. Whether this is so or whether Christ simply repeated these words in His last speech is difficult to determine at present. Nothing prevents us from recognizing that these words could be repeated by Him. In any case, the historical fulfillment of this prophecy is beyond any doubt, and during persecutions of Christians many cases are known when parents and other relatives rose up against children and conversely (as examples they point especially to the great martyr Barbara, and the martyrs Christina and Lucy). If someone were to say what is beneficial in the teaching of Christ if it encourages children to rise against parents and so forth, the reply can be given that without such action the evil flourishing in the world would be even greater and would remain uncured. Well-being sometimes requires many sacrifices.

Matthew 10:22. and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. The verse is literally repeated in Mark (Mark 13:13) and Luke (Luke 21:17). In the latter, however, without the second half, which is replaced in Luke 21:19 with the words: “by your endurance you will gain your souls.” The object of hatred is pointed out, but its cause is not. In other words, hatred for Christ begins and continues as though without any cause, only because He is Christ. His very name alone is capable of arousing hatred in many people. It is clear that here there are some hidden but fully intelligible causes, which He does not point out directly. The ideals are too high, the demands are too high, which, as it seems at first glance, are not applicable to life and whose implementation requires hard struggle. And where there is struggle, there is hatred, which is absent only perhaps in a few cases not relating properly to struggle. The expression “all” is explained differently. According to some, this expression is put instead of “many” (Theophylact); according to others – it is only a popular expression of universal hatred, exceptions disappeared from view (Meyer, 1864 and Morison). Neither explanation, it seems, can be considered satisfactory. The expression will be clearer if we again turn to the idea of struggle, when people are divided into two camps. People of the opposite or hostile camp are here called “all”. For them the very name of Christ will serve as an object of hatred. The further expression in Greek can be understood in two ways: “the one who endures for my name’s sake to the end – he will be saved”, or as in Russian: “you will be hated by all because of my name; and the one who endures” and so forth. If it were the first, then the article before the word “endures” would be replaced by the article before “because of my name” (cf. Matt 24:13). The expression “to the end” is also explained differently: the end of the sufferings of the disciples, the end of life, the destruction of Jerusalem, and so forth. But it is much better to explain it as “to the end of sufferings”, because that, it seems, is the point of the matter. “It is not the beginning but the completion that is important,” Jerome says.

Matthew 10:23. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. For truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. The first impression that remains in our mind upon reading the verse is that Christ, sending the disciples to preach, and Himself, it seems, wished to withdraw from them for a more or less prolonged time. Where He withdrew to is unknown, and what He did during this time is known only in part, but that the withdrawal really took place, in this it is hardly possible to doubt. Thus, the simple, natural and immediate meaning of the words of Christ consists in this, that the apostles will not have time to go through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man will come again, will meet them again. Now they are to depart alone, He will leave them for a time. But this separation will not be prolonged. He will come to them again. It seems that the holy John Chrysostom understood it in this way, asserting that here “the Lord speaks not of persecutions which were to come after, but of those which were to come before His crucifixion and suffering.” “You will not have time to go through Palestine before I come to you at once.” With such an interpretation, the expression “Son of Man” does not remain without significance. It could mean that Christ would return to the disciples not in glory and power, but in an even more abased state, and debased, no less suffering than the disciples themselves.

Matthew 10:24. A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; (Compare Luke 6:40). If the expression “Son of Man” in the preceding verse is understood in the sense as indicated, then the words of the twenty-fourth verse contain a very subtle transition to the further speech. The Son of Man is treated and will be treated not as he should be. He is himself a sufferer, similar to the apostles depicted by Him. This should serve as consolation for the apostles in their sufferings. Why? Because this is the usual order of things, although not the normal one. If the master is persecuted, then at this time his servants are persecuted. If the teacher is not in honor, then his disciples do not enjoy honor. If it were otherwise, then the disciples would be above their teachers, and the slaves – above their masters. The thought expressed here is repeated with different variations in Luke in the Sermon on the Mount (Luke 6:40) and in John (John 13:16). According to Alford, this was a proverb. This verse is well explained by Theophylact, who says: “But you will say: how is ‘a disciple not above a teacher’ when we see that many disciples are better than their teachers? Learn then that as long as they are disciples they are less than their teachers, but when they become better than them, then they are no longer disciples, just as a slave, as long as he remains a slave, cannot be above his master.” This thought is fully in agreement with the mentioned expression of Luke, according to which “when one has completed the training, will be like the teacher”.

Matthew 10:25. It is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household? (Compare Luke 6:40). A disciple can, of course, surpass his teacher, and a slave – his master. But this does not happen always. Usually it is quite sufficient if a slave or disciple achieves that they resemble their masters and teachers. This is especially significant in the case when we are speaking of such a Teacher as Christ. The disciples cannot at all compare themselves with Him. For them it would be quite sufficient if they at least somewhat resembled their Teacher. In what did they resemble? In the extraordinary ability to teach, in the performance of extraordinary miracles? No, in the fact that they were to suffer just as their Teacher suffered. They can, of course, imitate Him in this. But they will never have to compare themselves with Him in this regard. The further speech serves as it were an explanation of why this is so. If the master of the house, the teacher, the lord, evil people call Beelzebul, then the household, the disciples, the subordinates cannot hope for better treatment of themselves. The matter, of course, is not in the name itself, but in what consequences follow from it. However we explain the word Beelzebul, calling any person Beelzebul in any case serves as an indication of a bad connection and a sign of hostile relations to the person. Thus, if the teacher is treated by people with hostility, then the disciples should also expect similar treatment. Remarkably, the Savior, as is evident from the Gospels, was never called Beelzebul by anyone. It was only His activity that was put in connection with Beelzebul (Matt 9:34; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15). Speaking, as indicated in the Gospels, He wants to say precisely only this. The very word Beelzebul has provided many difficulties to exegetes, and it can be said that the question on this subject has not been finally resolved to the present time. By this name was called the Philistine deity in Ekron, about which only simple mentions are found in 2 Sam 1:2. But there it is always written in Hebrew not Beelzebul but Beelzebub. Since “zebub” in Hebrew means “fly”, the word Beelzebub can be translated as “god (lord, chief) of flies”. With such an explanation of this word the translation of the Seventy agrees, who everywhere in the mentioned places render Baalzebub through “Baal-fly” (Βάαλ μυῖα), the Ekronite deity. But whether this Baal was the “god of flies” or was himself “god-fly” is extremely difficult to determine due to lack of data. From what has survived from antiquity, as far as we know, only on one silver coin of Arad is there a depiction of a fly, but this shows that paganism in any case was not unfamiliar with the idea of a “god-fly”. We have no need to engage in detailed studies of this Philistine god, which readers will find in commentaries on the Fourth Book of Kings. If in the New Testament the name of the Ekronite god was Beelzebub, then the interpretation would be simplified by at least half. But in the New Testament we do not encounter the name Beelzebub, but everywhere Beelzebul, however, far from in all manuscripts. The Vulgate, the Syriac Peshitto, the Syriac-Sinaitic, Cyprian, Jerome, Augustine, Beza and others write Βεελζεβούβ. Thus questions arise, first, about the relationship of this New Testament Beelzebul to the Ekronite Beelzebub, whether Beelzebul is the same deity that was worshipped in Ekron, or another, and, secondly, what is the correct reading in the New Testament, Beelzebul or Beelzebub. To the latter question one can answer affirmatively in the sense that the reading Beelzebul is attested more strongly than Beelzebub. But in that case how to explain such a change, supposing that it is the same Ekronite god, only named differently? It is explained by the fact that Hebrew jesters and mockers changed the word “zebub” to “zevul” – a word found in the Talmud (from “zabal” – to be rolled up, to bunch up) and meaning a lump, filth, dung, and thus the Ekronite god from “god of flies” became “god of filth” or “dung”. Although such changes are not without analogies in other cases, because “curse words against idolaters were clearly allowed among the Jews”, however against such a derivation one can object that dung in rabbinical language is “zebel”, not “zevul”, and thus it would result not in Beelzebul but in Beelzebel. Besides, if we accept this view, then it will turn out that the Savior to express His thought made use in this case of a folk witticism, and moreover not quite a proper one, which is hardly probable. Therefore some accept another explanation, according to which Beelzebul means “god (lord) of the dwelling” (dominus domicilii), first, because in rabbinical literature “zebul” is the name of the fourth heaven where the heavenly Jerusalem, temple, altar and Michael are located, and “zibbul” – an idolatrous offering, and, secondly, because Christ Himself, it seems, explains the meaning of the name He used with the words “master of the house”. This explanation also is subject to many objections, but for now remains the only one on which one can stop. In this case Beelzebul means “head of the temple” or “of idolatrous worship”. “This is the evilest and chief of demons, who was the instigator of idolatry and urged it. The “Lord of the temple” (which was His Church) was for them the “head of idolatrous worship”, the representative of the worst of demons. What then could the “members of his household” expect in such treatment?” (Edersheim). [Actually, the etymology of this word is different: the Aramaic root “zavav” or “davav” denotes “complaint, lawsuit” (from Akkadian daba-bu). In that case “baalzevav” denotes nothing other than “lord of accusation”, that is simply “plaintiff, accuser”. In such a meaning this word, for example, was widely used up to and including the 13th century after R.H. in the Syriac language. The identification of this word with the similarly sounding word “fly” (Hebrew “zevuv”) was the result of folk etymology, when the original meaning of the Akkadian borrowing was forgotten, which led to a change in the phonetic form of the word from “baalzevav” to “baalzevuv”. The Hebrew equivalent of the word “baalzevav” is the word “satan”, originally meaning “the opposing side in court”. – Editor’s note.] In conclusion, note that in this verse there is a rather strange construction, not expressed in our Russian translation. According to the literal translation: “it is enough for the disciple (to the disciple) that he be like his teacher, and (to the) slave like his master.” Instead of the dative (“to the slave” or “for the slave”) in the second case in the Greek text the nominative (“slave”) is put. It is thought that this nominative is put owing to “careless translation”.

Matthew 10:26. So do not be afraid of them, for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. (Compare Luke 12:2). The word “so” clearly indicates the connection of this verse with the preceding ones. The Savior now exhorts His disciples not to fear evil people and bases His exhortation not on the powerlessness of the enemies, not on divine protection of the disciples against them, but on the fact that all that is secret will in time be revealed. It is immediately evident that this verse is not as simple for explanation as it appears at first glance. Besides, it is difficult to explain such a categorical assertion that all that is secret must necessarily be revealed. Are there not secret deeds that have never been and never will be revealed? Such difficulties prompted many ancient and modern interpreters to relate the fulfillment of Christ’s words exclusively to the future judgment, when the Lord “will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart, and then each one will receive commendation from God” (1 Cor 4:5). So Jerome explained this passage, who continues: do not fear the cruelty of persecutors and the fury of blasphemers, because the day of judgment will come when your virtue and their unrighteousness will be revealed. But Chrysostom and Theophylact did not relate these expressions to the future judgment, but interpreted them in the sense that the truth will be revealed and time will show both the virtue of the disciples and the malice of the slanderers. “Wait a little,” Chrysostom says, “and all will call you saviors and benefactors of the universe. Time reveals all that is hidden, it will expose the slander of the enemies and reveal your virtue”.

Matthew 10:27. What I tell you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the rooftops. (Compare Luke 12:3). From these words of Christ one can draw a direct and clear conclusion that He did not speak this speech before the disciples openly and in public. “He spoke with the disciples privately and in a small corner of Palestine” (St. John Chrysostom). But what He spoke under such circumstances, neither He Himself nor the disciples had any need to hide. With the help of various figurative expressions, which there is no need to understand literally, because they were borrowed from everyday life and contained no hints at synagogue customs, the Savior clarifies this thought. What I speak only in your presence, speak before everyone; what you hear from Me as it were on the ear, speak aloud.

Matthew 10:28. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. (Compare Luke 12:4). The sense of this verse is that one is commanded to fear God more than people, to trust in Him more than in people. A similar passage is in the Epistle of the apostle James (Jas 4:12). Euthymius Zigabenus: “Cast out fear by fear, not before people but before God.” This interpretation is called excellent. Regarding the soul, it is here said that it will not be killed but destroyed, because, according to Bengel’s remark, the soul is immortal.

Matthew 10:29. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. (Compare Luke 12:6). Deliberately are chosen as an example small, insignificant little birds in general (στρουθία), not sparrows (although στουθίον means also sparrow), and moreover not one but two, in order to even more strongly show their small value. In Luke instead of two – five, πέντε. The reference probably had in mind the familiar customs to everyone of the sale of little birds in the market. The current copper coin in Palestine at that time was the as, the ancient Latin assar and later Greek ἀσσάριον. The value of the as originally equaled 1/10 denarius, and after the Punic War (217 B.C.) – only 1/16 denarius. The smallest coin was the mite – 1/8 as, with it was identical the lepton found in the New Testament, making up half a quadrans (Schürer). The expression “will not fall” has a general meaning – will not perish, regardless of the reasons for this perishing. Therefore it is idle to debate whether the little bird perishes because it falls into a snare, is shot down, falls from the sky or from branches, and so forth.

Matthew 10:30. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. (Compare Luke 12:7). In Luke: “but even the hairs of your head are all numbered” (Luke 21:18). A figurative and plastic expression. In other words: even the hairs on your head, however insignificant in themselves, are, however, on record, not one of them is lost without the knowledge and will of God.

Matthew 10:31. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Compare Luke 12:7, the second half of the verse – with slight difference). The sense is that if you were and only a little better than small little birds, then even in that case there would be great care of your heavenly Father for you. It is, consequently, much greater, the more the value of the disciples exceeds the value of small little birds. The Russian translation is not quite accurate and is made more according to sense than literally. In the original: you are distinguished from many small little birds. The Russian translation is similar to the Slavic, Latin Vulgate, German and English translations.

Matthew 10:32. Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; (Compare Luke 12:8). Literally: “everyone who confesses in me before people, I also will confess in him before my Father in heaven.” The thought which the Savior wished to express here is clear. Ὀμολογέω means, among other things, to acknowledge, and regarding Christ – to acknowledge Him as the Messiah and His teaching as divine. Such acknowledgment can be expressed not only in words but also in deeds. The connection with the preceding is also sufficiently clear. Speaking of persecutions on account of His name, the Savior here indicates what consequences they may have. Many of them will cause, on account of fear or worldly attachments, to deny Him, similar to Peter. Foreseeing this, He speaks of what consequences such denial may have. Theophylact explains, however, this verse somewhat differently. “He did not say: whoever confesses me, but in Me, that is, by My power. But of those who deny, He did not say: by Me, but from Me, thus showing that the one who denies is the one who does not have help from above”.

Matthew 10:33. But whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. (Compare Luke 12:9). The thought is the same as in the preceding verse, only expressed in the form of negation. This verse can serve to clarify what is said in the preceding verse.

Matthew 10:34. Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. A parallel passage in Luke (Luke 12:51), where the same thought is expressed somewhat differently. The best explanation of this verse can be given by the words of John Chrysostom: “But how did He Himself command them (the disciples), entering each house, to greet it with peace? Why also did the Angels sing: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace” (Luke 2:14)? Why also do all the prophets proclaim the same? Because it is then that peace is especially established, when what is infected by disease is cut off, when what is hostile is separated. Only in this way is it possible for heaven to be united with earth. For a doctor saves the remaining parts of the body when he cuts off an incurable limb from it; likewise a military commander restores tranquility when he destroys harmony among conspirators.” Further Chrysostom says: “Unanimity is not always good, and robbers are in agreement. Thus also warfare was the result not of Christ’s determination but of the action of the will of people themselves. Christ Himself wished that all be unanimous in the matter of piety, but as people divided among themselves, warfare ensued.”

Matthew 10:35. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; Matthew 10:36. and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. (Compare Luke 12:52-53). Here is expressed a thought which was probably well known to the Jews, because Christ’s words are a quotation from Mic 7:6: “For the son dishonors the father, and the daughter rises up against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the people of his own house”.

Matthew 10:37. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; (Compare Luke 14:26). In Luke the same thought is expressed, but much more forcefully. Instead of “whoever loves more” – “if anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children” and so forth. The expressions of both evangelists have been explained in the sense that here it is spoken of greater love for the Savior and in general, and when circumstances require it; for example, when His commandments do not accord with those nearest, when love for them would require breaking these commandments. Or love for Christ should be distinguished by such force that love for father, mother and others should seem in comparison with love for Christ to be dislike. It should be noted that these words remind one of Deut 33:9, where Levi “speaks of his father and mother: ‘I do not regard them’, and does not acknowledge his brothers, and does not know his sons; for the Levites guard your words and keep your covenant”; and Exod 32:26-29, where it is told of the slaughter of Israelites after the setting up of the golden calf, when each one killed his brother, friend, neighbor. Thus even in the Old Testament there is no lack of examples when the fulfillment of the commandments of the Lord required hatred and even killing of close ones. But one cannot, of course, think that Christ by His words inspires any hatred of the close and that this commandment of His is distinguished by any hardness. In life it is not at all unknown for cases when love for, say, friends exceeds love for the closest relatives. The words of the Savior indicate the divine and exalted self-consciousness of the Son of Man, and no one in sound judgment can say that He demanded here something exceeding human strength, immoral or unlawful.

Matthew 10:38. And whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (Compare Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). The real meaning of this saying is fully clear. To follow Christ means first of all to take up a cross. Here in the first time in the Gospel of Matthew is literal speech about a cross. The Savior Himself was already bearing this cross in secret at that time. The bearing of the cross by others is presupposed to be voluntary. There is no need to understand this expression literally. By a cross are meant sufferings in general. This expression is found also in Matt 16:24.

Matthew 10:39. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. (Compare Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24). Literally: “whoever finds his life… will find it.” Besides the mentioned passage, the saying in a somewhat changed form is found also in Matt 16:25; Luke 9:24; John 12:25.

Matthew 10:40. Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. The thought expressed in this verse indicates the divine self-consciousness of Christ, because under “the one who sent” one cannot understand anyone except God. It is repeated in various forms in Matthew and in the other Gospels (Matt 18:5; Mark 9:37; Luke 9:48; John 13:20).

Matthew 10:41. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous. The general sense of this expression is fairly clear. Whoever enters into communion with prophets receives the same reward that prophets receive, and whoever enters into communion with righteous people receives the same reward that righteous people receive. The reward here is presupposed to be, of course, that which is given by God. Not some material reward, but a spiritual one. The only difficult thing here is the expression: “in the name of a prophet” and: “in the name of a righteous person.” Why not simply: prophet and righteous person, but “in the name”? The Greek expression εἰς ὄνομα allows such a translation: whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet… and a righteous person as a righteous person and so forth. Incorrect Greek form, owing its origin to Hebrew “beshem” (Blass). Jerome paraphrases this expression thus: whoever receives a prophet as a prophet and understands him as speaking of the future, receives the reward of a prophet. Jews who understood the prophets in the strict sense will not receive the reward of prophets. In other words, in every profession the tares are mixed with the wheat. Explaining the same verse, Jerome further asks: “Therefore are we to receive even false prophets and Judas and provide them with support? Anticipating this, the Lord said earlier that it is necessary to receive not the persons but the names; and those who receive will not be deprived of rewards, even if the one they receive were not worthy.” Those receiving show that they obey God, as a prophet does. Similarly those receiving robbers receive the recompense appointed for robbers, coming into close connection with them. So it is done according to common law.

Matthew 10:42. “And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple – truly I tell you, he will certainly not lose his reward.” (Compare Mark 9:41). By “the little ones” here can be understood only the disciples being sent out on preaching, who by their development were for now similar to children. Even the smallest service rendered to them will not be forgotten, will not lose its reward. The importance of their work lends significance to even small services rendered to them. In conclusion, note that “only” should be connected with the words “a cup of cold water”, not with the words “because he is a disciple”.

Chapter Eleven

1–6. The question of the Baptist and the answer of Jesus Christ. – 7–15. Christ’s testimony about John the Baptist. – 16–19. Condemnation of unbelieving Jews. – 20–24. Condemnation of unbelieving cities. – 25–30. Speech to the troubled and burdened.

Matthew 11:1. Now when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and proclaim his message in their cities. This verse forms the conclusion of the preceding chapter and has little relation to chapter 11. Literally: “went (μετέβη) from there to teach and proclaim in their cities.” The expression “in their cities” should be understood in an indefinite sense, in the sense of Jewish cities in general.

Matthew 11:2. When John heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples The whole of chapter 11 has no parallels in Mark. The parallel passage is Matt 11:2-19 – Luke 7:18-35. Matt 11:2-3 has similarity with Luke 7:18-21; on the contrary, Matt 11:4-11 are literally similar to most of what is said in Luke 7:22-28. The verse in question from Matthew in Luke has this form: “and the disciples of John told him of all these things,” that is, about the miracles of Christ, and in particular about the raising of the widow of Nain’s son. Thus the information “about the deeds of Christ” John received from his own disciples. This was the external occasion for the embassy from John, although the true, or rather, secret motives for the embassy are not indicated. Where the meeting of the Savior with John’s disciples took place, the evangelists say nothing about this. But it is certain that it took place in the absence of the apostles. The imprisonment of the Baptist is presupposed as something known to the readers, and this was mentioned by Matthew earlier (Matt 4:12). John was imprisoned in Machaerus (Metropolitan Filaret), or, as others read, in Machar, about which Josephus speaks (“Antiquities of the Jews”, XVIII, 5, 2). By “deeds” of Christ are meant not only His teaching but His entire activity, which included His preaching. Instead of the Russian “of Christ’s” in some Greek texts – “of Christ” – the genitive with the article to denote a proper name. According to Alford, this shows that the deeds of Christ of which John was told were not the deeds of Him whom he knew only as Jesus, but – the deeds of the Redeemer-Christ. Therefore John now wished to assure himself of the identity of Jesus and Christ. But since in some ancient manuscripts and in Origen the word “Christ” is replaced by the word “Jesus”, it is clear that the ancients perhaps did not attach the significance to this that Alford does. One should only suppose that the use of the word “Christ” was not entirely accidental here. The deeds accomplished by Christ could not belong to anyone else except the true, genuine Christ whom they expected. In the reading of the further words there is a difference. Some read “sent by” (διά), others – “sent two” (δύο). This variant, of course, is best explained by the great similarity of these two words (διά and δύο). Further, the copyists could be influenced by the expression of Luke, who clearly has “two” (cf. Matt 18:19; Mark 11:1; Luke 10:1; John 8:17). Finally, the construction “sent by” is unusual. There would be no special need to discuss this difference in detail if the one or the other reading did not exert some influence on the sense and consequently on the interpretation of the passage in question. Namely, there is a great difference in whether John sent “two” disciples of his so that they, almost in their own name, should propose Christ a question; or to interpret the verse in such a way that John, having no opportunity to see Christ owing to his imprisonment in prison, sent to Him to ask “by” the disciples to resolve the misunderstandings that troubled John himself. In the first case, they wish to get an answer from Christ, and the disciples receive it; in the second case, they are only John’s agents and have no significance in themselves, resemble people who go to buy bread for others, themselves not being hungry at all. Of course, in correspondence with the testimony of Luke, we have full right to suppose that in the present case too there were two disciples. The expression διά itself has somewhat of a Hebrew character, sent “by the hands” of disciples, that is, by their mediation. Why some find “istherology” here is not entirely clear. The embassy could have taken place shortly before the martyrdom and death of the Baptist, probably in the 32nd year of Christ’s life, in the second year of His preaching, when He had already become famous for His teaching and miracles.

Matthew 11:3. and to say to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” (Compare Luke 7:19). Even in ancient times the question was raised, why, actually, John sent this embassy to Christ. One can say that, according to the general view of the ancient Church interpreters, John sent this embassy not for himself but only for the sake of his disciples. The disciples doubted Christ, and they were precisely the ones who were to be convinced of His worth as the Messiah. The representatives of the “orthodox” view on this subject – John Chrysostom, Jerome, Hilary, Euthymius Zigabenus, Theophylact and others. According to their opinion, John himself, having so many times testified confidently of Christ as the Lamb of God, could not have any doubts about Him. But since John’s disciples were not favorably disposed toward Christ and envied Him, in order to convert them, John sent them so that, seeing miracles, they would believe that Christ is greater than John. John does not question as one who does not know, because he himself pointed to the Savior at the time when others did not believe in Him (John 1:29; Matt 3:17). Just as the Savior asked to be shown the place where Lazarus was buried so that others would see the resurrected dead and thus believe, so John, facing death at the hands of Herod, now sends his disciples to Christ so that they, seeing on this occasion signs and powers, would believe in Him and, by proposing their teacher’s question, themselves learn. In more recent exegesis it is increasingly established that John himself doubted.

Matthew 11:4. Jesus answered them, Go and tell John what you hear and see: (Compare Luke 7:22). If Christ had answered that He is the Messiah, such an answer would in the present case be a testimony of Christ about Himself and would seem untrue. This prompted the Savior to give an indirect, though in no way evasive answer, to the disciples of John. There is no need to suppose that He intentionally performed for them the miracles of which it speaks further. Jesus Christ simply refers to them as a fact known to everyone, not excluding John himself. But this, of course, does not exclude the possibility that miracles were performed even before the eyes of the disciples (see Luke 7:21). Instead of theoretical proofs the Savior proposes evident truths – ἀκούετε καὶ βλέπετε (“what you hear and see”).

Matthew 11:5. the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. (Compare Luke 7:22). In one only manuscript D is omitted the expression “and the lame walk”; in many manuscripts “the dead are raised” is placed either after “the poor have good news brought to them” or the Greek ἐγείρονται is replaced by ἀνίστανται. Surveying the manuscript variants, we encounter here a very curious phenomenon indicating ancient corrections by copyists, which in different manuscripts sometimes omitted and sometimes added “and” (καὶ). The verse according to the best manuscripts reads as follows: “The blind receive their sight And the lame walk, The lepers are cleansed And the deaf hear, And the dead are raised, And the poor have good news brought to them.” In Luke (Luke 7:22) in the Greek (according to the best readings) there is not a single “and” except one placed before ἠκούσατε. The passage itself is taken from Isa 61:1. Whether the prophet (Isa 29:18-19) used the words “blind, deaf, lame and dumb” in the literal or figurative sense cannot be clarified. Matthew understood them in the literal sense. Jesus Christ speaks in the same sense (Zahn, 1905). With these words of the prophet He portrays here His own miraculous activity and sets it as proof of His messianic nature. The answer fits the Baptist’s question perfectly. The passage of Isaiah according to the LXX translation differs in expressions from the words of both evangelists and reads as follows: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because (οὗ ἕνεκεν) He anointed me to bring good news to himself (about myself) to the poor (εὐαγγελίσασθαι πτωχοῖς), He sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim to the captives deliverance and to the blind recovery of sight” (cf. Isa 35:3 and following). According to the translation from the Hebrew: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because He anointed me to bring good news to the poor, He sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim to the captives deliverance and to the prisoners – opening of the prison.” Both citations are changed by the evangelists so that the citation would fit the present case. The words “the poor have good news brought to them” are placed by them in the last place. Regarding this last expression it should be said that the Russian and Slavic translations (“the poor have good news brought to them”) are inaccurate and have no basis. “To bring good news” in Greek is εὐαγγελίζειν with the dative, not εὐαγγελίζεσθαι. If we translate the active voice into the passive, then the dative becomes the nominative, something like: “I am brought profit” (active) and “I profit” (passive). The verb εὐαγγελί- ζομαι is found in Matthew’s Gospel only here. For explanation of the construction the best illustration can serve Heb 4:2: “for the good news has come to us too” (namely the promise) (καὶ γάρ ἐσμεν εὐηγγελισμένοι), “like those, and those to whom it came before” (καὶ οἱ πρότερον εὐαγγελισθέντες) and so forth. It is true that εὐαγγελίζομαι can also be joined with the accusative case. But in the Hebrew text in Isaiah – “lebasser anawim”, where “anawim” (the poor) is the accusative, serves as a verification of the reading accepted – to bring good news to the poor. The Vulgate: pauperes evangelizantur; German translation: den Armen wird das Evangelium geprediget; English translation: and the poor have the gospel preached to them. Accurately, though not in Russian, one can translate: the poor have good news brought to them the poor are brought good news.

Matthew 11:6. “And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” (Compare Luke 7:23). “And blessed is anyone who is not scandalized because of me”, that is, because of My lowly, humiliated condition. In verse 5 Jesus Christ presented objective proofs of His messianic dignity, speaking of His deeds. In verse 6 He speaks of Himself. His words have a general sense.

Matthew 11:7. As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? (Compare Luke 7:24). The speech of the Savior in two evangelists is distinguished by almost literal similarity (instead of ἐξήλθατε in Luke is ἐκληλύθατε). “A reed shaken by the wind?” – a figurative expression to denote, by contrast, the character of John. The listeners of Christ could understand the words of the Savior only in the sense that if John sent His disciples to Him to, as it were, assure himself of His personality, this in no way meant that John wavered in his beliefs and convictions, like some little reed on the shores of the Dead Sea or the Galilean lake. Since John did not resemble a reed, in the minds of the listeners, by association, at once there could arise a picture of such a tree which does not bend before any gust of wind, does not yield to any storm. The storm would soon uproot such a man and he would die, but he would never waver while alive. Everything known about the Baptist shows that he was precisely such a man and that the words of Christ were a completely clear and exact characterization of this great personality. John proposed his question because he did not waver in his harsh, ascetic views of life and the Messiah Himself.

Matthew 11:8. What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. (See Luke 7:25). Having posed a question in the preceding verse, the Savior leaves it unanswered. But this answer from the people may be implied—to the question of verse 7 the people could only have answered: no, we went into the wilderness to look not at a reed being swayed by the wind. But then why did you go? To see a man clothed in soft garments? Thus according to the best readings. The negatory answers to these questions are merely supposed, although the addition: “those who wear soft garments are in the palaces of kings,” serves to confirm the validity of the supposed negatory answers. The repetition of such questions serves here to strengthen the speech, presents the truth from different sides, and in antiquity was used by the greatest masters of the art of oratory. But John was not a man who clothed himself in soft garments. Why? Because such people live in the palaces of kings. That this was so was clear to all. John lived not in the palaces of kings, but in the wilderness and then in prison. In the wilderness he did not resemble a reed and did not sway like it; and although the prison was connected with the palace, it was quite unlike a royal palace. John’s life was so austere that in no way could he be considered a man of luxury.

Matthew 11:9. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. (See Luke 7:26). The meaning of Christ’s words is sufficiently clear. The Savior asks again: but then why did you go (into the wilderness)? To see a prophet? Here a positive answer is assumed: yes, a prophet. But the person whom the people went to see is greater than a prophet (Vulgate: plus quam prophetam). The considerations that John himself did not consider himself a prophet (John 1:21) because of humility, and that a prophet in the proper sense is one who predicts the future, like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the other prophets, whereas John did not predict the future Christ but rather pointed to one already come—these considerations hardly apply, not to mention that this opinion is incorrect in itself, because prediction of the future was only one aspect of the activity of the Old Testament prophets. In Jewish public opinion, prophets were highly valued, though not by all. In saying that the Baptist is greater than a prophet, the Savior expresses to him before the people the highest praise. But that is not all. The future here seems to draw close to the present. If John had been only a prophet, then, like the prophets, he would have looked upon the Savior as the forerunner of the future Messiah. But the Baptist is greater than a prophet. He himself is none other than the Forerunner, sent to prepare the way for the Messiah.

Matthew 11:10. For this is he of whom it is written: behold, I send my angel before your face, who will prepare your way before you. (See Luke 7:27). This verse contains the exposition of the reason why John should be considered greater than a prophet. John is not only a prophet, but also a messenger before the face of God. This thought is confirmed by a citation from Mal 3:1, which presents enormous exegetical interest. The fact is that this citation in the three evangelists is given differently both from the Seventy’s translation and from the Hebrew text. In the Seventy: “Behold I send forth my angel, and he will examine the way before my face,”—literally: “behold, I send (dispatch) my angel, and he will examine the path before my face.” The Seventy’s text nearly agrees with the Hebrew original (“behold, I send my angel, and he will prepare (clear) the way before me”). But, as can be seen, Matthew’s ἐξαποστέλλω from the Seventy is changed to ἀποστέλλω; instead of “before my face” or “before me”—“before your face” is put, ὅς is placed instead of καί; instead of ἐπιβλέψεται from the Seventy, κατασκευάσει is placed. If such changes in the prophet’s words existed only in Matthew, they could be explained by quoting from memory, lapsus memoriae, etc. But the matter is that this same citation is repeated almost verbatim in agreement with Matthew in Mark and Luke (Mark 1:2 and Luke 7:27), and moreover with the same changes. The most important of the changes, to which particular attention should be given, concerns the pronoun “me,” which in all evangelists is replaced by the word “you.” But in the Old Testament there is also another similar citation in Exod 23:20: “and behold I send my angel before your face so that he will guard you on the way.” Here the LXX translation agrees with the Hebrew text: “behold I send an angel before you to keep you on your way,” and so forth. This latter place does not contain in the proper sense a prophecy, but only a promise of protection for the Hebrews on the path through the Sinai Peninsula. If the cited places in the Gospels were taken only from here, then it would be hard to explain the μήπως appearing in Mark ὡς γέγραπται ἐν τοῖς προφήταις (Mark 1:2)—it is said that the citation is taken not from one prophet but from several (however, it must be said that such a reading in Mark is not recognized as correct by the newest exegetes). Therefore, they accept that the direct reference in the Gospels is to Mal 3:1, and the place from Exod 23:20 influenced the change in the evangelists of “me” to “you” and so forth. Furthermore, since the expressions from the prophet in the three Gospels are given identically, it is concluded from this that they were spoken by Christ Himself and recorded exactly as they came from His own lips. In other words, the Savior here Himself changed the first person of the original prophecy to the second—σου. He did so by applying what the prophet Malachi had said to Himself in the dignity of Messiah. The existence of the citation in an identically changed form in three evangelists shows that it was in circulation in Christian circles of the early Church and precisely in a form slightly different from the Seventy and the Hebrew, with the replacement of “before me” by the expression “before you.” In this citation the word “angel” should be understood in the sense of “messenger,” and moreover not as a disembodied being but as a man. Similar usage of the word is found in other places, for example in Rev 1:20. Thus, according to the words of the Savior, John is not only a prophet but is himself the subject and fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy, and precisely such a one as relates to the manifestation of God to His people in the end.

Matthew 11:11. Truly I say to you: among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has arisen; but the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than him. In Luke (Luke 7:28)—somewhat shorter and clearer: “among (ἐν—among) those born of women there is no prophet greater than John the Baptist.” The phrase “no prophet,” seemingly eliminates the interpretation of Matthew’s words in the sense of “no man.” But one can interpret it so that Matthew’s generalization does not contradict the more specific meaning of Luke’s expression, because if among those born of women none was greater than John the Baptist, then clearly none, not even a prophet, was greater than him. Instead of “in the Kingdom of Heaven” (in Matthew)—in Luke “in the Kingdom of God.” With the exception of these words, the last sentence agrees literally (according to the Greek text) in both evangelists. The expression “among those born of women” is found in the Old Testament (Job 14:1; cf. Gal 4:4). The further words of Matthew: “but the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than him,” have from ancient times been subjected to great interpretations, which is explained by the considerable difficulty of the expression. According to the interpretation of John Chrysostom, by the least in the Kingdom of Heaven the Savior understood Himself, as younger in age (κατὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν) compared to John, and even lesser “in the opinion of many” (κατὰ τὴν πολλὴν δόξαν). In this, Chrysostom refutes the opinions of those who interpreted the expression as referring either to apostles or to angels. This, according to Chrysostom, is unjust. If the Savior had spoken here about apostles, what would have prevented Him from naming them? Then Chrysostom resolves the question by introducing considerations about the humility which Christ showed everywhere in His activity. In a similar spirit, Theophylact explains this place, saying that Christ was lesser than John in age and in the opinion of His listeners, but greater than him in relation to spiritual and heavenly blessings. Later exegetes understood here the very least Christian in the Kingdom of Heaven, that is, in the Church, or a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. Bengel says that Johannes nondum erat in regno coelorum, sed praeibat—John was not yet in the Kingdom of Heaven but was only the forerunner. There is the well-known saying: “minimum maximi majus est maximo minimi.” The sense is that John was maximus in minimo (in the Old Testament), while the Christian is minimus in maximo (in the New Testament) and therefore greater than John. Here the Savior calls John by name and then applies other designations to him—Baptist and prophet—for the first time.

Matthew 11:12. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven is seized by force, and those using force seize it, (See Luke 16:16). Verses 12–15, difficult to explain, serve as a link between verse 11 and verse 16. By the “days of John the Baptist” is meant the time of his emergence into preaching. The words “Kingdom of Heaven” are used here, obviously, in the sense of “the Kingdom of God, established by the Savior on earth.” Chrysostom interprets this verse thus: “The Savior compels and drives His listeners to faith in Him through these words and at the same time confirms what he said earlier about John. Indeed, if everything was fulfilled before John, then that means I am the one coming. For all, he says, the prophets and the law prophesied before John. The prophets, consequently, would not have ceased appearing if I had not come. So do not stretch your hopes into the distance and do not expect another (Messiah). That I am the one coming is evident both from the fact that the prophets ceased to appear and from the fact that with each day faith in Me grows; it has become so clear and evident that many seize it. But who, you might ask, has seized it? All those who come to Me with zeal.”

Matthew 11:13. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. Since γάρ (for) is placed at the beginning of this verse, it means that it contains proof of the preceding verse. The sense is that the new people who forcibly enter the kingdom are not like the prophets—they were messengers of its assault and plunder, as was John himself. The word “until” here denotes terminus ad quem; in the words “from the days of John” (verse 12) the terminus a quo, a time following the first. Thus the course of events is presented in reverse chronological order. What occurred later is presented first, and vice versa. First an indication of New Testament events, then of Old Testament ones. First a brief designation of the New Testament movement of people toward the Kingdom of God, then of the Old Testament prophecy about this Kingdom. The personality and activity of John are placed as it were in the interval, whether we take as the beginning of this activity the time of John’s emergence into preaching or the time of his birth. The correct chronological order is: 1) prophets before John; 2) John; 3) the coming of the New Testament. The characteristic of the first point is that the prophets prophesied before John. But is this correct? It is usually accepted that prophecy ceased among the Jews from the time of Malachi. Harnack’s objection, that prophecy existed among the Jews until the time of the Savior (John, the prophetess Anna), in any case does not contradict the words of the Savior. One can, first, think that if prophets existed, they did not have the significance and renown as before Malachi (οἱ προφῆται). Second, the determination of time cannot be considered precise. Third, the general fact remains true, that prophets prophesied about the Kingdom before John, while John himself (and with him other New Testament prophets) was already a “messenger” and above all the Old Testament prophets. The simplest way to understand the matter is to draw a distinction between prophecy about future activity and that activity itself. The prophets only prophesied about the activity that began from the days of John. John himself became greater than the prophets, but did not rise to the full understanding of the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven, although he was the greatest of the prophets and those born of women. Thus, the verse in question actually presents itself as the finest transition to the following verse 14. Schematically the entire course of speech in verses 9–14 is as follows. Verse 9: John is more than a prophet, because he is the fulfillment of prophecy. A prophet predicts the future. At John’s time began what he preached. He announced the Messiah and at the same time prepared His way. Verse 10: he was thus a messenger, predicted by Malachi. Verse 11: therefore he was the greatest of men. But although in some sense the Kingdom began at his time, he stood outside it. The very least in this Kingdom has more privileges than he, because (verse 12) since the time of his preaching, people have been able, in some sense, to be within the Kingdom. News of its coming has penetrated into life with all the force and energy of a spiritual movement, and men and women with burning enthusiasm desire to enter it. Verses 13–14: the prophets before John foretold this Kingdom, and moreover the law, that is, all Holy Scripture, testified to the same. But when John came, prophecy ended and fulfillment began. Because John was the predicted Elijah. But is it really true from the words of Christ that the law appeared after the prophets? This, of course, can only be a question. One can explain the verse so that closer to the time of John the prophets prophesied, and earlier than the prophets—the law. In this regard, it should be noted that the Savior speaks not of the persons of the prophets but of their writings. That they could render this service naturally happened since they were written, and to this the word πάντες points, which seems to relate not only to the word “prophets” but also to the word “law,” that is, all prophesied: both the prophets and the law. It is certain that with John the prediction ceased; he did not predict; he did not point, like all prophets before him, to the future day; he spoke of the present, not of the future, spoke of Him who had already come, with whom the Kingdom of Heaven had come. From the time of John, the language of God’s messengers suddenly changed; prophecy became Gospel, testimony of the future was replaced by testimony of the present.

Matthew 11:14. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who was to come. First of all, we must examine the meaning of the words “if you are willing to accept.” They constitute a clear limitation of the expression “he (John) is Elijah,” which without them would be entirely categorical. Why then was “if you are willing to accept” (δέξασται) added, rather than—“understand”? Obviously, because Christ expressed here a thought entirely new to His listeners, who themselves did not identify John with Elijah. The words of Christ are a simple qualification, made in view of the fact that His statement about John as Elijah might seem strange to His listeners. It means: if you can trust Me, if you can rely on My words, then John is Elijah. John is above the prophets and those born of women. He is Elijah, but not the one known from the Old Testament, but a new, coming one, who was to come. There is an obvious reference to Mal 4:5. This expression cannot be understood to mean: “if you desire to receive from Me information, then I will give it.” The word “he” (αὐτός) clearly points to John. Before “Elijah” there is no article, as in all other places in the New Testament where the name Elijah appears. In general, the use of the article before proper names in the New Testament is very indefinite, “here there is great, often untranslatable subtlety of language” (Blass). It can hardly be said that the omission of the article occurred because here is a figurative expression (antonomasia—Bengel), when a proper name has the appearance of a common noun. John is called Elijah, of course, because he resembled the actual Elijah in his outward appearance and in the force of his denunciatory preaching. But this was a “second” Elijah, predicted, Elijah “in a spiritual sense.” John did not consider himself a prophet. He had as it were a double prophetic spirit and was above the Old Testament prophets. If by “prophets” and “law” one understands the writings of the prophets and the written law, then John left no writings. In the words “who was to come” (one cannot translate: intending to come, or having come) can be found a reference to the then current Jewish beliefs about Elijah, who was to appear before the coming of the Messiah. On the basis of Mal 4:5-6, already Jesus, son of Sirach, supposed that Elijah would accomplish the work of restoration: “You are destined for rebukes in your own time, to turn back the wrath before it breaks out in fury, to turn the heart of the father to the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob” (Sir 48:10). This idea is common in later Jewish literature. To what has been said, it only remains to add that verse 14 in Matthew is the only place where this appears and is not found anywhere else.

Matthew 11:15. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! It is thought that the words “he who has ears (plural), let him hear” were a proverb. In these words the listeners should have seen that Christ called John Elijah not personally, but in spirit. But Alford sees here an even deeper meaning: “if John the Baptist is Elijah, and Elijah is the forerunner of the coming Lord, then be assured that the Lord has already come.”

Matthew 11:16. But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to their companions, (See Luke 7:31-32). The connection of this verse with the preceding is found in the fact that after praise of John as the one destined to come and the expected Elijah, the Savior contrasts with such ideal views of John the actual behavior toward him of his fellow countrymen, who did not wish to recognize either John or the Savior Himself. People of this “generation” have ears to hear and do not hear. They do not understand and do not accept what is said to them; they are whimsical, like children playing in marketplaces, and full of prejudices. According to some interpreters, by children one should understand all γενεά—generation, the whole then current Jewish people in its mass, who is reproached for its unprincipled, whimsical behavior.

Matthew 11:17. saying: we played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge for you, and you did not mourn. Compare Luke 7:32—almost verbatim the same, only ἐκόψασθε (Matthew) is replaced in Luke with ἐκλαύσατε. The sense of the verse is as follows: this generation is like a crowd of angry children who does nothing rightly; one half wants one thing, another—another. ἐκόψασθε, when they struck themselves on the chest, was considered a sign of sorrow.

Matthew 11:18. For John came neither eating nor drinking; and they say: he has a demon. (See Luke 7:33). In Luke the speech is in the second person: you “say.” Instead of ἦλθεν—ἐλήλυθεν. Βαπτιστής in Matthew is omitted, also ἄρτον and οἶνον. However, by sense the expressions agree.

Matthew 11:19. The Son of Man came eating and drinking; and they say: behold, a man who loves to eat and drink wine, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. And wisdom is vindicated by her deeds. (See Luke 7:34-35). Like in verse 16, there are many variant readings here. “Tax collectors (tax collectors) a friend” and “a friend of tax collectors”; “from all deeds”; instead of “deeds” in some codices “children”—“vindicated from her children” (or as in the Russian translation); instead of “say” in Luke “you say,” as in verse 18; “wisdom is vindicated by her children”—in Luke “by all her children.” According to Chrysostom, the Savior, “having allowed John to shine forth by fasting, Himself chose the opposite path: He participated in the meals of tax collectors and ate and drank with them.” “Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” What does this mean? The expression has caused almost endless difficulties for commentators. First, it was difficult to explain the “and” (καί) instead of “but”; “vindicated” (ἐδικαιώθη) instead of the present tense—“is vindicated” (δικαιοῦται); “from her children” instead of “by her children.” And then, to what wisdom does the Savior refer here? To what vindication? What connection do these words have with the preceding? To resolve these questions, first of all, one must establish how one should read in Matthew “from children” or “from deeds.” In Jerome’s time the reading “from deeds” was found only in some codices. To the opinion that before the fourth century there are no traces of the reading “from children,” one cannot agree. In the parallel place in Luke (Luke 7:35), the word τέκνων is undoubtedly placed. But Zahn accepts ἔργων and proposes a clever hypothesis about how the word τέκνων appeared over time in Matthew. The reason for this was the similarity of Hebrew words “eved”—slave (hence—son, child, τέκνων) and “avoda” (from “avaḏ”—to work)—deed, occupation. Thus, in the Aramaic original, copyists could have read both “her (wisdom’s) deeds” and “her slaves” (servants). And the difference in the pronunciation of these words, says Zahn, is not so great as to make such a substitution impossible, which is found in other places, for example, in the 1st Letter to the Corinthians of Clement of Rome (39: 4). The correct translation of abdeh would be οἱ παῖδες (more common than δοῦλοι) αὐτῆς, not τέκνα. The newest exegetes accept τέκνων, but not all. Morison reproaches Tischendorf for his partiality to the Sinai and Vatican codices and says that the expression ἔργων “has no sense.” But Holtzmann, accepting ἔργων, believes that the meaning of the expression is as follows: the wise are known by their deeds. This is the meaning of the word δικαιοῦν—to recognize or consider just (cf. Matt 12:37; Luke 7:29 (Greek); Luke 10:29). By ἔργα here one should not understand “wondrous deeds,” but precisely the outward form of life, on which depends the judgment of the crowd. The meaning of the expression is that the work of the life of John and the Savior vindicate their behavior, and by this the wisdom of God is vindicated, which sent and guided them.

Matthew 11:20. Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: This verse is not in Luke. The following verses are found in Luke 10, but in a completely different context. According to Luke, Christ spoke these words when the seventy apostles were sent out to preach. Various interpreters have tried to explain why Matthew placed them here. It was thought, for example, that this speech was delivered twice, because if one and the same evangelist sometimes repeats the same utterances, then there is nothing surprising if they appear in different contexts in different evangelists. As one should think, the connection with the preceding is that from the general denunciation of the Jews the Savior now turned to denunciations of them individually, namely to the cities in which He had performed especially many miracles, the inhabitants of which, however, did not repent.

Matthew 11:21. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes, (See Luke 10:13). In the word “woe” is heard sorrow, as well as indignation. The Greek οὐαί is translated as “alas” in Rev 18:10. The parallel place in Luke 10:13 (in the speech when the seventy apostles are sent to preach), nearly verbatim the same, with the addition of καθήμενοι after ἐν σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ. And in general, Matt 11:21-23 closely resembles Luke 10:13-15. Saint John Chrysostom explains this place thus: “But so that you might be assured that the inhabitants of these cities were evil not by nature, He mentions such a city from which five apostles originated; namely, from Bethsaida came Philip and the four first-called apostles.” By his words also, “the Savior adjoins to these cities Sodom not without reason, but to increase the condemnation. Truly, the strongest proof of the evil of the Jews is that they turn out to be worse not only than their contemporaries, but than all the evil people who ever existed.” The first city named in this denunciation is Chorazin. It is mentioned only in Matt 11:21 and Luke 10:13. In manuscripts and in the Church Fathers there is much variety in the reading (Chorazeni, Choraim, Chorazaim, Corazaim, Corazain, Choraze, Chorazan). The location of this city is not precisely known. It is difficult to determine especially now, when the local inhabitants and Arabs point out to travelers and researchers different places, about which it is hard to say that it was Chorazin. Most likely is the identification of Chorazin with the ruins of Kerazeh, or Kerasseh, because of the similarity of this name to Chorazin. The ruins are visible even now a few versts to the north of Tell-Huma. Here is how one of the newest travelers who visited this place describes this locality. “Kerazeh is located in a desolate place; there are so many stones here that my horse found it difficult to move along them. The ruins occupy as much space as in Tell-Huma, and are located partly in a dry ravine and partly on the ridge of a hill, formed by a sharp turn of a wadi. What prompted people to build a city in such a place is difficult to understand. Like the stones lying here, the ruins are of black lava, and therefore they are easily overlooked, but few of them draw attention to themselves. There are, for example, remains of a synagogue with elegantly hewn Corinthian capitals of hard black basalt, thresholds, door frames, hewn stones, tops of columns, and one large round stone, resembling a millstone, about four feet thick and wide, once a roller in an olive press for grinding berries and pressing out oil. Now there are no olives here, only a few fig trees grow near the graves of two Arab sheikhs. But especially striking is the characteristic of this terrible place by several houses, very probably existing also in the time of the Savior, which stand now as if just built. Their walls are about six feet high, about two feet thick; in some cases the stones are fitted without mortar, in others they are beautifully bonded with cement. In the middle of one of the sides is a wide door and one or two windows in each house, but only about a foot high and half a foot wide. One or two stone pillars stand inside in the middle, supporting a flat roof, but the houses are almost all very small, in some there are two rooms, but mostly only one, although there are one or two houses, divided into four small chambers. From the middle of this place flows a stream, near a tree at the Arab graves, but this is the only living thing we saw. To the north there remained traces of a paved road connecting the city with the large Damascus caravan road.” If it is difficult to determine where Chorazin was, it is no less difficult to determine the location of Bethsaida. Schürer (Geschichte) says that the question of whether the New Testament Bethsaida is identical with the Bethsaida of Julius, which recently stirred up numerous disputes, cannot now be resolved (II, 208–209). Like Chorazin, Bethsaida is written in different ways: Bethsaidān, Betsaida, Bethsaida. The first reading in Matthew in the best manuscripts. The most probable assumption is that in the time of Christ there were two Bethsaidas, eastern, or rather northeastern (from the Sea of Galilee), and western, and that in Christ’s speech one speaks of western Bethsaida, which was a suburb of Capernaum. The very name of Bethsaida long ceased to attract the attention of travelers. The earliest historical mention of it is in Jerome, but he provides no more information about it than can be drawn from the New Testament. Dr. Robinson is deeply convinced that the various identifications of Bethsaida with Irbid, Khan-Minia, Magdalene (Magdala), and Ain-Tabiga were only due to the impressions of the moment. He carefully inquired of the natives on the shore of the lake, but no Muslim knew of such a name or one similar to it. Christians of Nazareth and Tiberias, it is true, were familiar with the name Bethsaida, like Christians in Capernaum, from the New Testament, and they apply it to different places, depending on how the local monks teach them or how they find it best and most convenient to answer travelers. Tyre and Sidon are well-known Phoenician cities on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, in Phoenicia. The cause of “woe” lies in the fact that these cities did not repent. The expression is too general. It is not known for what exactly these cities were struck by punishment. Since idolatry flourished in Tyre and Sidon, and along with it pagan debauchery, then in Chorazin and Bethsaida, as one should think, an even greater debauchery was spread. Tyre and Sidon here are indirectly rebuked for their debauched life. But even they would have repented if there had been the same preaching in them as was heard on the streets of Chorazin and Bethsaida. The more, therefore, is the sin of the condemned Jewish cities, in which there was not only preaching but also many “mighty works,” that is, miracles and signs. “Sackcloth and ashes” indicate the expression of sorrow accompanying the repentance of the Jews, who had such a custom.

Matthew 11:22. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. (See Luke 10:14). If the same mighty works that were done in Chorazin and Bethsaida had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But Bethsaida and Chorazin did not repent. Therefore, “woe” is pronounced upon them, whatever it might consist of. But “besides that” (πλήν), the Savior wishes to say something more. Not ordinary, customary human woe will befall these cities, but such that in the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for them.

Matthew 11:23. And you, Capernaum, exalted to heaven, you will be brought down to Hades, for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day; (See Luke 10:15). Capernaum was exalted to heaven—presumably because of the activity of Christ, His teaching, which, however, did not produce the proper effect on the inhabitants of this city and the proper influence. The expression “you will be brought down to Hades” according to one interpretation means “you will be cast down to Hades, because you acted very haughtily toward My preaching.” According to another—“since you were exalted to heaven because of My stay with you, My signs and activity, since you have such privileges, you will be struck by numerous punishments because you did not want to believe them” (Jerome). It is hardly correct to think that the Savior does not speak here of the temporal destruction of Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazin, although they now do not exist (Meyer). The expression seems to be a reminder of Isa 14:13 (LXX), εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναβήσομαι εἰς ᾅδην (εἰς ἅδον—in the Sinai and Alexandrian codices) καταβήσῃ. Ἅιδης is the “Sheol” of the Hebrews, the dwelling of the dead until the Messianic judgment. They represented it as a dark dungeon located in the depths of the earth, with strong gates, and believed that it receives all the dead and returns none, until its bonds are broken in the last day (cf. Job 10:21 sqq.; Job 17:16; Ps 29:4; Prov 23:14; Rev 1:18 sqq.).

Matthew 11:24. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. The parallel in Luke 10:12 provides important help for explaining the difference between “you” and “you” (singular) appearing here in Matthew. The word “you” (singular) in Luke corresponds to “that city.” Therefore, the explanation of Euthymius Zigabenus is correct, that the word “you” (plural) in Matthew refers to the listeners of Christ, while the word “you” (singular)—to Capernaum. “The land of Sodom”—so-called metonymy. Thus the word “cup” is often used instead of the words “wine in the cup” (Luke 22:20; John 18:11; 1 Cor 11:25). In the first comparison (verses 21–22) Jewish continental cities are contrasted with maritime pagan ones; in the second (verses 23–24)—a city standing on the shore of the Sea of Galilee is contrasted with a city that stood where the Dead Sea was formed. In the first comparison, simultaneous facts are taken; in the second—facts separated by a considerable time.

Matthew 11:25. At that time, continuing His speech, Jesus said: I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants; (See Luke 10:21). According to some, the words “at that time” here simply indicate some indefinite time and the speech in verse 25 has no connection with the preceding. Confirmation of such an opinion is sought in the fact that the words of verse 25 agree closely with Luke 10:21, spoken upon the return of the seventy apostles from preaching. How it was in reality, one cannot now say. But, in any case, the reader cannot free himself from the impression that the utterances placed in Matthew and Luke were spoken once, and the connection given by Luke is somewhat more understandable than in Matthew. Matthew replaces “in that hour” (Luke 10:21) with the expression “at that time” and instead of the words “rejoiced in spirit” writes “said,” “answered” (ἀποκριθείς). But to what exactly he answered remains unclear. This latter expression is considered a Hebraism, found in other places of the Old and New Testaments. In this, it is not at all necessary that there be questions earlier and ἀποκριθείς was the exposition of an answer to them. It simply begins a new speech (cf. Deut 21:7; Job 3:2; Isa 14:10). The Greek word translated into Russian as “praise,” means properly “I confess.” But as Augustine notes, this does not at all mean here a confession of sin—confession is appropriate not only to a sinner, but sometimes also to one rendering praise. We confess either praising God or accusing ourselves. The Savior in Matthew here calls God His Father for the first time. To the word Father is added “Lord of heaven and earth,” probably in order to show that upon the will of God, as Master of the world, depends the concealment of “this” (ταῦτα) from the wise and intelligent and so forth. In the connection given by Matthew, if it exists at all, ταῦτα implies the “mighty works,” not recognized by the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum in their true significance, and the paths of divine wisdom, which the Jews did not understand. The verbs “hid” and “revealed” are placed in the aorist to express the thought that the reference relates to past time, to the past activity of the Master of the world. Wise and intelligent here are called people who have adopted false wisdom and at the same time lost common sense. Being devoted to their false wisdom, and along with it their false doctrines and proud of their wisdom, they do not know and cannot understand the simple mysteries or truths of the Kingdom of God, revealed to people with pure hearts, who resemble infants.

Matthew 11:26. Yes, Father! For such was your good pleasure. (See Luke 10:21). Ναί (in the Russian Bible—“yes”) means “yes.” Father—by sense the vocative case, but in the Greek text the nominative is placed instead of the vocative. Instead of the vocative, they eagerly used (already in Homer) the nominative, in the New Testament in adjectives without a noun. Especially uncommon is in the vocative θεέ (cf. ὁ δεσπότης—Rev 6:10; βασιλεύς—Rev 15:3; Matt 27:29—codices BD and others, βασιλεῦ, etc.). Literally one could translate: “yes, Father, (You hid… and… revealed), because so was the good pleasure (desire) before You.” But if correctly—a literal Russian translation is impossible here. The words έμπροσθέν σου refer to εὐδοκία: if it was so and not otherwise, it was because this was pleasing to You. In Luke 10:21 only εὐδοκία and ἐγένετο are rearranged, one in place of the other.

Matthew 11:27. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. (See Luke 10:22—with a slight difference in expressions). The thought is expressed in an extraordinarily delicate connection with the preceding verse and in general with what was spoken earlier. The Savior speaks here as if saying: “You gave infants understanding of mysteries and hid them from the wise and intelligent. I know these mysteries because all else has been given to Me by My Father. From these mysteries, the most important—the knowledge of the Son (understanding of all His activity, all His teaching, and His very being) and the knowledge of the Father. And both are incomprehensible to ordinary people: no one knows the Son except the Father, and so forth.” Remarkably, already in ancient times attempts were made to somewhat change this verse. It seemed inconsistent that here one speaks first of the Son, whom the Father knows; one would think it should be the opposite. Therefore, rearrangements are found in Justin (Dialogus cum Tryphone, 100 and Apologia, I, 63), Tertullian (Adversus Marciohem, IV, 25). In Irenaeus (Adversus haereses, I, 13, 2) there is also a reverse order, but in 4, 11, 1 he says: hi autem, qui peritiores apostolis volunt esse sic describunt: Nemo cognovit patrem nisi filius, nec filium nisi pater et cui voluerit filius revelare (people who wish to be more clever than the apostles write as follows: no one knew the Father except the Son, and the Son except the Father, and to whom the Son wished to reveal). From the words of the Savior it is evident that the knowledge of the Father (like that of the Son) is not impossible, but is imparted only to those to whom the Son wishes to reveal it. There is a certain mystery here, understandable only to people who love the Son and to whom the Son responds with the same love.

Matthew 11:28. Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest; This and the following verses to the end of the chapter have neither the slightest parallels in all the other evangelists and appear only in Matthew. The speech in the original is characterized by extraordinary softness and love, but at the same time by extraordinary energy and brevity. There is here the depth of theological thought, reminiscent of the Gospel of John and bringing it closer to the Gospel of Matthew. Instead of the less vivid ἔρχεσθε—the imperative δεῦτε, untranslatable in translations and meaning “here, to Me!” The words spoken here by the Savior would be blasphemy if spoken by the mouth of an ordinary man. But on the lips of the Son of Man they are natural. “The small word ‘all’ has vast significance.” This is the most important and final answer to the question: σὺ εἶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος… δεῦτε πρός με πάντες. These words recall Isa 45:22, where a similar speech is put in the mouth of the Lord Himself. But even greater similarity is observed with several places in the book of Jesus, son of Sirach (cf. Matt 11:25 = Sir 51:1; Matt 11:28 = Sir 51:31; Matt 11:29 = Sir 51:34-35, in the text of the Seventy according to Tischendorf’s edition, the verse count is different).

Matthew 11:29. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls; Christ probably has in mind here not only “heavy burdens and difficult to bear,” which were laid upon the people by the then Pharisaic teachers, but also in general all sorts of teachings and obligations imposed by whatever teachers, not only those having no connection with Him, but also those expressing to Him feigned devotion. The burden of Christ is easy and His yoke is good, while the burden imposed by all other teachers, if they themselves are not disciples and do not take upon themselves the burden of Christ, is always heavy.

Matthew 11:30. For my yoke is good, and my burden is light. In examining this verse, the following questions were proposed: how can the yoke of Christ be good and His burden light, when He Himself said that “narrow are the gates and narrow the path leading to life” (Matt 7:14)? To this question it was answered that what seems narrow at first becomes pleasant with the passage of time because of inexhaustible love. In such a spirit, Augustine and some later exegetes answer this question.

Chapter Twelve

1–8. The disciples pluck ears of grain on the Sabbath.—9–14. The healing of a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath and the denunciation of the Pharisees.—15–21. Fulfillment of the prophecy concerning Christ from Isaiah.—22–37. Denunciation of the Pharisees on account of the accusation regarding dealings with Beelzebul.—38–45. Answer to the request for a sign.—46–50. The mother and brothers of Christ.

Matthew 12:1. At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath; his disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears of grain and to eat. (See Mark 2:23; Luke 6:1). Essentially the account in the three evangelists is the same, but in the expressions there is a noticeable difference. The expression “at that time” here should be considered as indefinite as other similar expressions already examined (“then,” “in those days,” etc.). They serve here more for the connection of speech than for the designation of time, and there is no need to suppose that Matt 12:1-8 occurred “at that time” or immediately after the speeches of Christ expounded at the end of chapter 11. According to many interpreters, the events which Matthew here narrates occurred either shortly before the second Passover of Christ’s ministry (year 2 of Christ’s ministry, by our count the year 28), or soon after it. If it was the barley harvest, it would be shortly before Passover; if wheat, soon after Passover. Thus, at this Passover the Savior was not in Jerusalem. A whole year remained until the death of the Savior. On the basis of Luke’s account (ἐν σαββάτῳ δευτεροπρώτῳ) some think that this occurred on the first Sabbath after Passover of the year 28. Jesus Christ traveled with His disciples through grain fields on the Sabbath. It is hardly likely that this journey through the fields was undertaken with the intention of showing that the Savior violates (λύων) the paternal laws, and that the disciples would violate the law concerning the Sabbath by eating (Theophylact). Just as there is no need to suppose that with Jesus Christ besides the disciples, there also went a great multitude of people. The plucking of the ears of grain by the disciples occurred “on the Sabbaths” (τοῖς σάββασιν)—in Greek the plural. But, as Zahn shows, the term “sabbath” and “sabbaths” was used indifferently, which is evident from Matt 12:1; Mark 1:21; Luke 13:10; Acts 17:2.

Matthew 12:2. But the Pharisees, seeing this, said to him: behold, your disciples are doing what is not permissible to do on the Sabbath. (See Mark 2:24; Luke 6:2). The plucking of ears of grain was not only not forbidden in the law as theft or appropriation of another’s property, but was directly permitted (Deut 23:25). The Pharisees, therefore, accused the disciples not of plucking ears of grain and eating, but of doing so on the Sabbath. In the Talmud this is clearly prohibited. Plucking and rubbing the ears of grain to separate the grain from the husk was equated to threshing grain, which was one of the 39 ordinary types of work forbidden on the Sabbath (listed in Perferkovitch. Talmud. Vol. II. Tractate Shabbat, VII, 2, p. 44). The Pharisees, obviously, were watching the Savior, though from the tone of the Gospel account one might judge that this particular encounter had somewhat of a chance character. The assumption that plucking ears of grain was forbidden until the first sheaf of the harvest was presented in the temple, is not based on anything. The disciples of Christ, as is evident from His further words, were hungry and therefore began to pluck ears of grain. The word “doing” refers not to “eating” (verse 1) but to the plucking of ears of grain.

Matthew 12:3. But he said to them: have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those with him? Matthew 12:4. How he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or those with him to eat, but only for the priests? (See Mark 2:25-26; Luke 6:3-4). In Mark and Luke this is reported similarly, with only minor differences in wording that do not alter the meaning of the speech. The Saviour in His answer to the Pharisees (and He answered—Luke) refers to the well-known history set forth in 1 Sam 21:2-6 about how David, fleeing from Saul, came to Nob, where the tabernacle was at that time (Schenkel), and asked the priest Ahimelech (thus in the Hebrew text; in the Septuagint—Abimelech, not Abiathar, as in Mark 2:26) to give bread to him and those with him, because they were all hungry. Notably, the priest Ahimelech, in answering David’s request, doubted its lawfulness, but not because it was on the Sabbath (1 Sam 21:4). However, some think that David’s meeting with Ahimelech occurred on the Sabbath and that the newly baked showbread had just been laid on the table in the tabernacle. In proof they cite 1 Sam 21:6 (cf. Lev 24:8). Be that as it may, the violation of the law consisted not in that the bread was given to David on the Sabbath, but in that it was sacred; it was not permitted to be eaten by laymen, only by the priests. The Saviour points out the unlawfulness of David’s deed more clearly than Ahimelech, namely: by the law David could not eat the showbread because only the priests could eat it, to whom neither David himself nor his men belonged. David’s action was a violation not of the Sabbath law, but of the law of the temple and tabernacle. But the Saviour reasons here from equal to equal, or by the principle of equivalents. The temple and the Sabbath were equal or alike in holiness. Based on the generally accepted interpretation of Luke 6:1 the expression “second first Sabbath,” some think that on the day when the disciples passed through the sown fields, the 21st chapter of the First Book of Kings was the daily lesson. But, says Alford, one cannot prove that the Hebrew calendar existed then in the form in which we now have it.

Matthew 12:5. Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbaths the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath, yet are blameless? This saying of Christ has no parallels in the other evangelists. It is claimed that the actions of the disciples were in no sense parallel to the actions of the priests in the temple, and the fact that the priests, in obedience to the law, worked in the temple, could not justify the disciples in that they violated the scribal interpretations of the law that forbade work on the Sabbath. But such reasoning is generally superficial. Against it the expression “have you not read in the law” carries weight. The Saviour, clarifying the erroneous opinion of the Pharisees, points out to them the contradiction in the law itself, which on the one hand forbade work on the Sabbaths, and on the other, prescribed it. The citation here is of Num 28:9-10. This contradiction was not essentially one, because two kinds of activity—for God and for men—required different treatment. But the legal contradiction was incomprehensible and unresolvable for the Pharisees and scribes of that time, and therefore the argumentation of Jesus Christ carried full weight for them and was irrefutable, though it stirred in them a secret feeling of hostility, as do all irrefutable proofs when they do not accord with someone’s interests. The contradiction is resolved by the fact that the Sabbath was devoted to God and required not idleness, but activity. In showing the logical error of the Pharisees, the Saviour adheres to the Pharisees’ own terminology (Acts 24:6), using the word “profane”—they profane, violate the Sabbath by slaughtering sacrificial animals, removing entrails, flaying skin, cutting into pieces and washing them, laying wood, kindling fire. Among the Jews there was a saying: “there is no Sabbath in the temple.” The Saviour’s answer here is detailed: He points out the place (temple), the persons (priests), the time (Sabbath), and the deed itself (violation of the Sabbath). So John Chrysostom also holds. The purpose of this speech was to make clear that the Pharisees ought to be more careful in their accusations of violation and profaning of the Sabbath. To a possible objection from the Pharisees that those were priests and these were disciples, the reply is given in the following verse.

Matthew 12:6. But I say to you, that here is One greater than the temple; According to Meyer, if earlier the Saviour argued in His reasoning from the greater to the lesser (from the deed of David to the deed of the hungry disciples), then from verse 5 onward He argues from the lesser to the greater—from the temple, whose priestly ordinances violated the Sabbath, to His own, surpassing the holiness of the temple, authority. But this seems unlikely; it seems unlikely that the Saviour aimed at such an artificial proof. The meaning of His words apparently is simply that in the temple a service is performed, and here, outside the temple, also a service to God, but a much greater and higher one. This greater and higher service consists not in the offering of sacrifices and various other ritual acts, for which the Sabbath is suspended, but in acts of mercy and love, which should be (and were) considered higher than ritual acts. The apostles, together with Christ Himself, took part in this service of love, and therefore for them the petty observance of the Sabbath is not binding.

Matthew 12:7. If you had known what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless, A further and independent proof of the correctness of Christ’s conduct, which did not forbid the disciples to pluck ears of grain, and of the error of the Pharisees’ opinion, having close connection with the preceding speech and explaining it by reference to an Old Testament prophecy. Even in the Old Testament law, given in accordance with the hardness of heart of the Hebrews, mercy was placed above sacrifices. All the more should it be placed above them now, when “the greater” in comparison with the Old Testament law has come. The condemnation of the guiltless by the Pharisees occurred not from their ignorance of Scripture (Matt 12:3—you have not read), but from the lack of heartfelt love.

Matthew 12:8. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath. (Cf. Mark 2:28; Luke 6:5). This verse in Mark (Mark 2:27) is preceded by an addition that (in literal translation) the Sabbath came into being for man, not man for the Sabbath. The words “Son of Man” are explained above (see the commentary on Matt 8:20). The Saviour in the Gospels always called only Himself by this name, and therefore the opinion that this verse has no connection with the preceding ones is incorrect—this connection is clear. If there can be a question here, it is only about why the Saviour called Himself the Son of Man before His enemies, that is, used an expression which they might not understand. To this one can answer first of all that He spoke thus more than once (see Matt 26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 22:69). This expression for the enemies of Christ always had a veiled meaning, because they did not wish to understand the words of Jesus Christ as those of the Messiah. In reality Christ here indicated His Messianic dignity, and therefore the meaning of verse 8 is clear to us and, of course, was clear to the apostles, evangelists, and the believers in Christ of that time. But the Pharisees to whom Christ was speaking could simply connect the expression “Son of Man” with “the man” and “man” (Mark 2:28), of which Mark speaks clearly. However, even the enemies of Christ could have drawn from His words the conclusion that the authority of the Messiah was above the legal ordinances concerning the Sabbath. An explanation and expansion of this teaching of the Saviour are found in Rom 14:5-6 and Col 2:16-17. Thus the meaning of the verse under discussion is as follows. The Son of Man can dispose of the Sabbath, that is, of Sabbath activity; He can command it or stop it, just as a master allows his workers to rest or compels them to work. As simple as all this is, before Christ an ordinary man could not have reasoned his way naturally to the truths expressed here by Christ. Even in our time these truths are not always understood and not always applied in practice.

Matthew 12:9. And departing from there, He entered their synagogue. (Cf. Mark 3:1; Luke 6:6). The first impression from the account is that immediately after the discussion about the disciples plucking ears of grain on the Sabbath, the Saviour departed from that place and entered the Jewish synagogue. This was on the Sabbath (verse 10). From this one might conclude that the journey through the sown fields was “a Sabbath journey,” and to the synagogue. Under such an assumption only one thing would remain incomprehensible: why, as noted above, the disciples at such an early hour (the service was presumably held in the morning) were already hungry. But, comparing this verse with the account of Luke 6:6, we find that the Saviour entered the synagogue on another Sabbath. In Mark as well there is an allusion to this circumstance in the word “again” (again), though not sufficiently clear. If “again,” then it means the Saviour had entered the synagogue before, but when, Mark does not indicate. Thus Augustine and other commentators explain the matter. On that Sabbath day a new miracle was performed. If earlier the action of the disciples had no obvious aim to offend the Jews, here Jesus Christ, on the contrary, acts with a clear intention to refute the opinions of the Pharisees. The word “their” should be referred, as in other places (Matt 9:35), generally to the inhabitants of the region where Jesus Christ was (Galileans). The opinion that because further on (verse 10) mention is made of the Pharisees who questioned Christ, “their” refers to the Pharisees, is incorrect. The Galilean place where the healing occurred is not named. On the ground that strong accusers against Christ appear here, which is especially evident from Mark 2:6; Luke 6:7-8, some think that the event took place in some considerable city where the party of the Pharisees and scribes existed and held sway, and they name either Tiberias or Capernaum. But the evangelists give no indication of this, and the question of the location of the event must remain unsettled.

Matthew 12:10. And behold, there was a man having a withered hand. And they asked Jesus, to accuse Him: is it lawful to heal on the Sabbaths? (Cf. Mark 3:1-2; Luke 6:6-7). As to the character of this man’s illness, there is no need to discuss. It is enough to say that it was a man who did not have use of his right hand (Luke 6:6), whatever the reason—whether from paralysis, or what is called atrophy, or some other cause. This account occurs in Mark and Luke, but only with considerable variation in details in contrast to our text. Mark and Luke agree more with each other than with Matthew. From the accounts of Matthew (verse 14) and Mark (Mark 2:6) it is evident that the Pharisees came forward against Christ, who then united with the Herodians (Mark), but according to Luke (Luke 6:7), they were Pharisees and scribes. The Pharisees asked (Matthew) Jesus Christ whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbaths; according to Mark and Luke—they watched Him to see if He would heal the withered hand on the Sabbath. He (knowing their thoughts—Luke 6:8) commanded the man to stand in the middle and posed to them the question given in the Gospel. The further question about the animal is not found in Mark, but in Luke (Luke 14:5) the same question is repeated, only in another similar case. There is, of course, no contradiction in the accounts of the evangelists, because in the crowd surrounding Christ both things were possible, with one evangelist reporting one thing and others another. This often happens in the accounts of eyewitnesses and other writers, who do not contradict but supplement each other. More important is the question of the legal side of the matter. The question was posed by the Pharisees in order to trap Christ. If He healed the withered hand on the Sabbath, He would be guilty of violating the Sabbath. If He did not heal, then—of helplessness and inability to work miracles, and perhaps even of inhumanity. The use of “if” in the question is foreign to classical Greek, but is found in the Septuagint Gen 17:17 and others; cf. Matt 19:3; Luke 13:23; Acts 1:6 and often; this form of question indicates uncertainty and wavering, and at the same time its tempting character.

Matthew 12:11. And He said to them: Who among you, having one sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Matthew 12:12. How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbaths. Matthew 12:13. Then He says to the man: Stretch out your hand. And he stretched it out, and it became whole like the other. (Cf. verse 11 and Luke 14:5). In Luke a similar speech of Christ is placed in the account of the healing of a man with dropsy, and in the account of the healing of the withered hand it is omitted. Generally, in Luke 6:8-9 the details of the account are entirely different from those in Matthew. In Luke it is said: “But He, knowing their thoughts, said to the man having the withered hand: Rise and stand in the middle. And he rose and stood. Then Jesus said to them: I ask you: what is it lawful to do on the Sabbath? to do good, or to do harm? to save a soul, or to destroy it? They remained silent.” Judging by the construction of Matthew’s speech, in it one can suppose two questions, literally: “1) Who among you is a man who will have one sheep? 2) and if it falls on the Sabbath into a pit, will he not take it and lift it out?” But some hold that there is only one question here, and the last three sentences are made dependent on “who” (which). The meaning: Who among you is a man who will have one sheep and who, if it falls on the Sabbath into a pit, will not take it and lift it out? The last translation (literal) is closer to the original. The Saviour reasons not on the basis of any special opinions accepted then by the Pharisees and scribes, but on the basis of universal custom. No man having a sheep would say that he should act otherwise.

Matthew 12:14. Then the Pharisees went out and held counsel against Him, how they might destroy Him. But Jesus, knowing this, withdrew from there. (Cf. Mark 2:6; Luke 6:11). In foreign editions of the New Testament text and in foreign translations, the second half of the verse (But Jesus, knowing….) is referred to the following 15th verse. In the Slavonic as well as in the Russian, it is the same. According to Mark, the Pharisees held counsel with the Herodians, and immediately at that (immediately) after the event, and according to Luke, the scribes and Pharisees became furious and discussed with each other what they might do to Christ. Here is the first mention of an agreement between the Pharisees and the Herodians (omitted by Matthew and Luke)—to deliver the Saviour to death. The punishment prescribed in the law for violation of the Sabbath (Exod 31:14; Num 15:32-36) is death by stoning. Matthew does not say where Jesus Christ withdrew to. But Mark says that “He withdrew to the sea,” and perhaps to this also refers the account of Luke (Luke 6:17; cf. Matt 4:25) that He stood on a level place and pronounced the Sermon on the Mount. Since in Matthew the Sermon on the Mount was set forth earlier, he now omits these details.

Matthew 12:15. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all (Cf. Mark 3:7-8; Luke 6:17). Christ was now looked upon as a Great Teacher, and it was natural if great crowds of people everywhere followed Him.

Matthew 12:16. And He charged them that they should not make Him known, (Cf. Mark 3:12; Luke 4:41). Here there is a difference in the manuscripts. According to some codices—as in the Russian; according to others—“and He charged all whom He had healed, that they…” In the last reading there is an irregularity in grammatical construction, this reading is less supported and is therefore considered “less probable.” According to Mark (Mark 3:11-12) and Luke (Luke 4:41), if only this last passage is indeed parallel to the passages in Matthew and Mark (some consider it parallel to Matt 8:16-17 and Mark 1:34), the matter appears clearer. Christ forbade making Him known and saying that He was the Christ, not to all the people, but only to the unclean spirits, whom He was casting out of men. If so, then the reasons for the prohibition are more understandable. Christ did not wish that the demons should declare Him to be the Son of God; in other words, He did not wish confirmation of His Sonship in relation to God from such a source.

Matthew 12:17. So that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet Isaiah, who says: A definite indication that the Messianic prophecy set forth below belongs to that prophet.

Matthew 12:18. Behold, My Servant, Whom I have chosen; My Beloved, in Whom My soul is well pleased. I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will proclaim justice to the Gentiles; This passage is taken from Isa 42:1-4. From the Hebrew literally thus: “Behold, My Servant, Whom I uphold; My Chosen One, in Whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations; He will not cry out or raise His voice or make His voice heard in the streets; a bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He will not quench; by faithfulness He will bring forth justice; He will not fail or be discouraged, until He has established justice on the earth; and the islands will wait for His law.” Without going into detail on the Hebrew text, we can say that the Russian translation approximately corresponds to it. As for the Septuagint translation, there are some deviations from the Hebrew text in it. According to the literal translation: “Jacob, My Servant, I will help him; Israel, My Chosen One, My soul has received him. I have given My Spirit upon him; justice to the nations he will bring forth. He will not cry out or leave off, and his voice will not be heard outside. A bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He will not quench, but in truth he will bring forth justice. He will shine and not be crushed, until He establishes justice on the earth, and the nations will hope in His name.” The expression “will not leave off” some translate as “will not exalt” (his voice). Such a translation would correspond to the Hebrew original, but is hardly possible, because ἀνίημι never has such a meaning. If now we compare the Septuagint translation and the Hebrew text with the Greek of Matthew, it appears that Matthew deviates significantly both from the Hebrew text and from the Septuagint. It is thought, however, that Matthew had the Septuagint translation before him, and this is indicated by the expression: “and in His name will the Gentiles hope” (verse 21; in the Septuagint: and in His name will the nations hope, in the Hebrew text—“the islands”). The use of the Septuagint translation is also indicated by Matthew’s change of the Hebrew “wetorato” (and His law) to the Greek “His name,” a change in which there was no need, and it had no basis. In the Septuagint the words of the prophet clearly refer to Israel. But the fact that Matthew applies them to the Messiah serves as a corrective here, as do also the actual words of Isaiah. Isaiah depicts the future Messiah, though not according to His divinity, but according to His humanity. From what has been said, one can conclude that this passage is cited by the evangelist partly according to his own translation and partly according to the Septuagint translation. The evangelist’s application of the prophecy to Christ presents no particular difficulties. But it is certain that by means of the prophecy a new trait is added here to the characterization of Christ as He appeared on earth, as a historical person—a trait which we would have had only to guess at if the evangelist had not cited this passage, which perfectly accords with what we know of Christ from the Gospels. He was meek and humble in heart and did many things precisely so that the Old Testament prophecy would be completely fulfilled in Him. This was difficult, but He fulfilled the prophecy. Such is the evangelist’s view. The words: “He will proclaim justice” (κρίσιν), are difficult. Many have interpreted the word “justice” as the Gospel, law, laws, what is correct, correct teaching, correct worship, correct conduct. But all these interpretations are wrong, because the word κρίσις does not express all these concepts, any more than the Hebrew “mišpat” in Isaiah. The proper meaning of κρίσις is, of course, “judgment.” But in some passages of the New Testament it has another meaning, as in Matt 23:23; Luke 11:42; Acts 8:33 (from Isa 53:8),—here κρίσις is connected with mercy (ἔλεος), faith (πίστις), and love (ἀγάπη). Therefore, to understand the word, one must remember that the main purpose of judgment is to bring about justice for the oppressed, which is why κρίνειν in some cases is synonymous with δικαιοῦν (justify) and parallel to σώζειν (save), λυτροῦν (redeem, vindicate), etc. (Ps 139:13; Isa 1:17; Jer 5:28). Taking all this into consideration, one can interpret the prophecy in question thus: “He will proclaim righteousness” or “justice.”

Matthew 12:19. He will not quarrel or cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets; The expression “will not quarrel” is in neither the Hebrew nor the Septuagint. This verse is again interpreted in different ways. One interpretation, belonging to Jerome, is purely external and mechanical. Christ spoke of the narrow gate and the narrow path (Matt 7:14) leading to the Kingdom of Heaven; He Himself walked this path, and therefore it is natural if His voice was not heard in the great streets. Since “wide is the gate and broad is the path leading to destruction, and many go on it” (Matt 7:13), it is natural if these many do not hear the voice of the Saviour, because they are not on the narrow path but on the broad one. According to another interpretation, the prophet’s words, applied to the Messiah, simply depict the meekness of the Saviour, Who, walking the broad streets, does not shout and make noise. All these expressions in the mouth of the evangelist are evidently figurative.

Matthew 12:20. A bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He will not quench, until He brings justice to victory; This verse contains an indication of the ideal meekness and kindness of the Saviour toward all people, not only toward the Jews. The prophet depicts the future Deliverer in precisely this way. A bruised reed—this is every broken, torn heart; a dimly burning wick—the marks in it of a striving toward good, toward God, the repentant feeling of the sinner, which is received as if however little it might be. It is fully understandable that under the bruised reed and the dimly burning wick people are understood. No one can say that here the highest relations toward them on the part of the Saviour are not depicted, relations unlike the ordinary human relations in the realm of “hardness of heart.”

Matthew 12:21. And in His name will the Gentiles hope. Instead of “Gentiles” in the Hebrew text is “islands,” that is, the nations farthest away, dwelling on islands—all of them will place their hopes in Christ the Saviour.

Matthew 12:22. Then there was brought to Him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. In Luke 11:14 in the literal translation: “And there was one casting out a demon, and he was mute. And it came to pass, when the demon went out, the mute man spoke.” Thus there is a difference in the accounts: according to Matthew, the demon-possessed man was blind and mute, and according to Luke—only mute. This gave rise for some commentators to think that Matthew and Luke are recounting two different healings. But such an opinion is refuted by Augustine, who says that if Luke omits something, one cannot think that he is speaking of something else; the order of events in him is the same as in Matthew. The fact that the sick man was mute and blind is evident in Matthew from the further words that after healing he began to speak and see. To show that the healed man was deaf and dumb, in some codices there is added “to hear” (ἀκούειν). The opinion that this event is identical with the one recounted in Matt 9:32 and that Matthew, wishing to recount it further, adds blindness here, is untenable. Mark (Mark 3:20-22) does not speak of the healing of the demon-possessed man, but adjoins the further speeches in a special way. According to Theophylact, the demon closed off the paths to faith in the possessed man—the eyes, ears, and tongue.

Matthew 12:23. And all the multitudes were amazed, and said, “Is this perhaps the Christ, the Son of David?” (Cf. Luke 11:14). The form of the question posed to the people indicates its dullness and slowness in recognizing Jesus Christ as a great Wonder-worker; this slowness tended toward a negative answer to the question. The thought that the Wonder-worker was the Messiah, the Son of David, forced itself upon the people’s mind, but the people were not yet able to fully accept it. However wonderful the Wonder-worker was, He—not a king. He was not born in royal palaces. All this is expressed through the negative particle μήτι, placed at the beginning of the question, which presupposes a negative answer: “Is this perhaps the Christ, the Son of David?” The expected answer: no, not this. It is quite curious that the old translators tried to smooth out this negative answer and phrased the question so that the answer should be affirmative. Thus in our Russian. Closer to the original one could translate: “Is not this the Christ, the Son of David?” In the Slavonic translation the meaning of the question is expressed somewhat better. But generally in other languages it is difficult to properly express the Greek speech. When an affirmative answer is expected, μή is not used (cf. Matt 7:16; Mark 4:21; Luke 6:39 and others). On the above grounds one can suppose that both the event itself and the question among the people are introduced here in order to express more strongly the contrast with the former expressions of the evangelist. He wants to say, as it were, the following. All the activity of Christ, His teaching and miracles tended toward making everyone recognize in Him the Servant chosen by the Almighty and beloved (), of whom Isaiah prophesied. But in spite of such obvious proofs of the Saviour’s higher dignity, even the most zealous, those who followed Him, the multitudes (ὄχλοι) wavered. And the Pharisees went even further and began to attribute the miracles of Jesus Christ to the power of demons. Such is the evangelist’s transition to the further speech. Seeing Christ’s miracles, the people were only inclined to think that Christ was the Son of David, but wavered in finally accepting it. But the Pharisees were strange to even such wavering.

Matthew 12:24. But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.” (Cf. Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15-16). According to Mark, this was said not by the Pharisees but by the scribes, who came from Jerusalem. Since many scribes belonged to the party of the Pharisees, there is no disagreement between the evangelists. According to Luke, not all Pharisees accused Christ, but only “some of them.” The further speech in translation: He does not cast out demons except in Beelzebul, the prince of demons (cf. Matt 9:34). Thus the expression “not by” and “not by the power of” (as in the Russian translation underlined) Beelzebul, but “in Beelzebul,” that is, together with Beelzebul. The fact that not simply Beelzebul is mentioned, but with the addition “prince of demons,” makes it sufficiently clear that here is meant, if perhaps not the chief himself, then at least one of the chief demons, who, in the understanding of the Pharisees, had other demons in his command. Beelzebul in any case was considered the most evil and at the same time the most unclean of the demonic rulers. Therefore, the accusation of Christ in connection with him was unclean and, it seems, in the eyes of the Pharisees and scribes especially cutting. It had the aim of drawing the people away from Christ and arousing in them enmity toward His activity, teaching, and miracles.

Matthew 12:25. But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste; and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” (Cf. Mark 3:23-25; Luke 11:17). A detailed speech on the same subject is in Mark, but in Luke it is even shorter than in Matthew, with an insignificant difference in expressions. John Chrysostom explains this speech of Christ thus: “If I, having a demon in Me, cast out other demons by means of it, then there is disagreement and strife among the demons and they rise up against one another; if they rise up against one another, then their power is destroyed and ruined.”

Matthew 12:26. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? (Cf. Mark 3:26; Luke 11:18). In Luke is omitted: “Satan casts out Satan,” and is replaced with: “If Satan also is divided against himself” (was divided?). In Mark the expressions are entirely different from those in the other evangelists. The name Satan in the second instance is used either instead of the reflexive pronoun, that is, instead of the words “Satan casts out himself,” it is said: “Satan Satan”; or else this expression should be understood thus: one Satan casts out another Satan. It is asserted that by Jewish understanding Satan was one and was considered the chief ruler of demons. If so, then the expression should be understood in the first sense. Against this it is objected that in general Jewish demonology was not “an orderly system.” On the other hand, Christ Himself does not call Satan a single individual person (cf. Matt 4:10), and from the character of the accusation and Christ’s defense one can infer that Satan was called Him Himself, and precisely for the reason that He was casting out another Satan. But the word “Satan” in Holy Scripture is always used only in the singular. Thus, if we accept also the first interpretation, that Satan casts out himself, there will be no great difference in meaning, and the argumentation has equal force in either case. The first interpretation, however, is more in accord with the accounts of Mark and Luke, where “Satan” (in the second instance in Matthew) is replaced by expressions “rose up against himself,” that is, “Satan rose up against himself” (Mark 3:26) and “is divided against himself” (Luke 11:18). In this sense we must interpret also the expressions of Matthew (cf. Exod 16:8; Lev 14:15)—Septuagint and Hebrew, where in the first instance the personal pronoun is repeated in a similar way, and in the last two ἱερεύς or “kohen.”

Matthew 12:27. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. (Cf. Luke 11:19—almost verbatim). The meaning of this verse has long been a subject of great disputes. Hilary, Chrysostom, Theophylact, and Euthymius Zigabenus held that by “your sons” are meant the apostles, who were, of course, sons of the Jews. Chrysostom discusses this in detail. “Behold how gently He speaks to them here too. He did not say: My disciples or My apostles; but: your sons—so that, if the Pharisees wish to think as nobly as His disciples, to give them occasion for that, and if they remain in their former ingratitude and do not abandon their shamelessness, to deprive them of all excuse. The meaning of His words is as follows: by whose power do the apostles cast out demons? The apostles had already cast out demons, having received power to do so from the Saviour, but the Pharisees did not accuse them. They armed themselves not against deeds, but against the Person. Therefore Christ, wishing to show that jealousy alone is the cause of their accusation, points also to the apostles.” But Jerome wavers in his interpretation of the passage in question. According to his words, the expression “sons of the Jews” means either exorcists, or apostles, who were Jews. If the Saviour speaks of exorcists, who by invoking the name of the Lord cast out demons, then He convicts the Pharisees with wise questions, seeking recognition from them that this is the work of the Holy Spirit. If He speaks of the apostles, which is more probable, then they will be judges of the Pharisees, because they will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. In the interpretations of later exegetes, the thought expressed by Chrysostom and others is completely abandoned. This is because, first, nothing is said in the Gospels about the apostles, and second, the Pharisees would have had no difficulty in attributing the miracles of casting out demons performed by the apostles to the devil just as they attributed the miracles of Christ to him. Thus there remains only one thing—to recognize that here the speech is about exorcists. There is no doubt that there were very many of them at that time. Here is what Schürer says about this (III, 408 et seq.): “Magic held great significance among the Jews in the age of Christ and later. The casting out of demons by the sons of the Pharisees, of which Matt 12:27 speaks, judging from all that we know from other sources, was not accomplished without magical formulas. Known are Simon the Magician (Acts 8:9) and Barjesus (Acts 13:6). In Ephesus Paul had dealings with Jewish exorcists, who used the name of Jesus for their purposes (Acts 19:13 seq.)… Justin assumes exorcisms as something usual among the Jews (Dialogus cum Tryphone, 85). Among the various means employed against gout, Lucian mentions an exorcism by a Jew, and in another case speaks of a famous ‘Syrian from Palestine’ who cast out demons by exorcisms. Irenaeus also speaks of the casting out of demons by invoking the divine name as a deed usual among the Jews (Adversus haereses, II, 6, 2).” We cannot here enter into a detailed exposition of this subject, which is very extensive, and we believe that the excerpt from Schürer cited above is sufficient. Thus, by “your sons” one can understand Jewish exorcists, who are called sons of the Pharisees (by context) not because by fleshly birth they descended from them, but in the same sense as “sons of the prophets” (1 Sam 20:35). The meaning of the Savior’s words, therefore, is this: if your disciples cast out demons, you do not attribute this to Beelzebul, so they can be your judges and judge you for saying this about Me out of hostility. It remains for us to say a few words on the question whether these exorcists to whom Christ points were real or imaginary. His argumentation, of course, did not lose its force in either case, because the Pharisees in neither case would attribute the activity of their exorcists to diabolic power. But the question of the reality of exorcisms is interesting in itself. Alford believes that investigating the reality of these exorcisms is highly important, because otherwise the reader of the Gospels is left with an unfavorable impression if we indeed admit that the Lord, solemnly comparing Jewish exorcisms with His own miracles, argued on the basis of Jewish deceptions which the Pharisees knew to be deceptions. Alford thinks that the sons of the Pharisees truly did cast out demons. This view is confirmed by the words of the crowd (Matt 9:33). When the mute man from whom the demon had been cast out began to speak, the crowd cried out: “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel”, thereby indicating that here a more complete healing was accomplished than had ever been witnessed before. The difficulty, says Alford, arose only from the forgetfulness of the fact that miracles as such do not serve in themselves as confirmation of truth; they were performed in false religions and by false teachers, and they prophesied concerning them (see Exod 7:22; Matt 24:24; Deut 13:1-5).

Matthew 12:28. And if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. (Compare Luke 11:20). The meaning of the verse is this: if you are compelled to acknowledge that I cast out demons not by the power of Beelzebul but by the power of God, then you must make the further inference that among you there has appeared an extraordinary Person who acts by the power of God, and that, consequently, My works serve as a sign of God’s visitation of you and the coming of God’s kingdom among you. In Luke: “but if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” By the “kingdom of God” John Chrysostom understands here “My (Christ’s) presence” (ἡ παρουσία ἡ ἐμή).

Matthew 12:29. Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and plunder his possessions, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. (Compare Mark 3:27; Luke 11:21-22). In verse 28 the first conclusion from the proofs presented by Christ was drawn. Both the proofs and the conclusion were in themselves sufficient. But examining the subject from another side, the Savior presents yet further proofs. In (Luke 11:21-22) the speech, being almost identical in meaning, differs in expressions. Matthew is here closer to Mark than to Luke. The word “or” is translated variously: “otherwise,” “and,” “for,” “whether”; in the Arabic translation—“and.” One cannot agree with the opinion that the article before ἰσχυροῦ here denotes a special power. It simply refers to the preceding, to Satan or Beelzebul, because it is clear that he must be understood as the “strong man,” although the speech has a somewhat broader sense as well. This figurative speech reminds one of (Isa 49:24) ff. The images are taken from actual life. The meaning of the speech is clear. In application to Christ’s activity it has great persuasiveness. If someone is powerful, it is not easy to attack him and plunder his property. So Christ could not oppose the devil if he were powerful enough to prevent the expulsion of the demons subject to him.

Matthew 12:30. Whoever is not with Me is against Me; and whoever does not gather with Me scatters. (Compare Luke 11:23—literally). This verse was also the subject of numerous disputes. John Chrysostom, Theophylact, Euthymius Zigabenus, Jerome, and others applied it to the devil; others—to the Jewish exorcists mentioned above. Still others understood the words of Christ in the sense of a general proverb and meant “anyone at all.” Finally, some thought that here was depicted the complete and perfect division of two kingdoms—the kingdom of Satan and the kingdom of God. This last opinion is the best. Between two kingdoms nothing intermediate can exist (cf. Rom 8:7). In the application of the principle given by Christ there are no exceptions. A neutral attitude toward Him is impossible. Whoever is not with Him is against Him… The basis is this: in the moral realm a person must be either right or wrong. There is no middle ground… Christ is always absolutely right… This speech of the Savior is expressed negatively in (Mark 9:40): “for whoever is not against you is for you.” In συνάγων there is an allusion to the idea of gathering a harvest (see Matt 3:12; John 4:36, etc.). Σκορπίζει means scatters, disperses (cf. John 10:12; 2 Cor 9:9). Thus, gathering without Christ does not bring any benefit to the gatherer; it amounts even to dispersion, scattering, and can bring only loss and trouble to the gatherer.

Matthew 12:31. Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy of the Spirit will not be forgiven people; (Compare Mark 3:28-29). The last word “people” (ἀνθρώποις) does not appear in the best manuscripts; in some it is added in place of “people”—“them.” Already in antiquity they supposed that the meaning of the expression was this: “if other deeds and actions are forgiven mercifully (liberali venia), then mercy does not happen when God is denied in Christ” (Hilary). John Chrysostom considered this verse very unclear, “but if,” he said, “we understand it, we easily comprehend it. What do these words mean? That sin against the Holy Spirit is especially unforgivable. Why? Because they did not know Christ, who He was, but concerning the Spirit they had already received sufficient knowledge… Therefore, I forgive you that which you reviled Me for before the cross, even that you wish to crucify Me on the cross, and even your very unbelief shall not be held against you… But what you said about the Spirit shall not be forgiven you… Why? Because the Holy Spirit is known to you, and you are not ashamed to reject an obvious truth.” The Holy Spirit is God and God is Spirit. The Pharisees who heard Christ’s speech scarcely conceived of the Holy Spirit as the third Person of the Holy Trinity, and for them the expression “the Holy Spirit” was equivalent to the word “God” or at least “the Spirit of God.” Thus, the expression “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit” was for the hearing of the Pharisees equivalent to the words “blasphemy against God.” If this is so, it becomes clear why every other sin and blasphemy will be forgiven to people, but blasphemy of the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Because the latter is an uprising against God Himself, and at the same time it brings the human spirit into proximity with πνεμα ἀκάθαρτον—with an evil spirit, whose guilt, in the understanding of the Jews of that time and in ours, shall never be forgiven. This is, so to speak, a principled blasphemy, the very greatest reviling, proper only to the rejected spirits of evil, who were never invited to repent and can never repent. In this greatest blasphemy God Himself is denied as an All-Good, All-Just, Almighty Being, with all His attributes, and at the same time in its very root all religion, all morality is denied. Here is presupposed the deepest fall of man, from which divine grace itself cannot extract him, because in such reviling and denial it is itself denied. The human spirit uttering such blasphemy becomes on one level with an unclean spirit. “Your father is the devil; and you desire to do the desires of your father” (John 8:44). You speak lies, as does he, because “he is a liar, and the father of lies.” The drawing close of the Pharisees to unclean spirits of evil apparently gives the Savior occasion to speak not of God but of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 12:32. And if anyone speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but if anyone speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age nor in the age to come. (Compare Mark 3:29-30; Luke 12:10). If the interpretation of the previous verse can be accepted, then it is clear why a “word” spoken “against the Son of Man” can be forgiven, but a word “against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven” either in this age or in the age to come. In the eyes of the Pharisees the Son of Man was neither God (cf. Mark 2:7; Luke 5:21) nor the Son of God. And not only the Pharisees, but even the disciples of Christ could only with difficulty and gradually come to understand this thought. This was due to ignorance, and therefore could be forgiven. But a “word” against the Holy Spirit or God is not merely an error arising from ignorance, and therefore is not forgiven. Some of the reasoning of various exegetes concerning this saying is quite interesting, though sometimes it bears little on the matter itself. Thus Augustine thinks on the basis of this verse that forgiveness of sins is possible not only in this age but also in the age to come, because one could not speak of any people that their sins shall not be forgiven either in this age or in the age to come if there were no forgiveness at all in the age to come. Origen speaks of a universal forgiveness that will come when the “great age” of which Plato spoke is ended, and even asserts that Judas and Lucifer himself with the demons condemned with him will eventually be saved. Catholic theologians derive from the verse under consideration their teachings about purgatory. According to some of them, it would be pointless and idle to say, “it shall not be forgiven him either in this age or in the age to come,” if no sin were forgiven in the age to come. “This is like saying: I shall not marry either in this age or in the age to come, when in the age to come marriage is altogether impossible.” Leaving aside all these interpretations, we shall say only that the expression “neither in this age nor in the age to come” is the most difficult to explain in all this speech of Christ. Morison considers this expression simply an amplification of the word “never.” One can agree with this last interpretation. The Savior, evidently, is not saying here whether or not there will be forgiveness of sins in the next world. He points only to the sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and declares that this sin shall never be forgiven. The expression αἰὼν μέλλων appears here in Matthew only once (cf. Eph 1:21; 1 Tim 4:8; Heb 2:5, etc.).

Matthew 12:33. Either make the tree good and its fruit good; or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. (Compare Luke 6:43). According to Jerome, there is a syllogism in Christ’s speech here, called by the Greeks ἄφυκτον (unavoidable, cunning, from which there is no escape). If, says the Savior, the devil is evil, he cannot do good. If, however, what is done by Me you consider good, it follows from this that the devil does not accomplish it. And it cannot be that good comes from evil or evil from good. Just as a good man cannot do evil and a bad man—good, so Christ cannot do evil works, nor can the devil do good works. Augustine expresses a similar thought, according to which a man must first change in order for his works to change, because if a man remains evil, he cannot have good works, but if he is good, he cannot have evil works. It may be noted that the thoughts expressed by the Savior here and in the following verses have great similarity to what was said by Him in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 7:16-20).

Matthew 12:34. You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (Compare Luke 6:45). The connection of speech in this verse is not clearly expressed in the Russian translation. This can easily be seen if we expand the speech somewhat. “How can you speak good, being evil?” You cannot speak anything good, because “from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” But if we insert here the proposition: you cannot speak anything good, because your heart is filled with malice, and “from the abundance of the heart,” that is, from that which fills it, “the mouth speaks,” then the speech of the Savior becomes clearer. However, the Russian translation is accurate; the Greek has the same omission of intermediate thoughts and propositions as the Russian. In a few manuscripts, however, there is a striving to express this thought somewhat differently through corrections, namely by adding after “speaks the mouth” the words either “good” (ἀγαθά) or “evil” (mala). Thus: “for from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks good” (evil). The Savior calls the Pharisees “offspring of vipers,” as does John the Baptist (Matt 3:7) and “for the reasons indicated there.” Euthymius Zigabenus paraphrases this speech thus: it is not surprising if you utter blasphemy against this (against My actions), because you, being evil, cannot speak good. Then Christ shows “physiologically” why they cannot do so.

Matthew 12:35. A good man brings good things out of his good treasure, and an evil man brings evil things out of his evil treasure. (Compare Luke 6:45). That is, when there is much good in the heart, then good is brought forth, but when there is much evil, then evil is brought forth.

Matthew 12:36. And I say to you, that for every careless word that people speak, they will give account for it on the day of judgment: The connection of the speech is clear. The Pharisees were speaking careless words, uttering blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Not only for such careless words, but also in general for every careless word people will have to give account on the day of judgment. An exalted and highly moral teaching. The verse literally should be translated thus: “And I say to you, that every careless word which people speak, they will give account for it on the day of judgment.”

Matthew 12:37. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. The immediate meaning of this expression is that a man is justified or condemned by his words in ordinary human courts. But this thought is raised to a principle, and it is said in general that a man’s words justify or condemn him. Under judgment and justification here are understood chiefly accusation or justification at the Last Judgment.

Matthew 12:38. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we would like to see a sign from you.” The word “then” cannot be taken here as a precise indication of time. It is quite possible that what is said in this and the following verses occurred at another time and for another, though unknown, reason. In any case, we must suppose that now other people were speaking with Christ, not those who accused Him of being in league with the devil (verse 24). This is also evident from (Luke 11:16), which speaks of “other” people who “tested” Him and asked for a sign. Regarding this request of the scribes and Pharisees, Chrysostom remarks: “When they made harsh (τραχέως) proposals to Him and reviled Him, He answered them gently; but when they began to flatter Him, He turns to them with all severity and speaks words of reproach to them, thereby showing that He is above both such passion and is not angered by them nor can He be softened by their flattery.”

Matthew 12:39. But he said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign; and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah;” (Compare Luke 11:29). “An evil generation” would be better translated as “an evil, full of evil generation.” This generation is called adulterous by the Savior because in general in the Old Testament the turning away from true religion and true worship was considered adultery (Jer 3:8-9; Ezek 16). But, on the other hand, this expression seems to be connectable with other expressions of the Savior about Sodom and Gomorrah (Matt 11:22-24) and can be understood to mean that the generation contemporary with Christ was debauched. Both phenomena, idolatry and sexual debauchery, are often linked with one another and understood from our knowledge of pagan life. This generation will not be given a sign now. Morison thinks that this is an extremely compressed expression in which an element of indefiniteness and mysteriousness is intentionally introduced. More fully the content of this speech of the Savior can be set forth thus: “No sign, for the sake of satisfying curiosity, shall be given to this generation at all. A sign would bring no benefit either to it or to anyone else. The hatred of the evil generation toward Me shall not cease. It shall reject Me. However, it shall not make My mission vain. When it delivers Me to death, I shall give it a sign far more wonderful than those curious things it expects from Me. I shall give it the sign of the prophet Jonah.” The Savior wants to give the Jews a sign not from heaven, but from the earth, and moreover a sign in the heart of the earth. This, however, does not mean that Christ will not perform any miracles and any signs until accomplishing this sign. They did not seem like signs to the unbelieving Jews. The sign indicated shall be given specifically to them and in general to all unbelievers.

Matthew 12:40. For as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. (Compare Luke 11:30). The speech here is evidently figurative. The question can arise only as to why the Savior spoke in figures here rather than expressing Himself simply: the Son of Man shall be buried and remain in the earth for three days and three nights. But similar figures are used in other places as well (see John 2:19, etc.).

Matthew 12:41. The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. (Compare Luke 11:32). In Luke (Luke 11:31-32) the verses are presented in the reverse order compared with Matthew, that is, the queen of the south is spoken of first, and then the Ninevites. The latter are described in the same book of the prophet Jonah. The speech of Christ can be called a very brief and compressed exposition of this entire book. The meaning is clear. The Ninevites, after the preaching of Jonah, repented; the scribes and Pharisees—did not, even though both Christ Himself and His preaching were superior to Jonah and his preaching. This last point seems to be somewhat indirectly expressed in the words: “and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.” Πλεῖον fully corresponds to the Latin plus quam, and like the latter is used in the neuter. The repentant Ninevites will “rise up” (here one can translate “be resurrected,” though in the New Testament ἀνιστάναι does not always indicate resurrection), whether physically or spiritually, and as it were as a reward for their repentance will become judges of the generation contemporary with Christ, which had not brought repentance.

Matthew 12:42. The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. (Compare Luke 11:31). Instead of “in the judgment with this generation”—in Luke “with the men of this generation” (in the Russian Bible—“with the people”); and further, instead of “it” the corresponding “them.” Otherwise, Matthew’s speech is literally the same as Luke’s. In the words of the Savior there is an obvious reference to the history told in (1 Sam 10:1-13; 2 Chr 9:1-12). The “wisdom” of Solomon is mentioned in both accounts. The brevity of the accounts by the evangelists does not allow us to judge whether the Savior refers to the book of Kings or the book of Chronicles, or both of these books. In recounting the same as what is reported in the books of Kings and Chronicles, Josephus Flavius (“Jewish Antiquities,” VIII, 6, 5) calls this southern queen the queen τῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ τῆς Αἰθιοπίας τότε βασιλεύουσαν γυναῖκα, that is, Meroe (the queens of whom were commonly called Candace) (Plinius, Historia naturalis, VI, 29). The Abyssinian tradition, in accordance with this account, calls her Makeda and supposes that she accepted the Jewish faith in Jerusalem. The Arabs on their part also make claims upon her, calling her Walqis (The Qur’an, sura 27 [in this sura, among other things, there is discussion of Solomon and the queen of Sheba, though the latter is not named.—Ed.]). This last view is probably closer to the truth. Sheba was a tract in fortunate Arabia, not far from the Red Sea and from present-day Aden (see Plinius, Historia naturalis, VI, 23), abounding in aromatic materials, gold, and precious stones. Wellhausen remarks that this is the first instance of the application of the name Yemen (= south = νότος) to southwestern Arabia.

Matthew 12:43. When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it goes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it; Matthew 12:44. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and decorated; Matthew 12:45. Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So will it also be with this evil generation. (Compare Luke 11:24-26). In Luke this section is almost literally the same as Matthew’s speech, except for a few words. It should be thought that in speaking thus, Christ adapted His speech figuratively to the conceptions of the time, by which unclean spirits were personifications of various evils, both spiritual and material.

Matthew 12:46. While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him. (Compare Mark 3:31; Luke 8:19). Since the relatives of Christ according to the flesh had no opportunity to approach Him in person, this was reported to Him through a messenger (who is unknown), to call Him. So according to the words of Mark and Luke. In Matthew and Mark the account follows after the denunciatory speech concerning blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. The connection of this verse in the various evangelists is different, but Mark’s note ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος can be considered here as a precise indication of time, corresponding to the accounts of both Mark.

Matthew 12:47. And someone said to him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” Matthew 12:48. But to the one who had said this, he replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” (Compare Mark 3:33). The Savior here expressed the thought that spiritual kinship with people listening to and receiving His teaching was in His eyes higher than physical kinship (cf. Luke 2:49).

Matthew 12:49. And pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!” (Compare Mark 3:34; Luke 8:21). In Mark it is said that Jesus Christ looked around at those sitting nearby and at that time spoke these words, and so on. The words of the Savior here serve as some clarification and confirmation of the words of the previous verse, and their meaning is the same.

Matthew 12:50. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. (Compare Mark 3:35—almost identical). The Savior, although He introduces here into His answer the additional term ἀδελφ, does not mention a father (earthly), of whom He nowhere in His speeches speaks. This is in accordance with the accounts of the evangelists Matthew and Luke concerning His virgin birth. It can scarcely be inferred from this that the mention of mother and alongside her of brother and sister serves as a confirmation of the opinion that the brothers of the Savior were His full brothers. All three terms—“brother,” “sister,” and “mother”—are used here, evidently, in a spiritual sense.

Chapter Thirteen

1-9. Parable of the sower.—10-17. The purpose of parables.—18-23. Explanation of the parable of the sower.—24-30. Parable of the weeds.—31-32. Parable of the mustard seed.—33. Parable of the leaven.—34-35. Prophecy concerning teaching in parables.—36-43. Explanation of the parable of the weeds.—44. Parable of the treasure hidden in a field.—45-46. Parable of the merchant seeking fine pearls.—47-50. Parable of the net.—51-52. Conclusion of the figurative discourse.—53-58. Time in Nazareth.

Matthew 13:1. That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. (Compare Mark 4:1). This verse precisely defines the place where the first parables of Christ were spoken—this is the Sea of Galilee, although it is not called by name. The account of the teaching in parables follows in Matthew in the same order as in Mark, and in the same connection. But Luke presents the parables of the sower (Luke 8:4 ff.), the mustard seed, and the leaven (Luke 13:19-21) in a different connection. Christ departed from the house in Capernaum, heading toward the Sea of Galilee, entered a boat, sat in it according to the custom of the Jewish teachers of that time, and began to speak to the people in parables. A great crowd of people gathered on the shore, which was conveniently able to gather here, because although the lake is surrounded by mountains, they dip down abruptly directly into the water only in places, leaving especially on the western shore more or less wide and sloping shore areas. The number of listeners was sometimes so large (Luke 5:1) that they pressed in on the Savior. Perhaps in the present case He did not at first wish to enter the boat and entered it only out of necessity. This is suggested by the expressions of Matthew and Mark, that He first “sat by the sea” and only then moved into the boat. In the ancient world we know of no other examples of such preaching from a boat. But it is certain that this was very convenient both for Christ Himself and for the people listening to Him. On the western shore of the lake the mountains recede from it into the interior of the land about 7-10 versts, and thus a fairly level place is obtained. The parables spoken by the Savior were the first. The evangelist evidently presents them as the first, whereby, according to Trench, the parable of the sower appeared as a kind of introduction to this new method of teaching which the Divine Teacher had not used until then. This is evident both from the question put to the disciples afterward: “Why do you speak to them in parables?” (verse 10), and from the answer of Christ, in which He justifies this new method of teaching and the purpose which was intended thereby.

Matthew 13:2. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat there; and all the crowd stood on the beach. (Compare Mark 4:1; Luke 8:4). As stated above, the Savior apparently wished to preach on the shore, as this is precisely what the words of the previous verse indicate: “sat by the sea.” Only when a crowd gathered to Him did He enter the boat and sit in it. This explains why the verb “sat” is used twice—once in each of the first two verses. Mark also has the same sense of speech, who says that the Savior began to teach “by the sea,” but when the crowd gathered, He entered the boat and sat (sat?) on the sea. Matthew omits Mark’s expression “on the sea.”

Matthew 13:3. And he taught them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow; (Compare Mark 4:2; Luke 8:4). The word “parable” from its Greek derivation (παραβολή) means “placing alongside,” “comparison,” “likeness” (but scarcely—“example”). This term denotes such speech in which an abstract truth, whether moral or spiritual, is explained by means of various events and phenomena in nature or in life. Thus, for example, the thought that a man should help his neighbors is expressed in the parable of the good Samaritan, the thought of God’s love for a repenting sinner in the parable of the prodigal son. If these thoughts were not expressed by means of vivid images, they would be commonplaces and soon forgotten. But it is known that a similar method of revealing general truths by means of images and comparisons is also used in fables. Are the parables of Christ like fables? And if not, what is the difference? Between a fable and a parable there is resemblance, but only external. As in a parable, so in a fable various objects of nature (for example, weeds, mustard seed, and so forth) are taken for comparison, and even animals (for example, sheep, swine in the parable of the prodigal son, dogs in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, etc.) are sometimes used. Therefore, some likened the parable to the fable and said that it was the same thing. But even a simple, cursory, and general glance at parables and fables can show that a parable is not at all what a fable is. This general view can be confirmed by examining some details. In a fable, if, for instance, animals act, they are always brought to the foreground; in the parables of Christ their role is always secondary. In a fable, in all that animals or objects of nature (for example, trees) say and do, one must always understand the speech and actions of people, because otherwise one would have to attribute to objects of nature what never happens in reality (for example, when animals or plants speak). In parables, similar images always remain perfectly natural, and the actions of animals or plants in the strict sense cannot be referred to people, and the fact that animals or plants would ever speak is not mentioned in the New Testament parables. Finally, a fable in general is a fiction, and usually an entertaining one; for the clarification of moral truths in parables, actual events in nature and life are usually taken. We say “usually” because this does not seem to happen always. While one can agree that in figurative speech, for example about the Last Judgment, the separation of sheep from goats is an image that could correspond to reality, that is, an image not invented, it is difficult to think that in the parable of the creditor and the unmerciful servant (Matt 18:23-35) the amount of the debt in ten thousand talents (60,000,000 denarii, a denarius being approximately 20 kopecks, that is, 4 g in silver equivalent), which the king gave to one of his servants, was not invented for the purpose of clarifying the truth about the enormous debt of man to God. The parable of the wicked husbandmen (Matt 21:33-41) raises similar questions—is this account real or invented, if one ignores its application? The circumstance that some images in parables are supposedly invented has given occasion to define the word “parable” (concerning the Gospel parables) thus: “A parable is such a form of speech in which by means of a fictitious narrative, nevertheless plausible and borrowed from ordinary life, abstract truths, little known or moral in nature, are presented.” Alford defines a parable thus: “It is a serious story, within the bounds of probability, of some deed, pointing to some moral or spiritual truth.” Some exegetes consider pointless the attempts to define precisely what a parable is and how it differs from all other forms of speech. Some think that every parable is a kind of allegory. In a parable something is spoken of which has its own natural meaning, but on the other side of this natural meaning, sometimes covered by it and sometimes revealed, another subject is understood. All these definitions may be suitable, however, perhaps only for clarifying what a parable is in general, but not for the parables of the Savior. We must firmly establish the truth that the Savior did not speak falsely. In considering parables this is evident not only from the fact that His parables have enormous life significance, but also from the fact that no one ever objected to His parables—that He was preaching fiction, fantasizing, or exaggerating something. This is absolutely necessary for understanding the parables of the Savior. In them there is always taken some real event, taken from human life or from nature and even from the world of animals and plants. If any subdivision of parables is possible, they can be divided only into general and particular. In general parables an account is given of some real event, so frequently and usually that fiction cannot be in question. Such are, for example, the parables of the sower or the mustard seed. In particular parables the events are, so to speak, individual, and most likely it can be assumed that they occurred only once. Such is, for example, the parable of the good Samaritan or the laborers in the vineyard receiving equal wages for their work. It is quite possible to suppose that these parables were based on actual facts. It is more difficult, as we said, to suppose them in parables such as, for example, the wicked husbandmen or the unmerciful servant. However, who can guarantee that such cases did not exist in the reality of that time? And at that time there were people who possessed colossal wealth. Thus, in all parables we can find a fully corresponding reality and non-fictitious characterization of the time, life, customs, and manners. But it is remarkable that in recounting real events, the Savior never mentions real persons and the time of occurrence of real events, and only twice (in the parable of the good Samaritan and the Pharisee and the tax collector) points out the place of their occurrence, and then in completely general expressions. Thus, all the parables of Christ appear before us, so to speak, completely anonymous. If, for instance, the parable speaks of a king, he is never called by name. From the parables, in any case, it is evident that Christ knew life extremely well and saw in it what others do not see. A peculiarity of the highest and richly gifted people lies in the fact that they see more than other people, and Christ possessed this ability in the highest degree. In presenting real events, He applied them to the moral realm with such discernment as is inaccessible to and uncharacteristic of ordinary people. The parable comes closest, perhaps, to the type, image, or prefigurement, with only the difference that a type is usually the real expression of an idea, whereas a parable is verbal. But everything said in no way prevents the assertion that in different parables there is encountered an artistic combination of different real events and circumstances, which serves as the expression of special, artistic, and ideal truth. When, for example, an artist paints a picture of a sunset, he combines in it observations made at various times, under various circumstances, and in different places, and thus produces an ideal picture, faithful to reality in all particulars, but rising above it by virtue of the idea which, of course, may not be borrowed from real natural life. This is not fiction, but an artistic combination of idea with external images borrowed from reality itself, and such a combination is itself reality, but mental, ideal, lofty, and artistic. The seven parables set forth in the chapter of Matthew under consideration form one whole and relate to one subject, the kingdom of God and its development; in verse 53 it is clearly indicated that they were spoken at one time. The first four of these parables were apparently spoken to the people from the boat (the explanation of the parable of the sower was inserted here); the last three—to the disciples in the house. The first parables are connected by the formula “another parable,” and at the beginning of the last three it is said: “again like.” According to the accounts of the evangelists Matthew and Mark, not everything, however, was spoken in parables, but “many things.” “For,” remarks Jerome, “if Christ spoke everything in parables, then the people would have dispersed, having received no benefit for themselves. Clear Christ mingles with heavenly, so that on the basis of what the people understood, he might draw their attention to what they did not understand.”

Matthew 13:4. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Matthew 13:5. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because the soil was not deep. Matthew 13:6. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Matthew 13:7. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Matthew 13:8. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. (Compare Mark 4:8; Luke 8:8). In Palestine at present, wheat yields a harvest of 12-16 times the seed, but barley often yields 50 times, and millet, which is eaten mostly by the poorest classes, sometimes yields 150 or 200 times. But the yields apparently were better in the time of Christ than now. “A hundredfold yield in the East,” says Trench, “is not an unheard-of thing, though it is generally mentioned as something extraordinary.” In Luke (Luke 8:8) simply: “it brought forth fruit a hundredfold,” with the sizes of the smaller harvests omitted.

Matthew 13:9. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear! (Compare Mark 4:9; Luke 8:8). In the same way as in (Matt 11:15), in Matthew is omitted (according to some readings) “to hear,” which is found in Mark and Luke. Thus the literal translation is “whoever has ears, let him hear” (Tertullian: qui habet aures audiat).

Matthew 13:10. Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” (Compare Mark 4:10; Luke 8:9). It is very difficult to decide exactly when the disciples came to Christ and proposed this question to Him. If it had been in the boat, it would be difficult to explain προσελθόντες—having come, rather than “having come” as in the Russian translation. Furthermore, Christ had pronounced only one parable, the first, which is set forth by all three evangelists. But the disciples ask: “Why do you speak to them in parables,” and asked Him about parables (Mark 4:10; the Russian translation, where the singular “parable” is used, is incorrect). But in Luke the singular: “What would be the meaning of this parable?” Thus, to understand how it was in reality, the question would need to be transposed, supposing that it was given after the pronouncement of the other parables also set forth in chapter 13. Finally, Mark clearly says that the question was proposed by the disciples to Christ at the time when they remained alone (κατὰ μόνας; in the Russian translation: “when he was alone without the people”). The most probable supposition is that the conversation of the Savior with the disciples took place after the figurative speech was concluded and He went out with them from the boat or withdrew with them in the boat to some other place. In Mark (Mark 4:10 cf. Mark 4:34) this is stated somewhat more clearly. The question of the disciples apparently shows that the Savior had only recently begun this special method of teaching, at least in its most fully developed form. The evangelist Matthew, as is noted, was not generally inclined to be careful about the chronological order here. According to Alford, the question about the parable of the sower was proposed during a pause in the Savior’s teaching, not when He entered the house (verse 36).

Matthew 13:11. And he answered and said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” (Compare Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10). The fact that these words were here an answer to the question of the previous verse is indicated by “answered and said to them” (ἀποκριθείς). The words of Christ show that His teaching set forth in parables contained “mysteries,” that these mysteries were not accessible to a broad circle of Christ’s listeners even after the explanations which He gave to the disciples; but to the latter they could be understood even without explanations, though after them they became even clearer. The word “mysteries” does not express the fact that the parables themselves were incomprehensible. It was used by the Greeks to designate certain secret teachings, rites in religion and what was connected with it. No one was admitted to these mysteries except the initiated; the initiated themselves were obliged to keep these mysteries secret. Thus, while being mysteries for outsiders, they were not so for the initiated. Verses 10, 11, and 14 are explained in Irenaeus (Adversus haereses, IV, 29). “Why do you speak to them in parables? The Lord answers: because (quoniam) it has been given to you to know (cognoscere) the mystery of the kingdom of heaven; but to them I speak in parables, that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not hear (understanding, might not understand), that there might be fulfilled in them the prophecy of Isaiah, saying: Harden (did harden) the heart of this people and deafen (did deafen) their ears and close (did close) their eyes. But blessed are your eyes, because they see what you see, and your ears which hear what you hear.”

Matthew 13:12. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. (Compare Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18). “Whoever has”—both in Russian and in Greek—is a subordinate clause without a main clause, although the speech is completely correct and understandable. This is nominativus absolutus (see comments on Matt 12:36). Similar expressions are found in (Matt 25:29) in the parable of the talents. This may have been a proverb, expressing a general truth with regard to worldly and spiritual blessings. Examples of when those who do not have lose what they do have are common and well known. Our Russian proverb “where it is thin, it tears” expresses the same thought. In the Gospels, of course, it is only about spiritual matters. “What people had is taken from them, because they do not have what they should have.” The disciples possessed a greater capacity and receptiveness to the new teaching and therefore could acquire more than the rest of the people. Augustine interprets the expression “whoever has” in the sense of utitur—uses, and applies it to preachers. A preacher who preaches divine teaching to others does not feel a lack of teaching and of the words he speaks and preaches, but if someone does not use the teaching, then even the meaning of what he said becomes obscured and leaves him.

Matthew 13:13. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, and they do not understand; (Compare Mark 4:11-12; Luke 8:10). A preliminary reference to (Isa 6:9) will be considered in the next verse. The meaning of the verse on the surface appears clear, because everywhere and in all places there are many people who, seeing, do not see and, hearing, do not hear. But the question—how does this prove the necessity of speaking precisely in parables? It is possible to think that Christ’s thought was as follows. An abstract truth, though having important significance for the kingdom of heaven, is not accessible to the popular mind. Therefore, it requires the embodiment of this abstract truth in certain images, which would make it closer to the people, open his eyes and unseal his ears, interest him, and thus prompt him to strive for understanding and further truths, symbolically and figuratively represented in the parable. In this, apparently, Christ’s words differ from those of the prophet Isaiah. The parallel expressions of Mark and Luke indicate the purpose (ἵνα), “why all things are in parables.” It is best to explain this verse by presupposing here a reference by Christ to His previous teaching, which not only was not correctly understood by many people of the people (which is entirely possible, since many of the truths preached by Him, for example, in the Sermon on the Mount, are even now not understood by everyone), but also by more developed people—the scribes, and by the latter especially, as is evident from the previous chapter. These people, not understanding the teaching of Christ, are called by Mark (Mark 4:11) ἐκεῖνοι οἱ ἔξω—the outsiders, and by Luke (Luke 8:10)—οἱ λοιποί, the others. They are spoken to in parables because “seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear,” and according to Mark and Luke—so that, seeing, they might not see, and so forth. This speech of Christ is full of profound meaning. To such people, who, seeing, do not see and, hearing, do not hear, one could say nothing, because speech for them, owing to their incomprehension, is useless. But He speaks even to them—in parables. Briefly, the meaning can be expressed thus: if they do not wish to understand, they will not understand even parables. But if they somewhat wish to understand, then they will understand at least the parable. If they wish to understand more, then under the cloak of the parable they will see that it reveals the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 13:14. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; And you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;’ (Compare Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10). Isa 6:9-10 in a literal translation from the Hebrew: “Go and say to this people: You hear and hear, and do not understand; and you see and see, and do not perceive. Make the heart of this people gross and their ears heavy (hard of hearing) and close their eyes, that they may not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, and their heart may not understand, and they may not be healed.” God here gives Isaiah at his calling the command to preach to a people that sees poorly and hears heavily. The speech of the prophet was to make the heart of this people even more gross, their eyes even more blind, and their ears—more deaf, so that the people would not turn and would not receive healing, and this because by their sinfulness they do not wish to see and hear anything. The people are like a hopeless criminal, untouched by any speech, yielding to no persuasions. Therefore, inattention to the speech of the prophet serves for the people itself as one of the punishments. This speech will not be saving for the people, but will serve as a means for their judgment and condemnation. In their defense the people cannot claim that they were told nothing. Such is the meaning of Isaiah’s original speech, now applied by the Savior to the Hebrew people. And this is understandable if we pay attention to Christ’s earlier condemnations, especially in (Matt 11:16-24) and (Matt 12:25-37), where the Savior spoke without parables. For inattention to His words and unwillingness to fulfill them in deed, He now proclaims judgment to people whose heart has become hardened and callous, announcing their judgment.

Matthew 13:15. For this people’s heart has become dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have closed their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them. (Compare Mark 4:12—the text is greatly shortened). The literal translation of this verse from the Greek (according to some readings) may be thus: “For has become dull (fattened) the heart of this people, and with their ears they have heard heavily, and their eyes they have closed, that they may not see with their eyes and not hear with their ears and not understand with their heart and not turn, and I will heal them.” Heart, ears, and eyes—these three words appear subsequently in reverse order. “Heart” at the beginning is placed first, at the end—last. From the heart corruption spreads to the ears and eyes, through the eyes and ears health returns to the heart.

Matthew 13:16. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear, (Compare Luke 10:23—in a different connection and altered form of expression). This saying was probably repeated. Members of the body here are used instead of persons, that is, instead of: “You are blessed who see,” and so forth.

Matthew 13:17. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. (Compare Luke 10:24). Here is meant the prophets in general, who proclaimed the Coming Savior and, of course, themselves desired to see Him. A good explanation of this verse comes from Jerome: “Here there seems to be something opposite to what is said in another place. Abraham, your father, longed to see the day of Mine; and he saw it, and rejoiced. But Jesus Christ did not say that all the prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, but many. Among many it might happen that some saw and others did not see, although this passage is dangerous to interpret in the sense that there is a certain difference among the merits of the saints. Therefore, Abraham saw it in mystery, but did not see it face to face. But you see it near and have your Lord.” Cf. Heb 11:13.

Matthew 13:18. Listen then to the parable of the sower: (Compare Mark 4:13; Luke 8:11). Literally: “Therefore, you listen to the parable of the sower.” There is no word “meaning” in the original, and in the Russian translation it is emphasized. From the insertion of this word the real meaning of the verse does not change.

Matthew 13:19. When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart—this is what was sown along the path. (Compare Mark 4:15; Luke 8:12). In Matthew is omitted what is said in (Mark 4:14; Luke 8:11) (the second half of the verse). The account of the Savior’s speech by all the synoptists is different. Literally in Matthew: “anyone hearing the word about the kingdom and not understanding, the evil one comes…” This kind of speech is called anacoluthon (inconsistent), and it is used here for greater expressiveness. The speech without anacoluthon would be thus: the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in the heart of anyone hearing the word about the kingdom and not understanding. Further in the Russian translation: “this is what was sown along the path.” This is a departure from the image, because it is not a man, but seed that is sown. The Russian translation, however, accurately expresses the meaning of the Greek speech: οὖτός ἐστιν ὁ παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν σπαρείς. But instead of the words, “this is he sown along the path” there should have been, “this is what was sown along the path” or “such is the soil along the path, on which was sown.” The same holds in the following verses. But such phenomena are usual in Eastern speech. An attempt was made to avoid the difficulty by relating the word οὖτος to λόγος. But such an explanation does not accord with verses 20, 22, 23. The meaning of the speech, however, is clear. Seed is one and the same everywhere and for all, but seed does not grow without soil, and soil does not produce without seed; the growth or loss of seed is the result of the convenience or inconvenience of the soil. It should be noted that throughout this explanation of Christ to His parable, the former parable speech is repeated everywhere with explanatory additions.

Matthew 13:20. And the one sown on rocky ground—this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; Matthew 13:21. yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. Matthew 13:22. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. (Compare Mark 4:18; Luke 8:14). According to John Chrysostom, “the Savior did not say: the world, but: ‘but the cares of the world’; did not say: riches, but: ‘the deceitfulness of riches.’ Therefore, let us blame not the things themselves, but the corrupted will. One can have riches and not be deceived by them, and live in this world and not be oppressed by its cares.” By “the cares of the world” should be understood the ordinary human anxieties and concerns in their struggle for existence, which are characterized by different circumstances and are carried out by means of different methods in different ages. For ἀπάτη, cf. 2 Thess 2:10; Heb 3:13.

Matthew 13:23. But the one sown on good soil—this is the one who hears the word and understands it, and who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty. (Compare Mark 4:20; Luke 8:15). Some, including Augustine, understanding by “fruit a hundredfold” martyrdom, said that by “fruit sixty” is meant the state of Gospel poverty, and “thirty”—the keeping of the commandments in general. The best interpretation of this passage among the ancient interpreters belongs to Euthymius Zigabenus, who correctly understands the words of Christ in a general sense. By fruit a hundredfold the Savior meant, according to Zigabenus, the perfect fruitfulness of virtue; sixty—the average, and thirty—the weak. That this interpretation is the best is seen from the fact that in the same general sense the evangelist Luke also sets forth the explanation by the Savior of His parable: “And that on good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15).

Matthew 13:24. He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field;” When and to whom was this parable spoken? To the disciples alone, or also to the people? The most probable supposition is that in the teaching to the people there was a break while the Savior spoke with the disciples, explaining the parable of the sower to them. And then He spoke again with the people. “Comparable to a man,” that is, comparable to the circumstances which are set forth in detail below; “it is as if among a man” and so forth. Such a construction is found in (Matt 18:23) and in other parables of Matthew. Ὡμοιώθη—the usual introduction to parables in later Jewish literature: “A parable—to what is it comparable? To that…” All the parables in Matthew not found in Mark begin with the formula ὡμοιώθη or ὁμοῖα ἐστί, except (Matt 25:14-30), where the parable begins with a simple ὥσπερ—a beginning also common in Jewish parables.

Matthew 13:25. But while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. Much has been said about the meaning of ζιζάνια (weeds). According to Zahn, this is apparently a Semitic word, denoting a noxious plant resembling wheat. Zahn finds confirmation of his words in the words of John Chrysostom ὃ καὶ κατὰ τὴν ὄψιν ἔοικε πῶς τῷ σίτῳ (apparently resembles wheat). But a reliable botanical determination of this word has not yet been made. Probably it is lolium temulentum (intoxicating darnel, cockle) or some kind of ergot (claviceps purpurea), which appears not only in rye but also on many other plants, among them wheat. Jerome, who lived in Palestine, says that the Gospels refer to lolium. The fruit of this plant “is more bitter,” says Thomson, “and when eaten alone or even mixed into ordinary bread, it causes dizziness and often acts as a strong emetic. In short, it is a strong narcotic poison, and must be carefully winnowed and separated from wheat grain by grain.” Before it ripens, this plant so strongly resembles wheat that it is often left until it ripens.

Matthew 13:26. And when the grain sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. Matthew 13:27. And the servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, have the weeds come from?’ Matthew 13:28. He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ Matthew 13:29. But he said, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Matthew 13:30. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” Already the ancient interpreters disputed about how to fulfill this commandment of the Savior concerning weeds in human life. Never, says Jerome, should one have communion with those called brothers, but who in reality are adulterers and fornicators. If the uprooting before the very time of harvest is forbidden, then should some be expelled from our midst? Augustine addresses this question in part: if any Christian living in the bosom of the Church should be convicted of some sin that brings anathema upon him, then let it be pronounced only when there is no danger of schism appearing. If the sinner does not repent and is not corrected by repentance, then perhaps he himself will depart and of his own volition will separate himself from church communion.

Matthew 13:31. He put before them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field,” Matthew 13:32. It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown, it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches. Black mustard both in wild and in cultivated state often reaches a height of 8-12 feet, and birds often perch on this plant, small birds that flit about on its thin branches, pecking at the seeds which they love.

Matthew 13:33. He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” (Compare Luke 13:20-21). It is commonly thought—and this opinion is correct—that in the preceding parables the external growth of the kingdom of heaven is depicted under the images of seed and the obstacle in the way of its spread under the image of weeds. In the parable of this verse and further ones, however, are depicted the internal force and influence on people of the kingdom, its internal growth. First, this is depicted under the image of leaven, which a woman, in order to bake bread, put into three measures of flour. The image is so usual and familiar to all that it does not require explanation. “Three measures”—three sata (σάτα τρία). A sata is a Hebrew measure (otherwise “seah”), constituting one Hebrew ephah, equal to one and a half Roman modi—approximately 13 liters, according to an ancient Talmudic determination, such a measure in which 432 eggs could be placed.

Matthew 13:34. Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing, (Compare Mark 4:33-34). In Mark this is set forth thus: “And with many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. Without a parable he did not speak to them, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.” Instead of “he did not speak to them,” as in the Russian translation (οὐκ ἐλαλει), some on the basis chiefly of the Sinaitic and Vatican codices read: “he spoke nothing to them” (οὐδὲν ἐλάλει). If we accept even this last reading, the negation can be considered not absolute but relative in this case, and it means that at that time or usually Jesus Christ did not speak anything without a parable, but not always. If, however, someone should wish to accept this negation in an absolute sense, then he should understand under παραβολή, in a broader sense, in general a mysterious, enigmatic speech. To the crowd insensitive to higher truths, Jesus Christ always spoke enigmatically. He was never completely clear to it.

Matthew 13:35. so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: ‘I will open my mouth in parables; I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.’ In the superscription of Psalm 77, from which this testimony is taken, the name of Asaph is mentioned. Like Asaph and various other persons, they were called prophets along with David. In 2 Chr 29:30 Asaph in Hebrew is called “ha-hozeh,” and the Seventy translate this word as ὁ προφήτης: according to some readings, in the original instead of “prophet”—“prophet Isaiah” (perhaps in error?).

Matthew 13:36. Then Jesus, having dismissed the crowd, went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying: Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field. Matthew 13:37. He answered them: The one who sows good seed is the Son of Man. Despite all its apparent simplicity, the verse presents insurmountable difficulties, which are occasioned precisely by this simplicity. The question arises: if the explanation given to the disciples is so simple and clear, why was it not also given to the common people? We do not know the actual reasons for this. It is more likely to suppose that the explanation has an eschatological character; here the Son of Man is mentioned as the future Judge, and all this would have been incomprehensible to the common people. Explanations of any parables to the people do not occur in the Gospels. As in other cases, here there are many allegorical interpretations, belonging chiefly to ancient commentators. By the men who sleep (verse 25), church teachers were understood, and it was said that he who is placed at the head of the Church should not sleep, lest by his negligence the enemy, the man, sow weeds, that is, heretical dogmas. Or it was thought that here is spoken of heresies that will continue until the end of the age. But such interpretations, of course, do not relate to verse 37. Under the good seed is clearly seen the proclamation and teaching belonging to the Son of Man.

Matthew 13:38. The field is the world; the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom, and the weeds are the sons of the evil one. Explaining this place, Trench says that the meaning of such apparently simple words as “the field is the world” gave occasion for the most bitter disputes, such as have not occurred concerning any other text, except perhaps where the mystery of the Eucharist is spoken of. This expression in antiquity was much cited in Donatist disputes. The Donatists insisted that the Savior by “field” meant not the Church but the world, and said that wicked people might be tolerated in the world but not in the Church. Augustine insisted to the contrary, maintaining that the Lord did not regard the contemporary state of the Church as wholly free from evil. That Christ called the field the world (field is the subject, and world is the predicate), this can scarcely be doubted; but further on he speaks of the Church, in which exist both good seed and weeds. He says nothing about weeds being destroyed and annihilated by those who consider themselves holy. The words “let both grow together until the harvest” (verse 30) show that the weeds will exist until the end of the world and the establishment of a new kingdom, though they are of τοῦ πονηροῦ—of the evil one. Here the masculine gender τοῦ πονηροῦ is used.

Matthew 13:39. The enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. John Chrysostom remarks: “When he sows, he sows himself; but when he punishes, he punishes through others, namely through the angels.” The expression “end of the age” in the Gospels occurs only in Matthew and also in the Epistle to the Hebrews (Heb 9:26—of the ages). But it is found in Jewish, especially apocalyptic, literature. The reapers are distinguished from the servants who reported to the owner of the field what the enemy—the man—had done. If the servants are people, then the reapers are angels.

Matthew 13:40. Therefore as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of this age. The thought expounded here is explained in more detail in the following verses. The images are taken from the customary harvesting of grain.

Matthew 13:41. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all lawbreakers. The expression “out of his kingdom” should be interpreted to mean that when the Son of Man comes, his kingdom will also come. At the time of this future coming, the weeds will be finally removed from his kingdom. In verses 41 and 43 the kingdom of the Son of Man and the kingdom of the Father are distinguished. There is no need to suppose that the kingdom of the Son of Man comes only at the end of the world (cf. Col 1:13), although until then it might be considered incomplete (cf. Matt 25:34). Rather, both here and in 1 Cor 15:24 is expressed the thought that the Son in the end “will deliver his kingdom to God and the Father.” Then the righteous will “shine like the sun.”

Matthew 13:42. And they will throw them into the fiery furnace; there people will weep and gnash their teeth. The expression “fiery furnace” occurs in Matthew only twice, here and in verse 50 (cf. Rev 1:15). All these and similar expressions undoubtedly indicate a judgment so severe that the Lord came down from heaven and tasted all the torments of death in order to deliver people from even the knowledge of the mystery of suffering, which is expressed in the words: “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 13:43. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let those with ears to hear, listen! Explaining this place, Theophylact says: “Since the sun of righteousness is Christ, the righteous will then be illuminated like Christ, for they will be as gods.” Some heretics drew strange conclusions from the words of Christ and thought that in the resurrection our body will be transformed into a sphere and will resemble the body of the sun. Origen held such an opinion. But here it is not said that the righteous will become suns, only that they will shine like the sun. Spiritual light is of course what is meant. The prophecy refers to the future, and therefore to interpret it in any precisely defined form would be premature.

Matthew 13:44. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid, and from joy concerning it goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field. The translation is precise but not sufficiently grammatical, for one can guess from the meaning that “which” refers to treasure, not to the nearest word “field.” The same applies to “it.” In this verse is introduced a man who unexpectedly and without effort finds treasure hidden in the earth on another’s field. This and the following parable reveal more the nature of the teaching about the kingdom than indicate its spread, as in the preceding parables. The gospel message about the kingdom is so attractive that a man gives all he has to hear it. The parable of the treasure hidden in the field is found only in Matthew.

Matthew 13:45. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking good pearls. Matthew 13:46. Finding one precious pearl, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. In verse 45 the plural (pearls), in verse 46 the singular (one pearl). A merchant goes seeking many pearls and finds them; among them appears one that is more valuable than all. Jerome remarks that here in different words is set forth what was said in the preceding parable. The good pearls that the merchant seeks are, according to Jerome, the law and the prophets, and the most precious pearl is knowledge of the Savior and the mysteries of his suffering and resurrection.

Matthew 13:47. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea and gathering fish of every kind. Matthew 13:48. When it was full, they drew it up on the shore and, sitting down, gathered the good into vessels, but threw out the bad. In thought and form the parable is a variant of the second parable of the weeds (verses 30, 40–43). The fishermen who cast the net into the sea are scarcely different persons from those who draw the net to land and separate the good from the bad. “Good” is in no way a superlative and does not equal optimos. The parable of the net is found only in Matthew.

Matthew 13:49. So it will be at the end of the age: the angels will come out and separate the wicked from among the righteous. Matthew 13:50. And they will throw them into the fiery furnace; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Grammatically, both in the Greek text and in the Russian translation, the word “them” refers to “righteous,” but in meaning it should refer to “them,” of course, to the wicked. Only the third parable of the second series is partially explained.

Matthew 13:51. And Jesus asked them: Have you understood all these things? They say to him: Yes, Lord. Jesus Christ was also ready to explain the remaining parables to the disciples. But they understood them, if not completely, at least correctly.

Matthew 13:52. He said to them: Therefore every scribe trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old. The word “therefore” (διὰ τοῦτο) some relate to the preceding teaching in parables generally: “since I have told you how the parables should be understood, then you should know that every scribe” and so on. Others relate διὰ τοῦτο to the preceding question of the Savior: “because I asked, since each scribe” and so on. According to Augustine, διὰ τοῦτο relates only to the parable of the treasure (verse 44). But most naturally, as with most commentators, διὰ τοῦτο relates to the immediately preceding answer of the disciples. The sense of all this discourse may be understood from the following paraphrase: “since you say that you have understood all this, therefore I tell you that not I alone, but every man who has made the truths of the kingdom of heaven his own can be likened to his master, namely me, and can use for explaining new truths both old and new.” This thought is clarified by an image where a spiritual master, that is, a spiritual teacher, is compared to an ordinary householder who, when needed, takes from his storehouse both old and new things and uses them as occasion requires. In the parables of Christ one can distinguish new and old. The old is the familiar images which he used: sower, seed, weeds, treasure, pearls, and so on. The new belonged to him and was at that time understood only by the disciples—these are new moral truths explained in the parables. He points here therefore simply to the new method of his teaching, which must be adopted by every scribe trained for the kingdom of heaven, to build the new on the basis of the old, which is well understood and known to all.

Matthew 13:53. And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there. (Cf. Mark 6:1). From the following verse it is evident that Jesus Christ went to his own country; by the word “country” is usually understood Nazareth. So consider John Chrysostom and many others. The further narrative in Matthew and Mark is similar to the narrative of Luke (Luke 4:16-30), but the numerous details communicated by Luke are omitted in the first two evangelists. The evangelist, as Augustine remarks, does not conduct his narrative here in sequential order. The identity of the narratives of Matthew and Mark with Luke (Luke 4:16-30) is denied by some and recognized by others; in the latter case, it is said that exact chronological order is observed only in Luke. To determine in what order the actual events occurred is here extremely difficult. After the discourse in parables, Mark relates the journey to the eastern shore of the lake and the healing of Jairus’s daughter. But Matthew has already recounted this in chapters 8 and 9; now he omits the narrative of these events and continues with Mark 6:1-6.

Matthew 13:54. And coming to his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said: Where does this one get such wisdom and mighty works? Matthew 13:55. Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? (Cf. Mark 6:3). Concerning the brothers and sisters of the Savior, see John 2:12; Matt 12:46 and parallel passages; Matt 13:55-56 and parallel passages; John 7:3 and following; Acts 1:14; Gal 1:18-19; 1 Cor 9:5. James (not of Alphaeus nor of Zebedee) was afterward bishop of the Church of Jerusalem, and after him his third brother Simeon (see Eusebius of Caesarea, “Ecclesiastical History,” III, 11). According to the testimony of Hegesippus in Eusebius (III, 32), he suffered under Trajan and the consul Atticus, ending his life “in nearly the same death as the Lord himself” at the age of 120 years. This was in the ninth year of the reign of Trajan, that is, in 107 AD. If so, then Simeon was 11 years older than the Savior. The grandsons of the fourth brother Judas were brought before Domitian and released by him. Concerning the second brother of the Savior, Joseph (as in the Russian translation), nothing is known except the name itself, unless one takes into account the general information about the brothers of the Savior (see the citations above). The name Joseph itself is written in various ways: Ἰωσήφ, Ἰωάννης, Ἰωσῆ (ς), genitive Ἰωσῆτος, as in Mark (Mark 6:3). The most reliable reading in Matthew is Ἰωσήφ, and in Mark Ἰωσῆτος (genitive). Even less is known from the Gospel about the sisters of the Savior. They are mentioned only in Matt 13:56; Mark 3:32, where they are not named. Between the expressions “son of the carpenter” (Matthew) and “carpenter” (Mark) there is no great difference, and one can scarcely say that the first designation is “more respectful.” The expression of Mark “carpenter” found an echo in later writers; compare Celsus in Origen: ἦν τέκτων τὴν τέχνην. Origen denies that Jesus Christ is called “carpenter” (τέκτων) anywhere in the Gospels. Justin (Dialogus cum Tryphone, 88): τὰ τεκτονικὰ ἔργα εἰργάζετο, ἐν ἀνθρώποις ὤν, ἄροτρα καὶ ζυγά (Christ “performed the work of a carpenter, being among men—ploughs and yokes”). To the word “carpenter” some manuscripts add “of Joseph.” The correct reading in Mark appears to be ὁ τέκτων ὁ υἱὸς τῆς Μαρίας.

Matthew 13:56. And his sisters—are they not all with us? Where then did this one get all this? According to Theophylact, the Savior had two sisters, who were called Mary and Salome, according to other sources—Esther and Tamar. The expression πρός ἡμᾶς εἰσίν means: “live here with us.”

Matthew 13:57. And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them: A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house. (Cf. Mark 6:3-4). This is a proverb that was in use among the people at that time and is generally true, though not always. John the Baptist, as well as Isaiah, Elisha, Daniel, and others, were greatly honored. But in general, life shows that we “love the stranger and despise the neighbor.” In Matthew the discourse is similar to that in Mark, but somewhat abbreviated.

Matthew 13:58. And he did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. (Cf. Mark 6:5). From this it is evident that some miracles were performed by the Savior even in Nazareth. John Chrysostom asks: for what reason did he perform few miracles? So that they would not say: “Physician, heal yourself” (Luke 4:23); so that they would not say: you are hostile to us and a stranger and you despise your own; so that they would not say: if you had performed miracles, then we would have believed in you. From this point forward in Matthew’s Gospel, the grouping of material becomes closer to Mark.

Chapter Fourteen

1–2. The anxieties of Herod Antipas.—3–12. The beheading of John the Baptist.—13–21. The return of the disciples and the feeding of five thousand people with five loaves.—22–33. Stilling the storm on the lake.—34–36. Return to the land of Gennesaret.

Matthew 14:1. At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus. (Cf. Mark 6:14; Luke 9:7). In this and the following verse the evangelist places what he should have placed after verse 12, if he were narrating in chronological order, because the words of verse 2 Herod could have spoken only after John had been beheaded. “The report about Jesus” and Herod’s remark serve the evangelist as a reason to recall the circumstances of the Baptist’s execution, which had not yet been recounted in the Gospel. Both other evangelists relate Herod’s anxieties much later than Matthew. In this the order of Mark’s narrative is the same as Matthew’s, but Luke’s is entirely different—he has no account of the Baptist’s execution. The evangelist Luke limits himself only to remarks about his death, similar to those of Matthew, but with the difference that (like Mark) he puts the words about the resurrection of John from the dead into the mouth not of Herod himself but of those around him; Herod only repeats the opinions about the Baptist expressed by them. In the essentials, however, the accounts of the synoptists agree. “At that time” here, as in many other places, is an indefinite indication of time. Mark and Luke relate the events to the time after the mission of the apostles (Matt 10:5), as a result of which the report about Christ was widely spread. “At that time Herod (literally) heard the report (τὴν ἀκοήν) about Jesus.” This was Herod Antipas, the full brother of Archelaus and son of Herod I, who killed the infants of Bethlehem, born of Malthace, a Samaritan woman. The portion of Herod’s kingdom, designated for Antipas in his father’s second will (in the first he was designated king), was Galilee and Perea, where he was confirmed by Augustus in the position of tetrarch. He was married to the daughter of the Arab king Aretas, whom he divorced on account of Herodias. The name Herod was originally a purely personal name, but later passed to two sons of Herod, Herod Boethus and Herod Antipas, and then to King Agrippa I and other junior members of the Herod family. The word “tetrarch” in Greek should be read τετράρχης, not τετράρχης, that is, without the elision of the first a (see Blass, Gram., § 28, 8). Instead of this precise title (Luke 3:1, Luke 9:7; Acts 13:1; Josephus Flavius, “Jewish Antiquities,” XVII, 8, 1; XXIII, 2, 3), Antipas is given in popular speech, as with other ruling Herods, the imprecise title “king” (Matt 14:9; Mark 6:14). A similar imprecision is found also in the Jewish historian Josephus Flavius (“Jewish Antiquities,” XVIII, 4, 3; “Life,” 1).

Matthew 14:2. And he said to his servants: This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him. (Cf. Mark 6:14-16; Luke 9:7-9). In Mark (Mark 6:14 ff.) King Herod heard about what the evangelist had related in the preceding verses, that is, about the preaching of the disciples sent out to preach, their casting out of demons, and other healings (Mark 6:12-13), not “about Jesus,” as is written (emphasized) in the Russian translation. Luke (Luke 9:7) speaks of this even more clearly: “Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was happening” (in the Synodal translation: “about all that Jesus did”—ὑπ´ αὐτοῦ is not authentic) with reference to the same circumstances pointed out by Mark. Incidentally, Mark adds: “for his name, that is, of Christ, had become known” (in the Synodal translation this text is placed in brackets). What the other synoptists relate in more detail, Matthew relates in abbreviated form in verses 1 and 2. In him Herod speaks to his “attendants” (that is, servants, or “his servants,” as in the Russian translation).

Matthew 14:3. For Herod had arrested John and bound him and imprisoned him on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. (Cf. Mark 6:17; Luke 3:19-20). This verse is a return to what the evangelist Luke had related earlier (Luke 3:19-20). Chronologically it should be so, because John was already in prison for a relatively long time, and the evangelist now wishes to relate properly the death of the Baptist, attaching to his account explanations taken from the early history of the Baptist. The account here in Matthew is very brief. The explanation, equally brief, that Herod’s marriage was adulterous, is given in the following verse. Mark (Mark 6:17) adds: “because he had married her”; and Luke (Luke 3:19) adds that the Baptist rebuked Herod not only for marrying Herodias but “for all the evil things Herod had done.” Josephus Flavius points (“Jewish Antiquities,” XVIII, 5, 2) to Herod’s fear of political uprisings as a reason for imprisoning John. There is nothing surprising in the fact that along with political dangers, as the Gospels relate, was mixed Herod’s and Herodias’s displeasure at John’s denunciation of their illegal marriage.

Matthew 14:4. Because John said to him: It is not lawful for you to have her. (Cf. Mark 6:18). John Chrysostom asks: what then was that ancient law violated by Herod and so strongly upheld by John? And answers: that a woman whose husband died childless should marry the brother of the deceased (Deut 25:5). Since “Herod married the wife of his brother, who had a daughter, John rebukes him for this.” Theophylact, agreeing with Chrysostom, adds: “Some say that Herod took both the wife and the tetrarchy when Philip was still alive. But in any case, what was done was unlawful.” The illegality, of course, consisted precisely in this—that Antipas took for himself the wife of his brother, who was still living at the time, as can be concluded from the accounts of the evangelists. “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness. If a man lies with his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless” (Lev 18:16). To this should be added that Antipas’s first wife was alive and fled to her father upon hearing of his intention to marry Herodias. This is sufficient to show the genuine illegality of the marriage that took place, and there is no need to add that Antipas and Herodias were related to one another or in forbidden degrees of kinship, because Herodias was the niece of Antipas, the daughter of his half-brother Aristobulus. The Baptist recognized the old Jewish law and on its basis correctly said: “It is not lawful for you to take her.”

Matthew 14:5. And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded him as a prophet. (Cf. Mark 6:19-20). Euthymius Zigabenus interprets this place on the basis of Mark and says that Herodias was initially furious against John and desired to kill him. But Herod did not consent to this, knowing that John was righteous and holy. Therefore Antipas did many things, listening to him, and listened to him with pleasure.

Matthew 14:6. But when Herod’s birthday celebration came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. (Cf. Mark 6:21-22). As in this verse, so the entire narrative set forth in verses 6–12 is greatly abbreviated in comparison with Mark 6:21-29. “The daughter of Herodias, who danced before Herod,” is not named Salome in the Gospels. The information that Herodias had a daughter Salome, who married tetrarch Philip, is drawn from Josephus Flavius. The expression “before them” is somewhat inaccurate in Russian. In the original ἐν τῷ μέσῳ, “in the middle.” If we had only Matthew’s account, this word in itself would be little understood, because Matthew says nothing about a large gathering; about it one could only guess, if not for Luke’s account.

Matthew 14:7. Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. (Cf. Mark 6:23). It is supposed that the king had previously given something to Salome on festive occasions, and if so, this might have further encouraged her to please him. But such a supposition, of course, must remain only a supposition. The oath of the intoxicated king, although he might not have kept his word if the girl had requested something impossible, is psychologically quite understandable.

Matthew 14:8. She said: Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a plate. (Cf. Mark 6:24-25). Theophylact asks: “Why is ‘here’ added?” And answers: “Fearing that Herod, coming to his senses, would not repent afterward. Therefore she urges Herod, saying: ‘Give me here.’” The words “at her mother’s prompting” (προβιβασθεῖσα, cf. Acts 19:33) cannot be literally translated from the Greek. It is best to translate as “compelled” or “instructed,” deriving this word from βαίνω.

Matthew 14:9. And the king was grieved, but because of his oaths and those reclined with him, he commanded it to be given to her. (Cf. Mark 6:26). According to Theophylact, he was grieved on account of virtue, for even the enemy is amazed at virtue. Yet because of his oath he gave the inhuman gift. With Jerome, the words “the king was grieved” are referred to verse 8. Jerome says that Herod falsely displayed grief on his face, rejoicing in his soul. But in general in the Gospels the girl’s request appears completely unexpected for both the king and his guests. The addition “and those reclined with him” indicates that Herod desired to make the guests participants in his crime. According to Bengel, the king feared the guests and the guests feared him. They should have asked for John, but did not, and therefore became participants in his murder. Although at the beginning of verse 1 Matthew calls Herod a tetrarch, he now calls him a king. The word “oaths” in the Greek text is in the plural; apparently Herod repeated his oath several times.

Matthew 14:10. And sent and had John beheaded in the prison. (Cf. Mark 6:27-28). The entire narrative becomes quite clear if, accepting according to the testimony of Josephus Flavius about the imprisonment of the Baptist at Machaerus, we recognize that the banquet itself also took place there, and not in Tiberias (the residence of Herod) and not in Livias (Betharamtha), a city rebuilt and fortified by Antipas, lying on the eastern side of the Jordan and not far from Jericho. Machaerus was originally fortified by Alexander Jannaeus and then by Herod I, who established a royal palace there. It was on the eastern side of the Dead Sea, on the southern border of Perea. It was the strongest Jewish fortress after Jerusalem. Now the city lies in ruins. The place where it stood is known among the native Arabs by the name Mkour.

Matthew 14:11. And his head was brought on a plate and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. (Cf. Mark 6:28). Such deeds are not without examples in those barbarous times. According to Jerome’s account, Flaminius, a Roman commander, at the request of his mistress, who said she had never seen a beheaded man, had one criminal put to death at a banquet. Other examples see in Geikie, Life and Teaching of Christ II, 235–237. It is quite difficult to determine the exact time of the Baptist’s execution. Schürer (Geschichte), having carefully considered the opinions of Keim and Wieseler (I, 443 ff.), arrives at the following final conclusion: “In the end, we must, adhering to the testimony of the New Testament, place the death of Christ at Passover 30 AD (by our reckoning), the Baptist at 29, and the marriage of Antipas with Herodias at a somewhat earlier time, perhaps in 29 AD or a few years before.”

Matthew 14:12. And his disciples came and took away his body and buried it; and they went and told Jesus. (Cf. Mark 6:29). Concerning the announcement to the Savior of the Baptist’s death by John’s disciples, Mark does not speak.

Matthew 14:13. Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there by boat to a desolate place privately; but when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities. (Cf. Mark 6:30-33; Luke 9:10-11; John 6:1-2). The following narrative about the miracle of feeding five thousand with five loaves is found in all four evangelists. Here the evangelist John clearly approaches the synoptists for the first time. In Mark the Savior says to the disciples that they should go alone to a desolate place and rest a little. For many were coming and going, so they did not even have time to eat. In Matthew it is not said of the disciples but only of Jesus Christ himself. The reason for the withdrawal is clear from the Gospel of Mark. Therefore it appears incorrect the interpretation that he withdrew to the east bank or out of fear of death from the hand of Herod Antipas, or even in order to spare his enemies and prevent them from adding one crime to another. According to Luke, the events appear in the same connection as in the other synoptists, but the Savior withdraws to another shore after the twelve, having returned from preaching, told Christ what they saw. In John there is no mention of the reasons for withdrawal. From all this we can only conclude that there was not one reason for withdrawal but several, and nothing prevents us from combining them. The special reason indicated by Matthew is the report of John’s death. Ἐκει ῀θεν means “from there,” but the place from which the Savior departed is not exactly indicated. Perhaps the departure across the lake was from the place where the Savior received news of John’s death; perhaps from Nazareth (Matt 13:54), if we accept that the discourse Matt 13:54-58 is in immediate connection with this verse. Instead of ἔρημον τόπον (“a desolate place”) in Luke 9:10 is the city of Bethsaida. From the comparison of Luke’s expression “into a city called Bethsaida” (“into a desolate place near a city called Bethsaida,” this reading in Luke, as in the Russian translation, is not considered the best) with the accounts of Matthew and Mark, we can conclude that the place of withdrawal was “a desolate place” near Bethsaida, which, as is evident from the context, was on the other shore of the lake. Bethsaida was located on the northern side of the Sea of Galilee, a little above the mouth of the Jordan flowing into it. It was rebuilt by the tetrarch Philip, who, in honor of Augustus’s daughter Julia, named the city Julia. It was located on the eastern shore of the Jordan. Later it was given by Nero to Agrippa II. And now on the eastern edge of the plain of Butaiha travelers find a desolate place which answers all the requirements of the gospel narrative. As then, so at the present time it was desolate, because the land here is unsuitable for cultivation.

Matthew 14:14. And going out, Jesus saw a great crowd and had compassion on them, and he healed their sick. (Cf. Mark 6:34; Luke 9:11). The word “came out” (ἐξελθών) some, in agreement with Mark, interpret as “from the boat”; others as “from the desolate place.” Still others find both interpretations incorrect, because neither can be proved by anything, and all this leads to the thought that there is a gap in the synoptic tradition. But what is unclear in the synoptists is clear in John, who says that before the miraculous feeding of the people Jesus Christ went up the mountain and there sat with his disciples. ῟Εσπαλαγχνίσθη relates not to the sick but to the “people,” as does the subsequent αὐτῶν. It may be that Christ’s compassion was aroused by the sight of the people, which had many sick. But in Mark it is somewhat different: Christ’s compassion was aroused by the sight of the people, who were like sheep without a shepherd.

Matthew 14:15. When it was evening, his disciples came to him saying: This place is deserted and the day is now far gone; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves. (Cf. Mark 6:35; Luke 9:12; John 6:5-7). According to John’s account, the Savior, seeing the crowd, asked Philip where to buy bread to feed the people. Matthew relates that first the disciples spoke to Christ asking him to dismiss the crowd so they could go buy themselves food in the nearby places. One may suppose, in agreement with Augustine, that only after these words did the Lord say to Philip what John mentions; Matthew and the other evangelists omit this last point. Therefore, according to Augustine, concerning these questions there is no need at all to be troubled, for here one evangelist reports what another omits. Some suppose that the disciples had previously procured themselves food. But such a supposition is contradicted by Matt 14:17 and parallel passages. The first Hebrew evening (ὀψία) came around 3 o’clock in the afternoon; ὀψία in verse 23 indicates already a late time, when night had fallen. Ἡ ὥρα παρῆλθεν ἤδη means “the hour”—the present time—“had already passed.” The sense is as follows: it was late time, when one must think about food for the people. The other synoptists express the same thought in various phrasings: ὥρας πολλῆς γενομένη (Mark), and: ἡ δὲ ἡμέρα ἤρξατο κλίνειν (Luke). Here the apostles are called μαθηταί, disciples. The account of the synoptists is confirmed by that of the fourth evangelist, although in him the matter is presented in some places somewhat differently compared to the other evangelists (for example, John 6:8-9).

Matthew 14:16. But Jesus said to them: They have no need to go away; you give them something to eat. (Cf. Mark 6:37; Luke 9:13). This verse in Matthew is somewhat fuller than in the other synoptists. In the latter there are no words “they have no need to go away.” “You give them something to eat”—these words are the same (in the Greek text) in all three evangelists; only in Luke, perhaps more correctly than in Matthew and Mark, instead of ὑμεῖς φαγεῖν, as in Matthew and Mark, we have φαγεῖν ὑμεῖς. In John these words are omitted. According to Zigabenus, “they have no need to go away” is said in place of “they are not obliged to go away.”

Matthew 14:17. And they said to him: We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish. (Cf. Mark 6:37-38; Luke 9:13; John 6:8-9). It should be noted that Matthew, Mark, and Luke speak of five loaves and two fish, but do not say that the loaves were barley. Only John mentions barley loaves. Regarding the boy who had these five loaves and two fish, we also read only in John. A similar miracle is in 2 Sam 4:42-44, except there are twenty barley loaves and a hundred people. See also Num 11:21-22.

Matthew 14:18. He said: Bring them here to me. Matthew 14:19. And ordering the crowd to sit down on the grass, he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowd. (Cf. Mark 6:39-41; Luke 9:14-16; John 6:10-11). Matthew’s account is shorter than that of all other evangelists. The narrative of Mark is more vivid and detailed. Luke adds that Christ commanded the people to sit down “in groups of fifty.” In Matthew and Luke it is not said about the distribution of fish, though the fact that Christ took the fish is mentioned; in Mark and John it is said about the distribution of fish also. John Chrysostom says: “When (Jesus Christ) forgave sins, opened paradise and led the robber in, when he had absolute power to repeal the old law, raised many dead, commanded the sea, revealed the secrets of hearts, opened eyes—at none of these actions do we see him praying. But when he intended to multiply the loaves, something far less significant than all the previously mentioned acts, he then looked up to heaven, as confirmation of his mission from the Father… and as instruction to us not to come to the table before offering thanksgiving to the Giver of our food.” Schürer says: “Among the Jews there was a beautiful custom—to say nothing without prayer (according to the commandment Deut 8:10).” It is unknown to Hilary where the loaves are multiplied—at the place of the meal or in the hands of those receiving them or in the mouth of those eating them. Others tried to determine the phenomenon more precisely and said that the multiplication occurred in the hands of the disciples, because not enough time would remain for Jesus Christ if he himself began to give pieces of bread and parts of fish to each of the 5,000 people. But the disciples who distributed the bread would, according to De-Wette’s calculation, have to distribute with both hands about 216 times. And if each of them stretched out his hand to receive bread and fish, then they would have stretched out their hands 432 times. Such calculations, if they are not superfluous, can only show that certain circumstances accompanying the miracle were not beyond the limits of what is possible or even usual. Jewish bread was ordinarily broad and thin, resembled flatcakes; probably for this reason we never hear in the New Testament of bread being cut, but only of bread being broken. Zahn notes that the detailed description of the distribution of bread by the disciples and the unanimous testimony of the evangelists concerning the number of baskets equal to the number of apostles, into which the uneaten and leftover bread pieces were gathered, strengthen the impression that the participation of the apostles in this entire action from beginning to end was essential to the narrative. The apostles were to first of all learn that they were to fulfill the commission to feed the people even when natural means were lacking.

Matthew 14:20. And they all ate and were satisfied; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. (Cf. Mark 6:42-43; Luke 9:17; John 6:12-13). The first sentence of the verse in Matthew is literally the same as Mark 6:42; in Luke 9:17 the word “all” is moved: “and they ate and were satisfied all.” John adds: “when they were satisfied, he said (says) to his disciples: Gather the leftover pieces, so that nothing is wasted.” This last command, which indirectly testifies to the reality of the miracle, for in a fiction it would seem strange, is not found in the other evangelists. But all of them unanimously say that 12 baskets of pieces were gathered (in Mark, besides bread pieces, there are also remnants of fish). “By the multiplication of loaves the miracle was not yet complete. The Lord caused there to be an excess, and an excess not in whole loaves but in pieces, so as to show that these truly were the remnants of those loaves and so that those who were not present at the performing of the miracle could know that it occurred” (St. John Chrysostom). To the question of where these “baskets” (κόφινοι) came from, the answer is that they were a common possession of Jews. Juvenal even speaks of them (Saturae, III, 14 and VI, 542: judaeis, quorum cophinus foenumque supellet). Jews often used them during travels. However, in the present case, there appear to be few baskets compared to the number gathered. What was put in them was probably spent on the way, and the baskets were already empty. Since the number of baskets is 12, they probably belonged only to the apostles.

Matthew 14:21. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Cf. Mark 6:44; Luke 9:14; John 6:10). Luke and John speak of this earlier. In Mark it is simply “about five thousand men,” in Matthew “about five thousand people” (men, ἄνδρες), “besides women and children.” Origen considered this statement of Matthew “ambiguous” (ἀμφίβολον), because it is unknown whether only five thousand men and not a single woman or child were present at the feeding, or whether there were five thousand men apart from women and children. Some, according to Origen, interpreted this place to mean that neither women nor children were present at the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish. But if there were no women or children at all, why would the evangelist need to add this note? He could have expressed himself the same way as the other evangelists, who mention neither women nor children. One cannot agree with the opinion that Matthew is exaggerating, because the miracle itself does not appear any greater if women and children were among the men gathered. That the latter were present, Zahn considers “self-evident,” because with such a large number of men gathered chiefly to receive healing, women and children could also be present. Only the men were counted. There were probably few women and children, and they were not paid attention to in the count.

Matthew 14:22. And immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowd. (Cf. Mark 6:45; John 6:14-15). Luke omits the entire following narrative. Mark adds that the Savior made the disciples go to the other side “to Bethsaida,” that is, as one must suppose, to the western Bethsaida near Capernaum. This is supported by John 6:17, which directly indicates Capernaum. If we had only Matthew’s and Mark’s accounts, the reasons why the Savior made his disciples go to the other side of the lake would be completely unclear. Both evangelists confine themselves to objective-historical exposition of facts, and their expressions, except for some individual words, are literally similar. John alone explains in his Gospel the reasons for the crossing of the disciples over the lake. Moreover, from the two verses John 6:14-15 only the latter part of John 6:15 somewhat coincides with Matt 14:23 and Mark 6:46.

Matthew 14:23. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. (Cf. Mark 6:46; John 6:15-17). The evangelist John states clearly why the Savior withdrew to the mountain. The people, having seen the miracle, wanted to come and forcibly make Christ king, obviously an earthly king. Therefore Christ withdrew to the mountain. At this time night was already deep.

Matthew 14:24. But the boat was already many furlongs distant from the land, buffeted by the waves; for the wind was against them. Matthew 14:25. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. (Cf. (Mark 6:48; John 6:19), with rather significant differences). Mark adds: “he would have passed by them.” The night watches and sentries were changed three times during the night among the Jews and Greeks. Among the Romans there were four watches, and from the time of Pompey this custom spread also to Palestine. The fourth watch is alluded to in Mark 13:35; Acts 12:4 and is directly spoken of here in Matthew and Mark. Four soldiers, who ordinarily made up a watch, were called a quaternion, and four quaternions were relieved during the night (cf. John 19:23). Since the feeding of the people was around the time of Passover (John 6:4), that is, in the latter half of March or the beginning of April, or around the time of the vernal equinox, when night equals day, the fourth watch of the night was about 3 o’clock in the morning. The storm itself continued during three night watches until the fourth. During nine hours the disciples with difficulty traveled 25 or 30 stadia (about 185 meters).

Matthew 14:26. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying: It is a ghost! And they cried out in fear. (Cf. Mark 6:49-50; John 6:19). The objectivity of the appearance is indicated by the expression in Mark “all,” that is, those who were in the boat, and in Matthew by the plural number in which the verbs and participles are placed (ἰδόντες, λέγοντες, ἐταράχθησαν, ἔκραξαν). The appearance could be considered a hallucination if here it were spoken of only one person. But several people do not have the same hallucination, as they do not have the same dreams.

Matthew 14:27. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying: Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid. (Cf. Mark 6:50; John 6:20-21). The Savior revealed the error of the disciples, which caused them fear, by a categorical assertion that it is he. This meant that the phenomenon before the disciples was not a phantom, but a reality.

Matthew 14:28. Peter said to him in answer: Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. The narrative of Peter’s walking on the water is not found in the other evangelists and is characteristic only of Matthew. Literally: “command me to come to you on the water.” By his faith, says Hilary, Peter surpassed the others. He is the first to answer Christ: “You are… the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:16); the first to contradict Christ, considering his sufferings an evil (Matt 16:22); the first to solemnly promise to die with Christ and not deny him (Matt 26:33); the first to prevent his feet from being washed (John 13:8); he drew his sword against those who seized the Lord (John 18:10). Jerome says almost the same, only in more detail. The words “if it is you” some interpreted to mean that Peter’s words express not faith but doubt. But they can only indicate a sudden change in Peter’s soul, from a state of uncertainty and fear to a state of full faith that he was in the presence of the actual Person of the Savior, walking on the waters.

Matthew 14:29. He said: Come. And Peter, getting out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. Matthew 14:30. But seeing the wind strong, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out: Lord, save me! The expression “seeing the strong wind” is very characteristic. Peter, of course, did not see the wind but saw only the strong storm or heaving waters. The wind is here indicated as the cause of the upheaval, and the word is used to designate all the circumstances of the storm in general.

Matthew 14:31. Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, saying to him: You of little faith, why did you doubt? Instead of “caught” it is better “took” (ἐπελάβετο). The verb διστάζω expresses doubt, hesitation, divided mind, wavering opinion. Peter’s faith made him able to walk on the water; fear made him sink into the water (καταποντίζεσθαι). Chrysostom says that “this occurrence is more wonderful than the previous one, and it happened after. When Christ showed that he is the Master of the sea, he performs before the disciples another more amazing sign. Before he only forbade the winds, and now he himself walks on the water, and allows another to do the same.” Regarding Peter’s fear, John Chrysostom says: “It is thus useless to be near Christ for the one who is not near him by faith.”

Matthew 14:32. And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Cf. Mark 6:51, where it is said only of the Savior that he entered the boat. In Matthew—plural (“they entered”). Mark speaks of the Savior alone, because he had previously related that only he was walking on the sea. John (John 6:21) says: “they wanted to receive him into the boat.” From this it was concluded that if the disciples wanted, then Christ himself did not want it, and together with Peter he walked far, to strengthen his faith, but when they approached the shore, they entered the boat.

Matthew 14:33. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying: Truly you are the Son of God. (Cf. Mark 6:51-52). Throughout the time Christ and Peter were walking on the water, the storm continued. It ceased only when they entered the boat not far from shore. In Mark it is inserted: “and they were utterly astounded beyond measure and marveled” (Mark 6:51). And further: “for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened” (Mark 6:52). The connection between these expressions is not obvious. According to Origen, the words “Truly you are the Son of God” were spoken by the disciples in the boat (cf. Matt 14:22; Mark 6:45).

Matthew 14:34. And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. (Cf. Mark 6:53; John 6:21). The evangelists do not precisely indicate the place of landing, saying that they landed in the land of Gennesaret, but not in Bethsaida (Mark) and not in Capernaum (John), to which the disciples originally intended to go. Most likely, the landing place was somewhat south of Bethsaida (western) and Capernaum. The word “Gennesaret” or “Genesar” designated not only the Sea of Galilee, which also bore the names “Sea of Galilee,” “Sea of Tiberias,” but also the western shore of the sea, which was once one of the most fertile places of Palestine, but is now completely wild. The ancient Hebrew names Kinnereth (Num 34:11), Kinnerot (Josh 11:2; 1 Sam 15:20) served to designate the sea (from the Hebrew “kinnor”—harp, which the sea resembles in external appearance), the city in the tribe of Naphtali (Josh 19:35), and the region near it.

Chapter Fifteen

1–20. Disputes and teaching concerning “the tradition of the elders.”—21–28. The healing of the daughter of the Canaanite woman.—29–39. The feeding of four thousand with seven loaves.

Matthew 15:1. Then the Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said: (Cf. Mark 7:1). The entire chapter agrees in exposition with Mark 7:1-37. That this was in Gennesaret is evident from Matt 14:34, and this is indirectly confirmed by the evangelist John, who, having set forth the discourse in Capernaum, says that “after this Jesus walked about in Galilee” (John 7:1). It is very likely that this occurred some time after Passover, close to the events of the feeding of the five thousand. The scribes and Pharisees came from Jerusalem, as Matthew and Mark unanimously testify. These were people more honorable in comparison to provincial ones and were distinguished by a stronger hatred of Christ than the latter. Probably these Pharisees and scribes were sent by the Jerusalem Sanhedrin.

Matthew 15:2. Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. (See Mark 7:2-5). In the further narrative, Matthew departs from Mark, who provides a detailed account of what precisely the Jewish elders’ traditions concerning hand-washing consisted of, and for what reason the scribes and Pharisees accused the Savior and His disciples. Mark’s account is very well confirmed by the Talmudic information we possess about these Jewish rituals. The Pharisees had many ablutions, and their observance reached the point of extreme minuteness. Different types of water were distinguished, for example, having different purifying power, numbering up to six, and it was precisely determined which water was suitable for various ablutions. The definitions concerning hand-washing were especially detailed. In discussing hand-washing, the evangelists, especially Mark, show very close familiarity with the customs of the Jews of that time, set forth mainly in a small Talmudic treatise on hand-washing, “Yadayim.” Hand-washing, as Edersheim shows (1901, II, 9 ff.) chiefly on the basis of this treatise, was not a legal ordinance but “the tradition of the elders.” The Jews observed the ritual of hand-washing so strictly that Rabbi Akiba, when imprisoned and having only enough water to sustain his life, preferred to die of thirst rather than eat with unwashed hands. For neglecting to wash before a meal, which was considered an ordinance of Solomon, minor excommunication (“niddah”) was imposed. The Pharisees and scribes accuse the disciples, not the Savior Himself, just as they had done when the grain was plucked.

Matthew 15:3. But He answered them: Why do you also transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? (See Mark 7:9). The Pharisees and scribes accuse the disciples of violating the tradition of the elders, yet they themselves are guilty of violating the commandment of God. This latter is violated “by your tradition,” which relates not to ablutions but to an entirely different matter. According to Chrysostom, the Savior posed this question “to show that he who sins in great matters ought not to be so careful to note in others trivial acts. You would deserve to be accused, He says, yet you yourselves accuse others.” The Savior reveals the error of the Pharisees in that they paid attention to trifles and lost sight of the most important matters in human relations. Hand-washing and honoring father and mother are opposite poles in human moral relations. Both John Chrysostom and Theophylact and Euthymius Zigabenus say that the Savior here does not vindicate the disciples in their non-observance of petty Pharisaic ordinances and allows that there was some kind of violation on the part of His disciples of a human ordinance. But at the same time He affirms that on the part of the scribes and Pharisees there was also a violation, and in a far more serious sense, and what is of far greater significance, their tradition was guilty in this violation. The Lord here sets clavum clavo retundit.

Matthew 15:4. For God commanded: Honor father and mother; and: Whoever reviles father or mother shall be put to death. (See Mark 7:10). (Citations from Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16; Lev 20:9). According to St. John Chrysostom, the Savior “does not immediately turn to the offense that was committed and does not say that it is nothing, lest He increase the boldness of his accusers, but first strikes at their boldness, putting before them a far more serious violation and laying it at their feet. He does not say either that those who violate the ordinance act well, so as not to give them occasion to accuse Him, but neither does He condemn the act of the disciples, so as not to confirm the ordinance. Similarly, He does not accuse the elders as lawbreakers and vicious people, but leaving all this aside, chooses a different path and, while appearing to reprove those who came to Him, touches those who made the ordinances themselves.”

Matthew 15:5. But you say: If one says to father or mother: A gift to God—that which you might have received benefit from me, Matthew 15:6. He need not honor his father or mother; thus you have nullified the commandment of God by your tradition. (See Mark 7:11-12). In Matthew almost identical with Mark, but with the omission of the word “corban” and with the replacement of Mark’s words “So you allow him to do nothing for his father or mother” with other expressions set forth in the first half of verse 6. The construction of the verse in Matthew is less clear than in Mark. The word “corban” is a literal translation of a frequently used Jewish vow formula, which was subject to many abuses. The foundations for the practice of vows were given in the Sacred Scripture of the Old Testament (see Gen 28:20-22; Lev 27:2-4; Num 6:2-3; Deut 23:21-23; Judg 11:30-31; 1 Sam 1:11). Later, vows became the subject of Jewish casuistry. The word “corban” was changed to “konam” “from piety.” People began to say not only “this thing is konam,” but also “konam my eyes, if they shall sleep,” “konam my hands, if they shall work,” and even simply “konam that I shall not sleep” and so forth (see Talmud. Translation of Pereferkovich, III, 183). A gift to God in Hebrew was called “corban” (as in Mark 7:11), and it is often mentioned in Lev 1-3 chapters, where lambs, goats, bullocks offered to God for burnt offering, peace offering, or sin offering are called “corban,” that is, “sacrifice.” The Gazophylacium (treasury) in the temple, where offerings from the people were deposited, is metonymically called “corban” or “corbana” Matt 27:6. Vows could and often should be annulled, the chief reason being that one repented of them (“harata”), and in that case the lawyers were to annul them. The custom which the Savior condemns consisted in that the scribes allowed a man to dedicate his own property to the temple by this formula and thus to escape the obligation of helping his parents. The legal formula, thus, was more sacred than the divine commandment set forth in Scripture.

Matthew 15:7. Hypocrites! Isaiah truly prophesied about you, saying: Matthew 15:8. These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their tongue, but their heart is far from Me; Matthew 15:9. But in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. (See Mark 7:6-8). According to Mark, these words of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 29:13) were spoken by Christ earlier than the reproach of the scribes and Pharisees. The meaning of this citation as applied to the present case is quite clear. By observing the traditions of their elders, the Pharisees and scribes wished to please God, because all these traditions, like all Hebrew legislation in general, had a religious character. The scribes and Pharisees thought that by washing their hands before eating food they were fulfilling religious requirements which are obligatory for all, and especially for such religious teachers as Christ and His disciples. The non-observance of the traditions of the elders could serve both in the eyes of Christ’s enemies and in the eyes of the people as evidence of a departure from the true religious teachings. But the enemies of Christ did not notice that in observing these trifles which had no relation to religion, they were not paying attention to more important matters and were violating not the traditions of the elders but the commandments of God. From this it was clear that not the religion of Christ but their own religion was false. They drew near to God with only their mouth and honored Him with their tongue.

Matthew 15:10. And calling the crowd to Him, He said to them: Hear and understand! (See Mark 7:14). Having put His enemies in an impossible position through the extraordinary power of His argumentation, the Savior leaves them and turns to address the whole crowd. The word proskalésamos—“called” or “beckoned”—indicates this, referring to the crowd, which stood there, perhaps simply separating to make way for their teachers and leaders who were speaking with Christ.

Matthew 15:11. Not that which goes into the mouth defiles a man, but that which comes out of the mouth defiles a man. (See (Mark 7:15)—with a slight difference in expressions). When the Pharisees accused the disciples of eating with unwashed hands, the Savior says that no food defiles a man. But if food does not defile, then still less does eating it with unwashed hands. Here an entirely new principle was set forth, which, simple as it is in itself, is still not understood properly by many even now. It expresses a thought contrary to that which says that some food can be the cause of spiritual or religious defilement. Here Jesus Christ clearly thinks not of legal but of moral defilement, which has to do not with what goes into the mouth (cf. 1 Tim 4:4) but with what comes out of the mouth (immoral speech). According to the context, Christ does not speak against the ordinances of Moses, but the application of His words to them is inevitable, so that as a result of this the law and its dominance undergo material abrogation. In the corresponding passage in Mark, one rightly finds a certain ambiguity. Matthew substitutes the clarifying “from the mouth” instead of “from the man.”

Matthew 15:12. Then His disciples came to Him and said: Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying? In Mark and other evangelists there are no verses corresponding to verses 12–14. But in Mark (Mark 7:17) one can find an explanatory note which is not in Matthew, and on the basis of it one may conclude that the disciples came to the Savior not in front of the crowd but when He had entered the house with them. However, this can also be guessed from Matthew’s account in verses 12 and 15 in comparison with Matt 13:36, where almost the same expressions are used. “This saying” many relate to that set forth in verses 3–9. But it is better with Euthymius Zigabenus to understand verse 11 here. Because this “saying,” if addressed to the crowd, would have seemed particularly offensive to the Pharisees. The Pharisees were greatly offended by precisely these words of Christ because they saw in them the destruction and open contempt not only of their own traditions but of all Mosaic ceremonialism.

Matthew 15:13. But He answered and said: Every plant which My Father in heaven has not planted will be pulled up; According to John Chrysostom, the Savior speaks this of the Pharisees themselves and their traditions. A plant here serves as an image of the Pharisees as a party or sect. The thought expressed here by Christ is similar to the thought of Gamaliel (Acts 5:38).

Matthew 15:14. Leave them alone; they are blind guides of the blind; and if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit. (See Luke 6:39). According to John Chrysostom, if the Savior were speaking this of the law, He would have called it a blind guide of the blind. See Matt 23:16. In Luke (Luke 6:39) a similar saying is inserted into the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 15:15. But Peter answered and said to Him: Explain to us this parable. (See Mark 7:17). The saying coincides in meaning with the second half of the corresponding verse in Mark. Meyer calls the difference from Mark 7:17 “non-essential.” The best reading is simply “the parable,” without adding “this.” If we accept the word “this,” then Peter’s request will, of course, refer to verse 14. But the question is fully clarified by Mark, in whom Peter’s words, undoubtedly, refer to Mark 7:15, and in Matthew, consequently, to verse 11. The further speech of the Savior confirms such an interpretation.

Matthew 15:16. Jesus said: Are you also still without understanding? (See Mark 7:18). The meaning is that even “you”—a word on which special emphasis rests—who have been with Me so long and learned from Me, even you do not yet understand?

Matthew 15:17. Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is thrown out into the sewer? (See Mark 7:18-19). In Mark it is much more detailed: “Are you also so lacking in understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, because it enters not his heart but his stomach, and goes out into the latrine.” For the passage in question, a parallel is found in Philo (De opificio mundi, I, 29), who says: “Through the mouth, according to Plato, enters the mortal, and issues the immortal. Through the mouth enter food and drink, mortal nourishment for the mortal body. But words—immortal laws of the immortal soul, by which intelligent life is governed—issue from the mouth.”

Matthew 15:18. But the things that come out of the mouth proceed from the heart, and they defile a man, (See Mark 7:20). That which enters a man (food) does not defile him. But that which comes out of his heart may defile him. A precise explanation of this is given in the following verse.

Matthew 15:19. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander— Matthew 15:20. These are what defile a man; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man. (See Mark 7:23). Christ did not abrogate the law of Moses and did not say that any kind of food or drink is beneficial to man. He only said that no food and no manner of taking it can defile a man.

Matthew 15:21. And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. (See Mark 7:24). The word “from there” is quite unclear both in Matthew and in Mark. Origen thought that it was from Gennesaret, through which the Savior was traveling (Matt 14:34; Mark 6:53); and He withdrew, perhaps, because the Pharisees who heard Him were offended by His discourse about things which defile a man. Having withdrawn from Israel, Jesus Christ comes to the region of Tyre and Sidon. According to John Chrysostom, Theophylact, and others, when commenting on this passage, there is much discussion about why the Savior told the disciples not to go in the way of the Gentiles, when He Himself goes to them. The answer is given in the sense that the Savior went to the region of Tyre and Sidon not for preaching but to “withdraw,” although He was not able to do so. From these interpretations it is clear that the Savior, contrary to common opinion, “crossed the borders of Palestine” and, although only briefly, was in a pagan country. If we agree with this, then the further narrative becomes somewhat clearer to us. Tyre (in Hebrew “tzor”—rock) was a famous Phoenician trading city. Around the time of the conquest of the kingdom of Israel by Salmaneser (721 B.C.), the Assyrians besieged it but could not capture it after a five-year siege, only imposing tribute upon it (Isa 23). Around the time of the destruction of Jerusalem (588 B.C.), Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre and took it, but did not destroy it. In 332 B.C., after a seven-month siege, Tyre was taken by Alexander the Great, who crucified 2,000 Tyrians for their resistance. Tyre is now called Es-Sur. From 126 B.C., Tyre was an independent city with a Hellenistic organization. Sidon (fishing city, fish catching, fishing—the root is the same as [Beth]saida) was older than Tyre. Sidon is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. At present it has up to 15,000 inhabitants, but its commercial importance yields to Beirut. Sidon is now called Saida.

Matthew 15:22. And behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders and cried out to Him, saying: Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely demon-possessed. (See Mark 7:25). The narrative set forth in verse 22 and continuing in verses 23–24 is not found in Mark or other evangelists. Mark’s expressions (Mark 7:25) are quite different from Matthew’s. Matthew and Mark call this woman by different names: Matthew—a Canaanite woman; Mark—a Greek woman (hellenis) and Syrophoenician. The first name—Canaanite woman—agrees with the fact that the Phoenicians themselves called themselves Canaanites and their country Canaan. In Gen 10:15-18, the descendants of Canaan, son of Ham, are listed, among whom Sidon is first mentioned. From Mark’s account that the woman was Greek, one can conclude that she was called so only by the language she spoke. In the Vulgate this word is translated through gentilis—a pagan woman. If this translation is correct, the word refers to her religious beliefs rather than her dialect. As for the designation “Syrophoenician,” the Phoenicians living in the region of Tyre and Sidon, or Phoenicia, were so called, in distinction from the Phoenicians living in Africa (Libya) on its northern shore (Carthage), who were called Libyophoenicians, or Carthaginians (Latin poeni). How this woman learned of Christ and that He is the Son of David is unknown, but it is very probable that it was through hearsay, because in Matthew’s Gospel there is a direct note that the fame of Christ spread “throughout all Syria” (Matt 4:24), which was near Phoenicia. Phoenicia itself is not mentioned in the Gospels. The woman first calls Christ Lord (kyrie) and then Son of David. The designation of Christ as Lord in the New Testament is customary. Thus the centurion (Matt 8:6; Luke 7:6) and the Samaritan woman (John 4:15) call Christ Lord. Against the opinion that the woman was a proselyte of the gate speaks verse 26 (Mark 7:26). But the expression “Son of David” may indicate her familiarity with Jewish history. In tradition she is known by the name Justus, and her daughter—Veronica. The woman says: Have mercy not on my daughter but on me. Because the illness of her daughter was the illness of the mother. She does not say: come and heal, but—have mercy.

Matthew 15:23. But He did not answer her a word. His disciples came and begged Him, saying: Send her away, for she is crying out after us. Comparing the accounts of Matthew and Mark, we must imagine the matter thus. The Savior arrived in pagan territory together with His disciples and went into a house to “withdraw” or hide (lathen—Mark). The reasons why the Savior “did not wish anyone to know” of His presence in Phoenicia are unknown to us. But there was nothing unnatural or inconsistent with His other actions about this, because He acted so in other cases too, withdrawing from the crowd and for prayer (Matt 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16, etc.). One might suppose that in the present case the Savior’s withdrawal from Jewish society occurred in view of great events requiring solitude, which are told about in Matt 16; Matt 17 (Peter’s confession and the Transfiguration). The woman’s cry, as it seemed to the disciples, did not accord with Christ’s intention to remain alone, and they ask Him to send her away (cf. Matt 19:13). In the word “send her away” (apoluson) is not expressed the idea that the disciples were asking Christ to satisfy the woman’s request. According to Mark, the woman entered the house where the Savior was and cried out there for help (Mark 7:25—eiselthousa), whereas according to Matthew, this was when the Savior was on the way. There is no contradiction, because both were possible. The further explanation is in the comments to the following verse.

Matthew 15:24. But He answered and said: I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The key to explaining all of this is given by John Chrysostom, Theophylact, and Euthymius Zigabenus, who suppose that the purpose of Christ’s refusal was not a test but a revelation of the faith of this woman. This must be noted precisely in order to understand what follows. Although Chrysostom says that the woman heard Christ’s words: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” it is more likely that she did not hear them, because it is said: “He did not answer her a word.” The answer to the disciples was both practically and theoretically correct, because Christ had to limit and did limit His activity only to the house of Israel, and in this individualization of His activity lay its universal character. The Gospel expression cannot be explained in the sense that here we understand the spiritual Israel. If Christ had simply sent the woman away as the disciples asked, we would not have had this wonderful example which illustrates how “the kingdom of heaven is taken by force” (Matt 11:12). It is taken in spite of all obstacles and even humiliations to which the pagans were subjected or might be subjected.

Matthew 15:25. But she came and knelt before Him, saying: Lord, help me. (See Mark 7:25-26). Mark gives more detail, saying that the woman fell at the Savior’s feet and asked Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. Concerning prosekyneō, see comments to Matt 2:2. The woman now does not call Christ the Son of David but only calls Him Lord and worships Him as God.

Matthew 15:26. But He answered and said: It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. (See (Mark 7:27) with the addition: “let the children first be fed”). Literally: “One should not (must not) take bread from the children and throw it to the dogs” (in Mark—“It is not good”). It is thought that the Savior speaks here “ex publico judaeorum affectu” (Erasmus), or what amounts to the same thing, in the ordinary speech of the Jews, who called the Gentiles dogs; the Israelites, as children of Abraham—“children of the kingdom” (Matt 8:12)—and have the first right to the bread of grace and truth. The Jews called the Gentiles dogs because of their idolatry and unclean life.

Matthew 15:27. She said: Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters. Matthew 15:28. Then Jesus answered and said to her: O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish. And her daughter was healed from that hour. Matthew 15:29. Jesus departed from there, came to the Sea of Galilee, went up on a mountain, and sat down there. (See Mark 7:31). According to Mark, Christ, “having left the region of Tyre” (thus in some readings), “again went” through Sidon (which is not in the Russian translation) “to the Sea of Galilee,” in the middle (ana meson—see 1 Cor 6:5; Rev 7:17) of the territory of the Decapolis (in the Russian translation—“through the territory of the Decapolis”). By “mountain” is meant some high place on the shore of the lake, not some separate mountain. From Matthew’s narrative it is not clear on which side of the Sea of Galilee this was, but Mark says clearly that it was on the eastern side.

Matthew 15:30. And a great crowd came to Him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the mute, the maimed, and many others, and they laid them at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them; Matthew 15:31. So that the crowd marveled, seeing the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. (See Mark 7:37). In Mark—only the first part of verse 31 in Matthew, expressed quite differently. Then Matthew adds words which are not found in other evangelists. The expressions “praise” and “glorify God” appear many times in the New Testament (Matt 9:8; Mark 2:12; Luke 5:25-26; 1 Pet 2:12; Rom 15:9; 1 Cor 6:20; 2 Cor 9:13, etc.). But nowhere else is there an addition of “of Israel,” as here. On this basis it is supposed that now Christ was among pagans who glorified the foreign God—“the God of Israel” (cf. Mark 8:3)—“some of whom had come from afar”).

Matthew 15:32. Jesus called His disciples to Him and said: I have compassion for the crowd, because they have remained with Me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they might faint on the way. Matthew 15:33. And the disciples said to Him: Where could we get enough bread in this deserted place to fill such a large crowd? (See (Mark 8:1-4) with considerable difference in expressions). If all four evangelists have told the story of the feeding of five thousand, then the present narrative belongs only to Matthew and Mark. In its general content it is so similar to the account of the feeding of five thousand with five loaves that many took it for a variant of one and the same event. If that were so, it would, on the one hand, influence the interpretation of the first narrative, and on the other, give reason to consider both narratives legendary. But others hold different opinions. Already in ancient times commentators noticed differences between the two narratives and on this basis asserted that they depict two actual events. Thus, Origen wrote in particular: “Now, after the healing of the mutes and others, the Lord has compassion for the people who had remained with Him already three days and had no food. There the disciples ask about five thousand; here He Himself speaks of four thousand. There they are fed in the evening, having spent one day with Him, and about these it is said that they were with Him for three days, and they receive loaves so they may not grow weak on the way. There the disciples speak of five loaves and two fish, which they had, although the Lord did not ask them, here they answer a question, that they had seven loaves and a few little fish. There He orders the crowd to recline on the grass; here He does not order but announces to the people that they should recline. These were fed on a mountain and those—in a deserted place. These three days had been with Jesus and those—one day, on which in the evening they were fed.” The distinction between the two feedings was also made by Hilary and Jerome. That these were actually two events is decisively confirmed by Christ Himself, Who points to this in Matt 16:9. The supposition that both events are identical is based on the imagined difficulty of the question of the disciples: “Where could we get enough bread in a desert place?”—so soon forgetting the previous miracle, but such slowness in faith occurs among people in other cases too, and examples of it are recorded in Scripture itself (cf. Exod 16:13 with Num 11:21-22; see Exod 17:1-7; Alford). The whole of this narrative apparently has a connection with the preceding narrative of the healing of the daughter of the Canaanite woman and the crumbs which fall from the table of the masters to the dogs. The miracle was performed in the Decapolis, that is, where the population consisted, if not exclusively, at least predominantly of Gentiles. The proportion of numbers in the first and second feeding is as follows: 5000:4000; 5:7; 2:x; 12:7 (the number of people, loaves, fish, and baskets full of bread).

Matthew 15:34. Jesus said to them: How many loaves do you have? And they said: Seven, and a few small fish. (See Mark 8:5). Matthew adds “and a few small fish.” The word “small fish” (ichthydia) is here a diminutive, instead of the earlier “fish” (ichthyes) in the synoptics and opsaria in John (John 6:9).

Matthew 15:35. He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. (See Mark 8:6). “In everything else he acts like before: he arranges the people on the ground and does so that in the hands of his disciples the bread does not diminish” (St. John Chrysostom). Externally the event now differs from the previous one only in numbers.

Matthew 15:36. And He took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks, He broke them and gave them to His disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowd. Matthew 15:37. And they all ate and were satisfied; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full, (See Mark 8:7-8). The addition to the narrative “having blessed, He ordered them to distribute them” (that is, the loaves) is found only in Mark. A parallel to verse 37 is Mark 8:8, with some variation in expressions. Matthew adds: (“seven baskets”) full, which is not in Mark. Instead of “baskets” (kophinoi) in which pieces were gathered after the feeding of five thousand, now “baskets” (spyrides) are mentioned. This word, besides the Gospels, is used only once more in the New Testament (Acts 9:25), where it is said that the apostle Paul was lowered in a basket down the wall in Damascus. On this basis it is supposed that these were large baskets. Where they came from is completely unknown. Perhaps they were brought by people who followed Christ, and originally filled with provisions. The number of baskets full of pieces of the leftover bread now corresponds to the number of loaves that were broken and distributed to the crowd.

Matthew 15:38. Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. (See Mark 8:9). Matthew here also adds “besides women and children,” which is not in Mark (see comments to Matt 14:21).

Matthew 15:39. And after sending away the crowd, He got into the boat and came to the region of Magdala. (See Mark 8:9-10). Instead of “in the region of (ta merē) Magdala” (according to the Russian translation) Mark has “in the region of (ta merē) Dalmanutha.” Augustine does not doubt that this is one and the same place, only having a different name. Because in numerous manuscripts and also in Mark it is written “Magedan.” But in that case why would one and the same place be indicated by different names? First of all, let us note that the correct reading in Matthew is not Magdala but Magadan. So in the Sinaitic, BD, old Latin, Siro-Sinaitic. The word Magadan or Magedan is considered identical with Magdala (modern Mejdel). Magdala means “tower.” This is what a small place was called on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, perhaps mentioned in the book of Joshua (Josh 19:38). It was the birthplace of Mary Magdalene. Why it was also called Magadan is unknown. About Magadan itself, if it was not identical with Magdala, nothing is known. Most travelers supposed that Magdala was about five versts north of Tiberias, where now stands the village of Mejdel. At present it is a small settlement. It has about half a dozen houses without windows, with flat roofs. Now laziness and poverty reign there. Children run about the streets half-naked. Dalmanutha, mentioned by Mark, was apparently somewhere near Magdala. If so, there is no contradiction in the accounts of the evangelists. The one place to which Christ came by boat with His disciples is called Magadan (Magdala) by one, while the other points to a small place nearby.

Chapter Sixteen

1–4. The request of the Pharisees and Sadducees for a sign from heaven and the Savior’s answer to them. – 5–12. The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. – 13–20. Peter’s confession. – 21–23. Christ’s discourse about His sufferings. – 24–28. Teaching about the cross.

Matthew 16:1. And the Pharisees and Sadducees came and, testing Him, asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. (See Mark 8:11; Luke 11:16). In Mark (Mark 8:11-13) the narrative is somewhat shorter than in Matthew (verses 1–4). Ancient commentators noted some incongruity and unnaturalness in the mentioned connection of Pharisees with Sadducees here. They explained this by the fact that although Pharisees and Sadducees differed from each other in dogmas, they acted in agreement against Christ. The union of Pharisees and Sadducees may indicate, and does indicate, the further and sinister development of hostility toward Christ. More and more alarming news about the movement in Galilee reaches the capital and this causes concern among both ruling religious classes and among the zealots. This is psychologically quite understandable. Among people, there is constantly observed a tendency to observe established religious forms, and they are hostile toward innovations, especially when these affect their material interests. Therefore, hostility toward teaching which completely fell outside the scope of these general positions was natural. In Mark, only the Pharisees are mentioned (Mark 8:11), but the Sadducees of Matthew could have been Herodians. About Pharisees and Sadducees it is mentioned here in Matthew five times (Matt 16:1-6). What sign did the Pharisees and Sadducees want? According to Chrysostom, these enemies of Christ asked Him to stop the sun, or make the moon immovable (tēn selēnēn chalinōsai), or bring down lightning, or make a change in the air, or do something similar. According to Theophylact, Pharisees and Sadducees asked Christ to stop the sun or moon. But Euthymius Zigabenus says that they wanted to see a miracle over the sun or moon, or over the stars. The Pharisees and Sadducees, says Theophylact, thought that signs on the earth were accomplished by diabolical power and Beelzebul. The unwise did not know that Moses in Egypt did many signs on the earth, and the fire that fell from heaven on Job’s property was from the devil. Therefore, not everything that is from heaven is from God, and not everything that happens on the earth is from demons. The thoughts are correct and characterize the Pharisees and Sadducees. This narrative seems to some commentators to be a repetition of the account Matt 12:38 and following, and identical with it. But if Matthew recounts almost the same thing a second time and under different circumstances, then can one suppose that he forgot what was said before? It was completely natural that the enemies of the Savior answered His miracles several times with a request for a sign from heaven. Since in Jewish tradition there was the opinion that demons and false gods could perform signs on the earth and only the true God gives signs from heaven, the Pharisees and Sadducees now asked this of Christ, fully assuming that He would not be able to satisfy their request. If the miracles performed by Christ on the earth were unconvincing to His enemies, then the signs from heaven would be convincing for them. Concerning the custom of the Jews to require a sign see 1 Cor 1:22.

Matthew 16:2. But He answered them and said: When evening comes, you say, It will be fair weather, for the sky is red; Matthew 16:3. And in the morning, Today will be a storm, for the sky is red and overcast. Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. This text in this connection is found only in Matthew. (Similar expressions appear in an entirely different connection in Luke 12:54-56). Christ’s words contain an exceedingly subtle and meaningful reproach of His enemies. He makes their thought error and request evident to them. They asked for some earthly, extraordinary sign and specifically from heaven. Christ points them to things which are completely ordinary and known to them, which happen in the sky, which they know how to discuss. But being experienced in meteorological observations, why then do they not understand and become convinced of the truth of Christ’s Messianic dignity when He manifests great signs? “In the lower sphere,” says Zahn, “they are as perspicacious as prophets, in the higher—they are so blind that they do not see the signs of the already begun kairos (time) and do not count them as signs. These signs—those to which the Savior had already pointed John and the people (Matt 11:4-14).”

Matthew 16:4. A wicked and adulterous generation seeks a sign; and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. And leaving them, He departed. (See Matt 12:39; Mark 8:12; Luke 11:29). A literal repetition of Matt 12:39. In Mark (Mark 8:12) this speech is preceded by the words “and He, having sighed deeply, said,” which are not found in other evangelists. The harsh reproaching words were, therefore, spoken with an expression of deep sorrow and deep grief over the blindness and delusion of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Very well does Chrysostom express this: “Although such a question ought to have aroused anger and indignation, yet the compassionate and merciful Lord does not become angry but grieves and sorrows over them as over hopelessly sick people who, after so many proofs of His power, still were putting Him to the test. They asked not so that they might believe, but so that they might ensnare Him.” “Since they asked for a sign not in order to believe, the Savior in another place also calls them hypocrites because they said one thing but did another.” “He called them hypocrites,” Zigabenus adds to this, “not only because they said one thing but did another, but because they considered themselves wise when they were foolish.” Church writers think that the sign of Jonah was a sign from heaven because at the time of the death of Christ the sun was darkened and the whole creation changed. In the words “leaving them, He departed” one rightly finds the indication of “righteous severity” and notes that the Savior “never left the people so.”

Matthew 16:5. Now when His disciples came to the other side, they had forgotten to bring bread. Matthew 16:6. Jesus said to them: Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. (See Mark 8:15). By “leaven” one should understand in general the entire way of thinking, direction, spirit of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees and their activity. Just as evil develops, so also good develops, although in opposite directions. The moving force in this is leaven. The connection of these words of Christ with the preceding question of the Pharisees and Sadducees about a sign from heaven is not obvious. It might be that their request was only the occasion for a discourse about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, and this discourse had a general character, not really relating to what was set forth at the beginning of chapter 16. Christ by His words wanted to indicate the corrupting influence of the teaching and activity of the Pharisees and Sadducees on the people.

Matthew 16:7. And they reasoned among themselves, saying: It is because we brought no bread. (See Mark 8:16). The Savior was thinking of one thing, the disciples of another. He thought and spoke of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, the disciples—of the bread which they forgot to bring. The word dialogizonto (“they reasoned”) shows that the disciples did not speak aloud about not having bread.

Matthew 16:8. But Jesus, aware of it, said: Why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread, O you of little faith? Matthew 16:9. Do you not yet remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? (See Mark 8:17-19). The expression “how many baskets you gathered” (as also the similar one in the next verse) is elliptical instead of “how much bread in how many baskets you gathered,” because the disciples, of course, were gathering not baskets and not containers but bread in them.

Matthew 16:10. Nor the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many large baskets you gathered? (See Mark 8:20). The use of different words: kophinoi (baskets) and spyrides (large baskets) exactly corresponds to the terms used in the accounts of the two miraculous feedings (Matt 14:20).

Matthew 16:11. How is it that you do not understand that I was not speaking to you about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Matthew 16:12. Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. In Mark (Mark 8:17-21) the narrative is much more detailed than in Matthew. But there is no text corresponding to verses 11–12 in other evangelists besides Matthew.

Matthew 16:13. When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples: Who do people say that the Son of Man is? (See Mark 8:27; Luke 9:18). The evangelist Mark (Mark 8:22-26) inserts here the narrative of the healing of a blind man and says that this was in Bethsaida, apparently Julius, on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee, and that from there the Savior went “with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi” (Mark 8:27). What villages these were Mark does not indicate. The conversation with the disciples, according to Mark, took place when they were traveling with the Savior on this road. Thus we are in a position to determine with sufficient precision the place where the conversation occurred, but it is difficult to say how soon this was after his arrival on the northeast shore. Beginning the discourse on Peter’s confession, Matthew and Mark (Mark 8:27) agree with each other, and then Luke joins them (Luke 9:18), so that about the further events all three synoptics relate with small differences. Matthew tells more detail here than anyone else, and he has, from the end of verse 16 to verse 19, a narrative not found in other evangelists. Caesarea is called Philippi probably to distinguish it from Caesarea in Palestine or Strato’s Tower. The Savior asked the disciples about Himself far from the Jewish world that was hostile to Him. According to the account of Jerome, Philip, the brother of Herod (Antipas), the tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, built (construit) Caesarea in honor of Tiberius Caesar and himself, and during Jerome’s time it was called Paneah. Whether Caesarea was in the province of Phoenicia, as Jerome asserts, is difficult to say. Here the Jordan begins at the slopes of Lebanon from the confluence of two small rivers, one of which, according to Jerome’s account, was called Ior, and the other—Dan, whence came the name of the river—Jordan. The city was located at the foot of Lebanon not far from the so-called “upper” source of the Jordan, a day’s journey from Sidon. Once it was called Laish (Judg 18:7) and later—Dan, but in Roman times—Panea or Panias from Mount Pania, at the foot of which it was located (Josephus Flavius, “Jewish Antiquities,” XV, 10, 3; also Eusebius, “Ecclesiastical History,” VII, 17: epi tēs Philippou Kaisareias, hēn Paneada phoinikes prosagoreousin). At present Caesarea is called Banias. The city and its surroundings were predominantly inhabited by pagans (Josephus Flavius, “Jewish Wars,” III, 9, 7). According to Mark 8:27 (tas kōmas ta merē of Matthew), Jesus Christ apparently did not enter it. Christ did not ask what the scribes and Pharisees thought of Him, although they often came to Him and spoke with Him. According to Zigabenus, He asked the disciples not as one unknowing but in a didactic manner, so that Peter would declare what was revealed to him.

Matthew 16:14. And they said: Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Matthew 16:15. He said to them: But who do you say that I am? Matthew 16:16. Simon Peter answered and said: You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. (See (Mark 8:29)—simply: “You are the Christ”; (Luke 9:20): “for the Christ of God”). Theophylact notes that Peter did not say: “You are the Christ, Son (huios) of God,” that is, without the article ho, but with the article—the true—ho huios, that is, He Himself, the One and only, the Son not by grace but from the very substance of the Father born, for there were many christs (christoi): all the Old Testament kings and priests were anointed, but the true Christ (ho christos)—only one. The writing of the Greek article before the word “Christ” almost amounted to making this word a proper name of Christ, as it became in the early Church. All other christs were thus only common nouns. The Savior alone was properly and truly the Christ. Such is the meaning of Peter’s confession. Christ is the Son of the Living God. God is called thus in the Sacred Scripture of the Old Testament (Num 14:21; Deut 32:40; 1 Sam 17:1; Ps 41:3; Isa 37:4, etc.) and often in the New (Matt 26:63; John 6:57; Acts 14:15; Rom 9:26, etc.). According to Chrysostom, Peter was at this time, as it were, the voice of the apostles and gave his answer not only from himself but from all of them. Peter’s words were a testimony to the true humanity of Christ and His true Divinity, upon the recognition of which the whole life of the Church is built.

Matthew 16:17. Then Jesus answered and said to him: Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, because flesh and blood have not revealed this to you, but My Father in heaven; “Son of Jonah”—the Hebrew Bar—Jonah, translated literally into Greek. The father of Simon Peter was called John (Greek. Tischendorf), as is clear from John 1:42. In Matthew’s Gospel he is called the son of Jonah (only here), which properly means “dove.” As a shortened form of the name John it is found nowhere else. The word “revealed” (apekalypsen) points not to revelation received by all the disciples already at their first following of Christ, but to a revelation specially given to Peter. “Flesh and blood” corresponds to the Hebrew “beshar vedam” (among the rabbis)—a descriptive expression instead of “man,” denoting his weakness, caused by the physical aspect of human organization. In the Talmud this expression often denotes human nature in contrast to the divine.

Matthew 16:18. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it; “Because Peter confessed Christ as the Son of God, He says: this confession which you confessed will be the foundation of believers, so that everyone who intends to build the structure of faith will lay in the foundation this very confession” (Theophylact). In the Greek two different words are used in two instances: in the first—petros and in the second—petra. Petros, of course, is not the same as petra. Enormous disputes have arisen over this saying, especially since the Reformation. Some (Catholics) said that Christ intended to build His Church on the person of Peter, and this gave rise to the well-known teaching about the primacy over the Church of the Roman popes as successors of Peter. Others asserted that the expression “you are Peter” corresponds to Peter’s words “you are the Christ”; that the further petra, in distinction from petros, refers not to the person of Peter but to his confession, upon which Christ built His Church. The difference between the practical consequences drawn from these two interpretations is easily understood. We would depart from the truth if in such an important saying we understood only a play on words. But that Christ really promised to raise His Church not on the person of Peter is indicated precisely by the circumstance that He changed the word petros to petra. Thus the question is resolved if we focus the interpretation only on the word petra, following the literal meaning of the Gospel expression. The rock or “petra” was never understood as referring to people in the Old Testament, and this expression was appropriated to the Lord (Deut 32:4; 2 Sam 22:32; Ps 61:3; Isa 26:4). Only God, God in Christ or Christ in God is the eternal rock upon which the Church is to be built. In the New Testament petra is never used of ordinary people (Matt 7:24-25; Mark 15:46; Luke 6:48; 1 Pet 2:4-7; Rom 9:33; 1 Cor 10:4; Rev 6:15-16), but either of ordinary stones or of Christ Himself. Thus the natural conclusion is that Christ, using the name Peter, pointed here only to Himself, and precisely in the sense in which Peter confessed Him before the disciples (hence—epi tautē tē petra). Recognition and confession of Him as the Son of the Living God, which came from Peter’s mouth, should become the foundation of the Church. The expression, apparently, has the closest analogy in John 2:19, when Christ pointed to the temple while actually speaking of Himself. The word “Church” appears in the Gospels only here and Matt 18:17, but frequently in Acts, in the apostle Paul, four times in the Sobornic Epistles, and several times in the Apocalypse, corresponding to the Hebrew “kahal.” Theophylact understands by the gates of Hades murder and adultery. But the expression “gates of Hades” (pylai hadou) is based on the figurative representation of Hades as a building with strong gates (Wis 16:13; 3 Macc 5:36). This is common in the classics. The form “gates” is preserved even now in the expression “Ottoman Porte,” which means “Ottoman gates.” The word “Hades” in us means the place of eternal torment. But the Hebrew “sheol” or the Greek “Hades” then had a broader meaning. They meant the kingdom of death in general and thus the domain of death or destruction. Whoever died or perished was in Hades. The Church in Christ’s expression is compared to a building; similarly the Hades is compared to it. It is clear that one building cannot wage war against another. War is waged by people who live in the building. The expression “gates of Hades,” therefore, is figurative and is used because the struggle of the forces of Hades against the Church is waged from its gates. The last word “it” in the Greek text can refer either to the rock (tē petra) or to the Church (ekklēsian), and this gave Origen the occasion to propose an explanation that both are possible. But the reference of “it” to the word “Church” is supported by the closer position of “it” to this word, and chiefly by the fact that, according to the meaning of Christ’s words, the hostile attacks of the forces of Hades are directed not at one stone in the foundation but at the whole building.

Matthew 16:19. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. If earlier the Church was represented under the image of a building, now the image changes: discourse about a building is replaced by discourse about the Kingdom of Heaven. The image of keys, taken, apparently, from a building, is now applied to the Kingdom of Heaven. The latter is again represented under the image of a building into which one enters through locked and unlocked doors. The expression “Kingdom of Heaven” means the same as the preceding—“Church.” Only the latter indicates more the Church in its visible side, while the Kingdom of Heaven—the invisible and eternal side of the Church. Concerning the keys of Hades mention is made in Rev 1:18; see Rev 9:1. “The writer depicts the risen Christ as having the keys of Hades, that is, the power over it, the power to enter into it and to deliver or cast into it. Similarly, the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a fortress with locked gates. Whoever has the keys can enter it, admit or exclude. According to Rev 3:7 this power belongs to Christ Himself. The image has an analogy in Isa 22:22 and expresses supreme power. To have keys means to have absolute right, not disputed by anyone. It is possible that in the word “keys” was originally expressed the idea of Peter’s entry into divine truth. His thought that Jesus is the Son of the Living God was the key with which Peter could admit into Christ’s Kingdom. By bringing others to the same faith, he could also open to them the Kingdom in contrast to the scribes and Pharisees, who locked it before the eyes of those who wished to enter it (Matt 23:13).” This passage is usually understood in the sense of the right of spiritual persons to forgive people their sins or to retain them.

Matthew 16:20. Then [Jesus] commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He is the Christ Jesus. (See Mark 8:30; Luke 9:21). The evangelists Mark and Luke, passing over what is set forth in Matthew in verses 17–19 and connecting Mark 8:30 and Luke 9:21 with their preceding speech, say the same as Matthew but express themselves quite differently than he. If Matthew here only repeated the words of Mark and Luke, then the evangelist’s speech would refer to the prohibition to speak about what was said by Christ to Peter. But since Christ forbade not to speak about it but that He is the Christ, then Matthew changes the expressions “about him”—peri autou (Mark) and “this”—touto (Luke) and says precisely: “so that they should tell no one that He is the Christ” (ina mēdeni eipōsin hoti autos estin ho Christos), which is not in other synoptics, whose expressions, however, are as precise as Matthew’s. This verse forms the transition to the further teaching about what the true meaning of the dignity which the synoptics and, without doubt, other disciples assigned to Christ. That Jesus is the Christ, Messiah, Son of God—this might still be understood by both the disciples and the people. But that such designations were connected with predetermined sufferings of Christ—this was incomprehensible even to the disciples themselves. If the disciples had prematurely revealed to the people the thought of the suffering Christ, it might have hindered the fulfillment of the divine predictions about the sufferings and thus would have made the true and correct realization of the Messianic idea, as it were, incomplete. Therefore, the Savior, as is evident from the expressions of the evangelists, persistently and strictly forbids the disciples to speak about what was revealed to them not by flesh and blood but by His Father in Heaven.

Matthew 16:21. From that time Jesus began to tell His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised up. (See Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22). Christ’s ministry to the common people in Galilee has now come to an end. The word “elders” or “presbyters” was originally applied to such old men who could be suitable representatives of the rest of the population in the council, but long before Christ’s time this name ceased to mean age and became a title of office. It meant persons who were considered suitable by their high or influential position in society to enter into the senate. The elders of the Sanhedrin were, without doubt, the chief persons in the state. They were like the sheikhs of the people. The word “sheik” means “old man”.

Matthew 16:22. And taking him aside, Peter began to rebuke him, saying: God have mercy on you, Lord! this shall not happen to you! Mark (Mark 8:32) alone adds the words “and spoke about it openly.” The words that Peter spoke, Mark does not include, and they are found only in Matthew. Peter’s objection was based on the fact that his confession was completely opposite to Christ’s present words about his sufferings.

Matthew 16:23. But he, turning around, said to Peter: Get behind me, Satan! you are a stumbling block to me! for you are not thinking about the things that are of God, but those that are of man. (See Mark 8:33). Peter’s objection witnesses to the fact that neither he nor the other disciples understood sufficiently Christ’s words about his true messianic greatness. “Peter, concluding about the matter according to human and fleshly reasoning, thought that Christ’s suffering was shameful and not characteristic of him” (St. John Chrysostom). According to Chrysostom, Christ, in answering Peter, said that to hinder him and to grieve over his suffering is not only harmful and destructive for Peter, but that he himself cannot be saved if he is not always ready to die. Some commentators thought that it was not Peter who was now being rebuked, but the evil spirit that had prompted the apostle to speak such words. The same expression is used here as the Savior used in Matt 4:10, and without doubt he expressed it concerning the same tempter. He looked for a moment through Peter and saw behind him his former enemy, who had skillfully taken advantage of the prejudices, hot-headedness, and sincerity of the simple-hearted apostle. In reality, however, this was the former temptation, which now had been made through Peter—to avoid sufferings, persecution, malicious hatred, contempt, and death, and instead to set up an earthly dominion with full power over earthly thrones.

Matthew 16:24. Then Jesus said to his disciples: If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me, (See Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). Matthew says that this speech was spoken only to the disciples; Mark—to the disciples and the people; Luke—to everyone. It is very difficult to explain where the people came from here. The language of the evangelists shows that events did not happen with the speed in which they represent them. Chrysostom explains the verse thus: “I,” says the Savior, “do not compel, do not force; but leave it to the free choice of each. Therefore I say: ‘If anyone wishes.’ I invite to a good deed, not to an evil and burdensome one, not to execution and torments, for which I would need to compel. The matter itself is such that it can attract you. By speaking in this way, Christ was drawing his followers to himself all the more.” The cross here cannot mean forced death.

Matthew 16:25. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it; (See Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24). “Nefesh” (soul) in later Hebrew text means personality. Therefore Luke (Luke 9:25) replaces the expression of the first two evangelists (Matt 16:26; Mark 8:36) “his soul” with the pronoun “himself.” Similarly in the Seventy and Job 32:2; Prov 1:18; Amos 6:8. So the meaning of the Savior’s words is thus: whoever wishes to save himself will lose himself, and so on. Here is one of the paradoxes with which the New Testament in general abounds. It points to life through self-denial, extending to complete loss of this very life.

Matthew 16:26. What profit is there for a man if he gains the whole world but forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give as a ransom for his soul? (See Mark 8:36-37; Luke 9:25). The word “ransom” (ἀντάλλαγμα) in the Seventy and in the Hebrew text is designated differently (Ruth 4:7; 1 Sam 21:2; Job 28:15; Jer 15:13; Amos 5:12; Sir 6:15). The meaning of Christ’s words is clear. The human soul has such value that the whole external world is not worth it. If a man truly, and not merely seemingly, loses his soul or himself, then such loss for him is irreparable by anything. Therefore, a man should be concerned to save his soul, and such salvation depends entirely on following Christ and imitating him.

Matthew 16:27. For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will repay each one according to his deeds. (See Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26—with additions “whoever becomes ashamed” and so forth, which Matthew does not have). The connection between this verse and the previous one is insufficiently clear, and it needs to be sought in verse 24, relating verse 27 to it in the closest connection, and considering the intermediate verses 25 and 26 as a parenthetical explanation of verse 24. Thus the course of thought is as follows: from the Son of Man comes salvation; only he is saved who follows him, denying himself (verse 24). Such self-denial is necessary because whoever does not deny himself may lose his soul and will not be able to ransom it by anything (verses 25–26). The Son of Man will be the judge of man at his second coming, at which time it will be revealed who followed and who did not follow him, who denied himself for his sake and who did not deny himself. Then he will repay each one according to his deeds. Since the words “whoever becomes ashamed” and so forth (Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26), which define and express the connection more closely and concretely, have already been cited by Matthew earlier (Matt 10:33), he does not now repeat them, but adds the expression omitted by the other evangelists: “and then he will repay each one according to his deeds.” Similar expressions are found in Job 34:11; Ps 61:13; Prov 24:12; Jer 32:19; Ezek 33:20.

Matthew 16:28. Truly I say to you: there are some among those standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. (See Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27). Mark and Matthew have almost identical expressions; Luke has a somewhat different one. The meaning of the sayings is clear. Not as an earthly king, but as a heavenly one, after persecution, suffering, and death, Christ will enter into his glory. Some of those who listened to him will live to see this, will be witnesses of his suffering, death, and resurrection. There is no need to relate how this prediction of Christ was fulfilled, and moreover with literal precision.

Chapter Seventeen

1–8. The Transfiguration. – 9–13. The disciples’ question about Elijah. – 14–21. The healing of a demon-possessed boy. – 22–23. The teaching about death and resurrection. – 24–28. The payment of the temple tax.

Matthew 17:1. After six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves, (See Mark 9:2; Luke 9:28; 2 Pet 1:16). The verse is nearly word-for-word the same as Mark 9:2, except that Mark does not call John “the brother of James” and adds at the end “by themselves” (μόνους)—according to some readings, this word is not in Matthew. In the Russian translation Mark 9:1 is attributed to chapter 9, but in the Greek editions it is connected to chapter 8 (see Tischendorf). At the beginning of the verse in the Russian translation (but not in the Slavonic), the word “and” is omitted (omitted only in Syroc.). In Luke (Luke 9:28) instead of “six” days “eight” is mentioned. His account does not coincide with the account of the first two synoptists. At the end of the verse in Luke the purpose of the ascent to the mountain is indicated—“to pray.” First of all, the difference in the time indicated by the first two synoptists and Luke is striking: six and eight days. It is explained fairly easily. Already Jerome considered the answer to this “easy” (facilis responsio est), because Matthew and Mark speak of the intermediate days, while Luke adds the first and the last. Besides, it should be added that Luke does not indicate the exact number of days here and uses the word ὡσεί, that is, about eight days. It should be assumed that the time of the transfiguration was at night, which was the customary time for the Savior’s prayer (Matt 14:23; Luke 6:12 and others); the apostles at this time were weighed down with sleep and fell asleep. From the mountain the Savior and his disciples came down the following day (Luke 9:37). When the Savior went up the mountain, nine disciples were left at its foot, and he took with him further up the mountain only three: Peter, James, and John. According to the general opinion of commentators, this was because these disciples “surpassed” all others (οὗτοι τῶν ἄλλων ἦσαν ὑπερέχοντες—St. John Chrysostom). Such an interpretation would mean that the Savior had especially trusted and beloved disciples. But here it should, it seems, be explained somewhat more simply. Jesus Christ needed solitude for prayer, and he had to withdraw. This was a natural desire, and all his disciples understood it. Perhaps on the faces of three, undoubtedly the most devoted to him disciples, was written a desire not to leave him alone, and they were taken and rewarded for this devotion with an extraordinary heavenly vision. Taking three disciples with him, the Savior undoubtedly withdrew from them as well, as was the case in Gethsemane, which is evident both from the general circumstances of the transfiguration and, especially, from the fact that he later “came up” (προσελθών, in the Russian translation—“approached”, verse 7) to the disciples when the vision had ended. The word “led” (“brings up”—ἀναφέρει) appears here only in Matthew and Mark, and also in Luke 24:51. The question of which mountain the Savior ascended with his disciples is very difficult. The evangelists do not indicate which mountain it was. In Matthew and Mark the word is used without the article (some mountain, indefinitely), in Luke—with the article: a certain, definite mountain, though not named either. In the parallel passage 2 Pet 1:16 the mountain is not mentioned at all. Matthew and Mark only agree that it was a “high” mountain. Among ancient commentators—Chrysostom, Hilary, Zigabenus, and others—we also encounter complete silence on this subject. But here and there in Origen, St. Cyril of Jerusalem (4th century), and Jerome there are reports that this was Mount Tabor. After them, the information that Mount Tabor was considered in antiquity to be the mountain of transfiguration comes down to us from the 6th and 7th centuries. Some travelers who lived at that time commonly report that in their time on the summit of Tabor there were three churches corresponding to the three shelters that the apostle Peter wanted to build. The churches were round and “extraordinarily overgrown with grass and flowers.” About the same time, Tabor became a beloved shrine for pilgrims, and during the Crusades it was an object of special interest. Most modern commentators, however, believe that the transfiguration took place on one of the slopes of Hermon, not far from Caesarea Philippi. The English traveler Stanley argues for Hermon, as does Thomson, though not without hesitation. But all this, of course, is only conjecture. The question of the mountain should to the present time be considered unsolved. The silence of the ancient exegetes on it is reasonable.

Matthew 17:2. And he was transfigured before them: and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. (See Mark 9:2-3; Luke 9:29; 2 Pet 1:16-17). Transfigured, that is, the ordinary form of Christ took on a certain perfect, higher appearance.

Matthew 17:3. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, conversing with him. (See Mark 9:4; Luke 9:30-32). Matthew and Mark speak of this briefly, with small differences. But Luke provides information that is not found in the first two synoptists, namely that the men who appeared spoke with Christ “about his departure” in Jerusalem, and that the disciples “were weighed down with sleep and, waking up, saw his glory and two men standing with him.” When these latter began to depart from him, Peter spoke words about the shelters. Theophylact asks: how did the disciples know that these were Moses and Elijah? Not from depictions, for making depictions of people was then considered an unlawful deed. Apparently they recognized them by the words that they spoke.

Matthew 17:4. Then Peter said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. (See Mark 9:5-6; Luke 9:33 with small differences in the speech). Mark adds: “for he did not know what to say; for they were in fear.” Luke has the same, but much shorter: “not knowing what he was saying.” In Matthew all this is omitted. The words of Peter, addressed to Christ, according to John Chrysostom, are an expression of love and extraordinary rapture, the cause of which was the vision. By “shelters” should be understood not tents, but huts made of tree branches, as at the festival of booths.

Matthew 17:5. While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him. (See Mark 9:7; Luke 9:34-35; 2 Pet 1:17-18). The words spoken from the cloud were obviously words of God himself. They are the same as those which were spoken at the baptism. But here all the synoptists have one identical addition: “listen to him.”

Matthew 17:6. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were very much afraid. Matthew 17:7. But Jesus came and touched them and said: Arise, and do not be afraid. According to Mark (Mark 9:6), the fear of the disciples manifested itself while Peter was still speaking about the shelters, and according to the testimony of Luke (Luke 9:34)—when the disciples entered the cloud. The fear was quite natural for the disciples in the circumstances in which they found themselves. The extraordinary beauty and attractiveness of the appearance could itself frighten them (see Matt 28:5; Mark 16:6).

Matthew 17:8. And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus alone. (See Mark 9:8—with considerable difference in expressions). Here is a small detail that points to the reality of the event. The evangelists are silent about what would be more important and interesting for us. In the present case it would have been sufficient if the evangelist Matthew had ended his account at verse 7. But he did not do so, and added verse 8, vividly depicting what was happening. The historical reality of the event is fully recognized by the best exegetes. It is connected by definite marks with what came before, that is, with Peter’s confession, and has a close connection with what is recounted further. The event cannot be separated from the context without creating a gap. The accounts of the synoptists, precise in all details, are confirmed by an allusion in the fourth evangelist, who, it is true, does not directly speak of the transfiguration, though he was himself its witness, but clearly alludes to it (John 1:14). And another eyewitness directly reports of it (2 Pet 1:16-18). “Is this truth or falsehood or partly both—this transfiguration on Mount Hermon?” asks Edersheim. “At least one thing is certain: if this is a true account, then it does not tell only of a subjective vision without objective reality. But in that case it would be not only difficult, but impossible to separate one part of the account from another—the appearance of Moses and Elijah and the transfiguration of the Lord—and attribute objective reality to the latter while considering the former only a vision.” Attempts to present the vision as a myth or to interpret it on rationalistic grounds, according to Edersheim, are untenable.

Matthew 17:9. And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying: Tell no one about this vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead. (See Mark 9:9; Luke 9:36). Matthew reports the Savior’s own words (marking them with punctuation), while Mark sets them forth in his own words in the form of what is called indirect speech. Luke, on the other hand, only indicates the result of the prohibition, saying that the disciples “kept silent, and told no one in those days of what they had seen.” The fathers and Church writers commonly consider the reason for the prohibition to speak about the transfiguration to be humility and at the same time a desire not to scandalize those who, having learned of the transfiguration, would then see Christ crucified. Perhaps so. But it seems more correct to think that the account of the transfiguration could appear true and understandable only in its connection with the resurrection. Therefore it could be spoken of only after the resurrection. It is in precisely this connection that the Savior himself places these two events. It is incredible that the reason for the prohibition was that Jesus Christ wanted to divert the disciples and the people from false expectations of Elijah’s coming.

Matthew 17:10. And his disciples asked him, saying: How is it then that the scribes say that Elijah must come first? (See Mark 9:10-11). The question proposed by the disciples while descending from the mountain presupposes that the teaching of the scribes, according to which Elijah would come before the establishment of the messianic kingdom, was in contradiction with what the disciples had just experienced, or with the thoughts that arose in them as a result of the transfiguration. Not the appearance of Elijah itself, but his immediate disappearance after the appearance, seemed to contradict the teaching of the rabbis. Where was there room for Elijah’s activity when Christ was soon to die and rise? On the basis of the words of the prophet Malachi (Mal 4:5) it was expected that Elijah would not only convert individual Israelites and prepare them for the day of revelation, but would also contribute to the restoration of the entire nation.

Matthew 17:11. Jesus replied to them: Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things; (See Mark 9:12—more detailed). It is possible that the Russian translation of this verse is inexact. In Matthew, instead of “is coming,” as in Mark, there is an emphasized “will come.” Literally: “Elijah comes and will restore all things.” It is also possible that the Slavonic translation of the verse in Matthew is inexact: “Elijah indeed will come before.” The words of the Savior contain an answer to the disciples’ question. First the opinion of the scribes conveyed by the disciples is formulated, and then in the following verse the Savior corrects it. What the scribes say is true, but not about that Elijah who appeared during the transfiguration, but about another.

Matthew 17:12. But I say to you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished; so also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands. (See Mark 9:13—no words “and they did not recognize him” and the end of the verse is omitted). Jesus Christ says that Elijah has come, meaning John the Baptist. John, not being Elijah in the proper sense, undoubtedly came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). In this latter sense the Savior calls John Elijah. That John was not recognized, or rather, known as Elijah, is understandable. It is more difficult to understand the expression “did to him whatever they wished.” Here, of course, is an allusion to the historical circumstances of the Baptist’s death, but perhaps also to the contrast between the life of the first Elijah and the second. With the first Elijah, people could not do as they wished. He was taken alive into heaven, while John was executed.

Matthew 17:13. Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them about John the Baptist. In the preceding verses the Savior did not speak one word about John the Baptist, but his figurative speech showed that he was speaking precisely of him. The disciples now understood this.

Matthew 17:14. When they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and knelt before him, Matthew 17:15. saying: Lord, have mercy on my son; he falls into fits, and suffers terribly, for often he falls into the fire and often into the water, Matthew 17:16. and I brought him to your disciples, and they were not able to heal him. (See Mark 9:18; Luke 9:40). Instead of the Russian “brought” (verse 16) it is possible “brought” (προσήνεγκα). By speaking thus, the father of the boy indirectly accuses the disciples. But many ancient commentators note that in reality he himself was guilty of the fact that the disciples could not heal his son, and instead of accusing himself, he accused them of powerlessness. Euthymius Zigabenus says that the disciples could not heal the boy because of the unbelief of the one who came. Modern commentators cannot be agreed with here.

Matthew 17:17. Jesus replied, saying: O faithless and perverse generation! how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to me. (See Mark 9:19; Luke 9:41). The details in Mark 9:20-24 are omitted by Matthew. Jerome, Hilary, John Chrysostom, Theophylact, and others attribute the rebuking words of Jesus Christ to the father of the sick young man and to the Jews below the mountain and the scribes. But these opinions of the ancient commentators are completely rejected by modern exegetes, who say that here Jesus Christ is rebuking not the scribes, but his disciples, because they were not able to heal the boy. But why does he not speak directly about the disciples, but about “a faithless and perverse generation,” that is, generally about the people living then, about the generation? Because, they answer, the lack of active faith in the disciples put them on the same level with the rest of the people of Christ’s generation. Bengel: “By a severe rebuke the disciples are counted among the crowd.” That the disciples are here meant is evident from verse 20: the father of the sick one had faith and therefore asked for help. The strong expressions γενεὰ ἄπιστος καὶ διεστραμμένη (“a faithless and perverse generation”) can be explained from the contrast between the faith of the father and, apparently, other people who asked for help, and the faith of the disciples.

Matthew 17:18. And Jesus rebuked it, and the demon came out of him; and the boy was healed from that moment. (See Mark 9:25; Luke 9:42). “Him” (αὐτῷ) refers to “the demon,” which is evident from the parallel passages in Mark and Luke, where the rebuke clearly refers to the demon.

Matthew 17:19. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and said: Why could not we cast it out? In Mark 9:28 it is said that this occurred when the Savior entered the house. Where this house was located is not known.

Matthew 17:20. Jesus said to them: Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you; (See Luke 17:6). Christ’s words cannot be understood in a literal sense. This speech is figurative and indicates the possibility of achieving extraordinary results with the aid of faith.

Matthew 17:21. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting. (See Mark 9:29). Some exegetes, pointing out that verse 21 is not found in certain manuscripts and translations, consider this verse to be a later insertion or a borrowing from Mark 9:29. “This kind” of course refers to demons. “Goes out only by prayer and fasting,” that is, only the truly believing person becomes capable by means of prayer of casting out demons.

Matthew 17:22. While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, (See Mark 9:30-31; Luke 9:43-44). Vulgate: Conversantibus autem eis in Galilea.) The Greek word συστρεφομένων indicates close association, staying together with the exclusion of outsiders. The accounts in Mark and Luke are consistent with this. Mark and Luke further point to the disciples’ insufficient understanding of the Savior’s words, Matthew—to their sorrow (verse 23). “The Son of Man” here is obviously put in connection with the expression “into the hands of men.”

Matthew 17:23. and they will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised up. And they were greatly grieved. (See Mark 9:31-32; Luke 9:44-45). According to Mark’s testimony, the Savior’s words about sufferings, death, and resurrection were unintelligible to the disciples, and they were afraid to ask him. Matthew does not mention this, but only adds that the disciples “were greatly grieved.” This sorrow was naturally caused by Christ’s sorrowful announcements. “Therefore they grieved, for they greatly loved their Teacher” (St. John Chrysostom). However, it cannot be concluded from the word “grieved” that Christ’s words were fully understood by the disciples. This consideration eliminates the seeming discrepancy between Matthew and the other synoptists.

Matthew 17:24. When they came to Capernaum, those who collect the two-drachma tax came to Peter and said: Your teacher does not pay the two-drachma tax, does he? (See Mark 9:33—restricted to a note that the Savior and his disciples arrived in Capernaum and entered the house). All the further account about the payment of the tax is found only in Matthew. In the post-exilic period (Exod 30:13 ff.; cf. 2 Chr 24:6; 2 Sam 12:12; Nehem 10:33) it was established that all Israelite males who had reached 20 years of age were to pay annually a half-shekel, or two Attic drachmas, or one Alexandrian drachma (LXX; Gen 23:15; Josh 7:21) for the maintenance of temple worship. According to the Talmudic tractate Shekalim, the time of collection was the month of Adar (see Pereferencevich, vol. 2, p. 269; information about this tax in chapters 2 and 7 of this tractate). That the tax existed during Christ’s time is evident from the writings of Philo (Quis rerum divinarum heres sit, ed. P. Wendland, Philonis Alexandrini opera quae supersunt, vol. 3, Berlin 1898, repr. De Gruyter, 1962, 186, 1–3) and Josephus (“Jewish Antiquities” XVIII, 9, 1; “The Jewish War” VII, 6, 6). It was so universal that even the dispersed Jews paid it. It was not a Roman tax, although after the destruction of Jerusalem the money was sent to Rome to the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus (see Schürer, Geschichte, II, p. 314–315). Whether this tax was compulsory or not is unclear. From the question asked by the tax collectors, one might conclude that the tax was voluntary and therefore rejected by some. When collecting the taxes, the wealthy could not give more than what was established; the poor—no less. The price of each person’s soul was the same (Exod 30:11-16). The Greek word δίδραχμον means a double drachma. According to the Talmud, “all money mentioned in the law is Tyrian money” (Tosefta Ketuvot XII, end, cited in Schürer, vol. II, p. 315 note). Four Tyrian drachmas equaled one Hebrew shekel. One drachma in our money was worth about 20–30 kopecks (4–6 g of silver); a didrachma—40–60 kopecks (8–12 g of silver). A stater, on the other hand, was equal to 4 drachmas. Instead of “Your teacher does not pay the two-drachma tax, does he?” it would be more accurate—“does not he pay the two-drachma taxes,” because in the original the plural is used in both cases. Zahn explains the plural by the fact that the tax collectors were asking not about the drachma which was to be paid that particular year, but in general whether Jesus Christ agreed to pay this tax. In like manner we also say: “does not someone give money,” though by “money” we sometimes mean only one coin. The account undoubtedly indicates the state of affairs in Palestine before 70 A.D.

Matthew 17:25. He says: Yes. And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying: What do you think, Simon? The kings of the earth—from whom do they collect customs or tribute? From their own sons, or from strangers? Matthew 17:26. Peter said to him: From strangers. Jesus said to him: Then the sons are free; Peter said that in any kingdom the king’s sons are free, that is, they are not subject to taxation. How much more, therefore, should the sons of that King to whom all earthly kingdoms are subject be free? The meaning of the comparison is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (verse 5) and heir of all things, but God’s house is his temple, and the didrachmas were collected for the benefit of this temple. The question was given precisely to Peter and had a close connection with his confession (Matt 16:16).

Matthew 17:27. But that we may not cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and opening its mouth, you will find a coin; take it and give it to them for me and for you. A stater consisted of four drachmas, therefore it was called a tetradrachma. It should not be confused with a golden stater (20 drachmas).

Chapter Eighteen

1–5. The disciples’ dispute about who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. – 6–9. Teaching about stumbling blocks. – 10–14. Teaching about the salvation of the lost. – 15–20. Teaching about reconciliation with brothers. – 21–22. Teaching about forgiveness of wrongs. – 23–35. Parable of the unmerciful servant.

Matthew 18:1. At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked: Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? (See Mark 9:33-34; Luke 9:46-47). The parallel account in the synoptists (up to Matt 17:23; Mark 9:32; Luke 9:45) was interrupted by an insertion by Matthew (Matt 17:24-27) of an account about paying the tax, which is not found in the other evangelists. In the expression of the Russian translation “at that time” one should understand the correct Greek reading—ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ, which, if translated literally, means “at that hour.” This reading is confirmed by some Greek codices and translations, but in others (among them the Syriac Sinaitic, Cyr., Armenian) this word is replaced by ἡμέρα, day. The latter is considered a later correction. However, ὥρα cannot be taken here as a precise indication of time, as is generally the case in Matthew. But that the evangelist used this expression not only to indicate connection is evident from the mentioned parallel passage in Mark, which says that the Savior, when he came to Capernaum and was in the house, himself asked the disciples what they had been discussing on the road. Thus the latter could actually have occurred “at that hour.” Judging from the fact that the disputes of the disciples about who is the greatest happened more than once and each time provoked the Savior’s rebuke (see Matt 20:20 ff.; Mark 10:35 ff.; Luke 22:24 ff.; John 13:5 ff.), it should be thought that the thought about earthly advantages in connection with the presumed earthly dominion of such a person as the Savior took root in the disciples’ minds, they cherished it, did not wish to abandon it, and when circumstances were suitable, expressed it in the presence of the Savior himself, without restraining themselves and almost without heeding his rebukes. Perhaps this explains why the Savior revealed to the disciples the incorrectness of such opinions not only in words (as in Luke 14:7-11) but sometimes also with the help of powerful plastic images, which were meant to indelibly impress upon the disciples’ consciousness and that of all people the thought of the necessity in the kingdom of heaven not of dominion, but of service and humility. The immediate causes of the present dispute among the disciples about who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven are, however, insufficiently clear, and it is quite difficult to determine them. Paying attention to ὥρα (hour), some thought that the cause of the question was the envy of the other disciples toward Peter because Christ had preferred to command him to miraculously pay the tax for both himself and Peter. That all the disciples would occupy a high position in the kingdom being established—this seemed certain for them. But who among them, and would there be someone who would be the highest, the greatest? They reasoned about this in a worldly manner: who would hold the highest position with the Messiah in his kingdom? This is an indirect, but very important confirmation of the fact that the apostles themselves recognized the Savior as the Messiah-King, although in an earthly sense, otherwise the question they asked would have made no sense.

Matthew 18:2. And Jesus called a child, placed him in the midst of them, (See Mark 9:35-36; Luke 9:47). Teaching and edification is given not only by word but by example. So it often happens in ordinary life; and Christ also used similar, highest and truly classical (so to speak) methods of teaching and instruction. The example he chose is remarkable for its extreme simplicity, but it implies a complete revolution in the thinking and views of that time and points to it. The truth impressed upon the mind and heart by this example is of such depth that even now it is not fully understood by everyone.

Matthew 18:3. and said: Truly I say to you, unless you turn around and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven; (See Mark 9:36; Luke 9:48). The agreement of the synoptists here consists only in two words (Matthew: καὶ εἶπεν; Mark and Luke: εἶπεν αὐτοῖς). The further words of the Savior that Matthew includes, Mark and Luke omit. The words placed in Mark 10:15 and completely similar to them Luke 18:17, were spoken at another time and for another reason. It is rightly noted that if in the previous sections of Matthew’s Gospel the discussion concerned the relation of people gathering around Christ to the Jewish people in general and to public worship, then further teaching up to Matt 20:28 concerns the inner life of the community established by Christ. In the words of Christ addressed to the disciples, there is obviously given to them, as adults, instruction and moral teaching to abandon their former thoughts, inclinations, and strivings (στραφῆτε, as some consider μετανοεῖτε repent) and to become like children. But what does it mean to become like children, to resemble children? What should adults do if they wish to become like children? These questions can be answered by noting that the character of childhood is well known and the thought expressed by Christ is fully understandable without further analysis. Since a child was placed in the midst of the disciples as an example to them because of their desire to resolve the question of who is greatest, we can now move from general reflections about the character of childhood and “an adult similar to a child” to more specific definitions. Here we encounter one of the strongest and most convincing proofs of the thought that, according to the general New Testament view, the followers of Christ should, like children, refrain from claiming any external power for themselves and any preference over their brothers. “To climb high upward—this means to descend proportionally low.” The idea of the New Testament consists not in dominion over people but in service to them. Not external power should be characteristic of the followers of Christ, but moral. The followers of Christ acquire power over people by becoming like children. This idea is purely Christian and is marked by extraordinary moral beauty and attractiveness, and is clarified generally in the Gospels by the self-sacrificial service of the Servant of Jehovah and, in particular, by several other examples in which the thought of Christian service is also expressed.

Matthew 18:4. therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven; (See Matt 23:12; Luke 14:11). It should not be thought that the thoughts set forth in verses 3 and 4 are completely identical. In verse 3 the general thought is set forth that the disciples should become like children, that is, in all the good qualities characteristic of them. Verse 4 appears to be a conclusion from the foregoing, which is indicated by the particle οὖν (“therefore”), and points to a particular trait of the childish character, indeed contained in humility. Literally: “therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 18:5. and whoever receives one such child in my name, receives me; (See Mark 9:37; Luke 9:48). This verse is set forth more fully in Luke, and the most abbreviated speech is in Matthew. It is difficult to explain the connection of this verse with the preceding one. In our opinion, an explanation is possible only if we allow that in the words of Christ “receives me” is expressed the thought of both the King, that is, Christ, and his kingdom. With such an interpretation, in the given verse one can see an answer to the last part of the question set forth in verse 1. This question can be divided as follows: 1) who is greatest? and 2) who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? An answer was given to the first part in the sense that whoever is greatest should be least of all, should become like a child. An answer was given to the second part in the sense that whoever wishes to be greatest of all in the heavenly kingdom must receive Christ. Thus the King and the kingdom here seem not only not to be separated but to be identified, and at the same time information is given about what the heavenly kingdom is. According to Matthew, it is the reception (into one’s soul and heart) of Christ, but according to Mark and Luke—and the one who sent him, the Father. So too in John: “Whoever loves me will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (John 14:23). The difference is that the synoptists, speaking of the same thing as John, express their thought in images. The Savior does not simply say “receives me,” but “whoever receives one such child in my name, receives me,” with the further additions in Mark and Luke. The thought expressed here is similar to Matt 25:35-36, where Christ identifies himself with the hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, sick, and imprisoned. Here he identifies himself with children. Christ was humble, meek, and so forth like “this child” or “one of these children.” Whoever receives a child receives Christ himself in the person of that child, and the one who sent him, the Father, and consequently becomes a participant in the kingdom of heaven. But what does “receives” or, better, “whoever would receive” (ὃς ἐὰν δέηται in all three evangelists) mean? Why is it not simply said “receives a child,” but “receives a child in my name”? What does the latter expression mean, “to receive a child in the name of Christ”? Evidently these questions can be answered only by establishing the precise meaning of the verb δέχομαι here, which, of course, means “I receive” and is usually translated in this sense (in the Vulgate—susceperit, in German—aufnimmt, etc.), but not always. In contrast to λαμβάνω, which has almost the same meaning but is independent of the feelings with which something is taken or received, δέχομαι in general and usually means “I receive with goodwill, love, joy, in a friendly manner” and is used in this sense both in classical writers and in the Old and New Testaments (in the Bible never in a hostile sense). See, for example, the translation of the Seventy: Prov 1:3; Jer 5:3; John 4:45; Gal 4:14; Eph 6:17; Col 4:10; Heb 11:31 and others. Thus the meaning of Christ’s words is this: “whoever receives with love one such child, receives me.” And where Christ is received with love, there his kingdom is received as well, and a man who has received them is close to Christ, and consequently occupies a high place in the kingdom, just as people close to an earthly king occupy the highest state positions. But evidently between simple reception, though with love, and such reception which is made in the name of Christ (ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου), a distinction is drawn here. To receive a child with love, to treat him in a friendly manner, to imitate him, to value his humility and modesty—this does not yet mean to receive Christ himself with love. He is received only when a child is received in his name, that is, when there is a certain relation of the receiver and the one received to his name, when a child is received in the Christian sense. Such is the nearest, exact meaning of Christ’s words. Since a child was placed in the midst of the apostles as a living image of the idea which Jesus Christ wished to impress upon the minds and hearts of his disciples, it is clear that by children one can understand here both adults similar in character to children, in particular, the apostles themselves. It means that the Savior does not speak here exclusively only about children or adults, but indifferently about both. What conclusion can be drawn from all that has been said? The speech of Christ and its connection will be even more understandable if we set forth everything in such a paraphrase. You ask, who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. You can understand this if you look at this child placed in your midst. You need not ask about who is greatest, but change your way of thinking (στραφῆτε) and become like this child. Does it ask anyone such questions? No, it does not even think of them. You too should first humble yourselves like a child, and only under this condition will you achieve the pre-eminence which you desire. The attainment of dominion and pre-eminence in the worldly sense is not possible for all, and moreover it is not necessary. But for all it is possible to attain such dominion and such pre-eminence as belong to this child; they are completely opposite to worldly pre-eminence. By trying to imitate children, you will look at them and receive them with love, and by receiving with love children, you will have the same close relations with me as with them, will receive me with love as well, and in this way will become the highest, greatest citizens of the heavenly kingdom which I have established. Concerning the numeral ἕν, Bengel remarks: frequens unius in hoc hapite mentio (the word “one” is often used in this chapter).

Matthew 18:6. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea. (See Mark 9:42). At Luke 17:1-2 there are similar expressions, but in a different context. At Mark 9:38-41 and Luke 9:49-50 there are inserted accounts of a man who cast out demons in the name of the Savior; then Christ’s speech is presented in Matthew and Mark with almost literal agreement. What is said in the verse being examined is obviously placed in opposition to the speech in the previous verse. There it is spoken of receiving with love; here—of harm arising from stumbling. The latter word (σκανδαλίσῃ), as in other cases (see commentaries to Matt 5:29), indicates falling. As in the previous verse “if anyone receives” (literally), so here “if anyone causes to stumble.” But if in the previous verse it is “one little child,” then here it is “one of these little ones who believe in me.” The speech thus widens and generalizes. The child standing in the midst of the disciples serves as an image for clarifying the complex relations that exist among adults who believe in Christ. At first glance it seems that the Savior is here turning to a speech about an almost completely new subject, and moreover from simple association, so that this verse seems to have only an external connection with what was said earlier. But undoubtedly it has with the previous verses a more internal, profound, hidden connection. This latter is expressed, it seems, chiefly by the word “causes to stumble” (σκανδαλίσῃ). If in the previous verses the way was indicated, achievable for all and reliable, to acquire not imaginary but real advantages for oneself in the kingdom established and being established by Christ, then in the present verse obstacles are pointed out that turn from this path, and the consequences of such activity. The word πιστευόντων shows that here are meant not only little children as such and as such, for children in general are not characteristic of conscious faith that is manifested in humility and self-abasement, but adults who place themselves on the same level as infants. The Greek word συμφέρει can be translated, as in the Synodal translation, through “it would be better” in the sense of “it is more useful.” Such is the meaning of this verb in the classics and in the New Testament (in the non-transitive sense—Matt 5:29-30; John 11:50; 1 Cor 6:12; 2 Cor 8:10 and others). The meaning of the further speech shows in what the usefulness for a person who produces the stumbling consists. Before he causes someone to stumble, it would be more useful for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the sea depths. Then his body would perish, but his soul would be saved because he was prevented from producing a stumbling block. “Great millstone”—the translation is inexact; in the Slavonic translation it is exact: “a millstone driven by a donkey,” that is, a large millstone which a donkey turned; the latter was therefore called ὄνος μυλικός (a millstone donkey). The inaccurate translation in the Russian Bible was apparently made due to assimilation with Luke 17:2 (λίθος μυλικός—millstone or millstone). Here, of course, the upper millstone, or the so-called runner, is meant. Drowning in the sea was not a Jewish execution, but such a punishment was practiced by the Greeks, Romans, Syrians, and Phoenicians.

Matthew 18:7. Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! For stumbling blocks must come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes. (See Luke 17:1). It was said earlier that a man who produces stumbling blocks will be subjected to severe punishment; now he is warned of “woe” in a more general sense. In interpreting this verse one can distinguish the first half and the second, separated from the foregoing by the adverb πλήν (in the Russian translation—“but”). In explaining the first half, some asserted that “if it is necessary for stumbling blocks to come, then it is necessary to sin; if it is necessary to sin, then those who sin are unjustly subjected to punishment, obeying necessity.” Here, thus, necessitas consequentiae. This opinion is cited in particular by Euthymius Zigabenus and refuted by him in that “it is necessary for stumbling blocks to come because of the necessity of the existence of demons, but there is no necessity for those devoted to virtue to produce stumbling blocks, because men have free will. When stumbling blocks appear, this does not depend on us, but not to be subjected to stumbling blocks—this entirely depends on us.” Or John Chrysostom: “From this it is clear that even if it is necessary for stumbling blocks to come, that is, for those people who cause harm to exist, it is not necessary for us to cause harm.”

Matthew 18:8. If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is better for you to enter into life crippled or lame, than to be thrown into the eternal fire with two hands and two feet; (See Mark 9:43-45). Literally: “it is better for you to enter into life crippled or lame (κυλλὸν ἢ χωλόν)…” The Russian translation was done rather according to the sense than literally. In the Slavonic: “better for you to enter into life crippled or lame” and so on, where the word “better,” as in Russian, inexactly renders the Greek καλόν ἐστιν, and through “lame”—χωλόν. However, it is noted that καλόν should be taken here in the sense of a comparative degree because of the ἤ (than) that follows it. In the Seventy such a construction is common; its basis is found in Hebrew construction, where the comparative degree is used with the subsequent “min.” The connection of the verse with the foregoing is determined thus: “do you wish not to be such a man of whom woe is pronounced?… cut them off and throw them away from you” and so on. The meaning is that “stumbling blocks not only cause one man to harm another, but arise for a disciple from his own nature” (Zahn), that is, depend on his free will, and he has the power to cause stumbling and not to cause stumbling for himself and others. This gives occasion to the sayings of verses 8–9, the meaning of which is essentially the same as in Matt 5:29-30 (see commentaries to that passage). The expression “into life” in the Greek with the article, “the known life,” true, real, not false, not illusory; and the corresponding expression “eternal fire”—also with the article, true, real fire. The idea of eternal punishment was characteristic of the Jewish apocalyptic literature of that time (Sol. 2, 35; Enoch 91:9, 27:3 and others). According to John Chrysostom, the Savior here speaks not of members of the body, but of friends and relatives of ours, which constitute as it were the necessary members for us. This interpretation is considered “too restrictive.” Our deeds and habits, as well as persons, can be as dear to us as a hand or a foot.

Matthew 18:9. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you; it is better for you to enter into life with one eye, than to be thrown into the Gehenna of fire with two eyes. (See Mark 9:47-48). The construction of this verse is identical to the previous one. The same thought is repeated for emphasis.

Matthew 18:10. See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my heavenly Father. The given verse contains “a wonderfully beautiful thought that the little ones as such enjoy the special protection of God, which is given to them through angels—mediators who see the face of God.” Therefore, attempts to add to and alter this thought in the form that by “little ones” are meant only “those who believe in my name” or “those remaining in the Church” (as in verse 6) appear to be limitations that do not correspond to Christ’s general thought and the general tone of his speech. His thought consists in the fact that neither physically nor spiritually should “little ones” be not only caused to stumble, but even be treated with arrogance and contempt. Here is a very subtle continuation of the answer to the question of who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Since the “little ones” are greater than all, then it is an error to belittle and demean them. The interpretation that Christ borrowed these images from the Jewish angelology that existed at that time and that his words have more or less close parallels in the customs of that time’s court life with kings (see 1 Sam 10:8; 2 Sam 25:19; Esth 1:14; Matt 5:8; Heb 12:14) really explains nothing. Closer to the evangelical expressions are Tob 12:15; Dan 9:13. It is more correct to think that here is new teaching about angels, an independent thought about them, expressed by Christ and his apostles in numerous places in the New Testament and representing its own, distinctive New Testament angelology, although perhaps having some formal similarity to the Old Testament and Jewish angelology. In any case, the thought that “the little ones” have angels who protect them before God is not found anywhere in such a form as in the New Testament. By “little ones” should rather be understood children, who serve as images for teaching and instruction of adults, and then these latter; these “little ones” we should not cause to stumble, but “imitate the angels and their care for these little ones” (Bengel). To see the face of the heavenly Father means to be in special closeness to God.

Matthew 18:11. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Many exegetes consider this verse to be a later addition, borrowed from Luke 19:10. In their opinion, by the insertion of this verse, the connection of verse 10 with verse 12 is obscured, which without verse 11 is completely clear. Morison, however, says that the evidence for the inauthenticity of this verse does not exceed the evidence for its authenticity, and the latter are found in the majority of ancient manuscripts, uncial and cursive, ancient Latin and Syriac translations, and in the Vulgate.

Matthew 18:12. What do you think? If a man had a hundred sheep and one of them went astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the mountains and go to seek the one that went astray? Matthew 18:13. and if he happens to find it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that have not gone astray. (See Luke 15:3-5). Luke calls this speech of Christ a parable. What is depicted in the parable constantly happens in the life of every shepherd. Who, for example, does not know how the lost animals are recovered by our village shepherds? The shepherd does not concern himself with the rest of the flock because he is assured of it, knows that the animals entrusted to his care will not go astray, will not be in danger, and will not be lost. But a lost animal may perish. “A hundred sheep” and “one”—a contrast. “A hundred” has a general (inexact) sense and is used simply instead of the words “a large flock” (in contrast to “a small flock”, Luke 12:32); it is simply a round number. It is not easy to explain the connection of the verse with the preceding verse 10 (unless verse 11 is excluded). To clarify it one can point out that in verse 12 the speech continues about the value in the eyes of God of “these little ones.” They have angels—protectors standing before the face of God, and God does not permit these “little ones” to perish. The thought of verse 12 becomes clear from the further verse 14.

Matthew 18:14. So it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones should perish. (See Luke 15:7). Some exegetes, considering verse 11 to be authentic, hold that this section first presents the “introduction to the parable” (verse 11), then the parable itself (verses 12–13), and finally the parable’s conclusion (verse 14).

Matthew 18:15. If your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him in private, just between you and him; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. (See Luke 17:3 – in different context). Just as God relates to people with love, so also people ought to love one another. Reconciliation with brothers, and specifically with those who have caused us some injury, is presented as one aspect of this brotherly love. Earlier the Savior said that people should not cause “these little ones” to stumble; now he speaks of how to act when we ourselves are caused to stumble. “Having directed a strong word against those who cause stumbling, the Lord now corrects those who are caused to stumble” (Theophylact). Clearly, these teachings refer not to sins in general, but specifically to private offenses and insults. Therefore, some have incorrectly interpreted this verse to mean that the Church itself is being discussed here, and that when it notices certain sins in its members, it should proceed as stated here: to rebuke and then to forgive or retain sins. The expression “you have won your brother” John Chrysostom interprets thus: “He did not say (the Savior): you have sufficiently avenged yourself on him, but rather: ‘you have won your brother,’ showing that enmity brings harm to both. He did not say: he gains benefit only for himself; but: and you, on your part, have won him. And by this he showed that both the one and the other previously lost much – one lost a brother, and the other lost his own salvation.”

Matthew 18:16. But if he does not listen, take one or two more with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every word may be confirmed. This is explained very well by Chrysostom: “And a physician, seeing that the illness does not cease, does not abandon the sick person and does not become angry with him, but applies even greater care. The Savior commands the same thing here. You were weak when you were alone; you will be stronger with the help of others.”

Matthew 18:17. And if he does not listen to them, tell it to the church; but if he does not listen to the church either, let him be to you as a gentile and a tax collector. Those persons mentioned in the previous verse, serving as witnesses, should also persuade and help toward reconciliation. If the person being persuaded does not listen to them, the injured party may turn to the church and present the matter for its judgment. What is meant by “church” here? Some thought it meant the Jewish “kahal” or synagogue. This opinion was based on the fact that when the Savior spoke, the Christian Church did not yet exist, and he could have used this word only in a Jewish sense, otherwise his speech would have been incomprehensible to the listeners. Against this opinion it is objected: He never called the synagogue a church; he never once uttered the word “synagogue” itself. Could we think that the Savior here had in mind the Jewish synagogue, especially in light of how verse 17 connects with the subsequent verses 18–20? From these latter verses it is entirely evident that no reference to the synagogue is actually being made here. It is certain that Christ understood here and could have had in mind only his own Church as a community of believers, and his speech was comprehensible to his disciples (to whom he was now speaking), because the church had already been spoken of somewhat earlier (Matt 16:18). But immediately following this question arises another. Does the Savior here mean the Church as a community of believers in their entirety, or only “the leaders of the Church”? The latter interpretation, it may be said, became established in antiquity. “Tell it to the Church, that is, to its representatives” (St. John Chrysostom). “By Church he now means the leaders of the Church, which consists of believers” (Euthymius Zigabenus). Many other ancient Greek and Latin commentators hold the same view. “As a gentile and a tax collector.” For Christ himself, gentiles and tax collectors were not lost, and he did not say that all obligations and relations toward them should be severed (see Matt 8:5-13). However, the “line of demarcation” between a church member and one condemned by it must still be drawn. Do not count him, Augustine says, among your brothers, but you should not be negligent about his salvation, for although we do not number gentiles among our brothers, we always care for their salvation.

Matthew 18:18. I tell you truly: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Similar words were spoken to Peter in Matt 16:19 and have the same meaning. In place of “what” (ὅ) Matt 16:19, here it is ὅσα – also neuter gender and refers to actions, not to persons.

Matthew 18:19. I tell you also truly that if two of you agree on earth about any matter they ask for, it will be given to them from my heavenly Father. The power of the disciples and of all believers in general is based on the inner spiritual unity of the community among its members (συμφωνεῖν) and with God.

Matthew 18:20. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them. In manuscripts D, the Sinaitic-Syriac, and in Clement of Alexandria, this verse is given in negative form: “for there are not two or three gathered in my name near whom (alongside whom) I am not (I am not present) in the midst of them.” Here reference is made to a church minimum. Christ is truly present among people even when only two or three of them gather in his name.

Matthew 18:21. Then Peter came to him and said: Lord! How many times should I forgive my brother when he sins against me? As many as seven times? (See Luke 17:4). Peter’s question does not have close connection with Christ’s discourse in verses 18–20, but it does have connection with verses 15–17. Christ apparently concluded his speech. His words about forgiveness of injuries to neighbors prompted Peter to ask for further clarification. In proposing his question, Peter, as one may suppose, knew of the customs and opinions that existed at that time among the Jews regarding forgiveness of injuries. “When a man sins against another, he is forgiven once, he is forgiven a second time, he is forgiven a third time, but he is not forgiven a fourth time.” Such is the frequently cited saying of the Babylonian Talmud (Yoma 86a, 2), which was supported by Job 33:29-30; Amos 1:3 and others. Peter wants, apparently, to stand above the scribes of his time and increases the number of forgivenesses almost twofold, to seven.

Matthew 18:22. Jesus says to him: I do not say to you, “as many as seven times,” but “as many as seventy times seven.” The Savior refutes Peter’s thought first with a brief remark. If Peter thought one must forgive the neighbor as many as seven times, perhaps each day in the course of a whole week, then the Lord says that one must forgive “as many as seventy times seven” (ἕως ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά). What does this last expression mean? Tertullian and Jerome related this expression to Gen 4:24, where Lamech says that “if Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy times sevenfold.” Therefore, people think that in the Gospel there is “a definite allusion to the account in Genesis, and it is quite probable” that the Gospel expression was formed in imitation of the similar phrase in that place in Genesis. It is fairly noted that the exact count here is not of great importance. As appears from the parable that follows, Jesus Christ wanted to indicate only that we must forgive brothers personal offenses an unlimited number of times.

Matthew 18:23. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. (On ὁμοιώθη see the commentaries to Matt 13:24). The kingdom is “like” a king – a characteristic feature of the Savior’s speech in parables. The king is called a man, some event in human life, past or present, is pointed to. The expression “to settle accounts with his servants,” also used in Matt 25:19, is considered a Latinism – rationes conferre. The pure Greek expression would be different: διαλογίζεσθαι πρός τινα. By servants here are usually meant not simple, lowly slaves, but courtiers – ministers, treasurers, stewards. They are called servants according to Eastern custom; in relation to Eastern despots they had as many rights as ordinary slaves in relation to their masters. Therefore, the Gospel expression shows complete accuracy and vividly depicts the relationships that were customary at that time and fully comprehensible to Christ’s listeners. What is related in the parable serves as an image of human relations with God and with neighbors. The king-man is understood to be God, who settles accounts with people (Isa 1:18). “God begins to settle accounts when through afflictions and infirmities he brings people to the deathbed and to death.” This, however, is not the final account and consequently not identical with what is spoken of in Matt 25:19, 2 Cor 5:10; Rev 20:11-12, but rather similar to Luke 16:2 and following (Trench).

Matthew 18:24. When he began the accounting, there was brought to him one who owed him ten thousand talents. An enormous sum of debt (12,000,000 rubles, or by other calculations – 25,000,000 rubles) shows that this servant held a high position with the king and was his highest official. That a man could be such an irrepayable debtor before God is not even a matter of discussion. Putting a hand upon the heart, each person will say that he commits many deeds for which his conscience accuses him, deeds contrary to the moral law, and he commits them every day. How many, then, does he commit in each week, each year, and finally in the course of his whole life? We have become so accustomed to many deeds that we have ceased to notice that they are moral transgressions, offensive to divine justice.

Matthew 18:25. Since he could not pay, the master commanded that he be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment be made. The rights of Roman citizens were known under the technical name caput. A slave was deprived of these rights, and this was indicated by the technical formula nullum habet caput. “The slave was practically deprived of all rights; what he apparently possessed was his property more out of grace than by right. He was property and could not be a subject, but only an object of rights.” “The master’s rights were practically absolute. Since the property of a slave, his wife, and his children were also considered the master’s property, the latter could treat them as he wished” (Trench). According to Jewish law, slaves were in a somewhat better position (Lev 25:39-55; see also 2 Sam 4:1 and others).

Matthew 18:26. Then the servant fell down, prostrated himself before him, and said: Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. In the words “have patience with me, and I will pay you everything,” one rightly perceives the presumption of the servant, who promises to pay a debt that he could not pay.

Matthew 18:27. The master, moved with compassion toward that servant, released him and forgave him the debt. The servant’s debt is not only lightened, but entirely forgiven. It is incorrect to say that the parable does not speak of the basis on which the debt was forgiven. The chief basis for this was the mercy (σπλαγχνισθείς) of the king, and then, as should be understood, also his great wealth, because such an enormous loss apparently brings him no harm or distress. The parable speaks of no mediation, intercession, or surety for the servant.

Matthew 18:28. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he choked him, saying: Pay what you owe. The word “going out” shows that the former actions took place in the palace or in the king’s court. In a spiritual sense, the temple may perhaps be meant here. What is portrayed in this verse could not, of course, have occurred in the court in the presence of the king and his servants (verse 24). “He found” indicates chance. The fellow servant of the forgiven servant (σύνδουλος) owed him a trifling sum, only a hundred denarii (if a denarius equals 20 kopecks, then 100 denarii equal 20 rubles, equivalent to 400 grams of silver value).

Matthew 18:29. Then his fellow servant fell down at his feet, begged him, and said: Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. Matthew 18:30. But he refused; instead, he went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt. Matthew 18:31. When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and came to tell their master everything that had occurred. Matthew 18:32. Then his master summoned him and said to him: Wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Matthew 18:33. Should you not also have shown mercy to your fellow servant, just as I showed mercy to you? A logically entirely correct argument. The one to whom a great debt is forgiven thereby obligates himself to forgive others their small debts. But people are evil and in pursuit of earthly benefits often act contrary to all logic and common sense. Therefore, what is portrayed in the parable is encountered very frequently in ordinary practical life.

Matthew 18:34. In anger, his master handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all the debt. “The torturers, those who torture, represent a certain foreign institution and incline us to think that the action of the parable took place in one of the Eastern monarchies, rather than in Judea” (Trench). The rabbinic laws regarding debt collection were much milder compared to this, apparently harsh (Roman or Herodian) disposition about the debtor. If someone owed the temple money or property, his possessions could undergo inventory or seizure, but the debtor was left some of his property necessary for subsistence. This should also have happened between ordinary creditor and debtor (see Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 1892, vol. 2, p. 295, note ed.). Roman Catholics try to confirm their doctrine of purgatory with the words of verse 34, “as if they meant a limit beyond which punishment does not extend, but this expression is a common saying, and it means only that the criminal must now experience the utmost rigor of the law, judgment without mercy, the endless payment of an eternal debt” (Trench). The Savior’s words do not contain any doctrine of purgatory. But here there is a certain difficulty, not easily resolved. The debt was already forgiven by the king to the debtor, and therefore the question is raised: utrum peccata semel dimissa redeant (do sins once forgiven return and become imputable again)? To this is answered that the form of the parable is determined by its spiritual meaning. Whoever departs from a state of grace enters into a state of condemnation.

Matthew 18:35. So my heavenly Father will also do to you if each of you does not forgive your brother from your heart. A parable immortal in its simplicity, depth, vividness, and clarity, concludes with a conclusion equally immortal in its dignity – a practical application in the highest sphere – to relations between God and man.

Chapter Nineteen

1–2. Journey to Jerusalem. – 3–12. Teaching on marriage and divorce. – 13–15. Blessing of children. – 16–30. The rich young man.

Matthew 19:1. When Jesus had finished these sayings, he left Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. Matthew 19:2. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. (See Mark 10:1; Luke 9:51; John 7:10). Whether these three passages can truly serve as parallels to Matt 19:1 is, of course, only a matter of conjecture. The narrative of the synoptics here is of such brevity that it is difficult to assert positively whether their accounts coincide in particular with John 7:10. But if such coincidence could be recognized, the matter would present itself as follows. Matthew omits John’s account (Christ’s brothers inviting him to go to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles John 7:2-9). According to John, Christ initially refused this journey. But when his brothers left for Jerusalem, he “came there to the feast not openly, but as it were in secret.” People think that Matt 19:1 and Mark 10:1 refer to this very journey. Then in John comes the account of Christ’s very stay at the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:11-53), the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11), the discourse with the Jews (John 8:12-59), the healing of the man born blind (John 9:1-41), the good shepherd (John 10:1-18), the dispute among the Jews regarding Christ’s identity and their intention to kill him (John 10:19-39). John’s further words “and he went away again beyond the Jordan, to the place where John had been baptizing, and he remained there” (John 10:40) could coincide with Mark 10:1 καὶ πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου (literally: “beyond the Jordan”). Here John, as it were interrupting the synoptics’ narrative (John 7:2-10:40), is in turn interrupted by them, and specifically by the account of Luke 9:51, which could coincide with the latter part of verse 1 of the discussed chapter of Matthew’s Gospel. In Luke (Luke 9:51-62) is related the intention of Christ to go to Jerusalem through Samaria, the refusal of Samaritans to receive him, and then of two would-be followers who wished to follow him; then of the mission of seventy disciples and their return (Luke 10:1-24), the merciful Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), the visit to Martha and Mary, and other parables and events are given (Luke 10:38-16:17) with small insertions from Matthew, Mark, and John (for example, John 11:1-16). Only then does the parallel narrative begin, especially of the two first evangelists, again interrupted by long insertions from Luke 14:18-18:1-14 and John 11:17-54). From what has been said, one can see that verses 1–2 are a very brief and compressed indication of complex events, and therefore very obscure, first of all because of their brevity. The words “when Jesus had finished these sayings, he left Galilee,” although they do not serve, as generally in Matthew, to indicate time precisely, can be placed in close relation to the parable of the wicked servant related in the previous chapter. As for the further expressions placed in verse 1, they are so unclear that it is difficult not only to interpret them correctly, but even to translate them correctly. In the Greek text it is somewhat different than in the Russian translation, literally: “came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.” The difficulty is how to understand these words – in the sense that Jesus Christ was entering Judea itself, or that he was only approaching it. If entering, why is it said “beyond the Jordan”? Does this mean that Judea, lying on the western side of the Jordan, extended also to the east of this river, in the opinion of the evangelist? Or perhaps the evangelist, when he wrote his Gospel, himself lived or dwelled on the eastern side of the Jordan and meant by the expression “beyond the Jordan” simply to denote Judea itself, lying truly “beyond the Jordan”? These questions were raised as early as Origen, and he gave answers as unclear as those in the Gospel; “he came to (ἐπί instead of εἰς, that is, differently than in Matthew) the region of Judea, not in the middle (οὐκ ἐπὶ τὰ μέσα), but as it were to the edge of it.” Chrysostom similarly to Origen: “not yet entering Jerusalem itself, but visiting only the Judean region.” Modern commentators unanimously assert that Perea and Judea were different countries, and some are inclined to see here simply a geographical error in the evangelist’s words, meaning that Jesus Christ “came to the trans-Jordan region of Judea.” But historically one can establish with sufficient precision that the region of Judea did not extend east beyond the Jordan, and the latter was the boundary between Judea and the trans-Jordan region, which was called Perea. The expression “beyond the Jordan” (πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου) cannot therefore serve as a definition of the words “into the region of Judea”; that is, it does not mean “the Judean region beyond the Jordan.” On this basis, it is accepted that “beyond the Jordan” relates simply to the word “came” (ἦλθεν), and to better understand the evangelist’s speech, we need to arrange the words differently than he did, namely thus: “he came beyond the Jordan (went to the other side of the Jordan) into the region of Judea.” The meaning, consequently, is precisely that expressed in the Russian translation. A similar expression in Mark 10:1 (literally: “into the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan”) does not contradict such an interpretation. As for the expression “into the region of Judea,” we can agree with both ancient and modern commentators that it does not mean “into Judea itself.” The essence of the matter is simply that instead of journeying to Judea through Samaria, that is, by the shorter and usual route, the Savior went there through Perea. This was not a hasty but a slow approach to Jerusalem (Matt 20:17; Matt 21:1).

Matthew 19:3. Then Pharisees came to him and, testing him, said to him: Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason? (See Mark 10:2). The reasons why the Pharisees approached Jesus Christ precisely now and proposed to him precisely this question are not clearly indicated by either Matthew or Mark. But one can observe that, according to the evangelists’ accounts, such confrontations were the result of increasingly developing hostility toward Christ. Now this is clearly evidenced by the word used by both evangelists – “testing” (πειράζοντες) – indicating the desire of the Pharisees to ensnare Christ, to place him in a difficult position, especially before his simple listeners, to undermine their trust in him, in order more easily to achieve their goal – to rid themselves of him even through murder. We know that Christ already several times uncovered these schemes of his enemies through his answers. But his enemies not only refrained from further attacks on him, but became increasingly malicious. “Such,” says John Chrysostom, “is the wickedness and such is the envy – shameless and audacious. Even if you repel it a thousand times, it will attack a thousand times again!” The Pharisees wanted to tempt Christ by means of what is called the “horned” (cornutus) syllogism. If he said that one can divorce one’s wife for any reason and take other wives, he would be teaching something contrary to common sense, or, as Jerome expresses it, to “modesty” (puditiae praedicator sibi videbitur docere contraria). If, on the other hand, the Savior answered that one can divorce for not any reason, he would become guilty of sacrilege as it were (quasi sacrilegii reus tenebitur – Jerome) and would act against the teaching of Moses, or more precisely, against the teaching given by God himself through Moses. Theophylact expresses himself somewhat more clearly than Jerome, expressing a similar opinion held by Euthymius Zigabenus. Both draw attention to Christ’s earlier teaching on divorce given in the Sermon on the Mount (see commentary on Matt 5:31-32), and say that the Pharisees now wanted to place Christ in contradiction with himself, with his own words then spoken and his teaching. If he said that one can divorce one’s wife for any reason, the Pharisees could object: how is it that you said before that one should not divorce one’s wife except for the cause of unchastity? And if he said that one cannot divorce one’s wife, they would slander him as proposing new laws that are not in accord with the laws of Moses. It should be added that the question of divorces became sharp at that time due to the dispute between two Pharisaic schools, those of Hillel and Shammai, concerning how to interpret the expression found in Deut 24:1 – a Hebrew expression, pointed out as the cause for divorce, “ervat davar.” We need not enter into discussion of the immediate grounds for this dispute; it is enough only to point to the fact of its existence. Hillel, who lived about twenty years before, taught that a man can divorce his wife for any reason. Shammai, on the contrary, asserted that divorce is permitted only because of the wife’s unchastity.

Matthew 19:4. He answered them: Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning made them male and female? (See Mark 10:3-5). The Russian text of this verse must be considered very unclear. The Slavonic translation reads: “he who created in the beginning – the male sex and female he created.” Here “he who created in the beginning” apparently refers not to the creation of the man and woman (as in the Russian translation), but to creation in general. In other words: the Creator, who created the world, also created the male and female sexes. The German translation of Luther is clearer: “have you not read that he who in the beginning created mankind caused there to come into being a man and a woman.” The English translation (Authorised version): “…have you not read that he who created them in the beginning created them male and female, and said…” Some later English translators, in turn, change the translation thus: “have you not read that the Creator from the beginning created them male and female?” These translations show how difficult it is to render the Greek speech precisely here. The most accurate and closest to the original should be considered the Slavonic and the last of the stated translations – the English, where the word “created” is rendered simply by the word “Creator” (in Greek – ὁ ποιήσας). The meaning is that by divine ordinance from the very beginning there was to exist a male sex and a female sex; consequently, marriage is a divine, not a human institution. This thought is expressed with special clarity by Euthymius Zigabenus: “(He created) one male sex and female, so that one (husband) would have one (wife). Because if he wanted the husband to leave one wife and take another (ἠγάπηται), then he would have created many women from the beginning; but since he did not create many, he certainly wants the husband not to divorce his wife.”

Matthew 19:5. And he said: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. (See Mark 10:7-8). The discourse set forth in Matthew is a continuation of the previous one. Christ for now leaves without answer the tricky question the Pharisees actually wanted to pose – namely, whether a man can, after divorcing his first wife, take another – and reasons exclusively within the bounds of the question as such. A man should not leave a woman because, by the law given by God, he cannot remain alone and live in unmarried state. To not be alone and unmarried, he leaves even the people closest to him, his own father and mother. The citation is borrowed from Gen 2:24, where these words are attributed not to God but to Adam.

Matthew 19:6. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate. (See Mark 10:8-9). The words of Christ in the verse in question are a conclusion from what he said before. Abandonment of a woman by a man, or divorce, contradicts, first of all, nature, because in this “the same flesh is divided” (St. John Chrysostom), and, further, the law of the Lord, because “you try to divide what God joined and did not command to divide.” It is noteworthy that the Savior does not say “whom” God joined together, let no one separate, but “what” (ὅ) God joined and so forth. The speech, as is correctly interpreted in this place, concerns not two bodies but one body, which is expressed through “what.”

Matthew 19:7. They said to him: Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce and to divorce her? (See Mark 10:3-4). The objection raised against Christ seemed to the Pharisees very strong and irrefutable. This is expressed in the word ἐνετείλατο, which means not “permitted,” “allowed,” but – “commanded.” Judging by the preceding words of Christ, God “commanded” that husband and wife be one body, and consequently, in accordance with God’s intention and law, divorce is not permitted. This command given by God was set forth by Moses in the book he wrote. But the same Moses set forth another command, also contained in the book he wrote – Deuteronomy (Deut 24:1). Those objecting to Christ continue thus to hold to the text of Deuteronomy, while the Savior himself appeals to the book of Genesis. The word chosen by the Pharisees ἐνετείλατο (commanded, gave a binding command) is somewhat strong, because from the place indicated in Deuteronomy it does not appear that a man must necessarily and is obligated to give his wife a certificate of divorce even when “ervat davar” is present. But if we disregard all this, it will be seen that between the original teaching on marriage, as explained by Christ, and the permission to give certificates of divorce there was obvious contradiction, and to eliminate it required scholastic casuistry. How does Christ resolve this contradiction? If the best Jewish casuists, Hillel and Shammai, disputed this and disagreed with one another, how will Jesus Christ come out of the difficult position in which, in the opinion of the Pharisees, they placed him?

Matthew 19:8. He said to them: Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of the hardness of your hearts, but from the beginning it was not so. (See Mark 10:5). In the Russian translation the initial ὅτι (in the Slavonic translation – “yaко”) is not expressed in Christ’s speech, which corresponds to τί of verse 7 (in the Russian translation – “why then,” but better “therefore, why” or “why then”). The Pharisees ask: therefore, why? The Savior answers: because (ὅτι) Moses and so forth. The name of Moses (not God) also has obvious correspondence with the same name in the question of verse 7. The Pharisees could not say that God commanded to give certificates of divorce. The Savior confirms this, saying that it was Moses who permitted it. The word “hardness” (σκληροκαρδία) is used by Matthew only here and elsewhere in the New Testament in Mark 10:5. In the latter place it is placed in connection with ἀπιστία (unbelief). It is considered “highly characteristic” that in his answer Christ replaced ἐνετείλατο (“commanded” – verse 7), used by the Pharisees, with the word ἐπέτρεψεν – permitted, allowed. But in Mark (Mark 10:3-4) Jesus Christ and the Pharisees are expressed oppositely, and there these changes are just as appropriate as in Matthew. The thought expressed here is similar to Gal 3:19. Some believe that the permission to give a wife a certificate of divorce arose from the necessity that otherwise the husband, because of his “hardness of heart,” could subject his wife to torture, and the certificate of divorce was thus a “protection” of the wife against cruel treatment by her husband. This, of course, could be one of the reasons for the divorces permitted by Moses, but not the only one. The chief reason was “hardness of heart” in general – a word indicating “uncircumcision of heart,” the coarseness of the ancient Old Testament man’s character, his mental and moral underdevelopment. Apparently, the Savior himself considers this institution of Moses to be human, not divine. It was given as a temporary adaptation of a higher and eternal law to the spirit of the time and had only a temporary character. The error of the Pharisees consisted in the fact that they regarded this temporary law, given by Moses, too highly, considered it equal to God’s commandments. But it was a “consilium hominis”, “non imperium Dei” (Jerome). In the Old Testament there were many such ordinances having only a temporary character. In a state of hardness of heart, divorces and certificates of divorce were permissible, but “from the beginning it was not so.”

Matthew 19:9. But I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (See Mark 10:10-12; Luke 16:18). If in the Savior’s discourse (verses 4–8) there was an answer to the Pharisees’ question (verse 3), here he apparently answers their unspoken thought – that after a divorce, one can marry another woman. Whoever does so commits adultery, provided the divorce takes place for any reason other than πορνεία. The Savior does not say that for a divorce it is necessary to allow πορνεία. See detailed commentary on Matt 5:32. It should be noted that, according to Matthew, this speech of Christ was spoken to the same Pharisees with whom the Savior was speaking before, but, according to Mark’s testimony (Mark 10:10), it was spoken in answer to a question from the disciples when they, together with the Savior, entered some house. Since Matt 19:9 and Mark 10:10-12 do not have the same connection, it is more likely that Matt 19:9 was spoken to the Pharisees, and in Mark this is repeated in discourse only to the disciples and in the house.

Matthew 19:10. His disciples said to him: If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry. Verses 10–12 are found only in Matthew. The discourse, as should be thought, was spoken to the disciples in the house and in private. The word “case” (in the Russian Bible) apparently does not express the thought of the original precisely and correctly. The Greek word αἰτία means not “case” (as in the Russian Bible) but “cause,” “reason” and is used in this sense in many places of the New Testament (Acts 10:21; 2 Tim 1:6; Titus 1:13; Matt 27:37; Mark 15:26; John 18:38; John 19:4 and others). But a literal translation “if, therefore, there is a cause (or fault) of a man with a woman, it is not expedient (not useful – οὐ συμφέρει) to marry” would have no meaning. Therefore, here a literal translation is not possible, only a descriptive one. The meaning: “if the only cause for a man divorcing his wife is unchastity, it is better not to marry.” Other translations, as well as the Russian, also cannot be considered completely accurate and clear. The disciples apparently understood the Savior’s previous discourse correctly in the sense of the full impossibility of divorce if there is no adultery on either side. Adultery of one of the parties is, of course, an extremely grave family misfortune, a complete destruction of the marriage bond and family relations, making the continuation of common life not only difficult but even unthinkable and inadmissible. In the Old Testament law, death was prescribed for adultery (Lev 20:10). But besides adultery, there can be other causes aggravating family life. Jerome poses such questions concerning the woman: quid enim si temulenta fuerit, si iracunda, si malis moribus, si luxuriosa, si gulosa, si vaga, si jurgatrix, si maledica, tenenda erit istiusmodi? (what if (the wife) is inclined to drunkenness, is prone to anger, is immoral, is wasteful, is greedy, is fickle, is quarrelsome, is malicious – should she be kept in such a case?) Then, expressing briefly and correctly the teaching of Christ, Jerome answers: volumus nolumus sustinenda est (willingly or unwillingly, she must be kept). Jerome’s further addition is characteristic and apparently written in an ascetic spirit: cum enim essemus liberi, voluntarie nos subjecimus servituti (although we were free, we voluntarily subjected ourselves to such slavery). The essence of the disciples’ question was precisely in what Jerome later set forth more fully. The saying of Cato is known: mulier est malum necessarium (woman is a necessary evil). But if she is a necessary evil, is it not better, more prudent, more beneficial for a man to be free from such evil? Is it not better to renounce marriage when one can expect so many evils from it, and moreover without any hope of being freed from them, when the wife, despite all her faults, will maintain marital fidelity and will not permit such guilt as adultery?

Matthew 19:11. But he said to them: Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. In response to the words of the disciples “it is better not to marry,” the Savior here gives clarifications drawn partly from historical and partly from psychological experience. In answering the Pharisees, he opposed their incorrect and mistaken opinions to the divine law about the institution of marriage. In answering the disciples, he opposes their opinions to a physical law. Since the latter acts in people, as in animals, it is natural that not everyone can submit to the condition under which an unmarried life is commendable – namely, to maintain moral purity in the unmarried state. In his answer to the disciples, the Savior could not say: “one should not enter into marriage.” Such speech would contradict not only the physical (established by God) but also the moral (also established by God) law, which has moreover an exalted character, as well as Christ’s own words about the holiness of marriage. On the other hand, he could not say: “everyone should enter into marriage,” because there are conditions under which deviation from observance of the physical law is necessary. Who are these people not subject to the physical law? This is clarified in the following verse.

Matthew 19:12. For there are eunuchs who were born so from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it. Instead of “made themselves eunuchs,” it is more correct to translate “castrated themselves” (εὐνούχισαν ἑαυτούς), though the sense is the same in both cases. This verse, taken literally by the Khlysty sect, serves as the factual basis for the monstrous phenomenon – castration practices; this sect, especially in Russia, exists and even flourishes to this day. In justification of their opinions, castration practitioners appeal not only to this verse, but also to the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Let not the eunuch say, ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’ For thus says the Lord concerning the eunuchs: ‘Those who keep my Sabbaths and choose what pleases me and hold fast my covenant, I will give them in my house and within my walls a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off’” (Isa 56:3-5). The words of the prophet cannot, of course, serve as a basis or encouragement for castration practices, and have only a prophetic sense and refer, of course, only to the first and second categories of eunuchs indicated by the Savior – that is, to persons who were not themselves guilty of their castration and did not engage in castrating others. But not only castration sect members held and hold the opinion that the Savior’s words give the right to the artificial promotion and spread of castration. The case of Origen is well known, who castrated himself in youth, showing in this deed his “immature youthful mind” (Eusebius of Caesarea, “Church History,” VI, 8). Being old, notes Zahn, Origen repented of his deed, and his repentance influenced his interpretation of the passage being discussed. Generally in antiquity, if a literal interpretation of verse 12 was not asserted, it seemed, to some degree, to be characteristic of some even distinguished persons. Among others, Justin interpreted the Savior’s words incorrectly, without censuring relating (Apologia, I, 29) the case of how around the year 150, a Christian in Alexandria vainly asked the authorities for permission to castrate himself by a physician. Eusebius knew many Christians who voluntarily subjected themselves to castration (see Zahn, “Das Evangelium des Matthäus”, p. 586, note.). Is such a literal interpretation (in the castration sense) correct or false? Without doubt false, because Christ, in any case, could not here propose teaching which is unnatural, fraught with danger to life, and does not achieve the goal which is intended, but on the contrary, serves only to strengthen lust and secret debauchery. Further, in the law of Moses clear ordinances were made concerning eunuchs, which also completely do not accord with a literal understanding and interpretation of the Savior’s words. Thus, in Deut 23:1 it is said of eunuchs that they cannot “enter the assembly of the Lord,” and in Lev 22:24-25 it is commanded not to offer in sacrifice even castrated animals and to take them from foreigners “as a gift to God, because on them there is a defect, a blemish on them: they will not gain your favor for you.” Moreover, it is commanded: “And do not do this in your land.” In view of all this, it was natural that not only in the circle of the first Christians but also after, only extremely rare cases of literal understanding of the Savior’s words concerning the “third category of eunuchs” were encountered, but also direct and strong opposition to such understanding. Saint John Chrysostom especially vehemently armed himself against it. “When Christ says: ‘castrated themselves,’ he means not cutting off members – may it never be! – but the destruction of evil thoughts, because one who cuts off a member is subject to a curse, as Paul says: ‘Oh, that those who are troubling you would castrate themselves!’ (Gal 5:12). And most justly. Such a person acts like a murderer, contributes to those who debase God’s creation; opens the mouths of Manicheans and transgresses the law, like those of the pagans who cut off members. Cutting off members from of old was the work of the devil and a cunning stratagem of Satan, so that through this he might distort God’s creation, so that he might harm mankind, created by God, and so that many, ascribing everything not to freedom but to the members themselves, would fearlessly sin, considering themselves as it were innocent… The devil devised all this, and wishing to incline people to accept this delusion, introduced yet another false teaching about fate and necessity, and in this way strove in every way to destroy the freedom given to us by God, assuring us that evil is a consequence of physical nature, and through this spreading many false doctrines, though secretly. Such are the arrows of the devil!” The Savior’s words “let the one who is able to receive this receive it” cannot be regarded as a requirement that all followers of Christ accept lifelong vows of celibacy, which the majority of people cannot fulfill. Christ had in mind here only special human characters, special natures, which are able by the power of their spirit to rise above family life in order to give themselves more fully to service to Christ’s kingdom.

Matthew 19:13. Then little children were brought to him so that he might lay his hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. (See Mark 10:13; Luke 18:15). The reason that the disciples prevented children from being brought to Jesus Christ was, by the usual explanation, that they feared they might hinder his teaching and distract him to what they considered a lower activity. Chrysostom expresses this reason in two words: ἀξιώματος ἕνεκεν (out of respect for Jesus Christ).

Matthew 19:14. But Jesus said: Let the little children come to me and do not forbid them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven. (See Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16). The word “was indignant,” found in Mark, is omitted by Matthew and Luke. Instead of “let come” one could translate “leave” or “allow.” The further words “to come to me” depend not on this verb, but on “do not forbid them” (in the Greek text). Undoubtedly, this simple Gospel account had enormous significance and influence on the establishment of correct relationships between adults and children and serves as the foundation of all modern pedagogy. Christ’s teaching was completely contrary to the harsh opinions of Old Testament peoples (for example, Sir 30:1-13).

Matthew 19:15. And he laid his hands on them and went on his way. (See Mark 10:16.) Mark adds: “and embraced them.” This account can be considered an addendum and clarification of all the preceding teaching given in this chapter. First, it sets forth the deepest teaching on marriage and occasional exceptions from the universal natural and moral law implanted in human nature. Then the Savior as it were returns to his original thought about the holiness of the marriage bond and lays his hands on children as the fruit of marriage relations and marital fidelity. After this he sets out on his further journey, which is especially clear from the opening words of Mark 10:17.

Matthew 19:16. And behold, someone came to him and said: Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life? (See Mark 10:17; Luke 18:18). There is an enormous number of variant readings in this and the following verse in Matthew. What is considered correct in Matthew is the reading: “Teacher! What good deed will I do” etc. Matthew calls the one who came “a young man” (νεανίσκος) not here, but in verses 20 and 22. This word undoubtedly indicates youth. In Mark the one who came is not called a young man or any other designation; from the words of Mark 10:20 and Luke 18:21 one cannot conclude that he was young. In Luke he is called ἄρχων – a ruler, but of what – is unknown. This word occurs many times in the New Testament. Some considered the one who came to Christ to be one of the rulers of the Jerusalem Sanhedrin and even identified him with Lazarus, whom Christ raised. The most probable opinion is that the young man was simply one of the leaders of the local synagogue (The word “archon” often denotes simply a member of the municipality from among the wealthiest residents of the city. – Editor’s note). The young man’s words, which fit perfectly the person of Christ, his teaching and activity (“Teacher,” “good deed,” “eternal life,” and in Mark and Luke the addition of the Teacher being “good”), show that the young man, if he did not know Christ personally before, was at least well-informed about him to turn to him with such an extraordinary request. “This,” says Zahn, “was not a question from a man irritated by his sinfulness and moral weakness in his striving to achieve holiness, but a question from such a man whom the requirements of other teachers regarding piety and moral conduct did not satisfy. On the contrary, Jesus made an impression on him, and he became trusting toward him, thinking that he would raise his disciples above the unsatisfactory mass of previously existing Jewish piety (see Matt 5:20).”

Matthew 19:17. And He said to him: Why do you call Me good? No one is good but God alone. But if you wish to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments. (See Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19). According to Mark and Luke, the Savior, as if objecting to the young man about his calling him good, actually claims for himself this attribute of God – goodness; and the meaning of his question, therefore, is: you call me good, but no one is good except God alone; therefore, in calling me good, you are appealing to me not simply as to an ordinary teacher, but to a good teacher, and therefore one having equal dignity with God. In other words, in Christ’s answer to the young man we encounter a hidden and extremely subtle, almost imperceptible to those around Christ, teaching about his divine sonship and his equality with God the Father. According to Matthew (in the Greek text) it is different: “why do you ask me about good?”

Matthew 19:18. He said to him: Which ones? Jesus said: You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; Matthew 19:19. honor your father and mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. (See Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20). The question “which ones?” is not in the other synoptics except Matthew. The order of the commandments is the same in Mark and Luke, but different in Matthew. Mark adds: “do not defraud.” At first glance it seems somewhat strange that the young man, who asserted that he “kept all these from his youth” (verse 20), when invited by Christ to keep the commandments, asks: “which ones?” As if he did not know whether commandments had been given and which ones! But the young man’s question becomes understandable if we assume that he did not expect such an answer from Christ. The young man did not think that Christ would speak to him about precisely what was so well known to him, was so well kept by him, and yet did not satisfy him. Here we encounter a very interesting qui pro quo. The young man thinks of one thing, Christ speaks to him of another. The young man was expecting to receive from the new great and good teacher information about some new commandments, similar to those given, for example, in the Sermon on the Mount; but Christ speaks to him of what he should fulfill that which he has already fulfilled. To the question of why Jesus Christ selects (according to Matthew) only six commandments of the Old Testament law, entirely omitting commandments 1–4 of the Decalogue, it is rather difficult to answer. With explanations that such a selection was adapted to the moral state of the young man himself, who, thinking that he was keeping the commandments, was actually violating those enumerated by Christ, it is difficult to agree, simply because we know almost nothing about this. By the tone of the narrative and context it is entirely unthinkable to suppose that the young man was infected with such sins as murder, adultery, theft, false witness, disrespect for father and mother, and enmity toward neighbors. Could such a person be an archon (ruler)? Everything indicates that he was not such. Neither can we assume that Christ’s indication of these and not other commandments was simply a matter of chance, that is, simply a random selection of words. Thus, it remains only one – to assume that, on the contrary, the young man was especially strong, especially zealously concerned with the keeping of precisely those commandments that Christ was indicating to him, and his answer, if we may so express ourselves, was directly calculated so as to say nothing new compared with what was already well known from the Old Testament law. This interpretation, in any case, is well supported by the young man’s further statement (verse 20) that he “kept” all these. What else is he lacking? The commandments themselves enumerated by Christ are a condensed presentation of the Decalogue and other passages of Old Testament law (Exod 20:12-16; Lev 19:18; Deut 5:16-20).

Matthew 19:20. The young man said to him: I have kept all these from my youth; what do I still lack? Matthew 19:21. Jesus said to him: If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give the proceeds to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven; then come and follow me. (See Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22). When enumerating the commandments that must be kept to enter into eternal life (verses 18–19), Christ did not call wealth evil and did not say that for eternal life it is absolutely necessary to renounce wealth and all possessions in general. The immediate meaning of his answer even is that it is sufficient to keep the Old Testament commandments he indicated to enter into eternal life. But this keeping presupposes many gradations, and one cannot say that a person, by observing one or another, becomes truly perfect. One who does not kill his neighbor with weapons certainly does well, acts in accordance with God’s command. But one who does not kill him even with a word does better. One who refrains from causing him injury and any harm – even better. There are people who not only do not kill people either with weapons or with words and cause no harm, but who also do not say anything bad about their neighbors. This is a still higher degree in observing the same commandment. The same applies to the other commandments. The words of Christ in verse 21 seem to relate most closely to the commandment set forth at the end of verse 19: “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” What does this mean? While observing both the other commandments and this one, many gradations are possible. One can love one’s neighbor as oneself and limit it only to useless and inactive love. One can love by deed, but not by word. One can finally love one’s neighbors so as to lay down one’s life for them. Christ in verse 21 points to one of the highest gradations of perfect love. It consists in the fact that a person gives away all his possessions, wishing to relieve the sufferings of neighbors out of love for them. This is what was proposed to the young man, who desired to be perfect and said that he “kept all these” – including love for his neighbor – “from his youth.”

Matthew 19:22. When the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving, because he had great wealth. Matthew 19:23. Then Jesus said to his disciples: I tell you truly, it is difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. (See Mark 10:22-23; Luke 18:22-23). Chrysostom says that “Christ by these words does not condemn wealth, but those who have become attached to it. But if it is difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven, what should one say of the lover of money?” Experience, however, shows that many wealthy persons are truer Christians than poor people. The matter, consequently, is not in wealth itself, but in the attitude of wealthy people toward Christ and the Gospel.

Matthew 19:24. And again I say to you: it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. (See Mark 10:24-25; Luke 18:25). According to Mark, the Savior first repeated what he said about the difficulty for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven, seeing that the disciples “were amazed at his words,” and only after this added the teaching common to all the synoptics. Here, apparently, Christ simply clarifies his previous saying by means of an example. In all the synoptics one finds κάμηλος – camel. But in some manuscripts there is κάμιλος, which is explained as παχὺ σχοινίον – a thick ship’s rope. The variations in the transmission of the further expression “through the eye of a needle” (in Matthew – διὰ τρυπήματος ῥαφίδος; in Mark – διὰ τρυμαλίας τῆς ῥαφίδος; in Luke – διὰ τρήματος βελόνης; all these expressions have the same meaning), in any case, show that the difficulty of the Savior’s speech was felt even in antiquity. There was no small amount of dispute over the meaning of these expressions. Lightfoot and others showed that this was a proverb found in the Talmud to denote a difficulty. Only in the Talmud it is not of a camel but of an elephant. Thus, in one place concerning dreams it is said that during them we cannot see what we have not seen before, for example, a golden palm or an elephant passing through the eye of a needle. To a man who did something that seemed absurd or even incredible, it was said: “you must surely belong to the Pumbedita members (a Jewish school in Babylon), who can make an elephant pass through the eye of a needle.” In the Quran there are similar expressions, but with the replacement of the elephant with a camel. And even in India there are proverbs about “an elephant passing through a little door” or “through the eye of a needle.” Many modern commentators understand the Savior’s saying in this sense. The opinion that by “the eye of a needle” one should understand narrow and low gates through which camels cannot pass is currently considered erroneous in general. Even less probable is the opinion, which appeared in antiquity, that by the camel one should understand a rope. The change of κάμηλος to κάμιλος is arbitrary. Κάμιλος – a word so rare that in the Greek language it can be considered almost nonexistent; it does not occur in good Greek dictionaries, though it should be said that the metaphor of a rope that is difficult to thread through the eye of a needle could be somewhat more natural than that of a camel that cannot pass through the eye of a needle. But whatever interpretation we adopt, the main difficulty lies not in this, but in the purpose for which such a strange metaphor is used. Did Christ want to point here to the complete impossibility for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven? Did he want to say that, as a camel cannot pass through the eye of a needle, so a rich person cannot enter the kingdom of God? But Abraham was “very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold” (Gen 13:2), and yet this did not prevent him, according to the words of the Savior himself, from being in the kingdom of God (Luke 13:28; see Luke 16:22-23; John 8:56 and others). Further, it is difficult to suppose that the Savior’s speech referred only to this rich man who had just left him; ὁ πλούσιος would then be placed with the article, which is absent in all three synoptics. If, finally, we take the Savior’s words in their literal meaning, then we shall have to recognize that they should serve (and seem to serve) as a bulwark for all kinds of socialist teachings and of the proletariat. One who possesses any property and has not enrolled in the ranks of the proletariat cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. We find no answer to these questions in the commentaries; they should be considered unresolved to the present time, and the words of Christ – insufficiently clear. Perhaps the general New Testament view of wealth is expressed here, which serves as an obstacle to serving God (see Matt 6:24; Luke 16:13). But it seems that the most probable explanation lies in the following. The New Testament places foremost the service to God and Christ; as a result of this, the use of external goods may follow (Matt 6:33). But to the rich man who places foremost the service to mammon and only last – the following of Christ and service to him, or even does not do the latter at all, it is truly difficult to become an heir of the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 19:25. When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said: Then who can be saved? Matthew 19:26. But Jesus looked at them and said: For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible. (See Mark 10:27; Luke 18:27). The meaning of Christ’s answer: for God this too is possible, that is, even a rich man devoted to the service of mammon can turn and adopt the correct view of his wealth, can adopt the new Gospel principle, that is, God’s grace can work upon him and contribute to his conversion.

Matthew 19:27. Then Peter, answering, said to him: Look, we have left everything and followed you; what will be given to us? (See Mark 10:28; Luke 18:28). Here is an obvious reference to verse 21. If to follow Christ it was necessary to leave everything, then Peter and the other disciples did exactly this. The order of their actions was precisely the order indicated by Christ himself in verse 21. First abandonment of everything, then following Christ. The apostles, it is true, were not like the rich young man; they did not have great wealth. But if we accept that there are different degrees of wealth, that one can be rich with one hundred rubles in reserve while another can be poor with thousands, then Peter had every right to assert that the disciples not only left everything, but even left all their wealth.

Matthew 19:28. Jesus said to them: I tell you the truth: in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (See (Luke 22:28-30), where the speech is different in character and in a different context). The word “renewal” shows that new existence of people will certainly occur in one form or another. Earthly existence is one form of being; that beyond the grave is another. This latter is “renewal” (παλιγγενεσία). This word (palegenesia) is used only twice in the New Testament – here in Matthew and in the Epistle to Titus (Titus 3:5). The expressions “sit,” “you shall sit,” are certainly figurative, and cannot be understood literally. The word “judge” is also figurative, meaning, according to Semitic usage, “dominion,” “authority” (see Rev 20:4). Regarding whether Judas, to whom these words were also spoken, will be numbered among the judges, there are many notes among ancient and modern exegetes. “Well then,” asks John Chrysostom, “will Judas also sit on a throne? No.” “I promise reward only to the worthy. Speaking with his disciples, he did not give the promise unconditionally; he did not simply say: ‘you,’ but added moreover: ‘you who have followed me,’ so as to reject even Judas and attract those who later turned to him. His words referred not to the disciples alone, and not to Judas, who later became unworthy of his promise.” Theophylact adds that the Savior here speaks “of those who followed him to the end, but Judas did not remain such.” The expression “to judge the twelve tribes of Israel” is evidently figurative and cannot be understood literally.

Matthew 19:29. And everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for the sake of my name, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. (See Mark 10:29-30; Luke 18:29-30). Love for Christ is placed above love for earthly possessions and family bonds. This verse, however, apparently should not be understood in a strictly literal sense, because it would be contrary not only to Christ’s teaching but also to his own actions (see John 19:26 and others). Love for Christ gives special meaning to both earthly possessions and family bonds.

Matthew 19:30. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. (See Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30 – in a different context). The meaning of this verse is explained by the parable that follows about the workers in the vineyard.

Chapter Twenty

1–16. Parable of the workers in the vineyard. – 17–19. Announcement of suffering. – 20–28. Request of the mother of the sons of Zebedee. – 29–34. Healing of two blind men.

Matthew 20:1. For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. The adverb γάρ (“for”) places the parable that follows in immediate connection with the Savior’s previous words, that is, with Matt 19:30. But since this latter verse is connected with Matt 19:29 by the particle δέ and since the connection (expressed through καί, δέ, τότε) can be traced not only up to verse 27 of chapter 19, but even up to verse 16 of the same chapter (though in Matt 19:16-26 it is not everywhere expressed by the mentioned adverbs and particles), it is clear that the evangelist’s narrative from Matt 19:16 to Matt 20:16 presents a coherent whole and therefore should be examined as such. Peter’s question (Matt 19:27) by its inner content has obvious relation to the account of the rich young man and is externally connected with the narrative by the adverb “then.” The train of thought is thus: the rich young man refused to follow Christ because he did not wish to leave his earthly possessions. Peter on this account says to Jesus Christ that the disciples left everything and asks: “what will be given to us?” In response to this question Jesus Christ indicates what reward the disciples will receive, and not only they but “everyone who has left houses” and so forth (Matt 19:29). The apostles will “sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt 19:28), and besides, all who followed Christ will receive “a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life” (Matt 19:29). The particle “but” (δέ) in Matt 19:30 expresses an opposition to the thought expressed in Matt 19:29. From the words of verse 29 it does not follow that all will receive the same reward. On the contrary (δέ), many first will be last and last will be first. This thought is proven (γάρ – Matt 20:1) by the parable that follows, which, judging by the train of thought, must first clarify who exactly is meant by the first and the last, and second, why in the kingdom of heaven there should prevail an order completely unlike what exists in earthly relations. By the vineyard should be understood the kingdom of heaven, and by the master of the vineyard – God. Origen understood by the vineyard the Church of God, and the marketplace and places outside the vineyard (τὰ ἔξω τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος) as that which is outside the church (τὰ ἔξω τῆς Ἐκκλησίας). Chrysostom understood by the vineyard “the commandments and commandments of God.”

Matthew 20:2. And after agreeing with the workers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. In our money a denarius equaled 20–25 kopecks (equivalent to the value of 4–5 grams of silver. – Editor’s note).

Matthew 20:3. And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace. Matthew 20:4. And to them he said: Go you also into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you. So they went. The Hebrew method of reckoning time is adopted in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In the pre-exilic Old Testament writings there is no trace of dividing the day and night into hours. There existed only the main divisions of the day, which were primitive in character – evening, morning, midday (see Ps 54:18). Other designations of daytime were “the heat of the day” (Gen 18:1), σταθερὸν ἧμαρ (Prov 4:18 – “the full day”), “the cool of the day” (Gen 3:8). Times of night were sometimes distinguished (besides the division into watches) by the expressions ὀψέ (evening), μεσονύκτιον (midnight), ἀλεκτροφωνία (cockcrow), and πρωΐ (dawn). In the Babylonian Talmud (Avoda Zara, leaf 3, 6, and following) there is a distribution of the day into four parts of three hours each, used for the distribution of prayer times (in the third, sixth, and ninth hours of the day; this is also referred to in Matt 20:3). The division into hours was borrowed by both the Jews and the Greeks (Herodotus, “History,” II, 109) from Babylon. The Aramaic word for hour, “sha’a,” in the Old Testament occurs only in the prophet Daniel (Dan 3:6 and following). In the New Testament, reckoning by hours is already customary. The twelve daytime hours were counted from the rising of the sun to its setting, and therefore the 6th hour corresponds to midday, and the 11th hour marked the end of the day (verse 6). Depending on the season, the hours varied in length from 59 to 70 minutes. Thus, the third hour equals our nine o’clock in the morning.

Matthew 20:5. And again going out about the sixth and ninth hour, he did the same. By our reckoning, about noon and three o’clock in the afternoon.

Matthew 20:6. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and he said to them: Why do you stand here idle all day long? Around 11 o’clock – by our reckoning around 5 o’clock in the afternoon.

Matthew 20:7. They say to him: No one has hired us. He says to them: Go you also into my vineyard, and you will receive whatever is just. Matthew 20:8. When evening had come, the master of the vineyard says to his steward: Call the workers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first. Matthew 20:9. And those who came about the eleventh hour received a denarius each. Matthew 20:10. But those who came first supposed they would receive more, but they also received a denarius each; Matthew 20:11. and when they had received it, they grumbled against the master of the house Matthew 20:12. and said: These last have worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the heat of the day and its burden. To equate the first with the last and vice versa, to explain and prove that this can happen and often does, although not always, and that equal pay depends simply on the goodness and generosity of the Supreme Householder – this is the chief and essential thought of the parable. And we must acknowledge that this thought is fully explained and proved by Christ. In interpreting this parable, as in many other sayings of Christ, one must generally avoid abstractions as much as possible. Understood more concretely, the parable means that the first ought not to glory in their priority, to exalt themselves above others, because there can be such cases in human life which clearly show that the first are completely equated with the last and even the last are given preference. This was to be instructive for the apostles, who were arguing: “What then will be for us?” (Matt 19:27). Christ speaks as it were thus: You ask who is greater and what will be for you. To you, who have followed Me, much will be (Matt 19:20), but do not take this in an absolute sense, do not think that it will always be so, that it necessarily will. It may be (but it ought not necessarily to be so) something like this (the parable about the workers). The conclusion which the listening disciples of Christ should have drawn from this is thus completely clear and intelligible. No command is given here necessarily to be equated with the last, no counsel is offered, but rather a principle is explained by which the workers in Christ’s vineyard should carry out their labors.

Matthew 20:13. But in reply he said to one of them: Friend! I am not wronging you; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Matthew 20:14. Take what is yours and go; but I wish to give to this last one the same as to you; Matthew 20:15. Am I not permitted to do what I choose with what is mine? Or is your eye envious because I am generous? Matthew 20:16. So the last will be first, and the first will be last, for many are called, but few are chosen. The words spoken in Matt 19:30 are repeated here (verse 16), and this clearly shows that in them is contained the aim, the chief idea and the moral lesson of the parable. The sense of the expression does not lie in the fact that the last ought always to be first and vice versa, but that this can be and so under certain, almost exceptional circumstances. This is indicated by the word used at the beginning of the verse οὕτως (“thus”), which can here mean: “thus, in such or similar cases (but not always)”. In explaining verse 16, a parallel is found in the eighth chapter of the Second Epistle of John, and it is thought that it “gives the key” to explaining the parable, and this can be agreed with. Jerome and others put verse 16 and the whole parable in connection with the parable of the prodigal son, where the older son hates the younger, does not want to accept him as a penitent, and accuses the father of injustice. The last words of verse 16: “for many are called, but few are chosen,” should be recognized as a later insertion both on the basis of the testimony of the best and most authoritative manuscripts and by internal considerations. These words were probably borrowed and transferred here from Matt 22:14 and greatly obscure the meaning of the whole parable.

Matthew 20:17. And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them: (Compare Mark 10:32; Luke 18:31). Matthew’s words are not connected by any adverbs to the preceding, except for the conjunction “and” (καί). One can even suppose that there is a gap here in the account of events which occurred not long before the last Passover (the fourth year of Jesus Christ’s public ministry), which is only partially filled in by John 11:55-56. The disciples were called aside, evidently because the words of the Savior by their content required secrecy or, as Euthymius Zigabenus thinks, “because this should not be told to many, lest they be scandalized.”

Matthew 20:18. Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; Matthew 20:19. and they will deliver him to the gentiles for mocking and scourging and crucifixion; and on the third day he will be raised. (Compare Mark 10:33-34; Luke 18:31-34). By “gentiles” are meant the Romans.

Matthew 20:20. Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, bowing down and asking him for something. (Compare Mark 10:35). In Mark’s Gospel, the disciples themselves, named by name – James and John, sons of Zebedee – address themselves to Christ with their request. It is quite natural that in a historical narrative it is possible to speak both of the mother together with her sons and of the sons alone, for brevity’s sake not mentioning the mother. To clarify the reasons for the request, one should first of all draw attention to the addition in Luke 18:34 (which the other Synoptists do not have), where it is reported that the disciples did not understand Christ’s words about His sufferings. But on the word “be raised” they could pay special attention and understand it somewhat, though in a mistaken sense. The question of what the mother of James and John was called by name is quite difficult. In those places of the Gospel where the mother of the sons of Zebedee is mentioned (Matt 20:20), she is nowhere called Salome, and where Salome is spoken of (Mark 15:40), she is nowhere called the mother of the sons of Zebedee. Only primarily on the basis of comparing the testimonies of Matt 27:55-56 and Mark 15:40-41 do they come to the conclusion that the mother of the sons of Zebedee was indeed Salome. This is easily seen from the following. At the cross were women watching from afar the crucifixion: Matt 27:56 – “Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee”; Mark 15:40 – “There were also women watching from afar: among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joseph, and Salome.” From this it is evident that the “mother of the sons of Zebedee” is mentioned by Matthew where Mark speaks of Salome. Further, the evangelist John says (John 19:25) that “standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother and his mother’s sister, Mary of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.” This place can be read in two ways, namely: 1. His mother (of Christ), 2. and his mother’s sister, Mary of Clopas, 3. and Mary Magdalene; or: 1. His mother, 2. and his mother’s sister, 3. Mary of Clopas, 4. and Mary Magdalene. In the first reading, consequently, at the cross stood only three women, in the second – four. The first reading is refuted on the ground that if Mary of Clopas had been the sister of the Mother of God, then two sisters would be called by the same name, which is very improbable. Further, in the Gospel of John there are indicated, as it were, two groups of women, and the names of the first and second, and then the third and fourth are connected by the conjunction “and”: 1st group: His mother and his mother’s sister, 2nd group: Mary of Clopas and Mary Magdalene. Thus, here too, under “his mother’s sister” it is possible to see Salome or the mother of the sons of Zebedee. Such an identification cannot, for various reasons, of course, be considered fully certain. But it cannot be denied a certain probability. If, on the one hand, Salome was the mother of the sons of Zebedee, and on the other – the sister of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, then it means James and John of Zebedee were cousins of Christ. Salome was among the women who accompanied Jesus Christ, who followed Him in Galilee and served Him (Matt 27:56; Mark 15:41). In all likelihood, the idea of approaching Jesus Christ with a request arose from the apostles themselves, and they asked their mother to present the request to Jesus Christ. In Mark, the apostles’ request is expressed in such a form as would have been proper only in addressing a king, and in some cases was even pronounced and proposed by kings themselves (see Matt 14:7; Mark 6:23). Based on Matthew’s account one can conclude that Salome, for all her respect toward Jesus Christ, did not possess sufficient knowledge of the character and purpose of His ministry. She approached with her sons to Jesus Christ, bowed to Him, and asked for something (τι). She, without doubt, spoke, but her words were so vague and indefinite that the Savior had to ask what exactly she wanted.

Matthew 20:21. He said to her: What is it you wish? She says to him: Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom. Compare Mark 10:36-37 – Christ addresses the disciples with the question of what they wish. Instead of “say” in Mark is the more categorical “give” (δός). Instead of “in your kingdom” – “in your glory.” Other differences in the speech of the evangelists are conditioned by the fact that the request is placed in the mouths of different petitioners. Salome asked that in His future kingdom the Savior seat her sons: one on his right, and the other on his left side from Him. The customs indicated here have not disappeared to this day. Places on the right and on the left hand, i.e., in the closest vicinity of some important person, are still considered especially honorable. The same was true among ancient pagan peoples and the Hebrews. The places nearest to the royal throne were the most honorable. This is mentioned in the Bible (1 Sam 2:19; Ps 44:10). Josephus Flavius (“Jewish Antiquities”, VI, 11, 9) relates the well-known biblical account of David’s flight, when Saul at the festival of new moon, having purified himself according to custom, lay down at the table, his son Jonathan sat on his right, and Abner on his left. The sense of the request of the mother of the sons of Zebedee was, consequently, that Christ would give her sons the chief, most honorable places in the kingdom which would be established by Him.

Matthew 20:22. Jesus answered: You do not know what you are asking for. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink, or be baptized with the baptism with which I am to be baptized? They say to him: We are able. (Compare Mark 10:38). The Savior indicates that the disciples do not know and do not understand what His true glory and true dominion and kingdom consist of. This is the glory, dominion, and kingdom of the Servant of Jehovah, who offers Himself as a sacrifice for the redemption of humanity. This is well expressed by Chrysostom, paraphrasing the Savior’s words: “You remind Me of honor and crowns, while I speak of struggles and labors that lie before you.” In essence, in the words of the mother of the sons of Zebedee and of themselves there was contained a request for admission to the sufferings that lay before Christ and of which He had already spoken before. Therefore the real sense of the request was terrible, but the disciples suspected nothing of this. The Savior, in full agreement with the instruction just now given, or rather, the teaching (verses 18–19), reveals its true sense. He points to the cup that He was to drink (Matt 26:39), which the Psalmist (Ps 114:3) calls the sorrows of death, the pangs of Hades, anguish and grief (Jerome points to these texts in his commentary on verse 22). The Savior does not say that the request of the disciples was based on an incorrect understanding by the disciples of the nature of His spiritual kingdom, and does not predict here that He will be crucified between two robbers. He only says that suffering, the offering of Himself, and death do not lead to and cannot be a path to worldly dominion. He speaks only of the cup, without adding, however, that this will be a cup of sufferings. It is very interesting that the word “cup” was used in Old Testament writings in two senses: to designate both happiness (Ps 15:5) and misfortunes (Ps 10:6; Isa 51:22; Jer 49:12). But it is doubtful whether the disciples understood Christ’s words in the first sense. The most probable supposition is that their understanding was, so to speak, something intermediate (see Luke 18:34). They did not understand all the depth of meaning of the word “cup” with all that was implied here, but on the other hand they did not imagine the matter as though there would be only sufferings and nothing more. They could imagine the matter thus: to acquire external, worldly dominion, they would first need to drink the cup of sufferings that lay before Christ Himself. But if Christ Himself will drink it, then why should they not take part in this? This should not exceed and will not exceed their strength. And so, in response to Christ’s question the disciples boldly answer: We are able. “In the fervor of their zeal they at once expressed their consent, not knowing what they said, but hoping to hear agreement to their request” (St. John Chrysostom).

Matthew 20:23. And he says to them: You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized; but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father. (Compare Mark 10:39-40). This verse has always been considered one of the most difficult to interpret and even gave occasion to some heretics (Arians) falsely to assert that the Son of God is not equal to God the Father. The Arian opinion was rejected by all Church fathers as groundless and heretical, for from other places of the New Testament (Matt 9:6; Mark 2:10; John 17:2 and others) it is clearly seen that Christ everywhere ascribes to Himself authority equal to that of God the Father. To properly interpret the utterances of the Savior set forth in the verse under consideration, one should pay attention to two very important circumstances. First, if the disciples and their mother in verse 21 ask Christ for the first places in His kingdom or in glory, then in the Savior’s speech beginning with verse 23 and ending with verse 28 (and in Luke in the section placed in a different context, Luke 22:24-27, which is sometimes cited here as a parallel), there is not the slightest mention either of kingdom or of glory. Coming into the world, the Messiah appeared as the suffering Servant of Jehovah, the Redeemer of humanity. From this it is clear that to sit on the right and left side of Christ does not first and foremost mean to participate in His glory, but indicates prior nearness to Him in His sufferings, self-denial, and bearing the cross. Only after this do people have the possibility of entering also into His glory. By the will and counsel of God there are always found those who take part in the sufferings of Christ and thus become especially near to Him, as if sitting on His right and left sides. Second, it should be noted that two evangelists, Matthew and Mark, use two different expressions here: “for whom it has been prepared by my Father” (Matthew) and simply: “for whom it has been prepared” (Mark). Both these expressions are exact and powerful and contain the same thought – about the providential significance of sufferings in the earthly life of humanity.

Matthew 20:24. When the ten heard this, they were angry with the two brothers. (Compare Mark 10:41; Luke 22:24). The cause of the anger of the ten disciples was the request of James and John, which tended to belittle the other apostles. The occurrence of such phenomena shows that the disciples of Christ, even in His presence, did not always distinguish themselves by love for one another and brotherly unity. But in the present case this was not from malice, but rather, apparently, from simplicity, lack of development, and insufficient assimilation of Christ’s teaching. The struggle over the first places in the new kingdom, precedence-seeking, was repeated again at the Last Supper.

Matthew 20:25. But Jesus called them to him and said: You know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority felt among them; (Compare Mark 10:42; Luke 22:25). In Luke it is in a completely different context. In Mark the speech is stronger than in Matthew. Instead of the more univocal “rulers of the gentiles” (ἄρχοντες τῶν ἐθνῶν) in Mark it is οἱ δοκοῦντες ἄρχειν τῶν ἐθνῶν, i.e., “those who think they rule the gentiles, the would-be rulers.”

Matthew 20:26. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your servant; (Compare Mark 10:43; Luke 22:26). A contrast to what is said in the preceding verse. Among the “gentiles” it is so, but among you it ought to be completely otherwise. The Savior’s words are distinguished by high instructiveness not only for spiritual leaders, but for all rulers and chiefs, who ordinarily wish to possess all the fullness of power, not thinking at all that true (not false) Christian authority is founded only on the services rendered to people, or on service to them, and that without any thought of any external power, which comes of itself.

Matthew 20:27. And whosoever will be first among you, let him be your servant: (Compare Mark 10:44). The thought is the same as in verse 26.

Matthew 20:28. Just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Compare Mark 10:45). The highest and most familiar to all who know the life of Christ example and pattern is offered. Christ was served by both angels and people (Matt 4:11; Mark 1:13; Luke 4:39; John 12:2), and He required and requires this service from Himself and even demands an account of it (Matt 25:34-45). But no one will say that the teaching revealed in the verse under consideration contradicts His own teaching and behavior or does not correspond to reality. On the contrary, it seems that the passages cited from the Gospels not only do not contradict, but only further emphasize the thought that the Son of Man came to the earth solely in order to serve. People responded to His service to them in some cases with service full of love, and thus, being a servant, He was fully Lord and Teacher and even called Himself such (see especially John 13:13-14 and others). But how unlike all this is to the usual display of power on the part of various rulers and princes of this world! The expression ὥσπερ (in the Russian translation – “just as”) properly means “in the manner of” (German gleichwie; Latin sicut), indicates a comparison, not a cause. Thus, the sense is: whosoever will be first among you, let him be your servant, in the manner of the Son of Man who came and so on. But in the parallel in Mark the same words are adduced as a cause (καὶ γάρ, in the Russian translation – “for”). The word “came” indicates Christ’s consciousness of His higher origin and coming to earth from another world, from a higher sphere of being. Concerning the idea of redemptive self-sacrifice compare 2 Macc 7:37-38. Λύτρον, used by Matthew (and Mark in the parallel) only here, comes from λύειν – to untie, resolve, free; was used by the Greeks (ordinarily in the plural) and is found in the Old Testament in the sense of: 1) ransom for the soul from the threat of death (Exod 21:30); 2) payment for a female slave (Lev 19:20) and for a slave (Lev 25:25); 3) redemption of the firstborn (Num 18:15); 4) in the sense of propitiation (Prov 13:8). Synonymous terms ἄλλαγμα (Isa 43:3 and others) and ἐξίλασμα (Prov 21:18) are ordinarily translated as “ransom.” The singular λύτρον is set, evidently, in correspondence with the singular ψυχήν. Christ does not say that He will give His soul for the ransom of Himself, but – “for the ransom of many.” The word “many” has caused much perplexity; if only for the ransom of “many” people, then not all. The redemptive work of Christ extends not to all, but only to many, perhaps even relatively few, the elect. Jerome adds: those who wished to believe. But Euthymius Zigabenus and others consider the word πολλούς here equivalent to πάντας, because in Scripture it is often said this way. Bengel introduces here the concept of individuals and says that here the Savior speaks of offering Himself as a sacrifice for many, not only for all, but even for individual persons (et multis, non solum universis, sed etiam singulis, se impendit Redemptor). They have also said that πάντων is objective, πολλῶν is subjective designation of those for whom Christ died. He died for all objectively, but subjectively only a vast multitude, which no one could number, will be saved, πολλο…. In the Apostle Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (Rom 5:12-19) one observes an alternation between οἱ πολλοί and simply πολλοί, and πάντες. The actual sense of ἀντὶ πολλῶν is expressed in a place which can serve as a parallel to the present (1 Tim 2:6), where λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν, as here in Matthew, is replaced by ἀντίλυτρον ὑπὲρ πάντων. All these interpretations are satisfactory and can be accepted.

Matthew 20:29. As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. (Compare Mark 10:46; Luke 18:35-Luke 19:28). The order of events in the three evangelists here is quite contradictory. Luke (Luke 18:35) begins his account thus: “When he drew near to Jericho” (ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν αὐτὸν εἰς Ἰεριχώ); Mark (Mark 10:46): “they come to Jericho” (καὶ ἔρχονται εἰς Ἰεριχώ); Matthew: “as they were leaving Jericho” (καὶ ἐκπορευομένων αὐτῶν ἀπὸ Ἰεριχώ). If we accept the testimony of the evangelists in its precise sense, then we should first place Luke’s account (Luke 18:35-Luke 19:27), where it is reported of the healing of “one” blind man before entering Jericho; then, when Jesus Christ entered there, He visited Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) and spoke the parable of the ten talents (Luke 19:11-27). Then, with Mark’s note “they come to Jericho” – Luke 19:1, the parallel account of the two first evangelists begins (Matt 20:29-30; Mark 10:46), and finally Luke joins them (Luke 18:38). With such an arrangement, however, great difficulties are not removed, as will be seen below. Jericho was on the west side of the Jordan, somewhat north of where the Jordan flows into the Dead Sea. In the New Testament it is mentioned only six times (Matt 20:29; Mark 10:46; Luke 10:30; Heb 11:30). In Greek it is written Ἰεριχώ and Ἰερειχώ. In the Old Testament it is mentioned frequently; it was one of the most ancient Palestinian cities. The region where the city is located is one of the most fertile in Palestine and in the time of Christ was probably in a flourishing state. Jericho was known for its palms, balsam trees, and other fragrant plants. At the site of the ancient city there now stands the village of Ariha, full of poverty, filth, and even immorality. In Ariha there are about 60 families. During Christ’s journey from Jericho to Jerusalem, He was accompanied by a large crowd of common people (ὄχλος πολύς).

Matthew 20:30. And behold, two blind men sitting by the wayside, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying: Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David! (Compare Mark 10:46-47; Luke 18:35-38). Matthew speaks of two blind men whom the Savior healed when going out from Jericho; Mark – of one, naming him by name (Bartimaeus); Luke also of one, whom the Savior healed before His entry into Jericho. If we admit that all the evangelists are recounting the same event, then clearly irreconcilable contradictions arise. This has, even in ancient times, provided powerful ammunition for the enemies of Christianity and the Gospels, who considered this place irrefutable proof of the unreliability of the Gospel accounts. Attempts to reconcile the accounts were therefore made by Christian writers in ancient times. Origen, Euthymius Zigabenus, and others admitted that here is spoken of three healings of the blind: one healing is spoken of by Luke, another by Mark, and a third by Matthew. Augustine asserted that there were only two healings, of which Matthew and Mark speak of one healing and Luke of another. But Theophylact and others consider all three healings to be one and the same. Among modern exegetes some explain the discrepancy by the fact that here there were only two healings and only two blind men, of whom Mark and Luke speak separately; of them one took place before entering Jericho, and another after going out of it. Matthew, however, combined both healings in one account. Others – by the fact that the disagreement of the evangelists depended on the fact that they had different sources from which each evangelist borrowed his account. One should admit that the accounts of the evangelists do not allow us to recognize either three persons and their healings, or to combine them into one. Here there is simply a lack of clarity in the account, something not fully expressed, and this hinders us from imagining and understanding how it actually was. The most reliable path to resolving this question can, apparently, lie in the following. In reading the accounts of the healing of the blind men, we should not at all imagine that as soon as any of them cried out, calling to Christ for help, he was immediately healed. In an extremely compressed and brief account, events are brought together that could have occurred over a more or less extended period of time. This is indicated, among other things, by the general testimony of all Synoptists that the people forbade the blind men to cry out and made them be silent (Matt 20:31; Mark 10:48; Luke 18:39). Further, from Luke’s account it cannot at all be concluded that the healing of the blind man took place before Jesus Christ’s entry into Jericho. On the contrary, if we suppose that it took place after Christ’s departure from Jericho, all the details of Luke’s account become clearer to us. First the blind man sits by the wayside, begging for alms. Learning that a crowd is passing by, he asks what it is. Learning that “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” he begins to cry out for help. Those going ahead make him be silent, but he cries out even more loudly. Nowhere is it evident that Jesus Christ was standing in one place during all of this. He stopped only when He had left Jericho and ordered the blind man to be brought to Him. If He ordered him to be brought, then the blind man was not at the closest distance from Him. To this we must add that in passing through any city it can be crossed in both a prolonged and a short time, depending on its size. Even through the largest city one can pass in a short time, crossing, for example, the outskirts. Nowhere is it evident that Jericho was at that time a large city. Thus, we have every right to identify the blind man spoken of by Luke either with Bartimaeus of Mark or with one of the blind men unnamed of whom Matthew speaks. This means that all three evangelists are in complete agreement regarding the fact that the blind men were healed as Jesus Christ was departing from Jericho. Having dealt with this difficulty, we must, as far as possible, clarify the other one. According to Mark and Luke, the blind man was one, according to Matthew – two. But the question arises: if only one blind man was healed, then why did Matthew need to say that there were two? If, as it is asserted, he had before him the Gospels of Mark and Luke, then surely he did not wish to undermine confidence in these evangelists by giving a different testimony without any reservations about their inaccuracy? Did he, by adding what they say was a fictitious miracle, wish artificially to increase the glory of Christ as a healer? All this is extremely improbable and is incoherent with anything. Let us say that it would be so foolish to reason even in a most hostile attitude toward the Gospels. Further, if Mark and Luke knew that two blind men were healed, but wished intentionally (there is no especial intention evident in this case) to report only about one healing and the healed man, then no honest critic familiar with documents, and especially ancient ones, would dare to accuse the evangelists of fabrication and distortion of historical facts. True, we cannot explain why Matthew recounts two blind men while Mark and Luke only one. But factually it quite possibly could be that two blind men were healed during the movement of the people’s crowd; this does not at all contradict any historical probability.

Matthew 20:31. But the crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent; but they cried out the more, saying: Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David! (Compare Mark 10:48; Luke 18:39). Why did the crowd make the blind men be silent? Perhaps those passing by the blind men made them be silent simply because they “were disturbing the public peace” and their cries were not in accord with the rules of public propriety at that time.

Matthew 20:32. And Jesus stopped and called them and said: What do you want me to do for you? (Compare Mark 10:49; Luke 18:40). It is evident here that Luke uses soft, elegant, and precise Greek expressions. Matthew and Mark use the beautiful, but rather vulgar word φωνεῖν (to make a sound and then to call, summon). According to Matthew, Jesus Christ called (ἐφώνησεν) the blind men Himself, but according to Mark’s testimony – ordered them to be called (εἶπεν φωνήσατε). In Mark further there are reported interesting and vivid details about the conversation between the blind man and those who were calling him, and about how he, shedding his garment, got up (jumped up – ἀναπηδήσας) and went (it does not say “ran”) to Jesus Christ. Christ’s question is distinguished by naturalness.

Matthew 20:33. They said to him: Lord, we want our eyes to be opened. (Compare Mark 10:51; Luke 18:41). The speech of the blind men in Matthew (and the other Synoptists) is shortened. The full speech would be: Lord! We wish our eyes to be opened. The blind men ask not for alms, but for the performing of a miracle. Evidently, they had before heard of Christ as a Healer. The healing of the man blind from birth, of which John speaks (John 9), should be referred to a time before these events. And the people probably knew that Christ could open the eyes of the blind.

Matthew 20:34. Jesus in compassion touched their eyes, and immediately their eyes were opened, and they followed him. (Compare Mark 10:52; Luke 18:42-43). According to Matthew, the Savior does not speak a single word to the blind men, but instead touches their eyes. In Mark and Luke – it is different. The word εὐθέως (“immediately”) indicates sudden restoration of sight, which is also said by Mark and Luke (εὐθύς ώ παραχρῆμα).

Chapter Twenty-One

1–9. The entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. – 10–17. The cleansing of the temple. – 18–22. The barren fig tree. – 23–27. The question of the chief priests and elders about Christ’s authority and His answer to them. – 28–32. The parable of the two sons. – 33–46. The parable of the wicked tenants.

Matthew 21:1. When they drew near to Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, (Compare Mark 11:1; Luke 19:28-29; John 12:12). John’s speech in the passage indicated has a general sense and does not contain the details found in the Synoptists; it refers to several events. John speaks primarily of the coming out of the people from Jerusalem to meet Jesus Christ. But only with the help of John’s Gospel can one more precisely determine the time when all this occurred. He says that Jesus Christ came to Bethany “six days before the Passover.” True, this expression is not sufficiently definite. If the Passover of the year 29 was on the 14th of Nisan on a Friday, then the sixth day before the Passover could fall both on the preceding Saturday and on the day after Saturday. The first is more probable, and with this the circumstances recounted by John agree (John 12:2-8) about the supper arranged for Christ in Bethany, and about Mary’s anointing Him with precious ointment. This was a day of rest and peace for Christ. On the next day (John 12:12) took place the solemn entry of Christ into Jerusalem. The Synoptists omit John’s account here of the supper in Bethany and present the matter as though the Savior immediately upon arrival from Jericho to Bethany performed the entry into Jerusalem. But their account, in essence, does not contradict John’s testimony. Matthew and Mark recount the supper in Bethany in another place (Matt 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9). Why this is so will be said in explaining this section. For now we need only to establish that the Lord’s entry took place on a weekday. In our reckoning it is called Sunday; how were the following days after Saturday called among the Hebrews? The answer to this question is sufficient to say that names for individual days among the Hebrews were not customary, and when it was necessary, they used numerals: first, second, third, and so on. In the Gospels only references to Saturday and Friday are encountered, the latter was not properly a name for the day but rather a term for preparation (παρασκευή) for Saturday. If the Passover in the year 29 was on the 14th of Nisan on a Friday, then from this we can conclude that the Savior performed His entry into Jerusalem on the first day of the week and on the 10th day of the month of Nisan, when according to the law (Exod 12:3) the Jews were to prepare the Passover lamb. It is far more difficult to determine where Bethphage, mentioned by Matthew and Luke, was located. Mark does not mention it at all, speaking only of Bethany. Luke reports that Christ “drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, to the mount called Olivet” (Luke 19:29). From this latter testimony one cannot conclude that the Savior approached first Bethphage and then Bethany. Luke expresses himself indefinitely here, without observing order, listing the villages that were on the way. The information about Bethphage that has come down to us is generally obscure. Some say that there is now no trace of it left. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament, in the New – only here in Matthew and in the parallel in Luke (in Mark 11:1 only in a few and insignificant codices), also in the Talmud (Buxtorff, Lex. Chald. col. 1691 sq.). The word Bethphage means “house of figs,” according to Origen, it was located “near the Mount of Olives.” Origen says further that Bethphage was a “priestly place” (ἥτις τῶν ἱερέων ἦν χωρίον), and his words are cited by Schürer (Geschichte, II, 297 n.). In 1877 a stone was found with frescoes and Latin inscriptions of the 12th century, where, among other things, the name Bethphage is encountered. The stone is identical with the one mentioned by Theodoric in 1072 and Theodosius around 530 (see Zahn, 1905, p. 608–609, n. 4). It can be considered reliable that Bethphage and Bethany were on the east side of the Mount of Olives and not far from one another. Having left Bethany in the morning on the first day of the week, Jesus Christ sent two disciples there. Who these disciples were is unknown.

Matthew 21:2. And said to them: Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me; (Compare Mark 11:2; Luke 19:30). Into which village did Jesus Christ send the disciples? According to Matthew, He came (ἦλθεν) to Bethphage and, consequently, could not send the disciples into this village. According to Mark – to Bethany and, consequently, could send to Bethphage. According to Luke, he came to Bethphage and Bethany, and it remains completely unclear where he sent. The matter is somewhat clarified by John, according to whose testimony the starting point of Christ’s journey to Jerusalem was Bethany (John 12:1 ff.). But in that case, how are we to understand the expressions of Matthew and Luke, according to which Christ sent the disciples from Bethphage. Was the “village in front” a third village, or was this the same Bethphage? According to some, here is meant the visible from the way (κατέναντι ὑμῶν), but not lying on the way, village, which was called Bethphage; the position of it cannot be determined either on the basis of the Gospels or on the basis of Talmudic evidence. According to others, the name Bethphage was given, perhaps, not to the village but to the whole region where it was located. This was a “house of figs,” a place planted with fig trees. Jesus Christ, approaching the place, which was a garden and was called Bethphage, could send the disciples from there into the village itself. Others explain it thus: it was natural, if Christ, knowing what lay before Him, went to Jerusalem along the main road through the Mount of Olives. Soon after leaving Bethany (and Bethphage) He headed toward the road, which goes through a ravine, from which the summit of Zion is visible, but the rest of Jerusalem is not visible. Precisely opposite the place where Zion appears for the first time on the other side of the ravine there are the remains of some ancient village. Is this not where the Savior said to two disciples to go into the village in front? The main road here makes a sharp turn to the right, slopes gently into the depths of the ravine at a small distance from the village standing in ruins. Two disciples could cross the ravine straight, which might have taken one to two minutes, while the Savior with His companions slowly went around the road. This last opinion deserves attention. It is often the case that the road, because of various local conditions, seems to return to the place from which it departs. When the disciples were sent, they were told that they would find “immediately a donkey tied and a colt” (a young ass) with her; let the disciples untie the donkey and bring her with the colt to Christ. In Mark, Luke, and John (John 12:14) there is mention only of the colt, in addition it is reported that no one had sat upon him. Let us note that nothing contradictory to the other evangelists is in Matthew here. It is even said that Matthew’s account here is not only more detailed, but is distinguished by greater accuracy than in the other evangelists. But Matthew would not have mentioned the donkey, which was, properly, not necessary, if he had not further cited the prophecy (verse 4), which in this case was literally fulfilled in Christ. The examination of these events will be given below. By bringing the prophecy, Matthew wanted to show that the events were not accidental, but prophesied. Justin (“Apologia”, I, 32) connects this verse with the prophecy in the Book of Genesis (Gen 49:11). In the colt, upon which no one had sat, they see further a “significant symbolism” having connection with the usual conditions of the dedication to Jehovah (cf. Num 19:2; Deut 21:3).

Matthew 21:3. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, The Lord needs them; and he will send them immediately. (Compare Mark 11:3; Luke 19:31). Mark and Luke again speak only of one colt. Luke omits “and immediately he will send them.” If the account in the preceding verse can be considered a miracle of foresight or of seeing at a distance, then in what is recounted in verses 3 and those following, one can hardly suppose any miracle. The readiness of the owners of the animals “immediately” (Matthew and Mark) to let them go is explained by the fact that the owners or owner not only knew Christ personally but were among His admirers. Therefore it was sufficient to pronounce one word “the Lord” or “the Lord requires” for the owners immediately to consent to fulfill the requirement.

Matthew 21:4. Now this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying: Matthew 21:5. Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king comes to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. (Compare John 12:15 – almost in the same connection). Much mockery was made at various times concerning these verses placed in Matthew. Strauss mocked the evangelist’s account, saying that two disciples sent by Christ to Bethphage, by His command, brought from there a donkey with a colt, and the disciples placed their garments upon both animals and seated Jesus upon them. When we think, says Strauss, how Jesus rode on two animals at once (one cannot speak of alternating riding on one and the other animal at a short distance), then our reason is silent, and we cannot reason until we become more precisely acquainted with the passage from the prophet cited by the evangelist. Anyone who is familiar with Hebrew poetry knows that here there is no mention of two animals, but one and the same is spoken of. First it is called an ass, then more precisely it is defined as a colt. The publisher of the first Gospel knew this just as well as you, but since he saw in this passage of the book of Zechariah a prophecy about Christ, he this time wished to take it literally and thought that here two animals were indicated. If in doing so he completely fulfilled the prophecy, he thought he did his duty, and did not set himself the further question of how it was possible for one Messiah to travel on two asses. But the critic is mistaken, because if in the prophecy of Zechariah there is no mention of a donkey, then neither does Matthew alter this prophecy so as to produce the required sense. The Russian translation of the prophetic text (“on a donkey”) of the Vulgate (super asinam) is not exact, but in the Slavonic (“on an ass and on a young ass”) it is exact. In Greek ἐπὶ ὄνου – without the article this word can be understood both in the sense of a male ass and in the sense of a female ass. Thus, in general Matthew is in agreement both with the Hebrew and the Greek text of Zech 9:9. True, in the Seventy, instead of ἐπὶ ὄνου, as in Matthew, ἐπὶ ὑποζυγίου καὶ πώλου νέου is used, and this probably gave occasion to the change of “ass” to “donkey” in the Russian translation and the Vulgate. The word ὑποζυγίου may indicate that Matthew cites the text from the translation of the Seventy; but his citation in details differs both from the Hebrew and the Greek text. From what has been said one can see that if the evangelist wished by a supposedly fictitious event to confirm the Old Testament citation from the prophet Zechariah, he had no need to add a donkey to the colt. If he relates the event differently, this was required of him not by the prophetic text, but by historical reality. Here was what ordinarily happens. As our thought is either confirmed or corrected by reality, so a prophecy can be confirmed and corrected by it too. According to the prophet’s intention, things should have been thus, but in reality they were thus. Reality did not at all contradict the prophecy, but rather the latter received in it a completely original and completely unforeseen confirmation. John’s testimony, that to Christ was brought not ὄνος (an ass) but a little donkey (ὀνάριον – John 12:14), clarifies all the perplexities. It is clear that this was a small young donkey, still not weaned from its mother. She was necessary, evidently, to make him go as well. There is no especially symbolic sense here, apparently. But the very fact that the Savior rode on a young unbroken donkey is very interesting and characteristic. However magnificent was the popular movement that was beginning around Christ, He Himself was so meek that He rode not on a horse (as conquerors do) and not even on a large ass, but on a little donkey, foal of a beast of burden (cf. the passages about the equipment of kings Exod 15:1; Deut 17:16; Ps 19:8; Isa 31:1-3).

Matthew 21:6. The disciples went and did as Jesus directed them; (Compare Mark 11:4-6; Luke 19:32-34; John 12:13). While all this was taking place, a rumor spread among the people that Jesus Christ was setting out for Jerusalem. Comparing the expressions of the evangelists here, we find that in them there is, as it were, a reflection of the confusion of the popular movement that ordinarily occurs in such cases. Some ride toward the Savior, others – after Him and ahead of Him. Matthew reports only about the fulfillment by the disciples of the Savior’s command. Mark and Luke – about the conversation with various persons when untying and taking the colt and donkey. But John has already at this time hurrying toward the Savior with his welcoming choir and makes us listen to the cries of “Hosanna” (John 12:13). Thus here is the most probable order of Gospel events. According to John, the popular movement from Jerusalem began because the people knew and testified that the Savior had raised Lazarus from the dead (John 12:17).

Matthew 21:7. They brought the donkey and the colt, and put their garments on them, and he sat on them. (Compare Mark 11:7; Luke 19:35; John 12:14). The disciples covered both animals with garments because they did not know on which one Jesus Christ would sit. “Upon them,” i.e., upon the garments. The garments were, evidently, placed instead of a saddle. Jerome directly says that this was done so that Jesus Christ “would sit more comfortably” (ut Jesus mollius sedeat).

Matthew 21:8. And most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road; (Compare Mark 11:8; Luke 19:36). Luke does not mention branches. All this festivity was an expression of popular joy, on account of which the people wished to make the path as convenient as possible for the slowly entering new and Great King to Jerusalem. Theophylact remarks: “With regard to the direct, historical sense, the spreading of garments expresses great honor.” A similar entry “with doxologies, palm branches, with harps, cymbals, and lyres, with psalms and songs” was made to the Jerusalem fortress by Simon Maccabaeus (1 Macc 13:51; cf. 2 Sam 9:13). But then it was the triumph of the victor (“for the great enemy of Israel was broken”), now it was the triumph of the King, going to great and terrible sufferings, the Servant of Jehovah, entering Jerusalem for the redemption of humanity. He, according to Chrysostom, had often come to Jerusalem before, but never entered it so solemnly. “Of course, this could have been done from the very beginning, but it would have been unnecessary and useless.”

Matthew 21:9. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven! (Compare Mark 11:9-10; Luke 19:37-38; John 12:15-18). Luke supplements the word “the one coming” of the first two evangelists with the word “King” (ὁ βασιλεύς – according to some readings). Compared to Mark and Luke, Matthew’s speech is shortened. The Savior became the center of the popular movement. People preceded Him, accompanied Him, and followed Him. The crowd gathered for the Passover was large. There were years when by rough calculations the people in Jerusalem numbered over two million. The words “Hosanna” and so forth are borrowed from the psalm (Ps 117:25-26), which was probably often sung by pilgrims in Jerusalem. The psalm was part of the so-called “Hallel,” or “Passover hymn.” Theophylact explains the word “Hosanna” thus: “According to some, it means a song or psalm, and according to others, and more correctly, – save us.” The word “Hosanna” consists of two Hebrew words: “osa” and “na.” The first comes from the Hebrew word “shava” or “shua” (to be free), in the piel – to seek deliverance, to cry for help, for salvation; “na” (in German doch) strengthens the verb, expresses encouragement and request; in Russian – “do save.” To explain this word better, one should distinguish its original and later meanings. The original meaning is “give salvation,” “save.” If we keep in view only the original meaning of the word, then the words of the evangelists should be translated thus: “help, O God, give salvation to the Son of David.” Originally the word “Hosanna” was a cry, an appeal to God for help (as in Ps 117:25), but then because of its frequent use it lost its original sense and became a simple greeting, completely equivalent to our “hurrah,” “vive,” “hoch,” and so forth. As our “hurrah” does not contain any definite sense and is just a convenient word for expressing popular greetings, so “Hosanna.” But, becoming popular, this word (“Hosanna”) retained some peculiarities reminding of its original sense. Therefore, while we cannot say “hurrah in the highest,” for the Hebrew expression such a turn of phrase was quite natural. Zahn connects the expression “in the highest” with the word “Hosanna” somewhat differently. In Ps 148:1 it is said: “Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest” (in Hebrew – “bamromim”), and the same Hebrew expression is used in Job (Job 16:19). In the Gospel of the Hebrews, as Jerome testifies, not once (in the letter to Pope Damasus and the commentary on the Gospel of Matthew) there stood in verse 9, osanna borrama (a corrupted Hebrew “bamromim”). Thus the people’s cry was as much a greeting to the Savior as a request to God living in the highest. The sense of the whole expression is: keep or save, O God, the Son of David. Among the Greeks and Romans instead of “Hosanna” or our “hurrah” were used cries: ἰὴ παιάν and io triumphe. The expression ὁ ἐρχόμενος “the one coming,” which in Luke is replaced by ὁ βασιλεύς “King,” was then the name of the Messiah. The people called Christ King or Messiah, connecting with these names earthly concepts of a king as a conqueror and subjugator of peoples. The people could not understand the true meaning of the word Messiah at that time. But the King being greeted differed from ordinary kings-conquerors in that He came in the name of the Lord, like the best and most pious Jewish kings. “In the name of the Lord” – this expression should be connected with ὁ ἐρχόμενος, not with εὐλογημένος. Similar expressions were often heard from the people during the festival of Booths.

Matthew 21:10. When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, Who is this? (Compare Mark 11:11). In Luke, before this, it is recounted about the Pharisees, speaking to Christ, that He forbid His disciples to greet Him, about Christ’s answer to the Pharisees, and about weeping over Jerusalem (Luke 19:39-44). The other evangelists, including John, omit Luke’s account. But on the other hand Matthew speaks more in detail than Mark and Luke about the events of the cleansing of the temple and the miracles of Christ performed there (verses 12–17). When the Savior entered Jerusalem, the whole city “was in turmoil.” He was not yet known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and pilgrims. Therefore many asked: who is this?

Matthew 21:11. And the crowds said, This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee. Theophylact remarks: “The simple and guileless people did not envy Christ, but at the same time did not have the proper understanding of Him.” However, since the word “prophet” here stands with the article (ὁ προφήτης), it is possible to understand also that the people meant the expected Prophet, i.e., He of whom Moses said: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet from among your own people” (Deut 18:15). Not only is it possible, but it should be. The people could have limited understandings of the Messiah. But that in the solemn entry of Christ he saw the coming of the expected Messiah, in this it is impossible to doubt, because the aim of Christ now was precisely the public proclamation of Himself as Messiah, but not in the narrow sense of an earthly king, but in the widest and deepest – the Servant of Jehovah, although the people did not fully understand this.

Matthew 21:12. And Jesus entered the temple of God and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves, (Compare Mark 11:15-16; Luke 19:45). It is very difficult to determine precisely here the order of the account of the four evangelists. Approximately this can be done thus. First, the conversation of Christ with the Greek proselytes and the Savior’s speech on this occasion, which only John recounts (John 12:20-36). Then came what the evangelist Matthew recounts next (verses 14–16). Mark limits himself here to only a very brief remark that “Jesus entered Jerusalem and the temple” (Mark 11:11). The end of the verse John 12:36 shows that after the conversation with the Greek proselytes Jesus Christ “hid from them,” i.e., probably from the people. John’s speech (John 12:37-50) can be considered the evangelist’s own reasoning on the occasion of Christ’s miracles, recounted by Matthew (Matt 21:14-16). Matt 21:17 corresponds to Mark 11:11 (end). If so, then the Savior after the miracles performed in the temple departed to Bethany, and in this the events of the first day of the Hebrew week, or in our reckoning Palm Sunday, ended. Matthew’s account in verses 12–13, if compared with Mark’s account, indisputably refers to the next day, i.e., the second day of the Hebrew week, or Monday in our reckoning. This, however, does not mean that Matthew here shortened by one day the time of the successive events as they are distributed by Mark and Luke. In the Synoptists nearly the same events are recounted, but Matthew recounts them somewhat artificially and not in the chronological order in which they actually occurred. When Monday came, in the morning the cursing of the fig tree took place (verses 18–19; Mark 11:12-14), and only after this was the cleansing of the temple accomplished. In our further exposition we will follow the order of Matthew. The cleansing of Christ of the Jerusalem temple is here recounted for the second time. About the first cleansing, John recounted (John 2:13-22). The events recounted by the evangelists are so similar that they gave occasion not only to accusations of the evangelists in so-called exaggerations, but also to ridicule and mockery because they here completely mixed up one and the same event, referring it sometimes to the beginning of Christ’s ministry (John), sometimes to the end (the Synoptists). Such objections were apparently made not only in modern times, but in ancient times, and provoked refutations. Thus, discussing this fact, Chrysostom asserts that there were two cleansings, at different times. This is evident both from the circumstances of the time and from the answer of the Jews to Jesus. In John it is said that this happened at the festival of Passover, and in Matthew – long before the Passover. There the Jews say: “By what sign do you show us that you have the authority to do this?” (John 2:18). And here they are silent, although Christ rebuked them – silent because all already marveled at Him. With the opinion expressed by John Chrysostom, many both ancient and modern exegetes agree (with the exception, of course, of the negative critics, and then only some). The opinion that the evangelists here recount one and the same event is held by few at present. Indeed, neither the Synoptists nor the evangelist John could erroneously mix up such an important event as the cleansing of the temple. The latter is quite suitable both to the beginning and to the end of the Messiah’s ministry. The first cleansing could produce a strong impression both on the leaders and on the people, but then, as is ordinarily and everywhere the case, abuses again developed and became flagrant. The second cleansing is placed in a barely noticeable connection with the hatred of the leaders of the temple, which led to the condemnation and crucifixion of Christ. One can even say that nothing more contributed to such an end than the circumstance that the Savior by his act strongly affected various property interests connected with the temple, because it is known that there is nothing more difficult and dangerous than a struggle with thieves and robbers. And not being a priest, the Savior, of course, did not enter the temple proper now. It is even unknown whether He entered the court of the men. The place of the events was undoubtedly the court of the gentiles. This is indicated by the very expression used here by all the Synoptists, τὸ ἱερόν (the addition θεοῦ is not found in other places, but here it is made for special expressiveness), which, in distinction from ὁ ναός, or the temple building itself, denoted all the temple buildings, including the court of the gentiles. Commerce could occur only in the court of the gentiles, which is expressed through πωλοῦντας καὶ ἀγοράζοντας ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ in Matthew and Mark. Here were sold the sacrificial animals, incense, oil, wine, and other things belonging to the temple worship. Here too stood the “tables of the money changers” – κολλυβιστῶν, a word found in the New Testament at John 2:15 and here only in Matthew and Mark. The money changers (κολλυβισταί), according to Theophylact and Zigabenus, – the same as the exchangers (τραπεζῖται), and κόλλυβος – a cheap coin like an obol or a denarius. They were also called (according to Zigabenus) κατάλλακται (exchangers). As for the seats (καθέδρας), some thought that they were set up in the court of the gentiles for women or were brought by them themselves, since they supposedly engaged especially in selling doves. But in the Gospel text there is no hint about women, and rather we can suppose here men, because the participle “those selling” (τῶν πωλούντων) in Matthew and Mark is masculine. The matter is simply explained by the fact that the “seats” or benches were necessary for the cages with doves, and therefore stood in the temple. Hilary offers an interesting allegorical interpretation here. Under the dove he understands the Holy Spirit, and under the seat – the priest’s cathedra. “Consequently, Christ overturns the cathedras of those who traffic in the gift of the Holy Spirit.” All these merchants were “cast out” (ἐξέβαλεν) from the temple by Christ, but “gently” (tamen mansuetus – Bengel). This was a miracle. No one would dare undertake such an action even with numerous soldiers (magnum miraculum. Multi milites non ausuri fuerant, – Bengel).

Matthew 21:13. And he said to them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you are making it a den of robbers. (Compare Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46). The expressions in the citation adduced, taken from Isa 56:7 and Jer 7:11, are different in all the Synoptists. From Isa 56:7 only the last part of the verse is borrowed here, which in Hebrew has a very slight difference from the LXX, and that only in the arrangement of words. In translation from the Hebrew (literally): “for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” In the Seventy: “for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” The citations from Isaiah in Matthew and Mark are literally the same as the translation of the Seventy, but in Luke there is a strong difference both from the Seventy and from the Hebrew. In Matthew the citation from Isaiah is not complete, he omits the words “for all peoples,” as does Luke, while Mark adds these words. The omission by Matthew and Luke is very interesting in that they left out these words, perhaps not by chance, but because it seemed to them factually incorrect to think that the temple was a house of prayer “for all peoples” or, what is almost the same, “for the gentiles.” Mark apparently here overstepped the boundaries and “carried the citation too far.” As for the second part of the citation, from Jer 7:11 are taken only two words “den of robbers,” in Hebrew “gash yarav nartsim,” in the Greek text of the Seventy the same as in all the Synoptists, σπήλαιον λῃστῶν. In what manner and sense could the temple be called a “den of robbers”? If in the temple occurred only deceptive commerce, it would have been more convenient to call it a cave of thieves (κλέπται), not robbers. To explain the expression “den of robbers,” one should say that the strong speech of Christ is determined by the strong speech of the prophet, and the latter places his expression in clear connection with the shedding of innocent blood (Jer 7:6), thefts, murders, and adultery (Jer 7:9). But if the Savior applied this prophecy to the then condition of the temple, one should think that not only the prophecy but reality itself gave grounds for this. The chief priests were corrupt and immoral men. They themselves engaged in commerce. “The market by the temple and the bazaars of the sons of Annas were one and the same.” “The indignant people three years before the destruction of Jerusalem destroyed the bazaars of the sons of Annas.” The characteristic of members of the high-priestly family was corrupt greed, which both Josephus Flavius and the rabbis depict in terrible dark colors (see Edersheim. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Vol. 1, pp. 469 ff.). “Den of robbers” characterizes the temple morals of that time. Luther therefore, not without reason, instead of “den of robbers” placed “Mördergrube” – den of murderers (modern German translators express it as Höhle von Räubern).

Matthew 21:14. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. Matthew 21:15. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David, they became angry “Amazing things” (θαυμάσια) – a word used only here in the New Testament, but – frequently among the Greeks and in the translation of the Seventy. This word has a more general sense than auma (miracle). It is not a noun but an adjective; with the article of the neuter gender in the plural it has the value of a noun. One can assume ἔργα, i.e., amazing deeds (θαυμάσια ἔργα).

Matthew 21:16. And said to him, Do you hear what these are saying? Jesus said to them, Yes; have you never read, Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise? (Citation from Ps 8:3). Literally from the Hebrew: “out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have established (founded, grounded) strength (in the Russian Bible – “praise”) because of your enemies” and so forth. In the Seventy: “out of the mouths of the foolish (νηπίων) and nursing babies I shall establish praise (a song of praise – αἶνον) because of your enemies” and so forth. Matthew’s words are literally in agreement with the translation of the Seventy. Here Old Testament prophecy is brought near to a New Testament event, and the purpose of this bringing near was, on the one hand, to prove the power and might of Christ before His enemies, and on the other – to convict them. If even children, senseless and little understanding, joined in the cries of praise, then how much more should the chief priests and scribes have done so.

Matthew 21:17. He left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there. (Compare Mark 11:11). Ancient interpreters understood the verse literally in the sense that the Savior went to Bethany and spent the night there in the house of Lazarus. Jerome remarks: “The Savior was so poor and so little courted by anyone, that in a very large city he found no hospitality, no place to lodge, but found all this in a small village by Lazarus and his sisters, because they lived precisely in Bethany.” Many modern exegetes agree with this opinion. Indeed, it would be unnecessary for the evangelists Matthew and Mark to indicate Bethany if they did not wish to say that the night was spent in the house of Lazarus. Such a supposition is all the more probable since the nights at that time were cold, as often happens in Palestine (cf. Mark 14:54; Luke 22:55). Finally, the word ἐκεῖ is quite definite and can indicate that Jesus Christ spent the night in the house of Lazarus. Whether this night in Bethany was the last, or Christ came there again during Holy Week, nothing can be said about this. Bethany was near Jerusalem. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament, at least not under this name, but in the Talmud it is found. It is located on the road to Jericho from Jerusalem, on the east side of the Mount of Olives. Now it is a miserable village, which is called El-Azariya, i.e., the village of Lazarus. In it they show the tomb of Lazarus and the ruins of what was supposedly his house. In the New Testament Bethany is mentioned here and in Matt 26:6; Mark 11:1, Mark 11:11-12, Mark 14:3; Luke 19:29; John 11:1.

Matthew 21:18. In the morning, as he returned to the city, he felt hungry; (Compare Mark 11:12). Christ’s hunger is explained by the fact that He spent all the night in prayer and fasting (but can one think that He was not served food in Bethany).

Matthew 21:19. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, Let no fruit ever come from you again. And the fig tree withered at once. (See Mark 11:13-14). Mark recounts this miracle somewhat differently than Matthew, and he adds that the time for figs to ripen had not yet come, meaning the figs could not yet have become ripe and suitable for eating at that season. But both evangelists clearly note that on the fig tree there were not even unripe fruits, only leaves. This shows that the tree’s condition was already abnormal in itself, that it was threatened with destruction, and probably within that same year. Such circumstances are known to all gardeners. Fruit trees that are sick and doomed to destruction ordinarily bear no fruit, although they may be covered with leaves. Ancient interpreters explained the event in an allegorical sense, understanding the fig tree to mean the synagogue, the Jewish people, Jerusalem, and so forth (Origen and others). John Chrysostom, Theophylact, and Euthymius Zigabenus explained the miracle in the sense that it was punitive. From the Gospels, they said, it is not evident that Christ ever punished or brought judgment on people, but over the fig tree He displays His power, desiring to show the disciples that He possesses it; and if it had been necessary, He could easily have punished even His enemies. The disciples, consequently, should fear nothing and be bold (ἵνα θαρρῶσιν—Chrysostom).

Matthew 21:20. Seeing this, the disciples were astonished and said, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” (See Mark 11:20-21). This event is usually dated to the third day of the Hebrew week (for us, Tuesday) and, apparently, not without sufficient reason. After the evangelist Mark recounted the expulsion of those trading in the temple and that the scribes and high priests sought how to destroy Christ (Mark 11:15-18), he adds: “And when it became late, He went out of the city.” With Mark’s account, in substance, Luke’s account also agrees (Luke 19:45-48). Then Mark observes: “in the early morning” (πρωΐ, that is, very early), “passing by, (the disciples) saw that the fig tree had withered from the root” (Mark 11:20). This and the following verses of Mark coincide with the discussed and following verses of Matthew. On this basis one can with great probability assume that the events recounted here occurred not on the day when the fig tree was cursed, but on the next day, and in this sense one should interpret Matthew’s expression “immediately” (παραχρῆμα). Although this word does indicate suddenness and quickness, nowhere is it evident that the disciples noticed the fig tree beginning to wither, or immediately after Christ’s words, or on the return journey from Jerusalem. They noticed it the next morning early, and the word “immediately” must thus be understood in the sense of the preceding day and night. The withering of the fig tree did not occur instantaneously, but so quickly that already the next day one could observe its death. It was a miracle, as indicated by the word ἐθαύμασαν.

Matthew 21:21. Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done.” (See Mark 11:22-23). Remarkably, in His answer to the disciples, the Savior says nothing at all about the withered fig tree. But that He considers the action performed upon it a miracle is evident from the fact that, according to His words, similar miracles can be the result of faith. Concerning the moving of mountains, see the commentaries on Matt 17:20.

Matthew 21:22. And all things that you ask in prayer with faith, you will receive. (See Mark 11:24). The Savior’s words here have approximately the same meaning as in Matt 7:7.

Matthew 21:23. And when He came into the temple and taught, the high priests and the elders of the people came to Him and said, “By what authority do You do these things? And who gave You this authority?” (See Mark 11:27-28; Luke 20:1-2). As we have seen, this event should be dated to Tuesday, when Christ returned to Jerusalem. He was walking in the temple building (περιπατοῦντος αὐτοῦ—Mark) and teaching (Matthew and Luke). At that time, according to Matthew, the high priests and elders approached Him, and according to Mark and Luke, also the scribes. One should think that this was an official delegation from the Sanhedrin. Chrysostom says: “They put a similar question in the gospel of John as well, though not in the same words, but with the same meaning (John 2:18).” Concerning signs, the temple authorities did not ask now, as at the first cleansing of the temple (John 2:18), because at that time Christ was not yet known as a great miracle-worker. But now He had already performed many signs, which also come under the general expression ταῦτα.

Matthew 21:24. Jesus said to them in return, “I will also ask you one thing, and if you tell me about it, I will tell you by what authority I do these things.” (See Mark 11:29; Luke 20:3). To the question of the authorities, the Savior does not give a direct answer. He answers with a counter-question, and the answer to this counter-question determined the resolution of the question posed by the high priests and elders. Instead of answering the authorities’ question Himself, He invites them to answer it. “I will ask you about one thing” (λόγον ἕνα)—I will put one question to you, I will say only a few words, no more.

Matthew 21:25. Where was John’s baptism from—from heaven or from men? And they discussed it among themselves: “If we say ‘from heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’” (See Mark 11:30-31; Luke 20:4-5). When John preached and baptized, the authorities sent priests and Levites to question who he was (John 1:19 and following). This was essentially equivalent to asking by what authority he did this and who gave him this authority. John’s answer was certainly known to the Jews. It was given not so much by words as by deed. John’s holy life and his whole activity testified that he was sent by God. But this messenger of God testified of Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God, “who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). From this it was evident by what authority Christ “does these things” and who gave Him this authority: it was received not from men, not from high priests, scribes, and elders, but from God Himself. Therefore, the question posed by Christ in this form troubled the temple authorities. The fact that they διελογίζοντο παρ’ αὐτοῖς—“discussed it among themselves”—shows that they did not give an answer to Christ’s question at once. They approached Him at a time when He was teaching, and posed the question about authority publicly. He, for His part, posed a question to them also publicly. After this, they withdrew from Him and began to consult, in the manner that different political parties consult among themselves. None of this would have been necessary if the Savior had not been surrounded by a crowd. During their deliberation, the Savior, as should be supposed, continued to speak to the people. The subject of the authorities’ deliberation was the question: Was John’s baptism from heaven? By baptism here is meant generally his entire activity and commission. They are named here according to the principal mark of his activity and preaching—baptism.

Matthew 21:26. But if we say ‘from men,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet. (See Mark 11:32; Luke 20:6). After the words “from men,” there is what is called an “aposiopesis” here—incomplete speech or silence, used for brevity’s sake. The complete speech would have been something like: “if we say that John’s baptism was from men, then ‘the whole crowd will stone us’ (Luke), and we fear the crowd.” This fear was partly groundless, because the crowd would hardly have dared to raise a hand against people who were under the protection of the Romans. But, on the other hand, a different turn of events was possible, given the hot temperament and quick irritability characteristic of the East. Even if not now, at another time the authorities could fear popular unrest, and they did not wish to stir this up, especially in view of a strong enemy. Thus, in the words of the enemies of Christ, there appeared a mixture, so to speak, of subjective fear with objective fear. If the temple authorities had given a straightforward and correct answer, then Christ could have asked them: why then did you not receive baptism from John? (Quare ergo non estis baptizati a Joanne?—Jerome).

Matthew 21:27. And they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” (See Mark 11:33; Luke 20:7-8). The scribes’ answer was given publicly before everyone. How could they say “We do not know” when it was known to all the people that John was a prophet? Why did the high priests and elders fear being stoned for other answers, but not for this one? This can be explained, first, by the fact that they wished, in a manner of speaking, to discover from Christ Himself what He would say about this in the presence of the people; and second, by the fact that the temple authorities held a critical attitude toward John’s disciples and activity. The people were convinced that John was a prophet. But, as must be supposed, the temple authorities had long and carefully tried to persuade the people otherwise. By means of various political devices they succeeded in this, but not completely. They only managed to instill doubts in the people about John’s activity and teaching; perhaps they caused many of the people to waver in their opinions about John. “From heaven and from men”—these were two opposite poles in the assessment of John’s teaching and activity, the positive and the negative. With the positive answer, one should have expected public denunciation from Christ; with the negative answer, stoning. Therefore, the authorities very cautiously chose a middle path, unwilling to say plainly either yes or no. Perhaps John was a prophet, but perhaps he was not. This middle path was false; they were lying. If inwardly they were convinced that John was either a prophet or not a prophet, they should have said so plainly. In His answer, Christ does not tell them that He does not know. Οὐκ εἶπεν, οὐδὲ ἐγὼ οὐκ οἶδα ἀλλὰ τί; οὐδὲ λέγω ὑμῖν (“Christ did not say to them: neither do I know; but what then? Neither will I tell you,”—Holy John Chrysostom).

Matthew 21:28. But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in my vineyard today.’ The first question when examining this parable is whether it has any relation to the preceding words of Christ, and what kind of relation. Or is it a new speech and a new rebuke? The answer should be that it does have a relation, as is seen especially from verses 31 and 32. But this relation and connection were expressed so subtly that the enemies of Christ could not at once understand what was being driven at, to whom the parable applied, and what connection it had with the preceding speech. In the speech Christ uttered in verses 27–28 and following, it is difficult and even impossible to suppose any break. The parable, found only in Matthew, is entirely in its proper place here, and it cannot artificially be moved somewhere else. Whether the son to whom the father first turned with his request was the elder or younger is unknown.

Matthew 21:29. But he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. The son’s words did not accord with his deeds. In words, he answered his father negatively and even rudely. But then he changed his intention, he began to be ashamed that he had not obeyed his father, and without saying a word about it, he went to work in the vineyard.

Matthew 21:30. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ and did not go. After the refusal (in words) of the first son, it was necessary for the father to go to the second son and ask him to go work in the vineyard. Here are depicted such simple everyday relations as occur often and are understood by all. The second son expresses in words his readiness to fulfill his father’s will, but in deed he does not fulfill it. Instead of “I go” in the Greek text we have “I, sir” (ἐγὼ κύριε)—an ellipsis, or shortened speech, whose meaning is sufficiently clear.

Matthew 21:31. Which of the two did the will of his father? They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and prostitutes go into the kingdom of God ahead of you.” The high priests and elders said to Christ, “The first.” This is according to the best manuscripts and readings. The rightness of the first son was not unconditional, but compared with his brother, he was right. By the first and second sons one should understand not the Jews and Gentiles, but the tax collectors and prostitutes, and the high priests. And to the high priests, elders, and Jewish authorities in general, on the one hand, and to tax collectors and prostitutes, on the other hand, came the summons to work in the vineyard. But here the voice of John seems to blend with an earlier summons from the Father through the prophets. John and Christ Himself were the last persons calling to the vineyard. The authorities, as religious people, responded to this summons, but in fact they did not go; the tax collectors and prostitutes refused, the summons seemed strange to them at first, but then they went.

Matthew 21:32. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him; and you, even when you saw it, did not afterward change your minds and believe him. A reminder of the historical ministry and activity of John, which has connection to verse 24 and as it were rounds out the thoughts set forth after that verse. By “the way of righteousness” here one should understand the manner, method, fashion, custom. “Did not believe him”—did not believe what he said and preached. “The Lord applies the answer of the authorities to their own behavior through opposition. They said that the son who fulfilled the father’s will was the one who at first refused to go but then went to the vineyard. But the Baptist came as a preacher of righteousness, calling people to go into God’s vineyard by the way of repentance, and they did not heed his preaching. In this respect they resembled the first son of the parable, who said: I will not go. But unlike him, they afterward did not repent and obey the Baptist’s call. On the other hand, the tax collectors and prostitutes were also like the first son, but they changed their minds when John preached and obeyed his call. Thus tax collectors and prostitutes go ahead into the kingdom of God.” The meaning of the second part of the verse in question seems to be this: you, even when you saw all this, did not take care afterward, when tax collectors and prostitutes believed, to believe John. Theophylact says: “And now many make a vow to God and the Father to become monks or priests, but after the vow do not keep their fervor, while others did not make a vow about monastic or priestly life, but live a monastic or priestly life, so that they show themselves to be obedient children in that they do the Father’s will, even though they promised nothing.”

Matthew 21:33. “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard, and put a fence around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and leased it to tenants, and went into another country.” (See Mark 12:1; Luke 20:9). Not only the thoughts of this parable, but also the expressions are very similar to what is said by the prophet Isaiah (Isa 5:1-7). In Isa 5:2 it is said: “And He (My Beloved) fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and hewed out also a wine press therein: and He looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.” All the images used in the parable are taken from actual life to the same extent as they are from prophecy. Such was formerly, where vineyards were cultivated, and such it is now.

Matthew 21:34. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. (See Mark 12:2; Luke 20:10). By the servants sent are understood the prophets. In Mark and Luke, we have the singular: he sent a “servant” or “slave.”

Matthew 21:35. And the tenants seized his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. (See Mark 12:3; Luke 20:10). Theophylact says: “The servants sent are the prophets, whom the tenants treated badly in various ways, that is, the false prophets and false teachers of that time, the unworthy leaders of the people. Some they beat, like the prophet Micaiah, whom King Zedekiah struck on the cheek; others they killed: thus Zechariah was slain between the temple and the altar; still others they stoned, like Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the high priest.” Mark and Luke speak successively of several servants. Matthew speaks all at once of many. Parallels to the behavior of the wicked tenants can be found in other places of Scripture (Nehem 9:26; Matt 23:31-37; Heb 11:36-38; see also 1 Sam 18:13; 2 Sam 6:31; 2 Chr 24:19-22; Jer 20:1-2 and others).

Matthew 21:36. Again, he sent other servants, more than the first; and they treated them the same way. (See Mark 12:4-5; Luke 20:11-12). “More” in number, but not “more honorable.” In Mark and Luke it is shown more distinctly and in more detail what is, so to speak, concentrated in Matthew.

Matthew 21:37. Finally, he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ (See Mark 12:6; Luke 20:13). If by the master we understand God, then these words are evidently not fully applicable to Him. There appears to be, as it were, an error in calculation, a failure of hope, an ignorance of the true character of the tenants and their intentions. All this is explained by the fact that here “the Lord represents His Heavenly Father as reasoning in human fashion” (Alford).

Matthew 21:38. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ (See Mark 12:7; Luke 20:14). The expression “come, let us kill him” (δεῦτε ἀποκτείνωμεν αὐτόν) is the same as that found in Gen 37:20 (according to the Septuagint translation) concerning the intention of Joseph’s brothers to kill him.

Matthew 21:39. And they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. (See Mark 12:8; Luke 20:15). In Luke, the order of the wicked tenants’ actions is the same as in Matthew, but according to Mark’s account, the tenants first killed the sent son (in the vineyard) and then threw his body out of it. The record of what the Savior said is considered more ancient and original in Matthew. It cannot, however, be agreed with the view that, in applying these facts to the history of the Savior’s sufferings and bearing them in mind, Matthew wished here to indicate that Jesus Christ was crucified outside the city. Luke expresses himself in the same sense. To this one can simply answer that Mark’s peculiar expressions also fit the account of the sufferings.

Matthew 21:40. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants? (See Mark 12:9; Luke 20:15). Matthew’s account is fuller than that of the other evangelists. “The Lord asks them not because He does not know what they will answer, but so that they condemn themselves by their own answer” (Jerome).

Matthew 21:41. They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” (See Mark 12:9; Luke 20:16). In Mark and Luke, the words that here are considered especially important are omitted: “they said to him.” It is difficult to suppose that the enemies of Christ themselves said this and thereby condemned themselves. The parable was probably spoken before the people, and the gathering was public (cf. verse 26). Perhaps this answer was given instead of the high priests and elders by the people themselves. However, some think that the answer could be given by them as well, because they did not guess what conclusion would be drawn from it. But the strong expression κακοὺς κακῶς encountered here indicates the opposite. Further, who gave the answer can also be judged from Luke’s Gospel, according to whose words not all who listened to Christ agreed with the given answer, and some added: μὴ γένοιτο (“may it not be”; equivalent to our “God forbid”). The very expression κακοὺς κακῶς (in the Russian translation not exactly rendered; in the Slavonic—“evil evilly”) is a classical Greek expression, like λαμπρὸς λαμπρῶς, μεγάλοι μεγάλως, etc., not to be translated literally into modern Russian. The last “their” (αὐτῶν; in the Russian translation—“their”) refers to the fruits. “In their seasons”—in due time, without delay, when the fruits ripen and are gathered. It is thought that here is contained a prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem.

Matthew 21:42. Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” (See Mark 12:10-11; Luke 20:17). What stone is being spoken of here? The words are taken from a post-exilic psalm (Ps 117:22-23) and, in pronouncing them, the psalmist may have had in mind some actual fact known to him and others that occurred during construction, but what exactly is completely unknown. Some said it was during the construction of some Egyptian pyramid, others—of the second Jerusalem temple. All this rests on no foundation. The connection of the verse in question with the preceding will be more clear if under the stone laid as the cornerstone we understand Christ Himself, sent by God to receive from the tenants the fruits they had gathered. They killed the Son of God, but He, as the stone in Daniel’s vision, not only became the foundation of the new vineyard—the Church—but will also fill the whole earth (Dan 2:35).

Matthew 21:43. Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing the fruits of it. This thought has already been clarified by means of the parable, and the words of Christ in this verse are the conclusion drawn from it. They had such clear reference to the Jewish authorities that the latter could not fail to understand them. No fruit was found in the Jewish people, which had fallen under the influence of the wicked tenants. Therefore, the vineyard will be taken away both from the Jewish authorities and from the Jewish people themselves, and all this will be given over to such a people (without the article and precise definition) that produces the fruits of the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 21:44. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush them. (See Luke 20:18). This verse in Matthew is considered inauthentic and borrowed from Luke. According to Merx, this insertion falls to the time after Origen until Jerome, approximately between 250 and 380 AD. However, some consider the verse authentic, finding in it a reference to Isa 8:14-15 and Dan 2:44. But if the verse were authentic, it would probably have been placed after verse 42, where the stone is discussed. Since it is inserted after verse 43, the speech with such an insertion clearly lacks proper connection.

Matthew 21:45. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. (See Mark 12:12 (end); Luke 20:19 (end)). In Mark and Luke, the order of recounting the events is somewhat different from Matthew’s. Here is reference to Christ’s parables about the two sons and about workers in the vineyard.

Matthew 21:46. And although they wanted to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet. (See Mark 12:12; Luke 20:19). The motive for the beginning of hostile actions against Christ was chiefly His latest strong denunciatory speeches directed against the authorities. They would have liked to immediately carry out their intentions, to seize Him. But there was an important obstacle—the people, who considered Jesus Christ to be a prophet.

Chapter Twenty-Two

1–14. The parable of the royal wedding feast.—15–22. The Pharisees’ questions about paying taxes to Caesar.—23–33. The Sadducees’ questions about the resurrection.—34–40. The lawyer’s questions about the greatest commandment.—41–46. Christ—the Son of David.

Matthew 22:1. And Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying: For the whole of this chapter, John has no parallels. The parable of the royal wedding feast is considered by many to be parallel to a similar parable in Luke (Luke 14:16-24). If it were not for Matthew’s addition (verses 11–14), where it speaks of a man who came to the feast not in a wedding garment, one could assert that the parables set forth in Matthew and Luke’s Gospels show great similarity in fundamental thought and its development. But, on the other hand, along with this general similarity, there is also great difference in expression, connection, and even the purpose of both parables, so that it is difficult and even quite impossible to regard them merely as different versions of one and the same parable. Therefore, even in antiquity the view was held, accepted by all the best modern exegetes, that these are two different parables, spoken on different occasions and under different circumstances. “This parable,” says Augustine, “is recounted by Matthew alone; something similar is found in Luke as well, but it is not the same thing, as the very arrangement of the parables indicates.” The parable in Luke was spoken in the house of a Pharisee (Luke 14:1), in Matthew—in the temple (Matt 21:23). The wedding feast is called by different names (γάμος—Matthew; δεῖπνον—Luke). According to Matthew, the guests are invited by a king; according to Luke—by a certain man. The parable in Luke was spoken by Christ earlier, when the Pharisees had not yet shown such hatred as was manifested in the final days of Christ’s earthly life. Therefore, in the parable in Luke, the actions of the master calling the guests are generally gentler, and he does not send his armies to destroy the murderers and burn their city (Matt 22:7). The word “them” is indefinite both in Russian and in Greek. Here one can understand both the enemies of Christ and the people who heard Him in general.

Matthew 22:2. “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.” In ancient interpretations of the parable among the fathers and church writers, we find, first, an abundance of commonplaces, and second, allegorical opinions, and this is understandable, because from the very first verses of the parable it is evident that it speaks of spiritual matters. The ancient interpreters place it in the closest connection with the parable of the wicked tenants. “Do you see,” says Chrysostom, “what a difference is shown between the son and the slaves in both the preceding parable and this one? Do you see the great similarity and at the same time the great difference between the two parables? This parable too shows the patience of God and His great care, as well as the impiety and ingratitude of the Jews. However, this parable contains more than the first one: it foretells the falling away of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles, and moreover, it shows the right manner of life and what punishment awaits the careless.” Theophylact says that here “the bridegroom is Christ, and the bride is both the Church and every soul.”

Matthew 22:3. And he sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast; but they would not come. Christ’s words have a general meaning and refer to persons sent by God for preaching and to draw people into His kingdom. The word κεκλημένους (the invited or called) shows that the guests had already been invited by the king earlier, and the servants were only to remind them of the earlier summons. John Chrysostom and others draw attention to the fact that in the parable of the wicked tenants it was said that the Son was killed by the tenants. Despite this, in the parable under consideration, people are called again—to the wedding feast of the Son. This gives John Chrysostom reason to think that the first parable referred to events that ended with the crucifixion of Christ; and the second—to events after His resurrection. “There He is depicted as attracting them (people) to Himself before His crucifixion, and here—as urgently drawing them to Himself even after the crucifixion; and while it was fitting to punish them in the most severe manner, He draws them to the wedding feast and grants them the highest honor.” But the thought of Christ, clarified by comparing the two parables, seems deeper. The spiritual relations of people to God and His spiritual feast may not resemble their relations to ordinary earthly celebrations. Both parables clarify one and the same theological truth, but from different sides. In the spiritual sense, the suffering, death, and resurrection of the Son can be fully equated with the wedding feast of the Lamb (Rev 19:7).

Matthew 22:4. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”’ Matthew 22:5. But they disregarded it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. Matthew 22:6. The rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. A more vivid depiction of even more hostile relations to the king. Those who went away under various pretexts acted comparatively prudently. But there were still others (οἱ δὲ λοιποί) who expressed their anger with insults to the king’s servants and murders. For this verse there is a remarkable parallel in 2 Chr 30:10 (see also 1 Tim 1:13; Heb 10:29).

Matthew 22:7. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Matthew 22:8. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.’ Matthew 22:9. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ “The main roads”—τὰς διεξόδους τῶν ὁδῶν—shows that here are meant not the main roads or major highways where honorable guests live, but in general alleys, lanes, byways, paths where the poor people huddle, walk, and live.

Matthew 22:10. And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. The expression “bad and good” can be understood both in a moral sense and in a physical sense—beggars, ragged people, the sick. These persons stand in sharp contrast to the first invited guests, whom they did not resemble at all.

Matthew 22:11. But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. Matthew 22:12. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you enter here without a wedding garment?’ And he was silent. When the guests were being gathered, the king was not in the palace. He enters only when the feast has already begun. The contrast between the expressions “bad and good” and “reclining” at the feast, that is, guests accepted at the royal feast in the royal palace, is drawn, undoubtedly intentionally and very subtly. Although the guests were “bad and good,” yet they were accorded the king’s invitation and were now reclining at the feast in wedding garments, that is, fine clothes. The bad and wicked are transformed here into honored guests rapidly and by some miraculous power. The meaning, of course, is that the Gospel messages, accepted by the bad and good, quickly transform them. But the king’s gaze is clouded at the sight of one man who sat at the feast not in fine, but in torn, dirty, “not in a wedding” garment, in rags. Was this man guilty if he came to the feast straight, so to speak, from the street and if he had no means to acquire fine clothing for himself? This question is resolved very simply by the fact that anyone coming to the feast prepared by the Heavenly King can take any fine garments for himself in the receiving room of the royal palace and thus appear in fitting fashion at the wedding feast of the Lamb. This is, undoubtedly, presupposed in the parable. Our church hymn: “I see Your bridal chamber, my Savior, adorned, and I have no garment to enter it,” expresses, on the one hand, the deepest humility of a Christian, and on the other—a plea addressed to God to give fitting garment in a spiritual sense: “enlighten the garment of my soul, O Light-Giver, and save me.” Thus, the sinner is required only to have the desire to acquire fine garments for himself, which will undoubtedly be given to him, and moreover, freely. The man not in a wedding garment, evidently, did not wish to take advantage of this royal mercy, and, ashamed neither of the King nor of the guests, appeared at the feast in his rags. Verses 11–14 have direct relation to the prophecy Zeph 1:7-8. By the slave who came to the feast not in a wedding garment is understood not Judas, but in general a carnal, old covenant man (cf. Rom 13:14; Gal 3:27; Eph 4:24; Col 3:12). The expression “he was silent” Jerome interprets as: “At that time there will be no place for repentance and the ability to make a defense, when all the Angels and the very world will witness against sins.”

Matthew 22:13. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Concerning binding, chains, ropes, there are many mentions in the Gospels (see Mark 3:27 and others). Christ spoke several times concerning binding and loosing. The words: “take him by the hands and feet” (ἄρατε αὐτὸν ποδῶν καὶ χειρῶν) are not found in the best manuscripts. Some think that the words “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”—are not words of the king depicted in the parable, but of Christ Himself, added to the parable.

Matthew 22:14. For many are called, but few are chosen. The man who came to the feast not in a wedding garment, so to speak, became on a level with those numerous people who insulted and killed the king’s messengers (verse 6). Compared with their enormous number, the guests received by the king present a small minority that could fit in the palace. And even among the guests themselves there was found a man whose presence was undesirable and impermissible (cf. 3Ezr 8:1, 3Ezr 9:15). A similar conclusion to the parable is also in Luke (Luke 14:24).

Matthew 22:15. Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his talk. According to Mark and Luke, the Pharisees understood that the Savior in the parable of the wicked tenants spoke about them (Mark 12:12; Luke 20:19). Therefore, they wanted to entangle Him in words (Mark 12:13; Luke 20:20). In Matthew, this connection is not expressed as clearly as in the other Synoptics, but their accounts shed light on his expressions. One can conclude in the end that the Pharisees were irritated not only by the parable of the wicked tenants recounted by all the Synoptics, but also by the parable about the royal wedding feast, recounted in this context only in Matthew; the enemies of Christ could have interpreted this parable unfavorably for themselves if only they had heard it. Thus, Matthew’s account in the verse under discussion seems natural and connected. As for the time, as in Matthew, so in the parallel accounts of Mark (Mark 12:13-17) and Luke (Luke 20:20-26), it is not specified. Only one thing can be stated with certainty: these events were a continuation of the preceding ones and occurred on the third day of the Hebrew week, or, for us, on Tuesday. Perhaps the Pharisees went and deliberated during the pronouncement of the Savior’s parables, but more likely—after them. It is thought that these were not official representatives of the party, being members of the Sanhedrin (as in Matt 21:23), but rather the whole matter took place independently of the Sanhedrin; the Pharisees acted as a separate and independent party. The deliberation probably took place in the crowd that was in the temple or surrounding Christ. The Greek verb παγιδεύσωσιν is characteristic. In the whole New Testament, it occurs only here in Matthew and comes from πάγη—παγίς (Luke 21:35; Rom 11:9; 1 Tim 3:7; 2 Tim 2:26)—a net, snare, trap, pitfall. Since entangling Christ in words was important to His enemies, they used all their strength and abilities in their deliberation to invent as cleverly as possible a question by which Christ could be put in a difficult and even hopeless situation.

Matthew 22:16. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.” Matthew 22:17. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? (See Mark 12:13-14; Luke 20:20-22). Mark does not distinguish the Pharisees from their disciples, as Matthew does, while Luke ascribes the question to the high priests and scribes (Luke 20:19), who had “sent” to Christ “wicked men,” of unspecified kind (Luke 20:20). It is evident from all this that the matter was the result of strong enmity, but at the same time also of fear of public denunciation, and this explains why some enemies of Christ only, so to speak, stick their heads out from the crowd, but say nothing themselves, instead putting forward, on their behalf, even though cunning, but inexperienced or less experienced in casuistry disciples, perhaps young men. If the latter had been publicly denounced, it would not have been shameful for the true initiators of all this affair before the people. Who were the Herodians? The majority of exegetes consider that the Herodians were members of a Jewish party devoted to the house of Herod, having more of a political rather than a hierarchical character. The basis of the question posed to Christ lay in the domination over Judea by pagan Romans. This was recognized as an evil to be fought against with all one’s strength. A tax collected in favor of the pagans was contrary to the theocratic idea. In Judea (and not in Galilee) there were uprisings, whose leader became Judas of Galilee. The cause of his rebellion was the κῆνσος, a property tax, which was considered a sign of slavery. The paying of taxes in favor of the Romans began in Judea from 63 BC. From 6 AD, the question of taxes became burning. In proposing to Christ the question about taxes to Caesar, that is, to the Roman emperor, who was then Tiberius, the Pharisees and Herodians hoped to put Christ in a hopeless situation. If Christ recognized the necessity of the tax, He would thereby arouse the people against Himself, who on the whole considered the tax in favor of Caesar offensive. But if Christ rejected the tax, He would appear as a rebel against Roman authority.

Matthew 22:18. But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?” Matthew 22:19. Show me the tax coin. And they brought him a denarius. (See Mark 12:15; Luke 20:24). Among the Hebrews, images of persons were ordinarily not made on coins, because this was considered idolatry. The Asmoneans minted their coins only with inscriptions in Hebrew and Greek and images of vessels with manna, Aaron’s staff, and so forth. On Roman coins, by which taxes were paid, there were images of emperors with various inscriptions. Christ asks for not some other coin, but that one by which taxes are paid. This somewhat indefinite expression of Matthew is replaced by the other Synoptics with a more definite one—the demand for a “denarius,” as it actually was.

Matthew 22:20. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” (See Mark 12:16; Luke 20:24). The direct method adopted by Christ to explain the matter showed that if the Jews were an independent people, such coins as the denarius would not have been in circulation and use. The use of Roman coins indicated the dependence of the Jews on Caesar, and they should have looked this present reality straight in the face. The meaning of the verse can be expressed briefly in just one word: “if.” If you show me the coin by which you pay taxes, it will be clear to you whether it should be paid or not. If you tell me whose likeness and inscription this is, you will know to whom taxes should be paid. The Savior does not ask only: “Whose likeness is this?” or: “Whose inscription is this?” But He joins both these questions. At the sight of the image made on the coin, it was impossible to doubt that this was the likeness of Caesar, and for those who did not know this or had not seen Caesar in person, the inscription testified to this. On the denarius was probably the image of Emperor Tiberius with the inscription: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGUSTUS, that is, “Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus, Augustus.” On the reverse of the coin were probably the letters: PONTIF МАXIМ, that is, “pontifex maximus.”

Matthew 22:21. They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (See Mark 12:17; Luke 20:25). The meaning of the answer is: service to Caesar does not hinder true service to the Lord God.

Matthew 22:22. When they heard this, they marveled, and they left him and went away. Matthew 22:23. The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question. (See Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27). In their teachings, the Sadducees generally adhered to opinions opposite to those held by the Pharisees. “They believed neither in the resurrection nor in spirits nor in angels, being opposed to the Pharisees” (Theophylact). The discussion with the Sadducees took place on the same day and apparently soon after the discussion with the Pharisees and Herodians about taxes to Caesar, and not at the time when the Pharisees went and deliberated how to entangle Him in words (verse 15), as Origen remarks.

Matthew 22:24. “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’” (See Mark 12:19; Luke 20:28). Denying the resurrection (cf. Acts 23:8), the Sadducees tried to confirm their teaching by reference to the ordinance of Moses concerning the so-called “levirate” marriage (from the Latin word “levir”—brother-in-law), set forth in Deuteronomy (Deut 25:5-10). In all the Synoptics at the beginning of the verse is the repetition λέγοντες (Mark—οἵτινες λέγουσιν; Luke—ἀντιλέγοντες) of the preceding verse. The quotation does not match in its wording in all the Synoptics and departs both from the Hebrew text and from the Septuagint translation. The thought of the Hebrew text is expressed by the Sadducees here very briefly and in their own words. This law of leverate marriage was understandable and was applied in practice. According to it, if anyone died, leaving a wife from whom there were no children, the wife should marry his brother (thus in the Septuagint and in the Gospels, but in the Hebrew—to the brother-in-law, which of course is the same thing; the difference is only in the wording) and raise up offspring for him. Ἐπιγαμβρεύειν is a technical term for designating levirate marriage. It is encountered in the New Testament only here in Matthew. In Lev 18:16, marriage to the widow of a deceased brother is forbidden. But in Deut 25:5-10, certain exceptions are indicated where such marriages were permitted.

Matthew 22:25. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. Matthew 22:26. So too the second and third, down to the seventh. Matthew 22:27. After them all, the woman died. Matthew 22:28. In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her. (See Mark 12:20-23; Luke 20:29-33). The example brought forward by the Sadducees was, of course, invented, because in reality such combinations do not ordinarily occur (in Tob 3:8-9 the speech concerns a different matter). For their purpose, they could have limited themselves to two or three brothers, and their argumentation would not have lost its force. In speaking of seven brothers (perhaps they chose seven because that number was sacred), the Sadducees apparently wished to present the matter in a caricatured form, which would seem amusing even here on earth, let alone in heaven. According to some, the Sadducees wanted to express still the thought that if the legitimate teaching about levirate marriage is to be united with the Pharisaic teaching about the resurrection, it must necessarily lead to the teaching about polyandry. This was a casuistic question, whose solution troubled even the Pharisees, as can be seen from the tractate Yevamot (Talmud, trans. Pereферкovich. Vol. 3. Pp. 10 et seq.). In Yevamot (ibid., p. 30) such a case is discussed: “There are three brothers: two of them are married to two sisters, and the third is unmarried; one of the married men died, and the unmarried man performed with his widow something like an agreement (“ma’amar”—utterance, formula), and then the second brother died; the school of Shammai says: his wife (betrothed to him by the “ma’amar”) remains with him, and the second is free, as being the sister of his wife; and the school of Hillel says: he must divorce his wife with a “get” (divorce letter) and with “halitza” (taking off of the shoe), and his brother’s wife with halitza.”

Matthew 22:29. Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God.” (See Mark 12:24; Luke 20:34). In Luke the words of Matthew and Mark are replaced with a completely different expression, not found in the first two Synoptics. Ignorance is the ordinary cause of errors. Jesus Christ answers the Sadducees in this sense, putting their ignorance in the foreground. It consisted in the lack of knowledge of the Scriptures, where was contained a teaching about the resurrection unknown to the Sadducees, and the power of God, because God, having given life to the living, can give it to the dead and always has the strength and authority to restore it. “Look,” says Holy John Chrysostom, “with what wisdom, befitting a true teacher, the Savior answers them. Although they approached Him with a crafty intention, their question arose more from lack of knowledge. Therefore, the Savior does not call them hypocrites.”

Matthew 22:30. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. (See Mark 12:25; Luke 20:35-36). Comparison with angels does not give grounds for the conclusion that life in the future world will be bodiless. The existence of bodies in the resurrected “is necessarily presupposed in Christ’s utterance” (cf. 1 Cor 15:40; Phil 2:10). The resurrected will have bodies, but with the restriction—the impossibility and pointlessness of entering into marriage. “Christ does not deny that there will be both males and females in heaven, but rather presupposes the existence of females, but so that by their gender they will not function for the sake of marriage and procreation. Nemo enim dicit de rebus quae non habent membra genitalia non nubent, neque nubentur” (Jerome).

Matthew 22:31. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: Matthew 22:32. “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. (See Mark 12:26-27; Luke 20:37-38). In the Old Testament there are passages where doctrine about the resurrection is stated more clearly than in the citation brought by Christ from Exod 3:6 (see Job 19:25; Isa 26:19; Ezek 37:1-14; Dan 12:12; 2 Macc 7:9 and others). Why, then, does the Savior not appeal to these clearer passages, but prefer the less clear Exod 3:6? In explaining this, Jerome supposed that they (the Sadducees) accepted only the books of Moses, rejecting the Prophets. Consequently, it would have been unreasonable to draw evidence from sources whose authority the Sadducees did not recognize. More modern exegetes, however, recognize that the Sadducees did not reject the Prophets, but only considered the Pentateuch canonical in its proper sense. If this is so, then it is fully clear why the Savior, to prove the resurrection, appealed to the Pentateuch of Moses. He chose a citation (Exod 3:6) that was certainly well known to the Sadducees, but which they did not understand. The words “He is not God of the dead, but of the living” are not taken from Exod 3:6, but are only an interpretation of the law’s words by the Savior Himself. In Luke, the Hebrew citation is conveyed in a paraphrase (in their own words), while in Matthew and Mark the text itself is given, but with slight departures both from the Hebrew and from the Septuagint translation. The meaning of Christ’s words is fully clear. If in the law of Moses it is said that God called Himself the God of those who had previously lived but afterward died, this means that they are still alive, because a true and living God cannot be the God of the dead and non-existent persons. Thus, the truth of man’s immortality and continued existence beyond the grave is based on the recognition of the truth of God’s being as a living and eternal God. Only he denies the immortality of man who denies the being of God. Against the Sadducees’ quotation from the law (verse 24), the Savior brings another quotation from the law itself, and with this weapon defeats His enemies.

Matthew 22:33. And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching. (See Mark 12:27; Luke 20:39-40). In Mark only is added: “So you are quite wrong,” but the words cited in Matthew are absent. Nor are they in Luke, but in his account is the following addition: “Some of the scribes answered, ‘Teacher, you have spoken well.’ And they no longer dared to ask Him anything.” The impression produced on the people, Matthew here designates with the word ἐξεπλήσσοντο (cf. Matt 7:28; Mark 1:22; Luke 2:48; Acts 13:12).

Matthew 22:34. But the Pharisees, having heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, gathered together. The defeat of the Sadducees brought, apparently, at least to the scribes, some satisfaction, perhaps only temporary (Luke 20:39). But this did not prevent the Pharisees from forming ever new conspiracies and intrigues against the Savior. It is very remarkable that Luke, ending his account with the words: “they did not dare question Him any more” (Luke 20:40), subsequently indeed brings forward no more questions of Christ from His enemies, but the question of the lawyer (Luke 10:25-28) he refers to a different time and places it in a different connection. But Matthew and Mark do not repeat Luke’s words here, and therefore the question of the lawyer does not serve as a contradiction to what they said earlier.

Matthew 22:35. And one of them, a lawyer, testing Him, asked, saying: Matthew 22:36. “Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the law?” (Compare Mark 12:28; Luke 10:25). Nomikos (lawyer) occurs here only in Matthew, never once in Mark, but six times in Luke (Luke 7:30, Luke 11:52), and once in the Letter to Titus (Titus 3:13). In Titus 3:9 the same word is used as an adjective. It is difficult to make a substantial distinction between nomikoi and grammateis. Perhaps one should only say that nomikos is a more specialized designation for a scribe. In contrast to the “wise man,” as the scribe was considered, nomikos designates a legal expert or jurisconsult. Mark does not mention at all that the “lawyer” approached Christ to test Him; generally the conversation appears in Mark as pleasant and sympathetic—the lawyer expresses praise for Christ at the end, and He for him. Mark’s account casts some light on Matthew’s account. Not everyone in the crowd surrounding Christ were His sworn and irreconcilable enemies. There were exceptions. Even from among His enemies—this is apparently what Matthew wants to say by introducing the word “testing”—some came, if not entirely, then almost with hostile intentions, yet departed from Him satisfied with His teaching and explanation of their doubts. But this only further intensified the darkness of that hostility toward Christ which caused His reproofs in chapter 23. Euthymius Zigabenus expresses this idea well: “In Matthew the lawyer tests, but in Mark he praises more. Why? Because at first he tested, being sent by the Pharisees. But having heard the answer, he accepted it and, having changed his way of thinking, agreed.”

Matthew 22:37. Jesus said to him: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind:” Matthew 22:38. “This is the first and greatest commandment;” (Compare Mark 12:29-30; Luke 10:26-27). The words of Mark, omitted by Matthew and Luke: “Hear, Israel! The Lord our God is the Lord alone,” may suggest that the Savior here explained only what was well known to the lawyer questioning Him from what is called the Hebrew “Shema” (see Talmud, trans. Perefekovitch. Vol. 1, p. 40–44), which consisted of three sections Deut 6:4-9 and Num 15:37-41, with various doxologies accompanying the “Shema.” In the tractate Berakot (see Talmud, trans. Perefekovitch. Vol. 1, p. 1–39) there are various decrees concerning the recitation of Shema in the morning and evening and in general in various circumstances.

Matthew 22:39. “And the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself;” (Compare Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27.) The citation is taken from Lev 19:18, completely consistent in Matthew and Mark, and in Luke (Luke 10:27) the word “love” is replaced by the conjunction kai (“and”). Departures from the Hebrew text and the translation of the Seventy are insignificant. This second commandment is not lower than the first, but similar to it. Euthymius Zigabenus says: “He said that in its importance the second commandment is similar to the first commandment, for this one also is great, they are mutually connected and mutually support each other.” But John Chrysostom with a light expression places the second commandment somewhat lower than the first: “Being asked about the first commandment, he brings forward the second, which is almost as important as the first” (not far behind it). From the Gospels themselves one can derive that the second commandment is not less than the first (Matt 25:40; Mark 12:31; John 13:34; 1 John 4:16).

Matthew 22:40. “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Compare Mark 12:31-34; Luke 10:28.) The verb krematai does not mean, as translated in Russian, “hang” or “are established,” but “hang” (in the Slavonic Bible—“hang”; in some texts singular rather than plural; in the Vulgate—pendet; in Luther’s German translation and in modern German translations—hänget and hängt; in the English translation—hang). The verb is in the present tense of the middle voice (with the sense of perfect action) from kremannymi, meaning to hang, to be hung, to hang down, to depend. In the New Testament this verb is used everywhere in this sense (Matt 18:6; Luke 23:39; Acts 5:30; Gal 3:13). The law and the prophets do not hang from or are established upon these two commandments, but depend on them and are a deduction from them. If there were not these commandments, then neither law nor prophets would exist. In the sense contained in the Russian translation there is essentially no great difference from the original. The verb is in the singular and is in agreement with the law. Such a construction occurs in the New Testament (compare John 2:2 and others).

Matthew 22:41. When the Pharisees had gathered together, Jesus asked them: In Mark 12:35 this verse has an obvious connection to Mark 12:34. This means that the lawyer’s question was asked at a time when (according to Matthew) the Pharisees were gathered for deliberations. In Matthew this connection is expressed quite clearly, but not so clearly in Luke. Properly speaking, this question serves in Matthew as the beginning of further reproofs (Matt 23).

Matthew 22:42. “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?” They said to Him: “The son of David.” (Compare Mark 12:35; Luke 20:41.) Christ asks not what people consider Him to be or whether they consider Him to be the son of David, but proposes a general question about the origin of the Messiah. “Son of David” was the usual designation of the Messiah (Schürer, Geschichte, II, 615).

Matthew 22:43. He said to them: “How then does David in the Spirit call Him Lord, when he says:” Matthew 22:44. “The Lord said to my Lord: sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies under Your feet”? (Compare Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42). The reference is to Ps 109:1. In Jewish writings the entire psalm was applied to the Messiah and was considered messianic. Christ does not refute the correct answer (in verse 42) of the Pharisees who called Christ the Son of David, nor does He consider the answer insufficient; on the contrary, He confirms it by asking His question for the purpose of its interpretation. The interpretation of the psalm in the sense that it was supposedly a relatively recent composition in the time of Christ was completely unknown to either the Sadducees or the Pharisees (Edersheim). In the Hebrew Bible the psalm is inscribed “ledavid mizmor” (a psalm of David), in the Greek translation of the Seventy likewise (psalm of David).

Matthew 22:45. “If David calls Him Lord, how then is He his son?” (Compare Mark 12:37; Luke 20:44). Some thought that Christ was refuting here the opinion of the Pharisees, who affirmed that the Messiah is the Son of David. But the entire context is against such an interpretation. It is more probable to suppose that Christ’s question was provoked by rumors spread by His enemies that He is not the Son of David and, consequently, is not the Messiah, as His disciples and the people recognized Him to be. If so, then Christ’s question becomes understandable. If He is not the Son of David and not the Messiah, then of whom does David speak, calling his son Lord? “The true answer did not come to their mind. It could have consisted in the following: The Messiah is the Son of David in His human descent, but as the Son of God, proceeding eternally from the Father, He is exalted above David and above all mankind, and therefore David called Him his Lord correctly. But such a twofold relationship of the Messiah to the great Hebrew king and at the same time the true appreciation of the dignity and service of the Messiah were not known in the theology of the rabbis.”

Matthew 22:46. And no one was able to answer Him a word; and from that day on no one dared ask Him any more. (Compare Mark 12:34; Luke 20:40.) What is indicated here is the power of Christ’s answers in general. In subsequent history we indeed see that His enemies do not put questions to Him with the purpose of testing Him.

Chapter Twenty-Three

1–36. A speech of reproach against the scribes and Pharisees. – 36–39. A prediction about the fate of Jerusalem.

Matthew 23:1. Then Jesus began to speak to the crowds and to His disciples (Compare Mark 12:38; Luke 20:45.) One may suppose and even say with confidence that the reproving speech of the Savior against the scribes and Pharisees was delivered immediately after the question about the Christ proposed by Him (Matt 22:42). All three evangelists connect it with this question. In Matthew the reproofs of Christ are set forth more fully than in other synoptists, while in the latter certain parts of the speech are set forth in a different connection, as spoken at other times. This causes some to consider the entire chapter 23 of Matthew an “artificial composition” of the evangelist himself, who united here speeches pronounced by Christ at different times, similar to the Sermon on the Mount. It is hard to say how it actually was. Nothing prevents one from thinking that Christ sometimes repeated His speeches. The view of Christ’s speech as an “artificial composition” does not at all prevent even the most judicious even negative critics from fully recognizing Christ’s words as authentic, actually coming from the lips of the Messiah Himself. This is evident already from the fact that, despite all its simplicity and artlessness, His speech in its content and thoughts is higher not only than the concepts of that time, but also than any time. If not theoretical, then at least practical understanding of it is not always characteristic even of Christians living in the present time. Even now one can hear that the hypocrisy condemned in it is sometimes not only not superfluous, but even necessary. For example, if a person by his inner content represents nothing other than a “whitewashed tomb,” then at least externally he should not appear as such from the mere fear of causing offense to others. Hence the numerous and varied forgeries that allow people to appear pious and religious when they are devoid of all piety and religiousness, beginning with Catholic and Jesuit “pious practices” and formalities and ending with the antics of a petty, base, vulgar, superstitious, and ignorant hypocrite who constantly places all sorts of external ceremonial and religious decorum above the inner spiritual qualities of man, above judgment, mercy, and faith (Matt 23:23). But let us return to the question of authenticity. “The entire speech,” says Meyer, “is distinguished by such liveliness and originality that the authenticity of its content in the essential, even if something was added to it from what was said at another time, is hardly open to doubt.” Some of the more recent commentators express themselves even more decisively than Meyer, asserting that “this speech should be considered a first-rate historical source. It presents vividly and concisely not only the essence of Phariseeism, but it also casts clear light on the Person of Jesus Christ Himself. Because, by expressing strong reproofs against His opponents, He here reveals His own Person, the chief characteristic of which was love of truth” (Weiss). Commentators usually do not pay attention to the circumstance that Jesus Christ made hypocrisy the subject of His reproving speech in the very last days of His earthly ministry, so clearly expressed in such writings as the Talmud, not at all asking themselves why it was precisely so and why the Messiah did not end His preaching with a reproving of some other vices peculiar to people, for example, “evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies, slanders” and so forth (Matt 15:19; Mark 7:21-22). If the Messiah who came into the world spoke so threateningly about hypocrisy in His last reproving speech, then this means that hypocrisy is one of the chief vices of mankind and the source of all other iniquity. It is not difficult to verify this in fact. On numerous examples we see that wherever false, outward piety is established, all possible evil is always to be expected. And this is understandable. In committing ordinary crimes, a man deceives people; in religious hypocrisy he strives to deceive not only people but God Himself with his outward and false piety, and this alone testifies to the cessation of all religious life, the loss of all good spiritual qualities and all good feeling. No vice leads to such colossal absurdities, perversities, and such immorality as hypocrisy. We do not find that in Christ’s speech we need to distinguish separate moments when He addressed either only the crowds, or only the disciples, or the scribes and Pharisees themselves. The similar testimonies of Matthew and Luke (Matt 23:1; Luke 20:45) indicate that Christ spoke only to the crowds and disciples (to the crowds and to the disciples—Matthew; having heard this, all the people said to the disciples—Luke), but not to the scribes and Pharisees. This in no way prevented Him from speaking almost exclusively about them. All preachers do this, condemning the vices of completely absent persons for the instruction of their immediate listeners. But with such a view, the division of the entire reproving speech into three parts, in the first of which it is spoken of the scribes and Pharisees in their opposition to Christ’s disciples (verses 1–12), in the second the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and scribes is condemned (verses 13–36), and the last part constitutes the conclusion (verses 37–39), can be accepted. One cannot think that verses 13–33 were spoken in the absence of the Pharisees or that the entire speech was spoken after the enemies left (omitting the adversaries—Bengel). Chrysostom understands the matter more correctly, saying that the speech was pronounced not after the enemies left, but when the Savior “completed His conversation with the Pharisees, when He closed their mouths, when He brought them to the point that they no longer dared to test Him, when He showed that they suffer from an incurable malady.” The omissions in Luke’s account of the speech are explained by the fact that he omitted much that was of no interest to his readers—Christians from among the Gentiles (Weiss). Matt 23:4, Matt 23:25-31, Matt 23:34-36 correspond to Luke 11:37-52, a speech delivered at the supper in the house of Simon the Pharisee. “The historical connection of Luke 13:34-35; Matt 23:37-39 is less clear. Here Matthew may have given a historically accurate account, while Luke connects these statements with the word pronounced over Jerusalem during a journey.”

Matthew 23:2. “And He said: the scribes and Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses;” The word “seat” or “chair” was sometimes used as a sign of authority and power. The speech of the Savior here is obviously figurative. Moses gave the written law. He was the Hebrew lawgiver. Both the written law itself and the lawgiver enjoyed then unquestionable authority. But alongside the Bible, the scribes and Pharisees developed an oral law, oral tradition, which they valued no less than the law given by God through Moses. In this sense the Savior says that they sat on the seat or chair of Moses. This means that they assumed the authority that Moses possessed. Per cathedram they understand the teaching of the law—Jerome. “People who said that their duty consisted in the interpretation of the law of Moses, who boasted of this or even superiority over the law,—they sit on the seat of Moses” (Origen). It was said that this is a Semitic turn of speech or that the “editor” writes here from his own point of view, looking back to the period when the scribes and Pharisees came to power.

Matthew 23:3. “Therefore observe and do everything they tell you to observe; but do not follow their works, for they say and do not:” Ancient commentators explained this verse by the fact that Christ did not wish even here to reject the law given by God through Moses (compare Matt 5:17) and, insofar as the scribes and Pharisees were its interpreters, so far they should be heeded, but their works should not be imitated. In such a spirit reason Origen, Chrysostom, Jerome, Hilary, Theophylact, Euthymius Zigabenus and others. Origen, among other things, applies the Savior’s saying also to persons serving in the Christian Church, where many possess the ability to teach and its reasonable exposition, but do not wish to act according to what they teach: their teaching should be heeded, but their deeds should not be imitated. The Pharisees and scribes, according to John Chrysostom, offered “not their own commandments, but God’s, which God revealed in the law through Moses. And notice how much respect He shows to Moses, again proving the agreement of His teaching with the Old Testament, when He even considers the scribes themselves worthy of respect out of respect for Moses.” But the purpose of the Savior’s saying was, according to Chrysostom, not only this. “Because He wished to reproach the Pharisees, so that the unwise would not think that He Himself seeks the power belonging to them, or that He does this from hatred, first of all He removes such suspicion and, having done this, then proceeds to rebuke.” According to Theophylact, the Savior says: “accept the words of teachers as the words of Moses, or rather—of God Himself.” The sense of the verse is obscure, the text is probably corrupted.

Matthew 23:4. “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers;” (Compare Luke 11:46—in a different connection.) “They bind burdens”—an expression borrowed from ordinary life, when various objects (for example, firewood, brushwood) are bound together and carried on the shoulders. The load imposed on people by the Pharisees is heavy. People carry it reluctantly, because it is something forcibly imposed. The word dysbastakta (“difficult to bear”), placed in the Russian and Slavonic translations, is not found in the best codices, and it is rightly omitted by the best editors of the Greek New Testament. It is borrowed from Luke (Luke 11:46), but there it is used instead of the word “heavy” almost as its synonym. Jerome remarks that shoulders, fingers, burdens, bundles should be understood in a spiritual sense. Of course, so, because the entire speech of Christ is obviously figurative. The expression “move them with one finger” is considered Aramaic. These words of Christ should be understood in the sense that the general vice of all hypocrites and pharisees is a hidden spiritual unwillingness toward their own teachings. They do everything only for appearance, but when no one sees them, they deviate from the fulfillment of those teachings which they preach. Hypocrites preach, for example, fasting, self-restraint, and threaten people with the torments of hell for the violation of commandments, but they themselves lead not only an intemperate, but even a loose and dissolute life.

Matthew 23:5. “But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments;” A repetition of the thoughts expressed in Matt 6:1 with the change of only the example. Nothing is done with spiritual disposition; on the contrary, “all” is for show, for the sake of acquiring favor, distinction, gaining reputation and glory, especially in the eyes of the ignorant and simple people, and ultimately—for gain and religious exploitation. “Phylacteries,” in Greek “phylakteria,” in the Old Testament—“totafot,” among the rabbis—“tefillin,” from “tefila”—prayer, are used by Jews to the present time on the basis of Exod 13:9; Deut 6:8. Every Jewish man must wear two phylacteries, one on the forehead, another on the left arm, tying them with straps during the morning prayer (except on the Sabbath and festival days). They are made of parchment in the form of a small box, in which is placed a small scroll with passages from Exod 13:1-16; Deut 6:4-9. The phylactery worn on the forehead had the distinction that the box was divided into four parts, into which were placed four small scrolls with the aforementioned prayers. As usually happens, zealots made their phylacteries larger than others in order to manifest their supposed piety here too. “Phylactery” is an imprecise translation into Greek of the Hebrew “tefillin,” prayers. Zigabenus derives “phylactery” from phylassein (to guard) and resthai (to save from danger, to guard, to preserve, to defend). Phylakterion means, properly, a guard post, fortification, tower, in a figurative sense—guard, amulet. The word “enlarge” perhaps refers to the straps by which the phylacteries were tied, but perhaps also to the cases themselves or boxes, as Zahn thinks. To the same category belonged the tassels on the “tallit,” a special white garment that looks like an oblong four-cornered cloth with a round slit in the middle for the head. The tassels were made of white and blue threads, in Hebrew called “tzitzit,” and in Greek—kraspeda. The tallit with tassels is worn by Jews even now (only by men, as well as the phylacteries) in fulfillment of Num 15:37 ff.; Deut 22:12. “Thus the Pharisees did,” says Theophylact, “because this was prescribed in the law. And it was prescribed so that, seeing this, Jews would not depart from God’s commandments. But God wanted not such a literal fulfillment, no, to have phylacteries meant to fulfill the commandments of God.” “Because Jews often forgot God’s benefactions,” says saint John Chrysostom, “God commanded them to write the miracles of God on special small pieces and bind these small pieces to their hands… God commanded them, as little children, to do the same as many do to avoid forgetfulness, binding a thread or string around a finger.” In recepta the Greek gar is omitted, which is proven very easily. The second half of the verse serves as one of the proofs of the hypocrisy and vanity of the Pharisees, who desired to be seen by people. This was a peculiar form of religious publicity, testifying to the acquisition and assimilation of religious righteousness and piety.

Matthew 23:6. “Also they love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues;” (Compare Mark 12:38-39; Luke 20:46.) Here something so common is depicted that the Savior’s words are fully understandable. The expressions in Mark and Luke are almost literally the same. Matthew changes the order, speaking first of “feasts” and then of “synagogues.”

Matthew 23:7. “And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.” The last word “teacher” should be read once, not twice. The rabbis displayed pretensions to higher dignity. They distinguished themselves by their clothing, wore long garments (stolai), and according to Epiphanius (Adversus haereses, 15), special ampekhonas (cloaks) and dalmatikes (Dalmatian garments). The word “rabbi” means “my lord,” from “rab” or “rav”—highest, greatest, lord in opposition to slaves, teacher in opposition to disciples.

Matthew 23:8. “But you are not to be called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all you are brethren.” “You are not to be called”—do not call yourselves, and do not accept such a designation from others. The word “rabbi” is here changed in the second instance to “teacher.” In Russian and Slavonic this is not expressed, rabbi and didaskalos are translated the same: “teacher.” But in the Vulgate it is exact: you are not to be called rabbi; for you have one teacher. Thus, Christ does not say: “you are not to be called rabbis; we have one rabbi,” but, speaking of Himself, He replaces “rabbi” with “teacher.” The word “rabbi” began to be associated with “hated associations,” began to denote people inclined “to wordiness, self-complacency and dogmatism,” so the Savior leaves the designation with some dissatisfaction and Himself calls Himself more humbly a teacher (didaskalos). The expression “your teacher” indicates that Christ is speaking here of Himself. In Russian, Slavonic, and generally in recepta (but not in the Vulgate) after “one is your teacher” is further added “Christ.” The latter is proven very weakly and therefore is usually omitted, although this insertion points to what the ancients understood by the expression “your teacher.” The addition was made after the model of verse 10. Alford thinks that “your teacher” is understood not Christ but the Holy Spirit on the basis of John 14:26; Jer 31:33-34; Ezek 36:26-27. To this one can say that the Savior called a teacher also Himself (Matt 26:18; John 13:13-14 and others). The addition Christos, made according to the sense, is properly correct. This is proven also by the fact that the further words “all you are brethren” can be explained better by the relation of the disciples to Christ than to the Holy Spirit. In any case, if the Savior were speaking here of the Holy Spirit, then here would be found a silence that would make His speech completely incomprehensible to the disciples. The expression “all you are brethren” seems better to fit the end of verse 9: “one is your Father, which is in heaven”; all you are brethren. But for such a transposition, found only in one uncial codex U (9th or 10th century) and more than thirty cursive ones, there are not sufficient grounds. The change of “your teacher” to kathegetes, as in verse 10, found in many manuscripts, is not uniquely proven. In examining this verse, many commentators pose the question: if Christ forbade the disciples to be called teachers (rabbis), is it then correct to strive to obtain so-called academic degrees of doctor, master, and the like? Jerome asked why, contrary to this commandment, the apostle Paul called himself “a teacher of the Gentiles” (1 Tim 2:7; 2 Tim 1:11; quotations in Jerome 2 Cor 5; Col 1, apparently incorrect). Or how is it that in popular speech, especially in Palestinian and Egyptian monasteries, people mutually call themselves fathers? This is answered by Jerome, is resolved thus: it is one thing to be a father or teacher by nature and another by “condescension” (indulgentia). If we call a man a father, we show him honor corresponding to his age, but do not consider him the author of our life. Cornelius a Lapide reasons: “It is permissible to strive to obtain the degree of doctor as proof of knowledge, so that with the help of this proof one acquires the authority to teach and preach to the people and thus brings greater fruit by teaching and preaching.” Therefore the Council of Trent (Session 24, chap. 12) prescribed that “all honorific positions and at least half of the canonical positions in cathedral churches and important collegiate churches be filled by masters and doctors or even licentiates of theology or canon law.” Therefore Christ does not say: “do not be,” but—“do not be called teachers.” “Christ, consequently, forbids not the degree of doctorship, but the pride and vanity concerning the obtaining of this degree, the arrogance and presumption, when a person who has obtained the degree of doctor considers himself above others, walks about puffed up and despises others, as though he has knowledge and learning from himself, and not from Christ, as the scribes did.” Barnes (Barnes) on the basis of Christ’s words objected to the title doctor divinitatis (doctor of divinity), because Christ forbade to be called so. But, says Morison, Barnes did not pay attention to the fact that the title “teacher of divinity” by its significance is humble; Barnes also did not notice that if it is truly deserved, then it is not clear why people should not allow this and speak so. The fact that in antiquity the Jews had no academic degrees. “Rabbi,” “rabbin,” and so forth are a product of rabbinism and Phariseeism. In the early Christian Church there were no candidates, masters, and doctors; such titles were completely foreign to early Christian antiquity. “All who accepted the word were fully disciples of only one Jesus; in this lay the principle of equality for all.” Christ was not the founder of a school. The title doctor ecclesiae appeared in later times of scholasticism, and concerning theologus a definition was made at the 2nd Lateran Council in 1215, by which “the capital church should have one theologian so that he might teach priests and others Sacred Scripture and especially teach them pastoral care of souls.” As always happens, originally the degrees meant simply “field” (from German das Fach—“subject,” “line of business”), the activity and occupations of a person who was engaged in teaching, but subsequently, on one hand, obstacles and difficulties for persons wishing to acquire academic degrees, and on the other—advantages, produced a whole series of dreamers who, calling themselves doctors and teachers, began to look upon themselves as gods and scientific lawmakers. It is precisely this that Christ condemns in the scribes and Pharisees, explaining the principle that no title should remove from a man the consciousness of his unworthiness, nor his dependence of all his activity on Christ as the Vine, only in connection with which the branches can bear good fruit.

Matthew 23:9. “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” The remarks made to the preceding verse apply in part also to this one, that is, the words of Christ cannot be understood in a literal sense, for example, in the sense that a child should not pronounce the words “father” or “mother.” Already the fact that “mother” is not mentioned here shows that we are not speaking of simple family relationships. Christ again has in view only the scribes and Pharisees with their vanity. In the Talmud there is an entire tractate called Avot, that is, sayings of the “fathers.” In the tractate Edeot I, 4 Hillel and Shammai are called “fathers of the world” (Talmud, trans. Perefekovitch. Vol. 4, p. 406). In the Mishnah and Tosefta the word “father” is found as a title of many rabbis (Schürer, Geschichte, II, 377). Probably such a name had basis in the Bible (Sir 44). The Savior, of course, speaks only about the fact that the disciples should not call anyone a father in the rabbinic sense. Chrysostom restricts the meaning of Christ’s words thus: “This does not mean that they should not call anyone a father, but that they know whom properly should be called a father.” The last words of the verse are read differently: “in heaven” or “in the heavens.” The best reading seems to be not ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ (which is not in Tischendorf) and not ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, but the adjective “heavenly,” accepted by the best and newest editors of the New Testament.

Matthew 23:10. “And do not be called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.” The words “masters” (kathegetas) and “Master” (kathegetes) are imprecise, because kathegetes means “leader,” “guide” only in a figurative sense, but literally means “leader,” “director.” In the Russian translation, due to the absence of this distinction, in verses 8 and 10 an almost tautology is permitted, because the words “teacher” and “master” in common speech are the same thing, with the only difference that the latter is somewhat softer and perhaps has a broader sense than the more specialized “teacher.” In Greek there is no such tautology, because verse 8 has didaskalos, while verse 10 has kathegetes—more of an educator than a teacher. Kathegetes differs well from hodegos (Matt 15:14; Acts 1:16; Rom 2:19), and is used in the New Testament only here (if one does not pay attention to a variation in verse 8). It is interesting that the word hodegos in the New Testament in the indicated places is everywhere used to denote false guides. But etymologically one word does not differ from the other (Zahn). In pronouncing the words of this verse, Christ does not refer them directly to Himself, but proposes a general principle: the Messiah is your leader.

Matthew 23:11. “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Compare Mark 9:35; Luke 9:48—in a different connection.) Undoubtedly, with these words the claims to rule are unconditionally and irrevocably condemned. The Pharisees always strove and strive to dominate and direct the people among whom they live, and for this the Savior publicly reproaches them. That Christ does not deny power and rule here is evident from the fact that, according to His thought, there may be “greatest” among people. But the character of power is completely different from what is usually characteristic of rulers. This character is service to people out of love (diakonos in distinction from doulos). Anyone can strive to excel others and, consequently, become “greater” than them, to gain power over them in self-denying and full of love service to people; in fact, true rulers are those who undertake this self-denying service. It is interesting to note the remark of Origen, showing how this was viewed in antiquity: “Whoever in himself possesses what Paul enumerates concerning a bishop, even if he is not a bishop before men, is a bishop before God, even if he did not attain this rank through human ordination.” Of course, due to human weakness and imperfections, heads and leaders may deviate from this ideal, but one should never forget that these are deviations, not the ideal itself.

Matthew 23:12. “For whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” (Compare Luke 14:11.) See the explanation of the verse in the commentaries to Matt 18:4. “Do you see,” says Chrysostom, “how He here leads the listener to deeds completely opposite to pride? He not only forbids seeking first place, but also prescribes choosing the last place.” (Compare Job 22:29; Prov 29:23; Ezek 21:26-27; 1 Pet 5:5.)

Matthew 23:13. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” Compare Luke 11:52, which says that the lawyers “took the key of knowledge; you did not enter in yourselves, and you hindered those who were trying to enter.” In Matthew, as we see, a similar thought is expressed differently and in a different connection. Some think that the word “woe” is repeated in this and subsequent verses eight times; others, not counting verse 14 as authentic, about which will be spoken below, only seven. The correspondence of “woes” to “blessings” at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount is difficult to find. But the fact that the Messiah, almost at the very beginning of His preaching to the people, began a speech about blessings, and at the very end of it announced woe, is remarkable. However this fact is interpreted, one cannot think that the last speech of Christ to the people was the result of embittering due to the hostility toward Him of the people’s leaders. Here was rather something organic, a lament at the sight of a dying man before his last breath in the face of complete hopelessness. Christ with His penetrating gaze saw that the condition of affairs contemporary to Him could not continue long, and he expressed this in a stern reproving speech, which in principle applies to all peoples, showing that fanaticism, petty formalism, robbery and greed, hypocrisy and love of external conventions can threaten ruin to any people if it does not strive to free itself in time from all these and kindred vices. Similar proclamations of woe are found in the ancient prophets (Isa 5:8, Isa 5:20-22, Isa 10:1; Hab 2:6). Christ’s mission had a definite character. He was to preach repentance and the approach of the kingdom of heaven to the Jewish people. One has only to imagine what would have happened if “his own received him.” Probably Jerusalem, having become Christian, would have avoided those calamities and destructions which shortly afterward befell it. The same definiteness that characterizes Christ’s mission characterizes also His reproofs of the scribes and Pharisees in His last speech to the people. Christ reproaches them for deviating from the moral ideal, and not only for deviation, but for stubborn refusal to understand it. According to Hilary, “woe” is “the voice of grief” (see commentaries to Matt 11:21). In Luke (Luke 11:39-52) the word “woe” is repeated six times, and the proclamations of woe are divided into two groups—to the Pharisees and the lawyers. The meaning of this verse is explained in detail and satisfactorily by Origen. The scribes and Pharisees themselves do not enter the kingdom of heaven and do not allow others to enter. These two sins are naturally inseparable from each other. Not a single person is known who, entering into the kingdom of heaven himself, would hinder others from entering it. In Origen’s time such deeds were done chiefly by those who appear in the church more famous, such as bishops, priests and deacons. Those who live well and preach the word of truth well open the kingdom of heaven before people; and they themselves enter and invite others to enter. The evil ones, who are not shepherds but hirelings, lock the doors of the kingdom of heaven before people. “One can see,” adds Origen, “many teachers who do not allow those who wish to enter the kingdom of heaven to do so, especially when without discernment and unwisely they excommunicate some, not because they allow any sins, but because of envy and enmity they often forbid to enter even those who are better than themselves.”

Matthew 23:14. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: therefore you shall receive the greater condemnation.” (Compare Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47.) Some commentators consider this verse of Matthew an interpolation from the indicated passages of Mark and Luke. It is absent in the Sinai Codex, B, D, Z, L, I, 28, 33 and others. In Mark and Luke this verse is authentic. The condemnation is directed against the most despicable predation—the offenses, injuries, and robberies of the property of poor and helpless widows and against the pretended piety of those who pray long for show.

Matthew 23:15. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you travel over sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more a child of hell than yourselves.” The meaning is that a pagan converted to Judaism by the Pharisees becomes twice as bad as he was, and consequently, a person twice as worthy of hell than the Pharisees themselves. This was not always the case. But usually it was so, like how from under the direction of corrupted teachers come usually corrupted disciples (compare Rom 2:17-24).

Matthew 23:16. “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated!” Another characterization of Phariseeism is given, which has no particularly close external connection with other characterizations. It is easy to notice that the reproofs grow more and more intense up to verse 33, where a kind of completion of all previous characterizations is found and the strongest rebuke. “Which say” (hoi legontes) indicates that the Pharisees habitually or even constantly taught thus. Christ’s rebuke is very characteristic. People who have lost the spirit and meaning of religion always indulge in trifles and argue about such subjects that have no significance whatsoever, committing logical and all possible other mistakes, moving about in a narrow and cramped area of empty speculations. About oaths by the temple or the gold of the temple long and serious discussions could take place. But Christ condemns all their emptiness, arguing ad hoc concerning the particular case under consideration and not explaining the higher principle which would be completely incomprehensible to the scribes and Pharisees, as well as to the disciples and the people. From the point of view of this latter principle, swearing in general is reprehensible, and oaths neither by the temple nor by the gold of the temple should be permitted. But if we set aside this higher principle and reason, moving exclusively in the sphere of Pharisaic thinking, then even so the teaching of the Pharisees will turn out to be not only incorrect, but absurd. This is explained in the next verse. The word “debtor” is translated into Russian as a Greek “opheilei.” The translation is inaccurate, because in the original the idea of guilt is not expressed. In the Slavonic Bible it is more precise—“is obliged,” that is, obliged to fulfill his oath (in the Vulgate—debet).

Matthew 23:17. “You fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?” “Fools and blind” (moroi kai typhloi—“fools” in the proper sense, “stupid”—“and blind”) indicates the lack of understanding, stupidity, illogicality, and spiritual blindness of the Pharisees and scribes. Even adopting their own point of view, one should reason differently. Just as a man is always more important than his clothing, so any house and temple themselves are more important than those objects which serve only for their adornment. “For” (gar) shows that the expression “which is greater: the gold?” serves as proof that Christ correctly called the scribes and Pharisees “fools and blind.” In the Russian translation this particle is not expressed.

Matthew 23:18. “And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.” The thought is the same as in the preceding verse, only a different particular case is chosen, proving the incorrectness of the Pharisaic teaching about oaths. Reasoning from a logical point of view (again not departing from the sphere of Pharisaic concepts and thinking), one must, of course, recognize that the altar is higher than the gift which is laid upon it. The word “guilty” or “debtor” in verse 16 is also inaccurate (see commentaries to verse 16).

Matthew 23:19. “You fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?” The word “fools” is added here after the model of verse 17 and is not found in the best manuscripts. The thought of the verse is the same as in verse 17.

Matthew 23:20. “Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.” The Savior “says this not as permitting swearing. Because in chapter 5 He completely (pantelōs) forbade swearing; He speaks because the Jews swore by these objects” (Euthymius Zigabenus).

Matthew 23:21. “And whosoever shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein;” The construction of the verse is the same as in the preceding one. In verses 21 and 22 special and separate kinds of oaths are indicated. Christ here also reasons, taking the point of view of the Pharisees and scribes. They thought that some oaths are important and binding, others—not. But if one reasons independently of whether swearing is permitted, then one must affirm that every oath by sacred objects is in reality an oath by the name of God.

Matthew 23:22. “And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.” A continuation of the speech of the preceding two verses. The speech is, of course, figurative. God is represented as sitting on a throne, which heaven serves.

Matthew 23:23. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these you ought to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” (Compare Luke 11:42—in a different connection.) Prescriptions about tithes, that is, a tenth part of property for the benefit of the Levites and the temple, are set forth in Lev 27:30-34; Num 18:21-24; Deut 12:6-17. Legal prescriptions are elaborated in detail in two Talmudic tractates Maarot (tithes) and Maaer Sheni (second tithes; see Talmud, trans. Perefekovitch. Vol. 1, p. 295–362). Upon reading these tractates one immediately sees that the Savior condemns the extreme minuteness of the Pharisees, to which they carried the general legal provisions. So, in Maarot I, 1 it is said: “Concerning tithes the following rule is established: everything that is food, is guarded and grows from the earth is subject to tithe collections. And another rule they said: everything that at first is food and at the end food (that is, what is suitable for food, just as soon as it begins to grow), although it were left in the ground for further development, is subject to tithe collections, whether it be gathered small or large; everything, however, that at first is not food, at the end food (that is, what at first growth is not suitable for food, but only at the end) is subject to tithe collections only from the time when it becomes edible.” Further in Maarot IV, 5 it is said: “Anise is subject to duties by seed and greenery and seed coat, but the wise men say: by seed and greenery are subject to duties only cress and mustard.” Occupying themselves with such minute provisions concerning small and worthless herbs, the scribes and Pharisees completely lost sight of what was most important in the law—judgment, mercy, and faith. This last enumeration of three items, as is thought, corresponds to the prophecy Mic 6:8 and Hos 12:6. Judgment, mercy and faith are called the weightiest in the law (ta baryttera tou nomou) not because they are difficult to perform—“God’s commandments” “are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3)—but simply comparatively: judgment, mercy and faith are much more important (baryttera) than the paying of tithes of mint, anise and cummin. The last words: “these you ought to have done, and not to leave the other undone,” are rather difficult to interpret. The direct meaning is this: one ought to observe the demands of judgment (justice), mercy and faith, not leaving off the payment of tithes. Perhaps Christ wanted to say only with these words that the paying of tithes is in essence a matter of indifference; they can be paid and not paid, but even they have importance when there is justice, mercy and faith. If, however, there are not the latter, then not the tithes themselves become objectionable, but that minuteness and folly with which discussions are conducted about them. Tauta refers, of course, to “judgment, mercy and faith.” The remark is made that the last expression “not to leave undone” is weaker than the preceding “to do.” Christ does not say: “just as this (judgment, mercy and faith), so that (tithes) one should fulfill (do).” No, there is no need to leave off the payment of tithes even from the smallest herbs, if this does not serve to the detriment of the chief virtues—judgment, mercy and faith.

Matthew 23:24. “You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!” Blind guides, as in Matt 15:14 (compare 2 Pet 1:9; Rom 2:19; Rev 3:17). Only those guides who are blind can engage in such empty activity as “straining” gnats. They are actually unable to move forward themselves or lead others forward and sit idle in one place, engaging in the most insignificant activity. But this does not prevent them from being extremely evil, bloodthirsty and greedy. While straining a gnat, they think they are fulfilling the law of the Lord, but when instead of a gnat they drink (so literally—katapinontés) an entire camel, they do not think that this is contrary to the law. The camel, as a large animal, is chosen obviously for opposition to such a small animal as a gnat. Gnats were “strained” (diylizontes), that is, water poured into a vessel was strained through a sieve or cloth so that a dead gnat would not be found in the vessel, and so that he could be seen during straining. Thus, the purpose of straining—to protect oneself from water made unclean by a corpse, which, if there were a gnat in it, should be poured out and replaced with another. But, being blind, the scribes and Pharisees did not notice that instead of a gnat, an entire large camel fell into the vessel and they drink it together with the water they drink from the vessel. Obviously, this is a hyperbole, which contains a very subtle and apt characterization of all hypocrites. The opinion that instead of “camel” one should read “gnat,” “gadfly” (asilum) has no basis whatsoever.

Matthew 23:25. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.” (Compare Luke 11:39—in a different connection.) Cleansing occupies no less than twelve tractates in the Talmud. On the basis of the Old Testament prescriptions concerning purity (Lev 11-15; Num 5:1-4; and especially Num 19), an introduction to the tractate “Kelim” is laid, which enumerates the “chief types of impurity” (I, 1–4). On this basis, says Schürer, a huge, broad and comprehensive building has been erected. Here the rabbis surpassed themselves in the careful elaboration of this subject (for details see: Schürer, Geschichte, II, 560–565). The Savior proves the inconsistency of all Talmudic teaching about purity by the fact that, despite all efforts to clean vessels, what is contained in them and what appears clean as a result of various washings and cleansings is actually extremely filthy, being the result of robbery and intemperance. What a profound, piercing through all hypocrisy with all its extreme stupidity, thought! It is amazing that numerous hypocrites did not fear and do not fear this thunderbolt, this terrible thunderclap and do not at all question that the vessels from which they drink and eat are full of the most terrible, the most heinous, and the most shameful robbery and intemperance! “Gemo” means to be filled with something (is joined with the genitive). Here it is not said that cups and dishes are filled with robbery and intemperance, but that their contents come from robbery and intemperance. Therefore, the genitive is used not without a preposition, but with the preposition “from.” “Harpagē” means properly robbery, plunder (in comparison, “extortion” is somewhat softer). “Akrasia”—a later form of “akrateia,” means intemperance, lack of moderation (compare 1 Cor 7:5). In the Russian and Slavonic translations a different, less substantiated reading is adopted—“unjustness”—“intemperance.” But in the Vulgate and some translations exactly (filthiness, Unenthaltsamkeit). Generally, the word akrasia is translated differently and sometimes inaccurately. According to Bengel, akrasia is opposed to restraint not only in food and drink, but also from money and profit.

Matthew 23:26. “Blind Pharisee, cleanse first what is within the cup and dish, so that the outside of them may be clean also.” (Compare Luke 11:40-41.) This means: stop the robberies and intemperance (injustice), then what you will eat and drink, with which various vessels are filled, will be clean, and you will have no need to debate and worry much about the external, external cleanliness of vessels. Regarding the words of the Savior in this verse, sometimes very minute discussions are conducted about whether He had in mind people or vessels, whether He invited people to be clean or spoke about the cleanliness of vessels. When comparing the verse with the indicated parallels of the Gospel of Luke, indeed some difficulties arise. But they are generally not significant. The entire speech is obviously figurative, and Christ invites, properly speaking, to moral cleanliness of people, not saying that they should clean vessels.

Matthew 23:27. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful on the outside, but are within full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness;” (Compare Luke 11:44.) In Luke the saying, placed in a different connection, has a different meaning than in Matthew. There hypocrites are compared to hidden tombs over which people walk and do not know, and as a result of this ignorance—what should be understood in Luke—they become defiled. In Matthew the tombs are not hidden, but, on the contrary, visible to all and beautiful, but inside full of bones and all impurity. Understanding the words of the Savior here is not complicated. We all know what beautiful tombs are, which are adorned with various objects, as a last tribute is paid to the deceased. But, despite all possible external decorations, no tomb, of course, is pleasant, otherwise it would not be buried in the earth to hide it from people’s eyes and free people from the constant contemplation of the sad consequences of human sin. Among the Jews there were somewhat different attitudes toward the dead than among us. Touching generally a corpse, a dead body or a tomb resulted in defilement for seven days (Num 19), and for cleansing it was necessary to sprinkle fresh water from a vessel into which was put the ash of a red heifer, preserved for the children of Israel. To protect from defilement, burial monuments were whitewashed with slaked lime (conia). In the time of Christ this was done usually at the end of winter, the first adar (“Shekalim,” I, 1; see Talmud, trans. Perefekovitch. Vol. 2, p. 268). Thus, the Savior refers here to customs very common at that time among the Jews. At the same time, it should be noted that Christ did not actually need to speak about tombs themselves. He used this metaphor to characterize people; not about tombs, but about people could one speak that, resembling “whitewashed tombs” in their inner content, they are sometimes externally very beautiful. Many hypocrites develop during prayers and divine services such artistic methods that one cannot but admire the excellent beauty of them. But in life this does not prevent such persons from being completely “whitewashed tombs.”

Matthew 23:28. “Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:29. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,” (Compare Luke 11:47.) There is indicated a common and general phenomenon of human life, by which the best people are very often subjected to persecutions from their contemporaries, and the descendants of the latter build them monuments and honor their memory as benefactors of mankind. This phenomenon is so common that there is no need to search for any particular examples. Christ does not say what Hilary interprets, that the people of the law killed all the prophets. There were exceptions, for example, Elijah and Elisha. But in general Christ’s words are accurate. About the building of monuments and tombs are found in the Palmyra and Nabatean inscriptions, where this is called “bana”—oikodomeín, as in Matthew (Merx). Near Jerusalem were the “tombs of David” (Nehem 3:16), of the high priest John Hyrcanus, Alexander Jannaeus and many others. For the adornment of tombs with flowers on certain days, some left money (Schürer, Geschichte, III, S. 18 at the beginning).

Matthew 23:30. “And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets;” (Compare Luke 11:48.) So speak all people, spiritual and secular, ancient and modern, building monuments to prophets and generally remarkable people of the past. Properly speaking, there is nothing reprehensible about this. On the contrary, the memory of many persons of past time is honorable and worthy of perpetuation, if only in the form of building monuments to them. But all this is good only under the moral condition of society. But when hypocrisy and the vices accompanying it are developed in it, then people who build monuments to the tormented and persecuted prophets, take only part in the persecutions and torments on the part of their ancestors, not directly, but indirectly. While showing apparent respect to the prophets that were, they persecute and torment the prophets of the present, their contemporaries. So it was with the generation contemporary to Christ. It built monuments to the prophets of the past, who prophesied about Christ, while delivering Christ Himself to crucifixion death. Instead of “in the shedding” (in the Russian Bible underlined) “of blood” you can simply translate “in blood.”

Matthew 23:31. “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the children of those who killed the prophets.” In the Book of Acts (Acts 7:52) the protomartyr Stephen speaks with the same words: “Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain those who showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom you have been now the betrayers and murderers.”} The word “sons” contains a double meaning: sons by flesh and by spirit. There is indicated one of the traits of the unsatisfactory moral condition of the scribes and Pharisees: their fathers were murderers of the best people, the prophets; such murderers or capable of murder they themselves are.

Matthew 23:32. “Fill up then the measure of your fathers.” The image is taken from the ordinary way of filling vessels for dry, liquid or granulated matter. The Russian word “mera” (measure) fully corresponds to the Greek metron and means here a measure in general, not some particular one, for example, a grain measure. Thus, the meaning is that the ancestors of the Pharisees and scribes tried to fill the “measure” with their lawlessness and cruel treatment of the prophets. Their descendants not only did not stop this activity, but to the lawlessness committed by their ancestors, strove to add even new ones. A clear indication of the impending delivery to death of the Savior Himself and of the persecutions of His disciples. “Plerosat” in the Russian translation is not precise: “fill up”; it should be “fill to the brim, abundantly.” Obviously, this is not a commandment from Christ, but only a designation of a fact (compare John 14:27). The Savior speaks as if to say: you have already decided to fill the measure of your fathers; do this so as to undergo even greater condemnation.

Matthew 23:33. “You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the judgment of hell?” About the “generation of vipers” see the commentaries to Matt 3:7. A similar expression in Matt 12:34; Luke 3:7. The words of Christ shed light on the words of the Baptist (Matt 3:7). There the future wrath is only supposed; here it is presented as already come. The Pharisees and scribes can now no longer escape the judgment of hell.

Matthew 23:34. “Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city;” In Luke (Luke 11:49) this is not the words of Christ Himself, but a quotation from the speech of wisdom. But from exactly which book this quotation is taken is completely unknown. Some even suppose that in Luke 11:49 the words “therefore also the wisdom of God said” could have been an insertion by the evangelist himself into the speech of Christ, and under sophia he could have understood Him Himself. Others think that in Luke there is a reference to 2 Chr 24:18-22, but finding similarity here is difficult. Matthew does not say that the words of verse 34 are a quotation and makes no allusion to this. The best opinion is that the quotation, if only it is here, is borrowed from an unknown source. It should be noted that some expressions of the section being considered are distinguished by similarity with several verses in the 3rd Book of Ezra (3Ezr 1). This can be seen from the following comparison: Fill up then the measure of your fathers (Matt 23:32)—The sins of their parents grew in them (3Ezr 1:6). Let all the righteous blood come upon you (Matt 23:35)—You have defiled your hands with blood, and your feet are swift to commit murder (3Ezr 1:26). How often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings (Matt 23:37)—I gathered you, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings (3Ezr 1:30). Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city (Matt 23:34)—I sent you My servants, the prophets; you seized them, killed and tore apart their bodies. Their blood I will also require, says the Lord (3Ezr 1:32). Behold, your house is left to you desolate (Matt 23:38)—Thus says the Lord God: your house is desolate (3Ezr 1:33). It may be that in the Book of Ezra these passages were borrowed from the Gospels. The time of origin of the book is still not determined with precision; the most probable assumption is that it was written in the time of Domitian (81–96 AD) and was subsequently supplemented (Schürer, Geschichte, III, S. 328). By prophets, wise men and scribes are understood Christian teachers. They are called so in correspondence with various Hebrew designations of officials. In distinction from the false prophets, wise men and scribes whom Christ condemns, these are true. Many of them, as known from history, the words of His were fulfilled literally (see Acts 12:2; Eusebius of Caesarea, “Ecclesiastical History.” III, 32—concerning the crucifixion of Simeon and others).

Matthew 23:35. “That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom you slew between the temple and the altar.” (Compare Luke 11:50-51.) When examining this verse, the first question arises: why were the scribes, Pharisees and Jewish people contemporary to Christ guilty, so that upon them should come all the righteous blood shed from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias. In the murder of Abel, Cain was guilty, not they. Why then were they subject, according to the words of Christ, to responsibility for this? This is explained by the fact that in the life of both individual persons and entire societies and even peoples, there is a concentration of both good and evil. The murder of Abel was an expression of Cain’s malice, but this malice developed and reached extreme intensity in the Pharisees and scribes contemporary to Christ. Hence the usual biblical view that descendants are punished for the sins of their fathers, sins for which the descendants are, properly speaking, factually not guilty. The scribes and Pharisees contemporary to Christ were so corrupted, so evil, that they had to bear responsibility even for previous crimes, because they were capable and ready to commit not only them, but far greater ones. The history of the murder by Cain of Abel is known, and there is no need to repeat it. It was the first murder of a man committed in the world. It would be expected that Christ would then point to the last murder, wishing to briefly indicate all intermediate murders, from beginning to end. He points to the murder of Zacharias, son of Barachias. Which Zacharias is meant here? Jerome assumes that the Zacharias mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew was the one who was killed by Joash, the king of the Jews, between the temple and the altar (inter templum et altare). But it should be noted, says Jerome, that this Zacharias was the son not of Barachias but of the priest Jehoiada. In the Gospel which the Nazarenes use, instead of “the son of Barachias,” we find written “the son of Jehoiada.” Modern commentators agree with Jerome that this was Zacharias killed by Joash (2 Chr 24:20 ff.). The naming of his father as Barachias is explained by the fact that the father may have borne two names—Barachias and Jehoiada.

Matthew 23:36. “Truly I say to you, All these things will come upon this generation.” (Compare Luke 11:51.) A confirmation of the thought expressed in verse 35. In Luke, in essence, the same is said, but differently and more clearly: “it shall be required of this generation.”

Matthew 23:37. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not!” (Compare Luke 13:34—in a different connection.) All of Christ’s discourse stands out for its prophetic character and has a connection to His further prophetic discourse about the fate of the world and Jerusalem. He does not say: Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who killed the prophets and stoned them, etc., but “the one killing and stoning” (ἡ ἀποκτείνουσα καὶ λιθοβολοῦσα). These words cannot raise doubt in anyone that this actually happened, and they were repeated several times after by the writer of the Acts and by the Apostle Paul, also without raising doubt in anyone, although in the past concrete instances of such actual slayings could not be found.

Matthew 23:38. Behold, your house is left to you desolate. (Cf. Luke 13:35.) By the word “house” (ὁ οἶκος) one can understand the temple, all of Jerusalem, or interpret this word in a general sense – a dwelling abandoned by all.

Matthew 23:39. For I say to you: you will not see Me henceforth, until you say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Cf. Luke 13:35.) The Savior does not mean to say that the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not see Him in person. But they will not see Him as He appeared among them – as the Great Teacher, the Reprover, the Healer of diseases. From the subsequent history it is evident that this indeed was so. The account of the healing of the high priest’s servant (Luke 22:51) does not contradict what was said. The discourse about Christ’s stay in Jerusalem, met with cries: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matt 21:9), here flows entirely naturally and fittingly as if drawing to a close. But the events in which people should cry out: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” will now be new and utterly unlike the former ones.

Chapter Twenty-Four

1–3. The occasion for Christ’s eschatological discourse. – 4–14. Events before the end. – 15–28. Tribulations before the second coming. – 29–31. The second coming. – 32–51. Exhortations to watchfulness.

Matthew 24:1. And when Jesus departed from the temple and was going away, His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. (Cf. Mark 13:1; Luke 21:5). The Synoptists point out precisely where the Savior departed with His disciples, namely to the Mount of Olives (verse 3; Mark 13:3), from which one could see the temple and Jerusalem well with all their then great splendor. This is confirmed by the remarks Matt 26:6 and Mark 14:3, from which it is evident that after the long “eschatological” discourse pronounced on the Mount of Olives, Jesus Christ arrived in Bethany without first returning to Jerusalem. He left the temple with the words “behold, your house is left to you desolate” (Matt 23:38). “He as it were shook off the dust from His feet before the house which was to remain empty.” On the way for a time the temple buildings ceased to be visible. But after a sharp turn on the road they appeared again to view in all their splendor. The disciples accompanying Christ and of course hearing His words about the desolation of the temple could not clearly and well imagine how this desolation would come about in place of the splendor which was visible to all. The building of the temple was begun about twenty years before the Common Era by Herod I and completed about the year 63 of the Common Era. The buildings were not yet finished but were already splendid. The temple was one of the wonders of the world. What was the purpose of this building? All Jews connected with Jerusalem and the temple the most brilliant hopes that would be fulfilled with the coming of the Messiah. And now the Messiah says that the temple will be desolate. Therefore the disciples approached Christ more closely (during the journey) and pointed out to Him the splendor of ἱεροῦ, that is, the temple itself and the buildings surrounding it. According to Mark, it is somewhat different: the disciples do not show Christ the buildings of the temple, but only one disciple speaks with Him about what stones and what buildings. In Luke again it is somewhat different: some – probably from among the disciples – spoke to Christ on the way about how the temple was adorned with “precious stones and offerings.” In all these accounts there is not the slightest contradiction in the testimony of the Synoptists, and all could have happened exactly as they relate, with one of them drawing attention to one thing and another to another.

Matthew 24:2. And Jesus said to them: Do you see all these things? Truly, I say to you: not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down. (Cf. Mark 13:2; Luke 21:6.) Since, according to Mark 13:1, only one disciple spoke with Christ, in Mark 13:2 He answers only to him. In Matthew and Luke He speaks with all the disciples. If the disciples could not reconcile the thought of the impending desolation of the temple and all its buildings with their then great splendor, Christ now only strengthens the thought He had expressed before, saying that in the temple there will be not only inner desolation but also outer, so that from what the disciples admire “not one stone will be left upon another.” All this was literally fulfilled. Κελεύει Καῖσαρ ἤδη τήν τε πόλιν ἅπασαν καὶ τὸν νεὼν κατασκάπτειν (the Caesar commanded to demolish the whole city and the temple), – says the Jewish historian (Josephus, “The Jewish War,” VII, 1, 1). During the Jewish war and the capture of Jerusalem by Titus the temple was burned, and “the city was razed to the ground.” Only three towers in the palace of Herod and part of the wall were left – the towers as monuments of what was once the fortress of the city, and the latter as a defense in case of a renewed siege. Titus celebrated his hard-won victory with many sacrifices by giving a laudatory address to the army, rewarding outstanding military deeds, offering a thanksgiving sacrifice, and holding a feast (Schürer). Jerusalem fell in September of the year 70 of the Common Era.

Matthew 24:3. Now when He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, His disciples came to Him privately, saying: Tell us, when will these things be? and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age? (Cf. Mark 13:3; Luke 21:7.) As Jesus Christ was ascending to the Mount of Olives He stopped and sat down. Mark adds: “opposite the temple” (κατέναντι τοῦ ἱεροῦ). “Privately” (κατ´ ἰδίαν) shows that the conversation took place only in the presence of the disciples and the further discourse was spoken only to them. The expression ταῦτα (“these things”) in all the Synoptists apparently should not raise special confusion. Earlier Christ had spoken about the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and the question, when “this” would be, from the disciples was natural and understandable. It may have been prompted as well by the fact that the disciples feared lest they themselves become witnesses to the destruction. What Christ was predicting was in itself terrible. In this could lie the basis for the question of the disciples. But if the first question (“when will this be?”) is entirely understandable and natural, then on the contrary the second presents significant difficulties for interpretation. Luke and, it seems, Mark confine themselves only to questions relating to the destruction of Jerusalem (St. John Chrysostom: ὁ δὲ Λουκᾶς ἕν φησιν εἶναι τὸ ἐρώτημα, τό περὶ τῶν Ἰεροσολύμων), – although in them there are not one but two questions. But Matthew to the question about the destruction of Jerusalem adds further questions about the so-called parusia, not altogether accurately rendered into Russian as “coming,” and about the “end of the age.” What does this mean? What connection is there between questions about the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and about the “presence” of Christ and the end of the age? Clearly, to understand this we must pay attention to the very meaning of the expressions “parusia” and “end of the age.” The word “parusia” is found only in the Gospel of Matthew, first here and then in verses 37 and 39 – only in this one chapter, consequently. But it is found several times in the Apostle Paul (1 Cor 15:23; 1 Thess 2:19; 2 Thess 2:1), James (Jas 5:7-8), Peter (2 Pet 1:16) and John (1 John 2:28). In all these cases parusia of Christ is spoken of. But besides, in the Apostle Paul alone is found the use of this word generally of people (1 Cor 16:17; 2 Cor 7:6-7; Phil 1:26) or of the antichrist (2 Thess 2:9); into Russian παρουσία is translated sometimes as “arrival,” sometimes as “presence,” sometimes as “coming.” Parusia can mean coming (adventus), but only in a figurative sense. The proper meaning of the word – from the preposition παρά, indicating closeness, and εἰμί, I am – is presence, and moreover a close, personal manifestation. According to usage in the Apostle Paul, when he speaks of Christ, the word means generally His second coming. Nowhere in the New Testament is it used of the Incarnation of Christ, even in 2 Pet 1:16. The word is found in Ignatius (“Epistle to the Philadelphians,” 9, 2), where also it is used in the sense of the second coming of Jesus Christ (ἐξαίρετον δὲ τι ἔχει τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ σωτῆρος, κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὸ πάθος αὐτοῦ καί τὴν ἀνάστασιν), Hermas (“Pastor,” 58 – ἡ δὲ ἀποδημία τοῦ δεσπότου ὁ χρόνος ὁ περισσεύων εἰς τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτοῦ), Justin (Dialogus cum Tryphone, 52, 1 – προεφητεύθη, ὅτι δύο τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίαι ἔσονται). By the word παρουσία, used in the Apostle Paul (1 Cor 15:23), is meant, it is evident, not only the coming of Christ in itself, but also the power and might belonging to Him to raise the dead. In proposing their questions to Christ, the disciples could hardly have thought about resurrection. But that they attributed to Christ some extraordinary power not belonging to an ordinary person is evident from the fact that they connected His second presence with συντελεία τοῦ αἰῶνος – the end of the age. This expression is even more difficult than parusia. In meaning the word συντελεία is the same as τέλος, but with this difference, that at least sometimes it means the conclusion of something with the participation of some person. If the disciples had expressed themselves differently: “what will be the sign of Your presence and of the end of the age?” and had used τέλος here, this would mean that the end of the age would be independent of the personal presence of Christ. In other words, the disciples would have proposed to Christ not one but two questions, the first – about His appearance, presence, coming, and the second – about the end of the age. But the word συντελεία establishes a connection between the end of the age and the coming of Christ. From this it is evident how important this gospel expression is for exegesis and apologetics. No ordinary person could have been asked such a question. It was proposed and could be proposed only to One whom the questioners recognized as the Messiah. From this it is also evident that the disciples proposed to Christ not three questions, as Jerome affirmed (interrogant triä quo tempore Jerusalem destruenda sit; quo venturus Christus; quo consummatio saeculi futura sit), but two, because the latter questions represent, as it were, only a twofold form of one and the same question (grammatically one). “End of the age” (συντελεία τοῦ αἰῶνος) was “a technical apocalyptic expression.” One can agree with this because the expression used in the prophet Daniel (Dan 12:4 – the translation of the Seventy), apparently became current and passed into the apocalyptic literature of that time (see Ep. of Barnabas 13:3, 27:15, 29:8, 30:3, 54:21, 56:2, 59:8, 82:2, 83:7, 23; Ass. Mos. 1, 18; Enoch 16:1 and others). In the Gospels συντελεία is found only in Matthew (Matt 13:39-40, Matt 13:49) and once in the Epistle to the Hebrews (Heb 9:26). The word “age” is found very frequently in the New Testament. It does not mean here, as is justly remarked, “world” or “universe,” but precisely “age,” that is, a known period of time with its special characteristics. The question of the disciples can therefore be rephrased thus: what will be the sign of Your presence (coming) and of the renewal connected with it of this world, its transformation for the better? The inadequacy of the condition of society then forced many to strive for something better and to expect it. The prophets predicted this better condition. Later these hopes degenerated into chiliasm. “In the question of the disciples it is supposed that between the destruction of Jerusalem and the second coming of Christ there will be an interval, during which they will not see Him again. The disciples could not help noticing this; and therefore neither their question nor the discourse of the Lord set as an aim to unite both these events. This is necessary to keep in mind when studying the words of Christ” (Edersheim). The age of which the disciples spoke was “the present evil age.”

Matthew 24:4. Jesus said to them in answer: See to it that no one deceives you, (Cf. Mark 13:5; Luke 21:8.) The Savior’s words serve as an answer to the questions proposed by the disciples (ἀποκριθείς – only in Matthew). It is not clear why βλέπετε is rendered in the Russian translation as “see to it,” although of course the word has this meaning. Better – observe carefully, look. The translation “deceives you” is not precise, does not express the sense of the original and obscures the discourse. Deceive how? In the Greek in all the evangelists πλανάω, which means to lead astray from the right path, to cause to wander, to lead this way and that, to deceive. Thus the disciples ought to observe carefully so that no one would lead them into error and deceive them. As is evident, the first question of the disciples, “when will these things (that is, the destruction of Jerusalem) be,” is left without answer, at least not directly. To the second question about coming and the end of the age no direct answer is given in verse 4. But since the discourse that follows deals precisely with this, verse 4 can be viewed as an introduction to the entire further discourse. It is correctly noted that in the further discourse of Christ there is set forth if not exclusively then primarily practical teaching, that it aims not to prematurely reveal the fate of the world and determine the hour and day (generally the time) of the end of the world, but only to teach the disciples how they ought to conduct themselves in constant expectation of the end of the world. This “eschatological discourse” of Christ is full of insurmountable difficulties for interpretation, which is entirely understandable since here the matter is about the future fate of the world. An enormous amount of effort has been expended on its explanation. It has been the cause of numerous errors resulting from improper interpretations of it. For its proper interpretation it is above all necessary to keep in mind that in it, on the one hand, there is discourse about the fate of Jerusalem, on the other – about the future fate of kingdoms, and on the third – about the end of the world. This threefold meaning of it we will for brevity call the first, second and third meaning. It has, though slight, a relation to the fate and life of each individual person. Some (not without success) have attempted to interpret it exclusively about the fate of Jerusalem and the Jewish people, others – only about the end of the world and the second coming. Both interpretations can be considered correct. To understand how this happens one must keep in mind that the discourse reveals such events which, as we have said, can be viewed from three main viewpoints or perspectives. This is easier to see by example. If a person stands in some flat place an open horizon extends before him; if he rises several fathoms higher the space before him expands and the horizon recedes; if yet higher the horizon opens further. So it is with Christ’s discourse. If we view it from the lowest viewpoint we will find that in it almost everything can be explained relatively to the nearest events – the capture and destruction of Jerusalem; if we rise higher we will see a prediction about the fate of nations and kingdoms; if yet higher – then about the last fate of the world. Among these three main viewpoints there are, it is understood, many intermediate ones which make one thing intelligible for some and another for others. The discourse reveals the most subtle and comprehensive knowledge of popular psychology, in part already tested and proved by history. No one could have spoken such a discourse except Christ. To understand this we must suppose that some historian, or scholar, or simply a seer tried to set forth briefly and in general terms (in the space of 51 verses) the past and already familiar fate of humanity. We could not expect their work to be wholly perfect because to embrace and briefly set forth all the mass of past events is difficult for any person whatever knowledge he may possess. This example enables us to understand how difficult, even if only in general terms, is it to speak exclusively about the future fate of humanity. Such a task could not be executed with such perfection by anyone except Christ. Many have attempted to prove that His discourse is only a reflection of contemporary Jewish eschatology. But Edersheim with a mass of citations proves that Jewish eschatology moved in a completely opposite direction from the thinking of Christ. The genuineness of this discourse is disputed little. “The orderly unity of the discourse in Matthew,” says Zahn, “excludes the hypothesis that here was inserted into the original context material derived not from the remembrance of the sayings of Jesus but from some Jewish or Christian apocalypse.” The contrast between the Jewish picture of the last judgment and that which is outlined in the Gospels is so striking that this alone can serve as a defense (if needed) of the eschatological section of the New Testament, as well as proof of what an enormous distance exists between the teaching of Christ and the theology of the synagogue (Edersheim). In the verse under consideration the Savior speaks above all of the impatience of the disciples. In it lies the danger that “they will become the victims of deceptive announcements about His presence” (Zahn). Therefore He invites them to caution; they must be on guard so that while waiting for the true Messiah they do not fall into some deception.

Matthew 24:5. For many will come in My name, saying, “I am the Christ,” and will deceive many. (Cf. Mark 13:6; Luke 21:8.) The same thought is repeated further in Matthew in completely different expressions (verses 23–26) and in parallel passages in Mark (Mark 13:21-22) and Luke (Luke 17:23); in the latter in a different context. The question about how Christ’s words correspond to historical reality was already raised by Origen, who said that during the time of the apostles few people called themselves christs, except only Dositheos the Samaritan, on account of whom (his followers) are called dositheans; and also Simon, of whom it is reported in the Acts of the Apostles, proclaiming himself as the great power of God (qui se virtutem esse Dei magnam pronunciabat). Besides them, so far as Origen knew, there were (no false christs) neither before nor after. Theophylact speaks of those same persons as Origen, but Zigabenus adds also Menander “and others.” Jerome – only of Simon the sorcerer, later exegetes – also of Theudas and an unknown Egyptian of whom Josephus Flavius reports (“The Jewish War”) and Luke (Acts 21:38). To explain why there is so little information about persons who took on the name of Messiah, we say that these persons – ψευδόχριστοι – were always too microscopic to leave deep traces in history after themselves. It is certain that even at present there exist many persons (among, for example, the khlysty) calling themselves “christs” and “goddesses of God,” but anyone not thoroughly familiar with the history of khlystvism would be at a loss to name definite individuals taking on such a title. The same could be true in the intervals between Christ’s death and the time of the destruction of Jerusalem. Messianic expectation, strongly developed at that time and generating a whole messianic literature, could not be merely theoretical but must have expressed itself practically, although we cannot know exactly the persons who took on the title of Messiah. It is very probable that the examples of Theudas and the Egyptian were not the only ones, as is usually the case. As for the existence of false messiahs after the destruction of Jerusalem, there were many; they exist, as we said above, even at present, and undoubtedly will appear in great numbers before the final world catastrophe, which will be followed by a complete renewal of the present sinful world. The word “deceive” in the Russian translation is as imprecise as in verse 4.

Matthew 24:6. You will also hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for all these things must take place, but the end is not yet: (Cf. Mark 13:7; Luke 21:9.) One reading the history of the Jewish war by Josephus Flavius can fully see that all this occurred before the destruction of Jerusalem. Vespasian did not besiege Jerusalem right away but first subdued the Galileans. Thus began wars and rumors of wars in Palestine. After the peaceful century of Augustus the whole world at that time was full of them. This is witnessed by Tacitus at the beginning of his History (Historia, I, 2). In the year 38 of the Common Era riots began in Alexandria giving occasion to complaints of the Jews against Flaccus and his removal; around the same time in Seleucia during riots more than 50,000 Jews were killed. There was a severe uprising also in Jamnia, near Joppa. Theophylact refers Christ’s words to “the military actions of the Romans around Jerusalem.” This is the first meaning of Christ’s words. The second is that “wars and rumors of wars” especially incline people to the acceptance of Christ, and at this time He usually comes to them invisibly. The third is the special development of wars and rumors of wars before the Last Judgment and the end of the world. About “be not alarmed” see 2 Thess 2:2. “All these things” – πάντα ταῦτα – is not in the best manuscripts. Therefore the translation should be as follows: “see that you are not alarmed, for it must come to pass.” In Mark it is literally similar to Matthew (but without γάρ and the following ἐστίν), in Luke πάντα is added (but without πάντα). Wars and rumors of wars alone ought not to give the disciples grounds for the thought that along with them the end (of Jerusalem, of kingdoms, of the world) has arrived.

Matthew 24:7. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places; (Cf. Mark 13:8; Luke 21:10-11.) In Matthew and Mark the expressions are almost the same, but Luke conveys Christ’s discourse differently and more fully than the other Synoptists. The constant existence of conflict among nations and kingdoms, famine and earthquakes is hardly in need of proof. Therefore all this could be and was before the destruction of Jerusalem, and after it, and will be before the Last Judgment. During great crises in the history of humanity all these calamities have been and are felt by people with special force. This is an indubitable historical fact of a general character. However, from that time they point to several cases in which they see the literal fulfillment of Christ’s words. Thus in the year 45 or 47 there was a severe earthquake in Crete, in 51 – in Rome, in 53 – in Apamea and Phrygia, in 60 – in Laodicea and Phrygia and others. It is historically known that roughly at that time there were four famines (cf. Acts 11:28), twice – plague, which claimed 30,000 victims in Rome.

Matthew 24:8. All this is but the beginning of the birth pangs. (Cf. Mark 13:8 (end)). “Birth pangs” – ὠδίνων, properly the pangs of childbirth. During the evolutionary process of the world first there are, as with a woman in labor, only forerunners of further pangs, and then the pangs themselves begin. The reference here is apparently not to the “messianic woes.” In 3Ezr 15-16 there is a detailed discourse about similar calamities (cf. especially 3Ezr 16:39-40).

Matthew 24:9. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and will kill you; and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake; (Cf. Mark 13:9-11; Luke 21:12-14.) In Matthew the detailed discourse of Mark and Luke is set forth briefly. It was set forth by Matthew earlier in another place – when the apostles were sent forth to preach (Matt 10:17-21), therefore the evangelist does not now repeat the words said before. The words of this verse can be referred to the persecution of Christians by Nero, to the treatment of Judaizers toward the Apostle Paul and so forth. The Apostle Paul says: “We are reviled but we bless; we are persecuted but we endure; we are slandered, but we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the refuse of the world, like the scum of all things” (1 Cor 4:13). The opinion that here the Savior is speaking not to the disciples but addresses Himself to the Church seems incorrect. It is more correct to think that the discourse is to the disciples and (through them) to the Church.

Matthew 24:10. And then many will be led into sin, and will betray one another and hate one another; About “will be led into sin” see the commentaries to Matt 5:29. The whole verse is in sense the same as the discourse Matt 10:21-22 (see commentaries).

Matthew 24:11. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people; The statement is not identical with verse 5: there it speaks of false christs, here – of false prophets. “Do you see the threefold war, namely with deceivers, enemies and false brothers?” (St. John Chrysostom). In another place Chrysostom counts seven battles here, and even far more: “Do you see the numberless kinds of battles, new and unusual?” Bengel notes that at first false christs come (verse 5); in the middle – false prophets (verse 11), and finally – both (verse. 24). Gradatio bimembris (twofold progression). About false prophets and false teachers in the early apostolic Church it is especially clear in Acts 20:30; 2 Pet 2:1; 1 John 2:18, 1 John 2:22-23; 2 John 1:7; in the Epistle of Jude; Rom 16:17-18; Gal 1:7-9; Col 2:18; 1 Tim 1:6-7; 1 Tim 6:3-5; 1 Tim 6:3-5; 2 Tim 2:18; Rev 16:13. About false apostles 2 Cor 11:13.

Matthew 24:12. And because of the increase of lawlessness the love of most will grow cold. If lawlessness or immorality, which is also lawlessness, becomes established in a family, then, as all know, love ceases among the members of the family. This is equally true with regard to separate societies, states and peoples. By the absence of mutual love among citizens one can always judge that lawlessness has become established among them; by the existence and development of lawlessness one can conclude that mutual love among citizens has ceased. In a few words here is captured and expressed the most subtle popular psychology.

Matthew 24:13. But he who endures to the end will be saved. (Cf. Mark 13:13; Luke 21:19. Cf. Matt 10:22; 2 Tim 2:12; Heb 3:6; Rev 2:26.) Some thought that “to the end” means death, others – the destruction of Jerusalem, still others – a period of trials, fourth – the appearance of Jesus Christ at His second coming. It should be noted that if the words of Christ in Matthew and Mark here are literally the same, in Luke it is a completely different expression: “By your endurance save your lives.” Why such a difference came about is impossible to understand. But Luke’s words shed light on the expressions preserved in Matthew and Mark. The general thought of all these sayings is that salvation depends on patience and endurance during calamities. This corresponds generally to the character of ordinary worldly struggle. In fact those are considered victorious not who grow weak and fall on the field of battle but those who on the bloody trail of their corpses approach the appointed goal. By “end” here is understood the conclusion not of personal but of general calamities befalling humanity. With the cessation of calamities will come salvation and joy as after the pangs of childbirth. Salvation appears to be implied not only external but also spiritual, moral and eternal. A person who has passed through the furnace of trial becomes δόκιμος – discerning, wise, tried (cf. Jas 1:12).

Matthew 24:14. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Cf. Mark 13:10 – a transposition made for unknown reasons.) Blessed Augustine says: “If anyone thinks that the words: ‘this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world’ means that the apostles themselves did this, then on the basis of reliable testimony one can prove that this did not happen. For there are in Africa countless peoples among which the Gospel has not yet been proclaimed.” Such an understanding of the matter seems somewhat narrow. One reading apostolic history sees that even before the destruction of Jerusalem evangelical preaching took on such broad dimensions that if not absolutely then in a relative sense one could say that the Gospel was preached then throughout the whole world. One can also say about the present time that Christianity is a universal religion, although many peoples are still not enlightened by the light of the Gospel. The absolute meaning Christ’s words should receive before the end of the world when all peoples will learn about Christ and His teaching, which is quite possible to assume in view of the extraordinary zeal with which over the course of almost two thousand years (a fact unprecedented in the history of other religions) evangelical preaching has been carried on. The word “end” here means not only the end of Jerusalem but also the end of kingdoms (in general world upheavals) and of the world.

Matthew 24:15. Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place – let the reader understand – (Cf. Mark 13:14; Luke 21:20.) Zahn says that the words Luke 21:20-24 stand out from the parallel with the general basis of the discourse in Matthew and Mark. This section in Luke begins the same way as in Matthew in the verse under consideration and Mark (Mark 13:14) with the expression ὅταν δὲ ἴδητε. As in Matthew and Mark so also in Luke in the discourse about desolation there is the same offer to inhabitants of Jerusalem to flee to the mountains and there is mention of grief for pregnant women and those nursing in those days. But in the rest the content in Luke is entirely different, namely: in him are depicted the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, the death of many inhabitants, the captivity of the rest and a long period of the dominion of the Gentiles in Jerusalem. In Matthew and Mark – the last pangs of society which will end with the coming of Jesus Christ. Here, says Zahn, all the art of harmonizers refuses to serve. It is difficult to agree with such an opinion. The prophetic discourse of Christ in many cases resembles scales which incline now this way now that way. Sometimes the Savior speaks very closely about the impending events in Jerusalem as if they touch it directly and the center of gravity seems to be in them. But one must not forget that the scale pan is ready to incline in another direction right away, and then His discourse begins to mean something else. It is hard to suppose that Christ in the verse of Matthew under consideration said absolutely nothing about the destruction of Jerusalem, but it is also hard to suppose that He did not touch here on His second coming, borrowing images from the calamities threatening Jerusalem. Luke emphasizes more the first meaning, Matthew and Mark – the second. Thus there is no contradiction in the testimony of the evangelists. The particle “therefore” (οὖν) placed at the beginning of the verse shows that the new discourse is connected with the preceding. Here lies the answer to the question of the disciples “when will this be.” This particle has always been difficult for commentators. It indicates that verse 15 is a conclusion from the preceding discourse. But is not an anachronism introduced here? Is it not strange to make a conclusion from what must happen at the end of the age and thus regulate what will happen at the destruction of Jerusalem? In reality there is nothing strange here. It is not the future destruction of the world that serves as an image of the destruction of Jerusalem but the reverse. Therefore John is correct when he says that οὖν does not express that the Savior returns to His former thought because here discourse is about what was not said before but only a further thought is carried forward joined to the former. The passages from the book of the prophet Daniel to which the Savior refers here are found in the prophecy about the seventy weeks and are considered very obscure and therefore are translated in different ways (Dan 9:26-27). For us here it is important only that in one case (Dan 9:27) the Seventy translate the Hebrew expression (“shikutzim meshomem” – plural) through βδέλυγμα τῶν ἐρημώσεων and in another (“shikutz shomem” – Dan 12:11) – through τὸ βδέλυγμα ἐρημώσεως. In the Gospels the article τῆς is placed before ἐρημώσεως which is not in the translation of the Seventy in Dan 12:11. It is more probable however that the gospel expression corresponds to the latter place and is derived from it. “Shikutz shomem,” βδέλυγμα ἐρημώσεως, “abomination of desolation,” as was supposed, became among the Hebrews something like a terminus technicus for designating idols set up in the temple and the idolatry connected with them. In this sense the expression is used in 1 Macc 1:54 where it says that “on the fifteenth day of Chislev” (December) “in the one hundred forty-fifth year” (168 BC) “the Syrians (Antiochus Epiphanies) set up the abomination of desolation” (βδέλυγμα ἐρημώσεως) on the altar and “on the twenty-fifth day of the month” (Chislev) sacrifices were offered “on the altar which was upon the altar.” The same meaning of “abomination of desolation” could be intended by the prophet Daniel. But what exactly the Savior meant predicting the abomination of desolation in Jerusalem is difficult to say. Jerome said that this expression could either be understood simply about the antichrist or about the image of Caesar which Pilate set up in the temple or about the equestrian statue of Hadrian which stood in the Holy of Holies until the time when Jerome lived. Some supposed that by the abomination of desolation here is meant the horrible deeds of the zealots during the siege of Jerusalem by Vespasian and Titus. But whatever horrors were committed by the zealots they were alien to idolatry. On the basis of what has been said one should suppose that the Savior takes the well-known biblical saying only in a general sense as understood by the Jews in which pagan power brings devastation – makes the city and temple a waste. In this general sense Josephus Flavius also expressed it regarding the desolation which was predicted by Daniel and brought about by the Romans (Antiquitates iudaicae, X, 11, 7 – ὁ Δανίηλος καὶ περὶ τῆς ‘Ρωμαίων ἡγεμονίας ἀνέγραψε, καὶ ὅτι ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν ἐρημωθήσεται). “Let the reader understand” – the translation is exact. But here it is difficult to say whether these are the words of Christ or the evangelist. Most commentators think this was a “church note” which like the ascription in Matt 6:13 has crept into the text. Some assert that this supposition is entirely arbitrary because the same expression is found in Mark. The solution of the question depends on how to understand the word ἀναγιγνώσκω in the sense of “to notice,” “to recognize,” “to understand,” or in the more concrete – “to read.” The word has both meanings. In the first case it was said by Christ Himself, in the second it cannot be attributed to Him but only to the evangelists. The first is more probable.

Matthew 24:16. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; (Cf. Mark 13:14; Luke 21:21.) As soon as the disciples of Christ notice in the holy place signs of the beginning of the abomination of desolation they should not delay but save themselves in the mountains. The disciples of Christ remembered this commandment and saved themselves (Eusebius of Caesarea, “Ecclesiastical History,” III, 5). Fleeing to the mountains was perhaps customary among the Jews when some danger threatened them (cf. 1 Macc 2:28).

Matthew 24:17. And let him who is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house; (Cf. Mark 13:15; Luke 21:21. Cf. Luke 17:31.) The expressions in Matthew and Mark are similar but in Luke they are entirely different. It is again a reminder of the necessity to save oneself by flight during danger. Of course the discourse of Christ is figurative.

Matthew 24:18. And let him who is in the field not turn back to get his garment. (Cf. Mark 13:16.) In Luke further there is an inserted discourse (Luke 21:22), which is not in Matthew and Mark whose expressions are approximately similar. If one cannot come down from the roof into the house itself then much less from the field should one return to take even one garment. An indication of the custom in hot countries where one works without outer clothing.

Matthew 24:19. And woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! (Cf. Mark 13:17; Luke 21:23.) The discourse is literally the same in all the Synoptists. For women with children it is very difficult to escape by flight. Speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem Origen notes: “And there was no mercy then neither for pregnant women nor for those nursing nor for the children themselves.” About the terrible suffering of the Jews and Jerusalem Josephus tells in “The Jewish War” (cf. Eusebius of Caesarea, “Ecclesiastical History,” III, 5, 6).

Matthew 24:20. Pray that your flight may not be in the winter or on a Sabbath, (Cf. Mark 13:18 – omits the words “or on a Sabbath.”) Luke does not have this verse at all. The discourse is about the incredible difficulties of escape. The note in Matthew about “on a Sabbath” is characteristic and shows distinctly Jewish character. There were cases when the Jews were slain by enemies solely because they refused to do anything on the Sabbath (1 Macc 2:32-37; 2 Macc 5:25-26). Christ says that calamity can strike His disciples on such days when they are enjoying rest. Such discourse of a general character also carries a somewhat special coloration relating specifically to the disciples of the Savior from among the Jews. There is no discussion here at all about some Pharisaic observance of the Sabbath. It is simply a figurative expression whose purpose was to urge not to be hindered even by religious institutions in order to avoid danger.

Matthew 24:21. For then there will be great tribulation such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be. (Cf. Mark 13:19; Luke 21:23.) Christ’s discourse is very similar to Dan 12:1: “and there will be a time of such suffering as has not been since nations came into existence until that time” (ἐκείνη ἡ ἡμέρα θλίψεως οἵα οὐκ ἐγενήθη ἀφ´ οὗ ἐγενήθησαν ἕως τῆς ἡμερας ἐκείνης cf. Jer 30:7; 1 Macc 9:27). “For” is referred not only to the preceding (verse 19) but generally to the entire discourse of verses 16–20. The word “then” does not refer only to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem. With regard to the destruction of Jerusalem the prediction of the Savior is fully confirmed by the accounts of Josephus Flavius in “The Jewish War.”

Matthew 24:22. And if those days had not been cut short no flesh would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. (Cf. Mark 13:20; Luke 21:24.) In Mark the discourse is similar to Matthew, in Luke it is entirely different. According to Augustine’s interpretation by “days” is meant the calamities themselves (mala ipsa) just as in other places of Sacred Scripture mention is made of unfortunate, calamitous and evil days (Gen 47:9; Ps 93:13; Eph 5:16). “No flesh” – a Hebraism (“lo kol”) means: no one of the living people and even animals. This of course has a general meaning. But Chrysostom thinks that here by all flesh the Savior “understands the Jews.” Christ’s prediction was fulfilled on the Jews. More than a million of them perished during the siege of Jerusalem by Vespasian and Titus, 97,000 were carried into captivity. In total if one relies on the testimony of Josephus Flavius during the Jewish war 1,356,460 Jews perished. The idea that God spares the wicked for the sake of the righteous is characteristic of the Old Testament (Gen 18:24-33). By “elect” here can be understood Christians or in general righteous people (cf. Rom 11:12-29). They also point out the circumstances why in fact during the siege of Jerusalem the “days were cut short.” Titus conducted his campaign against the Jews quickly being intent on accompanying his father to Rome and taking part in his triumphal procession and the following celebrations.

Matthew 24:23. Then if anyone says to you, “Look, here is the Christ!” or “There he is!” – do not believe it. (Cf. Mark 13:21.) Hopes for a deliverer or deliverers have always been natural in times of grave suffering. And among the Jews they were especially strong. Various people could have taken advantage of this (and did in fact take advantage) who gathered the people to lead them in bloody struggle. Whether they called themselves messiahs is unknown (except for Bar Kokhba, Schürer, Geschichte, I, S. 685; and perhaps Theudas). But that such people could appear can be considered an indubitable historical fact.

Matthew 24:24. For there will appear false messiahs and false prophets and will show great signs and wonders so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. (Cf. Mark 13:22.) These words can be explained in three ways (tripliciter – Jerome): either about the time of the siege by the Romans of Jerusalem or about the end of the world or according to Jerome about the struggle of heretics with the Church and about such antichrists who under the false appearance of knowledge struggle against the Church. About false messiahs in the New Testament only here and in the parallel place in Mark. Historically to prove the fulfillment of the prophecy before the destruction of Jerusalem is impossible. False messiahs together with false prophets will show great (but false) wonders to deceive the credulous people (πλανηθῆναι) but not only this people but even the best people the elect.

Matthew 24:25. See, I have told you beforehand. (Cf. Mark 13:23. In Mark it is somewhat fuller and different. Cf. John 16:4; 2 Cor 7:3.) An emphasis of the preceding and subsequent discourse pointing to its importance. Something like a pedagogical device frequently used.

Matthew 24:26. If therefore they say to you, “Behold, He is in the desert,” – do not go out; “Behold, He is in the secret chambers,” – do not believe them; (Cf. Luke 17:23 – in a different context and more similar to Matt 24:23 and Mark 13:21 than to the verse under consideration.) The subject in the Greek is not expressed (in Russian the emphasized “He”). But it is clear that the discourse is about the true Christ of whom the people or false prophets will proclaim. The followers of Christ should not go forth at such calls and should not believe rumors about the Messiah. The true appearance of the true Christ will be entirely different and will leave no doubt in anyone.

Matthew 24:27. For as lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west so will be the coming of the Son of Man; (Cf. Luke 17:24 – in a different context.) One cannot agree with Bengel that credibile est Christi adventum fore ab oriente (it is probable that the coming of Christ will be from the east) because the original says nothing about this. The reference to the east and west is of an indifferent character; one could have said the opposite. The coming of Christ is only compared to the ordinary brightness of lightning especially at night when it seems that the whole heavenly vault is illuminated by it. Reference is made to quickness and suddenness. In some manuscripts there is no καί (and) after οὕτως (so the coming… will be). From this verse the coming of Christ becomes the predominant theme of the discourse. Lesser matters are as if absorbed by the more important. But in the discourse as before one can find the first and second meaning.

Matthew 24:28. For wherever the corpse is there the eagles will gather. (Cf. Luke 17:37.) It seems the real meaning of the verse is that the second coming of the Savior will be at a predetermined time when evil reaches its destructive development as before the flood or the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. When life leaves the body it becomes a corpse and eagles gather to it. So it will be then when in the world the strongest development of evil occurs. The Son of Man and His Angels will appear then to execute the Divine judgment.

Matthew 24:29. And immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will grow dark and the moon will not give its light and the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of heaven will be shaken; (Cf. Mark 13:24-25; Luke 21:25.) If the beginning of the discourse most closely concerned the fate of Jerusalem and the Jewish people and only figuratively could it be interpreted about the fate of kingdoms and the world then now the reverse is true. We must add that the meaning of the entire discourse is extremely subtle and it seems even impossible to express it in simple interpretive discourse. Here lies hidden the same truth that is also evident in the discourses of other Old Testament prophets. For example in the prophet Isaiah: “Arise shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” (Isa 60:1). Only through subtle analysis can one understand that this truth applies also to destroyed Jerusalem with all the suffering it has endured. The same is in the words of Christ. The word εύθεως (“immediately”) has caused numerous difficulties for critics who “used a microscope to examine what should be viewed through a telescope.” The word has very broad meaning and meaning “immediately” “soon” even “at once” points also to enormous intervals of time about which nothing can be said seeing that Christ’s prediction relates to future time. The word has as it were both miniature and extensive cosmic meaning. In His discourse Christ as it were rises higher and higher toward heaven. First He speaks of the sun and moon then of the stars and finally of the powers acting in the highest spheres of being. Here in general is depicted “the day of the Lord” great and terrible. It will be terrible even for nature itself. “The sun will grow dark and the moon will not give its light and the stars will fall from heaven” (this expression is usually understood in a figurative sense but can be in a literal sense) “and the powers of heaven will be shaken.” All this is figurative expression and what they actually mean is unknown. The application of Newton’s Principia in the interpretation cannot be considered. It would be “as reasonable as to explain Euclid by Homer and Homer by Euclid.” We can observe here only the similarity with the predictions and majestic visions of the ancient prophets (Isa 5:30; Jer 4:28; Ezek 32:7-8; Joel 2:10-11; Amos 8:9-10; Mic 3:6; Zeph 1:15; Zech 14:6; Hag 2:21 and others).

Matthew 24:30. Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven; and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; (Cf. Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27.) What is the “sign of the Son of Man” that will appear in heaven? John Chrysostom interpreted this expression positively – about the cross. “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven” that is the cross which is brighter than the sun so that the sun grows dark and is hidden but the cross appears; it would not appear if it were not much brighter than the sun’s rays. Others interpreted “sign” to mean either an extraordinary star (as at Christ’s birth) or Christ Himself or there will be a resurrection of the dead. The second coming of the Son of Man will not be like the first. He will come “on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Whether these power and glory will be only external or spiritual or both together nothing definite can be said and all attempts to solve these questions seem only conjectural.

Matthew 24:31. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet and they will gather His elect from the four winds from the ends of heaven to the ends thereof. (Cf. Mark 13:27; Luke 21:28 here adds words which are not in Matthew and Mark.) All the expressions are figurative. Instead of “with a loud trumpet” in the original “with a great trumpet” (μετὰ σάλπιγγος μεγάλης). Mark does not have this expression. In a few manuscripts “voice” (φωνῆς) is added (as in the Russian translation) some entirely omit the expression “with a great trumpet” or “loud.” “From the four winds” that is from all regions. “For from each end blows its own wind and there are (of the winds) four they are especially winds” (Euthymius Zigabenus). The word ἄκρος means “upper” “extreme.” It is used here instead of “limits” “boundaries” (ἄκρα δέ τὰ ῥηθέντα πέρατα – Euthymius Zigabenus). Cf. 1 Cor 15:52; 1 Thess 4:16.

Matthew 24:32. From the fig tree learn this lesson: when its branch has already become soft and puts forth leaves you know that summer is near; (Cf. Mark 13:28; Luke 21:29-30.) The depiction of the coming of Christ and the Last Judgment ends in the preceding verse and from verse 32 onward there are exhortations of a more practical character; and such discourse continues throughout the entire chapter 25. The fig tree serves here as only a “parable”; the word is considered here equivalent to the word “example” (παράδειγμα). The fig tree was one of the chief objects of local cultivation long before the Jews conquered Palestine. The failure of figs testified to a national calamity. What is meant in the Russian translation by “branches… become soft” is difficult to understand. In the original “shoots… tender” (κλάδος… ἁπαλός) – reference is made to the budding of buds and young shoots. This happens before the arrival of hot spring and summer days. By the opening of trees we too judge the arrival of warm days and the approach of summer. The thought of the verse under consideration is clarified in what follows.

Matthew 24:33. So also when you see all these things you know that it is near at the doors. (Cf. Mark 13:29; Luke 21:31.) The explanation of the verse fully depends on what to understand by “all these things” (ταῦτα πάντα or according to other readings πάντα ταῦτα). The question about the meaning of this expression has been a stumbling block for many exegetes. When answering this question one thing is absolutely certain: that here is not meant “all” about which was spoken prophetically in the immediately preceding verses (verses 29–31) or in general about what was said in verses 5–31. But what then? Chrysostom understands here “what happened to Jerusalem: wars famine pestilence earthquakes false messiahs false prophets the worldwide proclamation of the Gospel rebellions dissensions and everything that ought to happen before His coming.” The answers to this question from other commentators are dim. It was said for example that by “all this” is meant what gave cause to the revelation given by Christ. It is most probable to suppose that here are meant generally the signs of the times about which Christ spoke earlier in chapter 24. As by the deeds of a person one can judge his character inclinations and habits so also by phenomena occurring in human society and in the whole world one can judge the condition of society and the whole world. Chrysostom seems to explain this expression better than all other commentators. The expression “near at the doors” has no subject in Matthew and Mark but in Luke – “near is the Kingdom of God.” One can take ἐγγύς in Matthew and Mark as masculine and translate: He that is the Messiah is near; but one can also translate as in the Russian text. In the latter case the expression should mean the speedy arrival of the predicted events.

Matthew 24:34. Truly I say to you: this generation will not pass away before all these things take place; (Cf. Mark 13:30; Luke 21:32.) Chrysostom says that the Savior “here speaks not of the generation then living but of the faithful. Generation is designated not only by time but by the manner of religion and life as for example when it is said: “this generation is seeking the Lord” (Ps 23:6).” Prov 21:11-14; Jer 8:3. Jerome understood the expression “this generation” in two ways: aut omne genus hominum significat aut specialiter Judaeorum (means either all the human race or specifically the Jews).

Matthew 24:35. Heaven and earth will pass away but My words will not pass away. (Cf. Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33.) In Mark and Luke the expressions are literally the same. In Matthew there are slight deviations (παρελεύσεται is agreed with γῆ and παρέλθωσαν). Similar words were spoken about the Old Testament law (Matt 5:17; Luke 16:17). Now the Savior speaks about His own words. We cannot judge what fulfillment this saying will receive in the future. But that Christ’s words have not “passed away” until the present time this is testified by history. On this basis one should think that they will not pass away in the future.

Matthew 24:36. But concerning that day and hour no one knows not even the angels of heaven but only My Father; (Cf. Mark 13:32.) In the Russian translation the words of Mark contain: “nor the Son”; but in Matthew these words are omitted. Most exegetes especially the earliest consider that the expression “nor the Son” was authentic also in Matthew and they referred the ignorance of the Son to His humanity not to His Divinity. Some explained Christ’s ignorance by His humility. All that He heard from the Father He told to His disciples (John 15:15) but what the Father kept in His power was not known to Him in the state of His humiliated humanity.

Matthew 24:37. But as it was in the days of Noah so will it be in the coming of the Son of Man: Literally: “but as the days of Noah so will it be” and so forth. In Matthew are omitted the words of Luke (Luke 21:34-36). The parallel in Luke here is Luke 17:26 – words spoken in a different context. The history of the flood to which the Savior here refers is well known. Before the great catastrophe people conducted themselves as in ordinary times. So will it be at the time of the second coming.

Matthew 24:38. For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah entered the ark, Matthew 24:39. and they did not understand until the flood came and destroyed them all – so it will be also in the coming of the Son of Man; Cf. Luke 17:27. The references however are general to Gen 6:5, Gen 6:11-13, Gen 7:7.

Matthew 24:40. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Matthew 24:41. Two women will be grinding grain; one will be taken and the other left. Cf. Luke 17:34 where there is additional thought to what is said in Matthew in the given verses. Matthew omits Luke 17:34 and Luke omits Matt 24:40. Very interesting is the transition from “the days of Noah” to what is said in the verses under consideration. As the flood came suddenly at a time when people did not expect it did not think about it and were careless so the coming of the Son of Man will be. But during the flood the destruction was general; all people perished except Noah and his family. At the second coming there will be something different: one from the field will be taken the other left. The same in verse 41. In verse 40 reference is made to two men in verse 41 – to two women. “Two grinding grain” – the translation is imprecise because in the original “grain” is in singular (ἐν τῷ μύλῳ) and therefore is incomprehensible. What are women grinding grain? In some manuscripts ἐν τῷ μύλωνι – at the mill (in pistrino). This reading is not considered correct. The correct reading ἐν τῷ μύλῳ means “grain” and thus the expression means: “two (women) grinding grain” (dativus instumenti with ἐν; see Blass Gram. S. 114). The custom of women grinding is mentioned in Exod 11:5; Isa 47:2. The meaning of the expressions of the verses under consideration is apparently that out of two men in the field and two women grinding two are saved and two are delivered to destruction.

Matthew 24:42. Therefore keep watch for you do not know on what day your Lord will come. (Cf. Mark 13:33.) “On what day” (ποίᾳ ἡμέρᾳ) in the Russian is replaced by “what hour” (ποίᾳ ὥρᾳ) but the latter reading is to be considered more probable. The verse is a proper and logical conclusion from what was just said where the discourse was about the unexpectedness of the parusia. This conclusion has a practical character and is an exhortation to watchfulness. The order and flow of thoughts is entirely natural and becomes even more natural when considering the further discourse. Therefore in vain it is remarked that in Christ’s discourse as set forth in Matthew there is “confusion” and here a clear basis is found for interpolation.

Matthew 24:43. But you know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have been awake and would not have allowed his house to be robbed. (Compare Luke 12:39 – in a different context.) Both in Russian and in the Vulgate, the translation ‘would have been awake’ (vigilaret) is imprecise. In the original, the aorist ἐγρηγόρησεν ἄν means ‘would have awakened.’ A similar thought is expressed in other places of the New Testament (2 Pet 3:10; 1 Thess 5:2; Rev 3:3).

Matthew 24:44. Therefore, you also be ready, for in the hour you do not think, the Son of Man will come. Compare Luke 12:40 – almost literally similar, with rearrangement, except ὅτι ᾗ ού δοκεῖτε ὥρᾳ becomes ὅτι ᾗ ὥρᾳ οὐ δοκεῖτε, and with omission of the initial di toato. The preceding example (verse 43) points to a hypothetical case of ordinary theft and robbery, about which the master of the house ordinarily would not know in advance. In the verse being examined, the hypothetical speech changes into a positive one, and its meaning is this: do not be like the master of the house, who does not know when the thief will come to him. You also do not know when the Son of Man will come, but always be awake, because this may always and unexpectedly happen.

Matthew 24:45. Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master set over his servants, to give them food at the proper time? (Compare Luke 12:42 – with some changes.) Matthew uses δοῦλος – ‘servant,’ while Luke uses οἰκονόμος – an overseer (in the Russian translation – ‘steward’). The latter expression may be more precise, but it appears only in Luke (Luke 12:42), not in the other evangelists. There is no difference in meaning, because overseers were ordinarily chosen from among servants. The expression applies not only to the disciples (which is especially evident from the further speech in chapter 25), and it is not said that they alone must conduct themselves properly, be faithful and wise servants, but to all people in general. Τίς here is not εἴ τις. The question serves as a continuation and, so to speak, a detailed explanation of the preceding speech.

Matthew 24:46. Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find doing so— (Compare Luke 12:43). “So,” that is, rightly, conscientiously, and timely giving food to the servants—to other people who serve the same master. It can be understood both literally and spiritually. There is indication of the duty of honest and conscientious treatment of people, because the master may return unexpectedly and punish the worthless servant. That servant, set as chief over other servants, who conducts himself conscientiously with them, is blessed (μακάριος).

Matthew 24:47. Truly I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. Compare Luke 12:44 – with only the replacement of ἀμήν by the word ἀληθῶς. The servant’s authority was previously limited, although he had been set as chief. But if the master sees that the servant has faithfully fulfilled his duties entrusted to him, then he will expand his authority, make him chief and manager not only of the servants but of all his property.

Matthew 24:48. But if that servant is evil and says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming soon,’ Matthew 24:49. and begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards— (Compare Luke 12:45, with difference in expressions.) In verses 47 and 48–49 the same servant is clearly depicted, set as chief and manager of the other servants. He can conduct himself well or badly. First the first case is examined (verses 46–47), and then the second (verses 48–49). Even a good and faithful servant, despairing that his master will return soon, may change his former good conduct. The vices depicted by Christ were well known in Palestine. Drunkenness is mentioned more than thirty times in the Old Testament. It was strongly condemned by the prophets (Isa 28:1 and others). The images in Christ’s speech are borrowed directly from life and are distinguished by vivid colors. Everyone would agree that as He speaks, such things happen even now.

Matthew 24:50. the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect, and at an hour he does not know, (Compare Luke 12:46.) The thought is the same as was developed in the preceding speech – about the unexpectedness of Christ’s second coming, about the necessity of constant watchfulness and expectation and corresponding conduct.

Matthew 24:51. and will cut him in two and assign him the fate of the hypocrites; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Compare Luke 12:46 – instead of ‘with hypocrites’ Luke has ‘with the faithless.’ The final sentence ‘there will be… teeth’ is absent in Luke. Otherwise it is literal similarity. The word ‘cut’ in figurative sense here means ‘punish severely’ (literally διχοτομέω means ‘to cut,’ ‘to divide in two’). That διχοτομέω here should be understood not in a literal sense and that the evil servant will not be killed is evident from the following words, where it is said of his ‘fate’ together ‘with hypocrites.’ The word ‘fate’ immediately, as it were, transforms into a place of torment and then it is said that there will be ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’ (for explanation of this expression, see the commentaries to Matt 8:12). Concerning cutting, compare Dan 2:5; Heb 4:12.

Chapter Twenty-Five

1–13. The parable of the ten virgins. – 14–30. The parable of the talents. – 31–46. The prophecy of the last judgment.

Matthew 25:1. Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Matthew 25:2. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The word “then” (τότε) here indicates the time when the Son of Man will come. It is understood primarily (but not exclusively) as His final coming for judgment before or at the end of the world. Τότε also serves as a connection with the preceding speech and indicates its continuation. The Savior continued to speak to His disciples on the Mount of Olives, with a view of Jerusalem. Vizeler determines the time as Tuesday, April 14, 12 Nisan, 783 years from the founding of Rome. The kingdom of God cannot, of course, be like ten virgins – this is only a special turn of speech, as in Matt 13:24 and others, and means that the kingdom of heaven is like all the circumstances set forth in the parable, in which the ten virgins participated. The same thing that happened to the ten virgins who went out to meet the bridegroom will happen or will come to pass in the kingdom established by the Savior. All without exception members of this kingdom, believers and unbelievers or only those who have heard about Christ, may resemble the ten virgins. With extraordinary accuracy and brevity, in only eighteen separate words (in the Greek language), here the personality of each person is characterized, who is a member of Christ’s kingdom or who has any relationship whatsoever to Christ. The number ten is chosen, apparently, not arbitrarily, because in speech that is highly artistic and lifelike, there could be nothing arbitrary and accidental. But to explain why exactly the number ten is chosen is quite difficult. The answer, why the parable points to virgins, should be that the entire parable is full of the most beautiful, highly attractive, poetic and artistic images, and reference to virgins was best able to correspond to the thought that was intended to be expressed in the parable. The Baptist was the friend of the bridegroom and rejoiced in hearing His voice. Christ Himself called Himself the bridegroom (Matt 9:15; Mark 2:19-20; Luke 5:34-35). Since He was now continuing to speak about His second coming, there was no better and more beautiful image that He could have chosen than the image of a wedding feast, all the joy and celebration of which depend on the presence of the bridegroom at it. An illustration for the parable can be the 44th psalm and the Song of Songs; compare 1 Macc 9:37.

Matthew 25:3. The foolish ones, taking their lamps, did not take oil with them. This verse contains proof (γάρ) of why in the preceding verse five virgins are called foolish: because they did not take oil with them for their lamps.

Matthew 25:4. But the wise ones, along with their lamps, took oil in vessels. By oil here are meant in general all virtues that make a person worthy of participation in the feast of the kingdom of heaven, but especially those that are opposed to foolishness, negligence, frivolity, and carelessness of the foolish virgins.

Matthew 25:5. And while the bridegroom delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. The word “delayed” is imprecise; in the original: χρονίζοντος (present tense) δὲ τοῦ νυμφίου – while the bridegroom delayed, took a long time, did not come. It should be noted that all the virgins fell asleep, both foolish and wise. Neither some nor the others are blamed or condemned for this. Therefore, there is no reference here to the criminality and sinfulness of spiritual drowsiness and sleep. Only the need for watchfulness is pointed out. Otherwise, when the bridegroom comes, he will receive no greeting at all. The virgins are wholly distinguished from the evil servant (Matt 24:48) who says: ‘My master is not coming soon’ – they expect his speedy arrival. The foolish, in this connection, speak as it were thus: ‘Surely he will come soon, and therefore there is no need to stock up much oil.’ ‘This,’ says Alford, ‘may serve as an indication of how generally distinct are the foundations of both parables.’

Matthew 25:6. But at midnight there was a cry: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him.’ It should be noted that from this verse the so-called Alexandrian Codex, which is dated to the 5th century, comes to the aid of the critics of the Gospel text. It is kept in the British Museum. Up to this verse in this codex, all preceding chapters of the Gospel of Matthew have been lost. “At midnight,” that is, at a time when sleep is especially deep. Who raised the cry? Unknown. The matter presents itself as so ordinary and natural that there was no need to mention it. Perhaps, while the virgins slept, there were found lovers of all kinds of processions and ceremonies, who from a distance raised a cry at the appearance of the bridegroom. Some think that the cry was raised by the virgins themselves, those who awakened first, and who began to awaken their companions. The word γέγονεν (in the Russian translation – ‘there was a cry’) is very picturesque. It means: a cry arose (began, happened) and did not cease (perfect tense), as if hanging in the air. This is how it happens during all kinds of popular celebrations. One can also translate it in the present tense: ‘at midnight a cry arises.’ Trench and Morison cite passages from the English writer Ward, where he describes a wedding ceremony that he witnessed in India: ‘After two or three hours of waiting, finally, around midnight, it was announced: “Behold the bridegroom comes; go out to meet him.” All who participated in the procession lit their lamps and hastily took their places in the procession; some of them lost their lamps and turned out unprepared. But it was already late to search, and the cavalcade moved on.’ That which happens in India now, was surely also in Palestine in the time of Christ. Chrysostom uses the words “at midnight” to indicate that at this time there will be resurrection. ‘This He says either in accordance with the parable, or showing that resurrection will occur at night.’ Jerome goes further and points to a ‘Jewish tradition,’ according to which ‘Christ will come at midnight, as this happened in Egypt, when the Passover was celebrated, and the (Angel) destroyer came, and the Lord passed over the dwellings, and with the blood of the lamb the doorposts of our houses were sanctified’ (Exod 12). From this, I think, there also remained an apostolic tradition that on the wakeful day of Passover it was not permitted to disperse the people before midnight, the people waiting for the coming of Christ. This opinion was criticized, and they said that Christ will more likely come for judgment in the morning, because He is pater lucis – Father of light. Neither one nor the other opinion, apparently, is based on anything. Midnight simply indicates the time of sleep and deep rest, to more sharply contrast the unexpectedness of the bridegroom’s arrival (compare Matt 24:37). At what time Christ will come, this is not said and is not clarified. Everything here has symbolic meaning and serves only to clarify that Christ’s coming will be unexpected.

Matthew 25:7. Then all the virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. Matthew 25:8. The foolish ones said to the wise: ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ In verses 8 and the following – the “dialogue” of the parable. Explaining this verse, Origen says: ‘Although the virgins were foolish, they understood that to meet the bridegroom they should have light by keeping all the lamps of their senses burning.’ Jerome: ‘If anyone has a virgin soul and loves modesty, he should not be satisfied with what is ordinary, which quickly dries up, and having begun to burn, goes out; here perfect virtues are indicated, emitting eternal light.’

Matthew 25:9. But the wise ones answered: ‘So that there will not be a lack for us and for you, go rather to those who sell and buy for yourselves.’ The response of the wise virgins is sometimes considered cold and even ‘ignoble.’ But Jerome notes: ‘Thus (the virgins) answer not out of greed, but out of fear. And just as during the Babylonian captivity Jeremiah could not help the sinners, and was told: “Do not pray for this people” (Jer 7:16), – so terrible will be that day, when each one must think only of himself.’ Some assumed that the response of the wise virgins contained mere irony or mockery of the foolish. Newer critics and exegetes decisively reject such an interpretation. It appears to have arisen, perhaps, chiefly because if we do not take the response as mockery and if it was serious, then it is difficult to explain where and how the foolish virgins could get oil at night time, ‘when all the shops were closed.’ But the matter is explained more simply. If the wise virgins advised the foolish to go and buy oil for themselves, then, this means, the advice was feasible. From the following verse 10 one can conclude that the foolish actually did get oil, only it was too late; perhaps it was not needed at all. In all probability, the merchants lived nearby. It is known that in hot countries, as in Palestine, because of daytime heat, active commerce is conducted at night. Under ‘those who sell’ Chrysostom understands the poor. ‘Do you see what benefit the poor bring to us? If you remove them, you will be deprived of all hope of salvation. So, here one must stock up with oil so that later, when time requires, one can use it: the present, not the future, is the time of preparation.’ The same thought is repeated by Theophylact: ‘The foolish go to those who sell, that is, to the poor. This means: they repented that they did not give alms. Only now do they learn that we must receive oil from the poor. Therefore, the words that they went to those who sell to buy oil mean that they in their thoughts went to the poor and began to reflect on what good deed almsgiving is.’ But the parable does not say at all that those who sell are poor people.

Matthew 25:10. When they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready entered with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut; Matthew 25:11. afterwards the other virgins came and said: ‘Lord! Lord! open to us.’ Matthew 25:12. He answered them: ‘Truly I say to you: I do not know you.’ Compare Luke 13:25-27 – similar expressions are encountered, but in a different context, and the speech is about a different subject.

Matthew 25:13. Therefore, be watchful, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man will come. “At the end Christ speaks no longer as Bridegroom, but as Judge” (Holtzmann). The final words: ‘in which the Son of Man will come,’ are absent in some codexes, and it is possible that they were added to the original text. (The Sinai, BL 33 C, Coptic-Saitic, Syriac-Sinai codexes and Jerome’s text end the verse with the word ‘hour’). But although this addition is not authentic, it can serve as an explanation of the words ‘neither the day nor the hour.’ In verse 13, the very essence of the parable of the ten virgins is clarified. In it, it is not said that people should possess various virtues, for example, almsgiving, mercy, and such. The parable gave rise to famous disputes between Protestants and Catholics about what should be understood by the oil in the lamps, faith or good works. Protestants, of course, understood only faith, while Catholics understood good works. But, strictly speaking, here neither one nor the other is spoken of. Some even thought that the Holy Spirit is spoken of here. But all such interpretations are of little relevance. The essence of the parable, apparently, is that it is merely ‘an illustration of the last part of Christ’s speech’ (Matt 24:44-51). The parable of the ten virgins can be briefly outlined in its main features as follows: be personally ready, be ready at all times, be ready to go to Christ directly. To this we add that both the parable of the ten virgins and the further parable have had, have, and will continue to have enormous practical and vital significance for Christian life. Nowhere else in any other religion do we find anything similar. In all other religions, so to speak, there is a constant and noticeable lack of motivators or stimulating means for action, progress, and perfection. From this in all other religions, except Christianity, there is constant stagnation, idleness, and torpor. In contrast to these deficiencies in the life of peoples, Christ urges Christians to constant watchfulness, and this becomes one of the strongest driving forces of all progress and perfection. Here the leaven is cast into the mass of humanity. Here an unrestricted and constant forward movement is aroused, not stopping or becoming calm at any dead point. An invitation to constant watchfulness is contrary to any stagnation and reaction. But one can ask: where does such power come from? What is its source? The answer of Christ Himself to these questions may seem somewhat strange. Be watchful, do not sleep, be active and wise, do not fall into idleness… because you do not know the day or hour… The motive for watchfulness is, thus, the constant expectation of the coming of the Son of Man, although no one knows the exact time of this coming. What an amazing motive! Who could have put it forward but the true Messiah, who said: ‘Be watchful,’ constantly wait for Me, ‘because you do not know’ when I will come. Only the enormous authority and dignity of the Messiah who appeared on earth could give power to such words. Others might perhaps only have said: Be watchful until I come, and I will come at such and such an hour. Do not sleep until My arrival, then you can rest. So masters speak to their servants. But the Messiah speaks differently.

Matthew 25:14. For He will act like a man who, going away to a foreign country, called his servants and entrusted his property to them: (Compare Luke 19:12.) In Russian “He will act” is emphasized. These words are not in the original. Literally: “For as a man going away from his people called his servants and gave them his property.” From this it is evident that here is one subordinate clause, which begins with “as” (ὥσπερ), but there is no main clause. In our Slavonic this Greek form is rendered entirely accurately (without a main clause): “For just as a man going away called his servants and gave them his property” and so on. In many old and new translations there is also no main clause. Thus in the Vulgate: sicut enim homo peregre proficiens vocavit servos suos et tradidit illis bona sua. In English (Authorized Version) such an addition was made: For the kingdom of heavens as a man travelling into a far country who called his own servants (for the kingdom of heaven is like a man going into a distant country, who called his servants and so on). In this translation there are main and subordinate clauses, but the main clause is not the same as in the Russian translation. From the foregoing one can see how difficult it is to render exactly in Russian the 14th verse. What kind of construction is this? It is called by the complicated word ‘anantapoton,’ which is not in dictionaries and which is not in all grammars and means ‘non-return, non-giving back; absence of correspondence to the previous speech.’ Such constructions are also found elsewhere in the New Testament (Mark 13:34), they are also called ellipsis (shortening) or aposiopesis (reticence) and are used for brevity of speech. Similar expressions were also common in Jewish Midrash (Merke). The particle γάρ (‘for’) connects the speech of verse 14 with the preceding, but it is not easy to explain its meaning here. In all probability, the connection is as follows: you do not know the day or hour and are like not only the virgins spoken of in the preceding parable, but also like servants to whom one man divided his property. Because (γάρ) when he went away to a distant country, he called and so on. The difference between the parable of the talents and the parable of the ten virgins lies in the fact that in the latter is depicted the “personal state” of the members of Christ’s kingdom, whereas in the former it points to their personal activity. Chrysostom compares the parables of the virgins and of the talents with the parable of the faithful and evil servant (Matt 24:40-51). ‘These parables are similar to the previous parable of the unfaithful servant, who wasted his master’s property.’ By ‘his property’ is here meant not immovable property, but only money. From the fact that later the master says: ‘I will set you over much’ (verses 21 and 23), one can conclude that he was not even comparatively poor and, going to a distant country, entrusted his servants with only part of his property. In Luke (Luke 19:12-27) a similar parable is related earlier in time and in a different context – the parable of the ten minas. The question of whether the parable of the minas is identical to the parable of the talents is very difficult. Some consider them two different parables in view of certain differences. This includes, first of all, the difference in time and place. Luke’s parable is said before the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem and was addressed to the people and disciples. It is assumed that its historical basis was the known circumstances of the accession to the throne of Archelaus, when he had to go to Rome and seek for succession to the throne (Schürer, Geschichte, I, p. 442). Matthew’s parable is part of the last eschatological speech of Christ; in this parable there is no reference to ‘a man of noble birth’ whom ‘the citizens hated.’ It was spoken in the immediate circle of disciples. But, on the other hand, the very close similarity of the expressions of both parables (although not literal), especially compare Matt 25:20-29; Luke 19:16-26, does not allow us to get rid of the thought that both parables are only a variant of one and the same parable. The identity of both parables is recognized by many serious scholars. In this case, Matthew’s recension, as more ‘uniform and compact,’ is recognized as original, and Luke, it is said, combines with the parable of talents another parable – of the revolted citizens. Now, of course, it is very difficult to decide how it was in reality. In view chiefly of the difference of expressions, it is more probable that two separate parables were pronounced on different occasions, under different circumstances, and at different times. This is where one must stop, since there is not enough material for further judgments. In Mark (Mark 13:34-35) we find only a slight allusion to the circumstances set forth in the parables of Matthew and Luke.

Matthew 25:15. and to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability; and he went away immediately. (Compare Luke 19:13.) All the property of the man who went away to a foreign country consisted, consequently, of eight talents. These talents, as is evident from verses 18 and 27, were silver (τὸ ἀργύριον, τὰ ἀργύρια). Holtzmann determines the value of the total sum of money given to the servants at 35,000 German marks, that is, approximately 17–18 thousand rubles in our money. Others, translating the value of one silver talent into English pounds sterling, count one talent as equal to 234 pounds sterling (pound sterling – about 10 rubles in our money), two talents – 468 pounds sterling, five – 1,170, and the whole sum was, consequently, 1,872 pounds sterling, in our money approximately 18,000 rubles. In a spiritual sense, by talent is understood the various abilities given by God to a person, which he must use in serving God and for the advancement of the kingdom of heaven. Expressions borrowed from this parable – talent, talented, do not bury your talent, and so on – have become stereotypical and common, entered into a proverb. By the talent given to people, different exegetes understand any gift received by a person from God. But in particular definitions of this general concept there is some difference. “By talents,” says Chrysostom, “here is meant what is in the power of each one (ἡ ἑκάστου δύναμις – the power of each one): either patronage, or property, or teaching, or something similar.” Others understood those gifts of which the apostle Paul speaks in the 12th chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. By “power” (δύναμις) one can understand rather the readiness of a certain person, his disposition, willing or unwilling, to serve the cause of Christ’s kingdom, than some positive gift or talent. All the same, gifts or talents are given to a person from God.

Matthew 25:16. The one who received five talents went and put them to work and gained five more talents; Matthew 25:17. and in the same way the one who received two talents gained two more; Matthew 25:18. but the one who received one talent went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. An indication is given of the customary way of preserving money among the ancients (used even recently in our villages), when money was buried in secret places known only to the one burying it or to a few trusted persons (treasures).

Matthew 25:19. After a long time, the master of those servants came and settled his accounts with them. (Compare Luke 19:15 – the expressions are completely different.) Origen says: “Notice here that it is not to the master (the servants) go to judgment and to receive what is worthy according to their deeds, but the master comes to them.” The master of the servants went away to a foreign country, not having given the servants any instructions regarding his monetary sums. About this they had to guess themselves, as is evident from the parable. Two guessed that they would be required to give an account, and acted wisely. The third reasoned otherwise. The expression “after a long time” is understood to mean that it affects the expressions made earlier about the unexpectedness and quickness of the Lord’s second coming, and one says that the latter should not be understood in an absolute sense. Non est absoluta celeritas adventus Dоmini (Bengel). Some think that, strictly speaking, there is no speech here about the Last Judgment universal, but about a particular one, when God will require an account from each person before his death or during it. One can, of course, understand the words of Christ in this latter sense. Συναίρει λόγον – confert, vel componit rem seu causam. In Russian this expression is rendered precisely, though not literally.

Matthew 25:20. The one who had received five talents came and brought five more, and said: ‘Master, you gave me five talents; see, I have gained five more.’ Compare Luke 19:16. In ancient times money was valuable, and one hundred percent on one hundred was not an extraordinary matter.

Matthew 25:21. His master said to him: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in a small matter; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Compare Luke 19:17. By “much” one can understand all the property, the whole house (compare Heb 3:6). The expressions “good” and “faithful” differ; the first points to absolute goodness, goodness in itself, to the inner virtues of the servant, independent of the commission given to him; the second – to his relationship to his master and to his property. Both expressions are distinguished as genus (ἀγαθός) and species (πιστός) – genus and species. By ‘joy’ one cannot understand any kind of celebrations or feasts arranged by the master on the occasion of his return, but simply the joy of his return itself, or on the occasion that on meeting with the first and second servants all was, properly speaking, found in good condition, and the loss caused by the lazy servant was more than covered by the profit obtained by other servants. Compare Gen 1:31; Isa 53:11; Heb 4:3-11; Rev 3:21.

Matthew 25:22. The one who had received two talents came and said: ‘Master, you gave me two talents; see, I have gained two more.’ Matthew 25:23. His master said to him: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in a small matter; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Matthew 25:24. The one who had received one talent came and said: ‘Master, I knew you were a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter, Matthew 25:25. and in fear I went and hid your talent in the ground; here is what belongs to you.’ (Compare Luke 19:20-21.) To preserve the talent without profit, it had to be buried in the ground; in Luke a small sum, just one mina, is wrapped in a cloth. Despite all similarity in meaning, there is a strong difference in expressions between Matthew and Luke. The servant’s speech is distinguished by business-like quality – so, at least, it seems to him. Instead of reasoning he points to facts, well known both to him and to the master himself. It is incorrect to think that talis non erat hic dominus (the master was not such in reality), as the servant depicts him. If the parable depicts actual persons, if it is a depiction of contemporary reality of that time, then one must assume that the master was indeed such. Such an assumption not only does not harm the spiritual meaning of the parable, but, on the contrary, greatly strengthens it. There is no need for sentimentality and embellishments, which are allowed by various exegetes, if only one recognizes that Christ depicted persons such as they were, and not idealized them. The servant’s words were just, which is partly confirmed later by the master himself. The kindness of the latter, shown to the first two servants, cannot be called flawless from the point of view of absolute morality. He cares not at all how the servants made their money and doubled his capital, only so long as they made it. He loves to reap where he did not sow, that is, perhaps, from his neighbors, on fields adjacent to his own, and to gather grain on foreign threshing floors. He was harsh (σκληρός); the servant expresses fear before him (φοβηθείς – verse 25; ἐφοβούμην – Luke 19:21), and not only “knows” him to be such, but “knew” (ἔγνων – aorist) before, in the course of indefinite time. There is no need to assume that this servant here is an allegory for the Jewish people, who were in lege persistens, totus carnalis et stupidus; here every separate person, every separate individual is meant, whom God calls to give an account of his actions.

Matthew 25:26. His master answered him: ‘You evil and lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter; (Compare Luke 19:22.) About the former joy at meeting with the first two servants there is now no mention. The former affectionate and quiet speech now turns into a threatening storm wind. Again it is incorrect to think that here the master refutes the servant’s slander (servus autem malus appellatur: quia calumniam domino facit – Jerome) or speaks here only hypothetically (ὑποθετικῶς τὸν λόγον προήγαγεν, Euthymius Zigabenus). There is no refutation of slander here, no hypotheticality. The servant’s words are recognized as just, but the master is so powerful and strong that for him ordinary morality seems to have no significance. Might – that is his right! Therefore, greed, rapacity, love of profit, absence of ordinary logic in him appear as virtue. If he reaps on foreign fields, then this is correct! If he gathers grain on foreign threshing floors, then this is lawful! The servant knew well about this, and he should have taken it into account. Since the servant did not do what was desirable to his master, he is judged, and on the basis of principles, again disapproving from the point of view of ordinary morality. The master almost entirely repeats the speech just spoken by the servant and puts it to his charge.

Matthew 25:27. therefore you should have given my money to the money changers, and on my return I would have received what is mine with interest; (Compare Luke 19:23.) The meaning of the speech is not as follows: you should have given my money to the money changers, and if you through carelessness, lack of skill, or for some reason had wasted the talent given to you, you would have had nothing to fear – I would not have subjected you to punishment for this. On the contrary, one should think that if the servant had wasted the property entrusted to him and returned nothing to the master or returned only part of it, then he would have been subject to even greater condemnation and punishment. About this only nothing is said. The character depicted in the parable is excellently sustained from beginning to end. He is a harsh, willful, and greedy man, who reasons about nothing but profit. He does not demand of the “evil” and “lazy” servant that he necessarily earn him, as others did, one hundred percent on one hundred. But there should be some profit at least! If it were too small, the master would not have invited the servant to enter his joy; but he would not have subjected him to severe punishment either. The very questionable nature of all this business and the requirements, which, however, so easily, quickly, and naturally, almost imperceptibly, transforms into the very highest Christian morality, is evident from the fact that the Hebrews had laws that allowed lending money to Hebrews, but strictly forbade giving them money at interest (Lev 25:35-37; Deut 15:1-10). Among those who may dwell in the dwelling of the Lord and live on His holy mountain, the Psalmist counts the one ‘who does not put his money out at interest’ (Ps 14:5). But if usury was forbidden among Hebrews, it was entirely permitted with respect to foreigners: ‘From a foreigner you may take interest, but from your brother you must not take interest’ (Deut 23:20); ‘Of a foreigner you may demand interest, but of your brother forgive the debt’ (Deut 15:3). In the Talmud (Rosh Hashana I, 8; Talmud, trans. Peferkovitch. V. 2, p. 427; Sanhedrin, III, 3; ibid., v. 4, p. 258) there are decrees of a general nature that those who lend at interest cannot be witnesses and judges. ‘One who lends at interest cannot repent until he tears up the promissory notes in his possession and makes complete repentance’ (Bavli adds that he will not even give to gentiles at interest; Talmud, trans. Peferkovitch. V. 4, p. 259; see also Bava Metzia, ch. IV–IV; ibid., v. 4, p. 103–127, where complicated discussions are conducted on buying, selling, deceptions, interest, etc.). In Bava Metzia, V, 6 (ibid., V. 4, p. 119) it is said: ‘One does not receive from a Jew the “iron livestock” (“tzon barzel”), for this is interest, but one receives “iron livestock” from gentiles, and borrows from them and gives interest; the same applies to a resident proselyte. A Jew may lend money belonging to a gentile with interest, with the knowledge of the gentile, but not with the knowledge of the Jew.’ Despite all such decrees, at that time, however, ‘usury flourished without limit’ and ‘there is no doubt that Jewish usurers in Palestine and everywhere engaged in such enterprises.’ The master points to this, using a precise Greek expression meaning reproduction or increase (σὺν τόκῳ, in the Russian translation – ‘with interest’).

Matthew 25:28. therefore take from him the one talent and give it to the one who has ten talents, (Compare Luke 19:24.) Origen says: ‘How something is taken from someone that was previously given to him, and given to another, active one, so that he may have more of what he has already acquired – this is not easy to explain.’ After this follows in Origen an allegorical and vague explanation. In a spiritual sense, of course, the explanation is quite difficult, but if we hold to the historical or everyday basis of the parable, the explanation will not seem particularly difficult. The talent is taken from the servant who did not put it out at interest, as from an inactive and lazy one. This serves as the first punishment for him. The talent that did not bring interest is given not to the second servant, although he was also good and faithful. This is more reliable. It is not necessary that the first one already has many talents. His powers are great, and he can act again and gain more. The master everywhere and always is calculating and knows very well how to preserve his interests.

Matthew 25:29. For to the one who has, more will be given and he will have plenty, but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away; (Compare Luke 19:25-26.) A peculiar, but entirely lifelike and understandable reason is indicated for why the last talent is taken away. It lies not in the fact that the evil and lazy servant does not have a talent, but in the fact that he does not have profit or interest. For this lack of profit, the talent itself is taken from him. Τοῦ δὲ μὴ ἔχοντος, the so-called genitivus privativus (compare Matt 13:12 and commentaries to this verse).

Matthew 25:30. and cast the worthless servant into outer darkness: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. In Luke 19:27 the speech is completely about a different subject. The final words placed in the Russian and Slavonic texts are absent in any ancient codexes and translations, and they should be considered not authentic. Rightly they point out the difference between the speech to the good and faithful servants and to the evil and lazy one. There the master himself invites the faithful servants to enter his joy; here, as in Matt 22:13, he commands his servants to cast out the worthless servant. About outer darkness and so on, see commentaries to Matt 8:12. The parable examined has even more, than the parable of the ten virgins, has had, has, and will continue to have enormous practical and vital significance. It serves as the strongest driving force for Christian activity. Its influence has always been great. The practical meaning of it is this: do not hesitate before anything, but use the talent given to you from God and apply it in service to His kingdom. It serves as a counteraction and antidote to all stagnation, torpor, idleness, laziness, retrogression, and self-satisfaction. Unceasing advancement on the path of self-perfection, continuous activity and development – this constitutes the main postulate of the parable. The motive presented for all of this is even more astounding than in the parable of the ten virgins. If any ordinary man, say even a father of a family, were to urge people to sleepless, relentless activity, he would probably point to its practical usefulness, profit, happiness, to the necessity of movement, the harm of idleness and inactivity. The Savior points to an entirely different and unique motive. When He comes again, returns to His own, He will harshly, cruelly, and without mercy demand of each person for the proper use of the talent given to him, and if there is no profit, He will punish severely. Such a motive has indeed become the driving force in the midst of Christian peoples, and people both believing and not believing, all in essence, consciously and unconsciously, are guided by it in their activity. No one, even the most exalted religious teacher, could have proposed such a motive, except one only – the true Messiah.

Matthew 25:31. When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory, The word “holy” is absent in some codexes, and it is inserted here, perhaps, from Zech 14:5. Many consider the speech beginning from verse 31 to the end of the chapter not a parable, but a prophecy, into which only abundant figurative and symbolic elements are introduced. Christ’s speech becomes increasingly magnificent. In it new aspects of His eschatological teaching are revealed. At first – a bridegroom, coming suddenly and taking the ready ones with him to the wedding feast. Then – a master, rewarding for good performance of his servants’ work and severely punishing them for inactivity. Finally, a king (verse 34), coming into the world for judgment. In all these cases, evidently, one and the same Person of the Son of Man Himself is presented, acting differently under different circumstances. In this lies the deep inner connection of all three parables, which have close relation to the entire eschatological speech set forth in chapter 24. This connection can be expressed in a few words: one and the same Lord. The new appearance of Christ will be entirely opposite to the former. If His first coming was in the form of a servant, full of humility and abasement, then the second – in the form of a king, accompanied by angels and sitting on a throne. How these figurative expressions are to be understood, in a literal or only spiritual sense, is difficult to say. One usually speaks of the personal appearance of the Son of Man, sitting on a magnificent and exalted throne, and so they write in pictures and icons. But one can understand the appearance in a spiritual sense as well. To clarify this latter to some extent and bring it closer to understanding, let us say that after the passage of centuries and even now the Son of Man sits, although invisibly, on a throne (also invisible), and people constantly approach Him and gravitate as to their King. Something similar, perhaps, will be the case at the final judgment. It should be added that the images taken for the prophecy are distinguished by extraordinary simplicity. The speech is not complicated by ever newer and newer reasonings, but almost entirely consists of the repetition of the same thing, done with extraordinary skill, and this makes it easily accessible and easily assimilated even by small children. There were found exegetes who did not dare to interpret this speech of the Savior.

Matthew 25:32. and all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; Much discussion has been conducted regarding the expression ‘all nations.’ What nations? Christian only, or also gentiles, as well as Jews? Origen added other distinctions here. “It is not sufficiently clear,” he said, “whether the word ‘all’ means from all generations (ab omnibus generationibus), or those that will remain until the day of judgment, or only those who believed in God through Christ, and whether all of them or not all. However, some seem to think that this is spoken about the separation of those who believed.” These expressions are not sufficiently clear. Zigabenus asserted that here the speech is only about Christians (περὶ τῶν χριστιανῶν δὲ μόνον ὁ λόγος ἐνταῦθα). But if the speech is only about Christians, about which one might conclude from the subsequent conversation of the King with those judged, showing that all of them know Christ, then the question arises: will other peoples, besides Christian ones, be judged or not? If not, then, consequently, the last judgment will not be universal. In view of this some make a concession and say that the judgment will be universal, all people without exception will be called to it; Christians will be judged on the basis of the principles of ‘mercy and love’ indicated in the speech itself, and all others – either on the basis of natural law, or the moral law codes that existed among them. This opinion is supported by the expression πάντα τὰ ἔθνη – all nations, and this opinion, with various modifications, is accepted generally by newer exegetes. Against it, however, one can object that Christ said to His disciples that they would not be judged, but would judge together with Him the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt 19:28). On the other hand, it is beyond doubt the authenticity of the following words spoken by the Savior Himself: ‘Truly, truly, I say to you: he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has eternal life, and does not come to judgment, but has passed from death to life’ (John 5:24). These words are entirely clear; judgment will not be universal, some people will be spared from judgment. Thus, this first and important limitation must exist at the Last Judgment. To clarify all this, which apparently contradicts one another, we must not imagine the Last Judgment as an ordinary judgment, where a case is investigated and examined by ignorant judges, who derive material for their judgments from judicial investigation. The heavenly Judge does not resemble earthly judges; He is all-knowing and knows the secrets of the human heart beforehand; He will have no need for interrogations and questions, as ordinary judges do. Such an interpretation greatly simplifies the matter. We must free ourselves from all ideas of our human courts and then we will understand that the entire prophecy consists of images and symbols directed toward the main practical goal – to urge people to acts of mercy and love. Thus, the parable of the virgins urges watchfulness, of talents – activity, and the prophecy of the Last Judgment – to acts of mercy and love. From what has been said, there remains only one conclusion: all people will be judged, but the moments of judgment will be prolonged; some before the last judgment will pass into eternal life. All expressions in the prophecy are figurative. A great difficulty for interpretation is presented by the fact that πάντα τὰ ἔθνη (all nations) is neuter gender, and the further ‘them’ (in the Russian translation – ‘from one another’ – αὐτοὺς ἀπ´ ἀλλήλων) – a pronoun of masculine gender. Such an impossible and unusual combination in Greek of a masculine pronoun with a neuter noun caused some exegetes to even suppose that here two completely different speeches from two different sources are borrowed and mechanically joined (even without agreement) into one speech. ‘The introduction, therefore, does not fit the further speech; between συναχθήσονται πάντα τὰ ἔθνη and καὶ αφοριεῖ αὐτούς there can be no unification, and here, therefore, there is a bringing together of parts that originally had no connection with each other, which cannot be more reliably explained.’ The matter is here somewhat exaggerated. Similar constructions ad sensum, as Blass shows, are found elsewhere in the New Testament (Blass, Gram., p. 162 ff.). Thus, Acts 8:5: And Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them Christ; Gal 4:19: My little children, whom; John 6:9: Child, who; Phil 2:15: of a crooked generation, in which and so on. The separation is compared to the actions of a shepherd who separates sheep from goats (ἐρίφων – masculine gender). Why on the right side will be placed sheep, which represent the righteous, this does not require explanation, because the image of sheep is so used in the New Testament that the matter presents no difficulties. But why for those standing on the left side were chosen not even goats, but precisely male goats, is difficult to explain. Jerome said: ‘He did not speak of goats, which can have offspring,’ but ‘of male goats, an animal lustful and always eager for coition.’ Others assert that male goats ‘were not highly valued’ (compare Luke 15:29), and therefore in verse 33 even a disparaging diminutive τὰ ἐρίφια is used. All these explanations are improbable. It is better to explain the matter using natural images. All peoples appearing for judgment present themselves as a herd, not homogeneous, but consisting of different elements. If Christ had said that a shepherd would separate wolves from sheep, then such speech would be, by itself, obviously unnatural. But goats and sheep are constantly pastured together in Eastern herds. One traveler says that, traveling between Joppa and Jerusalem, he saw in one place a large mixed herd of sheep and goats. The goats were entirely black, the sheep – all distinguished themselves by beautiful whiteness, and thus, even at considerable distance, the distinction between the two classes of animals was well noticeable. The separation of sheep from goats is customary in all countries where these animals are pastured in great numbers. Male goats, of course, do not serve in this parabolic speech as a characterization of those standing on the left side; these animals are used by Christ briefly to denote the division of people, perhaps into black and white, that is, evil and good. Zahn considers the relation of this verse to Ezek 34:17 ff. to be ‘very questionable.’

Matthew 25:33. and He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. The Russian translation is precise, but not entirely conveying the thought of the original. In Greek: ‘from (from, ἐξ) the right side’ and ‘from the left side.’ The Judge’s face will be turned toward the peoples, and the right side does not mean the right side in the direction toward Him (as in our churches), but from Him. Instead of ἔριφος in verse 32, now ἐρίφιον – a small goat, a diminutive. Explaining such a distinction is quite difficult. Probably, τὰ ἐρίφια is placed here in closer correspondence with the preceding τὰ πρόβατα and means not so much ‘goats,’ but ‘the goat herd,’ about which there was no speech in verse 32, because the goats were mixed with the sheep and together formed one herd. In verse 32 one could not say that the shepherd separates the ‘goat herd’ from the ‘sheep herd,’ because this would not be precise and would not correspond to what happens in reality. Now, when the goats (and female goats) were separated, the entire aggregate of them, the whole herd is called τὰ ἐρίφια.

Matthew 25:34. Then the King will say to those on His right: ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: The goats and sheep in this verse and further completely disappear from view. They served only to denote different classes of people, to whom the King now addresses Himself. Instead of ‘sheep’ the expression ‘those on your right’ is used, and instead of goats – ‘those on your left’ (verse 41). The King calls those standing on His right blessed of His Father and invites them to inherit the ‘kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world.’ ‘He did not say: take, but ‘inherit,’ as your own, as of your father, as yours, as belonging to you from ages past’ (St. John Chrysostom). The expression ‘from the foundation of the world’ (ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου) is difficult to translate precisely from the Greek. Καταβολή in use by classical writers is sometimes placed beside θεμέλιον, foundation; sometimes means fecundation, sowing (Heb 11:11). In the Sacred Scripture of the New Testament, the expression points to the historical beginning with relation to the future, to purpose and completion, because in καταβολή there is always a relation to what is to be restored (Cremer). A distinction is drawn in the New Testament between the time πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου, before the foundation of the world, and from the foundation of the world. In the present case one should not understand the pre-eternal preparation before the foundation of the world (compare Eph 1:4), but the Savior uses simply a general expression to denote an ancient time, ‘not going back very far.’ The expression can simply mean ‘from long ago.’ Theophylact draws attention here to the fact that before judgment a speech is pronounced. ‘The Lord does not reward and punish before deliberation, because He is merciful, and thus teaches us also not to punish before we investigate the matter.’ When, notes Bengel, good and evil are compared to each other, to the good is always attributed eternal existence, so to speak, antecedent, but evil is said to come from the beginning (ab exitu). Thus in the present verse (compare verse 41; 1 Cor 2:6-7).

Matthew 25:35. ‘For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you welcomed Me; Matthew 25:36. I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ The picture suddenly changes, without becoming any less magnificent. The King recalls His past. He is not ashamed of His former poverty and destitution. These words were understood by all.

Matthew 25:37. Then the righteous will answer Him: ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You? or thirsty and give You something to drink?’ Matthew 25:38. ‘When did we see You a stranger and welcome You? or naked and clothe You?’ Matthew 25:39. ‘When did we see You sick or in prison and come to You?’ Matthew 25:40. And the King will answer them: ‘Truly I say to you: whenever you did it for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did it for Me.’ Matthew 25:41. Then He will say to those on His left: ‘Depart from Me, cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels:’ In verse 41, special attention is drawn to the word κατηραμένοι – ‘cursed.’ It comes from ἀρά or ἀρή – prayer, entreaty; in Greek epic and with poets it is used in the sense of ‘misfortune,’ ‘calamity,’ ‘punishment,’ ‘divine wrath.’ The Greeks even had a goddess of curse and death, which was called thus. In the New Testament the word κατάρα and καταρᾶσθαι is used several times, and always, apparently, as opposed to εύλογία – blessing (Matt 5:44; Mark 11:21; Luke 6:28; Jas 3:9-10; 2 Pet 2:14; Rom 12:14; Gal 3:10; Heb 6:8), as in the present place (for details see Cremer under ἀρά and κατάρα). Thus, by the word ‘cursed’ here are meant such people to whom a word is spoken that brings upon them calamity, destruction, death, and ‘eternal fire.’ The curse should be understood here in the sense of condemnation. But it is noted that formally the curse is not attributed to God the Father and ‘the curse is pronounced as if in an impersonal form.’ By the expression ‘eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,’ as in other places of the New Testament, may be meant not material fire, but simply torments that will be eternal (compare Jude 1:7).

Matthew 25:42. ‘For I was hungry and you did not give Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you did not give Me something to drink;’ Matthew 25:43. ‘I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me; I was naked and you did not clothe Me; I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Matthew 25:44. Then they also will answer: ‘Lord! when did we see You hungry or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not serve You?’ In verse 44 the speech of verses 37–39 is repeated, but with strong abbreviations. As the righteous, so the sinners show ignorance of what the King speaks about. If sinners ever saw Him as He depicts Himself, that is, hungry, thirsty, and so on, then – oh, certainly! – they would have served Him. But if the error, or better, the naive and modest ignorance of the righteous is interpreted in their favor, then here it is the opposite.

Matthew 25:45. Then He will answer them: ‘Truly I say to you: whenever you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me.’ Matthew 25:46. And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. * * * Notes The gold content of a ruble at that time was 0.86 g; that is, the entire sum roughly corresponded to the value of 15 kg of gold. – Editor’s note. That is, approximately 15 kg 480 g of gold. – Editor’s note.

Chapter Twenty-Six

1–5. The deliberation about betraying Christ to death. – 6–13. His anointing in Bethany with precious ointment. – 14–16. Judas’s betrayal. – 17–19. Preparation of the Passover supper. – 20–25. Exposure of the betrayer. – 26–30. Institution of the Sacrament of Communion. – 31–35. Prediction of Peter’s denial. – 36–46. In Gethsemane. – 47–56. Arrest. – 57–68. Trial and mockery. – 69–75. Peter’s denial.

Matthew 26:1. When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples: It is to be supposed that this was on Tuesday of Passion week, that is, on the same day when the speeches set forth in chapters 24 and 25 were spoken. The words Luke 21:37-38 can be looked upon as a brief outline of the preceding history. But it is scarcely possible to consider them an introduction to the further speech of the evangelist. Beginning to recount the last days of Christ’s earthly life, Matthew uses instead of the customary ‘then’ a Hebrew turn of phrase. Literally: ‘and it happened that when Jesus finished’ and so on. This formula is repeated by Matthew five times (Matt 7:28), each time at the end of the speeches of Jesus Christ; by Mark – 4 times, by Luke – 43 times, in Acts – 18 times. Here in Matthew the formula can be considered a precise indication of the time of the speaking of the further words of verse 2. But if the evangelist in the citations indicated above says simply: ‘and it happened that when Jesus finished his words’ or ‘teaching,’ ‘parables’ – then here to the expression ‘these words’ there is added πάντας – ‘all these words.’ This means that the Savior has now finished all His preaching to the people. In the further account of the synoptists until the Resurrection, indeed, no long speeches of Christ to the people are recorded. The long speech set forth in John in chapters 14–17 is addressed only to the disciples. The first verse of the chapter examined relates most closely, of course, to the speeches set forth in chapters 24–25, but one can also interpret the verse in a more general sense: that the teaching activity of Christ has now ended, and this coincided with the beginning of His priestly ministry. Omnia dixerat, quae dicenda habuerat (He said all that needed to be said). ‘Although He often suffered from the plots of the Jews, yet they could not do Him harm, because the devil departed from Him for a time; He could not suffer, until He had finished all His speeches that He intended to deliver to His disciples’ (Origen). Compare Deut 31:1.

Matthew 26:2. ‘You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.’ (Compare Mark 14:1; Luke 22:1; John 13:1). Mark and Luke point only to the approaching Passover two days away, and their words can be considered an introduction to the following events and a precise designation of their time. Matthew agrees with Mark and Luke in determining the time, but adds the words of the Savior, which they do not have. In John there is a general and indefinite designation of time – ‘before the festival of Passover’ – relating to the Last Supper. The verse being examined of Matthew provides a mass of difficulties in interpretation. First of all, it is unknown whether both subordinate clauses should be placed in dependence on ‘you know,’ or only the first one. One can translate: ‘you know that after two days the Passover is coming and that the Son of Man and so on,’ or as in the Russian translation. The latter should be considered correct. Christ could say to the disciples that they know when the Passover will be, but it is doubtful that He could say that they also know about His impending crucifixion precisely at the time of Passover. The meaning of Christ’s words, according to the Russian translation, is that Christ, pointing to the day of Passover, connected with this festival another thing – the delivery of Him to death: you know that after two days the Passover is coming, and I tell you that on this same day the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified. Grammatically one can also translate οἴδατε imperatively: ‘know!’ But such a translation cannot be accepted logically, because Christ had no need to command the disciples to know what, of course, was well known to them. The main difficulty lies in the expression ‘after two days,’ because it can be understood variously (from the Greek – ‘after’ or ‘following’ two days). When were these words spoken? A day and a half or two days before? If we assume that the words were spoken by Christ on Tuesday after noon, then His prediction can be understood either in the sense that He will be crucified on Friday (Wednesday and Thursday – two days), or – on Thursday (Tuesday and Wednesday – two days). The synoptists in the present case not only do not help in interpreting the Gospel of Matthew, but, on the contrary, only complicate the matter. Mark says that after two days was (ἦν – in the Russian translation – ‘would be’) the festival of Passover and unleavened bread, and Luke speaks of the festival of unleavened bread called Passover. Because of this it was objected that Passover and the festival of unleavened bread – not one, but two different festivals. Hence there are numerous vacillations in the interpretation of all these expressions. Origen interpreted the expression of Matthew in the sense that it pointed not to the festival of the Jewish Passover, but to the new Passover. The Savior did not say that ‘after two days the Passover would be or come,’ not wishing to point to the impending legal Passover, but that there would be (such) a Passover as had never been before, and by it the ancient Passover would be abolished.’ Hence it is evident that Origen does not concern himself with precise interpretation of the Gospel words and expresses himself vaguely in general. Some newer exegetes thought that Christ was crucified on Thursday. Some supposed that the expression of Matthew contains an error, originally made by Mark and depending on a mistaken translation of two Aramaic words, one of which means ‘after,’ and another – ‘two.’ According to this interpretation, the expression of Matthew should be translated ‘after a few days,’ and not ‘after two days.’ Not entering the reader into various complicated and confused questions on this subject, we will say beforehand that the order of the last events on Passion week was as those indicated in our church services on Passion week. If the reader agrees with this without preliminary explanations, then much will be clarified for him in advance in the extremely complicated and difficult subsequent Gospel accounts. Thus, without any proofs, we advance beforehand the assumption that Christ was crucified in the morning on Friday, the Last Supper was the eve of this day, the night of Thursday to Friday. The words set forth in the verse being examined were spoken by Christ in the evening on Tuesday, after the speeches set forth in chapters 24 and 25. Such an order is accepted at present time by all the best exegetes. As for the indication of two festivals (Passover and unleavened bread) and their bringing together, it appears very doubtful that they were distinguished in popular speech as strictly as many critics would wish. That in the ‘biblical sense’ Passover and the festival of unleavened bread were closely connected, this is clear to anyone who takes the trouble to read Exod 12:1-8. Luke clearly does not separate both festivals, according to his words ἑορτὴ τῶν ἀζύμων was ἡ λεγομένη πάσχα (Luke 22:1). Passover was the main festival of the Jews, established in memory of their exodus from Egypt and their liberation from Egyptian slavery. “Will be delivered,” literally – “will be delivered,” – an impersonal statement without indication of who will deliver.

Matthew 26:3. Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the courtyard of the chief priest named Caiaphas, Only Matthew provides these details. The words ‘and the scribes’ are absent in the best codexes and should be omitted. “Then” – probably a precise designation of time. It is possible that the deliberation in the house of Caiaphas also took place on Tuesday. This was not the first deliberation. The decision to deliver Christ to death had already been made before (see Matt 21:45-46). As is usually the case, important decisions are not always carried out immediately. It is necessary not only to make a decision, but also to think about the means of carrying it out. The activity and speeches of Christ throughout this Passion week increasingly strengthened the hatred of His enemies and made the decision once made by them irreversible. By ‘courtyard’ here is meant not the palace of the chief priest in which he lived, but the space in the courtyard itself with buildings arranged on its sides, perhaps presenting something like a covered tent. More likely, this was simply an open place in the courtyard. It is supposed that the courtyard of the chief priest was divided into two halves, one of which was lower than the other (Mark 14:66), and the deliberation took place in the inner place, farther from the entrance. Among the Hebrews according to law there was only one chief priest. Matthew and Mark mention in their Gospels only Caiaphas, but Luke (Luke 3:2), John (John 18:13), as well as the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 4:6), mention also Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas. The chief priest Annas, who was replaced by procurator Valerius Gratus (Josephus “Jewish Antiquities,” XVIII, 2, 2), was, so to speak, a retired chief priest, but nevertheless continued to remain a chief priest and, apparently, had considerable influence, probably because of his relationship by marriage with the successor Caiaphas (25–36 A.D.; according to Schürer and others – 18–36 A.D.). The name Caiaphas was not his own; his real name was Joseph (Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities” XVIII, 2, 2). As Schürer shows (Geschichte, II, p. 271, note 12), the chief priest was called Caiaphas, not Caifa (Cephas). Caiaphas was removed from office by procurator Vitellius (Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities,” XVIII, 4, 3). Besides the former and present chief priest, heads of priestly courses might have been present at the deliberation, who in the Gospels are also called archpriests or chief priests. The deliberation evidently took place without any participation of Judas, about whom the assembled ones knew nothing as yet.

Matthew 26:4. and they plotted to arrest Jesus by cunning and kill Him; (Compare Mark 14:1; Luke 22:2.) All synoptists speak about the same thing, but all in different expressions. Συνεβουλεύσαντο – not deliberated, but decided, resolved in the deliberation (in Greek – aorist). The Russian translation is correct. The verb is placed in the middle voice to express reciprocity or interaction. Those deliberating decided not to go directly, but to use cunning, as it were, an ambush. This was necessary, because they did not want to act openly – ‘they feared the people’ (Matt 21:46), who considered Christ a prophet. Not about taking Christ, but how to take Him – this was now the subject of their deliberations.

Matthew 26:5. but they said, “Not during the festival, so that there will not be a tumult among the people.” (See Mark 14:2; Luke 22:2). Matthew narrates the whole of this history more fully than the other synoptists, yet in substantial agreement with them. The particle δέ in Matthew (ἔλεγον δέ) Mark replaces with γάρ. In either case the sense differs. According to Matthew, Christ’s enemies would have wished to put Him to death immediately, but (δέ) with this were expressed concerns lest tumult should arise among the people. Mark, however, emphasizes the word “by cunning” (Mark 14:1) and in the next verse explains (γάρ, incorrectly rendered “but” in Russian) why it was needed for this undertaking. Those deliberating tried to avoid not so much tumult among the people as simply “uproar” in general (the proper meaning of the word θόρυβος). Noiseless actions are always safer; cautious people always strive to act so that no uproar occurs. In making such a decision, those assembled apparently gave no thought to delivering Christ precisely to crucifixion. That execution would have been public and could have caused great popular disturbance. They deliberated about simply catching Jesus Christ somewhere in secret and by surprise, and killing Him. Only the rapidly following events made clear to them that there was no need to resort to any cunning; they understood that they could act openly and deliver Christ to public crucifixion. Therefore, the intention of Christ’s enemies to avoid Him “not during the festival” in no way justifies the conclusion adopted by many exegetes that Jesus Christ was crucified not on the very day of Passover. It often happens that both individual people and entire societies suddenly and quickly change their former decisions upon the occurrence of favorable circumstances. Some supposed that those deliberating wished to put Jesus Christ to death before the Passover festival arrived. Such an opinion has no basis. By “festival” one should understand not the first day of the festival, but the whole week during which it continued. During the Passover festival in Jerusalem a multitude of people assembled. However much the desire existed to rid themselves of a mortal enemy as soon as possible, it was unthinkable. Let the people celebrate the festival and depart to their homes in different places and cities. Then the hands of the authorities would not be bound by anything. Harboring such fears, Christ’s enemies acted under the guidance of an external force. “The Devil did not wish that Christ suffer at Passover so that His suffering would not become known; but they—so as not to cause disturbance. See how they fear not the wrath of God and not that the festival time might increase their evil deed, but everywhere—dangers from people” (St. John Chrysostom). Similar postponements of made decisions were not without precedent in the subsequent history of Christianity. When Agrippa killed James the son of Zebedee, the brother of John, “seeing that it pleased the Jews, he also seized Peter—then were the days of unleavened bread—and, having arrested him, put him in prison…intending after Passover to bring him out to the people” and, of course, execute him (Acts 12:3-4).

Matthew 26:6. Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, (See Mark 14:3; John 12:1). First of all, the question of when this took place. It must be determined on the basis of John’s account (John 12:1-8). True, the first verses of that account (John 12:1-4) do not at all coincide with the account of Matthew and Mark, but in John 12:5 (see Matt 26:9; Mark 14:5) there is striking agreement, which is also evident in John 12:8 (see Matt 26:11; Mark 14:7). This gives full warrant for considering the history narrated by the three evangelists as identical (Luke says nothing about the anointing of Christ in Bethany). If so, we must refer the event narrated in Matt 26:6-13; Mark 14:1-9 to an earlier time, “six days before Passover,” to which John points. The anointing took place on the eve of Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Matthew and Mark do not preserve here chronological sequence of events, which is observed elsewhere as well, especially in Matthew’s Gospel. Why? Apparently because both evangelists wish to express another thought. The particle δέ, employed by Matthew at the beginning of verse 6, indicates a contrast with what was reported earlier (verses 3–5). Christ’s enemies deliberated to seize Him by cunning and kill Him, but did not wish to do so during the festival, because they feared the people. From the high priest’s house the evangelist immediately transports us to a peaceful house in Bethany. There—enmity, hatred, treachery, malice, fear of the people. Here—those who loved Christ, friends devoted to Him, are already preparing Him for burial. The former act consciously, knowing what they do, while here everything appears unintentional and unconscious, and in this sense is explained by Christ. There they wish to turn Christ’s living body into a stinking corpse, while here, on the contrary, they wish that His body would be fragrant. There—callousness, treachery, malice of inveterate evildoers; here—tender and sensitive love of a devoted woman, who, without fully reckoning with it, only senses that something evil awaits her Teacher and Lord. Thus, chronological sequence is replaced in Matthew and Mark by logical connection and relation of Christ’s anointing to the schemes of His enemies and His approaching death. All of this is so simple, comprehensible, and natural that we have no reason whatsoever to reproach the two first evangelists for not endeavoring to preserve chronological sequence. The only consideration that could be advanced against identifying the two synoptic accounts with the Gospel of John (John 12:1 and following) is that if Christ’s anointing falls on the preceding sabbath, then Wednesday leaves too little of the events narrated by the synoptists. But this objection is entirely removed if we suppose that Wednesday was a day of rest for the Son of Man before His crucifixion and death, and was spent by Him completely quietly among friends. With this understanding Matthew’s account is brought into relation not with Tuesday and Wednesday of Passion week, but generally with all the events set forth throughout Matt 21:1-26:5 (Zahn). Augustine understood the present account somewhat like this. “It may seem a contradiction,” he says, “that Matthew and Mark, after reporting that Passover will come after two days, then speak of Jesus Christ’s stay in Bethany and tell of His anointing there with precious ointment, while John recounts this anointing six days before Passover. But those who are troubled by this do not understand that Matthew and Mark could have placed the account of the anointing in Bethany exactly here. Neither of them, after saying that Passover will come after two days, made such an addition: ‘after this, when (Christ) was in Bethany.’ Who Simon the leper was, nothing is known. Theophylact says that ‘some consider Simon the leper the father of Lazarus; the Lord cleansed him of leprosy and was entertained by him.’ This is merely an unfounded supposition. Meyer even supposes that one cannot prove by anything the connection of Simon with Lazarus’ family. This is an exaggeration. Simon had some unknown relation to Lazarus’ family if we consider the accounts of the synoptists and John as identical. Regarding the fact that Matthew and Mark do not mention either Lazarus or Martha and Mary, but only Simon, the following opinion was expressed. The evangelists do so because it was dangerous to speak of Lazarus and his sisters at the time when the synoptic Gospels were written. Therefore the name of Lazarus does not appear at all in the synoptists, while the name of Simon the leper does not appear in John. Martha and Mary are not mentioned at all by Matthew and Mark. John (and perhaps in part Luke as well) did not have such fears when writing his Gospel, and therefore mentions both Lazarus and his sisters.

Matthew 26:7. There came to Him a woman with an alabaster jar of precious ointment and poured it on His head as He reclined. (See Mark 14:3). In John 12:1-3 it is said that “six days before Passover” in Bethany “they made” for Christ “a supper and Martha served” (see Luke 10:40), “and Lazarus was one of those reclining with Him. Mary” (see Luke 10:39), “taking a pound of pure costly nard, anointed the feet of the Savior and wiped them with her hair” (see Luke 7:38). Matthew and Mark do not name the woman who did this. From their accounts one cannot even infer that this was a woman known to anyone generally, because there is no article before γύνη. Such indefiniteness gave rise to numerous and tangled discussions on this subject among both ancient and modern exegetes. Some, paying attention to Luke 7:38 and following, thought that the Gospels mention four women who anointed Christ. But Origen remarks that there were only three: of one Matthew and Mark wrote (not in any way contradicting each other in one section), of another—Luke, and of still another—John, because the last differs from the rest. Jerome says: “Let no one think that one and the same woman anointed both head and feet.” Augustine considers the woman of whom Luke speaks (Luke 7:36 and following) identical with the one of whom John speaks (i.e., with Mary, sister of Lazarus). The anointing was performed by her twice. Of the first, only Luke speaks; of the second, three evangelists speak equally, namely John, Matthew, and Mark. Thus Augustine distinguishes between two anointings—that which Luke reports (Luke 7:37-39) and that which took place in Bethany six days before Passover, supposing that the woman who anointed was one and the same. Chrysostom sees it differently. “This woman, it seems, is one and the same among all the evangelists; yet in reality not so, but among three evangelists, it seems to me, one and the same woman is spoken of, while John speaks of another certain remarkable woman, the sister of Lazarus.” Theophylact declares: “Some say there were three women who anointed the Lord with ointment, whom all four evangelists mention. Others suppose there were two: one mentioned by John, namely Mary, sister of Lazarus, and another mentioned by Matthew, which is identical with the one mentioned by Luke and Mark.” Zigabenus: “Three women anointed the Lord with ointment. One, of whom Luke speaks, being a sinner…a second whom John speaks of, by name Mary…a third, whom Matthew and Mark equally recount, who approached (Christ) two days before Passover in the house of Simon the leper.” “And if,” says Augustine, “Matthew and Mark say that the woman poured ointment on the Lord’s head, while John—on His feet, then here there is, it seems, no contradiction. We think she anointed not only the head but also the feet of the Lord. Perhaps someone might object in a slanderous spirit that according to Mark’s account she broke the vessel before anointing the Lord’s head, and that in the broken vessel no ointment remained with which she could anoint also His feet. But he who makes such slander should note that the feet were anointed before the vessel was broken, and that enough ointment remained in it when, breaking it, the woman poured out all the remaining oil.” Among later exegetes similar diverse opinions are encountered. Calvin prescribed to his followers to consider the two accounts (one in Matthew and Mark, and another in John) as identical. But Lightfoot says: “I marvel how anyone can confuse both these accounts.” Even Zahn derives from Matthew’s account that “the woman did not live in Simon’s house” (das Weib keine Hausgenossin des Simon war). Other exegetes said that if what is narrated in Matthew and Mark had taken place in Lazarus’ house rather than Simon the leper’s house, then the disciples would not have become “indignant” (ἡγανάκτησαν—ἀγανακτοῦντες; Matt 26:8; Mark 14:4), because that would mean being indignant with one of the hostesses who had received them. An explanation of this will be given in the next verse. For now, on the basis of the grounds presented above, we shall say that the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and John should be considered identical. The contradiction between Matthew and Mark, according to which the woman anointed Christ’s head, and John, that she anointed the feet, is not so great as to deny the identity of their accounts. Both could have happened, with Matthew and Mark reporting on one and John on another. With this there is no need even to suppose that the fourth evangelist intentionally corrected his predecessors or that preference should be given only to his account. One can only affirm that the example of the woman of whom Luke speaks was a precedent and occasioned imitation. But the account in Luke 7:36 and following is entirely distinct from the present. The word ἀλάβαστρον (ἀλάβαστρος, ἀλάβαστος) appears in the New Testament only in three places (Matt 26:7; Mark 14:3; Luke 7:37) and means, properly, alabaster, and then an alabaster vessel, an alabaster jar. Such vessels were used for preserving fragrant ointments. Pliny (Natural History, III, 3) says that unguenta optime servantur in alabastris (fragrant ointments are excellently preserved in alabaster vessels). Among the gifts sent by Cambyses to the Ethiopians, Herodotus mentions an alabaster vessel with ointment (μύρου ἀλάβαστρον, History, III, 20). On the custom of anointing the head see Eccl 9:8. Remarkably, when speaking of Christ’s anointing, Matthew does not mention that the woman poured it (i.e., the ointment) on his head, and omits this word. The construction of the verse is not the same in Matthew and Mark. In the latter—κατέχεεν αὐτοῦ τῆς κεφαλῆς; in Matthew—κατέχεεν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ ἀνακειμένου. Mark thus has the ordinary “post-Homeric” construction, simply with the genitive; Matthew has the later construction—with ἐπί. One considers ἀνακειμένου a genitive absolute and separate from αὐτοῦ. This is questionable. Between the two variant readings πολυτίμου (of great value or precious) and βαρυτίμου (the same meaning) the former should be preferred, as it is better attested.

Matthew 26:8. When the disciples saw it, they became indignant and said: “Why this waste?” (See Mark 14:4; John 12:4). In John it is said that the disciples became indignant, but only Judas. If in the previous verse, where the woman breaks the vessel, the matter is presented roughly in Mark, then it is presented in the same way in the present verse. This is testified to by ἀγανακτοῦντες (in Matthew—ἡγανάκτησαν)—a harsh expression that completely violates the refinement and harmony of the entire recounted event. John does not speak either of breaking the vessel or of the disciples’ indignation, but only of Judas, with an explanation of the reasons why Judas spoke thus. But the word ἀγανατεῖν appears here not to be as strong as in the Russian and Slavonic translations. It means here simply “to be disturbed,” “to be displeased.” The alabaster vessel with ointment was πολύτιμος—precious or of great value. Judas evaluates the cost at three hundred denarii (John 12:5)—about 60 rubles in our money. In view of the recently taught, well-remembered teachings of Christ Himself to the disciples that help to those hungry, thirsty, etc., was equivalent to help to the King Himself, it becomes fully comprehensible why the disciples could be displeased. Especially displeased was Judas, as one who greatly loved and valued money. It is possible that in the present case his displeasure was contagious even to other disciples. As among people not accustomed to restraint, this displeasure poured outward and was noticeable to the woman herself who was performing the anointing (ἐνεβριμοῦντο αὐτῇ—Mark 14:5). Mary’s feminine love elevated her above the whole society of Christ’s disciples, and what was contrary, perhaps, to the demands of harsh logic and callous reason was fully in accord with the demands of her feminine heart. It mattered not that this required spending as much as was needed not only to feed a crowd of paupers, but also to arrange a good feast for arriving guests. Origen remarks: “If one woman was written about by Matthew and Mark, and another by John, and a third by Luke, then how could the disciples, having once received a rebuke from Christ on account of her deed, not reform and not cease their indignation on account of the deed of yet another woman doing something similar?” Origen does not settle this question or, rather, settles it unsatisfactorily. In Matthew and Mark, he says, the disciples grumble from a good intention (ex bono proposito); in John—only Judas, on account of love of theft (furandi affectu); in Luke no one grumbles. But if in Luke no one grumbles, then from this it is clear that he speaks of a different anointing. And from the repetition of the report of grumbling in Matthew, Mark, and John one can conclude that the history they recount is identical.

Matthew 26:9. For it was possible to sell this ointment for a large sum and give it to the poor. (See Mark 14:5; John 12:5). In John these words are again spoken only by Judas. After the word “this” in the original in Matthew there is no word (placed in the Russian translation) “ointment,” and it is considered here an addition to the original text. But it is genuine in the parallel in Mark, with Mark and John adding that the ointment could be sold “for more than three hundred denarii” (in John simply: “for three hundred denarii”). Was such speech by the disciples correct? It appears correct only in outward appearance. Without doubt, many others reason the same way as the disciples. But in reality hic discipuli non recte utuntur theologia comparativa (the disciples here incorrectly employ comparative theology). Suppose the desire of the disciples had been fulfilled; some wealthy woman had bought Mary’s ointment, and then the money received could be given to the poor. But in this case the woman who repurchased the ointment would in the end act the same way as Mary, would use it for anointing, i.e., would expend it for the same purpose for which Mary spent it. No vessel of ointment can exist forever and serve as a constant source of assistance to the poor. On the other hand, it is possible that the production of ointment was the occupation of poor people. Its purchase from them in itself could be help to them. The reasoning of the disciples was thus erroneous.

Matthew 26:10. But Jesus, knowing this, said to them: “Why do you trouble the woman? She has done a good deed to Me.” (See Mark 14:6; John 12:7). In John the Savior’s speech is directed (in the Greek text) to Judas. The Savior understood (γνούς) what the disciples were deliberating about. This deliberation apparently took place at some distance from Him. It is difficult to suppose that all disciples were displeased; those who were displeased took care that the Savior would not hear their words. Only Judas could have spoken the words aloud, within the hearing of Christ, and thus confirm the correctness of his grumbling. “Why do you trouble?”—τί κόπους παρέχετε—“cause difficulty,” “give trouble.” Because (γάρ) if you believe that I am worthy of some good deed on the part of this woman, then you can see what a good deed she has indeed done for Me now. Ἔργον καλόν—not only good, but beautiful in appearance, pleasant, fine (see the commentaries to Matt 5:16). It was all the more beautiful and pleasant because the woman “herself did not know what she was doing,” and “the simplicity of her action only increased its beauty.”

Matthew 26:11. For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me. (See Mark 14:7; John 12:8). Mark adds: “and whenever you want to, you can do good to them.” In other respects the words of Matthew, Mark, and John are fully identical, with only a rearrangement of a few words. Zahn says, questionably, how to read (in Matthew): πάντοτε γὰρ τοὺς πτωχούς, as Mark does, or τοὺς πτωχοὺς γὰρ πάντοτε and so on. The words of the Savior have, one might say, an eternal and undeniable sense. However simple the truth that the poor exist and will always exist everywhere, it was stated for the first time only by Him. The truth of His assertion is verified by constant experience. Despite all possible measures to reduce poverty, the poor have always existed and exist. But in contrast to the constant existence of the poor, Christ was not always with people.

Matthew 26:12. In pouring this ointment on My body, she prepared Me for burial. (See Mark 14:8; John 12:7). In John these words are spoken earlier than the speech about the poor and little resembles the expressions of Matthew and Mark. If in verse 7 it was said that the ointment was poured “on the head” of Christ, then here He Himself says it was poured on His “body.” In this expression one can find an allusion to what John 12:3 says, that Mary anointed Christ’s feet. The word ἐνταφιάζειν means not “to bury” but “to prepare for the grave,” “to embalm.” Physicians embalmed Jacob in Egypt before his burial in Palestine (Gen 50:2). The woman “as it were prophesied about the approaching death of Christ” (Zigabenus).

Matthew 26:13. Truly I say to you: Wherever this Gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be spoken of in memory of her and of what she did. (See Mark 14:9—with slight differences). “Pay attention,” says Jerome, “to His knowledge of the future, to the fact that, about to suffer and die after two days, He knows that His Gospel will be glorified throughout the whole world.” For this reason the words of Christ are considered an argumentum pro veritate religionis christianae (an argument for the truth of Christian religion). No monarch, whatever power he possesses, can impart immortality to any of his actions (Bengel). Regarding the reading of the verse, opinions are divided. Some read as in the Russian translation, i.e., with a comma after “in the whole world”; others thus: “Wherever this Gospel is preached, in the whole world it will be said, etc.” Zahn holds the latter opinion. The question is settled by comparison with Mark’s words, where εἰς ὅλον τὸν κόσμον (in the whole world) clearly refers to the preceding κηρυχθῇ (will be preached) rather than to the following λαληθήσεται (will be said). Zahn’s opinion should therefore be considered incorrect. Similar prophetic predictions were made in other instances as well (Jdt 8:32; 1 Macc 3:7; Luke 1:48). To the account of Mary’s anointing of Christ in Bethany, John adds reports (John 12:9-11), which are absent in the synoptists.

Matthew 26:14. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests (See Mark 14:10; Luke 22:3). If the supper in Bethany, along with the evangelist John, is to be referred to the time before Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, then we have no information at all about how the Savior spent Wednesday on Passion week. In deciding these questions, we generally do not step outside the realm of mere suppositions. The evangelists do not indicate chronological dates here, and where such indications do occur, they are so tangled and indefinite that to the present time no scholar has succeeded in untangling the labyrinth constructed here, although enormous effort was expended on it, resulting in a vast amount of literature in all European languages. When exactly Judas went to the chief priests cannot be determined with certainty. All evangelists hint that it was after the supper in Bethany. But if it took place before Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, then it appears improbable that Judas would have gone to the chief priests before this last event, because in the subsequent history of the days of Passion week there is no hint by the evangelists of his betrayal. The most probable supposition therefore is that Judas’ betrayal took place either Tuesday evening or Wednesday. For his negotiations about the delivery of Christ, Judas could preferably have chosen night time. The betrayal of Judas is not so much difficult to explain by examining individual features of his character as by the attitude of Christ Himself toward Judas. We have already spoken of this (see commentaries to Matt 10:4). As for the fact of Judas’ betrayal itself, various opinions have been expressed at different times. In our literature there are two works on this; one belongs to L. Andreev, and the other to Professor of Moscow Spiritual Academy M. Muretov. The first was written by a completely ignorant writer for completely ignorant readers, and very naturally is highly valued by them. But it is clear that all victories of Mr. Andreev in this field can equal and only equal his complete defeat. As for Professor Muretov’s work on Judas the traitor, he writes: “The law of moral equilibrium, consisting in the self-retribution of good and evil, or love and egoism, on its negative side is nowhere expressed so briefly and powerfully as in the deeply tragic biblical narratives about Cain and Judas.” Judas Iscariot—seller of the “innocent blood” of the Teacher for the sake of a nationalist-egotistical idea of political pseudo-Judaism, which proved impotent against the terrible truth of delivering innocent blood to the God-man, and within hours of the crime forced the traitor in terrible pangs of conscience to say: “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood”—and go and hang himself (Matt 27:4-5). According to Professor Muretov, “the traitor possessed a character more profound and serious than the many who were seduced by Christ’s harsh word.” It is hardly possible to suppose that this was a psychologically very complex character. If one does not venture into the realm of fancy and unfounded suppositions, and does not step outside the realm of facts, it turns out that the motive of Judas’ betrayal, at least the principal one, was money, to which he felt attachment, not allowing him to easily reconcile himself to the privations and sufferings that constituted one aspect of following Christ. In this case Judas was not some particular person, but resembled thousands of other people who try to extract profit from everything and in case of failure sink into despair and decide on anything. This motive runs like a red thread through the Gospels, especially in John, who says that Judas not only carried the money box but was a “thief” (John 12:6). The same appears in the writings of Church Fathers who wished to explain Judas’ deed, and in our Church hymns (“then Judas the wicked, sickened with love of money, was darkened”; “behold, the lover of possessions” etc.). Pope Leo the Great wrote well about this. Judas “abandoned Christ not out of fear but because of greed for money. For love of money is the basest passion. A soul devoted to gain does not fear ruin and will do anything for it; there is no trace of righteousness in that heart in which love of possession has made its nest. The faithless Judas, intoxicated with this poison, while he thirsted for gain, was so madly impious that he sold his Lord and Teacher.” The word “sickened” employed in our Church hymn sheds more light on the matter than all the “ideological-national, religious-political nightmares” created by Mr. Muretov. Love of money was a spiritual “sickness” of Judas. This sickness could influence all his remaining spiritual structure and cause abnormality in his general thinking. This does not mean that Judas was mad, because in that case he would be not responsible and not subject to any accountability (see Matt 26:24; Mark 14:21; Luke 22:22). But undoubtedly he had partial insanity, partial clouding of his mental faculties, which is proven chiefly by his suicide, which, as is known, a person with completely sound and normal reason will not voluntarily commit. Judas’ love of money was apparently at first completely secret, developed and burned like a smoldering fire, and led Judas to temporary self-denial and endurance of all the hardships of life in communion with Christ, with constant hope for future blessings. These hopes turned out in the end to be unrealized and threatened with something completely opposite to any earthly prosperity. If Judas did not endure such a crisis to the end, then this is fully comprehensible. If we mentally placed temptations on one mountain and Judas on another, we would find that Judas’ answers to diabolical temptations would be completely opposite to Christ’s answers. At the devil’s suggestion Judas would not have refused either to turn stones to bread, or to display before the people miraculous power and worship the devil for the kingdoms of the world. But beside this basic motive of Judas’ actions, love of money, in the Gospels appears very subtly, but completely clearly, another, additional motive, which can be viewed as a consequence of the main motive. This is the striving to attach himself to powerful people and their parties. It usually happens that in such cases people do not at all speak of the moral worth of powerful parties and the principles they preach. They snatch up on the wing their wildest, most fantastical ideas and then present them as something given, absolute, not subject to dispute or doubt. Criticism is completely absent. While Judas saw that Christ, as an extraordinary Teacher and Wonder-worker, must come into power, he adhered to Him and did not depart from Him. But when he clearly saw that it was not Christ but the party hostile to Him—the chief priests, elders, and scribes—that was destined to come into power, a party that in Judas’ eyes was to bury all of Christ’s work and His person, then he attached himself to it, and this happened as easily as Herod I easily declared his devotion now to one Roman commander, then to another. The Gospel notes about Judas and in general about the last events of Christ’s earthly life are too brief. We cannot grasp the actual moments when exactly it became clear to Judas that external force was not on Christ’s side but on His enemies’. Christ’s own repeated declarations about sufferings, the Cross, and then the ever-increasing malice of Jewish authorities, generally speaking, clearly showed Judas in time on which side it was more profitable to stand, and he boldly abandons Christ and plunges into the whirlpool of political hatred and murder. Τότε (“then”) should be understood as an indefinite indication, as in many other cases. It is questionable whether this adverb has immediate relation to what precedes and indicates, in the evangelist’s mind, Judas’ departure from the supper that took place in Bethany. The word πορευθείς Bengel explains: discipuli non erant clausï poterat abire malus (the disciples were not locked up, the evil one could leave). Among all synoptists there appears an addition: “one of the twelve” (in Luke: “from among the twelve”). The evangelists do not try to hide and do not hide that the traitor was from the apostolic circle itself, and not only do not hide it but even emphasize this fact by the stated expression. The apostles, it seems, had not suspected until now that there was a traitor in their own midst (although Christ Himself had pointed to him much earlier—John 6:70). This fact was so unexpected and astonishing to the disciples that the expression “one of the twelve” appeared as it were naturally and of itself. Judas goes to the “chief priests,” but Luke adds (Luke 22:4) also στρατηγοῖς (in the Russian translation “commanders”—inexactly)—to military commanders, who were apparently invited to the chief priests’ council. This connection of chief priests with military commanders is very typical and typological.

Matthew 26:15. And said: “What will you give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they offered him thirty pieces of silver. (See Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:4-5). Mark and Luke do not say that Judas began negotiations with the chief priests and “leaders” (Luke) by stating the price at which he agreed to betray Christ. But in Matthew the negotiations begin precisely with this. Judas’ statement, as set forth by Matthew, is very characteristic. He makes his statement to such people as he hopes will immediately understand him. The motive expressed by Judas is sufficient in itself. It is the first and chief motive in ordinary human relations. Many place it first even when, so to speak, they wish to screen with it other, more serious motives, which they do not consider it necessary to reveal prematurely. But many point to the latter, always leaving the chief, monetary, motive in the background. Few genuine idealists are to be found. Most point to ideals, concealing the culpability of the chief motive with their beauty. Judas does not say: I will deliver Him to you and desire to receive for this so much. He could have asked for less than they could have given him. He does not initially set a price but seeks to learn about it. But he does not “sell” Christ, but “deliver” (παραδώσω). This was to cost less than a sale. Judas bargains to do in essence something unimportant and not difficult—to point out Christ’s secret whereabouts so that He could be safely seized. This could not cost much. The chief priests offer Judas such a price as he probably did not expect. Thirty pieces of silver—for some hour, an hour not even of difficult, strenuous work, but simply for the inconvenience of nighttime, for accompanying people who could seize Christ. A worker for heavy daytime work ordinarily received only a denarius (about 20–25 kopecks). Judas was offered thirty pieces of silver. These were “temple shekels,” which were “heavier” than ordinary ones. A single shekel equaled four denarii! Consequently, the price offered to Judas was 120 times higher than the daily wage of one worker. More than a third of a year was needed to endure the burden of day and heat to earn such money. But the chief priests and the temple were certainly wealthy. After the first service other services could be required. One needed only to please and faithfully execute the given commission, and then await further commissions from influential people, for which silver pieces would also pour into the pocket. For the greedy and money-loving, covetous Judas, magnificent prospects for the future could appear. Perhaps he even hoped to receive thirty pieces of silver each day! As soon as such a price was offered to Judas, he immediately agreed. It is unknown only whether the money was given to him now or later. That it was given is beyond doubt (Matt 27:5). But now it is difficult to determine how it was. All synoptists use different expressions. In Matthew ἔστησαν—this term was used to designate payment of a required sum, assignment of wages, but also means “to hang,” “to weigh out” (see the translation of the Seventy 2 Sam 14:26; Ezra 8:25; Job 6:2; Isa 40:12; Jer 32:9; Zech 11:12). Not in all these citations is it said about money. But however closely these citations relate to the discussed passage in Matthew, from the latter, on the basis of the use of ἔστησαν, one cannot conclude that the Jews at this very time weighed out and gave Judas the required sum. They only decided and determined to give it to him. Such a conclusion is confirmed by Mark, who says that the chief priests were gladdened and only promised Judas to give him silver pieces, and by Luke, according to whom they συνέθεντο—determined (in the Russian translation—“agreed”) to give him money. In this sense Euthymius Zigabenus explains the expression: “Mark said that they promised (Judas) to give him silver, and Luke—that they agreed. It appears they first agreed and promised, and then weighed out (σταθμῆσαι). Some, however, think that ἔστησαν stands in place of συνεφώνησαν and ὡρίσαντο (determined, appointed).” If we are to translate ἔστησαν as “weighed out,” then this would mean that the expression is borrowed from an earlier time when precious metals, when being paid without minting, were weighed on scales. But Theophylact directly affirms that they “only agreed, determined to give him, not that they weighed them out, as many think.” The pieces of silver promised or given to Judas were ἀργύρια (Mark, Luke; in John—none)—silver coins approximately the size of our ruble. Judas himself hardly supposed that in betraying Christ he was acting in accordance with ancient prophecies. For him the price promised and given by the Jews was high. On the other hand, the Jews, of course, did not think about the fulfillment of ancient prophecies in these events. But in appointing 30 pieces of silver themselves, they almost certainly thought thereby to humiliate Christ, because 30 pieces of silver was the ordinary price of a slave (Exod 21:32). Such contempt was apparently shared by Judas as well, who does not call Christ by name but says he will deliver Him (αὐτόν). On the other hand, the Jewish leaders, when Judas came to them, could not in their souls but despise him. There was nothing elevated or noble in secret betrayal, and it could be regarded with revulsion even by the most base and immoral people who, however, were considered heads of society. The presence at the council of military commanders (στρατηγοῖς—Luke) was necessary generally for regulating the measures of arrest. The statement of the traitor immediately changed the whole plan that was supposed to be executed. So it often happens.

Matthew 26:16. And from that time he sought an opportunity to betray Him. (See Mark 14:11; Luke 22:6). “An opportunity”—inexactly; in the original—“favorable” or, better still, “good, suitable time” (εὐκαιρίαν). It is clear that Judas’ subsequent actions are determined precisely by this goal. He conducts himself so as, on the one hand, not to arouse suspicion, and on the other, not to violate the promise given to the Jews. Judas hardly needed to investigate and study the matter. He knew it perfectly. He knew that Christ often remained with His disciples on the Mount of Olives. But precautions were necessary because strong resistance was possible from eleven strong men (not to mention other followers and adherents).

Matthew 26:17. On the first day of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus and said to Him: “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover for You?” (See Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7-9). This verse of Matthew and the parallels gave rise to an enormous amount of literature. Numerous articles and works on “Christ’s last Paschal supper” appeared, including in Russian (by Fr. Gorsky, Khvolson, Glubokovskii, Troitskii, and others). But the results have been unsatisfactory to the present. “The subject under discussion,” wrote Professor Glubokovskii in 1893, “still remains a difficult scientific cross, whose inscriptions have not even been approximately deciphered.” “As the question at present stands,” wrote the English scholar Sunday thirteen years later, in 1906, “we can only ignore” (given the present state of this question we can only acknowledge our ignorance). Under such circumstances we must present only what appears most probable. The evangelists Matthew and Mark say that the disciples came to Jesus with a question about where He had commanded them to prepare Passover on the first day of unleavened bread. But, some said, Passover and the day of unleavened bread were two different festivals. Passover was celebrated according to the law from the evening of the 14th to the 15th of Nisan, at night, not later than 12 o’clock. Then on the 15th came a festival lasting seven days, until the 21st of Nisan, which was called the festival of unleavened bread. Since by the direct sense of Matthew’s and Mark’s accounts the disciples came to Jesus on the day when the festival of unleavened bread began, this means that the Last Supper, when the Passover lamb was consumed, was later than the time established in the law, i.e., not from the 14th to the 15th, but from the 15th to the 16th. This objection is relatively easy to refute. There is no doubt that the day of slaying and eating the Passover lamb was precisely defined in the law (Exod 12:1-6; Num 9:3), and deviations from the law when the day of Passover fell on sabbath are difficult to prove. Thus it is possible to establish that Christ with His disciples celebrated Passover at the time defined in the law, i.e., from the 14th to the 15th of Nisan. But what then will the expressions of Matthew and Mark mean (almost identical): “on the first day of unleavened bread”? How could one say at that time that “the Passover lamb was slain,” i.e., “the Passover lamb”? What day of the week should be understood as the first day of unleavened bread? These are the most difficult questions. To them one can answer that attempts to prove (Khvolson) that among the Hebrews the first day of unleavened bread never meant the Passover itself from the time of its institution to the present should be considered erroneous. But even if there were no error here, then it would still be possible to recognize that Matthew and Mark speak here in the common language, which considered Passover a day of unleavened bread and vice versa. This is fully confirmed by Luke (Luke 22:7), who says that on the day of unleavened bread “the Passover lamb had to be slain,” coming closest in this case to Mark’s account (Mark 14:12). With such an interpretation there is no need to accept that the festival of Passover was celebrated not seven but eight days, and that the time from evening of the 13th to the 14th was also called the festival of unleavened bread, although this is precisely what Josephus Flavius claims (Antiquities of the Jews, II, 15, 1). The question of what day the Paschal supper was held is settled by the undeniable fact that Christ died Friday evening, and the following day (a day of rest) He lay in the tomb. Therefore the interpretation of Chrysostom is correct, that “the evangelist calls the first day of unleavened bread the day preceding the festival of unleavened bread, since the Jews always had the custom of reckoning a day from evening. The evangelist mentions the day on which, in the evening, the Passover lamb was to be slain, so that the disciples came to Jesus on Friday.” But one cannot fully agree with Theophylact’s opinion: “Thus I think that the evangelist calls the first unleavened day the day of unleavened bread. They had to eat Passover properly on Friday evening: it is precisely this that was called the day of unleavened bread—but the Lord sends His disciples on Thursday, which the evangelists call the first day of unleavened bread because it preceded Friday—in the evening of which the unleavened bread was ordinarily eaten.” But regarding the contradiction to which John points (John 18:28), that the Jews did not want to enter Pilate’s “praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but would be able to eat Passover,” this is explained by the fact that here by Passover is meant not the day of Passover itself but its continuation, the eating of festival sacrifices (“hagiga”) etc., for which it was also necessary to avoid defilement, as for eating Passover. It is true that Sunday argues that however attractive this opinion, it should be abandoned due to lack of proof. But this opinion is at present the only one on which one can rely in the chronological distribution of the last days of Christ’s life. The opinion that Christ celebrated Passover not on the evening of the 14th of Nisan but from the 13th to the 14th, expressed also by our theologians (see, for example, Orthodox Dogmatic Theology by Metropolitan Makarii, 1868, Vol. 2, p. 376), should be considered doubtful. “It is impossible that priests would allow a sacrifice not offered at the appointed time to come to the altar, just as it is impossible for our priest, to please someone, to serve the Paschal liturgy on the eve of the Nativity (Khvolson).” However, the opinion that Passover was celebrated from the 13th to the 14th of Nisan should at present be considered universally recognized and widespread.

Matthew 26:18. He said: “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him: ‘The Teacher says: My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.’” (See Mark 14:13-15; Luke 22:10-12). The briefest (to the point of obscurity) account here is in Matthew. Mark and Luke speak further of a man carrying a pitcher of water; the disciples must follow him and tell the master of the house (in distinction from the man carrying the pitcher of water) the Savior’s command concerning the room for celebrating Passover. But Matthew in turn adds some expressions which are absent in the other evangelists. First of all, he has the special expression “to a certain man” (πρὸς τὸν δεῖνα). It was supposed that the “master of the house” (Mark and Luke), who was a disciple of Jesus Christ (ὁ διδάσκαλος λέγει—the teacher speaks to the disciple), is not named here because Christ wished to hide from the returning Judas the place of the celebration of the Last Supper, and Judas could not therefore bring conspirators there to seize Jesus on the very supper itself. In connection with this, they interpret further the words “My time is near” not as some special communication but as a “password” previously agreed upon between Christ and the master of the house, which was also unknown to Judas. Such interpretations do not appear probable, because it is very questionable whether Christ would resort to such means of protection as are ordinarily employed in war. The presence of Judas at the supper serves as an objection to this opinion. The course of events appears in the following form in general. On the morning of the 14th of Nisan, on Thursday, the disciples asked Jesus where He commanded them to prepare for Him a Passover lamb. As is evident from Luke’s account, some preparations had already been made and for this Peter and John were sent (Luke 22:8). They had to bring the Passover lamb to the temple from 3 to 5 o’clock in the evening and themselves slaughter it, with the priests pouring its blood on the altar. While the disciples were doing all this (the opinion that Thursday did not have enough time for this should be considered idle and untenable), there also arose the question about the place of celebrating the Last Supper. Inhabitants of Jerusalem willingly provided pilgrims arriving in Jerusalem with necessary premises, perhaps for a certain fee. Several groups could eat Passover lamb in one room. The number of people eating this Passover lamb was determined to be not less than 10 and not more than 20 persons. There is a tradition that the house where the Last Supper was celebrated belonged either to the evangelist Mark himself or to his father. Such an opinion is supported by the fact that Mark’s account of all these events contains more lively and minute details than that of the other evangelists. But the room that had been prepared for Christ was separate and secluded. Besides the disciples, apparently no one else was admitted to the supper. The fact that the master’s name is not mentioned is explained by the hatred of the Jews, continuing at the time when the synoptic Gospels were written. From this τὸν δεῖνα—“to someone,” “to a certain one,” which Zahn considers equivalent to NN or “so-and-so.” It is questionable, however, whether Christ Himself did not name the master’s name when sending the disciples or whether the disciples did not know about it before meeting the man carrying the pitcher of water and arriving at the house itself. “My time is near”—an indication of approaching death, which could be understood by the master of the house from previous acquaintance and conversations with the Savior. The translation of ποιῶ as “will keep” (future) is incorrect; in the original it is the present tense and means “keep” in the sense of the future.

Matthew 26:19. And the disciples did as Jesus directed them, and prepared the Passover. (See Mark 14:16; Luke 22:13). This meant that after observing various formalities in the temple, the Passover lamb was baked as the law prescribed, set on the table with unleavened bread and bitter herbs in a large furnished, spread, and consecrated room (Mark 14:15; Luke 22:13). Around the table were arranged couches (like our cushions or divans).

Matthew 26:20. Now when evening came, He reclined with the twelve disciples. (See Mark 14:17; Luke 22:14; John 13:2.) This was, as has been said, on Thursday evening, from the 14th to the 15th of Nisan, and the 16th was the Paschal sabbath, a great day. The last supper of Jesus mentioned in John’s Gospel and the Paschal supper of the synoptists is one and the same. In all four evangelists, identical accounts are connected with the time of the Paschal supper: the revelation of the traitor, the prediction of Peter’s denial, the removal of Jesus after the Last Supper to Gethsemane. By the name “Passover” was meant the slaying and eating of the Passover lamb and, it seems, the seven-day festival lasting from the 15th to the 21st of Nisan, the festival of unleavened bread (Lev 23:5-6; Num 28:16-17 and following; Ezek 45:21), just as we call Passover not only the first day of Passover but also the entire Paschal week. The 15th of Nisan was “the day after Passover” (Num 33:3; concerning the time of celebrating Passover see also Exod 12:6; Lev 23:5-8; Num 28:16-25; see Exod 29:38-39). According to the law, the Passover lamb was to be eaten standing (Exod 12:11), but later the custom of reclining was introduced. Jerusal. Pes. 37, 2: mos servorum est, ut edant stantes, at nunc comedant recumbentes, ut dignoscatur, exisse eos e servitute in libertatem (it is the custom of slaves to eat standing, but now they eat reclining, so that it may be known they have come out of slavery into freedom). Together with the other disciples, Judas was also present at the supper; this is evident from the clear statement of Matthew and Mark that Jesus “reclined with the twelve disciples.” This is also indicated by the further accounts of the evangelists about the Last Supper.

Matthew 26:21. And as they were eating, He said: “Truly I say to you: One of you will betray Me.” (See Mark 14:18; Luke 22:21; John 13:21). Matthew, like Mark, omits here the long accounts of Luke 22:15-18 and John 13:2-21. The sequence of events at the supper, after comparing the evangelists’ accounts, was probably as follows. After arriving at the supper, Jesus said the words set forth in Luke (Luke 22:15-18), then there was a dispute among the disciples about who was greatest (Luke 22:24), the washing of feet (John 13:2-11) and teachings on this matter (Luke 22:25-30; John 13:12-20). Some suppose that after this came the breaking of bread (Matt 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:23-24), and only then the revelation of the traitor, which is told in the verse under discussion. But it is better and more natural to refer the institution of the Sacrament to after the revelation of Judas, though in Luke the order is different. They ate the Passover lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The preparation and setting on the table of “haroseth” was not mandatory. But, quite probably, this dish—a mixture of fruits in which bitter herbs are dipped before being eaten—also stood on the table. The words of verse 21, according to Matthew (and Mark), were spoken before the institution of the Eucharist; according to Luke—after. The sequence adopted by Matthew and Mark is more probable, though many think otherwise. The words “One of you will betray Me” were probably not fully understood by the disciples or were not understood at all, were so new and unexpected that no one could understand their actual meaning except Judas. The remaining apostles could understand them to mean that the Teacher faced some danger and that one of the disciples would become the involuntary and unthinking cause of this danger. That Judas had already entered into negotiations with the chief priests, the apostles apparently did not know.

Matthew 26:22. And they were greatly distressed and began to say to Him, each one: “Is it I, Lord?” (See Mark 14:19). John’s account (John 13:22-29) is in essence similar to the account of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Luke 22:22-23), but with the addition of certain details. The questions of the disciples confirm what was said in the interpretation of verse 21, that they did not understand what was being discussed. The interrogative form (μήτι ἐγώ εἰμι, κύριε) requires a negative answer after it. The disciples were conscious of their complete innocence and purity of intention, and therefore hoped that the Savior would not accuse any of them of betrayal. An affirmative answer would require οὐ instead of μή or μήτι. Each disciple asked. But whether Jesus gave an answer to each, is unknown. In all probability, He limited Himself to a general answer, which is set forth in the next verse.

Matthew 26:23. But He said in answer: “He who dipped his hand in the bowl with Me, this one will betray Me.” (See Mark 14:20). To better understand the following words of Christ, one would need to precisely establish the order in which the disciples sat at the supper. The Savior, of course, occupied the first or highest place. But, unfortunately, this alone can be established in the present case. As for the order in which the other disciples sat, nothing definite can be said. The most probable, upon consideration of all the speeches and actions at the supper, appears to be the following arrangement. That John was located next to Jesus is evident from John 13:23. It would have been most convenient for Peter to gesture to him (John 13:24) if he had been seated opposite John. On the other hand, some words of the Savior appear to have been spoken, it seems, to Judas in a whisper, so that the other disciples could not hear Christ’s accusations of him. This is best explained if Judas occupied a place at the supper next to Christ. Such a supposition is justified also by the fact that Judas, not for the sake of a higher place in the new Kingdom, which he no longer valued, but better to simulate his devotion to Christ and thus hide his intentions, tried to occupy a place as close to Him as possible. As for the order in which the other disciples reclined, nothing can be derived from the Gospel expressions. Christ’s answer in verse 23 apparently did not have the following sense: you see who just now or just has dipped (together with Me) his hand in the bowl, this one will betray Me. It is more probable to suppose that the answer had a more general sense. Not pointing to Judas’ person, the Savior gave an affirmative answer to the disciples’ questions, saying that “one of the twelve” (Mark 14:20) will betray Him, then explained this expression more closely: namely the one who is now with Me (and with you) and dips his hand with Me in the bowl. All disciples did this, and therefore the answer seemed indefinite. Its special sense and significance could be understood only by Judas alone. Therefore ὁ ἐμβαπτόμενος (Mark), i.e., “the one dipping,” is considered equivalent to ὁ ἐσθίων μετ´ ἐμοῦ—the one who eats with Me at the supper. Matthew replaces ὁ ἐμβαπτόμενος (“dipping”; the present tense indicates the continuity and repetition of the action) with the aorist—ἐμβάψας—“dipped,” without precise indication of time—an expression just as indefinite as ὁ ἐμβαπτόμενος in Mark and John (John 13:18). That it is truly indefinite is evident from the following verse, where the person destined to betray Christ is called not by name but ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος—that man. The reasons for such indefiniteness are understandable. In accusing Judas and saying what was completely understandable to him, Christ did not wish to expose him clearly before the disciples, because this would probably have been the cause of their general indignation and anger against Judas. The opinion that Judas, desiring to simulate his devotion to Christ, tried to dip his hand with Him in the bowl as frequently as possible has no basis. By the bowl is meant an ordinary dish or basin; τρυβλίον δέ ἐστιν εἶδος πίνακος (Euthymius Zigabenus).

Matthew 26:24. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of Him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born. (See Mark 14:21; Luke 22:22). Instead of “as it is written” better is “as it has been written” (καθώς γέγραπται); instead of “through whom” literally “through whom” (δἰ οὗ); instead of “would have been better” “it would have been better” (καλόν ἦν). The entire verse in Matthew and Mark (in the Greek text) is literally identical, except for Mark’s initial ὅτι. Luke has different expressions. The sense of all of them in the synoptists is that if the betrayal and connected with it sufferings the traitor (again without indication to personality) wishes to make dependent on himself, on his own actions, negotiations and dealings with Jewish authorities, then in reality all this does not depend on him. The Son of Man is betrayed because this is “written” in the sacred books, and what is written serves as an expression of what is predetermined in the very Council of God. No separate place in Scripture is indicated (see Luke 24:26-27). All the sacred books, all the Old Testament Scripture pointed to the fact that Christ had to suffer and die and thus enter into His glory. This might occasion the thought that the traitor was innocent, being only an involuntary instrument of the eternal Council of God. But this is not so. The Son of Man is betrayed as it is written of Him, but (δέ) woe to that man who serves as the instrument (δἰ οὗ—through whom) of the betrayal. The Church Fathers and Church teachers on the whole unanimously interpreted this expression. Origen: “He did not say: woe to the man through whom it is betrayed, but: ‘through whom it is betrayed,’—showing that it is betrayed by another, i.e., by the devil; Judas himself was the executor of this betrayal.” Chrysostom: “But someone will say: if it is written that Christ will thus suffer, then why is Judas condemned? He fulfilled what was written. But he did it not with that thought, but out of malice. If you will not attend to intentions, then you will also free the devil from blame. But no, no! And the one and the other are worthy of countless torments, though the universe was saved. Not Judas’ betrayal made our salvation, but the wisdom of Christ, which wonderfully turned the crimes of others to our benefit.” Euthymius Zigabenus: “Some say that (Judas) is innocent because he accomplished what was predetermined. To such people we will say that Judas did not betray because it was predetermined; but because he betrayed, and it was predetermined, since God foreknows all that will be.” The expression “it would have been better for him if he had not been born this man” (thus literally) is explained as being a proverb often used by the rabbis (see Job 3:4-13 and following). These words should be understood not in a strictly logical sense but as a popular designation of the highest misery. The chief thought here, according to Jerome, is: multo melius est non subsistere quam male subsistere (it is much better not to exist at all than to exist poorly). This entire saying has a Semitic character.

Matthew 26:25. In response, Judas, who was betraying Him, said: “Is it I, Rabbi?” Jesus said to him: “You have said so.” This conversation is set forth only in Matthew. Judging from Luke’s account, the disciples, after the Savior said: “And behold, the hand of him who is betraying Me is with Me on the table” etc. (Luke 22:21-22), “began to question one another, which of them it was who would do this” (Luke 22:23). From this it is clear that the speech about betrayal was not as brief as it appears in Matthew and Mark. The disciples asked the Savior not only about the traitor but also carried on conversations among themselves about this. They tried to find out, to learn, to clarify precisely such an incredible matter. Therefore one can permit that there was a general, probably quite loud, murmur. John provides here (John 13:22-29) several lively details as a supplement to what the other evangelists say. The disciples looked at one another, perplexed, not knowing about whom Jesus was speaking. Simon Peter gestures to John to ask Jesus about the traitor. The Savior, having dipped a morsel, gives it to Judas with the words not understood by the disciples: “What you are about to do, do quickly” etc. Probably during these questions and negotiations, and Judas not in general silence and quiet, but in the midst of noise and murmur, also posed the question whether he was the traitor (verse 25). In form, Judas’ question differed from the questions of other disciples only in that instead of “Lord” Judas said “Rabbi”: “Is it I, Rabbi?” Christ’s answer was given only to Judas and heard only by him. The other disciples in the midst of general murmur and noise did not hear the Savior’s answer, with perhaps the exception of a few. Judas soon withdrew when he, after σὺ εἶπας, was given “a morsel”; if the Savior’s answer were heard by all disciples, then the account of John 13:27-30 and especially John 13:28 would be completely incomprehensible to us. The expression “you have said” was, of course, a confirmation of Judas’ words. But its explanation is not as simple as it appears at first glance. In the Old Testament Bible we find only analogous but not literal expressions (Exod 10:29; 1 Sam 20:40). Among the Hebrews and Greeks such answers were not customary. The existence of the formula σὺ εἶπας in rabbinical literature is questionable. But some assert that it was customary among the Jews of that time. The sense of Christ’s words was as follows: “I have no need to repeat what you have said.”

Matthew 26:26. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and, having blessed it, broke it and gave it to the disciples, saying: “Take, eat: this is My body.” (See Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:23-24). From our previous exposition it is evident that Judas did not participate in the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrament. The accounts of Matthew, Mark, and John tend toward this, with the last not speaking at all of the institution of the Sacrament, though his account in chapter 6 does have a eucharistic character. If we accept the order of events as set forth by Luke, then we must admit Judas’ participation in the Sacrament. But in this case we would be forced to distinguish in the institution of the Sacrament two separate moments, separated from one another by a more or less long interval, namely: after Luke 22:19 immediately (to reconcile Luke’s account with that of the other evangelists) place Luke 22:21-23, and only after this account—Luke 22:20, where it speaks of the giving of the cup. In general, it is impossible to determine the time of the institution of the Sacrament at the Last Supper. The rabbinical ordinances concerning the eating of the Passover lamb, set forth in the Talmudic tractate Pesahim, are so tangled that they can offer no help in resolving the question. In the accounts of the evangelists, there constantly remains something that cannot be fully explained. Church writers also offer little service to the exegete here. The contradictions which they allowed in the question of whether Judas participated in the Sacrament deprive of almost all significance their testimony, relating, by the way, to a later period, when the precise order of events was known to them just as much as to us. John Chrysostom, together with many others, supposed that Judas participated in the Eucharist. “O, how great the blindness of the traitor! Partaking of the Mysteries, he remained the same and, enjoying the terrible meal, was not changed.” In this John Chrysostom allows a certain inaccuracy, not changing, however, the sense of what was said, attributing to Luke what is said in John (John 13:27). “This shows Luke, when he says that after this Satan entered into him (Judas), not because he neglected the Lord’s Body, but mocking the shamelessness of the traitor. His sin was great in a twofold respect: both because he approached the Mysteries with such a disposition, and because, having approached, was not enlightened by fear, benefit, or honor.” Jerome: “After the celebration of the figurative Passover and when (Judas) ate the flesh of the lamb with the apostles, he took bread.” But Hilary directly affirms that Judas corpus Christi non sumpsit (did not partake of the Body of Christ). Among modern exegetes, many consider Judas’ departure before the celebration of the Sacrament of Communion more probable than his presence. It is true that the synoptists do not speak of Judas’ departure from the supper, but from Matt 26:47; Mark 14:43; Luke 22:47 his removal is presupposed without doubt. If Judas had left at the end of the supper, then, as justly noted, he would not have had time to lead a crowd. Thus, of the two probabilities, whether or not Judas was a participant in the supper, we must give preference to the one that he was not; this is confirmed by various other considerations. The words of Christ: “Now the Son of Man is glorified” etc. (John 13:31-32), spoken during the supper, could indirectly point to the irreversibility of Judas’ decision to betray Him and served as it were an introduction to the institution of the new Sacrament. “Christ began His activity with Baptism and ended with Communion.” One must suppose that the Sacrament was instituted after the celebration of the Hebrew Passover and had connection with it only in time. One cannot suppose that even the ancient rites were strictly observed during Christ’s time, and still less that Christ conformed to them in instituting the Last Supper. The breaking of unleavened bread in eating the Passover lamb was incumbent upon the master of the supper and it is possible that the Savior Himself broke this bread and distributed it to the disciples. But, it is thought, not all the bread was broken, but only half, the remaining other half (afikoman) being the matter for the institution of the Sacrament of the New Covenant. This supposition is very doubtful. The use of afikoman relates not to ancient times but to a later period, when after the destruction of the temple the custom of slaying the Passover lamb ceased among the Jews. There was a law that after eating the lamb nothing else was to be eaten until midnight. Perhaps on this basis one should suppose that the first supper was fully Old Testament and Paschal, and then the new covenant supper was celebrated already after midnight. It is improbable that Christ left the afikoman for the new supper. At least, there are no indications of this in the Gospels. It is well known that with the beginning of Passover began the festival of unleavened bread, and the Jews were not supposed to eat anything leavened, removing it from their homes and burning it in advance. If so, then one must admit that Christ performed the Sacrament of Communion on unleavened bread. This is accepted by the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. But, on the other hand, there are no grounds for thinking that the institution of the Eucharist in any of its points was connected to the Hebrew Passover. The Paschal Old Testament supper was completely finished when the new Passover was instituted, which was to replace the former. There are no grounds for thinking that because the (weekly) festival of Passover was called the festival of unleavened bread, the Jews ate nothing else besides them. This does not even happen at the present time. We call Passover the entire Paschal week, but this does not mean that throughout the entire week they eat only Passover and kulich. Something similar could have been then. It is improbable that throughout the entire Paschal week the Jews ate nothing but unleavened bread. The authors of the Talmud understand that even water could be considered “leavened” (see tractate Pesahim), and yet it is impossible to suppose that it was completely withdrawn from use during the entire Hebrew Passover. Even during the eating of the Passover lamb wine was used (a later, not original Old Testament custom), which was undoubtedly “leavened.” In the subsequent Church practice closest to the time of Christ, in the celebration of the Sacrament of Communion, unleavened bread was certainly not used. It is impossible to prove by anything that, meeting the disciples on the way to Emmaus, Jesus Christ, even during the Paschal week, took precisely unleavened bread and gave it to the disciples (Luke 24:30). The Apostle Paul celebrated the Eucharist on a ship during a storm (Acts 27:35), and one cannot think that he had prepared for this purpose not ordinary but precisely unleavened bread. Thus, there is evidence showing, at least, that which bread to use for the Sacrament, unleavened or leavened, in the very beginning of the history of the Christian Church was considered a matter of indifference. The word ἄρτος (bread) some derive from ἄρω—apto, compingo—“adjust,” “combine,” “join” etc. But first, the existence of such a verb in the Greek language is doubtful, and second, even if it existed, the derivation of ἄρτος from it would be doubtful. Better is to derive from αρω—“lift up,” though for the exactness of even such a derivation one cannot fully be responsible. But in any case, the evangelists clearly distinguish ἄρτος from ἄζυμος (ἄζυμος is properly an adjective). In Philo we find ἄρτους ἀζύμους; in the expression τὰ ἄζυμα one cannot subsume ἄρτοι, and this distinction is apparently based on a distinction by the Hebrews themselves of both these terms. The Hebrews called unleavened bread “matza,” plural “matzot,” and ordinary bread “lehem,” i.e., any food generally, victuals, and bread of the Presence, which were probably not unleavened (though the biblical expressions about them are unclear). In translating verse 26 into Hebrew, in no case could one place the Hebrew “matza”—unleavened bread—in place of ἄρτος. Much more important is the question concerning the very meaning of the words spoken by Christ: “this is My body.” This question has given rise to an enormous amount of literature, and it is understandable that we cannot even briefly set forth all the disputes on this question. Discussion of it is a subject of dogmatic theology, and we refer the reader to works on this science. Let us only attempt to set forth the essence of the matter in the most brief possible way from an exegetical perspective. The Protestants, as is known, rejected the Catholic (and Orthodox) doctrine of transubstantiation (transubstantiatio) of bread and wine and replaced this word with the term “consubstantiation” (consubstantiatio and inconsubstantiatio) or the presence of Christ in, cum, and sub pane. To justify such a doctrine, many Protestant scholars attempted to prove that in the Aramaic in which the words were first spoken by Christ: “this is My body” and “this is My blood” there is no copula “is”; in Greek, however, it does not indicate that the bread and wine truly are the Body and Blood of Christ, and the verb ἐστί serves only as a connection between subject and predicate. With such an interpretation, it became possible to give Christ’s utterances only a symbolic sense, i.e., Christ wished to say that bread and wine serve only as symbols or signs of His Body and Blood. Such teaching of the Protestants appeared as a protest against medieval doctrines of transubstantiatio. Without entering into detailed investigation of all this question, we point only to the fact that the Catholic and Orthodox doctrine of transubstantiation (transubstantiatio) was foreign to the early Christian Church, and the term appeared only in the middle ages. But this does not mean that in either the early Christian Church or for a long time afterward bread and wine were considered only symbols of the Body and Blood of Christ. Even heretics protested against such teaching, not to mention the Orthodox. Thus, Theodore of Mopsuestia wrote: οὐκ εἶπε τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ σύμβολον τοῦ σώματός μου καὶ τοῦτο τοῦ αἵματός μου, ἀλλὰ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ σῶμα μου καὶ τὸ αἵμα μου (he did not say: this is the symbol of My body and My blood, but this is My body and My blood). That the words of Christ were understood by the ancient Church in precisely this and not in another sense can be traced over many centuries after Christ’s ascension. We found an exception only in Origen, for whom apparently the idea of transubstantiation was foreign. “The visible bread which (Jesus Christ) held in His hands did not God the Word call His Body, but the word in whose mystery this bread was being broken. And the visible drink did not He call His Blood, but the word in whose mystery this drink was poured out. For what else can the Body or Blood of God the Word mean except the word that nourishes and the word that produces joy.” But if, in the absence of the special term transubstantiatio, the ancient Church Fathers recognized bread and wine as the Body and Blood of Christ, what did this mean? What sense did the words of Christ Himself have in instituting the Sacrament? How can bread and wine be transformed or transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Christ? In answer to these questions let us say first that neither Christ Himself nor His apostles explained how this happens. But there is no doubt that in distributing bread and wine, Christ Himself considered them truly His Body and His Blood; no other interpretation is possible if one attends to the direct sense of His words and does not venture into the subtleties of medieval or any other theology. How to understand that bread and wine can be transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, we cannot; it is a Mystery; nor can we explain the significance of Christ’s words according to their very nature. The term consubstantiatio, considered in itself, is just as incomprehensible as transubstantiatio. But for us now in understanding the very essence of the Sacrament there is no necessity. Let us attend only to what natural, accessible, and comprehensible sense is contained in the developed teaching afterwards about transubstantiation. Not an explanation of the significance of the Sacrament itself, but an explanation of what was the psychological and religious process by which people came to the idea of transubstantiatio seems to us profoundly interesting. A long historical process which led to the concept of transubstantiation will help us partly to explain which teaching is more correct, the teaching about transubstantiation or the teaching about “consubstantiation” and other doctrines. From the very words of Christ, which He broke bread and held in His hands and then commanded to drink from the cup, it was clear that this bread was not simple, ordinary bread, and the wine was not ordinary wine. But initially, it seems, this was not attended to particularly. We know little of the “essences” of things, they are not accessible to us, and therefore even now we cannot reason about them. The ancient Christians did not reason about this at all. All that we see is only phenomena. But, not knowing anything of essences, we, however, very often consider the same objects from different points of view and therefore evaluate them differently. If perhaps in the early Christian time the true force and sense of Christ’s words were not fully understood, this became clearer with time, and the significance of bread and wine was increasingly evaluated in proportion as the consciousness of people represented Christ’s merit itself as higher and higher. The higher this merit, the consequently higher also the gift which He bequeathed “in remembrance of Him.” It should be noted that by universal recognition the oldest information about the institution of the Eucharistic Sacrament we find not in the Gospels but in the First Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor 11:23-30), which was written before the Gospels. The Apostle Paul was, of course, well acquainted with the significance of Christ’s merit; accordingly the apostle evaluates and the gift bequeathed by Him. The Apostle Paul clearly distinguishes eucharistic bread and wine from ordinary bread and wine. The latter can be eaten and drunk at home. But when the Corinthians gather for the Lord’s supper, they partake not of simple bread and wine. This partaking is a proclamation of the Lord’s death until He comes again. To eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord unworthily—means to be guilty against the Body and Blood of the Lord. Therefore, so as not to be found unworthy, one should examine oneself before partaking of the Eucharist. Thus, to eucharistic bread and wine the apostle gives the highest dignity, while never mentioning transubstantiatio. With the passage of time, any limitations of the dignity of bread and wine began to seem like limitations of the very dignity of Christ’s redemptive work. Since the dignity of the latter was infinite and Christ’s merit was immeasurable (which became increasingly clear with time), the gift bequeathed by Him acquired in the eyes of people ever higher and higher dignity and significance, until finally even the thought that bread and wine do not change in their very essence seemed to limit the very work of Christ and His merit. Was such a psychological mental process correct and logical? We have no doubt that it was correct. It is so natural and ordinary that we have even ceased to notice similar exaggerations in our everyday life (we ask that the word “exaggeration,” “exaggerated” be understood in the precise sense and not as a reproach). One could cite many examples showing that we hold exaggerated views on many subjects. A book given to someone for achievements and behavior is dearer to him than a book bought; a thing bequeathed by the father is dearer than one acquired in the market. Paper money itself, of course, is worth nothing, but is valued more than its weight in gold. This depends on the presence of gold in the state treasury. In the same way, the gift bequeathed by Christ before His very sufferings has the highest value as the gift of mankind’s Redeemer, rich in His merit. Therefore, so to speak, any deviation from the very highest point, from the thought of transubstantiation, would seem and seemed to diminish the value of the gift bequeathed by Christ and at the same time the redemptive merit of Christ. The key to understanding Christ’s words should be sought in His discourse after the feeding of the five thousand with five loaves (John 6). Outwardly, Christ’s words could have relation to the Jewish formula which was pronounced in answer to the question: “What is this?”—“This is the body of the lamb which our fathers ate in Egypt.” Christ Himself apparently did not eat bread nor drink from the cup, though John Chrysostom affirms the contrary (τὸ ἑαυτοῦ αἷμα αὐτός ἔπιεν). The word ἄρτον serves as an object to four verbs—λαβών, εὐλογήσας, ἔκλασεν, and δούς.

Matthew 26:27. And, taking the cup and having given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink from it, all of you,” (See Mark 14:23; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25). As mentioned above, the use of wine at the Passover meal among the Jews was not an original institution but came into use later, before the time of Christ. Usually four cups were poured, and sometimes three. Which of them served for the institution of communion is difficult to determine; most likely the third. When the food was prepared and the assembly was seated for the meal, the first cup was distributed, blessed by the host with words of thanksgiving, and drunk in order by those gathered (Luke 22:14-17). After this, following the washing of hands, the festival was opened by each taking bitter herbs and eating them, then certain sections from the law, chosen beforehand, were read. Then the second cup of wine was distributed, and the master of the house, according to Exod 12:26 and following, explained to his son, in response to his question, the purpose and significance of the festival; then the hallel (alleluia – Ps 112-117), during which, after the singing of psalms 112–113 was finished, the cup was drunk (that which even in ancient times at the Passover celebration they sang is shown by Isa 30:29). Only then followed the eating, with a blessing, of the broken matzo and the roasted lamb. This was properly the festival, during which each reclined and ate and drank as he wished. After the meal the host again washed his hands, gave thanks to God for the granted festival, and blessed the third cup, which was called especially the cup of blessing (cf. 1 Cor 10:16; Matt 26:26 and following; Luke 22:19 and following), and drank it together with his companions. Then the fourth cup was distributed, the hallel was sung again Ps 114-117, and the host blessed the cup with words Ps 117:26 and drank it with the guests (cf. verse 29). These four cups were to be received by the poor, who were cared for, received them from the community. Sometimes there was even a fifth cup, and then psalms 119–136 were sung – by choice. “Why,” remarks Theophylact, “did He not say above: ‘Take, eat all,’ but here said: ‘Drink from it all’? Some say that Christ said this for the sake of Judas, since Judas, having taken the bread, did not eat it but hid it, to show the Jews that Jesus calls the bread His flesh; the cup he drank reluctantly, being unable to hide it. Therefore the Lord said: ‘Drink all.’ Others interpret this figuratively, namely: since solid food can be partaken of not by all, but only by those who have reached mature age, drinking can be done by all, therefore He said here: ‘Drink all,’ for simple doctrines are suited to be received by all.” These words of Theophylact appear to be contrary to the teaching of the Roman Church, by which drinking from the cup is forbidden to the laity. ‘All’ – this word presumably referred first of all to the apostles present at the meal. But it has undoubted reference to all Christians as well. The word ποτήριον in Matthew and Mark is put without the article (so according to the best readings), in Luke and the Apostle Paul – with the article (τὸ ποτήριον).

Matthew 26:28. For this is My Blood of the New Covenant, shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Cf. Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25). The words of Christ somewhat resemble Exod 24:8 and Zech 9:11, but only in form. It is quite doubtful whether He spoke here in citations from the Old Testament. The word τοῦτο does not refer to ποτήριον and is correctly rendered in Russian. Of course, it could not have been said of the cup itself that ‘this’ is My Blood, but of what was contained in the cup, that is, of the wine. Γάρ shows that the speech in the given verse serves as proof of the preceding: drink from it all, because (γάρ) the wine poured into the cup is My Blood. The meaning of this expression is the same as for the bread. The word ‘new’ is not in the best codices, but it is found in ACD, minuscules, and translations. Διαθήκη means, generally, a testament in the case of death; among the Greeks it was used in both singular and plural. The Hebrew word ‘berit’ means, properly, a contract, condition, or covenant. Among the Seventy this word is constantly translated as διαθήκη, except for 1 Sam 11:11; Deut 9:15, but by the same word are translated other Hebrew words as well. The word used by Christ does not mean either covenant or condition or contract. It means, properly, arrangement (as, for example, the arrangement of a camp or an army), structure, the laying of a foundation for a future building. The figurative sense may lie even in this, that ‘this is the blood of the Kingdom that I establish, the blood of My religion.’ This blood is shed for many – for all. Περὶ πολλῶν, ἀντὶ τοῦ, ὑπὲρ πολλῶν… Πολλοὺς γὰρ τοὺς πάντας ἐνταῦθα καλεῖ (of many instead of for many… for it calls many here all – Zigavin). In Mark and Luke, as well as the Apostle Paul, the expressions are similar in meaning but different in form. The Apostle Paul (1 Cor 11:25) repeats literally only part of Luke’s words, not adding τό ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐκχυόμενον. The Blood of Christ is shed for the forgiveness of sins. These words are not found in the other synoptists, nor in Paul, nor in Justin (Apologia, I, 66), where the institution of the Mystery of the Eucharist is discussed. The assumption that these words are genuine and are proved strongly, but cannot be considered as the words of Christ but are only the interpretation passed down by tradition, cannot be accepted. The expression that the Blood of Christ is shed for the forgiveness of sins is full of the deepest meaning and cannot be attributed to anyone but Christ Himself. “In the giving of the law on Sinai,” says Zahn, “there was no lack of sacrifice, Exod 24:11, but to drink sacrificial blood – this would have seemed monstrous to every Israelite. Despite the attachment of all (the new Christian) institution to the Passover festival and the comparison of His death to the sacrifice established in the law of Moses, Jesus rises above all the analogies of the Old Testament cult.” The institution of the New Covenant was foretold Jer 31:31-34. The thought of Christ is explained in detail in the 7th and 9th chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrews.

Matthew 26:29. But I say to you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in the Kingdom of My Father. (Cf. Mark 14:25). Instead of δέ in Matthew, in Mark – ἀμήν; instead of οὐ μὴ πίω ἀπ´ ἄρτι ἐκ τούτου τοῦ γενήματος, in Mark – ὅτι οὐκέτι οὐ μὴ πίω ἐκ τούτου τοῦ γενήματος “with you” Mark omits; instead of the last expression τοῦ πατρός μου, in Mark – τοῦ θεοῦ. In the rest the expressions are the same. The words of Christ are very difficult to explain. The direct meaning is that He will not drink wine with the disciples until His resurrection. To the question of whether Christ drank wine with the disciples at the very meal, one can answer affirmatively, because this was required by Jewish customs in partaking of the Passover lamb (but not by law). But the eucharistic cup, at the institution of the Mystery of Communion, He undoubtedly did not drink, because it is difficult to imagine that He drank His own Blood. All the terms used at the institution of the Mystery point to precisely this. Whether Christ drank new wine with His disciples after His resurrection is information so scant that nothing positive can be said. The only place from which we can gain an indication of this is contained in Acts 10:41, but that place has so general and unclear a meaning that nothing can be derived from it. Perhaps, therefore, because the words of Christ in the examined verse are simply a solemn farewell to the disciples, in which the thought is expressed figuratively that this immediate communion with them at the meal is the last and will not repeat until the time of His resurrection, when completely new relations will arise between Him and His disciples. According to Luke (Luke 22:18), these words were spoken by Christ before the institution of the Mystery of the Eucharist.

Matthew 26:30. And after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (Cf. Mark 14:26; Luke 22:39; John 14:3). After the words set forth in the previous verse were spoken, Christ continued the speech which is set forth in John 13:33-38 and then Luke 22:31-38, and the latter part of John 13:38 coincides in content with Luke 22:34. Then the disciples were told the long speech set forth in John 14:1-17:26. The synoptists touch on John here only at a few points, one of which is the present verse. Other coincidences will be noted below. This is the most probable order of events. ‘Υ´μνος, ὑμνέω were used among the ancient Greeks to denote songs of praise in honor of the gods. The main characteristics of a hymn are singing and praise. Initially the Church avoided the use of this word, as it did of templum, because it reminded of pagan worship. But later the word ‘hymn’ gained civil rights. Hymnus scitis quid est: cantus est cum laude Dei. Si laudas Deum et non cantas, non dicis hymnum. Si cantas et non laudas Deum, non dicis hymnum. Si laudas aliquid, quod non pertinet ad laudem Dei, et si cantando laudes, non dicis hymnum (you know what a hymn is, it is a song with praise to God. If you praise God and do not sing, it is not a hymn. If you sing but do not praise God, it is not a hymn. If you praise something not pertaining to the praise of God, then even with singing praise, it is not a hymn). Among the Jews, as mentioned above, there was a definite “alleluia” at the partaking of the Passover lamb. Whether Jesus Christ Himself took part in the singing is unknown. Saepe orasse in mundo Jesum legimus; cecinisse, nunquam (we read that Jesus Christ often prayed in the world, but that He sang, we never read). But Justin the Martyr (“Dialogue with Trypho the Jew,” 106) says that the Savior took part in the singing. It was not obligatory to remain in Jerusalem all night during the celebration of Passover. Just as the first Passover was accompanied by the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, so the new covenant Passover ended with the departure of Christ and His disciples from Jerusalem”.

Matthew 26:31. Then Jesus said to them: All of you will fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered; (Cf. Mark 14:27; John 16:31-32). In the coming night-time is indicated the terror which the disciples will not endure. This night will be a time of offense even for the closest disciples of Christ; they will be scattered like sheep when the shepherd is struck. All the disciples will be scattered. Reference to Zech 13:7. In the citations of the evangelists only the thought of the original is briefly conveyed, but in expression there is no resemblance either to the Hebrew original or to the translation of the Seventy. “Strike” in the evangelists is replaced by “I will strike,” because if the first word were used, the words of Christ would not apply to the present case. According to Alford, the citation is given literally according to the Alexandrian text of the translation of the Seventy, with only the replacement of πάταξον with πατάξω. Fui scandalizantur, non in die scandalizantur, sed in nocte illa in qua proditur Christus (Those who are offended are not offended in the day, but in that night in which Christ is betrayed) (Origen). Πάντες ὑμεῖς – except Judas, who was not with the disciples. Cf. Ps 68.

Matthew 26:32. But after My resurrection, I will go before you to Galilee. (Cf. Mark 14:28). The words of the evangelists are almost literally similar. Προάγω means “to lead forward,” “to bring out,” “to precede,” “to go before,” “to outstrip someone.” The prediction about appearances in and around Jerusalem is omitted. All the disciples (except Judas) were from Galilee, and Jesus Christ points to them that He will meet them or appear to them in their homeland. (Cf. Matt 28:10; Mark 16:7; John 21:1.)

Matthew 26:33. Peter said to Him in reply: If all fall away because of You, I will never fall away. (Cf. Mark 14:29). These words are usually thought to be a result of Peter’s self-confidence. It is much better and more correct to explain them as an expression of love for Christ. Judging by the fact that in Luke the conversation of Christ with Peter is placed before they went out to the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:31-34; cf. Luke 22:39), one can suppose that Peter declared his dedication to Christ more than once. Peter’s statement was contrary to all the actions and behavior of the betrayer. Οὐδέποτε – never, not only in this one night.

Matthew 26:34. Jesus said to him: Truly I say to you, that in this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times. (Cf. Mark 14:30; Luke 22:34). All the synoptists show a difference in the indication of time. According to Matthew, the threefold denial will be before the rooster crows; according to Mark – it will be before the rooster crows twice; in Luke generally agrees with Matthew, but instead of the positive three times (τρίς) – up to three times (ἕως τρίς; in the Russian translation of Luke it is inexact). Here is simply an approximate indication of the time of denial – the earliest, morning crowing of roosters (see commentary to Matt 20:3). Among the Hebrews this was one of the ways of telling time. And probably the words of Christ were not understood in any other sense. There has been much ridicule about the discrepancy of the evangelists. But the whole matter can be explained by the fact that Matthew and Luke express themselves briefly, while Mark – more fully. In a prophetic prediction or in its exposition, in any case, one cannot demand such precision as some critics would desire. There was much discussion about whether there were roosters in Jerusalem. It was said that they were rare among Jews, but the Jews could not prevent the Romans from keeping them. Here we will say only that if there were no roosters either among the Jews or the Romans in Jerusalem at all, even then the prediction of Christ and its fulfillment would lose none of their force. The main purpose of the prediction, directed against Peter’s assertions about his dedication to Christ, is to prove that, despite his assurances, in the very near future, when roosters crow, he will deny Him. The deep originality and, so to speak, completely unexpected turns of all this event point to its historical reality, which we can fully accept even independent of the accuracy or inaccuracy of the particular designations of circumstances or details of this event.

Matthew 26:35. Peter said to Him: Even if I must die with You, I will not deny You. And in the same way all the disciples also said. (Cf. Mark 14:31 – with differences in expressions). Wishing to show his love, Peter loses his faith in the truth of the words of Christ and contradicts Him only with the warmth of love. Peter’s error was based on insufficient and imprecise knowledge of the character of the coming events. Even death with Christ appeared less terrible to Peter than what actually happened in reality. The apostles made their declaration of dedication following Peter’s example. One can suppose that the crime of Judas, who had left the meal, was now at least partially explained to them, and they hasten to express their protest against his actions, declaring that they will not act as Judas did. In the declarations of Peter and the disciples one can see indirect indication of what the Savior’s personality seemed to them. He was not in their eyes an ordinary man, but one with whom one could even die (σὺν σοὶ ἀποθανεῖν – Matthew, συναποθανεῖν σοι – Mark). A circumstance important for apologetics.

Matthew 26:36. Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples: Sit here while I go over there and pray. (Cf. Mark 14:32; Luke 22:40). The word “Gethsemane” Jerome explains as vallis pinguissima (the most fertile valley), more likely derivation is from “geth shemet” – an oil press. The place was located on the west side of the Mount of Olives, below, and was the first place on leaving Jerusalem and crossing the stream of Kidron. For a long time it was not enclosed, but recently it was enclosed and a garden was laid out. The enclosed place now occupies almost a quadrilateral of approximately 23×21 square fathoms and is in the possession of Catholic monks, who allow travelers to enter the garden and show it to them. There now grow eight old olive trees. Probably those olive trees that grew there during Christ’s time were cut down, and new ones grew on their place, which also grew old. Beside the Catholic Gethsemane another such garden has been laid out by the Greeks. Which place was actually the place of Christ’s prayers cannot be determined. But approaching the enclosed gardens or entering them, the traveler can be sure that he is at the site of the holiest events in Christian history. The word “Gethsemane” in Greek is written variously: Γεθσημανεί, -σημανί and -σημανή. Of these readings the first is considered more probable. “Sit here” – μείνατε, verse 38, “here” – the original Greek expression αὐτοῦ instead of ὧδε, as in the Seventy (Gen 22:5; Acts 15:34). The adverb ἐκεῖ probably relates to ἀπελθών – “going away there” – ἐκεῖσε, rather than to “I will pray there,” as in the Russian translation. The expression shows that, leaving the disciples, the Savior withdrew into the more shaded part of Gethsemane to pray. “He had the habit of praying without them,” that is, without the disciples (St. John Chrysostom). Since Passover was always celebrated by the Hebrews at the time of the vernal full moon, it should be supposed that the moon at this time illuminated Gethsemane with its quiet shine.

Matthew 26:37. And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. (Cf. Mark 14:33). Mark names all three disciples by name: Peter, James, and John. In verse 36 Matthew sets forth the intention of Christ, now – His action, which consisted of separating from the eight disciples together with three, the most trusted, who had been with Him at the resurrection of the daughter of Jairus and on the Mount of Transfiguration. He walked for a little while first with them, and they could notice how His soul began to be overtaken by grief, sadness (λυπεῖσθαι) and He began to “be distressed.” This last Russian word is exact, but it does not express the full meaning of the Greek ἀδημονεῖν. It comes from δῆμος with negation ἀ and means, properly, “to withdraw from the people,” “to hide,” “to be unsocial.” The meaning is that the Savior, being among people, seemed to dwell in a desolate desert and felt what people usually feel, those withdrawing into distant lands from their homeland – longing for home. The grief and distress of the Savior were not, of course, longing for home in the proper sense, but strongly resembled this heavy feeling peculiar to exiles from their beloved homeland. This is an extremely heavy and oppressive feeling that subdues the soul’s powers and capacities. It is said to be sometimes completely unbearable, and a person sometimes sacrifices everything to return to his homeland. We will more clearly understand how heavy this feeling was if we say that it was joined to foreboding of approaching death and was at the same time “world sorrow,” which is peculiar only to a few too refined and elevated natures. But speaking generally, we cannot comprehend the grief and distress of the Savior in all their depth, because “we cannot step out of our organic sphere, just as the eagle cannot rise higher than the atmosphere in which it flies.”}

Matthew 26:38. Then He said to them: My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me. (Cf. Mark 14:34). Excessive sadness and grief are expressed by both evangelists in two words: περίλυπος – valde tristis and ἕως θανάτου – to death, – as if such grief which itself could lead to death, grief belonging to all living beings at parting with life. It is unknown whether there were any outward manifestations of the Savior’s sorrow, beyond the words He spoke, noticeable to the disciples, that is, expressed in His appearance, or whether the disciples learned of His grief only after He told them about it. The invitation addressed to the disciples, to remain near Him in these heavy moments and to keep watch (γρηγορεῖτε – do not sleep) serves as an expression of the most grievous sorrow, during which a person especially seeks the nearness of people to himself and cares for their special sympathy.

Matthew 26:39. And going a little farther, He fell on His face and prayed, saying: My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will. (Cf. Mark 14:35; Luke 22:41). Luke clarifies: He withdrew from the disciples at a distance such as one might cast a stone, – an approximate determination of distance, fully understandable. At such a distance the three disciples could not hear all the prayer words pronounced by the Savior, but were in a position to catch certain moments of His prayer. Strange as it may seem, in many codices here a word is used completely opposite to the word “going away,” and means “approaching” (προσελθών) in Matthew and Mark. This was considered an error of the scribe, who here inserted an extra σ and wrote προσελθών instead of προελθών (so in BMPS, the Vulgate, and the Siro-Sinaic). Consequently, according to some readings, the expression means not that the Savior withdrew from the disciples a little, but that He drew near to them a little. It can be supposed that the Savior, having withdrawn at a distance such as one might cast a stone, then again drew a little nearer to the disciples. Such interpretation reconciles the testimonies of Matthew and Mark with that of Luke, who speaks only of withdrawal (ἐπισπάσθη). It is understandable that μικρόν (a little) can only relate to προσελθών, not to ἔπεσεν. During His prayer the Savior “fell on His face,” that is, fell to the ground and perhaps sprawled out, although this latter cannot necessarily be concluded from ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ (Matthew) or ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς (indicates repeated falling to the ground – Mark). Both of these expressions can be understood so that He only bent His knees (Luke) and inclined His face to the ground. Whether the Savior repeated the same words during His prayer or added others is unknown. Three disciples who heard them preserved only what is set forth in the examined verse and parallels. The Savior prayed that, if possible, He would not have to undergo the sufferings which He calls the “cup of suffering” (see commentary to Matt 20:22). But He thereby rejects, as it were, the action of His own human will and desires that all be as the Father wishes.

Matthew 26:40. And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter: So, you were not able to keep watch with Me for one hour? (Cf. Mark 14:37). Instead of προσέρχεται (“comes”) now in both evangelists simply ἔρχεται – “goes.” Three times in Matthew and Mark the word “and” is repeated: “and goes,” “and finds,” “and says.” In this repetition some see “simple pathos” in the Gospel narrative. In all probability, the disciples initially followed the prayer of Christ with tension. But as a result of this very tension their weariness during the sleepless and terrible night was intensified still more. The eyes of Christ’s friends grew heavy with sorrow (Luke 22:45), and this was at the time when His enemies were watching. Approaching the disciples, the Lord addresses Peter. He could show Him sympathy more than any other, support and comfort Him during these heavy moments before death’s agony. But, addressing Peter, He speaks to all the disciples: “so you were not able,” that is, so you did not have the strength, patience, self-control to resist sleep. The word “so” indicates the contrast between what was in reality and what should have been. The disciples should have been watching, but instead they slept. There is not even a hint of reproach and condemnation in His speech, but rather the same sadness and sorrow is expressed in it. Μίαν ὤραν – “one hour” – is considered an indication that Christ prayed for one hour. But this word should be taken in a general sense of a short time, although it is possible that Christ prayed about an hour.

Matthew 26:41. Keep watching and praying so that you will not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Cf. Mark 14:38). The simplest, completely laconic and devoid of all reproach explanation of the disciples’ condition. They slept, but they needed to be watching and praying. Temptations awaited them. Watching would cause them to be on guard, and prayer would become for them a tool for repelling temptations. Teaching to all people who are threatened by temptation. The spirit itself is always willing, but it yields to the weakness of the flesh. Not spirit, but flesh is the cause of temptation to a person. The Savior Himself at this time was undergoing the strongest temptation – to pass by the cup of suffering which the Heavenly Father gave Him to drink. Submission to the Father’s will, watching and prayer protected Him from consenting to this temptation.

Matthew 26:42. Again, going away a second time, He prayed, saying: My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done. (Cf. Mark 14:39). Now in Matthew and Mark ἀπελθών instead of προσελθών, as in verse 44. The disciples woke up and were left again. “A second time” some found to be pleonasm, a repetition of the word “again.” But if the expression were omitted, one could suppose that Christ approached the disciples and withdrew from them several times. Mark, however, omits this expression. But Matthew in this case wished to observe special precision. The word “this cup” is not in the best manuscripts. Instead “it” (τοῦτο): “if it cannot pass from Me…” According to Mark, the Savior’s words were the same as those spoken the first time. But, according to Zigavin, εἰκός δὲ καὶ ἐκεῖνον (that is, the word), καὶ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν (apparently said both), that is, both the first words and those set forth in Matthew. Now in this prayer is contained not so much a petition that the cup of suffering would pass from Christ, but a petition for the fulfillment of God’s will itself. The prayer is reminiscent of the third petition of the Lord’s Prayer.

Matthew 26:43. And He came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. (Cf. Mark 14:40; Luke 22:45). In Mark with minor changes in speech and addition: “and they did not know what to answer Him.” That the indicated words of Luke and further relate precisely to this moment of Christ’s sufferings in Gethsemane seems more probable than ascribing them to the first moments of prayer.

Matthew 26:44. And leaving them, He went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same word. (Cf. Luke 22:43-44). Mark does not say that the prayer was threefold. But according to Mark 14:41, the Savior returns to the disciples “the third time.” In the prayer about the fulfillment of the Father’s will was expressed the agreement to surrender Himself to the hands of death, which was the way of Christ’s return to the bosom of the Father. The repeated returns to the disciples testified, as it were, to love for the life being left behind. Zahn compares these actions of Christ to the oscillations of a magnetic needle, which, being deflected from the pole, after some time through trembling and oscillations again becomes motionless and points in what direction the pole lies. One cannot suppose that during prayer Christ repeated the same words.

Matthew 26:45. Then He came to His disciples and said to them: Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour has come near, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners; (Cf. Mark 14:41; Luke 22:45-46). Some considered the words of Christ “Are you still sleeping and resting” as irony, censure and sarcasm. This cannot be agreed with, because it is completely improbable that the Savior would use irony or speak sarcastically in such important and solemn moments of His sufferings. Τὸ λοιπόν, found in Matthew and Mark, means “to the end,” “finally,” “however” (in the Russian translation – “still”; in the Vulgate – jam). In other languages it is quite difficult to render the Greek speech here, and therefore the expression is translated variously, and sometimes not translated at all. Euphemius Zigavin arbitrarily adds εἰ δύνασθε – if you are able, sleep and rest. Some considered this speech interrogative. The meaning: behold, the end has come, very little time remains. Sleep and rest! Then a quick and unexpected turn of speech: “behold, the hour has come near!” The word ἰδού points to the unexpectedness and importance of the coming events; it is used twice, in this and the next verse. But its meaning in both verses is not the same. Here it points to the importance of the moment when the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Matthew 26:46. Get up, let us go; behold, the one who betrays Me is near. (Cf. Mark 14:42). The opposition of the speech of the previous verse: sleep and rest. Now: awake, rise up (ἐγείρεσθε). The words set forth in verses 45–46 were undoubtedly spoken simultaneously and without interval. Incomparable realism in the depiction of the swift succession of historical events. Ἄγωμεν instead of πορευώμασθε – among the Greeks the word was often used by military commanders as a military term, when they needed to call soldiers to battle, feats, and sufferings.

Matthew 26:47. And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. (Cf. Mark 14:43; Luke 22:47; John 18:3). All synoptists repeat the expression “one of the twelve.” As if they thought this was particularly surprising, in no way comparable, and extremely monstrous! The secret betrayal by Judas now turns into his open activity. Judas became the leader. As can be seen from the comparison of Gospel notes scattered in various places, he led with him a detachment of Roman soldiers with a military commander (σπεῖρα – John 18:3), servants of the chief priests and slaves. It is possible that some of the chief priests and elders themselves were present, if we understand the words of Luke (Luke 22:52) literally. Matthew calls this crowd ὄχλος πολύς (“a great multitude”), and Mark and Luke simply ὄχλος. The multitude of people was obviously necessary because they feared failure due to popular uprising. To the Roman detachment they attached civilians (not soldiers) in order to apparently give this crowd a more imposing appearance. It is possible that only soldiers from the Roman detachment were armed with swords; the rest went with clubs or sticks (ξύλα, φυστεσ). John adds: “with lanterns and torches.”

Matthew 26:48. Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying: “Whoever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.” (Cf. Mark 14:44). Mark adds: “and lead Him away carefully.” Some asked why Judas gave a sign when Christ was well known to everyone. Origen gives a very original answer to this question: “We have received a tradition that He (Jesus Christ) had two appearances: one – which He seemed to all to have, and another – during His Transfiguration before the disciples on the mountain, when His face shone like the sun. Moreover, each one saw Him as he was worthy to see. And when He Himself was present, He seemed to many as if not Himself. Therefore, although the crowd that went with Judas had seen Him many times, nevertheless it was necessary, because of His Transfiguration, that Judas point Him out.” Pointing to John 18:4-6, Origen remarks: “You see that they did not recognize Him, although they had often seen Him, because of His Transfiguration.” We do not think that such interpretation is needed to explain the sign given by Judas. The indication or sign was required simply because it was night, Jesus Christ was not alone, and the place itself, where He was, perhaps provided the possibility of escape. The sign given by Judas can therefore be seen as a simple precaution and precision, eliminating any possibility of error. So there would be no mistake, – Judas could have said to the crowd accompanying him, – seize the one I kiss. This was such a sign that surpassed all other signs in its clarity and certainty. But, not considering Origen’s opinion suitable for explaining the reasons for the sign given by Judas, we can, however, fully allow that Origen’s words have a very deep meaning. Not only Christians but pagans know and have known about Christ. But to each one He appears in thousands of different forms, corresponding to education and development, intellectual and moral. One might even say that each person bears in his soul his own Christ. Remaining the same, He appears in different forms to men and women, healthy and sick, rich and poor, learned and simple. The tradition to which Origen points could only be a reflection of this in the highest degree remarkable, easily understood and historical fact. If Christ has such power, surpassing in the highest degree the power of other known and famous personalities in history in the spiritual sphere, then it is by no means possible to completely deny that, even while being in the flesh, He also appeared to different persons in different forms, and they sometimes recognized, sometimes did not recognize Him (cf. Matt 14:26; Mark 6:49; Luke 7:49; John 1:10). Ἔδωκεν (“gave”) – dedit, probably at the very approach to Christ or somewhat earlier. This was more an improvised than a premeditated and agreed-upon sign.

Matthew 26:49. And immediately coming up to Jesus, he said: “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed Him. (Cf. Mark 14:45; Luke 22:47). Luke’s speech is shorter than in the other synoptists. They omit the entire account John 18:4-9. According to the Russian translation “immediately” relates to “coming up.” Meyer explains: immediately after Judas gave the sign. In the Siro-Sinaic codex the order is somewhat changed; first mention is made of the kiss, then of the greeting. In the Alexandrian codex the words “and he kissed Him” are omitted. The rapidity of Judas’s actions is well expressed in Mark: “and coming up, immediately approached Him and said: Rabbi!” (one time – according to the best readings) “and kissed Him.” The evangelists indicate in general the rapidity of Judas’s actions, but the smallest details of the event on the basis of their testimonies are difficult to determine. The verb κατεφίλησεν (kissed) differs from the one used in verse 48 φιλήσω (I will kiss) and is not expressed in the Russian and other translations. It can be better conveyed as: “kissed repeatedly,” – perhaps several times, but more probably only once, and the kiss was not only seen by all but also heard. Judas, so to speak, smacked, kissing Christ. What a contrast to any true, sincere, and loving kiss! What profound and undoubted truthfulness of the narrative! Who could have invented anything simpler and at the same time so well expressed in a few words the whole depth of human degradation! It is no wonder that “the kiss of Judas” has become proverbial. In two words here is a whole psychological sketch, a whole moral system. On one hand, Judas wants to hide his spiritual baseness and extreme depravity with his kiss. On the other, the kiss – a sign of love – becomes the symbol of the most terrible betrayal and malice. Anyone thinking about this will say that so it is and very often in actual life. The word “Greetings” (χαῖρε) was an ordinary greeting and in meaning fully equals our “hello!”

Matthew 26:50. Jesus said to him: Friend, why have you come? Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him. (Cf. Mark 14:46; Luke 22:48). In the Russian translation the speech is interrogative: “why have you come?” In explaining this verse serious philological difficulties are encountered. It has been proven that if the speech were interrogative, instead of ἐφ´ ὅ πάρει would stand ἐπὶ τί πάρει, and from the available monuments of Greek literature no exceptions to this are found. On this basis the speech of Christ to Judas in no case (contrary to the Russian and other translations) can be considered interrogative. And on the basis of internal considerations it is understandable that the Savior could not ask Judas such a question, could not ask him why he came, because this was undoubtedly well known to Christ. But if this speech is not interrogative, then one gets only a subordinate clause without a main clause: “why have you come.” To explain this, various guesses and suppositions were resorted to. Blass (Gram., S. 172) considers it completely improbable to apply ὅστις or ὅς in a direct question, except in cases when ὅ, τι – “why” – is used, apparently instead of τί. Thus in Matt 9:11; Matt 2:16 and others. Nevertheless, Blass says that ἑταῖρε is a corrupted αί῀ρε – “take what you came for.” Such an opinion seems, however, to be an unsupported guess, because the reading ἑταῖρε, ἐφ´ ὃ πάρει is established firmly. In the Elzevirian edition: ἑταῖρε, ἐφ´ ὃ πάρει – this reading should be rejected, although it is accepted by Chrysostom, Theophylact, and others (in Jerome it is interrogative, as in the Vulgate: amice, ad quid venisti?). Euphemius Zigavin remarks that ἐφ´ ᾧ πάρει should be read not as an interrogative clause, for the Savior knew why Judas came, but as an announcement, for it means: what you came for, do (it is implied: pratte) according to your intention, dropping the veil. Finally, some understood the expression as exclamatory: friend, what are you here for or appearing for! Πάρει can be derived from εἰμί and from ἰέναι (Zahn). Most probable seems to be that here is simply an incomplete speech, after which one could put an ellipsis. The meaning is that Jesus Christ had not yet finished His words to Judas when the soldiers came up and laid hands on Christ. At this interpretation the further speech can only be implied, but what exactly to imply is very difficult to say. The word ἑταῖρε (“comrade,” “friend,” at Luke 22:48 – Judas) is used not in the sense that Christ wanted to call Judas His friend or comrade, but as a simple form of address used toward persons unknown to us: “dear” and the like. In Luke it is added: “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” – an expression which also may not be considered interrogative: “Judas, you are betraying the Son of Man with a kiss” – a simple statement of fact and condemnation of Judas for his deceitful action. Following the sign given by Judas those who had come quickly approached, laid hands on Jesus Christ, undoubtedly bound Him (John 18:12), seized and led Him away with them.

Matthew 26:51. And behold, one of those with Jesus, stretching out his hand, drew his sword and struck the servant of the chief priest, and cut off his ear. (Cf. Mark 14:47; Luke 22:50; John 18:10). The synoptists express themselves indefinitely – one of them, someone, some one of those with Jesus and such like. But John names Peter here. In this silence some see one of the proofs of the early origin of the synoptic Gospels, when it was dangerous to mention Peter’s name directly. Peter’s action is entirely in keeping with his usual impetuousness and lack of restraint. But where did he get the sword (μάχαιρα – in all evangelists)? Was there a sword with Peter alone or also with other apostles? Did they all carry or did only Peter carry his sword with the permission of Christ or only, so to speak, without His knowledge? These are the most difficult questions. But however we explain this passage, we must firmly establish in advance that here is not the slightest approval of capital punishment, contrary to the opinions of various modern scribes, Pharisees, and hypocrites, because even from a purely a priori point of view it is in no case possible to allow that Christ, even in exceptional cases, ever approved of capital punishment. The presence of a sword with Peter Chrysostom and others explained by saying that it was not a sword but simply a knife necessary for the slaying of the Passover lamb, taken by Peter from the Passover meal. This opinion – the only one that can be accepted. The word used here μάχαιρα Lat. culter, Heb. “herev,” means first of all a knife used in the slaying of sacrificial animals, then a dagger and generally a short sword, while a large and broad sword was called ῥομφαία. In all probability, only Peter – but hardly John, who prepared the Passover meal together with Peter (Luke 22:8) – took this knife with him, not asking Jesus Christ, because in the contrary case it would be difficult to explain the further words of Christ in verses 52 and following. The knife was taken, of course, not for military purposes, but in case of danger – a precaution quite characteristic of Peter. At Christ’s arrest Peter wanted to defend, not reasoning that this was useless. He, stretching or extending his hand, “drew his sword,” – probably not from a sheath but tied – the expression at John 18:11, “sheath” (at Matthew – “place”) can mean in general any place where a knife can be kept (θήκη), – and struck the servant of the chief priest, perhaps with the intention of cutting or splitting his head, but obviously missed and cut off only his ear. “Ear” in Greek is not οὖς but (in Matthew and John – ὠτίον, in Mark – ὠτάριον) a diminutive of οὖς and means, properly, “little ear.” Diminutives (τὰ ῥυνία – little noses, τὸ ὀμμάτιον – little eye, στηθίδιον – little chest, χελύνιον – little lip, σαρκίον or σαρκίδιον – little body, little piece of meat) were frequently used in Greek popular speech.

Matthew 26:52. Then Jesus said to him: Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword; (Cf. Luke 22:51; John 18:11). The Savior commands Peter to leave his knife unused. Further the reason is given why this should be so. Alford considers “will perish by the sword” a commandment and says that here is not only the future but the future imperative: “may perish” or “should perish by the sword.” With such an interpretation the meaning of Christ’s words would be clear, but in the original there is no future imperative mood. Hilary said: “Not all who carry a sword usually perish by it. Many perish from fever or from some other circumstance – those who use the sword either by office of judges or in case of necessity of resistance to robbers.” Augustine was troubled by the interpretation of these words. Others think that here is a general thought, reminding of the ancient law of retaliation (Gen 9:6), or a folk saying (proverb), by which the punishment for each person is his own defects (cf. Rev 13:10). One cannot refer these words only to Peter, because – independent of their general meaning – it is undoubted that Peter never after that raised a sword against anyone and, however, he himself died by the sword; or that the saying related to the Jews, who died by the sword of the Romans, because in this very crowd that seized Christ, apparently, the Romans, probably, were the ones who wielded swords. Nothing remains but to understand the expression only in a general sense, and if we open the Old Testament Bible, we will find many similar general sayings, for example, in Sirach, in the Proverbs and others, which cannot be taken in a completely unconditional sense, admitting no exceptions. So also the words of Christ allow many exceptions, in their general meaning remaining completely true. Undoubtedly only, that Christ, uttering His words, forbade all people to have a sword and use it as a defense or for the commission of violence. Deviations of the old man from this truth because of necessity or for other reasons may have dangerous consequences for him – raising the sword, he as it were approves its raising by others, and this can fall on his own head.

Matthew 26:53. Or do you think that I cannot call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? Only in Matthew. Literally: “do you not think that I am able to call upon My Father and He will not place beside Me more than twelve legions of Angels?” The word “call upon” is not the proper translation of the Greek verb παρακαλέω, composed of παρά – “near” (means closeness) and καλέω – “I call,” means I call someone to myself, so that the called one is close. “To pray,” “to beseech” is expressed by another verb – προσεύχεσθαι, which is used specially to denote prayer. The whole sentence should be considered interrogative, and not only ending with the words “My Father.” But the latter half of the verse is rather affirmative than interrogative in sense. “Twelve” is put in correspondence not so much with the number of apostles, which was now eleven, as with the number of apostles together with Jesus Christ Himself. The meaning is that, in Peter’s view, twelve persons could now go against the people who came to seize Christ. But, says the Savior, He needs no defense. If defense were needed, twelve legions of Angels would have been sent by God. A legion – a detachment of Roman troops up to 6,000 men. It is understandable that the expression of Christ should be understood in a general sense, that a great multitude of Angels would appear for His defense. “Now” is placed in some manuscripts before “call upon” (as in the Russian translation) and after the words “will provide” – in others. The latter reading is more probable (as in the Vulgate – modo). The word was probably inserted before “call upon” because it seemed to scribes inappropriate that Christ could not at that very moment call upon the Father and speak about it at all.

Matthew 26:54. But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be thus? (Cf. John 18:11 (end) – in other expressions and almost on a different subject). The sentence is interrogative, although some thought otherwise. The reference is not to separate passages of Scripture but to all Scripture (cf. Luke 24:44). The consciousness of Christ at such moments, when He was being led to suffer, that it is precisely now and precisely in Him that the words of Scripture are being fulfilled, is not characteristic of ordinary people.

Matthew 26:55. At that time Jesus said to the crowd: Have you come out as you would against a robber, with swords and clubs to seize Me? Every day I was sitting with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. (Cf. Mark 14:48-49; Luke 22:52-53). John testifies clearly that “the soldiers and the commander of the thousand and the servants of the Jews took Jesus and bound Him” (John 18:12). The words given by the synoptists were apparently spoken during the way to Jerusalem, to which the indefinite designation of time in Matthew points (“at that time”), that is, at that time when Christ was taken and bound. There is a bitter reproach in the words of Christ. The very first mockery consisted in that He “was numbered with the transgressors” (Isa 53:12). But He was not λῃστής, a robber. This is strongly expressed in the words “I was sitting” (ἐκαθεζόμην), which, on one hand, point to the custom of Christ teaching in the temple “sitting,” and on the other – to the complete opposition of His peaceful and quiet activity to the activity of robbers, which is mobile, secret, and full of dangers. Such an exposure of the whole absurdity of what had been done by those who seized Christ had no effect on them and could not, because they were mere executors of higher orders, both in the narrow sense (orders of the chief priests) and in the widest sense (orders of God). But if the words of Christ did not edify those around Him (although perhaps not absolutely), they are deeply edifying to us. How often it has been that armed people went forth against people engaged in completely peaceful activity! Luke adds: “but now your hour and the power of darkness.”

Matthew 26:56. But all this has happened so that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples left Him and fled. (Cf. Mark 14:50-51). The speech of Mark: καὶ οὐκ ἐκρατήσατέ με ἀλλ´ ἵνα πληρωθῶσιν αἱ γραφαί (and you did not seize Me but so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled) shows that the words in Matthew were spoken by Christ Himself, and not an editor’s remark of the evangelist. Such understanding is natural. First the Savior tells the disciples that the Scriptures about Him must be fulfilled (verse 54), now He tells the crowd accompanying Him the same thing in almost the same words. Just as there, so here there is no reference to specific passages of Scripture. Under “the Scriptures of the prophets” the whole Old Testament is understood. Ὅλον (all) shows that the words of Christ referred to all the events of His arrest under guard. Seeing the uselessness of resistance and feeling fear, the disciples scattered. This flight indirectly shows how terrible and serious were the coming events and how terrible were the people into whose hands Christ was being delivered. From the Gospels it is not evident that the disciples were troubled or even suspected of anything at the very beginning of Christ’s seizure. However, such terror fell upon them that they considered it necessary to flee. All the disciples were scattered, not excepting the most dedicated. Christ remained alone among His enemies. This was foretold to Him (Matt 26:31). The fulfillment of the prediction carries such internal and external signs of historical authenticity that only a few can doubt the reality of the transmitted events. In Mark (Mark 14:51-52) there is here an additional account of a young man following Christ.

Matthew 26:57. Now those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered together. (Cf. Mark 14:53; Luke 22:54; John 18:13-14). John clearly testifies that Jesus Christ was first led to the high priest Annas. But whether the first examination was precisely at Annas is questionable. Annas was formerly high priest, but now was retired, was at rest, as mentioned above. Both he and Caiaphas were evil men and apparently completely insignificant. It is unknown whether those who seized Christ wanted to express their respect to Annas by this act, or whether he took an active part in the conspiracy against Christ and everything was done according to his orders. Annas sent the bound Christ to his son-in-law, the high priest Caiaphas, where, according to Matthew’s testimony, “the scribes and the elders” gathered, according to Mark – “the chief priests and the elders and the scribes,” and Luke mentions only the house of the high priest. This was an unofficial gathering of the Sanhedrin at night. Annas and Caiaphas apparently lived, probably in one court, although in different houses.

Matthew 26:58. Now Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest; and he entered inside and sat down with the servants to see how it would end. (Cf. Mark 14:54; Luke 22:54-55; John 18:15-16). John provides here vivid details of an eyewitness of the events, how Peter managed to enter the courtyard of the high priest. Initially the disciples scattered. They could not, of course, run very far. When the panic fear passed and they saw that they themselves had nothing to fear, then under cover of night some of them at least managed to creep back into Jerusalem unnoticed, and succeeded in entering even the very courtyard of the high priest. These were Peter and John. About the rest nothing is heard until the time of the Resurrection. Peter, probably, was especially eager to learn what would be the end. Wishing to see it, he commits actions which, one might say, were more actions of love and dedication than well thought out. It is very difficult to explain here the further order of the exposition of events by the evangelists. If we follow Luke (Luke 22:56-62), then the further event was Peter’s denial (Matt 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72). If we follow Matthew and Mark, then Matt 26:58 and Mark 14:54-55 should be considered as a kind of introduction to the further tragedy of Peter’s denial, interrupted now by the examination of Christ. We will naturally follow the exposition of Matthew.

Matthew 26:59. Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking false testimony against Jesus so that they might put Him to death, (Cf. Mark 14:55.) The word “elders” is not in the best codices, as in Mark, whose account is similar but not literal. The word was probably originally placed in the margin and then entered the text. Speaking of this event, Merx reasons: “Why would they need to seek false testimony when they were convinced that Jesus was guilty? False witnesses are invited beforehand to act with certainty, and here everything appears to be a matter of chance. Eastern people know very well how to obtain testimony, even false testimony. Ψευδομαρτυρία is an ancient (uralte), penetrating all Greek, Latin, Armenian and Memphitic codices tendentious forgery.” However, upon first acquaintance with the testimonies of the evangelists we see that in them everything appears as if almost completely natural. Initially the enemies of Christ wish to wait, to seize Him after the festival to avoid causing popular disturbance. But the betrayal by Judas provides them with an unexpected and favorable opportunity to carry out their plan on the very festival. One cannot forget that for putting to death a favorable verdict from Pilate was required. All this impels them to immediately seek “false testimony.” It is necessary and cannot be done without. Contrary to Merx’s opinion, it is difficult to present and set forth a more lively and clear picture of what was than that done by the evangelists. Here everyone who knows what evil, dishonorable, and vile people are like will find a completely objective and exact exposition of events. Everything forced the enemies of Christ to hurry both because of the approaching Passover Sabbath and because of fears that the accused might not escape the punishment predetermined for Him. The gathering probably took place after midnight (by our reckoning), after the eating of the Passover lamb. It was forgotten, as is often forgotten in such circumstances, that the Passover had come and that sporadic and unclear provisions of oral and written law prescribed that on the day of unleavened bread, following the Passover meal, nothing was to be done. All of this is so deeply characteristic and understandable that it requires no explanation.

Matthew 26:60. and they did not find any. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they did not find any. But later two false witnesses came forward (Cf. Mark 14:56-57.) It is evident that, contrary to the wishes of the enemies of Christ to be rid of Him with as little noise as possible, the events began to excite this noise and threatened with a popular outburst. To seize Christ “a great multitude of people” came out (verse 47). This circumstance alone shows that delaying and concealing was impossible. The enemies of Christ now looked like people who had attached themselves to a moving popular crowd, which was gradually growing. They began to move together with the crowd not where, perhaps, they wished, but where the crowd moved. This movement of the crowd fully explains the appearance of πολλῶν προσελθόντων ψευδομαρτύρων – an expression which is explained in Mark, πολλὰ γὰρ ἐψευδομαρτύρουν κατ´ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἴσαι αἱ μαρτυρίαι οὐκ ἦσαν – literally: many testified falsely against Him and equal (false testimonies on the basis of which one could sentence to death) these testimonies were not. The crowd as if caught the wishes and intentions of its popular leaders. They needed only false witnesses. And the crowd immediately produced them. But they are no good at all; their testimonies are contradictory and do not lead to the goal. It is unknown what these many false witnesses said. But if the evangelists had reported to us that as soon as Jesus Christ was brought to trial to the high priest, false witnesses immediately came forth, invited beforehand, who accused Him of crimes punishable by death, then we probably would not easily and quickly have believed their accounts. False witnesses were needed as soon as possible – but they were not there! What is this if not the most actual, genuine, and in no way falsified historical truth? But finally (ὕστερον), two witnesses came forward, whose testimonies in this obvious lack of false witnesses and absurdities could at least somewhat look like a matter and end these hurried and exhausting searchings for false testimonies. Two witnesses were sufficient. This was according to the law (Deut 19:15). Matthew’s expression in Greek (according to the best readings) is somewhat more characteristic than in the Russian text: “but finally two came (“false witnesses” in the original according to the best readings are absent)”. Cf. 1 Sam 21:13.

Matthew 26:61. and said: “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’” (Cf. Mark 14:58). In three days – in the course (διά) of three days. Matthew’s speech is brief, simple, and laconic. But in Mark one can hear (in Greek) even how the false witness tongue falters here. The invited false witnesses should have spoken before the highest popular leaders. Naturally, if they became confused and spoke ineptly, crudely, and unpleasantly. The witnesses themselves had once heard the speech of Christ to the Jews (John 2:19), and to them it seemed amazing and strange His declaration that such a huge building could be constructed within three days! The persons seeking false witnesses and bringing false testimony presented against Christ the charge of deviation from the truth. The false witnesses relate the speech of Christ (John 2:19) in their own words, completely differently than it is related by the evangelist. But the essence of the matter they convey quite accurately. It is evident that the witnesses were from the common crowd and apparently did not stand at that juridical level on which the judges themselves stood. The latter could have presented against Christ more serious accusations, of course, from their own point of view. They could have accused Him, for example, of violating the Sabbath or of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul. But, being judges, they could not be witnesses and therefore did not voice accusations incomprehensible to the common folk. Outsider witnesses testify only to what seemed to them especially unreasonable, struck their ears, and disturbed their hearing.

Matthew 26:62. The high priest stood up and said to Him: Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You? (Cf. Mark 14:59-60). In the Russian translation – two questions. The first question is understandable; the second: “what are these men testifying against You?” – is not. The high priest could not and certainly did not want to ask Christ what the witnesses said about Him. In the Vulgate one question: nihil respondes ad ea, quae isti adversum te testificantur? – Do You not answer (are You unable to say or respond) to what they testify against You? This translation is correct and understandable. But modern German translators return to the previous construction accepted in the Russian translation (nichts autwortest du? Was zeugen diese wider dich?), with two questions. Such a construction is accepted also by Blass (Gram., S. 172 note). The basis for accepting two questions was mainly that ἀποκρίνομαι requires πρός after itself, so that if there were one question, ἀποκρίνῃ πρός τί would be placed. But this is not always the case; ὑποκρίνομαι is joined both with the dative and the accusative without πρός (Cremer, Wort. S. 566). Thus, it is more correct to consider all the speech of verse 62 as one question, and τί in the present case could be ὅτι, although there is no particular need for this latter supposition. The actual meaning of the high priest’s question, independent of philology and form, is clear. However weak and shaky the false testimony might be, the defendant must give an answer to it. There is much psychology here and observation of great accuracy with reality by the evangelists. Against a person whom they wish to accuse, very often, even now, the most trivial accusations are presented, in which no “composition of a crime” is seen. And yet an answer is demanded. In such cases there is complete separation of formal truth and real truth, and at such a trial, always testifying to a low moral level of the judges themselves, people who are really pure in heart before God and men very often become guilty of various crimes, which in reality cannot be imputed to anyone as crimes. Neither the false testimony nor the testimony that Christ intended to destroy the temple and in three days restore it indicated such deeds in which the “composition of a crime” could be seen. And yet the high priest demands an answer to such accusations.

Matthew 26:63. But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him: I put you under oath by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God? (Cf. Mark 14:61). Jesus Christ was silent because the false testimonies did not point to any crime. Besides, silence is always the best answer to all kinds of slander and false testimony. People who lie and intend to lie are always difficult to convince of the truth, because in refutations in which it is explained, they answer with new lies. It is well evident that all this false testimony was only a pretext for accusation; the actual and main point for which the high priests needed to condemn Christ was, like some phantom, moved to the very back. Thus, political convictions are often not prosecuted in themselves, but a person suffers from various carping, sometimes having no connection at all with those deeds which are considered the main crime. What often happens in the sphere of politics, often happens in the sphere of religion. The novelty of the religion of Christ, its moral disagreement with the understanding, customs, and activities of a den of robbers – that is what essentially constituted, in their view, the crime of Christ. But it was awkward to speak of this, because it was essentially not a crime. Therefore, carping is observed only to small facts – whether real or imagined. But the judges of Christ understood well that these small accusations and false testimonies did not equal (οὐδὲ οὕτως ἴση ἦν ἡ μαρτυρία αὐτῶν – Mark 14:59), did not correspond to the goal which they had in mind – to deliver Christ to death. This prompted the high priest to take a more decisive step. Why gather these small false testimonies? Why waste time on petty questions? It is necessary to turn to the main thing. Caiaphas, probably rising from his place, located at the very center of the judges’ semicircle, approached the defendant. Among the judges, as must be supposed, a deep silence reigned. And so the high priest utters solemn words: “I put you under oath by the living God…” Caiaphas pronounced not an oath but an adjuration. He adjured Christ by the living God to tell him the truth. The high priest knew that Christ previously called Himself this way. This was, in his opinion, self-exaltation, such an assumption of supreme dignity that no man could dare. The high priest now wished formally and before all to force from Christ an acknowledgment that He was indeed guilty of such a crime.

Matthew 26:64. Jesus said to him: You have said it; but I say to you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven. (Cf. Mark 14:62). Luke 22:66-70 should probably be referred to the second, daytime, session of the Sanhedrin (ὡς ἐγένετο ἡμερα – Luke 22:66), when Christ repeated the same confession. But some consider Luke’s account parallel to the present account on the basis of the similarity of Matt 26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 22:69. The question about this is difficult, and it is impossible to solve it now. This confession of Christ was completely opposite to the temptation with which the devil tempted Him, offering Him from the roof of the temple to cast Himself down. This would be not a verbal but a pragmatic confession before men of His own dignity as the Son of God. Then it would be solemn and the amazed crowd would immediately recognize in Him the powers belonging only to the Son of God. But by the power of God Christ was lifted instead of the mountain of temptation to the Mount of Transfiguration. From this high mountain He, as it were, cast Himself down and now stood before men in the true, not false, dignity of the Son of God. But He now appears not in the form of a King but of a bound and humiliated Servant of Jehovah, and people completely refuse to applaud and triumph at such His manifestation. They even doubt whether He is truly the Son of God. They adjure Him to tell them about this. And Christ answers affirmatively to this adjuration. Σὺ εἶπας, cf. verse 25. As there this expression was not an oath, so it should be taken in the same sense here. Many assert that Christ here pronounced an oath on the basis that among the Jews there was no custom of repeating the same words as were contained in the oath formula in answers to an adjuration. But against this it can be said that in the expression σὺ εἶπας there is no most important word by which Jews expressed that their words were uttered under oath, namely: “shevua” or, perhaps, “amen” (see treatise Shevu’ot: Talmud, trans. Pereферковича, vol. 4, p. 359–402, especially ch. 3–4). It is improbable that Christ, who said “do not swear at all” (Matt 5:34), Himself pronounced an oath now. Origen wrote: “He neither denied that He is the Christ, the Son of God, nor confessed this clearly (nec manifeste confessus est), but, as if making the one adjuring himself a witness, because he himself in the question declared Him Christ, Son of God, says: ‘you have said it’”. Much and other considerations were put forth in support of the idea that Christ pronounced an oath here, but it could appear forced under such circumstances. Similar words were said to Pilate, but without an adjuration (Matt 27:11). The words of Christ were even explained in the sense that “this is you pronouncing the oath, not I,” “I entrust to your own conscience to answer the question you have asked.” With this latter interpretation one cannot agree. Christ did not pronounce any oath. Nevertheless His words contained an affirmation of the thought expressed by the high priest, equal to “yes, yes” (Matt 5:37). That the answer of Christ was affirmative is evident from the fact that it was understood as such by the high priest, as is evident from verse 65. “The enemies of Christ should not have thought that He would affirm His Kingdom by force and weapons and that, if now He is deprived of the opportunity to do so, He doubts both His own calling and Himself” (Zahn). Ἀπ´ ἄρτι (“from now on”) some referred to λέγω ἡμῖν (I say to you from now on) or to καθήμενον (from now on sitting). Mark omits this word, and Luke (if Luke 22:69 can be considered a parallel) ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν ἀπ´ ἄρτι refers to καθήμενος. It is more correct to refer ἀπ´ ἄρτι in Matthew to ὄψεσθε (as in the Russian translation). It was also thought that instead of ἀπ´ ἄρτι (from now on) one should read ἀπαρτί (exactly, directly, precisely). But what does all this mean? The words of Christ will appear to us completely incomprehensible if we suppose that they point to something like His solemn manifestation, for example, as in Matt 25:31. For when was it that Caiaphas and the other judges saw Him thus “from now on”? The words of Christ should be understood in a completely opposite sense. He speaks here not of His solemn manifestations but of the extreme abasement, suffering, the Cross and Resurrection that awaited Him, which were equal to His complete glory, sitting at the right hand of Power and traveling on the clouds. In the saying of Christ is contained, therefore, a very subtle and deepest theological meaning. The extreme abasement of the Servant of Jehovah – that is what was His extreme glory. This, so to speak, negative glory of Christ the enemies saw personally. Christ speaks here with the words of Ps 109:1 and Dan 7:13.

Matthew 26:65. Then the high priest tore his robes and said: He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have heard the blasphemy! Matthew 26:66. What do you think? And they answered and said: He deserves death. (Cf. Mark 14:63-64). The true meaning of the words of Christ was, apparently, not understood by His judges. The circumstances in which He found Himself completely contradicted the declaration He made that He is the Son of God, sits at the right hand of Power, and travels on the clouds of heaven. Such a declaration seemed to them blasphemy and would indeed be such if it were pronounced by any ordinary person. Therefore the high priest tore his clothes. This would be a touching action if it did not originate from extreme malice, hypocrisy, hatred, and depravity (cf. 2 Sam 18:37; Acts 14:14). In Lev 10:6 the high priest was forbidden to tear his clothes, but from the further verse it can be concluded that he was not to tear his clothes only as a sign of mourning for the dead, even for his own father or mother. An example of tearing clothes in other cases is found in 1 Macc 11:71. The opinion that Caiaphas considered Christ a misleading messiah (see Sanhedrin VII, 10; Talmud, trans. Pereферковича, vol. 4, p. 291–292) is erroneous. Blasphemy was determined in the law to be punishable by death (Lev 24:15-16). Therefore, in response to the declaration of the high priest, those present immediately began to say that Christ “deserves death.”

Matthew 26:67. Then they spat in His face and struck Him with their fists; and others slapped Him on the cheeks, (Cf. Mark 14:65; Luke 22:63-64). Such treatment as is usually given to criminals “deprived of all rights of status.” True, the verdict of the Sanhedrin had not yet been officially confirmed. But it was evident in every way that the judges would not abandon their decision. Mockery of persons deprived of rights of status is characteristic not only of sinners but of many righteous men. At this, it is assumed that the condemned no longer has the right to bring complaints to anyone and that persons mocking him are in any case not subject to strict accountability. The inner feeling, the feeling of shame, the demands of conscience are suppressed by the coarseness and cruelty of natural man, and he becomes like a predatory beast, alien to all compassion and mercy. And religious hatred is always stronger than any other. All this was the cause why Christ now was subjected to mockery. They spat in His face to express contempt, struck Him with their fists (ἐκολάφισαν αὐτόν) and slapped Him (ἐράπισαν – omitted in the Russian translation), that is, beat with palms on the cheeks, but perhaps not only with palms but also with sticks or scourges, switches, rods (ῥαπίζω has such meaning as well). It is unclear whether all Sanhedrin members took part in all these mockeries. But judging by the fact that Matt 26:67 and Mark 14:65 are a continuation of the previous verses, there is nothing improbable in this.

Matthew 26:68. and saying: “Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who struck You?” (Cf. Mark 14:65; Luke 22:64). The people surrounding Christ treated Him not only as ordinary people usually treat a condemned criminal, but also as they behave toward a condemned and therefore false Messiah and Prophet. Spitting, beating, and slapping were interspersed with even more crude mockeries, especially under the circumstances, at His personal dignity as the Messiah. These were moral insults, not lacking in acerbity, but crude and cynical.

Matthew 26:69. Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a certain maidservant came to him and said: You too were with Jesus the Galilean. (Cf. Mark 14:66-67; Luke 22:56; John 18:17). While Christ was being subjected to mockery in that same courtyard of the high priest, events were taking place which in any other history would have seemed microscopic. But in the history of the sufferings of Christ in them is evident terrible horror and bloody tragedy. While the Savior was being spat upon, slapped, and subjected to other insults, Peter, who had come to the courtyard of the high priest (verse 58), during the entire examination, apparently, sat together with the servants of the chief priests and “warmed himself by the fire” (Mark 14:54; Luke 22:56). How much terrible tragedy and realism in this simple expression! What was happening inside, in the soul of Peter, was not noticeable to anyone, but outwardly was only seen that he was warming himself by the fire! Naturally, being near an actual flame, Peter had to vigorously suppress and restrain all inner flame so as not to give himself away and his intentions. He was in the position of a man who sees a drowning person from the shore and has neither strength nor means to help him in any way. This is generally one of the most tormenting states of all good and loving people. What spiritual anguish Peter experienced warming himself by the fire is hidden from the eyes of men. John, showing himself for a moment (John 18:15-16), quickly throws a veil over his own personality and hides in the night darkness. Only Peter remains with his external calm. “The power of darkness” (Luke 22:53), which seized His Teacher and took possession of Him like a threatening cloud during a dark night flashing lightning and striking with thunder blows, soon spreads over Peter’s head as well. This is temptation. Peter gradually, suspecting nothing himself, enters into the limited sphere of temptation. Never was prayer more needed for him than: “and lead us not into temptation.” In the accounts of the evangelists of Peter’s initial temptation there are no contradictions; everywhere at the forefront is some unknown “maidservant” (μία παιδίσκη, μία τῶν παιδισκῶν, παιδίσκη τις), whom John calls the “gatekeeper” (παιδίσκη ἡ θυρωρός – John 18:17). This is a completely unknown to us, and probably also to the first Christians, personality, as if casually showing her dark face in the night darkness. She looks at Peter (Mark 14:67; Luke 22:56) and then suspiciously says aloud: “and you too were with Jesus the Galilean.” If all these accounts had been invented, then even then we should have said that here is an extremely skillful, in the highest degree artistic selection of all circumstances. Why this maidservant, the gatekeeper? Why did the composers of inventions not cause a man to speak with Peter, for example, at least the very Malchus, to whom Peter cut off the ear? This would be much more natural in any invention, even an artistic one. But reality always corresponds little to any invention. Men were occupied with other affairs and thoughts; but the observation, keen eye, and unrestrained tongue of women are known to all. Judging by the expressions (παιδίσκη), this was a young slave girl, perhaps even an adult girl. The bold and courageous Peter is placed in an extremely difficult and dangerous position not by a sword raised over him, not by an arrow directed straight to his heart or a pike, but by the lighthearted question of some unknown and talkative young slave girl. The Gospel καί (in all evangelists) here is meaningful: “and you too were.” If “and you too,” then, consequently, someone else was with the Galilean as well, and together with him Peter. Who was this other? Some suppose the maidservant pointed to John, others – to Judas. But perhaps the maidservant’s words mean: “you were together with many others, who are now not on this courtyard.”

Matthew 26:70. But he denied it before them all, saying: I do not know what you are saying. (Cf. Mark 14:68; Luke 22:57). Peter’s first denial does not stand out clearly, although it was in essence such. He gives, apparently, a somewhat evasive answer. Many people were present at the arrest of Jesus Christ, probably the chief priests themselves were there. Peter does not know whether the maidservant counts him among the friends or enemies of Christ. If among the enemies, then what is strange if he was in Gethsemane with Jesus the Galilean and returned with Him from there? He does not know (οἶδα – Matthew and Luke) and does not understand (ἐπίσταμαι – Mark), what exactly the woman is talking about. But in John a brief, harsh, untempered and direct denial: οὐκ εἰμί (I am not, I was not with Him).

Matthew 26:71. When he had gone out to the gateway, another maidservant saw him and said to those who were there: This man too was with Jesus of Nazareth. (Cf. Mark 14:68-69; Luke 22:58; John 18:25). Peter saw that, although his answer seemed apparently satisfactory to the persons around him and to the maidservant herself, his situation was nevertheless not safe. It is difficult, of course, to determine here the exact sequence of very small and themselves insignificant facts. Only, apparently, after Peter’s first denial John (John 18:18-24) introduces the account about the servants and attendants warming themselves by the fire and about the examination at the high priest (some think – at Annas – on the basis of John 18:24, but more likely – at Caiaphas, because otherwise it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to reconcile the Gospel accounts of Christ’s examination and Peter’s denial). In any case, one cannot suppose that a fairly significant interval passed between Peter’s first and second denial. Luke (Luke 22:58) testifies that the second denial was “soon after” (μετὰ βραχύ). Peter now directs himself toward the gate, apparently intending to leave the courtyard entirely. But here “another” maidservant addresses him with almost the same speech as the first, – so according to Matthew; according to Mark – the same one, according to Luke – “another,” and according to John (John 18:25) – unknown people: (they) “said to him.” The reconciliation of the evangelists here seems particularly difficult. Even in works specially devoted to the examination and reconciliation of Gospel “discrepancies” we did not find discussion and reconciliation of these facts. And exegetes almost do not discuss them, apparently due to extreme difficulty. At this time a rooster crowed (Mark 14:68 – these words are not in several of the best codices, but are considered genuine because of Mark 14:72).

Matthew 26:72. And again he denied with an oath: I do not know the Man! (Cf. Mark 14:70; Luke 22:58; John 18:25). According to the testimony of Jerome, some said that Peter denied Christ only as a man, not as God. “Thus,” says Jerome, “they defend the apostle, accusing God of lying… For if Peter did not deny, then the Lord spoke falsely, having predicted: ‘you will deny Me three times.’ Peter now denies “with an oath” (μετὰ ὅρκου), which testifies to the intensification of his first denial.

Matthew 26:73. A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter: Surely you also are one of them; for the way you speak gives you away. (Cf. Mark 14:71; Luke 22:59; John 18:26). For Peter, in order to avoid danger, it was necessary either to save himself at once by fleeing, or to return and deflect any suspicion. If he had done the first, he would probably have been immediately pursued, and then he might be accused as a suspicious spy. Therefore Peter chose the latter and, in order to allay any suspicion, apparently with outward composure sat down again with the servants by the fire. Here the initial stammering of two maidservants or one maidservant and some man, after about an hour (Luke), transforms into an almost noisy uproar. The initial suspicions grew. Peter’s distinctive Galilean speech or accent served as strong confirmation that he truly had been with a Galilean and was “one of them.””

Matthew 26:74. Then he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this Man. And immediately the cock crowed. (Compare Mark 14:71; Luke 22:60; John 18:27). Matthew, Luke, and John say that the cock crowed at that time, understood as the first time. Mark clearly indicates that the cock crowed a second time. There have been many attempts to explain this discrepancy. But it does not seem to be particularly important. Certainly, the evangelists did not intend to keep an exact count of how many times the roosters crowed at that time. For them the important thing was Peter’s very person and the circumstances of his trial, as well as something originally unexpected and purely historical, not invented, in justification of what was predicted by Christ. First Peter simply denied, then he denied “with an oath.” For the Russian reader of the Gospel, the intensification of and, so to speak, the accumulation of the oath is not noticeable at all. This can only be understood by one reading the Greek text. Instead of “to curse and to swear” in the original it is now “to curse” (καταθεματίζειν, but not καταναθεματίζειν) and “to swear” (ὀμνύειν). In Mark – ἀναθεματίζειν (to curse) and ὀμνύσαι (to swear). Luke greatly smooths over the expressions of the first two synoptics, and John expresses himself again briefly: “Peter denied again; and immediately the cock crowed.”

Matthew 26:75. And Peter remembered the word spoken to him by Jesus: before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times. And going outside, he wept bitterly. (Compare Mark 14:72; Luke 22:61-62). The curses and oaths were heard from Peter’s mouth at the very time when the suffering Lord and his Teacher was before his eyes. Matthew and Mark do not mention this, but Luke says so plainly. Therefore Peter immediately noticed when the Lord “looked upon” him. This aroused in him a feeling of extreme shame and repentance. Without now paying attention to anyone, he rushed impetuously from the courtyard (ἐπιβαλών – Mark) and ran out into the night darkness, pursued by no one; remaining alone somewhere, he shed harsh, burning (πικρῶς – Matthew and Luke) tears – such as few people have perhaps shed from that time, because these secret tears of Peter in the course of time became famous. * * * Equivalent to the value of approximately 50 grams of gold. – Translator’s note. This sum in Russia in 1867–1917 was equal to the value of 4.5 grams of silver. – Translator’s note. That is, weighing approximately 20 grams. – Translator’s note.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

1–2. The Sanhedrin’s decision to deliver the Savior to the court of Pilate. – 3–10. The death of Judas. – 11–14. Trial before Pilate. – 15–26. Barabbas and condemnation to crucifixion. – 27–31. Mockery by the soldiers. – 32–38. The journey to Golgotha and crucifixion. – 39–49. Mockings and insults. – 50–56. The death of Jesus Christ. – 57–61. The burial of Jesus Christ. – 62–66. The sealing of the tomb and posting of a guard.

Matthew 27:1. When the morning had come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus, to put him to death; (Compare Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66). Whether Luke 22:66 applies to the second meeting of the Sanhedrin or to the first, which took place at night, is difficult to say with certainty. In view of the similarity of Luke 22:66-71 to Matt 26:64-66 and Mark 14:62-64, one might suppose that Luke’s account refers to the first night meeting of the Sanhedrin. But on the other hand, the expression Luke 22:66: “and when day had come,” – causes one to refer both this and the further account to the second, morning, session of the Sanhedrin. Based on the testimony of the evangelists, only two assemblies of Christ’s judges can be established: one – after midnight and another – with the coming of day, at dawn. In the Mishnah the procedure of trial is described as follows. The Sanhedrin is likened to half of a round threshing floor, so that the judges could see each other (that is, they sat in a semicircle). Two court scribes stood before them, one on the right and one on the left, and wrote down the words of those defending and the words of the accusers, and three rows of disciples (“talmidim hachamim”) sat before them (Sanhedrin, IV, 3, 4: Talmud, trans. Pereférkovitch, vol. 4, pp. 270–271). Each one knew his place. In cases involving life and death, special forms of procedure and pronouncement of judgment were prescribed. Judges were to gather in pairs, eat less, not drink wine all day, discuss the case all night, and the next day rise early and come to court. Whoever brought an accusatory argument could bring a defending argument, but not the other way. If they found acquittal for the accused, they freed him, but if not, they stood up for counting. If twelve judges acquitted and eleven accused, the accused was considered acquitted. But if eleven acquitted and twelve accused, this was not sufficient to pronounce a guilty verdict, which could only happen if two more were added to the accusers. This continued until either acquittal followed, or the necessary majority for accusation was achieved. The maximum reached here was 71 – the number of members of the great Sanhedrin. Thus, for acquittal a simple majority was required, but such a majority was not sufficient for conviction; the number of accusers had to exceed the number of those defending by two people (Sanhedrin, V, 5: Talmud, trans. Pereférkovitch, vol. 4, p. 277). Local courts usually sat on the second and fifth days of the week (Ketub. I, 1). But whether the Sanhedrin always observed this is unknown. On holidays and especially on the Sabbath no court could be held. Since in criminal cases the verdict for execution had to be announced only a day after the court session, criminal cases could not be heard before the Sabbath or a holiday. All these provisions were marked by humaneness. But they were forgotten during the trial of Christ. Usually the meetings of the Sanhedrin took place in the temple (in the hall of the so-called “lishkat haggazit” or in other temple buildings). “If, when condemning Jesus Christ, the Sanhedrin gathered in the high priest’s palace, then here we must see an exception to the general rule, to which the judges were forced by nighttime, because at night the temple gates were locked.” “Other meetings of the Sanhedrin in the high priest’s palace cannot be established” (Schürer, Geschichte, II, p. 265). That the second court session was in the high priest’s house is indicated by John 18:28. Nothing is known about a second interrogation; perhaps there was none at all. The conclusion is given only by Matthew – that the members of the Sanhedrin resolved to put Jesus Christ to death (θανατῶσαι), but nowhere is it clear that crucifixion was assumed from the very beginning. As for holidays, there were ordinances that nothing was to be done on them. But these ordinances were hardly observed. One day of rest was the Sabbath, and all other holidays were not rest days in the proper sense. This is evident from the fact that the departure of the Hebrews from Egypt was not a day of rest. The Gospels, which report on the activities of Christ’s enemies and also of those who buried Him on the first Passover day, serve in the present case as a reliable source of information that on Passover ordinary activities did not cease.

Matthew 27:2. and bound him, and led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate, the governor. (Compare Mark 15:1; Luke 23:1; John 18:28). In meaning the narrative of the synoptics is the same here. John adds: “it was morning; and they (the enemies of Christ) did not enter into the judgment hall, that they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.” If John had ended his statement with the word “be defiled,” it would have been fully comprehensible, because here it would be understood as defilement in general from pagans. But his words “that they might eat the Passover” show that in the evening of that day Christ’s enemies intended to eat the Passover. Since it is impossible to admit that they in this case departed from the lawful ordinances prescribing the eating of the Passover from the 14th to the 15th of Nisan, from this it is concluded that Christ Himself observed the Passover from the 13th to the 14th of Nisan, that is, earlier than the time established by the law. The question about this is very difficult, and it cannot be considered settled to this day. As noted above, the most probable opinion is that by “Passover” John 18:28 is meant “hagiga,” that is, the peace offerings brought during the Passover week. The laws concerning them are set forth in a separate Talmudic tractate, which is called “Hagiga” (see Talmud, trans. Pereférkovitch, vol. 2, pp. 513–533). They argue that if “Passover” John 18:28 meant the eating of the Passover lamb, then the Jews would have nothing to fear from defilement, because from it they could be freed by ablutions before evening. But entering the governor’s residence in the morning on the first day of Passover and becoming defiled made it impossible for the members of the Sanhedrin to offer peace Passover offerings (“hagiga”), which were also called Passover. “No competent Jewish archaeologist will deny that Pesach (Passover) can refer to ‘hagiga’. The motive assigned by John to the members of the Sanhedrin implies that in the present case Pesach was to refer to ‘hagiga’, not to the Passover lamb.” The word “bound” shows that the Savior during the night trial in the Sanhedrin’s assembly was unbound; but now, when He was finally condemned, He was bound again, so as to lead Him to Pilate. The reason for being led to Pilate consisted in the fact that from the time when Judea together with Samaria and Idumea was converted into a Roman province (after Archelaus), the Jews had been deprived of jus gladii (the right of the sword) and jus vitae aut necis (the right of life or death). Therefore the members of the Sanhedrin could not themselves carry out their verdict (this was ultra vires) and had to submit it for confirmation by Pilate. Pilate ruled Judea for quite a long time. He was the fifth procurator of Judea. Philo accuses him “of bribery, violence, rapine, outrages, insults, unreasonable and frequent murders, endless and intolerable cruelties.” The information about Pilate given in various places by Josephus Flavius and in the New Testament is essentially in agreement with what Philo says about Pilate, and shows that his characterization was not written under the influence of hatred and irritation, which the Jews generally harbored toward pagans, and especially toward the procurators. The verse being examined serves as one of the most important unintentional proofs, brought by the evangelists, of the idea that the members of the Sanhedrin, having condemned Christ to death, knew what they were counting on, and were confident that they would obtain confirmation of their verdict from such a person as Pilate. He was appointed to the office of procurator by the emperor Tiberius in the 12th year of his reign (26 A.D.). Before Pilate the procurators were Coponius, Marcus Ambivius, Annius Rufus, and Valerius Gratus. At the end of 36 A.D., by complaint of the Samaritans brought to the legate of Syria Vitellius, Pilate was removed from office and sent to Rome for trial. He arrived there soon after the death of the emperor Tiberius and was exiled to detention in Vienna (in Gaul), where, according to Eusebius (“Church History,” II, 17), he took his own life in the reign of Gaius Caligula. The name of Pilate in Greek is written in different ways: Πειλᾶτος and Πιλᾶτος (Πιλάτος). It is supposed that Pontius (Πόντιος, Pontius) was his name, indicating his connection by birth or adoption with the ancient Samnite family Pontii, while Pilate was the family name. The meaning of the word “Pilate” has been explained in various ways. Some wrote Pileatus – this word indicated a person wearing pileus or pileum – a hat made of felt, which was put on slaves when they were freed (manumissio). If such an origin were correct, one could think that Pilate descended from some freed slaves. Others derived Pilate’s family name from pilum – a javelin, a spear. But both of these derivations are doubtful, as is also the idea that Pilate is not a name but a family name (in our Creed – “under Pontius Pilate”: Pilate is the name, Pontius is the family name). Pilate was a Roman procurator of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. Procurators were appointed by the emperor himself, but were subordinate to the governor of Syria, or propraetor. In Greek the office of procurator was called ἐπίτροπος – a word that appears in Matt 20:8; Luke 8:3; Gal 4:2. But in the Gospel of Matthew he is called ἡγεμών – “leader” (Matt 27:2; Matt 28:14); perhaps Luke also calls him this way (Luke 20:20).

Matthew 27:3. Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, The death of Judas is related by Matthew and in Acts 1:16-20. There is no doubt that both of these places relate to the same event. But in details both accounts are completely different. That Judas brought back the pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, throwing them in the temple, is not mentioned in the Acts. Conversely, it is reported that Judas himself bought a field with this money. The accounts of Judas’s death are also different. According to Matthew, he hanged himself; according to Luke (Acts) – he fell headlong, “and burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.” On the basis of these and other differences, some considered either both accounts “legendary,” or only Matthew’s account, or Luke’s. But in reality there is no actual difference in the accounts of Matthew and Acts. The origin of the disagreement has been explained by the fact that neither Matthew nor Luke, nor other persons, were obviously eyewitnesses to Judas’s death, and therefore in their accounts they transmitted only such information as was circulated among the people. It is well established that the “field of blood” in both accounts is the same. It is equally certain that the apostle Peter in the Acts means nothing other by the words “unrighteous gain” than the thirty pieces of silver about which Matthew writes. But the money which Judas once secretly took for himself from the bag could not be “unrighteous gain.” Judas probably bought the land himself as soon as he received the money for the betrayal, in the middle of the week or on Thursday. But soon after that he renounced his purchase, still without having paid the money. He brought it to the chief priests and elders, then left and hanged himself. Peter, saying that Ps 68:26 was fulfilled on Judas, explains how the land belonging to Judas got the name “field of blood.” He derives the name “field of blood,” evidently, from the bloody end of Judas, not from money for blood, as Matthew does. But both these derivations do not exclude each other. It is very probable that Judas died on the field he had bought. This could have given the chief priests reason to buy just that field where Judas hanged himself. On the meaning of μεταμέλομαι see the commentaries on Matt 21:32. Μεταμεληθείς here does not mean “repented” in the “biblical sense,” but – came to his senses, because if Judas had truly repented, he would have been forgiven, as Peter was. The word μεταμεληθείς has a special meaning here. When Judas saw that the Savior was condemned to death, he did not repent, did not feel sorrow, but only lost his last hope. In fact, he failed to win over the chief priests and their party. The deed was done, and Judas, from among the disciples of Christ, was now completely unnecessary to Christ’s enemies. On the other hand, the disciples of Christ, after Judas’s action, could not receive him back into their midst. Thus Judas found himself alone with himself and his money. He felt himself solitary in this world, and this solitude was terrible. He had no friends. Under such circumstances, Judas’s crime could take on ever more monstrous dimensions in his eyes, began to seem to him as it truly was, without any embellishment, reinterpretation, and justification in the sense of practical utility and necessity. Before committing any sinful deed it always appears in an attractive light; otherwise there would be no inducements to sin and people could do without it. Before the betrayal, Judas could view his deed in no other way than from its pleasant sides; these were profit and favor with important and influential persons – Judas’s imagination painted all this in the most rosy and attractive light. Then there was no need to worry if someone could suffer from the satisfaction of Judas’s greed. He decided to commit the crime and committed it. But as soon as it was committed, all its attractiveness instantly disappeared and only filth remained. “The road, the streets, the people – all seemed to witness against Judas and for Christ.” Christ was now condemned to death and delivered to Pilate. Judas received no injuries from Him; everything said to him by Christ tended only to the correction and improvement of the traitor. He began to reflect on all this (μεταμεληθείς) and felt what an awful position he now found himself in. For Judas the entire spiritual filth became unbearable, it even prevented his true repentance. What was to be done? The received pieces of silver weighed on him, and he resolved to part with them. But how? Give this money to the poor? He could have done that if he had truly pitied the poor. But what good would that have done? The poor would have received the money and left Judas. Criminals ordinarily think little of charity. All the attractiveness of charity disappears when it is done with ill-gotten means. Judas thought it best to return the money to those from whom it had been received. By this he could to some extent reduce the crime committed by the traitor, and it could at least take on the appearance of a disinterested act. The verb ἔστρεψεν is the same as in the Septuagint Isa 38:8 – here it means to return something, to turn one’s own thing back; in other cases ἀποστρέφειν is ordinarily used.

Matthew 27:4. Saying: I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. They said to him: What is that to us? Look to it yourself. Sic in inferno quoque sentient damnati (so also shall the condemned feel in hell). Judas came to the chief priests and elders, apparently at first with a simple proposal to take back the money. He held it in his hands. As a reason for their return he put forward his sin, which consisted in having delivered an innocent Christ to death. There are no signs that this repentance of Judas was entirely sincere. He speaks as ordinary people usually speak, calling themselves sinners, but on the contrary not thinking at all either of repentance or of correction. Judas’s eyes showed none of the tears which Peter shed. Will the very persons who took part in condemning Christ not find some means, by their finger moistened in water, to cool somewhat the internal flame that now burns all Judas’s entrails? But he met here only a cold, indifferent attitude both toward himself and toward his deed, which amounted to complete contempt. Christ’s enemies did not repent of having delivered Him to Pilate. So should have thought all who were party to this deed, including Judas. If Judas now thinks otherwise, sees clearly that he acted not as he should have, then what is that to them (σὺ ὄψῃ – see 1 Sam 25:17; Acts 8:15)? He must himself take care of how to extricate himself from the difficult position he has placed himself in, and not someone else. No one compelled him to betray. If he had not hurried with it, Christ could have been taken even after the holiday. Then it might have turned out even better. But now how much popular commotion! The participation of Judas in the seizure of Christ was unnecessary, useless, because He could not be saved anyway when the great Sanhedrin had spoken for His death. Judas is only a small person, a insignificant spoke in an enormous wagon, a weak spring in a wound-up machine. Judas felt that he had done an accursed deed, and there remained nothing for him but to violently end his life. In the law it was said: “cursed is he who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood! And all the people shall say, Amen” (Deut 27:25). (See 1 Macc 1:37; 2 Macc 1:8.)

Matthew 27:5. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. Dreadful irritation and indignation were reflected on Judas’s face after the calm but caustic words spoken to him by the chief priests and elders. His irritation was expressed in the fact that, holding all thirty pieces of silver in his hands, he threw them over the wall that separated in the temple the men’s court from the priests’ court, threw them with such force that all of them or some of them flew or rolled across the marble floor all the way to the temple, to its very doors. Then Judas quickly withdraws to an unknown place – into seclusion (ἀνεχώρησεν) – and, coming to the field he had purchased, takes off the long belt with which his body was girded, fastens it to some tree and hangs himself (compare 2 Sam 17:23). The breathless body of Judas hung on the tree at first, then fell, tumbled down a cliff and broke so that his entrails spilled out (Acts 1:18). Simple as this narrative is in itself, it encounters considerable difficulties, apart from Acts 1:18 and continuing. First, the question of the place where Judas threw the pieces of silver. It is called ναός – temple. This word is often found in the New Testament both in the literal and figurative sense (for example, 1 Cor 3:16). Where it is used in the literal sense, one must understand only the temple that corresponded to the tabernacle, and not the places and courts around the temple (see Matt 23:35). But in that case the question arises: how could Judas penetrate into the very temple itself, that is, into the vestibule or into the Holy Place, when access there was allowed only to priests? In response to this, Zahn and others accept that by ναός here one must understand not the temple itself, but the entire τό ἱερόν, that is, all the temple buildings. In such a broader meaning the word is found in Josephus Flavius. Some think that Judas first brought the money to the house of Caiaphas and even to Pilate – to the praetorium, where the members of the Sanhedrin were, the ones accusing Christ, and since they did not wish to take the money there, he went to the temple and threw it there. It is much more probable that this was not the temple itself in the proper sense, but the temple together with the priests’ court, as in Matt 23:16; Matt 26:61. Thus Judas threw the money into the priests’ court. Further, the question arises: how could the chief priests (ἀρχιερεῖς) be in the temple together with the elders, when they were occupied with the trial of Jesus Christ before Pilate? According to Augustine’s opinion, Judas brought the money to the temple after three o’clock in the afternoon on Friday, when Christ died on the Cross, and the priests after that were occupied with worship. Others explained the matter by the fact that not all members of the Sanhedrin were before Pilate and that part of them (perhaps even to observe order in the temple) remained in the temple. Some think that Judas met the chief priests and elders in the temple when Christ was led to Herod. In the final analysis, it is still difficult to say when Judas’s death occurred, on that very day when Christ died, or somewhat later. The evangelist, it seems, assigns his death to a time before Christ’s own death.

Matthew 27:6. The chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. Thus the money was again in the hands of the chief priests. They had given it for innocent blood, so to speak, bought it with it, and this money returned to them. Here, perhaps, there is a symbolic meaning: innocent blood cannot be bought for any money. It is shed without loss, without material damage on the part of those shedding it. The money itself was not unclean, but it should not have been placed in the temple’s treasury by analogy with Deut 23:18. Having picked up the money, Christ’s enemies began to deliberate on what deed to apply it to. They, evidently, belonged to the temple. From the temple they were taken and to the temple they returned. But this was the “price of blood,” that is, the price for blood. Therefore it could not be placed in the “Korban.” The word “Korban,” as Schürer shows (Geschichte, II, p. 25), is Aramaic (like Abba, Golgotha, Akeldama, Ephatha, etc.), which became common among people during the time of Christ. This term does not occur in Rabbinical writings. The word properly means a sacrificial offering, but here – the temple’s treasury.

Matthew 27:7. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Perhaps the expression “from them” (ἐξ αὐτῶν; in the Russian translation – “with them”) here does not show that only thirty pieces of silver were spent and that the potter’s field cost exactly that much. Perhaps it cost somewhat more, so that the leaders of the temple added more money for its purchase. There was purchased a certain field of a potter known to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. It may be indicated by Jeremiah (Jer 18:2). This place was located to the south of Jerusalem and was separated from it by the valley of Hinnom. It is approximately 90 feet in length and 45 in width. Until the beginning of the 18th century foreigners were buried there. It is impossible to determine with precision for whom the cemetery was intended, for the burial of stranger Jews, or of pagans. The first is more likely.

Matthew 27:8. Therefore that field is called the Field of Blood to this day. The inhabitants of Jerusalem called this field of the potter on their native language (Aramaic) “Akeldama,” that is, “the field of blood.” And even now around Jerusalem on the north spur of the Mount of Evil Counsel they show the field of blood. Jerusalem pottery workers even now extract clay from the vicinity of this place. In some codices instead of “called” – “was called” (ἐκλήθη). This expression shows, of course, that considerable time passed between the event and the writing of Matthew’s Gospel. Ἐκλήθη – testimonium publicum rei factae.

Matthew 27:9. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; Matthew 27:10. And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me. The words quoted by the evangelist are not found in the prophet Jeremiah. They occur in Zechariah (Zech 11:12-13). To explain why the name of Jeremiah is placed here instead of Zechariah, many conjectures have been proposed. Some thought that here was simply an error of the evangelist; that the quotation was borrowed from some secret work of Jeremiah, where it was written exactly as the evangelist says (esse aliquam secretam Ieremiae scripturam in qua scribitur – Origen). Jerome read in some Hebrew book, brought to him by a Hebrew belonging to the Nazarene sect, that what is written here is found word for word (ad verbum) in some apocrypha of Jeremiah. But despite this testimony, it seems to Jerome that the text was taken rather from the Book of the prophet Zechariah. With this opinion of Jerome, Euthymius Zigabenus agrees, who says: “In the book of Jeremiah being read this is not written. Therefore, certainly (λοιπὸν οὖν), this is related in his apocrypha (ἐν τῇ ἀποκρύφῳ αὐτοῦ ἱστόρηται).” The word λοιπόν shows that Zigabenus had no exact information about this matter. Some considered the word “Jeremiah” to be not authentic, pointing to a similar inaccuracy in Stephen’s speech (Acts 7:4) and in Mark (Mark 2:26). They argued that the name of Jeremiah stood first in the book of the prophets, and therefore his name was also used to designate the Book of the prophet Zechariah; that chapters 9–11 of the prophet Zechariah were written much earlier than the time of Zechariah (based on internal features) and before the Babylonian exile and that the words pronounced by Jeremiah were placed in the book of Zechariah, because they were transmitted orally until the time of Zechariah and entered his book; that the prophecy of Zechariah in its main parts is a repetition of the prophecy of Jeremiah (Jer 18-19), and therefore Matthew, naming Jeremiah, points to the original author of the prophecy; that here was an error not of the evangelist, but a simple mistake of the copyists, who replaced the name of Jeremiah with the name of Zechariah because of the similarity of these names (in abbreviation Ζριου and Ἱριου, that is, Zechariah and Jeremiah). The evangelist’s expression was translated thus: “then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah and the prophet.” The simplest explanation is that the evangelist’s thought is focused on the purchase of land from a potter. Since only the prophet Jeremiah speaks of this land, the evangelist places his name at the beginning of his quotation, while from the words of Zechariah he took only “thirty pieces of silver,” changing the remaining expressions of Zechariah so that in the evangelist’s quotation they became completely unrecognizable. This explains why Zechariah’s words: “cast them, that is, the pieces of silver, into the treasury of the house of the Lord” (in the Russian Synodal translation Zech 11:13 – “potter’s field”), through a light change of Hebrew letters were remade by the evangelist into “the potter’s field” (εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν τοῦ κεραμέως). Ἔλαβον in Matthew can be translated: “I took” and “they took.” In the Septuagint Zech 11:13 it is otherwise – first person singular: “I took.” The correct translation: “they took.” The price of him that was valued – magna vis verborum. In the Septuagint in the indicated place of Zechariah these words are not found. In the Hebrew the speech is ironic, which they translate: “what an excellent price, at which they valued Me!” Ἀπὸ υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ should be connected with ἐτιμήσαντο, not with ἔλαβον and τοῦ τετιμημένου. “They gave” in the Greek is read differently: ἔδωκαν (they gave) and ἔδωκα (I gave). The first reading is more correct, and in correspondence with it ἔλαβον should also be taken as plural. The real meaning of the evangelist’s words is clear. The chief priests and elders took the money, for which innocent blood was bought by them – thirty pieces of silver, which were the price of the valued Christ, “whom the sons of Israel did value,” and used this money to buy the “field of blood,” belonging to the potter. In this case the prophecy of Jeremiah, spoken to the kings of Judea and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, was fulfilled.

Matthew 27:11. Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him: Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus said to him: You say so. (Compare Mark 15:2; Luke 23:3; John 18:33-37). The Synoptic Gospels omit the account of John (John 18:28-32). In Luke (Luke 23:2), the trial before Pilate begins with an accusation made by the multitude that the Saviour corrupts the people and forbids giving tribute to Caesar. The next accusation, that He calls Himself ‘Christ, the King,’ provides the immediate reason for Pilate to ask Christ whether He is the King of the Jews. In John (John 18:33-37), all this is recounted much more fully than in the Synoptists. According to Roman law: a person cannot be condemned unless accused. Pilate’s question was based on the fact that Christ was accused of appropriating Messianic dignity to Himself. Even though the Messiah stood before Pilate now bound and in a humiliated state, this did not prevent Pilate from asking Him: ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Here it is assumed that the Accused had at one point truly proclaimed Himself King of the Jews, but His attempts to acquire a kingdom had failed. Instead of a royal throne, He was seized, bound, and brought to trial. Yet, despite even this, He might now continue to maintain His former belief about His own high dignity. If He were released, He might again proclaim Himself King. Christ answers Pilate almost as He answered Caiaphas before: ‘you say so’ (Matt 26:64). But there the past tense was used—‘you said’ (σὺ εἶπας); here it is present (σὺ λέγεις). There it was in response to an oath; here, to a plain question. There it was in response to a question about the dignity of the Son of God; here, about royal dignity. But if the question posed by Pilate was natural and understandable, then Christ’s answer was at least unusual. Who, being bound and brought to trial, would say that he is a king? Now we understand that Christ’s royal dignity was contained in His humiliation, and that He spoke with complete accuracy and precision, in no way exaggerating. But then it was not understood by Pilate or those around him. Christ’s answer was not ambiguous, but a direct affirmation of His royal dignity. It did not contain the meaning: ἐγὼ μέν τοῦτο οὐ λέγω, σὺ δὲ λέγεις (I do not say this, but you do). Compare (John 18:37), where also σὺ λέγεις. To the account of the Synoptists, John (John 18:34-38) adds a narrative about how it became clear to Pilate in what sense the Saviour called Himself King. He is a King not of earth, but of heaven. He came not for external worldly dominion over men, but to testify to the truth. Pilate understood that this was simply some deluded person. And not only from these words. Based on certain information, one may suppose that Pilate had known before about the personality and activity of the Saviour (Matt 27:18; Mark 15:10). It could not be that he knew nothing, for example, about Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. In all this, Pilate saw no signs of Christ’s desire to acquire royal dignity for Himself. Therefore, Pilate concluded his trial with a complete acquittal of the Saviour: ‘I find no fault in this man’ (Luke 23:4; John 18:38).

Matthew 27:12. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. (Compare Mark 15:3). The interrogation by Pilate, though brief, is ended. What follows can no longer be properly attributed to formal Roman judicial procedure. This is a simple, ordinary conversation, as happens in all courts between judges and the public after the formal session is concluded and judgment is pronounced. The Jews, evidently, were not satisfied with Pilate’s verdict and began to bring new accusations against Christ. What they consisted of, nothing is known. But it is seen that Pilate did not attach any importance to them, and he does not consider it necessary even to examine them. Mark notes only that the chief priests accused Him of many things (πολλά). The Savior answered nothing to these accusations. The classical ἀπεκρίνατο is rare in the New Testament.

Matthew 27:13. Then Pilate says to Him: Do you not hear how many things they testify against you? (Compare Mark 15:4). There is irony in Pilate’s words toward the accusers and their accusations. There were very many accusations, but not one of them was any good. Such accusations could only come from the Jews, and from them alone. Speaking with them, Pilate also addresses Christ, inviting Him to answer the accusations. At this point the whole matter seems to have a comparatively calm appearance. Perhaps at this time the verdict was being written.

Matthew 27:14. And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. (Compare Mark 15:5). Christ gave no answer to Pilate concerning the new accusations. Although the law did not require this, Pilate was greatly astonished at Christ’s silence. At this time, probably the crowd of people was increasing more and more. Of the further events, we find a detailed account only from Luke (Luke 23:5-16). From the new accusations it was evident that Christ ‘incites the people, teaching throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place’ (Luke 23:5). The word ‘Galilee’ gave Pilate the occasion to ask whether He was from Galilee, and then to send Christ to Herod for trial. Herod sends Christ back to Pilate.

Matthew 27:15. At the feast, the governor had a custom of releasing to the people one prisoner whom they desired. (Compare Mark 15:6; Luke 23:17; this verse in Luke is considered spurious). The words of Pilate, as related by Luke (Luke 23:13-16), did not satisfy the people. One feels that it is seized with ever greater irritation and a thirst for blood. Pilate sees that the matter could have serious consequences which he had not foreseen, and therefore decides on a new step. There was a custom to release to the people during the Passover feast a prisoner, whoever they would want. How ancient such a practice was is completely unknown. In the Talmud there is no mention of such a custom. Among the Romans there was something similar, but the information about it is very brief and unclear. Among the Greeks prisoners were freed at the festivals of Demeter or in the so-called Thesmophoria. The identical expression of Matthew and Mark κατὰ δὲ ἑορτήν, which can be translated as “on account of the feast” or “for the feast” (the word “Passover,” added in the Russian translation, is not in the original), shows that this custom was observed generally at festivals, not only at the Passover. The release of one prisoner at Passover reminded of the liberation of the Hebrews from Egypt (id congruebat liberationi ex Aegypto). Pilate seized upon this idea to free Jesus Christ. Here was something similar to what happens among us when criminals are freed by manifesto. Pilate could have used his power in the present case. But, as usually happens, his tainted conscience made him weak and he had not the will to resist the crowd, which was becoming more and more enraged.

Matthew 27:16. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas; (Compare Mark 15:7-8). The account of Mark is more detailed than Matthew’s. Mark reports that Barabbas had companions who committed murder during the insurrection. The word εἶχον in Russian is not expressed: “they had.” In the Vulgate this word is placed in the singular and refers to Pilate: “he had” (habebat autem tunc vinctum insignem). The first reading is more correct, while the Vulgate reading is not proven with certainty. The plural “they had” or “there was with them” does not mean, however, that Barabbas was in the power of the Jews, not Pilate. From the further words of Pilate it is clear that Barabbas was in fact in his power. But at the same time it is clear that this prisoner was a Jew and came from the people. The change of “they had” to “he had” was, evidently, a correction. Barabbas was in prison at that very time (τότε), when Jesus Christ was on trial before Pilate. This was a robber “notable” (ἐπίσημος) or even famous – latro notissimus, summo scelere insignis. Thus John Chrysostom: “The evangelist did not simply say: they had a robber, but a notable robber, famous for his crimes, who had committed countless murders.” Here there may be some exaggeration, because in Mark (Mark 15:7) and Luke (Luke 23:19) only one murder by Barabbas is mentioned. It is difficult to say whether it is true that his other name, the same as Christ’s, was Jesus, added in Matthew in some codices, and among others in the Syro-Sinaitic. “In many codices,” says Origen, “it is not said that Barabbas was also called Jesus, and this may perhaps be correct – the name Jesus should not have been borne by any of the criminals.” Some think that Barabbas’s name Jesus is spurious. Others, on the contrary, assert that if Origen found the name Jesus in many manuscripts, this constitutes almost decisive proof of its authenticity. It is more probable, however, that it is spurious. Barabbas means “son of the father” (“bar” means son and “abba” means father). Jerome explains it as “son of the teacher.”

Matthew 27:17. So when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them: Whom do you wish that I release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus, called Christ? (Compare Mark 15:9; John 18:39). At Mark 15:8 it is added that the “people” (ὄχλος), probably in response to Pilate’s proposal, “began to cry out and beg Pilate that he” (in some codices “always”) “do for them,” that is, to release a prisoner for them because of the feast. Since in Mark the people make the request and Pilate answers them, then, correspondingly, we can refer in Matthew in this verse αὐτῶν not to the members of the Sanhedrin, but to the people, that is, to the same ὄχλος, mentioned in verse 15. But, having heard the request, Pilate himself, probably, chose Barabbas. If, as seen from the Gospels, Pilate wanted by this step to free Christ, then it is difficult to think that he would point out such a person who could, in his opinion, be freed by the people. From this it is clear that Barabbas was not, as some think, a political criminal defending the rights of the people against the Romans. He was a simple robber, dangerous to human society.

Matthew 27:18. For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. (Compare Mark 15:10.) This whole narrative supposes that Pilate had been previously acquainted with the person and activities of Christ. He knew also of the attitude toward Him of His enemies, of the fact that they “delivered Him for envy” (“hatred,” “ill will,” “malevolence”). Since the people only later joined with the members of the Sanhedrin, it is thought that παρέδωκαν (“delivered”) refers here to them precisely, not to the people.

Matthew 27:19. Meanwhile, as he sat on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him: Have nothing to do with that Righteous One, for I have suffered much in a dream because of Him today. When the question about Barabbas arose, Pilate was sitting on his judgment seat. His wife sent him a message about her dream. In ancient times of the republic, the wives of governors were not allowed to accompany their husbands to the provinces, but later these laws were relaxed, and the custom of taking wives became established from the time of Augustus. Who was and how was called the wife of Pilate, no completely reliable information is available. According to tradition, she was called Procla or Claudia Proculla and is numbered by the Greek Church among the saints (October 27; in the church calendar of Archbishop Sergius she is listed in the second index, where are named persons not recognized with certainty as saints). It is certain only that she either had seen Christ before, or knew about Him. The dream of Pilate’s wife, according to some, was from God, according to others – from the devil. In the first sense, Origen, Athanasius, John Chrysostom, Theophylact, Euthymius Zigabenus, Augustine and others express themselves.

Matthew 27:20. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. (Compare Mark 15:11.) This was, probably, at the time when Pilate was sitting on his judgment seat. The chief priests and elders talked with the people surrounding them and persuaded (ἔπεισαν) them to ask for Barabbas and to destroy Jesus Christ.

Matthew 27:21. Then the governor asked them: Which of the two do you wish that I release to you? They said: Barabbas. (Compare Luke 23:18-19; John 18:40.) In the previous verse it was only reported of conversations between the chief priests and elders with the people. It is not seen that they said anything to Pilate. But, perhaps, from different sides rumors reached him that the people would demand Barabbas. From this ἀποκριθείς – “answering.” Literally: “answering, the governor said to them.” This means that Pilate, having heard unclear and indefinite shouts, wanted to ascertain precisely whom the people desired to free. Or one can explain it thus, that Pilate waited some time and offered his question only when he saw that the Jews were ready to give an answer.

Matthew 27:22. Pilate says to them: What then shall I do with Jesus, called Christ? They all say: Let Him be crucified. (Compare Mark 15:12-13; Luke 23:20-21.) “Him” after “say” is not in many codices. From the accounts of the evangelists it is not seen that before there was talk about the cross. The popular leaders desired only the death of Jesus Christ, of which they asked Pilate, but it is doubtful whether they wished precisely crucifixion. If they had wished for it before, then for us the question of Pilate would not be fully understood, what should he do with Jesus, called Christ. The declaration of the people about crucifixion came out as if suddenly and unexpectedly. The narrative, apparently, is not complete, and it does not say some minor details. Perhaps from the words of Pilate or from rumors about the crimes previously committed by Barabbas, the people knew that Barabbas was to be condemned precisely to crucifixion. Crucem meritus erat Barabbas. The reminder by Pilate of Barabbas immediately changes the whole situation. If not to ask for the release of Barabbas, then he will be crucified. Better to save him from such a death. Let Jesus, called Christ, take crucifixion in his place instead! Let Him precisely be crucified in place of Barabbas! And thus the cry “let him be crucified” began to be repeated by the excited and enraged crowd, which became more and more savage under the influence of the chief priests and elders. The word σταυρωθήτω (let him be crucified) in Hebrew is short, terrible, and excitative – began to be uttered from one end to the other among the agitated crowd. They cried πάντες οὐκ οἱ ὄχλοι μόνοι, καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι (all, not only the peoples, but also the chief priests and elders – Zigabenus). After ποιήσω (“shall I do”) two accusatives τί and Ἰησοῦν τὸν λεγόμενον Χριστόν; such constructions are characteristic of Greek speech (compare Xenophon “Cyropaedia”, 3, 2, 15 – οὐδεπώποτε ἐπαύοντο πολλὰ κακὰ ἡμᾶς (instead of ἡμῖν) ποιοῦντες).

Matthew 27:23. The governor said: What evil has He done? But they cried out all the more: Let Him be crucified. (Compare Mark 15:14; Luke 23:22-23.) Luke gives a more detailed account here than the other Synoptists. He reports the continuation of the ‘great cry’ and how the shout of the people and the chief priests ‘overwhelmed’ (κατίσχυον) Pilate. These shouts threw Pilate into great confusion. He found no fault in the Accused. He was ready to release Him. Pilate’s wife sent word to him to do nothing harmful to the Righteous One. And suddenly the cross! Even Pilate, who thirsted for blood and was cruel, was astonished. ‘What evil (what wrong—κακόν) has He done?’ But now the frequent accusations and arguments cease, and the demand for the cross grows louder and louder. Pilate’s question remains unanswered and is even drowned out by a loud elemental cry: ‘Let Him be crucified.’ Thus Pilate’s thoughtless proposal about Barabbas provoked a terrible explosion.

Matthew 27:24. Pilate, seeing that nothing avails but the confusion increases, took water and washed his hands before the people, and said: I am innocent of the blood of this Righteous One; see to it yourselves. There is no account of this in the other evangelists. Therefore the reasons for such an action of Pilate are not entirely clear. Most likely the matter is explained by the fact that the popular cries drowned out his speech. Then Pilate resorts to a visual method of explanation, which was understandable to the Jews. One can suppose that when water was brought to Pilate, the crowd immediately became silent, as usually happens when one turns to visual clarification. The crowd did not know what would happen next and for a moment quieted down, so that the explanatory words of Pilate could be heard by all. Οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ – the subject (not expressed) is “he,” and οὐδέν – the accusative case (compare John 12:19). Therefore the literal translation is: “he does not help anything, that is, cannot achieve anything because of the popular noise, and his objections only increase this noise and confusion. Pilate washes his hands before the whole people.” “In the blood of this just person” – the word “just” is not in codices BDabff, the Syro-Sinaitic, and in Origen, but it appears in many other codices, including the Sinai and Peshitta. The reading ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος τούτου, that is “of this blood,” is more probable. In Greek the word ἀθῷος is used without the preposition ἀπό, and the evangelical expression ἀθῷος… ἀπό… is a Hebraism, where ἀπό corresponds to the Hebrew word “min” (from). ‘See to it yourselves’—a formula of rejection; it is better to translate it with future tense: not ‘see to it yourselves,’ but ‘you will see’ (in the Slavonic translation it is correct—‘you will see’; in the Vulgate—vos videritis; in the German translation—ihr werdet zusehen; but in Luther it is imperative—sehet ihr zu). Pilate wants to say that the people will see his innocence. The authenticity of this verse is questioned by some. The custom of washing the hands “for cleansing from death” existed among pagans, but among them ablutions were performed after death. The ablution performed by Pilate was a purely Jewish custom, which was based on Deut 21:6-8 (compare Talmud, tractate Sota IX, 6; Ps 25:6). Pilate’s words are almost a literal repetition of 2 Sam 3:28. “That a Roman governor so strongly assimilated a Jewish way of expression and figurative language – this is incredible, and it is even more incredible that he so unmanfully disclaims responsibility for the pronounced verdict.” But to assume that Pilate was completely unacquainted with any Jewish customs is also incredible, especially since he had a wife, perhaps a Jewess or Judaizing woman (in the Gospel of Nicodemus, ch. 2, Pilate says to the Jews: οἴδατε ὅτι ἡ γυνή μου θεοσεβής ἐστιν, καὶ μᾶλλον ἰουδαΐζει σὺν ὑμῖν. Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ. Ναί, οἴδαμεν – you know that my wife is pious and much Judaizes with you. They say to him: Yes, we know). But even if we do not assume all of this, in that case one cannot assert that Pilate could not have performed ablution before the people. This is such an act which could be performed by anyone. Pilate’s ablution is not so consistent with Deut 21:6 and sq., and 2 Sam 3:28, as to say that Pilate acted on the basis of a legal prescription or repeated biblical expressions. The most probable supposition is that in the present case he adapted himself to Jewish customs, which he was familiar with. As for “responsibility,” Pilate, it seems, is not thinking about it now, because crucifixion of Christ, at least in Pilate’s eyes, was not yet finally decided at this point.

Matthew 27:25. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. According to Jewish custom, when judges pronounced a death sentence, as a sign that they had given a just verdict and would be responsible for the death of the condemned, they laid hands on his head and said: ‘Your blood be on your head’ (2 Sam 1:16; compare Matt 23:35; Acts 18:6; Jer 2:35). The Jews wanted to say that if Christ were crucified, they took responsibility for His execution upon themselves—and not only they themselves, but their children as well should answer for it. It is clear that these words were originally spoken not by all those present, but only by some, and only then began to spread among the agitated crowd. Perhaps some cried: τό αἷμα αὐτοῦ ἐφ´ ἡμᾶς, and others added: καὶ ἐπὶ τεκ´να ἡμῶν. It should be noted that the Hebrew or Aramaic cry might have been somewhat shorter than the Greek or Russian text, and thus was more suitable for shouts from an enormous crowd of people. It is clear that the children of the Jews were responsible for the blood of the Righteous One only to the extent that they participated or participate in the malice of their ancestors.

Matthew 27:26. Then he released Barabbas to them, and Jesus, after beating, he handed over for crucifixion. (Compare Mark 15:15; Luke 23:24-25; John 19:1.) Let us note that Barabbas was the first person who, because of his accidental connection with Christ, was freed from this dreadful punishment. If Christ had accomplished His work of redemption without freeing people from crucifixion, it would have been incomplete. Therefore His crucifixion is one of the most important aspects of His work of redemption. Subsequently, crucifixion in Christian states was abolished. The Savior was condemned to crucifixion. Scourging was carried out before crucifixion. The Romans had the custom of scourging condemned prisoners, and Jesus Christ was delivered to the soldiers for this purpose – this was monstrous injustice and cruelty, because He had been declared innocent twice. The terrible punishment before crucifixion was carried out with such barbarism that it was known by the name of “near death.” And indeed, the victim was often deprived of consciousness during the punishment and frequently died before crucifixion. Blows were inflicted with whips, not clubs, because Pilate did not have lictors with him. Flagellis caedebantur apud Romanos servi (liberi virgis) et fere capite damnati, nudi et ad columnam adstricti, antequam in crucem agerentur (Slaves were scourged among the Romans with whips (freemen with rods) and nearly those condemned to death, naked and bound to a post, before they were led to the cross – “Cicero In Verrem” V, 66). The whip consisted of leather straps, sometimes furnished with lead tips or sharp nails and small bones, which furrowed the back and chest and covered the exhausted victim with a mass of wounds and bruises. Flagella erant aculeata, ossiculis pecuinis fere catenata, unde “horribile flagellum” dixit Horatius (The whips were furnished with points, usually bound with animal bones, hence – “the terrible whip,” as Horace expressed it, – Sermones, I, 3, 119). The condemned person, stripped naked, with bound hands and bent, was bound to a post while the blows were inflicted by the executioner. Captain Warren ascribed to himself the discovery in an underground room in Jerusalem of the place where Christ was scourged. Scourging was usually carried out corpore denudato. The word φραγελλώσας is a Latinism (with the change of λ to ρ) from flagellare – “to scourge.” The proper Greek word for this is mastigoаn. Scourging was carried out, it is thought, before the praetorium, in view of Pilate and the people. The word αὐτοῖς after παρέδωκεν is not in the best manuscripts. The meaning is that Pilate “released to them” (ἀπέλυσεν αὐτοῖς), that is, to the Jews, Barabbas, but Jesus Christ was delivered for scourging and crucifixion not “to them,” but to his soldiers. Therefore the word “to them” after “delivered” is correctly omitted in the Russian translation. The attempts to represent the matter somewhat differently and to prove that the Jews had the right to carry out crucifixion (Alexander Yannai), that Pilate only agreed to this execution, while the Jews themselves crucified Christ independently of Pilate and his soldiers, do not withstand criticism in view of the clear testimony of all the Gospels, that it was not the Jews themselves who participated in the crucifixion of Christ, but only Pilate’s soldiers.

Matthew 27:27. Then the soldiers of the governor, taking Jesus into the praetorium, gathered the whole band around Him (Compare Mark 15:16.) “The residence of the Jewish procurator was not Jerusalem, but Caesarea. Since the dwelling of the chief military or civil authority was called a praetorium, the πραιτώριον τοῦ Ἡρώδου (the praetorium of Herod) in Caesarea (Acts 23:35) is nothing other than the palace built by Herod, where the procurator lived. Under special circumstances, namely during great Jewish holidays, when protective measures were necessary because of the masses gathered in Jerusalem, the procurator came to Jerusalem and lived there in Herod’s former palace. The praetorium in Jerusalem, where Pilate was during the condemnation of Jesus Christ, is therefore the well-known palace of Herod on the western border of the city. It was not only a princely residence, but also a strong fortress, where several times (during insurrections in 4 B.C. and 66 A.D.) large detachments of troops were able to defend themselves against the risen people. Therefore, during the procurator’s stay and the military detachment accompanying him here, they had their quarters” (Schürer, Geschichte, I, p. 457). If the soldiers led Christ “within the hall, that is, into the praetorium” (Mark 15:16), here we must understand the courtyard in Herod’s palace. The soldiers gathered here the “whole cohort” (ὅλην τὴν σπεῖραν – Matthew and Mark), or Roman cohort, which consisted of approximately 500 men. The word “cohort,” or cohort, does not need to be understood here in its literal meaning. Perhaps fewer than one cohort gathered, but perhaps more. It is understandable that ἐπ´ αὐτόν means not “against Him,” but “toward Him,” for mocking Him. It is supposed that the place of mockery was not where the scourging took place. If the latter took place near the judge’s seat and under his view (at the lithostratus or Gabbatha), then the former – in the inner courtyard.

Matthew 27:28. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. (Compare Mark 15:17.) Mark does not say that Christ was stripped beforehand for mocking. According to Matthew, the soldiers strip (ἐκδύσαντες) Jesus Christ. Thus, according to Matthew, after scourging, Christ’s own garments were put back on Him, and now the soldiers again took them off, in order to put on Him a “scarlet cloak” (χλαμύδα κοκκίνην). But one cannot say with certainty how many times Christ was clothed and unclothed before crucifixion, twice or three times. Mark calls this scarlet cloak a purple robe, that is, a red garment. It had the appearance of a cloak, fastened with a clasp on the right shoulder and covering the left side of the body to the knees. This cloak was worn by Roman and Macedonian kings and other persons; it can often be seen on busts and statues of emperors and generals. By putting this “cloak” on Christ, the soldiers wanted to mock His royal dignity, which in their eyes was completely imaginary.

Matthew 27:29. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! (Compare Mark 15:17-18; John 19:2-3.) In all three evangelists the “crown of thorns” is called almost identically: στέφανον ἐξ ἀκάνθων (Matthew and John) and ἀκάνθινον στέφανον (Mark). What plant was used to weave the crown is difficult to say. Ἄκανθα means “thornbush,” of which there is much in Palestine (see commentaries on Matt 7:16). It is supposed that this was an ordinary thorny plant, which the Arabs call nawa or pivka, with many small thorny prickles, it is very flexible. Some say it was rhamus paliurus or the so-called spina christi. Around Jerusalem there is even now much thorny thornbush. Having placed the thorny crown on Christ’s head, the soldiers then gave Him in His right hand a “reed” (κάλαμον), a reed stalk or cane, or simply any stick, which was to represent a royal scepter. Thus before them was a mocking King, who seemed a king precisely because He was the negation of every royal dignity. The soldiers approached Christ with feigned and mocking expressions of respect and loyalty, greeting Him with the usual greeting χαῖρε (hail), O King of the Jews, while kneeling before Him.

Matthew 27:30. And they spat upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. (Compare Mark 15:19; John 19:3.) John says only that the soldiers struck Christ on the cheeks, passing over the other insults. Mark, using the past imperfect tense of the verbs (ἔτυπτον and ἐνέπτυον – struck and spat), indicates that the same mockery was repeated several times. According to Matthew, it is somewhat different: having spat on Him, they took the rod and struck (understood as several times) Him on the head.

Matthew 27:31. And after that they had mocked him, they took off from him the robe, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. (Compare Mark 15:20; Luke 23:26; John 19:17.) John inserts here a rather lengthy narrative, which is not in the synoptics, about how Pilate brought the tortured Christ to the Jews, and about a new interrogation of Pilate (John 19:4-16). Apparently, only after this did the soldiers take off the cloak or scarlet robe from Him and put on Him again His own garments, and then led Him away to crucifixion.

Matthew 27:32. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. (Compare Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26.) Cyrene or Cyrenaica was located in Egypt. There were many Jews there, and information about them is found sufficiently in the New Testament. They were at the Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem (Acts 2:10), and had their synagogue there (Acts 6:9). Judging by the name – Simon – the Cyrenian mentioned here was a Hebrew. But his sons (Alexander and Rufus – Mark 15:21) were called one – by a Greek name, and the other – by a Latin name. It was supposed that Simon came from slaves and was one of the followers of Christ and a Christian. His person appears mysterious. Speaking of the laying of the Cross on him, Bengel remarks that nec judaeus, nec romanus ullus erat qui vellet tollere crucis onus (neither Jew nor Roman would wish to bear the weight of the Cross). If Simon was a follower of Christ, the matter is explained simply. Simon was coming “from the field” (Mark and Luke). This is considered decisive proof that at that time, as Khvolson and others express it, it was a “weekday,” because work was not allowed on holidays. But, as noted above, from the expressions of Mark and Luke in any case one cannot make a precise conclusion that Simon was coming precisely from field work. These expressions can simply mean that he was coming in the direction from the field (ἀπ´ ἀγροῦ). He apparently showed sympathy for the suffering Christ, and, noticing this, the soldiers seized him and proposed (but hardly forced) him to help Christ carry His Cross and thereby accelerate the procession. Simon gladly agreed and carried the Cross together with the Savior Himself. This Cross was made by the soldiers themselves out of logs, perhaps roughly nailed together, so that it could be placed on the shoulder, and since it was taller than the man who was condemned to crucifixion, the lower end of it dragged along the ground during the procession. On ἀγγαρεύω see commentaries on Matt 5:41. In Luke (Luke 23:27-32) a speech of Christ is added to the Jerusalem women, which is not encountered in the other evangelists.

Matthew 27:33. And coming to the place called Golgotha, which means Skull Place, Matthew 27:34. They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. (Compare Mark 15:22; Luke 23:33; John 19:17.) The word “Golgotha” is the Hellenized form of the Hebrew “Gulgoleth” – “skull” (Judg 9:53), also “head” in the sense of “man,” “person,” “individual” (Exod 38:26; 1 Chr 23:3). This word was applied to mountains and hills that resembled a human skull in outward appearance. Where Golgotha, where Christ was crucified, was located, is not known with precision. Based on Heb 13:12, the conclusion is drawn that it was outside of Jerusalem (“outside the gates”), but not far from it (John 19:20). In Aramaic this place was called “gogaltha.” One “l” was dropped from the word “Golgotha,” probably in the popular pronunciation of this word. All four evangelists explain the word “Golgotha,” calling it κρανίου τόπος, κράνιον, which means “place of a skull” or “skull.” Probably it was a rounded bare hill. In 366 A.D. a church was built at the place where Golgotha was supposedly located, which stood here until 614, when it was burned by the Persians. After this, new church buildings were constructed here. But in 936 everything perished from flames again. In October 1810, a temple of the Resurrection of Christ was built by the Greeks at the place where Golgotha was presumed to be. The evangelists do not provide details of how the crucifixion of Christ was accomplished, limiting themselves only to the statement that He was crucified. From this one can conclude that He was crucified in the ordinary way in which this most terrible of all executions was carried out. The cross was not as tall as painters depict it. It ordinarily rose above the ground eleven feet and rarely – twelve. The feet of the crucified were not more than four feet from the ground. It is unknown whether the hands and feet of the Savior were nailed to the Cross before or after the Cross was erected in the ground. In crucifixions both happened. In the first case the person being crucified was fastened to the Cross, then either from the ground, or perhaps from a platform or ladder, his hands and feet were nailed to him. In the second case the cross was laid on the ground, the person being crucified was stretched on it and, perhaps fastened with ropes, his hands and feet were fastened to the cross with nails, after which the ropes or cords were removed. This latter kind of punishment was more terrible than the first, because when the cross was lifted and erected in the ground, the whole body shook, and from this occurred the most unbearable, the most dreadful pains, especially since the executioners who carried out such executions usually felt no pity toward the criminal, just as people sometimes feel no pity for animals, sometimes treating them very roughly and subjecting them to terrible tortures. The executioner ordinarily nailed the right hand and right foot first, then the left hand and left foot. But if several people performed the execution, the hands and feet were nailed simultaneously. Sometimes both feet were nailed together, sometimes separately. Sometimes nails were replaced by ropes alone. This was, apparently, easier, but in reality – even more terrible, because the crucified hung on the cross longer. Probably, before the crucifixion, Christ was given a drink, which Matthew calls wine (not vinegar), mixed with gall (οἶνον μετὰ χολῆς μεμιγμενον), and Mark – wine with myrrh (ἐσμυρνισμένον οίνον). Instead of οἶνος in several codices όξος – vinegar, generally a sour drink (so in the Russian translation). So also in the Epistle of Barnabas VII, 5, where this text is cited, and in Ps 68:22 (translation of the Seventy). It is supposed that οἶνος was corrected here to όξος in accordance with the expression of the indicated verse from the Psalm. And some even say that in fact no drink was offered to Christ, and prove this by the fact that He could not fail to accept this “beneficial” drink, and that Matthew (and Mark) transformed this beneficial drink into an “uneatable” one, into “wine with gall,” in order to show the fulfillment of Ps 68:22; “the humanitarian act of the soldiers Matthew turned into an expression of enemy malice.” But such a view is based on an incorrect understanding of the evangelist’s speech. Χολή, of course, means “gall” (compare Jer 8:14), but not always; sometimes – simply bitterness (Job 20:14), wormwood (Prov 5:4; Lam 3:15) and poison, bitter and dulling the mental faculties (Deut 29:18). In the latter sense is it used by Matthew οἶνον μετὰ χολῆς μεμιγμένον. And Matthew’s speech has no relation to Ps 68:22 (Zahn). The drink was probably prepared by compassionate Jerusalem women and given to the condemned to ease their crucifixion sufferings. But Jesus Christ did not wish to drink it.

Matthew 27:35. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: (Compare Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:23.) The order of events in the synoptics is changed compared to John. In John (John 19:18-22) here are placed the accounts of crucifixion with Christ of two robbers and the attachment to the Cross of the inscription of Christ’s guilt, and only after this John recounts the dividing of Christ’s garments; then, that the soldiers guarded Christ (only in Matthew, verse 36), then about the cross inscription, and finally, about the crucifixion together with Christ of two robbers. If John’s order is to be recognized as exact, then the synoptics’ accounts should be arranged in such an order: John 19:18 = Matt 27:38 = Mark 15:27 = Luke 23:33 (with the addition of Luke 23:34); John 19:19 = Matt 27:37 = Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38. Then only in John the account John 19:20-22, and verse 23 of John coincides with Matt 27:35 = Mark 15:24 = Luke 23:34. Singling out Matthew alone, we find that by agreement with John the order of events should be thus: Matt 27:38. The garments of the condemned, as is the case even now, belonged to the executioners. However, Edersheim remarks: “It is commonly supposed that such was the general Roman custom. But there are no proofs of this, and later it was clearly forbidden” (Ulpianus, Digestae, XLVIII, 20, 6). But if it was forbidden, then evidently the custom existed before. From the account of John (John 19:23) it is seen that Christ’s garments were divided into four parts because the crucifixion was carried out by four soldiers (quaternio). The other evangelists do not speak of this, limiting themselves only to the remark that the soldiers divided Christ’s garments. To these words of Matthew and Mark was added in ancient times an addition “that it might be fulfilled that which was spoken”… “casting lots,” borrowed from Ps 21:19, authentic in John (John 19:24), but correctly omitted in Matthew (Mark 15:28 is spurious) both in the Russian and Slavonic texts. Thus, in relating the division of garments, Matthew and Mark, evidently, did not think that here is fulfilled, and most wonderfully and originally, an ancient prophecy. Only John, and much later, remembered this. Opinions about whether Christ was crucified completely naked, or as He is depicted on the cross, with a loincloth (lenteum), differ. Usually before crucifixion all garments were removed from the condemned. Athanasius the Great, Ambrose, Augustine, and others affirmed that Christ was crucified completely naked. Indeed, nothing can prove that he had a subligaculum. Only in the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus it is said that expoliaverunt eum vestimentis et praecinxerunt lenteo et coronam de spinis imposuerunt super caput ejus. “After they had mocked Him, they led Him away to crucifixion and, having stripped Him, took His garments and, sitting, waited until He expired. And they divided His garments, as is customarily done with the condemned of the lowest kind, with the outcast, with the defenseless and helpless; they divided those garments which had wrought so many miracles and which, however, had no effect at that time, for Christ held back His ineffable power” (St. John Chrysostom).

Matthew 27:36. and sitting down they watched him there; The soldiers to whom the crucifixion was entrusted were subject to the strictest responsibility in case the condemned was somehow freed from punishment and escaped.

Matthew 27:37. And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. (Compare Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19.) In all evangelists the content of the inscription is different. Literally: “this is Jesus, King of the Jews” (Matthew), “King of the Jews” (Mark), “King of the Jews this” (Luke), “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” (John). Evidently, all evangelists reproduced this inscription from memory, translating it into Greek from Hebrew and Latin, but its content is substantially the same in all of them. With such a difference it is difficult, of course, to decide what the genuine inscription was. It is thought that in Matthew οὗτός ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς ὁ βασιλεύς τῶν Ἰουδαίων – is an exact reproduction of the Latin inscription (Hic est Iesus Rex Judaeorum). How long this inscription remained after the Savior’s body was taken down from the Cross, and how long the Cross itself stood on Golgotha, nothing is known. Similarly, it is not known whether the soldiers themselves attached this inscription over Jesus Christ’s head, but probably they did. This could have been done by the soldiers already after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 27:38. Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. (Compare Mark 15:27; Luke 23:33; John 19:18.) Completely unknown people, probably caught and convicted of serious criminal offenses, robberies, brigandage, murders, insurrections, etc. In tradition the unrepentant robber is called Gestas, and the repentant – Dismas.

Matthew 27:39. And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, Matthew 27:40. And saying: You who destroy the temple and build it in three days! Save yourself; if you are the Son of God, come down from the cross. (Compare Mark 15:29-30.) Adversariorum scommata possunt numerari septem (The mockeries of enemies can be counted as seven – Bengel). As always happens, a multitude of people gathered to watch the public execution, who passed by the Cross in crowds (παραπορευόμενοι) nearby. Those passing by reviled Christ, cursed Him, expressing their malice and mockery by wagging or shaking of the head (see Job 16:4; Ps 21:8; Isa 37:22; Jer 8:16; Lam 2:15). Not all, of course, remembered the words of Christ about the destruction of the temple and its restoration in three days. But it is seen that these words once struck the popular ear, were reproduced at the trial before Caiaphas, and were probably passed from mouth to mouth. The existing reality was completely opposite to such an assertion of Christ. Everything here spoke only of extreme suffering and humiliation. Beautiful crosses with representations of the Savior exist only in the imagination of artists. In reality there was nothing of the sort. We should imagine nothing here except the utmost horror and the utmost human poverty and suffering. And this horror, these sufferings aroused not compassion, but mockery!

Matthew 27:41. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders and Pharisees, said, Matthew 27:42. He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. (Compare Mark 15:31; Luke 23:35.) In all synoptics different expressions, but the essence is conveyed identically. The word “Pharisees” appears in Matthew in less important codices and is considered spurious. Generally, there is strong variation in the text: “likewise,” “likewise and,” “likewise even and,” with “scribes and elders,” with “elders and scribes”; with “scribes and elders and Pharisees,” with “scribes and Pharisees.” These people probably addressed mockeries both to Christ Himself and to the people, pointing to Him, pronouncing blasphemies, recalling His healings and words about Himself as Savior. In all these mockeries actual facts from His life are pointed out, completely misunderstood or distorted by those mocking Him. But if He had now come down from the Cross and thus saved Himself, this would be a lesser miracle compared to His Resurrection. Resurrexit, et non credidistis. Ergo si etiam de cruce descenderet, similiter non crederitis (He rose, and you did not believe. Therefore if He had even come down from the Cross, you would similarly not have believed. – Jerome). In general the mockeries were marked by stupidity and shortsightedness. The people surrounding Christ could not and did not wish to understand that to free others from danger, men must often sacrifice and do sacrifice their own lives.

Matthew 27:43. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. These words are not found in the other evangelists. It is unknown whether all these insults reached the ears of the Savior. In all probability they did. Those who pronounced mockeries spoke here in part with Old Testament texts (see Ps 21:9; Wis 2:13-18). “If he be willing, he wants Him” (εἰ θέλει αὐτόν), that is, if He is pleasing, acceptable to Him. This is a Hebraism (in Hebrew – “gaphetz bo”).

Matthew 27:44. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. (Compare Mark 15:32.) Matthew and Mark present similar testimony here: both thieves reviled Christ. But Luke (Luke 23:39 and following) speaks only of one thief who reviled, while the other restrained him. This difference has long attracted attention. Origen, Chrysostom, Theophylact, Euthymius Zigabenus and others believed that at first both thieves reviled Christ, then one of them, witnessing Christ’s patience, repented, began to restrain the other and at last spoke his words (Luke 23:42). But Jerome says that here there is a rhetorical device called in Greek σύλληψις – a word meaning “grasping,” which here can be translated as “shortening,” “combining” – pro uno latrone uterque inducitur blaspemasse (the evangelist makes both thieves blaspheme instead of just one). Augustine says that Matthew, telling the story briefly, put the plural number instead of the singular. Meyer calls this generic plural, which has necessary connection to verse 38. These interpretations can be agreed with and we can suppose that Matthew and Mark, who do not speak of the repenting thief, wished generally to show that the insults were heard at first not only from among the people (not all), from chief priests, elders and scribes, but also from the thieves. Luke further notes that they were heard also from the soldiers (Luke 23:36-37), which is not in Matthew and Mark. There was a mass of insults and blasphemy, and really it was hard to even distinguish from whence they came. If Luke singles out from this mass of revilers one thief, this certainly does not contradict Matthew or Mark in any way. Τό αὐτό does not mean “in the same way,” but “the same thing,” that is, the mockeries and insults, according to the construction ὀνειδίζειν τινά τι – “to reprove someone for something.” In John here is introduced the account of the women standing at the cross and the commending of the Mother of God to John.

Matthew 27:45. And from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour; (Cf. Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44.) The Synoptics here consistently determine the time of the appearing of darkness. Earlier, precise time indication is found in John, who counts according to Roman (and Asian Minor) time (John 19:14 – should be read as “Friday of the Passover,” or Paschal Friday – παρασκευ τοῦ πάσχα, and not “before the Passover,” as in the Russian translation; see in Tischendorf) and says that Christ was on trial before Pilate in the sixth hour of the morning – by our time reckoning. Then Mark by Hebrew reckoning notes that the crucifixion took place at the third hour of the day, that is, by our count – the ninth. Now all the Synoptics unanimously affirm that darkness spread from the sixth to the ninth hour, that is, for three hours after the crucifixion, by our count (adding six), from twelve to three o’clock in the afternoon. The origin of this darkness, which spread over all the earth (ἐπὶ πάσαν τὴν γῆν – Matthew; ἐφ´ ὅλην τὴν γῆν – Mark and Luke), to the present time has not been explained, and there is no reason to hope it will be explained. Here we can only find the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy (Amos 8:9-10). From ancient commentators the most thorough discussion of this subject is found in Origen, who said that about this fact “nowhere in history is it reported” and that the darkness could not be a result of a solar eclipse, because the Passover was celebrated during the vernal equinox at full moon. He thinks that as other signs during the sufferings and death of Christ were given only in Jerusalem, so the darkness until the ninth hour spread only over all Judea, and explains the darkness by the appearance of very dark clouds, which increasingly spread over the Jewish land and Jerusalem, so that they blocked the sun’s rays. This opinion of Origen has not been refuted till now, although there have been repeated attempts to present this phenomenon as miraculous. Discussing this subject, Origen refers, among other things, to the testimony of the writer Phlegon (a native of Tralles, freedman of the Emperor Hadrian), who in the second century of the Christian era wrote the annals of the Olympiads. Phlegon says that in the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad there was a solar eclipse far more complete than any known before then. In the sixth hour of the day night came, so that stars appeared in the sky. There was also a great earthquake in Bethany, which caused great devastation in Nicaea. But the solar eclipse of which Phlegon speaks could not have lasted for three hours. It is most likely that the appearance of darkness should be explained by an approaching earthquake. Such an assumption is entirely in accord with Origen’s account of the appearing of “very dark clouds” or clouds. Such phenomena are not uncommon before earthquakes. Zahn remarks that under ἡ γῆ of the Synoptics here should be understood only Judea.

Matthew 27:46. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice: Eli, Eli! lama sabachthani? that is: My God, My God! why have you forsaken me? (Cf. Mark 15:34.) The Savior hung on the cross about six hours. His death was approaching. His physical and moral sufferings became unbearable. No human words or descriptions can express the full depth of these sufferings. One can only say that they were opposite to all possible earthly pleasures. The sufferings equaled as it were a renunciation by the Most High of His faithful Servant, His beloved Son. This means that at this time Christ experienced the mystery of the very greatest sufferings. When Christ “was poured out like water, all His bones scattered and His heart became like wax, it melted within His breast, His strength dried up like a potsherd, and His tongue stuck to His mouth,” when “they divided His garments,” – in this last, most extreme and horrible human misfortune, – at this time from the lips of the Sufferer came a terrible dying cry, indicating that all hope of salvation and return to life had now vanished. The words of Christ are the only ones that Matthew and Mark report during the suffering on the cross. They are taken from Psalm 21. In the ancient Hebrew language here are only four words: “eli, eli, lama azavtani.” The Hebrew “azavtani” was replaced by the Aramaic, equal in meaning “sabachthani”; and “lama” (according to the best readings) – “lemma” (λεμά), which was written, however, in different ways: λεμα, λαμα, λιμα, λημα. “Azavtani” comes from the Hebrew verb “azav” – “to leave,” “to abandon,” “to deprive of help.” In codex D of Mark is ζαφθάνει, which was a later assimilation of Greek with Hebrew. The Aramaic “sabachthani” the evangelists translate with the Greek ἐγκαταλείπω, which means both “simply to leave” and “to leave someone helpless in times of troubles and sufferings” (cf. Acts 2:27; Rom 9:29; 2 Cor 4:9; 2 Tim 4:10; Heb 10:25). The translation was made in order to indicate what real meaning was contained in these words of Christ, which were incomprehensible to those around Him. Some say that here Christ expressed “a subjective feeling, which should not be confused with the objective abandonment of Him by God.”

Matthew 27:47. And some of those standing there, hearing this, said: He is calling for Elijah. (Cf. Mark 15:35.) The name Elijah in Hebrew is spelled differently than Eli or Eli – “My God” from El – “God” and the attachment of the possessive pronoun. But in pronunciation “Elijah” and “My God” are similar in Hebrew. The name Elijah means “God is Jehovah.” It was natural that “some of those standing” there, perhaps not hearing clearly or simply not understanding the last words of Christ, thought that He was calling Elijah to come to His aid. “This one” or “that one” (οὗτος) – an expressive word, spoken with the purpose of showing that it was not the thieves crucified with Christ who were calling Elijah, but rather He who was crucified in their midst.

Matthew 27:48. And immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed, and gave Him to drink; (Cf. Mark 15:36; John 19:28-29.) It is not entirely clear in Matthew and Mark why, hearing that Jesus Christ was calling Elijah, one of those standing (the evangelists do not say who, probably a Roman soldier) at once ran and gave Jesus Christ a drink. But this is entirely clear in John. Since the account in John 19:29 fully corresponds in sense to Matt 27:48 and Mark 15:36, we can conclude that the word of Jesus Christ “I thirst” (John 19:28) was the real reason for offering Him vinegar, or sour grape drink, which in Latin was called posca, – almost corresponding to our “kvass” – was made from grapes and was the common drink of Roman soldiers. But if the “kvass” or sour drink (ὄξος – a word found in the New Testament only here in Matthew and the parallels and also Luke 23:36) was here because it was needed by Roman soldiers to quench their thirst, it is not easy to explain the appearance here of a “sponge” (σπόγγος in Matthew, Mark and John). It was thought that sponges were probably here on hand precisely for the purpose of giving drinks to the condemned when it should be needed. On the part of the soldier who offered the sponge with drink to the lips of Christ, this was an act of mercy. But other soldiers, apparently, began to mock his action and repeated what one had done, and said: “if you are the King of the Jews, save yourself” (Luke 23:36-37). There is no need to assume that this offering of drink by soldiers was the same as that which was done before the crucifixion. Jesus Christ accepted this drink. But the view that He, having tasted the drink, asked for it again, is not supported by anything.

Matthew 27:49. And the others said: Wait, let us see if Elijah will come to save Him. (Cf. Mark 15:36.) In Mark the plural – “wait.” At the sight of the humane action of the soldier, there were found people who turned this into a subject of mockery. In Matthew the words are spoken to the soldier by “others.” In Mark the soldier speaks them to “others.” It is clear that both could have happened. Probably, in Mark it is about another soldier, not the one who first offered the sponge.

Matthew 27:50. And Jesus, crying out again with a loud voice, gave up His spirit. (Cf. Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46; John 19:30.) The Synoptics do not contain the word found in John – “It is finished”; in Matthew, Mark and John there are not the words found in Luke: “Father! Into your hands I commend my spirit.” All the Synoptics use the expression “a loud cry” here. Whether this cry contained words or was without words is difficult to say. Judging from the fact that the same expression is used in Matt 27:46 and in the parallel in Mark, we can think that Christ, even before His death, spoke some words, which probably were not heard and therefore did not reach us. But it could have been otherwise. Zahn holds to the first opinion. “Gave up His spirit” – a common popular expression, indicating death.

Matthew 27:51. And behold, the veil of the temple tore in two from top to bottom; and the earth trembled; and the stones were split; (Cf. Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45.) Luke connects the tearing of the veil with the fact that “the sun grew dark.” Here are all the signs of the beginning of an earthquake. Many believe that this was not a natural earthquake, but a miraculous one. But what kind of earthquake can be unnatural? The tearing of the veil, as well as many other circumstances which are reported in the apocrypha, in the Talmud and by Josephus Flavius, – all this could be the result of an earthquake. Under the veil of the temple here should be understood the veil that separated the holy of holies from the sanctuary. According to Jerome, non velum templi scissum, sed super liminare templi mirae (infinitae) magnitudis corruisse (fractum esse atque divisum – not the veil of the temple was torn, but a beam of the temple of tremendous size collapsed). This account Jerome found in the Gospel of the Hebrews. It is clear that this was possible during an earthquake, but the tearing of the veil is not excluded by this.

Matthew 27:52. And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the departed saints rose The death of Christ and the Resurrection were accompanied by amazing phenomena not only here on earth, but also in the world of the departed. They were completely new. If before people rose receiving the same mortal body as before, now the Resurrection resembled the Resurrection of Christ Himself; the saints rose with a new, glorified body and appeared to many in Jerusalem, although, like Christ Himself, they did not dwell among them. Who these saints were and how they were recognized is completely unknown.

Matthew 27:53. And having come out of the graves after His Resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many. The Apostle Paul says that “Christ has risen from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died” (1 Cor 15:20) and that “He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything” (Col 1:18). If the Gospel did not have the words “after His Resurrection,” it might seem that Christ was not the “first-born” and that the saints rose before Him. On this basis it is thought that the expression “after His Resurrection” was not in the original text and is a later insertion made to reconcile this account with the above words of the Apostle Paul. We do not know precisely what the very appearance consisted of. But if, as explained above, the bodies of the risen saints were like the Body of Christ Himself, they could appear in Jerusalem just as He did, after His Resurrection. The evangelist’s expression “after His Resurrection” has no grounds to be considered a later and inauthentic insertion. We can only think that the evangelist, amidst terrible events, as it were anticipates the joy of the Resurrection and relates events that occurred afterwards to the time that occurred before.

Matthew 27:54. And the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, seeing the earthquake and all that was happening, were greatly afraid and said: Truly, He was the Son of God. (Cf. Mark 15:39; Luke 23:47.) The mention of the centurion shows that besides the soldiers who were crucifying Christ, there was another detachment on watch at the place of crucifixion, a hundred men under the command of a centurion. This was entirely natural and possible given the great crowd. Centurions are called in different ways in the New Testament: ἐκατοντάρχος, χης (see commentaries to Matt 8:5), κεντυρί ον (centurio) and ταξίαρχος. Little is known of the centurion present at the crucifixion. According to tradition, he was called Longinus, later received baptism and preached Christ in his homeland in Cappadocia, for which he received a martyr’s death. Both the Person of the Crucified and “all that was happening” at the crucifixion made a strong impression on him, and he spoke the words which he either heard from the lips of Christ at trial or from others: “Truly, He was the Son of God.” But if during the death of Christ and the earthquake that followed or occurred during it, the centurion was forced to remain with the soldiers on Golgotha, then others, abandoning all their mockeries and insults, began to quickly leave for their homes from the terrible sight of Golgotha, striking their breasts (Luke 23:48).

Matthew 27:55. And there were also many women there, looking from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, serving Him; (Cf. Mark 15:40; Luke 23:49.) The women stood and looked from afar, being unable to do anything to ease the sufferings of the Crucified One. They are named further. Cf. Luke 8:3.

Matthew 27:56. Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. (Cf. Mark 15:40-41.) Matthew first speaks of the service of the women and then names them by name; Mark does the opposite. Matthew speaks only of many women who followed Christ from Galilee, serving Him; Mark makes a distinction between the Galilean women and “many others” who came with Him to Jerusalem. But it is not precisely known whether there were also Jerusalem women there, besides the Galilean ones. About the sisters of Lazarus, who probably were there, the evangelists do not mention. About the women standing at the cross, see the commentaries to Matt 20:20. Instead of “Joseph” in important codices the reading is “Joseph.” But in codices ABCD and many translations Ἰωσῆ – Joseph, which, however, is not confused with the one mentioned in Matt 13:55. Mark calls James “the lesser” or “the smaller” (τοῦ μικροῦ), probably to distinguish him from James the son of Zebedee. It is supposed that James was called this because he was small in stature.

Matthew 27:57. And when evening came, a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus, came; (Cf. Mark 15:42-43; Luke 23:50-51; John 19:38.) In John (John 19:31-37) before this is recounted the breaking of the legs of the thieves and the piercing of Jesus’ side with a spear. The Synoptics omit this account. The next day – the Sabbath – a day of rest. It began with “the appearing of three stars in the sky,” or approximately six o’clock in the evening according to our count. This was the “second” evening, with the arrival of which on account of the Sabbath coming, all activity ceased. The first evening began around three or four o’clock in the afternoon. The interval between the first and second evening was called the time “between evenings.” At this time, if there was a Paschal day, at least some work was permitted, as is clearly seen from the Gospels, which in this as in all other cases serve as more reliable historical sources than, for example, the Talmud. Joseph, in all probability, lived in Jerusalem, although all the evangelists call him a man “from Arimathea.” It is unknown which Arimathea (Rama) is meant here: whether Rama in the tribe of Benjamin, or in the tribe of Ephraim – the birthplace of the prophet Samuel (see commentaries to Matt 2:17-18). Cf. 1 Macc 2:34. Probably the latter. John adds that Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus Christ – “from fear of the Jews.”

Matthew 27:58. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered that the body be given up; (Cf. Mark 15:43-45; Luke 23:52; John 19:38.) The Romans usually left the bodies of executed criminals on the crosses. This time the Jews did not want to leave the bodies on the crosses because of the coming of a great day – the Paschal Sabbath. Thus, the request addressed by Joseph to Pilate was in this case in accord with the wishes of the Jews themselves, and certainly with Pilate’s, who knew that he had condemned an innocent Man to death. Thus, granting Joseph’s request could not meet with obstacles from anyone. Both he and Nicodemus now wished to pay their last respects to their Teacher. As there was little time before the Sabbath, the burial had to be hurried.

Matthew 27:59. And taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in a clean linen shroud (Cf. Mark 15:46; Luke 23:53; John 19:38-41.) John tells about the burial more than other evangelists. It was carried out in the usual way. The enemies of Christ were at ease after His execution and took almost no precautions. The shroud in Greek in all the Synoptics is σινδών – a thin linen or cotton material of foreign origin, obtained from India (“sind,” “ind,” “India”) and, according to the testimony of Herodotus (“History,” II, 86), used by Egyptians (λούσαντες τὸν νεκρὸν κατειλίσσουσι πᾶν αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα σινδόνος βυσσίνης – having washed the corpse, they wrap its entire body in a linen shroud). The burial rites of the Egyptians, described by Herodotus, are interesting and can serve to explain the Gospel passages. Comparing the accounts of Christ’s burial with these Egyptian rites, one can come to the conclusion that Joseph and Nicodemus intended to embalm the body of Christ.

Matthew 27:60. And placed it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a great stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. (Cf. Mark 15:46; Luke 23:53; John 19:41-42.) Luke and John add that in this tomb “no one had ever been laid”; Matthew and John call the tomb new. In this tomb Joseph intended to be buried himself, which is why in Matthew we find the expression: ἐν τῷ καινῷ αὐτοῦ μνημείῳ. Probably the great stone rolled against the tomb was not outside it, but in the cave itself. This can be concluded from John 20:1.

Matthew 27:61. And Mary Magdalene was there and the other Mary, who sat opposite the tomb. (Cf. Mark 15:47; Luke 23:55-56.) A reference to the women mentioned in verse 56. While other women withdrew, the two Marys sat opposite the tomb, observing how the burial was taking place. But Luke tells the story somewhat differently.

Matthew 27:62. On the next day, which is after the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered to Pilate The following account until the end of the chapter is only in Matthew. Regarding the time of the visit of the chief priests and Pharisees to Pilate, opinions vary greatly. Meyer thinks that “Preparation” (παρασκευ) refers to either the day before the Sabbath or before a feast. From the expressions of the evangelists (Matt 27:62 – μετὰ τὴν παρασακευήν; Mark 15:42 – ἐπεὶ ἦν παρασκευή; Luke 23:54 – ἡμέρα ἦν παρασακευή; John 19:14 – ἦν δὲ παρασακευὴ τοῦ πάσχα; John 19:31 – ἐπεὶ παρσακευὴ ἦν; John 19:42 – ἐπεὶ οὖν διὰ τὴν παρασκευὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων) one can conclude that all the evangelists speak not of the Preparation before the Paschal meal, but before the Sabbath on the Paschal week. Because otherwise their expressions could be understood to mean that among the Jews there were Preparations before Preparations (when the latter fell on a feast), which has not yet been proven. The Jews came to Pilate not at night from Friday to Saturday, but on the Sabbath itself, when the Savior was already buried. It is supposed that this was in the evening on the Sabbath itself, when it had already passed. But there is hardly need for this. Rolling a stone, sealing the tomb and setting a guard – all this did not belong to the activity of the Jews themselves.

Matthew 27:63. And said: Sir! We remember that that deceiver said, when he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again; “Deceiver” – has an intransitive and transitive meaning: one who is deceived himself and deceives others (cf. 2 John 1:7; 2 Cor 6:8; 1 Tim 4:1). “When he was yet alive” – these words, against the theory of resurrection according to which Jesus Christ was taken down from the cross and revived, show that Christ was now dead. The further speech is a recollection of what Christ Himself said (Matt 16:21; Mark 8:31 and others; John 2:19). The word ἐγείρομαι is in the present tense.

Matthew 27:64. Therefore order the sepulcher to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples come and steal him away, and tell the people, He is risen from the dead; and the last deception will be worse than the first. This is the last fear of the enemies of Christ. When their wish was satisfied, they became almost completely reassured. In several codices after the words “steal him away” is added – “at night” – a word which is not authentic and therefore not transmitted in the Russian translation. Ἔσται does not depend on μήποτε. In the Russian translation correctly. These circumstances are related in the apocryphal Gospel of Peter 8:28–33 with many apocryphal fabrications.

Matthew 27:65. Pilate said to them: You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you can. Pilate apparently does not attach the importance to all this that the enemies of Christ attached to it. Ἔχετε is taken as an imperative, that is, Pilate says “you have,” and not “you do have” – as in the Russian translation. If he had said “you have,” it would be unclear what guard is meant, since it is doubtful whether the Jews would have posted a guard from the temple by Jews themselves. In such a case there would be no need to turn to Pilate with a request to order the tomb guarded. If we take Pilate’s words as an imperative, it will mean that Pilate ordered them to take Roman soldiers, saying: take yourselves a guard.

Matthew 27:66. They went and made the sepulcher secure, sealing the stone, and posting the guard. Literally (as in the Slavonic): “and sealed the stone with the guard.” So as to avoid ambiguity, a comma was placed after τὸν λίθον. But it is more correct to think that they sealed the tomb not by themselves, but with the help of the soldiers, on whom the responsibility for the integrity of the tomb was placed. This is expressed by μετὰ τῆς κουστωδίας. How the tomb was sealed is unknown. Probably either from top to bottom or across a cord was stretched, which was sealed on both ends.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

1–10. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ. – 11–15. The bribing of the guard. – 16–20. The appearance of the risen Christ to the disciples in Galilee.

Matthew 28:1. After the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to visit the tomb. (Cf. Mark 16:1-5; Luke 24:1-5; John 20:1-2.) As in this verse and in all the others, it is difficult to unite the account of Matthew with the accounts of other evangelists and thus to harmonize them. “The improbability,” says Alford, “that the evangelists were acquainted with one another’s accounts becomes in this section of their Gospels a complete impossibility.” The evangelists tell of different appearances of Christ: they evidently change the order in which events should have followed in their historical sequence. This last can be observed in Matthew from the very first verses of the chapter being considered. If he had conducted his narrative in a strictly chronological order, he obviously would first have to set forth what is told further in verses 2–4, because the events told here undoubtedly occurred before the women’s arrival at the tomb. If we had only the Russian translation of the Gospel of Matthew, the first verse would not cause us particular difficulties. When the Sabbath, before which the Savior was buried, had passed, then at dawn the next day, that is, early in the morning on Sunday, there came to the tomb two women with the purpose of “visiting the tomb” (according to Mark – “to anoint Him”). With such a sufficiently clear exposition, there would remain only one difficulty: why, speaking of the “dawn of the first day of the week,” does the evangelist add that this was “after the Sabbath,” although without this it was already known that this “first day” always followed the Sabbath? No one says: I set out on a journey early in the morning on Tuesday, when Monday was over, because if it was simply said: I set out early in the morning on Tuesday, such speech would be clearer without the mentioned addition, and the latter would be not only an unnecessary pleonasm, but would also obscure the speech. If from the Russian text we turn to the Slavonic, we will find it even less clear: “in the evening of the Sabbath,” (corrected; “in the evening of the Sabbath,”), “as it began to dawn on one of the Sabbaths, Mary Magdalene came” etc. In the Vulgate it is equally unclear: vespere autem sabbati, quae lucescit in prima sabbati, venit Maria Magdalene etc., that is, in the evening of the Sabbath, which grows light on the first day of the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene came etc.). If now from these translations we turn to the Greek text, we find that the obscurity of the translations depends precisely on its obscurity. The interpretation is further complicated by the fact that for the Jews the day began with evening, and “the evening of the Sabbath,” that is, in our terms the evening from Sabbath to the first day of the week (Sunday), could be simply called “the first day.” This first. Secondly, if we suppose that the evangelist wished to express himself the same way we do, that is, “on the evening of the Sabbath,” how could it be possible to say that this evening coincided with the “dawn” (τῇ ἐπιφωσκούσῃ εἰς μίαν σαββάτων) of the first day of the week? Many explanations of this expression have been offered. 1) In the evening of the Sabbath is equivalent to what Luke says: early in the morning (“very early”), and Mark: “at the rising of the sun” (Theophylact). 2) “Ὀψέ – after the Sabbath. Thus in Plutarch: ὀψὲ τῶν βασιλέως χρόνων – after the time of the king, and Philostratus: ὀψὲ Τροϊκῶν – after the Trojan war.” In the Russian translation, obviously this interpretation of ὀψέ was adopted, when it says: “after the Sabbath.” 3) The word “evening” (vespera) was understood to mean the planet Venus, which is called Lucifer, in Greek – ἕσπερος, in Latin – vesperus. But hanc stellam non significat graecum ὀψὲ nec latinum vespere (this star is not meant by the Greek ὀψὲ and the Latin vespere). 4) “The plural ὀψὲ σαβάτων makes no sense.” Therefore in many translations the singular – Sabbath is used. 5) The expression in Matthew has been reworked from διαγενομένου τοῦ σαββάτων in Mark and has lost all meaning. 6) The difficulty disappears if we suppose that the Jews had a “more or less widespread custom” of adding not day to night, but night to day, so that there were two ways of counting complete astronomical days: night – day and day – night. If so, then Matthew’s expression would be clear. But unfortunately, such a “widespread custom of the Jews” is difficult to prove. Therefore “it must remain, important as this is, unknown whether ὀψὲ σαββάτων refers to the evening of the Sabbath or indicates early Sunday morning.” The simplest explanation may be as follows. The expression of the evangelist ὀψὲ δὲ σαββάτων belongs to the category of those which are difficult to be explained grammatically. Nevertheless, their real meaning is usually clear, and certainly, bearing in mind precisely this meaning, Bliss (Gram., S. 96) translates the expression “spät am Sabbath” – “late on the Sabbath,” which almost corresponds to the Russian translation and is in accord with both the further words of the evangelist and the testimony of Mark 16:1. After ἐπιφωσκούσῃ some add “day” (ἡμέρᾳ), others – “hour” (ὥρᾳ). That is, literally, late on the Sabbath, when the day began to dawn on one of the Sabbaths, or when the hour began to dawn – it was daybreak or the hour of daybreak. The placing of ὥρα (Zahn) is more likely, because the further μίαν assumes ἡμὲραν, and consequently the repetition of ἡμὲραν would be completely unnecessary. Concerning the counting of days by the Jews, see the commentaries to Matt 21:1. Since σάββατα was used by the Jews to mean week, the sense of the expression εἰς μίαν σαββάτων – “the first day of the week” – is clear. This expression was used by the rabbis. The general sense of the first words of the verse being considered is that when midnight, referred by the evangelist to the preceding Sabbath, had not yet ended, and when the dawn of the next day was just approaching etc. This indicates the time when the women approached the tomb, without specifying when they set out from their homes. According to Matthew, these women were “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary.” Mark calls the latter “Mary the mother of James” – mother of James the lesser and Joseph, wife of Clopas or Clopa, and also mentions Salome (see commentaries to Matt 20:20). On account of the Sabbath day, the women remained at home and did not go to the tomb. A “curious coincidence” is pointed out – that among the Jews, relatives and friends of the dead usually went to his tomb on the third day after his death (when supposedly decomposition began) to assure themselves that the dead person was truly dead. Commenting on the fact that Abraham saw Mount Moriah on the third day (Gen 22:4), the rabbis insisted on the importance of the third day in various events of Israel’s history, and specifically spoke of it in connection with the Resurrection, referring for proof to Hos 6:2. In one place, referring to the same prophetic saying, they concluded from Gen 40:13 that God never allows the soul of the righteous to suffer and torment for more than three days. During the mourning for the dead, the third day was in a way a limit, because they thought the soul hovered around the body until the third day and at this time finally left its earthly dwelling. Luke does not name the women here, and John speaks of Mary Magdalene alone. John’s account suggests that Mary Magdalene came to the tomb first, having separated from the other women, who came out from different places. The reasons why this last opinion is disputed are not sufficient. The account of Matthew and Mark does not contradict this opinion. Setting out to the tomb, the women apparently did not know that the stone was sealed and that a guard was posted at the tomb (Mark 16:3). This serves as proof that the sealing of the tomb and the posting of the guard occurred between the time of Christ’s burial and the end of the Sabbath, with the understanding that the women did not visit the tomb during this interval.

Matthew 28:2. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, having descended from heaven, came and rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb, and sat upon it; Matthew departs here from the account of other evangelists and alone reports these details. No circumstances could be more majestic. First of all, there was “a great earthquake” (σεισμὸς ἐγένετο μέγας). And here again there is no need to suppose that these words of the evangelist do not point to a physical earthquake, as during the crucifixion. One can agree at best only that instead of several underground shocks, as during the crucifixion, at this time there was one very strong one. But there is really no need even to allow this. There was generally a strong earthquake, if we interpret the words of the evangelist in their literal sense. It was a new earthquake, as it were an echo and renewal of the first, during the crucifixion. It is certainly true that this often happens in natural earthquakes. Simultaneously with the strong underground shock, an Angel descended from heaven and rolled away the stone from the tomb. And at the same time the risen Christ came forth from the tomb. The other interpretations met with here appear at least to be founded on nothing and undoubtedly greatly diminish the majesty of the miracle. Chrysostom says that “after the Resurrection the Angel comes. Why then does he come and roll away the stone? For the women who saw him then in the tomb.” So also Euthymius Zigabenus: “Christ rose before the Angel descended.” Such interpretations were proposed in order to show that Christ, possessing now a spiritualized body, could come out of the tomb just as freely when the stone was rolled against it as pass through locked doors (John 20:19). In recent times it has been said that σεισμός was not really an earthquake, but the sudden opening of the tomb by the descending or descending Angel, as γάρ shows. The rolling away of the stone occurred not in a natural way, but through a trembling, – a word which here (σεισμός). We should not suppose that the Resurrection occurred at this time, as some imagined and as is depicted in pictures. It was before. Such opinions are expressed on the ground that the women did not see the Angel descending from heaven and rolling away the stone. They themselves saw nothing, but could infer the circumstances of the Resurrection from what they saw afterward. But all this is hypercriticism. One important factor is forgotten when present circumstances are considered – the soldiers who were guarding the tomb. They were, according to the meaning of the account, the first and nearest witnesses of the Resurrection and could report it afterward, since it is hard to suppose that, bribed by the chief priests, none of them would later, even after some time, decide to tell the whole truth about such a miracle (cf. τινές – verse 11). However, we can suppose that the guards did not see the Resurrection of Christ itself, but were witnesses to the miraculous appearance of the Angel’s descent and the falling away of the stone from the tomb. This is all we know of the initial event. It is really wrapped in complete mystery, and it is rightly noted that the evangelists narrate only the results of the Resurrection, that is, the events that followed, not the Resurrection itself. At the time of the Resurrection itself, the women were on their way to the tomb. “From the door of the tomb” – these words are not in the Sinai, BD, Siro-Sinaitic codices and Latin translations. It can be seen that without this addition, the speech of the evangelists is more compressed, powerful, and externally beautiful.

Matthew 28:3. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow; In any apocryphal fiction it would probably be told differently. There the shining and radiant Christ Himself would be portrayed. But the evangelists, speaking of the fact of the Resurrection, at first say nothing about the Risen Christ Himself. Instead of Him, a majestic appearance of an Angel is presented to the women. “Appearance” – here is meant not the face, but the whole outward form. It is possible that the Angel did not appear as such before the time the women saw him. In the New Testament the expression εἰδέα is found only here, but in the Old Testament – Dan 1:15; 2 Macc 3:16 and often among the Greeks. Perhaps ἀστραπ (“lightning”) here should be understood to mean that rays emanating from the Angel were like lightning. But although in Plato’s “Phaedrus” the expression εἶδον τὴν ὄψιν… ἀστράπτουσαν is found (Meyer), we cannot imagine what this appearance was like. The presence of the Angel indicated the extreme majesty and brilliance of the event taking place.

Matthew 28:4. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men; The word ἐσείσθησαν corresponds to σεισμός used in verse 2 – “were shaken,” “came in terror.” Euthymius Zigabenus says that ἐσείσθησαν is placed here instead of ἐτρόμαξαν from τρομέω – “to tremble,” “to fear.” The guards were not killed, but became like dead men. Since we no longer see them on the same night at the tomb, we must suppose that, recovering from their terror, they all fled.

Matthew 28:5. And the angel said to the women: Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified; (Cf. Mark 16:6; Luke 24:5.) In Mark, similar (but not the same literally) words are spoken to the women by a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white garment, – obviously the same Angel of whom Matthew speaks; in Luke – “two men in shining garments.” Since Matthew and Mark could simply have omitted one of the two Angels, there is no contradiction here. The Angel to Matthew does not “speak” to the women, but “answers” (ἀποκριθείς) them. This can be understood in two ways, paying attention to the particle δέ placed here. First, the appearance of the Angel (or, according to Luke, two) caused fear and trembling in the soldiers making up the guard; but (δέ) the attitude of the Angel (or Angels) to the women who came to the tomb was different – the Angel addressed them with words of encouragement, announcing to them the joyful news of the Resurrection. Secondly, the women themselves said nothing to the Angel (or Angels), but were in fear, “bent their faces to the ground” (Luke) and “were amazed” (Mark). “Answering” not to their words, but to this their mental state, the Angel announces to them the news of the Resurrection. The entire condition of the women appeared as it were a question, caused by extreme astonishment and fear. De Wette holds that the personal pronoun “you” (ὑμεῖς) here has no special and definite meaning, and that in such a sense personal pronouns are used in different cases (Mark 13:9; Acts 8:24). But other exegetes attach special meaning to the pronoun “you” here. The soldiers, as if the Angel were saying, were afraid and came in terror, but as far as you women are concerned, do not be afraid. The reason (γάρ) for the women to be free from all fear is that, as known to the Angel, the women “seek Jesus the crucified.” They do not belong to the enemies of Christ, they came with good, kind intentions to find the Body of the Crucified One. The Angel thus calls Christ “the Crucified One.” “Does not shrink from calling Him the Crucified, because this is our highest good” (St. John Chrysostom). Ζητεῖτε (“you seek”) – a verb frequently found in the New Testament. If the Savior had been in the tomb, even then, for women wishing to see the body of the Savior, it could have been said that they “seek” Christ. Since the Body was not in the tomb, the verb ζητέω here has a fuller meaning – to seek and not find and therefore to continue one’s search. The verb in general indicates a desire to find some object.

Matthew 28:6. He is not here – He has risen, as He said. Come and see the place where the Lord lay, (Cf. Mark 16:6; Luke 24:5-8.) In Luke it is told in more detail than in Matthew and Mark: the Angels cite the very words spoken by the Savior when He was still in Galilee. “He is not here” – it points to the simple fact that the Body of Jesus Christ was not in the tomb. Further, the reason (γάρ) is explained why He is not here: “He has risen” (ἠγέρθη γάρ). This was the first news of the Resurrection, and it was given to the women; only news, not the very appearance of the Risen Lord. People heard from heavenly messengers that He had risen. The Resurrection is presented in all the Gospels as something completely opposite both to the crucifixion and to death. The crucifixion was a state of extreme humiliation and shame, the Resurrection – of the highest glory and majesty of Christ. There could have been no Resurrection if death had not come before it. Death was the ending of this temporal life, the Resurrection – the beginning of a new, infinite life. The question of the reality of the Resurrection of the Savior is very complicated, and its resolution belongs properly to the domain of apologetics. Let us say but a few words about this. To explain not so much the very fact of Christ’s Resurrection as the reports of the evangelists about this fact, many theories have been presented. Apologists are mostly engaged only in their examination, preferring here almost exclusively the negative path and avoiding the positive resolution of the question. Thus, in the end, if Renan, Strauss and many other critical dissenters could not refute the Gospel accounts of the Resurrection, and if their theories, in which attempts are made in one way or another to diminish the significance of this most important Christian fact, do not withstand criticism, then this fact is true. Justice requires saying that this negative path, consisting in refuting the anti-Christian theories of the Resurrection, fully achieves the goal – the defense of the fact of the Resurrection itself, and one can fully affirm that till now the critical dissenters have not presented even one, not only fully, but even at all satisfactory theory, by means of which it would be possible in any way to explain the Gospel accounts of the Resurrection by natural (and not miraculous) causes. However, this negative path, ordinarily adopted by apologists, is insufficient and does not satisfy a believing person. He feels extreme boredom when in apologetic treatises before him is laid out a series of fabrications belonging to numerous critical dissenters, and when apologists are carefully refuting them, although some fabrications (especially the notorious ones of Renan) do not at all deserve not only any refutation, but even simple mention. The method adopted by apologists here amounts to the following: wishing to prove that twice two is four, they prove that twice two is not equal to 1, not equal to 2, and not equal to 3, and stop there. But certainly it would be much better if they proceeded directly to the proof that twice two equals four, without turning to the examination of various absurdities presented with the purpose of refuting this mathematical truth. Certainly, not all apologists go this negative way. In some are encountered attempts at a positive resolution of the question. The positive way to its solution consists first of all in the examination of the testimony of the Apostle Paul, who speaks or directly of the Resurrection of Christ, or assumes and presupposes it in his speech. The testimony of the Apostle Paul, both direct and indirect, concerning the Resurrection of Christ has full and positive significance for us even in the case that we should treat with complete distrust the accounts of all without exception of the evangelists. But if the Resurrection of Christ as a simple fact, independent of details, is fully and clearly confirmed by the Apostle Paul, then this gives us the right to affirm that the evangelists affirm in their testimony a trustworthy fact (again independent of details), and their testimony should therefore be received with complete confidence. The Apostle Paul affirms, among other things, that “if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain” (1 Cor 15:14). These words have profound theological meaning. The Apostle does not say: our knowledge is in vain or our activity is in vain (except preaching). But: preaching is in vain, faith is in vain. What does this mean? Why faith, and not knowledge? This means that the Resurrection of Christ has not scientific, but preeminently religious significance, significance for our faith. If Christ had not risen, then this whole wonderful Gospel story of the great Teacher, who was nevertheless at the end crucified, would be for us perhaps even less instructive than the story of the life of Muhammad or Confucius. It is enough only to imagine that all the evangelists have omitted, there do not exist at all, chapters where the Resurrection is spoken of, and at once one can see that the whole Gospel story has no proper conclusion. It would be completely unknown what precisely the evangelists wished to clarify by relating the history of the life of a great historical Person. Reading the Gospels, we could only think that all noble, self-sacrificing activity for the benefit of mankind, all manifestations of outstanding mind and talent always end only very sadly, as it ended for the Savior – with the Cross alone. This would be not only unattractive for anyone, but on the contrary would repel and cause one to avoid going the same path as Christ did, would be a very serious warning, especially for inexperienced and unfamiliar with life persons. But the matter appears in a completely different light if we understand that the Resurrection is a necessary postulate of the entire Gospel story and its natural epilogue. In that case the whole preceding Gospel history, the whole life and activity of Christ, beginning from the Bethlehem manger to the cross, will appear to us in a completely different and completely brilliant light. We will clearly see that here visibly, accessibly and understandably the most profound and all-embracing vital problem is resolved, the problem of life and death, and its solution has such profound, shall we say, inexhaustible theological and philosophical meaning. Some of the evangelists report more details about this fact, others – less; nevertheless, one main and all-sufficient fact remains in them, as it were, completely intact. In the verse being considered of Matthew, this main fact is designated with amazing simplicity and in only five main words: οὐκ ἔστιν ὧδε ἡγέρθη γάρ – literally: “(He) is not here, for (He) has risen.” In order that this fact should not appear to the women completely new and unexpected, the Angel adds: καθὼς εἶπεν – “as He said,” namely, when He was still alive on earth. And in order to remove from the women all further doubts, the Angel invites them in equally simple and clear words to draw closer to the tomb and personally assure themselves of the truth of his words. Literally: “Come here! Look at the place where He lay.” The additional word “Lord” is not in many and important codices, although it is found in ACDL, minuscules, the Latin translation and Peshito. When “the Lord has risen,” the Angel does not say. Therefore it is hardly unnecessary to interpret, somewhat disturbing the harmony and wondrous simplicity of the angelic speech, by which “all the holy fathers and teachers unanimously reckon the time of His Resurrection to be the first crowing of the cock, which had already announced the light of the Lord’s day” (Euthymius Zigabenus).

Matthew 28:7. And go quickly, tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and behold, He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you. (Cf. Mark 16:7.) In Mark – “Tell His disciples and Peter.” Do not be afraid, but “quickly” (ταχύ – “soon,” “speedily”) go from here, go not to women who believed in Christ, not to the Mother of God Herself, but to the disciples. The Angel refers to the words of the Savior Himself about His Resurrection (verse 6) and now cites His own words about the fact that the Lord will meet the disciples in Galilee (Matt 26:32). The women had to repeat before the disciples the words spoken to them by the Angel, that “He has risen from the dead.” Προάγει – see the commentaries to Matt 26:32. This verb does not mean that Jesus Christ will go before the disciples, will lead them into Galilee, but will already be in Galilee when they arrive there. It is difficult to say whether ὄψεσθε refers to the women and disciples together, or only to the disciples. The sense can be rendered thus: “tell His disciples: He has risen from the dead and is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him”; and thus: “tell His disciples: He has risen from the dead. There He is going before you, women (together with the disciples); there you, women (and disciples), will see Him.” In the further account, Matthew does not clearly say that Christ appeared in Galilee to the women as well (verse 16). Meyer notes that ὑμᾶς and ὄψεσθε refer to the disciples, not only to the women, who had already seen Jesus Christ. In response to this it can be said that, as seen from the accounts of other evangelists, the disciples also saw the Lord before His appearance in Galilee. The end of this verse and the remainder of chapter 28 were lost in the Siro-Sinaitic manuscript (Merx).

Matthew 28:8. And they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell His disciples. (Cf. Mark 16:8; Luke 24:8-11.) Literally: “and departing quickly from the tomb” etc. None of the Synoptics express precisely the thought that the women came “out of” the tomb (as in the Russian translation), if we do not accept the reading ἐξελθοῦσαι in Matthew, found in several codices, instead of ἀπελθοῦσαι (in the Vulgate – exierunt). Mark uses ἐξελθοῦσαι with ἀπό. The replacement of the preposition “from” with “out of” in the Russian translation was probably a consequence of the fact that the Angel invited the women to enter the tomb itself (verse 6), or the cave where it was located. But there is no great difference in meaning with such or another translation. Ταχύ – “quickly” – of verse 7 corresponds to the same word in verse 8. But instead of “go” (πορευθεῖσαι) of verse 7 here is ἔδραμον, from τρέχω – “to run.” The Angel commanded them only to quickly “go”; carrying out this command, the women quickly “ran.” When they were still at the tomb, fear (φόβος) was in their soul, although the Angel had said to them: “Do not be afraid” (verse 5). This fear was completely natural for the first witnesses of such miraculous events. But it was mixed with “great joy.” The union of such feelings is psychologically explicable and understandable. But as soon as the women left the tomb, their feelings of joy completely left them. “Trembling and astonishment seized them,” and “they said nothing to anyone” – understood as on the way – “because they were afraid” (Mark 16:8).

Matthew 28:9. And as they were going to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them and said: Rejoice! And coming up, they took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. In all these and many other circumstances told by the evangelists, we see signs of night movement of the disciples of Christ to His tomb and from it. If, as was noted above, the disciples of Christ slept before the very time of His suffering, when the enemies of Christ were awake, then now, on the contrary, the enemies, having rested, show almost no movement, while the disciples, on the contrary, are awake and moving in different directions. To describe such movement always and everywhere is always difficult. Mary Magdalene probably came to the tomb first and then departed to Jerusalem. After her go the other women who brought word and quickly hastened to Jerusalem to the disciples to tell them the news of the Resurrection. About the same time Pеter and John set out from Jerusalem, and after them again Mary Magdalene. Movement to the tomb took place, probably from different places and by different roads from and back to Jerusalem. Therefore it is difficult to say whether the women bringing glad tidings spoken of in this verse are the same as those spoken of in verse 8, or whether they are different women who came to the tomb last and now were returning either alone or together with the first. It is ordinarily supposed that they were different and that Mary Magdalene joined them. In any case, it should be considered probable that this account of Matthew has no parallels in other evangelists. To these women, already after His appearance to Mary Magdalene, the Savior now appears on the road and greets them with the word “Rejoice” (χαίρετε). The women immediately, perhaps from one word alone, recognized Him, took hold of His feet, as though not wishing to part with Him, and performed for Him the worship due to God (προσεκύνησαν, see the commentaries to Matt 2:2). The opinion that before this such worship was rendered to Him only by pagans is false (cf. Matt 14:33; John 9:39).

Matthew 28:10. Then Jesus said to them: Do not be afraid; go tell My brothers to go into Galilee, and they will see Me there. The Savior here almost word for word repeats the words of the Angel spoken to the women at the tomb (verse 7). It would be incredible that these words were repeated if the evangelist were relating fictional facts. But this repetition gave occasion to various exegetes to differently determine the significance of Christ’s words. Some thought that here the previous account continues. Others – that here is an insertion not belonging to the previous speech. And all this was stated on the one ground that the words of Christ are a repetition of what was said before! Further, it was supposed that, by placing this account, Matthew knew nothing of the appearances of Christ in Jerusalem, nor of His Ascension. This seems improbable. The evangelist apparently wishes only briefly to indicate the main fact that Christ has risen, without going into details. Why this was so cannot now be determined for lack of data. Meyer divides all appearances of Christ, recognizing the section Mark 16:9-20 as inauthentic, into three categories: 1) purely Galilean, of which only Matthew speaks; 2) purely Judean, of which only Luke and John relate, with the exception of John 21; 3) mixed in John with the addition of John 21. Such division is somewhat artificial, and one cannot agree that Matthew says nothing of the appearances of Christ in Judea. Καὶ ἐκεῖ μὲ ὄψονται – this proposition does not depend on the preceding ἵνα. The risen Savior here calls His disciples His brothers.

Matthew 28:11. And as they were going, some of the guard went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. The flow of thought is as follows. Having indicated the fact that Christ has risen, and shown that its truth was confirmed by several persons, the evangelist at once proceeds to explain that from the very first this fact they wished to refute by the enemies of Christ with the help of the soldiers posted at the guard of the tomb. The evangelist has an obvious purpose: not to relate pragmatically about all the appearances of Christ, but only to establish, on one hand, the truth of the fact of the Resurrection, and on the other – the unreliability of the rumors refuting it. Thus, the exposition in Matthew is more logical and schematic than pragmatic. The account of the lie of the chief priests is only in Matthew, and is so brief that we would in vain seek here details which would clarify how the matter was. We do not know in what manner the guards recovered from their terror and where this happened. We can only conclude that they were witnesses to miraculous events, at least in part. Not all the guards went to the high priests and reported to them ἅπαντα τὰ γενόμενα – everything that happened at the tomb, but only some (τινές). The connection with the previous is clear. The guards themselves, by their own strength, could not prevent what happened. But since they were liable to responsibility, they now come with a report to the high priests that what happened occurred against their will. The coming into the city and the reporting to the high priests of all that happened the evangelist places in connection with the women’s journey from the tomb. But, despite this indication of time, it is impossible to determine precisely when the guards came into the city. We can only suppose that this was during the night of Christ’s Resurrection or early in the morning.

Matthew 28:12. And after conferring with the elders and taking counsel, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, It is thought that this was a meeting of the Sanhedrin, but hardly official and open. The enemies of Christ supposed that with money they could most conveniently refute the truth. They acted the same as those who buy and sell the truth. The strong and influential people now fear simple soldiers and possible unpleasant for the enemies of Christ and even perhaps dangerous spreading of rumors from their side. The criminal whom they had executed has risen. What will the people say when they find out? “A large sum of money” (ἀργύρια ἱκανά) – a characteristic expression which shows that the money was given exactly as much as was needed to seal the lips of the guards and force them to speak lies, neither more nor less. Some of the guards were obviously needy people and were willing to speak what they were told, even if it was a lie.

Matthew 28:13. And said: You are to say, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we were sleeping.’ This was a lie, and in this verse it shows through in almost every word. The guards are secretly, of course from the people and all outsiders, invited to speak a public lie. Since the disciples were close to the Teacher, it was they, no other, who stole Him. But, asks Chrysostom, “tell me, in what way did the disciples steal Him, these poor and simple men who did not even dare to show themselves?” How could the disciples come (ἐλθόντες) to the tomb when a guard was posted around it? In order to give this lie some probability, the guards, spreading it, had to add that this happened at a time when they were sleeping. But if the body was stolen at a time when the guards were sleeping, how could they know about it? All this was an obvious lie, but on the other hand, very characteristic. All thefts and robberies happen when guards are asleep.

Matthew 28:14. And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. From these words it is clear that the guard was given by Pilate (cf. commentaries to Matt 27:65). The soldiers were responsible to him. He could deal with them severely (cf. Acts 12:19). Therefore it is natural if the guards turn with a report not to Pilate, but to the chief priests, as if asking them for protection (however, in the apocryphal Gospel of Peter 28:11–15 it is different). The latter assure them that they have nothing to fear. The enemies of Christ know that Pilate will not look into this matter, and therefore the rumor about it, in all probability, will not reach Pilate. But if something like this should happen, then “we” – special emphasis is placed on this word – we, strong, influential people having even access to Pilate, “will satisfy him,” that all this happened not through the fault of the guards and that the disciples are guilty. Πείσομεν – “will satisfy” – in Acts 12:20 is translated: “having won over to our side.” The word can have such meaning in the present place as well. Since Pilate will be satisfied by the words of the chief priests (perhaps with the presentation of a gift), the soldiers will not only have nothing to fear, but will be relieved of any unpleasantness. This is expressed by the word ἀμερίμνους, which here is freely translated into Russian as “keep you out of trouble.” Foreign commentators note that ἀμερίμνους is not exactly translatable into their languages. Luther translates it by sicher, which is also inexact. The Vulgate – securos. Closer to the original our Slavonic translation – “carefree,” although it is also not entirely exact. Completely accurate is the German word sorgenfrei – “carefree”: we will make you carefree regarding the consequences of negotiations with Pilate, you will have nothing to worry about. But, of course, it is impossible to exactly convey this word into Russian in the present connection.

Matthew 28:15. So they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. The first sentences of the verse are understandable without explanation. Regarding the last sentence, there is seen here what is called hiatus – a gap; the complete speech would be: the rumor about this spread among the Jews and exists to this day. About the existence of such rumors, the martyr Justin testifies, saying that they continued till his time (Dialogus cum Tryphone, 108). It is strange that on their basis some modern critics built their theories that the disciples really did steal the body of Jesus Christ and then announced His Resurrection.

Matthew 28:16. Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. Matthew does not report about many subsequent appearances of Christ and His Ascension. Instead, his Gospel ends with the apotheosis of the Servant of Jehovah, now the glorified Messiah. The speech of the evangelist here is exalted and majestic, despite all its simplicity. In other evangelists there are no parallels to this verse, though perhaps they should be sought in 1 Cor 15:6. “What Matthew tells about happened later, namely when what John related had previously happened,” that is, after the appearance of Christ on the Lake of Tiberias (Theophylact). Small details, such as the precise indication of the mountain and the time when the event occurred, perhaps in view of the overwhelming majesty of the very event are omitted by the evangelist here. There is no trace here of mention of the “five hundred” brothers; only of the eleven disciples.

Matthew 28:17. And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. The mention of “some” makes us think that there were gathered far more than eleven. To the same conclusion the evangelist’s report that these “some doubted” leads. After the appearances in Jerusalem and in Galilee it would be hard to expect from the eleven that they would doubt the truth of the Resurrection and the presence of Christ in their midst. However, the account is so brief that it is very difficult to draw definite conclusions from it on this subject. Theophylact concludes that here, besides the eleven disciples, there were seventy. Οἱ δὲ, according to Theophylact, is used here instead of τινὲς δὲ – “some.” Seeing Christ, the disciples worshiped Him as God (προσεκύνησαν), but some doubted (ἐδίστασαν, see commentaries to Matt 14:31). Perhaps they now saw the Risen Christ for the first time and did not believe their own eyes. He appeared, apparently, at some distance from those gathered, perhaps on the highest place of the mountain. But if some “doubted,” this in no way prevents us from thinking that they too worshiped Him. The reading οὐδὲ instead of οἱ δὲ, proposed in order to eliminate the mention of doubts (if we accept οὐδὲ, then we should translate “and did not doubt”), cannot be accepted.

Matthew 28:18. And Jesus came and said to them: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. “Now the New Testament in all its fullness was first proclaimed on earth.” Instead of the former διακονία in a humiliated state, now ἐξουσία – “power,” “dominion,” “authority.” “All” (πᾶσα), that is, all. The addition of the words “in heaven and on earth” indicates worldwide dominion, authority and strength. It is not said that the authority “was given by God”; the meaning is that Christ received this authority, having destroyed the barrier, the partition between God…

Matthew 28:19. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Cf. Mark 16:15.) “Therefore” (οὖν) is added in many codices, but is ordinarily considered only a gloss, although a “correct” one. In some manuscripts it is replaced by the word “now,” which in Greek is similar to “therefore” (νῦν – οὖν). But whether οὖν is recognized as authentic or not, verse 19 is a conclusion from the preceding speech of Christ, and that conclusion is purely evangelical. Christ said that He has been given “all (every) authority in heaven and on earth.” It would be expected in the further speech that He would transfer this authority to His disciples and would say: go, rule…. Instead: “go, make disciples”…. Make disciples because all authority has been given to Christ. The word “make disciples” (μαθητεύσατε) cannot be precisely translated. If Christ wished to say “teach,” a different verb would be used here – μανθάνω. Μαθητεύω means not “to teach,” but to put people in the same position and relation to Christ in which the twelve, seventy and others found themselves. All of them became disciples of Christ without previous teaching. Thus the meaning of the expression is that the disciples, according to the commandment of Christ, were to go to the “nations” and acquire among them disciples (followers) of Christ. Under πάντα τὰ ἔθνη are meant all peoples living on earth, not excluding the Jews. The further αὐτούς – masculine gender, not agreeing with ἔθνη (neuter gender), but clearly refers to it. This is explained by the fact that here are meant both the nations themselves and individual persons among them. In carrying out this commandment of Christ, the apostles never doubted that all, both Jews and Gentiles, should be admitted into the Kingdom of Christ, or the Church. Doubts in the apostolic time arose only regarding circumcision and generally Jewish ceremonial law – should Gentiles be admitted to the Church, performing circumcision on them first, or not. Regarding the further “baptizing” (βαπτίζοντες), many disputes have arisen: should it be understood in a literal or only spiritual sense; should baptism be performed by immersion, or by pouring, or by sprinkling; should children be baptized, or only adults, and those who have been previously taught Christian truths. All these questions belong, properly, to the domain of practical theology. The verse being considered, from the exegetical side, appears to have, in general, only a general sense, and it is not clearly indicated whether one should first teach and then baptize, or vice versa, or simultaneously. The aim of Christ’s commandment is to draw people into His Kingdom, baptizing them and teaching, teaching and baptizing. But by baptism here is meant not only a spiritual, but also a physical act (ordinary baptism). The Greek word βαπτίζοντες points to immersion. In BD – βαπτίσαντες (aorist). The last words are difficult to interpret and have been the subject of many discussions. It is possible, however, to establish that “in the name” does not correspond to the Hebrew formula “be shem” – in that case in Greek it would be ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι, corresponding to the Latin in nomine, and this would mean: baptize with the pronunciation of the name or in communion (ἐν) with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Greek expression εἰς τὸ ὄνομα corresponds to the Hebrew “le shem” – “toward the name,” that is, baptize people toward the recognition of the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, toward the assimilation of one of the most important New Testament truths about the Trinity of Divine Persons. Simply and briefly, the thought can be expressed thus: in baptism is expressed the “belonging” of people to the Kingdom of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. By virtue of the very act of baptism, a person becomes a member of the Church of Christ – he is forgiven the original sin and becomes a partaker of all further gracious Christian gifts. Ὄνομα (“name”) is used in the singular. This points to the unity of the Persons of the Holy Trinity (otherwise it would be said εἰς ὀνόματα).

Matthew 28:20. Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the close of the age. Amen. Theophylact notes that, by commanding to baptize in the name of the Holy Trinity, Christ taught us theological doctrine (τὴν θεολογίαν), and by commanding to observe the commandments, presented practical virtue. The word διδάσκοντες means, properly, “instruction,” that is, the teaching of Christian faith truths, and indicates continuity, constancy. The disciples of Christ must act as He commanded. He Himself will remain with them, providing them constant guidance and help till the close of the age (τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος – see explanation of this expression in the commentaries to Matt 24:3).

The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Introduction

Biblical information about the personality of the evangelist Mark

What Sacred Tradition says about Mark and his Gospel

The purpose of writing the Gospel according to Mark

Comparison of Mark’s Gospel with the testimony of church Tradition about it

The relationship of the Gospel of Mark to the two other synoptic Gospels

The division of the Gospel according to Mark by content

A view of the gradual unfolding of the ideas contained in Mark’s Gospel

Literature on the Gospel of Mark

Biblical information about the personality of the evangelist Mark

The writer’s own name, who wrote the second Gospel, was John – Mark (Μᾶρκος) was his nickname. The latter was adopted by him, probably at the time when Barnabas and Saul, returning from Jerusalem (Acts 12:25), took him with them to Antioch to make him their companion in missionary journeys. Why John took precisely such a nickname, we can find some explanation in the similarity of the first three letters of this nickname to the first three letters of his mother’s name, Mary.

From ancient times, John-Mark had been in friendly relations with the apostle Peter. When this apostle was miraculously freed from prison, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, called Mark (Acts 12:12). Shortly before his death, the apostle Peter calls Mark his son (1 Pet 5:13), showing by this that he had turned Mark to faith in Christ. This conversion took place early, because Mark appears as a companion of the apostles Barnabas and Paul around Passover of the year 44. In the autumn of that same year, he settled in Antioch and perhaps engaged in preaching the Gospel. However, he did not distinguish himself in any special way at that time – at least his name is not mentioned in Acts 13:1, where there is a list of the most outstanding prophets and teachers who were at that time in Antioch. Still, in the year 50, in spring, Barnabas and Paul took Mark on their first missionary journey as a servant (ὑπηρέτης – Acts 13:5). From the Epistle to the Colossians (Col 4:10), we learn that Mark was Barnabas’ cousin (ἀνεψιός). But if the fathers of Barnabas and Mark were brothers, then it can be supposed that Mark belonged to the tribe of Levi, to which, by tradition, Barnabas belonged. Paul was introduced to Mark by Barnabas. However, in Perga, or perhaps earlier, when departing from Paphos to the island of Cyprus, Mark separated from Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:13). Probably further participation in their “work” seemed difficult to him (Acts 15:38), especially the journey through the mountains of Pamphylia, and moreover it might have seemed somewhat humiliating to him even his position as a servant to the apostles.

After this, Mark returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13). When Barnabas after the Apostolic Council and, it seems, after a brief stay in Antioch (around 52 – Acts 15:35) wanted to take Mark again on the second missionary journey, which he again undertook with the apostle Paul, the latter opposed Barnabas’ intention, considering Mark incapable of undertaking great and difficult journeys for the purpose of spreading the Gospel. The dispute that arose between the apostles ended (in Antioch) in the fact that Barnabas took Mark with him and departed with him to his homeland – Cyprus, and Paul, taking Silas as his companion, departed on a missionary journey through Asia Minor. But where Mark stayed during the interval between his return to Jerusalem and his departure with Barnabas to the island of Cyprus (Acts 15:36), is unknown. It is most probable to suppose that he was at that time in Jerusalem and attended the Apostolic Council. From there Barnabas could take him with him to Cyprus, having previously parted with the apostle Paul precisely because of Mark.

From this point Mark disappears from view for a long time, namely from 52 to 62 years. When Paul around the year 62 or 63 wrote from Rome to Philemon, transmitting greetings from various men, whom he calls his fellow workers, he mentions Mark as well (Phlm 1:24). From this same Mark he sends a greeting in the Epistle to the Colossians, written at the same time as the epistle to Philemon (Col 4:10). Here he calls Mark the “cousin” of Barnabas (according to the Russian text – “nephew”; this is an inaccurate rendering of the Greek word ἀνεψιός) and adds that the Colossian Church received certain instructions concerning Mark, and asks the Colossians to receive Mark when he comes. It is important that Paul calls Mark and Justus his only fellow workers for the kingdom of God, who were a comfort to him (Col 4:11). From this we can see that Mark was with the apostle Paul during his Roman imprisonment and helped him in the work of spreading the Gospel in Rome. When his reconciliation with Paul took place, is unknown.

Then we see Mark with the apostle Peter in Asia, on the banks of the Euphrates, where ancient Babylon had stood, and where a Christian Church was established even during the time of the apostles (1 Pet 5:13). We can conclude from this that Mark did indeed set out from Rome to Colossae (cf. Col 4:10) and somewhere here met with the apostle Peter, who retained Mark with him for a time. Then he was with the apostle Timothy in Ephesus, as is evident from the fact that the apostle Paul instructs Timothy to bring Mark with him to Rome, saying that Mark is needed for him for service (2 Tim 4:11) – of course, for preaching service, and perhaps also for becoming acquainted with the outlook of the 12 apostles, with whose representative, Peter, Mark was in the most friendly relations. Since the second Epistle to Timothy was written around 66 or 67 years, and Mark, according to Col 4:10, was to set out to Asia around 63-64 years, consequently he spent about three years away from the apostle Paul, traveling most likely with the apostle Peter.

Besides these, so to speak, direct testimonies about the life of the evangelist Mark, in his own Gospel we can also find information about his personality. So it is very probable that he was the young man who followed the procession in which Christ was led after being seized in Gethsemane, and who fled from those who wanted to seize him, leaving in their hands the garment with which he had covered himself (Mark 14:51). Perhaps he was present also at the last Passover supper of Christ (see comments to Mark 14:19). There are also some indications that the evangelist himself was present at some other events from the life of Christ described by him (for example, Mark 1:5 and following; Mark 3:8; Mark 11:16).

What Sacred Tradition says about Mark and his Gospel

The most ancient testimony about the writer of the second Gospel is found in Papias, the bishop of Hierapolis. This bishop, according to the report of Eusebius of Caesarea (“Ecclesiastical History,” III, 39), wrote: “The elder (that is, John the theologian – according to the generally accepted opinion) also said this: ‘Mark, the interpreter (ἑρμηνευτής) of Peter, having followed him, wrote down accurately all the things which he remembered, both what the Lord taught and what He did, although not in order; for neither did he hear the Lord nor follow Him, but afterwards, as I said, he was with Peter, who used to compose his teachings to meet the needs of his listeners, but not to arrange the Lord’s sayings in order. Therefore Mark made no mistake in thus writing some things as he remembered them; for he was careful of one thing – to omit nothing of what he had heard and to state nothing falsely in them.’”

From this testimony of Papias it is clear:

1) that the apostle John knew the Gospel of Mark and discussed it among his disciples, of course, in Ephesus.

2) That he testified that the evangelist Mark conveyed those recollections which he had preserved in his memory of the speeches of the apostle Peter, who recounted the words and deeds of the Lord, and thus became a messenger and intermediary in transmitting these accounts.

3) That Mark did not adhere to chronological order in doing so. This remark gives reason to suppose that at that time there was criticism of the Gospel of Mark concerning the fact that it had some deficiencies compared with other Gospels, which carefully concerned themselves with “order” (Luke 1:3) in the exposition of gospel events.

4) Papias for his part reports that Mark was not a personal disciple of Christ, but – probably later – a disciple of Peter. However, this does not deny the possibility that Mark also relates something from what he himself experienced. In the beginning of the Muratorian fragment there is a note about Mark: “and he himself was present at some of the events and related them.”

5) That Peter adapted his teachings to the contemporary needs of his listeners and was not concerned with a connected strictly chronological exposition of gospel events. Therefore, one cannot blame Mark for departures from strict chronological sequence of events.

6) That the dependence of Mark on Peter in his writing extended only to some circumstances (ἔνια). But Papias praises Mark for his care and accuracy in narration: he concealed nothing and did not embellish the events and persons at all.

Justin Martyr in his “Dialogue with Trypho the Jew” (Justinus Martyr, “Dialogue with Trypho the Jew”, ed. E.J. Goodspeed, Die ältesten Apologeten. Göttingen, 1915, c. 100, 4–6) mentions the existence of “memorable deeds” or “memoirs of the apostles,” while citing a passage from Mark 3:16 and following (in this case the author of the commentary makes an error: Justin says nothing of the memoirs of Peter, mentioning only “the memoirs of the apostles” [ἐν τοῖς ἀπομνημονεύμασιν τῶν ἀποστόλων]. – Editor’s note). It is clear that he understands by these “memorable deeds” the Gospel of Mark. Saint Irenaeus (Irenaeus of Lyons. “Against Heresies,” III, I, 1), also knows definitely that Mark wrote his Gospel after the death of Peter and Paul, who, according to Irenaeus’ chronology, preached in Rome from 61 to 66, – wrote it precisely as Peter proclaimed the Gospel. Saint Clement of Alexandria (hypot. to 1 Pet 5:13) reports that Mark wrote his Gospel in Rome at the request of some prominent Roman Christians. In his Gospel he set forth the oral preaching of the apostle Peter, which Peter himself knew about through the desire of Roman Christians to have a record of his conversations with them. To this testimony of St. Clement, Eusebius of Caesarea adds that the apostle Peter, on the basis of a revelation given to him, expressed his approval of the Gospel written by Mark (“Ecclesiastical History,” VI, 14, 5 and following).

Regarding the further fate of Mark, Eusebius reports the tradition that Mark became the first preacher of the Gospel in Egypt and founded the Christian Church in Alexandria. Through Mark’s preaching and his strictly ascetic way of life, Jewish therapists turned to faith in Christ (“Ecclesiastical History,” II, 15). Although Eusebius does not call Mark bishop of Alexandria, he begins the enumeration of Alexandrian bishops precisely with Mark (“Ecclesiastical History,” II, 24). Having appointed Anianas as bishop in Alexandria and making some men presbyters and deacons, Mark, according to the account of Symeon Metaphrastes, withdrew from the persecutions of the pagans into Pentapolis. Two years later he returned to Alexandria and found that the number of Christians there had greatly increased. Then he begins to preach again and work miracles. The pagans on account of this accuse him of witchcraft. During a celebration honoring the Egyptian god Serapis, Mark was seized by the pagans, bound with a rope around his neck, and dragged outside the city. In the evening they threw him into prison, and the next day a crowd of pagans put him to death. This occurred on April 25 (the year is unknown). His body lay for a long time in Alexandria, but in the year 827 Venetian merchants took it with them and brought it to Venice, where Mark with his symbol – the lion – became the protector of the city, in which in his honor was built a magnificent cathedral with a remarkable bell tower (according to another tradition, Mark died in Rome).

In Saint Hippolytus (haeresium, VII, 30), Mark is called “without the thumb” (ὁ κολοβοδάκτυλος). In explanation of this name, the testimony of an ancient preface to the Gospel of Mark can serve. According to the account of this introduction (prologue), Mark as a descendant of Levi held the office of Jewish priest, but after his conversion to Christ, he cut off his big thumb to show that he was not fit to perform the duties of a priest. This, according to the remark of the author of the introduction, did not prevent Mark from becoming bishop of Alexandria, and thus the mysterious destiny of Mark to serve God in a sacred office was fulfilled anyway… It is possible, however, to suppose that Mark lost his big thumb during the tortures to which he was subjected by his pagan persecutors.

The purpose of writing the Gospel according to Mark

The purpose of writing the Gospel according to Mark is revealed already from the first words of this book: “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” This is an inscription in which the content and purpose of the Gospel according to Mark are clearly indicated. Just as the evangelist Matthew with the words “the book of the genealogy (βίβλος γενέσεως, inaccurately rendered in the Russian translation as “genealogy”) of Jesus Christ, son of David,” and so on, wants to say that he intends to give a “history of Christ” as a descendant of David and Abraham, in whom in His activity He fulfilled the ancient promises given to the Israeli people, so the evangelist Mark by the first five words of his book wants to make clear to his readers what they should expect from him.

In what sense did the evangelist Mark use the words “beginning” (ἀρχή) and “Gospel” (εὐαγγέλιον) here? The latter word appears in Mark seven times and everywhere means the good news brought by Christ about the salvation of people, the proclamation of the coming of the kingdom of God. But in combination with the word “beginning” the word “Gospel” does not appear again in Mark. Here the apostle Paul comes to our aid. In the Epistle to the Philippians, he uses this very expression in the sense of the initial stage of gospel preaching, which he proposed in Macedonia. “You know, Philippians,” the apostle says, “that in the beginning of the gospel (ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου), when I departed from Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone” (Phil 4:15). The expression “the beginning of the Gospel” here can have only the meaning that the Philippians knew then only the most necessary things about Christ – His words and deeds, which constituted the usual subject of the initial preaching of the evangelists about Christ. Meanwhile, now, after eleven years have passed since the apostle’s stay in Macedonia, of which he speaks in the passage quoted above, the Philippians are undoubtedly standing much higher in their understanding of Christianity. Thus the Gospel of Mark represents an attempt to give an elementary description of the life of Christ, which was caused by the special state of those persons for whom the Gospel was written. This is confirmed also by the testimony of Papias, according to which Mark recorded the “missionary discourses” of the apostle Peter. And what these discourses were – the apostle Paul gives us quite a definite idea in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Addressing his readers, Christians of Hebrew descent, he reproaches them for having remained long on the initial stage of Christian development and having even taken some step backward. “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food” (Heb 5:12). Thus the apostle distinguishes “the beginnings of the word of God” (τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν λογίων τοῦ θεοῦ) as milk from the solid food of the perfect. The Gospel of Mark or the preaching of the apostle Peter and represented this initial stage of gospel teaching about the facts from the life of Christ, proposed to Roman Christians, those who had just entered the Church of Christ.

Thus, “the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” – this is a concise designation of all the content of the narrative to be offered subsequently as the simplest exposition of gospel history. With this understanding of the purpose of writing the Gospel according to Mark agrees the brevity, the conciseness of this book, which makes it similar, it can be said, to an “abridgement” of gospel history, most suited for people standing still on the first stage of Christian development. This is evident from the fact that in this Gospel in general more attention is paid to those facts from the life of Christ in which the divine power of Christ, His miraculous force, was manifested, and moreover quite thoroughly it reports about miracles performed by Christ over children and youths, while very little is said about the teaching of Christ. It is as if the evangelist had in mind to give Christian parents guidance for the exposition of events from gospel history when instructing children in the truths of Christian faith. It can be said that the Gospel of Mark, which predominantly brings attention to the miracles of Christ, is as well adapted to the understanding of those who can be called “children in faith,” and perhaps even for Christian children in the proper sense of the word. Even the circumstance that the evangelist loves to dwell on details of events and moreover explains almost everything in detail, can testify to the fact that he had in mind to propose precisely the initial, elementary exposition of gospel history for people who needed such instruction.

Comparison of Mark’s Gospel with the testimony of church Tradition about it

Papias reports that the “elder,” that is, John the Theologian, found in the Gospel of Mark non-observance of strict chronological order in the exposition of events. This is indeed noticed in the Gospel. For example, when reading (Mark 1:12), the reader remains in uncertainty regarding when the “imprisonment” of the Baptist occurred and when Christ’s coming forward for public ministry took place, in what chronological relation to this coming stands the temptation of Christ in the wilderness, and in what framework should the history of the calling of the first two pairs of disciples be placed. The reader also cannot determine when the Lord calls the 12 apostles (Mark 3:13 and following), where, when, and in what succession Christ spoke and explained His parables (Mark 4).

Then Tradition names John-Mark as the writer of the Gospel and represents him as a disciple of the apostle Peter, who wrote his Gospel from his words. In the Gospel of Mark we find nothing that could contradict the first report of Tradition, and very much that confirms the latter. The writer of the Gospel is evidently a native of Palestine: he knows the language that was spoken at that time by the inhabitants of Palestine, and it obviously delights him sometimes to cite a phrase in his own language, accompanying it with a translation (Mark 5:1 and others). Only the most well-known Hebrew words remained without translation (rabbi, abba, amen, Gehenna, Satan, hosanna). The entire style of the Gospel is Hebrew, although the entire Gospel is undoubtedly written in Greek (the tradition of an original Latin text – a fiction without any sufficient basis).

It is possible that from the fact that the writer of the Gospel himself bore the name John, one can explain why he, when speaking of John the Theologian, calls him not simply John, but adds to it as a definition: “brother of James” (Mark 3:17). It is also remarkable that Mark reports some characteristic details that define the personality of the apostle Peter (Mark 14:29-31), and on the other hand, omits such details from the history of the apostle Peter that could too much exalt his significance. Thus, he does not transmit those words which Christ spoke to the apostle Peter after his great confession (Matt 16:16-19), and in the enumeration of the apostles does not call Peter “the first,” as the evangelist Matthew did (Matt 10:2; cf. Mark 3:16). Is it not clear from this that the evangelist Mark wrote his Gospel from the recollections of the humble apostle Peter (cf. 1 Pet 5:5)?

Finally, Tradition points to Rome as the place where the Gospel according to Mark was written. And the Gospel itself shows that its writer had to do with Latin Christians from among the pagans. Mark, for example, uses Latin expressions far more often than the other evangelists (for instance, centurion, executioner, legion, census, and others, of course, in their Greek pronunciation). And the main point – Mark sometimes explains Greek expressions by means of Latin and precisely Roman terms. Rome is also indicated by the designation of Simon of Cyrene as the father of Alexander and Rufus (cf. Rom 16:13).

Upon closer acquaintance with the Gospel of Mark, it turns out that he wrote his work for Christians from among the pagans. This is evident from the fact that, for example, he explains the Pharisaic customs in detail (Mark 7:3 and following). He does not have those speeches and details which are in the evangelist Matthew and which could have significance only for Christian readers from among the Jews, while for Christians from among the pagans without special explanations would have remained even incomprehensible (see Matt 1:1 and following – the genealogy of Christ; Matt 17:24, Matt 23, Matt 24:20 – “nor on the Sabbath”; Matt 5:17-43).

The relationship of the Gospel of Mark to the two other synoptic Gospels

Blessed Augustine supposed that Mark in his Gospel was a follower of the evangelist Matthew and merely abridged his Gospel (“On the Harmony of the Evangelists,” I, 2, 3). In this opinion there is, undoubtedly, a correct understanding, because the writer of the Gospel of Mark evidently made use of some older Gospel and indeed abridged it. Critics of the text almost agree on the supposition that such a guide for Mark was the Gospel of Matthew, but not in its present form, but in the original, namely that which was written in the Hebrew language. Since the Gospel of Matthew in the Hebrew language was written in the first years of the seventh decade in Palestine, Mark, who at that time was in Asia Minor, could have received in his hands the Gospel written by Matthew, and taken it with him later to Rome.

There were attempts to divide the Gospel into separate parts, which by their origin were attributed to different decades of the first century and even to the beginning of the second. (First Mark, second Mark, third Mark, and so on). But all these hypotheses about the later origin of our present Gospel of Mark from some later reviser are shattered by the testimony of Papias, according to which already around the year 80 John the Theologian had in his hands, evidently, our Gospel of Mark and discussed it with his disciples.

The division of the Gospel according to Mark by content

After the introduction to the Gospel (Mark 1:1-13), the evangelist in the first section (Mark 1:14-3:6) depicts in a series of individual artistic pictures how Christ came forward to preach first in Capernaum, and then throughout Galilee, teaching, gathering the first disciples around Himself, and performing miracles that aroused amazement (Mark 1:14-39), and then how the defenders of the old order began to rise up against Christ. Christ, although in fact observes the law, nevertheless seriously responds to the attacks upon Him by those who honored the law, and refutes their attacks. Here He also expresses a very important new teaching about Himself: He is the Son of God (Mark 1:40-3:6). The next three sections – the second (Mark 3:7-6:6), third (Mark 6:6-8:26), and fourth (Mark 8:27-10:45) – depict the activity of Christ in the north of the Holy Land, mostly in the first period, in Galilee, but also, particularly in the later period, beyond the borders of Galilee, and finally His journey to Jerusalem through Perea and the Jordan to Jericho itself (Mark 10:1 and following). At the beginning of each section stands a narrative related to the 12 apostles (cf. Mark 3:14): narratives of their calling, their sending out to preach, and their confession regarding the Messianic dignity of Christ. The evangelist obviously wants to show how Christ considered it His necessary task to prepare His disciples for their future calling as preachers of the Gospel even among the pagans, although of course one cannot consider this point of view here as exclusive. The person of the Lord Jesus Christ as Preacher and Miracle-worker, the Promised Messiah and Son of God stands here in the first place. In the fifth section (Mark 10:46-13:37), Christ’s activity in Jerusalem is depicted as that of a Prophet, or rather as that of the Son of David, Who must fulfill the Old Testament predictions about the future kingdom of David. Along with this is described the growth of hostility toward Christ from the representatives of Judaism to its highest point. Finally, in the sixth section (Mark 14:1-16:20), the story is told of the sufferings, death, and Resurrection of Christ, as well as of His Ascension into heaven.

A view of the gradual unfolding of the ideas contained in Mark’s Gospel

After a brief inscription in which readers are given an understanding of what the book represents (Mark 1:1), the evangelist in the introduction (Mark 1:2-13) depicts the coming forward and activity of John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah, and, first of all, the baptism performed by him of the Messiah Himself. Then the evangelist makes a brief remark about Christ’s stay in the wilderness and His temptation there by the devil, indicating that at this time Angels served Christ. By this he wants to designate the victory of Christ over the devil and the beginning of a new life for humanity, for whom now the forces of hell would no longer be terrible (represented figuratively in the form of the “beasts of the wilderness,” which no longer harmed Christ, this new Adam). Further, the evangelist consistently depicts how Christ subjected humanity to Himself and restored the communion of people with God.

In the first section (Mark 1:14-3:6), in the first part (Mark 1:14-39), the evangelist first gives a general depiction of the teaching activity of the Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 1:14-15), and at the end (Mark 1:39) – of His deeds. Between these two characterizations the evangelist describes five events: a) the calling of disciples, b) events in the synagogue of Capernaum, c) the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, d) the healing of the sick in the evening before Peter’s house, and e) the seeking of Christ, who withdrew early in the morning to prayer, by the people and mainly by Peter and his companions. All these five events took place during the time from the afternoon of Friday to the morning of Sunday (by Jewish reckoning – the first day after the Sabbath). All events are grouped around Simon and his companions. It is evident that the evangelist received his information about all these events from Simon. From this the reader obtains a sufficient understanding of how Christ, opening His activity after the imprisonment of the Baptist in prison, was performing His service as Teacher and Miracle-worker.

In the second part of the first section (Mark 1:40-3:6), the evangelist depicts the gradually growing hostility toward Christ from the Pharisees and especially those Pharisees who belonged to the number of scribes. This hostility is explained by the fact that the Pharisees see in Christ’s activity a violation of the law given by God through Moses, and therefore a series of, so to speak, criminal offenses. Nevertheless, Christ regards all Jews with love and compassion, helping them in their spiritual needs and bodily diseases and showing Himself as a Being exceeding ordinary mortals, standing in a special relation to God. It is especially important that here Christ testifies about Himself as the Son of Man, Who forgives sins (Mark 2:10), Who has authority over the Sabbath (Mark 2:28), Who even has the rights of priesthood, just as once such rights were recognized for His ancestor David (the eating of sacred bread). But Christ’s testimonies about Himself are expressed not directly and immediately, but enter into His speeches and deeds. Here we have before us seven accounts.

1. The account of the healing of the leper is intended to show that Christ in the fulfillment of the works of His high calling did not violate the direct ordinances of the Mosaic law (Mark 1:44). If reproaches were made to Him in this regard, then these reproaches were based on a one-sided, literal understanding of the Mosaic law, of which the Pharisees and rabbis were guilty.

2. The history of the healing of the paralyzed shows us in Christ not only a Healer of the body, but also of a sick soul. He has the power to forgive sins. The attempt of the scribes to accuse Him of blasphemy, the Lord reveals before all in all its insignificance and groundlessness.

3. The history of the calling as a disciple of Christ of the publican Levi shows that the publican is not so bad as to be unable to become a helper of Christ.

4. Christ’s participation in a feast arranged by Levi shows that the Lord does not disdain sinners and publicans, which of course further enrages against Him the Pharisaic scribes.

5. The relations of Christ with the Pharisees become even more strained when Christ appeared as a principled opponent of old Jewish fasts.

6–7. Again Christ appears as an enemy of Pharisaic one-sidedness in regard to the observance of the Sabbath. He is the King of the Heavenly Kingdom, and His servants can refrain from observing the ceremonial law when this is necessary, the more so since the law concerning the Sabbath was given for the benefit of man. But such an appearance of Christ brings the irritation of His enemies to the highest degree, and they begin to plot against Him.

In the second section (Mark 3:7-6:6), which depicts Christ’s relation to His disciples, the evangelist

1) gives a general overview of Christ’s increasingly expanding activity,

2) depicts how Christ singled out 12 nearest disciples from among all His followers for a special mission,

3) shows us Christ in His struggle with the scribes, who came from Jerusalem,

4) characterizes those who are true followers of Christ,

5–9) depicts Christ teaching the people and especially His disciples in parables,

10) depicts Christ’s power over the storm,

11) over demonic possession,

12) over an incurable disease of a woman,

13) over the power of death;

14) only the unbelief of Christ’s fellow-citizens places an obstacle to His all-healing and all-helping power. Here Christ’s disciples appear constantly following Christ. They are being prepared for their future service.

In the third section (Mark 6:6-8:26), Christ’s care for His disciples is also predominantly depicted. He goes with them throughout the north of Palestine, avoiding for a long time remaining on the western shore of the Sea of Gennesaret, where He usually stayed in former times.

In the fourth section (Mark 8:27-10:45), Christ is also depicted among His apostles and the gradual approach of Christ to Jerusalem.

In the fifth section (Mark 10:46-13:37), the Lord appears already coming out of the narrow circle of apostles to the people, from whom He now receives the confession of faith in Him as the Son of David. This serves as an introduction to His solemn entry into Jerusalem.

The sixth and last section (Mark 14:1-16:20) presents to us how the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished the salvation of people, which He had foretold before. The evangelist Mark depicts here quite thoroughly the last days of Christ’s earthly life – His sufferings, death, burial, Resurrection, and (briefly) His Ascension into heaven.

Literature on the Gospel of Mark

In the so-called “Catenae of the Greek Fathers” (ed. Cramer, 1844), there is a commentary on the Gospel of Mark, attributed to Victor of Antioch (or, according to others, to Saint Cyril of Alexandria). Then there are commentaries by Blessed Theophylact, Euthymius Zigabenus, and attributed (incorrectly) to Blessed Jerome, consisting entirely of allegorical explanations, and a commentary by Bede the Venerable. Among recent commentaries, the following deserve attention: a) Catholic – by Knabenbauer (1894), Rose (1904), Schanz (1881), and Lagrange (1911); b) Protestant – by Hegel (1909), Holtzmann (3rd ed., 1901), Klostermann (1907), Loisy (1907–1908), Merx (1905, here actually a commentary on the Gospel of Mark according to its most ancient Syriac translated text), Weiss, P. (1901, in the 9th ed. of Meyer’s commentary), Weiss, I. (1907), Volenberg (1910).

Among our Russian commentaries, only one truly serious commentary is known – that of Bishop Michael (Luzin) in his “Expository Gospel.” Also worthy of attention is the master’s dissertation of Archpriest Eleonskii, “On the Gospel according to Mark” (against Baur). Commentaries of a moral nature on the Gospel according to Mark have been published among us: 1) by a circle of students, 2) in the “Sunday Herald” for 1911, no. 3) in “New Land” (commentary by Lamne). I. Gladkov gives quite an extensive commentary on the Gospel according to Mark, but as is known, his commentaries are not composed on each Gospel separately, but represent, so to speak, an overview of all the Gospels (3rd ed.).

* * *

Notes

Mark through the composition of his work became an “interpreter” of Peter, that is, he conveyed to many what the apostle Peter said, became as it were the voice of Peter. It is a mistaken supposition that Mark is here characterized as a “translator,” whose services the apostle Peter allegedly used and who was necessary to Peter in Rome to translate his speeches into the Latin language. First, Peter hardly needed a translator for his preaching speeches. Second, the word ἑρμηνευτής in classical Greek language often denoted a messenger, a transmitter of the will of the gods. Finally, in Blessed Jerome (letter 120 to Hedybia), Titus is called the interpreter of Paul, just as Mark is called the interpreter of Peter. Both indicate only that these fellow-workers of the apostles proclaimed their will and desires. Perhaps, however, Titus, as a natural Greek, was a fellow-worker of the apostle Paul in writing the epistles; as an experienced stylist, he could give the apostle explanations of certain Greek terms.

The suppositions of Professor Bolotov “on the day and year of the death of Saint Mark” (April 4, 63) (“Christian Reading,” 1893, July and following issue) do not agree with what is obtained from familiarity with the biblical data about Mark’s death.

Chapter One

1–8. Writing the book. John the Baptist. – 9–11. The baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ. – 12–13. The temptation of Jesus Christ. – 14–15. Jesus Christ’s coming forward as a Preacher. – 16–20. The calling of the first four disciples. – 21–28. Christ in the synagogue of Capernaum. The healing of the demoniac. – 29–31. The healing of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. – 32–34. Miracles in the late evening. – 35–38. Christ at prayer early in the morning and the coming of the disciples to Him. – 39. Christ’s activity throughout Galilee. – 40–45. The healing of the leper.

Mark 1:1. The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, According to the Russian translation, the first verse stands in direct connection with the following three verses, and the thought of all the first four verses, according to the generally accepted interpretation (see “Expository Gospel” of Bishop Michael), is as follows: “the beginning of the Gospel of Christ about the coming of the blessed Kingdom of the Messiah was the appearance of John the Baptist, who preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” However, one cannot agree with such an understanding of the first verse. If we consider the sentence of the first verse as a subject, and the continuation of the fourth verse as a predicate (the second and third verses will in this case be an inserted sentence), then we get an overly extended period. Meanwhile, the evangelist Mark everywhere in the Gospel expresses his thoughts in concise sentences. Then, if the evangelist wanted to particularly emphasize to his readers that the appearance of John the Baptist was the beginning of the Gospel, then it would be expected that he would precisely note what was the continuation of this beginning. However, we do not find such a precise designation further on. In light of what has been said, it is better to accept as more natural such an understanding of the first verse which sees in it the inscription of the book. “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Jesus Christ – genitive case), that is, the good news, as it was proclaimed by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the form or manner in which it was offered to Christians standing on the initial stage of Christian enlightenment, who had only just entered the Church of Christ (for more details on this, see “The purpose of writing the Gospel according to Mark” “Jesus Christ” (see Matt 1:1). “Son of God.” If the evangelist Matthew, writing his Gospel for Christians from among the Jews, had to show them that Christ descends from the patriarchs of the Jewish people – David and Abraham (Matt 1:1), then the evangelist Mark, as one writing his Gospel for Christians from among the pagans, had no need for such an indication. He directly calls Christ the Son of God – of course, in an exclusive sense, as the Only-begotten from the Father (see Matt 16:16). But if the Gospel which Mark henceforth offers to his readers comes from the Son of God, then it, as he would say, should have an unquestionable authority for all. 3

Mark 1:2. as it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who shall prepare Your way before You.” Mark 1:3. “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.” Mark 1:4. John appeared in the wilderness, baptizing and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. These three verses form one period. “In accordance with (the conjunction “as” in the best Greek manuscripts corresponds to the particle καθώς, and not ὡς, as in our Textus Receptus) the predictions of the prophets Malachi (Mal 3:1) and Isaiah (Isa 40:3), who predicted the coming of the Forerunner of the Messiah, who would prepare the Jewish people for the acceptance of the Messiah, John appeared in the wilderness, baptizing and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Thus, the appearance of John was not something completely unexpected – it had been predicted long ago. The prophecy of Malachi about John the Forerunner (see comments on the book of the prophet Malachi) the evangelist cites before the prophecy of Isaiah, the more ancient prophet, of course, because the first prophecy speaks with greater certainty about the coming of the Forerunner – Messiah than the second does. It is remarkable that the prophecy of Malachi the evangelist Mark cites not from the original and not from the translation of the Seventy, which in this case quite accurately repeats the thought and expression of the original, but follows in this respect the evangelist Matthew. Instead of the expression of the original text “before My face,” the evangelist Matthew, and after him Mark, reads: “before Your face.” Consequently, according to the translation of both evangelists, God in Malachi addresses Himself to the Messiah Himself with the prediction of the sending before His coming of a special Angel or messenger – the Forerunner. In the prophet, however, Jehovah’s address is to the Jewish people. The prophecy of Isaiah about the voice crying in the wilderness (see comments to Isa 40:3) is cited here as elucidating the prophecy of Malachi cited above and at the same time as the primary source of the first prophecy. The messenger of Jehovah, of whom Malachi spoke, is precisely the one of whom the prophet Isaiah long before predicted – such is the meaning of the citation of Isaiah’s prophecy. From this also anyone can see that the evangelist identifies Jehovah, Who in the Old Testament through the prophets foretold His coming, with the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The passage from Isaiah the evangelist Mark cites from the text of the translation of the Seventy (cf. Matt 3:3). “In the wilderness” (Mark 1:4). The evangelist Mark does not specify which wilderness he means (Matthew directly calls it the Judean: Matt 3:1). This can be explained by the fact that Mark as a resident of Jerusalem considered it unnecessary to give a more exact specification of what he means by “wilderness”: the residents of Jerusalem were accustomed to understanding by “wilderness” precisely the Judean wilderness, that is, the land between the mountains of Judea and the Jordan, to the northwest of the Dead Sea (cf. Judg 1:16; Ps 62:1). “Proclaiming.” The preaching of John the evangelist Mark transmits in his own words, while Matthew brings John himself speaking (cf. Matt 3:1-2). “A baptism of repentance” (see Matt 3:11). “For the forgiveness of sins.” The forgiveness of sins was a necessary condition for humanity to be able to enter into the new life which was opening with the coming of the Promised Messiah among the Israeli people. But in any case, this forgiveness appeared to be something future, something that was yet to come. And indeed, the sins of humanity could be considered forgiven only when a fully satisfactory sacrifice would be offered to the justice of God. But such a sacrifice had not yet been offered at that time. 5

Mark 1:5. And there went out to him all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. The evangelist Mark here repeats what was said in the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 3:5-6). Only he first mentions the “Judean country,” and then the “people of Jerusalem.” Perhaps this reflects Mark’s intention – he who wrote his Gospel for Christians from among the pagans, who could not sympathize with the city in which Christ was put to death – to place Jerusalem not on such a prominent place as the one Matthew, who wrote his Gospel for Christians from among the Jews, places it (Prof. Bogoslavskii “The Public Service of the Lord Jesus Christ,” Issue 1, p. 36).

Mark 1:6. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey. Regarding John’s clothing, the evangelist Mark speaks in agreement with Matthew (Matt 3:4), but describes this clothing only after mentioning the crowds of people who came to John to be baptized. Was not Mark himself among those who made the journey to the wilderness to John? At least, it is hardly possible to suppose that he, being a young man and certainly interested in religious questions, could calmly sit at home in Jerusalem at the time when nearby, in the Judean wilderness, John was performing an action of great importance – baptism.

Mark 1:7. And he proclaimed, “After me comes He Who is mightier than I, the lace of Whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and loose;” Mark 1:8. I baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. Now the evangelist more precisely and fully reports the content of the Baptist’s preaching. This is a preaching about the Messiah (see Matt 3:11). John considers himself unworthy of the Messiah even to do a servant’s task: to bend down and loosen the strap of His shoes. Here the evangelist Mark is closer to Luke (Luke 3:16) than to Matthew.

Mark 1:9. And in those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. (Cf. Matt 3:13). The evangelist Mark precisely indicates that Christ came from Nazareth (about Nazareth see comments to Matt 2:23).

Mark 1:10. And immediately, coming up out of the water, John saw the heavens opening and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him. See Matt 3:16.

Mark 1:11. And a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” See Matt 3:17. In the evangelist Mark, as in Luke, the voice of God is addressed directly to Christ, while in Matthew it is to a third person, probably to the Forerunner. 6

Mark 1:12. Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. (Cf. Matt 4:1). The evangelist Mark says that the Holy Spirit with force draws (ἐκβάλλει) Christ into the wilderness. Christ feels as though an irresistible impulse to go into the wilderness and there to enter into battle with Satan.

Mark 1:13. And He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts; and the angels served Him. The evangelist Mark briefly relates the account of Christ’s temptations by the devil, obviously having before him the detailed exposition of the history of temptation in the evangelist Matthew (Matt 4:2-10). But he adds that Christ was in the wilderness “with the wild beasts.” By this the evangelist wants to say that Christ through His victory over Satan restored those relationships of the subjection of beasts to man in which all animals found themselves in relation to the still sinless Adam. The wilderness, thus, was transformed by Christ into paradise (cf. Job 5:23; Isa 11:6 and following). “And angels…” (see Matt 4:11).

Mark 1:14. After John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the Gospel of God’s kingdom Mark 1:15. and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the gospel.” The evangelist Mark, like Matthew (Matt 4:12), omits the history of the activity of the Lord Jesus Christ in Judea and upon His arrival in Galilee, which is described in detail by John the Theologian (John 1:29-4:54) and which covers a period of at least about a year and a half. The imprisonment of the Baptist, according to the evangelist Mark, prompted Christ to come forward for His open activity in Galilee. “Of God’s kingdom.” The evangelist Mark uses this expression around 14 times. He takes it, of course, in the same sense in which Matthew mostly uses the expression “the kingdom of heaven.” But the evangelist Mark, as one writing his Gospel for Christians from among the pagans, found it better to use the direct, strict, and exact designation of the kingdom which Christ came to establish, than, like the evangelist Matthew, writing for Christians from among the Jews, already familiar with theological terminology, to use the expression metaphorically, descriptively – the kingdom of heaven – an expression still needing explanation for itself. For an explanation of the term “kingdom of God” itself, see comments to Matt 6:33; cf. Matt 3:2. “The time is fulfilled” – more precisely: the appointed period or term has come to an end, that is, the period appointed by God for the preparation of humanity to receive the Savior (ὁ καιρός, and not χρόνος). The present time, which the listeners of Christ are still experiencing, is the time of transition to a new order of life – to the kingdom of God. “And believe in the gospel.” In the Greek text here stands ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ – “in the gospel.” This expression is unusual in the New Testament – the verb πιστεύειν everywhere uses the preposition of the accusative case. Therefore, it is better with some ancient manuscripts (for example, with Origen) to read the expression τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ without any preposition and to translate “believe the gospel,” that is, God, Who speaks to people in the Gospel. Further see comments to Matt 4:12.

Mark 1:16. And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Mark 1:17. And Jesus said to them, “Come after Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Mark 1:18. And immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Mark 1:19. And going on a little further, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in a boat, mending their nets; Mark 1:20. And He called them, and immediately they left their father Zebedee in the boat with his hired servants and followed Him. See comments to Matt 4:18-22 regarding the calling of the first 4 disciples. The evangelist Mark mentions the servants that were with Zebedee (verse 20); Matthew does not speak of these servants. This calling, of course, was not the first. As is evident from the Gospel of John, those four disciples mentioned here were called to follow Christ already long before – after Christ’s baptism on the Jordan (John 1:35 and following).

Mark 1:21. And they came into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. The contents of Mark 1:21-28 are not found in the evangelist Matthew, but are found in Luke (Luke 4:31-37). “They came” – of course, the Lord with His four disciples. “Into Capernaum” (see Matt 4:13). “On the Sabbath.” In the Greek text the plural is used here (τοῖς σάββασιν), but it is used by the evangelist Mark in the sense of the singular (cf. Mark 2:23). “Into the synagogue” (see Matt 4:23). “Taught.” The content of Christ’s teaching here was probably the same as indicated above, in verse 15.

Mark 1:22. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes. Mark 1:23. Now there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “And they marveled” (see Matt 7:28-29). “One with an unclean spirit” – the same as a demoniac (see Matt 4:24).

Mark 1:24. “Ha! What have You to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are – the Holy One of God.” “Ha!” – in Greek ἔα. This is rather an exclamation, equal to our “ah” (cf. Ezek 30:2). “What have You to do with us” (see Matt 8:29). “Of Nazareth.” The demon calls Christ by this name, probably intending to arouse mistrust in Him among the listeners because He is from the despised city of Nazareth (cf. John 1:46). “The Holy One of God.” In the Old Testament, the high priest Aaron (Ps 105:16) and the prophet Elisha (2 Sam 6:9) are called by this name. But here, evidently, this expression is taken in an exclusive, exceptional sense, as designating the divine origin and divine nature of the Messiah (cf. Matt 8:29: “Son of God”).

Mark 1:25. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” The Lord does not wish to hear the confession of His Messianic dignity from the mouth of a demoniac: later it could be said that only the insane recognized Christ. 8 Along with the command to “be silent,” the Lord commands the evil spirit to “come out” of the demoniac. By this the Lord shows that He has indeed conquered Satan.

Mark 1:26. And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. Mark 1:27. And all were amazed so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching – with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” Mark 1:28. And the report of Him went out immediately into all the surrounding country of Galilee. The words of the eyewitnesses of the incident, according to the better reading (Volenberg), should be rendered thus: “What is this? A new teaching – with authority! He commands the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” (In the Russian translation “commanding” of unclean spirits is placed in dependence on “teaching” of Christ, and such an explanation has no support.) The Jews, thus, were puzzled, on the one hand, about the character of the new teaching which Christ was offering them, and on the other hand, about the fact of the expulsion of the demon, since Christ accomplished this deed without any preparations, whereas Jewish exorcists accomplished the expulsion of demons through various rather lengthy incantations and manipulations. “And the report of Him went out immediately into all the surrounding country of Galilee.” More precisely: “into the countries surrounding Galilee,” that is, not only in Syria, but also in Perea, Samaria, and Phoenicia. The basis for this “report” was not only the miracle of healing the demoniac, but the entire activity of Jesus Christ in general (see verses 14–15).

Mark 1:29. And at once He left the synagogue and went into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Mark 1:30. And Simon’s mother-in-law lay in a fever; and immediately they told Him about her. Mark 1:31. And He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she served them. On the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law see Matt 8:14-15.

Mark 1:32. And when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. Mark 1:33. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Mark 1:34. And He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew Him to be Christ. Of all the sick brought to Him, the Lord healed “many,” evidently those who were before Him or who deserved healing (see Matt 8:16). Mark the evangelist adds to the words of Matthew that the Lord did not permit the demons to speak because they knew Him. It seems better to understand this as indicating that the Lord generally did not allow demons to speak. We find a hint of this in the very word used here for “speak” (λαλεῖν, not λέγειν). The Lord did not permit the demons to speak because they knew Him, who He was, and such an acknowledgment of His dignity from the lips of the demon-possessed Christ did not wish to allow for the reasons mentioned above (verse 24). The healings were accomplished, as Mark precisely notes, in the evening of the Sabbath, when the sun was already setting. Only now did the Sabbath rest end and it was possible to carry out the transport of the sick, which was not permitted on the Sabbath.

Mark 1:35. And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. Very early in the morning, almost at night (ἔννυχον λίαν; the Russian translation renders it inaccurately – “very early”), the Lord went out from Simon’s house, where He had found shelter, and withdrew to a lonely place for prayer. On the prayer of Jesus Christ see the commentaries to Matt 14:23. Spurgeon said on this occasion in one of his sermons: “Christ prays. Does He find rest in this after the hard day’s work? Is He preparing for the labors of the next day? Both. This early morning spent in prayer explains His strength, which He displayed in the evening… And now, when the day’s work is done and the wonderful evening has passed, for Him it is not yet all over – He still has the work of His life before Him, and therefore He must pray… The worker again approaches the source of strength, so that, going out to the struggle that lies before Him, he might again gird his loins with this strength…” (“Christ at Prayer”).

Mark 1:36. And Simon and those who were with Him went after Him, Mark 1:37. and having found Him, they said to Him: Everyone is looking for You. Mark 1:38. And He said to them: Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, for therefore came I forth. Simon with three disciples did not find Jesus in the room appointed to Him in the morning and rushed (κατεδίωξαν) to seek Him. Having found Christ, they told Him that everyone, the whole city, was already seeking Him, evidently to hear His preaching and receive from Him healing for their sick. But the Lord did not want to return to Capernaum. He calls the disciples to neighboring towns (so it is better to translate the word κωμοπόλεις here, which in the Russian translation for some reason is divided into two words “villages” and “cities”), that is, to small cities which resemble simple villages in their structure (this expression does not appear elsewhere in the New Testament or even in the Seventy’s translation). The Lord wants to preach there too, because precisely for this He came, or more accurately, “went forth” (ἐξελήλυθα). The latter expression undoubtedly indicates that Christ was sent into the world by His Father (cf. Luke 4:43). According to ancient church interpretations, Christ here points to the truth of His Divine dignity and to the voluntariness of His self-emptying (see Volenberg, p. 689).

Mark 1:39. And He preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee and cast out demons. So Christ did not return to Capernaum, but preached the Gospel in the synagogues of other places and cast out demons. In this, He was apparently accompanied by the four disciples mentioned above. The evangelist Mark mentions the casting out of demons without reporting healings of other sick, evidently because this work seemed to him the most difficult, for here he had to engage in direct struggle with the spirits of wickedness, whereas in healing ordinary sick people the Lord struck at Satan not directly, but only as the one responsible for original sin, which brought all illnesses upon mankind.

Mark 1:40. A leper came to Him, begging Him and kneeling before Him, saying to Him: If You will, You can make me clean. Mark 1:41. And Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand, touched him, and said to him: I will; be clean. Mark 1:42. And as soon as He had spoken, the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. Mark 1:43. And He, strictly charging him, sent him away at once, Mark 1:44. and said to him: See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a testimony to them. Mark 1:45. But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a city, but was out in desolate places; and they came to Him from every quarter. On the healing of the leper see Matt 8:1-4. However, here the evangelist Mark makes certain additions. Thus, he reports that, having healed the leper, the Lord was angry with him (ἐμβριμησάμενος; the Russian translation renders it inaccurately – “looking at him sternly”) and cast him out (ἐξέβαλεν; the Russian translation – “sent him away”). Christ’s anger is explained by the fact that the leper, by approaching Christ, who was surrounded by people, violated the law of Moses, which forbade lepers to enter into the “camp” of Israel (Lev 13:46). Then the evangelist Mark adds that the healed man did not observe Christ’s prohibition and everywhere spread the news of the miracle that had befallen him, as a result of which an extraordinarily large crowd of people began to follow Christ, who wanted from Him not the teaching about the Kingdom of God, but only miracles, who expected that Christ would declare Himself to be the Messiah whom the Jews then awaited. Even in desolate places, Mark remarks, Christ found no rest, and whole crowds of people came to Him there. The expression “having gone out” in verse 45, used of the leper, may indicate that after his healing he went to his house, where he had not been permitted to go before, and, having spent some time there, went to tell of the miracle that had befallen him. * * * Notes In some ancient codices (for example, the Sinaitic) and in some of the holy fathers and church writers, the words “Son of God” are not read. But most codices—the Vatican, the Parisian, and the Syrian and Latin translations—do have this addition. Instead of the expression “among the prophets,” many ancient codices read: “among Isaiah the prophet.” But there are also ancient codices, including the Alexandrian (5th century), which have the reading we use. It should be noted that when reading “among Isaiah the prophet” a great difficulty arises: how to explain the fact that the evangelist afterward directly quotes not the prophecy of Isaiah, but of Malachi. Blessed Theophylact said: “The forerunner preached a baptism of repentance so that people, having repented and accepted Christ, would receive the remission of sins.” It is clear that this church interpreter also refers “forgiveness of sins” to the time when Christ will already be “accepted” with full faith as the Redeemer. G.A. Kholmovskii (“Christian Reading,” 1910, Jan., pp. 39–41) proposes such a translation of God the Father’s address to the Son: “You are my beloved Son; through you I have revealed My goodness.” Indeed, it is better to see in these words not an indication of the Father’s favor concentrated in His Only-Begotten Son, but an indication of the Father’s favor that was revealed in the Son (or through the Son) toward people. This is supported both by the meaning of the aorist εύδόκησα (a one-time act denoting the sending of the Son of God to earth for the redemption of people) and by the fact that the verb εύδόκησα is actually already superfluous after the expression “You are my beloved Son,” if again this verb refers to the person of Christ, and not to mankind. This word does not occur in this place of the Gospel. – Ed. The testimony of the demon was altogether unsuitable and improper – it represented a terrible dissonance with the testimony of the Baptist and the voice from heaven that proclaimed Christ…. It would have given the Pharisees some ground to accuse Christ of using the power of the prince of demons (Edersheim. “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah,” vol. 1, p. 610). Other interpreters see here only a hint of the desire to preach, which He had when “going forth” from Capernaum (see Lagrange, 1911).

Chapter Two

1–12. Healing of a paralyzed man in Capernaum. – 13–14. Calling of the tax collector Levi. – 15–17. Meal in Levi’s house. – 18–22. Discussion about fasting. – 23–28. Plucking grain on the Sabbath.

Mark 2:1. And again He entered Capernaum after some days; and it was heard that He was in the house. The evangelist Matthew also reports on the healing of the paralyzed man (see commentaries to Matt 9:1-8). But the evangelist Mark here gives certain details that are not in Matthew. Thus, already in the first verse he explains that Christ, coming to Capernaum, went into the house, of course belonging to Peter. It should be noted that this verse in the Russian translation is rendered inaccurately. Namely, the expression “after some days” is unfortunately placed at the beginning: it is not that “some days” passed while Christ was away from Capernaum, but rather, undoubtedly, some weeks; otherwise the indication Mark 1:39 of Christ’s preaching throughout all Galilee remains incomprehensible. Therefore, this verse should more accurately be translated thus: “when Jesus again entered Capernaum (according to the best reading: καὶ εἰσελθὼν πάλιν, not καὶ πάλιν εἰσῆλθεν), then after some days it became known that He had entered a house” (εἰς οἴκον – accusative case). Christ’s stay in solitude may have been intended for the instruction of the Gospel to the disciples, whom He had promised to make fishers of men (Mark 1:17).

Mark 2:2. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no room to receive them, not even near the door; and He preached the word to them. The evangelist Mark remarks that the Lord spoke “the word” to the gathered people, but does not report the content of this “word” or speech.

Mark 2:3. Then they came to Him, bringing a paralyzed man who was carried by four men. There were four men carrying the paralyzed man. Consequently, the sick person was an adult.

Mark 2:4. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralyzed man was lying. Only the evangelist Mark reports the particular energy that those who brought the paralyzed man displayed. They climbed onto the roof either by means of a ladder that led there from the outside of the house, or else they crossed over from the roof of a neighboring house, since the roofs of Eastern houses often touch each other. The evangelist Mark says that those who brought the man uncovered the roof and broke through it in order to lower the bed with the paralyzed man. This means that they first removed bricks or tiles, from which the roof was constructed, over quite a large area, and then either dug or made an opening in the light structure of beams that supported these bricks or tiles. This was relatively easy work (Edersheim, p. 633). All this testified to extraordinary trust in the love and power of the Lord, which those who brought him and the paralyzed man himself had, who was brought here, of course, not without his consent.

Mark 2:5. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralyzed man: Son, your sins are forgiven you. Mark 2:6. And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, Mark 2:7. “Why does He speak like this? He blasphemes! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Here the evangelist Mark adds that the scribes said: “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Among the Jews it was not supposed to be possible for a man, even a righteous one, to be given by God the power to declare the forgiveness of sins. This could be done either by God Himself or by someone specially authorized by God, for example, an Angel (Isa 6; Zech 3). John the Baptist received the right to perform baptism for the remission of sins “from heaven” (Mark 11:31). And besides, the scribes did not believe even John.

Mark 2:8. Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they thought so within themselves, said to them: “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?” Christ, according to Mark’s remark, knew the thoughts of the scribes “by His Spirit.” The prophets knew the hidden things by the Spirit of God, and not their own. Christ, on the other hand, knew everything by His own divine omniscience.

Mark 2:9. “Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’?” Here is added to what is found in Matthew’s Gospel (Matt 9:5) the expression “take up your bed.”

Mark 2:10. But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins—He said to the paralyzed man, Mark 2:11. “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Mark 2:12. Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed, and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” Here the evangelist Mark adds that the healed man “went out in the presence of them all.” He had to show himself to the crowd gathered at the door, in order to testify to the power of Christ. Then, according to the words of the evangelist Mark, the people declared that they had never seen anything like this before. Indeed, although Christ had healed the sick before, He did not remit sins at that time, as He did here.

Mark 2:13. And again Jesus went out by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. Mark 2:14. As He passed by, He saw Levi of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and He said to him: Follow Me. And he arose and followed Him. See Matt 9:9. In the history of the calling of Levi, the evangelist Mark precisely indicates that Christ went out from the house and went to the sea again, where He had taught before, and here He began to teach the people who followed Him. Of course, Levi had already known Christ before and was devoted to Him, as were the first four disciples (Mark 1:16 and following). The disciple-tax-collector Mark calls not Matthew, as Matthew the evangelist does, but Levi of Alphaeus. Since in Matthew’s Gospel to the name of the called tax-collector is added the expression “called” (λεγόμενον, inaccurately rendered in the Russian translation – “by name”), it is reasonable to suppose that the evangelist Mark gives us the true, original name of the apostle, while Matthew reports the one given to him by Christ when Levi became His apostle. Who Alphaeus was is not known.

Mark 2:15. And it happened that He sat at table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. Mark 2:16. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw that He ate with tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples: “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” Mark 2:17. When Jesus heard this, He said to them: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” See Matt 9:10-13. The evangelist Mark remarks on his own part that the meal was prepared in the house of the tax collector Matthew, and that tax collectors and sinners participated in it because they commonly followed Christ in large numbers. The remark to the disciples, according to the evangelist Mark, was made not only by Pharisees, but also by scribes. This expression is better, however, replaced with that of some codices “scribes from among the Pharisees,” that is, those belonging to the Pharisaic party.

Mark 2:18. Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him: “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” Mark 2:19. And Jesus said to them: “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. Mark 2:20. But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. Mark 2:21. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear becomes worse. Mark 2:22. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined; but new wine must be put into new wineskins.” (See commentaries to Matt 9:14-17). The evangelist Mark only points out on his part that the question posed to Christ was not by the disciples of John and the Pharisees, but by someone else (“they came and said” – an impersonal expression) about the disciples of John and the Pharisees. These were probably scribes, but not from the Pharisaic party, who were interested in how Christ would decide the question about the observance of traditional fasts (cf. verse 16). Then in verse 19 the evangelist Mark uses the direct designation “fast” instead of Matthew’s descriptive expression “mourn.” Other peculiarities, relating only to style, do not require explanation.

Mark 2:23. And it happened that He went through the grain fields on the Sabbath; and as they went, His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. Mark 2:24. And the Pharisees said to Him: “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” Mark 2:25. And He said to them: “Have you never read what David did when he was hungry and those with him were hungry?” Mark 2:26. “how he went into the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?” Mark 2:27. And He said to them: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” Mark 2:28. “Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” (See commentaries to Matt 12:1-8). The evangelist Mark adds to Matthew’s account that the Lord mentioned the name of the high priest who gave the showbread to David—this was Abiathar (verse 26). Since in 1 Sam 22:20 and following the high priest who entered into friendly communion with David is named not Abiathar, but Ahimelech, while Abiathar was his son, many interpreters consider this addition in Mark’s Gospel to be an insertion made by the hand of a reader of the Gospel poorly versed in Scripture (Stanton, 1903, p. 145). Others, acknowledging this expression as authentic, suppose that the high priest bore both names mentioned (St. John Chrysostom, Victor), or else that Abiathar played the main role in all that happened, as Jewish tradition said, which Christ here follows, while in the Old Testament the name is mentioned of the high priest who at that time was in charge of the services, responsible for all the actions of the priests (Lagrange). Also only the evangelist Mark cites (verse 27) Christ’s saying about the Sabbath being made for man, not man for the Sabbath. This means that the Sabbath as an institution, adapted to creation along with everything created, is placed in a subordinate relationship to man, ordained to bring him benefit. Man, therefore, has the right to dispose freely of the Sabbath: it is not an end in itself, not a master who lays his yoke upon the man subject to him. Similar expressions are found among the Rabbis. Thus, the words Exod 31:14 about the Sabbath: “it is holy for you,” the Rabbi Jonathan interprets as meaning that the Sabbath should be subordinate to the Jews, and the Jews should not be subordinate to it. Rabbi Judah said: “The laws, according to the words of Scripture, were given so that man through them might live (Lev 18:5), not so that he might perish” (treatise Yoma and others). Finally, the last saying about the Son of Man as “Lord of the Sabbath” (verse 28), which in Matthew’s Gospel serves as the foundation for the statement made above about the guiltlessness of Christ’s disciples in violating the Sabbath (Matt 12:7), appears in Mark as a consequence—therefore (ὤστε)—in relation to Christ’s right to permit His disciples to violate the Sabbath. Christ means to say that He, as Messiah and, consequently, as the perfect Man, having no sin in Himself and preserving all the rights over creation and the Sabbath that the Creator gave to the first man at his very creation (this is the meaning of the expression “Son of Man” here), is indeed the undoubted Master of the Sabbath, can permit it to be disregarded and not observed when necessary for the well-being of people. But other people can acquire this right only when, in communion with Him, they again recover the original human dignity they have lost. It should be noted that the question about fasts and the Sabbath was very important for the readers of Mark’s Gospel, Christians from the gentiles, who, living among Christians from the Jews, heard from their side demands for special respect for the mentioned Jewish observances. Such a solution to the question removed from them an enormous burden. * * * Notes Edersheim explains this by the fact that by that time winter had already come, and in winter it was extremely difficult to travel from city to city with preaching. This is also mentioned in Matt 24:20 (Edersheim. “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah,” vol. 1, p. 630).

Chapter Three

1–6. Healing of a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath. – 7–12. General description of the activity of Jesus Christ. – 13–19. Choosing of the 12 apostles. – 20–30. Jesus Christ’s answer to the accusation that He casts out demons by the power of Satan. – 31–35. The true relatives of Jesus Christ.

Mark 3:1. And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. (On the healing of the man with the withered hand see commentaries to Matt 12:9-14.) The evangelist Mark notes that the sick man had a withered hand, not a dried hand (Matt 12:10). He, therefore, was not born with such a hand, but it had withered, probably from some wound.

Mark 3:2. And they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. According to Mark’s testimony, the Pharisees—it is they that are spoken of here—watched with special attention (παρετήρουν) whether Christ would heal (θεραπεύσει) him on the Sabbath. Of course, after such a healing they intended to accuse Christ of violating the law about the Sabbath rest.

Mark 3:3. And He said to the man who had the withered hand: “Step forward.” “Step forward”—more accurately: “Come forward to the middle!” The Lord was in the middle of the people—He was surrounded, chiefly by Pharisees (cf. verse 5: “having looked around” or, more accurately, having looked about at those sitting around Him). The Lord in this way passes to open attack on His enemies, requiring that they clearly express their thoughts about Him.

Mark 3:4. Then He said to them: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent. “To do good”—to do generally good and praiseworthy deeds (ἀγαθόν ποιῆσαι). In what “good deed” Jesus had in mind, He immediately explains. If not to help the unfortunate when you can, this means to leave him a victim to certain death. Evidently, the man with the withered hand had a serious dangerous illness, a so-called muscular atrophy, which must have progressed, and the Lord not only healed his hand but also destroyed the disease at its root. The Pharisees had no answer to Christ’s question: they did not want to agree with Christ, and they found no basis for contradicting the view He expressed in this question, since the sixth commandment directly said: “You shall not kill.”

Mark 3:5. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man: “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored whole like the other. Having looked around at His enemies and seeing no attempt from anyone to answer directly the question He had posed, the Lord cast an angry look at them as hypocrites, grieved at their hardness or stubbornness (see Exod 4:21; Deut 9:27).

Mark 3:6. And the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him. (On the Herodians see commentaries to Matt 22:16).

Mark 3:7. But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea, The depiction of Christ’s activity at this time occupies five verses in Mark, but only one in Matthew (Matt 4:25). The Lord withdrew to the sea not out of fear of His enemies, the Pharisees and Herodians (Christ’s enemies, of course, did not dare to undertake anything against Him, since an enormous crowd of people rushed after Him), but simply because He saw how fruitless it would be to continue the conversation with the Pharisees further.

Mark 3:8. From Jerusalem and from Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how much He was doing, came to Him. The evangelist Mark counts seven regions or places from which people came to Christ. This number, evidently, has symbolic significance here. It means the fullness of the lands or regions of Palestine. Even the distant Idumea and Phoenicia sent their representatives to Christ. But while the Galileans and inhabitants of Judea are said to have “followed” Christ (verse 7), the evangelist says of the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the further mentioned dwellers of Palestine only that they “came” and perhaps only looked on at what Christ would do.

Mark 3:9. So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. Mark 3:10. For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him. Here, obviously, are meant the four disciples already known (Mark 1:16-20). The people pressed toward Christ chiefly, of course, in order to receive healing from Him—this can be said of those Galileans and Judeans who “followed” Christ. Others simply wanted to assure themselves with their own eyes that Christ truly healed the sick.

Mark 3:11. And whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, saying: “You are the Son of God.” Mark 3:12. But He warned them many times that they should not make Him known. “Unclean spirits,” that is, people in whom were unclean spirits. “Son of God”—an expression more important (see Matt 4:3) than “Holy One of God” (Mark 1:24). But whether those people understood the true meaning of this name—is not clear. The Lord did not reject this name, but only forbade the demon-possessed to shout it out (see commentaries to Mark 1:25). How strange it was that Christ, the great Miracle-worker, was persecuted by the representatives of Judaism, while only demons called Him great!

Mark 3:13. Then He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself chose. And they came to Him. (On the calling of the 12 apostles cf. Matt 10:2-4). “On the mountain.” The seashore was, so to speak, a place of constant public gatherings. On the other hand, in the mountains, which are located to the north of the Sea of Tiberias, one could find a place quite secluded. The Lord goes there to withdraw from the crowd. The disciples are called to follow Him—namely, only those upon whom Christ’s choice fell in this instance, not all. The evangelist Mark does not even call the invited “disciples,” and it is quite possible that among the disciples already called by Christ were even completely new persons. “And they came to Him” (ἀπῆλθον), that is, having gone after Him, they at the same time left their former occupations.

Mark 3:14. And He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, “And He appointed”—ἐποίησεν. The verb ποιέω is used in this sense in 1 Sam 12:6—that is, He chose twelve (without the addition “Apostles,” which is in Matt 10:2). “That they might be with Him.” This is the first purpose of the choosing: the apostles were to be constantly with Christ, so that they might prepare themselves for their ministry. “And that He might send them out to preach.” This is the second purpose of the calling of the apostles. By “preaching” the evangelist Mark here, of course, means the proclamation of the coming of the Kingdom of God, which was also the subject of Christ’s own preaching.

Mark 3:15. and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons; “And to heal sicknesses.” This expression is absent from the Sinaitic and Vatican codices, for which reason Tischendorf and other modern critics omit it. But it is present in the Syriac, Alexandrian, and Western Latin codices (cf. Matt 10:1).

Mark 3:16. And He appointed Simon to be Peter; According to the earliest codices, Tischendorf begins this verse thus: “and He appointed twelve” (καὶ ἐποίησεν τοὺς δώδεκα). “And He appointed Simon to be Peter.” More accurately, according to Tischendorf: “and He gave Simon the name Peter.” The addition to the name Simon was made at the time of his first calling to follow Christ (see John 1:42). The evangelist Mark, however, found it necessary to mention this only here, just as Matthew found it necessary to speak of the same thing in the description of another later event (cf. Matt 16:18). Peter is not a proper name, but a nickname—“rock,” so that the apostle bore both a name and a surname.

Mark 3:17. And James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”; Neither the evangelist Matthew nor Luke separate Andrew from his brother Simon, probably intending thereby that both brothers were called to follow Christ at the same time. But Mark places the sons of Zebedee in the second and third positions, evidently because of their recognized significance in the circle of apostles (Peter, as the “mouth of the apostles,” always speaking on behalf of all the apostles, Mark places, like Matthew, in the first position). “Boanerges, that is, ‘Sons of Thunder’.” The word “Boanerges” comes, obviously, from two words: “boan”—an Aramaic word corresponding to the Hebrew “bnei” (from “banim”)—“sons,” and the verb “ragash.” The latter verb in biblical Hebrew does not have the meaning “to thunder,” but could have had such a meaning in popular Hebrew at the time of Christ. At any rate, in Arabic there is a verb close to this, namely “rajasa,” meaning “to thunder.” Why the Lord called James and John by this name—the evangelist Mark does not say, so we must turn to Luke’s Gospel for clarification. In Luke’s Gospel it is reported of one occasion when both brothers showed great impetuosity and wrathful temper, which could have served as the reason for giving them such a nickname—“sons of thunder” (Luke 9:54). Some interpreters saw in this nickname a hint of the powerful impression that both brothers made on their listeners through their preaching (Euthymius Zigabenus). Origen called John the Theologian a “mental thunder.”

Mark 3:18. Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean; Mark 3:19. and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. See the explanation of apostle names in the commentaries to Matt 10:2-4. By setting apart these twelve, Christ thereby laid the foundation of the Church as a visible society having its own hierarchy.

Mark 3:20. Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. Mark 3:21. When His family heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said: “He is out of His mind.” Only the evangelist Mark mentions the crowding of the masses at the house where Christ was in Capernaum and the going out of Christ’s relatives to Capernaum to take Him. On the other hand, he omits the story of the healing of the demon-possessed, which in Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels serves as an introduction to the description of the Pharisees’ attacks on Christ: he already spoke of such miracles accomplished by Christ earlier. Evidently, the evangelist Mark, having just described the choosing of the twelve, who formed the tightest circle around Christ, as the cell of the New Testament Church, hastens to show his readers how the people reacted to this new step of Christ, in the first place; in the second place, how Christ’s relatives reacted; and, in the third place, how His enemies—the Pharisees reacted, and then shows how Christ responded to the Pharisees and His relatives. “They came to the house.” Here the evangelist Mark does not use his favorite expression “immediately” (εὐθύς), and thus gives the possibility to suppose that there was some interval of time after the choosing of the twelve, which can be attributed to the Sermon on the Mount, present in Luke’s Gospel immediately after the story of the choosing of the twelve (Luke 6:17 and following). “Again” (cf. Mark 2:2). “So that they could not even eat bread,” that is, to have a meal. The people evidently filled both the yard, where meals were ordinarily arranged for guests…. “His family.” Interpreters understand this expression in different ways. According to Schanz and Knabenbauer, by “family” (οἱ παρ´ αὐτοῦ) is meant here the supporters of Christ in Capernaum. These scholars find the basis for such an assertion in: a) the fact that in the book of Maccabees this expression does mean supporters (1 Macc 9:44 and others), b) Christ’s relatives lived in Nazareth and could not so quickly learn what was happening in Capernaum, c) when His Mother and brothers arrive, Mark calls them differently (verse 31). But against these proofs the following speaks: a) the expression “family” can also mean relatives (Prov 31:21, where the Hebrew word translated in Russian as “her family” is designated in the Greek Bible by the expression οἱ παρ´ αὐτῆς); b) what is spoken of in verse 20 could have continued for quite some time, so that Christ’s relatives could also learn of what was happening; c) Mark has in mind in verses 21 and 31 the same persons, but designates them more precisely after their arrival. Therefore, the majority of interpreters see in “family” Christ’s relatives. (Concerning these relatives of Christ, the evangelist now pauses in his narrative, giving them, so to speak, time to arrive in Capernaum, but meanwhile describes the clash with the scribes). “For they said.” Who said? Weiss sees here an impersonal expression: “they were saying generally in the people, saying here and there… and these conversations reached Christ’s relatives, who out of love for Him went to take Him and lead Him home.” But it is more natural to see here an indication of the impression made on Christ’s relatives by the accounts of people who came to Nazareth from Capernaum about the state in which Christ was at that time in Capernaum. They, probably, began to deliberate among themselves about what to do with respect to Christ. “He is out of His mind” (ὅτι ἐξέστη), that is, He is in such an excited state that He can be called “a man beside himself.” Such a person ordinarily neglects the usual rules of life, being wholly absorbed in the idea that possesses him. But he is not crazy, as the Apostle Paul did not consider himself crazy when he said: “If we are beside ourselves, it is for God” (εἴτε γὰρ ἐξέστημεν, 2 Cor 5:13). Christ’s relatives did not think Him insane, but only thought that He needed to rest from the terrible mental strain in which He then found Himself and in which He even forgot the need to sustain His strength with food. And Christ Himself did not rebuke His relatives for wanting to take Him away, and considered it necessary to prove that He was in good health; He only rejected their claim to care for Him.

Mark 3:22. Then the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said: “He has Beelzebul,” and “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.” According to the evangelist Matthew, the Pharisees accused Christ of communion with Beelzebul and accused Him before the people, not directly expressing this to Christ (Matt 12:24). According to the evangelist Mark, those who came forward with such accusations are the scribes who came down from Jerusalem, evidently as spies on behalf of the Sanhedrin, who were supposed to observe all the deeds of Christ and point out to the people in what Christ violated generally accepted rules of conduct. “Beelzebul” (see commentaries to Matt 10:25). The scribes put forward two propositions: a) that Beelzebul is in Christ, that is, Christ is possessed by a demon, and b) that Christ casts out demons by the power of the ruler of demons.

Mark 3:23. So He called them to Him and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan?” Mark 3:24. “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” Mark 3:25. “And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Mark 3:26. “And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.” Mark 3:27. “But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.” Mark 3:28. Truly I say to you: all sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven the sons of men, however much they may blaspheme; Mark 3:29. but whoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit shall not have forgiveness ever, but is liable to eternal judgment. Mark 3:30. He said this because they were saying: an unclean spirit is in Him. Evangelist Mark does not say, as Matthew does, that Christ perceived the thoughts of His opponents; according to his presentation, the scribes expressed their accusations openly. But he alone notes that the Lord called the scribes aside from the crowd and spoke to them in parables, that is, in comparisons (up to verse 30). See the commentaries to Matt 12:25-32. “But is liable to eternal judgment” (verse 29). According to Tischendorf: “shall be guilty of eternal sin” (ἁμαρτήματος, ῥ not κρίσεως, as in our Textus Receptus). This means that the guilty person is forever bound to sin, cannot break free from it (the same meaning is borne by the preceding expression: “shall not have forgiveness ever”). From this one cannot yet draw a direct conclusion as to what will be in the life beyond. It is said clearly only that the sin will always weigh upon the person – there will not be such a period when he would feel himself relieved… But our reading in the Textus Receptus has considerable grounds (see Tischendorf, p. 245). If we accept it, then here the discourse is doubtless of eternal judgment of the sinner.

Mark 3:31. And came His mother and His brothers, and standing outside the house, sent to call Him to them. Mark 3:32. A crowd was sitting around Him. And they said to Him: behold, Your mother and Your brothers and Your sisters are outside, asking for You. Mark 3:33. And He answered them: Who is My mother and My brothers? Mark 3:34. And looking round at those sitting around Him, He says: behold, My mother and My brothers; Mark 3:35. for whoever shall do the will of God, he is My brother, and sister, and mother. Regarding Christ’s relatives, see Matt 12:46-50. Evangelist Mark places this account in its proper place; with him it is completely understandable also why his relatives sought Christ (according to Matthew and Luke, they simply wished to see Him or speak with Him) – they wish to turn Him away from His preaching activity, and what Christ says in response to this. “A crowd was sitting around Him.” From the way Christ speaks next (verse 34) of the crowd, some interpreters justly conclude that the scribes had by this time already left the house where Christ was. * * * Bede, Theophylact, Zigabin, Weiss, Holtzmann, Loisy, and others.

Chapter Four

1–9. Introduction to the parables section and the parable of the sower. – 10–20. The reason why the Lord communicated His teaching in parables, and the explanation of the parable of the sower. – 21–23. The disciples must shine with their knowledge like lamps. – 24–25. The more a man seeks knowledge, the more he grows in it. – 26–29. The self-growing and self-ripening seed. – 30–32. The kingdom of heaven from the perspective of its insignificance in the beginning and its greatness in the end. – 33–34. Concluding remarks about the parables. – 35–41. The calming of the storm on the sea.

Mark 4:1. And again He began to teach by the sea; and a multitude of people gathered to Him, so that He entered into a boat and sat on the sea, and all the people was on the land, by the sea. “And again.” This is already the third occasion when Christ offered His teaching on the shore of the sea (cf. Mark 2:13). A multitude of people. The crowd grew very great in number, as shown by the superlative degree of the adjective πλεῖστος standing with the word “crowd” (so according to Tischendorf; in our text only πολύς – positive degree), so that Christ was forced for convenience in delivering His sermon to sit down in a boat which stood at the very edge of the shore. “And all the people was on the land, by the sea.” The crowd, apparently, seeks not wonders, but instruction and shows great goodwill toward the Great Teacher. This crowd gathered with extraordinary swiftness (in Tischendorf’s text συνήχθη – aorist, as in the Textus Receptus, clearly to denote this very swift rushing of the crowd after Christ). Consequently, according to the Gospel of Mark, Christ first taught by the sea only His disciples, and then a whole crowd of listeners gathered there, whereas according to the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 13:1), the Lord began to teach only after a crowd of people had gathered on the shore.

Mark 4:2. And He taught them in parables at length, and in His teaching He said to them: “And He taught them in parables at length.” Evangelist Mark, however, later relates only three parables spoken by Christ by the sea (evangelist Matthew – seven: Matt 13). He himself considers the parables as a particular kind of teaching. “And in His teaching He said to them.” The word “teaching” (διδαχή) means, doubtless, not the act itself of teaching, not the process (then the expression would be ἐν τῷ διδάσκειν), but the teaching of the Savior Himself as a certain system.

Mark 4:3. Listen: behold, a sower went out to sow; Mark 4:4. and as he sowed, it happened that some fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured it. Mark 4:5. And some fell upon rocky ground where there was but little soil, and it sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow; Mark 4:6. but when the sun rose, it was scorched, and having no root, it withered away. Mark 4:7. And some fell into thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it gave no fruit. Mark 4:8. And other fell into good soil and gave fruit, which came up and grew, and one yielded thirty, another sixty, and another a hundred. Mark 4:9. And He said to them: whoever has ears to hear, let him hear! The first parable – concerning the sower, which is related in these verses, is a repetition of what is contained in the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 13:3-9). But evangelist Mark is more generous than the other Synoptists (cf. Luke 8:4-8) in communicating details of the parable. So, he alone has the expressions: “and it gave no fruit” (verse 7), fruit that “came up and grew” (verse 8), and others.

Mark 4:10. And when He was alone, those surrounding Him, together with the twelve, asked Him about the parable. Mark 4:11. And He said to them: to you is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to those outside all things are spoken in parables; Mark 4:12. so that they may look with their eyes and not see; and may hear with their ears and not understand, so that they may not turn and their sins be forgiven them. The explanation which the Lord gives to His disciples and closer followers from among the people (“those surrounding Him”) is placed here by evangelist Mark not because it was actually given after the parable of the sower, but because it seemed to him necessary to explain to the readers of his Gospel the purpose for which the Lord clothed His teaching addressed to the people in the form of parables. Indeed, Christ had just spoken His parable of the sower while sitting in a boat at the very shore and addressing those who stood on the shore, and the following parables He will speak in the same position, only in the evening He will cross to the other side of the sea (verse 35). If now evangelist Mark says that Christ “was alone” with the disciples, it is clear that he had in mind precisely that position in which Christ found Himself after the end of His preaching by the sea. Here, in the presence of the people, the disciples could not address their question to Christ, and Christ could not answer so as not to be heard by those standing about Him on the shore. Then, according to Tischendorf’s text, the disciples asked Christ about the meaning not of one parable of the sower (in our text – “about the parable”, verse 10), but about “parables” in general. Consequently, the explanation which Christ gave about the purpose of teaching in parables was doubtless transferred here by evangelist Mark from another place. “Asked.” According to Tischendorf – “were asking” (ἠρώτουν – imperfect tense). By this the evangelist shows that the disciples had the custom of asking Christ about the meaning of one or another parable. “To you is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.” According to Tischendorf, who in this case follows the most esteemed codices, this passage reads: “to you the mystery of the kingdom of God is given.” In Mark’s account, by this reading, the mystery of the kingdom of God is not only an object of knowledge, but also a work entrusted by the Father in Heaven to the disciples of Christ – work that is already being accomplished. The kingdom of God is not a theory, but a fact which is destined to unfold in all its grandeur, and the mystery and powers to accomplish this unfolding are given only to the disciples of Christ. The word “mystery” (μυστήριον) thus means here the hidden plan of God concerning the divine economy of human salvation, concerning the establishment on earth of the kingdom of God (cf. Dan 2:28 and following). “But to those outside all things are spoken in parables.” Others, not belonging to this circle of people surrounding Christ, are unworthy of such a high mercy from God and receive instruction from Christ by means of parables. The word “outside” (οἱ ἔξω) does not here have the meaning of a disparaging epithet, but simply indicates a certain degree to which people stand in the knowledge of the mystery. To some this mystery is fully entrusted, to others a certain understanding of it comes by way of parables. All the same, the parable as an indirect way of revealing thought cannot fully illuminate so dark a subject as the mystery of the kingdom of God, especially if the parable is not explained. “All” – of course, not in the literal sense, but only all that concerns the mystery of the kingdom of God. “So that they may look with their eyes and not see…” (ἵνα βλέποντες βλέπωσιν). In the vernacular, the conjunction ἵνα often has the same meaning as the conjunction ὅπως – “so that” or even simply means “that,” but it is usually preceded by verbs with the meaning “to ask.” Without these verbs, the conjunction ἵνα can mean only “so that” (purpose). Therefore here the entire expression should be translated as it is translated in the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 13:15: “that seeing they may not see”). It is evident that evangelist Mark takes here a passage from the 6th chapter of the book of Isaiah, just as Matthew does, but shortens the beginning and end of this passage (Isa 6:9-10). The meaning of the citation in Mark is this: The crowd is not told directly by Christ the mystery of the kingdom of God because that crowd is in the same moral state in which the contemporaries of the prophet Isaiah were. Christ speaks parables to them not so that they would not understand, but because they are not given to understand (“it is not given to them” – Matt 13:11). The extraordinary gift – the mystery of the kingdom of God – should not be given to them, apparently, because they are incapable of making use of it and show this incapability by the fact that they remain outside the circle of Christ’s disciples. Thus, according to the presentation of the Gospel of Mark, Christ’s parables had a twofold significance. For the multitude listening to Christ, they somewhat, in general outlines, lifted the veil of the mystery of the kingdom of God, as if inviting them to enter into deeper understanding of this mystery, and for the disciples they were a point of departure so that they could go further and further along the path of acceptance of this “mystery.” The hardening of the people occurred not because the Lord taught in parables, but because the people had already been disposed in a certain way toward Christ by their leaders and refused to go into the opened door of understanding. Besides, one must remember that the most important point in Christ’s teaching about the kingdom of God was the end of the Messiah – the death of Christ, a thought with which not even the apostles could reconcile themselves. It is clear that to preach this idea directly to the whole people would then have been completely futile (cf. article of Prof. Bogdashevsky on the purpose of parables. Proceedings of the Kiev Theological Academy, 1910, 3).

Mark 4:13. And He says to them: do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? Mark 4:14. The sower sows the word. Mark 4:15. And those sown by the wayside are those in whom the word is sown, but when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in their hearts. Mark 4:16. And in like manner those sown upon rocky ground are those who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy, Mark 4:17. but they have no root in themselves and are unstable; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, they immediately fall away. Mark 4:18. And those sown in thorns are those who hear the word, Mark 4:19. but in whom the anxieties of this age, the deceit of riches, and other desires, entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Mark 4:20. And those sown on good soil are those who hear the word and receive it, and bring forth fruit, one thirty-fold, another sixty-fold, another a hundred-fold. For the explanation of the parable of the sower, see the commentaries to Matt 13:18-23. “Do you not understand this parable?” (verse 13). According to evangelist Mark, the question of the disciples (verse 10) referred only to the parable of the sower, and thus the Lord could indeed understand their question, because they asked Him “about parables,” and one who asks about the meaning of parables in general naturally desires to know the meaning of the first parable as well. Moreover, in the words of Christ there is no reproach to the disciples for not understanding the parable of the sower; the metaphor which Christ used here to denote the fate of the kingdom of God was far from being so common that the disciples would have been able to solve it on their own. By His question Christ wishes only to arouse the attention of the disciples, showing them how much they still need instruction (cf. Mark 8:17). The fact that they receive as a gift the divine mystery does not make instruction from Christ unnecessary for them; on the contrary, it is precisely through His clarifications that this gift is communicated to them (cf. verse 34). “How then will you understand all the parables?” The Lord wishes to say by this that on the basis of many parables (all) the disciples will have to form for themselves a whole understanding of the kingdom of God. This will be incomparably more difficult than solving the meaning of the parable of the sower, in which was depicted only the preaching of the kingdom of God, its course in the world, but not the kingdom itself.

Mark 4:21. And He said to them: is a lamp brought in order to be placed under a bushel or under a bed? Is it not rather to be placed on a lampstand? “And He said to them.” The parable of the lamp was probably spoken at another time – the evangelist Mark himself seems to hint at this by separating it from the preceding by the expression “and He said.” But, nevertheless, he considered it necessary to place this parable precisely here, because it perfectly explains the fate of Christ’s teaching about the kingdom of God. This teaching, as the parable of the lamp shows, is for now concealed by Christ from the people and communicated only in unveiled form to His disciples, but in time it must be revealed to all, and therefore the disciples should now pay as much attention to it as possible, so that afterwards they may proclaim it to others. See also the commentaries to Matt 5:15.

Mark 4:22. For there is nothing hidden that shall not be revealed, and nothing kept secret that shall not come to light. If this thought of this verse were isolated, it could be taken as a separate parable: it has the appearance of a separate parable comparison in the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 10:26). But here it represents the basis for the preceding: for (in the Russian translation “for” is omitted) “there is nothing hidden”… Thus here is explained what was meant above by the “lamp” as the teaching about the mystery of the kingdom of God.

Mark 4:23. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear! This utterance seemed more naturally to apply to the whole people rather than to the disciples. But here it has its own meaning. The Lord calls upon His disciples to listen carefully to the thought which He has just expressed in the parable of the lamp. The disciples must understand that the teaching of Christ about the mystery of the kingdom of God will in time be proposed to all the world, that it is given to them by Christ for that very reason.

Mark 4:24. And He said to them: consider what you hear: by the measure with which you measure, it shall be measured to you, and more shall be added to those who hear. “Consider what you hear.” Such a translation represents merely a repetition of the previously expressed appeal (verse 23). But the evangelist hardly would repeat the same thing without reason. It is more natural to see here an appeal to the disciples to listen carefully and remember all that Christ will communicate to them about the mystery of the kingdom of God: the more carefully they attend to this teaching, the more and more understanding will be given to them by God. Thus the prophet Elisha filled all the vessels that were brought to him with oil, and when there were no more empty vessels, the oil ceased to flow (2 Sam 4:1-6). In Matthew this utterance is cited in a different context (see Matt 7:2).

Mark 4:25. For whoever has, to him shall be given, but whoever does not have, from him shall be taken even what he has. Here the same thought is expressed as in the preceding verse. The disciples must be as attentive as possible to the words of Christ in order to deserve still greater enlightenment with the light of truth. Otherwise they will lose even what they now possess (cf. Matt 13:12).

Mark 4:26. And He said: the kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the earth, Mark 4:27. and sleeps and rises night and day; and how the seed sprouts and grows, he does not know. Mark 4:28. For the earth of itself produces grain, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. Mark 4:29. But when the fruit ripens, immediately he sends in the sickle, because the harvest has come. The second parable – concerning the seed which, being cast into the earth, then grows without the participation of the sower – evidently depicts the gradual, orderly ripening of the kingdom of God in the soul of an individual person who has accepted Christ’s teaching. The preachers of the Gospel, casting the seeds of faith into the souls of people, cannot precisely track further how these seeds grow into whole ears of grain which will in time be reaped and gathered into the kingdom of God. All anxiety on the part of the sower during the time the seed is in the earth is completely unnecessary. So the apostles, who for the most part were Galileans and therefore were inclined to employ special measures on their part to expand the kingdom of God, should be calm and not troubled by the thought of what will become of the teaching of Christ that they have proclaimed. In its time, with the help of God, it will bear fruit and prove beneficial – this is the main thought of the parable. But toward the end the parable takes on the character of allegory. It is certain that under the “harvest” in verse 29 is understood the final gathering of those who believe in Christ, which Christ Himself will accomplish, now departing from the earth, but destined to come again to gather the fruits of His sowing (cf. Rev 14:14). Of course, it would be unsuitable to apply all the particulars of the parable to Christ, for example, verse 27, where it is said that the sower does not know how the seed he sowed sprouts. But the particulars of the parable for the most part are not designed to have all of them explained in their application to Christ and the kingdom of God; they serve only, as in other parables, “for the embellishment and enlivenment of speech” (Bishop Michael). From this parable comes the assurance that the work of God, begun in relation to human hearts at the moment when the apostolic preaching word falls into them, will not cease in its development and by unknown ways will proceed further and further until the human heart is fully ripened for the new blessed life in God.

Mark 4:30. And He said: to what shall we compare the kingdom of God? Or in what parable shall we set it forth? Mark 4:31. It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown in the earth, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth; Mark 4:32. and when sown, it springs up and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts forth great branches, so that the birds of the sky can shelter under its shadow. The third parable – concerning the mustard seed (see the commentaries to Matt 13:31-32). “To what shall we compare…” The Lord speaks here as a Teacher who considers Himself on the same level as His disciples, so as to inspire them also to take part in His intellectual work, to make them also think seriously about what occupies the Teacher. The Lord has in mind here the entire people surrounding Him, not only the apostles.

Mark 4:33. And in such many parables He proclaimed the word to them, as much as they were able to hear. Mark 4:34. And without a parable He did not speak to them, but He explained all things to His disciples in private. The evangelist concludes the section on parables with three observations about Christ’s parabolical way of teaching. First, he reports that “in such” parables – that is, of such a kind – the Lord usually spoke “to them,” that is, to the people (cf. verse 1). Moreover, the Lord took into account the capacity of His listeners for listening to and understanding His teaching – He spoke in such manner and for as long as the people could listen to Him without becoming weary. Second, the evangelist notes that the Lord invariably united His every sermon with some parable or clothed it in figurative expressions. Third, the evangelist notes that the Lord “in private,” afterward, explained everything to His disciples. From this it is evident that the people in general did not understand the parabolic teaching of Christ as it should have been understood, and saw in Christ a simple moral teacher, similar to those rabbis who often resorted to various parables to illustrate their assertions.

Mark 4:35. In the evening of that day He said to them: let us cross to the other side. In the account of the calming of the storm, evangelist Mark departs somewhat from Matthew. Thus Mark notes that the crossing of the sea took place in the evening of the same day when the Lord had spoken so many parables to the people.

Mark 4:36. And they, sending away the crowd, took Him with them, as He was in the boat; and there were also other boats with Him. The disciples of Christ “sent away the crowd” surrounding Christ, that is, they convinced the people that the Teacher was extraordinarily tired and needed rest. Then they took Him with them in the boat (not “in the boat,” as translated in the Russian Gospel), “as He was,” that is, they took Him while He was tired and needing peace. In this connection, evangelist Mark notes that they did not go alone to the eastern shore of the sea, but were accompanied by boats of those who had come from that shore to listen to Christ and now formed, so to speak, Christ’s entourage during His crossing of the sea.

Mark 4:37. And a great storm arose; the waves beat into the boat, so that it was now being filled with water. Mark 4:38. And He was sleeping on the stern on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him: Teacher! do You not care that we are perishing? Mark 4:39. And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea: be silent, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Mark 4:40. And He said to them: why are you so fearful? how is it that you have no faith? Mark 4:41. And they were filled with great fear and said to one another: who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him? In general, the evangelist Mark relates the calming of the storm in accord with Matthew, but still he has some particular details. He notes that Christ slept “on a pillow,” that is, on the cushion of the helmsman. Then the disciples address Christ not in the tone of a request, as in the Gospel of Matthew, but in the tone of a reproach (“Teacher”; in Matthew – “Lord”). Further, the Lord addresses commands to the sea and reproaches the disciples for weakness of faith. As for the question of who “was filled with great fear” and marveled at the greatness of Christ, on the basis of the remark made earlier about those who sailed after Christ (verse 36), one may suppose that these people together with the disciples learned of the miracle performed by Christ and also marveled at His miraculous power. But the miracle itself had in view chiefly the disciples of Christ, who needed to be inspired with confidence that their Teacher, who soon would send them out to preach the Gospel, could always protect them from the greatest dangers. * * * The preposition ἀνά here is equivalent to the preposition εἱς (cf. Matt 10:16; Luke 8:7 and others). It should be translated thus: “they take Him, as He was, with them in the boat.”

Chapter Five

1–20. The healing of the Gadarene demoniac, in whom was a legion of demons. – 21–43. The healing of the woman with an issue of blood and the raising of the daughter of Jairus.

Mark 5:1. And they came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. The most recent researchers of the text read here not “into the country of the Gadarenes” but “into the country of the Gergesenes.” This name comes from the city of Gergesa, which was located, according to the testimony of Origen, near the sea of Tiberias (Commentary on John 6:24, al. 40). Eusebius calls Gergesa a “village” and says it lay on a mountain. In Matthew, however, text researchers read not “Gergesenes” but “Gadarenes” (Matt 8:28). As for Gadara, it is known that it was a considerable Greek city situated approximately ten kilometers from the southeastern shore of the sea of Tiberias. The population of this city was mostly Greek, but in the villages surrounding it, Aramaic was also spoken. It is very probable that Gergesa was part of the territory of Gadara.

Mark 5:2. And when He came out of the boat, immediately there met Him from the tombs a man possessed by an unclean spirit, Here we find, evidently, an account of the same event about which evangelist Matthew speaks (Matt 8:28 and following). Mark speaks, however, of one demoniac, not two, as Matthew, but this means only that Mark considered it necessary to speak of the one of the two demoniacs who was most known to the inhabitants of that place for his strength and malice. The healing of this demoniac certainly made a great impression on the people and on Christ’s disciples. “Possessed…” (see Matt 4:24).

Mark 5:3. He had his dwelling among the tombs, and no one was able to bind him, not even with chains, Cf. Matt 8:28. “No one was able…” The strength of this demoniac was extraordinarily great; no chains or fetters could hold him (hand fetters).

Mark 5:4. because he had often been bound with fetters and chains, but the chains he broke apart and the fetters he shattered, and no one was strong enough to tame him; Mark 5:5. and always, night and day, in the mountains and in the tombs, he cried out and cut himself with stones; “Cut himself with stones…” More precisely: he clung to the stones, and they fell on him when he slipped and fell from the cliff (κατακόπτειν).

Mark 5:6. and seeing Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him, Mark 5:7. and crying out with a loud voice, he said: what have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure You by God, do not torment me! Mark 5:8. For Jesus had said to him: come out, you unclean spirit, from this man. Of course, it is not the demoniac himself, but the evil spirits dwelling in him that compel him to run to Christ and ask Him to leave them alone. They understand who now stands before them. They adjure Christ by God, acknowledging Him as the Son of the Most High God, so that He would not display His omnipotence over them this time. And as for the torment which they have in mind, it can be understood as the hellish torments which all the inhabitants of hell suffer (cf. Luke 16:23; Rev 9:5 and others). This torment is understood in the same way in the Gospel of Matthew, where the evil spirit adds the expression “before the time” (Matt 8:29). “For Jesus had said to him…” By these words, evangelist Mark does not wish to say that Christ addressed the demoniac before the latter spoke to Jesus. Had things happened in this way, the evangelist would, of course, have first given the address of Christ, and then the address to Christ of the demoniac (cf. Mark 1:25). The conjunction “for” rather gives to understand that the demon in the demoniac, even before entering into conversation with Christ, already well knew what to expect from Christ. And his expectations were fulfilled, “for…”

Mark 5:9. And He asked him: what is your name? And he said in answer: My name is Legion, for we are many. The Lord enters into conversation with the demon so as to inspire first of all the demoniac himself with the conviction that an evil force dwells in him, and then also to explain this to His disciples. “And he said…” One demon spoke for many. He spoke, making use of the power of speech of the demoniac, who could not help but obey the will of the demon. “Legion” (see Matt 26:53).

Mark 5:10. And they begged Him much that He would not send them out of the country. The demons did not wish to depart from this country, which apparently pleased them as being inhabited chiefly by pagans.

Mark 5:11. Now a great herd of swine was feeding there on the mountain. Mark 5:12. And all the demons begged Him, saying: send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. Mark 5:13. And Jesus immediately gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out and entered into the swine; and the herd rushed down the slope into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea. (Cf. Matt 8:30-32.) Evangelist Mark alone precisely designates the number of swine.

Mark 5:14. And those who tended the swine fled and told it in the city and in the villages. And people came out to see what had happened. Mark 5:15. And they came to Jesus and saw the man who had been possessed, sitting clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. Mark 5:16. And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demoniac and about the swine. Mark 5:17. And they began to ask Him to depart from their region. The Lord as the Almighty immediately, without hesitation, consented to the fulfillment of the request of the demons, who showed their powerlessness to find any way out of their position. As for the fate of the demons, the question obviously does not concern evangelist Mark. He stops only on the impression which the miracle made on the inhabitants of that country. The inhabitants were afraid – apparently, having in mind the attitude which Christ had manifested toward their property, the herd of swine, which He had sent to destruction in order to free the former demoniac from any thought of the possibility of the return of demons to him. Their herds distressed them, and therefore they asked Christ to leave their country. It is evident that these people did not yet feel the hunger to hear the word of God (Amos 8:11).

Mark 5:18. And as He was entering the boat, the man who had been possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. Mark 5:19. But Jesus did not permit him, but said to him: go home to your own people and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you. Mark 5:20. And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and all marveled. The Lord does not remain in this country, but departs from here because the time for preaching here has not yet come. But this does not hinder the sowing of the seeds of Gospel teaching here by the healed demoniac, and the Lord sends him to proclaim to all his relatives what has happened to him. In a semi-pagan country, this proclamation of Christ the Wonderworker could not have produced the extraordinary enthusiasm for messianic hopes which was often manifested among the people of pure Jewish descent and which usually ended in the people striving to declare Christ as King (cf. Matt 8:4). If the healed man went out to proclaim throughout the Decapolis (see Matt 4:25), this is explained by the fact that he probably had many relatives living in different cities of this region.

Mark 5:21. And when Jesus had crossed over in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered to Him, and He was by the sea. The Lord crossed over from Perea into Galilee, to the shore on which Capernaum was located (cf. Matt 9:1). Here He was met by a multitude of people, apparently who had from afar noticed the approach of the well-known boat of the apostle Peter, in which Jesus was. There was such a crowd that it was difficult for the Lord to make His way into the city, and He remained on the shore for a long time.

Mark 5:22. And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, named Jairus, and seeing Him, fell at His feet Mark 5:23. and urgently begged Him, saying: my daughter is at the point of death; come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed and live. At this time Jairus came to Him (see Matt 9:18) and Jesus went with him.

Mark 5:24. And Jesus went with him. And a great crowd followed Him and pressed upon Him. Mark 5:25. And a woman who had suffered from a flow of blood for twelve years, Mark 5:26. and had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse, Mark 5:27. hearing about Jesus, came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment, Mark 5:28. for she said: if I only touch His garments, I shall be made well. Mark 5:29. And immediately the flow of her blood ceased, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. In the crowd, along the way, the woman seeking healing touched Christ (cf. Matt 9:20-21), and received healing. Evangelist Mark exclaims that she “had suffered much under many physicians” (verse 26). This expression may indicate the barbarous means to which ignorant physicians resorted in those times. The tractate Kiddushin therefore says: “the best of physicians deserves Gehenna” (IV, 14).

Mark 5:30. And immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that power had gone out from Him, turned around in the crowd and said: who touched My garments? Mark 5:31. And His disciples said to Him: You see the crowd pressing around You, and You say: who touched Me? Mark 5:32. But He looked around to see the woman who had done this. Mark 5:33. And the woman, in fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came forward and fell down before Him, and told Him all the truth. Mark 5:34. And He said to her: Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction. The Lord knew what had happened to the woman because of her touching His garment, but asks the question in order to draw out her confession and make clear that she was healed not by virtue of any magical action of the garment of the Wonderworker, but by virtue of her faith in Him as the Son of God. “Be healed,” that is, remain in that new condition in which you found yourself at the moment you touched My garment with faith.

Mark 5:35. While He was still speaking, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house those saying: your daughter is dead; why do you trouble the Teacher further? Regarding the raising of the daughter of Jairus, evangelist Mark speaks with greater detail than Matthew (Matt 9:23-26).

Mark 5:36. But Jesus, hearing these words, said at once to the synagogue leader: Do not fear, only believe. Mark 5:37. And He allowed no one to follow Him, except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. The Lord, as is evident from what follows (v. 43), did not wish the miracle of the resurrection of Jairus’s daughter to become the subject of excited talk among the people. Therefore He took with Him not all His disciples, but only three who were closest to Him, so that afterward they might be able to come forward as reliable witnesses of the miracle of resurrection (cf. Deut 17:6). Of course, the master of the house himself and his wife were also present at the performance of the miracle (v. 40).

Mark 5:38. He came into the house of the synagogue leader and saw confusion and people weeping and wailing loudly. Mark 5:39. And entering, He said to them: Why are you troubled and weeping? The girl has not died, but sleeps. “The girl has not died, but sleeps.” With these words the Lord expresses the general Israelite understanding of death. There is no death, as He, so to speak, says. The soul of a man is immortal, and in time it must be united with the body which it left behind. Therefore the state of one who is dead is similar to sleep. If Jairus believes this so deeply, there is no reason for him to surrender to despair.

Mark 5:40. And they mocked Him. But He, having sent everyone out, takes with Him the father and mother of the girl and those who were with Him, and enters where the girl lay. Mark 5:41. And taking the girl by the hand, He said to her: “Talitha koumi,” which means: Girl, I say to you, arise. The evangelist here gives two words in Aramaic, the language in which Christ spoke, in order to let his readers from among the gentiles hear the sounds of Christ’s speech. He translates these two words with some expansion, adding the expression “I say to you.”

Mark 5:42. And the girl at once got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And those who saw it were overcome with great amazement. Mark 5:43. And He strictly ordered them that no one should know about this, and said that food should be given to her. The Lord did not wish news of the first miracle of resurrection to spread throughout the land. He did not want the people, excited by rumors of this extraordinary miracle, to see in Him their King (cf. John 6:15), for this might prematurely arouse the extreme hatred of His enemies against Christ. Therefore He forbids spreading word of what happened, even though He had just brought forth the woman who was healed through touching His garment to make an open confession of the miracle that had occurred to her. The latter, indeed, was not so extraordinary as the miracle of resurrection. Why did Christ order that the girl whom He had raised be given food? The ancient interpreters believed that He wanted in this way to confirm the reality of the girl’s return to life; but it is more natural to suppose that He in this case showed His kindness and care for her whom He had just called from the realm of death to her former life, when everyone was occupied with the miracle just performed. He directs the attention of the girl’s household to her condition… Holtzmann attempts to prove that Jairus’s daughter was only in a state of lethargy and was not dead, and that she awoke when Christ took her by the hand… But probably she had already been taken by the hand even before Christ’s arrival, yet this did not lead to her coming to life. Besides, the evangelist Mark recounts everything with such simplicity that there is absolutely no reason to suspect him of having fabricated the account of the girl’s death and resurrection…

Chapter Six

1–6. The rejection of Christ by His fellow citizens – the inhabitants of Nazareth. – 7–13. The sending of the apostles to preach. – 14–16. The people’s and Herod Antipas’s opinion of Christ. – 17–29. The execution of John the Baptist by Herod. – 30–33. The return of the apostles from their journey. – 34–44. The feeding of five thousand people in a desert place. – 45–52. Christ’s stilling of the storm on the sea. – 53–56. Christ’s miracles in the land of Gennesaret.

Mark 6:1. From there He went out and came to His own country; His disciples followed Him. In vv. 1–7 the evangelist Mark tells of Christ’s stay in Nazareth after He had performed the miracle of raising Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:43). From the account of the evangelist Matthew one can see that this visit took place after Christ had finished His teaching in parables which He offered to the people by the sea (Matt 13:53-58). According to the evangelist Luke, this event fell, as it seems, at the beginning of Christ’s emergence as a Teacher in Galilee (Luke 4:16-30). Yet the evangelist Matthew relates this event to the same period of Christ’s activity as Mark does, as can be concluded from the subsequent narratives contained in the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 14; Mark 6:14 and following). As for the evangelist Luke, he evidently does not strictly follow the chronological order, placing the account of Christ’s visit to Nazareth at the beginning of His activity in Galilee: he himself has indications of this (see comments to Luke 4:16). Therefore there is no need (as, for example, Knabenbauer supposes) to assume two separate occasions when Christ preached in Nazareth. “Came to His own country” (cf. Mark 1:9). This does not deny Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, but denotes only that the place of residence of Christ’s earthly ancestors was indeed Nazareth (“his own country” – the city where the fathers, the ancestors, lived). Only the evangelist Mark notes that in this journey the disciples were with Christ: Christ was going to Nazareth not in order to see His relatives, but to preach, at which His disciples were to be present. In general the evangelist Mark pays great attention to how the disciples of Christ were being prepared by Him for their future activity…

Mark 6:2. When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and many of those who heard Him were astonished, saying: Where did He get this? What wisdom has been given to Him, and how such miracles are performed by His hands? Christ appeared as a Teacher in Nazareth only on the Sabbath; before that His fellow citizens apparently did not express a desire to hear Him. Even having heard His teaching and learned of His miracles, Christ’s fellow citizens, according to the observation of the evangelist Mark, recognize in Him only an instrument of some higher power: Wisdom was “given to him” by someone, and miracles are performed “by His hands,” that is, through Him, not by Him Himself (cf. Matt 13:54).

Mark 6:3. Is not He the carpenter, the son of Mary, brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us? And they took offense at Him. The evangelist Mark relates that His fellow citizens called Christ a “carpenter,” but not “the son of a carpenter,” as in the Gospel of Matthew. Yet there is no contradiction, for it was customary among the Hebrews for a father to teach his son his own craft, so that Christ, of course, was taught the carpenter’s trade. It is true that Origen says that “nowhere in the Gospels accepted by the Church is Christ called a carpenter” (“Against Celsus,” VI, 36), but other ancient Church writers know this tradition as reported in the Gospel. Origen probably had a copy of the Gospel of Mark that had already been corrected according to the Gospel of Matthew. “Brother of James”… (see Matt 1:25). (See Matt 13:55-56).

Mark 6:4. Jesus said to them: A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and among his own relatives and in his own house. (See Matt 13:57). It might seem strange that Christ spoke about His rejection in Nazareth. Had He not just recently (Mark 5:17) been rejected also by the inhabitants of the land of the Gergesenes? But there Christ appeared as a stranger, a completely unknown person, while here in Nazareth, word of His miracles had already preceded Him. Therefore the rejection by the Nazarenes was a more offensive fact for Him than the rejection by the Gergesenes.

Mark 6:5. And He could not perform any miracle there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. Of course Christ did not lose the power to perform miracles, but this power, as shown by the healing of the woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:34), was manifested only where it met with faith from a human being (St. Gregory the Theologian, Blessed Theophylact). And here too Christ healed several sick people, apparently those who believed in Him – only these miracles were not particularly striking.

Mark 6:6. And He marveled at their unbelief. Then He went about through the neighboring villages and taught. “And He marveled…” Blessed Augustine does not wish to admit that Christ actually felt astonishment, as this seems to him incompatible with His omniscience (On the Morals of the Manicheans I, 8, 14), but Thomas Aquinas resolves this difficulty by pointing out that Christ repeatedly learned about something from reports of others. So in the present case Christ could have been told about the unbelief which the Nazarenes manifested toward Him in private household conversations, and on this account Christ expressed His astonishment. “Then He went about through the neighboring villages…” Rejected by His fellow citizens, Christ continues His preaching in the circle (round about) of villages or towns to which Nazareth belonged, or else this expression can be understood as meaning that He makes a circular journey through these towns, returning to the seashore. During this journey He sends the apostles out to preach.

Mark 6:7. And He called to Him the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. Through v. 14 the narrative concerns the sending of the apostles to preach (cf. Matt 9:35-10:1 and following; Matt 11:1; Luke 9:1-6). The evangelist Mark compared with Matthew reports only some of the instructions given at that time by Christ to the apostles. “Began to send them out.” Some commentators (for example, Lagrange) consider the expression “began” a simple Aramaism having here, as in other places (v. 2), no real significance. But from the viewpoint of the evangelist Mark, who repeatedly showed that the Lord gradually prepared the apostles for their ministry, this expression should have had real meaning. The evangelist wanted to say that the Lord recognized His disciples as already sufficiently prepared to come forward as independent preachers in Galilee. They are now already helpers of Christ in this work of preaching. The Lord wants them now to go themselves throughout Galilee, to convince themselves through their own experience of the difficulty of the task, and gradually to discover for themselves what they are still lacking. However, they received the right to preach only the necessity of repentance (v. 12). “Two by two.” The apostles were therefore to go in six different directions. The fact that the apostles journeyed in pairs was useful in that they were absolutely reliable witnesses in each place from the standpoint of Jewish law (Deut 19:15). They could render mutual help in case of illness or some misfortune. The evangelist Mark does not mention the prohibition to preach to the gentiles (cf. Matt 10:5), for he wrote his Gospel precisely for Christians from among the gentiles and did not wish to sadden their Christian joy with a reminder of this prohibition which Christ Himself later revoked (Matt 28:19).

Mark 6:8. And He charged them to take nothing on their journey except a staff: no bag, no bread, no money in their belt, Mark 6:9. but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. According to the account of the Gospel of Mark, the Lord allows the apostles to take with them a “staff,” but according to the Gospel of Matthew He forbids it (Matt 10:10, and likewise according to the Gospel of Luke). How are we to reconcile these accounts of the evangelists? Christ generally inspired in the apostles trust in God’s Providence, and tradition could preserve this instruction in two forms: in the form in which Mark gives it, which excludes any supplies for the journey but allows a “staff” simply as a support for climbing mountain paths, and in the form which we find in Matthew and Luke, where “staff” is understood as a means of defense against attacks to which the apostles might be subjected during their journey: a staff as a weapon would not testify to their trust in Providence… Similarly, if the evangelist Matthew says that the Lord forbade the apostles to take spare sandals on their journey, he does not contradict Mark, who reports that Christ commanded the apostles to wear simple sandals. Matthew evidently has in mind “extra” sandals, but there is no mention of them in Mark, who, like Matthew, has in mind only one pair of sandals which the apostles had on their feet.

Mark 6:10. And He said to them: Wherever you enter a house, remain in it until you leave that place. Mark 6:11. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them. Truly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. (See Matt 10:11-15).

Mark 6:12. So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent; The apostles for now preached only repentance as the condition for entering the Kingdom of God, but did not yet proclaim the Kingdom of God itself.

Mark 6:13. and cast out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. The casting out of demons is set forth by the evangelist Mark as the first work of the apostles (Mark 1:34) and is distinguished from the healing of the sick. The anointing with oil, both in ancient times and even now in the East, has a medicinal significance (something like an antiseptic measure). But the apostles, as is evident from the context of the discussion in this section, used oil rather as a symbol of the healing action which they wanted to accomplish over one or another sick person. A similar action was performed by Christ Himself on the blind man, anointing his eyes with mud (John 9:6). By using oil, the apostles, so to speak, disposed the sick toward faith that they could help them, and then they performed the healing – of course, when this was according to the will of Providence. This custom existed later in the Church (Jas 5:14), and from this comes the use of oil in the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, the anointing.

Mark 6:14. King Herod heard about Jesus, for His name became known; and he said: John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and for this reason these powers are at work in him. (Cf. Matt 14:1-3). The evangelist Mark calls Herod a “king” according to popular usage. Yet Herod was only a tetrarch. “His name became known.” It is quite probable that Herod heard about Jesus from John the Baptist, or perhaps rumors about Christ reached him when the apostles went out to preach.

Mark 6:15. Others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, or like one of the prophets.” (See Matt 11:14).

Mark 6:16. But when Herod heard of it, he said: “It is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised.” Mark 6:17. For Herod himself had sent and seized John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. Mark 6:18. For John had said to Herod: It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife. Mark 6:19. And Herodias harbored a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him; but she could not, Mark 6:20. for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he was much perplexed; and yet he heard him gladly. The narrative that begins in this verse concerning the execution of John the Baptist is in general similar to what is told by the evangelist Matthew (Matt 14:3-12). Yet in the Gospel of Mark there are certain peculiarities. For instance, in v. 19 he mentions the hatred which Herodias harbored toward John, while in v. 20 he relates that Herod himself respected John for his righteousness and even consulted with him. This latter account is an addition to what the evangelist Matthew says, who mentions only Herod’s desire to get rid of John, who condemned him and refrained from acting only from fear of the people (Matt 14:5). From this we can conclude that Herod showed a duality in his attitude toward John: sometimes he wanted to kill him under the influence of irritation, and then, having calmed down, he listened to his advice, unless it concerned his relationship with Herodias.

Mark 6:21. But an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military commanders, and the leaders of Galilee; Military commanders – military leaders in Herod’s army. Leaders (the first ones) – noble people.

Mark 6:22. the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, and she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl: Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you. Mark 6:23. And he swore to her: Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom. Mark 6:24. She went out and said to her mother, What shall I ask? And her mother said, The head of John the Baptist. Mark 6:25. And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying: I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Mark 6:26. The king was exceedingly sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he did not wish to refuse her. Mark 6:27. Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring John’s head. Mark 6:28. He went and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. Mark 6:29. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb. The executioner (v. 27, spekulator – a Latin word). This name was given to the royal bodyguards who surrounded the king at his outings and during banquets (cf. Suetonius, “The Lives of the Twelve Caesars”: Claudius, XXXV). They also carried out the king’s orders regarding the execution of persons sentenced to death by the king himself.

Mark 6:30. The apostles gathered around Jesus and told Him all that they had done and taught. Mark 6:31. He said to them: Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while. For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. Mark 6:32. And they went away in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. Mark 6:33. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. After the return of the apostles from their journey, Christ proposed to them to rest alone in a deserted place, for here in Capernaum, the crowd did not give them opportunity for such rest. The apostles went with Christ in a boat (v. 33; Luke 9:10), not accompanied by other boats with the crowd, but soon the people learned where they had gone, and followed them to this deserted place.

Mark 6:34. As Jesus went ashore, He saw a great crowd, and He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. Mark 6:35. When it grew late, His disciples came to Him and said: This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; – Mark 6:36. send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat, for they have nothing to eat. Mark 6:37. But He answered them: You give them something to eat. They said to Him: Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat? Mark 6:38. He said to them: How many loaves do you have? Go and see. When they found out, they said: Five, and two fish. Mark 6:39. Then He ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. Mark 6:40. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. Mark 6:41. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before the people; and He divided the two fish among them all. Mark 6:42. And all of them ate and were satisfied. Mark 6:43. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Mark 6:44. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered about five thousand men. Concerning the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand with five loaves, see Matt 14:14-21. The evangelist Mark adds that Christ, having compassion on the people who were like sheep without a shepherd (cf. Matt 9:36), taught the crowd many things here (v. 34). He also specifies the sum which the apostles thought possible to spend on buying bread for the people (200 denarii – about 40 rubles, equivalent to the cost of 800 grams of silver), and notes that Christ ordered the people to “sit down” “on the green grass” – the time was spring, before Passover (cf. John 6:2) – “in groups” (v. 39).

Mark 6:45. Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd. Mark 6:46. After saying farewell to them, He went up on the mountain to pray. Mark 6:47. When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and He was alone on the land. Mark 6:48. When He saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, He came toward them early in the morning, walking on the sea. He intended to pass by them, Mark 6:49. but when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; Mark 6:50. for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them: Take courage; it is I; do not be afraid. Mark 6:51. Then He got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, Mark 6:52. for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. Concerning the miracle of the stilling of the storm, see Matt 14:22-33. The evangelist Mark notes that the Lord compelled His disciples to set sail ahead of Him in the direction of Bethsaida (v. 45). Some suppose that there were two cities by this name: Bethsaida Julias on the eastern side of the sea, where the feeding of the five thousand took place, and Bethsaida to the west – the native city of the apostles Andrew and Peter (Bp. Michael). But this supposition cannot be accepted. Archeological research has not discovered any other Bethsaida besides the one that was located on the northeast side of the Sea of Tiberias (Mark 8:22). It is better, therefore, to accept the translation (of Volenberg): “compelled him to go on ahead to the other side, toward Bethsaida,” that is, “lying on the opposite side from Bethsaida,” about which the disciples were at that time with Christ. Thus the disciples set out in the boat, while the Lord apparently intended to go along the seashore, crossing the Jordan that separated Him from the place to which He directed His disciples. “For they did not understand about the loaves, because their hearts were hardened” (v. 52). This statement of the evangelist seems to stand in direct contradiction with the fact that they had earlier come forward as preachers in the name of Christ (v. 30), and especially with the testimony of the evangelist John that the disciples believed in Christ at the very time of their calling (John 1:41). But we must distinguish between believing Christ to be the Messiah and the ability to be guided everywhere and in all dangers by this belief or conviction. We constantly observe that Christians who in ordinary times and in ordinary circumstances acknowledge Christ’s power often waver in faith and hope in Him in great dangers. Thus also the apostles, under the influence of fear, forgot all the previous manifestations of Christ’s saving power, and, like ordinary people, could not overcome in themselves astonishment at a new miracle of Christ, His very entering into their boat caused the wind to cease.

Mark 6:53. When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. Mark 6:54. When they got out of the boat, the people at once recognized Him, Mark 6:55. and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was. Mark 6:56. Wherever He went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might touch even the fringe of His cloak; and all who touched it were healed. Concerning the miracles performed by Christ in the land of Gennesaret, see Matt 14:34-36.

Chapter Seven

1–23. Concerning the clean and unclean. – 24–30. The Syrophoenician woman. – 31–37. Healing of a deaf man with a speech impediment.

Mark 7:1. Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Him, Mark 7:2. they noticed that some of His disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, unwashed hands, they found fault with them. The discussion with the Pharisees and scribes concerning the observance of the traditions of the elders, the conversation with the crowd about the Pharisees, and the discussion with the disciples which Christ conducted are explained in the Gospel of Matthew (see comments to Matt 15:1-20). Yet the evangelist Mark makes some additions to what Matthew says. Similarly, there are changes in the order of the Lord’s sayings. Finally, one cannot fail to note that in the evangelist Mark the question of the clean and unclean is placed on broader ground than in Matthew: whereas Matthew ultimately reduces the discussion to the question of eating with unwashed hands, in the evangelist Mark the question of washing hands serves only as an illustration for explaining the fundamental question of the clean and unclean (cf. Matt 15:20 and Mark 7:23).

Mark 7:3. For the Pharisees, and all the Judeans, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; Mark 7:4. and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash themselves. And there are also many other traditions that they observe: the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles and couches. The evangelist Mark, mindful of his readers – Christians from among the gentiles – gives a detailed account of the washing customs which the Judeans observed when eating. Having been to the marketplace and touching various kinds of items sold there, a Judean could have touched something defiled.

Mark 7:5. So the Pharisees and the scribes asked Him: Why do Your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands? Mark 7:6. He said to them: Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, “These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me; Mark 7:7. in vain do they worship Me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.” Mark 7:8. You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition. Mark 7:9. And He said to them: You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition! Mark 7:10. For Moses said: “Honor your father and your mother”; and, “Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.” Mark 7:11. But you say: If anyone tells father or mother, “Anything of mine that you might have been helped by is Corban” (that is, an offering to God) – Mark 7:12. then you no longer permit doing anything for a father or mother, Mark 7:13. thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like this. Mark 7:14. Then He called the crowd again and said to them: Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: Mark 7:15. there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile. Mark 7:16. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. Mark 7:17. When He had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples asked Him about the parable. Mark 7:18. He said to them: Then do you also fail to understand? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile, Mark 7:19. since it enters, not the heart but the stomach, and goes out into the sewer, thus declaring all foods clean? Mark 7:20. And He said: It is what comes out of a person that defiles. Mark 7:21. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, Mark 7:22. thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, an envious eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness — Mark 7:23. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person. “And goes out into the sewer, thus declaring all foods clean” (v. 19). The Russian translation leaves the thought unclear. It is better therefore to understand the final words “thus declaring…” as an appositive to the words of v. 18: “He said to them.” The evangelist wants to say that Christ spoke the words contained in vv. 18-19: “declaring (by implication, making) all foods clean for consumption,” that is, thereby removing the distinction in the value of foods (cf. Rom 14:14 and following). Directly, Christ spoke no word against the sacred to the Israelites ordinances of the Mosaic law, but it is clear that after His Ascension Christians could no longer in principle consider themselves bound to observe the Mosaic food laws, and the evangelist Mark cites the saying of Christ as the basis for the new, Christian, understanding of the significance of food.

Mark 7:24. From there He set out and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know He was there. Yet He could not escape notice, Mark 7:25. for a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about Him, and she came and fell down at His feet. Mark 7:26. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. Mark 7:27. But Jesus said to her: Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs. Mark 7:28. But she answered Him: Yes, Lord; even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs. Mark 7:29. Then He said to her: For saying this, you may go – the demon has left your daughter. Mark 7:30. She went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon had left her. Concerning the miracle of healing the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman, see Matt 15:21-28. The evangelist Mark adds that Christ, being in the region of a purely pagan country, did not wish to preach here and remained in the house of someone known to Him, a Judean (v. 24). The idea that Christ wished to hide here from the hatred of His enemies (Bp. Michael) is not expressed in this passage. The Syrophoenician woman the evangelist Mark more precisely defines as a pagan Greek woman, which denotes her religion, and at the same time as Syrophoenician, which indicates her nationality (v. 26). By adding “the daughter lay on the bed” (v. 30), the evangelist gives us to understand that the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman was fully recovered, and was no longer troubled by the demonic seizures during which she would leap from the bed to the floor.

Mark 7:31. Then Jesus returned from the region of Tyre, went down to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. The evangelist Mark alone speaks of the healing of a deaf mute. The Lord leaves the region of Tyre and Sidon and goes, probably by a military road which ran through Lebanon, Leontes to Caesarea Philippi, and from there through Bethsaida Julias to the Sea of Galilee, where He remained for some time in the region of the Decapolis on the eastern shore.

Mark 7:32. They brought to Him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged Him to lay His hand on him. If the Gergesenes – also inhabitants of the Decapolis – begged Christ to depart from them (Mark 5:17), on the other hand, the inhabitants of this region themselves brought the deaf mute to Him and asked Him to heal him of his disease.

Mark 7:33. Jesus, taking him aside in private, away from the crowd, He put His fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. The petitioners supposed that Christ would heal the sick man in the usual way by laying His hands on him. But the Lord used a different method of healing. Wishing to concentrate the attention of the sick man on Himself, to awaken in the sick man some faith in His power, He first separated him from the crowd, so to speak, brought him closer to Himself. Then He performed actions which were to make the sick man understand that Christ was in a sense a Physician. Thus He placed His fingers in the ears of the sick man, as though widening them; then He spat on His fingers, as physicians sometimes did in ancient times (Tacitus, “History,” IV, 81), and touched them to the tongue of the sick man, showing thereby to both his hearing and his speech His intention to heal the sick man.

Mark 7:34. and looking up to heaven, He sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” Looking up to heaven and sighing, Christ thereby made it clear to the sick man that the healing of his condition required the help of God, dwelling in heaven. As though receiving an affirmative answer to His silent prayer to His Heavenly Father, Christ immediately commanded the hearing and the speech of the sick man to come into action.

Mark 7:35. Immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Christ’s command was immediately carried out. He began to speak (ἐλάλει – imperfect). This expression indicates that the action of healing proved not temporary but permanent: from that time on the sick man spoke clearly or correctly (ὀρθῶς).

Mark 7:36. And He commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more He forbade them, the more they proclaimed it. The Lord forbids them to speak about the miracle He had performed, so as not to give occasion to the inhabitants of the Decapolis to seek Him out constantly precisely as a wonder-worker. They should have believed in Him—of course, in time—as the Messiah, and understood His teaching, rather than seeking from Him only help in various afflictions and illnesses.

Mark 7:37. And they were exceedingly astonished, and were saying, “He has done all things well: He makes even the deaf to hear, and the mute to speak.” “He does all things well.” The crowd of people apparently regarded Christ as such a wonder-worker who was capable of restoring to man the primitive bliss of paradise (Gen 1:31).

Chapter Eight

1–9. The feeding of the four thousand. – 10–12. Christ’s response to the Pharisees regarding their demand for a sign from heaven. – 13–21. A warning to the disciples against the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod. – 22–26. The healing of a blind man in Bethsaida. – 27–30. The disciples’ confession, which took place in the region of Caesarea Philippi. – 31–33. The first announcement of the sufferings. – 34–38. On self-denial.

Mark 8:1. In those days, when a great crowd had gathered and they had nothing to eat, Jesus, calling His disciples to Him, said to them, Mark 8:2. “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. Mark 8:3. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come from far.” Mark 8:4. His disciples answered Him, “Where in this desolate place could anyone get bread to feed them?” Mark 8:5. And He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” Mark 8:6. Then He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to His disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd. Mark 8:7. They also had a few small fish; and after blessing them, He commanded them to be distributed as well. Mark 8:8. And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up the broken pieces that were left over, seven baskets full. Mark 8:9. Those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away. Concerning the miracle of the feeding of the four thousand, see the comments to Matt 15:32-39. The evangelist Mark adds only that the Lord paid attention to some of those who came to Him from far away (verse 3) and consequently did not have friends nearby from whom they could obtain bread. By this the evangelist characterizes Christ’s special care for people. Unlike Matthew, who mentions bread and fish together, the evangelist Mark mentions them separately. Moreover, according to Matthew, Christ blesses the loaves and the fish, while according to Mark—over the loaves He offers thanksgiving (εὐχαριστήσας), and over the fish—a blessing (εὐλογήσας).

Mark 8:10. And immediately He got into the boat with His disciples and came to the region of Dalmanutha. Mark 8:11. The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, demanding from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. Mark 8:12. And He, sighing deeply, said: “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.” Concerning the sign from heaven, see Matt 16:1-4. Mark speaks of this more briefly than Matthew. For example, he omits the words of the Lord about “the sign of Jonah,” probably doing so because his readers, Christians from the Gentiles, would scarcely have understood their meaning. But he adds that Christ “sighed deeply” over the unbelief of the Pharisees. Where Dalmanutha was located is unknown. One can only say that this village, like Magdala, which the evangelist Matthew mentions in his account, was located on the western shore of the Sea of Gennesaret.

Mark 8:13. And leaving them, He again got into the boat and went to the other side. Mark 8:14. Now they had forgotten to take bread; and except for one loaf, they had nothing with them in the boat. Mark 8:15. And He instructed them, saying: “Watch, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” Mark 8:16. And they were discussing with one another, saying, “It is because we have no bread.” Mark 8:17. Jesus, knowing this, said to them: “Why are you discussing that you have no bread? Do you not yet understand and comprehend? Is your heart hardened?” Mark 8:18. Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? Mark 8:19. “When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.” Mark 8:20. “And when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they said, “Seven.” Mark 8:21. And He said to them, “Do you not yet understand?” Concerning the conversation about leaven, see Matt 16:5-12. Instead of mentioning the Sadducees (Matt 16:6), the evangelist Mark includes mention of the leaven of Herod (verse 15). It is quite possible that by this the evangelist was expressing the idea of a similarity in moral views between Herod Antipas, a man entirely devoted to sensuality, and the Sadducees, who likewise prized material goods of life above all.

Mark 8:22. They came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him and asked Him to touch him. Only one evangelist, Mark, reports about the miracle of healing the blind man in Bethsaida (more precisely, on the way to it). Bethsaida lay on the way to Caesarea Philippi—where, in fact, the Lord was heading—not far from the place where the Jordan flows into the sea. The blind man who was brought to Christ had previously been able to see, as appears from the fact that he had a conception of people and trees (verse 24).

Mark 8:23. And taking the blind man by the hand, He led him out of the village; and spitting on his eyes, He laid His hands on him and asked him, “Do you see anything?” The external actions which Christ employs here are the same as He employed in healing the deaf and mute man (cf. Mark 7:32).

Mark 8:24. And looking up, he said, “I see the people, but they look like trees, walking.” Mark 8:25. Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently, and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. The blind man did not immediately see clearly; his eyes were still covered with a haze, and he could not distinguish people from trees. Therefore the Lord laid His hands on him a second time, and the sick man began to see everything clearly.

Mark 8:26. And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village, and tell no one in the village.” The Lord forbids the healed man to speak about the miracle in Bethsaida, perhaps to avoid on this occasion a rush of the curious. The evangelist Mark calls Bethsaida here, as also in verse 23, not a city but a village (κώμη). It had this name from ancient times, and even though the tetrarch Philip called it “the city of Julia” (the daughter of Augustus), the people apparently preserved its ancient name—“village.”

Mark 8:27. And Jesus went out, with His disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way, He was asking His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?” Mark 8:28. They told Him, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.” Mark 8:29. And He continued, saying to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered Him, “You are the Christ.” Mark 8:30. And He warned them that they should tell no one about Him. The answer of the disciples to Christ’s question and the confession of the apostle Peter are found in the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 16:13-20). The evangelist Mark, relating this narrative more briefly than Matthew, omits the praise with which Christ blessed the apostle Peter. Does this not show that he wrote his Gospel under the guidance of the apostle Peter? Of course, the humble apostle did not wish for this praise to be included in Mark’s Gospel. The evangelist Mark reports that Christ’s conversation with the disciples took place “on the way” to Caesarea, not in Caesarea itself, as the evangelist Matthew reports.

Mark 8:31. And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. Mark 8:32. And He was saying this openly. But Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. Mark 8:33. But turning around and looking at His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not thinking the things of God, but the things of men.” Concerning Christ’s prediction of His death, see in the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 16:21-23). The evangelist Mark adds that the Lord began to speak of His sufferings “openly,” that is, in such a way that there remained no cause for any misunderstanding, and indeed without any fear (παρρησία).

Mark 8:34. And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Mark 8:35. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel’s sake will save it.” Mark 8:36. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” Mark 8:37. “Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Mark 8:38. “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” On the teaching about self-denial (see Matt 16:24-27). The evangelist Mark clearly states that the teaching was proclaimed aloud before the “crowd” surrounding Christ, that is, not only to the disciples. Likewise, Mark alone adds to the expression “for My sake” (verse 35): “and for the gospel’s sake.” The gospel or good news about Christ evidently represented for him and his readers as it were the voice of Christ Himself speaking from heaven. How they relate to the gospel, so they relate to Christ Himself. Verse 38 cf. Matt 10:33.

Chapter Nine

1–13. The Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ. – 14–29. The healing of the demon-possessed boy. – 30–32. The repetition of the prediction about death and Resurrection. – 33–50. On the relations of the disciples to one another: humility, love. Discourse on temptations to sin.

Mark 9:1. And He was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” (Cf. Matt 16:28.) These words represent the conclusion to the speech of the Lord contained in Mark 8:34-38. The evangelist Matthew expresses himself far more concretely than Mark (and Luke with him). He speaks precisely of the coming of Christ as a mighty King, while Mark speaks of the coming of the kingdom of God in general. Regarding the fulfillment of this prophecy of Christ, one must say the following. The kingdom of God “in power,” that is, the spreading of the gospel throughout the entire then-known world (Rom 1:8; Col 1:6; 1 Thess 1:8), was seen by some of those who were listeners of Christ. They saw how the kingdom of God penetrated into the hearts of people, renewing them and endowing them with new life-giving powers—in a word, displaying all its miraculous power.

Mark 9:2. And after six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves alone; and He was transfigured before them. The narrative of the Transfiguration of Christ that begins here is on the whole similar to the narrative in the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 17:1-13), but it also has certain distinctive features.

Mark 9:3. His garments became shining, exceedingly white, as no fuller on earth can whiten them. Without mentioning the “change of Christ’s face” (cf. Matt 17:2), the evangelist Mark speaks particularly carefully about Christ’s garments, which were illuminated by an extraordinary light. This light itself was of heavenly origin, as appears from the fact that, the evangelist says, it could not be compared with the brightness of garments cleansed by a fuller “on earth.”

Mark 9:4. And Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. The evangelist Mark places Elijah in the first position (and not Moses, as Matthew does), perhaps because the conversation about Elijah follows later (verse 11 and onward).

Mark 9:5. Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” “Rabbi.” This word in meaning equals the expression: Lord (Matt 17:4; cf. John 20:16: “Rabboni”). “It is good for us to be here”—better rendered: “It is good that we are here!”

Mark 9:6. For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified. Peter was accustomed to acting as the representative of the apostles. But now he did not know what to say, because what had happened had filled him with fear. His speech shows that he and the other disciples were not yet able to imagine their Teacher in His glory.

Mark 9:7. Then a cloud appeared, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son; listen to Him!” Mark 9:8. And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus alone. Mark 9:9. As they were coming down from the mountain, He gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man should rise from the dead. Mark 9:10. And they seized upon that saying, questioning among themselves what rising from the dead meant. “Seized upon that saying.” It is quite likely that this alludes to the silence which the disciples were required to observe regarding the great event on the mountain (cf. verse 9). The evangelist Luke directly states that the apostles “kept silence” about what had happened (Luke 9:36). “What does it mean…” The apostles were undoubtedly not puzzled about resurrection of the dead in general, but about the resurrection of the Messiah, to whom, according to their understanding, it was not supposed to be necessary to die (cf. John 12:34).

Mark 9:11. They asked Him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” The thought contained in the question of the disciples is as follows. The scribes, who said much about the signs of the coming of the Messiah, drew the attention of their listeners to the prophecy of Malachi, according to which Elijah the prophet should appear before the coming of the Messiah and prepare the Jews for receiving the Messiah (Mal 4:5 and onward). Now the disciples had already seen Elijah—he came from heaven and would certainly prepare the Jews for receiving Christ, when Christ deigns to reveal Himself to the world. Why, then, should Christ suffer and die? Who would raise a hand against Him if Elijah prepares everyone for faith in Christ?

Mark 9:12. And He said to them, “Elijah indeed comes first and restores all things; and yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt?” The Lord here repeats the question of the disciples, revealing its meaning. “If it is true that Elijah should prepare the Jews for receiving Me as the Messiah, then how—and herein lies the substance of your perplexity—can this be reconciled with what is written concerning the Son of Man, namely those prophecies that speak of the hostile attitude of the Jews toward the Messiah, of His great sufferings and humiliation?”

Mark 9:13. But I say to you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him. To settle the confusion in which the disciples found themselves, Christ says: “Yes, so it is written! But I explain to you that even Elijah himself, My forerunner, who has already come, men hostile to Me treated harshly. They did with him as they wished—precisely as the Scripture foretold concerning the Son of Man, regarding how men would treat Him.”

Mark 9:14. When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. The evangelist Mark’s account of the healing of the demon-possessed boy is far more detailed than Matthew’s account (Matt 17:14-21). First of all, he reports that the crowd and scribes were arguing with the disciples when Christ, after the Transfiguration, came to the disciples. The debate, of course, was about whether Christ truly gave wonder-working power to the disciples. The disciples, it turned out, were not able to heal the brought boy.

Mark 9:15. Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed, and ran up to greet Him. The crowd was amazed or, more precisely, was struck with astonishment mixed with fear (ἐκθαμβεῖσθαι). They were struck by the unexpected appearance of Christ and perhaps by some lingering radiance that was on Christ’s face during the Transfiguration.

Mark 9:16. And He asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” The Lord asks what the scribes were arguing about with the people (“with them”). But the scribes fell silent: evidently, they were speaking disparagingly of Christ and now they were ashamed to repeat their words to the people.

Mark 9:17. One of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed by a dumb spirit;” Then, on behalf of the crowd, the father of the boy makes a declaration. He explains that the demon deprived the boy of the gift of speech and threw him into the falling sickness.

Mark 9:18. and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it. Mark 9:19. And He answered them and said, “O faithless generation! How long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me.” Mark 9:20. They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. Mark 9:21. And He asked his father, “How long has he been like this?” And he said, “From childhood;” Like a physician, Christ asks the father how long his son has been ill. He does this in order to bring the father to the realization of how serious his son’s condition is and how helpless he had been up to that point.

Mark 9:22. and it has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us. The father of the boy does not have sufficiently strong faith in Christ, even though he brought his son to Him. He says: “if You can…”

Mark 9:23. Jesus said to him, “‘If you can!’ All things are possible to him who believes.” Then the Lord impresses upon the father the necessity of faith in Him. “If you can!…” Better translated: “What is this: ‘if you can’?” (the word “believe” in the best manuscripts is not read). All things are possible to one who believes, that is, if you have true faith, you will obtain all that you need, and not merely “something” or “partly.”

Mark 9:24. Immediately the boy’s father cried out with tears and said, “I believe, Lord! help my unbelief.” The father understood the reproach contained in Christ’s words and began to confess his little faith, asking Christ to strengthen him in faith.

Mark 9:25. When Jesus saw that a crowd was running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him, and do not enter him again.” Mark 9:26. Crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so lifeless that most of them said, “He is dead.” Mark 9:27. But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up. Mark 9:28. When He came into the house, His disciples began asking Him privately, “Why could we not drive it out?” Mark 9:29. And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.” The ones who brought the sick man evidently forewarned the crowd, which only now began to gather in masses around Christ. Now, in front of the entire crowd, the Lord found it beneficial to perform the miracle of healing the boy: the crowd must not think that this healing presents difficulty for Him, as it had been difficult for the apostles. There were no other reasons compelling Christ precisely at this moment to perform the healing, for example, fear of the Pharisees and scribes who might incite the people against Christ (as Bishop Michael suggests)—there were none here.

Mark 9:30. They went out from there and passed through Galilee; and He did not want anyone to know about it. Mark 9:31. For He was teaching His disciples and saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He is killed, after three days He will rise again.” Mark 9:32. But they did not understand the statement, and they were afraid to ask Him. (Cf. Matt 17:22-23). The evangelist Mark remarks that at this time Christ passed through Galilee unrecognized, because His activity here was already drawing to a close. The miracle which He performed after the Transfiguration was the last in Galilee. The people must now seek instruction not from Christ, but from the apostles. At this time Christ devoted Himself entirely to preparing His disciples for their future activity (taught them) and especially impressed upon them the thought of His forthcoming violent death. If in Mark 8:31 Christ also spoke of the death awaiting Him, there He spoke of it as something that must come to pass (“must”), while here He speaks of His death as a fact which is, so to speak, about to happen (“the Son of Man is to be delivered”). “They did not understand” (cf. Matt 17:23).

Mark 9:33. Then they came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” Mark 9:34. But they kept silent; for on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest. Mark 9:35. Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” Mark 9:36. Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, Mark 9:37. “Whoever receives one of such children in My name, receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.” (Cf. Matt 18:1-5). The evangelist Mark notes that Jesus held this conversation with the disciples in Capernaum. In all likelihood, the evangelist, having mentioned Capernaum only at the beginning of Christ’s activity in Galilee (Mark 1:21), mentions it again now to hint that the Galilean activity of Christ had come to an end. The Lord, in Mark’s conception, wishes to show final honor to the house of Simon, where He had always found a warm reception. “He asked them.” Thus from this it is evident that the question posed by the disciples, which the evangelist Matthew reports (Matt 18:1), was preceded by a question with which Christ addressed them. From Mark’s Gospel it is clear that the disciples were discussing with one another about who among them was greater. Their silence testifies that they were ashamed, understanding that their conversation, which they were conducting among themselves, was nevertheless known to Christ. Silently they, so to speak, confessed their sin before Him. Verse 35 cf. Matt 20:26. “Taking him in His arms.” More accurately translated: “He took him into His arms.” Between verses 36 and 37 there is a certain lack of connection. Namely, in verse 37, the discourse is evidently about children in a figurative sense, that is, about Christians who, by their humility, resemble children and generally occupy inconspicuous places in the Church. But in verse 36, the discourse is about an ordinary child. Evidently, the evangelist here abbreviates Christ’s speech, which undoubtedly explained to the apostles that by “child” He meant humble people. Only in this way can one explain the appearance of the expression: “one of such children” (verse 37).

Mark 9:38. John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” Mark 9:39. But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon after to speak evil of Me.” Mark 9:40. “For he who is not against us is for us.” Mark 9:41. “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.” Hearing Christ’s speech about condescension toward those standing at the first stage of Christian life, the apostle John recalled a recent incident in which the disciples of Christ had acted, it appears, contrary to the fundamental outlook contained in Christ’s just-spoken words (verse 37). They forbade a certain man to cast out demons in Christ’s name because this man, perhaps out of some fearfulness, did not join the circle of Christ’s disciples. The apostles, so to speak, regarded the performance of miracles in Christ’s name as their own personal privilege, and they were displeased that someone else, who apparently had not received authority from Christ, nevertheless performed such miracles as they did. Christ instructs them that when they encounter this wonder-worker again, they should not repeat their former action toward him. Such a person cannot soon become hostile to Christ: he sees in Him God’s messenger. Then Christ points out that in the present situation of the disciples, when representatives of the Jewish people are openly hostile to Christ and the apostles, the disciples regard it as valuable that at least someone among the people does not go against them—this means such a person sympathizes with them in his heart; otherwise he would certainly have gone with his leaders, the scribes and Pharisees. Earlier it was different. Then, when popular sentiment was on the side of Christ (Matt 12:23), direct following of Christ was required, and whoever was not with Him was evidently hostile to Him (Matt 12:30). Finally, if one who gave a cup of water to a disciple of Christ will not lose his reward, then certainly one who works miracles in His name—one who glorifies Christ—has more right to a reward and consequently more right to enjoy the wonder-working powers brought to earth by Christ (cf. Matt 10:42).

Mark 9:42. “And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck, and he had been thrown into the sea.” Mark 9:43. “If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire,” Christ continues His interrupted discourse on the manner in which the apostles should regard the weak in faith (see Matt 18:5-6).

Mark 9:44. where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. (See comments to Isa 66:24). Blessed Theophylact understands by “worm” and “fire” the pangs of conscience which a sinner will feel after death. These torments will continue eternally.

Mark 9:45. “If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire,” Mark 9:46. where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. Mark 9:47. “If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into Gehenna of fire,” Mark 9:48. where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. Mark 9:49. For everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be salted with salt. Mark 9:50. “Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” Verses 49–50 represent what is called a crux interpretum. It is unclear why the Lord bases His teaching on the need to avoid temptations by pointing to the seasoning of all things with some sort of fire and every sacrifice with salt. In view of the impossibility of giving a natural explanation to this text, found only in the evangelist Mark, some scholars (for example, Kdeneke in Beiträge z. Förder. Th. 1908, 1) make such a correction of this passage. They transpose the words of verse 50 to the beginning of verse 49 in place of the expression “for everyone will be seasoned with fire,” which seems unauthentic to these scholars. Thus, verse 49 has the following form: “salt is a good thing, for (see Lev 2:13) every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.” Professor Bogdashevsky, however, finds this new attempt at interpretation leads nowhere, since it leaves unexplained the connection of verse 49 with verse 48, and moreover has no basis in the most reliable manuscripts of the Gospel, in which the most accepted form is our version of verse 49. According to Professor Bogdashevsky, the thought contained in verses 48 and 49 can be expressed as follows. “Do not be afraid,” says Christ, “of spiritual self-denial. To avoid temptations, do not spare any member of your body that tempts you, for the path of a true follower of Mine, as a true spiritual sacrifice to God, is the path of seasoning with fire—that is, with the fire of self-sacrifice, self-denial, spiritual purification. It is necessary in general to have ‘salt’ in yourself, that is, the Christian spirit, a Christian constant disposition, Christian principles of faith and life, and once this ‘salt’ loses its strength in us, we can no longer influence others. There will be no peace among us, and we will quarrel about who is greater among us” (“Proceedings of the Kiev Theological Academy,” 1909, July–Aug., pp. 485–487). With such an interpretation one can fully agree: one only needs to place verse 49 in connection with the entire section of verses 37–48. Indeed, it is very plausible that the Lord at the end of His discourse on temptations returned to His main point—the need for humility in His disciples—and to prove this necessity pointed out that His disciples must advance to perfection through various trials. However, we would prefer to express the meaning of verses 49–50 thus: “Why should you fear to sacrifice any attachment? (cf. Matt 5:29). After all, none of My followers can escape the fire of suffering, which God will send them so that they may become hardened in virtue. Indeed, not in vain was every sacrifice in the Old Testament salted with salt—this had a special spiritual significance, since salt gave a certain flavor to the sacrificial meat. So in Christ’s followers there must be preserved the salt of self-denial, without which they will not find God’s favor. If this self-denial disappears, then Christian life will decline. But having self-denial, Christians will be able to have peace among themselves, not exalting one another by their advantages.”

Chapter Ten

1–12. Christ’s departure from Galilee in the direction of Jerusalem. The question of the indissolubility of marriage. – 13–16. The blessing of children. – 17–27. A conversation with the rich young man and with the disciples about wealth and the Kingdom of Heaven. – 28–31. On the reward for following Christ. – 32–34. Christ’s ascent to Jerusalem for death, after which the Resurrection should follow. – 35–40. The request of the sons of Zebedee. – 41–45. Teaching to the disciples about humility. – 46–52. The healing of a blind man at the exit from Jericho.

Mark 10:1. Setting out from there, He comes to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. Again the crowd gathers around Him, and, as was His custom, He again taught them. (See Matt 19:1). The evangelist Mark notes that Christ, after a rather long interval (cf. Mark 9:30), again began to teach great multitudes of people who followed Him (ὄχλοι).

Mark 10:2. The Pharisees came and asked Him, testing Him: Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? Mark 10:3. He answered them, saying: What did Moses command you? Mark 10:4. They said: Moses permitted to write a certificate of divorce and to divorce. Mark 10:5. Jesus said to them in answer: Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this commandment. Mark 10:6. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. Mark 10:7. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother Mark 10:8. and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh; so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Mark 10:9. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate. Mark 10:10. In the house the disciples asked Him about this matter again. Mark 10:11. He said to them: Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; Mark 10:12. and if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery. The conversation about the indissolubility of marriage in the evangelist Mark generally represents a repetition of what is contained in the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 19:3-12). Only some of Christ’s utterances in the evangelist Mark are placed in different locations than in Matthew. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” (verse 2) The evangelist Mark conveys the question of the Pharisees without the addition found in the Gospel of Matthew: “for any reason” (Matt 19:3). One can think that he does this in order to place the question not on Jewish, but on Christian ground. He had in mind his Christian readers from the Gentiles, who were undoubtedly interested in the question of whether divorce is permitted in Christianity. “He said to them…” (verse 3). The evangelist Matthew conveys the matter so that Christ first drew the attention of the Pharisees to the heavenly law concerning marriage, and then to the law of Moses, whereas Mark conveys Christ’s indications in the reverse order. Evidently both evangelists wanted to convey only the substance of Christ’s conversation with the Pharisees, not adhering strictly to chronological order. “In the house the disciples asked Him about this again” (verse 10). In the house the disciples now addressed the Lord with the same question as the Pharisees had (such is the meaning of the word “again”…the disciples had not asked Christ about divorce before), the disciples of Christ. “If a woman divorces…” Since the apostle Mark was writing his Gospel for Christians from the Gentiles, and among Roman Gentiles there were cases where women divorced their husbands, he retained in Christ’s discourse this mention of this case, which the evangelist Matthew does not mention. In general, the evangelist Mark had in mind common Christian interests, and therefore his Christ’s teachings almost always have a more general application.

Mark 10:13. They were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Mark 10:14. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them: Let the children come to Me, and do not prevent them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Mark 10:15. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will not enter it. Mark 10:16. And He embraced them, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. (See Matt 19:13-15). The evangelist Mark says that children were “brought” to Christ. This indicates that by “children” he understands infants of very early age. From the “touching” of Christ the children, according to the belief of those who brought them, were supposed to receive health (cf. Mark 1:41). “He was indignant” with His disciples because of their misunderstanding that children also should not be excluded from the members of the kingdom of God. “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child,” that is, whoever does not now accept the preaching about the coming Kingdom with childlike trustfulness, who does not believe with all his heart in Christ. “Will not enter it,” that is, into the future glorious kingdom of God, which will be revealed at the end of time. “And He embraced them…” More accurately: He took them in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. From ancient times this passage has been justly recognized as a principal point in the proofs brought in favor of the custom of baptizing infants as well.

Mark 10:17. As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before Him and asked Him: Good Teacher! what must I do to inherit eternal life? Mark 10:18. Jesus said to him: Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. Mark 10:19. You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother. Mark 10:20. He said to Him: Teacher! I have kept all these since my youth. Mark 10:21. Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him: You lack one thing; go, sell everything you have, give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow Me, taking up your cross. Mark 10:22. But at these words his face fell, and he went away grieving, for he had great possessions. Mark 10:23. And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples: How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! Mark 10:24. The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus again says to them in answer: Children! how difficult it is for those who trust in wealth to enter the kingdom of God! Mark 10:25. It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. Mark 10:26. And they were exceedingly astounded and said to one another: Then who can be saved? Mark 10:27. Jesus, looking at them, says: For human beings this is impossible, but not for God, for all things are possible for God. (See Matt 19:16-26). The evangelist Mark in this section supplements the account of Matthew. He reports that a “certain man” (in Matthew – “a young man”) ran up to Christ and fell on his knees before Him, testifying by this to his sincere desire to learn from Christ all the truth concerning the question that occupied him, and to his trust in Christ. “Do not defraud” (verse 19). This expression, in all probability, represents in brief form the content of the tenth commandment, where there is mention of the various injuries caused by people to their neighbors. “Looking at him, loved him” (verse 21). Christ was pleased with the eagerness with which the young man strove to attain the truth, his desire to look into the depth of the law, not limiting himself to its external, literal fulfillment. “You lack one thing.” What is this one thing? Under this “single thing” one cannot understand what Christ later enumerates: the sale of property, the distribution to the poor, and following Christ, because this is not one, but three deeds. By the context of the discourse, it is best to see here the designation of repentance or turning, like a little child, to Christ. “Taking up your cross.” Cf. Mark 8:34, however, in the best manuscripts this expression is not present. “How difficult it is for those who trust in wealth…” (verse 24). In the best manuscripts the words “who trust in wealth” are not present (Tischendorf, 8th ed.). The Lord says that access to the Kingdom of Heaven is difficult in general.

Mark 10:28. Peter began to say to Him: Behold, we have left everything and followed You. Mark 10:29. Jesus said in response: Truly I tell you: there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My sake and for the gospel, Mark 10:30. who will not receive now, in this time, amid persecutions, a hundredfold return of houses, and brothers and sisters, and fathers, and mothers, and children, and lands, and in the age to come eternal life. Mark 10:31. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first. (See Matt 19:27-30). The evangelist Mark more precisely defines the reward awaiting the faithful followers of Christ. He says that this reward is twofold—temporal and eternal (Matthew speaks only of the “eternal” reward, in the future life). Here the believer will receive a hundredfold more of all that he has renounced for Christ’s sake, and there, beyond the grave, eternal life or eternal blessedness. Of course, by new “houses,” “fathers,” “brothers,” and so forth, one must understand spiritual blessings and relationships, which one who has followed Christ and severed ties with his blood relatives finds in the new life. However, Christ adds that Christians at the same time must endure persecutions (“amid persecutions”), and from the attacks of enemies they will not be delivered in this age (ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τούτῳ). In the mention of receiving rewards on earth there is no mention of compensation for the loss of a “wife.” The blessed Theophylact relates that the wicked Julian intentionally inserted here such a mention, as if accusing Christians of being able, according to the teaching of their Savior, to have as many wives as they wanted, having left the wives they had while being pagans. The Lord thus intentionally did not mention, did not repeat, this expression “wife” in the promise of reward. One can read of the fulfillment of Christ’s prophecy concerning earthly rewards for Christ’s follower in Acts 2:44 and ff.; Acts 4:32; Rom 16:13; 1 Tim 5:2 and in other places in the apostolic epistles, where, for example, elders are recommended to be honored as fathers, older women as mothers, and so forth.

Mark 10:32. Now as they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, Jesus was going ahead of them, and they were amazed and afraid. Those who followed were in fear. Taking the twelve aside, He again began to tell them what was about to happen to Him: Mark 10:33. saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles, Mark 10:34. and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him; and on the third day He will rise again.” (See Matt 20:17-19). The evangelist Mark notes that when Christ and the apostles were going up to Jerusalem, where Christ was about to taste martyrdom, Christ was going “ahead” of the apostles, as if encouraging them, and they “were amazed,” that is, were in extraordinary wonder at His boldness. “And those following were in fear.” According to the best reading: and those who were following (οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες), that is, people who sympathized with Christ (not the apostles) and were going with Him to Jerusalem. They were very afraid, hearing Christ’s words about the death awaiting Him in Jerusalem. “And spit on Him”—as a sign of contempt for Christ (Matt 26:67).

Mark 10:35. Then the sons of Zebedee, James and John, came to Him and said: Teacher! we wish You to do for us whatever we ask. Mark 10:36. He said to them: What do you wish Me to do for you? Mark 10:37. They said to Him: Grant us that in Your glory we may sit, one at Your right hand and one at Your left. Mark 10:38. But Jesus said to them: You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? Mark 10:39. They said to Him: We are able. Jesus said to them: The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be baptized; Mark 10:40. but to sit at My right hand and at My left is not Mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared. Mark 10:41. When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. Mark 10:42. So Jesus called them and said to them: You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Mark 10:43. But it is not so among you; rather whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant; Mark 10:44. and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. Mark 10:45. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. (See Matt 20:20-28). The evangelist Mark reports that the sons of Zebedee themselves approached Christ with a request. In this way he clarifies that their mother’s request, about which the evangelist Matthew speaks, was prompted by the suggestion of James and John, who themselves felt reluctant to approach Christ directly. “In Your glory” (verse 37; see Matt 19:28)

Mark 10:46. They came to Jericho. As He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat begging by the roadside. Mark 10:47. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and say: Jesus, Son of David! have mercy on me! Mark 10:48. Many sternly ordered him to be quiet; but he cried out even more loudly: Son of David! have mercy on me! Mark 10:49. Jesus stood still and said: Call him. And they called the blind man, saying to him: Take heart; get up, He is calling you. Mark 10:50. He threw off his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Mark 10:51. Then Jesus said to him: What do you want Me to do for you? The blind man said to Him: My teacher, let me see again. Mark 10:52. Jesus said to him: Go, your faith has healed you. And at once he regained his sight and followed Him on the road. (See Matt 20:29-34.) The evangelist Mark mentions only one blind man, while Matthew mentions two. Perhaps Mark mentioned only the one of the two who was better known in the Christian Church. Therefore, he probably names him also by name—Bartimaeus. One may suppose that this name is composed of two words: the Aramaic “bar,” which means “son,” and the Greek “Timaeus”—a shortened form of the name Timothy. The evangelist Mark himself translates this name as designating “the son of Timaeus.” “He threw off his cloak” (verse 50). The outer garment, rather a wide mantle, hindered the blind man from running to Christ. “My teacher” (“Rabbuni”). The blind man uses such an expression, which in ancient Hebrew literature had a particularly high meaning and was applied almost always only to God. “Your faith has healed you” (verse 52; cf. Mark 5:34; Matt 15:28).

Chapter Eleven

1–11. The Lord’s entry into Jerusalem. – 12–14. The cursing of the fig tree. – 15–19. The cleansing of the temple. – 20–26. The conversation about the withered fig tree. – 27–33. About the divine authority of Christ.

Mark 11:1. When they came near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of His disciples Mark 11:2. and said to them: Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a young donkey tied that no one has ever ridden; untie it and bring it. Mark 11:3. If anyone says to you, “Why are you doing this?” just say, “The Lord needs it,” and He will send it back here at once. Mark 11:4. So they went away and found a young donkey tied by a door on the street, and untied it. Mark 11:5. Some of those standing there said to them: What are you doing, untying the colt? Mark 11:6. They answered them as Jesus had directed; and they let them go. Mark 11:7. Then they brought the young donkey to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and He sat on it. Mark 11:8. Many spread their cloaks on the road; and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. Mark 11:9. Then those ahead and those who followed were shouting: Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Mark 11:10. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David, that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! Mark 11:11. Then Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when He had looked around at everything, as it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve. Regarding the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem, see Matt 21:1-11. The evangelist Mark adds (in verse 1) to the name Bethphage the name Bethany. Possibly he made this addition in order to explain the almost unknown name Bethphage (this word is not found in Tischendorf, 8th ed.) by the better-known name Bethany. This latter village (now El-Azariyeh) was located on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives. The road to Jerusalem from Bethany led, as it does now, first in a southwestern, then in a northwestern direction, between the Mount of Olives and the Mount of Offense. “And He will send it back here at once” (verse 3). According to the more reliable reading: “at once He sends it back here.” From this “back” it is natural to conclude that the young donkey was an animal belonging to the owner of the house in which Christ was staying at this time. It was only temporarily given to some neighbor. “Tied by a door on the street” (verse 4). More precisely: “at the door, close to the very road that passed by the house” (ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀμφόδου). “Then they brought” the donkey (verse 7). According to Mark’s account, it would seem that the Lord made His entry into Jerusalem only on a young donkey: Mark does not mention the she-donkey of which the evangelist Matthew speaks. By this, however, he does not say that she was not there at the time of Christ’s procession. He makes it clear that the Lord rode on a young donkey—the she-donkey, meanwhile, could have walked alongside. In this connection, the evangelist Mark notes that no one had ever sat on this young donkey (see the comments on Matt 21:4-5). “Leafy branches that they had cut from the fields” (verse 8), more precisely: “leafy branches cut from vegetation growing in the field” (στιβάδας κόψαντες ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν). The Mount of Olives at that time, as now, was cultivated by farmers, and there was abundant vegetation of all kinds on it. “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” (verse 10). This means that the people recognized Jesus as the legitimate descendant of David, in whom and through whom the universally expected promised Kingdom should come. The readers of Mark’s Gospel have by now read several times about the “Kingdom of God” (Mark 1:14 and others), which should come soon (Mark 1:15). And if now the people call the approaching kingdom the “Kingdom of David,” they want to say that God has made Jesus, whom the blind man called the Son of David (Mark 10:47), King of this Divine Kingdom, and that the opening of this Kingdom should be expected in the near future. “And when He had looked around at everything…” (verse 11). According to Mark’s Gospel, Christ did not begin to teach on the day of His entry because of the late hour, but only carefully looked at what was being done in the temple. Apparently, according to Mark’s understanding, nothing particularly important was done by Christ that day, though the evangelist Matthew remembered some miracles performed by Christ at that time (Matt 21:14).

Mark 11:12. The next day, when they left Bethany, He was hungry; Mark 11:13. and seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps it had any fruit. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. Mark 11:14. Jesus said to it: May no one ever eat fruit from you again! And His disciples heard it. (See Matt 21:18-19). “For it was not the season for figs.” This remark of the evangelist Mark undoubtedly refers only to the immediately preceding statement: “He found nothing but leaves.” He explains why the Lord did not find fruit on the fig tree: the summer had not yet come when the fruits ripen. But then, why did the Lord curse the tree? There is no doubt that all this event had a symbolic meaning. The Lord knew that there was no fruit on the tree, but this fig tree, contrary to the natural order (in early April, when the Lord passed by the fig tree, there was generally no foliage yet on fig trees), was adorned with leaves. It was this circumstance that gave the Lord occasion to give the disciples an instruction about a similar deception that Jerusalem and the magnificent temple service, which the Lord had just observed the day before, represented. Jerusalem and the temple, as it were, the evangelist wants to say, did not bring forth the good fruit desired by Christ; the time for this had not yet come. With time, Judaism was supposed to bear the fruit of faith. Now, however, it was destined to drink the cup of God’s wrath and to be subjected to the awesome curse of God (cf. Matt 23:28). “And His disciples heard it,” that is, understood the meaning of Christ’s words, which could not be incomprehensible to them after the parable of the fig tree, in which the Lord had earlier depicted for them the sad fate of Judaism (Luke 13:6-9).

Mark 11:15. Then they came to Jerusalem. And Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; Mark 11:16. and He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. Mark 11:17. He taught and said: Is it not written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations”? But you have made it a den of robbers. Mark 11:18. The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and they kept looking for a way to kill Him; for they were afraid of Him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by His teaching. Mark 11:19. When evening came, Jesus and His disciples went out of the city. (See Matt 21:12-17). According to Mark’s Gospel, the Lord performed the cleansing of the temple, driving out the merchants, on Monday, not on Sunday, as appears from the Gospel of Matthew (and Luke). One can think that the evangelist Mark here violated the chronological order of events in order to set apart the entry into Jerusalem itself as an event of extraordinary importance. In any case, the testimony of the other two synoptic evangelists should be considered more accurate than that of Mark alone. “And He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple.” To shorten the way, various things could be carried through the vestibule, which was from ancient times condemned by Jewish rabbis. “He taught and said.” Only the evangelist Mark makes this remark, clearly wishing to show that the Lord, appearing as a stern Judge of the Jews, at the same time did not cease to instruct them because of His great love for them. Regarding the chief priests and scribes—enemies of Christ (cf. Matt 21:15)—the evangelist Mark notes that they “were afraid” of Christ, “because the whole crowd was spellbound by His teaching.” By this the evangelist makes it clear that the enemies of Christ were restrained in their hostile and malicious designs only by the reverence with which the people listened to Christ. “When evening came…” More accurately: “when evening was coming, the Lord, as was His custom, was leaving the city.”

Mark 11:20. In the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered to its roots. Mark 11:21. Peter remembered and said to Him: Rabbi! Look, the fig tree that You cursed has withered. Mark 11:22. Jesus answered them, saying: Mark 11:23. Have faith in God; for truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea,” and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. Mark 11:24. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:25. Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. Mark 11:26. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses. (See Matt 21:20-22). The evangelist Mark conveys a more extensive discourse of Christ than what is found in the Gospel of Matthew. “Have faith in God” (verse 23), that is, faith in God as Almighty, who can do all that the disciples of Christ might ask. The discourse here is perhaps about that miraculous faith which was given in the times of the apostles to some Christians as a special gift of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 13:2). By indicating such faith, the Lord comforts His disciples in view of the difficulties awaiting them in preaching the gospel. “Whatever you ask for in prayer…” (verse 24). When the disciples pray about something, they should believe that they will receive it. One can say that faith puts the one praying in such a situation where he imagines himself already to have received from God all that he prays for and desires.

Matthew 6:5. “Whenever you stand praying, forgive…” (verse 25). On the other hand, one standing (cf. Mt.6:5 regarding standing while performing prayer) in prayer must be pervaded by a feeling of forgiveness toward his insulters. Otherwise God will not forgive the one who prays his guilt before Him, and in such a case he cannot count on the hearing of his petition about the performance of some extraordinary work of God (miracle). (Cf. Matt 6:14-15). Mark 11:27. Then they came again to Jerusalem. As He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him Mark 11:28. and said to Him: By what authority are You doing these things? Who gave You this authority to do them? Mark 11:29. Jesus said to them in response: I will ask you one question; answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Mark 11:30. Did the baptism of John come from heaven or from men? Answer Me. Mark 11:31. They argued with one another, saying: If we say, “From heaven,” He will say, “Then why did you not believe him?” Mark 11:32. But shall we say, “From men”?—they were afraid of the crowd, for all really held that John was a true prophet. Mark 11:33. So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” (See Matt 21:23-27). “Walking in the temple” (verse 27). By these words the evangelist Mark means not merely walking about in the temple, but the conversations that Christ held here with the Jews and the miracles that He worked. Both of these, of course, are understood by the chief priests when they ask by what “authority” Christ does “this.” According to Mark’s Gospel, they asked Christ about his entire way of acting—both His teaching and His miracles.

Chapter Twelve

1–12. The parable of the wicked vinedressers. – 13–17. The Lord’s answer to the Pharisees and Herodians about the tax to Caesar. – 18–27. The Lord’s answer to the Sadducees about the resurrection of the dead. – 28–34. The greatest commandment. – 35–37. Christ—the Son and Lord of David. – 38–40. Speech against the scribes and Pharisees. – 41–44. Two widow’s mites.

Mark 12:1. Then He began to speak to them in parables: A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine vat, built a watchtower, and rented it to vinedressers, then went away. Mark 12:2. And he sent a servant to the vinedressers in due time—to receive from the vinedressers the fruit of the vineyard. Mark 12:3. And they, seizing him, beat him and sent him away with nothing. Mark 12:4. Again he sent another servant to them; and they broke his head with stones and sent him away with dishonor. Mark 12:5. And again he sent another: and him they killed; and many others, some they beat, some they killed. Mark 12:6. Having yet one beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying: They will respect my son. Mark 12:7. But the vinedressers said to one another: This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. Mark 12:8. And, seizing him, they killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. Mark 12:9. What then shall the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and will give the vineyard to others. Mark 12:10. Have you not read this in the Scripture: “The stone which the builders rejected, the same became the head of the corner; Mark 12:11. this was from the Lord, and is marvelous in our eyes”. Mark 12:12. And they sought to arrest him, but feared the people, for they understood that he spoke the parable against them; and, leaving him, they went away. “And he began to speak to them in parables” (verse 1). According to Mark’s Gospel, it comes out that the Lord spoke several parables to the chief priests and scribes (“them”). And the evangelist Matthew indeed reports in the parallel section (Matt 21:28-44) three parables. It is clear that if Mark in the present instance gives only one, he does this in view of a great abbreviation of the narrative. The parable chosen by him (the second in Matthew) is the most powerful. Similarly, from the servants of which Matthew speaks (Matt 21:34), Mark mentions only one, probably the most important. “And he cast him out” (verse 8). According to the evangelist Matthew, they first led the son out of the vineyard and then killed him. And in Mark the expression is used (ἐξεβαλον αὐτόν) which everywhere applies not to a corpse, but to a living person (cf. Mark 5:40; Luke 8:54; John 2:15). Thus, this expression at first needs to be supplemented with “after they first” and the whole verse 8 needs to be translated this way: “and, taking him, they killed him after they first cast him out of the vineyard”. “He will come and put to death…” (verse 9). These words the evangelist Mark puts in the mouth of the Lord, whereas Matthew attributes them to the listeners of Christ. But one can also in Mark’s Gospel consider these words to be the answer of the listeners, placing before them the expression: “and they said”. “And they sought to arrest him…” (verse 12). The chief priests and scribes (so more accurately the thought of verse 12 should be conveyed) employed all means to seize Christ, but at this time fear gripped them before the possibility of a popular uprising on account of Christ. The reason for their efforts was their understanding that the aforementioned parable was directed against them.

Mark 12:13. And they send to him some of the Pharisees and Herodians, to trap him in his words. Mark 12:14. And coming, they say to him: Master! we know that you are righteous and care for no one; for you do not regard the appearance of persons, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? Shall we give or shall we not give? Mark 12:15. But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them: Why do you tempt me? Bring me a denarius, that I may see it. Mark 12:16. And they brought it. And he said to them: Whose is this image and inscription? And they said to him: Caesar’s. Mark 12:17. And Jesus said to them in answer: Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marveled at him. (See Matt 22:16-21).

Mark 12:18. Then came to him Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, and asked him, saying: Mark 12:19. Master! Moses wrote for us: “If one’s brother dies and leaves a wife, and leaves no children, that his brother shall take his wife and raise up seed for his brother”. Mark 12:20. There were seven brothers: the first took a wife and, dying, left no children. Mark 12:21. The second took her and died, and he left no children; and likewise the third. Mark 12:22. And the seven had her and left no children. Last of all the woman died also. Mark 12:23. In the resurrection then, when they rise, which one’s wife shall she be? For the seven had her as wife. Mark 12:24. Jesus said to them in answer: Are you not brought into error by this, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God? Mark 12:25. For when they rise from the dead, they do not marry nor are they given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven. Mark 12:26. But as to the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him: “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”? Mark 12:27. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Therefore you are greatly in error. (See Matt 22:23-33.) “Are you not brought into error by this?” (verse 24). These words, brought forward only by the evangelist Mark, are better conveyed thus: “are you brought into error by this matter set forth above (the case depicted by those questioning), i.e., do you come to doubt the resurrection of the dead? But you can come into error only by not knowing the Scripture as it should be known, which is altogether not designed for the regulation of relationships in the future life, and by not understanding that the power of God can establish all relationships between people in a completely different way in the future life than here on earth.”.

Mark 12:28. And one of the scribes came, hearing them discussing, seeing that Jesus had answered them well, asked him: Which is the first commandment of all? Mark 12:29. Jesus answered him: The first of all commandments is: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the Lord alone; Mark 12:30. and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength”—this is the first commandment! Mark 12:31. The second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”. There is no other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:32. And the scribe said to him: Well, Master! You spoke the truth, that God is one, and there is no other but Him besides him; Mark 12:33. and to love him with all the heart, and with all the mind, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices. Mark 12:34. And Jesus, seeing that he answered wisely, said to him: You are not far from the kingdom of God. And after that no one dared to ask him. (See Matt 22:34-40). The evangelist Mark in this section differs somewhat from Matthew. Thus, he says that one of the scribes approached the Lord, listening to the discussions which the enemies of Christ were conducting among themselves (in Matthew he is called “a lawyer from the Pharisees”). Mark does not say that this questioner had the intention of putting Christ to the test (as Matthew reports). Perhaps the scribe, who was about to put Christ to the test, soon renounced his intention, which is why the evangelist Mark saw no need to mention that intention. Further, Mark introduces the commandment of love to God with the words of the well-known Hebrew prayer (“Shema”), which represented a repetition of the words of Moses (Deut 6:4). In Mark’s Gospel these words of Moses serve as the basis for the requirement of exclusive love to God: God is the only Lord or Master, consequently, to him alone should belong all the love of the Israelite. “The scribe said to him: Well, Master!” (verse 32). It is better to refer the word “well” to the verb “said”, because in Mark’s Gospel nowhere is the address “Master” placed in the second place. “More than all burnt offerings” (verse 33; see Hos 6:6; 1 Sam 15:22). This addition was very important for the readers of Mark’s Gospel, Christians from the gentiles, who were troubled by the fact that they did not have such a temple and such solemn worship as the Jews had before the year 70. “And Jesus, seeing that he answered wisely…” (verse 34). The wisdom of the scribe’s answer was shown not only in his agreement with the words of Christ, but also in his striving to determine precisely those faculties by which man should serve God. Namely (according to the best reading, see Tischendorf, 8th edition), he says that God should be loved with the heart, mind or understanding, and strength: he thus places reason (ἡ σύνεσις) as a means of love to God, which should indeed be a completely intelligent endeavor, not merely a matter of feeling. However, recognition of the unity of God and the necessity of love to people is still insufficient for entering the Heavenly Kingdom. One must also fulfill this highest commandment: the scribe must approach Christ not only as a Teacher, but also as a Savior, who alone can give him the strength necessary to fulfill that greatest commandment. But faith in Christ as the Messiah, apparently, he did not yet have.

Mark 12:35. And Jesus, continuing to teach in the temple, said: How do the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? Mark 12:36. For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: “The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies as a footstool under your feet”. Mark 12:37. Therefore David himself calls him Lord: how then is he his son? And many people heard him with pleasure. (See Matt 22:41-46). In distinction from the evangelist Matthew, Mark represents the speech of Jesus Christ as monological. Christ here speaks to the people about the scribes. But the scribes, doubtless, were present at this address of Christ to the people, because Mark says that the Lord here “answered” (ἀποκριθείς—verse 35; in Russian translation imprecisely—“continuing to teach”). But to whom did he answer? Clearly, to the scribes, who, according to Matthew’s report, proposed to him a question and expressed their opinion about the Messiah.

Mark 12:38. And in his teaching he said: Beware of the scribes, who desire to go about in long robes and love greetings in the marketplaces, Mark 12:39. and to sit in the first seats in the synagogues and to recline in the first place at feasts — Mark 12:40. these, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers, will receive the greater condemnation. (See Matt 23:6). From the extensive speech of the Lord against the scribes and Pharisees, which the evangelist Matthew transmits (Matt 23), Mark gives only a few sayings which characterize the ambition, avarice, and hypocrisy of the Pharisees or, properly, the scribes of whom the Lord spoke, according to Mark’s report. For the readers of Mark’s Gospel an extensive characterization of Pharisaism such as is given by Matthew was not a matter of great interest. “In long robes”—it was customary for people of rank to dress in this way. “In the marketplaces”—in the market squares (ἀγοραῖς).

Mark 12:41. And Jesus sat opposite the treasury and watched how the people put money into the treasury. Many wealthy put in much. Mark 12:42. And a poor widow came and put in two lepta, which equals a quadrans. Mark 12:43. And calling his disciples, Jesus said to them: Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all who put into the treasury, Mark 12:44. for all they put in from their abundance, but she, from her poverty, put in all that she had, her whole livelihood. Matthew’s Gospel has no account of the poor widow who put two lepta into the temple treasury (this account is in Luke — Luke 21:1-4). Christ sat “opposite the treasury”, i.e., probably in the courtyard of the women, by the church collection box (the question of what the treasury (γαζοφυλάκιον) was is still not finally resolved by Scripture scholars). By custom, those passing by the collection box put offerings into it for the needs of the temple, whereby the wealthy put in large sums of money. But there came a poor widow, who put in “two lepta”, i.e., two of the smallest copper coins, which made up one “quadrans” (λεπτόν—Greek coin, κοδράντης—Roman quadrans; the value of a quadrans—1/2 kopeck; in Hebrew a “lepton” was called “prutah”). The Lord, having in mind the apparent piety of the scribes—people of means—about which he had just spoken, did not fail to point out to his disciples the example of the widow, who gave all that she had, and who by her offering rose above the wealthy, who put in much more, but still were giving only a small part of their wealth. * * * Christ (verse 30) used the expression διάνοια—which less emphasizes the moment of sound and precise reasoning than σύνεσις. This word is composed of the Hebrew word “gaz”—treasure, and the Greek φυλάκιον—storehouse. Perhaps the treasury represented a whole series of rooms, because in ancient times the temple sometimes stored private property belonging to widows and orphans (2 Macc 3:10).

Chapter Thirteen

1–4. Discourse on the destruction of Jerusalem, the second coming of Christ, and the end of the world.—5–13. The occasion for the discourse.—14–27. The time preceding the end.—28–32. The last times and the approach of the end.—33–37. Exhortations to watchfulness.

Mark 13:1. And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him: Master! Look, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings! Mark 13:2. And Jesus said to him in answer: Do you see these great buildings? All this will be destroyed, so that not one stone will be left on another. Mark 13:3. And when he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately: Mark 13:4. Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be fulfilled? (See Matt 24:1-3). The evangelist Mark is more precise than Matthew in depicting events. “One” (and not all) disciple pointed out to Christ the stones and buildings of the temple. Four disciples, closest to Christ (and not all), turned with a question to Christ on the Mount of Olives. The stones of which the second temple was built were exceedingly large: about 25 cubits in length, 12 in width, and 8 in thickness. “Opposite the temple”. From the Mount of Olives the whole temple was clearly visible. “Peter and James and John and Andrew”. As at the beginning of the open activity of Christ (Mark 1:16-20), so also at the end of it does the evangelist Mark bring forward these two pairs of brothers. Then they heard the message that the time was fulfilled and that the kingdom of God was at hand, now Christ proclaims to them about the future fate of this kingdom. “When will this be”, i.e., when will the temple be destroyed. “What will be the sign when all these things are about to be fulfilled?” The apostles, doubtless, merged in their understanding the destruction of the temple with the end of the world and the revelation of the glorious kingdom of God. Therefore, they say “all these things”. Thus, in the first question they speak of the time of the coming of the end, in the second—of the sign by which one can expect this end.

Mark 13:5. And answering them, Jesus began to say: Take heed that no one deceive you, The evangelist transmits the speech of Christ with abbreviations, but at the same time reports certain sayings omitted by Matthew. (Matt 24).

Mark 13:6. for many will come in my name and will say: I am he; and will lead many astray. “I am he”. Here Christ does not speak of the fact that some will present themselves as the returned Jesus Christ, but that they will call themselves “Christs” or “Messiahs”.

Mark 13:7. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, be not frightened; for this must come to pass—but the end is not yet. Mark 13:8. For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and commotions. This is the beginning of the birth pangs. “Commotions” (ταραχαί)—only here. In Matthew’s Gospel: “earthquakes”, i.e., various disturbances in the life of the people, which will throw them into confusion (from the root ταραχή—ταράσσω—“I throw into confusion”).

Mark 13:9. But watch yourselves, for they will deliver you to councils and beat you in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them. “But watch yourselves”, i.e., do not lose sight of yourselves, and do not forget your calling to come forward as preachers of the Gospel. “They will deliver…” (see Matt 10:17-18).

Mark 13:10. And the Gospel must be preached to all the nations. In explaining how the apostles will find themselves in judgment, Christ says that first, i.e., before the coming of the “end”, understood as the destruction of Jerusalem (verse 7), his disciples must preach the Gospel to all nations, and for this very preaching they will be brought to trial (cf. Matt 24:14).

Mark 13:11. And when they lead you away to deliver you up, do not worry beforehand what you will say, and do not prepare it; but whatever is given to you in that hour, speak that, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit. Mark 13:12. And brother will deliver brother to death, and a father his children; and children will rise up against their parents and put them to death. Mark 13:13. And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake; but the one who endures to the end will be saved. (See Matt 10:19-22). According to all probability, the evangelist Mark placed these words of Christ more correctly than Matthew in Christ’s eschatological discourse. To the sending of the disciples on preaching of which the evangelist Matthew speaks in chapter 10, they do not apply; the apostles at that time were not yet being brought to trial before rulers and kings.

Mark 13:14. And when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing where he should not—let the reader understand—then let those in Judea flee to the mountains; (See Matt 24:15). Remarkably, in Mark’s Gospel the word “standing” represents a participle in the masculine gender and should be more correctly conveyed by the word “standing” (masculine) (ἑστηκότα). There is no agreement with the noun to which this participle refers (“abomination”—in Greek βδέλυγμα—neuter gender), and doubtless, the evangelist intended to say something by this. What then? It is quite possible that the “abomination” appeared to him as a man, who would come forth as an opponent of Christ in the sanctuary, as a kind of anti-god or antichrist (cf. 2 Thess 2:3 and following). He, of course—so the apostles should have understood—would appear in Jerusalem, in the Jerusalem temple, which was the true house of God (John 2:16).

Mark 13:15. and the one who is on the roof must not come down and not go into his house to take anything out of his house; Mark 13:16. and the one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. Mark 13:17. Woe to those who are pregnant and nursing mothers in those days. Mark 13:18. And pray that it may not happen in winter. Mark 13:19. For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of creation which God created until now, and never will be. Apparently, here the discourse concerns the persecution which will befall those who believe in Christ, but one can also see here indications of the political commotions from which Jerusalem’s Christians will suffer greatly.

Mark 13:20. And if the Lord had not shortened those days, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. “No one”—consequently, also the believers in Christ. “But for the sake of the elect”, i.e., these very believers in Christ, the days of tribulation will be cut short, in accordance with the eternal decree of God.

Mark 13:21. Then if anyone says to you: Look, here is the Christ, or: There he is—do not believe it. Mark 13:22. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will work signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Mark 13:23. But watch. I have told you all things beforehand. Mark 13:24. But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, Mark 13:25. and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Mark 13:26. And then they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory. Mark 13:27. And then he will send his angels and will gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. Mark 13:28. Learn a lesson from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. Mark 13:29. So also, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the doors. Mark 13:30. Truly I tell you: this generation will not pass away before all these things take place. Mark 13:31. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Mark 13:32. But concerning that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. “Concerning that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (verse 32; see Matt 24:36). To the words found in Matthew, the evangelist Mark adds the expression: “nor the Son”. This expression has long aroused serious disputes among commentators. It troubled them precisely because the Son is attributed ignorance, which, however, cannot be attributed to him as the Person of the Godhead. Saint Ambrose of Milan, not finding a way to reconcile this expression with the lofty conception of the Person of the Son of God, supposed that this expression was inserted into Mark’s Gospel by Arians, to show the Orthodox that Christ is not God (“On Faith”, book 5, chapter VI). But such a supposition cannot be accepted, if only because the Church fathers who fought against Arians would have undoubtedly exposed them in this corruption of the Gospel text. Besides, Matthew’s Gospel includes the same thought as this expression, for he also says that only the Father knows the time of the coming of the last day, consequently, the Son does not know this even according to Matthew’s Gospel. Therefore, even if one allows that Saint Ambrose’s supposition is correct, one would still have to pause in perplexity over Matt 24:36. Other Church fathers, not resorting to such dangerous suppositions, tried to explain this enigmatic expression by saying that Christ attributed to himself “ignorance” according to his human nature, which is why they added the adjective “Human” to the word “Son” (Saints Gregory the Theologian, Athanasius the Great, Cyril of Alexandria). But this interpretation cannot be accepted because it divides Christ, whereas both natures in him—both divine and human—are inseparable in their manifestations. Saint Sophronius, the Monk John of Damascus opposed the heretics of the 6th century—the Agnoetes, who taught that Christ, as man, “does not know certain things”. According to the opinion of Saint Basil the Great (Works, part 7, p. 159), this expression should be rendered as: “the Son would not know if the Father did not know, because from the Father is given to him knowledge”. But here, evidently, the text of the Gospel is changed by the addition… Some recent Western commentators (in Russia, Gladkov follows their opinion in his “Expository Gospel”, see p. 572, 3rd edition) understand this expression as a testimony that the determination of the time of the last Judgment is the work of the Father and that such a determination has not yet taken place… But this interpretation cannot be accepted, because it contradicts the universal Christian teaching, which recognizes that the destiny of the world has been predetermined by God from eternity, which must be assumed when one holds the conviction in God’s omniscience. Finally, some commentators allow that Christ truly did not know this day, because, according to the word of the apostle Paul (Phil 2:7), he was on earth in the form of a slave and lived as a man, i.e., he limited himself in relation to his divine properties and, in particular, to omniscience. But one cannot agree with this opinion in view of the fact that such sayings as: “All things have been delivered to me by my Father” (Matt 11:27; cf. Luke 10:22; John 6:46) do not allow one to ascribe to the Son ignorance of the time of the parousia and to distinguish the realm of the Father’s knowledge from the realm of the Son’s knowledge… Then, by virtue of the hypostatic union of divinity and humanity in Christ with the preservation of the divine person, one cannot speak of any limitation of the divine nature of the incarnate Son of God. Thus reasons S. Savvinsky in his dissertation: “The Eschatological Discourse of Christ the Savior” (Kiev, 1906, p. 115). Mr. Savvinsky himself, following the opinion of Saint John Chrysostom, the blessed Jerome, Augustine, Theophylact and others, understands this ignorance by the Son of the day and hour of the “parousia” (from Greek ἡ παρουσία—“the second coming”) not as “the weakness of ignorance, but as an educational means of a wise pedagogue”. According to the words of the aforementioned fathers, the Lord, as it were, says that although he knows, he does not wish to open this term to the disciples, because it would not be beneficial for them to know: the knowledge that there is still a long time before the judgment would make them negligent in piety. This thought is more precisely expressed by Lagrange (1911) in his commentary on Mark’s Gospel in the following words: The Son knows, but has not received from the Father a commission to communicate what he knows, and in this sense “does not know”. The Son does not know, consequently, as sent by the Father Messiah; it is not within his authority to reveal to people the time of the end of the world (p. 327).

Mark 13:33. Watch, be vigilant, pray, for you do not know when that time will come. Exhortation to watchfulness (see Matt 24:42). The word “pray” in the best modern editions is not read. “Time” (καιρός) can mean an individual moment, but usually means a period or epoch (cf. Mark 1:15). From this it is seen that the apostles did not receive an indication of any definite sign which could herald the coming of the last day. Neither could the destruction of the temple be such a sign. Wellhausen even expresses the thought that this place was inserted into the Gospel at a time when Christians saw that the destruction of Jerusalem did not lead to the destruction of the world. In this thought, certainly, only this is correct: that in the Gospel and precisely in Christ’s eschatological discourse these two moments were never joined at all…

Mark 13:34. Like a man who went on a journey and left his house and gave his servants authority, and to each his own work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Christ here offers a second parable, parallel to the first one—about the fig tree (verse 28). Only here there is no symbol, but directly an exhortation to watch so as not to be caught unawares. “Like a man…” The particle ὡς, standing here, doubtless, begins a parable, like ὥσπερ γάρ in Matt 25:14, and has no correspondence either in the preceding or in the following, so that there is only a subordinate clause without a main clause. Nevertheless, the main clause is clear—it should be taken from verse 33, and with this additional main clause, the parable reads as follows: “I call upon you to watch, like a man who left (ἀπόδημος, in Russian translation imprecisely—“going away”), left” and so on. The apostles and all believers are represented here as servants who have received from their departed master a certain freedom of action (ἐξουσία, in Russian translation not quite apt—“authority”; authority over whom?). They must vigorously carry out their appointment which Christ will give them. Especially must the doorkeeper watch, to whom, properly speaking, the apostles are first of all compared. Of course, this does not mean that they will live until the second coming: in them Christ addresses believers of all subsequent generations, who must always preserve the expectation of the second coming of Christ in judgment.

Mark 13:35. Therefore, be vigilant, for you do not know when the master of the house will come: in the evening, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning; The moral lesson is set forth here in the very same expressions of which the parable itself is composed, so that the whole takes on the character of an allegory. The master of the house—is Christ himself. Instead of determining the time by “watches” (as the evangelist Luke does—(Luke 12:38), Mark uses the names of the times that were common among the people: evening—from 6 to 9 o’clock, midnight—more precisely, the very night—from 9 to 12, cockcrowing—from 12 to 3 o’clock in the morning, and morning—from 3 to 6 o’clock. Thus, the mentioned expressions encompass the whole night time, which, properly speaking, is a time of sleep. But it is in this, apparently, time that one should expect the return of the master of the house.

Mark 13:36. lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. Here the purpose of watchfulness is indicated, as before, in verse 35, the motive for watchfulness was indicated. You must be vigilant, says Christ, so that the lord, returning unexpectedly, “does not find you sleeping”. The state of sleep, of course, is taken here in a figurative sense, as moral slumber, as complete indifference to the higher questions of the soul.

Mark 13:37. And what I say to you I say to all: be vigilant. Although the eschatological discourse, according to Mark’s representation (verses 3–5), is addressed only to the four apostles, nevertheless, it is directed toward all believers, as is clearly stated in this verse.

Chapter Fourteen

1–11. The designs of the enemies against Christ, the anointing of Jesus in Bethany, the arrangement of Judas to betray Christ.—12–16. Preparations for the Passover meal.—17–25. The Passover meal.—26–31. The departure of Christ with the disciples to the Mount of Olives. The prediction of the denial of the apostle Peter.—32–42. Christ in Gethsemane.—43–52. The betrayal of Christ by Judas and his seizure under guard.—53–65. Christ’s trial before the Sanhedrin.—66–72. The denial of the apostle Peter.

Mark 14:1. Now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by cunning and kill him; The evangelist Mark, in general, transmits the history of the sufferings and death of the Lord Jesus Christ in agreement with Matthew. However, in his narrative there are some peculiarities: Mark sometimes recounts more briefly, sometimes more fully than Matthew, the events that enter into this section of the history of Christ. “After two days…” In Matthew these are the words of Christ himself (Matt 26:1), in Mark—his own remark, made, of course, in accordance with Christ’s saying. “The Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread” (see Matt 26:18). “To arrest him by cunning…” (see Matt 26:3-4).

Mark 14:2. but they said: Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people. (See Matt 26:5).

Mark 14:3. And when he was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, and was reclining, there came a woman with an alabaster jar of ointment of pure nard, precious, and breaking the jar, she poured it on his head. Mark 14:4. And some indignantly said to one another: Why was this ointment wasted? Mark 14:5. For it could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor. And they were angry with her. Mark 14:6. But Jesus said: Leave her; why do you trouble her? She has done a good deed for me. Mark 14:7. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but me you do not always have. Mark 14:8. She has done what she could: she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. Mark 14:9. Truly I say to you: wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, it will also be told, in her memory, even what she has done. (See Matt 26:6-13). The evangelist Mark notes that the myrrh was prepared “from spikenard”—in Hebrew “nerd” (Song 1:12 and following), that is, from a flower growing in the mountains of East India, belonging to the genus valeriana, a span in length. The juice extracted from it went into the preparation of a special aromatic liquid, which was best produced in the city of Tarsus and shipped from there for sale in small alabaster jars. “Pure” (πιστικῆς), that is, without foreign admixtures. “Breaking the vessel” (verse 3). The jar probably had a device for pouring myrrh from it, like a spout, and the woman, not wishing and not thinking to preserve any of the myrrh in the jar for her own needs, straightway broke off the spout and poured the entire contents of the jar on the head of Christ. “Three hundred denarii” (verse 5)—about sixty rubles, which corresponds to the value of 1,200 grams of silver (a denarius—twenty kopecks, that is, 4 grams of silver). “They grumbled at her” (ἐνεβριμῶντο, cf. Mark 1:43)—they were very angry at her. “Done what she could” (verse 8), more precisely: what she received, that she did or gave (ὁ ἔσχεν ἐποίησεν). The Lord seems to suggest here that the woman gave, offered for Him the gift which she herself received before this.

Mark 14:10. And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. Mark 14:11. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought how to betray Him at an opportune time. (See Matt 26:14-16). The anointing of Christ with myrrh took place “six days before the Passover” (see John 12:1), and if Mark, like Matthew, depicts it as if it occurred just before the very day of Christ’s betrayal by Judas, he does so in order to reveal the utter heinousness of Judas’s deed in contrast to the love shown toward Christ by the woman—the apostle of Christ becomes His betrayer! Therefore verse 10 should, properly speaking, follow immediately after verse 5 of the chapter we are examining. Church tradition places the day of Judas’s betrayal or agreement with the chief priests as Wednesday.

Mark 14:12. On the first day of unleavened bread, when they slew the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him: Where do you wish to eat the Passover? We will go and prepare. Mark 14:13. And He sent two of His disciples and said to them: Go into the city; and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him. Mark 14:14. And where he goes in, say to the master of the house: The Teacher says, Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples? Mark 14:15. And he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared: there prepare for us. Mark 14:16. And His disciples went out and came into the city, and found it as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover. (See Matt 26:17-19). “When they slew the Passover lamb.” The evangelist Mark adds this in order to more precisely denote for his readers, Christians from the Gentiles, on what day exactly the disciples came to Christ. The expression alone, “day of unleavened bread” (Matt 26:17), was not sufficiently precise, because the days of unleavened bread continued for a whole week (see Exod 12). Although, properly speaking, the unleavened first day or Passover began only at evening of the 14th of Nisan, yout in common speech and the morning of that day was apparently already called the day of Passover or unleavened bread. “And a man will meet you carrying a pitcher…” The evangelist Mark, as before (Mark 11:2 and following), here depicts Christ as the Lord of all, possessing the gift of clairvoyance. “And he will show you an upper room…” that is, a room located upstairs (ἀνώγαιον), a room carpeted and furnished with couches on which they reclined during the meal. “Prepared,” that is, having a table and vessels for preparing food and for washing, and cushions for sitting. It is very probable that this house belonged to Mark himself and his mother Mary, and that Mark already belonged at that time to the number of Christ’s disciples and was present at the celebration of the Passover with Christ and the apostles (cf. verse 19).

Mark 14:17. When evening came, He comes with the twelve. Mark 14:18. And as they reclined and ate, Jesus said: Truly I say to you, one of you, eating with Me, will betray Me. Mark 14:19. They became sorrowful and began to say to Him one by one: Is it I? and another: Is it I? Mark 14:20. He said to them in answer: one of the twelve, dipping with Me in the dish. Mark 14:21. For the Son of Man goes, as it is written about Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed: it would have been better for that man not to have been born. Mark 14:22. And when they were eating, Jesus, taking bread, blessed it, broke it, gave it to them and said: Take, eat; this is My Body. Mark 14:23. And, taking a cup and giving thanks, He gave it to them; and they all drank from it. Mark 14:24. And He said to them: This is My Blood of the New Covenant, shed for many. Mark 14:25. Truly I say to you: I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink new wine in the Kingdom of God. Mark 14:26. And having sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (See Matt 26:20-30). “Eating with Me” (verse 18). Here is a hint that the betrayer is at table near Christ. But who he is—this was still unclear. The meaning of the word “will betray” was also unclear. If the apostles had seen in it a reference to the conscious betrayal of Christ to His enemies, they would scarcely have asked: “Is it I?” Perhaps they had in mind some unwitting deed, a careless word that might have escaped and could have worked harm to their Teacher. “And another: Is it I?” (verse 19). This expression, found only in the evangelist Mark, shows that, besides the 12 apostles who asked the question “one by one” (εἷς κατὰ εἷς), there were also some other persons at the table, and one of these latter (καὶ ἄλλος) addressed the Lord with a question. That other disciples besides the 12 were indeed seated at the table, and perhaps even the Most Holy Mother of God, is evident also from the words: “one of the twelve, dipping with Me in the dish.” Such a particular definition would not have been necessary to state if only the 12 apostles were with Christ at that time… “Howbeit” (verse 21)—an incorrect rendering. Here in the Greek text stands the particle ὅτι, used for causal connection: “for…” or “because…” Therefore the whole of verse 21 should be rendered as follows: “for the Son of Man goes, as it is written about Him, according to the will of God, but since on the other hand that man through whom the Son of Man will be betrayed faces a bitter fate, it would have been better for that man not to have been born!” Throughout this entire narrative, the evangelist Mark never once calls Judas by name, leaving it to the readers themselves to discern who is being spoken of. Judas appears only in verse 43. “And they all drank from it” (verse 23). The evangelist Mark mentions this probably in order to show that even Judas was not deprived of partaking of the Blood of the Lord (“all” drank).

Mark 14:27. And Jesus said to them: You will all stumble over Me in this night; for it is written: “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” Mark 14:28. But after I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. Mark 14:29. Peter said to Him: If all shall stumble, yout not I. Mark 14:30. And Jesus said to him: Truly I say to you, that you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, will deny Me three times. Mark 14:31. But he spoke even more vehemently: Even if I should have to die with you, I will not deny you. And all of them said the same. (See Matt 26:31-35). “I will go before you in Galilee.” According to the common view, this refers to Northern Galilee, where the Lord preached the gospel for so long (cf. Matt 26:32). However, there is among some modern commentators a view that a small district (in Hebrew—“galila”) of villages around Jerusalem is meant. The existence of such a district is spoken of also in the Old Testament (Josh 18:17; Ezek 47:8). This district included the Mount of Olives and Bethany, where in the last time before Christ’s suffering He remained almost constantly at nights with His disciples (Luke 21:37). It was toward this district that Christ directed the eyes of His disciples. There He also appeared to them after His resurrection. But such a view contradicts the accounts of the evangelist John about the appearance of Christ in Northern Galilee by the Sea of Tiberias. “Twice the rooster will crow.” The first time the rooster crows around midnight, the second—before the coming of morning. Peter will deny Christ before the coming of the morning—meaning on that same day in which he so assured Christ of his love for Him. And this denial will be pronounced three times—with particular force…

Mark 14:32. They came to a place called Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples: Sit here while I pray. Mark 14:33. And He took with Him Peter, James, and John; and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. Mark 14:34. And He said to them: My soul is sorrowful to death; stay here and watch. Mark 14:35. And, going a little farther, He fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him; Mark 14:36. and said: Abba, Father! All things are possible for You; take this cup away from Me; but not what I will, but what You will. Mark 14:37. He comes back and finds them sleeping, and says to Peter: Simon! Are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Mark 14:38. Watch and pray, so that you may not enter into temptation: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Mark 14:39. And, going away again, He prayed, saying the same word. Mark 14:40. And returning, He found them sleeping again, for their eyes were heavy, and they did not know what to answer Him. Mark 14:41. And He comes the third time and says to them: Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough, the hour has come: behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Mark 14:42. Rise up, let us go; behold, he who is betraying Me has drawn near. (See Matt 26:36-46). “The hour” (verse 35), that is, the fatal hour of suffering and death (cf. verse 41). “Abba” (verse 36)—father—an Aramaic word, which the evangelist finds it necessary to translate in Greek as ὁ πατήρ. “Simon! Are you sleeping?” (verse 37). The question was directed first of all to Simon, who had boasted of his devotion to Christ. “Saying the same word” (verse 39). Thus briefly does the evangelist Mark mention Christ’s second prayer, and about the third he does not speak at all, making only an allusion to it in the words: “and He comes the third time.” The evangelist Matthew speaks in detail about all three prayers of Christ. “Enough” (verse 41)—more precisely: “it is enough” (ἀπέχει), that is, enough sleeping (blessed Augustine, “Harmony of the Gospels,” III, 4).

Mark 14:43. And immediately, as He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, comes, and with him a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Mark 14:44. The one who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying: Whoever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away securely. Mark 14:45. And coming up, he went at once to Him and said: Rabbi! Rabbi! and kissed Him. Mark 14:46. And they laid hands on Him and seized Him. Mark 14:47. One of those standing there drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. Mark 14:48. Then Jesus said to them: Have you come out with swords and clubs as against a robber to take Me? Mark 14:49. Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled. Mark 14:50. Then, forsaking Him, all fled. Mark 14:51. A young man, wrapped with a linen cloth over his naked body, followed Him; and they seized him. Mark 14:52. But he, leaving the linen cloth behind, fled naked from them. (See Matt 26:47-56). “Lead Him away securely” (verse 44). More precisely, firmly, under close watch (ἀσφαλῶς), so that He might somehow not escape. “Rabbi! Rabbi!” (verse 45). This twofold address of Judas to Christ represents a sign of special respect (cf. Matt 23:7). “A young man…” (verse 51). Here is contained a description of an incident that occurred at the time of Christ’s arrest. About this incident, namely the attempt of the soldiers to seize a young man awakened by the nocturnal commotion and clothed only in a light linen cloth (σίνδονα), reports only one evangelist, Mark. It is quite probable to suppose that here he is recounting an incident that befell him personally.

Mark 14:53. And they brought Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes gathered together. Mark 14:54. And Peter followed Him from a distance, even inside the courtyard of the high priest; and he sat with the attendants and warmed himself by the fire. Mark 14:55. And the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking testimony against Jesus to put Him to death; and they found none. Mark 14:56. For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies were not consistent. Mark 14:57. And some stood up and bore false witness against Him, saying: Mark 14:58. “We heard Him say: I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.” Mark 14:59. But even their testimony was not consistent. Mark 14:60. Then the high priest stood in the midst and questioned Jesus, saying: Do you answer nothing? What do these testify against you? Mark 14:61. But He remained silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest questioned Him and said to Him: Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? Mark 14:62. And Jesus said: I am; and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven. Mark 14:63. Then the high priest tore his garments and said: Why do we still need witnesses? Mark 14:64. You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you? And they all condemned Him as woryour of death. Mark 14:65. And some began to spit on Him and, covering His face, to beat Him and say to Him: Prophesy! And the attendants struck Him on the cheeks. (See Matt 26:57-68). “Peter…warmed himself by the fire” (verse 54). More precisely: “warmed himself by the light” (τὸ φῶς). The fire was kindled apparently in order to illuminate the courtyard. And perhaps also the fire was built so that the sentries could warm themselves around it, since on the East the nights in spring are very cold. “Their testimonies were not consistent” (verse 56), probably because they did not agree with one another. “This temple made with hands…” (verse 58). The evangelist Mark states the accusation brought against Christ more precisely than Matthew. Clearly here we have a distorted repetition of the words of Christ spoken by Him at His first appearance in the Jerusalem temple: “Destroy this temple” (John 2:19). “Then the high priest stood in the midst” (verse 60). The trial was progressing poorly, all the testimony against Christ was insufficiently strong and even inconsistent with one another. Therefore the high priest comes “to the midst” of the Sanhedrin, intending, as the Pharisees did before (Matt 22:15), to compel Christ Himself to speak out about His intentions and views. “Again the high priest questioned” (verse 61). More precisely: “was questioning” (ἐπηρώτα—the imperfect tense), by which the evangelist hints that many questions were posed to Christ on this occasion. “The Blessed.” Only here in all of the New Testament is God called thus 15. “Tore his garments” (verse 63), more precisely: “tore his inner garments” (cf. Matt 5:40). In cold weather the high priest could have worn two inner garments (in Greek χιτῶνας—the plural). When the high priest questioned Christ whether He was the Messiah, the Son of God, Christ gave a direct affirmative answer: “I am” (ἐγώ εἰμι; verse 62). Thus clearly and directly does Christ declare His high dignity only in the evangelist Mark, whereas in the gospels of Matthew and Luke He says: “You say it,” or: “You say that I am.” The modern critics therefore do not wish to acknowledge the authenticity of these words of Christ in Mark, saying that he alone transmits the answer of Christ in this way, whereas the other two synoptists agree with one another. Christ, they continue, could not have declared His Messianic and Divine dignity, since the high priest and He had completely different conceptions of the Messiah. Further they point out that Christ then had not yout become the true Messiah and King of the Jews—He became such only after His glorification. Finally, this declaration is considered to contradict His former silence about His high dignity. But all these objections have no convincing force. First, there is not the slightest reason to weaken the authority of the Gospel of Mark before the other two evangelists, and second, according to the opinion of the best experts in Greek and Hebrew languages, the answers contained in the gospels of Matthew and Luke also have the meaning of affirmative answers. Further, Christ came to the consciousness of His high dignity not after the resurrection, but had this consciousness already long before, which was manifest in Him when He was still a 12-year-old boy. And then, if the high priest perceived blasphemy in the answer of Christ, then he also understood it as linking with the concept of the Messiah the concept of Him as the Son of God. Finally, it is groundless to assert that in the Gospel of Mark Christ is depicted as concealing His Messianic dignity everywhere; in this gospel there are many places in which Christ is shown acknowledging His Messianic dignity.

Mark 14:66. When Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the servant girls of the high priest came; Mark 14:67. and, seeing Peter warming himself and looking closely at him, she said: You also were with Jesus of Nazareth. Mark 14:68. But he denied it, saying: I neither know nor understand what you are talking about. And he went out into the vestibule; and the rooster crowed. Mark 14:69. And the servant girl, seeing him again, began to say to those standing there: This is one of them. Mark 14:70. He again denied it. And after a little while, those standing there said to Peter: Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech betrays you. Mark 14:71. But he began to curse and swear: I do not know this Man of whom you speak. Mark 14:72. Then the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered the word spoken to him by Jesus: Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times; and he began to weep. (See Matt 26:69-75). “In the courtyard below” (verse 66). The evangelist here contrasts the courtyard with the upper rooms of the high priest’s palace, in which the trial of Christ was being conducted. He, so to speak, leads his readers down from these rooms, down into the courtyard. “And he went out into the vestibule” (verse 68). The evangelist Mark here determines the place of the second denial more precisely than Matthew (“when he went out to the gate”—Matt 26:71). This was, so to speak, the outer court (τὸ προαύλιον) surrounding the high priest’s house from outside. “And the servant girl, seeing him again…” (verse 69). Apparently the evangelist Mark is speaking of the same servant girl mentioned before (verse 66), whereas Matthew directly mentions “another.” Perhaps the evangelist Mark, by his characteristic tendency toward brevity of speech, did not mention that now a different servant girl had come forward. “A Galilean” (verse 70; see Matt 26:73). “To curse” (verse 71), more precisely: “to invoke curses” (ἀναθεματίζειν). Nothing is said about the person or object of the curse, what is important is that Peter has come to pronouncing curses. “And he began to weep” (verse 72), more precisely: throwing himself down on the ground, on his face, he wept (ἐπιβαλὼν ἔκλαιεν). * * * Notes This term was used by rabbis to avoid the use of the direct name of God.

Chapter Fifteen

1–15. Christ on trial before Pilate. – 16–25. Mockery of Christ, leading Him to Golgotha, the crucifixion. – 26–41. At the Cross. Death of Christ. – 42–47. The burial of Christ.

Mark 15:1. Immediately in the morning, the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Sanhedrin held a consultation and, binding Jesus, led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate. (See Matt 27:1-2). The evangelist Mark throughout this entire section (verses 1–15) speaks only about what is most important, leaving it to the readers themselves to fill in what is not stated. “Immediately.” The trial of Christ had to be concluded as quickly as possible, because by evening all the leaders, the chief priests and others, had to partake of the Passover and a complete rest from all work would begin.

Mark 15:2. Pilate questioned Him: Are you the King of the Jews? And He answered him: You say it. Mark 15:3. And the chief priests accused Him of many things. Mark 15:4. And Pilate again questioned Him: Do you answer nothing? See how many accusations they bring against you. Mark 15:5. But Jesus answered them nothing, so that Pilate marveled. Mark 15:6. At every festival he released for them one prisoner whom they requested. Mark 15:7. There was one named Barabbas, in custody with the rebels who had committed murder during an insurrection. Mark 15:8. And the crowd began to cry out and asked Pilate to do for them what he always did. Mark 15:9. He answered them: Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews? Mark 15:10. For he knew that the chief priests had delivered Him out of envy. Mark 15:11. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to ask that he release Barabbas for them instead. Mark 15:12. Pilate, answering, said to them again: What then do you want me to do with the one you call the King of the Jews? Mark 15:13. They cried out again: Crucify him! Mark 15:14. Pilate said to them: What evil has He done? But they cried out even more insistently: Crucify him! Mark 15:15. Then Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them, and after flogging Jesus, delivered Him to be crucified. (See Matt 27:11-26). “Accused Him of many things” (verse 3). See what these accusations were in John 18:29 and following; Luke 23:2. “At every festival” (verse 6). The custom of releasing prisoners on the occasion of a festival apparently was not limited to the Passover alone (just as Matthew, John the evangelist mentions only the Passover but does not exclude the possibility of release at other festivals—John 18:39). “Barabbas, with the rebels…” (verse 7). The evangelist Mark makes a fairly detailed comment about Barabbas. He was some sort of conspirator who had formed a whole band of rebels and even during the uprising he had produced, committed murder. And according to the law of Moses, death was required for murder (Exod 21). “And asked Pilate about that” (verse 8), that is, that he do what he always did for them.

Matthew 27:17. “King of the Jews” (verse 9). So the evangelist Mark has Pilate call Christ (cf. Mt.27:17, where Pilate names Jesus “called Christ”), probably in order to show the people how unnatural it is for them to request the death of their own king, although, from Pilate’s perspective, he had no lawful basis for his claims. Perhaps Pilate used both expressions in his dispute with the people—both “Christ” and “King of the Jews”—which is why the evangelists differ here from one another. “Wishing to satisfy the crowd” (verse 15). This comment of the evangelist Mark gives a characterization of Pilate as a weak ruler who could not stand firm in his conviction but, out of a desire to please the mob, violated the demands of his inner conscience.

Mark 15:16. And the soldiers led Him away inside the courtyard, that is, into the praetorium, and called together the whole cohort; Mark 15:17. and they dressed Him in a purple cloak and, braiding a crown of thorns, put it on Him; Mark 15:18. and began to salute Him: Hail, King of the Jews! Mark 15:19. And they struck Him on the head with a reed, and spat on Him, and, kneeling down, bowed to Him. Mark 15:20. And when they had mocked Him, they removed the purple cloak from Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him. Mark 15:21. And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the field, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry His cross. Mark 15:22. And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which means: the place of a skull. Mark 15:23. And they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. Mark 15:24. And those who crucified Him divided His garments, casting lots for them to see what each should take. Mark 15:25. It was the third hour, and they crucified Him. (See Matt 27:27-34). “They led Him inside the courtyard, that is, into the praetorium” (verse 16). The evangelist Mark explains this expression, which would not be entirely clear to his readers, by means of the latter term. The praetorium, or residence of the procurator, was at that time probably located in the fortress of Antonia, near the temple area, to the northwest. “And they compelled a passerby…” (verse 21). The evangelist Mark adds to Matthew’s note (Matt 27:32) that Simon was coming from the field and was passing by the procession going to Golgotha. But the evangelist does not say what Simon was doing in the field. Perhaps he was not working, but merely inspecting it; or perhaps he was working. In the latter case, one would have to assume that the Passover rest had not yet begun. According to the common interpretation, Simon was returning precisely from work. Furthermore, the evangelist Mark mentions that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus. Clearly, these two individuals were well known to the readers of the Gospel, Roman Christians, and perhaps Rufus is the very same Rufus whom the apostle Paul mentions in his Epistle to the Romans (Rom 16:13). “Wine mixed with myrrh” (verse 23). This substance, when mixed into wine, imparted stupefying properties to it. The Lord did not accept such wine because He wished to die in a state of full consciousness. In the evangelist Matthew, the thought seems somewhat different: Christ did not wish to drink vinegar mixed with bitter gall (Matt 27:34), precisely because of the bad taste of the wine (cf. Ps 68:22). But both motives for Christ’s refusal of the offered wine could have coincided in this case. “It was the third hour” (verse 25). The evangelist Mark is not altogether precise in determining the hour of crucifixion here; in fact it was the sixth hour, as is evident from the Gospel of John, written after the Gospel of Mark, apparently for the purpose of supplementing and correcting certain chronological inaccuracies found in the Synoptics (John 19:14). Therefore, some ancient interpreters, for example, Jerome, said that in the Gospel of Mark there occurred an error: a copyist placed the letter γ – “three” – instead of the letter ς – “six”. Others added to the phrase “the third hour” the particle ὡς – “as it were”, “approximately”. But that Christ could not have been crucified at the third, that is, in our reckoning the ninth hour of the morning, this, it seems, requires no proof: so many events had taken place before this time from “morning”, when the high priests gathered a second time for consultation (verse 1).

Mark 15:26. And there was an inscription of His charge: King of the Jews. Mark 15:27. And with Him they crucified two robbers, one on His right and one on His left. Mark 15:28. And the Scripture was fulfilled: “and he was reckoned among the transgressors”. Mark 15:29. Those passing by reviled Him, shaking their heads and saying: Ah! you who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days! Mark 15:30. save yourself and come down from the cross. Mark 15:31. Likewise the chief priests with the scribes mocked Him to one another, saying: He saved others; He cannot save Himself. Mark 15:32. Let Christ, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now so that we may see and believe. And those who were crucified with Him also reviled Him. Mark 15:33. And when the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. Mark 15:34. At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice: Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani? – which means: My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Mark 15:35. Some of those standing nearby heard this and said: Look, He is calling for Elijah. Mark 15:36. And someone ran, filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave it to Him to drink, saying: Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down. Mark 15:37. And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, breathed His last. Mark 15:38. And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. Mark 15:39. When the centurion, who stood facing Him, saw that in this way He breathed His last, he said: Truly this man was God’s Son. Mark 15:40. There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome, Mark 15:41. who, when He was in Galilee, followed Him and ministered to Him, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem. (See Matt 27:35-56). “And they crucified Him” (verse 25). Instead of this expression, in some manuscripts there stands the expression: “and they guarded Him” (ἐφύλασσον αὐτόν). Since “crucifixion” of Christ is already mentioned in verses 23–24, it seems best to accept the latter reading. The soldiers were guarding Christ so that His friends would not steal Him from the cross. With this statement, the evangelist Mark begins his account of what took place while the Lord hung on the cross. “And the Scripture was fulfilled…” (verse 28). In many respected manuscripts this verse does not exist. Modern critics also consider it inconsistent with the character of the Gospel of Mark to cite fulfilled prophecies. But one may suppose that the 53rd chapter of the book of Isaiah, from which this prophecy is taken (Isa 53:12), was well known also to Christians from the Gentiles (cf. Acts 8:32). “Ah!” (verse 29; in Greek – οὐᾶ, in Latin – vah) is used only here. This is a mocking exclamation. “My God! My God!..” (verse 34). If in the evangelist Matthew Christ asks in the words of the psalm why God abandoned Him (ἵνα τι), then in Mark His words sound as an exclamation: “to what (εἰς τί) have You abandoned me!” This is an exclamation of anguish: “to what condition have You brought Me!” “One: gave it to Him to drink, saying…” (verse 36). According to the evangelist Mark, this soldier was repeating what the others said (Matt 27:49). Thus, by forcing Christ to drink the repugnant vinegar, he thereby intensified His suffering and at the same time indicated that no Elijah would now protect the crucified from the mockery of the soldiers nor save Him from death. “The centurion: seeing that He, having cried out…” (verse 39). The last word “cried out” is not found in very many respected manuscripts. It actually only obscures the meaning of the statement, since it gives reason to think that the centurion was moved to faith in Christ only by His loud cry (κράξας). But with the shorter reading the meaning of the verse is clear: the centurion was affected by the fact that Christ “breathed His last in such a way” (οὕτως ἐξέπνευσεν), that is, amid such marvelous signs as, for example, darkness and an earthquake (Matt 27:45). “James the younger” (verse 40) – more correctly: “James the small” (in the Greek text μικροῦ is placed rather than νεωτέρου). “Salome”. The evangelist Mark by this name apparently refers to the mother of the sons of Zebedee (Matt 27:56), John and James (cf. Matt 20:20). If we take John 19:25 into account, we can conclude that Salome was the sister of the Mother of God.

Mark 15:42. And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Mark 15:43. Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Sanhedrin, who was also waiting for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. Mark 15:44. Pilate wondered whether He was already dead, and calling to him the centurion, he asked him whether He had been dead for some time. Mark 15:45. And when he learned from the centurion that it was so, he granted the body to Joseph. Mark 15:46. He bought a linen shroud, and taking Him down, wrapped Him in the shroud, and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mark 15:47. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses watched where He was laid. (See Matt 27:57-61). “Because it was the day of Preparation” (verse 42). The evangelist Mark explains why Joseph is in haste to accomplish the burial of Christ. Evening was already approaching on Friday, there remained only two or three hours until the beginning of the Sabbath, when by the law no work could be done anymore, not even the taking down from the cross. Moreover, the beginning of the Sabbath was in this year the beginning of the Passover feast, and this made it all the more necessary to hurry to finish all work. “Respected” (verse 43) – more correctly: “a man of high standing and well-regarded” (εὐσχήμων). “Member of the Sanhedrin”. This expression is a distinct epithet. It means a member of the Sanhedrin. “Was waiting for the kingdom of God” – the kingdom of the Messiah, but, probably, as a glorious, external, political kingdom. The important thing, in any case, is that it was not only the lower classes of the people who sympathized with the new Teacher, but also prominent people. “Took courage”. The evangelist Mark alone notes this characteristic of Joseph’s character. What he feared was probably less Pilate than his own colleagues in the Sanhedrin, who certainly would not have forgiven him his intercession for Christ, even when this intercession concerned only the right of Christ to a proper burial. “Pilate wondered…” (verse 44). The crucified sometimes suffered on the cross for several days, and therefore Pilate’s wonder is natural. * * * G. A. Kholmovskii (“Christian Reading”, 1910, Jan., pp. 41–42) finds incorrect the translation of the centurion’s exclamation given in our Russian text. According to this translation the centurion confessed Christ as “the Son of God”, that is, the Only-Begotten, as shown by the fact that in our translation these two words are printed with capital letters. But it is hardly possible to suppose that a pagan centurion would suddenly rise to such an understanding of the person of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Mr. Kholmovskii translates this exclamation as: “In truth, this man was the son of some god!”

Chapter Sixteen

1–8. The Resurrection of Christ. – 9–11. The appearance of the risen Christ to Mary Magdalene and her testimony to the disciples about Christ’s resurrection. – 12–13. The appearance of Christ to two disciples and their proclamation of the news of the resurrection to the apostles. – 14–18. The appearance of Christ to the twelve apostles and His promises to believers. – 19–20. The Ascension of Christ and a note on the missionary activity of the apostles.

Mark 16:1. After the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint Him. Mark 16:2. And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb, as the sun was rising, Mark 16:3. and they said to one another: Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb? Mark 16:4. But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled back. Mark 16:5. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe; and they were frightened. Mark 16:6. And he said to them: Do not be afraid. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified; He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. Mark 16:7. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He goes before you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you. Mark 16:8. And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. In his narrative of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the evangelist Mark has some distinctive features compared to Matthew. He mentions three women who went to anoint the body of Christ, while Matthew mentions two. The names of these three women are the same as those named in Mark 15:40. Only the second Mary is called not the mother of James, but simply James’s [mother]. The evangelist Mark alone (and also Luke) says that the women went in order to “anoint the body of Christ with spices”, that is, with fragrant ointments which they had bought after the Sabbath was over. Obviously, they wished on their part to anoint the body of Christ as much as possible, even though they probably knew that Joseph, who buried Christ, had already seen to this. At that time they were unable to do so, since the Sabbath rest had come. But now they could do so, since by the evening of the Sabbath it was permitted to open shops, and a new day was already beginning. “And very early… as the sun was rising” (verse 2). It was so very early that the sun was only just beginning to rise (ἀνατείλαντος – the present participle precisely denotes a very early time, cf. John 20:1; Luke 24:1). The sky was only just beginning to lighten (Augustine). The same thought is expressed also by the evangelist Matthew in the expression: “in the dawn”. “Entering the tomb” (verse 5). The tomb was a fairly large chamber into which two or three people could enter at once. “A young man…” that is, an angel (cf. Matt 28:2). “On the right side”. This is not the angel mentioned by the evangelist Matthew: that one was sitting on the stone which had been rolled away from the tomb and, consequently, outside the tomb. “They were frightened”. Apparently, the sight of the angel in white apparel caused fear in the women. Perhaps the evangelist wishes to say that they were seized with horror both by the appearance of the angel and by the absence of the body of Jesus from the tomb. “And Peter” (verse 7). This mention of Peter is quite natural in the Gospel of Mark, which was written from the words of the apostle Peter. Perhaps the angel really commanded that the resurrection be reported first of all or especially to the disciple most grieved by Christ’s death. “Just as He told you” (see Mark 14:28). The Lord had said this to His disciples, but the women too apparently were not without hope of seeing Him in Galilee. “Trembling and astonishment” (verse 8). The evangelist Mark says nothing at all of the feeling of joy which, according to Matthew, the myrrh-bearing women experienced at that time along with fear. Similarly, the evangelist Mark emphasizes the fact that they told no one anything because of the fear that had seized them. In this he differs from Matthew (Matt 28:8). To resolve this contradiction between the accounts of the two evangelists, it seems best to suppose that the evangelists have in mind different women: one speaks of those who told, the other of those who remained silent.

Mark 16:9. When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. Mark 16:10. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept; Mark 16:11. but when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe it. See “On the Authenticity of the Conclusion of the Gospel of Mark”. This appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene is not mentioned by the evangelist Matthew (nor also by Luke). Only the evangelist John describes it in far greater detail (John 20:11-18). “First”. The evangelist is apparently contrasting this appearance with the two described below (verses 12 and 14). “From whom He had cast out” seven, that is, very many “demons”. Probably this Mary became the most zealous follower of Christ as a result of the healing she had received. “Those who had been with Him”. That is, not only the apostles, but also other believers (cf. Acts 1:21). “They did not believe it”. It is clear that the apostles were afraid of being led into delusion, since from their perspective the women did not appear to be sufficiently reliable witnesses to the truth of the resurrection. It may also have seemed strange to them that Christ appeared to the women and not to them. On the other hand, the evangelist Mark indicates that the unbelief did not remain permanently in the apostles’ hearts, showing this by the fact that he used the aorist here (ἠπίστησαν), which indicates that the action denoted by the verb did not continue but was, so to speak, temporary (single occurrence).

Mark 16:12. After this He appeared in a different form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. Mark 16:13. And they went back and told the rest; but they did not believe them either. What the evangelist Mark here relates very briefly, Luke describes in all its details – this is the appearance of Christ to two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13 and following). “In a different form”. Christ changed His outward appearance (ἑτέρα μορφή). “But they did not believe them either”. The evangelist Mark emphasizes this new manifestation of the apostles’ criticism toward the witnesses of Christ’s resurrection, apparently in order to show that if at length the apostles finally came to believe in Christ’s resurrection, this faith was based on their own experience, that it did not come to them from the outside. But how can we reconcile with this account of Mark the account of Luke, who says that the apostles at that time were already believing in Christ’s resurrection (Luke 24:34)? One can suppose that it seemed strange to the apostles how the Lord could appear simultaneously both in Jerusalem and on the road to Emmaus. They could not understand that the Lord now had a special body, different from the former one, capable of overcoming the boundaries of space (cf. Luke 24:37). This is what constituted their unbelief in the present case…

Mark 16:14. Finally, He appeared to the eleven as they sat at table; and He upbraided them for their lack of faith and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. Mark 16:15. And He said to them: Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all creation. Mark 16:16. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:17. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by the power of my name, they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; Mark 16:18. they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover. “Finally” (verse 14) – more correctly: “later” (ὕστερον). This appearance, which occurred during a meal of the disciples, was certainly not the last. But since the evangelist Mark wishes to conclude his Gospel here, he refers to the time of this appearance also the following words of Christ, which He spoke before His final separation from the disciples on the Mount of Olives. Luke (Luke 24:36-49) and John (John 20:19-23) speak of this same appearance. “And He upbraided them for their lack of faith”, that is, for not believing the news of His resurrection as reported to them by the women and the two disciples. Now, of course, the apostles are believers in the risen Christ. “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all creation” (verse 15). The first word with which Christ here addresses the apostles abolishes the limitations which He had earlier (Matt 10:5) stated regarding the apostles’ missionary activity. From now on, after the completion of redemption, all humankind (creation) is summoned to enter the kingdom of Christ (there is no reference to “irrational creation” here, as is shown by the verb “proclaim” used here: one cannot “proclaim” to irrational creation). “Whoever believes…” (verse 16). Second, Christ tells the apostles about the conditions of salvation for those who will hear their preaching. Those who wish to be saved at the final judgment (cf. Mark 8:35) must receive the Gospel offered to them with faith and, as a sign of their faith in Christ, accept baptism. On the contrary, whoever does not believe and consequently does not accept baptism will bring upon himself condemnation from the Supreme Judge and will perish. Thus, the chief task of the apostles is to preach to people and instill in them faith in Christ. That they must also baptize is not explicitly stated, but this should be understood here. For they had also baptized before (John 4:2). “And these signs will accompany those who believe…” (verse 17). The apostles from their own experience knew that to believe in the risen Christ is a difficult matter: they twice showed their unbelief in this fact. Therefore the Lord promises, third, to send special miraculous signs to believers, which will strengthen them in faith. These miracles will be performed both by the apostles and by simple believers. The latter, seeing how their preachers perform miracles, will be convinced of the truth of their message from God. “By the power of my name”, that is, by My power (cf. Mark 9:38 and others). “In new tongues” (cf. Acts 10:46; 1 Cor 12:10), that is, in languages which they had not previously known. “They will pick up serpents” (verse 18). An example of this see in Acts 28:3-6 and in the story of Moses (Exod 4:2-4). “If they drink any deadly thing…” According to some traditions, in Ephesus, according to others, in Rome, the apostle John the Theologian was compelled by persecutors of Christianity to drink a cup with poison, which did not harm his health in the slightest… “They will lay their hands on the sick” (cf. Acts 28:8 and following; Heb 6:2; 1 Cor 12:9; Jas 5:14).

Mark 16:19. So the Lord, after speaking to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. Mark 16:20. And they went out and proclaimed the gospel everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it. Amen. “After speaking to them…” Not immediately after the conversation at the meal (verse 14), but forty days after His resurrection the Lord Jesus Christ was taken up into heaven (see Acts 1:2-11) and sat down at the right hand of God, that is, even after His ascension He received power equal to the power of God the Father. But through this He became the source of miraculous powers for His apostles, who went forth, according to the command of Christ, to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world, performing miraculous signs wherever necessary (cf. 1 Cor 1:6). * * * In early April the sun rises in Jerusalem around the sixth hour (Lagrange). Godet suggests that the account of Mark (verse 8) and the account of Luke (Luke 24:9) relate to different moments in time: the first to the very first moment after the myrrh-bearing women returned, and the second to the time when Mary Magdalene appeared to the apostles.

The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Introduction

The Personality of the Gospel Writer

The Origin of the Gospel according to Luke

The Occasion and Purpose, Place and Time of Writing the Gospel

On the Authenticity and Integrity of the Gospel according to Luke

The Content of the Gospel

The Plan of the Gospel

The Personality of the Gospel Writer

The evangelist Luke, according to accounts preserved by certain ancient Church writers (Eusebius of Caesarea, Jerome, Theophylact, Euthymius Zigabenus, and others), was born in Antioch. His name is, in all probability, a shortened form of the Roman name Lucilius. Was he by origin a Jew or a pagan? To this question is answered by that passage from the Letter to the Colossians, where the apostle Paul distinguishes Luke from those of the circumcision (Col 4:11-14) and consequently testifies that Luke was of pagan origin. One can confidently presume that before he entered the Church of Christ, Luke was a Jewish proselyte, since he was very well acquainted with Jewish customs. By his civil profession Luke was a physician (Col 4:14), and Church tradition, though rather late, says that he was also engaged in painting (Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopoulus, “Ecclesiastical History”). When and how he converted to Christ is unknown. The tradition that he belonged to the number of the 70 apostles of Christ (Epiphanius, Adversus haereses, LI, 12, and others) cannot be considered trustworthy in light of Luke’s own clear statement, in which he does not include himself among the witnesses of Christ’s life (Luke 1:1 and following). He appeared for the first time as companion and helper of the apostle Paul during Paul’s second missionary journey. This took place in Troas, where Luke may have been living previously (Acts 16:8 and following). Then he was with Paul in Macedonia (Acts 16:10 and following) and during the third journey in Troas, Miletus, and other places (Acts 24:23; Col 4:14; Phlm 1:24). He accompanied Paul to Rome (Acts 27:1-28; compare 2 Tim 4:10). After that, information about him ceases in the New Testament writings, and only comparatively late tradition (Gregory the Theologian) reports of his martyr’s death; his relics, according to the testimony of Jerome (“De viris illustribus”, VII), were transferred under the emperor Constantius from Achaia to Constantinople.

The Origin of the Gospel according to Luke

According to the testimony of the evangelist himself (Luke 1:1-4), he composed his Gospel on the basis of the tradition of eyewitnesses and the study of written attempts at setting forth this tradition, striving to give a comparatively detailed and properly arranged account of the events of Gospel history. The works with which the evangelist Luke made use were compiled on the basis of apostolic tradition, but nevertheless they seemed to him insufficient for the purpose he had when composing his Gospel. One of such sources, and perhaps even the main source, was the Gospel according to Mark. It is even said that a huge part of Luke’s Gospel is in literary dependence on Mark’s Gospel (this is what Weiss precisely demonstrated in his work on Mark’s Gospel through comparison of the texts of both Gospels).

Some critics have attempted to place Luke’s Gospel in dependence on Matthew’s Gospel, but these attempts proved extremely unsuccessful, and nowadays are almost never repeated. If anything can be said with certainty, it is that in certain places the evangelist Luke uses a source that agrees with Matthew’s Gospel. This must be said primarily about the history of the childhood of Jesus Christ. The character of the presentation of this history, and the very speech of the Gospel in this section, strongly reminiscent of Jewish literary works, compel one to suppose that Luke here used a Jewish source that stood quite close to the history of the childhood of Jesus Christ as recounted in Matthew’s Gospel.

Finally, even in ancient times it was suggested that the evangelist Luke, as a companion of the apostle Paul, set forth the “Gospel” of that very apostle (Irenaeus, Adversus haereses, III, 1, 7; Eusebius of Caesarea, “Ecclesiastical History”, II, 22, 5). Although this suggestion is very probable and agrees with the character of Luke’s Gospel, which apparently deliberately selected those narratives that could demonstrate the general and fundamental idea of Paul’s Gospel about the salvation of the Gentiles, nevertheless Luke’s own statement (Luke 1:1 and following) does not point to this source.

The Occasion and Purpose, Place and Time of Writing the Gospel

The Gospel according to Luke (and the Book of Acts) was written for a certain Theophilus, to give him the opportunity to be convinced that the Christian teaching transmitted to him rests on solid foundations. Many conjectures were made about the origin, profession, and place of residence of this Theophilus, but all these conjectures do not have sufficient basis. One can only say that Theophilus was a man of rank, since Luke calls him “most excellent” (κράτιστε [Luke 1:3] literally means “mightiest.” – Editor’s note), and from the character of the Gospel, standing close to the character of the teaching of the apostle Paul, it naturally follows that Theophilus was converted to Christianity by the apostle Paul and probably was previously a pagan. One can also accept the testimony of the “Clementine Recognitions” (a writing attributed to Clement of Rome, X, 71) that Theophilus was a resident of Antioch. Finally, from the fact that in the Book of Acts, written for the same Theophilus, Luke does not explain the places mentioned in the story of the apostle Paul’s journey to Rome (Acts 28:12-13), one can conclude that Theophilus was well acquainted with these places and probably had traveled to Rome more than once himself. But there is no doubt that Luke wrote the Gospel not for Theophilus alone, but for all Christians who found it important to become familiar with the history of Christ’s life in such a systematic and verified form as is presented in Luke’s Gospel.

That the Gospel according to Luke was in any case written for a Christian or, more accurately, for Christians from among the Gentiles, is clearly seen from the fact that the evangelist nowhere presents Jesus Christ as the Messiah expected by the Jews and does not aim at showing in Christ’s activity and teaching the fulfillment of messianic prophecies. Instead we find in the third Gospel repeated indications that Christ is the Redeemer of all mankind and that the Gospel is intended for all peoples. Such a thought is expressed already by the righteous elder Simeon (II, 31 and following), and then runs through the genealogy of Christ, which in the evangelist Luke’s account is traced back to Adam, the progenitor of all humanity, and which consequently shows that Christ belongs not to the Jewish people alone, but to all humanity. Then, when beginning to depict Christ’s activity in Galilee, the evangelist Luke places in the foreground the rejection of Christ by his fellow citizens—the inhabitants of Nazareth, in which the Lord indicated a characteristic trait of the attitude of the Jews toward the prophets in general—an attitude by which the prophets departed from the Jewish land to the Gentiles or showed their favor to the Gentiles (Elijah and Elisha—Luke 4:25-27). In the Sermon on the Mount the evangelist Luke does not cite Christ’s sayings about his relation to the law (Luke 6:20-49) and Pharisaic righteousness, but in his instruction to the apostles omits the prohibition to the apostles to preach to the Gentiles and Samaritans (Luke 9:1-6). On the contrary, he alone tells of the grateful Samaritan, of the merciful Samaritan, of Christ’s disapproval of the immoderate irritation of the disciples against the Samaritans who did not receive Christ. To this also belong various parables and sayings of Christ, in which there is great similarity with that teaching about righteousness by faith which the apostle Paul proclaimed in his Epistles written to churches composed chiefly of Gentiles.

The influence of the apostle Paul and the desire to explain the universality of the salvation brought by Christ undoubtedly had great influence on the choice of material for the composition of the Gospel according to Luke. However, there is not the slightest reason to suppose that the writer conducted purely subjective views in his work and departed from historical truth. On the contrary, we see that he gives place in his Gospel to such narratives as undoubtedly arose in the Jewish-Christian circle (the history of Christ’s childhood). It is therefore in vain that critics attribute to him the desire to adapt Jewish ideas about the Messiah to the views of the apostle Paul (Zeller) or the desire to exalt Paul before the twelve apostles and Paul’s teaching before Jewish Christianity (Baur, Hilgenfeld). This supposition is contradicted by the content of the Gospel, which contains many sections that go counter to such supposed desire of Luke (this is first of all the history of the nativity of Christ and His childhood, and then Luke 4:16-30 and following, Luke 13:1-5 and others). To reconcile his supposition with the existence of such sections in Luke’s Gospel, Baur had to resort to a new supposition, that in its present form Luke’s Gospel is the work of some person living later (an editor). Holsten, seeing in Luke’s Gospel a union of Matthew’s and Mark’s Gospels, supposes that Luke intended to unite the Jewish-Christian and Pauline views, excluding from them the Judaistic and extreme Pauline elements. This same view of Luke’s Gospel, as a work pursuing purely conciliatory aims of two warring directions in the Early Church, continues to exist in the newest criticism of apostolic writings. Joh. Weiss in his preface to the commentary on Luke’s Gospel (2nd ed. 1907) concludes that this Gospel cannot by any means be recognized as pursuing the aim of elevating Paulinism. Luke displays his complete “impartiality”, and if there are frequent agreements in his thoughts and expressions with the Epistles of the apostle Paul, this is explained only by the fact that by the time Luke wrote his Gospel, these Epistles were already widely circulated in all churches. The love of Christ for sinners, on whose manifestations the evangelist Luke so often dwells, is not something particularly characterizing Paul’s conception of Christ; on the contrary, all Christian tradition represented Christ as being precisely this kind, loving sinners…

The time of writing the Gospel according to Luke among some ancient writers was referred to a very early period in the history of Christianity—even to the time of the activity of the apostle Paul, but the newest commentators in most cases assert that Luke’s Gospel was written not long before the destruction of Jerusalem: at the time when the two-year sojourn of the apostle Paul in Roman imprisonment came to an end. There is, however, an opinion supported by rather authoritative scholars (for example, B. Weiss) that the Gospel according to Luke was written after the year 70, that is, after the destruction of Jerusalem. This opinion attempts to find its basis, principally in the 21st chapter of Luke’s Gospel (Luke 21:24 and following), where the destruction of Jerusalem is supposedly regarded as an event already accomplished. And apparently in agreement with this is the idea Luke has of the condition of the Christian Church as being in a very oppressed state (compare Luke 6:20 and following). However, according to Weiss’s own conviction, one cannot place the origin of the Gospel and further back than the 70s (as do, for example, Baur and Zeller, who place the origin of Luke’s Gospel in 110–130 AD, or as Hilgenfeld, Keim, Volkmar—in 100 AD). Regarding this opinion of Weiss one can say that it contains nothing improbable and indeed may possibly find basis in the testimony of the holy bishop Irenaeus, who says that the Gospel according to Luke was written after the death of the apostles Peter and Paul (“Against Heresies”, III, 1).

Where the Gospel according to Luke was written—nothing definite is known about this from tradition. According to some it was Achaia, according to others—Alexandria or Caesarea. Some point to Corinth, others—to Rome, as the place of writing the Gospel, but all this is merely conjecture.

On the Authenticity and Integrity of the Gospel according to Luke

The writer of the Gospel does not name himself, but ancient Church tradition unanimously names the apostle Luke as the writer of the third Gospel (Irenaeus, “Against Heresies”, III, 1, 1; Origen in Eusebius, “Ecclesiastical History”, VI, 25, and others. See also the Muratorian Canon). In the Gospel itself there is nothing that would prevent accepting this testimony of tradition. If opponents of authenticity point out that the apostolic fathers do not cite passages from it at all, this circumstance can be explained by the fact that among the apostolic fathers it was customary to be guided more by oral tradition about the life of Christ than by writings about him. Moreover, the Gospel of Luke, as having, judging by its title, first of all a private purpose, could precisely be regarded by the apostolic fathers as a private document. Only later did it acquire the significance of a general guide for the study of Gospel history. The newest criticism still does not agree with the testimony of tradition and does not recognize Luke as the writer of the Gospel. The basis for doubting the authenticity of Luke’s Gospel for critics (for example, for Joh. Weiss) is the circumstance that the author of the Gospel must necessarily be recognized as the one who compiled the Acts of the Apostles: this is shown not only by the title of the Acts (Acts 1:1), but also by the style of both books. Meanwhile criticism asserts that the Book of Acts was not written by Luke himself or in general not by a companion of the apostle Paul, but by a person living considerably later, who uses in the second part of the book only records that remained from a companion of the apostle Paul (see, for example, Acts 16:10: we…). Evidently this supposition put forward by Weiss arises with the question about the authenticity of the Acts of the Apostles and therefore cannot be discussed here. As regards the integrity of Luke’s Gospel, critics have long held the view that not all of Luke’s Gospel comes from this writer, but that there are sections in it inserted by a later hand. They therefore sought to distinguish the so-called “Proto-Luke” (Scholten). But the majority of new commentators maintain that Luke’s Gospel all, in its complete form, represents the work of Luke. The objections raised by Johann Weiss in his commentary on Luke’s Gospel can hardly shake the conviction in a rational person that Luke’s Gospel in all its sections represents a completely unified work of one author. (Some of these objections will be discussed in the commentary on Luke’s Gospel.)

The Content of the Gospel

As regards the selection and arrangement of Gospel events, the evangelist Luke, like Matthew and Mark, divides these events into two groups, one of which comprises Christ’s activity in Galilee, and the other His activity in Jerusalem. Moreover Luke greatly abbreviates some of the accounts contained in the first two Gospels, while presenting many accounts that are not found in those Gospels at all. Finally, even those accounts in his Gospel that are a reproduction of what is found in the first two Gospels, he groups and modifies according to his own fashion.

Like the evangelist Matthew, Luke begins his Gospel with the very first moments of New Testament revelation. In the first three chapters he depicts:

a) the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as the birth and circumcision of John the Baptist and the circumstances that accompanied them (Luke 1);
b) the history of the birth, circumcision, and presentation of Christ in the temple, and then Christ’s appearance in the temple when He was a 12-year-old boy (Luke 2);
c) the appearance of John the Baptist as the Forerunner of the Messiah, the descent of the Holy Spirit on Christ at the time of His baptism, the age of Christ at that time, and His genealogy (Luke 3).

The depiction of the messianic activity of Christ is divided in Luke’s Gospel quite clearly into three parts as well. The first part comprises Christ’s activity in Galilee (Luke 4:1-9:50), the second contains Christ’s speeches and miracles during His prolonged journey to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51-19:27), and the third contains the history of the completion of Christ’s messianic ministry in Jerusalem (Luke 19:28-24:53).

In the first part, where the evangelist Luke follows the evangelist Mark both in the choice and sequence of events, several omissions from Mark’s account are made. Specifically omitted are: Mark 3:20-30—the malicious judgments of the Pharisees about Christ’s casting out of demons; Mark 6:17-29—the account of the Baptist being thrown into prison and put to death and then everything that Mark presents (as also Matthew) from the history of Christ’s activity in northern Galilee and Perea (Mark 6:44-8:27 and following). Directly after the miracle of feeding the people (Luke 9:10-17) is attached the account of Peter’s confession and the first prediction by the Lord of His sufferings (Luke 9:18 and following). On the other hand, the evangelist Luke instead of the account of the calling of Simon and Andrew and the sons of Zebedee to follow Christ (Mark 1:16-20; compare Matt 4:18-22) tells of the miraculous catch of fish, as a result of which Peter and his companions left their occupation to follow Christ constantly (Luke 5:1-11), and instead of the account of Christ’s rejection in Nazareth (Mark 6:1-6; compare Matt 13:54-58) he places an account of the same content when describing Christ’s first visit as the Messiah to His native city (Luke 4:16-30). Further, after the calling of the 12 apostles Luke places in his Gospel the following sections not found in Mark’s Gospel: the Sermon on the Mount (Luke 6:20-49), but in a briefer form than it is presented in Matthew’s Gospel, the Baptist’s question to the Lord about His messiahship (Luke 7:18-35), and inserted between these two sections the account of the raising of the young man of Nain (Luke 7:11-17), then the history of Christ being anointed at a meal in the house of the Pharisee Simon (Luke 7:36-50), and the names of the Galilean women who served Christ with their property (Luke 8:1-3).

Such closeness of Luke’s Gospel to Mark’s Gospel is undoubtedly explained by the fact that both evangelists wrote their Gospels for Christians from among the Gentiles. Both evangelists also show a striving to depict Gospel events not in their exact chronological sequence, but to give as complete and clear a presentation as possible of Christ as the founder of the Messianic Kingdom. Luke’s deviations from Mark can be explained by his desire to give more space to those accounts that Luke borrows from tradition, as well as by his striving to group and present the facts communicated to Luke by eyewitnesses, so that his Gospel presents not only a picture of Christ, His life and deeds, but also His teaching about the Kingdom of God, expressed in His speeches and conversations both with His disciples and with His opponents.

To carry out systematically such an intention the evangelist Luke places between the two, primarily historical parts of his Gospel—the first and the third—a middle part (Luke 9:51-19:27), in which conversations and speeches predominate, and in this part he presents speeches and events that according to other Gospels took place at a different time. Some commentators (for example, Meyer, Godet) see in this section an exact chronological arrangement of events, basing themselves on the words of the evangelist Luke himself, who promised to present everything “in order” (καθ´ ἑξῆς—Luke 1:3). But such a supposition is hardly sound. Although the evangelist Luke says that he wants to write “in order,” this does not at all mean that he wants to give in his Gospel only a chronicle of Christ’s life. On the contrary, he set as his goal to give Theophilus through an accurate presentation of Gospel history complete confidence in the truthfulness of the teachings in which he had been instructed. The evangelist Luke did preserve the general consecutive order of events: Gospel history in his account begins with the birth of Christ and even with the birth of His Forerunner, then comes the depiction of Christ’s public ministry, with moments indicated when Christ’s teaching about Himself as the Messiah is revealed, and finally the entire history ends with the presentation of the events of the last days of Christ’s sojourn on earth. But there was no need to list in consecutive order everything that Christ accomplished from His baptism to His ascension—for the purpose Luke had, it was sufficient to present the events of Gospel history in a certain grouping. This intention of the evangelist Luke is evidenced also by the fact that the majority of the sections of the second part are connected to one another not by exact chronological indications, but by simple transitional formulas: “it happened” (Luke 11:1), “and it came to pass” (Luke 10:38), “and behold” (Luke 10:25), “and he said” (Luke 12:54), and others, or by simple connectives: “and,” “moreover” (δέ—Luke 11:29). These transitions were made clearly not to determine the time of events, but only their setting. One cannot fail to note also that the evangelist describes here events that occurred sometimes in Samaria (Luke 9:52), sometimes in Bethany, not far from Jerusalem (Luke 10:38), and sometimes again somewhere far from Jerusalem (Luke 13:31), in Galilee—in a word, these are events of different times, not only those that occurred during Christ’s last journey to Jerusalem at Passover of the passion.

Finally, in the third section as well (Luke 19:28-24:53) the evangelist Luke sometimes departs from the chronological order of events in the interest of his grouping of facts (for example, he places Peter’s denial before the trial of Christ before the high priest). Here the evangelist Luke again follows Mark’s Gospel as the source of his narratives, supplementing his account with information drawn from another, unknown to us source.

The Plan of the Gospel

According to the purpose he had outlined—to provide a basis for faith in the teaching that had already been transmitted to Theophilus, the evangelist Luke planned all the content of his Gospel in such a way that it indeed leads the reader to the conviction that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished the salvation of all mankind, that He fulfilled all the promises of the Old Testament about the Messiah as the Savior not only of the Jewish people, but of all peoples. Naturally, to achieve the goal he set before him, it was not necessary for the evangelist Luke to give his Gospel the appearance of a chronicle of Gospel events, but rather to group all events in such a way as to produce the desired impression on the reader.

The plan of the evangelist becomes evident already in the introduction to the history of the messianic ministry of Christ (Luke 1-3). In the account of the conception and birth of Christ it is mentioned that an Angel announced to the All-Holy Virgin the birth of a Son, whom She would conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit and who would therefore be the Son of God, and by flesh—the Son of David, who would forever occupy the throne of his father David. The birth of Christ as the birth of the promised Redeemer is proclaimed by an Angel to the shepherds. At the presentation of Christ-the-infant in the temple His high dignity is testified to by the Spirit-inspired elder Simeon and the prophetess Anna. Jesus Himself, still a 12-year-old boy, already declares that He must be in the temple as in the house of His Father. At Christ’s baptism in the Jordan He receives heavenly testimony that He is the beloved Son of God, having received the full measure of gifts of the Holy Spirit for His messianic ministry. Finally, His genealogy presented in chapter 3, tracing back to Adam and God, testifies that He is the progenitor of new humanity, born from God through the Holy Spirit.

Then in the first part of the Gospel is given a depiction of Christ’s messianic ministry, which is accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in Christ (Luke 4:1). By the power of the Holy Spirit Christ gains victory over the devil in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13), and then appears in this “power of the Spirit” in Galilee, and in Nazareth, His native city, declares Himself to be the Anointed One and Redeemer, of whom the prophets of the Old Testament had foretold. Not finding faith in Himself there, He reminds His unbelieving fellow citizens that God had already in the Old Testament prepared the reception of prophets among the Gentiles (Luke 4:14-30). After this event, which had significance as a foretoken of the future attitude of the Jews toward Christ, there follows a series of deeds accomplished by Christ in Capernaum and its surroundings: healing a demon-possessed person by the power of Christ’s word in the synagogue, healing Simon’s mother-in-law and other sick and demon-possessed people who were brought and brought to Christ (Luke 4:31-44), a miraculous catch of fish, healing a leper. All this is depicted as events that caused the spread of reports about Christ and the arrival at Christ of whole masses of people who came to hear Christ’s teaching and brought with them their sick in the hope that Christ would heal them (Luke 5:1-16). Then follows a group of incidents that provoked opposition to Christ from the Pharisees and scribes: the forgiveness of sins of the healed paralytic (Luke 5:17-26), the declaration at a meal with a tax collector that Christ came to save not the righteous, but sinners (Luke 5:27-32), the vindication of Christ’s disciples for not observing fasts, based on the fact that the Bridegroom-Messiah is with them (Luke 5:33-39), and in the violation of the Sabbath, based on the fact that Christ is the lord of the Sabbath, and confirmed by a miracle that Christ performed on the Sabbath over the man with the withered hand (Luke 6:1-11). But while these deeds and declarations of Christ irritated His opponents to the point that they began thinking about how to seize Him, He chose from among His disciples 12 to be apostles (Luke 6:12-16), proclaimed from the mountain aloud to all the people following Him the fundamental principles upon which the Kingdom of God that He was establishing should be built (Luke 6:17-49), and after descending from the mountain, not only fulfilled the request of a pagan centurion for the healing of his servant, because the centurion showed such faith in Christ as Christ had not found even in Israel (Luke 7:1-10), but also raised the son of the widow of Nain, after which all the people who followed the funeral procession glorified him as a prophet sent by God to the chosen people (Luke 7:11-17).

An embassy from John the Baptist to Christ with the question whether He is the Messiah impelled Christ to point to His deeds as testimony to His Messianic dignity and at the same time to rebuke the people for their distrust of John the Baptist and of Him, Christ. In doing this Christ makes a distinction between those listeners who desire to hear from Him an indication of the way to salvation, and those who are a huge multitude and who do not believe in Him (Luke 7:18-35). The subsequent sections, in accordance with the evangelist’s intention to show the difference among the Jews who listened to Christ, present a series of facts that illustrate such a division in the people and together the attitude of Christ toward the people, toward its different parts, in accordance with their attitude toward Christ, namely: the anointing of Christ by a repentant sinful woman and the behavior of the Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50), mention of the Galilean women who served Christ with their property (Luke 8:1-3), the parable of the different qualities of the field on which sowing is done with an indication of the hardening of the people (Luke 8:4-18), Christ’s relation to His own family (Luke 8:19-21), the crossing to the land of the Gadarenes, in which the little faith of the disciples was revealed, and the healing of a demon-possessed person, with a contrast marked between the dull indifference shown by the Gadarenes toward the miracle accomplished by Christ and the gratitude of the healed person (Luke 8:22-39), the healing of the woman with a flow of blood and the raising of the daughter of Jairus, because both the woman and Jairus showed their faith in Christ (Luke 8:40-56). Then follow the events told in chapter 9, which had as their aim the strengthening of Christ’s disciples in faith: the empowerment of the disciples to cast out demons and heal the sick together with instructions about how they should act during their preaching journey (Luke 9:1-6), indicating how the tetrarch Herod understood the activity of Jesus (Luke 9:7-9), the feeding of five thousand, by which Christ showed the apostles returning from their journey His power to render help in every need (Luke 9:10-17), the question of Christ about whom the people and the disciples consider Him to be, with Peter’s confession on behalf of all the apostles: “You are the Christ of God,” and then Christ’s prediction of His rejection by the representatives of the people and His death and resurrection, as well as an exhortation directed to the disciples to imitate Him in self-sacrifice, for which He will reward them at His second glorious coming (Luke 9:18-27), the transfiguration of Christ, which gave His disciples the ability to gaze with their eyes into His future glorification (Luke 9:28-36), the healing of a demon-possessed lunatic boy—whom Christ’s disciples could not heal because of the weakness of their faith—which resulted in the people’s joyful glorification of God. At this point, however, Christ once again pointed out to His disciples the fate awaiting Him, and they proved lacking in understanding regarding such a clear statement made by Christ (Luke 9:37-45).

This inability of the disciples, despite their confession of Christ’s Messiahship, to understand His prophecy about His death and resurrection, had its basis in the fact that they still remained in those conceptions about the Messiah’s Kingdom that had developed among Jewish scribes, who understood the messianic Kingdom as an earthly, political kingdom, and at the same time testified to how weak was still their knowledge about the nature of the Kingdom of God and its spiritual blessings. Therefore, according to Luke’s Gospel, Christ devoted the remaining time until His solemn entry into Jerusalem to teaching His disciples precisely these most important truths about the nature of the Kingdom of God, about its kind and spread (the second part), about what is required to attain eternal life, and warnings not to be led astray by the teaching of the Pharisees and the views of His enemies, whom He will come to judge in time as the King of this Kingdom of God (Luke 9:51-19:27).

Finally, in the third part the evangelist shows how Christ by His sufferings, death, and resurrection proved that He is indeed the promised Savior and the Messiah anointed by the Holy Spirit, King of the Kingdom of God. In depicting the solemn entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, the evangelist Luke speaks not only of the people’s amazement, about which other evangelists also report, but also about Christ proclaiming judgment upon the city that did not obey Him (Luke 19:28-44) and then, in agreement with Mark and Matthew, about how He shamed His enemies in the temple (Luke 20:1-47), and then, pointing out the superiority of a poor widow’s offering to the temple over the contributions of the rich, He foretold to His disciples the fate of Jerusalem and His followers (Luke 21:1-36).

In the description of Christ’s sufferings and death (Luke 22-23) it is shown that Satan prompted Judas to betray Christ (Luke 22:3), and then Christ’s assurance is brought forward that He will eat the supper with His disciples in the Kingdom of God and that the Old Testament Passover shall now be replaced by the Eucharist He is instituting (Luke 22:15-23). The evangelist also mentions that at the Last Supper Christ, calling His disciples to serve rather than to rule, nevertheless promised them dominion in His Kingdom (Luke 22:24-30). Then follows the account of three moments of Christ’s final hours: Christ’s promise to pray for Peter in view of his imminent fall (Luke 22:31-34), the call to the disciples to struggle against temptations (Luke 22:35-38), and Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane, in which an Angel from heaven strengthened Him (Luke 22:39-46). Then the evangelist speaks of the taking of Christ and Christ’s healing of the servant wounded by Peter (Luke 22:51) and His reproach to the high priests who came with soldiers (Luke 22:53). All these details clearly show that Christ went to sufferings and death willingly, in the consciousness of their necessity so that the salvation of humanity could be accomplished.

In the depiction of Christ’s actual sufferings Peter’s denial is presented in the evangelist Luke as a testimony that even during His own sufferings Christ had pity on His weak disciple (Luke 22:54-62). Then follows a description of Christ’s great sufferings in the following three parts:

1) the denial of Christ’s high dignity partly by soldiers who mocked Christ in the courtyard of the high priest (Luke 22:63-65), but mainly by members of the Sanhedrin (Luke 22:66-71),

2) Christ’s declaration as a visionary at the trial before Pilate and Herod (Luke 23:1-12), and

3) the people’s preference of Barabbas, a robber, to Christ, and the condemnation of Christ to death by crucifixion (Luke 23:13-25).

After depicting the depth of Christ’s suffering the evangelist notes such features of this suffering as clearly testified that Christ even in His torments remained the King of the Kingdom of God. The evangelist relates that the Condemned One:

1) as judge addressed the women who wept for Him (Luke 23:26-31) and asked His Father for His enemies who were committing a crime against Him unknowingly (Luke 23:32-34);

2) gave place in paradise to the repentant robber, as having the right to do so (Luke 23:35-43);

3) was conscious that, in dying, He was committing His spirit to His Father (Luke 23:44-46);

4) was recognized as righteous by the centurion and aroused repentance in the people by His death (Luke 23:47-48), and

5) was honored with an especially solemn burial (Luke 23:49-56).

Finally, in the history of Christ’s resurrection the evangelist presents such events as clearly proved the greatness of Christ and served to clarify the work of salvation He had accomplished. Namely: the testimony of Angels that Christ conquered death, according to His predictions about this (Luke 24:1-12), then the appearance of Christ Himself to the travelers on the road to Emmaus, to whom Christ showed from Scripture the necessity of His sufferings in order that He might enter into His glory (Luke 24:13-35), the appearance of Christ to all the apostles, to whom He also explained the prophecies that spoke of Him and entrusted them to preach in His name the message of forgiveness of sins to all peoples of the earth, promising the apostles to send them the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:36-49). Finally, briefly depicting Christ’s ascension into heaven (Luke 24:50-53), the evangelist Luke concluded his Gospel, which indeed became a confirmation of all the Christian teaching transmitted to Theophilus and other Christians from among the Gentiles: Christ is depicted here indeed as the promised Messiah, as the Son of God and King of the Kingdom of God.

Among the patristic commentaries on the Gospel according to Luke the most thorough are the writings of the blessed Theophylact and Euthymius Zigabenus. Among our Russian commentators first place should be given to Bishop Michael (Gospel Commentary), then to D. P. Bogolepov who compiled a textbook for reading the Four Gospels; B. I. Gladkov, who wrote “Gospel Commentary,” and Professor of the Kazan Theological Academy M. Bogolovskii, who compiled the books: 1) The Childhood of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Forerunner, According to the Gospels of the Holy Apostles Matthew and Luke. Kazan, 1893 and 2) The Public Ministry of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to the Accounts of the Holy Evangelists. Issue 1. Kazan, 1908.

Among writings on the Gospel according to Luke we have only the dissertation of Protopriest Polotelbnov “Holy Gospel According to Luke. Orthodox Critical-Exegetical Research Against F. Ch. Baur.” Moscow, 1873.

Among foreign commentaries we mention the commentaries of Keil (1879), Meyer edited by B. Weiss (1885), Joh. Weiss (1907), Trench “Exposition of the Parables of Our Lord Jesus Christ” (1888, in Russian) and “Miracles of Our Lord Jesus Christ” (1883, in Russian), and Merx (1905).

We also cite the following works: Geikie “Life and Teaching of Christ,” trans. by Archbishop M. Filevsky, 1894; Edersheim “Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah,” trans. by Archbishop M. Filevsky, Vol. I, 1900; Revillé A. “Jesus the Nazarene,” trans. Zelinsky, Vol. I-II, 1909, and some articles from theological journals.

* * *

Some commentators, in order to preserve chronological order in this section, tried to find in it references to two journeys of Christ to Jerusalem—to the feast of dedication and the feast of the final Passover (Schleiermacher, Olshausen, Neander), or even to three, which John mentions in his Gospel (Wieseler). But, not to mention that there is no clear reference here to different journeys, it is clearly stated in a passage of Luke’s Gospel against such a supposition, where it is definitely said that the evangelist wants to describe in this section only the Lord’s last journey to Jerusalem—to the Passover of the passion. In Luke 9:51 it is said: “And it came to pass, when the days were come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.” See commentaries to chapter 9.

Thus, Luke alone has accounts of the tax collector Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), of the dispute of the disciples at the performance of the Eucharist (Luke 22:24-30), of the trial of Christ before Herod (Luke 23:4-12), of the women who wept for Christ at his journey to Golgotha (Luke 23:27-31), the conversation with the robber on the cross (Luke 23:39-43), the appearance to the Emmaus travelers (Luke 24:13-35), and certain other accounts which represent a supplement to Mark’s narrative.

Chapter One

1–4. Preface. – 5–25. Announcement of the conception and birth of John the Forerunner. – 26–38. Announcement of the nativity of Christ. – 39–56. Journey of the All-Holy Virgin to Elizabeth. – 57–66. Birth and circumcision of John the Forerunner. – 67–80. Song of praise of Zechariah.

Luke 1:1. Many have undertaken to compile an account of the things fully confirmed among us, The evangelist Luke differs from other evangelists in that he, following the example of Greek historians, writes a brief preface to his Gospel. Here he speaks about the fundamental idea, method, and purpose of his work. As the purpose of his Gospel he sets (verse 4)—to give readers a reliable means to be convinced of the truth of Gospel teachings. To this end he will follow a fully scientific method in presenting Gospel events and will take care of completeness of presentation (verse 3). In doing this the evangelist indicates that he is not the first to undertake this task—before him other people engaged in the description of Gospel events (verses 1–2). “Many”—in Greek: ἐπειδήπερ. This expression does not appear elsewhere either in the New Testament or in the Seventy, but often appears in classical Greek writers and designates their intensified indication of the basis of one or another action: “inasmuch as.” “Many.” Here are meant Christian writers who, as is evident from verse 2, were not themselves eyewitnesses of the Gospel events they described. Among such writers Luke could also count the evangelist Mark, who was not an eyewitness of all of Christ’s deeds. The works of these writers, except of course Mark, have not come down to us. It is certain only that these were not the authors of the so-called apocryphal Gospels, because those Gospels appeared in the form in which we have them much later than our canonical Gospels. “Undertook”—in Greek: ἐπεχείρησαν—attempted. By this the evangelist designates the importance and difficulty of describing Gospel events, but does not at all intend to make any reproach to those who undertook such a difficult task. “Compile an account”—in Greek: ἀνατάξασθαι διήγησιν, that is, to arrange in order or to put in order an account or the facts that were the subject of narrative—the events of Gospel history. “Of the things fully confirmed among us”—περὶ τῶν πεπληροφορημένων ἐν ἡμῖν πραγμάτων, that is, about events that have fully run their course. Some understand the verb πληροφορεῖν in the sense of “bringing to full assurance,” but such a meaning has this verb only in application to persons (for example, Rom 4:21; Col 4:12), not to events. “Among us,” that is, among Christians.

Luke 1:2. As those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word have delivered them to us, “As they have delivered to us…” This is a subordinate clause relating to the first verse and clarifying what guided “many” in their narratives. “As”—more precisely: “according to the way that” (καθώς). “Have delivered.” This means that tradition, and indeed oral tradition, was the source from which “many” drew material for their narratives. From whom this “tradition” came is stated in the words that follow. “From the beginning,” that is, from the beginning of those “events” (verse 1) or from the beginning of the revelation of Christ’s public ministry to the human race, which coincides with the calling of the apostles (Euthymius Zigabenus; see John 15:27; Acts 1:21 and following). “Eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word.” Here are meant the apostles and those disciples of Christ who accompanied Christ beginning with His very entrance into public ministry. Since they were first eyewitnesses of everything that Christ accomplished, they later became, after Christ’s ascension, also preachers of the Gospel (the word λόγου in the sense of “teaching,” “preaching” see Acts 14:25). In the synoptists the term “Word” in the sense of designating the second Person of the Holy Trinity, as in John 1:1, does not occur. The blessed Theophylact from this verse concludes that the evangelist Luke did not belong to the number of Christ’s disciples, but became a Christian at a later time. But he could certainly have gathered quite accurate information about Christ’s life from the apostle Paul and other apostles and relatives of Christ (see Eusebius of Caesarea, “Ecclesiastical History”, V, 8).

Luke 1:3. It seemed fitting to me also, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, “It seemed fitting to me also.” It seems that writing the Gospel appeared to him to be his own act, an act of his own will. But in reality, by the Church’s recognition, the Holy Spirit guided him in this, and the evangelist precisely carried out the mysterious inspiration of the Spirit in this case. Then it seems that he places himself on a level with those “many” of whom he has just spoken (verse 1). But in reality, it is certain that he resolved to give more than what “many” gave, otherwise there would be no need for him to undertake the work. “Having investigated everything carefully from the beginning.” The evangelist verified everything he learned from tradition by the testimony of those persons who took part in the Gospel events described. He does not begin his Gospel directly with Christ’s emergence into preaching, but much earlier, from, so to speak, the very beginning (ἄνωθεν). And indeed, in the first two chapters he depicts the history of the birth of John the Forerunner and the Lord Jesus Christ. Finally, he wants to speak about everything (πᾶσιν). By this completeness and thoroughness his Gospel differs from those written earlier. Perhaps he has in mind here also Mark’s Gospel, which—representing a reproduction of the accounts of the apostle Peter, which of course, as spoken on particular occasions, did not embrace all the content of Gospel history—is similarly distinguished by particular brevity and omissions of very important sections (for example, the history of Christ’s childhood). “In an orderly account.” Here one can see an indication of both chronological and systematic “order,” but the evangelist emphasizes the chronological sequence in the presentation of Gospel events. “Most excellent Theophilus.” See “The Occasion and Purpose, Place and Time of Writing the Gospel.”

Luke 1:4. That you may know the certainty of those things about which you were instructed. “That you may know,” that is, to know in the most definite manner (ἐπιγνῷς, see Matt 11:27; 1 Cor 13:12). “The certainty”—stability (ἀσφάλειαν). Here the matter is not that at that time doubt was aroused regarding the facts of Gospel history as to their reality or correct presentation in tradition, but that the teachings (λόγοι—in Russian translated imprecisely: teaching) which Theophilus had acquired would be presented in their unshakable truth. Indeed, Christian teaching is based on history and finds its confirmation in history as well. “About which you were instructed.” Theophilus, thus, was already enlightened by Christianity, but clearly he still lacked exact knowledge of the history of Christ’s life and teaching.

Luke 1:5. In the days of Herod the Great, king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zechariah of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. The account of the conception of John the Forerunner begins with an indication of the time of this event and a designation of the persons about whom the evangelist was to speak. “In the days of Herod”—see commentaries to Matt 2:1. “There was a priest”—more precisely: appeared, came forward in history (ἐγένετο; see Mark 1:4). “A priest”—in the Greek text the word τις—a certain—is added here. From this it is clearly evident that Zechariah was not the high priest, as some Church teachers supposed. The Jewish historian Josephus does not know of a high priest named Zechariah from the time of Herod. “Of the division of Abijah.” David established that the priests, as is well known, descended from two sons of Aaron, Eleazar and Ithamar, should alternately perform service in the temple. The division to which Zechariah belonged was the eighth among all 24 divisions. Each division performed sacred ministry for eight days—from one Sabbath to another. The priests during this time changed daily (this is indicated by the name of the division—ἐφημερία, that is, daily service). See 1 Chr 24. “Named Zechariah.” The name Zechariah in translation from Hebrew means: “the one whom Jehovah remembered.” “And his wife…” Both through his father and through his mother John thus descended from the house of Aaron and consequently had full right to become a priest. The name “Elizabeth” in translation from Hebrew means “oath of God.” This was also the name of Aaron’s wife (Exod 6:23).

Luke 1:6. Both were righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord blameless. “Righteous before God.” Zechariah and Elizabeth not only appeared righteous before people, that is, fulfilling the will of God, but also before God. This means that their righteousness was genuine, not hypocritical (see Gen 7:1). It is understood, however, that this righteousness was not that which people received through the redemption accomplished by Christ: the burden of inherited sin had not been lifted from these righteous spouses. “Walking in all the commandments and statutes…” The difference between “commandments” (ἐντολή) and “statutes” (δικαίωμα) consists in the fact that the former designate individual ordinances of the Law of Moses, and the latter—the legal norms underlying all legislation.

Luke 1:7. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were well advanced in years. The couple had no children, which among the Hebrews was considered a very great misfortune, as it served as a sign of the disfavor of God (Deut 28:18). In the present case, however, as it turned out, this was not a matter of God’s disfavor, but probably served the purpose that the child born to Zechariah and Elizabeth in their old age was to become the object of their most tender care, just as once Isaac became such an object for his parents—Abraham and Sarah. Besides the fact that Elizabeth had been barren until now, the very age of both spouses (προβεβηκότες ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις—“well advanced in years”) did not give any hope at all for the birth of children. Both spouses were probably about sixty years old (Prof. Bogolovskii, “The Childhood of Our Lord Jesus Christ,” p. 155).

Luke 1:8. Now it happened that while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, Luke 1:9. According to the custom of the priesthood, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. Luke 1:10. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. It is better to translate these verses thus: “When Zechariah once served as priest before God during the period of his division, it fell to his lot by the custom of the priesthood to burn incense when he entered the temple of the Lord, and the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.” “Once.” Some commentators attempt to explain this indefinite expression of the evangelist and determine when exactly the event described here occurred and consequently the conception of John the Forerunner. From the fact that the Jerusalem temple was destroyed by the Romans on the 9th day of the fifth month (July 15) in the 823rd year from the founding of Rome, precisely on the day when, according to the testimony of the Talmud, the first division began its service, the conclusion is drawn that a year and a bit before the Nativity of Christ, that is, in the year of the Forerunner’s conception, probably the 748th year, the division of Abijah served in the first half from April 17 to 23, and in the second—from September 16 to 22, and consequently it is supposed that the appearance of the Angel to Zechariah occurred in the second half of the 748th year (Bogolovskii, p. 150). “Serving before God,” that is, performing his priestly duties precisely before God, since the temple was considered the place of the gracious presence of Jehovah. “It fell to his lot” (ἔλαχε—received by lot). “According to the custom of the priesthood.” Burning incense was considered by the priests the most important sacred action, and whoever received this task was recognized by all as being especially honored by God (Deut 33:10 and following). “Into the temple of the Lord”—τόν ναόν, that is, into the Holy Place, where the altar of incense stood (see verse 11). Upon this altar the priest placed fragrant incense, as a symbol of the people’s prayer to God (Ps 141:2). The people at this time stood in the courts and porches of the temple, since only priests could enter the Holy Place. “At the hour”—more precisely: at the time (τῇ ὥρᾳ) of incense (in the Greek text the word “incense” is replaced here by “frankincense”—this is what is called a metonymy).

Luke 1:11. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. “There appeared to him an Angel.” According to the explanation of the holy John Chrysostom, the evangelist, in saying that an Angel “appeared” rather than “was seen,” thereby wishes to say that this was a genuine appearance of an Angel. “On the right side.” This side was considered fortunate among the Hebrews, and therefore the appearance of the Angel should not have had an oppressive effect on Zechariah.

Luke 1:12. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. Nevertheless, Zechariah was afraid. He could have recalled those places of the Old Testament where the appearance of an Angel is recognized as a sign of imminent destruction (Judg 6:22-23). Besides, no matter how “righteous” a person may be, he is never free from the consciousness of his sinfulness or guilt before Divine Justice.

Luke 1:13. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. “Your prayer has been heard.” It is hardly likely that Zechariah, as the representative of all the people (verse 10), could at that time be praying about his personal needs. It is most probable the supposition (blessed Augustine, Euthymius Zigabenus) that Zechariah was praying for the bestowal upon the Jewish people of the long-awaited Messiah. And the Angel proclaims to him that such a prayer of his has been heard by God… The Messiah will soon come. “And your wife Elizabeth…” As proof of the truth of his prediction about the imminent coming of the Messiah, the Angel announces that the Forerunner of the Messiah is already appointed, which he will be in the soon-to-be-born son of Zechariah. “And you shall call…” see commentaries to Matt 1:21. “John.” In translation from Hebrew—God is merciful (Johanan).

Luke 1:14. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. “Joy”—(χαρά) this is properly the internal state of a person, and “gladness” (ἀγαλλίασις)—the external manifestation of this state. “Will rejoice at his birth.” This will be, of course, when John will be performing his high calling—bringing people to Christ.

Luke 1:15. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. “Great in the sight of the Lord,”—that is, truly great (see verse 6; Matt 11:9). “Will drink neither wine nor strong drink,”—that is, will be a Nazirite, who did not drink either grape wine or drinks made from other fruits (strong drink). See Num 6:3. It is not stated, however, that John took this Nazirite vow only for a certain time, as the Old Testament Nazirites usually did. Rather, it appears that John, like Samson (Judg 13:5) and Samuel (1 Sam 1:11), remained a Nazirite for all his life. Evidently, the Angel thereby wishes to indicate the special moral height on which John the Forerunner will stand: he will be entirely devoted to the service of God and thereby will already attract the attention of his fellow countrymen. “And will be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instead of the exciting action of wine and strong drink, John will be impelled to action by the Holy Spirit, who will abundantly send him His powers and gifts. “Even from his mother’s womb.” It seems that here the expression: “appearing” or “coming” is omitted (see Mark 7:4). The Angel wants to say that John from the very birth, that is, in the very young years of life, will already have in himself the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 1:16. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. The speech is only about Israelites. This fully agrees with the understanding of Old Testament people, to whom Zechariah belonged: they believed that the Kingdom of the Messiah and all the preparatory deeds for it—including the ministry of the Forerunner of the Messiah—were intended only for them, the Jews. Moreover, not all Jews will be converted by John: some will remain in their sin.

Luke 1:17. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, “to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,” and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared. “And will go before Him,” that is, will go ahead of God (see verse 16). The prophets of the Old Testament repeatedly depicted the coming of the Messianic age as the coming of Jehovah, who as the Messiah would appear to His people and save them from the yoke of their enemies (Isa 46:13). “In the spirit and power of Elijah.” John will act in the Jewish people with the same zeal for God and power of inspiration with which the greatest prophet Elijah once acted among his contemporaries. This, however, does not relate to the working of miracles, since it is known that John performed no miracles (John 10:41). “To turn the hearts…” About John’s activity the evangelist speaks almost literally with the words of the prophet Malachi (Mal 4:6). The prophet himself (see in the Gospel Commentary the commentary to Mal 4:6) speaks about peace in the family. Since John did nothing of the sort, as did Elijah, some commentators (among us—Bogolovskii, p. 169) suppose that here there is speech of the renewal of spiritual unity between the ancient patriarchs (fathers) and their descendants—a unity broken by the disobedience and lack of submission of the latter. This is necessary so that the Jewish people may be in a condition to receive the Lord (see verse 16 and the beginning of verse 17).

Luke 1:18. And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” Zechariah, like Abraham (Gen 15:8), asks for a sign by which he might know the actual coming of what was promised to him (“this”). And in doing so he also indicates the reason why he needs a sign.

Luke 1:19. And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you this good news. Since doubt about the possibility of fulfilling what the Angel had said to him appeared in Zechariah’s question, the Angel points out to Zechariah his high position before God (see 1 Sam 10:8), which guarantees that he correctly conveyed the will of God to Zechariah. Moreover, the very name Gabriel—“God is mighty” (see Dan 8:16)—should remind Zechariah of those great promises that were given to the Jewish people precisely through this Angel to the prophet Daniel. “I am the very one,” Gabriel seems to say, “who once appeared to Daniel—you can trust me!”

Luke 1:20. And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day when these things happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time. “You will be silent.” Zechariah, as a priest and teacher of the law, should not have doubted when hearing an Angel, but he showed himself unworthy of his calling. Therefore, as punishment for his doubt the Angel imposes a seal of silence upon his lips: he, the priest, the herald of religion, must remain silent! “Not able to speak.” The silence of Zechariah will be because he will actually become dumb.

Luke 1:21. Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they marveled that he delayed in the temple. Priests could remain in the Holy Place only for a short time. Otherwise the people began to be concerned that something unfortunate might have happened to them, since they might indeed be smitten by God for some error in the performance of sacred duties, as once the priests Nadab and Abihu were smitten (Lev 10).

Luke 1:22. And when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he remained speechless and kept making signs to them. The people evidently, from the sudden dumbness that befell Zechariah, understood that something unusual had happened to him—namely, they said—he must have seen a vision from the higher world (ὀπτασία). “And he communicated with them by signs”—certainly confirming in this way that the people’s conjecture was correct.

Luke 1:23. And so it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. Luke 1:24. Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, Luke 1:25. “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” The evangelist does not report where Zechariah’s house was: evidently, in the Jewish source he used for this narrative, the city where Zechariah lived was not named by name, as it was well known to the first readers of this written memorial. It is remarkable that Zechariah completed his appointed service despite the dumbness that befell him: so faithful was he to his ministry. “Hid herself five months,” that is, kept herself from the sight of neighbors. The reason for this “hiding” is not stated. Perhaps Elizabeth simply wanted to concentrate within herself, not distracting herself with anything external in her new condition. This is evident also from her words, in which she expressed gratitude to God for the removal from her of the reproach of childlessness. In this she says nothing about the significance of the child who was to be born to her. Evidently, Zechariah, following the Angel’s command to remain silent, did not tell her anything about the revelation that had come to him.

Luke 1:26. Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, Luke 1:27. To a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. “In the sixth month”—after Elizabeth’s conception of John the Forerunner (see verse 36), that is, roughly in March of the year 749 from the founding of Rome. “To a city of Galilee.” See commentaries to Matt 2:22-23. “To a virgin…” See commentaries to Matt 1:18-19. According to Church tradition, the All-Holy Virgin, daughter of Eli, otherwise Eliakim, and Anna, being a three-year-old girl, according to the vow of her parents, was brought to dwell in the temple, where she was raised by devout women who lived in the temple in special quarters. Having grown up, she took a vow of virginity for all her life, and she was betrothed to Joseph only to preserve her virginity and so that Joseph might give his name to the Messiah born of her (Son of Joseph—Luke 3:23). The All-Holy Virgin should not have been subject to reproach and condemnation when it would be discovered that she was not idle (St. John Chrysostom). “Of the house of David.” This addition may relate to both Joseph and Mary. More likely, however, it may be supposed that here, in the original Hebrew source of the account, the origin of Joseph is indicated first of all, since the Hebrews usually did not give the genealogies of women in their narratives. According to tradition, the All-Holy Virgin was reading at this time from the book of the prophet Isaiah, precisely the passage from it containing the prophecy of the birth of Emmanuel from a Virgin, and was pondering who this great Virgin would be.

Luke 1:28. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, full of grace! The Lord is with you; blessed are you among women.” “Rejoice.” A customary greeting, equivalent to our “hello” or “greetings.” “Full of grace”—more precisely: one who has been endowed with grace or one who has been worthy of special mercies from God. “The Lord is with you.” This is not merely a wish, but an attestation of an actual fact. The Angel knows that the Lord is truly present with Mary. “Blessed are you among women.” These words in recent editions of the Greek text are usually excluded, as if borrowed from verse 42. But they appear in some respected ancient Greek manuscripts and translations. They indicate that the Holy Mother is the most blessed of all women.

Luke 1:29. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his words and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. The Holy Mother does not show disbelief or doubt, but rather, as a Virgin of the highest humility, is troubled only by the extraordinary nature of the praise to which she has been honored by the Angel. Not daring to address the Angel directly in her confusion, she seeks to understand in herself what such an unusual greeting might mean for her.

Luke 1:30. And the Angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God; “You have found favor.” These words clarify and confirm the Angel’s earlier address to the Virgin: “Full of grace.” She had acquired mercy from God through her own special virtues, through the qualities of her soul—faith, humility, and purity.

Luke 1:31. and behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. The Angel speaks here in the clear words of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 7:14), words by which the prophet foretold the birth of the Messiah from a Virgin (see the commentaries on Matt 1:21).

Luke 1:32. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father; Luke 1:33. and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Here the properties and works of the Son of the Holy Mother are depicted. “He will be great”—great precisely because he will be called, or be (see Matt 5:9-19), the Son of the Most High, of course as a man, because according to his Godhead he is eternally the Son of the Most High God (blessed Theophylact). “The throne of David, his father.” The coming of a great King from the line of David was foretold to David himself (2 Sam 7:12-19). But if the Son of the Holy Mother is called here a descendant of David, then it clearly shows that the Holy Mother herself was from the line of David: she alone—without Joseph—here appears as bringing forth the Messiah, the descendant of David, who is represented as such precisely through his Mother. “Over the house of Jacob.” For now the Messiah is portrayed only as a King of the chosen people; the Angel’s words move within the circle of prophetic representations of the messianic kingdom, according to which this kingdom would indeed be established first among the Israelite people. Of course, this did not exclude the possibility that pagans in time might become members of this kingdom.

Luke 1:34. And Mary said to the Angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” The question of the Holy Mother is not an expression of doubt or disbelief, but rather a natural desire to learn how such an extraordinary birth of the King-Messiah will come about. Since the Virgin was already betrothed to Joseph at that time, by these words she shows that this betrothal will not result in any marital relations between her and Joseph: this is, so to speak, a matter already decided.

Luke 1:35. And the Angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” In response to the humble question of the Holy Mother, the Angel says that she will conceive a Son through a special supernatural act of God: the Holy Spirit will come upon her, and the power of the Most High will cover her (ἐπισκιάσει from σκιά—shadow; the image is borrowed from a cloud covering a certain space with its shadow). Clearly, here the discourse concerns a special precleansing action of the Spirit of God upon the womb of the Holy Mother. Such precleansing was necessary because the Holy Mother, despite her purity, was still not free from the sin of the first parents. So that her Son would not be transmitted this sin, it was necessary, before conception, to cleanse the womb of the Holy Mother, so that the Child conceived by her would be sinless from the beginning of his human life. “The Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High.” Must these expressions be distinguished? Some interpreters consider both expressions completely identical in meaning, seeing here what is called parallelism of clauses. Others distinguish between them and understand by the Holy Spirit the third Person of the Holy Trinity, and by the power of the Most High the second Person of the Holy Trinity—the Son of God. Of these two opinions, the first must be recognized as more correct, since throughout the Old Testament the Holy Spirit appears as the source of divine forces transmitted to people. Here also the Holy Spirit is spoken of in relation to his cleansing power, which is of course the power of God in general (“the power of the Most High,” that is, God). Consequently, both expressions are undoubtedly parallel. Therefore, in the Symbol of Faith of the Orthodox Church it is said that the Son of God was incarnate from the Holy Spirit—of course, in the sense that the Holy Spirit prepared the womb of the Holy Mother for the conception of the sinless God-man, sanctified her womb, and helped her to conceive in her womb what was impossible for her by nature (Euthymius Zigabenus). But Christ did not owe his birth to the Holy Spirit alone, as some heretics taught: here the Godhead acted in general, since all three Persons always act inseparably. “Therefore the holy child to be born will be called the Son of God,” that is, he who is born from you holily, without blemish, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, will be called, even according to his humanity, the Son of God. It should be noted that in this expression “the holy” (τὸ ἅγιον) is the subject, and “child to be born” is an adjective. Thus a special logical emphasis here lies on the word “the holy.” The Angel wants to point, obviously, to the complete sinlessness of the child to be born from the Virgin. Then the image of “overshadowing” is probably borrowed from the Book of Exodus, where it is said that the cloud in which Jehovah dwelt overshadowed the newly created tabernacle (Exod 40:35).

Luke 1:36. And behold, your relative Elizabeth, who was called barren, has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her, Luke 1:37. for nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:38. And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. To strengthen the faith of the Holy Mother, the Angel points to another miraculous event, although incomparably lesser than the birth of the God-man Messiah from a Virgin, namely, the ending of Elizabeth’s barrenness. “Your relative.” Levites could take wives from other tribes. Therefore, if we assume that the mothers of the Holy Mother and Elizabeth were from the tribe of Judah and were sisters to one another, nothing prevented one of them from marrying a descendant of Levi, and the other from marrying a descendant of Judah. “For nothing will be impossible with God…” that is, once God has spoken, his word will certainly be fulfilled (compare Gen 18:14). By this saying the Angel grounds what he said above about the ending of Elizabeth’s barrenness: this ending was the work of the declared all-powerful will of God. “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord…” This is a humble consent to serve without question the will of God. The Holy Mother could not but foresee the grave trials that would befall her when her betrothed husband learned that she had conceived; and nevertheless, as an obedient servant of God, she goes to all these trials, clearly trusting that God’s providence would arrange everything in the end. “According to your word,” that is, as you have said.

Luke 1:39. And Mary arose in those days and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, Concerning the very conception of Mary by Christ the evangelist says not a word: it took place, as is self-evident, immediately after the Holy Mother said, “Let it be to me according to your word.” Now the evangelist describes the journey of the Holy Mother to Elizabeth, to whom the Angel directed her as a sign to strengthen her faith. The Holy Mother does not wish to neglect this sign and immediately prepares for the journey. “Into the hill country.” And Nazareth, where the Holy Mother dwelt, lay also on hills. But the “hill country,” or “mountainous region,” was the term used among the Jews to refer specifically to that part of Judea that consisted of a mountainous chain. “To a city of Judah,” that is, to one of the cities belonging to the tribe of Judah. According to recent research, this was the city of Bet-Zechariah, traces of which were found at a place that presently belongs to the Russian government. This place is located near Bethlehem.

Luke 1:40. and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. Luke 1:41. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, “The greeting of Mary,” that is, the ordinary Hebrew greeting: “Peace be to you.” “The babe leaped in her womb…” Along with the first words of the Mother of the Lord, the child in the womb of Elizabeth gave signs of himself through certain movements, which were not painful as usually happens, but rather brought Elizabeth into a joyful state of mind. That the child was filled with the Holy Spirit at this time (Bogoslovsky, p. 224)—the evangelist does not say this. Only about the mother—Elizabeth—he remarks that she was filled with the Holy Spirit. Thanks to the enlightenment she immediately received from the Spirit, she understood that before her stood the Mother of the Messiah, whom the child in her womb had also greeted with joyful movement.

Luke 1:42. and she exclaimed with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” Elizabeth repeats almost the same greeting that the Angel spoke to Mary (verse 28). But she adds that Mary now bears in her womb the Messiah: the fruit of her womb is and will always be blessed by people.

Luke 1:43. And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Luke 1:44. For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. After the first outpouring of joyful feeling, Elizabeth begins humbly to reflect on the reason why she was honored with such great distinction as a visit from the Mother of the Messiah (“the Lord”). “For…”—here Elizabeth points to the ground by which she proclaimed Mary to be the Mother of the Messiah. She received the revelation of this from the Holy Spirit, who enabled her to understand the movement of the child in her womb as his greeting to the approaching Messiah.

Luke 1:45. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” “Blessed is she who believed.” Elizabeth knows even that Mary believed in the words of the Angel (verse 38): the Holy Spirit, so to speak, revealed before her the entire scene of the Annunciation. She speaks of Mary in the third person because she represents the Annunciation as an event already past, as it were having entered already into history—she narrates… “That.” It seems better here to replace the conjunction “that” (ὅτι) with the conjunction “because” (ὅτι can also have this meaning). Elizabeth should point to the content of Mary’s “faith,” say what exactly she believed. And she does this, by generally designating everything announced to Mary by the Angel, with the words: “what was spoken to her from the Lord.” “There would be a fulfillment”—more precisely: complete fulfillment will come about (ἔσται τελείωσις).

Luke 1:46. And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord,” Luke 1:47. and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, Luke 1:48. for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;” These verses contain the first stanza of the Mother of God’s hymn of praise. Here, as in the following stanzas, the Holy Mother expresses the feeling of her reverence before God with words from the Old Testament sacred hymns, and above all with words from the song of Hannah, the mother of Samuel (1 Sam 2:1 and following). “And Mary said.” This remark indicates that the following song is a personal expression of the feelings of the Holy Mother, not spoken by special inspiration of the Holy Spirit. “Magnifies”—that is, exalts, praises. “Soul”—the center of the inner life of a human being. “Spirit”—the spiritual, higher director of the inner life of a human being. However, both concepts—“soul” (ψυχή) and “spirit” (πνεῦμα)—may be considered simply as synonyms. “Rejoiced”—in Greek, the aorist (ἠγαλλίασε). This signifies a turning point in the inner life of the Mother of God, which represents the reception of the joyful greeting from the Angel (verse 28). Returning to this event already passed, Mary glorifies God. “My Savior.” With respect to Mary, God appeared as her Savior (σωτήρ), that is, as a liberator from all evil, or, since Mary had not actually suffered any misfortune, as her Benefactor. And in what does this benefit consist—she speaks of it further. “For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.” Mary calls herself the humble handmaid of God, showing by this that she held a very unnoticed position among the Israelite people and was extremely poor (low estate—not the virtue of humility, to which Mary would certainly not point as the reason for God’s mercy to her, but rather her low, poor condition, compare Isa 11:4 according to the Slavonic text).

Luke 1:49. for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name; Luke 1:50. and his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. In the second stanza (second half of verse 48—verse 50) Mary gives thanks to God for the blessings bestowed both on her and on all mankind. “Henceforth” that is, from the moment when Elizabeth first blessed the Holy Mother. “Call me blessed,” that is, praise, extol. “All generations,” that is, all future generations of people. “For”—more correctly: “because.” “The Mighty One has done great things for me”—has done for me the greatest, unprecedented thing: she is—the Mother of the Messiah! “The Mighty One.” Thus she calls God here, because he showed toward her his extraordinary power (compare the song of holy Hannah). “And holy is his name.” It is better to place a period before this phrase, because it represents the beginning of the depiction of God’s acts toward all of humanity: the Holy Mother has finished speaking of herself. “Name” is a revelation of the essence and power of God. It is the Lord himself in his manifestation before humanity. These manifestations are “holy,” that is, in the highest degree pure, just—all the works of God are perfect. “And his mercy.” Alongside holiness, that is, purity and righteousness, Mary sets “mercy” or compassion of God. God is not only holy, but also good, merciful. “From generation to generation”—according to the more correct reading: “from generation to generation” (εἰς γενεὰς καὶ γενεὰς—according to our Greek text εἰς γενεὰς γενεῶν—to the most distant generations), that is, it is passed from one generation to another. The Lord is merciful to fathers, to children, grandchildren, and so on. “Who fear him.” However, God is merciful to people only so long as they fear him. Fear before God is the same as piety.

Luke 1:51. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts; Luke 1:52. he has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; Luke 1:53. he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. In the third stanza Mary depict in separate strokes the omnipotence, holiness, and mercy of Jehovah, which she only briefly pointed to in the previous stanza. (Here aoristic forms are used, indicating that the speaker represents to herself in each individual phrase some event from the history of the Israelite people.) “He has shown strength with his arm.” In a person’s struggle, the arm’s muscles work. God is also here represented as a fighter with extraordinary strong muscles (compare Job 40:4). “He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.” Arrogant, proud people have in their heart or soul many thoughts or great designs, but God scattered them, that is, dispersed all of them when they plotted to do a work hostile to God with combined strength. (Perhaps here is meant the scattering of peoples at the time of the Tower of Babel.) “He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly.” The powerful—these are the noble and rich people who used their advantages to the harm of all the people, and the lowly—people of low rank and poor. God set the latter in the place of the former. “He has filled the hungry.” The thought is the same as in the preceding phrase. The good things here are understood, undoubtedly, only as material: the context of the speech requires this understanding.

Luke 1:54. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, Luke 1:55. as he spoke to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever. In the fifth stanza Mary glorifies God for his mercies, in particular, to the Israelite people. “He has helped”—more precisely: he has come to the aid of (ἀντελάβετο). By this Mary points to the sending of the Messiah to the Israelite people, who will soon be born from her. Now the Israelite people will not be far from God—God has again stretched out his arms to him and will protect him from enemies. “Remembering his mercy”—more precisely: in order to remember mercy (the infinitive μνησθῆναι here takes the place of a purpose clause). It seemed that God had forgotten to fulfill those mercies which he himself once promised to the patriarchs of the Hebrew people and their descendants. The Hebrew people not only did not become the most fortunate people, but its condition was much worse than that of many pagan peoples. Now another time is coming. The Lord will fulfill all his promises regarding the mercies that the Hebrew people should receive. And these mercies will remain “forever,” that is, for all times. The expression: “as he spoke…”—is parenthetical. It explains why Mary describes God’s work as “remembering.” One remembers only what was said or done before. The Lord promised the patriarchs—and now fulfilled his promise. Mary does not yet determine precisely how she understands the “mercies” that will be given to the Israelite people “forever”: the entire depiction of God’s work in her song has the character of generality.

Luke 1:56. And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home. The Holy Mother had not yet come to live in Joseph’s house (here it is said that she returned to her own home) and therefore could remain in Elizabeth’s house for so long without raising suspicion and concern in Joseph. Only the approach of Elizabeth’s time of delivery should have prompted her to leave for her city, because otherwise, if she had remained here for that time, she would have become an object of observation for Elizabeth’s relatives, who would certainly have come to her at her delivery (verse 58).

Luke 1:57. Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she bore a son. Luke 1:58. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. When Elizabeth bore a son, this produced joyful excitement among her neighbors and relatives. God’s mercy to Elizabeth was great (“had shown great mercy”), since the birth of a son after such a long barrenness was an extraordinary thing. Therefore they rejoiced with her and expressed their sympathy to her.

Luke 1:59. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zechariah after his father. Those same relatives and friends came to Zechariah’s house to be present at the celebration of the circumcision of his newborn son. (Concerning circumcision, see the commentaries on Gen 17:10-12.) The relatives insisted that when the child was circumcised, he should be given his father’s name, as a reminder that God had finally remembered his faithful servants, who had so long yearned for children (the name Zechariah means “God has remembered”).

Luke 1:60. But his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” Elizabeth, as a prophetess (blessed Theophylact), by revelation from the Holy Spirit (Euthymius Zigabenus), declared her wish that her son be named John. But it may be that she, by her own judgment, found it fitting to give her son a name meaning “the gracious gift of God.” It is hardly to be supposed that she at that time already knew God’s will, spoken through the Angel, concerning what name her son would bear (verse 13).

Luke 1:61. And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” Luke 1:62. And they made signs to his father, asking him what he would have the child called. Since names were usually given to newborns in honor of the father or a respected relative, that is, such names as were borne by these people, the relatives were surprised at Elizabeth’s desire to give her son an unusual name in their family. Therefore they turned to Zechariah, communicating with him by signs. The latter expression may indicate that Zechariah had lost hearing as well as speech. Otherwise there would be no reason to communicate with him by signs, as one usually does with deaf-mutes. That this communication occurred by means of writing (Bogoslovsky) is nowhere mentioned.

Luke 1:63. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all marveled. Zechariah—probably by signs—asked for a writing tablet; such tablets were usually covered with a thin layer of wax, and for writing on them finely pointed sticks were used; and he wrote such words (in the Russian translation the expression λέγων, that is, “such words”—compare 2 Sam 10:6 — has been left unnoticed). “His name is (ἐστί—in the Russian translation omitted) John.” Zechariah declares that the child already has a name—it has been given to him by God himself (verse 13). This unexpected agreement of the names desired by the father on one side and the mother on the other, threw those asking into amazement.

Luke 1:64. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak, blessing God. At that moment Zechariah’s dumbness was resolved, of course, by a special miraculous act of God: the prophecy concerning the birth of a son to Zechariah was now fulfilled—and the name had already been given to the child in accordance with the Angel’s prediction (verse 13). Therefore the punishment on Zechariah should be lifted, as was foretold in verse 20. More precisely the verse should be translated as: “immediately his mouth was opened (ἀνεῴχθη) and his tongue was released (here, obviously, the verb ἐλύθη is omitted).” “Blessing God.” Here the evangelist has in mind not the blessing that Zechariah was to offer in his song that follows below, but the glorification that poured from his mouth immediately upon the release of his dumbness. If Zechariah had spoken at this time his prophetic speech about his son that is mentioned later, then what would those present and others who heard about what happened at the circumcision express wonder about the future fate of the newborn child (verse 66)?

Luke 1:65. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about throughout the hill country of Judea; Luke 1:66. and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child become?” And the hand of the Lord was with him. Fear came upon all the inhabitants of the Judean hill country at the strangeness of the events that occurred in Zechariah’s family: everyone understood that a higher, divine, power was at work here. “Laid them up in their hearts”—that is, made them the subject of their constant reflections (1 Sam 21:12). “What then will this child become”—that is, what can we expect of this child with such unusual signs? “And the hand of the Lord was with him.” More precisely: “for (according to Tischendorf: καὶ γάρ) the hand of the Lord was with him.” The evangelist means by this to point to the miraculous events that occurred at John’s birth and clearly testified that the Lord was sending the child his special help. This is what aroused the curiosity of those who “heard them.”

Luke 1:67. And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying: The speech of Zechariah appears to belong to the time when special interest in the person of Zechariah’s son awakened in the Judean people (verse 66). In this speech Zechariah speaks as a priest—this is one thing. Moreover, he reminds one in many ways of the Old Testament prophets who predicted the coming of the Messiah, especially Isaiah (Isa 40) and Malachi (Mal 3-4). In addition, Zechariah repeats the thoughts of the Psalmist (Ps 131; Ps 40; Ps 71; Ps 105). “Prophesied.” This word denotes not only predictions, but inspired speech in general (compare 1 Sam 10:10; 1 Cor 12:10). Zechariah’s speech conveniently divides into three parts. In the first part Zechariah glorifies God for sending the Messiah into the world and for the salvation of Israel (verses 68–75). In the second—he prophesies about the calling of his son—to be the Forerunner of the Lord (verses 76–77) and, finally, in the third (verses 78–79)—he again addresses the person of the Messiah and in magnificent traits depicts both his coming to people and the benefits that he grants to people (compare Bogoslovsky, p. 290).

Luke 1:68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, Zechariah glorifies God for the salvation of the Israelite people, which he represents as already arrived, since in his newborn son he sees the Forerunner of the Messiah, and the salvation was to be accomplished by the Messiah. “Has visited” (ἐπεσκέψατο), that is, turned his merciful gaze (compare Acts 15:14) “and has redeemed his people” (more correctly: his people. The latter expression in the Russian translation is incorrectly referred to the verb “visited,” which stands completely independently). By “redemption” or “deliverance” (λύτρωσις) Zechariah first of all, of course, understands political liberation of the people (compare Luke 24:21), but then, undoubtedly, he was not unfamiliar with the idea of the spiritual renewal of the people, which also was part of the concept of messianic salvation (compare verse 71).

Luke 1:69. and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, Here Zechariah blesses God for having raised up or established in the line of David a “horn of salvation.” “Horn” here is taken as a designation of strength (compare 1 Sam 2:10) and may be replaced with the word “strength.” That is, God raised up “the strength of salvation,” or the one who brings salvation, in other words, the Messiah the Savior. From the fact that Zechariah mentions the origin of the Messiah from the line of a beloved servant (servant—παίς, compare verse 54), one can draw the conclusion that he recognized Mary as a member of the house of David: through a virgin conception Jesus received his rights to be a descendant of David.

Luke 1:70. as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, This verse is an explanatory clause relating to the previous verse. It is better to put it in parentheses. “From of old,” that is, from a very long time ago (compare Gen 6:4).

Luke 1:71. that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us; “That we should be saved”—more correctly: “he raised up (verse 69) salvation from our enemies.” These words clearly form an application to the words “horn of salvation” (verse 69). They determine what exactly the salvation is that Zechariah had in mind in the expression “horn of salvation.” By enemies and those who hate us, some (Bogoslovsky, p. 298) understand demons and human passions. But, undoubtedly, Zechariah, still living within the circle of Old Testament ideas, meant here the oppressors of the Israelite people—pagans and external enemies in general (compare Ps 17:18).

Luke 1:72. To show the mercy promised to our ancestors, and to remember his holy covenant, More correctly translated: “to show (ποιῆσαι—infinitive for the purpose clause) mercy to our (μετά, compare verse 58) ancestors,” that is, the patriarchs, whom Zechariah imagines to be deeply grieved by the political fall of their people, “and to remember (through the fulfillment of the promised) his holy covenant,” which God made with the patriarchs of the Israelite people (Gen 17:4 and following). Since God promised the patriarchs that their descendants would lead an entirely independent life, he will certainly fulfill this. Now the time for this has come.

Luke 1:73. the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us The word “oath,” which is an appositive to “covenant,” is in the Greek text (ὅρκος) put in the accusative case according to the law of attraction, depending on the following ὅν. The expression “to grant us” represents an independent clause and means God’s intention, which God had in raising up the “horn of salvation.” This is the beginning of the following verse.

Luke 1:74. that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, Luke 1:75. in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. In raising up the horn of salvation or the Savior—the Messiah—God wishes by this to give us Israelites the possibility to serve him, no longer fearing enemies, who previously distracted from serving the true God by fear of torments, as happened, for example, under Antiochus Epiphanes. “Now Israelites will serve” “in holiness and righteousness before him,” that is, before God. This, then, will not be only outward fulfillment of the prescriptions of the law (righteousness—δικαιοσύνη), but above all true holiness, dedication to God of all of the human being (ὁσιότης). “Service” is presented to Zechariah as priestly service in the temple: this is indicated by the Greek expression λατρεύειν (compare Heb 9:1) and the expression “before him” referring to the word “serve.” This service—not as the service of Old Testament priests, which they performed only in their turn—will continue throughout the life of a human being.

Luke 1:76. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, Luke 1:77. to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, From the Messiah, Zechariah’s gaze turns to his Forerunner, who is to prepare the way for the establishment of the theocracy in all its fullness. “And you”—more correctly: “but you also.” Here John is contrasted with the Messiah, about whom the discourse was above. “Child,” that is, now you are only a weak child. “Will be called the prophet of the Most High,” that is, you will be a messenger of God. “Before the Lord” (see verse 17), that is, before God. “To prepare his ways” (see Mark 1:2-3). “To give knowledge of salvation…” In this—the purpose of “preparing the ways” and at the same time the final purpose of John’s “going” “before the Lord.” “Salvation” (see verse 71). “In the forgiveness of their sins.” Usually this expression is considered as an explanation of the words “to give knowledge of salvation” (γνῶσιν σωτηρίας) and is connected with the preceding clause with the conjunction “what” (Bogoslovsky, p. 303). Thus it turns out that Zechariah here understands salvation as forgiveness of sins. But this explanation is too unexpected: above, salvation was understood as political (verses 70–71). Therefore, it is better to understand this verse as follows: John will give to the people knowledge that the promised salvation has come and will give knowledge of it through baptism, into which would be placed the beginning of the forgiveness of the people’s sins. The people would turn with repentance to God, listening to John’s preaching, and the forgiveness they receive will testify to the coming of the Messianic time.

Luke 1:78. by the tender mercy of our God, with which the sunrise shall visit us from on high, Luke 1:79. to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. In the final stanza of his song, Zechariah again addresses God with thanksgiving for sending the Messiah and for the blessings that the Messiah will bring with him. “By the tender mercy.” These words should be connected, not with the expression “in the forgiveness of sins” (as Zigabenus and some other interpreters), and not with the word “salvation” (as Keil), but with everything that has been said, beginning with “you will go before” in verse 76. The expression itself means “merciful heart” (σπλάγχνα ἐλέους). God has a merciful heart, and this explains why he sent John. “Which”—more precisely: “by virtue of which” (ἐν οἷς). “The sunrise shall visit us from on high.” Some interpreters understand by “the sunrise” (ἀνατολή) God, others—the Messiah (with us, Bishop Michael and Prof. Bogoslovsky, pp. 305–306). But it seems that it is best to understand that Zechariah here has in mind the messianic salvation in general. The prophet Isaiah has God say: “My salvation” as a light “rises” (Isa 51:5). This expression and others like it may have come to Zechariah’s mind here, and he depicted this coming salvation (it is more correct to read: “shall visit”—ἐπισκέψεται, than “has visited”—ἐπεσκέψατο) as a light rising and gradually spreading across the sky and from there (“from on high”) extending across the earth. “To give light…” more precisely: “to give light to those who sit in grave afflictions, both spiritual and bodily” (see Matt 4:16; Isa 9:2). “To guide our feet…” This—the purpose of enlightenment and, consequently, the final purpose of the appearance of messianic salvation (verse 78). It is necessary that people, sitting in darkness, find the road leading to peaceful life, as opposed to the spiritual and bodily afflictions in which they had been up to then. To say (as Prof. Bogoslovsky, pp. 307–308) that Zechariah here implies the redemptive sacrifice of Christ, which grants true peace with God, there is insufficient basis: Zechariah, like the Old Testament prophets, represents to himself the new life in the most general terms…

Luke 1:80. And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the wilderness until the day of his manifestation to Israel. Here is given a general characterization of John’s further development. The child “grew” in body “and became strong in spirit,” that is, he acquired the firm character that he displayed later. “In the wilderness.” Here is particularly meant the Judean wilderness (see Matt 3:1). When did he withdraw to the wilderness? Church tradition reports that he lived in the wilderness from earliest childhood. But who brought him up? Some interpreters suppose that John received his upbringing from the Essenes, who also had their dwelling in the wilderness. But this supposition is groundless. The Essenes did not believe in the coming of the Messiah, but John called himself the Forerunner of the Messiah. They lived apart from people, but John went forth to preach to people. Moreover, the very context of the narrative speaks against this supposition: John went into the wilderness to live in solitude in order to prepare himself for his ministry—why then would he enter an Essene community, which was very large in number? Would it not be better for him to remain in his own city? “Until the day of his manifestation…” that is, until the time when God’s voice called him forth to the work of preaching as the Forerunner (Luke 3:2-6).

On the authenticity and reliability of the first chapter of the Gospel according to Luke

Against the authenticity of certain portions comprising this chapter, recent criticism raises objections. But these objections are groundless. Thus Baur denies the authenticity of the preface to the Gospel (verses 1–4), saying that it was composed by someone in the middle of the second century after Christ. But another scholar, Ewald, marvels at the genuine simplicity, noble modesty, and precise brevity that could scarcely be displayed by one who wished to make his addition to the divinely inspired Gospel of Luke. Moreover, with this introduction were familiar Papias and Justin Martyr—writers of the second century… But many more objections are heard against the reliability of the miraculous events related in the first chapter. Critics (especially Strauss) endeavored to show that all these events were invented in the midst of the first Christians, who wished in this way to glorify the Founder of their Church. But all the grounds that criticism brings forward in favor of its opinion are completely worthless. For example, Strauss considers the account of the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to Zechariah a “myth” because it seems to him generally impossible that Angels could appear to people. But in that case, he ought first to reject the whole Old Testament, where the appearances of Angels are a very common thing. Moreover, both he and the Nazareth Annunciation he considers an invention, which was formed under the influence of ancient predictions about the Messiah as a great king and descendant of David. But fictitious accounts, myths, in the time of the birth of Christ could hardly be composed in the Hebrew people, which was then living not in some prehistoric age when myths are created, but, one might say, at the end of its political and civil development. Besides, such a fiction as the account of the Messiah born from a poor Virgin and not called, it seems, to a royal throne, was not at all in the spirit of the Judaism of that time, which expected another kind of Messiah. If, as Strauss notes, the birth of Christ and the events surrounding it are not mentioned either by John the Theologian or by the Apostle Paul, this is explained by the special task of John’s Gospel—to portray Christ specifically as the Only-begotten Son of God—and as for the Apostle Paul, he did not have the opportunity to describe all these events… As for the speeches of the Holy Mother, Zechariah, and Elizabeth, they are questioned as to their actual origin from these individuals: allegedly they were composed by the evangelist himself. But against this objection it must be said that these speeches undoubtedly bear upon themselves the imprint of Hebrew. This is evident both in individual expressions and in the structure of sentences. Meanwhile, the evangelist Luke was a Greek, and it would have been difficult for him to imitate the character of Hebrew speech. Finally, it should be noted that the authenticity and reliability of all the accounts contained in the first chapter is confirmed by the consistent testimony of the most ancient Church Fathers and teachers.

* * *

Merx asserts that the words “since I do not know a man”—are an insertion made by a later hand. But the grounds he brings forward for proving his view are insufficient. Indeed, if he points to the contradiction of these words with reality, on the grounds that Mary already knew, at least juristically, that her husband was Joseph, he does not understand that here Mary speaks of the fact that she will remain and forever remain a virgin, not of the fact that her husband is unknown to her. Merx, however, objects to such an understanding of the expression “to know a man.” There should be, he says, in this case, the verb “to know” (γινώσκω) either in the past or future tense, as, for example, is done in Gen 19:8 and in other places. But the present tense “I do not know” very often means an action that took place in the past, is taking place in the present, and will take place in the future. In this sense, for example, God says of himself: “I kill and I make alive, I wound and I heal” (Deut 32:39), “I know you (Moses) by name” (Exod 33:12). Even of people the present tense is sometimes used when one wishes to point to some persistent disposition of theirs, which took place before and will continue always. In this sense the Pharaoh says to Moses: “I do not know the Lord” (Exod 5:2). Finally, if Merx refers to the fact that the verb “to know” in the exclusive sense of the term, as a term meaning marital intercourse, is used in Syrian translations only of the relation of a husband to a wife, then to this must be said that Syrian word usage in the present case cannot have the force of proof, because the evangelists received the accounts of Christ’s birth undoubtedly from Hebrew sources, and among the Hebrews the verb “to know” is used also of the relation of a woman to a man (Judg 11:39).

In some manuscripts the word “Mary” is absent and the song is attributed, apparently, to Elizabeth.

Chapter Two

1–7. The Birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. – 8–20. Shepherds in the field and at the manger in Bethlehem. – 21–38. The circumcision of the Divine Infant and His presentation in the temple. – 39–40. The return of the holy family to Nazareth. – 41–50. Twelve-year-old Jesus in the temple. – 51–52. Notes on the life of Christ in His parents’ home.

Luke 2:1. In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. “In those days” – an indefinite expression, but in connection with the preceding passage it can be assumed that it refers to the time when John the Baptist was born. “A decree went out” – an edict was issued. According to Bogolovskii, the matter here properly concerns the issuance or promulgation of the edict in Judea: it became known in Rome earlier (Bogolovskii, p. 341). “From Caesar Augustus,” that is, from the Roman emperor Augustus (later the name Augustus – “the most sacred” – became the general title of Roman emperors). Originally Augustus was called simply Octavian. “To make a census,” that is, a description of persons and property subject to state taxation (taxes and duties). In this description, as can be inferred from verse 2, where this description is placed on the same level as the census of Quirinius, known individuals subject to taxation were entered into special tax registers. “Throughout all the world,” more precisely: throughout the entire inhabited world (πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην). Here the entire Roman Empire is understood; Roman emperors bore the title “rulers of the world.”

Luke 2:2. This census was the first in the governorship of Quirinius over Syria. That is, this census was the first in a series of subsequent censuses and it took place under Quirinius, when he was ruling Syria. The evangelist evidently wishes to note that in the year of Christ’s birth Judea stood at the extreme degree of humiliation: it represented a country fully subjected to pagans, who collected taxes from it. “During the governorship” (ἡγεμονεύοντος), that is, at the time when Quirinius was the general commander of Syria in the position of proconsul or procurator. “Quirinius.” P. Sulpicius Quirinius (in Latin – Quirin) was procurator of Syria from 6 to 11 AD and died in Rome in 21 AD. But how can this historical testimony be reconciled with the evangelist Luke’s account, according to which this Quirinius ruled Syria just before Christ’s birth? The only suitable conjecture for resolving this difficult question could be the supposition of certain commentators (first of all Zumpt, then Keil, Vigueur, and others), according to which Quirinius was governor of Syria twice: in the 750–753 years from the founding of Rome and in the 760–766 years (Vigueur). The basis for this supposition is an inscription found on a Roman (Tiburtine) monument. In this inscription, rather damaged, there is mention of some governor who ruled Syria twice during the reign of Augustus. There are grounds to believe that this was precisely Quirinius. In that case, he could conduct a census twice: the first time – before Christ’s birth, the second – after this event. Thus, the evangelist Luke does not contradict history.

Luke 2:3. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. “And all went to be enrolled…” that is, all those who did not live in their native city. Genealogical records among the Hebrews were carefully preserved, as evidenced by the inclusion of Christ’s genealogies in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, as well as the genealogy of Josephus, which this historian provides in his biography.

Luke 2:4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and line of David, Luke 2:5. to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was pregnant. “Went up” – more precisely: went up (ἀνέβη). “From Nazareth” (see Matt 2:22-23). It is supposed that Joseph lived in Nazareth temporarily: there was work for him there. When the ancestors of Mary settled in Nazareth – is not known. “The city of David,” that is, the city where David was born. “Of the house and line of David.” The tribes descended from the sons of Jacob were called tribes (φυλαί), branches from the sons of these patriarchs – clans (or ancestries – πατριαί), and individual families in such clans – houses (οἷκοι). Joseph, consequently, was from a family descended from David, and belonged to the same branch to which David belonged. “With Mary.” This expression depends on the verb “went,” not on the verb “to be enrolled…” Joseph could record Mary in the number of taxpayers if needed, but he could do so alone. “His betrothed.” The evangelist Luke uses this verb with the intention of making it clear to readers that even in marriage Joseph was not the husband of Mary in essence, in reality: She continued only to enjoy his care and was only considered his wife. “Who was pregnant.” This is the true reason why Joseph took Mary with him: He could not leave Her, pregnant, alone for a long time, because the journey to Bethlehem could indeed be extended for a long time. Mary would have remained defenseless in Nazareth.

Luke 2:6. When they were there, the time came for Her to give birth; Luke 2:7. and She gave birth to Her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. “Gave birth to Her Son…” From the fact that Mary did not use anyone’s assistance in this, but Herself wrapped the Infant – first, according to custom, having washed Him and salted Him with salt (Ezek 16:4) – the holy fathers conclude that Her delivery was not accompanied by the usual pains of childbirth. “Firstborn” (see Matt 1:25). “In a manger.” From this mention of a manger, into which food for cattle is placed, it is evident that the Most Holy Virgin and Joseph lodged in a livestock enclosure at the inn. The rooms in the latter were all occupied, and staying in the common hall was inconvenient in view of Mary’s imminent labor. According to ancient tradition, this enclosure was arranged in a cave (Justin Martyr. “Dialogue with Trypho the Jew,” 78, 5; Origen, “Against Celsus,” I, 51), which was located not in the city itself, but near it. Over this cave, indicated by tradition, Queen Helena built a church in honor of the Mother of God Mary.

Luke 2:8. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks at night. Luke 2:9. And suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terrified with great fear. Luke 2:10. And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: Luke 2:11. for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord; Luke 2:12. and this will be a sign for you: you will find a Child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. “In that region.” According to some passages of the Talmud, the Messiah was believed by the Jews to appear in the “Tower of the Flock,” which was located near the city of Bethlehem, on the road to Jerusalem. The flocks that grazed here were designated for temple sacrifices, and consequently the shepherds who guarded them were not ordinary shepherds. These flocks grazed year-round, for they are mentioned as being in the fields even thirty days before Passover, that is, in February, when rains in Palestine are very significant. It is understandable that these shepherds, as standing in some relation to the temple, were familiar with the idea of the Messiah and awaited Him with as much fervor as other Jews. Perhaps in the fact that the angel announces the birth of the Messiah first of all to these shepherds, a special work of Providence is evident: the shepherds are given to know that now the time has come when they will no longer need to drive animals to the temple for slaughter, that now the sins of all humanity are taken upon Himself by the born Messiah, who will once and for all offer a sacrifice satisfying Divine Justice… “Keeping watch at night,” that is, they had the duty to guard the flocks at night. From this it can be concluded that Christ was born at night. The month and day of His birth cannot be determined from the Gospels. Tradition, however, sets this as either January 6 or December 25. Our Church has adopted the latter date. “The glory of the Lord” – something like a bright cloud in which God appears (cf. Acts 7:2). “And they were terrified with great fear,” that is, they were very frightened. “Do not be afraid.” See verses 13–14. “For all the people,” that is, for the entire Israelite nation (παντὶ τῷ λαῷ). “A Savior” (see Matt 1:21; Luke 1:68). “A sign” – not a miraculous sign, which might serve to strengthen the shepherds’ faith in the angel’s gospel (the shepherds did not doubt the words of the angel), but simply a mark by which they could recognize the newborn Messiah: at that time there could be other newborn infants in Bethlehem. But it was hardly possible to find another child in a manger… “An infant” – specifically a newborn (βρέφος).

Luke 2:13. And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: Luke 2:14. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” “A great multitude of the heavenly host” – literally: “a multitude, mass (πλῆθος) of the heavenly host,” that is, angels, who in the Old Testament also appear surrounding the throne of God (1 Sam 22:19; Ps 102:21; Dan 7:10). “Glory to God in the highest” – now, at this very moment, the verb “is” is implied, not “will be.” For the gift of the Messiah to the world, God is glorified “now” in heaven by the angels: the angels have just descended from heaven and are explaining to the shepherds how the news of the Savior’s birth was received there (“in the highest”) (cf. Matt 21:9). “And on earth peace.” By “peace” they understand not only the tranquility that appears to have been established on earth with the birth of Christ, but also the whole salvation, whose bearer is the Newborn (cf. Luke 1:79). “Goodwill toward men.” Some manuscripts read as our Slavic and Russian texts do – ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία, others – ἐν ἀνθρώποις εύδοκίας. Both readings have their basis. It is better to recognize our reading as correct, because in that case three separate clauses result, completely equal in size (a new “threefold holy,” according to the expression of Edersheim, p. 240).

Luke 2:15. When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” Luke 2:16. So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Child lying in the manger. With full faith in the words of the angel, the shepherds set out for Bethlehem and found everything in accord with what had been announced to them about the Child born. They probably first of all went to the inn, at which, according to custom, a lamp was burning. To other houses at night they would not dare to turn, of course, asking about a newborn Messiah…

Luke 2:17. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this Child. Luke 2:18. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. Luke 2:19. But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds’ account of the appearance of the angel amazed not only Joseph and Mary, but also all those who happened to be in Bethlehem at that time, to whom – perhaps the next day – the shepherds also told of what had happened to them. “Pondering them in her heart” – more precisely: “comparing, putting together (συμβάλλουσα)” with what had been revealed to Her herself by the angel. In these words the evangelist himself indicates whose accounts he followed in describing the first days of the Savior’s life – these were, of course, above all the memories of Mary.

Luke 2:20. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told to them. The shepherds then returned to their flocks, telling various people along the way of what had happened to them. They undoubtedly told of this event in Jerusalem, when they drove animals there for sacrifice, and many joyfully received this news. At least it is very probable that Simeon and Anna, who met the Lord at His presentation in the temple, had already been prepared for this appearance of the newborn Messiah by the shepherds’ accounts.

Luke 2:21. After eight days had passed, when it was time to circumcise the Child, He was given the name Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived. “After eight days had passed” (see the commentaries on Luke 1:59). “To circumcise.” The Lord accepted circumcision as the first institution of the law of Moses, and that He had to obey the law, the apostle Paul speaks of as an undoubted fact (Gal 4:4). If He had not accepted circumcision, no one would have recognized in Him the promised Messiah, the descendant of Abraham. Circumcision in this case also foreshadowed the blood that Christ would later shed on Golgotha. “Given by the angel…” (see Matt 1:21; Luke 1:31).

Luke 2:22. When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, Luke 2:23. as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”, Luke 2:24. and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” When was the presentation of the Lord in the temple completed – before or after the visit of the Magi? Undoubtedly – before the visit. The following considerations support this supposition. The flight of the holy family to Egypt followed immediately after the worship of the Magi, as is clearly seen from verses 13–14 of chapter 2 of the Gospel of Matthew. From this it can be concluded that the holy family could not go down to Jerusalem after the arrival of the Magi. Besides, Herod had already been informed by the Magi about the birth of the King of the Jews and had to take measures to find this new “king.” Moreover, if at that time Simeon and Anna had also testified to the birth of the Messiah, the situation of the holy family would have been further worsened. Finally, both the tone of Simeon’s speech and the accounts of Anna about the birth of the Messiah as an event just becoming known compel us to date the presentation of Christ in the temple to a time preceding the visit of the Magi (Bogolovskii, p. 360–361). “The time of their purification” (see Lev 12:2-8). A woman who had given birth to a male child was considered unclean for seven days and for thirty-three more days could not go to the temple and participate in public worship. “Their,” that is, of the Jews. The matter does not concern Joseph here, because a husband did not need purification, and Christ was born pure and sinless… “According to the law.” Here there is an indication that in this case the period specified in the law was observed – 40 days. “They brought” – more precisely: they took Him up (ἀνήγαγον). “To present Him to the Lord.” All firstborn sons among the Israelites, before Levites were chosen for the service of God (Num 8:14 and following), as the property of Jehovah, were designated for service in the tabernacle and temple. But for five shekels, that is, roughly four rubles, they had to be redeemed, freed from service in the temple. According to the law, it was not required to bring the child to the temple to perform the redemption, nor could the mother necessarily be present in the temple when the sacrifice of purification was offered for her. But devout women usually came to the temple themselves, and at the same time the redemption of their children was completed, whom they also brought with them on this occasion. So it was with Mary and Her Son. Jesus Christ was probably only presented to the priest, who performed two brief prayers over Him: one – for the law of redemption, another – for the grant of a firstborn son. For Mary, the established sacrifice for sin was performed, which in all cases was a turtledove or a young pigeon. Besides, as a poor woman, She also offered a turtledove or a young pigeon as a whole burnt offering (wealthier women offered a lamb). When doing this, the Most Holy Virgin had to place money for the sacrifice in a special large box (“tube”), which was located near the elevated platform where women prayed separately from men. Then, of course, She was placed among the other women receiving purification on top of the fifteen steps that led from the court of women to the court where the altar of burnt offering stood, from which it was possible to see what was happening at the altar of burnt offering (Edersheim, p. 248 – 251). Thus Mary offered “the sacrifice of the poor.”

Luke 2:25. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit rested on him. Luke 2:26. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Luke 2:27. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him what was customary under the law, Luke 2:28. Simeon took Him in his arms and praised God, saying, A certain man named Simeon (from Hebrew “hearing”), under the special action of the Spirit of God, came to the temple at that time and, taking Jesus in his arms, praised God. “Righteous” (see the commentaries on Luke 1:6). “Devout” (εύλαβής), that is, one who has fear of God and a pure conscience in his soul (cf. Heb 5:7 and following). “The consolation of Israel.” In the Talmud the Messiah is often called consolation (“Menachem”). Here also, evidently, this term means the Messiah. “The Holy Spirit rested on him.” Evidently the evangelist sees in Simeon a prophet, because the Holy Spirit dwelt in the prophets (2 Pet 1:21). This Spirit inspired Simeon that he would not see death, that is, would not die, until he saw the Lord’s Messiah, that is, the Anointed of God. According to a tradition, though reported by a rather late church historian (14th century), Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopulus (Historia ecclesiastica, lib. I, cap. XII), Simeon, who was among the 70 translators of the Old Testament, received this promise from the Holy Spirit at the moment when doubt overcame him regarding Isaiah’s prophecy about the birth of Emmanuel from a Virgin. Although, of course, he could not have been among those 70 translators who translated the Bible from Hebrew to Greek in 271 BC and to whom the aforementioned historian attributes him, nevertheless he could have participated in the translation of prophetic books, which, according to scholarly investigation, were translated into Greek shortly before Christ. “Guided by the Spirit,” that is, by the special impulse of the Holy Spirit dwelling upon him. “The parents.” Although Joseph could not bear this name in relation to Christ, nevertheless the evangelist calls him and her “parent” of Christ, following the usual designation which Joseph and Mary were given among the people. “To do for Him what was customary under the law” – more correctly: “to do according to the custom, as the law commanded to be done (about Him – περὶ αὐτοῦ refers not to the word “Jesus,” but to the expression τοῦ ποιῆσαι – to do).” “He” (verse 28) – more precisely: “and he on his part (καὶ αὐτός)”: the mother also held Jesus in her arms. Therefore, from ancient times Saint Simeon has been called the Receiver of God. “Praised God,” that is, thanked Him for allowing him to see the Messiah, whom he recognized in the temple, of course, by the special illumination of the Holy Spirit dwelling upon him.

Luke 2:29. “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; Luke 2:30. for my eyes have seen your salvation, Luke 2:31. which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples, Luke 2:32. a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” Simeon poured out his gratitude to God in a brief hymn of praise, which in its thoughts and expressions recalls certain passages from the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 11:10; Isa 60). “Now,” that is, since I have seen the Messiah. “You are dismissing.” Simeon conceives his life as wholly permeated by the expectation of the coming of the Messiah. Now the time of waiting has ended: he has seen the Messiah and can calmly die. “According to your word” (see verse 26). “In peace” – more precisely: “in peace” (ἐν εἰρήνῃ), that is, in a state of joy from a fulfilled cherished desire. “Your salvation,” that is, messianic salvation, which is conceived as already having begun with the birth of the Messiah (cf. Luke 3:6; Acts 28:28). How Simeon understood this salvation – is seen more clearly from his following words. “Which you have prepared,” that is, which you have accomplished. “In the sight of all peoples.” Salvation will be accomplished openly and all peoples will now be witnesses of it – both Jews and Gentiles. “A light for revelation to the Gentiles.” Before there was talk of the opening of salvation. Now it is indicated that all peoples will participate in this salvation and in the benefits it brings. First of all, for the pagan world the light brought by the Messiah will serve for revelation. According to ancient prophecies (Isa 2:2 and following; Isa 11:10 and following), the Gentiles should come to Mount Zion and submit to the Old Testament theocracy. Simeon, as an Old Testament man, represents the Gentiles as existing in the darkness of religious ignorance (Isa 60:2), whom, consequently, need the light of God to shine upon them, to enlighten their minds and hearts. The Jews were in a different position – the people of God. “And for glory to your people Israel.” According to Jewish concepts about the Messiah, the work of the Messiah toward the chosen people should consist in that He would crown all true Israelites “with glory” for their faithfulness to the law. The Messiah from the standpoint of contemporary Judaism was not a redeemer from sins, but only a King, who would directly call into His Kingdom all the best part of the chosen people. Consequently, salvation for Israel is salvation not from sins, but only from the abnormal condition in which the Israelite people found themselves at the time of Christ’s coming. Why some commentators (for example, Edersheim, p. 253) assert that in these words of Simeon “there was nothing Jewish” and that “the Jewish character distinguished only the first words of Simeon” – this remains completely unclear…

Luke 2:33. And his father and his mother marveled at what was being said about him. The fact that Joseph and Mary wondered at the words of Simeon does not at all speak against the reality of the revelations they had received from the angel earlier. Indeed, how could they not marvel that some completely strange old man knows about the newborn Messiah and even speaks of Him much more than was known about Him to His parents? (It had not yet been revealed to Joseph or Mary what the Messiah’s significance would be as an enlightener of all peoples.)

Luke 2:34. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed – Luke 2:35. and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed.” “And blessed them,” that is, the parents. The blessing itself should be understood as a prayer for the bestowal of God’s mercies. “And said to Mary, his mother.” The evangelist Luke does not say that Simeon “in spirit” perceived Christ’s extraordinary conception by Mary without a husband. It is more probable to suppose that Simeon addresses only Mary as being more interested in the fate of Her Son, since a mother feels more keenly the misfortunes that befall her child. “Behold.” Here I see – as it were Simeon says. “Is destined” – that is, such is His purpose. “For the falling…” – Simeon, in accordance with the prophet Isaiah (Isa 8:14; cf. Matt 21:42), evidently has in mind here the judgment (John 3:19 and following) that should be executed on people as a result of the appearance and activity of the Messiah. Many, by Divine decision, should be scandalized concerning the Messiah and fall or come through disbelief into hardness and destruction, and many others should rise through faith in Him to a new, better life. All this will take place in Israel, that is, Simeon for now has in mind only the activity of Christ Himself, which, as is known, proceeded in the preaching of the Gospel only among the Israelite people (the stay and preaching in Samaria – John 4 – was an exception). “And to be a sign that will be opposed” – more precisely: “a sign concerning which there will be much dispute” (εἰς σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον). Although the appearance of Christ was indeed miraculous in itself and was undoubtedly a sign or mark of the fulfillment of Divine promises, nevertheless it met strong opposition from the world (cf. Rom 10:21), which was resolved in the crucifixion of Christ (Heb 12:3). “And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Simeon has just spoken of the fate awaiting Jesus. Now he turns his gaze to the Mother of Jesus and sees how She will suffer and grieve in her soul when Her Son becomes such a subject of opposition, especially when She sees His mortal agony, which He will endure on the cross (Zigabenus). The sensation She will receive at this moment will be as painful as when a sword pierces the heart. “So that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed.” The purpose that God had in designating Jesus Christ for such a ministry, in which disputes should arise among the people, which in turn should bear heavily on His Mother, was that from many hearts (cf. Matt 15:19) there should come forth, be revealed, previously hidden thoughts. The revelation or disclosure of thoughts will occur when one must stand either on the side of Christ or – against Him.

Luke 2:36. There was also a prophetess, Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, Luke 2:37. and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but served God there with fasting and prayer night and day. Luke 2:38. At that moment she came, and began to praise the Lord and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. “There was also” – more correctly: “and there was” (καὶ ἦν) – “a prophetess Anna,” that is, a woman endowed with the ability to compose sacred hymns (cf. Exod 15:20) or simply one who received this name for her devout life. “Of the tribe of Asher.” She belonged to the tribe which did not return from captivity to Palestine. Perhaps her father, Phanuel, alone returned to his homeland. “From her marriage.” That is, she had only one husband. “And then as a widow.” This expression is connected with the preceding and should be translated thus: “lived with her husband: and now being a widow (καὶ αὕτη χήρα) of 84 years old” (cf. Matt 18:21 and following). “She never left.” These words relate to the expression “and there was Anna a prophetess,” and the words between them constitute an introductory clause. “Never left the temple,” that is, she showed special devotion to public worship (cf. Luke 24:53). There is no hint here that she lived in the temple, although Josephus mentions buildings at the temple designated for women and maidens devoted to piety. It was not allowed for anyone to remain in the temple itself for a long time (Edersheim, p. 254). “With fasting and prayer…” While at home she spent days and nights in fasting and prayers to please God. “At that moment” – more precisely: at that very hour (αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ), when Simeon was speaking with Mary. “She came” – that is, came forward to speak (ἐπιστᾶσα). “Praised God” – more precisely: “spoke in response to the hymn of praise of Simeon” or unfolded on her own the same thoughts that had been expressed by the elder. “And spoke about the child,” that is, about Christ, “to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem…” Anna repeatedly spoke about the coming of the Messiah: this is indicated by the imperfect past tense λαλέω – ἐλάλει – “was speaking.” “The redemption of Jerusalem” (λύτρωσιν) – first of all political deliverance (cf. Luke 1:68).

Luke 2:39. When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Luke 2:40. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. After the presentation of Jesus in the temple, His parents did not immediately go to Nazareth, but first returned to Bethlehem and from there departed to Egypt. Only after the death of Herod (Matt 2:19 and following) did Joseph and Mary return to Nazareth. Consequently, Luke before verse 39 omitted everything that is told by Matthew in verses 1–19 of chapter 2. “The child grew and became strong in spirit.” This is a literal repetition of what is said about John the Baptist (Luke 1:80). “Filled with wisdom.” Here, evidently, there is talk of the human development of the mind, heart, and will of the Divine Infant. Gradually He assimilated – of course, mainly from the teachings and example of His Mother – the qualities and habits of true Israelite piety, which among the Hebrews was denoted by the word “wisdom” (“hokma” – σοφία; cf. Prov 9:1 and following). The details of Christ’s initial education in Nazareth are sometimes depicted very vividly by those who write His history (see, for example, Edersheim, p. 287–297), but, of course, one cannot say where the truth is and where the inventions of the author are… The Gospel deliberately, as it were, draws a veil over these first years of Christ’s life, and only on the basis of the Gospel can one assert – that Christ during this time was not under the influence of any Jewish school or sect. His enemies later directly declared that He received His systematic instruction nowhere (John 7:15). Even Edersheim himself, having depicted so thoroughly the education which Christ supposedly received, concludes by saying: “We do not know with full certainty whether such a school system existed in Nazareth. We also do not know whether the above-described order and method of instruction were adopted everywhere at that time” (p. 295). “And the favor of God was upon him,” that is, the love of God was manifested over the Child Jesus, but in what – is not said.

Luke 2:41. Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. From the history of Jesus Christ’s life up to the age of 30 the evangelist Luke provides only the history of His journey to Jerusalem, when He had completed twelve years. Three times a year, on the greatest festivals – Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles – every Israelite, according to the law, was obliged to come to Jerusalem (Exod 23:14 and following; Exod 34:23; Deut 16:16). Women and children could remain home, but devout Israelite women nonetheless visited Jerusalem. Such was Mary. She, together with Joseph, went every year to the greatest festival – Passover. On the celebration of Passover see the comments on Matt 26:2. She did not, however, apparently, take Her Son with Her before now.

Luke 2:42. When he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem as usual for the festival. Luke 2:43. When the festival was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But his parents did not know it; Luke 2:44. supposing him to be in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started looking for him among relatives and friends. Luke 2:45. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. “Twelve years old.” From this time Hebrew boys usually began to learn the law, to become accustomed to being present at worship, to observing fasts, and so forth. “When the festival was ended” – an expression added in the Russian translation. Scholars of Jewish antiquities maintain that only during the first two days of the Passover festival was it necessary for all worshipers to be personally present in the temple. With the third day began the so-called semi-festive days, when it was possible to return home. Many, undoubtedly, took advantage of this provision. Therefore, Joseph and Mary could have left Jerusalem on the third day of the festival. And the “teachers” usually engaged in conversations with worshipers precisely on these remaining semi-festive days, when they had nothing to do in the temple and there were no sessions of the temple sanhedrin (Edersheim, p. 312). “Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem.” An irresistible yearning for the divine announced itself powerfully in Christ’s soul during His first visit to Jerusalem and compelled Him to return to the temple when His parents were going home with Him. “His parents did not know it.” Perhaps the caravan of worshipers in which Joseph and Mary were traveling was so large that it was impossible to immediately notice the absence of Jesus. It is probable that in this caravan there were relatives of Mary and Joseph, and the boy Jesus could first have gone with some relatives who also had children – youths of His age, which was permitted by His parents. But then the Boy returned imperceptibly to Jerusalem, to the temple. “A day’s journey” – an indefinite expression. In all probability, the caravan of worshipers in the course of a day covered a small distance. A stop, of course, was made with the onset of night, so now all of Joseph and Mary’s companions who were lagging behind gathered in one place.

Luke 2:46. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; Luke 2:47. and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. “After three days” – probably after his departure from Jerusalem. The first day was spent on the road, the second – in the return journey to Jerusalem, and the third – in searching for Jesus in the city. “In the temple.” It is more probable that the conversation of the “teachers” took place near the entrance to the temple, in the outer court, or “the Court of the Gentiles” – a place convenient and accessible to all: both men and women. There was a luxurious gallery there, but without benches: listeners sat on the floor. But to sit was allowed to the students even in the presence of the most important teachers. Therefore, the apostle Paul says that he was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, that is, sat on the floor when the latter spoke (Acts 22:3). “Among the teachers.” Curiosity prompted the Boy to move as close as possible to the rabbi who was speaking, and He thus found Himself in the midst of a circle of other rabbis, who sat beside their colleague, listening to his words. “Listening to them and asking them questions.” From time to time other rabbis entered the conversation. Jesus listened attentively to their speeches and, when He found something unclear in them, asked them for clarification, which was permitted by custom. “All who heard him,” that is, not only the common people, but even the rabbis themselves. “Were amazed” – were struck with amazement (ἐξίσταντο). “His understanding and his answers” – his intelligence (ἐπὶ τῇ συνέσει) and specifically His readiness in answers to those questions with which the rabbis usually addressed their listeners after they had finished explaining some point of doctrine.

Luke 2:48. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” Luke 2:49. He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in what belongs to my Father?” Luke 2:50. But they did not understand what he said to them. “And when his parents saw him they were astonished” – of course, Joseph and Mary saw Him – “and were amazed” – precisely that Jesus was in the temple and moreover among the teachers, to whose conversation He, according to the understanding of his parents, had not been prepared. “And his mother said.” Maternal feeling is more vivid than paternal feeling, and comes out more readily. “Your father.” The Most Holy Virgin apparently had never yet told Her Son that Joseph was not His father. She left it to God Himself to reveal the mystery of Jesus’ birth. “With great sorrow.” The Greek word here (ὀδυνόμενοι) denotes both physical and spiritual pain. It can be rendered as: “we were tormented, searching for you.” “Why were you looking for Me?” There is no reproach here toward the parents, only an expression of bewilderment about their anxiety. “Or did you not know…” that is, surely you well knew My purpose. Here there is an allusion to those revelations which Joseph and Mary received from the Angel about Jesus. It is remarkable that Christ speaks here of the mystery which, evidently, until now Mary and Joseph had hidden from Him…” “Must be about My Father’s affairs?” Some interpreters see here a reference to the temple as a place of God’s special presence, while others understand Christ’s words as indicating Christ’s calling to fulfill the will of the Heavenly Father: “in the matters that belong to My Father.” Of these interpretations, we prefer the first, because Christ answers precisely in response to the parents’ “search for Him.” He wishes to say that there was no need for them to search long: it would have been most natural for them to go directly to the temple, where Christ felt Himself to be closest to His Father. If one understands here “the works of the Father,” then Christ could have performed these works not in the temple. But in what sense does Christ call God His Father here? Some see here an indication of the feeling of extraordinary filial love, which kindled in Christ’s heart, as an Israelite, under the impression of those memories awakened in each soul by the Passover celebrations. Christ, they say, was one of the best sons of Israel and felt His closeness to God as the Benefactor of Israel more ardently than other Jews. But such an interpretation cannot be accepted. First of all, it is already clear that the words “My Father” represent an answer to Mary’s not entirely accurate expression: “behold, your father,” that is, Joseph. Christ wishes to remind His Mother that He has only one Father—God. Then Christ says “My Father,” not “our Father,” as He would have said if He had in mind His relation to Jehovah as Father of Israel in the general sense of the word. Finally, the evangelist’s remark that Joseph and Mary “did not understand His words” also speaks against such an interpretation. What would be unclear in the fact that the Child, raised in love for God as the Father of all Israel, now expresses consciousness of that close communion with God in which He felt Himself, being for the first time at the Passover festival in Jerusalem? Therefore we consider more natural such an interpretation that sees in this utterance of Christ consciousness of His higher, metaphysical unity with God—He is conscious of Himself as the Son of God by nature, by essence: God is His Father in the proper sense of the word. “But they did not understand the words He had spoken.” In the revelation received from the Angel by Joseph and Mary, nothing was said about how the development of the Divine Child would proceed. They were given only a description of Christ’s activity as the Messiah. Therefore, their bewilderment at the statement Christ had just made is natural: what, then, will His parents now do? Will Christ henceforth obey them, as He had done until now? Or perhaps, now that He knows the mystery of His birth, He should be given complete freedom in His further development?

Luke 2:51. And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was in submission to them. And His Mother kept all these words in her heart. Luke 2:52. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and with men. But Joseph’s and Mary’s bewilderment lasted only briefly. Christ calmly followed them to Nazareth, where He remained in subsequent times in complete submission to His parents, as an ordinary Jewish child and then youth. The manifestation in Him of consciousness of His divine sonship did not prevent, but rather only furthered, His going by the path of self-emptying to His great goal. And one of the manifestations of such self-emptying was complete submission to the will of His parents. “And His Mother kept all these words in her heart.” By this the evangelist indicates the source from which he obtained information about what happened in Jerusalem. His words about His relation to His Father—God—particularly stayed in her heart. It is evident that the Most Holy Virgin herself did not immediately grasp all the greatness that surrounded her Son: only by means of constant reflection on all that happened to Him did She come to a full and clear understanding of what, properly speaking, should be the work for which the Son of God, born of her, was destined. “Jesus, however…” These words recall the words from the First Book of Samuel about the development of the prophet Samuel (1 Sam 2:26). Some interpreters see here an indication that Christ developed more and more in mental respect and at the same time grew physically (ἡλικία)—became intelligent and well-formed, a tall young man. Others see here an indication that as He grew older, the higher, divine wisdom increasingly manifested itself in Jesus: “With the advance of the body there advanced in Him, for those who saw, the manifestation of His Deity” (St. Athanasius the Great. Vol. 19 of the Works of the Holy Fathers, p. 455). It will be more correct to say that the development which the evangelist has in mind here was “theanthropic,” since Divinity and humanity dwelled in Christ indivisibly and unconfusedly. But to grasp this union and understand how the development of the theanthropic nature proceeded—this is impossible for us. Therefore, all attempts to depict the history of Christ’s gradual development must be recognized as completely lacking any foundation. “And in favor” (see the commentary on verse 40). “And with men.” Since the evangelist here speaks already of the 12-year-old Child, not of the Infant as above (verse 40), he mentions also the relation to Jesus of outsiders. This indicates that Jesus was loved by all who surrounded Him and, consequently, in nothing differed from the type of Israelite children that was considered ideal at that time. One can point out, on the basis of accurate, especially evangelical, data, how Christ spent His life in Nazareth from the age of 12 to 30. First of all, it should be noted that Jewish life at that time, especially in such remote places as Nazareth, was marked by extreme simplicity. They ate usually three times a day—in the evening somewhat more than in the morning and at noon. The clothing worn was equally simple—an inner tunic, an outer cloak—a simple piece of cloth, and a small turban on the head, made of cloth. Jesus adopted the craft of His father (Mark 6:3)—every Jew was obliged to know some craft. In the home life of Jesus, there appears to have been nothing gloomy or dark. He loved, it seems, however, to be more in communion with nature, whose beauties He so vividly depicts in His teachings. He observed the life of people—sowers and vinedressers, the life of cattle and the habits of shepherds and even the habits of the fox, hiding in its secret den. But He also knew the joys, sorrows, needs and sufferings of the laboring population. He observed bridal processions, funeral rites, injustices and oppressions, the relations between debtors and creditors, the life of aristocrats, the conduct of tax collectors, the actions of judges. He was familiar also with the religious-political ideas that animated the Judaism of His time, but He Himself strictly adhered to what was written in Scripture, not joining any party (Edersheim, p. 317–322).

On the Authenticity and Reliability of Certain Sections of the Second Chapter

Negative criticism tries to show that those sections of the chapter under consideration, in which the discussion concerns mainly miraculous phenomena surrounding the birth and the first days of Christ’s life on earth, did not come from the evangelist Luke, but were inserted by a later hand. But all these attempts are shattered against the clear witness of church tradition, which has long been acquainted with these disputed sections. Thus, St. Justin Martyr mentions the birth and circumcision of Christ (“Dialogue with Trypho the Jew,” 67, 4–6). Tertullian and St. Irenaeus know of the same thing. The answer of the Lord to the parents in the temple is cited in the ancient Syriac translation Peshitta and in ancient Fathers. In general, opponents of the authenticity of the second chapter have no grounds that are at all substantial.

More attacks are made on the reliability of the information reported in this chapter, showing that it contains much that is fictional for the glorification of Christ. But the simplicity with which the evangelist depicts the course of events, as ordinary from the point of view of reason, as well as miraculous, makes us see in him a simple narrator of what actually happened. And besides, it is strange to suppose that all the miraculous that surrounds the birth of the Savior was invented by His followers for His glorification: where then did these very people get the desire to glorify Christ, if He Himself did not manifest Himself before them in all the greatness of His God-manhood? And why must we necessarily consider the evangelist Luke so credulous that he could place all these “inventions” in his work, which, by his own words, he wished to write with an observance of the requirements of sound historical criticism?

As for the mythical theory in its application to the event of Christ’s birth and the miraculous phenomena that took place at it, what was said above can be repeated here with regard to the reliability of the events mentioned in the first chapter (see the remark to the first chapter “On the Authenticity and Reliability of the First Chapter of the Gospel of Luke”).

* * *

Notes

Here it is necessary to give a brief answer to those objections of negative criticism that are directed at shaking the authority of Luke’s Gospel witness. a) They point to the silence of Roman historians generally about the census under Augustus. But first, these historians—Tacitus, Suetonius, and Dio Cassius—are considerably later than our sacred narrator—the evangelist Luke. Then, in Dio Cassius, the narrative for the years 745–752 has not survived, and perhaps in that lost section there was an indication of the census at the time of Augustus. In Tacitus, his “Annals” begin directly with Tiberius. Suetonius may not have mentioned the census for some reasons of his own. As for the Jewish historian Josephus Flavius, who does not mention the census of which Luke speaks, he too could have attributed no special significance to this census, which was carried out in accordance with Hebrew customs and was ordered directly by Herod, not by Augustus. The subsequent census, which took place in the 10th year of the Christian era according to Roman custom and crudely offended the Jews, he has already noted. Finally, from Suetonius and Tacitus it is known that after the death of Augustus, his own handwritten account of the government’s receipts and expenses was read in the Roman Senate, with a designation of the quantity of taxes and levies. From this we can conclude that a census was conducted under Augustus. b) They say that Judea at the time of Christ’s birth was only a vassal state in relation to Rome, that it had its own king, who alone had the right to conduct a census of his subjects. But what kind of king was Herod? He was, properly speaking, only a nominal king and received this title from Augustus precisely as an honorable distinction for loyalty to Rome; earlier he had the rank of simply a tetrarch. He could not conclude any treaties with anyone without the consent of the Caesar, could not transfer his throne even to his own son. Therefore, Augustus could order a census even in Judea, granting only some leniency in this case, namely, permission to conduct the census according to Hebrew customs. c) They say also that the lists of the legates of Syria at the time of Christ’s birth are well known: from the year 10 before the Christian era, Syria was governed by Titius Sentius Saturninus and Quincilius Varus, under whom Herod died. Consequently, Christ was born under Varus. But it is quite probable that the first census, being a very important matter, was entrusted by Augustus to a specially authorized person, who could be Quirinius, and Varus remained a legate of Syria. Cardinal Wilhelm Sirletus says: “In ancient monuments there is the name of Quirinus, a consul who was sent to Syria under Augustus as commander” (Biblical Studies 12). For more on this, see Prof. Bogolepov (p. 310–340), who in this case repeats Keil (1879, p. 213–228).

The Greek word κατάλυμα used here has a very broad meaning and can denote any place of rest. But here it is most natural to see a reference to an inn. If the evangelist Luke had meant a room in some house where Joseph and Mary stopped, he would have used the aforementioned Greek word in the plural (ἐν τοῖς καταλύμασιν), showing that a place for Joseph was not found “in houses.” Here, however, the singular is used. Meanwhile, it is difficult to suppose that Joseph asked for shelter in only one house and addressed no one else.

Equivalent to the cost of 80 grams of silver. – Editor’s note.

Our Russian translation incorrectly puts the words: “and a sword will pierce your own soul too,” in parentheses. This cannot be done because the importance of these words of the prophecy addressed precisely to Mary is undoubted. One of the modern text critics, Κῲννεκε, finding it still inconvenient to attach the last expression “so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” to the preceding—since it would have been more natural to speak first of “the many” and then of “one,” Mary—relocates it to the beginning of verse 35.

Chapter Three

1–6. The appearance of John the Baptist. – 7–17. The preaching of John the Baptist. – 18–20. The imprisonment of John the Baptist. – 21–38. The baptism and genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 3:1. In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of Ituraea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, Luke 3:2. under the high priests Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. The evangelist Luke—the first among writers to introduce the Gospel history with precise chronological references into general world history—here gives an exact determination of the time when the ministry of John the Baptist, the Forerunner of the Messiah, began. “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar”—more accurately: “of Caesar Tiberius.” Augustus, who was succeeded by his stepson Tiberius, died on August 19, 767 years (from the founding of Rome). But even earlier, around 765 years, Augustus appointed Tiberius as his joint ruler. From which year, then, does the evangelist count the fifteenth year? From the beginning of his joint rule with Augustus or from the beginning of his independent reign? In all probability, from the beginning of his joint rule with Augustus, since the evangelist Luke further says that Christ was baptized at the age of about thirty years (verse 23). Taking it that Christ was born in 749 years, and adding 30 years to this, we get 779 years, and subtracting from this 15 years of Tiberius’s reign, we get 764 years, precisely the year in which Augustus made Tiberius his joint ruler. “Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea” (see the commentary on Matt 27:2). Pilate ruled from the end of 778 to 789 years. “Herod” (see the commentary on Matt 2:22) ruled from 750 to 792 years, when he was deposed. “Philip, his brother,” also ruled from 750 years until his death in 786 years. He ruled over Ituraea, which can be understood as the ancient Gilead (the eastern side of the Jordan). If Josephus Flavius does not mention the name of this region, he meant it, in all probability, as Batanea or Auranitis, whose belonging to the tetrarchy of Philip he reports (Josephus Flavius, “Jewish Antiquities,” XVII, 11, 4). The region of Trachonitis also lay to the east of the Jordan, higher up than Ituraea. “Lysanias.” Modern critics insist that the evangelist Luke here made an anachronism, that Lysanias reigned in Abilene almost 60 years before the time described here and that he was not a tetrarch at all. But modern research testifies that there were two Lysaniases—one who governed Abilene 60 years before the appearance of John the Baptist, and another—contemporary with this appearance. This latter is called directly a “tetrarch” in a Greek inscription which Pococke found near Nebi Abel (the ancient Abile—a city to the northwest of Damascus, at the foot of Lebanon). Then Josephus Flavius also testifies that Agrippa, after the death of Tiberius, received the tetrarchy of Philip and the tetrarchy of Lysanias (Josephus Flavius. “Jewish Antiquities,” XVIII, 6, 10). Here Josephus Flavius cannot mean the first Lysanias, who died long ago and whose kingdom is nowhere called a tetrarchy. “Under the high priests Annas and Caiaphas.” Properly speaking, the high priest at that time was one Caiaphas. See the commentary on Matt 26:3. But his father-in-law, Annas, or more accurately, Annas, a former high priest who had been deposed by the procurator Vitellius, continued, by virtue of his character, to exercise great influence. And since in his rank as high priest he was senior to Caiaphas, the evangelist places him ahead of the latter. To make from this mention of two high priests the conclusion that the evangelist Luke thereby wished to show that the ancient theocracy had fallen into complete decline, which could only be eliminated by the Messiah (as, for example, Prof. Bogolepov says. The Public Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, issue 1 p. 17), there is no foundation whatsoever, just as it is likewise unfounded to see in Luke’s preceding reference to different civil rulers his desire to characterize the political decline of the Jewish people. “The word of God came,” that is, God commanded John to enter into his ministry (cf. Jer 1:2; Isa 38:4 and following). “In the wilderness” (see the commentary on Luke 1:80).

Luke 3:3. And he went throughout the region about the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, “And he went…” More accurately: “and he came throughout the whole region of the Jordan.” See the commentary on Matt 3:5. “Proclaiming…” Repetition of what is said in Mark (Mark 1:4).

Luke 3:4. as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, who says: “A voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight;” Luke 3:5. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough roads shall become smooth; Luke 3:6. and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ (See Matt 3:3). The evangelist Luke, however, gives the prophecy of Isaiah in a fuller form than Matthew and Mark (Mark 1:3). In addition to verse 3 of chapter 40, he quotes verses 4 and 5 (according to the text of the Seventy, with some small changes of his own).

Amos 1:1. “In the book of the words…” that is, in the book containing the words or utterances of the prophet Isaiah (cf. Am.1:1 – “the words of Amos”). “Every valley” that is, every valley, low place, ravine (φάραγξ). This and likewise the following expressions: mountain, hill, crookedness, rough roads—all are images serving to denote moral obstacles which should be removed by John from the path along which the Messiah comes to His people. These obstacles can be removed only through sincere repentance of the people. “The salvation of God” (see the commentary on Luke 2:30). The evangelist, in agreement with the prophet, understands here the Messianic salvation, which with the coming of the Messiah and through Him will become accessible to the contemplation of all people (“all flesh”—this expression denotes humanity from the side of its weakness and need for Divine help, and likewise indicates the universality of salvation, cf. Acts 2:17). The evangelist, obviously, extended the quotation from the book of Isaiah precisely in order to give his readers to understand that the salvation brought by Christ is intended for all peoples.

Luke 3:7. So John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Luke 3:8. Bear fruits worthy of repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Luke 3:9. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” These verses represent an almost literal repetition of Matt 3:7-10. The difference consists only in the fact that in Matthew, John addresses his reproaches to the Pharisees and Sadducees, whereas in Luke—to the crowds of people. But as is evident from the threatening tone of the speech, Luke had in mind the fact that in the popular crowd the Pharisees and Sadducees had dominant influence—only he did not mention them separately. For the rest, see the commentary on Matt 3:7-10.

Luke 3:10. And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” Luke 3:11. And he answered them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Luke 3:12. Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” Luke 3:13. He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Luke 3:14. Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.” The instructions John gave to the common people, which he gave in answer to the people’s question, are reported by Luke alone. The general thought of these instructions is this: the true fruits of repentance are not something special, unattainable, but simply honest fulfillment of the obligations one has taken on. “Whoever has two coats…” By this John reminds each one of the obligation to help his needy neighbor in whatever way he can. “Give,” that is, one of them. “Whoever has food”—not only large stores of food, but even a small quantity. “Do likewise,” that is, share even a piece of bread. “Tax collectors” (see the commentary on Matt 5:46). Tax collectors might have thought that John would demand that they completely abandon their hated service. “More than the amount prescribed for you,” that is, more than what the government commanded you to collect from the people. Usually, however, tax collectors demanded much also for their own personal benefit. “Soldiers.” Here there could be both Israelite soldiers and Roman soldiers of various other nations, who were likewise attracted by John’s preaching. They, just like the tax collectors, felt themselves somewhat guilty of the fact that their maintenance lay as a heavy burden on the people. It often fell to them also, during campaigns, to forcibly take others’ property, and this seemed to them an unavoidable part of their profession. Now then, how could they repent? Completely abandon military service, since it forces them to commit such injustices against their neighbor? John in answer tells them that they can do without such injustices—let them live on their wages. “Do not…falsely accuse,” more accurately: “do not inform on” (συκοφαντήσητε—a word that originally denoted among the Greeks an informing against those violating the government prohibition against the export of figs).

Luke 3:15. Now as the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, Luke 3:16. John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Luke 3:17. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” “Authoritative, sealed with more-than-human dignity, the word of the Forerunner, his new teaching responding to the most holy desires of the soul, together with his extraordinary external appearance and the very artless preaching—all of this produced such a powerful impression on the people that many wondered and thought in their hearts whether he might be the Messiah promised to Israel. This state of mind could easily have led to consequences harmful for John and the purpose of his ministry. Strictly faithful to his calling, not wishing for glory not belonging to him, John forestalls the possibility of such excessive enthusiasm and explains to the wondering people in brief but powerful expressions the true meaning of his ministry and his relation to the Messiah” (Bogolepov, p. 50). “Whether he himself (μήποτε αὐτός) might be the Messiah?” John spoke of another Messiah, but perhaps we—thought the people—misunderstood? Perhaps he meant himself? For the rest, see the commentary on Matt 3:11-12.

Luke 3:18. So with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. Luke 3:19. But Herod the tetrarch, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, Luke 3:20. added this to them all: he locked John up in prison. “And many other exhortations he proclaimed…” The evangelist Luke here notes that he, like the other evangelists, of course, relates the preaching of John only in abbreviated form. Under “proclaiming the good news” should be understood the preaching about the coming Messiah, whom John described in very vivid terms. This preaching, as is evident from the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 11:12), bore good fruit: it aroused in the people a desire for the Kingdom of Heaven. “But Herod, however…” Before proceeding to the narrative about Jesus Christ’s entry into public ministry, the evangelist Luke considers it necessary to conclude his account of the fate of John the Baptist. What he says here appears in a different sequence in Matthew and Mark (see Matt 14:1 and following; Mark 6:17 and following).

Luke 3:21. Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, Luke 3:22. and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” “Now when all the people were baptized.” This is a more precise statement than in Matthew (Matt 3:13) and Mark (Mark 1:9) of the time of Christ’s baptism. “This was taking place,” says the evangelist Luke, “when there was a general desire of the people to receive baptism from John.” And this points to the end of the preaching ministry of the Forerunner (Bogolepov, p. 63). “Praying.” Only Luke mentions this, thereby marking that baptism was an especially important event in Christ’s life (cf. Matt 26:36; Luke 9:28). “The heaven was opened.” In Matthew and Mark it is said that the opening of heaven was an object of vision (Matt 3:16; Mark 1:10), and therefore some interpreters are inclined to present this “opening” not as something actual, but as something merely appearing to certain people. But the evangelist Luke cuts off every path to such reinterpretations by saying that heaven opened and not adding that this was a vision. This miracle, as well as the subsequent descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove and the voice of God the Father—all of this were actual events. “The Holy Spirit…” (see the commentary on Matt 3:16). “In bodily form” that is, He appeared in the ordinary form of a dove. “You.” The evangelist Luke in this agrees with Mark (in Matthew—“This is”) see Mark 1:11. “With you…” The evangelist Luke here again reports the voice of God the Father as a direct address to Christ (in Matthew and Mark—“in whom”).

Luke 3:23. Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. He was the son (as was thought) of Joseph, son of Heli, Luke 3:24. son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Jannai, son of Joseph, Luke 3:25. son of Mattathias, son of Amos, son of Nahum, son of Esli, son of Naggai, Luke 3:26. son of Maath, son of Mattathias, son of Semein, son of Joseph, son of Judah, Luke 3:27. son of Johanan, son of Rhesa, son of Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, son of Neri, Luke 3:28. son of Melchi, son of Addi, son of Cosam, son of Elmadam, son of Er, Luke 3:29. son of Joshua, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, son of Matthat, son of Levi, Luke 3:30. son of Simeon, son of Judah, son of Joseph, son of Jonam, son of Eliakim, Luke 3:31. son of Melea, son of Menna, son of Mattatha, son of Nathan, son of David, Luke 3:32. son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of Boaz, son of Salmon, son of Nahshon, Luke 3:33. son of Amminadab, son of Admin, son of Arni, son of Hezron, son of Perez, son of Judah, Luke 3:34. son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, son of Terah, son of Nahor, Luke 3:35. son of Serug, son of Reu, son of Peleg, son of Eber, son of Shelah, Luke 3:36. son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of Noah, son of Lamech, Luke 3:37. son of Methuselah, son of Enoch, son of Jared, son of Mahalaleel, son of Cainan, Luke 3:38. son of Enosh, son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God. Here is indicated the year of Christ’s entry into public ministry. “Jesus, beginning His ministry…”—more accurately: “and He Himself—concerning whom the voice of God spoke (verse 22)—specifically—Jesus, was, at the beginning of His activity (ἀρχόμενος), at the age of about thirty years.” The evangelist Luke evidently places the beginning of Christ’s ministry at the “anointing” of Christ with the Holy Spirit at the time of His baptism. From this, one can approximately indicate the year of the general chronology in which this entry took place. As we have already accepted (see verse 1), the fifteenth year of Tiberius’s reign is 779 from the founding of Rome. But Jesus Christ was baptized probably the following year after John the Baptist appeared, which occurred in this year 779, consequently, approximately in 780. From this one can also deduce—again, of course, approximately—the year of Christ’s birth. Reckoning back from the year 780 for 30 years, we obtain the year 750 for the birth of Christ. Meanwhile, our counting of years from the Birth of Christ, the foundation for which was laid by the monk Dionysius, presupposes that Christ was born in 752—two or three years later than the established date. “At the age of thirty.” It was customary at this age, as an age of full maturity, for Levites to enter upon the performance of their duties (Num 4:3). “And was (as was thought) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli.” In Greek: ὤν, ὡς ἐνομίζετο, υἱὸς Ἰωσήφ, τοῦ Ἠλί. With such a reading, the word “son” (υἱός) relates to the word “Joseph” (Ἰωσήφ). But such a combination is forbidden by the absence of the article before the name Joseph: after all, everywhere else the relation of father to son is denoted by an article (τοῦ). No, the absence of the article before the word “Joseph” rather compels us to think that the evangelist does not include Joseph in the number of the ancestors of Jesus Christ. It is better therefore to accept the reading of the Alexandrian Codex, where the word “son” (υἱός) is attached to the participle ἦν (in Russian: “was”). Then it will be necessary to render this verse in Russian as follows: “and was (more precisely: being) the Son, as was thought, of Joseph—(in fact) of Heli.” But who was Heli? According to the most probable supposition, which has replaced in scholarship the explanation earlier accepted by Julius Africanus (cf. Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, ch. 1), this was the father of the Most Holy Virgin Mary. She herself, by Hebrew custom, is not entered into the number of the ancestors of Christ, but it was very important to the evangelist to show that Christ, according to the flesh, is a true descendant of David, which he does by giving the genealogy of the father of Mary and showing that Mary indeed descended from David. The evangelist Luke thus leads the genealogy of Christ through His grandfather according to His mother and in ascending order. Here, however, we encounter two such names (verse 27) which are repeated also in the genealogy reported in the evangelist Matthew as the genealogy of Joseph (Matt 1:12)—namely, the names of Zerubbabel and Shealtiel. But this difficulty can be solved simply: both of them were indeed common ancestors of Joseph and Mary, and then the evangelists enumerate already different—two—sons of Zerubbabel, from one of whom came the line of Joseph, and from the other—the line of Mary. More significant are other difficulties arising here. How to explain that Luke calls Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel (Matthew also does this), whereas in the book of Chronicles (1 Chr 3:18-19) Zerubbabel is called the son of Pedaiah? Probably, this can be explained by the law of levirate. Pedaiah was the brother of Shealtiel and therefore, after the death of the latter, could enter into marriage with his childless widow, and from this marriage Zerubbabel could be born. It is possible, of course, that the reverse occurred, in case of Pedaiah’s death, in short, either the evangelists or the writer of the book of Chronicles name the father of Zerubbabel not the real, actual one, but the legal one, whose name Zerubbabel bore. Finally, with respect to the fact that in the book of Chronicles (1 Chr 3:20) among the sons of Zerubbabel is not mentioned the Rhesa mentioned here by Luke, this can be explained by the fact that the writer of Chronicles named all the sons of Zerubbabel, or by the fact that some of the sons bore two names (Bogolepov, Childhood of Jesus Christ, p. 54). In verse 37 is mentioned the name Cainan, found only in the translation of the book of Genesis by the Seventy (Gen 10:24). This name, in all probability, was in the original text as well. In verse 38 the evangelist Luke calls Christ the son of Adam, of God. It would be unnatural to imagine that the evangelist placed Adam in the relation to God in which Seth placed himself to Adam, that is, in the relation of son by descent. Therefore it is more correct to relate the word “of God” to the word “Jesus” in verse 23. In this way, here it will be indicated that the Son of Mary was, according to His bodily descent as well, at the same time the Son of God. It is remarkable that in Luke the genealogy is divided into groups of seven, joined three times by three into one section and once—two into a section, namely: 1) from Jesus to Neri—21 ancestors (3 × 7), 2) from Neri to David—21 ancestors (3 × 7), 3) from David to Abraham—14 ancestors (2 × 7), and 4) from Abraham to Adam—21 ancestors (3 × 7). Of course, such agreement is obtained if one counts the concluding persons of the group of seven as the beginning members of the following group of seven. Since tradition calls the father of Mary not Heli, but Joachim, then in explanation of this one can again recall the custom of the Jews to bear two names—one given at birth, and another, adopted on the occasion of some unusual event in a person’s life. As for the question of why the evangelist Luke places the genealogy of Christ not where the evangelist Matthew does, that is, not at the beginning of the Gospel, this circumstance can be explained by the custom of ancient Hebrew writers to cite genealogical tables of known historical figures where the beginning of the activity of these persons is depicted (see Exod 6:4-26).

Chapter Four

1–13. The temptation of Jesus Christ in the wilderness. – 14–15. Christ’s appearance in Galilee. – 16–30. Christ’s preaching in the synagogue of Nazareth. – 31–44. A visit to Capernaum.

Luke 4:1. Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Luke 4:2. where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. Luke 4:3. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Luke 4:4. Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” Luke 4:5. Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. Luke 4:6. And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. Luke 4:7. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Luke 4:8. Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” Luke 4:9. Then he led him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here; Luke 4:10. for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you’; Luke 4:11. ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” Luke 4:12. Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Luke 4:13. When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. The history of the temptation is related by the evangelist Luke in general accordance with the evangelist Matthew (Matt 4:1-11). But in the order of the individual temptations, the evangelist Luke differs from Matthew: in the second place he places the temptation which Matthew places in the third place (the temptation on the pinnacle of the temple). Since the path from the wilderness, where the first temptation occurred, to Jerusalem—where, as Matthew correctly reports, the second temptation took place—lay through the mountains, Luke, mentally following this path, decided to depict the temptation that occurred on the mountain earlier, before the temptation that took place in Jerusalem. And the fact that the evangelist Matthew correctly places this mountain temptation last in chronological order is evidenced by the fact that it ends with the words of the Lord: “Be gone, Satan.” Hardly could Satan turn to Christ with a new temptation after such a prohibition. “For forty days He was tempted…” (see Mark 1:13). “He ate nothing.” Only the evangelist Luke notes this. Christ observed complete abstinence from all food. “This stone.” In Matthew—“these stones.” The transformation of one stone into bread seemed sufficient to Satan. “World” (verse 5) more precisely than in the evangelist Matthew—“the kingdoms” (Matt 4:8; cf. Luke 2:1). “In an instant”—in one moment of time, in one instant (ἐν στιγμῇ χρόνου). This means that all the kingdoms of the world did not appear before Christ’s sight successively, one after another, but in one instantaneous image, despite the fact that they were located in different parts of the world. “To you I will give authority over all these kingdoms…” As a result of the fall of mankind, the world has indeed been subjected to the power of the devil in the sense, of course, that the devil draws people into his nets and leads them in his ways. He can, therefore, direct them to Christ as well, if he wishes. But, of course, it is a lie that this authority was given to him (certainly by God). If he does possess people, it is only by virtue of his craftiness and deceit. The only true ruler of all—God (Dan 4:14). “You will worship me”—more accurately: “before me” (ἐνωπίον ἐμοῦ). From this it is evident that the devil has in mind actual worship. “To protect you” (verse 10). This addition is only in the evangelist Luke. “Jesus answered him: It is said…” More accurately: “Jesus in answer said to him, It is said: do not put…” (ὅτι εἴρηται οὐκ). The evangelist Luke, thus, uses the words “it is said” in the sense of “as it is written,” and Christ’s speech in him begins with the words “do not put to the test.” It is clear that this sounds as a command to Satan from Christ Himself: “do not put to the test, Satan, Me—the Lord your God!” “When the devil had finished every temptation”—by these words the evangelist conveys the understanding that the devil had exhausted all his skill in tempting Christ and could devise nothing more. “Until an opportune time.” Such a convenient time for a new temptation turned out, according to Luke’s understanding (Luke 22:3), to be the appearance of Judas the traitor before Christ’s enemies with the offer to betray Him.

Luke 4:14. And Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. Luke 4:15. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. (See Mark 1:14). “In the power of the Spirit” that is, endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit. This power was manifest, of course, in the miracles which Christ began to perform. “A report about him,” that is, a report of these miracles. From this it is evident that, according to Luke’s understanding, Christ’s activity in Galilee was rather prolonged. “In their synagogues,” that is, in the synagogues of the Galileans.

Luke 4:16. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, “Nazareth” (see the commentary on Matt 2:23). “Where he had been brought up” (see Luke 2:51 and following). “As was his custom.” During His public ministry, Christ had the custom of attending synagogues on the sabbath. This remark shows that the event described below occurred in a comparatively late period of Christ’s Galilean ministry (“custom” could develop over a period of time). “He stood up to read.” Usually the synagogue leader would invite someone known to him to undertake the reading of Scripture for the worshippers gathered in the synagogue, and that person, at the invitation of the leader, would stand—the other worshippers sat. But Christ, standing Himself, expressed thereby His desire to read, and since He was sufficiently known to the synagogue leader as a local resident—the evangelist Luke had not yet told of miracles of Christ in Nazareth—a scroll was given to Him.

Luke 4:17. And he was given the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The scroll of the prophet Isaiah.” Apparently the reading from the Law (“parashat”) had already concluded when Christ expressed His desire to read. Therefore, a scroll of Isaiah was given to Him and He read from it, probably a passage appointed for that day (“haftarah”). The evangelist, saying that Christ, as soon as He unrolled the scroll, immediately found the section He needed, evidently wishes to note that the scroll of Isaiah did not open by chance on a certain page, but that this was the work of Divine Providence. The scroll of Isaiah, as with others of course, represented a bundle of pages wrapped around a rod and bound with a cord. At that time they wrote only on one side of the page. Such scrolls were kept in a special box, with the heads of the rods all at the top, and the name of each sacred book was written on each rod, so that they could easily be found when needed.

Luke 4:18. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, Luke 4:19. to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” See the commentary in the Commentary on the Gospel to the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 61:1-3). To what is said there should be added that the evangelist Luke here quotes the prophecy according to the text of the Seventy, but with some changes. Then, in our Russian translation of the Gospel, it reads: “because He has anointed me…” Meanwhile, it is more accurate from the Greek to translate: “for the reason that, because He (and) anointed me” (οὗ ἕνεκεν ἔχρισε). Thus, according to the Greek text, the abiding of the Spirit on Christ is something preceding the anointing or selection, whereas according to the original text, which the Russian translation follows, the abiding of the Spirit is conditioned by this very anointing. Anyway, the substance of the matter in both the original and the Seventy texts remains unchanged: the Holy Spirit abides on Christ, and He is the anointed one or Messiah in the exclusive sense of the word. “Anointed”—consecrated, appointed (St. Theophylact). “The poor”—both materially and spiritually oppressed (see Matt 5:3). Broken-hearted—the same as those who mourn (see Matt 5:4). Captives and blind—terms denoting the spiritual bondage and ignorance of people, whom the Messiah will set free from these. “Sight to the blind”—this is an addition of the Seventy. “To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Clearly, this contains a reference to the so-called jubilee year, which, indeed, through the abundance of benefits appointed for it by law (Lev 25:8 and following), was the best year established by God for the Hebrew people. Of course, by this “year” is understood the Messianic time of salvation for the Israeli people and for all mankind. It is remarkable that in this prophecy of Isaiah there is a designation of all types of anointing that existed in the Old Testament: a) prophetic anointing is denoted by the words: “to bring good news to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted”; b) royal: “to proclaim” (to announce) “to the captives” and so forth—all the prerogatives of the king, to whom it is granted everywhere to grant pardons, and c) high-priestly: “to proclaim the year…” since the priests announced the beginning of the jubilee year by order of the high priest. Thus, Christ is a Prophet, King, and High Priest. It should also be noted that, using the words from verse 19 about the “year” or “the year of the Lord” (ἐνιαυτὸν κυρίου), even the ancient heretics the Valentinians, and then many church interpreters asserted that Christ’s activity lasted only one year. But the expression “year,” clearly, in the evangelist Luke denotes the Messianic period in general, and could this period have appeared to the evangelist as so small, as one year? We are not even speaking of the fact that in the Gospel of John Christ’s ministry is determined as no less than three years…

Luke 4:20. And, closing the book and giving it to the attendant, He sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. The attendant of the synagogue took back from Christ the scroll of Isaiah that He had rolled up, and Christ, intending to speak concerning the prophecy He had read, sat down according to custom. All fixed their eyes upon Him: it is clear that Christ was already well-known at that time among the inhabitants of Nazareth.

Luke 4:21. And He began to say to them: Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. The evangelist reports only the main thought of Christ’s address to the worshipers. “This scripture is fulfilled, heard by you”—the translation is not quite accurate. More correctly: “this scripture is fulfilled (that is, this written one; cf. Mark 12:10, where under “scripture” is also understood a separate prophecy) in your ears.” The voice of the One about whom Isaiah spoke has now reached the ears of the Nazarenes—Christ proclaims salvation to them and then, of course, will also accomplish it (cf. Mark 1:15 — “the time is fulfilled”).

Luke 4:22. And all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words that came from His mouth, and they said: Is not this the son of Joseph? “Bore witness to Him”—that is, expressed the thought that the reports about Christ that had reached them (verses 14 and following) accurately depicted His person. “At the gracious words”—that is, at the pleasant utterances. “And they said…” From the response of Christ that follows to these words of the Nazarenes, it is evident that in their words they expressed disbelief that the son of Joseph could accomplish all the promises contained in the passage quoted above from the book of the prophet Isaiah. Christ was for them a simple inhabitant of Nazareth, and in Him the Nazarenes had not seen any special qualities that, in their opinion, the Messiah ought to have.

Luke 4:23. He said to them: Surely you will say to Me this proverb: “Physician, heal yourself; do here, in your hometown, what we have heard was done in Capernaum.” “Surely”—that is, I am sure of this (cf. 1 Cor 9:10). “Physician…” This proverb was often encountered among the rabbis, and also among Greek and Roman writers. Its meaning in the present case is as follows. Just as a physician who wishes to heal others must first demonstrate his skill on himself, so do you also. If You wish to come forward in the character of a God-sent Deliverer of Your people (cf. verse 21 with verses 18–19), then help first of all Yourself to free Yourself from that which hinders You in achieving Your goal—cause us to forget Your humble origin and Your modest life, which You have led up to now in Nazareth: perform such a miracle that would truly and immediately exalt You in the eyes of all of us. Then we will believe that You are sent by God. “In your hometown”—in your native city. “Was done in Capernaum.” Here is shown the rivalry of an insignificant city such as Nazareth with wealthy Capernaum. Clearly, the Lord had been in Capernaum before and performed there miracles which, however, up to that time the evangelist had not yet mentioned.

Luke 4:24. And He said: Truly I say to you: No prophet is accepted in his own hometown. (See Matt 13:57).

Luke 4:25. But truly I say to you: There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, so that there came a great famine over all the land; Luke 4:26. and to none of them was Elijah sent, except to Zarephath in the land of Sidon, to a widow; Luke 4:27. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian. Having said that the rejection of prophets by their fellow countrymen is a well-known fact, Christ now, in order to explain His, which was so striking to His countrymen, some preference for a foreign city—Capernaum—points to the fact that in the Old Testament the prophets sometimes performed miracles not for their fellow countrymen, but for foreign people, even for pagans. Three and a half years the rain did not fall during Elijah’s time, according to the Lord’s reckoning. And yet in the book of Kings it is said that the rain came on the third year (1 Sam 17:1). According to all likelihood, here, as in the epistle of the apostle James (Jas 5:17), the count of these years is done according to Jewish tradition (Yalkut Shimoni to 3 Kings), in which the figure of three and a half years was a common term for denoting chiefly an unfortunate epoch (cf. Dan 12:7). “Over all the land”—this is a hyperbolic expression. Zarephath of Sidon—a city that stood in dependence on Sidon and was located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Now—the village of Sarafand (cf. 1 Sam 17:9 and following). “Lepers” (see Matt 8:1 and following). “In the time of the prophet Elisha” (see 1 Sam 19:16 and following). On Naaman see 2 Sam 5.

Luke 4:28. Hearing this, all in the synagogue were filled with anger Luke 4:29. and, rising up, they drove Him out of the city and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, so that they might throw Him down; Luke 4:30. but He, passing through their midst, went His way. The fascination with Christ’s speech quickly turned to terrible anger in the souls of the Nazarenes against Him who had dared to place them below the pagans. The latter appeared in His representation to be better than the Jews—this they could not bear, and, despite it being the Sabbath, they began to push Christ out of the synagogue and then out of the city. The road from the city, which lay on the slopes of the hills, rose steeply upward (on the western edge of the city), and the Nazarenes, apparently pushing Christ onto this road, imperceptibly would have thrown Him from the cliff to which this road led and near which was a precipice of about forty feet above the valley lying below (this place is located above a Maronite church). But suddenly Christ stopped and, with one commanding glance, caused the people who were pushing Him to part, and calmly passed through their midst. Since He clearly took the road to Capernaum, which leads straight from this cliff, those who were pushing Him had to stop: beyond that point there was no longer any possibility of seemingly accidentally pushing Christ off the cliff. Is this the same event as the one described by the evangelists Matthew (Matt 13:54) and Mark (Mark 6:1-6)? No, this is a different event. The account of the evangelist Luke relates to the beginning of Christ’s ministry, while the accounts of the evangelists Matthew and Mark relate to a later time. This is the first proof. Second, here Christ appears without His disciples, but there—with His disciples. Third, according to the Gospel of Luke, Christ leaves Nazareth after the described attempt on His life, but in Matthew and Mark—He remains for some time in Nazareth even after the Nazarenes did not show confidence in Him. Finally—and this is most important—in Matthew and Mark there is no mention at all of an attempt on Christ’s life, which the evangelist Luke reports here. Is it not clear that Luke is describing a different event? However, certain similar details in his accounts and those of the other two synoptists are explained simply by the fact that such discourses about Christ’s origin must have been heard frequently among the ignorant Nazarenes.

Luke 4:31. And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbaths. Luke 4:32. And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority. (See Mark 1:21-22). “Came”—more precisely: “came down” (κατῆλθεν). Nazareth lay higher than Capernaum, which was located at the shore of the Sea of Tiberias (see Matt 4:13). “His word was with authority” (cf. verse 14).

Luke 4:33. And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon; and he cried out with a loud voice: Luke 4:34. saying: Leave us; what have You to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know You, who You are, the Holy One of God. Luke 4:35. Jesus rebuked him, saying: Be silent and come out of him. And the demon, throwing him down in the midst of them, came out of him, harming him not at all. Luke 4:36. And awe fell upon all, and they spoke with one another, saying: What is this word? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out. Luke 4:37. And the report about Him went out into every place of the surrounding region. (See Mark 1:23-27). “An unclean demon”—more correctly: “a spirit of an unclean demon.” The adjective “unclean” is used alongside the word “demon” both here and in Mark, because among the Greeks the word “demon” (δαιμόνιον) did not necessarily mean an evil or unclean being. “Leave us.” This is not a verb, but simply an exclamation: “Hah!” (ἔα!), expressing surprise mixed with horror. “Harming him not at all”—a remark found only in Luke. “What is this?”—more accurately: What is this word or saying? In verse 32 amazement is expressed at Christ’s teaching; here—at His commands (verse 36). “That He” (verse 36)—more correctly: “because He.” The evangelist points to the cause that provoked the amazement. “With authority and power.” The first (ἐξουσία) means authority in Christ, the second (δύναμις)—the power that comes from it.

Luke 4:38. And He rose up from the synagogue and entered the house of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a great fever; and they asked Him about her. Luke 4:39. And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she rose and waited on them. (See Mark 1:29-31; Matt 8:14-15). “Rose up”—more precisely: “rising” (ἀναστάς). In the synagogue the Lord taught while sitting. “He entered…”—Luke omits, before verse 31, the mention of the calling of two pairs of brothers (cf. Mark 1:16-19), and so Christ appears here going alone. “Afflicted with a great fever.” Such comparative precision in defining the disease is natural in Luke the physician. “Asked Him about her”—of course, for her healing. Peter and his household. “Standing over her”—more precisely: “standing over her and bending down to her.” “Rebuked the fever.” This disease is represented here as if a hostile personal force.

Luke 4:40. Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He, laying His hands on each one of them, healed them. Luke 4:41. And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying: You are the Christ, the Son of God. But He rebuked them and did not allow them to speak, because they knew that He was the Christ. (See Mark 1:32-34; Matt 8:16). “Laying His hands”—a note only in Luke (cf. Matt 9:18). “Did not allow them to speak because they knew”—more correctly: “did not allow them to speak because they knew that He was the Messiah.”

Luke 4:42. And when it was day, He departed and went into a desolate place. And the multitudes sought Him and came to Him, and would have kept Him from leaving them. Luke 4:43. But He said to them: I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities as well, for I was sent for this purpose. Luke 4:44. And He preached in the synagogues of Galilee. (See Mark 1:35-39). “The multitudes” (more precisely “crowds”) “sought Him.” Since the evangelist Luke has not yet spoken of the calling of the apostles, the ones seeking Christ are the people in general, not Simon and those with him, as in Mark. “Having come to Him”—more precisely: “until they came to Him” (ἦλθον ἕως αύτοῦ). They did not cease seeking Christ until they found Him. “For this purpose I was sent”—that is, for this, that everywhere in the Jewish land I should preach. “In the synagogues of Galilee.” According to the better-attested reading: “of Judea.” But by Judea here is understood, of course, not the province of Judea, but the Jewish land in general, including also Galilee (cf. Luke 1:5).

Chapter Five

1–11. The calling of Simon. – 12–26. The healing of the leper and the paralytic. – 27–39. The feast at the tax collector’s house Levi’s.

Luke 5:1. Now it happened that while the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, During a sermon which Christ was delivering while standing on the shore of the lake of Gennesaret (see Matt 4:18), the people became so crowded around Him that He could scarcely stand on the shore any longer (cf. Matt 4:18; Mark 1:16).

Luke 5:2. And He saw two boats lying by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. “Washing their nets.” The evangelist Luke pays attention only to this work; the other evangelists speak of mending the nets (Mark 1:19) or else only of casting the nets (Matt 4:18). The nets had to be washed in order to free them from shells and sand that had gotten into them.

Luke 5:3. And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. Simon was already a disciple of Christ (see John 1:37 and following)—only he had not yet been called, like the other apostles, to permanent following of Christ and continued to engage in fishing. On Christ’s position in the boat while preaching see Mark 4:1.

Luke 5:4. When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon: Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch. Luke 5:5. And Simon answered and said: Master, we have labored all night and have taken nothing, but on Your word I will let down the nets. Luke 5:6. And when they had done this, they caught a great multitude of fish, and their nets were breaking. Luke 5:7. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. The Lord proposes that Simon sail out farther to a deep place and cast his nets there for a catch of fish. Simon, addressing the Lord as “Master” (ἐπιστάτα!—instead of the “Rabbi” often used by the other evangelists), remarks that a catch is hardly to be expected; he and his companions had tried to fish even at night—during the best hours for fishing—and had caught nothing. But all the same, in faith in the word of Christ, which Simon knows possesses miraculous power, he obeys the will of Christ and receives in reward an enormous catch. The catch is so large that the nets began to tear in some places, and Simon and his companions made signs with their hands to the fishermen who remained in the other boat by the very shore to come quickly to help them, for it would have been unnecessary to shout because of the distance between Simon’s boat and the shore. The “companions” clearly watched Simon’s boat the whole time, since they heard what Christ said to Simon.

Luke 5:8. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’s knees, saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord! Luke 5:9. For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken; Both Simon and the others who were there were extremely frightened, and Simon even began to ask the Lord to leave the boat, since he felt that his sinfulness might suffer from Christ’s holiness (cf. Luke 1:12; 1 Sam 17:18). “The catch of fish”—more precisely: “the catch, which they had taken” (in the Russian translation inaccurately: “caught by them”). This miracle especially amazed Simon not because he had not seen Christ’s miracles before, but because it occurred for some special purpose of the Lord, without any request from Simon himself. He understood that the Lord wanted to give him some special commission—and fear of the unknown future fills his soul.

Luke 5:10. and also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon’s partners. And Jesus said to Simon: Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men. Luke 5:11. And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him. The Lord reassures Simon and reveals to him the purpose which He had in mind when He miraculously sent Simon a most abundant catch of fish. This was a symbolic action, by which Simon was shown the success that he would have when he begins through his preaching to turn whole masses of people to Christ. The evangelist evidently had in mind that great event which occurred chiefly through the preaching of the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost, namely, the conversion to Christ of three thousand people (Acts 2:41). “Left everything.” Although the Lord addressed only Simon, it is clear that the other disciples of the Lord understood that the time had come for all of them to abandon their usual occupations and travel together with their Teacher. However, this was not yet the calling of the disciples to apostolic ministry; this took place later (Luke 6:13 and following). Negative criticism points to the fact that the first two evangelists say nothing about the miraculous catch of fish, and concludes that the evangelist Luke here merged two events that are completely different in time: the calling of the disciples to be fishers of men (Matt 4:18-22) and the miraculous catch of fish after Christ’s resurrection (John 21). But the miraculous catch in the Gospel of John and the miraculous catch in the Gospel of Luke have completely different meanings. The first speaks of the restoration of the apostle Peter in his apostolic ministry, while the second—only of preparation for this ministry: here with Peter there only arises the thought of that great activity to which the Lord calls him. Therefore, it is certain that this is not at all the same catch that the evangelist John reports. But then how do we reconcile the accounts of the two first evangelists with that of the third? Why do the first two evangelists say nothing of the catch of fish? Some interpreters (for example, Keil), feeling their inability to resolve this question, assert that the evangelist Luke does not have in mind at all that calling of which the first two evangelists speak (Commentary on Mt. 4). But the whole setting of the event does not allow us to think that it could have been repeated and that the evangelist Luke is not speaking of the same moment in gospel history that the evangelists Matthew and Mark have in mind. Therefore, it is better to say that the first two evangelists did not attach such great importance to the symbolic catch of fish as it had in Luke’s eyes. Indeed, the evangelist Luke, who described in the book of Acts the preaching activity of the apostle Peter and was obviously long interested in everything relating to this apostle, would have thought it very important to note in the Gospel that symbolic foretelling of the success of the future activity of the apostle Peter which is contained in the story of the miraculous catch of fish.

Luke 5:12. While He was in one of the cities, behold, there came a man full of leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged Him, saying: Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean. Luke 5:13. And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying: I am willing; be clean. And immediately the leprosy left him. Luke 5:14. And He commanded him to tell no one; but go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, for a testimony to them. (See Matt 8:2-4; Mark 1:40-44). The evangelist Luke follows Mark here more closely.

Luke 5:15. But the news about Him spread all the more, and great multitudes gathered to hear Him and to be healed of their infirmities. Luke 5:16. But He withdrew to the wilderness and prayed. The evangelist Luke was silent about the disobedience of the leper (cf. Mark 1:45). “But the news spread all the more”—that is, to an even greater degree than before (μᾶλλον). The prohibition to speak only further prompted people to spread the word about the Miracle-worker.

Luke 5:17. On one of those days, as He was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was with Him to heal. Luke 5:18. And behold, men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they sought to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; Luke 5:19. but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. Luke 5:20. And when He saw their faith, He said: Man, your sins are forgiven you. Luke 5:21. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying: Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone? Luke 5:22. When Jesus perceived their reasoning, He answered them: Why do you reason in your hearts? Luke 5:23. Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? Luke 5:24. But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins—He said to the paralyzed man: I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home. Luke 5:25. And immediately he rose up before them and picked up the bed on which he was lying and went home, glorifying God. Luke 5:26. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying: We have seen extraordinary things today. (See Matt 9:2-8; Mark 2:3-12). The evangelist Luke makes some additions to the narrative of the first two evangelists. “On one of those days”—that is, on one of those days, namely during a journey undertaken by the Lord (see Luke 4:43 and following). “Teachers of the law” (see Matt 22:35). “From every village”—this is a hyperbolic expression. The motives for the arrival of the scribes and Pharisees could be very diverse, but certainly among them unfriendly relations toward Christ prevailed. “The power of the Lord”—that is, the power of God. The evangelist Luke, when he calls Christ the Lord, writes the word κύριος with the article (ὁ κύριος), but here κυρίου is placed without the article. “Through the tiles”—that is, through the roof tiles (διὰ τῶν κεράμων), which covered the roof of the house. They removed the tiles in one place (in Mark 2:4, the roof is represented as such that it needs to be “dug through”). “Said to the man: Your sins are forgiven”—more correctly: “said to him: Man, your sins are forgiven.” Christ calls the paralyzed man not “child,” as in other cases (for example, Matt 9:2), but simply “man,” probably with reference to his former sinful life. “Perceived their reasoning.” Some critics point here to a contradiction in Luke with himself: just now he said that the scribes were reasoning among themselves aloud, so Christ could hear their conversations, but now he says that Christ penetrated into their thoughts, which they kept to themselves, as the evangelist Mark noted. But there is no contradiction here. Christ could have heard the conversation of the scribes among themselves—Luke was silent about this—but at the same time He penetrated with His mind into the secret thoughts which they concealed. They, consequently, according to Luke, did not express everything that they thought… The impression produced by this miracle on the people (verse 26), according to the evangelist Luke, was stronger than how Matthew and Mark depicted it.

Luke 5:27. After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth, and said to him: Follow Me. Luke 5:28. And he left everything, rose up, and followed Him. Luke 5:29. And Levi made a great feast for Him in his house; and there was a large company of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them. Luke 5:30. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at His disciples, saying: Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? Luke 5:31. And Jesus answered and said to them: It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick; Luke 5:32. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Luke 5:33. And they said to Him: The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but yours eat and drink. Luke 5:34. And He said to them: Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? Luke 5:35. But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days. Luke 5:36. He also told them a parable: No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. Luke 5:37. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined; Luke 5:38. but new wine must be put into fresh wineskins; then both are preserved. Luke 5:39. And no one, after drinking old wine, desires new wine, but says: The old is better. The calling of the tax collector Levi and the feast he prepared the evangelist Luke describes in accordance with Mark (Mark 2:13-22; cf. Matt 9:9-17), only occasionally supplementing his account. “Went out”—from the city. “Saw”—more correctly: “gazed upon, observed” (ἐθεάσατο). “Left everything”—that is, his tax office and everything that was in it! “Followed”—more precisely: “was following” (the imperfect tense ἠκολούθει according to the better reading means constant following of Christ). “And others who were reclining with them.” So the evangelist Luke replaces Mark’s expression “sinners” (Mark 2:15). That the table had “sinners” at it he states in verse 30. “Why do the disciples of John…” The evangelist Luke does not mention that the disciples of John themselves asked questions of Christ (cf. Matthew and Mark). This is explained by the fact that he condenses this picture, which the first two evangelists divide into two scenes, into one scene. Why the disciples of John appeared in this case together with the Pharisees is explained by the similarity in their religious practices. In reality, of course, the spirit of Pharisaic fasting and prayer was completely different from that of the disciples of John, who at that time had exposed the Pharisees considerably (Matt 3). The prayers that the disciples of John performed—this is mentioned only by the evangelist Luke—were probably the prayers appointed for different times of the day, the so-called Jewish “shema” (cf. Matt 6:5). “He also told them a parable…” Having explained that the Pharisees and the disciples of John cannot make pretenses about Christ’s disciples not observing the fasts (about prayer there is no mention, because, of course, Christ’s disciples also prayed), the Lord further explains that, on the other hand, it should not be for His disciples to harshly condemn the Pharisees and the disciples of John for strictly adhering to the Old Testament ordinances or, rather, the habits of antiquity. One cannot, in fact, take one piece from a new garment to patch an old one: a piece from the new will not fit the old garment, and the new one will also be damaged by such a cut. This means that one should not attach to Old Testament understanding, on which even the disciples of John the Baptist, not to mention the Pharisees, still stood, only one patch of new, Christian understanding, in the form of freedom in relation to fasts established by Jewish tradition (not by the Law of Moses). What will happen if the disciples of John borrow from Christ’s disciples only this freedom? After all, in everything else their understanding will not change, and at the same time they will violate the integrity of their own view, and moreover the new teaching, Christian, with which they will later have to become acquainted, will lose for them the impression of wholeness. “And no one puts…” Here is another parable, but with completely identical meaning to the first. New wine must be put into new wineskins, because it will ferment and the skins will stretch very greatly. Old skins will not withstand this fermentation process; they will burst—so why sacrifice them in vain? They might yet be useful for something… It is clear that Christ again points here to the uselessness of forcing those unprepared to receive His teaching in general, the disciples of John to assimilate even one rule of Christian freedom. Let the bearers of this freedom for now be people capable of perceiving and assimilating it. He, so to speak, excuses the disciples of John in that they still form some kind of separate circle standing outside communion with Him… A similar excuse to the disciples of John is contained in the last parable about old wine being better (verse 39). The Lord means by this that for Him it is perfectly understandable that people accustomed to certain modes of life and having long assimilated certain views hold fast to them with all their strength and that what is old seems pleasant to them…

Chapter Six

1–11. Conflicts of the Lord Jesus Christ with the Pharisees concerning observance of the Sabbath. – 12–19. The choosing of the apostles. – 20–49. The Sermon on the Mount.

Luke 6:1. On a Sabbath, as He was going through the grainfields, His disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. Luke 6:2. But some of the Pharisees said: Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath? Luke 6:3. And Jesus answered them: Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him? Luke 6:4. how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him? Luke 6:5. And He said to them: The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. The conflict of Christ with the Pharisees concerning His disciples’ violation of the law about Sabbath rest the evangelist Luke describes in accordance with the evangelist Mark (Mark 2:23-28; cf. Matt 12:1-8). “On the Sabbath, the first after the second day of Passover” – more correctly: “the second-first” (δευτεροπρώτῳ). This term appears only here and nowhere else, so all interpretations of it are merely conjectures. From the various attempts to explain this term, one must first point to the patristic interpretations, which proceed from the assumption that an ordinary Sabbath could coincide with a festival day. From this, some understand by the “second-first” Sabbath the Sabbath preceding this festival (Chrysostom, Epiphanius), while others understand the Sabbath following this festival that fell on a Sabbath (Theophylact the Blessed). Among scholarly views, the most widespread is the view of Scaliger, who understood the “second-first” Sabbath as the first Sabbath after the second day of Passover. They counted from the second Passover day, on which the first sheaf was brought to the altar (Lev 23:10 and following), seven Sabbaths until the festival of Pentecost (Lev 23:15). Thus, the “second-first” Sabbath, in Scaliger’s view, was, properly speaking, the second after Passover, but the first after the first day of the unleavened bread. The one following it was called the “second-second” and so on to the seventh. One may also note the view of Wiseler, according to which this was the first Sabbath in the second year of a seven-year period. Finally, the newest Protestant interpreters, having no data for explaining this term, insist that this expression was introduced into Luke’s Gospel by some scribe by mistake, since in many respected manuscripts of this Gospel the word “second-first” is omitted (Sinai, Vatican, Paris). From our Russian commentators, it seems that F. Troitskii provides a more natural explanation for the expression in question (The Last Passover Supper of Jesus Christ according to the synoptics and John, Kazan 1907, pp. 21–22). On the basis of the investigations of Prof. Kvolson, he affirms that in the days of Christ the rabbis called the festival of Passover a Sabbath, whatever day of the week this festival fell upon (for “Sabbath” indeed means “rest”). This was a Sabbath in the improper sense of the word, but the ordinary Sabbath following this Sabbath in the improper sense, in the proper sense of the word, was no longer simply called a Sabbath, but a “second-first” Sabbath. This meant that it was, on the one hand, the first in the new year (the new year began for the Hebrews with Passover), and on the other hand, the second, because the first Sabbath, though not in the proper sense of the word, was Passover. This interpretation may be accepted as most successfully resolving the difficult question. “Rubbing with their hands,” that is, freeing the contents of the grain stalks – the grain itself – by means of rubbing. Such an action of the disciples, from the standpoint of the traditions of the elders, was already work of food preparation, which was considered a violation of the Sabbath rest.

Luke 6:6. And it came to pass also on another Sabbath that He entered the synagogue and taught. And there was a man whose right hand was withered. Luke 6:7. And the scribes and Pharisees watched Him, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him. Luke 6:8. But He, knowing their thoughts, said to the man who had the withered hand: Rise up and stand in the middle. And he rose and stood. Luke 6:9. Then Jesus said to them: I ask you, what is it lawful to do on the Sabbath? To do good, or to do evil? To save a life, or to destroy it? And they remained silent. Luke 6:10. And looking round at them all, He said to the man: Stretch out your hand. And he did so, and his hand was restored whole, like the other. Luke 6:11. And they were filled with madness, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. Concerning the healing of the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath, evangelist Luke also narrates in accord with Mark (Mark 3:1-6; cf. Matt 12:9 and following). “On another Sabbath” – probably the one that followed the “second-first.” “The right hand.” This Luke alone notes. The right, of course, is more important than the left. “Scribes.” Luke alone mentions them. “What would they do with Jesus.” The evangelist Luke presents their intentions in a somewhat softened form (cf. Mark 3:6).

Luke 6:12. In those days He went out to the mountain to pray, and spent the whole night in prayer to God. Luke 6:13. When day came, He called His disciples to Himself, and chose twelve of them, whom He also named Apostles: Luke 6:14. Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Luke 6:15. Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot, Luke 6:16. Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. Luke 6:17. And coming down with them, He stood on a level place, and a great crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of people from all Judea and from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, Luke 6:18. who came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled by unclean spirits were healed. Luke 6:19. And all the crowd sought to touch Him, for power came forth from Him and healed them all. Concerning the choosing of the apostles, the evangelist Luke speaks in accord with Mark (Mark 3:7-19), though with some deviations from him. “To the mountain to pray.” Luke alone notes this, as an event indicating the exceptional importance of the subsequent choosing of apostles. “Named them Apostles,” that is, gave them a certain office, which is adequately defined by the name “apostle” – messenger, one sent with authority (cf. Matt 10:2). “Andrew, his brother.” Luke has not yet mentioned Andrew, and therefore notes that he was the brother of Simon. On the contrary, the relationship between James and John, as known (see Luke 5:10), is not indicated here. Zealot – the same as Canaanite in Matt 10:4. Judas, son of James, that is, son of James (a known person) – this is the same one whom Matthew calls Lebbaeus, surnamed Thaddaeus (Matt 10:3), and Mark – simply Thaddaeus (Mark 3:18). “And coming down with them” – after coming down with those chosen as apostles from the mountain. “Stood on a level place,” – that is, on one of the plateaus that exist in the mountains of Palestine (cf. 2 Sam 1:21). The Lord still remained within the bounds of the mountain, and therefore the following discourse can fully be called the “sermon on the mount.” “And a great crowd of His disciples” – it is understood: “also stood or stopped.” By “disciples” are meant the followers of Christ in general, apart from the 12 apostles. “And those troubled by unclean spirits; and were healed.” According to the more reliable text, the preposition “by” in Greek is denoted by the particle ἀπό, not ὑπό, and before the word “were healed” the particle “and” is superfluous. Therefore the whole verse should be translated: “and those troubled were healed from unclean spirits” (cf. in the same verse the expression: “to be healed from” (ἀπό) “their diseases”).

Luke 6:20. And lifting His eyes toward His disciples, He said: Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Luke 6:21. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Luke 6:22. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Luke 6:23. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the same manner their fathers used to treat the prophets. In setting forth the Sermon on the Mount of Christ, the evangelist Luke, like the evangelist Matthew, first presents the promises which Christ gave to all His followers (so-called beatitudes, of which Luke gives only four, while Matthew gives nine). “Lifting His eyes.” In Matthew this expression is corresponded to by the words: “opening His mouth” (Matt 5:2). Both one and the other expression emphasizes the special importance of the moment. “Upon His disciples.” Around Christ, of course, in the foreground were the twelve; behind them stood the disciples of Christ in the general sense of this word, that is, a crowd of His followers; and further back – already just listeners, perhaps coming here only out of curiosity. According to Luke’s account, the Lord in His discourse had in view the first two categories of listeners. “Poor in spirit.” Since it is undoubted that the phrase “in spirit” was introduced into Luke’s Gospel from Matthew’s Gospel (in the majority of ancient manuscripts of Luke’s Gospel this addition is not present), the newest commentators believe that the evangelist Luke portrays in this beatitude the external condition of the disciples of Christ, and indeed taking into account the state of the Christian Church in his own time, which consisted predominantly of poor people (cf. Jas 2:5; 1 Cor 1:27 and following). Similarly, in the following beatitudes, which seem to be addressed to Christians suffering from various external misfortunes and privations (this is supposedly indicated by the addition: “now”), these commentators see again only an indication of external qualities which the followers of Christ should have in order to have the right to receive blessedness. But one cannot agree with such an opinion for the following reasons. 1. If the contrast between rich and poor were understood in Luke’s sense so that the poor go hungry because they cannot eat well, and weep because they live badly altogether, while the rich, on the contrary, are satisfied because they eat well, and laugh because they feel well, then it would be incomprehensible why the Lord adds that the poor, the hungry, and the weeping will be reviled “because of the Son of Man.” This means that the matter is not simply about people under the burden of poverty and external misfortunes, but about those who bear these misfortunes in the name of Christ with full patience. On the other hand, it is completely incomprehensible why Christ would equate people who are rich and living a quiet life to “false prophets.” It is evident that by “the rich” He means not simply people who are well provided for, but those who deny Christ for the sake of earthly gain. 2. One should not think that in this case Christ presented His disciples as poor, badly provided for, and suffering under the burden of external misfortunes: their condition at that time was quite good, and they did not know want (see Luke 8:1-3). Even less reason is there to call “poor” the broad circle of followers of Christ: this circle included scribes and well-to-do people. Thus, it will be entirely correct to understand the beatitudes in Luke’s Gospel in the sense that Christ here has in view such poverty and such suffering as make those who endure them true heirs of the kingdom of God. And such poverty can only be the humble consciousness that a person does not possess the “higher” blessing toward which the human soul must strive and which consists not in external well-being and not in temporal satisfaction, but fills the soul with the highest, heavenly world and blessedness. Such poor ones are not only the disciples of Christ who left their occupations in order to follow Christ constantly, but in general all who do not find their rest in the good things of this world and strive toward Christ to hear His word and in communion with Him find for themselves complete consolation. These people can comfort themselves with His promise that to them belongs a share in the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who hunger now…” The second and third beatitudes refer to those who “now,” that is, in this earthly life, when men must suffer because of ancestral sin, the consequences of which are not destroyed even by Christ, patiently endure various sufferings for Christ’s sake. The consolation which the Lord here promises them, they can of course perceive only by faith for now and feel relief only insofar as they give in their heart room for the action of Christ and the Spirit of God. Complete consolation they will receive when Christ conquers all the dark forces that hinder the happiness of redeemed humanity. But the suffering which Christ has in mind here is not only external: even people fully provided for in respect to earthly well-being can have a feeling of internal dissatisfaction, can hunger for another life, and weep at the failure that befalls them in their strivings toward higher perfection. “Blessed are you when people hate you…” The fourth beatitude corresponds to the eighth and ninth beatitudes in Matthew’s Gospel. It describes the attitude of the world toward the disciples of Christ, caused by their firm confession of faith in Christ. “They will hate” – this word denotes the attitude of the world toward Christians. The following expressions show the ways by which the world will manifest its attitude. In part this will be expressed in the fact that Christians will be “excluded” – both from participation in worship and from participation in public affairs. Such exclusion was called by the Jews “niddui” (cf. John 9:22). “And will revile you.” In part the attitude of the Jews will be expressed in the censure of the Christian name, which the followers of Christ will bear as constituting a separate society. “And spurn your name as evil.” Perhaps here there is an allusion to the fact that the name “Christian” will come to be used as a curse, as a curse word, or perhaps even a prophecy that the enemies of Christ will expel from use the name of Christ (ἐκβάλωσι τὸ ὄνομα ὑμῶν), as the name of criminals, offenders, will not give them the right even to declare their existence as a known society. “Because of the Son of Man,” that is, for the reason that the Son of Man – Christ, whom Christians confess – will become the object of hatred for the world. “On that day,” that is, when you experience this hatred of the world. “Reward in the heavens” (see Matt 5:12). “Their fathers.” This addition shows that the persecution which will befall true disciples and faithful followers of Christ will not be something unexpected: the best men of the Old Testament – the prophets were treated the same way by the ancestors of the Jews who were hostile to the Gospel.

Luke 6:24. But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Luke 6:25. Woe to you who are full now, for you will hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Luke 6:26. Woe to you when all people speak well of you, for in the same manner their fathers treated the false prophets. In the source which the evangelist Luke used when setting forth the Sermon on the Mount, four woes are added to the four beatitudes given above. It is evident that in the broad circle of Christ’s listeners there were people who, by their attachment to the world, deserved stern rebuke combined with a prediction of deprivation of those worldly advantages which they now enjoy. In the evangelist Matthew these threats are not present in the Sermon on the Mount. “You have already received your comfort.” Instead of receiving consolation in the kingdom of the Messiah (cf. Luke 2:25), if you belonged to the poor (in spirit), you found complete satisfaction in wealth, from which you are also now being deprived. More correctly to translate these words as: “your comfort has perished” (cf. Jas 5:2 and following). “Who are full now” – now enjoying all the good things of life. “For you will hunger,” that is, the judgment of the Messiah will end your abundance, and you will find yourselves in the position of hungry people. “Laughing now,” that is, exulting in the consciousness of your special advantageous position, your worldly power. “You will weep” – then, of course, when the judgment of the Messiah touches you. “When all people will speak well of you” – an obvious contrast to verses 22–23. Here the force of the thought lies in the word “all.” When “all” speak well of someone, this shows that the character of the one praised is not very firm, that he tries to conform to the tastes of all and each, even to the tastes of bad people. It is clear that such a person will not merit praise from the Messiah, who only approves those who stand for righteousness and skillfully rebuke injustice. Concerning false prophets and the attitude of the people toward them, see Jer 5:31; Mic 2:11.

Luke 6:27. But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, Luke 6:28. bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. Here begins the first part of the discourse (it continues to verse 39). The evangelist Luke omits everything that Christ says in Matthew’s Gospel about His attitude toward the law of Moses and toward its interpreters (Matt 5:17-48), as well as His rebukes against the hypocrites – zealots of the law (Matt 6:1-18). Although all these words of Christ were known to the evangelist (cf. Luke 16:17-18), he did not think it necessary to include them, because his readers, who stood far from Jewish affairs, could not be interested in the disclosure of the incorrectness of the views of the scribes and Pharisees in understanding the law of Moses. The evangelist Luke directly brings the sayings of Christ which had universal application. “To you who hear.” Christ evidently contrasts His present listeners to the “rich” of whom He has just spoken. These people are capable of moral improvement. The first commandment in the teachings to these listeners in Luke’s Gospel is the commandment about love for enemies, which in Matthew’s Gospel occupies a place at the end of the 5th chapter (Matt 5:44).

Luke 6:29. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt. “He who strikes you” (see Matt 5:39-40). “From him who takes…” In Matthew’s Gospel it is the opposite – you should give both your coat and your shirt. But in Matthew the matter concerns a court judgment, whereas here it concerns a robber’s attack, a robbery. A robber, of course, naturally seizes first of all the upper garment. The Lord, according to the testimony of the evangelist Luke, commands to give such a robber also the “lower” shirt.

Luke 6:30. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask back from him who takes what is yours. (See Matt 5:42). “Do not ask back,” that is, wait until he repays it himself. If he does not pay, it means he has nothing to pay…

Luke 6:31. And as you want people to do to you, do so to them. (See Matt 7:12).

Luke 6:32. And if you love those who love you, what thanks is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. Luke 6:33. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks is that to you? For even sinners do the same. Luke 6:34. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what thanks is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive back the same amount. Luke 6:35. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and evil. Luke 6:36. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (See Matt 5:46-48). The discourse of Christ about unselfishness in works of love is given in more complete form in the evangelist Luke than in Matthew. “What thanks is that to you?” That is, will God value highly your deed? “Sinners” – people not converted to Christ, those who are guided in their deeds by selfish considerations. “Expecting nothing in return,” that is, not expecting recompense for your expenses. Some commentators, however, translate the expression μηδὲν ἀπελπίζοντες on the basis of how it is used in later Greek, as: “despairing of nothing,” that is, not considering your good as irretrievably lost, because a reward for it will be given by God: “and your reward will be great…” “You will be sons of the Most High” (see Matt 5:45). The evangelist Luke depicts this “sonship” as a reward, whereas in Matthew it is the result of love for enemies, if the disciples of Christ will manifest it. “For He is kind…” The hope of divine sonship in the kingdom of the Messiah can belong only to those who in this temporal life act just as God does in regard to all people: they in their deeds now resemble their Father – God (cf. 1 John 5:1). “Merciful.” In the evangelist Matthew – “perfect” (Matt 5:48). The evangelist Luke replaced the latter expression with another in view of the fact that he then speaks of works of mercy.

Luke 6:37. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; (See Matt 7:1). “Do not condemn” – an expression stronger than “do not judge.” To condemn means not to limit oneself to minor remarks offensive to another, which are uttered perhaps only in private and not aloud, but to speak in the hearing of others a judgment that destroys a neighbor as something final, as if a definitive verdict.

Luke 6:38. Give, and it will be given to you: a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap; for by the measure you measure it will be measured back to you. “Good,” that is, full. “Shaken together,” that is, one in which there are no empty spaces between loose bodies. “Pressed down” – in which what is poured is compressed so that more can be added on top. “Running over” – from which bread is already pouring forth. “Will be poured” – not by people and not by angels: the verb (δώσουσιν) is set impersonally and points to divine retribution. “Into your lap” – the wide fold formed in the upper garment where it is girded with a belt (cf. Jer 32:18; Isa 65:6; Ruth 3:15). “For by the measure you measure it will be measured back to you.” In the evangelist Matthew (Matt 7:2) this saying refers only to retribution for the condemnation of a neighbor, whereas in Luke it refers to the acts of kindness which a Christian benefactor should expect for himself. But since the Lord always sends his good deeds to good people in abundance, it is here pointed out, evidently, not to quantitative correspondence of reward to deed, but only to the certainty of its receipt.

Luke 6:39. He also said to them a parable: “Can a blind man guide a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?” Here begins the second part of the Sermon on the Mount, as is evident from the transitional phrase “He also said.” The following discourse of Christ is named by Luke a parable (παραβολή), apparently in the sense that all the following teaching of Christ is clothed in the form of comparisons and proverbs in which the basic conditions are indicated under which the ministry of the disciples of Christ and generally Christian calling can be fruitful. First of all, in the parable of the blind, in which one is a guide and the other is guided, the thought is conveyed: a man who himself does not possess knowledge of the truth cannot lead another to such knowledge (cf. Matt 15:14).

Luke 6:40. A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when fully trained will be like his teacher. The meaning of the second saying is as follows: a disciple cannot surpass his teacher and only by sufficient self-perfection can become equal to him (it is of course not excluded that with special talent a disciple can do much more than his teacher; the Lord has in view only such people who develop all the time under the influence of their teacher and, consequently, do not possess any special creative talents). With this instruction the Lord gives his disciples to understand that they must first of all take care of their own development, if they wish to develop others, because those entrusted to them will reach only that level of development that the disciples of Christ have reached. In the evangelist Matthew this saying is in a different connection and different meaning (Matt 10:24).

Luke 6:41. Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Luke 6:42. Or how can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me remove the speck from your eye,” when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the log from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (See Matt 7:3-5). In the evangelist Luke the connection of this saying with the preceding is as follows: so as not to be a blind guide of the blind, you must, before discussing the moral condition of others (verse 41) and improving it (verse 42), first take care of knowing yourselves (verse 41) and of self-improvement (verse 42). Otherwise your efforts in the matter of turning neighbors to the path of virtue will bear no fruit.

Luke 6:43. No good tree bears bad fruit, and no bad tree bears good fruit, Luke 6:44. for each tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they harvest grapes from a bramble bush. (See Matt 7:16-18). In the evangelist Luke the connection of this saying with the preceding is as follows: for a person’s own moral perfection bears the same relation to his activity for the benefit of others as the nature of trees to their fruits (cf. Matt 12:33).

Luke 6:45. The good person brings forth good out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil person brings forth evil out of his evil treasure; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (See Matt 12:35).

Luke 6:46. Why do you call Me “Lord, Lord” and do not do what I say? Luke 6:47. Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and does them, I will show you what he is like. Luke 6:48. He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on rock; and when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been founded on the rock. Luke 6:49. But the one who hears and does not do is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation, which when the flood rose against it, at once it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great. (See Matt 7:21). The thought contained in the evangelist Luke is as follows. The confession of Jesus Christ, to which a person’s life does not correspond, cannot come from a pure heart and, consequently, cannot have a saving influence on others 9. * * * Notes “If one reads with attention the entire Sermon on the Mount as it is presented in Luke’s Gospel, one comes to the conclusion that it represents not a combination of fragmentary teachings taken by the evangelist from a more extensive account in Matthew’s Gospel, but a coherent whole, composed with attention to the needs of the Church, consisting of Christians of gentile origin. In this discourse are drawn the principal features of the true follower of Christ, and the essential properties of the new righteousness are indicated” (Keil).

Chapter Seven

1–10. The centurion of Capernaum. – 11–17. The raising of the widow’s son in Nain. – 18–35. The disciples of John the Baptist come to Christ, and Christ’s speech about the Baptist. – 36–50. The anointing of Christ by a sinful woman.

Luke 7:1. When He had finished all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. Luke 7:2. A certain centurion’s slave, whom he valued highly, was sick and at the point of death. Luke 7:3. When he heard about Jesus, he sent to Him elders of the Jews, asking Him to come and heal his slave. Luke 7:4. And when they came to Jesus, they appealed to Him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy for You to do this, Luke 7:5. for he loves our nation, and he himself built us our synagogue.” Luke 7:6. Jesus went with them. And when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself; for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof; Luke 7:7. for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You; but say the word, and my slave will be healed. Luke 7:8. For I too am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go,” and he goes; and to another, “Come,” and he comes; and to my slave, “Do this,” and he does it.” Luke 7:9. When Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turning to the crowd following Him, He said, “I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” Luke 7:10. And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health. Concerning the healing of the slave of the Capernaum centurion, the evangelist Luke speaks with greater detail than Matthew (Matt 8:5-13). “He sent to Him elders of the Jews” (verse 3). In Matthew’s Gospel the centurion himself “approached.” It is evident that Matthew thought it unnecessary to mention the preliminary sending of the Jewish elders and the second sending by the centurion’s friends, while the evangelist Luke, relating both, omits the account of how the centurion himself, probably just before Christ’s arrival at his house, went out to meet Him, repeating the words of his friends. “Built us our synagogue” (verse 5), of course, at his own expense. To this expression one should add the word “himself,” because in the Greek text the word αὐτός stands here.

Luke 7:11. Soon afterward Jesus went to a town called Nain, and His disciples and a large crowd went with Him. Concerning the raising of the widow’s son in Nain, only the evangelist Luke reports. “Nain” – a town lying not far from Nazareth, to the south-east. Now it is a small village. “Disciples” – in the broad sense of the word (Luke 6:13).

Luke 7:12. As He drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the town was with her. “They were carrying out the dead man.” Usually the tombs of the Jews were made in the rocks in the cliffs (cf. Matt 8:28).

Luke 7:13. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Luke 7:14. And He came up and touched the coffin, and the bearers stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!” The coffin – in Greek σορός – something like an open box or simply a stretcher. Corpses among the Jews were not placed in coffins, but directly in a niche made in the rock, and the stretcher apparently served only for carrying the body to the burial place. The Lord “touched” this coffin in order to cause the bearers to stop.

Luke 7:15. And the dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him to his mother. Luke 7:16. And fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us,” and “God has visited His people.” “A great prophet has arisen among us.” So, the inhabitants of Nain still did not believe in Christ as the Messiah; for them He was only a messenger of God, a great prophet who was to help the people of God. The appearance of Christ, in their opinion, is only a sign of the coming of the messianic time.

Luke 7:17. And this report about Him went out through all Judea and the surrounding district. “Through all Judea,” that is, throughout all Palestine (cf. Luke 4:44). “And the surrounding district,” that is, the neighboring countries nearest to Judea. Why does the evangelist Matthew not mention this miracle? Perhaps he was not present at the performance of this miracle (Edersheim, p. 702), or perhaps because he mentioned other miracles of raising the dead (Matt 11:5) and the miracle of raising the widow’s son in Nain did not appear to him to be something extraordinary in the activity of Christ.

Luke 7:18. And John’s disciples told him about all these things. Luke 7:19. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus to ask, “Are You the One who is to come, or should we look for another?” Luke 7:20. When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You to ask, “Are You the One who is to come, or should we look for another?”” Luke 7:21. In that very hour He healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind He bestowed sight. Luke 7:22. And Jesus answered and said to them, Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news preached to them; Luke 7:23. and blessed is he who does not fall away on account of Me. Luke 7:24. Now when John’s messengers had departed, He began to speak to the people about John: What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? Luke 7:25. But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold, those who are gorgeously dressed and live in luxury are in the courts of kings. Luke 7:26. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. Luke 7:27. This is he about whom it is written: Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You. Luke 7:28. For I say to you: among those born of women there is no prophet greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. Luke 7:29. And all the people who heard Him, and the tax collectors, justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John; Luke 7:30. but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s will concerning themselves, not having been baptized by him. Luke 7:31. Then the Lord said: To whom shall I compare the men of this generation? And whom are they like? Luke 7:32. They are like children sitting in the market place, calling to one another and saying: We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep. Luke 7:33. For John the Baptist came eating no bread and drinking no wine; and you say: He has a demon. Luke 7:34. The Son of Man came eating and drinking; and you say: Behold, a man who loves to eat and drink, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Luke 7:35. And wisdom is justified by all her children. The account of the arrival at Christ of disciples of John the Baptist, whom he instructed to ask Christ whether He is the promised Messiah, the evangelist Luke sets forth similarly to Matthew (Matt 11:2-19). “They reported to John…” (verse 18). The evangelist Luke more precisely indicates from whom the Baptist heard about the miracles of Christ (cf. Matt 11:2). “At that very time…” (verse 21). The evangelist Luke notes this circumstance in order to make more clear the following words of Christ: “Tell John what you have seen…” (verse 22). Verses 29–30 present a section of the Lord’s discourse which appears only in the evangelist Luke’s account. Here the Lord speaks of how the Baptist’s appearance had different consequences for all his hearers: simple people, even tax collectors, believed John as a prophet and glorified God for sending such a prophet, while the Pharisees and lawyers were unwilling to recognize in him a guide sent by God, who called them to change their way of life, and did not receive baptism from him (cf. Matt 21:31-32). Verses 31–35 represent a repetition of Matt 11:16-19. Only in the evangelist Luke’s account does this rebuke of Christ relate not to the scribes and Pharisees, but to the people standing by (see verses 33–34: “you say”).

Luke 7:36. And a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him; and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. The following account of the anointing of Christ by a sinful woman represents a distinct narrative of the evangelist Luke. It has the significance of an illustration of the words of verse 34 concerning Christ: “Behold, a man who loves to eat and drink, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” “A certain Pharisee.” The name of this Pharisee is given below – Simon (verse 40). “Asked Him to dine with him.” Apparently Simon had received some benefaction from the Lord and in gratitude for it invited Christ to dinner with him (cf. verses 41–42, 47).

Luke 7:37. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that He was reclining in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, More precisely to be translated as: “and behold, a woman who in the city was a sinner, that is a harlot (cf. John 8:7), when she learned…”. “Was” – the imperfect tense, denoting not that at that time the woman was continuing her sinful life, but how she appeared in the opinion of her townspeople, apparently not yet knowing of her turning to the true path. The city in which this event occurred is completely unknown. It is some city in Galilee. “An alabaster flask” (see Matt 26:6-7).

Luke 7:38. And standing behind at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed His feet and anointed them with ointment. “Standing behind at His feet” (see Matt 26:6-7). Christ, according to custom, was reclining at table with bare feet, which were stretched back from the table toward the wall. “And weeping, began to wet His feet with her tears.” “When she stood behind, at the feet of Christ, bowing to Him with reverence, then whole streams of tears, as if from a suddenly approaching spring cloud, refreshing the air and earth, began to bathe His feet. As if surprised and frightened that she could attract His attention or defile Him with her tears, she quickly wiped His feet with her long hair, which had fallen from her head when she bent down at His feet. No, she did not come to wash them with such unclean waters, but to show her grateful love and reverence, as she could with her poverty and her humility. And now, when her faith became more bold in His presence, she continued to kiss those feet that had brought her “good tidings of peace,” and to anoint them from the alabaster flask hanging at her neck” (Edersheim, p. 712). And how this woman was able to enter the Pharisee’s house – this can be explained by the fact that Simon probably did not prevent anyone from entering and seeing the Great Prophet who had visited his house: the woman entered the house, probably along with others who wished to see Christ.

Luke 7:39. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself: If this man were a prophet, He would know who and what sort of woman this is who touches Him, that she is a sinner. The Pharisee begins to come to the conviction that Christ is not a prophet, since prophets certainly knew even the secrets of human hearts, but Christ does not know what the whole city knows, namely that she who touched Him is a sinner, who could defile Him by her touch. “If this man were a prophet” – more precisely: “this (οὗτος; an expression of some contempt, which Simon felt in his heart) if this were a prophet,” whom I and others took Him to be. “That she is a sinner” – better: “that she is a sinner.” Remarkably, even the Pharisee here recognizes Christ as free from the slightest suspicion of any sin. Christ is so holy that no sinful being ought to approach Him.

Luke 7:40. And Jesus answered and said to him: Simon, I have something to say to you. And he said: Say on, Teacher. Luke 7:41. Jesus said: A certain creditor had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Luke 7:42. And when they could not pay, he forgave them both. Now which of them will love him more? Luke 7:43. Simon answered and said: I suppose the one to whom he forgave more. And He said to him: You have rightly judged. Christ knew the thoughts of the Pharisee and showed this to him by turning to him with a question. The question He poses – which of the two debtors will love more the creditor who forgave both their debts, the one who owed five hundred denarii (about one hundred rubles), or the one who owed ten times less – Christ clothes in the form of a parable or simply states as a clarifying example for His thought. Simon understands the meaning of the question and, without deliberation, answers it.

Luke 7:44. And turning to the woman, He said to Simon: Do you see this woman? I entered your house, and you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head; Luke 7:45. you gave Me no kiss, but she, from the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet; Luke 7:46. you did not anoint My head with oil, but she has anointed My feet with ointment. Christ then contrasts the behavior of Simon and the sinful woman in relation to Him. Although the Pharisee invited Christ to his banquet, he showed Him neither the sign of hospitality (washing of feet – Gen 18:4), nor the sign of love (kiss – Gen 33:4), nor the sign of special honor (anointing of the head with oil – Ruth 3:3; Ps 22:5). “I entered your house.” Here the force of the thought lies in the word “your.” “You called Me to yourself,” Christ says to Simon, and yet you showed Me, as a guest, no special signs of honor. Simon probably feared that by these signs of honor he would give other Pharisees cause to think that he had already fully believed in Christ as the Messiah, and therefore his attitude toward Christ was somewhat indefinite. Besides, these signs of respect were not, properly speaking, obligatory – even the washing of feet was only offered to people who had come directly from a journey. Cf. John 13, which shows that the Lord Himself rose up to wash the feet of the disciples, evidently not yet washed before supper. It is important to note the contrasts which Christ points out here: 1) water and – tears 2) a kiss – of course on the lips, and – frequent kissing of feet 3) oil for the head and – ointment on the feet.

Luke 7:47. Therefore I say to you: her many sins have been forgiven, because she loved much; but he who is forgiven little loves little. “Are forgiven.” Here, although the present tense is used, this does not mean that the woman’s sins were forgiven only after she anointed Christ’s feet. As can be seen from verse 50, her sins had already been forgiven earlier through her faith in Christ. “Because she loved much.” This is not the cause or a prior condition for the forgiveness of the woman’s sins, as the Catholics assert, but the consequence of the forgiveness the woman had already received. The whole verse should be translated thus: “the many sins of this woman have already been forgiven, and this is certain, because only one forgiven could show such love for Me, through whom she received forgiveness.” The Lord wants to say to Simon that the results of merciful dealing with sinners (verse 42) are now evident: the woman was forgiven, and now she has shown extraordinary love and devotion to Christ thereby. Thus the Lord makes an application of the comparison of the two debtors mentioned above. “But he who is forgiven little loves little.” The thought is quite clear: here another case is indicated in which love for Christ is not shown with such force. But Christ does not have Simon directly in mind here, although the latter could find in these words a lesson for himself. Rather, one should look upon this saying as a simple general maxim.

Luke 7:48. And He said to her: Your sins are forgiven. Luke 7:49. And those who reclined with Him began to say among themselves: Who is this who even forgives sins? Luke 7:50. And He said to the woman: Your faith has saved you; go in peace. Having done with Simon, the Lord now turns to the woman with the proclamation that her sins are forgiven. She already had an inward assurance of this forgiveness (cf. verse 37), but now Christ gives her an outward assurance of the forgiveness of sins, after her faith has already proved itself in deeds. He even tells her not to be troubled by the objections of those present concerning Christ’s right to forgive sinners: “Your faith has saved you – go in peace,” that is, go calmly (cf. Luke 2:29). Some identify the account of the anointing of Christ’s feet by a sinful woman with the later anointing of Christ in Bethany (Matt 26:6 and following verses and parallel passages). But without doubt these two events are different – both the general point of view and the individual details of both events are quite different. The similarity consists only in the name Simon – a very common name – and in the anointing, but in everything else there is a difference: here the feet of Christ are anointed, not His head; here a sinner appears, but there a simple disciple of Christ; the event here has instructive significance for Simon, but there for Christ’s disciples, and so forth. * * * Notes A sum corresponding at that time to the value of 86 grams of gold. – Editor’s note. Some are troubled by the fact that the word “loved” in the Greek text is in the aorist ἡγάπησε, which supposedly indicates an event that passed quite some time ago, not one that had just taken place – not the anointing of the feet, but the prior turning of the woman to faith in Christ. But the aorist in the Gospels denotes also events very close in time to that being discussed. Thus, for example, aorists are used in verses 45–46, cf. John 3:16. Besides, here the Pharisee is simply called Simon, but in the evangelist Matthew (Matt 26:6) – Simon the Leper.

Chapter Eight

1–3. Women who served Christ. – 4–8. The Parable of the Sower. – 9–18. Interpretation of the Parable. – 19–21. The True Relatives of Christ. – 22–39. Christ’s Departure with the Disciples to the Eastern Shore of the Sea of Gennesaret. – 40–56. The Healing of the Woman with a Hemorrhage and the Raising of Jairus’ Daughter.

Luke 8:1. Now it came to pass, as He was going through the cities and villages, preaching and bringing good news of the kingdom of God, and the twelve were with Him, Luke 8:2. and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, out of whom seven demons had gone forth, Luke 8:3. and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, the steward of Herod, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered to Him from their substance. Only the evangelist Luke remarks on the women who, during Christ’s preaching journeys with the twelve apostles, ministered to Him from their substance. “Mary Magdalene” (see Matt 27:56). “Out of whom seven demons had gone forth.” This expression denotes the extraordinary power of demonic possession: “seven” in the language of Sacred Scripture is a symbol of fullness (cf. Matt 12:45). According to I. Weiss, this indicates that Mary experienced demonic possession seven times during her life. As for the fairly widespread rationalistic view that Mary was simply an extremely immoral woman in conduct, and that the evangelist indicated this with his remark, against such an understanding stands the use of the term “healed” (τεθεραπευμέναι) applied to Mary, which denotes miraculous healing from a real, not imaginary illness of demon possession. “The steward of Herod,” that is, in our terms, the master of ceremonies at the court of Herod (probably Antipas). This office was prominent (cf. Matt 20:8). These women served Christ until His very death on the cross (see Luke 24:10). “Susanna” – a person unknown.

Luke 8:4. And when a great multitude had gathered, and from every city they came to Him, He spoke by a parable: Luke 8:5. A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside and was trampled on, and the birds of the air devoured it; Luke 8:6. and other fell on the rock; and when it had sprung up, it withered, because it had no moisture; Luke 8:7. and other fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it; Luke 8:8. and other fell on good ground and, springing up, bore fruit a hundredfold. When He had said this, He cried out: He who has ears to hear, let him hear! The evangelist Luke sets forth the Parable of the Sower similarly to Matthew (Matt 13:3-9) and Mark (Mark 4:1-9), but with some abridgements.

Luke 8:9. And His disciples asked Him, saying: What might this parable mean? Luke 8:10. And He said: To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables; so that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. Luke 8:11. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God; Luke 8:12. and those by the wayside are they that hear; then comes the devil and takes away the word from their heart, lest they should believe and be saved; Luke 8:13. and those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away; Luke 8:14. and that which fell among the thorns, these are they who hear, but as they go on, are choked by cares and riches and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity; Luke 8:15. but that on the good ground, these are they who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with perseverance. When He had said this, He cried out: He who has ears to hear, let him hear! Luke 8:16. No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed; but sets it on a lampstand, so that those entering might see the light. Luke 8:17. For nothing is hidden that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light. Luke 8:18. Take heed therefore how you hear: for whoever has, to him shall be given; and whoever has not, from him shall be taken even that which he thinks he has. See the explanation of the parable in the comments to Matt 13:10-17; Mark 4:10-25. The evangelist Luke here follows Mark most of all. “Disciples” – the twelve apostles (cf. verse 1). “So that” (verse 10) – more correctly: “in order that” (ἵνα), see Mark 4:12. “But as they go on” (verse 14). It would be more correct to translate: “going on” or “living” (in the Greek text here stands the verb πορεύειν). The words “choked by cares, riches, and pleasures of life” represent a definition of the word “going” or an indication of the motives of “going.” People, consequently, hear the word, but in their activity are guided by other factors – cares, and the like – and through this are choked, like seeds growing among thorns, and do not reach maturity. “In an honest and good heart” (verse 15), that is, in a morally fair and good (καλῇ καὶ ἀγαθῇ) heart; and the heart becomes such through the purifying action of the word heard (John 15:3). “With perseverance” (verse 15), that is, constantly holding to the word. This is the opposite of “falling away” mentioned in verse 13. “From him shall be taken even that which he thinks he has” (verse 18). The evangelist Luke is here more precise than Matthew and Mark: he says that some people only imagine that they have achieved certain progress in moral improvement, but in fact they have acquired nothing. And so, soon from such people shall be taken even this comfort – before them shall be revealed all their moral nullity…

Luke 8:19. And His mother and His brothers came to Him, and could not come near Him for the crowd. Luke 8:20. And it was told Him: Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You. Luke 8:21. But He answered and said to them: My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. Concerning the coming to Christ of the Holy Mother and His brothers, the evangelist Luke reports in agreement with Mark (Mark 3:31-35; cf. Matt 12:46-50).

Luke 8:22. Now it came to pass on a certain day that He entered into a boat with His disciples, and He said to them: Let us go over to the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. Luke 8:23. But as they sailed, He fell asleep. And there came down a windstorm on the lake; and they were being filled with water and were in jeopardy. Luke 8:24. And they came and awoke Him, saying: Master! Master! we are perishing. But He awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water; and they ceased, and there was a calm. Luke 8:25. And He said to them: Where is your faith? And they were afraid and marveled, saying to one another: Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him? Luke 8:26. And they sailed down into the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite to Galilee. Luke 8:27. And when He had come out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time, and wore no clothes, and lived not in a house but in the tombs. Luke 8:28. And when he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, and said with a loud voice: What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of God Most High? I beseech You, do not torment me. Luke 8:29. For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For a long time it had seized him; and he was kept bound with chains and fetters, yet he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. Luke 8:30. And Jesus asked him: What is your name? And he said: Legion; because many demons had entered into him. Luke 8:31. And they besought Jesus that He would not command them to go into the abyss. Luke 8:32. Now there was a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain; and they besought Him that He would permit them to enter into them. And He permitted them. Luke 8:33. Then the demons came out from the man and entered into the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. Luke 8:34. And when the swineherds saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Luke 8:35. And they went out to see what had happened; and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone forth, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Luke 8:36. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Luke 8:37. And all the people of the country of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them; for they were seized with great fear. And He entered into the boat and returned. Luke 8:38. Now the man out of whom the demons had gone was begging Him to be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying: Luke 8:39. Return to your home and tell what God has done for you. And he went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what Jesus had done for him. Concerning Christ’s crossing to the eastern shore of the Sea of Gennesaret and the healing of the demon-possessed man, the evangelist Luke reports in agreement with Mark (Mark 4:35-5:20; cf. Matt 8:23-34). At the same time, he makes certain changes in details – he softens, for example, in verse 25 the Lord’s address to the apostles: “Where is your faith?” (According to Mark – “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” Mark 4:40), and in verse 28 he replaces the expression: “I adjure you by God” (Mark 5:7), with the expression: “I beseech You.” Further, he adds that the demon-possessed man was possessed by demons from of old and did not dress in clothes (verse 27), that the demons asked the Lord not to cast them “into the abyss,” that is, into the underworld (verse 31; cf. Rom 10:7; Rev 9:1 et seq.). The demon-possessed man, after his healing, preached about what had happened to him only in his own city (verse 39; according to Mark – “in the Decapolis”; Mark 5:20).

Luke 8:40. Now when Jesus returned, the people received Him, for all were expecting Him. Luke 8:41. And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue; and he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house; Luke 8:42. for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. But as He went, the people thronged Him. Luke 8:43. And a woman having an issue of blood for twelve years, who, though she had spent all her living upon physicians, could not be healed by anyone, Luke 8:44. came behind Him and touched the border of His garment; and immediately the issue of blood ceased. Luke 8:45. And Jesus said: Who touched Me? When all denied it, Peter and those with Him said: Master! the multitude throng and press You, and You say: Who touched Me? Luke 8:46. But Jesus said: Someone touched Me; for I perceive that power has gone out from Me. Luke 8:47. Now when the woman saw that she could not be hidden, she came trembling and, falling down before Him, declared in the presence of all the people for what reason she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. Luke 8:48. And He said to her: Be of good cheer, daughter! Your faith has saved you; go in peace. Luke 8:49. While He yet spoke, there came one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying: Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher. Luke 8:50. But when Jesus heard it, He answered him: Fear not; only believe, and she shall be made well. Luke 8:51. And when He came to the house, He suffered no one to go in, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the girl. Luke 8:52. And all wept and bewailed her. But He said: Weep not; she is not dead, but sleeps. Luke 8:53. And they laughed Him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. Luke 8:54. But He put them all out, and taking her by the hand, cried, saying: Little girl, get up! Luke 8:55. And her spirit returned; and she rose up immediately. And He commanded that something be given her to eat. Luke 8:56. And her parents were astonished. But He charged them to tell no one what had happened. Concerning the raising of Jairus’ daughter and the healing of the woman with a hemorrhage, the evangelist Luke speaks in full agreement with Mark (Mark 5:21-43; cf. Matt 9:18-26). The evangelist Luke, however, adds that the daughter of Jairus was “only” one (verse 42), that to Christ’s question answered – of course on behalf of the disciples – Peter, and that this answer was not somewhat disrespectful, as the answer of the disciples appears to be in Mark (Mark 5:31), since “all denied it” (verse 45). According to the evangelist Mark, the woman trembled because she felt the change that had occurred in her (Mark 5:33), but according to Luke – because she understood that her deed had become known to the Wonderworker. “Peter, John and James” (verse 51). The evangelist Luke, of the two sons of Zebedee, puts John first, as the more well-known person, while Mark – James (Mark 5:37). “And bewailed her” (verse 52) – more precisely: “beat themselves on the breast as a sign of grief for her” (ἐκόπτοντο αὐτήν). “And her spirit returned” (verse 55) – this is an addition of the evangelist Luke, from which one can see that Christ raised to life one who had truly died, from whom the soul had already departed.

Chapter Nine

1–6. The Mission of the Twelve Apostles. – 7–9. Herod’s Opinion of Christ. – 10–17. The Miraculous Feeding of the People. – 18–27. The Confession of the Apostle Peter and Christ’s Prediction of His Sufferings. – 28–45. The Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Healing of the Demon-Possessed Boy. – 46–50. Teachings on Humility. – 51–62. Christ’s Journey to Jerusalem.

Luke 9:1. And calling the twelve together, He gave them power and authority over all demons, and to heal diseases, Luke 9:2. and sent them forth to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Luke 9:3. And He said to them: Take nothing for the journey; neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and have not two tunics. Luke 9:4. And whatever house you enter, abide there, and depart from there. Luke 9:5. And whosoever will not receive you, when you depart from that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. Luke 9:6. And they departed, and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. Concerning the sending of the Lord of the twelve apostles to preach, the evangelist Luke speaks, following Mark (Mark 6:7-13). In the evangelist Matthew the instructions to the disciples are much more extensive (Matt 10). “Neither a staff” (verse 3). Here the evangelist Luke agrees not with Mark, but with Matthew (see Mark 6:8; Matt 10:10).

Luke 9:7. Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that Jesus was doing; and he was perplexed, because some said that John had risen from the dead; Luke 9:8. and others, that Elijah had appeared; and others, that one of the old prophets had risen again. Luke 9:9. And Herod said: John I have beheaded; but who is this about whom I hear such things? And he sought to see Him. (See Mark 6:14-16; Matt 14:1-2). “But who is this…” In the evangelist Mark, Herod speaks definitely, saying that this is the risen John (Mark 6:16); whereas the evangelist Luke, as it were, hesitates to put such an incredible thought into the mouth of Herod, a cultured man. “And he sought to see Him.” Conscience troubled Herod, and he thought that by a personal meeting with this mysterious man, perhaps a prophet, he might quiet his heart.

Luke 9:10. And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him what they had done. And taking them, He withdrew apart into a desert place near a city called Bethsaida. Luke 9:11. But when the people knew it, they followed Him. And He welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and healed those who were in need of healing. Luke 9:12. Now the day was beginning to decline. And the twelve came and said to Him: Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about and lodge and get food; for we are here in a desert place. Luke 9:13. But He said to them: You give them something to eat. And they said: We have no more than five loaves and two fishes; unless we go and buy food for all these people. Luke 9:14. For there were about five thousand men. And He said to His disciples: Have them sit down in groups of fifty. Luke 9:15. And they did so, and made all sit down. Luke 9:16. And He took the five loaves and the two fishes and, looking up to heaven, He blessed them and broke them and gave them to the disciples to distribute to the multitude. Luke 9:17. And they ate and were all satisfied; and there were taken up of the fragments that remained to them twelve baskets. Regarding the miracle of the feeding of the people, the evangelist Luke tells the account in a condensed form, following Mark (Mark 6:30-44; cf. Matt 14:13-21). He merely defines more precisely the direction of the path by which Christ departed. “Near the city…” (verse 10) – more accurately: “in the direction of the city called Bethsaida,” that is, on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Gennesaret. On Bethsaida see the commentaries to Mark 6:45.

Luke 9:18. And it came to pass, as He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” Luke 9:19. They answered and said, “John the Baptist; but some say Elijah; and others, that one of the ancient prophets has risen.” Luke 9:20. Then He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” Luke 9:21. But He strictly charged them to tell this to no one, Luke 9:22. saying that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. Luke 9:23. And He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:24. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake, the same will save it. Luke 9:25. For what advantage is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses himself or is cast away? Luke 9:26. For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed, when He comes in His own glory and that of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:27. And I say to you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God. The confession of the apostle Peter and the prediction of Christ concerning His sufferings, the evangelist Luke sets forth in accordance with Mark (Mark 8:27-9:1; cf. Matt 16:13-28). “When He was praying in a solitary place” (verse 18). Only the evangelist Luke makes mention of this prayer of Christ. “And He said to all” (verse 23). According to the Gospel of Mark, the Lord at this time called to Himself the crowds that were following Him (Mark 8:34).

Luke 9:28. And it came to pass, about eight days after these words, He took Peter, John, and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. Luke 9:29. And as He was praying, the appearance of His face was transformed, and His clothing became white and gleaming. Luke 9:30. And behold, two men were talking with Him, who were Moses and Elijah; Luke 9:31. who appeared in glory, and were speaking of His exodus, which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem. Luke 9:32. But Peter and those who were with him were weighed down with sleep; but, awakening, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. Luke 9:33. And when they were parting from Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master! it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah,” not knowing what he was saying. Luke 9:34. And while he was speaking thus, a cloud appeared and overshadowed them; and they were afraid when they entered into the cloud. Luke 9:35. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, the Beloved, listen to Him.” Luke 9:36. And when the voice had come, Jesus was alone. And they kept silence, and reported to no one in those days anything of what they had seen. Luke 9:37. And it came to pass on the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a great crowd met Him. Luke 9:38. And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, saying, “Teacher! I beseech You, look upon my son, for he is my only child;” Luke 9:39. a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out, and it tears him so that he foams at the mouth; and it scarcely departs from him, bruising him. Luke 9:40. And I asked Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not. Luke 9:41. And Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation! how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” Luke 9:42. And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and tore him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. Luke 9:43. And all were amazed at the majesty of God. But while all were marveling at all the things which Jesus was doing, He said to His disciples, Luke 9:44. “Let these words sink into your ears: the Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” Luke 9:45. But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them, that they might not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying. Regarding the Transfiguration of the Lord and the healing of the demon-possessed boy, the evangelist Luke speaks in accordance with Mark (Mark 9:2-32; cf. Matt 17:1-9). But in doing so he introduces into the account certain new details. “About eight days” (verse 28) – an expression quite indefinite. The evangelist Luke probably counts here both the day of the confession of the apostle Peter and the day of the Transfiguration, so that his count comes out two days more than in Matthew and Mark. “And when He was praying” (verse 29; see Luke 3:21). Only the evangelist Luke speaks of Christ’s prayer before the Transfiguration. “The appearance of His face” (verse 29). The evangelist Luke here combines into one the two expressions of Matthew (Matt 17:2). “Having appeared in glory” (verse 31), that is, in splendor, surrounded by heavenly radiance. “They were speaking of His exodus” (verse 31). Only the evangelist Luke makes this remark. By “exodus” is here understood Christ’s departure from this earthly life through death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven (cf. 2 Pet 1:15). They spoke of this in order to give the representatives of the apostles the assurance that the death of Christ, which troubled them so much (Matt 16:22 and following), was foreseen even in the Old Testament. “Were weighed down with sleep…” (verse 32). Only the evangelist Luke mentions this. In all probability the disciples were sleeping while Christ was praying, and they awoke just as the light from the face of the Lord shone forth and Moses and Elijah appeared in its radiance. “When they were parting from Him” (verse 33). According to the Gospel of Luke, Peter by his proposal intended to prevent the departing Moses and Elijah. “Overshadowed them” (verse 34) – not Moses and Elijah, as B. Weiss interprets, but the disciples, because immediately it is said “and they were afraid” – assuredly not Moses and Elijah, but the disciples. “Look upon my son” (verse 38), that is, cast upon him Your merciful gaze, help him (cf. Luke 1:48). “For he is my only child” (verse 38). Only the evangelist Luke adds this.

Luke 9:46. And there came a dispute among them, who of them should be the greatest. Luke 9:47. But Jesus, perceiving the thought of their hearts, took a child and set him before Him, Luke 9:48. and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for whoever is least among you all, the same is great.” Luke 9:49. And John said, “Master! we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him, because he does not follow with us.” Luke 9:50. But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him; for whoever is not against you is for you.” The teachings of Christ concerning humility, the evangelist Luke sets forth in accordance with Mark (Mark 9:33-40). “Set him before Him” (in Mark – “in the midst of them”). By this the Lord shows that the child is dearer to Him than the disciples, who thought themselves greater than all other people.

Luke 9:51. And it came to pass, when the days of His taking up were being fulfilled, He set His face toward Jerusalem; Luke 9:52. and He sent messengers before His face; and they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him; Luke 9:53. but they did not receive Him, because His face was set toward Jerusalem. Luke 9:54. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord! do You will that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did?” Luke 9:55. But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of;” Luke 9:56. for the Son of Man came not to destroy the lives of people, but to save them. And they went into another village. This section is found only in the Gospel of Luke. “When the days of His taking up were being fulfilled…” The word “taking up” (ἀνάληψις) is used only in this one place, but in subsequent Christian writings it clearly denotes the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven (Switzer. Tes., p. 282). Thus the evangelist Luke begins here the history of Christ’s journey from Galilee to Jerusalem for the Passover of the Passion. This journey, according to Luke’s account, was not direct – for a direct journey would have required only three days – but a slow visitation of those cities and villages of Galilee and Perea which the Lord wished to enlighten with the light of the Gospel. At the same time it is indicated that Christ intended to pass through Samaria and that He was not received by the Samaritans, after which there is again a visitation of Galilee, and then Christ appears again at the borders of Samaria (Luke 17:11). “He set His face toward Jerusalem.” More precisely: “He steadfastly set His face toward Jerusalem” (τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐστήριξε – a Hebraism; cf. Jer 21:10). Thus from this point on Jerusalem becomes the goal toward which Christ’s gaze is constantly directed. “To prepare for Him” (verse 52), that is, to prepare the Samaritans for His arrival, as the Samaritans, as is evident from the following verse 53, viewed unfavorably Christ’s journey to Jerusalem, where, they supposed, Christ would declare Himself king. They were extremely displeased that their enemies – the Jews – were about to receive such a great mercy from Him whom they themselves had already recognized (John 4) as the Messiah (cf. Matt 11:3). “When this was seen” (verse 54), that is, when they learned of it from the returning “messengers.” In response to the angry declaration of the sons of Zebedee, whom the Lord Himself called sons of thunder (Mark 3:17), who wished, like the prophet Elijah, to bring down fire on the foolish Samaritans, the Lord answers that they do not understand, clearly, that as disciples of Christ, living in the New Testament rather than the Old, as did Elijah, they must not resort to those harsh measures of instruction to which the prophets of the Old Testament resorted. Elijah also had the Spirit of God within him, but that Spirit was different, manifesting itself differently, than the Spirit by whose action the disciples of Christ stand. “What kind of spirit you are of” (verse 55). The word “Spirit” should be written with a capital letter, not lowercase as in the Russian translation, because the Greek expression εἶναι πνεύματος means to stand, to remain in dependence on the Spirit – of course, God’s Spirit. Cf. Mark 9:41. “Another village” (verse 56) – most likely, no longer Samaritan. The Lord goes, probably through Galilee and Perea, where pilgrims from the north usually traveled to Jerusalem.

Luke 9:57. And it happened, as they were journeying on the road, someone said to Him, “Lord! I will follow You wherever You go.” Luke 9:58. And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Luke 9:59. And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord! permit me first to go and bury my father.” Luke 9:60. But Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:61. And another also said, “Lord! I will follow You; but first permit me to say farewell to those of my household.” Luke 9:62. But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” The evangelist Luke sets forth the answers of the Lord to those who wished to follow Him in accordance with Matthew (cf. Matt 8:19-22). It is difficult to say why he places this event at the time of Christ’s journey to Jerusalem, when, according to the evangelist Matthew, it took place much earlier. Perhaps it seemed to him more fitting to place this account here, as somewhat revealing the condition of affairs at that time. Christ goes to His death, and those desiring to become His disciples, as it were, sense the danger to which both the disciples of Christ and they themselves will soon be exposed, and they ask Him to allow them to say farewell to their relatives, whom they will no longer see… As for the first answer of Christ – concerning His lack of a dwelling place – it was quite appropriate to the circumstances at hand, when the Samaritans had just refused to receive Christ. “But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God” (verse 60). By this addition, made only by the evangelist Luke, the seemingly harsh answer of the Lord to the request of one who had wished, or rather, been called by the Lord to follow Him, is somewhat softened. Now – the Lord seems to say – time is precious: the Kingdom of God, or the Kingdom of the Messiah, will soon be revealed, and people must be prepared for this more quickly. “And another also said.” This request and the Lord’s answer to it (verses 61–62) are found only in the evangelist Luke. The person making the request apparently had not yet fully decided whether to follow Christ – he apparently wants to consult with his household, concealing this intention under the appearance of a natural desire to say farewell to them. The Lord in a figurative speech says that one cannot undertake the new service with any doubts. No, one must give oneself to it wholly, sincerely, with all one’s heart; otherwise such a disciple will constantly be looking back, like a plowman indifferent to his work. One cannot expect any benefit from such an attitude to the work of spreading the Gospel.

Chapter Ten

1–16. The mission of the seventy apostles to preach. – 17–24. Their return from the journey. – 25–37. The lawyer and the merciful Samaritan. – 38–42. Mary and Martha.

Luke 10:1. After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go, Regarding the mission of the 70 apostles to preach, only one evangelist, Luke, reports. But the teachings with which Christ addresses these apostles in his account represent a repetition of what the Lord says in the Gospel of Matthew to the 12 apostles, or else are borrowings from passages in the Gospel of Matthew placed in other locations. “After these things.” Apparently the appointment of the 70 (according to some ancient manuscripts – 72) apostles took place shortly after the mission of the 12 (see Luke 9:1 and following). Indeed, here it says that the Lord sent “other” – but who did He send before? Obviously, not the two messengers (who are not even called apostles, see Luke 9:52), but specifically the 12 apostles: there it says simply “twelve,” and here the corresponding word is “seventy.” “Appointed” – more precisely: “designated them as appointed” (ἀνέδειξεν). “Seventy.” The Lord may have had in mind the appointment of 70 elders by Moses as his assistants (Num 11:16 and following). The relation of this number to the 70 pagan nations (Gen 10) cannot be considered, because the Lord sent them before Him “to the places where He Himself was about to go,” and He was sent only “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 15:24). “Two by two” (see Mark 6:7). “Into every place where He Himself was about to go.” The seventy, evidently, were only to prepare people for the reception of Christ, and, soon after completing this mission, they returned to the level of ordinary disciples of Christ. Nevertheless, the Church has preserved this honorable rank in its memory, establishing a special commemoration of the 70 apostles, among whom, however, there are persons who at that time had not yet been disciples of Christ at all (for example, James and Jude, the brothers of the Lord according to the flesh).

Luke 10:2. And He said to them, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest, that He send forth laborers into His harvest.” (See Matt 9:37-38). In Luke this saying has a somewhat unique meaning. The twelve apostles, already sent forth to preach, are few for such a great work as the preaching of the approaching Kingdom of the Messiah. Therefore, addressing His 70 disciples, the Lord commands them also, just as the 12 before them, to focus their thoughts in prayer on this great need of the time. Having prayed, they will understand the full magnitude of their task and will welcome with joy the calling which Christ wishes to bestow upon them. After these words the evangelist has a certain pause. The disciples pray – and become capable of receiving the commission which Christ gives them further on (verse 3 and following).

Luke 10:3. Go! I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. (See Matt 10:16). Since at the present time these apostles could scarcely be threatened with persecution, in the evangelist Luke this address of Christ to them has its own meaning. It is quite possible that Christ compares them not to meek lambs, but to strong rams (ἄρνας), which usually go in front of the flock, showing it the way. Such leaders of the Jews to Christ should be these 70, in contrast to wolves (λύκων) or false leaders of the people, who lead the people only to destruction and even themselves, like wolves, plunder the flock (cf. John 10:12).

Luke 10:4. Do not take a purse, nor a bag, nor sandals; and greet no one on the road. (See Matt 10:10). “Greet no one on the road.” This remark of the evangelist Luke does not indicate the haste with which the 70 should do their work and which is hindered by long Eastern greetings (see the commentary of Bishop Michael), but only that the offering of peace or salvation should be carried out not on the way, casually, as it were in passing, but seriously and thoughtfully, after the two apostles have entered into a house and there entered into close relations with the master of the house.

Luke 10:5. And into whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace be to this house;” Luke 10:6. and if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him; but if not, it will return to you. (See Matt 10:12-13). “A son of peace,” that is, a person worthy of receiving salvation, capable of receiving it.

Luke 10:7. And in that same house remain, eating and drinking what they provide, for the worker is worthy of his wages; do not go from house to house. Luke 10:8. And whenever you enter a city and they receive you, eat what is set before you, Luke 10:9. and heal the sick in it, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” (See Matt 10:11). “In that same house,” that is, in the house which receives you. “Worthy of his wages” (see Matt 10:10).

Luke 10:10. But whenever you enter a city and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, Luke 10:11. “Even the dust of your city that clings to us we wipe off against you; nevertheless know that the kingdom of God has come near.” Luke 10:12. I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that city. (See Matt 10:14-15). “Do not receive you,” that is, despite requests for lodging, they will receive you nowhere. “Going out into the street,” that is, before the face of all the inhabitants of that city. “We shake off.” The inhospitality of the townspeople – sufficient testimony of their resistance to the preaching of salvation: there is therefore no reason for the apostles to make strong efforts to convince these people of the necessity of turning to Christ (cf. Matt 7:6). “Nevertheless know…” The apostles must still indicate the responsibility which threatens these stubborn people in view of the approach of the Kingdom of God, which will bring retribution for their stubbornness.

Luke 10:13. “Woe to you, Chorazin! woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes;” Luke 10:14. but it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. Luke 10:15. And you, Capernaum, exalted to heaven, you shall be brought down to Hades. Here the evangelist Luke brings in the threats against the cities, spoken, according to the Gospel of Matthew, at a different occasion (Matt 11:21-23). Here these threats are more appropriate than in the Gospel of Matthew. The Lord, sending out the 70 disciples, recalls those cities which did not receive Him Himself, and thereby explains to the disciples the importance of their mission: those who do not listen to them will be punished as severely as those who did not listen to Christ Himself.

Luke 10:16. “Whoever listens to you listens to Me, and whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.” This is, as it were, a conclusion to the preceding threats. See Matt 10:40 13

Luke 10:17. And the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord! even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” Surely the disciples did not all return from their travels at once, but the evangelist Luke, depicting only the substance of the matter, presents them as gathered at one and the same time around Christ and recounting the results of their journey. However, the evangelist does not tell how the disciples were received in the cities; he considers it more important to relate the conversation of Christ with the 70 regarding the miracles which they performed during their travels. “Even the demons are subject to us.” The Lord did not give the 70 a direct command to cast out demons, as He did the 12 (Luke 9:1). Therefore the 70 were so rejoiced when their attempts to cast out demons from the demon-possessed met with success. “In Your name,” that is, as soon as we proclaimed Your name (cf. Luke 9:49).

Luke 10:18. And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash;” “I saw” (ἐθεώρουν). When did the Lord see the falling of Satan from heaven? Gregory the Theologian and some other Church Fathers and teachers explain this vision or falling of Satan as occurring at the moment of the incarnation of the Son of God, through which Satan was deprived of his power. Other Fathers and teachers (for example, Jerome) explain this falling as Satan’s original departure from God, as a result of which he lost his position in heaven, which Christ as the incarnate Word of God saw. But these interpretations are not applicable in the present case, since neither the fall of Satan nor the incarnation of the Son of God brought about a loss of Satan’s power over the world – Satan became, on the contrary, all the more dangerous to the world since his fall, and likewise the incarnation of the Son of God only gave him occasion to intensify his activity (the increase of demon-possessed persons during Christ’s time). Meanwhile Christ has in mind the destruction of Satan’s power. Therefore it is more correct to relate this fall of Satan to the time of the preaching and miraculous work of the 70 apostles. When these latter performed miraculous exorcisms of demons, the Lord so clearly saw and so vividly felt the fall of Satan’s power, as though he had seen a brilliant lightning flash hurling down from heaven. Another interpretation, presented by the learned Spitta in “Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft” (1908, no. 2), is noteworthy. In his view the Lord was not speaking of the falling or casting down of Satan, because He uses here not the verb ἐκβάλλειν, which indeed means casting down (see John 12:31), but the verb πίπτειν – to fall. Therefore one may think that the reference here is to the rush of Satan to the earth, to his hastiness in which he rushed to defend his power over people, which was being threatened by the apostles who went through the cities with the message about Christ (πεσόντα – rushing). Thus the Lord in response to His disciples’ excessively joyful announcement says that they have a very difficult struggle with Satan awaiting them, hastening to defend his Kingdom, but that in this struggle they will nevertheless achieve victory thanks to the power which He gives them (verse 16). A “vision” here cannot be understood as an ecstatic state in which the prophets sometimes found themselves: the Lord was never in such a state, somewhat beyond the bounds of natural healthy mental condition, and the mysteries of heaven were always open to Him. The expression “I saw” therefore is equivalent to “I know well.” “Fallen from heaven.” This expression does not presume that Satan was previously in heaven, but only indicates his high position (cf. verse 15; Isa 14:12). “Like a lightning flash,” that is, the fall of Satan is as visible to Christ as the lightning in the sky is visible (cf. Matt 24:27).

Luke 10:19. “Behold! I give you the authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will harm you;” “I give.” According to the best manuscripts – “I have given” (δέδωκα). By these words the Lord not only explains why the disciples were successful in casting out demons, but also makes them understand how great in general is the power given them by Christ over all the hostile forces of the Kingdom of God. Although this is not mentioned when the 70 were sent out to preach (verses 2 and following), nevertheless the apostles, apparently from their own experience, became convinced that this power was indeed given to them; they do not object to such a declaration of Christ, and they should have objected if they did not possess such power. “To tread upon serpents and scorpions” (scorpions – reptiles whose bite often causes death). This is a figurative designation (see Ps 90:13) of dangerous demonic forces, upon which the 70, like a victor treading on the neck of his defeated enemy, should with full force tread with their feet (Rom 16:20). The seventy apostles are thus instruments of God in the defeat of all evil forces hostile to the Kingdom of God. “And nothing will harm you” – more precisely: and by nothing, or in no way will this force of the enemy harm you (cf. the expression οὐδέν in Acts 25:10 and Gal 4:1-2, where it is translated as “by nothing”).

Luke 10:20. “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice rather that your names are written in the heavens.” However, you should rejoice not so much in the fact that you have such power, but rather in the fact that you are destined to eventually receive the highest bliss in the Kingdom of Heaven. Already in the Old Testament there are poetic passages in which God is depicted as keeping a book of life, in which He enters the names of people worthy of being citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven (Exod 32:32 and following; Ps 68:29; Isa 4:3). In this book the names of the 70 are recorded.

Luke 10:21. At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to infants. Yes, Father! For such was Your gracious will.” Luke 10:22. “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him.” Luke 10:23. And turning to the disciples, He said to them privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see!” Luke 10:24. “For I say to you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear.” These words, according to the evangelist Matthew, were spoken under different circumstances (Matt 11:25-27). It may be thought that the present location suits these sayings of Christ as given by the evangelist Luke, as they fully correspond to the context of the discourse. “At that same hour,” that is, at the hour of the return of the 70. “Rejoiced,” like a father rejoicing at the success of his children (Theophylact). “In the Holy Spirit” – according to the best reading: “in the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit filled Christ (Luke 4:1) and was, so to speak, the constant impeller of Him toward Messianic activity. And in this case Christ comes forth precisely as the Messiah, the King of His Kingdom, bestowing rewards upon His faithful servants. “These things,” that is, what the disciples of Christ proclaimed. “Who the Son is,” that is, who He is in His essence. “Privately” (verse 23). It is clear that in this conversation of Christ with the 70 there were also other listeners present. “And kings” (verse 24). This expression is found only in Luke.

Luke 10:25. And behold, a certain lawyer stood up to test Him, saying, “Teacher! what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” When Christ was conversing with the 70, other persons were present (verse 23). Among such persons was a certain lawyer (see Matt 5:20). It displeased him that Christ attributed so much significance to Himself (verse 24), and he stood up, showing that he wished to speak: evidently he had previously been sitting among the other listeners of Christ. He wished to test Christ, to provoke Him to say something directly condemning the Law of Moses, and then of course come against Him with an accusation (Euthymius Zigabenus). Cf. Matt 22:35 14 “What shall I do” (see Mark 10:17).

Luke 10:26. And He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read?” Luke 10:27. And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:28. And Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” “What is written in the law?” That is, you surely know the law well yourself, and there it is written what you should do (cf. Rom 2:17-20). “How do you read?” This is the customary rabbinic formula for beginning to prove something from Scripture. How (how), that is, in what words (not “what”). “And he answered…” (see Mark 12:29-32; Matt 22:37-39). The lawyer, in this manner, repeats the same thing which the Lord Himself said on other occasions in explanation of the substance of the Law of Moses. “And you will live,” that is, you will inherit eternal life (cf. verse 25).

Luke 10:29. But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” “Desiring to justify himself.” The lawyer found himself in a rather awkward position: he appeared to know what needed to be done, and yet he was asking! Therefore he wishes to show that his question had meaning, that even in the answer he gives to this question, agreeing with Christ, there is still something left unsaid. Namely, it is unclear who is the neighbor whom one must love. In the law, to be sure, by “neighbor” was generally understood a fellow Israelite (Lev 19:16 and following), but also in relation to “the foreigner” or “the sojourner” the requirement was to love him as oneself (Lev 19:34 and following). The lawyer expected that Christ would emphasize in His answer love for the foreigner rather than for one’s own, the Jews, and this might diminish Him in the eyes of his countrymen, since most Jews understood the commandment of love for one’s neighbor in a narrow sense, limited to their nationality.

Luke 10:30. And Jesus said, “A certain man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers, who stripped him, and having beaten him, went away leaving him half dead.” In response to the lawyer’s question, the Lord tells him of a certain man who, traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho, fell into the hands of robbers, who robbed and wounded him, leaving him on the road. From the context of the discourse it can be concluded that the Lord meant a Jew under the wounded person. “Jericho” (see Matt 20:29) was separated from Jerusalem by a wilderness, which was very dangerous for travelers, as robbers lurked there.

Luke 10:31. By chance a priest was traveling on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by. The priest who happened to be passing there went by: probably he himself was afraid of meeting the fate of the robbery victim. In the narrative, the Lord places the priest first because priests were meant to serve as an example of fulfilling the law in general and the law of mercy in particular.

Luke 10:32. Likewise also a Levite, being in that place, came and looked and passed by. The Levites also belonged to the teachers of the people (for this reason they were scattered by Moses throughout different cities of Palestine), and yet the Levite, having looked at the wounded man, also went on his way, doing nothing for the unfortunate one.

Luke 10:33. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came upon him and, seeing him, was moved with compassion. Luke 10:34. And approaching, he bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and having placed him on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and cared for him. Luke 10:35. And on the next day, as he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him: Take care of him; and if you spend anything more, I, when I return, will repay you. Only the Samaritan (see Matt 10:5), a man who, it seemed, ought not to be concerned about a Jew at all, even a wounded one, was moved with compassion for the unfortunate one when, as he journeyed, he saw him. He bandaged his wounds, poured wine and oil on them, as medicine of that time advised, and, placing him on his own donkey, brought him to an inn (a caravanserai, where there was also an innkeeper who received travelers). On the next day, departing, he entrusted the wounded man to the care of the innkeeper, giving him some money—two denarii (about forty kopecks), in hope of returning soon and then completely settling with the innkeeper.

Luke 10:36. Which of these three, do you think, was neighbor to the one who fell among robbers? Luke 10:37. He said: The one who showed him mercy. Then Jesus said to him: Go, and you do likewise. Now Christ seems as if He should say to the lawyer: “Do you see from the example of the Samaritan, who is your neighbor? It is every person, to whatever nation he may belong.” But the Lord does not pose the matter that way. The question of who is neighbor to each of us, the Lord leaves aside as completely clear from the narrative given above. He gives the lawyer another question—not a theoretical one, but a practical one: which of the three who passed by the wounded man proved to be “neighbor” to him, that is, who fulfilled in relation to him the requirement of love which the law teaches to everyone and each? To this question the lawyer had to answer: “The one who showed him mercy” (he did not want to say outright, “the Samaritan”). The Lord then dismisses him, advising him to act similarly to the Samaritan. Thus the Lord moves away from the ground of theoretical arguments and disputes, which of course would have no end, and reduces the whole question to how the natural feeling of a person decides the question posed by the lawyer. The Fathers and teachers of the Church attributed a special mystical meaning to individual points of this narrative about the merciful Samaritan. So, “a certain man,” according to their interpretation, is Adam; Jerusalem is paradise; Jericho is the world; the robbers are demons; the priests are the law; the Levite is the prophets; the Samaritan is Christ; the donkey is the body of Christ; the inn is the Church; the innkeeper is the bishop; the two denarii are the Old and New Testaments; the return is the Second Coming (see, for example, in Theophylact). Thus, according to the interpretation of the Church Fathers, here is depicted the deed of the Incarnate Son of God undertaken by Him for the salvation of the human race. (For a detailed exposition of this thought see in Trench. Parables of Our Lord Jesus Christ, 2nd ed., pp. 268–272.) In the narrative about the merciful Samaritan, the Lord intended to show the lawyer “the great abyss separating knowledge and action, how little his very life corresponded to his moral understanding of love for neighbor” (Trench, p. 274). The one who asked, “Who is my neighbor?” who desired beforehand for himself a complete exposition of duties toward a neighbor, thereby revealed how little he understood love, whose essence consists in the fact that it knows no limits other than its own impossibility to go further (ibid., p. 261). It is customary to call this narrative about the merciful Samaritan a parable. But properly speaking, this narrative does not fit into the category of parables. A parable still needs to be explained and applied—the circumstance contained in it must be referred to the question at hand. Such, for example, is the parable of the sower, about the mustard seed, etc. Here no explanation is needed. The Lord simply takes a circumstance that is quite possible, whose instructiveness is clear to everyone, and makes this circumstance a lesson in true compassion. This is, so to speak, an exemplary narrative about what true love for neighbor consists of. Another question. Is the conversation with the lawyer in the Gospel of Luke the same as in Matthew (Matt 22:35 and following; compare Mark 12:28 and following)? No, these are completely different events. They differ in time, place, occasion, and in the very person bringing forth the Scripture passage, as well as in some other details of the description.

Luke 10:38. And as they traveled on, He came to a certain village; and a woman named Martha received Him into her house. “Along the way.” Whether this was during the Lord’s journey to Jerusalem for the Passover of His sufferings or before that, one cannot say with certainty. Also, Luke does not say what village this was, where Martha and Mary lived. If indeed this was on the way to Jerusalem, one can see here an indication of Bethany, where Lazarus lived (compare John 11:1 and following). Evidently, in the source which the evangelist Luke used here, neither the name of the village nor the name of the master of the house—Lazarus—was indicated. Apparently, Christ was received by the sisters even not in Lazarus’s house, but in Martha’s house, which she might have owned in that same Bethany.

Luke 10:39. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to His word. Martha’s sister, Mary, who was in her house, sat at the feet of Christ as His disciple (Acts 22:3) and listened to Him attentively.

Luke 10:40. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she came up to Him and said: Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me. It displeased Martha, who was busily preparing entertainment for Christ and His apostles, who probably were with Him, that Mary only listened calmly to Christ’s words, leaving her without help in the household tasks, and she appealed to Christ with a request—to tell Mary to help her.

Luke 10:41. And Jesus answered and said to her: Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. The Lord in response, in a tone of friendly reproof, said to Martha that she was seeking in vain to make such great entertainment.

Luke 10:42. But one thing is necessary; and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. According to the Lord’s word, “one thing” is necessary, that is, the same devotion to the Gospel which Mary showed, forgetting about all household affairs when the opportunity opened before her to listen freely to Christ’s teaching. Some of the ancient interpreters (for example, Theophylact) understood by “one” (ἑνός) one kind of dish, in contrast to the many dishes which Martha was preparing, but such an understanding is too superficial. However, in most ancient manuscripts, the beginning of this verse reads as follows: “In few things there is need or in one” (ὀλίγων δὲ χρεία ἐστιν, ἢ ἑνός). In such a reading, one can indeed see an indication that “few” (ὀλίγων) are needed for satiation, and not “many” (πολλὰ—verse 41). “Mary has chosen that good part….” Better reading: “For Mary….” The Lord bases His statement that “one thing is necessary” on the fact that Mary indeed chose what was to be chosen: her part is good (ἀγαθή), though this does not mean that Martha’s diligence deserved condemnation, but only shows that Mary’s deed is the preferable good deed and that she will be given the opportunity to hear Christ afterward. Or else—and it is possible to interpret it this way—what Mary will acquire through this listening will remain in her as her eternal possession, which shall not be taken from her under any circumstances. * * * Many interpreters do not ascribe a historical character to the evangelist Luke’s account of the sending of seventy apostles on the grounds that this is not mentioned in the other Gospels. This account—says, for example, Ewald—is of later origin: with the gradual disappearance of the 12 apostles, other companions of Christ gained authority, and they were attributed with the same powers regarding preaching and miracles which the 12 apostles received much earlier. But the silence of the other evangelists and later writers about this institution of the seventy is explained by the fact that it was not a permanent institution: the seventy were only to prepare the people to receive Christ, who was traveling then through various cities and villages to Jerusalem. Some interpreters (for example, Trench) insist in every way that the lawyer did not have such hidden, evil intention. To tempt, according to Trench, simply means to test. So God tempts a person, so that through testing He might reveal to him the secrets of his own heart, so that He might show forth the good qualities of a person and strengthen them. The lawyer simply wanted to test Christ’s knowledge, to measure its depth (Trench. “Parables of Jesus Christ,” 2nd ed., pp. 259–260). These considerations are entirely unfounded. How can one attribute to a person what is proper only to God? And why would the evangelist Luke without cause use such an ambiguous expression about the lawyer? That is, approximately eight grams of silver.—Editor’s note.

Chapter Eleven

1–13. On prayer (the Lord’s Prayer). – 14–26. The Lord defends Himself against the accusation of making a covenant with the devil. – 27–28. A woman’s blessing of the Mother of Jesus Christ. – 29–36. Christ’s Answer to those demanding a sign from Him. – 37–54. Christ’s Denunciation of the Pharisees and Scribes.

Luke 11:1. Now it came to pass as He was praying in a certain place, and when He ceased, one of His disciples said to Him: Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. It is not known at what time and where the Lord once performed prayer—probably at some distance from His disciples. After the completion of this prayer, one of the disciples turned to the Lord with a request to teach them to pray, that is, of course, to give them some definite form of prayer, as the Baptist did for his disciples (compare Luke 5:33).

Luke 11:2. And He said to them: When you pray, say: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name; Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In answer to the disciple’s request, who evidently spoke on behalf of all the other disciples, the Lord teaches them the prayer “Our Father.” Thus, the Lord’s Prayer was evidently given to the disciples in answer to their request, and the evangelist Matthew apparently placed it in the Sermon on the Mount only because he began to set forth Christ’s teaching on how in general one should pray (Matt 6:9). In newer editions (for example, in Tischendorf), the Lord’s Prayer according to the Gospel of Luke has a more abbreviated form than in the evangelist Matthew. So in the second verse the words “our, who art in heaven” and “your will be done as in heaven and on earth” are omitted. Some (for example, I. Weiss) attach very great significance to this difference, saying that in general the Church did not preserve the authentic words of Christ. But it seems to us that these accusations are unjust and unfair. First, it is still necessary to prove that indeed both evangelists do not agree with each other in transmitting the Lord’s Prayer. After all, the text of this prayer as presented by the evangelist Luke, accepted in the Eastern Church, has also grounds for itself in some ancient manuscripts (see Tischendorf’s note to chapter 11 of Luke, p. 561), and it is quite possible that in those manuscripts of the Gospel of Luke where the Lord’s Prayer is presented in abbreviated form, the reading is offered which existed only in those churches in which these manuscripts were written. In fact, the Lord’s Prayer was first recorded identically in both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. And then, second, such a supposition is possible—if we accept as a fact that in Luke the Lord’s Prayer has only five petitions—that the evangelist Matthew gave in his Gospel the formula of prayer, while the evangelist Luke outlined its content in a more concise form, since in fact, for example, the expression “your will be done” is essentially similar to the preceding petition “your kingdom come.” In short, the question of what form the Lord’s Prayer originally had in the Gospel of Luke cannot yet be considered finally settled. One cannot, in fact, disregard the testimony of the Sinai Codex, which has the petition “your will be done as in heaven, so on earth….” For explanation of the Lord’s Prayer see the commentaries on Matt 6:9-13.

Luke 11:3. Give us this day our daily bread. Instead of “give,” as is said in Matthew, here stands the word “give” (present tense). This means continuing, constant giving, which corresponds to the expression used further on: “each day” (in Matthew—this day), that is, day after day, daily.

Luke 11:4. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone indebted to us; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. “Sins”—a more precise expression than “debts” used in Matthew. “For”—in Matthew: “as.” The meaning is generally the same here and there. “But deliver us from evil.” This petition is also omitted in newer editions of the Gospel of Luke. Regarding it one can say the same as has been said above regarding the omissions presumed in verse 2. The doxology is omitted in the Gospel of Luke and according to our text.

Luke 11:5. And He said to them: Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight and say to him: Friend, lend me three loaves. Luke 11:6. For a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him. Luke 11:7. And he from within shall answer and say: Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you. Luke 11:8. I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needs. After Christ had taught His disciples to pray, He gives them assurance that their prayer will be heard. He tells a parable about a friend who, through his persistent requests, compels his friend to rise at night from his bed to give the petitioner three loaves for the entertainment of an unexpected traveling friend. “Which of you….” In the Greek text here is not a conditional, but a question form of the proposal, and only from verse 7 does a conditional proposition begin, to which verse 8 is the main clause or conclusion (compare Matt 7:9). The proper flow of thought could be represented as follows: “Who of you finds himself in such a situation that he has a friend and a friend comes to him at midnight and says to him: and would he not get an answer from him: Do not trouble me?…. And I say to you….” “Because of his importunity”—more precisely: “because of his shamelessness” (διά γε τὴν ἀναίδειαν). This shamelessness, which the Lord apparently advises to imitate (see verse 9), does not seem to be an intolerable deed, because, as Trench rightly notes (p. 279), the petitioner persists not for his own sake, but for another’s and in order not to fail in the sacred duty of hospitality. So Abraham gives us another example of insistent and persistent prayer: he also begs not for himself, but in defense of Sodom (Gen 18:23-33).

Luke 11:9. And I say to you: Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. Luke 11:10. For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened. Here is the application of the parable to the position of Christ’s disciples. They also must persistently ask God for their needs, and their requests will be fulfilled (see Matt 7:7-8).

Luke 11:11. Now which of you fathers, if a son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Luke 11:12. Or if he asks for an egg, will he give him a scorpion? Luke 11:13. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. (See Matt 7:9-11). A characteristic feature of the Gospel of Luke here is, first, the addition about an egg and a scorpion, which, curled up, becomes similar to an egg and sometimes has white skin color, and second, the replacement of the expression “goods,” found in the evangelist Matthew, with the expression “the Holy Spirit.” However, this latter change does not alter the substance of the matter, because the source of all true good is, of course, the Holy Spirit, so it is equally well to say: good, or the Holy Spirit (as the source of good).

Luke 11:14. Now He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; and it came to pass, when the demon went out, the dumb man spoke; and the multitudes marveled. Luke 11:15. But some of them said: He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons. Luke 11:16. And others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven. Luke 11:17. But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falls. Luke 11:18. If Satan also is divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebub. Luke 11:19. And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. Luke 11:20. But if I with the finger of God cast out demons, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. Luke 11:21. When a strong man armed guards his own house, his goods are in peace. Luke 11:22. But when one stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils. Luke 11:23. He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathers not with Me scatters. Luke 11:24. When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he walks through waterless places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says: I will return to my house from which I came out. Luke 11:25. And coming, he finds it swept and set in order. Luke 11:26. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more evil than himself; and they enter in and dwell there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Regarding the healing of the demon-possessed mute man, the evangelist Luke speaks, apparently following the source which was close to Matthew (Matt 9:32-34), and the speech of Christ on account of the accusation brought against Him by the Pharisees and scribes he sets forth, holding closer to the Gospel of Mark (Mark 3:22-30) and in part making some additions to Mark’s account. “Mute” (verse 14; see Mark 9:17). “Some” (verse 15)—these were evidently the Pharisees (see Matt 9:34). “But others, testing….” (verse 16). This is an addition of the evangelist Luke (see Mark 8:11; Matt 16:1). “But He, knowing….” (verse 17; see Matt 12:24 and following). “With the finger of God” (verse 20)—in Matthew: “with the Spirit of God” (Matt 12:28). Luke frequently uses such figurative expressions (see Luke 1:66). Finger—this is the external expression of God’s activity (compare Exod 8:19). “When a strong man….” (verse 21). This parable is set forth here more fully than in Matthew (Matt 12:29) and is related to the comparison given in the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 49:24). “He that is not with Me” (verse 23; see Matt 12:30). “When the unclean spirit” (verse 24; see Matt 12:43-45). Probably, by appending this section (verses 24–26), the evangelist Luke wished to explain what such ordinary castings out of demons represent, which were accomplished also by the disciples of the Pharisees. These exorcists healed a man not forever, but only temporarily, and the dominion of Satan over men they were not able to destroy.

Luke 11:27. And it came to pass, as He spoke these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said to Him: Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which gave You suck. Luke 11:28. But He said: Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it. A remark about a woman, in all likelihood having had children and perhaps not entirely good ones, is made only by the evangelist Luke. To the exclamation of this woman, who valued highly only the bodily relationship of the Mother of Christ to Her Son, the Lord says that bodily proximity to Christ alone is not enough to be blessed, and that for this a spiritual closeness to Christ is also required—a willingness to listen to and keep the word of God which He proclaims. “Blessed rather are those who hear….” More precisely: “Yes! But blessed also are those….” (μενοῦν μακάριοι) or: “on the contrary, blessed are those….”

Luke 11:29. And when the multitudes were gathering together, He began to say: This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonah the prophet. Luke 11:30. For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of Man be to this generation. Luke 11:31. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and shall condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here. Luke 11:32. The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here. Regarding the Lord’s response to the demand for a sign from heaven, the evangelist Luke on the whole sets it forth in accordance with Matthew (see Matt 12:39-42). About the sign of the prophet Jonah, the evangelist Luke speaks more briefly than Matthew. Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites in that he was sent to them by the true God, which was pointed to by his remarkable fate (deliverance from the belly of the whale after three days of being there); Christ, in turn, will be a sign to the generation of His own time that He was sent by God as the Messiah also through His own personal fate (as risen from the belly of the earth after three days of being there—Euthymius Zigabenus). “With the men of this generation”—more correctly: “with the men….” Evidently, here a woman is contrasted with men: a woman serves as an example to them!

Luke 11:33. No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a cellar, neither under a bushel, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. Luke 11:34. The lamp of the body is the eye; therefore when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is evil, your body also is full of darkness. Luke 11:35. Take heed therefore that the light which is in you be not darkness. Luke 11:36. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it shall be wholly bright, as when the lamp with its brightness lights you. Here the Lord shows how in vain is the demand made by the Pharisees for miraculous signs. Why do you need these signs when in Christ the light of divine revelation has appeared, which can be seen by all? It is only necessary to have the healthy eyes of the soul to perceive this light. By “lamp” one can understand Christ Himself as the Light of the world. Commentaries to individual sayings see Matt 5:15.

Luke 11:37. Now as He spoke, a certain Pharisee besought Him to dine with him; and He went in and reclined at table. “When He spoke”—more correctly: “when He said this.” “He went in” in order to give instruction to the Pharisees (blessed Theophylact).

Luke 11:38. And the Pharisee, when he saw it, marveled that He had not first washed before dinner. The Pharisee probably marveled in his heart that Christ, who had just come into contact with the people and had cast out a demon, did not perform, on sitting down to dinner, the customary washing (compare Mark 7:2).

Luke 11:39. And the Lord said to him: Now you Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. The Lord begins here to reprove the Pharisees for false piety, repeating what, according to the Gospel of Matthew, He spoke in His denunciation of the Pharisees in Jerusalem (Matt 23). It is possible to suppose that the evangelist Luke only adapted these denunciations to this dinner. In fact, it is hardly possible to assume that the Lord addressed them to the master of the house and his friends: their proper place is indeed where they are found in the evangelist Matthew. “Now you”—that is: “Look, you!” “But your inward part.” In Matthew this is expressed somewhat differently (Matt 23:25). There the external appearance and the inner content of the cup and platter are compared, while here—the external cleanliness of vessels and the inner uncleanness of those drinking and eating from them.

Luke 11:40. You foolish ones, did not He that made the outside make the inside also? God created both the external things and the inner world of man. How then is it unwise to be concerned about the cleanness of only the external creation of God, neglecting one’s own inner world!

Luke 11:41. But rather give alms of such things as you have; and behold, all things are clean to you. This verse is very difficult to explain. The conclusion appears very unexpected: “give alms.” What has this to do with washing before dinner? The discussion was about washing before dinner. B. Weiss finds it possible, however, to establish some connection of this verse with the preceding one. “To what is said in verse 40,” he says, “here in addition (πλήν) is indicated still a way how to cleanse cups and dishes: it is necessary to give what is contained in these cups and vessels (their inner content) as alms, and then all for you will be clean—you will not need the established ceremonial purifications! They will not be necessary for you because everything will be clean for you—nothing will defile you!” It is quite possible that the Pharisees indeed did not like to give alms, and the Lord in this case rebukes this their deficiency. But in any case, such an interpretation cannot fail to be recognized as somewhat artificial. A more plausible explanation of this passage is given by Klein in the “Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Theologie” (1906, pp. 252–254). Klein finds a similarity between the instruction contained in the verse under discussion and the words of the prophet Isaiah about what the essence of washing consists of. According to the prophet’s thought (Isa 1:16), the essence of washing consists in cleansing oneself from the uncleanness of sin, and the Lord here clearly brings, the beginning of verse 16 from chapter 1 of the book of the prophet Isaiah. But the verb used here in Isaiah “zakki” (in the hiphil form “hizakku”) the evangelist Matthew translated correctly with the word “cleanse” (Matt 23:26: “cleanse first”), while the evangelist Luke understood it in its later Aramaic meaning “give alms.” Therefore, if we replace here the root word “hizakku” with the word “cleanse” (what you have), then the meaning becomes clearer and the connection with the preceding verse is preserved. The Lord advises the Pharisees to cleanse or maintain in purity all that they have, not only cups and dishes, not hands only, but also their own soul; then external uncleanness will not be terrible to them.

Luke 11:42. But woe to you, Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and pass by justice and the love of God; these ought you to have done, and not left the other undone. (See Matt 23:23). “Woe” to the Pharisees, because they hold to completely different rules. “Rue” (τό πήγανον)—instead of “anise” mentioned in Matthew. “Every herb”—all garden vegetation (πᾶν λάχανον) instead of “cumin” mentioned in Matthew.

Luke 11:43. Woe to you, Pharisees! for you love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the marketplaces. (See Matt 23:5-7). The evangelist Luke shortens here Christ’s speech because some of its details were unclear to his readers.

Luke 11:44. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them. (See Matt 23:27). The thought of the comparison presented by the evangelist Luke is somewhat different from that in Matthew. Luke depicts the Pharisees as similar to unmarked graves, which are not painted with bright yellow paint, which would let everyone know that here is a tomb with the body of a deceased person. Seeing this, a passerby would step aside in order not to touch the tomb and become defiled. And you cannot recognize the Pharisee: by appearance he is like all other people, perhaps even more pious than others, so that people can easily be influenced by him, which is very harmful to the moral life of a person.

Luke 11:45. Then one of the lawyers answered Him, saying: Teacher, when You say these things, You reproach us also. The scribe, apparently, did not openly belong to the Pharisaic party, but everything that the Lord had hitherto said about the Pharisees applied to him as well, because he, like other scribes, was in many ways similar to the Pharisees.

Luke 11:46. And He said: Woe to you lawyers also! for you load men with burdens grievous to bear, and you yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. (See Matt 23:4).

Luke 11:47. Woe to you! for you build the sepulchers of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. (See Matt 23:29 and following)

Luke 11:48. So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed the prophets, and you build their sepulchers. “And you build their sepulchers.” The usual interpretation of this passage is as follows: by building the sepulchers, or rather by maintaining them, the Jews thereby approve and those murders of prophets which were committed in ancient times by their ancestors. But one cannot fail to acknowledge that such an interpretation is rather unnatural. Therefore, it is better to accept the thought of Stier, that the Lord here does not at all recognize the maintenance of prophetic tombs as an evil deed, but says only that the Jews of His time have not gone far in their attitude toward the prophets and their teaching from their ancestors. Those did not listen to the prophets and even sometimes killed them—of course, sometimes—while these limit their relation to the prophets only to the fact that they build them monuments, but do not perform their words.

Luke 11:49. Therefore also said the Wisdom of God: I will send them prophets and apostles; and some of them they will kill and persecute. “Therefore,” that is, because of this your agreement with your fathers—the murderers of prophets. “The Wisdom of God….” This is not a quotation from the Old Testament, as such a passage is not in the Old Testament, nor His own, previously spoken saying of Christ. It is possible to think that Christ means here God, Who sent prophets in the Old Testament and apostles in the New Testament. In Matthew, apparently Christ speaks of Himself (Matt 23:34).

Luke 11:50. That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation. Luke 11:51. From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, It shall be required of this generation. (See Matt 23:35).

Luke 11:52. Woe to you lawyers! for you have taken away the key of knowledge: you entered not in yourselves, and those who were entering you hindered. (See Matt 23:13). The evangelist Luke speaks not of the fact that the scribes do not let others into the Kingdom of Heaven, as said in Matthew, but of the fact that they have taken away the key to knowledge, that is, to the knowledge of divine saving truth as it appeared in Christ. Truth is like a locked house, to which you can enter only if you have the key. But the key is in the hands not of the people, but of a few scribes: their teaching prevented the people from making use of Christ’s teaching, from knowing the truth.

Luke 11:53. And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge Him vehemently, and to press Him hard with many questions. Luke 11:54. Laying wait for Him, and seeking to catch something out of His mouth, that they might accuse Him. The scribes and Pharisees, when Christ went out from the Pharisee’s house (thus it reads in the best manuscripts instead of “said”), began in every way to force answers from Him to their questions, in order to catch Him at something.

Chapter Twelve

1–12. Exhortations to open confession of faith. – 13–21. The parable of the rich fool. – 22–34. On gathering earthly treasures. – 35–48. On watchfulness and faithfulness. – 49–53. On the struggle that will come to Christ’s followers. – 54–59. On the signs of the times.

Luke 12:1. In the meantime, when so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first: Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. In the following section (down to verse 13) the evangelist Luke follows the Gospel of Matthew or the source which was close to this Gospel (compare Matt 10:17-33). “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees” (see Matt 16:6). “Which is hypocrisy,” that is, beware because this leaven, which permeates the whole nature of the Pharisee, is hypocrisy (compare Matt 6:2).

Luke 12:2. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; nor hid, that shall not be known. What is the connection of this speech with the preceding verse? Undoubtedly, the Lord points now to the uselessness of hypocrisy: all the same, the truth will certainly come to light in time (see Matt 10:26-27).

Luke 12:3. Therefore whatsoever you have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which you have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. Some interpret this with reference to the preaching of the apostles, at first concealed, then, with the victory of Christianity, proclaimed openly. But simpler and more natural is to see here the continuation of the speech about the uselessness of hypocrisy: however much a hypocrite hides his spiritual state, it will in the end still be revealed openly for all to see. “In the light,” that is, in daylight.

Luke 12:4. And I say to you My friends: Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. Luke 12:5. But I will show you whom you should fear: fear Him, who after He has killed has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him. Luke 12:6. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? and not one of them is forgotten before God. Luke 12:7. But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore fear not: you are of more value than many sparrows. (See Matt 10:28-31). Hitherto the Lord spoke about hypocrites; now He turns to His friends. From them He expects not hypocritical devotion, but open and honest, fearless service.

Luke 12:8. Also I say to you: Every one that confesses Me before men, him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God. Luke 12:9. But he that denies Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. (See Matt 10:32-33). The Lord here persuades the disciples to firm confession of their faith and points to the reward awaiting them for this. “Before the Angels of God.” The evangelist Luke speaks of the “Angels” as servants surrounding the throne of the Heavenly King. The evangelist Matthew speaks directly of the Father in Heaven, before whom Christ acknowledges His faithful confessors as His own.

Luke 12:10. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him. (See Matt 12:31-32). From confessors of Christ the discourse passes to those who do not believe in Christ, who will speak against the Son of Man, and from these to the blasphemers of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 12:11. When they bring you before the synagogues and authorities and powers, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say, Luke 12:12. for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that hour what you ought to say. According to the evangelist Luke, those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit should be recognized as the authorities and powers who will not acknowledge the disciples of Christ as messengers of God speaking under the action of the Holy Spirit (see Matt 10:17-20).

Luke 12:13. Someone from the crowd said to Him: Teacher! Tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. Luke 12:14. And He said to that man: Who made Me a judge or a divider over you? This remarkable event is recorded by only one evangelist, Luke. Someone from among those listening to Christ—certainly not a disciple of Christ, for a disciple would hardly dare approach in front of the crowd with such a question to Christ—someone, evidently extremely preoccupied with his own affairs, interrupted Christ with a question or request: “Teacher! Tell my brother…” It is evident that his brother had wrongly appropriated all the inheritance after their father’s death, and he desired that the Great Teacher of the people would intervene on his behalf. Perhaps, he thought, the brother would listen to the Teacher. But the Lord answered him briefly that He was not appointed to divide property. “Man!” (this is how Christ’s form of address ἄνθρωπε should be translated here). “Who made…” The Lord calls the one who addressed Him “man”—a form of address showing some disapproval of the request itself (cf. Rom 2:1). Then the Lord clearly withdraws from participation in affairs of a purely civil character. He came to proclaim the Gospel, and once the Gospel is established in human hearts, it itself will already transform and change the whole structure of social life. On the basis of the Gospel there could develop entirely just Christian legislation—inner renewal ought to lead to outer, civil renewal as well (see: Rozanov N.P. Socio-economic Life and the Gospel, pp. 1–5).

Luke 12:15. And He said to them: Look out, guard yourselves against greed, for a person’s life does not depend on the abundance of his possessions. The Lord points out that greed—covetousness—was what prompted the request voiced by the “man,” and He urges them to fear this feeling. “For life.” What life? The ordinary physical life or eternal life? From verse 20 it is evident that only the former can be meant here—mere existence, the length of which does not depend on how much wealth one has managed to accumulate: God unexpectedly brings the life of a rich man to an end and continues the life of a poor man.

Luke 12:16. And He said to them a parable: A certain rich man had a good harvest in his field; Luke 12:17. and he reasoned with himself, saying: What shall I do? I have nowhere to store my fruit? Luke 12:18. And he said: This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will gather there all my grain and all my goods, Luke 12:19. and I will say to my soul: Soul! You have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry. Luke 12:20. But God said to him: Fool! This very night your soul will be demanded of you; then whose will be the things you have prepared? Luke 12:21. So it is with the one who stores up treasures for himself and is not rich toward God. The parable of the rich fool confirms in the best way the thought of verse 15—about the unreliability of wealth for lengthening a person’s life. “Nowhere for me to store my fruit.” Before the rich man were, of course, thousands of those in need, to whom he ought to have given the surplus of his harvest, but he seems to regard himself as not at all obliged to help his neighbor and thinks only of himself, so that he might be at ease about the future, when there might be no harvest. “I will say to my soul.” The soul here is taken as the “seat of feelings”: it will feel the pleasure which wealth will give to the person (“soul” in Greek ψυχή—precisely the lower aspect of the soul’s life in contrast to pneuma—the higher aspect of this life). “God said to him.” When and how is not said; these gaps are generally characteristic of parables (Blessed Theophylact). “Will demand.” Again it is not said—who. One can, of course, see here the Angels—“the Angels of death, who will tear out the soul of the one resisting the lover of life” (Blessed Theophylact; cf. Luke 16:22). “Rich toward God” (εἰς θεὸν πλουτῶν)—this does not mean: to gather wealth in order to use it for the glory of God, because in that case the previous expression would have been retained: “stores up treasures” (θησαυρίζειν), and the contrast would consist only in a difference of purposes for enrichment, whereas clearly the Lord contrasts “enrichment in general” with complete indifference to the gathering of property. Nor can there be here any question of gathering unfading riches—the blessings of the Messiah’s Kingdom, because that would still be an accumulation of treasures “for oneself,” though they are treasures of another kind. Therefore nothing remains but to accept the interpretation of B. Weiss, according to which “to be rich toward God” means to be rich in goods which God Himself recognizes as goods (cf. the expression of verse 31: “seek rather the kingdom of God”).

Luke 12:22. And He said to His disciples: For this reason I say to you, do not worry for your soul what you will eat, nor for your body what you will put on: Luke 12:23. the soul is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Luke 12:24. Consider the ravens: they do not sow, they do not reap; they have neither storehouse nor granary, and God feeds them; how much more valuable are you than the birds? Luke 12:25. And who of you by worrying can add a single cubit to his stature? Luke 12:26. If then you are not able to do even the least, why do you worry about the rest? Luke 12:27. Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these. Luke 12:28. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is today and tomorrow will be cast into the fire, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith! Luke 12:29. And you, do not seek what you will eat, or what you will drink, and do not be anxious, Luke 12:30. for all these things the nations of the world pursue; and your Father knows that you need these things; Luke 12:31. rather seek the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you. These sayings, in which the thoughts of the parable of the rich fool are expounded, in the Gospel of Matthew are placed in the Sermon on the Mount (see Matt 6:25-33). “And do not be anxious” (verse 29, μὴ μετεωρίζεσθε)—more accurately “do not carry yourselves too high” in the demands you make upon life in general.

Luke 12:32. Fear not, little flock; for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:33. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that do not wear out, with an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth eats away, Luke 12:34. for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “Fear not, little flock.” These words are found only in the evangelist Luke. Here the Lord gives assurance to His disciples that their striving for the kingdom of God (verse 31) will achieve its goal. And they might fear precisely that it would not be granted to them to enter this kingdom, because they, in any case, represented only an extremely small circle (“little flock”), whereas in the Old Testament, according to the common understanding of the time, the kingdom of the Messiah was designated for the chosen people as a whole. “What really are we?” the apostles could have thought. “What kind of ‘kingdom’ will this be, in which there will be only us and a few other followers of Christ?” But the Lord dispels all their doubts by pointing to the “good pleasure” of God: The kingdom will be opened before you (cf. Luke 22:29 and following)—of course, the glorious heavenly kingdom of the Messiah. “Sell your possessions.” This aim is so important that you must sacrifice your earthly possessions for it. This, of course, applies not only to the apostles, but to all followers of Christ (see Matt 6:19-21). “Provide yourselves.” You will give to others your earthly acquisitions, but take care also for yourselves—strive to gain for yourselves heavenly treasure, that is, entry into the glorious kingdom of Christ. However, one cannot think that this will be achieved by merely distributing one’s property to the poor or by alms alone. Alms and the distribution of one’s property only free a person from the obstacle which wealth presents for one who strives to gain the kingdom of heaven, but besides this, one who seeks such a kingdom must apply all his strength to achieve the goal he has set. “Purses that do not wear out,” that is, such storehouses of heavenly treasures as never wear away and from which nothing spills out.

Luke 12:35. Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning. Luke 12:36. And you be like men waiting for their master’s return from a wedding, so that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately. Luke 12:37. Blessed are those servants, whom the master, when he comes, will find watching; truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit down, and coming he will serve them. Luke 12:38. And if he comes in the second watch, or in the third watch, and finds them so, blessed are those servants. Luke 12:39. You know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. Luke 12:40. You also be ready, for the Son of Man comes at an hour when you do not expect him. With the discourse about the future glorious kingdom of the Messiah is closely connected the discourse in which Christ persuades the apostles to be especially vigilant in awaiting the revelation of this kingdom. “Let your loins be girded…” That is, be in full readiness to meet the coming Messiah. Servants had to walk quickly while serving their master, and therefore they had to gird their clothing so it would not get entangled about their feet. In the same way, meeting their master at night, they had to hold lamps in their hands. The master is shown coming “from a wedding”—not from his own, but simply from someone’s wedding. “Blessed are those servants…” By this parabolic saying the Lord wants to point out the certainty of righteous recompense, which all His faithful servants will receive upon the revelation of the glorious kingdom of the Messiah: the master will show such servants as much attention as they showed him, so also the Messiah will reward His watching servants appropriately. “In the second watch, and in the third watch.” In the first watch, that is, at the beginning of the night, some servants could very well not sleep while doing something about the house. But not to sleep in the second and third watches—that meant already to watch intentionally. Here the evangelist Luke follows the ancient Jewish division of the night into three parts, or watches; Mark in Mark 13:35 follows the later, Roman, division of the night into four watches. “You know this, that if…” (see Matt 24:43-44).

Luke 12:41. Then Peter said to Him: Lord! Do you speak this parable to us, or also to everyone? Luke 12:42. And the Lord said: Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will set over his servants to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Luke 12:43. Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing. Luke 12:44. Truly I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. Luke 12:45. But if that servant says in his heart, My master delays his coming, and begins to beat the male and female servants, to eat and drink and get drunk, Luke 12:46. the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and put him with the unfaithful. Luke 12:47. And that servant who knew the will of his master, and was not ready and did not do according to his will, will be beaten with many blows; Luke 12:48. but the one who did not know, and committed things worthy of punishment, will be beaten with few. And from everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required, and to whom much has been entrusted, the more they will demand. Peter’s question is reported by only the evangelist Luke. Peter is puzzled about the parable of servants waiting for their master—does it apply only to the apostles or also to all believers? In answer to Peter, the Lord speaks a parable, which is also found in Matthew (Matt 24:45-51). If Matthew mentions a “servant” and here a “steward,” this is evidently not a contradiction, as in the East stewards were mostly taken from among the servants. Furthermore, in verse 46 the evangelist Luke says that the servant’s lot will be such as generally befalls unfaithful people, and Matthew (Matt 24:51) instead of the word “unfaithful” uses “hypocrites.” Verses 47–48 represent an addition made by the evangelist Luke. A servant who knew all that his master desired and yet did not prepare what was needed will be severely punished. A servant who did not know the master’s will will not be so punished in case of failure to fulfill that will, yet he will still be punished for having “done things worthy of punishment” (though the Lord does not say what exactly). “And from everyone to whom much has been given…” (verse 48). For an explanation, see the commentaries on Matt 25:14 and following. A sum of money should not lie idle in the hands of the one it is given to: it is given, evidently, for increase through business operations, and therefore when returning it to the giver, one must return with it its increase as well. In a figurative sense, this obviously refers to those followers of Christ who have received some special spiritual or external advantages, by which they should serve for the building up of the Church (Eph 4:11-13).

Luke 12:49. I have come to cast fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! Luke 12:50. But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Luke 12:51. Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division; Luke 12:52. for from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two, and two against three: Luke 12:53. father will be divided against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. The Lord has just said that His faithful servants must constantly watch. He now supports this exhortation by pointing to the effect which His appearance among humanity should have: with His coming, a time of difficult struggle must begin, which will occur among people in deciding whether to stand on the side of Christ or to go against Him. “I have come to cast fire upon the earth.” This “fire” cannot be understood as the Holy Spirit (ancient church interpretation), nor as the word of God with its purifying power, nor as the fire of persecutions testing believers, nor as the burning of the Spirit that appeared in certain people under the action of Christ’s teaching, nor as the discord described further on (verse 51 and following) as an all-devouring element. In all these interpretations the very essence of fire is not sufficiently taken into account, and against the last interpretation the fact is that the discord is shown further as dividing rather than devouring people. The essence of fire consists in that it destroys things and extinguishes all that can be extinguished, while that which is inextinguishable, not susceptible to its destructive action, it purifies from every admixture that has clung to it. In more precisely determining the meaning of fire as it is understood here, we must see in it the spiritual force which destroys the present order of the world, eliminates in it all that is perishable and against God, and thereby purifies the essence of this world, and transforms it into a new one, capable of eternal existence. “And how I wish it were already kindled!” More precisely: “and how greatly do I desire…” (καὶ τί θέλω). “But I have a baptism to be baptized with.” This fire will kindle only when Christ accomplishes His ministry for which He came to earth… Here, of course, baptism by sufferings is meant, so to speak a plunging (βάπτισμα) into sufferings (cf. Mark 10:38). “And how distressed I am…” To be distressed (συνέχεσθαι) means to have constant anxiety and anguish in one’s soul (cf. Luke 21:25; 2 Cor 2:4). Here Christ expresses the purely human feeling of despondency at the thought of the impending sufferings (cf. John 12:27; Matt 26:37). Thus, if Christ says that He came to “cast” (in Russian “cast down”—a weaker expression) fire upon the earth and desires that this fire were already kindled, and then continues that He must be baptized with suffering, the thought of which brings His soul to anguish, by this very thing He gives to understand not only that His suffering will precede the kindling of that fire, but also that it is necessary for this, that without His sufferings the fire will not be kindled. From this one can draw the conclusion that the fire which will be kindled only after His suffering and death, the Lord had in mind the preaching of the cross, which for those perishing proved to be a scandal, but for those being saved is the power of God (1 Cor 1:18) and which was bound to act indeed like fire to purify the world from all sin. The flame of this preaching will burn as long as sinners have not been finally consumed in the final fire of God’s judgment and as long as there does not appear a new heaven and new earth, in which righteousness dwells (2 Pet 3:7). As Christ through baptism, which He accepted at the very outset of His Messianic ministry, took upon Himself the guilt of all humanity, so through the baptism of sufferings He bore responsibility for this guilt and restored humanity in its righteousness, for taking on ourselves by faith His merits, we truly become righteous before God… In this consists the causal connection between Christ’s sufferings and death, on the one hand, and the kindling of fire on the other. In order to explain this figurative speech, the Lord now (verse 51 and following) tells the disciples that He came to earth not to bring “peace” but “division.” For an explanation, see the commentaries on Matt 10:34-36, where this saying has the significance of an exhortation to the disciples to the very greatest self-renunciation, whereas here it is presented as containing an exhortation to watchfulness in view of the expected coming of Christ for the revelation of His kingdom.

Luke 12:54. And He said to the crowd: When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, A shower is coming; and so it happens. Luke 12:55. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, There will be heat; and it happens. Luke 12:56. Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of earth and sky; but why do you not know how to discern this time? Luke 12:57. And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? Luke 12:58. When you go with your accuser before a magistrate, try to settle with him on the way, so that he may not drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. Luke 12:59. I tell you, you will not come out of there until you have paid the very last penny. The reason for those divisions of which Christ has just predicted the emergence, if we first of all take into account the listeners of Christ—the Jews—lay in the Jewish people themselves. This people did not want to acknowledge that with the coming of Christ the long-awaited Messianic time had come. Therefore the Lord reproaches the people for this unwillingness to understand the great significance of the events happening before them—the works of Christ. Christ reproaches the people with the same words with which He once addressed the Pharisees (see Matt 16:1-4). “A cloud rising in the west,” that is, from the Mediterranean Sea, a cloud full of moisture. “Hypocrites.” So with full justice they should have been called, because the people had not yet lost their common sense, only they did not want to understand the significance of what Christ was accomplishing before their eyes. “And why do you not judge for yourselves.” Here the force of the thought lies in the word ἀφ´ ἑαυτῶν, which is inexactly translated in the Russian text as “for yourselves.” The Lord reproaches the people for not wanting to understand, in the sense of the signs of the time being experienced, independently, “by themselves,” without being guided by the harmful suggestions of the Pharisees. “When you go.” The thought about the necessity of taking advantage of the signs of the time now happening is reinforced here by the Lord with a parable, the content of which is taken from everyday life. One acts well who, not allowing the matter to go to trial, hastens to reconcile with his opponent or creditor, because the court will not have mercy on one not paying his debt and will hand him over to the officer (πράκτωρ), whose duty it was among the Greeks to exact all debts. Thus the Lord advises His listeners by this parable to do quickly what is required of them by the present state of affairs, that is, to repent quickly of the stubbornness with which they have so far not wanted to acknowledge Christ as the Messiah sent by God, and thereby to free themselves from the judgment of God threatening them (the same instruction is found also in Matt 5:25-26, but here it is more appropriate than there). However, the Lord leaves it to the people themselves to apply this parable to themselves. To do so was easy enough, because the time in which this people lived was indeed like the business relations between a debtor and creditor. John the Baptist had already preached repentance and foretold the coming of the Lord in judgment, and then Christ Himself testified to the people about Himself as the Redeemer from sin and impressed the thought of the strict accountability to which all those disobedient to His exhortations would be subjected. If the people now neglect all the means offered to them to be free from their guilt before God, then God will deal with them as with the debtor in the parable.

Chapter Thirteen

1–9. Exhortations to repentance. – 10–17. Healing on the Sabbath. – 18–21. Two parables about the kingdom of God. – 22–30. Many may not enter the kingdom of God. – 31–35. Christ’s word concerning the designs against Him by Herod.

Luke 13:1. At that time some people came and told Him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. The exhortations to repentance that follow are found only in the evangelist Luke. In the same way, he alone reports the incident that prompted the Lord to address such exhortations to those around Him. “At that time,” that is, when the Lord was speaking the previous discourse to the people, some of the newly arrived listeners reported to Christ about an important piece of news. Some Galileans (their fate appears to be known to the readers, because the word Γαλιλαίων is preceded by the article τῶν) were killed by order of Pilate at the time when they were offering sacrifice, and the blood of those being killed even splashed upon the sacrificial animals. It is unknown why Pilate allowed such cruel lawlessness in Jerusalem against the subjects of King Herod, but in that rather troubled time the Roman procurator could indeed resort, without serious investigation, to the most extreme measures, especially toward the inhabitants of Galilee, who were generally known for their stubborn character and tendency toward uprisings against the Romans.

Luke 13:2. And Jesus said to them: Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus? The Lord’s question was likely prompted by the fact that those who brought Him the news of the destruction of the Galileans were inclined to see in this terrible destruction the punishment of God for some special sins committed by the destroyed. “Were” – more precisely: became, made themselves (ἐγένοντο) or punished themselves through their destruction.

Luke 13:3. No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Christ uses this occasion to address an exhortation to His listeners. The destruction of the Galileans, according to His prediction, foretells the destruction of the entire Jewish people, in case the people remain unrepentant, of course, in their opposition to God, who now demands that the people accept Christ.

Luke 13:4. Or do you think that those eighteen on whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them, were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? Luke 13:5. No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Not only the case with the Galileans can strike the mind and heart. The Lord points to still another, evidently quite recent event, namely the fall of the Tower of Siloam, which crushed eighteen people under its ruins. Were these destroyed more sinful before God than all the other inhabitants of Jerusalem? What this tower was is unknown. One can only see that it stood in the immediate vicinity of the Siloam spring (ἐν τῷ Σιλωάμ), which flowed at the foot of Mount Zion, on the southern side of Jerusalem. “All”—again an allusion to the possibility of the destruction of the entire people.

Luke 13:6. And He said this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it, and did not find any. Luke 13:7. And he said to the vinedresser: Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and found none; cut it down. Why does it still use up the soil? Luke 13:8. But he answered him, saying: Master, leave it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it— Luke 13:9. if it bears fruit next year, well; if not, you can cut it down. To show how necessary repentance is now for the Jewish people, the Lord speaks a parable about a barren fig tree, from which the master of the vineyard for the time still expects fruit, but—such a conclusion should be drawn from what is said—his patience may soon be exhausted, and he will cut it down. “And he said”—said, addressing the crowds of people standing about Him (Luke 12:44). “In his vineyard…a fig tree.” In Palestine, on grain fields and vineyards, wherever the soil permits, fig trees and apple trees grow (Trench, p. 295). “For three years I have come…” More precisely: “three years have already passed since I have been coming” (τρία ἔτη, ἀφ´ οὗ). “Why does it still use up the soil?” Land in Palestine is very precious, once it affords the opportunity to make plantings of fruit trees. “Use up”—more precisely: draws out the strength from the earth—the moisture (καταργεῖ). “I will dig around it and put manure on it”—these are the final measures to make the fig tree fruitful (as they do today with orange trees in southern Italy—Trench, p. 300). “If it bears fruit next year; if not, you can cut it down.” This translation is not altogether clear. Why must the fig tree that proves to be fruitless be cut down only “next year”? After all, the master stated to the vinedresser that it uselessly exhausts the soil, so it needs to be removed right after the last and final attempt to make it fruitful. There is no basis for waiting another year. Therefore, it is better to accept the reading established by Tischendorf here: “Perhaps it will bear fruit in the coming year (κἂν μὲν ποιήσῃ καρπόν εἰς τὸ μέλλον)? If not, you can cut it down.” Until the coming year one must wait because the fig tree will only be fertilized in the current year.

Revelation 2:5. By the parable of the barren fig tree the Lord wanted to show the Jews that His appearance as Messiah was the last attempt God was making to call the Jewish people to repentance, and after the failure of this attempt there remained nothing for the people but to expect a speedy end for itself. But besides this direct meaning of the parable, it has also a mystical meaning. Namely, the barren fig tree signifies “every” people and “every” state and church which do not accomplish their purpose, which is given them by God, and which for this reason must be removed from their place (cf. Rev 2:5 the address to the angel of the Ephesus church: “I will remove your lampstand from its place, if you do not repent”). Then in the intercession of the vinedresser for the fig tree, the Fathers of the Church saw the intercession of Christ for sinners, or the intercession of the Church for the world, or the righteous members of the Church for the unrighteous. As for the “three years” mentioned in the parable, some commentators saw here a designation of three periods of Divine dispensation—the law, the prophets, and Christ; others saw an indication of the three-year ministry of Christ. But all these interpretations have no basis in the parable itself, whose details, like every parable in general, do not need explanation: it is important only to emphasize the main thought of the parable, and this thought is clear to everyone. Luke 13:10. And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. Luke 13:11. And there was a woman there who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bent over and could not straighten up completely. Luke 13:12. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her: Woman, you are freed from your sickness. Luke 13:13. And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and began glorifying God. Luke 13:14. But the synagogue leader, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the crowd: There are six days in which work ought to be done; in those come and be healed, and not on the day of the Sabbath. Luke 13:15. But the Lord answered him and said: You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water? Luke 13:16. And this woman, who is a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years, should not she be loosened from this bondage on the day of the Sabbath? Luke 13:17. And as He said these things, all His opponents were put to shame; and the whole crowd was rejoicing at all the glorious deeds being done by Him. Concerning the healing of a woman bent over by Christ on the Sabbath only the evangelist Luke tells. In the synagogue on the Sabbath the Lord healed a bent-over woman—though indirectly, in His address to the people—and the synagogue leader charged Him with this action, because Christ broke the Sabbath rest. Then Christ rebuked the legalistic champion of the law and those like him, pointing out that even on the Sabbath the Jews lead their livestock to water, thereby breaking the prescribed rest. This rebuke caused those opposed to Christ to be ashamed, and the people began expressing joy at the wonderful deeds being performed by Christ. “A spirit of infirmity” (verse 11), that is, a demon, which weakened her muscles (see verse 16). “You are freed” (verse 12)—more precisely: “you are freed” (ἀπολέλυσαι), the coming event is presented in this expression as already accomplished. “The synagogue leader” (verse 14; see Matt 4:23). “Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath” (verse 14; see Mark 3:2). “Said to the crowd” (verse 14). He dared not address Christ directly because the crowd was obviously on the side of Christ (cf. verse 17). “You hypocrites” (verse 15)—according to the more precise reading: “You hypocrites.” Thus the Lord calls the synagogue leader and other representatives of spiritual authority siding with this leader (Euthymius Zigabenus) because they under the guise of precise observance of the Sabbath law wanted to discredit Christ. “Does not each of you…lead it away to water” (verse 15). According to the Talmud, to water animals was permitted also on the Sabbath. “And this woman, who is a daughter of Abraham…” (verse 16). The Lord draws a conclusion from the thought expressed in verse 15. If for animals the strictness of the Sabbath law is violated, then surely for a woman descended from great Abraham it is possible to violate the Sabbath—to free this sufferer from the illness inflicted upon her by Satan (Satan is shown as having bound her by means of one of his servants—demons). “At all the glorious deeds” (verse 17)—omitted: being done or being accomplished (τοῖς γενομένοις). By this the deeds of Christ are designated as continuing.

Luke 13:18. Then He said: What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? Luke 13:19. It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and cast into his garden; and it grew, and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches. Luke 13:20. And again He said: To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? Luke 13:21. It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened. For an explanation of the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven (see Matt 13:31-32; cf. Mark 4:30-32; Matt 13:33). Thus, according to the Gospel of Luke, these two parables were spoken in the synagogue, and here they are entirely appropriate, because in verse 10 it is said that the Lord “was teaching” in the synagogue, but what His teaching consisted of was not said by the evangelist there, now he supplements this omission. “In his garden,” that is, kept it under his immediate supervision and constantly cared for it (Matt 13:31: “in his field”).

Luke 13:22. And He went through the cities and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. The evangelist again (cf. Luke 9:51-53) reminds his readers that the Lord, passing through cities and villages (the evangelist probably means cities and villages of Perea, the region beyond the Jordan, which was the usual route from Galilee to Jerusalem), was moving toward Jerusalem. He thought it necessary here to remind of this goal of the Lord’s journey in view of the fact that further he sets forth the Lord’s predictions concerning the nearness of His death and concerning the judgment over Israel, which, of course, had direct bearing on the goal of Christ’s journey.

Luke 13:23. And someone said to Him: Lord! Are only a few being saved? And He said to them, “Someone”—evidently not one of the disciples of Christ. This is evident from the fact that in answer to the question posed by this person, the Lord addresses the crowd of people in general, from whose midst this person evidently came. “Are only a few being saved?” This question was prompted not by the strictness of Christ’s moral requirements and was not a simple question of curiosity, but, as is evident from Christ’s answer, was based on the proud consciousness that the one asking belonged to those who would surely be saved. Salvation here is understood as salvation from eternal destruction through reception into the glorious kingdom of God (cf. 1 Cor 1:18).

Luke 13:24. Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able to. (See Matt 7:13). The evangelist Luke intensifies the thought of Matthew, for in his account “enter” is replaced by “strive to enter” (ἀγωνίζεσθε εἰσελθεῖν), which presupposes a strong strain that will be required to enter the glorious kingdom of God. “Many…will seek to enter”—when the time of the dispensation of salvation has already passed. “And will not be able to,” because in their time they did not repent.

Luke 13:25. When the master of the house has risen up and shut the door, then you will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us; but He will say to you in reply, I do not know you, from where you are. Luke 13:26. Then you will say, We ate and drank before You, and You taught in our streets. Luke 13:27. But He will say, I tell you: I do not know you, from where you are; depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity. In proclaiming judgment over all the Jewish people, Christ depicts God as the master of a house who is expecting His friends at a supper. The time comes when the door of the house must be closed, and the Master Himself does this. But as soon as He closes the door, the Jewish people (“you”), who came too late, begin asking for permission to enter the supper and knock on the door. Only the Master of the house, that is, God, will say to these latecomers that He does not know from what family they are (cf. John 7:27); they, in any case, do not belong to His house, but to some other, unknown to Him (cf. Matt 25:11-12). Then the Jews will point out that they ate and drank before Him, that is, they were His close friends, that He taught in the streets of their cities (the discourse clearly now shifts to depicting the relationship of Christ to the Jewish people). But the Master of the house will say again that they are unknown to Him and therefore should leave as unrighteous doers, that is, evil, stubborn in their impenitence people (see Matt 7:22-23). In Matthew these words refer to false prophets.

Luke 13:28. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves being cast out. Luke 13:29. And they will come from the east and west, and from the north and south, and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. A conclusion to the preceding discourse depicts the sorrowful state of the rejected Jews, who, to their great annoyance, will see how access to the Kingdom of God will open to other nations (cf. Matt 8:11-12). “There”, that is, where you will be driven.

Luke 13:30. And behold, there are last ones who will be first, and there are first ones who will be last. (See Matt 20:16). “The last ones” – these are the Gentiles, whom the Jews did not consider worthy of admission to the Kingdom of God, and “the first ones” – the Jewish people, to whom the Kingdom of the Messiah was promised (cf. Acts 10:45).

Luke 13:31. On that day some of the Pharisees came and said to Him: Go out and leave from here, for Herod wants to kill You. The Pharisees come to Christ with a warning regarding the designs of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee (cf. Luke 3:1). From the fact that later (verse 32) the Lord calls Herod a “fox”, that is, a cunning being, one can confidently say that the Pharisees came by the command of Herod himself, to whom it was very unpleasant that Christ was remaining so long in his domain (Perea, where Christ was at that time, also belonged to Herod’s domains). Herod was afraid to resort to any open measures against Christ because of the respect with which the people received Christ. Therefore, Herod instructed the Pharisees to persuade Christ that there is danger to Him in Perea from the tetrarch. To the Pharisees it seemed better to persuade Christ to go quickly to Jerusalem, where – as they certainly knew – Christ would not be spared.

Luke 13:32. And He said to them: Go, tell this fox: behold, I cast out demons and accomplish healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will be finished; The Lord answers the Pharisees: “Go, tell this fox”, which sent you, that is, Herod: “behold, I cast out demons and accomplish healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will be finished”. “Today.” This expression means a definite time, known to Christ, during which He will remain in Perea, contrary to all of Herod’s designs and threats. “I will be finished” – I will finish (τελειοῦμαι, which is used everywhere in the New Testament as a passive form), or – I will reach the end. But what “end” does Christ mean here? His death? Some Church teachers and ecclesiastical writers (Jerome, Euthymius Zigabenus) and many Western scholars understood this expression in just such a sense. But the context of the discourse clearly speaks against such an understanding: the Lord is speaking, undoubtedly, of the conclusion of His present activity, which consists in casting out demons and in healing diseases and takes place here in Perea. Then another activity will begin – in Jerusalem.

Luke 13:33. But in any case, I must travel today, tomorrow, and in the following day, for it is not possible that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem. This verse is very difficult to understand, because it is unclear, first, what “travel” the Lord has in mind, and second, it is not clear what connection this “travel” has with the fact that prophets ordinarily died in Jerusalem. Therefore, some of the newer commentators consider this verse to be corrupted in structure and propose this reading: “I must travel (that is, to accomplish healings) here today and tomorrow, but on the next day I must go on a journey farther, because it is not possible that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem” (Jo. Weiss). But there is no basis in this text for finding the thought of Christ’s decision to leave Perea: here is neither the expression “from here” nor any hint of a change in Christ’s activity. Therefore B. Weiss better interprets this place: “Of course, however, Christ must continue His path forward, as Herod wishes. But this depends in no way on Herod’s treacherous designs: Christ must, as before, move from one place to another (verse 22) during a firmly established time. In doing this He does not aim to avoid danger; rather, His journey has Jerusalem as its destination, because He knows that, as a prophet, He can and must die only there”. As for the remark about the death of all prophets in Jerusalem, this is, of course, a hyperbole, because not all prophets found their death in Jerusalem (for example, John the Baptist was executed in Machaerus). The Lord spoke these words with sorrow over the attitude of David’s capital toward God’s messengers 17.

Luke 13:34. Jerusalem! Jerusalem! you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you! How many times I have wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling! Luke 13:35. Behold, your house is left to you desolate. And I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (See commentary on Matt 23:37-39). In the evangelist Matthew this saying about Jerusalem forms the conclusion to the reproachful discourse against the Pharisees, but here it has more connection with the preceding discourse of Christ than in the Gospel according to Matthew. However, in the Gospel according to Luke Christ addresses Jerusalem from a distance. He probably, as He spoke the last words of verse 33, turned His face toward Jerusalem and pronounced this full of sorrow address to the center of the theocracy. “And I say to you…” In the evangelist Matthew: “for I say to you”. The difference between these two expressions is this: in Matthew the Lord predicts desolation to Jerusalem as a consequence of His withdrawal from it, but in Luke the Lord says that in the state of rejection in which Jerusalem will find itself, He will not come to its aid, as the inhabitants of Jerusalem perhaps expected: however sorrowful your condition may be, I will not come to your defense so long as… and so on – that is, until the whole people repent of their unbelief in Christ and turn to Him, which will be just before His second coming (cf. Rom 11:25 and following). * * * Notes From this one cannot conclude that Christ rejects any connection between sin and punishment, “as a vulgar Jewish notion,” in the words of Strauss (Life of Jesus). No, Christ acknowledged the connection between human suffering and sin (see Matt 9:2), but He did not acknowledge to people the power to establish this connection according to their own judgment in each particular case. He wanted to teach people that, seeing the suffering of others, they should strive to examine the state of their own soul and see in the punishment that has befallen their neighbor a warning that God sends to them. Yes, the Lord warned people here against that cold self-satisfaction, which is sometimes manifested even among Christians, who see the suffering of a neighbor and pass by indifferently, with the words “it serves him right…”. I. Weiss finds in this expression of Christ an acknowledgment that He considered Himself only a prophet, like others before Him, and not the Messiah. But such a narrow understanding of this expression contradicts all other declarations of Christ, where He spoke of Himself as a completely special Anointed One of God (see, for example, the discourse of Christ in the Nazareth synagogue – Luke 4:18 and following). Besides, Christ here speaks from the point of view of Herod, who did not recognize Him as the Messiah, but perhaps only as a prophet. Moreover, Weiss’s remark that Christ here speaks of His death “only by conjecture” is unsuccessful: it is not possible that… This is not a conjecture, but a proof, explaining the reason for Christ’s withdrawal to Jerusalem.

Chapter Fourteen

1–14. Christ at the dinner of a Pharisee. – 15–24. Parable of the great supper. – 25–35. About following Christ.

Luke 14:1. It happened that on the Sabbath He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread, and they were watching Him. The account of the Lord’s stay at a Pharisee’s is found only in the evangelist Luke. “One of the rulers of the Pharisees”, that is, one of the representatives of Pharisaism, such as, for example, Hillel, Gamaliel. “To eat bread” (see Matt 15:2). “And they” (καὶ αὐτο…), that is, they, the Pharisees, on their part. “Were watching Him”, that is, waiting for an opportunity to accuse Him of violating the Sabbath (cf. Mark 3:2).

Luke 14:2. And behold, there was a man before Him who was suffering from dropsy. In the Pharisee’s house there unexpectedly met Christ a man who was suffering from dropsy. He was a guest of the Pharisee (cf. verse 4) and was waiting for Christ, probably at the entrance to the house. Not daring to address Him directly for healing on the Sabbath, he only pleaded with his eyes for Christ to turn His merciful attention to him (Euthymius Zigabenus).

Luke 14:3. By reason of this Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees: Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? “By reason of this” – more correctly: answering (ἀποκριθείς), that is, answering the unspoken but clearly heard request of the sick man.

Luke 14:4. They remained silent. And, taking hold of him, He healed him and sent him away. To the question clearly posed by Christ the Pharisees were silent, because they were so wise that they could not answer negatively, but they did not want to agree with Christ either. Then the Lord, taking the sick man to Himself or embracing him (ἐπιλαβόμενος – has precisely such a meaning; in the Russian text this is imprecise – “touched”), healed him and sent him home.

Luke 14:5. And He said to them: If any of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well, will he not immediately pull it out even on the Sabbath? Luke 14:6. And they could not answer Him concerning this. The Lord, just as He had previously explained the necessity of healing the bent woman on the Sabbath (Luke 13:15), now explains the necessity of the help He had just given to the man with dropsy. If people do not hesitate to pull out even on the Sabbath a donkey (according to Tischendorf – “a son”, υἱός) or an ox that has fallen into a well, then – this conclusion is implied – one had to help a man whom “water was overwhelming”. And the Pharisees again could not find what to answer to such a statement.

Luke 14:7. And noticing how the invited guests were choosing the first places, He spoke to them in a parable: The healing of the man with dropsy evidently took place before the guests sat at the table. Now, when all was settled, the guests began to sit at the table, choosing for themselves the first or nearest to the host places (cf. Matt 23:6), the Lord observed this carefully (ἐπέχων) and spoke a parable about it. This, however, is not a parable in the general sense of the word (cf. Matt 13:3), because here the Lord directly addresses the listeners with instruction (“when you…”), and it is a simple moral teaching which did not even require special explanation – it was so clear to everyone.

Luke 14:8. When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the first place, so that it may not happen that someone more honorable than you has been invited, “At a wedding”, that is, at a wedding feast, where there could be found many very important and honored people, who had come from other places and were unknown to the local inhabitants, whom Christ has in mind here.

Luke 14:9. and the one who invited you and him would come and say to you: “Give this man your place”; and then you would begin with shame to take the lowest place. Luke 14:10. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he may say to you: “Friend, go up higher”; then you will be honored in the sight of all those who sit at table with you, The meaning of the instruction is very simple: it is better to move from a bad place to a good one than to have to sit down from a good place, with shame, amid the mocking looks of the guests, in the last place. I. Weiss considers this instruction too practical, not in accord with the sublimity of Christ’s teaching. In his opinion, there is an impression, as if Christ were viewing the matter from the point of view of personal advantage, that He is not teaching humility and modesty here, but rather introducing some spirit of calculation, which devalues even humility. But there is no doubt that Christ does not have in mind here a simple phenomenon of ordinary life, but, as is clear from His subsequent sayings (verses 14, 24), the participation of people in the Kingdom of God. The Pharisees already were, so to speak, choosing places for themselves in this Kingdom, but Christ impresses upon them the thought that their calculations for such places may prove to be wrong. Consequently, the theme and thought of the instruction are anything but unimportant.

Luke 14:11. for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (See Matt 23:12). Again it is undoubtedly true that this general law was stated by Christ here with regard to the hope of the Pharisees for participation in the Kingdom of God.

Luke 14:12. He also said to the one who had invited Him: When you give a dinner or a supper, do not invite your friends, nor your brothers, nor your relatives, nor wealthy neighbors, so that they may also invite you in return, and you will receive repayment. Luke 14:13. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, Luke 14:14. and blessed will you be, because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Turning now, after the instruction given to those invited, to the host himself who had invited the guests, Christ advises him to invite to the dinner not friends, relatives, and the wealthy, but the poor and the crippled. Only in this case can the host hope to receive a reward in the resurrection of the righteous. I. Weiss finds such instruction also not fitting for Christ’s teaching. What is the misfortune in the fact that a wealthy man will repay you with hospitality for your hospitality? This is not so terrible at all and cannot deprive us of the right to receive heavenly reward. But Weiss does not wish to understand that here also Christ is developing the same thought about the conditions for entering the glorious Kingdom of God that He had already expressed many times. This thought consists in the fact that, pursuing earthly appreciation for their actions, even if good, people lose the right to receive heavenly reward (cf. Matt 5:46). From this point of view it is indeed dangerous when we receive a reward on earth for every good deed we do and we accept these rewards: we, so to speak, receive what is ours and for something else, higher, we cannot count. However, one cannot think that with these words Christ forbade in general to invite wealthy people and friends to feasts; here there is obviously a hyperbole… “In the resurrection of the righteous.” Christ taught that there would be not just one resurrection of the righteous, but a resurrection of all – both righteous and unrighteous (cf. Luke 20:35; John 5:25). If He speaks here only of the resurrection of the righteous, He does this with regard to the Pharisees, who believed that only the righteous would be worthy of resurrection, so that to the words “in the resurrection of the righteous” Christ mentally adds: “which you alone allow”.

Luke 14:15. When one of those at table with Him heard this, he said to Him: “Blessed is the one who will eat bread in the Kingdom of God!” Having heard the discourse on the resurrection of the righteous, one of the fellow guests, evidently in the conviction of being a participant in this resurrection, exclaimed: “Blessed”, that is, happy is “the one who will eat bread”, that is, will be a participant in the great feast, “in the Kingdom of God”, that is, in the Messianic Kingdom.

Luke 14:16. But He said to him: A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, Luke 14:17. and at the time for the supper he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited: ‘Come; for everything is now ready.’ Luke 14:18. But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him: ‘I have bought a field and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.’ Luke 14:19. And another said: ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.’ Luke 14:20. And another said: ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ Luke 14:21. So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the angry master of the house said to his slave: ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ Luke 14:22. And the slave said: ‘Master, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ Luke 14:23. The master said to the slave: ‘Go out into the roads and lanes and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. Luke 14:24. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper; for many are called, but few are chosen.’ Christ answers this exclamation with the parable of those invited to the supper, in which He shows that none of the prominent members of the theocratic Jewish society, who considered themselves fully entitled to participate in the Kingdom of the Messiah – here the Pharisees are primarily meant – will be admitted to this Kingdom because of their own fault. This parable is the same as that given by the evangelist Matthew (Matt 22:1-14). The differences between them are inessential. There a king is brought forward, who arranged “a marriage feast for his son”, but here – simply “a man” who “gave a great supper and invited many”, that is, of course, first of all the faithful followers of the Law of Moses, such as the Pharisees and scribes were. There the king sends “slaves” – the prophets of the Old Testament – but here a single slave is sent, which, according to the sense of the discourse, represents Christ Himself, to announce to those invited that the supper is ready (cf. Matt 4:17). Furthermore, what in the evangelist Matthew is indicated rather vaguely, namely, the motives why the invited did not come to the supper, Luke reveals in detail. The reasons given by those invited are not at all completely absurd: it was indeed possible that the one who bought land needed to see what work needed to be done on it (he might miss, for example, the time for sowing). The excuse of the one who bought oxen is less well-founded, but he too could have in mind that, having tried them immediately and found them unfit for work, he would have the opportunity to return them to the cattle dealer, whose herd was going elsewhere and whom he could no longer find after that. The excuse of the third seems even more well-founded, because the law itself freed the newlywed from the performance of civic duties (Deut 24:5). But, in any case, all these reasons, from Christ’s point of view, prove to be insufficient; clearly, Christ means by “the man” who gave the feast God Himself, and for God, of course, a person must sacrifice everything in life. The evangelist Luke then adds that the new guests were called in two stages (in Matthew – once): first the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind were gathered from the streets and lanes, that is – in all likelihood, according to Luke’s thought – the tax collectors and sinners, and then from the roads and from under the hedges (from under the fences) – even lower-standing people, that is, according to the evangelist’s thought, the Gentiles (cf. Rom 2:17 and following). They were commanded to “compel” (ἀνάγκασον; the Russian translation is inaccurate – “persuade”) to come to the feast. Some commentators thought they found in this expression grounds for violence in the realm of freedom of conscience, and Roman inquisitors based on this text their right to persecute heretics. But here, undoubtedly, the discourse is about moral compulsion and nothing else. Indeed, could one slave, had he wished to do so, forcibly bring guests with him? No, this compulsion rather had the character of urgent persuasion. After all, those invited to the feast now were people of the very lowest strata of the people, and they might have been too shy to go to a feast at a rich man’s house: they needed to be told that they were really being invited to a feast (Trench, p. 308–309). “For I tell you” (verse 24). These are the words of the master, not of Christ: Christ in the parable is depicted in the form of a slave. “You” – here is meant both the slave and the guests who have already entered.

Luke 14:25. Now great crowds were traveling with Him; and He turned and said to them, Luke 14:26. If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple; Luke 14:27. and whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. Great crowds were following the Lord, and to an outside observer all these people seemed to be His disciples. Now the Lord wants, so to speak, to make a selection of those persons who truly stand in relation to Him as disciples. He points out further in the harshest terms the obligations that rest upon His true followers (a similar saying exists also in the evangelist Matthew, but in a more softened form – Matt 10:37-39). “If anyone comes to Me.” Many came to Christ, but were attracted to this only by His miracles and did nothing to become true disciples of Christ; they merely followed Him. “And does not hate…” To hate means not “to love less” (cf. Matt 6:24), but to feel genuine hatred, the opposite of love. Father, mother, and others appear here as obstacles to communion with Christ (cf. Luke 12:53), so that, loving the one, it is necessary to hate the others (cf. Luke 16:13). “Life” (verse 26) is taken here in its proper sense as “existence” – it is understood insofar as it is an obstacle to love of Christ (“I torment the one who torments me!” – said the Venerable Seraphim of Sarov about his ascetic labors, which he wanted to weaken his body). “My disciple.” The force of the thought here is on the word “My”, which is therefore placed before the noun which it modifies. “Whoever does not carry his cross…” (see Matt 10:38).

Luke 14:28. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough resources to complete it, Luke 14:29. otherwise, when he has laid the foundation and is unable to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, Luke 14:30. saying: ‘This man began to build and was unable to finish.’ Luke 14:31. Or what king, setting out to encounter another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Luke 14:32. If he cannot prevail, while the other is still far away, he will send a delegation and ask for peace. Luke 14:33. So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple. Why the Lord recognizes as His disciples only those capable of complete self-sacrifice, which following Christ demands – this the Lord explains by the example of a man who, wishing to build a tower, calculates, of course, his resources, to see if they will suffice for this undertaking, so as not to be left in a ridiculous position when, having laid the foundation of the tower, he finds no further means for its construction. Another instructive example Christ gives in the person of a king who, if he has already decided to begin war with another king, does so only after considering his forces. If he sees that his forces are insufficient, he will hasten to make a covenant with the stronger rival king. These two parable examples are found only in the evangelist Luke. From these examples Christ Himself draws a conclusion (verse 33): in entering into the number of Christ’s disciples a person must seriously consider whether he is capable of the self-sacrifice that Christ demands of His disciples. If he does not find in himself sufficient strength for this, then it is clear that he can be a disciple of Christ only in name, but not in reality. “What he has” (verse 33). Here is meant not only property, money, or family, but also all cherished thoughts, views, convictions (cf. Matt 5:29-30). It was very timely now to speak of the necessity of sacrificing everything personal for the cause of serving Christ, because Christ was going to Jerusalem to offer the highest sacrifice for all mankind, and His disciples needed to absorb such willingness for self-sacrifice as was pervading the heart of their Lord and Teacher (Luke 12:49-50).

Luke 14:34. “Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? Luke 14:35. It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; people throw it away. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!” The meaning of this parable saying is this: as salt is needed only so long as it preserves its saltiness, so also a disciple remains a disciple of Christ so long as he has not lost the main quality that characterizes a disciple of Christ, namely, the capacity for self-sacrifice. What will be possible to use to kindle in the disciples the determination for self-sacrifice if they have lost it? Nothing, just as there is no way to restore salt’s lost saltiness. “But if salt…” More exactly: but if even salt (ἐὰν δὲ τὸ ἅλας) loses its saltiness, but this – such is the thought of the expression given – however, cannot be expected in virtue of its own nature (cf. Matt 5:13; Mark 9:50).

Chapter Fifteen

1–10. Parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. – 11–32. Parable of the prodigal son.

Luke 15:1. Now all the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to Him to hear Him. Luke 15:2. But the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying: “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” To the Lord Jesus Christ strove to draw near (ἦσαν δὲ ἐγγίζοντες, in Russian – “were drawing near”) “all”, that is, very many (“all” – a hyperbole), “tax collectors” (see Matt 5:46) “and sinners”, that is, those whom the Pharisees so called because of their transgressions of various precepts of the law (Matt 9:10). The Pharisees were extremely displeased by this, because they, as is well known, still maintained fellowship with Christ, received Him at their homes. The situation was such that Christ, in permitting tax collectors and sinners to approach Him, thereby forced even the Pharisees to come inadvertently into fellowship with them, since “drawing near” by a sinner sometimes was completely unexpected, for example, during a dinner, when it was awkward for the Pharisee to leave the house because of such an unwanted guest.

Luke 15:3. But He said to them this parable: Luke 15:4. Which of you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? Luke 15:5. And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing, Luke 15:6. and coming home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them: ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Luke 15:7. I tell you that thus there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who have no need of repentance. Luke 15:8. Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? Luke 15:9. And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying: ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Luke 15:10. Thus, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. In response to these words the Lord spoke the parable of the lost sheep, in which He portrayed how dear to God is each lost human soul and how God seeks out lost souls in order to return them to Himself. The sinner here is depicted under the image of a sheep, which often from ignorance of the way strays from the path and falls behind the flock, and God under the image of a shepherd, who so pities the straying sheep that, leaving the rest of the flock, consisting of 99 sheep, goes out to seek the one straying sheep, and when he finds it, announces this with joy to all his neighbors. This same parable is also found in a briefer form in the evangelist Matthew (Matt 18:12-14). “In the wilderness” (verse 4). This marks the special care of the shepherd for the lost sheep. Even if one admits with Trench (p. 315) that the eastern wilderness does not represent a sandy and waterless region, that it has good pastures, in any case the presence of a flock in the wilderness without a shepherd, who guards it from wild beasts, is very dangerous for the flock. If, nevertheless, the shepherd abandons the flock to seek one lost sheep, it is clear that he very much pities this sheep. “He lays it on his shoulders” (verse 5). This is a symbol of the shepherd’s special care for the sheep. The sheep is tired, and therefore he carries it on himself. So the grace of Christ supports the repentant sinner who has returned to the path of salvation, when he lacks his own strength to traverse this difficult path. In the early Church this image of the shepherd with the sheep on his shoulders was repeatedly reproduced on the walls of the catacombs; thus they depicted Christ the Savior. “I tell you…” (verse 7). This is the application of the parable of the lost sheep to the case that gave occasion for Christ to speak His parable. By the righteous Christ means not only righteous in name, that is, those who outwardly kept the law, while their moral condition would not give them the right to be called righteous (it would be strange in that God abandoned such pretended righteous), but, undoubtedly, righteous in the proper sense of the word, truly righteous people, though, however, the parable leaves aside the question of whether such righteous people exist. The following parable – of a woman who, having a total capital of ten coins (a coin is about 20 kopecks 18), loses one coin, and then, after intensive searching, finds and rejoices – has the same purpose as the first parable, that is, the revelation of the greatness of God’s love and mercy toward sinners. Under the woman should be understood the Church, which unceasingly cares for the salvation of the perishing. The other details of the parable, not relating to its essence, do not require explanation. “Joy before the angels of God” (verse 10) – more correctly: “before the angels of God” (ἐνωπίον τῶν ἀγγέλων). Here God is depicted as rejoicing, communicating about His joy to the angels surrounding His throne (cf. Luke 12:8).

Luke 15:11. Again He said: A certain man had two sons; In the beautiful parable of the prodigal son Christ also gives an answer to the objections of the Pharisees regarding Christ’s benevolent attitude toward tax collectors and sinners (verse 2). As the father embracing his disobedient son who has returned to him, God receives the repentant sinner with great joy. This joy is incomprehensible to ordinary people, and this is beautifully depicted through the murmuring of the son remaining in the father’s house, when he learned how affectionately the father received his returning brother. Thus, the purpose of the parable is clear: Christ wants to show that He, like God, loves sinners and wants to save them, while the Pharisees oppose this and act in this case completely mercilessly toward these sinners, who are their brothers. In vain therefore one searches for any other meaning in this parable, and all allegorical interpretations of it can have only a spiritual-moral application, but do not find direct grounds in the parable itself. And there are very many such attempts at explanation. For example, some commentators understand by the elder son – the Jews, and by the younger, prodigal son – the Gentiles (Jerome, and among recent scholars – Baur, Schwegler, Ritschl, and others) in their relationship to Christianity. In this allegorizing some commentators extended to separate points of the parable. Others – understand by both brothers the Pharisees and tax collectors (Godet, Gabel, Keil) or the righteous and sinners (Meyer).

Luke 15:12. And the younger of them said to his father: ‘Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.’ So he divided his living between them. According to Hebrew inheritance law, the younger son after the death of the father received half of what went to the elder son (Deut 21:17). The father could choose not to give the son his share in advance, but in any case, in his judgment, found it necessary to satisfy the son’s request and in advance divided the property between both sons, with the father remaining the owner of the share assigned to the elder son, who continued to remain in submission to the father (verses 29–31).

Luke 15:13. And not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country and there he squandered his property with loose living. “After not many days.” Trench sees in this mark of the expression a sign of some delicacy in relation to the father on the part of the younger son (p. 329): he was embarrassed to leave his father’s house immediately. But one can also see in these words an indication that, upon receiving his property, in the younger son very soon there awoke a desire to live for his own pleasure far from his father. “Gathered all he had” – namely, what he received as his inheritance – both things and money. “With loose living” (ἀσώτως, from ἀ – negative particle, and σώζω – I save). Among the classics this expression means spendthrifts of their father’s inheritance. Therefore the younger son is sometimes called “the wasteful son”. It is more correct to take this expression as a designation of carefree, dissolute life in the broadest sense of the word.

Luke 15:14. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need; Luke 15:15. so he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs; Luke 15:16. and he longed to fill himself with the carob pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave them to him. The younger son quickly spent his wealth, and at that time a great famine set in throughout the country where he found himself. He had nothing to eat, and he had to hire himself out to one of the inhabitants of that country as a swinekeeper. This occupation was the lowest, from the point of view of a Jew, who, by the law, considered the pig an unclean animal. But the master, evidently, gave his herder little food, and he was compelled to tear the pods from what is called the “carob tree of John the Baptist.” The pods had the form of pods, which is why they are called here “carob pods” (τῶν κερατίων). Both the pigs and people ate them. “And no one gave them to him”, that is, no one paid attention to his hunger, and they did not give him real food.

Luke 15:17. But when he came to himself, he said: ‘How many hired servants of my father have more than enough bread, but I am dying here of hunger! Luke 15:18. I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you Luke 15:19. and am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.’ “But when he came to himself.” Need forced the prodigal son to come to his senses and first of all to remember his father’s house, which he had completely forgotten and which now appeared to him in all its contrast with his present condition. There even the hired servants have plenty of bread, while he, the master’s son, is dying here of hunger! Therefore, he decides to go to his father and repent before him for having left him. “Against heaven.” Heaven is represented here as the dwelling place of God and pure spirits – it can be said that it is personified. The higher celestial world is represented as being offended by the sins of the prodigal son. “And before you.” Since we sin properly only against God (Ps 50:6), if the son here calls himself a sinner before his father (ἐνώπιόν σου), then he understands the father in this case as a representative of God. Or else this expression can be expanded so: “and behold, I stand as a sinner before you.”

Luke 15:20. So he got up and went to his father. And while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and threw his arms around him and kissed him. Luke 15:21. And the son said to him: ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ Luke 15:22. But the father said to his slaves: ‘Quickly, bring out a robe – the best one – and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet; Luke 15:23. and get the fatted calf and kill it. Let us eat and celebrate; Luke 15:24. for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. The prodigal son at once carried out his intention and went to his father. He saw him from afar and rushed toward him, embraced him and kissed him. At the sight of such love, the son could not pronounce the request that the father receive him as a servant. He only expressed repentance before his father. To this repentance the father responded by ordering the servants to bring “the best”, that is, the most precious dress that was in the house (στολή – a long and wide dress of distinguished people; Mark 12:38; Rev 6:11). “Ring” and “shoes” – signs of a free man (slaves went barefoot). This meant that the returning son became again a member of his father’s household. “Was dead and is alive.” Death is residence in sin, coming alive is repentance (Euthymius Zigabenus).

Luke 15:25. Now his elder son was in the field; as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing; Luke 15:26. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. Luke 15:27. The servant said to him: ‘Your brother has come; and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ Luke 15:28. But he became angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and began to plead with him. The elder son was offended at the father for such a reception of the unworthy, in his opinion, brother. This is not the Pharisees and not the scribes, who placed the whole essence of virtue in the observance of the letter of the law: can these words of the father in verse 31 apply to them? This is simply a good son, well-behaved, but not without some pride in his virtue (verse 29) and not without a feeling of envy toward the preference shown to him by his father over his brother. “Music and dancing” (συμφωνίας καὶ χορῶν) – singing and dancing, which were ordinarily performed by hired singers and dancers (see commentary on Matt 14:6) at feasts. “Because he has received him back safe and sound”, that is, joyfully, that he has returned in full health.

Luke 15:29. But he answered his father: ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends; Luke 15:30. but when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ “Did not give me even a young goat” – it is more correct to translate: “but me – such a good and obedient one – you did not give a young goat”, which, of course, was much cheaper than the fatted calf. Here is expressed the painful feeling of self-esteem. “But when this son of yours” – more correctly: “but when your son (he does not want to say: my brother), behold, this one” (οὗτος) – an expression of contempt.

Luke 15:31. “And he said to him: ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours, Luke 15:32. but we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’” The father tries to soften or wants to soften the offended son. “My son” – more correctly: “child” (τέκνον) – an expression of tenderness and gentle love. “You are always with me…” That is: why are you angry when you always were together with me, while your brother wandered somewhere far away, not enjoying his father’s tenderness, and when everything in the house is really already yours: you alone will receive everything after my death. Trench sees in the parable “a certain incompleteness” because the Lord does not declare to the end whether the elder son persisted and refused to enter the house (p. 354). Similarly I. Weiss finds it necessary that the parable should indicate the further fate of the repentant son… But, properly speaking, this was not necessary to state. After all, the main thought of the parable consists in the fact that God loves sinners and joyfully receives them to Himself, and this thought is fully completed by the words of the father to the elder son. Everything else – and the further behavior of the elder brother, and the fate of the younger – for the essence of the matter has no significance at all… I. Weiss tries to find in the parable of the prodigal son the thought that for human salvation the love of God alone is sufficient. In the parable, he says, there is not the slightest hint of the cross of Christ and the necessity of redemption. Let the sinner repent – and God will immediately forgive, without any redemptive sacrifice. This thought was seen in the parable even by Unitarians (Socinians), and German rationalists of the 19th century thought this way. But Trench justly says that one cannot demand from a parable that it contain the whole Christian doctrine of salvation (p. 339). And that Christ could not have had such a thought about the unnecessary redemption through His own death is clear from His words, spoken not long before the pronouncing of this parable: “with what baptism I must be baptized” (Luke 12:50). * * * Notes 4 grams of silver. – Editor’s note.

Chapter Sixteen

1–13. Parable of the unjust steward. – 14–31. Parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus.

Luke 16:1. And He also said to His disciples: “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property; The parable of the unjust steward is found only in the evangelist Luke. It was spoken, undoubtedly, on the same day on which the Lord pronounced the three preceding parables, but it has no connection with those parables, because those were spoken by Christ with regard to the Pharisees, while this one – has in mind “disciples” of Christ, that is, many of His followers who had already begun to serve Him, having abandoned the service of the world (Trench, p. 357), – for the most part former tax collectors and sinners (Fr. Butkevicius, “Explanation of the Parable of the Unjust Steward”. Church News, 1911, p. 275). “One man.” He was, evidently, a rich landowner who lived in the city himself, quite far from his estate, and so could not visit it himself (whoever is to be understood here in the figurative sense will be explained after the literal interpretation of the parable). “Manager” (οἰκονόμον), that is, such a steward to whom was entrusted all management of the estate. He was not a slave (managers among the Hebrews were often chosen from slaves), but a free man, as is evident from the fact that after being released from his duties as steward he planned to live not with his master, but with other people (verses 3–4). “It was reported…” The Greek word standing here διεβλήθη (from διαβάλλω) although does not mean that the report was mere slander, as our Slavic translation understands it, nevertheless gives to understand that it was made by people who were hostile toward the steward. “Wastes” (ὡς διασκορπίζων – cf. Luke 15:13; Matt 12:30), that is, spends on his dissipated and sinful life, squanders his master’s estate.

Luke 16:2. And having called him, he said to him: What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward. Luke 16:3. Then the steward said to himself: What shall I do? My master is taking away my stewardship from me. I cannot dig, I am ashamed to beg. The landowner, calling his steward to him, with some irritation says to him: “What are you doing there? Disreputable rumors about you have reached me. I no longer want to have you as my steward and will give my estate to the management of another. You must present to me an account of the estate” (that is, all rental contracts, debt documents, and the like). Such is the meaning of the estate owner’s address to the steward. The latter understood the master in just this way. He begins to think about how to live now, because he realizes himself to be indeed guilty before the master and does not hope for mercy, and he has not accumulated the means of livelihood and he either does not know how to work in gardens and orchards or is unable to. He could still live on charity, but for him, accustomed to living widely and extravagantly, this seemed an extremely shameful thing.

Luke 16:4. I know what to do, so that when I am removed from my stewardship they will receive me into their homes. Luke 16:5. And having called each one of his master’s debtors, he said to the first: How much do you owe my master? Luke 16:6. He said: A hundred measures of oil. And he said to him: Take your note and sit down quickly, write: fifty. Luke 16:7. Then he said to another: And how much do you owe? He answered: A hundred measures of wheat. And he said to him: Take your note and write: eighty. Finally, a thought of salvation flashed in the steward’s mind. He found a way by which the doors of houses would open to him after he lost his position (he here has in mind the “houses” of his master’s debtors). He calls the debtors, each one separately, and enters into negotiations with them. Who these debtors were—whether tenant farmers or merchants who took products from the estate for sale—is difficult to say, and besides it is not important. He asks one after another: how much do they owe his master? The first answers: “a hundred measures” or, more precisely, “baths” (a bath was more than 4 buckets) “of oil,” of course, olive oil, which was valued very highly at that time, so that 419 buckets of oil were worth at that time in our money 15,922 rubles (Fr. Butkevich, p. 283 19). The steward orders him—bad deeds are usually done hastily so as not to be stopped—to write quickly a new note, in which the debt of this debtor is reduced by half. With another debtor, who was owed “a hundred measures” or, more precisely, “cors” (a cor was about 20 fourths) of wheat, which was also valued highly (two thousand fourths of wheat were worth at that time in our money about 20,000 rubles 20, ibid., p. 324), he proceeded almost the same way. Thus he rendered an enormous service to these two debtors, and then, perhaps, to others as well, and they, of course, felt themselves indebted to him forever. A refuge and livelihood for himself in the houses of these people the steward secured fully.

Luke 16:8. And his master commended the unjust steward because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the children of light. The master of the estate, hearing of such a deed by the steward, commended him, found that he had acted shrewdly, or better to translate it, wisely, prudently and appropriately (φρονίμως). Does this praise seem strange? The master has been harmed, and significantly, and yet he praised the unjust steward, marveling at his prudence. What is there to praise? It would seem, one should bring a suit against him in court, not praise him. Most commentators therefore insist that the master, properly speaking, only marvels at the cleverness of the steward, in no way approving the character of the very means which he found for his own rescue. But such a solution to the question is unsatisfactory, because from this it follows that Christ henceforth teaches His followers also only cleverness or the ability to find a way out in difficult circumstances of life, imitating unworthy (unjust) people. Therefore it seems more probable the explanation that Fr. Butkevich gives to this “praise,” and along with it to the steward’s deed. According to his interpretation, the steward removed from the accounts of the debtors only that which belonged to himself, since he had written earlier in the notes both the sum for which he rented the land to the tenants by agreement with his master, and that which he intended to appropriate for himself. Since now he no longer had the opportunity to receive the sum stipulated by him for himself—he was leaving the service—he changed the notes, thereby not doing in any way actual harm to his master, because he was still to receive his due (Butkevich, p. 327). Only one cannot agree with Butkevich in that the steward now “turned out to be honest and noble” and that therefore precisely for refusing the opportunity to receive his own share the master praised him. Honesty and nobility cannot be called the case when a man must necessarily refuse to receive income. Thus, really, the master, as a man of propriety, had no motive to insist that the debtors pay him in full everything that had been stipulated with them by the steward: he considered them owing a much smaller sum. The steward did not injure him—so why would the master not praise him? Such approval of the appropriateness of the steward’s deed is what the indication here comes to. “For the children of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the children of light.” The usual interpretation of this saying is this: worldly people know how to arrange their affairs better than Christians, achieving the high goals they have set. But it is difficult to agree with such an interpretation, first, because it is doubtful whether at that time the term “children of light” meant Christians: in the evangelist John, to whom the bishop Michael refers, who is among the general number of interpreters of this passage, if this expression is used even once, it is not to denote the concept “Christians” (cf. John 12:36). And second, in what way are worldly people, attached to the world, more shrewd than people devoted to Christ? Did not the latter show their wisdom in that they left all and followed Christ? Therefore we again incline to accept in the present case the opinion of Fr. Butkevich (he, however, repeats the opinions of Braun and Holbe), according to which “the children of this world” are the tax collectors who, in the view of the Pharisees, lived in spiritual darkness, occupied exclusively with petty earthly interests (tax collection), and “the children of light” are the Pharisees, who considered themselves fully enlightened (cf. Rom 2:19) and whom Christ so calls, of course, in an ironical sense. We come to this interpretation and the expression added by Christ: “in their generation.” By this He shows that He means here not “children of light” in the proper sense of the word, but “children of light” in their peculiar kind. Thus the meaning of the expression will be: for the tax collectors are more prudent than the Pharisees (Butkevich, p. 329). But with such an explanation—and this cannot be hidden—the connection of the last words of the verse under consideration remains unclear with that remark that the master praised the unjust steward. It remains to acknowledge that this thought of the second half of verse 8 does not stand in connection with the whole expression of the first half, but explains only the single word “shrewdly” or “prudently.” The Lord finished the parable with the words: “and his master commended the unjust steward, because he had acted shrewdly.” Now He wishes to make an application of the parable to His disciples, and so, looking at the approaching tax collectors (see Luke 15:1), He as if says: “Yes, wisdom, prudence in seeking oneself salvation—is a great thing, and I must now acknowledge that, to the astonishment of many, such wisdom is shown by tax collectors and is not shown by those who always considered themselves the most enlightened people, that is, the Pharisees.”

Luke 16:9. And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. The Lord has already expressed approval of the tax collectors following Him, but expressed it in the form of a general maxim. Now He addresses them directly from His own person: “And I—like that master of the parable—say to you that if anyone has wealth—as it was for the steward in the form of notes—then you should, just as he did, make friends for yourselves, who, like the friends of the steward, would receive you into eternal dwellings.” The Lord calls wealth “unrighteous” (μαμωνᾶ τῆς ἀδικίας) not because it was acquired through unrighteous means—such wealth by the law should be returned as stolen (Lev 6:4; Deut 22:1)—but because it is vain, deceptive, fleeting, and often makes a man greedy, stingy, forgetting his obligation to benefit his neighbor, and serves as a great obstacle on the path to attaining the Kingdom of Heaven (Mark 10:25). “When it fails” (ἐκλίπητε)—more correctly: when it (wealth) loses its significance (by the better reading—ἐκλίπῃ). This refers to the time of the second coming of Christ, when temporal earthly wealth will cease to have any significance (cf. Luke 6:24; Jas 5:1 and following). “Receive.” It is not said who, but one must presume—friends, whom one can acquire through the right use of earthly wealth, that is, when it is used as God desires. “Eternal dwellings.” This expression corresponds to the expression: “into their homes” (verse 4) and means the Kingdom of the Messiah, which will endure forever (cf. 3Ezr 2:11).

Luke 16:10. He who is faithful in very little is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in very little is unjust also in much. Luke 16:11. If then you have not been faithful with the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches? Luke 16:12. And if you have not been faithful in what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? Luke 16:13. No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. In developing the thought about the necessity of prudent use of wealth, the Lord first presents as if a proverb: “he who is faithful in very little is faithful also in much.” This is a general thought that does not require special explanation. But then He directly addresses His followers from among the tax collectors with instruction. They, undoubtedly, had great wealth in their hands and were not always faithful in its use: often when they were collecting taxes and duties, they also took a part of what was collected for themselves. Here the Lord teaches them to abandon this bad habit. Why collect wealth for themselves? It is unrighteous, another’s, and one must treat it as another’s. You have the opportunity to obtain the true, that is, fully valuable wealth, which for you should be especially precious, as entirely suited to your position as disciples of Christ. But who will entrust you with this higher wealth, this ideal, true good, if you have proven unable to manage the lower properly? Can you be worthy of those goods which Christ grants to His true followers in the glorious Kingdom of God that is about to be revealed? From faithfulness in the use of earthly wealth Christ (verse 13) passes to the question of exclusive service to God, which cannot be combined with service to Mammon. See Matt 6:24, where this saying is repeated. By means of the parable of the unjust steward, Christ, having chiefly in mind the tax collectors, teaches all sinners in general how to attain salvation and eternal blessedness. In this lies the mysterious meaning of the parable. The rich man is God. The unjust steward is the sinner, who for a long time thoughtlessly squanders the gifts of God, until God calls him to account by terrible signs (illnesses, misfortunes). If the sinner has not lost his sound mind, then he repents, like the steward who forgave the debtors of the master those debts which he could have counted against them. But it is clear that engaging in detailed allegorical explanations of this parable would be completely useless, because one would have to be guided only by completely chance coincidences and resort to forced interpretations: like any other parable, the parable of the unjust steward contains, besides the main idea, additional features which do not require explanation.

Luke 16:14. Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they ridiculed him. Luke 16:15. And he said to them: You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts; for what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. Among the listeners to the parable of the unjust steward were also Pharisees, who were sneering (ἐξεμυκτήριζον) at Christ—obviously because to them it seemed utterly absurd His view of earthly wealth. The Law, they said to themselves, regards wealth differently: there it promises wealth as a reward to the righteous for their virtues; consequently, it cannot in any way be called unrighteous. Moreover, the Pharisees themselves loved money. Such reasoning of the Pharisees, undoubtedly, is what Christ has in view when He addresses them with the words: “You are those who justify yourselves before men…” He as if wants to say to them: “Yes, in the Law there are indeed promises of earthly rewards, and in particular, of wealth for a righteous life. But you have no right to regard your wealth as a reward from God for your righteousness. Your righteousness is false. If you can find honor for yourselves among people through your hypocritical righteousness, you will not find recognition from God, Who sees the true state of your heart. And the state of it is such that it must be recognized as the most terrible.”

Luke 16:16. The law and the prophets were until John; since then the kingdom of God is being proclaimed, and everyone enters it by force. Luke 16:17. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the law to fail. Luke 16:18. Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. These three verses contain sayings which have already been explained in the commentaries to the Gospel according to Matthew (see Matt 11:12-14). Here they serve as an introduction to the following parable of the rich man and the poor Lazarus. The Lord affirms thereby the great significance of the law and the prophets (this will be discussed also in the parable), which prepared the Jews to accept the Kingdom of the Messiah, the herald of whose coming was John the Baptist. Through them, in men a desire arose to seek the opened Kingdom of God. The Law should not lose even one jot from itself, and as an example of this affirmation of the Law, Christ points to the fact that He understands the law about divorce even more strictly than it was treated in the Pharisaic school. However, B. Weiss gives a special interpretation to this saying of verse 18. In the evangelist Luke’s view, according to him, this saying is to be understood allegorically as characterizing the relations between the Law and the new order of the Kingdom of God (cf. Rom 7:1-3). Whoever for the sake of the latter renounces the former thereby commits before God such a sin of adultery as one who, after God freed man from subjection to the Law through the proclamation of the Gospel, still wants to continue the former relations with the Law. The former sins from the point of view of the immutability of the Law (verse 17), and the latter—as one unwilling to accept participation in men’s striving toward the new, gracious life (verse 16).

Luke 16:19. Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen and feasted sumptuously every day. In the following parable of the rich man and the poor Lazarus, the Lord shows what terrible consequences follow from the improper use of wealth (cf. verse 14). This parable is not directed straight against the Pharisees, because one could not liken them to a careless rich man concerned about his salvation, but against their view of wealth, as something completely harmless to the cause of salvation, even as a testimony to the righteousness of the one possessing it. The Lord shows that it is not at all a proof of righteousness and that it often brings the greatest harm to the one who possesses it and casts him down after death into the hellish abyss. Purple is a woolen cloth dyed with an expensive purple dye, used for making outer garments (of a red color). “Fine linen” is the finest white cloth, made from cotton (consequently, not linen) and used for making undergarments. “And feasted sumptuously every day.” From this it is clear that the rich man had no cares whatsoever either for public affairs and the needs of his neighbors, or for the salvation of his own soul. He was not a man of violence, an oppressor of the poor, nor did he commit any other crimes, but this very constant careless feasting was a great sin before God.

Luke 16:20. But there was also a certain poor man named Lazarus, who lay at his gate full of sores. “Lazarus” is a name shortened from Eleazar—God is help. One may agree with some commentators that Christ mentions the name of the poor man for the purpose of showing that the poor man had only the hope of God’s help: people had cast him at the gate of the rich man (ἐβέβλητο—was cast out, in our translation—“lay”). “At his gate” (πρὸς τὸν πυλῶνα)—at the entrance, which from the outer courtyard led into the house (cf. Matt 26:71).

Luke 16:21. And he desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. “With what fell from the rich man’s table.” In Eastern cities all scraps are usually thrown directly into the street, where they are picked up by the numerous dogs roaming the streets. In the present case, the sick Lazarus had to share these scraps with the dogs. Dogs, dirty and unclean from a Jewish point of view, were licking his sores—they treated the unfortunate man, who was unable to drive them away, as one of themselves. There is no suggestion of any compassion which they supposedly showed thereby to the poor man.

Luke 16:22. Now it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. “Was carried away by the angels.” Of course, it was the soul of the poor man that was carried away by the angels, who, according to Jewish belief, carry the souls of the righteous into paradise. “Abraham’s bosom.” Thus among the Hebrews was denoted the paradise bliss of the righteous. The righteous dwell after death in the closest communion with the patriarch Abraham, resting their head on his breast. However, Abraham’s bosom is not the same as paradise—it is, so to speak, the chosen and best position which in paradise the poor Lazarus occupied, having found here for himself a quiet refuge in the arms of his forefather (the image is taken not from a supper or meal, about which, for example, mention is made in Matt 8:11 and Luke 13:29-30, but from the custom of parents warming their children in their arms; cf. John 1:18). Of course, paradise is taken here not in the sense of the kingdom of glory (as in 2 Cor 12:2 and following), but only as the designation of the sorrowless state of the righteous who have departed from earthly life. This state is temporary; the righteous will remain in it until the second coming of Christ.

Luke 16:23. And in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. “In Hades.” The Hebrew word “sheol,” translated here as “Hades,” as among the Seventy, denotes the general abode of departed souls before resurrection and is divided into paradise for the godly (Luke 23:43) and Gehenna for the ungodly. Besides, the Talmud says that paradise and Gehenna are so arranged that from one place one can see what is happening in the other. But drawing from this and from the following conversation of the rich man with Abraham any dogmatic thoughts about the afterlife is hardly necessary, because, undoubtedly, in this section of the parable we have before us a purely poetic depiction of a certain thought developed in the parable, similar to what is found, for example, in 1 Sam 22, where the prophet Micah describes a revelation he received about the fate of Ahab’s army. Can one, for example, truly literally understand the rich man’s words about the thirst that torments him? After all, he has no body in Hades…” “He saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.” This, of course, greatly increased his torment, for he was extremely vexed that the despised poor man was enjoying such closeness to the patriarch.

Luke 16:24. And he cried out and said, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.” Luke 16:25. But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.” Luke 16:26. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and none may come from there to us. Seeing Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom, the suffering rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus to him to help him with even a drop of water. Abraham, calling the rich man affectionately his “child,” refuses him his request: he has already received enough of what he considered good (“your good things”), and Lazarus in life saw only evil (there is no addition of “his” here, which indicates that suffering is not at all a necessary lot of the righteous). From the contrast between Lazarus and the rich man, who undoubtedly was himself guilty of his bitter fate because he lived impiously, it is clear that Lazarus was a godly man. Further, Abraham points to the will of God, according to which one cannot pass from paradise to Gehenna and back. Expressing this thought figuratively, Abraham says that between Gehenna and paradise stretches a great chasm (according to rabbinical belief—only a span), so that Lazarus, even if he wished to go to the rich man, could not do so.

Luke 16:27. And he said, Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house— Luke 16:28. “For I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” Luke 16:29. But Abraham said to him, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them.” Luke 16:30. And he said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.” Luke 16:31. Abraham said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” This section indicates that there is only one way to avoid the fate of the rich man tormented in Hades—that is repentance, a change from the idle life spent in pleasure alone, and that the means by which all those seeking instruction are equipped are the law and the prophets. Even the return of the dead cannot bring as much benefit to those living such a careless life as these constantly available means of instruction. “So that he may warn them,” namely, tell them how I am suffering because I did not want to change my careless life. “Neither will they be convinced.” When the evangelist wrote this, his mind may have been presenting the unbelief with which the Jews met the raising of Lazarus (John 12:10) and the resurrection of Christ Himself. Besides, Christ and the apostles had long been performing the raising of the dead, but did this affect the unbelieving Pharisees? Of course, they tried to explain these miracles by some natural causes or, as they actually did, by the help of the dark power 21. * * * Notes The sum corresponding to the price of approximately 18.5 kg of gold. – Ed. note. Approximately 23 kg in gold equivalent. – Ed. note. From Abraham’s response to the rich man, one can conclude the falseness of the teaching of spiritualism, which recognizes the possibility of the appearance of the dead for the purpose of convincing someone of some high truth: we have a guide in life—the Holy Church, and we need no other means. Some commentators, besides the direct meaning indicated above, see in this parable still an allegorical and prophetic meaning. The rich man, in their understanding, in all his conduct and fate depicts Judaism, which lived carelessly in the hope of its rights to the Heavenly Kingdom and then, after the coming of Christ, suddenly found itself beyond the threshold of this Kingdom, while the poor man—paganism, which was cut off from Israeli society and lived in spiritual poverty, and then suddenly was accepted into the bosom of Christ’s Church.

Chapter Seventeen

1–10. Instructions to the disciples. – 11–19. The ten lepers. – 20–37. On the second coming of the Son of Man.

Luke 17:1. And Jesus said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to the one through whom they come!” The following instructions of Christ to His disciples stand apart from the preceding parable. The evangelist Luke simply recounts here those words of Christ which he deemed necessary to convey to his readers, without placing them in connection with one another. All attempts to establish such a connection appear very unnatural. For the most part these sayings have already appeared in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. Thus, the present verse presents a repetition of Matt 18:7.

Luke 17:2. It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble. (See Matt 18:6).

Luke 17:3. Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. Luke 17:4. And if he sins against you seven times in a day and turns to you seven times, saying, “I repent,” you shall forgive him. “Pay attention to yourselves.” The Lord has just spoken about temptations which may befall His disciples from other people. Now He reminds them that they themselves may give others an occasion to stumble if they do not display forgiving love toward a sinning brother. “If your brother sins against you…” (see Matt 18:15). “And if he sins seven times…” (see Matt 18:21-22). “Turns,” that is, returns, having previously departed in anger from you.

Luke 17:5. The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” Luke 17:6. And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, ‘Be rooted up and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” The apostles, evidently, are asking for an increase of miraculous faith in them, which appeared to them as a gift of God (cf. 1 Cor 13:2). The Lord answers them that this is not some special faith, but the higher development of ordinary faith. If they have such simple faith, they will already be able to work miracles (see Matt 17:20). Here instead of “mountain” there is mention of “sycamore tree,” but the thought is not changed by this.

Luke 17:7. Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, “Come here and sit down to eat”? Luke 17:8. Rather, will he not say to him, “Prepare something for me to eat, and properly dressed, serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you yourself shall eat and drink”? Luke 17:9. Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? I think not. Luke 17:10. So you likewise, when you have done all that was commanded you, say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.” The parable about useless servants is found in only one evangelist Luke. It is impossible to establish a connection with what precedes. The Lord depicts here a picture of the return of a servant from heavy work in the field or from the pasture. The master of the servant, taking no notice of the servant’s exhaustion, orders him to prepare supper for his master and to serve him, having girded himself. And then, when the servant has carried out the master’s command, this latter will not think of thanking him. The Lord immediately explains this parable. The disciples of Christ should also feel themselves to be servants of God. When they have fulfilled their duty before God, let them not count on any reward. A reward perhaps will be given, but they themselves, in a sense of humility, should be conscious that they are servants, unworthy servants, that is, of course, not deserving of special rewards. However, in some ancient translations, namely, the Syriac, this expression “unworthy” is not present; there only the word “servants” stands 22. I. Weiss supposes that this expression was inserted here on the basis of Matt 25:26 (and it seems better to suppose on the basis of Matt 25:30, where this very expression is found).

Luke 17:11. Now on the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. The evangelist Luke again repeats that Christ is going to Jerusalem, is heading toward Jerusalem, although this journey is proceeding very slowly. Thus, in the present case, the Lord passes along the line that separated two regions—Samaria and Galilee. The evangelist mentions Samaria and puts it in the foreground precisely in order to explain how among the ten lepers, nine of whom were Jews, there came to be one Samaritan.

Luke 17:12. And when he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance from him. Luke 17:13. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Luke 17:14. When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Luke 17:15. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. Luke 17:16. And he fell on his face at his feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan. Luke 17:17. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?” Luke 17:18. Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner? Luke 17:19. And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” On entering a village, Christ was met by ten lepers (see Matt 8:2). They stood at a distance because the Law forbade them to approach healthy people in order not to infect them (Lev 13:46), and they spoke loudly to Christ, asking Him to have mercy on them. It is clear that they had a certain faith in Christ as the God-sent prophet. The Lord in response commands them to go and show themselves to the priests. Evidently, by this He was giving them to understand that they would immediately be healed, that the healing process was already beginning and that as soon as they came to the priests, they would turn out to be completely healthy. The lepers believed the Lord and went so that the priests might look at them and declare them recovered (Lev 14:3-4). Where, to which priest the Samaritan went, is not said, but certainly to his own Samaritan priest. And so on the road it turned out that all were indeed freed from leprosy. This was a great miracle, and of course, all the healed ought immediately to have returned to Christ in order to thank Him and through Him to thank God for the healing received. But only one of the healed quickly, apparently without even reaching the priest, returned, and this was the Samaritan. Christ, noting the ingratitude of the healed Jews, addresses the foreigner (ἀλλογενής, cf. Matt 10:5) with comforting words, pointing out to him what actually saved him. The evangelist Luke recounts this fact, evidently, with the purpose of showing that pagans—the Samaritan was close to them, at least in origin—proved more capable of appreciating the blessings of the opened Kingdom of God than the Jews, who for a long time had been being prepared to accept this Kingdom.

Luke 17:20. Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed.” Luke 17:21. “Nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” To the question of the Pharisees—when, in Christ’s view, will the Kingdom of God come, that is, what can Christ say about the signs and conditions of the coming of this Kingdom—the Lord answers that it will not come “with signs to be observed” (μετὰ παρατηρήσεως), that is, in such a way that its coming could be determined by striking signs. By this the Lord denotes the spiritual character of the Kingdom established by Him, whose coming therefore is not subject to human observation and, consequently, cannot be assigned to a certain moment (cf. verse 20, πότε—“when”). “Nor will they say…” That is, it is impossible to prove the coming of this Kingdom by individual phenomena. “Is in the midst of you,” that is, among you, in your circle it already is (ἐντὸς ὑμῶν ἐστιν), and you—the Lord mentally adds—do not even notice it. In saying this, the Lord may have had in mind the miracles He was performing and especially the casting out of demons, which, as He said before, testified that the Kingdom of God had already come to the Jews (see Matt 12:28). Some commentators (from the ancients—St. John Chrysostom and Blessed Theophylact) gave a different meaning to this saying. In their view, Christ spoke here of the Kingdom of God being found “in your souls.” But against such an interpretation decisively speaks the fact that Christ’s words are addressed to the Pharisees, in whose souls the Lord could have found least of all the signs of the coming and effects of this new way of life which He denoted by the name of the Kingdom of God.

Luke 17:22. And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.” Luke 17:23. And they will say to you, ‘Look! There he is!’ or ‘Look! Here he is!’ Do not go out or follow them. Luke 17:24. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. Christ, perhaps after the departure of the Pharisees, turns to His disciples with certain clarifications regarding the question raised by the Pharisees about the coming of the Kingdom of God. He speaks of the revelation of this Kingdom in its glorious form, which will coincide with the second coming of the Son of Man (this “Son of Man,” consequently, must first be separated—a hint at the death of Christ). “You will desire.” This desire will probably be aroused in the disciples by the sorrows of the last times. “To see one of the days…” (“one”—an unnecessary word), that is, to see (in the sense of experience, enjoy, cf. 1 Pet 3:10) one of the days of the messianic age, so as to rest from sorrows, but since the time of the coming of the Messiah is not yet to come, you will not see that day. “And they will say to you…” (see Matt 24:23). “For as the lightning” (see Matt 24:27). The coming of the Messiah will be visible to everyone at once, and there will be no need to be informed by others of this coming. The lightning of which Christ speaks is extraordinary—it is visible from one edge of heaven to the other (according to the Babylonian-Jewish conception, the heavenly vault rested its two ends on the earth). “In his day,” that is, in the day of His coming to judge the world (this expression reminds one of the expression of the prophets “the day of Jehovah,” see Joel 1:15).

Luke 17:25. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. (See Matt 16:21).

Luke 17:26. And as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man: Luke 17:27. They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. (See Matt 24:37-39).

Luke 17:28. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, drank, bought, sold, planted, built; Luke 17:29. But on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— Luke 17:30. So will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. This comparison is found only in the one evangelist Luke. On the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah see the commentaries to Gen 19. “Rained”—more correctly: “poured” (ἔβρεξε—cf. Matt 5:45). The implied subject here is God. “Is revealed”—more precisely: “is revealed (ἀποκαλύπτεται) in all His majesty.” Until then He will be hidden in heaven (cf. Col 3:3 and following; 2 Thess 1:7).

Luke 17:31. On that day, let the one who is on the rooftop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away; and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. (See Matt 24:17-18). This instruction in the evangelist Luke has the meaning that one must abandon all that is earthly in order to be ready to meet the returning Messiah. Evidently, the evangelist Luke recounts this instruction in view of the careless life depicted above (verses 26–30) which humanity will lead before the second coming of Christ.

Luke 17:32. Remember the wife of Lot. The wife of Lot is cited as an example of attachment to earthly possessions, for which reason she perished (see Gen 19:26).

Luke 17:33. Whoever tries to save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life will preserve it. (See Matt 10:39). In all probability, this saying here relates to the preceding mention of the wife of Lot. She thought of the property she had left and, turning toward her house, perished. So will perish—in soul—those who are very careful to preserve their bodily life when the Lord is calling His followers to self-sacrifice.

Luke 17:34. I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Luke 17:35. There will be two women grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left. Luke 17:36. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. (See Matt 24:40-41). Verse 36 is considered by Western editors of the Gospels to be an insertion from Matt 24:40. In the New Testament of Saint Alexius this verse also is not found.

Luke 17:37. And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the body is, there the eagles will gather together.” The disciples ask: where, exactly, will this separation of some people from others take place? The Lord answers that this will take place everywhere where there are people deserving punishment. For an explanation of the comparison itself, see the commentaries to Matt 24:28. * * * In fact, in the Peshitta text this expression is present in the form of the word “batile.” – Ed. note.

Chapter Eighteen

1–8. Parable of the widow. – 9–14. Parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. – 15–30. Blessing of children and the danger of riches. – 31–43. Christ’s prediction of His death and the healing of the blind man near Jericho.

Luke 18:1. Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. Christ’s words that the disciples will not see the “day of the Son of Man,” will not find support in the coming of the day of judgment (Luke 17:22), undoubtedly made a heavy impression on them. In order to show that they still should not lose hope, the Lord tells them a parable which teaches them that God nevertheless hears and will hear the requests of His chosen ones (that is, them, the disciples of Christ) and will fulfill them. “To pray always.” Some commentators understand here “the constant striving of the soul toward God,” which should continue during life, although there are times when prayer is more fervent and concentrated (Trench, p. 408). But the verb used here “to pray” (προσεύχεσθαι) means actual prayer, in the direct sense of the word. As for the expression “always” (πάντοτε), it undoubtedly has a hyperbolic sense. The word is often used in this way in Sacred Scripture (for example, “my grief is ever before me,”—Ps 37:18; “they were continually in the temple,”—Luke 24:53). “And not to lose heart”—from the context of the speech, not to lose heart during prayer, when one sees that it is not being answered. The content and purpose of the parable are pointed out here by the evangelist himself, not by Christ (as Trench somewhat strangely asserts, p. 408).

Luke 18:2. He said: “There was a judge in a certain city who neither feared God nor regarded people.” Luke 18:3. In that same city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, “Give me justice against my opponent.” Luke 18:4. For a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, “Though I neither fear God nor care about people,” Luke 18:5. “yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she may not wear me out by her constant coming.” “Judge” (see Matt 5:25). This parable very much resembles the parable of the friend who came at midnight with a request to a friend (Luke 11:5 and following). As in that parable, so here, the fulfillment of the request is obtained by virtue of special persistence, with which in that case the friend begs bread of his friend, and here the widow begs the unjust judge to settle her case. “So that she may not wear me out by her constant coming”—more precisely: “that she may not give me a black eye.” The judge, in jest, says that perhaps in her desperation the woman will reach the point of striking him (ὑπωπιάζῃ με) in the face…

Luke 18:6. And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says.” Luke 18:7. “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them?” Luke 18:8. “I tell you, he will bring about their justice speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” The meaning of the moral teaching drawn from the parable by Christ is as follows. Christ as if teaches: “Listen to what the unjust judge says! But God—will He not bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry to Him day and night? Will He be slow in helping them (according to the accepted Greek text here stands the participle μακροθυμῶν, and according to the more reliable text one must read μακροθυμεῖ—third person present)? Does He not have to come to their aid?” Nevertheless, if Christ here truly denies delay on God’s part, He does not say that such delay does not appear to be the case to God’s chosen ones. It may seem to them that such delay exists, because God, in His wisdom, does not always fulfill the requests of godly people, deferring this until a certain time. After this, Christ with particular force expresses the following: “God will bring about the vindication about which His chosen ones cry, quickly,” that is, He will speedily, when it is necessary, free His chosen ones from enemies, who will face punishment at the second coming of Christ, and will glorify these chosen ones in the Kingdom of the Messiah (cf. Luke 21:22). Although the idea of this vindication in Luke’s Gospel does not have the sharp form which it acquired in other New Testament writings, for example, in the Apocalypse, nevertheless, it is in general not foreign to the evangelist Luke (cf. Luke 1:51 and following Luke 1:71 and following). “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” These words, undoubtedly, stand in connection with the preceding idea about the last judgment. Christ as if says: “It is certainly true that the Son of Man will come to help the believers and punish the unbelievers. But the question is: will He find more faith in Himself at His coming the second time than He found at His first coming to earth?” Here the Lord repeats the thought expressed by Him in the depiction of the time of the second coming in Luke 17:26 and following. According to Trench (p. 415) and Bishop Michael, here the discourse is about the diminishing of faith in believers, about a certain weakening of it. But Christ does not say that He will find little faith in the sphere of Christianity, but generally depicts the condition of humanity, “faith on earth” (ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς). There is sorrow in these words of Christ, it pains Him that He will have to apply a strict condemnation to the majority of people, instead of pitying them and making them participants in His glorious Kingdom.

Luke 18:9. He also spoke this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: The parable of the tax collector and Pharisee is found only in Luke. The purpose of the parable was undoubtedly to somewhat lower the self-esteem of the disciples of Christ (the “chosen ones” – verse 7) and teach them humility. By those who set too high a value on their own righteousness and despised others, one should understand them. Christ could not have turned to the Pharisees with a parable that directly presents a Pharisee. Moreover, the Pharisee presented in the parable would not at all appear to the Pharisees as worthy of condemnation from God: his prayer must have seemed entirely correct to them.

Luke 18:10. Two men went up into the temple to pray: one a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector. “Went up” – more precisely: “ascended” (ἀνέβησαν). The temple stood on a hill. “Pharisee” (see commentary on Matt 3:7). “Tax collector” (see commentary on Matt 5:46).

Luke 18:11. The Pharisee, standing, prayed thus with himself: God! I thank You that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector: “Standing”. The Jews customarily prayed standing (Matt 6:5). “With himself”. These words, according to the Russian text, in agreement with the Textus receptus, pertain to the word “prayed” and denote prayer “to himself”, not spoken aloud. According to another reading, the word pertains to “standing” (I. Weiss) and would indicate that the Pharisee did not wish to come into contact with people like the tax collector. The latter opinion, however, can hardly be accepted, because the sense of the Greek expression does not permit it (here is placed not καθ´ ἐαυτὸν, but πρὸς ἐαυτόν). “God! I thank You”. The Pharisee begins his prayer as he should, but immediately turns to condemning his neighbor and exalting himself. It was not God Who gave him the strength to perform good deeds, but he himself did everything. “This tax collector” – more correctly: “that one there, the tax collector!” – an expression of contempt.

Luke 18:12. I fast twice a week, I give a tithe of all that I acquire. Besides the negative qualities that the Pharisee ascribed to himself above (he is not an extortioner, not unjust, not an adulterer), he now speaks of his positive merits before God. Instead of fasting once a year – on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:29), he, like other pious Jews, fasts two days in the week – on the second and fifth (cf. Matt 6:16). Instead of giving a tithe to the needs of the temple from only the profit gained yearly from his flock or from its fruits (Num 18:26), he gives a tithe of “all” that he gains – from even the smallest herbs (Matt 23:23).

Luke 18:13. But the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven; but struck his breast, saying: God! be merciful to me, a sinner! The tax collector at this time stood at a distance from the Pharisee (so far the account had been only of the Pharisee, consequently the distance is indicated in relation to him). He did not dare come to a prominent place where, without doubt, the Pharisee boldly stood, and prayed to God only that He would be merciful to him, a sinner. In doing so, he struck his breast – as a sign of sorrow (cf. Luke 8:52). He thought only of himself, compared himself with no one, and justified himself in nothing, although, of course, he could have said something in his defense.

Luke 18:14. I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. After such a prayer, the tax collector “went” (more precisely: “descended”, cf. verse 10) home “justified,” that is, God recognized him as righteous and made him feel it through special gladness of heart, a special sense of contrition and peace (Trench, p. 423), because justification is not only an act accomplished in God, but also passes to the justified person. The thought about this justification, as combining in itself both the recognition of a person as righteous and the appropriation by the person of the righteousness of God, had been revealed even before the writing of Luke’s Gospel by the Apostle Paul in his Epistles, and undoubtedly the evangelist Luke, using the word “justified,” understood it as his teacher, the Apostle Paul. “Rather than the other”. This does not mean that the Pharisee was also justified, though not to the same degree as the tax collector. The Pharisee departed, as the context of the account indicates, directly condemned. “For everyone” – a thought quite fitting in the parable. The sense of the saying see in the commentaries on Luke 14:11.

Luke 18:15. And they brought to Him also infants, that He would touch them; but His disciples, seeing it, rebuked them. Luke 18:16. But Jesus called them and said: Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God. Luke 18:17. Truly I say to you: whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter into it. After borrowings from a source known to him, the evangelist Luke once again begins to narrate Christ’s journey to Jerusalem, following mainly the evangelist Mark (Mark 10:13-16; cf. Matt 19:13-14). “And they brought to Him also infants” (τὰ βρέφη – children of very early age). “He called them and said…” In the Russian translation, it apparently refers to the disciples, but as seen from the Greek text, the call of Christ was addressed to the children themselves (προσεκαλέσατο αὐτά), while the saying (“said”) was to the disciples.

Luke 18:18. And a certain ruler asked Him, saying: Good Teacher! what must I do to inherit eternal life? Luke 18:19. Jesus said to him: Why do you call Me good? None is good, except God alone; Luke 18:20. You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother. Luke 18:21. And he said: All these have I kept from my youth. Luke 18:22. When Jesus heard this, He said to him: You still lack one thing: sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow Me. Luke 18:23. But hearing this, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Luke 18:24. And Jesus, seeing that he was sad, said: How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! Luke 18:25. For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Luke 18:26. Those who heard this said: Then who can be saved? Luke 18:27. But He said: The things that are impossible with men are possible with God. Luke 18:28. Then Peter said: Behold, we have left all and followed You. Luke 18:29. He said to them: Truly I say to you: There is no one who has left house, or parents, or brothers, or sisters, or wife, or children for the sake of the kingdom of God, Luke 18:30. who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the world to come eternal life. The discourse about the danger of wealth is given by the evangelist Luke in accordance with Mark (Mark 10:17-31). The evangelist Matthew presents this discourse with some addition to Peter’s answer (Matt 19:16-30). “A certain ruler” (verse 18; ἄρχων τις) – perhaps a ruler of the synagogue. This definition of Christ’s interlocutor is given only by the evangelist Luke.

Luke 18:31. Taking the twelve disciples aside, He said to them: Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished, Luke 18:32. for He will be delivered to the Gentiles, and will be mocked, and treated shamefully, and spat upon, Luke 18:33. and they will scourge and kill Him: and on the third day He will rise again. Luke 18:34. But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not understand the things that were said. Luke 18:35. And as He drew near to Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way, begging, Luke 18:36. and hearing a multitude passing by, asked what this meant. Luke 18:37. And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. Luke 18:38. Then he cried out, saying: Jesus, Son of David! have mercy on me. Luke 18:39. And those going before rebuked him that he would hold his peace; but he cried out the more, saying: Son of David! have mercy on me. Luke 18:40. Jesus, stopping, commanded him to be brought to Him; and when he drew near, He asked him, Luke 18:41. saying: What will you that I should do to you? And he said: Lord! that I may receive my sight. Luke 18:42. And Jesus said to him: Receive your sight: your faith has saved you. Luke 18:43. And immediately he received his sight and followed Him, glorifying God; and all the people, seeing it, gave praise to God. The prediction of Christ about His death and the healing of the blind man near Jericho – the evangelist Luke presents following Mark (Mark 10:32-34). “All things that are written through the prophets” (verse 31). This is an addition by the evangelist Luke, that is, most likely, the prophecies of Zechariah (Zech 11:12 and following; Zech 12:10; cf. Isa 53). “They understood none of these things” (verse 34), that is, they could not imagine how the Messiah could be killed (cf. Luke 9:45). “And as He drew near to Jericho” (verse 35). The healing of the blind man, thus, according to Luke’s Gospel was accomplished before the Lord’s entrance into the city, but according to Mark and Matthew – after His exit from the city. This contradiction can be explained by the fact that at that time the Lord healed two blind men, as the evangelist Matthew reports (Matt 20:30) – one before entrance to Jericho, and another after leaving the city. About the first the evangelist Luke speaks.

Chapter Nineteen

1–10. Zacchaeus the tax collector. – 11–27. The parable of the minas. – 28–48. Entry into Jerusalem and the cleansing of the temple.

Luke 19:1. Then Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it. Luke 19:2. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector and a wealthy man, Luke 19:3. and he sought to see Jesus, who He was; but could not for the crowd, because he was small of stature, Luke 19:4. and running ahead, he climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, because He was to pass by that way. The story of the tax collector Zacchaeus is a peculiarity of Luke’s Gospel; it is not reported by other evangelists. When the Lord, journeying to Jerusalem, was passing through Jericho (about Jericho see commentary on Matt 20:29), the chief of the local tax collectors (in Jericho considerable revenues were obtained from the production and export of balm, and therefore there were several tax collectors), a wealthy man, named Zacchaeus (from Hebrew – pure), evidently a Jew, sought to see among those passing by Jesus. “Who He was,” that is, which of those passing was Jesus. But this did not succeed for him, because he was small of stature. “Running ahead,” that is, onto the street which Christ had not yet passed, but was about to pass (by the best reading – εἰς ἔμπροσθεν, but by Textus receptus – simply ἔμπροσθεν). “Climbed up into a sycamore tree” – this tree was evidently rather tall. “By that way.” In the Greek text stands the word δί ἐκείνης, but the preposition διά here is superfluous, it is not in the best manuscripts.

Luke 19:5. And when Jesus came to that place, He looked up and saw him and said to him: Zacchaeus! make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house. Luke 19:6. And he made haste and came down and received Him with joy. Whether the Lord knew Zacchaeus before – is unknown. He could have heard the name of the tax collector from those around Him, who knew Zacchaeus and named him when they saw him in such a strange position in the tree. “Today I must stay…” The Lord points out to Zacchaeus the special importance of this day for him: Christ, according to a higher determination (cf. verse 10), must stop at Zacchaeus’s house for the night (cf. the expression μεῖναι – “to stay” with John 1:39).

Luke 19:7. And all, seeing it, began to murmur, and said that He had gone to lodge with a sinful man; “All” – a hyperbolic expression. The reference is to the Jews who accompanied Christ to Zacchaeus’s house and saw how Zacchaeus met the Lord upon His arrival. “Had gone to lodge” – more precisely: had gone in order to stay there (εἰσῆλθε καταλῦσαι).

Luke 19:8. And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord: Behold, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone in anything, I will repay it fourfold. Probably the conversation that Christ had with Zacchaeus upon coming to him made a huge impression on the soul of the tax collector. In making a vow to settle accounts with the poor and the offended, he expressed this by acknowledging his own unworthiness before such great happiness as he had now received – the Messiah Himself came to him. “Cheated” (ἐσυκοφάντησα), that is, if I caused anyone injury in material terms through my denunciations. Zacchaeus could, indeed, as head of the tax collectors, play a large role in the matter of imposing fines on merchants who did not pay the required duty on goods. “Fourfold.” He regards his act as theft, and for theft, according to the law of Moses, it was necessary to pay fourfold or even fivefold the value of the stolen goods (Exod 22:1).

Luke 19:9. Jesus said to him: Today salvation has come to this household, because he also is a son of Abraham, “Said to him” – more correctly: to him, to Zacchaeus (πρός αὐτόν), addressing at the same time His disciples and those present in the house as guests. “To this household,” that is, to all the family of Zacchaeus. “And he also is a son of Abraham,” that is, despite his occupation, despised by all Jews, Zacchaeus has certain theocratic rights to salvation through the Messiah. His moral worth is not mentioned here, and the following verse confirms the thought that Zacchaeus indeed belonged to those whom not without reason they called “the lost.”

Luke 19:10. for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Here the Lord confirms the truth of what He said in verse 9. Indeed, salvation came to Zacchaeus’s household, because the Messiah came to seek out and save those who were subject to eternal ruin (cf. Matt 18:11).

Luke 19:11. Now as they listened to this, He went on and spoke a parable, because He was near to Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was about to be revealed immediately. The parable of the minas is similar to the parable of the talents presented by the evangelist Matthew (Matt 25:14-30). The evangelist Luke indicates as the occasion for telling this parable the circumstance that the Lord’s proclamation of salvation to Zacchaeus’s household (verse 9) was heard by Christ’s disciples and, probably, by those who were guests at Zacchaeus’s, who understood this proclamation in the sense that soon Christ would reveal the kingdom of God to all (the Lord was only about 150 stadia from Jerusalem). It is plain that the kingdom which they all expected was external, political. To dispel such an expectation, the Lord spoke the following parable.

Luke 19:12. So He said: A certain man of noble birth went to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return; It is very possible that when the Lord spoke of a man who busied himself with obtaining royal power for himself, He had in mind the Jewish king Archelaus, who through a journey to Rome achieved his confirmation in royal dignity, despite the protests of his subjects (Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities,” XVII, 11, 1). So Christ, before receiving a glorious kingdom, would have to depart to a “distant country” – to heaven, to His Father, and then appear on earth in His glory. However, it is not necessary to make such a comparison, for the main thought in the parable is not this, but the thought of the condemnation of wicked servants (verses 26–27).

Luke 19:13. And he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas, saying to them: “Do business with this while I am away.” The man called ten of his own (ἑαυτοῦ) servants, from whom he could expect that they would look after His interests (cf. Matt 25:14). “Minas.” A Hebrew mina equaled one hundred shekels – that is, eighty and twenty-three kopecks. An Attic mina equaled one hundred drachmas – if this was a silver mina, that is, twenty and twenty-four kopecks. But a gold mina equaled one thousand two hundred fifty kopecks. In Matthew’s Gospel the account is conducted on a larger scale – in talents, but there the man distributes all his property, which is not said here about the man who went out to seek a kingdom for himself. “Do business with this” – that is, establish trade on it. By “servants,” of course, one should understand the disciples of Christ, and by “minas” – the various gifts received by them from God.

Luke 19:14. But the citizens of that country hated him and sent an embassy after him, saying, “We do not want this man to reign over us.” By “citizens” who did not wish the aforementioned man to be their king, one should understand the fellow tribesmen of Christ, the unbelieving Jews.

Luke 19:15. And when he returned, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had accomplished. (See Matt 25:19). “What they had accomplished” – more correctly: “what they had undertaken” (περιεποίησεν).

Luke 19:16. The first came and said, “Master, your mina has earned ten minas.” Luke 19:17. And he said to him, “Well done, good servant! Because you were faithful in a very little thing, take authority over ten cities.” (See Matt 25:20-21).

Luke 19:18. The second came and said, “Master, your mina has earned five minas.” Luke 19:19. And he said to him, “And you also rule over five cities.” Luke 19:20. Another came and said, “Master, here is your mina, which I kept laid up in a napkin; Luke 19:21. for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man: you take what you did not deposit, and you reap what you did not sow.” Luke 19:22. He said to him, “By your own words I will judge you, wicked servant! You knew that I am an exacting man, taking what I did not deposit, and reaping what I did not sow; Luke 19:23. why then did you not put my money in the bank, so that on my arrival I could have collected it with interest?” Luke 19:24. And he said to those standing by, “Take the mina from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.” Luke 19:25. And they said to him, “Master, he has ten minas.” Luke 19:26. “I tell you that to everyone who has will be given more, but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away; (See Matt 25:22-29).

Luke 19:27. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me.” Here the king turns his gaze away from the wicked servant and remembers his enemies, of whom the account was given in verse 14. “Slay them before me” – a figure denoting the condemnation of Christ’s enemies to eternal death. The parable, thus, concerns both the fate of the unbelieving Jews in Christ, and – and this is its main subject – the future fate of the disciples of Christ. Each disciple is given a certain gift by which he must serve the Church, and if he does not use this gift as he should, he will be punished with exclusion from the kingdom of the Messiah, whereas the diligent fulfillment of the will of Christ will receive the highest rewards in this kingdom.

Luke 19:28. Having said this, He continued on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. Luke 19:29. And when He had come near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the hill called the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples, Luke 19:30. saying, “Go into the village opposite, and as you enter it you will find a young ass tied, on which no one has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. Luke 19:31. And if anyone asks you why you are untying it, you shall say to him thus: He has need of it.” Luke 19:32. So those who were sent went and found it just as He had told them. Luke 19:33. As they were untying the young ass, the owners said to them, “Why are you untying the ass?” Luke 19:34. They said, “He has need of it.” Luke 19:35. And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their garments on the ass, they set Jesus upon it. Luke 19:36. And as He went, they spread their garments on the road. Luke 19:37. When He drew near to the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of disciples began to praise God with a loud voice joyfully for all the mighty works which they had seen, Luke 19:38. saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Here the evangelist Luke speaks about the entry of Christ into Jerusalem in accordance with the evangelist Mark (Mark 11:1-10; cf. Matt 21:1-16). But in doing so, he makes certain additions, and in places – and some abbreviations. “He continued on ahead” (verse 28) – more precisely: “He was journeying ahead (ἐπορεύετο ἔμπροσθεν) of His disciples” (cf. Mark 10:32). “At the hill called the Mount of Olives” (verse 29) – more correctly: “to the Mount of Olives” (ἐλαιῶν – olive grove; Josephus also uses the name “Mount of Olives” (“Josephus,” “Jewish Antiquities,” VII, 9, 2). “When He drew near to the descent of the Mount of Olives” (verse 37). Where the descent was, one could see Jerusalem in all its magnificence. Therefore it is understandable the sudden outburst of enthusiastic cries from the people accompanying Christ as their king, entering into His capital. “Disciples.” These are disciples in the broadest sense of the word. “Which they had seen” – of course, earlier, when they followed Christ. “Blessed is the King” (verse 38). By “King” the disciples designate the Lord only in the gospels of Luke and John (John 12:13). “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” By these words in Luke’s Gospel the exclamation “Hosanna in the highest” (Matthew and Mark) is replaced. He, so to speak, divides “Hosanna” into two exclamations: “Peace in heaven,” that is, salvation in heaven, from God, Who will now distribute this salvation through the Messiah, and then “glory in the highest,” that is, God will be glorified for this by the Angels in the highest, on high.

Luke 19:39. But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said to Him, “Teacher! rebuke Your disciples.” Luke 19:40. But He answered and said to them, “I tell you, if these remain silent, the stones will cry out.” Luke 19:41. When He drew near and saw the city, He wept over it, Luke 19:42. saying, “If only you knew, even you, on this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes, Luke 19:43. for the days will come upon you when your enemies will surround you with a rampart and encircle you and hem you in from every side, Luke 19:44. and level you to the ground and your children within you, and will not leave one stone on another within you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” This section is found only in Luke’s Gospel. Some of the Pharisees, coming out from the crowd in which they had been, turned to Christ with a proposal to forbid His disciples from crying out this way. The Lord answered to this that such an outburst of praise addressed to God could not be stopped. In this He used a saying about stones, which also occurs in the Talmud. Then, when He drew near to the city, He looked at it and wept – wept over it loudly (ἔκλαυσεν ἐπ´ αὐτήν, and not ἐδάκρυσεν, as at the grave of Lazarus, John 11:35). “If only you knew…” (verse 42). The speech breaks off, as “happens with those who are weeping” (Euthymius Zigabenus). To peace or to the salvation of Jerusalem should have served, of course, faith in Christ as the promised Messiah (cf. Luke 14:32). “You also” – in the manner of My disciples. “On this your day,” that is, on this day, which could have been for you a day of salvation. “But now…” That is, but under the present circumstances this is impossible, by God’s determination it has been hidden from you, this salvation (ἐκρύβη points to God’s determination, cf. John 12:37 and following; Rom 11:7 and following). “For the days will come upon you…” (verse 43). The Lord has just said that it was hidden from the Jewish people what serves for its salvation. Now He proves this thought, referring to the punishment that, without doubt, awaits this people. “Surround you with a rampart.” This was fulfilled at the time of the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans, when Titus, in order to prevent the bringing of provisions into Jerusalem, surrounded it with a rampart or palisade, which was burned by the besieged and then replaced with a wall. “Level you to the ground” (verse 44) – more precisely: “raze you to the ground” (ἐδαφιοῦσι). “Your children within you.” A city in Sacred Scripture is often represented under the image of a mother (see Joel 2:23; Isa 31:8), and therefore by children one should understand the inhabitants of the city. “The time of your visitation,” that is, the appointed moment in time when God manifested special care for you, offering you to receive through Me messianic salvation (τόν καιρόν τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς – cf. 1 Pet 2:12).

Luke 19:45. And entering the temple, He began to drive out those who were selling, Luke 19:46. saying to them, “It is written: My house is a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.” Luke 19:47. And He taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the teachers of the law and the elders of the people sought to kill Him, Luke 19:48. but they could not find what they might do, because all the people clung to Him listening. Concerning the cleansing of the temple, the evangelist Luke speaks in accordance with Mark (Mark 11:15-17) and in part – with Matthew (Matt 21:12-13). “And He taught daily in the temple.” The evangelist Luke notes the fact of Christ’s daily appearance in the temple as a teacher so as to make the transition to the subject of the next chapter. The evangelist Mark also hints at this “teaching” (Mark 11:17). “Clung to Him listening.” The attention with which the people listened to Christ was an obstacle to the enemies of the Savior in their plans against Him. * * * That is, 1.6 kg in silver equivalent. – Editor’s note. 400 grams of silver. – Editor’s note. corresponding to the price of approximately 1.4 kg of gold. – Editor’s note.

Chapter Twenty

1–26. The question about Christ’s authority and tribute to Caesar. – 27–38. The question of the Sadducees. – 39–47. Christ and the scribes.

Luke 20:1. On one of those days, as He was teaching the people in the temple and proclaiming the gospel, the chief priests and scribes came with the elders, Luke 20:2. and said to Him, “Tell us, by what authority do You do these things, or who gave You this authority?” Luke 20:3. He replied to them, “I also will ask you a question, and you tell Me: Luke 20:4. Was John’s baptism from heaven or from men?” Luke 20:5. They discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say ‘from heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ Luke 20:6. But if we say ‘from men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” Luke 20:7. So they answered, “We do not know where it came from.” Luke 20:8. Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” This section is fully in agreement with the account of the evangelist Mark (Mark 11:27-33), whom Luke clearly follows here, and with the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 21:23-27). “The people will stone us.” This was a customary punishment among the Jews (cf. Exod 17:4).

Luke 20:9. And He began to tell the people a parable: “A man planted a vineyard and leased it to tenant farmers, and went away for a long time; Luke 20:10. and at the proper season he sent a servant to the tenant farmers so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard; but the tenant farmers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Luke 20:11. And he sent another servant; but they beat him also and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed. Luke 20:12. And he sent yet a third; but they wounded this one also and threw him out. Luke 20:13. Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ Luke 20:14. But when the tenant farmers saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.’ Luke 20:15. And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? Luke 20:16. He will come and destroy those tenant farmers and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “May it not be!” Luke 20:17. But He looked at them and said, “What then does this Scripture mean: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? Luke 20:18. Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and if it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” Luke 20:19. And the chief priests and the scribes sought in that very hour to seize Him, but they feared the people; for they understood that He had spoken this parable against them. The parable of the vineyard in the evangelist Luke stands closest to the way it is presented in the evangelist Mark (Mark 12:1-12; cf. Matt 21:33-46). “He began to speak to the people” (verse 9). According to Mark, the Lord spoke the parable to the chief priests, scribes, and elders (Mark 12:1: “them”; cf. Mark 11:27), and not to the people. But the evangelist Luke, probably understanding by “people” both the chief priests with the scribes and elders, omits this conversation here, but mentions only its result – the remark of the scribe or “some scribes,” as he expressed it. In any case, from his Gospel it is clear that these persons were present when the parable was pronounced (cf. verse 19). “Those who heard said, ‘May it not be!’” (verse 16). Apparently these were people from among the common people who understood that the Lord was depicting in the parable the attitude toward Him from the side of the representatives of Judaism. They say that they do not want the tenant farmers to kill the “son,” that is, they pity Christ. “What does this mean…” (verse 17). More correctly: what then, if your wish “may it not be” should be fulfilled, should the Scripture saying “stone” mean? – that is, in that case the will of God spoken about Me in Scripture will not be fulfilled. “Everyone who falls” (verse 18; see Matt 21:44). “For they understood” (verse 19). Who? The people or the hierarchs? According to the evangelist Luke, rather the people, who understood that the parable was spoken about the hierarchs (cf. verses 16–17). The evangelist seems to want to say that the people, having understood the parable which pointed to the designs of the hierarchs against Christ, were already on guard, and it was this that the hierarchs feared; therefore they did not dare to seize Christ.

Luke 20:20. And they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might catch Him in something He said, so as to deliver Him to the authority and power of the governor. Luke 20:21. And they asked Him, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach rightly, and are not partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God; Luke 20:22. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” Luke 20:23. But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test Me? Luke 20:24. Show Me a denarius: whose image and inscription does it have?” They answered, “Caesar’s.” Luke 20:25. He said to them, “Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Luke 20:26. And they were not able to catch Him in something He said before the people, and marveling at His answer, they became silent. The conversation of Christ with the “spies” about tribute to Caesar is recounted by the evangelist Luke in agreement with the evangelist Mark (Mark 12:13-17; cf. Matt 22:15-22). “And they watched Him…” (verse 20). The hierarchs still did not abandon their designs and, constantly watching every deed and word of Christ, sent craftily-minded (trained) people to Him who, pretending to be pious, that is, making it appear that they were acting according to their own religious necessity, would catch Christ on some rash word. However, this translation of the Russian Gospel text does not fully correspond to the Greek; more correctly: “they sent instructed people pretending to be pious to catch Him…” They wanted to deliver Christ to the authority and, specifically (the explanatory conjunction), the power of the procurator. “Are not partial to anyone” (verse 21), that is, do not belong to any faction, judge impartially (cf. Gal 2:6). “Tribute” (verse 22) – a head tax and land tax (φόρον, in distinction from τέλος – a tariff or indirect tax).

Luke 20:27. Then came some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, and they asked Him, Luke 20:28. “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies having a wife, and he dies without children, the man must take the wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Luke 20:29. Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without children; Luke 20:30. and the second took the wife, and he died without children; Luke 20:31. and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died; Luke 20:32. Afterward the woman also died. Luke 20:33. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.” Luke 20:34. And Jesus said to them, “The children of this age marry and are given in marriage; Luke 20:35. but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, Luke 20:36. for they can no longer die, for they are like the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. Luke 20:37. But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, when he called the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Luke 20:38. Now He is not God of the dead but of the living, for to Him all are alive.” The answer to the question of the Sadducees is given by the evangelist Luke in agreement with Mark (Mark 12:18-27; cf. Matt 22:23-33). “Some Sadducees came, those who deny the resurrection” (verse 27) – more correctly: “those denying the resurrection” (this is a definition of the word “some”). From this it is evident that only some Sadducees denied the resurrection of the dead. “Children of this age” (verse 34), that is, people of the pre-messianic period. “And they can no longer die” (verse 36) – more correctly: “for also they can no longer die” (οὐδέ γάρ ἀποθανεῖν ἔτι δύνανται). Immortality of the resurrected, their deathlessness, excludes marriage among them (though not the distinction of sexes), since marriage is necessary only where death exists (the Blessed Theophylact). “For they are like the angels.” This is the reason why they will not die. They will not die because of a transformation which their nature will undergo, for likeness or resemblance to the angels consists in a higher, crude physical existence that has ceased to be, existence of the flesh. This physicality will not be subject to death. “And are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” Here is another basis for the immortality of the future life. People will become sons of God – not only in the moral sense, as children loved by God, but in a higher, metaphysical sense – will have in themselves a higher divine life, divine glory (Rom 8:17), which (life) is eternal by its nature. “Being sons of the resurrection,” that is, having risen through resurrection to a new life. “Moses showed in the passage about the bush” (verse 37). The word “showed” (ἐμήνυσεν, incorrectly read by Bishop Michael as ἑρμήνευσεν – interpreted) denotes the revelation of what is hidden (John 11:57; Acts 23:30). The Lord mentions Moses first of all because his interlocutors referred to Moses (verse 28). “For to Him all are alive” (verse 38), that is, all – of whom He is God – are alive to Him. If they are also dead, then to people, in relation to people, but not in relation to God. Thus, the future resurrection of the dead appears to be the natural and necessary completion of that state of life in which the dead exist before the Last Judgment.

Luke 20:39. And some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, You have spoken well.” Luke 20:40. For they no longer dared to ask Him anything more. Luke 20:41. But He said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David, Luke 20:42. for David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, Luke 20:43. until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet’? Luke 20:44. David thus calls Him Lord; how then is He his Son?” Luke 20:45. And in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, Luke 20:46. “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts; Luke 20:47. who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense pray at length. They will receive the greater condemnation.” “Some of the scribes” (verse 39). According to the evangelist Mark, this was said by one scribe who had been in conversation with Christ about the greatest commandment (Mark 12:32). Since the evangelist Luke has already related this conversation above (Luke 10:25 and ff.), he omits it here and mentions only the result of this conversation – the remark of the scribe or “some scribes,” as he expressed it. “And they no longer dared to ask Him anything” (verse 40). Here also the evangelist Luke repeats the account of Mark (Mark 12:34). “How can they say…” (verses 41–44). (See Mark 12:35-37). “And in the hearing of all the people…” (verses 45–47). (See Mark 12:38-40). The difference between Mark and Luke here is that, according to the former, the Lord’s warning was spoken before a multitude of people and for the people, while according to Luke it was addressed directly to His disciples. This difference can be reconciled thus: the Lord spoke in this case aloud before all the people (Mark), but addressed Himself directly to His disciples (Luke).

Chapter Twenty-One

1–4. The widow’s two coins. – 5–38. The prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the second coming of Christ.

Luke 21:1. Looking up, He saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury; Luke 21:2. and He saw a poor widow putting in two small coins. Luke 21:3. And He said, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all the rest; Luke 21:4. for all those others put gifts into the treasury from their abundance, but she from her want has put in all the livelihood she had.” The account of the widow who put two coins into the temple treasury is almost an exact repetition of the account of the evangelist Mark (Mark 12:41-44). “Looking up.” Until now the Lord had been in conversation with His disciples. Now He observes the people entering the temple and sees the widow. “Into the gifts” (verse 4) more precisely: “into the gifts” (εἰς τὰ δῶρα), that is, the rich added from themselves to the gifts that were in the treasury.

Luke 21:5. And some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and offerings. And He said, Luke 21:6. “As for what you see here, the days will come when there shall not be left one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” Luke 21:7. And they asked Him, “Teacher, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” The introduction to the discourse on the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world is related from the Gospel of Mark with abridgment (Mark 13:1-4). “Some.” These were, in all probability, the disciples of Christ (cf. verse 7 and Mark 13:1). “With beautiful stones” (cf. Mark 13:1). “And offerings” (ἀναθήμασι). These were various offerings to the temple made on certain occasions, for example, the golden grapevine presented by Herod the Great (Josephus. “Jewish War,” VI, 5, 2). “When will these things be?” Apparently those asking had in mind only the destruction of Jerusalem, but since this fact was closely connected in their understanding with the destruction of the world, they ask nothing about the latter (see Mark 13:4).

Luke 21:8. And He said, “See that you are not led astray, for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not go after them. Luke 21:9. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be alarmed, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.” Luke 21:10. Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; Luke 21:11. and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences, and there will be terrible events and great signs from heaven. The Lord is speaking here about the signs of the coming of the messianic age, the time of the revelation of the glorious Kingdom of the Messiah. “Then He said to them” (verse 10), that is, after the preliminary exhortation He began to depict the impending calamities. “In various places,” that is, here and there, in one place and then another. “From heaven.” This definition applies to both of the preceding expressions “events” and “signs.” More details about this are given in the commentaries on Mark 13:6-8; Matt 24:4-7.

Luke 21:12. But before all these things, they will lay hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for My name’s sake; Luke 21:13. this will be your opportunity to testify. Luke 21:14. Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how to answer; Luke 21:15. for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. Luke 21:16. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death; Luke 21:17. and you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. Luke 21:18. But not a hair of your head will perish. Luke 21:19. By your endurance you will gain your souls.” About the tribulations that will befall the disciples of Christ before the coming of this age, the evangelist Luke speaks, in general, in agreement with Mark (Mark 13:9-13). “But before all these things” (verse 12), that is, these tribulations will befall you even before the destruction of Jerusalem. “This will be your opportunity to testify” (verse 13), that is, you will thereby be able to show your faithfulness to Me. “A mouth” (verse 15), that is, the ability to speak eloquently and persuasively. The apostles received this through the gift of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 6:10). “But not a hair of your head will perish” (verse 18). According to the usual interpretation (see, for example, the Commentary Gospel by Bishop Michael), here it is a question of God protecting the disciples, preserving their life, necessary for Gospel preaching. But such an explanation does not correspond to the expression of verse 16: “and some of you they will put to death.” It is more likely that here the discussion concerns the preservation of the disciples in a spiritual sense: “nothing of what has been said will serve to the harm of you in your work of salvation.” This interpretation agrees with the meaning of verse 19, where it is undoubtedly a matter of the fact that through endurance in sufferings the disciples of Christ will preserve themselves for eternal true life (Mark 13:13). Finally, one could also understand this place thus, that if the apostles do endure misfortunes and torments, it will be only where divine permission will be granted (cf. Matt 10:30).

Luke 21:20. “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near: Luke 21:21. then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let those who are in the country not enter it; Luke 21:22. for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Luke 21:23. Alas for those who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people; Luke 21:24. and they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. About the destruction of Jerusalem the evangelist Luke speaks, in general, in agreement with Mark (Mark 13:14 and ff.), but there are some distinctive features here. “Jerusalem surrounded by armies” (verse 20). Some (for us – Bishop Michael) believe that the evangelist Luke here explains what the “desolating sacrilege” mentioned by Mark (and Matthew) is. But such an interpretation is based on nothing. The surrounding of the city by armies is not yet the “desolation” of it… “Those in Judea” (verse 21). This refers to the disciples of Christ, as is evident from verse 20 (“you will see” – “know”). The possibility of fleeing from the city, consequently, will still be presented, even though the city will be surrounded (verse 20). “To fulfill all that is written” (verse 22). This refers to the numerous prophecies concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, including the prophecy of Daniel about the seventy weeks (Dan 9:26-27). “By the edge of the sword” (verse 24) – more precisely: “by the mouth of the sword” (στόματι μαχαίρας). The sword is portrayed as a biting beast (cf. Gen 34:26; Deut 13:15). According to Josephus, during the siege and capture of Jerusalem about a million Jews perished. “And be led captive.” Into captivity were led – mostly to Egypt and other provinces – 97,000. “Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles.” The city here is portrayed as a person with whom the Gentiles will deal with utter contempt (cf. Isa 10:6; Rev 11:2). “Until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled,” that is, until the period of time appointed to the Gentiles for the execution of the judgment of God concerning the Jewish people shall pass (St. John Chrysostom). These “times” (καιροί) must end with the second coming of Christ (cf. verses 25–27), which must occur during the lifetime of the listeners of this discourse (verse 28: “raise your heads”). Therefore, here there cannot be talk of long periods and, consequently, there is no prophecy of the fall of paganism under Constantine the Great and even less of the conversion of the “full number of the Gentiles” (Rom 11:25) to Christ. It is clear that by the coming of Christ here one must understand not His coming before the end of the world, but His coming in the Holy Spirit, or else one must consider the discourse on the second coming as spoken in the spirit of Old Testament prophecies (see the commentaries on Matt 24).

Luke 21:25. And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring and surging of the sea; Luke 21:26. people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Luke 21:27. And then they will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. Luke 21:28. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:29. And He told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; Luke 21:30. as soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. Luke 21:31. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Luke 21:32. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place; Luke 21:33. heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” The second coming will be preceded by particular signs, about which the evangelist Luke speaks, approaching more closely to the Gospel of Mark (see Mark 13:24-31). “Signs in the sun” (verse 25; see Mark 13:24). “Distress of nations in perplexity” – more precisely: the anguish of nations in a state of helplessness of spirit before the noise of the sea and waves (the noise of the sea and its disturbance – this is precisely what men will face in a state of helplessness of spirit, συνοχὴ ἐθνῶν ἐν ἀπορίᾳ). “People fainting with fear” (verse 26). Since the description progresses with increasingly intense tempo, here one must see not a simple weakness, but directly the expiration of the last breath of people. “For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” In this will be the cause of the extraordinary noise of the sea and other upheavals in the world. “Your redemption” (verse 28) – the same as “vengeance for the elect” (Luke 18:7). The judgment on the wicked will begin and the glorification of the sufferers for the name of Christ.

Luke 21:34. “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly, Luke 21:35. like a snare. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Luke 21:36. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” The exhortatory character at the conclusion of this discourse can be observed in both Matthew and Mark, but in Mark and Matthew this exhortation is much simpler and shorter (cf. Mark 13:33 and ff.; Matt 24:42). “Dissipation” – more precisely: “hangover,” as the result of yesterday’s inebriation (κραιπάλῃ) in distinction from drunkenness (μέθῃ). “That day,” that is, the day of the second coming and judgment. “Come upon you.” That day is personified as seizing people unexpectedly. “Like a snare” – a snare which hunters cast upon animals or birds (cf. Isa 24:17). “At all times.” This expression more properly belongs to the word “praying” (δεόμενοι), because the Lord spoke of prayer at all times also above (Luke 18:1-7). “Have strength” – this is the goal and at the same time the content of the prayer. According to the best manuscripts, here it reads: to have strength, to be capable (κατισχύσατε, and not καταξιωθῆτε). “Escape all these…” That is, to pass happily through all the dangers that will befall you and to save your life, that is, your position as the elect of God (cf. verse 19 and Luke 18:7). “Stand before the Son of Man” (see Mark 13:27). The elect will be set (σταθῆναι) before Christ by the Angels and will form around Him a chosen retinue (cf. 1 Thess 4:17). There is no discussion here of judgment over these chosen ones of God.

Luke 21:37. And every day He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and lodged on the mount called the Mount of Olives. Luke 21:38. And all the people came early in the morning to Him in the temple to hear Him. Here is given a general survey of the activity of Christ in the last time of His life. The Lord continued during the day, unafraid of His enemies, to come forward in the temple as a teacher, and at night He withdrew to the mount of Olives (cf. Mark 11:19).

Chapter Twenty-Two

1–13. Judas with the chief priests and scribes. Preparation for the Passover meal. – 14–23. The establishment of the Eucharist and Christ’s prediction of Judas’s betrayal. – 24–30. Dispute over greatness. – 31–34. Prediction of Peter’s denial. – 35–38. The word about the sword. – 39–53. Prayer on the Mount of Olives and the arrest of Christ by the soldiers. – 54–71. Peter’s denial and the condemnation of Christ.

Luke 22:1. Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover, Luke 22:2. and the chief priests and scribes were seeking how to put Him to death, for they feared the people. Luke 22:3. And Satan entered into Judas, called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve, Luke 22:4. And he went and spoke with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. Luke 22:5. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money; Luke 22:6. And he promised, and sought an opportunity to betray Him to them without the crowd. Luke 22:7. And the day of unleavened bread came, on which the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed, Luke 22:8. And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, Go, prepare for us the Passover to eat. Luke 22:9. And they said to Him, Where do You want us to prepare? Luke 22:10. He said to them, Behold, when you enter into the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you; follow him into the house where he enters, Luke 22:11. And you shall say to the master of the house, The Teacher says to you, Where is the room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? Luke 22:12. And he shall show you a large, furnished upper room; there prepare. Luke 22:13. And they went and found it just as He had said to them, and prepared the Passover. Concerning Judas’s journey to the chief priests and scribes, the evangelist Luke speaks in agreement with Mark, omitting only the story of the anointing (Mark 14:1-16; cf. Matt 26:1-16). “The festival of unleavened bread, called the Passover” (verse 1). The evangelist Luke identifies both names together, because in fact the unleavened bread was to be eaten already on the day of Passover. “They feared the people” (verse 2; see Luke 19:48). “And Satan entered into Judas” (verse 3). It is difficult to say what the evangelist understands here: whether actual entry of Satan or only his influence upon the soul of Judas. The former supposition is supported by the fact that the word “to enter” (εἰσέρχεσθαι) in Luke denotes the entering of demons into bodies (Luke 8:30 and following; Luke 11:26), while the latter is supported by the consideration that Judas showed in no way that he was possessed by Satan (cf. John 13:27). “With the captains” (verse 4; στρατηγοῖς), that is, with the captain of the Levite temple guard and the guards subordinate to him (the captain, or strategus, was properly called only the head of these guards; see Acts 4:1). “The day of unleavened bread” (verse 7). Here the evangelist calls the day of unleavened bread one day of Passover. Earlier (verse 1), he meant the approach of the entire festive season, and therefore used the expression “festival of unleavened bread,” meaning all eight festive days from the 14th to the 21st of Nisan. “And Jesus sent…” (verse 8 and following). According to the Gospel of Luke, the Lord Himself sends the disciples to prepare the Passover, whereas according to Matthew and Mark, the disciples proposed to Him the question where to prepare the Passover. The difference is inessential.

Luke 22:14. And when the hour had come, He reclined, and the twelve Apostles with Him, Luke 22:15. And He said to them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering, Luke 22:16. For I say to you, I shall not eat it again until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. Luke 22:17. And having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, Take this and divide it among yourselves; Luke 22:18. For I say to you, I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God come. Luke 22:19. And having taken bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, This is My Body, which is given for you; do this in My remembrance. Luke 22:20. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in My Blood, which is shed for you. In the narrative of the institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the evangelist Luke differs from the first two evangelists chiefly in the arrangement of the individual moments of this event and in certain details of the narrative. We may therefore say that he in this case followed not the Gospel of Mark, as usual, and not the Gospel of Matthew, but some source unknown to us. “Reclined” (verse 14; see Matt 26:20). “With desire I have desired…” (verse 15). The Lord had such desire to eat this Passover with His disciples because it was the last before the sufferings and death of Christ, and moreover, because the institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist was to be accomplished at it. “Until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (verse 16). This expression is very difficult to understand and is explained differently by commentators. It is best to see here an indication that in the kingdom of God the closest and most perfect communion with God will begin, which, as it were, was begun beforehand in the eating of the Passover lamb. The idea of redemption contained in the celebration of Passover will find its final fulfillment only in the kingdom of God, where the apostles will also be together with Christ (cf. Matt 13:11; Luke 22:30). “And having taken the cup” (verse 17). More precisely: “having received” (δεξάμενος, and not λαβῶν, as in verse 19). This was a cup of wine, ordinarily drunk by those present at the celebration of the Passover supper. “I shall not drink of the fruit…” (verse 18). This, according to Mark, was said after the Eucharistic cup (Mark 14:25). And the evangelist Matthew asserts the same (Matt 26:29). The Lord in the same manner, according to Luke, refrains from the cup, not drinking from it (“divide it among yourselves”). Since this was a violation of tradition—the head of the family or host of the supper was obligated to drink the wine from the Passover cup—this refusal of Christ must have made a strong impression on the apostles, and they should at once have been stirred in spirit in expectation of what Christ would do next. And next followed the institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist. “And having taken bread” (verse 19; see Matt 26:26). The evangelist Luke is here closer to the Apostle Paul, who also narrates the institution of the Eucharist (1 Cor 11:24 and following). Thus from here comes the expression “having given thanks” (εὐχαριστήσας) and the addition to the expression “My Body,” though with some alteration (“which is given for you,” but in Paul “which is broken for you”), and also the words: “do this in My remembrance.” However, the evangelist Luke for some reason omits these last words when mentioning the “cup after supper,” while in the Apostle Paul they are repeated. “Which is given for you”, that is, which is surrendered in order that your redemption might be accomplished (τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν διδόμενον). Cf. Matt 20:28. Since the Lord here uses the present participle (διδόμενον – “is given”; more correctly – “being given”), from this we can conclude that the Eucharist accomplished by Christ has a sacrificial character, that already at the supper, a great and mysterious sacrifice of the surrender of Himself by Christ to death was accomplished. “Do this…” What exactly? Some commentators (for example, B. Weiss) understand this commandment to mean that the Lord establishes here the breaking of bread and the dividing of it among those present at the supper, and perhaps also the pronouncement of the words “this is My Body…,” by which the symbolic character of the action is determined. Thus, so to speak, there is no question of “communion” here, and this must all the more be admitted because the evangelist Luke omits the words found in Mark (“receive”) and in Matthew (“eat…”). But Keil rightly objects against such a narrow understanding that in such a case it remains completely incomprehensible what the apostles were to do with the broken bread? Leave it on the table or carry it home with them? No, clearly, the Lord has in mind here chiefly “communion” of His Body… The evangelist Luke could have omitted the words “receive, eat,” which are cited also in the Apostle Paul, simply because of their general knowledge and for brevity, especially since the thought expressed by them is partly contained already in the words “which is given for you.” “In My remembrance,” that is, in order to remember Me. In these words lies the indication that the Eucharist in each individual case of its celebration is the actual sacrifice of Christ, offered for all people. To see here only a hint of the symbolic character of the Eucharist (as asserts, for example, that same B. Weiss) is completely unfounded and clearly contradicts the understanding of the Apostle Paul (1 Cor 11:27; cf. 1 Cor 10:16). “Likewise also the cup after supper” (verse 20), that is, in the same way as he dealt with the bread: having taken the cup and given thanks, he gave it to them (see verse 19). The evangelist Luke borrows these words literally from the Apostle Paul (up to the words “do this” – 1 Cor 11:25), he even preserved the expression: “after supper,” although, according to his account, the supper was still continuing after this “cup.” However, it can also be understood thus, that the Eucharistic cup according to the Gospel of Luke was already the fourth cup and concluded the Passover supper (cf. commentaries to Matt 26:27-29). What else was, according to the Gospel of Luke, at the supper no longer properly belonged to it. “This cup is the new covenant,” that is, this cup is the new covenant through My Blood, which is contained in the cup and which is shed for your salvation. And here Western commentators see only a symbol of the Blood of Christ, and not actual Blood, but against such understanding speaks the same Epistle to the Corinthians (see above) and the Tradition of the Orthodox Church, which has always asserted that in the Sacrament of the Eucharist true Body and true Blood of Christ are imparted. “The new covenant,” that is, opposed to the Old, Mosaic covenant, a covenant of grace and forgiveness (Rom 11:27), which have been acquired for people through the death of Christ. “Which is shed for you.” In Greek this is expressed in the form of a participle (τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐκχυόμενον) and should be translated: “for you being shed.” But to what word does this definition refer? To the word “cup” or to the phrase “in My Blood” (“blood” in Greek αἷμα – a noun of neuter gender, just as is the word “cup” – ποτήριον)? Some commentators understand it so, that here a definition is given to the word “cup” (for example, Euthymius Zigabenus). Just as during the offering of a sacrifice in Old Testament worship wine was poured out from the cup onto the sacrifice, so here Christ speaks of His Blood, which He under the form of wine pours out on the altar. But such an interpretation seems too artificial and diminishes the dignity of the “cup”: after all, wine was poured out on the altar as an addition to the sacrifice, whereas the Lord here clearly gives to the wine, or in other words, to His Blood, the same significance as to His Body, which is supposed to be under the form of bread. Therefore it seems more correct to understand this definition as connected with the phrase “in My Blood.” If this definition is grammatically not in agreement with the thing defined (one should say: “in My Blood being shed” – dative, not nominative), but such lack of agreement is sometimes met in New Testament books (cf. Jas 3:8; Rev 3:12; Mark 12:40) and may be allowed by the evangelist Luke not by chance, but in order to emphasize this moment – “the shedding of Blood for you.” Of course, the Blood is shed not for the apostles alone, but for all people.

Luke 22:21. And behold, the hand of him that betrays Me is with Me at the table; Luke 22:22. And the Son of Man goes his way as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed! Luke 22:23. And they began to inquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. The evangelist Luke, in agreement with the evangelist John (John 13), clearly states that the revealing of the traitor and consequently his departure from the Last Supper took place after the institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist. The Lord thus employed the last means to turn the unfaithful disciple back to Himself, namely, allowed him to taste of His Body and Blood. Some commentators note this as a contradiction between the Gospel of Luke and the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, according to which the revelation of the traitor took place before the institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist (Matt 26:21-25; Mark 14:21). But if there is here a contradiction, then, in the first place, it could have come about because the evangelist Luke found it necessary to first tell of the most important thing that happened at the supper—the institution of the Eucharist—and then to relate the revealing of the traitor and the dispute of the disciples among themselves, and furthermore—and this seems to us especially important—none of all three Synoptics says anything about the departure of the traitor from the supper, and on this point there is no contradiction between them; one can even say that the first two evangelists speak only of the revealing of the traitor to John and perhaps to Peter, and this certainly did not prevent Judas from continuing to sit at the table and further, which is what the evangelist Luke depicts… “And behold” (πλὴν ἰδοῦ) – this is a usual transition in the Gospel of Luke to a new thought (cf. Luke 6:35): from the significance of His death Christ transitions in thought to how this death will come upon Him, through whom He will receive it. “Hand…at the table” – more precisely: “on the table” (ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης). Judas, therefore, stretched out his hand across the table to receive the cup. “The one betraying.” Here there is a certain correspondence with the expression of the 19th verse. “Being given” (Body). The Body “is given,” and behold here is “the one betraying” it. “Moreover.” In the earliest manuscripts here instead of the conjunction “and” (καὶ) stands the conjunction “because” (ὅτι). If one accept such a reading, then in the opening words of verse 22 one must see an indication that the betrayal of the Lord by Judas is not something unexpected, but is in agreement with the determination of God. “But woe…” Nevertheless it remains a free act of the traitor, for which he will be punished. “To inquire” – more precisely: to discuss, to dispute (συζητεῖν). They wanted to prove to one another that not one of them would go into such a vile deed.

Luke 22:24. And there arose also a contention among them, as to which of them was to be accounted the greatest. Only the evangelist Luke testifies to the dispute of the disciples about primacy. According to the explanation of the blessed Theophylact, the apostles naturally moved to the dispute about primacy, having begun with a discussion of the question who might prove to be the traitor of the Lord. Of course, the apostles disputed about primacy in the kingdom of heaven (see Matt 18:1). However, some commentators assert that this was a dispute about who should sit closest to Christ at the supper, and that the dispute itself took place before they sat down at the table. More about this, see commentaries to John 13).

Luke 22:25. And He said to them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who have authority over them are called benefactors; Luke 22:26. But you are not so; but let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. The Lord speaks that even the dispute itself about primacy among the apostles ought not to arise. To seek to be raised above others is proper to heathen kings, but the apostles ought to strive only to serve one another (cf. Matt 20:25 and following). “Those who have authority over them” (οἱ ἐξουσιάζοντες) – these are not kings, but special rulers appointed by kings. “Benefactors” (εύεργέται). Euergetae, as is known, was what the Egyptian kings of the period nearest to the time of Christ were called. This title marked the special merits of these rulers before the state. “Who of you is the greatest” – not “who wants to be greatest,” but “who is truly the greater one.” “As the youngest” – not in the sense of “worthless,” but as “more youthful in age” (ὁ νεώτερος), a young person has always been obligated to serve their elders (cf. Acts 5:6).

Luke 22:27. For who is greater, the one who reclines at table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines? But I am in the midst of you as one who serves. The Lord in example of self-humiliation points to Himself, having in mind, probably, the washing of the feet of the disciples that He had done before (John 13). “I am in the midst of you,” that is, I do not separate Myself from you, I do not place Myself on a pedestal (cf. Mark 10:45). “As one who serves,” that is, as an ordinary slave, serving at table. Of course, this expression is only a symbol of the self-humiliation of Christ in relation to people.

Luke 22:28. But you are they that have continued with Me in My temptations; However, the Lord does not deny that the apostles have real merits by which they stand above other people. But these merits of theirs consist only in the fact that they have borne together with Christ various trials to which He was subjected during His humble service to humanity (cf. Heb 2:18).

Luke 22:29. And I covenant to you, even as My Father covenanted to Me, a kingdom; “And I covenant to you…” That is, and I, for My part, in reward for your faithfulness do covenant to you or appoint to you (cf. 2 Chr 7:18; Gen 15:18) a kingdom or dominion, sovereignty (βασιλείαν without any qualification), even as My Father appointed to Me dominion. Of course, both that and this—both the sovereignty of Christ and the sovereignty of the apostles—will have their place in the Messianic Kingdom (cf. 1 Cor 4:8; 2 Tim 2:12).

Luke 22:30. That you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit upon thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. “That you may eat and drink…” This is the purpose for which Christ gives the apostles their sovereign rights. They are to eat at the table of Christ, as they eat with Him here. This points to the closest communion of them with Christ in the Messianic Kingdom (cf. Luke 13:29; Matt 8:11). “You shall sit…” (see Matt 19:28). The word “twelve” is omitted here in comparison with the saying recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, because here Christ already thinks not of 12, but of 11 apostles (without Judas).

Luke 22:31. And the Lord said, Simon! Simon! Behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: The prediction concerning the denial of the Apostle Peter is set forth by the evangelist Luke in an original form, not following either the Gospel of Mark or the Gospel of Matthew, and he places it not at the point where it is given in the first two Gospels, that is, not at the time after leaving the supper, but still at the time of being in the upper room where the supper was taking place. To think (as Bishop Michael does) that the Lord repeated the saying about Peter’s denial more than once, there is no basis, and therefore one can say that the evangelist Luke simply found it necessary according to the plan he had in mind to place this prediction earlier than the first two evangelists. “Satan asked…” Just as the devil once tempted Job (Job 1-2), he asked permission of God to persecute the apostles with various trials in order to shake their faithfulness to Christ. The action of Satan in this case Christ compares to the action of a farmer who sifts wheat by means of a sieve in order to separate it from the chaff.

Luke 22:32. But I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. The Lord especially and before all prayed for Peter, that his faith might not fail, of course He prayed because Peter, with his ardent, active character, was threatened with the danger of falling more than the other apostles. In this, the Lord announces to Peter also a consolation: he, although for a time will fall away from Christ, will then turn back to Him and will even become one who strengthens others in faith, that is, probably, Jews, and not apostles, as chiefly understood by Catholic exegetes, who see here the foundation for the Catholic doctrine of papal infallibility.

Luke 22:33. And he said to Him, Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death. (See Matt 26:33).

Luke 22:34. And He said, I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you have thrice denied that you know Me. (See Matt 26:34).

Luke 22:35. And He said to them, When I sent you without purse and bag and sandals, did you lack anything? And they said, Nothing. The word about “the sword” (verse 36) is found only in one evangelist Luke. The Lord asks about their first journey, in which He sent them (Luke 9:1-6). His question by itself presupposes a negative answer from the apostles.

Luke 22:36. But now, he that has a purse, let him take it, and likewise also a bag; and he that has none, let him sell his garment and buy a sword; Now a different time comes. They must have everything themselves; they cannot count on help from the world. “But he that has none.” None of what? Most naturally to add: a purse with money, or simply: money. To such a person in new circumstances there is an absolute need to acquire a sword, and for this, having no money, he must sell his upper garment. By the word “sword” the Lord does not want to say that the disciples during their missionary journeys will resort to armed self-defense, since the Lord repeatedly impressed upon them that God Himself would protect them when necessary (cf. Luke 21:18 and others). No, the Lord means to say by this that from now on for His disciples come extremely heavy times, against them the whole world will arm itself, and they must be prepared for anything.

Luke 22:37. For I say to you, that this which is written must yet be accomplished in Me: “And he was numbered with the transgressors.” For indeed that which concerns Me is coming to completion. Why must the disciples prepare for persecutions from the world? Because their Lord and Teacher now must be “numbered with the transgressors” (Isa 53:12), that is, endure the fate of criminals. The followers of Him, naturally, cannot expect anything good for themselves (cf. Matt 10:24 and following). “Must” – indication of God’s predetermination (cf. Matt 26:54). “For indeed that which concerns Me is coming to completion,” that is, My work is finished, My fate will soon be accomplished, although the disciples still do not believe this.

Luke 22:38. And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And He said to them, It is enough. The disciples did not understand the word about the “sword” and think that Christ actually counsels them to arm themselves with swords in view of threatening danger. They already had two swords, which they had probably obtained during the journey to Jerusalem, since they had to travel through unsafe places. The Lord, seeing that they completely misunderstand Him, sorrowfully says “It is enough,” that is, let us end this conversation!

Luke 22:39. And He went out, and went, as He was accustomed, to the mount called Olivet; and His disciples also followed Him. In the account of Christ’s stay in Gethsemane the evangelist Luke differs considerably from Mark (Mark 14:32-42) and Matthew (Matt 26:36-46), we must think that he here followed an unknown source to us. “He went out, as He was accustomed” (see Matt 26:32). Concerning the custom of the Lord to spend nights on the Mount of Olives, see Luke 21:37.

Luke 22:40. And when He came to the place, He said to them, Pray that you enter not into temptation. The evangelist Luke omits here the account of the selection of three most trusted disciples whom He, according to the first two Gospels, took with Him, and the remark of Christ given to these disciples (Mark 14:38), he refers to all the disciples.

Luke 22:41. And He withdrew from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, According to the evangelist Luke, the Lord withdrew from the disciples at a short distance (standing there, where they remained, one could throw a stone at Him). Therefore the disciples could see how Christ prayed and even heard the words of His prayer. “Withdrew” – more correctly: was drawn away from them by force of his own particular mood, which moved Him to be in isolation at this time (the verb ἀπεσπάσθη means “was forcibly separated”).

Luke 22:42. Saying, Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done. According to the first two evangelists, the Lord prayed three times. The evangelist Luke combines these three prayers into one. “Father, if You are willing…” In the Greek text we have an incomplete thought – only the condition: “if You are willing to remove this cup from Me” (εἰ βούλει). There is no conclusion or main clause. Some commentators add here: “then remove it!” But it is better to add nothing, it is clear that a desire for salvation that suddenly flared up in the soul of Christ, not having time to take form, immediately receded before a new deeper feeling of devotion to the Father (cf. Luke 19:42): “nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Luke 22:43. And there appeared to Him an angel from heaven, strengthening Him. Concerning the appearance of an angel, who strengthened Christ during prayer, speaks only one evangelist Luke. This was, undoubtedly, an external appearance, as shown by the addition: “from heaven.” The angel strengthened the spiritual powers of Christ, about which, of course, Christ also prayed to His Father, because in fact the soul’s torments of Christ in these hours were extraordinary.

Luke 22:44. And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly; and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. By means of this strengthening Christ in the ensuing severe soul struggle (ἀγωνία), prayed yet more fervently (cf. Heb 5:7 and following). “And His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Some commentators (from the ancients – blessed Theophylact, Euthymius Zigabenus, and most modern ones) refer this comparison only to the size and thickness of the drops of sweat. But such a phenomenon would hardly have caused the evangelist Luke to mention it particularly: there is nothing extraordinary in this. It is better to understand as those do who see here an indication of actual blood drops exuded from the face of Christ. The correctness of such understanding is supported by the Greek word translated in Russian as “drops” – θρόμβοι. It means not simply “drops” (in Greek – σταγών, στάλαγμα), but a clot of coagulated liquid, milk or something else, and especially of coagulated blood. Therefore one can say that the soul’s strain of Christ, His soul’s sufferings were so strong that from His face fell drops of bloody sweat, such dark and thick that they could be seen from afar by the bright shining of the moon that was lighting His face.

Luke 22:45. And when He rose from His prayer, He came to the disciples, and found them sleeping from sorrow Luke 22:46. And He said to them, Why do you sleep? Rise up and pray, that you enter not into temptation. Just as the evangelist Luke shortened the account of the first two evangelists concerning the prayer of Christ, so naturally He now mentions the coming of Christ to the sleeping disciples as single, and the rebuke addressed to them by Christ presents a repetition of that contained in verse 40. “Sleeping from sorrow.” It happens that deep grief plunges a person into sleep; this is noted even by ancient classical writers. And yet, despite the fact that, so to speak, sorrow somewhat excuses the disciples, yet in him is preserved the words of Christ: “Why do you sleep?” These are words in which one cannot help but see a certain reproach to the disciples for that they have succumbed to sleep at such a heavy time for their Teacher. Cf. Mark 14:37, where for this there is already directly expressed reproach to Simon.

Luke 22:47. And while He yet spoke, behold a multitude; and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. For he had given them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, the same is He. Luke 22:48. But Jesus said to him, Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss? Luke 22:49. And when those about Him saw what would come to pass, they said to Him, Lord, shall we strike with the sword? Luke 22:50. And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. Luke 22:51. But Jesus answered and said, Permit thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. Luke 22:52. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and captains of the temple and the elders, which were come to Him, As against a robber have you come out, with swords and staves, to take Me? Luke 22:53. When I was daily with you in the temple, you stretched not forth hands against Me; but this is your hour, and the power of darkness. The history of the taking of Christ by soldiers as a whole is joined to the account of this by the evangelist Mark (Mark 14:43-52; cf. Matt 26:47-56). “Judas! do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” (verse 48) This question in substance is similar to the question preserved in the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 26:50); the evangelist Mark altogether omits the address of Christ to Judas). The Lord points out to Judas the terrible contradiction that lies between his external action – the kiss, which should testify, it seems, to the love of Judas for Christ, and the inner purpose of Judas’s coming – the intention to betray his Lord. In this, the Lord calls Himself “the Son of Man,” that is, the Messiah, showing Judas thereby the extreme wickedness of his deed, for in betraying the Messiah, he goes against the cherished hopes of his people. “Shall we strike with the sword?” (verse 49). This question is preserved only in the Gospel of Luke. Exactly so only one evangelist Luke speaks also of the healing of the ear of the servant of the high priest (verse 51). This account some critics consider a later insertion on the ground that, properly speaking, there was no time for the conversation of Christ with the disciples about whether self-defense is necessary, and for the healing of the servant. They also point out that in some ancient manuscripts of the Gospel of Luke this place is omitted (for example, in Marcion). But against such an objection one can point to the fact that, according to the testimony of the evangelist John, the taking of Christ by soldiers was not accomplished immediately: the soldiers were greatly frightened by the statement of Christ: “I am” (John 18:6), and consequently there could be sufficient time for the circumstances mentioned in the Gospel of Luke to occur, which happened at this time. And as for the absence of this place in some ancient manuscripts, this fact has no significance in view of the fact that a huge number of ancient manuscripts contain this place (see Tischendorf, 8th edition). “Permit thus far” (verse 51). By these words the Lord answers the question of those “about Him,” that is, the disciples (verse 49), and expresses His unwillingness to be defended by weapon. That this is indeed a response of the Lord to the question of the disciples is evident from the Greek text, where instead of “said” (verse 51) stands “answering, said” (ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν). “Healed him,” that is, the ear, perhaps already completely severed, having been reattached to its place, immediately grew back together. “To the chief priests and captains of the temple and the elders” (verse 52). The presence of these persons is spoken of only by the evangelist Luke. Criticism again considers these words spurious, as if it would be unnatural for the representatives of the Jewish hierarchy themselves to go with soldiers to apprehend a criminal, and as the Gospel of John directly states that Judas took only servants and soldiers from the chief priests (John 18:3), consequently the chief priests themselves did not go to Gethsemane. But all these considerations have no weight. The chief priests could have stood behind, concealing themselves behind the soldiers, in order if necessary to encourage them to act. In any case, from the following words of Christ (verse 53) it is clearly seen that there were not only blind executors of the will of the chief priests, but these enemies of Christ themselves. “But this is your hour, and the power of darkness” (verse 53). By these words in the evangelist Luke are replaced the words of Christ cited by the evangelist Mark: “but that the Scriptures might be fulfilled” (Mark 14:49). Here the Lord explains why they did not seize before, while He was daily in the temple. This night hour is yours, Christ seems to say, this hour as it could not be better suited to your intention, which fears daylight, and the power, which you exercise at the present hour, is the power of darkness, that is, only because of the darkness have you dared upon such a decisive step regarding Me. To see here an indication of spiritual darkness or of the power of the devil – there is no ground…

Luke 22:54. And they seized Him, and led Him away, and brought Him into the house of the high priest. And Peter followed afar off. Luke 22:55. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the court, and were sitting together, Peter sat down among them. Luke 22:56. But a certain maid seeing him as he sat by the fire, and looking steadfastly upon him, said, This man also was with Him. Luke 22:57. But he denied, saying, Woman, I know not Him. Luke 22:58. And after a little while another saw him, and said, You also are of them. But Peter said, Man, I am not. Luke 22:59. And about an hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with Him; for he is a Galilean. Luke 22:60. And Peter said, Man, I know not what you say. And immediately, while he yet spoke, the rooster crowed. Luke 22:61. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He said to him, Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me thrice. Luke 22:62. And he went out, and wept bitterly. Concerning the denial of the Apostle Peter, the evangelist Luke relates in agreement with Mark (Mark 14:54; cf. Matt 26:58). Only the evangelist Luke relates this as occurring before the condemnation of Christ by the council of the high priest, whereas according to the evangelist Mark this occurred after the condemnation. Here the account of Luke seems more probable. Probably first the denial of Peter occurred, and then the condemnation of Christ, since it is hardly likely that such a condemnation could be pronounced before morning: the members of the Sanhedrin needed some time to assemble in sufficient numbers and to properly discuss such an important matter. “Then the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter” (verse 61). According to the Gospel of Luke, the Lord was in the court of the high priest together with Peter; He was waiting when they would lead Him to the Sanhedrin. He, apparently, was sitting with His back to the place where Peter was, but of course, He heard the conversation of Peter with the servants, and, after the rooster crowed, He turned His sorrowful gaze upon Peter. “And this man was also with Him” (verse 56). According to the evangelist Mark it is said: “and you also were with Jesus of Nazareth” (Mark 14:67). The difference is only in the use of person: here in Luke – third person, but in Mark – second. On the other hand, the second address (verse 58) the evangelist Luke relates as direct, whereas Mark (Mark 14:69) – as indirect, and the inquirers are differently designated in both evangelists: in Luke – a man, in Mark – a woman.

Luke 22:63. And the men that held Jesus mocked Him, and beat Him; Luke 22:64. And blindfolded Him, and asked Him, saying, Prophesy! who is it that struck you? Luke 22:65. And many other things blasphemously spoke they against Him. The mockery of Christ, according to Mark, was accomplished at the council of the high priest after the pronouncement of the sentence, but here it is depicted as the deed of the guards, who mocked Christ in order to somehow occupy their time (cf. Mark 14:65), and took place still in the court. In all probability, the evangelists Mark and Matthew (Matt 26:67) speak of the mockery of Christ that truly took place after the pronouncement of the sentence, while the evangelist Luke – of the preliminary, that occurred in the court.

Luke 22:66. And as soon as it was day, the council of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, were gathered together, and led Him into their council, According to the Gospel of Luke, only after daybreak does the Sanhedrin assemble, and Christ is brought there. Where the Sanhedrin assembled – the evangelist Luke does not say. “Elders of the people” (τὸ πρεσβυτέριον), “chief priests and scribes” – these are the three constituent parts of the Sanhedrin, presented, however, as one whole (the article placed before the word πρεσβυτέριον refers to both the following nouns, uniting them into one whole). The fact that these are nouns of different genders and placed in different numbers does not prevent such a union in view of the parallels found in classical writers. “Led” – more correctly: “led up” (ἀνήγαγον). The Sanhedrin apparently assembled in a room which was on the second floor.

Luke 22:67. Saying, If you are the Christ, tell us. But He said, If I tell you, you will not believe; Luke 22:68. And if I also ask you, you will not answer Me, nor let Me go; Luke 22:69. From now on the Son of Man shall be seated on the right hand of the power of God. Luke 22:70. Then said they all, Are you then the Son of God? And He said to them, You say that I am. Luke 22:71. And they said, What further need have we of witness? for we ourselves have heard of His own mouth. “Are you the Christ…” More correctly: “if you are the Messiah, then tell us this” (so the Church Slavic and Latin translations render the meaning of the text). The high priest apparently supposes that Christ claims to be the Messiah and desires Him to openly declare His rank. “If I tell you…” Christ answers that there is no occasion for Him to make any declarations or questions. If He declares Himself the Messiah, they will not believe, and if He asks them why they have arrested Him or why they do not recognize Him as the Messiah, then they undoubtedly will not want to give Him account of the reasons for their hostility toward Him. Still more, there could not arise in them a desire to release Christ – they have already decided His fate… “From now on the Son of Man…” Nevertheless Christ does not leave without answer. In these words He clearly declares His high dignity of the Son of God (cf. Matt 26:64). “And said they all, Are you then the Son of God?” The answer of Christ was understood in this very sense by both judges, and therefore they directly asked Him: do You confess Yourself to be the Son of God? “You say that I am.” Some commentators (for example, Merks) believe that by this answer Christ expressed nothing, but only showed that He was not obligated to give an account to the judges about the mystery of His life. But such an opinion cannot be accepted. This answer undoubtedly has the character of a confirmation. See commentaries to Matt 26:64; Mark 14:72. “What further need have we of witness?” Cf. Matt 26:65. Concerning the condemnation of Christ for blasphemy after the adjuration to Him by the high priest, the evangelist Luke does not report: it was important for him to show that Christ was condemned only for confessing Himself to be the Messiah, the Son of God. * * * Notes Some critics of the Gospel text consider verses 43–44 an insertion, as they are not found in many ancient manuscripts and, in particular, in one of the most ancient manuscripts – the Syriac-Sinaitic translation of the Gospel. But the existence of this passage was known already to Justin Martyr and other ancient Church Fathers. In 1901, the famous Harnack, analyzing this passage, spoke in favor of the authenticity of these verses. For details on the authenticity of this passage, see in Tischendorf’s 8th edition of the New Testament, pp. 694–696. To the question: what did the angel strengthen Christ with, Quandt answers: “First of all, by his very appearance. For the Savior it was exceedingly comforting to see beside Him a messenger from heaven in those minutes when the powers of hell were threatening Him. Just as a king, driven from his kingdom, looks with joy at the coming to him of his subject, so did the angel perhaps remind Christ of all the prophecies of the Old Testament in which it was pointed out that the Messiah was to suffer, in order that the will of God might be fulfilled concerning the salvation of mankind… And finally, the angel could point out to Christ His future ascension, which was to take place on that same mountain, where Christ at the present moment was in a state of extreme soul’s distress…”

Chapter Twenty-Three

1–12. Christ before Pilate and Herod. – 13–25. The condemnation of Christ to crucifixion. – 26–32. Christ’s journey to Golgotha. – 33–43. The crucifixion of Christ. – 44–56. The death and burial of Christ.

Luke 23:1. And all the multitude of them rose and led Him to Pilate, The following account of the trial of Christ before Pilate and Herod is composed almost entirely by the evangelist Luke on his own; only the 3rd verse is a repetition of Mark 15:2. “All the multitude of them rose”, that is, all members of the Sanhedrin who had just completed their interrogation of Christ; “and led Him to Pilate” (see Matt 27:2).

Luke 23:2. and began to accuse Him, saying: We found that this one corrupts our people and forbids giving tribute to Caesar, calling Himself the Messiah, a king. The members of the Sanhedrin accuse Christ before Pilate of claiming the dignity of Messiah, whom they present to Pilate as a king so that he would understand them. “He corrupts our people”, that is, first of all, he leads them astray from the true path, drawing the people away from our spiritual leadership, and at the same time turns the people away from obedience to Roman authority. This accusation, in its first half, was certainly true, because the Lord indeed taught the people not to listen to the Pharisees and generally to their leaders (Matt 15:14). “He forbids giving tribute to Caesar.” This was already a complete lie (cf. Luke 20:25). “Calling Himself the Messiah, a king” – more precisely: “calling Himself the Messiah, a king.” The second word was meant to explain to Pilate what a Messiah is. By this, the enemies of Christ thought they would immediately compel Pilate to treat Christ as a dangerous political criminal.

Luke 23:3. Pilate asked Him: Are You the king of the Jews? He said to him in answer: You say so. Pilate, however, from the appearance and generally from the first impression that Christ made on him, understood that He was certainly not the one whom his accusers represented Him to be. To Pilate’s question, “Are You the king of the Jews?”, Christ answered with an indefinite expression: “You say so.” This expression Pilate apparently understood not as an affirmative answer but rather as a negative one; he understood that Christ was not at all claiming the royal throne in Judea. If Pilate had interpreted Christ’s answer as an admission of the accusation, he would certainly have begun an investigation and trial immediately, yet he did not do this. Thus, the expression “You say so” is equivalent to saying: “Do you see? Judge for yourself whether I am a king?” 28.

Luke 23:4. Pilate said to the chief priests and the people: I find no guilt in this man. Pilate, understanding Christ’s words in the indicated sense, declares to the chief priests and the people that he does not find any guilt in Christ. The evangelist Luke here notes also the presence of the “people” before the palace of Pilate.

Luke 23:5. But they insisted, saying that He stirs up the people, teaching throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place. But the Jews pressed harder and harder or, rather, grew increasingly heated (ἐπίσχυον). Now they were openly saying that Christ “stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee” and to Jerusalem. It is quite possible that by the word “Judea” they meant the entire Jewish country and not only the Judean region (cf. Luke 1:5).

Luke 23:6. Pilate, hearing about Galilee, asked: Is He a Galilean? Having heard about Galilee, that is, having heard that Christ began His activity in Galilee.

Luke 23:7. And, learning that He was from Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. Herod Antipas ruled Galilee and Perea (cf. Luke 3:1), and by sending Christ to him as his subject (Herod had come to Jerusalem at this time to celebrate the Passover festival, since he professed the Jewish faith), Pilate apparently supposed that Herod was interested in the matter of his own subject.

Luke 23:8. Herod, seeing Jesus, was greatly pleased, for he had long desired to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle performed by Him, Luke 23:9. and asked Him many questions, but He did not answer him anything. The frivolous Herod, who had long wished to see Christ in order to watch Him perform miracles, asked Christ various questions, but Christ did not deign to give him any answer, since Herod was not worthy of an answer – the questions were asked out of empty curiosity.

Luke 23:10. And the chief priests and the scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. Luke 23:11. But Herod, with his soldiers, having treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, clothed Him in a bright garment and sent Him back to Pilate. Luke 23:12. And Pilate and Herod became friends with each other on that day, for before they had been at enmity with each other. Although the chief priests here again brought accusations against Christ, Herod also found no reason to pronounce Christ guilty. It was only in a feeling of wounded self-esteem, because Christ had refused to answer his questions, that he and his soldiers mocked Christ. He ordered Him clothed in a splendid garment, like those ordinarily worn by kings – not in white, such as was worn in Rome by candidates for public office, but in general a decorated one, perhaps even in purple. By this he wanted to show Pilate that such a “king” could not be dangerous to him. The evangelist Luke notes here that Herod and Pilate became friends from that time on, since Herod, according to the expression of the martyr Justin, sent Jesus to Pilate for his consideration and thereby showed his respect and trust toward Pilate (“Dialogue with Trypho the Jew”, 103). Some critics believe that the entire account of Christ’s trial before Herod is a later insertion, since they cannot find a way to explain why all the other evangelists mention this trial at all. But, properly speaking, this account brings nothing particularly significant to the course of the process conducted against Christ, and therefore the other evangelists could have omitted it.

Luke 23:13. Pilate, having called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, Luke 23:14. said to them: You brought this man to me as one who perverts the people; and behold, I have examined him before you and found no fault in this man in those things of which you accuse him; Luke 23:15. and Herod as well, for I sent Him to him; and nothing worthy of death has been found in Him; Luke 23:16. therefore, having punished Him, I will release him. Luke 23:17. But he had need to release one prisoner to them for the festival. Luke 23:18. But all the people cried out: Death to Him! and release Barabbas to us. Luke 23:19. Barabbas was one who had been thrown into prison for a sedition made in the city and for murder. Luke 23:20. Pilate again called out, wanting to release Jesus. Luke 23:21. But they cried out: Crucify, crucify Him! Luke 23:22. He said to them a third time: What evil has He done? I have found nothing worthy of death in Him; therefore, having punished Him, I will release him. Luke 23:23. But they continued with a great outcry demanding that He be crucified; and their outcry and that of the chief priests prevailed. Luke 23:24. And Pilate decided that their petition should be granted, Luke 23:25. and released to them the one who had been thrown into prison for sedition and murder, whom they asked for; and he delivered Jesus to their will. Regarding the condemnation of Christ to crucifixion, the evangelist Luke essentially says the same as Mark (Mark 15:6-15), but with some changes and additions. Thus, he reports that Pilate now himself calls together the members of the Sanhedrin and the people, apparently so that from among the people some defenders of Christ might step forward (verse 13). “I have examined him before you” (verse 14). This seems to contradict the testimony of the evangelist John, who says that Pilate questioned Christ in private (John 18:33 and following). But the words of the evangelist Luke do not mean that the interrogation actually took place on the steps of the palace before the eyes of all the people. Pilate is only saying that they themselves saw that an interrogation took place; Pilate led Christ inside the palace in their view. “For I sent Him to him” (verse 15). This passage is read differently. Textus receptus: “I sent you to him.” In Tischendorf (in accordance with the majority of ancient manuscripts): “he (Herod) sent Him (Christ) to us” (Pilate, according to Roman custom, as representative of the emperor, refers to himself in the plural). The latter reading is certainly better, as it is both better attested and clearer. The Textus receptus reading cannot be accepted simply because Pilate did not send the chief priests to Herod. Our Russian translation apparently follows the tradition preserved in the ancient Syriac translations (cf. Merx, 1905, p. 486–487). “Nothing worthy of death has been found in Him” – more precisely: and so (as it appeared from my and Herod’s investigation), He (αὐτῷ – dative of possession with the passive verb) has nothing done that would be worthy of capital punishment. “Therefore, having punished Him, I will release him” (verse 16). Pilate wants to punish Christ in order to give some satisfaction to the hatred of His enemies. This punishment is not the one mentioned by the evangelist Mark (Mark 15:15); Mark mentions a punishment that was inflicted on Christ after His condemnation to death. Pilate apparently was already beginning to give in, yielding to the enemies of Christ. According to Merx’s investigation (1905, p. 488), this punishment was very severe, namely, scourging (the Greek word παιδεύω used here is equivalent to the Hebrew verb “rada”, which in the Talmud means a very cruel punishment that sometimes ends in death). “But he had need” (verse 17 and following). (See Matt 27:15 and following; Mark 15:6-15).

Luke 23:26. And as they led Him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and laid the cross on him, that he might bear it after Jesus. Luke 23:27. And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who were weeping and wailing for Him. Luke 23:28. But Jesus, turning to them, said: Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children, Luke 23:29. for behold, days are coming in which they will say: Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed! Luke 23:30. then they will begin to say to the mountains: Fall on us! and to the hills: Cover us! Luke 23:31. For if they do these things with the green tree, what will happen with the dry? Luke 23:32. And they led also two criminals to be put to death with Him. The journey of Christ to Golgotha is described so thoroughly by the evangelist Luke alone; only verse 26 is borrowed from Mark (Mark 15:21). The evangelist Luke says that many “women followed Him, weeping” (ἐκόπτοντο; cf. Luke 8:52) and “wailing for Him”, considering Him to be an innocent victim of the hatred of His enemies. The Lord, at the sight of these signs of sympathy, said to them (however, Merx supposes that in the Hebrew language the expression “daughters of Jerusalem” meant not just women but all inhabitants of the capital) that their fate would also be unhappy, even more disastrous than that of Christ (because Christ after death awaits glorification, while they await only torturous and disgraceful death). It will be especially hard for them to watch the torments that will be inflicted, evidently at the destruction of Jerusalem, upon their small children. In those days they will count as happy those who have no children and in fear will call out to the mountains and hills with a plea that they quickly fall on them and end their torturous existence. Why the inhabitants of Jerusalem should expect such a terrible fate – this the Lord explains in the words: “for if they do these things with the green tree…” (verse 31). According to the usual interpretation (see, for example, Bishop Michael in the Expository Gospel), here Christ has in view Himself as “the green tree” and the Jews as “the dry”, who will be destroyed by the Romans. But such an interpretation cannot be accepted, first, because in the Gospel of Luke the Romans do not appear at all as the cause of the Savior’s death (only the Jews are guilty, who, so to speak, forced Pilate to pronounce judgment on Christ), and second, if we suppose that the evangelist presents the Romans as the “unrighteous” judge who condemned Christ, then this cannot serve as a basis for hoping that this “unrighteous” judge, who condemned the Righteous One, would treat with equal severity the enemies of that Righteous One – the wicked Jews… It is better therefore to accept the interpretation proposed by Merx (1905, p. 491). According to it, the Lord speaks here of the corruption among the ruling classes of the Jewish people that led to such terrible injustice toward Christ. But the further it goes, the more this corruption will increase. What then can the ordinary Jews expect from such leaders? What will the children of these women have to endure when these children grow up and come under the power of such cruel people as the leaders of the Jewish people? “And they led also two criminals to be put to death with Him” (verse 32; cf. Mark 15:27).

Luke 23:33. And when they came to the place called Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. Luke 23:34. But Jesus said: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they divided His garments, casting lots for them. Luke 23:35. And the people stood watching. And the rulers also mocked Him, saying: He saved others; let Him save Himself, if this is the Christ, the chosen one of God. Luke 23:36. The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up and offering Him sour wine, Luke 23:37. and saying: If You are the king of the Jews, save Yourself. Luke 23:38. And there was also an inscription written over Him in Greek, Roman, and Hebrew letters: This is the king of the Jews. Luke 23:39. One of the criminals who were hanged reviled Him, saying: Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us! Luke 23:40. But the other, rebuking him, said: Do you not even fear God, when you are under the same condemnation? Luke 23:41. And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong. Luke 23:42. And he said to Jesus: Remember me, Lord, when You come into Your kingdom! Luke 23:43. And Jesus said to him: Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise. Regarding the crucifixion of Christ, the evangelist Luke relates, in essence, in agreement with Mark (Mark 15:22-32), but he has something of his own. “The place called Skull” (see Matt 27:33). “Said” (verse 34) – apparently while He was being crucified. “Forgive them”, that is, not the soldiers, who were only executors of the execution, but the chief priests and the rulers of the Jews, the true guilty parties for Christ’s death. “For they know not what they do.” The Lord somewhat softens the guilt of His enemies: they indeed did not know that they were putting to death the true Messiah (cf. 1 Cor 2:8). “And the rulers also mocked Him” (verse 35; ἐξεμυκτήριζον; cf. Luke 16:14), that is, while the people watched with curiosity at Christ’s crucifixion, the rulers were even mocking Christ. “If this is” (in Greek – εί οὗτος) – an expression of mockery and contempt: “this one here”. “The chosen one of God” (cf. Luke 9:35). “And the soldiers also mocked…” (verses 36–37). Only the evangelist Luke notes this, adding that their mockery they expressed, among other ways, in offering sour wine to the crucified Christ. Something similar is said by the evangelist Mark (Mark 15:36). From the entire character of the evangelist Luke’s account of Christ’s death, it can be concluded that these were not Roman soldiers but Jewish soldiers, most likely from among those serving in the temple. “And there was also an inscription” (verse 38). And the evangelist Luke clearly understands the placing of this inscription as mockery of Christ. “One of the criminals…” (verse 39). The evangelist Luke here describes the matter more fully than the first two evangelists, according to whom the criminals generally reviled the Lord (Mark 15:32; Matt 27:44). “Are You not the Christ…” More accurately: “Are You not the Messiah? (οὐχὶ σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός) Save Yourself then and us.” “Or do you not fear God” (verse 40), that is, do you not have the fear of God in you – if you are not even able to repent at this hour – when you yourself are condemned to death, just like the One you are mocking! The one speaking was apparently repenting of the deed that brought him to the cross (cf. verse 41). “Remember me, Lord” (verse 42), that is, remember me (resurrect me and take me into Your Messianic Kingdom) when You come to earth in Your royal majesty (cf. Matt 16:28). The repentant criminal apparently heard the Lord’s teaching about His second coming for judgment to establish His glorious Kingdom, and now the impression of what he had heard became so alive under the influence of the thought of approaching death that he believed in Christ as the Messiah. Of course, the grace of God, mysteriously disposing human hearts toward faith in Christ, also helped him. “Today you will be with Me in paradise” (verse 43). Instead of a distant reward in the future of His glorious earthly Kingdom, the Lord promises the believing criminal a speedy reward: now they both, Christ and the criminal, will die (sometimes the crucified remained alive for several days), and both will enter paradise together. This paradise (ὁ παράδεισος), as can be understood from the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:23), was believed by the Jews to be located in “Sheol” and was the blessed abode of righteous souls until the day of resurrection. It should not be confused with the “heavenly paradise” of which the apostle Paul speaks (2 Cor 12:4) and the Apocalypse (Rev 2:7) 29. But does Christ’s answer represent a promise to satisfy the criminal’s request? Some interpreters claim that the criminal did not receive what he asked for. But this is not true. The Lord precisely makes clear to the criminal that his request will be fulfilled, for if the criminal’s soul goes to paradise, then he is thereby assured of participation in the resurrection of the righteous and in the future glorious Messianic Kingdom.

Luke 23:44. Now it was about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, Luke 23:45. while the sun’s light failed; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. Luke 23:46. And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said: Father! Into Your hands I commit My spirit. And having said this, He breathed His last. Luke 23:47. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he glorified God and said: Truly this man was righteous! Luke 23:48. And all the multitude who came together for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. Luke 23:49. And all His acquaintances and the women who had followed Him from Galilee stood at a distance, watching these things. Luke 23:50. Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a member of the council, a good and righteous man, Luke 23:51. who had not consented to their counsel and deed; he was from Arimathea, a city of Judea, and he was waiting for the kingdom of God, Luke 23:52. and he came to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; Luke 23:53. and taking it down, he wrapped it in a linen sheet and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of stone, where no one had ever been laid. Luke 23:54. Now that day was a Friday, and the Sabbath was about to begin. Luke 23:55. And the women who had come with Him from Galilee also followed and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. Luke 23:56. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments; and on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. Regarding the death and burial of Christ, the evangelist Luke speaks in general agreement with Mark (Mark 15:33-47), though sometimes he also makes borrowings from another source known to him. “While the sun’s light failed” (verse 45). According to the Gospel of Luke, the darkness that came on about the sixth hour was caused by an eclipse of the sun, which was evidently miraculous, since during a full moon – and it was indeed a full moon then – solar eclipses do not usually occur (Merx, 1905, p. 504). “Father! Into Your hands I commit My spirit” (verse 46). Only the evangelist Luke provides this exclamation of Christ, which is a repetition, in somewhat altered form, of the words of the 30th Psalm (Ps 30:6). The Lord dies with full consciousness, and Himself commits His spirit to God, having accomplished all the work of redemption entrusted to Him. “Seeing what had taken place” (verse 47), that is, hearing Christ’s dying cry and hearing His final breath, rather than seeing the tearing of the veil (verse 45), which would have been impossible for him. “He glorified God.” He glorified Him by deed, through his confession (cf. John 9:24). However, the evangelist Luke puts into the mouth of the centurion only a confession of Christ’s righteousness, that is, His innocence, rather than recognition of Him as the Son of God, even if not in the proper sense of the word (cf. Mark 15:39). “The multitude” (verse 48), which earlier, being incited by the chief priests, demanded Christ’s execution (verses 4–5, 13, 18, 21, 23), now shows repentance, beating their breasts (cf. Luke 8:52), thereby acknowledging themselves guilty in the crucifixion of Christ (cf. Luke 18:13). The cause of such a change in the people was that they saw what had happened, that is, everything that took place at the crucifixion, and in particular the sudden darkening of the sun (verse 45) 30. “Those who knew Him” (verse 49) – these were the disciples and other followers of Christ who did not follow Him, as well as the women who came after Him from Galilee (cf. Luke 8:2 and following). They were afraid to approach the cross closely lest they incur some suspicion (the crucified were sometimes secretly stolen from the cross by their relatives and friends). “Who had not consented to their counsel and deed” (verse 51), that is, who disagreed with the Sanhedrin’s decision and the way the Sanhedrin’s members acted toward Christ. “And the Sabbath was about to begin” (verse 54). The Sabbath began in the evening of Friday, about six o’clock in the evening, with the setting of the sun. Thus, Christ’s burial was accomplished right before the beginning of the Sabbath. “And the women…also followed” (verse 55), of course, they followed Joseph from Golgotha to the place of Christ’s burial. “Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments” (verse 56). According to the Gospel of Mark, they purchased aromatics later (Mark 16:1). The evangelist Luke here more precisely determines the time of this purchase 31. * * * Notes Some critics (for example, Merx, 1905, p. 479) try to find here proof of the idea that Christ did not at all claim the dignity of Messiah, which was attributed to Him only at a later time (ibidem, p. 481). But they do not pay attention to the fact that the Lord does not wish to acknowledge Himself in His answer to Pilate only as a king, and Pilate did not ask Him about His Messiahship. Besides, Pilate asks Christ about royal dignity while understanding “kingdom” in a purely political sense, so properly speaking, Christ here does not deny His royal dignity in the special higher sense, which was affirmed to Him by the Angel at the annunciation of His birth (Luke 1:32-33). Keil, together with Schenkel, understand here the heavenly paradise, finding no grounds for the assumption of the existence of a temporary paradise in “Sheol.” But in that case the expression “today you will be…” becomes unclear. The pardoned criminal could not have entered the heavenly paradise on that very day… In some ancient Syriac translations, after the word “returned” is added: “saying: Woe to us, what has happened now because of our sins. For the devastation of Jerusalem has drawn near.” But probably these words are taken from the apocryphal Gospel of Peter, where they are given in this form: “Woe to our sins, for the judgment and destruction of Jerusalem are at hand” (Merx, 1905, p. 505). Thus, according to our reckoning, Christ’s death occurred about three o’clock in the afternoon, the burial about six o’clock in the evening, while Joseph’s journey to Pilate took place between three and six o’clock.

Chapter Twenty-Four

1–12. The women at the tomb of Christ. – 13–35. The appearance of Christ to two disciples on the way to Emmaus. – 36–49. The appearance of Christ to the apostles on the evening of the resurrection. – 50–53. The ascension of Christ to heaven.

Regarding the resurrection of Christ, see the commentaries on Matt 28 and Mark 16. The evangelist Luke, however, undoubtedly had his own particular viewpoint from which he presented this most important event in the economy of our salvation. This is evident from the events on which he dwells the attention of his readers. Namely, he first depicts the journey of the women to Christ’s tomb and says that an angel informed them of Christ’s resurrection and that they in turn reported it to the apostles and other disciples, but did not receive belief in their account; only Peter hastened to go to the tomb and found there only the strips of linen with which Christ’s body had been wrapped (verses 1–12). Then he depicts two appearances of the risen Christ on the day of resurrection: 1) to two disciples going to Emmaus (verses 13–35), and 2) to the apostles and other disciples, whom Christ convinced of the reality of His resurrection and to whom He explained the prophecies about the necessity of His death and resurrection, giving them at the same time the promise to equip the disciples with the power of the Holy Spirit so that they could go out to preach the Gospel (verses 36–49). Finally, with a brief account of Christ’s ascension, the evangelist Luke concludes his Gospel (verses 50–53).

Upon closer examination of this narrative, it appears that the evangelist Luke here, as throughout his entire Gospel, limits himself to reporting the most important facts. Though he does not mention the sealing of the tomb with a stone, he nevertheless reports (verse 2) that the women “found the stone” already “rolled away from the tomb.” Of all the appearances of the Risen One, he mentions only two, though it is evident from verse 34 that he knew of another appearance of the Risen One to the apostle Peter. But the two appearances described by the evangelist are such that on them can be founded a firm confidence in the truth of Christ’s resurrection. This fully corresponds to the purpose of the Gospel of Luke – to provide Christians from the Gentiles in general, and particularly Theophilus, with a firm foundation for faith in the teachings or preaching about Christ communicated to them. The resurrection of Christ, as is known (Acts 17:32; 1 Cor 15), encountered little belief in pagan society, and therefore the evangelist Luke wished to present such proofs of this fundamental fact of Christian faith that pagan society could recognize as truly convincing. Such facts are the appearances of the Risen Christ described above. The disciples – so the evangelist Luke wishes to say through his account – were extraordinarily cautious and did not believe the women who proclaimed Christ’s resurrection to them. Only when they were given genuine assurances of Christ’s resurrection by the Savior Himself – first to two alone, then to all the disciples gathered in Jerusalem – did they abandon their doubts. Then throughout the narrative of the resurrection, the evangelist Luke develops the thought that both the suffering and death and resurrection of Christ are fully in agreement with the prophecies made about Him. The angel says this to the women (verse 7), and Christ Himself says it (verses 25 and following, 44 and following). We do not find such references to the fulfillment of Scripture in any of the other evangelists. Evidently, Luke wished to provide, so to speak, a historical proof that Christ earlier witnessed of Himself as the promised Savior of men, and in this present event of His resurrection, He appeared as exactly that – the promised Savior.

Luke 24:1. But on the first day of the week, at early morning dawn, they came to the tomb, carrying the spices they had prepared, and some others came with them; Luke 24:2. but they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Luke 24:3. And going in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. Luke 24:4. And as they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood before them in dazzling garments. Luke 24:5. And as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the ground, they said to them: Why do you seek the living among the dead? Luke 24:6. He is not here, but has risen; remember how He spoke to you when He was yet in Galilee, Luke 24:7. saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise. Luke 24:8. And they remembered His words; Luke 24:9. and returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Luke 24:10. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told the apostles these things. Luke 24:11. But their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they did not believe them. Luke 24:12. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw only the linen strips lying there, and he went away wondering at what had happened. Concerning the women’s journey to the tomb, the evangelist Luke reports in agreement with Mark (Mark 16:1-8), but makes some additions and in some places omissions. “At early morning dawn” (verse 1) – more precisely: “at earliest morning” (ὄρθρου βαθέος). “And some others came with them.” In Tischendorf, following the most ancient manuscripts here, this addition is not present. “Two men” (verse 4). According to the Gospel of Mark, the women saw one angel, and moreover in the form of a young man, not a man. Nevertheless, there is no irresolvable contradiction here. The evangelist Mark speaks of one because, of course, it was one angel, not two, who told the women about Christ’s resurrection. The evangelist Luke, speaking of two angels who spoke, wishes to give the greatest assurance of the truth of the proclamation of Christ’s resurrection, because two witnesses are better than one. As for the fact that in the Gospel of Mark the angel appeared to the women as a “young man”, while in the Gospel of Luke the angels appeared as “men,” this distinction is actually sometimes difficult to determine: to one person a given individual seems a young man, to another a mature man. The evangelists could have received information about this appearance from different women. “And bowed their faces to the ground” (verse 5). This testified that the women saw in the men who appeared to them messengers from God. “Why do you seek,” that is, you are seeking in vain. “The living,” that is, one who lives, not the dead (cf. verse 23). “Among the dead,” that is, in a place where it behooves the dead to be – as if Christ could remain there where only an ordinary dead man would lie and remain! “Remember…” (verse 6). The evangelist Luke apparently has in view Christ’s words quoted above (Luke 9:22 and following). His indication from the angel has more general content than that in Mark. “The Son of Man” (verse 7). So Christ called Himself only before His resurrection (cf. verse 26). “Sinful men,” that is, the Gentiles (cf. Luke 18:32; Gal 2:15) 32. In the Gospel of Matthew, this expression has a more general meaning (Matt 26:45). “And on the third day rise…” (see Matt 16:21). “Reported” (verse 9). Here the evangelist Luke agrees with Matthew (Matt 28:8). The evangelist Mark says something different (see the commentaries on Mark 16:8). “It was Mary Magdalene…” (verse 10) The names of the women which only the evangelist Luke provides here (Matthew and Mark give the names of these women earlier – see Mark 15:40; Mark 16:1 and the parallel places in the Gospel of Matthew). At the same time, according to the evangelist Luke, there were other women as well. “Did not believe them” (verse 11; cf. Mark 16:11). “But Peter…ran” (verse 12). This mention of Peter does not exclude the possibility that John also went with him (John 20:3; cf. verse 24). “And he went away wondering…” More accurately: “and he went away to his home” (πρὸς ἑαυτόν – “to his home”, depends not on the word “wondering” but on the word “went” – Euthymius Zigabenus; cf. John 20:10).

Luke 24:13. Now on that same day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about sixty stadia from Jerusalem; Luke 24:14. and they were conversing with each other about all that had happened. Concerning the journey of two disciples of Christ to Emmaus on the day of Christ’s resurrection and the appearance to them of the risen Christ, only the evangelist Luke provides an account. The evangelist Mark makes only a brief reference to this appearance (Mark 16:12-13). “Two of them” – not from among the apostles, but from the disciples of Christ in general, those remaining in Jerusalem (cf. verse 33), to whom there is a reference in verse 9 in the words: “and to all the rest.” “Emmaus” – in Josephus Flavius as Ammaous (Josephus Flavius. “The Jewish War”, VII, 6, 6) – a small village sixty stadia (1.5 geographic miles) from Jerusalem to the northwest, that is, three hours’ journey away (there was also another city called Emmaus or Nicopolis in the valley of Judea, but it was 176 stadia from Jerusalem 33. Only one of the two travelers was known by name – Cleopas (verse 18). In the other companion some saw a certain unknown Ammaon (Ambrose of Milan), others Nathanael (Epiphanius), others Peter or Simon the Zealot (Origen, Cyril), and finally even Luke himself (Theophylact). But all this is merely conjecture. “And they were conversing” – more precisely: “and they themselves were conversing” (καὶ αὐτοὶ ὡμίλουν). The evangelist apparently wishes to say that their discussion was of a different sort than that which Christ carried on with them as He approached them on the way. “About all that had happened.” What had happened? Only those events described at the beginning of chapter 24? Most likely, the evangelist has in view the events of Christ’s suffering and death in general.

Luke 24:15. And while they were conversing and discussing together, Jesus Himself drew near and walked with them. Luke 24:16. But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him. “And Jesus Himself” (καὶ αὐτὸς Ἰησοῦς). That is, Jesus Himself in person, of whom the travelers were just speaking with each other. “Drew near” – probably catching up with them. “Their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.” This was a special miraculous action of God (corresponding to the “opening” of eyes mentioned in verse 31). The evangelist Mark explains this somewhat differently (Mark 16:12), but his account can be regarded as clarifying this miraculous divine action: the disciples’ eyes “were kept” (Luke) because Christ appeared to them in a new form (Mark) 34.

Luke 24:17. And He said to them: What are you discussing as you walk? And why are you sad? Luke 24:18. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered Him: Are You the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days? Luke 24:19. And He said to them: What things? And they said to Him: The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; Luke 24:20. and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him up to judgment to death and crucified Him. Luke 24:21. And we had hoped that He was the One who was going to redeem Israel; but besides all this, it is already the third day since these things happened. Luke 24:22. But even some women of our company amazed us: they were early at the tomb Luke 24:23. and did not find His body, and coming, they said they had even seen a vision of angels, who said He is alive. Luke 24:24. And some of those with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women said; but Him they did not see. To the question of Christ about what the travelers were discussing so earnestly and what was the cause of the sorrow reflected on their faces, they, probably one after another, complementing each other, recount to Christ their unfulfilled hopes about the Messiah. But first (v. 18) only one of them expressed surprise that the stranger who approached them, unknown to them, asked them about what ought to be known to everyone who had been at the feast in Jerusalem (and the stranger, in the opinion of Cleopas, was returning from the Passover feast home). The name Cleopas is shortened from the name Cleopatra (Κλεοπάτρος). This is quite different from the name Clopas in John 19:25. There according to our Russian and Slavic texts it is incorrectly designated: Cleopas. “Surely You… do not know…” (v. 18). Cleopas is wholly occupied with the thought of the fate of Christ, and therefore he is surprised that the stranger is asking what they are discussing. “Of course,” as it were Cleopas speaks, “about Christ! What else can we discuss now? And your question seems to show that you were not even in Jerusalem, otherwise you would not be asking what we are discussing.” “And He said to them: What?” (v. 19). Revill (vol. 2, p. 321) puts a certain reproach to Christ that He “pretended” not to know about the events in Jerusalem. But the Lord simply gave the travelers the opportunity to express all their perplexities so that He could resolve them. And further, acting as if He wished to depart from them, He thereby gave them the opportunity to show Him the affection that was awakening in them. “Who was a prophet,” more precisely: “who appeared as a prophet” (ἐγένετο). The travelers do not call Christ the Messiah—clearly Christ’s death resulted in the fall of their hopes in Christ as the Messiah, but nevertheless, they still consider Him a prophet (an honorable title), whom He showed Himself to be both in deeds, that is in miraculous signs, and in words, that is in teaching. And thus He showed Himself both before God and before the people, that is, He appeared not only to the people as a prophet, but was truly such in reality (“before God,” cf. Luke 1:6). “To judgment to death” (v. 20; see Luke 23:24). “And crucified Him,” since they were the true authors of Christ’s death. It is remarkable that the travelers do not ascribe responsibility for Christ’s death to the entire Jewish people, but consider responsible only the representatives of the people. And indeed, the people as a whole were rather on the side of Christ, and only a crowd of incited Jews supported the chief priests in their demands made to Pilate. “And we had hoped…” (v. 21). The travelers, as representatives of the lower classes of the people—not the Jewish hierarchy—had hope in Christ as the Messiah-King, the restorer of Israel’s political power (cf. Acts 1:6). “Already the third day now…” Evidently, the travelers have in mind Christ’s prediction that He would rise on the third day 35. “But even some women…” (v. 22), that is: but although our hopes in Jesus as the Messiah fell, nevertheless there has occurred a circumstance that has somewhat revived them again: some of ours, that is, belonging to the society of Christ’s followers, women have amazed us. They went early in the morning (on what day—it is not said) to the tomb of Christ and did not find His body there. They also told us that they saw and a vision of angels, who proclaim that Christ is alive. After this some of ours, that is, from the disciples of Christ (consequently, not only the apostle Peter, of whom mention was made in v. 12), went to the tomb and confirmed that Christ’s body is indeed not there, but, nevertheless, Christ Himself, of whom the angels proclaimed to the women as alive, they did not see. About the appearance of Christ Himself to the women (Matt 28:9-10) the travelers say nothing (see the comments to Mark 16:6).

Luke 24:25. Then He said to them: O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Luke 24:26. Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory? Luke 24:27. And beginning from Moses, from all the prophets, He was interpreting to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scripture. “Then He said to them,” more precisely: and He, on His part, after the disciples showed such despair, said to them. “O foolish ones,” that is, incapable of understanding (ἀνόητοι—refers to the faculty of thought), “and slow of heart,” that is, incapable of lively feelings and weak in will. “To believe all”—not only individual points which the prophets dwelt on, but in general all that is depicted among the prophets concerning the course of the economy of salvation. They, the apostles, do not have such a broad outlook by which one could give a clear sense to each event from the life of Christ and in particular understand the meaning of His death. “Was it not necessary…” More precisely: was it not this (namely what He endured) that it was necessary for Christ to suffer and then enter into His glory (that is, to become King of His glorious Messianic Kingdom)? “And beginning from Moses, from all the prophets, He interpreted to them” (ἀπὸ Μοϋσέως καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν προφητῶν), that is, Christ began His explanations of the history of the economy of human salvation from the books of Moses, and then, having finished with them, went on to the books of the prophets and pointed out in them the places pertaining to Him as the Messiah and, thus, surveyed all the Messianic prophecies contained in Scripture. Probably, by prophetic books the evangelist here understands all the remaining books of the Old Testament after the books of Moses, consequently also the Psalms, whose prophecies Christ could not have failed to bring forth here, since He brought them forward also before (see, for example, Luke 20:42).

Luke 24:28. And they drew near to the village to which they were going; and He acted as though He would go further. Luke 24:29. But they urged Him, saying: Stay with us, because it is toward evening and the day is now far spent. And He went in to stay with them. Luke 24:30. And when He had reclined at table with them, He took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to them. Luke 24:31. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him; and He became invisible to them. As the travelers were approaching Emmaus, Christ probably began to take leave of them, showing in this way that He would not stop in Emmaus. By this means He prompted the travelers to invite Him to stay with them, if they truly felt the need for further conversation with Him. And indeed, they felt that they could not so soon part from Him and began to hold Him back with their pleas to remain with them (one of these travelers probably had his own house in Emmaus). “And He went in”—went into the village. “Taking bread, He blessed…” Christ acts in this case not as a guest, but as the master of the house, according to His custom, which He maintained among His disciples (cf. Luke 9:16). The opinion of certain Church Fathers (St. John Chrysostom, Blessed Augustine) and Catholic commentators, that Christ celebrated the Eucharist in Emmaus (and the Catholics use verses 30 and 35 to defend the teaching about communion under one kind) has no foundation here 36. “Then their eyes were opened.” This expression denotes the newly-acquired ability to know what was previously inaccessible to knowledge (cf. Gen 3:5; Gen 21:19). “But He became invisible to them,” that is, He unnoticeably withdrew from them (instead of “to them” one should translate “from them,” since with the first translation, which also does not correspond to the Greek expression ἀπ´ αὐτῶν, one might suppose that Christ still remained in the house, but was only invisible to the travelers).

Luke 24:32. And they said to one another: Did not our heart burn within us while He spoke to us on the road, and while He opened to us the Scriptures? Luke 24:33. And rising that very hour, they returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven apostles gathered together, and those who were with them, Luke 24:34. who were saying: The Lord has truly risen and has appeared to Simon. Luke 24:35. And they recounted what had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of the bread. “Did not our heart burn within us…” Was not our soul in an extraordinarily intense state of agitation (cf. Ps 38:4; Jer 20:9)? The travelers regret that they did not guess sooner that Christ was walking with them. They are dismayed—how could this happen to them, why did they not heed the voice of their own hearts. Delighted, the disciples, leaving their meal, hurry to Jerusalem and go to the apostles, who tell them that Christ has indeed risen and already appeared to Simon (this appearance is recounted only by the evangelist Luke and also by the apostle Paul in 1 Cor 15:5). The travelers from Emmaus, for their part, recounted the appearance of Christ that had come to them 37.

Luke 24:36. While they were speaking about these things, Jesus Himself stood in their midst and said to them: Peace be to you. Luke 24:37. But they were startled and terrified, and thought they saw a spirit. Luke 24:38. And He said to them: Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Luke 24:39. Look at My hands and My feet; it is I Myself; feel Me and see; for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see Me having. Luke 24:40. And having said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. Luke 24:41. While they still could not believe for joy and wondered, He said to them: Do you have anything here to eat? Luke 24:42. They gave Him a piece of broiled fish and a honeycomb. Luke 24:43. And He took it and ate it before them. Luke 24:44. And He said to them: These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Luke 24:45. Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. Luke 24:46. And He said to them: Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead on the third day, Luke 24:47. and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Luke 24:48. You are witnesses of these things. Luke 24:49. And behold, I am sending upon you what My Father promised; but you are to stay in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high. This appearance, which the evangelist Mark also mentions (Mark 16:14 and ff.), is the same as that which the evangelist John depicts as divided into two: the first, to ten disciples, without Thomas, and the second, which took place 8 days after the first, which was for the conviction of Thomas. The evangelist Luke combines both these appearances into one, because they are alike in character and purpose. “Jesus Himself stood in their midst” (v. 36). Here the word “Jesus” in the earliest codices is not read. Christ’s appearance, evidently, was as miraculous in its suddenness as His disappearance, of which it is said in v. 31, and by this unexpectedness of His appearance one can in part explain the fear which the disciples felt. “A spirit” (v. 37), that is, a being from the other world, having only the appearance of a body (the same as “a ghost” in Matt 14:26). “Why are you troubled” (τί τεταραγμένοι ἐστέ), that is, by what are you troubled, “and why do doubts arise in your hearts…” that is, why do such thoughts appear in your soul? (v. 38). The Lord expresses His astonishment that the apostles did not receive Him at once as who He truly is. “Look at My hands and My feet; it is I Myself” (v. 39). First of all, the Lord brings the disciples out of their confusion by convincing them of the identity of His person with the One who was their Teacher and Lord. “Look,” that (ὅτι—“that” in the Russian text is omitted) “it is I Myself.” If He points to His hands and feet, then obviously because there were marks from the nails on them, and these marks assured them that the One standing before them was truly their Lord, who was crucified on the cross. “Feel Me…” Here the Lord has another purpose. Since the apostles feared that before them stood only “a spirit,” Christ invites them to assure themselves of the contrary: He has flesh and bones. “While they still could not believe for joy…” (v. 41). Unexpected joy often causes a person to doubt the truth of the event that has been the source of joyful excitement. “And He took it and ate it before them” (v. 43). Here, as is shown by the very purpose of Christ’s action, there can be no question of that manner of eating which is attributed to the Angels in Scripture (Gen 18:8); this was real, not apparent eating. In the Book of Acts it is said of the apostles that they “ate and drank” with Christ “after His resurrection from the dead” (Acts 10:41), consequently, in the same manner they and Christ partook of food. “And He said to them” (v. 44). Many commentators suppose (see, for example, in Keil) that between verses 43 and 44 there should be a gap in time, that in v. 44 a new appearance of Christ is begun to be recounted, or else the account of all of Christ’s words spoken by Him after His resurrection. But there is no doubt that the appearance of Christ depicted up to v. 44 would remain, so to speak, uncompleted, if Christ then did not impart to the apostles the explanations that appear precisely from v. 44. Therefore it is more correct to suppose that, while the evangelist depicts the appearance that took place on the evening of the resurrection, he continues this narrative. “These are the words that I spoke” (v. 44), that is, behold how My words, spoken to you before, were fulfilled—words about what “must be fulfilled…” (cf. Luke 18:31 and ff.; Luke 22:37). “While I was still with you.” Now Christ is no longer with the apostles constantly, and their former communion with Him is no longer possible. If Christ now appears to the apostles, it is only to convince them of the truth of His resurrection. “In the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms.” By “Law” the Jews understood the Books of Moses, by “Prophets”—the Books of Joshua, Judges, Kings and the Prophetic Books proper, excluding the Book of Daniel, by “Psalms”—probably all the remaining canonical books of the Old Testament (the so-called “Kethubim”—the Writings), named here “Psalms” because the Lord obviously had in mind that in the Book of Psalms there are more prophecies about Him than in all the remaining books of this last, third, section of the Bible. (It should be noted that the article appears only before the phrase νόμῳ Μωϋσεώς—“in the Law of Moses”, this shows that Christ regards all the books as one whole.) “Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (v. 45). According to the opinion of some commentators (for example, Bishop Michael), the Lord accomplished this through a miraculous sudden illumination, and then also through His interpretation of the Scriptures over the course of the forty days before the Ascension. The latter cannot be agreed with, because here we are speaking so far only of the appearance of Christ on the evening of the resurrection. The first supposition contains nothing improbable. “Thus it is written” (v. 46), that is, precisely in the way that I pointed out to you, when I was bringing you into understanding of Scripture. “For the Christ to suffer, and to rise…” These and the following expressions (v. 47) represent a brief formulation of Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. “In His name” (v. 47), that is, because He by His death and resurrection fulfilled all the prophecies about Himself as the Messiah—the Savior and Redeemer, it could be proclaimed that forgiveness of sins for those who repent (in the Greek text it reads ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ—“upon His name,” but it is better to read with Tischendorf εἰς τὸ ὄνομα—“in His name”). “Beginning from Jerusalem.” Jerusalem, as the capital of the theocracy, ought to be the point of departure for the proclamation about Christ (cf. Isa 2:3; Acts 1:8). “Witnesses of these things” (v. 48), that is, witnesses of all that Christ accomplished, and witnesses of His sufferings, death, and resurrection. “And behold, I am sending” (v. 49)—more precisely: “and behold I am sending” (the present tense ἀποστέλλω denotes an event that is to take place in the very near future). “What My Father promised upon you,” that is, what My Father promised through the prophets, namely, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28 and ff.; Isa 44:1 ff.; Ezek 36:27; cf. Acts 2:16 and ff.). “But you are to stay in the city of Jerusalem.” If v. 49 is joined with the preceding speech of Christ, then it follows that the apostles were not to leave Jerusalem until the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them. Since in this case the appearances of Christ that took place in Galilee, which the evangelists Matthew and John recount, would be completely eliminated, some commentators saw here the beginning of the account of Christ’s last appearance to the disciples, which took place on the day of the Ascension. Thus, between verses 48 and 49, they place a gap of 40 days. In view of the fact that another way of harmonizing the Gospel accounts is not found—other methods of reconciliation do not deserve confidence—one must accept precisely this supposition: that from v. 49 begins the account of the last appearance of Christ to the apostles. That means the evangelist Luke in his Gospel describes only two appearances of Christ to the apostles: the first—on the day of resurrection (verses 36–48) and the last—on the day of the Ascension (verses 49–51). “Until you are clothed with power from on high.” The image of being clothed points to preparation for a journey, perhaps of a warrior putting on his armor: the apostles, too, are warriors of Christ! “Power from on high”—the grace of the Holy Spirit, which is the new power received through the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:8; Luke 1:35).

Luke 24:50. And He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands, He blessed them. Luke 24:51. And while He was blessing them, He parted from them and was taken up into heaven. Luke 24:52. And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. Luke 24:53. And they were constantly in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen. The evangelist Luke concludes his Gospel with a brief account of the event of Christ’s ascension into heaven. This event took place on that day (the 40th after the resurrection; cf. Acts 1:3), when the Lord spoke to the disciples what is set forth in the most brief form in v. 49 (this is indicated by the particle δέ, in the Russian text—“and”, v. 50). “As far as Bethany,” that is, to the place where the road to Bethany begins. This place is on the Mount of Olives (cf. Acts 1:12). “Lifting up His hands”—a symbolic gesture of blessing (cf. Lev 9:22). “He parted from them and was taken up into heaven” (see Mark 16:19). The evangelist Luke speaks so briefly about the ascension into heaven, probably because he intended to depict this event more thoroughly in the Book of Acts, which he did (Acts 1:1-12) 38. “They worshiped Him.” Here “worship,” evidently, is understood as a religious action: toward the ascending Christ it could not be otherwise (cf. John 4:23). “With great joy.” This joy is explained by the fact that the apostles now themselves saw that Christ was taken up into heaven. Thus was removed the possibility of any doubts and fears that arose in them about Christ’s resurrection, which they were not permitted to witness. “Constantly in the temple.” Of course, here the Jerusalem Temple is meant, not the upper room on Mount Zion (as Bishop Michael suggests). Even after the descent of the Holy Spirit, the apostles, as pious Israelites, visited the temple daily (Acts 2:46). * * * Yet Merx (1905) (on the basis of comparing different ancient codices and parallel passages from the Gospel, p. 517–519) considers it possible to see here also an indication of Jewish sinners, that is, the chief priests. Geikie said: “The road to Emmaus ran through mountains and valleys, becoming increasingly desolate as one moved away from Jerusalem. Emmaus itself was situated above a hollow through which a stream flowed and spread greenery and beauty. Vineyards and olive trees, planted on terraces on the slopes of the mountain, and white and red flowers of almond trees, now blooming in the valleys, made the end of the journey pleasantly contrary to its beginning” (Geikie. “The Life of Christ,” part 4, p. 276). To the question: why did Christ not wish that the disciples would recognize Him at once, Blessed Theophylact says: “So that they would open up all their perplexities, expose their wound and then receive the cure,” “so as to teach them from Moses and the prophets…”. The Greek text of this passage is quite unclear. Τρίτην ταύτην ἡμέραν ἄγει σήμερον—already the third day now. What does the verb ἄγει refer to? Some refer it to the word αὐτός—He, but then a completely awkward expression results: “He (Christ) leads already the third day.” Therefore it is better, on the basis of Merx’s investigation (1906, p. 526–528), to read this passage as: καὶ ἰδοὺ τρεῖς ἡμέραι—and behold three days… In the Sinai Codex the verb ἄγει is also omitted. The word σήμερον—“now” is also omitted by Tischendorf. That the Lord “blessed and broke bread” cannot serve as a sign of the celebration of the Eucharist here. First, the expression εὐλογεῖν is used here, not εὐχαριστεῖν, as in Luke 22:19, where the institution of the Eucharist is described, and then, most importantly, the Lord does not offer here “His Body” and “His Blood,” which is precisely what distinguished the Eucharist from an ordinary meal. Moreover, the whole matter here seems to be limited only to blessing and giving the disciples broken bread, which the disciples apparently did not even taste, since at that very moment of receiving the bread their eyes were opened and they recognized Christ, who immediately disappeared unnoticeably. Verses 34–35 Merx (1905, p. 533 and ff.) considers to be an insertion, because the declaration of the eleven, first, is inconsistent with what is said in this chapter up to this point, and second, is inconsistent with the state of mind in which they found themselves when they saw the Lord (v. 37). If they already knew about Christ’s resurrection, could they have been frightened when they saw Him and mistaken Him for “a spirit”? But as for the sudden transition from confidence in Christ’s resurrection to fear, this does not represent a psychological impossibility for the apostles, who had not themselves seen Christ. And with the first part of the chapter there is no contradiction here, because here completely new circumstances are depicted, unknown to the Emmaus travelers. Tischendorf excludes from the text the words: “and was taken up into heaven” and “they worshiped Him.” But he acts without foundation in this case, because very many ancient codices have these expressions. See Merx (1905, p. 544–545).

The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Introduction

Testimony of ancient Christian tradition regarding the origin of the fourth Gospel

Apostle John the Theologian

The occasion and purpose of the writing of the Gospel

The plan and content of the Gospel according to John

Objections against the authenticity of the Gospel of John

The self-witness of the fourth Gospel

The language and expression of the fourth Gospel

Commentaries on the Gospel of John and other works concerning this Gospel

Testimony of ancient Christian tradition regarding the origin of the fourth Gospel

The conviction of the Orthodox Church that the writer of the fourth Gospel was the beloved disciple of Christ, the apostle John, is based on firm testimony of ancient Christian church tradition.

First of all, the holy bishop Irenaeus of Lyon, in his “Refutation of Gnosticism” (around 185 CE), referring to the tradition of the Asia Minor Church to which he belonged by his upbringing, says that the disciple of the Lord John wrote the Gospel in Ephesus. He also cites passages from the Gospel of John to refute the teaching of the heretics the Valentinians.

In the epistles of the holy Ignatius of Antioch there are hints that he was acquainted with the Gospel of John. Thus, he says that Christ did nothing without the Father (to Magn. 7:1; cf. John 5:19), speaks of the bread of life which is the Body of Christ (1 Cor 10:16; cf. John 6:51), of the Spirit who knows where He is going and where He comes from (Philad. 7, 1; cf. John 3:8), of Jesus as a door (Philad. 9:1; cf. John 10:9).

Justin Martyr, who lived in Ephesus before settling in Rome, not only in his teaching about the Logos aligns with the teaching of the Gospel of John, but says that his teaching is based on the “memoirs of the apostles,” that is, evidently, on the Gospels (Dial. 100, 4 and Apol. 67, 3). He mentions the word of Jesus to Nicodemus about rebirth (Apol. 61; cf. John 3 and foll.).

Around the same time (roughly in the 60s of the second century) the Montanists formally based their teaching that the Comforter Spirit speaks through them on the Gospel of John. The attempt of their enemies, the Alogoi, to attribute the fourth Gospel, as having served as the formal support for the heretics, to the heretic Cerinthus met with no success whatever and only served to occasion testimony to the Church’s faith in the origin of the fourth Gospel precisely from John (Irenaeus of Lyon. “Against Heresies,” III, 11, 1). Likewise, the attempt of the gnostics to make use of various terms from the Gospel of John did not shake the Church’s faith in the authenticity of this Gospel.

In the era of Marcus Aurelius (161–180 CE) and in the Asia Minor Church and beyond it, the fourth Gospel is recognized by all as the work of the apostle John. Thus the acts of Carpus and Papylus, Theophilus of Antioch, Melito, Apollinarius of Hierapolis, Tatian, Athenagoras (the ancient Latin and Syriac translations already have the Gospel of John)—all, evidently, are well acquainted with the Gospel of John. The holy bishop Clement of Alexandria even speaks of the occasion for which John wrote his Gospel (Eusebius. “Ecclesiastical History,” VI, 14, 7). The origin of the Gospel of John is testified to also by the Muratorian Fragment (see “Analekta,” ed. Preuschen, 1910, p. 27).

Thus, the Gospel of John existed in Asia Minor, without doubt, from the beginning of the second century and was read, and roughly around the middle of the second century it found access also to the other regions where Christians lived and acquired respect as the work of the apostle John. Given such a state of affairs, it is scarcely surprising that in many works of the apostolic fathers and apologists we do not yet encounter quotations from the Gospel of John or hints of its existence. But the very fact that Heracleon, a disciple of the heretic Valentinus (who came to Rome around 140 CE), wrote a commentary on the Gospel of John, testifies that the Gospel of John appeared much earlier than the second half of the second century, since, undoubtedly, it would be quite strange to write an explanation of a work that had only recently appeared. Finally, the testimonies of such pillars of Christian learning as Origen (third century), Eusebius of Caesarea, and the blessed Jerome (fourth century) regarding the authenticity of the Gospel of John clearly speak to the fact that in church tradition concerning the origin of the fourth Gospel there can be nothing that is not well-founded.

Apostle John the Theologian

Regarding where the apostle John was born, nothing certain can be said. About his father Zebedee, it is known only that he, with his sons James and John, lived in Capernaum and engaged in the fishing business on a fairly large scale, as is indicated by the fact that he had hired hands (Mark 1:20). A more prominent figure is the wife of Zebedee, Salome, who belonged to those women who accompanied Christ the Savior and from their own means procured what was needed for the maintenance of a rather large circle of the disciples of Christ, who constituted an almost constant retinue around Him (Luke 8:1-3; Mark 15:41). She shared the ambitious desires of her sons and asked Christ to grant them their dreams (Matt 20:20). She stood at a distance at the removal of the Savior from the cross (Matt 27:55 and foll.) and took part in the purchase of spices for the anointing of the body of the buried Christ (Mark 16:1; cf. Luke 23:56).

The family of Zebedee was, according to tradition, related to the family of the Most Holy Virgin: Salome and the Most Holy Virgin were own sisters, and this tradition is in complete accord with the fact that the Savior, at a time when He was about to give up His spirit to the Father, hanging on the cross, entrusted the Most Holy Virgin to the care of John (see the comments to John 19:25). By this kinship one can also explain why precisely from among all the disciples James and John made their claim for the first places in the Kingdom of Christ (Matt 20:21). But if James and John were cousins of the Most Holy Virgin, then they were also related to John the Baptist (cf. Luke 1:36), whose preaching should therefore have especially interested them. All these families were permeated with one pious, truly Israelite sentiment. This is evident, among other things, from the fact that all the names borne by members of these families were genuine Hebrew names without admixture of Greek or Latin epithets.

From the fact that James is everywhere called before John, one can confidently conclude that John was younger than James, and tradition calls him the youngest among the apostles. John was no more than 20 years old when Christ called him to follow Him, and the tradition that he lived until the reign of the emperor Trajan (reigned 98–117 CE) is not implausible: John would then have been around 90 years old. Shortly after being called to follow Him, Christ called John to special, apostolic service, and John became one of the twelve apostles of Christ. By virtue of his special love and devotion to Christ, John became one of the most intimate and trusted disciples of Christ, and even the most beloved. He was granted the privilege of being present at the most important events in the life of the Savior, for example at His Transfiguration, at Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane, and others. In contrast to the apostle Peter, John lived more an inner, contemplative life than an outward, practically active one. He observes more than he acts; he more often immerses himself in his inner world, pondering in his mind the greatest events of which he was destined to become a witness. His soul hovers more in the heavenly realm, which is why from ancient times he has been assigned in church iconography the symbol of an eagle (Bazhenov, p. 8–10). But sometimes John displayed ardor of soul, even extreme irritability: this was when he took offense on behalf of the honor of his Teacher (Luke 9:54; Mark 9:38-40). The passionate desire to be closer to Christ showed itself also in John’s request to be given the first positions together with his brother in the glorious Kingdom of Christ, for which John was ready to go with Christ even to sufferings (Matt 20:20-28). Because of such a capacity for unexpected impulses, Christ called John and James “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17), at the same time foretelling that the preaching of both brothers would act on the souls of their listeners irresistibly, like thunder.

After the Ascension of Christ into heaven, the apostle John, together with the apostle Peter, appeared as one of the representatives of the Christian Church in Jerusalem (Acts 3:1 and foll.; Acts 2:4). At the apostolic council in Jerusalem in the winter of 51–52 CE, John, together with Peter and the leader of the Jerusalem Church, James, recognizes the right of the apostle Paul to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles without at the same time binding them to observe the law of Moses (Gal 2:9). Even at that time, consequently, the significance of the apostle John was great. But how much it should have increased when Peter, Paul, and James died!

Having settled in Ephesus, John held the position of leader of all the churches of Asia for another thirty years, and among the other disciples of Christ who surrounded him he enjoyed exceptional esteem from the believers. Tradition gives us some details about the activity of the apostle John during this period of his stay in Ephesus. Thus, it is known from tradition that he celebrated Christian Pascha every year at the same time as the Jewish Pascha and before Pascha observed a fast. Then once he left a public bath upon seeing the heretic Cerinthus there. “Let us flee,” he said to those who came with him, “so that the bath does not collapse, for Cerinthus, the enemy of truth, is in it.” How great was the love and compassion for people in him is testified by the story about a young man whom John converted to Christ and who in his absence joined a band of robbers. John, according to the account of the holy bishop Clement of Alexandria, himself went to the robbers and, meeting the young man, implored him to return to the right path. In the very last hours of his life, John, being no longer able to speak at length, only repeated: “Little children, love one another!” And when the listeners asked him why he repeated the same thing over and over, “the apostle of love”—such was the title that became fixed on John—answered: “Because it is the commandment of the Lord, and if only it were fulfilled—that would be enough.” Thus, a will that admitted no compromise between the holy God and the sinful world, devotion to Christ, love of truth joined with compassion for the unfortunate brothers—these are the basic traits of the character of John the Theologian as they became imprinted in Christian tradition.

John proved his devotion to Christ, according to tradition, also through sufferings. Thus, during the reign of Nero (reigned 54–68 CE), he was brought to Rome in chains and here he was first forced to drink a cup of poison, but when the poison had no effect, he was thrown into a vessel of boiling oil, from which, however, the apostle also did not suffer. During his stay in Ephesus, John was obliged by command of the emperor Domitian (reigned 81–96 CE) to go to dwell on the island of Patmos, located forty geographical miles southwest of Ephesus. Here, in mysterious visions, were revealed to him the future destinies of the Church of Christ, which he depicted in his Apocalypse. On the island of Patmos the apostle remained until the death of the emperor Domitian (96 CE), when by command of the emperor Nerva (reigned 96–98 CE) he was returned to Ephesus.

John died, probably in the seventh year of the reign of the emperor Trajan (105 CE), having reached the age of one hundred.

The occasion and purpose of the writing of the Gospel

According to the testimony of the Muratorian canon, John wrote his Gospel at the request of the bishops of Asia Minor, who desired to receive from him instruction in faith and piety. Clement of Alexandria adds to this that John himself noticed a certain incompleteness in the accounts of Christ contained in the first three Gospels, which speak almost only of the “bodily,” that is, of the external events from the life of Christ, and therefore himself wrote a “spiritual Gospel.” Eusebius of Caesarea, for his part, adds that John, having reviewed and approved the first three Gospels, nevertheless found in them insufficient information about the beginning of the activity of Christ. The blessed Jerome says that the occasion for writing the Gospel was the appearance of heresies that denied the coming of Christ in the flesh.

Thus, on the basis of what has been said, one can conclude that John, in writing his Gospel, on the one hand wanted to fill the gaps he noticed in the first three Gospels, and on the other hand wanted to give believers (first of all Christians from the Greeks 1) a weapon for the struggle with the heresies that had appeared. As for the evangelist himself, he defines the purpose of his Gospel thus: “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). It is clear that John wrote his Gospel in order to give Christians support for their faith in Christ precisely as the Son of God, because only with such faith can one achieve salvation or, as John expresses it, have life in oneself. And the entire content of the Gospel of John fully corresponds to this intention expressed by its writer. Indeed, the Gospel of John begins with John’s own turn to Christ and ends with the confession of faith of the apostle Thomas (chapter 21 is an addition to the Gospel made later). John wishes to show throughout his Gospel the process by which he himself and his fellow apostles came to faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, so that the reader of the Gospel, following the deeds of Christ, might gradually understand that Christ is the Son of God… The readers of the Gospel already had this faith, but it was weakened in them by various false teachings that distorted the understanding of the incarnation of the Son of God. In addition, John could have had in view the clarification of the duration of the public service of Christ to mankind: from the first three Gospels it would appear that this activity lasted only about a year, but John explains that it lasted more than three years 2.

The plan and content of the Gospel according to John

The evangelist John, in accordance with the purpose he set for himself in writing the Gospel, undoubtedly had his own special plan of narration, unlike the general traditional account of the history of Christ common to the first three Gospels. John does not simply report in order the events of Gospel history and the words of Christ, but makes a selection from them, bringing forward especially those things that testified to the divine dignity of Christ, which in his time was being questioned. Events from the life of Christ are reported by John in a particular light, and all are directed toward clarifying the fundamental position of Christian faith—the divinity of Jesus Christ.

In the prologue to the Gospel (John 1:1-18), John first speaks of the divine dignity of Christ and of the relationship to Him of men, some of whom did not believe in Him, while others received Him. This thought of the different relationship of men to the incarnate Word, the thought of the struggle between faith and unbelief, runs throughout the Gospel of John.

The narrative itself about the activity of Christ begins with His appearance before the disciples of John the Baptist, who had previously triple attested that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. Christ manifests to His first disciples His omniscience (John 1:19-51) and then—His omnipotence (John 2:1-11) and then after some time in Jerusalem appears as the lord of the temple, that is, as the Messiah (John 2:12-22). The official representatives of Judaism immediately show their ill will toward Christ, which with time is destined to degenerate into open persecution of Christ, while the common people, it seems, feel an attraction to the Light that has appeared, nourished, however, by the miracles which Christ performed at this time in Jerusalem (John 2:23-25). An example of such a bearer of faith is the Pharisee Nicodemus, before whom Christ revealed the greatness of His person and His mission (John 3:1-21). In view of such an attitude toward Christ on the part of the Jews, John the Baptist again and for the last time attested His high dignity before his disciples, threatening those who did not believe in Christ with the wrath of God (John 3:22-36). After this, having spent about eight months in Judea, Christ withdraws for a time to Galilee, and on the way, in the Samaritan region, converts to faith the population of an entire Samaritan city (John 4:1-44). In Galilee He receives a fairly warm welcome, since the Galileans had been witnesses to the miracles which Christ performed in Jerusalem at the celebration of Pascha. Christ, however, declares such faith inadequate (John 4:45-54). Incidentally, according to John, Christ during His stay in Galilee, which lasted, apparently, about seven or eight months—until the feast of Booths (a Jewish feast in John 5:1), lived within the circle of His family, not coming forward with the preaching of the Gospel. He wishes, evidently, first and foremost to proclaim the Gospel in Judea and for this goes to Jerusalem for the feast of Booths. Here, in connection with a healing He performed on the Sabbath, the representatives of Judaism begin to accuse Him of violating the law of Moses, and when Christ in vindication of His action pointed out to them His special rights as the Son of God, equal with God the Father, the hatred of the Jews toward Him was expressed in measures they designed to eliminate Christ, which, however, at this time were not carried out in view of the strong impression, undoubtedly made by the speech He spoke here in defense of His Messianic dignity (John 5:1-47). From this point onwards in John’s account begins the depiction of the struggle which the official representatives of Judaism waged against Christ—a struggle that ended in the decision of the Jewish authorities to “take Christ” (John 11:57).

Not received a second time in Judea, Christ again withdrew to Galilee and began to perform miracles, of course preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. But here too, His teaching about Himself as a Messiah who came not to restore an earthly Jewish kingdom but to establish a new Kingdom—a spiritual one—and to give people eternal life, arms the Galileans against Him, and only a few disciples remain around Him, namely the twelve apostles, whose faith is expressed by the apostle Peter (John 6:1-71). Having spent this time in Galilee both Pascha and Pentecost, in view of the fact that in Judea enemies only waited for an opportunity to seize and kill Him, Christ only at the feast of Booths went again to Jerusalem—this was already the third journey there—and here again appeared before the Jews with the assertion of His divine mission and origin. The Jews rise up against Christ again. But Christ, nevertheless, on the last day of the feast of Booths boldly proclaims His high dignity—that He is the giver of true water of life—and the servants sent by the Sanhedrin cannot carry out the order given to them—to seize Christ (John 7).

Then, after the forgiveness of the sinful woman (John 8:1-11), Christ rebukes the unbelief of the Jews in Him. He calls Himself the Light of the world, and them, His enemies, the children of the devil—that ancient murderer of men. When He pointed out to them at the end of His speech that He existed before the ages, the Jews wished to stone Him as a blasphemer, and Christ withdrew from the temple where the dispute with the Jews took place (John 8). After this Christ healed on the Sabbath a man born blind, and this further intensified the hatred toward Jesus in the Jews (John 9). Nevertheless, Christ boldly calls the Pharisees hired hands who do not care for the welfare of the people, and Himself—the true Shepherd, who lays down His life for His flock. This speech arouses in some a negative attitude toward it, in others—some sympathy (John 10:1-21).

Three months later, at the feast of the Dedication of the Temple, a collision occurs again between Christ and the Jews and Christ withdraws to Perea, where many Jews who had believed in Him also follow Him (John 10:22-42). The miracle of the raising of Lazarus, which testified to Christ as the giver of resurrection and life, arouses faith in Christ in some and in His enemies a new outburst of hatred toward Christ. Then the Sanhedrin made the final decision to kill Christ and announced that if anyone knew where Christ was, he should immediately report it to the Sanhedrin (John 11:57). After more than three months, which Christ spent not in Judea, He appeared again in Judea and near Jerusalem, in Bethany, attended a friendly supper, and two days later solemnly entered Jerusalem as the Messiah. The people received Him with enthusiasm, and the Greeks who had come for the feast expressed a desire to speak with Him. All this prompted Christ to proclaim aloud to all those around Him that He would soon give Himself up to death for the true benefit of all people. John concludes this section of his Gospel with the statement that although the majority of the Jews did not believe in Christ despite all His miracles, among them there were also believers (John 12:37-43).

Having depicted the break that occurred between Christ and the Jewish people, the evangelist now portrays the relationship to the apostles. At the last, the Last Supper, Christ washed the feet of His disciples, as a simple servant, thereby showing them His love and at the same time teaching them humility (John 13). Then, to strengthen their faith, He speaks of His forthcoming departure to God the Father, of their future situation in the world, and of His future meeting with them. The apostles interrupt His speech with questions and objections, but He constantly directs them to the thought that everything that will soon happen will be beneficial both for Him and for them (John 14-16). To finally calm the anxiety of the apostles, Christ, in their presence, prays to His Father that He would take them under His protection, saying at the same time that the work for which Christ was sent has now been accomplished and that, consequently, the apostles will only have to proclaim this to the whole world (John 17).

The final section of his Gospel, John devotes to the depiction of the history of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Here one speaks of the seizure of Christ by soldiers in Gethsemane and of Peter’s denial, of the trial of Christ before the spiritual and secular authorities, of the crucifixion and death of Christ, of the piercing of the side of Christ by a soldier’s lance, of the burial of the body of Christ by Joseph and Nicodemus (John 18-19) and, finally, of the appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene, to ten disciples, and then to Thomas together with the other disciples a week after the resurrection (John 20:1-29). Attached to the Gospel is a conclusion in which the purpose of writing the Gospel is indicated—the strengthening of faith in Christ in the readers of the Gospel (John 20:30-31).

The Gospel of John has, besides, an epilogue in which is depicted the appearance of Christ to seven disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, when the apostle Peter was restored to his apostolic dignity. At the same time, Christ foretells to Peter his fate and the fate of John (John 21).

Thus, John developed in his Gospel the thought that the incarnate, only-begotten Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, was rejected by His own people, among whom He was born, but nevertheless gave grace and truth to those who believed in Him and made it possible for them to become children of God. The content of the Gospel is conveniently divided into the following sections.

The Prologue (John 1:1-18).

First section: The testimony of John the Baptist concerning Christ—until the first manifestation of the greatness of Christ (John 1:19-2:11).

Second section: The beginning of the public service of Christ (John 2:12-4:54).

Third section: Jesus—the Giver of eternal life, in the struggle with Judaism (John 5:1-11:57).

Fourth section: From the last week before Pascha (John 12).

Fifth section: Jesus in the circle of disciples on the eve of His sufferings (John 13-17).

Sixth section: The glorification of Jesus through death and resurrection (John 18-20).

Epilogue (John 21).

Objections against the authenticity of the Gospel of John

From what has been said about the structure and content of the Gospel of John, one can see that this Gospel contains very much that distinguishes it from the first three Gospels, which are called synoptic from the similarity of the portrayal given in them of the person and activity of Jesus Christ. Thus, the life of Christ in John begins in heaven…

The story of the nativity and childhood of Christ, with which the evangelists Matthew and Luke acquaint us, John passes over in silence. In the magnificent prologue of the Gospel, John, this eagle among the evangelists, to whom this symbol is assigned in church iconography, with bold flight carries us straight into infinity. Then he quickly descends to earth, but here in the incarnate Word he shows us signs of the divinity of the Word. Then in the Gospel of John, John the Baptist appears. But this is not the preacher of repentance and judgment as we know him from the synoptic Gospels, but a witness to Christ as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). The evangelist John says nothing about the baptism and temptation of Christ. In Christ’s return from John the Baptist with His first disciples to Galilee the evangelist sees the beginning of the preaching of the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. In the Gospel of John the chronological and geographical framework of the activity is quite different from that of the synoptists. John barely touches upon the Galilean activity of Christ—only at its highest point—the story of the miraculous feeding of five thousand and the discourse about the bread of heaven. Then only in the depiction of the last days of the life of Christ does John converge with the synoptists. According to the Gospel of John, the principal place of Christ’s activity is Jerusalem and Judea.

Even more does John differ from the synoptic evangelists in depicting Christ as a Teacher. In the latter, Christ appears as a popular preacher, as a teacher of morality, expounding before the simple inhabitants of Galilean towns and villages in the most accessible form for them the teaching about the Kingdom of God. As a benefactor of the people, He goes about Galilee, healing every illness in the people surrounding Him in whole crowds. In John, the Lord appears either before individual persons, such as Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, or in the circle of His disciples, or, finally, before priests, scribes, and other Jews knowledgeable in religious learning, with discourses about the divine dignity of His person. At the same time, the language of His discourses becomes somewhat enigmatic, and we often encounter here allegories. The miracles in the Gospel of John also have the character of signs, that is, they serve to clarify the fundamental propositions of Christ’s teaching about His divinity.

More than a hundred years have passed since German rationalism directed its attacks against the Gospel of John to prove its inauthenticity. However, it was only from the time of Strauss that the actual persecution of this greatest testimony to the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ began. Under the influence of the philosophy of Hegel, which did not admit the possibility of the realization of the absolute idea in a separate person, Strauss declared the Johannine Christ a myth and the entire Gospel a tendentious fiction. Following him, the head of the new Tübingen School F. C. Baur attributed the origin of the fourth Gospel to the second half of the second century, when, as he believed, the reconciliation began between two opposite directions of the apostolic age—Petrism and Paulinism. The Gospel of John, according to Baur, was precisely the monument of the reconciliation between both these directions. It was intended to reconcile the various disputes that were happening at the time (around 170 CE) in the Church: Montanism, Gnosticism, the teaching about the Logos, Easter disputes, and so on, and for this purpose it made use of material contained in the first three Gospels, placing everything in dependence on the single idea of the Logos. Baur’s followers—Schwegler, Kestlin, Zeller, and others—wanted to develop and substantiate his view, but, in any case, nothing came of their efforts, as even such a liberal critic as Harnack acknowledges. The first Christian Church was not at all an arena of struggle between Petrism and Paulinism, as the newest church-historical science has shown. However, the newer representatives of the neo-Tübingen School H. J. Holtzmann, Hilgenfeld, Volkmar, Kreyenbühl (his work in French: “The Fourth Gospel,” vol. I, 1901 and vol. II, 1903) still deny the authenticity of the Gospel of John and the reliability of the information contained in it, with most of them attributing the influence to Gnosticism. Toma attributes the origin of the Gospel to the influence of Philonism, Max Müller—to the influence of Greek philosophy 3.

Since the neo-Tübingen School nevertheless could not fail to reckon with the testimonies regarding the authenticity of the Gospel of John that go back to the very first decades of the second century CE, it attempted to explain the origin of such testimonies by something like a self-hypnosis of those ancient church writers in whose works such testimonies are found. Quite simply a writer, such as, for example, the holy Irenaeus, read the inscription “Gospel of John”—and immediately it became fixed in his memory that this is indeed the Gospel belonging to the beloved disciple of Christ… But the majority of critics began to defend the position that under “John,” the author of the fourth Gospel, the entire ancient Church understood “the elder John,” whose existence is mentioned by Eusebius of Caesarea. Such are the views of, for example, Bousset and Harnack. Others (Julicher) consider the author of the fourth Gospel to be some disciple of John the Theologian. But since it is rather difficult to admit that at the end of the first century in Asia Minor there were two Johns—an apostle and an elder—enjoying equally enormous authority, some critics began to deny the residence of the apostle John in Asia Minor (Lützenburger, Keim, Schwarz, Schmiedel).

Not finding it possible to find a substitute for the apostle John, contemporary criticism, however, unanimously asserts that the fourth Gospel could not have come from the apostle John. Let us see then how well-founded are those objections which contemporary criticism raises against the universal church conviction regarding the authenticity of the fourth Gospel. In examining the objections of critics against the authenticity of the Gospel of John we will of necessity have to speak also about the credibility of the information provided in the fourth Gospel, because in substantiation of their view on the origin of the fourth Gospel not from John, the critics point to the unreliability of various facts cited in the Gospel of John and to the general implausibility of the representation that is created on the basis of this Gospel concerning the person and activity of the Savior 4.

Keim, and after him many other critics, point out that according to the Gospel of John Christ “was not born, was not baptized, experienced neither internal struggle nor mental suffering. From the beginning He knew all things, shone with pure divine glory. Such a Christ does not correspond to the conditions of human nature.” But all this is false: Christ, according to John, became flesh (John 1:14) and had a Mother (John 2:1), and there is a clear indication of His acceptance of baptism in the words of John the Baptist (John 1:29-34). That Christ experienced internal struggle is clearly stated in John 12:27, and of His mental suffering the tears He shed at the tomb of Lazarus testify (John 11:33-35). As for the foreknowledge which Christ manifests in the Gospel of John, it is fully in accord with our faith in Christ as God-man.

Furthermore, critics point out that the fourth Gospel supposedly does not recognize any gradation in the development of the faith of the apostles: the apostles first called are from the very first day of their acquaintance with Christ fully convinced of His Messianic dignity (John 1). But critics forget that the disciples were fully convinced of Christ only after the first sign in Cana (John 2:11). And they themselves say that they believed in the divine origin of Christ only when Christ spoke much to them about Himself in the farewell discourse (John 16:30).

Then, if John speaks of Christ going to Jerusalem from Galilee several times, whereas according to the synoptists it would seem that He visited Jerusalem only once at the Passover of the Passion, we must say regarding this that, in the first place, even from the synoptic Gospels one can infer that Christ was in Jerusalem more than once (see Luke 10:30), and in the second place, the evangelist John most correctly denotes the chronological sequence of events, who wrote his Gospel after the synoptics and naturally must have come to the thought of the need to supplement the insufficient chronology of the synoptists and to depict in detail the activity of Christ in Jerusalem, which was known to him, of course, much better than to anyone of the synoptists, two of whom did not even belong to the company of the Twelve. Even the apostle Matthew could not know all the circumstances of Christ’s activity in Jerusalem, because, in the first place, he was called comparatively late (John 3:24; cf. Matt 9:9), and in the second place, because Christ sometimes went to Jerusalem secretly (John 7:10) without the accompaniment of the whole crowd of disciples. John, however, was undoubtedly granted the privilege of everywhere accompanying Christ.

But most of all doubts concerning the credibility are raised by the speeches of Christ which the evangelist John cites. Christ in John, according to the opinion of critics, speaks not as a practical popular teacher, but as a subtle metaphysician. His speeches could only have been “composed” by a later “writer” under the influence of the views of Alexandrian philosophy. On the other hand, the speeches of Christ in the synoptists are naive, simple, and natural. Therefore, the fourth Gospel is not of apostolic origin. Regarding such an assertion by critics, it is first of all necessary to say that it greatly exaggerates the difference between the speeches of Christ in the synoptists and His speeches in John. One can point to about a dozen sayings which are cited in the same form by both the synoptists and John (see John 2:19 and Matt 26:61; John 3:18 and Mark 16:16; John 5:8 and Luke 5:24). And then the speeches of Christ cited by John should indeed have differed from those cited by the synoptists, since John set as his task the acquaintance of his readers with the activity of Christ in Judea and Jerusalem—this center of Rabbinical learning, where Christ had before Him a completely different circle of listeners than in Galilee. It is understandable that the Galilean speeches of Christ cited by the synoptists could not be devoted to such exalted teachings as comprise the subject matter of the speeches of Christ spoken in Judea. Besides, John has cited several speeches of Christ spoken in the circle of His closest disciples, who, of course, were much more capable than the common people of understanding the mysteries of the Kingdom of God.

One must also take into account the circumstance that the apostle John by his nature was predominantly inclined to be interested in the mysteries of the Kingdom of God and in the high dignity of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. No one was able to assimilate the teaching of Christ about Himself in such fullness and clarity as precisely John, whom therefore Christ loved more than his other disciples.

Some critics assert that all the speeches of Christ in John are nothing other than the unfolding of the ideas contained in the prologue of the Gospel and, consequently, were composed by John himself. To this one should say that, rather, the prologue itself could be called the conclusion which John drew from all the speeches of Christ cited by John. This is evidenced, for example, by the fact that the fundamental concept of the prologue, “Logos,” does not occur in the speeches of Christ in the sense that it has in the prologue.

As for the assertion that only John cites speeches of Christ in which His teaching about His divine dignity is contained, this fact cannot have any special significance as proof of the contradiction supposedly existing between the synoptists and John in the teaching about the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. For even in the synoptists there are sayings of Christ in which a clear indication is made of His divine dignity (see Matt 20:18 and others). Besides, all the circumstances of the nativity of Christ and the numerous miracles of Christ reported by the synoptists clearly testify to His divine dignity.

Further, it is pointed out as evidence of the “composedness” of Christ’s speeches in John their monotony in regard to content. Thus, the conversation with Nicodemus depicts the spiritual nature of the Kingdom of God, while the conversation with the Samaritan woman depicts the universal character of this Kingdom, and so on. If there is some uniformity in the external construction of the speeches and in the way of proving thoughts, this is explained by the fact that Christ’s speeches in John have as their purpose the clarification of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God to the Jews, not to the inhabitants of Galilee and therefore naturally take on a uniform character.

It is said that the speeches cited by John are not connected with the events described in the Gospel of John. But such an assertion does not at all correspond to reality: it is precisely in John that each speech of Christ has a firm basis in preceding events, one might even say—is called forth by them. Such, for example, is the conversation about the bread of heaven, spoken by Christ in connection with the feeding of the people with earthly bread (John 6).

Furthermore, it is objected: “How could John in his old age remember such extensive, difficult in content, and obscure speeches of Christ?” But when a man directs all his attention to one thing, it is clear that this “one thing” he comprehends in all its details and firmly imprints it in his memory. Now John was known to have not had a particularly active role in the circle of the disciples of Christ and in the apostolic Church, and appeared rather as a silent companion of the apostle Peter than as an independent actor. He turned all the ardor of his nature—and he did indeed have such a nature (Mark 9)—all the abilities of his outstanding mind and heart toward reproducing in his consciousness and memory the greatest personality of the God-man. From this it becomes clear how he was able subsequently to reproduce in his Gospel such extensive and profound speeches of Christ. Besides, the ancient Hebrews were generally able to remember very lengthy conversations and repeat them with literal exactness. Finally, why not assume that John himself could have recorded individual conversations of Christ for himself and then made use of what he had recorded?

They ask: “Where could John, a simple fisherman from Galilee, have acquired such philosophical education as is evident in his Gospel? Is it not more natural to suppose that the fourth Gospel was written by some Gnostic or Christian from the Greeks who was educated in the study of classical literature?”

To this question one should answer as follows. First, John does not have that strict logical sequence and that systematic construction of views which characterize Greek philosophical systems. Instead of dialectic and logical analysis, in John there predominates a synthesis characteristic of systematic thinking, reminiscent rather of Eastern religious-theological contemplation than of Greek philosophy (Prof. Muretov. The Authenticity of the Discourses of the Lord in the Fourth Gospel. Orthod. Rev., 1881, Sept., p. 65 and foll.). One can therefore say that John writes as an educated Jew, and the question of where he could have acquired such Jewish education is resolved quite satisfactorily by the consideration that the father of John was a fairly wealthy man (he had hired hands of his own) and therefore both his sons, James and John, could have received a good education for the time in one of the Rabbinical schools in Jerusalem.

Some critics are troubled also by the similarity which is observed both in the content and in the style of the speeches of Christ in the fourth Gospel and in the first epistle of John. It appears as though John himself composed the speeches of the Lord… To this one should say that John, having entered the circle of disciples of Christ in earliest youth, naturally assimilated His ideas and the very manner of their expression. Then, the speeches of Christ in John are not a literal reproduction of everything that Christ said in a particular instance, but only an abbreviated transmission of what Christ actually said. Moreover, John had to transmit the speeches of Christ, pronounced in Aramaic, in Greek, and this forced him himself to seek expressions more corresponding to the meaning of Christ’s speeches, so that naturally there resulted in the speeches of Christ that tint which was characteristic of John’s own speech. Finally, between the Gospel of John and his first epistle there is undoubtedly a difference, namely, between the speech of John himself and the speeches of the Lord. Thus, salvation of people by the Blood of Christ is frequently spoken of in the first epistle of John and is passed over in silence in the Gospel. As for the form of exposition of thoughts, in the first epistle we encounter everywhere brief fragmentary instructions and maxims, while in the Gospel there are entire long speeches.

In light of everything that has been said, in opposition to the assertions of the critics, one can only agree with the positions expressed by Pope Pius X in his “Syllabus” of July 3, 1907, where the Pope recognizes as heresy the assertion of the Modernists that the Gospel of John is not history in the proper sense of the word, but mystical reflections about the life of Christ, and that it is not a genuine testimony of the apostle John concerning the life of Christ, but a reflection of those views of the person of Christ which existed in the Christian Church by the end of the first century CE.

The self-witness of the fourth Gospel

The author of the Gospel clearly identifies himself as a Jew. He is acquainted with all Jewish customs and views, especially the views of contemporary Judaism on the Messiah. Besides, he speaks as an eyewitness of everything that was accomplished at that time in Palestine. If he seems to separate himself from the Jews (for instance, he says “the feast of the Jews,” not “our feast”), this is explained by the fact that the fourth Gospel was written undoubtedly at a time when Christians had completely separated from the Jews. Besides, the Gospel was written precisely for Christians from the Gentiles, which is why the author could not speak of the Jews as “his” people. The geographical situation of Palestine at that time is also delineated with the highest accuracy and detail. This cannot at all be expected from a writer living, for example, in the second century.

As a witness of events that took place in the life of Christ, the author of the fourth Gospel further shows himself in the special chronological accuracy with which he describes the time of the occurrence of these events. He designates not only the feasts by which Christ went to Jerusalem—this is important for determining the duration of Christ’s public service 5—but even the days and weeks before and after a particular event and, finally, sometimes the hours of the events. He also speaks with accuracy about the number of persons and objects being discussed.

The details which the author provides about various circumstances of the life of Christ also give reason to conclude that the author was an eyewitness to everything he describes. Moreover, the traits with which the author characterizes the various actors of the time are so precise that they could only be indicated by an eyewitness, moreover one who well understood the distinctions existing between the various Jewish factions of the time.

That the author of the Gospel was an apostle from among the Twelve is clearly evident from the recollections he provides of many circumstances of the inner life of the circle of the Twelve. He knows well all the doubts that troubled the disciples of Christ, all their conversations with one another and with their Teacher. Moreover, he names the apostles not by the names by which they became known later in the Church, but by those which they bore in their circle of friends (for instance, he calls Bartholomew Nathanael).

It is remarkable also the attitude of the author toward the synoptists. He boldly corrects the statements of the latter at many points as an eyewitness, and moreover one who has greater authority than they do: only such a writer could speak thus boldly, without fear of condemnation from any quarter. Moreover, this was undoubtedly an apostle from among those closest to Christ, since he knows much that was not revealed to other apostles (see John 6:15).

Who then was this disciple? He does not name himself and, however, identifies himself as the beloved disciple of the Lord (John 13:23). This is not the apostle Peter, because Peter is everywhere in the fourth Gospel called by name and is directly distinguished from the unnamed disciple. From among the closest disciples there remain then two—James and John, the sons of Zebedee. But it is known that James did not leave the land of the Jews and comparatively early suffered a martyr’s death (in 41 CE). Meanwhile, the Gospel was undoubtedly written after the synoptic Gospels and, probably, at the end of the first century. Only John alone can be recognized as this closest apostle to Christ who wrote the fourth Gospel. When calling himself “the other disciple,” he always adds a definite article to this expression (ὁ μαθητής), thus clearly indicating that everyone knew him and could not confuse him with anyone else. Out of his humility he also does not name by his own name his mother, Salome, and his brother James (John 19:25). Only the apostle John could act thus, for any other writer would certainly have mentioned by name at least one of the sons of Zebedee. They object: “But the evangelist Matthew found it possible to mention his own name in his Gospel” (Matt 9:9)? Yes, but in the Gospel of Matthew the personality of the writer completely disappears in the objective depiction of Gospel events, whereas the fourth Gospel has a sharply expressed subjective character, and the writer of this Gospel, being aware of this, wished to keep his own name in the background, a name which would anyway come to mind.

The language and expression of the fourth Gospel

Both the language and the expression of the fourth Gospel clearly testify to the fact that the writer of the Gospel was a Palestinian Jew, not a Greek, and that he lived at the end of the first century. In the Gospel, first of all, there are direct and indirect references to passages from the books of the Old Testament (this can be seen in the Russian edition of the Gospel with parallel passages). Moreover, he is acquainted not only with the translation of the Seventy, but also with the Hebrew text of the Old Testament books (cf. John 19:37 and Zech 12:10 according to the Hebrew text). Then, “the particular plasticity and imagery of speech, which constitute a distinctive feature of the Hebrew genius, the arrangement of the members of a sentence and their simple construction, the striking particularity of exposition extending to tautology and repetition, brief and abrupt speech, the parallelism of the members and entire sentences and antitheses, the absence of Greek particles in the connection of sentences” and much else clearly testify that the Gospel was written by a Jew, not a Greek (Bazhenov. “Characteristics of the Fourth Gospel,” p. 374).

D. H. Müller, a member of the Viennese Academy of Sciences, in his article “The Gospel of John in the Light of Strophe Theory” (Vienna, 1909) successfully attempts to divide the most important speeches of Christ contained in the Gospel of John into strophes and in conclusion expresses the following: “After completing my work on the Sermon on the Mount, I also studied the Gospel of John, which in content and style differs so much from the synoptic Gospels, but to my considerable surprise I found that the laws of strophics govern here to the same degree as in the speeches of the prophets, in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Quran.” Does not this fact testify that the writer of the Gospel was a genuine Jew, educated in the study of the prophets of the Old Testament? The Hebrew character in the fourth Gospel is so strong that anyone who knows the Hebrew language and has the opportunity to read the Gospel of John in a Hebrew translation would undoubtedly think that he is reading the original and not a translation. It is evident that the writer of the Gospel thought in Hebrew but expressed himself in Greek. But this is precisely how the apostle John should have written, for from childhood he was accustomed to think and speak in Hebrew, while he learned Greek only in his mature years.

The Greek language of the Gospel is, without doubt, original, not translated: both the testimonies of the church fathers and the absence of proof among those critics who for some reason want to assert that the Gospel of John was originally written in Hebrew—all this is quite sufficient to be confident in the originality of the Greek language of the fourth Gospel. Although the author of the Gospel has few terms and expressions of the Greek language in his vocabulary, these terms and expressions are as valuable as a large gold coin which is usually used in large-scale transactions by wealthy people. In terms of its composition, the language of the fourth Gospel has a character common to the entire koiné dialektos. In places, there are Hebrew words, Latin words, and some terms peculiar only to this Gospel. Finally, some words in John are used in a special sense not characteristic of other New Testament writings (for example, Logos, agapao, Ioudaioi, zoe, and others, the meaning of which will be indicated when explaining the text of the Gospel). In relation to etymological and syntactic rules, the language of the fourth Gospel generally does not differ from the rules of koiné dialektos, although there are also some distinctive features here (for example, the use of the article, the agreement of a predicate in the plural with a subject in the singular, and others).

In stylistic regard, the Gospel of John is distinguished by the simplicity of phrase construction, approaching the simplicity of ordinary speech. Here we everywhere encounter brief abrupt sentences connected by few particles. But these brief expressions often produce an extraordinarily strong impression (especially in the prologue). To give special force to a particular expression, John places it at the beginning of a phrase, and sometimes even violates the sequence in the order of speech (for instance, John 7:38). What also strikes the reader of the Gospel of John is the extraordinary abundance of dialogues, in which one or another thought is unfolded. As for the fact that in the Gospel of John, in contrast to the synoptic Gospels, parables are not found, this phenomenon can be explained by the fact that John did not think it necessary to repeat the parables that were already reported in the synoptic Gospels. However, he has something that resembles these parables—namely, allegories and various images (for example, the figurative expressions in the conversation with Nicodemus and with the Samaritan woman, or, for instance, the genuine allegory of the good shepherd and the door to the sheepfold). Besides, Christ probably did not use parables in His conversations with educated Jews, and it is precisely these conversations which John chiefly cites in his Gospel. The form of the parable was not suited either to the content of Christ’s speeches spoken in Judea: in these speeches Christ spoke of His divine dignity, and the form of images and parables was completely unsuited for this—dogmas are inconvenient to express in parables. The disciples of Christ could also understand the teaching of Christ without parables.

Commentaries on the Gospel of John and other works concerning this Gospel

Among the ancient works devoted to the study of the Gospel of John, the first chronologically is the work of the Valentinian Heracleon (150–180 CE), fragments of which are preserved in Origen (there is also a special edition by Brooke). Then follows a very detailed commentary by Origen himself, which has been preserved, however, not in its complete form (ed. Preuschen, 1903). Then come eighty-eight homilies on the Gospel of John belonging to the holy bishop John Chrysostom (in Russian translation from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, 1902). The commentary by Theodore of Mopsuestia in Greek is preserved only in fragments, but now there has appeared a Latin translation of the Syriac text of this work, which reproduces almost everything in full form. The commentary of the holy bishop Cyril of Alexandria was published in 1910 at the Moscow Theological Academy. Then come one hundred twenty-four homilies on the Gospel of John belonging to the blessed Augustine (in the Latin language). Finally, worthy of attention is the commentary on the Gospel of John belonging to the blessed Theophylact (translation at the Kazan Theological Academy).

Among the new commentaries by Western theologians, the following deserve attention: the works of Tholuck (1857), Meyer (1902), Luthardt (1876), Godet (1903), Keil (1881), Westcott (1882), Schanz (1885), Knabenbauer (1906), Schlatter (1902), Loisy (1903), Heitmuller (in I. Weiss’s “New Testament Writings,” 1907), Zahn (1908), Holtzmann (1908).

Among the most prominent works of Western scholars of the so-called critical direction devoted to the Gospel of John are the works of Bretschneider, Weisze, Schwegler, Bruno, Bauer, Baur, Hilgenfeld, Keim, Toma, Jacobsen, O. Holtzmann, Wendt, Kreyenbühl, I. Reville, Grill, Wrede, Scott, Wellhausen, and others. The latest major work of the critical direction is: “Spitta”. Das Johannesevangelium als Quelle der Geschichte Jesu. Göttingen, 1910.

In the apologetic direction on the Gospel of John wrote: Black, Stier, Weiss, Edersheim (“The Life of Jesus the Messiah,” the first volume of which was translated into Russian), Shastau, Delf, P. Ewald, Nesgen, Kluge, Kammerlincke, Schlatter, Stanton, Drummond, Sanday, Smith, Bart, Gebel, Lepin. 6 But even these works must be used with caution…

In Russian theological literature there are many explanations of the Gospel of John and separate articles and pamphlets relating to the study of this Gospel. In 1874, the work of Archimandrite (later Bishop) Michael (Luzin) appeared in its first edition under the title: “The Gospel of John in Slavonic and Russian Languages with Prefaces and Detailed Explanatory Notes.” In 1887, the “Essay on the Study of the Gospel of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian” by George Vlastov appeared, in two volumes. In 1903, there was published a popular explanation of the Gospel of John compiled by Archbishop Nikanor (Kamenskiy), and in 1906—“Commentary on the Gospel,” compiled by B. I. Gladkov, in which the Gospel of John is also explained popularly. There are also popular explanations of the Gospel of John by Eusebius, Archbishop of Mogilev (in the form of sermons on Sundays and feast days), Protopriest Mikhailovskiy, Bukharev, and some others. The most useful aid for becoming acquainted with what was written about the Gospel of John before 1893 is the “Collection of Articles on the Interpretative and Edifying Reading of the Four Gospels” by M. Barsov. The subsequent literature up to 1904 on the study of the Gospel of John is indicated by Prof. Bogdashevskiy in the Orthodox-Theological Encyclopedia, vol. VI, pp. 836–837, and partly by Prof. Sagarda (there, p. 822). Among the most recent Russian literature on the study of the Gospel of John, the following dissertations are worthy of special attention: I. Bazhenov, “Characteristics of the Fourth Gospel from the Point of View of its Content and Language in Connection with the Question of the Origin of the Gospel,” 1907; D. Znamenskiy, “The Teaching of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian in the Fourth Gospel Concerning the Person of Jesus Christ,” 1907; Prof. Bogoslovskiy, “The Public Service of the Lord Jesus Christ,” 1908, part 1.

* * *

Notes

This is evidenced by the fact that in the Gospel explanations of Hebrew words and customs are frequently given (for example, John 11:38-42 and others).

It is not possible to determine precisely the time and place of the writing of the Gospel of John. It is only probable that the Gospel was written in Ephesus, at the end of the first century.

A specimen of the critical attitude toward the Gospel of John is the little book by O. P. Fleider, translated into Russian in 1910—“The Origin of Christianity,” pp. 154–166.

Proofs of the incorruption of the Gospel will be given in their proper place, in the explanation of the text of the Gospel.

The chronology of the life of Jesus Christ according to the Gospel of John is as follows. After receiving baptism from John, Christ remains for some time near the Jordan and here calls His first disciples (John 1). Then He goes to Galilee, where He lives until Pascha (John 2:1-11). At Pascha He comes to Jerusalem, this is the first Pascha during the time of His public service (John 2:12-3:21). Then Christ after this Pascha, probably in April, leaves Jerusalem and remains in the land of Judea until the end of December (John 3:22-4:1). By January Christ comes through Samaria to Galilee (John 4:43-54) and here lives for a fairly long time: all the end of winter and summer. At Pascha, however (an allusion to it is made in John 4:35)—the second Pascha during the time of His public activity—He apparently did not go to Jerusalem. Only at the feast of Booths (John 5:1) does He appear again in Jerusalem, where He apparently remained for a very short time. Then He spends several months in Galilee (John 6:1). At Pascha of this year (John 6:4) Christ again did not go to Jerusalem, this is the third Pascha of His public service. At the feast of Booths, however, He appears in Jerusalem (John 7-10:21), then spends about two months in Perea and in December, at the feast of the Dedication of the Temple, again comes to Jerusalem (John 10:22). Then Christ soon again leaves for Perea, from where for a short time He appears in Bethany (John 11). From Bethany until the fourth Pascha He remains in Ephraim, from where He comes to the last Pascha, the fourth, in Jerusalem, in order to die here at the hands of His enemies. Thus, John mentions four Passover feasts, within the circle of which is contained the history of the public service of Jesus Christ, which lasted, evidently, more than three years.

The latest work in time is that of Lepin. La valeur historique du IV-e Evangile 2 vol. Paris, 1910, 8 fran.

Chapter One

1–18. Prologue to the Gospel. – 19–28. Testimony of John the Baptist concerning Christ before the Jews. – 29–36. Testimony of John the Baptist before his disciples. – 37–51. The first followers of Christ.

The Gospel of John begins with a magnificent introduction, or prologue, in which it is spoken of how the only-begotten Son of God revealed Himself in the world. This introduction is conveniently divided into three strophes, the content of which is as follows.

First strophe (verses 1–5): The Word, which was in the beginning with God and was Himself God and through which the world was created, was life and light for men, and darkness could not extinguish this light.

Second strophe (verses 6–13): John was sent from God to testify of the Word as the true light, but when the Word came to His own, His own did not receive Him. There were found, however, a few such people who received the Word, and to them the Word gave power to become children of God.

Third strophe (verses 14–18): The Word became flesh in Jesus Christ and dwelt with men, whom He manifested His greatness as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth, so that those who believe in Him received from Him grace in abundance. Through Him, who is greater than John the Baptist and Moses the lawgiver, grace and truth of the invisible God were proclaimed.

The fundamental thought of the prologue is expressed in verse 14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Everything preceding and following serves as a characterization of the divine person who in Jesus Christ became man and revealed to men the grace and truth of the invisible God. From the prologue we first learn that the Word existed with God before the creation of the world and that the world itself owes its origin to Him. We also learn that, in particular, for mankind the Word was light and life even before His incarnation. Then the evangelist, in order to prepare the attention of his readers for the following brief account of the incarnation of the Word, mentions the sending by God of John the Baptist as a witness to the coming of the Word to His people and the attitude of the Jewish people toward the Word that had appeared. Thus, the evangelist quite logically approaches the depiction of the incarnation of the Word itself and the greatness of the benefits it brought.

It is remarkable that all the content of the prologue consists of historical facts, not reasonings. We feel that the evangelist gives us not some philosophical construction, but a brief history of the incarnate Word. Therefore, the speech of the prologue reminds us of the speech of a historian.

According to the observation of Keil, the correct understanding of the entire prologue depends on the explanation of the term “Logos,” translated in our Bible by the expression “Word.” The Greek noun ho logos has various meanings in classical Greek. It can mean:

a) an utterance and what is said;
b) reasoning, reflection, and the faculty of reasoning, that is, reason or intellect.

There are many other meanings of this word as well, but they all have their foundation in the two principal meanings indicated above of the term ho logos. As for the second meaning of the term being considered (b), although there are interpreters insisting on the necessity of accepting the term Logos in the sense of “reason,” we cannot permit this. The main obstacle to this admission is that in New Testament Greek the term ho logos is nowhere used as meaning “reason” or “intellect,” but denotes only “action” or “the result of mental activity”: account, reckoning, and so on (See Preuschen E. Vollständiges Griechisch-Deutsches Handwörterbuch zu den Schriften des Neuen Testaments und der übrige nurchristlichen Literatur. Giessen 1910, col. 668, 669.) But no impartial reader of the prologue will say that there is even the slightest basis to interpret in the prologue the term Logos in the sense of “activity” or “the result of mental activity”: this is clearly contradicted by all that is said in verses 14 and following about the incarnation of the Logos 7.

Now regarding the first (a) principal meaning of the term Logos, it must be said that on the basis of the philological direct sense of this term, and on the basis of the entire teaching of the Gospel of John about the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, this meaning – “the Word” – is the only admissible one in the present case. But understanding this designation in application to Christ, one must remember that the evangelist, of course, named Christ “the Word” not in the simple (grammatical) meaning of this term, did not understand “the Word” as a mere combination of sounds of the voice, but in a higher (logical) sense, as the expression of the deepest essence of the Deity. Just as in the word of Christ Himself His inner essence was revealed, so in the Eternal Word – the Logos – the inner essence of the Godhead was always revealed. God is Spirit, and where Spirit is, there is also the Word; consequently, “the Word” was always with God. The existence of the Logos in itself “is by no means conditioned by the fact that He is the Revelation of God the Father to the world, that is, by no means conditioned by the existence of the world; on the contrary, the existence of the world is dependent on the fact that the Logos becomes for the world a revelation of God the Father – but must necessarily be understood as given in the very being of God the Father” (Znamensky, p. 9).

The Fathers of the Church for the most part explained the meaning of the designation of Christ as “the Word” by means of comparing Christ – the Word with “the word” of man. They said that just as thought and word differ from each other, so “the Word” – Christ was always a separate Person from the Father. Then they indicated that the word is born from thought and is born not through severance or emanation, but in such a way that thought or mind remains in its own constitution, so Christ is the Son of God, from the birth of Whom no change occurred in the essence of the Father. Further, the Fathers of the Church, taking into account that the word, being distinct from thought in the manner of being, remains always united with thought in content or the essence of being, deduced from this that the Son is one in essence with God the Father and by virtue of this unity in essence is never separated from the Father for a single moment. Thus, regarding the term “the Word” as the designation of the Son of God, the Fathers of the Church found in this term an indication of the eternity of the Son of God, His personality, and His consubstantiality with the Father, as well as His impassible generation from the Father. But besides, having in mind that this term could also mean the word uttered, not just existing in thought (the internal), the Fathers of the Church understood this term in application to Christ also as a designation of the fact that the Son reveals the Father to the world, that He is the revelation of the Father to the world. The first understanding may be called metaphysical, and the second – historical.

Among modern theologians of the critical direction the view has been established that the term Logos in John has only the meaning of the so-called “historical predicate,” and does not at all define in substance the Person of Christ the Savior. The evangelist supposedly wanted to say by this term that Christ is the revelation of God to the world. So, according to Zahn, Logos is a name belonging to none other than the historical Christ; it is such the same predicate or definition of Christ as the following definitions in the prologue “light,” “truth,” and “life.” Christ before the incarnation was not the Logos, but became so only after the incarnation. To this view of Zahn, the opinion of Luthardt approaches, according to which Christ is named by John as the Logos only in the sense that in Him was accomplished the entirety of divine revelations. Finally, according to the view of Hoffmann, by the Logos in John should be understood the apostolic word or preaching about Christ. Among Russian scholars, Prince S. N. Trubetskoy took the side of these researchers in his dissertation on the Logos (Moscow, 1900).

But against such an understanding of the term in question in John speaks in the highest degree a clear indication of the evangelist himself, found in the 14th verse of the prologue: “And the Word became flesh.” That which at a certain time took on flesh must obviously have existed even before that time, without flesh. It is clear that the evangelist believed in the pre-existence of Christ as the Son of God, as the Eternal Word of God. Then against such a narrow understanding of the German exegetes the entire content of the Gospel of John loudly cries out. In the discourses of the Lord which John reports, there appears everywhere the confidence in the eternal existence of Christ, in His consubstantiality with the Father. But these are precisely the same ideas that enter into the content of the concept in question – “the Word,” or the Logos. And why would the evangelist have given such solemnity to his prologue if in it there was mention only of Christ as the Revelation of the invisible God? After all, such revelations took place in the history of the dispensation of our salvation also in the Old Testament (for example, the appearances of the Angel of Jehovah), while John by his prologue wants to open, so to speak, a completely new era in the history of salvation…

It should further be noted that when we insist that in John the term Logos means “the Word,” not “the mind,” we do not thereby deny that the Word is at the same time also the Supreme Mind. And the human word does not exist outside of relation to the thought whose expression it serves. In just the same way all the New Testament testimonies about the Son of God as the Truth and Source of all truth leave no doubt that the Word of God is at the same time also the absolute “Mind of God” (see Znamensky, p. 175).

Regarding where John took this definition – Logos – see below, in the explanation of the 18th verse of the prologue.

John 1:1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. “In the beginning was the Word.” By these words the evangelist designates the eternity of the Word. Already the expression “in the beginning” clearly indicates that the being of the Logos is completely taken out of subjection to time, as a form of all created being, that the Logos existed “before all that is thinkable and before the ages” (St. John Chrysostom) 8. Even more strongly this thought of the eternity of the Word is expressed by the addition to the expression “in the beginning” of the verb “was.” The verb “to be,” first of all, is a designation of being that is personal and self-subsistent, in contrast to the verb “to become,” which designates the appearance of something at a certain time. Second, the verb “to be” is used here in the imperfect tense, which indicates that the Logos was already at the time when created being was only beginning to be given its start. “And the Word was with God.” Here the evangelist says that the Logos was an independent Person. This is clearly indicated by the expression he used “was toward God” – this is a better and more accurate translation of the Greek expression. John wants to say by this that the Logos stood in a certain mutual relationship with God the Father as a separate independent Person. He is not divided from God the Father (which would be the case if the preposition “near” stood with the word for God), nor does He merge with Him (which would be designated by the preposition “in”), but remains in a personal and internal relationship with the Father – inseparable and unmixed. And in such a relationship the Logos remained with the Father always, as is shown again by the verb “to be” taken here in the imperfect tense. As for the question why here John calls God the Father simply God, the answer to this question can be given thus: the word “God” is generally used to designate God the Father in the New Testament, and then John (as Loisy says) could not yet use the word “Father” here, since he had not yet spoken of the Word as the “Son.” “And the Word was God.” By these words John designates the divinity of the Word. The Word is not only divine, but is the true God. Since in the Greek text the word “God” is used of the Word without the article, while concerning God the Father it is used here with the article, some theologians (in ancient times, for example, Origen) saw in this an indication that the Word is lower in dignity than God the Father. But against the correctness of such a conclusion speaks the fact that in the New Testament the expression “God” without the article is sometimes used also of God the Father (Rom 1:7; Phil 2:13). And then in the present case the expression “God” together with the verb “was” constitutes the predicate to the expression “the Word” and according to the general rule should stand without the article.

John 1:2. It was in the beginning with God. “It was in the beginning with God.” In order that no one should think that the Divinity of the Logos is less than the Divinity of the Father, the evangelist says that He “in the beginning,” that is, before all time, or in other words, eternally stood in relationship to the Father as a completely independent Person, differing in no way by nature from God the Father. Thus the evangelist summarizes all that he said about the Word in the 1st verse. At the same time this verse serves as a transition to the following portrayal of the revelation of the Logos in the world.

John 1:3. All things came into being through Him, and without Him nothing came into being that has come into being. “All things” came into being “through Him, and without Him nothing came into being that” has come into being. Here first positively, then negatively, is expressed the thought that the Logos revealed Himself in the world first of all as its Creator. He created all things, that is, every created being, without any limitation. But some, both ancient and modern theologians, saw in the expression “through Him” a diminishing of the dignity of the Logos, finding that this expression indicates in the Logos only an instrument which God used for the creation of the world, and not the First Cause. Such reasoning, however, cannot be recognized as sound, for in the New Testament the preposition “through” is sometimes used also of the activity of God the Father in relation to the world (Rom 11:36; 1 Cor 1:9). The evangelist, evidently, wanted by this expression to note the distinction existing between the Father and the Son, not wishing “that anyone should consider the Son unborn” (St. John Chrysostom), that is, and personally not differing from the Father. It should be noted that the evangelist concerning the origin of all created things uses the verb which means “to begin to exist” and, consequently, recognizes the Logos not only as the arranger of the world from ready-made matter, but in the direct sense as the Creator of the world from nothing 9.

John 1:4. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” The life which was in the Logos – this is life in the broadest meaning of the word (which is why in the Greek text stands the word “life,” without the article). All domains of being drew from the Logos the forces necessary for every created being to unfold its abilities. The Logos, one might say, was Himself “life,” that is, a Divine Being, for life is found in God. In particular, in relation to men this quickening action of the Logos manifested itself in the enlightenment of men: this life (here the word “life” is placed with the article as a concept known from the first half of the verse) gave to mankind the light of true knowledge of God and directed men on the path of a life pleasing to God: the life was light for men. Just as without material light in the world no life would be possible, so without the enlightening action of the Logos it would not have been possible for men to take even a few steps forward on the path toward moral self-perfection. The Logos enlightened both the chosen people of God through direct revelations and manifestations of God, and the best men from the pagan world, bearing witness to the truth in their reason and conscience. In particular, regarding people this enlivening action of the Logos manifested itself in the enlightenment of people: this life (here the word ζωή is already used with the article as a concept known from the first part of the verse) gave humanity the light of true knowledge of God and directed people on the path of godly life: life was light for people. Just as without material light in the world no life would be possible, so also without the enlightening action of the Logos it would not be possible for people to take even a few steps forward on the path toward moral perfection. The Logos enlightened both the chosen people of God through direct revelations and theophanies, and the best people from the pagan world, bearing witness to the truth in their minds and consciences.

John 1:5. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” Since the last statement of the previous verse might have seemed to readers inconsistent with reality—the condition of both the pagan and Jewish world appeared to them as a state of extreme moral degradation and hardening in sin—the evangelist considers it necessary to assure them that the light, the Logos, truly has always shone and continues to shine (φαίνει, present tense to denote the permanence of action) even in the darkness of human ignorance and all corruption (“darkness”—σκοτία means the state of degradation and resistance to God’s will; see John 12:35; Eph 5:8). “The darkness did not overcome it.” The meaning of the Russian translation is: darkness failed to suppress, extinguish the action of the Logos in people. Many ancient Fathers and teachers of the Church interpreted the expression in this sense, as well as many modern exegetes. And such an interpretation appears entirely correct if we pay attention to the parallel passage in John’s Gospel: “Walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overtake you” (John 12:35). Here the same verb (καταλαμβάνειν) is used to denote the concept of “overcome,” and there is absolutely no reason to interpret this verb differently than our Russian translation does. Some (for example, Znamensky, p. 46–47) fear that with such a translation we would have to admit that John allowed the thought “of some kind of struggle between the very principles of light and darkness and, consequently, conceived of them as real essences. Meanwhile, only the personal bearers of a given principle, not the principle itself, can possess reality in the metaphysical sense.” But such reasoning lacks substance. The idea of struggle between light and darkness is, so to speak, the fundamental idea of John’s worldview and runs decidedly through all his writings. Moreover, when John speaks of darkness’s effort to extinguish the light, he was certainly thinking of persons in whom light or darkness found their most powerful expression. Thus, accepting the old translation, we depict for ourselves a magnificent and terrible picture of the struggle of all dark forces against the divine enlightening action of the Logos—a struggle that lasted for thousands of years and ended for darkness in utter failure: the divine beacon continues to shine for all who sail on the dangerous sea of life and keeps their ship from dangerous rocks.

John 1:6. There was a man sent from God; his name was John. Until now John has spoken of the Logos in His condition before the incarnation. Now he needs to turn to depicting His activity in human flesh, or in other words, to his gospel narrative. He does this, beginning with the same thing with which Mark began his Gospel—namely, with a testimony about Christ from the prophet and forerunner John. “There was,” more precisely: “appeared” or “came forth” (ἐγένετο—see Mark 1:4), “a man sent from God.” The evangelist certainly has in mind here that God’s decision concerning the coming of John the Forerunner was already announced in the book of the prophet Malachi (Mal 3:1 according to the Hebrew Bible). The evangelist names this messenger of God, as if wishing to show that in John’s very name (from Hebrew—“God’s grace”) his great mission was foretold.

John 1:7. He came for testimony, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. The purpose of John’s appearing was to be a witness, namely to “testify about the Light,” that is, about the Logos or Christ (see verse 5), to persuade all to come to this Light as the true light of life. Through his testimony all—both Jews and Gentiles—were to believe in Christ as the Savior of the world (see John 20:31).

John 1:8. He was not the light, but came to testify about the Light. Since many regarded John as Christ (see verse 20), the evangelist with special emphasis says once more that John was not the “light,” that is, Christ or the Messiah, but came only to testify about the Light, or the Messiah.

John 1:9. There was the true Light, which enlightens every person coming into the world. “There was the true Light.” Most ancient commentators saw an indication of the Logos’s condition before the incarnation and translate the expression thus: “The true Light existed from eternity (ἦν).” Thus, they find here a contrast between the eternal being of the Logos and the temporal, transitory existence of the Forerunner. Many modern commentators, by contrast, see in the expression an indication that the Logos, the true Light, had already come to earth when the Forerunner began to testify about Him. They give this translation: “The true Light has already come” or, according to another rendering, “had already appeared from the state of hiddenness” (in which His life passed until age thirty). With this translation, the Greek verb ἦν is given the meaning not of an independent predicate but of a simple copula referring to the last expression of the verse ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον. Our commentators (including Znamensky) hold to the first opinion, finding the second combination of expressions “too artificial.” But it seems to us that with the second interpretation we avoid the break in thought that necessarily results from accepting the first translation. In fact, if we are to find here an indication of the Light’s existence before the incarnation, that would mean the evangelist unnecessarily returned to his discourse on the Logos, which he had already concluded when he began to speak of the Forerunner’s appearance (verse 6). With the second translation, the sequence of thought is entirely preserved: John came; he was sent to testify about the true Light; this true Light had already appeared in the world at that time, and therefore John desired to testify about Him. Furthermore, if in the expression ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον we see a modifier of the expression τὸν ἄνθρωπον, then this expression would be entirely superfluous, adding nothing to the concept of “person” (ὁ ἄνθρωπος). Finally, if some find it unnatural to separate the verb ἦν from the predicate ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον, those who doubt can find other similar combinations in John’s Gospel (John 1:28). Among the Synoptics likewise, the expression ἐρχόμενος designates the Messiah, that is, the Logos in the state of incarnation (Matt 11:3; Luke 7:19). In what sense did the evangelist call Christ the “true Light”? The word ἀληθινός—“true”—can mean: real, authentic, sincere, faithful to itself, just; but here the most suitable meaning is a special sense of the adjective: fully realizing the idea underlying the being of a thing, fully corresponding to its name. We use this expression in the same way when we speak of true freedom, a true hero. When John speaks of God, saying He is Θεός ἀληθινός, he wishes to indicate that He is the only One to whom the name “God” is fitting (see John 17:3; 1 John 5:20). When, on the other hand, he uses the adjective ἀληθής of God, he indicates the truth of God’s promises, the faithfulness of God to His words (John 3:33). Thus, in calling Christ here the true Light (ἀληθινόν), John wishes to say that every other light—whether sensory light, light for our eyes, or spiritual light, which some of the best representatives of humanity, even those sent by God like John the Forerunner, sought to spread in the world—could in no way approach in dignity Christ, the only one who truly answered the idea we have of light.

John 1:10. He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and the world did not know Him. By identifying in his mind the Logos, who is here also called Light and life, with the man Jesus, John speaks here and henceforth of the light as of a person (“Him”—αὐτόν; “did not know”: αὐτόν—masculine). The Messiah was already in the world when John the Baptist began to testify about Him, and was there after when that divinely-sent witness had become silent forever, and it was natural to think that the world created by Him would recognize in Him its Creator. But this, to our surprise, did not happen: the world did not know Him and did not receive Him. The evangelist does not speak of the reason for this strange phenomenon.

John 1:11. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. Even more enigmatic was the attitude of the people—toward the Messiah, the incarnate Logos—of whom the Messiah could have said, “This is my people” (see Isa 51:4). The Jews, those very people nearest to the Messiah, did not receive Him (παρέλαβον indicates that they should have received Christ for permanent dwelling with themselves; see John 14:3).

John 1:12. And to those who did receive Him, those who believe in His name, He gave the power to become children of God, Yet there were found people from both Jews and Gentiles (the expression ὅσοι, in Russian “those who,” designates believers without regard to origin) who received Him for who He claimed to be. Those who received Christ, the evangelist calls believers in His “name,” that is, in His power as Son of God (see John 20:31). To those who received Him, Christ gave “power” (ἐξουσίαν), that is, not only the right but the ability, the strength to become children of God (the Russian translation here incorrectly uses the verb “to be”; the verb standing here γενέσθαι means precisely “to become”). Thus, Christians truly become children of God gradually, through intense struggle against the remnants of sinful inclinations. They can always be “called” children of God (1 John 3:1).

John 1:13. who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Here the evangelist defines more precisely what it means to be a child of God. To be a child of God means to be in incomparably closer communion with God than children are with their earthly parents. Spiritual birth from God gives people, of course, incomparably greater strength for life than ordinary parents pass on to their children, weak as they themselves are (this is indicated by the expressions “flesh” and “man”; see Isa 40:6; Job 4:17). We must here note the attempt to establish a new reading of this verse made by Zahn. Finding it incomprehensible that the evangelist here explains in such detail what it means to be born of God, Zahn supposes that in its original form the verse read thus: “Who (ὅς instead of οἵ) was not born of blood, nor of the will of man, but of God” (ἐγεννήθη instead of ἐγεννήθησαν). Thus, according to Zahn, we are speaking here of the seedless birth of Christ—a thought clearly expressed by Saints Matthew and Luke. Zahn also finds support for his reading in certain writings of the holy Fathers. He even claims that the reading he proposes was dominant in the West from the second to the fourth century. But however appealing such a text correction might seem, the consistent testimony of all ancient manuscripts of the New Testament deprives us of the ability to accept Zahn’s reading.

John 1:14. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only-begotten of the Father. Here begins the third part of the prologue, in which the evangelist defines more precisely the coming of the Logos as incarnation and depicts the fullness of salvation brought by the incarnate Logos. “And the Word became flesh.” Continuing his discourse on the Logos and His appearance in the world, the evangelist says that the Logos became flesh, that is, a human being (the expression “flesh” usually in Holy Scripture denotes a person in the full sense of the word—with body and soul; see Gen 6:13; Isa 40:5 and others). However, the evangelist makes not the slightest allusion that with His incarnation the Word suffered any diminution in His divine nature. The diminution concerned only the “form” of existence, not the “essence.” The Logos remained God as He was, with all divine attributes, and the divine and human natures in Him remained unmingled and undivided. “And dwelt among us.” The Logos, who took on human flesh, “dwelt,” that is, lived and moved among the apostles, to whom the evangelist also counts himself. In saying that the Logos “dwelt” (ἐσκήνωσε) with the apostles, the evangelist means that in this way the promise of God to dwell with people was fulfilled (Ezek 37:27 and others). “And we beheld His glory.” More precisely: we contemplated, gazed with wonder and reverence (ἐθεασάμεθα) upon His glory, that is, the glory of the incarnate Logos. His glory was revealed, mainly in His miracles, for example in the Transfiguration, which only three apostles were allowed to see, among them John, and also in His teaching and even in His very humiliation. “Glory as of the only-begotten of the Father,” that is, such glory as He must have had as the only Son of God, having an incomparably greater share than other children of God, who became such by grace. The expression “of the Father” (παρὰ πατρός) cannot refer to the word “only-begotten” (then the preposition παρ. would have been replaced by ἐκ). This expression defines “glory,” which the Logos possessed: this glory was received by Him from the Father. “Full of grace and truth.” These words should stand at the very end of the verse, as in the Greek and Slavic texts. In the Greek text, the word “full” (πλήρης) is not grammatically agreed with the nearest noun “glory,” nor yet with the pronoun “His.” Nevertheless, it is most natural to refer this expression to the pronoun “His,” and from a grammatical standpoint such agreement is not surprising, since among the Greeks (around the time of Christ) the word πλήρης was often used as indeclinable (Holtzmann, p. 45). Thus, the Logos is here called “full of grace,” that is, of divine love and mercy toward people, “and of truth,” which manifested itself in His teaching and life, in which there was nothing merely apparent, but everything was real, so that word always agreed with deed.

John 1:15. John testifies about Him and cries out, saying: “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has become before me, because He was before me.” “John testifies about Him…” The evangelist interrupts his memories of the manifestations of the glory of the incarnate Logos by introducing the testimony about Christ given by the Forerunner. It is very likely that among those for whom he intended his Gospel, there were many who greatly honored the Baptist, and for them his testimony about Christ had great significance. The evangelist seems even now to hear the loud voice of the Baptist (the verb κέκραγεν here has the meaning of present tense), because he, the evangelist wishes to say, was fully convinced of Christ’s divine greatness. “This was He…” With the word “This” the Baptist pointed out to his disciples the approaching Jesus Christ (see verse 29) and identified Him with the Person about whom he had previously spoken to them in the words which he now repeats here: “He who comes after me,” and so forth. “He who comes after me has become before me.” With these words the Baptist means that Christ was first walking behind him, and then, and even now, goes already ahead of him, having, so to speak, surpassed the Baptist. On what basis at this time the Baptist founded his representation of Jesus is not clear: it was not yet possible to speak of any success of Jesus (see John 3:26-36). But the Baptist considers such a surpassing of the Baptist by Jesus quite natural because He was before him. These last words clearly have the meaning of defining Christ’s eternity. The Baptist, without doubt, in a state of prophetic rapture announces to his disciples the great mystery of Christ’s pre-existence. Christ existed, that is, He existed earlier than the Baptist, although He was born after him. He existed, therefore, in another world (see John 8:58). This thought about Christ’s eternal being is expressed in the Greek text by the use of the positive degree πρῶτός μου instead of the comparative πρότερός μου, which would naturally be expected here.

John 1:16. And from His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace, “And from His fullness we have all received.” Here the evangelist again continues his discourse on Christ. Now, however, he refers not only to what the apostles alone beheld (see verse 14), but speaks of how all believers in Christ have received “from His fullness,” that is, from the extraordinary abundance of spiritual gifts which Christ, as One full of grace and truth, could bestow. What specifically the apostles and other believers received, the evangelist does not say, hurrying rather to point out the highest of the gifts—“grace” (χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος). Some (for example, Professor Muretov) replace the expression “grace upon grace” with “grace for grace,” supposing that the evangelist means here that Christ answers our grace, that is, our love toward people, with grace or love on His side (Spiritual Reading, 1903, p. 670). But we cannot agree with such a translation, because the love of believers toward Christ can scarcely be placed on the same level with Christ’s love toward believers (see Rom 4:4). Besides, the word “grace” is not used in the New Testament to denote the relationship of believers to Christ. It is better to see here an indication of the replacement of one gift of grace with others, progressively higher (ἀντί here means “instead of”). Christ, when calling the disciples, promised them that they would see from Him greater things than what they had just seen (verse 50). Soon after this, this promise began to be fulfilled (John 2:11), and finally believers received from Christ the highest gift of grace—the Holy Spirit.

John 1:17. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. The thought about believers receiving grace from Christ is confirmed here by the evangelist with an indication that from Christ indeed grace and truth truly came forth and appeared. And how important these gifts are is evident from the fact that the greatest man of the Old Testament—Moses—gave people from God only the law. This law made demands on people but did not give them the strength to fulfill these demands, since it could not destroy in them the inherited inclination to sin. Moreover, Moses was only a servant, a passive instrument in the hands of Jehovah, as shown by the expression used of him: “the law was given through Moses,” whereas of the New Testament it is said that it came into being (ἐγένετο) through Christ as through His master (Blessed Theophylact).

John 1:18. No one has ever seen God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known. Against such an exaltation of Christ above Moses, the Jews might have said, “But Moses was allowed to see God!” (see Num 12:8). To this supposed objection the evangelist remarks that no one of human beings, not even Moses, has actually seen God: people were sometimes allowed to see God’s glory under some veil, but no one beheld this glory in uncovered form (see Exod 33:20), and the evangelist considers this possible for believers only in the future life (1 John 3:2; see 1 Cor 13:12). Only the only-begotten Son, eternally—both before incarnation and after incarnation—dwelling in the bosom of the Father—He has seen and sees God in His majesty, and therefore at a certain time revealed Him to the world, that is, on the one hand, He revealed to people God as their loving Father and disclosed His relation to God, and on the other hand, He fulfilled in His activity the purposes of God concerning the salvation of people, and through this, of course, explained them further. It should be noted that in many very ancient manuscripts of the New Testament instead of the expression “the only-begotten Son,” there is the expression “the only-begotten God.” But the difference in readings does not change the essence of the matter: from one reading as from the other it is clearly evident that the evangelist wished to express the thought of Christ’s divinity. As for our reading, which is taken from the Alexandrian codex, it better answers the context of the discourse, and the word “Son” best harmonizes with the expression “only-begotten.” Where did John the Theologian derive his teaching about the Logos? It is most commonly accepted in the West to attribute the origin of John’s teaching about the Logos to the influence of Judeo-Alexandrian philosophy, in which there also existed the idea of the Logos as a mediator between the world and God. Modern scholars regard the Alexandrian Jew Philo (who died in 41 A.D.) as the chief exponent of such a conception. But we cannot agree with this supposition, because Philo’s Logos is entirely different from John’s Logos. According to Philo, the Logos is nothing other than the world-soul, the world-reason acting in matter, whereas in John the Logos is a person, the living historical figure of Christ. Philo calls the Logos a second God, the totality of divine powers, and the divine reason. One could even say that in Philo God Himself, in His ideal relation to the world, is the Logos, whereas in John the Logos is nowhere identified with God the Father and stands in an eternally personal relation to God the Father. Furthermore, according to Philo, the Logos is not the creator of the world from nothing, but only the world-former, God’s servant, while in John He is the Creator of the world, true God. According to Philo’s representation, the Logos is not eternal—he is a created being, whereas according to John’s teaching, He is eternal. The goal which the Logos has, according to Philo—the reconciliation of the world with God—cannot be achieved, for the world, because of its inevitable connection with matter, which is evil, cannot draw near to God. Therefore Philo could not even conceive that the Logos would take on human flesh, whereas the idea of the incarnation of God forms the very essence of John’s teaching about the Logos. Thus, one can speak only of external resemblance between John’s and Philo’s teaching about the Logos; the inner meaning of the apparently common theses is entirely different in the two. Even the form of the teaching differs in the two: in Philo it is scientific and dialectical, while in John it is concrete and simple. Other exegetes believe that in his teaching about the Logos John relies on the ancient Jewish teaching about “Memra”—a higher being in whom God reveals Himself and through whom He enters into communion with the Jewish people and with other people. This being is personal, almost the same as the Angel of Jehovah, but in any case, not God and not even the Messiah. From this it is clear that between John’s Logos and “Memra” there is not even external resemblance, which is why some exegetes turned directly to the Old Testament to find the source of John’s teaching about the Logos. Here they find what they consider a direct precedent for John’s teaching in passages where the person and activity of the Angel of Jehovah are depicted. This Angel indeed acts and speaks as God Himself (Gen 16:7; Gen 22:11-15) and is even called the Lord (Mal 3:1). But nonetheless the Angel of the Lord is nowhere called the creator of the world, and he remains only a mediator between God and the chosen people. Finally, some exegetes see a dependence of John’s teaching about the Logos on the teaching of certain Old Testament books about God’s creative Word (Ps 32:6) and about God’s Wisdom (Prov 3:19). But the fact militates against this supposition that in the passages cited by defenders of this view, the feature of the hypostatic character of God’s Word appears too little in view. This must be said even of the chief support of this opinion—the passage from the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon (Wis 18:15-16). Given the unsatisfactoriness of any supposition about John borrowing his teaching about the Logos from any Jewish source, and even less from a pagan source, it is entirely proper to conclude that he acquired this teaching from direct revelation, which he received in his frequent conversations with Christ. He himself testifies that he received the truth from the fullness of the incarnate Logos. “Only the incarnate Logos Himself, through His life, deeds, and teaching, could give the apostles the key to understanding the mysteries of Old Testament Logoology. Only the idea of the Logos disclosed by Christ gave them the ability to correctly understand the Old Testament traces of the idea of the Logos” (Professor M. Muretov in “Orthodox Review,” 1882, vol. 2, p. 721). Moreover, the very name “Logos” could also have been received by John in direct revelation granted to him on the island of Patmos (Rev 19:11-13).

John 1:19. And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” “And this is the testimony of John.” In verses 6–8 and 15 the evangelist has already spoken of John’s testimony about Christ. Now he speaks of how he testified about Christ before the Jews (verses 19–28), before the people and disciples (verses 29–34), and finally only before two of his own disciples (verses 35–36). “The Jews.” This word here designates the Jewish people or properly the representation of the entire Jewish people—the great Jewish Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. Indeed, only the president of the Sanhedrin—the high priest—could send priests and Levites to John as an official delegation that was to interrogate John. The Levites were attached to the priests as an accompanying guard; they performed police duties in the Sanhedrin (see John 7:32 and following; John 18:3 and others). Since the road from Jerusalem to Jericho and thus to the Jordan, where John baptized, was unsafe (Luke 10:30), it was not unnecessary for the priests to take guards with them. But besides this, the guard was taken in order to give the embassy a strictly official character. “Who are you?” This question presupposes that at that time there were rumors about John in which his importance was greatly exaggerated. As is evident from Luke’s Gospel, among the people a view was becoming established that John was the Messiah (Luke 3:15).

John 1:20. He confessed, and did not deny, and confessed, “I am not the Christ.” John understood the question posed to him precisely in the sense that those asking would have nothing against it if he acknowledged himself as the Messiah. Therefore, with special force he denies the dignity of the Messiah: “He confessed, and did not deny,” reports the evangelist. But one can scarcely think that the priests would have recognized John as the true Messiah. It was certainly known to them that the Messiah must be born in the line of David, not of Aaron, from whom the Baptist descended. A more likely supposition is that of Chrysostom and other ancient commentators—that the priests, having elicited from John an admission that he was the Messiah, would have arrested him for claiming a dignity not belonging to him.

John 1:21. And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” The Jews asked John this second question because they expected Elijah the prophet before the coming of the Messiah (Mal 4:5). Since John, by his ardent zeal for God, resembled Elijah (see Matt 11:14), the Jews asked him if he was not Elijah who had come down from heaven. John was not this Elijah, although he was sent “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17), which is why he gave a negative answer to the question of the priests and Levites. John likewise answered the third question of the Jewish delegation, whether he was a prophet. The Jews asked him this question because they expected that before the coming of the Messiah the prophet Jeremiah or some other of the great Old Testament prophets would appear (see Matt 16:14). It is clear that to such a question John could answer only in the negative.

John 1:22. Then they said to him, “Who are you? So that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” John 1:23. He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Make straight the way for the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” When the delegation demanded a final answer from the Baptist about his identity, John answered them that he was that voice in the wilderness which, according to the prophecy of Isaiah (Isa 40:3), was to call people to prepare the way for the coming Lord. For an explanation of these words, see the comments on Matt 3:3.

John 1:24. And those who were sent were from the Pharisees; According to the usual interpretation, here the conversation continues between those sent from the Sanhedrin and the Baptist. But such an interpretation cannot be accepted for the following reasons: 1) It would be strange if the evangelist, having already given a description of the delegation, now only indicated that it consisted entirely of Pharisees; 2) It is incredible that the Sanhedrin, in which the high priests belonging to the Sadducean party (concerning the Jewish parties, see comments on Matt 3:7 and following) occupied a leading position (Acts 5:17), would entrust the investigation of John’s case to the Pharisees, who differed from the Sadducees in their views on the Messiah; 3) It is unlikely that among the priests and Levites there were many Pharisees, who almost always grouped themselves only around the rabbis; 4) Whereas the last question of the delegation from the Sanhedrin evidences complete indifference to John’s case (see verse 22), these Pharisees are greatly interested in the baptism which John was performing; 5) According to the best manuscripts, the word ἀπεσταλμένοι stands without the article ὁ, for which reason this passage cannot be translated as in Russian: “and those sent were from the Pharisees,” but should be translated thus: “and some Pharisees were sent,” or: “and some from the Pharisees were sent.” Thus here the evangelist is reporting a private inquiry made of the Baptist by Pharisees, who also came by commission of their party from Jerusalem. This inquiry came when the official delegation had just departed, but the evangelist did not think it necessary to mention this, just as he does not mention, for example, Nicodemus’s departure from Christ (John 3:21).

John 1:25. And they asked him, “Then why do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” The Pharisees wish to know the significance of John’s baptism. He is clearly inviting all through this baptism to something new—what then is this new thing? Is the Baptist’s activity related in some way to the Kingdom of the Messiah, whom all then expected? Such is the meaning of the Pharisees’ question.

John 1:26. John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water; but there stands among you One whom you do not know.” John answers the Pharisees that his baptism does not have the significance that baptism was supposed to have—which, in the Pharisees’ understanding, would be administered by the Messiah or one of the prophets. He, John, baptizes only with water, clearly contrasting in his mind his baptism with that baptism with the Holy Spirit that the Messiah would administer (Matt 3:11). No, John is saying, as it were, you should not direct all your attention to me, but to Him who is already among you unknown to you—that is, of course, the Messiah, whom you await.

John 1:27. This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has become before me. I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandal. (See verse 15). “To untie the strap”—see Matt 3:11.

John 1:28. This happened in Bethavara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. Instead of the name “Bethavara” (the place of crossing) in the majority of ancient manuscripts stands the name “Bethany.” By this Bethany should be understood a place on the other, that is, the eastern side of the Jordan (in the Russian text, incorrectly “beside the Jordan”). Zahn identifies it with Vethanim, mentioned in the Book of Joshua (Josh 13:26). This place is about ten kilometers from the Jordan. It was probably here that the Baptist had his residence when a good number of disciples had gathered around him, who could not remain all the time in the desert without shelter in the heat and cold. From here the Baptist could go daily to the Jordan and preach there.

John 1:29. The next day John sees Jesus coming toward him, and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” The next morning after his conversation with the delegation from the Sanhedrin and with the Pharisees, John, probably at the same place by the river Jordan, seeing Jesus approaching him, testified openly before all those surrounding him of Him as the Lamb bearing away the sin of the world. Why Jesus came to John at this time is unknown. The Baptist called Christ the Lamb (ὁ ἀμνός) of God in the sense that God Himself had chosen Him and prepared Him to be offered as a sacrifice for the sins of people, just as the Hebrews when leaving Egypt prepared lambs, whose blood was to save their houses from the terrible judgment of God (Exod 12:7). God had long before chosen This Lamb (Rev 13:8; 1 Pet 1:20), and now was giving Him to people—to all people without exception. One can scarcely see in the Baptist’s words a reference to the Sufferer depicted by the prophet Isaiah (Isa 53), as some ancient and modern exegetes suppose. In that same chapter of Isaiah the Messiah is not directly called a Lamb, but only compared with one, and is presented as bearing not our sins but our diseases and sorrows. “Who takes away the sin of the world”—more precisely: who bears away the sin of the world with Himself. The Baptist does not indicate a time when This Lamb will have borne away the sins of the world. The present tense of the verb αἴρω means, as it were, an action not limited to a particular time: Christ “each day takes upon Himself our sins, some through baptism, others through repentance” (Blessed Theophylact).

John 1:30. This is He of whom I said, ‘A man comes after me who has become before me, because He was before me. Repeating his testimony of Christ’s superiority over himself, the Baptist, John calls Christ a “man,” probably with the meaning that He is the true Bridegroom of the Church, whereas John is only the friend of the bridegroom (see John 3:29).

John 1:31. I did not know Him; but for this purpose I came baptizing with water—that He might be revealed to Israel. John 1:32. John testified, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending as a dove from heaven, and it remained on Him.” John 1:33. And I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ John 1:34. And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God. Those listening to the Baptist could have asked themselves: Why does he speak with such confidence about the Christ who has appeared? How does he know the task that lies upon Christ? John, understanding how natural such bewilderment would be, says that he too previously did not know Christ, that is, was not informed about His high destiny, but God sent him to perform baptism so that he would reveal, point out to the people the Messiah, first having himself come to know Him. And the Baptist came to know the Messiah by a special sign pointed out to him in a revelation from God. This sign is the descent and remaining of the Spirit above the head of the Messiah, which was to come down from heaven in the form of a dove. John saw such a sign above the head of Christ and understood that He is indeed the Messiah. Thus from the Baptist’s words it is evident with clarity that John at first did not know that Christ is the Messiah whom all then expected. It is very likely that he did not know Christ at all, since he spent his whole life in the Judean desert far from Nazareth, where Christ dwelt up to that time. Only after the revelation given to him, and especially after Christ’s baptism, did John begin to testify to Christ as the Son of God (according to some manuscripts, as God’s “elect,” but Tischendorf and other critics reject this reading). That the Baptist, speaking of Christ as the Son of God, here meant the unity of Christ as Son with God the Father in essence, not only in grace that rested upon Him, is evident from the fact that the Baptist repeatedly acknowledged Christ’s eternal being (see verses 15, 27, 30). For an explanation of the expressions “the Spirit as a dove” and “baptizes with the Holy Spirit,” see the comments on Matt 3:11.

John 1:35. Again the next day John stood with two of his disciples. John 1:36. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” John 1:37. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Here is contained the Baptist’s third testimony about Christ, which was given the next day after the Baptist had testified about Christ before the people and his own disciples. Before two of his own disciples, who were with John this time, the Baptist briefly repeats what he had said the day before about Christ when Christ was passing by the place where John was standing. John “fixed his gaze” on Jesus (ἐμβλέψας, inaccurately translated in Russian as “saw”), who was at some distance away, walking as if examining the area (περιπατοῦντι, inaccurately in Russian as “walking”). The two disciples who heard John’s testimony at this time were: Andrew (see verse 40) and, of course, John the Theologian, who usually does not mention himself by name out of humility (see John 13:23 and others). The repetition of the testimony about Christ made such an impression on them that they went after Christ.

John 1:38. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is translated, Teacher), “where do You dwell?” John 1:39. He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He dwelt, and they stayed with Him that day. Now it was about the tenth hour. John 1:40. One of the two who heard John speak about Jesus, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. Both disciples walked silently after Jesus, not daring to begin a conversation with Him themselves. Then He, turning to them, begins to speak with the question: “What do you seek?” The disciples, desiring to speak with Christ about everything that especially interested them, ask Him where He dwelt (μένειν means not “to live in one’s own house,” but “to stay as a guest in another’s house,” particularly “to stay overnight”; see Judg 19:9; Matt 10:11). It may be supposed that such a dwelling place for Christ at that time was some village on the western side of the Jordan, where there were generally more settlements than on the eastern shore. It was about the tenth hour when the two disciples came to the house where Jesus dwelt. Since John, doubtless, reckoned according to Hebrew time-keeping, which at that time was common for the entire East (see John 19:14), the tenth hour apparently equaled our fourth hour in the afternoon. The disciples, consequently, stayed with Christ through the rest of that day and all night. At any rate, the evangelist tells us nothing about them departing when night came (John Chrysostom, Theodoret, and Cyril, as well as Augustine). Since Andrew is the first disciple named by name, the Church has from ancient times given him the title “the First-Called.”

John 1:41. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ); John 1:42. and brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah; you shall be called Cephas” (which means: a stone, that is, Peter). Upon leaving the house where Jesus dwelt, Andrew first happened to meet his brother Simon, who was apparently going to the Jordan to listen to the Baptist. Andrew joyfully tells his brother that the Messiah, whom the Jews had long been expecting, has appeared. The fact that Andrew found his brother “first” leads us to suppose that the other disciple found his brother James somewhat later. When Andrew brought his brother to Jesus, Christ fixed a searching gaze on Peter (here the same verb again appears as in verse 36) and told him that He knew who he was (instead of “Jonah,” almost all Western manuscripts read “John”; see, for example, Tischendorf). At the same time, Christ predicts to Peter that he will, in the course of time—the exact time is not specified—“be called,” that is, according to Hebrew usage of the verb “to be called,” become a man of the utmost firmness and energy (see Gen 32:28). Such is, indeed, the meaning of the Greek word πέτρος, which renders the Aramaic name “Cephas” (more precisely, “Kepha,” corresponding to the Hebrew word “kef”—rock, stone) given by Christ to Peter, and such Peter indeed became among believers. Christ, therefore, did not change Simon’s name in this case and did not command him to change it later: He merely predicted great things for Simon’s future. Therefore, Simon, out of reverence for the Lord accepting the new name Peter, did not abandon the old one, being called Simon Peter to the end of his life (2 Pet 1:1).

John 1:43. The next day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” From here to the end of the chapter the account concerns the calling of Philip and Nathanael. Christ calls Philip to follow Him with only two words ἀκολούθει μοι (Follow Me, that is, be My disciple; see Matt 9:9; Mark 2:14). However, it must be remembered that Philip’s calling, like that of the other disciples at this time, was not yet a calling to constant following of Christ, and certainly not a calling to apostolic service. After this first calling, the disciples went home and sometimes busied themselves with their own affairs (see Matt 4:18). It took some time for the disciples of Christ to become capable of becoming His constant companions and taking upon themselves the difficult burden of apostolic service.

John 1:44. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. By mentioning that Philip came from Bethsaida, the same city from which Andrew and Peter came, the evangelist certainly means to say that Andrew and his brother had told their fellow-countryman Philip about Christ, which is why Philip showed no surprise when Christ called him to follow Him. Bethsaida, the birthplace of Andrew and Peter (though they lived not in Bethsaida but in Capernaum; see Mark 1:29 and following), was a city on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Gennesaret, built up by the tetrarch Philip and named by him in honor of the daughter of Augustus, Julia. Near this city, closer to the sea, was a village, also called Bethsaida (“house of fishing”; on Bethsaida see also the comment on Mark 6:45), and Philip came properly from the village, which the evangelist identifies with the city as its suburb.

John 1:45. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael (God-given) had another name—Bartholomew (see Matt 10:3). “Moses in the law and the prophets” (see Luke 24:27). “The son of Joseph.” This is how Philip calls Christ, because Philip had not yet learned the mystery of Christ’s origin.

John 1:46. And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Nazareth (see Matt 2:23) evidently enjoyed a bad reputation among Galileans, if Nathanael speaks so harshly of it. That is why it seems incredible to Nathanael that the Messiah should come from such a city with such an unfavorable reputation.

John 1:47. Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” When Nathanael came to Christ at Philip’s invitation, Christ said to His disciples concerning him that Nathanael is a true Israelite, without any guile. There are Israelites who, unworthily, bear upon themselves the sacred name of Israel, who are full of all kinds of vices in their soul (see Matt 23:25), but Nathanael is not like that.

John 1:48. Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael, hearing the good testimony Christ made about him, asks in wonder: How does He know me, know my character? In response, Christ points to His supernatural knowledge, reminding Nathanael of some incident in his life that only Nathanael knew about. But this incident appears to have been such that in it the true Israeli dignity of Nathanael was expressed.

John 1:49. Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” All of Nathanael’s doubts then disappeared, and he expressed his firm faith in Christ as the Son of God and King of Israel. Some exegetes, however, interpret the title “Son of God” as used by Nathanael to mean only the Messianic dignity of Christ—nothing more—considering it a synonym for the following title “King of Israel.” It is possible that something favors such an interpretation: the fact that Nathanael did not yet know about Christ’s origin from God, and later (see, for example, Christ’s farewell discourse with the disciples) did not display sufficient assurance of Christ’s divinity. But there can be no doubt that here Nathanael used the title “Son of God” in its proper sense. If he had meant the Messiah by Son of God, he would have placed first the more common title of the Messiah—“King of Israel.” Moreover, he calls Christ Son of God in a special, exclusive sense, as testified by the article ὁ placed before the word υἱός. It has now become fully clear to him what the Baptist had said before about Christ (verse 34). Finally, that Christ is a Being of a higher, divine nature, Nathanael could be convinced of by recalling the words of Psalm 2, where God is depicted as “this day” eternally begetting the Son, by which the Son differs from all people (Ps 2:7).

John 1:50. Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” For such readiness to believe, Christ promises Nathanael, and of course with him the other disciples, to show even greater miracles. At the same time, Christ clearly admits Nathanael into the number of His followers.

John 1:51. And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” The picture of the future which Christ here draws undoubtedly has relation to the picture of Jacob’s dream (Gen 28:12). As there, so here the angels first appear “ascending” and then “descending.” There is no doubt that Christ and the evangelist himself, in bringing these words of Christ about the angels, believed that the angels are indeed the executors of God’s commands concerning people (see Ps 102:20 and following; Heb 1:7). But what time did Christ have in mind when He predicted that His disciples would see the open heaven and ascending and descending angels? We do not see from the rest of John’s narrative that Christ’s disciples ever saw angels. And Christ says that they will “hereafter” (ἀπ´ ἄρτι should, by the context, be considered the authentic expression, although many manuscripts lack it) see these angels. Clearly, this ascending and descending of angels must be understood in a figurative sense, and the very seeing of angels by the disciples was to occur in the spirit. The Lord was pleased with these wonderful words to express that henceforth He will be the center of free communion and continuous union between God and man, that in Him will be the place of meeting and reconciliation between heaven and earth. Between heaven and earth there will be established henceforth continuous links through these blessed spirits called angels (Trench). In Zahn’s view, “Son of Man” is how Christ refers to Himself in the same sense that He uses this term in the discourses contained in the Synoptic Gospels, and there, according to the same scholar, it denotes the true humanity of Christ, showing in Him the most ideal of men (see Matt 8:20 and especially Matt 16:13). But one cannot agree with such an interpretation. The Lord here, in verse 51, clearly identifies Himself (the Son of Man) with Jehovah, who appeared to Jacob in a dream, sitting at the top of the ladder by which Angels ascended to Him. That He had ground for this is evident from Genesis 31, where it is said that in Bethel there appeared to Jacob not God, but an Angel of God (Gen 31:11-13). The Angel of God and Jehovah ought to be understood as the Only-Begotten Son of God, who appeared to the patriarchs of the Old Testament. Thus, Christ predicts here that Angels, just as they served Him in the Old Testament (Jacob’s vision), so now in the New Testament will serve Him, as the Messiah or, what is the same, the Son of Man (cf. Dan 7:13-14), of course, in the work of establishing His messianic Kingdom among people. “Do you see,” says the holy John Chrysostom, “how Christ little by little lifts Nathanael from the earth and persuades him not to regard Him as a mere man?… By such words the Lord was persuading him to acknowledge Him as the Lord of Angels. As to the true Son of a King, Angels ascended to and descended from Christ, as: at the time of His sufferings, at the time of His resurrection and ascension, and even before that they came and served Him—when they proclaimed the tidings of His birth, when they cried out: ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace,’ when they came to Mary, to Joseph.” Thus, the term “Son of Man” in John denotes not a mere man, but the Messiah, the incarnate Only-Begotten Son of God, reconciling heaven with earth. (The significance of this term in John will be discussed further in the explanation of the following chapters, see John 3:13 and others.) * * * Notes Count L. N. Tolstoy in his work “The Harmony, Translation and Study of the Four Gospels” (St. Petersburg, 1906) finds it most natural to convey the meaning of the expression “Logos” by the Russian expression “understanding,” to which, on the basis of 1 John 1:1, he adds further the phrase “of life” (vol. I, p. 15–20). But all that Tolstoy says in support of his translation presents all the content of the prologue in a completely distorted light, and one might say, here with Tolstoy there emerges a kind of orgy of allegorizing, reminiscent of those highly arbitrary interpretations of Holy Scripture that are encountered among the old Hebrew rabbis… Cf. 1 John 1:1. There the expression ἀπ´ ἀρχῆς is used, having the same sense as the expression ἐν ἀρχῇ. But the latter more emphasizes the difference of the Logos from created beings not only in time but also in the character of existence… To compare (as Godet does) the expression ἐν ἀρχῇ in John with the expression ἐν ἀρχῇ in Moses (Gen 1:1) is impossible, because in Moses there is an indication of the initial moment of created existence… In some codices the words of verse 3 “what came into being” (ὃ γέγονεν) are referred to verse 4. But we cannot agree with such a reading, since it does not produce a sufficiently clear thought from verse 4… Indeed, if we read verse 4 as: “what came into being, in Him was life,” that is, in Him had the source of its life, such a thought will prove incompatible with the following expression: and life was the light of men, for here the discourse is about created life, which could not be called “light for people” (Keil, p. 75 note). Godet translates: darkness did not receive the light that came from the Logos. Holtzmann (p. 37) finds it possible to compare the teaching about the Logos of John the Theologian with the teaching of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus. One can also translate: “annihilates, suppresses,” as in 1 Sam 25:28 according to the Septuagint translation (Fcine Theologie d. N. Testam. 1910, p. 683).

Chapter Two

1–12. The miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. – 13–25. Christ in Jerusalem. Cleansing of the temple.

John 2:1. On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. John 2:2. Jesus also was invited to the wedding, and his disciples. It was the third day after the day on which Christ called Philip (John 1:43). This day Christ was already spending in Cana of Galilee, where He came, probably because His Most Pure Mother had gone there earlier than He—to a wedding in a familiar family. First He probably came to Nazareth, where He lived with His Mother, and then, not finding Her, set out with the disciples to Cana. Here both He and His disciples—probably all five—were also invited to the wedding. But where was Cana located? In Galilee there was only one known Cana—a small town situated about one and a half hours’ journey to the northeast of Nazareth. Robinson’s assumption that there was another Cana four hours to the north of Nazareth has no sufficiently sound basis.

John 2:3. And when the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” John 2:4. Jesus said to her, “What is there between you and me, woman? My hour has not yet come.” John 2:5. His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He tells you, do it.” Wedding celebrations lasted among the Jews for seven days (Gen 29:27; Judg 14:12-15). Therefore, by the time Christ came with His disciples, after several days had already passed in feasting, there was a shortage of wine—the hosts apparently were not wealthy. The Most Holy Virgin, having probably already heard from Christ’s disciples about the words that John the Baptist had spoken about her Son, and about the promise of miracles that He had given His disciples two days before, thought it possible to turn to Christ with reference to the difficult position of the hosts. She may also have had in mind the circumstance that Christ’s disciples by their presence at the feast had disrupted the hosts’ calculations. In any case, however, it is certain that she expected a miracle from Christ (St. John Chrysostom, Blessed Theophylact). Christ in response to this request of the Mother answers with the following words: “What is there between you and me, woman? My hour has not yet come.” Apparently, in the first half of the answer there is contained a certain reproach of the Most Holy Virgin for wanting to urge Him to begin performing miracles. Some even see a tone of reproach in the fact that Christ calls the Most Holy Virgin here simply “woman” or woman, not “mother.” And indeed, from what Christ says further about His “hour,” one can conclude with certainty that Christ by His question wanted to say that henceforth she should cease to regard Him with the former earthly maternal view, by virtue of which she previously considered herself to have every right to make demands on Christ as a mother to a son. “Earthly kinship, though distinguished by closeness, had no decisive significance in His Divine activity. As at His first appearance in the temple, so now, at His first manifestation of His glory, the finger that points to His hour does not belong and could not belong to His Mother, but exclusively to His Heavenly Father” (Edersheim). Nevertheless, the question of Christ contains no reproach in our sense of the word. Here Christ only gives an explanation to His Mother regarding what their mutual relations should be henceforth. And the word “woman” (γύναι) contains nothing offensive in application to a mother, that is, in a son’s form of address to his mother. We see that Christ called His Mother by this name at the time when, looking upon Her with love before death, He pointed out John as Her protector in the future (John 19:26). Finally, in the second half of the answer: “My hour has not yet come,” one cannot possibly see a refusal of the Mother’s request. Christ says only that the hour to perform a miracle has not yet come. From this it is evident that He wished to fulfill the Mother’s request, but only at the moment indicated to Him by His Heavenly Father. And the Most Holy Virgin herself understood Christ’s words in exactly this sense, as is evident from the fact that she said to the servants that they should do everything He would command them.

John 2:6. Now there were six stone water jars standing there, as was the custom of the Jews for purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. John 2:7. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. John 2:8. And He said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. According to Jewish custom, at table one had to wash one’s hands and vessels (cf. Matt 15:2). Therefore, a large quantity of water was prepared for the wedding feast. With this water Christ commanded the servants to fill six stone jars, with a capacity of two or three measures (by measure here, probably, is meant the ordinary measure of liquids—the bath, which was approximately equal to four buckets). Such jars, holding up to ten buckets of water, stood, of course, in the courtyard, not in the house. Thus, in the six jars there was about 60 buckets of water, which Christ transformed into wine. The miracle was accomplished on such a scale so that no one could later explain it in a natural manner. But why did Christ not produce wine without water? He did this so that “those who drew the water themselves would be witnesses of the miracle, and it would not seem like a phantom at all” (St. John Chrysostom).

John 2:9. When the master of the feast tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom John 2:10. and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first; and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” The master of the feast tasted the wine and found it very good, which he declared to the bridegroom. Such testimony confirms that the water in the jars was indeed transformed into wine. In fact, on the part of the master of the feast, there could be no auto-suggestion here, because he evidently did not know what the servants had done by Christ’s command. Moreover, the master of the feast certainly did not allow himself intemperance in the use of wine and consequently was fully capable of determining the true quality of the wine served to him by the servants. Thus, Christ, by commanding that the wine be brought to the master of the feast, thereby wanted to eliminate any occasion for anyone to doubt whether there was truly wine in the jars. However, the guests also were sufficiently able to appreciate the wine served to them. We are made to think so, first, by the consideration that Christ and the Most Holy Virgin would not have remained in a house where there were intoxicated people, and, second, that the hosts were not wealthy people and did not have too much wine, so there was nothing with which to “get drunk.” The master’s expression: “when people have drunk freely,” has the meaning that sometimes not very hospitable hosts serve bad wine, which happens when guests are already incapable of sufficiently appreciating the taste of wine. But the master of the feast does not say that in the present case the host had such consideration or that the guests were intoxicated. The evangelist breaks off the account of the conversation between the master of the feast and the bridegroom and says nothing about the impression the miracle made on all the guests. For him it was important to speak of this miracle only insofar as it served to strengthen the faith of Christ’s disciples.

John 2:11. Thus Jesus performed His first miracle in Cana of Galilee and revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. “Thus Jesus performed His first miracle…” According to the most authoritative codices, this place should be given such a translation: “He did this (ταύτην) as the beginning (ἀρχήν) of signs (τῶν σημείων).” The evangelist regards the miracles of Christ as signs that attest His Divine dignity and messianic calling. In this sense the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “the signs (more precisely—signs) of an Apostle (in me) were performed with complete patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works” (2 Cor 12:12). Although Christ three days before had given His disciples proofs of His miraculous knowledge (John 1:42-48), in that case He showed Himself only as a seer, and such had existed before Him. But the miracle in Cana was the first of His deeds about which He Himself said that no one had performed such deeds before Him (John 15:24). The meaning of this sign and its importance is indicated in the words: “and revealed His glory.” What glory is meant here? One can understand no other glory than the divine glory of the incarnate Logos, which the apostles beheld (John 1:14). And in the further words of the evangelist: “and His disciples believed in Him,” there is a direct indication of the effect of this manifestation of the glory of the incarnate Logos. The disciples of Christ gradually came to faith in Him. At first their faith was in an embryonic state—this was while they were with John the Baptist. Then this faith became greater when they drew near to Christ (John 1:50), and after the manifestation of His glory at the wedding in Cana they attained such a degree of faith that the evangelist found it fitting to say of them that they “believed” in Christ, that is, they were convinced that He is the Messiah, and moreover a Messiah not only in that limited sense in which the Jews expected, but a being standing above ordinary messengers of God. Perhaps the evangelist’s remark that the disciples “believed” was made in view of the impression which Christ’s presence at a joyful marriage feast, of course, made on the disciples. Having been trained in the strict school of John the Baptist, who had accustomed them to fasting (Matt 9:14), they could have come into some perplexity regarding the attitude toward the joys of human life that their new Teacher manifested, He Himself having taken part in the feast and having brought them here. But now, when Christ confirmed His right to act differently from John by a miracle, all doubts of the disciples should have disappeared and their faith strengthened. And the impression from the miracle in Cana produced on the disciples should have been especially strong because their former teacher had not performed even one miracle (John 10:41).

John 2:12. After this, He went down to Capernaum, He, and His mother, and His brothers, and His disciples; and there they stayed a few days. After the miracle in Cana, Christ set out for Capernaum with His mother, His brothers (regarding Christ’s brothers, see commentary on Matt 1:25), and His disciples. The reason why Christ went to Capernaum is explained by the fact that three of the five disciples of Christ lived in this city, namely, Peter, Andrew, and John (Mark 1:19). They could continue their fishing work here without ceasing to remain in communion with Christ. Perhaps the other two disciples, Philip and Nathanael, also found work here for themselves. But what did the coming to Capernaum of the Mother and brothers of Christ mean? It is most likely that the entire family of Jesus Christ decided to leave Nazareth. And indeed, from the Synoptic Gospels we see that soon Capernaum became the permanent place of residence of Christ and His family (Matt 9:1; Mark 2:1; Matt 12:46). In Nazareth, only the sisters of Christ remained, apparently already married (Matt 13:56). Regarding “Capernaum” see the commentary on Matt 4:13. “Went down”—more precisely: “descended.” The road from Cana to Capernaum went downhill.

John 2:13. The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem In Capernaum Christ apparently did not announce Himself in any way: He was to begin His public ministry in the capital of Jewry and precisely in the temple, in accordance with the prophecy of Malachi: “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me; and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming” (Mal 3:1). On the occasion of the approaching Feast of the Passover Christ set out, or more precisely, went up (ἀνέβη) to Jerusalem, which appeared to every Israelite as standing on the very highest point of Palestine (cf. Matt 20:17). With Him at this time were His disciples (verse 17), and perhaps also His mother and brothers.

John 2:14. and found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. According to the custom of pilgrims, Christ immediately upon arriving in Jerusalem visited the temple. Here, of course, chiefly in the outer court, which served as the place where pagans were allowed to pray, and partly in the temple porticoes, He found people who were selling sacrificial animals to pilgrims or were engaged in exchanging money, since at the Passover every Jew was obliged to pay the tax on the temple (the didrachm; see Matt 17:24) and necessarily in Hebrew coin, which was offered to pilgrims by money-changers. The coin that was required to be deposited in the temple treasury was the half-shekel (in our money about 40 kopecks, corresponding to eight grams of silver).

John 2:15. And making a whip out of cords, He drove out all the merchants from the temple, and also the sheep and oxen; and He poured out the money of the money-changers and overturned their tables. This commerce and money exchange violated any devotional disposition of those who came to pray. It was especially burdensome for those pious pagans who had no right to enter the inner court where the Israelites prayed, and who therefore had to hear the bleating and lowing of animals and the cries of merchants and customers (it should be noted that merchants often asked triple the price for animals, and customers naturally raised disputes with them). Christ could not tolerate such a desecration of the temple. He made a whip from scraps of rope that lay about with the animals and drove the merchants off the temple grounds along with their cattle. He treated the money-changers even more strictly, pouring out their money and overturning their tables.

John 2:16. And He said to those who sold pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” Christ treated the sellers of pigeons more gently, commanding them to remove the cages with birds (ταῦτα—“this,” not ταύτας—“these” or pigeons). He even deigned to give these sellers an explanation of why He had come to the defense of the temple. He said to them: “Do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” Christ considers Himself obliged to stand up for the honor of His Father’s house, evidently because He regards Himself as the true Son of God, the only Son, who alone can rule in His Father’s house.

John 2:17. His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” None of the merchants and money-changers made any protest against Christ’s actions. Some of them might have seen in Him a zealot—one of those zealots who, after the death of their leader, Judas of Galilee, remained faithful to his motto: to restore the Kingdom of God by the sword (Acts 5:37; Josephus. “Jewish Wars,” II 8, 1). Others, probably, realized that they had up to now acted wrongly in breaking into the temple with their goods and setting up something like a marketplace here. As for the disciples of Christ, they perceived in Christ’s action, in His zeal for God’s house, the fulfillment of the prophetic words of the Psalmist, who, in saying that zeal for God’s house consumed him, thereby predicted with what zeal for God’s glory the Messiah would conduct His ministry. But since in the psalm cited by the evangelist (Psalm 68) the discourse is about the sufferings that the Psalmist endured for his devotion to Jehovah (Ps 68:10), the disciples of Christ, remembering this psalm passage, must have also thought about the danger to which their Teacher was exposing Himself by coming forth so boldly against those abuses which evidently enjoyed the protection of the priests. These priests, Edersheim notes, were certainly not simple priests who came at a certain time to serve in the temple, but permanent officials from among the priests, living in Jerusalem, leaders of the priesthood and especially from the family of the high priest, who were constantly able to profit from these advantages. From this commerce the merchants had to pay a certain percentage of their profits to the officials in the temple, and from the Talmud it is known that the market at the temple belonged to the sons of the high priest Annas.

John 2:18. So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, seeing that You do these things?” “The Jews,” that is, the ruling figures in the Jewish nation (cf. John 1:19), the priests of the highest rank (so-called “sagans”) immediately demanded of Christ, whom they probably took for a zealot (cf. Matt 12:4), that He provide some sign in proof of His right to act as a denouncer of the disorders prevailing in the temple. They, of course, could not deny that their chief position was only temporary, that the “faithful prophet” must appear, and before his coming, Simon Maccabee and his descendants had taken upon themselves the rule of the Jewish nation (1 Macc 14:41). But of course, this “faithful prophet” must prove his divine mission by something. In this sense they propose their question to Christ. Let Christ perform a miracle! But they did not dare to seize Him, because the people also were indignant at the profanation of the temple, which the priests, for profit’s sake, had permitted.

John 2:19. Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews demanded of Christ a miracle as proof that He was an authorized messenger of Jehovah, and Christ expresses His willingness to give them such a miracle or sign. But He gives His answer in a somewhat cryptic form, so that Christ’s words were not understood not only by the Jews, but even by the disciples (cf. verse 22). In saying “Destroy this temple,” Christ seems to refer to the Jewish temple itself, which is indicated by the addition “this” (τοῦτον). If, in saying these words, Christ had pointed to His body, then there would have been no misunderstanding: all would have understood that Christ was prophesying about His violent death. Thus, under “temple” (ὁ ναός in contrast to τὸ ἱερόν, which means all the buildings of the temple and the court; cf. verses 14–15) one could first understand the temple that was clearly visible to all. But, on the other hand, the Jews could not fail to see that such an understanding of Christ’s utterance could not be limited to this. After all, Christ said that they would destroy the temple, while they certainly could not imagine that their hands would rise against the destruction of the national sanctuary. And furthermore, Christ presents Himself as the restorer of this temple that the Jews are destroying, and evidently acting against the will of the Jews themselves, the destroyers. Here again there arose some sort of misunderstanding! But still, if the Jews and Christ’s disciples had paid more careful attention to Christ’s words, they could have understood them despite all their apparent mystery. At the very least, they should have asked what Christ meant by this, obviously figurative, utterance; but they deliberately dwell only on the simple literal sense of His words, trying to show all their groundlessness. But later, after Christ’s resurrection, for His disciples it became clear that Christ indeed spoke of the temple in a twofold sense: both of this stone temple of Herod, and of His body, which also represented the temple of God. “You,” as it were Christ said to the Jews, “will destroy your temple through destroying the temple of My body. By killing Me as your adversary, you will thereby bring upon yourselves the judgment of God, and God will deliver your temple to destruction by enemies. With the destruction of the temple, worship must also cease, and your Church must come to an end. But I will raise My body in three days, and together with that I will establish a new temple, as well as new worship, not confined by those boundaries in which it existed before.”

John 2:20. Then the Jews said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” The Jews consider Christ’s words about the miracle that He could perform in three days to be outright absurd. They mockingly remark to Him that Herod’s temple took forty-six years to build—how could Christ restore it if it were destroyed, in three days, that is, in the shortest possible time (as probably they understood the expression “in three days”; cf. 1 Chr 21:12; Luke 13:32)? By “building the temple” the Jews evidently mean the work continuing in the temple on the erection of various temple buildings, work that was only completed in the year 63 A.D., and thus only seven years before its destruction.

John 2:21. But He was speaking of the temple of His body. John 2:22. When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken. Christ made no answer to the remark of the Jews; it was clear that they did not wish to understand Him, much less accept Him. The disciples of Christ also did not turn to Him with questions about the words He had spoken, and Christ Himself had no need to give them an explanation on this occasion. The purpose for which He appeared in the temple was achieved: He declared His intention to begin His great Messianic activity and began it with the symbolic action of cleansing the temple. At the same time it became apparent what attitude the representatives of the Jewish nation would take toward Him. Thus He opened His public ministry.

John 2:23. Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Feast of the Passover, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. John 2:24. But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, because He knew all men, John 2:25. and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man. Here the evangelist speaks of the impression that Jesus Christ made by His first public appearance in Jerusalem on the masses of people. Since the Lord at this time performed many signs or miracles (see verse 11) during the eight days of the Passover feast, and since He frequently came forward in the role of a teacher, as is evident, for example, from Nicodemus’s words (John 3:2), and partly from the words of Christ Himself (John 3:11), many believed in Him. If John here mentions only the “signs” that led many Jews to Christ, by this he testifies that for the majority the signs were indeed the decisive factor in their conversion to Christ. Therefore the apostle Paul also said: “Jews demand signs” (1 Cor 1:22). They believed “in His name,” that is, they saw in Him the Messiah and wanted to form a community with His name. But the Lord knew all these believers well and did not trust in the firmness of their faith. He knew all those who met Him both by His miraculous insight, examples of which He had recently shown to His disciples (John 1:42-50). Therefore the number of Christ’s disciples did not increase during these eight days of the feast. Modern criticism (for example, Zahn, Holtzmann) supposes that John is relating in the second half of the chapter under consideration the same event that, according to the Synoptics, occurred at the last Passover—the Passover of Suffering. Some critics consider the chronological indication of the Synoptics more correct, doubting the possibility of such an event in the very first year of Christ’s public ministry, while others prefer John, supposing that the Synoptics placed the event not where it should have been placed (cf. Matt 21 and following, as well as parallel passages). But all the doubts of the critics are without foundation. First of all, there is nothing incredible about the Lord coming forward as a denouncer of the disorders prevailing in the temple, in this center of Jewry, and even at the very beginning of His public ministry. He was indeed obliged to come forward boldly in the central place of Jewry, in the Temple of Jerusalem, if He wanted to announce Himself as a messenger of God. And furthermore the prophet Malachi, who foretold the coming of the Messiah, said that He would appear precisely in the temple (Mal 3:1) and, as can be concluded from the context of the speech (see the following verses in that same chapter of Malachi), would execute His judgment there upon the Jews who were proud of their righteousness. Moreover, if the Lord had not come forward so openly at that time as the Messiah, even His disciples might have doubted Him, to whom it must have seemed strange that their Teacher, who had already performed a great miracle at the wedding in Cana, suddenly withdrew from the attention of the people again, remaining in the quiet of Galilee. It is said: “But Christ could not immediately have announced that He is the Messiah—He did this much later.” To this is added that by coming forward as a denouncer of the priests, Christ immediately put Himself in hostile relations with the priesthood, who could immediately seize Him, thus putting an end to His activity. But this objection also has no force. Why should the priests have seized Christ if, as they could not help but realize, He was merely demanding lawfulness from the merchants? Furthermore, Christ did not direct His denunciations at the priests themselves; He merely drove out the merchants, and the priests, of course, could have even hypocritically thanked Him for being concerned about the honor of the temple. Besides, the priests’ plot against Christ developed gradually, and they certainly would not have dared, without careful deliberation in the Sanhedrin, to take any decisive steps against Christ. In general, criticism was unable to bring forward sufficiently convincing arguments in favor of making the impossibility of the repetition of the event of the expulsion of merchants from the temple persuasive. On the contrary, there are some important differences between the accounts of the Synoptics and John regarding this event. Thus, according to John, the Jews asked Christ by what right He was purifying the temple, but according to the Synoptics, the chief priests and scribes did not ask such a question, but only reproached Him for accepting praise from children. Furthermore, according to the testimony of the Synoptics, the Lord’s words to the defilers of the temple sound much harsher than His words in John. There the Lord speaks as a Judge come to punish men who have made of the temple a “den of robbers,” while here He reproaches the Jews only for having turned the temple into a place of trade. * * * Notes If then (that is, the Jews) ask Him by what authority He is purifying the temple, this question is still not a sign of open hostility toward Christ on their part…

Chapter Three

1–21. The conversation of Jesus Christ with Nicodemus. – 22–36. The activity of Christ in Judea and the final testimony of the Baptist.

The conversation of Christ with Nicodemus is divided into two parts: in the first part (verses 3–12) the discourse is about the spiritual rebirth of man, which is necessary for man to become a member of the Kingdom of the Messiah, and in the second (verses 13–21) Christ proposes teaching about Himself and about His redemptive sacrifice for the sins of the world and points to the necessity of faith in Him as the Only-Begotten Son of God.

John 3:1. Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish council. The Lord, in all probability, had not yet left Jerusalem when the Pharisee Nicodemus came to Him. He was one of the Jewish leaders, that is, a member of the Sanhedrin (cf. John 7:26). A Pharisee could enter the Sanhedrin only if he belonged to the number of rabbis or scribes (οἱ γραμματεῖς), because the principal contingent of the Sanhedrin consisted of representatives of the priesthood, which, being filled with the spirit of Sadduceeism, would not have admitted to its number a simple representative of the hostile Pharisaic party. Thus one can affirm that Nicodemus became a member of the Sanhedrin as a rabbi. Christ Himself calls Nicodemus a “teacher” (verse 10). As a Pharisee and moreover a rabbi, Nicodemus could not remain indifferent to what was taking place before his eyes in Jerusalem: he observed the signs that Christ was performing, listened to His preaching, and came, like many others, to the conviction that Christ is a true messenger of God.

John 3:2. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Nicodemus came to Jesus at night probably because it seemed to him inconvenient to go to Jesus openly: he was restricted in this by his position as a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin. Besides, the night hour gave a greater opportunity to speak extensively with Christ, who during the day was, of course, constantly surrounded by listeners. Like the disciples of Christ (John 1:38-49), Nicodemus calls Christ a teacher and moreover says that he recognizes Him together with some others (“we know”) precisely only as a teacher, though one sent by God. More precisely, his form of address to Christ can be conveyed thus: “we know that you have come from God as a teacher.” The fact that Christ came not of His own will but was sent by God convinced Nicodemus of those signs that Christ was performing in Jerusalem. Nicodemus apparently knows nothing of any special revelations of Christ regarding His Divine dignity, and from this one can conclude that at that time Christ had not yet communicated such teaching to the people and in general did not wish to increase the number of His immediate disciples.

John 3:3. Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus had not yet asked Christ anything, but Christ, who “Himself knew what was in man” (John 2:25), directly answers him the question that Nicodemus wished to ask Him. And why else could Nicodemus have come to Christ except to learn from Him, if possible, the way leading to the Kingdom of the Messiah? (Of course, by the Kingdom of God Christ understood the Kingdom of the Messiah, because it was to be the Messiah’s part to establish the Kingdom of God on earth, according to the belief of the Jews.) And Christ with particular solemnity (“truly, truly,” that is, truly) says to Nicodemus that only he who is born again (ἄνωθεν—from above; cf. Acts 26:5; Clement of Alexandria, “Pedagogue,” 56, 5; 7, 4, and most ancient translations—Latin, Coptic, Syrian, as well as Justin, Tertullian) can enter the Kingdom of the Messiah or God. “See”—means to enter, to participate, to enjoy the blessings of the new Kingdom (cf. John 3:36).

John 3:4. Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” From Christ’s words, Nicodemus should have concluded that He regards “renewal” and not “instruction” as necessary for entering the new Kingdom, such an internal change in man as can be compared only with natural birth. And Nicodemus indeed understood that Christ requires something entirely different from what John the Baptist required, who called for repentance (μετανοεῖσθαι). In repentance man himself, though not without the help of God, endeavored to change his life, but in that new birth of which Christ spoke to Nicodemus, man appeared as a passive being, wholly subject to the power of God, just as without any will of his own a child is born into the world (as to the conditions that are demanded of the man himself who seeks rebirth, Christ does not speak now; they will be discussed separately in verses 12–21). Nicodemus would have liked to live his life over again, so unsuccessfully already lived. But could he hope that in this new second life—if it were possible—he would be free from his natural weaknesses and sinful habits that made it impossible for him to achieve the ideal? Where is the guarantee that such a new life, life “anew” would indeed go differently? Such is the meaning of Nicodemus’s first question. By his second question he wishes to say that it is perfectly clear to him that the repetition of birth is impossible and that he, therefore, cannot satisfy Christ’s requirement (see verse 3).

John 3:5. Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus did not understand how man could be born for new life, and Christ points to two factors under the action of which this new birth is possible. These are, first, “water,” that is, what is nearest, water, which in John’s baptism served as a symbol of cleansing from sins. Nicodemus needed to be baptized first by John’s baptism and confess his sins with complete sincerity. This would be the first step toward rebirth for him. Then he must receive the “Spirit” of the Holy One—this would be given to him by God in due course. Both are necessary for everyone who wishes to enter the Kingdom of God. And it was not too late for Nicodemus to fulfill the first condition, because John was still continuing to baptize, and besides, Christ Himself through His disciples was also performing baptism of repentance (John 3:22-4:2). The Holy Spirit he was to receive afterward. Thus, consequently, the first half of Nicodemus’s question found its resolution. Although he, Nicodemus, was old and because of that had grown accustomed to his prejudices and inclinations, nevertheless he must recognize and confess his sinfulness, and then the Holy Spirit would give him strength for new life.

John 3:6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. In response to the second half of Nicodemus’s question, whether one can be born again by the flesh, Christ says that such a second birth by the flesh—which, of course, is impossible—would be of no use. Everything that is born of the flesh—this is a general rule applicable also to that second birth of which Nicodemus thinks—“is flesh,” that is, subject to sinful inclinations (Gen 6:3 and others). New spiritual, holy life can arise only under the action of the Spirit of God. This will indeed be true rebirth.

John 3:7. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ Christ sees that Nicodemus is astonished at such a decisive declaration of the necessity of rebirth, and therefore invites Nicodemus to move from astonishment to the speedy fulfillment of the requirement Christ has set before him.

John 3:8. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. Nicodemus apparently continued to marvel how it was possible for him, an old man, to rid himself of all sinful inclinations and habits. He wished to understand how this process of spiritual rebirth of man is accomplished. But Christ explains to him by parable that he cannot understand everything by his reason. Look, for example, at “wind” (in Russian translated imprecisely as “spirit”). Can Nicodemus explain to himself where the wind comes from and where it goes? In just the same way there is nothing astonishing in the fact that Nicodemus does not understand how the Spirit of God acts upon man. Let us examine, however, in detail the comparison used by Christ. First, He says about the wind that it has complete freedom of movement: man cannot calm the wind or force it to change its direction. Second, the action of the wind is felt even when one guards oneself from it in every way: it is heard even through closed doors. Third, one does not know the point from which the movement of the wind begins in each given case, nor the final point to which this movement extends. The action of the Spirit of God in man is similar to the action of the wind. First, the Spirit acts where He wishes (cf. 1 Cor 12:11), and He cannot be claimed by force, but can only be received as a gift (John 7:39). Second, the presence of the Spirit cannot fail to be noticed by one who is reborn by the Spirit: even others, not entirely deaf and blind, feel that in the reborn person the Spirit is present and acting (John 7:38). Third, neither the reborn person himself nor anyone else can determine where, when and how the Spirit began to exert His action upon him. Likewise, the reborn know little of their final state, to which the Spirit leads them (1 John 3:2). The origination and completion of the life of a reborn man is a mystery, and yet this does not prevent, or more precisely, should not prompt, man to doubt the truth of rebirth.

John 3:9. Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” Now Nicodemus asks how what Christ said (ταῦτα—“this,” plural) can come to pass. Here there is no doubt about the possibility of the fact of rebirth itself, but a desire to know the way by which one can come to rebirth. At this point Nicodemus does not ask: “What should I do?” He wishes to know what he should expect from God, since he understood that rebirth must be the work of God, not of man.

John 3:10. Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel, and you do not understand these things?” In a tone of gentle reproach, Christ says to Nicodemus that he, as a professional teacher of the Israeli nation, a rabbi (cf. verse 1), ought to have known what was said in the Old Testament about the very process of rebirth. The prophets said much about the pouring out of a new spirit, about the giving to people of new hearts, about fullness of knowledge of God and about awakening in man the inclination to fulfill God’s will. They also often spoke of man’s turning to God, calling upon God, as a necessary condition for receiving messianic salvation.

John 3:11. Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. Christ now begins to teach Nicodemus what he failed to learn from Scripture, though he could have. First of all, He complains about the lack of faith on the part of Nicodemus and all the learned class of rabbis. “We.” Christ nowhere in the Gospels speaks of Himself in the plural, therefore, here He, besides Himself, has in mind someone else. Whom? His disciples? No, His disciples had not yet come forward with Him as preachers. Most naturally here is seen a reference to John the Baptist, who at that time was successfully continuing his activity (John 3:23 and following). The activity of John and the activity of Christ are two stages of one divine revelation. Both of them are fully worthy of trust as witnesses, because they speak of what they saw (John, of course, in a state of prophetic inspiration—cf. John 1:34: “and I saw and have borne witness”—and Christ in virtue of His continuous communion with the Father, John 1:18). Nevertheless, Nicodemus and others like him “do not receive” the testimony of John and Christ. Thus, the faith that many at that time in Jerusalem at the Passover feast showed on account of the signs which Christ performed, Christ does not recognize as true faith—it is rather to be called unbelief!

John 3:12. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? But the activity of John is already coming to an end, whereas Christ is only beginning His. Therefore, casting a look at the near future, He speaks now only of how the Jewish rabbis will regard Him. This attitude is hardly likely to be benevolent. They do not believe Christ even now when He speaks to them about earthly things (τὰ ἐπίγεια), that is, about the Kingdom of God as it manifests itself in earthly relations. Christ under “earthly” could understand here all that He had so far (John 2-3) said to them about the temple and worship, about repentance and faith, about water baptism and rebirth. Can the rabbis with faith accept His teaching about “heavenly” (τὰ ἐπουράνια) things? Here Christ, of course, had in mind the higher, heavenly side of the Kingdom of God, about which He would necessarily have to speak to His listeners in time, otherwise His teaching would remain incomplete and thus truly only half true. But people like Nicodemus are hardly likely to accept with trust the testimony of Christ about such matters that are above their understanding and in general not subject to verification by experience.

John 3:13. No one has ascended to heaven except He who came down from heaven, the Son of Man. However, does Christ have the right to say that He knows and what is above the world, that which constitutes the mystery of heaven? Yes, He has such a right. Indeed, to speak about heavenly things can only he who has been in heaven, and Christ, and only He alone, was indeed in heaven and continues to remain in the heavens. He descended from heaven. Some interpreters (for example, Professor Bogoslovsky) understand the expression used here by Christ, “to ascend to heaven,” in a figurative sense, as denoting “complete and perfect knowledge of the mysteries of God.” But one cannot agree with such an interpretation, because in that case we would have to deprive the verb “to ascend” (ἀναβαίνειν) of its connection with the verb “to descend” (“He who came down from heaven”—καταβαίνειν), and yet between these two verbs here there is undoubtedly a close mutual relationship. If we understand the verb “to ascend” in a figurative sense, then in the same sense we must understand the verb “to descend.” But what would then the expression: “He who came down from heaven” mean? Would not this destroy the idea of the being of the Logos before His incarnation? Therefore, while not imagining the ascent and descent of Christ from heaven in a crudely spatial sense, one must still see in the passage under consideration teaching that Christ as a person existed already in God before His incarnation. And the sense of verse 13 can be conveyed thus: “no man (Angels are not here in view, since they ‘always see the face of their Heavenly Father’—Matt 18:10) has ascended into heaven—and thus was not in heaven before living on earth—except that Son of Man (see John 1:51) who came down from heaven and even now by the divine side of His existence abides in heaven” (the expression “abiding in the heavens” is not found in all codices, but modern critics are more inclined to recognize it as genuine than as inserted later; see, for example, Zahn, p. 197).

John 3:14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, John 3:15. so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life. Christ has just spoken to Nicodemus of His eternal existence in Godhead and of His incarnation. Now He communicates to him another great mystery—the mystery of the salvation of all mankind by His crucifixion and subsequent glorification. Christ reveals this teaching through a comparison of the bronze serpent lifted up by Moses on a pole with Himself. There, in the wilderness, Moses set up a visible serpent made of bronze so that each serpent-bitten Hebrew could turn his eyes to this image and, with faith in Jehovah, expect healing. Christ also will be lifted up first on the cross and then into heaven (the expression ὑψωθῆναι—“to be lifted up” has here a twofold sense, to be “glorified” as it means here) so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him (“believing in Him”—the translation is imprecise, because the expression ἐν αὐτῷ, “in Him,” cannot be made dependent on the verb πιστεύειν; but the reading εἰς αὐτόν, “in Him,” is considered less well attested). But despite the similarity between the bronze serpent and Christ, there is an important difference. First, the saving action of the former extended only to one nation, whereas the saving action of the latter will extend to all mankind: “everyone” can be saved through Christ. Second, the serpent gave salvation only from temporary death and even then only in one case, whereas Christ grants “eternal” life, that is, one who believes in Christ will enter the Kingdom of God. It should be noted that all the fathers and teachers of the Church, based on these words of Christ, regard the bronze serpent as a prototype of the Messiah, and such a view has entirely adequate grounds (Zahn too narrowly restricts the significance of Christ’s reference to the bronze serpent, finding here “only a comparison”—p. 200).

John 3:16. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. The reason why the Only-Begotten Son of God (see John 1:14) must be lifted up—first on the shameful instrument of execution, and then on the glorious throne of heaven—is that God loves mankind to an extraordinary degree. “Loved.” The evangelist speaks of God’s love as a fact already known from history (therefore in the Greek text here the verb is in the form of the aorist), because the coming of the Son of God to earth for the salvation of mankind was at that time already an accomplished fact. “World.” By “world” here Christ means not nature in general, but conscious and responsible beings who populate the earth, that is, all mankind in a state of fallen condition (cf. verse 17). “Gave.” As one can conclude from what is said in verses 14–15, here Christ had in mind God’s giving of the Son to suffering and death (cf. Rom 8:32).

John 3:17. For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Christ twice mentioned that He came to give people eternal life, or in other words, salvation. Such a declaration could seem to Nicodemus somewhat at odds with Christ’s recent coming forward in the temple, where He appeared as a denouncer and judge of those who desecrated the temple. Moreover, contemporary Judaism in general expected to see in the Messiah a Judge, and indeed, a Judge chiefly over the pagan world, which until then had oppressed the chosen Jewish nation. Therefore Christ says that the essential thing in His calling as Messiah is precisely the salvation of the world, not the judging of the world (though this, of course, does not exclude the future judgment which Christ will someday execute over the entire universe; see John 5:27-29).

John 3:18. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Nevertheless, judgment on the world, and especially on the Jews, is already taking place. This judgment, one might say, is executing itself: some accept the Messiah and do not and cannot be subjected to judgment in the sense of condemnation. Others have already clearly shown their disbelief in Christ, and therefore their fate has already been decided: they are condemned now for not believing in the name of the Son of God, that is, for not recognizing in Him the One who received such clear and definite testimony concerning Himself from the messenger of God, John, as the Only-Begotten Son of God, eternally existing in the bosom of the Father (John 1:15-18). The Final Judgment, strictly speaking, will not bring anything new in the determination of the fate of such people: it will only attest before all their guilt.

John 3:19. This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light, for their deeds were evil. Christ explains here what “judgment” He had in mind in the preceding verse. The essence of this judgment consists in the fact that “light,” that is, the light of Christ’s truth, shone forth in the world, existing in darkness of sin and all sorts of prejudices. “But men,” that is, those unbelievers of whom the previous verse spoke (besides such, there were also believers in Christ), turned away from this light; they found it pleasant to remain in the former darkness. Why? Because “their deeds,” that is, all their conduct, their moral character, did not allow them to go toward the light (πονηρὰ τὰ ἔργα—deeds morally evil, crafty).

John 3:20. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. John 3:21. But he who practices the truth comes to the light, so that his deeds may be revealed as having been accomplished in God. Christ just spoke of a certain circle of people from the Jewish nation who refused to go to the light of Christ’s truth. Now He first in relation to evil men, and then in relation to good men, clarifies the reason for the different attitude of all people toward the light of truth. An evil man does not want the light to illuminate his deeds, which do not deserve the respect that has until now been rendered them (such is the meaning of the expression used in verse 20, φαῦλα—deeds insignificant, bad, though perhaps not always harmful or crafty). Thus the apostle Paul also said: “all things that are revealed are made manifest by the light” (Eph 5:13). On the other hand, there are people who act “in truth” or, more precisely, do truth (ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν), that is, people who are honest, sincere, free from all hypocrisy (cf. John 1:47). Such people gladly go toward the light, strive to acquire the truth that has appeared in Christ—not, of course, so as to be glorified before other people, but so as to know themselves and properly evaluate their conduct. Then such people “are inspired with still greater zeal to attain the higher moral ideal” (Professor Bogoslovsky). And they do not fear the revelation of their deeds, because they know that they did them “in God,” that is, for God and with His help. It should be noted that in saying that a man who truly loves truth is not afraid to have “his deeds revealed,” Christ thereby makes a certain reproach to Nicodemus, who considered himself a man who treasures truth (cf. verse 2), and at the same time feared that his business—visiting Christ—would be discovered, which is why he came to Christ only at night. This reproach evidently had an effect on Nicodemus, because later he even began to defend Christ in the Sanhedrin (John 7:50) and took part in His burial (John 19:38-40). Tradition tells us that after Christ’s resurrection he was baptized by the apostles Peter and John and died a martyr’s death (his memory is celebrated on August 2). In the second half of the chapter is an account of Christ’s activity in Judea. This activity was extraordinarily successful, and the disciples of the Baptist even felt jealous of Christ (verses 22–26). Then comes the final testimony of the Baptist about Christ. First, the Baptist speaks about himself and his relation to Christ (verses 27–30), and then about the Divine dignity of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ (verses 31–36).

John 3:22. After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He was spending time with them and baptizing. After the completion of the feast (“after these things”—μετὰ ταῦτα, that is, after all the events described from verse 13 of chapter 2), Christ departed from Jerusalem into the land of Judea. By “land of Judea” at that time was understood the region bounded on the north by the extreme limits of Samaria, on the south by the edge of the desert at Beer-sheba, on the west by the lowlands of the Philistine plain, and on the east by the line of the Jordan and the Dead Sea (Professor Bogoslovsky, p. 248). Jerusalem itself, as the capital city of the promised land, was distinguished from this region. It is very probable that Christ’s stay in the land of Judea was quite prolonged, so that He had time to preach the message of the approaching Kingdom of Heaven throughout all the region of Judea. He also performed the rite of baptism while preaching, like John, but between John’s baptism and Christ’s baptism there was considerable difference. First, Christ performed the baptism not Himself, but through His disciples (John 4:2), and second, His baptism was not merely an external sign of repentance for those baptized, but a special rite through which people entered the number of Christ’s followers (cf. John 4:1). Furthermore, John baptized, preaching the coming of the Messiah, while Christ baptized, preaching the Kingdom of Heaven. Of course, He pointed to Himself as the Founder of this Kingdom and began to gather around Himself a large society of believers (cf. John 7:3). He did not do this while He was in Jerusalem.

John 3:23. Now John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people were coming and being baptized— At this time John the Baptist was also continuing his activity, since he, having come forth to serve by the command of God (Luke 3:2), could not, without a new command of God, arbitrarily cease his activity. But where was Aenon, in whose waters John was baptizing at that time? “Near Salim,” remarks the evangelist. Yet we do not know where Salim was located. It is certain only that this place was located to the west of the Jordan, as the disciples of the Baptist, in their address to John, suggest that they are with their teacher on the western side of the Jordan (verse 26, where it should be read more precisely: “Rabbi, He who was with you on the other side of the Jordan,” in the Russian translation—“at the Jordan”). And the very dispute of John’s disciples about the comparative worth of the baptism of Christ and of John becomes understandable only under the supposition that Christ and John were at that time in one region, that is, in Judea (see verse 25). One cannot precisely indicate the location of Aenon. But it is probable that it was located at one of the streams that flowed into the Dead Sea from the west. In this stream there was much water, which attracted the Baptist here.

John 3:24. for John had not yet been cast into prison. The evangelist makes the remark that John had not yet been cast into prison in view of the fact that, according to the Synoptics, for example, Matthew, John was cast into prison almost immediately after the baptism of Christ (Matt 4:12), and consequently no time remained for his activity of which the evangelist John speaks in the passage under consideration. To prevent readers from being troubled by what appears to be a contradiction here, the evangelist hastens to correct the Synoptics’ indication of the time of the Baptist’s imprisonment.

John 3:25. Then there arose a dispute on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew about purification. Some Jews (or, according to another reading, a Jew) entered into a controversy with John’s disciples “about purification” (περὶ καθαρισμοῦ), that is, about Jewish customs of washing vessels and themselves bathing (cf. John 2:6), and from there they probably also moved on to a dispute about the comparative worth of the baptism performed by John and the baptism performed by Christ. Very possibly, the Jews pointed out to the Baptist’s disciples the uselessness of his activity when the One appeared to whom John himself was directing the eyes of his disciples. They also spoke, of course, of the extraordinary success that the new preacher was enjoying.

John 3:26. And they came to John and said, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness, behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him.” Christ’s activity aroused envy in the disciples of the Baptist and at the same time zeal for the glory of their teacher, whose glory was now, it seemed, on the wane. They express their irritation to John, hoping that he would take measures to urge Christ to withdraw from the region which John had chosen as the place of his activity. After all, the Baptist had done so much for Christ by his testimony about Him as the Messiah!

John 3:27. John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.” In response to his disciples, the Baptist first of all says that any success which anyone has in his work depends entirely on the will of God. This is a gift from God.

John 3:28. You yourselves are witnesses to me, that I said: I am not the Christ, but I am sent before Him. Then John reminds his disciples precisely of the words which he had said about Christ, words which, of course, were not unknown to his disciples either. And he had said (cf. John 1:15) that he, John, was not the Christ, but was sent before Him—that is, before Jesus as the Christ.

John 3:29. He that has a bride is the bridegroom, and the bridegroom’s friend, standing and listening to him, rejoices with joy, hearing the bridegroom’s voice. This joy of mine is now complete. Explaining his relationship to Christ, the Baptist compares himself with the “friend of the bridegroom,” a role of great importance among the Jews in the entire process of arranging a marriage. Of course, this friend was greatly pleased when he saw that his efforts in matchmaking had come to the desired end, and when he heard the conversation of the newlywed couple. The Baptist also prepared people for receiving Christ, Who now was gathering around Himself a community of believers, or the Church, for the Church was the Bride of this Heavenly Bridegroom (2 Cor 11:2). From these words of the Baptist we have reason to conclude that it was already known to him, even before his disciples reported it, that Christ was enjoying success in Judea, and this gave him joyful assurance that Christ’s work would come to the desired end.

John 3:30. He must increase, but I must decrease. If the Baptist’s activity is now coming to an end, while Christ’s activity keeps growing, then this is as it should be. An explanation of this statement is given below, in the discourse on the dignity of Christ.

John 3:31. He that comes from above is above all; he that is from the earth is of the earth, and speaks of the earth: He that comes from heaven is above all, The first advantage of the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ lies in His heavenly (“from above”) origin. The expression “he that comes from above” denotes precisely the unspeakable birth of the Word from God the Father, not the mission of Christ to serve (St. Cyril of Alexandria), because the Baptist himself was also sent from above (cf. John 1:6). Such an advantage of Christ excludes any thought of any rivalry with Him: He is above all. But whom does the Baptist further mean by “the earthly one” and “he that speaks from the earth”? Many interpreters suppose that he is speaking of himself, but such an opinion cannot be accepted. John was after all a prophet, deemed worthy of divine revelations, and spoke to the people as a messenger from Heaven (John 1:29-34). He testified before his disciples and the people concerning what he had heard and seen (John 1:34). It is better to see here a reference to other ordinary Jewish teachers, with whom, of course, Christ was compared as a new rabbi at that time.

John 3:32. And what He has seen and heard, to this He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. The second advantage of Christ is the incomparable superiority of His teaching. The Lord spoke only what He knew directly, what He had heard and seen in heaven (cf. verse 11). Therefore, the number of Christ’s followers, which seemed to John’s disciples to be far too great, appeared to John himself as very insignificant, in view of the high dignity of Christ’s teaching.

John 3:33. He that has received His testimony has set his seal that God is true, John hastens, however, to draw away his disciples’ eyes from the sad picture presented by those who did not believe in Christ’s preaching, and directs their attention to those results which are experienced by the believers in His word. The lives of these believers have been completely changed, and they, receiving God’s grace in Christ (John 1:16), thereby bear witness with all firmness (“set their seal”) that the promises which God gave them through John the Baptist (John 1:29) are indeed coming to fulfillment: they have become much better than they were before, and themselves are the “seal” that attests to the truth of God’s promises.

John 3:34. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God does not give the Spirit by measure. These promises, moreover, could not have remained unfulfilled, for they were uttered by God’s messengers—the prophets and, in particular, John the Baptist himself. They were given revelation from the Holy Spirit, and moreover not grudgingly (“not by measure”—οὐ ἐκ μέτρου). According to the best manuscripts, the whole verse should read: “the one sent from God” (or the messenger of God) speaks the words of God, for the Spirit gives (of course, His gifts) not by measure—that is, not grudgingly, but generously (cf. note 20).

John 3:35. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. The third and last advantage of Christ lies in the fact that God, by His particular love for the Son, has given all things to Him in His power. John calls Christ the Son of God here because this name was revealed to him at the time of Christ’s baptism in the Jordan (Matt 3:17).

John 3:36. He that believes in the Son has eternal life, but he that does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him. Here John points to the high purpose which God had in giving such power to the Son (cf. verses 15-16), and thereby gives his disciples to understand how much they are losing by not entering into the ranks of Christ’s followers. * * * Notes Some of the Church Fathers saw in Christ’s words about water and the Spirit a prophecy or teaching concerning Christian baptism (Justin, Irenaeus, and others). According to the opinion of Edersheim, Nicodemus, as a Pharisee, although he acknowledged the necessity of rebirth, saw in this so-called second birth a consequence of entering the Kingdom of the Messiah, not the cause and condition of it (p. 486). The Greek word πνεῦμα occurring here can mean both “spirit” and “wind,” although properly the Greeks had a special word for wind—ἄνεμος. At least the seventy translators used the word πνεῦμα in both senses (cf. Isa 61:1 and Job 1:19). Here the word pneuma undoubtedly means “wind.” This is evident, first, from the fact that one could not say of Nicodemus, who had not yet believed, that he “hears” the voice of the Spirit (St. John Chrysostom). Second, one cannot say of the Spirit that He “blows” (more precisely, “moves”), that His voice can be heard. Third, it is known of the Spirit that He comes from God and goes to God (Ps 103:29; Eccl 12:7). The adverb “thus” (οὕτως), which begins the second half of the verse, shows that in this half the discourse concerns not the spirit (wind) mentioned in the first half, but the Holy Spirit. In this verse, thus, there is established the following thought: no one of those living on earth has eternal, heavenly, or divine existence, except the Son of Man, Who appeared on earth as descended from heaven and Who, while remaining on earth, does not cease to be the possessor of eternal divine nature. But with such an understanding of the passage under consideration, many scholars do not agree. For example, according to Beyschlag’s opinion, there is no mention here of the “real” eternal existence of the Son of Man and, consequently, of His Divine Nature, but only of the “ideal” pre-existence of Him “in the thoughts” of God the Father. But Beyschlag does not pay attention to the most important thing: he does not notice that Christ speaks of His descent from heaven as the deed of the Son of Man Himself, as the action of a Person Who already existed before performing this deed. This thought was expressed more clearly by the Apostle Paul, depicting the Messiah, the Son of God, speaking even before His incarnation: “Here I come to do Your will, O God” (Heb 10:9). Through this the support is removed from the representatives of the so-called kenotic theory, which supposes that with His incarnation Christ entered into purely human relations with God the Father, was stripped of His divine nature (see Znamensky, pp. 291-294). “Is not saving faith faith in Christ, glorified after and because He was crucified?” (Loisy, p. 323) Zahn and some other exegetes see here an indication only of Christ’s mission in the world, but after what Christ said concerning His exaltation on the cross (verses 14-15); such a thought would be a certain weakening of what was contained above. According to our received text, in this verse it is necessary to insert the word “God,” which becomes the subject, with “Spirit” becoming the object. But such a reading is rejected by biblical text critics (see Tischendorf, 8th ed.). Likewise, it is incorrect to refer this expression (gives) to Christ, because here the matter concerns the continual bestowal of the Holy Spirit (δίδωσιν—present tense), whereas of Christ it should be said that God gave (ἔδωκεν) him the Spirit. Further, in the reading accepted in modern editions, the verb “gives” remains without an object. But this is not important. Where the thought is clear, the object with this verb is sometimes omitted (Matt 10:6; Jas 1:5).

Chapter Four

1-42. Christ among the Samaritans. – 43-54. Christ’s return to Galilee.

John 4:1. When therefore the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John, John 4:2. (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), John 4:3. He left Judea and went again into Galilee. The Pharisees received word of the remarkable success which the new Baptist’s activity was having in Judea. These Pharisees could have drawn the attention of the Jewish authorities to Christ, and therefore Christ, knowing that His hour of suffering had not yet come, did not find it necessary to engage prematurely in disputes with the Pharisees and ceased His activity in Judea. He could do this without harm to the preparation of people for receiving the Kingdom of Heaven, since John the Baptist continued his preaching about the nearness of this Kingdom and as before performed the baptism of repentance. The evangelist notes that Christ Himself did not personally baptize, leaving this task to His disciples. This is explained by the fact that “the preparatory baptism for the Kingdom could not be performed by the Person Who had established this Kingdom” (Edersheim, p. 492). Then the evangelist notes that Christ’s withdrawal to Galilee, about which he is about to speak, was a second withdrawal: the first withdrawal or return took place after Christ received baptism from John at the Jordan (John 1:43).

John 4:4. But He had to pass through Samaria. For his readers, who did not have a sufficiently clear understanding of the geography of Palestine, the evangelist notes that Christ, on His journey to Galilee, had to pass through Samaria. This route was the quickest way to reach Galilee (when relations between Jews and Samaritans became strained, the Jews would go to Galilee by roundabout routes: either along the western shore of the Jordan, or even along the eastern shore of this river).

John 4:5. So He comes to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. (Concerning Samaria, the Samaritans, and the attitude of the Jews toward the Samaritans, see the commentaries on Matt 10:5; Luke 9:52; 2 Sam 17:29). The city of Sychar was apparently not a particularly important city, otherwise the evangelist would not have given it a closer definition. Most likely, there is meant here a small place called Askar, which still exists on the southeastern slope of Mount Gebal. It indeed is located not far from that parcel of ground which Jacob purchased from the sons of Hamor (Gen 33:19) and which, according to Jewish tradition, he added to the inherited parcel of Joseph (cf. Gen 48:22).

John 4:6. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. Not having reached the city itself, Christ, exhausted from traveling in the intense heat (it was already midday, a hot time, when in the East people ordinarily stay indoors), stopped to rest by the well. The evangelist calls this well the “well of Jacob” according to the tradition of the Samaritans (cf. verse 12), although in the Old Testament there is no mention of such a well. From the Samaritan woman’s words it is clear that this well was fed by sources flowing from beneath the earth. However, the water in the well stood very low, so that without a special bucket it was impossible to drink from it. Jesus apparently was more exhausted from traveling than His disciples, who went to Sychar to buy food. The time was “about the sixth hour,” that is, by Hebrew reckoning about twelve o’clock—the hottest part of the day. The exhausted Christ sat by the well “in such a way” (οὕτως; this word remained untranslated in the Russian Gospel), that is, simply, probably directly on the ground. Near Him could have been the beloved disciple John.

John 4:7. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” John 4:8. For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. At this time a Samaritan woman came to the well, perhaps from the nearby city of Sychar. Christ addresses her with a request to give Him water to quench His thirst.

John 4:9. The Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask drink of me, a Samaritan woman? For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” The Samaritan woman probably recognized in Christ a Jew both by the features of his face and by his dress, and finally by his pronunciation. Travelers report that Samaritans have a type unlike the Jewish type. The dress of Samaritans had fringes of blue color, while the Jews had white. Finally, in the pronunciation of certain vowels and consonants the Samaritans differed from the Jews. For example, they could not pronounce the sound “sh” (Edersheim, p. 516). “For Jews…” This, of course, is a remark of the evangelist himself.

John 4:10. Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” Christ answers the Samaritan woman that His request to her does not really correspond to His position. But He says this not in the sense that He is a Jew, but in the sense that He is in relation to all people the One Who gives, not the One Who receives from them. He distributes an incomparably higher gift than anything people could give Him—namely, the true gift of God. This gift of God, which Christ can give to people at their request, He describes figuratively as “living water,” apparently in order to compare it with the gift (water) which He asked the Samaritan woman for. By this gift Christ undoubtedly meant the grace of the Holy Spirit, which He was to bestow on believers in Him (cf. John 7:37-39) and which believers were in some measure to expect to receive even before Christ’s death and resurrection (Luke 11:13).

John 4:11. The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water?” Since Jacob’s well was also considered by the Samaritans to be a gift of God, given to the patriarch, and since it also had living water in it (cf. verse 6), the Samaritan woman supposed that Christ wanted to spare her the trouble of drawing water from the deep well herself. But at once she objected to herself that this stranger-Jew could not do this, since he had no necessary tool for this purpose.

John 4:12. “Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, and also his sons and his flocks?” The Samaritan woman wondered where this Jew could obtain living water here. The patriarch Jacob, whom the Samaritans considered their ancestor, was great in the sight of God, and yet he, by his own efforts, dug this deep well—a well so rich in water that it was sufficient for all the patriarch’s family, which was very large, and for all his livestock. This Jew, the Samaritan woman thought to herself, had no helpers or tools for digging a new well. Perhaps he would bring forth water from the rock with his staff, like Moses? But then who is he? Such thoughts the Samaritan woman harbored.

John 4:13. Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again,” John 4:14. But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. Christ diverts the Samaritan woman’s thought from ordinary water to spiritual water. Why speak at length of this ordinary water, which cannot permanently satisfy a man? Even if it is spring water flowing from the ground, still, having drunk such water, you will want to drink again. No, there is water of another kind, which will forever quench man’s thirst. This water can be given only by Christ, and not now (“shall give”—future tense). But more than that, this new water will not only forever quench man’s thirst; it will itself become in man a source, whose water will flow to eternal life. Christ, evidently, speaks here of the grace of the Holy Spirit, which will be granted to believers in Christ by reason of His redemptive merits. This grace will not remain dead capital in the believer’s heart, but will increase more and more, and finally will flow, like a river abundant with water, into the broad sea of eternal life. Here on earth, this stream of grace must flow only a short time; it, so to speak, strives toward wider expanses of the Heavenly Kingdom.

John 4:15. The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” The Samaritan woman is struck by Christ’s words. With respect, she calls Him master. Nevertheless, she still cannot understand that Christ is speaking to her of God’s grace. An excuse for her in this misunderstanding could be that the Samaritans accepted only the books of Moses, and yet only the prophets described the grace of the Holy Spirit under the image of “water” (Isa 44:3).

John 4:16. Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” Since the Samaritan woman proves to be incapable of understanding Christ’s words, He commands her to summon her husband here to converse with Him, who, it is presumed, will explain to her afterward what she herself is unable to understand.

John 4:17. The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have said well, ‘I have no husband,’” John 4:18. “For you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” To the Samaritan woman’s answer that she has no husband, Christ says that she told the truth. Indeed, she now does not live in a lawful marriage with one man. Christ adds that in general she is a woman who is not high in moral character: she has already had five husbands. Whether the Samaritan woman was deprived of these husbands in a natural way—that is, were they one after another taken from her by death—or whether divorce took place here, Christ does not say.

John 4:19. The woman said to Him, “Sir, I see that You are a prophet.” John 4:20. “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” The Samaritan woman is astonished that the unknown passerby knows all the circumstances of her life. At the same time, it apparently became shameful for her before such a man as whom she calls him even a prophet, as if recalling that prophet whose coming had been foretold by Moses (Deut 18:18). Therefore she wants to quickly divert the conversation from her own person, from her disapproved conduct, and addresses Christ with a question of general religious significance. Perhaps she indeed had genuine patriotic feelings. In any case, she wishes to know from the prophet, who certainly she thinks will tell her all the truth, where the place of worship pleasing to God is located. The “fathers” of the Samaritans—that is, as the Samaritan woman thinks, the patriarchs: Noah, whose ark, according to Samaritan beliefs, landed on Mount Gerizim; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who also offered sacrifices on this mountain—all worshiped on this very mountain. Relatively recently, the Samaritan temple still stood here, which was destroyed somewhat before the Christian era by the Jewish leader John Hyrcanus. Meanwhile, the Jews asserted that the worship of God was possible only in Jerusalem.

John 4:21. Jesus said to her, “Believe Me, a time is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.” In response to the Samaritan woman, Christ says that the Samaritans will soon “worship the Father” (Christ calls God “Father” here in order to suggest to the Samaritan woman the thought of that closeness which should exist between people and God) not on their own Gerizim and not in the Jewish Jerusalem. This clearly contains a prophecy of the conversion of the Samaritans, at least a significant part of them, to faith in Christ. This prophecy was fulfilled soon after Christ’s ascension (Acts 8:14).

John 4:22. “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is from the Jews.” But for now Christ acknowledges the Jews’ right to be considered true worshipers of God. However, He does not say that the Samaritans do not know the true God: they simply do not understand, as they should, the true nature of religion, and therefore their worship of God cannot fully be compared with Jewish worship. Christ explains the advantage of Jewish worship by pointing out that “salvation is from the Jews,” that is, salvation through the Messiah is to be the lot of all the nations of the earth, but, as the prophets said, it will first appear in the Israeli people (Isa 2:1-5). There, toward Zion, the nations of the earth should still direct their gaze; the Israeli people still continues to be the sole bearer of God’s promises, and the worship performed in Jerusalem, by its rites, foreshadows the great sacrifice which the Messiah will soon offer for the salvation of all people (cf. Rom 9:4-5).

John 4:23. “But a time is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him.” However, soon a time will come when Judaism will lose its right to be considered the only true religion, to which the gaze of all humanity should be directed. This time can be said to have already come, at least the turning toward it is being noticed. Christ characterizes this coming era as a time when “true,” that is, truly worthy of this name, worshipers or reverent believers will worship the Father (cf. verse 21) “in spirit and in truth.” The word “spirit” here denotes the opposite of flesh and everything that has a fleshly, restricting the freedom of the spirit character. Among the Jews and Samaritans there was a belief that the success of prayer depended on external conditions, mainly on the place where worship was performed. Soon there will no longer be such restriction of man to a certain place; people everywhere, in all places on earth, will offer worship to God. But beyond this, soon there will be another change: service to God will be performed “in truth,” that is, all falsity, which existed in Jewish and any other worship, will cease—when hypocrites participated in worship and were considered true worshipers of God (Matt 15:7 and following). Worship will be performed only from a sincere heart, in a pure disposition of spirit. Thus, here Christ speaks not a word against worship in general, does not deny the necessity for man, as a being living in flesh, to express his feelings before God in certain external ways (cf. Matt 6:6). He speaks only against those narrow views of worship which existed then among all peoples, not excepting the Jews. That He acknowledges the necessity for external worship is evident not only from His own example (He, for instance, before turning to the Father “lifted up His eyes to heaven”—John 11:41; knelt down in prayer in Gethsemane—Luke 22:41), but also from the fact that when He speaks here of future worship of the Father, He uses a verb that denotes precisely the bowing down of man to the earth—that is, the external expression of a prayer feeling (προσκυνήσουσιν).

John 4:24. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.” God is pleased with those who bow before Him “in spirit,” who rise above attachment to one certain place, pleased because He Himself “is spirit,” a Being standing beyond all bounds of time and therefore close to every soul seeking Him (Acts 17:24-29).

John 4:25. The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” The Samaritan woman does not dare to make any objections to Christ regarding His teaching about the advantages of the Jewish people and about new worship of God: she sees in Him a prophet. But at the same time she is afraid to acknowledge what the unknown prophet is telling her. She herself is not able to understand these most difficult questions of religion, although she did appeal to Christ earlier for the decision of one of them. Only the Messiah, she says, will explain everything to us. (The expression “that is, Christ” undoubtedly belongs not to the Samaritan woman, but to the evangelist, who added it for his Greek readers.) How the Samaritans at that time imagined the Messiah—one cannot say anything certain about this. However, one can fairly suppose that the Samaritans could not avoid assimilating certain parts of Jewish ideas about the Messiah. They called Him “Taheb,” that is, the Restorer, and said that He would restore the tent of witness with all its vessels and explain the hidden meaning of the law of Moses. The Taheb would appear, however, not only as a Teacher, but also as a King, to Whom Israel and all the peoples of the earth would submit.

John 4:26. Jesus said to her, “I Who speak to you am He.” Since the Samaritan woman, evidently, belonged to those who awaited the Messiah with all their soul and His salvation, Christ openly reveals to her that He is the Messiah she was awaiting. Just so did He reveal Himself to John’s disciples at their very first conversation with Him, since they were prepared for faith in Him (John 1:41). The readiness, however, of the Samaritan woman to believe in Christ as the Messiah was expressed already by the fact that she recognized Him as a prophet (verse 19).

John 4:27. At this moment His disciples came, and they marveled that He was speaking with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or “Why are You speaking with her?” For a man, and especially a rabbi, to converse with a woman on the road was considered improper among the Jews. But the disciples did not dare to voice their bewilderment to their Teacher.

John 4:28. Then the woman left her water jar and went into the city, and said to the people, John 4:29. “Come, see a Man Who told me all things that I ever did; could this be the Christ?” John 4:30. They went out of the city and came to Him. The Samaritan woman, meanwhile, troubled perhaps by the arrival of the prophet’s disciples, who might ask their Teacher who this woman was conversing with Him, hurried to leave and hastened to inform her fellow citizens of the appearance of this remarkable prophet, so that they might have time to speak with Him before He departed on His journey. She herself does not dare to directly declare in the city that she had spoken with the Messiah; she leaves the decision of the question about the prophet to those more knowledgeable. However, she does not hesitate to remind her fellow citizens of her disreputable life, and she speaks so convincingly that a crowd of people follows her.

John 4:31. Meanwhile His disciples were asking Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” John 4:32. But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” John 4:33. So the disciples said to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” John 4:34. Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him Who sent Me and to complete His work.” To the disciples’ offer to refresh Himself with food brought by them from the city, Christ says that He has other food, and this food consists in His being able to do the will of His Father and to complete or, more precisely, to bring to completion the work of the Father (τελειοῦν). Christ does not mean by this that He does not need ordinary food; He only gives them to understand that under certain circumstances the fulfillment of divine will is for Him also a means of strengthening His bodily strength, and sometimes substitutes for ordinary food. It should be noted that Christ views His mission as the completion of that great work (ἔργον) which the Father in Heaven has long been accomplishing in humanity. It was the Father Himself Who prepared the Samaritan woman and her fellow tribesmen for faith in Christ; it was He Who awakened in the souls of these semi-pagans the desire to know the truth, and the task of Christ was only to develop those seeds which God had sown in the hearts of people.

John 4:35. “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.” Christ wants to instill in the disciples also greater humility in understanding their purpose. He does this in figurative form. Since the conversation was about food and, in particular, about bread, which of course the disciples had brought from the city, Christ naturally turns his thought to the fields on which the bread grew. The well by which Christ sat was on some elevation, from which the fields belonging to the inhabitants of Sychar could be seen. “You say,” thus one can convey Christ’s figurative utterance, “that there are still four full months until harvest, and this is completely correct. But there is another harvest, more important for us—this is the conversion of souls, and here, in Samaria, this harvest must begin right now, because the fields have already turned white—the spiritual bread has already matured.” From the visible Christ turns the eyes of His disciples to the invisible. However, it can be supposed that already then the fellow citizens of the Samaritan woman, guided by her, began to come to the well (cf. verse 30), and it was upon them that Christ could be pointing to His disciples while saying: “lift up your eyes.” It should be noted that on the basis of this verse one can approximately determine the time of Christ’s public activity within the bounds of Judea. Christ says that four months remain until harvest, and harvest in Palestine usually began on the sixteenth of Nisan and continued until the Feast of Pentecost, that is, until the month of Sivan (according to our calendar, from April 1 to May 20). Wheat harvest, in particular, began two weeks later, that is, April 15. If the fields of the Samaritans were sown with wheat, which is very probable, then it is clear that Christ was in Samaria in early January or even at the end of December; before this, more than eight months had passed since Passover. The entire period of more than eight months Christ spent in Judea.

John 4:36. “Already the reaper is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.” Whereas Christ’s disciples could at best compare the religious state of the Samaritans only with green fields still having much time before harvest, Christ says to them that already now (the particle ἤδη, left untranslated in the Russian text and incorrectly attached in the Slavic translation to the end of verse 35, should stand at the beginning of verse 36; cf. Tischendorf, 8th ed.), not after four months or centuries, the reaper is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, and this leads to the fact that the sower and the reaper rejoice together. “Eternal life” here appears as the region into which the spiritual harvest is gathered—all these souls being saved by Christ. Just as harvested grain goes into the granary (cf. Matt 3:12). Christ’s disciples should understand that the inhabitants of Sychar are already fully ripened wheat which must now be reaped. This harvest itself is the “reward” for the one who reaped, because he receives it not only according to his own labors, but also as the result of the labors of the one who sowed this wheat. In this spiritual harvest, however, there is something unlike what happens in ordinary harvest. Not only the spiritual reaper rejoices, but also the spiritual sower.

John 4:37. “For in this the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’” John 4:38. “I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” Concerning the spiritual harvest, the saying “one sows, the other reaps” finds its perfect fulfillment. If in ordinary harvest the collector of grain is, as a rule, the one who sowed it, then in spiritual harvest it is always otherwise. God sows (cf. verse 34), and Christ and after Him the apostles will gather this divine spiritual sowing, when it grows and ripens. Indeed, neither Christ nor the apostles had been occupied hitherto with the conversion of the inhabitants of Sychar, and yet the Sycharites were already prepared to receive the Gospel teaching. God Himself prepared them for this conversion, perhaps through the books of Moses, which the Samaritans accepted from the Jews, perhaps and in other ways. Therefore the apostles should not be proud of their successes, as if the result of only their own labors: these successes are first of all the result of God’s activity in the world, and their work is chiefly the work of reapers. On the other hand, Christ by this also encourages the apostles regarding the results of their activity: let them boldly go into the world—there a harvest already prepared by God Himself awaits them. “I sent you…” Christ undoubtedly had already spoken to His disciples earlier about why He was calling them, and they could perform baptism only as sent for this by Christ (John 4:2). “Others have labored…” Here Christ could have in mind the Jewish priests, who taught the Samaritans the law of Moses (2 Sam 17:28 and following), as well as John the Baptist, whose activity could hardly have passed unnoticed by the Samaritans.

John 4:39. And many Samaritans from that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all things that I have done.” John 4:40. So when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. John 4:41. And many more believed because of His own word. John 4:42. And they said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe; for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is truly the Savior of the world, Christ.” Besides those Samaritans who came to Christ and believed in Him because of the woman’s word, many believed in Him during the two days which Christ spent in Sychar at the request of the city’s inhabitants. Remarkable is the fact that the Samaritans believed only in Christ’s teaching, not asking Him for miraculous signs to assure them of the truth of His divine mission, and thereby showed themselves better than the Jews, who if they believed Christ, did so only because they saw the miraculous signs performed by Christ (John 2:23). And those who first became followers of Christ on the basis of the woman’s testimony, from their own conversation with Christ brought away firm assurance that He is indeed the Savior of the world. This was, of course, brought about by the fact that Christ’s teaching about His Kingdom fully coincided with those hopes which the Samaritans had placed on their Taheb, or Redeemer of Jews and Gentiles (cf. verses 25-26). To the question of why Christ remained in Samaria for only two days, Loisy answers: “Jesus does not remain in the place where He was recognized as the Savior of the world, because it was not within the framework of Providence that the glory of the incarnate Word be recognized by everyone before His death” (p. 368).

John 4:43. Now after two days He departed from there and went into Galilee, John 4:44. for Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. The reason why Christ departs to Galilee at this time, the evangelist sees in the fact that “a prophet has no honor in his own country,” concerning which, according to the evangelist’s note, Christ Himself once testified. What does the evangelist understand here by Christ’s “country”? He could not have meant Galilee because Christ is precisely on His way to Galilee at this time. Neither could he mean the truly inhospitable city of Nazareth (Luke 4:24) in this way because throughout the Gospel Nazareth is part of Galilee, and therefore the evangelist could not contrast Nazareth, which Christ did not visit, with Galilee, to which He went. It would be as impossible to say, for example, about a Russian person: “I went to Russia because I do not want to go to Moscow.” Therefore the only correct interpretation is that by Christ’s “country” the evangelist means Christ’s true homeland as a descendant of David in the flesh—that is, the city of the Judean tribe Bethlehem and Judea in general, in contrast to Samaria and Galilee. Here, in Judea, Christ indeed did not receive honor, as was evident from the attitude toward Him by the Pharisees (John 4:1-3). This does not contradict the fact that, according to the Synoptics, His country is Nazareth (Luke 4:23) and Galilee in general (Matt 26:69). The Synoptics speak only of the popular idea that had formed about Christ’s origin; John speaks of the actual fact.

John 4:45. So when He came into Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things which He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also went to the feast. The Galileans received Christ much better than the inhabitants of Judea. The evangelist explains this by the influence on them of everything which Christ had accomplished in Jerusalem. They, consequently, understood the meaning of Christ’s appearance in the Jerusalem temple and, seeing His miracles performed at Passover, began to incline toward recognizing His Messianic dignity.

John 4:46. So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son was sick. John 4:47. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and asked Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Not stopping at Nazareth, Christ goes to Cana of Galilee, probably because the inhabitants of this city, where Christ performed His first sign, were more inclined to receive Christ with due honor. After some time, a royal official of Herod Antipas came to Cana from Capernaum—that is, probably some secular person serving at the court. This man’s son was sick, and therefore he came to ask Christ to come to him in Capernaum and heal the patient. It does not appear that the royal official had faith in Christ as the Messiah; the rebuke that Christ addresses to him (verse 48) shows that he did not yet have such faith. But in any case, he saw in Christ a miracle-worker sent from God, a great rabbi, such as Nicodemus, for instance, pictured Christ to himself (John 3:2).

John 4:48. Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” Christ attributes to the royal official belonging to those people who, for their assurance of the truth of Christ’s divine mission, need signs and wonders. But with this rebuke He does not deprive the royal official of the hope that his request will be granted (cf. John 2:4).

John 4:49. The official said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” The royal official does not contradict Christ, but at the same time does not abandon what he has begun. He asks Christ to come to Capernaum quickly, in order to find his son still alive. Despairing of the power of Christ to raise the dead, he is nevertheless confident that the prayer of Christ, as a man of God, can heal the patient. With his last words the royal official expresses the thought that Christ will go to Capernaum anyway, which had become for some time the place of His constant residence and that of His family (John 2:12). So let Him hurry.

John 4:50. Jesus said to him, “Go, your son lives.” And the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off. The royal official undoubtedly had faith in Christ, though imperfect, and Christ, to strengthen this faith, tells him to go home calmly, since his son has already survived the crisis and at present is on the way to recovery (21). Remarkable is the fact that the royal official believed this word of Christ without yet seeing its fulfillment. Clearly, his faith suddenly became a strong conviction in the invisible as if in the visible, in the desired and expected as if in the present (Heb 11:1). Christ thus healed the son of bodily illness, and the father of spiritual illness, of weakness of faith.

John 4:51. And as he was going down, his servants met him, saying that his son was living. John 4:52. So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” John 4:53. So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives”; and he believed, he and his whole household. The royal official apparently set out on his journey only toward evening, and then spent the entire night traveling (between Cana and Capernaum there was reckoned to be about 25 miles). In the morning his servants met him on the road, hurrying to report to their master that his son had fortunately survived the crisis of his illness. It turned out that this crisis occurred precisely at the seventh hour, or at one o’clock in the afternoon, when Christ said to the royal official that his son had recovered. “And he believed…” Although the royal official had already believed the word of Christ in faith (verse 50), now he believed in Christ as the true Messiah, entered into the ranks of His followers, along with his whole household.

John 4:54. This again was the second sign that Jesus performed when He had come from Judea into Galilee. This sign was the second one after the miracle of turning water into wine, which was performed nine months earlier. And after this sign John does not report any other which Christ would have performed at this time in Galilee. Clearly, Christ did not yet want to appear in Galilee as a teacher and preacher; He had not yet called His disciples to constant following of Him. Only from verse 2 of the sixth chapter does John begin to depict the sequential activity of Christ in Galilee. It can be supposed that Christ initially wanted to pass through His “country” once more—Judea—so that He might first announce the word of salvation to it. The miracle described here by John is not the same as the miracle reported by Matthew (Matt 8:5-13) and Luke (Luke 7:1-10). First of all, the time of that and this event is not the same. In the Synoptics there is mention of an event that falls on the time of great Galilean activity of Christ, which began after John the Baptist was taken into custody (Matt 4:12), while here—of an event that occurred when the Baptist was still at large (John 3:24). Then, that miracle was performed in Capernaum, while this one was in Cana. There appears a centurion—a Gentile—in one place, and a royal official—a Jew—in the other; the latter Christ directly attributes to those Galileans who expected miracles from Him (verse 48). The sick person in the Synoptics is a servant, while here it is a son, who moreover was sick with fever, whereas the servant lay in paralysis. Finally, there the centurion appears as a model of zealous faith: according to his conviction, Christ by one word alone can heal the patient; while with the royal official Christ reproaches weakness of faith: according to the royal official’s understanding, Christ needed to come and visit the patient in order to perform healing. * * * On this points the expression ζῇ, that is, lives, recovers, is moving toward complete recovery, while before he was moving toward death.

Chapter Five

1-18. The healing of a paralytic at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath. The Jews plot to kill Christ for breaking the Sabbath and for His teaching about Himself as the Son of God. – 19-47. Christ’s discourse about Himself as the true Son of God, to Whom the Father has given authority over the world.

John 5:1. After this there was a Jewish feast, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. “After this,” that is, after the events (μετὰ ταῦτα—plural; cf. μετὰ τοῦτο—singular in John 2:12) described by John in the fourth chapter. “There was a Jewish feast.” What was this feast? It is most probable to suppose that with this expression John meant the Feast of Tabernacles, as the most joyful and beloved among the people. The Feast by itself (ἡ ἑορτή) is sometimes called the Feast of Tabernacles in the books of the Old Testament (1 Sam 8:2; Ezek 45:25; Nehem 8:14) and also in Josephus Flavius (Josephus Flavius. “Jewish Antiquities” XX, 9, 3; XIII, 13, 5). One cannot say the same of Passover or Pentecost, much less of the Feast of Purim. For instance, in the Old Testament in the translation of the Seventy, the Feast of Pentecost (in Aramaic—Aserta, in Hebrew—Atzeret) is nowhere referred to simply by the expression “the feast” (ἡ ἑορτή). But if John here means the Feast of Tabernacles, then between Christ’s passage through Samaria in January (John 4:35) and the present event, which occurred in Jerusalem in early October (from the 15th to the 22nd of Tishrei), about nine months passed, during which the Lord lived in seclusion in Galilee, not visiting Jerusalem for the preceding Passover (the 2nd Passover) that had occurred. “Jesus went up to Jerusalem.” The Lord comes to Jerusalem alone, without His disciples, who at this time, apparently, returned to their former occupations. It can, however, be supposed that the Apostle John, who had the opportunity to go with the Lord to Jerusalem, did not abandon his Teacher on this stay of Christ in Jerusalem. Otherwise, how could he have obtained the discourse of Christ, which was spoken on account of the healing of the paralytic? (Edersheim’s assumption that Christ Himself later conveyed its content to John is improbable: nowhere in the Gospels is there even the slightest indication of such a way for Matthew and John to become acquainted with the speeches of Christ.)

John 5:2. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porticos. Near the Sheep Gate (Nehem 3:32), which was located in the northern part of the wall, there existed a pool or bathing place with five covered porticos, in which sick people lay. This pool was called in Hebrew (more properly “in Aramaic”) Bethesda (in Aramaic Beth-Hesda), that is, “house of mercy,” “house of merciful love.” When John wrote his Gospel, this pool still existed (he says, “there is”). The devastation wrought in Jerusalem by Titus in the year 70 was, evidently, not as terrible as described by Josephus Flavius (“The Jewish War,” VII, 1, 1), and known places and remains of buildings could still be found in the city. Eusebius of Caesarea says that in the year 70 only half of Jerusalem perished (Demonstratio evangelica, VI 18, 10; cf. “Ecclesiastical History,” IV 23, 18). In a discourse attributed to St. Athanasius, it is said that the said pool existed even in the fourth century (ed. Montfaucon, 2, 70; cf. the article “On Bethesda” by Polyansky in the reports of the Palestine Society for 1910).

John 5:3. In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, withered, waiting for a moving of the water; John 5:4. for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever therefore first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made whole of whatever disease with which he was afflicted. Here is described a miracle performed in the pool over those sick who managed to plunge themselves into the water immediately after it was stirred by the Angel coming down at certain times. Modern editors of the evangelical text, however, make of both these verses one, leaving only the words “in them (that is, in the covered passages or galleries) lay a great multitude of sick, blind, lame, withered.” The rest, in the opinion of modern editors, represents a later insertion (interpolation), and in the earliest Greek manuscripts there are no further words about the miracle performed thanks to the descent of an Angel; nor are they present in the ancient Syrian translations of the Gospel of John. But such an exclusion of verse 4 cannot be accepted in view of the fact that such authorities as the Alexandrian Codex, Saints John Chrysostom and Cyril of Alexandria, and almost all Latin Church writers, the Vulgate, and the Coptic translation have verse 4 in them. As for how the evangelist himself regarded the folk belief in the miraculous power of the water of this pool, nothing definite can be said. Apparently, he simply reports here the view which existed at his time among the Jews, who usually saw in extraordinary and incomprehensible phenomena of nature the actions of heavenly spirits who had in their care one or another realm or element of nature. In the Apocalypse there is also mention of an Angel of water (Rev 16:5), and this circumstance suggests the possibility that even John himself was not unacquainted with the general Jewish belief in the existence of special Angels acting on people through various elements of nature. And this thought is in general consistent with faith in the existence of divine providence; moreover, the evangelist says that this action of the Angel on the water was accomplished not regularly at set times, but through quite indefinite intervals of time (“at certain seasons”—an indefinite expression which denotes precisely unequal intervals between the descents of the Angel, as is indicated by the expression κατὰ καιρόν).

John 5:5. And there was a certain man there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. John 5:6. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in that condition for a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” John 5:7. The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” In the pool lay a sufferer who had been in a paralyzed state for thirty-eight years. He was probably brought here from somewhere or taken from some distance, and there was no constant attendant near him who would plunge him into the water immediately after it was stirred. From the patient himself or from one of his neighbors Christ learned of his unhappy fate. When John depicts cases of “direct comprehension” of something by Christ, he expresses himself differently than here (cf. John 1:48; John 2:24 and following; John 4:17-19). “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man, evidently, had already lost the capacity to understand the full force of his misery, and Christ, by His question, awakens in him the fallen hope for the possibility of healing, awakens the desire to be well. At the same time, Christ was directing the attention of the patient to Himself, wanted to give him to understand that healing can be given to him by Christ. The sick man, however, sees no other way of deliverance except immersion in the miraculous water of the pool, and this way is unavailable to him.

John 5:8. Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” John 5:9. And immediately the man became well, and picked up his bed and began to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day. Although the Lord had reason at this time to be afraid of manifestations of enmity toward Him from the Jews, nevertheless He performs the healing of the sick man. In spite of the fact that this fell on the Sabbath, when it was forbidden to carry any weights, He commands the healed man to take his bed and walk. The extraordinary energy, which was undoubtedly shown by Christ in this command, produced a powerful lift in the spirit both of the sick man and of him, and he, immediately becoming well, quickly gathered his bed and went out of the pool. However, according to the best codices, the word “immediately” is not read in verse 9, and this seems to be the more correct reading. Christ probably left the pool before the patient felt completely well; otherwise it would be incomprehensible why the healed man did not think to ask his Benefactor who He was (cf. verse 13). Christ at this time, in contrast to how He acted before (cf. John 2:13-3:21), did not want to turn to the people with teaching on the occasion of the miracle performed. He performed this miracle not as a sign to attract people to faith in Him (cf. John 2:18), but as an act of mercy.

John 5:10. So the Jews said to the man who was healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your bed.” The healing was performed by Christ on the Sabbath, and this gave the Jews an occasion to accuse the healed sick man of violating the Sabbath rest, because this man, in fulfilling Christ’s command, carried his bed home, which was forbidden to do on the Sabbath (cf. Matt 12:1-8). By “Jews” here John evidently means, as in verse 18 of the second chapter, the official representatives of Judaism, perhaps even members of the Sanhedrin from among the Pharisees.

John 5:11. He answered them, “The One Who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’” John 5:12. They asked him, “Who is the Man Who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” John 5:13. And the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, there being a crowd in that place. The Jews pay no attention whatever to the miracle of healing itself—they are only concerned with knowing the name of the One Who commanded the healed man to violate the law concerning the keeping of the Sabbath rest.

John 5:14. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” John 5:15. The man went and told the Jews that it was Jesus Who had made him well. John 5:16. And for this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, and seeking to kill Him, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. Christ does not satisfy Himself with healing the body of the sick person; He wishes to heal his soul as well, threatening him with great suffering in the event that the sick person begins a sinful life again, such as brought about his sickness. The eyes of the one healed in this way are thus opened, and he is called to a change of life, to repentance, which will lead to salvation. The healed man, after meeting Christ, hurries to announce to the Jews about Christ as his healer. Hackett supposes that his low nature showed itself here (part 3, p. 114). But it is more probable to assume that he announced about Christ in the joy and simplicity of heart, thinking that the Jews would hasten to recognize in Christ a true prophet. He, of course, could not have known of the hostile relations in which the Jews stood toward Christ. The result of this revelation of the Healer’s name was an intensifying of the Jews’ enmity toward the Lord. As a violator of the Sabbath, they sought to kill Him. But obviously there was no opportunity for this, or perhaps not sufficient grounds.

John 5:17. Jesus said to them: My Father works until now, and I also work. Apparently the Jews approached Christ Himself in the temple with their accusations, pointing out to Him the words of Moses concerning the honoring of the Sabbath (Gen 2:2; Exod 20:10). Against such proofs the Lord says to the Jews that they incorrectly imagine the rest that came to God with the completion of the work of creation of the world, the rest of which Moses spoke (Gen 2:2). God’s Sabbath became a rest for God only from the works of creation, but God never ceased to be occupied with the work of providence concerning the created world. And from this it followed that the rest which, by the requirement of the law of Moses, the Hebrews were obliged to preserve on the Sabbath, consisted not at all in a complete cessation of all activity, but only in a certain change of man’s usual occupations to others, which for man represent nothing difficult, but rather promote the renewal of his strength. To such works, not included in the sphere of usual works, Christ refers the healing that He accomplished on the Sabbath. Consequently, they unjustly accuse Him of violating God’s commandment. But in this Christ bases His right to do works on the Sabbath on yet another special relationship in which He stands to God. He calls God His Father—in the direct sense of this word (He says “My Father,” not “our Father”). As having one nature with God, Christ acts with the same freedom as God.

John 5:18. And they sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God His own Father, making Himself equal to God. The Jews understood Christ’s words well and accused Him not only of breaking the Sabbath, but of blasphemy, and the Lord did not say that they misunderstood His words about His divine dignity. On the contrary, He then confirms the correctness of their understanding (St. John Chrysostom).

John 5:19. Jesus answered them: Truly, truly I say to you: The Son can do nothing of Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it; for what He does, the Son also does in like manner. From the 19th through the 47th verse, the Lord’s discourse follows, in which He speaks of His relationship to the Father. First, the Lord establishes the fact that the Son does only what the Father, who loves Him, reveals to Him, and even, like the Father, raises and gives life to the dead and executes judgment on the world (verses 19–30). Then, since the Jews might accuse Christ of self-exaltation, Christ points to testimony about Him from His Father—testimony consisting in the works which Christ accomplished by virtue of the power given Him by the Father, as well as to the predictions which are given about Christ in Scripture (verses 31–47). In defending Himself against the accusation of the Jews, Christ with special force (for this He repeats the word “truly” twice) confirms the thought that He as the Son of God can act only as His Father acts. Just as the son of an ordinary man sees all that his father does and watches his father’s activity, so Christ penetrates into all the mysteries of divine action and, as a Son, “can do nothing contrary to the Father, nothing strange to Him, nothing incongruous, and this still more shows equality between them and perfect agreement” (St. John Chrysostom). At the same time the Lord points also to His dependence as the Messiah on the Father (He cannot do anything “of Himself”) throughout all the days of His stay on earth (cf. John 3:13). This same thought is expressed also in the final words of the verse: “the Son also does in like manner.”

John 5:20. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. The fact that the initiative in all the Son’s works belongs to the Father in no way diminishes the Son. On the contrary, the greatest love of the Father for the Son is evident in this. The Father loves His Son so much that He shows Him all that He Himself does. Christ, thus, constantly, not only temporarily (as was the case with the prophets), dwells in the closest communion with God. Before Christ’s gaze the book of God’s decrees is constantly open. And the authority of Christ as the Messiah will further increase with time: the Father will “show,” that is, grant authority to Christ to do such works as will bring the Jews into extraordinary amazement (“so that” … more precisely, so that (ἵνα) you will marvel; this indicates the purpose which God has in granting Christ authority to do new, higher works).

John 5:21. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will. The works which are to bring the Jews into extraordinary amazement—these are the raising and quickening of the dead, which will be accomplished by the Son in the same way as the Father accomplishes it. “The Father raises” without reference to time: He raised before, raises now, and will raise afterward (cf. Deut 32:39; 1 Sam 2:6; Hos 6:2; Ezek 37:1-10; Dan 12:2). So also “the Son gives life to whom He will,”—again, as in the first statement, without reference to time—gives life now and will give life 25. “To whom He will.” This expression is added because here the discourse is about the raising of the dead, who have no will of their own but submit to the will of the Son. Some interpreters (for example, Bishop Michael) see in this addition an indication that the Lord is speaking here not of raising in the proper sense, but of spiritual-moral resurrection of living people through rebirth by Christ’s grace. But such an interpretation can hardly be agreed with. One must not lose sight of the fact that the raising here is made dependent solely on the will of Christ, whereas spiritual rebirth cannot occur without the consent of the one being reborn or without faith. Christ, of course, wished to raise everyone in a spiritual sense, but people themselves often resisted this desire of Christ (John 5:40; Matt 23:37). Moreover, Christ says that the quickening of the dead pertains to such works as the Father has not yet shown Him, but will show in time (verse 20). Meanwhile, works of spiritual quickening Christ accomplished before (John 1:37-51). Finally, the enemies of Christ did not merely marvel at such works of His, but on the contrary saw in them the deeds of a deceiver or a man standing in dependence on forces hostile to God (John 9:16). In view of all this, by “raising” and “quickening” here we should understand only the bodily raising of the dead, which, as an extraordinary miracle, was indeed to bring the enemies of Christ into extraordinary amazement.

John 5:22. For the Father does not judge anyone, but has given all judgment to the Son, Since the resurrection from the dead and judgment on humanity were, in the understanding of the Jews, closely connected with each other, the authority of the Son to raise the dead is confirmed here by reference to the fact that to the Son belongs “all judgment” as the sole Judge of the world. This, however, does not deny that God is the Judge of the world. The phrase corresponding to the expression “all judgment” in Greek (τὴν κρίσιν πᾶσαν) means not in general the judging activity which belongs to God (Gen 18:25), but judgment in a special sense, namely the last universal judgment and moreover the whole of it, in all its extent, as the Messiah is appointed to accomplish it (cf. Heb 9:27; Matt 7:22 and following; Matt 24:37 and following; Matt 25:31 and following; Luke 19:12-27). Thus, the Savior, the raiser of the dead, will also appear as their Judge.

John 5:23. so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. But judgment was not Christ’s chief work (cf. John 3:17), but only an accompaniment to His saving activity. Therefore, if here the discourse is about the honor which people should have for the Son, this honor should be based, of course, first of all, on the recognition of the significance of the Son as the Savior of all people. People should honor the Son as they honor the Father. Not only devout people who, however, did not hitherto know the Son, should, upon learning of Him, transfer to Him the honor which they hitherto gave only to God, but also the unbelieving Jews, who thought that by denying the Son they thereby honored God (John 8:49), might, under the influence of the miracles accomplished by Christ, believe in Him, especially when they see how the Son raises the dead (cf. John 12:42). Whoever stubbornly refuses to give the Son the honor due to Him should know that thereby he will offend the Father, who sent the Son: one cannot at one and the same time be both a worshipper of God and an enemy of Christ.

John 5:24. Truly, truly I say to you: Whoever hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. The raising of the dead Christ accomplishes in part even now. There are many people spiritually dead (Matt 8:22; Rev 3:1). Of them Christ had spoken before, saying that He was sent to quicken them (John 3:14-18). Now Christ says that they are not only dead in a figurative sense, but truly exist in a state of death, and only then can they rise from this deadly sleep when they believe in Christ, when they follow Him. Clearly, Christ does not make a distinction between bodily and spiritual death: an abnormal spiritual and physical condition is the same as that into which bodily death plunges man. On the other hand, even here on earth, one who accepts the teaching of Christ with faith possesses eternal life, and such a person preserves this life forever (cf. John 4:14). From the realm of death man thus passes into the realm of life, and as a result is freed from all judgment (“into judgment”—εἰς κρίσιν, without the article), both from that judgment which the unbeliever brings upon himself by his unbelief (John 3:18), and from the final judgment, to which all humanity will be subjected upon the resurrection of the dead (verse 29). However, liberation from the final judgment should not be understood as a complete freedom from the obligation to appear at the last dreadful judgment. No, all people, including believers, will be judged (Matt 25:33-34), but for the righteous, who believe in Christ, this judgment will not have such a terrifying significance as it will for the unbelievers (2 Tim 4:8).

John 5:25. Truly, truly I say to you: The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. Of what dead does Christ speak here? One cannot have in mind here the spiritually dead, and the particularly solemn tone heard here (Christ repeats the word “truly” twice) leads us to expect here an indication of something new, extraordinary, not a repetition of the thought of spiritual resurrection. Moreover, the raising of the dead at Christ’s call, which is depicted here, has in the context of the discourse the significance of proof of the extraordinary authority given to Christ by the Father. But can spiritual resurrection, as an event of man’s inner life, have such significance as proof? Thus, it is most probable to suppose that Christ, saying that the quickening of the dead is coming and has even already come, had in mind those miraculous raisings of the dead which He soon wished to accomplish. Such was the raising of Lazarus (John 11) and other similar miracles (Matt 9:18-26; Luke 7:11-17). As for the expression “who hear” (οἱ ἀκούσαντες), which some interpreters cite as proof of their thought that Christ had in mind the spiritually dead, who could “hear,” this expression only shows that those dead whom Christ wishes to call to life will obey His call. And St. John Chrysostom sees in the raising of the dead mentioned here a beginning of that resurrection which will take place before the dreadful judgment.

John 5:26. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself. John 5:27. And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. To show that in this promise to raise the dead in the proper sense there is not a trace of any self-exaltation and erroneous presumption, Christ says that the Father has granted Him to have life in Himself and to execute judgment. What does it mean “to have life in Himself”? Creatures cannot exist without the help of God. Without His breath, which gives them life and sustains them, they perish. Without food which God sends them, they cannot live (Ps 103:27-30; Acts 17:25-28). Only God in His being is not limited by anything, depends on nothing, and, on the contrary, from the boundless fullness of His own life can communicate life in boundless measure. This is what “to have life in Himself” means. As for the Son, He can do toward creatures the same thing as the Father, without thereby causing Himself any harm (cf. John 1:16), but the Son possesses such fullness of life as a gift received from the Father (cf. verses 19, 30). The same must be said about His activity as the Judge of humanity: it too is a consequence of the authority received from the Father. “Because He is the Son of Man.” Since here (verses 26–27) the discourse is not only about judgment but also about the quickening which the Son is given to accomplish, the words in question should contain in themselves the basis both of Christ’s judicial activity and of His right to raise and give life. Such a basis is the indication that Christ is “the Son of Man.” This expression had already appeared several times in the Synoptic Gospels, and it appeared also in John (John 1:51). From the context it is clear that in the present case the evangelist by this expression wishes to denote a special right, a special basis, by virtue of which the Son will appear as the Judge of men. It would be strange to suppose that Christ based such His right only on the fact that He is “true man” and that therefore it would be easy for Him to judge human affairs. With equal right many others could come forward as judges of humanity! Moreover, the New Testament in general is foreign to the use of the term “son of man” in the sense of “man.” If anywhere one encounters a replacement of the concept “man” by this term, it is only in places borrowed from the Old Testament (Heb 2:6; Rev 1:13). Therefore, it is more correct to suppose that Christ used the term “Son of Man” here as a designation of the Messiah, the King of the Kingdom of God founded by Him Himself. Only in such a sense could the Jews, Christ’s listeners, understand this expression.

John 5:28. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of God; John 5:29. and come forth; those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. “Do not marvel at this,” that is, at what is said above (verses 19–27). Obviously, Christ’s listeners did not trust His words about His Messianic dignity. “All who are in the tombs…” In comparison with what was said above about the authority Christ has over the dead, here there is something new. Namely, Christ says that at His call or command all the dead will rise, including those Jews who now listen to Christ’s discourse and in time will die. Then Christ points out that the lot of the risen will not be the same: only those who did good deeds during their life will obtain at the resurrection actual, eternal life, while wicked people will be subjected to condemnation, which represents the opposite of life (cf. verse 24). Who, however, is meant here by “those who have done good” or by virtuous people? Some (for example, Bishop Michael) see here a designation of the aggregate of people who believed in Christ. But since the Lord appears here as the Judge of all people who lived at all times, the judgment concerning them cannot be based on whether they had faith in Christ: the majority of them, of course, never heard of Christ. It is more correct to suppose that they will be judged on the basis of the natural moral law, which is innate in every human being, which, however, in its essence coincides with what the revealed law teaches (cf. Rom 2:12-16). From His words Christ’s listeners should have concluded that their own salvation depends on their attitude toward Christ, the Judge of all people.

John 5:30. I can do nothing of Myself. As I hear, so I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of the Father who sent Me. Since Christ acknowledges Himself dependent in His earthly activity on the Father, it means that the judgment which He will exercise will be entirely correct. He judges in accordance with what He hears from the Father, with whom He dwells in constant, closest communion. In this judgment He only fulfills the will of the Father. “I judge.” Although Christ will appear as the Judge of the world only at the end of time (verses 22, 27, 29), nevertheless He speaks of His judgment as of an event of the present time, for in a certain respect (cf. verse 25) His judicial activity is already manifesting itself now in His attitude toward the Jews (cf. John 3:19).

John 5:31. If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. John 5:32. There is another who bears witness of Me; and I know that the witness which He bears of Me is true. Christ’s listeners might again doubt the soundness of His threats, which He indirectly addressed to them—threats of His righteous judgment. Therefore, the Lord assures them to remember that not He alone bears witness about Himself. If only He Himself spoke of Himself as the Life-giver and Judge of the world, then His listeners, certainly from their point of view, would have the right to doubt His words. But there is another witness, the truth of which Christ’s listeners, the Jews, cannot doubt. This witness, the truth of which no one can doubt, is of course God Himself, as is evident from verse 36 and following.

John 5:33. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. John 5:34. But I do not receive testimony from man, but I say this so that you may be saved. John 5:35. He was a burning and shining lamp; and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. Although Christ could refer to the testimony that about Him the Baptist spoke as “about the truth” (that is, said that Christ is the true Messiah) before those sent from the Sanhedrin (John 1:19-23), nevertheless He does not do this, because John the Baptist as a man could not give decisive testimony about Christ. If Christ mentions the testimony of the Baptist, it is only in the interest of His listeners, to give them the opportunity to use every means to achieve salvation, which Christ obviously does not consider impossible for them. “He was a lamp.” This figurative description of the person and activity of John the Baptist reminds one of what is said in the Book of Wisdom about Elijah the prophet (Sir 48:1). Perhaps Christ also reminded His listeners of the prophecy of Malachi that before the coming of the Messiah there should appear as His forerunner the prophet Elijah (Mal 4:5-6). Christ wishes to say that John the Baptist had the same zeal for the glory of God as Elijah. The expression “was” (ἦν) indicates that the public ministry of the Baptist had already ended at the time when Christ spoke this discourse. “You were willing to rejoice for a while…” Instead of taking advantage of the preaching of John for their own conversion to the true path, the Jews only delighted in the consciousness that among them, after a long interval of time, there had appeared again a great prophet, before whom even kings trembled. Yes, for the Jews this lamp, now extinguished, shone in vain!

John 5:36. But I have a greater witness than that of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. John 5:37. And the Father who sent Me has Himself borne witness concerning Me. But you have never heard His voice nor seen His form; John 5:38. and you do not have His word abiding in you, because you do not believe Him whom He has sent. The Jews not only did not give credence to the testimony about Christ from John, this prophet of God; they do not now believe Christ Himself either, who has for Himself a testimony incomparably more powerful than John. The latter, as is known, performed no miracle (John 10:41), whereas Christ through the power of His Father works various miracles (“works”) and thereby bears witness that He is indeed sent by the Father. “And the Father who sent Me…” But these miracles or works constitute only indirect testimony of God about Christ. There is also another, direct testimony of God about Christ. God Himself, of course, in the Old Testament Scripture bears witness about Christ: Christ is always the chief subject of the prophecies of the Old Testament. But the Jews seem not to have heard God’s voice, nor seen God’s form, nor received God’s word into themselves—this is clearly evident from the fact that they do not believe Him whom God Himself has sent to them. Christ, however, does not reproach the Jews for not seeing and not hearing God, as, for example, the prophets or John did; they are not guilty in this. The reproach lies in the first part of verse 38: “you do not have His word abiding in you.” Christ wishes to say by this: “Suppose you have not been personally granted a direct revelation from God; nevertheless, you have Scripture, in which is contained such a revelation. Your fault consists in the fact that you do not esteem this Scripture as you should and soon forget what you have read in it.” If their attitude toward God’s word contained in Scripture were different, if this word were a power determining all their activity (cf. Matt 22:29), then they would have accepted Christ with faith, to whom Scripture pointed. But now they do not have this faith.

John 5:39. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that testify about Me. John 5:40. But you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. The Jews read Scripture, and very carefully (to see in the expression ἑρευνᾶτε an indicative mood rather than an imperative, as in the Russian text, the context of the discourse, which in general has an accusatory character, compels). They believe they find in it, in its letter, all salvation. “Scripture, however,” Christ says in passing, “exactly leads to Christ.” Yes, the Jews read Scripture, and very carefully, wish to fulfill it to the last letter, so as to find for themselves life or justification before God through the exact fulfillment of all details of the law, but they are unwilling to see behind the letter of Scripture the true Life-giver—Christ (cf. 2 Cor 3:14-16).

John 5:41. I do not receive glory from men, John 5:42. but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. The Lord speaks of Himself as the sole Source of life not at all from narrow ambition: for Him the honor which people usually surround their chosen favorites with has no attraction. He did not speak so sternly about the Jews because He was dissatisfied with their disrespectful attitude toward Him as a teacher. His harsh judgments about the Jews are explained by the fact that He knows them well as people who do not have love toward God, or more precisely, love from God, such as is characteristic of God (cf. John 17:26; Rom 5:5). In truth, if they had such love, which manifests itself in compassion and mercy toward the unfortunate, they would not have risen up against Christ because He accomplished the healing of a paralyzed man on the Sabbath.

John 5:43. I have come in the name of My Father, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. The rejection of Christ by representatives of Jewry seems all the more strange because, as Christ predicts, in time they will receive another who makes the same claim about himself as Christ makes now. This prediction was first fulfilled when Simon Bar Cochba, one of the Jewish patriots, who raised the banner of revolt against Roman rule, was recognized as “the star from Jacob” (cf. Num 24:17), that is, the true Messiah, and when thousands of Jews followed this man to their deaths (132–135 A.D.). According to the interpretation of St. John Chrysostom, here Christ alludes to the antichrist. “In his own name.” This other will not truly be authorized by God to claim the title of Messiah, as Christ was authorized by His Father. According to the interpretation of St. John Chrysostom, who sees here only the antichrist, this latter will himself call himself god and will act in every way contrary to the will of the true God.

John 5:44. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that is from the only God? In explaining further reasons for the unbelief of the Jews, Christ points out that they are not at all concerned with receiving that grace which the Messiah-Redeemer should bring to people. They are narrow-minded in their ambitions, wholly occupied with how not to lose their dignity in the eyes of men. They seek only the glory and respect of men (Matt 23:6-8). “The glory that is from the only God, you do not seek.” Only one who humbly recognizes his spiritual poverty and seeks the help of God’s grace can believe in Christ. Such a person God will glorify, will recognize as His faithful servant. But the Jews are not concerned with this glory or honor which only God can give.

John 5:45. Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you have set your hope. John 5:46. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me. John 5:47. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words? The Lord spoke harsh accusations against the Jews, but He does not wish to come forward with accusations against the Jews before His Father. Against them there is already an accuser—Moses, in whom they place their hopes as a defender, for they so strictly fulfilled his commandments; how then could he not come to their aid before God, the Jews thought. No, Moses will not come to defend them when they stand before God’s judgment, because he himself predicted the coming of Christ and in prophecies and in the types contained in his Pentateuch. Not believing Christ, whom Moses had predicted to his people, the Jews thereby reveal distrust even of Moses himself. How then can they expect aid from Moses when they must stand before the terrible judgment seat of God? Christ’s discourse was intended to make a strong impression on His listeners, and this, probably, explains the fact that this time even His enemies did not dare to carry out their wicked intention against Christ (cf. verse 16). But in any case, from that time on there was a sharp and decisive change in the attitude of the representatives of Jewry toward Christ. It was no longer safe for Him to remain in Jerusalem, and even in Galilee enemies began to pursue Him closely. The shadow of the cross has now hung over all His future activity (Hackett). * * * House of mercy. It was here, probably, that sheep, intended for sacrifice, were driven. Besides, with the omission of the 4th verse, it becomes unclear what “disturbance of the water” the paralyzed man speaks to Christ about (verse 7). Between raising (ἐγείρειν) and quickening (ζῳοποιεῖν) there is some distinction. The first means only awakening from a death-like sleep, while the second—providing vital forces as a result of awakening.

Chapter Six

1–15. Feeding of five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. – 16–21. The walking of Jesus Christ on the sea. – 22–71. A discourse spoken by Christ in Capernaum about Himself as the bread of life.

John 6:1. After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (of Tiberias). “After this.” After the miraculous healing of the paralyzed man at Bethesda quite a bit of time passed. This is evident from the fact that Christ at this time was on the Sea of Galilee, and in order to reach this sea from Jerusalem, where Christ was when He healed the paralyzed man, considerable time was required. Moreover, there is no doubt that the miracles of feeding five thousand and of Christ’s walking on the sea, described here by the evangelist John, are the same miracles described by the evangelists Matthew (Matt 14:13-34) and Mark (Mark 6:30-53). The evangelist Luke relates only of the first miracle (Luke 9:10-17). And these miracles or signs constitute the highest point reached by Christ’s Messianic activity in Galilee among the Synoptics. From this we can conclude that John here passes over several months, during which Christ lived in Galilee after His return from Jerusalem from the Feast of Tabernacles (John 5:1). From the Gospels of Matthew and Mark we learn that during these months Christ had Capernaum as His permanent place of residence, from where He traveled throughout the region of the Sea of Galilee, and that He had already sent His apostles on a preaching mission. When they returned from their journey, Christ received news of the execution of John the Baptist by Herod Antipas, and since the murderer of the Baptist, who was at that time probably in his capital Tiberias, might come to the thought of putting an end to Jesus and His disciples, who of course could not approve of his actions, the Lord at that time thought it necessary to withdraw Himself and His disciples for a while from the sphere of Herod’s influence to the north-eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, where the tetrarchy of Philip began (Matt 14:13; Mark 6:31 and following). The Sea of Galilee (see the comments to Matt 4:18), called by Luke (Luke 5:1) the Sea of Gennesaret, is here called also the Sea of Tiberias, probably with reference to the Greek Christians, readers of the Gospel, to whom the name of Tiberias, the capital of Herod Antipas, named after the emperor Tiberius, was known. The expression of the Russian translation “in the region of” is superfluous.

John 6:2. A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was doing on those who were sick. For explanation of the story of feeding five thousand, see the comments to Matt 14:13-21. But John has some details of this event requiring also explanation.

John 6:3. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. Christ needed to converse with the apostles who had returned from their journey (Mark 6:30-31), and therefore He withdrew with them to one of the mountains.

John 6:4. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. John remarks about the approach of the Feast of Passover, on the one hand, to explain the unusual gathering of people on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee: the inhabitants of northern Galilee going at that time to Passover in Jerusalem had to go by the eastern side of the sea. On the other hand, John hints by this remark at the connection between the miraculous feeding of the people and the approaching Passover, for the Passover lamb prefigured Christ, who wished to give Himself up to death for the sins of the whole world, and in sign of this He presented Himself in the following discourse after the feeding of the people as the true bread of life.

John 6:5. When Jesus then lifted up His eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to Him, He said to Philip: “Where are we to buy bread so that these people may eat?” John 6:6. But He said this to test him, for He Himself knew what He was about to do. The Lord put the question to Philip so that he might realize that there was no way to help the hungry people in the ordinary manner, and so that Philip, upon the feeding of the people, would recognize in this the action of Christ’s omnipotence. It is evident that this apostle more than others needed strengthening of his faith in Christ.

John 6:7. Philip answered Him: “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that each one may receive a little.” “Two hundred denarii”—about forty rubles in our money. At that time, for such a sum one could buy around forty poods of bread, but even such a quantity of bread was little for five thousand people gathered around Christ. Besides, there were also women and children (Matt 14:21).

John 6:8. One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, John 6:9. “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish; but what are these for so many?” The disciples, evidently, had already searched themselves for stores of food that might be found among the people. This they were, of course, prompted to do by Christ’s address to them: “you give them something to eat” (Matt 14:16).

John 6:10. Jesus said: “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. John 6:11. Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. John 6:12. When they were satisfied, He said to His disciples: “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing may be lost.” John 6:13. And they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten. It is remarkable that even the apostles themselves had no food supplies. Indeed, if they had had any, the Lord would certainly have ordered them distributed to the people. Then John mentions fish (ὀψάρια, verses 9, 11). This word denotes a small fish, which was eaten with bread. This small fish was dried or salted, resembling large smelt or sardines.

John 6:14. Then those men, when they saw the sign which Jesus had done, said: “This is truly the Prophet, who is to come into the world.” John 6:15. Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself. The people, seeing in Jesus the Messiah, whom according to the promise of Moses (Deut 18:15) they call a prophet, wish to make Him king. But Jesus withdraws to the mountain, learning of the people’s intention.

John 6:16. When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, John 6:17. entered a boat, and started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. Here begins the narrative of Christ’s miraculous walking on the sea. For explanation, see the comments to Matt 14:22-34; Mark 6:46-51. The disciples, leaving Christ alone on the mountain, “went down to the sea.” The sea lay below the place where the feeding of the people had taken place, and the disciples had to “go down” or “descend” to it. By Christ’s command (Matt 14:22), they were to head toward Capernaum. The Lord wished to distance them from the people, whose enthusiasm for the idea of a Messiah-King might have spread to them as well. “But Jesus had not yet come to them.” From this some (for example, Bishop Michael) conclude that Christ had promised the apostles to come down from the mountain and travel with them in a boat. But the verb standing here (οὔπω ἐληλύθει) is more correctly translated as “had not yet come” and is an indication of that coming of Christ to the apostles spoken of in verse 19 (His coming over the sea). The disciples, setting out alone in a boat, might have supposed that Christ would come to Capernaum the next day on His own.

John 6:18. A strong wind was blowing and the sea was getting rough. John 6:19. After they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat, and they were frightened. John 6:20. But He said to them: “It is I; do not be afraid.” John 6:21. They were willing therefore to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. The evangelists Matthew and Mark indicate the time when Jesus came to the apostles over the sea. It was in the fourth night watch. Instead, John indicates the distance which the disciples had traveled before meeting Christ (a stadium—see Luke 24:13). When the disciples “wished to receive” Jesus into the boat, it immediately approached that place to which they were heading, that is, to Capernaum. According to the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, they “actually received” Jesus into the boat, after which the storm that began on the sea was calmed. To reconcile these conflicting accounts of the evangelists, we can suppose that John did not mention the actual entry of Jesus into the boat in order to hasten to report the miracle of the unexpected arrival of the boat at its destination. Moreover, the word “suddenly” (εὐθέως) does not always mean “immediately” (cf. Matt 24:29), so that between the arrival of the boat and the appearance of Christ on the sea there could have been some time, when He traveled in the boat with the apostles. This was the second miracle accomplished by Christ in Galilee, which the evangelist John mentions. For this period of time Christ, of course, accomplished in Galilee many other miracles, but John describes only two of them—the feeding of five thousand and the walking on the sea. Why does John report on Christ’s walking on the sea? Most probably, he saw in this miracle an indication that Christ will help the apostles in all dangers, even though the apostles considered Him distant from them as to place of residence. Then John could have seen in this miracle proof that Christ has authority over the forces of nature and that the spirit in general rises above corporeality and its conditions. As standing by His divine nature above the law of gravity and spatial limitation, Christ walks on the surging sea, and at His approach to the ship the storm ceases. In another similar case (Luke 8:22 and following) the storm ceases by Christ’s word; here—at His approach to the ship alone.

John 6:22. The next day the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away alone. John 6:23. However, other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks; John 6:24. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. From verse 22 through 70, there follows Christ’s discourse spoken after His return to Capernaum. This discourse is divided into three sections: the first is contained in verses 25–40, the second—in verses 41–51, and the third—in verses 52–59. Verses 22–24 represent a historical remark about the occasion for the discourse. The day after the accomplishment of the miracle of feeding the crowd, a multitude of people came to Capernaum in hopes of finding the Miracle-worker-Christ there. Having found Christ here in fact, the people turn to Him with the question: when did He come to Capernaum? Christ makes a remark to them: these people seek Christ only because they received a miraculous feeding, whereas they should be more concerned with eternal life, which can be called inexhaustible food. When, upon the demand of the people to accomplish before them something similar to the sending down of manna by Moses, the Lord responds with the declaration that the true bread from heaven is coming down to the people now and that this bread of life is Christ Himself. Since the crowd of people shows unbelief in these words of the Lord, Christ explains that His listeners, evidently, do not belong to the number of His Father’s chosen ones (verses 25–40). To this reproach His listeners respond by pointing to His simple origin, while Christ, continuing His thought, explains in what the “drawing” of people by the Father consists, and points to the necessity of faith in Him, Christ, because He alone can give people eternal life (verses 41–51). Since Christ said that the bread of life, which He will give people, is His own flesh, the Jews were offended by this. However, the Lord again affirmed that without eating His flesh and drinking His blood no one can obtain eternal life (verses 52–59). After this, some of His disciples were also offended by Christ’s words, but the apostle Peter on behalf of the twelve confessed that Christ alone has the words of eternal life (verses 60–71). The thought of verses 22–24 is as follows: the next day the crowd standing on the other side of the sea, when they saw (that is, learned) that there had been no other boat besides the one belonging to Christ’s disciples, and that Jesus did not enter the boat with His disciples, but His disciples departed alone (and yet new boats had come from Tiberias), seeing this, the crowd sailed in these boats to Capernaum, which was known to be Jesus’ permanent place of residence.

John 6:25. When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him: “Rabbi, when did You come here?” Jesus was found by the people on the “other” side of the sea, that is, on the opposite shore from which the miraculous feeding took place, and specifically in the Capernaum synagogue (see verse 59). This was, then, on a day when worship was being held in the synagogues, that is, on Monday or Thursday (Hackett). By their question, probably asked as Jesus entered the synagogue, “Rabbi! when did You come here?”, the people express their suspicion that the arrival of Jesus in Capernaum could not have occurred without a miracle, for Jesus could not have traveled on foot around the north-western shore of the Sea of Galilee so quickly, and there had been no boat in which He could have sailed.

John 6:26. Jesus answered them and said: “Truly, truly I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.” John 6:27. “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.” Christ does not answer the people’s question, but as the Knower of hearts reveals before His listeners the condition of their own hearts, since this condition explains the question the people had put to Christ. The people, says the Lord, seek Him not because they saw in the miracle of feeding a sign, but for the sake of this miraculous feeding itself. The people are not inclined to see in Christ’s miracles proof of His divine origin and testimony to His calling to become the Redeemer of humanity from sin, curse, and death. The people look upon a miracle only as a means of satisfying those hopes and expectations which the Jews associated with the coming of the Messiah. “Now, at last,” thought the people, “the time of the Messiah’s happy Kingdom has come! Christ will declare Himself an earthly king and give us everything we could wish for.” But Christ is far from such dreams. He points the people to the unreliability of the food which that people seek: this food cannot prolong life forever for those who eat it. There is another food which does not perish and whose nourishing quality extends throughout eternity (this food is the same as the water of which Christ spoke to the Samaritan woman in John 4:14). Most probably, by this food Christ means Himself as sent from the Father and as the dispenser of heavenly blessings (cf. verse 35). And this food can only be given by Christ Himself, for His Father has “sealed” Him, that is, given concerning Christ His testimony (John 3:33) as to the dispenser of this eternal heavenly food. And the sealing was accomplished through the works in general which Christ accomplished (John 5:36 and following), and especially through the miracle of feeding five thousand. “God.” This word is placed at the very end of the sentence so as to emphasize the special importance of This Witness of Christ.

John 6:28. Then they said to Him: “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” John 6:29. Jesus answered and said to them: “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” Christ’s listeners themselves strive for eternal life as the highest good, but they do not know what they should do in order to especially please God (“works of God”) and obtain eternal life. In answer to this, Christ tells them that for this only one work is necessary—faith in Christ as the dispenser sent from God of heavenly blessings. They must wholly give their hearts to Christ, renouncing sinful desires, renouncing their selfish aspirations and submitting to the will of God revealed in Christ.

John 6:30. So they said to Him: “Then what sign do You perform, so that we may see and believe You? What work do You do?” John 6:31. “Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’” But Christ’s listeners cannot yet rise to such faith in Him. They ask for further assurance like that which their fathers had from Moses, who sent down manna to them in the wilderness. The miracle of feeding seemed to them insufficient as an assurance regarding Christ’s messiahship. “What sign do You perform…” The emphasis here should be placed on the word “You.” The Jews seem to say: “there were other messengers of God; what will You present to us special against their miracles, so that we believe in You specifically as the Messiah?” The Jews expected from the Messiah complete satisfaction of their earthly desires, the establishment of an earthly kingdom. Jesus, however, directly avoided all proofs of His Messianic dignity; He wanted the Jews to see in Him the founder of a spiritual, heavenly Kingdom and the dispenser of eternal life. And the miracles which He had accomplished so far to confirm His heavenly mission seemed to the Jews insufficient; they wanted more… “Bread from heaven”—cf. Exod 16:15; Ps 77:24. “Gave them…” of course, through Moses.

John 6:32. But Jesus said to them: “Truly, truly I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.” “Not Moses…”, that is, the manna which Moses gave you (more precisely, “which God gave you through Moses”) is not heavenly bread: the “true” (ἀληθινόν, that is, fully corresponding to its purpose or its idea) heavenly bread is given to you by My Father. The expression “My Father” instead of the word “God” is used, evidently, for the purpose of showing that the true, actually heavenly bread is given by God only through the Son of God.

John 6:33. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. John 6:34. So they said to Him: “Lord, always give us this bread.” The thought expressed in verse 32 is based here on the indication that in general that which can be heavenly bread (here the general: God’s bread) is only that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the whole human race (“the world”), not only to the Jewish people, as was the case with manna. Thus here are designated the qualities and action of heavenly bread in general, and so far there is no discussion that this bread is Christ Himself. This is evident from the people’s statement: “Lord! (that is, master) give us always such bread!” (cf. the Samaritan woman’s request, John 4:15).

John 6:35. Jesus said to them: “I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me shall not hunger, and the one who believes in Me shall never thirst.” John 6:36. “But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe.” Then the Lord directly points to Himself as the true bread of life. “Coming to Me,” that is, believing in Me. To Christ one can come only through faith in Him. “Shall not hunger.” As the bread of life, Christ satisfies hunger and thirst forever, that is, gives complete satisfaction of man’s spiritual needs. “But I said to you…” Unfortunately, the Jews do not believe Christ, although and they saw yesterday how He accomplished the miracle of feeding five thousand. “You yourselves, as if Christ said to them, base your faith in Me on the condition that I will accomplish miracles before you (see verse 30). But a miracle or miraculous sign was given to you yesterday, and if you had eyes, you could have seen what you wanted to see, that is, recognize in the miracle I accomplished the sign of My divine mission. But you did not wish to see” (cf. Isa 6:9).

John 6:37. “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out,” John 6:38. for I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 6:39. “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.” John 6:40. “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” This unbelief of the Jews testifies to the fact that they do not belong to the number of those given by God to Christ. “All that My Father gives…” Between the final words of verse 36 and this statement there should be supposed some pause. The listeners were silent, and Christ was silent, seeing that they were unable in any way to come to agreement with Him about the significance of the miracle He had accomplished the day before. Then, after several minutes of silence, Christ explains to His listeners that their unbelief in Him arises from the incorrect position which they have taken in relation to God, and that this unbelief will have for them the most terrible consequences, namely deprivation of eternal salvation. The Lord does not teach here about the existence of absolute divine predestination, but speaks only of the prevenient or preparing grace of God, which acts on the human heart without destroying its free will. “I will certainly not cast out.” Christ does not wish to deprive anyone of the possibility of entering the Kingdom of God, for He came to fulfill God’s will, which wishes that Christ raise up on the last day all who are given to Him, that is, introduce them into the bliss of eternal life (cf. John 5:29). “So that everyone…” The Father wishes even the salvation of all (“everyone”), not only those given to the Son. “Seeing the Son,” that is, beholding Him with one’s spiritual eyes (θεωρεῖν, rather than simply ὁρᾶν). Such beholding gives one who beholds the opportunity to penetrate into the very essence of the person who is the object of beholding, and in conclusion leads the beholder to complete submission before this person. “And I will raise him.” Not someone else, but “I”, namely “I”, alone “I”!

John 6:41. The Jews then murmured about Him, because He said: “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” John 6:42. And they were saying: “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Christ’s words about Himself as the true bread of life, having come down from heaven, produced dissatisfaction in the Jews, and they began quite loudly to murmur against Christ. After all, they know Him well; He is the son of Joseph. How, then, does He dare to claim for Himself some sort of heavenly origin? “Is this not Jesus?” More precisely: “this one (οὗτος – an expression of disdain) – is this not Jesus?”

John 6:43. Jesus answered them: Do not grumble among yourselves. John 6:44. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. Christ does not wish to dispute with the Jews about his mysterious origin; this mystery could only be grasped by believing hearts. Instead, he explains to them the reason for their discontent with Christ’s words, their perplexity. The cause is that they have not been drawn by the Father to Christ, and only he who has followed such a drawing from the Father can come to Christ with joyful faith. By “drawing” here is understood not the action of God’s grace generally in man’s conscience, but the drawing of man to Christ as he beholds the wondrous signs of Christ, which testify that in the person of Christ there has appeared the Savior of the world sent by God.

John 6:45. It is written in the prophets: And they shall all be taught by God. Everyone who has heard from the Father and learned comes to me. John 6:46. It is not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; he has seen the Father. The Lord has just said that God himself draws people to faith in Christ. Now he confirms this doctrine by reference to the prophet Isaiah, who, depicting (Isa 54:13) the spiritual greatness of the future Church of God, speaks of this Church in terms of “all shall be taught by God” (in these emphasized words lies the main thought to which Christ draws attention). And since this teaching by God presupposes as a necessary condition that man hears God, learns from him, Christ draws from the prophet’s words the conclusion that only those who have “heard from the Father and learned” come to him. The Jews, clearly, do not belong to such people. But to hear and learn from the Father, Christ remarks, is possible only through the mediation of the Son, who “has seen” the Father. The very drawing of people to Christ is accomplished also through Christ. “The One who is from God.” More precisely: “he who is with God” (παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ). This expression points to Christ’s prior existence with God, in which he also “has seen” the Father.

John 6:47. Truly, truly I say to you: whoever believes in me has eternal life. John 6:48. I am the bread of life. John 6:49. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and died; John 6:50. but the bread that comes down from heaven is such that whoever eats of it will not die. Having proved to the Jews that they have no right to murmur against Christ’s demand for faith in his divine mission, Christ again (cf. verses 35 and 40) begins to speak of how faith in him alone gives eternal life and salvation, and how he himself is truly the bread of life. The manna, which the Jews above pointed to as the heavenly bread (verse 31), did not give strength to live forever; those who ate it died. But the heavenly bread must be such that (ἵνα) the one who partakes of it does not die (verse 50). But in what sense is the expression “does not die” used here? Does the Lord promise those who taste the true heavenly bread immortality of the body as well? No, from verse 40 it is clear that those who believe in Christ and consequently taste the true heavenly bread must also die: Christ will raise them up on the last day. Consequently, here Christ wishes to say only that the tasting of true heavenly bread gives man the possibility, after death, to rise to eternal life. From this it can be concluded that Christ’s word about the Hebrews who wandered in the Sinai wilderness and “died” means, in a special sense, that they died spiritually; that the tasting of manna in itself did not give them the ability to enter into such close communion with God as would continue after their death. Dying bodily, they did not enter after the grave into eternal blessed life and in time did not receive blessedness 27.

John 6:51. I am the living bread that has come down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread which I will give is my flesh, which I give for the life of the world. Here Christ utters a new thought, even more incomprehensible and unacceptable to the Jews: “I am living bread,” that is, having life in myself and able to give life to believers (ὁ ζῶν), “that has come down from heaven,” that is, at a certain moment having taken on human flesh. Whoever eats this bread will live forever, that is, such a person lives real life now and will continue to live despite the fact that after death his soul is separated from his body. And right then Christ directly declares that the “bread” of which he speaks is his “flesh,” “which” he gives “for the life of the world.” In these words Christ presents his flesh, his humanity, on the one hand as an atoning sacrifice for the world, on the other hand as food giving believers eternal life, just as in the tabernacle and temple there were loaves of presentation which were offered as sacrifice to God and which were then provided as food for the priests. Thus there is given here the clearest promise concerning the Eucharist. In it believers will taste the very flesh of Christ, or his very body (Protopresbyter Malinovskii. “Orthodox Dogmatic Theology,” vol. IV, p. 134). However, some modern exegetes do not agree with such an understanding. For example, Keil, directing attention to the context of the discourse, finds no indication here of the coming atoning sacrifice of Christ: “Christ nowhere here or below speaks of his death. Besides, the final words of verse 51: ‘which I give for the life of the world,’ are not found in the best manuscripts (see Tischendorf, 8th ed.). Finally, the fact that Christ calls himself living bread does not allow us to see here an allusion to Christ’s atoning sacrifice. The only thing that, according to Keil, can be found here is the prediction that Christ as God-man will give life to believers in him, who will thus, in a figurative sense, eat his flesh or receive him himself.” We cannot agree with such a view for the following reasons. First, Christ here clearly promises something new (“I will give” – future tense), while the reception by faith of life from him had already taken place at the time when Christ spoke his discourse in Capernaum. Second, why would Christ clothe such a simple idea – the necessity of faith for obtaining true life – in a form so unacceptable to the Jews? Third, faith alone cannot give real union with Christ, precisely the same as exists between Christ and God. Yet Christ promises those who taste his flesh the same immortality in resurrection that he himself possesses. As for the authenticity of the text of verse 51 as we have it, it cannot yet be said with finality whose truth it is: that of those who deny the authenticity of the final words of the verse, or those who recognize their authenticity. At least there is some foundation for the reading we have received (Textus receptus). Finally, if generally in the section under consideration Christ does not speak directly of his death, this may be because at that time the end of Christ’s activity was still far off.

John 6:52. Then the Jews began to dispute among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat? John 6:53. Jesus said to them: Truly, truly I say to you: unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in yourselves. The Jews understood Christ’s words to mean that he promised to give them to eat his living flesh, his body in its present form and condition. Some gave one answer to the question of how that could be, others gave another. Thus a dispute arose among the Jews. But the Lord does not take back his words and does not soften them in the least. On the contrary, he strengthens the thought he has expressed when he says that they must not only eat his flesh but also drink his blood if they want to have life in themselves. But the question of how it will be possible to eat his flesh and drink his blood, Christ for now leaves without answer, because to speak of how his flesh and blood he would offer believers in the mystery of the Eucharist was still premature.

John 6:54. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:55. For my flesh is truly food, and my blood is truly drink. The thought expressed in the preceding verse is repeated here in strengthened form (the concept of “eating” is denoted here not by the verb φαγεῖν, but by a stronger and more emphatic word τρώγειν). “Truly is food” (ἀληθής), that is, in contrast to earthly food, which gives only bodily and temporal life, the flesh and blood of Christ gives true life – eternal and spiritual – and therefore can be called true food.

John 6:56. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. John 6:57. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. A person who tastes the flesh and blood of Christ is in real communion with Christ, so to speak, receives Christ into himself (cf. Gal 2:20): the believer is in Christ, and Christ in him. Such close communion between Christ and the believer is based on the life-giving communion that exists between Christ and the living Father, that is, the one having life in himself (cf. John 5:26). “I live because of the Father,” that is, received life from the Father, but have it in full at my disposal, so that I can myself give it to others as well (cf. John 5:26). Therefore the Son can, to those who receive him as the food of life, give life. “Will live because of me.” A person will live insofar as he finds in Christ his food.

John 6:58. This is the bread that has come down from heaven. Unlike your fathers, who ate the manna and died, he who eats this bread will live forever. John 6:59. He said these things in the synagogue while teaching in Capernaum. Here a summary is drawn of all that has been said. “This is.” Such is the quality of “the bread that comes down from heaven.” It gives eternal life. “In the synagogue” (see the comments to Matt 4:23). The evangelist makes the remark that Christ’s discourse was spoken “in the synagogue” in order to denote Christ’s boldness, not fearing to come forward with teaching about himself where his enemies felt particularly strong.

John 6:60. Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said: This is a hard saying! Who can listen to it? Before, only the “Jews” (Christ’s opponents) were scandalized by Christ’s teaching about himself as the bread come down from heaven; now many of his “disciples” or followers have become perplexed when they heard that whoever does not eat his flesh and drink his blood will not receive eternal life. “Hard saying” – more precisely, “offensive.” The offensiveness of Christ’s words lay in the fact that he made salvation, the reception of eternal life, dependent on the eating of his flesh and blood, that is, as these disciples supposed, on the eating, on the consumption as food of that flesh and blood which Christ had at that time.

John 6:61. But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them: Does this offend you? John 6:62. What then if you should see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? No one had reported this to Christ – he himself knew of this perplexity of his followers as the Knower of hearts. To show them how little reason they yet had to fall into doubt and perplexity, Christ says: “What then if…” This means: “What will you say when you see with your own eyes (θεωρεῖν in John has such a meaning) the ascension of the Messiah to where he was before,” that is, to heaven? (cf. verse 38 and John 20:17). Christ, speaking these words, was addressing all his followers surrounding him, but certainly had in mind mainly his apostles, who were to be present at his ascension. Indeed, among the apostles there could then be those perplexed about Christ’s teaching on the necessity of eating his flesh and blood. But what could be offensive to the apostles in the very fact of Christ’s ascension? Should it not rather have convinced them all the more that Christ is truly the Son of God? What could have scandalized the apostles was that Christ was ascending to heaven as a man, that he in his humanity was going to sit on the throne of God. If to the Jews it seemed blasphemy that Christ merely spoke of his equality with God (John 5:18), to the apostles, who were also permeated, like the Jews, with the idea of the incompatibility of human limited and weak nature with the divine, it must have seemed strange when “the Man – Jesus Christ” (1 Tim 2:5) before their eyes ascended to heaven in order to occupy a place “at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1).

John 6:63. It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. Usually this passage is understood as an exhortation to listeners to rise in their understanding above ordinary Jewish carnal views. But such an interpretation suggests the idea that Christ himself did not want his words about the necessity of eating his flesh and blood to be understood by his listeners literally. It is more correct and more consistent with the context of the discourse to see here an indication that Christ will offer his flesh not as something detached from his whole living person, not as some dead substance, but as something animated, in which the whole of his living person will have its organ of action. Human corporeality alone, without a divine principle, cannot have for those who receive it from Christ a life-giving, saving power. When Christ’s spirit transforms this corporeality of Christ, then it will be received and be useful for believers in Christ as nourishing food. Consequently, not that flesh of Christ which his disciples saw at that time, the human bodily nature of him who went to heaven and was glorified in all respects – the Son of Man – but the flesh of Christ glorified and animated by the spirit – that is what was to become in time food and drink for believers. Does the clarified discourse of Christ contain a direct prophecy about the institution of the mystery of the Eucharist? In agreement with most of the ancient Fathers and teachers of the Church (there are some among them who disagree with the general opinion, for example, Clement of Alexandria, Athanasius), we believe that such a prophecy is here. Indeed, in what else, if not in the Eucharist, can the assimilation by believers of the corporeality of Christ take place as nourishing them, chiefly the spiritual powers? But on the other hand, it would be incorrect to see in Christ’s discourse a teaching that without the reception of the Eucharist it is completely impossible to attain salvation for a person. The last expression of verse 63: “the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” shows that Christ recognized the same animating and life-giving significance in his words that in time will be given to the tasting of his glorified body for people. Among those listening to Christ in Capernaum there could be found people who would have fully believed in Christ on the basis of his teaching. For such people the replacement for tasting Christ’s glorified body was the reception into themselves of his spiritual image, and this, without doubt, was for them as saving as later it became saving for believers to receive the holy mysteries of Christ. The fact that the first did not taste the holy mysteries could not, of course, be reckoned against them if they had died before the institution of the mystery of the Eucharist. Thus, in the first half of verse 63 the Lord predicts the institution by him of the mystery of the Eucharist, in which believers will taste his glorified body and blood, and in the second half he explains that even now for his present followers it is possible to have spirit and life; for this it is necessary only to fully believe and receive his word and make it the guiding principle of one’s life.

John 6:64. But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. Here Christ explains why the disciples murmured against him. Their faith was so weak that it was as if it did not exist. And Christ noticed this from the very beginning of when such disciples came to him. More than that, even among his closest disciples there is a disciple who will betray him. By this the evangelist wants to say that the unbelief that appeared now on the part of Christ’s disciples was not something unexpected for him: from the very beginning, when these disciples first came to the Lord, he knew that they would not be his followers for long. The Lord also knew that Judas Iscariot would betray him to his enemies. A question may arise: why then did the Lord allow disciples to follow him who were destined to fall away from him in time, why did he accept Judas in the number of his closest disciples? The answer is thus. The Lord did not deprive anyone of the possibility of salvation, did not deny anyone his teachings. Thus God “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous” (Matt 5:45). In particular, Christ accepted Judas to himself, of course, because here too he was fulfilling the will of his Father in heaven (John 5:19 and following), in prayerful conversation with whom he spent the night before choosing the apostles (Luke 6:12). It is the fault of Judas himself that he did not use his proximity to Christ to free himself from his narrow materialistic expectations regarding the kingdom that the Messiah was to establish. But the door to salvation was open to him as well. Speaking of how Christ knew who accompanied and surrounded him under the guise of disciples, John probably wished to point to the spiritual torment that Christ had to endure, maintaining close communion with such people.

John 6:65. And he said: For this reason I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by my Father. This verse should be translated more precisely thus: “For this reason – that is, since some of you do not believe – I told you…” Christ, knowing that some of his followers did not believe in him as they should, spoke of this earlier (verses 37–44), when he explained that faith in him is the result of drawing from the Father.

John 6:66. From this moment many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. “From this moment” – more precisely on account of this (ἐκ τούτου), precisely because Christ’s words about himself as the bread of life appeared offensive to them. These disciples apparently had false enthusiasm regarding Christ; they were only seeking places of honor for themselves in that earthly kingdom which, according to their idea, the Messiah was to establish. Meanwhile, Christ gave no hopes for the fulfillment of such a dream; he rather pointed his followers to the path of suffering and death.

John 6:67. So Jesus asked the twelve: Do you also wish to go away? As the Knower of hearts, Christ knows that the 12 apostles do not wish to leave him, yet, as if granting them the choice to leave or to remain with him, he addresses them with the question whether they also wish to leave? Not for his own sake does he ask the apostles such a question, but for their own sake, so that they might now firmly seal their conviction in the truth of Christ’s Messianic dignity by their open confession.

John 6:68. Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; John 6:69. and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Peter, as the “mouth of the apostles,” understands the importance of the present moment and in the form of an exclamation expresses his and the common conviction of his companions except for Judas that only Christ can lead them to salvation. “Words of eternal life,” that is, words that give people eternal life (cf. verse 63). “Believed and come to know.” In other places in John (John 17:8; 1 John 4:16) knowledge is mentioned before faith. But there knowledge is understood as familiarity with external circumstances, while here it denotes a deeper penetration into Christ’s teaching about his person and ministry.

John 6:70. Jesus answered them: Did I not choose you, the twelve? Yet one of you is a devil. John 6:71. He spoke of Judas son of Simon Iscariot, for he was the one who, being one of the twelve, was going to betray him. To prevent the apostles from falling into excessive presumption because of their position as constant followers of Christ, the Lord points out that even among them there is one man whose disposition is close to that of the devil. Just as the devil is in constant hostile disposition toward God, so Judas hates Christ as one who destroys all his hopes for the establishment of an earthly Messianic kingdom, in which Judas could occupy a place of prominence. Concerning Judas Iscariot, see the comments to Matt 10:4. “This one was going to betray him.” More precisely, “this one had, was going, so to speak, to betray Christ, although he himself did not yet clearly understand this intention of his.” * * * corresponds to the value of approximately 800 grams of silver. – Editor’s note. The Israelites, – says Loisy, – died bodily, died spiritually, died by eternal death. Christians, on the other hand, should live in all the indicated senses. But when speaking of the Hebrews, John has in mind above all bodily death, while when speaking of Christians he means spiritual, eternal life, which also encompasses the resurrection, in which Christians will receive restoration in the body as well.

Chapter Seven

1–13. Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem for the Feast of Booths. – 14–53. Christ’s appearance in the temple and his discourses.

John 7:1. After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. At the Passover, about which John mentioned in the previous chapter (John 6:4), Christ apparently did not attend. He was traveling at that time and during the summer months following that Passover through Galilee, because at that time it was dangerous for him to go to Judea in view of the hostile intentions of the Jews. During this Galilean journey fall the events described in the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 15) and Mark (Mark 7:1-8:10): the dispute with the Pharisees about the traditions of the elders (Matt 15:1-20), Christ’s journey through upper Galilee to the borders of Phoenicia, where he healed the daughter of a Canaanite woman, return from there to the northeastern region of the Sea of Galilee and the second feeding of the people, after which Christ with his disciples crossed the sea to the region of Dalmanoutha, which was in the area of Gennesaret (Matt 15:21-39; Mark 7:24-8:10), where Pharisees and Sadducees then demanded of him a sign from heaven. It was precisely at this time, between the return to the region of Gennesaret and this demand for a sign, that Christ’s departure to Jerusalem for the Feast of Booths most likely occurred.

John 7:2. Now the Jewish feast of Booths was at hand. Regarding the Feast of Booths, see the comments to Lev 23:33 and following.

John 7:3. His brothers said to him: Leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing; John 7:4. for no one who wants to be known acts in secret. If you do these things, show yourself to the world. From the words of Christ’s brothers (regarding Christ’s brothers see the comments to Matt 1:25) it is clear that they were aware, on the one hand, of the decrease in Christ’s followers in Galilee (John 6:66), on the other hand, of the fact that when he was in Jerusalem the Lord gathered a large number of listeners around him (John 3:26; cf. John 2:23). “There, in Jerusalem,” say Christ’s brothers to him, “is where you can now find disciples for yourself, if you have any disciples at all!” It is precisely in front of these disciples that Christ should perform his works, because the inhabitants there are more reliable than the frivolous Galileans. Christ should also go to Judea because he claims the title of Messiah, for only in Jerusalem are people able to properly appreciate Christ’s activity. There, in Jerusalem, the Messiah should announce the opening of his kingdom and from there rule over all the land of Israel and the whole world. “If you do these things,” that is, miraculous deeds, which may justify your claims, then you should not remain in provincial obscurity, but come forward before the whole Jewish world, and in the appropriate place.

John 7:5. For neither did his brothers believe in him. In explanation of his brothers’ proposal to the Lord, the evangelist says that at that time they did not believe in him. They really could not recognize in him the one he claimed to be, and follow him as the 12 apostles did. They saw the signs he performed, but still did not come to faith in him such as he wished to see from them. In this they agreed with the other Jews (cf. John 12:7). But on the other hand, they did not break off communion with their adoptive brother; they valued his honor and wanted the world to soon recognize him in his dignity, and then they would follow him.

John 7:6. Jesus said to them: My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. John 7:7. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its deeds are evil. John 7:8. You go to the feast; I am not going to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come. The Lord does not respond to his brothers substantially, because they were not in a position at that time to understand his words as they should. He tells them only what is quite comprehensible to them, namely that he would expose himself to dangers if he were to set out for Jerusalem now. His “time,” that is, the time for the full manifestation of his dignity, has not yet come. Of course, this time of manifestation of Messianic dignity for Christ must come, but this will take place not at the Feast of Booths, but at the next Passover.

John 7:9. After saying this, he remained in Galilee. John 7:10. But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in secret. However, the Lord, after his brothers had left for the feast, also went to Jerusalem himself, though alone, as if secretly. This change in the decision he had made gave even the pagan Porphyry occasion to reproach Christ with inconsistency, with infidelity to his word. But to this objection, repeated even now by rationalists, it must be said that Christ told his brothers that he would not go to the Feast of Booths openly, with triumph, as a Messiah-king, but he did not say that he would not go to Jerusalem at all even as an ordinary pilgrim. Thus as an ordinary pilgrim he now goes to the feast, not attracting anyone’s attention to himself.

John 7:11. The Jews were looking for him at the feast and saying: Where is he? John 7:12. And there was considerable complaining about him in the crowd. Some were saying: “He is a good man,” while others were saying: “No, he is deceiving the crowd.” John 7:13. Yet no one would speak openly about him for fear of the Jews. Christ’s absence from the feast – probably in the beginning, in the first days of the feast – was noticed by the Jews, who evidently expected to seize Christ in their hands now. And in the crowd of people there was talk about Christ. Some called him “good,” that is, as we would say, an honest public figure, while others called him a popular agitator. But people were afraid to express the first opinion openly before all the people, because the Jews, Christ’s enemies, could declare those holding such an opinion to be disciples of Christ and subject them to arrest.

John 7:14. But when it was already the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and began to teach. It is not known exactly on which day the Lord arrived in Jerusalem. But he “went up” (more precisely, “ascended”; the temple was indeed at some height compared to the city buildings) into the temple “in the middle,” that is, around the fourth day of the seven-day Feast of Booths. “Taught.” This time the Lord appears in Jerusalem not as a simple pilgrim as he had gone to Jerusalem and as he had come to Jerusalem at last year’s Feast of Booths, but as a teacher of his people, as a preacher. If the previous time he had to engage in dispute with the Jews, this was provoked by accusations made against him by his enemies. Now he comes forward in the temple on his own initiative.

John 7:15. The Jews were astonished and said: “How does this man have such learning, when he has never been taught?” The Jews marvel at the knowledge of the law and sacred books generally displayed by Christ. “He met and refuted the opinions of the rabbis with the finest and extremely original references to Scripture. He penetrated beyond the letter – to the very spirit” (Geikie). Since in this astonishment expressed by the Jews there was a hint that the education Christ received not in a rabbinical school could not be fully reliable as a guarantee of his orthodoxy or religious correctness, did not provide assurance in the truth of Christ’s teaching, Christ speaks a whole discourse in defense of the truth of his teaching and generally of his divine mission. Christ’s discourse is divided into three parts. In the first (verses 16–24) the Lord defends his teaching as having divine origin. In the second (verses 25–30) he proves his own origin from God. In the third (verses 31–34) he predicts to his opponents his coming departure to the Father.

John 7:16. Jesus answered them: “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me;” In response to the malicious remark of the Jews concerning the unknown origin of Christ’s teaching, Christ here asserts, first, that his teaching really is his teaching, teaching not borrowed from any rabbi (this is indicated by the expression ἡ ἐμὴ διδαχή, much more strongly expressing the idea of the teaching’s belonging to Christ than the other, parallel expression ἡ διδαχή μου). Second, he says that he himself received his teaching from “the one who sent” him, that is, from God.

John 7:17. if anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own. How, however, can one be assured that Christ is telling the truth about the origin of his teaching from God? This is very simple. It is necessary only for the very evaluators of teachings themselves to do or at least to want, to strive to do God’s will expressed in Scripture, and then they will soon and easily be assured that Jesus Christ’s teaching is from God. So close is this teaching to all that God in the Old Testament proclaimed to Israel! “To assimilate religious truth, one must have a heart desiring to be taught by God, a heart that loves God and desires to know his will, however it may contradict each person’s own will. He whose soul does not love truth and seeks no harmony with God cannot recognize truth even when he hears it” (Geikie).

John 7:18. “One who speaks on his own seeks the glory for himself; but the one who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is true, and there is no deceit in him.” However, most people do not have this quality – do not follow the path indicated by God in the Old Testament. How can such a majority be assured of the truth of Christ’s teaching? It must turn to plain common sense. This says: “if any preacher does not seek honor for himself, but cares only for the glory of the one who sent him, then obviously such a person deserves complete trust.” But Christ acts precisely thus, from which it must be concluded that his teaching is true.

John 7:19. “Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you looking for an opportunity to kill me?” Since those standing before Christ had accused him earlier, namely at his previous visit to Jerusalem, of violating the law of the Sabbath (John 5:10-18) and now continued to harbor malicious intentions against Christ (John 7:1), the Lord now takes advantage of the opportunity to show the groundlessness of their attacks on him. This was the first meeting of Christ with the Jerusalem Jews after the confrontation that occurred on the occasion of the healing of the paralyzed man at Bethesda. He now directly accuses the Jews of the murderous intent they have formed against him as against a violator of the law, and shows that they themselves are guilty of not keeping the law. “None of you.” Here one cannot see an indication of universal sinfulness with respect to God’s law, because if universal sinfulness were meant here and if Christ referred to this fact in proof that sinners have no right to judge him for an alleged violation of the law, then by this same token he would have given occasion for denying the legitimacy of any judges. No, here the Lord has in mind a special case, about which he speaks below (verse 22).

John 7:20. “The crowd answered: “You have a demon! Who is trying to kill you?”” “The crowd,” that is, the throng of pilgrims who came from different distant regions and were not familiar with the position taken by the hierarchy toward Christ, rudely interrupts Christ, pointing to the groundlessness of his accusations against the Jews.

John 7:21. Jesus answered: “I did one deed, and all of you are astonished.” John 7:22. “Moses gave you circumcision – though it is not from Moses but from the patriarchs – and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.” The Lord, ignoring the words of the crowd, continues his discourse, addressing himself chiefly to the Jews. He reminds them of one deed he performed, namely the healing of the paralyzed man at Bethesda. Because of this one case of violation of the Sabbath by Christ, the Jews became so enraged at Christ that they began to seek his death. Yet they themselves constantly violate the Sabbath – namely when they circumcise a child on the Sabbath, which according to the law should be done without fail on the eighth day after birth (Lev 12:3; cf. Gen 17:12).

John 7:23. “If a male child receives circumcision on a Sabbath in order that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because I healed a man’s whole body on the Sabbath?” The difference between the violation of the law that Christ committed and those that the Jews permit themselves does not consist in the fact that he violated the law in one case while they do so constantly. More important is that through violation of the law they achieved only the introduction of the child into external communion with God, made him a member of the theocratic community, while Christ at Bethesda gave the paralyzed man complete – both external and internal – salvation (the expression “a man’s whole body” contains the idea of the special importance of the miracle of healing compared with the act of circumcision of a child, which is not “wholly” sanctified by this act). And by giving the paralyzed man such a blessing, Christ, so to speak, did not violate but fulfilled the higher divine commandment of love toward one’s neighbor, which constituted the central point of the teaching of the law and the prophets (cf. Matt 5:43 and others).

John 7:24. “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” If now for this deed Christ is accused of violating the law, this is already a judgment based on outward appearance, not on the substance of the act, a formal judgment that takes into account only the fact that Christ performed such a violation of the law, which others have not performed. After all, these “others” also violated the law, and in even more important cases. Why then should we not judge them?

John 7:25. Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying: “Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill?” John 7:26. “And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities have really come to believe that this is the Messiah?” John 7:27. “Yet we know where this man is from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.” Christ’s words evidently caused his enemies to hide themselves in the crowd. Indeed, they could not fail to realize that their attitude toward Christ appeared nitpicking to the point of obvious injustice. And rabbis, for example, Elazar ben-Azariah, compared circumcision with the healing of a whole body to prove that to save a human life on the Sabbath is as good as to perform circumcision, and the law of Sabbath holiness is not thereby violated (treatise Tosefta). Then some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who were certainly well aware of the hierarchy’s attitude toward Christ, express their astonishment at such an inexplicable change in the attitude of their leaders toward him. “If one assumes,” the Jerusalemites thought, “that the leaders have also come to believe in Christ’s Messianic dignity, this is hindered by the fact that everyone knows about Christ’s origin, while according to Jewish belief, the Messiah was to appear suddenly and from an unknown land.” Indeed, the rabbis taught that the Messiah, after his birth in Bethlehem, would be taken away by spirits and winds, and when he returns the second time, no one will know where he comes from.

John 7:28. Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying: “You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him.” John 7:29. “I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.” The cold and indifferent remarks that the Jerusalemites exchanged among themselves moved Christ to address them with a bitter reproach (which Christ “cried out” or, properly, “shouted” in the temple – ἔκραξεν). The thought contained in this reproach is as follows: “You think that you know exactly the origin of myself, but meanwhile I am not at all a simple inhabitant of Nazareth who only imagined himself to be the Messiah. No, I come from God, and from God received my authority. God is the one who sent me, and this is his right, a completely legitimate right (he is “true,” sending me). Unfortunately, you do not know God, who sent me, and of course therefore do not accept me. Only I know him, because I am from him (παρ´ αὐτοῦ), and he sent me.”

John 7:30. Then they tried to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him because his hour had not yet come. The Jerusalemites were offended by these words of Christ and wished to seize him in order to hand him over to the authorities as a blasphemer who ascribed to himself a coming from God. But no one did this, since the hour of Christ’s suffering had not yet come.

John 7:31. Yet many in the crowd believed in him and were saying: “When the Messiah comes, will he do more signs than this man has done?” John 7:32. The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering such things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent temple police to arrest him. In contrast to the Jerusalemites, many from the crowd of pilgrims who came from far away believed in Christ as the Messiah. Although during this visit to Jerusalem Christ did not perform miracles here, it is undoubtedly true that rumors of his miracles in Galilee (“signs” is what the people call miracles, evidently following the view of miracles that Christ himself established, cf. John 6:26) had reached the ears of these pilgrims. The Pharisees, of course, listened carefully to what the people were saying about Christ, and since they, along with the chief priests, formed the membership of the Sanhedrin (Matt 2:4), they and the chief priests together tried to put an end to the popular unrest by sending temple police to seize Christ.

John 7:33. Jesus then said: “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to the one who sent me;” John 7:34. “you will search for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.” In the crowd surrounding him, Christ noticed these temple police and therefore, equating all his listeners with these envoys of the Sanhedrin, he addresses the whole crowd with an announcement that he will soon leave to go to the one who sent him, where the listeners cannot follow him if they wish. “You will search for me” – of course, in order to bring repentance for their disobedience to Christ (cf. John 8:28).

John 7:35. The Jews said to one another: “Where does he intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?” John 7:36. “What does he mean by saying, ‘You will search for me and you will not find me’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?” Christ’s words about his departure to the one who sent him were not understood by the people, who thought that Christ might go to some famous rabbi living in the Dispersion, that is, outside the boundaries of Palestine. “The Dispersion” – this refers to Jews scattered in various regions of Greece. “There,” the people suppose, “in Jewish synagogues Christ could come forward as a wandering preacher, and then move on to preaching his teaching among actual Greeks.” Thus the apostles later did (Acts 11:19 and following; Acts 13:14 and following). But certainly in the words of the Jews there is mockery of Christ. “Yes,” they seem to say, “you were unsuccessful in spreading your teaching here among true Israelites, and now you want to try your luck abroad, where Jews, less familiar with the truths handed down by the fathers and therefore more susceptible to all kinds of innovations, live. Well? You won’t gain much honor if you succeed there somewhere…”

John 7:37. On the last day of the festival, the great day, Jesus stood and cried out: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.” John 7:38. “Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” The evangelist reports yet another saying of Christ, which he spoke to the people on the last day of the Feast of Booths. Since the evangelist calls this day “great,” it was undoubtedly the seventh day. It is true that according to the law of Moses (Lev 23:35 and following; Num 29:35; cf. Nehem 8:18) and according to the Jewish custom of the time of Christ, an eighth day – also of a festive character, called a festival gathering (“atzeret”) – was added to the seven days of the Feast of Booths, but this day did not resemble the preceding days. Thus dwelling in booths ended on the seventh day; the ceremonial processions to the Siloam spring for water also ended then. And besides, on the seventh day this procession with the singing of psalm 117 (hosanna!) was performed seven times, which is why this day later received the name “great hosanna.” On this day too branches were removed from the altar with which it had been decorated at the beginning of the festival. In short, the seventh day was the closing day of the festival, a day of special festive excitement. That is why the Lord on this day did not wait, as other teachers did, for the people themselves to gather around him, while he sat (preachers among the Jews usually taught sitting, cf. Matt 23:2), but on the contrary, he himself called to the people, standing in the gallery of the temple. Through the noise of the crowd that moved from the altar to the Siloam spring through the temple court, his call rang out: “Whoever is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.” The pilgrims who were in the temple court, singing the hymn of the prophet Isaiah “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isa 12:3), should have understood that Christ was calling to himself as the “source of salvation” of which the prophet speaks. It should be noted that Christ here says something greater than he once said to the Samaritan woman: there (John 4:10) he depicted himself only as a dispenser of living water; here he is the very living water itself. He thus applies to himself those words with which the Psalmist addressed the Lord: “With you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light” (Ps 35:10). “Whoever is thirsty.” These are people who are aware of the insufficiency of their own powers to obtain salvation (cf. Matt 5:6). They will find complete satisfaction of their desires by believing in Christ, just as once the Hebrews found water for themselves during their wandering in the Arabian desert from the miraculous rock. Here Christ appears, therefore, as the fulfillment of the idea that was contained in this Old Testament prototype: he is the true rock that flows forth the miraculous water, actually satisfying the thirst of mankind. The other promise: “whoever believes in me…” has independent significance: it is new both in content and in form. It concerns not the satisfaction of the needs of the one who comes to Christ in faith, but the results that the person who has believed in Christ will achieve in relation to the surrounding environment. And the image here is different from that in verse 37. There the Holy Spirit is spoken of as water from a source satisfying the thirst of man, but here the Holy Spirit is compared to channels and streams that in a dry season irrigate a field or an entire country, protecting vegetation from destruction. This comparison places the believer in Christ on one level with Christ as the source of living water. But still not the man himself, not his heart or mouth, but his “belly” (ἡ κοιλία) is named as the source from which streams of living water will flow over the parched land. This expression – belly – with respect to a person means the body of a person, chiefly in relation to its designation as an organ of nutrition and reproduction (Deut 28:4 according to the translation of the Seventy; Judg 16:17; Job 1:21; cf. Luke 1:15; John 3:4). Consequently, not in the future, but in this earthly life believers in Christ will become for many other people a source that sanctifies and gives life. Such were, for example, the apostles, who watered the universe with the waters of their teachings, the “nourishers of the whole world,” as the Orthodox Church sings about them (hymn for the feast of apostles Peter and Paul). “As the scripture has said.” In Sacred Scripture there is no such saying, but there is something resembling it. Namely, in the book of Isaiah it says: “The Lord will guide you always, and will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. And you will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail” (Isa 58:11; cf. Zech 14:8). What the prophets said about the significance that the Israeli people, themselves being enlightened by God, would have for the pagan nations, the Lord now applies to believers in him. Of course, this was to be fulfilled on believers when the Holy Spirit should come upon them, sent into the world by the merits of Christ (John 16:13-14).

John 7:39. Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet upon them, because Jesus was not yet glorified. Since the readers of the 4th Gospel were little acquainted with the customs of the Feast of Booths and their mystical meaning, as well as with Christ’s promises concerning the sending of the Holy Spirit, which are found only in John, the evangelist now finds it necessary to note that in this instance Christ was speaking about the Holy Spirit, whom believers in Christ were to receive and whom, before Christ’s glorification, believers did not have. “There was no Spirit.” According to the ancient manuscripts, this place is read in the Slavonic translation as: “the Spirit was not,” that is, the Holy Spirit did not yet exist. This, of course, does not show that the Holy Spirit did not exist then. No, he always existed and the evangelist himself says that the Holy Spirit was in the prophets (John 3:34), in Jesus (John 6:63), in godly people (John 4:23) and in all creation (John 6:63). Here what is meant is the action of the Holy Spirit in the Church, among believers in Christ. Such a Spirit is therefore called the Spirit of the risen and glorified Christ (John 20:22). This was indeed a new mode of manifestation of the Spirit, about whom the prophets had foretold (Ezek 11:19), although in essence it was always, at all times, one and the same Spirit of God.

John 7:40. When they heard these words, some in the crowd said: “This is really the prophet.” John 7:41. Others said: “This is the Messiah.” But some asked: “Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he?” John 7:42. “Does not the scripture say that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” John 7:43. So there was a division in the crowd because of him. John 7:44. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. Christ’s words affected differently those gathered around him. Some recognized him as a prophet, although they could hardly have associated a definite concept with this word (cf. John 6:14). Others called him the Messiah. But there were also those opposed to such an opinion – those who believed that Christ was not descended from the line of David and was not from Bethlehem, the city of David. Some considered Christ to be a deceiver, harmful to Israeli society, and tried, though unsuccessfully, to seize him and hand him over to the authorities.

John 7:45. The temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them: “Why did you not bring him?” John 7:46. The officers answered: “Never has anyone spoken like this!” John 7:47. The Pharisees said to them: “Have you also been deceived?” John 7:48. “Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him?” John 7:49. “But this crowd, which does not know the law – they are accursed.” The temple police sent by the Sanhedrin were unable to seize Christ. Returning to the Sanhedrin, they declared that Christ’s discourse had an irresistible influence on his listeners and that they themselves had been overcome by this influence. The Pharisees present in the Sanhedrin were irritated by this declaration and pointed out to the officers that none of the authorities recognized Christ. Only the simple, uneducated masses follow Christ. “Accursed.” In this pronouncement of the Pharisees on the common people can be seen all the arrogance of those proud of their knowledge of the law, all their contempt for people of different education and worldview.

John 7:50. Nicodemus, who had come to him by night and who was one of them, said to them: John 7:51. “Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing and learning what they do, does it?” John 7:52. On this they said to him: “Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.” John 7:53. And they all went home. Amid the universal agitation in the Sanhedrin, only the calm voice of Nicodemus is heard (see John 3:1), who by virtue of his position as a member of the Sanhedrin was also present at the interrogation of the servants. He, for his part, also points to the law, which the members of the Sanhedrin should have known but which they now forget. “The law,” says Nicodemus, “requires that a judgment be rendered about anyone only after the defendant has been heard personally and at the same time evidence about him has been gathered” (see Exod 23:1; Deut 1:16). Irritated by this unexpected protest, the Pharisees express suspicion that Nicodemus himself is not from Galilee, since he is so defending the Galilean teacher! Let him recall that no prophet came from Galilee (or more precisely, “a prophet does not arise”; according to more reliable texts, the verb ἐγείρεται is read here). What Nicodemus said to this—whether he pointed to the prophet Jonah, who came from a city of the tribe of Zebulun (2 Sam 14:25; see Jonah 1:1), and to the fact that the origin of many prophets is unknown, and what was the overall outcome of the whole discussion—the Evangelist does not tell us. Probably no decision was made to take Christ into custody; Christ continued to appear in the Temple as a teacher even after that (John 8:20). “And they all went home.” As is clear from John 8:1, the Evangelist is speaking here of the listeners of Christ, not of the members of the Sanhedrin.

Chapter Eight

1–11. A sinful woman, pardoned by Christ. – 12–59. The Lord’s discourse about Himself as the true Messiah and His rebuke of the unbelief of the Jews.

The account of the pardon of the sinful woman is considered by many modern editors of John’s Gospel (Lachmann, Tischendorf, and others) and commentators to be an insertion into the Gospel made at a later time. To support this assertion, they point, first, to the fact that this account is absent from many ancient manuscripts of the Gospel. Second, they find it impossible that this account could have been omitted in any way if it had ever actually been in John’s Gospel. Third, they claim that the style of this account itself does not correspond to the style of the whole Gospel.

Regarding such an assertion, it must be said as follows. Indeed, ancient commentators on John’s Gospel did not have this account in the codices they had at hand (for example, Origen, St. John Chrysostom, Blessed Theodoret). In the East, in the Syriac translation of the Gospel, this account appears only in the sixth century. Similarly, in the sixth century this account appears in Greek codices of the Gospel, and commentaries on it begin only in the seventh century (in Blessed Theophylact). But in the West, Blessed Jerome wrote in the early fifth century that this account is found in many codices, both Latin and Greek (“Against Pelagius,” II, 17). Blessed Augustine also defends its authenticity, explaining the omission of it in many codices by the fact that those of weak faith, fearing abuse to which this account might lead concerning their wives, excluded it from their manuscripts of the New Testament (“Against Adulterers,” II, 7). Besides, mention of this account is found in the Apostolic Constitutions, a written document of the third century (“Apostolic Constitutions,” II. 24, 4). As for the content, this account was already known to Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, a disciple of John the Theologian (Eusebius. Church History, III, 39, 16). Thus, the text accepted among us has certain foundation. The other grounds put forward by the critics of the New Testament text are very subjective. What seems to these critics to not correspond to the style of John’s Gospel actually presents no sharp disagreement with that style, and there are many solid scholars who acknowledge this account as genuinely belonging to John the Theologian (Bengel, Scholz, Klee, Stier, Ebrard, and others).

John 8:1. And Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. John 8:2. And early in the morning He came again into the Temple, and all the people came to Him. And He sat down and taught them. After the people had gone home (John 7:53), Christ, according to His custom (see Luke 21:37), withdrew to the Mount of Olives, to the house of one of His friends, to spend the night there (see Matt 21:1). Early in the morning of the next day, He appeared again in the Temple and, sitting, taught the people there.

John 8:3. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman, taken in adultery, and having set her in the middle, John 8:4. said to Him: Teacher! This woman was taken in adultery; John 8:5. and Moses in the law commanded us to stone such women: what do you say about her? Those who brought the sinful woman to Christ did not wish at all for Him to pronounce some judgment about her action. Otherwise they should have brought together with her also the man who sinned with this woman, since the law required capital punishment not only for the adulteress but also for the adulterer (Lev 20:10). Although the law does not state that for adultery, that is, for sin with a married woman, one must stone them as the Jews claim here, nevertheless such punishment, which had begun among the Jews in former times, was entirely in accord with the spirit of the Mosaic law, by which even a girl who sinned and later married someone other than the man with whom she committed the sin was required to be executed precisely by stoning.

John 8:6. And saying this, they were tempting Him, so that they might have ground for an accusation against Him. But Jesus, bending down low, was writing on the ground, paying no attention to them. John 8:7. But when they continued questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them: He among you who is without sin, let him be the first to cast a stone at her. John 8:8. And again, bending down low, He was writing on the ground. Why did the enemies of Christ bring this guilty woman to Him? Knowing Him as a friend of tax collectors and sinners, they counted on His compassion for the lawbreaker, in order to find a new ground for accusing Him of violating the law. But Christ directly said nothing either for or against the law. Not answering His enemies, He wanted to make them understand that to answer their question would mean to interfere in the affairs of civil jurisdiction, and this did not fall within His task as a teacher of the people. As to what Jesus wrote on the ground—to discuss this is unnecessary in the absence of any factual support for such discussions. “He among you who is without sin” (ἀναμάρτητος), that is, does not feel guilty of sin in general. Christ looks upon those who brought the woman not as judges officially hearing her case. Of course, official judges are not required to themselves be completely free from sin, which is actually impossible. No, those who brought the woman took upon themselves voluntarily the role of accusers; this contradicted Christ’s commandment, according to which people themselves should not judge their neighbors (Matt 7:1). And by the words: “let him be the first to cast a stone at her” (this was required of the witness to the crime, see Deut 17:7), the Lord nevertheless acknowledges the force of the aforesaid prescription of the Mosaic law.

John 8:9. But hearing this, and being convicted by their conscience, they went out one by one, beginning from the oldest; and Jesus was left alone, and the woman, standing in the middle. John 8:10. Jesus, straightening up and seeing no one except the woman, said to her: Woman! where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you? John 8:11. She said: No one, Lord. Jesus said to her: Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on do not sin again. Their conscience began to convict those who brought the woman of injustice in their treatment of her, this lawbreaker, and they departed—the older ones, being more discerning, departing sooner, and the younger ones later. They understood that their attempt to put Christ in an awkward position had failed, and they became ashamed before the people. The Lord, on the other hand, released the sinner, but did not forgive her, did not declare that she was not guilty, but gave her a warning so that she would not sin again. Bengel remarks: “He did not say: ‘go in peace’ or ‘your sins are forgiven,’ but He said: ‘do not sin again.’” “And I do not condemn you.” Here Christ reveals His mercy as He came not to judge, but to save (John 3:17).

John 8:12. Again Jesus spoke to the crowd and said to them: I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. From the 12th to the 59th verse is set forth the discourse of the Lord with the Jews, in which He revealed the significance of His activity. This discourse is divided into three parts. In the first part the Lord proclaims that He is the light of the world, and when the Pharisees begin to dispute His testimony about Himself, Christ proves the truth of His testimony by the fact that He knows where He came from and where He is going, and that He judges not by the flesh. Then Christ appeals to the testimony of the Father, so that there is obtained, from the point of view of the law, a fully sufficient number of witnesses—two: He Himself and the Father (verses 12–20). In the second part Christ announces His departure from the Jews, and points out the incapacity of the Jews to understand His teaching (verses 21–29). Finally, in the third part He addresses those who believe in Him with an exhortation to abide in the truth, which will make them free. To the unbelieving Jews, Christ shows that they are not Abraham’s and even less God’s children, but children of the devil. Here Christ also proclaims that he who keeps His word will not see death forever, and that He existed before Abraham, which declaration aroused against Him an outburst of fury on the part of the Jews, after which the Lord left the Temple (verses 30–59). Continuing to remain in the Temple, Christ again began to speak to them, that is, to His listeners, among whom were both followers and enemies of Christ (the addition in the Russian translation “to the crowd” is superfluous). “I am the light of the world.” The word “light” as a term designating spiritual illumination is often used by the prophets (Isa 9:2). But Christ, in calling Himself light, means not only that He is the bearer of divine saving truth, but also that He, by virtue of His closest union with the Father, is the primary source of all light in the world, that from Him comes not only true knowledge of God but also depends the whole spiritual life of man, who otherwise, without Christ, would walk in darkness (see John 1:5). To escape from this darkness, one must believe in Christ, follow Him. There is nothing improbable in the supposition that the occasion for Christ’s calling Himself the light of the world was provided by one of the ceremonies of the Feast of Tabernacles. Namely, on the night of the first and second days of this feast, in the inner fore-court of the Temple, two great candlesticks were lit, having four golden bowls with oil that were constantly replenished. The light of these candlesticks spread throughout Jerusalem at night. The Lord could, adapting His speech to this custom, speak of Himself as the light, which shines not to Jerusalem alone but to the whole world.

John 8:13. Then the Pharisees said to Him: You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true. The Pharisees understand the significance of Christ’s words and raise an objection against Him, but it is an objection of a purely formal character. In one’s own case, they say, remembering words spoken earlier by Christ (John 5:31), You cannot be a witness, and therefore what You say cannot be binding truth for us.

John 8:14. Jesus answered them: Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true; because I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. In answer to the objection of the Pharisees, Christ first says that He can testify about Himself as a fully reliable witness: He well knows “from where” He “came,” that is, that His origin is Divine, and “where” He “is going,” that is, that it is destined for Him to return to the Father in heaven. From this it necessarily follows that He also knows well His purpose, about which He is now testifying. He does not speak as a mere mortal, whose future is unclear, but as the Son of God, to Whom all is known.

John 8:15. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. If the Pharisees are unable to recognize Christ as the Son of God, it is solely because they “judge by the flesh,” that is, by the external appearance of Christ (see John 7:24). Externally, Christ is a simple rabbi. “I judge no one.” The Lord, as it were, says: “You take it upon yourselves to judge Me, but you do so quite unsuccessfully. For My part, I could also come forward as your judge, and as a judge quite correctly conducting the case, since God has appointed Me Judge of all men (John 5:22). But I do not wish to apply this authority of Judge now.”

John 8:16. And if I do judge, My judgment is true; because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent Me. If Christ does at some time judge, then His judgment will be completely correct and true, because it will not be a judgment by the flesh. The judgment of the Pharisees does not even deserve the name “judgment”; Christ’s judgment, on the other hand, is completely true, because Christ constantly abides in close communion with the Father.

John 8:17. And in your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true. The thought of communion with the Father gives Christ occasion to present the Father as a second witness for Himself, which can fully satisfy the requirement of the law, according to which in every important matter two witnesses must come forward (Deut 19:15). If Christ has two witnesses—the Father and Himself—then His testimony should be recognized as correct. “In your law.” By this addition “your” Christ does not show any contempt for the law, but only says that the Pharisees have taken the law into their hands as a weapon against Christ.

John 8:18. I am the one testifying about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me. “The Father testifies…” see comments on John 5:32-47.

John 8:19. Then they said to Him: Where is Your Father? Jesus answered: You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would also know My Father. The question of the Pharisees, “Where is Your Father?” shows that they remembered that Christ had earlier called Him Father (see John 5:17 and following). They now only require that Christ prove to them that God, Whom Christ calls His Father, actually stands on His side. Let Christ prove by something that God can indeed be considered a witness about Him. To this Christ says that they can see or know the Father only through Him; the Father is revealed in the Son (John 1:18; see Matt 11:27); there is no other path to the knowledge of the true God (John 5:37 and following; John 6:46).

John 8:20. These words Jesus spoke by the treasury, as He taught in the Temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come. The Evangelist draws the attention of his readers to the place where Christ so clearly testified to His Messianic dignity. This was near the Temple treasury, not far from the place of meetings of the Sanhedrin, in the Court of Women (Matt 21:12). Here it would have been easy for Christ’s enemies to seize Him, but His hour had not yet come, and so no one laid hands on Him.

John 8:21. Again Jesus said to them: I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come. The next time Christ addressed the same listeners, the majority of whom were hostile toward Him, with a declaration that He would soon, as if fulfilling their fondest wish, depart from them, but then they themselves would regret His departure; they would even seek Him but would not find Him, and would die in their sin. These words are reminiscent of the terrible prophecy once uttered by the prophet Zechariah to his fellow countrymen (Zech 12:10).

John 8:22. Then the Jews said: Will He kill Himself, for He says, “Where I am going, you cannot come”? The threat of Christ, however, made no impression on His listeners. Only His last word, that they cannot follow Him where He is going, engages their attention for a moment, and with malicious mockery they say: “Does Christ want to end His life by suicide?” Suicide was considered a terrible sin among the Jews, and Christ’s listeners did not wish to suffer the same fate as a suicide.

John 8:23. He said to them: You are from below; I am from above; you are of this world; I am not of this world. Christ does not answer His enemies directly about their mockery, but points to the sharp opposition between Himself and them: He is “from above,” and they are “from below.” By this Christ clarifies the deepest basis of their mocking attitude toward Him: “below” is the earth, the earthly world, as is clear from the parallel expression “of this world” (see Acts 2:19); “above” is heaven. The particle “from” (ἐκ) means origin, and to origin there corresponds both the disposition and the activity of one or the other person. “This world,” that is, the world which “lies in evil” (1 John 5:19), or sinful mankind.

John 8:24. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins. Christ explains why He threatened His enemies with the fact that they would die in their sins and eternal destruction: it is because only faith in Jesus can save a man. “That I am He”—this expression corresponds to the Hebrew expression ανι ηου in Deuteronomy (Deut 32:39) and in the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 43:10), by which Jehovah designates Himself as the One beside Whom no other God can be permitted to exist. Christ, repeating this expression about Himself, wants to say that He alone is life, light, way, truth, and so forth. In Him is the whole substance of the faith of the New Testament (Meyer).

John 8:25. Then they said to Him: Who are You? Jesus said to them: From the beginning, the One who is, as I have been telling you. The Pharisees have heard Christ’s declaration of His dignity several times already, and showing that they are tired of all this, with disdain they ask: “Who are You?” (σὺ τίς εἶ); They seem to want to urge Christ to express Himself more plainly. But Christ does not answer their question; instead, He hurls at them words in anger: “First of all, why should I even speak with you!” (τὴν ἀρχὴν ὅτι καὶ λαλῶ ὑμῖν). Christ tells the Jews that they are unworthy even to listen to His words, so obstinate are they (the interpretation of St. John Chrysostom, Euthymius Zigabenus, and other fathers).

John 8:26. I have much to say and judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true, and what I heard from Him, these things I speak to the world. Christ has just pointed out the futility of His appeals to the Jews: whatever He says to them, they remain unreceptive. Therefore, He should not answer their requests but judge them for their stubbornness—they themselves provoke Him to do so. But He does not wish to judge; His purpose is quite different (John 3:17)—He came to save the world, and therefore also His enemies (John 5:34). And this He does through the proclamation of God’s will concerning the salvation of people, with which He has been occupied all those days (John 7:14 and following; John 8:12). Yes, He could judge the Pharisees, but the One who sent Him is true—faithful to His promises and fulfilling them. Therefore, the One sent by Him, Christ, does not allow Himself to be drawn into futile disputes with the Pharisees, since this would distract Him from His great task. He will proclaim to the world only what He heard and continues to hear from the One who sent Him. And He hears that God wants to save people.

John 8:27. They did not understand that He was speaking to them about the Father. Since Christ on this occasion called God only “the One who sent Him” and not directly “the Father,” it is not surprising that the Pharisees did not wish to understand that Christ was speaking to them about His Father—God.

John 8:28. Then Jesus said to them: When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing from Myself, but as My Father taught Me, so I speak. Christ pays no attention to such misunderstanding. Again He begins to speak (see verse 21) about His departure from the people, but this time He depicts His departure not as voluntary but as a deed of violence by the Jews, to whose representatives He is now speaking. “When you lift up the Son of Man.” The connection of thoughts compels one to see here an indication of the ascent of Christ from the earthly world to the heavenly, as in verse 14 of chapter 3. The Lord wants to say that His enemies, striving for His execution, will only “lift up” Him by this execution to the Father. He will not remain in the grave or go to hell, as suicides do, but will go to heaven, from where He came. “Then you will know…” The time of this recognition by the Jews of the Lord cannot be precisely determined. Similarly, it is difficult to say to what this recognition will lead the Jews—to repentance and faith or to despair.

John 8:29. The One who sent Me is with Me; the Father has not left Me alone, because I always do the things that are pleasing to Him. In spite of the fact that His enemies will succeed in putting Christ to death, He expresses His firm confidence that the Father constantly remains with Him as His mighty protector. “The Father has not left Me alone.” The Saviour here says that up to now His enemies, despite all their efforts, have not been able to cause essential harm to Christ. From this it naturally follows that in the future, when His enemies put Christ to death, God will still not abandon Him. “Because I always do what is pleasing to Him.” Here is indicated the moral foundation of Christ’s union with God, not the metaphysical (the origin of the Logos from God). But the latter is not excluded here.

John 8:30. As He spoke these things, many believed in Him. John 8:31. So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him: If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples, John 8:32. and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. Christ spoke with special power of persuasion, and His words were so effective that many of His Jewish listeners believed in Him and, of course, expressed in some way the change that had occurred in their hearts. But the Lord addresses this group of Jews with an exhortation to truly become His disciples. It is not enough if they will only express agreement with His teaching; they must direct their entire life and thinking according to the path indicated by Christ. They must know the truth proclaimed by Christ in all its scope, then they will truly be free. “And the truth will make you free.” Christ speaks here of freedom from the destructive influence that the Pharisaic scribes exerted on the Jews. Such freedom could be acquired only through firm and independent assimilation and through experiential investigation of the truth proclaimed by Christ (see John 6:68 and following; John 3:33).

John 8:33. They answered Him: We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone; how can You say, “You will become free”? Hearing that Christ promises to grant them some kind of freedom, the Jews who believed in Christ are offended at His words. “This means,” they say, “that Christ considers us to be unfree. Yet they have never been anyone’s slaves!” What kind of “freedom” did they have in mind when they said this? Certainly not political freedom. They could not help but know that such freedom they had long since lost, that the real master of the Jews was the representative of the Roman emperor, the procurator. The freedom they think they have is spiritual freedom, freedom from foreign pagan influence: pagans might enslave them, but they could not captivate their spirit.

John 8:34. Jesus answered them: Truly, truly I say to you: everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. John 8:35. But a slave does not remain in the house forever; a son remains forever. John 8:36. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. Christ answers them that they do not have any spirit of freedom either: they are slaves of sin. “Everyone who commits sin,” that is, makes sin the task of his life, as if appointed to him, can certainly rightly be called a slave of sin. It would have been difficult for anyone to disagree with this, because both the Word of God and the teaching of the rabbis testified to it, as did the sacrifices for sins and each person’s own experience. Thus, everyone was in need of freedom, except the Liberator Himself, who now appeared before the Jews. To this last thought, Christ proceeds, explaining the distinction in position within the house between the son of the master and the slave. “But a slave does not remain in the house forever; a son remains forever…” Further one would expect the application of this rule to Christ and His listeners, but Christ does not make such application in view of the clarity of the conclusion that should be drawn from what has been said above. Christ’s listeners certainly understood that the son is Christ, the slaves are they, and the house of the father is the Kingdom of God. Therefore, the Lord then speaks directly about how a slave can change his position in the master’s house. For this he must turn to the protection of the son (the image of slavery to sin here falls into the background, since in God’s house or the Kingdom of God sin cannot be a master and people cannot be its slaves). “The Son,” that is, Christ, with full devotion and love fulfills the will of His Father (John 5:20; John 8:29), and He is able to save and direct to the true path those inhabitants of the house who are still serving God in a completely slavish manner, out of fear of punishment and often hypocritically. He can give them the power also devoutly and freely to fulfill God’s will. “So,” here is the consequence which the Lord draws from what has been said, “if the Son makes you free, you will be truly free.” About the fulfillment of this promise is mentioned by the apostle Paul (Gal 5:1).

John 8:37. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. John 8:38. I speak what I have seen with My Father; and you do what you have heard from your father. Now the Lord rebukes the national pride which prevented them from knowing the truth and attaining true freedom. Since His listeners took the point of view common to all Judaism, priding themselves on their descent from Abraham, which allegedly by itself gave them the right to occupy a place in the Kingdom of God, the Lord here does not make a distinction between His listeners who believed in Him and the Jews hostile to Him. Let them be children of Abraham, but they are at the same time Jews, and the Jews strive to kill Him, since “His word” or “His teaching” in general does not find place in them or, more precisely, does not meet in their soul the conditions for its establishment (the verb χωρεῖν means “to make room,” and also “to advance,” “to penetrate into”—Wis 7:23). It entered their soul, but it did not capture the whole of their inner being, because there is a strong influence of other suggestions—suggestions coming “from their father.” But whom He means by “their father,” Christ does not yet say.

John 8:39. They said to Him in reply: Our father is Abraham. Jesus said to them: If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the deeds of Abraham. John 8:40. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God: Abraham did not do this. His listeners are puzzled about whom Christ meant when He spoke of their special “father,” not the same as His. They—from Abraham, like Jesus. The Lord replies to them that while they are children of Abraham in the flesh, they are not so in spirit. They did not inherit his good feelings; they try to kill Him, the Man Who wishes to bring them benefit by proclaiming the truth of God. It is clear that they are under the spiritual influence of another father. Beyschlág points out that Christ here calls Himself “a man.” Therefore, the scholar concludes, Christ Himself did not believe in His divine dignity. But Christ evidently uses the word “man” in view of the fact that the Jews actually regarded Him as a simple man. Moreover, in Aramaic the word “man” is often used instead of the personal pronoun. Finally, if Christ here wanted to say that He is nothing more than a simple man, He would fall into contradiction with what He says later about His existence before Abraham.

John 8:41. You do the deeds of your father. Then they said to Him: We were not born of sexual immorality; we have one Father—God. John 8:42. Jesus said to them: If God were your Father, you would love Me, because I came forth from God and have come; for I have not come on My own authority, but He sent Me. John 8:43. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you cannot hear My word. His listeners understand that Christ is speaking of their spiritual father. Such a father could be some pagan god whom they might have at times obeyed. But the Jews contemporary with Christ, by their own declaration, do not resemble their ancestors who turned away from the true God. Their fathers, that is, their immediate ancestors, beginning from the time of the restoration of the Jewish state after the Babylonian captivity, never fell into idolatry again. They have one God, the common Father of the people. They faithfully observe His law and are far from any attempt to turn aside to polytheism (see Mal 2:10: “Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us?”). Christ, however, does not recognize such a declaration to be corresponding to the truth. God’s children would love Him, because He came from God and came here to earth by His will. They would love Him as their brother. Now they regard Him as a stranger; they do not understand “His speech” (λαλία), that is, His conversation, His language. Why is this? Because, of course, they are actually estranged from God and from Christ, sent by Him: Christ and they speak as if in different languages. “Because you cannot hear My word.” These words are not an answer to the question contained in the first half of verse 43. In fact, the unwillingness to listen of which this speaks is not a sufficient reason that could explain why we do not understand someone else’s speech. One can be unwilling to listen to someone and still understand what that person is saying. So here, the misunderstanding of Christ’s speech by the Jews did not depend directly on their inability to understand it. There could be other reasons. Therefore, in the second half of verse 43, it is better to see an intensification of the thought expressed in the first half of the verse, and the whole verse can be conveyed as follows: “Why do you not understand (that is, do not wish to understand) My speech (λαλίαν μου)? Thus I ask you because (as is evident) you cannot even understand My word (λόγον μου, that is, My teaching).”

John 8:44. Your father is the devil; and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks out of his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. After all that has been said, when it became clear that the Jews are not God’s children in spirit, the question arose: whose children are they then? And Christ states directly and decisively that their spiritual father is the devil. “A murderer from the beginning,” that is, since people have existed. Christ is certainly referring to the account in Genesis about the fall of the first parents (Gen 3:1-19), but, besides that, the devil was also later a killer of men, acting on them through the forces of nature (Luke 10:19) and through evil men (1 John 3:10). And Christ could have had these also in mind. “A liar and the father of lies.” From the beginning, by deceiving people with the promise that they would become gods, the devil has continually acted in the same direction; he multiplies lies everywhere, trying to make people not know God and not fulfill His will (Rev 12:9). “Does not stand in the truth”—more correctly, “did not stand in the truth,” certainly at the time when people still stood in truth, that is, knew the true God and held to what God revealed to them. Christ wants to say here that the condition of being outside the truth for the devil is something habitual, a continuous state from the very time when people came to know him. “He speaks his own,” that is, lying has become, as it were, his second nature.

John 8:45. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. The Jews show that they are children of the devil by the very fact that they do not believe the straightforward truth proclaimed by Christ. They love lies, as does their father the devil.

John 8:46. Which of you can convict Me of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe Me? John 8:47. He who is of God hears the words of God. For this reason you do not hear, because you are not of God. Christ confirms His strict judgment of the Jews by reference to the fact that none of them could convict Him of untruth or sin. They tried to accuse Christ (John 5:16; John 7:12), but they could not prove their accusations either before or since. Why do they not believe Christ? It is clear that the cause is in them, not in Him, and the cause is precisely that they are not children of God, although there are still people in Israel of whom one can say that they are of God (John 1:47) and therefore listen to Christ, God’s messenger.

John 8:48. In reply the Jews said to Him: Are we not right in saying that You are a Samaritan and that You have a demon? The words of Christ, that those now standing before Him—His listeners—are “not of God,” produce in them an outburst of indignation against Christ. They call Him a Samaritan, since the Samaritans were known for their hatred of the Jews (see Matt 10:5). The Jews want to say: Christ has purely Samaritan malice toward us, His fellow countrymen! To hurt Christ further, they call Him demon-possessed, because, they say, only under the influence of a demon could one say such insults against the God-chosen Jewish people. In so doing, they show that they had discussed Christ in this very way before (“Are we not right in saying?”).

John 8:49. Jesus answered: I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. John 8:50. But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks it and judges. Not noticing that the Jews called Him a Samaritan, Christ only answers their claim that He is demon-possessed. “No,” Christ says, “I am in my right mind and convinced that by my way of acting I honor My Father. You unjustly dishonor Me with such claims.” But let the Jews not think that Christ desperately needs to restore His honor. He knows well that His Father is concerned about this and will be the Judge in the dispute that has arisen between Christ and the Jews (see 1 Pet 2:23).

John 8:51. Truly, truly I say to you: if anyone keeps My word, he will not see death forever. Christ does not wish to judge the Jews Himself, but He cannot help but testify about Himself, urged to do so by the Jews themselves, who have begun a relentless struggle against Him. To those who believe in Him, He turns with the promise of eternal life if they keep His word (see verse 31). They will not die ever (see Luke 2:26; Heb 11:5; John 3:3).

John 8:52. The Jews said to Him: Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet You say, “If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste death.” John 8:53. You are not greater than our father Abraham, are You, who died? And the prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be? Christ has just promised those who believe in Him not only freedom but also immortality. For his listeners, such a promise further reinforces their conviction in the abnormal state of Christ, which they had already expressed. Indeed, if Abraham died, how could ordinary people who keep Christ’s word not die? What kind of power is contained in Christ’s word? It seems as if He is placing Himself above the forefather of all the Jewish people; who then is He? Could He be Jehovah Himself?

John 8:54. Jesus answered: If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing. It is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say that He is your God. John 8:55. And you do not know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you. But I know Him and keep His word. Christ answers with bitterness that the Jews simply do not wish to understand Him. To Him they look as to a man devoted to some kind of self-aggrandizement, suffering as if from a mania for grandeur. But this is not so: God Himself glorifies Him, and it is strange that the Jews do not see how God testifies about Christ. If the Father of Christ is the God to which the Jews consider it their special privilege to belong, how can the Jews not understand what God tells them through His many testimonies about Christ? No—this is the truth—the Jews do not actually know the true God at all! Only Christ alone knows God as He should be known. He alone is the one who keeps God’s word, which the Jews cannot boast of in any way.

John 8:56. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day; and he saw it and was glad. As for Abraham, whom the Hebrews also considered to be theirs, he stands not on their side but on Christ’s side. For Abraham longed to see the coming of the Messiah (“My day”), and he saw it. For understanding these words of the Lord, it is useful to recall that according to the notion of the Jews of that time, Abraham was the founder of the Feast of Tabernacles, and this discourse of Christ with the Jews took place around the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. According to the account in the Book of Jubilees, Abraham in the seventh month of the year, four months after the birth of Isaac, on the occasion of a new angelic visit and the reiteration of the promise about the great destiny of Isaac, set up an altar and around it, for himself and his servants, booths in which he stayed for seven days, offering sacrifices and each day making a sevenfold circuit of the altar with palm branches and fruits in his hands (“Book of Jubilees,” chapter 16). Christ apparently perceives a distinction between the joy which Abraham felt when he received the hope of seeing the coming of the Messiah and that which he felt when he saw that his hope came to fulfillment. We have in mind the promise concerning offspring given to Abraham. But since the birth of Isaac was closely connected with the promises concerning the future blessing of all mankind through the Messiah, Christ had every reason to say that Abraham, in rejoicing at the birth of his son, at the same time, without being aware of it himself, rejoiced also at the birth of the Messiah: in Isaac he already saw the future Messiah-Christ.

John 8:57. Then the Jews said to Him: You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham? The Jews obstinately do not wish to understand the meaning of Christ’s words and say that Christ is clearly not in His right mind. He imagined that He conversed with Abraham, although He has been dead for a long time! “You are not yet fifty years old.” From this it can be concluded that Christ’s external appearance was such that He appeared to be older than He actually was. Did not the prophet Isaiah prophesy about Christ as a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa 53:3)?

John 8:58. Jesus said to them: Truly, truly I say to you: before Abraham was, I am. John 8:59. Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the Temple, having passed through the midst of them, and went away. To make the Jews take more seriously His words, Christ declares that He existed long before Abraham. Moreover, He says of Himself here “I am,” that is, I have eternal existence, in contrast to the succeeding human generations. Such an expression, which in the Old Testament only the Lord used of Himself (Exod 3:14), seemed to Christ’s listeners to be outright blasphemy, and those people who an hour ago, as it seemed, believed in Christ, now seized stones to stone Him (see John 10:31 and following). But Christ succeeded in hiding in the crowd of pilgrims who were not participating in the dispute and left the Temple. * * * Notes According to our Russian translation “from the beginning the One who is, as I have been telling you,” Christ here speaks of His eternal existence. But this translation cannot be recognized as correct, first, because the word “the One who is” here does not have the corresponding participle ὁ ὤν, and second, where earlier (because with the translation “as I have been telling you” does not receive sufficiently definite meaning, and this expression should, moreover, in the Russian translation be replaced with “as I have been saying to you”), where earlier did Christ announce to His enemies His being from the beginning of the world? Third, the Russian translation apparently understands the particle ὅτι as a direct τί in the sense of the relative pronoun “that” or “how.” But then it would be ὅ, τι, and moreover the particle ὅτι in the New Testament most often is used in the meaning of an interrogative pronoun (see Mark 2:16). Znamenskii believes (p. 216) that the thought of the pre-eternal being of the Saviour is implicitly expressed already in the preceding speech of the Saviour, namely in verse 23. Therefore, in his opinion, the understanding of the expression τὴν ἀρχήν in the sense of an indication of the pre-eternal being of the Saviour is justified by the context of the speech as well. But we believe that in the dogmatic dispute which Christ was having with the Jews, He could not base something on “implicit” suggestions… Let it be noted that the expression τὴν ἀρχήν can also be understood in the sense of ὅλως—in general (Blessed Theodoret). Zahn believes that it is better here to read not ἑστηκεν—the past perfect of ἵστημι, but ἔστηκεν—the past imperfect of στήκω—“I stand firm.” In this case, the verb στήκω is used by John also in Rev 12:4 and in John 1:26. Preyschen (Handwörterbuch, 1910) does not agree with Zahn and reads here οὐχ ἕστηκεν from ἵστημι in the sense of “not firm in the truth” (p. 537). This verse is explained differently by recent commentators. Thus, Wellhausen in his pamphlet “Additions and Changes in the Fourth Gospel” (1907, in German, 23) places the words “your father is the devil” with the words “your father is Cain.” Such an explanation does not contain disagreement with the context of the speech: indeed, the Jews who strove to kill Christ resembled Cain who killed Abel. But, first, Wellhausen can only refer to two ancient witnesses for his reading—Aphraates and the discourses of Clement—whereas all the rest of antiquity speaks against him, and then, second, Wellhausen is necessarily forced to shorten the 44th verse, because the words “There is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks out of his own nature” cannot in any way be applied to Cain. Finally, instead of the last words “because he is a liar and the father of lies,” Wellhausen places such a reading: “because a liar and also his father (Cain’s), that is, the devil.” Thus, we get a complete and quite free revision of the text, which Wellhausen, however, boldly calls the restoration of the original edition. Other commentators (for example, Credner, Volkmar, Toma, O. Holtzmann) see in the last words of the verse “because he is a liar…” an incorrect translation and propose such a reading: “because a liar and his father (in the Greek text αὐτοῦ—both middle and masculine gender), that is, of the devil.” According to this interpretation, by the father of the devil Christ meant the Demiurge, of whose existence the Gnostics taught and who was recognized in Gnosticism as the creator of all evil in the world. But such an interpretation cannot be agreed with, because in the Gospel there is nowhere any mention of a creator of the world who is distinct from God. Compare Heb 11:13. Similarly, Isaiah saw the glory of Christ and spoke of Him (John 12:41). There are other interpretations of this place. Thus, some say that Abraham saw the coming of Christ while in paradise. But this interpretation has no basis in Scripture, and moreover, understood thus, the words of Christ would not be at all convincing to the Jews… Others believe that Christ meant the offering of Isaac by Abraham as a sacrifice, when Abraham felt all the love of God in returning his son to him, and by reflection came to the idea that in time this great love of God would be expressed in the offering of the Son of God as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. But such an idea could only arise in the mind of Christian commentators, not in the mind of Christ’s listeners, who did not yet understand the necessity of the death of the Messiah. Still others see here a hint at the joyful laughter of Abraham at receiving the promise of the birth of Isaac (Gen 17:17). But this laughter says very little about Abraham’s faith in the Messiah…

Chapter Nine

1–41. The healing of the man blind from birth.

John 9:1. And as He passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. Christ, passing by on the road from the Temple, saw a man who was blind from birth, who probably was sitting at the gate of the Temple together with other blind beggars (see Acts 3:2). That the meeting with the blind man took place after Christ left the Temple (John 8:59) is indicated by the connecting particle “and” at the beginning of the first verse and the absence of such expressions as, for example, “after this” or “again,” which are placed where there is meant some interval between events (see John 2:12).

John 9:2. His disciples asked Him: Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? This time the Lord was accompanied by His disciples, of whose presence at the discourse of Christ with the Jews (John 8) was not mentioned. The disciples address the Lord with a question of a theoretical character: how to explain the fact that the blind man suffers so? Who is to blame for his difficult situation? In the Old Testament the disciples apparently could not find an explanation for this phenomenon. Indeed, although the law of Moses says that God punishes the children for the sins of the parents up to the third and fourth generation (Exod 20:5), on the other hand, the prophets foretold that with the coming of the Kingdom of the Messiah this order would be abolished and each would be punished only for his personal guilt (Jer 31:29 and following; Ezek 18:2 and following). This same Kingdom appeared to the apostles to have already come from the very moment when the Angels announced peace to all the world after the birth of Christ. And this blind man, apparently by his age, seemed to them to have been born already after Christ. How could God punish him for the sins of his parents already after the peace was established on earth? But the other explanation—personal guilt of the blind man himself—did not fit either, since this blind man had not yet had time to commit anything criminal before his birth. “So that he was born blind.” Here instead of “that” it would be necessary to put “so that” corresponding to the particle ἵνα placed here. Meanwhile, according to the general Jewish view, sickness still had to have as its cause someone’s guilt; and to think thus was given the impulse by Christ Himself (see John 5:14).

John 9:3. Jesus answered: It was not this man who sinned, nor his parents; rather it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. Christ does not recognize a universal character for such a rule. No special crime was committed either by the parents of the healed blind man or by him himself (which would be impossible in any case). The sickness was sent to the blind man so that the works of God might be revealed in him. This, of course, does not mean that the man was blinded so that subsequently the power of God might be revealed in him (Clement of Rome, Discourse XIX, 2) or the glory of the Son of God (as St. John Chrysostom interprets it), or so that one of God’s works might be accomplished in him. Christ only wants to say that in general, God’s providence toward men was revealed in the blind man, which for the most part remains hidden from human eyes. Yes, the works of God’s providence were not something clearly observable to people for a long time, but now they are being revealed in the activity of the Son of God—the Messiah. The healing of the blind man, which Christ was about to perform, He regarded as one of the manifestations of Divine providence toward men.

John 9:4. I must work the works of Him who sent Me, while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. John 9:5. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. “Yes,” as it were says Christ, “and the action which I am about to perform upon the blind man is only one link in the chain of many works of My calling. I must accomplish many such works, but very little time remains. I must hasten. Soon the night will come, that is, the opportunity to act visibly, openly for all will be taken from Me.” “I am the light of the world.” Christ proclaims the Gospel of salvation to all (see John 8:12), just as the sun always sends perceptible light to people (John 11:9). As the true light of the world, Christ wishes to drive away the darkness in which the blind man lives, that is, to make him sighted. And since through this action of Christ the hidden activity of God will be revealed, it is clear that the healing of the blind man in the eyes of Christ had a symbolic meaning: it indicated that God wishes to heal the spiritually blind as well. The blind man is a symbol of man in his natural state, incapable of the proper understanding of the purpose of his existence, who needs the illumination of the light of Christ in order to attain true knowledge and begin a holy life, that is, to be born again (John 3:3-7) or to be freed through the Son (John 8:31-36). Thus Christ, by His last saying, gives a special symbolic character to the miracle that follows.

John 9:6. And having said this, He spit on the ground and made mud from the spittle, and anointed the eyes of the blind man with the mud, John 9:7. and said to him: Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is translated: Sent). He went and washed, and came back seeing. The actions which Christ used in healing the man born blind have the same symbolic character. Instead of healing the blind man by a word alone, as Christ performed His miracles in other cases (see John 2:7), Christ makes “mud from the spittle,” anoints the eyes of the blind man with this mud, and sends him to wash in the pool of Siloam. The Evangelist himself clearly attaches great significance to these details. What did the first action mean? The wide-open eyes of the blind man gave the appearance that he was seeing. But Christ smears his eyes with dirt—let him not appear to be seeing if in reality he sees nothing! So too, a man who by nature does not have knowledge of truth and is even incapable of knowing it, but who nevertheless imagines that he possesses such knowledge, will have this false phantom of sight taken from him by the hand of Christ, so that he might afterwards receive true knowledge. To this negative action was joined another positive one, which was indicated by Christ’s command to the blind man to wash in the pool of Siloam. The Evangelist himself explains to us the meaning of this command. The name of the spring to which Christ sent the blind man means, according to John’s interpretation, “sent” (Siloam, or more precisely in Hebrew, Shiloh). John apparently sees in the Siloam spring a symbol of the Messiah sent by God to illuminate men.

John 9:8. Then the neighbors and those who had previously seen him as a beggar said: “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” John 9:9. Some said: “It is he.” Others said: “No, but he is like him.” But he kept saying: “I am the one.” John 9:10. Then they asked him: “How were your eyes opened?” John 9:11. He answered: “The man called Jesus made mud, anointed my eyes, and said to me: Go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and I received my sight.” John 9:12. Then they said to him: where is He? He answered: I do not know. The blind man carried out Christ’s instruction without delay. He was naturally motivated by a desire to use any means available to cure his disease, and on the other hand, rumors about Christ as a miraculous healer may have reached him (John 5:5-9). Thus, the beginnings of faith in him were already present. But after receiving healing, he did not seek out Christ, but hurried home. In conversations with his neighbors and other people who had seen him sit before at the temple gates, he spoke of his benefactor as a man almost unknown to him—he knew only what his Healer’s name was, but where He was found was unknown to the healed man.

John 9:13. They brought the former blind man to the Pharisees. John 9:14. And it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. After some time, the most zealous of the Jews in observing the law of Moses brought the healed blind man to the Pharisees. They could not reconcile themselves to the thought that some miracleworker had appeared who performed healings on the Sabbath, when even such, properly speaking, insignificant works were forbidden—for example, the preparation of mud from spittle. The Pharisees, to whom they brought Christ, were considered specialists in determining what could and could not be done on the Sabbath. Where these Pharisees were at this time is not mentioned.

John 9:15. The Pharisees also asked him how he gained his sight. He said to them: He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see. John 9:16. Then some of the Pharisees said: This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath. Others said: How can a sinful man perform such miracles? And there was division among them. John 9:17. They say again to the blind man: What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes? He said: He is a prophet. John 9:18. Then the Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had gained sight, until they called the parents of him who had gained his sight— Among the gathered Pharisees, there was no unity of opinion regarding this case. To settle the question of how a man could have performed a miracle while violating the law of Moses, the Pharisees decided to question the healed man again. When the healed man expressed confidence before them that Christ was a “prophet”—that is, one in direct communion with God—the Pharisees, whom the evangelist now calls Jews because of their hostile attitude toward Christ (cf. John 6:41), resolved to maintain that no healing had taken place at all. In hope of finding support for this assertion, they invited the parents of the healed man.

John 9:19. and asked them: Is this your son, of whom you say that he was born blind? How then does he now see? John 9:20. His parents answered them in response: We know that this is our son and that he was born blind— John 9:21. but how he now sees, we do not know, or who opened his eyes, we do not know. He is of age; ask him himself; let him speak about himself. John 9:22. So his parents answered this way, because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that whoever confessed Him as the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. John 9:23. For this reason his parents said: He is of age; ask him himself. To the question of the Pharisees about whether the blind man was truly their son, the parents of the blind man answered that he was indeed their own son and that he was born blind. How his healing came about, they did not know, because they were not present at it. They said nothing about Christ as the cause of their son’s healing because, as the evangelist notes, they feared the Jews—that is, the members of the Sanhedrin (cf. John 7:48)—who had decided to excommunicate believers in Christ from the synagogue or from the Jewish community. One who was excommunicated was deprived of certain important privileges; for example, circumcisions could not be performed in his house, the dead could not be mourned there, and finally, no one except his wife or children could approach him closer than four cubits.

John 9:24. So they called a second time the man who had been blind, and said to him: Give glory to God; we know that this Man is a sinner. John 9:25. He answered them: Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that I was blind, and now I see. The Pharisees now wanted to extract some testimony against Christ from the healed man. Perhaps they expected the healed man to say that Christ had used some incantatory formulas in performing the healing (cf. Matt 12:24 and following). Now they had agreed among themselves regarding their view of Christ. “We know,” they say, “that this Man is a sinner!” The healed man was supposed, at their demand, to “give glory to God”—that is, to reveal in complete sincerity everything he knew about Christ (cf. Josh 7:19). But he did not wish to engage in arguments about whether Christ was a sinner or not; for him it was quite enough to know only that Christ had healed him of his blindness.

John 9:26. They asked him again: What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes? John 9:27. He answered them: I already told you, and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? Or do you also wish to become His disciples? Then the Pharisees asked again about the manner of the healing that Christ employed, but the emboldened man asked them mockingly in return whether they too wished to become disciples of Christ.

John 9:28. And they reviled him and said: You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. John 9:29. We know that God spoke with Moses; but as for this One, we do not know where He comes from. The Pharisees, of course, felt offended by such a reply from a man belonging to the “accursed rabble” (cf. John 7:49). Their irritation prompted them to revile the healed man (ἐλοιδόρησαν, which the Russian translation renders as “reviled”). They call him a disciple of Christ, though in fact he was not yet such, and they proudly proclaim themselves disciples of Moses. In this they contradict their previous statement (“we know,” verse 24); they now say they do not know where Christ comes from—that is, where He obtained His teaching and powers. They are afraid to say now, as they had said before, that Christ is a sinner and therefore not from God, because the fact of the healing Christ performed was visible to all.

John 9:30. The man who had gained his sight answered them: This is indeed marvelous, that you do not know where He comes from, and yet He opened my eyes. John 9:31. But we know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is godly and does the will of God, He listens to him. John 9:32. From the beginning of the world it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of one born blind. John 9:33. If He were not from God, He could not do anything. Taking advantage of the difficult position of the Pharisees, the healed man not without humor points to his own healing, which should, it seems, have clarified for the Pharisees who Christ is. He reminds the learned Pharisees of what was, properly speaking, well known to every Israelite (“we know”), namely that piety and the fulfilling of God’s will is the condition for being heard in prayer. The healed man sees precisely such a case of being heard in the miracle accomplished upon him by Christ (cf. John 11:41 and following). In doing so, he praises Christ for accomplishing a miracle upon him of which no one had ever before heard, and concludes that Christ is from God.

John 9:34. They answered him: You were wholly born in sins, and you teach us? And they cast him out. The exasperated Pharisees declared to the healed man that he was clearly born in sin, burdened with sins from the very moment of his appearance in the world. The Pharisees said this, bearing in mind his former illness, which in their opinion was caused by the healed man’s sins (cf. Ps 50:7). Then they cast him out. In this way they clearly showed that they had nothing to say against the truth the simple man had spoken (verse 31). The man who suffered for Christ, for his part, showed through all his actions that in him gradually took place a transition from the trust he first had in Christ as a miraculous healer to faith in Him as a messenger from God, as a pious and powerful Intercessor, to whom God gives the power to perform miracles.

John 9:35. Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and finding him, said to him: Do you believe in the Son of God? John 9:36. He answered and said: And who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him? John 9:37. Jesus said to him: You have both seen Him, and He is speaking with you. John 9:38. He said: I believe, Lord! And he worshiped Him. When Christ heard from someone that the Pharisees had cast out the healed man, He approached him in order to help him attain complete faith in Him. Meeting him, Christ asked him: “Do you believe in the Son of God”? By this Christ showed the healed man that He was aware of how this man had defended Him before the Pharisees. The healed man, as was mentioned above, affirmed that Jesus is from God (verse 33). In this confession already lay the germ of faith in Jesus as the God-sent Messiah. For the blind man had to reason that Christ would not have sent him in vain to wash his eyes in the pool of Siloam. He could not fail to understand that his healer was hinting at the coming of “a messenger from God” (Siloam means “sent”). At that time the Jews, especially those afflicted by misfortune like the blind man, thought only of the messenger who was supposed to come from God to ease their sufferings, of that Messiah who was promised by the prophets. And naturally, in the heart of the blind man could flare up the hope: Is not this healer who has turned to him that very Messiah whom he too was awaiting? For this Man has accomplished a miracle never before heard of… And so Christ goes to meet the need of the healed man to know the truth and brings his thought about Himself to complete maturity. He asks the healed man: Does he believe in Him as the Messiah? (The term “Son of God” here undoubtedly had a theocratic meaning rather than a metaphysical one; it denoted in the present case “Messiah,” because the healed man could only understand it in this sense at this time). The healed man gladly goes to meet Christ, asking: “And who is He?” Feeling that the Messiah is near him, he is, as it were, saying: “Where is He? Quickly, let me go to Him!” And his desire comes to fulfillment. Christ tells him that he has already “seen” the Messiah—seen, of course, when his eyes were opened. The Messiah now stands before him (“speaks with you”). After this, the healed man confessed his faith in Christ as the promised Messiah, and worshiped Him as the Divine Messenger (cf. John 4:24).

John 9:39. And Jesus said: I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind. John 9:40. Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard this, and said to Him: Are we also blind? John 9:41. Jesus said to them: If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now because you say, “We see,” your guilt remains. The different attitudes toward Christ on the part of the Pharisees and the healed blind man prompted the Lord to express the proposition that He came into this world for judgment over people, so that the blind would see and the seeing would become blind. The word “judgment” (κρῖμα) here does not mean judicial proceedings (κρίσις), carried out according to known laws and rules; Christ did not come for this at this time (cf. John 3:17). By “judgment” here should be understood the consequences that the appearance of Christ with the preaching of the Gospel will have for people: some will prove capable of receiving this preaching, others will not. In this the difference between people, which until now was hidden, will be revealed. One can say that “judgment” here means what happens in a person’s soul (cf. Rev 17:1; Rom 3:8). The Pharisees understood Christ’s words to mean that He was calling them blind—of course, spiritually—giving them to understand that only from Him could they find healing from their blindness. But this offends them. Do they need such a service from Christ? It seems they are sufficiently enlightened people! But Christ remarks to them that it would be much better if they were blind—that is, knowing nothing of the truth at all. In that case it would be possible to help them, as Christ helped the man born blind, and they “would have no guilt”—that is, they would not be guilty of stubborn resistance to Christ, which arises from their false confidence that they already know the truth. The Pharisees pride themselves on their knowledge of the law or, as the apostle Paul says, consider themselves called to teach the ignorant, because in their law they see an absolute, unchanging “standard of knowledge and truth” (Rom 2:20). Such people, who feel no need for spiritual healing, of course, cannot be helped! John’s purpose in including this account in his Gospel was probably to show Christian readers by means of a concrete example that Christ is the “light of the world” and gives “the light of life” to those who seek Him (cf. John 8:12), while to those who do not accept His testimony and reject Him, He will bring judgment, consisting in the fact that they will remain in the darkness of ignorance and sin. John includes the details of the interrogation that the Pharisees conducted of the healed man and his parents in order to show how the Pharisees tried in every way to convince the people that Christ did not perform any miracle at all. Earlier John portrayed how the Jews did not accept Christ’s word (John 7), and now he adds that they did not wish to acknowledge even the deed He performed. In former times they dared not dispute the very fact of the miracle (John 5); now they have gone so far as to deny even the performance of the miracle itself. It is clear that, on the one hand, their hatred of Christ greatly increased, and on the other, they decided to suppress any sympathy for Christ among the people, even by distorting facts. Thus, the position of Christ becomes critical… * * * Zahn, Holtzmann, and some others read, according to some ancient texts, this question thus: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” But hardly is such a change in the text well-founded. Although Christ did designate Himself as the Son of Man, this expression was not in common use among the Jews to denote the Messiah, and the blind man might not have understood what Christ meant by this expression.

Chapter Ten

1–21. Speech of the Lord about Himself as the good shepherd and the effect of this speech on His listeners. – 22–42. Speech of the Lord about Himself as the Messiah and His withdrawal to the land beyond the Jordan.

Christ’s speech about Himself as the good shepherd begins with a parable in which is depicted the contrast between the shepherd to whom the sheep belong as his property and the hireling shepherd who treats the entrusted flock with indifference (verses 1–6). The Lord explains this speech, which is constructed in the form of a parable, by speaking further about His position in the Kingdom of God: He is the door leading to the sheep (verses 7–10) and, on the other hand, the good shepherd (verses 11–18). As a result of this speech, a dispute arose among the Jews: they were perplexed about who Christ was (verses 19–21).

John 10:1. Truly, truly I say to you: he who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs in by another way, he is a thief and a robber; John 10:2. but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. Christ’s listeners at this time were the same Jews and Pharisees spoken of at the end of the previous chapter (cf. John 9:35). “He who does not enter by the door.” In the East, flocks of sheep were herded at night into special, often covered, enclosures, at the entrance to which were stationed watchmen who guarded the flocks from robbers and wild beasts. Several owners often jointly kept one such enclosure. Wishing to indicate the marks of a true shepherd-owner, on the one hand, and a thief-robber, on the other, the Lord makes the first mark of the thief the fact that the thief and robber enters the sheepfold not by the direct path, but by climbing over the fence, whereas the shepherd-owner goes straight to the door.

John 10:3. To him the gatekeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. John 10:4. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. John 10:5. But they will not follow a stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers. The second distinguishing mark of the shepherd-owner is that before him the watchman “opens” the door. Nothing is said about the thief-robber here, but it is clear that the watchman will not open the door before him. “And the sheep hear his voice.” This is the third distinguishing mark of the shepherd-owner: the sheep do not go toward the voice of a stranger. Moreover, all the sheep in the enclosure relate to the shepherd-owner in this way: not one of his sheep fears him, because all are accustomed to his voice. “He calls his own sheep by name.” But the sheep belonging to the shepherd-owner feel an even stronger attachment to him. His own sheep he calls by name, giving each, consequently, a special designation, and in this way impels them to follow him. “And leads them out.” He leads them to pasture and himself goes before them, showing them the way.

John 10:6. Jesus spoke this parable to them; but they did not understand what He was saying to them. “Jesus spoke this parable to them.” This brief speech of Christ, John calls a parable (παροιμία) in the sense of a mysterious speech, containing a hidden meaning (the word is close to παραβολή, which the synoptics use to denote figurative speech). “But they did not understand.” The Lord wished to give them an opportunity to better understand His task, but they did not understand Him. In this they themselves were to blame, because the thought of the parable was quite clear. It was hard, indeed, not to understand that by the true shepherd Christ meant Himself. He was making them understand that it was wrong of the Pharisees to equate Him with the popular insurrectionist false messiahs (cf. John 7:12; John 8:12 and others). He, in the first place, had come by the direct path to His people, having received the baptism appointed by God, the baptism of John (John 1:31 and following), and was appearing for preaching in places appointed by law for the edification of the faithful—in the temple and in the synagogues (John 18:20). In the second place, He was allowed into these sacred places, where the spiritual sheep were gathered; no synagogue or temple rulers barred Him access (John 7:46), and the Sanhedrin itself had not yet taken decisive measures against Him (John 7:45-52). All, even His enemies, listened to Him (John 7:15) and sometimes even supported Him (John 7:26). In the third place, His teaching did not seem to the people completely foreign—many even believed in Him (John 8:30) or showed Him their sympathy (John 7:12). He already had among the crowd a considerable flock (Luke 12:32) of His own sheep who trustingly followed Him. So all this was so clear that an intelligent person could not fail to understand Christ; and if the Pharisees did not understand, then they pretended not to understand…

John 10:7. Then Jesus said to them again: Truly, truly I say to you, that I am the door of the sheep. John 10:8. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not listen to them. Seeing such unwillingness on the part of the Pharisees to understand Him, the Lord, condescending to them, expresses His task still more definitively. “I am the door of the sheep,” or more correctly, “to the sheep.” Through the Lord Jesus Christ, all who wish to come forward as shepherds of these spiritual sheep—that is, of the faithful—may enter to the spiritual sheep. “All who came before Me are thieves and robbers.” From this it is evident that Christ has always been, throughout the entire history of the chosen people, this door. Whoever wished to attain a high shepherding position (which is equivalent to a kingly or rulers’ position, cf. Isa 63:11; Jer 51:23) before Christ (πρὸ ἐμοῦ, in the Russian translation—“before Me”), was not a true ruler of the people, but a usurper. These people knew that the Messiah-King was supposed to come to the Israelite people, who would sit on the throne of David, and yet they themselves wanted to occupy that throne. These were, of course, not the Pharisees, who made no attempt to seize the throne in Judea, but rather representatives of the Herod dynasty. King Herod indeed came “by another way” (verse 1)—that is, attained royal power unlawfully. He was not a Jew by origin, but an Edomite (Idumean), whereas the law of Moses strictly forbade making a foreigner king (Deut 17:15). Thus Herod bore on his brow the first mark Christ indicated (verse 1) of a “thief and robber.” Then—the second mark—Herod was not admitted into the Israelite theocratic society, but forced his way in himself, because he himself appointed and removed high priests, whereas in places where believing Jews gathered, representatives of the Herod dynasty were not to be seen. Herod lacked the third mark of the true shepherd: the Jews did not love him; they hated and feared him, as they did his sons. But it was not only the Herods that Christ had in mind here. The Asmonean dynasty that preceded the Herods also ruled the Jewish throne unjustly. They, as priests, should not have taken the kingly title, and yet John Hyrcanus did this. Finally, the Lord here condemned all attempts by false messiahs to forcibly restore the independence of the Jewish state—attempts that ended in failure because of the lack of sympathy for this cause manifested by the Jewish people (“but the sheep did not listen to them”).

John 10:9. I am the door: if anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, and find pasture. “I am the door.” Here the Lord speaks of Himself as a door in general (He does not add: “to the sheep”). Therefore, among those being “saved,” “entering,” and freely “going out” to good pasture, one can understand not shepherds, but sheep. These are the spiritual sheep—believers in Christ, whom He brings into a safe dwelling—the Church—and whom He allows to walk freely on the paths of life to find what is more useful to them. Some of the modern commentators see in this verse a prediction that all subsequent shepherds of the spiritual sheep must receive their authority precisely from Christ. But such an interpretation appears extremely artificial.

John 10:10. The thief comes only to steal, to kill, and to destroy. I came that they might have life, and have it to the full. John 10:11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Whereas a thief or a usurping ruler, whom Christ here has in mind as a thief, pursues only his own personal advantages in the work of government and often takes property and life from his subjects, Christ, on the contrary, Himself gives life to His subjects, and indeed in abundance. Moreover, as the “good” shepherd, or more precisely, the excellent—καλός—shepherd, Christ lays down His life for His sheep.

John 10:12. But a hired hand, not being a shepherd, to whom the sheep do not belong, sees a wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. John 10:13. And the hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and does not care for the sheep. A mere hired man never sacrifices his own life for the salvation of the sheep entrusted to his care. In a moment of danger, he is concerned only with saving his own life; the sheep do not belong to him after all! But who is meant by the name “wolf”? Most likely Christ wished to denote in this way all forces hostile to the development of the Kingdom of God. And after this it is easy to understand whom Christ means by the name “hired hand.” These are those to whom Christ entrusted His Church, but who often do not wish to give all their love to the benefit of the people entrusted to their care (cf. 1 Pet 5:2; Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:8). This was especially true of the then current hierarchy, which was unwilling to sacrifice anything for the people, whom the Herods—the secular power—and the Pharisees caused much harm.

John 10:14. I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me. John 10:15. As the Father knows Me, so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. In contrast to those abnormal relations that exist between Jewish shepherd-hirelings and the people, Christ here depicts the relations of mutual trust and love that exist between Him and His spiritual flock. He compares these relations to the relations existing between Him and the Father. “I know My own”—that is, I love them and know all their needs. “And I lay down My life.” If His sheep are threatened with danger, Christ lays down or is ready to lay down His own life for them. And the time was already approaching when these words of Christ were to be fulfilled.

John 10:16. And I have other sheep, not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one Shepherd. But the activity of Christ as a shepherd is not limited by such self-sacrifice for the benefit and salvation of His sheep. It extends into the future time, when He will no longer be on earth, and extends beyond the boundaries in which the Israeli flock dwells. Christ must bring still “other” of His sheep, who wander far from the kingdom of Israel and await that moment when the calling voice of Christ will resound for them. Thus in one fold—that is, in the Church—will be united both the Jews who believe in Christ and the Gentiles who believe in Him, under the guidance of the Single Head—Christ (cf. Ezek 37:22). The Lord Himself will accomplish this bringing together of the Gentiles after His death (cf. John 12:32). From this it is clear that the death of Christ will not be an end to His activity in relation to His flock, but will only serve to expand it further.

John 10:17. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. John 10:18. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down and have power to take it again. This commandment I received from My Father. The Lord concludes His thought about the great significance of His death here. The Father especially loves Him because He voluntarily, without compulsion, sacrifices His own life. This life is, as it were, a garment or adornment which He removes from Himself, to hand over into the hands of another (cf. John 13:4). He does this with firm assurance that He can take it (“life”) back again. The Father gave the Lord this “commandment”—that is, the right and power to take His life back. On what does this power and might rest? Christ spoke of this earlier: He has life in Himself (John 5:26) and His resurrection is, properly speaking, a resurrection of Himself by Himself (John 2:19). Thus Christ depicts His death, first, not merely as a suffering which He accepts out of obedience to the will of the Father, but also as a completely free deed, which He Himself resolved upon; second, as an act of obedience to the Father’s will and, consequently, as an essential point in the fulfillment of His calling; third, as an act of self-sacrifice for the benefit of those who believe in Him, through which He will save them from destruction; fourth, not as a destruction of His vitality, but as a transition to a manifestation of His life that conquers death after the resurrection; and, fifth, as a necessary prerequisite for the expansion of His activity beyond the limits of the Jewish people.

John 10:19. Because of these words, a division again arose among the Jews. John 10:20. Many of them said: He is possessed by a demon and is mad; why do you listen to Him? John 10:21. Others said: These are not the words of one possessed by a demon; can a demon open the eyes of the blind? Christ’s listeners, who had not departed from Him throughout an entire day after the Feast of Tabernacles (John 8:12-10:18), began to dispute among themselves. Some stood for Christ as a great miracleworker, others—of course, chiefly the Pharisees—called Christ demon-possessed, deranged, and tried to persuade the people not to believe Christ.

John 10:22. Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. The section from verse 22 to verse 42 contains a conversation of the Lord with the Jews at the Feast of Dedication. In response to a question from the Jews about whether He is the Messiah, Christ says that He has already spoken of this many times, but the Jews do not believe Him. When He then declared that He and the Father are one, the Jews wanted to stone Him as a blasphemer. Christ then pointed out to them the groundlessness of their protest against His declaration, and afterward withdrew beyond the Jordan, to Perea. About two months had passed from the Feast of Tabernacles, during which time Christ was either in Perea (cf. John 10:40) or somewhere within the limits of Judea (according to St. John Chrysostom). The Feast of Dedication, or the Feast of Purification of the Temple, now arrived, lasting about eight days (in the month of Kislev, or December). The occasion for the establishment of this feast was the purification of the Jerusalem Temple from idols, accomplished in the year 165 B.C. by the Maccabees (I. Rozanova. A Handbook to the Study of Sacred History, Moscow, 1909, p. 16).

John 10:23. And Jesus walked in the temple in the portico of Solomon. The Lord came to Jerusalem at this feast. Whether He taught at this time, John does not say definitively, merely noting that the Lord “walked” in what is called Solomon’s portico—that is, a gallery that ran along the eastern side of the temple courtyard. In this gallery, of course, it was possible to shelter from winter weather—from rain and wind. It is quite possible that at this time His apostles also accompanied Him, but the evangelist does not mention them, since they did not take part in the conversation of Christ with the Jews.

John 10:24. Then the Jews gathered around Him and said to Him: How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly. The Jews express their discontent to Christ that He “keeps them in suspense”—that is, in constant anxious expectation, thinking that He will finally declare Himself as the Messiah. “Tell us plainly” (παρρησία)—that is, boldly, openly, and not by parable (John 8:12) or by hint (John 8:24-28). The Jews, as it were, want to say to Christ that they will “support” Him.

John 10:25. Jesus answered them: I told you, and you do not believe; the works which I do in the name of My Father, they bear witness about Me. The Lord answered the Jews that He had already spoken to them about who He is, but they did not believe Him. Even Christ’s miracles did not awaken faith in Him.

John 10:26. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. The reason for this unbelief is the fact that these Jews do not belong to the sheep of the Shepherd—Jesus—that is, to those true Israelites who, even before they saw Christ, already longed for Him with all their hearts, and therefore gladly accepted His testimony.

John 10:27. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them; and they follow Me. John 10:28. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. John 10:29. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. John 10:30. I and the Father are one. In order to show the great blessings from which the Jews deprive themselves by refusing to follow Christ, Christ depicts the situation in which His sheep find themselves (cf. verses 3–4, 14, and John 6:37-40). In doing so, Christ identifies His care (hand) of the sheep (verse 28) with the care (hand) of His Father regarding them (verse 29). By this Christ says that the true chief Shepherd of Israel is the Father, but He acts through Christ (cf. John 4:34 and following). And from this Christ draws such a conclusion: “I and the Father are one.” These words can only denote the unity of Christ with the Father in nature, in essence: never has anything like this been said about any prophet. And Christ’s listeners understood His words in precisely this sense (cf. verses 31 and 33). But the unity spoken of here is, of course, not an identity, in which the distinction between the persons of the Godhead is completely obliterated (as in Sabellianism), but rather a unity of essence (cf. John 17:11-21).

John 10:31. Then the Jews again picked up stones, so that they might stone Him. Naturally, the Jews, who were hostile to Christ, must have seen in such a declaration simple blasphemy. They began to pick up stones (ἐβάστασαν, which the Russian translation inexactly renders as “picked up”) in order to carry out on Christ, as a blasphemer, the punishment prescribed by law (Lev 24:15 and following).

John 10:32. Jesus answered them: Many good works I have shown you from My Father; for which of these works do you want to stone Me? Undisturbed by this, the Lord continued to speak, and His enemies, amazed by this composure, stopped in bewilderment. The Lord asks them: For what do they want to stone Him? After all, He had done only “good” works (Matt 12:12)—that is, healings and other miracles—and moreover, had acted in such a way that all should have understood that He was acting by virtue of the authority received from the Father.

John 10:33. The Jews answered Him, saying: We do not stone You for a good work, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a man, make Yourself God. The Jews do not dispute the good works accomplished by Christ (the healing of the paralyzed man and of the man born blind, John 5; John 9). They come forward against Christ only for claiming the honor due to God alone, for His claims to Divine dignity.

John 10:34. Jesus answered them: Is it not written in your law: “I said, you are gods”? John 10:35. If He called “gods” those to whom the word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken— John 10:36. do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world: “You blaspheme,” because I said: “I am the Son of God”? The Lord first removes the charge of blasphemy from Himself. Yes, He called Himself, though not directly, the Son of God. But does not the Word of God itself do the same even with ordinary people? Men of special standing, it sometimes calls “gods” (Ps 81:6), and yet no one will doubt the truth of Scripture and its authority for the chosen people (“the Scripture cannot be broken”). Why then did the Jews become so angry at Him? After all, the Lord Jesus Christ was sanctified—that is, chosen for His high ministry—and sent into the world by the very Father Himself. How could this selection, which took place from eternity (cf. Eph 1:4), have been accomplished if the very One being selected did not exist prior to this selection as a Person who could freely accept and reject this selection? Is it not clear that Christ, as existing from eternity and as having accepted from eternity a certain mission upon Himself, is an eternal Being? And eternity was for the Jews the first attribute of the Deity, and God they sometimes briefly called the Eternal One. Consequently, Christ points here to His eternal existence, by virtue of which He has the right to call Himself God in the proper sense of the word, and not in the sense in which Sacred Scripture calls certain men gods. He, therefore, is not a blasphemer, but proclaims pure truth. From this it can be seen how wrong are the scholars (for example, Beyschlag) who in this passage see an example of the fact that Christ Himself supposedly recognized Himself as the Son of God only in a moral or figurative sense. If Christ by these words had wished to say something like that, then, first, He would have said directly that His nature was not the same as the Father’s nature (St. John Chrysostom), and secondly, the Jews would not have armed themselves against Him on account of this explanation given by Him.

John 10:37. If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; John 10:38. but if I do them, even if you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me and I am in the Father. In order to convince His listeners further of His Divine dignity, the Lord points to His works, which give Him full right to demand complete trust from the Jews (cf. John 5:36).

John 10:39. Therefore they sought again to seize Him; but He escaped from their hands, John 10:40. and went again beyond the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and remained there. John 10:41. And many came to Him, and they said: John indeed did no sign, but all things that John said about this One were true. John 10:42. And many believed in Him there. Seeing that Christ did not repent of His spoken words, the Jews wanted to seize Him in order to bring Him before the Sanhedrin as a blasphemer. But Christ once again imperceptibly withdrew from them and departed to Perea, from which He had come to the feast. Here the Lord spent more than three months until His final Passover, in which He was delivered to death. Many people came to Christ at this time, and those coming, explaining their conversion to Christ, referred to the fact that in Him were fulfilled all the words spoken about Him by John the Baptist (cf. John 1:26 and following). Moreover, those who came said that although the Baptist had not performed any sign, all that John had said about Christ turned out to be completely true: Christ appears to those who believe in Him as the true Savior, as the Baptist had foretold. It is clear that those converting at this time were formerly listeners of the preaching of John the Baptist. * * * But differs from it in that it denotes a comparison which Christ used to clarify the significance of His Person, whereas a parable in the proper sense (παραβολή) was used by Christ to depict the Kingdom of God that He established. Moreover, in παροιμία there is no historical movement or development, as there is in παραβολή.

Chapter Eleven

1–44. The raising of Lazarus. – 45–57. The effect of this miracle on the people, the decision of the Sanhedrin to put Christ to death, and Christ’s withdrawal to Ephraim.

Chapters 11–12 contain an account of facts in which Christ testified about Himself as the Victor over death and as the promised King of Israel. Until now the Lord had chiefly by means of words converted the Jews to the path of faith, but now, since words did not act sufficiently powerfully on His listeners, He bears witness about Himself through extraordinary deeds, namely by raising Lazarus and by His solemn entry into Jerusalem.

John 11:1. Now there was a sick man, Lazarus, from Bethany, from the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived. Regarding the residence of the sick Lazarus, “Bethany,” see the comments on Matt 26:6 and Mark 11:1. The evangelist names Lazarus by name because this name was known to readers at least by reputation. Ancient Christian tradition says that Lazarus subsequently lived on the island of Cyprus and was a bishop of the Cypriot Church. There is nothing improbable in this tradition. The raised Lazarus could, in view of the danger threatening him from the Jews (John 12:10), have withdrawn from Bethany, close to Jerusalem, together with Christians who fled to the island of Cyprus after the killing of the deacon Stephen by the Jews (Acts 11:19). The evangelist defines Bethany as a village where “Martha and Mary” lived, rather than as the village where “Lazarus” lived, probably because his readers already knew from the Gospel of Luke that both these sisters lived in one village, but the very name of that village was not yet known (cf. Luke 10:38-42).

John 11:2. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Here Mary, the sister of Lazarus, is more precisely identified. But since the evangelist speaks of her as one whose deed was already known to readers, it is clear that he had in mind the accounts of the evangelists Matthew and Mark about a woman who anointed the feet of Jesus with ointment (Matt 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9). In the first two Gospels, Mary was not named; here the evangelist fills in this gap. In addition, in John 12:1-8 he describes this event from Mary’s life in its historical connection.

John 11:3. So the sisters sent word to Him, saying: Lord, he whom You love is sick. John 11:4. When Jesus heard this, He said: This sickness is not for death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it. The sisters do not ask Christ to come to them in Judea; they know, of course, that there Christ faces great danger from His enemies. In reliance on His miraculous power, they only respectfully inform Him of their brother’s serious illness. They are confident that the Lord can heal Lazarus from a distance, just as He had healed the slave of the centurion of Capernaum (Matt 8:8 and following). The Lord, speaking aloud before His disciples and the messenger from Bethany, remarks that this sickness was not sent to Lazarus so that he would die (cf. 1 John 5:16 and following), but so that through it—that is, through the victory over the consequence of this sickness, death—God would be glorified (“for the glory of God”) and precisely in the person of His Son (“that the Son of God may be glorified”, cf. John 5:21-23). But there is no reason to suppose that Christ’s words were understood in precisely this sense by the messenger of the sisters and by the sisters themselves when their messenger arrived to them: they certainly saw in these words only a hint of the possibility of Lazarus’s healing, and not of his resurrection.

John 11:5. Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. John 11:6. When He heard that Lazarus was sick, He remained two days longer in the place where He was. Why the Lord delayed for two full days in Perea, the evangelist does not say. In all probability, Christ acted in this case as was pleasing to His Father. Although friendship drew Him to the sick Lazarus, He subordinated His personal inclination to the will of the Father (cf. John 5:19).

John 11:7. After this He said to His disciples: Let us go to Judea again. John 11:8. The disciples said to Him: Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone You, and are You going there again? John 11:9. Jesus answered: Are there not twelve hours in the day? If one walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world; John 11:10. but if one walks at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. The Lord calls His apostles not simply to Bethany, where it would have seemed necessary to go, but to “Judea” in general. By this He wishes to tell the apostles that they must now exchange the relatively safe stay in Perea for life in the region where Christ’s enemies awaited Him. The disciples understood Christ in this very way. They point out to Him the dangers that threatened Him there in Judea, as if to give the impression that it would be better for Him to remain in Perea. But in response to the fears of the apostles, Christ says that their fears for Him are unfounded. “Are there not twelve hours in the day?” Just as God appointed a certain duration for the day (12 hours), so a definite time has been appointed for the activity of Christ. “The one who walks…” Just as for “this world,” that is, for ordinary mortals, light or the sun gives the ability to walk without stumbling or to act in one’s sphere, so, Christ wishes to say, there is a special higher sun for Him, belonging not to this but to the higher world, in the light of which He will walk, even though the earthly world is enveloped in darkness or strewn with all kinds of dangers. This sun is God (cf. Ps 83:12; Isa 60:20; Mic 7:8). And “the one who walks at night does not stumble because there is no light in him” (more accurately, “with him”). Here Christ speaks of a man who does not see God as his sun, who does not have God in himself (“light”). Indirectly with these words the Lord reproves His disciples for their lack of faith (cf. Matt 8:26).

John 11:11. After saying these things, He said to them: Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him. The disciples understood the reproof addressed to them and fell silent. Then the Lord began to speak again about the proposed journey. It has now become known to Him, as the All-knowing One, that Lazarus has already died, and therefore He goes to raise him. But He expresses His decision regarding the proposed journey in a descriptive form. He calls Lazarus’s death “sleep,” and the resurrection which He intends to accomplish, an “awakening.” By this He wished to say that death for Lazarus is a transitory state (cf. Matt 9:24), which will end in an awakening or speedy resurrection, wherein Christ will be the raiser.

John 11:12. His disciples said: Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get better. John 11:13. Jesus was speaking about his death, but they thought he was speaking about an ordinary sleep. John 11:14. Then Jesus said to them plainly: Lazarus is dead. John 11:15. And I am glad for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him. The disciples are reluctant to go to Judea, and they deliberately do not wish to understand the true meaning of Christ’s words. “What then?” they seem to say. “Lazarus has fallen asleep, and that is all for the best; we have nothing to worry about. Sleep gets rid of illness.” Then the Lord plainly declares to them about the death of Lazarus and adds that He is glad that Lazarus died in His absence, otherwise He would certainly have healed him, and the greater miracle—a resurrection—would not have come to pass. This miracle would now be especially beneficial for the disciples to see, since their faith, manifestly, had been considerably weakened at that time under the influence of the persecutions to which their Teacher was being subjected. The miracle of resurrection was meant to strengthen their faith in Christ as the true Messiah (“so that you may believe”).

John 11:16. Then Thomas, called the Twin, said to the disciples: Let us also go with him, so that we may die with him. Yet Thomas did not believe the comforting words of the Lord. The evangelist notes here that Thomas’s nickname was “Twin” or, more properly, a man of divided nature (Δίδυμος, from δύο—“two”), living in constant transitions from one mood to another (compare the expression δίψυχος at Jas 1:8—“a man of divided thoughts”; or διστάζων at Matt 14:31—“of little faith”). He follows Christ as His apostle, yet at the same time does not trust that Christ on this journey to Judea could safely deliver himself and his disciples from danger. “Let us also go with him” (“so that we also may die with him”—St. John Chrysostom). He means to say that there in Judea death awaits them all, that they will die as Lazarus died (“with him”). He is certainly influenced by the thought that Christ was unable to heal Lazarus’s illness, and he seems to have completely forgotten the deeds Christ had performed earlier (Matt 9:18-25; Luke 7:11-17), as well as His promises (John 5:21-29). Thomas showed this same lack of trust in Christ’s power later on as well, when he was told about the resurrection of Christ Himself (John 20:24).

John 11:17. Jesus, arriving, found that he had already been in the tomb four days. John 11:18. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away. John 11:19. And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to console them in their grief over their brother. When the Lord arrived in Bethany, there were already many Jews present, who had come, according to custom, to console the bereaved women in their sorrow. From Jerusalem to Bethany was not far—only about fifteen stadia, or about three kilometers. From the fact that many visitors came to Bethany, we can conclude that Lazarus’s family was not poor and enjoyed respect. Mourning for the dead and consolation of the bereaved by family and friends who came usually continued for seven days. Four of these seven days had already passed when Christ arrived in Bethany.

John 11:20. Martha, hearing that Jesus was coming, went out to meet him; but Mary sat in the house. John 11:21. Martha said to Jesus: Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. John 11:22. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you. Some interpreters (for example, Heykie) believe that Christ did not go directly to Lazarus’s house because he did not want to suffer violence there from the Jews who had come from Jerusalem, since among Lazarus’s relatives there might have been people hostile to Christ. But Christ, as a knower of hearts, certainly knew that such intentions did not exist among Lazarus’s relatives; at least the evangelist says nothing of this. No, Christ’s temporary stop at the entrance to the village is simply explained by the fact that Martha was told that Christ was approaching and managed to meet him while he had not yet entered the village. “Then Martha said to Jesus…” In Martha’s words we see above all the certainty that the Lord, as the Master of life, would not in his presence have allowed the master of death to take away the life of her brother. Then, under the influence of Christ’s own words (verse 4) and knowing of the miracles Christ had performed in Galilee (Luke 7:11-15), she expresses the hope that even now God will help Christ fulfill his promise. But what exactly she expects from Christ (the resurrection of her brother) she does not say directly, as if afraid to make a demand that might be too great.

John 11:23. Jesus said to her: Your brother will rise again. John 11:24. Martha said to him: I know that he will rise again in the resurrection, on the last day. John 11:25. Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live. John 11:26. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? John 11:27. She said to him: Yes, Lord! I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world. The Lord first gives Martha comfort of a general kind: “Your brother will rise again!” He does not say that he himself will raise him now. But then, when deep sorrow resounded in Martha’s words (“I know that he will rise…” verse 24), the Lord turns her thoughts from the distant future to the present. “I am the resurrection and the life…” In Christ lies the possibility and the guarantee of the resurrection of the dead, for in him is contained a life that conquers death (compare John 5:26). Yet again, Christ does not speak of his intention to raise Lazarus now. He only affirms that everyone “living,” that is, remaining here on earth, who “believes” in Christ will “never die” in eternity; they will not disappear forever when they die. No, “just as a stone thrown upward is from the very beginning of its flight subject to the force of gravity that pulls it back down, so also the Christian, sinking into the abyss of death, is subject to the pull of the life of Christ, which lifts him up again” (P. Lange). “Do you believe this?” If Martha becomes firm in this faith in the life-giving power of Christ, she will not fear her brother’s death so much. After all, he fell asleep as one who believed in Christ, which means he will live with eternal life. Yet these words brought Martha into even greater perplexity. She now finds herself in the same confusion the Samaritan woman was in when Christ spoke to her about worship in spirit and truth (John 4:25). She recognizes that Christ is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, but she is unable to draw any definite conclusion from this recognition (St. John Chrysostom).

John 11:28. Saying this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying: The Teacher is here and is calling for you. John 11:29. When she heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. John 11:30. Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was at the place where Martha had met him. John 11:31. The Jews who were with her in the house consoling her, seeing that Mary got up quickly and went out, followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. John 11:32. Mary came to where Jesus was and, seeing him, fell at his feet and said to him: Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. As we can see from Martha’s greeting to her sister, the Lord intended to speak with Mary as well, just as he had spoken with Martha, and to speak with her alone, so that strangers would not hear. Therefore Martha “secretly” tells her sister about Christ’s coming. But still, Mary’s departure was at once noticed, and the Jews follow her, supposing she was going to weep at her brother’s tomb. Just as in Luke’s Gospel it says of Mary that she sat at Christ’s feet (Luke 10:39), so in John, Mary throws herself at Christ’s feet, which Martha did not do (compare verse 20). It is clear that Mary’s faith in Christ was far more living than Martha’s.

John 11:33. Jesus, seeing her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, was deeply moved in spirit and greatly disturbed. John 11:34. And he said: Where have you laid him? They said to him: Lord, come and see. John 11:35. Jesus wept. Mary wept loudly (κλαίειν), and with her, according to custom, the relatives of Lazarus who came after her also wept loudly. Then the Lord himself “was deeply moved in spirit” (ἐνεβριμήσατο τῷ πνεύματι). This expression is interpreted differently. Some (for example, Zahn) see here a designation of the agitation that took hold of Christ’s soul at the thought of the power of death, which was so clearly manifest in this case. In this view, the word “spirit” is understood as designating the Holy Spirit, who from the time of his baptism had urged Christ to activity (compare John 1:33). Trench similarly says: “Christ beheld all the terrible significance of death, that payment of sin. Before his eyes there opened all the miseries of mankind in miniature in one person. He saw before him all who mourn and all the graves. For if he was ready to wipe away the tears of the friends standing before him and turn their sorrow into joy for a brief moment, this did not actually change things: Lazarus would be revived, but soon would taste the bitterness of death again” (Trench, “The Miracles of Jesus Christ”). Others (for example, Meyer) see here an indication of the anger that was awakened in the Lord by the hypocritical tears and sobs of the Jews. But it accords better with the flow of the Gospel’s thought to see here not sorrow but anger, irritation on Christ’s part (such is the proper sense of the verb ἐμβριμάομαι; see Preuschen’s Dictionary), which was aroused in Christ by the universal lamentation, the inconsolable weeping over the dead in the presence of the very Giver of Life himself. And Mary and the other Jews seemed to have completely forgotten that the Giver of Life was standing before them! And the Lord was troubled by such a manifestation of little faith toward him (ἐτάραξεν ἑαυτόν). As for the word “spirit,” it was replaced in verse 38 with the expression ἐν ἑαυτῷ—“inwardly,” and consequently does not designate the Holy Spirit even in verse 33. “Where have you laid him?” With these words the Lord indicates that he intends to do something to awaken the weakened faith in himself as the Giver of Life. Yet Christ also pays tribute to the universal human feeling of sorrow over his dead friend—he weeps. Yes, in John he appears not only as God, but also as man.

John 11:36. Then the Jews said: See how he loved him. John 11:37. But some of them said: Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind have kept this man from dying? John 11:38. Jesus, again deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. The tears that appeared on Christ’s face convinced some that Christ loved Lazarus, but seemed to others like tears of helplessness. These latter even drew the conclusion on the basis of these tears that Christ did not have the power to work healing at all. They even began to suspect the genuineness of the last miracle wrought by the Lord in Jerusalem over the man born blind. Probably, these people said, that healing too was only deception. These conversations again troubled the Lord (in the Russian translation incorrectly—“again deeply moved”).

John 11:39. Jesus said: Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him: Lord, by now he stinks; for he has been dead four days. John 11:40. Jesus said to her: Did I not tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God? When the Lord came to the tomb and ordered the stone to be rolled away, Martha began to object, unwilling to see the horror of decay and to allow others to see the remains of her brother. Why did the Lord command the stone to be taken away? Could he not have made the stone roll away with his word? Of course he could, but he commands those around him to do this so that they might be gradually prepared for the miracle that was about to take place. By rolling away the stone, the people should come to the thought that Christ wants to raise Lazarus to life, and Christ, as we know, worked his miracles only when people were somewhat prepared to see them and believe. In particular, this was done for Martha, whose faith at this moment, it seems, was not at the proper height, as shown by the objection she made to Christ, by which she seemed to say that opening Lazarus’s tomb would be completely pointless. And the Lord directly addresses an instruction to Martha, reminding her of what he had said to her through her messenger (verse 4) and what he undoubtedly repeated to her at their recent meeting.

John 11:41. So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said: Father, I thank you that you have heard me. John 11:42. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the crowd standing here, that they may believe that you sent me. John 11:43. Having said this, he called out with a loud voice: Lazarus, come out! John 11:44. The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them: Unbind him, and let him go. The Lord utters aloud before the people a thanksgiving to the Father for having heard him, certainly his earlier private prayer for the raising of Lazarus. The Lord expresses his thanksgiving aloud “for the crowd.” He wants all those present at the miracle of resurrection to know that this miracle is not an act of chance or of satanic power, with which they accused him of being in communion (Mark 3:22), but the result of his prayer to the Father. Through this all should come to the conviction that Christ is truly the Son of God, the promised Messiah (“that you sent me”). Then, raising his voice especially high (“called out”) as if to be heard even by the dead Lazarus (compare John 5:25), Christ commanded Lazarus to “come out” of the tomb. The dead man came out, but since it was difficult for him to step with his feet, which were tightly bound in burial cloths, the Lord ordered the stunned onlookers to unbind the one who had been raised. In the prayer that Christ here addresses to the Father, some critics see grounds for not recognizing Christ as a person of divine nature. “Is it possible,” Beyschlag remarks, “that God would pray to God? If there is anything that inwardly unites man with God while at the same time most distinguishes them from one another, it is prayer, petition, religion, which determine man’s relationship to God, and certainly not God’s relationship to God” (see in Znamensky, p. 326). But Christ’s prayer has an essential distinction from the prayers of ordinary people. First of all, can anyone else pray to God as to their own father? We pray to our Father, the Father of all people, not claiming an exclusive right to call God only our Father. Yet Christ addresses God precisely as his Father in an exclusive sense. And then, in his prayer, he converses with God as with one equal to him in nature and has full confidence that everything for which he prayed will certainly be fulfilled (regarding prayer in connection with his coming sufferings, see the commentaries on John 12:27-28). It should be noted that after the account of Christ’s resurrection, no Gospel narrative has provoked as much dispute among interpreters as John’s account of the raising of Lazarus. Many even now continue to argue that this account does not correspond to historical reality, that it was composed by the writer of the Fourth Gospel (of course, from the perspective of these interpreters, not by the Apostle John) on the basis of the accounts in the Synoptic Gospels of the raising of the daughter of Jairus (Matt 9:18 and following) and of the raising of the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11 and following). The chief ground for doubting the historical reliability of John’s account of the raising of Lazarus is the fact that none of the Synoptists mention this event, and such an event they—so says the new criticism—could not have left unnoticed. But this ground is hardly so important. Why must the Synoptists necessarily have reported this miracle? Does it present anything unique in its importance? The cases of raising the dead which the Synoptists report are just as remarkable as the raising of Lazarus. And then, is it true that this miracle was the occasion for condemning Jesus Christ to death? If it were, then indeed it would be strange that the Synoptists do not mention this miracle where they begin to describe the history of Christ’s sufferings. But the point is that this miracle in itself did not have such a decisive significance in the history of Christ, since his enemies had long ago decided to seize and kill him. For this reason the Synoptists did not deem it necessary to mention this event. Finally, just as John (John 21:25), the Synoptists too could not transmit all the events from Christ’s life. None of them reported, for example, such an outstanding event as Christ’s appearance to five hundred Christians at once after his resurrection (1 Cor 15:6). If only John mentions the raising of Lazarus, this is explained by the fact that he wanted to show that Christ, going to his death, is nevertheless and remains the Master of life and death, and that he has not lost the power to raise, which he possessed before.

John 11:45. Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. John 11:46. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Some of those who witnessed the miracle believed in Christ, while others acted as informers, going to the Pharisees to report what had happened, since the Pharisees were known for their hostility to Christ. Zahn’s opinion that these were not informers but people who wanted to turn the Pharisees to faith in Christ cannot be accepted, because the word “some” is preceded by a contrasting particle (δέ).

John 11:47. So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said: What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. John 11:48. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation. When word came that what happened in Bethany, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered a council (a “sanhedrin”—see commentaries on Matt 5:22). From the discussions that took place at this meeting of the sanhedrin, it is clear that the chief priests or the leaders of the priestly courses held the leading role here. In fact, only the higher priestly aristocracy, which cared nothing for the national dignity of the Jewish people, was capable of reasoning as the members of the sanhedrin reasoned here. Christ’s case is discussed in the sanhedrin only from a political perspective, whereas if the Pharisees had set the tone for the discussion, they would have valued it from a religious standpoint. The priests are only afraid for themselves, worried about losing their power and the income that goes with it, if the Romans come to suppress the rebellion that the new-appearing Messiah might cause. They are willing to sacrifice even such a cherished dream of the Israeli people as the Messiah, king and restorer of David’s kingdom, to preserve a semblance of Jewish independence and their own position of authority.

John 11:49. One of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them: You know nothing at all! John 11:50. You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed. A more bold decider of Christ’s fate was Caiaphas (see Matt 26:3; Luke 3:2). Hiding his inner personal motives, he speaks as though guided only by considerations of national welfare. For the good of the entire Jewish people, it is necessary to settle the matter with Christ as soon as possible—this is Caiaphas’s main thought.

John 11:51. He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, John 11:52. and not only for the nation, but to gather into one the scattered children of God. According to the evangelist’s remark, Caiaphas spoke these words not only from his own limited reasoning, but was, despite his will, a prophet in this case, predicting that Christ “would die for the nation,” that is, for the welfare of the nation, so that, so to speak, he might bring the nation true welfare—redemption from sins, which could only be obtained through Christ’s death. The evangelist views Caiaphas’s words as a prophecy because Caiaphas was high priest that year. The evangelist’s remark is interpreted differently. Some think that the evangelist considered the high priest to be an organ of divine revelation, and the expression “that year” is understood in the sense of a general designation of “at that time.” Others believe that the evangelist could not have failed to know that in the Second Temple there was no longer the “Urim” and “Thummim” by means of which the high priest discerned God’s will and was thus an organ of divine revelation. According to these interpreters, John viewed Caiaphas as the one who offered the sacrifice at the Feast of Atonement. At this feast it was his duty to offer a sacrifice for the sins of all the people, and God through a mysterious inspiration showed him the true sacrifice that would cleanse the sins of the people and all mankind (“the scattered children of God”). Such a sacrifice Christ was to be. Of these two interpretations, the first seems more natural. Even if Caiaphas did not have the “Urim” and “Thummim,” he was in John’s eyes a representative of the Church of God, whose life at that time had not yet ended, and consequently he could serve, even against his will, as an instrument of divine revelation, which is what happened in this case. Let his prophecy have remained misunderstood by the members of the sanhedrin to whom he spoke, yet it became known and was later cited, apparently in Christian communities as proof that Christ’s redemptive death was foretold even through the lips of a representative of the Jewish Church.

John 11:53. From that day on they planned to put him to death. John 11:54. Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews, but went from there to a town called Ephraim in the region near the wilderness; and he remained there with his disciples. The members of the sanhedrin unanimously determined to kill Christ, but did not yet work out measures for carrying this decision into effect. Meanwhile, the Lord withdrew from Judea, namely from Bethany, to a small town in northern Judea—“Ephraim,” located five Roman miles to the east of Bethel (some manuscripts read “Samphurein” instead of “Ephraim”—the same as “Sepphoris,” a town in Galilee, but the reading “Ephraim” has more attestation). Ephraim is mentioned in 2 Chr 13:19 and Josh 15:9 as a town in the tribe of Benjamin. This place was near the wilderness mentioned in the Book of Joshua (Josh 16:1). Christ chose it, apparently, because from here, if danger arose, it would be easy to flee into the wilderness. According to Archbishop Innocent, “the magnificent severity of the location, the appearance of the silent nature (Christ always loved to draw attention to it) were perfectly in accord with the matters that occupied the soul of Jesus. If his disciples understood and sensed the importance of the coming events, then for them the days spent in Ephraim were days of reflection, prayers, and secret great expectations. The evangelist does not say that Christ taught his disciples anything at this time. The Ephraim retreat, it seems, was devoted by him more to himself than to his disciples. However, his close association with the Teacher, recollection of all that had happened, especially of recent events, were in themselves very instructive.” To this we add that the apostles certainly knew of the sanhedrin’s decision to kill their Teacher, and this was certainly the main subject of their conversations.

John 11:55. Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. John 11:56. They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple: “What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?” John 11:57. Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where Jesus was, he should let them know so that they might arrest him. At this time the Passover was drawing near. Pilgrims were already arriving in Jerusalem to prepare themselves here through purifications, under the supervision of the Pharisees who knew all these purification rites well, to partake of the Passover. In fact, pilgrims on the road to Jerusalem, passing through pagan towns and villages, could become defiled completely unconsciously, and now they needed to ask the Pharisees whether they had done something that might prevent them from participating in the Passover. At the same time, pilgrims from other lands brought various goods from their own country, which they sold or traded before the festival. Jews who had previously seen Christ at the festivals converse among themselves about whether he will come to the Passover. Apparently they already knew the decision made about Christ by the sanhedrin, and they doubt whether Christ will come to Jerusalem after this. His enemies, for their part, expecting Christ to come to the festival to take advantage of the consequences that the miracle of Lazarus’s raising had in the people, give orders that whoever knows where Christ is should report it to the sanhedrin at once. * * * Notes Archbishop Innocent remarks that Martha answers Christ “with some sorrow and as though with coldness.” That is, approximately 7.5 km.—Editor’s note.

Chapter Twelve

1-8. The anointing of Christ in Bethany.—9-19. The triumphal entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.—20-36. The last appearance of Christ in the temple.—37-50. A review of the results of the Messiah’s activity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 12:1. Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom he had raised from the dead. Since according to the law the Passover began on the 14th of Nisan after sunset, it means the Lord came to Bethany on the 8th of Nisan (six days before). But on what day did the 8th of Nisan fall? Some say it was a Saturday, arguing that the 14th of Nisan that year fell on Friday. Of course, if we allow that John understands “before the Passover” to mean the Passover “legally” observed by the Jews that year, and that this “legal” day of Passover fell on a Friday, then those who accept such an opinion would be right. But why could not John in the given expression have in view the Passover that Christ celebrated with his disciples, namely on the day before, that is, on the 13th of Nisan, on Thursday? Such a reckoning of days in John is very possible. Moreover, hardly would the Lord have disrupted the rest of the Sabbath without necessity by traveling with his disciples. Furthermore, it undoubtedly required considerable time to prepare a supper for Christ and his disciples—and who would prepare it on a Sabbath? Finally, on one Sabbath evening could not happen what John reports: many Jews coming to Bethany after learning of Christ’s coming there, and the determination of the chief priests to kill Lazarus (verses 9-10). Thus, it remains to accept that the Lord came to Bethany on Friday afternoon, and on Saturday he was served supper. The Hebrews, it seems, generally loved to arrange great suppers on Saturdays (compare Luke 14:1 and following). If the evangelist did not think it necessary to say that the supper was served on the day following his arrival, then neither in other cases does he always think it necessary to make such distinctions of days (compare John 1:39). The question whether this supper was the same one described by Matthew (Matt 26:6 and following) and Mark (Mark 14:3 and following) is answered differently by interpreters. Some (for example, Bishop Michael) maintain that it was a different supper, and as evidence they point, first, to the fact that in the first two evangelists a supper is described that took place not six, but two days before the Passover; second, that the name of the woman is given only in John; third, that the name of the host is given only in the first two evangelists; and fourth, that these suppers are distinguished in the Church hymns for Passion week. Others see no need to distinguish these suppers and argue that all three evangelists are speaking of the same one. The latter assumption is more natural, since it seems highly unlikely that in the course of one week the Lord came to Bethany twice and that the same event—the anointing of Christ—was repeated with nearly identical circumstances by two different women. As for the objections raised against the latter opinion, they have no force. First, the second and third objections, which point to the omission of names, have absolutely no force: one evangelist thought it necessary to name the person involved, another did not. As for the first ground, although it seems weighty, it actually has little significance. The fact is that Matthew and Mark do not speak of the anointing of Christ in strict chronological order of events, but only recall it on the occasion of reporting, after the story of this anointing, about the betrayal of Judas (Matt 26:14 and following); but as we see from the Gospel of John, it was Judas who initiated the protest of the other disciples against the wasteful expenditure of the precious ointment, which Mary made. Matthew the evangelist, thus, inserted the account of the anointing into chapter 26 not because strict chronological order of events required it, but in order to partly characterize the disposition of the disciples in general and Judas in particular, and partly to indicate that the Lord knew the fate prepared for him by his enemies (Matt 26:12). The history of the anointing stands in exactly the same connection in Mark’s Gospel. As for the testimony of liturgical hymns, they never aimed at establishing chronological order of events. This is evident, for example, from the fact that the conversation of Christ with the apostles about the preparation of the Passover is mentioned in the stichera for the Saturday of Palms, at the time when Christ came to Bethany (“six days” before the Passover); in another stichera of the same day it is said that Christ came six days before the Passover “to raise the four-day-old dead Lazarus.” Where did the Lord come from this time to Bethany? In all probability, from Jericho, where he visited the house of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:5). From Jericho to Bethany it was about six hours’ journey. Regarding Bethany, see the commentaries on Mark 11:1.

John 12:2. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. As we see from the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, the supper for Christ was prepared “in the house of Simon the leper” (see Matt 26:6). But Martha was invited by the host to serve Christ, as a woman from the family to whom Christ was well-disposed. It is remarkable that Lazarus also took part in the banquet. Evidently, he felt well enough that he did not avoid the joyful banquet.

John 12:3. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard and anointed Jesus’s feet and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. The evangelist again clearly contrasts Mary with Martha (compare John 11:32). While Martha was concerned with providing abundantly at the table, Mary anointed Jesus’s feet with perfume and wiped them with her hair. She forgets that Jewish propriety forbids a woman to appear with uncovered head in the company of men; she even lets down her hair to wipe Jesus’s feet with it, thus repeating what was once done by the sinful woman with regard to Jesus (Luke 7:38). A pound is 337.5 grams. Nard—see commentaries on Mark 14:3.

John 12:4. One of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was about to betray him, said: John 12:5. “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” In John, only Judas Iscariot objects against Mary’s deed, whereas in Matthew and Mark all the disciples do. Evidently John indicates who really initiated this protest. For the rest, see Matt 26; Mark 14.

John 12:6. He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it. Judas not only carried the money that had been contributed, but “took” or secretly took a considerable portion of it for himself. The verb here (ἐβάσταζεν), translated into Russian as “carried,” should more properly be translated “stole” (compare John 20:15). Why was Judas entrusted by Christ with the money box? It is very likely that by this show of trust Christ wanted to influence Judas, to inspire in him love and devotion to himself. But such trust did not have a favorable effect on Judas: he had already become too attached to money and therefore abused Christ’s trust in him.

John 12:7. Jesus said: Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. See commentaries on Matt 26:12; Mark 14:8. “Leave her alone.” More ancient manuscripts read “leave,” and this reading is more appropriate here, since John says that only Judas was condemning Mary. “She bought it so that.” The earliest manuscripts read here “so that she would keep it” (instead of τετήρηκεν—ἵνα… τηρήσῃ). According to this ancient reading, the Lord means to say that Mary, having now anointed his feet, should keep the remaining ointment in the flask not to sell it so that the proceeds might be given to the poor, but to save it for the day of his burial, when, according to custom, she would be able to anoint his body.

John 12:8. For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me. (See commentaries on Matt 26:11; Mark 14:7).

John 12:9. When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. From verses 9 through 19 there is an account of the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem, which John describes in general agreement with the Synoptists (compare Matt 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-38). But in John there are also some departures from the Synoptists, which are explained by the distinctive character of his narrative. While in the Synoptists the entry of Christ into Jerusalem begins from Jericho, with no mention of a stop in Bethany, in John Jericho is not mentioned at all, and on the contrary, Bethany appears as the main stopping point for Christ on this journey. The Jews even rush there to verify the reality of Lazarus’s raising. Evidently, John here supplements the narrative of the Synoptists.

John 12:10. The chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, John 12:11. since on account of him many of the Jews were deserting them and were believing in Jesus. The chief priests, noticing the agitation among the people and seeing how because of Lazarus, whom the Lord had raised, many of the Jews were leaving them (ὑπῆγον, in the Russian translation incorrectly translated as “were coming”) and turning to Christ, decided to kill Lazarus as well.

John 12:12. The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem The events mentioned in verses 9-11 certainly could not have taken place in only one day, so the expression “the next day” should be understood as designating the day following the day of supper in Bethany, which was on Saturday. Thus, the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem falls on the 10th of Nisan (on our calendar, on Sunday).

John 12:13. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!” (See commentaries on Matt 21:9-11). “Palm branches.” The word for “branch” in Greek is βαΐον—a word taken from the Egyptian language. In the Old Testament they are mentioned as symbols of joy. They were used to welcome kings, victors, and heroes (1 Macc 13:51). They recalled the bundles (Lulav) with which the Hebrews walked during the Feast of Tabernacles on the basis of Lev 23:40. If the people now meet Christ with shouts of “Hosanna,” they probably do so by a certain association of thought. Namely, the branches in their hands reminded the people of the joyful Feast of Tabernacles, when the 117th Psalm was chanted, and in this psalm the cry “Hosanna” occurs. The people thus expressed their joy at the coming of the Messiah-King and met him with joyful shouts, believing that Christ had come to reveal his kingdom.

John 12:14. Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: That Jesus did not find the donkey himself is evident from the words of verse 16: “this they did for him,” that is, certainly his disciples.

John 12:15. “Do not fear, daughter of Zion! See, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.” John interprets Christ’s entry on a donkey as fulfilling the prophet Zechariah’s words (Zech 9:9) as a designation of the meekness of the Messiah King. Not to punish and judge does he now come, but to save his people. Certainly, John wanted to say that salvation will be given only to the true daughter of Zion, that is, to those worthy of this salvation. The quotation from the prophet Zechariah is given in a shortened form. Besides, the expression “rejoice with great joy” (Zech 9:9) John replaced with the expression “do not fear.” He did this because at that time it was too early for the true Israelites, who understood that the Lord was going to his suffering and death, to rejoice. On the contrary, the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem for the devout Israelites served only to dispel their anxieties, namely that Messianic salvation was still not accomplished. And John now comforts their anxieties. The Messiah the Savior is coming!

John 12:16. His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him. Just as the disciples earlier did not understand Christ’s words about himself as the temple, which would first be destroyed and then rebuilt (John 2:19), so also regarding the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem they show a failure to understand that in this the Old Testament prophecies about Christ were being fulfilled. Only after Christ’s glorification did they understand that they themselves had served the accomplishment of these prophecies, having brought the Lord a donkey on which he made his entry into Jerusalem (“and had been done to him”).

John 12:17. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify. John 12:18. It was also because the crowd heard that he had done this sign that they went out to meet him. John 12:19. The Pharisees then said to one another: “You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” The “crowd,” that is, the throng of people (ὁ ὄχλος), that was in Bethany when Lazarus was raised; they explained to the “people,” that is, again the throng (ὁ ὄχλος), that met Christ at the gates of Jerusalem, what the Lord had done in Bethany. This is how the evangelist explains the enthusiasm with which Christ was received. The Pharisees seemed to think that “the whole world” or all the people were going after Christ, and this reasoning prompted them to take more decisive action against Christ.

John 12:20. Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. The Greeks mentioned here apparently belonged to what were called “proselytes of the gate” and came to Jerusalem to worship (compare Acts 24:11). The evangelist does not indicate on what day the following event took place.

John 12:21. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” These proselytes saw how the Jewish people were receiving their Messiah, about whom they surely must have had some knowledge before, and wished to “see Jesus,” that is, to become acquainted with him (though they could have “seen” him before as well). They approach the apostle Philip with their request to introduce them to Christ. John, by saying that Philip was from Bethsaida in Galilee (see Luke 9:10), suggests that Philip would be known to these “Greeks,” who probably came from the Decapolis, in relation to which Bethsaida occupied a neighboring location (compare Matt 4:25). There is nothing improbable in the supposition that these proselytes were present at Christ’s expulsion of the money changers from the temple, which took place the day after his entry into Jerusalem. (And John does not say that the Greeks approached Philip on the very day of the “entry.”) After all, the money changers occupied precisely the court in the temple that was set aside for the prayer of the proselytes, and Christ, by driving them out, was in a sense taking these proselytes under his protection. From this it naturally followed that the proselytes felt sympathy for him and a desire to know him better.

John 12:22. Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip told Jesus. Philip did not dare to report on his own to Christ about the Greeks’ desire. First, he may have been troubled by the memory of the command Christ gave regarding pagans (Matt 10:5), and Christ’s words regarding the request of the Canaanite woman (Matt 15:24); second, Philip saw how enthusiastically Christ was received by the Jewish people, and he thought that a conversation between Christ and these Greeks, probably in the temple, would arouse irritation against him among the Jews and give them grounds to accuse Christ of being alien in soul to his own people (compare John 7:35). But Andrew, to whom Philip turned for advice, was more resolute and thought it possible to tell Christ about the Greeks’ desire. Andrew may have recalled such cases as Christ’s healing of the centurion’s servant at Capernaum, his conversation with the Samaritan woman, and finally his words: “the one who comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37).

John 12:23. Jesus answered: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” Christ gave no response to the Greeks’ request. His words appear to be addressed to Philip and Andrew (“answered them”). In these words he speaks of the coming of his departure. His death now awaits him, and the coming of those who represent the pagan world seem to remind him that it is time for him to give his soul for the good of all mankind. But the accomplishment of redemption is, of course, the highest deed of the Messiah, and therefore Christ calls his death his “glorification.” The hour has come for him to die, but at the same time also to be “glorified,” and his glorification so far exceeds the humiliation he will receive in death that Christ does not even speak of death, but only of glorification. At the same time, he does not say “to me,” but “to the Son of Man.” This usual designation of the Messiah in John has special significance here. The Lord means to say that he will appear as the Redeemer not just of the Israeli people alone, but of all mankind: “the Son of Man,” he belongs to all humanity.

John 12:24. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Since the disciples, under the influence of the solemn reception of Christ by the people, might interpret Christ’s words about his glorification as a promise of new miracles, the Lord with special emphasis (the twice-repeated “very truly”) rejects such an understanding. No, not external glorification awaits him now, but on the contrary, humiliation and death. Yet this death is a necessary condition for the emergence of a new, richer, and more varied life. He must give up his soul or life so that the salvation he has brought might come out of the narrow confines of Judaism and become the possession of the whole world. Such is the meaning of this parable of the grain, which, dying (that is, decomposing) in the earth, gives rise to a new shoot, on which appear many grains (fruits). Thus here is expressed the thought that in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ is contained the life of the entire Church, that every believer reflects Christ in himself, lives with him and in him. It should be noted that if the pagans also began to listen to Christ’s words, they too could understand their meaning to some extent, since in their own mysteries the grain played a significant role as a symbol of life.

John 12:25. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:26. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. Such a willingness for self-sacrifice should also characterize Christ’s disciples. See commentaries on Matt 10:39 and parallel passages. As for the reward that the Lord promises to his followers, John here expresses in somewhat distinctive terms what is indicated in Matt 10:32 and Mark 8:38.

John 12:27. “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.” According to Archbishop Innocent’s remark, all of this, as shown by the very character of the thoughts and words, was spoken with the majesty befitting the Son of God. “But suddenly his bright gaze was as if covered with some gloom of sorrow. On his divine face it was evident that one feeling in his soul was rapidly replaced by another, and there occurred as it were a strong internal movement and struggle.” From the thought of his glorious future the Lord suddenly turns to the thought of the present, and behold, the “soul,” which is to be hated, responds to this thought with terrible painful sensation. Indeed, Christ was sinless, yet death is the consequence of sin. It is clear that it was especially hateful, repugnant to Christ’s soul, to his most holy nature. Besides, the very death that Christ underwent was horrible, because it was the punishment for the sins of all mankind. Christ in this death of his was to taste all the bitterness of the cup that divine justice had prepared for sinful mankind. “And what should I say?” The Lord is so shaken by the thought of death, by the foretaste of its bitterness, that he cannot find suitable words to express his feelings. Yet this state lasts only a few moments. “Father, save me from this hour!” This is not a request, but a question. The Lord seems to reflect with himself: “Shall I say to the Father to save me? But I came for this hour. No, I must go into this mortal struggle, must accomplish the work for which I came. Let all that the righteous judgment of God has determined for me be accomplished.” Christ overcame the involuntary fear of death. It is very likely that John, in reporting this brief “struggle” of Christ with the fear of death, is saying the same thing that the Synoptists wanted to say in their account of Christ’s struggle in Gethsemane (Matt 26:36-46 and parallel passages).

John 12:28. “Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” Christ prays for the glorification of God’s name—glorification, of course, by his death and resurrection, after which should come the fulfillment of Christ’s words about the salvation of all mankind (verse 24). In answer to this prayer, God himself answered Christ from heaven, that as he had previously fulfilled his intentions through Christ, so through Christ’s death he will soon glorify his name, that is, complete his plan for the salvation of mankind (John 9:3).

John 12:29. The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder; others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Whenever the Son manifested his devotion to the Father in some important event of his life, the Father answered him in the presence of some witnesses. So it was at his baptism, at his transfiguration, and so it happened now. Christ on this solemn final day of his prophetic ministry dedicated himself to the coming work—ultimately entered the path leading to death. Now from the Father it was solemnly announced to the Son his approval of this decision. The Father proclaimed to the Son glorification, that is, the imminent coming of a new era of Christ’s activity—his activity as King (Godet). There is no doubt that the Father’s words were spoken as articulate sounds; this is evident from the fact that some of those present understood them but thought them to be the words of an Angel.

John 12:30. Jesus said: “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine.” Christ, of course, even without such a sign, knew what the Father meant to say to him. The voice was for the Jews standing around him, who should have paid attention to such a miraculous testimony to Christ, but because of their own lack of receptivity (compare John 5:37) still did not understand that God himself was thus calling them to Christ.

John 12:31. “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.” After this remark, made by Christ with regard to the crowd, the Lord again returns to speaking of what his “hour” will bring to all mankind. Now the judgment (κρίσις) that began with Christ’s appearance at his ministry (cf. John 3:19) is approaching its end. The world, condemning Christ to death, supposes it is completely eliminating his influence on its life, but in reality it is not Christ who is condemned, but this very world hostile to Christ that is now subject to judgment. At the same time, the ruler of this world (the devil) will be driven out of the world (according to some ancient manuscripts, “down” - κάτω) (Eph 2:2). The decision about the devil will be pronounced “now,” that is, at the hour of Christ’s death, but the execution of this decision will take place gradually, with the acquisition of ever more new followers of Christ, so Christ says not “is driven out,” but “will be driven out” (compare John 16:11).

John 12:32. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. The expression “lifted up” (ὑψωθῶ) the Lord uses here in the same twofold sense as before (see commentaries on John 3:14): his lifting up on the cross becomes for him a means of his lifting up to heaven. On the other hand, this lifting up is a means by which all people, including the “Greeks” (verse 20), will be drawn to Christ, under his power. When Christ is in heaven, he will no longer be confined to the narrow limits of one nationality to which he belonged by birth, but will be the Lord of “all” (Rom 10:12).

John 12:33. He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. The evangelist himself understands the Lord’s words as an indication of the very manner of his death—crucifixion, in which the Lord was indeed lifted up or raised above the earth and, stretching his arms on the cross, seemed to wish to draw all the world to himself.

John 12:34. The crowd answered him: “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” The crowd seemed unable to reconcile the recent solemn entry of Christ into Jerusalem as Messiah and these words of his about his imminent death. The Old Testament prophecies indeed speak of the Messiah reigning forever (Ps 109:4; Isa 9:6; Dan 7:13-14). No, if the Messiah, or the Son of Man, is to leave the place of his activity, then this is not the Messiah the Jews were expecting—this is some special Messiah! Let Christ explain to them whom he really means to say he is.

John 12:35. Then Jesus said to them: yet for a little while the light is with you; walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overtake you; and whoever walks in darkness does not know where he is going. John 12:36. As long as the light is with you, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light. Having said this, Jesus went away and was hidden from them. The Lord again encounters incomprehension from his listeners, but now finds it impossible to enter into any explanations with the crowd about what the Messiah should be from the point of view of the prophets. He persuades the listeners to make use of those few days in which the light of the sun – Christ – will still shine for them (cf. John 7:33). But of course, in order to use this Light (to walk in it), one needs faith in this Light, and so Christ considers it necessary to remind them of this, moreover promising that they may become in time “sons of light” (see the commentary on Luke 16:8). Having said this, Christ withdrew, probably to Gethsemane, to the Mount of Olives. From verse 37 to verse 50, the evangelist casts a glance at the results of the activity of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Jewish people and is astonished at how meager these results were, how few believers in Christ were revealed. How can this fact be explained? Here, in the evangelist’s view, God’s threat to the Jewish people was fulfilled, which the prophet Isaiah once pronounced. In this connection, the evangelist briefly sums up the testimonies that exist about Christ in the previously cited speeches of Christ to the Jews.

John 12:37. He performed so many signs before them, and yet they did not believe in him, Speaking of the multitude of signs (“so many signs”), John evidently has in mind the signs described in the Synoptists: he himself speaks only of a few signs of Christ.

John 12:38. so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” The fact that the Hebrews did not believe – of course, in the mass – in Christ was not in any way unexpected. The prophet Isaiah already predicted this. (Isa 53:1, the evangelist cites according to the text of the translation of the Seventy). Christ can now say with the apostles (“what we have heard”) that believers in his preaching were found very few.

John 12:39. For this reason they could not believe, for as Isaiah said again, John 12:40. He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they might not see with their eyes and understand with their hearts, and turn to me, so that I would heal them. What is the cause of such a sad and to many incomprehensible phenomenon as the unbelief of a people who had long since been prepared for the reception of the Messiah? For this reason, answers the evangelist, they could not (ancient Greek interpreters replaced the expression “could not” with “would not,” but such a replacement finds no basis in the words of the prophet cited below) believe in Christ, because, as Isaiah says, this people is extremely stubborn in their understanding of those tasks which the Messiah was to accomplish. The Jews stubbornly refused to understand their spiritual weakness, in which they found themselves because of their sins. They did not find the need for a Messiah as a spiritual Savior and Healer. Therefore they did not turn to Christ. The evangelist cites here a passage from the book of Isaiah (Isa 6:9-10) according to the translation of the Seventy, as this passage is cited already in the Synoptists (Matt 13:14-15 and parallel passages). But our Russian translation does not quite accurately convey the Greek text: instead of “their eyes” it reads “their eyes” and to the verb “blinded” it adjoins the subject “this people,” whereas this expression is not found in the Greek text. It is more correct and closer to the Greek original the Slavonic translation: “blind, i.e., he blinded their eyes” and so on. According to this translation, the subject of the word “blinded” should be recognized as the word “God” or “Lord,” found in verse 38 (“Lord!”), and the whole verse takes on this meaning: God – as punishment because the Jews from the very beginning of Christ’s appearance with the preaching of the Gospel in Judea (John 2:13-14) showed an unwillingness to believe in Christ – blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts or, in other words, hardened them, so that they might not understand the meaning of Christ’s deeds. However, as the blessed Augustine notes, “God hardens not so that he instills stubbornness, but only by withholding from man his grace. He makes salvation difficult in the sense that he himself does not send relief, and he blinds by not enlightening.” “So that I would heal them.” Since we have seen that the subject with the verb “blinded” should be the word “God,” it is clear that here by the expression “I” the evangelist could not mean God – then it would be necessary to say, according to the requirement of construction, “he” healed – but meant Christ the Savior and Healer. Thus the whole verse takes on the character of a complaint which Christ brings against his people. “This people,” as Christ would seem to say, “angered my heavenly Father by their stubborn unwillingness to listen to me, and my Father for this took away from it his gracious help, which is necessary for man so that he could understand my deeds and examine them as they should be examined. If the people had not fallen into such hardening, then it could have received healing or salvation from me, but now all is finished!”

John 12:41. Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Here the evangelist explains the reason why he gives such significance to the above prophecy of Isaiah, referring it to Christ. The prophet saw “the glory of Christ,” that is, he saw God, sitting in all his glory and surrounded by seraphim; but in seeing God, he, in the evangelist’s view, also saw Christ, because Christ, as the divine Logos, was always with God (cf. John 1:1). Therefore one can say that Isaiah in the above prophecy about the hardening of the Jews had in mind Christ (“spoke of him”). Cf. the commentary on Isa 6.

John 12:42. Nevertheless, many even of the leaders believed in him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, for fear of being put out of the synagogue, John 12:43. for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God. To show that the mission of Christ did not pass without effect even for the Jews, the evangelist points out that even some of the leaders – of simple Jews he does not speak at all, and many such believed – were believers in Christ, but because of material and other advantages they did not openly confess their faith. Such were Nicodemus (John 7:50) and Joseph of Arimathea (John 19:38). Ancient Greek interpreters hold that from verse 44 onwards a new speech of the Lord begins, but this opinion cannot be accepted, because according to the evangelist’s understanding, Christ already “was hidden” from the Jews (verse 36). To whom could he have spoken this speech? It is better to see here a conclusion which the evangelist himself draws to the history of Christ’s public ministry which he has set forth above. In this conclusion he sums up the numerous testimonies of Christ about himself as the Messiah, Son of God. The connection of this section with the previous one is as follows. The Jews did not believe in Christ, and even the leaders who believed in Christ did not openly confess their faith, and meanwhile, Christ loudly proclaimed (“cried out,” ἔκραξεν – shouted), what great significance faith in him has and what terrible consequences unbelief brings with it.

John 12:44. Jesus cried out and said: Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. (See John 7:16 and following; John 8:42).

John 12:45. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. (See John 14:9).

John 12:46. I have come into the world as a light, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness. (See John 8:12).

John 12:47. If anyone hears my words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. (See John 3:17).

John 12:48. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has someone to judge him: the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. (See John 5:45). “The word… will judge.” At the final judgment, judgment will not be performed personally by Christ, but by the word announced by him: people will be judged to the extent that they have shown faith in “the word of Christ” and his Gospel in all its fullness. So also the Lord said of the Jews that their law judges them (John 7:51).

John 12:49. For I have not spoken on my own authority; but the Father who sent me has given me a commandment what to say and what to speak. (See John 7:17).

John 12:50. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So whatever I speak, I speak as the Father has told me. (See John 3:34).

Chapter Thirteen

1–20. The washing of the disciples’ feet by Christ at the supper. – 21–30. The revelation of the betrayer. – 31–35. The Lord’s address to the disciples with his last instructions. – 36–38. The question of the apostle Peter and the answer of the Lord.

From chapter 13 to chapter 17 of the Gospel of John are depicted the last hours spent by the Lord in the circle of his disciples. This section in John represents something independent in the exposition of the history of Christ’s life. It can be called “Christ in the close circle of the twelve.” Here the Lord, in view of his approaching separation from them, gives them his last instructions to strengthen their faith and courage.

John 13:1. Before the feast of Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, loved them to the end. This verse has in the original text a rather unusual construction, which is why the Russian translation found it necessary to make a certain insertion here for the sake of clarity, adding the words “showed by deed that.” But it is difficult to agree with the interpretation of the Russian translation. This addition suggests that the Russian translation sees the highest manifestation of Christ’s love for the disciples only in the washing of feet, which “showed by deed” this love. Meanwhile, if anything could be called a manifestation of love, it is not the symbolic instruction regarding the necessity of humility for the disciples given in the rite of foot-washing, but rather the entire subsequent frank conversation of the Lord with his disciples, in which he spoke to them precisely as to his beloved children, as to his friends. Therefore to limit the meaning of the first verse only by putting it in relation to the washing of feet, as is done in the Russian translation, is completely unfounded. In accordance with the interpretations of the holy fathers and ancient translations, this verse should be rendered thus: “But since before the feast of Passover he knew that his hour had come – to go from this world to the Father – Jesus, as one who had loved his own (disciples), who were (remained) in the world, loved them to the end.” It is clear that here is a remark of the evangelist relating not only to the following story of the washing of feet, but to the entire section from chapter 13 to chapter 17. The Lord with all his power loved the disciples (“to the end,” cf. Matt 10:22) precisely at this time, felt toward them extraordinary compassion precisely now because this feast of Passover was, as was known to him, the last days in which the disciples could still have their support in close communion with him. Soon they will be alone, and the Lord foresees how difficult it will be for them at that time, how miserable and abandoned they will feel then!

John 13:2. And during supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray him, “And during supper.” The evangelist does not determine when, on what day this supper was taking place. But taking into account the fact that at this supper the revelation of the betrayer takes place, which, according to the Synoptists, happened precisely at the last Passover supper, when the Eucharist was instituted, we have the right to conclude that John also is speaking here of the last Passover supper of Christ. To this must be added that at both places and here the disciples receive instruction from Christ regarding humility. But why does John report nothing about Christ and the disciples partaking of the Passover and about the institution of the Eucharist? Probably because he found it fully sufficient that the Synoptic Gospels report on this. (On the day of the Last Supper according to the Gospel of John – see the commentary on John 18:28). “The devil put…” See the commentary on Luke 22:3.

John 13:3. Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, “Jesus, knowing that…” These words are commonly interpreted as a concessive clause: “although Jesus knew… yet” and so forth. But such an interpretation is hardly correct. In accordance with the context of the discourse, it is more fitting to see here an expression of cause and to convey the meaning of the entire verse thus: “Jesus, since it was known to him that the Father gave all things – and consequently, first of all these twelve apostles, who were to become witnesses to Christ – into his hands and, consequently, he was obliged to prepare them to fulfill the task appointed to them by God, and on the other hand, knowing that in a few hours he was destined to return to his Father, from whom he came and that, consequently, he had little time left for teaching the disciples the most important virtues – humility and love for one another, which they would so need in their future ministry, “rose from the supper,” that is, imparted to them the last lesson of humility and love.”

John 13:4. rose from the supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel. According to custom, before the supper the servant would wash the feet of those who came to the meal. On this occasion, no servant was present, and apparently none of the disciples wished to offer Christ and his companions the appropriate service. Then the Lord himself rose from the supper and prepared to perform the washing, which should have been done by a simple servant. It is very likely that the occasion for this was provided by the dispute that had arisen among the disciples over precedence (see Luke 22:24).

John 13:5. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. In describing the washing of feet, John does not say with whom Christ began. It is most likely that the first one to receive this honor was John, who was reclining on the breast of Christ, and who usually takes care not to mention his own name where he is placed before others. “Began.” The evangelist adds this word because the washing was soon interrupted by the conversation of the Lord with Peter.

John 13:6. He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” John 13:7. Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will understand after this.” John 13:8. Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” The disciples, struck by what their Lord and Teacher was beginning to do, were unable to utter a word and silently accepted the washing from Christ’s hands. But Peter, as a man, cannot contain the feelings that overcame him and expresses a heated protest against what Christ wishes to do for him. The Lord does not consider it possible at this time to explain to Peter the full meaning of his action: Peter will understand this “later,” that is, partly in the coming night, when Peter through his own experience of falling understood the necessity of humility and self-abasement, which the Lord manifested in the rite of foot-washing, and partly afterwards, after the resurrection of Christ, when Peter saw to what Christ’s self-abasement would lead (cf. 1 Pet 3:22). However, Peter from humility, which, however, was far from true humility, because at the same time it was accompanied by his resistance to the will of the Lord (true humility always accompanied by obedience to the Lord), insisted. To overcome Peter’s stubbornness, the Lord somewhat explains to him the meaning of the washing of the disciples’ feet being performed by him. He says to Peter that the washing of feet signifies the washing of the whole person in general: “unless I wash you,” and not “your feet” only… “You have no share with me.” See the commentaries on Matt 24:51; Luke 12:46. The Lord impresses on Peter that he, not being cleansed by Christ, will not participate with him in those blessings which are contained in the kingdom founded by Christ, or in eternal life. Thus the washing of feet is interpreted here by the Lord not only as an invitation to the disciples to practice humility, but also as an action by which a cleansing gracious power, necessary to every person for the attainment of salvation, is imparted to the disciples.

John 13:9. Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” John 13:10. Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need except to wash his feet, but is entirely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” John 13:11. For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “You are not all clean.” Peter understands the importance of the washing which Christ offers and, in order to be fully assured of receiving a “share with Christ,” asks Christ to wash him not only his feet but his head, as the most important part of the body. The Lord answers Peter that he has no need of complete cleansing, just as one who has bathed in a river has no need, upon coming out on shore, to pour water over himself: he needs only to rinse off his feet, to which dirt has adhered while the person walked to the place where he laid his garments. In baptism of repentance and in constant communion with Christ, the disciples of Christ already became clean, to the extent that was possible before the sending of the Holy Spirit, but nevertheless “walking” among a generation made corrupt and sinful (Matt 17:17) could not but leave some dirty spots on the feet of the disciples, which the Lord offers them to wash with his grace or love. It is very possible that in this the Lord wished to give Peter to understand that he should divest himself of the narrow Jewish view of the Messiah and his kingdom, this in fact hindered Peter from accepting the thought of the necessity of Christ’s suffering death (Matt 16:22). “But not all of you.” By this the Lord, on the one hand, was giving to understand that the intention of the betrayer was well known to him, on the other, he was even in these last minutes appealing to the conscience of Judas, giving him time to come to his senses. The evangelist especially emphasizes the first aspect, because at the time he was writing the Gospel, some enemies of Christianity raised as an objection against Christians that Christ did not foresee that among his closest disciples there would be a traitor. No, – the evangelist would seem to say, – Christ knew this well.

John 13:12. When he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?” John 13:13. You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for that is what I am. John 13:14. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. John 13:15. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. In explaining the immediate meaning of the washing of feet, the Lord says that he has thereby given an example of how his followers should conduct themselves in relation to one another. “You ought to wash…” This commandment is of course to be understood not in a literal, but in a symbolic sense. So in 1 Tim 5:10 the washing of feet is mentioned as a manifestation or synonym of active Christian love for one’s neighbor. The Lord here does not speak of what exactly his disciples should do, but of how they should, with what thoughts and feelings, perform service to their neighbor. It is necessary to do this not only out of obligation, but from love, as Christ did it himself. “Lord and Teacher.” These names correspond to the Hebrew titles then used, by which the disciples called their rabbis: “mara” and “rabbi.” But Christ of course gives these names, with which the apostles addressed him, real significance. His apostles, of course, see in him the one true Teacher and true Lord, and they are entirely right, because he truly is such. And from this it follows that they are obliged to obey his commandments exactly.

John 13:16. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. John 13:17. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. That the apostles must be prepared for any self-sacrifice, the Lord bases on the same consideration that he expressed when he first sent the apostles out on their mission. See the commentary on Matt 10:24. “Blessed are you…” See Matt 5:3.

John 13:18. I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But in order that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘he who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ John 13:19. I am telling you this now, before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. With sorrow again Christ observes that not all his disciples can be called “blessed.” “I know whom I have chosen,” – adds Christ. The disciples do not yet know that there is a betrayer among them, but Christ has known this for a long time. But, submitting to the will of the Father, expressed in Sacred Scripture, he took no steps to remove the betrayer from among the apostles surrounding him. Psalm 40, from which a verse is cited here (Ps 40:10), is understood by the evangelist as undoubtedly a prophetic psalm, foretelling the terrible fate of the Messiah. “Lifted his heel against me,” that is, pretending to be my friend, wanted to crush me when I lay on the ground. Some, however, see here a comparison with a horse, which unexpectedly strikes with its hooves a master standing behind it, or a servant appointed to lead the horse. Let the apostles know that the betrayal did not catch Christ by surprise! “That I am he.” The Lord speaks of himself as the omniscient Jehovah. See the commentary on John 8:24.

John 13:20. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives anyone I send receives me; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. Here Christ returns to the main thought of his discourse with the disciples about the meaning of the washing of feet and wishes to establish the thought that they can be called “blessed” (see verse 17). In content this saying is similar to verse 40 of chapter 10 of the Gospel of Matthew, but here it has the meaning that the self-humiliation to which Christ will subject himself and which he has depicted through the symbolic action of washing the disciples’ feet will in no way actually damage his majesty. “To receive Christ,” that is, to believe in him – is all the same as to believe in God, and to trust the apostles is all the same as to hear with faith the preaching of Christ himself. Should the apostles not feel themselves blessed, having such a conviction of the power of their preaching, with which they will go into the world? If they too will go to any self-abasement for the sake of Christ and their brothers in faith, this will in no way damage them. It should be noted that even some of the fathers and teachers of the Church interpreted the washing of feet in a symbolic sense, seeing here either a relation to the Sacrament of the Eucharist, or understanding this action as a foreshadowing of the Sacrament of Christian Baptism. In modern times, Loisy has elaborated in detail the significance of this action from the symbolic point of view. “Jesus,” says Loisy, predominantly dwelling on the relation of the washing of feet to the Eucharist and to the death of Christ which lies at the foundation of this Sacrament, “in his death became a servant of man out of love. The Eucharist is a perpetual remembrance, a real symbol of this service.” But this service of Christ to man is also accomplished in the rite of foot-washing. The evangelist John therefore does not mention the institution of the Eucharist because he considers the washing of feet as a complete correspondence to the Eucharist. The removal of his garments by Christ denotes the laying down of his life; the towel with which Christ girded himself signified the burial clothes with which Christ was wrapped at his burial, and so forth. The water of baptism is also symbolically represented by the water which Christ poured into the basin. But such interpretations appear to be extremely artificial, and it is simpler to say together with the well-known preacher Nebe, that the washing of feet, first, is an example of humble love, second, a symbolic depiction of the action of Christ’s grace on our heart and, third, a guiding model for us in our relations to the brothers.

John 13:21. After saying this, Jesus was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The thought that there is a betrayer among the disciples troubled the soul of Christ (see John 11:33); this was noted only by John, as the one reclining closest to Christ. But this disturbance soon passed, and in a few moments the Lord spoke clearly and definitely, not being agitated (“testified”), that one of the apostles will betray him. See the commentary on Matt 26:21.

John 13:22. The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. John 13:23. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him; John 13:24. Simon Peter therefore made a sign to him, asking him to inquire of whom he was speaking. John 13:25. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus’ breast, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” Only the evangelist John reports that at the request of Peter the disciple reclining on Jesus’ breast quietly asked Christ whom he had in mind, speaking of the betrayer. See the commentary on Matt 26:20. “One of his disciples…” This was, of course, John, who usually does not mention himself by name (cf. John 1:40). “Simon Peter therefore made a sign to him.” The apostle Peter apparently could not speak anything to Christ without being heard by the others: he was not reclining on the same bed as Christ was reclining. But he was facing John, and the Lord was facing in the opposite direction from where Peter was, and therefore Peter made John a sign, expressing a request to quietly ask Christ about the betrayer. Then, Peter after his unsuccessful remark made to the Lord concerning the washing of feet felt of course some confusion, preventing him from addressing the Lord with a question (St. John Chrysostom).

John 13:26. Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. The Lord, by giving Judas the dipped morsel, thereby pointed out the betrayer. What kind of morsel it was, the evangelist does not say. Some (Bishop Michael) suppose that it was an unleavened cake dipped in a sauce of bitter herbs, and such a supposition is very likely. The action of the Lord was not noted by the other disciples as something unusual, because at a banquet in the east the master – and in this case Christ was the master – usually distributed pieces of bread and meat to his guests. From this one can draw a further conclusion that the Lord, offering a morsel of bread to Judas, even now wished to awaken in him better feelings.

John 13:27. After this morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” John 13:28. Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. John 13:29. Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor. John 13:30. So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night. Judas should have been touched by this sign of love, but he was already too hardened. And on hardened people even the greatest benefactions of those against whom they are hardened produce an even more hardening effect. Having received a sign of love, Judas became even more hardened, and then into him “entered Satan,” that is, took possession of him completely, never to let him go again. In him there flared up even more hatred toward Christ; it was painful for him to remain in the company of Christ and the apostles, and he began to devise a pretext for leaving the supper. The Lord sees his torments and lets him go: let him quickly accomplish what his soul strives for. But none of the disciples, of course, except John, understood Christ’s words. They thought Christ was sending Judas to buy something for the festival. From this it is evident that the shops in Jerusalem were not yet closed (cf. Matt 25:9-11) and consequently the supper which Christ celebrated was celebrated one day before the lawful time for the celebration of Passover. “And it was night.” With these words the evangelist marks the beginning of that dark time, of which the Lord spoke to the disciples earlier (see John 9:4).

John 13:31. When he went out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.” John 13:32. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and will glorify him at once. With the departure of the betrayer, who went to get the detachment that was to arrest Christ, the Lord sees his activity as already finished. The Son of Man, or Messiah, now appears as glorified, but this is not yet that eternal, final glorification of which the prophets predicted and which will take place only in the future (verse 32: “will glorify him”), but glorification through the acceptance of suffering and a martyr’s death for all mankind. “The fullness of the glory of Christ was revealed in his suffering for the sins of the world” (St. Cyril of Alexandria). In calling himself here the Son of Man, the Lord wishes to give his disciples to understand that in his sufferings he appears as the representative of mankind before Divine Justice and that consequently, through his deed, all mankind will be glorified. “And God has been glorified in him.” Through Christ, God fulfilled all his promises given to mankind, and at the same time he himself received glorification from people, who had not previously glorified him as they should have (Rom 1:19). Moreover, mankind itself in a state of glorification or restoration is the glory of God, because in the sufferings and death of Christ, mankind manifested those ideal requirements of obedience to God which God had presented to it when he introduced the progenitors of mankind into paradise (see Silchenkov. The Farewell Discourse, p. 15). “If God has been glorified in him…” Here first of all is spoken of that glory which awaits Christ himself. God glorified in himself the representative of mankind, that is, he will clothe with his highest, heavenly glory the human nature of Christ, while the divine nature of Christ was never deprived of divine glory, as is evident from the fact of the Transfiguration, when temporarily this divine glory, always present in Christ, shone through the bodily covering. “And will glorify him at once.” Some (for example, Zahn) see here a limitation of the thought about glorification expressed by Christ: Christ would seem to have in mind only what will follow in the nearest future, that is, only his resurrection. But it is more correct to see here an indication of the rapidity of subsequent events – the elevation of Christ on the cross and the ascension to heaven: the days of Christ’s sufferings will pass quickly and the glorification is not far off!

John 13:33. “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and as I said to the Jews so I say to you now, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’” Since the way before Christ is a way of suffering and death and since the disciples do not now go this way, they must separate from Christ. At the thought of this separation, the love of Christ for them awakens with special force and compassion for them seizes his heart. Therefore he calls them by the most affectionate name by which a father calls his beloved children: “little children,” or more correctly from the Greek – “little ones” (τεκνία). “You will seek me…” Being persecuted and hunted by the world, the disciples will seek him, the Lord and Teacher, but they will not be able to go after him. Such words the Lord had spoken earlier (John 7:34), but there these words were addressed to the unbelieving Jews and had the meaning of a threat. Here they express sympathy for the remaining in the world disciples. “As I say to you now.” From now on the Lord does not consider it possible to delay informing the disciples of the approaching separation from him. St. John Chrysostom says that Christ warns them of this separation so that this separation will not strike them with its unexpectedness and so that unexpectedly arriving misfortunes will not confuse them.

John 13:34. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” As a father parting with his children, Christ imparts to the disciples his last instructions. First of all, he gives them the chief commandment which they are bound to observe – this is the commandment about mutual love. In this connection, Christ calls the commandment about love “new” not because he had not taught them before to love one another, but because he speaks here as a King founding his kingdom. His new kingdom is founded on new principles – namely first of all on love, which from now on in the kingdom of Christ becomes the fundamental law of life of the members of this kingdom. In other earthly human kingdoms as fundamental state laws were established other principles and, first of all, the principle of state egoism, for the sake of which every human person was sacrificed. In the kingdom of Christ there is no place for such a principle, and the person retains all its lawful rights as an image and likeness of God. Furthermore, the commandment about love, which Christ here gives, is new even in relation to the commandment about love which already existed in the Old Testament (Lev 19:18), because in the Old Testament this commandment also did not have the significance of a principle of morality on which all Old Testament ethics would be constructed. And most importantly, in the Old Testament it was required to love “one’s neighbor,” that is, a distinction was made between people: some were closer, others farther away. The Lord here speaks not only of a neighbor whom one should love, but in general of people, who all stand in relations of closeness to one another. “Love one another” – this means that among the followers of Christ there cannot be people who are not close to us, that we should love all, as our neighbors. Some interpreters thought that the newness of Christ’s commandment consists also in the degree of love, in its strength, reaching a readiness for self-sacrifice (“love your neighbor more than yourself,” – ancient Greek and some modern interpreters thought). But it is hardly possible to accept such an opinion, because the particle “as” (καθώς) in the expression “as I have loved you” does not denote degree, but rather (cf. John 17:2) the disposition of the one loving, which in its foundation, – and not in degree, measure, – should be similar to the disposition which was in Christ (cf. Phil 2:2).

John 13:35. “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” May this love in the spirit of Christ serve as a distinguishing mark of a true follower of Christ (cf. 1 John 3:10). Of course, this does not deny other signs of a true disciple of Christ, faith and good deeds, nevertheless it is undeniable that in the writings of the apostle John all these other virtues are subsumed under one concept – love (1 John 3:10; Rev 2:4), just as in the apostle Paul love is recognized as the sum of perfection (Col 3:14). But this love, in order to be love in the spirit of Christ, must be free from all sectarianism and intolerance toward people who do not profess our faith. It is necessary, of course, to begin with love toward people, our own in spirit and origin, but then to go further and further in expanding the sphere of love, which must necessarily rise to the degree of love for all people, even for our enemies.

John 13:36. Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.” John 13:37. Peter said to him, “Lord, why cannot I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” John 13:38. Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, before the rooster crows, you will have denied me three times.” The divine requirements presented to the apostles occupy their attention less than the thought that troubles them – that Christ is leaving them. The representative of the feelings of the disciples in this case is the apostle Peter. The brief conversation of the Savior with Peter John depicts here similarly to the account of the evangelist Luke (cf. Luke 22:31-34). The evangelists Matthew (Matt 26:31-35) and Mark (Mark 14:27-31) differ here from John in depicting the time, place, and occasion of the conversation. Peter perhaps thought that the Lord was going somewhere out of Judea in order to establish his church in another land, where the disciples could not follow him for some reason (St. Cyril of Alexandria). He did not think or did not want to think that the Lord was destined to die. In his answer to Peter, Christ almost literally repeats what he said earlier to all the apostles (verse 33), and thereby makes it clear that he will not say anything more to clarify for them the fact which he has in mind. And the addition “you will follow me later” encourages Peter and the other disciples, giving them to understand that they will go the same road of asceticism and martyrdom which he goes, and thus will be united with him again. “Why cannot I…” Peter already now feels ready to sacrifice his life for Christ, but the Lord predicts to him that on the contrary he will not only be unwilling now to lay down his life for Christ, but until the break of day will deny Christ. It is clear that John here supplements the account of the evangelist Luke, in which the prediction of Christ to Peter is not placed in immediate connection with the preceding words of Christ (see Luke 22:31 and following). It is best to make such a combination from the two Gospel accounts: 1) John 13:36-37; and 2) Luke 22:32-33; and 3) John 13:38. The evangelists Matthew and Mark, however, describe only the continuation and end of Christ’s conversation with Peter (Matt 26:30-31; Mark 14:29-31; Matt 26:32-35).

Chapter Fourteen

1–31. The continuation of Christ’s farewell discourse with the disciples: about Christ’s departure to the Father, about faith and love, prayer, the Holy Spirit, and peace.

Chapter 14 contains the first comforting speech (John 13:31-38 represents, properly speaking, an introduction to it). In this discourse, Christ strengthens the wavering courage of the disciples, promising them a place in the mansions of his Father, where they will again be with Christ. In this connection, the Lord resolves certain misunderstandings expressed to him by the apostles Thomas and Philip (verses 1–11). Then, to comfort the disciples, he promises them to beseech the Father to send to the disciples the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, and at the same time speaks of how he himself will return to the disciples, clarifying the misunderstanding of the apostle Judas, son of James. Finally, he assures the disciples that the Holy Spirit will explain to them all that is now unclear to them and causes them confusion (verses 12–31).

John 14:1. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” The apostles were extremely troubled by the brief conversation of the Lord with Peter (John 13:36-38). “If even Peter will deny,” they thought in fear, “what awaits us?” (St. John Chrysostom). Furthermore, as is evident from the Gospel of Luke, the Lord spoke to all of them somewhat unclear words about some struggle awaiting them (Luke 22:35-37). Therefore, the Lord begins his discourse in a comforting tone: “do not let your hearts be troubled…” As before, they, the apostles, should believe in God and, believing in God, believe in the one whom God has sent, that is, in Christ. Since childhood, the apostles, as Jews, have had faith in God instilled in them, and this faith should serve as a point of support for their faith in Christ, now somewhat shaken by his last words about his departure. Through such a “double” faith the apostles will overcome their fear of the coming decisive events.

John 14:2. “In my Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” John 14:3. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.” Continuing to comfort the apostles like children sorrowful at separation from a beloved father, Christ reveals to them that he will soon see them again. Now he goes to prepare for them a place in his Father’s house. “In my Father’s house.” The kingdom of heaven, which Christ here calls his Father’s house, is depicted as a spacious royal palace, in which an eastern monarch lives with his numerous sons, with each of the sons having a separate dwelling place for himself. “If it were not so, would I have told you.” According to the Russian Synodal edition, through the placing of a colon at the end of this phrase, the following words do not retain any independent significance, constituting only the end of the preceding phrase. With such a reading, however, the expression of verse 3 becomes completely unclear: “and if I go.” After all, according to the Synodal reading, the Lord did not tell the disciples that he would go, but “would have told,” if there were no dwellings for the disciples. On the contrary, if one places a period after the words “told you” (as is done in the Slavonic text), then the meaning of the opening words of verse 3 becomes completely clear and the connection of verse 3 with verse 2 becomes quite natural. With such a reading, the following thought emerges: “If it were not so, that is, if there truly were no dwellings in heaven, then I, for whom all heavenly things are well known (John 3:11-13), would have told you of this and would not have deluded you with impossible dreams. But these dwellings undoubtedly exist, and I even go to heaven so that I might choose the best ones for you.” “I go to prepare a place for you.” The Lord, as the apostle Paul expresses it, appeared as our forerunner in heaven (Heb 6:20), opened for us the way into the kingdom of heaven. “I will come again.” What coming of Christ is being spoken of here? The final one, which will take place before the end of the world, or the coming that is mysterious, spiritual, in the Holy Spirit? It seems that here one cannot understand either of these. The Lord could not be speaking here of coming for judgment because this coming, as Christ himself knew, was extraordinarily far off, and besides, the apostles would hardly have been comforted by the thought of a meeting with the Lord in the distant future after they would rise from the dead; at least, the thought that Martha would see her brother “after” the resurrection of the dead did not have a comforting effect on her (John 11:24-25). Nor can one understand here the coming of the Lord in the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, because the Lord had not yet informed the apostles of the sending of the Comforter. How could it have comforted them to learn of something they could not yet even understand? It is more probable that the Lord is speaking here of his resurrection, after which he will come to the disciples again: the Lord had spoken to the disciples before about his resurrection (Matt 17:9; Mark 9:9 and others). But with such an understanding, the following expression remains unclear: “and I will take you to myself…” After the resurrection, the disciples were not immediately taken to Christ. Therefore, it is more correct to suppose that the Lord is speaking here not of his coming to the disciples only at the time of his resurrection, but in general of the fact that he will appear to the disciples at the moment of their death and will take their souls into eternal rest. Therefore, the holy Stephen, dying, said: “Lord Jesus! receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59; cf. 2 Cor 5:8; 1 Thess 4:17).

John 14:4. “And you know the way to the place where I am going.” According to some manuscripts, this verse reads as follows: “And where I am going – the way to that place you know” (Loisy). The Lord by these words reminds the disciples of his previous speeches about the path to heavenly glory (John 12:23 and others), which passes precisely through the path of suffering.

John 14:5. “Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’” The apostle Thomas, representing the type of a man of reasoning and slow in faith, desiring to have precise information about everything, in this case also wishes to know thoroughly, first, where Christ is leading, and second, the path by which Christ will go. In saying “we do not know,” Thomas apparently expresses the desire of all the apostles, not just his own. The apostles apparently still had not divested themselves of the thought that the Lord was speaking of some journey to another country.

John 14:6. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:7. “If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” In answer to the question of Thomas, Christ does not answer directly. He only uses this question as an opportunity to remind the apostles of the teaching about his mission (and he had spoken much above on the question raised by Thomas), Christ – himself is the way to truth and life, or in other words, to God the Father. Some interpreters, for example, Silchenkov, consider the expressions “truth” and “life” as epithets which Christ applies to himself: “Christ is truth itself – outside of him all is falsehood. He is life itself – outside of him there is no life.” But such an interpretation contradicts the further words of Christ: “No one comes to the Father except through me.” Why would Christ have spoken to the apostles about going to the Father as something necessary for them if in Christ they had everything and did not need the Father? No, Christ speaks of the Father as the true goal of all human aspirations. People strive for eternal glory in which the Father dwells, and Christ – is the way leading to this high goal. “If you had known me…” If the apostles had known Christ in his true relation to the Father, with whom he is in the closest unity of essence, they would also have known the Father. It is clear that the Lord recognizes for the apostles the possibility of such knowledge and thereby considers the argument expressed by Thomas (“we do not know… how can we know…”) to be completely unfounded: no, they could know! “And from now on you do know him…” But having expressed some rebuke to the apostles, the Lord immediately comforts them. Even if they do not have complete knowledge of Christ, even if they love him more as Teacher-Messiah, nevertheless such knowledge is something positive, and it will lead them to complete knowledge, the foundation for which has already been laid (this is indicated by the expression “from now on”). Some (for example, Holtzmann) see in the last words of Christ only “an optimistic supposition, not corresponding to reality”: the apostles allegedly did not actually have such knowledge and did not see in Christ the Son of God, and consequently, did not know the Father either… But such an opinion cannot be accepted in view of the fact that later the Lord directly says that he “revealed” the name of the Father to the apostles (John 17:6), and this revelation had begun long ago.

John 14:8. “Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’” The apostle Philip was a rather indecisive man and inclined to be guided by the opinions of others (John 6:7). He seemed to be constantly seeking support from without. This characteristic of his nature can explain the fact that he asks Christ to “show” him and the other apostles “the Father,” that is, to grant such a theophany as, for example, Moses received on the mountain (Exod 33:18). Then they will be completely calm about the fate of Christ.

John 14:9. “Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”?’” With a feeling of sorrow the Lord instructs his disciple. Whoever in spirit contemplates the Father in the Son, for him any external theophany is useless (cf. John 1:18). If Philip had known Jesus, he would have understood that to see him – is all the same as to see the Father.

John 14:10. “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father dwelling in me does his works.” Christ, in saying that whoever has seen him has seen the Father, understood by seeing faith. “To see” the Father in Christ – is all the same as “to believe” that the Son abides in the Father, acts in his name, and that the Father in the most real way abides in the Son, imparting to him his power. Thus the Father is seen only by faith; no mortal can see God in the usual way. Only the one and only Son of God has told us of the Father (John 1:18). Therefore the question of the Lord to Philip (“do you not believe?”) contains a call to faith. And the Lord bases this call on the same thing that he had pointed out before to the Jews (John 5:19), namely, that his teaching and deeds – all come from the Father; behind him in all his activity stands the invisible Father (John 7:17). “My works,” that is, all the miracles which I perform.

John 14:11. “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not believe me, believe because of the works themselves.” Christ now calls all the disciples – no longer just Philip – to faith in the reality of such a relation of Christ to the Father. “If you do not believe me,” that is, if you consider my teaching insufficient, then believe my miracles, which testify to my abiding in the Father. The Lord thus recognizes the necessity of miracles given a certain weakness of faith of those listening to his teaching, but this is of course necessary only in the first stage of the existence of the Church; then such assurances will not be required.

John 14:12. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” Now returning to his task – to comfort and encourage the apostles remaining in a strange and hostile world – the Lord as the first comfort (verses 12–14) presents for them the fact that they will continue his work and in this will accompany their preaching with miracles even greater than those which Christ performed. This of course designates, not that the apostles will have more miraculous power than Christ has, but points to the result of the signs which they will perform. Because of special new conditions of the time, conditions which did not exist in the days of Christ, their preaching and miracles will have extraordinary success. Even if these will be miracles accomplished not in the sphere of visibility, but in the hidden depths of the human spirit, in any case, they will be accompanied by extraordinarily great consequences. In order to perform such miracles, two conditions are necessary: 1) the apostles must firmly believe in Christ (“whoever believes in me”) and 2) Christ must now go to his Father so that he might send from the Father an abundance of miraculous powers (“because I am going to the Father”).

John 14:13. “If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” However, the apostles will perform miraculous deeds only when they make requests to God in the name of Christ. But what does “in my name” mean? Some consider this expression equivalent to the expression of the apostle Paul “in Christ,” seeing in this the designation of the disposition in which the one praying finds himself (Luthardt), others see here simply an indication of the belonging of the one praying to the church of Christ (P. Khrist). More probable is the interpretation that exists still in St. John Chrysostom and the blessed Theophylact and is accepted by some modern interpreters. This interpretation, basing itself on the chief significance which this expression has in the New Testament and in the Septuagint, understands it in the sense of “in the use of” or “in the invocation of the name of Christ” (Heitmüller). Such an understanding is forced by the connection which undoubtedly exists between verses 12 and 13: in verse 12 the subject is the miracles which the apostles will perform, and here is indicated how they will perform these miracles. Indeed, we see that the apostles, in performing miracles, invoked the name of Jesus (Acts 3:6). It is understandable in this context that prayer, consisting in the invocation of the name of Jesus, must always be in agreement with his will (1 John 5:14). “I will do it.” The executor of the request is not the Father, but Christ. In speaking thus, Christ expresses the consciousness of his closest unity with God by essence – a consciousness that pervaded all the speeches of Christ. From this it follows that the Christian in his prayers has the same feeling, with identical significance, toward the Father and toward Christ.

John 14:14. “If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.” The thought expressed in the preceding verse, in view of its special importance for the apostles, in view of its special comforting significance, Christ repeats, as if firmly establishing it in the consciousness of the disciples.

John 14:15. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” The second comfort (verses 15–17) consists in the promise of the Comforter. Christ prefaces this comfort with an exhortation to observe his commandments (cf. verses 21, 23, 24). This is necessary as a condition on the part of the apostles so that they may be worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit. One can also suppose that the Lord is speaking here, as before (verses 13–14), as a King founding his kingdom, the laws of which must be fulfilled by his subjects.

John 14:16. And I will beseech the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever, John 14:17. The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not and knows Him not; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and shall be in you. When the apostles fulfill their duty, then Christ also (“and I”) will fulfill His work in relation to them. He will beseech the Father, and the Father will send them another Comforter, that He may remain with them forever. “Comforter” – in Greek, Paraclete (παράκλητος). Originally this word denoted a man called to help, a defender (but not in the sense of an ordinary lawyer, but in the sense of a friend who goes to entreat a judge on behalf of his friend accused of some crime). But then, especially among the Jews, to whom this word passed from Greek in the form “Paraclete,” it came to denote a comforter, a counselor, instructing a man in difficulty how best to extricate himself from that position. The Fathers and teachers of the Eastern Church give this very meaning of “comforter” to this term. Until now such a counselor and friend of the disciples was Christ Himself, although in the Gospel He is not called Comforter. But now in place of Christ, who is leaving the apostles, there will come to them another Comforter, or counselor, friend. From the comparison here of Christ and another Comforter, both the ancient Fathers and most modern commentators (Kestlin, Hofmann, Weiss, and others) conclude that this contains the teaching about the Holy Spirit as an independent person. Other commentators (de Wette, Schenkel) are troubled, however, by the circumstance that in chapters 15–16 the return of Christ is depicted as coinciding with the coming of the Spirit-Comforter. But this trouble is unfounded, because a similar relation exists between the Father and the Logos: the Father dwells in the Son, and the Son reveals the will of the Father, which does not prevent all commentators from recognizing the Son as a separate person. So also Christ will act through the Spirit-Comforter, will come in Him to the apostles. Apostle Paul therefore considers it possible to identify the dwelling in believers of the Spirit of God with the dwelling of Christ Himself Rom 8:9-10. “Spirit of truth.” Some (for example, Schantz) see in this only an indication of the activity of the Spirit in relation to the apostles, whom He will teach all truth. But here rather the very nature of the Spirit is defined: He is truth itself, being one in essence with the Father and the Son. However, in calling the Holy Spirit the Spirit of truth, and Himself directly truth (verse 6), the Lord wishes to say that this Spirit is His Spirit (St. Cyril of Alexandria). Explaining the meaning of the Spirit of truth, the Lord adds that the world, abiding in unbelief and delusion, cannot receive Him either through the senses (“sees Him not”) or through inner illumination (“knows Him not”). On the contrary, the apostles, having correct Christian understanding (“know”), already know the Spirit, who dwells with them now. “And in you shall be” – according to the opinion of some authoritative critics (Holtzmann), instead of ἔσται (“shall be”), one should read ἐστίν (“and in you is”). Thus, according to this reading, the Lord speaks with particular force (and for this reason two synonymous verbs “to dwell” and “to exist” are used) that this Spirit is already in the disciples. But with such a reading it seems somewhat redundant to send the Spirit to the apostles in the future time, after Christ’s removal from them. Moreover, in the Greek text employed here, the conjunctions also provide reason to suppose a difference between the verbs used here. Namely, with the verb “dwells” (μένει) stands the pronoun with the preposition παρά – “with,” and with the verb “shall be” – the pronoun with the preposition ἐν – “in.” From this it follows that of the two possible readings, it is better to accept that which exists in our text and in the 8th edition of Tischendorf, i.e. the reading “shall be” (ἔσται). The Lord, evidently, wished to say that the Spirit, which will be sent to the apostles, is partly already somewhat near them now by the fact, of course, that they stand close to Christ, in whom abundantly dwell the gifts of the Spirit John 3:34. But the Spirit dwells now only with the disciples, and with time He will dwell already in them as a life-giving and renewing power.

John 14:18. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. From here begins the third consolation (verses 18–21), consisting in the promise of a meeting of Christ with the apostles. The Lord will leave His disciples orphans for only a short time; He will come to them – come, first of all, after His resurrection John 20:19, and then in those manifestations of the inner life of the apostles in which the apostles indeed saw before their spiritual eyes the Son of God (see Gal 2:20). Some (fathers of the Western Church and modern commentators, for example, Zahn) understand this place as a prophecy of Christ’s second coming to judge the world, but one cannot agree with such an interpretation, because at the second coming the Lord will come into the world generally, not only to His disciples. The explanation of Bishop Michael is more probable, that here the coming of Christ in the Holy Spirit is intended, but even this assumption is not quite appropriate, because with it the special character of the third consolation, distinguishing it from the second, is lost.

John 14:19. Yet a little while, and the world will see Me no more; but you will see Me, because I live, and you shall live. “The world,” that is, those who do not believe in Christ, will soon lose the possibility of seeing Christ, because the world looks only with physical eyes, and Christ will remove Himself from the realm of sensibly observable phenomena. On the contrary, believers, whose spiritual eyes are opened to the observation of suprasensible phenomena, will see Christ or will continue to see Him, despite the fact that He removes Himself from them. The reason for this lies in the fact that Christ, as truly living (ζῶ), lives continuously, eternally, and death cannot interrupt His life. Moreover, He also grants His disciples such life as is found in Him (καὶ ὑμεῖς ζήσετε).

John 14:20. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. “In that day.” By this expression the Lord does not designate any one day, but all the time of the activity of the apostles under the new conditions in which they found themselves after the resurrection of Christ and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. One cannot see here, as Holtzmann does, an indication of the entire history of the existence of the Church of Christ until the end of the world, because with this the special relation of this consolation to the apostles is lost, and yet it was, primarily, with them in view, not with believers of all subsequent epochs. “You will know that I am in the Father…” Here experiential or experience-based knowledge is meant. The apostles will gain this knowledge from the appearances of Christ after the resurrection John 20:21; Acts 1:3, from the testimony or witness of the Angels, who appeared immediately after the resurrection and ascension of Christ, and, finally, from the apostles’ own inner experience, who felt after Christ’s resurrection that there exists the closest communion between Christ and the Father and between them and Christ.

John 14:21. He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father; and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him. Somewhat broadening here the circle of persons who might deserve, like the apostles, His manifestations, Christ says that to be worthy of such a manifestation, one must keep Christ’s commandments. In such keeping of the commandments, a man displays his love for Christ, and for this love he will be loved both by the Father and by Christ, who will manifest Himself to such a person. “Those who love sincerely cannot long remain without meeting” (Archbishop Innocent).

John 14:22. Judas – not Iscariot – said to Him: Lord! How is it that You will reveal Yourself to us, and not to the world? Here the Lord’s discourse is again interrupted. The apostle Judas, whom the evangelist distinguishes from the Judas Iscariot mentioned in John 13:30, does not understand why Christ wishes to appear only to the apostles. It is very likely that Judas saw in the preceding words of Christ an indication of His second coming, which the disciples expected in a short time, and therefore it seemed strange to him that Christ at this second coming, which He Himself depicted as a coming in glory Matt 25:31, would appear only to those who believe in Him. On the apostle Judas (the son of James) see the commentaries on Matt 10:3. Some (for example, Silchenkov) see here an indication not of the apostle, but of the Lord’s brother Judas (“Farewell Discourse,” p. 191), but one cannot agree with such an opinion, because in the entire discourse the Lord addresses only the apostles, whom He chose John 15:16, and the Lord’s brothers until His resurrection “believed not in Him” John 7:5.

John 14:23. Jesus answered and said to him: If any one loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him. John 14:24. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. In answer to Judas the Lord says that the manifestation of Him and the Father is possible to receive only by one who loves Christ and keeps His word. Meanwhile, the world, of course, does not have such love – how then can the Lord appear to it? “We will come to him…” As travelers, the Father and the Son come down from heaven to find shelter under the roof of a man who loves Christ. The Lord borrows this image from those places of the Old Testament where the theocratic idea of God’s dwelling in His people was depicted in this very way Exod 25:8; Lev 26:11-12, Ezek 37:26-27. “He who does not love Me…” The thought expressed in the preceding verse affirmatively is here repeated negatively so as to define more precisely what Christ meant by “the world” in verse 22. The world – this is everything that does not love Christ and does not keep His words, or does not accept His teaching (cf. John 12:48). It is to be noted that in John, both in the Gospel and in the Epistles, all people are divided into only two classes: some love Christ and keep His commandments, others do not love and keep not His commandments. There is no middle ground between them, and so it must be, for Christ, in John’s conviction, is the true Light, the Sun, and one can either see the sun or not see it; there can be no middle relation to the sun! And of course, those who see are sighted, others – the blind – do not see. The unbelievers, thus, according to John, must be recognized as spiritually blind. When the Father and Son “come” to the unbeliever, Christ does not say. One may suppose that He had in mind the descent or coming in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will come, and with this will begin the dwelling in those who received Him of both the Father and the Son.

John 14:25. This I have said to you, while still dwelling with you. John 14:26. But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. In conclusion (verses 25–31) to the first discourse, the Lord first of all says that He Himself is ending the teaching of the apostles, because He considers His dwelling among them finished (“said” – past perfect tense). The further comforting and enlightenment of the apostles He entrusts to the Spirit-Comforter, whom the Father will send to them. “In My name” (ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου). This expression here, as also in verse 13, is understood in different ways. Some say that the Lord speaks of the sending of the Spirit “to continue His work,” others translate “in My stead,” but most naturally one should retain for this expression the same meaning it has in verse 13, that is, He will send “at the invocation of My name.” “He will teach you all things.” The Lord distinguishes “this” and “all.” “This” He Himself spoke (verse 25); “all” the Spirit-Comforter will explain to them. Many things the Lord proposed to them in fragmentary form and not in sufficiently clear form (cf. John 2:22), and the Spirit will supplement the teaching of Christ and illuminate in it that which remained unclear to the disciples. However, this will not be a simple reminder and clarification only of what is already known to the disciples. No, the Spirit will arouse in the apostles a creative thought, which will express itself in various literary creations (the Gospels, the Epistles). Here one can also see the basis for the subsequent activity of the divinely inspired apostles in the realm of church governance. The Holy Spirit in all spheres of Christian thought and life will help the Church to go along the path that Christ Himself pointed out to it.

John 14:27. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, and let it not be afraid. It was not uncommon in the Old Testament for pious and even simply courteous people to address those with whom they parted with the words “go in peace” 1 Sam 1:17. Such a farewell was customary among the Jews in the time of Christ Mark 5:34; Luke 7:50; Jas 2:16. And the Lord, parting with His disciples, takes leave in the customary way. But He adds that in His mouth this greeting is not a mere wish, which often does not come to pass when uttered by ordinary people, but a real bestowal of peace, and such peace as reigned in His own soul (“My peace”). As He was the master of life and gave it to whom He would (cf. John 5:21), so He is also the master of peace, which He now provides to His apostles as the most necessary treasure for them. With this peace they will not be frightened in the world even after Christ’s removal.

John 14:28. You have heard that I said to you: I go from you, and I will come to you. If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced that I said: I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. But all the disciples are sad. The Lord sees that they do not, as it were, even listen to Him, and therefore speaks half-questioningly: “you have heard…” that is, how is this? Have you not heard how I said that I will come to you again? Why then be downcast? “If you loved Me…” To encourage the disciples at the impending separation, the Lord appeals to their love, which they ought to have, but which, it seems, now gives no sound in their souls. The love of the apostles for Christ, if it were true love, would move them willingly to agree to a brief separation from Christ so as to give Him the opportunity to ascend to the Heavenly Father and receive the glory befitting Him: a lover always sacrifices his own interests for the benefit of the beloved. “The Father is greater than I.” Some of the Church Fathers and teachers (Sts. Cyril of Alexandria, Athanasius of Alexandria, Blessed Augustine) see in these words a comparison of the state of Christ as God-man with the glory in which God the Father continually dwells. The latter, from a human point of view, is of course higher than the state of the Son in His earthly life. Others, however (for example, Sts. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, St. John of Damascus) see here an exposition of the thought about the origin of the Son from the Father, who is “the cause and source of Him who is born from Him.” The second interpretation is inappropriate here, because in that case Christ’s words cease to indicate the reason why the disciples should rejoice at the removal of Christ to the Father: if the Son is always less than the Father, what significance then does it have that He goes to the Father? Is it not all the same – He remains lesser? (Silchenkov, p. 212). Thus one must accept the first interpretation. Indeed, the death of Christ is not only a sorrowful but also a joyful event, for it marks the beginning of the departure of Christ-God-man to God the Father and His complete glorification in His humanity (Znamensky, p. 318). The state of humiliation ends, and the state of glorification begins, and these are compared with each other not directly, but “through the comparison of the bearers of these states themselves” (Silchenkov, p. 212).

John 14:29. And now I have told you before it comes to pass, so that when it comes to pass, you may believe. John 14:30. I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of this world comes, and he has nothing in Me. John 14:31. But that the world may know that I love the Father and do as the Father has commanded Me: rise, let us go from here. All that has been said thus far to the disciples was directed to give them support to endure the severe trials that await them. Let them then recall what the Lord said to them: these trials will not seem especially heavy to them, because the Lord had already prepared the disciples for them. The Lord could speak further with them, but time does not permit. The ruler of this sinful and hostile world – Satan – comes in the person of the traitor, leading with him a band of soldiers (cf. John 13:2). Since this word could further increase the fear of the disciples, the Lord, to comfort them, says that Satan, who has such great power over the world, has no power over Him: in Christ there is no foothold for the actions of Satan – there is no sin. The Lord could drive Satan from Him, but He does not wish to do so. Out of love for the Father, whose will is that Christ die for mankind, He Himself goes to meet the ruler of death, who brings death even to Him. “Rise, let us go from here.” This is merely an invitation, to which the disciples apparently did not respond with assent and remained in their places. To suppose (as Bishop Michael does) that the following discourse was spoken on the road has no basis; on the contrary, the departure from the upper room is mentioned only in John 18:1. Therefore the Lord again began to comfort the disciples, rousing courage in them.

Chapter Fifteen

1–27. Continuation of Christ’s farewell discourse with the disciples: the mutual relations between Christ and His disciples, the relation of the disciples to each other and to the world.

Chapter 15 contains the second consoling discourse of Christ to the disciples, ending in chapter 16, verse 11. Here the Lord first (verses 1–17) impresses on the disciples the thought of the necessity of maintaining constant vital communion with Christ and among themselves. Only under this condition can they fulfill their purpose in the world. Then (verses 18–27) the Lord calls the disciples to patient endurance of the persecutions which the world, hating Christ, will raise against them.

John 15:1. I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. “I am the true vine.” Christ’s discourse about Himself as the vine is the same kind of allegory as His discourse about Himself as the door to the sheepfold and the good shepherd (John 10:1-10). Such allegories, having as their content the idea of the development of the Kingdom of God on earth and depicting this Kingdom under the image of a vineyard or vine, are found in the Old Testament Isa 5:1-7; Jer 2:21; Ezek 15:1-6 and others. But it is very likely that Christ, in proposing such an allegory of the vine to the disciples, had in mind not only these Old Testament parallels, but also the just-concluded Last Supper, at which He drank wine with His disciples and under the form of wine gave them His own blood. It is remarkable that in the post-communion prayer preserved in the “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles” (Didache XII apostolorum: La Didache. Instructions des Apötres, ed. J.P. Audet. Paris, 1958, c. IX, 2), there is the expression “holy Vine of David” (ἡ ἁγιά ἄμπελος Δαυίδ), referring to Christ. Why does Christ call Himself the “true” vine? Are ordinary vines not true? Here the adjective “true” (ἀληθινός) has, without doubt, the meaning “belonging to the higher world, but acting in this world among men like a vine subject to the law of organic life” (Holtzmann). The Lord hereby wishes to say that His relation to men is best (“true”) compared with the relation of the trunk of a vine to its branches. “My Father is the vinedresser” (ὁ γεωργός); He planted the true vine – Christ – by sending Him into the world.

John 15:2. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. The branches of Christ’s vine are all who have believed or turned to the Christian faith (the Lord here looks to the distant future). Among Christians there will be many who will be Christians in name only, but inwardly will be far from Christ. God removes such branches from communion with Christ. This removal at first happens invisibly, and then will be accomplished on the fearful last judgment. On the other hand, the good branches God “prunes,” removing from them all that spoils the purity and taste of the wine obtained from the vines – these are the so-called watery branches. In relation to true Christians, who are to bear only fruits of virtue, God acts likewise. He prunes them, of course, through severe trials 1 Pet 1:6-7 of all that hinders them from going along the path of spiritual self-perfection.

John 15:3. You are already clean through the word which I have spoken to you. The apostles are already clean “through the word” of Christ (cf. John 13:8-11), that is, through the teaching of Christ, which they received with faith (cf. Acts 15:9). This gives them the strength to repel influences harmful to their spiritual organism from the sinful world.

John 15:4. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine: so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. John 15:5. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. The apostles must maintain such purity and abide only in Christ as in a true noble vine. If they think they can do anything without receiving the life-giving juices from this vine, they are mistaken: they will do no good without Christ.

John 15:6. If one does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and withers; such branches are gathered and cast into the fire, and they burn. Here it is indicated how vinedressers usually deal with withered branches. So on the fearful judgment will it be done with those who fall away from Christ (cf. Matt 13:30). But how can one reconcile with the possibility of falling away from Christ, which is presented here, what the Lord said earlier John 6:39 and following; John 10:28-29 about the security promised to those who have believed in Him? At one time He affirms that the Father wishes the Son not to lose anyone, and now He speaks of those falling away from Him and perishing. This question is easily resolved if we recall that John considers those falling away from Christ to be not true followers of Him. “They went out from us, but they were not of us,” says John of the opponents of Christianity, former Christians 1 John 2:19.

John 15:7. If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. The Lord has just spoken of the necessity for the apostles to abide in Him. Now He points out the benefit they will obtain from this: their prayers will be heard (cf. John 14:13-14). The Lord says this, of course, with the thought that a man abiding in Him will pray for what Christ wishes for mankind.

John 15:8. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and become My disciples. To move the disciples to the doing of good works (“fruit”), Christ says to them that thereby they will glorify His Father and become true disciples of Christ. Obviously, Christ knows that this motive appears very strong to the disciples, that they desire to glorify God and to be not in name, but in deed, disciples of Christ.

John 15:9. As the Father has loved Me, and I have loved you; abide in My love. John 15:10. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. As the Father loves Christ because He fulfills His will, so also the disciples can preserve for themselves the love of Christ by fulfilling His will, expressed in His commandments.

John 15:11. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you and your joy may be full. All that the Lord spoke above (verses 1–10) was spoken so that the apostles might possess “the joy of Christ” – that joy which He has in Himself always, even in this pre-death hour. This joy, of course, springs from the fact that He is conscious of His unity with God. And the apostles will have “complete” or full joy when they remain in communion with Christ.

John 15:12. This is My commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. John 15:13. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. The apostles must maintain the communion of love among themselves. They must love one another as Christ has loved them (see commentaries on John 13:34), and must consider self-sacrifice for the brothers as the highest expression of this love (cf. John 10:11). The Lord for now speaks here only of self-sacrifice for friends, not for all men (which He Himself displayed; cf. Rom 5:6). This limitation of the scope of self-sacrifice is explained by the fact that the Lord pitied His disciples, confused by the impending separation from Him, and did not wish at that time to place on them a demand that was too heavy. With time the disciples themselves, under the action of the Holy Spirit, will understand the full force of the commandment about love for enemies previously given them by Christ (Matt 5:44).

John 15:14. You are My friends, if you do what I command you. John 15:15. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you all things that I have heard from My Father. John 15:16. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you. John 15:17. These things I command you, that you love one another. To move the disciples to the fulfillment of His commandments, Christ says that by fulfilling these commandments they will not be like servants to whom their master gives various orders, but on the contrary, they will show themselves to be “friends” of Christ. There is a great difference in the feeling with which an assigned task is carried out. One can look at it only as a duty and therefore carry it out without enthusiasm, or one can do it out of love for him who assigned the task. Obviously, in the latter case the work will be done much better than in the first. The disciples should fulfill Christ’s commandments as His friends. “No longer do I call you servants.” The Lord called the disciples thus earlier John 13:16, but He calls them by this same name also later (verse 20); how then does He say that He no longer calls them thus? Undoubtedly, here the expression “call” must be understood not in the literal sense, but in a figurative sense. The Lord may call the disciples servants, but He relates to them not as to servants: He introduces them to the understanding of the entire plan of divine economy, whereas ordinary servants are not shown their master’s plans – they are made to carry out his orders without any deliberation. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.” Here is another motive for the disciples always to fulfill Christ’s commandments, always to serve Him. While among the Jews it was customary for those wishing to learn the Law of Moses to themselves choose teachers-rabbis, the apostles became disciples of Christ only when He Himself chose and called them to Him. But they entered into a covenant of friendship with Him, and it is not in their power to break this covenant (Weiss). “And appointed you.” Here there is an indication of the special hierarchical position of the apostles in the Church (cf. Acts 20:28; 1 Cor 12:28). “That you should go” – go as My apostles (cf. Matt 28:19) and “bear fruit,” that is, spread the Gospel and firmly establish it on earth (“that your fruit should abide”). This is the first purpose of the choosing of the apostles. Another purpose is indicated in the words: “so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you.” The Lord, in choosing disciples, wished to do much good for them as well, wished their prayers to be fulfilled by God.

John 15:18. If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before you. John 15:19. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. John 15:20. Remember the word that I said to you: “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will also keep yours. John 15:21. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. Now turning to discourse on the hatred with which the apostles-chosen ones of Christ going to fulfill His commandments will be met in the world, the Lord comforts them, first of all, by the fact that in this case the apostles will experience on the part of the world the same hatred with which the world treated Christ earlier. Secondly (verse 19), this hatred is completely natural, and everything natural and ordinary should not frighten a man. On the contrary, the apostles should be grateful for this hatred, because its existence clearly testifies that they are on the right path, that they are not infected with the sins of the world: the hatred of the Church is, so to speak, a guarantee that the Church stands at the height of its task, which its Founder set for it. (The world in John is always conceived as standing under the dominion of sin; cf. John 14:30). The Lord repeats this thought (verses 20 and 21), using in doing so the same expressions in which He spoke of the fate of the disciples when He sent them forth for the first time to preach the Gospel (see Matt 10:22-25). “Because they do not know Him who sent Me.” Here is indicated the cause of the hatred of the world for the preachers of the Gospel, requiring faith in Christ from men. This cause was indicated also earlier (John 8:19).

John 15:22. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. John 15:23. He who hates Me also hates My Father. John 15:24. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. John 15:25. But the word that is written in their law must be fulfilled: “They hated Me without cause.” Because the world could in its defense set forth the claim of ignorance, of which Christ speaks here, the Lord clarifies that such self-defense is completely unfounded. This very ignorance is unmistakably a sin after Christ taught the Jews and performed His great deeds or miracles before their eyes. No, if they did not use these means to acquire true knowledge of God, who sent Christ, then it is clear that they nourish in their heart hatred not only for Christ, but for God. “But the word that is written…” To the disciples such unbelief of the world might seem something unexpected even for their Teacher. Therefore the Lord points in this unbelief, in this hatred toward Him on the part of the world, to the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy. Most closely the Lord seems to speak here of the words of David, contained in Ps 68:5. Here David depicts the persecutions that fell upon him from his enemies, but the Lord sees in David His own type and in David’s enemies a foreshadowing of those relations in which the world will stand toward the true King of Israel, the descendant of David in the flesh (the 68th psalm is therefore customarily called messianic and typical). Such thoughts are found also in Ps 34:19. The Psalms are called here “law” in the general sense, as indeed all Sacred Scripture was considered a guiding principle in life among the Jews. By calling the law “theirs,” that is, the Jewish law, the Lord does not wish to reject the binding nature of the law for His followers, but only points out that the Jews too often referred to the law as to their sacred possession. Here is their support now speaking against them, convicting them of their unjust attitude toward Christ.

John 15:26. When the Comforter comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness concerning Me; John 15:27. and you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. The guilt of the world, which has hated Christ, will be testified to by the Spirit-Comforter and by the apostles themselves, who can recall to the world many facts from the activity of Christ, since the apostles were with Christ from the very beginning of His ministry. “Proceeds from the Father.” Here is contained the teaching about the eternal procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father. This is evident from the fact that 1) that here of the procession is spoken of as of something present and continuous (the verb ἐκπορεύεσθαι stands in the present tense), whereas of the temporal sending of the Spirit into the world Christ speaks as of something future (I shall send, cf. John 14:16); 2) if one understands the expression “proceeds” in the sense of the future – “will proceed,” then this expression will be completely unnecessary repetition of the first words of verse 26 “comes” and “I shall send.” Western commentators (Luthhardt, Hengstenberg, Holtzmann, and others) nevertheless insist that here the discourse is only about the “temporal” sending of the Spirit by the Father, because, says Holtzmann, the point toward which or upon which the Spirit descends is the earth. But rather one can say that here of the procession of the Spirit it is spoken without relation to a specific point, the word “proceeds” is added to denote the distinctive property of the Spirit in eternity. Otherwise, to avoid all misunderstandings, Christ could have said if He had in mind only the temporal procession of the Spirit from heaven: “We, that is, I and the Father, will send the Spirit.” Did He not in the same way generalize the coming of Himself and the coming of the Father in the expression “We will come to him…” (John 14:23)? “You also will bear witness.” Since, properly speaking, the testimony of the apostles generally coincides with the testimony of the Holy Spirit acting in them, here, once their testimony is distinguished, one must see already an indication of their service as evangelists, that is, the transmission by them of the history of Christ’s life, of which the power of their memory had the most significance.

Chapter Sixteen

1–33. The conclusion of Christ’s farewell discourse with the apostles: on the impending persecutions; the removal of Christ to the Father; the activity of the Holy Spirit; the happy outcome of the trials through which the apostles will be subjected; the hearing of their prayers; the scattering of the disciples of Christ.

In the first 11 verses, which represent the conclusion of the second consoling discourse, Christ warns the apostles of the persecutions they will face from the Jews and then, announcing again His removal to the Father, He promises that in the case of His removal to the apostles will come the Comforter, who will convict the world hostile to Christ and the apostles.

John 16:1. These things I have spoken to you, so that you may not be caused to stumble. “These things,” that is, about the persecutions that await the apostles (John 15:18 and following). “So that you may not be caused to stumble.” To know about future sufferings is useful, because what we expect does not strike us so powerfully as what is unexpected.

John 16:2. They will make you outcasts from the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when anyone who kills you will think that he is offering service to God. “They will make you outcasts from the synagogues” – see the commentaries on John 9:22. In the eyes of the Jews the apostles will appear to be apostates from the ancestral faith. “Anyone who kills you.” From this it is clear that the apostles will be declared outside the law, so that anyone who meets them will have the right to kill them. Later in the Jewish Talmud it was directly established (tractate Bemidbar Rabba, a reference in Holtzmann – 329, 1), that whoever kills a wicked person thereby offers a sacrifice to God (cf. Acts 12:3 and following) 36.

John 16:3. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me. Christ repeats (cf. John 15:21) that the cause of such a hostile attitude of the Jews to the apostles will be that they, the Jews, have not known as they ought either the Father or Christ.

John 16:4. But I have told you these things, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them; and I did not tell you these things at the beginning, because I was with you. About the sufferings awaiting the apostles the Lord did not speak to them at the beginning of their following after Christ. The reason for this lay in the fact that He Himself was constantly with them. In case of any unpleasantness that might befall the apostles from the Jews, Christ could always comfort them. And besides, such unpleasantness did not happen to them then. But now He is leaving the apostles, and they must know everything that awaits them. From this there is ground to conclude that the evangelist Matthew in the discourse of Christ, spoken to the apostles when He sent them forth to preach (Matt 10:16-31), placed predictions to the disciples about the sufferings that await them, not because the Lord had already made the disciples acquainted with their awaiting fate, but simply because he wished in one section to unite all the instructions of Christ to the disciples as preachers of the Gospel.

John 16:5. Now I am going to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me: “Where are you going?” John 16:6. But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. The words of the Lord about His removal touched the disciples deeply, but first of all they pitied themselves. They thought about what would become of them, and concerning what fate awaits the Teacher, they did not ask themselves and did not ask Him. About the question of Thomas they seemed to have forgotten, depressed by grief about the removal of Christ (cf. John 14:5).

John 16:7. But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. John 16:8. And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment: The Lord condescends to such a state of the disciples and wishes to scatter their oppressive sorrow. “It is to your advantage,” He says to them, “that I now depart from you: in that case the Comforter will appear to you.” This Comforter, of whose activity in relation to the apostles and other believers Christ has spoken above (John 14:16), is now depicted in His significance for the unbelieving world. However, commentators are divided in their resolution of the question whether the Holy Spirit will appear as a convict or witness concerning Christ before the world or only before believers. Some say that here the Lord speaks of how, thanks to the activity of the Holy Spirit, the truth of Christ and the unrighteousness of the world will be clarified only for the consciousness of believers. “They will be shown all the sin of the world, all its unrighteousness and that doom upon which it is condemned… And what could the Spirit reveal to the deaf and spiritually blind, what could He tell to the dead? But concerning them He could point out to those who could receive Him” (Silchenkov). Such an interpretation cannot be agreed with, because, first, the Lord above (John 15:26) already said that the Spirit will bear witness to Christ before the world, and secondly, it would be strange to suppose that the world, which was so beloved by the Father (John 3:16-17) and for whose salvation the Son of God came (John 1:29), would be deprived of the action of the Holy Spirit. If some point out that the world did not heed the conviction, which is marked here, however, as a completed fact, as having come to fulfillment (“will convict,” verse 8), then to this one must say that the Greek verb used here ἐλέγχειν (“to convict”) does not mean “to bring a man to complete consciousness of his guilt,” but only “to bring weighty proofs, which, however, may not be heeded by the majority of listeners” (cf. John 8:46). In view of the foregoing, it is better to hold the opinion that the discourse here is chiefly about the relation of the Comforter to the unbelieving and hostile world in relation to Christ, before which the Comforter will appear as a witness. In what then will the Comforter convict or bear witness? Concerning sin in general, concerning righteousness in general, concerning judgment in general (all the Greek nouns standing here – ἀμαρτία, δικαιοσύνη, κρίσις – stand without the article and consequently denote something abstract). The world does not understand these three things as it should. It does evil and yet is sure that this is not evil but good, that it does not sin. It confuses good with evil and considers immorality a natural phenomenon, thereby showing that it has no idea of righteousness or moral virtue, does not even believe in its existence. Finally, it does not believe in divine judgment, on which the fate of each is to be decided according to his works. Here then are the truths, foreign to the understanding of the world, which the Spirit-Comforter is to clarify to the world and prove, that sin, and righteousness, and judgment exist.

John 16:9. concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; In what way then will the Spirit clarify all this to the world? The existence of sin can be clarified by the example of the unbelief which the world manifested toward Christ (instead of “because they do not believe” it is more correct to translate “because they believe not,” the particle ὁτι in the context of the discourse has the meaning of cause). Sin has not been revealed in anything so clearly as precisely in the world’s unbelief in Christ (cf. John 3:20). The world hated Christ not because there was anything in Christ worthy of hatred, but because sinfulness, which has taken hold of men, made them reject the high demands which Christ made to men (cf. John 5:44).

John 16:10. concerning righteousness, because I go to My Father and you will see Me no more; The Holy Spirit will also bear witness to the existence of righteousness, again in relation to Christ’s fate. The fact that Christ, in removing from His disciples, goes to the Father, clearly proves that righteousness exists both as a property of God, who rewards for great deeds with exaltation, and as a property or work of Christ, who by His exaltation will prove that He is righteous and holy (1 John 2:1; Acts 3:14; 1 Pet 3:18), though according to the view of the Jews He was a sinner (John 9:24). The Holy Spirit will mainly through the preachers of Christ reveal this significance of Christ’s removal from the sight of even those close to Him – the apostles – who now and of themselves attach a sorrowful, not a joyful, meaning to this removal. After the Spirit-Comforter descends upon them, they will begin to explain the true sense of Christ’s removal as proof of the existence of righteousness in general. With such explanations, the apostle Peter first came before the Jews (Acts 2:36).

John 16:11. concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. Finally, the existence of judgment in general the Holy Spirit will clarify to the world by the example of judgment over the perpetrator of Christ’s death (John 13:2) – the devil, the ruler of this sinful world. Since the Lord regards His death as already accomplished, He also speaks of the condemnation of the devil, which was pronounced by Divine justice over him for this bloody and unjust deed (he killed Him whom he had no right to deprive of life as sinless; cf. Rom 6:23), as of an existing fact (“is judged”). It is very likely that such a condemnation of the devil manifested itself in the first Church in those cases of the casting out of demons which occurred in the activity of the apostles, carrying out these miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit. Besides, in the apostolic Epistles the devil is depicted as already cast out from the fellowship of men who have believed in Christ: he walks only around the Church, like a roaring hungry lion (1 Pet 5:8), sets his snares again outside the Church to catch the believers who may go beyond the bounds of the Church (1 Tim 3:7). In a word, the condemnation of the devil, the victory over him, was for the consciousness of the believers a fact that had come to pass, and they convinced of this the whole world.

John 16:12. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. From verse 12 to verse 33 there is the third consoling discourse of Christ. Here He speaks to the apostles, on the one hand, about the future sending to them of the Holy Spirit, who will enlighten them in all truth, and on the other hand – about His coming or return to the apostles after His resurrection, when they will learn much from Him that they did not know before. If they now feel themselves fairly strong in faith thanks to what they have already heard from Christ, yet this strength of faith in them is not so great as to save them from fear when they see what will happen to their Teacher. Christ concludes His discourse with a call to the disciples to courageously endure the coming trial. Christ now cannot tell the disciples all that He had to communicate to them. For the present, in their present state, it is difficult for them to perceive this “much” that Christ has in store. It is very likely that into this “much” enters what the Lord revealed to the disciples during His appearances in the course of forty days after the resurrection (Acts 1:3) and which later became the fundamental part of Christian Tradition.

John 16:13. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but He will speak what He hears, and He will disclose to you what is to come. Above Christ spoke of the activity of the Holy Spirit for the world. Now He speaks of the significance of the Spirit for the personal life of the disciples of Christ. Here the activity of the Spirit will give so much that with it will be abundantly satisfied that thirst for knowledge of truth which it would have been impossible for the disciples to satisfy with the removal from them of the Teacher. The Holy Spirit, as the Spirit of truth (see John 14:17), will give them full knowledge of all truth or, more precisely, all (πᾶσα) truth, which before had been communicated to them by Christ only in general outline. However, these words do not mean that the disciples will assimilate actually all the content of the teaching about God, that there will be decidedly no defects in their knowledge. Christ says only that the Spirit will give them this, and whether they will receive all offered to them will still depend on how much they surrender themselves to the guidance of the Spirit. The Spirit will be their guide in the study of the realm of truth (instead of ὁδηγήσει some ancient codices read ὁδηγός ἔσται). “For He will not speak on His own initiative.” The property of the Spirit, by virtue of which He is a source of revelation, is based on the fact that He, as little as Christ (John 7:17), will speak “of Himself,” that is, initiate something new in teaching the disciples truth, but will, like Christ (John 3:32), speak only what He has received or “hears” (ἀκούει according to Tischendorf, 8th edition) from the Father (in our Russian translation – “will disclose,” future tense). “And He will disclose to you what is to come.” A special activity of the Spirit will consist in the revelation of eschatological teachings. The disciples of Christ could sometimes fall into a state of dejection under the influence of the victories which evil often achieved in the world, and then the Spirit revealed before them the curtain of the future and cheered them, depicting before their spiritual eyes pictures of the future final victory of good.

John 16:14. “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.” Christ again repeats that the Spirit will not establish some new Church, but only will “glorify Christ,” that is, bring to the desired revelation what, after Christ’s removal, remained still unrevealed and unfinished in the Church of Christ. From this it is evident that all the ideas of secular Russian theologians (for example, D.S. Merezhkovsky) about the possibility of the near opening of some new Church or Kingdom of the Spirit, which should become in place of the Kingdom of the Son or Church of Christ, are devoid of any support in Sacred Scripture (N. Rozanov. On the New Religious Consciousness. Moscow, 1908).

John 16:15. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you. Since in verse 13 it is said that the Spirit will proclaim what He hears from the Father, and in verse 14 it is said that He will take from the Son (“of Mine,” that is, what is Mine), to eliminate this apparent contradiction, Christ remarks that to the Son belongs everything that belongs to the Father (John 17:10; cf. Luke 15:31). Is not the dignity of the Holy Spirit diminished, however, when it is said that the Spirit proclaims only what He hears from God the Father and God the Son? The hearing of the speech of other Persons of the Holy Trinity does not exclude the Spirit’s own participation in the Divine counsel. Besides, the fact that the Spirit will proclaim the complete truth gives ground to conclude that He is one in essence with the Father and the Son (Silchenkov). Moreover, is there not contained in the words “all things that the Father has are Mine,” a hint that the Holy Spirit proceeds as much from the Son as He proceeds from the Father? No, the procession of the Spirit from the Father could not have been in mind here by Christ, because He throughout this section from verse 7 speaks of the activity of the Spirit, not of His personal Property as a divine Hypostasis; He has in mind not the relations of the Persons of the Holy Trinity among Themselves, but Their relation to the work of the salvation of mankind.

John 16:16. “A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father.” Turning now again to the question of His removal to the Father, which so frightened the apostles, Christ, to comfort them, says that they will soon see Him again, because He is going to the Father. As in John 14:18-19, here there is discourse of the appearance of the Lord to the apostles after the resurrection. If the verse is read in the scope which it has in the Russian text, then for clarity the middle sentence, as introductory, should be enclosed in dashes and read as: “a little while and you will not see Me” – “and again” (that is, “and yet” or “however”) “a little while and you will see Me – because I go to the Father.”

John 16:17. Then some of His disciples said to one another: “What is this thing that He is saying to us, ‘A little while and you will not see Me, and again a little while and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” John 16:18. So they were saying: “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.” The disciples in no way could reconcile in their conception all the sayings of Christ about their future meeting with Him. Now He said that much time would pass before He saw them, that they would have to go through various sufferings first (John 16:2), and then He said that He would come to them soon, as soon as He had prepared dwellings for them in heaven (John 14:3), so that they could suppose that the separation would last only a few hours. Thus, the apostles were troubled already by this expression “a little while.” Then the words of the Lord troubled them: “I go to the Father.” Some, probably, were inclined to see in these words a hint of Christ’s glorious departure to heaven, like that to which the prophet Elijah was worthy, when his departure from earth was attended by “a chariot of fire and horses of fire” (2 Sam 2:11). With such an assumption it seemed incomprehensible what speedy return of His Christ was speaking of. Would His stay in heaven be of short duration? But this contradicted what the Lord had said to the apostles earlier (John 13:36-14:3). They could still imagine that Christ would appear to them at His last coming, when He will come to judge the world (Matt 19:28). But this “a little while” troubled all their preconceived notions.

John 16:19. Jesus perceived that they wished to ask Him, and He said to them: “Are you deliberating together about this – that I said, ‘A little while and you will not see Me, and again a little while and you will see Me’?” John 16:20. “Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.” John 16:21. “Whenever a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world.” John 16:22. Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you; Regarding the disciples’ confusion about the meaning of Christ’s saying “a little while and you will not see Me, and again a little while and you will see Me,” the Lord again repeats that weeping and lamentation over His death (in verse 20 the verb θρηνεῖν means mourning the dead; cf. Matt 2:18) will quickly be replaced by rejoicing among the disciples – by reason, of course, of the resurrection of Christ from the dead. The world will triumph, thinking it has achieved victory over Christ, and this joy of the world will grieve even more the disciples of Christ, already stricken by the death of the Teacher. But both will be very short-lived. The upheaval will come swiftly and unexpectedly. A woman unexpectedly, sometimes while feasting or being occupied with some work, feels the onset of painful labor pains! But Christ wishes to depict not only the unexpectedness of His resurrection to the disciples, but especially its joyful character. The joy of the disciples when they see the resurrected Christ may be compared to the fullness of joy that a woman who has been safely delivered from the burden feels. She immediately forgets all the pains she suffered during labor, and is full of joy at the sight of her child. Some commentators continue the comparison begun by the Savior further. They compare Him with a newborn, as having entered into new life by the resurrection, as the new Adam (1 Cor 15:45). But with such an expansion of the image taken by Christ, one cannot agree, because if Christ can be called a Newborn, then the disciples in no case can have relation to the new birth of Christ: they least of all, as having abandoned their Teacher, took part in His entry into new life.

John 16:23. “In that day you will not ask Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.” John 16:24. “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” The Lord depicts the happy consequences of His coming to the disciples after the resurrection. “In that day” (cf. John 14:20), that is, during the conversations with the resurrected Lord. “You will not ask Me about anything.” We know that even after the resurrection the disciples asked the Lord about what particularly occupied them (for example, about the establishment of the kingdom of Israel; Acts 1:6). Therefore the expression οὐκ ἐρωτήσετε is better understood in the sense of “you will not be constantly asking with questions, about every My incomprehensible word and even constantly repeat the same questions, as you did during this My discourse with you” (verse 18). The position of the apostles at the present time – the position of inexperienced children, who ask their elders about everything – will change after they see the resurrected Christ, to the position of grown men. “If you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.” Here is indicated another sign of the new position which the apostles will occupy after Christ’s resurrection in relation to God. Before, under the weight of thought about the fate of the Son of God, they felt some terror before that hand of the Lord which so terribly – for the sins of mankind – punishes the innocent Christ. Then they will look upon this hand as containing all mercies for those redeemed by the sufferings of Christ. “Until now,” that is, until such time as Christ has not entered to the Father and has not received eternal glorification also in His humanity, they have asked for nothing in His name (see John 14:13), that is, in their prayers they appealed directly to the Lord, God of their fathers, not relying on the “name” of their Teacher and Lord. Then, after the glorification of Christ, it will be especially joyful for them that in their prayers they will invoke the name of Christ, so dear to them, and in this closeness of His to them will find assurance that their prayers will not remain unfulfilled.

John 16:25. Up to now I have spoken to you in figures of speech; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father. John 16:26. In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father for you; John 16:27. for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God. Our Lord’s discourse is coming to a close. The Lord says that all the words He has spoken up to now during this farewell discourse—for example, John 13:32 and others—had the character of a figure of speech, that is, were similar to the parables which the disciples would ordinarily hear and then ask Christ to explain these parables to them (cf. Matt 13:36). But soon there will come a time when the Lord will speak “plainly” to the apostles about what they need to know, so that it will not be necessary for Christ to accompany His discourse with special explanations. What time, however, does Christ have in mind? The relatively brief period that passed from His resurrection until His ascension into heaven, or the entire time of the existence of His Church on earth? Since this discourse is directed first and foremost to the apostles—they, after all, had to learn everything at first under a certain figurative covering—it is better to see in Christ’s promise an indication only of His personal communication with the apostles after His resurrection, when He “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45). “I do not say to you that I will ask the Father for you.” This does not mean that Christ’s intercession for the apostles will cease: love, as the apostle says, never ceases (1 Cor 13:8) and always continues to intercede for those who are loved. But the Lord wants to say by this that the apostles themselves will come into new intimate relations with God; for their love of Christ and faith in Him, they will be worthy of love from the Father’s side.

John 16:28. I came from the Father and have come into the world; again I leave the world and go to the Father. John 16:29. His disciples said to Him: Now You are speaking plainly, and not speaking any figure of speech. John 16:30. Now we see that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should ask You. For this reason we believe that You came from God. In order to finally make clear to the disciples the purpose of His departure from them, the Lord repeats once more that, as He came from the Father, so He must return to Him. The disciples were completely satisfied by such a declaration of their Teacher, because the Lord correctly understood their present disposition: they now felt the need for just such a brief and precise statement from Him. This ability of Christ to penetrate the very depths of the human heart prompts the disciples now to confess once more their faith that He really came from God and, consequently, possesses divine knowledge. He has no need to wait for questions in order to know what each person needs to know from Him.

John 16:31. Jesus answered them: Do you now believe? John 16:32. Behold, the hour is coming, and has already come, when you will be scattered, each to his own place, and will leave Me alone; but I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. In response to this confession, the Lord accepts their faith as a fact (instead of “do you now believe?” it is better to translate “yes, now you do believe”), but says that this faith in the apostles will soon become so weak that they will abandon Christ (cf. Mark 14:27). “However,” Christ remarks, as if to reassure the apostles for the future time when they will consider Christ’s whole work lost, “I will not remain alone; the Father is always with Me.”

John 16:33. I have told you this so that you may have peace in Me. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good courage: I have overcome the world. Here we have the conclusion to the discourses of chapters 15 and 16 (chapter 14 has its own particular conclusion in its 31st verse). The Lord held these additional discourses, placed in chapters 15–16, in order that the apostles might have “peace in Him,” that is, the peace which He has, with which He goes to His sufferings (cf. John 14:27). And this peace should have its foundation among the apostles in the same thing in which it rests in Christ—namely, Christ is confident in His victory over the world that is hostile to Him, which already, so to speak, now lies at His feet as defeated (cf. John 13:31). Thus the disciples should, in the thought of the victory achieved by their Teacher, draw strength to endure the coming tribulations (cf. verse 21). Some of the modern interpreters consider chapters 15 and 16 to be an insertion made by a later writer. The main basis for such an opinion is the circumstance that in John 14:31 the Lord invites the apostles to “rise and go” from the upper room, thus recognizing the farewell discourse as complete. But critics are unnecessarily troubled by such a circumstance. As was said above (see the commentary to John 14:31), the Lord could continue His discourse with the disciples, seeing that they were not at all in a state to follow His invitation, could not, so to speak, on account of their great sorrow rise from their places. In the same way, the other basis on which critics rely, not recognizing the authenticity of these chapters, has little force. Namely, they say that in these chapters some of what is already known from John 13:31-14:31 is partly repeated (Heitmuller). But what is remarkable if the Lord, comforting His disciples, repeats sometimes the same thoughts? It is clear that they needed such repetition, that they had not sufficiently understood some of these things the first time… * * * Notes It is remarkable that the inquisitors themselves called the burning of heretics a “work of faith” (auto-da-fé).

Chapter Seventeen

1–26. The High Priestly Prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ. 37

Christ’s farewell discourse with the disciples is complete. But before going to meet the enemies who will lead Him to trial and torture, Christ pronounces a solemn prayer to the Father for Himself, for His disciples, and for His future Church, as the great High Priest of mankind. This prayer can be divided into three parts.

In the first part (verses 1–8), Christ prays for Himself. He asks for His own glorification, or for the gift to Him, as the God-man, of divine greatness, since He is the cornerstone of the Church, and the Church can attain its goal only when its Head—Christ—is glorified.

In the second part (verses 9–19), Christ intercedes for His disciples. He asks the Father to protect them from the evil that reigns in the world, and to sanctify them by the divine truth, for they represent the continuation of Christ’s work in the world. The world will receive the word of Christ in purity and with all its heavenly power only when the apostles themselves are established in this word and sanctified by its power.

In the third part (verses 20–26), Christ prays for those who believe in Him. In order for those who believe in Christ to accomplish their calling, to constitute the Church of Christ, they must maintain unity with each other, and it is for the maintenance of this unity among believers that Christ beseeches the Father. But first of all they must be in unity with the Father and Christ.

John 17:1. After saying these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said: Father! The time has come; glorify Your Son, so that Your Son may glorify You, “Jesus looked up to heaven”—see the commentary to John 11:41. “Father! The time has come.” The time of glorification has come for Christ, because the time of death has come (cf. John 12:23). The victory over death, the devil, and the world has already, so to speak, been won by Christ—the time has come for the Son to receive the heavenly glory in which He abided before His incarnation (cf. verse 5). “And may Your Son glorify You.” Christ glorified His Father before (cf. Matt 9:8), just as the Father glorified Christ before (cf. John 12:28). But Christ’s glorification of God the Father has not yet been brought to its perfect fullness, while Christ still remains on the earth, in the conditions of existence that limit the full manifestation of His glory. Only when He, with His glorified flesh, sits again on the Divine throne, will it be possible for the complete revelation of His glory and the Father’s glory, which consists in drawing all the ends of the earth to Christ.

John 17:2. since You have given Him authority over all flesh, so that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. “Since You have given Him authority” is better rendered “in accordance with what” (καθώσ). Christ here explains His right to such glorification. This right is given to Him by the greatness of the work entrusted to Him by the Father—the salvation of people. “Over all flesh.” All of humanity, which is here called “flesh” because of its spiritual weakness, its powerlessness in accomplishing its own salvation (cf. Isa 40:6 and following), has been given into the authority of the Son. But, of course, it is only from heaven, from the heavenly throne that Christ can exercise this authority, make it real for countless millions of people scattered all over the earth (and this authority, once given, cannot and should not remain unused by Christ for the benefit of humanity and the glory of God’s name). Consequently, the Lord has every right and reason to ask the Father to glorify Him and with a higher, heavenly glory in His humanity as well. “So that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.” Christ has now spoken about the fact that the power given to Him over all humanity should be exercised. But in what direction this power will be exercised He has not yet determined. It could be manifested in the fact that Christ saves many people, but undoubtedly, by virtue of the same power, at the last judgment Christ will condemn many for their refusal to accept salvation from His hands. Now He speaks definitely that salvation, or rather, “eternal life” (cf. John 3:15), He wishes, in accordance with the Father’s will, to give not to all, but only to those who have been given to Him, whom the Father has specially drawn to Him as worthy of salvation (cf. John 6:37).

John 17:3. And this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. “And this is eternal life…” It seems that true eternal life consists, then, only in the knowledge of God. But Christ could not have expressed such a thought, because true knowledge of God does not guard a person from the loss of love (1 Cor 13:2). It is more correct to say, therefore, that here by “knowledge” is meant not only the theoretical assimilation of the truths of faith, but also the inclination of the heart toward God and Christ, true love. “The only true God.” Christ speaks of God in this way to point to the contrast between the knowledge of God which He has in mind and the incorrect knowledge that the pagans had of God, who transferred the glory of the One God to many gods (Rom 1:23). “And Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Here Christ calls Himself by this name for the first time. “Jesus Christ” now becomes His name, which later in the mouths of the apostles becomes His usual designation (Acts 2:38 and so on). The Lord thus in this last prayer of His, spoken aloud before the disciples, gives, so to speak, a certain formula which should subsequently be used in Christian society. It is quite probable that Christ proposes such a designation in opposition to the Jewish view of Him, according to which He was simply “Jesus” (cf. John 9:11). According to the opinion of negative criticism (for example, Beyschlag), Christ here clearly says that the Father is God, while He Himself is not God at all. But against such an objection it must be said that Christ is contrasting the Father as the one true God here not with Himself, but with the false gods whom the pagans honored. Then Christ says that knowledge of God the Father is attainable only through Him, Christ, and that knowledge of Christ Himself is as necessary for obtaining eternal life or salvation as knowledge of God the Father. Is it not clear that in this He testifies about Himself as one with God the Father in essence? As for the fact that He speaks of knowledge of Him separately from knowledge of God the Father, this, according to the observation of Znamensky, is explained by the fact that for the attainment of eternal life it is necessary to believe not only in God, but also in the redemption of humanity before God, which was accomplished by the Son of God through the fact that He became the Messiah—the God-man, sent from God the Father into the world.

John 17:4. I have glorified You on earth, completing the work that You gave Me to do. John 17:5. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your own presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed. A new motive for fulfilling Christ’s request for glorification consists in the fact that He has already, so to speak, objectively fulfilled the task entrusted to Him (see verse 3)—communicated to people the saving knowledge of the Father and of Himself. By this He has already glorified the Father, although, of course, only on earth, in the state of His humiliation. Now let the Father, in His turn, glorify Christ in His own presence, that is, raise Him to heaven and give Him that greatness in which He has abided from eternity (cf. John 1:1 and following; John 8:58). Christ possessed divine glory on earth, but this glory was nevertheless hidden and only occasionally flashed forth (for example, in the Transfiguration). Soon it will overshadow the entire Christ—the God-man—with all its magnitude.

John 17:6. I have revealed Your name to the people whom You gave Me from the world; they were Yours, and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. John 17:7. Now they know that everything You have given Me is from You; John 17:8. for the words that You gave Me I have given them, and they have received them and truly know that I came from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. Speaking of the fulfillment of the task entrusted to Him in the subjective sense, namely of those results which He has achieved in the inner circle of those given to Him from the Father—the chosen ones—achieved through His teaching and deeds (cf. John 14:9 and following), Christ points out that He revealed to these people the “name” of the Father, that is, gave these chosen ones to know that God truly is a Father, that He loves all people and therefore from eternity determined to redeem them from sin, condemnation, and death. “They were Yours.” The apostles belonged to God even before they turned to Christ. Such was, for example, Nathanael—a true Israelite (John 1:48). “They have kept Your word.” Christ in this way recognizes the Gospel which He proclaimed not as His own, but as the word of the Father. The apostles received it as such and have kept it in their soul thus far. The Lord, saying that the apostles kept the word transmitted to them through Him, probably has in mind the statements which were made on their behalf by the apostle Peter (John 6:68) and by all of them (John 16:29). “Now they know…” With the understanding that everything Christ has told them has been given to Him by God is connected, of course, the entry onto the path of eternal life (cf. verse 3). “For the words that You gave Me…” The disciples came to such understanding because Christ, for His part, hid nothing from them (understandably, except what they could not understand, cf. John 16:12) and, on the other hand, because the apostles received Christ’s words with faith. It seems that here the understanding of Christ’s divine dignity (“that I came from You”) precedes faith in His Messianic dignity (“that You sent Me”). But in reality both occur simultaneously, and faith in Christ’s Divinity is placed first only by virtue of its superior importance.

John 17:9. I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world, but for those whom You have given Me, because they are Yours. Christ is the Intercessor for the whole world (1 Tim 2:5-6) and desires to save all people (John 10:16). But at the present moment His thoughts are occupied with the fate of only those who are entrusted to Him and who must continue His work on earth. The world, for now, holds itself as hostile to Christ, and Christ has no occasion to speak to the Father at this moment about how he would wish to arrange the affairs of this world so foreign to Him. His care is entirely focused on the apostles as those for whom He must give account to the Father.

John 17:10. All that is Mine is Yours, and all that is Yours is Mine; and I am glorified in them. Observing that not only the apostles but all things are common between Him and the Father, Christ, as a motivation for a special prayer for them, points to the circumstance that He has already been glorified in them. Of course, He speaks of the future activity of the apostles, but by confidence in them He depicts their activity as already accomplished, as constituting the possession of history (“I am glorified in them”).

John 17:11. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, those whom You have given Me, so that they may be one, as We are one. Here a new motive for prayer for the apostles appears. They will remain alone in this world hostile to them: Christ is departing from them. “Holy Father.” God’s holiness consists in the fact that God is infinitely exalted above the world, separated from it as the totality of all imperfection and sinfulness, but at the same time can always come into the world for salvation or for judgment. “Keep them.” As one completely without sin and at the same time punishing sinners and saving the righteous, the Father can preserve the apostles from the influence of worldly vices and from the persecutions of the world. “In Your name”: better read “in Your name” (in the Greek text it is read ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου). God’s name serves, as it were, as the central point where the apostles find refuge from the influence of the world. Finding shelter here, they will recognize each other as spiritual brothers, as people who are distinguished from those who live in the world. In the name of God, or rather, in God Himself, the apostles will find the support necessary for maintaining the unity among themselves that exists between the Father and the Son. And this unity is most necessary for them so that all their activity will be successful. Only by united efforts will they be able to win victory over the world.

John 17:12. While I was with them in the world, I protected them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have guarded, and not one of them has been lost except the one destined for destruction, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Until now Christ Himself was doing the work which He now asks the Father to take upon Himself. And He did this work successfully: eleven apostles are preserved; they stand here near Christ. If one of those entrusted to Him was lost, Christ is not guilty of his destruction. The Holy Scripture itself foretold this fact (Ps 108:17). The Lord, evidently, wishes by this reference to the words of the Psalmist to say the same thing he said in chapter 13 (John 13:18).

John 17:13. But now I am coming to You, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have My joy made complete in themselves. Since Christ must now depart from the disciples, He purposely speaks His prayer for them aloud, while He still remains with them “in the world.” Let them hear, let them know to whom He is entrusting them. This knowledge that the Father Himself has become their protector will keep them from spiritual despair in the face of the trials that are approaching.

John 17:14. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Here the need of the apostles for protection from the Father is even more clearly defined (cf. verse 11). On the one hand, through the word given to them from the Father (verse 8), the disciples are separated from fellowship with the world; on the other hand, for the same reason, like Christ (cf. John 8:23), they have become the object of hatred for the world (John 15:18-19).

John 17:15. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. Of course, to protect the disciples from the hatred of the world, one could take them out of the world. But the world cannot get along without them; it must receive from them the message about the redemption accomplished by Christ. Therefore the Lord asks that in the apostolic work that lies before them, evil will not overcome them.

John 17:16. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. The Lord repeats the thought expressed in verse 14 in order to provide the foundation for the following request.

John 17:17. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. “Sanctify them” (ἀγίασον αὐτούς). Here the Lord speaks not only of keeping the apostles from corrupt worldly influences: He already asked the Father for this before; but also of supplying them with holiness in the positive sense of the word, which they need for the accomplishment of their future service. “In Your truth”: better—“in truth” (ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ). Christ immediately explains that this truth is the “word of the Father,” which Christ transmitted to the apostles (verses 8, 14). Once the apostles, with the help of the grace of the Father who will grant them this grace through the Holy Spirit, assimilate this “word,” they will prove themselves fully ready (sanctified) to spread this word throughout the world.

John 17:18. As You sent Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. The sanctification of the apostles is necessary in view of their high calling: they are sent by Christ with great authority, as Christ Himself was sent by the Father into the world.

John 17:19. And for their sakes I consecrate Myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth. Before Christ asked the Father to sanctify the disciples for their high service. Now Christ adds that He Himself consecrates Himself to God in sacrifice so that the disciples may be fully sanctified. “For their sakes,” that is, for their benefit (ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν). “I consecrate Myself.” According to the interpretation of the holy fathers, here the discourse is precisely about Christ’s offering of Himself as a sacrifice (see, for example, in St. John Chrysostom). Some modern commentators object to such an explanation, pointing out that Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice for all people, whereas here the discourse is only about the apostles. For this reason “consecration,” as understood, for example, by Zahn, is not the offering of a redemptive sacrifice, but the offering of what is called a dedicatory sacrifice, which was once offered by Aaron for himself and his sons (Num 8:11). But even if such an interpretation can be accepted, the essence of what Christ means here will not change, and what is important is that He offers in sacrifice, even if a dedicatory one, as He enters upon the service of high priest (“Myself,” ἐμαυτόν). To this self-sacrifice of His Christ points in order to underscore the special importance of the calling of the disciples. “So that they also may be sanctified.” Here “sanctification” (the same verb ἀγιάζειν is used as in the main clause) is undoubtedly understood as the consecration of the disciples to belong to God, their consecration to God’s service without direct allusion to the apostles’ offering of their own lives to God as a sacrifice. “In truth” (ἐν ἀληθείᾳ) is more precise, in opposition to the symbolic prefiguring consecration which took place in the Old Testament.

John 17:20. I am not asking only for them, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word, The circle of persons for whom Christ deems it necessary to present His prayer to the Father is now expanding. If before He deemed it necessary to ask the Father only for the apostles, now He directs His prayer to the whole of His future Church, which will be formed from those who will believe the preaching or word of the apostles.

John 17:21. so that they all may be one. Just as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You, may they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. Here are indicated three subjects or three goals to which the attention of the praying Christ is directed (the particle ἵνα—so that—is used three times). The first goal is contained in the request: “so that they all may be one, just as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You.” The unity of believers is here, evidently, understood as an agreement in the motives and goals of their spiritual aspirations. Of course, such exact unity as exists between the Father and Christ cannot exist among people. But, in any case, this highest unity between the Persons of the Godhead should always be presented to believing consciousness as an ideal. The second goal is determined by the words “and may they also be in Us.” Believers will only then be able to maintain mutual unity when they abide in the Father and the Son: the unity existing between the Father and the Son will contribute to strengthening the unity among believers. The third goal is special: “so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.” The world, tormented by selfish aspirations, could never dream of achieving true unity of thoughts and feelings. Therefore, the harmony which it sees in Christian society will strike it with amazement, and from such amazement it will not be far to the transition also to faith in Christ as the Savior sent to people by God Himself. History of the Church indeed shows that such cases have occurred. Thus the unity of all believers, in turn, should itself serve the work of divine economy. The unbelievers, seeing the close unity of believers with each other and with the Father and the Son, will come to faith in Christ, who established such wonderful unity (cf. Rom 11:14).

John 17:22. The glory that You have given Me I have given them, so that they may be one, as We are one. John 17:23. I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me. In order to make the unity of believers more firm, Christ has already made His first disciples partakers of His glory, which He possessed even on earth as the Only-begotten Son of the Father (John 1:14). Here one can discern an allusion to the power given to the apostles when they were first sent out to preach the ability to work miracles—a power which Christ did not take back (cf. Matt 10:1; Luke 9:54). And now He does not leave them: remaining in communion with Christ, they abide through this in communion with the Father as well, and in this way they attain perfect communion with each other. As a result, the whole world again receives spiritual benefit.

John 17:24. Father, I desire that those also, whom You have given Me, may be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory, which You have given Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world. John 17:25. Righteous Father, the world does not know You, but I know You; and these know that You have sent Me. John 17:26. And I have made Your name known to them, and I will continue to make it known, so that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them. Here is the conclusion of the prayer. As the One whom the Father has loved before the creation of the world, the Son now expresses not a request, but a desire (“I desire”) that the believers—not only the apostles—be with Him and would contemplate His glory. It is quite probable that Christ is speaking here of His second coming to earth, coming in glory (Matt 24:30). Christ is fully confident in the fulfillment of His desire: the “righteous,” that is, just, Father cannot fail to fulfill His desire. It may be possible to deny glory to the world, which does not know the Father, but it cannot be possible to deny it to those who believe, whom Christ has already taught to know the Father and will continue to teach this (through the Spirit-Comforter). From Christ the Father will transfer His love to the believers (John 16:27). And since the eternal and immediate object of the Father’s love is Christ Himself, in whom the Father’s love rested completely, it means that, together with the Father’s love, Christ Himself enters into the souls of the believers. * * * This prayer of Christ has long been known by such a name. But interpreters of Scripture to this day explain the meaning of this name differently and not sufficiently soundly. Some say that Christ prays here to the Father as a high priest who has prepared to offer a great sacrifice for the sins of all humanity—to give for the redemption of people His own life. But such an explanation cannot be accepted, because this prayer does not contain clear indications of Christ’s death as a redemptive sacrifice for the sins of all humanity. Others, remembering that the chief duty of the high priest was to intercede for the people, see in this prayer a model of those intercessory prayers with which our eternal Intercessor, Christ, addresses His Father (1 John 2:1). But neither can one agree with this opinion, because here Christ does not appear as an intercessor, as He became after accomplishing redemption, when He entered into His glory, but only as one asking, who in a short time will enter into His glory and will intercede for people there, in heaven. It is not for nothing that Christ here uses the word Τρωτχν for His prayer, and not ἐντυγχάνειν. The first denotes a request, the fulfillment of which depends on the free decision of the person to whom the request is addressed, while the second denotes the intercession of one who lawfully enters as a mediator, whose voice cannot fail to be heard. Moreover, everywhere in this prayer the verb ἐρωτᾶν is used with the preposition περὶ, not with ὑπέρ. This indicates that Christ here does not appear as an intercessor for people, but as one asking on behalf of people especially close to Him. Therefore Bengel correctly translates throughout the entire chapter the preposition περί with δe and never—προ. The explanation given by Steineyer seems most correct, according to which Christ prays here as one just entering upon the service of high priest—a high priest offering Himself as a purification sacrifice for the sins of people.

Chapter Eighteen

1–11. The Taking of Jesus Christ by soldiers. – 12–27. Christ before Annas and Caiaphas. – 28–40. Christ before Pilate.

John 18:1. After Jesus had said this, He went out with His disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, into which He and His disciples entered. The Evangelist depicts the history of the taking of Christ by soldiers and the trial over Him somewhat abbreviated in comparison with the synoptic Gospels, and in other cases more fully, pointing to some details omitted by the first evangelists of these events. Thus, he reports that after the completion of His farewell discourse with the disciples the Lord went out (from the upper room where the discourse took place) “across the Kidron valley,” which the synoptists do not mention. The Kidron was a small stream that flowed through a valley located between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. Its name in translation from Hebrew means “black, turbid.” The Evangelist calls it a winter torrent (χείμαρρος), that is, one that had water in it only when (in winter) it rained. The place where Christ went, the Evangelist calls a garden, without giving the name of this garden (in the synoptists—“Gethsemane”).

John 18:2. Now Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place, because Jesus often gathered there with His disciples. The Evangelist notes that this garden as a place where Christ usually stayed during His visits to Jerusalem was well known to Judas. Thus, the Lord clearly did not want to take any measures to protect Himself from possible attack by his enemies, led by Judas: He consciously and voluntarily gives Himself up to be captured by his enemies.

John 18:3. So Judas, having received a cohort of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. The members of the Sanhedrin apparently succeeded in convincing Pilate of the special danger represented by the movement raised by Christ, and the procurator (see the commentary to Matt 27:2) gave them a cohort (σπεῖρα) of soldiers (a part of a cohort), to which officers of the Sanhedrin were added. Although it was light from the moon, which was shining at that time in its full phase, nevertheless the soldiers took lanterns with them in order to examine the entire garden, all its corners.

John 18:4. Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to Him, came forward and asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” John 18:5. They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said, “I am He.” Judas, who betrayed Him, was standing with them. Christ does not wait for them to find Him, but Himself comes forward to the soldiers from the somewhat secluded place where He was praying (cf. Luke 22:41). The calmness displayed by Christ at this time the Evangelist explains by the fact that the Lord knew beforehand all that would happen to Him.

John 18:6. When Jesus said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. John 18:7. Then He asked them again, “Whom are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” John 18:8. Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you are looking for Me, let these men go.” John 18:9. This was to fulfill the word that He had spoken: “Of those whom You gave Me, I have not lost a single one.” When the soldiers and officers of the Sanhedrin standing near Christ heard from His own lips that before them stood Jesus of Nazareth, they became frightened, drew back, and fell to the ground. Probably they were most frightened and caused the panic—the officers, Jewish men, who, of course, remembered the stories of Christ’s miracles and who could fear that Christ would treat them as the prophet Elijah once treated the soldiers who came to seize him (2 Sam 1:10). John notes that Christ requires that the soldiers not touch His disciples: so the word spoken by Him was fulfilled in the high priestly prayer (John 17:12; cf. John 6:39). The reason Christ did not want the disciples to be taken together with Him was, of course, that they were to continue His work after Him, and they were not yet ready to endure suffering.

John 18:10. Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. John 18:11. Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given Me?” Repeating here the account of the synoptists about the three denials of Peter, John adds that it was the apostle Peter who did this, and that the slave’s name was Malchus (this name is not Jewish but Arabic, and probably this slave was a pagan). Christ’s remark to the apostle Peter in its first half is similar to what is in the evangelist Matthew (Matt 26:52), but its second half, although it contains a thought similar to that expressed in Matt 26:54, should remind a person who knew about Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane precisely of what Christ said at that time (Luke 22:42).

John 18:12. So the soldiers, their commander, and the Jewish officers arrested Jesus and bound Him. John 18:13. First they took Him to Annas; for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year. John 18:14. It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be advantageous if one man died for the people. The evangelist Luke says that Christ was led from Gethsemane “to the high priest’s house” (Luke 22:54), the evangelist Mark—“to the high priest” (Mark 14:53) and the evangelist Matthew—“to Caiaphas the high priest” (Matt 26:57). John provides more precise information here. Not directly to Caiaphas, not to the high priest was Christ led, but to the father-in-law of the then high priest Caiaphas, Annas (according to Hebrew pronunciation—Anan). Annas himself had been high priest from the 6th to the 15th year of the Christian era and enjoyed the respect of the Sanhedrin members and especially of Caiaphas, who had set aside a special room for him in the high priestly house. Before presenting Christ to the Sanhedrin for trial, Caiaphas began to interrogate Him in the room of Annas (as is evident from the particularly persistent mention by John that the high priest at that time was Caiaphas, he evidently has in mind that throughout the interrogation by the high priest in Annas’s quarters, he is referring to Caiaphas).

John 18:15. Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, John 18:16. but Peter stood outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in. John 18:17. The woman said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” John 18:18. Now the slaves and the officers had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also stood with them and was warming himself. From Christ John’s thought passes to the apostle Peter, to his denial. The synoptists depict all three denials of Peter without breaks (only the evangelist Luke says that between the second and third denial an hour passed—Luke 22:59), but John says that the first occurred immediately after Peter’s entering the courtyard of the high priest, and the second and third—after the interrogation at Annas’s place, when Christ was led to Caiaphas. With Peter came another disciple; this was, according to the explanation of the Fathers and teachers of the Church (John Chrysostom, Theodoret, Cyril of Alexandria, Ephrem), John himself, who generally avoided naming himself. Zahn sees here the designation of the apostle James, brother of John, but the proofs which he brings here are not convincing. It was this disciple who brought the apostle Peter into the courtyard, being personally acquainted with the high priest. The gate keeper knew that John was a disciple of Christ, and therefore asked the apostle Peter: “Are you also not one of this Man’s disciples?” She is expressing here her surprise at the fact that another person was found who dared to go with his teacher into apparent danger. The apostle Peter gives a negative answer to the gatekeeper’s question without thinking, without attaching importance to the question of the handmaid. Then he approaches the fire to warm himself together with slaves and servants.

John 18:19. The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples and about His teaching. John 18:20. Jesus answered, “I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret.” John 18:21. Why do you ask Me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said. Caiaphas wants to conduct a preliminary interrogation of Christ, but Christ refuses to give him any explanations about His teaching: His entire activity passed completely openly to all. He did not gather people for any secret meetings (from this it can be concluded that the high priest wanted to give Christ’s activity a political character).

John 18:22. When He had said this, one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus on the face, saying, “Is this how you answer the high priest?” John 18:23. Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike Me?” One of the officers accompanying Christ, wishing to please the high priest, struck Christ on the face. This was an extremely foul deed: striking a defendant was considered inadmissible even among barbarians. But here the prophecy of the prophet Micah was fulfilled: “the ruler of Israel will be struck on the cheek” (Mic 5:1). Christ, however, does not leave the servant’s absurd deed without an answer. From this it can be concluded that Christ’s commandment about non-resistance to evil (Matt 5:39) should not be understood as literally as some understand it: Christ demands that He be punished according to law, not by arbitrary action. And if John brings this demand of Christ, expressed only on the occasion of the blow struck at Christ, it is because he wants to point to the arbitrary action shown toward Christ by the Jewish authorities and by all unbelieving Jewry in general.

John 18:24. Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. The Evangelist, by reporting that Annas sent Christ to Caiaphas, apparently presupposes that Caiaphas had not yet interrogated Christ. But the expression “to Caiaphas” means “to Caiaphas’s dwelling” (cf. the expression “to you” in 1 Tim 3:14, that is, to Ephesus or “through you” in 2 Cor 1:16, that is, through Corinth). And the addition “to the high priest” at the very end of the verse (according to the Greek text) indicates that now Christ was sent to Caiaphas for a formal trial.

John 18:25. Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” John 18:26. One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” John 18:27. Peter then denied it again; and at that moment the cock crowed. Peter, in the meantime, continued to stand by the fire in the yard (John probably followed Christ first to Annas and then to Caiaphas). There he is subjected to new danger. The slaves, seeing an unfamiliar man, naturally supposed that he was one of Christ’s disciples, and asked him about it. Peter, having already answered this question negatively once (to the gatekeeper) and fearing that if he now gave an affirmative answer, they would accuse him of contradicting himself and would draw undesirable conclusions about him, denies Christ a second time. Finally, when one of the servants asked Peter if he had not seen him in the garden with Christ—this was Malchus’s relative—Peter had no choice but again to confirm his denial. He could suppose on the basis of the very tone of the question that by the light of torches the servant had not clearly seen his face. John ends the account of Peter’s denial with a simple indication that immediately after Peter’s denial the rooster crowed. He reports this in order to show how precisely the prophecy of Christ about Peter’s denial was fulfilled (John 13:38). Other details of this event mentioned by the synoptists he omits as known to his readers.

John 18:28. Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual uncleanness and be able to eat the Passover. John reports nothing about Christ’s trial at Caiaphas’s place; his readers were sufficiently familiar with this from the synoptists. He passes directly to depicting Christ’s trial before Pilate. It was morning, that is, day had already come (cf. Luke 22:66), approximately around 6 o’clock in the morning. Christ was taken to the headquarters, that is, to the former palace of Herod the Great, where the Roman procurators usually stayed when they came to Jerusalem. From this palace, located on the western side of the city, the so-called Tower of David has survived to the present day. The Evangelist notes that the Jews did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid becoming unclean, but to keep themselves pure for the eating of the Passover. In the house of the pagan Pilate, of course, there were leavened breads, and the Jews were obliged, on the eve of Passover, namely on the 13th of Nisan, to remove all leavened bread from their homes (Bazhenov, p. 127) as not corresponding to the purity which the Jews were obliged to maintain during Passover. But what does the expression “so that he might eat the Passover” mean here? Had the Passover not yet been celebrated? From the Synoptic Gospels it is clear that Christ had already celebrated the Passover with His disciples (see Matt 26:17 and parallel passages). How could it happen that the Jews who brought Christ to Pilate had not yet celebrated the Passover? Interpreters give various answers to this question. Some (for example, Lambert, The Passover. – Journal of Theological Studies, 1903) claim that the Jews did not have a precisely established time for celebrating the Passover, and Christ celebrated the Passover at the usual time, whereas the representatives of Judaism, guided by more precise, in their opinion, calendar calculations, observed that year the Passover a day later than the common people. Professor Khvolson (The Last Paschal Supper of Jesus Christ. – Christian Reading 1875 and 1878) adds to this that Christ acted completely correctly in celebrating the Passover on the 13th of Nisan, because in the year of Jesus Christ’s death the 14th of Nisan fell on Friday, on which the Passover lamb could not be slain because of its coinciding with the Sabbath. Therefore the slaying of the Passover lamb was postponed for all Jews to the 13th, that is, to the evening of Thursday. But the law said that the Passover lamb was to be eaten before morning and only; the time of that morning was not specified, and Christ, like many other Jews, ate the lamb on the same day it was slain, namely the 13th, whereas the representatives of Judaism found it more correct to eat the lamb on the next day, that is, the evening of the 14th. Others (particularly Zahn in recent times) try to prove that in the verse in question there is no mention of eating the Passover lamb at all. The expression “eat the Passover” supposedly means the eating of a sacrifice that was offered on the next day of the Feast of Passover, the 15th (this is the so-called “Hagiga”), and the eating of unleavened bread (Kommentar 3. Evangelium des Johannes, p. 621 and ff.). Finally, many modern interpreters (for example, Loisy, Julicher, and others) believe that John intentionally departs here from the correct chronology of the Synoptics in order to convey the idea that our Passover lamb is Christ. According to the portrayal in his Gospel, Christ dies on the day and hour when, by the law, the Passover lamb was to be slain. Of the explanations given, the first seems most plausible, according to which some Jews celebrated the Passover in the year of Christ’s death on the 13th, and others on the 14th of Nisan. Accepting this explanation, confirmed by the calculations of such an expert in Jewish archaeology as Professor Khvolson, we understand perfectly why on the day after Christ ate the Passover the members of the Sanhedrin find it possible for themselves to conduct a trial and execution of Christ, why Simon of Cyrene is only just returning from work (Mark 15:21), women are preparing spices (Luke 23:56), Joseph of Arimathea finds where to buy a burial shroud (Mark 15:46). For many the festival had not yet begun, and various shops with goods were still open. The tradition of the Christian Church also confirms the plausibility of such an explanation. For example, Saint Clement of Alexandria directly says that the Lord celebrated the Passover on the 13th of Nisan, a day earlier than the legal time (Bazhenov, p. 126). And in the Christian churches of the East in ancient times – until the end of the second century – the Passover was celebrated on the 14th of Nisan, dedicating it to the commemoration of the day of Christ’s death and, consequently, believed that Christ celebrated the Passover on the 13th of Nisan. Finally, Jewish tradition also reports that Jesus was crucified on the eve of the Passover festival (ibid., p. 135) 42. Thus we can with sufficient basis say that John determines the chronological relations more precisely here than the Synoptics, according to which the matter appears as if Christ ate the Passover on the day on which all Jews ate it.

John 18:29. Pilate went out to them and said: What accusation do you bring against this man? Yielding to the prejudice of the Jews, Pilate went out to them from the palace and stopped on the platform of the stairs that led to the palace. Although, of course, he had already been informed about Christ at the time when the members of the Sanhedrin asked him for military soldiers to seize Jesus in the garden (the account of the evangelist Matthew testifies that Pilate knew about Christ, in the story of the dream of Pilate’s wife, Matt 27:19), nevertheless, Pilate, according to the custom of Roman judicial procedure, turns to the Jews with the requirement to precisely formulate their accusation against Christ.

John 18:30. They answered him: If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you. The Jews, however, do not want Pilate to conduct a judicial investigation on his part in a matter that they have already decided. For him, in their opinion, it should be quite sufficient that they have condemned Christ as a criminal. What remains for Pilate is only to pronounce a sentence against Him, by virtue of which He should be executed.

John 18:31. Pilate said to them: Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law. The Jews said to him: It is not allowed for us to put anyone to death, – At first Pilate maintains his judicial dignity and refuses to do what the Jews are demanding of him, that is, to pass a sentence based on their mere condemnation. If the Jews – such is his thought – do not want to recognize his right to conduct a trial, then let them judge Christ themselves. The Jews then confess that they came to Pilate in order to obtain a death sentence for Christ, since they themselves had been deprived of the right to pass such sentences (If later they did nevertheless execute the deacon Stephen under Pontius Pilate, this was done illegally, at a time of popular disturbance, see Acts 7).

John 18:32. That the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke to indicate the kind of death he was going to die. The persistence which the Jews displayed in their demand that Pilate specifically pronounce sentence on Christ, and on the other hand, the weakness which Pilate later showed in his dealings with the Jews, were to serve in the fulfillment of Christ’s prediction about the manner of His death (John 7:32 and ff.). If Pilate had decisively refused to judge Christ, had insisted on his first decision (verse 31), then the angry Jews would have executed Christ themselves, but would simply have stoned Him to death as a blasphemer from their point of view, and through this Christ’s prophecy would not have been fulfilled that He would be lifted up from the earth – of course, on a cross (see the commentary on John 3:14). Only with the condemnation of Christ by a Roman court was crucifixion on the cross destined for Him.

John 18:33. Then Pilate entered the praetorium again and called Jesus and said to him: Are you the king of the Jews? It seems quite incomprehensible in the Gospel of John why Pilate, after calling Jesus into the praetorium, asks Him: “Are you the king of the Jews?” But from the Gospel of Luke we learn that this question was preceded by an accusation from the Jews that He was stirring up the people, calling Himself the king of the Jews (Luke 23:2). Pilate could not, of course, fail to remember in this that he himself had given soldiers to seize Jesus. Under the influence of Jewish slanders he might have come to the thought that in the form of a religious teacher in the person of Jesus there appeared an insurrectionist against Roman rule.

John 18:34. Jesus answered: Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about me? Christ does not answer directly to Pilate’s question, but asks him a question in return. Let Pilate say what prompted him to ask Christ whether He is the king of the Jews. Depending on the clarification of the motive by which Pilate was guided in this case, Christ’s answer to him will also depend. It would be different, of course, to answer if the question was asked from the point of view of a Roman, and different if Pilate in this case is repeating the opinion of the Jews.

John 18:35. Pilate answered: Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done? Pilate first of all denies any connection between his question and Jewish opinions about Christ as a king. For him personally there can be no question of whether the man before him is a king or not. This poor Jesus, a man having no signs of outward royal majesty, is certainly not a king! The thought of royal dignity in such a wretched man could come to mind only to a Jew infatuated with his own religious dreams. “Am I a Jew?” asks Pilate. This means that if he asked Christ the said question, then not on his own; he only repeated what he heard from the Jews. As procurator, he is obliged to examine the complaint against Christ which the Jews have brought to him. “What have you done?” That is, by what deeds have you given the Jews cause to accuse you of designs to attain royal power?

John 18:36. Jesus answered: My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting for me, so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here. Christ answers Pilate that he, as a representative of Roman power, need not fear the power to which Christ claims rights. Christ’s kingdom or power is not from this world or not from here. It is of heavenly origin (cf. John 3:5) and must be established on earth not by the means by which earthly kingdoms are usually founded and established: Christ has no strong supporters who could produce a political upheaval in His favor. The very handing over of Christ to the Jews could not take place without strong resistance from His adherents, if He had them in sufficient number (“now” – evidently).

John 18:37. Pilate said to him: So you are a king? Jesus answered: You say that I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth; everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice. Pilate understood that Christ has no intention of appearing as a claimant to the Jewish throne. But at the same time he heard that Christ still does not renounce the idea that He is a King. Therefore he asks Christ “so you are a king” (better translated: “are you still a king”). Perhaps by this question Pilate wanted to let Christ understand that it would be better for Him not to insist on His claim to some unknown kingdom which does not belong to this world… Christ answers affirmatively: “You say” (cf. Christ’s answer to Judas at the Last Supper: “You have said it” – Matt 26:25) 43. In this Christ bases His affirmative answer by expressing His self-awareness: “because (thus it should be more correctly translated the particle ὅτι, translated in the Russian text as the conjunction “that”) I am a king.” But in order to better explain to Pilate the character of His kingdom, Christ now gives a positive description of the kingdom (earlier, in verse 36, only a negative definition of Christ’s kingdom was given). Christ was born, that is, “proceeded from the Father” (John 16:28) and came into the world, that is, appeared in the world not in order by ordinary earthly means to gain power over people, but in order to testify to the truth and through this proclamation of truth gain subjects for it 44. Such subjects can be found not only among the Jews, but among all nations: everyone who has not lost the striving for truth, consequently even the pagan Pilate, can understand Christ – the proclaimer of truth. Christ in this way offered here to Pilate a hand to direct him to the true path, inviting him to become acquainted with His teaching.

John 18:38. Pilate said to him: What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and told them: I find no case against him. Pilate clearly belonged to those Romans who had already lost their faith in the existence of truth. He was a skeptically-minded, indifferent official who was accustomed to seeing everywhere only lies, insincerity, and a complete contempt for the demands of justice. In his time bribery and corruption reigned in Rome; everyone sought only to accumulate wealth for themselves, and gave no thought to the means employed. Philosophy justified this way of acting, asserting that there is nothing certain in the world: “only this is true,” Pliny said, “that nothing is true.” For this reason Pilate does not wish to hear anything about truth. “What is truth?” That is, truth is only a dream. Is it worth struggling for it, going to one’s death? And Pilate, not expecting an answer (for what could this, in his opinion, enthusiastic dreamer say to him?—Pilate reasoned), the procurator went out to the Jews and declared to them that he had found no grounds for subjecting Jesus to punishment.

John 18:39. Now you have a custom that I should release one person for you at Passover; do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews? What should Pilate have done now? Either demand from the Jews a more detailed report about Christ’s crimes, or take Jesus under his own protection. But both seemed to him inappropriate: the first because the Jews had clearly already said all they had to say against Jesus, and the second because of the danger of an uprising of the enraged Jews. Therefore Pilate chooses a middle course: let the Jews remain in their opinion about Jesus as a criminal, but let them also satisfy the procurator’s desire—let them forgive this criminal for the feast. For they have a custom to ask every year to release one of those condemned to death by the Roman authorities. Pilate now agrees to pardon Jesus, whom he here ironically calls the King of the Jews.

John 18:40. So they cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber. But the Jews did not agree to such a compromise: they demanded that Pilate release another criminal—the robber Barabbas for the feast. John here transmits the events very briefly. He says that the demand for the release of Barabbas was already a second occurrence (“again”), and he does not mention this demand earlier. Evidently he did not wish to recount in detail what had already been transmitted by the Synoptists (Mark 15:6-15; Matt 27:15-26), but he could not say nothing about the Jews’ demand regarding Barabbas: this was needed for clarifying Pilate’s further conduct. * * * Zahn points to the fact, first, that the expression ἄλλος (other) stands without an article and therefore cannot denote John himself, who uses this expression with an article when speaking of himself (John 20:2). But against this proof one can point to many ancient manuscripts in which this word is placed with an article. Second, Zahn points to the fact that in the first chapter James is not named (John 1:37). But to this one can say that John himself is not named by name there. John includes this statement of Christ because pagans, and also Jews, sometimes referring to the Synoptic Gospels, told Christians that their Teacher preached only in an obscure corner of Palestine and announced his Messiahship only before uneducated Galileans. In the Gospel of John, Christ indeed always appears with his teachings before the people’s crowd. The farewell discourse, however, does not contain any teaching. Thus the attempt of the newest critics of the sacred text (especially Spitta) to rearrange verses 12-28 of the chapter being considered appears completely unnecessary. Besides, how can the critics explain the circumstance that among the Greeks, Latins, and Copts, instead of what they consider to be the most ancient and intelligible text (and Spitta considers the text he proposes to be such, where verses 9-23, 24, 14-18, 25-28 follow after verse 13), there appeared a text which presents certain obscurities? As for Zahn’s opinion, it cannot be accepted because the expression “eat the Passover” cannot mean anything other than the eating of the Passover lamb (cf. Schürer. Üb. φαγεῖν τὸ πάσχα). One also cannot agree with the assumptions of Loisy, Jülicher, and others, because it presents the possibility that John consciously altered the chronology accepted by the Synoptists to achieve his own special purposes. Moreover, such an alteration of the accepted chronology to prove the idea that Christ is our Lamb, sacrificed for us, was completely pointless, since by the time the Gospel of John appeared this idea had already been established in the Christian Church (see 1 Cor 5:7). The expression “you said it” as an assertion is used besides the above-mentioned verse 26 of Matthew’s Gospel in verse 64 of the same chapter. The truth which Christ has in mind here is divine, spiritual, saving truth (cf. John 1:17)—true knowledge of God and the revelation given by God to humans in Christ himself (cf. John 14:6).

Chapter Nineteen

1-16. Christ before Pilate. - 17-29. The Crucifixion of Christ. - 30-42. The Death and Burial of Christ.

John 19:1. Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. John 19:2. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and dressed him in a purple robe, John 19:3. and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him on the face. (See Matt 27:26; and following; Mark 15:15 and following). Completing the accounts of the first evangelists about the flogging of Christ, John depicts this flogging not as a punishment that preceded, according to custom, the crucifixion, but as a means by which Pilate thought to satisfy the malice of the Jews, which they harbored against Christ.

John 19:4. Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.” John 19:5. So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” Pilate, having punished Christ and brought him out to the Jews with marks of blows on his face, in the crown of thorns and purple robe (cf. Matt 27:28-29), by this very act showed to the Jews the complete futility of their charges which they had made against Christ. “Is such a man to be regarded as a claimant to a royal crown?” - as it were, Pilate was saying. No, Pilate finds no serious grounds for accusing Christ of the designs attributed to him. The words “Here is the man!” can be understood in a double sense. On one hand, Pilate wished to say by this exclamation that before the Jews stood a man of complete worthlessness, to whom one could scarcely even in mockery attribute attempts to seize royal power; on the other hand, he wished to arouse compassion for Christ in those who were not completely hardened.

John 19:6. When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him.” John 19:7. The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God.” Nothing is said about how the common people gathered before the procurator’s palace reacted to this pitiful spectacle: the people remained silent. But the “chief priests” and their “servants” loudly began to cry out that Pilate should crucify Christ (cf. John 18:40, where it is depicted that “all” cried out). Irritated by their obstinacy, Pilate again mockingly offers the Jews themselves to carry out the execution of Christ, knowing that they would not dare to do this. Then the enemies of Christ point to Pilate a new basis on which they demand Christ’s condemnation to death: “He made,” that is, “claimed to be the Son of God.” By this the Jews meant to say that Christ in his conversations with them had attributed to himself equality with God, and this was a crime for which, according to Mosaic law, capital punishment was prescribed (this was blasphemy or contempt for God, Lev 24:16).

John 19:8. When Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. John 19:9. He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate, from the very beginning of the trial of Christ, felt a certain fear of the Jews, whose fanaticism was sufficiently known to him (Josephus. “The Jewish War,” XI, 9, 3). Now to this previous fear was added a new superstitious fear of the Man, about whom Pilate had certainly heard stories as a miracle-worker and who had become in the eyes of many Jews a subject of reverent veneration. Troubled, he takes Christ away again into his headquarters and asks him, no longer as a representative of justice, but simply as a man in whom pagan beliefs about gods, which once descended to earth and lived among people, had not entirely died out. But Christ does not wish to answer a man who was so indifferent to truth (John 18:38), does not wish to speak with him about his divine origin, since Pilate would not have understood him.

John 19:10. Pilate said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” John 19:11. Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” Pilate understood that Christ did not consider him worthy of conversation with himself, and with a feeling of wounded self-esteem pointed out to Christ that he is in his hands. But Christ says in reply to Pilate that he himself does not have power to dispose of Christ’s fate (to lay down his life and take it again—this depends only on Christ himself, John 10:17 and following; John 12:28 and following). If, however, Pilate now has the right to condemn Christ to death, it is because so was “given” (that is, appointed) to him “from above” or by God (ἄνωθεν, cf. John 3:27). Pilate vainly boasts of his right as a procurator in this case; he appears in the case of Christ as a pitiful, weak-willed, unscrupulous man, to whom precisely on account of such properties God allowed him to become the executioner of the Innocent Sufferer. Nevertheless, in Christ’s words about Pilate he is not given any justification. No, he too is guilty, though his guilt is less than that of the one who handed Christ over to Pilate. In that he condemned Christ, Pilate showed his low character, his corrupted nature, and though in performing his bloody deed he was unwittingly fulfilling the mysterious ordinances of God’s will, he personally as a judge—protector of justice—betrayed his vocation and is subject to condemnation for this. But as for the Jewish people who handed Christ over to Pilate, and especially the high priest and the priests (cf. John 18:35: “Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me”), Christ recognizes these people as guilty to a greater degree than Pilate, because they knew the Scriptures in which prophecies about Christ were contained (John 5:39), and on the other hand, knew sufficiently about Christ’s activity (John 15:24), which could not be said of the procurator, who stood far from those questions which had aroused hostile feelings toward Christ in the hearts of the Jews.

John 19:12. From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.” Pilate must have liked what Christ said about him. He saw that the accused understood his difficult position and was kindly disposed toward him. Therefore it is better understood here in this sense that the expression ἐκ τούτου. Pilate with special persistence began to strive for the release of the accused, although the evangelist does not report what his efforts consisted of. This intention of Pilate was noticed by the enemies of Christ, who for their part redoubled their efforts to achieve Christ’s condemnation. For this purpose they began to threaten Pilate with a denunciation of his actions to Caesar (Tiberius) himself, who certainly would not forgive Pilate’s careless treatment of a case which touched on the question of his imperial authority: for insulting the imperial dignity, he took vengeance in the most cruel way, without regard for the high position occupied by the person suspected of this crime (Suetonius. “The Life of the Twelve Caesars,” Tiberius, 58; Tacitus. “Annals,” III, 38).

John 19:13. When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat on the judge’s seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew, Gabbatha. The threat of the Jews had its effect on Pilate, and he, changing his intention, again brought Christ out from his headquarters and himself sat on the judge’s seat (βῆμα). He had sat on it before, of course, at the beginning of the trial of Christ, but now the evangelist emphasizes the ascension of Pilate to the judge’s seat as something especially important and indicates the day and hour of the event. By this the evangelist wishes to say that Pilate resolved to pronounce a guilty verdict against Christ. The place where Pilate’s judge’s seat was placed, says the evangelist, was called in Greek Lithostraton (literally, a mosaic floor)—so it was called by those inhabitants of Jerusalem who spoke Greek, and in Hebrew—Gabbatha (according to one interpretation—“an elevation,” according to another—“a dish”).

John 19:14. It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” John says that the condemnation of Christ to crucifixion, and consequently the crucifixion itself, took place on Friday before Passover (more precisely, “on Friday of Passover,” thereby replacing the indication of the evangelist Mark—“Friday, which is before the Sabbath” Mark 15:42). By this he wished to mark the special importance of the day on which Christ was crucified. Christ, so to speak, was being prepared for slaughter (the very word “Friday” in Greek means “preparation,” and readers of the Gospel well understood the meaning of this), as a lamb was prepared the evening before Passover for the nighttime feast. “The sixth hour,” that is, the twelfth. More precisely, it would be translated “about noon” (ὡς ἕκτη). Some commentators (especially among our people, Gladkov in the 3rd edition of his commentary on the Gospel, p. 718-722) try to prove that the evangelist here counts according to Roman, not Jewish-Babylonian reckoning, that is, means the sixth hour of the morning, in accordance with the indication of the evangelist Mark, according to which Christ was crucified at the “third,” that is, according to Roman reckoning, the ninth hour of the morning (Mark 15:25). But against this assumption speaks the circumstance that none of the ancient church commentators used such a method to reconcile the accounts of the evangelists Mark and John. Moreover, it is known that at the time when the Apostle John wrote his Gospel, throughout the Greco-Roman world the hours of the day were counted in the same way as among the Hebrews, from sunrise to sunset (Pliny, “Natural History,” II, 188). It is very probable that John in this case wished to determine the time of Christ’s crucifixion more precisely than it is indicated by Mark. In conclusion, Pilate makes a final attempt to save Christ, again pointing out to the Jews that they are handing over their king to execution. “Other peoples will hear,” Pilate wants to say, “that in Judea they crucified a king, and this will serve as shame for you.”

John 19:15. They cried out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but the emperor.” The chief priests did not wish to listen to Pilate’s exhortations; they completely renounced all national aspirations for their own Jewish king; they became, or at least show themselves to be, loyal subjects of Caesar.

John 19:16. Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus; John 19:17. and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. John 19:18. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. (See comments to Matt 27:24-38 and parallel passages). Why does John not mention Simon of Cyrene? It is very probable that he wished by this to deprive of support the opinion existing among the ancient Gnostics, the Basilideans, that instead of Christ a cross was borne and was crucified by mistake Simon (Irenaeus of Lyons. “Against Heresies,” I, 24, 4).

John 19:19. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” John 19:20. Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. John 19:21. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” John 19:22. Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” Regarding the inscription on Christ’s cross, the evangelist John says that the Jews were extremely displeased with it, because it did not precisely express Jesus’s crime, and yet it could be read by all those passing by Golgotha, many of whom did not even know how their “king” came to be on the cross. Pilate did not agree to the demand of the Jewish chief priests to correct the inscription, wishing, it seems, to put them in an awkward position before those who had not participated in handing Christ over to Pilate. It is very possible that John, by depicting this detail, wished to point out to his readers that God’s Providence was at work in this case through a stubborn pagan, proclaiming to the whole world the royal dignity of the Crucified Christ and his victory (Saint John Chrysostom).

John 19:23. When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. John 19:24. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill what the scripture says, “They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.” And that is what the soldiers did. Regarding Christ’s time on the cross, John does not recount in detail, but portrays before the reader’s eyes four remarkable pictures. Here is the first picture—the division of Christ’s garments by the soldiers, about which only the Synoptists briefly mention. John alone reports that, first, the tunic was not divided into pieces; second, the garments were divided among four soldiers; and third, in the division of Christ’s garments was fulfilled the prophecy about the Messiah found in Psalm 21 (Ps 21:19). There were four soldiers to whom the task of crucifying Christ was entrusted, and therefore Christ’s outer garments were divided into four parts, but precisely how—is unknown. The lower garment, the tunic, as a woven piece, could not be cut into pieces, because then the entire weave would come apart. Therefore the soldiers decided to cast lots for the tunic. Possibly John, by reporting this preservation of Christ’s tunic in its entirety, wished to point thereby to the necessity of the unity of Christ’s Church (Cyprian of Carthage. “On the Unity of the Catholic Church,” 7).

John 19:25. Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. John 19:26. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” John 19:27. Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. Here the evangelist portrays another picture which presents a sharp contrast to the first: Christ entrusts his Mother to the care of his beloved disciple. How many women stood at the cross? Some commentators say three, others—four. The latter opinion seems more probable, because it would be unnatural to suppose that the evangelist began to name precisely by name the sister of the Holy Mother of God, while he did not name the Mother of Christ herself by name. Meanwhile, it is very natural to suppose that the evangelist mentions four women standing in pairs, of whom the first two he does not name by name (and this explains the double use of the particle “and”). Regarding Mary Magdalene and Mary the wife of Clopas, see comments to Matt 20:20; Luke 8:2. But who was the sister of the Holy Mother of God? There is nothing improbable in the assumption (which Zahn makes) that John here has in mind his own mother, whom, like himself, he does not name by name out of modesty. With such an assumption, it becomes very natural why John and James had aspirations to a special role in Christ’s Kingdom (Matt 20:20 and following) and why the Holy Mother of God was entrusted specifically to John, who was thus a close relative of Christ. Although the Holy Virgin could have found shelter with the sons of Joseph, but they were not close to her in spirit with her Son (John 7:5) and consequently also with her. Why does Christ call his Mother simply a woman? On one hand, by this he shows that henceforth he belongs to all people, that the natural bonds which had thus far bound him to the Holy Mother, are now dissolved (cf. John 20:17), and on the other hand, he expresses to her his compassion precisely as to a bereaved woman. John then took the Holy Virgin with him so as to take her to the house of his father in Capernaum—such, of course, was his intention at that time. But this intention was not fulfilled, and John with the Holy Virgin remained in Jerusalem until her death, after spending about three weeks in Galilee following Christ’s resurrection, where he went by Christ’s own command (cf. Matt 26:32).

John 19:28. After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty.” John 19:29. A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. John 19:30. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. Here the evangelist portrays before us the third picture—a picture of the death of the Crucified Christ. “After this,” that is, after Christ had fulfilled his filial duty toward his Mother. “Knowing that all was now finished,” that is, knowing that all that was fitting for him to accomplish in his earthly life had been brought to completion. “So that the scripture would be fulfilled, he says: I am thirsty.” Some commentators (for example, among our people, Bishop Michael) interpret the expression “so that the scripture would be fulfilled” as referring to the verb “he says” and conclude that the evangelist sees in Christ’s exclamation “I am thirsty” a precise fulfillment of the prophecy contained in the Psalm: “In my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” (Ps 68:22). But such a conclusion is difficult to accept, first, because in the quoted passage from the Psalm there is no expression “I am thirsty,” and second, because the Greek expression, translated into Russian as “so that the scripture would be fulfilled,” could more rightly be replaced by the expression “in order that it would be brought to completion” (the verb τελειοῦν is used, not πληροῦν); therefore the plausible opinion of Zahn is that here the evangelist wishes to say that although “it was finished,” yet one final thing was still lacking in which all the writings of the Old Testament should find their completion (“so that the scripture would be fulfilled”)—namely, the death of Christ. But the death of Christ appeared to his own consciousness and to the consciousness of the apostles as a free and conscious surrender into the hands of God the Father of Christ’s life, as a voluntary deed of Christ’s love for humanity (John 10:11). Therefore, tormented by an awful thirst which in those who were hanging on the cross clouded consciousness, Christ asks to drink so as to obtain relief even for a few moments and with full consciousness to breathe his final breath. And only John reports that Christ, having refreshed himself with vinegar, said: “It is finished,” that is, for him there is no longer any debt which would tie him to life (Exod 12:22).

John 19:31. Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. John 19:32. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. John 19:33. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. John 19:34. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. Here the evangelist portrays the fourth and final picture. The representatives of the Sanhedrin asked the procurator to have the bodies of the crucified removed before the approaching Sabbath, since the law of Moses required that the body of a criminal who had been hung on a tree should not remain there overnight, but should be buried on the very day of execution (Deut 21:22-23). The Jews were all the more anxious to fulfill this law because the Sabbath coincided with the Passover feast. For this purpose it was necessary to kill the condemned men who were hanging on the cross (their legs were broken). Pilate agreed to this, and the soldiers who came to the place of execution soon finished the two condemned men who were hanging on either side of Christ. Jesus, however, they noticed was already dead and left him untouched. Only one of the soldiers, probably wishing to preclude any possibility of the burial of a half-dead man, struck Christ in the side with a spear. This blow, which pierced Christ’s heart, was to extinguish the last spark of life, if any still flickered in Christ’s heart. The evangelist, in mentioning this event, wished to prove the reality of Christ’s death in opposition to those heretics who (chiefly Cerinthus) said that Christ did not die on the cross because his body was only a phantom. In this connection, the evangelist points to a remarkable circumstance that took place when Christ’s side was pierced. From the wound caused by the spear blow “came out” (more correctly—“came forth”) “blood and water.” The evangelist mentions this, first, as an extraordinary phenomenon, since blood and water do not flow from a dead body when it is pierced, and second, he wishes to show here that through Christ’s death believers received blood, which cleanses from inherited sin, and water, which in the Old Testament Scripture appears as a symbol of the grace of the Holy Spirit (see Isa 44:3). The latter thought John repeats also in his first Epistle, saying that Christ, as the true Messiah-Redeemer, came or appeared “by water and blood” (1 John 5:6).

John 19:35. (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.) “And he who saw it has borne witness…” According to the explanation of the Church Fathers (Saints John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria), the evangelist here speaks of himself, and out of humility, as in other places, does not call his name directly. He insists that his testimony is entirely true in view of the fact that in his time there was sometimes great distrust of the accounts of miraculous events from the life of Christ (see Luke 24:11; 2 Pet 1:16). Finally, on account of his reports of the miracles that took place at the time of Christ’s death, of which he alone speaks, he could have been suspected of wishing to enhance his authority before the other writers of the Gospels, and therefore he declares in advance that his only purpose in this was to establish faith in Christ in his readers.

John 19:36. For these things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, “None of his bones shall be broken.” John 19:37. And again another passage of scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.” The evangelist has just said that his desire to witness to the remarkable outflow of blood and water from Christ’s side is to establish faith in readers in Jesus Christ. Now, for the greater strengthening of their faith, he points to the fact that in the said event, as well as in the non-breaking of Christ’s legs (in the Greek text it says: ἐγένετο ταῦτα—these events occurred, not “this occurred”), were fulfilled two prophecies of the Old Testament: the typical ordinance regarding the Passover lamb (Exod 12:46) and 2) the prophetic word of Zechariah (Zech 12:10). Just as in the case of the Passover lamb, it was forbidden to break the bones, so also in the case of Christ the bones remained completely whole, although one could have expected that they would certainly be broken, as they were with the robbers crucified with Christ. In this—the evangelist wishes to say—it turned out that Christ was the true Passover Lamb, through whom people are saved from eternal death, as once the Hebrew firstborn were saved from temporal death by the blood of a simple Passover lamb. As for the prophecy of Zechariah, who spoke of how the chosen people of God would in time look with repentance upon Jehovah, whom they themselves had pierced, the evangelist, without entering into detailed explanations, only notes that this prophecy, incomprehensible to the reader of the book of Zechariah, became comprehensible to one who looked upon the pierced by the spear Christ: henceforth they will look with faith upon the One who was pierced, that is, (the Jews, and in part the pagans, represented by the Roman soldiers) will reverently acknowledge in Christ their Redeemer, who pours forth upon people the regenerating grace.

John 19:38. After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission. So he came and removed his body. John 19:39. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. John 19:40. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. John 19:41. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. John 19:42. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. In reporting here of the removal from the cross and the burial of Christ, John adds to the accounts of the Synoptists (Matt 27:57-60; Mark 15:42-46; Luke 23:50-53) certain additions. Thus, he alone mentions the participation of Nicodemus in Christ’s burial (regarding Nicodemus see John 3). This secret follower of Christ brought a huge amount of aromatic substances, namely, a mixture of myrrh and aloe wood (cf. Mark 16:1), in order to anoint abundantly both the body and the funeral wrappings of Christ; by this, evidently, Nicodemus wished to express his great reverence for Christ. There is, however, also probability to the opinion (expressed by Loisy) that John wished by this mention of two prominent representatives of Jewry to show that in their persons all Jewry paid the final honors to its King. Also, only John observes that Christ’s tomb was located in a garden. Is he not hinting that this garden should become a new Eden, where the risen new Adam—Christ—should appear in his glorified human nature, just as the ancient Adam once entered life in the garden? Finally, only John observes that Christ was buried in a garden near the place of crucifixion because it was the Jewish day of Preparation. By this he wishes to say that Joseph and Nicodemus hastened with the burial of Christ so as to complete it before the approach of the Sabbath. If they had carried Christ’s body somewhere farther from Golgotha, they would have had to encroach upon part of the Sabbath and violate the rest of the Sabbath day. * * * Notes It is hardly possible to see here an indication of the time from which Pilate became concerned with releasing Christ, because Pilate had been trying to achieve this even before (John 18:31). A stone pavement. Some commentators (for example, Loisy) translate the verb ἐκάθισεν standing here with the expression “he seated,” that is, Jesus, in order to present him as an actual king, seated before his subjects. Although such a translation is grammatically permissible, accepting it is hindered by the consideration that Pilate hardly would have dared such a rash act: he had just been accused of insufficient concern for the honor of Caesar’s name, and if he now seated a criminal against the exclusive power of Caesar on the judge’s seat, he would thereby give the Jews cause for greater accusations. In the Syrian translation of Matthew’s Gospel the word Gabbatha is precisely translated by the Greek expression τρύβλιον—dish (Matt 26:23). To explain the discrepancy between the evangelists Mark and John, one should take into account that the ancients reckoned time only approximately. And it is hardly possible to suppose that John would have noted the hours of Christ’s sufferings with precision, at which he was present. Even less could this be expected of the Apostle Peter, on whose account, according to tradition, Mark wrote his Gospel. In view of this, approximately the order of events of Christ’s last day of life can be determined as follows: a) at midnight Christ was brought to the court of the high priest and underwent a preliminary interrogation first by Annas, then by Caiaphas, and some members of the Sanhedrin were present at the latter; b) for some time afterwards—about two hours—Christ spent in prison in the house of the high priest; c) early in the morning—about the fifth hour—Christ was brought before the Sanhedrin, from where he was sent to Pilate; d) after the end of the trial before Pilate and Herod and after a second trial before Pilate, Christ was handed over to be crucified; according to Mark, this was at the third hour by Hebrew reckoning and in our terms—at the ninth. But taking into account the later account of John, according to which Christ was crucified approximately at the sixth hour, it should be said that the third hour or, more precisely, the first quarter of the day had already ended, and the sixth hour had begun, and the second part of the day had started, in which (closer to its end, as it is seen from John’s words) Christ’s crucifixion was accomplished (John 19:14). Then e) from the sixth (or, in our terms, from the twelfth) hour until the ninth (until the third hour in the afternoon in our reckoning) there was darkness, and about three o’clock in the afternoon Christ gave up his spirit. The removal from the cross and burial were completed, of course, by sunset, since the night that began with sunset belonged to the approaching Sabbath, when nothing could be done.

Chapter Twenty

1-10. Mary Magdalene and two disciples, Peter and John, at the tomb. - 11-18. The appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene. - 19-23. The appearance of Christ to the disciples in the evening of the day of resurrection. - 24-29. The appearance of Christ to the apostle Thomas in the presence of the other disciples. - 30-31. The conclusion to the Gospel.

John 20:1. Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. The evangelist John, like the Synoptists, does not depict the event of the resurrection itself, but speaks only of how the disciples of Christ learned of this event: he needed to show his readers that the resurrection of Christ is a fact sufficiently attested. But, as in his other accounts, John does not repeat what has already been said by the Synoptists, but supplements their accounts with new details. “On the first day of the week” – see comments to Matt 28:1 and parallel passages. “Mary Magdalene,” one of the most devoted disciples of Christ (John 19:25), comes to the tomb (of course, in order to anoint the body of Jesus with aromatics, Mark 16:1) while it was still dark. She did not come alone, but with other women, as is seen from her words (“we do not know”, – verse 2), but according to John’s account, she overtook the other women and came alone to the tomb, where she saw that the stone which had covered the tomb had been rolled away.

John 20:2. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Mary, thinking that the stone was rolled away by people who had moved the body of Christ somewhere, hastens to inform about this the disciples of Christ who were most esteemed by her—Peter and John (who, here also, as in other places, does not name himself by name). “We do not know.” She is apparently saying this because she did not know that the other women who came to the tomb after her saw Angels here who announced to them that Christ had risen (see Matt 28:5-8 and parallel passages).

John 20:3. Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. John 20:4. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. John 20:5. Bending down to look in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Peter and John quickly went to the tomb, and even “ran”—John adds. Whether because John was younger than Peter, or because he hurried to find out what was the matter, he first overtook the second. But he did not enter the tomb itself out of a natural feeling of fear before the mystery of death. Bending down to the grave, he noticed only the wrappings—that is, the linen cloths or bandages that ordinarily tightly encased the limbs of the dead body (cf. John 11:44).

John 20:6. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, John 20:7. and the cloth that had been on his head, not lying with the other wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. John only cast a fleeting glance at the wrappings (as shown by the verb used of him, βλέπει, verse 5), but Peter, as a more decisive person, entered the tomb itself and here found nothing but wrappings and a head cloth, which lay folded separately from the wrappings. Peter examined this carefully (θεωρεῖ), but did not arrive at any definite conclusion about what had happened to Christ’s body.

John 20:8. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in; and he saw and believed. John 20:9. For as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. John 20:10. Then the disciples went home again. Then John also dared to go inside the tomb and, seeing what Peter had seen, believed that Christ had risen. He understood that no theft of the body could have taken place here, because those who would have stolen it would not have had time to remove from Christ the wrappings that clung tightly to the body, nor moreover to roll them up. About whether Peter believed in Christ’s resurrection, John says nothing, and therefore some commentators (for example, Bishop Michael), taking into account Luke’s account that Peter left the tomb, “amazed in himself at what had come to pass” (Luke 24:12), believe that Peter at that moment had not yet believed, but believed afterwards (Luke 24:34), while others (for example, Zahn) think that both with John Peter believed, since John speaks of both himself and Peter that they could thus far not find in the Scripture indications that Christ was to rise from the dead. The fact that after this visit to the tomb Peter did not go to search for Christ’s body, but went home with John, leads us to recognize the second opinion as more probable. Indeed, with his fiery and impetuous character, Peter would certainly have set out to search for Christ’s body if he had the slightest suspicion that it had been taken away somewhere (cf. the action of the prophet Elijah’s disciples, 2 Sam 2:16). “They did not yet understand…” Just as other Jews, the disciples of Christ before his resurrection did not imagine that the Messiah was to die and consequently did not think at all about any resurrection of his (cf. Mark 9:10). Christ, according to John, spoke of his resurrection only in figures (John 2:19).

John 20:11. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; John 20:12. and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and one at the feet. John 20:13. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Passing over in silence the secondary question of how Mary Magdalene again found herself at the tomb, the evangelist reports that she “stood by the tomb and wept.” Just like John, she bent down to the tomb and at this time saw two Angels sitting there (cf. Luke 24:4; Matt 28:3). The heavenly messengers ask her the reason for her tears, and Mary answers them as if to simple people, not suspecting that before her were Angels, because hardly would she have thought it necessary to inform about the loss of Christ’s body those who, certainly, knew themselves what had really happened. If John mentions here the appearance of Angels, he probably thereby wishes to show how Christ was glorified from the very moment of resurrection: this glorification was best attested by the appearance of Angels. Why did Peter and John not see the Angels? To this question one can only answer conjecturally. Probably they, as apostles, were required to have faith that did not need those extraordinary angelic appearances which were granted to Mary and other women (cf. Luke 24:4-11).

John 20:14. When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. John 20:15. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” John 20:16. Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Having answered the Angels, Mary turned away from the tomb, because she had become convinced that Christ’s body was not in the tomb. At this time she saw Jesus standing near her. She did not recognize him, probably because her eyes were kept from recognizing him, as were the eyes of the two disciples walking to Emmaus (Luke 24:16). To Christ’s question of whom she was seeking, Mary, thinking Christ to be a gardener, asks him to tell her where he had placed him (she does not say whom, assuming that the gardener was occupied with moving Christ’s body and knows what Mary is asking about). Probably Mary did not receive an immediate answer to her question: she was again looking at the tomb when Christ called her by name. The tone in which Christ addressed Mary at once gave her the opportunity to recognize him, and she joyfully exclaimed: “Rabbouni!” Although John translates this word the same as the word “Rabbi,” there is no doubt that on Mary’s lips this designation had a special meaning. The thing is that in ancient Hebrew literature the word “Rabban” meant not a teacher-scribe, but was equivalent to the expression “Adon-master” (Zahn, p. 664). Mary, calling the risen Christ thus, clearly recognizes in him the Master of life.

John 20:17. Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Probably Mary in unexpected joy rushed to Christ to grasp his feet. Only in this way can one explain the words Christ addressed to her: “Do not hold on to me” (more precisely, do not seize me, do not hold; cf. the meaning of the verb used here, ἅπτεσθαι, with Matt 8:15; Luke 22:51). The reason why Christ forbids Mary to embrace him lies in the fact that he “has not yet ascended to the Father.” By this he gives Mary to understand that the time for the renewal of personal communion with him among believers has not yet come, this communion will become possible only when he returns to the state in which he was before he came into the world (cf. John 6:62). And this was necessary in order that God’s will for the salvation of all humanity could be fulfilled. Mary, as if holding Christ in the circle of his former disciples, prevented the boundaries of Christ’s communion with humanity from expanding to those limits which he had in mind when he said that he would draw all to himself (John 12:32). Only after Christ’s ascension can every believer in him enjoy communion with him unhindered (John 3:15). “Go to my brothers…” Mary should not hold Christ here on earth, but go to his brothers—thus Christ calls his disciples in order to show his special closeness to them (cf. the expression “friends” in John 15:13-15) and to tell them that he is now ascending (ἀναβαίνω—present tense) to his Father and God, who is at the same time their Father and God. Christ, evidently, is not here speaking of the ascension that was to take place after forty days. According to John’s understanding, Christ appeared to Mary Magdalene at the moment when he had just left the tomb. He rose, but was not yet glorified—glorification would follow immediately, and, apparently, he appeared to Mary in order to send her to the disciples with the announcement that at this very moment the glorification of Christ, which he had repeatedly told them about before as the most important event which would lead to their own glorification as well, was about to be accomplished (cf. John 16:7). As if wishing to show that he had not yet entered a state of divine glorification, Christ here calls the Father his God: he does not use such an expression anywhere else in his other discourses preserved in John. However, Christ speaks separately about his relation to God and separately about the disciples’ relation to God. By this he shows that he is the Son of God the Only-Begotten, who hid his eternal glory in the state of incarnation and is now going to take it again as something belonging to him from eternity—to take it precisely as God-man, so that the weak human nature might be glorified with him. From this the designation of the apostles as “brothers” of Christ takes on a special meaning: Christ as it were wishes to say that the apostles too, thanks to Christ’s glorification, are destined sometime to come to the Father and to enter into Christ’s glory (cf. John 3:2; Heb 6:20).

John 20:18. Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her. Mary goes and proclaims that Christ appeared to her and passes on to him his words addressed to her. Some commentators on the basis of the testimony of the evangelist Mark believe that the disciples did not believe Mary (Mark 16:11). This opinion should be recognized as correct, although John himself does not say how the disciples received the message about the resurrection. If Loisy asserts that according to John the apostles are presented as having believed Mary (Peter and John himself already, says Loisy, believed, and the other disciples without fear and with joy received Christ who appeared to them), then this assertion is refuted by the direct testimony of the evangelist Mark. Of course, however, from among those disciples who did not believe Mary, one should exclude Peter and John.

John 20:19. When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” John 20:20. After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Here is described (up to verse 24) the appearance of the risen Christ to the disciples in the evening of the same first day of the week. The evangelist Luke gives more detail about this appearance (Luke 24:36 and following). John adds to what Luke said only certain details. Thus, he says that at this time the doors of the house where the disciples were gathered were locked for fear, lest the Jews suddenly break in to seize Christ’s disciples. By mentioning this circumstance, John obviously wishes to note that if Christ nevertheless appeared to the disciples, it means that his glorification in body, in his humanity, had already been accomplished: he was no longer held back by locked doors, and his body freely passed through the walls. Then John alone speaks of Christ showing the disciples his side (in Luke instead of this the “feet” are mentioned). If John does not mention the bewilderment and fright of the disciples at the sight of Christ who appeared so unexpectedly (cf. Luke 24:37) and speaks only of the joy which they felt at this moment, this is explained, of course, by John’s usual method—to omit details of events known from the Synoptic Gospels. The joy of the apostles, mentioned also by Luke (Luke 24:41), he repeats in order to show here the fulfillment of the promise given by Christ to the disciples in the farewell discourse (John 16:20-22). It should be noted that Christ undoubtedly was pointing to his wounds caused by nails and spear, and showed them with the purpose of assuring the disciples that before them stood their crucified Teacher. Of course, John and the women standing at the cross had already told the apostles how the soldier pierced Christ’s side with a spear, which the apostles themselves had not seen.

John 20:21. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Since the disciples, abandoning their Teacher and Lord during his hours of suffering, had thereby as it were renounced the work entrusted to them of spreading Christ’s teachings in the world (John 17:18), Christ now restores them to their dignity and removes all doubts that had arisen in them regarding their right to be apostles, saying that he sends them just as the Father himself sent him. By this he already gives them to understand that he sends them fully equipped to accomplish the mission entrusted to them, as his Father sent him with all the power of the Spirit (John 3:34).

John 20:22. When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:23. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. To strengthen the disciples, Christ gives them the gift of the Holy Spirit, and in doing so uses an external sign (symbol)—breathing. Some ancient commentators saw only a symbol here. Thus, Theodore of Mopsuestia was condemned at the Fifth Ecumenical Council for asserting that Christ in his first appearance to the disciples did not give them the Holy Spirit, but only made a sign of breathing the Spirit into them (canon 22). In our time Zahn has revived this heresy, asserting that in the passage we are considering Christ only speaks of the future sending of the Spirit. The breathing which Christ uses here is, according to Zahn, only a symbol. It gave the apostles no special powers or hierarchical advantages. If they are granted here the right to forgive and not to forgive sins, it is not in the Sacrament of Confession, about which there is no mention here, but only through the proclamation to all people of the great truth that henceforth in Christ anyone can obtain forgiveness of sins under the condition of repentance and faith, which are required of those entering Christ’s Church… But one cannot agree with such an interpretation. One would need far too much imagination to see in the granting to the apostles the right to bind and loose an instruction to proclaim the Gospel. Such an instruction Christ expressed directly (Matt 28:19-20). Moreover, there is not a single instance in the Gospels where Christ used a symbol that did not contain actual content. The view of B. Weiss seems more plausible, according to which Christ here gave not the Spirit which he promised to all believers (John 7:39), but a special gift intended only for the apostles and, of course, their successors. As for the right to bind and loose, in giving now to his disciples this right, Christ fulfilled the promise he had once made in the person of Peter to all apostles (Matt 16:19). But in that case one cannot but agree with those theologians (for example, with Loisy) who say that by this giving of the Spirit and the power to bind and loose Christ opens the beginning of the existence of the Church.

John 20:24. But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. John 20:25. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” After this appearance of the risen Christ, the apostles themselves become heralds of the resurrection. They joyfully tell the apostle Thomas, who was probably away from Jerusalem on the day of resurrection, about the resurrection of Christ. Thomas does not believe their account that they saw Christ and the wounds on his hands and side. He himself wants to see and even touch these wounds—the stubbornness of his character (cf. John 11:16) manifested itself in this case with special force!

John 20:26. A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” John 20:27. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Eight days Thomas remained in that state. The next Sunday after the first, he was already with the disciples (the entire setting here is almost the same as in the first appearance of Christ, and therefore one can assume that the second appearance also took place in Jerusalem, and not in Galilee, as Zahn thinks). After greeting Christ addresses Thomas with a demand to touch (such is the meaning here of the expression “see”) with his own fingers the marks on his hands where the nails had pierced, and then to verify with his hand the wound from the spear blow found in Christ’s side. By repeating precisely the demand that Thomas himself had made in the presence of the disciples, but which Christ had not heard, the Lord already by this very expression of clairvoyance exerted a beneficial effect on Thomas’s soul (cf. the words said to Nathanael at his calling, John 1:48). “Do not be faithless.” Some commentators for some reason interpret these words in the sense of an invitation to Thomas: from the two paths which lay before him, faith and unbelief, choose the first path (the Bishop Michael, for instance, somewhat holds such a view). But from John’s account it is clear that Thomas had already taken the path of unbelief: he did not believe even the unanimous testimony of his companions who asserted that they had seen the Lord (verse 25).

John 20:28. Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:29. Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” The words of the risen Christ gained victory over Thomas’s stubborn heart. He forgot about his former demand and no longer wished to touch the wounds on Christ’s body. And the fact that Thomas indeed did not use Christ’s permission is evident not only from the fact that John does not speak of his verification of these wounds, but also from the fact that he calls Thomas’s confession a direct, immediate answer which Thomas gave in response to the Lord’s proposal (“answered”). “My Lord and my God!” Thomas, recalling to himself all that Christ had formerly said about his relation to the Father (John 8:58 and others), as well as various manifestations of the miraculous power of Christ, now expresses an open confession of his faith in Christ not only as his Lord—thus the disciples called Christ even before (Matt 21:3)—but also as God. He does not even confine himself to the designation “Son of God,” because such a designation could be understood in a figurative sense, but directly calls Christ God, of course, God who assumed human flesh. “You have believed…” Christ confirms Thomas’s confession, as if saying that Thomas, having believed in the Divinity of Christ, acted quite rightly. The Lord, by pointing to the way in which Thomas came to faith in him—the path of personal verification—does not by any means seek to belittle Thomas before the other disciples: after all, they too at first did not believe the testimony of the women (Mark 16:13) and were convinced only when the Lord appeared to Peter (Luke 24:34). However, in the blessing of the Lord for those who believe in him without seeing him (Jesus Christ, of course, had in mind the Christians of future times), there lies a gentle rebuke to Thomas for desiring to have more tangible proofs of Christ’s resurrection than those which God was pleased to give to people.

John 20:30. Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. John 20:31. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. Here John gives the first conclusion to his Gospel. He notes, with the incompleteness of his narrative about Christ’s life in mind, that Christ performed many “other signs” or, more correctly, “signs” (σημεῖα), which, however, are not mentioned “in this book,” that is, in his Gospel. Christ performed the signs “before his disciples.” This does not mean that the entire people were not witnesses to them, but is said by John so as to inspire in his Christian readers confidence in the apostles, who were the leaders of Christians, in order to make clear that the preaching of the apostles about Christ as God incarnate was based on many testimonies which Christ gave to them concerning his divine dignity. “But these,” that is, the accounts in John of the signs performed by Christ. “So that you may believe.” Since John wrote the Gospel already for those who believed in Christ, it is correct to recognize here another reading: “so that you may continue to believe” (ἵνα πιστεύητε, and not πιστεύσητε). Such a reading is confirmed also by other manuscripts (see in Tischendorf). One must believe that “Jesus is the Messiah,” the Messiah whom the Jews expected, and at the same time “the Son of God,” as the Jews did not want to recognize him and as many later Christian heretics also did not see in Christ. Only such a faith in Christ as the Son of God can give man eternal life. This life is obtained “in his name”; more correctly—life is found, contained in his name. Once we have found in Christ the true Son of God, we thereby already have true, eternal life (cf. John 1:12). * * * Notes Among the Church Fathers and our Orthodox exegetes there is no unity in explaining the words of Christ spoken to Mary Magdalene (verse 17). According to the interpretation of Saint John Chrysostom, Christ was impressing upon Mary that she should now approach Him with greater reverence, “since He had become through the flesh far more perfect.” Thus, according to Chrysostom, the glorification of Christ’s body was already completed. Saint Cyril of Alexandria explains Christ’s prohibition from touching Him by the fact that Mary, not having yet received the purifying grace of the Holy Spirit, was not to touch the holiest body of the Lord. Consequently, in the mind of Saint Cyril as well, Christ’s body became holiest or glorified already from the very moment of resurrection. Bishop Michael finds here an indication that Christ was in “that same body.” Archbishop Innocent expresses himself even more definitively in the same spirit: “Mary’s taking the Lord for a gardener shows that the glory of resurrection was already hidden beneath the veil of flesh, though passed triumphantly through the gates of death, but not yet raised to the full height of heavenly majesty.” By “ascension” Archbishop Innocent understands “a temporal ascension into the higher world,” where Christ was to appear with His resurrected body as the victor over hell and death. In general agreement with Archbishop Innocent is G. K. Vlastov, who says that the process of glorifying Christ’s body was still only being accomplished at that very hour when He was speaking with Mary. When the Lord appeared to His disciples and allowed them to touch Him, the glorification was already complete. Among defenders of the opposite opinion should be mentioned Roman Levitsky, who says that to allow that Christ’s body immediately after resurrection had not yet fully freed itself from the conditions of earthly material existence means to allow that Christ’s death was not a complete, actual death, but His resurrection was not an abolishing of the very sting of death, a decisive victory over it, the destruction of all its power. But all the difficulties he raises about such an interpretation fall away if we hold to the view of G. K. Vlastov that the Lord’s glorification continued only a few hours after the resurrection. In John, according to the best manuscripts, “hands and side” is read, and the word “feet” is omitted (Tischendorf).

Chapter Twenty-One

1–14. The appearance of the risen Christ at the Sea of Tiberias. – 15–23. The miraculous catch of fish and a meal by the sea. The prediction of the fate of Peter and John. – 24–25. A second conclusion to the Gospel.

John 21:1. After this Jesus appeared again to His disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. And He appeared in this way: “After this,” that is, after the events described in chapter 20. “Jesus appeared again.” As is evident from verse 14, this appearance was the third in the sequence of appearances to the disciples. The first took place on the first day after the resurrection, the second on the eighth (John 20:19). “At the Sea of Tiberias” – see the commentary on John 6:1.

John 21:2. there were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called the Twin, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples. Seven disciples of Christ were by the sea at this time in total: five apostles, who are named individually (though John, by his custom, refers to himself and his brother James only by their patronymic), and two others, perhaps not even from among the apostles.

John 21:3. Simon Peter says to them: I am going to fish. They say to him: We will go with you. They went out and immediately got into the boat, and caught nothing that night. The apostles, evidently, took up their former occupations, since they had not yet received the final commission to preach the Gospel. Peter – apparently in the evening – sets out to sea to fish, and six other disciples join him. As is evident from the subsequent account, all of them fit in one boat, having one net.

John 21:4. But when it was already morning, Jesus stood on the shore; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. After spending the whole night on the sea and catching nothing, the disciples saw early in the morning that someone was standing on the shore. It was Jesus, whom the disciples did not recognize because of the distance.

John 21:5. Jesus says to them: Children! Do you have any food? They answered Him: No. The Lord addressed the disciples when they began to row toward the shore, asking if they had anything to eat, of course, with the idea that they had caught some fish. The disciples, busy, probably, gathering the net, were not looking at the one questioning them and briefly answered negatively to his question.

John 21:6. But He said to them: Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find. They cast it, and now they were not able to pull it in because of the multitude of fish. The Lord then gave them the advice to cast the net once more and specifically on the right side of the boat – then they would catch. Thinking that before them stood a man experienced in fishing, the disciples followed his advice and captured an enormous quantity of fish.

John 21:7. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved says to Peter: It is the Lord. Simon Peter then, hearing that it was the Lord, girded his outer garment about him (for he was naked) and threw himself into the sea. John 21:8. But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from the shore, about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with the fish. Seeing the extraordinary swift fulfillment of the stranger’s words, John was the first to recognize in this stranger the Lord who had appeared again. Moreover, there may have come to mind another similar occasion (Luke 5:1-11). But while John himself remained with the other disciples to help them deal with such a rich catch, Peter, always impetuous in his love for Christ, jumped out of the boat to swim more quickly to shore and come to Jesus. Since he had been fishing in just a shirt, out of respect for the Lord he put on what was like a short blouse for himself, which Syrian and Phoenician fishers wore (Blessed Theophylact), and fastened himself tightly with a belt (he is called naked precisely because he had been in just a shirt or tunic). “Two hundred cubits” – concerning the cubit, see the commentary on Matt 6:27.

John 21:9. When they came out on land, they saw a fire of coals there and a fish lying on it and bread. John 21:10. Jesus says to them: Bring some of the fish which you have now caught. John 21:11. Simon Peter went out and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. The evangelist does not say that Peter, having come to Jesus, began some conversation with Him. Perhaps he did not even dare to address Christ with any question and waited, standing by the water, for the other apostles to arrive. The Lord did not start a conversation with him. When all the other disciples came ashore, they saw that on the laid-out fire fish was already being cooked, and near the fire lay bread. But Christ requires them to bring also the fish which they had caught. Then Peter, as the chief fisherman (cf. verse 3), “went,” or more precisely, went up, climbed to the higher shore (ἀνέβη); he had been standing at the very water’s edge, as if abashed to approach the place where Christ stood, and dragged the net which his companions had brought to the very shore. John noticed that all the fish the apostles counted in the net amounted to 153 – this was obviously an extraordinary catch. Moreover, what especially struck John was the fact that the net did not tear from such a great weight.

John 21:12. Jesus says to them: Come and have breakfast. None of the disciples dared to ask Him, Who are You? knowing that it was the Lord. John 21:13. Jesus comes and takes the bread and gives it to them, and likewise the fish. John 21:14. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to His disciples after rising from the dead. A feeling of reverent awe did not allow the disciples themselves to begin a conversation with Christ when He invited them to have breakfast. The Lord said nothing to the disciples about the purpose of His appearance, but they themselves, without any special explanation, were to understand the meaning of everything that happened. The miraculous catch of fish was to indicate to them the success they would have in the work of attracting human souls to Christ, provided they followed Christ’s directives in everything. The breakfast to which Christ invited them signified, first, the restoration of close friendly relations between them and Christ, and second, it served as assurance that at the time when they would be occupied with the work of preaching, the Lord would provide for the satisfaction of their earthly needs.

John 21:15. When they had breakfast, Jesus says to Simon Peter: Simon, son of John! Do you love Me more than these? Peter says to Him: Yes, Lord; You know that I love You. Jesus says to him: Feed My lambs. Besides this general purpose, this appearance had a special purpose as well: the restoration of the apostle Peter to his apostolic office, who had denied Christ. After breakfast (more precisely from the Greek, when they had eaten – ἠρίστησαν), the Lord asks Peter whether he loves Him more than the others. Of course, Christ asks this for the purpose of reminding Peter of his former declaration of his love for Christ (John 13:37). And the threefold repetition of the same question was to remind Peter of his threefold denial of Christ. It is quite probable that the fire, near which he now stood, was to bring to his mind that fire near which he had warmed himself at night in the courtyard of the high priest. Peter’s answer shows how much he had humbled himself: he no longer speaks of his unreserved devotion to Christ, but merely gives an affirmative answer to Christ’s question. What is more, he humbly declares that his love for Christ is not such as Christ wished to see from him. Christ asks him whether he loves Him with the love which is based on conviction in the high merits of the beloved, which is an act of the human will (such is the meaning of the verb ἀγαπᾶν used here by Christ). Peter in his answer speaks only of his friendly, heartfelt disposition toward Christ (in such a sense the verb φιλεῖν is used by him, cf. John 11:3). However, the Lord accepts Peter’s confession and entrusts him with feeding His lambs. By this Peter is not given any special authority which would set him apart from the other apostles. No, he is here only restored to his dignity, which he had lost with his denial. The Lord entrusts to him, as to the other apostles, care for the believers. It should be noted that the believers the Lord calls here lambs or little lambs, in order to show how much they need care from the apostles, and He designates this care itself as feeding, nourishment (βόσκε ἀρνία μου).

John 21:16. He says to him again a second time: Simon, son of John! Do you love Me? Peter says to Him: Yes, Lord; You know that I love You. Jesus says to him: Tend My sheep. The Lord, evidently after some time, addresses Peter again with the same question, omitting only the phrase “more than these.” He seems to be asking Peter whether he at least has the love which all Christ’s disciples ought to have for Christ (here again the verb ἀγαπᾶν is used). But Peter did not pay attention to the true meaning of Christ’s question and gives an answer in exactly the same words as in the first case. The Lord again says nothing to Peter about a certain inadequacy of his answer and now entrusts him with tending, or more precisely, managing His sheep, that is, the whole flock of Christ (cf. John 10:3-27), without distinction of age and strength of the animals comprising the flock (ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου).

John 21:17. He says to him the third time: Simon, son of John! Do you love Me? Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, Do you love Me? and he said to Him: Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You. Jesus says to him: Feed My sheep. In asking Peter the third time, the Lord used for the concept of love the same verb that Peter had just used (φιλεῖν). By this the Lord put in doubt even the friendly disposition which, by Peter’s own admission, he had. This greatly grieved Peter, and his grief was expressed in the fact that he gave a different form to his answer. He omits the affirmation “Yes” and no longer speaks of his love as something completely clear, of which Christ should know, but only expresses confidence that Christ, as God all-knowing, penetrates into his heart and finds there not only weaknesses, but at the same time sincere love for Him. After this sorrowful and humble confession of Peter, the Lord the third time entrusts him with the care of feeding His “sheep,” or more precisely, “little sheep” (βόσκε προβάτια), by whom He means the most vulnerable believers. Peter himself felt how difficult was the position of the weak in character – not in faith, because in his denial Peter showed not weakness of faith but rather insufficient firmness of character, and therefore the Lord specifically entrusts to him the strengthening and comforting of those people whom he himself had formerly resembled.

John 21:18. Truly, truly, I say to you: When you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go. John 21:19. But He said this, indicating by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. And when He had said this, He says to him: Follow Me. After restoring Peter to his apostolic dignity, Christ foretells to Peter a martyr’s death. Just as an aged old man can no longer dress himself and walk as he wishes, but must resort to the help of others and go with them even where he would not wish to go, so there will come a time when the living apostle Peter, accustomed to acting by his own will, will have to go where enemies will lead him, that is, to a martyr’s death. By this death Peter will glorify God, that is, he will contribute to the increase in the number of true children of God – believers in Christ. One may even suppose that in the description of Peter being bound and led where he did not wish to go, there is depicted the very picture of Peter being crucified on a cross. Tertullian said: “then Peter is girded by another, when he is bound to a cross” (see Scorp. 15). Finally, reminding Peter of his promise to die for Christ (John 13:37), Christ invites Peter to follow Him, that is, as is evident from the context of the discourse (cf. verses 22–23), to prepare to suffer just as Christ suffered.

John 21:20. But Peter, having turned around, sees the disciple following whom Jesus loved, who also at supper had leaned on His breast and said, Lord, who is it that will betray You? John 21:21. Having seen this, Peter says to Jesus: Lord, what about him? John 21:22. Jesus says to him: If I wish that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me. John 21:23. And this word went out among the brothers, that that disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but: If I wish that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Together with Peter, the Lord began to withdraw from the place where the meal took place. Peter, probably having heard the footsteps of someone behind him, turned back and saw John walking behind him. Knowing that John was especially loved by the Lord, he naturally wanted to find out what fate awaited this most beloved disciple of Christ. He considered death for Christ as an honor for himself and was wondering whether Christ’s most beloved disciple would not be granted this honor. Peter spoke thus, evidently from a feeling of special affection for John, with whom he had been especially close, as can be seen, for example, from the fact that on the morning of the resurrection they were together and the two of them hastened to Christ’s tomb. In response to Peter’s question, the Lord tells him that he has no need to concern himself with John: he himself must first and foremost follow Christ, and as for John, even if he were to remain alive until the second coming of Christ, that would have no bearing on the fate of the apostle Peter – he must follow the path appointed to him. These words of the Lord about John, as the evangelist himself notes, gave the brothers, that is, Christians (cf. Phil 1:14), occasion to say that John would not die. These suppositions are explained by the fact that the first Christians thought that the coming of the Lord was near and that some of them would live to see that time (see 1 Thess 4:17; Jas 5:7-8). Especially the fact that Peter indeed died the death which the Lord had foretold to him, while John continued his activity for about a dozen years after Peter’s death, must have even more confirmed Christians in the correctness of their supposition. That is why John establishes in exact detail the meaning of the words which the Lord had said to him. One cannot help but note here that this addition to the Gospel clearly shows that John was alive at the time this addition appeared and that he himself made the addition. Indeed, what need would there have been to explain the true meaning of Christ’s words if John had already died? Then it would have been sufficient, in opposition to any fabrications about his fate, to point to the place where he had been buried.

John 21:24. This disciple testifies about these things and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true. John 21:25. And there are also many other things that Jesus did; but if every one of them were to be written down, I suppose that not even the whole world would contain the books that would be written. These verses can be regarded, first, as a conclusion to chapter 21 alone. In that case, they would mainly affirm the truthfulness of what was said about the fate of Peter and John. Second, here one can see the conclusion to the entire Gospel, and this opinion seems more correct, since verse 25 is clearly referring not to the small addition to the Gospel contained in chapter 21, but to the whole Gospel of John. Thus, in this conclusion – the second by count – “this disciple,” that is, John himself, says that he is a witness to the truthfulness of everything said in the Gospel, that he himself wrote it, and then those people who surrounded John (“we know”) also join in his testimony, that is, probably some apostles and other eyewitnesses of the events described in John’s Gospel. Finally, the evangelist’s remark that the whole world could not contain the books in which everything that the apostles knew about Christ would be written, should, of course, be understood as a hyperbolic expression. N. Rozanov.

The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Introduction

The Acts of the Holy Apostles is the next book of historical content in the New Testament after the holy Gospels, and it fully deserves, by its importance, to occupy the first place after them. “This book,” says St. Chrysostom, “can bring us no less benefit than the Gospel itself: it is filled with such depth of wisdom, such purity of doctrine, and such an abundance of miracles, especially those wrought by the Holy Spirit. Here one can see the fulfillment in practice of those prophecies which Christ proclaimed in the Gospels—truth shining in the very events, and the great change for the better wrought in the disciples by the Holy Spirit. Christ said to his disciples: ‘He who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also, and greater works than these he will do’ (John 14:12), and foretold them that they would be brought before governors and kings, that they would be beaten in synagogues (Matt 10:17-18), that they would be subjected to the most terrible torments and would triumph over all of them, and that the Gospel would be preached throughout the entire world (Matt 24:14). All this, as well as much else that he said while living among the disciples, is shown in this book to have been fulfilled with complete precision… The events of the book of Acts are the direct continuation of the Gospel events, beginning where these end (the Lord’s ascension into heaven) and unfolding the subsequent history of the Church of Christ down to the imprisonment of Paul, the apostle who labored more than all others.” Noting the distinctive character of the narrative and selection of events, St. Chrysostom calls this book one containing above all else proofs of the resurrection of Christ, since one who believed this could readily accept everything else. In this he sees the “principal purpose” of the book.

The writer of the book of Acts is the holy Evangelist Luke, as he himself indicates (Acts 1:1-2; cf. Luke 1:1 and following).—This indication, sufficiently strong in itself, is confirmed both by external testimonies of the ancient Christian Church (the testimonies of St. Irenaeus of Lyon, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, and many others) and by internal evidence, which together place the complete and unconditional reliability of the narratives of the author of Acts, down to the smallest details and particulars, beyond any doubt.¹

The time and place of writing the book are impossible to determine precisely. Since the book concludes with an account of the two-year preaching activity of the Apostle Paul while in bonds in Rome (Acts 28:30-31), yet makes no mention either of the apostle’s death or of his release, it must be thought that in any case it was written before the apostle’s martyrdom (in 63–64 AD) and specifically in Rome (as Jerome holds), though the latter is not undisputed. It is possible that during his journeys with the Apostle Paul, Evangelist Luke was keeping notes of all that was most remarkable, and only afterward arranged these notes into the orderly whole of a distinct book—the “Acts.”

Having set himself the goal of narrating the principal events of Christ’s Church from the ascension of the Lord down to the last days contemporary with him, Evangelist Luke covers a period of about 30 years in his book. Since in the spreading of the Christian faith in Jerusalem and its initial transition to the Gentiles the chief apostle Peter labored especially greatly, and in its spread throughout the Gentile world the chief apostle Paul labored especially greatly, the book of Acts correspondingly presents two main parts. In the first (chapters I–XII), the narrative deals mainly with the apostolic activity of Peter and the Church drawn from the Jews. In the second (chapters XIII–XXVIII), it deals with the activity of Paul and the Church drawn from the Gentiles.

Under the name of the Acts of this or that Apostle individually, several other books were known in antiquity, but all of them were rejected by the Church as forgeries containing teaching not genuinely apostolic, and even as unprofitable and harmful.

* * *

Notes

As the closest companion and fellow-worker of the holy Apostle Paul, the author of Acts was himself an eyewitness of the majority of the events he describes; about the remaining events he had the opportunity to hear from the Apostle Paul himself (especially with regard to what concerned Paul personally), and from other Apostles, with whom he was in constant living communication. The influence of Paul in particular on the writing of Acts is very considerable and evident.

Chapter One

Prologue (1–3). The Lord’s instructions and promises to the apostles before the ascension, and the ascension itself (vv. 4–11). Peter’s first speech—on the election of a new apostle in place of the Iscariot, and the election itself (vv. 12–26)

Acts 1:1. The first book I wrote to you, Theophilus, about everything that Jesus did and taught from the beginning, “My former book”—Slavonic “the first word,” Greek τόν μεν πρῶτον λόγον—a clear reference to the holy Gospel written earlier by Luke for Theophilus (Luke 1:1-4). Setting his new work in relation to the first as a second, St. Luke wishes to show that both in its external form and in the inner substance of the events narrated, this second book of his is the direct continuation and development of the first, together providing the most detailed possible history of the founding, spread, and establishment of the Church of Christ on earth. “About all that Jesus did.” By Chrysostom’s explanation—“about everything that is especially important and necessary,” “omitting none of the things essential and necessary by which the divinity and truth of the preaching are known” (Theophylact). These qualifications are made by the holy interpreters in view of the fact that the other Evangelist, John, acknowledged it as impossible to describe all the events of the Lord’s life (John 21:25). The literal meaning of the above phrase is significant: “about all that Jesus began to do and to teach” (ῶν ήρξατο ο Ιησοῦς ποιεῖν τι καί διδάσκειν). The author of Acts seems to wish to say that through his entire earthly ministry the Lord Jesus had only begun—had laid the beginning of his works and teaching. The continuation of this beginning will be all that follows in the deeds of his messengers and their successors until the end of the age (Matt 28:20), forming in its totality the completion of the great work of Christ—one not, however, bounded by any times or deadlines.

Acts 1:2. until the day on which he was taken up, having given commandments through the Holy Spirit to the Apostles whom he had chosen, “Until the day when he was taken up.” Luke’s Gospel mentions the ascension of the Lord only briefly (Luke 24:50-53). This event was the conclusion of Gospel history and the beginning of apostolic history. For this reason St. Luke prefers to give a more detailed account of this event in the Acts. Before the ascension there was a charge—a testament of the Lord to the apostles—“giving commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles”—Greek εντειλάμενος τοις αποστόλοις διά Πνεύματος άγίου; more literally in Slavonic: “having charged the apostles through the Holy Spirit.” This refers either to his “promise”—to send the apostles the Holy Spirit, with the command to await this promise in Jerusalem (Luke 24:49)—or to his commandment to them to be witnesses and preachers “in his name of repentance and forgiveness of sins among all nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47-48). This promise or commandment and charge of the Lord is given, in the author’s expression, “through the Holy Spirit.” “This is said,” explains blessed Theophylact, “not because the Son was in need of the Spirit, but because where the Son acts, the Spirit—as one in essence—co-acts and co-presides”… This Holy Spirit, by the Father’s good pleasure, filling even the Son himself in his humanity—“not by measure” abundantly (Luke 4:1; John 3:34)—is promised also to the apostles, as the uniting principle of the Father, the Son, and the humanity redeemed by him. “Whom he had chosen”—a reference to the exclusive authority and rights of the apostles, distinct from those of other believers. A justification for this exclusivity is also the fact that to these chosen ones alone did the Lord “show himself alive” after his suffering, so that they could be convinced and truthful witnesses and preachers about him to the whole world.

Acts 1:3. to whom he also presented himself alive after his suffering, with many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. “After his suffering”—that is, also after his death, by which the sufferings were concluded. “By many convincing proofs”—that is, that he had truly risen, which they had long neither known how nor dared to believe; that it was truly he himself who had risen—the same one who had been crucified and died, and not someone else substituted for him; that it was not a specter of him but genuinely he himself who was alive again among them, for which reason he ate before them and was even touched by the hand of Thomas; and that for 40 days he continued his preaching to them about the kingdom of God. All of this, which had so long been both incomprehensible and barely credible to the apostles, turned out to be in accord with the Divine Scriptures, for the understanding of which the Risen One opened their minds, revealing in those Scriptures the full multitude of further proofs for faith in him as the true Son of God, worthy of the faith of all nations. “During forty days.” This precise indication of the time of the Risen Lord’s stay on earth after the resurrection is found only at this place in Acts.—The Gospel narratives of Mark and Luke give no indication at all of this period and speak of the Lord’s ascension very briefly, in the general context of preceding events. And the other two Evangelists (Matthew and John) do not mention the ascension at all. This makes the passage in Acts under consideration especially valuable, as filling in such important aspects of the final Gospel events. “About the kingdom of God”—that is, about everything pertaining to the new life of people redeemed by the Savior’s sufferings and called to form the new kingdom of God, the kingdom of the Messiah, the kingdom of the new Israel, the Church of Christ. How much the disciples of Christ stood in need of this, and how little they had yet penetrated these mysteries of the true kingdom of God, is shown by what follows in verse 6. The full initiation of Christ’s apostles into the mysteries of the kingdom of God and into worthy heralds and planters of it took place after the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them (John 16:12-13), according to the Lord’s promise.

Acts 1:4. And when he had gathered them together, he commanded them: do not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, about which you heard from me, “While staying with them,” Greek καί συναλιξόμενος, Slavonic more precisely—“and eating with them.” Literally—“and having eaten food with them in their assembly.” Eating food and the command not to depart from Jerusalem—at first glance seem somewhat difficult to connect into a single sentence. This combination of thoughts will not seem strange, however, if one introduces into them a single nuance that escapes attention in a quick reading. The apostle’s thought then runs as follows: “He was taken up, having given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen, to whom he also showed himself alive after his suffering, with many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking to them about the kingdom of God, having gladdened them and made himself known to them to such an extent that he even ate food before them, and commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem”… Thus the expression “and eating with them”—συναλιξόμενος—as it were crowns the greatest ground of the apostles’ joy and faith in the Savior, who had again set himself before them alive after his suffering, confirming this by many convincing proofs, among which the most certain and joyful for the apostles who did not believe for joy and were amazed (Luke 24:41) was his visible eating of food before all. “Not to depart from Jerusalem”—the Lord commands the apostles so that, having begun their preaching in distant places, they would not be slandered—that is, called liars (Synaxarion for the Ascension of the Lord). In Jerusalem this would have been far more difficult, for there were so many other witnesses apart from the apostles—reliable witnesses to the events they proclaimed. And the very one they proclaimed was still so vivid in everyone’s memory! With the command not to depart from Jerusalem is joined the covenant to await the “Promise of the Father”—that is, the sending of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit — John 14:16 and others. “The promise of the Father”—Greek ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ πατρός, more exactly in Slavonic “the promise of the Father” (cf. also Luke 24:49), the paternal promise, the promise of the Father. The sending of the Holy Spirit the Lord calls “the promise of the Father,” who already in the Old Testament (Isa 44:3 and others) through the prophets gave such a promise about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the time of the Messiah. “Which you heard from me”—more accurately in the Greek and Slavonic texts: ήν ηκούσατε μου, “which you heard from me.” Here, then, the Lord gives to understand that his promise is precisely the same promise of his Father that was given in the Old Testament and has now once more been expressed by the lips of the Son. There also sounds in the Lord’s words the thought that he, being “one with the Father,” uttered his promise, and this promise acquired force as the promise simultaneously of the Father, whose will the Son was fulfilling in this instance. Setting forth in greater detail the substance of this paternal-filial promise, the author of Acts cites it in the Son’s own words (Luke 3:16; John 1 and parallels).

Acts 1:5. for John baptized with water, but you, after a few days from now, will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. “For John baptized with water.” Slavonic “for John indeed has baptized with water.” Greek ότι Ιωάννης… and so on. This ότι stands in obvious connection with the preceding ἠκούσατε, linking both clauses in an explanatory way; they should be translated as: “to await the promise of the Father, which you heard from me—namely, that John baptized with water, but you…” and so on. The Russian “for,” if translating Greek ότι, is entirely incorrect; if μέν (ότι Ιωάννης μέν), then entirely unnecessary, since μέν… δέ are untranslatable particles. Properly, the immediate connection of ότι should be taken with the subsequent “you will be baptized.” In that case the expression “John baptized with water” acquires the significance of a simple insertion by the author of Acts not implied in the Lord’s expression “which you heard”; to such an understanding one is prompted by the circumstance that in the Gospel these words are not attributed to the Lord himself, but only to John (Luke 3:16; John 1:33 and parallels), although the Lord himself could of course have said them too, since by no means all his sayings found their way into the Gospel. The expression “to be baptized with the Holy Spirit” in correspondence to baptism with water signifies total filling with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as it were immersion in his cleansing and life-giving grace. On this St. Cyril of Jerusalem reasons thus: “This is not a partial grace, but an all-perfect power; for just as one who is immersed and baptized in waters is surrounded by water on all sides, so also they were baptized with the Spirit wholly; but water washes the exterior, while the Spirit, excluding nothing, baptizes everything down to the inmost part of the soul. And why be astonished?… If fire, entering the interior of coarse iron, makes its entire composition fire—what was cold is heated, what was black begins to shine; and if fire, being a material substance and penetrating the material of iron, acts thus without hindrance, then why be astonished if the Holy Spirit enters the very interior of the soul?” “Not many days from now”—again an imprecise translation of Greek ου μετά πολλάς ταύτας ημέρας, Slavonic more precisely—“not after many of these days”—after few days, or a few days hence. This happened exactly ten days later. This was how long the Lord judged his apostles should wait for the promised Comforter. Not more and not less. Not more, because a further prolongation of the days of waiting would have wearied those waiting, allowed distraction and inattention into their souls, and this would have made less fruitful the gentle breath and resting upon them of the Spirit of God. Not less—because a premature shortening of the days of waiting would have left many souls with an insufficiently intense thirst for the Comforter, with an insufficiently matured awareness of the importance of what lay ahead, with an insufficiently appreciated preciousness and consolation of the Coming One—all of which would likewise have weakened the power and significance of the coming of the Spirit of God.

Acts 1:6. So when they had come together, they were asking him, saying: Lord, is it at this very time that you are restoring the kingdom to Israel? “At this time?” Greek ει εν τῶ χρόνω τούτω—that is, “a few days hence,” when the disciples “will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (v. 5).—“You restore the kingdom to Israel,” Greek αποκαθιστάνεις τήν βασιλείαν τω Ισραήλ. The apostles are clearly expressing the usual ideas about the earthly reign of the Messiah, with the subjugation of all other peoples and the acquiring by the people of Israel of earthly greatness, glory, and power. “Thus still sluggish were the disciples”—let us note with the words of a church hymn. Instructed during forty days about the kingdom of God by the appeared Savior, they still “did not quite clearly understand what this kingdom was, since they had not yet been taught by the Spirit…, they were still attached to sensory things, though not as much as before; they had not yet become better—yet they already thought of Christ in a higher way” (Chrysostom).

Acts 1:7. He said to them: it is not your concern to know times or seasons which the Father has placed in his own authority, “It is not for you”—a somewhat awkward translation of Greek ουκ υμῶν εστι—more exactly in Slavonic “it is not yours…” It is better and more accurately to render the Savior’s reply in such a form: “it is not for you to know…” and so on. The tactfully evasive reply of the Lord to so untimely a question—redolent of crude prejudices—on the part of his beloved disciples, at first impression seems as though it leaves them in those same prejudices, merely changing the time of their fulfillment; in reality this reply correctly reckoned on a change in the apostles’ views through the very course of events about to come in the near future: “but you will receive power” and so on. It would have been useless now, all at once, to completely disillusion the disciples of that with which they were too deeply imbued—all the more so in that their views and expectations, bearing the character of a crude prejudice, would somehow receive fulfillment, only in a higher, better, more noble sense. One may find an indication of this in the Savior’s expression καιρούς—it is not for you to know the times, or the means, circumstances, and character of the fulfillment of your hopes; all this the Father has placed in his own authority. The Russian translation of καιρους as “seasons” does not precisely express the Lord’s thought and gives it a superfluous tautology. The knowledge of the times and means of fulfillment of the hopes for the kingdom of the Messiah the Lord ascribes to the Father alone—“not because he himself did not know, but because the very question was superfluous, and therefore he beneficially answered it with silence” (Theophylact).

Acts 1:8. but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and even to the ends of the earth. Turning the disciples’ attention away from what is unattainable and unnecessary, the Lord directs this attention to the transformation that awaits them in themselves, when of itself will arrive everything that is most important and precious to them: “you will receive power”—power precisely from the Holy Spirit “who has come upon you”—power to be “my witnesses… to the end of the earth,” witnesses and preachers about me, about my life, teaching, works, commandments, promises, and predictions. “This saying,” says blessed Theophylact, “is at once both an exhortation and an unchangeable prophecy” of the Savior about what the disciples of Christ will be and ought to be after receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. Hidden here also is a tacit hint at how, by what means, and when their life’s hopes for the coming of the kingdom of the Messiah—the kingdom of the new Israel—will be fulfilled, into which the old Israel will enter only as a part, without exhausting by itself the all-embracing power and riches of not earthly and temporal but spiritual and eternal goods of the new Kingdom. If before, the Lord had sent his disciples to preach the approach of the kingdom of God only to the Jews, forbidding them to go with this preaching to the Gentiles and Samaritans (Matt 10:5), now this restriction on apostolic activity is lifted. Jerusalem is only designated as the starting point or center from which the rays of Gospel Light are to illuminate the entire universe “to the end of the earth.”

Acts 1:9. Having said this, he was lifted up before their eyes, and a cloud took him from their sight. “When he had said these things, he was lifted up.” In Evangelist Mark:—“after speaking to them” (Mark 16:19). In Evangelist Luke: “while he was blessing them,” he parted from them—that is, separated himself somewhat—and was carried up into heaven (Luke 24:51). “And a cloud took him out of their sight.” The concluding moment of the ascension, regarding which blessed Theophylact says: “he rose in such a way that they did not see it; but they saw the ascension; they saw the end of the resurrection, but did not see its beginning; they saw the beginning of his ascension, but did not see its end.” “The cloud”—probably a bright one (cf. Matt 17:5)—was here a sign of the special presence of God, of the special Divine power by which this glorious final earthly act of the Lord was accomplished.

Acts 1:10. And while they were gazing into the sky during his ascent, suddenly two men in white clothing stood before them “Two men in white robes”—undoubtedly angels (cf. Luke 24:4; Mark 16:5; Matt 28:2; John 20:12). “He calls the angels men,” says blessed Theophylact on this occasion, “showing the event as it appeared to sight, since the angels had in fact taken upon themselves the form of men, so as not to cause fear.”

Acts 1:11. and said: men of Galilee! why do you stand here looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him going up into heaven. With bewilderment and amazement the apostles must have fixed their gaze on heaven, where the Lord had just disappeared from them. This bewilderment—perhaps close to a state of stupor—is resolved by the angels with a gentle and tender, as it were, reproach: “why do you stand and look?” The time has come to turn from what is now a purposeless contemplation of the heights of the air back to ordinary reality, where a life full of vigorous activity in the apostolic calling awaits them. “Will come in the same way.” This clearly refers to the second glorious coming of the Lord, of which both he himself spoke to the disciples (Matt 25:31) and which will be in the same glorified body of his and likewise on the clouds of heaven (Matt 24:30).

Acts 1:12. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, at a Sabbath day’s journey away. “Then”—that is, after receiving the instruction from the angels—“they returned to Jerusalem.” In the Gospel, Luke adds to this “with great joy” (Luke 24:52). The mention of the Mount of Olives as the place from which the apostles returned to Jerusalem after the ascension of the Lord clearly indicates that this mountain was also the place of the ascension. The author of Acts precisely defines at this point the location of the named mountain—evidently because Theophilus, for whom the book was intended, was unfamiliar with the topography of Jerusalem. “Near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away,” Slavonic “having a journey of a Sabbath” (Greek “having”—σαββάτου έχον οδόν)—that is, from the mountain having a journey of a Sabbath, or such a journey as was permitted on the Sabbath. This journey was determined by rabbinic strictness regarding Sabbath rest at 2,000 paces (about one verst), the distance at which the outermost tents stood from the tabernacle of Moses during the wandering of the Hebrews through the desert. If in the Gospel St. Luke (Luke 24:50) says that the Lord led them out “as far as Bethany,” this expression—not in contradiction to what has been said—means that the place of the ascension was located on the road from Jerusalem to Bethany. The latter was twice as far from Jerusalem as Olivet, at a distance of two Sabbath journeys, and is mentioned simply to indicate the direction in which the Lord led the disciples to the place of his ascension.

Acts 1:13. And when they arrived, they went up to the upper room where they were staying: Peter and James, John and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. Acts 1:14. All of them were constantly devoting themselves with one accord to prayer and supplication, together with certain women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. “They went up to the upper room where they were staying… with one accord in prayer and supplication.” Perhaps this was the same upper room in which the last supper was held (“a large” upper room, Luke 22:12) and whose owner was probably among the Lord’s followers. Removed from the noise of the street, it provided the most convenient place for prayer gatherings, in which the Lord’s disciples prepared themselves through prayers and supplications for the promised baptism with the Holy Spirit. “Were staying”—not in the sense of an uninterrupted stay in the upper room throughout all 10 days. The expression merely means that the disciples did not disperse each to his own place, but having gone up to a certain upper room, constantly gathered in it afterward for united prayers. In the Gospel Luke 24:53 — “they were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.” This means that the Lord’s disciples remained also regular visitors to the Old Testament temple worship that had not yet been replaced by new sacred rites. But already now these services evidently did not fully satisfy the Lord’s disciples, and their new impressions and beliefs were compelling them to develop their own new forms for their satisfaction. So, sometimes in the temple, sometimes in the upper room—they were constantly engaged in prayers and praises of God, continually gathering in expectation of the promised change in their orphaned situation. The names of the apostles (without Judas Iscariot) and their order are nearly the same as in the Gospels, with minor changes (cf. Matt 10:2-4; Mark 3:17-18; Luke 6:14-16). Lebbaeus or Thaddaeus—is listed with the name Judas son of James (cf. John 14:22), while Simon the Canaanite is called the Zealot (“zealous one”), as one who belonged to the party of the Zealots, extreme zealots of the Law of Moses. The enumeration of the apostles’ names is intended to identify the principal persons who formed the center of the first Christian community and were the principal actors in the events described—the establishing and spreading of the Church of Christ, by the choice of its very Founder. “With the women.” This clearly refers to those pious devotees of the Lord who accompanied him during his life, serving from their possessions (Luke 8:2-3; cf. Luke 23:55). Precious is the mention of the “mother of Jesus,” as well as his “brothers,” who not so long ago did not believe in him as the Messiah (John 7:5), but now were evidently among the believers.

Acts 1:15. And in those days Peter, standing in the midst of the disciples, said “In those days”—that is, between the ascension and Pentecost. “Peter stood up among the disciples and said.” Peter, “the mouth of the apostles, always fervent and chief in the rank of apostles” (Chrysostom, Commentary on Matthew, XVI, 15), takes the lead here as “one to whom Christ entrusted his flock” (Theophylact), proposing to fill up the diminished rank of the Twelve, depleted by Judas.

Acts 1:16. (the assembly was about a hundred and twenty persons): brothers! It was necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit foretold through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was the guide of those who arrested Jesus; The observation about the number of those assembled is intended to note the general unanimity prevailing in the assembly of the Lord’s disciples, and also to show the participation of their general assembly in the resolution of important matters, such as the one being described. In this case, the participation of the believers was expressed in the following actions: they “nominated” Joseph and Matthias (v. 23), “prayed” over them (v. 24), and “cast lots” (v. 26). Having in mind this procedure for resolving matters, Chrysostom says: “See how Peter does everything with common consent, and does not manage anything autocratically and as a ruler.” “About a hundred and twenty persons.” The actual number of the Lord’s followers was considerably larger, since at one of his post-resurrection appearances (1 Cor 15:6) more than 500 brothers are already mentioned. It is to be inferred from this that by no means everyone was present at the assembly described, but only those who had not gone far from Jerusalem and had been privileged to be witnesses of the Lord’s ascension. In the Apostle Peter’s speech there are two main thoughts: the falling away of the former apostle Judas, and the restoration of the apostolic rank by another person. Since the sad fate of Judas and his bold and terrible deed could shake those weak in faith, the Lord himself had already at the Last Supper explained this event to the apostles in the light of the Word of God (John 13:18). Now, like the Lord, Peter does the same, pointing out in what had occurred the fulfillment of what was foretold by the mouth of David by the Holy Spirit (v. 20).

Acts 1:17. he was numbered among us and received his share of this ministry; “Was allotted his share in this ministry”—that is, the apostolic ministry; he was called to apostolic service.

Acts 1:18. but he acquired a field with the wages of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle, and all his intestines poured out; “Acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness”—an ironic expression referring to the consequences of Judas’s terrible crime (Matt 27:7-8). “Falling headlong he burst open in the middle,” Greek πρηνής γενόμενος ελάκησε μέσος, more exactly in Slavonic: “having fallen face down, he split in the middle”—literally: having bent headfirst downward, he burst in the middle, in the belly. The Gospel says that Judas “hanged himself,” and probably after the hanging his body fell off, which is why what the Apostle Peter says occurred.

Acts 1:19. and this became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that that field was called in their own dialect Akeldama, that is, field of blood. “Field of blood”—that is, a field bought with the money for which the murdered Jesus was sold. “In their own language”—evidently an insertion made by Luke for Theophilus, as is the explanation of the word “Akeldama.”

Acts 1:20. For it is written in the book of Psalms: let his dwelling place be desolate, and let there be no one living in it; and: let another receive his office. (re v. 16). The prophetic references to Judas are taken from two psalms—68 (Ps 68:26) and 108 (Ps 108:8). Interpreting these prophecies as applied to Judas, St. Chrysostom and blessed Theophylact understand by “camp” the field (purchased: “for what could be more desolate than a cemetery?”) and the house of Judas, and by “office” the apostolic rank. In both named psalms of David, an innocent righteous man suffering from enemies is depicted, offering up in prayer to God for defense the threats against enemies cited by Peter. The application of these threats to Judas (with the change from plural to singular) is justified to the extent that the righteous man depicted here was a foreimage of the Messiah, who suffered innocently at the hands of enemies, and to the extent that Judas was their chief representative and the one responsible for the success of their evil scheme.

Acts 1:21. So it is necessary that one of the men who were with us throughout all the time that the Lord Jesus was present and moved among us, As the essential condition for election to the rank of apostle, Peter sets forth that the one to be elected should have been an eyewitness to the entire earthly ministry of the Lord, from the baptism of John to the day of the ascension. This apparently purely external condition had, however, important inner force as well: it gave greater reason to hope for the steadiness, fullness, and maturity of faith and love toward the Lord in such a person, and pointed, so to speak, to the greater solidity of his preparation—in uninterrupted communion with the Divine Teacher of all of them. Only such preparation—uninterrupted and from the Lord himself, by the totality of his deeds and teachings and events of his life during the period of his public ministry—gave the right to so high a calling.

Acts 1:22. beginning from the baptism of John until the day he was taken up from us, should become together with us a witness of his resurrection. “Become with us a witness to his resurrection.” This defines the essence of apostolic ministry—to be a witness to the resurrection of Christ (v. 8; cf. 1 Cor 15; Rom 10:9)—“not of some other thing,” says Theophylact, “because one who is found worthy to testify that the Lord who ate and drank with them and was crucified has risen—to him all the more can and should be entrusted the witnessing of the other events as well; because what was being sought was the resurrection, since it took place in secret, while the rest was evident.”

Acts 1:23. And they put forward two: Joseph, called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias; “They put forward two”—that is, from among those satisfying the stated condition, two were nominated. “Why not many? So that no greater confusion would arise; besides, the matter concerned few people”… (Theophylact). The nominees—Joseph Barsabbas (Justus) and Matthias—are both unknown in Gospel history. Probably “they were from among the seventy, who were with the twelve apostles, and from among other believers, but ones who believed more ardently and were more pious than the rest” (Theophylact).

Acts 1:24. and they prayed and said: You, Lord, Knower of the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen “They prayed and said”—και προσευξάμενοι εῖπον—more exactly in Slavonic: “and having prayed they said.” Probably the prayer cited thereafter was pronounced on behalf of the assembly by Peter. The prayer is addressed, evidently, to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is here designated “the one who knows the hearts.” Since in another place Peter calls God the knower of hearts (Acts 15:8 and following), the use here of the same title applied to Jesus Christ expresses nothing other than faith in his Divine attributes and a confession of his Divinity. “Show”—that is, by means of the lot. “They did not say ‘choose,’ but ‘show,’ they say, the one chosen: they knew that all things are predetermined with God (Chrysostom).” Just as during his life on earth, the Lord himself chose his apostles, so now too, though he has ascended into heaven, having promised to abide in his Church always, he himself must choose also the twelfth Apostle.

Acts 1:25. to receive the lot of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas turned away, to go to his own place. “To go to his own place”—that is, to the place of condemnation, Gehenna.

Acts 1:26. And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was added to the eleven Apostles. Decision by lot is an Old Testament institution, and in decisions by lot the action of God himself was seen (Lev 16:8 and following; Num 17; Num 34:13; Josh 14:2; 1 Sam 10:20). But—“why,” says Chrysostom, “do the apostles prefer selection by lot?” Because “they did not yet consider themselves worthy to make the choice themselves, and therefore wanted to learn (about this choice) by means of some sign… And the Holy Spirit had not yet come down upon them…, and the lot had great significance”… The holy Matthias, added to the apostles, preached the Gospel in Judea and Ethiopia and died in Jerusalem, stoned (his feast day is August 9). Joseph (Joses—Justus) was afterward bishop of Eleutheropolis in Judea and likewise died as a martyr (feast day October 30).

Chapter Two

The first Christian Pentecost and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. (1–4). The amazement of the people (5–13). The speech of the Apostle Peter (14–36). The effect of the first sermon (37–42). The inner condition of the first Christian community in Jerusalem. (43–47)

Acts 2:1. When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place with one accord. “When the day of Pentecost arrived.” It pleased the Lord that—just as with Passover—the first Christian Pentecost should coincide with the day of the Jewish Pentecost, signifying nothing less than the abolition and better replacement of both Jewish festivals. Blessed Theophylact speaks of this as follows: “On the day on which the Law was given, it was also necessary to grant the grace of the Spirit; for just as the Savior, being about to endure the holy passion, was pleased to surrender himself to that passion at no other time than the one when the lamb was slaughtered, in order to bind the truth to the very figure, so also the descent of the Holy Spirit, by the good pleasure from above, was granted at no other time, but at the one when the Law was given, in order to show that then the Holy Spirit was also giving law, and now he is giving law… “Since on the day of Pentecost they were bringing sheaves of new fruits, and various persons were coming together under one sky (in Jerusalem): on this same day it was to come about that the firstfruits from every people of all nations living under heaven would be gathered into one sheaf of piety and by the apostolic word brought to God”… “They were all together in one place”—ῆσαν άπαντες ομοθυμαδόν επί το αυτό. Who are “all” and where? The Slavonic translation adds “the apostles,” the Russian—“they,” understanding by “all” not only the apostles but all believers in Christ who were then in Jerusalem (Acts 1:16, cf. Acts 2:14) and had newly arrived for the feast of the Jewish Pentecost. From what follows (v. 2) it is evident that the gathering of these believers in Christ was in a house—probably the same one in which the preceding gathering had been held (Acts 1:13). It can hardly be assumed to have been especially large in numbers, in view of the fact that one would otherwise have to admit that the apostles had at their disposal a house of impossibly large dimensions.

Acts 2:2. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were. “A sound… like a mighty rushing wind.” Consequently there was no actual wind, only the sound (cf. Chrysostom and Theophylact), rushing from above downward, from heaven to the place of the apostles’ assembly—a sound so strong that it drew everyone’s attention (v. 6). “Filled the entire house”—that is, concentrated itself in this house. “Where they were sitting”—more precisely, “where they were seated,” abiding in prayer and devout conversations, awaiting the fulfillment of the promise.

Acts 2:3. And there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and they came to rest on each one of them. “Tongues as of fire.” As the sound without wind, so also the tongues without fire, only resembling fire. “He says well: ‘as of fire,’ ‘as if’ from a rushing wind, so that you do not conceive anything sensory about the Spirit” (Theophylact, cf. Chrysostom). The sound was in this case a sign assuring the descent of the Holy Spirit for the hearing, the tongues—for the sight. Both heightened for the apostles the magnitude of the event and its effect on the soul, which was properly the main subject of this miracle—this promised baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire. “Distributed tongues”—διαμεριζόμεναι γλῶσσαι—“divided tongues.” The impression of the moment of the descent of the Holy Spirit was evidently such that from some invisible but near source—suddenly approaching and filling the house with sound—tongue-like flames began to separate themselves, distributed among all those present, in such a way that throughout this one could feel the same common source of them all. The sound from heaven signified also the mighty power of the Holy Spirit communicated to the apostles (“power from on high” Luke 24:49), while the tongues signified the fiery quality of the preaching, which was to serve as the sole weapon for the conquest of the world at the foot of the Cross of Christ. At the same time the tongues were also a precise indication of the transformation that had occurred in the souls of the Apostles, which expressed itself in the capacity suddenly felt by them to speak in other languages.

Acts 2:4. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them to proclaim. “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” “The Holy Spirit,” says Gregory the Theologian (IV, 16), “acted first in the angelic and heavenly powers…, then in the fathers and prophets…, and after all these things he acted in the disciples of Christ, and in them three times—in proportion to their capacity and at three different times: before the glorification of Christ through suffering, after the glorification through the resurrection, and after the ascension into heaven or the establishment (Acts 3:21), as the first shows—the cleansing from diseases and spirits, accomplished certainly not without the Spirit; also, after the completion of the economy—the breathing of Christ, which was evidently divine inspiration; and finally the present distribution of fiery tongues… But the first was not clear, the second more manifest, and the present one more perfect; for no longer by action, as before, but essentially present and—as one might say—‘co-abiding and co-dwelling is the Spirit.’” “They began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” In explanation of this, St. Cyril of Jerusalem says: “Peter and Andrew—Galileans—speak in Persian and Median; John and the other apostles converse in every language with those who had come from the Gentiles. The Holy Spirit teaches many languages at once, such as those taught by him had never known at all. This is Divine power! What comparison is there between their long ignorance and this all-embracing, many-sided, extraordinary, sudden power to speak in all languages”… St. Theophylact teaches: “Why did the apostles receive the gift of tongues before other gifts? Because they were to be scattered throughout all lands; and just as at the time of the tower of Babel one language was divided into many, so now many languages were united in one person, and one and the same person, by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, began to speak in Persian, in Roman, in Indian, and in many other languages. And this gift was called the ‘gift of tongues,’ because the apostles could speak in many languages”… St. Irenaeus (died 202 AD) speaks of many Christians who in his time possessed “prophetic gifts, spoke in various languages (παντοδαπαῖς γλώσσαις), revealed the secrets of the human heart for edification, and explained the mysteries of God” (Adv. haer. V, 6). In the “Dialogues on the Life of the Italian Fathers”—a work of Gregory the Dialogist—mention is made of a certain youth Armentarius who spoke in foreign languages without having learned them (p. 304). Traces of the ancient understanding of the gift of tongues in its literal sense can be seen also in the fact that Philostratus, describing the life of Apollonius of Tyana—whom he wished to set against Jesus Christ—noted of him that he knew not only all human languages but also the language of animals. In church history, later examples of the miraculous understanding of foreign languages are encountered, for instance in Ephrem the Syrian.

Acts 2:5. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. Apart from the fact that not a few Jewish settlers “from every nation under heaven” already lived in Jerusalem, a great multitude of temporary pilgrims from various countries had gathered there on account of the greatest festival of Pentecost, and these became involuntary witnesses and corroborators of the miracle wrought upon the apostles, when all the visitors heard them speaking in the languages of their countries.

Acts 2:6. When this sound occurred, the crowd gathered and was thrown into confusion, because each one heard them speaking in his own dialect. “Each one was hearing them speak.” “Pause here a moment,” St. Gregory the Theologian instructs, “and think how to divide the speech, for in the utterance there is an ambiguity, removed by a punctuation mark. Did they hear in such a way, each in his own dialect, that—so to speak—one voice went forth but many voices were heard, on account of such a vibration in the air, or, to put it more clearly, did many voices proceed from one voice? Or—stopping at the word ‘heard,’ should the words ‘speaking in their own voices’ be referred to what follows, so that the meaning is: speaking voices that were native to those listening—and this means, voices in foreign languages? I agree more with the latter, because the former would be a miracle that pertained more to those listening than to those speaking, who are indeed accused of being drunk, from which it is clear that by the action of the Spirit they themselves were performing the miracle in the utterance of voices”…

Acts 2:7. And all were amazed and marveled, saying to one another: are not all these who are speaking Galileans? “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?”—that is, first, from a certain part of Palestine where one particular dialect is spoken; and second, from that very part which was especially not renowned for its learning. Both factors, expressed in the name Galileans, magnified the greatness of the miracle and the amazement of its witnesses.

Acts 2:9. Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, “Parthians and Medes and Elamites”—that is, Jews who had come to Jerusalem for the festival from Parthia, Media, and Elam—provinces of the formerly powerful kingdoms of Assyro-Babylonia and Medo-Persia. These lands lay between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf. To these places the inhabitants of the kingdom of Israel were first transported after its destruction by the Assyrians, some 700 years before Christ, and then the inhabitants of the kingdom of Judah as well, after its destruction by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar—about 600 years before Christ. Many of them returned under Cyrus to Palestine, but even more remained in the lands of settlement, unwilling to part with their profitable enterprises. “Residents of Mesopotamia”—of the vast plain along the courses of the Tigris and Euphrates. Here was once the main region of the Assyro-Babylonian and Persian kingdoms, and here too there were especially many Jews transplanted by Nebuchadnezzar. “Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia”—all provinces of Asia Minor, which formed part of the then Roman Empire. In particular—“Asia,” by the Roman reckoning of provinces, was the name for the entire western coastline of Asia Minor, where the provinces of Mysia, Caria, and Lydia were located; its principal city was Ephesus.

Acts 2:10. Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, Jews and proselytes, “The parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene.” Libya is the region to the west of Egypt, representing an immense steppe inhabited only in its northern part along the Mediterranean coastline, where the chief city of the region—Cyrene—was also located. This coastline is what is called here the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene or Cyrenaica. Both here and throughout Egypt there were very many Jews. They had even a special temple there. Here for their use was also made the translation of their sacred books into the commonly accepted Greek language of the time. In Cyrene an entire quarter of the inhabitants were Jews. “Visitors from Rome”—those who had arrived for the festival from Rome, or generally from the cities of the Roman west, where Jews were likewise scattered everywhere. In Rome itself, a whole special quarter was occupied entirely by Jews. “Jews and proselytes”—that is, native Jews and pagans who had adopted the Jewish faith, of whom there were also a considerable number everywhere in the localities listed.

Acts 2:11. Cretans and Arabians—we hear them speaking in our own tongues about the great deeds of God? “Cretans”—inhabitants of the island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea, who spoke a dialect somewhat different from Greek. “Arabians”—inhabitants of Arabia, to the southeast of Palestine, whose language—Arabic—while having some similarities, also had considerable differences from Hebrew. “We hear them speaking in our tongues”—a clear indication that the apostles were indeed speaking in various languages and dialects. “Speaking of the mighty works of God”—τά μεγαλεῖα τοῦ Θεού—that is, about everything that God has shown and shows as great in the world, especially with the coming of the Son of God. In proportion to the greatness of such a subject of discourse, the speech itself was to have the character of sublimity, solemnity, and rapture—generally of inspired glorification and thanksgiving to God.

Acts 2:12. And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another: what does this mean? Acts 2:13. But others, mocking, were saying: they are filled with sweet wine. Acts 2:14. But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: men of Judea, and all who dwell in Jerusalem! let this be known to you, and give ear to my words: “But Peter, standing with the eleven.” As previously, at the deliberation about the election of the twelfth apostle, “Peter served as the mouth of all (says Chrysostom), while the other eleven stood by, confirming his words with their testimony.”

Acts 2:15. these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; As proof that they are not drunk, the apostle points out that “it is now the third hour of the day.” Corresponding to our ninth hour, this was the first of the three daily hours of prayer (the third, sixth, and ninth), coinciding with the offering of the daily morning sacrifice in the temple. And it was the custom of the Jews to eat nothing before this hour—all the more so on so great a festival as Pentecost.

Acts 2:16. but this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: Acts 2:17. And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, I will pour out from my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall be instructed by dreams. “Uttered beforehand through the prophet Joel”—therefore some 700 years before this event (Joel 2:28-32). The prophecy of Joel itself is cited by the author of Acts in a somewhat modified form compared to the original and the Septuagint, as the Lord himself and the apostles often do. Thus, instead of the original indeterminate expression “after that,” in the Apostle Peter’s version we see the more definite expression “in the last days.” This first of all excludes any connection of the prophecy with any nearby Old Testament time, and specifically attributes its fulfillment to the New Testament period—since according to the biblical view, the entire period of the New Testament kingdom of God represents the final epoch of the dispensation of human salvation, after which the last judgment and the kingdom of glory are to follow. In this connection, under the expression “in the last days,” the prophecies usually indicated not only such future events as were to arrive at the end of the Old Testament period and the beginning of the New, but also such as would unfold throughout the entire New Testament period until its end (cf. Isa 2:2; Mic 6 and others). “I will pour out of my Spirit on all flesh.” By the meaning of this expression, the Spirit of God is conceived as a fullness of all gifts, from which this or that gift is poured out upon this or that believer. “Pouring out”—giving in abundance, like rain or water poured out. “On all flesh”—to all people, to all of humanity redeemed by Christ, which will enter into the composition of the new kingdom of Christ, throughout the entire time of its spread on earth, in all peoples, without distinction of Jews and Gentiles. The beginning of the fulfillment of this prophecy the holy Apostle points to in the present moment, so full of such wondrous signs. “They shall prophesy… see visions… dreams” and so on. Since the gifts of the Holy Spirit are innumerably diverse, only some, the more well known in the Old Testament, are listed separately: “prophecy”—as the general action of those who have received the Holy Spirit, “visions”—(in the waking state) and “dreams”—as the two principal means of divine revelation to the prophets (Num 12:6). “Sons… daughters… young men… old men”—an indication that the Holy Spirit will be poured out on all without distinction of sex or age; although the actions of the Holy Spirit are here distributed so that sons and daughters are attributed prophecy, young men visions, and old men dreams; nevertheless, this distribution, made for intensification and beauty of speech, carries the meaning that the Holy Spirit in general will pour out his various gifts on all without distinction.

Acts 2:18. And upon my male servants and upon my female servants in those days I will pour out from my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. “Even on my male servants and my female servants.” In the prophet at this place we find an important feature of the speech, arising from the absence of the addition “my.” There it simply says: “on servants and on female servants.” This latter expression in the prophet more sharply conveys the thought about the superiority of the New Testament outpourings of the Holy Spirit over the Old Testament: throughout the entire Old Testament there is not a single case of a male or female servant possessing the gift of prophecy; meanwhile, in the New Testament, according to the prophet’s thought, this distinction of conditions will disappear with regard to the workings of the Holy Spirit, who will be communicated to all without distinction not only of sex and age but also of human social conditions, since in the kingdom of Christ all will be equal before the Lord and all will be servants of the Lord.

Acts 2:19. And I will show wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below—blood and fire and a vapor of smoke. “I will show wonders.” With the prophecy of the abundant outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the kingdom of the Messiah is joined the prophecy of the last judgment upon the wicked world and the salvation of true worshippers of God. The harbingers of such judgment are special signs in heaven and on earth. Signs on earth: “blood, fire, and vapor of smoke”—symbols of bloodshed, uprisings, wars, devastations… Signs in heaven: the darkening of the sun and the blood-red appearance of the moon. In the figurative language of the sacred writers, these phenomena signify in general great calamities in the world and the coming of God’s judgment upon it.

Acts 2:20. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. “The day of the Lord”—that is, the day of the Messiah, or the time of the Messiah; in New Testament usage—the day of the Messiah’s judgment upon the world, the day of the last judgment. “Great and magnificent”—great by the greatness and decisiveness for humanity of the judgment; magnificent (επιφανῆ)—because the Lord will come “in his glory.”

Acts 2:21. And it shall come to pass: everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Terrible for unbelievers and the wicked, the last judgment will, however, be salvific for all “who call upon the name of the Lord”—calls not merely nominally, for not everyone who says to me: Lord, Lord! will enter the kingdom of heaven, but calls with earnestness, with a good life, with proper confidence”… (Chrysostom). Thus, what is meant here are true believers in the Lord—the righteous. Applying all this prophecy to the event of Pentecost, the Apostle clearly does not present it as having been fulfilled completely on that day, but only indicates the beginning of its fulfillment, which was to continue over the course of the long ages known to God alone, until the final end of all things.

Acts 2:22. Men of Israel! hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested to you by God with powerful works and wonders and signs which God performed through him in your midst, as you yourselves know, Turning to the preaching about Jesus, the Apostle—in the words of Chrysostom—“says nothing lofty, but begins his discourse in a most humble manner…, with wise caution, so as not to burden the hearing of unbelievers.” “Attested to you by God”—that is, in his Messianic dignity and mission. “Signs that God did through him.” “He does not say: He himself did, but God through him—in order to draw them better through humility”…—by the interpretation of Chrysostom. “In your midst”—most immediately, here and in what follows, the inhabitants of Jerusalem are properly meant, and then—all those present, not only as those who may have come into contact with Jesus during his activity throughout all Galilee and Judea, but also as representatives generally of the people responsible for a deed of such important universal human significance. In this sense what follows is also said: “delivered”—that is, by Judas—“you took and, nailing through the hands of lawless men”—that is, the pagan authorities and crucifiers of Christ generally—“killed” (v. 23).

Acts 2:23. this One, delivered up by the definite counsel and foreknowledge of God, you took and, nailing him through the hands of lawless men, killed him; To clarify the seemingly strange circumstance that a man so attested by God (Jesus) could be crucified by the hands of lawless men, the Apostle adds that this happened “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God” (cf. Rom 8:29; Heb 10:5-7), or as blessed Theophylact interprets it: “they did not accomplish by their own power what they dared to do, for he himself consented to this and it had been decreed from above”…

Acts 2:24. but God raised him, having loosed the bonds of death, because it was not possible for death to hold him. “God raised him up”—by the interpretation of blessed Theophylact: “if it is said that the Father raised him, this is on account of the weakness of the listeners; for through whom does the Father act? Through his own power, and the power of the Father is Christ. Therefore he himself raised himself, although it is said that the Father will raise him”… (cf. John 5:26). “Loosing the pangs of death”—Greek λύσας τάς ωδίνας τυῦ θανάτου, more exactly in Slavonic “having loosed the pangs of death.” By the interpretation of blessed Theophylact—“death was in travail (as if in labor) and suffering terribly when it had seized him. A woman giving birth does not hold back what is within her, and does not act, but suffers and hastens to be freed. He beautifully called the resurrection a loosing of the pangs of death, so that one can say: having burst open the pregnant and laboring womb, Christ the Savior appears and comes forth as if from some birthing womb. Therefore he is also called the firstborn from the dead”…

Acts 2:25. For David says concerning him: I saw the Lord before me always, for he is at my right hand so that I would not be shaken. The Apostle confirms the truth of Christ’s resurrection by a particularly authoritative prophetic utterance of King David, from a remarkable passage in his 15th Psalm (Ps 15:8-11). Having quoted this passage fully and precisely from the Septuagint translation (vv. 25–28), the Apostle himself immediately interprets it (vv. 29–31), revealing in himself an evident gift of the Holy Spirit in the understanding of Scripture. Applied to David, the cited passage from his psalm expresses his joyful confidence in the constant help and goodness of God, extending even to God’s not abandoning him beyond the bounds of the grave (incorruption). But if applied to David all this was only partially realized, when applied to the Savior (the Apostle’s expression is significant: “David speaks of him”—that is, of Christ) it was realized with literal precision and completeness, which St. Peter points out.

Acts 2:26. Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad; moreover my flesh also will rest in hope, Acts 2:27. for you will not abandon my soul in Hades, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption. “My flesh will dwell in hope, for you will not abandon,” Greek η σάρη μου κατασκηνώσει επ έλπιδι ότι ουκ εγκαταλείψεις… Slavonic more precisely: “my flesh will dwell in hope, that you will not abandon.” In Russian one would say: “my flesh will dwell” (that is, in the grave) “in hope that you will not abandon.” On these words blessed Theophylact notes: “since Jesus, having received death, put off the flesh he had assumed according to the plan of the economy, in order to raise it again from death: it is accordingly right that his flesh should nourish itself with hope in expectation of immortality”… “You will not abandon my soul to Hades”—that is, you will lead it out of Hades back into life, which will be fully possible given the incorruption of the body—“you will raise” it already for a new and better life (v. 28).

Acts 2:28. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. “You have made known to me the paths of life, you will fill me with gladness in your presence.” “Not without reason did he use these words” (says blessed Theodoret), “mentioning the resurrection, teaching thereby that instead of sorrow he will be in constant joy; and having become, in human nature, impassible, unchanging, and immortal by nature; because as God he had always been thus, and it would not have been difficult for him to impart this also to the nature assumed by him immediately after it was formed in the womb of his mother; but he allowed the nature he assumed to travel the path of suffering, in order thus, having crushed the dominion of sin, to put an end to the tyranny of the devil, to destroy the power of death, and to give all people the possibility of coming to life. Therefore as man he receives both incorruption and immortality”…

Acts 2:29. Brothers! allow me to speak boldly to you about the patriarch David—that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is among us to this day. “I may say to you with confidence.” Intending to speak about the most revered patriarch as one inferior to the crucified Jesus, the Apostle deliberately uses so careful and gentle an expression. “He died and was buried”—as an ordinary person, with whom after his death and burial nothing special or extraordinary occurred—that is, what is properly implied is that he did not rise from the dead, which means that what he said in his own person about the righteous man who would not remain in the grave was not fulfilled in him. “His tomb is with us to this day”—that is, with the remains of his body, which underwent corruption like the bodies of all other people. Chrysostom says, moving on to the interpretation of what follows: “he has now proved what he needed. And after this he still did not move on to Christ, but again speaks in praise of David…, so that they might at least out of respect for David and his lineage receive the word about the resurrection, as though otherwise the prophecy and their honor would suffer”…

Acts 2:30. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn an oath to him that from the fruit of his loins he would raise up Christ in the flesh and seat him on his throne, “God had sworn with an oath.” Such a promise—fulfilled only in the Messiah—is found in 2 Sam 7:12-16; cf. Ps 131.—In its essence it is at the same time a prophecy of the resurrection as well, without which this prophecy could not have been fulfilled. “Set on his throne”—that is, precisely as the Messiah (cf. Luke 1:32). “As in many places of Divine Scripture, so also here—throne is used in place of kingdom” (blessed Theophylact).

Acts 2:32. This Jesus God raised up, of which we are all witnesses. “This Jesus”—this one, and no other, specifically Jesus of Nazareth. “Of that we all are witnesses”—for we saw him risen, conversed with him, ate with him, touched him, and through all this were sufficiently convinced of the reality of his resurrection to have the right to testify about it to others as well.

Acts 2:33. Therefore, having been exalted by the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out what you now see and hear. “Therefore, being exalted at the right hand of God”—Greek τῆ διξιᾶ οῦν οῦ Θεού υξωθείς, Slavonic “at the right hand of God therefore he was exalted”—an expression admitting of two understandings: either—“having been exalted” into heaven by the right hand of God—in the same sense as it was said above that God raised him from the dead (v. 24); or—having been exalted, that is, elevated to sitting at the right hand of the Father in his glorified human flesh. Both interpretations are equally valid and equally meaningful. “Having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit”—that is, having received from the Father the authority to send to those who believe in him the Holy Spirit promised by the Father and by him, proceeding from the Father.

Acts 2:34. For David did not ascend into the heavens; but he himself says: the Lord said to my Lord: sit at my right hand, Having established the truth of Christ’s resurrection on the prophecy of David as the foundational one, the Apostle similarly finds it necessary to establish also the truth of the ascension of Jesus, the immediate consequence of which was the outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This truth the apostle establishes precisely by a reference to the prophetic utterance of David in Psalm 109 (v. 1), attributing the fulfillment of this utterance entirely to Christ. This same utterance is applied to himself by the Lord in his conversation with the Pharisees (Matt 22:42 and following).

Acts 2:36. Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. “The entire house of Israel”—that is, the entire Jewish people. “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ”—in other words: “God has brought it about that this Jesus, whom you crucified, was indeed your true Lord and Christ”—or Messiah (a twofold designation of his Messianic dignity—more general and more specific). “Whom you crucified.” By Chrysostom’s observation—“he beautifully concluded with this, so as to shake their souls thereby.”

Acts 2:37. When they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles: what shall we do, brothers? “They were cut to the heart”—came into heartfelt contrition that the Messiah had been treated so, and were disposed in their hearts to atone for their guilt through faith in him, which is why they ask further: “what shall we do?” “Brothers”—an address full of trust, reverence, and love toward the Apostles, on behalf of whom Peter had spoken.

Acts 2:38. Peter said to them: repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For reconciliation with God and with the Messiah whom they had rejected—Peter proposes repentance and baptism, with their gracious fruits—forgiveness of sins and reception of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. “Let each one be baptized… in the name of Jesus Christ.” By the interpretation of blessed Theophylact—“these words do not contradict the words ‘baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit’ (Matt 28:19), because the Church understands the Holy Trinity as indivisible, so that by virtue of the unity of the three hypostases in essence, one baptized in the name of Christ is baptized into the Trinity, since the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are inseparable in essence.” It is evident that when the Apostle calls for baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, he thereby indicates only the main content of our faith and confession, on which is conditioned the acknowledgment of all that has been revealed by the Son of God who came to earth.

Acts 2:39. For the promise belongs to you and to your children and to all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God shall call. “For you… and for your children”—that is, for descendants in general—“and for all who are far off”—those standing at the most distant degrees of kinship and nearness to the Jewish people. Here one may also think of the Gentiles, about whom the Apostle speaks covertly, sparing the weakness of the Jews, who might perceive something scandalous in granting the Gentiles equal participation in the kingdom of the Messiah. This question had to be resolved by time itself; here—it was necessary to avoid everything that would cast a shadow on the dignity of the new truths being proclaimed. “Everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” The Lord calls all, desires the salvation of all; it is evident that what is intended here are those who, joining their own free will to the Lord’s call, actually realize the calling, accepting repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:40. And with many other words he testified and urged them, saying: save yourselves from this crooked generation. “And with many other words,” which the author of Acts does not reproduce, setting forth only the main substance of what the Apostle said. “Save yourselves from this crooked generation,” σώθητε από τῆς γενεάς τῆς σκολιᾶς ταύτης—more precisely: save yourselves from the generation of the wicked and crooked people of the present time (σκολιός—literally crooked, then cunning, wicked)—from the judgment and punishment of God awaiting these people, who had brought their perversity to so terrible and dangerous an act as the rejection of the Messiah and unbelief in him. This exhortation of the Apostle is applicable to all subsequent ages as well, pointing to the necessity for all Christians to save themselves from the world lying in evil through pure faith in Christ and life according to that faith—to save themselves at the same time from the punishment of God, which inevitably hangs over every evil spreading in the world.

Acts 2:41. So those who gladly received his word were baptized, and on that day about three thousand souls were added. “Were baptized.” Since in Jerusalem and its nearest surroundings there is no sufficiently abundant body of water in which so many people at once could be baptized by immersion, it may be supposed that the baptism itself followed somewhat later, separately for each person, in homes, or in groups at more or less adequate cisterns, through the agency of one or another of the Apostles and disciples of the Lord.

Acts 2:42. And they devoted themselves constantly to the teaching of the Apostles, to fellowship and to the breaking of bread and to prayers. “And they devoted themselves”—Greek: ῆσαν δε πρός καρτερουντες, more exactly in Slavonic: “they were persevering,” literally—“they were tireless” in the apostles’ teaching and so on. It is hard to suppose, of course, that this entire mass of people (3,000 beyond the previous already considerable number of believers) assembled in any one place or house. Most likely—the believers, divided into several groups or communities, gathered in several places, where the apostles instructed them in new truths, prayers, and sacred rites. Between all these communities there existed the closest mutual communion, binding them into one brotherly family, whose soul were the Apostles. “The breaking of bread.” This expression usually signifies the partaking of food (Luke 24:30 and others), but at that time was also used in the other, higher sense of the celebration and participation in the Sacrament of the Eucharist (1 Cor 10:16). Here both meanings may be implied—separately and together—all the more so since that was a time when the Eucharist was customarily concluded with agape meals, with the participation of all the believers, in a spirit of brotherly equality, love, and mutual fellowship. Thus the main features of the initial Christian worship, distinct and independent from the Old Testament worship, are clarified: teaching, the breaking of bread (the Eucharist), and prayers—though the apostles and other believers for a time did not break their connection with the Old Testament temple and its services (Acts 3:1 and others).

Acts 2:43. And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were performed by the Apostles in Jerusalem. “Awe came upon every soul”—that is, properly, upon every unbelieving soul. The unexpected and astonishing manifestations of divine power, the outstanding success of Peter’s preaching, his fiery threats and appeals, the miracles and signs of the apostles—all this could not fail to fill the impressionable soul with trembling, plunging it into deep thought.

Acts 2:44. All who believed were together and held everything in common. The Slavonic text of this verse has an extra line compared to the Greek original and the Russian translation (repeating the beginning of verse 43): “and great awe was upon all of them. And all who believed were together”—that is, gathering in designated places (cf. Acts 1:14) for instruction and prayer, they all together formed a most united family, strong in brotherly love and fellowship. “Had all things in common.” The distinguishing feature of the first Christian brotherly family or community was the sharing of property, which was by no means either compulsory or established by law, but arose completely voluntarily from the elevated impulses of the most vibrant faith and brotherly love of the first Christians toward one another. Here there was no abolition of property rights (cf. Acts 5:4); but completely voluntary distribution or cession of them, in whole or in part, in favor of others who were in need. How long this distinguishing feature of the early Christian communities persisted is unknown; traces of it, in any case, disappear very quickly in history. It may be thought that the disappearance and elimination of this feature was due to the considerable inconveniences and difficulties that the rapid growth and large numbers of the followers of Christ came to increasingly threaten (cf. Acts 6:1).

Acts 2:46. And every day they were together in one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house they shared food with gladness and simplicity of heart, “Day by day, attending the temple together”—that is, being present at the Jewish temple worship—“because, as Chrysostom says, they still rejected nothing Jewish; and even the reverence toward the place was transferred to the Master of the temple”… All temple worship contained in its foundation and embodied the expectation of the Messiah; this made that worship not unprofitable for the Christians either, who differed from the Jews in this case only in that they believed not in the coming but in the already come Messiah. “Breaking bread in their homes.” Greek κάτ ‘ οῖκον allows one to say both “in homes” (different, several) and “in a home” (one). Both have their grounds (cf. v. 42), depending on the size of those assembled and the capacity of the place of gathering (general and partial assemblies). “They received their food with glad and generous hearts.” Cf. v. 12 and Acts 20:7. From the indicated passages of the author of Acts one may conclude that in the very first times of Christianity there were two kinds of love-feasts (agapai): those that were held in various houses, and therefore by separate societies of believers (chiefly in Jerusalem), and those that on certain days—specifically Sundays—were held by the entire assembly of believers. The meal opened and concluded with prayer and the washing of hands. During the meal itself, psalms and other sacred songs were sung, and excerpts from Holy Scripture were read and interpreted. At the beginning, the love-feasts were very widespread and together with the Eucharist were celebrated very often, almost daily. But already in the early centuries of Christianity there were churches in which no trace of these feasts is visible. Justin Martyr, speaking of the celebration of the Eucharist and of the worship among Roman Christians of his time, makes no mention of agapai. Irenaeus says nothing of them either. With the spread of Christianity, the original life of the Christians—which had a family character—increasingly took on the vast dimensions of social, Church-wide life. This led to the situation that the original agapai gradually fell out of use of themselves, given the inevitability of undesirable abuses and disorders that began to mix into them…

Acts 2:47. praising God and being in favor with all the people. And the Lord added daily to the Church those who were being saved. “Praising God”—a general description of the high religious spirit of the first Christian community (Luke 24:53). “Having favor with all the people”—undoubtedly for their strict religiosity, purity of life and virtue, peacefully joyful and benevolent attitude toward all, and the like. “The Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Here, thus, the growth of the Church of Christ is presented not as the work of ordinary growth and development of a society, but as the direct work of the Lord himself, invisibly governing his Church. * * * Those converted from the Gentiles.

Chapter Three

Miraculous healing by the holy Apostle Peter of a man lame from birth (1–11). His speech to the people on this occasion (12–26)

Acts 3:1. Peter and John were going up together to the temple at the ninth hour of prayer. “At the ninth hour of prayer,” επί τήν ώραν τῆς προσεχῆς τήν εννάτην—the Slavonic rendering, “for prayer at the ninth hour,” is somewhat less precise. Both the Greek text and the Russian translation imply by their phrasing that there were other hours of prayer besides the ninth: these other hours were the third and the sixth (by our reckoning, 9 a.m. and noon). The Slavonic, by contrast, expresses it in a way that could suggest the coincidence of the Apostles’ prayer with the ninth hour (3 p.m. our time) was merely incidental. Traces of thrice-daily prayer appear very early in Jewish history: David himself, in one of the Psalms, already points to prayer in the evening, morning, and at noon (Ps 54:18). The prophet Daniel, during the Babylonian captivity, knelt three times a day in prayer (Dan 6:10). In the temple the morning and evening hours (the third and ninth) were marked by the legally prescribed morning and evening sacrifices; it was to one of these prayer hours that the Apostles were going, to offer their prayers to God through the temple worship that He had established and that had not yet lost its significance for them.

Acts 3:2. And there was a man lame from his mother’s womb who was being carried, and they would place him every day at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate, to ask alms from those entering the temple. “Lame from birth” — Acts 4:22 — he was now more than forty years old. The “Beautiful Gate” of the temple, so named probably for its beauty, is mentioned nowhere else. It was likely the main eastern gate (in Solomon’s Porch), leading into the Court of the Gentiles, which Josephus describes as the most beautiful of all, surpassing all the other temple gates in magnificence (Jewish War 5:5, 3).

Acts 3:4. Peter with John, fixing their gaze on him, said: look at us. Acts 3:5. And he fixed his attention on them, hoping to receive something from them. The miracle performed on the lame man was preceded by both the Apostles and the man gazing intently at each other. This was, as it were, a mutual preparation for the miracle. In the case of the lame man, it served as a means of arousing his attention and spiritual receptiveness to the miraculous gift of healing.

Acts 3:6. But Peter said: silver and gold I have none; but what I do have I give to you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. “What I have, I give you.” Even before performing the miracle, the Apostle is fully confident that it will be performed. This confidence was grounded, without doubt, in the Lord’s promises to the Apostles (Mark 16:18; Luke 9:1, John 14:12, and others) and was felt in the sensation of the extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit within himself—which the Apostle expresses in the words: “what I have, I give.” “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” Not by his own power, but in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, does Peter perform this miracle.

Acts 3:7. And taking him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were strengthened, “Taking him by the right hand, he lifted him up.” To his word the Apostle adds a physical action, as the Lord himself had once done.

Acts 3:8. and leaping up he stood, and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. “Walking and leaping”—an expression of the healed man’s soul filled with joyful rapture.

Acts 3:9. And all the people saw him walking and praising God; “And all the people”—that is, those gathered and still gathering in the temple courts—“saw him”—that is, no longer lame but healthy and cheerful.

Acts 3:11. And as the healed lame man would not leave Peter and John, all the people in amazement ran together to them in the porch called Solomon’s. “The porch called Solomon’s”—a spacious covered gallery through which the Beautiful Gate also led into the temple. Here the crowd gathered after the news of the miracle had spread with lightning speed, its best confirmation being the formerly lame man, so well known to everyone, now enthusiastically praising God and not leaving the Apostles.

Acts 3:12. Seeing this, Peter said to the people: men of Israel! why do you marvel at this, or why do you gaze at us as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk? In response to the people’s bewilderment and amazement, Peter delivers another speech, similar to the first (on the day of Pentecost), proving to the people, on the basis of Old Testament testimonies, the Messianic dignity of the Lord Jesus and urging them to repentance and faith in him. But before this he dispels the people’s mistaken understanding of the cause of the miracle. The wondering gaze of the people, fixed on the Apostles, seemed to ask: what power do these men possess that they perform such great miracles? or: how great must be the piety of these men, that God glorifies them with such wondrous signs? The Apostle at once rules out both explanations: “this,” he says, “belongs not to us, for it is not by our own merit that we have drawn down the grace of God”… (Chrysostom).

Acts 3:13. The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Son Jesus, whom you handed over and denied before the face of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” underscores the greater guilt of the Jews toward his beloved Son—the Messiah Jesus—and at the same time points to the true author of the performed miracle, as well as its purpose: the glorification of Jesus (cf. John 17:1). “His Servant,” (τόν παῖδα αυτοῦ)—a title for the Messiah taken from the prophecies of Isaiah (chapters XL–LXVI). “Whom you delivered over and denied”—see John 19:14-15; Luke 23:2 and parallel passages. This brief account of the circumstances of the Savior’s suffering is fully consistent with the Gospel narrative and represents, so to speak, precious excerpts from a “fifth” Gospel “of Peter.” “Two charges,” says Chrysostom here, “namely that Pilate wanted to release him, and that when he wanted to, you did not want to… He was as if saying: in his place you asked for a robber. He presented their deed in the most terrible light… You asked,” he says, “for the release of one who was killing others, and the one who gives life to the slain, you did not want.”

Acts 3:14. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked that a murderer be granted to you, Acts 3:15. and you killed the Author of life. God raised him from the dead, of which we are witnesses. “Killed the Author of life”—a remarkably strong expression that sets two such sharp contrasts against each other. The concept of life here is taken in its fullest and most perfect sense (John 1:4), signifying not only the highest spiritual life and eternal salvation received through faith in Christ, but all life in general, of which Christ is the fundamental source, author, and perfecter. “God raised him from the dead, to which we are witnesses.” See Acts 2:24-32.

Acts 3:16. And by faith in his name, his name has made this man strong—the one you see and know—and the faith that is through him has granted him this healing before you all. “By faith in his name”—whose faith? It is not clear. The faith of the Apostles, or the faith of the sick man? In any case, the cause of the miracle is the power of faith—the faith, it must be said, of both the Apostles and of the one healed—faith specifically in the risen Lord Jesus. “The faith that is through him”—faith as a gift of Christ through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:9). “In the presence of you all.” Although the healing itself took place perhaps in the presence of very few, this miracle could rightly be called performed “before all,” because these very “all” now saw the healed man walking and leaping—instead of seeing him lying helpless by the temple gate as they were accustomed to.

Acts 3:17. Yet I know, brothers, that you, just as your rulers, acted in ignorance; Having set before the eyes of the Jews the weight of their guilt toward God the Father and the Lord Jesus, and intending to incline their hearts toward repentance and turning to Christ, the Apostle softens his speech by addressing his listeners with the friendly term “brothers” and explaining the killing of Jesus as having been done on their part in ignorance (cf. Luke 23:34; 1 Cor 2:8), and at the same time presenting this killing as something predetermined in the eternal counsel of God and foretold by all the prophets.—Thus, in the words of Chrysostom, the Apostle “gives them the opportunity to disown and repent of what they have done, and even presents a plausible excuse on their behalf, saying: that you killed an Innocent man, this you knew; but that you killed the Author of life—this, perhaps, you did not know. And thus—he not only acquits them of the crime but also the chief authors of the evil. For if he had turned his speech into an accusation, he would have made them more hardened”…

Acts 3:18. but what God foretold through the mouths of all his prophets—that Christ would suffer—he has thus fulfilled. “God foretold by the mouth of all his prophets that his Christ would suffer.” Although not all the prophets prophesied specifically about the sufferings of Christ, the Apostle speaks of them in this way evidently because the central focus of all Hebrew prophecy in general was Christ the Messiah, and consequently—all his work, for the sake of which he had to come to earth. “He has thus fulfilled.” The Jews handed the Messiah over to suffering and death, but in doing so, while remaining independent and responsible agents, they became instruments of the fulfillment of God’s will and the will of the Messiah himself, as he had himself said more than once (John 10:18).

Acts 3:19. Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be blotted out, “Turn back”—that is, to Christ as the Messiah; believe in him.

Acts 3:20. that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus Christ, who was appointed for you, “Times of refreshing”—that is, the favorable year whose arrival the Lord himself had proclaimed in the Nazareth synagogue—the kingdom of the Messiah, the kingdom of grace with its righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Just as the Old Testament is here presupposed to be a life of estrangement from God, a life full of all manner of troubles, sufferings, and struggles, so the New Testament is viewed here as true rest and refreshment of the soul in peace with God and close communion with him, capable of erasing and healing every bitterness of suffering. “From the presence of the Lord”—judging by what follows, God the Father is meant here. “That he may send”—the reference is to the second glorious coming of the Lord Jesus at the end of the world, and the meaning of the expression is the same as the one above—“God raised him” and so on.

Acts 3:21. whom heaven must receive until the times of the restoration of all things, which God spoke through the mouths of all his holy prophets from ages past. “Whom heaven must receive”—a reference to the Lord Jesus remaining in heaven with his glorified body since the day of his ascension. “Until the times of restoring all things,” άχρι χρόνων αποκαταστάσεως πάντων—more accurately, until the times of the restoration of all things. This likely refers to the same thing that the Apostle Paul foretold when speaking of the conversion of all Jews to Christ (Rom 11:26). “By the mouth of all his holy prophets”—see above, on verse 18. The general meaning of this text, according to the interpretation of blessed Theophylact, is that “much of what the prophets foretold has not yet been fulfilled, but is being fulfilled and will continue to be fulfilled until the end of the world, because Christ, who ascended to heaven, will remain there until the end of the world and will come in power when, at last, everything that the prophets foretold has been fulfilled.”

Acts 3:22. Moses said to the fathers: the Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet from among your brothers, like me; listen to him in everything he says to you; Having mentioned the prophecies of the prophets about Christ, the Apostle quotes as one of the clearest and most authoritative prophecies the words of Moses (Deut 18:15 and following). In these words Moses, warning the people of God against the false diviners and soothsayers of Canaan, promises in the name of God that they will always have true prophets whom, after Moses, they must obey without question. The reference is, in the immediate sense, to the entire company of the Hebrew prophets, spoken of collectively under the common name “the prophet,” raised up by God. But since the end and fulfillment of all Old Testament prophecy is Christ, it is right that all antiquity—both Jewish and Christian—applied this prophecy to Christ, all the more so because among all the Old Testament prophets there had been no prophet like Moses (Deut 34:10-12). Only Christ surpassed Moses (Heb 3:3-6). “A Prophet like me,” πρυφήτην—that is, the same kind of special, extraordinary mediator between God and the people as Moses was. This points especially to the legislative activity of Jesus Christ, in which he, unlike all other prophets, resembled and surpassed Moses.

Acts 3:23. and it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that Prophet will be cut off from the people. “Will be cut off from the people,” εξολοθρευθήσεται εκ τοῦ λαοῦ. The original says “I will require it of him.” The Apostle replaces this with another, stronger expression frequently used elsewhere in Moses, meaning condemnation to destruction or the death penalty; in the present case it refers to eternal death and exclusion from participation in the kingdom of the promised Messiah (cf. John 3:18).

Acts 3:24. And all the prophets, from Samuel and those who came after, as many as have spoken, also announced these days. “All the prophets… proclaimed these days”—that is, the days of the appearing of the great prophet-Messiah (cf. verses 18 and 21). “From Samuel,” who is taken here as the greatest prophet after Moses, with whom begins the unbroken succession of the Old Testament Hebrew prophets, ending with the close of the Babylonian captivity.

Acts 3:25. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham: and in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. The interpretation of blessed Theophylact: “He says ‘sons of the prophets’ instead of saying: do not despair or think that you have been deprived of the promises. ‘You are sons of the prophets,’ so that they were speaking to you, and everything was accomplished for your sake. And what does ‘sons of the Covenant’ mean? That means ‘heirs,’ but heirs not merely by adoption, but as true sons. So, if you yourselves wish it, you are heirs.” “God made a covenant with your fathers, saying to Abraham.” The covenant with Abraham was a covenant with all the fathers of the Jewish people, who have Abraham as their forefather, and thus with the entire Jewish people. But this is not exclusive: the blessing of God was promised not to them alone, to the Jews, but to all the families of the earth—to the Jews first only, by the particular covenant made with them through Moses. “In your offspring all will be blessed”—the promise to Abraham, repeated more than once by God (Gen 12:3). By the “offspring” of Abraham here is meant not the descendants of Abraham in general, but one particular Person from that lineage, namely the Messiah. This is how not only Peter but also the Apostle Paul interprets it (Gal 3:16).

Acts 3:26. God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to you first to bless you by turning each one of you from your evil deeds. In saying that God sent the blessed descendant of Abraham “first” to the Jews, or “before all others” to the Jews, the Apostle seeks to show not merely their advantage over all other peoples, but also the most powerful incentive and, as it were, obligation to receive before all others the promised blessing—through turning to Christ and faith in him. “Having raised up his Servant”—see above on Acts 2:24. “Sent him to bless you”—that is, to fulfill in you the promise given to Abraham, to make you the blessed recipients of all the blessings of the Messiah’s kingdom, to grant you salvation and eternal life. “Therefore, do not consider yourselves rejected and cast off”—Chrysostom concludes. “By turning from your evil deeds”—the essential condition for receiving the promised blessing of God in the kingdom of the Messiah, into which nothing unclean or unrighteous will enter. In speaking of Israel’s priority in receiving the blessings of the Messiah’s kingdom, the Apostle again repeats the thought of the universality of the Messiah’s kingdom, which is destined to extend to all the families of the earth.

Chapter Four

The imprisonment of Peter and John and the outcome of Peter’s speech (1–4). The interrogation of the Apostles before the Sanhedrin and their response (5–12). The Sanhedrin’s perplexity and the release of the Apostles (13–22). The prayer of the Apostles and a new miraculous sign (23–31). The inner life of the early Church (32–37)

Acts 4:1. While they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came upon them, Acts 4:2. being deeply troubled because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead; Acts 4:3. and they laid their hands on them and put them in custody until the morning, for it was already evening. “While they were speaking”—consequently, the Apostles’ speech was “interrupted” by the priests. “The priests and the captain of the temple guard came,” οί ιερεῖς καί ο στρατηγός τοῦ ιεροῦ… The definite articles in the Greek original point here to specific priests who were on duty that week for service in the temple (cf. Luke 1:8). The priests intervene here out of indignation that the Apostles, without what they considered lawful authorization, were teaching the people in the temple. “The captain of the guard,” which consisted of Levites and oversaw decorum, quiet, and order in the temple, especially during worship. He was also a priest. “The Sadducees”—they participate in the arrest of the Apostles out of indignation at their teaching on the resurrection of the dead, which they, as is well known, did not accept. Although as a “first” measure against the Apostles’ disturbance of the peace in the temple it would have been quite sufficient simply to remove them or merely forbid them to speak—in practice, however, we see far more. The priests and the others who came with them “laid hands” on the Apostles and “put them in custody until morning.” This suggests that the activities and persons of the Apostles had already attracted the uneasy attention of the authorities, and this latest incident in the temple simply furnished a sufficient pretext for bringing them before the highest court. “It was already evening.” The Apostles had gone for prayer at the ninth hour (3 p.m. our time). A considerable time could have passed between the healing of the lame man and Peter’s speech to the crowd, while news of the miracle spread and the people gathered. Peter’s speech itself may have been lengthy, perhaps recorded by the author only in its essential outline. It is thus understandable that the arrest took place at a time of evening when it would have been difficult to convene the Sanhedrin, and such haste was unnecessary in any case: it was sufficient to do what was done—hold them in custody until morning.

Acts 4:4. But many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of such men was about five thousand. “About five thousand men” (ανδρῶν)—besides, it seems, women and children. The number converted this time exceeded even the first success of the day of Pentecost, evidently because, in addition to the power of the apostolic word and the greatness of the miracle, the people themselves had by now become more predisposed to faith in Christ by all the conduct of the believers, who evoked the people’s sympathy, and by the extraordinary deeds of the Apostles. Chrysostom gives an excellent explanation of the success of apostolic preaching: “about five thousand believed”… What does this mean? Did they see the Apostles in glory? Did they not, on the contrary, see them bound? How then did they believe? You see the manifest power of God! For even those who believed should have been made weaker by this, yet they were not. Peter’s speech had sown deep seeds and had touched their souls.

Acts 4:5. On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, Acts 4:6. along with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family; From the enumeration of those gathered in Jerusalem it is clear that this was a full assembly of the Sanhedrin—in the same composition as at the trial of Jesus Christ (Annas, Caiaphas). “John and Alexander and the rest”—members of the high-priestly family unknown from history, who apparently held great influence in the Sanhedrin at that time.

Acts 4:7. and having placed them in the midst they were asking: by what power or in what name did you do this? It is doubtful that the members of the Sanhedrin did not know “by what name” and “by what power” the Apostles had performed the miracle that brought them before the highest court. If nevertheless they still pose such a question, it is either in order to base an accusation of blasphemy on the Apostles’ own admission, or else—according to Chrysostom’s interpretation—“they supposed that the Apostles, fearing the multitude, would deny it, and they thought that in this way they would set everything right.”

Acts 4:8. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: rulers of the people and elders of Israel! “Filled with the Holy Spirit”—in a special way, for the defense of a righteous cause, in accordance with Christ’s promise (Matt 10:19-20 and others).

Acts 4:9. If we are being called to account today for a good deed done to a crippled man, as to how he was healed, The conditional form of the Apostles’ response to the Sanhedrin’s question contains first of all a pointed and powerful indication of the injustice of putting the Apostles on trial for helping a sick man. “For this we should of course be crowned”—so the Apostles are, as it were, saying (Chrysostom)—“and proclaimed as benefactors; yet instead we are being judged for a kindness shown to a sick man, who was poor, powerless, and of low station.”

Acts 4:10. let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man stands before you in good health. The Apostle points to the indisputable reality of the healing miracle and to the power by which it was performed. That power is the power and name of Jesus.

Acts 4:11. He is the stone that was rejected by you builders but has become the cornerstone, and there is salvation in no one else, Acts 4:12. for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. In explaining the significance and power of the name of Jesus, the Apostle quotes a saying from a Psalm, which the Lord himself once applied to himself before the rulers of the Jews (Ps 117:22; cf. Matt 21:42). According to the meaning of this saying, the Messiah is portrayed as the fundamental cornerstone which the builders of the edifice have rejected. The crucified Christ was precisely this Stone, which they—the builders, the leaders of the people’s religious and moral life—had rejected in the construction of the people’s theocratic life; but despite everything, this Stone, by God’s will, has nonetheless become the head and foundation of the new edifice of the Kingdom of God on earth. Boldly applying this meaning to the contemporary rulers of the people who had crucified Jesus, the Apostle closes his speech with the majestic confession of Jesus as the true Messiah, whose name—and his name alone—contains in its power the salvation of all under heaven: not only temporal (such as the healing of the sick man), but—what is still more important—eternal and universal (salvation from sins with all their consequences, including death itself).

Acts 4:13. Now seeing the boldness of Peter and John and observing that they were uneducated and common men, they were marveling; yet they recognized them as having been with Jesus; “The boldness of Peter and John,” who had moved from the position of the accused to that of well-grounded accusers of the Sanhedrin in full session, gained force from their widely-known lack of formal education and simple background, evoking understandable astonishment and confusion. “It is possible to be both learned and not simple, and to be both simple and uneducated, but here both coincided. Hence their astonishment when Peter and John spoke and gave speeches” (Theophylact).

Acts 4:14. but seeing the healed man standing with them, they had nothing to say in opposition. The recognition in the Apostles of Jesus’s constant companions assured everyone that these men were indeed continuing the work of their Teacher, so hated by the entire Sanhedrin, which had only just handed the Lord over to death. This seemed, apparently, to make the condemnation of the Apostles to the same fate inevitable, through accusation of religious or political transgression. But the presence of the healed man himself on this occasion paralyzed every resolution of the Sanhedrin, which could say nothing against the true explanation of the miracle presented by the Apostles. How did the healed man come to be in the Sanhedrin? Probably at the order of the authorities themselves, who hoped to force from him a denial of the miraculous nature of the healing, as once happened at the healing of the man born blind by the Lord (John 9). But as then, so now, the Sanhedrin miscalculated and only compounded its own disgrace and injustice.

Acts 4:15. And having ordered them to go outside the Sanhedrin, they conferred with one another, Acts 4:16. saying: what shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed by them is known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it; Acts 4:17. but so that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them with threats not to speak to anyone in this name. Acts 4:18. And having called them in, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. The decision taken by the Sanhedrin in the case of the Apostles is the decision of people who have lost their composure. They themselves say that the Apostles’ notable miracle is known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and yet at the same time they issue an order that it not be spread among the people. However, the intent of the decision seems directed more at the manner of explaining the miracle than at the miracle itself as a fact—forbidding the spread of which was already too late and naïve. The Sanhedrin forbids specifically speaking about the “name” of Jesus, by whose power the Apostles explained the miracle. “What madness!”—Chrysostom exclaims on this occasion—“knowing that Christ had risen and having in this proof of his divinity, they hoped by their schemes to conceal the glory of One who had not been held by death. What can compare with this madness? And do not be surprised that they are again plotting something impossible. Such is the nature of malice: it takes no account of anything but is always in confusion”… “Not to speak at all to anyone or to teach in the name of Jesus”—neither to speak in private nor to teach in public.

Acts 4:19. But Peter and John answered them: judge for yourselves whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God. “Whether it is right… to listen to you rather than to God.” The Apostles do their work by the command of God, the evident and sufficient sign of which is the miracles. This command is all the more binding and authoritative for them because it instructs them to preach not some remote, abstract, unverified truths, but what they themselves have seen and heard. To give up the right to speak about this is “impossible,” for it would be equivalent to making a reasonable person mute. This also makes it understood that the Sanhedrin’s command itself had gone beyond the bounds of consistency with the demands of sound reason and the laws of conscience, and as such more justly deserved the fate to which it now dares to condemn the divine commands.

Acts 4:21. They threatened them further and then released them, finding no basis for punishing them, on account of the people; because everyone was glorifying God for what had happened. “Finding no way to punish them,” Greek μηδέν ευρίσκοντες τό πῶς κοκάσωνται αντούς—more precisely in the Slavonic: “finding nothing, how to punish them”—that is: finding no grounds, no basis on which to punish them. “Because of the people” (cf. Matt 21 and the like), out of fear of them, given such massive sympathy and support for the Apostles.

Acts 4:23. After being released, they came to their own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them. “They went to their friends.” At this time their friends were gathered in a common assembly (verse 31), probably praying for the release of the Apostles and for a successful outcome of their case (cf. Acts 12:5).

Acts 4:24. When they heard this, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: Sovereign Lord God, who made the heaven and earth and sea and everything in them! Acts 4:25. You, through the mouth of our father David your servant, said by the Holy Spirit: why do the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot vain things? Acts 4:26. The kings of the earth rose up, and the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ. Acts 4:27. For truly in this city they gathered together against your holy Son Jesus, whom you anointed—both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel — “With one accord… they said.” Likely one of those present—perhaps Peter—was the spokesman for the prayerful feelings of the believers, who, repeating in themselves the words of his prayer, thereby made it the unanimous prayer of the whole community (cf. Acts 1:24). The prayer is grounded in a saying from the second Psalm of David (Ps 2:1-2), which with Gospel-like vividness portrays the uprising of kings and rulers of the peoples against the Messiah and the one who sent him—which came to pass at the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus. Since the Apostles were continuing the work of the Messiah, the present uprising against them was likewise an uprising “against the Lord and against his Christ,” which is why it evoked a prayer for their protection and strengthening. “They cite the prophecy as though demanding from God the fulfillment of the promise, and at the same time comforting themselves with the fact that their enemies plan only in vain. Thus their words mean: bring all this to its end and show that they planned in vain.” (Chrysostom; cf. Theophylact). The authorship of the quoted Psalm by David is not apparent from the heading of the Psalm itself, but is here indicated by the Apostles presumably on the basis of tradition. “Whom you anointed,” όν έχρισας—more precisely in the Slavonic: “whom you anointed.” This took place at his baptism, with the descent of the Holy Spirit upon him.

Acts 4:28. to do whatever your hand and your counsel had predetermined to take place. “To do this.” The enemies of Christ wanted to do something entirely different—to kill Jesus as a rejected Messiah—but in reality, without knowing it themselves, they did what the hand of God’s almighty power had predestined: through the death of the Messiah, to redeem all of humanity and restore it to its former dignity and glory (cf. Chrysostom and Theophylact).

Acts 4:29. And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, Acts 4:30. while you stretch out your hand for healings and for the performing of signs and wonders through the name of your holy Son Jesus. “While you stretch out your hand to heal,” Greek εν τῶ τήν χειρά σου εκτείνειν σε ειτ ίασιν—more precisely in the Slavonic: “when you stretch out your hand for healings.” This does not simply point to the signs accompanying the Apostles’ work, as the Russian translation inadequately conveys, but expresses the necessary condition that makes their work successful—and is therefore also the subject of their prayer. “Grant us to speak your word boldly, while you help on your side with miraculous healings and signs”—this is the thought of the Apostles, distorted by the Russian translation.

Acts 4:31. And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. “The place was shaken”—this was not a natural earthquake, but a miraculous one (already from the fact that only “the place of assembly” was shaken), signifying that God had heard their prayer, and at the same time serving as a precursor of another subsequent miraculous event—the filling of the believers with the bold power of the Holy Spirit. It was also a symbol of God’s omnipotence, assuring the Apostles that they need not fear the threats of the Sanhedrin, that he who shakes the place of their prayer meeting is able to protect them (Chrysostom, Theophylact). Thus, in encouragement of the assembled believers, the Lord immediately fulfilled their prayer and granted what they had asked: to speak with boldness and to support their word with signs and wonders. So they did speak in this way, and the place of assembly “was shaken.”

Acts 4:32. The whole multitude of those who had believed was of one heart and one soul; and no one called any of his possessions his own, but everything was common to them all. Acts 4:33. And the Apostles were testifying to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ with great power; and great grace was upon them all. The miraculous healing of the lame man and the great moral victory of the Apostles over the Sanhedrin at its first assault on the new community was a great event in the early Christian Church. From this point on the community of Christians grew nearly threefold compared to those who had believed on the first day of Pentecost. Therefore the author again finds it necessary to make general observations about the inner life of this enlarged community (verses 32–37). As the principal characteristic feature of this community, he points to the fact that among this multitude there was complete unanimity and brotherly love: “one heart and one soul”—perfect unity in thought, feeling, will, faith, and the entire order of spiritual life. Truly a wondrous phenomenon in a sinful, self-serving world. Another characteristic feature, naturally flowing from the first, was complete sharing of goods, not by compulsion or any law binding upon all, but entirely voluntarily, by the power of the brotherly love and moral unity animating all. “No one called anything his own”—though there was property, it was fraternally shared with all who were in need, according to their need, creating common sufficiency and a complete absence of those in want. This was the most characteristic and most grand society of mutual aid in human history, not lacking a wise and elaborate organization, with a special common fund that on the one hand was continuously replenished by the proceeds of donated and sold properties for the common benefit, and on the other continuously ensured the complete absence of poor and destitute people in the community. And at the head of this wise organization stood not great statesmen, but simple Galilean fishermen—the Apostles, or rather the abundantly “flowing through them new power of truly Christian grace-inspired enthusiasm,” the power of faith and love for the Savior (“great grace was upon them all”). In describing the intensity of the believers’ high enthusiasm, the author mentions the great power of the Apostles’ preaching “about the resurrection of the Lord.” This resurrection is the foundation of all Christian faith (1 Cor 15:14) and is therefore also the foundation and center of all apostolic preaching—being not the exclusive but simply the predominant, fundamental subject of that preaching.

Acts 4:34. There was not a needy person among them; for all who owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold Acts 4:35. and laid them at the feet of the Apostles; and it was distributed to each as anyone had need. “As many as were owners,” όσοι κτήτορες… υπῆρχον—the more precise meaning of the expression is not “all who were” but “those who were.” Likewise, “sold them” does not say that the owners “sold everything,” leaving nothing for themselves. Both were a matter of each person’s own good will and brotherly love, permitting the most varied degrees, entirely free of any hint of outside compulsion (cf. Acts 5:4). “Laid it at the Apostles’ feet”—placing it entirely at their disposal and direction.

Acts 4:36. Thus Joseph, called Barnabas by the Apostles, which means son of consolation, a Levite, a native of Cyprus, As an example of the commendable gifts mentioned—probably the most instructive of them all—the author points to Joseph, surnamed by the Apostles Barnabas, meaning “son of encouragement.” This Barnabas, later so well known as the companion of the Apostle Paul, was a prophet (Acts 13:1), and his surname likely referred to the particularly comforting quality of his inspired prophetic speeches (1 Cor 14:3). He was also a “Levite.” This too is remarkable: until now there had been no instance of the sacred tribe bowing before Christ in faith. But soon there begin to appear references to many priests who submitted to the Christian faith (Acts 6:7). “A native of Cyprus”—from the island of Cyprus, the closest to the Palestinian coast in the Mediterranean Sea.

Acts 4:37. who owned a field, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the feet of the Apostles. Priests and Levites could hold real property, as is evident already from the example of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 32 and following).

Chapter Five

Ananias and Sapphira (1–10). Further successes of the Church of Christ and the Apostles (11–16). A new persecution by the Sanhedrin: the Apostles’ imprisonment, their release by an angel, preaching in the temple, their appearance before the Sanhedrin (17–33). The wise counsel of Gamaliel (34–39). The first sufferings for the name of Christ (40–42)

Acts 5:1. But a certain man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, “Sold a piece of property,” Greek επώλησε κτῆμα—the Slavonic “sold a village” is more accurate: he sold a plot of land (in verse 8—a plot—τό χωρίον—land, a small estate, a field).

Acts 5:2. and kept back part of the proceeds, with the knowledge of his wife, and brought only a certain portion and laid it at the feet of the Apostles. “Kept back some of the proceeds”—the “concealment” of the truth was itself a dishonorable act. But here it was even more criminal, because Ananias claimed to have brought everything that had been received for the land. This was not only an expression of shameful self-interest, but a deliberate, conscious lie and hypocrisy. By deceiving the entire Christian community with the Apostles at its head, they wanted to appear as self-sacrificing for the poor as the others, while in fact they were not: they served two masters while wanting to appear as serving one. Thus, instead of truthfulness and sincerity, two qualities most hostile to the holy Christian community enter it—Pharisaic hypocrisy and the greed of Judas.

Acts 5:3. But Peter said: Ananias! why have you allowed Satan to put it into your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds from the land? “Peter said”—having learned of this lie and hypocrisy not from anyone else, but from the Holy Spirit who filled him. “Why has Satan filled your heart?” Greek διά τί επλήρωσεν ο σατανᾶς τήν καρδίαν σου ψεύσασθαί σε—more precisely in the Slavonic: “why has Satan filled your heart to lie.” Thus, more precisely and better, the beauty of the original might be rendered: “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the price of the land”? In the act of Ananias, Peter reveals the work of Satan—“the father of lies” (John 8:44) and the ancient enemy of the Holy Spirit and the work of the Messiah—and therefore forestalls the entry of this most dangerous evil with so resolute and severe a measure. It is possible that self-interest, lies, and hypocrisy had developed in Ananias and Sapphira not without prior hidden growth, as in Judas—that their inner life had not been marked by special purity even before, that the seeds of evil had long since taken root in them and had only now borne their ruinous fruit. “Some say: if Satan filled the heart of Ananias, why was he punished? Because he himself was the cause of Satan filling his heart, since he had prepared himself to receive the action of Satan and to be filled with his power” (Theophylact). The concealment of the price of the land is treated here as a lie to the Holy Spirit, because Peter and the other Apostles, as representatives of the Church, were preeminently the bearers and organs of the Holy Spirit, who was active in the Church.

Acts 5:4. While it remained unsold, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was the money not in your own control? Why have you put this in your heart? You did not lie to men but to God. “While it remained, did it not remain yours?” Greek ουχί μένον, σοί έμενε—Slavonic: “was it not yours while it remained?”—more precisely rendered: “while remaining with you, did it not remain with you?” Ananias could have disposed of his property as he wished, even without selling it at all. “Was there any necessity? Are we forcing you by compulsion?” (Chrysostom). And if Ananias decided to sell it, again the money was entirely in his possession, and he could have disposed of it as he wished—could have given everything to the fund for the poor, could have given a part, could have given nothing at all. Neither the one, nor the other, nor the third matters here as much as the fact that, having brought only part of the money, he presents this part as the full sum received. “See,” says Chrysostom, “how he is accused of the fact that, having consecrated his money, he then took it back? Could you not,” he says, “after selling the property, use it as your own? Was there anyone to stop you? Why do you seize it after having promised to give it? Why,” he says, “did you do this? You wanted to keep it for yourself? You should have kept it from the start and not made the promise.” “You have not lied to men, but to God”—it was said above—“to the Holy Spirit.” A lie before “the Holy Spirit” is thus a lie before “God”—one of the clearest testimonies to the divinity of the Holy Spirit as a distinct divine Person.

Acts 5:5. Hearing these words, Ananias fell down breathless; and great fear came upon all who heard it. “Ananias fell down and died,” Greek πεσών εζέψυζε—more precisely in the Slavonic: “falling, he gave up the ghost.” This was not a natural nervous stroke from the powerful shock of the exposure of his act, but a miraculous direct punishment of God upon the transgressor. “Three miracles in one and the same case: the first consisted in Peter knowing what had been done in secret; the second—in his discerning the mental disposition of Ananias; and the third—in Ananias losing his life at a single command” (Theophylact).—The severity of the punishment is proportionate to the gravity of the transgressor’s guilt against the Holy Spirit, for this is the sin of Judas, a sin moreover threatening danger to the whole community and therefore requiring an exemplary punishment, “so that the punishment of two might be a lesson for many”—(Jerome). “Great fear came upon all who heard it”—the event appears to have taken place in a common solemn, possibly liturgical, assembly, and the “young men” mentioned later were probably the usual attendants performing various duties in the already quite organized community, similar to those serving in the synagogues. Therefore these young men, as soon as they saw the one who had fallen lifeless, arose from the assembly and without any special order, as though aware of their duty, went to the lifeless man and carried him out for burial. In the fear or perhaps hurry and uncertainty as to his wife’s whereabouts—or rather, by divine dispensation—she is not informed of what had happened and arrives, as a participant in her husband’s sin, to share his punishment as well.

Acts 5:7. About three hours later his wife also came in, not knowing what had happened. “About three hours later”—the precision of the time indication points to the exactness and complete reliability of the narrative. These three hours passed in burying Ananias, with all the preparations involved, especially if the burial place was not nearby. The speed of burial—within three hours of death—is nothing strange in the East. “And his wife came in,” ειςῆλθεν—more precisely in the Slavonic: “she entered”—that is, into the house, into the place of assembly, which apparently had not yet dispersed, so that Peter, in asking Sapphira whether they had sold the land for so much, was probably pointing to the money still lying at the Apostle’s feet. “Peter did not summon her,” Chrysostom says, “but waited until she came of her own accord. And none of the others dared to tell her about what had happened; this is fear before the teacher, this is the respect and obedience of disciples. Three hours had passed—and the wife had not found out, and no one present had said anything about it, though there had been enough time for the news to spread. But they were in fear. The author himself speaks of this with astonishment: ‘not knowing what had happened.’”

Acts 5:8. Peter asked her: tell me, did you sell the land for such a price? She said: yes, for such a price. “For this amount?”—“Peter,” says Theophylact, “wanted to save her, for the husband had been the instigator of the sin. That is why he gives her time to clear herself and repent, saying: tell me, was it for this amount?” “Yes, for that amount.” The same lie, the same hypocrisy, the same self-interest as with Ananias.

Acts 5:9. But Peter said to her: why did you agree together to test the Spirit of the Lord? See, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door; and they will carry you out. “Test the Spirit of the Lord”—that is, to try by deception, as it were, to test whether he is truly omniscient. “Look, they are coming,” Greek ιδού οι πόδες τῶν θαψάντων… επί τῆ θύρα—more precisely in the Slavonic: “behold, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door.” The young men who had buried Ananias were returning at that moment, and Peter takes this occasion to pronounce the same judgment upon the wife as the husband had suffered: “they will carry you out!”—that is, dead, for burial. Whether Peter intended with his words to strike Ananias dead (verse 4), or whether it was an act of God independent of Peter’s will and intention, is not directly apparent from the text. But when Ananias had already been struck dead, the Apostle, in speaking these words to Sapphira, could already be confident that the same would happen to her as to her husband, given their equal guilt, and could pronounce the dreadful—“they will carry you out!”

Acts 5:10. She fell immediately at his feet and gave up her spirit. The young men came in, found her dead, and carried her out and buried her beside her husband. “She died”—not by the natural effect of a stroke, but by the special action of God, as had her husband (verse 5). “Note” (says Theophylact here) “that among their own the Apostles are strict, but among outsiders they refrain from punishments; both are natural. The latter was needed so that no one would think they were compelling people against their will to convert to the true faith by the fear of punishment; the former—so as not to allow those who had already converted to faith and been deemed worthy of heavenly instruction and spiritual grace to become contemptible and sacrilegious, especially at the beginning, since this would have been an occasion for defaming their preaching.”

Acts 5:11. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard it. “And great fear came upon the whole Church”—τήν εκκλησίαν. This is the first use of the name “Church” for the community of Christians. The repeated reference to a sense of fear speaks to its extraordinary nature. From the striking effect of God’s judgment, the fear that had at first gripped only those who witnessed the event now spread to “the whole Church”—that is, to the entire Christian community—and to “all who heard of these things,” that is, those outside the Church to whose hearing the news had only come.

Acts 5:12. And many signs and wonders were performed among the people by the hands of the Apostles; and they were all together with one accord in Solomon’s porch. Preparing to pass on to the narrative of a new persecution of the Apostles by the Sanhedrin, the author makes several general observations about the state of the Church of Christ at that time. He mentions first of all the multitude of signs and wonders performed not by Peter alone but by the Apostles in general. These signs and wonders were performed “among the people” who did not yet believe in Christ, evidently in order to draw them to that faith. “They were all together in Solomon’s Porch.” This beloved place of the Apostles—a large covered gallery at the main entrance to the temple—was obviously a particularly convenient place for their gatherings.

Acts 5:13. But of the outsiders no one dared to join them, yet the people held them in high esteem. “None of the outsiders dared join them.” So strong was the feeling of a kind of reverent awe and bewilderment before them as extraordinary people, especially when they were seen in their unanimous spirit of reverent prayer.

Acts 5:15. so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and cots, so that at least the shadow of Peter as he passed might fall on some of them. Amid the great number of miraculous healings performed by the apostolic hands in general, the author notes the special wonder of Peter’s healings, such that even his shadow, falling on the sick, granted them healing. True, the author does not state this directly, but makes it sufficiently understood from the fact that the sick were carried out into the street for the shadow of the passing Peter to fall upon them. Evidently the people had become convinced of the healing power of Peter’s shadow, and convinced of this not otherwise than through experiences of healing by that shadow. Just as the mere touch of Christ’s garment, even without other acts of Christ, was accompanied by healing of those who touched it (Matt 9:20 and others), so the mere falling of Peter’s shadow produced healing. “Great is the faith of those who come,” says Chrysostom on this occasion, “even greater than it was in the time of Christ. In the time of Christ there was no instance of sick people receiving healing in the streets and from a shadow. Why did this happen? Because Christ had foretold it, saying (John 14:12): ‘the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do.’ Thus ‘admiration for the Apostles was growing on every side: from those who believed, from those who were healed, from those who were punished, and from the boldness of their preaching, and from their virtuous and blameless life’” (Theophylact).

Acts 5:17. But the high priest and all those who were with him, belonging to the sect of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy, As is evident from the preceding account of the inner state of the Christian community and of the people’s attitude toward it, the Church of Christ was flourishing inwardly and was honored by the people. Naturally, the murderers of the Lord, who had been moved by jealousy toward his glory, were filled with jealousy toward his disciples, who were so honored by the people. “The high priest”—probably Caiaphas, who was then the ruling high priest, which is why he is not named. “And all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees)…” Greek καί πάντες οί σύν αυτῶ (η οῦσα αίρεσις τῶν σαδδουκαίων)—more precisely in the Slavonic: “and all who were with him, the party of the Sadducees”; this shows that the high priest himself belonged to the heretical sect of the Sadducees and was its representative. Josephus explicitly states that one son of Ananus or Annas (the father-in-law of Caiaphas) belonged to the sect of the Sadducees (Antiquities XX, 9, 1). In this time of national dissolution, deviation into heresy by the high priest himself was possible—perhaps covert and with certain precautions.

Acts 5:18. and they laid their hands on the Apostles and put them in the public prison. “Laid hands on the Apostles”—used force, treating them as criminals.

Acts 5:19–20. But an angel of the Lord during the night opened the doors of the prison and, leading them out, said: go and, standing in the temple, speak to the people all these words of life. “Stand in the temple and speak,” σταθέντες λαλεῖτε εν τῶ ιερῶ—more precisely in the Slavonic: “standing, speak in the church.” The more persistent the persecution by the enemies becomes, the more clearly the Lord shows his help to those who are persecuted—partly to admonish and terrify the persecutors, but generally for the spread and establishment of the newly-founded Church. The angel commands them to speak “in the temple”—boldly, fearlessly, without being frightened by threats and persecutions. “All the words of this life,” Greek πάντα τά ρήματα τῆς ζωῆς τάυτης—more precisely in the Slavonic: “all the words of this life”—all the words of this life, that is, the true, eternal, gracious life in which you yourselves dwell.

Acts 5:21. When they heard this, they entered the temple at dawn and began to teach. Meanwhile the high priest and those with him arrived, convened the Sanhedrin and all the elders from among the sons of Israel, and sent to the prison to bring the Apostles. “All the elders”—in addition to the members of the Sanhedrin. The case of the Apostles appeared so important, or they wished to pursue it so insistently and decisively, that they convened not only the Sanhedrin in its full composition but all the elders of Israel, so that the decisions of the Sanhedrin would carry particular force. “Sent to the prison.” Consequently, the miraculous release of the Apostles and the fact that they were already teaching the people in the temple were still unknown: evidently the session had convened early in the morning, as is done for the most serious matters admitting no delay.

Acts 5:22. But the officers, when they arrived, did not find them in the prison, and returning they reported, Acts 5:23. saying: we found the prison locked with every precaution and the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened it we found no one inside. Acts 5:24. When the high priest, the captain of the temple guard, and the other chief priests heard these words, they were perplexed about what this could mean. The only place in the entire New Testament where “the high priest” is for some reason called simply ιερούς rather than αρχιερεύς. Further along, distinct from him, “the chief priests” are also mentioned. These were probably former high priests, since, according to Josephus (Antiquities III, 15), the high priests were changed very frequently, and those removed continued to be called high priests and remained members of the Sanhedrin. It is also possible that here the chief priests of each of the 24 divisions into which David had already divided all the priests are referred to as “chief priests” (1 Chr 23:6; 2 Chr 8:14; Ezra 8:24).

Acts 5:25. Then someone came and reported to them, saying: see, the men whom you put in the prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people. Acts 5:26. Then the captain of the guard went with the officers and brought them without force, because they were afraid of the people, lest they be stoned. “Brought them without force”—that is, evidently by inviting the Apostles voluntarily, without laying hands on them, to appear at the Sanhedrin’s summons. Undoubtedly the people’s sympathy for the Apostles had by now grown so great that open violence against them was extremely dangerous.

Acts 5:27. And having brought them, they placed them in the Sanhedrin; and the high priest questioned them, saying: Acts 5:28. did we not strictly forbid you to teach in this name? And yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring upon us the blood of that Man. From all the circumstances of the whole case, the miraculous release of the Apostles from prison was plainly evident; yet it is all the more remarkable that in the Sanhedrin this circumstance is completely passed over in silence, and what is brought forward as the accusation against the Apostles is a formality that loses all meaning in the general chain of events. Such are these true formalists and hypocrites, sufficiently familiar to us from the Gospels and the Lord’s terrible denunciations (‘straining out a gnat but swallowing a camel’ (Matt 23:24)). “Not to teach in this name.” What petty contempt for the very name of Jesus: they avoid even naming it, demonstrating thereby, moreover, that “no one can call upon this most holy Name unless by the Holy Spirit.” “You intend to bring this man’s blood upon us”—that is, divine retribution for its innocent shedding. They themselves had once cried out: “His blood be on us and on our children!” (Matt 27:25). And now they want to blame everything on the Apostles! Into what bitter irony about themselves do the unfortunate murderers of the Lord entangle themselves! And how inexorably does the wise justice of God bring them to light!

Acts 5:29. But Peter and the Apostles answered: we must obey God rather than men. To the accusation of the Sanhedrin, Peter responds the same as before (Acts 4:19-20), but now more decisively and irrefutably. “Great wisdom in their words, and such as to reveal from this the enmity of those others against God” (Chrysostom).

Acts 5:30. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. “You killed,” διεχειρίσασθε—murdered with your own hands, a strong expression intended to point to the guilt of the judges themselves, in order to remove the charge that the Apostles wanted to bring the blood of that Man upon the members of the Sanhedrin. “Hanging him on a tree”—again a strengthened expression, borrowed from the Mosaic law, where the concept of hanging on a tree is associated with the concept of a curse (cf. Gal 3:13). This once again raises the guilt of the crucifiers of the Messiah to horrifying proportions.

Acts 5:31. God exalted him by his right hand to be Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. “God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior,” Greek: τοῦτον ο Θεός αρχηγόν καί σωτῆρα ύφοσε. The Slavonic preserves better, as it were, the “fragrance” of the original: “this one God exalted as Leader and Savior at his right hand.” This expression conveys that Jesus was already before our “Leader” and “Savior” (his royal and high-priestly dignity and ministry), but that was as it were hidden and humbled by the state of his voluntary self-emptying in the form of a servant. But with his resurrection and ascension, the dignity of Jesus as our Leader and Savior was manifested in all its glory, fullness, and power. The Russian translation loses this “fragrance” of the original, expressing it as though Jesus had not previously been that into which God then exalted him.

Acts 5:32. And we are witnesses to these things, as is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him. “Witnesses of these things” (more precisely in the Slavonic: “of these words”—τῶν ρημάτων τούτων—of everything said about him) “we and the Holy Spirit.” The testimony of the Apostles and the testimony of the Holy Spirit regarding the stated exaltation—the resurrection and ascension of the Lord—are identical in content (cf. John 15:26-27). Their juxtaposition and separate indication here, as in the Gospel of John, has the meaning that the Apostles were not unconscious instruments of the Spirit acting through them, but, while under his influence, remained at the same time independent and personally free agents; in particular, as eyewitnesses of his deeds and direct hearers of his teaching from the very beginning of his public ministry, they could, as it were independently of the Spirit, be reliable witnesses to him as the Messiah—the Son of God. “To those who obey him”—not only to the Apostles alone, but to all believers.

Acts 5:33. When they heard this, they were cut to the quick with rage and wanted to kill them. Acts 5:34. But a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and ordered the Apostles to be put outside for a short time, “Gamaliel,” mentioned here as a member of the Sanhedrin, a Pharisee, and a teacher of the law held in honor by the people, is the renowned rabbi of the Talmud as well—the most famous Jewish rabbi, son of Rabbi Simeon and grandson of another most famous rabbi, Hillel. He was also the teacher of the Apostle Paul (Acts 22:3), and afterward, like his pupil, he too became a Christian and a preacher of the Gospel, for which the Holy Church bestowed on him the name “equal to the apostles” (Menologion, January 4 and August 2).

Acts 5:35. and said to them: men of Israel! think carefully among yourselves about what you intend to do with these men. Acts 5:36. For not long ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody great, and about four hundred men joined him; but he was killed, and all who followed him were scattered and came to nothing. Acts 5:37. After him, in the days of the census, Judas the Galilean appeared and drew away considerable numbers of people after him; but he perished, and all who followed him were dispersed. Following Gamaliel’s counsel, the Sanhedrin would do best not to interfere in the matter of Christianity but to leave it to the natural course of events, confident that if it is not God’s work it will collapse on its own. To demonstrate this, Gamaliel cites two recent cases in which two great deceivers of the people perished without any intervention by the Sanhedrin, along with all their undertakings. These are the revolts of Theudas and Judas the Galilean. This mention by the author, however, raises significant difficulties: first, Gamaliel’s speech belongs to a time before the historical Theudas actually appeared (no earlier than 44 A.D.); and second, this Theudas appears to have risen up before Judas the Galilean, who revolted “in the days of the census”—“Theudas… after him Judas.” To reconcile these discrepancies, many scholarly commentators allow for two rebels with the name Theudas; others explain this inaccuracy simply as an error of memory on the part of the author (analogous to Acts 12:16), supposing that the name Theudas brought to his mind some other rebel who actually lived in the time Luke indicates (before Judas the Galilean). “Claiming to be someone great”—evidently a prophet or the Messiah. The Theudas mentioned by Josephus closely resembles the one described in Acts, although the time of his appearance indicated by the author does not allow for identifying the two. Josephus preserves some very interesting accounts of Judas the Galilean as well, confirming the historical reality of this event. Josephus calls Judas a “Gaulanite” (Antiquities XVIII, 1, 1), since he was from Gamala in lower Gaulanitis (on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee), and also calls him a Galilean (Antiquities XX, 5, 2; Jewish War Jude 2:8). He stirred up the people and drew a great multitude after him on the basis of discontent with the census ordered by Augustus in Judea (Luke 2:2). Seeing in this census the final enslavement of the “chosen” people to the “pagan” one, he urged the people not to submit to Caesar’s census decree, crying out: “We have one Lord and Master, God!” “He perished.” Josephus speaks specifically of the death only of this Judas’s children, while Gamaliel mentions the perishing of Judas himself—two accounts that do not exclude but rather perhaps complement each other.

Acts 5:38. And now I tell you, keep away from these men and leave them alone; for if this undertaking and this work are from men, it will be destroyed, “Of men” (cf. Matt 21:25)—that is, of human origin and character, with human ends and aspirations only, without God’s will or blessing.

Acts 5:39. but if it is from God, you will not be able to destroy it; take care lest you be found fighting against God. “But if it is of God.” According to Chrysostom’s interpretation: “He is as if saying: wait and see! If these men too have risen by themselves, then without any doubt—they too will be scattered… If this work is human, there is no need for you to be troubled. But if it is God’s, then with all your efforts you will not be able to prevail against them”… It can be said with confidence that such counsel as Gamaliel gave could only be given by a man disposed to see in Christianity precisely the power of God; for, while correct in general terms, this position in its application to human activity in relation to events cannot always be unconditionally true, since an unconditional application of this principle in general would make it seem superfluous to struggle against the development of evil principles in life—sometimes permitted by God—which is contrary to the laws of conscience and the Law of God. In the mouth of a man disposed to see in Christianity the power of God, however, this position has its full force, presupposing that the power of God will here certainly manifest itself in subsequent events in a more vivid and convincing way. In this case, Gamaliel’s counsel also loses the character of indifference and a frivolous relation to events for which all things are equal—this way or that.—In any case, the favorable attitude toward Christianity in Gamaliel’s counsel is undeniable (cf. Chrysostom and Theophylact). This is also evident from Gamaliel’s further warning to the members of the Sanhedrin that they might be found “opposing God” (Greek and Slavonic more strongly—“fighters against God”—θεομάχοι—rising up against God, waging war against him).

Acts 5:40. They listened to him; and having called the Apostles in, they beat them and forbade them to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them. Gamaliel’s powerful speech made an impression on the Sanhedrin and inclined it to comply with the good advice—in the sense that the plan to kill the Apostles (verse 33) was abandoned without being carried out. This did not, however, preclude the possibility of hostile treatment on the part of those who were not disposed, following Gamaliel, to suspect in their work the power of God. The Apostles were subjected to corporal punishment (flogging), probably on the pretext of their disobedience to the earlier decision of the Sanhedrin, now renewed with its former force. “They could not resist the irrefutable justice of his words; but despite that, they satisfied their fury, and moreover, they again hoped in this way to remove the Apostles” (Chrysostom)…

Acts 5:41. And they went out from the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 5:42. And every day, both in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease to teach and to proclaim the good news about Jesus Christ. “Rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of the Lord Jesus.” They counted this dishonor a special mercy to them from their Lord and Teacher; for what can be more consoling and more precious for a loving heart in relation to its Beloved Lord and Teacher than the readiness and possibility of laying down even one’s own life for him! The preaching of the Gospel, of course, continued in its proper course after this, not at all ceasing or weakening but on the contrary growing even stronger: both “in the temple and from house to house,” “every day”—that is, ceaselessly, without pause, both privately and publicly.

Chapter Six

The first Christian deacons (1–6). The Holy Archdeacon Stephen (7–15)

Acts 6:1. In those days, as the disciples increased in number, there arose a complaint by the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of necessities. Hebrews from the Gentile lands. “In those days”—an indefinite chronological reference, but one that allows us to conclude that the events described are not far removed in time from what precedes. “Among the Hellenists… against the Hebrews”—that is, between Christians from among the Hellenists and the Hebrews. The “Hellenists” were Jews who lived in various countries of the pagan (Greco-Roman) world and spoke the Greek language, which was then widely used. Many of them were proselytes, that is, pagans who had adopted the Jewish faith. Hellenists sometimes moved from pagan lands to settle in Palestine and Jerusalem, and in any case considered it their duty to travel to Jerusalem for festivals, remaining there for a more or less extended period, and sometimes staying longer on account of trade or other business. A great many of them had entered Christianity as well, fully prepared to receive it. The term “Hebrews” here refers to Christians from among the native permanent Jews—natives of Palestine who spoke the Hebrew language. “In the daily distribution of necessities”—εν τῆ διακονια τῆ καθημερινῆ, Slavonic: “in the daily ministry”—as is clear from what follows, this was a ministry “at tables,” that is, the supplying of those in need with food and other necessities at communal meals (Acts 2:46), held presumably in various parts of the city, at the gathering places of Christians. It was in this connection that the Hellenists came to feel their widows were being neglected. This neglect was not the fault of the Apostles themselves, but evidently of the subordinate officials directly responsible for the work. Chrysostom also considers that “this arose not from ill will, but probably from inattentiveness due to the large numbers… for in such a case difficulties are bound to arise.” It is possible that this revealed the spirit of a certain superiority toward the Hellenists—who were more closely in contact with the impure pagan world—that was characteristic of Palestinian Jews, a spirit which even the lofty spirit of Christianity could not smooth over in the first community at Jerusalem. Be that as it may, the neglect of the Hellenist widows was real and caused dissatisfaction, the danger of which—perhaps more serious than outward persecution—was so wisely eliminated by the Apostles at the root, from the very beginning.

Acts 6:2. Then the twelve Apostles, summoning the whole body of disciples, said: it is not fitting for us to neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. “Calling together the whole body of disciples”—that is, the entire Christian community of Jerusalem as far as possible, and not just its representatives or elected members. The Apostles proposed to the whole community to remedy this disorder, rather than ending it by their authority alone (cf. Chrysostom and Theophylact). “It is not right for us”—ουκ αρεστόν εστιν ημᾶς—“it is not pleasing to us,” it is not acceptable. “Neglecting the word of God”—that is, the preaching of the word of God, which is their chief duty.

Acts 6:3. Therefore, brothers, select from among yourselves seven men of proven character, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom; we will appoint them to this service, “Select”—the Apostles entrust the whole community of believers with the choosing of men from among themselves, so that they may be appointed to this service. “Seven men”—a sacred number. “Full of the Holy Spirit”—because special gifts of the Holy Spirit are required for this service as well, since the ministry to the poor is not exclusively a ministry to their bodily needs but also to their spiritual ones. “And wisdom”—in the ordinary sense of the word, so as to arrange all affairs intelligently, successfully, and carefully—a purely practical, everyday virtue.

Acts 6:4. but we will devote ourselves constantly to prayer and to the ministry of the word. “The ministry of the word”—that is, the preaching of the Gospel, as distinct from the care of tables.

Acts 6:5. And this proposal was pleasing to the whole assembly; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicolaus of Antioch, a convert from among the Gentiles; “Full of faith”—in the sense of a special gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of wonder-working faith (1 Cor 12:9), by which Stephen performed great wonders and signs (Acts 6:8). After “Stephen,” the best known of the rest is “Philip” (Acts 8). Nothing further is mentioned about the others in the apostolic writings. Church tradition, however, has preserved important information about them: “Prochorus” was first a companion of the Apostle Peter, then a companion and secretary of the Apostle John the Theologian, and later bishop of Nicomedia (in Bithynia), and died as a martyr in Antioch. “Nicanor” was killed by the Jews on the day of the slaying of Archdeacon Stephen. “Timon” was, according to tradition, bishop of Bostra (in Arabia) and also died as a martyr. “Parmenas” died before the eyes of the Apostles and was buried by them (Chet.-Min., July 28). “Nicholas,” a proselyte from Antioch, whose selection shows the wisdom of those who chose him, for he undoubtedly belonged to the Hellenists, whose widows were being neglected and whose dissatisfaction this had caused. It is not known whether he maintained the height of his calling; at any rate, his name is not inscribed among the saints.

Acts 6:6. they presented them before the Apostles, and these, having prayed, laid their hands on them. “They were presented before the Apostles”—for their actual installation in office. It was not the electing community itself that installed them, but it entrusted this to the Apostles, who alone had the right and authority to perform the actual installation of those chosen by the laying on of their hands. “Having prayed”—that the grace of God, which heals what is infirm and supplies what is lacking, might ordain the chosen ones for their particular service to the Church of God. “They laid hands on them.” The manner and, at the same time, the external symbolic sign of the outpouring upon the one being ordained of special gifts of the Holy Spirit. This laying on of hands (cf. Num 27:18) followed prayer as a distinct symbolic act rather than a mere accompaniment to prayer. It was precisely the act of consecrating those chosen—the outward side of the sacrament. “Notice,” says Chrysostom here, “how the writer says nothing superfluous; he does not explain how, but simply says that they were ordained with prayer, for this is how ordination is performed. A hand is laid on a person, but God performs everything, and His right hand touches the head of the one being ordained, if the ordination is performed as it should be.”

Acts 6:7. And the word of God kept growing, and the number of disciples was multiplying greatly in Jerusalem; and a great many of the priests were submitting to the faith. “And the word of God spread”—a remark that allows us to conclude that the Christian community had calmed and the apostolic preaching had intensified its success, thanks to the apostles concentrating their activity entirely on that preaching. The success was expressed especially in the fact that even many of the priests submitted to faith in Jesus the Messiah, overcome in their stubbornness by the irresistible persuasiveness of the apostolic preaching.

Acts 6:8. And Stephen, full of faith and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. “Full of faith and power”—faith as the cause or source of wonder-working power, and power as the special manifestation and operation of faith. Here for the first time we hear of great signs and wonders being performed not only by the Apostles but also by other believers—for the more successful spread of the Church of Christ.

Acts 6:9. Some of those belonging to the so-called Synagogue of the Freedmen, and of Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up in dispute with Stephen; Acts 6:10. but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. “Some… rose up and disputed”—ανέστησαν δέ τινες… συζητοῦντες τψ Στεφάνω—more precisely in Slavonic: “But certain ones rose up… disputing with Stephen.” Those who disputed with Stephen were Hellenists, as Stephen himself appears to have been, judging by his name and his speech (ch. VII), in which Old Testament passages are cited from the LXX. Tradition says that he was even a kinsman of Saul, who, as is known, was by origin from Tarsus of Cilicia (Chet.-Min. Dec. 27). Those who disputed with Stephen were, furthermore, “from the so-called Synagogue of the Freedmen, Cyrenaeans, and Alexandrians” and “from Cilicia and Asia.” There were at that time in Jerusalem, according to the calculations of the rabbis, about 500 synagogues, among which the five mentioned here are listed. The “Freedmen” were Jews who had been taken by the Romans (especially under Pompey, about 60 years before Christ) to Rome as prisoners of war, but were later freed and, as free persons, returned to their homeland (many of them, however, preferred to remain in Rome voluntarily). These freedmen (libertini), upon their return, formed their own synagogue of the “Freedmen.” “Cyrenaeans and Alexandrians”—Jews from Cyrene and Alexandria who had settled in Jerusalem or were staying there temporarily. In Cyrene (a city in Libya, to the west of Egypt), according to Josephus, one quarter of the inhabitants were Jews; in Alexandria (in Lower Egypt), two of the city’s five districts were densely populated by Jews (Antiq. XIV, 7, 2; XVI, 6, 1; XIV, 10, 1; XIX, 5, 2). In both cities they had lived for a long time, either settled there as prisoners of war or having moved there voluntarily. Alexandria was the center of Judeo-Greek learning, whose stamp was most likely also borne by the Synagogue of the Alexandrians in Jerusalem. “Cilicia and Asia”—two regions of Asia Minor in which many Jews also lived; settlers and temporary residents from these areas likewise had their own special synagogues in Jerusalem. All five of these synagogues rose up in hostility against Stephen through certain of their members and attempted to dispute with him—that is, to challenge his teaching and his influence over the people. “Could not withstand the wisdom.” Wisdom here is not in the sense of Jewish-Hellenistic learning, but in the sense of truly Christian wisdom, in the enlightenment of the truths of the Gospel teaching and the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:8).

Acts 6:11. Then they secretly prompted some men to say: we heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and against God. Acts 6:12. And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and coming upon him suddenly they seized him and brought him to the Sanhedrin. It is noteworthy that in the case of Stephen, the enemies of Christianity succeed in stirring up the people, who until then had been on the side of the Christians and the Apostles (cf. Acts 5:13). This is achieved precisely by bringing against Stephen an accusation of blasphemy—the most serious offense under the Mosaic law. As in the judicial condemnation of the Lord Himself, the people recklessly believed this slander and were cleverly brought to indignation and agitation against the alleged blasphemer and those to whose circle he belonged. The premeditated nature of the accusation against Stephen and the incitement of the people against him is clear from the fact that the Sanhedrin was already fully prepared to judge Stephen when he was openly seized and brought before it. Thus the secret dream of the enemies of Christ was fulfilled—to arrange a pogrom against the Christian community by inflaming popular fury, if not personally against the Apostles, then first against one of the newly appointed deacons, and thereafter against the entire community with the Apostles at its head.

Acts 6:13. And they produced false witnesses who said: this man never stops speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law. “They put forward false witnesses”—that is, those who attributed to Stephen things entirely different from what he actually said, distorting his words. “He perhaps spoke very openly and said the law was ending, or rather—did not say it outright but hinted at it, for if he had spoken plainly, those ‘certain ones’ would have had no need of false witnesses” (Theophylact). “Against this holy place”—that is, the Jerusalem Temple—“and against the law”—that is, the law of Moses, the main foundation of the entire Old Testament way of life. Just as at the condemnation of the Lord Jesus, false witnesses distorted one of His sayings about the destruction of the temple (Matt 26:61; cf. John 2:19) in order to present Him as a blasphemer, so now Stephen’s false witnesses probably distorted some saying of his in which he expressed the transforming effect of Christianity and its relationship to the Old Testament. This likely occurred during his disputes with the Hellenists, and it happened repeatedly (“does not cease”).

Acts 6:14. For we heard him saying that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us. “For we have heard him say”—ακηκόαμεν γάρ αυτοῦ λέγοντος—we heard him saying that… the words that follow are not Stephen’s own words, but words put in his mouth by the false witnesses and interpreted by them according to their own purposes. “Jesus of Nazareth”—in the Greek and Slavonic texts, a contemptuous word is added: “this” (οῦτος).

Acts 6:15. And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin, gazing at him, saw his face as the face of an Angel. “They saw his face like the face of an angel.” This was all the more remarkable because it was so contrary to what would be expected of an ordinary defendant, who was expected to display fear, despondency, or at least a hostile disposition such as belongs to someone wronged by slander. Stephen’s pure soul, filled with entirely different feelings, expressed itself in the courageous calm of his countenance and a triumphant animation that communicated—in contrast to the atmosphere of his accusers with their malice and fury—a truly angelic radiance and pleasantness to his youthful face. This should be all the more understandable because if Stephen was already filled with a special power of the Holy Spirit before (Acts 6:8), then in this decisive and solemn moment he was undoubtedly granted a special illumination from the Spirit of God, which transformed even his outward appearance into an angelic one.

Chapter Seven

The speech of Archdeacon Stephen (1–56). His martyrdom (54–60)

Acts 7:1. Then the high priest said: is this so? “Is this so?”—that is, did you actually say what you are accused of (Acts 6:11)?

Acts 7:2. And he said: brothers and fathers! listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he moved to Haran, “But he said”—instead of a direct answer to the high priest’s question, Stephen delivered a long speech, which in the end refutes the accusation and turns it against his very accusers, whose resistance to God had brought Stephen before the Sanhedrin. The essence of the speech consists properly of verses Acts 7-53, for the sake of which—or from the perspective of which—the entire preceding survey of Jewish history is made. The content and line of thought of the speech may be expressed as follows: I stand here not as a blasphemer of God, the law, and the temple—accused and persecuted, a victim of your resistance to God and His Messiah, a resistance that, as the whole of history testifies, you inherited from your fathers and are displaying now. It is not my fault that I am being judged here, but yours—not your reverence for God, but your constant resistance to Him, as in the present case, when you judge and accuse a true worshiper of Him. All this Stephen skillfully and at length lets history itself declare on his behalf, dwelling especially and in detail on the history of Moses, when the people’s resistance brought upon themselves the rebuke of that greatest of lawgivers and mediators between God and the people. After a more or less calm flow of thought, following the mention of the building of the temple and the confirmation of his view of it by a prophetic saying, the speech breaks off into a direct and bold attack and denunciation of the unjust judges for the gravest sin against the Messiah and God.—Since after this magnificent speech Stephen did not return to the Christian community, it is evident that it was reproduced by some adherent of Christianity present there (someone like Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, or Gamaliel), from whom it subsequently became known to the whole Christian community and entered into the work of the historian. “Men, brothers and fathers”—a respectful address to those present: the first and second terms are addressed to all present, the third in particular to the members of the Sanhedrin and the elders. “Listen”—a preface and request indicating that the speech will not be brief. “The God of glory appeared.” God, to whom glory is due—who is the very embodiment of glory. By this exalted opening of his speech, Stephen directly showed how unjust was the accusation against him as a blasphemer (Acts 6:11). By the same opening he dealt the first heavy blow to the vain notions of the Jews about the significance of the outward temple for the glorification of God. “If He is the ‘God of glory,’ He evidently has no need to be glorified by us or through a temple, for He Himself is the source of glory. Therefore, do not suppose you can glorify Him in that way” (Chrysostom). “Appeared”—ώφθη—points to an outward appearance of the God of glory as the radiant brightness in which the Lord revealed Himself (cf. vv. Acts 7:55; Exod 24:16; Isa 6:3; Ps 23:7). “In Mesopotamia, before his migration to Haran.” Haran—Χαρράν—one of the most ancient cities in Mesopotamia, on the ancient caravan road. There appears to be a contradiction here with the account in Genesis. The further words of God that Stephen cites as spoken at this appearance (Acts 7:3) were spoken, according to Moses’ account (Gen 12:1), to Abraham at God’s appearance to him in Haran, and not before his migration to Haran. According to Genesis, Terah, the father of Abraham, set out from Ur of the Chaldeans with his entire family—which included Abraham—for the land of Canaan, and when he had reached Haran he stopped there and died (Gen 11:29-32); and it was here in Haran that the revelation was given to Abraham at which the words transmitted by both Stephen and Moses were spoken—not in Ur of the Chaldeans (Acts 7:4), as Stephen says. This is explained by the fact that, according to Philo and Josephus, the Jews of that time—especially the Alexandrian Jews—believed on the basis of tradition that God’s first appearance to Abraham was not in Haran but precisely in Ur of the Chaldeans (of which Moses does not explicitly speak), and that it was because of this appearance that Terah set out with his whole family from Ur to Canaan, but died on the road in Haran, and that after Terah’s death God appeared to Abraham again and repeated the command to continue the journey. This tradition finds some confirmation in—and perhaps its very basis from—the narrative of Moses itself. In one of the subsequent appearances, already after the appearance in Haran, God says to Abraham (Gen 15:7): “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land as a possession.” From this it follows that Abraham must have already received from God in Ur the command to leave that land and go to Canaan. The same conclusion follows from the book of Nehemiah, where these prayerful words are put in the mouth of Ezra: “You are the Lord God, You chose Abraham and brought him out of the land of the Chaldeans”—that is, from Ur of the Chaldeans (Nehem 9:7). All this evidently reconciles and clarifies the apparent inaccuracy of Stephen’s expression when compared with the Bible, and points to his full agreement with the tradition of the Jews, which in this case finds corroboration both in the narrative of Moses and in the book of Nehemiah. “Go out from your land.” Stephen cites the words of God spoken to Abraham at the appearance in Haran as though spoken in Ur, undoubtedly because the meaning of God’s command was the same on both occasions, even though Moses does not transmit the words spoken by God in Ur. Chrysostom speaks well about the significance of this reference to Abraham: “There was as yet neither temple nor sacrifices, and yet Abraham was counted worthy of a divine vision… Notice how he (Stephen) draws their thoughts away from the material, having begun with a locality, since the discussion was also about a place…”

Acts 7:4. Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran; and from there, after his father died, God brought him into this land in which you now live. “He went out from the land of the Chaldeans”—from the city of Ur, in Mesopotamia, to the north of Haran. “From there” (that is, from Haran) “after the death of his father” (that is, Terah) “He moved him.” According to Genesis, Terah lived 70 years before the birth of Abraham, Nahor, and Haran, and the total number of his years was 205 (Gen 11:26). Abraham was 75 years old when he left Haran, where Terah had died (Gen 12:4). It would therefore appear that Terah was still far from death (70+75=145, not 205), and that he should have lived 60 more years after Abraham’s departure from Haran. This apparent discrepancy is explained by the fact that Terah did not live 70 years before the birth of Abraham but before the birth of his eldest son Haran, who was followed by Nahor and then Abraham; Abraham is named first by Moses not by order of birth but by order of election. The proper explanation of Moses’ statement is therefore: Terah lived 70 years before the beginning of the birth of his children, the first of whom was Haran. How many years after Haran Abraham was born, Moses does not mention. Stephen’s words that Abraham left Haran after Terah’s death indicate that Abraham was born in the 130th year of Terah’s life (205–75), which is entirely plausible for that era. The view that Abraham left Haran after Terah’s death is also confirmed by Philo. “The land in which you now dwell”—that is, Palestine, the land of Canaan, toward which Terah, Abraham, and the rest of the family had set out from Ur of the Chaldeans.

Acts 7:5. And he did not give him an inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length of ground, but he promised to give it as a possession to him and to his offspring after him, when as yet he had no child. “And he gave him no inheritance”—Slavonic: “inheritance”—κληρονομίαν—He did not make it his inheritance, his property, in the sense in which it later became the inheritance of his descendants. And not only in this broad sense, but also in a narrower sense—“not even a foot of ground”—the Lord did not yet give Abraham even a small parcel of the land promised to his descendants. This is not contradicted by the account in Genesis that Abraham bought a field and a cave from Ephron the Hittite as his own property (Gen 23). On the contrary, the very fact that Abraham had to buy land from the native inhabitants shows that God had not given him any land of his own in that country, otherwise he would have had no reason to buy. Moreover, the text here speaks of the first period of Abraham’s stay in that land, before the time of his circumcision (Acts 7:8), when Abraham genuinely had no land of his own there, not even a foot of ground. “To him and to his descendants”—to him in the person of his descendants. “When he had no child”—it is thus implied that both the granting of the promised land as an inheritance to his descendants and the granting of that very posterity depended wholly and solely on the free will of God, and is properly God’s own gift. Here again there is a most significant indication that “the promise was given before the place, before circumcision, before sacrifice, before the temple” (Chrysostom).

Acts 7:6. And God spoke to this effect, that his offspring would be sojourners in a foreign land and would be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years. “And God spoke”—ελάλησε δε ούτως ο Θείς, Slavonic: “God spoke thus”—that is, in His promise referred to above—“He promised to give…” The words cited here are taken from Gen 15:13-14. “In a foreign land”—that is, in Egypt. “Four hundred years”—according to Moses’ precise statement, 430 years; here, as in the divine promise cited by Stephen almost verbatim from the LXX, a round number is given.

Acts 7:7. But I will judge, said God, the nation to which they will be in bondage; and after that they will come out and worship me in this place. “I will judge” (κρινῶ) “that nation”—judgment in the sense of retribution and punishment for the oppression and enslavement of Abraham’s descendants. By divine decree, Abraham’s descendants became aliens in a foreign land—among the Egyptians. But this did not exonerate the Egyptians, who were liable to punishment for oppressing the aliens—an act of their own freedom and cruelty. God’s judgment for this was expressed in what are known as the plagues of Egypt, after which the Hebrew people came out of Egypt. “They will worship Me in this place”—words borrowed by Stephen from God’s revelation to Moses on Mount Horeb (Exod 3:12) and placed in God’s mouth at the time of the revelation to Abraham. In his brief and rapid survey of the history of the people, Stephen could undoubtedly allow himself to omit mentioning that these words were spoken to Moses, and, by association of ideas, cite them when mentioning the judgment upon the Egyptians that took place under Moses and the exodus of the people under his leadership. To accuse Stephen here of inaccuracy is something only a literalist could do—one who values the letter more than the meaning of divine revelations.

Acts 7:8. And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so he fathered Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered the twelve patriarchs. “The covenant of circumcision”—the covenant whose outward sign (seal) was the circumcision established at the same time, as an essential part of the covenant itself (Gen 17:10). The expression that this covenant was given by God is meant to convey that it is a free and gracious gift of God to Abraham and his descendants, and that in this gift-covenant the Lord gives far more to man than He receives from him. “And so”—καί ούτως, Slavonic: “and thus”—that is, standing in this relationship to God, in the relationship of the covenant made with Him, “Abraham fathered Isaac…” “Twelve patriarchs.” This is what the children of Jacob are called, as the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel descended from them.

Acts 7:9. The patriarchs, acting out of jealousy, sold Joseph into Egypt; but God was with him, “Moved by envy they sold” (Gen 37). Stephen mentions this envy not without a special purpose, but clearly to point to the same feeling on the part of the judges toward the Lord Jesus, whose historical prefigurements were both Joseph and Moses—the deliverers of the people from calamity and hardship—mentioned further on. Stephen’s account of Joseph is entirely accurate and consistent with the Bible.

Acts 7:10. and delivered him from all his afflictions, and granted him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, who appointed him as ruler over Egypt and over his whole household. Acts 7:11. And a famine came and great suffering over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food. Acts 7:12. But Jacob, having heard that there was grain in Egypt, sent our fathers there the first time. Acts 7:13. And when they came the second time, Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. Acts 7:14. Joseph sent word and called his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five persons in all. “Seventy-five persons”—in agreement with the LXX, though the original Hebrew text counts only 70, a number also followed by Josephus (Antiq. II, 7, 4; VI, 5, 6). This figure of 70 in the Hebrew text is arrived at after adding to the 66 persons who came with Jacob into Egypt (Gen 46:26) Joseph with his two sons and Jacob himself (Gen 46:27). The LXX translation, however, probably includes among them the grandsons and great-grandsons of Joseph mentioned in XLVI:20—numbering 5—counting not only the members of Jacob’s family who migrated but also those already in Egypt, that is, the entire family of Jacob—“all his relatives”—apart from the female members.

Acts 7:15. Jacob went down to Egypt, and he died there, as did our fathers; “And our fathers”—that is, the patriarchs mentioned as the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Acts 7:16. and they were brought to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had purchased for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. “And they were carried back to Shechem.” From the book of Joshua it is known that only the bones of Joseph were brought out of Egypt when the Jews departed, and were buried in Shechem (Josh 24:32). But the ancient Jewish tradition held that the bones of Joseph’s brothers were also not left in Egypt and, taken together with the bones of Joseph, were likewise buried in Shechem. This tradition is undoubtedly reproduced by St. Stephen. Regarding Jacob, the book of Gen 50:13; cf. Gen 23 states that he was buried by Joseph himself and his brothers near Hebron, in the cave that Abraham had purchased there together with the field for the burial of Sarah. “In the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor of Shechem.” Here there is an inaccuracy—a conflation of two different passages of Scripture. The tomb that Abraham bought was purchased not from the sons of Hamor of Shechem, but “from Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre” (Gen 50:13; cf. Gen 23). And conversely, the tomb purchased from the sons of Hamor of Shechem was purchased not by Abraham but by his grandson Jacob (Gen 33:19). Here, therefore, there is either a small lapse of memory, or simply a figurative expression attributing the deed of a grandson to his grandfather as the progenitor of the entire Jewish people.

Acts 7:17. But as the time drew near for the fulfillment of the promise that God had solemnly sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, “The time” for the “promise” to be fulfilled—that is, the promise mentioned above, that Abraham’s descendants would come out of Egypt (Gen 15:13-14).

Acts 7:18. until there arose another king who did not know Joseph. “A different king arose”—that is, from a new dynasty—“who did not know” Joseph. About four centuries had passed since the death of Joseph; the king was from a different dynasty, apparently even a non-native one; and it is no wonder that with the then-limited means of historical knowledge he had no information whatever about Joseph and his services to Egypt.

Acts 7:19. This king, dealing craftily with our people, oppressed our fathers, forcing them to expose their infants so that they would not remain alive. “Forcing them to expose their infants”—τοῦ ποιεῖν έλθετα τά βρέφη αυτῶν εις το μή ζωογονεῖσθαι, Slavonic: “to put their infants out to die and not keep them alive.” Literally—to make their infants exposed, so that they would not live (Exod 1:16-22).

Acts 7:20. At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful before God. For three months he was nursed in his father’s house. “He was beautiful before God”—ῆν αστεῖος τῶ Θεῶ, more precisely in Slavonic: “he was pleasing to God.” This refers to the extraordinary beauty of the infant Moses.

Acts 7:22. And Moses was educated in all the wisdom of Egypt, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. “He was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.” This is not mentioned in the Pentateuch or in any other books of the Old Testament. It was evidently a most ancient tradition, also recorded by Philo (in his “Life of Moses”). And there is nothing improbable in the fact that Moses—a Hebrew adopted as a son by the Pharaoh’s daughter—received the highest education then available to Egyptians. This Egyptian education consisted chiefly of the study of the natural sciences—astronomy, medicine, and mathematics—as well as magic. The chief representatives of this education were the priests. In Moses’ great ministry for the truth of God, this outward wisdom was to become one of the instruments contributing to his success. “He was mighty in his words and deeds.” The expression about Moses’ strength in words does not contradict what Moses himself says about himself, that he is not eloquent and is slow of speech (Exod 4:10); the latter refers to deficiencies in his manner of speaking, but these did not prevent his speech from being powerful by virtue of that inner strength that expresses a powerful spirit. One may also note here that the mouth of Moses, who was the mouthpiece of God, was relayed through the mouth of Aaron, and the strength of Aaron’s mouth could fully be regarded as the strength of the mouth of Moses—a spiritual power which he possessed to the highest degree.

Acts 7:23. But when he had reached the age of forty years, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel. “When he was about forty years old.” The book of Exodus does not specify Moses’ age at that time, but simply says: “after a long time had passed, when he had grown up” (Exod 2:11). Here again Stephen draws on the tradition that divided the entire 120 years of Moses’ life (Deut 34:7) into three periods of 40 years each: the first 40 years he lived at Pharaoh’s court, the second in the land of Midian (Exod 7:7), and the last he led the Jews in the wilderness (Exod 16:35; Num 14 and following Num 33:38) until their arrival at the promised land.

Acts 7:24. And seeing one of them being wronged, he came to his defense and avenged the oppressed man by striking down the Egyptian. “Striking down the Egyptian”—πατάζας τόν Αιγύπτιον. As Theophylact explains here: “he killed him not in a frenzy or in anger, but out of zeal for God.”

Acts 7:25. He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation through his hand; but they did not understand. “He supposed that his brothers would understand.” This is Stephen’s own remark about the meaning and significance of Moses’ striking down the Egyptian, on which there is no indication or even hint in the Pentateuch. Stephen presents this act of Moses as a foreshadowing of the deliverance of the entire Hebrew people from Egyptian slavery by the hand of Moses. The people should have understood it in this way; but they did not—not so much because the people were incapable of understanding it as because of a lack of faith in God and hope in Him, which is apparently what St. Stephen intends to point out here.

Acts 7:26. On the following day, when some of them were fighting, he appeared and was urging them toward peace, saying: you are brothers; why do you wrong one another? “When some of them were quarreling, he appeared”—ωφθη αυτοῖς μαχόμενοις, Slavonic: “he appeared to those quarreling”—more precisely: he appeared to them (to certain of them) while they were arguing. The Greek ώφθη—“appeared”—ordinarily used to describe appearances of God, points to the sudden appearance of Moses and, in particular, his appearance as a messenger or emissary of God, endowed on this occasion with special authority.

Acts 7:27. But the man who was wronging his neighbor pushed him away, saying: who made you a ruler and a judge over us? “Pushed him aside”—απώσατο, Slavonic: “repulsed him”—rejected his intervention, and perhaps even more literally “pushed him,” though the original text (Exod 2:14) does not mention this. In the latter case, the coarse behavior of the Hebrew offender toward the future liberator of the people from Egyptian bondage stands out all the more sharply.

Acts 7:29. At these words Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where two sons were born to him. “At this reply.” The matter is presented more fully in the book of Exod 2:14-15. The land of Midian—a land of undefined borders, in rocky Arabia, north of the Arabian Gulf. On Moses’ stay there, see Exod 2 and following.

Acts 7:30. When forty years had passed, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the desert of Mount Sinai in the flame of a burning thornbush. See the note on Acts 7:23; for the event, see Exod 3. “In the wilderness of Mount Sinai”—in the desert in which Mount Sinai is located. According to the book of Exodus, the place of the event was specifically Mount Horeb, not Sinai; nevertheless, there is no great departure from the truth here. In this desert, two peaks rise above the others from the rocky and mountainous terrain, like the summits of one and the same mountain range—Sinai to the north (the highest of the surrounding mountains) and Horeb to the south; after the name of the first mountain—Sinai—the entire surrounding desert is named here, and consequently also the entire mountain range with Horeb among them. “The angel of the Lord”—the Angel of Jehovah. Since this Angel later calls Himself God and speaks in God’s name, it is right to see in Him the “Angel of the Great Council” (Isa 9:6)—the Word of God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, who in the fullness of time was incarnate in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and before the Incarnation appeared at particularly important events in the form of an Angel, guiding toward the knowledge of Him as the true God of true God (Chrysostom and Theophylact). “In a flame of a burning thornbush”—εν φλογί πυρός βάτου, Slavonic: “in a flame of fire of the thornbush”—more precisely: in the flame of the fire of the thornbush. This God-sent fire did not consume the bush, signifying the Hebrew people, who were cruelly oppressed but not destroyed by oppression (cf. Exod 3:2).

Acts 7:31. Moses, seeing it, marveled at the vision; and as he drew near to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came to him: In the original text there is no direct mention of Moses’ wonder, though it is entirely natural given his situation.

Acts 7:32. I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Moses, seized with trembling, did not dare to look. Acts 7:33. And the Lord said to him: remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. The command to remove the sandals from the feet, according to the book of Exodus (Exod 3:4-6), preceded the words of the Lord cited by Stephen about God being the God of the fathers, whereas in Stephen the command comes after those words are cited. This difference is not, however, essential. The naming of the Lord as “the God of the fathers” was meant to assure Moses that the One sending him was the same God who had so visibly guided the patriarchs of the Hebrew people. “Take off your sandals.” In the East, people still enter temples and other sacred places barefoot, as a sign of deep humility before God, and also to avoid bringing dust and impurity on one’s shoes into a holy place. According to the rabbis, the priests in the sanctuary of the Jerusalem Temple also performed their ministry barefoot. Chrysostom explains the purpose of this mention well: “there is no temple, and yet this place is holy from the appearance and action of Christ. It is even more wondrous than the place in the Holy of Holies, for there God never appeared in this way.”

Acts 7:34. I see the oppression of my people in Egypt and I hear their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them: and now come, I will send you to Egypt. “I have surely seen”—Greek ιδών εῖδον—seeing I have seen—an emphatic expression meaning God’s attentive and compassionate gaze upon the sufferings of His people, who—by God’s wise plans—could not be delivered from this oppression before the appointed time (cf. Gen 15:16). “I have come down” from heaven, where God’s throne is (Isa 66:1; Matt 5:34; Gen 11:7). “I will send you to Egypt”—to bring out from there the suffering people (Exod 3:10). “See how Stephen shows that God guided them both with blessings and with punishments and with miracles, and they remained the same… (Chrysostom).”

Acts 7:35. This Moses, whom they rejected, saying: who made you a ruler and a judge?—him God sent as both ruler and deliverer, through the Angel who appeared to him in the thornbush. Acts 7:36. He led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the desert for forty years. Exod 7:11. Acts 7:37. This is that Moses who said to the sons of Israel: the Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet from among your brothers, like me; listen to him. “This Moses.” The false witnesses had said that Stephen was speaking blasphemous words against Moses (Acts 6:11). Completely dispelling this charge, Stephen then proceeds to depict in powerful strokes the greatness of this Moses as deliverer, wonder-worker, prophet, lawgiver, and mediator between God and the people, pointing at the same time to the striking marks of the people’s disobedience toward Moses and God despite his greatness. This intensification of the speech is indicated by the repeated expressions: “this Moses,” “this Moses…” (vv. 35, 36, 37, 38). “Whom they rejected”—that is, as ruler and judge, which he was for the entire people by virtue of the subsequent divine election. This fact of the crude rejection by one Hebrew of Moses, who had intervened in his affair, Stephen generalizes and applies to the whole people, in the sense that the words of one man were as it were the expression of the ungrateful and stiff-necked spirit of the whole people. “By the hand of the angel”—εν χειρί αγγέλου—by the hand of the Angel, that is, by the power of the Angel who strengthens, guards, and helps—by the power of the Son of God, prefigured by Moses (see on Acts 7:30).

Acts 7:38. This is the one who was in the assembly in the desert with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to us, Moses is presented here “in the assembly”—amid the assembly of the people—“in the wilderness,” at the foot of Mount Sinai, for the receiving of the Law of God, turning on the one hand “to the Angel” and receiving from him the words of life, and on the other hand “to the fathers,” that is, the entire Hebrew people of that time, to whom he then hands on those living words. “With the angel”—in the book of Exodus, the giving of the Law to Moses is attributed to the Lord Himself; Stephen, together with the LXX, attributes it to an Angel, meaning that God proclaimed and gave Moses the Law through the mediation of an Angel or angels (see note on Acts 7:53). The matter is presented in apparently the same way by the Apostle Paul (Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2), and among ancient secular interpreters by Josephus (Antiq. XV, 5, 3). It is possible that Stephen here names God Himself as the Angel, as he does above at the calling of Moses (Acts 7:30). “Living words”—a refutation of the slander against Stephen that he did not cease speaking blasphemous words against the Law (Acts 6:13). The expression signifies the great living power of the Law for the moral ordering of life, living also in the sense of the unfailing and timely fulfillment of both the promises and the threats contained in the declarations of the lawgiver (cf. 1 Pet 1:23; Heb 4:12; Deut 32:47; Rom 7:10; 1 Cor 15:56).

Acts 7:39. to whom our fathers did not wish to be obedient, but rejected him and in their hearts turned back toward Egypt, The rejection of Moses and the turning of hearts toward Egypt consisted in imitating Egyptian idolatry and an attachment to the sensual pleasures of Egypt (Num 11 and following; Num 14; Exod 32).

Acts 7:40. saying to Aaron: make us gods who will go before us; for as for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. “For as for this Moses who led us out”—the Greek and Slavonic texts include at the word “Moses” a contemptuous expression “this”: ο γάρ Μωσῆς οτος, Slavonic: “for this Moses, who led us out… we do not know what has happened to him.”

Acts 7:41. And in those days they made a calf and offered sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. “And they made a calf in those days”—that is, an image of a calf, undoubtedly under the influence of Egyptian idolatry—the worship of Apis. It is true that the people wished to see in the calf an image of the Lord God Himself (Exod 32:4-8), but that is precisely where the people’s disobedience to Moses and to God—who had just commanded the prohibition of all kinds of idols (Exod 20:4)—expressed itself. That is why Stephen calls this image an “idol,” the work of the people’s hands, before which the rejoicing could not but be sinful, equivalent to the rejection of both God and Moses.

Acts 7:42. But God turned away and gave them over to serve the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: house of Israel! did you bring me slaughtered animals and sacrifices for forty years in the desert? “And gave them over” (Slavonic: “delivered them”) “to worship…” This is not merely God’s permissive will, but “a punishment to the Israelites for honoring the idol” (Chrysostom and Theophylact). For the sin of idolatry, God delivers the people to an even heavier idolatry, according to the law by which sin is punished through a greater sin (cf. Rom 1:24). “To worship”—that is, to render divine worship to—“the host of heaven,” that is, to the heavenly bodies, to deify them (Gen 2:1). This deification of the heavenly bodies was a very widespread form of idolatry in antiquity (Sabaism, astrolatry), especially in Egypt, Chaldea, and Phoenicia. In proof of the spread of this kind of idolatry among the Jews, Stephen cites a saying of the prophet Amos (V, 25–27). “In the book of the prophets”—in ancient times, the collection of prophetic books of all the minor prophets (twelve of them) was reckoned as a single book. The prophet’s expression, spoken from the perspective of God, that the Jews did not offer God sacrifices throughout the entire time of wandering in the wilderness, appears to contradict the statements of the Pentateuch, where mention is made more than once of sacrifices offered by the Jews in the wilderness (Exod 24 and following; Num 7:9 and following, etc.). Evidently the prophet uses at this point an intensification of speech characteristic of strong rebukes, which allows one to ignore or pass over the sacrifices to the true God, as if they lost their significance in the face of the allowance of idol worship.

Acts 7:43. You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to bow down to them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. “You also took up”—that is, took with you for carrying—“the tent of Moloch,” that is, a portable tent dedicated to Moloch, in which the image of this false deity was presumably kept, and which, like the tent of the true God, was carried from camp to camp. “Moloch”—the Syrian and Canaanite idol (Baal-Bel), in which the sun was deified as the source of life on earth. The worship of this idol was especially abhorrent in the era of the Kings (2 Sam 16:3; 2 Chr 28:3). The idol was made of bronze with a calf’s head, crowned with a royal crown. Its arms were extended as if ready to receive someone. Children were sacrificed to it, and inside the idol a fire was kindled that consumed the victim. To drown out the screams of the children, a great noise and clamor was raised during these abhorrent scenes by means of various instruments. “The star of Rephan”—that is, an image of Saturn in the form of a star, corresponding to the outward appearance of that deified planet. In the Pentateuch of Moses itself there is no mention of the Jews’ worship of these idols in the form the prophet Amos describes. One may therefore think that the prophet speaks here from God’s perspective in accordance with the most ancient Jewish tradition. It is also noteworthy that in the book of Leviticus a prohibition against worshiping Moloch is expressed (Lev 18:21), which confirms the existence of worship of this false deity. This entire prophetic saying is cited almost exactly from the LXX translation, though not entirely in agreement with the original text in the names of the deities mentioned (instead of Moloch—in the original, “your king”; instead of Rephan—“Kiyyun”) and in the structure of the speech itself. The LXX did not translate this passage literally but with commentary, without however altering the essential substance of the matter. “I will relocate you beyond Babylon”—in the original and in the LXX translation of Amos, who lived before the Babylonian exile, it says “beyond Damascus.” Stephen replaces Damascus with Babylon, undoubtedly because the Babylonian captivity was better known to his listeners than the Syrian captivity, and it presented God’s threat against idolatry more strongly and forcefully, without altering the substance of the matter.

Acts 7:44. The tabernacle of testimony was among our fathers in the desert, just as the One who spoke to Moses had directed him to make it according to the pattern he had seen. Having sufficiently justified himself in the eyes of the judges regarding the charge of speaking blasphemous words against Moses—by confessing Moses’ greatness—and having pointed out that it was not he but the fathers of his judges who were disobedient to God and Moses, Stephen now proceeds to refute the other charge, that he had spoken blasphemous words “against this holy place,” that is, the Jerusalem Temple (Acts 6:13-14), supporting his defense in both cases by prophetic scripture (Acts 7:42-43 and Acts 7:49-50). The outward connection of the argument is as follows: the carrying of the tent of Moloch was permitted in the time of Moses at the very same time when the Hebrew people had the true tent of testimony, constructed after the pattern shown to Moses by God Himself on the mountain. This aggravated the guilt of the Jews, while weakening the reproach brought against Stephen, because this tent—like the temple that replaced it—had only a temporary significance, by virtue of the historical laws governing its existence. “The tent of testimony”—η σκηνή τοῦ μαρτυρίου—“the tent of testimony,” that is, the tent in which God bore witness about Himself above all, revealed Himself as the true God—the tent of God’s revelations (cf. Num 7:89; Exod 25:8). “According to the pattern that he had seen” (Exod 25:9; the description of the tent Exod 25-37). An indication of the preeminent holiness of this tent, in contrast to the tent of Moloch.

Acts 7:45. Our fathers with Joshua, having received it, brought it in when they took possession of the nations that God drove out before our fathers. And so it was until the days of David. “Having received it”—διαδεξάμενοι, Slavonic: “having received”—that is, having received it as an inheritance from the preceding generation of the fathers. “Brought it into the possessions of the nations” (pagan ones)—this refers to after their conquest and the taking possession of the promised land. “Driven out by God”—and not by the people’s own strength. By this “driving out” (cf. Exod 34:24; Deut 11:23) is meant in general the conquest of this land, in the course of which its inhabitants were partly exterminated, partly enslaved, and partly moved to other lands. “Until the days of David”—ἕως τῶν ἡμερῶν Δαυίδ, Slavonic: “even to the days of David.” The preceding words in the Russian translation—“so it was”—are not in either the Greek or the Slavonic text, though they are not superfluous for the sense.

Acts 7:46. He found favor before God and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. “David found favor before God and asked”—more precisely and better in the Slavonic text: “petitioned to find,” that is: “David enjoyed a special favor of God, and this was expressed especially in the fact that at his desire God consented to the building of a temple and designated a place for it in Jerusalem” (Metropolitan Filaret, sermon at the consecration of the church in Kolomna). The very prayer by which David prayed to God for his consent to the building of a temple is contained in Psalm 131 (Ps 131:2-5). Stephen evidently has this in mind as well, having borrowed from it the name “dwelling place of the God of Jacob.” A special revelation to David through the prophet Nathan deferred the fulfillment of his intention to the time of Solomon, whom God deemed worthy to be the builder of His temple (2 Sam 7 and following).

Acts 7:48. But the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: Acts 7:49. Heaven is my throne, and earth is the footstool of my feet. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what place is there for my rest? Acts 7:50. Has not my hand made all these things? “Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands.” The expression does not mean that God does not dwell in man-made temples (He did dwell in Solomon’s temple), but only that He is not confined to any one temple or temples, and that these temples are not a fully adequate and exclusive dwelling for Him, to which His presence and revelations would be exclusively bound. This is confirmed by the subsequent quotation (almost verbatim from the LXX) of the corresponding words of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 66:1-2). As the Creator of heaven and earth, the Lord has no need of anything made by human hands for His rest and dwelling. With this prophetic saying Stephen refutes the error of a dying Judaism—that the Jerusalem Temple is the necessary and sole place of true worship—and like the Savior (John 4:21) strives to raise his listeners to the true understanding of worship in spirit and in truth. This is properly where the defensive part of Stephen’s speech concludes.

Acts 7:51. Stiff-necked people! men with uncircumcised hearts and ears! you always resist the Holy Spirit, as your fathers did, so do you. The tone of the speech suddenly changes sharply. Hitherto calm and entirely suited to the historical content, it suddenly rises to the pitch of a stern and merciless denunciation of the contemporary Jewish leadership in the persons of its representatives—the members of the Sanhedrin, Stephen’s present judges. With the inspiration and majesty of a prophet, Stephen reveals in them also the spirit of God-resistance inherent in ancient Jewry, but with the immeasurable difference that this God-resistance now has not the slightest justification and has surpassed all measure by the killing of the Messiah Himself. “Stiff-necked”—people of extreme stubbornness, insensibility, and self-will. This epithet was applied to the Jewish people by many ancient prophets, beginning with Moses. “Uncircumcised in heart and ears”—which, even in the presence of bodily circumcision, placed the Jews on a level with pagans, ascribing to them a concept of insufficient purity and dignity before God—a reproach especially keenly felt by Jewish pride and vanity. “In heart and ears”—(τῆ καρδία καί τᾶς ωσίν)—the two chief organs of spiritual perception, inner and outer. The entire expression signifies people who are pagansishly coarse and undeveloped, incapable of rising to the perception and appropriation of all that is holy (cf. Lev 26:41; Deut 10:16; Jer 4:4; Rom 2 and others). “You always resist the Holy Spirit”—a characterization of the incurable stubbornness and hardening of the Jews, with a twofold generalization: first, resistance to the Holy Spirit is attributed to the entire people as a collective person, even if there were individual exceptions within it. This is something the Lord and the Apostles did frequently in their denunciatory speeches for the sake of emphasis. Second, resistance to the Holy Spirit is attributed not only to the contemporary generation but to all previous ones: always—“as your fathers, so also you.”

Acts 7:52. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become — In proof of the universal and constant God-resistance of the Jews, Stephen recalls the persecution and killing of the prophets who had foretold the coming of the Messiah, allowing here again, for the strengthening of the speech, a grandly beautiful generalization, at the close of which he brands his judges with the powerful and intolerable mark of “betrayers and murderers” of the Messiah-Righteous One Himself.

Acts 7:53. you who received the law through the ministration of angels and did not keep it. This already powerful denunciation Stephen further intensifies by recalling the special God-given means, under whose guidance they were above all prepared and called by God to the knowledge and reception of the Messiah—something of which they had every right to be proud before all other nations, and of which they knew so poorly how to make use: “You who received the law as ordained through angels and did not keep it!” “You”—that is, primarily the generation contemporary with Moses, and from them by succession also you, their descendants. “As delivered by angels”—εις διαταγάς αγγέλων, Slavonic: “by the ordination of angels.” In the description of the Sinai Legislation there is no mention of angels. Evidently we have here a popular or rabbinic tradition, some reflection of which is already visible in the LXX translation at Deut 33:2: “at His right hand angels with Him”—instead of the literal expression of the original—“at His right hand a fiery law for them.” The idea of angelic participation in the Legislation also appears in Psalm 67 (Ps 67:18), is clearly expressed in Josephus (Antiq. XV, 5, 3), and is finally confirmed by the great authority of the Apostle Paul (Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2). Thus brilliantly concluded Stephen’s reply to his judges and accusers. “They, pretending to defend the law, said: ‘he has spoken blasphemous words against Moses’ (Acts 6:11); but he shows that they themselves blaspheme even more—not only against Moses but against God as well—and that they have always done so; that they themselves violated the customs, which are no longer needed; that they, accusing and calling him an opponent of Moses, were themselves opposing the Spirit—and not simply, but while committing murder—and that from ancient times they waged war against God…” (Chrysostom). Thus “here he presents them as disobedient to God, to angels, to prophets, to the Spirit, and to all” (Chrysostom). Throughout all this one also heard Stephen’s calm conviction that “if your fathers killed the foretellers (of the Messiah), it is no wonder that I too, who preach this Foretold One, will be killed by you, who take too much pride in your ancestors” (Theophylact).

Acts 7:55. But Stephen, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, “He saw the glory of God.” The historian expresses himself thus, evidently at a loss to describe the invisible and indescribable thing that Stephen saw. He undoubtedly saw God the Father, at whose right hand Jesus stood in glorified God-manly flesh. Since God the Father does not have an appearance accessible to human sight like the form of Jesus, so familiar to us, it is said that he saw “the glory of God,” which presumably appeared to him as a special heavenly light or cloud. All this Stephen immediately professes, both as a bold confessor and simply as one who was captivated by the wondrous vision and could not but express his rapture at once.

Acts 7:56. and he said: behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. “The heavens opened”—the plural indicates the opening to the spiritual eye of Stephen of the innermost sanctuary of heaven, or the highest heaven (cf. 2 Cor 12:2). “The Son of Man standing.” Notable here is the designation of the Lord Jesus as the Son of Man. This is the name the Lord Himself so loved to use of Himself, and yet the apostles call Him by it nowhere else—neither in the Gospels, nor in Acts, nor in the Epistles. The use of this designation here by Stephen is explained, according to commentators, by the fact that in that moment the spiritual vision of the prophet Daniel was passing before his mind’s eye—Daniel who also saw one like the Son of Man (Dan 7 and following). The Son of Man appears to Stephen “standing” at the right hand of God, whereas in similar sayings of the Lord Himself (Matt 26:64) and of the apostles (Mark 16:19; Eph 1:20), He is presented as sitting at the right hand of God. St. Gregory the Great explains this peculiarity as follows: “sitting is the posture of one who commands and reigns, while standing is the posture of one who fights and helps. Stephen saw standing the One whom he had as his Helper” (Homily 29 on the Ascension). It is possible that this standing of the Lord expressed His readiness to receive the soul of His faithful witness (Acts 7:59).

Acts 7:57. But they, crying out with a loud voice, covered their ears and all at once rushed upon him, “Crying out with a loud voice, they stopped their ears.” Both were done so as not to hear the alleged blasphemy.

Acts 7:58. and driving him out of the city, they began to stone him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul, “They began to stone him.” The right to inflict capital punishment had been taken from the Jewish Sanhedrin by the Romans (cf. Matt 27:2; John 18:31; Josephus, Antiq. XX, 9, 1). Evidently this stoning, not even formally decreed by the Sanhedrin, was an act of a spontaneous outburst of fanaticism—a mob lynching by individual fanatics who then unleashed a bloody persecution on the rest of the Christians as well. With the barely concealed sympathy and connivance of the enraged Sanhedrin and the initial lack, perhaps, of Roman garrison troops to contain the pogrom and restore order, it becomes readily understandable why this persecution reached such significant proportions. The killers had previously led the martyr outside the city… in a miserable attempt at compliance with the law concerning blasphemers, whom they had declared this courageous confessor of Christ to be (Lev 24:14-16: “bring the one who has cursed outside the camp, and… let the whole congregation stone him”). The witnesses of a crime subject to death by stoning were required by the law (Deut 17:7) to throw the first stones, after which all the congregation followed. For convenience here, these witnesses (Acts 6:11-13) remove their outer wide garments, laying them (cf. Acts 22:20 — for safekeeping) at the feet of Saul, the future great Paul, who at that time approved the killing of the First Martyr and took an active part in the subsequent pogrom against the Christians.

Acts 7:59. and they were stoning Stephen, who was praying and saying: Lord Jesus! receive my spirit. Acts 7:60. And kneeling down, he cried out with a loud voice: Lord! do not hold this sin against them. And having said this, he fell asleep. As he was being stoned, after uttering two touching prayers—one for himself, the other for his killers—the First Martyr “fell asleep,” as the historian puts it, presenting his death as the sleep of rest and peace.

Chapter Eight

The persecution of the Church after the killing of Stephen (1–4). The preaching of Philip in Samaria (6–8). Simon the Sorcerer (9–13). Peter and John in Samaria. The sin of Simon the Sorcerer (14–25). Philip’s baptism of the eunuch of the Ethiopian queen (26–40)

Acts 8:1. Saul was consenting to his death. In those days a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem; and all, except the Apostles, were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. “Saul approved of his killing”—of Stephen’s killing. He later acknowledges this himself (Acts 22:20). “On that day”—εν εκείνη τῆ ημέρα—Slavonic: “on that day.” The matter evidently unfolded as follows: the fanatical mob of killers, made savage by the blood of the First Martyr, returned to the city and launched a full-scale pogrom against the Christians, which at first did not spread beyond Jerusalem. According to Church tradition, up to 2,000 Christians fell as victims of this pogrom, among them the other deacon—Nicanor (Chet. Min. July 28). “All were scattered, except the Apostles”—perhaps recalling the words of the Lord (Matt 10:23). The Apostles remained, according to Theophylact’s interpretation, because “where the attack is strongest, there the best fighters must be found, and be an example of courage and boldness for others.”

Acts 8:2. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. “Devout men”—perhaps not even Christians, but simply admirers of Stephen from among the more sensible Jews who were secretly well-disposed toward Christianity, just as Joseph and Nicodemus once had the same courage to perform the burial of the crucified Lord. These pious admirers of the martyr also arranged, according to Jewish custom, a “great lamentation” for the deceased (Gen 50:10; Deut 34 and others).

Acts 8:3. But Saul was ravaging the church, going from house to house, dragging off men and women and committing them to prison. The actions of Saul show that he was an instrument of the Sanhedrin in the persecution of Christians and evidently had from it the corresponding authority; otherwise he would hardly have dared to break into the homes of ordinary citizens, and the prisons would hardly have been at his disposal. Under these conditions, the severity of the persecution was further aggravated by Saul’s personal fanatical blindness and fury, all of which together created an extremely difficult situation for the Church of Christ.

Acts 8:4. Meanwhile those who had been scattered went about proclaiming the word. “Those who were scattered”—that is, from the Jerusalem persecution—the believers successfully made use of their new circumstances, proclaiming Christ in new places. Further on it is noted (Acts 11:19) that they in this way spread the Gospel of Christ even as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, confirming the wise observation of the later Church writer: “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christians” (Tertullian).

Acts 8:5. Philip went down to a city of Samaria and proclaimed Christ to them. “Philip” mentioned here and further on is not one of the twelve Apostles, but one of the deacons. The Apostles, as was specifically mentioned above, were not leaving Jerusalem at that time. It would also be incomprehensible why the Apostles would send Peter and John to Samaria, as mentioned in Acts 8:14, if Philip here were one of the twelve. Finally, the deacon Philip is suggested here also by a later passage in Acts where he is mentioned as an evangelist, one of the seven deacons (Acts 21:8). This is also the view of both Chrysostom and Theophylact. “He came to a city of Samaria.” From what follows it is clear that Philip had a home and family in Caesarea (Strato’s Tower; see note on Acts 8:40) (Acts 21:8), and was evidently headed there, having labored fruitfully on the way, in Samaria. From Samaria, having completed all that was appointed there, he continued his journey to Caesarea, where, as is evident, he remained for a time (Acts 8:40). The historian does not name the city of Samaria itself. It may have been the chief city of the region—Samaria, renamed Sebaste by Herod—or another significant Samaritan city, Shechem, where the Lord Himself had once sown the first seeds of His teaching, promising another the harvest (John 6).

Acts 8:9. Now there was a man in the city named Simon, who had previously practiced sorcery and amazed the people of Samaria, claiming to be somebody great. Concerning Simon the Sorcerer, Justin Martyr (himself a native Samaritan from Shechem) says that he was from the Samaritan village of Gitta or Gitton. He was a sorcerer not in the better sense in which the Persian sages who came to worship the infant Jesus were so called (Matt 2:1), but in the simple sense of a charlatan, a conjurer, a magician. Blinded by the success of his charms and tricks, he claimed to be someone great, further amazing and attracting to himself the ignorant people, who saw in him “the great power of God”—η δύναμις τοῦ Θεοῦ η μεγάλη. This expression partially recalls the language of the Gnosticism that developed somewhat later, with its teaching about the aeons as powers emanating from the fullness (pleroma) of the deity. Simon may have claimed to be—and been recognized by the people as—one such power. Despite the prolonged and deep enchantment of the people by Simon, the power of Philip’s preaching and his miracles were so striking that they overcame not only the people but Simon himself. Faith in Simon gave way to faith in Christ. The people were baptized; Simon himself was baptized. The man who had so long amazed others with his sorceries now marveled himself at the signs and powers that came through Philip. Yet it appears that Simon’s faith and his wonder had at their base impure, carnal, self-loving, and mercenary motives. Otherwise all that followed (Acts 8 and following) would be insufficiently explained.

Acts 8:14. The Apostles in Jerusalem, when they heard that Samaria had received the word of God, sent Peter and John to them, Acts 8:15. who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:16. For he had not yet come upon any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 8:17. Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. “Samaria had received”—δέδεκται η Σαμάρεια—more precisely in Slavonic: “Samaria received”—the collective whole in place of the part. “They sent Peter and John to them”—(“the Apostles in Jerusalem”). Here there is a series of notably important details. “The Apostles in Jerusalem,” who had remained there despite the persecution, heard that Samaria had believed. But this faith lacked something important for the believers to be full members of the body of the Church of Christ: they had not received the Holy Spirit at baptism—evidently because Philip, who baptized them, did not have, as a deacon, apostolic authority to impart the Holy Spirit to the baptized. To supply this, “the Apostles” sent “Peter and John”—two of the chief apostles. The company of apostles acts here as one collective person, whose individual members are fully equal, so that even the most senior among them do not consider themselves, and are not considered, above the whole body, and conversely even obediently carry out its instructions. The fulfillment of the commission consisted in offering prayer “for those baptized and the laying of hands on them,” actions which brought down upon the newly baptized the Holy Spirit. This gives a prefiguring of the sacrament of chrismation, which subsequently replaced the apostolic laying on of hands for imparting the Holy Spirit to those being baptized. On this occasion Chrysostom remarks well: “why did they (the Samaritans) not receive the Holy Spirit after baptism? Either because Philip did not impart it—perhaps in deference to the apostles; or he himself did not have this gift (of imparting the Spirit to others), because he was one of the seven deacons—the latter can be stated with greater probability… Baptizing, he did not impart the Spirit to those he baptized, for he had no such authority; this gift belonged to the twelve alone… How then, someone will say—did they (the Samaritans) not receive the Spirit (at all, at baptism)? They received the Spirit of forgiveness of sins, but the Spirit of signs they had not yet received.”

Acts 8:18. When Simon saw that through the laying on of the Apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, “Now when Simon saw…” Evidently the reception of the Holy Spirit by the believers was accompanied by some visible signs. These may have been special expressions of spiritual exaltation, or something similar to what happened with the apostles and other believers on the day of Pentecost—in any case something visible and observable (Chrysostom), which prompted Simon to his foolish attempt. An interesting question arises: had Simon himself previously received the Holy Spirit along with the other believers, given his impure motives and intentions? According to the commentators, Simon had not yet managed to receive the Holy Spirit. The laying on of hands on each person for the conferring of the Holy Spirit probably took considerable time and was performed in a set order. Struck by the evident signs of the gift of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, Simon, not waiting his turn, hastened to make his foolish proposal to the apostles. “He believed not out of faith,” says Theophylact of him, “but in order to work miracles himself. How did he think to work miracles? He himself deceived people and also calmed those possessed by demons, and so he thought the apostles similarly employed some art. That is why he offered money. For the same reason, so as not to lose this gift, he constantly kept company with Philip.” As for how a man with such impure intentions could have been numbered among the believers, this question is answered well by Chrysostom: “the disease was in Simon from long ago; that is why even at baptism he is not freed from it. How then was he baptized? Just as Christ chose Judas…”

Acts 8:20. But Peter said to him: may your money perish with you, because you thought to obtain the gift of God with money. “May your silver perish with you”—an expression of threat, pointing to the ruinous nature of Simon’s act, if he does not recognize it as such.

Acts 8:21. You have no part or share in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. “You have no part or share in this”—ουκ έστι δοί μερίς ουδέ κλῆρος εν τῶ λόγω τούτω—Slavonic: “there is no part or lot for you in this word”—that is, in what you are speaking of—in the reception of the Holy Spirit. Neither a portion, in the measure given to all believers, nor the full lot, in the measure in which we the apostles possess it, will you receive—as if Peter were saying this to Simon. “Your heart is not right before God”—as one possessed by impure motives, conceiving impure means for achieving impure ends.

Acts 8:22. Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours and pray to God: perhaps the intention of your heart may be forgiven you; “Perhaps the intention of your heart may be forgiven you”—this points to the gravity of Simon’s sin, which requires especially intense prayers and repentance for forgiveness. “The intention of your heart”—the deliberate plan cited above of purchasing the gift of God with money, possible only alongside another blasphemous intention—that God is capable of trading in His gifts.

Acts 8:23. for I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity. “For I see that you are”—εις γάρ χολήν πικρίας καί σύνδεσμον αδικίας ορῶ σε όντα—better in Slavonic: “for I see you to be in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity.” I see you in bitter gall and the bonds of iniquity. As gall is bitter and poisonous, so are your words, your intention, your soul—capable of such thoughts and words—and not merely capable of this, but at the same time incapable of the opposite, the best way of thinking and acting. Just as the most bitter and poisonous gall was thought by the ancients to come from a serpent, so a person capable of producing such bitter gall of thoughts and intentions must have reached a particularly grievous and dangerous moral state.

Acts 8:24. Simon answered and said: pray for me to the Lord, so that none of what you have said may come upon me. What follows confirms Peter’s indication of Simon’s dangerous moral state. To the call to purge his sin through intense prayer and repentance, he responds only with a request that the apostles themselves pray for him—and specifically only that he not be subjected to punishment, which troubled him more than the purification and correction of his soul. The historian reports nothing about Simon’s subsequent fate. But history has preserved accounts of him as a most bitter enemy of Christianity, who opposed the apostles, and with whom Peter had another meeting in Rome. He evidently found that ruin which St. Peter had foretold for him on his dangerous path.

Acts 8:25. So after testifying and proclaiming the word of the Lord, they started back toward Jerusalem and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans. “They”—that is, the Apostles Peter and John—“having testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord,” instructing the newly converted Samaritans more fully in the Gospel teaching and confirming by both word and deed the truth of the faith they had received.

Acts 8:26. But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: rise and go south, to the road going down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the one that is deserted. “An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip.” This was not an invisible prompting of an angel to Philip, but evidently a visible appearance to him of an angel of God in Samaria. With three marks the angel designates the place Philip is to go: “to the south,” that is, southward from Samaria; “to the road from Jerusalem to Gaza”; and specifically “the one that is desert” (αύτη εστίν έρημος). “Gaza,” mentioned here, is one of the most ancient cities of the Philistines (Gen 10:19; Josh 15:45), to the southwest of Jerusalem, near the Mediterranean Sea. As today, so evidently at that time, several roads led from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is why the angel indicates more precisely the one Philip needs. This “desert” road, according to commentators, was probably the one that passed through Eleutheropolis.

Acts 8:27. He rose and went. And behold, an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, a court official of Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury, had come to Jerusalem to worship, The man Philip encountered on the indicated road is described by the historian with three distinguishing features: “an Ethiopian eunuch” and “an official of the queen.” The first indicates not merely a place of residence but specifically the nationality of the man encountered. He was not a natural-born Jew living in Ethiopia, but an Ethiopian by birth. The fact that he had traveled to Jerusalem for worship and was reading the book of the prophet Isaiah (probably in the LXX translation) indicates that he was a proselyte; and if he was a eunuch (whom the law of Moses did not permit to be received into the assembly of the Lord), he was probably a proselyte of the gate, not a proselyte of righteousness—that is, of the second, not the first, degree. “Eunuch”—by common understanding a castrated man; such persons served in the East as keepers of royal harems, and were sometimes elevated to the highest state offices, as we see in the present case. “Candace, queen of the Ethiopians.” Ethiopia—the land to the south of Egypt, comprising what is now Nubia and Abyssinia, whose political and commercial center was Meroe. This country was ordinarily governed by women, all of whom were called “Candaces,” just as the kings of Egypt were called “Pharaohs” (Pliny, Hist. natur., VI, 35). As a proselyte of the gate, he had access to the temple and could, on a par with Jews, offer sacrifice to the true God, whom he had evidently come to know through some Jews living in Ethiopia. His good religious disposition, which made him worthy and sufficiently prepared to receive faith in Christ, is clearly shown by the fact that even while traveling he was occupied with reading the word of God.

Acts 8:29. The Spirit said to Philip: go up and join this chariot. “The Spirit said to Philip.” This was evidently an inner spiritual revelation, without any outward visible intermediary, clearly perceived as a command from above, from the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:30. Philip ran up and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said: do you understand what you are reading? “Hearing him reading”—προσδραμών δέ ο Φίλιππος ήκουσεν αυτοῦ αναγινώσκοντος, more precisely in Slavonic: “but Philip running up, heard him reading”—that is, aloud, so that Philip could make out even what exactly was being read. Philip’s question contains in the original a certain play on words, which on the one hand softens the somewhat bold nature of addressing an unknown nobleman, and on the other expresses through the particle α ρά γε a doubt that the eunuch understands what he is reading: α ρά γε γινώσκεις ά αναγινώσκεις? Expecting a negative answer, Philip was not mistaken. And perhaps precisely thanks to the gentle and playful form of the question, Philip at once won the eunuch’s heart and drew from him a reply full of childlike simplicity and humility—that he did not understand what he was reading. At the same time this question suggested to the nobleman that the questioner evidently himself possessed true understanding of that passage, which is why he urgently asked Philip to come up and sit with him to explain what was being read. Here again is a new touchingly kind trait of character in this eminent nobleman (cf. Chrysostom).

Acts 8:32. Now the passage of Scripture he was reading was this: as a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he does not open his mouth. Acts 8:33. In his humiliation his judgment was taken away. But who will explain his lineage? For his life is taken from the earth. The passage of Scripture mentioned here is found in Isa 53 and is cited exactly from the LXX translation, which shows that the eunuch was reading the book of the prophet in that translation, which was then most widespread in Egypt. Both the Jewish and the ancient Christian Church unanimously referred this passage to the Messiah—the Sufferer for the sins of the world (cf. Matt 8:17; Mark 15:28; John 12 and following; 1 Pet 2 and following). The meaning of this passage is: “like a sheep he was led to the slaughter” (in sacrifice), “and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he does not open his mouth” (that is, in complaint, or in rebuke, or to express resistance). “In his humiliation” (in his sufferings) “his judgment was taken away” (that is, the judgment accomplished upon Him was a judgment He Himself accepted by taking upon Himself the sin of all people). “And his generation” (γενεάν) “who can describe?” (“generation,” that is, His birth, His origin—eternal from the Father, without a Mother, and in time from a Mother without a Father). “For his life is taken away from the earth.” In connection with what precedes, this last expression means: “who can explain that with such an indescribable origin, with such an incomprehensible nature of this life, it was destined to be taken from the earth, that is, to be cut short in suffering on the cross” (this is hinted at somewhat by the very form of the expression—“taken away from the earth…”).

Acts 8:34. The eunuch said to Philip: I ask you, about whom does the prophet say this—about himself, or about someone else? “The eunuch said to Philip”—αποκριθείς δέ ο ευνοῦχος τῶ Φιλίππω εῖπε—Slavonic: “but the eunuch answered Philip, saying”—more precisely in English: “the eunuch said to Philip in reply.” “I ask you”—that is, to explain.

Acts 8:35. Philip opened his mouth and, beginning from this passage of Scripture, proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. “He opened his mouth”—ανοίζας… τό στόμα—a certain solemnity of expression pointing to the special importance of Philip’s proclamation about Jesus.

Acts 8:36. And as they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said: look, here is water; what prevents me from being baptized? The eunuch’s subsequent question to Philip about the possibility of his baptism shows that Philip’s preaching was sufficiently detailed and attentively received by the listener, who was burning with a desire to become a follower of Christ. “They came to some water”—the exact location is not known; it was probably situated between Eleutheropolis and Gaza (Robinson II, 749).

Acts 8:37. Philip said to him: if you believe with all your heart, you may. He answered and said: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Acts 8:38. And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. Acts 8:39. And when they came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit fell on the eunuch, but an angel of the Lord caught Philip away; and the eunuch did not see him any more, and went on his way rejoicing. Acts 8:40. But Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through he proclaimed the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea. “The Holy Spirit fell on the eunuch, and an angel of the Lord caught Philip away.” Only in a few ancient Greek manuscripts (which our Slavonic and Russian translations follow) is this passage read thus. In the majority of manuscripts and translations, which most commentators follow (including Chrysostom and Theophylact), this passage simply says: “the Holy Spirit caught Philip away.” Whether this difference arose from an addition in some codices or from an omission in others is hard to say. The former—an addition by later copyists of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the baptized, passed over in silence by the historian—is more probable. This descent, necessary and exceptional in the present case, could occur without any visible laying on of hands, as later at the baptism of Cornelius and his household, and even before the performance of baptism (Acts 10 and following), for by the word of the Lord (John 3:8): “the Spirit breathes where it will…” “Philip was caught away”—an indication of a special supernatural action—the instantaneous disappearance of Philip, after which he “was found” at Azotus (v. 40). “This was done well,” says Chrysostom on this occasion, “so that it might be evident that what occurred was the work of God, and that the eunuch would not suppose Philip to be an ordinary man. And Philip received great benefit from it, for what he had heard about the prophets—about Habakkuk, Ezekiel, and others (Dan 14:36-39)—he saw fulfilled in himself, having in an instant traversed a great distance.” “He went on his way rejoicing”—in all that had happened, that is, both in the fact that he had been baptized, had received the Holy Spirit, had become a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the fact that all this had been accomplished in such a wondrous manner. Church tradition has preserved for us the name of this nobleman—Indich—as well as certain accounts of his subsequent fate. Upon returning to his country he was the first preacher of the Gospel there, converted many, including his mistress the queen, and baptized her (Nicephorus Callistus II, 6). “Azotus,” like Gaza, is one of the five chief cities of the Philistines, north of Gaza and to the west of Jerusalem, about 50 versts from it, near the Mediterranean Sea—now the village of Esdud. “Passing through he proclaimed the Gospel”—from Azotus Philip’s journey continued in the ordinary way northward toward Caesarea. Along this route, for the purpose of proclaiming the Gospel, he would have visited the cities of Accaron, Jamnia, Joppa (Jaffa), Apollonia, and others. “Caesarea,” where Philip apparently had his permanent residence (Acts 21 and following), was a large well-known city on the Mediterranean Sea, about 100 versts to the northwest of Jerusalem, the seat of the then Roman procurators of Judea; it was built and named in honor of Caesar Augustus by Herod the Great, on the site of what had been Strato’s Tower, which is why Caesarea was also called Caesarea Stratonis, to distinguish it from Caesarea Philippi in Palestine, on the site of the ancient Paneas.

Chapter Nine

The conversion of Paul by the Lord and his stay in Damascus (1–25). The first stay of the Christian Paul in Jerusalem (26–30). Peter in Lydda, the healing of Aeneas (31–35). Peter in Joppa (Jaffa), the raising of Tabitha (36–43)

Acts 9:1. But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, came to the high priest “But Saul, still breathing threats…”—meanwhile, as the disciples of the Lord who had been scattered after the killing of Stephen were spreading the gospel in other cities (Acts 8:1 and following), Saul continued (Acts 8:3) his persecutions of Christians with the same intensity as before. The expression—“breathing threats and murder”—evokes something like a wild, bloodthirsty beast choking on its own hunger. Threats and murders had become, as it were, the air that Saul breathed—as essential a necessity for him as ordinary air is for all people. “Came to the high priest…” If Saul’s conversion is placed no later than AD 36, then the high priest at that time was still Caiaphas, who was removed only in 36 by the Roman proconsul of Syria, Vitellius. Caiaphas’s place was taken by Jonathan, son of the former high priest—Caiaphas’s father-in-law—the well-known Annas. But already in the following year, 37, this high priest was also removed and replaced by his brother, another son of Annas—Theophilus (Josephus, Antiquities, XVIII, 4 and following). In all likelihood, this latter individual was the high priest at the time described.

Acts 9:2. and requested from him letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who followed this teaching, both men and women, he could bring them bound to Jerusalem. “Damascus”—the ancient capital city of Syria, about 200 versts to the northeast of Jerusalem. From the time of the Seleucids, a very large number of Jews had lived there, such that Nero was able to kill up to 10,000 of them there (Josephus, Jewish War Jude 1:2). With such a large number, the Jews had there not one but many synagogues, which is confirmed in this very passage: “requested letters to the synagogues…” This same multitude of Jews living in Damascus suggested the possibility of Christianity spreading there as well, which promised rich material for the zeal of the persecutor of Christ that Saul then was. How and when the faith of Christ could have been brought and spread in Damascus, the narrator of Acts does not mention: it was probably brought there initially by Damascus Jews traveling to the Jerusalem festivals, and then confirmed and spread by the disciples of the Lord who had been scattered after Stephen’s death (Acts 8:4), who passed through as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch (Acts 11:19), and could therefore also have been in Damascus, which was even closer to Jerusalem than Cyprus or Antioch. For greater success in his planned enterprise, Saul obtained authorization from the Jerusalem Sanhedrin and its chief representative—the high priest. The letters are addressed to the “synagogues,” each one separately, probably to reinforce Saul’s authority and to facilitate his work. At the same time, it is assumed that Christians converted from Judaism had not yet separated from the synagogues and participated in their assemblies, just as the apostles themselves and the remaining believers for a time participated in the worship assemblies at the Temple (Acts 3 and others). “Those who belonged to this Way…”—Greek τῆς οδοῦ όντας…—more precisely in the Slavonic: “those of that way.” “Way”—in the sense of a certain manner of life and activity consistent with a certain teaching, in this case the way of the Christian life (cf. Matt 22:16). “To bind and bring to Jerusalem…” The Jerusalem Sanhedrin maintained for itself the right of judicial authority in matters of faith over all Jews in every land in the world. All foreign Jews voluntarily acknowledged this authority over themselves, which had not been taken from the Sanhedrin by the Romans. All this sufficiently explains the possibility for Saul of the actions for which he was going to Damascus.

Acts 9:3. As he was traveling and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. “Suddenly a light from heaven shone around him…” (cf. Acts 22 and following). The narrator of Acts does not say so directly here, but the subsequent features of the account and the Apostle Paul himself make it clearly understood that in the brilliance of the heavenly light the Lord Jesus Himself appeared in bodily form to Saul’s eyes—in His glorified God-man’s flesh (cf. Acts 9:17; 1 Cor 9:1). This vision of the Lord, which Paul places in the same category as the Lord’s appearances to the apostles after the resurrection, was probably very brief, for Saul fell down and his eyes were blinded (Acts 9:8).

Acts 9:4. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul! why are you persecuting me? The vision, cut short by Saul’s blinding, continues with his hearing the voice of the One who appeared: “why are you persecuting Me?” This, in the interpretation of Chrysostom, was as if saying: “For what offense by Me, great or small, are you doing this?…” At the same time it is made clear that in persecuting the Lord’s followers He Himself endures persecution (cf. Luke 10 and parallels).

Acts 9:5. He said: who are you, Lord? And the Lord said: I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads. Saul’s question to the One who appeared—“who are you?”—clearly shows that the appearance of the Lord to him and the whole event of his conversion to Christ was something completely unexpected for him, and that it was not prepared by any internal struggle in Saul between his former Jewish convictions and new impressions of Christianity favorable to it—a struggle that might have plunged him into a special spiritual state in which a subjective image of his imagination could be taken by him for an objective appearance. From the account of the event it is clear, on the contrary, that Saul was not even thinking about Jesus at that moment—otherwise he would hardly have failed to understand immediately and would have had no need to ask who this one was who appeared to him. And in general, such an internal struggle cannot be assumed in Saul at a time when, pursuing Christians, he was far too confident that he was fighting for the cause of God Jehovah (cf. Acts 22:3; Gal 1:14). Finally, Paul himself recounts this event as something completely unexpected for him and in no way prepared on his part (Acts 22 and Acts 26, cf. Gal 1:14-15). “It is hard for you to kick against the goads…”—a popular proverb expressing the futility of efforts against an irresistible force—a futility that is moreover dangerous, threatening defeat for the one who goes against this force, in this case the Divine, all-powerful force.

Acts 9:6. Trembling and in astonishment he said: Lord! what do you want me to do? And the Lord said to him: rise and go into the city; and you will be told what you must do. The fear that had seized Saul and cast him to the ground, upon the Lord’s revealing His name of Jesus, was transformed into terror and trembling; and he humbly acknowledges the One who appeared as Lord, and himself as His servant, ready to carry out all His commands. “Go into the city…”—that is, Damascus.

Acts 9:7. The men traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. That Saul’s vision of the Lord was not some hallucination produced by an inner struggle and the direction of his thoughts is also clear from the fact that it was sensed by Saul’s companions as well. “The light shines upon all who were with him, so that they might bear witness to this appearance, but it blinds not all of them, but only Paul alone, so that they would not think it was a common and as it were accidental misfortune, but so it might be revealed that this was entirely an act of Divine Providence” (Theophylact). For the same reasons, besides the light, the companions also perceive the voice of the One speaking, although they are not granted to see Him. In Acts 22:9 it says that Paul’s companions “did not hear the voice of the One speaking.” How to reconcile the apparent contradiction of these two passages in the narrator of Acts—one of which speaks of hearing and the other of not hearing the voice? Clearly, one must here distinguish hearing from understanding. While Saul not only heard but comprehended what he heard, knowing both the One speaking and what was being said, his companions only heard the sound of the voice without understanding anything of what was said. Another interesting example of this same unequal perception of sounds, see John 12:28.

Acts 9:8. Saul rose from the ground, and though his eyes were open he could see nothing. And they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. When the vision ended, the voice fell silent, and Saul rose to go to Damascus at the Lord’s command, only to find that he was blind. Paul says this happened because of the glory of the light that had shone upon him (Acts 22:11); but one cannot fail to see in this also a special act of God, for his companions, who had also seen the light, were not deprived of their sight (Acts 22:9). This was in part a punishment for the persecutor, and in part a symbolic indication that he had until now been spiritually blind to the truth of Christ while his bodily eyes were open (cf. Chrysostom); finally, it was permitted also with the wise purpose of strengthening the soul of the one who had been enlightened by the new sign of his miraculous healing through Ananias laying hands on him.

Acts 9:9. And for three days he could not see, and neither ate nor drank. Three days of complete abstinence from food and drink—that is, the strictest fast (together with prayer, Acts 9:11)—was an expression of Saul’s deep repentance and at the same time a preparation for what awaited him according to the word of the Lord who had appeared to him (Acts 9:6).

Acts 9:10. Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision: Ananias! He said: I am here, Lord. From the present verse and those that follow it appears that Ananias and Saul were not personally acquainted with one another. The Hebrew name of Ananias indicates that he was a Christian from among the Jews. The narrator of Acts calls him here simply “a certain disciple,” while Paul himself characterizes him in greater detail: “a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews living in Damascus…” (Acts 22:12)—that is, one who even after his conversion to Christ lived strictly according to the law and was therefore held in particular esteem by the Damascus Jews. Church tradition says that he was the bishop of Damascus and died as a martyr at Eleutheropolis in Judea (Menaion, October 1). “The Lord said to him in a vision…” In precisely what kind of vision—whether in sleep or while awake, or in ecstasy—is not evident from this passage. The expression “rise and go!” (αναστάς πορεύθητι) does not mean that Ananias was at that moment lying on his bed, but simply means that he was at home in a state of repose.

Acts 9:11. And the Lord said to him: rise and go to the street called Straight, and in the house of Judas ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul; for he is now praying, Acts 9:12. and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight. “Straight Street”—still existing in Damascus to this day, and so named in contrast to all the other streets, which are usually winding, as is characteristic of Eastern cities. “A man from Tarsus”—a native of Tarsus, a city in the Asia Minor region of Cilicia. “He is now praying…”—ιδού γάρ προσεύχεται…—more precisely in the Slavonic: “for behold he prays,” just as above in Ananias’s response: “Here I am, Lord!…”—ιδού εγώ Κύριε! Beyond giving the speech greater vividness, the expression ιδού γάρ προσεύχεται also serves as an explanation of the reason why Ananias’s arrival to Saul is now required. This arrival is to be the answer to Saul’s prayer—undoubtedly a prayer for forgiveness and for physical and spiritual enlightenment. The Lord here also reveals to Ananias the vision that Saul has had (probably in sleep), and notably the Lord does not say: he saw you, but—“a man named Ananias,” from which it follows that the one who appeared was unknown to Saul, although his name had been revealed to him. The words of the Lord also made Ananias understand that Saul was blind, and that the fulfillment of God’s command by Ananias was first of all to be marked by the healing of the blind man.

Acts 9:13. Ananias answered: Lord! I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; Acts 9:14. and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name. With childlike simplicity Ananias expresses his surprise, and perhaps his fear, at being sent to a man known as the most bitter enemy of Christians, who had also come to Damascus for the ruin of the believers. About this, Ananias had “heard from many”—that is, either from Jews who had traveled to the Jerusalem festivals, or from the Jerusalem Christians who had been scattered by his persecutions. “Your saints…”—that is, Christians, as they were called because of their special consecration in Christ and by the Holy Spirit. “And here he has… authority…” How had Ananias so quickly obtained information about Saul’s authorization from the Sanhedrin? Probably from Jerusalem Christians, who had hastened to furnish all this information to the Damascus Christians as a warning. The newness and freshness of these reports fully explains both the surprise and the fears of Ananias.

Acts 9:15. But the Lord said to him: go, for he is my chosen vessel to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel. “A chosen vessel…”—figurative speech, in which Paul is presented as a living vessel in which the Lord will enclose His name, and Paul will then carry it—that is, convey, confess, and proclaim it—“before the nations, before kings, and before the sons of Israel.” It is noteworthy that “the nations”—that is, the pagan peoples, the Gentiles—are placed here in first position, in contrast to “the sons of Israel,” that is, the Jews. This indicates Paul’s special vocation as the apostle to the Gentiles.

Acts 9:16. And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name. “And I will show him,” Εγώ γάρ υποδείξω αυτῷ—Slavonic: “For I will tell him”—the meaning and connection here are as follows: “Go and do not fear that My followers will suffer harm from him, for I will show him—or in him—how much he himself must suffer for My name.” Here, then, is a new reassurance and encouragement for the perplexed Ananias.

Acts 9:17. Ananias went and entered the house and, laying his hands on him, said: brother Saul! the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. “Laying his hands on him…”—as a sign of imparting to him the grace of the Holy Spirit, which was immediately accompanied by the healing of his blindness. Notably, this was before Saul’s baptism (Acts 9:18). A similar exceptional case of being filled with the Holy Spirit before baptism occurred with the centurion Cornelius and his household (Acts 10 and following). “It seems to me,” says Chrysostom on this occasion, “that (Paul), like Cornelius, was granted the Spirit immediately upon the utterance of these words, even though the one who administered it was not one of the Twelve. So everything concerning Paul was superhuman and was accomplished not through a man, but God Himself was the performer of it all…” “Brother Saul…”—not by tribe or kinship, but in Christ and through faith in Him. “Who appeared to you on the road…” In the account of the Lord’s conversation with Ananias given above by the narrator of Acts, nothing was mentioned of this appearance, from which it is evident that the conversation is reported in abbreviated form. Nor is there the other detail, that the Lord sent Ananias not only for Saul’s recovery of sight, but also so that he might be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 9:18. And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and at once he regained his sight; and rising, he was baptized, Acts 9:19. and having taken food he was strengthened. And Saul was with the disciples in Damascus for some days. “After taking food he was strengthened”—“for he was weakened from the journey, from fear, from fasting, and from grief. And wishing to increase this grief of his, the Lord permitted him to remain blind until Ananias came…” (Chrysostom). “Spent some days in Damascus…” This does not contradict Paul’s own account, that after his conversion he immediately (ευθέως) went to Arabia and then returned again to Damascus (Gal 1 and following), for the emphatic word “immediately” in an account about a long period of time does not exclude a delay of several days. If moreover the narrator of Acts makes no mention at all of Paul’s journey to Arabia and his return to Damascus, and goes on directly to his arrival in Jerusalem, it is probably because nothing reliable or noteworthy was preserved about his journey to Arabia.

Acts 9:20. And immediately he began to proclaim in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. Acts 9:21. And all who heard him were amazed and kept saying: is this not the man who in Jerusalem was persecuting those who call on this name? And he came here for this very purpose, to bring them bound to the chief priests. Acts 9:22. But Saul kept growing in strength and was confounding the Jews living in Damascus, proving that this one is the Christ. “Proving that this” (Jesus) “is the Christ…”—that is, the Messiah, promised to the Jews and expected by them. These proofs the apostle adduced, without doubt, from the Holy Scriptures, drawing from them all the prophecies, indications, and promises concerning the Messiah and comparing them with the events and their fulfillment in the life of Jesus Christ. The power of his arguments and his words in general, issuing from a soul with an unshakably convinced and strengthened faith in Christ, was so great that it disarmed—(συνέχυνε)—the Jews to the point of despair, leaving them knowing neither what to answer nor what to do in the face of Paul’s irrefutable proofs.

Acts 9:23. When some time had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him. Acts 9:24. But Saul learned of their plot. They were also watching the gates day and night in order to kill him. Acts 9:25. But the disciples took him by night and let him down over the wall, lowering him in a basket. “But his disciples…”—that is, the Damascus Christians… “let him down through the wall”—that is, of the city, which Paul himself also recounts 2 Cor 11:32.

Acts 9:26. Saul arrived in Jerusalem and was trying to join the disciples; but everyone was afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. “Saul had come to Jerusalem…” Παραγενόμενος δέ ο Σαῦλος…—more precisely in the Slavonic: “Saul having come…” According to Paul’s own words (Gal 1:18), this was already three years after his conversion (in the narrator of Acts—“many days” — Acts 9:23), including the time spent in Arabia. Paul provides brief information about the stay in Jerusalem itself (Gal 1:18-24). He went there to visit Peter, with whom he stayed for about fifteen days. He did not see the other apostles—only James, the brother of the Lord. From Jerusalem he departed for the regions of Syria and Cilicia. The narrator of Acts supplements Paul’s account with valuable details. From him we learn that Paul, upon arriving in Jerusalem, “tried to join the disciples”—that is, Christ’s disciples, Christians—but these, out of fear and distrust of him, kept their distance. It seemed improbable to them that such a fierce persecutor of the Church could have suddenly become a servant of Christ, and they were inclined to suspect simple cunning or espionage on Saul’s part. An end to these suspicions was put by Barnabas, who enjoyed great respect in the early Christian community (Acts 4:36-37) and who introduced Saul into the circle of the apostles and disciples of the Lord. Church tradition says that they had been acquainted before, that they were educated together at the school of Gamaliel, and that even after Barnabas became a disciple of the Lord (one of the Seventy) they saw each other and disputed about Christ, but Saul remained stubborn until the event on the road to Damascus (Menaion, June 11).

Acts 9:27. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the Apostles and told them how on the road he had seen the Lord, and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus. “Took him and brought him to the Apostles…”—taking him, he brought him to “the Apostles”—an indefinite expression that allows here the understanding of only two apostles, Peter and James, whom Paul mentions (Gal 1:19). Why did Saul not see the other apostles? Perhaps because at that time they were not in Jerusalem—they were out preaching in various cities and localities. From the subsequent accounts of the narrator of Acts concerning Peter (Acts 9:32 and following, Acts 10, Acts 12:17) it is evident that even the chief apostles did not permanently reside in Jerusalem.

Acts 9:28. And he was with them in Jerusalem, going in and out, and he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 9:29. He also spoke and argued with the Hellenists; but they were trying to kill him. Saul does not hide in Jerusalem, but openly and boldly proclaims the Lord, entering into disputes with his opponents, who here, as in Damascus, resolved to kill him. The narrator of Acts says these were “Greeks”—that is, Hellenists, Jews from Gentile lands who spoke the Greek language. As a Hellenist himself, by origin from Cilician Tarsus, Paul directs his preaching especially to the Hellenists, as more akin to his spirit and less hardened in purely Jewish prejudices.

Acts 9:30. When the brothers learned of this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him on to Tarsus. “The brethren”—that is, the Jerusalem Christians, who had at last received Saul as a brother—“brought him down to Caesarea…” From Acts 22:17-21 we learn that the Lord Himself commanded Saul to leave Jerusalem. This command evidently coincided with the Hellenists’ intention to kill Saul, and the brethren who sent him off to Caesarea both saved him from his would-be murderers and helped him carry out the Lord’s command. From Caesarea (Stratonis, see note on Acts 8:40) Saul sets out for Tarsus. Paul himself in Gal 1 says briefly that from Jerusalem on this occasion he traveled “into the regions of Syria and Cilicia,” which is fully consistent with the account of the narrator of Acts. The route of the apostle according to both of these indications, which mutually supplement each other, may be outlined as follows: from Jerusalem Saul was first taken to Caesarea, and from there, by the overland route through Syria, continued his journey to Cilicia, probably along the coastal road by the sea, avoiding Damascus. It is possible that in one of the Syrian coastal cities he boarded a ship and reached Tarsus by sea, which was more convenient. Thanks to this journey and Paul’s stay in Cilicia, the first Christian communities were established in the places he visited (cf. Acts 15:23).

Acts 9:31. So the churches throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being built up and walking in the fear of the Lord; and with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit they multiplied. “The churches… had peace…”—to which the conversion of their chief persecutor undoubtedly contributed greatly. How widely the faith of Christ had spread by this time is evident from the fact that “churches” are mentioned “throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria.” “Being built up…”—οικοδομούμεναι…—Slavonic: “being edified”—that is, organizing themselves, taking shape, growing and maturing both outwardly and inwardly. “And multiplied with the comfort of the Holy Spirit…”—καί τῆ παρακλήσει τοῦ Αγίου Πνεύματος επηθύνοντο. The comfort of the Holy Spirit is the same as the mercy of God, manifesting itself in this case in abundant signs and miracles of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Two such miraculous signs are immediately recounted further on, as it were in confirmation of what has been said.

Acts 9:32. It happened that Peter, as he traveled through all regions, came also to the saints living in Lydda. “It came to pass that Peter, traveling through all parts, came down…”—εγένετο δε Πέτρον διερχόμενον διά πάντων, κατελθεῖν…,—more precisely in the Slavonic: “it came to pass that Peter visiting all, came down…” The Russian text, unfortunately, here as elsewhere admits its customary paraphrase rather than a translation of this passage, which is more simply and precisely rendered: there came about for Peter, passing through all (the churches), to come down… The expression—κατελθεῖν—to come down, descend—indicates the lower-lying position of Lydda compared to Jerusalem, just as in the expression about Jericho (Luke 10:30). It is highly significant that the Apostle Peter’s visits to the Christian communities of Palestine at that time are mentioned. Without doubt, the other apostles also had this custom, with the aim of better confirming the converts in the faith, resolving questions of life that arose, and the like. “To the saints who dwelt in Lydda…”—that is, to the Christians of the city of Lydda, not far from the sea, near Joppa, to the northwest of Jerusalem.

Acts 9:33. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been lying in bed for eight years already, paralyzed. Acts 9:34. Peter said to him: Aeneas! Jesus Christ heals you; rise from your bed. And he immediately arose. “Aeneas”—it is not clear whether he was a Christian before his healing or not. This is not a trivial question, just as it is not trivial that the Tabitha who was raised by Peter is called a “disciple.” Aeneas’s Greek name allows us to conclude that he was in any case a Hellenist. It is noteworthy that in healing the paralyzed man, Peter does not ask him about faith in Jesus Christ, but directly grants him healing—evidently either foreseeing his readiness for this faith, or hoping that by this very healing he might arouse faith in him.

Acts 9:35. And all who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. “All saw him”—that is, healed, him whom they had previously known as paralyzed. “In Sharon…” The name Sharon is associated with both a town and a valley bordering the sea (from Caesarea Stratonis to Joppa), fertile and therefore densely populated. Both may be understood here.

Acts 9:36. Now in Joppa there was a female disciple named Tabitha, which means: “gazelle”; she was full of good works and performed many acts of charity. Acts 9:37. It happened in those days that she fell sick and died. They washed her and laid her in an upper room. “In Joppa…”—present-day Jaffa, an ancient commercial coastal city to the northwest of Jerusalem. “A disciple”—that is, a Christian woman. Whether she was a virgin, widow, or married woman is not clear from the account. She may have been a widow, judging by her charitable works directed especially to widows (Acts 9:39). “Tabitha, which means gazelle…”—this was not a nickname but a proper women’s name, found among the Greeks, in Josephus, and among the rabbis. Because of its beauty, grace, and expressive eyes, the gazelle among Eastern peoples is in general a symbol of feminine beauty, and therefore came to be used as a proper women’s name, analogous to the men’s name Leon. “In those days…”—while Peter was in Lydda.

Acts 9:38. And since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him urging him not to delay in coming to them. “The disciples…”—that is, the Christians, grieved by the death of so virtuous a woman. Why send for Peter after Tabitha had already died? Evidently those who sent had some hope—perhaps vague—that He who had called even the four-day-dead Lazarus from the tomb might perform a similar miracle once again through His most worthy disciple.

Acts 9:39. Peter arose and went with them; and when he arrived, they brought him into the upper room, and all the widows stood before him weeping, showing him the tunics and garments that the Gazelle had made while she was living with them. Acts 9:40. Peter sent them all out and, kneeling down, prayed; and turning toward the body he said: Tabitha! rise. And she opened her eyes and, seeing Peter, sat up. Acts 9:41. And giving her his hand, he raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her to them alive. Acts 9:42. This became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. “Peter put them all outside…”—(cf. Matt 9:24-25; Mark 5:40; Luke 8:54), so as not to be distracted by any external impressions and to give himself entirely to prayer for the raising of the dead woman.

Acts 9:43. And he stayed a considerable number of days in Joppa with a certain Simon, a tanner. “With Simon the tanner…”—in all probability, a Christian.

Chapter Ten

Cornelius the centurion, the appearance of the Angel to him and his sending to Peter (1–8). Peter’s vision and his encounter with those sent by Cornelius (9–22). Peter’s journey to Cornelius, his preaching in Cornelius’s house, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the listeners, and baptism (23–48)

Acts 10:1. In Caesarea there was a certain man named Cornelius, a centurion of the cohort called the Italian Cohort, “In Caesarea”—see Acts 8:40, note. “From the regiment called the Italian”—that is, a regiment of native Italians, in distinction from soldiers recruited for service from the indigenous population. Caesarea was the residence of the Roman procurators of Palestine, and for this reason a special regiment of native Romans or Italians was kept with them as more reliable and capable men. Cornelius, centurion of this regiment, was probably also a native Roman or Italian. In any case, he was not even a Jewish proselyte, but was simply a Gentile of good soul and a naturally pious disposition (cf. Acts 10:28 to Acts 10:11). The incorporation of such a man into the Church of Christ—moreover directly, without any mediation of Judaism, even in the form of proselytism of the gate—was an event of great importance, an epoch in the history of the apostolic Church. This special importance of the event of the first conversion to Christ of a Gentile is indicated also by the fact that it takes place through the mediation of the first Apostle of Christ—Peter, specially summoned by God from another city, although at Caesarea at this time there was the well-known evangelist and baptizer of the Ethiopian eunuch—Philip.

Acts 10:2. a devout man who feared God with all his household, who gave generously in alms to the people and always prayed to God. “Fearing God… praying to God.” These expressions show that Cornelius was a worshiper of the One true God, about whom he had probably learned from contact with the Jews and their worship of God, but whom he honored in his own way, as his devout heart prompted him—independently and without adherence to the forms of Jewish worship.

Acts 10:3. He clearly saw in a vision, at about the ninth hour of the day, an Angel of God who came in to him and said to him: Cornelius! “Clearly saw in a vision…”—εῖδεν εν οράματι φανερῶς…—“he saw in a vision plainly”—evidently in a waking state, not in sleep (Chrysostom). This was around the ninth hour of the day (3 o’clock in the afternoon), the customary hour of prayer among the Jews, when Cornelius also was praying, having fasted until that hour (Acts 10:30).

Acts 10:4. And gazing at him and seized with fear, he said: what is it, Lord? The angel answered him: your prayers and your alms have come up as a memorial before God. “In fear.” St. Chrysostom well explains this fear of Cornelius: “the vision produced fear in him, but a moderate fear, just enough to make him attentive; then the words of the Angel dispelled this fear—or rather, the praise contained in them softened the unpleasant feeling of fear…” “Have come up as a memorial before God…”—an anthropomorphic expression of God’s favor toward Cornelius for his prayers and charitable works.

Acts 10:5–6. So now send men to Joppa and summon Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging with a certain Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea; he will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved. “He will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved…”—Slavonic: “he will tell you words by which you shall be saved and all your house…”—the Greek text is quite different: οῦτος λαλήσει σοί τί σε δεῖ ποιεῖν—that is, he will tell you what you must do. This indicates the insufficiency of good works and piety in themselves: faith in Christ the Savior is also necessary, which imparts both value and foundation to a person’s good disposition.

Acts 10:7. When the angel who had spoken with Cornelius had departed, he called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him “Two of his servants…”—δύο τῶν οικετῶν αυτοῦ…—properly, members of his household, probably those closer to the master of the house than common slaves, and distinguished by the same God-fearing quality as Cornelius himself (Acts 10:2).

Acts 10:8. and, having explained everything to them, sent them to Joppa. “Having explained everything to them…”—so that they could, of course, tell Peter and persuade him to go with them to their master (Acts 10:22). “He told them everything so as to move him (Peter) to come to him, since he considered it improper to summon him by his own authority—and that is why he explained…” (Theophylact).

Acts 10:9. On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof of the house about the sixth hour to pray. Acts 10:10. And he felt hungry and wanted to eat. While they were preparing, he fell into a trance “On the next day… around the sixth hour…”—from Caesarea to Joppa is about 40–45 versts. Those sent by Cornelius after the ninth hour (after 3 o’clock in the afternoon, Acts 10:3) and probably setting out on the same evening could have arrived in Joppa the next day by noon (around the sixth hour). “Went up on the housetop to pray…” The flat rooftops of houses in the East are a very convenient place for prayer. It was here that Peter also went up for prayer at the appointed hour. “Fell into a trance”—επέπεσεν επ αυτόν έκστασις…—more precisely in the Slavonic: “a trance fell upon him”—an ecstasy came upon him—a state in which “a person does not control his own senses, being caught up into the spiritual world” (Theophylact; cf. Chrysostom).

Acts 10:11–12. and he sees the sky opened and something descending to him like a great sheet tied at the four corners and being lowered to the earth; in it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the sky. “In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth…”—πάντα τά τετράποδα τῆς γῆς…—more precisely in the Slavonic: “all four-footed of the earth…” As one commentator aptly observes: “This vision cannot be measured by the human mode, for the ecstasy granted Peter other eyes…”

Acts 10:13. And a voice came to him: rise, Peter, kill and eat. “Rise, Peter, slaughter and eat”—αναστάς Πέτρε, θῦσον καί φάγε—more precisely in the Slavonic: “Arise, Peter, slaughter and eat!” “Rise, Peter, slaughter and eat!” The participle here indicates a rousing to the commanded action (as above, Acts 9:11 and others), having no independent meaning on a par with the two following verbs. “Slaughter and eat!” The vision accommodates itself to the hunger Peter is experiencing and proposes the most ordinary preparation of food, only with unusual subject matter for consumption. Although in the sheet that descended Peter could have found clean animals permitted for food, he nevertheless responds to the invitation with a strong categorical refusal—μηδαμῶς Κύριε—“by no means, Lord!”—not under any circumstances, not in any case! He responds this way in view of the unusual indifference with which the voice treats the animals forbidden for consumption under the law as unclean, and he has precisely these latter in mind.

Acts 10:14. But Peter said: No, Lord, I have never eaten anything defiled or unclean. Since the voice came from the opened heaven, Peter responds to it with the customary address “Lord!”—sensing in his heart that the vision came from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The meaning and purpose of this entire vision were as follows: all the animals in the sheet symbolically represented all humanity—the clean animals signified the Jewish people, the unclean ones—the Gentiles. Through the death on the cross of Christ the Savior, offered as a sacrifice to God for the entire world, cleansing has been obtained equally for all—not only for Jews but also for Gentiles, who are likewise to enter the Church of Christ, the Kingdom of the Messiah, ideally free from all defilement or vice, as washed and continually being washed by the blood of the Lamb of God. At the same time it is also made clear that for the cleansing of the Gentiles and their entry into the Church of Christ no mediation of Jewish external rites and institutions is required—rites that had even for Judaism itself a temporary, transitory character. The right to this entry is granted exclusively by the all-encompassing significance of the Cross Sacrifice of the Son of God.

Acts 10:16. This happened three times, and the vessel was taken up again into heaven. “This”—that is, the vision with the address to Peter—“happened three times”—as a sign of the unmistakable truth of what was seen and heard, and to assure Peter of the irrevocability of the Divine determination regarding it. “And the container was taken up again into heaven”—into the pure and holy realm where even what was unclean has become clean and is kept as such by God, together with what was always clean.

Acts 10:17. While Peter was puzzling within himself what the vision he had seen could mean, behold, the men sent by Cornelius, having inquired about the house of Simon, stopped at the gate, “Peter was perplexed within himself.” Peter did not immediately understand the meaning of the vision, but it at once began to become clear through subsequent events.

Acts 10:18. and, calling out, asked: Is Simon, who is called Peter, here? “Called out, asking”—from the account it is not apparent that Peter heard this call. Further it is said that the Holy Spirit made known to him the men sent by Cornelius, through a new inward, immediate communication.

Acts 10:19–20. Meanwhile, as Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him: Behold, three men are looking for you; rise, go down, and travel with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them. “Rise, go down and go,” Αναστάς κατάβηθι καί πορεύου, “rise, go down, go”—see above, on Acts 10:13. “Making no distinction”—μηδέν διακρινόμενος—“doubting nothing”—without any hesitation. This prudent caution is given in view of the apostle’s well-known strict views, which would have put him in a quandary whether to comply with an invitation to Gentiles, association with whom was forbidden by the Jewish Law (Acts 10:28).

Acts 10:21. Peter, going down to the men sent to him from Cornelius, said: I am the one you are looking for; for what reason have you come? “What is the reason you have come?” Again an inaccuracy in the Russian translation, while the Slavonic text is closer to the original—“what cause is it for which you have come?”—τίς η αιτία, δι ήν πάρεστε—what cause, or what matter, for which you have arrived?

Acts 10:22. They said: Cornelius the centurion, a virtuous man and one who fears God, spoken well of by the whole Jewish people, received a command from a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear words from you. “Well spoken of by all the Jewish people,” upon whom clearly a considerable portion of the good Cornelius’s charitable acts fell—similar in this respect to the other well-known Capernaum centurion from the Gospels. “To hear what you have to say”—ακοῦσαι ρήματα παρα σοῦ—“to hear words from you”—to hear your preaching, which is to teach him what he must do for salvation.

Acts 10:23. Then Peter, having invited them in, entertained them. And the next day, rising up, he went with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him. Acts 10:24. The following day they came to Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them, having gathered his relatives and close friends. “Some of the brethren from Joppa”—that is, from the believers of Joppa—six in number, as is evident from what follows (Acts 11:12). Peter entertains Cornelius’s messengers, who needed rest, and sets out with them only on the next day—probably not early, since they do not arrive in Caesarea until the following day, the fourth since the day of the vision that appeared to Cornelius (Acts 10:30). “Summoning his relatives and close friends,” who made up quite a considerable assembly (Acts 10:27) of people like-minded with Cornelius and fully prepared to believe in Christ at Peter’s word. This was the first community of pure Gentiles to join Christianity without any mediation of Jewish cultic institutions.

Acts 10:25–26. As Peter was entering, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet in worship. But Peter lifted him up, saying: Stand up; I too am a man. Peter repels the prostration of Cornelius before him not only out of humility, but also because he perceived in this prostration a reverence paid to Peter as some kind of embodiment of a higher power—something very characteristic of pagan conceptions of gods in human form (Acts 14:11).

Acts 10:28. And he said to them: You know that it is forbidden for a Jew to associate with or draw near to a foreigner; but God has shown me that I should consider no person defiled or unclean. Concerning the prohibition for a Jew to associate with a foreigner (Gentile), the Law of Moses itself does not actually speak; this is the petty strictness of later rabbinism, which under the influence of Pharisaism developed the idea of the holiness of the chosen people to such a point of fastidiousness. Thanks to the well-known influence of Pharisaic views on the people, this attitude toward Gentiles immediately acquired the force of a general custom and a firmly established rule—a law—which is reflected also in the conduct of the first among the apostles. “That I should not call any man common or unclean…”—in the sense of the Pharisaic views described above, and in the sense of being incapable of being cleansed and sanctified through faith in Christ, independently of Judaism and to an equal degree with it.

Acts 10:29. Therefore, when summoned, I have come without objection. So I ask: for what reason have you called for me? “I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?” Peter had already partly heard about the purpose of his being called. Now once more he wishes to hear from the lips of Cornelius and those present, “so that they themselves might make confession and be made upright in faith” (Theophylact; cf. Chrysostom). The apostle addresses himself here not to Cornelius alone but to all who had gathered, presuming in them the same intentions as Cornelius and understanding that his invitation by Cornelius came as if in the name of all of them.

Acts 10:30–33. Cornelius said: Four days ago I was fasting until the present hour, and at the ninth hour I was praying in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and says: Cornelius! your prayer has been heard, and your acts of charity have been remembered before God. So send to Joppa and summon Simon who is called Peter; he is staying in the house of Simon the tanner by the sea; he will come and speak to you. Immediately I sent for you, and you have done well to come. Now we are all here before God to hear everything that has been commanded you by God. “We are all present before God…”—a reverent expression of faith in the omnipresent and omniscient God and of readiness to fulfill all His will, expected from Peter’s lips.

Acts 10:34. Peter opened his mouth and said: I truly perceive that God shows no partiality, “Peter opened his mouth and said”—ανοίζας δέ Πέτρος τό στόμα, εῖπεν—“opening his mouth, Peter said”—see note on Acts 8:35. “In truth I perceive”—επ αληθείας καταλαμβάνομαι—“in truth I understand”—an expression of the highest degree of certainty and sureness.

Acts 10:35. but in every nation the one who fears Him and acts uprightly is acceptable to Him. “Is accepted by Him”—δεκτός αυτῶ εστι—“acceptable”—that is, is received by Him, is not pushed away, is not deprived of the right to participate in the gracious Kingdom of Christ. Here, therefore, the idea is by no means that one may believe in whatever way one pleases and still be pleasing to God, or that it is sufficient merely to act according to natural righteousness. This would mean the non-necessity of Christian faith for salvation and for pleasing God, and would allow complete religious indifference—which is impossible, just as it is impossible to be blessed without Christ, outside the Church of Christ. Peter’s thought is not about religious indifference but about national indifference in the matter of leading people to Christ: one who is pleasing to God in any nation is somehow brought to Christ—being sufficiently prepared, he receives the means of salvation in Christianity and becomes righteous before God. In this spirit the passage is also interpreted by St. Chrysostom: “How? Is one who belongs to the Persians also acceptable to Him? If he is worthy, he will be acceptable, so as to be counted worthy of faith. Therefore He also did not despise the Ethiopian eunuch. But what, they will say, are we to think of God-fearing people who are nonetheless left in neglect? No, not one God-fearing person is left in neglect, for one who fears God can never, never be despised.”

Acts 10:36. He sent the word to the sons of Israel, proclaiming peace through Jesus Christ; He is Lord of all. “He sent His Word”—that is, the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son, the Son of God, who preached the Kingdom of God, the kingdom of universal peace and salvation on earth. “He is Lord of all.” Great words—both for Jews and for Gentiles—great also because here Jesus Christ is clearly and expressly named “Lord” for the hearing of the Gentiles, and great because He is named Lord of “all”—that is, of both Jews and Gentiles—in the sense that He calls all into His Kingdom and all have equal rights to enter this Kingdom of Christ.

Acts 10:37. You know what took place throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism that John preached: “You know what happened…” This knowledge of what took place in Judea—at least of the most important events from the life of Jesus Christ—is assumed by the apostle both because his listeners lived not far from the main sites of these events, and because they, as those inclined toward the Jewish faith, could not but have been interested in and acquainted with events whose fame had at that time spread throughout the surrounding regions of Palestine over a great distance. “What happened… beginning from Galilee”—τό γενόμενον ρήμα αρζάμενον από τῆς Γαλιλαίας—more precisely in the Slavonic: “you know the word that came about throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee”—ρήμα, word—a saying, a report, and then also what gives rise to such reports. “Beginning from Galilee,” where the Lord began His public ministry after the baptism (John 2 and following).

Acts 10:38. how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him. “Anointed Jesus”—this is understood as referring to His humanity, as Theophylact interprets: “since He humbled Himself and took our flesh and blood upon Himself in all sincerity (Heb 2:14), it is said of Him that as a man He receives what He has by nature as God.” This anointing took place at the baptism of Jesus. “God was with Him”—a veiled and cautious expression of the thought about the divinity of Christ. The apostle expresses himself this way so as not to give occasion for the pagan conception of Jesus’ divinity, whereby the Gentiles could easily have taken Him for an embodiment of one or another pagan deity. For the sake of the weakness of his listeners, less is said about the Person of Christ than ought to be said (cf. Chrysostom).

Acts 10:39. And we are witnesses of everything He did in the land of Judea and in Jerusalem, and that they finally killed Him, hanging Him on a tree. Acts 10:40. This One God raised on the third day, and granted that He should appear Cf. Acts 1:8;—notes.

Acts 10:41. not to all the people, but to witnesses foreordained by God—to us, who ate and drank with Him after His resurrection from the dead. Cf. John 17:6; Rom 50:1; 1 Cor 1:1; Gal 1:1; Luke 24:41-43; John 21:12.

Acts 10:43. Of Him all the prophets testify that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name. Cf. Acts 3:24; John 3:15; Rom 3:25.

Acts 10:44. While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who were listening to the word. “While Peter was still speaking” — Acts 11 — “when he began to speak,” “the Holy Spirit fell on all who were hearing the word.” This is the only example in all of apostolic history of the Holy Spirit descending on those joining the Christian community before their baptism. Without doubt, this was required by the extraordinary importance of the events—the first incorporation of Gentiles into the Church of Christ without the mediation of Judaism—after which this manner of incorporation was to receive the authority of incontestability. “Look at the economy of God,” says Chrysostom on this occasion, “Peter had not yet finished his speech, and baptism had not yet taken place,… but since they… had received the beginning of the teaching and had believed… the Spirit descended. And this God does with the intention of providing Peter with a strong justification. They not only received the Spirit, but also began to speak in tongues… Why is this matter arranged this way? For the Jews, since they looked upon it with great hostility.”

Acts 10:45. And the believers of the circumcision who had come with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles as well, “The believers from the circumcision… were astonished”—this amazement is explained by the prevailing conviction of the time that Gentiles were to be received into the Church of Christ only after they had first become proselytes of Judaism—not otherwise: an opinion with which even after this event there was no small need to reckon (Acts 11 and following; Acts 15).

Acts 10:47. who can forbid water for baptizing those who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? Peter draws a perfectly natural conclusion from the event of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Gentiles—namely, that by this descent all obstacles to their incorporation on the one hand have been removed, and all need for Jewish cultic mediations and institutions on the other. But he considers it necessary to perform the baptism of those who have received the Holy Spirit, in view of the irrevocable commandment of the Lord (Matt 28:18).

Acts 10:48. And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay with them for several days. “Commanded them to be baptized”—apparently he did not baptize them himself, but entrusted this to one of those who came with him (1 Cor 1:17). “In the name of Jesus Christ”—see Acts 2:36, note. “They asked him”—and he, of course, granted their request, having established them sufficiently in the Christian faith. The narrator of Acts gives no further information about Cornelius. According to Church tradition, he was later the bishop of Caesarea, preached Christ in various lands, and died a martyr’s death (Menaion, January 4 and September 13).

Chapter Eleven

Discontent with Peter on the part of the Jerusalem believers for associating with the uncircumcised, and the pacification of the discontented (1–18). The preaching of the Gospel outside Palestine, especially in Antioch (10–21). Barnabas and Saul in Antioch (22–26). Prophecy of famine and charitable aid to the Christians in Judea (27–30)

Acts 11:1–3. The Apostles and the brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. And when Peter came to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision were criticizing him, saying: You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them. It is noteworthy that the Jewish believers (those of the circumcision) reproach Peter not because he preached the Gospel to Gentiles and baptized them, but only because he “went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them…” In substance they could not object to preaching Christ among the Gentiles, since they could not forget the command of the Lord Himself to “teach all nations, baptizing them” — Matt 28:19. Their protest concerned only the association with the uncircumcised that Peter had permitted. “Thus the disciples were still so slow”—of Him who had once Himself fought so forcefully against those who unreasonably reproached Him “that this man eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners.” In this case the protest of the extreme zealots of the Jewish law and customs—customs not even commanded by Moses, but constituting only the traditions of unknown elders—was all the more dangerous in that it was a manifestation of that false teaching which was later spread with such sharpness by the Judaizing false teachers, and which was ready to demand the obligation of all of Judaism with its circumcision and customs for entry into Christianity. This was already an extreme position, combated by Peter and later even more by Paul—even after the apostolic council had once and for all settled this question in its authoritative decrees. Acts 11:4-17. Peter’s retelling of the Caesarean event is almost verbatim exact with the narrator of Acts’ account. Peter does not directly answer the reproach directed at him about his going to the uncircumcised and associating with them, but simply removes it by the unmistakably manifest will of God regarding the admission of Gentiles into the Church of Christ. When this had been accomplished—not so much by Peter’s will and actions as by God’s will and signs—it would evidently have been foolish opposition to God not to recognize them as full members of the Brotherhood of Christ, association with whom could no longer be anything reproachable. After such an explanation, those who had criticized Peter not only calmed down but also glorified God, who had granted even to the Gentiles “repentance leading to life”—that is, eternal life, in the eternal Kingdom of Christ. “Do you see,” says St. Chrysostom, “how everything was accomplished by Peter’s speech, which recounted the events in detail? That is why they glorified God, because He had granted repentance to those as well: see how they humbled themselves at these words! Then at last the door of faith was opened to the Gentiles…”

Acts 11:19. Meanwhile those who had been scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, proclaiming the word to no one except Jews. Having related the events that required particular attention and took place after the killing of Stephen—events without any mutual connection among themselves (Acts 8, Acts 9, Acts 10)—the narrator of Acts passes on to describing the activity of the scattered believers beyond the borders of Judea and Samaria, something he had already briefly indicated. Now the narrator wishes to present more vividly the important results of both the persecution and the scattering. “The persecution,” says Chrysostom, “brought no small benefit to the preaching of the Gospel. If the enemies had set out deliberately to spread the Church, they would have done nothing other than this: I mean the scattering of the teachers.” “Phoenicia”—the coastal strip of land to the north of Galilee, at that time subject to the Romans, with the once famous cities of Tyre and Sidon. “Cyprus”—a large island closer to the Syro-Phoenician coast of the Mediterranean Sea (see Acts 4:36). “Antioch”—a large and flourishing city of the time in northwestern Syria, on the river Orontes, about 6 hours’ journey from the sea (about 30 versts)—founded by Antiochus, father of Seleucus Nicator, founder of the Seleucid kingdom. The predominant population was Greek, and there were also many Jews. Greek culture and language were likewise dominant in the city. “Preaching the word” (that is, the Gospel) “to no one but Jews”—following the principle once expressed by the Apostle Paul, that the word of God was to be preached first to the Jews (Acts 13:46). Thus the evangelists of the Gospel to Jews, bypassing the Gentiles, “did this not from fear of men, which they counted as nothing, but wishing to keep the law and still showing condescension to them…” (Chrysostom)—that is, to the Jews, who considered themselves to possess the preeminent right to the proclamation of the Gospel. After the Caesarean events (the conversion of Cornelius), the strict distinction of Jews and Gentiles in the right to enter the Church of Christ entirely lost its force, and from this time begins the intensified spread of the Gospel among the Gentiles. Particular zeal in this was shown by believers from the Hellenist Jews (“Cypriots and Cyrenaeans,” Acts 11:20), who, having come to Antioch, openly “spoke to the Greeks, proclaiming the Lord Jesus…” and had complete success, creating the first large community of Christians from the Gentiles, which was of such great importance in the early Christian Church.

Acts 11:21. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number, having believed, turned to the Lord. “And the hand of the Lord was with them” (the preachers)—that is, the special gracious power of God, confirming the work of preaching with signs and miracles.

Acts 11:22. News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch. “News of this”—ο λόγος περί αυτῶν, “the word about them.” “To the church in Jerusalem”—in its full composition with the apostles at its head, who “sent Barnabas to go to Antioch.” Why, and why Barnabas specifically? In case any misunderstandings should arise—similar to those spoken of above (Acts 11:2-3)—and in general for the guidance of the new Christian community, Barnabas was evidently better suited for the said authority. He was a native of the same Cyprus from which some of the Antiochene preachers had come (Acts 11:20; cf. Acts 4:36); he enjoyed special respect in the Jerusalem Church (Acts 4:36-37); he was “a good man” and full of grace (Acts 11:24); he had a special gift of persuasiveness and consolation in his speech, as shown by the very name Barnabas (Acts 4:36). Such a man would naturally seem especially well suited to pacify any disorders that might arise and to direct the entire life of the community in the proper spirit.

Acts 11:23. He, arriving and seeing the grace of God, rejoiced and urged them all to hold fast to the Lord with sincere heart; Arriving on the scene, Barnabas could only rejoice at the grace of God among the Antiochene Christians, and urged them to “cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart”—τῆ προθέσει τῆς καρδίας προσμένειν τῶ Κυρίω—Slavonic: “to remain in the Lord with purpose of heart…”—literally, with intention of heart to remain with the Lord. “Having praised and approved the people, he probably attracted still more thereby” (Chrysostom).

Acts 11:24. for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a considerable number of people were added to the Lord. “For”—this refers to verse 22, grounding the reason why it was Barnabas specifically who was sent, and equally serves to explain why Barnabas rejoiced so and took the state of the newly converted close to heart.

Acts 11:25. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul and, finding him, brought him to Antioch. “Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul”—without doubt, in order to direct him to the new and wide field of activity that had opened up, for which Paul—the apostle to the Gentiles—was especially intended, having withdrawn to Tarsus from Jerusalem (Acts 9:15).

Acts 11:26. For a whole year they gathered in the church and taught a considerable number of people, and the disciples in Antioch were first called Christians. “Assembled with the church”—that is, in the common worship assemblies of Christians. “Taught a great many people”—εγένετο διδάξαι όχλον ικανόν. Taught—that is, instructed and established the converts in the truths of faith and the rules of the Christian life. Notably, the preaching activity of Saul here is characterized (even if in conjunction with Barnabas’s) by the word “to teach” (διδάξαι), which is customarily used specifically of the apostolic preaching (Acts 4:2; cf. Acts 2:42). “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” Until now the Lord’s followers had called themselves disciples, brethren, believers, and the like. The name that appears twice in the New Testament (Acts 26:28; 1 Pet 4:16) is cited as a name used outside the Church. This suggests that the adoption of the name Christians was hardly the work of the Christians themselves. It is equally doubtful that it could have originated with the Jews, who would surely not have ventured to apply the sacred name Christ (a translation of the Hebrew Messiah) to the followers of One whom they did not regard as such. It remains, therefore, with greater probability, to suppose that the name Christians was applied to the believers by the Antiochene Gentiles. Not knowing the dogmatic and religious-historical significance of the name Messiah, they took its Greek translation (Christ) as a proper name and formed from it the name of the party of His followers. The new designation was particularly apt because it most conveniently united into one all the confessors of the new faith—both those from Jews and those from Gentiles who had come to Christianity entirely independently of Judaism.

Acts 11:27. In those days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. “Prophets came.” Among the varied spiritual gifts with which the early Church of Christ was so richly endowed, the gift of prophecy was also manifested at that time in certain believers—that is, the foretelling of future events inaccessible to natural human knowledge (1 Cor 12:10). One of these prophets was Agabus, who is mentioned once more later (Acts 21:10).

Acts 11:28. And one of them, named Agabus, standing up, predicted by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over the whole world, which also occurred in the days of Emperor Claudius. “Foretold by the Spirit…”—εσήμανε διά τοῦ Πνεύματος—Slavonic: “signified by the Spirit”—that is, announced by means of a certain sign, an external symbolic action, what had been inspired in him by the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 21:10). “Over all the world… a great famine”—an emphatic expression indicating the onset of a great famine everywhere (cf. Luke 2:1)—throughout many parts of the world, and perhaps not simultaneously but over a series of years, and by regions rather than all at once. The narrator of Acts notes that such a famine “happened in the days of Caesar Claudius.” He was the successor of Caligula, who ruled the empire from AD 41–54. Throughout this entire period famine raged in one place or another in the regions of the Roman Empire; around AD 44 there was a great famine throughout all of Palestine (Josephus, Antiquities, XX, 2, 6; 5, 2; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, II, 11). Around AD 50 there was famine in Italy itself and in other provinces (Tacitus, Annals, XII, 43).

Acts 11:29. Then the disciples decided, each according to his means, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea; Τῶν δέ μαθητῶν καθώς ηυπορεῖτό τις ώρισαν…—literally: of the disciples, each as he was able, decided… This evidently occurred already at the onset of the famine in Judea. It was then that for the first time the fraternal love and unity of individual Christian communities toward one another was expressed in so touching a manner.

Acts 11:30. which they also did, sending what had been collected to the elders through Barnabas and Saul. “To the elders…” The first mention in apostolic history of elders. As is evident from subsequent mentions (Acts 15:2 and others) and from the apostolic epistles (Titus 1:4; 1 Tim 5:17 and others), these were leaders of individual Christian communities—pastors, teachers, and celebrants of the mysteries (cf. Acts 20:17; Eph 4:11; 1 Pet 5:1; Jas 5:14-15). They were ordained to their ministry by the laying on of hands of apostles (Acts 14:23) or bishops (1 Tim 5:22). In cities where Christian communities were more numerous—for example, Jerusalem, Ephesus, and the like—several elders were appointed (Acts 15:1 and following; Acts 20:17). There is no special record of the initial institution of this sacred order, as there is, for example, of the institution of deacons (Acts 6 and following). One thing is clear: the custom of ordaining elders for newly founded Christian communities was established very early (Acts 14:27), prompted evidently by the urgent need of each community to have an authorized and apostolically empowered leader, head, pastor, teacher, and celebrant of the sacraments, besides the bishop. As the immediate representatives of individual communities, the elders are the ones to whom the aid from Antioch is conveyed, without burdening the apostles.

Chapter Twelve

Herod’s persecution of the Church: the killing of James, the imprisonment of Peter and his miraculous release (1–18). The death of Herod in Caesarea (19–23). The return of Barnabas and Saul to Antioch (24–25)

Acts 12:1. At that time King Herod raised his hand against some of those belonging to the church, to do them harm, “About that time”—that is, while Barnabas and Saul were carrying out the commission from Antioch (Acts 11:25). “Herod the king.” This was Herod Agrippa I, son of Aristobulus and Berenice, grandson of the so-called Herod the Great who had sought to kill the Lord after His birth and instead had the Bethlehem infants slaughtered (Matt 2:1 and following), nephew of Herod Antipas of Galilee—the murderer of John the Baptist (Matt 14 and following). Such is this family of murderers, who stained their hands with the most precious blood in the Christian world… Born around 10 BC, Herod Agrippa was educated in Rome. Upon the accession of Caligula, he received from him the tetrarchy of his deceased uncle Philip (Matt 2:22; Luke 3:1) and the tetrarchy of Lysanias (Luke 3:1) with the title of king. Shortly afterward he united the tetrarchy of his other uncle, Herod Antipas, under his rule. Finally, Caesar Claudius, Caligula’s successor, added Judea and Samaria to his domains, so that he, like his grandfather, ruled all of Palestine (Josephus, Antiquities, XVIII, 7, 2; XIX, 5, 1; 6, 1; Jewish War, II, 9, 6; 11, 5), and there was no longer a separate Roman procuratorship over Palestine. He died in AD 44, having reigned no more than 4 years, after which Judea was once again turned into a Roman province. “Stretched out his hand… to harm”—whether by imprisonment, corporal punishment, or other harsh measures, up to and including killing, of which an example is given further on.

Acts 12:2. and he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. James, the brother of John (the Theologian), son of Zebedee, was the second Christian martyr, upon whom the prophecy of the Lord (Matt 20:23) was precisely fulfilled. Supplementing the brief account of the narrator of Acts about his martyrdom, Church tradition says that the one who had accused the apostle was himself converted to Christ by the one he had accused, and together with him was granted a martyr’s death (Clement of Alexandria, cited in Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, II, 9; Menaion, April 30). So, exclaims St. Chrysostom: “No longer the Jews and the Sanhedrin, but a king stretches out his hand to do harm. This is higher authority, a heavier assault—all the more so because it was done to please the Jews.”

Acts 12:3. Seeing that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded next to seize Peter as well—now those were the days of Unleavened Bread — “Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread”—the days of unleavened bread began with the day of Passover and lasted 7 days. If Herod normally resided in Caesarea, the residence of the rulers of Judea at that time, the mention of the days of unleavened bread indicates that for the persecution of Christians and the imprisonment of Peter—to the delight of the Jews—Herod took advantage of his presence in Jerusalem for the Passover feast. In any case, the base calculation that guided him was to please the greatest possible number of the people with his actions—fully in the manner of Herod, and worthy of those for whose pleasure it was done.

Acts 12:4. and, having arrested him, put him in prison, and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. “Four squads of soldiers”—that is, four shifts of four men each. Such reinforced guard was assigned only to particularly important criminals, and in this case it served its purpose in a manner entirely different from what was expected, for “the more careful the watch, the more remarkable the manifestation of God’s power…” (Theophylact). “Intending after Passover.” During a feast, and especially such a great one as Passover, it was not permitted to condemn to death; and for this reason Herod Agrippa wanted to sentence Peter after the end of the feast. “To bring him out to the people”—for a solemn public trial, condemnation, and execution. A lover of spectacles, reared on the bloody spectacles of Rome, the king wished to make a public spectacle also of the condemnation and execution of the first among the apostles.

Acts 12:5. So Peter was being kept in prison, while the church was praying earnestly to God for him. “But constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.” This remark conveys that the apostle’s miraculous release was granted especially in response to the Church’s prayer for him. “They were now in the most dangerous situation. They were frightened both by the killing of the one (James) and by the imprisonment of this one (Peter)… But they did not grow agitated, did not cause disturbances—rather they turned to prayer, took refuge in this invincible advocate…” (Chrysostom).

Acts 12:6. When Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards at the door were keeping watch over the prison. “That night”—the night before the day when Herod wanted to try Peter. “Peter was sleeping between two soldiers,” chained to them with two chains, as was required by the reinforced guard (Josephus, Antiquities, XVIII, 6, 7; Pliny, Letters, X, 65).

Acts 12:7. And behold, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. The angel, striking Peter in the side, woke him and said: Get up quickly. And the chains fell off his hands. “A light shone in the prison”—φῶς έλαμψεν εν τῶ οιχήματι—Slavonic: “light shone in the chamber”—perhaps not throughout the entire prison, but specifically in that section of it where Peter was sleeping. Peter’s sleep in such alarming moments was so deep that only a strike could wake him. “Do you see,” says Chrysostom, “Peter is sleeping, giving himself over neither to dejection nor to fear. On that very night when they were about to bring him out to death, he was sleeping, having committed everything to God.”

Acts 12:8. And the angel said to him: Fasten your belt and put on your sandals. He did so. Then he says to him: Put on your cloak and follow me. “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” “He orders him to put on his belt and sandals, so that by this also he might suggest that this is not a phantom—so that he might rouse from sleep and be assured that this is reality; and for this reason at once the chains fell from his hands, and it was said: ‘Rise quickly.’ These are words not of one who confuses, but of one who persuades not to delay…” (Chrysostom).

Acts 12:9. Peter went out and followed him, not knowing that what was being done by the angel was real, but thinking that he was seeing a vision. Acts 12:10. When they had passed the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate leading into the city, which opened to them by itself; they went out and passed through one street, and suddenly the angel was no longer with him. Acts 12:11. Then Peter, coming to himself, said: Now I see truly that the Lord sent His angel and delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting. Acts 12:12. And, having looked around, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was called Mark, where many had gathered and were praying. “John who was also called Mark,” who later accompanied Barnabas and Saul to Antioch (Acts 12:25). Several different traditions exist about this John Mark: according to some, he is one and the same person as the evangelist Mark and Mark the nephew of Barnabas (Col 4:10). Others distinguish him from St. Mark and also from the nephew of Barnabas (Menaion, January 4). A third view, while distinguishing him from St. Mark, identifies him as the nephew of Barnabas (Menaion, June 11, Life of the Apostle Barnabas). This disagreement cannot, of course, speak against the full historical reliability of what is narrated in this passage of the Acts.

Acts 12:13. When Peter knocked at the gate, a servant girl came to listen, by name Rhoda, Acts 12:14. and, recognizing the voice of Peter, in her joy she did not open the gate, but ran inside and announced that Peter was standing at the gate. Acts 12:15. But they said to her: Are you out of your mind? But she kept insisting it was so. And they said: It is his angel. “You are out of your mind?”—Greek μαίνη—Slavonic: “are you possessed?”—that is, are you raving? Such was the degree to which what was reported seemed astonishing and incredible. “It is his angel.” As always happens in cases of confusion before something improbable and inexplicable, one tries to find an explanation for what is happening that is no less difficult and miraculous, and equally fails to explain the possibility of the improbable. The teaching about the guardian angel and guide of every person’s salvation could be grounded in and confirmed by the Lord’s teaching about the angels of little children. This teaching is also known to the Apostle Paul (Heb 1:14).

Acts 12:16. Meanwhile Peter continued knocking. When they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed. “When they opened”—no longer the servant girl alone, but all who had gathered rushed to the one who had come and opened the door for him.

Acts 12:17. He, motioning to them with his hand to be silent, told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison, and said: Report this to James and the brothers. Then, going out, he went to another place. “Tell James”—that is, the head of the Jerusalem Church, the brother of the Lord—“and the brethren”—that is, the rest of the believers—to reassure them. “Went to another place”—as required by prudent caution, and fully consistent with the Lord’s instruction (Matt 10:23). “He did not tempt God, and did not himself rush into danger, for they did those things only when commanded…” (Chrysostom). An ancient tradition exists that Peter was in Rome in the early years of the reign of Claudius (Jerome, Catalogue, ch. I; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, II, 14–15). If so, the most convenient time for such a journey of Peter was precisely the time under consideration. This was in all probability the year AD 44, after the Jewish Passover, in the 4th year of the reign of Claudius. The narrator of Acts makes no mention of Peter after this departure to another place until the very apostolic council (Acts 15). During this period (several years) he could very well have made the supposed journey—both for greater safety and to satisfy his zeal, which had drawn him to preach Christ in the very center of life of the world of that time.

Acts 12:19. But Herod, after searching for him and not finding him, examined the guards and ordered them to be executed. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and remained there. “He went down to Caesarea”—the usual residence at that time of the Roman rulers of Judea. The Passover feast had ended and he could leave Jerusalem; besides, it was now inconvenient for him to remain in Jerusalem—he must have felt ashamed before that portion of the people, with the Sanhedrin at its head, whom he had so recently raised to such expectations of the free spectacle of the execution of the apostle.

Acts 12:20. Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they, having come to an agreement, came to him and, having won over Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their region depended on the king’s region for its food supply. Describing the death of Herod immediately following the account of Peter’s release, the narrator of Acts intends to present this death as God’s punishment of Herod for his persecution of the Church of Christ. “Herod was very angry”—the reason for this is unknown. “Blastus the king’s personal aide”—τόν επί τοῦ κιτῶνος τοῦ Βασιλέως…—the chief attendant of the king’s person, custodian of his life and treasure. Such attendants very often became the highest officials of the state as well, wielding great influence over the king and affairs of state (cf. Acts 8:27). “They asked for peace”—which the anger had disrupted—friendly relations, especially necessary in view of the threatened famine (Chrysostom). The Phoenicians received most of their grain from Palestine, being themselves a predominantly commercial rather than agricultural people. Therefore Herod without going to war could harm them greatly, which compelled them to ask him for peace.

Acts 12:21. On an appointed day Herod, having dressed in royal robes, took his seat on an elevated place and delivered a speech to them; Acts 12:22. and the people were shouting: This is the voice of a god, and not of a man. Acts 12:23. But suddenly an angel of the Lord struck him down because he did not give glory to God; and, having been eaten by worms, he died. The reception of the ambassadors took place on a specially appointed day in a solemn public audience. “Arrayed in royal apparel”—according to the account of Josephus, woven from silver. The Jewish historian Josephus recounts the circumstances of Agrippa’s death in considerable detail, with some additional particulars and differences (Antiquities, XIX, 8, 2; cf. Acts 18:6) while generally agreeing with the narrator of Acts. According to Josephus, the king attended games in Caesarea in honor of Caesar; one of the days of these games could very well have been the occasion for the reception of the ambassadors by the king. His magnificent, silver-woven garments gleamed in the sunlight with a dazzling brilliance; this gave flatterers occasion for the most immoderate praises, in which they called him a god and entrusted themselves to his mercy (θεόν προσαγορεύοντες). The king apparently welcomed such base flattery, which did not long delay in drawing upon him the wrath of God: seeing an owl above him, he fell into superstitious fear and at the same time felt such a severe pain in his stomach that he was immediately carried to the palace in the arms of others, where after five days of suffering he died. Agrippa’s fear of the owl is explained by the fact that in Rome an augur had made a prediction to Agrippa that he would die when he saw an owl above him for the second time. When this occurred, Agrippa fell ill, recalling the prediction with horror. This explanation does not exclude the other, more serious one given by the narrator of Acts, who places the cause and onset of the illness in the invisible striking of Herod by an Angel. Nor do the two accounts contradict each other regarding the duration of Herod’s sufferings—Josephus directly indicating five days, and Luke expressing himself less precisely: “having been eaten by worms, he died.” The account of Herod’s death is important for its chronological date (AD 44), which allows one to determine the time of the specifically Christian events that preceded and followed it.

Acts 12:25. Barnabas and Saul, having completed their mission, returned from Jerusalem (to Antioch), taking with them also John who was surnamed Mark. Cf. Acts 11:28-30.

Chapter Thirteen

The journey of Barnabas and Saul to Cyprus and the conversion of the proconsul Sergius Paulus (1–12). The journey to Perga and Pisidian Antioch and Paul’s speech in the synagogue at Antioch (13–41). The effect of Paul’s speeches on Gentiles and Jews, the persecution of Barnabas and Paul, and their departure to Iconium (42–52)

Acts 13:1. In Antioch, in the church there, there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenian, and Manaen, a foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. “There were certain prophets and teachers.” Prophecy and teaching were in the early Christian Church special gifts of the Holy Spirit, granted to certain chosen servants of God (1 Cor 12:28; Eph 4:11). In terms of modern understanding, we might say this was something akin to the “clairvoyance” and “eldership” of our own time. Prophecy is visionary foreknowledge of the future, communicated to others sometimes through some fitting symbolic act, and sometimes simply through prediction or figurative utterance. Teaching is the higher spiritual wisdom that opens in a person the capacity to instruct and guide others by counsel and exhortation in all circumstances of life. Among such grace-bearing persons of the Antiochian church are mentioned: “Barnabas,” who had earned the respect of the entire early Christian Church (Acts 11:22) and had served in the founding of the Antiochian church; “Simeon” Niger (i.e., the Black), probably of Latin origin, to judge from his surname; “Lucius” of Cyrene—from Cyrene (see Acts 2:10)—perhaps the one the Apostle Paul names in Rom 16:21, and one of the Cyrenians mentioned by the author of Acts above (Acts 11:19-20); “Manaen” or Manaim, a foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, i.e., of Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee (Matt 2:22). On this point Theophylact remarks: “Here is what character means; and upbringing exerts no influence: look what an impious man Herod remained, while his foster-brother Manaen was so transformed that he was even deemed worthy of the gift of prophecy…” Finally, Saul is mentioned last, since he entered into fellowship with the Antiochian church later than the others, and his apostolic activity had only just begun (Chrysostom and Theophylact).

Acts 13:2. As they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said: Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. “While they were worshiping the Lord”—λειτουργούντων δέ αυτῶν τῶ Κυρίω. The Greek expression denotes public worship, in this case probably the Eucharist (worshiping “the Lord,” i.e., Jesus); consequently, the words cited here pertain not only to the 5 named individuals, but to the entire Antiochian church. “The Holy Spirit said”—probably through a prophet or prophets (Chrysostom), who declared the command of the Holy Spirit before the entire assembly. “Set apart,” i.e., from among yourselves—in the sense of choosing and consecrating the chosen for a special ministry. “For the work to which I have called them.” The specific work is not named directly. But it was, without doubt, known to the Antiochian Church (cf. Acts 9:15), as is evident also from the expression “they sent them off,” knowing the work for which they were being sent, i.e., that they were going forth to preach the Gospel to the pagan world.

Acts 13:3. Then, having fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them off. “After fasting and praying and laying their hands on them.” As a matter of special importance, requiring special provision for the journey, the fulfillment of God’s command concerning the chosen ones is preceded by fasting and prayer. The consecration for their new and special holy ministry then takes place through “the laying on of hands”—by the presiders of the assembly, of course, not by the entire community. Thus the future great apostle to the nations received a second ordination for the work of the highest apostolic ministry. “What does it mean: ‘Set apart for Me… for the work’?—For apostleship. So Paul is ordained for apostleship, to preach with authority…” (Chrysostom, cf. Theophylact).

Acts 13:4. These, having been sent out by the Holy Spirit, came to Seleucia, and from there sailed to Cyprus; “They, having been sent out by the Holy Spirit”—by a new and distinct revelation, separate from the one just mentioned. With this qualification begins the account of the 1st great journey of the Apostle Paul in preaching the Gospel, which constitutes the content of two chapters Acts 13-14. The route, order, and direction of this journey is indicated clearly and precisely, beginning and ending at Antioch (as do all the others, with the exception of the last—in chains—which began in Jerusalem and ended in Rome with the apostle’s martyrdom). “They went down to Seleucia”—κατῆλθον εις τήν Σελεύκειαν—Slavonic: “they came down to Seleucia.” The Greek and Slavonic expressions indicate the geographical and topographical position of Seleucia in relation to Antioch—they descended (went down from above) to Seleucia (as in Luke 10:30). “Seleucia,” also called Pieria—a small port city at the mouth of the river Orontes (on which, further upstream, Antioch was also situated). From Seleucia they “sailed away to Cyprus”—the island of the Mediterranean Sea closest to Antioch. Barnabas was from this island (Acts 4:36) and probably had a great many relatives and acquaintances there, through whom it was easy to establish connections not only with the population of the island itself, but also with the surrounding mainland regions, which maintained the most lively trade relations with the enterprising islanders. All of this made Cyprus a particularly favorable starting point for going “among the nations” for those who were to enlighten the Gentiles.

Acts 13:5. and, being in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues; they also had John with them for assistance. “Salamis”—a coastal city of Cyprus on the eastern shore of the island, facing the Syrian coast. “They preached in the synagogues of the Jews”—since Barnabas was by origin from the Jews of Cyprus, it was natural for him and Saul to turn with the preaching about Christ first of all to the Jews, as they did with Paul everywhere and always (Acts 13:46). “They also had John as an assistant”—evidently John Mark, the same one whom they had taken with them from Jerusalem to Antioch (Acts 12:25), “as an assistant”—i.e., to carry out their commissions, including perhaps the administration of baptism to those being converted (Acts 10:48; cf. 1 Cor 1:14).

Acts 13:6. Having traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew by the name of Bar-Jesus, “Paphos”—the main city of the island, the residence of the Roman proconsul, on the opposite end of the island from Salamis. “A certain magician, a false prophet”—evidently similar to Simon the Magician (Acts 8:9). “Bar-Jesus” means son of Jesus. Perhaps this name was not the magician’s own proper name, since it expresses only his Jewish patronymic (just as the proper name of “Bartholomew,” i.e., son of Tolmai, was Nathanael—see the commentary on Matt 10:3). The Arabic name “Elymas” mentioned next likewise does not seem to serve as the false prophet’s own proper name, but is simply a designation of his profession, since “Elymas” means magician-sage par excellence.

Acts 13:7. who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. He, summoning Barnabas and Saul, wished to hear the word of God. “Was with the proconsul”—evidently having him under his influence. Under Octavian Augustus, Cyprus was for a time an imperial province governed by a propraetor, but Augustus ceded this province to the senate, and from that time it was governed by a proconsul, which “Sergius Paulus” was at the time described. The author of Acts characterizes him as “an intelligent man,” which partly explains his association with the magician, from whom he evidently sought to satisfy his spiritual inquiries; it is also borne out by the fact that, despite the magician’s opposing influence, he was able to approach the new preachers of higher wisdom impartially and find in it true satisfaction for his love of wisdom.

Acts 13:8. But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. “Opposed them”—that is, raised objections, contested their teaching, trying to refute it, to present it as untrue and unworthy of the proconsul’s attention and that of others.

Acts 13:9. But Saul, who is also Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit and fixing his gaze on him, “Saul, who is also called Paul.” Here for the last time the author of Acts uses the Hebrew name “Saul” and for the first time the Roman name “Paul,” which from this point becomes the exclusive name of the apostle to the nations. In this change of name and its coincidence with the conversion of Proconsul Paulus, one rightly perceives not a simple coincidence, but a special significance and intentionality on the part of the author of Acts. According to the explanation of the earliest commentators, Paul took this new name in memory of the so remarkable conversion of the Roman proconsul S. Paulus which he had accomplished (Hieron. De vir. 5). He may also have been prompted to this change by the circumstance that he was now going to preach Christ to the Greco-Roman world, in the conversion of which he saw his special calling, making it more fitting to adopt a new Roman name, which happened to be so similar to his Hebrew name. It is also remarkable that from this time the author of Acts allows another significant change, placing as the chief figure in the apostolic journey described “Paul” and not Barnabas as before (“Barnabas and Saul,” whereas from this point he writes almost consistently “Paul and Barnabas”). Evidently, through the conversion of the proconsul and the severe punishment of the magician, Paul displayed such a power of God in himself that it gave reason to consider him the chief figure of this mission and the highest apostle of the Gentiles, which was borne out later in all his subsequent activity. “Fixed his gaze on him,” which signified the deepest penetration into the soul of the magician with its base qualities.

Acts 13:10. said: O full of all deceit and all villainy, son of the devil, enemy of all righteousness! Will you not stop perverting the straight paths of the Lord? “O full of all deceit and all villainy.” The Greek ραδιουργίας (villainy) properly means knavery, which together with deceit constituted the necessary qualities of a popular deceiver. “Son of the devil”—an angry expression contrasting with his name “Bar-Jesus”—son of salvation or of the savior. A son of the devil is a man whose entire inner disposition is an embodiment of the spirit of falsehood and malice—the enemy of God and of people (cf. John 8:44). “Making crooked the straight paths of the Lord”—those leading the proconsul toward true faith in Christ and blessedness, in contrast to the crooked paths that lead away from Christ and into eternal ruin.

Acts 13:11. And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you: you will be blind and will not see the sun for a time. And immediately a mist and darkness fell on him, and he, turning about here and there, was seeking someone to lead him. “Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you,” i.e., the punishing, corrective power of God (Judg 2:15; Job 19 and others). “You will be blind and will not see the sun…”—an intensified expression of the heaviness of the divine punishment upon the magician—you will be completely blind, corresponding to which is the subsequent intensified expression—“mist and darkness fell upon him.” “For a time,” i.e., until he ceases to oppose the preachers and repents. Whether Elymas made use of the mercy left open to him is unknown.

Acts 13:12. Then the proconsul, seeing what had happened, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. “The teaching of the Lord,” proclaimed through the mouths of the apostles (Acts 8:25).

Acts 13:13. Setting sail from Paphos, Paul and those with him arrived at Perga in Pamphylia. But John, separating from them, returned to Jerusalem. “Paul and his companions” (see note on Acts 13:9), i.e., Barnabas and John Mark and perhaps also someone from among the converted Cypriots. “Pamphylia”—a coastal region of Asia Minor to the north of Cyprus; “Perga”—the main city of this region, situated not far from the sea on the river Cestrus and known in antiquity for its temple of Diana. “John, separating from them, returned to Jerusalem”—the reason is not stated, but from what follows it is clear that it was not entirely praiseworthy; Paul, at least, did not approve of it. Perhaps here a certain weakness of character on John’s part manifested itself, together with apprehension at the great labors that lay ahead, entailing no small dangers and hardships, which may have seemed beyond the strength of the young John (Theophylact; cf. Chrysostom; Chet.-Min., June 11—“being young”).

Acts 13:14. They, going on from Perga, arrived at Antioch in Pisidia and, entering the synagogue on the Sabbath day, sat down. “Pisidian Antioch”—a populous city which at different times, depending on circumstances, was classified now under Phrygia, now under Pamphylia, now under Pisidia—provinces of Asia Minor.

Acts 13:15. After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them: Men and brothers! if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak. “After the reading of the Law and the Prophets,” i.e., the reading of the portions appointed for that Sabbath from the Pentateuch of Moses and the prophetic books. “The rulers of the synagogue.” Strictly speaking, there was one ruler of the synagogue (the archisynagogue, Luke 8:41; Matt 9 and others). Probably the elders who were members of the council alongside the archisynagogue are also here called rulers. “Sent to them.” Probably before this visit to the synagogue, Paul and Barnabas had already become known as learned men, skilled in the understanding and interpretation of Scripture, which is why they were invited to speak.

Acts 13:16. Paul, standing up and motioning with his hand, said: Men of Israel and you who fear God! Listen. “Motioning with his hand” to signal that he wished to speak. “Such was the custom among the Jews”—Chrysostom explains. It is noteworthy that now “Barnabas yields to Paul, as John everywhere yields to Peter” (Theophylact). “He said…”. The apostle’s speech consists of a brief but powerful portrayal of the history of the Hebrew people from the time of the patriarchs down to David, with the aim (as with Stephen, Acts 7) of pointing to the great divine benefactions given at that time (Theophylact and Chrysostom), and then from there making a direct transition to the history of the Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching on forgiveness of sins through Him, with a strong warning against unbelief in Him. “Men of Israel” (Acts 3:12) “and you who fear God.” The first designation refers to natural-born Jews, the second to proselytes of the gate—worshipers of the true God from among the pagans—who participated in the synagogue services, where they occupied places specially designated for them (cf. Acts 13:43).

Acts 13:17. The God of this people chose our fathers and exalted this people during their time of sojourn in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm led them out of it, “The God of this people,” i.e., the Hebrew people. The Greek text: ο Θεός τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου Ισραήλ… The manner of expression indicates that Paul’s speech is addressed specifically to the proselytes, but at the same time it is aimed indirectly, with no less force, at the hearts of the Jewish listeners as well, whom he addresses more directly from Acts 13:26 onward. “Our fathers.” Having just spoken of the God “of this people,” the apostle by the expression “our fathers” counts himself among the Hebrew people, showing that this people alone enjoyed the privilege of a special divine election, while all other peoples were left, for a time, to walk in their own ways (Acts 14:16). “Chose”—by the choosing of Abraham and the covenant made with him and his descendants. “Made great”—through multiplication, strength, and might, of which the Egyptians themselves were afraid (Exod 1:7-10). “Led them out with an uplifted arm.” A figurative expression frequently used in Holy Scripture when mentioning the exodus of the Jews from Egypt; it denotes the power of God the Lord as the leader of His people, brought out under the protection of His mighty hand, which manifested itself in so many signs and miracles of the Exodus.

Acts 13:18. and for about forty years he sustained them in the wilderness. “Sustained them”—ετροποφόρησεν—with motherly solicitude, carrying them in his arms as a mother carries an infant (cf. Deut 1 and 2 Macc 7:29). This solicitude was expressed especially in feeding them with heavenly bread—the manna (cf. John 6:30-32).

Acts 13:19. And, having destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land to them as an inheritance. “After destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan” (i.e., Palestine) (cf. Deut 7:1). Since the nations mentioned were far stronger and more numerous than the Jewish people (Deut 7:1-2), this destruction and the subsequent division of the land is also mentioned in order to emphasize the care of the Lord for His people, for the purpose of preparing them to receive the promised Messiah.

Acts 13:20. And after these things, for about four hundred and fifty years, He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. “After that”—i.e., after the division of the land of Canaan among the Jews—“about 450 years.” This chronology of the period of the Judges is somewhat at variance with the indication in 3 Kings (1 Sam 6:1), where the 4th year of Solomon’s reign—the year of his building of the temple—is called the 480th year from the exodus of the Jews from Egypt (according to the LXX, the 440th), in which case only 331 years would properly fall within the period of the Judges. This discrepancy is explained by the fact that the apostle here uses the chronology of tradition rather than of Scripture, as the noted Jewish historian Josephus also does, counting from the departure of the Jews from Egypt to the building of the temple (or the 4th year of Solomon’s reign) 592 years. The right to prefer the date of tradition to Scripture cannot be disputed in view of the fact that copyists of manuscripts could especially easily introduce errors into numbers—letters, so that numeric dates in particular vary extremely across different manuscripts and required special verification by the authoritative voice of scholarly tradition. “He gave them judges”—special leaders raised up by His immediate power and direction, for the salvation of the people from calamities and for governing them (Judg 3:10). The special “Book of Judges” describes their deeds. “Until the prophet Samuel,” who was the last Judge of the people.

Acts 13:21. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin. So forty years passed. “Forty years.” In the Old Testament books the duration of Saul’s reign is nowhere directly stated. Here Paul again employs the indication of tradition, which Josephus also uses, giving separately 18 years of Saul’s reign during Samuel’s lifetime and 22 years more after his death (Antiquities VI, 14, 9).

Acts 13:22. Having rejected him, He raised up David as king for them, of whom He also testified, saying: I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will carry out all My wishes. “Having removed him”—for not fulfilling the will and determinations of God—“he raised up David to be their king” (1 Sam 13 and following; 1 Sam 15 and following; 1 Sam 16 and following). “He testified, saying.” The divine utterance about David cited by Paul is a free combination of what was actually said in the name of God by Samuel to Saul concerning his rejection (1 Sam 13:14), and what the psalmist (Ethan) merely places in God’s mouth as having been said to Samuel (“in a vision to your holy one” Ps 88 and following).

Acts 13:23. From his offspring God, according to His promise, has raised up for Israel a Savior, Jesus. From David the apostle swiftly moves to the preaching of Christ, as the goal of the entire God-directed history of Israel and as that Descendant of David for whom David was the best type through his two above-mentioned qualities (“a man after God’s own heart… he will do all my will”), and who was the most perfect fulfillment of the promise given to David.

Acts 13:24. Before the very appearance of Him, John preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. “Before his coming,” i.e., before his coming forward in public ministry, which took place immediately after his baptism, “John proclaimed a baptism of repentance.” See Mark 1 and parallels.

Acts 13:25. As John was completing his course, he was saying: Who do you think I am? I am not he; but behold, one is coming after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie. “As John was finishing his course,” i.e., at the completion of his ministry as the Forerunner of Christ, not at the end of his life generally. The cited words of the Forerunner were spoken by him around the time of Christ’s baptism, by which the ministry of the Forerunner properly ended, rather than by his death, although that death was not long in coming. “What do you suppose me to be? I am not he,” etc. A brief and free rendering of the Baptist’s testimonies set forth in the Gospels (John 1 and following; John 3 and parallels). The apostle’s speech is lively, animated, and therefore fragmentary.

Acts 13:26. Men and brothers, children of the lineage of Abraham, and those among you who fear God! To you the word of this salvation has been sent. Coming to the exposition of the very essence of the evangelical preaching about the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ and the salvation of all through Christ, the apostle repeats with heightened affection and persuasiveness his appeal to those present: “brothers, sons of the family of Abraham”—i.e., natural-born Jews, “and those among you who fear God,” i.e., proselytes (cf. Acts 13:16). “The message of this salvation,” i.e., the proclamation of this salvation and salvation itself. “To us has been sent”—υμῖν… απεστάλη—sent through the apostles, in the present case Paul and Barnabas.

Acts 13:27. For the inhabitants of Jerusalem and their rulers, not recognizing Him and condemning Him, fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, “For…”—here used not in a causal sense, but in an explanatory sense. “They fulfilled the words of the prophets”—without thinking or realizing it, they fulfilled what had been predetermined from eternity by God and foretold through the prophets, i.e., that Christ was destined to suffer and die. “Which are read every Sabbath.” What a heavy reproach! What a bitter truth! Every Sabbath these prophetic words are read in the synagogues, and those who read and expound them do not realize that they have become the terrible fulfillers of them. But if in the non-recognition of the Messiah a degree of ignorance might have somewhat mitigated their guilt, what followed—the slaying of the Innocent one, even after he was acknowledged as such—excuses them in no way: “this was no longer a matter of ignorance; for, granting that they did not consider him to be the Christ, why did they kill him even so?” (Chrysostom).

Acts 13:28. and, finding in Him no cause worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have Him killed. Acts 13:29. When they had accomplished everything written about Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. “They took him down from the tree, laid him in a tomb…” Although this was done not by enemies but by friends of the Lord (Joseph together with Nicodemus), the apostle nonetheless attributes this also to the crucifiers of Christ, as the consequence of their terrible deed, summarized from beginning to end.

Acts 13:30. But God raised Him from the dead. Acts 13:31. For many days He appeared to those who had come with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now His witnesses before the people. “But God raised him” (cf. Acts 2:24 — note). The certainty of this resurrection is demonstrated by his appearances “for many days,” namely 40, to his disciples, who were all Galileans (Matt 10:4), “and who are now his witnesses” (cf. Acts 2:32), i.e., eyewitnesses of all that happened with him, who must be the most reliable announcers of all this to the rest of the people. Paul does not count himself, it appears, among these witnesses—the eyewitnesses of the Lord who appeared to the disciples after the resurrection. It is true that he himself also saw the Lord (Acts 9 and following; 1 Cor 15:8), but under entirely different circumstances from those of the other apostles.

Acts 13:32. And we bring you the good news that the promise made to the fathers, God has fulfilled for us their children, by raising Jesus, Acts 13:33. as also it is written in the second Psalm: You are My Son; today I have begotten You. Paul considers the proofs of the truth of Christ’s resurrection provided by direct eyewitness testimony to be insufficient for ordinary people, yet he does not regard them as the only proofs, and points to a mightier support for them in Holy Scripture itself. The resurrection of Jesus appeared to be an utterly necessary condition for the fulfillment of God’s promises concerning him, one of which declared: “You are my Son; today I have begotten you” (Ps 2:7). This teaching about the divine Sonship of the Messiah seemed to require his resurrection logically, being itself grounded upon it as an irrefutable conclusion from its premises.

Acts 13:34. And as for the fact that He raised Him from the dead, so that He would no longer return to decay, He spoke thus: I will give you the holy and faithful mercies promised to David. Acts 13:35. Therefore He also says in another place: You will not allow Your Holy One to see decay. Acts 13:36. For David, having in his own time served the will of God, fell asleep and was gathered to his fathers, and saw decay; Acts 13:37. but the One whom God raised did not see decay. A further proof of the authenticity of the fulfillment of God’s promises on Jesus, in his resurrection, the apostle finds in words of God spoken through the mouths of the prophets Isaiah (Isa 55:3) and the psalmist David. The former, in the name of God, promises the inviolable fulfillment of the promises given to David, which are of such a nature that their fulfillment is incompatible with the possibility that the Messiah could return to corruption. David speaks about this with complete clarity in Ps 15:10 (see notes on Acts 2:25-32). “David, in his own generation having served the purpose of God, fell asleep.” The Greek text (and the Slavonic following it) seems to have a somewhat different thought: Δαβίδ μέν γάρ ιδία γενεᾶ υπηρετήσας τῆ τοῦ Θεοῦ βουλῆ, εκοιμήθη—“David, having served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep,” that is: David, having served his generation, by God’s will fell asleep. “Having served his own generation” (or people)—through his royal service and his entire life, which gave so much not only to his own people but to the generations of all ages and nations in his Psalter. “Fell asleep,” i.e., died—a reverent, believing description of death, which is as though a sleep until the future resurrection of the dead. “Was gathered to his fathers”—an ancient Hebrew expression pointing to the fate of the dead after death (Gen 15:15; Judg 2:10); the soul of the deceased departs to Sheol and there is joined to the ancestors who had died before. “Saw corruption”—bodily corruption, in contrast to which Christ “did not see corruption”—because he rose and was destined to live eternally, so that all God’s promises to the fathers might be fulfilled (Acts 13:32).

Acts 13:38. Let it be known to you therefore, men and brothers, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you; “Through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,” i.e., forgiveness of sins is granted to those who believe in him through him, and this is proclaimed through the apostolic preaching.

Acts 13:39. and in everything in which you could not be justified by the Law of Moses, everyone who believes is justified by Him. “Freed”—δικαιωθῆναι—“justified”—made righteous before God. This justification and purification from sins through faith in Christ, and the insufficiency of the law of Moses for this purpose, the apostle discusses in greater detail in his epistles to the Romans and the Galatians. “From everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” This “everything” has here an absolute meaning, for—according to the apostle’s teaching—the law of Moses could not justify a person before God in any respect. Such justification comes exclusively from faith in Christ, joined with the works of Christian love (Rom 3 and following; Rom 3:28; Gal 3 and following).

Acts 13:40. Take care, therefore, lest what is spoken of in the prophets come upon you: “What is said in the prophets…” Cf. Hab. 1 according to the LXX translation.

Acts 13:41. Look, you scoffers, be amazed and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you would not believe, even if someone were to tell you. “Scoffers”—i.e., of God’s voice, of God’s warnings, and therefore—of God himself. “Be astonished and perish.” The prophet here speaks in the name of God about the impending invasion of the land of the Jews by the Chaldeans as punishment for the unbelief and depravity of the Jewish people. This invasion was so unexpected and was accompanied by such astonishing upheavals for the Jews that they as it were “perished” from astonishment, were humbled to nothingness, to non-existence, to the utter shattering of all their expectations and conceptions of what was possible. With such a terrible judgment and divine punishment for unbelief and contempt of God’s voice the apostle now likewise threatens.

Acts 13:42. As they were going out from the Jewish synagogue, the Gentiles were asking them to speak about these same things on the following Sabbath. Acts 13:43. When the assembly was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout proselytes from the Gentiles followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God. “To continue in the grace of God,” i.e., in this disposition of heart toward faith in Christ, preached by Paul, that had manifested itself in them—a disposition that was in time to lead them also to the salvation that had been proclaimed. This disposition was here the first breath or touch of the saving grace of God.

Acts 13:44. On the following Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of God. “Almost the whole city,” i.e., its pagan population as well, whose attention had evidently been aroused by the private conversations of the apostles with the inhabitants during the week, between the two Sabbaths mentioned (Acts 13 and Acts 13:44).

Acts 13:45. But the Jews, seeing the crowd, were filled with jealousy and, contradicting and blaspheming, opposed what Paul was saying. The intensified expressions—“contradicting and reviling, they opposed”—point to the passionate, agitated hostility of the Jews toward Paul’s teaching.

Acts 13:46. Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly: It was necessary that the word of God be proclaimed to you first, but since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. “They spoke out boldly…” The thought expressed by Paul about preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles independently of Judaism was still arousing considerable perplexity among believers in Jerusalem and Antioch (Acts 11:2-3 and following). It might arouse the same perplexity among all other Jews of the diaspora. Nevertheless, the Apostles—Paul and Barnabas—take the boldness to express it and to apply it in practice, having in view both the experience of the Apostle Peter (Acts 10), and the experience of the Antiochian preachers (Acts 11:20), and the special will of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:1-4), and finally the fact that the Jews, who had first of all been proclaimed the word of Christ even here, had proved disobedient, and thereby had as it were themselves justified the apostles’ turning to the Gentiles with the preaching of Christ. “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you…,” i.e., the teaching about Christ the Savior; it was necessary both by the clear command of the Lord himself (Acts 1:8; Rom 1:16), and in general by the divine determinations concerning the Messiah, who was sent first of all to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and only then belonged to all the remaining nations. “You judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life,” the granting of which to all humanity constituted the chief purpose of the Messiah’s coming, on the condition of faith in him. “Behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.” “These words,” says St. Chrysostom, “are full of great gentleness. He did not say: we are abandoning you, in order to show that it was possible to return here again, and that this departure was made not as a result of your insult, but—such is the command given to us. The Gentiles need to hear the word of God, but that they should have to hear it before you—that does not depend on us, but on you…”

Acts 13:47. For so the Lord commanded us: I have appointed You as a light for the Gentiles, so that You may be for salvation to the ends of the earth. In proof of the fact that the apostles’ turning with their preaching to the Gentiles was not an arbitrary action on their part and fully accorded with God’s plan for the salvation of the world, the apostles cite the utterance of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 49:6), where God’s determination concerning the Messiah is expressed as a light for the Gentiles and the salvation of all people to the ends of the earth. In this divine determination the apostles see for themselves something like a divine command and the strongest justification of their activity in the eyes of the Jews, for whom a reference to the express command of the Lord himself to teach all nations (Matt 28:19) could not carry the same force as pointing to the words of a prophet.

Acts 13:48. Hearing this, the Gentiles rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who had been destined for eternal life believed. “Hearing this,” i.e., the determination of God, attested by the apostles, concerning the admission of the Gentiles into the Church of Christ. “Glorifying the word of the Lord,” i.e., the new teaching, the new faith, the Holy Gospel. “As many as were appointed to eternal life”—on account of God’s foreknowledge of their freely-chosen righteous conduct (cf. John 6:44; Rom 8:29-30).

Acts 13:49. And the word of the Lord spread throughout the whole region. “The word of the Lord,” i.e., the evangelical proclamation.

Acts 13:50. But the Jews incited the devout and prominent women and the leading men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their region. Acts 13:51. They shook the dust off their feet against them and went to Iconium. “They shook off the dust from their feet against them” (Matt 10:14), as a sign of the complete cessation of all fellowship. “They went to Iconium”—a densely populated city to the southeast of Pisidian Antioch, classified at various times now under Pisidia, now under Lycaonia, now under Phrygia.

Acts 13:52. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. “But the disciples,” i.e., the Pisidian Christians, “were filled with joy” instead of being disheartened by the persecution of the apostles. “Such is the power of the Gospel!—Theophylact exclaims (cf. Chrysostom).—The teachers were driven out, while the disciples rejoiced… The suffering of the teacher does not take away boldness from the disciple, but makes him more fervent.”

Chapter Fourteen

The preaching of Paul and Barnabas in Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (1–7). The healing of a lame man in Lystra and the Gentiles’ attempt to offer sacrifice to the apostles (8–18). The persecution of the apostles, the return journey through the newly founded communities, and the return to Syrian Antioch (19–28)

Acts 14:1. In Iconium they entered the Jewish synagogue together and spoke in such a way that a great multitude of both Jews and Greeks believed. By the believing “Greeks” are undoubtedly meant proselytes—pagans converted to Judaism—in contrast to the “Gentiles” mentioned further on (v. 2), who joined with the unbelieving Jews against the apostles.

Acts 14:2. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up and embittered against the brothers the minds of the Gentiles. “Stirred up,” i.e., “they slandered the apostles, leveled many accusations against them, and presented these simple-hearted men as cunning…” (Chrysostom). “Against the brothers,” i.e., not only against the apostles, but also in general against the newly converted followers of Christ, the greater part of whom were natural-born Jews, and therefore brothers in the flesh—to their persecutors (Rom 9:3).

Acts 14:3. Nevertheless they stayed there for a considerable time, speaking boldly about the Lord, who bore witness to the word of His grace by granting signs and wonders to be done through their hands. “Speaking boldly for the Lord.” “This boldness,” says Theophylact, “came from the apostles’ dedication to the work of preaching, while the fact that those who heard them believed was the result of the miracles, yet the boldness of the apostles itself also contributed somewhat to this.”

Acts 14:4. Meanwhile the population of the city was divided: some sided with the Jews, and others with the Apostles. “The people of the city were divided.” This division seems to be the reason why the Jews’ incitement of the Gentiles remained for a time without result.

Acts 14:5. When both the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their rulers, made a move to attack them and stone them, “The Jews with their rulers”—cf. Acts 13 — probably with the archisynagogue and the elders who formed the council alongside him. In the move toward “stoning” it is revealed both that the chief instigators of the attack on the apostles were Jews, and that the offense of the apostles had been interpreted as the crime of blasphemy, for which among the Jews this form of execution was prescribed.

Acts 14:6. they, learning of this, fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding region, Acts 14:7. and there they preached the good news. “To the Lycaonian cities, Lystra and Derbe.” “Lycaonia”—constituting a distinct region of Asia Minor more ethnographically than politically, with the cities—“Lystra”—to the southeast of Iconium, and “Derbe”—to the southeast of Lystra.

Acts 14:8. In Lystra there was sitting a certain man who had no use of his feet, lame from birth—he had been crippled from his mother’s womb and had never walked. Acts 14:9. He was listening to Paul speaking, and Paul, looking at him and seeing that he had faith to be healed, “Seeing that he had faith”—perceiving it with the penetrating gaze of the God-illumined apostle.

Acts 14:10. said with a loud voice: I say to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ: stand upright on your feet. And he immediately sprang up and began to walk. Acts 14:11. The crowd, seeing what Paul had done, raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language: The gods have come down to us in human form. “Saying in the Lycaonian language.” What this Lycaonian dialect was is difficult to say: some regard it as a dialect related to Assyrian, others as identical to Cappadocian, others as a corrupted form of Greek.

Acts 14:12. And they called Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. “Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul Hermes.” Why the people saw precisely these gods in Barnabas and Paul is explained partly by a local Phrygian legend about the appearance of precisely these gods in human form (in Ovid, Metamorphoses VIII), and partly by the fact that near the city there was a temple or idol of Zeus, while Hermes, as the eloquent interpreter of the gods, was considered obliged to accompany Zeus when he descended from Olympus to mortals. A hint at this latter circumstance is also given by the author of Acts himself, according to whom Paul was taken for Hermes “because he was the chief speaker”… It is possible that the very outward appearance of the apostles also played a part here: Paul, as a young man (Acts 7:58), distinguished by a lively character reflected in all his speeches and actions, could easily have been identified with Hermes, who was depicted as a delicate, lively, fair-featured youth, while Barnabas with his dignified bearing could well have reminded the pagans of “Zeus” (Chrysostom: “it seems to me that Barnabas also had a venerable appearance”).

Acts 14:13. The priest of the idol Zeus, whose temple was before their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and, together with the people, wanted to offer sacrifice. “Garlands”—to adorn the sacrificial oxen with them, which was customarily done to give greater pleasure to the gods.

Acts 14:14. But the Apostles Barnabas and Paul, hearing of this, tore their garments and rushed into the crowd, crying out loudly: “They tore their garments”—as a sign of deep grief and distress at such blindness on the part of the people.

Acts 14:15. Men! what are you doing? We too are human beings just like you, and we bring you good news so that you may turn from these false things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and the sea and everything in them, Acts 14:16. who in past generations permitted all the nations to walk in their own ways, Acts 14:17. though He did not leave Himself without witness, doing good by giving us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons and filling our hearts with food and gladness. The apostles prove the absurdity of the Gentiles’ deifying them, affirm in general the falsity of the pagan gods, and in their place point the Gentiles to the One Living God, Creator of all, who, though he allowed all peoples to follow false paths of life, did not deprive them of the possibility of knowing the true path (cf. Rom 1:20). “Without violating free will,” says Theophylact, “the Lord allowed all people to walk according to their own judgment; but He himself continually performed such deeds from which they, as rational beings, could recognize the Creator…”

Acts 14:18. And, saying these things, they barely restrained the crowd from offering sacrifice to them and sending them each on their way home. Meanwhile, as they were remaining there and teaching, “Scarcely restrained.” So strongly was the crowd roused by what had happened and so firm was its conviction that before its eyes were gods, not men.

Acts 14:19. some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and, while the Apostles were boldly preaching, persuaded the crowd to turn against them, saying: they say nothing true but are all lying. And, having stirred up the crowd, they stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, supposing him to be dead. “Certain Jews came”—from among those unbelieving and hostile toward Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:50 and Acts 14:5). “They stoned Paul” and not Barnabas—probably because he, as the chief speaker (Acts 14:12), was the most dangerous and detested enemy of the Jews. It is of this stoning that the apostle probably speaks in 2 Cor 11:25. Such is the astonishing fickleness and susceptibility of the popular masses to the evil speech of agitators. Just a moment before they had been ready to honor the apostles as gods, and in the very next moment they are capable of dealing with them as confirmed villains. One cannot but give due credit to the astonishing ability of the agitators to bring about so abrupt a reversal of popular feelings and movements.

Acts 14:20. But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the city, and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. “The disciples gathered around him”—evidently with the intention of performing his burial, or simply to see what had become of him, what condition he was in. “He rose up and entered the city.” Without doubt, this restoration of Paul’s bodily strength was the result of a miracle, although the author of Acts only hints at this covertly—with a brief and powerful expression—“he rose up and entered.” Also noteworthy here is the steadfastness of spirit of the apostle, who without fear returned again to the city where he had just been exposed to mortal danger.

Acts 14:21. Having proclaimed the good news to that city and made quite a number of disciples, they returned through Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, Acts 14:22. strengthening the souls of the disciples, urging them to continue in the faith, and teaching that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. From “Derbe,” after successful preaching, the apostles undertook the return journey to Syrian “Antioch,” passing through all the previously visited places (Acts 13 and following), strengthening the believers in readiness to hold to the faith of Christ, in spite of all persecutions, tribulations, and trials, which constitute for believers the most certain path to the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt 7:14).

Acts 14:23. Having appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. “When they had appointed elders for them…”—presiders and guides for each community, which thereby received a firm external organization. The ordination, i.e., the laying on of hands (Acts 6:2-6), indicated the importance of the presbyteral ministry and the gracious consecration for this ministry (see Acts 11:30). “With prayer and fasting,” as was done on all important occasions (Acts 13 and others). “They committed them”—i.e., the newly converted Christians, together with their newly appointed presiders—“to the Lord,” i.e., to His mercy, goodwill, and protection.

Acts 14:24. Then, passing through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia, Acts 14:25. and, having proclaimed the word of the Lord in Perga, they went down to Attalia; Acts 14:26. and from there they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had now completed. Through Pisidia and Pamphylia the apostles returned to Perga—the first city they had arrived at when they landed on the coast of Asia Minor (Acts 13:13, note). “They went down to Attalia”—a coastal city in Pamphylia, to the southeast of Perga, at the mouth of the river Catarrhactes. The city was named after Attalus Philadelphus, king of Pergamon, by whom it was built. From there the apostles arrived through Seleucia at Syrian Antioch, whence they had set out on the first apostolic journey by the will of “the grace of God.”

Acts 14:27. Having arrived there and gathered the church together, they reported everything that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. Acts 14:28. And they spent no small amount of time there with the disciples. “Having gathered the church,” i.e., the Antiochian Christian community, “they declared all that God had done with them.” The apostles’ humble acknowledgment that the power of God did everything in them by itself, and not they themselves. “He had opened a door of faith”—a figurative expression for the admission of the Gentiles into the bosom of the Church of Christ (1 Cor 16:9; 2 Cor 2:12; Col 4:3). “They declared”—“By this,” says Chrysostom, “a great matter is accomplished. It was necessary at last to preach freely to the Gentiles; and so they come to announce it, so that those back home might know about this, for it happened that at the same time there came those who had forbidden speaking with the Gentiles.” With this ends the account of the first apostolic journey to the Gentiles of the great Apostle to the nations—Paul together with Barnabas. How long this 1st journey of Paul lasted, the author of Acts does not report. It can be assumed to have been about two years.

Chapter Fifteen

Disturbances in the Antiochian Church (1–4). The Apostolic Council in Jerusalem, its decrees and letter to Antioch (5–35). The beginning of Paul’s second apostolic journey with Silas (36–41)

Acts 15:1. Some who had come down from Judea were teaching the brothers: unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. “Some men came down from Judea.” These were excessively ardent adherents of Judaism among Christians of Jewish origin, who had recently reproached Peter for baptizing the Gentile Cornelius and sincerely considered the observance of all the rites of the Mosaic law (cf. Acts 15:5) obligatory also in Christianity. The word “were teaching” shows that they came to Antioch as genuine missionary preachers of a specifically formulated doctrine. Judging by what follows, this teaching had managed to spread, beyond Antioch, into Syria and Cilicia as well (Acts 15:23).

Acts 15:2. When a disagreement and no small dispute arose between Paul and Barnabas and them, it was decided that Paul and Barnabas and certain others from among them should go up on this matter to the Apostles and elders in Jerusalem. “There arose dissension and no small debate.” This shows that although the false teachers did not meet with unanimous sympathy, they also did not receive a sufficiently unanimous rebuff, having in any case introduced considerable confusion into the community. “They appointed… to go,” i.e., the brothers (Acts 15:1) or the entire Antiochian Church resolved that Paul and Barnabas should go to Jerusalem to resolve the dispute that had arisen, where the most authoritative judges of the matter were to be found in the persons of the apostles (even if not all of them) and the elders of the Jerusalem church. “Paul” and “Barnabas” are chosen because they were the most directly involved and knowledgeable in this matter. The “certain others” who went with them were evidently chosen to provide fuller representation of the Antiochian community, in which Paul and Barnabas were relative newcomers.

Acts 15:3. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, telling of the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. “They passed through Phoenicia and Samaria,” which lay on the road to Jerusalem from Antioch, “describing the conversion of the Gentiles” to the Phoenician and Samaritan Christians (Acts 13-14), “and brought great joy to all the brothers,” apparently not only those from among the Gentiles but also from the Jews.

Acts 15:4. On arriving in Jerusalem they were received by the church, the Apostles, and the elders, and they reported everything that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. “They were welcomed by the Church, the apostles, and the elders,” i.e., in a special solemn assembly of believers, possessing all the qualities and conditions of a council as the highest and most authoritative resolver of important matters that might concern the entire Church of Christ. “They declared all that God had done with them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles…” The delegates do not directly put a question to the Church concerning the possibility of receiving the Gentiles, but simply declare everything about the conversion of Gentiles through them (cf. Acts 14:27), leaving it to those unable to see God’s resolution of the matter to raise such a question themselves. Those who proved to be thus incapable were at once “some who belonged to the party of the Pharisees who had believed.”

Acts 15:5. Then some from the party of the Pharisees who had believed stood up and said that it was necessary to circumcise the Gentiles and to command them to keep the Law of Moses. Between the demands of the Judaizing Christians who had come to Antioch (Acts 15:1) and those now being expressed in Jerusalem, a very significant difference is observable. There, the Judaizers taught of the necessity for believers from paganism of essentially only circumcision, whereas here they express themselves even more decidedly about the necessity of observing the law of Moses in general. This is explained by the fact that here there came forward the most strict zealots for the Mosaic law, who felt themselves to be in a position of greater strength and firmness in Jerusalem than in Antioch.

Acts 15:6. The Apostles and elders gathered to consider this matter. The resolution of the question raised was the subject of another separate assembly, in which the author of Acts mentions only the apostles and the elders as the presiders or representatives of the Church. From what follows, however, it is evident (Acts 15:12) that ordinary members of the community also took part in examining, deliberating, and deciding the matter—perhaps in the full assembly of the Jerusalem Church as it happened to be constituted. Participation in this matter by everyone could not fail to be impelled by the greatest importance and lively interest of the question placed under discussion: Law or Gospel? Moses or Christ? Grace or the works of the Law? Judaism or Christianity? The Apostolic Council definitively demarcated these two domains, indicating their proper place and significance, and establishing the self-sufficient force of Christ’s merits and Christ’s grace, which, in the event of a victory by the Judaizers, was threatened with complete destruction through dissolution into Judaism.

Acts 15:7. After much debate Peter rose and said to them: Men and brothers! You know that from the early days God chose among us that through my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe; Acts 15:8. and God, who knows the heart, bore them witness by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also gave to us; Acts 15:9. and made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. The resolution of the question is preceded by extended debates, in the course of which two opposite and mutually exclusive opinions were set forth in their fullest form. The conclusion drawn from them—and, as it were, the guiding thread for finding a way out of this confused web of disputes and opinions—is provided by Peter. Theophylact (cf. Chrysostom) finds in the very fact of Peter’s coming forward a certain argument from above in favor of the true opinion, established by councils: “Note: the grace of resolving the question is given to Peter, in whom even to this day there remained elements of Judaism.” “Brothers!”—a respectful address to the whole assembly (Acts 1:16), but—judging by the reproach in Acts 15:10 — especially to the Judaizing legalists. “In the early days”—in former times, long ago. The event of Cornelius’s conversion had taken place several years before this, and the apostle uses an emphatic expression about its antiquity to indicate that the matter of the conversion of the Gentiles is by no means new, and by its very antiquity considerably blunts the sharpness of the question raised. In favor of receiving the Gentiles without the formalities of the Mosaic law, Peter points to the so obvious participation of God in the conversion of Cornelius: “God himself chose” the apostle at that time to baptize the Gentiles, as the “Knower of hearts,” knowing infallibly the readiness of these Gentiles to enter the Church of Christ and by granting them the Holy Spirit “making no distinction” with the rest of those who had believed in Christ. It was this faith that purified their hearts, making them worthy vessels of the grace of the Holy Spirit, without any mediation of the works of the Law, which consequently do not represent an essential necessity for salvation. “By faith alone, he says, they received the same thing… This can teach that faith alone, and not works (of the Mosaic Law) or circumcision” (Chrysostom, cf. Theophylact).

Acts 15:10. Why then are you now testing God, wishing to place on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? “Why are you putting God to the test?…”—“Why do you not believe God, he says? Why do you put him to the test? As if he were not powerful enough to save by faith?” (Chrysostom). The apostle thinks of this putting of God to the test—this attempt to alter the manner of salvation of the Gentiles accepted by God—as the desire to place the yoke of the Mosaic law upon those who are being saved by faith. “A yoke that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear.” A thought elaborated in detail in the epistles of the Apostle Paul (Gal 3 and following; Rom 3:9-19; 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Eph 1 and many others).

Acts 15:11. But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we will be saved, just as they will. “Through grace… we will be saved, just as they will.” Not only will the believing Gentiles be saved and are being saved by grace, without the works of the Law—not only are these works superfluous and unnecessary for them—but even in us, who once observed these works, they have completely lost all significance, fallen away like something dead, having entirely ceded their place and significance to the grace of Christ, by which all are saved equally: it is not a concession to the Gentiles that they are being freed from the yoke of the law, not our condescension that allows them to be saved as we are, but far more—it is exclusively the work of the grace of Christ, which abolishes all our legal righteousness—to give us the possibility of being saved, “just as they will.” Both we and they are equally without defense before God, equally purified by faith and saved by grace, so that nothing any longer in the matter of salvation remains the work of the law, which in its own time had only a preparatory significance with respect to Christ. Therefore, the Mosaic law is not necessary in Christianity not only for Gentiles who do not know it, but also for Jews who do know it. This completely exhausted everything in the given question.

Acts 15:12. Then the whole assembly fell silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. “The whole assembly fell silent”—under the powerful impression of Peter’s clear and decisive speech, which had made further debate impossible. However, if not at this moment, then later the Judaizers for quite a long time agitated the Church of Christ with their intrigues. Only time could finally heal so painful a question for Judaism.

Acts 15:13. After they had finished speaking, James began his address and said: Men and brothers! Listen to me. “James began to speak”—this is, without doubt, James the “brother” of the Lord (Acts 12:17), the presider of the Jerusalem Church, himself a strict adherent of the law, who received the title of “the righteous” for this strictness (Euseb., Eccl. Hist. 2, 23). The speech of such a man, confirming Peter’s speech, had a decisive effect.

Acts 15:14. Simeon has described how God first looked with favor on the Gentiles to take from them a people for His name. Acts 15:15. And with this the words of the prophets agree, as it is written: Acts 15:16. After this I will return and will rebuild the fallen tent of David, and what has been demolished in it I will rebuild, and I will restore it, “God… visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for his name.” James’s thought is striking in its unusual originality and boldness for that time: until then the Jewish people had been regarded as the exclusively chosen people of God, in contrast to all the others, who had been left by God to walk in their own ways. St. James now refutes the continued existence of this contrast and establishes that from among the Gentiles too, those who believe are called to constitute their own chosen people of God in no way inferior to the Jewish people. St. Apostle James confirms this thought with prophecies, the strongest of which he immediately cites (Amos 9:11). The thought of the prophecy is as follows: God promises to restore the fallen house of David in such a way that it will exist not only over the Jews but over all peoples. The realization of this restoration of the kingdom of David, with the drawing of all peoples into it, occurred in Christ and in His gracious Kingdom.

Acts 15:17. so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, and all the nations among whom My name is proclaimed, says the Lord who does all these things. Acts 15:18. God’s works have been known to Him from eternity. “Says the Lord, who makes all these things.” The very Lord who foretold what was happening, through the mouth of the prophet many years before—He now speaks all this as the decree of His eternal Council (cf. Chrysostom).

Acts 15:19. Therefore I conclude that we should not trouble those among the Gentiles who are turning to God, “Therefore my judgment is,” i.e., according to the interpretation of Chrysostom and Theophylact—“I speak with authority that it is so.” In rejecting the obligatoriness of the Mosaic law for those who believe in Christ, the wise presider of the Jerusalem church, for the sake of pacifying passions, nonetheless finds it necessary to propose to those converting from the Gentiles that they refrain from certain things incompatible with the spirit of the Mosaic law (Exod 34:15) and contrary to the spirit of the Christian law.

Acts 15:20. but write to them to abstain from things defiled by idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood, and not to do to others what they do not want done to themselves. “From the things polluted by idols,” i.e., from meat offered to idols (cf. Acts 15:29), the meat of pagan sacrifices, which might be offered in the homes of pagans, or in the marketplace, or at pagan banquets (cf. 1 Cor 8). “From sexual immorality”—one of the most widespread pagan vices, contrary alike to the Mosaic and Christian law (1 Cor 6:13-18). “From what has been strangled”—an animal strangled without letting its blood out, which was forbidden by Moses (in Lev 17:13-14; Deut 12:16). “From blood”—from consuming it as food (Lev 3:17; Deut 12:16). The laws of Moses on this subject were so strict that those guilty of consuming the blood of animals or of strangled things were to be cut off from the people, whoever the guilty party might be—a native Israelite or a resident alien (Lev 17:10-14). Lack of restraint in all this on the part of converts from paganism would arouse extreme aversion in the Jews toward them and would give many grounds for confusion, scandals, and all manner of disorders. “Although these matters concern physical things, it is necessary to abstain from them, because they caused great harm” (Chrysostom, cf. Theophylact). “Not to do to others what they do not want done to themselves.” This saying, based on the saying of the Lord himself (Matt 7:12; Luke 6:31), is found only in a few ancient manuscripts, and in this passage, and in Acts 15:29. But in the later passage (Acts 21:25), where James and the Jerusalem elders remind Paul of the decision of the council, this saying is not mentioned at all. And St. Chrysostom does not cite it.

Acts 15:21. For the Law of Moses has had in every city from ancient generations those who proclaim it, and it is read in the synagogues every Sabbath. The connection of this verse with all that precedes it is not sufficiently clear. It appears to provide the basis for abstaining from the stated violations of the Mosaic law, the reading of which every Sabbath could continually feed the ill-disposition toward Christians from paganism as being impure; or alternatively, an answer is given here to a supposed objection that, in the event of freeing Christians from the obligatoriness of the Mosaic law, this law might fall into complete oblivion. “Thus James resolved everything. It appears that he enjoins the observance of the law, because he borrows these prescriptions from it; but he also frees from it, borrowing only this much…” (Chrysostom).

Acts 15:22. Then the Apostles and elders, together with the whole church, decided to choose men from among themselves and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, men who were leading figures among the brothers, It is entirely fitting that with Barnabas and Paul there are sent to Antioch special delegates, so that the Antiochians would have no doubts or suspicion about an impartial and accurate transmission of the conciliar decisions and deliberations, which could easily have occurred in the circle of opponents of Barnabas and Paul (cf. Chrysostom). “Leading men among the brothers.” In Acts 15:32 they are also called “prophets”; from this it may be inferred that they held some kind of leadership positions—as teachers, guides, instructors of the community, elders of the Jerusalem church.

Acts 15:23. having written and entrusted to them the following: ‘The Apostles and elders and brothers—to the brothers from among the Gentiles who are in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings. “Having written and handed it to them.” The decision of the council is conveyed to the Antiochians in the form of a letter, as the best means of delivering it to its destination in its authentic form and precise meaning. At the same time, to remove any suspicion from Barnabas and Paul of transmitting the conciliar decisions inaccurately, the letter is handed to Judas and Silas. The letter—judging both by its form and its purpose—was written, in all probability, in the Greek language, and is here cited, most likely, in its original form. “The apostles, the elders, and the brothers”—equivalent to the expression Acts 15:22 “the apostles and the elders with the whole church.” “In Antioch” (the city), “Syria” (the province), “and Cilicia” (the neighboring province). Within the boundaries of these localities the confusion introduced by the Judaizers was particularly rampant. “To the brothers from among the Gentiles”—although the letter is addressed specifically to them for their reassurance, since the false teaching was directed against them, it also pertains, on the other hand, to the brothers from among the Jews, who were likewise obliged to be guided by the decisions of the council. The designation “brothers” indicates the equality and equal standing of the converted Gentiles with the believers from Judaism, without any distinction. “Greetings”—the usual greeting in letters among the Greeks (cf. Acts 23:26), found in Christian usage with the addition “in the Lord,” who is our joy even in sufferings themselves (Col 1:24).

Acts 15:24. Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with their words and unsettled your souls, saying that you must be circumcised and keep the Law—something we gave them no instructions to say — The manner of expression—“we have heard… those who went out from us troubled… unsettled”—shows that the apostles disapprove of the activity of these preachers, regarding them as self-appointed individuals who acted without any higher commission; they are contrasted with Barnabas and Paul, who are called “our beloved ones,” and consequently worthy of full trust.

Acts 15:25. we, having assembled, have unanimously decided to choose men and send them to you together with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, Acts 15:26. men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 15:27. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will convey the same things to you also by word of mouth. “We have decided unanimously”—not by a majority of votes, with diversity of opinion, but all in agreement. Evidently, the Judaizers, who had so decisively stated their opinion, which was rejected by the council, had to fall silent before this unanimous decision and more or less yield to it, although afterwards the condemned false teaching attempted to reassert its claims.

Acts 15:28. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these necessary requirements: Acts 15:29. to abstain from what is sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality, and not to do to others what you do not want done to yourselves. Keeping these things, you will do well. Farewell.’ “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us”—the decision of the council is the will of the Holy Spirit, with the action of the Spirit of God in no way constraining or violating the full independence of the deliberations and thoughts of those assembled on the disputed question. “‘To the Holy Spirit,’ says St. Chrysostom, and after him Theophylact, ‘is said so that they would not suppose this to be human teaching, and to “us” in order to convey that they themselves also accept this, although they belong to the circumcised.’ ‘It is remarkable,’ Theophylact also says, ‘that neither Peter nor James dared, without the whole church, to lay down decrees about circumcision, although they recognized this as necessary. But even all together would not have relied on themselves, had they not been persuaded that this was also pleasing to the Holy Spirit.’” “No greater burden”—nothing from the rites and ordinances of the Mosaic law (cf. Acts 15:10). “Farewell”—the customary closing greeting in letters of the Greeks and Romans (Acts 23:30). “See,” says Chrysostom, “how brief the epistle is and contains nothing superfluous, no sophistries, no syllogisms, but only the decision: it contained the legislation of the Spirit.”

Acts 15:30. So those who had been sent went to Antioch and, having gathered the people together, delivered the letter. Acts 15:31. When they read it, they rejoiced at its encouragement. “They rejoiced because of its encouragement”—both because it restored the peace of the churches that had been disturbed, and because it restored that peace in the spirit they desired—with the recognition of the non-obligatoriness of the Mosaic law in Christianity.

Acts 15:32. Judas and Silas, being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. See above on Acts 15:27, and also Acts 11:27.

Acts 15:33. Having spent some time there, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to the Apostles. Acts 15:34. But Silas decided to remain there. (And Judas returned to Jerusalem.) “But Silas decided to remain there.” This entire verse is absent from many ancient manuscripts, and St. Chrysostom did not read it. Nevertheless, what is stated in it is confirmed by subsequent events (Acts 15:40, cf. Acts 15:36).

Acts 15:35. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord, together with many others. Acts 15:36. After some time Paul said to Barnabas: Let us go back and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are faring. From this verse through Acts 18:22, the circumstances of Paul’s second apostolic journey of preaching the Gospel are described.

Acts 15:37. Barnabas wanted to take along John who was called Mark. Acts 15:38. But Paul considered it better not to take along the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work for which they had been sent. Acts 15:39. From this there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they parted from one another; and Barnabas, taking Mark, sailed away to Cyprus; For John Mark, see the note on Acts 12:12. “There arose a sharp disagreement”—εγένετο οο῀ν παροξυσμός—“not enmity, not a schism” (Chrysostom), but—a sharp disagreement, something human, which led to a parting. “And in the prophets we see different characters and different dispositions: for example, Elijah is strict, Moses is gentle. So here too, Paul is more firm… And did they part as enemies? Not at all! For even afterwards Paul mentions Barnabas in his epistles with great praise (2 Cor 8:18). All this happened by God’s dispensation” (Chrysostom, cf. Theophylact) for the benefit of the work of both apostles and of Mark himself. It was profitable for the work that Barnabas chose his own separate sphere of activity from Paul’s (1 Cor 9:6), and the Gospel traveled by a wider path among the nations. For Mark too, both Paul’s strictness and Barnabas’s indulgence were each beneficial in their own way: Paul’s strictness admonished him, while Barnabas’s kindness ensured he did not abandon the work; thus the disagreement between them served a single purpose—their benefit. Seeing that Paul had resolved to leave him, Mark was greatly frightened and condemned himself, and seeing that Barnabas was so favorably disposed toward him, he came to love him deeply. Thus the disagreement of the teachers corrected the disciple—so far was he from being scandalized by it (Chrysostom, cf. Theophylact). “Barnabas, taking Mark, sailed away to Cyprus”—his native land, whence he, according to church tradition, undertook journeys to various pagan lands with the preaching of Christ and where, upon returning, he died as a martyr, stoned by unbelieving Jews (Chet.-Min., John 11).

Acts 15:40. while Paul, having chosen Silas, departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of God, “Having chosen Silas” (Acts 15:22), “he departed,” obviously after Barnabas had already sailed away to Cyprus with Mark. “Having been commended by the brothers to the grace of God.” Cf. Acts 14:26.

Acts 15:41. and he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. “Strengthening the churches”—a general characteristic feature of the entire activity of Paul and Silas in the Christian communities. In particular, this activity consisted in bringing peace to the churches in the spirit of the decisions of the apostolic council, as a counterweight to the teaching of the Judaizers (cf. Acts 15:32).

Chapter Sixteen

Paul in Lystra and Derbe and Troas (1–8). The vision of the Macedonian man and the journey to Macedonia (9–11). Paul in Philippi, the conversion of Lydia (12–15). The expulsion of the divining spirit (16–18). Imprisonment, a miracle, the conversion of the jailer, release from prison (19–40).

Acts 16:1. He came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, there was a certain disciple there named Timothy, whose mother was a believing Jewish woman, while his father was a Greek, On Derbe and Lystra see Acts 14:6. “There was there,” that is, in Lystra, not Derbe, as the testimony about Timothy from the Lystrans also indicates. “A certain disciple,” that is, a Christian. The mother of this disciple (named Eunice — 2 Tim 1:5) was a believing Jewish woman, while his father was a “Greek,” that is, a pagan (cf. Acts 11:20), who apparently remained such even after his wife and son had turned to Christ (cf. Acts 16:3). Mixed marriages of Jewish women with pagans were evidently customary among Jews of the diaspora, and these marriages were not dissolved even when one spouse converted to Christianity, provided both partners consented (cf. 1 Cor 7 and following).

Acts 16:2. and who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. “The brothers bore witness” about Timothy, that is, they gave a favorable account of him and recommended him as a fine Christian. The brothers were not only those “at Lystra” but also “at Iconium” (see Acts 13:51), a neighboring city—which speaks to Timothy’s considerable renown and his exceptional qualities.

Acts 16:3. Paul wanted to take him along with him; and, taking him, he circumcised him on account of the Jews who were in those places; for they all knew that his father was a Greek. “Paul wanted to take him along” as a companion and co-worker in the work of preaching. Beyond Timothy’s outstanding qualities, Paul—also taking into account his birth, which made him belong equally to pagans and Jews—found him especially suited for his apostolic activity among both groups. “Taking him”—naturally with his consent—“he circumcised him because of the Jews,” evidently himself rather than through someone else, which was permitted to any Israelite. Why did the apostle resolve on such an extraordinary act with a Christian young man, seemingly contrary both to his own convictions and to the decision of the apostolic council? (Acts 15:29). “Because of the Jews,” that is, those not yet converted to Christ, who might be troubled and turned away from Christianity by the fact that the apostle’s assistant was uncircumcised. Thus Paul’s action is explained not by dogmatic motives but by Paul’s wise adaptability—“to be all things to all people in order to save all, to the Jews to become as a Jew in order to win the Jews” (1 Cor 9:20-22). Nor does this action stand in contradiction to the decisions of the apostolic council, since it was entirely voluntary on the part of both Paul and Timothy. “Paul’s wisdom is worthy of great admiration,” says Theophylact. “He, who fought so hard against the circumcision of pagans and who stirred everything up until the question was decided, circumcised his own disciple… In every matter he had the benefit in view and did nothing without purpose!… ‘Because of the Jews’; because they would never have agreed to listen to the word of God from an uncircumcised person….’”

Acts 16:4. As they traveled through the cities, they were delivering to the believers the decisions reached by the Apostles and elders in Jerusalem to be kept. “As they went on their way through the cities,” that is, of the regions of Pisidia, Lycaonia, and Pamphylia, where on Paul’s and Barnabas’s previous journey churches had been founded (Acts 13-14), “they,” that is, Paul, Silas, and Timothy, “delivered”—orally, and perhaps also in writing, by distributing copies of the original letter of the apostolic council—the decisions “reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem”—concerning the non-obligatory nature of the Mosaic law in Christianity.

Acts 16:5. And the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were growing in number daily. The strengthening of the churches in faith and the growth in the number of their members was greatly aided by the apostles’ visits to them and their work among them.

Acts 16:6. Having passed through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, they were prevented by the Holy Spirit from proclaiming the word in Asia. “Having passed through Phrygia and the region of Galatia…”—the interior regions of Asia Minor. It was at this very time that the churches were founded there, to which the apostle later wrote special epistles (to the Galatians, to the Colossians). “Asia”—the so-called proconsular Asia—the entire western coastline of Asia Minor on the Mediterranean Sea, with the provinces of Mysia, Lydia, and Caria. “Forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.” By exactly what means—whether external or internal actions of the Spirit—and for what reasons the apostles were prohibited from preaching here, the narrator does not indicate. In any case, the apostles clearly perceived such special, direct actions of the Holy Spirit, distinguishing them from their own intentions, plans, and calculations. “Mysia” and “Bithynia”—the northwestern regions of Asia Minor, abutting the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. After fruitless attempts to preach there, the apostles receive in the coastal Mysian city of Troas a clear revelation of the Holy Spirit to transfer their preaching activity from Asia to Europe.

Acts 16:7. Coming to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. Acts 16:8. And, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. Acts 16:9. And a vision appeared to Paul at night: a certain man, a Macedonian, was standing there, appealing to him and saying: Come over to Macedonia and help us. The “vision” that came to Paul “at night,” like the vision to Peter (Acts 10:10-17), was apparently not a dream, though it was “at night,” but a “vision” in a wakeful state. “There appeared (suddenly) a certain man, a Macedonian,” that is, in the form of a Macedonian; according to some commentators’ conjecture, this was the angel of the Macedonian people (Dan 10:13). Paul could have recognized him as a Macedonian either by a distinctive garment he might have seen on Macedonian merchants in his native trading city of Tarsus, or from the man’s own words of invitation, which called him to Macedonia. “Macedonia”—a large region bordering the northwestern shores of what was then the Aegean Sea (the Archipelago). “Help us”—the substance of the help is not stated, but the apostles rightly interpret it as a request to preach the Gospel in Macedonia. Without Christ, humanity is condemned to ruin and is in a helpless condition; hence to preach Christ to those who do not know him means to help them be freed from ruin and to enter into the Kingdom of Christ.

Acts 16:10. After this vision, we immediately resolved to set out for Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to proclaim the good news there. “We sought,” that is, decided to depart. Here, with the word “we,” the narrator includes himself for the first time among the companions and co-workers of the Apostle Paul, and continues in this vein, with some interruptions, until the end of the book, as an immediate eyewitness and participant in these events. He most likely joined the Apostle Paul precisely at Troas, which is why he now narrates in the first person plural—we.

Acts 16:11. So, setting sail from Troas, we sailed straight to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis, “Samothrace”—an island in the Aegean Sea, to the northwest of Troas, about 55–60 versts from the European shore. “Neapolis”—a coastal city on the Strymonian Gulf—the first European city where Paul and his companions disembarked. Neither here nor in Samothrace does the apostle begin to preach, hastening toward the “first city” of Macedonia at that time—“Philippi,” about 14 versts to the northwest of Neapolis.

Acts 16:12. and from there to Philippi: this is the leading city in that part of Macedonia, a colony. In this city we spent several days. The city of “Philippi” was built by Philip, king of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great, on the site of a village called Crenides, fortified by Philip in view of its proximity to Thrace, and named after him. The narrator calls Philippi “a leading city of that part of Macedonia and a colony.” This designation “leading,” not in the sense of the chief city, is explained by the fact that Macedonia was then divided into four parts or districts, and the one in which Philippi was located was called the first district, or first Macedonia. The chief city of this part of Macedonia was “Amphipolis” (Acts 17:1), not Philippi, which is called “the leading city” evidently only in a topographical sense, as the first Macedonian city that the preachers would enter in fulfilling the higher will concerning the visitation of Macedonia. “Colony”—Philippi was at that time a Roman colony, ever since Octavian Augustus settled supporters of Antony there and granted the city the so-called right of Italian jurisdiction—jus italicum.

Acts 16:13. On the Sabbath day we went outside the city to the riverside, where there was customarily a place of prayer, and sitting down we spoke with the women who had gathered there. “On the Sabbath day”—the day of synagogue gatherings of the Jews (see Acts 13:14). “Outside the gate, to the river.” Which river is meant here is hard to establish: it is hardly the large river Strymon, which was at least a day’s journey from the city; more likely it refers to some small stream in this area rich in streams and brooks. “Where there was supposed to be a place of prayer”—Greek: οῦ ενομίζετο προσευχή εῖναι; Slavonic: “where a place of prayer was supposed to be.” More precisely: where prayer was appointed to take place. In such places buildings were not always erected; sometimes these were simply open areas where Jews would gather at set times for prayer. Chrysostom also states this: “The Jews prayed not only where there was a synagogue, but also outside it, setting apart a special place for this purpose.” Proximity to a river was preferred for the convenience of performing the customary ablutions and purifications before prayer. “We sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered.” Apparently the Jewish community in Philippi was very small (which may be why there was no synagogue) and consisted predominantly of women, who had probably married pagans (Acts 16:1).

Acts 16:14. And a certain woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a seller of purple cloth and a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying. “The city of Thyatira”—a Macedonian colony in the Asia Minor province of Lydia (see note to Acts 16:6-8). “A seller of purple goods”—πορφυρόπωλις, a vendor of goods—fabrics, garments, and adornments—of purple or crimson color. The production of such items flourished especially in the province of Lydia and in Thyatira, according to ancient testimonies. “A worshiper of God,” that is, a proselyte (see note to Acts 13:16).

Acts 16:15. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying: If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay there. And she persuaded us. Acts 16:16. It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a certain servant girl met us who was possessed by a spirit of divination, and who through her divination brought a great profit to her masters. “As we were going to the place of prayer”—πορευομένων ημῶν εις προσευχήν—more precisely in Slavonic: “as we were going to pray” (Acts 16:13), that is, to the customary place appointed for prayer. This was probably on one of the following Sabbaths (cf. Acts 16:17). “A slave girl who had a spirit of divination,” Slavonic: “having a searching spirit,” Greek: έχουσα πνεῦμα Πύθωνος—a spirit of Python, of the Pythian serpent, of the Pythian deity—the ability of divination, of perceiving what is hidden to ordinary people, and of foretelling the future.

Acts 16:17. Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying: These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to us the way of salvation. “These men are servants of the Most High God”—an involuntary confession on the part of the divining spirit of the greatness of God proclaimed by the apostles, similar to Mark 1:23-24. Chrysostom exposes the demon’s particular malicious intention in this: “Why did the demon say this, and why did Paul silence it? The demon acted with evil intent, and Paul acted wisely, since he wanted people not to trust it. If Paul had accepted its testimony, the demon, emboldened, would have deceived many, even among believers; therefore it resolved to announce their deeds in order to advance its own designs, and to exploit Paul’s tolerance for the ruin of others…”

Acts 16:18. This she did for many days. Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit: In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her. And the spirit came out that very hour. “Paul, having become greatly annoyed”—that the enemy of God and man was offering his confession as a kind of prop for the evangelical preaching—drove it out of the fortune-teller, having recognized it with his God-enlightened gaze.

Acts 16:19. Then her masters, seeing that their hope of profit had vanished, seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the marketplace before the authorities. “They seized Paul and Silas,” evidently as the chief preachers of the new faith. Luke and Timothy were spared their fate on account of their more modest role in the matter at that point.

Acts 16:20. And, bringing them before the magistrates, they said: These men, being Jews, are causing an uproar in our city The apostles are accused of disturbing the public peace by preaching customs contrary to Roman practice. Thus the accusers “turned the matter into a crime against the state” (Chrysostom). “Being Jews”—an expression carrying a tone of contempt, contrasted with the proud phrase that follows—“to us Romans.” Apparently this also implies that the accusers do not distinguish Christianity from Judaism and have no conception of it as a distinct religion.

Acts 16:21. and are proclaiming customs that it is not lawful for us, being Romans, either to accept or to practice. “Customs that… are not lawful to accept or practice.” This refers to the strict Roman prohibition on introducing foreign religious customs contrary to the pagan religion. In particular, this was said, apparently, under the fresh impression of the well-known edict of Emperor Claudius expelling the Jews from Rome (see Acts 18:2), which is why it had such a decisive effect.

Acts 16:22. The crowd also rose up against them, and the magistrates, having torn the clothes off them, ordered them to be beaten with rods, “The crowd rose up against them.” This is the first mention in the book of Acts of persecution of the apostles by pagans as such. Evidently, stirred up by the owners of the healed slave girl and provoked by exaggerated reports of the anti-Roman preaching of the Jewish apostles, the crowd expressed its agitation through shouts, demands, and threats against the preachers before the magistrates, and the magistrates rashly permitted themselves that flogging of the prisoners for which Paul afterward so shrewdly made them answer (Acts 16:37-39). Paul and Silas silently endured the public disgrace, though they could have instantly avoided it by invoking their right as Roman citizens, which exempted them from corporal punishment. However, they preferred silence, rejoicing in this dishonor for the glory of God and for the name of Christ (cf. Acts 5:41), deferring the announcement of their rights for their ultimate vindication.

Acts 16:23. and, having inflicted many blows on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely. Acts 16:24. Having received such an order, he threw them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks. Acts 16:25. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Acts 16:26. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison shook; immediately all the doors flew open, and everyone’s chains were loosened. Carrying out the order to guard the prisoners more securely, the jailer throws them “into the inner prison,” where especially dangerous criminals were held, and fastens their feet “in the stocks”—a large, heavy wooden block with holes. But—“the stricter the confinement, the more glorious the miracle!” (Chrysostom). “Suddenly there was a great earthquake”—not as an ordinary natural event, but as a miracle wrought by the Lord for the glorification of his Name and the deliverance of his servants—the apostles. The miraculous nature of the earthquake was evident precisely in the fact that not only Paul’s and Silas’s bonds but those of all the other prisoners in the jail “were unfastened,” which gave everyone the full opportunity to leave immediately through the doors opened by the earthquake. It is also miraculous that this earthquake apparently did not extend beyond the area of the prison.

Acts 16:27. The jailer, waking up and seeing that the doors of the prison were open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. “Was about to kill himself”—out of fear of punishment for the escape of the prisoners.

Acts 16:28. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying: Do yourself no harm, for we are all here. “We are all here.” Struck by the miracle, the prisoners, who had just been listening with moved hearts to the prayers and hymns of the apostles, were far from thinking of escape—if only because they had not yet recovered from the incomprehensible shock.

Acts 16:29. He called for lights, rushed in, and trembling fell down before Paul and Silas, “Trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.” His fear of losing the prisoners had now turned into a fear of keeping them, for he felt he was dealing not with criminals but with favorites of the gods.

Acts 16:30. and, leading them outside, said: Sirs! what must I do to be saved? Acts 16:31. They said: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household. Acts 16:32. And they proclaimed the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. “Having led them out…”—into the outer prison (Acts 16:23), or perhaps into the prison courtyard, and more likely still into his own quarters adjoining the prison, where the apostle could preach the word of the Lord not only to the jailer himself but to “all who were in his house” (Acts 16:32).

Acts 16:33. And, taking them at that hour of the night, he washed their wounds and was immediately baptized himself along with all his household. “He washed their wounds,” inflicted on them by rods in the marketplace, striving to ease their suffering and as it were to make amends for the guilt of those who had beaten them—or, according to Chrysostom’s interpretation, he washed them “rendering thanks thereby and showing them honor.”

Acts 16:34. And, having brought them into his house, he set food before them and rejoiced with his whole household that he had come to believe in God. Acts 16:35. When day came, the magistrates sent the city officers with the message: Release those men. The magistrates had probably received word of the events that had taken place in the prison during the night, and perhaps had also reconsidered their injustice toward the apostles, which is why they ordered their release.

Acts 16:36. The jailer reported these words to Paul: The magistrates have sent orders to release you; so now go out and leave in peace. Acts 16:37. But Paul said to them: They beat us publicly without a trial—us, Roman citizens—and threw us into prison, and now they are releasing us secretly? No, let them come themselves and lead us out. Dishonor had been publicly inflicted on the apostles, and now Paul demands his release and vindication publicly—not out of ambition or caprice, but for the most obvious restoration of his innocence. If they had been released secretly from the prison, not everyone could have known that they left with their honor restored, and many might even have interpreted their departure as a flight or some other humiliating circumstance. Roman citizenship, by Roman law (Lex Valeria and Lex Porcia; Liv. 10, 9, 8), exempted those who held it from corporal punishment. The magistrates’ treatment of the apostles in this case was all the more criminal in that it was carried out without any trial or investigation of the matter. But the Apostle Paul, without threatening his offenders with the law, confines himself to demanding the public removal of the dishonor inflicted upon them. How did the apostles acquire the rights of Roman citizenship? From what follows (Acts 22:25-28) it is clear that Paul either was born with these rights, obtained by one of his ancestors either for special services or by purchase, which was also possible. The same may probably be assumed with respect to Silas.

Acts 16:38. The city officers reported these words to the magistrates, and the magistrates were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. Acts 16:39. And, coming, they apologized to them and, leading them out, asked them to leave the city. “They asked them to leave the city”—voluntarily, so as not to stir up popular unrest again.

Acts 16:40. They, having left the prison, went to Lydia’s house and, having seen the brothers, instructed them and then departed. “They came to Lydia” (see Acts 16:14-15). “They departed”—apparently only Paul and Silas, without Luke and Timothy, who seemed to have remained for a time in Philippi, probably to organize the young community of believers there. This is suggested by the change of voice in the subsequent narrative (Acts 17 — “they,” not “we,” and so on). Timothy is mentioned again shortly thereafter (in Beroea, Acts 17:14); therefore, if he did not leave Philippi together with Paul and Silas, it may be supposed that he rejoined them here, in Beroea, having left Philippi a little after Paul and Silas.

Chapter Seventeen

Paul in Thessalonica and Beroea (1–14). Paul in Athens (15–34).

Acts 17:1. Having passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. “Amphipolis”—an Athenian colony, at that time the chief city of the first district of Macedonia, on the river Strymon, to the southwest of Philippi. “Apollonia”—a small city to the southwest of Amphipolis, at that time counted among the Macedonian province of Mygdonia. “Thessalonica” or Solun (formerly Therma)—the chief city of the second district of Macedonia, on the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea, the residence of the Roman praetor, a commercial and densely populated city. There were very many Jews here, and a synagogue existed.

Acts 17:2. Paul, according to his custom, went to them and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, “As was his custom.” Everywhere Paul went to preach, he turned first to the Jews, and only afterward to the pagans (cf. Acts 13:46 and others). “He went in to them”—that is, into the synagogue.

Acts 17:3. explaining and demonstrating to them that it was necessary for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and that this Christ is Jesus, whom I am proclaiming to you. “The writer has set forth only the substance of the discourse—so he is not verbose and does not always present Paul’s complete speeches” (Chrysostom).

Acts 17:4. And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great multitude of the Greeks who worshiped God, and quite a number of prominent women. Among those persuaded by Paul’s preaching, besides Jews, there were a great many “Greeks who worshiped God,” that is, proselytes, to whom the women mentioned here probably also belonged.

Acts 17:5. But the Jews who did not believe, being jealous, rounded up some wicked men from the marketplace and formed a mob and set the city in an uproar and, rushing to the house of Jason, were trying to bring Paul and Silas out to the people. Who exactly was Jason—in whose house, as is evident, the apostles were staying—is unknown: since Jews of the diaspora readily adopted Greek names, he could have been either a Hellenist Jew or a pure-blooded Hellene proselyte, in both cases a believer in Christ, though this is not stated explicitly.

Acts 17:6. Not finding them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting that these troublers of the whole world have come here too, Acts 17:7. and Jason has taken them in, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus. Not finding the apostles in Jason’s house—they had probably departed in advance—the mob drags Jason himself along with some believing brothers before the court, accusing him of having given shelter to the “troublemakers” of the whole world—an exaggeration expressing the extreme agitation of the crowd and its hatred for the preachers of the Gospel and for all Christians. For better effect in their accusations, the embittered Jews give them a political coloring—the same device so successfully employed against Jesus (John 19 and parallels)—claiming that the Christians honor not the Roman Caesar as king but Jesus.

Acts 17:9. But they, having taken bail from Jason and the others, released them. “But…, having taken security”—καί λαβόντες τό ικανόν—Slavonic: “having taken sufficient”—taking enough, that is, apparently, money as a pledge or fine, or still more accurately—having received sufficient information that the accused were by no means criminals against the majesty of the emperor, but entirely peaceful people.

Acts 17:10. The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea; and on arriving there they went to the Jewish synagogue. The brothers sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea, since the unrest could have flared up again at any moment with fresh force. Beroea—a city to the southwest of Thessalonica, in the third part of Macedonia (whose chief city was Pella) and at its southernmost boundary.

Acts 17:11. These were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians: they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. “Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica…”—Greek: οῦτοι δέ ῆσαν ευγενέστεροι—Slavonic: “more noble”—nobler in character and spirit. “Whether these things were so,” that is, as Paul had preached.

Acts 17:12. And many of them believed, along with a good number of prominent Greek women and men. Acts 17:13. But when the Thessalonian Jews learned that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea as well, they came there too, stirring up and inciting the crowds. Acts 17:14. Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off as though he were heading to the sea; but Silas and Timothy remained there. The brothers send away only Paul. Why? Because, evidently, it was against him in particular that the disturbance being prepared by the Thessalonian agitators was directed. “They send away (Chrysostom says) only Paul, because they feared for him, lest he should suffer something, since he was their leader. Thus, grace did not always act, but left them to act in a human way as well, rousing them and disposing them to vigilance and attention.” “As if going to the sea”—Greek: εξαπέστειλαν πορεύεσθαι ως επί τήν θάλασσαν—Slavonic: “they sent him off to go toward the seashore”—they sent him off to go in the direction of the sea (ως with a preposition extends the meaning of the latter, making it less definite). Paul probably traveled to Athens by sea; in this way he better concealed his trail from the Jews who were pursuing him closely and hampered their pursuit. “Athens”—the chief city of Greece, the center of Greek science, art, civilization, commerce, and luxury of that time.

Acts 17:15. Those who escorted Paul brought him all the way to Athens and, having received instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible, they departed. Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy to come to him in Athens, but encountered them only in Corinth (Acts 18:5), having been compelled, no doubt, to leave Athens earlier than he had originally intended. From 1 Thess 2:18-3:2 one may, it is true, conclude that Timothy did come to Paul in Athens, but was sent back by him to Macedonia—specifically to Thessalonica—and then, together with Silas who had remained in Beroea, arrived to Paul in Corinth.

Acts 17:16. While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was stirred within him at the sight of the city full of idols. Acts 17:17. So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worshiped God, and daily in the marketplace with those he encountered. “He reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worshiped God,” that is, with proselytes. This was evidently on the Sabbaths, but in the intervals between Sabbaths Paul was also not idle, “every day” entering into conversation “in the marketplace with those who happened to be there.” How restless was his great soul!

Acts 17:18. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers started to argue with him; and some were saying: ‘What is this babbler trying to say?’, while others said: ‘He seems to be proclaiming foreign deities,’ because he was proclaiming to them Jesus and the resurrection. “Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers…” who at that time enjoyed the greatest popularity and stood in the sharpest contrast to Christianity. At the foundation of the first system—the Epicureans—lay, as is well known, the crudest materialism and nihilism; at the foundation of the second—self-enclosed pride and self-delusion.

Acts 17:19. And, taking him, they led him to the Areopagus and said: May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? Acts 17:20. For you are putting some strange things into our ears. We therefore want to know what these things mean. “They took him and brought him”—not by force, but evidently with Paul’s consent, since he accepted their invitation. “The Areopagus”—the meeting place and seat of the Supreme Council of Greek democracy for deliberating on state, public, and judicial matters. This institution retained its significance, though not in all respects, even after Greece’s subjection to Rome. This Supreme Council consisted of the best and most distinguished citizens. The place of assembly—the Hill of Ares, adjoining the great marketplace (Acts 17:17)—was conveniently situated so that all the multitude of people from the adjacent square could hear Paul. It was here that he was brought—not for trial, but out of a desire to hear a more detailed account of his teaching in view of its novelty, of which the Athenians were generally very fond (Acts 17:21). “And they said, may we know?” Refined irony seasoned with Athenian courtesy, presupposing the insignificance of the new teaching before Athenian wisdom. The same irony resounds in the further phrase: “you bring some strange things to our ears.”

Acts 17:21. Now all the Athenians and the foreigners living among them spent their time in nothing else but telling or hearing something new. The Athenians’ love of novelties revealed their instability and the absence of a deep and serious desire to know the truth. “Their city was a city of idle talkers” (Chrysostom).

Acts 17:22. And Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagus, said: Athenians! I see that in every respect you are especially devout. Paul’s speech in the Areopagus to the Athenians presents a supreme example of apostolic wisdom and eloquence, and of his constant application of his own rule—to be to the pagans as though a pagan, in order to win the pagans for the Gospel (1 Cor 9:19-22). With careful, supremely subtle, and restrained expressions he circumvents everything that might irritate the pagan pride of these representatives of worldly wisdom, having with remarkable resourcefulness found a point of contact between his teaching and this wisdom in the altar to “the unknown God,” which gave him so splendid an opening for a brilliant speech—a speech whose spiritual power found a worthy outward expression satisfying all the requirements of a well-crafted secular address. Gradually, from the simpler to the more complex, with irrefutable consistency, he unfolds the system of Christian teaching, preaching: 1) about the one God, Creator of the world and of humanity (Acts 17:22-26), 2) about the purpose and laws of human life (Acts 17:27-29), which make so natural also the teaching about redemption and the coming judgment (Acts 17:30-31). “Very religious”—ως δεισιδαιμονεστέρους… Δεισαίμων—one who fears demons, who worships everything—wood and stone and spirits alike. It appears that the apostle is, as it were, praising the Athenians, but at the same time repaying their irony with his own—no less subtle and bitter—characterizing their religiosity with a word that expresses the essence of all pagan piety: superstition, demon-fear. This refined irony is intensified further by the “praise” of their “especially” devout quality, by which they surpassed all other Greeks. This comparative devoutness of the Athenians is attested also by Greek writers themselves, such as Isocrates, Plato, Sophocles, and Xenophon.

Acts 17:23. For as I was passing through and observing your objects of worship, I found also an altar on which was inscribed: ‘To an unknown God.’ This One, whom you worship without knowing, I proclaim to you. “To the unknown God.” The full inscription on the altar, according to Theophylact’s testimony, read as follows: “To the gods of Asia, Europe, and Libya. To the unknown and foreign God.” By this inscription the Athenians wished to say: “Perhaps there is yet some other god whom we do not know, and since we do not know him, though he is a god, we are making a mistake by neglecting and not honoring him.” Therefore they erected a temple and made the inscription “to the unknown God,” saying by this inscription: if there is yet some other god whom we do not know, then him also shall we honor (Theophylact). “What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.” The Athenians were accusing Paul of introducing new teaching, new gods. Therefore, wishing to free himself from suspicion and to show that he is proclaiming not a new god but the One whom they had already honored with worship before him, he says: you anticipated me, your worship of him preceded my proclamation, because I am announcing to you that god whom you honor without knowing him. “I am proposing nothing strange, nothing new,” he says. They kept telling him: what is this new teaching that you are presenting? (Acts 17:19). Therefore he immediately removes their prejudice (Chrysostom).

Acts 17:24. The God who made the world and everything in it, He, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made by human hands, Acts 17:25. nor is served by human hands as though He were in need of anything, since He himself gives to all things life and breath and everything. “The God who made the world.” “He said one thing and overturned all the philosophers’ positions. The Epicureans maintain that everything came about of itself and from atoms, but he says that the world and everything in it is the work of God” (Theophylact). “Does not live in temples made by human hands.” Lest anyone should think a mere one of their many gods was being proclaimed, Paul corrects what has been said, adding: “he does not live in temples made by human hands,” but in the human soul, and does not require service by human hands, such as the offering of sacrifices and so forth. “How? Did not God dwell in the temple in Jerusalem? No, he only acted there. Did he not receive the service of human hands among the Jews? Not of hands, but of the soul—and even this he required not because he needed it” (Chrysostom). “Giving to all”—διδούς πᾶσι—Slavonic: “giving to all,” that is, to people above all, and then to all creatures. “Life”—the principle of existence, life-force. “Breath”—the capacity to sustain life through breathing. “Everything”—everything necessary for life.

Acts 17:26. From one blood He made the entire human race to inhabit the whole face of the earth, having appointed predetermined times and the boundaries of their habitation, “From one blood”—from one man, the progenitor, from one pair of first parents. Since blood—both according to the biblical view (Lev 17:11) and according to the view of the ancients generally—was considered the seat of the soul, the expression about the origin of all from one blood means origin not only in body but also in soul from the same common ancestors—in contrast to the pagan fables about the origin of different peoples from different progenitors. Presenting all humanity as a single whole, by virtue of descent from one blood, the narrator rightly calls it created by the one God, Creator of the whole world, by virtue of the immediate origin of the first pair from the hands of the Creator himself. “Having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place”—a remarkable thought of the apostle, that the Lord is not only the Creator of humanity but also its Providence—the Creator of its history, within limits that do not deprive humanity of the freedom it needs.

Acts 17:27. so that they might seek God, if perhaps they might feel after Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us: The supreme purpose of the person and of humanity is the seeking of God, the entering into a living, heartfelt communion with him—for which the person has been given not only such reliable guides as the Word of God, but also one’s own inner promptings and inclinations, ranging from barely perceptible ones to the most reliable and evident, explained by the very immediate nearness of the Deity to each one of us.

Acts 17:28. for in Him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said: ‘for we are indeed His offspring.’ “In him we live”—Εν αντῶ—more precisely—in him—(Slavonic: “in him”), so that outside of him there is and can be neither life, nor motion, nor space, nor time. Chrysostom explains it thus: “As though pointing to an analogous material example: just as it is impossible not to know the air, which is spread everywhere and is not far from any one of us, or rather—is present within us ourselves, so too is the Creator of all things. See how Paul attributes everything to him—care, preservation, existence, activity, and continuation. And he did not say ‘through him,’ but—what indicates greater closeness—‘in him.’” “We live, move, and have our being”—an emphatic expression meaning that outside of God, no kind of existence whatever is possible to conceive. The words quoted from “certain poets”—“we are his offspring”—are found, among other places, in Aratus of Cilicia, hence Paul’s fellow-countryman, who lived in the 3rd century BC, in his astronomical poem (Φαινόμενα), from which they appear to have been taken with literal precision. A similar saying is found in the poet Cleanthes, a disciple of Zeno (in his Hymn to Zeus—“we are your offspring”). In both poets mentioned the reference is properly to Zeus, but Paul, with the same bold rhetorical device as above (“to the unknown God”), applies this saying to the One True God, “meaning, in Chrysostom’s words, not the same thing that Aratus meant by it—God forbid!—but applying to him what was properly said of another; just as he also attributed the altar (with the inscription ‘to the unknown God!’) to him, and not to the one they worshiped. He called us the offspring of God, that is, his very close kinsmen, since from our race God was pleased to be born on earth. And he did not say: we must not think the Deity is like gold or silver, but used a more humble turn of phrase: ‘we must not.’” “See how he draws proofs from what was done and said by them themselves…”

Acts 17:29. Being therefore the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold or silver or stone, shaped by human artistry and imagination. If we are God’s offspring, it is contrary to sound reason to think that the Deity is like that which is not kindred to him—just as it is not kindred to us, his offspring—that is, to gold, silver, and so on. The Deity can only be like us, people who constitute his offspring: in human beings one must seek this divine likeness, from them ascend in thought to their Prototype and Likeness (which shone forth in its highest perfection in the God-Man). The inadequacy of paganism is thus exposed in two ways: from the incompatibility of the material of the venerated “gods” with the nature of the Deity, and from the actual non-existence of the depicted gods themselves. From this one can also see the vast difference between Christian icon veneration and pagan idol worship: in holy icons, the nature of the Deity is depicted not by material substance but by the character of the images, by their idea; and this idea is drawn not from the inventions of fantasy but from the world of reality, from the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, his saints, from the whole content of the Word of God and the living, real life of humanity.

Acts 17:30. The times of ignorance God has therefore overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, “The times of ignorance”—of divine truth—“overlooking,” that is, without imputation, on condition of what is proposed further—“God now commands… all everywhere to repent.” “Now”—from this time forward, which has the significance of a turning point in history. “He commands”—as the sovereign Lord of all humanity. “All everywhere”—this designates the universality of Christianity’s calling for the whole human race, regardless of whether one is a Greek or a Jew, a barbarian or a free person. “To repent”—to acknowledge one’s errors and to reject them.

Acts 17:31. because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world with justice by a Man whom He has appointed for this purpose, having given proof of this to all by raising Him from the dead. As the most powerful incentive to repentance and to the fulfillment of God’s will, the establishment by God of a fixed day for the future judgment of all humanity is pointed out. “By the appointed”—that is, in the eternal council of God—“Man,” that is, the Lord Jesus Christ, the assurance of whose authority is his own resurrection from the dead.

Acts 17:32. When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said: We will hear you about this again at another time. “We will hear you again about this”—an ironically polite expression of unwillingness to listen to the apostle’s preaching.

Acts 17:34. Some men, however, joined him and believed; among them was Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them. “Some”—apparently “few.” “Joined him”—entering into closer communion (Acts 5:12). “Dionysius the Areopagite…”—that is, a member of the Areopagus, and therefore a distinguished and educated man, of the kind from whom members of the Areopagus were customarily chosen. According to church tradition, he became the most devoted disciple of the Apostle Paul, was appointed bishop of Athens by him, then preached the Gospel in Gaul and died a martyr’s death in Paris. “Damaris”—according to tradition—the wife of Dionysius.

Chapter Eighteen

Paul in Corinth (1–17). His departure through Ephesus to Jerusalem (18–23). The beginning of the third apostolic journey (22–23). Apollos the Alexandrian (24–28).

Acts 18:1. After these things Paul left Athens and came to Corinth; “Corinth”—the most famous and great commercial and wealthy city of antiquity, on the isthmus between the Aegean and Ionian Seas, with two harbors on the eastern and western sides, at that time the residence of the Roman governor—the proconsul.

Acts 18:2. and, finding a certain Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus who had recently come from Italy, and his wife Priscilla—because Claudius had ordered all Jews to depart from Rome—he came to them; “A Jew,” named “Aquila,” and his wife “Priscilla”—they were probably not yet enlightened by faith in Christ at that time, and Paul stayed with them not on account of a shared faith but a shared trade. However, they were likely soon converted to Christianity by the apostle (see Acts 18:26). “Aquila”—a Greek pronunciation of the Latin name Aquila; what his Hebrew name was is unknown. “A native of Pontus”—an inhabitant of the Asia Minor province of Pontus, bordering the Black Sea. Regarding the expulsion of Jews from Rome by the edict of Emperor Claudius, the Roman historian Suetonius speaks (chapter 25 of the Life of Claudius), reporting that the cause of this was unrest among the Jews, stirred up by some Jewish agitator who claimed to be Christ. When, after Claudius’s death, many of the expelled Jews began to return to Rome again (Acts 28 and following), Aquila and Priscilla did the same (Rom 16:3). “Priscilla”—a diminutive form of the Latin name Prisca.

Acts 18:3. and, since they had the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for their trade was tent-making. “Tentmaking”—for travelers, for military purposes, and so on—was quite a common and profitable trade. Paul was trained in it—according to the custom of the time of teaching children some trade, even if they were the children of wealthy parents, in order to ensure them full independence of means of livelihood. Paul refers to this independence many times as one of the by no means insignificant conditions for the success of his preaching (Acts 20:34; 1 Cor 4:12; 1 Thess 2:9; 2 Thess 3:8).

Acts 18:4. Every Sabbath he would speak in the synagogue and would try to persuade both Jews and Greeks. “He spoke… he tried to persuade…” in the synagogue, which presupposes the conversational manner of preaching that was permitted in synagogues, as is evident also from the Gospel (John 4:25-59). From what follows (Acts 18:6) it is evident that the apostle’s preaching did not at first bring the desired fruit (“they opposed and reviled”), so that a special appearance of the Lord to the apostle was required to encourage him (Acts 18:9-10, cf. 1 Cor 14:9).

Acts 18:5. When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was being pressed by the Spirit to testify to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. “Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia…”—see Acts 17:14. “Was occupied with the word…”—an expression pointing to a particular intense state of the apostle’s spirit, in response to the especially stubborn resistance of the Jews.

Acts 18:6. But as they were opposing and blaspheming, he shook out his garments and said to them: Your blood is on your own heads; I am clean; from now on I am going to the Gentiles. “He shook out his garments…”—the same as “shaking off” the dust from one’s feet (Acts 13:51)—an expression of decisive rupture and separation from the unbelievers. “Your blood be on your own heads…” (Matt 23:35)—that is, your guilt is yours, and so too is its reckoning—through the bloody punishments of God announced in the Gospel, and through eternal destruction. “I am innocent…”—inasmuch as I have done everything in my power so that you might know the truth and, knowing it, avert from yourselves not only temporal but also eternal ruin appointed for the disobedient (Rom 1:32 and others). “From now on I will go to the Gentiles…”—cf. Acts 13:46.

Acts 18:7. And he left there and came to the house of a certain worshiper of God named Justus, whose house was next door to the synagogue. The apostle’s transition to preaching to the Gentiles and his settling in a house next to the synagogue, while displaying his agitated state and decisiveness of character, was in keeping with his rule of provoking the zeal of his kinsmen according to the flesh (Rom 11:14). “He settled in the neighboring house so that this very proximity might arouse their zeal, if they should so wish” (Chrysostom). And indeed, so decisive and impressive a measure did not fail to produce its saving effect on many. The example was set by the synagogue ruler himself (cf. Acts 13:15), Crispus, one of the few baptized by the apostle himself (1 Cor 1:14). This Crispus was later bishop on the island of Aegina, off the shores of Greece in the Saronic Gulf (Chet.-Min., January 4).

Acts 18:9. And the Lord said to Paul in a vision at night: Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent, “In a vision…”—not in a dream, though “by night,” but specifically “in a vision,” in a wakeful state (cf. Acts 16:9). It is possible that under the influence of a heavy feeling and fears of an open riot by the Jews, the apostle was thinking of leaving or of weakening his preaching, like Jeremiah (Acts 20 and following). Therefore the Lord encouraged him, commanding him “not to be afraid” and “not to be silent” and promising his help and protection.

Acts 18:10. for I am with you, and no one will harm you, because I have many people in this city. “I have many people in this city.” By these people, whom the Lord calls his own, are meant not only those who had already turned to him and were known to Paul, but chiefly (cf. John 10:16) those who were yet to turn to him—those appointed to eternal life in this city (Acts 13:48).

Acts 18:12. Meanwhile, while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, “While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia.” According to the Roman division of provinces, Achaia encompassed all of proper Greece including the Peloponnese. At first, as a senatorial province, it was governed by proconsuls; later, under Tiberius, having become an imperial province, it was administered by procurators. But Claudius returned it to the Senate and to the governance of proconsuls. In the time described by the narrator (53–54 AD), the proconsul of Achaia was Junius Annaeus Gallio, brother of the well-known philosopher Seneca, tutor of Nero, who died as Seneca did, at the hands of Nero. The family name Gallio was adopted by him from his adoptive father, the rhetorician L. Junius Gallio; previously he had been called Julius Annaeus Novatus. By his brother Seneca’s account, he was a very gentle, honest, humane, and experienced ruler, which is consistent also with the narrator’s account.

Acts 18:13. saying that he was persuading people to worship God in a way contrary to the Law. “To worship God contrary to the law”—a vague expression apparently intended to point to Paul’s activity as something generally destructive of laws and in particular of the Mosaic law.

Acts 18:14. When Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews: Jews! if there had been some wrongdoing or a wicked crime, I would have reason to hear you out, Acts 18:15. but if it is a dispute about teaching and about names and about your own Law, settle it yourselves; I have no wish to be a judge of such matters. Gallio quite rightly declines to take up the matter raised by the Jews, declaring it not subject to judicial proceedings, as a matter more of scholarly than of judicial competence. “About words and names”—probably the names of the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament, which Paul was examining, proving that Jesus is the true Messiah (Acts 18:5). “Your own law”—Gallio’s correct view of the matter, as something not touching the Roman laws, the upholding of which was the proconsul’s duty.

Acts 18:16. And he drove them away from the tribunal. Acts 18:17. Then all the Greeks seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal; and Gallio paid no attention to any of this. “He drove them”—obviously by force, prompted, no doubt, by the customary importunity of the Jews, who were demanding the condemnation of Paul in violation of order and all propriety. The expulsion of the Jews from the tribunal was accompanied by beatings, in which, besides the proconsul’s attendants, “all the Greeks” present took part, with Sosthenes the synagogue ruler (probably Crispus’s successor) suffering the most, and this punishment was meant to serve as a particular warning to the other Jews. This Sosthenes was later converted to Christ by the apostle, was his co-worker (1 Cor 1:1), and afterward became bishop in Colophon in Asia Minor (Chet.-Min., January 4). “Gallio paid no attention at all” to the fact that the Jews were now suffering an obvious injury (Acts 18:14) that fell within the judicial authority of the proconsul. Thus the Lord’s promise to the apostle was fulfilled, that “no one would harm him”; on the contrary, it was those who tried to do this harm who themselves suffered. Gallio probably treated the punishment of the Jews with such indifference because he found that the crowd’s judgment was, in this case, carrying out only what the law itself should have done in dealing with those who had violated all respect for it through their importunate and unlawful demands.

Acts 18:18. Paul, after staying on for quite a few more days, said farewell to the brothers and sailed away to Syria, and with him were Aquila and Priscilla; he had had his head shaved at Cenchreae, because of a vow. Both the text here and the event mentioned are somewhat obscure. The first obscurity is to whom the expression “having cut his hair” refers, since besides Paul as the main actor in this narrative, it could also refer to Aquila, whose name appears in the Greek text, apparently not without reason, behind his wife’s name (“Priscilla and Aquila”), in immediate proximity to the event in question. Be that as it may, both Paul and Aquila could have permitted this Hebrew rite to be performed on them without great offense to believers and without particular contradiction to their own convictions. We know from what follows that Paul participates in the performance of such a rite in Jerusalem at the advice of the senior apostles (Acts 21 and following, cf. Acts 16:3). As for the significance of the act of “cutting the hair by reason of a vow,” this was probably a Christianized fulfillment of the Old Testament law of the Nazirite vow (Num 6). According to this law, one who made a vow to God of Naziriteship for a fixed period of time was not, among other things, to cut the hair of his head; the cutting was performed only either at the expiration of the vow’s term or in the event of “defilement” of the vow (as provided by the law), at which time the vow was prescribed to be begun again from the start. Since all these rites were connected with the offering of sacrifice and consequently could properly take place only at the temple—a possibility that was hardly available to those living in the diaspora and traveling—the cutting of the head mentioned by the narrator probably signified the conclusion of some private vow, for which the apostle made use of the authorized symbol. “At Cenchreae”—the port of Cenchreae to the east of Corinth, from where Paul with his companions set sail for Syria.

Acts 18:19. On arriving at Ephesus, he left them there, while he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. “Ephesus”—the chief city of the Asia Minor province of Ionia, which was part of what was then called proconsular Asia (Asia; see note to Acts 16:6), a large coastal trading city, the center of activity of the holy Apostle John the Theologian. The visit to Ephesus mentioned here was the first for the apostle to the Gentiles.

Acts 18:20. When they asked him to stay with them longer, he did not agree, Acts 18:21. but took leave of them, saying: I must by all means spend the approaching feast in Jerusalem; but I will come back to you again, if God wills. And he set sail from Ephesus. (But Aquila and Priscilla remained in Ephesus.) The Apostle Paul’s customary preaching in the synagogue evidently pleased the Ephesian Jews, who “asked him to stay longer,” but the “approaching festival in Jerusalem”—probably Passover or Pentecost—the apostle “needed to observe” (why? it is not stated) “in Jerusalem,” and he could not fulfill their request, promising to return again, which he also did (Acts 19:1). “If God wills”—cf. Jas 4:13-16.

Acts 18:22. Having stopped in Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem, greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. “Having landed at Caesarea”—the so-called Caesarea Maritima, a coastal city of Palestine where the apostle disembarked after the sea crossing. Paul’s brief stay in Jerusalem, without any indication of special activity on his part there, is explained, no doubt, by his cautious fear of stirring up excessive irritation among the Jews, which might disrupt his future plans, as happened on his following visit to Jerusalem (Acts 21 and following). Therefore, fearing not death and suffering for Christ but the loss of the ability to preach the Word of God, he hastens on to a new journey into the pagan lands (Acts 18 and following). The apostle heads first to “Antioch” of Syria (see Acts 11:19). “He had a special love for this city—a human feeling: because here the disciples began to be called Christians; here he was commended to the grace of God; here he successfully concluded the matter concerning the teaching on circumcision” (Chrysostom).

Acts 18:23. And, having spent some time there, he departed and traveled in order through the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. He departed…—the beginning of the third apostolic journey of Paul. “He went through the region of Galatia and Phrygia”—see the note to Acts 16:6. “Strengthening all the disciples”—that is, in faith and Christian life, which was the purpose of visiting these lands and the communities founded in them (cf. Acts 14:21-22). Of the apostle’s visits to other Asia Minor communities nothing is said—either for brevity’s sake, or because the apostle did not visit them this time. Paul’s companions are also not mentioned, though from what follows it is evident that Timothy and Erastus were with him (Acts 19:22).

Acts 18:24. A certain Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent man well-versed in the Scriptures, arrived in Ephesus. “Apollos”—a shortened form of Apollonios. Apollos was a vigorous worker in the planting of Christianity in Corinth (see 1 Cor.), which is why the narrator gives him particular attention. “A Jew from Alexandria” (Egypt), which was the center not only of extensive commerce but also of the highest development of Jewish-Hellenistic culture, whose representative at that time was the famous Jew Philo.

Acts 18:25. He had been instructed in the rudiments of the way of the Lord and, being fervent in spirit, was speaking and teaching accurately about the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. Learned and eloquent, well-versed in the books of Holy Scripture, a convinced and fervent preacher, Apollos gave promise of particular success. “Here are educated men beginning to preach!… See the success of the preaching!”—Chrysostom exclaims on this occasion. “In the way of the Lord,” that is, in the teaching and life in accordance with the Lord’s commandments (cf. Acts 9:2). “In the beginning things,” that is, not fully, so that Apollos still needed a more precise explanation of this way of the Lord (Acts 18:26), which was then provided (Acts 18:26). “Knowing only the baptism of John…” as did the Ephesian disciples mentioned further on (Acts 19:2-3). Such incompleteness of Apollos’s knowledge and teaching about Christ was, of course, not an incorrectness of knowledge and teaching, which is why it did not prevent Apollos, “fervent in spirit” (Rom 12:11), from speaking and teaching about the Lord correctly, though incompletely. Having received a fuller and more detailed knowledge of the teaching, deeds, and person of the Lord Jesus from Aquila and Priscilla, and having received the baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus and the grace of the Holy Spirit (Chrysostom), Apollos appeared in Achaia as a grace-endowed preacher (Acts 18:27).

Acts 18:27. When he resolved to go over to Achaia, the brothers wrote to the disciples there, encouraging them to welcome him; and on his arrival he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, Acts 18:28. for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. The beneficial activity of Apollos in Achaia is beautifully characterized by the Apostle Paul in 1 Cor 3:6: “I planted, Apollos watered…” “In that he refuted ‘publicly,’ his boldness was shown; in that he was firm, his strength was manifest; in that he proved it from the divine Scriptures, his experience was expressed; for boldness by itself contributes nothing if there is no strength, and strength—without boldness” (Chrysostom). Subsequently Apollos was bishop in Smyrna (in Asia Minor) before the well-known Polycarp (Chet.-Min., January 4).

Chapter Nineteen

Paul in Ephesus, the baptism of John’s disciples (1–7). The separation of Christians from the Jews (8–10). Paul’s miracles and their influence (11–20). Paul’s plans for a further journey (21–22). The riot in Ephesus against Christians (23–40).

Acts 19:1. While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus and, finding some disciples there, “Having passed through the upper country”—the mountainous regions lying above Ephesus and the low-lying coastline on which it was situated; these were obviously the interior provinces of Asia Minor, including Phrygia and Galatia, which Paul had visited during this journey (Acts 18:23). If during his second journey Paul had been forbidden by the Spirit to preach in proconsular Asia (Acts 16 and following), and had only stayed briefly in Ephesus on his way back (Acts 18 and following), then now, coming straight from Phrygia and passing through proconsular Asia, he arrived in Ephesus and remained there for quite a long time (Acts 19:10). “Certain disciples…” From what follows it is clear that these were properly disciples of John, not of Jesus, whom the narrator refers to pre-eminently as “disciples.” Baptized only with “the baptism of John,” these “disciples” believed in the coming Messiah as proclaimed by the Forerunner, but had no complete understanding of him—like Apollos for a time; however, as sufficiently prepared for faith in Christ, they could be called Christians, or “disciples” of Christ in the broad sense of the word. These disciples were, in all probability, from among Jews who had recently settled in Ephesus, where they had attached themselves to the Christian community, so that Paul himself took them for Christians (v. 2: “having believed”).

Acts 19:2. said to them: Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? They replied: We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit. “We have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit?” A strange and even not entirely comprehensible or polite answer, if taken literally. Of course they could not have failed to know that the Spirit of God had spoken through the prophets and through John, but they did not know the foundation of the new divine economy in which the Holy Spirit is promised and given to all in Jesus Christ as the sole agent of the regeneration of souls. Thus, what is at issue here is not whether the Holy Spirit exists or has being, but whether the Messiah has come who was to baptize people with the Holy Spirit, and whether the gracious gifts of this Holy Spirit have appeared and begun to dwell on earth among people. It is precisely in this sense that the answer is to be understood: “we have not even heard whether the Holy Spirit has already come,” that is, in his gifts upon earth, among people (cf. John 7:39). Evidently, they simply knew nothing of the events in Jerusalem from the time of the Forerunner’s death, having lived in some corner of the world where reports of these events had not yet penetrated, and only now, in Ephesus, were they beginning to learn more about everything—but, owing to the recentness of their arrival in Ephesus, before meeting the apostle they had not yet managed to learn everything in full detail from anyone.

Acts 19:3. He said to them: Into what then were you baptized? They answered: Into John’s baptism. The puzzling answer of the “disciples” provokes a new puzzling question from the Apostle: “Into what then were you baptized?” What teaching, and about whom, did you receive and seal with your baptism? The simple and brief answer of those questioned—“into John’s baptism”—opens the apostle’s eyes, leaving him puzzled at the sight of these strange “disciples.” They were baptized into what constituted the goal of John’s baptism and the confession required at this baptism. This gives the apostle occasion to characterize the essence of the baptism of John and its relation to Christ in a brief, concise, yet very substantive way.

Acts 19:4. Paul said: John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Christ Jesus. “The baptism of repentance” (Mark 1:4; cf. Matt 3:11 and others)—as a sign of a good change in one’s way of thinking and life, as a sign of a firm intention, after repentance and confession of sins, to abandon the former sinful life and distorted way of thinking and to begin a God-pleasing life, in readiness to enter the Kingdom of the Messiah. According to Theophylact’s interpretation: “The Forerunner proclaimed a baptism of repentance so that people, having repented and received Christ, might receive the forgiveness of sins.” Why was this baptism insufficient, so that those baptized “with John’s baptism” were baptized again “in the name of the Lord Jesus”? Because the first baptism did not give a positive content to the spiritual life of the one being baptized, while the second, bestowing the grace of forgiveness of sins, had the significance of an actual and essential rebirth of the spiritual nature of the one being baptized. In relation to the second, Christian baptism, the first, John’s baptism, had a preparatory significance, disposing and preparing one for faith in the Lord Jesus, baptism in whom had, however, a completely independent and final significance.

Acts 19:5. Hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, “On hearing this”—that is, about the coming of the Messiah proclaimed by John and about the insufficiency of John’s baptism—“they were baptized” with Christian baptism (see Acts 2 and Matt 28:19) and, after Paul laid his hands on them (see note to Acts 8:15-17), received the Holy Spirit, whereupon they immediately began to “speak in other tongues” (see note to Acts 2:4) “and to prophesy” (see note to Acts 11:27; cf. Acts 13:1; 1 Cor 14). It is necessary to note here the groundlessness of the false teachings of the ancient heretics and the more recent sectarians (Anabaptists and Mennonites) who based their practice of rebaptism on this passage of Acts. To see the full falsity of the basis on which the advocates of rebaptism rest, it is sufficient to point out the incongruity of the analogy they establish in such a case. The present verse of Acts speaks of such a new baptism of John’s disciples as is essentially different from what they had previously received. Earlier they had been baptized with John’s baptism of repentance, in order to believe in the one coming after John. The Christian baptism they received in Ephesus, however, was a baptism in the name of the Messiah who had already come, Jesus Christ. In contrast, for the more recent advocates of rebaptism, both baptisms are Christian—in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. There, consequently, what is insisted upon is the repetition of one and the same Christian baptism.

Acts 19:8. Going into the synagogue, he spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them concerning the kingdom of God. “He spoke boldly.” An oblique indication that the apostle’s preaching had significant opponents, who were ready to manifest their opposition to great detriment to the apostle; yet this did not restrain his zeal. “About the kingdom of God.” By the Kingdom of God here is meant the Christian Church with all the blessings it confers on its true members, both in the present life and in the future. This kingdom, in contrast to the kingdom of the prince of this world, is the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of holiness and truth, the kingdom of eternal life in union with Christ (see note to Matt 3:2; John 3:3).

Acts 19:9. But when some became hardened and refused to believe, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he left them, separated the disciples, and spoke daily in the school of a certain Tyrannus. “Speaking evil of the Way”—cf. Acts 18:25-26. “In the hall of Tyrannus.” Judging by the name, this was some Greek rhetor or philosopher who had a school for teaching those who wished to study philosophy or rhetoric; it is hard to say whether he was a pagan or a proselyte. Some also suppose that this was a Jewish teacher who had a private synagogue (beth midrash) in his home, where they normally taught the traditions and their interpretation. In the school of this rabbi, who was apparently sympathetic to Christianity and readily placed his services at Paul’s disposal, the latter could more safely and with greater profit (daily) engage in planting Christian truths among not only Jews but also Greeks.

Acts 19:10. This continued for two years, so that all the inhabitants of Asia heard the proclamation about the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. “All the inhabitants of Asia heard.” Into the flourishing commercial city of Ephesus there constantly flowed from all the provinces of Asia Minor a great multitude of both Jews and Greeks, proselytes and pagans, so that Paul truly had “a wide door” opened to him there (1 Cor 16:8-9). If not personally from Paul, then from visitors who had personally heard him, the whole of proconsular Asia could in fact have been filled with news of Christ Jesus proclaimed by the apostle.

Acts 19:11. God was performing extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul, Acts 19:12. so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched his body were brought to the sick, and their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them. “Extraordinary miracles”—more precisely in the Greek and Slavonic texts: δυνάμεις τας τυκούσας—“miracles not ordinary,” that is, not small but extraordinary, remarkable works—not only in quantity but chiefly in quality. “By the hands of Paul.” This expression of the narrator does not in itself oblige one to suppose that all the miracles performed by the holy Paul himself were done through his hands. Such a construction—“by the hands”—is customary in the New Testament to indicate a particular person performing miracles. The very possibility of such a metaphor (διά τῶν χειρῶν Παύλου) suggests, however, that the holy Apostle performed some of his miracles indeed through his hands, by the laying on of hands, probably pronouncing brief prayerful words of release with mention of the name of the Lord Jesus. This practice of the apostle led others, in imitation of him, to place parts of his garments on the sick, which, by the grace of God, was accompanied by the same miraculous power.

Acts 19:13. Some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists also undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying: We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims. “Some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists.” Something like present-day healers and hypnotists, who made use of certain secrets and forces of nature, the full significance of which for the human being has not yet been explored (cf. Acts 13 and following; Josephus, Antiquities VIII, 2, 5; Jewish War Jude 1:1; Matt 12:27). Noticing the extraordinary effects of the name of the Lord in Paul’s mouth when healing the sick, some of these exorcists began to use this name in their charlatan formulas and, not knowing or believing in the Lord Jesus themselves, added: “whom Paul proclaims,” that is, this particular Jesus, and no other. “So they all acted out of greed. See: they did not want to believe, yet they wanted to cast out demons in this Name” (Chrysostom).

Acts 19:14. This was being done by certain seven sons of a Jewish chief priest named Sceva. “The seven sons of Sceva.” Who this Sceva was and in what sense he is called a Jewish high priest is unknown. He may have been one of the leaders of the priestly divisions (Matt 2:4), whose sons had emigrated from Judea and were making their living by sorcery.

Acts 19:15. But the evil spirit answered: Jesus I know, and Paul I am acquainted with, but who are you? “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize.” With these words the demon acknowledges the power and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and his apostle over itself, while with the expression—“but who are you?”—it expresses its contempt and its power over these abusers of the name of Jesus.

Acts 19:16. And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them and, overpowering them, prevailed against them so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. Acts 19:17. This became known to all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, and fear fell upon all of them, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in great honor. Acts 19:18. Many of those who had believed also came, confessing and disclosing their deeds. “They came, confessing and divulging their practices,” that is, their sins, under the influence of a feeling of fear and awe at the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19:17). This was especially to be done by the former exorcists who had abandoned their trade and turned to Christ: repentance was the result of their belief and their decision to join the Christian community, which was then sealed by their baptism.

Acts 19:19. And quite a number of those who had practiced sorcery collected their books and burned them before everyone, and they reckoned up their value, and it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. “Having gathered their books,” in which were recorded the methods for performing various acts of sorcery and incantations, the exorcists committed them to a public, solemn burning. This original bonfire was the best possible sermon to the crowd on the power of Christ, especially in view of the value of what was burned—50,000 pieces of silver. The narrator does not specify what coin was counted in this sum. But undoubtedly in the Greek commercial city the “drachma” of 20–25 kopecks was used at the time. Consequently, this sum more precisely amounted, in the currency of the day, to approximately 10,000–12,500 rubles.

Acts 19:21. When these things had been accomplished, Paul resolved in his spirit that, after passing through Macedonia and Achaia, he would go to Jerusalem, saying: After I have been there, I must also see Rome. “Having passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem.” From the apostle’s epistles (1 Cor 16 and following; 2 Cor 8; Rom 15 and following) it is evident that this journey of the apostle was accompanied by the collecting of alms for the Palestinian Church, to which he also referred in his speech later on (Acts 24:17). “I must also see Rome.” This intention of Paul the Lord afterward approved himself, as one consistent with his will (Acts 23:11).

Acts 19:22. And, having sent into Macedonia two of those who served him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself remained in Asia for a time. “Having sent Timothy and Erastus” (2 Tim 4:20), probably to dispose the Macedonians toward the collection of alms and for the collection itself.

Acts 19:23. About that time no small disturbance arose concerning the Way of the Lord, “A disturbance against the Way”—against the apostle’s preaching and against Christianity in general (cf. Acts 18:25-26).

Acts 19:24. for a certain silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis and brought the craftsmen no small profit, “The silversmith… Demetrius, who made silver shrines” (that is, models of them) “of Artemis,” the Ephesian goddess, for sale to travelers and pilgrims to the city. The cult of Artemis was very widely spread in Asia Minor. The temple of this goddess in Ephesus, burned by Herostratus on the day of Alexander the Great’s birth, was rebuilt with such magnificence that it was counted among the seven wonders of the world. Small models of this temple and statuettes of Diana were in wide use among the devotees of this goddess: they adorned rooms, served as amulets in travel, and so on. Naturally, Demetrius’s trade was very profitable, and his workshop brought considerable income to the craftsmen and artisans under his direction, who were so easily stirred up to riot.

Acts 19:26. and you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable crowd of people, saying that gods made by human hands are not gods. Notable here is the testimony to the successes of Paul’s preaching from the mouths of his enemies, confirming what was said above (Acts 19:10). “Saying that gods made with hands are not gods.” A remarkable expression from a pagan, showing that the pagan people identified the statues of the gods with the gods themselves, or assumed that the gods dwelt in these statues (cf. Acts 17:29; 1 Cor 8:4 and others).

Acts 19:27. And this threatens us not only that our trade will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be counted for nothing, and that the magnificence of the one whom all Asia and the world worship will be brought to ruin. “See, says Chrysostom, how idolatry is everywhere maintained by greed: not because their piety was threatened with danger, but because they were being deprived of the possibility of gain… For this (the words of Demetrius) means almost the same as: ‘with our trade, we are threatened with dying of hunger.’” “All Asia and the world”—that is, the whole Greek-Roman world.

Acts 19:28. When they heard this, they were filled with rage and began shouting, saying: Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! “They were in such a state as if by their shouting they wished to restore her worship and undo everything Paul had done” (Chrysostom).

Acts 19:29. And the whole city was thrown into confusion. They seized the Macedonians Gaius and Aristarchus, traveling companions of Paul, and rushed all together into the theater. “Seizing Paul’s companions, the Macedonians…” Paul himself, as is evident from this and from what follows, was not found by the rioters. One of these companions—Gaius, it seems—is to be distinguished from Gaius of Derbe, mentioned later (Acts 20:4); the other—Aristarchus of Thessalonica—is the one mentioned in Acts 20:4. “They rushed to the theater…”—to the city theater building, which normally served as the venue for large popular assemblies.

Acts 19:31. Also some of the officials of Asia, who were friends of his, sent to him urging him not to venture into the theater. “Some of the Asiarchs”—these were representatives chosen by the cities to organize festive games in honor of the gods and the emperor. These representatives elected from among themselves ten members as organizers and directors of the games. From among them, certain ones, having become personally well-disposed toward the apostle, though still not Christians, urged Paul “not to show himself in the theater,” fearing—as did his disciples—for his life from the riotous crowd. The apostle himself, for his part, displayed on this occasion the great boldness and strength of spirit of a true soldier of Christ, straining toward the crowd that was enraged against him.

Acts 19:32. Meanwhile some were shouting one thing and others another, for the assembly was in confusion, and the majority of those who had gathered did not even know why they had gathered. “Some shouted one thing and others another… and most did not know why they had gathered together”—a characteristic depiction of the confusion of such riotous crowd gatherings. That something was happening in the theater against Paul and his companions was more or less known to all (“with one accord” — Acts 19:29, “with one voice” — Acts 19:34); but exactly what, and why one needed to assemble there, “most” did not even understand.

Acts 19:33. At the suggestion of the Jews, Alexander was brought forward out of the crowd. Giving a signal with his hand, Alexander wanted to make a speech to the people. “At the suggestion of the Jews, Alexander was brought forward from the crowd.” Why—“at the suggestion of the Jews”? For what purpose? Who was this Alexander, and what did he intend to say?—explanations are not uniform. It is supposed that this Alexander, a Jew by birth and religion (Acts 19:34), was put forward by the Jews out of fear that in this popular uprising against the Christians, Jews might be confused with them and subjected to the same treatment as the Christians, especially since Jews were well known as enemies of idols. The stratagem failed, and served only to harm the Jews; the people did not even want to hear the speech of a Jew, expressing their complete contempt for Jews in general. Others suppose, however, that this Alexander was a Christian of Jewish origin, intending to speak in defense of Paul and the Christians; he was brought forward at the suggestion of his cunning and malicious kinsmen solely to make him a victim of popular fury. Chrysostom also ventures the conjecture that the Jewish Alexander wanted to speak in order to inflame the people’s anger against the Christians even more. If so, then here too the Jews fully deserved the contempt of the crowd expressed in their direction as their just reward for their cunning.

Acts 19:35. But the town clerk, having quieted the crowd, said: Men of Ephesus! who among people does not know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the great goddess Artemis and of the Diopetes? Acts 19:36. Since these things cannot be disputed, you must remain calm and do nothing reckless. Acts 19:37. For you have brought these men here who have neither robbed the temple of Artemis nor blasphemed your goddess. Acts 19:38. If Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, there are court sessions and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another there. Acts 19:39. But if you are seeking anything beyond that, it will be settled in the lawful assembly. Acts 19:40. For we are in danger of being charged with rioting over today’s events, since there is no justification by which we could account for this gathering. Having said this, he dismissed the assembly. “The town clerk”—properly a scribe or secretary—γραμματεύς—something like a city secretary (γραμματεύς ο τῆς πόλεως), whose duty was to draft official documents, to make public announcements of civic matters, to read them at popular assemblies or to report on them, to keep all kinds of written records, and so forth. In his speech to the people this “secretary” points out first that the cult of Artemis stands firm in Ephesus and that Paul’s companions taken by the crowd cannot be accused of directly offending it (35–37). In the absence of, so to speak, a corpus delicti, it is also necessary to bear in mind that for the hearing of legitimate complaints there exist legitimate authorities and a set procedure for dealing with them (38–39). Finally, if all these conditions are disregarded, the people risk finding themselves in the position of the accused for rioting (40). Such sensible, skillful arguments cooled the temper of the assembly, and it dispersed without any incident. “Diopetes”—fallen from Zeus. This name designates the statue of Artemis in the Ephesian temple, since according to popular legend it had fallen from the sky—from Zeus.

Chapter Twenty

Paul’s journey through Macedonia and Greece and back to Troas (1–6). The resurrection of Eutychus by Paul in Troas (7–12). The further journey to Miletus (13–17). Paul’s farewell address to the elders of Ephesus (18–38)

Acts 20:2. Having passed through those regions and given the believers much encouragement, he came to Greece. “Having passed through those regions” in which Paul had previously founded Christian communities in Macedonia—see Acts 16:12-17:14. “He came to Greece”—that is, to Greece, which the author of Acts referred to above as Achaia (Acts 19:21). “Achaia” is the official Roman provincial name for Greece; “Greece” (Hellas) is the ancient popular name.

Acts 20:3. There he stayed three months. And when a plot was made against him by the Jews, as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. “He stayed three months”—the apostle probably spent a considerable part of this time in Corinth, where he would have first met Apollos. There is no indication that he visited Athens; the painful impression left by that city likely kept him from returning (Acts 17 ff.). The “plot of the Jews” against the apostle was probably also in Corinth, from which the apostle decided to travel to Syria, choosing a route through Macedonia and the communities of Asia Minor.

Acts 20:4. He was accompanied to Asia by Sopater of Pyrrhus from Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians Tychicus and Trophimus. “Sopater of Pyrrhus”—the son of Pyrrhus, “a Berean,” from Berea—the first city the apostle would have reached on passing from Achaia into Macedonia—is probably the person mentioned by Paul in Rom 16:21. “From the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus.” “Aristarchus” is mentioned earlier — Acts 19:29; “Secundus” is not mentioned anywhere else in the apostolic Scriptures. “Gaius of Derbe”—from Derbe in Lycaonia, who should therefore apparently be distinguished from Gaius “of Macedonia,” mentioned earlier — Acts 19:29. “Timothy”—see Acts 16:1-3. “The Asians Tychicus and Trophimus”—the first is mentioned again in Eph 6:21; Col 4:7; 2 Tim 4:12; Titus 3:12; the second—a native Ephesian (Acts 21:29)—is mentioned in 2 Tim 4:20. All seven companions—three native Macedonians and the rest from Asia Minor—“accompanied” Paul “as far as Asia,” that is, proconsular Asia (cf. note to Acts 16). This does not exclude the possibility that some of those listed accompanied Paul further—to Jerusalem and then to Rome. Thus we see “Trophimus” with Paul in Jerusalem (Acts 21:29), and “Aristarchus” on the way to Rome with Paul (Acts 27:2). At Philippi in Macedonia (Acts 16:12) the author of Acts, Luke, rejoined Paul’s companions—having presumably stayed there (note to Acts 16:40)—which is why he now begins speaking in the first-person “we” (cf. Acts 16:10 ff.) rather than “they.”

Acts 20:5. They, going on ahead, waited for us in Troas. “They”—that is, the seven companions mentioned above—“waited for us”—that is, for Paul and Luke—in Troas (see note to Acts 16:8). The reason why Paul’s companions were sent on ahead is not stated; probably it was to arrange a more convenient voyage for Paul onward from Troas, and from the account of it one can surmise that Paul had a ship specially prepared for the journey.

Acts 20:6. But we, after the days of Unleavened Bread, sailed from Philippi and in five days came to them in Troas, where we stayed seven days. “After the days of Unleavened Bread”—that is, after the Jewish Passover feast (cf. Luke 22 and parallels), which Paul observed in his own way, in the spirit of Christian freedom and conviction, resting in observance of the commandment (Luke 23:56). “In five days we arrived… in Troas.” On the first occasion—from Troas to Philippi, prompted by a vision—the apostle had made this crossing even more quickly (cf. Acts 16 ff.).

Acts 20:7. On the first day of the week, when the disciples had gathered to break bread, Paul, intending to depart the next day, spoke with them and extended his address until midnight. “On the first day of the week”—that is, the first day after the Sabbath, our Sunday, at the early dawn of which the Lord rose (Matt 28 and parallels). “When the disciples”—that is, the Christians of Troas—“had gathered to break bread.” Although Chrysostom regards the “breaking of bread” mentioned here as a simple meal, others hold that this was a liturgical gathering at which the sacrament of the Eucharist, instituted by the Lord in remembrance of him, was celebrated, after which the so-called love feasts were held (see Acts 2:42). That this liturgical action in the apostolic Church was performed precisely “on the first day of the week” (i.e., Sunday) is evident partly from this passage in Acts, partly from Paul’s epistle 1 Cor 16:2, and above all from the unbroken tradition of the Church (cf. also Rev 1:10). “Extended his address until midnight.” The reason for such a lengthy gathering is attributed to Paul’s urgency—his intention to continue his journey the very next day. This was the conversation of a loving and beloved father and teacher with loving and beloved children and disciples at a final parting (cf. Acts 20:25). Neither teacher nor students, evidently, wished to interrupt this conversation, which stretched past midnight until dawn, after the incident with Eutychus and the celebration of the Eucharist (Acts 20:11).

Acts 20:8. There were many lamps in the upper room where we had gathered. “There were many lamps”—to lend special solemnity to the gathering, not merely to provide ordinary lighting for the meeting place.

Acts 20:9. During Paul’s lengthy address, a young man named Eutychus, who was sitting on a window sill, sank into a deep sleep and, losing his balance, fell from the third story and was picked up dead. The liturgical gathering was taking place in an upper room of the “third” story, “for,” as Chrysostom observes, “there was as yet no church building.” “The young man… Eutychus… sank into a deep sleep”—as Chrysostom notes, “not from laziness, but from natural necessity,” which attention to so unusually long a discourse could not overcome. “Was picked up dead”—that is, the examination of the fallen man led to the conclusion that he was dead.

Acts 20:10. Paul went down, fell upon him, and embracing him said: do not be troubled, for his soul is in him. “Fell upon him and embraced him.” In a similar manner the son of the widow of Zarephath was once raised by the prophet Elijah (1 Sam 17:21), and the son of the Shunammite woman by the prophet Elisha (2 Sam 4:34). “His soul is in him”—this expression does not mean that the young man’s soul was still in him and that he therefore had not died, but that his soul was again in him, that he was alive again, raised by the power of God through the apostle, who in his humility does not express this so directly, avoiding praise for the greatest miracle he had performed (cf. Chrysostom).

Acts 20:11. Then he went up and broke bread and ate, and talked with them for a long time, even until daybreak, and then he left. “Then he went up and broke bread.” This means that the breaking and eating of bread, as a liturgical action, had not yet been performed because of the length of the address Paul had offered, and only now, at the resumption of the discourse interrupted by the incident with Eutychus, does the apostle perform the breaking and eating of bread—which the other believers also partook of, though only Paul is mentioned, because the narrative is specifically about him. “And then he left”—more precisely in the Slavonic: «и тако изыде»—“and so he went,” that is, without allowing himself any rest.

Acts 20:12. Meanwhile the young man was brought back alive, and they were greatly comforted. Acts 20:13. We went ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, intending to take Paul on board there; for so he had directed us, intending himself to go by land. “We”—that is, Paul’s companions—“went ahead” by ship to Assos, while Paul went there on foot. Although the historian offers no explanation for either the aim or the reason behind this decision by Paul, one may reasonably suppose that Paul felt the need to be alone for a day or two, to prepare his soul before God in private for the great events that awaited him soon. “Assos”—a harbor on the Troadic sea, 8 miles from Troas, to the south.

Acts 20:14. When he met up with us at Assos, we took him on board and arrived at Mitylene. “At Assos,” having joined his companions, they all set sail together and arrived at “Mitylene” (now Castro), the main city on the island of Lesbos, on its eastern shore.

Acts 20:15. And sailing from there, the next day we arrived opposite Chios, and the day after we put in at Samos and, having touched at Trogyllium, the following day we arrived at Miletus, “Chios,” “Samos”—islands visible from the coast of Asia Minor. “Trogyllium”—a coastal town to the south of Ephesus. “Miletus”—a maritime city (now Palatia), some 9 miles to the south of Ephesus.

Acts 20:16. for Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so as not to lose time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. Paul’s fear of being delayed in Ephesus was well-founded, for with this chief Christian community in Asia Minor the apostle stood in especially close relations, and here too he had many opponents (1 Cor 16:9), all of which would inevitably have kept him there longer than he could afford. So he bypasses Ephesus, summoning to a meeting (in Miletus) only the presiding elders of Ephesus, with whom he holds so touching a farewell address.

Acts 20:17. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. “He called for the elders of the church”—according to the testimony of Irenaeus (Against Heresies III, 14, 2), not only the Ephesian elders but also those of other neighboring churches, which is not improbable, given that the apostle was in these regions for the last time (Acts 20:25).

Acts 20:18. When they came to him, he said to them: you know how, from the first day when I came to Asia, I was with you all the time, The apostle begins his address by bearing witness to his apostolic labors, which were his chief and almost sole concern, and with which all his adventures, privations, toils, and hardships were closely linked. The purpose of this candid declaration is not to overwhelm his listeners with a display of his spiritual greatness, but to preach Christ and to kindle in others the same zeal and the same love for Christ and his cause. “You know”—“It is remarkable,” says Chrysostom, “how he, when compelled to say something great about himself, tries to maintain humility… God does the same: He does not speak of Himself without reason, but when people do not believe Him, He recounts His acts of kindness (Ezek 16:6). See what Paul also does here: first, he appeals to their testimony, so that you will not think he is praising himself, and names the listeners as witnesses of what he says, to assure them that he is not lying to them. Here is the true virtue of a teacher—when he can present his disciples as witnesses of his good deeds!”

Acts 20:19. serving the Lord with all humility and with many tears, amid the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews; “With all humility.” Not simply “with humility,” but “with all” of it, for “there are many forms of humility: humility is manifested in word and in deed, in relation to superiors and in relation to subordinates” (Chrysostom). “And with many tears” (cf. Acts 20:31), “amid trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews.” According to Chrysostom’s interpretation, “here he (Paul) seems to express compassion; for he suffered for those who were perishing, for the very perpetrators of the afflictions, while rejoicing over what befell him; he belonged to those who rejoiced that they were ‘counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of the Lord Jesus’” (Acts 5:41).

Acts 20:20. how I did not hold back anything profitable from you that I did not proclaim to you and teach you, both publicly and from house to house, Acts 20:21. declaring to both Jews and Greeks repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. “Repentance toward God and faith in the Lord”—the essence of apostolic preaching in its practical application (cf. Acts 20:2:37-38).

Acts 20:22. And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, bound in the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there; The apostle foretells the fate that awaits him, “to teach them to be ready for dangers, both visible and hidden, and to be obedient in all things to the Spirit” (Chrysostom). “Bound in the Spirit… not knowing what will happen to me there.” The ignorance concerns specifically the particulars of what is to befall the apostle; in general, however, by the revelation of the Spirit, he knows that “bonds and afflictions await him there.” “I know that trials await me, but what kind—I do not know” (Chrysostom, cf. Theophylact).

Acts 20:23. only the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city, saying that chains and afflictions await me. “The Holy Spirit testifies in every city”—probably through prophets like Agabus, who in the last city before Jerusalem, Caesarea, foretold bonds to the apostle (Acts 21:10-11).

Acts 20:24. But I do not count my life of any value or precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:25. And now, behold, I know that none of you all, among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face again. “I know that you all will see my face no more”—not only those present here, but also those whom you represent. This certainty was based on the testimonies of the Spirit in city after city, and perhaps also on his own inner presentiments, which accompanied the irresistible compulsion of the Spirit drawing him to Jerusalem.

Acts 20:26. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, “I am innocent of the blood of all”—guilty of no one’s perdition (Acts 18:6), since to prevent it he omitted nothing of his duties as a teacher. “While seemingly justifying himself, he nonetheless causes them to be on guard. I am innocent, he says, of the blood of all; but if you are weighed down by sleep and perish at the hands of a murderer of souls, it is because I have fulfilled the duty of a teacher” (Theophylact, cf. Chrysostom).

Acts 20:27. for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Acts 20:28. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the Church of the Lord and God, which he obtained for himself with his own blood. “Pay careful attention to yourselves”—not because saving oneself takes precedence over saving the flock, but because “when we pay attention to ourselves, the flock also benefits” (Theophylact). “The Holy Spirit has appointed you”—you were not appointed by men but by the Holy Spirit through election and ordination (Acts 16:23), and this is a special incentive to pay attention to yourselves and to the whole flock. “Overseers”—ἐπισκόπους—bishops. The speech is addressed to elders, but they are called bishops because of the identity of certain of their duties—essential duties better expressed by the word bishop than by the word elder. This does not mean that bishops and elders were not distinguished in their significance, duties, and rights in the Church at that time, although it is certain that they were sometimes not distinguished by name (cf. Theophylact). The same apostle draws a clear distinction between them when he assigns only to the bishop the authority and right to ordain and judge an elder (Titus 1:5; 1 Tim 5:22). The figurative expression “to shepherd the church”—the flock of God (John 10 ff.; John 21:15-17)—signifies the duties of elders as teachers of the faith and morals of the particular Christian community entrusted to them (1 Tim 5:17; Eph 4:11; 1 Pet 5:2), and in general as overseers and guardians of the flock against wolves and all that is harmful to it. “Which he obtained with his own blood.” Cf. Eph 1:14; Titus 1:14; 1 Pet 2:9; 1 Cor 6:20. “There is great persuasion in these words, which show the preciousness of the object; and we face no small danger if the Lord, for the sake of the Church, did not spare his own blood, while we have no care for the salvation of the brethren” (Chrysostom).

Acts 20:29. For I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; Acts 20:30. and from among your own selves men will arise speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. “After my departure.” It is implied that the apostle’s presence among the Asian Christians was a hindrance to the wolves entering the flock, that they dared not attack while Paul was there. Now the apostle foretells “a twofold calamity: he will not be there, and others will attack…” (Chrysostom). “He did not simply say ‘wolves,’ but added ‘savage,’ wishing to express their power and ferocity; and what is most grievous is that these wolves, he says, ‘will arise from among your own selves’—this is especially hard, when civil strife breaks out…” (Chrysostom). By “savage wolves” are meant here false teachers, whose false teaching, worse than any external persecution, will ravage the flock of God, corrupting and destroying not bodies, but the very souls of believers. There is no doubt that the God-inspired gaze of the apostle could penetrate the future without any indications or signs of it in the present. But it is also possible that the present itself already bore signs of a troubled future—signs that remained hidden from others less perceptive but not from Paul. He may already have noticed at this time seeds, imperceptible to others, from which dangerous fruit was eventually to grow. Ephesus was one of the central points of Asia Minor where the most significant religious and philosophical systems of East and West came into contact. The appearance of false teachers was therefore most naturally to be expected here, especially bearing in mind that barely three years after this the apostle found himself having to write against wolves that had appeared in Colossae, and subsequently in Ephesus (the Epistles to Timothy). Traces of false teachers appearing in Ephesus near this same time are also confirmed by the apocalyptic letters of John the Theologian, the Epistle of Jude, and the First Epistle of John the Theologian. Evidently, the prophecy of the Apostle Paul was fulfilled to the letter.

Acts 20:31. Therefore be vigilant, remembering that for three years, night and day without ceasing, with tears I instructed each one of you. “Be vigilant”—the same as “pay attention” (Acts 20:28). As the best encouragement for this, the apostle again points to his own unceasing intensified labors and hardships in building up the Christian communities. “Three years”—a round general number in place of a precise one: specifically, “three months” in the synagogue (Acts 19:8) and “two years” in the school of Tyrannus (Acts 19:10). “With tears…” (Acts 20:19). “I have done enough from my side: I stayed here three years; they have been sufficiently instructed, sufficiently confirmed” (Chrysostom).

Acts 20:32. And now I commend you, brothers, to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up further and to give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified. “I commend you to God” (cf. Acts 14:23) “and to the word of his grace”—contained in the Holy Gospel, which, though it has the self-sufficient power to save you, nevertheless requires your own vigilance and effort. “Among all who are sanctified”—that is, those sanctified by the grace of the Lord and destined for eternal glory in the heavenly Kingdom (Matt 13:43).

Acts 20:33. I coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothing: Acts 20:34. you yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my needs and the needs of those who were with me. Acts 20:35. In everything I showed you that by working hard in this way you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” In conclusion to his heartfelt address the apostle, again calling those present as witnesses, points to his complete disinterestedness, which contributed to the success of his preaching, and exhorts others to the same. The fullness of the apostle’s disinterestedness extended so far that he not only took nothing even of the most basic necessities from others but did not wish to take them, and not only supported himself but also his companions by the labor of his own hands (Acts 18:3), so as to be a burden to no one and to give no occasion for reproach of self-interest (1 Cor 9 ff.; 2 Cor 11 ff.; 2 Cor 12 ff.; 2 Thess 3 ff.). “To help the weak”—specifically “the infirm”—ἀσθενούντων—by which in this case are meant those who are spiritually weak, who might have been scandalized had they seen the apostle living at the expense of those he taught, and might have suspected not only the sincerity of the teacher but also the worth of his teaching. Paul set a lofty example in this, even though the Lord and the apostle himself did not consider it unjust for the laborer to receive wages and sustenance from his labors (Matt 10 and parallel), and for the preacher of the Gospel to live from the proclamation of the Gospel (1 Cor 9:7-11 and parallel). “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” These words, attributed to the Lord, are not found in the Gospels. They are probably drawn from oral tradition and express the thought that Christian charity, by making a person better in a moral sense and placing him in better, law-appointed relations to his neighbors and to God, serves as the most reliable means of attracting the goodwill of God and of attaining earthly happiness and heavenly blessedness. “When a hungry person is given food, or a shivering person warm clothing—does he not feel himself happy at that moment? But the Lord assures us that at the same moment the one who gives is still more blessed. Where can this blessedness be found? In a God-loving and people-loving heart. In what does this blessedness consist? In the sense of the good being done and already done, in the witness of conscience, in the fulfillment of God’s will in us, in the joy over the neighbor whom we have made glad. Man, preserving within himself, though not in perfection, the image of the all-good God in whose likeness he was created, rejoices over all that is good, even when he merely hears of it: therefore it is natural for him to experience blessedness when he actually does it” (Filaret, Metropolitan of Moscow). “There is one degree of blessedness—to renounce everything; another—to provide oneself with necessities; a third—to provide not only for oneself but for others as well; a fourth—not to take even when one is preaching and has the ability to take. It is not said, however, that to receive is a bad thing, but that it is better not to receive.” (Theophylact, cf. Chrysostom). Applied to the present case—apostolic preaching—the general saying of the Lord under examination has the following particular meaning: it is more blessed to give spiritual gifts than to receive temporal goods in return for them; it is more blessed to have complete disinterestedness in the work of preaching than to make use, though not unjustly, of recompense from those being taught.

Acts 20:36. When he had said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them. Acts 20:37. Then there was much weeping among all of them, and they fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, Acts 20:38. grieving especially over the word he had spoken, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship. A moving description of the beloved teacher’s farewell to his disciples.

Chapter Twenty-One

Paul’s journey from Miletus to Caesarea (1–9). His stay in Caesarea and the prophecy of Paul’s bonds in Jerusalem (10–14). The further journey to Jerusalem (15–16). Paul’s last stay in Jerusalem, the uprising of the Jews against him, and his arrest (17–40).

Acts 21:1. When we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara, “Having parted from them”—stronger in the Greek: ἀποσπασθέντας ἀπ’ αὐτῶν—in Slavonic: «отторгшымся от них»—having torn ourselves away from them. “By these words the writer expresses great effort—and not in vain, for otherwise they would not have been able to put out to sea” (Chrysostom). “Cos”—a small island, famous for its winemaking and production of costly fabrics, lying to the southwest of Miletus. At 15 Roman miles from it to the southeast lies the large island of “Rhodes.” “Patara”—a large maritime commercial city of the Asia Minor province of Lycia, with a well-known oracle of Apollo in antiquity.

Acts 21:2. and finding a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went on board and set sail. “Having found a ship.” From Troas to Patara, Paul and his companions had been sailing on a private, probably hired, vessel entirely at his disposal (Acts 20:13); now, for the difficult and distant crossing over the open sea, he transferred to another, larger merchant vessel traveling with a cargo to Phoenicia.

Acts 21:3. Coming in sight of Cyprus and leaving it to the left, we sailed to Syria and put in at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo. “Tyre”—a Phoenician maritime city, renowned for its commerce. Phoenicia, according to the Roman provincial division, was annexed to Syria (which also included Palestine); hence the reference to sailing “to Syria” and putting in at Tyre.

Acts 21:4. And having found disciples, we stayed there seven days. They, through the Spirit, told Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. “Having found disciples.” The expression implies that Paul searched out Christians here, and from this it follows that Christians were few in number and not widely known (cf. Acts 11:19), so that they had to be sought out in this large city. “Seven days.” Having previously been in a hurry, in view of the uncertainty of how safe the long and difficult sea crossing would be, Paul now has the opportunity to spend a whole week in Tyre. “They”—that is, probably some of the Tyrian Christians who possessed the gift of prophecy. “Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.” What the Spirit properly inspired was only that the Tyrian prophets learned of the fate awaiting Paul in Jerusalem (as Acts 20:23). The request not to go there was an expression of their own loving concern for the apostle’s fate (cf. Theophylact). But the apostle knew the will of the Holy Spirit in this matter more perfectly, and not only saw his fate but also went toward it—by the prompting of that same Spirit (Acts 20:22).

Acts 21:5. When we had come to the end of those days, we departed and set out, and all of them, with their wives and children, accompanied us outside the city, and kneeling down on the beach, we prayed. “With their wives and children”—a special tenderness in the farewell to the apostle, explained by the small number of Christians, with whom the comparatively long stay had made it easier to enter into particularly close relations.

Acts 21:7. And when we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them one day. “Ptolemais”—the ancient maritime city of Akko, south of Phoenicia, within the borders of Palestine proper, in the ancient division in the tribe of Asher (Judg 1:31), somewhat north of Mount Carmel.

Acts 21:8. The next day Paul and those of us who were with him went out and came to Caesarea, and entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven deacons, we stayed with him. “Caesarea”—(Stratonis), see note to Acts 8:40. “Having gone out”—apparently no longer by sea, but on foot through the magnificent Valley of Jezreel, past the majestic Carmel (a one-day journey). “The house of Philip”—see Acts 6 and note to Acts 8:40 — the evangelist, that is, the preacher of the Gospel, so called probably following his preaching activity in Samaria and other places on the Palestinian coast (Acts 8:5). This is the last mention of Philip. According to church tradition, he afterwards served as bishop of Tralles (in the Asia Minor province of Caria) and died at a great old age (Chet.-Min. Oct. 11).

Acts 21:9. He had four daughters, virgin women, who prophesied. The incidental remark about Philip’s prophesying daughters is meant simply to point out the remarkable character of this family of Philip (on the gift of prophecy, see Acts 11 and parallels). The Evangelist Luke adds that these prophesying daughters of Philip were “virgins”—that is, they remained in a state of virginity, having dedicated themselves to the service of God. They were among the first, after the Mother of the Lord, to show an example of consecrated virgins in Christianity, and by their blameless conduct gained such high regard that, according to the testimony of Jerome, for a long time the faithful made devout visits to the four cells in which these virgins lived. Two of them later settled in Hierapolis, and one, according to the testimony of Clement of Alexandria, lived in Ephesus, where she worked miracles and was distinguished for her holiness of life. This was the eldest—Hermione. Possessing the gift of healing, she brought healing to suffering Christians, and later established in Ephesus a special hospice where she gave free assistance to those afflicted in body and soul. In the reign of the Emperor Hadrian, already in advanced years, she was subjected to torments for confessing the Christian faith, enduring terrible sufferings at the hands of the pagans. Finally, when at her prayer the idols in a certain pagan temple fell and were shattered, her torturers beheaded her with a sword. The faithful took her holy relics and buried them with due honor in Ephesus (her feast: September 4).

Acts 21:10. While we were staying there several days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea, “We stayed several days,” which was permitted by the favorable early arrival of Paul, who had been in a hurry during the sea crossing. “Came down from Judea”—probably from Jerusalem (cf. Acts 11:27).

Acts 21:11. and coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own hands and feet and said: thus says the Holy Spirit: the man to whom this belt belongs will be bound like this by the Jews in Jerusalem and handed over to the Gentiles. Entirely in the spirit and after the manner of the ancient prophets, Agabus accompanies his prophecy with an expressive symbolic action (cf. Isa 10; Jer 13; Ezek 4 and others). “The Jews will bind him.” Although it was the Roman military tribune, not the Jews, who actually put the apostle in chains (Acts 21:33), the motivation was the uprising of the Jews (Acts 21:27), who were the chief agents of Paul’s imprisonment.

Acts 21:12. When we heard this, both we and those there begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. The plea of Paul’s companions and admirers, here as above (Acts 21:4), was the voice of natural love for the apostle, and was not a revelation of the Spirit, which was directing Paul in exactly the opposite direction from these counsels and pleas.

Acts 21:13. But Paul answered: what are you doing? why do you weep and break my heart? I am ready not only to be imprisoned but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. “No one was more tenderhearted than Paul: he was grieved to see them weeping, yet felt no grief over his own sufferings. You are wronging me, he says, by doing this: am I grieving? I weep for you, he says, and not over my own sufferings; but as for those, I am ready even to die” (Chrysostom).

Acts 21:15. After these days we made our preparations and went up to Jerusalem. “Having prepared…”—both in spirit, for a courageous encounter with the dangers ahead, and with a supply of everything needed for the journey and for the time in Jerusalem during the festivals.

Acts 21:16. Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, bringing us to the house of a longtime disciple, Mnason of Cyprus, with whom we were to lodge. “Mnason of Cyprus”—judging by the Greek name, if not of pure Greek origin, then among the Hellenists. Staying with this “longtime” disciple who had believed long ago—perhaps at the time of the first Pentecost—and who was not bound in his beliefs by the traditions of those zealous for the Jewish law, promised to be most suitable and safe for the apostle, who had so many enemies among the Jews. This disciple showed Paul hospitality as hoped—thoroughly warm and welcoming.

Acts 21:18. The next day Paul went with us to James, and all the elders came. “With us”—that is, with the companions, among whom was the author of Acts. “To James”—the brother of the Lord, bishop of Jerusalem (Acts 12:17 ff.). The other apostles are not mentioned, obviously because they were out preaching in other lands. But all the “elders” came (see note to Acts 11 and parallels), forming a special solemn gathering of Church representatives on the occasion of the arrival in Jerusalem of the great “apostle to the Gentiles.”

Acts 21:19. After greeting them, Paul described in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. “Again he recounts to them what had happened among the Gentiles—not out of vainglory (God forbid!), but to show God’s love for humanity and to fill them with great joy” (Chrysostom). “Through his ministry”—a specific indication of Paul’s particular calling to the work of apostleship especially among the Gentiles. At the same time, in “greeting” the Jerusalem Church on behalf not only of himself but of the numerous churches he had founded among the Gentiles, the apostle also delivered for the needs of the Jerusalem Church the aid that he and his coworkers had collected (see note to Acts 19:21).

Acts 21:20. And when they heard it, they glorified God and said to him: you see, brother, how many thousands of believing Jews there are, and they are all zealous for the law. “They glorified God,” thereby acknowledging the great worth of Paul’s work among the Gentiles. But at the same time James and the elders do not hide from him the unfavorable opinion of him held by Jewish Christians, who believed that conversion to the Gospel did not oblige them to abandon the formalities and rites prescribed by the law. These convictions of the “zealots for the law,” with whom special caution and gradual introduction into the kingdom of Christian freedom of spirit were required, aroused considerable prejudice against Paul, who considered the reign of the law to have ended, and advised those Jews who were capable and inclined to rise to such an understanding to live fully according to the Gospel. This “anticipation” of the historical development of Christian ideas, which had borne so many good fruits among the Gentiles, could not but become a subject of discord among the Jews, among whom the inertia of so intensified a gravitation toward the ancestral sanctuaries, customs, and precepts of the Mosaic law had to be overcome. “You see, brother”—an expression of love and friendly good wishes. “How many thousands of believing Jews”—not only Jerusalemites but also visitors from other cities, of whom, as was customary, a great multitude had probably gathered in Jerusalem at this time. Already more than 20 years earlier they had numbered up to 8,000 persons (Acts 2:41). Now their number all the more justified the vague but emphatic phrase—“how many thousands!” “They are all zealots for the law.” Although the apostolic council had worked out strictly defined minimal requirements for Christians from among the Gentiles, the apostles, as is evident, long continued to permit the habitual attachment of Jewish Christians to Old Testament worship, guided by a wise caution which the apostle to the Gentiles himself recognized when, yielding to “the weak,” he acknowledged their right to observe certain rites, and urged “the strong” not to scandalize the weak by indifferent violation of the demands of the law. The Jerusalem bishop James himself was, according to tradition, a strict adherent of the law, which greatly contributed to reconciling the Jews to the other new elements and beliefs of Christianity.

Acts 21:21. But they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or follow the customs. “They have been informed about you”—more precisely: they have been instructed, Greek κατηχήθησαν—specially instructed by teachers particularly hostile to Paul, the Judaizers (Acts 25:1-2), with a distortion of the facts and the substance of the matter, as is evident from what follows. In the form in which the accusation against Paul was circulated among the people, it was a plain slander. The essence of his teaching consisted not at all in merely teaching “apostasy” from the Mosaic law and its customs, arousing contempt and disdain for them as apostasy implies. Paul’s teaching insisted only that the main thing is faith in Christ, while the Mosaic law is inessential for a Christian. This was acknowledged, though more cautiously, at the apostolic council, which freed believers from the yoke of the Mosaic law; from this it was more than natural to conclude that if Gentiles, freed from this yoke, could be saved, then a Jew who had also laid down the same yoke could be saved. The law here is not important: one can be saved while observing it, and one can equally be saved without observing it—so observe it if you wish, and if you do not wish, do not. In the particular case of Timothy, who was circumcised by Paul, the latter provided the most convincing possible evidence of both attitudes toward the law in his own person, clearly refuting the malicious instigation and slander that Paul is an apostate from the law and teaches others to apostatize.

Acts 21:22. What then is to be done? A crowd will certainly gather, for they will hear that you have come. Acts 21:23. Do therefore what we tell you: we have four men who have taken a vow. Acts 21:24. Take them and purify yourself together with them, and pay the expenses for the offering on their behalf, so that they may shave their heads, and everyone will know that what they have been told about you is not true, but that you yourself also continue to observe the law. Knowing this, and when necessary, Paul’s dual attitude toward the law, James and the elders propose to him to give assurance once more before the whole people of his respect for the law—through the performance of the rite of “purification,” with the customs established for the occasion, which Paul gladly carried out, in no way contrary to his own convictions. “We have”—in our midst, among Jewish Christians. “Who have taken a vow”—from what follows (the shaving of the head) it is clear that this was a vow of voluntary Naziriteship (Num 6; cf. Acts 18:18). It was customarily given for 30 days, but the period could be shortened to as few as seven days. The substance of the vow: abstinence from wine and everything produced from grapes; its outward expression—not cutting the hair until the completion of the days of the vow. All of this is entirely consistent with the Christian spirit and Christian life, combined with faith in Jesus Christ. “Take them and purify yourself with them.” Join them in the legally prescribed rites of purification, consisting of washing, prayer, and a special offering (John 11:55), performed by Jews before the great festivals. It is not entirely clear whether Paul was first required to take upon himself even a one-day vow of Naziriteship, or whether the intent was simply to give evidence of zealous respect for the law by covering the expenses for the poor Nazirites, which would have been entirely sufficient as such evidence in the view of the Jews (Josephus, Ant. XIX, 6, 1; Jewish War Jude 2:15). “That they may shave their heads”—as a sign of the completion of the vow, the hair was cut off and burned in the sacrificial fire (Num 6:13-20). “You yourself also continue to observe the law.” This does not at all give advice to hypocritical compliance with all the prescriptions of the Mosaic law. Participation, even minor, in the observance of even a small part of it was enough, insofar as it served to refute the slander that Paul was an apostate who demeaned the whole Mosaic law. The spirit of Christian freedom was not violated by the voluntary observance of prescriptions of the former God-given law that were not contrary to it, as long as this was needed out of condescension to the weak and for their salvation (1 Cor 9:20).

Acts 21:25. But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have written, having decided that they should observe none of these things, but only keep themselves from what is offered to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality. “And as for the believing Gentiles, we have written.” The letter with the decree of the apostolic council is recalled—to give assurance that this decision retains its unshaken force, and that the counsel offered to Paul is only a matter of wise foresight and condescension toward the weak conscience of the Jewish brethren. “Just as we commanded them (Christians from the Gentiles) this, while preaching to Jews, so you, while preaching to Gentiles, act in accordance with us here. Do not be afraid!” (Chrysostom, Theophylact).

Acts 21:26. Then Paul took the men and the next day, having purified himself together with them, entered the temple and announced when the days of purification would be completed and when an offering would be brought for each of them. “Announced”—that is, to the priests—that the days of the vow were ending, so that they could perform the prescribed rites. “Paul, see, obeyed them and did everything proposed to him and did not delay, but, showing his obedience in action, immediately took those with whom he intended to perform the purification—so fervently did he embrace this prudent course!” (Chrysostom).

Acts 21:27. When the seven days were almost completed, the Asian Jews saw him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd, and laid hands on him, “The seven days were almost completed”—the seven days of the vow were not yet finished, and Paul, as is evident, had not yet succeeded in completing the intended purification, unexpectedly forestalled by the violent uprising against him of the Jews who had seen and recognized him in the temple. The disturbance was provoked or initiated by the “Asian Jews”—that is, those living in proconsular Asia (see Acts 16 ff.)—specifically in Ephesus and its surroundings (cf. Acts 21:29). These were not Jewish Christians but unbelieving Jews, from whom he had suffered so much everywhere throughout his preaching, as they dogged his steps (Acts 19:9; 1 Cor 16:9; cf. Acts 14 and others).

Acts 21:28. crying: men of Israel, help! this is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place; and furthermore he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place. The “crying” accusation against Paul has the character of the same slander as in Acts 21:21. “He teaches against the people and the law and this place” (i.e., the temple, cf. Acts 6:13-14). The accusation is exaggerated, distorting the very essence of the apostolic preaching, which had entirely different elevated aims by no means exhausted by such negative aspects as preaching against the people, the law, and the temple. For arousing the crowd, however, it was the most effective and powerful means. In itself terrible and quite sufficient, this accusation is reinforced by a new one that presented, so to speak, factual evidence and was calculated to inflame passions. This is the bringing of Greeks—that is, Gentiles—into the temple, with the plural used instead of the singular (Acts 21:29) to intensify the accusation and the agitation. “Brought into the temple”—that is, into the court of the Israelites, where Gentiles were forbidden to enter, under penalty of defiling the temple.

Acts 21:29. For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city and thought that Paul had brought him into the temple. This last accusation was an outright slander, based only on the fact that the accusers thought they had seen Paul bringing his companion Trophimus (Acts 20:4) into the temple, having seen the two of them together in the city.

Acts 21:30. The whole city was thrown into commotion, and the people rushed together; and seizing Paul, they dragged him out of the temple, and the doors were immediately shut. The false accusation, built on false suspicion, having fully achieved its purpose of inflaming the crowd to the utmost, posed a deadly danger to Paul, since the Jews claimed to have the right to kill any Gentile, even a Roman, who violated the absolute prohibition on entering the temple. It seems that even the Roman authorities, who in general dared not offend the religious sensibilities of subjugated peoples, were prepared to seriously uphold the inviolability of the temple. Paul was on the verge of destruction: “they dragged him out of the temple” in order to commit murder. The killing was to take place outside the city by stoning (Acts 7:58). But in view of the fact that the crowd was extremely agitated and might tear Paul apart on the spot, “the doors were immediately shut,” so as by this very act to shield the temple from the defilement of murder and to give the crowd, which had rushed out to tear Paul apart, a free hand (Acts 21:31). Thus the preemptive sympathy of the servants of the temple themselves for the crowd is evident, along with full authorization for immediate mob justice against the man hated by them all.

Acts 21:31. While they were seeking to kill him, a report reached the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. “The tribune of the cohort”—the chief commander of the Roman military detachment stationed in the Antonian fortress, which adjoined the outer wall of the temple on its northwest side, connected to its galleries by staircases (Acts 21:35). The name of this tribune was Claudius Lysias (Acts 23:26).

Acts 21:32. He immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. “They stopped beating Paul.” It seems the tribune did not arrive too late with his help only because the crowd was not in a hurry to finish Paul off and was for the time being merely satisfying its rage with violent blows.

Acts 21:33. Then the tribune came up, took hold of him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains, and asked who he was and what he had done. “Ordered him to be bound with two chains,” already considering him guilty simply because the people had risen against him so violently, and nursing a vague suspicion that this was the notorious recent agitator, the Egyptian (Acts 21:38).

Acts 21:34. Some in the crowd shouted one thing, others another. And since he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the fortress. As above (Acts 19:32), the agitated crowd itself did not know against whom or for precisely what cause it had risen, and was unable to give proper clarification to the authorities.

Acts 21:35. When he came to the stairs, the soldiers had to carry him because of the pressure of the crowd, Acts 21:36. for the mass of the people followed, shouting: away with him! When the tribune ordered Paul brought to the fortress, where he hoped to obtain a full deposition from him, the crowd naturally might have thought they could release him, and therefore rushed after the soldiers up the steps of the fortress staircase. Murmuring and cries demanding his death were heard. The soldiers leading Paul had to carry him, either because the chains hindered him from walking quickly, or because he did not wish to quicken his pace in the face of the commotion.

Acts 21:37. As Paul was about to be brought into the fortress, he said to the tribune: may I say something to you? He said: you know Greek? “At the entrance to the fortress”—where probably a particularly convenient place for a public address presented itself, and where, in the presence of authorities ready to deprive him of his freedom at any moment, the people could listen to Paul more calmly. Paul addressed the tribune “in Greek” when asking permission to speak to the people, which surprised the tribune and convinced him of the error of his assumption that Paul was the same person as the former Egyptian agitator. The tribune himself expresses this realization in verse 38.

Acts 21:38. Then are you not the Egyptian who before these days stirred up a revolt and led four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness? The Russian as well as the Slavonic text of this passage distorts the nuance of thought in the original, owing to a misreading of the Greek ἄρα. This ἄρα with an acute accent, in contrast to ἆρα (a question particle—with a circumflex accent) means “so,” “therefore,” “then,” “really,” “in fact.” Therefore the Greek—οὐκ ἄρα σύ εἶ ὁ Αἰγύπτιος—should be translated, with a tone of surprise: “so you are not, it turns out, that Egyptian, who?” and so on. This presupposes that the Egyptian did not speak Greek, which was known to the tribune. According to the testimony of Josephus (Jewish War Jude 2:13; Ant. XX, 8.6), this Egyptian was a sorcerer who claimed to be a prophet and had many followers. By means of his false prophecies he led Jews to the Mount of Olives, from which he promised to show them the miraculous spectacle of the city wall’s collapse. From there, with four thousand Jews (according to Josephus, all his followers numbered up to 30,000), he traversed the whole country, carrying his fanaticism to the point of banditry everywhere. The governor Felix managed to capture them, but their leader himself managed to escape. “The Assassins”—properly Sicarii (from the Latin sica—a dagger), the dagger-men. In contrast to ordinary bandits, this was a party of cutthroats, terrorists who set as their goal not robbery and murder of everyone indiscriminately, but only of those most harmful from a Jewish standpoint—collaborators with Rome, and later in general anyone suspected of Roman sympathies. Of course, as is always the case, hardened criminals pursuing their own personal ends of a purely criminal character also infiltrated the ranks of these “ideological” swordsmen. Such brigands were especially numerous in the country, largely brought about by Felix (Josephus, Ant. XX, 6 ff.; Jewish War Jude 9:13).

Acts 21:39. But Paul said: I am a Jew, a Tarsian from Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; I ask you, permit me to speak to the people. “I ask you, permit me.” This is proof of the truthfulness of his words—that he calls all as witnesses, that he is so ready to justify himself and dares to confront the crowd of Jews with his word (Chrysostom).

Acts 21:40. When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, motioned with his hand to the people; and when a deep silence had fallen, he began to speak to them in the Hebrew language, as follows: “Standing on the stairs.” The place was greatly in his favor, since he spoke from a height, and also the fact that he was bound. What spectacle can compare with this, when Paul spoke, bound in two chains…? (Chrysostom). “In the Hebrew language”—that is, in the Syriac-Chaldaic dialect of that time. “First of all he wins them over with their native language” (Chrysostom). This indeed aroused greater attention and contributed to the settling of deep silence (Acts 22:2).

Chapter Twenty-Two

Paul’s address to the people (1–21). A new agitation of the people; the tribune’s interrogation of Paul; the convening of the Sanhedrin (22–30).

Acts 22:1. Men, brothers and fathers! hear my defense before you now. “Men, brothers and fathers!” A respectful address to all present (cf. Acts 7:2). “My defense”—against the accusations brought by the Jews from Asia Minor (Acts 20:27-28).

Acts 22:2. And when they heard that he addressed them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said: See Acts 21:40, note.

Acts 22:3. I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, carefully instructed in the law of our fathers, and zealous for God, as all of you are today. Paul’s rather detailed account of his origin, upbringing, and initial disposition is aimed at showing that, contrary to the accusations brought against him, by his very birth he belongs to the Jewish people; by his upbringing he is bound by close spiritual ties to Jerusalem; and his orientation was the strictest, Pharisaic kind, devoted to the law and hostile to Christianity. “A Jew, born in Tarsus” (cf. Acts 9:11 and parallels)—although born not in Jerusalem or Palestine but in a pagan city, yet born of Jews: this refutes the accusation that he taught everywhere “against this people” (Acts 21:28). “Brought up in this city”—that is, in Jerusalem, the center of Jewish nationhood; this emphasizes that even if by his birth far from Jerusalem Paul could have been insufficiently attached to his native people, his upbringing in Jerusalem from childhood (ἀνατεθραμμένος) must in any case have forged in him ties of unbreakable connection with the common Jewish capital and his native people. “At the feet of Gamaliel”—of this most renowned Pharisaic teacher (Acts 5:34 ff.). This is an even stronger guarantee of Paul’s Jewishness—not only by origin but also by disposition. The expression also signifies the student’s respectful attitude toward the revered teacher, “constancy, diligence, eagerness to hear, and great reverence for this man” on Paul’s part (Chrysostom, cf. Theophylact). “Carefully instructed in the law of our fathers”—for which the very name of Gamaliel stands as a guarantee. “Carefully” here implies both the diligent study of the law and its strict Jewish interpretation and understanding. “Zealous for God, as all of you are today.” This was of course taken by them as a compliment, although in this compliment there is sufficient bitterness. But above all these words are intended to show that Paul could not be the kind of person his accusers made him out to be.

Acts 22:4. I persecuted this Way to the point of death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, “I persecuted the followers of this teaching”—more precisely: I persecuted “this Way” (cf. Acts 9:2). “To the point of death”—an expression for the special intensity of feeling or action, in this case of persecution. “Binding and delivering”—cf. Acts 8:3.

Acts 22:5. as the high priest and all the elders can testify on my behalf, from whom I also received letters to the brothers and traveled to Damascus to bring those there to Jerusalem in chains to be punished. Obviously, the persons to whom the apostle appeals were still alive, although the high priest had already been removed from office (see note to Acts 9:2).

Acts 22:6. As I was traveling and approaching Damascus, about midday a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me. Acts 22:7. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Acts 22:8. I answered: who are you, Lord? He said to me: I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting. The account of the conversion is entirely consistent with the narrator’s account of it (Acts 9:3-8 ff.), with only a few minor differences. Thus, the apostle says that the light shone around him about midday, which points to its exceptional supernatural intensity, outshining the brightest sunlight. In the Lord’s reply, the name is supplemented with “of Nazareth.”

Acts 22:9. Those who were with me saw the light and were afraid; but they did not hear the voice of the one speaking to me. “Those with me saw the light… but did not hear the voice.” In the account of the author of Acts (Acts 9:7), there appears, on the face of it, a discrepancy: “hearing the voice but seeing no one.” But this discrepancy is not substantive and only apparent. Paul’s companions may indeed have “heard” some sounds but not heard their meaning—not understood anything of what was spoken only to Paul (“to me”)—in a sense “hearing without hearing” (cf. John 12:28-29). It is also possible that they both “saw the light” and “saw no one” with it. Everything was intended and accomplished for Paul; his companions saw and heard, so to speak, only a reflection and an echo of this revelation—perhaps only to the extent that it might serve as a greater confirmation of the reality of the event, rather than its illusory quality, in case anyone wished to interpret this event as a subjective hallucination of Paul. The holy Chrysostom (cf. Theophylact) finds another resolution of these apparent discrepancies between the author of Acts and the Apostle Paul. He holds that the expression of the author of Acts—“hearing a voice”—refers to the voice of Paul himself, answering the One they could not see. The expression of the apostle himself—“they did not hear the voice of the one speaking to me”—refers to the voice of the Lord himself.

Acts 22:10. Then I said: Lord, what shall I do? The Lord said to me: rise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that is appointed for you to do. Acts 22:11. But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand into Damascus by those who were with me. Acts 22:12. A certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews living in Damascus, The apostle’s further account of his meeting with Ananias, in general entirely consistent with the account of the author of Acts (Acts 9:10-18), differs from it, among other things, in that it quotes more fully the words of Ananias, whose well-known and respected name in the eyes of the people lent those words special weight and authority. In general, the differences between the two accounts have the character not of discrepancies and contradictions, but only of mutual supplementation and clarification, sufficiently explained by the particular circumstances to which the apostle wished to make his speech more persuasive. In characterizing Ananias, the apostle expresses himself more forcefully than the author of Acts: “a man devout according to the law,” who therefore could not have taught Paul to be an enemy of the law. “Well spoken of by all the Jews” of Damascus—meaning recognized in his piety by all, not only by Christians, but specifically by the Jews themselves.

Acts 22:13. came to me and, standing beside me, said: brother Saul, recover your sight. And I immediately saw him. “Recover your sight”—a brief expression of the very essence of what Ananias said to Paul at the moment of his recovery of sight (cf. Acts 9:17). After this, the words Ananias spoke following the recovery of sight—words passed over by the author of Acts—are recounted in detail.

Acts 22:14. He said to me: the God of our fathers has foreordained you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth, “The God of our fathers”—see Acts 3 and parallels. “Has foreordained you”—cf. Rom 8 ff.; Jer 1:5. “To see the Righteous One”—cf. Acts 3:14.

Acts 22:15. for you will be a witness for him to all people of what you have seen and heard. “A witness to all people”—the same as “before nations and kings and the sons of Israel” (Acts 9:15)—that is, not before Jews only, but also before Gentiles. “Of what you have seen and heard”—that is, of all the content of the Gospel, the truth of which the Lord impresses upon Saul through both senses, vision and hearing (Theophylact, cf. Chrysostom).

Acts 22:16. And now, why do you delay? Rise, be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord Jesus. “Be baptized and wash away”—see note to Acts 2:38.

Acts 22:17. When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance, Acts 22:18. and I saw him and he said to me: hurry, leave Jerusalem quickly, for they will not accept your testimony about me. Acts 22:19. I said: Lord, they themselves know that I was imprisoning and beating in the synagogues those who believed in you, Acts 22:20. and when the blood of Stephen your witness was shed, I was standing there, consenting to his murder and guarding the garments of those who were killing him. Acts 22:21. And he said to me: go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles. To his account of his conversion the apostle adds an account of the vision he received in the temple after he, already converted, had returned to Jerusalem from Arabia (see note to Acts 9:26). This appearance of the Lord is not mentioned either by the author of Acts or by Paul himself in his other speeches and epistles. But in this passage it was most apt and served directly to his purpose. He wanted to show them that even after his conversion to Christianity he had not broken his connection with Jerusalem or with the temple and its lawful worship—a connection that could only be further sanctioned by this appearance of the Lord to him precisely in the temple and during prayer there. That he was, moreover, no enemy of the people is sufficiently proved by the touching detail of his conversation with the Lord, against whose command to leave Jerusalem he attempted to set his own fervent desire to preach his Name specifically in Jerusalem (Acts 22:19-20). Thus the slander that he was an enemy of the law, the people, and the temple was clearly and convincingly refuted. And at the same time the path that others too must follow was made so clearly and convincingly evident. Up to this point Paul had not been interrupted, although the crowd was probably growing agitated from the very powerlessness to refute his so sharply convincing words. The agitation broke out in full malice when Paul concluded with the Lord’s command to him—to leave Jerusalem and, because of the hardness of the Jews, to preach to the Gentiles. This thought—that God was abandoning the Jews—appeared to them the greatest crime, and the crowd was again thrown into frenzy, demanding Paul’s death.

Acts 22:23. While they were shouting, throwing off their garments and throwing dust into the air, “Throwing off their garments and throwing dust into the air”—an intensified expression of wild hatred toward a person who was out of their reach.

Acts 22:24. the tribune ordered him to be brought into the fortress and to be examined by flogging, so that he might find out the reason they were shouting against him like this. It seems the tribune did not understand Paul’s speech in Hebrew and, not understanding the cause of this new outburst of frenzied agitation against him, wanted to find out the essence of this matter, so puzzling to him, by means of flogging.

Acts 22:25. But when they had stretched him out with the straps, Paul said to the centurion standing by: is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen who has not been sentenced? Acts 22:26. When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and reported: watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman citizen. The apostle points to a twofold violation of the law: (1) the flogging of a Roman citizen (see note to Acts 16:37-39), and (2) flogging without any trial or proven offence. The first seems to have had the greater effect (the centurion’s words, v. 26).

Acts 22:27. Then the tribune came up to him and said: tell me, are you a Roman citizen? He said: yes. Acts 22:28. The tribune answered: I acquired this citizenship for a large sum of money. Paul said: but I was born into it. Acts 22:29. Immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him. And the tribune was also afraid when he realized that he was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him. The tribune was afraid not only because he had wanted to “examine” Paul, but also because he had “bound” him (note to Acts 16:38), which also was not permitted against Roman citizens without prior investigation of guilt. If Paul was afterwards put in chains (Acts 23:18), it was only after the examination of his guilt before the Sanhedrin (Acts 23 ff.). True, his guilt remained there unclarified, but it was nonetheless suspected on more solid grounds—and this lent some legality to his being kept in chains, despite his Roman citizenship.

Acts 22:30. The next day, wishing to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he released him from his chains and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble, and bringing Paul down he set him before them. “The next day… he released him from his chains.” Paul’s declaration of his Roman citizenship freed him from flogging, but he was released from his chains only the next day. This showed the capricious stubbornness of the tribune, who, though “afraid,” did not want to display his weak side by immediately releasing the prisoner. “He ordered the Sanhedrin to assemble”—so debased was the authority of this supreme Jewish tribunal that not only the procurator-governor of the province, but even a simple regimental commander, “ordered” it to assemble.

Chapter Twenty-Three

The Apostle Paul before the Sanhedrin (1–10). The Lord’s appearance to Paul (v. 11). The Jews’ plot to kill Paul and its exposure (12–22). The transfer of the prisoner to Caesarea, to the procurator (23–35).

Acts 23:1. Paul, looking intently at the Sanhedrin, said: men and brothers! I have lived before God in all good conscience up to this day. “Looking intently at the Sanhedrin”—with a clear conscience and resolute confidence in the righteousness of his cause. “Men, brothers!”—without the addition of “and fathers,” or “rulers of the people,” as in other cases (cf. Acts 22:1). In the high awareness of his apostolic dignity, Paul places himself as it were on an equal level with these elders of the people, showing that even chains do not deprive him of this dignity and righteous standing before his judges.

Acts 23:2. The high priest Ananias ordered those standing before him to strike him on the mouth. “The high priest Ananias”—according to Josephus, a man of “proud and boorish” character (Josephus, Ant. XX, 8 ff.), the son of Nedebaeus (Ant. XX, 5, 2), successor in this office of Joseph the son of Camei (ibid., XX, 1, 3; 5, 2), predecessor of Ishmael the son of Phabi (ibid., XX, 8, 8, 11). By Quadratus, the predecessor of the then-procurator Felix, he had been sent to Rome to answer for charges brought against him (Ant. XX, 6, 2; Jewish War Jude 2:12)—and upon his return retained his office for a time, from which he was removed by Felix, who passed the office to Ishmael the son of Phabi. In character and way of life he was the most corrupt of the Sadducees of the worst period of Jewish hierarchy. History tells of his unreasonable vengeance on the Samaritans and of the far from honorable means he employed to escape the consequences of his participation in the murders carried out at that time. The Talmud, to complete this dark characterization of Ananias, adds that he was a plundering tyrant who impoverished the lower priests by his insatiable greed, cheating them of their tithes, and that he sent his favorites with clubs to beat the tithes out by force. “He ordered those standing before him to strike him on the mouth.” The priest was probably displeased by the use of the word “brothers,” admissible only in addressing equals, though Paul was fully entitled to say this, since he had himself once been a member of the Sanhedrin. It is also possible that the apostle’s words seemed to him arrogant boasting or even blasphemy, after Paul had been accused of violating the law and defiling the temple. However that may be, the high priest’s action was a clear violation of law, which could not remain without an equally strong rebuke. Not only the law was violated here, but justice itself. The purity of the apostle’s conscience was also violated, as was his personal honor as a Roman citizen—violated by the judge himself! Clearly, the apostle’s sharp words needed no justification: the circumstances themselves justified them. Moreover, the apostle “did not want to be held in contempt by the tribune” (who apparently was present, cf. Acts 23:10). “If he dared not flog him but wished to hand him over to the Jews, then when the servants struck him, Paul showed even greater boldness, turning not to the servant but to the one who had given the order” (Chrysostom).

Acts 23:3. Then Paul said to him: God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit to judge me according to the law, yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck. “God will strike you.” This is both a rebuke and a prophetic prediction that God will avenge the wrong inflicted. And indeed, a few years later, at the beginning of the Jewish War, Ananias perished at the hands of the Sicarii as a traitor (Josephus, Jewish War II, 17, 9). “You whitewashed wall!”—a figurative expression for the emptiness and baseness of apparent greatness (similar to the expression “whitewashed tomb” Matt 23:27), for the distortion of personality and hypocrisy. “He called him a whitewashed wall because, although Ananias outwardly put on the bright appearance of a man defending the law and judging according to the law, his mind was full of lawlessness. Therefore Paul exposes his hypocritical display of outward disposition toward the law” (Theophylact). Some compare Paul’s action in this case with a similar episode at the Savior’s trial, finding that Paul showed an example less worthy of imitation than that of the Savior. Thus Jerome, quoting Paul’s reproachful words, raises the question: “where then is the patience of the Savior, who, being led like a lamb to the slaughter, does not open his mouth, and so gently asks the one who struck him: if I said something wrong, show what is wrong, but if right, why do you strike me?” But who would dare pronounce judgment on the apostle’s action, comparing human self-mastery with the self-mastery of the God-man, who, suffering in the body, stood above all fleshly injustice and human weakness! Moreover, this comparison suffers from an important inaccuracy that speaks considerably in Paul’s favor: Jesus Christ, in the first place, received the blows not on the order of his judges. Had it been otherwise—had the blows been struck on the order of Caiaphas—who knows whether the Savior too would not have pointed out to him such unseemly forgetfulness of the high priest’s own dignity and the rights of a judge? And besides, one must not forget that the Lord himself, in rebuking hypocrisy and insolence, freely gave vent to his righteous anger in other cases. We must also think that Paul acted in this instance not as an ordinary person but as a messenger of God. And it is well known that the prophets had the right to rebuke everyone for their transgressions (1 Sam 18:18; 2 Sam 3:13; Isa 1:10-23; Ezek 21:25). Subsequent events showed that his rebuke was indeed delivered in a prophetic spirit. If appeal is made to the commandment of Jesus Christ about turning the right cheek when struck on the left (Matt 5:24), one must not forget that by this he requires of his followers only the avoidance of revenge, and not such silence as feeds the insolence of lawless men. Paul more truly than anyone fulfilled the will of the Lord in this respect, for he himself testified: “when reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat” (1 Cor 4:12-13). But in the present case he acted not contrary to Christ’s example, since Christ also rebuked the injustice of the one who struck him before condemnation. If Paul seemingly excuses his action afterward, it is in order to remove the suspicion that he had violated the law forbidding one to speak ill of the high priest (Innocent, Bishop of Kherson).

Acts 23:5. Paul said: I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest; for it is written: you shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people. “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest!” This admission by the apostle of not knowing the high priest strikes many as astonishing. Yet there is nothing astonishing in it. The high priest was new to Paul (having entered office much later after his conversion, around 48 A.D.), and Paul, although he sometimes visited Jerusalem, could have had neither the motive nor the interest to make his personal acquaintance, though he might have known his name. It is quite possible that even in the assembly itself it was difficult to recognize an unfamiliar high priest, since he could be identified by his distinctive vestments only during the liturgical service (cf. note to Matt 26:65). Nor was it always possible to recognize the high priest by his presiding seat, which was not the high priest’s indefeasible right, since the Sanhedrin had the right to elect its own co-president (cf. note to John 11:49). Be that as it may, Paul’s sincerity leaves no room for doubt. Moreover, the acknowledgment of his ignorance regarding the high priest was not a denial of the force of what Paul had said. In stating that he would not have said these words out of respect for the dignity of the high priest, he nevertheless makes clear that he reserves the right to repeat them regarding the action itself, without regard to the person. Thus the lesson given to lawlessness retains its full force and significance. “For it is written…”—that is, if I had known he was the high priest, I would not have said it, “for it is written…” etc. (Ex. 22 according to the LXX).

Acts 23:6. Paul, perceiving that one part was Sadducees and the other Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin: men and brothers! I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; I am being judged for the hope of the resurrection of the dead. “Paul perceiving.” Probably by some external features and through a distant acquaintance with certain members, Paul noticed the artificially maintained cohesion of his judges, despite the irreconcilably extreme contradiction of their religious convictions, and this led him to the fortunate idea of shifting his question to another ground on which the absence of unanimity in the prejudice against him would first of all be exposed. With remarkable composure, penetrating insight, and wisdom, by a single bold turn of thought and speech, he dissolves the assembly into mutually canceling elements, drawing to his own side the stronger of the two dominant parties—the Pharisaic. “I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee”—(in some manuscripts: the son of Pharisees)—that is, not only a Pharisee by personal conviction, but by nature, a hereditary natural-born Pharisee, in whom not only the convictions but also the flesh and blood of the ancient Pharisees live on. By this admission the apostle not only separated himself from that part of the assembly (the Sadducean part) that allowed itself to deny certain truths of the Mosaic law (Acts 23:8), but also drew into battle, so to speak, the other right-believing part (the Pharisaic), indicating the most sensitive point of discord from which it was necessary to begin. “I am being judged for the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” The translation of the original in this passage suffers from an important inaccuracy. In the Greek text this passage reads: περὶ ἐλπίδος καὶ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν ἐγὼ κρίνομαι, more accurately rendered by the Slavonic text than the Russian: «о уповании и воскресении мертвых аз суд приемлю»—“concerning hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged.” Since the word “hope” (expectation, trust) had a specialized meaning and referred to the Messiah and Messianic expectations (cf. Luke 2:33), Paul’s expression primarily wants to say that he stands before judgment on account of the Hope of Israel—the Messiah (cf. Acts 26:6). As for the second part of the charge—“the resurrection of the dead”—what is meant here is, of course, first of all the Christian faith in the resurrection of the Savior, and then also the general faith in “the resurrection of the dead” following the example of this already risen “Firstborn from the dead.” In both parts of the charge Paul points only to the common elements shared with Pharisaic teaching, independently of the Christian understanding of the matter—which is how he achieves the passionate defense of himself in the quarrel that ignited on this ground. A matchlessly wise and skillful maneuver! The best and most powerful defense!

Acts 23:7. When he said this, a dispute arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. Acts 23:8. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge all of these. “A dispute arose”—from what follows (Acts 23:9) it is clear that the dispute was violent and intense, fully justifying Paul’s hopes. “The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit,” with the teaching about which the teaching on resurrection is closely linked. Cf. note to Matt 3:7; more detailed information about the sects is given by Josephus, Ant. XVIII, 1, 4; Jewish War Jude 2:8.

Acts 23:9. A great outcry arose; and the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and argued vigorously, saying: we find nothing wrong with this man; and if a spirit or an angel spoke to him, let us not fight against God. “The scribes of the Pharisaic party”—that is, the representatives of Pharisaic learning (cf. note to Matt 5:20) who were at the assembly not only took Paul’s side but also pointedly needled the opposing party with the admission of the possibility that Paul spoke at the prompting of the angels or spirit denied by the Sadducees. Evidently, the Pharisees knew about the circumstances of Paul’s conversion (perhaps having been informed during the course of the session), and their expression—“if a spirit or an angel spoke to him”—presents a free rendering of his account of the appearance and words of the Lord to him. “Let us not fight against God…” This phrase is not found in all ancient manuscripts, and its absence gives the preceding sentence a somewhat different shade of meaning, acceptable even with the passage read in its entirety. The Greek construction of the sentence fully allows and seems even to require an independent reading of the first part of the utterance: εἰ δὲ πνεῦμα ἐλάλησεν αὐτῷ, ἢ ἄγγελος—“but what if a spirit spoke to him or an angel?” What is implied, of course, is that which perhaps subsequently appeared in the text as an explanation: μὴ θεομαχῶμεν—let us not fight against God!

Acts 23:10. But as the dissension grew violent, the tribune, fearing that Paul would be torn apart by them, ordered the soldiers to go down and take him from among them by force and bring him into the fortress. “Fearing that Paul would be torn apart.” The dispute had reached such a degree of vehemence and exasperation that the tribune began to have not unfounded fears lest Paul become the victim of the mutual exasperation of the parties—lest the party hostile to him, the Sadducean, rush upon the apostle in its rage to inflict harm on him, while the other, temporarily well-disposed toward him, the Pharisaic, rush to his defense—and in the process literally tear Paul apart. “Ordered the soldiers to go down”—from the Antonian fortress to the place of session of the Sanhedrin, probably in the court of the Gentiles at the temple. The tribune now had a twofold duty to protect Paul’s safety: as a guardian of public order, and as a protector of the rights of Roman citizenship.

Acts 23:11. The following night the Lord appeared to him and said: take courage, Paul; for as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome. “Appearing to him”—how? in sleep or in a state of ecstasy (cf. Acts 22:17-18)—the text does not say. The words of the Lord who appeared to Paul both encourage him not to fear the Jews and foretell the continuation of his beloved preaching ministry in the very center of the pagan world—Rome. This is both the best protection of the prisoner and the best consolation for him.

Acts 23:12. When day came, some of the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves by an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. “Some of the Jews”—probably among the former Asian persecutors of Paul (Acts 21:27), not without the encouragement and assistance of his new enemies, the Sadducees. “Bound themselves by an oath”—placed upon themselves a vow with an oath, that is, calling down a curse upon themselves from God if they should taste food without having accomplished their intention. Such a formula of an oath contains in itself the strongest possible inducement to the immediate and unpreventable realization of the undertaking.

Acts 23:14. They came to the chief priests and elders and said: we have bound ourselves by a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. “To the chief priests and elders”—undoubtedly of the high-priestly party. Its agreement and approval was sufficient to persuade the Sanhedrin to a second convening on Paul’s case. For this it was enough to appeal to the one high priest alone, capable, according to the testimony of Josephus, of any crime whatsoever.

Acts 23:16. The son of Paul’s sister heard about this plot, came and entered the fortress, and informed Paul. “The son of Paul’s sister.” Nothing further is known about him beyond what is said here. “Having entered the fortress.” Evidently, after declaring his Roman citizenship the apostle was kept in the fortress without particular strictness, so that relatives could have access to him; the same was the case in Caesarea afterward (Acts 24:23), and in Rome itself (Acts 28:16).

Acts 23:17. Paul, summoning one of the centurions, said: take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him. In order not to disclose the matter, which required as much secrecy as possible, the apostle does not speak of it to the centurion but asks him to lead his nephew directly to the tribune, so that only three people knew of the plot against Paul’s life—Paul himself, his nephew, and the tribune (Acts 23:22). “It is worthy of admiration,” says Chrysostom, “how Paul was not troubled and did not say: but then what did Christ say to me? (Acts 23:11) No, he neither thought nor felt anything like that, but only believed. Yet while believing, he did not remain idle and did not fail to do what could be done with the help of human wisdom.”

Acts 23:18. He, taking him, brought him to the tribune and said: the prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to say to you. “The prisoner Paul”—despite the relative ease of his confinement, Paul remains a prisoner in view of the uncertain importance and degree of his guilt.

Acts 23:19. The tribune took him by the hand and, going aside privately with him, asked: what is it that you have to tell me? “Took him by the hand”—an expression of friendliness, encouragement, and readiness to give careful attention to what was said. “Going aside privately with him”—to preserve the secret better.

Acts 23:23. And calling two centurions, he said: prepare two hundred foot soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to march to Caesarea at the third hour of the night. “Two hundred soldiers”—meaning foot soldiers with full armor, as distinct from the mounted soldiers and lightly-armed spearmen. The apostle’s escort thus consisted of 400 infantry and 70 cavalry. A not excessive precaution, warranted by the hardly smaller number of Paul’s enraged enemies. “At the third hour of the night”—by our reckoning, from 9 o’clock in the evening. Such an order was given partly because in those hot lands it is more convenient to travel at night, and partly for greater security against the Jews, for which reason speed was also required (Acts 23:31).

Acts 23:24. Also provide animals so that they may put Paul on them and bring him safely to the governor Felix. In Lysias’s order to transport Paul on animals one can see his concern for the apostle’s comfort and ease of travel, and from this his favorable disposition toward him. “The governor Felix”—the then Roman procurator of Judea, a freedman of the Emperor Claudius, brother of the favorite of Nero, Pallas, son-in-law of Herod Agrippa I (see note to Acts 12:1). He received the procuratorship from Claudius after the replacement of Cumanus, around 53 A.D., exercising “the powers of a king in the spirit of a slave,” to use Tacitus’s phrase (Histories V, 9). There was no crime he was incapable of. He was accused even of personal participation in robberies, in league with the zealots and hardened brigands.

Acts 23:27. This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them; I came with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. “Rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.” The junior officer here deliberately indulges in a written lie in order to ingratiate himself and cover up his rash action toward the apostle—since he had in fact learned of his civil rights only after bringing him into the fortress, when he had wanted to flog the apostle (Acts 22:24-29). This small but characteristic detail in the letter is undoubtedly evidence of its authenticity.

Acts 23:29. and I found that he was accused in matters of dispute about their law, but that there was no charge against him deserving of death or imprisonment. “In matters of dispute” — Acts 23:6-9.

Acts 23:30. And when it was disclosed to me that there was a plot against this man, I sent him to you at once, also ordering his accusers to state their case against him before you. Farewell. “Ordering his accusers to state their case before you.” Clearly, in fulfillment of this order, not previously mentioned, Paul’s accusers soon appear before the procurator (Acts 24 ff.).

Acts 23:31. So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. “Antipatris”—built by Herod I in honor of his father Antipater, on the road from Jerusalem to Caesarea, about 60 versts from Jerusalem and 35 from Caesarea.

Acts 23:32. And the next day, leaving the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to the fortress. “The next day”—as is evident, the march was made with all possible haste, for the sake of the prisoner’s safety. “Leaving the horsemen to continue.” Beyond Antipatris, near Caesarea, the residence of the procurator, Paul’s safety could be considered secure—which is why the excess troops returned to the Jerusalem fortress.

Acts 23:34. The governor, having read the letter, asked from what province he was, and learning that he was from Cilicia, he said: “From what province he was?”—this is indeed not mentioned in Lysias’s report.

Acts 23:35. I will hear you when your accusers arrive. And he ordered him to be kept under guard in Herod’s praetorium. “I will hear you when your accusers arrive.” This refers to a detailed official judicial interrogation, as distinct from the preliminary, brief, and informal exchange, which perhaps consisted of the single question mentioned. “In Herod’s praetorium.” The palace built by Herod I, in which the procurators lived. Thus Paul was not imprisoned in a dungeon together with ordinary prisoners, but was kept under guard in the same house where the procurator himself lived. Probably the good word for the prisoner in Lysias’s letter contributed to such a comparatively lenient treatment of him. The author of Acts later directly notes that after the interrogation of Paul in the presence of his accusers the procurator gives a specific order “not to hinder the prisoner” (Acts 24:23).

Chapter Twenty-Four

Paul before Felix’s court is accused by the Jews (1–9). The apostle’s defense speech (10–21). Postponement of the case until Lysias’s arrival (22–23). Paul’s conversation with Felix and Drusilla; a change in the case with the arrival of the new procurator (24–27).

Acts 24:1. Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a certain rhetor named Tertullus, who brought charges against Paul before the governor. “Five days later”—after Paul’s departure from Jerusalem to Caesarea. “The high priest Ananias came with the elders,” that is, with members of the Sanhedrin. This was done, as is implied above, by order of Lysias (Acts 23:30), but it also accorded, of course, with their own wishes—to secure the apostle’s condemnation. It is unlikely that the entire Sanhedrin in its full complement came to Caesarea; it is far more probable that these were specially chosen representatives of the Sanhedrin, authorized to conduct the proceedings in its name. To increase their chances of success they brought along a certain “rhetor Tertullus” (a fairly common Roman name—a diminutive of Tertius, and from “Tertullus” another diminutive further—Tertullian). Who this Tertullus was by origin—whether a pagan from the Roman provinces or a Jew of the Diaspora bearing such a name—is unknown. The latter is more likely (cf. Acts 24 and Acts 24:8). The designation of Tertullus as a rhetor points to his specialty—conducting lawsuits and delivering speeches in favor of his clients: the same function performed today by an attorney or prosecutor. It was such a rhetor that the representatives of the Sanhedrin brought with them to accuse Paul.

Acts 24:2. When he was summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying: Acts 24:3. We acknowledge, most excellent Felix, always and everywhere with all gratitude, that through you we enjoy profound peace, and that through your foresight this nation has been blessed with good order. Acts 24:4. But, in order not to burden you too much, I ask you to hear us briefly, with the gracious indulgence that is characteristic of you. Tertullus’s speech begins with the flattering compliments to the governor that are customary for a rhetor, counting on his goodwill, on which the outcome of the case depended. With brazen shamelessness the orator says that Felix, by universal acknowledgment, has given the Jews deep peace in the land and a prosperity that calls forth universal gratitude, and so on. How far these praises corresponded to the truth—beyond the testimonies of contemporaries about Felix already cited—may be judged by the fact that very soon afterward the Jews themselves brought bitter complaints against him to the emperor (Flavius, Antiquities, XX, 3, 9 ff.).

Acts 24:5. We have found this man a plague on society, a stirrer of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the Nazarene sect, “We have found this man a plague on society.” Here the guilt of Paul is presupposed as already proven, as having been sufficiently investigated by his accusers. The general charge is expressed by calling Paul a “plague” on society—that is, a man introducing a spiritual infection ruinous to society, by which is meant the Christian teaching, spreading rapidly and extending its influence over the surrounding environment. More specific charges: 1) “stirring up sedition” among the Jews of the empire (“the world,” cf. Luke 23:2; Acts 17:6)—a charge exaggerated, distorting reality especially as regards the character of Paul’s activity (cf. a similar accusation made by the Jews against the Lord, Luke 23:2; Acts 17:6); 2) being the ringleader of the “Nazarene sect,” that is, of the community of followers of Jesus of Nazareth (cf. Matt 2:23)—an insufficiently substantiated and elucidated charge, really pointing only to a prejudiced hatred of Christianity on the part of the Jews; 3) a more definite charge of “an attempt to defile the temple”—though also inadequately proven (cf. Acts 21 and following; cf. Acts 24:13).

Acts 24:6. who even dared to defile the temple, and we seized him and intended to judge him according to our law. “We seized him and intended to judge him.” A new lie from the rhetor: they did not seize him to judge him—they grabbed him, beat him, and intended to kill him (Acts 21:31-32).

Acts 24:7. But the chiliarch Lysias came and with great force took him out of our hands and sent him to you, “Coming… took him.” Lysias’s action is here represented, albeit cautiously, as unlawful interference in a matter that supposedly concerned only the Sanhedrin. “It was not his place to do this, yet he did it… By this he implies that it was grievous for them to come before a foreign court, and that they would not have troubled him (the governor) had the chiliarch not compelled them and taken this man from them, which he ought not to have done; the insult, they say, was done to us, and therefore judgment over him should have been rendered among us” (Chrysostom).

Acts 24:8. commanding us, his accusers, to come to you. By examining him yourself you will be able to learn from him everything about the matters of which we accuse him. Acts 24:9. The Jews also confirmed this, asserting that these things were so. “By examining him yourself… you will be able to learn”—from the accused Paul himself—whether the charges brought against him are justified. Premature and excessive self-confidence, confirmed by all the Jews present, resting on the supposed irrefutability of the facts but forgetting the possibility of an entirely different presentation of them.

Acts 24:10. When the governor gave him a sign to speak, Paul replied: knowing that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I will defend my case with all the more confidence. “Have been a judge for many years.” The Russian translation (following the Slavonic) most inappropriately adds the word “justly” to “judge,” thereby spoiling the apostle’s altogether impartial, calm, and restrained speech, in which he does not imitate the flattering Tertullus by lavishing hypocritical praise on a governor who did not deserve it. On the contrary, he simply points to the single fact that Felix has already been judge over this people for many years, and this gives the apostle grounds to feel more at ease in defending his case. In this turn of phrase—if anything could seem like a compliment, it was only the comparatively long duration of Felix’s governorship, which hardly depended on him, and perhaps the hope of greater experience acquired through prolonged practice. That is all. Cautious, tactful, proper, and entirely sincere. “Many years”—by this time about six years of Felix’s procuratorship had passed, which—given the frequent turnover of procurators—represented a genuinely comparative length of service. “I will defend my case with all the more confidence”—“confidence”—ευθυμοτερον—properly, with greater cheerfulness, more assurance, than would be the case if the procurator were a new man, unfamiliar with the people and the country. The apostle implies that “the judge himself knows that he has done nothing of the kind of which he is accused. Had he ever caused a disturbance, the judge would have known it and it would not have escaped him” (Chrysostom).

Acts 24:11. You are able to ascertain that no more than twelve days ago I came up to Jerusalem to worship. “No more than twelve days ago”—so short a time that everything he did there can be investigated and established precisely, from fresh traces, so to speak, and the complete injustice of the charges brought against him would thereby become apparent. “To worship”—not to mock legitimate temple worship, and still less to defile the temple by a deliberate violation of its sanctity.

Acts 24:12. And they did not find me in the temple arguing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, neither in the synagogues nor throughout the city, Acts 24:13. nor can they prove to you the things of which they now accuse me. The complete lack of evidence for the charge of inciting the Jews of Jerusalem to sedition is pointed out. As for the Jews throughout the Roman Empire, this matter did not even fall under the jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin or the procurator at all, since it had taken place beyond the borders of their territory and therefore fell under the jurisdiction of other local judicial bodies.

Acts 24:14. But I do admit to you that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I truly serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is written in the Law and in the Prophets, Acts 24:15. having a hope in God, which these men themselves also hold, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. “They call a sect,” but in reality, it is implied, this is something entirely different—the true teaching, fully consonant with the ancient service of the God of the fathers and with everything written in the Law and the Prophets (cf. Matt 11:13). “When, after his call to be an apostle of Christ, Paul says that he serves ‘the God of the fathers,’ he shows thereby that the God of the Old and New Testaments is one and the same” (Chrysostom). Having touched on his teaching concerning the “resurrection of the dead,” Paul also in this teaching indicates a common ground with the teaching of the Jews (“which these men themselves also hold”), which by itself refutes any guilt on his part in this respect as well.

Acts 24:16. And so I strive always to have a blameless conscience before God and before people. Turning to the practical expression of his confession in his moral life, the apostle notes that it likewise excluded any possible grounds for discontent or sedition, having as its aim “always to have a blameless conscience before God and before people,” for perfect virtue, in the words of Chrysostom, “is achieved when we neither give others occasion for sin nor strive to be blameless before God.” Thus the apostle clearly and convincingly proved that the charge of following a teaching so consonant with the Old Testament is not a genuine charge, and that belonging to Christianity—which requires only a blameless conscience before God and before people—is not a crime.

Acts 24:17. Now after many years I came to bring alms to my people and to make offerings. Acts 24:18. In doing so, they found me purified in the temple, not with a crowd and not in an uproar. Acts 24:19. These were certain Jews from Asia, who ought to have been present before you and to bring charges against me if they had anything against me. In conclusion of his speech the apostle dwells on the occasion for his arrest, proving from this angle too the complete groundlessness of the injustice done to him. “After many years.” As above (Acts 24:10), the expression denotes a comparative length of time. More precisely, this occurred about four years after his last—admittedly brief—visit to Jerusalem (Acts 23:22). Besides worshipping God, the apostle points to a new purpose for his arrival in Jerusalem, equally remote from any seditious intentions, and in relation to the people directly opposite to the charges of inciting them to riots and disorders. This was the bringing of alms and offerings to the people from fellow believers of other lands—what a contrast between Paul’s patriotic love for his people and the malicious slander of his enemies. Not only was he himself so far from any desire to cause harm to “his people,” but he had also moved others—Greek and Macedonian inhabitants—to such touching concern for the needs and afflictions of this people. “Found me purified in the temple, not with a crowd and not in an uproar.” By this the apostle proves that he not only made no attempt to defile the temple but, on the contrary, being reverent before its sanctity, entered it only after the legally prescribed purification, and moreover “not with a crowd” that he could have stirred up, “and not in an uproar” that is inevitable when a disturbance is raised. “How could he (Paul) have defiled the temple? It was impossible for one and the same person to be purifying himself and praying, and at the same time to come and defile the temple” (Chrysostom). “They found me”—not those who now accuse me and falsely declare “we seized him,” but entirely different people—“certain Jews from Asia,” with whom he ought properly to have dealings, and whose absence is the best proof that entirely different, unsavoury motives are being pursued here.

Acts 24:20. Or let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin, Acts 24:21. unless it be this one word that I cried out while standing among them: it is for the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today. Unprovable in itself, the apostle’s guilt remained unproven even at the trial before the Sanhedrin—the final and most forceful word of the defense and proof of the groundlessness of the further demands of Paul’s accusers. One cannot, after all, count as a crime of Paul the “word” that he loudly proclaimed about the resurrection of the dead and which found agreement from among their very own members!

Acts 24:22. Having heard this, Felix adjourned their case, saying: I will examine your matter when the chiliarch Lysias comes, and I will thoroughly inquire into this teaching. In the original text this verse reads considerably differently: ακούσας δέ ταῦτα ο Φῆλιξ ανεβάλετο αυτούς, ακριβέστερον ειδώς τά περί τῆς οδοῦ ειπών όταν Λυσίας ο χιλίαρχος καταβῆ διαγνώσομαι τά καθ’ υμᾶς, that is: “having heard this, Felix adjourned them (that is, their case), being better acquainted with this Way, saying: when Lysias the chiliarch comes down, I will investigate everything concerning you…” (Slavonic text). Thus the matter here must be understood as follows: Felix, having obtained more precise information about “the Way,” that is, about Paul’s mode of thought and beliefs, and being convinced that the charges against him were entirely groundless, but at the same time not wishing by a blunt refusal to offend and rouse against himself the shamed accusers (cf. Acts 24:27), nonetheless does not release Paul, announcing a postponement of the case—ostensibly from a desire to learn more from Lysias. Besides his direct acquaintance with Paul’s Christian convictions from his speeches, Felix could have had sufficient information about Christianity from other sources. He had been procurator of Judea for quite some time, and had lived there even longer (see the note to Acts 23 and Acts 24:10); Christianity had by then spread throughout all of Palestine and in Caesarea, where the centurion Cornelius, converted by Peter, was perhaps still residing. Finally, Felix could have learned much also from his wife Drusilla, a native Jewess who took an interest in Christianity.

Acts 24:23. He also gave orders to the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to allow him some liberty and not to prevent any of his friends from attending to him or coming to him. “To allow him some liberty…” As later in Rome, Paul probably was kept under the supervision of a single soldier (Acts 23:16) and was able to receive everyone.

Acts 24:24. Some days later Felix arrived with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. “Drusilla”—Felix’s wife—was the daughter of King Herod Agrippa I, who killed the Apostle James and died in Caesarea (Acts 12). This beauty, famous at that time, had been married first to Azizus, king of Emesa (in Syria), but Felix, through the mediation of a certain sorcerer from Cyprus named Simon, charmed her, and—divorcing his first wife (also named Drusilla, the granddaughter of the well-known Antony and Cleopatra)—married her (Flavius, Antiquities XX, 7, 1 ff.). “Sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.” Felix summoned and listened to Paul not for the purposes of a judicial defense, but out of interest in his personality and Christian teaching. Drusilla in particular probably desired to see and hear Paul, being a former Herodian who had doubtless heard a great deal about Christianity.

Acts 24:25. And as he spoke about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became alarmed and answered: go away for now, and when I find a convenient time I will summon you. Acts 24:26. He also hoped at the same time that money would be given to him by Paul, so that he might release him; therefore he used to send for him often and converse with him. “He spoke about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment.” Paul’s conversation was specially adapted to the condition of the listeners, answering not only their interest in Christianity but also containing what they perhaps would not have wished to hear—yet the apostle with holy boldness spoke directly to their faces. The profligate Drusilla must especially have blushed when hearing about self-control. The rapacious and unjust governor could not help feeling pangs of conscience upon listening to the preaching about righteousness. For both, the announcement of the dreadful judgment must have appeared terrifying, although the proud governor did not give sufficient rein to this salutary feeling and hastened to cut short the apostle’s alarming words by sending him back under his former custody. Although afterward he summoned him often for conversation, it was no longer so much from a desire to hear the truth as from unworthy mercenary calculations, hoping for a bribe—if not from the apostle himself, then from his admirers. But Saint Paul was innocent and did not wish to purchase his freedom by any impermissible means; he did not allow himself to take advantage of the affection of the Caesareans either, who could certainly have collected money for his ransom, beyond his own means. He did not wish to mix dubious human means with the divine designs for his fate, and preferred an honorable captivity to a guilty freedom. Beside such beauty of Paul’s soul, the wretched unscrupulousness of Felix stands out all the more hideously—for he, knowing full well the prisoner’s innocence and his moral superiority, still continued to torment him in chains out of deference to the Jews and to appease their anger (v. 27).

Acts 24:27. But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in custody. “After two years had passed” since Paul was placed in chains (in the year 60 or 61 A.D.), Felix was recalled to Rome owing to the complaints of the Jews against him and was replaced by Porcius Festus. To win over the Jews to some degree and, on the other hand, to take revenge on the apostle for not satisfying his appetite for bribery, Felix—as he was departing to stand trial—left Paul in chains. The successor of Felix, who did little good for Judea, died the following year. He was succeeded by Albinus.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Festus in Jerusalem; Jewish complaints about the Apostle Paul (1–6). The apostle at Festus’s tribunal (7–12). Agrippa II (with Bernice) in Caesarea learns from Festus about Paul’s case and expresses a desire to hear him (13–27).

Acts 25:2. Then the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews came forward to him with charges against Paul and urged him, “The chief priest”—Ishmael, son of Phabi, whom Felix had appointed in place of the deposed Ananias (Acts 23:2; Flavius, Antiquities XX, 8, 8 and 11). “The leading men of the Jews”—οι πρώτοι τῶν Ιουδαίων—the foremost of the Jews—the most eminent and distinguished people. It is likely that this designation indicates not only members of the Sanhedrin but also other persons of the highest official and public standing in the secular sphere, which points to a considerable intensification of hostility toward Paul, the supposed enemy of the national religion. It appears that these complainants came to the new procurator specifically to congratulate him and to present themselves, but at the same time wasted no time in bringing him a complaint against Paul as well, presenting his case as a matter concerning the entire people—the most important national affair of the current moment, not admitting of delay.

Acts 25:3. asking him to do them a favor by summoning him to Jerusalem—they were plotting to kill him along the way. From what follows (Acts 25:15) it is clear that the Jews directly “demanded” the condemnation of Paul. But Festus prudently rejected their request (Acts 25:16).

Acts 25:5. He said: let those among you who have the authority come down with me and, if there is anything wrong with this man, let them accuse him. “Those who have power among you…”—that is, those who hold authority, those invested with rights or powers of attorney on behalf of the Jewish people or the Sanhedrin.

Acts 25:6. After spending no more than eight or ten days among them, he returned to Caesarea, and the next day, taking his seat on the tribunal, he ordered Paul to be brought. The new governor’s manner of thought and action reveals his decisiveness and justice, combined with a commanding severity befitting a Roman government official whose duty it was to administer justice that was righteous, prompt, and merciful. How pitiable beside this dignity of a pagan stands the baseness of the Jewish national leadership, which humbly pleaded for, under the guise of a favor, the possibility of a treacherous murder of a prisoner on the road to justice!

Acts 25:7. When he appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against Paul, which they were unable to prove. “Stood around him”—perhaps to intimidate Paul and deprive him of courage and composure. “Many and serious charges…”—what exactly? The author of Acts does not say directly, noting only that these charges were unsubstantiated and unproven. From the apostle’s answer (Acts 25:8) one can infer that the accusations were the same as earlier—at the trial before Felix (Acts 24:5-6). There is, however, something new, or at least more sharply expressed: an accusation of some crime “against Caesar.” This appears to be a more emphatic, intensified version of the earlier charge of the apostle as a “troublemaker” (Acts 24:5). It is also possible that the slander which the Thessalonian Jews had leveled against the Christians was repeated here (Acts 17 ff.), alleging that the Christians worship “another king, Jesus,” and therefore act “contrary to the decrees of Caesar.”

Acts 25:8. He said in his own defense: I have committed no offense either against the law of the Jews, or against the temple, or against Caesar. The verse presents either the apostle’s genuinely brief and decisive answer in his own defense, or perhaps conveys only the substance of Paul’s defense speech.

Acts 25:9. Festus, wishing to please the Jews, replied to Paul: are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be judged there by me in this matter? Like Felix, Festus found no guilt in Paul, but dared not—just as Felix had not—offend the Jews by releasing the innocent man. Therefore, wishing to please the Jews, he asked Paul: “are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be judged there by me in this matter?” Although by this wording Festus gave to understand that he would not abandon Paul to the mercy of the Sanhedrin, Paul nonetheless refused such indirect and unreliable protection and preferred to have his case referred not into the hands of the lower but into the hands of the higher court of Caesar, to which he had full right as a Roman citizen. Festus had to ask Paul—“are you willing?”—because the transfer of a case from a higher judicial instance (the procurator’s court, acting in Caesar’s name) to a lower one (a local, national court) could only be done at the request of the defendant. On the other hand, not doubting Paul’s firm refusal of his proposal, Festus nonetheless asks Paul “are you willing?”—still out of the same deference to the Jews, to whom Festus wished to show that his refusal to grant their request to hand Paul over to them (Acts 25:4) was made not from ill will toward them but depended on the defendant himself, who could not, against his will, be transferred under Roman law from a higher judicial instance to a lower one. Festus “while not yet knowing the Jews and not having received honors from them, answered justly (Acts 25:4); but when he had visited Jerusalem, he likewise began to please them, and not simply to please them but with servility” (Chrysostom).

Acts 25:10. Paul said: I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. Paul’s refusal breathes dignity and the consciousness of his complete innocence. “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal,” he answered, and answered rightly, because the court of the Roman governor was considered the court of the emperor himself. “Where I ought to be tried”—a hint that if Festus himself found no guilt in Paul and, so to speak, has neither the right nor the courage to condemn an innocent man, still less does he have the right to hand this innocent man over to the foreseeable condemnation of a lower court: here only the court of Caesar himself could be impartial and just. “I have done no wrong to the Jews”—a new ground for refusing to be tried by the Jewish court, whose demands constitute unceremonious lawlessness and promise nothing but lawlessness. “As you yourself know very well”—ως καί σύ κάλλιον επιγινώσκεις—“as you yourself know better,” that is, you know better—or ought to know—both that I have not wronged the Jews and that one who has not wronged them should not be handed over to them but sent to the higher court of Caesar. This subtly and delicately shows the inappropriateness of the very question—“are you willing?” You know better than you let on what I ought to want—both by Roman law and by the consciousness of innocence before the Jews: there is no need to ask about it, the matter is clear. The apostle in this case has nothing to fear: he is fully prepared even to die if he has deserved it; and if there is no guilt in him, then “no one can give” (χαρίσασθαι—make a gift of) “me to them.” This decisive declaration, limiting the procurator’s own freedom, Paul makes evidently because Festus, with his revealed tendency to please the Jews, gave strong reason to doubt his impartiality, suggesting that the intrigues of the apostle’s mortal enemies would prevail over this procurator as well. “I appeal to Caesar!”—the apostle concludes, relieving Festus of the fear of stirring Jewish displeasure by releasing him, and finding the present moment most favorable for fulfilling the Lord’s will, which had destined him to bear witness to Him in Rome as well (Acts 23:11).

Acts 25:12. Then Festus, having conferred with his council, answered: you have appealed to Caesar—to Caesar you shall go. “Festus, having conferred with his council”—of several officials called councillors, who were customarily attached to provincial governors to take part in the administration of the province. “You have appealed to Caesar—to Caesar you shall go.” A note of displeasure sounds in this announcement, understandable after the subtle hints to which the apostle was moved by the procurator’s conduct.

Acts 25:13. After some days King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. “King Agrippa.” This was Herod Agrippa II, the last king of the Herodian dynasty. He was the son of Herod Agrippa I (spoken of in Acts 12), the great-grandson of Herod I, and the brother of Drusilla—the wife of the former procurator Felix. He was raised at the court of the Roman emperor Claudius, who, shortly after the death of his father, gave him the territory of Chalcis (in Syria), and four years later (around 53 A.D.) gave him in its stead the former tetrarchy of Philip and the tetrarchy of Lysanias (see the notes to Matt 2 and Luke 3:1), with the title of king and the authority to have care and oversight of the Jerusalem temple (which was completed during his reign; see the note to John 2:20) and to appoint the high priests of Jerusalem (Flavius, Antiquities, XIX, 9, 2; XX, 1, 1 and 3, 7, 1). “Bernice”—Agrippa’s own sister, who had first been married to her uncle Herod, the ruler of Chalcis, then after his death lived with the above-mentioned brother in what was supposed to be an unlawful relationship (Flavius, Antiquities XX, 7, 3), then married Polemon, king of Cilicia (ibid., 7, 5), and finally was in the company of Vespasian and Titus. “To pay their respects to Festus…” The fulfillment not merely of a duty of courtesy, but of a direct obligation—in view of their vassal relationship to Rome.

Acts 25:14. And as they spent many days there, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying: there is a man left here in custody by Felix, There was evidently no pressing need for Festus to lay Paul’s case before the king. If he did so, it was, as the author of Acts notes, because there had to be something to occupy the “many days” the king spent there, the more so since the case was not without interest or significance for the king, and Festus might even have hoped to hear from the king, upon his acquaintance with the case, a more correct and competent opinion than he himself could form, since he had so recently arrived in this province and was unfamiliar with its ordinances, character, and customs (cf. Acts 25:26-27). Acts 25:15-21. Festus gives Agrippa a fairly detailed account of Paul’s case, incidentally pointing to his own personal honesty (without, however, disdaining a lie, cf. Acts 25:20), integrity, and diligence in conducting this case, and the advantages of Roman judicial procedure in general compared to that of the Jews at the time.

Acts 25:16. I answered them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over any person to death before the accused has his accusers present and is given the opportunity to make his defense against the charge. “None of the charges I had expected”—judging by the insistence and fury of the accusers, especially charges of a political character. The one charge of this kind was so flimsy and, above all, so unsubstantiated—like all the rest—that the procurator’s words amount to a complete acquittal of the accused.

Acts 25:19. but they had certain disputes with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died, and whom Paul asserted to be alive. “Disputes… about their religion and about a certain Jesus who had died, and whom Paul asserted to be alive.” The expression rings with indifference toward all these truths and with a desire to appear as standing above these “Jewish superstitions,” as pagans generally described the revealed Hebrew religion. Paul’s teaching about the resurrection of Christ is conveyed with unconcealed mockery: “περί τινος Ιησοῦ τεθνηκότος, όν έφασκεν ο Παῦλος ζῆν”—about a certain Jesus who had died, and whom Paul “asserted to be living”—that is, claimed something beyond his power, as are the eternal and irresistible laws of nature.

Acts 25:20. Being at a loss how to investigate such matters, I asked: is he willing to go to Jerusalem and be judged there concerning this? Acts 25:9. “Being at a loss how to resolve this question.” This is a lie: the question Festus put to Paul was not put because he was at a loss to resolve such a clear question, but from a desire to “please the Jews” (Acts 25:9). This lie is employed from a desire to present himself before Agrippa in a better light. Acts 25:21. But since Paul appealed to be kept for the decision of His Majesty, I ordered him to be held in custody until I could send him to Caesar. “For the decision of His Majesty”—the same as “for the judgment of Caesar,” whose customary title since Octavian had been Augustus.

Acts 25:22. Then Agrippa said to Festus: I would like to hear this man myself. Tomorrow, replied the other, you shall hear him. “I would like to hear him myself.” It is very probable that Agrippa had previously heard something about the apostle and about Christianity (Acts 26:26), and it was entirely natural that he would be glad to take the opportunity to see and hear this greatest confessor and teacher of Christianity.

Acts 25:23. The next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp and entered the audience hall with the chiliarchs and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus Paul was brought in. “With great pomp”—that is, in royal fashion, befitting their rank. “With the chiliarchs.” In Caesarea—the seat of the procurator, the governor of such a turbulent province as Palestine was at that time—five cohorts of troops were stationed and consequently five chiliarchs (Flavius, On the War Jude 3:4). “The prominent men of the city”—the representatives of the city in which the administration of an entire province was concentrated. This was therefore a numerous and brilliant gathering of representatives of the military and civil departments of Caesarea, with the king and his sister and the governor of the province at their head. It was into this brilliant gathering that the apostle was brought in chains (Acts 26:29).

Acts 25:24. And Festus said: King Agrippa and all you men present with us! You see the one against whom the whole multitude of the Jews appealed to me both in Jerusalem and here, crying out that he ought not to live any longer. Presenting the prisoner to the assembly, Festus briefly recounts his case and the purpose of this new examination—“so that I may have something to write” (Acts 25:26). So, evidently, the case of poor Paul had come to such a pass that there was nothing even to write about him: he should have been released, but was not—“for fear of the Jews”—and yet there was nothing to accuse him of either. Poor justice! Poor guardians of the vaunted Roman law! “The whole multitude of the Jews”—somewhat exaggerated, cf. Acts 25 and Acts 25:15. It is possible, however, that the persons mentioned there were indeed accompanied by a more or less considerable crowd, reinforcing the complaints and accusations against Paul and demanding with shouts that he be condemned to death.

Acts 25:26. I have nothing definite to write to the sovereign about him; therefore I have brought him before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after examination I may have something to write. “I have nothing definite to write about him.” It is possible that the governor was genuinely uncertain how to present the substance of the case clearly and accurately, which is entirely understandable for a foreigner who had only recently arrived in this province and was unfamiliar with its laws, character, and customs—even though from the charges presented against Paul he had formed the firm conviction that by Roman law Paul was not subject to the death penalty. It was therefore natural for him to want to hear the opinion of those specially assembled, and in particular of Agrippa as the one most familiar with the local institutions and customs of the country, in order to arrive at a fully accurate judgment about this case, about which he needed to write a detailed report to the emperor.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Paul’s defense speech before the assembly headed by Agrippa and Festus (1–29). The opinion of Agrippa and the assembly concerning Paul’s case (30–32).

Acts 26:1. Agrippa said to Paul: you are permitted to speak for yourself. Then Paul, extending his hand, began his defense: As king and honored guest of the procurator, Agrippa presides over the assembly, opening and closing the session. It is significant that in opening the assembly by giving Paul permission to deliver his defense speech, Agrippa—raised at the Roman court—shows such delicacy toward the procurator by speaking impersonally when addressing Paul: “it is permitted” (and not: I permit) “you to speak.” “Extending his hand.” An oratorical gesture to enhance the solemnity of the moment and the speech being delivered—which in this case had special force and significance. An extended hand with a chain hanging from it—what a powerful symbol of the unchainability of inner spiritual freedom and the righteousness of the cause! “The word of God is not chained!” In its substance, Paul’s speech contains nothing new that he had not said before. Its distinctive feature is that it constitutes a triumphant defense not so much of Paul himself as of all Christianity as a truly divinely revealed religion. The point of departure for the speech is the thought of the close connection between the Old Testament and the New. Starting from this thought, Paul declares that his guilt consists only in believing in the fulfillment of a promise whose irrevocability the Jews themselves acknowledged, though they did not consider it fulfilled.

Acts 26:2. King Agrippa! I count myself fortunate that today I am to make my defense before you in all the matters of which the Jews accuse me, Acts 26:3. especially because you are well acquainted with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I ask you to hear me patiently. “I count myself fortunate.” Paul was undoubtedly speaking entirely sincerely. He expresses quite naturally his joy at having the opportunity to defend himself, first before a king, and second before such a king as was better acquainted than anyone with “all the customs and controversies of the Jews,” and who could therefore, better than others (for example, the procurators of Judea), judge his innocence and the higher righteousness of his cause. Such opportunities—to set out this righteous cause, of universal significance, before such distinguished listeners—presented themselves rarely, but served in an exceptional fashion to the glory of Christ’s name and to the vindication of Christianity in the eyes of the whole world. That is why it is entirely natural that “Paul with boldness begins to speak and calls himself fortunate not out of flattery, but because he is speaking before a man to whom everything is known” (Chrysostom).

Acts 26:4. My manner of life from my youth, which I spent from the beginning among my own people in Jerusalem, is known to all the Jews; Acts 26:5. they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion. By pointing to his strict, Pharisaic—“according to the strictest sect of our religion”—upbringing, in the very center of the religious life of Judaism—Jerusalem, from the years of early “youth”—Paul aims to heighten the significance of the transformation that took place in him, of which he intends to speak further: a significance that has force not for him alone but for all people of sound mind and sincere, honest seekers of truth. “If they are willing to testify…” The expression implies a negative sense: it is greatly disadvantageous for the Jews to testify about all this, since it serves to increase the honor and vindication of Christianity, and it is natural that they would not wish to testify about it.

Acts 26:6. And now I stand on trial for the hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, “And now I stand on trial for the hope in the promise.” “What treachery the strictest Judaism is about to commit!—as if the apostle wished to say. This strictest Judaism could not but have approved of the ardent longing for the promise in its most zealous follower. But then, when that longing honestly and truly found its certain fulfillment, that same strictest Judaism comes forward as his executioner. A manifest absurdity! ‘Is it not senseless to strive in every way for its fulfillment, and yet to persecute one who believes in it?’ (Chrysostom).” “For the hope in the promise”—which for Paul has already received a living fulfillment in the person of the Lord Jesus, while for the rest of the Jews it is still awaited so vainly and so tardily (cf. Acts 13:32).

Acts 26:7. the promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve God night and day. It is for this hope, King Agrippa, that I am accused by the Jews. Acts 26:8. Why is it thought incredible by you that God raises the dead? “Our twelve tribes”—an ancient theocratic designation of the entire people of Israel as one united people of God. Although this division into tribes had long been blurred by the repeated captivities of the Jews and also by later—both forced and voluntary—migrations to pagan lands, the popular consciousness always retained the notion of the whole people as consisting of twelve tribes, wherever their representatives might dwell—in Palestine or in the Diaspora (cf. Jas 1:1). “Earnestly serving God night and day”—precisely in anticipation of the fulfillment of God’s promise concerning the Messiah, who was the center of all Jewish service to God, in whom they, so to speak, lived and breathed. “For this hope… I am accused.” It was clear to everyone that Paul meant here Jesus, killed by the Jews and raised by the power of God. But then, perhaps noticing a movement of indignation among the listeners, or simply wishing to forestall objections, the apostle suddenly raises his voice, speaking as if to all—both Jews and pagans, representatives of whom were present: “Why is it thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?…”—meaning here not the general resurrection of the dead, but the resurrection of Jesus Christ as clear proof of the fulfillment of the prophecies in the person of the Savior. Further, as proof of his point, Paul speaks of his conversion (Acts 26:9-23), and this third account of his, essentially identical with the other two, takes on a special nuance in his mouth, appropriate to the circumstances and audience. Since the resurrection of Jesus was visible, living proof of the fulfillment of prophecy concerning Him, the apostle, in substance, said nothing new, for even before him Moses and the prophets taught the same thing: Jesus must suffer, must rise (cf. Acts 3:24). “God raises the dead”—(cf. the note to Acts 2 and parallels)—the present tense is used to denote the constant ease and possibility of the resurrection of the dead by God, independent of the resurrection of Jesus and the future resurrection of the dead, for this is the work of the eternal and omnipotent God, admitting of no doubt or objection.

Acts 26:9. Indeed, I myself thought that I had to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. “To act against the name of Jesus”—that is, against the confession of the name of Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, Lord, and God (cf. Acts 4:10).

Acts 26:10. And this I did in Jerusalem: having received authority from the chief priests, I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death I cast my vote against them; “And this I did”—cf. Acts 3 ff. and parallels in Acts 7:8. Just as above—“indeed, I myself thought”—the apostle confesses that he too once did not believe, not that God raises the dead (this faith he always maintained, as a strict Pharisee, Acts 26 and Acts 23 ff.), but that He had raised Jesus and that Jesus was the true Son of God, and at first acted in accordance with this unbelief. This, however, makes his teaching all the more credible, since it could not have produced such a sharp contrast with his entire former mode of thought and action without a particularly strong and solid foundation, of which he once more gives an account below. “Saints”—cf. the note to Acts 20 and parallels. The apostle so calls the Christians, elevating them in the eyes of the judges and exposing all the more deeply his own injustice toward the persecuted.

Acts 26:11. and throughout all the synagogues I often punished them and tried to force them to blaspheme Jesus; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. “I tried to force them to blaspheme”—that is, Jesus. This is not mentioned in the preceding accounts. With what contrition of heart must the confessor and apostle of Christ have recalled this! And how powerfully this must have moved to reflection these persecutors and blasphemers of Jesus, who were unwilling to believe in Him after such strong proofs of His divinity!

Acts 26:12. In this connection, while traveling to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, Acts 26:13. at midday on the road, O king, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me. Acts 26:14. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew language: Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. Acts 26:15. I said: who are you, Lord? He said: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. “With authority and commission”—cf. the note to Acts 9:1-2. Some curious, though minor and inessential, peculiarities of this second personal account of the apostle about his conversion can be noted in comparison with his first account (Acts 22) and the account of the author of Acts (Acts 9). These peculiarities are as follows: 1) concerning the heavenly light that shone on Paul, it is more precisely noted that this was “a light brighter than the sun” (in Acts 9 “a light from heaven,” in Acts 22 “a great light”). By this detail both accounts of Paul are supplemented. 2) The apostle then says that both he himself and his companions—“we all fell to the ground,” which is not mentioned at all in Acts 22, while in Acts 9 it is said that Paul’s companions “stood speechless” (Acts 9:7). This discrepancy hardly needs to be specially labored. It is sufficient to explain it in each case as a differently expressed desire of the apostle to depict the force of the impression made by the event on his companions (probably both in one way and the other, that is, some by falling and others by stupor, or first all by falling and then all by stupor), who expressed their terror at what was taking place. 3) The apostle notes that the Lord spoke to him in “the Hebrew language”—a remark from which it is evident that the apostle was now delivering his present speech in Greek, the most comprehensible language for his audience. Finally, 4) the most important peculiarity of the present account is that the Lord’s speech is conveyed in much greater detail. What in those accounts is conveyed as the words of the Lord to Ananias and of Ananias to Paul already in Damascus (cf. Acts 9 ff., Acts 22 ff.), here is presented as the speech of the Lord to Paul himself at the appearance, and even with certain additions. In all probability the apostle, for greater convenience, combined into one speech both what the Lord said to him directly and what Ananias said to him, expressing this in a free rendering, without adhering to the letter but without essentially distorting the truth, because Paul did indeed hear from Ananias what had been entrusted to him by the Lord. As for those details of the present account (Acts 26 and Acts 26:18) that are entirely absent from the two previous communications about this event, they too are explained very simply—by the unequal degree of detail with which one and the same essential matter is conveyed.

Acts 26:16. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this very purpose: to appoint you as a servant and a witness both of the things you have seen and of the things in which I will appear to you, Acts 26:17. delivering you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am now sending you Acts 26:18. to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, and that by faith in me they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified.” “A servant and a witness”—cf. Acts 1:8. A reference to the equality of Paul’s ministry with that of the other apostles, with the distinction that Paul is sent especially to be the apostle of the “Gentiles.” “The things you have seen and the things I will reveal to you.” Paul had seen the Lord risen and glorified, and therefore could be a fully equal witness of His resurrection, just like the other apostles (Acts 3:15; 1 Cor 9:1). (That the Lord did indeed reveal His will in the subsequent history of Paul is witnessed, among other things, in Acts 20 ff.; Acts 23 and elsewhere.) “From the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am now sending you.” To whom I am sending—should be referred to both the Jewish people and the Gentiles, as we see throughout all of Paul’s activity, when he turned everywhere first to the Jews and only then to the Gentiles (cf. Acts 13 and parallels). “Darkness and light”—images of the spiritual state of the human being—under the power of Satan (the prince of darkness) and in the gracious Kingdom of God, the Father of lights. The first state—under the power of the prince of darkness—is a state of ignorance of God’s truth and conscious estrangement from it, the end of which is eternal perdition; the second is a state of gracious enlightenment by the light of divine truth, in filial nearness to God the Father and in eternal blessedness with all the saints (cf. Acts 20:32).

Acts 26:19. Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, “Therefore, I was not disobedient,” as people are sometimes disobedient to even the most obvious and compelling truths, as all those are still disobedient today by whose doing Paul was bound and now stands on trial. “By this vision He (Jesus) converted me and convinced me so that I could not be disobedient” (Chrysostom).

Acts 26:20. but first to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then throughout all the land of Judea and to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God, doing deeds worthy of repentance. The apostle indicates the circle of his preaching activity (Damascus, Acts 9 ff., Jerusalem, Acts 9 ff., all the land of Judea, and finally the Gentiles—chiefly of Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Greece). The apostle characterizes the content of his preaching broadly as the preaching of repentance and conversion to God among Jews and Gentiles, to urge them to perform “deeds worthy of repentance” (cf. Matt 3:2; Acts 2 and parallels).

Acts 26:21. For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. “For this reason,” that is, for preaching about repentance and conversion to God among Jews and Gentiles (a general characterization of the subject of his preaching), “the Jews seized me in the temple.” In Acts 21 ff. the immediate occasion for the Jews’ attack on Paul is indicated, while here the very inner cause of their hatred for him is given.

Acts 26:22. But having obtained help from God, I stand to this day, testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would come, “Having obtained help from God,” visibly manifested in the rapid arrival of the military commander to rescue the apostle from the hands of the enraged crowd (Acts 21 ff.). “I stand to this day”—I remain to this day intact, testifying about Christ to all who are willing to listen, from small to great, from youth to old age, from the poor to the rich, from the obscure to the distinguished (cf. Chrysostom). “Saying nothing”—that is, nothing of my own devising, but only what was foretold by Moses and the prophets.

Acts 26:23. that the Christ was to suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to the people of Israel and to the Gentiles. The apostle specifies more clearly the general content and meaning of the prophecies of Moses and the prophets concerning Christ (cf. Acts 3 and parallels), pointing to the following three main features: the suffering of Christ (Isa 53 and parallels), the resurrection (Ps 15:8-11; cf. Acts 2 and others), and the proclamation of light to the Jews and Gentiles (Isa 60:1-3; cf. Matt 12:21; Deut 18:15-18; Acts 3 ff.). “The first to rise from the dead”—in the same sense as “firstborn from the dead” (Col 1:18), having laid by His resurrection the beginning and foundation for the resurrection of all people (1 Cor 15:23; cf. Acts 26 6 and parallels). “To proclaim light”—to illuminate with the true teaching about the salvation of the world (cf. Matt 4:16).

Acts 26:24. As he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice: you are out of your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness. Paul’s speech is interrupted by Festus’s loud, angry exclamation, understandable in a man of frivolous skepticism and contemptuous attitude toward all faith. “You are out of your mind, Paul”—this expression apparently relates to Paul’s entire speech about his conversion and to all his conduct after this conversion, in which the skeptic Festus could see nothing but the ordinary raving of a disordered imagination. “Your great learning is driving you to madness”—Festus expresses himself mockingly, saying that Paul has studied too much and has, as they say, lost his wits—the verdict of extreme frivolity, itself revealing great ignorance on Festus’s own part. Evidently Festus drew his conclusion about Paul’s great learning from the fact that Paul was citing such numerous references to prophecies confirming his teaching about Christ.

Acts 26:25. No, most excellent Festus, said he, I am not out of my mind, but I am speaking words of truth and sound judgment. Acts 26:26. For the king knows about these things, and I speak to him freely. I am persuaded that none of this has escaped his notice; for this was not done in a corner. Sufficiently respectfully but with full dignity, briefly and forcefully, the apostle denies the reproach and suspicions of Festus. “I am not out of my mind, but I am speaking words of truth and sound judgment!” To reassure the pagan who does not understand the matter, the apostle appeals to the more understanding and knowledgeable Jew, King Agrippa, to whom this entire speech of the apostle is in fact addressed (Acts 26:2-3). The apostle is right in the factual side of his teaching as well. It is excusable that Festus, as a newcomer, doubts the accuracy of what Paul proclaims. But it cannot be that from the king anything of “these things” has been concealed—that is, anything relating to the life and activity of Jesus and to the life of the first Christian Church after His ascension—for all of “this was not done in a corner…”—not in secret, but publicly, and not in Jerusalem alone but in the sight of all Palestine.

Acts 26:27. Do you believe the prophets, King Agrippa? I know that you believe. Acts 26:28. Agrippa said to Paul: in a short time you would persuade me to become a Christian. Acts 26:29. Paul said: I would pray to God that, whether in a short time or a long one, not only you, but also all who are listening to me today, might become such as I am—except for these chains. Having confirmed the truth and soundness of his words by the king’s indisputable knowledge of what “was not done in a corner,” the apostle, with a sudden and decisive turn of speech, addresses himself to the conscience of Agrippa and—like a wise and skilled fisher of men (Matt 4:19)—places him in such a position that any other person honestly zealous for the truth would not have escaped being caught, as Agrippa did escape, putting the matter aside with a flippant jest and hastening to close the assembly. “Do you believe the prophets, King Agrippa? I know that you believe”—the apostle hastens to answer himself on behalf of the confused king, thrown off balance by such an unexpected examination in the realm of faith and conscience, before the educated Roman officials in whose presence the king hypocritically would have preferred to appear as a good pagan, free from Jewish superstitions. Agrippa’s answer is usually translated as: “you almost persuade me to become a Christian.” In the interests of Paul’s glory, whose eloquence called forth such praise from the king, many accept this translation. However, it is hardly probable that Agrippa, even if one grants that the apostle’s speech had strongly affected him, could have gone so far—especially in the presence of Festus, who had just called Paul almost a madman. The answer cannot be understood in this sense also because it contradicts the direct meaning of the original text. The Greek reading of this passage is: εν ολίγω (that is, χρόνω) μέ πείθεις Χριστιανόν γενέσθαι; the Greek word πείθειν—“to persuade”—more often means to try or strive to persuade. The word εν ολίγω—“in a short time”—is taken almost universally to mean a short time. If one takes into account the swiftness of the turn of speech by which Paul meant to say: “if you believe the prophets, you must believe in Jesus Christ,” the natural meaning of the answer becomes clear: “you are too quick with your conclusions!”—that is, Agrippa wished to say: you ask whether I believe the prophets? Yes, I do. But to conclude from this that I must necessarily believe in Christ, that I am already a Christian—that is already too hasty a conclusion. The Slavonic text better conveys this sense of the answer—“вмале мя препираеши христианина быти!” (“in little you are trying to make me a Christian!”). And precisely this sense harmonizes best of all with the deep and serious impression Paul’s speech made on Agrippa, his weak desire to become a Christian, and the difficult position in which Agrippa found himself, feeling on the one hand in the presence of Paul, who called him a converted Israelite, and on the other—of Festus, who respected neither Judaism nor Christianity and considered Paul a madman. Besides, this meaning is more consistent with Paul’s reply, which without it becomes a poorly understandable and empty play on words. In reality, a logical connection must exist between Agrippa’s and Paul’s answers. The king says: you are too quickly trying to make me a Christian; Paul replies: “I would pray to God that, whether in a short time or a long one” (that is, whether quickly or slowly—the difference of time is unimportant, so long as the matter is accomplished), “not only you but all who are listening to me today might become as I am!…” The last words are evidently an allusion to Festus’s remark about Paul’s “madness.” “Except for these chains”—the innocent confessor of Christ adds with touching feeling. The chains were his glory (Eph 3:1; Phlm 1; Phil 2 ff.), but of course he did not wish all Christians, his beloved children, to always be in chains (cf. Chrysostom and Theophylact).

Acts 26:30. When he had said this, the king and the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them stood up; Acts 26:31. and withdrawing to one side they talked among themselves, saying that this man was doing nothing deserving death or chains. Acts 26:32. And Agrippa said to Festus: this man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar. Thereupon the governor decided to send him to Caesar. “The king and the governor… stood up”—not because Paul had finished, but in order to cut short the apostle’s word that so sorely tried the king’s conscience, Agrippa rises, and behind him the governor and all “those sitting with them.” However that may be, the general impression of the apostle’s defense remained favorable. It is curious that Festus and Agrippa, having acknowledged that Paul had done nothing deserving not only of death but even of “chains,” nonetheless send him to Caesar, citing the fact that Paul “had appealed” to Caesar’s judgment. But this appeal had force only as long as Paul was found guilty. Now that this guilt was solemnly removed from Paul, he had a right to freedom, without being sent to Caesar. Evidently both Festus and Agrippa did not sincerely wish Paul’s release, or at least showed themselves to be soulless and petty formalists, strictly observing the law—which here too could easily have been turned to Paul’s favor; one only needed to ask the latter whether he insisted on Caesar’s judgment, now that the procurator’s court was quite ready to release him. The answer would of course have been: there is no reason to insist—simply release me. “Withdrawing to one side”—αναχωρήσαντες, withdrawing, departing—obviously into another room, and not merely to one side of the hall where the assembly was held. “Is doing nothing deserving death or chains.” The present tense—“is doing”—expresses an evaluation of all Paul’s activity so long as he acts according to the religious principles he has stated. An important and valuable acknowledgment, which makes all the more inconsistent the dispatch of Paul to Caesar’s judgment.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The Apostle Paul on the way to Rome—from Caesarea to Myra in Lycia (1–5). From Myra to Crete and near Crete (6–13). From Crete to Malta (14–44).

Acts 27:1. When it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan regiment named Julius. “That we should sail.” The author of Acts again begins to narrate as a traveling companion of the apostle, and continues thus all the way to his arrival in Rome. Besides Luke, Aristarchus was with Paul on this journey (v. 2). “A centurion of the Augustan regiment”—in Greek and Slavonic: σπείρας Σεβαστῆς, of the Spira of the Sebastians—of the Sebastene detachment, named after the city of Sebastia.

Acts 27:2. We boarded a ship of Adramyttium and set out, intending to sail along the coasts of Asia. With us was Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. “A ship of Adramyttium”—Adramyttium was a coastal city in the Mysian province of Asia Minor, not far from Troas and Assos (see the note to Acts 16:7-8). This was probably a ship belonging to one of the merchants of Adramyttium. “To sail along the coasts of Asia”—that is, along the coasts of Syria and Asia Minor as far as Adramyttium. The prisoners were placed on this ship evidently for lack of any other ship heading directly to Italy, in the expectation of transferring at one of the ports of Asia Minor to another ship bound for Italy. Such ships, given the lively trade relations between Asia Minor and Italy, could always be found there, as indeed happened now (Acts 27:6). On “Aristarchus” see Acts 19:29; Col 4:10; Phlm 1:24.

Acts 27:3. The next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius, treating Paul with kindness, allowed him to go to his friends and to receive their care. “Sidon”—the most ancient commercial city of Phoenicia (Matt 11:22), about 100 versts from Caesarea. The ship arrived here “the next day,” which shows the complete favorableness of the sailing. “To go to his friends.” The ship probably had a rather long stop here, during which the apostle received from the kind Julius permission (with an escort, of course) to visit his friends—that is, the Christians (cf. Acts 11:19)—and to receive their care to supply the needs of the apostle and his companions (Christians) for the further voyage. “Paul probably had need of this after many hardships from chains, from fear, from the constant change of places. See how the writer does not conceal even that he desired to receive assistance” (Chrysostom).

Acts 27:4. Setting out from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary, “Sailed under the lee of Cyprus”—see the note to Acts 4 and parallels. This happened, apparently, contrary to the original intention of the voyagers (Acts 27:2) “because the winds were contrary,” deflecting the ship from its chosen course.

Acts 27:5. and, having sailed across the sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we arrived at Myra in Lycia. Acts 27:6. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy and put us on board. “Having sailed across the sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia…”—(see the notes to Acts 11 and Acts 13:13), hence not calling at their coastal cities—“we arrived at Myra in Lycia,” a flourishing city at the time in the Lycian province of Asia Minor, about 4 versts from the sea, on a river navigable to the city itself. Here the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy, onto which the prisoners and their escort were transferred. This was probably also a merchant ship, of very large size, carrying a cargo of wheat (Acts 27:38) and, besides that, up to 276 persons (Acts 27:37). Why this ship, sailing from Alexandria to Italy, had deviated so far from the direct route, finding itself in Asia Minor, is unknown: perhaps it had been driven off course by contrary winds, perhaps by commercial business, delivery or taking on of cargo, and so on.

Acts 27:7. Sailing slowly for many days and barely arriving off Cnidus, since the wind did not allow us to proceed, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone; Acts 27:8. and, making our way along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. From Myra in Lycia to “Cnidus”—a city in the Carian province of Asia Minor, on the Cnidian peninsula—under favorable sailing conditions one could sail in one day, and equally from Cnidus to the well-known large island of “Crete.” But the ship sailed these distances “slowly, for many days,” detained by unfavorable winds. “Off Salmone”—a cape on the eastern coast of Crete. “Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea”—on the southern coast of Crete. Here was a bay well protected from the north-westerly winds that had been hindering the ship’s voyage and compelling it to seek shelter under Crete in order to sail further along its southern side. But here, compounding the previous adversity, a new one arose—equally strong and contrary south-westerly winds.

Acts 27:9. Since much time had been spent and sailing was already dangerous, because the Fast had already passed, Paul urged them, “The Fast had already passed”—this refers, without doubt, to the most important fast of the Day of Atonement—the 10th day of the month Tishri (in the second half of September). This was thus after the autumnal equinox, when sea voyaging, especially in those waters, is very unsafe.

Acts 27:10. saying to them: men! I can see that this voyage will be with danger and much loss not only to the cargo and the ship, but also to our lives. “Paul urged them, saying.” The apostle of Christ had experienced sufficiently the difficulties and dangers of sea voyages (2 Cor 11 ff.) and was experienced enough to foresee the disasters of the continued voyage, from which he gave a prudent and timely counsel to refrain. Such a natural foreseeing of the disasters of the voyage, based on experience, does not preclude the possibility of a special prophetic foreknowledge of them, which is especially noted below (Acts 27:22-24).

Acts 27:11. But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and the owner of the ship than to the words of Paul. Acts 27:12. And since the harbor was not suitable for wintering, the majority gave counsel to set sail from there, to try if they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing in the direction of the southwest and northwest winds, and there spend the winter. Acts 27:13. When a south wind blew gently, supposing that they had attained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed close along the shore of Crete. Acts 27:14. But not long after there rushed down from it a tempestuous wind called the Euroclydon. Acts 27:15. The ship was caught by it and could not face the wind, so we gave way to it and were driven along. The matter should be understood more clearly as follows: Paul gave counsel to winter immediately, even if it meant staying in the harbor not very well suited for wintering, preferring the lesser of two evils. But the centurion, as was only natural, preferred to trust the apparently more experienced sailors rather than a mere passenger. And these sailors in turn preferred to yield to other counsels—to seek at once a more convenient harbor, without waiting. The plan was to make for the harbor of “Phoenix” on the same southern coast of Crete, being better sheltered from the winds by jutting headlands. A southerly wind that began to blow further kindled the hopes of the voyagers, who were already imagining they had obtained what they desired. Then suddenly an unexpected strong squall—the ευροκλύδων, a north-easterly wind—not only thwarted their attempt to reach the intended harbor but swept them completely away from Crete into the open sea (v. 16), all the way to the small island of “Clauda” (to the south-west of Lasea and Fair Havens, directly in the path of the Euroclydon).

Acts 27:16. Running under the shelter of a small island called Clauda, we were barely able to secure the ship’s boat. Acts 27:17. After hoisting it up, they used various means to brace the ship, undergirding it with ropes; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the sail and so were driven along. Acts 27:18. The next day, since the storm was very violent, they began to jettison the cargo, Acts 27:19. and on the third day they threw out the ship’s tackle with their own hands. Acts 27:20. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and the storm was not small, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. The proximity of the small island did not diminish the danger of the voyage but only increased it, given the extensive shallows in that area. The waves battered the ship and the small boat that usually accompanied it, which could barely be kept from being lost. The usual measures in such dangers were taken to preserve the ship itself: bracing it with strong ropes and chains, and so on. “Fearing lest they should run aground.” The direction of the wind gave reason to suppose the possibility that, near the African shore (probably not unknown to the Alexandrian sailors), the ship might be driven onto the so-called Greater Syrtis—an enormous shoal not far from Tripolis, to the east. In view of these fears, the sailors first of all “lowered the sail,” so that the ship would not strike and be driven into the shoal so forcefully in case it ran aground. This left the ship completely helpless, drifting among the waves. Then they “began to jettison the cargo” (beginning, probably, with the heavier and less valuable items) to lighten the ship, whose deep draft—with the sail inactive—threatened special danger from the waves. When this measure for saving the ship seemed insufficient, they proceeded to the last extreme measure—throwing overboard all the baggage and personal belongings of the passengers. These things, in the words of the author of Acts, the passengers “threw overboard with their own hands”—that is, without sparing anything of their own for the common good and possible safety. Finally, “all hope” of salvation began to disappear: a brief and powerful depiction of the terrible hardships of the voyage, when even the strong soul of Paul found it necessary to have heavenly encouragement and support—“do not be afraid” (Acts 27:24).

Acts 27:21. And since they had gone long without food, Paul then stood up among them and said: men! you should have listened to me and not set sail from Crete, and so avoided this damage and loss. Acts 27:22. But now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. Acts 27:23. For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, Acts 27:24. and he said: “do not be afraid, Paul! You must stand before Caesar, and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.” Acts 27:25. Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be exactly as I have been told. Acts 27:26. We must run aground on some island. “Had gone long without food…”—certainly because of the terrible rolling and the intense anxiety for their fate. There was apparently no shortage of provisions on the ship: there was still enough wheat remaining (Acts 27:38). In a moment of universal despondency and despair, the apostle sheds a comforting ray of hope into all souls—by announcing the revelation he had received, that no one would perish, only the ship. “An angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve” (cf. Rom 1:9)—by these expressions the apostle inspires in his listeners confidence in his words, as a man who is close to God and wholly devoted to Him. “Appeared to me this night”—how? in sleep or in a waking vision (cf. the note to Acts 25:11)—is not clear from the text. “You must stand before Caesar”—for the resolution of your case (Acts 25:11). Consequently, the apostle was not destined to perish at sea, however great the danger. And not only the apostle—but together with him and for his sake—all his companions would be saved: “God has granted you all those sailing with you…”—in virtue of that same mercy of His by which previously, for the sake of a few righteous people, He had declared His willingness to preserve entire cities from destruction (Gen 18:22-32). For greater assurance of their safety, the apostle points to his faith in God’s revelation, which indeed could not fail to have its effect amid universal despair, and to his certainty that soon they all must be cast aground “on some island.” Whether this too had been revealed to Paul, or was his conclusion from the angel’s words, or, finally, his own conjecture—his word did indeed very soon come to pass.

Acts 27:27. When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors began to suspect that land was drawing near; Acts 27:28. and, having sounded, they found twenty fathoms; and a little farther, having sounded again, they found fifteen fathoms. Acts 27:29. Fearing lest we should run aground on rocky ground, they cast four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. “The fourteenth night”—from the time of departure from the bay. “In the Adriatic Sea”—in ancient times this name was sometimes used not in the narrow sense of the present-day Adriatic Sea or the Gulf of Venice, but for all the sea area between Greece on the east and southern Italy and Sicily on the west (including the island of Malta). “Began to suspect”—perhaps from a peculiar rumbling from the surf. “Cast four anchors from the stern”—for greater firmness of the ship while lying at anchor.

Acts 27:30. And as the sailors were trying to flee from the ship and had lowered the ship’s boat into the sea, under the pretext of wanting to cast anchors from the bow, “The sailors were trying to flee,” abandoning the ship to its fate: so strong was their despair of salvation and their thirst for life. The sailors probably saw the impossibility of continuing the voyage on the ship. They also saw that the small boat could not be salvation for all, which is why they decided to use it to save themselves, leaving the rest to their fate.

Acts 27:31. Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers: unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved. Acts 27:32. Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat and let it fall off. Paul, having understood the sailors’ intentions, calls on the centurion and soldiers to forestall them, since their force alone could stop the plan that was ruinous for the rest of the passengers—for in the absence of the sailors, the passengers and soldiers, inexperienced in seamanship, would have prematurely brought the ship to ruin together with themselves. Noteworthy is Paul’s expression: “you cannot be saved” if the sailors do not remain on the ship… So firm was his certainty of his own salvation. True, he had to believe in the salvation of all as well (Acts 27:24), but this not only did not rule out human means but presupposed them, which is why even the briefest measures were required against any attempt to ruin the business of the common—not merely individual—salvation of all. By cutting the ropes from the boat, immediately carried off by the waves, the selfish scheme was foiled and the hope of saving everyone secured.

Acts 27:33. Just before daybreak, Paul urged them all to take food, saying: this is the fourteenth day that you have been in suspense and continued fasting, taking nothing at all. Acts 27:34. Therefore I urge you to take food, for it is for your survival, since not a hair of any of your heads will be lost. Cf. Acts 27 and Acts 27:21, note. The proximity of land and the promised salvation for all required, however, waiting also for the foretold destruction of the ship, which presupposed a catastrophe and no small effort to survive. Foreseeing all this, the apostle—who had contributed so much encouragement to his companions—again cheers them, urging everyone to take food to fortify their strength.

Acts 27:35. Having said this, he took bread and gave thanks to God before all of them and, breaking it, began to eat. Acts 27:36. Then all of them were cheered and also took food. Acts 27:37. We were in all two hundred and seventy-six persons on the ship. Acts 27:38. When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing the wheat into the sea. “Throwing the wheat into the sea”—probably the last remnants of the cargo of the ill-fated ship, so that, lightened of everything, it might be driven closer to the shore, since the small boat for communication with the shore was already gone.

Acts 27:39. When it was day, they did not recognize the land; but they observed a certain bay with a sandy beach, toward which they decided to drive the ship if they could. “They did not recognize the land.” Although this was the well-known Malta (see below Acts 28:1), they did not recognize the island, evidently because the storm had driven them to a part of it unfamiliar to them.

Acts 27:40. And casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, and at the same time untied the ropes of the rudders; and hoisting the foresail to the wind, they made for the shore. Acts 27:41. But striking a reef, they ran the ship aground; the bow stuck fast and remained immovable, while the stern was broken up by the force of the waves. A simple and vivid depiction of the attempt to approach the shore. “Untied the ropes of the rudders,” which were normally tied for protection against the force of the waves when the ship simply gave itself over to the winds, or when it dropped anchor. “Hoisting the foresail,” so as not to sail too quickly toward the shore, which—given the sailors’ ignorance of the location—could be dangerous. But—God’s revelation had to be fulfilled (Acts 27:26): the ship ran aground all the same, and the waves immediately began to break it up completely.

Acts 27:42. The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim away and escape. Acts 27:43. But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan, and ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, Acts 27:44. and the rest to get to land, some on planks and some on other things from the ship; and so it came about that all were saved and reached land. There was a moment of new danger for the prisoners and for Paul, when the soldiers doubted the possibility of guarding those entrusted to their custody on an unknown land, and had agreed to kill them rather than answer for them under the strict law (cf. Acts 12:19). Fortunately, the prudent counsel and resourcefulness of the centurion—who wished to save Paul in particular, both out of personal respect for him and on account of the procurator’s instructions—did not allow those whom the sea had not been permitted to destroy, for all its fury, to perish. To prevent the possibility of the prisoners’ escape, the centurion first orders those of the guard who were good swimmers to throw themselves into the water and swim to shore. Thus a sufficient guard was assembled on the shore to prevent any flight on the part of the escaping prisoners, after which all were saved ashore, making use—when unable to swim—of the broken remains and articles from the ship. Thus was fulfilled with complete accuracy the word of God through the angel to Paul (Acts 27:22).

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The conclusion of the Apostle Paul’s journey to Rome—from Malta to Rome (1–14). Arrival in Rome (15–16). Two conversations of Paul with the Roman Jews (17–29). Conclusion of the Book of Acts (30–31).

Acts 28:1. After being saved, those who were with Paul learned that the island was called Melita. “Learned”—evidently from the inhabitants of the island about its name “Melita”—present-day Malta, about 100 versts south of Sicily and about 350 versts from the African coast. A tradition about the apostle’s stay has been preserved here to this day (St. Paul’s Bay), closely connected with the subsequent narrative of Acts (Acts 28:3-6).

Acts 28:2. The foreigners showed us no small kindness; for on account of the rain that had come and the cold, they kindled a fire and welcomed us all. “Foreigners”—βάρβαροι, as the narrator calls them—not on account of uncouth manners (which the subsequent account of their kindness would contradict), but by the generally accepted custom of the Greco-Romans, who used that term to denote all who did not speak Greek or Latin. The settlers of Malta were in all probability of Punic origin (Phoenician-Carthaginian) and spoke their own Punic dialect.

Acts 28:3. When Paul had gathered a great bundle of brushwood and laid it on the fire, a viper came out from the heat and fastened itself on his hand. “Viper”—a species of snake, the most venomous (see note on Matt 3:7). In cold weather it falls into a stupor, from which it emerges immediately upon contact with warmth.

Acts 28:4. When the foreigners saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another: This man is certainly a murderer; though he has been saved from the sea, divine justice does not let him live. Acts 28:5. But he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. Acts 28:6. They expected that he would swell up or fall down dead suddenly; but after waiting a long time and seeing that nothing bad happened to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god. For pagans, surviving a shipwreck and then dying a moment later from a snakebite seemed clear proof that the man had committed some great crime, which Divine Justice (δίκη—justitia, the goddess of justice, daughter of Jupiter) does not leave unpunished. But when they saw that Paul calmly shook the viper into the fire and “suffered no harm,” they began to say that he was a god. The true God, for the glorification of his servant’s ministry, allowed him to demonstrate in his own person the reality of what was written about the harmlessness of serpents for believers. Today on the island of Malta there are no longer any venomous snakes. According to the belief of the local inhabitants, they disappeared from the time when the described event took place.

Acts 28:7. In the vicinity of that place were the estates of the chief man of the island, named Publius; he received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. “The chief man of the island”—ο πρῶτος τῆς νήσου—literally the first man on the island, from which it is concluded that he was also the chief—first by rank. “Received us”—not all who were saved from the shipwreck, but us—in the strict sense of the word, i.e., Paul and his companions—Luke and Aristarchus (Acts 27:1-2; cf. Acts 28:10). Most likely, one should add here only the centurion Julius, in whose custody Paul was kept.

Acts 28:8. The father of Publius lay ill, suffering from fever and pain in the stomach; Paul went in to him, prayed, and laid his hands on him and healed him. Acts 28:9. After this event, the others on the island who had diseases also came and were healed: It was probably at Publius’s invitation that Paul went in to him, having heard of Paul’s miraculous rescue from the viper and hoping to obtain help from this wonder-worker for his sick father. “Healed him… were healed”—undoubtedly by miraculous means.

Acts 28:11. After three months we set sail in an Alexandrian ship called the Dioscuri, which had wintered at that island, “After three months”—from November 15 of the year 60 to February 16 of the year 61; by that time the stormy autumn and most of the winter had passed and further sailing no longer presented any danger. “On an Alexandrian ship” (Acts 27:6), “called the Dioscuri” (literally marked by the Dioscuri—παραστήμω Διοσκούροις—with a representation of the Dioscuri or their name). “The Dioscuri”—the two well-known mythological twin heroes of antiquity, Castor and Pollux, who were considered the patrons of seafaring.

Acts 28:12. and, putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there three days. “Syracuse”—a coastal city on the southeastern shore of Sicily, about 125 versts from Malta.

Acts 28:13. From there we sailed around and came to Rhegium; and when after one day a south wind arose, on the second day we arrived at Puteoli, “Rhegium”—now Reggio, in southern Italy, opposite Messina, on the northeastern tip of Sicily. “Puteoli”—now Pozzuolo, a coastal city 7 versts from Naples. The harbor of Puteoli at that time was one of the most significant on the western coast of Italy, especially for trade with the east. Commercial ships were ordinarily unloaded here, so that their cargoes could be transported by land to the capital of the world of that time—Rome. Here too Julius disembarked his prisoners and escort in order to proceed to Rome.

Acts 28:14. where we found brothers and were urged to remain with them for seven days; and so we went to Rome. Julius’s great trust in and affection for Paul was expressed once again in his kind permission to delay another seven days in Puteoli at the request of the local Christian brothers, while most likely the remaining prisoners and the majority of the escort set off for Rome without stopping at Puteoli.

Acts 28:15. The brothers there, having heard about us, came out to meet us as far as the Appian Forum and Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. “Having heard about us…”—thanks to the earlier arrival of the other prisoners and the generally lively communications between Puteoli and Rome. “The Appian Forum”—a small town about 60 versts from Rome, named after its builder—Appius Claudius. “Three Taverns”—a stopping place for travelers about 40 versts from Rome. “He thanked God and took courage.” Two years of imprisonment in Caesarea, the long voyage, three months on Malta—all this, in view of new captivity in Rome, could not but exhaust the apostle’s energy and strength, and so it is understandable how life-giving for him was the sympathy and love of the Christians. “See how even he at this moment experienced a certain human feeling. He who had worked so many miracles took courage at the sight of the brethren. From this we see that he too received human comforts and sorrows” (Chrysostom).

Acts 28:16. When we arrived in Rome, the centurion handed the prisoners over to the commanding officer, but Paul was permitted to live by himself with the soldier who guarded him. “We arrived in Rome.” This was in March of the year 61, in the seventh year of the reign of Nero. Undoubtedly, as a result of the favorable reports about Paul from Festus (Acts 25:26-27) and the centurion Julius, “Paul was permitted to live by himself with the soldier who guarded him” (see note on Acts 24:27), separately from the ordinary prisoners and with great freedom (cf. Acts 28 and Acts 28:31).

Acts 28:17. Three days later Paul summoned the leading men of the Jews, and when they had gathered he said to them: Brothers, having done nothing against the people or the customs of our ancestors, I was handed over from Jerusalem in chains into the hands of the Romans. “Three days later”—i.e., after the arrival in Rome, days spent partly in rest, partly in conversations with the Christians who came to visit the apostle, and so on. “Paul summoned the leading men of the Jews…”—here too the apostle follows his custom (Acts 17:2 and parallels) of addressing the proclamation first of all to the Jews; and since he himself was deprived of the opportunity to go to the synagogue for this purpose, he invites the representatives of Judaism to come to him. The purpose of the apostle’s first conversation with the invited Jews was to remove their prejudices against the apostle and, in order to forestall any slanders against him, to give accurate information about his case. The main points of this conversation of the apostle were as follows: 1) He is held in chains innocently, having committed no crime against the people or against ancestral customs or the Law of Moses. 2) The apostle himself appealed to the judgment of Caesar, and not with the aim of accusing his own people of anything, but solely to escape summary justice at the hands of the Jews, who opposed the recognition of his innocence and his release by the Palestinian Roman judges. Having demanded Caesar’s judgment, “I did this not in order to harm others, but to save myself from harm, and not of my own will—I was compelled” (Chrysostom).

Acts 28:19. but when the Jews opposed this, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—not, however, with any intention of bringing charges against my own people. “The Jews opposed this…”—a characteristic detail that supplements the narrator’s account of Paul’s trial before Festus (Acts 25). The matter becomes clearer as follows: after what Paul had said before Festus (Acts 25:8), the procurator expressed a wish to release him, but the Jews opposed this (Acts 28:19), and then Festus, seeking to please them, proposed to Paul that he be tried in Jerusalem (Acts 25:9), in response to which Paul preferred to appeal to the judgment of Caesar (Acts 25:11).

Acts 28:20. For this reason I have called for you, so that we might see one another and speak; for it is on account of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain. “For this reason…”—in order to declare his innocence and the true aims of his appeal to Caesar’s judgment—“I have called for you…”—anticipating possible misunderstandings and false representations of the case. He is not an enemy of the people and the law, the apostle in effect says; on the contrary—“it is on account of the hope of Israel that I am bound with these chains…”—(cf. Acts 26:6). His cause is thus, as it were, the cause of the whole people, the guardian of the divine promises.

Acts 28:21. They said to him: We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor has any of the brothers who arrived here reported or said anything bad about you. Acts 28:22. But we do wish to hear from you what you think; for we know that this sect is spoken against everywhere. Paul’s speech made a noticeable impression. “They were so carried away by his speech that they began to justify not only themselves but also their fellow countrymen… as if saying: neither through a letter nor through persons did they communicate anything bad to us about you; but we would like to hear you. And at the same time they already in advance express their opinion by adding: concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere. They did not say: we oppose it, but ‘it is spoken against everywhere,’ so as to deflect condemnation from themselves…” (Chrysostom).

Acts 28:23. When they had set a day for him, very many came to him at his lodging; and from morning until evening he expounded to them about the kingdom of God, bringing evidence and persuading them about Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the prophets. “Very many”—it is not only the leading men who come to Paul on the day they themselves appointed. “About the kingdom of God”—that is, about its foundation and establishment on earth by the Messiah who had come, the Lord Jesus Christ—of course, with communication of information about his life, teaching, and activity, about his sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension, confirming and verifying all this with Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah (cf. Acts 17:3).

Acts 28:24. Some were persuaded by what he said, while others did not believe. “Some”—probably the smaller part—“were persuaded,” while “others”—the larger part—“did not believe” (cf. v. 25).

Acts 28:25. And being in disagreement among themselves, they were leaving, when Paul spoke one more word: the Holy Spirit rightly spoke to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah: “As they were leaving, disagreeing among themselves, he then quoted the words of Isaiah (Isa 6 and following)—not to reproach those who did not believe, but to strengthen those who had believed” (Chrysostom); cf. Matt 15:7 and following; John 12:40.

Acts 28:26. Go to this people and say: You will hear with your hearing and not understand, and you will look with your eyes and not see. Acts 28:27. For the heart of this people has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and they have shut their eyes, so that they may not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn back, that I might heal them. Acts 28:28. Let it be known to you therefore that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles: they will hear it. “You will hear with your hearing and not understand.” “Do you see how he shows that they are unworthy of forgiveness, seeing that they had the prophet who had proclaimed this long ago and still did not turn? And with the word ‘rightly’ he expresses that they were justly rejected, while the knowledge of this mystery has been given to the Gentiles. Therefore it is not at all surprising that they opposed: for this had been foretold long ago. Then he again stirs in them a spirit of rivalry by pointing to the Gentiles with the following words: ‘Let it be known to you therefore that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will hear it’” (Chrysostom).

Acts 28:29. When he had said this, the Jews departed, arguing vigorously among themselves. “When he had said this, the Jews departed”—cf. Acts 28:25. Evidently the Jews heard all these ominous words addressed to them, were not admonished by them, and fully deserved the condemnation pronounced in them.

Acts 28:30. And Paul lived for two full years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him, Acts 28:31. proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. The final two verses form the quiet conclusion of the Book of Acts, recalling the similar form of conclusion in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 24:52-53). This seems to make it certain that the Book of Acts is by no means an unfinished book, but—like the Gospel of Luke—fully completed according to the writer’s intention, a “word” (Acts 1:1). “Two full years”—probably until his release from chains, not until his martyrdom, which, according to some traditions, followed somewhat later. “At his own expense”—εν ιδίω μισθώματι—implying both the rental of lodging and provision for meals. Since at this point Paul, as a prisoner, had no opportunity to earn his living as before—by his own labor (Acts 20:34)—he evidently depended on the devotion of the faithful, not only the local ones but also those of other Christian communities that he had founded and which loved him (cf. Phil 4 and following; Phil 4:18). “Preaching without hindrance”—especially after his first defense before the court of Caesar (2 Tim 4:16) had made him known to the whole praetorium and to all the rest (Phil 1:12-13), serving for the further advance of the Gospel (Phil 4:22). “Let us imitate Paul, that noble and adamantine soul,” urges St. Chrysostom, “so that, following in the footsteps of his life, we may sail through the sea of this present life, reach the tranquil harbor, and be counted worthy of the good things promised to those who live worthily of Christ.” With this the writer concludes his narrative and leaves the eager listener to supply the rest by his own reasoning. “For surely what came after was like what came before… Corinth had him for two years, Asia for three, this city (Rome) for two, and then he came there a second time, when he also died… Would you like to know what came next? It was the same as what went before: chains, sufferings, struggles, imprisonment, plots, slanders, daily death!” (Chrysostom). In conclusion, it is not without interest to raise the question: why during these two years of Paul’s stay in Rome did his situation change neither for better nor for worse? It is supposed, in explanation of this, that all this time they were waiting for someone from Judea authorized to maintain the accusation against Paul before the emperor, or else the case was simply delayed through the negligence characteristic of Rome’s absolute rulers. Finally, some allow that this delay did not come about without the involvement of Paul’s friends, who saw in it great benefit both for themselves and for him, given the wide freedom afforded to him even while in chains. Accounts of the subsequent fate of the apostle are drawn mainly from the writings of Eusebius of Caesarea, Simeon Metaphrastes, Nicephorus Callistus, Baronius, Clement of Rome, Lactantius, and others. The most reliable date for the apostle’s martyrdom is 67 or 68 A.D.

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Introduction

The Life of the Apostle Paul

I. The Apostle Paul Before His Conversion

II. The Conversion

III. The Apostolic Ministry of Paul

Supplement

Resources for Studying the Life of the Apostle Paul:

On the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Romans

Time of Writing

Purpose of Writing

Authenticity

Content

Text of the Epistle

Commentators on the Epistle

The Life of the Apostle Paul

In the life of the Apostle Paul one must distinguish:

1) his life as a Jew and Pharisee,

2) his conversion, and

3) his life and activity as a Christian and apostle.

I. The Apostle Paul Before His Conversion

Paul was born in Tarsus, a city of Cilicia situated on the border between Syria and Asia Minor (Acts 21:39). He was a Hebrew of the tribe of Benjamin (Rom 11:1 and Phil 3:5). His original name was Saul, and it was given to him, in all probability, in memory of the first king of the Hebrews, who came from the tribe of Benjamin. Saul’s parents belonged by conviction to the Pharisaic party, which was distinguished by strict observance of the law of Moses (Acts 23:6; cf. Phil 3:5). For some service or other, Paul’s father or grandfather apparently received Roman citizenship—a circumstance that proved not without benefit to the Apostle Paul during his missionary activity (Acts 16:37 ff.; Acts 22:25-29).

The language spoken in Paul’s family was undoubtedly the Syro-Chaldaic dialect common at that time among Jewish communities in Syria. Yet it is certain that Saul, even as a boy, became fairly well acquainted with Greek, the language spoken by the majority of Tarsus’s inhabitants—who were Greeks. In the time of the Apostle Paul, Tarsus rivaled Athens and Alexandria in the cultivation of its citizens, and thus Paul, with his talent and intellectual curiosity, could scarcely have passed by Greek literature without becoming acquainted with it. At the very least, his epistles and speeches allow us to infer his familiarity with certain Greek poets. The first quotation he makes from Greek poets belongs to the Cilician poet Aratus and is also found in Cleanthes—namely the words: “we are his offspring!” (Acts 17:28). The second is borrowed from Menander (1 Cor 15:33), the third from the Cretan poet Epimenides (Titus 1:12). The likelihood of the hypothesis that he had some familiarity with Greek literature is further supported by the fact that the Apostle was called upon to address educated Athenians, and for this purpose he must have acquainted himself at least to some degree with their religio-philosophical views as expressed in the poetic works of Greek thinkers.

Nevertheless, Paul’s upbringing and education undoubtedly moved in the direction of Judaism and rabbinism: this is attested by his distinctive dialectic, his method of exposition, and also his style. It is very likely that, in view of his exceptional gifts, he was destined from an early age for rabbinical service. Perhaps to this end Paul’s parents took care to have him taught the trade of tentmaker (σκηνοποιός — Acts 18:3): in the Jewish view, a rabbi ought to be financially independent of his students (Pirke Abot., II,2).

If we take note of all these circumstances of Paul’s childhood, we will fully understand the grateful feelings with which he later said: “God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb” (Gal 1:15). If the task appointed for Paul was indeed to free the Gospel from the trappings of Judaism in order to offer it in purely spiritual form to the pagan world, then the Apostle needed to combine in himself two apparently opposite qualifications. First of all, he had to come from within the depths of Judaism, because only in that way could he thoroughly know what life under the law meant, and from personal experience become convinced of the law’s inability to save a person. On the other hand, he had to be free from the national Jewish antipathy toward the pagan world, which permeated especially Palestinian Judaism. Did the fact that he grew up amid Greek culture—with which he shows considerable familiarity—not partly help him also to open the doors of the Kingdom of God before the pagan world? Thus, Jewish legalism, Greek culture, and Roman citizenship—these are the advantages the Apostle possessed alongside his specially received spiritual gifts from Christ, necessary to him as a preacher of the Gospel to the whole world.

When Jewish boys reached the age of twelve, they were customarily taken to Jerusalem for the first time for one of the principal festivals: from that point on they became, in the expression of those days, “sons of the law.” So it probably was with Paul as well. But he remained in Jerusalem afterward to take up residence—seemingly with relatives—so as to enter a rabbinical school there (cf. Acts 23:16). At that time, a pupil of the renowned Hillel—Gamaliel—was famous in Jerusalem for his knowledge of the law, and the future Apostle settled “at the feet of Gamaliel” (Acts 22:3), becoming his diligent student. Though the teacher himself was a man of moderate views, his student became the most zealous follower of the law of Moses in both theory and practice (Gal 1:14; Phil 3:6). He directed all the force of his will toward realizing the ideal set forth in the law and in the interpretations of the fathers, so as to be worthy thereby of an honorable position in the Kingdom of the Messiah.

Paul possessed three qualities rarely combined in a single person, which had even then attracted the attention of his superiors: strength of intellect, firmness of will, and vivacity of feeling. In outward appearance, however, Paul made no particularly favorable impression. In Lycaonia, Barnabas was declared to be Jupiter, while Paul was declared only Mercury, which shows that the former was far more imposing than the latter (Acts 14:12). Yet one can scarcely attach significance to the testimony of a second-century apocryphal work—the Acta Pauli et Theclae—in which Paul is depicted as a man of short stature, bald, and with a large nose. Whether Paul was of a sickly constitution is difficult to say with certainty. Occasionally he did indeed show signs of illness (Gal 4:13), but this did not prevent him from covering nearly the whole of the then-European south. As for the “angel of Satan” given to him (2 Cor 12:7), this expression does not necessarily indicate a bodily illness, but may also be interpreted as referring to the particular persecutions to which Paul was subject in the course of his missionary activity.

Among Jews, people customarily married early. Was Paul married? Clement of Alexandria and Eusebius of Caesarea, and after them Luther and the Reformers, gave an affirmative answer to this question. But the tone in which Paul speaks in 1 Corinthians about the gift granted to him (1 Cor 7:7) may more readily serve as grounds for the supposition that Paul was not married.

Did Paul see Jesus Christ during his stay in Jerusalem? This is very probable, given that Paul was in Jerusalem for the great festivals, and the Lord Jesus Christ also came there at those times. But in the epistles of the Apostle Paul there is not a single reference to this (the words 2 Cor 5:16 point only to the fleshly character of the messianic expectations widespread among the Jews).

Having reached the age of thirty, Paul, as the most zealous Pharisee and hater of the new Christian teaching—which seemed to him a deception—received a commission from the Jewish authorities to persecute the adherents of the new sect, the Christians, who at that time were still called by Jews simply “heretical Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5). He was present at the killing of St. Stephen and took part in the persecution of Christians in Jerusalem, and then set out for Damascus, the chief city of Syria, with letters from the Sanhedrin authorizing him to continue his inquisitorial activity in Syria as well.

II. The Conversion

In his activities Paul found no satisfaction. As is evident from chapter VII of the Epistle to the Romans, Paul was aware that on the path toward realizing the ideal of righteousness set forth in the law there stood a very serious obstacle—namely, concupiscence (v. 7). The painful sense of his powerlessness to do good was, if one may put it so, the negative factor in preparing the transformation that took place in Paul on the road to Damascus. In vain did he try to satisfy his soul’s hunger for righteousness by intensifying his activity in defense of the law: he could not extinguish within himself the thought that gnawed at his heart—that salvation cannot be attained through the law.

But it would be entirely contrary to the whole history of Paul to explain this transformation in him as the natural result of his spiritual development. Some theologians present the event that took place with Paul on the road to Damascus as a purely subjective phenomenon, occurring only within Paul’s consciousness. Holsten (in his work “On the Gospel of Peter and Paul”) adduces some ingenious arguments in favor of such a hypothesis, but even Baur, Holsten’s teacher—who also considered the appearance of Christ at Paul’s conversion an “external reflection of spiritual activity” of the Apostle—could not avoid acknowledging that this event remains in the highest degree mysterious. The Apostle Paul himself regards his conversion as an act by which Christ compelled him, having chosen him as His instrument in the work of saving people (1 Cor 9:16, cf. 5–6). This view of the Apostle accords with the account of the event itself found in the book of Acts. Paul’s conversion is spoken of three times in Acts (Acts 9:1-22), and in all these passages one can find indications that Paul’s companions also truly noticed something mysterious that occurred specifically with Paul, and that this mysterious thing was in some degree sensory and accessible to perception. They did not see the face of the one who was speaking to Paul, says the book of Acts (Acts 9:7), but they did see a radiance brighter than the midday sun (Acts 22:6); they did not hear clearly the words spoken to Paul (Acts 22:9), but they did hear the sound of a voice (Acts 9:7). From all this, at any rate, the conclusion must be drawn that the “Damascus appearance” was objective and external.

Paul himself was so certain of this that in 1 Corinthians (1 Cor 9:1), in order to prove the reality of his apostolic calling, he appeals to this very fact of “his having seen the Lord.” In chapter XV of the same epistle he places this appearance alongside the appearances of the risen Christ to the apostles, distinguishing it from his later visions. Indeed, the very purpose of this chapter proves that he was thinking of nothing here but an external, bodily appearance of Christ, since the purpose is to establish the reality of the bodily resurrection of the Lord, in order to draw from this fact a conclusion about the reality of the resurrection of bodies in general. But interior visions could never have served as proof of either Christ’s bodily resurrection or our own. It should also be noted that when the Apostle speaks of visions, he treats them with strict critical reserve. Thus he speaks hesitatingly about his rapture to the third heaven—“I do not know,” “God knows” (2 Cor 12:1 ff.). Here, however, he speaks of the Lord’s appearance to him without any qualification (cf. Gal 1:1).

Renan makes an attempt to explain this appearance by certain chance circumstances (a storm that broke over Lebanon, a lightning flash, or a bout of fever suffered by Paul). But to say that such superficial causes could have so profound an effect on Paul as to transform his entire worldview would be in the highest degree rash. Reuss acknowledges Paul’s conversion as an inexplicable psychological puzzle. Nor can one agree with other theologians of a negative tendency (Holsten, Krenkel, and others) that Paul had long had “two souls” struggling within him—one the soul of a Jewish fanatic, the other already disposed toward Christ. Paul was a man cast, so to speak, from a single mold. If he thought of Jesus on the road to Damascus, he thought of Him with hatred, as most Jews even now tend to think of Christ. That the Messiah could have appeared before him as a heavenly, radiant figure is in the highest degree improbable. Jews conceived of the Messiah as a powerful hero who would be born in Israel, grow up in obscurity, and then appear and lead his people to a victorious struggle against the pagans, after which he would reign over the world. Jesus had not done this, and therefore Paul could not have believed in Him as the Messiah; yet he could have conceived of Him as dwelling in heaven.

With Paul’s conversion, a decisive hour struck in the history of humanity. The time had come when the covenant once made by God with Abraham was to extend over the whole world and encompass all the nations of the earth. But for so extraordinary a work an extraordinary agent was required. The twelve Palestinian apostles were not suited for this task, whereas Paul had been, so to speak, prepared by all the circumstances of his life for its accomplishment. He was a true vessel of Christ (Acts 9:15) and was fully aware of this (Rom 1:1-5).

What took place in Paul’s soul during the three days that followed this great event? Hints about this period are given to us by chapter VI of the Epistle to the Romans. From it we see that the Apostle then experienced within himself the death of the old man and the resurrection of the new. Saul died—the man who had placed all his strength in his own righteousness, or what amounts to the same thing, in the law—and Paul was born, who trusted only in the power of Christ’s grace. Where had his fanatical zeal for the law led him? To opposition against God and to the persecution of the Messiah and His Church! Paul understood the cause of this result clearly: in seeking to ground his salvation in his own righteousness, he had sought thereby to glorify not God but himself. It was now no longer a secret to him that this path of self-justification leads only to inner discord, to spiritual death.

But, having died to the law (Gal 2:19), Paul rose to a new life. He felt himself a new creature in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). He grasped the great significance of Christ’s redemptive death—of the One who had just appeared to him in light. Instead of seeing in it, as before, the just punishment of a man who had dared to call himself the Messiah, he saw in it a reconciling sacrifice offered by God Himself for the sins of the whole world and for his own sins, Paul’s. Now he understood whom the prophet Isaiah had depicted in the figure of the Servant of the Lord who takes upon himself the sins of the world. The veil fell from Paul’s eyes, and he saw the cross as the instrument of the world’s salvation, and he recognized the resurrection of Christ as a monument of universal amnesty for the human race, which had until then lain under God’s condemnation. The new righteousness appeared now in his consciousness as the priceless gift of God’s love for humanity, and he received it wholeheartedly; knowing that he had nothing of his own to add to it, he felt himself reconciled with God. In the baptism administered to him by the hand of Ananias, he died together with Christ, was buried together with Him, and with Him rose to new life (Rom 6).

A bright flame of love for Christ ignited in his soul, kindled by the action of the Holy Spirit communicated to him, and he now felt himself capable of passing through to the end the feat of obedience and self-denial that had seemed so difficult to him while he was under the yoke of the law. He was now no longer a slave, but a child of God.

Paul now also understood what significance the various ordinances of the Mosaic law possessed. He saw how insufficient that law was as a means of justification. The law now appeared in his eyes as an educational institution of a temporary character (Col 2:16-17). Finally, who was the One by whose grace humanity had received all God’s gifts without any assistance from the law? Was He merely a man? Paul now brought to mind that this Jesus, condemned by the Sanhedrin to death, had been condemned as a blasphemer who declared Himself the Son of God. This claim had until recently appeared to Paul as the height of impiety and deceit. Now, however, he placed this claim in connection with the majestic appearance that had come to him on the road to Damascus, and Paul’s knees bowed before the Messiah not only as before a son of David, but as before the Son of God.

Linked to this change in Paul’s understanding of the person of the Messiah was a change in his understanding of the work of the Messiah. As long as the Messiah appeared in Paul’s consciousness only as a son of David, Paul understood his task as the glorification of Israel and the extension of the force and binding authority of the Mosaic law to the whole world. Now, however, God—who had revealed to Paul in this son of David after the flesh His own true Son, a divine Person—at the same time gave Paul’s thoughts a new direction concerning the calling of the Messiah. The son of David belonged to Israel alone, but the Son of God could have come to earth only in order to become the Redeemer and Lord of all humanity.

All these fundamental points of his Gospel Paul clarified for himself precisely in the first three days following his conversion. What the twelve apostles received through their three years of companionship with Christ—concluded by the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them on the day of Pentecost—Paul received through intense inner effort during three days after his calling. If he had not accomplished this hard inner labor, the very appearance of the Lord would have remained for Paul and for the whole world a dead capital (cf. Luke 16:31).

III. The Apostolic Ministry of Paul

Paul became an apostle from the very moment he believed in Christ. This is clearly attested by both the history of his conversion as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles (ch. 9) and by Paul himself (1 Cor 9:16). He was compelled by the Lord to take upon himself apostolic service—and immediately fulfilled this command.

Paul’s conversion took place probably in his thirtieth year. His apostolic activity also lasted about thirty years. It divides into three periods: a) the period of preparation—about seven years; b) the period of proper apostolic activity, or his three great missionary journeys, spanning about fourteen years; and c) the period of his captivity—two years in Caesarea, two years in Rome, with the addition of the time that elapsed from Paul’s release from his first Roman imprisonment until his death—in all about five years.

a) Although Paul became a full apostle from the moment of his calling, he did not immediately set about the activity for which he had been chosen. The Gentiles were chiefly to be the object of his care (Acts 9:15), yet Paul in fact begins by preaching to the Jews. He goes to the Jewish synagogue in Damascus and there already encounters Gentile proselytes, who become for him the bridge leading to acquaintance with the purely Gentile population of the city. By proceeding in this way, Paul showed that he fully recognized the special rights of Israel—to be the first to hear the message about Christ (Rom 1:16). In later times too, Paul never missed an opportunity to show special respect for the rights and privileges of his own people.

From the Damascus synagogue (Acts 9:20) Paul went into the neighboring regions of Arabia. There he labored for about three years as a preacher of Christ (Gal 1:17), while at the same time working out for himself in detail the system of the new teaching. However, many points of the Gospel Paul probably clarified only gradually, as the needs of the Church arose. Such was his teaching on the relation of the law to the Gospel, and others.

After his stay in Arabia, Paul returned to Damascus, where his preaching aroused fierce anger among the Jews. (At that time Damascus was under the authority of the Arabian king Aretas.) At this time Paul felt a desire to become personally acquainted with the Apostle Peter—the chief witness to the earthly life of the Savior. From him he could obtain detailed and precise information about the activity of the Lord Jesus Christ—but only that: Paul had no need to be instructed in the Gospel itself (Gal 1:11). Here in Jerusalem, Paul intended to stay for a longer time, so that the Gospel preaching from his lips—those of a former fanatical persecutor of Christians—would make a greater impression on his hearers. But the Lord did not wish to expose His chosen vessel to the fury of the Jerusalem Jews, and by a special revelation Paul left the city (Acts 22 ff.). From there he went first to Caesarea, and then to Tarsus, where within the bosom of his family he awaited further commands from the Lord.

He waited not in vain. As a result of the persecution of believers, the first victim of which was St. Stephen, a considerable number of believing Hellenists—that is, Jews who spoke Greek—fled from Jerusalem to Antioch, the chief city of Syria. These newcomers directed their preaching of the Gospel not to Jews but directly to Gentiles, and in this way Christianity for the first time forged a path directly into the midst of the pagan world. In Antioch a numerous and spirited Christian community took shape, in which the majority of the converted Greeks lived in fellowship with Christians of Jewish origin. The Apostles and the Jerusalem Church were astonished when they received news of this development of extraordinary importance, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch to find out more about this movement and to guide it. In doing so, Barnabas remembered Paul, whom he had earlier introduced to the apostles in Jerusalem, summoned him from Tarsus, and took him to the field of activity worthy of him. From that time onward, an inner fellowship was established between the Antiochian community and Paul, the magnificent outcome of which was the spread of the Gospel throughout the whole pagan world.

After a full period of joint labor in Antioch, Barnabas and Paul were sent to Jerusalem to bring relief to the poor Christians of that city. This journey, which took place in the year of the death of Herod Agrippa (ch. Acts 12), must be assigned to AD 44, because according to Josephus Flavius, Herod Agrippa died in that very year.

b) The second part of the history of the Apostle’s activity as a preacher of the Gospel contains the accounts of his three great apostolic journeys together with the visits to Jerusalem that fall within that period. The appearance of the most important of Paul’s epistles is connected with these journeys. It is noteworthy that the first journey falls in the year of the death of the last Jewish king: with the fall of the national Jewish royal power, the spread of the Gospel among the Gentiles begins. Jewish particularism had already outlived its time, and in its place Christian universalism comes forward.

The three missionary journeys of Paul had their point of departure in Antioch, which was the cradle of the mission among the Gentiles, just as Jerusalem was the cradle of the mission among Israel. After each of these journeys Paul visited Jerusalem, in order to strengthen thereby the bond that existed and needed to exist between the two missions (Gal 2:2).

The first journey he undertook with Barnabas. It was not far-reaching: on that occasion Paul visited only the island of Cyprus and the provinces of Asia Minor lying to the north of it. From this time the Apostle takes the name Paul (Acts 13:9), which is similar in sound to his former name Saul. He probably changed his name following the custom of Jews who, when undertaking journeys through pagan lands, would ordinarily replace their Hebrew names with Greek or Latin ones. (From Jesus they would make John, from Epiakim—Akim.) In turning to the Gentiles during this journey, the Apostle undoubtedly proclaimed to them the only means of justification—faith in Christ—without obligating them to perform the works of the Mosaic law: this is clearly evident both from the very fact of Christ’s calling of a new Apostle beyond the twelve, and from Paul’s own words (Gal 1:16). Moreover, if even the Apostle Peter had found it possible to release Gentiles who were coming to Christianity from the observance of the Mosaic law (and first of all from circumcision — Acts 11:1-2), one can be all the more certain that already in his first journey the Apostle of the Gentiles Paul freed them from observing the Mosaic law. Thus the opinion of Hausrath, Sabatier, Heus, and others—that during his first journey Paul had not yet developed a definite view on the question of the significance of the law for the Gentiles—must be recognized as groundless.

As to how the Apostle Paul viewed, in the early period of his missionary activity, the significance of the Mosaic law for Christians of Jewish origin, that is a more complex question. We see that at the Jerusalem Council, convened in the presence of the Apostle Paul after his first journey, the question of the binding force of the Mosaic law for Christians of Jewish origin was not even raised: all members of the council evidently recognized that this binding force was beyond doubt.

But the view of Paul himself on this matter was different. From the Epistle to the Galatians we see that he placed all the justifying power for a person solely in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that he had already died to the law from the time of his conversion to Christ (Gal 2:18-20). The twelve apostles apparently awaited some external event that would serve as the signal for the abrogation of the Mosaic law—for example, the appearance of Christ in His glory—whereas for the Apostle Paul the necessity of this abrogation had been clear from the very moment of his calling. But the Apostle Paul did not wish to compel the other apostles to adopt his point of view; on the contrary, he himself made concessions to them where they were the heads of Jewish-Christian communities. And in later times as well, he condescended to the views that had taken root among Jewish Christians concerning the Mosaic law, being guided in this by a sense of brotherly love (1 Cor 9:19-22). In order that his disciple Timothy might be better received by the Jews, he had him circumcised—though this was already a considerable time after Timothy’s conversion to Christianity (Acts 16:1). On the other hand, where the very principle of justification was at stake, Paul yielded no ground: he did not allow Titus, a Greek, to be circumcised during his presence at the Jerusalem Council, because Paul’s enemies who demanded this circumcision would have taken the Apostle’s consent as a betrayal of his convictions about the non-binding character of the Mosaic law for Christians from among the Gentiles (Gal 2:3-5).

The Apostolic Council ended on the whole very favorably for Paul. The Jerusalem Church and its leading figures acknowledged that the visitors from Jerusalem—Christians of Jewish origin—who had been troubling the Antiochian Christians had acted improperly in demanding that the Antiochians, in addition to the Gospel, accept circumcision, which supposedly made them full heirs of the promises of salvation. The Jerusalem Apostles clearly showed that they did not consider it necessary for Gentiles converting to Christ to accept circumcision along with all the rites of the Mosaic law. The preaching of the Apostle Paul was recognized here as fully correct and sufficient (Gal 2:2-3), and the Apostle Paul, as is known, proclaimed to the Gentiles that if they accepted circumcision upon turning to Christ, Christ would be of no benefit to them (Gal 5:2-4). The Council required of Gentile Christians the observance only of the most elementary requirements of purity, known under the name of the “commandments of Noah.” The Levitical rites were thus reduced to the level of mere national customs—nothing more (Acts 15:28-29).

On their return to Antioch, Paul and Barnabas took with them Silas, one of the leading men of the Jerusalem Church, who had been commissioned to inform the Syrian and Cilician communities of the decision of the Apostolic Council. Shortly after this, Paul set out with Silas on the second missionary journey. On this occasion Paul visited the churches of Asia Minor that he had founded on his first journey. Paul was probably eager to visit Ephesus—the center of the religious and intellectual life of Asia Minor—but God decided otherwise. Not Asia Minor but Greece required the Apostle’s presence. Detained by illness in Galatia for quite a long time, Paul founded churches there (Gal 4:14) among the descendants of the Celts who had settled there three centuries before Christ. When Paul and Silas set out from there to preach the Gospel further, they met with almost no success anywhere and soon found themselves on the shore of the Aegean Sea, at Troas. There a vision revealed to Paul that Europe—and first of all Macedonia—awaited him. Paul set out for Europe, accompanied by Silas, Timothy (who had joined him in Lycaonia), and the physician Luke (Acts 16:10; cf. Acts 20:5).

In a very short time, churches were established in Macedonia: at Philippi, Amphipolis, Thessalonica, and Berea. In all these places persecutions were raised against Paul by the Roman authorities, because the local Jews represented Christ as a rival to Caesar. Fleeing from persecution, Paul moved further south and at last arrived in Athens, where he expounded his teaching before the Areopagus; then he settled in Corinth. Living there for about two years, he during that time founded a number of churches throughout all Achaia (1 Cor.). After this activity was completed, he set out for Jerusalem and from there for Antioch.

At this time the Apostle Peter began his missionary journeys outside Palestine. After visiting Cyprus with Mark, he arrived in Antioch, where Barnabas also was at that time. Here both Peter and Barnabas freely visited the homes of Gentile Christians and ate with them, although this was not entirely in accord with the decision of the Apostolic Council, which obligated believers of Jewish origin to be guided in matters of food by the ritual prescriptions of the Mosaic law. Peter remembered the symbolic explanation given to him in connection with the conversion of Cornelius (Acts 10:10 ff.), and besides this, he considered that moral obligations (fellowship with the brethren) ought to take precedence over obedience to the ritual law. Barnabas, for his part, had grown accustomed to this subordination of ritual to the spirit of Christian love during his activity among the Gentiles. But then, unexpectedly, some visitors sent by James arrived in Antioch from Jerusalem. They were in all likelihood expected to investigate how the decision of the Apostolic Council was being observed in Antioch by the Jewish Christians, and they certainly made it understood both to Peter and to Barnabas that the two were acting improperly here by entering into fellowship at table with Gentile Christians. This had a strong effect on both of them, and to avoid causing offense to their fellow countrymen, both ceased to accept the invitations of Gentile Christians to meals.

Peter’s action was very significant in its consequences. The Antiochian Gentile Christians, who had at first joyfully welcomed into their midst such a renowned Apostle as Peter, now saw with sorrow that he was keeping them at a distance, regarding them as if they were unclean. This, of course, in some was bound to produce displeasure at Peter, and in others a desire to maintain fellowship with him at any cost—even at the sacrifice of their freedom from the law. Paul could not fail to stand up for his spiritual children, and, in the consciousness that the law was no longer necessary for Christians in general (Gal 2:19), he addressed Peter with an indication of the impropriety of his conduct, of his inconsistency. Peter himself, of course, was well aware that the law was no longer necessary for Christians, and therefore said nothing in response to this intervention of the Apostle Paul against him, showing thereby that he was in full agreement with Paul.

After this, Paul undertook his third missionary journey. On this occasion he passed through Galatia and strengthened the Galatians in the faith—they had been troubled at that time by Judaizing Christians who pointed to the necessity of circumcision and the ritual law in general even for Gentile Christians (Acts 18:23). He then arrived in Ephesus, where his faithful friends Aquila and his wife Priscilla were already awaiting him, probably having prepared the ground for Paul’s activity there. The two or three years that Paul spent in Ephesus represent the time of the highest development of Paul’s apostolic activity. During this period a whole series of flourishing churches came into being—later represented in the Apocalypse under the symbol of seven golden lampstands in the midst of which the Lord stood. These were specifically the churches in Ephesus, Miletus, Smyrna, Laodicea, Hierapolis, Colossae, Thyatira, Philadelphia, Sardis, Pergamum, and elsewhere. The Apostle Paul was so effective here that paganism began to tremble for its existence, as is confirmed by the riot against Paul stirred up by the maker of idol images, Demetrius.

However, the joy of the great Apostle of the Gentiles was clouded at this time by the opposition he encountered from his enemies, the Judaizing Christians. They had no objection to his preaching about the “cross”; they were even pleased that Paul was bringing the pagan world into Christianity, since they saw in this a benefit for Mosaism. What they were really striving for was the elevation of the significance of the law, while they regarded the Gospel merely as a means to that end. Since Paul saw things in precisely the opposite way, the Judaizers began in every way to undermine his authority among the Gentiles he had converted, and above all in Galatia. They told the Galatians that Paul was not a genuine Apostle, that the Mosaic law was of eternal validity, and that without it Christians had no guarantee against the danger of falling into the slavery of sin and vice. The Apostle was therefore obliged to send the Galatians a letter from Ephesus, in which he refuted all these false notions. It seems that this letter had the desired effect, and the authority of Paul and his teaching was once again established in Galatia (1 Cor 16:1).

The Judaizers then turned their efforts to another arena. They appeared in the churches founded by Paul in Macedonia and Achaia. There again they sought to shake Paul’s authority and to cast suspicion on the purity of his moral character. They met with particular success in their slanders against Paul in Corinth, and the Apostle in his second letter to the Corinthians armed himself with full force against these his enemies, calling them ironically “super-apostles” (ὑπερ λίαν οἱ ἀπόστολοι). In all probability these were converted priests (Acts 6:7) and Pharisees (Acts 15:5), who, proud of their learning, were unwilling to submit to the apostles in general and sought to take their place in the churches. They may even be the persons Paul refers to under the name of “those of Christ” (1 Cor 1:12)—that is, those who recognized only the authority of Christ Himself and refused to obey any of the apostles. However, the Apostle’s first letter to the Corinthians had succeeded in restoring his shaken authority in the Corinthian church, and his second letter to the Corinthians already attests that his enemies—in Corinth at any rate—acknowledged their defeat (see ch. 7). For this reason Paul at the end of AD 57 again visited Corinth and stayed there about three months.

From Corinth, through Macedonia, Paul set out for Jerusalem with contributions for the poor Christians of the Jerusalem church, which had been gathered in Greece. There James and the elders informed Paul that rumors were circulating among the Jewish Christians about him, as an enemy of the Mosaic law. To demonstrate the groundlessness of these rumors, Paul, at the elders’ advice, undertook in Jerusalem the rite of the Nazirite vow. By this Paul did nothing contrary to his convictions. His chief concern was to walk in love, and, guided by love for his fellow countrymen and allowing time to bring about the final emancipation of Jewish Christians from the Mosaic law, he accepted the vow as something purely external that in no way touched or altered his essential convictions. This event served as the occasion for his arrest, and from this point a new period of his life begins.

c) After his arrest in Jerusalem, Paul was sent to Caesarea for trial before the Roman procurator Felix. He remained there for two years until the recall of Felix (in AD 60). In AD 61 he appeared before the new procurator Festus, and since his case kept being delayed, he, as a Roman citizen, demanded to be sent for trial to Rome. He made his journey with significant delays and arrived in Rome only in the spring of the following year. From the last two verses of Acts we learn that he spent two years there as a prisoner, though enjoying considerable freedom of contact with the believing co-workers who visited him, and who brought him news of distant churches and conveyed his letters to them (to the Colossians, Ephesians, Philemon, Philippians).

At this point the book of Acts breaks off. From here the life of the Apostle can be described either on the basis of tradition or with the guidance of certain passages from his letters. Most likely—as the Church Fathers confirm—Paul was released after his two-year stay in Rome and again visited the churches of the East, and then preached in the West, as far as Spain. The monuments of this final activity of the Apostle are his so-called pastoral epistles, which cannot be assigned to any of the earlier periods of his ministry.

Since none of the Spanish churches claims its origin from the Apostle Paul, it seems probable that the Apostle Paul was arrested immediately upon setting foot on Spanish soil and was sent forthwith to Rome. The martyrdom of the Apostle, which he suffered on the road leading to Ostia—as the Roman presbyter Gaius (2nd century) reports—took place in AD 66 or 67, according to the historian Eusebius.

In order to establish the chronology of the life of the Apostle Paul, one must make use of two firm dates—the date of his journey to Jerusalem with Barnabas in AD 44 (ch. Acts 12) and the date of his appearance before Festus in court in AD 61 (ch. Acts 25).

Festus died in the very year he arrived in Palestine. Thus Paul could have been sent by him to Rome—at the latest—in the autumn of AD 61. The Apostle’s imprisonment in Jerusalem, which occurred two years before this, thus took place in AD 59.

Paul’s third missionary journey, which preceded this imprisonment, encompassed an almost three-year stay of the Apostle in Ephesus (Acts 19:8), his journey through Greece with a fairly long stay in Achaia (Acts 20:3), and his journey to Jerusalem. Thus the beginning of this third journey may be placed in the autumn of AD 54.

The second missionary journey through Greece could not have lasted less than two years (Acts 18:11-18) and consequently began in the autumn of AD 52.

The Apostolic Council in Jerusalem, which took place shortly before this journey, was held probably at the beginning of AD 52 or the end of AD 51.

Paul’s first missionary journey with Barnabas in Asia Minor, with two stays in Antioch, encompassed the two preceding years and accordingly began in AD 49.

Going further back, we arrive at the moment when Barnabas took Paul with him to Antioch. This was around AD 44. How long Paul had spent in Tarsus within the bosom of his family before this cannot be precisely determined—quite possibly around four years, so that Paul’s first visit to Jerusalem after his conversion may be assigned to the year AD 40.

This visit was preceded by Paul’s journey to Arabia (Gal 1:18) and two stays in Damascus. He himself assigns three years to this (Gal 1:18). Accordingly, Paul’s conversion took place probably in AD 37.

In the year of his conversion Paul was about thirty years old; consequently, his birth may be assigned to AD 7. If he died in AD 67, then his whole life lasted about sixty years.

The correctness of this chronology is further confirmed by the following considerations:

1) Pilate, as is known, was relieved of his duties as procurator in AD 36. Before the arrival of a new procurator, the Jews were able to allow themselves the usurpatory act of carrying out an execution—the killing of Stephen—which they would not have dared to do in the presence of a procurator, since the Romans had taken from them the right to carry out executions. Thus the death of Stephen may have taken place at the end of AD 36 or the beginning of AD 37, and Paul’s conversion, as is known, followed immediately thereafter.

2) The journey of Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem on account of the famine in AD 44 is confirmed by secular historians, who state that under Emperor Claudius, in AD 45 or 46, a famine struck Palestine.

3) In the Epistle to the Galatians, Paul says that he went to Jerusalem for the Apostolic Council fourteen years after his conversion. If this council took place in AD 51, then Paul’s conversion occurred in AD 37.

Accordingly, the chronology of the life of the Apostle Paul takes the following form:

Paul’s life as a Jew and Pharisee.

The years of his preparation for apostolic activity and his first attempts in this activity.

The first missionary journey, together with two stays in Antioch, and the Apostolic Council.

The second missionary journey and the founding of churches in Greece (two epistles to the Thessalonians).

The third missionary journey; the stay in Ephesus; the visits to Greece and Jerusalem (epistles: to the Galatians, two to the Corinthians, to the Romans).

AD 59 (summer) – 61 (autumn). Paul’s imprisonment in Jerusalem; imprisonment in Caesarea.

AD 61 (autumn) – 62 (spring). Journey to Rome, shipwreck, arrival in Rome.

AD 62 (spring) – 64 (spring). Stay in Roman imprisonment (epistles to the Colossians, Ephesians, Philemon, Philippians).

AD 64 (spring) – 67. Release from Roman imprisonment, second imprisonment in Rome, and martyrdom there (epistles to the Hebrews and the pastoral epistles).

Supplement

The personality of the Apostle Paul. From the circumstances of the life of the Apostle Paul one can form a conception of what this Apostle’s personality represented. First of all, it must be said that Paul was altogether foreign to any spirit of pedantry. It often happens that great public figures are extraordinarily pedantic in the promotion of their convictions: they are entirely unwilling to take account of the reasonable demands of life. But the Apostle Paul, for all his certainty about the truth of his convictions regarding the significance of the Mosaic law and the grace of Christ in the work of man’s justification, still, as necessity required, would at one time perform circumcision upon his disciples and at another oppose it (the story of Titus and Timothy—see Gal 2:3 and Acts 16:3). Not regarding himself as obligated to observe the Mosaic law, he nonetheless, to avoid giving offense to the Jerusalem Christians, accepted the Nazirite vow (Acts 21:20 ff.). Similarly, the Apostle judges differently on the question of food in the Epistle to the Romans than in the Epistle to the Colossians (cf. Rom 14 and Col 2).

For this condescension the Apostle found strength in the Christian love that wholly possessed his heart. Wherever there remained for people any possibility of salvation, however small, he exerted all the efforts of a loving father—or even of a loving mother—to save his spiritual children from destruction. Thus he labored greatly to bring the Galatians and the Corinthians back to obedience to Christ. But he was equally unafraid to pronounce final condemnation on those who showed no signs of repentance (2 Tim 4:14; 1 Cor 5:5), who went against the very foundations of the Christian faith (Gal 5:12). And again, where the matter concerned offenses personally inflicted upon him, he always knew how to forget and forgive his offenders (Gal 4:19) and even prayed to God on their behalf (2 Cor 13:7).

Aware of himself as in all things a true servant of God and looking upon the churches he had established as his merit before the judgment seat of Christ (1 Thess 2:19 ff., 2 Cor 6:4; Phil 2:16), Paul nevertheless never wished to exert pressure on them through his great authority. He left the churches themselves to arrange their own internal affairs, himself being confident that love of Christ would keep them within proper bounds and that the Holy Spirit would help them in their weaknesses (2 Cor 5:14; Rom 8:26). He was not, however, aloof from what was happening of special importance in the various churches, and in spirit was present at the resolution of the most serious church matters, sometimes sending his decisions on these matters from a distance (1 Cor 5:4). In all this, however, the Apostle Paul always showed sober discernment and the ability to take a practical view of matters. He was supremely skilled in restraining the impulses of those who were under the special sway of the gift of tongues. He knew what to say to those Christians who, in expectation of the imminent coming of Christ, had altogether abandoned all work. He demanded of his spiritual children only what they were capable of doing. Thus, toward the Corinthians in the matter of conjugal life he makes less strict demands than toward the Thessalonians. Paul showed especially great discernment in the matter of his missionary calling. When he went to enlighten Europe, he made use of the convenient roads that the Romans had either repaired or newly constructed, stopping in cities that, whether through their commerce or as Roman colonies, stood in active communication with others. This last circumstance offered a guarantee that from these places the Gospel would spread to new areas. The Apostle also showed his wisdom in sending his finest epistle, setting forth his teaching, to the capital of the Roman Empire—and precisely before he himself was to visit Rome.

The results of the missionary activity of the Apostle Paul. When the Apostle Paul was going to his death, he could say to himself with consolation that the Gospel had spread throughout the then-known world. In Palestine, Phoenicia, Cyprus, Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome it had established itself even before Paul, but at any rate it was Paul and his companions who first proclaimed the word of Christ throughout almost all of Asia Minor and Greece. Paul and his companions founded churches in Perge, Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, Troas, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Corinth, Cenchreae, and in other localities of Achaia. Paul’s disciples, moreover, founded churches in Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis, as well as in other localities of Asia Minor.

As for the composition of the churches founded by Paul and his companions and disciples, it consisted predominantly of people from the lower classes of society—slaves, freedmen, and craftsmen (1 Thess 4:11; 1 Cor 1:26). Even opponents of Christianity in the second century point to this (Celsus and Caecilius). Even clergy and bishops sometimes came from the class of slaves. There were, however, cases in which prominent or wealthy women converted to Christianity (Euodia, Syntyche, Chloe, and others). There were also some prominent men among the Christians—for example, the proconsul of Cyprus Sergius Paulus (Acts 13:12), Dionysius, a member of the Athenian Areopagus (Acts 17:34), and others.

Renan in his “Life of the Apostle Paul” expresses the opinion that the size of the Christian church in the time of the Apostle Paul was very small—perhaps those converted by Paul in both Asia Minor and Greece numbered “no more than a thousand people.” This opinion cannot be accepted, if only because Christianity at that time aroused serious alarm among pagans and Hellenistic Jews, which would not have been possible if the Christian churches in various cities consisted, as Renan supposes, of only ten to twenty people each. Furthermore, in Paul’s epistles there is a hint at the comparatively large numbers in the churches (Gal 6 and others). Among secular writers, Pliny the Younger and Lucian speak of “a multitude” of Christians.

From the above-mentioned churches of Asia Minor, Greece, and other regions where Paul had labored, the Gospel gradually spread throughout all parts of the world, and Monod in his book on the Apostle Paul (1893, 3rd ed.) rightly says: “If I were asked: who among all people seems to me the greatest benefactor of our race, I would, without hesitation, name Paul. I know no name in history that seems to me, like the name of Paul, to be the type of the widest and most fruitful activity.”

The results of the missionary activity of the Apostle Paul are all the more remarkable in that he had to overcome various significant obstacles in the course of this activity. Against him there is constant agitation from the Judaizers, who everywhere follow in his footsteps, turning the Christians converted by Paul against him; unbelieving Jews also strive by every means to put an end to the Apostle’s missionary activity; pagans at times rise up against him; finally, given Paul’s physical fragility, traveling was for him extremely difficult—especially since he almost always went on foot. Nevertheless, “the power of the Lord was perfected in Paul’s weakness” (2 Cor 12:9), and he overcame everything that stood as an obstacle in his path.

On the Epistles of the Apostle Paul. The Orthodox Church includes in its canon fourteen epistles of the Apostle Paul. Some scholars maintain that the Apostle Paul wrote more epistles and seek to find hints of the existence of now-lost Pauline epistles within Paul’s own letters. But all the arguments of these scholars are in the highest degree arbitrary and groundless. When the Apostle Paul appears to mention the existence of some epistle to the Corinthians in chapter V (v. 9), this reference may apply to the first chapters of the first epistle; and those fragments of a purported epistle of Paul to the Corinthians that became known to scholars at the beginning of the 17th century in an Armenian translation represent an obvious forgery (see the article by Prof. Muretov: “On the Apocryphal Correspondence of the Apostle Paul with the Corinthians,” Theological Messenger, 1896, III). By the “epistle to the Laodiceans” mentioned in chapter IV, verse 16 of the Epistle to the Colossians one can readily understand the Epistle to the Ephesians, which, as a circular letter, was transmitted to Laodicea, from where the Colossians were to receive it under the title “epistle from Laodicea.” If Polycarp of Smyrna appears to mention “epistles” of Paul to the Philippians, here again the Greek word ἐπιστολάς has the general meaning of “epistle”—Latin litterae. As for the apocryphal correspondence of the Apostle Paul with the philosopher Seneca—comprising six letters of Paul and eight of Seneca—its spuriousness has been fully demonstrated by scholarship (see the article by Prof. A. Lebedev: “The Correspondence of the Apostle Paul with Seneca” in the collected works of A. Lebedev).

All the epistles of the Apostle Paul were written in Greek. But it is not classical Greek; it is the living colloquial language of the time, somewhat rough. His speech is strongly marked by the influence of the rabbinical school in which he was educated. He frequently uses, for example, Hebrew or Chaldaic expressions (abba, amen, maranatha, and others), Hebrew turns of phrase, and Hebrew parallelism of sentences. The influence of Jewish dialectics is also reflected in his speech, when he introduces sharp antitheses, brief questions, and answers into his discourse. Nevertheless, the Apostle knew the Greek conversational language well and moved freely within the treasury of Greek vocabulary, constantly resorting to replacing one expression with another synonymous one. Although he calls himself “rude in speech” (2 Cor 11:6), this may point only to his unfamiliarity with literary Greek, which nonetheless did not prevent him from writing the wonderful hymn to Christian love (ch. 1 Cor 13)—for which the renowned orator Longinus ranks the Apostle among the greatest orators. Among the shortcomings of the Apostle Paul’s style one may note the fairly frequent anacoluthons—that is, the absence of a main clause corresponding to a subordinate clause—as well as insertions and the like; but this is explained by the particular fervor with which he wrote his epistles, and also by the fact that he mostly did not write his epistles in his own hand but dictated them to scribes (probably due to weakness of eyesight).

The Epistles of the Apostle Paul customarily begin with greetings to the church and end with various personal communications and greetings intended for individuals. Some of the epistles have a predominantly dogmatic content (e.g., the Epistle to the Romans), others deal mainly with the ordering of church life (the first epistle to the Corinthians and the pastoral epistles), still others pursue polemical aims (to the Galatians, the second to the Corinthians, to the Colossians, to the Philippians, to the Hebrews). The rest may be called epistles of general content, containing various of the above-mentioned elements. In the Bible they are arranged according to the comparative importance of their content and the importance of the churches to which they are addressed.

First place is therefore given to the Epistle to the Romans, last to the Epistle to Philemon. The Epistle to the Hebrews is placed after all the others, as having attained universal recognition with regard to its authenticity only at a comparatively late time.

In his epistles, the Apostle appears before us as a faithful and caring guide of the churches he founded or with which he stood in relation. He often speaks with anger, but he also knows how to speak gently and tenderly. In a word, his epistles stand as a model of this kind of art. At the same time, the tone of his speech and the speech itself take on new shades in different epistles. However, all the enchanting effect of his speech is felt, in the opinion of Johannes Weiss, only by one who reads his epistles aloud, since the Apostle Paul delivered his epistles orally to a scribe and intended them for reading aloud in the churches to which they were sent (Die Schriften d. N. T. 2B. S. 3). One must add to this that the epistles of Paul are exemplary with regard to the arrangement of the thoughts they contain, and this arrangement demanded, of course, whole days and even weeks for the composition of each of the more extensive epistles.

The Apostle Paul as a theologian. The Apostle Paul sets forth his teaching not only in his epistles but also in the speeches contained in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 13:16-41). In unfolding Paul’s teaching one may distinguish two periods—the first, encompassing his speeches and epistles composed before his imprisonment, and the second, extending from Paul’s being put in chains until his death. Although in the first period the Apostle was occupied above all with the conflict with the Judaizers, while in the last his thoughts were drawn by other circumstances of the life of believers, it can nonetheless be established as a fact that in both periods the fundamental type of the Apostle’s teaching remained one and the same.

Already in the first period, the Apostle Paul makes the question of man’s right relationship to God—the question of justification—the chief subject of his Gospel. He teaches that people cannot justify themselves before God by their own powers, and that therefore God Himself points humanity to a new path to justification—faith in Christ, through whose merits justification is granted to all. To prove man’s incapacity to justify himself by his own powers, the Apostle in both his speeches and epistles depicts the condition of man in paganism and in Judaism—which, though it was not in such darkness as paganism, nonetheless felt in itself no power to walk in the path of virtue that the Mosaic law mapped out for it. To explain this incapacity to walk the path of virtue, the Apostle speaks of the power of the ancestral sin that weighs upon humanity. Adam sinned first—and from him the contagion of sin passed to all humanity and expressed itself in a whole series of individual transgressions. As a result, man became inclined to sin, and where reason suggested to him the proper course of action—he, as the Apostle puts it, submitted to the flesh.

But God delivered the Gentiles over to their passions, and gave the Jews over to the guidance of the law, so that they would recognize the need for divine help. And when this pedagogical goal was achieved, the Lord sent people a Savior in the person of His Only-begotten Son, who took on human flesh. Christ died for people and reconciled them with God, and it is this very redemption of people from sin and death and their regeneration into new life that the Apostle Paul considers his duty to proclaim. A person need only believe in this, and he begins a new life in Christ, under the guidance of the Spirit of God. Faith, moreover, is not merely knowledge, but the reception of Christ by the whole inner being of man. It is not his work or his merit, but owes its origin first of all to the mysterious grace of God that draws people’s hearts to Christ. This faith gives a person justification—genuine justification, and not merely the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. A person who has believed in Christ becomes truly regenerate, a new creature, and no condemnation weighs upon him any longer.

The community of the justified believers forms the Church of Christ, or the Church of God, which the Apostle compares now to a temple, now to a body. In fact, however, the Church does not yet represent the realized ideal of itself. It will attain its ideal state—or glorification—only after the second coming of Christ, which, however, will not take place before the coming of the Antichrist and the final defeat of evil.

In the second (and final) period, the teaching of the Apostle Paul takes on a predominantly Christological character, although the Apostle also frequently develops the ideas expressed in his earlier epistles and speeches. The person of the Lord Jesus Christ is here characterized not only as the Redeemer but as the Creator and Providence of the universe. Even in His incarnation He did not lose His divine Sonship, but only entered a new form of existence—the human—which, however, after Christ’s resurrection gave way to a new and glorified form. Together with the glorification of the God-Man, humanity in general is regenerated and enters into that close communion with God which it once possessed. Man’s true homeland is now not earth but heaven, where Christ already sits enthroned. In order particularly to prove the greatness of Christianity to his fellow countrymen—Christians of Jewish origin—Paul depicts Christ (in the Epistle to the Hebrews) as surpassing in His power the angels who participated in the giving of the law of Sinai, and Moses the lawgiver.

As for the moral prescriptions and regulations concerning the order of church life, these are distributed almost evenly throughout all the epistles. For the most part, moral thoughts follow in the epistles after the dogmatic or polemical section, representing as it were a conclusion drawn from the dogmatic teaching.

The Apostle Paul as a theologian exerted an extraordinarily great influence on the development of Christian theology. The Christological teachings first expressed by him were subsequently developed in the epistles of other apostles, in the Gospels, and in the first literary productions of the second century. In the doctrine of redemption, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Hippolytus, Clement of Alexandria, the Apologists, Augustine, and other later theologians stood under Paul’s influence. But the question arises: how much in Paul’s own teaching is original and independent? Did he himself stand under the influence of Hellenic philosophy or, at the very least, of rabbinical theology? Many researchers say that while the first supposition cannot be considered probable, the second is quite plausible. Is this actually the case?

First, Paul’s dependence on rabbinical theology would need to be evident in his exegetical method. But on careful comparison of rabbinical interpretations with those of Paul, a substantial difference is found between the two. In the first place, the rabbis, when explaining Holy Scripture, wanted to find in it at all costs a grounding for the religious-ritual opinions of Judaism. The content of the Bible was thus determined in advance. To this end, impermissibly drastic operations were performed on the text, interpreting it chiefly in a typologically-allegorical fashion. The Apostle, on the other hand, although he accepts the traditions of the Jewish church, does not accept them in their rabbinical coloring but as the heritage of the whole Jewish people, preserved in its collective memory. He uses them only for illustration of his own positions, not ascribing independent significance to them. If he permits allegorical interpretation in certain places, his allegories take on the character proper to types: the Apostle regarded the whole history of the people of God as prefigurative in relation to the history of the New Testament, and interpreted it in a messianic sense.

Furthermore, in his teaching about Christ, Paul is also independent of Judaeo-rabbinical opinion. For the Jews the Messiah was not only not an eternal being, but was not even the first expression of God’s will for the salvation of people. Before the world—says the Talmud—there existed seven things, and the first of these things was the Torah. The Messiah-Deliverer was conceived only as the supreme embodiment of the idea of lawfulness and the best fulfiller of the law. If, moreover, the law is well observed by people, then no special Messiah is needed. For the Apostle Paul, however, Christ—existing from eternity as a fully divine Person—is the cornerstone of the entire edifice of redemption.

This alone indicates that Paul’s teaching about Christ and the rabbis’ teaching about the Messiah are diametrically opposed! Moreover, in his understanding of redemption Paul also diverges from the rabbis. In the view of the rabbis, a Jew could himself attain genuine righteousness—for this purpose he need only observe the Mosaic law precisely. The Apostle Paul said the exact opposite, asserting that no one can be saved by his own powers. The Messiah, in the rabbinical view, was to appear to those Jews who had already justified themselves before God, merely to crown their righteousness—granting them, for instance, freedom and dominion over the whole world; whereas according to the Apostle Paul, Christ came in order to grant humanity justification and to establish a spiritual kingdom on earth.

Paul’s teaching differs from rabbinical teaching in other points as well: on the question of the origin of sin and death, on the question of life after death and the second coming of Christ, on the resurrection of the dead, and so on. From this the correct conclusion can be drawn that the Apostle developed his teaching himself on the basis of the revelations given to him, drawing on what had reached him through the witness to Christ from other apostles and preachers—eyewitnesses to the earthly life of the Savior.

Resources for Studying the Life of the Apostle Paul:

a) patristic: John Chrysostom, “Seven Homilies on the Apostle Paul.”

b) Russian: Innocent, Archbishop of Kherson, Life of the Apostle Paul. Archpriest Mikhailovsky, On the Apostle Paul. Archpriest A. V. Gorsky, History of the Apostolic Church. Artabolevsky, On the First Missionary Journey of the Apostle Paul. Holy Glagolev, The Second Great Journey of the Apostle Paul with the Preaching of the Gospel. Hieromonk Gregory, The Third Great Journey of the Apostle Paul.

c) foreign works in Russian translation: Renan, The Apostle Paul. Farrar, The Life of the Apostle Paul (translated by Matveev, Lopukhin, and Father Fivesky). Wrede, The Apostle Paul.

For the theology of the Apostle Paul one may read the extensive and thorough dissertation of Prof. I. N. Glubokovksy, The Gospel of the Apostle Paul According to Its Origin and Essence, vol. 1, St. Petersburg, 1905, and vol. 2, St. Petersburg, 1910. This work also cites all the literature on the Apostle Paul in various languages up to 1905. Also valuable is the book of Prof. Simon, The Psychology of the Apostle Paul (translated by Bishop George, 1907). Interesting and important in an apologetic respect is the article by Nosgen, Der angebliche orientalische Einschlag der Theologie des Apostels Paulus (Neue Kirchliche Zeitschrift, 1909, issues 3 and 4).

On the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Romans.

Time of Writing

During his third stay in Corinth (Acts 20:2 ff.), when the Corinthians were relatively peaceful among themselves and not engaging in mutual disputes, the Apostle Paul wrote (around the beginning of AD 59) the Epistle to the Romans—the most important and most carefully worked of his epistles. This epistle was dictated by the Apostle to the scribe Tertius in the house of Gaius, in which the local Christian community gathered (Rom 16:22 ff.), and was sent to Rome through Phoebe, a resident of the port of Cenchreae, who was held in esteem among the Corinthian Christians (Rom 16:1 ff.). Paul writes with the joyful awareness that his great task is accomplished, since he has proclaimed the Gospel from Jerusalem—in the east—to Illyricum—in the west (reaching to the Adriatic Sea)—and has established churches in all the more important cities as strongholds of the Gospel (Rom 15:19). But his ardent spirit does not hunger for rest but for new conquests: he wishes to visit the West—first of all the capital of the empire, Rome, and then Spain (Rom 15:24). Only he must first personally deliver to Jerusalem the contributions gathered in Macedonia and Greece (Rom 15:25 ff.), not concealing meanwhile that on this journey he is placing his life in danger (Rom 15:31). All this corresponds to the position of the Apostle Paul at the end of his third journey (cf. Acts 19:21).

Purpose of Writing

In the view of many ancient and modern researchers of Paul’s writings, the Epistle to the Romans represents a brief exposition of Christian teaching, which the Apostle offered to the Romans as a kind of account of his preaching, which he was now ready to carry to the West. But under this assumption, the fact that the epistle is addressed to Rome becomes accidental; moreover, the notion that this epistle provides an exposition of Christian doctrine is also incorrect. Indeed, it does not contain a complete unfolding of all the main truths of the Gospel: there is no detailed Christology and eschatology, and the sacrament of the Eucharist is not mentioned at all. Finally, it is also conspicuous that the Apostle here has in view showing the inadequacy of the Jewish-Pharisaic standpoint, rather than depicting the pagan view of life. Others, supposing that the Roman Church consisted predominantly of Jews who had converted to Christ (a great many Jews lived in Rome)—citing Rom 4:1, where Paul speaks of Abraham as “our father according to the flesh,” and Rom 7:1 ff., where the readers are depicted as people who had been “under the law” and had now been freed from it—define the purpose of the epistle as follows: Paul wished to give these Roman Christians an explanation concerning the true meaning of his mission, which was unbound from the Mosaic law, and to win them over to his side, so that their distrust would not hinder him from working in the West. But the arguments adduced in support of this view are untenable. The Apostle Paul equally in epistles written to churches made up of converted Gentiles speaks of the ancient Hebrews as “our fathers” (1 Cor 10:1) and presupposes their familiarity with the Mosaic law (Gal 4:21). Evidently, in his view all Christians were a new “people of the covenant” and true descendants of Abraham “according to the Spirit.” Evidently, Gentile Christians too were required to become acquainted with the Old Testament (in the LXX translation, of course) as the historical foundation for understanding the Gospel narrative. Furthermore, a whole series of passages in the Epistle to the Romans clearly points to Gentile Christian readers. Thus: Rom 1:6 includes the Roman Christians among the “called of Jesus Christ” among the Gentiles; in Rom 1:13 the Apostle expresses his hope to have “some fruit” among them, as among other Gentiles; in Rom 15:16 he presents his epistle to them as a part of his priestly ministry among the Gentiles; in Rom 11:13 he speaks directly of them as Gentiles, whereas in Rom 9:3 he calls the Jews his brothers and kinsmen according to the flesh. Finally, in Acts chapter 28 (Acts 28:21 ff.) the Roman Jews tell Paul that they know nothing about him, have received no letters from Judea concerning him (let alone from him!), and know about Christianity only that it arouses controversy everywhere. All this would be difficult to understand if the Roman Church consisted of converted Jews.

Some hold that the Roman Christians were converted Gentiles who had received the Gospel through Judaizing Christians, who had taught them that observance of the law was necessary even for Christians. The Apostle wishes to correct their understanding of Christianity and to instill in them a proper appreciation of the significance of the Mosaic law. In support of this view, it is pointed out that the Apostle in the first part of the epistle refutes the defenders of the law and circumcision, as well as the privileges of the people of Israel. But this view is contradicted by the fact that the Apostle clearly expresses his joy at the general condition of the Roman Church. He gives thanks to God for all the Roman Christians (Rom 1:8); he testifies that he holds the same faith as they, and wishes to be comforted by that faith of theirs (Rom 1:12); he is convinced that they are full of good disposition, filled with all knowledge, so that they are themselves in a position to instruct one another; for this reason he regards his epistle only as a reminder, not as instruction in something new (Rom 15:14 ff.). All this would be a kind of ingratiating flattery, if in reality Judaizing Christianity—against which the Apostle constantly struggled—dominated in Rome. There is yet another opinion, according to which the Roman Church was of mixed composition—that is, consisting of Christians from among Jews and from among Gentiles. The epistle was written with the aim of reconciling the two groups, with the first eight chapters directed to Jewish Christians and the subsequent chapters 9–15 to Gentile Christians. But against such a supposition one must say that it is hardly possible to discern such conciliatory aims throughout the epistle. Only chapters 14 and 15 might perhaps have such a tendency.

Most probable is the supposition that the Epistle to the Romans was written with the aim of refuting the views of Pharisaic Judaism, but addressed to a church consisting in the main of converted Gentiles, among whom there were also Christians of Jewish origin, but in whom there was no Judaizing agitation. Why, then, did Paul write to such a church in an openly anti-Judaic spirit? The Roman Church was founded not by Paul, nor even by Barnabas or Peter, but by unknown Christian newcomers, who in proving the truth of the Gospel appealed of course to the prophecies fulfilled in Christ. But the book that contained these prophecies also contained the Mosaic law as a revelation given by God to the chosen people of Israel. Through this, the notion could easily have formed that the Gospel was merely an improvement of the Old Testament, or a new law with more stringent demands. The Romans in particular could easily have understood the Gospel this way, since they were inclined above all to regard religion as the punctual observance of lawfully established ceremonies. When the Roman Christians heard about Paul, it may have appeared to them that Paul’s teaching permitted moral license, or that it could serve as a justification for the moral dissolution that reigned in Rome at that time. The Jews could always point to this as well. For this reason Paul decided, in advance of his arrival in Rome, to acquaint the Romans with his preaching, which was free from the narrow legalistic understanding of the Gospel. He offered them in the epistle an outline of his anti-Pharisaic polemic and showed that the Gospel is not a new law but a power that gives man justification from sins and brings him into fellowship with God. By this he wished to strengthen the faith of the Romans, to give them a more complete understanding of Christ and His work, and to cut off the approach of any Jewish agitation. The epistle may be called a brilliant protest against the spirit of nomism.

Authenticity

Both ancient commentators and modern researchers unanimously affirm (two or three exceptions do not count) that the author of the Epistle to the Romans was the Apostle Paul. Jülicher in his preface to the exposition of the Epistle to the Romans (Weiss edition) says: “The authenticity of the epistle can be disputed only by one who ventures to remove the person of the Apostle Paul from history.” Some difficulty for commentators is posed only by the circumstance that the epistle, strictly speaking, has three conclusions: Rom 15:33; Rom 16:20. But this can be explained by the fact that Paul had first ended the epistle at Rom 15:33, then found it necessary to add greetings, which were again at first concluded at verse 19 of chapter XVI, followed by a conclusion (verse 20), but then continued in verses 21–23, to which Paul could not fail to give a conclusion once more (verse 24). As for the doxology of chapter XIV (Rom 14:24-26), the majority of codices place it at the very end of the epistle.

Content

The Apostle Paul speaks in the epistle chiefly about the justification of man, which must have man’s blessedness as its natural consequence. For this justification, people are indebted solely to the Gospel. In the Gospel, or in Christianity, the righteousness of God is revealed—that is, the will of God reaches us, and His being penetrates into us; through faith we enter into a living communion with God, and divine righteousness becomes at the same time our own, and we form the true Kingdom of God—the kingdom of righteousness.

The Apostle develops this thought as follows. First he establishes the fact that apart from the Gospel there exists only the manifestation of God’s wrath, which must fall upon both those who willfully shield themselves from the truth and those who, though they know the truth, do not put it into practice. To the first category belong almost all Gentiles, whom God—for this departure from the truth—delivered over to the will of their passions and vices; to the second belong chiefly the Jews and partly the Gentiles (ch. I – ch. III, v. 20). Thus, God was previously, before the proclamation of the Gospel, wrathful with people. Now, however, it is different: He imparts His righteousness to people through the sacrificial offering of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, for the sins of people. Everyone who believes in Christ the Redeemer becomes justified in the eyes of God (III:21–26). Intimations of this manner of justification are found in the Old Testament as well, as is evident from the example of Abraham (III:27–IV). The fruit of our justification by faith is reconciliation with God and eternal blessedness, though the latter is for now only the object of our hope (V:1–11). Through justification we recover that state of innocence and glory of which Adam once deprived himself (V:12–21). In Christianity, a sinful life is no longer conceivable—the Christian has with Christ begun a new, holy life, from which he can no longer, ought no longer, return to the former ways of life in sin (VI:1–23). But what then remains of the Mosaic law, which formerly held such great significance? We Christians, says the Apostle, have already died to the law and should not grieve over it, because it only contributed to the manifestation of our sinful inclinations without providing the means to overcome them (VII:1–25). Christians now live under the guidance of the Spirit of Christ and live only for righteousness and in hope of eternal life (VIII:1–11), which will certainly become our possession (VIII:12–18). Our hope for future blessedness is strengthened by the groanings of creation, the groanings of our own heart, and the groanings of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us (VIII:19–27). Moreover, faith in God’s predestination also provides a foundation for our hope of glorification (VIII:28–39).

Thus Paul has exhausted his theme—“the righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel from faith to faith.” But since in the first chapter (v. 16) he had spoken of the Gospel as the power of God for salvation—to the Jew first—while up to this point the Jews had appeared to the Apostle as if they had utterly lost all hope of salvation, he now considers it necessary to explain that he is not in fact denying the possibility of salvation through the Gospel even for the Jews. Although the number of Jews already saved is very small, and the vast majority—indeed, one might say, the entire Jewish nation—has taken up a hostile attitude toward the Gospel and remained outside the threshold of Christ’s Kingdom, nonetheless in the distant future the Jewish people will turn to Christ and will be received into the bosom of Christ’s Church (chs. IX–XI).

In the following, hortatory, part of his epistle, Paul gives the Roman Christians an explanation of the duties they have taken upon themselves by entering the Church of Christ. They must manifest their faith in Christ in their lives—first, as members of the church community (ch. XII), and then as members of the state, consciously submitting to the civil law (XIII:1–12). Finally, Paul gives some guidance on the personal self-improvement of a Christian (XIII:12–14). All this represents an unfolding of the foundational statement in ch. 12, v. 1: “Serve God!” With this same principle of “serving God” Paul also advises the Roman Christians to be guided in the disputes about so-called things indifferent (adiaphora) that were then being conducted in the Roman church: all should think only of how to please God, strive to eliminate partisanship, sacrificing their self-love, following the example of Christ (chs. 14–15:4). In the same way, the Roman Christians should not divide into Jewish-Christian and Gentile-Christian communities, because the Lord wishes to have both Gentiles and Jews in His Church (XV:5–13). Two remarks—about the tone of the epistle (XV:14–21) and about the Apostle’s future plans (XV:22–33)—form the epilogue of the epistle. To this are added greetings and some concluding exhortations (ch. 16).

Thus the Epistle to the Romans has the following arrangement: a) introduction (I:1–17), b) the didactic part (I:18–XI:36), c) the hortatory part (XII:1–XV:13), and d) the conclusion (XV:14–XVI).

Text of the Epistle

The text of the epistle can be determined from ancient manuscripts, ancient translations, and from quotations cited in the works of the Church Fathers and ecclesiastical writers. Among the manuscripts—some are written in uncial letters and originated before the 10th century, while others are in ordinary script, as was written from the 10th century onward. The former number eleven, and the most ancient of them are: the Sinaiticus and the Vaticanus (B)—both from the 4th century; the Alexandrinus (A) and the Codex Ephraemi (C)—from the 5th century. All manuscripts—both ancient and later—fall under one of three categories. These are either: 1) the Alexandrian text, probably so named because it was used in Egypt and in the capital of Egypt, Alexandria; or 2) the Graeco-Latin, so named because it was adopted in the western churches and was accompanied by a Latin translation; or 3) the Byzantine, contained in almost all the later manuscripts written in ordinary small script, and which was adopted in the Greek Empire. Among these texts there are differences, and it is not easy to determine which of these text forms should be given preference.

Of the translations of the epistle, two go back to the 2nd century: namely, the ancient Latin translation, the Itala (from which the Vulgata was revised and adopted in the Catholic Church), and the Syriac translation, the Peshitta. Both of these translations are not only in accord with each other on essential points, but also correspond to the text of our Greek manuscripts—which is of great importance in attesting the integrity of our Greek text. The Itala is closer to the Graeco-Latin text, while the Peshitta is closer to the Byzantine. A third, somewhat later translation—the Coptic (Egyptian)—follows the Alexandrian text exactly. As for the quotations from the epistle found in the ecclesiastical writers of the 2nd century, these also confirm our confidence in the integrity of the Greek text received by us, at least in the most important passages. Thus, St. Irenaeus of Lyons in AD 185 published a work in which about eighty-four verses from the Epistle to the Romans are cited. Around AD 150, Justin the Philosopher quotes chapter III, verses 11–17 from the Epistle to the Romans. Around AD 140 the heretic Marcion published his edition of Paul’s epistles, and Tertullian in his work against Marcion cites about thirty-eight verses of the epistle from this edition. Moreover, Tertullian himself in his writings quotes about a hundred passages from the Epistle to the Romans (AD 190–210). Finally, Clement of Rome, around AD 96, quotes in his epistle to the Corinthians a passage from chapter 1 of the Epistle to the Romans (vv. 28–32).

In the Bibles published in four languages by the Holy Synod, the Byzantine text of the Epistle to the Romans (the so-called Textus Receptus) is generally printed. From this text the Slavonic translation of the epistle was made; the Russian translation, however, departs from it significantly in many places and provides additions to it (printed in italics).

Commentators on the Epistle

Among the patristic commentaries and explanations of the ancient church theologians on the Epistle to the Romans, the following works are known: 1) Origen (3rd century), preserved in the Latin reworking of Rufinus; 2) Ephrem the Syrian (4th century)—preserved in an Armenian translation, from which a Latin translation was made in 1905 and a Russian translation as well; 3) Ambrosiaster, or as is supposed, the Roman deacon Hilary (4th century); 5) Augustine (end of the 4th century); 6) John Chrysostom, 33 homilies (4th century)—newly translated into Russian by the St. Petersburg Theological Academy; 7) Theodore of Mopsuestia (4th and 5th centuries); 8) the blessed Theodoret (5th century)—translated into Russian; 9) Oecumenius (10th century); and 10) Theophylact the Bulgarian (11th century)—translated into Russian.

Since the time of the Reformation in the West, very many commentaries on the Epistle to the Romans have appeared. The most notable works are: 1) Luther (16th century), 2) Calvin, 3) Melanchthon, 4) Beza—all of that same period, 5) Grotius (17th century). In the 19th century, the most valuable works were published by Tholuck, Meyer, Fritzsche, Philippi, Hengel, Umbreit, Ewald, Hoffmann, Godet, Weiss, Lipsius, Sanday (in English). In the 20th century, notable works include those of Jülicher (in the Weiss edition of Die Schriften d. N. T.), Lietzmann, Richier, and especially the serious and massive work of Th. Zahn, Der Brief an die Römer, 1910.

Among Russian works, the greatest fame belongs to the commentary on the Epistle to the Romans compiled after the Holy Fathers by Bishop Theophan (Govorov). It has been published several times by the Russian Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos. Apart from this, there are no separate commentaries on the Epistle to the Romans in Russian. There exist only brief explanations of the epistle in textbooks and reference works on the New Testament Scripture, intended for theological seminaries (by Ivanov, Khersakov, Rozanov, Lebedev).

* * *

Notes

In the East, in large cities, one still finds today quite a few people who speak two or three languages. And such people are found among the lower classes of society.

It is supposed that the Apostle had already visited Corinth twice before this (cf. 2 Cor 13:2).

There is now located here a basilica called S. Paolo fuori le Mura.

See on this in the brochure by I. Frey, Die letzten Lebensjahre des Paulus, 1910.

In Greece, in the city of Delphi, there is preserved a letter of Emperor Claudius to the Delphians, carved in stone. In this letter the proconsul of Greece is named as Gallio, the brother of the philosopher Seneca—the very one before whom the Apostle Paul was brought by his enemies, the Jews of Corinth. The noted scholar Deissmann in his article on this monument (appended to Deissmann’s book Paulus, 1911, pp. 159–177) argues that the letter was written in the period from the beginning of AD 52 to August 1, AD 52. From this he concludes that Gallio was proconsul in that year and probably assumed office on April 1, AD 51, or even later, in the summer. Paul had already been in Corinth for 1½ years before Gallio assumed the proconsulship; consequently, he arrived in Greece and specifically in Corinth in the first month of AD 50, and left there in the late summer of AD 51. Thus, according to Deissmann, the Apostle’s second missionary journey lasted from the end of AD 49 to the end of AD 51. But such a supposition at present rests on insufficiently firm foundations.

Why did the Apostle Paul not visit Africa, and in particular such an important city as Alexandria? Deissmann (p. 135) explains this by the fact that in AD 38—that is, at the beginning of Paul’s missionary activity—persecutions of the Jews broke out in Alexandria, and that later other preachers had already appeared there.

Among works translated into Russian, the following on the life of the Apostle Paul are notable: Weinel, Paulus, der Mensch und sein Werk (1904) and A. Deissmann, Paulus. Eine kultur- und religionsgeschichtliche Skizze, with a fine map “The World of the Apostle Paul” (1911). Lively written is the little book by Prof. Knopf, Paulus (1909).

Chapter One

Greeting to the readers (1–7). The occasion and purpose of writing the epistle (8–17). The theme of the epistle: the revelation in the Gospel of God’s righteousness and the first proof that outside the Gospel people are subject only to the wrath of God (18–32).

Romans 1:1. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, a called Apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, The epistle begins with an extensive greeting addressed to the readers. Here the Apostle speaks of his right to address a letter to the Romans. He is an Apostle called by Christ and has received specific authority from him to preach the Gospel to all nations. “A servant of Jesus Christ.” All Christians are servants of Christ, who is their Redeemer and Lord (2 Pet 2:1). But Paul most likely calls himself a “servant of Christ” here in a special sense, as one chosen by Christ for a particular ministry, as the closest and most direct executor of Christ’s commands. Moses likewise calls himself a servant of God (Num 12:7 and following). In other places Paul designates this same relationship to Christ with the terms ὑπηρέτης (1 Cor 4:1), διάκονος (1 Cor 3:5), οἰκονόμος (1 Cor 4 and following). Cf. Phil 1:1, where the Apostle assigns to himself and Timothy the title of servants of Christ, calling the rest of the Christians simply saints. “A called Apostle.” In the early Church, the term apostle was sometimes applied to traveling preachers of the Gospel who had not, however, received authorization from Christ (2 Cor 11:5) or from any particular church. Paul is not like them: he received a special calling (κλητός) to be an apostle, received it from Christ himself, and was recognized as a true apostle of Christ by the representatives of the Church (cf. Gal 2:7-10). This had certainly been reported to Rome by Paul’s friends (Rom 16:3). “Set apart for the gospel of God.” The Apostle is a man separated for the proclamation of the good news that comes from God. He has been set apart, freed by God from all other duties and concerns, so that he might devote himself fully to the great work of proclamation entrusted to him (the expression ἀφωρισμένος—meaning “separated”—is the same as the Hebrew word perushim, in Greek transliteration—φαρισαῖος. Paul is a Pharisee—in the highest sense of the word: he has separated himself in Christianity from all ordinary occupations and concerns, just as he had separated himself from the common people when he was a Jew and at the same time a strict Pharisee). He is called to be the Apostle of a new divine revelation—concerning the salvation of humanity. His teaching is not human but divine.

Romans 1:2. which God promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, “Which God promised beforehand.” Wishing to assure the Romans that the Gospel he preaches as an Apostle is not a human teaching but a message of divine origin, Paul says that God himself foretold it through his prophets in the holy scriptures. The readers already knew, of course, that Christ and the apostles pointed to the fulfillment in the New Testament of Old Testament prophecies (see Luke 4:17-21; Matt 11:5; Isa 60 and following; Matt 12:17-21; Isa 42:1-4 and so on). Paul undoubtedly does not wish to repeat that idea here. He points only to the fact that the scriptures, in which the coming of the New Covenant is foretold, are holy—that is, they contain no error: one must believe them also in what they say about Christ’s Kingdom…

Romans 1:3. concerning his Son, who was born from the seed of David according to the flesh, “Concerning his Son.” The good news that God now offers to humanity through his envoys—the apostles—has as its principal subject, or rather its central point around which everything else in the Gospel revolves, the Son of God. In what sense is Christ called the Son of God here? Since the Son of God is here named the main subject of the Gospel—that is, the apostolic proclamation—and since this proclamation concerns the Son of God in general, first in the state before his incarnation and then as incarnate, one may conclude that Paul has used this expression here in a broad and most comprehensive sense, encompassing both the eternal pre-existence of the Son of God and his earthly life. He always was and remained the true Son of God even in the state of humiliation, the Only-Begotten Son. “Who was born from the seed of David according to the flesh.” Although Christ was the Son of God, he nevertheless appeared on earth as a man, assuming human flesh and blood (the phrase “according to the flesh” completes the phrase “from the seed,” that is, from the posterity of David).—As for the miraculous manner of Christ’s conception, the Apostle speaks of it in Rom 8:3 and in 2 Cor 5:21, where the sinlessness of Christ is discussed. Indeed, if Christ were called the Son of God by Paul only in an improper sense, if Paul supposed that his father was Joseph and not God, then Paul could not at the same time regard Christ as free from the inherited sin of Adam.—It is noteworthy that the most detailed information about the miraculous supernatural birth of Christ is provided by Paul’s coworker, Luke.

Romans 1:4. and was declared Son of God in power, according to the Spirit of holiness, through the resurrection from the dead—Jesus Christ our Lord, “And was declared Son of God.” Some modern commentators, on the basis of the meaning of the Greek verb ὁρίζειν used here—which supposedly contains an indication of some change taking place in the person to whom it refers—hold that the passage speaks of a transformation of Christ’s human nature into a glorified, divine one, for which Christ prayed to the Father before his death (John 17:5). But according to the interpretation of the ancient Fathers of the Church and other ecclesiastical commentators, the Apostle says here only that from the time of Christ’s resurrection his dignity as the Son of God, which had previously been dimly perceived even by his apostles, became clear to all. “The image of the Lord was finally defined, and all who perceived it through faith cried out with Thomas: My Lord and my God!” (Bishop Theophan). And how this was defined—the Apostle says further—“in power”—that is, the Lord appeared after the resurrection as the Mighty One who saves (Isa 63:1). Earlier he abode in a state of weakness (2 Cor 13:4; Heb 2:14). “According to the Spirit of holiness”—that is, the glorification of Christ as the God-man had as its inner and effective cause his perfect holiness, of which the Apostle also speaks in the epistle to the Hebrews (Heb 9:14). Since it was already stated in the Old Testament that the Holy One of God would not undergo corruption after death (Ps 15:10), the perfect holiness of Christ also excluded the possibility of his body’s decomposition after death, and Christ, being entirely free from corruption, necessarily had to be healed miraculously, in an instant, when the hour of his resurrection struck. Thus, the glorification of Christ in the act of the resurrection was fully in accord with that perfect holiness of his which was not for a single moment obscured by anything throughout Christ’s earthly life. “Through the resurrection from the dead”—that is, from the time (ἐξ) of the resurrection from the dead. The resurrection was for Christ the first (in time) manifestation of his glorification as the God-man. “Jesus Christ our Lord.” These words form an appositive to the expression in v. 3: “concerning his Son.”—Regarding the glorification of Christ, which, so to speak, drew him out of the narrow circle of Jewish nationality (Rom 15:8), the Apostle speaks in order to make clear to the Roman Christians that he, Paul, was called by the glorified Christ, who through this glorification entered into a relationship with all of humanity and thus also produced Paul as an Apostle for all the nations of the earth.

Romans 1:5. through whom we received grace and apostleship to bring about obedience of faith for his name’s sake among all the nations, Romans 3:24. “Through whom we received grace and apostleship.” Among the Greeks, the plural pronoun was often used in place of the singular. This was done in cases where the person speaking receded into the background and where the primary aim was to highlight the very work accomplished by that person. So the Apostle here speaks, accordingly, only of himself alone, as the apostle appointed chiefly for bringing the Gentiles into the Church of Christ.—“Grace”—that is, the saving grace that poured out upon Paul on the day of his conversion to Christ (the explanation of the word—Romans 3:24).—“Apostleship”—this is a particular grace-filled ministry consisting in bringing salvation to the whole world.—To bring about obedience of faith among all the nations—more precisely from the Greek: “to bring about obedience of faith among all nations for the glory of his name.” By faith it is better to understand the preaching about faith (cf. Acts 6:7: “many obeyed the faith”). “Nations.” The Greek word ἔθνη can be translated as “peoples,” but both in the Old Testament (Gen 12:3; Isa 14:6) and in the New (Acts 9:15; Gal 1:16; Eph 2:11 and in our epistle: Rom 2:14) it is also used as a special technical term for Gentiles, and here this expression undoubtedly carries that same meaning.—“For his name’s sake.” These words (in Greek: ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόμ—in honor of his, Christ’s, name) recall the words of Christ to Ananias about Paul: “he is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name before the nations” (Acts 9:15).

Romans 1:6. among whom you also are, called by Jesus Christ, — “Among whom you also are, called by Jesus Christ.” By this the Apostle indicates his right to address the Roman Christians with a letter. He is the Apostle to the Gentiles, and they too had been Gentiles; thus Paul is obligated to care for them, and they ought to listen to him. He was called by Christ (v. 1), and they too were called by Christ (κλητοὶ Ἰ. Χ.)—the Master is the same for both him and Paul, and if Paul serves him as an Apostle, then the Romans must serve Christ as obedient children of the Apostle.

Romans 1:7. to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. “To all.” With this addition Paul broadens the circle of persons to whom he sends his letter. It is clear that there were also Jewish Christians in Rome.—“Beloved of God.” God loves all people (John 3:16), but with regard to unbelievers the love of God can only be compassion, not that close inner communion in which God stands with his children—the believers.—“Called to be saints.” He calls them Christians in this way to show that they are holy, that is, separated from the sinful world by the call of God, which serves as their guarantee for the permanence of this holiness.—“Grace to you and peace.” By grace one should here understand the love of God manifesting itself in ever-new expressions among the faithful; and peace is that feeling of complete inward rest that the awareness of one’s reconciliation with God imparts to a person.—From God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The love of God and the love of Christ are distinct: one is the love of a Father, the other the love of a brother. Christ loves people with his own love (Rom 5:15). By showing that the giver of gifts is not only the Father but also the Son, the Apostle, according to Theodoret, “teaches us the equality of the Father and the Son.”

Romans 1:8. First of all, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. What moves the Apostle to write to the Romans is his love for them, as well as his awareness of the duty he has toward them as Apostle and teacher of the Gentiles. This letter has as its purpose to strengthen the Romans in the Christian faith and life. It takes the place of the personal conversation the Apostle would have liked to have with the Romans but could not have until now. If they suppose that he has not come to them all this time because he was afraid to proclaim the crucified Christ in the capital of the world, they are mistaken. He is not ashamed to preach the Gospel, because it is the power of God saving people, and because in it the righteousness of God is revealed. The Apostle begins almost all his epistles with a thanksgiving to God for the flourishing of the church to which he is writing. He particularly emphasizes here the circumstance that the conversion of many Romans to faith in Christ is spoken of throughout the whole world. By this the Apostle points to the great benefit that this fact should have in the spread of Christianity: the provinces, evidently, will follow the example of the capital!—“My God.” With this expression the Apostle points to his personal experience, by which he was convinced of God’s love specifically for him, the least of all (1 Cor 15:8).—“Through Jesus Christ.” The Apostle sends up his thanksgiving to God through Christ, as the Head of the Church and as his own Head.

Romans 1:9. God is my witness—whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son—that I make mention of you without ceasing, The Apostle confirms by calling God as witness that he ceaselessly, amid all his many varied activities, remembers the Romans. “I serve”—the Greek word used here (λατρεύω) denotes a properly liturgical or cultic action (cf. Rom 15:16). So highly does the Apostle regard the work of proclaiming Christ!—“With my spirit”—that is, with his whole inner being.—“In the gospel of his Son”—that is, (I serve) by preaching about the Son of God.

Romans 1:10. always requesting in my prayers that somehow at last, by the will of God, I may succeed in coming to you, “Somehow”—more precisely from the Greek (ἤδη ποτέ): at last now, finally (cf. Phil 4:10).

Romans 1:11. for I greatly desire to see you, in order to impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, Romans 1:12. that is, to be mutually encouraged among you, each by the other’s faith—both yours and mine. “A spiritual gift.” The Apostle wishes to minister to them through one of the many spiritual gifts he possessed (cf. 1 Cor 14:26).—“To strengthen you”—more precisely from the Greek: “that you may be strengthened.” Paul, by using the passive form here, thereby draws his own person into the background and brings into the foreground only the very result of his activity, because in his conviction it is God himself who strengthens Christians.—“That is”—“or, to put it more correctly…” “To be mutually encouraged.” In strengthening others in faith, the Apostle at the same time strengthened himself as well. Such strengthening was probably needed by him then, in view of certain setbacks he had experienced (cf. Acts 28:15). “Mutually”—the Greek word used here (ἐν ἀλλήλοις) points to a mutual interaction, by virtue of which the Apostle’s faith was to act upon the faith of the Romans and the faith of the Romans upon the faith of the Apostle.

Romans 1:13. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you [but have been prevented until now], in order that I might have some fruit among you as well, as I have among the rest of the nations. Romans 1:14. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. Romans 1:15. So, as far as I am concerned, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also, who are in Rome. Readers of the epistle might with some justification ask themselves: how could it happen that Paul, who had already been an Apostle for some twenty years, had not found the time to visit the capital of the Roman empire and proclaim the Gospel there? The Apostle answers this supposed question. He had many times wanted to come to them in order to spread the Gospel in Rome among those who had not yet heard it, but had until now encountered serious obstacles to the fulfillment of his desire. And he is very well aware that it is his direct duty to preach in Rome, because he is obligated to proclaim Christ to all the Gentiles (“nations,” v. 13)—both Greeks, among whom he evidently includes the Romans (Cicero in his work De finibus sets Greeks and Italians together over against the region he calls Barbaria—II, 15), and barbarians.—“You who are in Rome.” Here the Apostle evidently has in mind not only Christians but the entire Roman population in general, whose representatives for Paul are the readers of the epistle.

Romans 1:16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Paul did not come to Rome because he was ashamed to appear there with his supposedly too-simple proclamation, as the Roman Christians might have thought. No, he is not at all reluctant to come forward with the Gospel before the Greeks and the wise, because this Gospel is a power for salvation; and if a person brings other people salvation, they will certainly not pay attention to the form in which salvation is communicated to them, however strange and imperfect it may seem to them. “Salvation” (σωτηρία). This word contains two ideas: the idea of deliverance from evil and destruction, and the idea of the bestowal of the good—eternal life in communion with God. The possession of both these blessings is conceived of as a state of spiritual health (from σώς—healthy, normal). Christians will receive this salvation in its fullness only at the second coming of the Lord, at the last judgment (Rom 13:11, Phil 1:19; cf. 1 Cor 3:15; Rom 5:9), but in part this salvation is granted even now: the Christian in principle already possesses it (2 Cor 6:2; Rom 3:24). “To everyone who believes.” The condition for receiving salvation is faith. Salvation would not be possible for all to obtain if anything beyond faith were required—for example, the fulfillment of the Mosaic law. The faith of which the Apostle speaks here is nothing other than the simple acceptance of the salvation offered by the preachers of the Gospel. A person need only receive and believe the Gospel—and he immediately begins to enjoy the saving fruits of the redemption accomplished by Christ. Such is the original meaning of the expression “to believe” (πιστεύειν) so frequently used by Paul. This acceptance of the Gospel is based not on any logical proofs but on a heartfelt trust in the truthfulness of the preacher of the Gospel (Rom 4:18 and others)—a trust that a special grace of God produces in the soul of a person. Afterward, of course, faith must manifest itself in many other ways—in good works, in living by faith—but here the Apostle speaks only of the very first moment, when it is the simple reception of the truths of the Gospel. “To the Jew first and also to the Greek.” The word “first” (πρῶτον), according to Chrysostom’s explanation, indicates “only the order in receiving grace,” which, in the words of Theodoret, is based on the fact that Christ and the apostles came from the Jews, and on the further fact that promises of salvation were given to the Jews (cf. Matt 10:6).—Since the Greek is here contrasted with the Jew, by Greeks one should understand not only cultured pagans (as in v. 14) but all non-Jews or Gentiles in general. The Gentiles are called Greeks here because the Greeks were undoubtedly the most prominent nation among the pagan peoples.

Romans 1:17. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written: the righteous person will live by faith. The very content of the Gospel already serves to explain its miraculous effect in the world. In it precisely is revealed the righteousness of God, previously hidden. From the Gospel we learn that God is righteous and in what exactly his righteousness consists. We learn all this through our own experience, because we appropriate and establish the righteousness of God within ourselves. Before, the possibility of appropriating this righteousness was a hidden mystery (Rom 14:24).—That “the righteousness of God” (δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ) means here precisely “God’s righteousness” is evident from the fact that this expression is paralleled in the following verse by the expression “the wrath of God”—in Greek ὀργὴ Θεοῦ, where Θεοῦ (of God) is unquestionably a possessive genitive. From this one must necessarily conclude that also in the expression δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ the word Θεοῦ is likewise a possessive genitive (cf. Rom 3:5). “From faith to faith.” These words relate to the expression “is revealed” as its nearest antecedent in the Greek text. The Apostle wants to say that not all people in the Gospel discern and appropriate the righteousness of God, but only those who have faith (“from faith”)—that is, faith in Christ who died and rose again. These truly enter a new life and advance toward a complete and saving assurance concerning their future destiny (Rom 8:38-39), or attain to the highest degree of faith (“to faith”). “As it is written.” And the prophet Habakkuk, to whom the Apostle refers as the spokesman of the Old Testament worldview, likewise says that a person can be justified and saved only by faith in God—or, what amounts to the same thing, only by appropriating within himself the righteousness of God. Habakkuk knew no other righteousness, no other way of salvation! Thus, the word “by faith” is best understood, in accordance with the context, as modifying “the righteous person,” and the words “will live” are to be understood as meaning “will be saved.”

Romans 1:18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. In order to portray the greatness of the Gospel even more clearly, the Apostle goes on to depict the wretched state in which humanity lay before Christ. Through the end of the first chapter he first of all paints the life of the Gentiles, who, although they could have had some knowledge of God, deliberately suppressed within themselves the light of truth in order to live without restraint according to the desires of their hearts, and who also invented for themselves false gods (18–23). The angered God punished them in two ways. Since they stripped the Creator of the honor due him and traded him for creatures, God allowed them to sink to the most extreme degree of depravity and to dishonor themselves through various unnatural vices (24–27). And since they disdained the knowledge of God that was available to them, God allowed them to fall into such a dark abyss of immorality that they not only committed immoral acts themselves but also approved of others who did the same (28–32). The Gospel is necessary in view of the fact that without it, first of all the Gentiles, there would remain nothing but to bear the severe punishment of God for their sins. “Is revealed.” The revelation of God’s wrath is not tied by the Apostle to any single era: the Lord has punished sin from the very moment people began to sin. Yet there is no doubt that the Apostle had in view primarily the depiction of the fall of paganism in his own time—a fall to which God, angered by the Gentiles, allowed them to descend.—“The wrath of God” (ὀργὴ Θ.). The wrath of God is in essence also the righteousness of God, but manifesting itself in a negative direction. It has as its object what is unrighteous in a person, is called forth precisely by the moral anomaly of the human being, and not so much by an offense against the divine person. The Greeks also attributed wrath to their gods, but the wrath of those gods (μῆνις) was in essence not what Paul calls the wrath of God (ὀργὴ Θ.). It had the character of implacability, envy, and hatred. The gods took offense at people chiefly because of the disrespect people showed toward their persons, and were appeased when a person compensated them with offerings, without regard for the inner state of the person offering sacrifice. But the true God can turn his wrath to mercy only when a person has completely changed for the better in a moral respect (Heb 10:5-6; cf. Ps 39:7-8). “From heaven.” The Apostle adds this to show that the phenomena described below were truly results of God’s wrath, and not merely natural consequences of the Gentiles’ errors. (Otherwise the expression “the wrath of God” might be interpreted in a figurative sense…) By heaven here is meant, of course, not the atmospheric or stellar heaven, but the mysterious dwelling place of the throne of the Eternal Judge; the visible heaven serves for us only as a symbol of that higher heaven. The prodigal son, confessing his sin before heaven and before his father (Luke 15:18), evidently looked upon heaven as the avenger of violated sacred feelings.—“Against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people”—that is, against those who do not acknowledge the true God and do not wish to be guided by his laws in life (this is ungodliness—ἀσέβεια), in which the fault lies with their evil will, by which they place their own self above God (this is unrighteousness—ἀδικία). That is, unrighteousness is the cause of ungodliness.—“Who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” These words more precisely define wherein lay the guilt of the Gentiles. They, as is evident from v. 19, could have known God in nature and found at least some portion of the great truth—that is, could have believed in the existence of the Eternal Judge and Rewarder—but they stubbornly strove to extinguish this saving light in their consciousness (κατέχοντας), and this, the Apostle again notes, they did precisely by virtue of the corrupt impulses of their depraved will, which did not wish to acknowledge higher divine laws of life, so as not to have to renounce their vicious pursuits (“in unrighteousness”—ἐν ἀδικίᾳ). This is evidently the same thought that the Lord expressed in his conversation with Nicodemus: “people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).

Romans 1:19. Because what can be known about God is plain to them, since God has shown it to them. Here the Apostle proves that the Gentiles deliberately extinguished the light of truth, and did not merely err out of ignorance—(because) “what can be known about God” (τὸ γνωστὸν τοῦ Θ.)—that is, what any person can know by natural means, without receiving special revelations from God—what this is, is stated in v. 20.—“Is plain to them”—more precisely: within them (ἐν αὐτοῖς)—that is, in their consciousness (cf. Rom 2:15).—“Since God has shown it to them.” By this the Apostle wishes to say that even natural knowledge of God ultimately has its foundation in the will of God. If the Gentiles sometimes sought, so to speak, to seize the higher divine mysteries by force, that was on their part a fruitless labor; people can come to knowledge of God only when God wills it.

Romans 1:20. For his invisible attributes—his eternal power and divinity—have been clearly seen from the creation of the world, being understood through the things that are made, so that they are without excuse. “His invisible attributes.” So the Apostle calls the properties of God’s being in order to show that people needed a special divine guidance to discover a truth not accessible to ordinary observation.—“His eternal power and divinity.” This forms the closer definition of “his invisible attributes.” In the foreground stands eternal power—one aspect or one property of the Deity—namely the omnipotence of God. Indeed, God presents himself first of all to primitive humanity as the Almighty. The omnipotence of God is called eternal, since it was necessary to distinguish the First Cause of all things from various secondary causes and powers. By divinity (θειότης from θεῖος) one should understand the totality of divine attributes—wisdom, goodness, righteousness, holiness. (The very Godhood or divine essence is denoted by Paul with another word—θεότης. Col 2:9.)—“Have been clearly seen from the creation of the world through the things that are made.” The attributes of God (his invisible things) became accessible to observation from the time when God’s creations came into existence. Already Adam could see in God’s creations the manifestation of divine wisdom, omnipotence, and goodness. The visible world ought to have the same significance for every person who looks at it (καθοράω) not as an animal but rationally, reasoning about what in the life of nature is cause and what is effect (νοούμενα from νοῦς, mind).—“So that they are without excuse.” These words point to the purpose that God has in making himself known to humanity through nature (in the Greek text the particle εἰς is used here, not ὥστε—the latter indeed means “so that,” while εἰς always means “in order that”). Of course, the inexcusability of the Gentiles was not the chief aim of God when he unfolded before humanity the picture of the world; but it is nonetheless beyond doubt that God, wishing by this picture to lead humanity onto the path of true knowledge of God, at the same time wanted the person who, in the event of his inattention to God’s revelation in nature, was punishing himself rather than God, to condemn himself when God punished him for that inattention…

Romans 1:21. For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened; Romans 1:22. claiming to be wise, they became fools, Romans 1:23. and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image resembling corruptible man, and birds, and four-footed animals, and reptiles, — In vv. 19–20 the Apostle clarified what he understood by “truth” in v. 18. In vv. 21–23 he more precisely indicates in what the suppression of truth consisted, which he mentioned at the close of v. 18. This suppression consisted in the fact that the Gentiles, although they had come to know God (γνόντες), were unable to retain this knowledge within themselves, but on the contrary hastened to extinguish in their consciousness the light of truth.—“They did not glorify him as God”—that is, they did not render him honor as the Supreme, Supra-mundane Being; they did not adorn him in their consciousness with the perfections fitting him—their minds were insufficient for this!—“Or give him thanks.” They did not even feel a heartfelt attraction toward God; they did not relate to him as to their Benefactor.—“They became futile in their thinking”—that is, they became people whose thoughts are occupied with trivial, base matters. The expression “thinking” (διαλογισμοί) points to a disordered activity of the mind.—“Their foolish hearts were darkened.” The heart, the center of mental and volitional activity, was darkened—that is, became dark, having been deprived of the light spread abroad by true knowledge of God. As a result of people’s mental degradation, their heart or, primarily, their rational capacity became foolish (ἀσύνετος). Indeed, the more a person’s mind grows unaccustomed to occupying itself with higher, divine matters, the more its receptivity and capacity for understanding those matters weakens: the mind becomes, in this respect, simply incapable of discernment…—“They became fools”—that is, they reached the extreme of stupidity. The reference is to peoples who in general prided themselves on their intellectual development (Egyptians, Greeks, Romans).—“The glory of the incorruptible God”—that is, the greatest divine perfection as it appeared to people in visible nature (see v. 20). The pagans must originally have formed an extraordinarily brilliant image of the Deity—an image in which was concentrated all that is most perfect from the standpoint of human reason.—“Exchanged for an image”—that is, replaced the image of God that had originally become clear in their consciousness with an image of various creatures. The Apostle has in mind the various idols worshiped by the Gentiles—idols depicting human beings, animals, and birds. Similarly the Psalmist speaks of the Hebrews: “and they exchanged their glory” (that is, Yahweh) “for the image of an ox that eats grass” (Ps 105:20). Of course, the Apostle does not think that the Gentiles regarded these idols as gods themselves, but he nonetheless wishes to show by this the folly of the Gentiles, who found nothing better than to depict their gods precisely under such forms. Even the image of a human being is an unsuitable representation of the Deity, since a human being is a corruptible creature and cannot represent the incorruptible God… It should be noted that, in Paul’s view, the veneration of idols was by no means a step forward from fetishism (the worship of simple natural objects—stones, trees, etc.). On the contrary, he regards polytheism with its idol-worship as the result of the spiritual degeneration of humanity, as a darkening of mind and heart that ultimately led people to the crudest fetishism. And modern scholarship confirms this view of the Apostle with its investigations. It shows that the original religion was everywhere monotheism and that the pagans of India and Africa are sinking ever lower and lower in a religious sense. [On the origin of idol-worship the Book of Wisdom of Solomon also speaks (e.g. Wis 13:1-8), but what is said there can in no way be regarded as the source of what we find in Paul: so different is the superficial description of idol-worship in the Book of Wisdom from the profound psychological analysis that Paul gives us here!]

Romans 1:24. Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, so that they dishonored their own bodies among themselves. Romans 1:25. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Romans 1:26. For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions: their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones; Romans 1:27. and likewise the men, abandoning the natural use of the female, burned with desire toward one another, men committing shameless acts with men, and receiving in themselves the fitting penalty for their error. The first manifestation of God’s wrath, to the depiction of which the Apostle now turns, was the fact that God allowed people to sink to the most extreme degree of depravity: since they exchanged the word of God, God likewise allowed them to exchange or replace natural relations between men and women with unnatural or contrary-to-nature ones!—“Gave them over.” The ancient commentators unanimously render this expression as: “allowed or permitted them.” Theodoret, for example, writes: “God, seeing that they had not wished the creature to lead them to the Creator… deprived them of his providence, allowed them to drift like an unrigged boat, not wishing to govern those who had fallen into extreme impiety, which brought forth a lawless life.” But beyond the permitting, which properly implies only a passive relation of God toward sinners, in the verb “gave them over” there is also a reference to the active manifestation of God’s wrath. God by this handing-over of the person to the will of his passions punishes the person (cf. Acts 7:42; 2 Thess 2:11 and following). But can such a manner of action be reconciled with the concept of God as the Most Holy Being? It can. God here appears as a wise educator who, in order for his pupil to be fully convinced of the harm of a particular waywardness, allows him the possibility of reaching the extreme expression of that waywardness, after which a reaction must inevitably begin: the pupil, having recognized the full harm of his waywardness, turns to his teacher for guidance. An example of such a turning is the parable’s prodigal son (Luke 15:16-18).—“In the desires of their hearts.” Desires or longings directed toward everything worldly and sinful carry a person away like waves carry a boat that has broken free from the shore.—“Impurity”—that is, sins that defile a person (Rom 6:19) and preeminently fleshly sins (2 Cor 12:21; Gal 5:19). This is the abyss into which the waves carry the boat (in Greek the text reads: εἰς ἀκαθαρσίαν—into impurity).—“So that they dishonored their own bodies among themselves.” The particular feature of sins of incontinence consists in the fact that a person through them surrenders his own body to shame, as happened in various pagan cults (more precisely from the Greek: “so that their bodies were dishonored among themselves”).—“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie.” Verse 25 is a parenthetical remark. Here the Apostle wishes to give a more precise motivation for the divine decision cited in v. 24. People exchanged the truth of God—that is, the correct representation of God (Θεοῦ as subjective genitive)—for a lie or for false gods, for idols (cf. Ps 105:20; Jer 3:10).—“And worshiped” (in Greek ἐσεβάσθησαν)—reverenced (indicating primarily an inner religious devotion).—“Served” (in Greek ἐλάτρευσαν)—performed sacrifices and other rites required by pagan cult.—“The creature rather than the Creator.” Paganism, by its very nature, is the deification of the creature (cf. v. 23), combined with forgetfulness of God the Creator.—“Who is blessed.” The Apostle sends up praise to God, who, despite the efforts of the Gentiles to diminish him, will always be blessed as Creator and Sustainer of the world.—“For this reason he gave them over.” Here the Apostle returns to the thought expressed in v. 24. God was angered at the Gentiles and gave them over to the will of unnatural vices. Before, they were in desires (ἐπιθυμίαι)—now in passions (πάθη), which make of a person a slave who has completely lost his will. These passions are dishonorable (ἀτιμίας)—that is, shameful, consisting in the distortion of the natural order, degrading to the human being. The existence of the unnatural vices indicated in vv. 26 and 27 in paganism is confirmed by testimonies of contemporary Greek and Roman writers.—“Receiving in themselves.” For their departure from true worship of God (“error”—cf. vv. 21–23, 25) the Gentiles visibly to all (“in themselves”) received from God the fitting penalty or punishment, consisting precisely in the handing over of the Gentiles by God to such unnatural vices. It is clear that, according to the Apostle, the moral sense in a person is alive only as long as the idea of the Most Holy Being, God, lives in him. Whoever venerates God ennobles himself, and whoever rejects God falls ever lower and lower in a moral respect. The Apostle evidently does not recognize an “independent” morality.

Romans 1:28. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a debased mind to do what is improper, Romans 1:29. so that they were filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, greed, malice, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness, Romans 1:30. slanderers, defamers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, Romans 1:31. foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Romans 1:32. They know the righteous decree of God—that those who practice such things deserve death—yet not only do they do them, but they even approve of those who practice them. The second manifestation of God’s wrath. Because the Gentiles did not wish to make knowledge of God the guiding principle of their life, God gave them over to the complete darkening of moral consciousness.—“A debased mind.” A debased (ἀδόκιμος) mind—incapable of distinguishing good from evil.—“What is improper” (τὰ μὴ καθήκοντα)—what had previously been considered immoral even among the Gentiles themselves, and which they afterward, having lost their properly functioning mind, began to consider acceptable and therefore performed without fear.—“So that they were filled with…” Here the Apostle gives a more detailed description of the Gentiles’ “improper” acts. Paul also provides a catalogue of vices in the following passages: Rom 13:13; 1 Cor 5:10-11; 2 Cor 12:20-21; Gal 5:19-21; Eph 4:31; Col 3:5; 1 Tim 1:9-10; 2 Tim 3:2-5. Both there and here the Apostle does not follow a strict logical order: broader and narrower concepts appear side by side, and related vices and near-synonyms are linked (for example, φθόνος and φόνος). Paul’s catalogue of sins differs from the catalogues found in the Old Testament (for example, Exod 20-23 ch.; Lev 19; Deut 27) in that in the Old Testament, individual acts and particularly crude sins are foregrounded, while in Paul, sinful dispositions as the source of individual sins occupy the foreground.—“They know the righteous decree of God” (v. 32)—that is, what God requires as Lawgiver and Judge. This is the natural law of moral consciousness (Rom 2:15), which establishes the principle that those who do such things deserve death—that is, eternal death. It should be noted that even the Gentiles had a concept of eternal torments in Hades awaiting obstinate sinners after death. “They give approval to those who practice them.” These words point to the complete darkening of moral feeling among the Gentiles, which was the result of God’s wrathful permission. Public opinion in the pagan world began to approve of wicked people as acting rightly. It is well known that both Caligula and Nero found encouragement in Roman society. Of course, this did not preclude the possibility of a different attitude toward vices and vicious people (see 2:14, 26 and following), but such an attitude was already truly an exception to the general rule in pagan society. One might even say that Gentiles who were able to perceive and properly evaluate all the evil of depravity were, in this respect, going against the general current… * * * Notes Some wish to see here the designation of the theocratic king in the highest sense of that word, or the Messiah. But this opinion cannot be agreed with, given that in John’s Gospel (John 1:49) the expressions “Son of God” and “King of Israel” stand side by side as distinct concepts. Others hold that this expression indicates only the incomparable moral perfection of Christ and his constant communion with God. But against this supposition speaks the circumstance that Paul in our epistle (Rom 8:3) attributes to the Son a pre-existence, which the aforementioned interpretation does not allow… Others explain the title Son of God from the miraculous birth of the Lord from the Holy Spirit; but this interpretation also stands in contradiction with the passage from chapter 8 just cited. Finally, some think that the title Son of God is given to Christ by virtue of the glorification he received after the completion of the redemption. But the Apostle in v. 4 speaks of the title Son of God not as something newly acquired, but as something re-taken up. And here the personal dignity of Christ as Son of God precedes both of the forms of his existence described subsequently—the earthly and the heavenly or glorified. Thus, we have every right to see in the expression Son of God a reference to the divine dignity of Christ. The Apostle expresses faith in Christ as the true God also in other epistles (1 Cor 8:6; Phil 2:6; Col 1:15-17). Zahn renders this passage as follows: “I and the other apostles of Christ received…” According to Zahn, in view here is the command of Christ to the apostles to preach to every creature (Mark 16:15). Deissmann, however, sees here a reference only to the Christian world, to the community of those who believe in Christ, which took a lively interest in how the Gospel was being received in Rome… p. 40. “The Gospel—that is, first of all a religious spiritual power—is not merely a certain worldview, but a reality that renews your entire inner being. It is not a political program, not an ecclesiastical slogan, not a permit for residence in an earthly state, but a purely spiritual magnitude… It has significance in the matter of our relationship to God, of your soul and eternity. Yet at the same time the Gospel brings with it the highest culture, surpassing all that humanity itself could create in the cultural sphere. History has proven the truth of the Apostle’s words: Rome with its culture perished, while Christianity spread and continues to spread, reviving human creativity everywhere.” (Summary from Mayer, Neue Testament fur mod. Bedurfniss) Jülicher translates this verse as follows: “from the creation of the world, in his (God’s) works, something of his invisible being—namely his eternal power and majesty—can be perceived with the eyes of the mind…”

Chapter Two

The wrath of God extends also to those who, though they know the truth, do not put it into practice in their lives (1–16). Among such people the Jews stand in the foreground, for they have the revealed law but constantly transgress it (17–29).

Romans 2:1. Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge another, for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, do the same things. There are people who know well how one must live in order to please God. They like to rebuke others when those others depart from the law of God, but they themselves calmly violate it. The Apostle sternly censures such people, pointing out to them that merely acknowledging the law of God is not enough—one must also fulfill this law. At God’s judgment—an impartial judgment—every sinner will be condemned, whether Jew or Gentile, precisely for violating the law of God, insofar as it is known to the Jew from the revelation of the Old Testament and to the Gentile from the witness of his conscience. “Whoever you are who judge another.” Ancient commentators saw in this “man” the representatives of authority, but it is difficult to agree with this opinion in view of the entire subsequent speech of the Apostle, in which there is no mention at all of rulers. Most modern commentators hold that the Apostle here is addressing a Jew, but this interpretation also cannot be accepted, because here the speech is directed to any person—hence, both to a Gentile and to a Jew—and also because it is only in v. 17 that the address to the Jew is explicitly made. It is more accurate to suppose that the Apostle here has in mind both Gentiles who have not yet lost the ability to understand what is sinful and what is not, and Jews—together.—“You do the same things.” Of course, this does not indicate a perfectly exact repetition of the sins, but in any case it defines the character of the actions of the person passing judgment: in general, they are of the same kind as the sins mentioned in vv. 29–31 of ch. 1.

Romans 2:2. Now we know that the judgment of God falls on those who do such things in accordance with truth. “We”—that is, the Apostle Paul and the Roman Christians.—“In accordance with truth”—that is, in conformity with the true, actual state of affairs. The sinner, even if he has a thorough knowledge of the laws of morality, is condemned.—“The judgment of God” (κρῖμα Θ.)—the verdict of God’s judgment.

Romans 2:3. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Here the Apostle has in view primarily the Jews. The Jews precisely thought that they could escape God’s judgment (cf. Matt 3:7), and that they, already by birth, were sons of the messianic kingdom (Matt 8:12). The Jews also were chiefly the ones who condemned the Gentiles as sinners (cf. Gal 2:15). However, Roman and Greek satirists, who denounced the vices of contemporary society, themselves sinned considerably against morality…

Romans 2:4. Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not understanding that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? Here, without doubt, the Apostle has in mind the Jews of his time. Most of them genuinely did not pay sufficient attention to the numerous and varied manifestations of God’s kindness, by which God often spared them even where they might have expected severe punishment. “Restraint”—more precisely: forbearance (ἀνοχή). The Jews crucified Christ, and the wrath of God did not immediately descend upon their heads. God was giving them time to repent of their sin.

Romans 2:5. But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, “Because of your stubbornness”—cf. Acts 7:51.—“Storing up wrath.” Contempt for divine gifts does not pass without consequence. Every gift of God trampled underfoot by a person increases the treasures of God’s wrath, which is already poised to break out over the stubborn Jewish people in their unbelief, and will break out, first, at the fall of Jerusalem (Matt 3:10; Luke 11:50-51), and second, at the last judgment. In the first case the Jewish nation as a whole will be judged; in the second, individual persons from among the Jewish people.

Romans 2:6. who will repay each person according to his works: “To each according to his works”—that is, in proportion to the moral worth of each person’s actions. Judgment by deeds is spoken of in other passages of Paul’s epistles as well (Rom 14:12; 2 Cor 5:10; Gal 6:6), in the Gospel (John 5:28), and in other writings of the New Testament (e.g. Rev 20:13). How is this consistent with the Apostle’s position that justification is given by faith? Justification is indeed given only by faith, when a person has not yet had occasion to perform good works. But afterward, when a person has already received justification (in baptism) and along with it has appropriated new gracious powers from God, he must necessarily manifest these powers in good works. Works are the necessary fruits of justification accomplished by faith, and at the last judgment God will judge all Christians already by their works. Thus, the servants in the parable receive talents from their master as a gift, but the master considers it natural that the servants should multiply these talents (Matt 25:16). “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire”—John the Baptist taught (Matt 3:10; cf. 1 Cor 3:9-10; Gal 6:7). “Faith leads onto the path of salvation and equips with powers; salvation itself is accomplished through works corresponding to faith” (Bishop Theophan).

Romans 2:7. to those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality—eternal life; The Apostle speaks here not only of Christians but of humanity in general. In all peoples, in his conviction, there can be people who constantly strive toward the attainment of the highest ideals of life—the highest glorification, which will never end—“immortality”—more precisely from the Greek (ἀφθαρσίαν): incorruption, or better, incorruptible (glory), since this expression serves as a modifier of “glory and honor.” Is such a seeking of glorification permissible, however, from a religious standpoint? Does it not stir up in a person a love of glory and ambition? No, it does not. Once this seeking is directed toward eternal glory in the Kingdom of Heaven, it arouses only good dispositions. “In order to desire and seek that glory and honor, one must renounce oneself and everything high and elevated on earth, and descend to the most humble and lowly lot” (Bishop Theophan).—“Eternal life”—that is, eternal blessed life in the Kingdom of Christ (Rom 5:21 and following; Gal 6:8). There and then precisely will be realized the ideal toward which these people had been striving throughout their entire earthly life. But if the Apostle here promises the Kingdom of Christ to everyone who seeks a higher ideal, does he not contradict himself—that position of his own that without faith in Christ salvation is impossible for a person? This perplexity can only be resolved by the assumption that the Apostle considers it inevitable for such a person—sooner or later—to turn to Christ. Christ the Savior said: “the one who does what is true comes to the light” (John 3:21; cf. Rom 7:17). And indeed, the striving for the ideal that animates a person drives him toward Christ, in whom this ideal has already found its realization. Striving for virtue is, one might say, already in itself agreement with the teaching of the Gospel. And if in this life a person striving for the ideal does not have the opportunity to join the Church, this opportunity opens to him beyond the grave. Such is the meaning of the words of the Apostle Peter about the preaching of the Gospel to the dead (1 Pet 3:19).

Romans 2:8. but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth but give themselves over to unrighteousness—wrath and fury. “Are self-seeking and do not obey the truth”—more precisely from the Greek: “for those who act out of partisan and personal interests (τοῖς δὲ ἐξ ἐριθείας—from ἔριθος, a hired worker, one who works for money) and who are (consequently) disobedient to the truth.” By truth one should understand the truth known to people from the beginning—the existence of God and the elementary concepts of morality (cf. Rom 1:18). Disobedience to this truth was evidently the result of the development in people of self-seeking impulses.—Unrighteousness (ἀδικία)—the opposite of truth (cf. Rom 1:18).—“Wrath” (θυμός)—inward agitation of the soul; “fury” (ὀργή) encompasses both the wrathful gaze and the wrathful verdict and the punishment.

Romans 2:9. Tribulation and distress for every human soul who does evil, for the Jew first and also for the Greek! Romans 2:10. But glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, for the Jew first and also for the Greek! Here the thought of vv. 7 and 8 is repeated, in order to bring into view the equal accountability before God’s judgment of both Jews and Gentiles.—“Tribulation” (θλίψις)—misfortunes, calamities.—“Distress” (στενοχωρία)—a completely inescapable situation (cf. Rom 8:35; 2 Cor 4:8).—“For every human soul”—for each individual person.—“For the Jew first.” “From everyone,” said Christ the Savior, “to whom much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48). The Jews, who knew what threatens the violators of God’s law and what awaits its fulfillment (Lev 19; Deut 28), are of course subject to greater accountability for neglect of God’s law.—“And peace.” Since this peace is placed among the rewards together with glory and honor, it cannot here signify the inner tranquility of a person, but something external—namely salvation in the broad sense of that word, as in ch. 1:7 (peace from God).—“For the Jew first.” Since the law prescribed to the Jew an extraordinarily broad task (“your commandment is exceedingly broad” — Ps 118:96), it is natural that the Jew should have preeminence over the Gentile also in the matter of reward, as one appointed to be a faithful fulfiller of God’s will. Here, as above, the Apostle of course speaks of Jews and Greeks not yet enlightened by the light of the Gospel (Chrysostom).

Romans 2:11. For there is no partiality with God. Romans 2:12. For as many as have sinned without the law will also perish without the law; and as many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. “For there is no…” The Apostle grounds his position, stated in vv. 7–10, in the fact that God cannot have any partiality toward individual peoples (cf. Acts 10:34; Sir 32:15).—“As many as have sinned without the law.” Here the Apostle develops the thought of v. 11. The sinner will inevitably be punished, whether or not he knew the Mosaic law—this is the Apostle’s basic position. Gentiles who sinned in their lives but did not violate the Mosaic law (which was unknown to them—though there were other Gentiles who did know the law: these were the proselytes) will be (at the last judgment) doomed to perdition (cf. v. 5), although the strict provisions of the Mosaic law will not be applied to them (“without the law”—ἀνόμως): they will be condemned on the basis of that understanding of God’s will accessible to them—that is, on the basis of the law of natural morality. On the other hand, Hebrews, who possessed the Mosaic law, will be condemned for their sins in the manner required by that Mosaic law (“will be judged by the law”); they will have to answer at the last judgment on an incomparably greater number of counts than the Gentiles.

Romans 2:13. for it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified, Here the Apostle confirms the idea of the necessary condemnation of sinful Jews. Moses once told the Hebrews that the law given to them was the greatest treasure, the possession of which placed the Hebrews in a special, exceptional position among all the peoples of the earth (Deut 4). Of course, he said this with the assumption that the Hebrews would fulfill this law; but they, over time, became fixed in the notion that the Mosaic law was a saving palladium for them, a magical means of escaping all social calamities—that by knowing the law they were thereby already full members of the kingdom of the Messiah and would not be subject to any judgment at all. The Apostle now demolishes their self-conceit. Knowledge of the law alone is not sufficient for salvation—fulfillment of the law’s requirements is needed. “Hearers of the law”—an allusion to the Saturday gatherings of Jews in synagogues for the reading of sections from the Old Testament (cf. Acts 15:21; 2 Cor 3:14).—“Before God” (παρὰ Θεῷ)—in the judgment of God (cf. 1 Cor 3:19; 2 Thess 1:6).—“Doers of the law.” The Apostle himself says below that there can be no doers of the law in the full sense of the word (Rom 3:20). Consequently, here too he could only have had in mind people who do their best to fulfill the law.—“Will be justified.” Likewise the justification in view here is not a recognition of a person’s complete righteousness, not a testimony that some people can fulfill the entire law (Mosaic or evangelical). It means only that God will reward people who strive to fulfill the law and fulfill it as best they can. It should be noted that justification here no longer has the same meaning as in ch. 1 (and ch. 3). There it signified the appropriation by a sinner of the righteousness of God, the cleansing of the sinner and the equipping of him with gracious powers for a new life in Christ; here it has the meaning of an acquittal, the verdict that will be pronounced over a person who has lived according to God’s law at the last judgment of God.

Romans 2:14. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires, they, not having the law, are a law to themselves: Romans 2:15. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their thoughts alternately accuse or else defend them. Here the Apostle grounds the thought stated in v. 13. That justification at God’s judgment will indeed be granted not to hearers but to doers of the law—this is beyond doubt! If it were otherwise, if God were to justify Jews merely for hearing the law, then he would be obliged, as a just Judge, to justify Gentiles as well, because they too listened to what the law of conscience prompted them, but for the most part did not fulfill it—just as the Jews did not fulfill the Mosaic law. The Apostle, however, for the purpose of shaming the Jews, takes into account here those exceptional cases when Gentiles—evidently, the best among them—followed the voice of this natural moral law.—“Who do not have the law”—the revealed, Mosaic law, or a law received from God in a manner similar to the Mosaic.—“Do by nature what the law requires”—that is, they fulfill in essence those individual moral requirements clearly expressed in the Mosaic law. They are moved to this by nature (φύσις)—that is, an innate moral instinct.—“They are a law to themselves”—that is, this instinct takes the place for them of the divinely revealed law that the Jews have.—“They show”—that is, through this fulfillment of the moral law they plainly demonstrate to the attentive observer.—“That the work of the law is written on their hearts”—that is, what the divinely revealed law requires, recorded in the Mosaic law on stone tablets, is inscribed in their, the Gentiles’, hearts. The heart in Holy Scripture is always the seat of the emotions, from which all decisions issue that have influence on a person’s entire life (Matt 15:19).—“While their conscience also bears witness.” By conscience (συνείδησις) in Paul (cf. Rom 9:1; 1 Cor 8:7-10) is everywhere understood a person’s awareness of the moral character of his actions, when he can say to himself whether they are bad or good. It is understood that this presupposes the existence of a norm by which conscience renders judgment on actions. Conscience, to translate more precisely from the Greek, adds its testimony (συμμαρτυρούσης) to the impulse or prompting that proceeds from the heart—an impulse toward the performance of a good action. That is, conscience, after the heart, is the second witness to the existence among the Gentiles of a moral law. It says “amen” to the declaration of moral instinct or to the word proceeding from the heart, just as those present in the synagogue said “amen” after the reading of a passage from the law. “And their thoughts alternately accuse or else defend them.” Rabbis were accustomed to debate among themselves regarding the sinfulness of various human actions—whether actual or only possible. So also the Gentiles discuss the worth of their actions or, more precisely, of the thoughts and motives that lay at the basis of those actions. The thoughts of the Gentiles struggle with one another in this process: some attack, others defend (the reference is not to a person’s judgment of other individuals, but to a conscientious person’s judgment of himself). These thoughts (λογισμοί) are individual expressions of conscience, which in them judges particular actions of a person and their motives, on which the moral character of the actions themselves depends. Not only Gentiles but also Christians often judge, long after performing an action, not only the action itself but also the thoughts they had when performing it, and their judgment often diverges from their earlier views. Conscience not infrequently passes judgment even on itself, convicting itself of insincerity and partiality in the condemnation that took place earlier. It is evident from the Apostle’s words, therefore, that the Gentiles have their own law (moral and internal), have definite views on the character of human actions, and discuss these actions—just as the Jews do all this. But is that sufficient? If they do not fulfill the requirements of the moral law, they will of course be condemned by God. With such a position the Jews would undoubtedly fully agree. Why, then, do they not apply what was said to themselves? For they too do not fulfill their own, divinely revealed law—consequently, they too will be condemned by God. This is what the Apostle wished to say in vv. 14 and 15… It should be noted that in depicting the Gentiles favorably here, the Apostle of course had in mind rare and exceptional cases from Gentile history. One may recall, for example, Neoptolemus (in Philoctetes), who refuses to save Greece at the cost of deception; Antigone, who commits a violation of the strict royal law in order to fulfill the duty of love toward her executed brothers; or Socrates, who, out of obedience to the authorities, does not wish to save himself from execution by flight. In his dealings with Gentiles the Apostle had probably also encountered examples of Gentile nobility.

Romans 2:16. on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secret things of people through Jesus Christ. This verse has a direct connection to v. 15, and the parenthesis that closes v. 15 is better transferred to the end of v. 16. The Apostle wants to say that the conflict of “thoughts” among the Gentiles will be especially pronounced on the day of the dread judgment of God, when God himself through Jesus Christ will judge people’s secret intentions. The Gentiles will have much to deliberate then—both defending themselves and accusing themselves, acknowledging their transgressions, the fact that they did not heed the voice of their conscience in time… Yet the Apostle still makes it clear that the judgment will take place exactly as it ought to, in accordance with what the Apostle proclaimed (“according to my gospel”) about the equality before God’s judgment of all people, whether Jew or Gentile. Moreover, the judge will be Jesus Christ; and Jesus Christ, according to Paul’s teaching, is the second Adam (Rom 5:14; 1 Cor 15:45), and consequently stands in relation not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles, and will undoubtedly be merciful to the Gentiles as well, since God wills that all people be saved (1 Tim 2:1-7).

Romans 2:17. Now you call yourself a Jew and rest upon the law and boast in God, Having stated the general principle—that it is not possessing the law but fulfilling the law that justifies a person before God (vv. 13–16)—the Apostle applies this principle to the Jew. The Jew prides himself enormously on knowing the law and even being able to teach it to others. But what benefit is that knowledge to him? For he takes no care to fulfill the law, and thereby only dishonors the name of God, since the Gentiles look upon the Jews as the people of God. If the Jews should appeal to the fact that they do at least fulfill the law regarding circumcision, that appeal will be of no benefit to them. What does it matter if they are circumcised? Bodily circumcision does not in itself grant justification—what matters is inner circumcision, circumcision of the heart, through which a person becomes a fulfiller of God’s law. The Apostle begins to enumerate the theocratic privileges that the Jews displayed before the Gentiles as their exclusive possession. First of all, they bear an honorable name (“Jew” comes from two words: yehudah and yah—glory of Yahweh) and are fond of being so called (cf. Rev 2:9). Then they comfort themselves with the awareness that they have the law; in their opinion this guarantees them against any shipwreck, even if they do not take care to fulfill the law (“rest upon”—more precisely: repose calmly upon it). Christ himself pointed to this delusion of the Jews (John 5:45). Finally, the Jews boast that God is exclusively their God and protector (cf. Gen 17:7; Isa 45:25; Jer 31:33), but, as the Apostle will show below (Rom 3:29), they are greatly mistaken in this…

Romans 2:18. and know his will and approve what is superior, being instructed from the law, In the previous verse the Apostle indicated the privileges of the Jews that are, so to speak, independent of them. Here he points to the special capacities by which they surpass the Gentiles. The Jews know the will of God—that is, what God requires of a person: it is all written out in the Mosaic law! The Jews discern what is superior (δοκιμάζεις τὰ διαφέροντα)—that is, they can precisely determine how best to act in given circumstances, since they have a law that defines, one might say, every step of a person’s life (being instructed from the law).

Romans 2:19. and are confident that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, Romans 2:20. an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth: Here, finally, the pride of the Jews is indicated—the pride in the role they were, in their own conviction, called to play in the history of all humanity. This is the role of guide, instructor, teacher (an allusion to the Jews’ striving to increase the number of proselytes (Matt 23:15)), who look upon all Gentiles as blind, ignorant, and childish. The Apostle clearly does not agree with this high opinion the Jews have of themselves (“are confident”—this is irony). Indeed, to teach others the fulfillment of the law while oneself not fulfilling the law at the same time—these are two incompatible things.—“Having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth.” In the Mosaic law the Jew truly found a precise sketch (“embodiment”—μόρφωσις), a strictly defined formula of the knowledge or understanding that every person should have of things and actions, and of the truth—that is, of the very substance of virtue. Knowledge thus points to the subjective, inner possession of a person, while truth points to something objective, existing outside the person, which becomes the object of knowledge. That is, the Jews possessed, by having the law of Moses, not only the truth itself but also its precise formula, by means of which they could convey this truth to others. This was indeed their genuine advantage.

Romans 2:21. you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? Romans 2:22. You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say, “do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? Romans 2:23. You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? Romans 2:24. For, as it is written, the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you. Here the Apostle puts to shame the Jews, who, considering themselves capable of teaching the Gentiles, were themselves mired in various vices. Theft, adultery, and sacrilege—these are their main crimes on which the Apostle fixes his attention. And all the while they everywhere boast of being the people of God! Do they not thereby bring shame upon the very name of God?—“You steal… you commit adultery.” The Apostle chooses these two examples of Jewish criminality probably for the purpose of showing that the Jews also had vices corresponding specifically to the pagan ones of greed and incontinence (Rom 1:29).—“You rob temples” (ἱεροσυλεῖς). Chrysostom, Theophylact, and many others see here a reference to instances of Jews stealing precious objects from pagan temples, and this interpretation is fully consistent with the preceding remark of the Apostle: “you who abhor idols.” Evidently the word “you rob temples” also refers to the theft of sacred objects from idol temples, which did occur in reality (Acts 19:37).—“Because of you… the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles.” The Gentiles, seeing the depraved life of the Jews, would of course say: “Can this be the people that God loves? Can a God who loves such people be the true God?” (Theophylact of Ohrid).

Romans 2:25. For circumcision indeed is of value if you keep the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Since the Jews might further object to the Apostle that they are guaranteed from God’s judgment by the circumcision they have received—which, according to the general conviction of the Jews, was like a patent for entry into the kingdom of the Messiah—the Apostle sees it as necessary to dwell especially on this point. Circumcision, he says, is indeed of value—it makes a person a participant in all the promises given by God to the chosen people—but at the same time the reception of circumcision is the acceptance by a person of an obligation to fulfill God’s law, to please God (cf. Gen 17 and following; Lev 18:5; Deut 27:26; Gal 5:3).—“The law.” By “the law” the Apostle understands all the prescriptions of the Mosaic law, pertaining to both the ceremonial and the moral life of the Jewish people. And circumcision was but one of these many prescriptions.—“Has become uncircumcision”—that is, by not fulfilling the law, you become just as culpable before God’s judgment as the sinful Gentile who is uncircumcised.

Romans 2:26. So then, if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Here the Apostle takes the reverse case in order to show the absurdity of the Jews’ reliance on circumcision alone. If a Gentile begins to fulfill the law without having received circumcision, will this not be counted for him at God’s judgment as though he had received circumcision? The Apostle evidently has in mind here those cases he spoke of in v. 14. There might be, somewhere in a distant land, Gentiles who had no notion of the Mosaic law but who, by the prompting of the heart, were fulfilling in essence the same things required by that law—acts of mercy and the commandment of purity. Such people could not remain without reward from God (cf. v. 10), even though they did not have circumcision.

Romans 2:27. And will not the physically uncircumcised man who fulfills the law condemn you who, having the written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? Such an “uncircumcised man by nature”—that is, by virtue of his Gentile origin, through no fault of his own—will condemn at the last judgment the Jew who does not fulfill the law; he will condemn him, of course, not by words but by his very appearance, by his example.—“Having the written code and circumcision.” By the written code (γράμμα) the Apostle understands the letter of the law. The Jew always had before his eyes the law, clearly inscribed in writing. This is already quite different from the inner, sufficiently indeterminate voice of moral instinct by which the Gentile had to be guided in his moral life! (vv. 14 and 15). The Jew also had circumcision, which constantly reminded him of the obligation to fulfill the law. And despite all this, the Jews turned out to be constant transgressors of the law!

Romans 2:28. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision what is external on the flesh; Romans 2:29. but a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from people but from God. One can be a Jew outwardly—that is, have circumcision, or, what amounts to the same thing, bear on the body (the flesh) the sign of union with God—circumcision—and at the same time not be a true Jew and not stand in a genuinely special communion with God. A similar thought is expressed in the Gospel as well (see Matt 8:11). Conversely, the title of a true Jew—that is, a person who has special rights in the history of the economy of salvation—can only be given to one who is such inwardly (in soul), who by his moral nature stands out among other people. The true circumcision is likewise circumcision of the heart—that is, the removal from the heart, from the inner being of the person, of everything impure and sinful.—“By the Spirit.” More correctly: by the Holy Spirit. If one understands here the human spirit, then its addition would be entirely superfluous alongside the expression “of the heart.”—“Not by the letter.” The mere fulfillment of the letter, or the external ordinance about circumcision, is insufficient, because it says nothing about the necessity of the inner transformation of the person receiving circumcision, and cannot produce such a transformation of itself. Only the Holy Spirit changes the inner life of a person!—“His”—that is, both the true circumcision’s and the true Jew’s.—“Praise.” This word relates to the meaning of the name “Jew” (praise of God). The praise will of course be pronounced upon such a person and such a circumcision at the last judgment (cf. 1 Cor 4:5). * * * Notes Deissmann says that even now in the East, Christians buy stolen precious carpets from mosques for their own homes…

Chapter Three

The advantages of the Jews do not free them from God’s judgment (1–8). The Word of God itself testifies to the fact of universal condemnation for sin, and therefore to the condemnation of the Jews as well (9–20). Only the death of the Lord Jesus Christ frees people from condemnation. Justification is given to people through faith in Christ (21–26). The harmony of this means of justification with the true meaning of the law (27–31).

Romans 3:1. So then, what is the advantage of being a Jew, or what is the benefit of circumcision? From the preceding chapter it had become clear that a sinning Jew is just as subject to the wrath of God as a sinning Gentile. But in that case the question arose about the advantages of the Jewish people—what exactly were they? After all, the Apostle himself in chapter 1 had hinted at the existence of these advantages (Rom 1:16). To this anticipated question the Apostle replies that the Jews had many advantages, and above all they possessed divine revelation. If this possession had not led to the end toward which it should have led—namely, their acceptance of Christ—did this mean that God’s faithfulness to the promises given to the ancestors of the Jews had been annulled? No; one could rather say that through the unbelief of the Jews, God’s faithfulness to those promises had become all the more manifest. But if, in this manner, the sin of human unbelief serves the highest glorification of God, can God be angry with sinners? If one were not to acknowledge God’s right to be angry even with those sinners whose sins serve to glorify His holiness, this would mean denying the possibility of a final judgment over all humanity.

Romans 3:2. Great advantage in every respect, and especially in that they were entrusted with the words of God. Romans 9:4. “Great advantage”—more precisely: much, or many (advantages). The Apostle speaks of these advantages in detail in chapter IX (v. 4 and following).—“The word of God.” Since in verse 3 God’s faithfulness to this word is celebrated—or more precisely, to the divine revelations (τα λόγια του θ.)—it is clear that by the word of God we must understand the divine promises (cf. Romans 9:4 αί εκαγγελίαι), which are found not only in the prophets (cf. Acts 3:24) but also in the Pentateuch. Romans 3:3. For what then? If some were faithless, will their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? Romans 3:4. By no means. God is true, and every person a liar, as it is written: You are just in your words and will prevail when you are judged. “For what then?”—that is, how is this to be understood? (The unbelief of the Jews in the promises seemed to annul the significance of those promises entirely.)—“If some were faithless.” The word “some” (τινές) denotes a part of a whole but does not indicate how large that part is.—“Were faithless”—more precisely: did not believe (ηπίστησαν), that is, did not believe in the Messiah who had come, despite having a promise concerning Him. For the Apostle at that time the attitude of the Jewish people toward Christ had already become perfectly clear (cf. chapters 9–11).—“Faithlessness”—more precisely: unbelief (in Christ).—“Will it nullify”—that is, will it lose its force?—“The faithfulness of God”—God’s faithfulness to His promises given once to His people.—“By no means.” “God is true.” Here the Apostle affirms in general God’s faithfulness to His promises, but it is obvious to every reader that this also provides the answer to the question posed in verse 3. Paul wants to say that God will certainly fulfill in the Hebrew people the promises given to that people’s patriarchs, but he states and develops this thought only at the end of chapter 11.—“Every person a liar.” Only a human being, a creature of weak will, is prone to lying—that is, to going back on one’s words and promises.—God is not like that! “You are just…” In Psalm 50, from which these words are an excerpt, David repents before God for having sinned against Him, before His eyes. By this he means to say that he understood well what he was doing—God had explained to him beforehand (in the law) the criminal nature of the deeds David had committed, yet David committed them anyway (cf. Ps 50:8). From this there emerges a resemblance between David and the people of Israel. Israel, the bearer of divine revelations, was thoroughly acquainted with what sin against God is and what consequences it leads to. If now, contrary to these extraordinary admonitions, Israel nevertheless fell into falsehood—rejecting the Messiah—it has no right to accuse God for its own rejection. Before the words “You are just” one should add the conjunction: so that, since the Greek text has the phrase ώπως άν here, omitted in the Russian, and the whole expression is therefore better translated: “so that you may be acknowledged as just (in your judgment over David and Israel).”—“And you will prevail”—and so that you may appear victorious, should you enter into contention (naturally, over the rejection of Israel, which Israel resented). The Apostle quotes this psalm according to the Septuagint text.

Romans 3:5. But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust when he inflicts wrath? (I speak from a human perspective.) Romans 3:6. By no means. For otherwise how would God judge the world? If human unrighteousness can serve, so to speak, as a magnificent backdrop for the revelation of Divine Righteousness—for the good stands out and is seen most clearly when set against something bad—then why does God grow angry with the unrighteous, that is, with unbelieving Jews? This, according to the Apostle, is how one could speak only from a purely human perspective: a person left to himself looks at things very superficially and makes perverse judgments about the works of God. Would it not be better—a Jew might have reasoned—would it not be more just on God’s part to forgive us our unbelief in Christ? The Apostle answers this question in the negative. If God had forgiven His people, if He had not counted their terrible sin—unbelief in Christ—against them on the basis of a personal relationship with that people, how could He judge the entire world, all humanity, at the last judgment? No, the righteousness of God demands the punishment of every sin, regardless of its consequences.

Romans 3:7. For if the truth of God has been enhanced through my falsehood to his glory, why am I still being judged as a sinner? Romans 3:8. And why not do evil so that good may come—as some slanderously charge us with saying? Their condemnation is just. Here the Apostle, for greater persuasiveness against the erroneous opinion mentioned in verse 5, presents his own case. The Jews of course spoke of Paul as a sinner, saying that God would punish him for his apostasy from Judaism, and the Apostle, knowing these attacks upon him, points out their illogicality. Why should God punish him? Suppose he preaches falsehood—but if this falsehood, this false teaching with which he appears everywhere, only gives greater opportunity for the truth of God, or the “true” Jewish faith, to reveal itself, then why do the Jews attack him? Should they not rather praise him for it? Then, pressing his argument still further, the Apostle says that from the Jewish point of view (see verse 5), he and other Christians are therefore doing well when they do evil. In reality, of course, Christians do nothing of the sort, and the slander heaped upon them by the Jews will undoubtedly find its just condemnation at the judgment of God—but in any case, if Christians were doing evil in order to give the righteousness of God greater opportunity to manifest itself, then from the Jewish point of view they would deserve praise, not censure… This is the absurdity to which the opinion expressed in verse 5, as the opinion of the Jews who were Paul’s opponents, leads. In later times people sometimes attempted to justify the greatest crimes in history by the great beneficial consequences those crimes had for humanity. Even Robespierre was elevated to sainthood by some on the basis of such reasoning… The Apostle rejects the applicability of such a principle: in his view, a person is answerable before God for his evil deed whatever good consequences it may have, because, as he says in other places in his letters, it is God Himself who turns the evil deeds of human beings to the benefit of humanity (see Rom 9:17; Gal 3:22).

Romans 3:9. What then? Are we any better off? Not at all. For we have already established that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin, Returning to the question about the advantages of the Jewish people raised in verse 1, the Apostle now proves from the Scriptures of the Old Testament that the Jews cannot claim any advantages with respect to the judgment of God, because all of them were sinners. They cannot be saved even by the law given to them by God, which, while not giving people the strength to change their life for the better, only gives the Jews the opportunity to recognize that they remain in sin. “Are we any better off?” The Apostle asks this on behalf of the Jews, among whom he includes himself.—“Not at all”—more precisely in Greek: “not fully, not in every respect” (ού πάντως. If the Apostle had wished to say: not at all, absolutely not! he would have used, as in 1 Cor 16:12, the expression: πάντως ού), that is, the Jews as a chosen people have advantages over the Gentiles (see Rom 9:4-5; cf. Eph 2:11-12), but as individuals they will be judged at the final judgment of God without regard to these national advantages: it will be not the nation but its individual members who are judged. There these advantages will be of no help to them. They had significance for the earthly, historical life of the Jewish people, and happy are those individual members of the Jewish nation who made use of these advantages for their own personal improvement!—“For we have already established.” Unfortunately, the majority of Jews, as the Apostle showed in chapter II (v. 17 and following), did not make use of their special position as the people chosen by God and led lives as sinful as those of the Gentiles.

Romans 3:10. as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one; Romans 3:11. there is no one who understands; no one seeks God; Romans 3:12. all have turned away; all alike have become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Romans 3:13. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they practice deceit; the venom of vipers is on their lips. Romans 3:14. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Romans 3:15. Their feet are swift to shed blood; Romans 3:16. ruin and misery mark their paths; Romans 3:17. and they do not know the way of peace. Romans 3:18. There is no fear of God before their eyes. The condemnations that the Apostle levels against the Jews are consistent with the judgments that their own prophets had already made about the Jews. First the Apostle cites condemnations from the psalms (Ps 13:1-3), then from the book of Proverbs and Isaiah (Prov 1:16; Isa 59:7), and then again from the psalms (Ps 35:2). It is notable that he first depicts human depravity in the most general terms (vv. 10–12), then mentions two particular manifestations of this depravity—in the realm of speech (13–14) and in the realm of action (15–17). He concludes the whole picture by pointing to the source of depravity: the absence of the fear of God in human beings (18).

Romans 3:19. Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God, Romans 3:20. because no flesh will be justified before him by works of the law; for through the law comes knowledge of sin. The Jews could have objected, regarding the scriptural passages cited by the Apostle, that some of these passages refer not to them but to the Gentiles (for example, Ps 13). Against this argument the Apostle points out that these condemnations are nonetheless contained in the law, or the books of the Old Testament, which were written for the Jews and not for the Gentiles. What follows from this? Clearly, the authors of these books intended to warn the Jews, their fellow countrymen, who were likewise threatened with the judgment of God for sins by which they resembled the Gentiles. And in the Jews as well, the law thus discerned—perhaps only in embryonic form—those same sins that existed among the Gentiles.—“The whole world”—all humanity, both Gentiles and Jews.—“Accountable to God”—subject to the judgment of God (υπόδικος τ θ).—“Works of the law.” By this term the Apostle undoubtedly means not merely the deeds of the ceremonial law (performance of the regulations concerning purifications and so on), but also the internal, psychological acts performed by a person through the efforts of his will. The Jew wished by himself, through his own spiritual labor, to fulfill all the manifold commandments of God that constitute the content of the Mosaic law. He thought he could justify himself by his own personal efforts, by the exertion of his own activity… The Apostle views this aspiration as something unachievable—“no flesh,” that is, no human being as a weak, infirm creature (by virtue of the inheritance of sin) can fulfill the law in its entirety (will not be justified before God). If the law gives the Jews anything, it is the awareness of the sad fact of their sinfulness and the complete impossibility of climbing out of the abyss of sin by their own strength alone (“through the law comes knowledge of sin”). The Apostle develops this more fully in chapter VII (vv. 7–11).

Romans 3:21. But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, to which the law and the prophets bear witness, Beginning the most important—positive—part of his letter, the Apostle in brief and clear words points out that the justification which could not be obtained through the fulfillment of the law is given by God Himself, who gives it to all who believe in Jesus Christ and in the redemption He accomplished. In doing so the Apostle explains that in the death of Christ, which Christ accepted for the sins of all humanity, God revealed Himself as on the one hand a strict judge of human sins, and on the other as one who shows mercy and saves people.

Acts 21:20. “But now.” Until this point, before Christ, all humanity was in a state of sin and estrangement from God; now, with the founding of the Christian Church, it has the possibility of receiving justification and salvation.—“Apart from the law.” Christians from among the Jews were generally unable to detach themselves from their attachment to the Mosaic law, to break their connection with the magnificent temple worship and to stop offering sacrifices. “You see, brother,” the Apostle James and the Jerusalem elders said to Paul, “how many thousands of believing Jews there are, and all of them are zealous for the law!” (Acts 21:20). Christians from among the Jews who lived far from Jerusalem (in Greece, Rome) likewise cherished an attachment to the law, supposing that it helped a person in the work of justification by restraining him from sins (Rom 6:15 and following). The Apostle, in view of this error which his readers—Christians from the Gentiles—could also have fallen into, forcefully denies any need for the law in the justification that is now granted to people in Christ Jesus.—“Has been manifested”—that is, has been made manifest. Previously the righteousness of God, according to the Apostle (Col 3:3 and following), was something hidden; now it has become accessible to observation as a known historical fact, as a living reality. “The righteousness of God.”—See Rom 1:17. Here also this expression denotes the divine righteousness appropriated by a person through faith in Christ, by virtue of which a person becomes a new creation, cleansed and justified.—“To which they bear witness.” Although observance of the law is superfluous for those justified in Christ, it does not follow from this that the new means of justification stands in contradiction to the revelation of the Old Testament. Both “the law and the prophets”—that is, the entire Old Testament (see Matt 5:17)—pointed ahead to this justification by faith, which is now given to all humanity (cf. Rom 1:17—the prophecy of Habakkuk, and Rom 4—the example of Abraham). Romans 3:22. the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all and on all who believe, for there is no distinction, Romans 1:17. If, then, justification is given apart from works of the law, by what means is it received by people? “Through faith in Jesus Christ.” Properly speaking, it is not faith itself (for an explanation of this term see Romans 1:17) that has such significance, but the object of that faith—Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament faith was also required of the Hebrew, but that faith had significance in itself, as a certain disposition of confidence that a person attained from the awareness that he himself had fulfilled the conditions of the covenant with God required on his part—namely the works of the law. A person believed, that is, was confident, that the righteousness or justice of God would render him what he had earned. “Here the object of faith recedes into the background; the subject comes to the fore with his moral strength” (Myshtsyn, The Teaching of the Holy Apostle Paul on the Law of Works and the Law of Faith, p. 18). Even in the Messiah, the Jews contemporary with the Apostle Paul looked not for a Savior from sin, condemnation, and death, but only for a messenger of God who was to crown their own achievements. “Pharisaism held that the people of Israel and all its members sufficiently atone for themselves” (Glubokovskiy N. N., The Gospel of the Holy Apostle Paul, Book 1, p. 297). But the Apostle Paul, recognizing the human being as incapable of achieving justification on his own, acknowledging the power of sin on the one hand and the necessity of divine grace on the other, directs the mind and heart of the human being toward Christ, who alone can help him in his hopeless situation. Faith in Christ thus presupposes, on the one hand, self-renunciation and an awareness of one’s own powerlessness in the work of attaining salvation, and on the other—devotion to Christ, an aspiration to be united with Him and to appropriate His righteousness. This faith, it must be noted, is in its essence akin to love: this can be demonstrated by the fact that the Apostle Paul nowhere in his letters speaks of love toward God and Christ—that is, he does not use these phrases (in the letter Rom 5:5; 2 Cor 13:13; 2 Thess 3:5 the expression αγάπη θ. does admittedly occur, but this expression means: the love of God; similarly the expression αγάπη I. Хр. in the letters Rom 8:35; 2 Cor 5:14; Eph 3:19 is to be understood in the sense: the love of Christ). Yet at the same time the Apostle Paul expresses very clearly the thought of the necessity of love toward God and Christ and of the worthlessness of faith without love (1 Cor 16:22; Rom 8:28). It is evident that for the Apostle Paul love enters into the concept of justifying faith as its necessary element (Myshtsyn, p. 168). “For all and on all who believe.” These words refer to the phrase: the righteousness of God. The phrase “for all” (είς πάντας) indicates that the righteousness of God is destined for all people without exception and is offered to all, while the phrase “on all” (επί πάντας) conveys the thought that the righteousness of God is personally appropriated by each individual who believes in Christ. The Apostle seems to be saying: “The righteousness of God is sent to you so that you may believe in it, and it will abide on you, becoming yours, as soon as you believe.” The word “who believe” relates to both expressions.—“For there is no distinction.” The Apostle says this with his fellow countrymen in mind, who could never forget their privileged position as the chosen people.

Romans 3:23. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, “For all have sinned.” When they sinned—the Apostle does not say, but only affirms that the fact of the fall is beyond doubt. The Apostle speaks of this in greater detail in Rom 5:12 and following. “And fall short of the glory of God.” As can be seen from the opening words of verse 24, this glory of God does not represent something distinct from the justification granted by God, which people do not possess (υοτερούνται—present tense). It is the same as the honor that God acknowledges in the moral person (John 12:43).

Romans 3:24. being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, “Being justified freely.” These words explain or more precisely define the situation of all people described in the words: “and fall short of the glory of God.” Yes, people truly do not possess the glory or justification from God, and for this reason God already grants them this justification as a free gift. “Being justified”—in Greek δικαιούμενοι. This word comes from the verb δικαιούν, which in classical Greek and in the Septuagint translation means: (a) to do what is right, to restore what is just, and (b) to reveal or acknowledge an already existing righteousness, independent of the act of δίκαιοΰν. The first meaning indicates that a certain person is made righteous (δίκαιος), while the second indicates that he is recognized and declared righteous. In Paul too this verb means: (a) to make righteous—specifically where the subject of justification (δικαιοϋσθαι) is conceived as still unrighteous and sinful, and (b) to declare righteous—where this righteousness is already conceived as existing. Nowhere in the Apostle Paul’s writings can one find a single passage from which it could be concluded that the Apostle affirmed the possibility of justification—that is, the recognition of a person as righteous when sinfulness has not yet been eliminated in him. Even the Protestants, who had until recently insisted that this verb in Paul has the meaning only of a purely legal act (to declare innocent, without reference to the actual state of the person), have recently come to recognize the inadequacy of such an understanding. “For Paul, justification does not end with a legal act. A merely imputed, that is, credited, righteousness would not have satisfied his religious need… The justified person is in Paul’s religion not merely a title—for if the title were applied without foundation, God’s truthfulness would be violated—but a person who has genuinely become righteous” (Julicher Ad., Der Brief an die Römer, S. 240). “Freely”—that is, justification is given to people as a gift, as a present, without any personal merit (cf. Rom 5:17). “By his grace.” The word grace (χάρις) means (a) a property of an object—its pleasantness, beauty, and (b) a disposition—inclination, favor. In the Apostle Paul this word is used most often in the second sense. God gives us His grace, that is, His favor and love, which permeates our entire being (1 Cor 15:10). The mediator through which this grace is poured out upon people is the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5), who together with this grace penetrates into the heart of the person (Rom 8:9). A person who is in communion with the Holy Spirit is at the same time a partaker of grace. “One can even say that grace is the Holy Spirit Himself, insofar as He dwells and acts in a person” (Myshtsyn, p. 156). That is, this expression points not only to the source of justification—God’s love for sinful humanity suffering under the yoke of sin—but also provides an answer to the question of how justification is accomplished. It is accomplished through the special action of the Holy Spirit, who, encompassing the entire being of the person, draws him toward Christ and in Himself reunites him with the Lord, and through the Lord—with God (1st ed., p. 159). “Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” The word redemption (αποχύτρωσις) means: liberation by means of a ransom—liberation from sin, condemnation, and death. A person, by his natural inclination toward sin, cannot free himself from its power; therefore God provides the means for this liberation, and this means is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Thus the Gospel of Matthew states that Christ came to “give his life as a ransom for many” (or: in place of many, Matt 20:28). The Apostle Peter says in his letter of Christians that they were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Pet 1:18-19). The designation of Christ’s body as a redemption or ransom occurs in the Apostle Paul himself in other places as well (1 Tim 2:6; 1 Cor 6:20; Gal 3:13). If the Apostle uses precisely such a term to denote the work accomplished by God for our salvation, it is probably because he wishes by this to convey that the work of our liberation from slavery to sin was accomplished properly and in a formal, legal respect as well: for the liberated sinners full and sufficient compensation was provided—the law of justice was satisfied.

Romans 3:25. Whom God put forward as a propitiatory sacrifice by his blood through faith, to show his righteousness through the forgiveness of sins previously committed, “Whom God put forward as a propitiation.” The word “put forward” (προέθετο) evidently represents something corresponding to the following phrase: “to show his righteousness,” and may therefore be rendered as “displayed before all humanity.”—“Propitiation”—ιλαστήριον. This word has various meanings. It is used by classical authors in the sense of “a sacrifice propitiating some god,” while commentators on Paul’s letters assign to this term sometimes the meaning of propitiation in general (without the direct sense of sacrifice), and sometimes the meaning of the lid of the Ark of the Covenant upon which the high priest sprinkled sacrificial blood on the Day of Atonement (the mercy seat). The Fathers and teachers of the Church all hold to the latter interpretation, seeing in Christ the new mercy seat. “The Lord Christ is the true mercy seat, for the ancient one was the prefiguration of this true one. But the ancient mercy seat was bloodless, being inanimate; it received upon itself the drops of blood of sacrificial animals, whereas the Lord Christ is both high priest and lamb, and by his own Blood he secured our salvation” (Theodoret). The Russian translation is, however, more consistent with the classical meaning of the word and is simpler and clearer as an image. Christ indeed appeared in the eyes of all humanity as the sacrifice that needed to be offered for the propitiation of humanity’s sins. However, in the word ιλαστήριον the thought of propitiation of divine righteousness is contained less than the thought of the cleansing of the human being. This word comes from the verb ιλασκεσθαι. The object of this verb in Greek is almost always the deity, while in Holy Scripture it never is (with the exception of Zech 7:2). This verb in the sacred writers means not to propitiate but to cleanse; its action extends not to God but to the human being. It would therefore be more accurate to translate the expression ιλαστήριον here as “a sacrifice of purification.” “By his blood.” This addition indicates that the sacrifice appointed by God for the redemption of humanity was the highest of sacrifices—a blood sacrifice. It was necessary that the most pure blood of the Savior be shed. Why? Blood is the symbol of life; the soul of a person is in the blood (Lev 17:11). If a person sinned against God and thereby brought upon himself the death foretold to him by God, then he should have died (Gen 2:17)—died a violent death or returned to God the gift he had abused—his soul, his life. But he did not do this—sin darkened his conscience. Now in his place, in place of all sinful humanity, Christ Himself does this. He offers His life or blood to Divine Justice, and this blood—as was already prefigured by the Old Testament purifications through the blood of sacrifices—becomes for all humanity the means of purification as the blood of the new and greatest sacrifice. “Through faith.” If the shedding of Christ’s blood took place outside of us, we each personally appropriate the result of this action through faith. Faith thus serves as the subjective condition of our justification, just as the death or blood of Christ represents the objective condition.—“To show his righteousness.” Here the righteousness of God, in accordance with the context, undoubtedly means the highest Divine Justice, which was manifested with power in the death of the Son of God. The Lord God willed to reveal Himself as the righteous Judge over sinful humanity—and to this end He consigned to a violent death the representative of humanity—the sinless God-man, whose death, as that of a sinless one, served as a fully sufficient ransom for the sins of all humanity (cf. 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 3:13).—“Through the forgiveness of sins previously committed.” The word “through” is more correctly rendered as: “through, or as a consequence of, the fact that (sins) were being forgiven” (διά τ. πάρεσιν). Here is stated the reason why God decided to manifest His Justice. Humanity had been living in sins for nearly four thousand years (since the time of the flood), and yet the Justice of God had rarely punished wrongdoers. People could have come to the firm conviction that they would receive no punishment for their sins at all!

Romans 3:26. during the time of God’s forbearance, to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. “During the time of God’s forbearance.” The Apostle means to say by this that God was giving people time to come to their senses and to acknowledge their sins. The entire pre-Christian era can be called an “era of forbearance,” which the Most High and Most Holy God showed toward the insignificant and sinful human being. It might seem that here the Apostle contradicts what he said in chapter 1 about the wrath of God hanging over the pagan world. But in reality there is no contradiction here. The Apostle evidently spoke in chapter 1 about the judgment of God upon individual persons among the Gentiles, while here he has in mind entire pagan nations, which in reality had by no means all experienced the wrath of God upon themselves. Dozens of ancient nations continued to exist, having long since darkened their lives with every kind of sin, and God endured their existence all the while… “To show his righteousness at the present time.” Although a different preposition stands here in the Greek text than in the phrase of verse 25 (πρός, whereas there it was είς), it is nevertheless obvious that the Apostle is simply repeating the sentence of verse 25 (perhaps he takes a different preposition because what follows begins again with the preposition είς). The addition “at the present time” particularly emphasizes the special importance of the period of time the readers were living through. Let them pay particular attention to what has just taken place! This and things like it had never happened before and would never happen again… “So that he would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” The Lord manifested His Righteousness or Justice precisely in the death of Christ so that everyone might know, everyone might see, that the Lord is not only just and punishes sins (the first—δίκαιον), but at the same time also justifies and makes righteous sinful people as soon as they believe in Jesus (δικαιούντα). The Apostle thus concludes the central part of his letter (verses 21–26) with mention of the fact that the justification of the sinful person is accomplished only through faith in Jesus Christ. This is the wholly new and extraordinary means that God offers to humanity, which has found itself in a hopeless situation. Salvation has been accomplished—let people hasten toward it! “The cross of Christ with his blood is seen as erected in the midst, and with its purifying power overshadowing all former sinners and all present ones” (Bishop Theophanes). But what is faith in Jesus—this second, subjective condition of justification? Why does the Apostle here take only the name given to our Savior by virtue of His human descent? One might suppose that the Apostle did this in order to indicate the necessity for each one who desires to receive justification before God to live through in his soul what our Savior, as the God-man, lived through during His sufferings. At the name Jesus there immediately arises in our mind the image of the crucified, suffering God-man, and our heart contracts with grief. We recognize, we feel with all our heart, our guilt—on account of which the innocent God-man Jesus had to suffer and die. We acknowledge ourselves as criminals and are prepared to endure those very sufferings that the righteous judgment of God had appointed for us but which our Advocate took upon Himself. A person, so to speak, now crucifies himself before the eyes of God and in this way appropriates to himself both the suffering of the Savior and the redemption He accomplished. This is what true, saving faith in Jesus is! Here the sinner mystically acknowledges his guilt, and by this opens access in his soul to the redeeming and life-giving grace. The work of Christ becomes his possession, so that he can say of himself: “I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:19).

Romans 3:27. Where then is boasting? It has been excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by a law of faith. The Apostle repeats (cf. v. 20) that he does not acknowledge it as possible for a person to be justified by works (27–28), and further affirms that justification by faith alone is consistent with the monotheism that forms the foundational point of the teaching of the entire Old Testament (29–31).

Romans 3:28. For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law. From what has been said about the new means of justification the Apostle draws the following conclusion. “You Jews boasted that you have the law, by fulfilling which you can be justified. Now you can no longer boast of this: the Lord God, by sending His Son to death for the sins of all people—not only Gentiles but Jews as well—clearly showed that the works of the law do not save. People are saved (this word ‘are saved’ must be inserted here for clarity of thought) not by the law of works but by the law of faith” (the Apostle calls faith a law in correspondence with the expression ‘law of works,’ and also, as blessed Theophylact explains, because the name ‘law’ was held in honor among the Jews, or, as the Apostle states in verse 28, apart from works of the law).

Romans 3:29. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, Romans 3:30. since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Romans 3:31. Do we then nullify the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. The Apostle had already said earlier that the new means of justification not only does not contradict the Old Testament but was even foreshadowed in the Old Testament. Now he proves this by the following reasoning. The true God cannot be the God of the Jews alone. The Gentiles also are under His authority and care, which is why Jeremiah called God the King of the nations (Jer 10:7), and the psalmists called Him the God of all the earth (Ps 95-97). And this is in fact so, because everyone expected that the One God would justify all—both Jews (the circumcised) and Gentiles (the uncircumcised)—and both groups through their faith (by faith, through faith). But perhaps, by putting forward the new means of justification, the Apostle is thereby nullifying altogether the Mosaic law and the entire Old Testament economy? (v. 31) No, this cannot be thought, and in reality it is not so. On the contrary, the Gospel fulfills the idea deeply embedded in the law and in the Old Testament generally—the idea of the salvation of all humanity. “What was the purpose of the law?”—says John Chrysostom in explanation of verse 31—“To what did all its workings tend? To this: to make a person righteous. But the law was unable to achieve this, for, as is written, all sinned. When faith came, it succeeded in this. Thus faith restored the intent of the law and brought to fulfillment what the law labored toward.” The Apostle, who preaches the fulfillment of the cherished aspirations of the law, thus appears as its defender, its champion (“we uphold the law”). * * * Notes Zahn posits between αποκαλύπτεται (Rom 1:17) and πεφανέρωται—of the present verse—the distinction that the former denotes the revelation of righteousness to individual hearers of the Gospel, while the latter denotes its revelation to all people. According to Zahn, the phrase “on all” indicates that righteousness descends upon people from heaven. This is why in the Apostle Paul the word grace is never combined with the phrase of the Holy Spirit (subjective genitive) but always either with the phrase: of God (Rom 5:15; 1 Cor 1:4) or of the Lord (Rom 16:20; Gal 6:18). It must be noted that grace also operated in the Old Testament, but there it did not renew the essence of the human being; it only prepared the ground for the operation of New Testament grace. Zahn hardly grounds himself well in seeing in the term redemption simply the designation of liberation from sin, a release to freedom (απολυτρούν—he says—is almost the same as ανολύειν or αψιέναι). Zahn translates: “a means serving for propitiation or purification.”

Chapter Four

Abraham was justified only through faith (1–12). The promise given to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was given apart from observance of the law (13–17). The very descendants of Abraham who were to receive this inheritance were the fruit of faith (18–22). Application of Abraham’s example to Christians (23–25).

Romans 4:1. What then shall we say? Has Abraham, our forefather, gained anything according to the flesh? At the end of chapter III the Apostle said that justification through faith not only does not contradict the law but, on the contrary, represents the fulfillment of the foundational idea contained in the law. But this position needed to be proved with facts, and so the Apostle finds in the law—that is, in the Pentateuch—a fact that could best confirm his view. The author of Genesis in particular (Gen 15:6) says of Abraham that he believed God, and this was counted to him as righteousness. From this the Apostle draws the conclusion that justification by faith was recognized as the only possible means even in the Old Testament. To supplement this testimony of Moses the Apostle then cites a passage from the psalms of David, where also justification is not made dependent on works. To this the Apostle adds proof that in Abraham’s own life works had no significance as a means of justification before God: he was justified by God even before he performed his great exploit—(the deed) before he underwent circumcision. Abraham was for the Jews the representative of righteousness, and his example was best suited to resolve the question of how to attain righteousness. If he, this most illustrious patriarch, was justified through faith alone, then the Apostle is right in affirming that salvation is given only through faith; but if Abraham had to add some works to this faith, then all of Paul’s teaching was overturned. What then did Abraham, our forefather, achieve (gain) by works (according to the flesh)?—Some ancient and modern interpreters relate the phrase “according to the flesh” to the words “our forefather,” but this is incorrect: first, because this addition would be superfluous; second, because it would not apply to the recipients of the letter, the majority of whom were not Jews; and third, because the Apostle himself considered Abraham the father of Christians not in the flesh but in faith (see Gal 3:7).

Romans 4:2. For if Abraham was justified by works, he has grounds to boast—but not before God. No answer to the question posed is given, but it is implied: Abraham did not gain justification for himself by works. To this the Apostle adds that if Abraham had been justified by works, he would have grounds for the boasting whose elimination the Apostle spoke of in chapter III, verse 27. But nowhere does he boast before God of this—Scripture does not speak of his works when it speaks of his justification. Consequently, every thought of the possibility of restoring self-justification by works falls away. Let the people, his descendants, marvel at his exploits, but it was not these exploits that gave him justification before God!

Romans 4:3. For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. What then gave him new life, what placed him in a new relationship with God? Faith. Abraham believed God that he, a decrepit and childless old man, would have numerous offspring, and God counted this faith to him as righteousness.—How is this counting to be understood? Did Abraham thereby truly become righteous in the full sense—justified and sanctified? Of course not. While the sacrifice of Christ had not yet been offered, there could not yet be full forgiveness of sins and genuine justification (Heb 9:15). In the Old Testament only a potential justification was possible, and the faith of Abraham could contain only the seed of a future justification. But still, this faith was counted (imputed) to Abraham and to other people of the Old Testament who possessed it—a believing person felt that God approved of him for this faith, and this gave him a certain degree of moral peace.

Romans 4:4. Now to one who works, wages are not counted as a gift but as what is owed. Romans 4:5. But to one who does not work but trusts in the one who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, From what is said in the Pentateuch the Apostle immediately draws a conclusion. God’s counting of Abraham’s faith as righteousness was evidently an act of divine mercy, because, as stated in the commentary on verse 3, God did not yet see genuine righteousness in Abraham—it did not exist in the Old Testament. On the contrary, if Abraham had earned the right to justification by his works, God would have been obliged to justify him (as a matter of obligation). Yet nowhere in the Old Testament is there any mention of such an obligation that God would have toward righteous people. From this the Apostle draws the following general conclusion: there are two ways of acquiring righteousness—one’s own works or faith. For works the reward is given as an obligation; for faith—by mercy, without actual full righteousness being present. This faith must consist in the conviction that God can make even a sinner (the ungodly) righteous, can cleanse him from sinful defilement from which the person himself cannot cleanse himself. But from this it is clear why the Lord counted Abraham’s faith as righteousness. Abraham evidently exerted every effort to cleanse himself of sins but could not achieve this, and therefore awaited this cleansing from God in faith. In this way he through faith already had a foretaste of the future justification that would be granted to humanity through Christ, and this future righteousness—not yet actually existing at that time—was counted to him.

Romans 4:6. So also David speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: Romans 4:7. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Romans 4:8. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count sin. To supplement the testimony of Moses regarding Abraham, the Apostle adds a relevant passage from the psalms of David. Psalm 31 David composed probably after he was granted forgiveness by God for the grave sins into which he had been drawn by lust. From this arose the expressions: “lawless deeds are forgiven, sins are covered, will not count sin.” Here, then, the negative side of justification is indicated—namely, the removal of evil through justification—whereas in relation to Abraham, only the positive side of justification had been discussed, namely the good that is received in justification. The Apostle cites David’s confession, of course, for the purpose of showing that even this eminent righteous man of the Old Testament placed all the strength of his hope not on his own deeds but on the mercy of God. David too recognized that a person can feel blessed only when God, apart from a person’s works, forgives him his transgressions—a person cannot make amends for his guilt through his own exploits.

Romans 4:9. Is this blessing then for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. Romans 4:10. When was it counted? Was it before or after his circumcision? It was not after, but before his circumcision. But defenders of works could, in connection with the Apostle’s appeal to the example of Abraham who was justified by faith, have said: “Let it be so! But Abraham was deemed worthy of justification through faith only because he was circumcised, and circumcision in any case is a work, an achievement of the person.” The Apostle, having posed this question (in view of the quotation from Psalm Ps 31, he here replaces the word “justification” with the word “blessing”), immediately answers it plainly and clearly: Abraham was justified by God through faith far earlier than the institution of circumcision—specifically, after his justification approximately 14 years passed before the institution of circumcision (cf. chapters XV and XVII of Genesis). At that time Abraham was not distinguished by anything external from the Gentiles.

Romans 4:11. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while still uncircumcised, so that he could become the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, Romans 4:12. and the father of the circumcised—not only of those who are circumcised, but also of those who walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised. The Apostle develops his thought still further. Circumcision itself was, so to speak, a seal or consequence of Abraham’s already accomplished justification.—“So that he could become…” (v. 11)—more accurately from the Greek: “so that” (είς τό). The Apostle means to say that although Abraham himself, when receiving the divine promise in faith, did not think of and did not have as his goal becoming the spiritual father of believing Gentiles, nevertheless such was God’s intention in this case. By accepting Abraham’s faith as justifying, God had in view primarily the Gentiles, and the theocracy was for Him only a means (cf. Gen 12:3). In speaking of the Gentiles as Abraham’s spiritual children by faith, the Apostle places them in the foreground—he speaks of believers from the Jews in verse 12. This was already entirely at odds with Jewish notions! But even with this the Apostle does not stop. In verse 13 he says that the Jews can call Abraham their father only if they not only accept circumcision but also conduct themselves as Abraham did—specifically, imitating his faith. And what faith? The faith he had while still uncircumcised, while still standing in the position of an ordinary person, on the same level as the Gentiles! From this the Jews could quite rightly conclude that it was not the believing Gentiles who should pass through the Jewish gate, but the believing Jews through the gate of the Gentiles… We see, then, from both these verses that the most important event in the history of the economy of salvation was precisely the first appearance of Abraham as the father of all believing humanity. The Kingdom of God was born at precisely this moment. Abraham was called precisely so that all nations might be saved. From this moment, strictly speaking, the history of salvation begins. Abraham did not merely believe in God the Creator and Rewarder—such believers had existed before (Heb 11)—but believed in God’s promises, in God as the First Cause of the work of redemption… In that case physical descent from Abraham loses its significance for the attainment of salvation—faith alone becomes the life-giving principle in the history of humanity: faith in God, who grants justification as a free gift.

Romans 4:13. For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. From what was said above it had become clear that Abraham, in receiving justification, was, so to speak, the representative of all humanity and not of the Jewish people alone. With this Paul’s opponents might have agreed. But they might also have pointed out to Paul that Abraham, after receiving justification, received yet further advantages. Most importantly, he was promised—together with all his offspring—that he would be the possessor of the whole world. And this offspring was evidently none other than that which descended through Isaac—that is, the Jewish people. Thus it appeared that salvation was once again made dependent on one people and the law by which Israel was guided. The Apostle, in response to this objection, says that possession of the world was promised to Abraham and his offspring by no means on the strength of their keeping the law: the law was more of an obstacle than a convenient means for receiving the inheritance of the world. “For not through the law”—that is, let the Jews not imagine that the promised inheritance was to be obtained through the law and that it was therefore secured to the people who had been given this law. Paul further explains that the law, rather, took away this promised inheritance. “To be heir of the world.” In the book of Genesis God promises Abraham and his offspring only the land of Canaan, and not the whole world. But Jewish theology, in its interpretation, replaced the word land with the words world and humanity. The Jewish people dreamed of the happy times of the Messiah, when the Jewish nation would seize power over the entire world. The Apostle does not see fit to refute this self-delusion of his compatriots in its substance and does not touch on the content of God’s promises, but speaks only of the conditions that God established for attaining this inheritance. This condition can only be faith—righteousness received through faith—and not the law (now the Apostle uses the word law instead of the word circumcision, because circumcision was the main point of the law, and the one who accepted circumcision took upon himself the obligation to observe the whole law).

Romans 4:14. For if those who live by the law are the heirs, faith is nullified and the promise is void; Romans 4:15. for the law brings wrath, because where there is no law there is no transgression either. The proof of the thought expressed in verse 13 the Apostle now borrows not from history, as in vv. 10–12, but from logic. If inheriting, he says, had been made dependent on living by the law, there would have been no room at all for faith, since faith and works of the law mutually exclude each other (cf. vv. 4 and following), and by this very fact the promise would have been turned into a kind of mockery of human beings, since a person cannot find favor in the eyes of God through the fulfillment of works of the law (Rom 3:20). More than that: the law subjects a person to the wrath of God and punishment—what talk then can there be of reward? On the contrary, where there is no law—specifically in Christianity (Rom 3:21)—there is no transgression of God’s will and no place for God’s wrath; there, therefore, there is no obstacle to the fulfillment of the divine promise. The Apostle of course looks at Christianity here from an ideal point of view; he sees it as it can and should be…

Romans 4:16. That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all Here the Apostle expresses still more forcefully the thought of verse 13: the promises are made dependent solely on faith, so that the mercy of God might be the beginning and end in this matter. When God’s mercy rather than formal justice assigns rewards, it will then be possible for all descendants of Abraham—not only those who have the Mosaic law (Jews) but also those who possess only faith (Gentiles)—to receive these rewards (the inheritance).

Romans 4:17. [as it is written: “I have made you the father of many nations”]—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Having cited the passage from the book of Genesis (Gen 17:5) where Abraham is indeed called the father of many nations (εθνών—pagan nations, or according to the Hebrew text goim), the Apostle adds that Abraham is our father before God or in the presence of God. By these words he further assures all Christians of the certainty of their filial relationship to Abraham. The Gentiles and Jews do not understand this, of course, but we Christians know it well—that this is in fact so. The Apostle also gives some indications of the resemblance between the faith of Christians and the faith of Abraham. The most important point of Christian belief is faith in the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of the dead. And Abraham likewise had such faith. He believed that God can resurrect everything that is dead and can call (more precisely from the Greek: summon, invite) that which does not yet exist as though it already exists. This further demonstrates our spiritual kinship with Abraham.

Romans 4:18. He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become the father of many nations, as he had been told: “So shall your offspring be.” But against all these arguments of the Apostle, the Jews could still point to what Abraham gained in the flesh (v. 1)—a son, Isaac, and through him a numerous offspring, the people of Israel. The Apostle now addresses this anticipated objection and proves that Abraham received his son also through his faith. “Hoping against hope.” Circumstances were not at all such as to allow Abraham to hope for the fulfillment of God’s promise about the birth of a son to him: he and his wife were already so old that, by the natural order, they could have no children. “Through which he became”—more accurately from the Greek (είς το γενέσθαι): “so that he might become…” Abraham, believing, had as his aim and expectation that God’s promise would certainly come to fulfillment.

Romans 4:19. He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. “Did not consider”—more accurately from the Greek (ού κατενόησεν)—did not pay attention to the fact that… The Apostle Peter, as long as he kept his eyes on the Lord while walking on the water, did not sink, because he believed in Him; but when he looked with doubt at the waves, he began to sink. Abraham remained in faith—he did not look at what might have shaken his trust in God’s promise.

Romans 4:20. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, Romans 4:21. fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Romans 4:22. That is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness. “As he gave glory to God”—that is, he recognized His righteousness, His infinite power, and did not attempt to explain what was said to him by God in some other, simpler sense (John Chrysostom).—“That is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness.” With these words the Apostle firmly summarizes everything said in verses 1–21. “That is why”—this expression highlights what was said about the trust that Abraham showed toward God’s promise. The Apostle speaks here about Abraham’s justification but naturally has in mind the inheritance of the world and the offspring as well. Abraham received all of this through faith.

Romans 4:23. The words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, Now the Apostle draws from everything that has been said a conclusion with respect to Christians. The Scripture, in speaking of Abraham’s justification through faith, also had us Christians in mind, in order to establish the position that we too are justified equally through faith—through faith in the risen Christ.

Romans 4:24. but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus Christ our Lord, The event from Abraham’s life mentioned above—his justification by faith—has significance for us too, serving as, so to speak, a prefiguration of our justification. “It will be counted to us also.” The Apostle is not speaking of a future counting or justification: it is already an accomplished fact, as can be seen from chapter III (Rom 3 and following verses). It is therefore more accurate to translate this expression as: “it ought to be counted to us as well.”—“Who believe”—that is, if we believe or when we believe.—“Who raised from the dead Jesus Christ, our Lord.” Between Abraham’s faith that he would have a son, Isaac, and our faith in the resurrection of Christ there is, of course, a resemblance: in both cases what is at issue is the raising to life of what is dead and lifeless. But there is also a difference here. Abraham believed in God, whereas we, believing in God, believe moreover in Jesus as our Lord. The birth of Isaac in the chain of events of the history of salvation was, so to speak, the starting point, while the resurrection of Christ is the completion of history, its crowning. Christ is for us the head of the Church, which he was not for Abraham.

Romans 4:25. who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. To show why Christ became our Lord, the Apostle points to His death and resurrection as events that had such important and saving significance for us.—“Delivered up for our trespasses”—these words represent the rendering of the words of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 53:12).—“And was raised”—from the Greek (ηγέρθη) more precisely: was raised up.—“For our justification”—that is, so that believers might have full grounds to consider themselves justified. If Christ had not been raised, then justification would not have been complete either! (1 Cor 15:17). However, it would be more accurate to translate this expression as follows: “on account of (διά) our justification.” The meaning of this passage then becomes as follows. Christ, as it were, stood as surety for us, the debtors before Divine Justice. Since we ourselves could not pay our debts, He, like any surety, was subjected to imprisonment. But when the debt is paid (in the present case not by the debtors but by the surety), the surety is released. So also Christ was raised, freed from the bonds of death, as a sign that He had brought a fully satisfactory redemption for the sins of all humanity. In this way the Apostle here supplements what he said in Rom 3:25. Christ grants us justification not only through His death but also through His resurrection. * * * Notes From this one cannot draw the conclusion that if there had been no law, the Jews would not have been subject to the wrath of God. In chapter 1 the Apostle proves precisely the opposite. Here he only points out the inevitability of transgressions of the law and, consequently, the inevitability of punishment for those under the law—the Jews.

Chapter Five

The fruits of justification—peace and blessedness (1–11). The harm caused to humanity by Adam has been healed by Christ (12–21).

Romans 5:1. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Justification gives us blessings of a twofold character—present and future. The first consists in reconciliation with God, which is grounded in the forgiveness of our sins; the second—in eternal blessedness. The latter, though it is now only the object of our hope, is nonetheless a sure hope, for its guarantee is the love of God for the human being who has been redeemed and sanctified in Christ Jesus. Thanks to this love the most difficult thing has been accomplished—we have become children of God—and what we must yet await, namely our glorification, is already a natural consequence of our adoption by God. After justification our relationship to God became entirely peaceful. It is not wrath but mercies of every kind that we can expect from Him! But what is this peace (είρηνη) or, as the Apostle expresses it in verse 11, reconciliation (καταλλαγή)? Many see in these terms the designation of a change that took place in God’s relationship to humanity: God ceased to treat the human being with hostility and became merciful toward him (so, for example, the modern commentator Richter interprets it). But this view cannot be accepted. Only among the Greeks was God the object of reconciliation and the human being the subject—that is, the human being propitiated God and by virtue of this God reconciled Himself to the human being. In the Apostle Paul, on the contrary, it is not the human being who reconciles God to himself but God who reconciles the human being; peace is established in the soul of the human being, not of God, because God could not be hostile to the human being. “God is not at war with us, but we are at war with Him. God never makes war” (Chrysostom on 2 Cor 5:20). In favor of such an interpretation speaks also the use of the expression “to reconcile” (καταλλάσσειν) in 2 Cor 5:20: “be reconciled to God.” If reconciliation (καταλλαγή) were a purely objective act taking place only in God, this exhortation of the Apostle would have no meaning (Myshtsyn, in 2 Cor., p. 132).

Romans 5:2. through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. “Access” (προσαγωγή). The Apostle is not speaking of the access we always have to God in prayer. Here is indicated a once-and-for-all, completed act—our turning to Christ—the moment when the heavenly door was opened before us.—“Grace”—this is the state of Christians, the peace spoken of in verse 1.—“The glory of God”—this is the highest good that we have not yet attained. The Apostle speaks of this good more fully in chapter VIII and chapters III–V.

Romans 5:3. Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, Romans 5:4. and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, Romans 5:5. and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Even sufferings, which are encountered so frequently in life, cannot diminish the strength of our faith and hope in future glorification. On the contrary, they even serve to nourish and enliven this hope, which grows strong in those who have endurance and proven character. For an explanation of the last two expressions see the Apostle James (Jas 1:3) and the Apostle Peter (1 Pet 1:7; 2 Pet 1:6). However, in James and Peter the term δοκίμιον is used for the designation of proven character, while Paul uses δοκιμή, so one can say that James speaks of suffering as a means of testing a person; Peter, just as Paul, understands in the word δοκιμή by δοκίμων the result that the Christian obtains from the struggle with temptations—the state of a person proved by sufferings, a state of strength and courage that has come through victorious from the struggle with temptations. The hope of the Christian puts him to no shame. Even earlier, at the very moment of turning to Christ, a person already had hope, but that was still a hope in, one might say, an embryonic state. Only in a person who has endured many sufferings without falling in this struggle does hope become a mighty force. But not only sufferings strengthen our hope. The love of God poured out into our hearts strengthens it even more. The outpouring of this love took place at a certain definite moment, and we continue to feel the results of this fact—they are in us! (this is why the Greek text says: έν καρδίαις ημών—poured out in our hearts).—“Through the Holy Spirit.” The Apostle indicates the means through which this love is communicated to us. The Holy Spirit removes all the barriers standing in the path between the heart of God and the heart of the human being, and as a result a living communion between God and the human being begins (cf. John 14:19-20).

Romans 5:6. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. “For…” Here the Apostle continues to persuade the believers that their hope in future glory (v. 2) is fully well-founded. Through to the end of verse 11 the Apostle proves that the hope for future glorification is grounded in the justification we have already received through the sacrifice of the Son of God, and still more in the fact that the Son of God now intercedes for our glorification not through His death but through His life. Since life is higher than death, this means that the life or glorification of Christ is a greater guarantee than His humiliation or death.—“Weak”—the same as what is further described by the words: ungodly, sinful. This was not at all a state suited to draw to us the love of the Most Holy Being.—“At the right time”—from the Greek (κατα καιρόν)—in accordance with the circumstances of the time. This word is therefore better related to the expression “weak.” It will then denote the cause of the weakness: the time was such that people who were sound in spirit, righteous, could not yet exist!

Romans 5:7. Indeed, one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one might dare even to die. Romans 5:8. But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. In explaining the importance of Christ’s death for sinful people, the Apostle says that God sent His Son to death at a time when people were still sinners. Who would be willing to die in order to help even a righteous, virtuous person? Perhaps someone would volunteer to lay down his life for his benefactor (τού αγαθού—masculine gender, in correspondence with the expression δίκαιος—righteous man—ο αγαθός is also a righteous, virtuous person, just as δίκαιος, but is in addition especially dear to another person by his personal qualities; cf. 1 Sam 1:8). God’s love for us He now, after the death of Christ, especially displays before all people—gives them, so to speak, the opportunity to evaluate (the Russian translation “shows” is inaccurate—σινίστησιν) by sending us the Holy Spirit into our hearts (Gal 4:6)—the same love that once was manifested in the death of Christ. God—the Apostle wants to say in explanation of the words of verse 5 about the pouring out of God’s love in our hearts—God does not cease to remind us constantly, in the most gracious way, of His love for us—speaking to us in our heart (love for us—more accurately: toward us—εις ημας).

Romans 5:9. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. Romans 5:10. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, how much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. The thought in both these verses is the same. We, having been justified or reconciled with God by the death of His Son, can be assured of our future salvation. Only in verse 10 is the added point that the guarantee of this salvation is provided by the fact that now Christ intercedes for us not through death but through life. Since life is higher than death, the life or glorification of Christ is a greater guarantee than His humiliation or death.—“Being enemies.” The Apostle undoubtedly ascribes the enmity not to God but to human beings. It is not God who is hostile to the human being but the human being—by his deeds—who is hostile to God, subverting His laws (cf. Rom 8:7; Col 1:21).

Romans 5:11. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. “More than that”—that is, not only have we been reconciled with God and need not tremble in anticipation of punishment from Him—we even count God our own God now. Can there be any fear in our heart at the thought of His great judgment over the world? No; rather we ought to rejoice at the coming of the time of this judgment—such is the Apostle’s thought. And all these blessings—justification, reconciliation, complete peace of soul—we, the Apostle adds, owe to our Lord Jesus Christ. By this mention the Apostle wishes to teach Christians humility.

Romans 5:12. Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all people—because all sinned in him. In order to further strengthen believers in the thought that final salvation will be granted to them, the Apostle now compares the founder of ancient, pre-Christian humanity—Adam—with the founder of the new—Christ. Just as Adam brought forth a sinful offspring that lived under the wrath of God and died without reconciliation with God, so from Christ, through faith in Him, a new humanity is born that lives in communion with God and, after death, enters into the inheritance of eternal blessed life. Moreover, the grace brought to people by Christ is far greater than the harm caused to people by Adam, to the degree that the First stands higher than the second. “Therefore”—that is, in view of what was said above about the justification of people through Christ. The Apostle’s meaning is: since we all found our justification in Christ, there is a resemblance between our relationship to Christ and our relationship to our bodily progenitor. From Adam came ruin for all humanity; from Christ—salvation!—“Just as through one man.” In depicting the entry of death into the world, the Apostle attributes the fault of this to one man, Adam. He does not mention Eve, because properly speaking Adam at the moment of the fall was the representative of all humanity descended from him.—“Sin” (αμαρτία). This word always signifies in the Apostle Paul the anti-divine disposition of the will as an active principle, as a force that manifests itself in all individual sins (cf. v. 21; Rom 3:9).—“Entered” (εισήλθε)—“entered into the world” as something new, and entered instantaneously, at once (aorist).—“Into the world.” By “the world” (κόσμος) here, as in other places (e.g., John 3:16), we must understand the human world, all humanity. Outside of humanity, sin evidently existed earlier, according to the Apostle’s teaching—certainly among the evil spirits. But how to reconcile with divine perfection the appearance of a whole series of generations burdened with human sin? Of course, God could have destroyed the race corrupted by sin and created a new one. But that would have been an acknowledgment of Satan’s victory, and God allowed humanity to continue to exist in sin, having already chosen in advance the means for its healing. “And death through sin.” As can be seen from verses 13 and 14, the Apostle understands death as bodily dissolution. The Apostle says this, of course, recalling the narrative in the book of Genesis about the giving of the commandment to Adam. The latter was to die if he ate of the forbidden fruit (Gen 2:17). Of course the body of the human being was made of the same elements as the body of an animal and was therefore essentially perishable. But it could have gradually reached such glorification as will be granted to those people who live until the second coming of the Lord (1 Cor 15:51-52). For this the first human being needed to rise above those impulses that he had in common with the animal world: if he had, through the action of his free will, risen above the animal, he would not have shared the inevitable lot of animals—death. “And so death spread to all people.” The Russian translation here is imprecise. In the Greek text the expression “and so” corresponds to the phrase: και ούτος, which is entirely correctly rendered in the Slavonic translation with the words: “and thus”—in this way. “Spread”—more precisely: spread abroad, dispersed (διήλθεν). Just as a small dose of poison gradually poisons the blood throughout the entire organism, so death spread through all the individual members of the human race: each person was already born poisoned by the venom of Adam’s sin and death. Adam opened the door to death, and from that moment death became firmly established in the human family. “Because all sinned in him.” Here the Apostle explains the circumstance by which sin and death, having entered through one, became the cause of the death of all. But the Greek expression ἐφ᾿ ᾧ beginning this phrase is not understood identically by all interpreters, from which arises a disagreement in the rendering of the Apostle’s thought. Some see here the masculine relative pronoun, others—the neuter. In the first case this ἐφ᾿ ᾧ would refer to the word ανθρώπου (man) and should be translated: “in whom all.” In the second case the expression ἐφ᾿ ᾧ takes the meaning of a causal conjunction and receives the sense: “because all…” Although philological considerations argue against the first and in favor of the second interpretation, it is nonetheless certain that even in the second case the expression “because all sinned” must be supplemented with the phrase: “in him” (in Adam). Indeed, if the text were speaking not about Adam’s sin but about the personal, conscious sins in which all of Adam’s descendants are guilty, this would contradict the Apostle’s following affirmation that sin is not imputed where there is no law, and therefore people could not die on account of their own sins—those were not imputed to them as capital offenses. Moreover, the Apostle in the word “sinned” used the aorist (ημαρτον), which denotes a fall accomplished at one known historical moment—namely the moment of Adam’s fall.—What was the participation of Adam’s descendants in his sin? It was not conscious and free—Adam’s descendants did not yet exist as persons at that time. But since, in the Apostle’s conception, all of humanity forms an indivisible and unified organism, and each individual person has a previous existence in his ancestors and a subsequent existence in his descendants, it is evident that, in the Apostle’s view, all people already existed in Adam in the form of a common human nature. The human being participated in the transgression of Adam through his very nature. The sin that entered the nature of the first man introduced into it the principle of death, and it remained with this principle and passed to Adam’s descendants (Myshtsyn, pp. 140–144). But if the participation of all people in Adam’s sin was involuntary and unconscious, is it possible to allow that the eternal fate of a free and rational individual would depend on this act? Of course not—that would be unjust. However, the Apostle speaks here not of the eternal fate of individuals but only of bodily death. As for the spiritual, eternal existence of the personality, it depends on the individual himself, on his personal relationship to sin. It should be noted that verse 12, consisting entirely of subordinate clauses, has no corresponding conclusion (this figure of speech is called anacoluthon). The Apostle, having been diverted from the comparison begun in verse 12 to the explanations contained in verses 13–14, no longer found it possible to return to the first member of the comparison. He resumes the thought of verse 12 in verse 18.

Romans 5:13. For sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Romans 5:14. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. Against the Apostle’s teaching about the origin of death from one man, an objection could be raised that Adam’s descendants sinned themselves and that this was the reason they died. To this anticipated objection the Apostle replies: sin is imputed as a transgression entailing death only by a law that establishes the death penalty. Such was the Mosaic law. But this law was given in comparatively recent times—under Moses, more than three thousand years after the fall. Nevertheless all people died as criminals who had deserved death. They did not violate any specific commandment of the kind given to Adam, yet death struck everyone (even infants). From this it is clear that the cause of people’s death lies not in their own sins but in the sin of Adam, in which they participated involuntarily and unconsciously. Against such an argument Paul’s opponents could of course point to the fact that people, even before the Mosaic law, had the law of conscience, for the violation of which God punished humanity (the flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah). But the law of conscience did not explicitly threaten death for its violation, and moreover those punishments that God sometimes brought down upon people were not strictly legal in character, executed according to a defined judicial standard. They were rather special pedagogical measures prompted by the development of lawlessness among people that had exceeded all bounds. “A type of the one who was to come” (τύπος του μέλλοντος). From everything said about Adam the Apostle draws the conclusion that Adam is a type of the coming Adam, that is, Christ. In place of the word “type,” however, it would be more accurate to use the expression “prefiguration,” because the word τύπος always denotes something historical (a person or thing) that, by divine design, has as its purpose to prefigure or foreshadow something corresponding to the old, Old Testament form that is future and New Testament. The Apostle views the past as a preparatory moment of development, containing in embryonic form that which is to appear in the New Testament. But if one compares both Adams—the Old Testament one and the New Testament one—with respect to their dignity, one must say that Christ (the second Adam) is the prototype, the original, while Adam (the first Adam) is the reflection, the image of Him.

Romans 5:15. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, how much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. From the fact that Christ is the prototype of Adam it necessarily follows that His action upon humanity corresponds to the action exerted by Adam. Yet there is still a difference between these actions, and it is a pleasant difference for humanity. The salvation that Christ grants us represents something incomparably more certain than the condemnation that Adam brought upon all his offspring. Why is it more certain? Because grace is more powerful than sin: the work of Adam will be destroyed; the work of Christ will endure forever!—“But the free gift.” By this he limits the parallel he has begun between Adam and Christ.—“The free gift” (χάρισμα)—this is the gracious gift that Christ made to us by out of love for us sacrificing His life on our behalf.—“Trespass”—Adam’s sin, which exerted such a ruinous influence on the entire human race.—“Many”—all of Adam’s descendants. The Apostle used this expression evidently to create a correspondence with the second half of the comparison. Not all receive the grace of Christ, but many (believers); so also those who inherit Adam’s sin are spoken of as many.—“The grace of God and the free gift by grace.” This figure of speech is called hendiadys (one thing designated by two expressions) and can be rendered as: “the grace of God, which consists in the salvation granted to us in Christ.” “Free gift by grace”—more precisely: gracious gift (δωρεά έν χάριτι).—“Abounded.” Chrysostom says: “Christ has not only repaired all that was damaged by Adam, but has restored everything to a far greater degree and in a higher measure.”

Romans 5:16. And the free gift is not like the result of one man’s sinning. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. The difference between the work of Christ and the work of Adam consists further in the fact that the grace of Christ gives deliverance not only from Adam’s sin—the sin of nature, the inherited sin—but also from all the sins subsequently committed by Adam’s descendants, from the transgressions committed by them freely and consciously. Instead of the Russian translation found in the Synodal edition of the Bible, Professor Nekrasov, and after him Myshtsyn, proposes the following translation of verse 16, consistent with the context: “and this gift is not like the gift for one who erred in a single trespass, because judgment for condemnation came from one trespass, but the gift of grace for justification from many trespasses”—that is, there, after Adam’s fall, condemnation was received as a gift by humanity, while here, in Christ, we receive a new and better gift—justification, and that from a multitude of transgressions. By justification (δικαίωμα) as the result of the gift of grace, what is meant here is the restoration of righteousness, the genuine transformation of human nature for the better.

Romans 5:17. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. It might have seemed strange that a transgression—in one case, namely in the fall of Adam, led to condemnation, while in another case—when all of Adam’s descendants turned to sin, at which time, it would seem, the wrath of God should have manifested itself with greater force—it led to justification, to an extraordinary manifestation of the love of God. The Apostle explains the different attitude of God to one and the same phenomenon as follows. There, in Adam, we yielded to the dominion of sin and death; here, in Christ, we ourselves become masters. We consciously and freely accept the gift that God’s love offers us. Adam’s fall acted upon his descendants from a distance—in most cases they did not even account for why they were suffering—while the righteousness that God grants them in Christ is accepted by them with joy. The gift of righteousness is a gift consisting in righteousness.—“Through the one man Jesus Christ.” This expression corresponds to the expression of verse 12: “through one man sin entered into the world.”

Romans 5:18. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all people, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all people. Here the Apostle draws a conclusion from everything preceding from verse 12: there, in Adam, through the fall of one came universal condemnation; here, in Christ, through the justification of one there was brought about the justification of all, leading to true and full life.—“One act of righteousness” (δικαίωμα).—Here, according to the context, we must understand the work of justification accomplished by Christ, forming the opposite to what in this verse is called the trespass (Adam’s deed). This work of justification of course encompasses both the death and the resurrection of Christ.—“Justification leading to life” (δικαίωσις)—this is the state of those who have been justified and are believers.

Romans 5:19. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Here the Apostle not only repeats the thought of verse 18 but at the same time points to the moral, hidden causes both of Adam’s transgression and of Christ’s self-sacrifice. Adam showed his frivolity by not heeding the clearly and plainly sounding words of God’s commandment—as though he had not even heard them! Christ, on the contrary, showed complete obedience to the will of His heavenly Father—this continued throughout His entire life and was most clearly expressed in His death (Phil 2:8).

Romans 5:20. Now the law came in alongside, so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, Romans 5:21. so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Until now, beginning from chapter III verse 21, the Apostle had outlined the plan of salvation for all people. In this, the Mosaic law turned out to be as if entirely superfluous. The Apostle now explains that even the law had significance in the economy of our salvation. Although it neither produced sinfulness nor eliminated it, it came in alongside (παρεισήλθεν—the Russian translation is imprecise: “came”) and began to assist in the realization of the plan of the economy. In what way? It began to multiply—that is, to increase in number and to intensify—the transgressions of humanity (the Russian translation: “and so transgression increased” is imprecise. In the Greek the expression ίνα πλεονασή stands here—“so that it might increase.” This is an indication of the purpose of the appearance of the law, not its consequence). People thus began to sin consciously, which was impossible without the law, and sin itself through the law acquired special active force (cf. Rom 7:7 and following). This was necessary so that grace could manifest itself in its full measure. If sin had not been so immense and felt so keenly, there would never have been awakened in people the need for salvation, and consequently they would not have recognized the richness of God’s grace and would not have received it.—“Sin reigned in death”—that is, manifested its dominion in death (εν θανατψ)—specifically in the fact that all people died.—“Grace… leading to eternal life” (είς ζωήν αιώνιον). Grace does not yet manifest itself in life (the preposition έν is not used here as above, but the preposition είς), but for life or toward eternal life, since genuine eternal life in the full sense of the word has not yet opened up for people.—It remains for now the goal of their aspirations. This eternal life is the glory spoken of by the Apostle above (Rom 3:23), combined with holiness. “Through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The final words of the comparison begun in verse 12 point to the immeasurable significance of Christ for us. Now—as the Apostle seems to want to say in conclusion of the comparison of Adam and Christ—Adam has receded from us and Christ alone remains with us! We appropriate to ourselves the work of salvation accomplished by Him through the fact that we actually and really live in Christ, just as we once lived in Adam. There we existed in the form of an un-individualized nature and were drawn into sin unconsciously and without freedom; here we appear as already defined personalities existing outside of Christ and independently of Him. Our participation in His work is therefore rational and conscious. And how this participation is realized—how we unite our personality with Christ—is what the Apostle speaks about in the following, 6th chapter. * * * By “the one who was to come” the Apostle, according to Zahn, names Christ not in relation to the present time when the Apostle was writing his letter, but from the perspective of a person who lived before the coming of Christ.

Chapter Six

The obligations that our received justification imposes on us—Christians must no longer remain in sin (1–11). They have become slaves of righteousness and should rejoice in this new condition of theirs (12–23).

Romans 6:1. What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase? By no means. Christianity and the persistence in sin cannot be reconciled with each other. Baptism, received by Christians, clearly testifies to this: in baptism the Christian dies to sin and comes alive to a new holy life in Christ. He was previously a slave of sin, but through his (spiritual) death he was freed from this obligation to serve sin and now lives together with Christ for God. The Apostle in Rom 3:7 had already pointed to the existence of slanderers who accused him of teaching, through his doctrine, an indifference toward sin. What he said in Rom 5:20 could serve as a new occasion for the same accusation. It might be said precisely that the Apostle, by strengthening in his readers the hope in God’s all-covering grace, was thereby in effect teaching them to pay no particular attention to purity of life—that sin is not frightening but is in fact even useful, because it gives God’s purifying grace an opportunity to work with greater force. The Apostle briefly sets aside such a suggestion.

Romans 6:2. We died to sin; how then can we live in it? The Apostle grounds his answer given in verse 1 by appeal to a fact. We, he says, have died to sin—but can one who has died come to life again for the old life, in this case a sinful life? But what does it mean to die to sin? This expression does not indicate that sin has actually died within us (Bishop Theophan), because in that case the Apostle’s subsequent exhortations not to serve sin anymore would be superfluous; nor does it merely indicate a single act of the will, by which a person says: ‘I no longer want to have fellowship with sin!’ It is more natural and more consistent with the context to see here a reference to the fact that in baptism the death to sin is depicted—that transformation which has taken place in a person only in its first stage and which must be confirmed in subsequent life. This expression thus hints at Christian baptism, in which a person renounces all that is sinful, acknowledges sin as harmful, and rejects everything by which his self-centered ego has until now lived. In this, sin is not entirely destroyed in the person, but merely ceases to be the guiding principle of his activity—it, as it were, grows still within the person. This, however, does not prevent it from reviving if the person neglects the state of his soul: a spark still smolders under a pile of ash…

Romans 6:3. Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? The Apostle, in order to persuade his readers all the more of the (principled) impossibility for them of returning to sin, reminds them that having been baptized into Jesus Christ, they were thereby baptized ‘into his death.’ What does it mean to be baptized into Christ (είς Χρίστον)? It means entering into living and most intimate communion with him. The Christian who descends into the river or baptismal font for baptism and is immersed in it (the verb βαπτίζω used here points to this) thereby ends his former, sinful life and is immersed into a new realm of life, into Christ himself. For him baptism has become what the cross and tomb were for Christ (Chrysostom). He likewise dies, as Christ did, feels the same pain, the same suffering as the Savior dying on the cross, though all of this takes place on the moral and not the physical side of his being. This is why the Apostle says that the one being baptized is baptized into the death of Christ.

Romans 6:4. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. To prove that death to sin is indeed depicted in baptism, the Apostle now calls this baptism a burial. Once a burial has taken place, the death is evidently already acknowledged as real—otherwise people are not buried. But the Apostle does not limit himself to pointing to our death to sin. He says that we died not in order to remain dead, but in order to live a new life, just as Christ rose from the dead. By this declaration the Apostle further strengthens in us the conviction that we have, so to speak, already done with sin.—‘Was raised… by the glory of the Father.’ According to the general testimony of New Testament writers, the resurrection of Christ was accomplished by the Almighty Power (glory) of God (Rom 4:24; Acts 2:24 and following, cf. 1 Cor 6:14; 2 Cor 13:4; Eph 1:19). 22—‘So we too might walk.’ The Apostle wishes to point to the (theoretical) impossibility for believers of returning to their former life. Therefore he speaks not of their (spiritual) resurrection with Christ, but of their beginning of a new life. The latter—more clearly than the fact of their spiritual resurrection—testifies that a return to their former way of life is (in principle) impossible.

Romans 6:5. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his, Here the Apostle repeats the thought of verse 4 in order to confirm the readers in the conviction that baptism depicts not only death but also resurrection.—‘We have been united’—more precisely: we have grown together with him (σύμφυτοι from the verb συμφύω—to grow together, cf. Luke 13:7).—‘In a death like his’—that is, through baptism-by-immersion, which signifies the death of Christ; it is a likeness of Christ’s death; in receiving baptism by immersion, a person is likened to the dying Christ descending into the tomb.—‘We shall certainly also be’ (έσόμεθα). Although the Greek text uses the future tense here, the Apostle nevertheless does not regard our resurrection as a future matter, but as a fact already accomplished at the moment of our baptism (the so-called logical future, or future of consequence, is used here).—‘United with him in a resurrection like his.’ Here the Apostle has in view again baptism, but now in the moment when the one being baptized emerges and lifts his head out of the water. This moment of rising is a likeness, a symbol, of our resurrection together with Christ.

Romans 6:6. knowing this, that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; Romans 6:7. for one who has died has been set free from sin. ‘Knowing this.’ The Apostle here appeals to what they themselves understand about the meaning of the rites of the sacrament of baptism. What they know about this the Apostle states immediately. What does our death with Christ mean? What must die in this? Not ourselves, nor yet sin within us, but our old man, consisting in the union of the mind (νους) and the flesh (σαρξ)—that is, the very person of a human being, in which, however, as is evident from the Epistle to the Galatians (Gal 5:24), the guiding principle is the flesh. This old man dies by crucifixion. This expression is a concrete and intensified way of designating the mortification or cessation of life (1 Cor 2:8; Gal 3:1; Heb 6:6), or of the anti-divine tendency of the unregenerate person (cf. Gal 5:24). For what purpose does the old man die? Death is the dissolution of the bond between the factors mentioned above, which together form a living organism—specifically, such a dissolution in which one of the factors ceases to exist. Which of these two factors, then, must be annihilated or, more precisely, rendered powerless, paralyzed (καταργεισθαί—in the Russian translation: to be abolished)? Not the mind, but the flesh or the body of sin (σώμα τ. αμαρτίας), by which expression the Apostle means the body as an instrument of sin, our passions and vices (cf. v. 12; cf. Rom 7:24 and Col 1:22). Why must the flesh be annihilated or paralyzed? So that we might no longer serve sin, which has its dominion in the flesh. And this renunciation of the service of sin is entirely natural for one who has died to sin—died morally, of course, not physically; which is why in both the preceding and the following verses the Apostle speaks everywhere of moral death, which alone can be a fully effective basis for ceasing to serve sin.—What kind of body or flesh we shall have in place of the dead sinful one the Apostle speaks of in other passages (e.g., Eph 4:24 and following; Col 3:11 and parallels).

Romans 6:8. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, Romans 6:9. knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. Romans 6:10. For the death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. Now the Apostle describes the reverse side of our dying with Christ—namely, our coming to life with him. With the destruction of the old man our person, as such, does not disappear entirely; rather, in place of the old natural self that grew together with the flesh, a new self emerges, which has grown together (σύμφυτος) with Christ. It receives its vital content from Christ; our life is life with him and in him. Our hope of living with Christ is grounded in the fact that he remained alive at the time of our conversion. He is alive because through his resurrection he entered into eternal life—eternal because in it there is no longer any room for the influence of sin, and it was sin alone that caused death. With every relation to sin Christ settled once and for all through accepting death for the sins of humanity. Now he lives only for God, and consequently possesses the indestructibility of his life (and along with this a guarantee is given to us that we too will live with him in communion).—‘Died… for sin’ (v. 10), that is, in order to destroy sin, the bonds of sin, having paid its debt once for all on behalf of all humanity. Christ thus acknowledged the rights of sin over his brothers the human beings and over himself, since he appeared as their surety. He satisfied the claims of sin through his death.—‘Lives to God,’ that is, lives eternally, since death has no more dominion over him (Chrysostom).

Romans 6:11. So you too must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. From what was said above, the Apostle makes an application with regard to Christians. They must constantly keep in mind (‘consider yourselves’) that they, like Christ, are dead to sin and live for God. From this expression—to keep in mind, to consider oneself (λογίζεσθαι)—some interpreters draw the conclusion that the Apostle Paul did not see in baptism a means of receiving actual justification and cleansing from sins, a means of beginning a new life for God. He teaches, they say, that we can only consider ourselves justified and dead to sin, and that this is not true and actual sanctification. This expression may be answered as follows. From all the numerous passages where the Apostle Paul speaks of the regeneration that a person receives in baptism, one can derive a clear understanding that, according to his teaching, a person is actually changed in his nature in baptism, and the original properties of human nature are imparted to him—the likeness to God, and above all, holiness. Yet even so, the Apostle nowhere says that this holiness makes a person completely pure and holy, that is, such as ‘Adam came forth from the hands of the Creator’ (Myshtsyn, p. 191). If that were so, then every individual sin of a person would be, in its consequences, identical with the transgression of Adam, so that a second baptism would be needed in such a case. The Apostle has in view two sanctifications: one accomplished at the moment of receiving baptism, and another continuing throughout the subsequent life of the person who has received baptism (cf. 1 Thess 5:23; Col 3:10; Gal 5:5; Eph 4:23). That is, the Apostle is here saying the following: Christians! you have been sanctified and have become dead to sin with the receiving of baptism; you have begun to live for God. But do not rest content with this! Do not fall asleep—stay watchful! Never lose sight of the great transformation that has taken place in your soul—otherwise the sparks of sin, smoldering here and there under the ash in your heart, may once again kindle a fire in your inner being. This continuing self-sanctification must go on until the very being of Christ ‘is established in us and we ourselves are transformed into his image.’ The Apostle Paul, says Chrysostom, has in mind here two mortifications and two deaths. One is accomplished by Christ in baptism, and the other we ourselves are obligated to accomplish through our own diligence after baptism.

Romans 6:12. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires; So, in baptism we took upon ourselves a serious obligation to serve not sin but God—to serve in deed and in truth. Perhaps it may seem to some that without the law, with grace alone, this service, this constant struggle with sin, will be difficult? But this only seems so. In reality grace becomes for us no less powerful a ruler than the law used to be. One might say that just as the law previously delivered us into slavery to sin, so now we have become obedient servants of righteousness. And this new service of righteousness is compensated far better than your former service to sin: from our new master we receive holiness and eternal life, whereas our former lord paid us for our services with death.

Romans 6:13. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and offer the parts of your body to God as instruments of righteousness. From some of the Apostle’s preceding expressions it might have been concluded that he does not acknowledge the existence of sin in believers any longer. But in reality he is far from such extreme optimism. The Apostle says only that sin can no longer hold a ruling position in the life of a Christian, but from this it is also evident that the Apostle does not deny its existence in Christians altogether. What is the reason that sin has lost its former position? It has lost its powerful instrument and its powerful ally—the body: the body has become in Christ an instrument of God. ‘Let sin not reign.’ Although grammatically this exhortation is addressed to sin, as though to a person, in the meaning of the speech it is addressed to the believer himself, since it is his task to put an end to the dominion of sin. This exhortation resembles what the Apostle says in the Epistle to the Colossians: ‘you have died… therefore put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature’ (Col 3:3). Because we have died to sin in Christ, we can mortify sin in our everyday life.—‘In your mortal body.’ The body is, as it were, the territory in which sin establishes itself. The will, enslaved by sin, surrenders the body to sin, as one’s fortress, for its full disposal. The Apostle calls the body mortal in order to impress upon believers how badly they act if, being called to share in the immortal life of Christ, they allow themselves to enslave their body—which must soon die—to desires.—‘Its desires,’ that is, of the body. The desires of the body are the strivings and cravings of the body, which act upon the soul and thereby stir up passionate and disordered movements of sin within it. The very word ‘desire’ (in Greek επιθυμία—from επι upon, against, and θυμός heart, feeling, passion) denotes the force with which the soul, under the power of sensual craving, rushes toward objects that can satisfy the desires aroused within it. 23 ‘And do not offer the parts of your body.’ Having spoken of the body in general, the Apostle in particular speaks of its members. These members are instruments for the satisfaction of the body’s desires—these are the various organs of the body (the Greek word όπλα—instruments—most often means military weapons or arms, but here it seems to carry the meaning simply of an instrument by which a certain goal is achieved).—Wickedness here has the meaning of immorality in general. ‘But present yourselves to God.’ Having spoken of the sanctification of the body from the negative side, the Apostle now speaks of the same thing from the positive side. ‘Present’—in Greek the aorist is used (παραστήσετε), indicating that Christians must perform this action at once (without delay); in the first half of v. 13 the same verb παρίστιμι was in the present tense—‘do not offer,’ which indicated a continuing action. Christians must present to God not the body alone but their entire person (themselves), together with the body and its organs.—‘As those who have been brought from death to life,’ that is, as those who are in reality truly living the true life in faith, whereas before they were, one might say, dead, dwelling in sins (cf. Eph 2:1), that is, estranged from God.—‘As instruments of righteousness.’ By righteousness here, in contrast to wickedness, one should understand moral uprightness in general—the fulfillment of all human duties.

Romans 6:14. For sin shall not have dominion over you, because you are not under law but under grace. Having repeated that sin must no longer hold dominion over people redeemed by Christ, the Apostle, in order to assure his readers of this, points to the fact that they are now no longer under the law but under grace. This gracious state—reconciliation with God and communion with him—imparts to the soul a victorious power that was entirely absent in those who were under the guidance of the law. In the person under the law there was constantly in his soul only the wearisome feeling of his accountability before God, the fear of condemnation, and a slavish submission instead of the childlike devotion that a Christian nurtures toward God.

Romans 6:15. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means. The Apostle sees an opponent who expresses doubt as to whether grace on its own, without the law, could protect Christians from sins.—‘Are we to sin’—αμαρτήσωμεν. This is an aorist, denoting a single, isolated act of sin. Therefore the question here is evidently whether grace is strong enough to overcome sin in each individual instance. It may seem very lenient toward individual human failings, whereas the law strictly punished every instance of the transgression of God’s will. The Apostle gives a negative answer to the question he has posed.

Romans 6:16. Do you not know that to whomever you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one you obey—either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? It commonly happens that a sin committed by us several times already gives our will a certain direction from which it is unable to deviate. The same is observed with regard to good deeds. Thus a person develops either bad or good habits. This psychological law is expressed in the words of Christ: ‘everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin’ (John 8:34). The Apostle also has this law in mind when speaking here of slavery either to sin or to righteousness: a person must necessarily have a master—he cannot exist without this… This master must be either sin or righteousness. If the readers of the letter have taken the path of virtue, then they will unquestionably arrive at complete submission to righteousness or grace. The latter will become for them just as much a master as the law was for the Jew.—‘To whomever you present yourselves.’ This points to the first steps people take in one direction or another. At this moment a person still exhibits a certain degree of moral freedom in relation to the principle that seeks to take hold of his being and his will—he gives himself over. But as he begins to show a certain pliability before this principle that is still foreign to him, he more and more loses his freedom and comes into the position of a slave to it.—‘To death.’ Here, of course, moral death is meant—estrangement from God—since it is contrasted not with eternal life but with righteousness. Physically, slaves of righteousness die just as much as slaves of sin.—‘Obedience,’ that is, faith in Christ and in the Gospel. In the following verse as well, the verb ‘to obey’ properly denotes the act of faith.—‘To righteousness,’ that is, to a virtuous life grounded in faith. This virtuous life stands in contrast to the death to which sin leads.

Romans 6:17. But thanks be to God that, having once been slaves of sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the pattern of teaching to which you were handed over. Romans 6:18. Having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. Between two masters—sin and faith (obedience)—the Roman Christians have already made the choice that every person must make: they have taken the side of faith.—‘You obeyed’—in Greek the aorist is used (υπηκούσατε), pointing to the decisive act when they turned to Christ (better translated: you listened, you heeded).—‘The pattern of teaching’ (τ. τύπω διδαχής). This expression undoubtedly contains a reference to the existence of a specific, clearly formulated preaching about Christ. The Apostle is probably speaking of his Gospel (Rom 2:16), which the first preachers of Christianity brought with them to Rome. Paul knew from his own experience that only in the pure spirituality of his Gospel could one find a true foundation for Christian holiness, and that allowing the law a role in the sanctification of the Christian would hinder the action of the Holy Spirit. This is why he rejoices that the Romans received the Gospel exactly in the form in which he presented it.

Romans 6:19. I am speaking in human terms, on account of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you once presented the parts of your body as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness for lawless deeds, so now present the parts of your body as slaves to righteousness for holy deeds. Here the Apostle offers an explanation of the expression he used above: slaves of righteousness. He could be asked: is the practice of virtue really slavery? The Apostle himself had taught earlier that Christians are called to freedom (Gal 5:13). The Apostle answers the anticipated question thus: ‘in speaking this way, I adapt myself to the concepts of my readers, to their weakened condition.’ The Apostle evidently understands that the Roman Christians were not always at the height of their calling. Every now and then their passions would stir, as if they had been completely subdued. Not everyone, of course, could skillfully and without harm to themselves make use of Christian freedom. Therefore, for the majority it was necessary to establish the conviction that there is a master over them who will hold them strictly accountable for every violation of Christian purity. This is why the Apostle impresses upon them that they should consider themselves slaves of righteousness and permit themselves no liberties with regard to the law of the Gospel. Otherwise all their labors may come to nothing! (cf. the expression of the Apostle Jude: ‘and save others with fear’ (Jude 1:23)).—Impurity is sin as personal fall, personal corruption (1 Thess 4:7); lawlessness is contempt for the Mosaic law or the law of conscience.

Romans 6:20. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness. Romans 6:21. So what benefit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. In his call to the service of righteousness, the Apostle now grounds it by pointing to the fact that the former service of the Romans to sin was drawing them toward shame and death.—‘Free from righteousness’—this is the first consequence of the service to sin. The Apostle evidently speaks here with irony: ‘you were indeed people free from every notion of honor and virtue! They seemed to you a restriction…’—‘What benefit…’ This is the second consequence of the service to sin, combined with the absence of righteousness. Here the Apostle points precisely to the direct and natural result of the Romans’ former activity—the product, so to speak, of their own moral life.—‘End.’ Here the Apostle uses an expression that points specifically to what God does in relation to a person. The culmination of human activity depends on God. For the Romans’ former deeds, God would have punished them with death, that is, eternal estrangement from himself.

Romans 6:22. But now, having been set free from sin and having become slaves of God, the fruit you have is sanctification, and the end is eternal life. Now circumstances have changed entirely—the Romans are moving toward holiness and eternal life.—‘The fruit you have is sanctification’—this should more precisely be translated thus: ‘you have your fruit in that you are being led to holiness’ (or brought into a state of holiness). This is the result of their persistent activity, carried out in dependence on God. Every duty fulfilled by a Christian is a new step along the path at whose end shines the elevated ideal of perfect holiness (αγιασμός), and beyond—beyond the grave—‘eternal life,’ that is, eternal glory and perfect activity.

Romans 6:23. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Apostle briefly repeats the thoughts set out in verses 21 and 22.—‘Wages’—in Greek οψώνιον originally means payment in agricultural produce and later the monetary pay that commanders distributed to their soldiers. Therefore the following Greek expression—αμαρτίας—should be translated simply as a genitive—of sin (not ‘for sin,’ as in the Russian translation). Sin is here personified as a sovereign who pays his subjects with death, that is, makes them feel all the painful consequences of their offenses (Gal 6:7; 2 Cor 5:10).—‘The gift of God.’ From God we receive not wages, not a reward, but a gift that we have not earned (χάρισμα). ‘Hell,’ says Hodge, ‘is always deserved; heaven—never!’ * * * According to Bishop Theophan, this indicates that Christ was raised ‘in the brightness and glory of the Godhead.’ Our Russian (and Slavonic) text adds here (v. 12) the word ‘it,’ which is absent from the Textus Receptus and many ancient manuscripts. The particle ‘in’ (εν) is likewise superfluous—absent from most ancient manuscripts. The expression at the end of verse 12 should be translated thus: ‘So that you would obey its desires.’

Chapter Seven

How Christians were freed from subjection to the law and what are the consequences of this liberation (1–6). While under the law, a person could not be righteous, because the law only stirred up the power of sin all the more (7–13). The cause of this phenomenon was the natural powerlessness of humanity with regard to what is good (14–25).

Romans 7:1. Do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has authority over a person only as long as he lives? Romans 7:2. A married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. The Apostle had not sufficiently explained the statement in Romans 6:14: ‘you are not under the law but under grace.’ He now provides this explanation, comparing the situation of his readers before their acceptance of Christianity with the situation of a married woman. The law binds the wife to her husband—she cannot leave him as long as he is alive. Only death dissolves the marriage bond. Something similar happened to the readers of the epistle. They died to the law and by this were freed from all dependence on it. Now they may in full fact belong to Christ. This new union or marriage is incomparably more beneficial for them, because here they no longer serve their own passions as before, but perform good deeds. First of all, the Apostle establishes the position acknowledged by all—that the law, any law, whether Jewish or pagan, is written for the temporal life of a person. In particular, therefore, the law concerning the indissolubility of marriage, concerning the ‘bondedness’ of the wife to her husband, likewise has in view only temporal life and does not extend its rights beyond it: if one spouse dies, the widow naturally becomes a free person and may enter into a new marriage. ‘Those who know the law.’ Here the law in general is meant—not the Mosaic law alone. The Apostle could speak thus especially about the Romans, who were well acquainted with the laws. 24 ‘As long as he lives’—he, that is, the person. A person—man or woman—as long as he or she is a member of society, is bound to obey the law that governs the relations of the members of society with one another.—‘If her husband dies.’ The Apostle mentions only one case where a second marriage was possible for a woman—the death of her husband. He does not speak about the wife being able to remarry when the husband gave her a certificate of divorce, because in his account the active party is the wife, and in divorce she was not such a party (Deut 24:1).—‘She is released from the law of marriage,’ that is, she ceases to exist as a wife, is released from the authority (law) of her husband.

Romans 7:3. Therefore, if while her husband is alive she joins herself to another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, and she will not be an adulteress if she marries another man. Here the Apostle draws a conclusion from the legal provision cited in verse 2 in order to prove the wife’s right to enter into a second marriage.

Romans 7:4. So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you might belong to another—to him who was raised from the dead—that we might bear fruit for God. Now making the application from what was said to Christians, the Apostle says that they died to the law and therefore can belong to Christ.—‘You died’—more precisely: you were put to death (εθανατώθητε). The verb form used here (aorist passive) denotes the highest degree of passivity. Jesus Christ draws believers with extraordinary force into participation in his sufferings and death.—‘To the law.’ Although the Romans had not previously lived in subjection to the Mosaic law, they nevertheless passed through, together with Christ, a preliminary subjection to the Mosaic law (in dying with Christ) and then a liberation from it (in resurrection).—‘Through the body of Christ.’ This expression points to the real death of Christ and, consequently, to the real resurrection. The Apostle speaks not of the death of the husband—the law—but of the death of the wife—human beings—because, as Chrysostom explains, he did not want to offend the Jews who confessed Christ while at the same time observing the Mosaic law (the Apostle James and others). Moreover, since the new husband is Christ, who died and rose again, the wife too must be depicted as having died, so that, after her own resurrection, she might be united with the risen Christ. This is a union contracted, as it were, on the other side of the grave. ‘That we might bear fruit for God.’ The Apostle here concludes the image of the marriage union he began. The believers, depicted by the Apostle as a woman who has entered into a new marriage, now bear fruit for God—that is, from the new marriage children are born for God, or good deeds. In this way, the very best results come from that new order of life in which the law no longer has significance.

Romans 7:5. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, stirred up by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death; Previously, quite different results were obtained.—Living according to the flesh—that is, satisfying the demands of the self—we were subjected to sinful passions or affections (παθήματα αμαρτιών). The law stirred up their active force all the more (cf. vv. 7 and following). And the result of this was fruit borne for death—that is, evil deeds leading to spiritual death.

Romans 7:6. but now, having died to that which held us captive, we have been released from the law, so that we might serve God in the new way of the Spirit and not the old way of the written code. Liberation from the law is not liberation from all dependence. On the contrary, the believer who is free from the law bears a higher and better service in the new way of the Spirit. This new state, into which the Holy Spirit brings believers, is a state of complete harmony between the inclinations of the heart and moral obligations, when a person joyfully undertakes feats of self-sacrifice out of love for God. Opposite to this state is the former one, which the Apostle calls life ‘according to the old letter.’ By the old letter here, of course (cf. Heb 8:13), the Apostle means the obsolete Mosaic law, which he calls ‘letter’ because it directed its attention primarily to the external condition of the person and remained with its prescriptions something external and alien to the person.—It is clear that the Apostle here, as further on, has in view readers who are natural Jews or proselytes of Judaism (Zahn).

Romans 7:7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? By no means! Yet I would not have come to know sin except through the law. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said: ‘Do not covet.’ In what sense, however, did the law serve as an obstacle for a person on the path to righteousness? Surely not in the sense that it supposedly generated sins that the person would not have committed without it. No—through its demands it stirred up the force of resistance in the sin that lay in a latent state within human nature, and this sin killed the person. The one guilty of the person’s death (spiritual death) is therefore not the law but sin. The law had only the most holy aims with regard to the person. In Romans 7:1–6 the Apostle placed the law and sin in such close relation with each other that there could arise a suspicion of the following kind: is the law perhaps something bad in itself? (‘The law is sin’—more precisely: ‘Is the law sin?’) The Apostle answers this question negatively. The law is not sin, but only reveals that a person is in sin; it merely uncovers the sinfulness of a person.—‘I would not have come to know sin,’ that is, I would not have discovered the existence of sin within myself (cf. Rom 3:20).—‘For I would not have known what it is to covet.’ The Apostle here cites a particular fact to prove the general proposition he has just stated. He came to know of the existence of sin within himself through the law precisely because one of the commandments of the law clearly pointed out to him covetousness, the existence of which as something abnormal would otherwise have forever remained unknown to him.—‘I would not have known’—more precisely: I would not have noticed (ούκ ήδειν).—Covetousness, that is, the striving of the soul toward objects that can bring it satisfaction, is so natural to the human heart that it completely escapes the notice of a person’s conscience unless the law speaks against it and points it out as a sign of opposition to God. Thus only the 10th commandment of God’s law defined covetousness as something abnormal, and thanks to this the Jew (the Apostle speaks as a Jew) recognized his sinful state. So, according to the Apostle, a Jew discovered the presence of sin and covetousness within himself only when a definite commandment of the law that forbade covetousness stood before his consciousness. Does such an assertion not contradict the observation that even among pagans, who did not have the commandments of the Mosaic law, there nonetheless existed a concept of human sinfulness? Of this sinfulness speak, for example, Thucydides, Diodorus, Epictetus, Seneca, and others (see in Myshtsyn, pp. 41–42, footnotes). But the difference between the pagan view of sin and Paul’s teaching is very great. Specifically, the pagans did not acknowledge that sin dwells in human nature, and did not think that this sinfulness calls forth the wrath of the deity. The commandment that forbids not only free decisions running contrary to the law of God but also condemns the immediate, unconscious impulses of the heart that precede these decisions—this commandment was not yet known to the pagan world. Civil law and philosophical ethics condemned either external crimes or acts committed by virtue of the decisions of a person’s free will. They did not penetrate into the depths of human existence, where the free will has not yet manifested itself (Chrysostom, on v. 13).

Romans 7:8. But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all manner of covetousness; for apart from the law, sin is dead. With the appearance of the 10th commandment of the law, sin through this commandment brought forth in the person (the Jew) a multitude of covetous desires, whereas before that it lay in a dead state.—The Russian translation of this verse is somewhat imprecise. It is better to read thus: ‘sin subsequently seized an opportunity and produced in me through the commandment (διά τ. εντολής, not “from the commandment” as in the Russian translation) all manner of desires.’ The opportunity—more precisely from the Greek, a point of support (αφορμή)—consists of the various objects forbidden by the commandment upon which a person’s attention stops.—Through the commandment. It is well known that everything forbidden seems to a person especially desirable and enviable. This thought was expressed by Ovid in the words: ‘we strive toward what is forbidden’ (Amores II, 14.17). Of course, such a tempting effect is produced by prohibition upon a nature already corrupted by sin, in which selfish strivings are strong. Upon the pure nature of the first people, prohibition in itself did not produce a harmful effect—the ruin of the first people came not from their own heart but from the devil the tempter, that is, from an alien force.—‘Dead,’ that is, inactive, like a disease that exists only in embryonic form and requires favorable conditions for its development.

Romans 7:9. I was once alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin came to life, Romans 7:10. and I died; and the very commandment that was meant to bring life proved to be death for me, Romans 7:11. because sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. The Apostle contrasts the state of a person before the law with the state under the law. There, one might say, a person lived; here he became dead.—‘Once’—specifically, in a state of childhood innocence. The law with its prohibitions had not yet penetrated to Paul’s consciousness at that time, and therefore the sinful principle was not active. This state the Apostle calls life (he was alive). ‘Every person,’ says Origen, ‘was once alive without the law, when he was a child.’—‘The commandment came,’ that is, through the commandment of the Mosaic law it became clear to my consciousness that many apparently natural desires were impermissible.—‘Came to life,’ that is, began to manifest its life-force, which until then had been imperceptible. It was as if it had been asleep and now awoke.—‘I died,’ that is, I fell into a state that cannot be called life. This is the state of constant fear before the Heavenly Judge. A person began to relate to God not as a son but as a slave, obedient to his master only by compulsion, by necessity. Is that really life?! The action of the commandment described above was completely unexpected for the person. It can be explained only by the influence of sin.—‘The commandment that was meant to bring life.’ Life, that is, external well-being combined with the inner, grounded in close communion with Jehovah, was promised to the keeper of the law in general (Lev 18:5; Deut 5:33), and in particular to the keeper of the 10th commandment.—‘Proved to be.’ Here the pronoun ‘this’ (αύτη) is omitted, which intensifies the thought. Instead of ‘proved to be’ it is better to translate: ‘was found to be’ (ευρέθη). Chrysostom sees in this expression a hint at the unexpectedness and strangeness of the outcome that the giving of the commandment to people had. The fault for this outcome, according to his explanation, lay with the people themselves.—‘Death’—most immediately, temporal spiritual death, since only such death actually occurred; but then this expression can also denote eternal death, in contrast to the eternal life that the law intended to give to those who observed it.—‘Because sin.’ The true cause of the circumstance just indicated was sin. This thought, expressed already in verse 8, the Apostle now repeats with greater force.—‘Deceived me.’ As the serpent deceived Eve, presenting itself as her friend and God as her enemy, so sin deceives every person, depicting what is forbidden in the most enticing colors, although in reality it is not so.—‘Killed,’ that is, estranged me from true life.

Romans 7:12. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good. Here the Apostle draws a conclusion from verses 7–11. The law, considered as a whole, and each of its commandments are in themselves holy—that is, they elevate a person above the sinful world and require wholehearted devotion to God. The commandment, moreover, the Apostle calls righteous as establishing right relations between individual beings and therefore directly opposed to sin, and good—that is, beneficent, ‘preparing life for those who keep it’ (Theodoret).

Romans 7:13. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! It was sin—appearing as sin, because through what is good it brought death to me—so that sin might become exceedingly sinful through the commandment. The Apostle feels the need to formulate more precisely the solution to the problem he has posed. Could that which is good and saving in its very essence have become the cause of death, that is, the highest evil (in the sense of v. 10)? No—the Apostle answers—death was brought to the person by sin, not by what is good. Sin did this so that it might appear, manifest itself (ίνα φανή—inexactly in Russian: ‘appearing as sin’) in its true nature; and it appeared as such by bringing death, that is, the highest evil, through what is in itself good. This was a necessary preparation for the work of redemption, which was accepted by people when it became clear to them just how harmful was the influence of their former guide and friend—sin. Sin converted God’s blessing—the law—into a curse! Could one remain in fellowship with it after this?—‘So that sin might become’—more precisely: so that it might appear (ίνα γένηται)—an expression parallel to the preceding one: ‘so that it might appear.’ Sin had to appear before the person’s eyes in all its vileness (‘exceedingly sinful’), and it appears as such by abusing God’s commandment (through the commandment).

Romans 7:14. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. The reason why the law brought a curse to the person instead of a blessing lay in the corruption of human nature. A person is a fleshly being, and his flesh came entirely under the dominion of sin, which became the law for his will. Yet even in the natural person, alongside the flesh, there is a ‘soul (or, as the Apostle expresses it, the mind), and the soul cannot but acknowledge the benefit of God’s law’ and wants to keep it. But unfortunately this true self of the person is powerless in its strivings toward the good. The actually operative principle is the flesh, which in turn is a will-less instrument of sin. And since the soul is nonetheless the bearer of self-consciousness, the result of it all is that one and the same person both strives toward the good and does evil. Under such conditions the natural person is altogether unable to observe the law, and the latter, not giving the person justification, can bring him only to an awareness of his own powerlessness. ‘The law is spiritual’ (πνευματικός). This word (πνευματικός) signifies the law’s origin from the divine Spirit (cf. Rom 1:11). ‘The law is written by the Spirit of God’ (Theodoret). By virtue of this it is ‘a teacher of virtue and an enemy of vice’ (Chrysostom).—‘But I am of the flesh’ (σάρκινος), that is, I, as every other unregenerate, unredeemed person, by my nature (this is why from v. 14 onward the Apostle everywhere uses the present tense to describe his state) seek only what is pleasant. There are good tendencies in a person, but these natural tendencies are barely visible—they are weakened and suppressed. The expression ‘of the flesh’ is not the same, however, as ‘fleshly’ (σαρκικός). The latter indicates a state in which a person is determined in his decisions and actions solely by the flesh (σαρξ) and in which the good tendencies are no longer visible at all, whereas the former designates only the predominance of the lower, physical, life (cf. 1 Cor 3:1).—‘Sold under sin,’ that is, I am entirely dependent on the power of the sinful principle, just as a slave depends on his master. But this does not denote the necessity of sin, only its power. ‘In practice, one who sins to gratify the self and the passions always does so freely, self-willingly deciding on such deeds… Sin presents matters so that a person considers it more fitting to act against the law than according to it—and he sins. A person can also not sin, but he so loves his sins that he pays no heed to the demands of righteousness’ (Theophan).

Romans 7:15. For I do not understand what I do; for I do not do what I want, but instead I do what I hate. The Apostle explains in what precisely the person’s slavery to sin consists.—‘I do not understand what I do.’ A slave does not know what his master actually has in mind in making him do something. So too a person who has given himself over to sin acts by blind instinct, which makes him do what the person never intended; he does what he would never by himself have done.—‘I do not do what I want.’ From this it is clear that the Apostle speaks in the entire section from v. 7 onward about the unregenerate person, since the regenerate person, thanks to the help of God’s grace, can always bring his desire to fulfillment. ‘God,’ the Apostle says to the Philippian Christians, ‘works in you both to will and to act according to his good purpose’ (Phil 2:13).—It is remarkable that the depiction of inner conflict given here by the Apostle coincides with the observations of pagan philosophers, who described their inner state as plainly tragic. Epictetus said: ‘what the one who sins wants, he does not do, and he does what he does not want’ (Ench. II, 26, 4), while Ovid exclaimed: ‘I see and approve the better, yet follow the worse!’ (Metam. VII, 19).

Romans 7:16. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law that it is good, The Apostle acknowledges that his actions are not in accord with his inner inclinations. Although he acts against God’s law, he cannot but acknowledge that the law is in itself deserving of all respect (good—in Greek καλός—properly: beautiful).

Romans 7:17. But as it is, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. Here the Apostle does not at all wish to justify himself—he says this only in order to depict his wretched state more clearly. His person, his self—has already ceased to be master in its own house! Sin alone is in charge there. What could be more intolerable than such subjection?

Romans 7:18. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the desire to do good is present in me, but the ability to carry it out I do not find. The Apostle lays out before his readers in even greater detail the full wretchedness of his state.—‘Nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.’ Having said that nothing good dwells in him, the Apostle immediately limits what he said with the expression ‘that is,’ so that no one would think that in him in general, in his entire being, there is no good thought, good feeling, or desire. He says that specifically in his flesh nothing good dwells. Evidently he distinguishes two sides within himself: the self and the flesh (the bodily-material side). His self, as he has already said above, evaluates God’s law at its true worth and strives toward the good, but the flesh does not allow the fulfillment of such a striving. The flesh here, accordingly, appears as the seat and domain of sin’s dominion in the person. Sin dwells in the flesh and from there strives to bring the whole person to ruin. Some alien—evidently dark, demonic—force has seized the fleshly side of the human being and does not allow the good tendencies to live and develop. Like a flower planted among nettles, it is quickly choked and withers!—‘The desire to do good is present in me.’ The Apostle, as it were, looks around within the sphere of his inner life and discerns that good desires and intentions are present in him, but fine deeds are not! (in more recent editions this passage reads: ‘but the carrying out of good is not!’—The word ‘find’ is considered a superfluous addition, since it is absent from most of the oldest manuscripts. See the edition of Tischendorf, Novum Test. gr. 1872.)

Romans 7:19. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Romans 7:20. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. Romans 7:21. So I find this law: when I want to do good, evil is present with me. The Apostle here repeats the thoughts expressed above (vv. 15–17), since he considers them of extraordinary importance.—‘I find this law.’ The Apostle even acknowledges that such a wretched state, such inner conflict, has become something normal for him, has as it were entered into the law or pattern of his life.—‘Is present with me.’ Even when he sets out to do something good, he observes with surprise that in his hand instead of good there is evil, instead of gold—a stone! Some force converts every good intention of his into evil—and this force is evidently demonic, having made its nest in the flesh of the person. 25

Romans 7:22. For in my inner being I delight in the law of God; Romans 7:23. but I see in my members another law, warring against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin that is in my members. The Apostle, according to the inner person, is in sympathy with the demands of God’s law, but this sympathy can never find practical expression, since it meets on its way a serious obstacle—the law of the members.—‘According to the inner person.’ As is evident from v. 23, the Apostle considers it possible to replace this expression with another—the mind (νους). What, then, is the mind, according to the Apostle? It is not only the capacity to distinguish truth and falsehood, good and evil, but also the moral sense that draws a person toward keeping God’s law and finds delight in it. The Apostle calls the mind the inner person because, while sin holds dominion over the outer person or the flesh, this inner side or power is unable to find a way to manifest itself outwardly.—‘In my members’—this is the same as ‘in the flesh,’ that is, in the bodily-material side of the human being. ‘Warring against the law of the mind.’ Here begins a comparison drawn from the sphere of military actions. The Apostle sees two adversaries: 1) the law of the mind (or, what is the same, the inner person) and 2) the law of the members (or, as the Apostle later calls it, the law of sin). The first draws a person toward keeping God’s law and points out to him the way to heaven; the second draws a person away from this and toward hell. The second law prevails in this struggle and takes the person captive, compelling him, as a captive, to do what it—the law of sin—desires. 26

Romans 7:24. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Romans 7:25. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself serve the law of God, but with my flesh the law of sin. A cry of suffering is uttered by the person taken captive by sin.—‘What a wretched man!’ Although the person himself is also at fault for giving himself over to the power of sin, nonetheless, at the foundation of his sufferings lies the guilt inherited from his ancestor Adam, for which all of humanity must suffer.—‘Who will rescue me’—more precisely: who will rush out (ρύσεται) to do battle for me and rescue me from captivity?!—‘From this body of death.’ One can, of course, translate the phrase έκ τ. σώματος τ. θ. τούτου this way grammatically—there is no grammatical error. But if one takes into account that earlier the Apostle said nothing about the qualities of the body (σώμα), then such a translation must be recognized as unsuitable here. It is therefore better to translate thus: ‘from the body of this death.’ This phrase will thus designate the body that has fallen under the influence of sin and serves it (cf. Rom 6:6 — the body of sin). It is from such a body that the Apostle would like to be free (cf. Col 2:11).—‘Thanks be to God.’ The Apostle cannot hold back his expression of joy at the deliverance from such an oppressive inner conflict obtained through Christ. But he does not go into the details of this salvation, because he spoke of them in chapters 3 and 5.—‘So then.’ Here is given the conclusion to the entire section beginning at v. 14 and ending at v. 24.—‘With my mind I myself’—more precisely: ‘but I myself,’ that is, a person left to his own powers, without the help of Christ. Such a person serves God’s law with the mind, and the law of sin with the flesh.—‘The law of God’—this is not the Mosaic law but the law of the mind (v. 23), which prompts the mind of the unregenerate person to rejoice in God’s law (v. 22), and which is called God’s because God precisely requires of a person such an attitude toward his law. The service that is here in view is interior service, since the person’s exterior service is devoted to the law of sin. Note. In the interpretation offered here, the view has been adopted of those commentators who see in the entire section from verse 7 to verse 25 a depiction of the state of the person under the law, without self-control. Against this interpretation, accepted in particular by St. Chrysostom, Theodoret, and others, other commentators (Augustine, Anselm, Thomas Aquinas, Luther, Melanchthon, Calvin, and many others) have raised objections, but all their objections are exceedingly petty. On the contrary, the first understanding has serious grounds in its favor, namely: 1) the state of the regenerate person, as described in chapter 6, is a direct antithesis of what the Apostle says here. For example, in chapter 6 the person’s personality rises up and comes to life (vv. 7, 11), whereas here it dies (v. 10); 2) if the Apostle here depicts a regenerate person, what would the expression ‘I was once alive apart from the law’ (v. 9) mean? 3) the regenerate cannot be called ‘of the flesh’ (σάρκινος): the Apostle calls him spiritual (Rom 8:9; Gal 6:1); nor can he be called ‘sold under sin’ (cf. 1 Cor 6:20); and finally, 4) how could a regenerate person be at a loss as to who would free him from the service of sin (v. 24), when he has already received this liberation in Christ Jesus?! Thus the Apostle—as Bonnet correctly explains (Comm. p. 85)—speaks here not of the natural person in his state of ignorance and voluntary sin, nor of a child of God regenerated by divine grace, but of a person whose conscience, awakened by the law, seriously, with fear and trembling, yet still by its own powers, has begun a doubtful struggle against evil. Of course, such a struggle was bound to end in failure for the person… The same end awaits the regenerate when he comes to stand in the position of the person depicted in Romans 7 by the Apostle Paul. If he forgets about Christ and his gracious help, then for him too there can be no hope of success, however ideal the goals to which he strives. Therefore the laments of the Apostle Paul about the inner conflict that he experienced in his Pharisaism can again rise from the lips of a Christian without Christ. * * * Footnotes Zahn insists that the Apostle here has in view only the Mosaic law, since—as he claims—the context of this passage in connection with Rom 5:20 requires it, and since only from the Mosaic law could Jews not escape during their lifetime, whereas from any other law people could even during their lifetime escape to the jurisdiction of another law, in a foreign land. But first, there is no need to interpret the word ‘law’ in Romans 7:1–2 in exactly the same sense as it is mentioned in Rom 5 and Rom 6:14-15; and secondly, even in a foreign land a person stands under some law until his very death, which is what the Apostle wished to express here. We consider very apt the explanation given of the Apostle’s position on ‘the dominion of sin in the flesh’ by Theodor Simon. He cited numerous passages from the Apostle Paul’s epistles where the expression ‘sin’ denotes not only the action of Satan and demons but also Satan himself and his kingdom. For example, the desire for any sin is depicted by the Apostle as giving place to the devil (Eph 4:27). The action of sin and the action of the devil in relation to a person are the same (cf. Rom 7 and 2 Cor 4:4). The devil, dwelling in the flesh, acts through it and upon the soul of the person, since it is an undeniable fact that the body influences the soul, just as the soul influences the body. (See Simon, pp. 60 and following.) What the mind is according to the Apostle Paul—about this Simon speaks at sufficient length. The highest principle in a person is the spirit (πνεύμα), the God-like side of the human being. The mind (νους) is something narrower than the spirit. It may be called a function of the spirit. In its present (unregenerate) state it is weak and often defiled, unfit for activity. The functions of the mind are thinking and will; between the sphere of thinking (intellect) and will, forming a bridge as it were, stands moral judgment, which presupposes a certain ‘skillfulness’ of the mind (Rom 1:28). The activity of the mind is directed toward the soul (ψυχή)—it is not a function of it but a force that in a certain way orders the activity of the spiritual powers.

Chapter Eight

The grace received by believers makes them capable of living a righteous life, because through it (grace) they receive the Spirit of God as a new active principle of righteousness (1–11). Those who live in the Spirit have firm assurance of salvation, since the Spirit communicated to us manifests himself as the Spirit of adoption to God, and as such bears within himself the hope of future greatness (12–13). This hope has its subjective foundation in the yearning of our hearts to receive final salvation—a yearning that is intensified by the groaning of creation around us and the groaning of the Spirit within us (19–27). The objective foundation of this hope lies in the love of God, which cannot leave its work in relation to us unfinished. When we contemplate this love, our hope takes on the character of full assurance (28–39).

Romans 8:1. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit, The Apostle has depicted with sufficient clarity the condition of the unregenerate person who lived under the law. All his attempts at self-justification could bring him nothing but condemnation from God. Now, in Christianity, the person’s situation is entirely different. The law of sin and death no longer weighs upon him. God, having sent his Son for the salvation of humanity, condemned sin and justified those who live not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. People must now no longer submit to their former master—the flesh. Let the Spirit of God or the Spirit of Christ dwell in them, and this Spirit will in time deliver them from bodily death as well, just as he has delivered them from spiritual death. “Therefore”—this word indicates that the Apostle is here drawing a conclusion from what was said in chapters VI and VII.—“Now,” that is, after we have come to faith in Christ.—“No condemnation”—that is, no verdict sentencing to death (Rom 7:24).—“Not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” This phrase clarifies the preceding words: “in Christ Jesus.” However, the oldest manuscripts do not have this phrase, and it is therefore omitted in more recent editions, so that the first verse ends: “for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 8:2. because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. Here the Apostle indicates the basis on which those who remain in Christ are no longer threatened with condemnation.—“The law of the Spirit.” By “Spirit” here, evidently the Spirit of God or the Spirit of Christ is meant, whose dwelling in believers the Apostle speaks of below (v. 9). The Apostle is speaking essentially about the activity of this Spirit, but calls it a law—a term not entirely fitting for the Spirit of God—in correspondence with the law previously mentioned that governed the unregenerate person (Rom 7:25).—“Of life.” The Spirit of God always communicates true eternal life (cf. 2 Cor 3:6). Therefore his activity leads the person who has surrendered to him toward life and freedom from the sentence of death.—“In Christ Jesus.” These words relate to the following expression, “set free,” and point to the sufferings and death of Christ, which were undertaken for our sake and for our salvation.—“Set free.” The tense used here (aorist ηλευθέρωσε) indicates a single completed action—specifically the act of baptism, in which we appropriate our freedom from the yoke of sin and the flesh.—“The law of sin and death.” The Apostle thus names the former order of life for the unregenerate person. It was a time of constant transgressions that led the person to spiritual death.

Romans 8:3. For what the law could not do, being weakened through the flesh, God did: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and as an offering for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, Here the Apostle explains precisely how our liberation from the law of sin and death was accomplished. Since the Russian translation of this verse does not correspond exactly to the original, a more accurate rendering is offered here: “For—the thing impossible for the law, since it was weak on account of the opposition to it from the flesh (δια τ. σαρκός)—God, by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and on account of sin, definitively condemned (or: stripped sin of all its rights over humanity—κατέκρινεν) sin in the flesh.”—The thing impossible for the law… The Mosaic law, of which the Apostle speaks here, had as its aim the elimination of sin and the justification of humanity before God. But it could not achieve this because human flesh was under the power of sin, which constantly drove it to resist the law. The law could not break such resistance. It could only condemn sinners, while sin continued to dwell in the person as before. Every effort of the law to realize in the person the higher ends that it set always ended in complete failure on this account!—His own Son (τον εαυτού υιόν). This phrase, designating the Only-Begotten Son of God (cf. John 10:36), is used by the Apostle to indicate the extraordinary character of the measure God took to destroy the power of sin.—“In the likeness (έν ομοιώματι) of sinful flesh.” The flesh of Christ was the same as ours—it was not some heavenly matter. But there was also an important difference from ours. Namely, in his flesh there was no sin. Sin would have liked to find access to the flesh of Christ, as it had found access to ours, but it did not succeed. The thoughts and desires of Christ, not to mention his actions, always remained pure and holy. Sin could not arouse in the flesh of Christ anything sinful that would then also be reflected in the sphere of his spiritual life, producing sinful desires in him.—“And on account of sin (περί αμαρτίας).” This phrase generally indicates the reason for which the sending of the Son of God took place (Ecumenius). There is no direct indication of the sacrificial significance of Christ’s death here (though the Russian translation recognizes such significance, adding the word “as an offering” before “for sin”).—“Definitively condemned (or: destroyed).” The Greek word κατακρίνω corresponding to this phrase means properly “I condemn.” But from the context it is clear that the talk here is not only of condemnation, of the pronouncing of a verdict, but of the actual execution of the verdict—hence, of the destruction of sin or at the very least of stripping it of all power. The Mosaic law also condemned sin, but was unable to carry out its verdict. “In the flesh.” Sin has its dwelling in the flesh. If the flesh is put to death, sin is thereby doomed to impotence. But the putting to death of the sinful flesh took place in Christ’s death on the cross, which he accepted for the sins of the world. Thus it may be supposed that the Apostle in the phrase “in the flesh” had in mind the flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ. Dying with Christ, we also die in our sinful flesh, and sin no longer has a foothold in us, while we ourselves continue our existence, subjected not to the flesh but to the Spirit. But how did Christ’s death put an end to the dominion of sin in the flesh? Was it legally right? It was entirely right. As long as sin, or the devil, arbitrarily disposed of human flesh, he was within his rights, because sinful human flesh, one might say, deserved such treatment. The devil, one might say, occupied the position of an executioner in the state, and from the standpoint of the law he was right in doing his bloody work—putting people to death: he was destroying only what was worthy of destruction. But then Christ appeared in the flesh. Instead of drawing back from the Holy One, whose holiness cannot be tempted, the devil fell upon him with all the force of his hatred. In his blindness he prepared for him a death that, according to the divine law, should be only the consequence of sin (Rom 6:23). But by this he committed a terrible crime, clearly exceeded his rights, and was for this quite rightly stripped of all dominion over the flesh in general. His defeat came precisely in the flesh of Christ, and the result of this was a complete loss of power over the flesh of people as well.

Romans 8:4. so that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Here the Apostle indicates what goal God had in destroying the power of sin in the flesh. He wanted the aspirations of the law to establish righteousness—to make people righteous—to be fulfilled in us through this (“the righteous requirement”—το δικαίωμα τ. ν.).—“Who walk not according to the flesh…” Here are the characteristics of the true Christian, who in his life becomes what the Mosaic law had in view. A person must act as the Spirit directs him—of course, the Spirit of Christ or of God (see v. 9). One who walked according to the flesh was one who fulfilled the sinful desires dwelling in the flesh (Rom 7:18), while one who walks according to the Spirit is one who follows the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all of life.—This addition about the person’s walk shows that God creates for the person not a necessity but only the possibility of realizing the cherished aspirations of the law. The realization of this depends on themselves—for this they need only follow the directions of the Spirit of God.

Romans 8:5. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. Romans 8:6. The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace, Romans 8:7. because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it. Romans 8:8. So those who are in the flesh cannot please God. In these verses the Apostle explains why the aspirations the Mosaic law had cherished are fulfilled only in those who walk according to the Spirit and not the flesh. The reason is the new disposition of people, which corresponds precisely to the goal the law set for humanity—a disposition of peace permeated entirely by spiritual, higher aspirations. Meanwhile, those who walk according to the flesh have no lofty aims and are therefore far from those aspirations that lay at the foundation of the law’s numerous precepts. The former thus draw near to God, while the latter move ever further from him.—“Those who live according to the flesh.” These are people entirely given over to the flesh and its desires, which in the natural person—and it is of him, of course, that the Apostle speaks here—are always sinful.—“Set their minds on the things of the flesh.” All their thinking, will, and feeling is directed only toward what serves the interests of the flesh—these are the works of the flesh, passions and desires about which the Apostle speaks in the letter to the Galatians (Gal 5:19).—“Those who live according to the Spirit.” These people—Christians—fulfill what the Spirit requires; this is the higher principle in the human being. Here is where the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled (v. 4), because the law is itself spiritual (Rom 7:14). “The mind of the flesh is death.” The particle “for” is omitted at the beginning here. The Apostle explains why the mind of the flesh (v. 5) cannot lead to the fulfillment of the law (v. 4), while the grace that sets us free from the law of sin and death (v. 2) does lead to it. The reason is that the mind of the flesh brings the person back to death! And the law wanted precisely to free the person from sin and death… “The mind of the Spirit is life and peace.” The person who strives toward higher, spiritual goals enters into communion with God and receives from him true life and complete inner calm, or salvation.—“Because the mind of the flesh…” The Apostle gives the basis for why the flesh can bring a person only to death. These thoughts make a person into a being hostile toward God, and alienation from God is spiritual death.—“Does not submit”—more accurately: does not submit, because the subject here should be the word “flesh,” which is the topic throughout this whole section.—“Cannot”—precisely because the flesh lives in sin (Rom 7:18), is enslaved to sin (Rom 7:25). This does not mean, however, that a person is no longer capable of submitting to the law of God: when one wants to, one can do this. The Apostle is speaking here of the habitual condition of the unregenerate person. Chrysostom points to the numerous cases of the conversion of sinners as proof of the proposition stated above, though by his explanation what is properly possible is for those who can receive—of course, in Christianity—the help of the Spirit… “Therefore those living in the flesh…” This is the conclusion to vv. 5–7. To live in the flesh here means the same as to live according to the flesh. For many, the flesh is the sphere of life into which they are entirely submerged.—“Cannot please God.” The Romans, like other pagans, held a very different opinion on this matter. Among the pagans, as is well known, the gods were personifications of various human passions and vices. To live in passions often meant to serve the gods! The gods took pleasure in seeing this in people… The Apostle is probably not thinking of this conviction of the Romans, traces of which might have been preserved even among some Roman Christians, and considers it necessary to refute it.—It should be noted that the Apostle is very far from having any contempt for the flesh in general. He has in mind here only the flesh that stands under the harmful influence of sin, whereas life in the flesh—the satisfaction of the body’s needs, as long as it functions rightly under the influence of Christ’s renewing grace—was in his eyes also a matter worthy of full attention. He even places a person’s care and concern for the body in parallel with Christ’s care for the Church (Eph 5:29).

Romans 8:9. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, that person does not belong to him. Addressing Christians, the Apostle explains to them why the righteous requirement of the law must and can be fulfilled in them (v. 4). The reason is that they live according to the Spirit. By “Spirit” here is meant the principle opposite to the flesh—this is the higher aspect of the human being. This principle, if a person heeds its guidance, leads the person toward the realization of the lofty goals that the Mosaic law had in view.—“If indeed.” This is not an expression of doubt, but a confident affirmation equivalent to the expression “since” (Chrysostom).—“The Spirit of God dwells in you.” A person’s own spirit, however, is not sufficient for attaining salvation. The Christian attains the latter precisely because his own spirit is enlightened and strengthened by the Spirit of God dwelling in the Christian (cf. John 4:23).—“If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ.” Since it is clearly indicated here that the state opposite to the one just described is meant, by the Spirit of Christ here we must understand the same Spirit of God. He is called the Spirit of Christ as the one sent on account of the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:17).—“Does not belong to him,” that is, is not Christ’s, does not stand in the closest communion with Christ (cf. Gal 3:29; 1 Cor 15:23).

Romans 8:10. But if Christ is in you, then the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. “But if Christ is in you.” The Apostle further unfolds the saving consequences of the fact he has noted—the communion of Christians with Christ. From the fact that he replaces the phrase “Spirit of Christ” with the single word “Christ,” it is clear that the dwelling of Christ in us is at the same time the dwelling of his Spirit, or the Spirit of God (Rom 5:11): each implies the other. For this reason Christ said to the apostles: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (John 14:23). “The body is dead because of sin.” The Apostle is undoubtedly speaking here of bodily death: our body is subject to death, it must die. Neither verse 11, which speaks of bodily resurrection, nor the expression δι’ αμαρτίαν—“because of sin” (incorrectly rendered in Russian as “for sin”), nor the connection of this passage with vv. 1 and 2 allows any other interpretation.—“Because of sin” or “on account of sin.” The Apostle has already explained above the close connection between sin and death (Rom 5:12), which is why he does not elaborate on this sin here. Most naturally, therefore, we see here a reference to the sin of Adam or at least to certain remnants of it, which are not entirely destroyed even in the regenerate person. And in the Orthodox Christian burial service it is therefore said that there is no person who has not sinned during the course of life, from which it follows that every person must die… “The Spirit is life.” This is the human spirit, but a new spirit standing under the direct influence of the Spirit of God. This spirit—as should be translated from the Greek—is life (ζωή), that is, not merely living, but such that its very being is life; the regenerate person bears within himself the principle of eternal life.—“Because of righteousness.” Again, instead of this expression another should be substituted: “through righteousness” (διά δικαιοσύνην). The Apostle has in mind here, as may be gathered from the end of the text, that righteousness which is the true fulfillment of the law with the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Divine Justice requires that life be given where there is righteousness. Just as Christ himself entered into glorified life through having entirely removed from himself the power of sin and living for God (Rom 6:9 and following), so it is with every believer.

Romans 8:11. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Here the Apostle shows that in the end our body too will be freed from the power of death.—“If the Spirit… dwells in you.” The Apostle is essentially repeating the thought of verse 10 (“Christ is in you”). He characterizes the Spirit of God as the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead. He mentions this resurrection of Jesus so that we too might have hope of such a resurrection. For this same reason he here calls the Savior simply “Jesus”—his human name: the resurrection of the man Jesus guarantees also the resurrection of other people. “Christ.” The Apostle intentionally replaces the name Jesus with this name, in order to show that our mediator, intercessor, and Messiah has been raised, and that on this account our confidence in our own resurrection ought to be even stronger.—“Will give life.” Our bodies, which will undergo complete dissolution, will require complete restoration of life, expressed by the word “give life” (ζωοποείν), whereas for the body of Christ, which did not undergo such dissolution, a simple awakening (εγείρειν) sufficed. Christ in the tomb was, as it were, sleeping! (“Having fallen asleep in the flesh…” the Church sings of the departed Christ.)—“Mortal”—those which are yet to die.—“Through his Spirit,” that is, for the sake of his Spirit dwelling in you. Bodies that have been deemed worthy to serve as temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16) cannot be left by God forever in the dust: they must be raised! (cf. Rom 1:4).

Romans 8:12. So then, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh; In view of what was said about the flesh and death on the one hand (in vv. 5–9) and about the Spirit on the other (vv. 10–11), the Apostle now has every right to address his readers with an exhortation—not to serve the flesh but, on the contrary, to strive to suppress its promptings. By doing this and at the same time surrendering themselves to the guidance of the Spirit of God, the readers gain assurance that they are truly children of God. The Holy Spirit who guides them also assures them of this. Why does this awareness matter? The children of God obviously have every reason to hope to receive the same blessings as the Firstborn of their brothers received (Rom 8:29), if they only walk unafraid along the same path of suffering that Christ walked. And these sufferings are far too insignificant in comparison with the glorification that awaits true Christians. “We are not debtors to the flesh,” that is, we owe obedience not to the flesh.—“To live according to the flesh,” that is, to fulfill its various sinful desires.

Romans 8:13. for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. “If you live according to the flesh, you will die.” By these words the Apostle points to the absurd notion that many cherished, namely that life according to the flesh, in sin, is genuine life! This is not life but a sure path to death… On the contrary, life can belong only to those who strive to suppress in themselves the deeds of the flesh. By these deeds the Apostle means those manifestations—both external and internal—for which the flesh is responsible when it operates without the supervision of the spirit. And the flesh, as is known, still remains under the influence of the remnants of inherited sin.—“By the Spirit,” that is, by the spirit enriched with grace, which must govern a person’s whole life and put to death, that is, not allow the needs of the flesh to grow excessively.—“You will live.” Christians are alive now, but their life will grow and strengthen ever more and will at last become an eternal and blessed life not only in the spirit, as now (v. 10), but also in the body (v. 11).

Romans 8:14. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. The Apostle said that Christians who put to death the deeds of the flesh will receive eternal and blessed life. He now wants to ground this assertion. How? By pointing out that they, Christians, being guided by the Spirit of God—which the Apostle mentioned in the last words of verse 1—are sons of God, and therefore heirs of eternal life. But the Apostle draws this final conclusion only in verse 17. Verses 15–16 he devotes to proving the thought that Christians are truly sons of God.

Romans 8:15. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out: “Abba, Father!” “You did not receive a spirit of slavery.” The Jews—before Christ—related to the law of Moses as obedient slaves, fulfilling its precepts out of fear of punishment. Such personalities as David, who found the words of God’s law sweet (Ps 118:103), were exceptions among the Jewish people. The pagans felt even more their abasement before their gods and lived in constant fear before their terrifying and vengeful deities.—“The Spirit of adoption,” that is, the Spirit who appeared only in the period of humanity’s adoption by God. In this—Christian—period, God receives those who believe in Christ as his own children and grants them all the rights of children (Eph 1:5).—“By whom”—more accurately: “in whom.” The Spirit is in Christians the element that drives all their inner life.—“We cry out”—this is an exclamation of prayerful feeling (cf. Gal 4:6). “Abba.” This name, which initially passed from Jewish prayers into Christian ones as a common noun, gradually took on the character of a proper name. However, among the Jews this name was used of God only in the mouths of the people (Exod 4:22; Isa 63:16; Hos 11:1), and only in the New Testament, when each individual believer felt himself to be a child of God, did it come to be used in the prayers of individuals as well.—“Father.” In Greek the nominative case is placed here (ο πατήρ) as an apposition to the word Abba, so that both words should be translated: “Abba, dear Father”.

Romans 8:16. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Our subjective, personal, inner conviction of our status as children of God is confirmed also by an external, independent witness (subjective). This is the witness of the Holy Spirit.—“This very one”—more accurately: “himself” (αυτό), that is, the Spirit himself now comes forward as witness, whereas before it was our prayer—though performed in the Spirit of God—that witnessed to this same thing.—“Bears witness”—more precisely: bears witness together (συμμαρτυρεί). This means that here a second witness is indicated alongside that of our spirit mentioned in the preceding verse. Thus there are two witnesses: our spirit (νους), enlightened by the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God himself.—“Children”—more precisely: offspring (τέκνα), an expression of greater tenderness than “children.”

Romans 8:17. And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. “Heirs.” The Apostle advances further in this argument. Christians are now already heirs, or more precisely, participants (κληρονόμοι) in all the blessings belonging to their Father, God, and will in time receive participation in the highest good that God possesses—namely eternal, blessed life (v. 13). God here is of course conceived not as a dying proprietor but as a living distributor of wealth to his children (Luke 15:12).—“Co-heirs with Christ.” Here no new inheritance is intended, but the same one as in the foregoing expression. The Apostle mentions Christ in particular because he has already entered into full possession of his filial portion—he has received blessedness and greatness through the resurrection from the dead.—“If indeed we suffer with him.” The phrase “if indeed” does not weaken in Christians the confidence of receiving the inheritance, but only prompts them to self-examination as to whether their communion with Christ is firm enough not to be broken in the heavy trials that befall Christians. One who suffers with Christ is one who for the sake of the Gospel endures all manner of afflictions (Matt 10:38).

Romans 8:18. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Since some Christians were burdened by the sufferings they had to endure for the name of Christ, the Apostle reminds them that these sufferings cannot even be compared in force and significance with the future glory.—“Not worth comparing”—more precisely from the Greek: they do not have corresponding worth (ουχ άξια).—“Will be revealed” (αποκαλυφθήναι)—will be revealed at the second coming of Christ. In the present time this glory, although it exists, is still hidden in heaven (cf. Col 3:3 and following).

Romans 8:19. For the creation eagerly waits with hope for the revelation of the sons of God, On what is the hope of Christians for future greatness based? First of all, on the groaning of irrational creation, which expresses its striving toward a better future. Then the rational creation—namely believing Christians—also feels a dissatisfaction with the present: what they still lack is the redemption of the body. Finally, the Spirit of God dwelling in believers confirms through his intercession for believers that they are truly destined to receive the greatness that they do not yet have. If such greatness were not possible for believers to receive, the Holy Spirit would not intercede for it. Thus there is a threefold basis for our hope for future glorification: the testimony of irrational creation (19–22), the testimony of the children of God (23–25), and the testimony of the Spirit of God (26–27). “Creation” (κτίσις). This expression is not in itself sufficiently specific. It can mean: 1) establishment, institution, an act of creation; 2) irrational creation; and 3) humanity. The first meaning is clearly inapplicable here, and as for the third, it too can hardly be accepted for explaining the present passage. Indeed, humanity is divided into Christians and non-Christians. As for the former, the Apostle speaks of them separately below in v. 23, while non-Christian humanity is designated by Paul with the word “world” (ο κόσμος). Moreover, one of two things must be admitted: either these non-Christians will be converted to Christ before the second coming and will no longer form part of the creation that will be glorified after the glorification of the children of God, that is, believers (end of v. 21), or they will not be converted at all and will therefore prove unworthy of any glorification. Clearly, we must conclude that the Apostle has in mind here all irrational creation, both animate and inanimate. Of the future renewal of this creation there is mention in both the Old and the New Testaments (Isa 11; Isa 65:17; Ps 101:26; Matt 19:28; Rev 21:1).—“Eagerly waits with hope.” The Greek word translated by this phrase (αποκαροδοκία) means literally “standing with one’s head stretched forward”—a symbol of expectation, “gazing intently into the distance.”—“For the revelation of the sons of God,” that is, for that event which will lead to the glorification of the sons of God, or believers in Christ. Then they will become de facto (in reality) what they now represent only de jure (that is, what they have only a right to)—namely co-heirs with Christ (v. 17).

Romans 8:20. for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but because of the will of him who subjected it, in hope, Romans 8:21. that the creation itself will also be set free from its bondage to decay into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Why does the Apostle attribute to irrational creation the hope for the glorification of believers and for its own restoration? Because it already had such hope at the time when it went together with humanity down the path of bondage, futility, and decay.—“Was subjected to futility,” that is, it was made subject, as to an alien power, to insignificance—to a mode of existence that has no true worth compared to the perfection that creation or nature originally possessed. One may also, however, understand by futility (ματαιότης) the unworthy treatment of nature by humanity. Instead of ennobling and improving nature, humanity made it suffer from its greed, cruelty, and unreason.—“Not of its own will.” In this subjection to the law of futility, nature is unlike humanity. The latter consciously and voluntarily chose the path leading to death; nature, on the contrary, entered upon this path against its will.—“But because of the will of him who subjected it,” that is, by the will of God, who at creation already subjected creation to humanity and then, after the fall of humanity, pointed all of creation to the same path as its master: it, as serving humanity, could not be elevated above him in its portion (Theodoret). “In hope.” This is of course not hope in the proper sense, which is the possession only of a rational being, but a certain vague premonition. It is more accurate here to see a poetic personification of creation as if it were a living, thinking being.—“That…” In the Russian translation this indicates the content of the hope the Apostle has just mentioned. Other more recent translations see here a proof of the thought stated above—that creation also has hope of restoration (there, on the basis of some ancient manuscripts, the reading is not ότι—“that,” but διότι—“because”). However, since nothing has yet been said specifically about what creation hopes for, the Russian translation is more probable. Only the next word “itself” (αυτή) should be replaced by the pronoun “it,” so as not to create a repetition of the subject as in the Russian translation (creation… in hope that the creation itself…). Then one could translate: “creation… in hope that it, creation, will also be set free…” “Bondage to decay” (τής φθοράς). The genitive “of decay” is a so-called genitive of possession. The Apostle wishes to say that the bondage or service that creation performs in its present state cannot be given any other characterization than decay. Everything that creation produces necessarily falls apart and becomes decay (cf. v. 20—futility).—Does this mean, however, that creation, irrational nature, before the fall of humanity was incorruptible? Although some of the ancient church commentators lean toward an affirmative answer to this question, others state with clarity that “all visible creation received mortality as its lot by nature, because the Creator of all things foresaw the transgression of Adam and the death sentence that would be pronounced upon him” (Theodoret). More recent commentators (e.g., Richter) also almost unanimously acknowledge that nature was created corruptible, and that humanity on its part added to this corruptibility deteriorations of various kinds: it began to slaughter and torment animals, to lay waste forests, and to turn flourishing fields into deserts, and so on. As a result of this, nature came to serve emptiness and decay (consequences of Adam’s sin). Such a state can end, therefore, only when humanity is completely freed from the power of sin and the image of God is restored in it. “Into the freedom of glory,” that is, into the state that creation must attain through its liberation from the law of futility. This freedom will be given to creation by the glorification of the sons of God, or believers, who will receive glory, which will of course consist in the liberation of their bodily nature from subjection to decay (1 Cor 15:42 and following). The Lord called this glory “the renewal of all things” (Matt 19:28). Thus the word “freedom” refers to creation, while “glory” refers to the sons of God. Bishop Theophan says of this future state of creation: “Will creation not consist of the most refined elements—like a varied combination of rainbow colors?” But the Apostle gives no further details about this…

Romans 8:22. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together and in labor pains together until now; If—the Apostle seems to say—creation had no such hope, what would its groaning mean? Thus, from creation’s groaning about its wretched condition, the Apostle draws the conclusion that creation awaits restoration to its original state.—“We know.” The Apostle appeals here to universally observable facts from the life of nature. Thoughtful and observant people should know well that nature is in an abnormal state. They seem to hear its sighs!—“Groaning and in labor pains.” Both expressions contain a hint that nature experiences the same heavy pangs as a woman in labor (this is indicated especially by the word “in labor pains”—συνωδίνει, the root of which—ωδίνες—means “birth pangs”). By this the Apostle indicates that the sufferings of nature are not purposeless: it is striving, so to speak, to bring forth new life, but cannot achieve this. From this the significance of the manifold catastrophes that our planet has experienced and continues to experience is clarified for us. They are not purposeless and not meaningless, but represent individual moments that our planet must pass through on the way to that phase of its existence which will coincide with the restoration of the glory of the children of God.

Romans 8:23. and not only it, but we ourselves also, having the first fruits of the Spirit, we ourselves groan inwardly, awaiting adoption, the redemption of our body. Here the second proof in support of the thought of the future glorification of the sons of God begins.—“We ourselves,” that is, Christians.—“First fruits of the Spirit.” Here the word “Spirit” is an explanation of what the first fruits consist in (this is the so-called genitivus epexegeticus). We, Christians, have the Holy Spirit as the first fruits, the initial gift of all the blessings awaiting us in the future life.—“Groan inwardly,” that is, within, silently, without revealing our sorrow, as irrational nature does.—“Adoption.” Although believers already have this blessing (vv. 15 and following), it is only as an inner awareness and a certain right that has not yet been realized outwardly and in full.—“The redemption of our body,” that is, its liberation from all the imperfections of its present phase of existence, or rather, from decay (v. 21), when it will become an incorruptible body (Phil 3:21; 2 Cor 5:2 and following; 1 Cor 15:51). This will be accomplished either through resurrection (for the dead, 1 Cor 15:42 and following) or through transformation for those who will be alive at the second coming of Christ (1 Cor 15:52).

Romans 8:24. For we were saved in hope. But a hope that is seen is not hope; for if someone sees something, why would he also hope for it? Romans 8:25. But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. That believers genuinely groan for adoption, the Apostle proves here by the fact that they have hope.—“We were saved in hope.” The salvation of which the Apostle spoke above is on one hand already an accomplished fact (“saved”—εσώθημεν—aorist), but on the other hand full salvation is for now still only the object of our hope.—“But a hope that is seen…” The words of verse 24 are not sufficiently clear. It is more correct to read (as in the Greek and Slavonic): “hope that is seen” (that is, when the object of hope is already visible). Such hope cannot even be called hope! The Apostle thus wishes to say to those Christians who were not satisfied with their external situation the following: “You, of course, set a high value on your Christian hope. It is one of the three most important Christian virtues (1 Cor 13:13). How then can you want full redemption to be given to you already here, on earth? For in the latter case you would have to part with hope, to have done forever with your expectations of a better future. Would that be good for you?! But you have this hope, you do not part with it, and by this you testify that you still await something in the future, that you still lack something.”—“We wait in patience.” By these words the Apostle still further strengthens his argument. Christians have hope and steadfast hope (“in patience”—δι’ υπομονής). Is this steadfastness entirely meaningless? Does this indifference and contempt for earthly goods, which Christians have cultivated in themselves when they had to sacrifice the interests of faith for earthly goods, say nothing? No, it clearly testifies that they feel the abnormality and imperfection of their present earthly existence and strive toward heavenly glorification, toward full redemption and salvation.

Romans 8:26. Likewise the Spirit also helps us in our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with unutterable groanings. The third proof that glorification awaits us is the witness of the Holy Spirit, who also intercedes on our behalf for something higher.—“In our weakness”—according to a better-attested reading: “in our weakness” (τη ασθενεία ημών). Here one may see a reference to the weakness of our prayer.—“As we ought,” that is, in proportion to the need arising in each particular case. In general we know what to pray for—this is of course our final salvation—but we do not know on what specifically we need to place special emphasis in the given circumstances in order to successfully attain the desired end.—“With unutterable groanings.” The Spirit of God comes before God with supplication on our behalf, and his supplications are not clothed in words of human prayers: in his address to God the Spirit has no need for words. Clearly, the Apostle distinguishes these groanings of the Spirit from the groanings of Christians (v. 23). They are not a product of our inner life but something separate and independent, though it takes place precisely within us. Thus these groanings can also be distinguished from the inspired prayers of Christians that they offered at worship, because prayers offered by one who, for example, possessed the gift of tongues (1 Cor 14) were still rendered in universally understood words. Here, however, the talk is of prayers that cannot be expressed in words—αλαλήτοι.

Romans 8:27. And he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. The Apostle here explains why the Spirit intercedes for us in prayer without words.—“He who searches the hearts.” God is so called here because the Holy Spirit dwells in the heart of the regenerate person (Rom 5:5), and although his intercession is outwardly manifested in no way, God, before whom all human hearts are open, knows of this intercession.—“What the mind of the Spirit is,” that is, what is expressed in his groaning, what he is striving toward.—“Because…” The Apostle has just said that God knows of the Spirit’s intercession. By this he has made clear that the Lord recognizes and accepts this intercession. Why? Because the Spirit in his intercessions does not act against the plans of divine providence, but on the contrary is in complete agreement with them. He intercedes according to the will of God (κατά Θεόν), that is, as God wills. Moreover, he intercedes for Christians as for holy ones, that is, as for worthy people who have prepared their hearts to serve as a temple of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:28. And we know that for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose, all things work together for good. In order to convince Christians still further that glorification awaits them, the Apostle now points to their calling to Christ. They were not called in vain—this means that God, in his love for them, has already foreknown them in advance and predestined them to be conformed to the image of his Son. Clearly, he will bring his work with respect to us to completion! Then, in view of what was said in the first part, the Apostle (from v. 31) loudly proclaims his confidence in final salvation, because no obstacle will be able to separate believers from the love of God and the love of Christ. This is as it were a triumphal song on the occasion of a victory won over the adversaries of humanity’s salvation. Since Christians might still be troubled by the thought of the persecutions that perhaps already threatened or had begun against them, the Apostle considers it necessary to inspire in them a correct view of all trials and sufferings. He reassures Christians completely that God will not abandon those who love him, especially because he himself called them to Christ. Whatever unpleasant thing may happen to them in life is in reality, by the arrangement of divine providence, turned to their benefit.—“Those who love God,” that is, true Christians—not those who are so only in name, but those who truly love their heavenly Father.—“Called according to his purpose.” Called to what? To faith in Christ, to the Church of Christ. Believers are called here according to purpose (κατά πρόθεσιν). Whose purpose? Their own or God’s? The Russian translation, by adding the word “his,” clearly interprets this in the second sense, but the Fathers and teachers of the Eastern Church understand this expression as designating the willingness and consent of those being called (Chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylact, and others). Since the Apostle is speaking here about what should especially reassure the hearts of believers, there is no doubt that he himself could mean here only the divine purpose or design regarding believers, and not their own purpose, which could not serve as any particularly firm encouragement for them. Moreover, in chapter IX, verse 11, the Apostle explicitly calls the purpose concerning election God’s, so that the Russian translation is entirely correct.—“All things work together.” The Christian, of course, himself acts toward the goal of attaining eternal blessedness, but at the same time he should regard everything that happens around him and touches him in one way or another as help sent to him by God for attaining his goal. Thus even all sufferings are in essence, from this point of view, not superfluous at all for the Christian but are working for him in his task.—“For good,” that is, for salvation. This whole passage is one of the most definite expressions of Christian optimism.

Romans 8:29. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:30. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. The Apostle now explains on what the divine purpose concerning people was based and how he brought this purpose to realization.—“Foreknew.” The divine purpose was based on the fact that God already saw before him Christians as they were, even when they did not yet exist. He foresaw their faith, their love for God—all this was for him as already existing (Rom 4:17).—“Predestined.” Here predestination is what was previously called purpose (v. 28). Of course, the predestination meant here is not absolute but grounded in foreknowledge of the qualities of the predestined persons.—“To be conformed to the image of his Son.” The Apostle provides an explanation of this phrase in the expression of verse 30—“glorified.” It is clear from this that the Apostle by “the image of the Son of God” meant the glory that Christ received after completing the work of redemption, and which for believers will consist in adoption and the redemption of their body (v. 23).—“So that he might be…” The ultimate and final goal that God had in predestining believers to a glory resembling the glory of his Son consists in this: that in the end a single family of the elect would form, in which Christ, as the Firstborn Son, would occupy the first place—would be the Head (cf. Eph 1:10). “Those whom he predestined he also called.” From this it is clear that calling is the first moment in the realization of the divine predestination. It is not addressed to all but only to the elect. This is the call of divine grace, working mysteriously on the human heart and disposing the person to receive the divine word (Phil 1:6). But in any case this call cannot remain fruitless: those who are called are those who are capable of loving God and following his call, as foreknown by God.—“Justified.” Since justification cannot take place where there is no faith, it is clear that the Apostle has included faith in the concept of calling. God called people, and they believed. Following this their justification took place. Of sanctification the Apostle does not speak separately, apparently equating it with justification.—“Glorified.” Since Christ is already glorified, it means that believers in him will inevitably be glorified as well. Therefore the Apostle speaks of their glorification as an already accomplished fact, just as the Old Testament prophets spoke of future events as past. It should be noted that, although the Apostle here attributes all our salvation—calling, justification, and glorification—to God alone, he does not deny the necessity of participation in this work on the part of those being saved. So, for example, in the letter to the Ephesians he points out that God has appointed us to carry out good works (Eph 2:10). In the letter to the Philippians he also says that Christians must themselves work out their salvation (Phil 2:12). Here he does not mention human will because his aim in the present case was to set forth the most firm foundation for our confidence in future glorification. And what could be firmer in this regard than the divine predestination of those being saved, expressed in their calling and justification?

Romans 8:31. What then shall we say to all this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:32. He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for all of us—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? In these two verses the Apostle begins the conclusion of the entire section treating of the justification of humanity.—“What shall we say to all this?” that is, what conclusion can we draw from everything that has been said? The expected answer to this question can only be: “We have entered into the closest communion with God. God is now our Defender and Protector.”—“If God is for us.” Now the Christian need fear no enemies.—“He who did not spare his own Son.” Here the Apostle elaborates on his statement “if God is for us.” If God did not spare his own Son—which would have been quite natural—but delivered him to death for all of us (in the context, these words refer to the elect—chiefly), then along with him, that is, in giving him, God obviously gives us all that is necessary for us to attain, despite all difficulties, the final salvation. All this will be incomparably less than that one Gift—namely Christ himself!

Romans 8:33. Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? God justifies them. Romans 8:34. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus died, but has also risen: he is at the right hand of God, and he also intercedes for us. The question “who is against us?” the Apostle now breaks down into a series of separate questions and provides answers to these questions. In these two verses the Apostle has in mind the opponents of the idea of Christian salvation who shield themselves with certain considerations of a juridical character.—“Who will bring any charge.” Any accusation of Christians as supposedly unworthy of salvation would be pointless, when the highest authority—namely God himself—is the one who justifies them.—“Who is to condemn?” A question parallel to the preceding one. No one can condemn Christians, when the only one who has the right to judge and condemn (Rom 2:16)—namely Christ—has died for us, that is, has done everything to free us from condemnation and the curse. But not only has he died—death by itself, without the subsequent resurrection of Christ, could not yet give us assurance of our justification.—He has also risen! Consequently, we have sufficient basis for not fearing condemnation. Finally, Christ continues to intercede for us before his Father, seated at the right hand of God.

Romans 8:35. Who shall separate us from the love of God: tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? As it is written: Romans 8:36. For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. Romans 8:37. But in all these things we more than conquer through him who loved us. Here the Apostle says that from the love of God believers cannot be torn away by any violent acts of people hostile to our salvation. Since these actions are performed by people, the Apostle begins the question here with an interrogative pronoun of the masculine gender: “who.”—“From the love of God.” God loves us and wants to save us, while evil people with their hostile actions, which may shake faith in us, want to block the path of God’s love to us: if we prove unfaithful to God, we will of course lose God’s favor.—“Tribulation or distress”—see explanation at Rom 2:9. “Persecution” (διωγμός)—judicial prosecution.—“The sword”—the death penalty by beheading with a sword.—“As it is written.” The Apostle sees in Ps 43:23, which he cites according to the LXX text, not only proof that those who believe in Christ suffer the same things as believers of the Old Testament, but also a prophecy that Christians—very many of them—are destined to suffer a violent death.—“For your sake.” In the context, this expression must be referred to God, not to Christ. Martyrdom at that time was understood as the glorification of God (see John 21:19).—“All day long”—more accurately: “the whole (όλην) day.” Enemies look upon Christians as sheep destined for slaughter, which is carried out throughout the whole day, without interruption. Now one, now another Christian is torn from the community of believers to be executed for the faith.—“But we more than conquer.” Our victory over all temptations is extraordinary (υπερνικώμεν), because we not only overcome all these temptations but also turn them to our own benefit.—“Who loved us.” Here God is to be understood (and not Christ), of whose love for us the talk was above.

Romans 8:38. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, Romans 8:39. nor height nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The confidence that a believer overcomes all temptations the Apostle supports here with his assurance that no power, however mighty it may be, will separate believers from the love of God. “Neither death nor life,” that is, whether we die or remain alive, we will in either case remain in the love of God. The Apostle mentions death before life in view of the dangers constantly surrounding Christians (v. 36).—“Nor angels.” It is more probable to understand here good angels, because where the talk is of evil angels, they are always called either the angels of the devil or angels who sinned (Matt 25:41; 2 Pet 2:4). The Apostle, however, does not say that good angels would in fact harm the salvation of believers—he speaks only, as the blessed Theophylact expresses it, hypothetically (cf. Gal 1:8).—“Nor rulers.” Some commentators see here a reference to a special rank of angels, but this view cannot be accepted, because in that case the Apostle would have placed on the same level a whole and its part (Angels—the whole, and Rulers—the part). Neither can one see here a reference to demonic powers, because again, these powers are nowhere simply called “rulers.” It is most natural to see here a designation of human powers, earthly authority.—“Nor powers.” In the majority of ancient manuscripts this word is read after the expression “things to come.” Here a reference is made to powers in general—personal and impersonal, earthly and supranatural. “Nor things present nor things to come.” Cf. 1 Cor 3:22. These are general concepts: there is no indication of sufferings here, as some think.—“Nor height nor depth.” It is very probable (Lietzmann’s suggestion) that the Apostle here has in mind stellar forces, in whose influence on human life people then believed. At the very least, the Greek terms he uses here are purely astrological (ύψωμα—the rising of a star, αβάθος—the heavenly space beyond the horizon from which stars rise). The Apostle may in this case have been warning Christians not to fear the influence of the stars on their fate.—“Nor any other creature,” that is, nothing else among created things that the Apostle has not mentioned above.—“From the love of God in Christ Jesus,” that is, from the love of God that was revealed and concentrated in Christ and through him acts upon humanity. * * * Notes In the Russian text (and the Slavonic) the reading “deeds of the flesh” has been adopted, but this reading is found only in Western manuscripts and among Western church writers. The Eastern reading is “deeds of the body” (τ. σώματος). If the latter reading is accepted, the Apostle has in mind here that sinful body of which he spoke in Rom 6:6; the impulses proceeding from this body produce a harmful influence on the will and activity of a person. Bodily life in general (for instance, the circulation of blood in the body, breathing, metabolism) does not of course depend on a person, and a person cannot suppress it. But in any case a person must not, according to the Apostle, be indifferent to the functions of the body—eating and drinking, sleeping and waking, and so on—but hold them under a certain discipline, so that they do not lead him into life according to the flesh (cf. 1 Cor 9:27; Rom 13:14): this is what the putting to death of the body means. This adoption must not, however, be understood only as juridical, as merely the expression of God’s decision regarding people. People are also changed in essence, as is evident from the fact that the result of this adoption is to be the liberation and glorification of their body (v. 23), and from the fact that they receive within themselves a “Spirit” of adoption, which of course knows their nature. Finally, further on Christians are called not “sons” but “offspring” (τέκνα). If the first term does indeed have a juridical meaning, the second no longer has such meaning but designates the nature of the person (Rom 16:19). The Apostle places the Syriac word (Abba) first, probably because he is recalling Christ, who began his prayer “Our Father” with precisely this word. It should be noted that in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 11:2), the invitation to this prayer in many other manuscripts reads simply: “Father” (equivalent to the word Abba). From this one may conclude that the Apostle here also has in mind the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer during public worship. In favor of this last supposition speaks also the fact that the Apostle uses here the expression “we cry out” (κράζομεν—we shout), which does not suit private, personal prayer. According to Zahn, by “him who subjected” the Apostle means Adam, since God said of Adam: “Cursed is the ground because of you” (Gen 3:17). Thus Zahn’s opinion that the Apostle is here speaking of glossolalia (1 Cor 14:2-39) has no foundation.

Chapter Nine

The Apostle’s grief over the rejection of Israel (1–5). This rejection does not contradict the divine promises (6–13). This rejection does not contradict God’s justice either (14–29). Why Israel did not attain righteousness (30–33).

The Apostle said above (Rom 1:16-17), that the Gospel was intended first of all for the Jews. He then pointed out that the Jews were entrusted with the divine promises of salvation in Christ (Rom 3:1-3) and that the Law, though negatively, prepared the Jews to receive the grace of the Gospel (Rom 3:20). Nevertheless, the Jews as a nation found themselves outside the threshold of Christ’s Kingdom—they did not accept the Gospel. This circumstance could not fail to trouble even Christians from among the Gentiles, who made up the greater part of the Roman church. Some of them might even have entertained the thought: is this unbelief of the Jews in the Gospel not proof that what is now being preached as the Gospel is somehow not the true one? In order to dispel all doubts raised by the Jews’ rejection of the Gospel, the Apostle appends to the doctrinal part of his epistle a section that is, so to speak, philosophico-historical, in which he explains in detail the reason for the rejection of the Jews from Christ’s Kingdom and proves that the promises given to the forefathers of the Jewish people will in time nevertheless be fulfilled (chs. IX–XI). In addition, this section has a direct connection with the end of chapter VIII. There the discussion concerned how God, having once foreordained people for salvation, thereafter unfailingly calls them (v. 30). But the Jews seemed to provide evidence to the contrary: they were foreordained or pre-chosen for salvation—and yet God had not called them! The Apostle explains this difficulty in chapter IX.

Romans 9:1. I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, Before proceeding to resolve the question of the Jews’ unbelief, the Apostle considers it necessary to declare that he is by no means an enemy of Israel, as renegades often are. On the contrary, he loves and values his people and would gladly sacrifice his own personal happiness for their salvation, since the rejection of Israel causes his heart the deepest sorrow. The Apostle first says that everything he will go on to say about the Jews will be in full agreement with the truth, because he cannot lie while living in close vital fellowship with Christ. Moreover, his conscience also testifies to the same—that the Apostle speaks from himself personally (to me), and his conscience cannot deceive him, since it gives its witness in the Holy Spirit, that is, being guided not by any fleshly interests but by a higher, impartial principle—the Holy Spirit who dwells in believers. Although Paul’s conscience cannot convey its witness directly to the readers of the epistle, the very fact that the Apostle appeals to it shows that it will not allow him to say what is untrue. Thus, in speaking of the witness of conscience, the Apostle wishes to say that he makes his assurances only after having tested their truth in his own conscience.

Romans 9:2. that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart: The Apostle does not say what he grieves so deeply about, but this is clear without words. Evidently he sorrows over the rejection of the Jews from Christ’s Kingdom.

Romans 9:3. I myself could wish to be cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh, “I myself could wish,” that is, if it were possible to save the Jewish people through personal self-sacrifice, the Apostle would be willing for such self-sacrifice. 32.—“To be cut off” (anathema), that is, to be that object which among the Jews was devoted to destruction in order to satisfy the wrath of God (cf. Gal 1:8 and following; 1 Cor 12:3). The Apostle would wish to perish, deprived of fellowship with Christ, to perish eternally for the sake of his brothers, so that the wrath of God would fall not on them but on him (similar to Moses—cf. Exod 32:32).

Romans 9:4. that is, Israelites, to whom belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the worship, and the promises; Romans 9:5. to them belong the patriarchs, and from them is Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. The Apostle lists the distinctions of the Jewish people, in view of which he considers it would be worth sacrificing his own personal salvation for the salvation of a people so honored by God. Israelites. Even the very name of the Jews—Israelites, given to them in memory of their great ancestor Jacob or Israel, speaks of their dignity (Gen 32:28 cf. John 1:47).—“Adoption.” Israel was adopted by God as a people, and therefore God calls Himself their Father (Exod 4:22; Deut 14:1; Hos 11:1). Other nations were never called sons of Jehovah.—“Glory”—the symbolically visible presence of Jehovah in the pillar of cloud and fire (Exod 24:16) or in the cloud that filled the Temple of Solomon at its dedication (1 Sam 8:10 and following).—“Covenants”—with Abraham and other patriarchs, and then with the whole people (cf. Wis 18:22; Sir 17; Eph 2:12).—“The giving of the Law”—that is, the solemn proclamation of the Law on Mount Sinai. The worship—that is, the service to Jehovah in the Temple (which was not present among other peoples).—“Promises”—preeminently messianic ones.—“Patriarchs”—again in the special sense of that word, namely the God-chosen patriarchs who stood in immediate fellowship with God. Although other nations traced their lineage from great and wise men, these men cannot be compared with those who were called into the closest fellowship with Jehovah.

Romans 1:3. “And from them is Christ according to the flesh.” The Apostle limits the origin of Christ from Israel to the flesh, that is, to the natural-human side of His being (see Romans 1:3). From this addition “according to the flesh” it is clear that the Apostle wishes to say something further about the other, divine, side of Christ’s being.—“God who is over all.” This passage is a stumbling block for commentators. To whom do these words refer? To Christ or to God? Some commentators say that these words cannot refer to Christ, because nowhere else in the Apostle Paul is Christ called so directly God. Therefore they see in this expression a doxology to God the Father. Others, on the contrary, maintain that grammatically these words can perfectly well be a continuation of the preceding expression: Christ according to the flesh, and that there is no basis for seeing in them a doxology to God, since nothing was said about God just before. If one sees in this doxology a thanksgiving to God for the mercies He showed to the people of Israel—of which the Apostle speaks above—this supposition would be contradicted by the fact that in the passage under discussion the Apostle actually praises not the mercy but the power of God (who is over all). Furthermore, there is no need to be troubled by such a direct confession of Christ’s divine dignity, since Christ is already called God in 1 Tim 3:16 (“God was manifested in the flesh”), and in the Epistle to the Philippians the Apostle ascribes to Christ a being equal to God (Phil 2:6 n ιθε). Finally, in all doxologies to God the word “blessed” stands at the beginning of the sentence, but here it is at the end (cf. 2 Cor 1:3; Eph 1:3). Taking into account the weight of arguments advanced in favor of the view that the doxology refers to Christ, as well as the unanimous voice of the ancient Church commentators (Origen, Cyprian, Epiphanius, Athanasius, Chrysostom, Theodoret, and others), this view must be recognized as the only correct one. Romans 9:6. But it is not as though the word of God has failed; for not all who are descended from Israel are Israel; The rejection of the greater part of Israel does not contradict the divine promises given to the patriarchs of this people. God nowhere said that all descendants of Abraham would attain the salvation promised to Abraham: His promise concerned only a portion of Abraham’s descendants. This is proven by the fact that salvation was promised not to all the children of Abraham, but only to Isaac, the son of Abraham, by promise. This is seen even more clearly in the fate of Rebekah’s sons. The rejection of Ishmael could still be explained somewhat by the fact that his mother Hagar was a slave. But Jacob and Esau were born of the same mother and the same father, who had already at that time been declared heir to the promise. And yet one of them was rejected. From this last example it is clearly apparent that election does not depend on our merit (Esau was, in general, also a decent enough person), but on the will of God, and that God determined their fate even before either was born. “But it is not as though…” The Apostle returns to the thought that oppresses him—the rejection of Israel. Yes, as if to say: Israel is rejected, the people of God are shut out from Christ’s Kingdom! But this does not mean that the divine promises given to the forefathers of this people (the word of God) have not been fulfilled.—“From Israel,” that is, from Jacob, surnamed Israel. The promises given to this patriarch do not apply to all the physical descendants of Israel. The Apostle speaks of Israel before Abraham, probably because what prompted him to do so was that he had already (in verse 4) placed first among the privileges of the Jewish people its designation as Israelites.

Romans 9:7. and not all are children of Abraham because they are his descendants, but it is said: “In Isaac shall your offspring be named.” This verse is better translated as follows: “and if they (that is, the Israelites) are ‘descendants of Abraham,’ this does not yet mean that they are ‘children.’” The word children (tekna) here undoubtedly has a special meaning: it means children of God (cf. Rom 8:16), that is, heirs of the divine promises. In favor of this understanding speaks also the next verse 8 (“children of God”).—“In Isaac…” Only when one looks at Isaac will everyone say: “There is a descendant of Abraham!” There will be other descendants of Abraham through Ishmael and other sons—but they will not be universally recognized as his true children.

Romans 9:8. That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of promise are counted as the offspring. “Children of promise,” that is, born by virtue of the Divine promise (Gal 4:23), like Isaac, who was born at a time when his parents could not have children by the natural order of things (Rom 4:19). “The power of the promise gave birth to the child” (John Chrysostom).—“Are counted”—of course, by God.—“As the offspring,” that is, as the true descendants of Abraham, possessing certain rights.

Romans 9:9. For this is the word of promise: “At this same time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.” The general proposition stated in verse 8 the Apostle grounds in a well-known particular historical event described in chapter XVIII of Genesis.—“At this same time,” that is, in a year, or: around this same time the following year.—“Shall have a son.” This prediction of the birth of a child—specifically a son—to Sarah was proof that Isaac was indeed born through the action of a special power.

Romans 9:10. And not only this; but also Rebekah, when she had conceived children at one time by Isaac our father. The story of Rebekah’s sons even more strongly confirms the thought that the reception of salvation is independent of physical descent. Both her sons, Jacob and Esau, were entirely equal in their origin—both were born at the same time and from the same father and mother, and yet the same thing happened (it was so), as in the case of Isaac and Ishmael, that is, as we see from what follows, the election of one and the rejection of the other.—“Our father.” The Apostle calls Isaac “ours” because here he is addressing first of all the Christians of Jewish descent.

Romans 9:11. For when they had not yet been born and had done nothing good or bad [so that God’s purpose in election might stand Romans 9:12. not from works, but from the one who calls], it was said to her: “The older will serve the younger,” Before citing the divine decree concerning the fate of Esau and Jacob, the Apostle considers it necessary to speak about the circumstances under which this decree was announced. This is important in that the significance of the said decree is thereby all the greater. The first circumstance is that Rebekah’s two sons had not yet been born at the time, and the second—as a result of the first—that neither of them had yet manifested his disposition in any deeds. Nevertheless God had already at that point predetermined the fate of both, so that it should always be clear to everyone that He elects and draws certain persons to Himself by His own will. Why does God act thus? The Fathers and Doctors of the Church unanimously answer: “By His foreknowledge” (cf. Rom 8:29). Although Jacob and Esau did not yet exist, God already knew what they would be like (John Chrysostom).—“It was said to her.” The passage from Gen 25:23 the Apostle cites according to the LXX text.—“The older”—this is Esau.—“The younger”—this is Jacob.—“In servitude.” Since the descendants of Esau were subject to the descendants of Jacob only from the time of David until Joram and during the Maccabean period, whereas here an evidently permanent relationship between these peoples is indicated, it is more natural to see in this servitude an indication that Jacob would become the heir of all theocratic privileges, while Esau would be deprived of them. Just as a slave ordinarily did not receive an inheritance after his master’s death—all the property went to the master’s sons.

Romans 9:13. as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” God’s attitude toward Esau and Jacob remained the same throughout the entire Old Testament period. The last prophet, Malachi, cites words of Jehovah in which Jehovah speaks of His love for Jacob and His hatred for Esau (Mal 1:2-3 freely after the LXX). Of course, the hatred toward Esau must be understood in the same sense in which Christ spoke of the hatred that His disciples should bear toward their fathers, mothers, and even themselves (Luke 14:26). Just as Christians must prefer the direct demands of Christ above everything dear to them, in the event of a conflict between their personal interests and the benefit of Christ’s cause, so also God, for the realization of the purposes of His economy of salvation, preferred Jacob to Esau. But, having not received theocratic rights, Esau did not forfeit the rights to eternal salvation that were extended to all the Gentiles.

Romans 9:14. What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? By no means. The Apostle has explained by examples from the history of the patriarchal period that the election of a person by God depends solely on the one who elects or calls. This could seem unjust to someone, and in order to resolve such a doubt the Apostle appeals further to the words of God Himself spoken to Moses, and to the scriptural account of God’s hardening of Pharaoh. Thus by words of Scripture he confirms his teaching about the freedom of God in the work of election, and moreover finds a basis for the thought that God even hardens people by His will (14–18). To this again someone might object: “If God does everything Himself, then why will He judge people? After all, they are not at fault for not finding themselves among the elect.” The Apostle answers that again we cannot reproach God for unjust treatment of us, because in general we have no rights in relation to Him. He has the full right to deal with His creatures as He sees fit! And besides, God does not use His inviolable rights to the harm of people. On the contrary, He spares them, although they have, properly speaking, long since ripened for destruction. He awaits their repentance in order to show them the riches of His mercy. Even those who have already found God’s mercy, who are saved, ought to think of themselves as vessels of dishonor that only by God’s mercy have become vessels of mercy. After all, all people were subject to the wrath of God—whether they were Gentiles or Jews (19–24). And was this not already known before? Long ago it was foretold about the calling of the Gentiles and of a remnant, that is, a small number of Jews. And it was indicated that even this remnant of Jews would be saved again only by God’s mercy (25–29). Thus it is clear that God acted justly overall in the matter of calling people: they all should have been rejected, but He did not do this, and called and glorified many. “Is there injustice with God,” that is, does He prefer one over another without regard for the merits and rights of people?—“By no means.” God cannot be accused of injustice. He looks upon all people as sinners, and they cannot make demands or express any discontent when they see that God is not calling them. The choice belongs to God alone, and He, of course, by His wisdom and foreknowledge, makes such a choice.

Romans 9:15. For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” Romans 9:16. So then it depends not on the one who desires it, nor on the one who strives, but on God who has mercy. God Himself told Moses—the lawgiver—that He rewards with His mercy whomever He wills (Exod 33:19 — according to the LXX). Here a general norm for God’s relations with people is given: thus the Lord acted always and will act so. No direct reference to Moses alone is discerned here. “To have mercy” and “to have compassion” are synonymous concepts. The Lord God with these words wishes to convey that people can receive any good from God precisely as a mercy, as a gift.—“Not from the one who desires it, nor from the one who strives.” This refers to all people without exception—both Gentiles and Jews. They cannot obtain the gift of God’s mercy by their own efforts, however strongly they desire it, and however hard they strive. The term “to strive” (trekhō) was originally used of those competing on a race-track, who strained every effort to reach the goal as quickly as possible (cf. 1 Cor 9:24).

Romans 9:17. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “For this very purpose I raised you up, that I might show My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout all the earth.” Romans 9:18. So then He has mercy on whomever He wills, and He hardens whomever He wills. In exactly the same way the Apostle confirms by words of Scripture the thought that God also hardens whomever He wills. For this purpose the Apostle cites verse 16 of chapter IX of the book of Exodus (Exod 9:16), which he quotes according to the LXX with some variations.—“Scripture.” Of course, it was not Scripture itself that spoke to Pharaoh, but God; but in the present case the Apostle needed to bring forward precisely the witness of the Word of God in order to silence all objectors. It is written in Scripture—this was quite sufficient for the purpose the Apostle had in view.—“I raised you up,” that is, into the position that the Pharaoh of the Exodus occupied. This man, therefore, by special providential ways of God, became king of Egypt at precisely the time when the Lord willed to manifest His glory.—“That I might show My power in you,” namely through your complete humiliation.—The Apostle has in mind here the miraculous plagues sent by God upon Egypt.—“That My name might be proclaimed.” So that word would spread throughout the whole earth about the one who so mightily punished the powerful Pharaoh. “So then…” The Apostle once more points to the conclusion that follows from what Scripture says about God’s freedom in showing mercy and hardening people. The conclusion is this: God is not bound in His relation to a person by any human strivings or deeds (v. 16). “Hardens,” that is, renders a person incapable of receiving the impressions that could serve to bring about their reformation (cf. Acts 19:9; Heb 3:8). 33.

Romans 9:19. You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who can resist His will?” Romans 9:20. But who are you, O man, to argue with God? Will the molded thing say to the one who molded it, “Why did you make me like this?” Alongside the indications of God’s complete freedom, with which He shows mercy on some and hardens others, the writings of the prophets frequently contain speeches of Jehovah full of reproofs toward stubborn sinners. Readers of the prophetic books, where such rebukes are most frequently encountered, could after what the Apostle said doubt the justice of such an attitude on God’s part toward sinners. If hardening in sin is the work of God’s will, then no one will be able to go against that will and all will sin! Is God then justified in reproaching such a person? The Apostle responds to this objection by pointing to the insignificance of a person before God. A person is a creature of God and has no right to address the Creator with questions about why he has been assigned one purpose by God rather than another.—“O man.” This is how the Apostle addresses the objector, to show his insignificance before God. Clearly this word stands in correspondence with the following word: “God.” “The molded thing”—in Greek plasma—denotes any object made by a human being, especially the work of a sculptor or carver.

Romans 9:21. Has the potter no right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? Here is another comparison clarifying the rights of God the Creator in relation to the creature. The meaning of this comparison is as follows. Just as a potter has full right to assign its own purpose to each vessel he makes, so the Creator has the right to do the same with regard to the creature, even if thereby one creature turns out to be in greater honor than another. But how the Creator actually uses His rights in practice—this the Apostle does not yet say here. He only needs to refute the objection raised in verse 19 against the freedom of God spoken of in verse 18.

Romans 9:22. What if God, desiring to show His wrath and to make known His power, endured with much patience the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, Romans 9:23. in order also to make known the riches of His glory for the vessels of mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory, Romans 9:24. even us whom He has called, not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles? “What if?” The question contained in these verses is what is called an anacoluthon, that is, a subordinate clause without a main clause. But this sentence clearly needs to be completed from verse 14, specifically as follows: “What if? Shall we then declare God unjust if…” and so on.—If in verses 19–21 God’s righteousness was explained from an abstract point of view, then here is depicted—standing as if in contrast to this righteousness—His actual relationship to people. The Apostle wishes to say the following: God bears or spares with great patience the vessels of wrath, in order to make of them vessels of grace. All who have attained glory must acknowledge that they were initially vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that they owe only to God’s patience the fact that they have become vessels of grace. And this truth applies equally to Gentiles and to Jews.

Romans 9:25. As He says also in Hosea: “Those who were not My people I will call My people, and her who was not beloved I will call beloved.” Romans 9:26. “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ there they will be called sons of the living God.” Romans 9:27. And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant will be saved; Romans 9:28. for the Lord will carry out His sentence on the earth, finishing and cutting it short in righteousness, a decisive sentence will the Lord execute upon the earth.” Romans 9:29. And as Isaiah foretold: “If the Lord of Sabaoth had not left us offspring, we would have become like Sodom and been made like Gomorrah.” Here the Apostle cites from the Old Testament proofs that the vessels of mercy owe their existence solely to God’s patience, with which He previously spared them even though they were vessels of wrath. Along with this the Apostle proves that these vessels of mercy are called equally from among the Jews and from among the Gentiles.—“As He says also in Hosea.” The Apostle cites the prophecy of Hosea as a foretelling of the future conversion of the Gentiles to the Church of Christ (it is placed evidently to explain the last phrase of verse 24: and also from among the Gentiles). But on what basis did the Apostle have grounds for interpreting the words of Hosea as applying to the Gentiles? After all, in that passage (Hos 2:23) the reference is properly to the conversion to God of Israel which had apostatized from the true faith? Yes, that is so. But what did this Israel—which had turned away from Jehovah—represent if not the Gentiles themselves?! Naturally, therefore, for the Apostle Paul it represented all of paganism, and the salvation that in Hosea was promised to Israel—which had become like the Gentiles—was rightly counted as the portion also of all the Gentiles scattered throughout the world. Every Gentile people, in its own land, without becoming proselytes of the people of Israel, can become a people of God. “And Isaiah cries out…” Here the Apostle provides proof of the thought he expressed at the beginning of the chapter—that from the people of Israel only those who walk in the footsteps of Abraham will be saved, while those who are not true Israelites must be rejected (vv. 27–28). But even this salvation of the remnant is again, as with the calling of the Gentiles, an act of divine mercy (v. 29). They are saved not because by nature they are vessels of mercy, but because God’s prevenient grace gave them the ability to hear and receive the preaching of the Gospel. Without this condition, people remain children of God’s wrath (cf. Rom 1:18). It may be noted that here, therefore, the teaching both on divine predestination and on the freedom of the human will are combined: God leads to faith in Christ only those who are willing to believe; and that there are people who can receive the preaching of the Gospel—this is already the result of the action of prevenient grace (or patience) upon the human heart. However, on some this grace acts, on others it does not. The reason for this difference lies already within the people themselves…

Romans 9:30. What shall we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained righteousness, the righteousness that comes from faith. The Apostle has sufficiently explained that God’s gracious election does not exclude the freedom of the human will. In keeping with this position the Apostle now proves that the Jews are themselves to blame for their rejection. They did not accept the righteousness of God opened to them also in the Gospel, and did not wish to accept it, because they placed righteousness solely in the fulfillment of the deeds of the Law. “What shall we say then?” that is, what is the conclusion from what has been said? The conclusion is that justification was obtained not by the Israelites who sought it so earnestly, but by the Gentiles who had not counted on it.—“The righteousness that comes from faith.” The expression “from faith” indicates the way by which the Gentiles attained justification.

Romans 9:31. But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, did not arrive at the law of righteousness. “The law of righteousness.” The ideal toward which the Jews strove was not righteousness itself, but the law of righteousness—not the substance but the shadow, not the spirit but the letter. Had they been concerned with righteousness in itself, the Law would have pointed them to the direct way to it, namely through faith in Christ (cf. Rom 10:4). But in their striving after externals, they fell onto the wrong path of works.—The Apostle does not at all wish to say that the fall of Israel came about as a result of its attachment to the Law of Moses, but makes clear that Israel did not understand the meaning of the Law itself, which sought to lead them to Christ. What a supreme tragedy for a people who took such pride in their Law and yet inwardly remained utterly alien to it!

Romans 9:32. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if by works of the Law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, Romans 9:33. as it is written: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” The Apostle’s thought here is: why did the Jews not attain the new law of life? Because they tried to achieve this goal not by faith but by works (the word “of the Law” in the better manuscripts is an insertion here). They also stumbled upon, as upon an obstacle, that stone about which Isaiah had already warned them—a stone of extraordinary importance, which by the decision of the divine will was to be the object of their faith (Isa 8:14). Thus Christ, or the righteousness He brought, was the true revelation of God’s will: God willed that the Jews should turn to Christ, but the Jews did not wish to do this (cf. 1 Cor 1:23; Gal 5:11). * * * Notes Zahn translates the word ēuchomēn simply as: desired. There were moments in the Apostle’s life when he genuinely had such a desire (cf. 2 Cor 1:8). The Apostle does not explain in what exactly the hardening of Pharaoh by God consisted, and commentators understand this hardening in various senses. Most ancient Christian commentators explained it not as something produced by God Himself, but as something permitted by God (propter permissionem). “God hardened Pharaoh,” says Basil the Great, “by patience and the removal of plagues, thereby intensifying his wickedness.” Theophylact adds: “The more kindly a master treats a wicked servant, the worse he makes him—not because he himself teaches him vice, but because the servant exploits his master’s patience to increase his own depravity.” Godet adds to this that Pharaoh initially hardened his own heart, as is stated in chapters VII, VIII, and IX of the book of Exodus, and then, as punishment for this, God also hardened him (chapters X, XI, and XIV of Exodus). Pharaoh first rejected the admonitions of God that he received through Moses, and only thereafter did God make him utterly deaf to all further admonitions. And so his obstinacy served as a means for the glorification of God’s power. No injustice was committed here, that is, on God’s part, and Pharaoh would obviously have perished in any case, even if he had not been on the throne but had been an ordinary citizen: his character would have led him to destruction even then.

Chapter Ten

The goal of the Law is Christ (1–4). Salvation by grace (5–11). Israel is itself to blame for its rejection (12–21).

Romans 10:1. Brothers! My heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is for their salvation. The Apostle now begins to develop and deepen the thought expressed in verses 30–33 of chapter IX. Israel, blinded by its own notion of attaining righteousness, did not understand that the goal toward which the Law was leading the Jews was Christ and the righteousness from faith that He brought. “Desire”—more accurately: goodwill (eudokia).

Romans 10:2. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. Romans 10:3. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God’s righteousness, “To establish,” that is, to make something obligatory (cf. Rom 3:31; Heb 10:9).—“Their own righteousness,” that is, such as could come about through people themselves performing certain deeds and efforts (cf. Phil 3:9 and Rom 1:17).—“God’s righteousness,” that is, the divine order of life to which people are to express submission through faith.

Romans 10:4. for Christ is the end of the Law, for righteousness to everyone who believes. “For…” With this the Apostle proves that the disobedience of the Jews to Christ arose from their failure to understand the divine righteousness of which the Law testified. The Law pointed to Christ; in Christ the righteousness appeared before us to which the Law pointed as the ideal, and it is given to everyone who believes in Christ. A properly understood Law should have served the Jews as a guide to lead them to Christ, so that they might be justified through faith in Him.—Thus the expression “the end of the Law” is better replaced with another expression: the goal of the Law, as other commentators have also understood this passage (John Chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylact). Such a translation corresponds also to the meaning of the expression in the Greek text (telos nomou). But how could the Law point to Christ as its own goal? In the Law the ideal of righteousness is set forth. Since this ideal was set forth by God Himself, it must inevitably be realized. Meanwhile, people have learned from their own experience that none of them is able to realize this ideal by their own strength (Rom 3:20). Therefore Christ came, and He realized it. Already on this basis the Apostle could say that Christ is the goal of the Law. But this is not all. The Law has not yet fully accomplished its purpose when a single person fulfilled its prescriptions—the Law was given for all. And so Christ’s righteousness, proceeding from Christ, is transferred to all who believe in Him. Thus Christ is the goal of the Law in the fullest sense of the word, and at the same time, perhaps, its end as well, because He definitively accomplishes the goal of the Law—the justification of the human being.

Romans 10:5. Moses writes about the righteousness that comes from the Law: the person who does them shall live by them, The Lawgiver himself, Moses, acknowledged the attainment of righteousness to be an impossible thing, because for this a person had to fulfill all the many-faceted prescriptions of the Law. Yet the attainment of justification now, with the coming of Christ, appears altogether possible, because it requires from a person only firm faith in Christ. Wishing to show the unreasonableness of the Jews, who stubbornly held to the former way of justification—through fulfillment of the Law—the Apostle says that Moses himself regarded such a path as not leading to the goal, since, according to his declaration, life or justification can be obtained only by the person who fulfills all, without exception, the prescriptions of the Law (Lev 18:5). And that such fulfillment is beyond the power of any mortal—this had already been shown by the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans (Rom 3:4-20).

Romans 10:6. but the righteousness from faith speaks thus: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” that is, to bring Christ down, Romans 10:7. “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. On the contrary, the righteousness from faith, which now appears as the savior of humanity, speaks thus: “Do not say.” The Apostle, well aware that Moses could not yet have said what the righteousness from faith now says, nonetheless uses his words to express his own thought, which relates to the situation of his own day. Moses (Deut 29:1-30) was by no means asserting that the fulfillment of the Law is an easy matter, but was only saying that Israel cannot excuse its transgressions by ignorance of the Law. He pointed out that Israel had no need to wait for some messenger from heaven where God dwells, or to send for one overseas, to some foreign people where perhaps something about God’s will was known; God Himself had already spoken to Israel in the Law, had Himself declared His will to them (Deut 6:6-9 and following). The Apostle, however, uses the expressions of Moses in a different sense. He says that the one who asks “Who will ascend into heaven?” is by this very question “bringing Christ down from heaven.” The expression “that is” indicates the view or intention with which the question is posed. The unbelieving Jew, whom the Apostle has in mind here, supposes that the Messiah has not yet appeared but will appear in the future, perhaps from heaven or perhaps from the underworld (abyss is used here in the sense of the underworld, cf. Luke 8:31; Rev 11:7). But to speak thus is to repeat the same offense that the ancient Jews committed when they did not see in the Law a sufficiently full explanation of God’s will.

Romans 10:8. But what does the Scripture say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith that we proclaim. “But what does the Scripture say?” According to the better manuscripts one reads: “But what does she say?” (that is, this righteousness from faith). Here the righteousness from faith now gives a positive explanation of the matter. The Apostle, however, also here clothes his answer in the form of the speech of Moses (Deut 30:14): “the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.” But the Apostle, instead of saying that the Messiah has already appeared and lived on earth—thereby clarifying how near “the word” is even for unbelieving Jews—speaks, in explanation of this nearness, of the preaching of the apostles about the Messiah who has come (cf. Rom 1:3). He does this in view of the fact that Christ for unbelieving Jews is indistinguishable from other people who died and remain in the underworld. On earth, however, He is present for them in the word of preaching that sounds from the mouths of the apostles. And this preaching is the word of faith in contrast to the Law of works (cf. Rom 3:27; Gal 3:2). It announces the accomplished redemption, for the reception of which nothing is required except faith, whereas the Law always required deeds from the person himself. And this word of faith is incomparably nearer for its hearers than the teaching of the Law of Moses, because the path from hearing the apostolic preaching to faith and confession is much shorter than the path from hearing the commandments of the Law of Moses to their complete fulfillment.

Romans 10:9. For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved, This is the final word of the righteousness from faith, with which she now addresses the unbelieving Jew. Since the speech here is still directed at the unbelieving Jew, the Apostle especially emphasizes the necessity of faith in the resurrection of Christ (cf. Acts 1:22).

Romans 10:10. for with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Here it is the Apostle himself speaking, explaining the requirement set forth above in the words of the righteousness from faith. He distinguishes here between righteousness or justification received at entry into the Church of Christ, and the final salvation that will be given to believers at the second coming of Christ to earth. The former is attained only by the sincere, heartfelt acceptance of the Gospel (with the heart), while the latter is attained by a steadfast confession of Christ before His enemies, continued throughout the whole of a Christian’s life (cf. Matt 10:32; 2 Cor 4:13).

Romans 10:11. For the Scripture says: “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” And the Old Testament through the mouths of the prophets (Isa 28:16 and Joel 2:32) expressed the conviction that all people will receive final salvation only through faith and prayer addressed to the one Lord of all—Jesus Christ, who, as was said above, is the “blessed God” (Rom 9:5).

Romans 10:12. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, rich toward all who call on Him. “The same Lord”—this is the Lord Jesus Christ, Savior of all people who call on Him (John Chrysostom).—“Rich”—of course, in grace and salvation (cf. Rom 5:15; 2 Cor 13:13).—“Who call on Him.” As is evident from what follows, the Apostle makes no distinction between calling on Christ and calling on God.

Romans 10:13. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” What Joel says about God (Joel 2:32, according to the Greek text of the LXX), the Apostle applies directly to Christ. Therefore, the passage from the book of the prophet Joel has, according to the Apostle, a messianic meaning.

Romans 10:14. But how are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? But in order to believe in the Savior as the Lord, one needed first to hear the preaching about Him. There had to appear preachers or heralds of Christ who necessarily had to have authorization from God for this work. Thus it means that it was God’s will for the preaching of salvation through faith to be proclaimed to the Jews as well. If the Jews proved inattentive to this preaching, there is no need to be troubled by this: the Jewish people’s own prophets foresaw and foretold this unbelief of the Jews, just as they foretold the turning of the Gentiles to Christ. Israel evidently did not wish to believe in Christ and thus is itself to blame for its rejection.

Romans 10:15. And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach peace, who bring good news of good things!” Romans 10:16. But not all obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah says: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us?” Romans 10:17. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of God. “Through the word of God,” that is, from the divine command (Luke 3:2; Heb 11:3).

Romans 10:18. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for “their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” In Ps 18 the reference is first of all to God’s revelation in nature, but the Apostle had full grounds for applying these words to God’s revelations in general, and therefore also to the New Testament preaching of salvation.

Romans 10:19. But I ask, did Israel not know? First Moses says: “I will provoke you to jealousy by a nation that is not a people; by a nation without understanding I will make you angry.” “Did Israel not know?” that is, “did the Jews really not understand the preaching of salvation through faith?” The answer to this question the readers themselves are to give, and this answer is clear: yes, they did not understand the Gospel! The Gentiles understood, but the Jews did not, and in this was fulfilled the prophecy of Moses (Deut 32:21).

Romans 10:20. Then Isaiah is bold and says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me.” Romans 10:21. But of Israel he says: “All day long I held out My hands to a disobedient and stubborn people.” Why then did the Jews not understand the Gospel? Because they are a disobedient and stubborn people in their unbelief. They did not wish to believe, as Isaiah the prophet also prophesied, boldly, without fear of the hostility of a people who jealously guarded their rights to the Kingdom of the Messiah.

Chapter Eleven

Only a part of Israel has been rejected (1–10). The rejection of Israel has a special purpose and is not final (11–24). The rejection of Israel is only temporary, and in the end Israel, like all others, will be shown mercy (26–36).

Romans 11:1. I ask then: has God rejected His people? By no means. For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. Although Israel has been rejected by God, this rejection touched only a part of the people. And now, as in the days of the prophet Elijah, there is a significant number of believers from Israel, whom God with His gracious help has strengthened in faith in Christ, while the Jewish people as a whole fell into that hardening which was foretold to them by the Old Testament prophets… “For I myself am an Israelite.” The Apostle points to himself as proof that God has not rejected the Jews as a people, as a tribe utterly incapable of becoming Christian. If he, Paul, has become a Christian, a member of the Kingdom of the Messiah, then other Jews also can become members of this kingdom: their descent does not hinder them in this now any more than before.—“Of the tribe of Benjamin.” This tribe, together with that of Judah, formed the theocratic core of the Jewish nation after the captivity (Ezra 4:1).

Romans 11:2. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel, saying: “Whom He foreknew.” Here is indicated another reason why the possibility of Israel’s rejection as a nation cannot be admitted. God knew in advance what that people would be like, which was to become His people—and yet He called it. This means that God foresaw for Israel the possibility of turning to the right path—otherwise He would not have called it at all. The discussion, as verse 1 shows, concerns the fate and conversion to God and to Christ of the whole people, not just a part of it.

Romans 11:3. “Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars; I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” The Apostle cites the passage from 1 Sam 19:10 freely, according to the LXX text. “Alone”—that is, according to the Apostle’s understanding, the only one left of all who were faithful to Jehovah.

Romans 11:4. But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand people who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” “Seven thousand”—that is, a very great number (the number seven denotes a large quantity, cf. 1 Sam 2:5).—“Before Baal.” Remarkably, here as in certain other places (Zeph 1:4; Hos 2:8), the LXX places the feminine article before the name Baal. In all probability, the LXX translators, being Jews, did not wish to pronounce the name Baal and replaced it with the word shame, disgrace (boschet—aischynē). The result was thus the strange designation of a male deity—hē Baal.

Romans 11:5. So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. “Chosen by grace.” The Apostle has in mind the new, recently accomplished gracious election or calling to Christ of a part of the Jewish people. 34.

Romans 11:6. But if it is by grace, it is no longer by works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. But if it is by works, it is no longer grace; otherwise a work would no longer be a work. The expression “but if it is by works” and so on does not appear in the better manuscripts.

Romans 11:7. What then? Israel did not obtain what it was seeking; the elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, The Apostle draws a conclusion from what was said about the fate of the people of Israel. “What it was seeking”—more precisely from the Greek: what it is seeking. Israel has not abandoned its intention and continues to strive for righteousness—that righteousness which, it seems, can be merited by a person’s own efforts (Rom 10:3).—“Were hardened” (epōrōthēsan)—more precisely: were hardened (by God). They entered into a certain hostile relationship toward Christ and the righteousness He offered, and for this the Lord allowed them to reach the extreme degree of hardening in their unbelief (see Gal 1:23). In this hardening the Apostle sees God’s judgment on the stubborn Jewish people.

Romans 11:8. as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” “A spirit of stupor”—more precisely, from the Hebrew text, a spirit of drunkenness, a state of complete insensibility and unreceptiveness.

Romans 11:9. And David says: “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; Romans 11:10. let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and let their backs be bent over forever.” By “their table” one may understand the Law of Moses, which was the pride of the Jewish people. This Law, which the Jews did not rightly understand, in which they did not wish to see the guide leading people to Christ, will take terrible revenge on them for this misunderstanding. Like a tyrant it will torment them, frighten them, and judge them (a snare, a trap, a stumbling block). Service to the Law will now bring a Jew only a curse, and the Law will become for them an unbearable yoke and burden under which the back of a slave driven into captivity will bend. Such is the punishment of the Jews for rejecting Christ! Indeed, this judgment upon the Jewish people began already during the earthly life of Christ the Savior (John 12:37 and following).

Romans 11:11. So I ask: did they stumble in order to fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. But the hardening of the people of Israel was not God’s ultimate goal, only a means for the salvation of the Gentiles. This last event in turn will awaken in the Jews also a spirit of rivalry in the attainment of salvation in Christ; and so, when the Jewish people turns to Christ, the Christian life will be enlivened all the more. And the fact that the Jewish people can turn to Christ is supported by its descent from the patriarchs who believed deeply in God. On this basis the Apostle advises Christians from among the Gentiles not to despise the branches that have been broken off from the tree—the people of Israel rejected for a time—because these branches can again be grafted back onto the tree from which they were cut. Was this hardening of the majority of the Jewish people the actual goal God had in view when He offered the Jews a new means for attaining righteousness, to which they felt no sympathy? Did they stumble (cf. Rom 9:32) in order never to rise again (to fall for good)? No, God by no means intended to destroy the Jewish people. The fall of the Jews had another, higher purpose. 35. Namely, the fall of Israel or its rejection opened the doors to the Kingdom of Christ for the Gentiles. (How the one led to the other the Apostle does not yet explain, but he may have had in view here the parable of those invited to the banquet (Matt 22:1-14), in which Christ the Savior predicted that, following the refusal of the Jews to take part in the Lord’s feast, Gentiles would be invited in their place). There was in this also another purpose for God—to awaken in the Jews also a desire for salvation, since they, seeing how well the Gentiles who had turned to Christ were living in the Kingdom of the Messiah, were to repent of their unbelief and rush toward this bright kingdom.

Romans 11:12. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean. “If… their trespass” (that is, the fall of the whole people of Israel) or the deprivation of messianic salvation gave riches to the world (that is, gave the Gentile world the opportunity to enter the Kingdom of Christ) “and their failure” (hēttēma)—or, more correctly, their sorry state (in a moral sense)—gave riches to the Gentiles, then what great significance for the life of humanity will their opposite state have! (“Full inclusion” in the Russian translation is a literal rendering of the Greek word plērōma used here, but this word in context corresponds to the expression “failure”—hēttēma and should denote a state of vital fullness; plērōma here is plērōsis and indicates the final realization by Israel of its destiny and simultaneously the reception by it of salvation in all its fullness.)

Romans 11:13. Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, Romans 11:14. in order somehow to make my fellow countrymen according to the flesh jealous, and thus save some of them. By spreading the Gospel among the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul thereby indirectly promoted also the conversion of his compatriots to Christ.—“I magnify,” that is, I praise and take pride in my ministry, since it is of such great benefit both for the Gentiles and—indirectly—for the Jews.

Romans 11:15. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? “Life from the dead” (zōē ek nekrōn). Some (Origen, Chrysostom, Theodoret, and others) understand by this the new life in the “age to come” which will begin with the resurrection of the dead; but this explanation cannot be accepted. In the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 24:14) and in 1 Cor 15:23, where the beginning of the new age is discussed, nothing is said about Israel’s conversion as a signal for this “beginning.” And besides, why would the Apostle use the word zōē here, when for the concept of new life he uses another word—anastasis (resurrection)? Others (Theophylact) understand by “life from the dead” the flourishing of Christian life that will take place with the entry of the fullness of the Jewish people into the bosom of the Church. But in the Apostle Paul there are no traces of the idea that the state of the Christian Church preceding this great event should be some kind of spiritual deadness. On the contrary, throughout his writings runs the thought that among Christians from the Gentiles spiritual life is bubbling over… It is simpler and more correct to see here a reference to the completely full unfolding of the salvation brought by Christ. The acceptance of the Jewish people into the bosom of the Church of Christ forms the conclusion to the history of the economy of human salvation, just as the glorification of the body that will take place in people at the resurrection from the dead forms the conclusion of God’s gracious providence over them.

Romans 11:16. If the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. Israel itself also has a claim to receiving salvation. After all, it represents a certain whole mixture or mass of dough (phyrama), from which several loaves have already been baked which, as firstfruits (Num 15:19-21), have been offered to God as a gift. These firstfruits are the patriarchs of the people of Israel, who have already been received into fellowship with God. The Apostle has them in mind also under the holy root from which branches have grown, that is, the people of Israel.

Romans 11:17. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, Romans 11:18. do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Since among Christians from the Gentiles there probably existed a certain pride in their new position, which they had taken over in the Kingdom of Christ from the God-chosen people, the Apostle exhorts his readers—Christians from the Gentiles—to remember that they are in fact receiving salvation which had long been prepared to be opened in the midst of the Jewish people, who had long been the bearer of this idea of salvation (Origen acknowledges that the Apostle speaks about the grafting of trees contrary to the actual practices of horticultural art).

Romans 11:19. You will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” Romans 11:20. That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be proud, but stand in awe. Romans 11:21. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you. The woeful fate of the Jews ought to teach Christians from the Gentiles to be especially attentive to their own position. After all, they are not as closely connected to the holy root as the Jews, and it is even easier for them to fall away from the true faith and thereby be subjected to God’s wrath.

Romans 11:22. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off. Romans 11:23. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. Romans 11:24. For if you were cut from a wild olive tree and, contrary to nature, were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree. The Apostle repeats in conclusion of his discourse on the relationship of Christians from the Gentiles to the Jewish people that God is, on the one hand, kind, and on the other—severe toward sinners. Let the readers of the epistle endeavor to secure for themselves through good conduct the kindness of God. On the other hand, the Apostle promises the Jews that God will turn His wrath to mercy toward them as soon as they overcome their unbelief in Christ. This change in the position of the Jewish people is all the more probable because there exists an inner kinship between this people and the Kingdom of God (the olive tree).

Romans 11:25. For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of this mystery—so that you do not become conceited—that a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, If up to this point the Apostle speaks of the future conversion of the people of Israel to Christ on the basis of certain theoretical premises, he now speaks directly and definitively that this conversion will certainly take place, since he, Paul, was informed of this in a special revelation. As the date for the fulfillment of this prophecy the Apostle sets the moment when the fullness of the Gentiles will enter the Church of Christ. The Jewish people was not chosen by God for nothing! At the same time the Apostle casts a general glance at the plan of God’s economy for the salvation of all humanity. God leads all peoples to salvation by the way of His judgments, the greatness and wisdom of which the Apostle admires from the depths of his grateful heart. “Of this mystery.” The Apostle does not at all mean to say that the hardening of Israel is something incomprehensible. In the New Testament the word mystery denotes a truth or event that has been revealed to a person from above (cf. Eph 3:3-6). The Apostle is speaking, therefore, of what is known to him from a special revelation (cf. 1 Cor 15:51 and 1 Thess 4:15).—This mystery contains, first, an indication that the hardening has come upon Israel only “in part.” An explanation of this word is given in verse 7 (“the rest were hardened”) and in verse 17 (“some”). It is clear from this that the word has a numerical meaning: the hardening affected only a certain number of Israelites (cf. v. 26).—Second, this mystery contains an indication that this hardening will continue until “the full number of the Gentiles” has turned to Christ. This concept (to plērōma tōn ethnōn) cannot be understood with mathematical precision. The Apostle simply wishes to say that the Gentile world as a whole (with no attention to individuals) will enter the Church of Christ.

Romans 11:26. and in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” Third, this mystery discloses that Israel as a whole will afterward be saved. “And in this way”—and then.—“All Israel,” that is, the Israelites as a nation, as a people.—“Will be saved,” that is, will enter the Church of Christ. The fate of individual persons, which may be different from the fate of the people as a whole, is not something the Apostle gives attention to here.—“Will come from Zion.” In the LXX the expression enekan Siōn is placed here (Isa 51:3), that is, for the sake of Zion, in accordance with the Hebrew text (leziyon).—“The Deliverer,” that is, the Messiah. The Apostle probably has in mind here the second coming of the Messiah, when the Lord will also forgive the Jewish people the sin of hardening—a people which by that time will have turned to Christ.—“And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob,” that is, He will remove all ungodliness from the midst of Israel. The Apostle clearly has in mind here not the moral transformation that may take place in the souls of the Jews, but the redemptive activity of the Messiah in relation to the whole people of Israel (cf. v. 27).

Romans 11:27. “And this will be My covenant with them when I take away their sins.” “And this will be My covenant with them”—that is, in the forgiveness of sins the Jews will see and find the fulfillment of the covenant concluded with Me. The forgiveness of sins is the very grace given by the Covenant.

Romans 11:28. As regards the Gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake; but as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of the patriarchs. Romans 11:29. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11:30. For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, Romans 11:31. so they too have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they also may now receive mercy. The Apostle here explains the present position of Israel and speaks about its future.—“As regards the Gospel”—that is, because of the position Israel has taken toward the proclaimers of Christ, God has dealt with the Jews as with His enemies and cut them off from the olive tree—the Kingdom of God. This has served for the benefit of the Gentiles, who have received the opportunity to be grafted onto the said olive tree.—“As regards election”—that is, because the Jewish people was chosen by God already in the persons of the forefathers of that people to be the people of God. Therefore even now it has not utterly lost its significance in God’s eyes. God continues to cherish love toward it.

Romans 11:32. For God has confined all people in disobedience, so that He may have mercy on all. “For God has confined all people in disobedience.” God did with all of humanity, which was living in sins, what caused people to feel themselves as if imprisoned, in chains, to feel the extreme burden of their sinful state. Thus the Apostle is not speaking of God having led people into the sin of disobedience, but of His having aroused in sinners a feeling of powerlessness in the matter of salvation and a consciousness of their accountability before God. And He did this by allowing the Gentiles to sink into sins and passions, and the Jews to remain in blindness and the vain service of the letter of the Law. 36.

Romans 11:33. O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! Romans 11:34. “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?” Romans 11:35. “Or who has given a gift to Him, that He might be repaid?” Romans 11:36. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen. The Apostle concludes the section of chapters IX–XI, and together with it the entire doctrinal part of the epistle, with a thanksgiving and doxology to God, who by ways inscrutable to humans leads everything toward the purpose He has appointed from eternity. All is from God, through God, and to God—this is the fundamental thought of this doxology. In particular, for example, the people of Israel will be converted.—“Wisdom” (sophia)—this is the divine Wisdom that God possesses and manifests in the work of the economy of human salvation.—“Knowledge” (gnōsis)—this is the knowledge we acquire about the being and acts of God as we reflect on the great work of salvation. God is the source of light—this is His Wisdom that is manifested in the Gospel, and in His light we also see light—this is the knowledge of God, or cognition of God, that we receive from the Gospel. * * * Notes According to Zahn, at that time the number of Christians from among the Jews was no fewer than 70,000 (cf. Migne, 116 col. 934 multa milia Judaeorum—the expression of the Gospel of the Hebrews about the number of Christians from among the Jews). To what moment should this stumbling of Israel be assigned? This moment evidently preceded the hardening of Israel and led to it. Therefore it is better to see in this stumbling the incorrect relationship of the Jews to the Law of Moses. Even before the appearance of Christ in the world, Israel had already stumbled over the Law, incorrectly seeing in it a means of justification. Its zeal for God was unenlightened. It could have risen by accepting the Gospel of Christ, but it could also have remained lying on the ground (Luke 2:34); unfortunately, the latter happened. Various opinions on the fate of the Jewish people can be found in the pamphlet by N. Rozanov, “The Future of the Jewish People in the Light of Revelation.” Moscow, 1901.

Chapter Twelve

The entire life of a Christian, as a member of the Church, must be an act of worship (1–2). In the life of the Church, this must be expressed in the humble fulfillment of one’s calling (3–12). Above all, the Christian must maintain good relations with his brothers in the faith (13–21).

Romans 12:1. I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, well-pleasing to God, which is your reasonable worship, Having concluded the doctrinal portion of his epistle, the Apostle now turns to exhortations. He urges Christians, in view of God’s mercy toward them, to devote their bodies to the service of God and, having done with their former life, to begin a new, better life. “By the mercies of God.” Earlier the Apostle had encouraged his readers to grow in the Christian life either in view of man’s personal interests (Rom 6:19 and following), or on account of the obligations a person accepted at baptism (Rom 6:1 and following). Now he brings forward a new ground—a whole series of manifestations of divine mercy (in Greek the plural is used here—οἰκτιρμοί), directed toward the ordering of our salvation.—“Your bodies.” The Apostle assumes that the souls of his readers have already been given to God. But the body of a Christian has not yet become a submissive instrument of the new righteousness, and the task of believers is to free their bodies from subjection to sin (cf. Rom 6:13). By body we must understand in general the sensory side of the human being, which, under the influence of sin, becomes what the Apostle earlier called flesh (Rom 7).—“A living sacrifice.” The Christian’s dedication of himself to God, though it may also be called a dying like that which occurred in relation to the animals slaughtered in Old Testament sacrifices, yet here a person dies to sin and at the same time enters into true life (Rom 6:11). To show the superiority of this sacrifice over the Old Testament ones, the Apostle calls it holy (in the moral sense)³⁷ and well-pleasing to God, which the Old Testament sacrifice was not always (Isa 1:11).—“Your reasonable worship”—more accurately: “your rational worship.” These words form an appositive to the entire preceding clause beginning with the word present. The service of a Christian is called rational in contrast to the Old Testament, which corresponded to the childhood stage of humanity and represented only hints of the kind of service that is pleasing to God. This is the same as spiritual worship (1 Pet 2:5).

Romans 12:2. And do not conform to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what the will of God is—good, acceptable, and perfect. “And.” Here this particle has an explanatory meaning: namely. This age—this is the present life of the world, in which the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life hold sway (1 John 2:16). This life is under the influence of the flesh, which is in turn enslaved to sin. The Christian, on the contrary, must live under the influence of divine grace.—The renewal of the mind is necessary for new life, because the natural mind of man, according to the Apostle, is a perverted mind (Rom 1:28) and cannot know the will of God. This renewal has already been described in Rom 7:14 and following. It consists in the mind being freed from the fetters of the flesh, which had made it dark and powerless, and being joined with the Spirit of Christ.—“Discern.” The word δοκιμάζειν here has not only the meaning of “testing” but also points to the capacity to direct a person’s activity toward lofty goals (cf. Rom 14:22). This is the result of the transformation that a Christian must work in himself.

Romans 12:3. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you: do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. The first thing in which the inner change taking place in the Christian must be manifested is humility: this is the foundation of the proper Christian life as a member of the Church. Christians must humbly acknowledge that all their gifts of grace, by which they serve the Church, are the result of God’s mercy and were received by them through faith. The Apostle then urges Christians to put to work the gifts they have received—specifically, to use them in the service of the Church. In doing so, Christians must always be open, honest, and diligent in serving the Lord, not losing heart under any difficult circumstances. “By the grace given to me.” The Apostle here points to his high apostolic authority and calling (cf. Rom 15:15; 1 Cor 3:10).—“According to the measure of faith” that God has assigned to each. Here the talk is of faith as a gift of God. Therefore one should see in this faith not the justifying faith but the wonder-working faith, which was given to certain Christians of the apostolic era for the performance of deeds that benefited the whole Church (cf. 1 Cor 12:9). In the New Testament, even if it is said somewhere that saving faith is also in part a gift of God, nowhere is this gift described as distributed unequally.

Romans 12:4. For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, Romans 12:5. so we, though many, form one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. God gives to each member of the Church a definite measure of faith for a specific purpose. He wants us, each contributing his gift from different sides, to serve one common cause, just as the different organs of the body each in their own way sustain the body’s strength (for more detail on this, see 1 Cor 12:12-31).

Romans 12:6. And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, if prophecy—prophesy in proportion to the faith; Romans 12:7. if service—devote yourself to serving; if teaching—to teaching; Romans 12:8. if exhortation—to exhorting; if giving—give generously; if leading—lead with diligence; if showing mercy—do it with cheerfulness. The Apostle here enumerates several gifts of grace that existed in his time in the Christian Church.—“In proportion to the faith.” Here the Apostle has in mind the faith of the hearers of the one who prophesies, with whose condition the prophet—that is, the inspired teacher, the preacher—must take account in his speeches (prophecy is discussed in detail in 1 Cor 14:1-24)³⁸.

1 Corinthians 12:28. “Service” (διακονία)—this is a special gift; those who possessed it served the outward ordering of the Church, for example caring for the sick, the poor, and travelers (cf. 1 Cor 12:28, where this gift is called the gift of helping, and Acts 6:1 and following; 1 Tim 3:8).—“Teaching” (διδασκαλία)—in the context of the passage, not simple instruction but again a special gift for teaching in the truths of the Christian faith (cf. Eph 4:11). “Exhorter”—this is a preacher who, following the custom of the synagogue, appended exhortations to the passage of Holy Scripture that had been read (cf. Acts 4:36 and following). This capacity, like the following ministries, is also defined by the Apostle as a ministry founded on receiving special gifts from God.—“Giver”—this is a benefactor (Eph 4:28) who must carry out his acts of charity with generosity, without any self-serving calculations (cf. Matt 6:2 and following)³⁹.—“Leader”—more precisely: one who presides (ὁ προϊστάμενος). This is not an ordinary hierarchical person (bishop or presbyter) but a person who stands out in Christian society by virtue of his special administrative gifts, by which he becomes, in difficult circumstances, the guide of the Christian community.—“One who shows mercy”—more precisely: the merciful or compassionate toward the suffering and unfortunate, to whom he is able to speak a word of comfort and support.—“With cheerfulness”—more precisely: “with brightness,” or in such a way that all his consolation proceeds from a pure heart and raises no doubts in the sufferers.

Romans 12:9. Let love be genuine; recoil from what is evil, hold fast to what is good; Romans 12:10. Love one another with brotherly affection and tenderness; outdo one another in showing respect; From the various ministries—gifts—the Apostle now turns to the ordinary Christian virtues, placing love first among them. This love must be genuine. It therefore recoils from evil and exposes evil even in those it loves. For it, the highest thing is good, which it knows how to find and appreciate everywhere. Toward brothers in the faith, a love joined with tenderness must appear. It is also joined with respect for one’s neighbor. Each of us must strive to set an example of such respect.

Romans 12:11. Do not be slothful in zeal; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord; Romans 12:12. rejoice in hope; be patient in tribulation; be persistent in prayer; A Christian must be a zealous, fervent worker in the Church. Let him be set on fire by the (Holy) Spirit! Let him always act as a servant of the Lord (Christ), and not according to his own whims (Instead of: the Lord (Κυρίῳ), some codices read: the time (καιρῷ)). This would point to the necessity for the Christian to adjust his zeal to the demands of the time and circumstances, an example of which was given by the Apostle Paul himself (see 1 Cor 9:19 and following; Phil 4:12 and following). In tribulations, the Christian must be comforted by the hope of future glorification.

Romans 12:13. Contribute to the needs of the saints; pursue hospitality. Toward neighbors, the Christian must be solicitous about their needs, and even toward his enemies he must wish every good, carefully guarding against any desire for revenge. Hospitality, under the circumstances the Apostolic Church was experiencing—when Christians often had to leave their own cities and seek refuge in others—was a particularly important virtue.—Saints = Christians.

Romans 12:14. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Cf. Matt 5:44.

Romans 12:15. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Sharing joy at another’s happiness and success requires a certain moral elevation, and the Apostle places this virtue before sympathy with another’s misfortunes.

Romans 12:16. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be proud, but associate with the lowly; do not be conceited about yourself; “Be of the same mind toward one another”—more accurately: have toward others the same disposition, the same feeling, that you have toward yourself. Cf. Matt 22:39.—“Do not be proud”—that is, do not exalt yourself in your fantasies, do not retreat from real life.—“Associate with the lowly”—that is, go to the poor and unfortunate, descend into those areas of life where there is greatest need for your care.—“Do not be conceited about yourself”—that is, about your own superiority. This will deprive you of interest in the needs of your neighbors.

Romans 12:17. Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honorable in the sight of all people. “Take thought for what is honorable in the sight of all people”—that is, let even your outward behavior give no one cause to blaspheme the faith you profess (cf. Prov 3 in the LXX text).

Romans 12:18. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live at peace with all people. “If possible.” On our part we must always display a spirit of peace: no limitations can apply here. If peaceful relations nevertheless are not established—that is no longer your fault.

Romans 12:19. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God. For it is written: “Vengeance is mine; I will repay,” says the Lord. By pointing to God’s wrath against the wicked enemies of Christians, the Apostle does not at all intend to provide some satisfaction to Christians. He only wishes to dissuade those who suppose that our patient attitude toward the wrongs inflicted on us destroys the moral order of the world and that as a result evil people will triumph. No—says the Apostle—God Himself, as the most holy Judge, keeps watch over the life of the world and will not allow evil to triumph over good.

Romans 12:20. Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on his head. “You will heap burning coals on his head”—that is, you will prepare for him bitter remorse and shame, which will burn him like coals (Augustine, Jerome, Ambrose, and others).

Romans 12:21. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. “Do not be overcome by evil”—that is, do not yield to the feeling, the desire to take revenge for the evil done to you. Let the evil person gain the upper hand, let him—for a time—triumph. But evil will undoubtedly be defeated by the fact that the Christian will not want to imitate his offender and will not repay insult with insult. * * * Notes The body of a Christian, being sanctified by a pure life, thereby acquires the right to full vivification through the resurrection (Rom 6:22 and following; Rom 8:10-13). According to Zahn, the reference here is to the faith given to the prophet—that is, to his gift. The prophet should prophesy only so long as the prophetic inspiration speaks within him. Zahn understands this term as denoting the distribution not only of material goods but also of spiritual ones (Rom 15:27; 1 Cor 9:11).

Chapter Thirteen

On submission to authorities as the primary duty of a person in civil life (1–6). On rendering to each what is due, and on love (7–12). On the sanctity of the Christian’s private life (12a–14).

Romans 13:1. Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God. In civil life, the Christian must express his reverence before God by submitting to the authorities established by God. It is very probable that the Apostle was already aware of some instances of disobedience to the authorities among Roman Christians. This could have been an echo of the agitation that the Jews at that time were showing toward Roman power; at the same time, the expectation of the imminent end of the world must have made Christians somewhat indifferent to the discharge of those obligations they were bound to bear as citizens of Rome. Finally, the cult of the emperors also prompted Christians to protest against the ordinances of the Roman authorities, who did not tolerate Roman citizens refusing to burn incense before the statues of the emperors. “Every person.” The Apostle speaks here of the Christian as a citizen of the state; if every citizen is obligated to render obedience to the authorities, then the Christian is obligated to do so all the more.—“There is no authority except from God.” This is the first incentive for obedience. Authority in general, by its very idea, is a divine creation or ordinance.—“The authorities that exist.” This is the second incentive for obedience. The forms of authority (cf. v. 3—governing officials and Rom 4:6-7) are likewise, in each particular case, divine institutions. The Apostle does not enter here into the details of this question (it is not clear, for example, how a Christian should act at a change of authorities following a bloody conflict between them). He establishes only the principle of civil life.—On the basis of these words of the Apostle, Christian sovereigns (from the time of Louis the Pious) began to describe themselves as rulers “by the grace of God.”—The thought of the Apostle is partly similar to the teaching of the book of Wisdom (Wis 6:1-4).

Romans 13:2. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists what God has appointed. And those who resist will incur judgment upon themselves. Christians who disobey authority are justly subjected to trial and condemnation. This condemnation, in the Apostle’s thought, is pronounced against the disobedient by the Lord Himself, and is carried out by the rulers (v. 3). The discussion is therefore not about eternal punishment but about temporal punishment.

Romans 13:3. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to have no fear of the authority? Do what is good, and you will receive its approval, Romans 13:4. for the authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword in vain; it is God’s servant, an avenger carrying out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Here the Apostle grounds the thought he has just expressed—that the one who disobeys authority harms himself. He brings upon himself punishment instead of receiving encouragement from the authority.—“For good conduct.” Good conduct, as well as evil conduct, is presented by the Apostle Paul here as if they were living persons. It should be noted that when the Apostle wrote the epistle to Rome, Nero was not yet raging against Christians—these were the first three or four years after his accession to the throne, the best days of his reign. Besides, the Apostle again speaks of authority here from the standpoint of the ideal.—“Does not bear the sword in vain”—that is, the sword was not carried before a judge in Rome and in Greece without reason. The Apostle considers it possible, regards it as natural, that a judge or ruler should use the sword to carry out an execution upon a criminal. This right of the sword—Jus gladii—its use in necessary cases was especially granted to the governors of Roman provinces (Ulpiani Digest. II.1–3).

Romans 13:5. Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid punishment but also for the sake of conscience. Given the moral character of the rulers’ service, it is necessary to obey them not only out of fear of punishment but also for moral reasons—“for the sake of conscience”—or, as the Apostle Peter expresses it, “for the Lord’s sake” (1 Pet 2:13). From this it is clear that if the Christian conscience, having in view the clearly expressed will of Christ, resists the fulfillment of demands by the authority that go against that conscience, then the Christian is obligated to obey the voice of conscience more than the demand of authority. That is, the Apostle here establishes a certain right to pass judgment on the actions of authority. He himself showed an example of such an attitude toward the actions of the authorities (see, e.g., Acts 16:36-37). But again it must be repeated here that the right of non-fulfillment of the authority’s commands is granted by the Apostle only and exclusively in matters of religion, when the state authority begins with despotic measures to eradicate the true faith. Here, indeed, the Christian is obligated to stand for the faith, yielding not a step; but his protest cannot, even in this case, encompass all relations of life. His civil obligations the Christian must fulfill under all circumstances and remain always a faithful servant of the government in civil matters, even though that government were taking harsh measures to eradicate the Christian faith. So acted the Christians of the Roman Empire during the most severe persecutions raised against them by the Roman emperors.

Romans 13:6. For this reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. “For this reason”—that is, in view of the fact that the authorities had great significance in the life of the state.—“You pay taxes.” Therefore the very payment of the taxes established by the government attests that Christians consider themselves morally obligated to obey the authorities in general, in everything, and apart from the payment of taxes.—“For the authorities are ministers of God.” The Apostle repeats the thought of verse 4 (God’s servant) in order to further urge Christians to obey the authorities. “Ministers” (λειτουργοί) was the term used among the Greeks for citizens who served the state or the people in some way, chiefly through their wealth (from λαός—people, and ἔργον—work). The Apostle means by this designation that rulers must serve the good of the people, care for the people’s welfare, and that for this they are appointed by God (cf. Luke 22:25-27), while Christians must pay them taxes as if in reimbursement of the expenses they have borne for the good of the state.—“Devoting themselves to this very thing”—that is, to the collection of taxes, which go to public needs. This was indeed the chief occupation of various provincial officials (some interpreters refer this phrase to the service of the authorities, but this term for service does not appear earlier in the passage).

Romans 13:7. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. No less important a civic duty of the Christian is the duty to render to each what is due. Only Christian love, of course, is such that a person will always remain in its debt, however hard he tries to fulfill it… To urge Christians to a virtuous life, the Apostle reminds them of the nearness of the final glorification of believers, which must coincide with the second coming into the world of Christ the Savior. The Apostle speaks of legal obligations, especially those established by law (cf. Matt 22:21).—“Taxes” (φόρος)—these are direct taxes (land taxes, poll taxes); “revenue” (τέλος)—indirect taxes or trade duties.—“Respect”—not only toward officials but also toward masters, if the matter concerns slaves. “Honor”—this is respect for every citizen.

Romans 13:8. Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:9. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet” and any other commandment are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love, or the commandment to love, is so inexhaustible that a person will always remain in its debt, no matter how hard he tries to fulfill it.—“The law.” Here, according to the context of the passage, we are to understand civil law. In fact, love of one’s neighbor could not be designated by the Apostle as the fulfillment of the law of God in its complete form. One cannot even say that Paul saw the fulfillment of the second table of the Mosaic law in the obligation not to do anything bad to one’s neighbor. Yet the purpose and content of civil law can be defined in no better way than by such a purely negative requirement (not to do to another citizen anything that would be a violation of his rights).—It may be objected that in verse 9, the individual clauses of the law are taken from the Decalogue. But the same points are also present in civil law. Even desire, in the sense of malicious intent—an attempt to seize another person’s property—is defined in civil law as a crime. If the Apostle characterizes the content of civil law by the words of the Decalogue, he does so with the purpose of showing that the state and its government with its laws performs the work of God, and therefore obedience to the laws is a religious duty.

Romans 13:10. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. “The fulfillment of the law.” Having love for one’s neighbor, the Christian cannot do his neighbor wrong and in this way fulfills everything the law requires of him.

Romans 13:11. Besides this, you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. “You know the time”—that is, because you know the sign of the time (τὸν καιρόν), you yourselves understand that this time has been given to you in order to wake from sleep. The Apostle means to say: “Let the consideration that the remaining time of your life is given to you for preparation for the second coming of Christ serve as your motive for virtuous living. By that day you must settle all your debts.”—“Salvation”—that is, the glorification that will be granted to the righteous at Christ’s judgment (Matt 25:34). The Apostle Paul, together with all Christians, believed that the coming of the Lord was near (cf. Phil 4:5; 1 Pet 4:7). “Than when we first believed.” The Apostle takes into account a fairly long period of time that had elapsed from the conversion of the Romans to Christ up to the moment when he was writing his epistle (about twenty-five years). For such—one might say, long-standing—Christians, it is shameful to remain so long in a state of drowsiness. In such a state they could have been found perhaps at the very beginning of their conversion to Christ, but now it is time for them to shake off sleep, especially in view of the nearness of Christ’s second coming. “At the door,” says the Apostle, “stands the time of judgment” (Chrysostom).

Romans 13:12. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. The time before the second coming—the time when people sleep the sleep of sin—the Apostle describes as night, while from the moment of the second coming a bright day will dawn (cf. Heb 10:25).—“The night is far gone”—more precisely: it has advanced, little of it remains (προέκοψεν). In view of the nearness of the second coming of Christ, we must take care to improve our private lives and to dwell in strict self-restraint. “Cast off”—that is, throw off, like a night covering.—“Works of darkness”—that is, sinful habits.—“Armor of light.” Military equipment was put on partly as clothing (cf. Eph 6:11; 1 Thess 5:8). The Christian is conceived here as a warrior of Christ against the kingdom of darkness.

Romans 13:13. Let us conduct ourselves properly, as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and licentiousness, not in strife and envy; Romans 13:14. but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh. “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ”—that is, be united most closely with Christ, so that your life would be the life of Christ (Gal 2:20). Although believers put on Christ already in baptism (Gal 3:27), by this putting on at baptism only the beginning is properly laid. Then the entire life of the believer represents the continuation of the work begun.—“Make no provision for the desires of the flesh.” A Christian cannot live apart from the flesh⁴⁰: it remains the instrument of our activity (cf. Eph 5:29; Col 2:23; 1 Tim 5:23 and others) as long as we live on earth. Therefore one must care for it, but let these cares not serve as fuel for intensifying our lusts. Although the flesh, or the sensory-bodily side of the Christian, has ceased to be the source and seat of sin—since sin in it has been done away with in principle (Rom 8:3)—yet it has been done away with only in principle. Its power may revive; it is awaiting a favorable moment to do so. * * * Flesh here means the same as body. The Apostle uses the word “flesh” to show the weakness of the body and hence the necessity of caring for it, and also to show that the body has sinful (fleshly) desires that must be struggled against (cf. Rom 8:13).

Chapter Fourteen

Judgment on the parties existing in the Roman Church (1–12). Practical advice to the majority of Roman Christians (13–23). Doxology (24–26).

Romans 14:1. Welcome the one who is weak in faith, but not to quarrel over opinions. In the Roman Christian Church there was a difference of views on the question of whether it was permissible for a Christian to eat meat and drink wine. Some Christians considered it necessary to abstain from both. They also considered it necessary to observe certain days in a special way (by fasting). Others considered all such restrictions on Christian freedom useless. The Apostle instructs the first group not to condemn people who hold more liberal views on the matters in question, and the latter—those strong in spirit—he advises to be accommodating toward those who find special forms of abstinence necessary for a Christian. Let the strong take pity on the weak, remembering that those also have been redeemed by the Lord at a great price, and that all Christians together constitute the one Kingdom of Christ, which every Christian is obligated to uphold, sacrificing his personal wishes and interests. Who were these weak in faith who found certain forms of abstinence necessary for Christians? It is difficult to give a definite answer to this question. They were hardly people with a Jewish worldview, as some commentators (e.g., Zahn) suppose. Jews were not at all forbidden from eating meat and drinking wine (only certain meat dishes were prohibited by the law of Moses), and moreover the Apostle would hardly have taken such an indulgent view of the error of the Judaizers. More likely we can see here a reflection of certain ascetic views of Greek and Roman philosophy. It is known that the Orphics and the Pythagoreans abstained from eating meat and were vegetarians—the latter did not drink wine either—as did the Stoics (Sextius, Sotion, M. Rufus). “Weak in faith”—that is, a believer who fears that he may unexpectedly and quickly lose the salvation he has acquired and therefore avoids everything that seems to him dangerous in this regard.—“Welcome”—that is, do not deprive him of brotherly fellowship.—“Not to quarrel over opinions” (μὴ εἰς διακρίσεις διαλογισμῶν)—more accurately: without entering into a critique of another’s reasoning (which may well be ill-founded).

Romans 14:2. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Romans 14:3. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains judge the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. “God has welcomed him”—that is, keeps both in His Church.

Romans 14:4. Who are you to judge another’s servant? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for God is able to uphold him. “You”—address to the one who is weak in faith.—“Stands or falls”—that is, remains or does not remain in a state of grace. The Apostle does not mean to say that we should be indifferent to the state of faith in our brothers in the faith. We are not forbidden from making efforts to persuade them to adopt our views, and we are even obligated to care for their spiritual salvation. But in doing so we must not forget that religion is a personal relationship of every person to his God, and that we have no right to judge him (of course, in matters of “indifference”). And if we are convinced that our fellow-believers are doing something that, from our point of view, is wrong, but they are doing it for God, in awareness of their dependence on Him, we have no right to doubt the possibility of their salvation.

Romans 14:5. One person regards one day more highly than another; another regards every day alike. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. “Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind.” The Apostle speaks here not of days sanctified by fasts and feast days observed by the whole Church, but of special days chosen by individual Christians, on which, in their view, one should pray and fast. As for Church fasts and feasts, the Apostle thought differently about those (cf. 1 Cor 11:2).

Romans 14:6. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. And the one who does not observe a special day, does so in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. Both the strong and the weak in faith equally consecrate their meal by prayer (gives thanks to God), and in this way attest that their choice of food is made according to conscience, before God and in order to please God. Only each one understands pleasing God in his own way, considering that it is precisely this way, and not some other, that one can more readily please God.

Romans 14:7. For none of us lives for himself, and none of us dies for himself; Romans 14:8. for if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. Not only the individual actions of the Christian but his entire life and even his death stand in relation to God and serve for His glorification.

Romans 14:9. For to this end Christ died and rose again and came to life, that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living. In every condition we remain the property of the Lord (cf. v. 4 and Phil 2:9-10), who reigns over the living and the dead as one who himself rose again after death.

Romans 14:10. Why then do you judge your brother? Or why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Romans 14:11. For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will confess to God.” Romans 14:12. So then each one of us will give account to God for himself. In this passage the Apostle appears as a defender of the freedom of the Christian conscience, but only in matters of the so-called indifferent things: for these matters we have no right to condemn one another—only your common Lord and Master can condemn at His awesome judgment. But the Apostle by no means grants through this the right to individuals to destroy with impunity the established order of church life, founded on the universal apostolic tradition. In other epistles he directly condemns those who corrupt the order established in the Church of Christ (1 Cor 3:17).

Romans 14:13. Therefore let us no longer judge one another, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. Now giving practical advice regarding differences of opinion, the Apostle addresses people who are strong in faith. They must not by their behavior tempt the weak into repeating the actions they themselves perform. It is bad in general to lead one’s neighbor to condemnation and to provide occasion for the destruction of peace in the Christian community, and all the more so is it not worth doing this over food. It is better to refrain from eating meat and wine if through this self-limitation mutual peace can be preserved. And above all, one must take pity on the weak person, who may be drawn along by the example of the strong, eat some meat, and then condemn himself as a terrible sinner. It is not another who should be judged, but rather one should judge oneself, examine one’s own behavior—are you not by your actions giving someone an occasion to stumble? That is, to perform actions that go contrary to the moral convictions of the one performing them.—“Stumbling block” and “hindrance” are synonymous expressions.

Romans 14:14. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. In expressing his conviction that objectively unclean food does not exist, the Apostle draws, in all probability, on the words of Christ the Savior Himself (Mark 7:15 and following). That is why he adds: “in the Lord Jesus.”

Romans 14:15. If your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy by your food the one for whom Christ died. “Is grieved.” This grief could be felt by the weak person when, for example, he was present at the meal of the strong. Meat was served there, which he, according to his conviction, could not eat, and this already upset his inner peace. But that is not all. His table companions might tease him, as if urging him to violate his pledge—and this grieved him even more. “Do not destroy.” The weak person could be destroyed in the event that, constrained by his scrupulousness, he were to take a piece of meat. Later, arriving home, he would begin to condemn himself for this, and who knows what ruinous consequences his pangs of conscience would lead to…

Romans 14:16. So do not let what you consider good be spoken of as evil. “What you consider good.” What this good thing is—commentators speak about it in different ways. Some understand it as the Christian faith and Christianity in general, which pagans were ready to blaspheme on any pretext; others—as Christian freedom… It is better, it seems, to see the explanation of this expression in verse 17—in the words: righteousness, peace, and joy. Christians, before the face of pagans, could take pride in the fact that among them were righteous people, living in joyful fellowship of the Gospel; while pagans, pointing to the disputes of Christians over food, could object: “Fine righteous people! Fine unity! Why, you quarrel among yourselves even over trifles…”

Romans 14:17. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. “The kingdom of God”—in the Apostle Paul it usually means the Messianic Kingdom, the establishment of which is to occur at the second coming of Christ to earth—in the age to come (1 Cor 6:9 and following; 1 Cor 15:24; Gal 5:21), and it never means the earthly Church to which Christians now belong. But here the talk is not of the Kingdom of God in its completion, nor of the kingdom of the age to come, but of the essence of the Kingdom of God in itself. The essence of the Kingdom of God is by no means to impose on every member of this kingdom a casual attitude toward every kind of food.—“Not food” (βρώσις)—not the eating of food.—“Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” The most important thing in this kingdom is the righteousness of its members, mutual peace with God (cf. Rom 5:1 and following) and with brothers, and joy—in the certainty of receiving future salvation, which is given to us by the Holy Spirit dwelling in us (cf. Rom 8:12 and following).

Romans 14:18. Whoever serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and approved by people. “Whoever serves Christ in this way.” It is better to understand by the words “in this way” (ἐν τούτῳ) the righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit of which the Apostle has just spoken. Christians must strive by all means to possess these blessings, because only people who possess them can serve Christ and be pleasing to other people. But what people eat and drink has no importance at all in the matter of the soul’s salvation.

Romans 14:19. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. From what has been said above, it is clear that there is no point in raising disputes about food. If one must discuss it at all, then only about what can sustain peace in the Christian Church and build it into a true house of God (“upbuilding”—more accurately: construction—οἰκοδομή).

Romans 14:20. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. “The work of God” (ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ)—this is the Church (cf. 1 Cor 3:9).—“Who makes another stumble by what he eats”—that is, the one strong in faith who eats meat and by this causes his weak brother to stumble.—“It is wrong for anyone”—that is, it is sinful for the one who acts this way, even though the food itself contains no impurity.

Romans 14:21. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble, or to be caused to sin, or to be weakened. Here the Apostle gives guidance to those who are strong in faith as to how they should act. What is required of the true Christian is a certain self-sacrifice for the good of the weak brother—abstaining from meat and wine.

Romans 14:22. The faith that you have, keep to yourself before God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself in what he approves. The strength of faith will not be diminished in a person by this self-limitation. And there is no need at all to put one’s faith on display—it is enough if God sees it! The compensation or reward for the one who is strong in faith should be the single awareness that he is acting entirely correctly—which the weak person lacks, as he is eternally wavering in deciding how to act in one case or another.

Romans 14:23. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. The Apostle sees two types of people: some are people who believe deeply and sincerely in Christ. Everything these people do proceeds from the heart, which in turn receives its impulses from Christ. Consequently, the deeds of these people are holy. Others are people who waver, sunk in doubts. Everything these people do proceeds, consequently, not from faith and not from Christ, but from their earthly, fleshly reasonings. Yet the flesh urges a person toward sinful acts. It is clear that the talk here is of faith in Christ—of genuine, strong Christian faith, as firm confidence in Christ. Everything opposed to such faith must naturally belong not to the realm of Christian holiness but to the realm of sin.

Romans 14:24. Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages, In the doxology to God the Apostle once more expresses the wish that the Romans may be established in the Christian faith and life with God’s help (cf. Rom 1:11). For this purpose he has depicted before them the greatness of the Gospel as the revelation of God’s eternal counsel for the salvation of people. Whether his epistle will achieve such a purpose—that is in God’s hands; but for what has already been done by Him for humanity, glory belongs to God. “According to my gospel”—that is, in conformity with my proclamation, so that the Romans would live as the Apostle teaches them.—“And the proclamation of Jesus Christ”—that is, which (gospel) is none other than what Christ Himself proclaimed.—“According to the revelation of the mystery.” The Apostle here means to say that Christ in His preaching proclaimed the divine mystery—the eternal Council of God concerning the salvation of humanity.

Romans 14:25. but which has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings, according to the command of the eternal God, has been made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith — “Now disclosed and through the prophetic writings.” The prophetic books provide the key to understanding the economy of our salvation. From them Christians are convinced that the salvation given to people in Christ was not something new and unexpected, but had long been predetermined in the Council of God.

Romans 14:26. to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be glory forever. Amen. “Through Jesus Christ.” Christ taught people the concept of God, instilled in them trust in God, made them acceptable to God. Therefore only the one who believes in Christ can truly honor God. Note. Where this doxology belongs—it is difficult to say. More recent commentators, on the basis of the testimony of many ancient codices, place it at chapter 16 (Rom 16:25-27 according to the Athens edition of 1898). But some consider it possible to allow that it belongs to chapter 14. Thus, Zahn in his commentary on the Epistle to the Romans places the doxology where our text also places it. He refers in this connection to the testimonies of the Antiochian recension of the text, to the mass of later codices, to Chrysostom, Theodoret, Oecumenius, Theophylact, to later Syriac translations, the Gothic translation, and others.

Chapter Fifteen

Necessary self-restraint for the benefit of one’s neighbor (1–4). On the necessity of unity between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians (5–13). On the tone of the epistle to the Romans (14–21). The Apostle’s missionary plans (22–33).

Romans 15:1. We who are strong ought to bear with the weaknesses of those who are weak and not to please ourselves. The Apostle confirms his admonitions to the strong in faith with the example of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, who displayed the most perfect self-sacrifice for the salvation of weak humanity. “Ought.” The Apostle now speaks not of what prompts us to be patient with the weak in faith (cf. Rom 14:21), but of what obliges us to do so: this is the example of Christ (v. 3). The Apostle continues here his discussion of the difference in opinions. Earlier (Rom 14:2) he appealed to the strong, calling on their nobility; now he makes it their duty to spare those who are weak in faith.

Romans 15:2. Let each of us please his neighbor, for his good, for his edification. Romans 15:3. For even Christ did not please himself, but, as it is written: the reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me. The words of the psalm can be understood both in the sense that Christ took upon himself the reproaches that people were actually directing at God, and in the sense that Christ took upon himself responsibility for the reproaches (that is, the sins) of people, or, finally, in the sense that Christ endured suffering for the house of God, for the Church, endured it out of love for his brothers. According to the context of the passage in the psalm, here too it is better to give the Apostle’s words this last meaning. Christ accepted all these sufferings completely voluntarily and could have declined to take them upon himself.

Romans 15:4. Now whatever was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might maintain hope. The more endurance or steadfastness in self-restraint for the benefit of our brothers in faith we show, the stronger our hope becomes that by this path we will attain our cherished goal—future greatness in the kingdom of glory. The Scriptures of the Old Testament are in this regard a consolation to us: they contain no small number of accounts of how the Lord crowned the endurance of those who suffered.

Romans 15:5. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to be of one mind with one another, according to the teaching of Christ Jesus, From tolerance toward others’ opinions the Apostle now moves on to the unanimity that should reign in the Christian church: Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians must, following Christ’s example, accept one another, and the Apostle prays to God to strengthen the Christians in mutual love. That a new section begins here is apparent from the fact that the “unanimity” the Apostle now desires for the believers is something different from mutual forbearance. Now the question arises whether differences of opinion regarding the very essence of Christianity are possible, and the Apostle says that in this sphere one should not merely maintain a mutually tolerant attitude between Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians and vice versa, nor preserve particular views while outwardly accommodating oneself to others’ perspectives—no, here an inner unity must of necessity exist. What is required here is not that Christians know how to treat the views of the opposing party with tolerance; there should be no parties at all, and Christians must form in Christ a single union among themselves, setting aside all distinctions.—“According to the teaching of Christ Jesus”—more precisely: “according to the example of Jesus Christ.” Christ is the ideal by which we must live and feel.—Since this unanimity is a difficult matter, the Apostle gives his exhortation to unanimity the form of a prayerful wish: “Let God himself grant it to you!”

Romans 15:6. so that with one accord, with one voice, you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. To this unity in thought and disposition must be added the awareness that we all have one goal—the glory of God. If we all, whatever nation we belong to, seek only the glory of God, every opposition between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians will disappear.

Romans 15:7. Therefore welcome one another, just as Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God. “Therefore,” that is, in order to glorify God, Christians must for their part, in order to achieve the desired unity, extend a hand to one another. They are prompted to do this already by the fact that God himself in Christ has received into his Kingdom equally both Jews and Gentiles.—“To the glory of God.” These words relate to the expression “welcomed.” The Apostle wishes to say by this that Christ, our model, likewise had in view, in accomplishing his redemptive work, the glory of God, which should serve as our highest goal.

Romans 15:8. I mean that Jesus Christ became a servant to the circumcised—for the sake of God’s faithfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the fathers, Romans 15:9. and for the Gentiles—out of mercy, so that they might glorify God, as it is written: therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, O Lord, and will sing to your name. Explaining the work of Christ, the Apostle says that in his ministry to the Jews Christ demonstrated God’s faithfulness, showing that God fulfills precisely the promises given to the forefathers of the Jewish people regarding salvation through the Messiah. Conversely, in relation to the Gentiles, Christ manifested God’s mercy, which, so to speak, unexpectedly bestowed upon the Gentile world the same salvation that the Jews had received. Since Christ preached the Gospel directly only to the Jews, the Apostle calls him a servant (διάκονος) to the circumcised—and only to them! The Gentiles, however, he received into the church indirectly, for example, through the Apostle Paul.

Romans 15:10. And again it says: rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people. Romans 15:11. And again: praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples glorify him. Romans 15:12. Isaiah also says: the root of Jesse will come, and he will rise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will place their hope. This union of Jews and Gentiles in the Church of Christ was foretold already in Ps 17:50; Deut 32:43, Isa 11:10. Since the Gentiles had less reason to hope for salvation than the Jews, they for their part should glorify God more than the Jews—both of these thoughts are expressed in the indicated passages of the Old Testament. In the first, David, as a type of the Messiah, declares that he wishes to praise God among the Gentiles—naturally, for the salvation granted to them. In the second and third, the Gentiles themselves are called to give glory to God. In the last, finally, it is added that the salvation in Christ, in which they already boast even now, is at the same time the foundation of their hopes for a better future.

Romans 15:13. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in faith, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle has just spoken of hope, and since he attaches great importance to it in the life of the Christian, he now expresses to his readers his wish that they may abound in this hope as fully as possible. Since they cannot give it to themselves, the Apostle desires that God would establish them in hope: for from him comes all hope! (the God of hope). By hope here the Apostle means Christian hope in its highest development (cf. ch. VIII): this hope is the fruit of the virtuous life that Christians lead having received the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the same as the assurance of salvation (πίστις) of which the Apostle spoke in ch. VIII, or the same as joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17). People do not arrive at such joyful assurance of future salvation all at once, but gradually, having had in their lives many confirmations of the existence of grace and of God’s faithfulness. To be established in this hope we must preserve in ourselves the peace we received after justification, and the joy over our redemption, and this peace and joy must become full and perfect (all joy and peace). And all this must be grounded in faith (ἐν τῷ πιστεύειν). The thought of the entire apostolic wish can therefore be expressed as follows: “Stand firm and grow in faith, so that God may give you more and more joy and peace, and that you may thus arrive at the fullness of hope, which is of course possible only when you are living a life truly pleasing to God, in the power of the Holy Spirit.”—This conclusion of the Apostle’s exhortations is fully in harmony with the beginning of the epistle (Rom 1:16). As there, so here, the power of God is set forth as the source of all salvation; as here, so there, faith is the alpha and omega of Christian life.

Romans 15:14. I myself am convinced about you, my brothers, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another; The Apostle explains his bold approach to the Roman church in the role of teacher by the fact that God himself called him to this. Moreover, he points to the great results of his preaching activity, which clearly testify that this activity always stood under the influence of Christ’s power. This success gives him the right to address a didactic epistle to the Roman church. “Full of goodness” (ἀγαθωσύνη)—by this the Apostle says that the Roman Christians are in general very good people.—Full of “knowledge,” that is, well-versed in Christian doctrines.

Romans 15:15. but I have written to you rather boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them, by the grace given to me by God “Rather boldly”—more precisely: somewhat more boldly (than the circumstances of your life seemed to require).—“On some points.” Consequently, not the entire epistle is written in such a somewhat bold tone, but only a certain part of it.—“As if to remind you,” that is, as a teacher addressing his students.

Romans 15:16. to be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, performing the sacred work of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, might be acceptable to God “The offering of the Gentiles”—more precisely: “the offering or sacrifice consisting of Gentiles.”—The Apostle calls himself a “minister of Jesus Christ” (λειτουργός) in the sense that his activity resembles the public services of wealthy and generous citizens to their city (λειτουργοί). He does not spare himself.

Romans 15:17. So I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus in what pertains to God, “I have reason to boast,” that is, I can come forward as an authoritative teacher of the faith. In Christ Jesus—that is, on the ground that I am a minister of Jesus Christ.—“In what pertains to God.” He boasts not in all respects, but only as a religious figure. This boast, consequently, does not exclude humility before God.

Romans 15:18. for I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in bringing the Gentiles to obedience to the faith, by word and deed, Romans 15:19. by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and the surrounding region as far as Illyricum I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. The Apostle expresses here two thoughts. One is: “I cannot tell you anything that is not the work of Christ,” and the other: “I would not venture to say this if it were not the work of Christ.” Thus the Apostle explains his boldness by the fact that he does everything in the name of Christ and by his command.—That Christ himself through the Apostle calls the Gentiles is also attested by the signs and wonders performed by the Apostle, for which, however, the Apostle gives the honor to the Spirit of God, who grants the power to perform these miracles.—“From Jerusalem and the surrounding region.” Since the Apostle did not come forward with preaching about Christ in Jerusalem itself, it is more correct to understand the conjunction “and” as explanatory and translate it: “from Jerusalem—namely, from the region of Jerusalem.” This expression can therefore refer both to Damascus and to Arabia, where the Apostle Paul did indeed come forward with preaching about Christ.

Romans 15:20. Moreover, I made it my ambition to proclaim the gospel not where Christ had already been named, so as not to build on someone else’s foundation, Romans 15:21. but as it is written: those who were never told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand. The Apostle notes that he generally avoided preaching in places where the name of Christ had already been proclaimed by someone else. He sees the proper office of an apostle in the founding of new Christian churches (1 Cor 3:10 and following, and 1 Cor 9:2 and following).

Romans 15:22. This is also why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. As he plans to travel to Spain, the Apostle intends to stop in Rome as well; but now he is going to Jerusalem with the charitable gift collected by the Greek churches. At the same time, the Apostle asks the Romans for their prayers on his behalf, so that his journey to Jerusalem might go well for him. The reason the Apostle had not yet visited Rome was that in the East there were still many places where the name of Christ was not yet known.

Romans 15:23. But now, having no more room in these regions, and having had a desire for many years to come to you, Romans 15:24. as soon as I set out on my journey to Spain, I will come to you. For I hope that while passing through I will see you and that you will send me on my way there, once I have first enjoyed your company for a while. “You will send me on my way.” Brothers who had come from afar were customarily escorted by local Christians upon their departure (cf. 1 Cor 16:6).—“For a while.” The Apostle cannot stay long in Rome, and so he will not be able to enjoy the fellowship of the Roman Christians to the full.

Romans 15:25. But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints, Romans 15:26. for Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. From this it is evident that Paul is in Greece at the time of sending the epistle.—On the collection of charitable gifts for the Jerusalem Christians, see 1 Cor 16:1-4; 2 Cor 8-9; Acts 24:17.

Romans 15:27. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they are debtors to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to minister to them in material things. Here the Apostle aims to prompt the Roman Christians as well to follow the example of the Greek Christian churches in the matter of charitable giving.

Romans 15:28. When I have completed this and have delivered this fruit of their contribution to them securely, I will go on by way of your city to Spain, Romans 15:29. and I know that when I come to you I will come with the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. Here what was said in verse 27 is repeated, with only the addition that Paul on his part promises to bring the Romans the full blessing of the gospel of Christ.—“Delivered securely”—more precisely: having sealed it (σφραγισάμενος). The Apostle wishes to say by this that the delivery of the charitable gift from the Greek churches to Jerusalem will be a seal or proof that Gentile Christians recognize the great significance of the Jerusalem church, from which Christianity spread throughout the world.—“With the fullness of the blessing”—cf. Rom 1:11.

Romans 15:30. Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, Romans 15:31. that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea and that my ministry for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, The Apostle fears both the unbelieving Jews, who may bring charges against him for apostasy from the faith (he did indeed become their victim—see Acts 21:27 and following), and he is not entirely confident that the Jerusalem Christians will receive him in a friendly manner and accept his gift.

Romans 15:32. so that I may come to you with joy, if it is God’s will, and find refreshment with you. Romans 15:33. The God of peace be with you all. Amen. “The God of peace.” The Apostle gives God this name here out of his confidence that God will indeed send him the peace and rest he so greatly needs now as he goes into a region hostile to him.

Chapter Sixteen

The commendation of the deaconess Phoebe (1–2). Greetings (3–16). A warning against ecclesiastical agitators (17–20). Greetings from the companions of the Apostle Paul (21–24).

Romans 16:1. I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess of the church at Cenchreae. Romans 16:2. Welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints and assist her in whatever matter she may need from you, for she has been a helper to many and to myself as well. The deaconess Phoebe was evidently the bearer of the epistle to the Romans. The office of deaconess (ἡ διάκονος) consisted in service to the poor, the sick, and strangers. Cenchreae is the eastern port of Corinth on the Saronic Gulf. She was a helper (προστάτις) to many Christians and to Paul, and probably had considerable financial resources. She may have received strangers in her home. The Apostle asks the readers to welcome her in the Lord, that is, in a fully Christian manner, with complete hospitality, as their spiritual sister (cf. Phil 2:20).

Romans 16:3. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, Here 24 persons are named by name to whom the Apostle addresses his greeting, and then the Apostle greets the entire church in general.

Romans 16:4. [who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but also all the churches of the Gentiles], and the church in their house. On Aquila and Priscilla—see Acts 18:2 (cf. 1 Cor 16:19). Priscilla—Aquila’s wife—is placed first, probably on account of her special services to the Church (cf. 2 Tim 4:19).—They “risked their neck” (more precisely: their neck) for my life (more precisely: to save me). When this occurred is unknown. Some see an explanation in the events that took place during the Apostle Paul’s stay in Ephesus (Acts 19:23 and following); others attribute this intercession by Aquila and Priscilla to the Apostle Paul’s stay in Corinth (Acts 18:6 and following).—House churches were worship gatherings of a particular family and persons friendly to that family, held in the home belonging to that family.

Romans 16:5. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. “First convert”—that is, the first person converted to Christianity in Ephesus.—On the basis of the Synopsis of Dorotheus, Epaenetus, along with some others mentioned here, is numbered among the Seventy in the Lives compiled by the Apostle Demetrius of Rostov.

Romans 16:6. Greet Mary, who labored much for us. Romans 16:7. Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles and who were in Christ before me. “Junias.” It is more accurate to see here a masculine name (Ιουνίας—Junias), since the remark that he “was outstanding among the apostles” does not suit a woman. “My relatives”—that is, my kinsmen. The word συγγενεῖς—relatives cannot be understood in the sense of “fellow countrymen,” since no others mentioned here (Aquila, Priscilla, Mary) are called by this term.—“Among the apostles.” This refers not to the 12 apostles, among whom Andronicus and Junias could not have been numbered, but to preachers of Christ in general, among whom the said Christians occupied a prominent position.

Romans 16:8. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Romans 16:9. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. Romans 16:10. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those of the household of Aristobulus who are faithful. “Of the household of Aristobulus.” The Apostle makes no direct mention of Aristobulus himself, probably because he too was a Christian. Perhaps this was a prince of the Herodian house who lived in Rome for some time and then departed for Jerusalem, leaving his household in Rome under the care of his servants.

Romans 16:11. Greet Herodion, my relative. Greet those of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. Romans 16:12. Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. Romans 16:13. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. “Chosen in the Lord,” that is, distinguished for his Christian virtues.

Romans 16:14. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brothers with them. Romans 16:15. Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints with them. Romans 16:16. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. Upon reading the epistle, the readers are to greet one another as well with a holy kiss, which in antiquity in the East served as an expression of greeting at meeting and parting (1 Pet 5:14; Apostolic Constitutions XI,57, 12; VIII,5, 5). It is called holy as expressing the spirit of Christian unity.—“All the churches.” It is very possible that all the Eastern churches, which knew that the Apostle was writing an epistle to Rome and himself intended to go there, asked him to convey their greetings as well to the Church of Rome, the capital of the empire.

Romans 16:17. I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way contrary to the teaching you have learned, and to turn away from them; In warning his readers against agitators who wish to found separate church communities, the Apostle characterizes these agitators as self-seeking people who want to exploit trusting Christians for their own personal ends. The Apostle advises Christians to remain obedient to the faith they have long since received.

Romans 16:18. for such people do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly, and by flattery and fine speech they deceive the hearts of the naive. The features in which the Apostle portrays these agitators are so general that it is difficult to determine the character and origin of these agitators. Probably these false teachers had not yet appeared in Rome, but were, according to rumors that had reached Paul, planning to go there.

Romans 16:19. For your obedience to the faith has become known to all; so I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. The Apostle’s thought is as follows: “These agitators can after all only deceive simple-minded people—but you are not such.”—“Wise in what is good,” that is, able to discern where truth and goodness lie.—“Innocent in what is evil,” that is, not yielding to evil, remaining unstained by evil (cf. Phil 2:15; Matt 10:16).

Romans 16:20. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you! Amen. God is here called “the God of peace” in view of the appearance of those agitators who wish to introduce divisions into the Church (v. 17). These people appear to Paul as servants of Satan: if they do not serve Christ, then they serve the adversary of Christ—Satan. From this comes the figurative expression: “will crush Satan under your feet,” which is reminiscent of the judgment on the serpent of the devil (Gen 3:15).

Romans 16:21. Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you, and so do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my relatives. Here the Apostle adds several more greetings from persons who were around him at the time of sending the epistle to Rome. “Timothy” is mentioned alongside the Apostle Paul at the very beginning of other epistles (2 Cor 1:1; Phil 1:1; Col 1:1 and others); here the greeting from him is placed at the end, probably because he stood at a remove from the Roman church.—The other persons mentioned here are figures unknown from history.

Romans 16:22. I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord. “Tertius” was the scribe of the Apostle Paul at the time when Paul was writing the epistle to the Romans. He inserts a greeting to the Roman Christians of his own accord.

Romans 16:23. Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, greets you, and so does our brother Quartus. “Gaius”—this is probably the resident of Corinth whom the Apostle mentions in 1 Cor 1:14.—“Brother Quartus”—Quartus is called this according to the custom of the time: the Apostle apparently found no other fitting epithet for this fellow worker of his and simply described him as a brother, that is, a Christian.

Romans 16:24. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Note. Beginning in the 1880s, some commentators on the Epistle to the Romans began to advance the opinion that chapter XVI of the epistle to the Romans is a separate letter of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians, accidentally attached to our epistle. In support of this opinion, certain passages of this chapter are cited, namely: a) verse 5, where Epaenetus is called the first Christian convert from the Gentiles in Asia—and Ephesus was the chief city of the province of Asia; b) verses 3–4, where Aquila and Priscilla are mentioned, who lived precisely in Ephesus (1 Cor 16:19 and 2 Tim 4:19). The main argument is that the Apostle Paul, it is said, could not have known so many persons from the Roman community so well and given favorable testimonials about them, since he had not yet been in Rome.—We hold that these considerations are by no means sufficient grounds on which to build a hypothesis about a separate letter to the Ephesians accidentally attached to the letter to the Romans. The most important counterargument in this regard is the following. In those times, Christians were constantly changing their places of residence for various reasons (to preach the Gospel, to escape persecution, and also for commercial purposes), and could say of themselves together with the Apostle Paul: “having here no permanent city” (Heb 13:14). As a result, many Christians known to the Apostle Paul through their work in the East could easily have found themselves in Rome. As for Aquila and Priscilla in particular, it is known that they first lived in Rome and then left because of the persecution directed against the Jews. When the persecution subsided, they could quietly return to Rome in order to prepare the ground for the work of the Apostle Paul. Moreover, what kind of epistle would that be which consisted almost entirely of greetings! * * * The term προστάτης in Greek legal language denoted an Athenian citizen who appeared before judges and officials on behalf of persons who did not possess the right of Athenian citizenship.

The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Introduction

The founding of the Corinthian church

External circumstances surrounding the origin of the First Epistle to the Corinthians

The occasion for writing the epistle

The plan of the epistle.—Division by content

The character of the First Epistle to the Corinthians

On the text of the epistle

Commentaries on the First Epistle to the Corinthians

The founding of the Corinthian church

Corinth, the chief city of the province of Achaia in southern Greece, was populated in the era of Christianity’s emergence by numerous colonists, the greater part of them Roman freedmen. There were also many Greeks and Jews. When the Apostle Paul arrived in Corinth during his second apostolic journey, the city had a population of about 700,000—roughly 200,000 free citizens and about 500,000 slaves. Corinth owed this great increase in population to its favorable geographical position. It was situated on the Isthmus of Corinth, which, connecting the Peloponnese with the Balkan Peninsula, divided two seas—the Aegean and the Ionian. It possessed two harbors—the Cenchreian to the east and the Lechaean to the west. It thereby quickly became a great hub of world trade between Asia and the West. On the heights of the city’s citadel stood the magnificent temple of Venus. Corinth contained all the resources and achievements of the culture of that age—artistic workshops, the halls of rhetoricians, the schools of philosophers. As one ancient historian put it, one could not take a single step down a Corinthian street without encountering a sage.

But side by side with the development of culture, moral corruption in Corinth grew increasingly worse. This is evidenced by the fact that at the time, a dissolute way of life was commonly called “Corinthian” (κορινθιάζειν), and Corinthian banquets and Corinthian drunkards had become proverbial.

And so, amid such social conditions in Corinth—that is, on the one hand, the outward prosperity enjoyed by its population, and on the other, the complete moral collapse—the Apostle Paul came forth to preach Christ (in the year 52).

At that time the apostle was about fifty years old. He came to Corinth alone and took up the same craft by which he had previously supported himself—the sewing of tent-cloths or coverings. He soon found there a Jewish family engaged in the same trade. These were the married couple Aquila and Priscilla, who had come to Corinth recently, having been expelled from Rome, as Jews, by the edict of Claudius. Working with them, Paul soon converted them to Christ, and they both became his zealous co-workers in spreading Christianity.

Following his custom, the Apostle Paul began in Corinth to preach the Gospel to the Corinthian Jews. In the Jewish synagogue—he knew this—proselytes from various classes of Corinthian society would be among his listeners, so that preaching in the synagogue served as a kind of bridge for the preacher of the Gospel into pagan society. Understanding this well, he also understood all the difficulty of appearing before such demanding listeners as the Corinthians of that time were, and he trembled for the success of his undertaking (1 Cor 2:1), especially in view of the failure he had just experienced in Athens.

The apostle preached in the synagogue for several weeks. This time was sufficient for him to understand that the Jews as a whole would not turn to Christ, and the apostle therefore, together with several who had come to believe from among the Jews and proselytes, moved his activity to the house of a Jew who had converted to Christianity. There he preached chiefly to pagans, making use of no external means to please his listeners—neither the art of eloquence nor the tricks of dialectic—displaying before them only the force of his own conviction. Such preaching found adherents, and in Corinth a Church arose, made up partly of Jews but chiefly of pagans. Nevertheless, the majority of the Corinthian converts were poor people, slaves, and the uneducated.

For about two years (Acts 18:11) the Apostle Paul continued his preaching activity in Corinth, living partly by his own labor and partly on the support sent to him by the churches of Macedonia that he had founded (2 Cor 11:7-9). At that time the proconsul of Achaia—Gallio, the brother of the philosopher Seneca, a man of culture and good character—resided in Corinth. He showed himself to be such when the Corinthian Jews began to bring complaints against Paul. Gallio found that their dispute with Paul concerned religion, and determined that he could not intervene in the matter. Paul left Corinth around Pentecost of the year 54, to go to Jerusalem and then to Antioch. However, he did not intend to remain long in Antioch. His aspiration at that time was the famous city of Asia Minor—Ephesus—to which his co-workers Aquila and Priscilla had gone before him, in order to prepare the ground somewhat for the activity of the great apostle to the Gentiles.

External circumstances surrounding the origin of the First Epistle to the Corinthians

No serious objections to the authenticity of our epistle have been raised in biblical scholarship. On the contrary, the evidence adduced in favor of the epistle’s authenticity is highly persuasive. This includes the indications of the epistle’s author himself (1 Cor 1:1), as well as the very tone of the discourse in which he speaks of himself as the founder of the Corinthian Church (1 Cor 4:15). Moreover, the epistle contains so vivid and credible a picture of the life of the early Christian Church as only the Apostle Paul himself—who stood in very close relation to that Church—could have drawn. Finally, the epistle contains numerous reproaches addressed to the Corinthian Church, and it is hardly likely that this Church would have felt it necessary to accept and preserve such an epistle without being fully convinced of its authenticity.—To these internal proofs of the epistle’s authenticity are added the external ones, namely the testimonies of church tradition. Already at the end of the 1st century, Clement of Rome cites extracts from this epistle in his epistle to the Corinthians (ch. XLVII). St. Ignatius in his epistle to the Ephesians (ch. XVIII) repeats the words of the Apostle Paul found in the second chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Similar repetitions are found in Justin Martyr, in the Epistle to Diognetus, in St. Irenaeus, and in other writers of the early centuries of Christianity.

The epistle was undoubtedly written in Ephesus (1 Cor 16:8-9), and specifically toward the end of the Apostle Paul’s three-year (Acts 20:31) stay in that city. This latter consideration is confirmed first of all by the fact that at the time of the epistle’s dispatch, Apollos was with the apostle (1 Cor 16:12). This learned Alexandrian Jew had been converted by Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus shortly before the Apostle Paul’s arrival there (Acts 18:24-26), and had then traveled to Achaia where he preached, continuing Paul’s work. If he is now with the apostle in Ephesus, it is evident that considerable time had passed since the day of the Apostle Paul’s arrival in Ephesus. Furthermore, from the book of Acts we learn that the Apostle Paul, after two years and three months in Ephesus, resolved to set out for the west, first, however, visiting Jerusalem in order to testify before the church there of the love which the churches Paul had founded in Macedonia and Achaia bore toward it. In order to dispose the Greek churches toward gathering contributions for the poor Christians of Jerusalem—contributions that were to be a witness of this love—the apostle sends his co-workers Timothy and Erastus to Achaia and Macedonia (Acts 19:22), and this fact corresponds to what is mentioned in the First Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor 4:17): it falls at the time shortly before the apostle’s departure from Ephesus. Finally, the origin of the epistle must be assigned to this very period—and not to a later one—also because in the epistle the apostle freely makes his own arrangements and forms plans for future journeys, whereas shortly after the collection of the above-mentioned alms and its delivery to the leaders of the Jerusalem Church, the apostle was taken prisoner.—Thus it may be supposed that the First Epistle to the Corinthians was written around the spring of the year 57, shortly before Easter, to which there is an allusion in ch. V (vv. 7 and 8).

The occasion for writing the epistle

After the Apostle Paul’s departure to Ephesus, divisions appeared in the Corinthian Church. When the Alexandrian teacher Apollos arrived in Corinth, his preaching led to the formation of a distinct party among the Corinthian Christians—namely, the party of Apollos. This party was composed mainly of Jews whom Apollos had succeeded in drawing to the Christian Church by his exposition of the Old Testament, in which he found the most striking proofs that Jesus was truly the Messiah (Acts 18). A good number of educated pagans also joined this party—people who were not satisfied with the simple preaching of the Apostle Paul and who received Christianity from Apollos not so much through the heart as through the mind.

Besides the party of Apollos, the party of Peter, or of Cephas, appeared in Corinth. There is no basis for supposing that Peter himself was in Corinth and preached there. Most likely, this party was formed under the influence of accounts by Christians who had come from Palestine about the great person of the Apostle Peter. Peter, in the imagination of these newcomers, appeared as the prince of the apostles, and therefore if any disagreement arose between him and Paul, it was Paul who, in the opinion of this party, should yield precedence to Peter.

It is understandable, furthermore, that those Corinthians converted by Paul to Christianity stood by their teacher and also formed a distinct party of Paul’s adherents, who wished to believe only what Paul had taught and were dismissive of the authority of Apollos and Peter. Finally, there appeared among the Corinthian Christians those who rejected all apostolic authorities and held to only one head—Christ. They seemed to refuse to recognize any intermediary between themselves and Christ, wishing to depend on him alone.—Thus four parties were formed in the Corinthian Church: those of Apollos, of Peter, of Paul, and of Christ.

But this was not all. Other unwelcome phenomena began to appear in the life of the Corinthian Christians. When the first powerful impressions made upon the Corinthians by the Apostle Paul’s preaching—which had called on them to renew their sinful lives entirely—had subsided, the Corinthian Christians began to treat the strict demands of evangelical morality rather lightly. Misunderstanding the apostle’s teaching on Christian freedom (1 Cor 6:12), the Corinthians began to consider permissible things that were not permitted even among pagans. The most conscientious of the Corinthian Christians now raised the question of what to do with these unworthy fellow-believers, and therefore addressed Paul in a letter in which they described all their difficulties, apart from the one mentioned above. They asked him about the advantages of celibacy over marriage, about the permissibility of eating meat sacrificed to idols (1 Cor 7:1), and about the relative importance of spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:1). Finally, in Corinth there appeared people who denied the truth of the universal resurrection, about which the Apostle Paul had doubtless also been informed in the above-mentioned letter.

The plan of the epistle.—Division by content

Such were the circumstances of the life of the Corinthian Church that moved the Apostle Paul to write the Corinthians the first epistle. Naturally, the variety of the Corinthian Church’s needs was bound to be reflected in the character of the epistle. One might have expected that the apostle would answer one question after another as posed to him, without concern for any overall plan of the epistle. Yet one cannot fail to notice that the First Epistle to the Corinthians, despite the great variety of questions discussed in it, presents an integral work written according to a definite plan.

Since the apostle’s most urgent task was to restore his considerably weakened authority in Corinth—so that all his exhortations would be accepted by those for whom they were intended—he devotes the first chapters of his epistle to the question of parties in Corinth. Here he first speaks of the nature and essence of the Gospel, then of the position and tasks of a servant of the Gospel, and finally defines the proper relationship between believers and their teachers. In this way he uproots the evil of partisanship at its very source. He then turns to questions concerning the moral life of the Christian community, and here he places first the question that in a certain respect bore on the organization of the community—namely, he examines the conduct of one Christian who had permitted himself the most extreme violation of Christian moral discipline, and gives guidance on how to deal with such members of the Christian community. He then resolves four purely ethical questions. Two of these—whether one may bring civil disputes before pagan judges, and how to view the vice of incontinence—the apostle resolves swiftly, on the basis of the very spirit of the Gospel. The other two—the question of the comparative value of marriage and celibacy and the permissibility of eating meat sacrificed to idols—were considerably more difficult to resolve, because the question of Christian freedom was involved, and the apostle devotes a great deal of time and effort to resolving these two questions. After these questions follow questions concerning religious life and liturgical assemblies. The first still has a connection with the question of Christian freedom—namely the question of the conduct of women in liturgical assemblies. The second—concerning the behavior of Christians at the love-feasts—and the third—the most difficult—concerning the use of spiritual gifts, chiefly the gift of tongues and the gift of prophecy.

Thus in his epistle the apostle moves from the outward to the inward. At the end of the epistle the apostle speaks of the question that held the greatest significance for the entire life of the Christian—namely the resurrection of the dead, in which some Corinthians had doubts. The entire content of the epistle may therefore be presented in the following form: 1) the question of the Church—or of the church community (1 Cor 1:10–1 Cor 4); 2) five moral questions, beginning with the question of church discipline (1 Cor 5-10); 3) three liturgical questions (1 Cor 11-14); and 4) a question from the realm of dogma (1 Cor 15).

Ch. I, vv. 1–9 forms the introduction to the epistle, and ch. XVI contains the conclusion—commissions, various news, and greetings.

A more detailed presentation of the content of the epistle may be given as follows:

1) Introduction: address (1 Cor 1:1-3); thanksgiving to God (1 Cor 1:4-9).

2) Parties in the Corinthian Church (1 Cor 1:10-17).

3) The essence of the Gospel (1 Cor 1:18-3:4).

4) The true nature of the ministry of the Christian teacher of faith (1 Cor 3:5-4:5).

5) Arrogance as the cause of disorders in the church (1 Cor 4:6-21).

6) Church discipline (1 Cor 5).

7) Lawsuits (1 Cor 6:1-11).

8) Incontinence (1 Cor 6:12-20).

9) Marriage and celibacy (1 Cor 7).

10) The eating of meat sacrificed to idols and participation in pagan sacrificial meals (1 Cor 8-10).

11) The dress of women during worship (1 Cor 11:1-16).

12) Disorders at the love-feasts (1 Cor 11:17-34).

13) On spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12-14).

14) On the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor 15).

15) The conclusion of the epistle (1 Cor 16).

The character of the First Epistle to the Corinthians

The First Epistle to the Corinthians, as well as the second, is a model of what is called an “epistle.” What it contains cannot be imagined in the form of a treatise or essay: only the form of an epistle—understood as a letter—was appropriate for those outpourings with which the Apostle Paul addresses the Corinthian Church he had founded. Here we have before us all the characteristic features of a letter: exhortations, praises and rebukes directed at the recipients of the epistle—in short, it is evident that the apostle writes as he would speak with the Corinthians in a personal meeting. Finally, there are here many hints and half-hints of the kind usually made in letters between friends, which for other readers of those letters remain almost incomprehensible.

But the First Epistle differs considerably from the Second in that in the first the apostle speaks of the needs of the church’s life, of various specific points of church discipline, whereas in the second he speaks chiefly of his personal relations with the Corinthians and pours out his feelings before them. At the same time, however, in the First Epistle the apostle also points to the significance of the external facts of church life for the inner life of individuals, while in the second he places personal experiences in dependence on the great facts of supreme significance for all of Christianity. It may be said that in both the First and the Second Epistle we see one and the same Paul in all the greatness of his apostolic spirit and piety.

The Epistles to the Corinthians occupy a special place among the other epistles of the Apostle Paul. Here the preacher of the one saving grace and Christian freedom appears in the role of a church administrator, establishing order in the life of the church. The bearer and preacher of personal Christianity comes before us as the defender of a universal ecclesial worldview. His speech in these epistles is equally varied. It recalls now the dialectical boldness and gravity of the epistles to the Galatians and Romans, now the simplicity and a certain diffuseness of speech in the pastoral epistles.

On the text of the epistle

The First Epistle to the Corinthians has been preserved in three major recensions—the Alexandrian (the ancient manuscript), the Greco-Latin or Western (in the “Itala” translation and in the Western Fathers), and the Syriac or Byzantine (in the Syriac “Peshitta” translation and in the holy fathers of the Syrian Church, such as Chrysostom and Theodoret). The so-called “Textus Receptus,” from which the Slavonic and Russian translations of the epistle were made, follows now one, now another, now a third of the oldest texts at different points. On the whole, it must be noted that the text of the epistle presents the fewest disputed points: there are considerably fewer variants in this epistle than in others.

The most notable manuscripts of the First Epistle to the Corinthians are the following:

1) The Sinaitic and Vatican (from the 4th century).

2) The Alexandrian and the Codex of Ephrem (from the 5th century).

3) The Claromontanus and the Coislinianus (from the 6th century).

4) The Moscow (from the 9th century).

Commentaries on the First Epistle to the Corinthians

Patristic literature: Ephrem the Syrian (d. 373), Ambrosiaster (d. 375), John Chrysostom (d. 407), Theodore of Mopsuestia (not among the Orthodox interpreters, d. 428), Theodoret of Cyrrhus (d. 458), Theophylact of Bulgaria (11th century).—Of more recent Western literature, the following commentaries are outstanding: Olshausen (2nd ed., 1840), de Wette (1840), Meyer (in the 8th ed. by Heinrici, 1896), Hoffmann (1874), Edwards (in English, 1885), Godet (originally in French, and in 1886–88 in German), Cornely (in Latin, 1886–1892), B. Weiss (2nd ed., 1902), Ramsay (in English), Bousset (in Schriften d. N. T. von J. Weiss, 1907), Lietzmann (1907), Schlatter (1908), and the most scholarly work—Bachmann Ph. (2nd ed., 1910).—Of Russian commentaries: Bishop Theophan and Archbishop Nikanor (Kamensky). In addition, useful use may be made of the works of Prof. Golubev on the First Epistle to the Corinthians, and the aids of Rozanov, Ivanov, and Archpriest Kherakov. Separate questions from the Epistle to the Corinthians are thoroughly illuminated in the works of Priest M. P. Fiveysky: On Spiritual Gifts (dissertation, 1908), in Prof. N. N. Glubokovsky: The Gospel of the Apostle Paul (1905 and 1910, 2 vols.), in Prof. Bogdashevsky (in articles in the Proceedings of the Kiev Theological Academy, 1909 and 1910), and also in the work of Lütgert, Freiheitspredigt und Schwärmergeister in Korinth (1908).

Chapter One

Address (1–3). Thanksgiving to God (4–9). The Apostle Paul’s judgment on the Corinthian parties (10–17). The Gospel is not human wisdom (18–31)

1 Corinthians 1:1. Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes the brother, The Apostle Paul and his co-worker Sosthenes send greetings to the Corinthian Church. “Called apostle”—see Rom 1:1.—“Sosthenes the brother.” The book of Acts records a Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue in Corinth (Acts 18:17). It is quite possible that he was converted to Christianity by Paul and became his co-worker. The Apostle Paul likely mentions him here as a person well known to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 1:2. to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place—theirs and ours: Acts 19:40. “Church.” In ordinary Greek, the word “church” (εκκλησία) denotes an assembly of citizens summoned from their homes on some public matter (cf. Acts 19:40—“assembly”). In the terminology of the New Testament, the word retained the same meaning. Here God calls or summons sinners to salvation through the preaching of the Gospel (Gal 1:6). Those who are summoned form a new society, whose head is Christ.—“Of God.” This word points to the One who assembled the community and to whom it belongs. Even in the Old Testament there was the term: “Kehal Jehova”—the assembled community of Jehovah. But there, new members of the community came through physical descent from those previously called by God, whereas here, in Christianity, the Church grows through the free, personal accession of all who can believe in Christ.—“Sanctified in Christ Jesus.” The word “sanctified” refers to the state in which believers find themselves through the Lord Jesus Christ. To receive Christ into oneself by faith means to appropriate for oneself the holiness that he embodied in his own person.—“Called to be saints”—see Rom 1:7.—“Together with all”—by this addition the apostle reminds the Corinthian Christians, who had grown too proud (1 Cor 14:36), that besides themselves there are other believers in the world, with whom they must go hand in hand in their moral development.—“Calling on the name.” This expression was used already in the Old Testament (Isa 43:7; Joel 2:32) only with reference to calling upon Jehovah (in the LXX). The expression “name” contains the idea of “essence” (Exod 23:21).—“Lord.” This title designates Christ as the one to whom God has entrusted dominion over the world. The Church consists precisely of those who acknowledge this authority of Christ over the world.—“In every place.” The Christian Church is presented here as already spread throughout the whole world (cf. 1 Tim 2:8).—“Theirs and ours.” These words should be referred to the expression “our Lord Jesus Christ” (Chrysostom). The apostle wishes to say that the Lord is one for all believers—both for the flock and for the shepherds! This is a protest against those who, in extolling the preachers as hearers of Christ, forgot about Christ the Lord himself (cf. 1 Cor 1:3). 1 Corinthians 1:3. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. “Grace and peace”—see Rom 1:7. 1 Cor 1:4-9. Before proceeding to rebuke the shortcomings of the Corinthian Church, the apostle speaks of what is good in this Church. He thanks God for grace in general and especially for the gracious gifts that the Corinthians possess, and expresses confidence that Christ will bring them safely to the end of their earthly journey, so that they may stand without fear before the dread judgment seat of Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:4. I give thanks to my God always for you, for the grace of God that was given to you in Christ Jesus, In the thanksgiving the apostle offers to God for the state of the Corinthian Church, there is neither flattery nor irony. The apostle knows how, while reproving people, to appreciate at the same time their real and genuine merits—and such merits the Corinthians did have.—“Grace.” This word denotes not only spiritual gifts but everything that God has given to people through Christ—justification, sanctification, powers for the new life.

1 Corinthians 1:5. that in him you were enriched in everything—in all speech and all knowledge — “That…” Here the apostle points to a new fact that proves the reality of the fact mentioned in verse 4. Only from the Corinthians’ new state of grace could there have arisen the abundance of spiritual gifts that the Corinthian Church possessed.—“Speech” (λόγος). Here the apostle has in mind those gifts that were expressed in the inspired speeches of believers (the gift of tongues, of prophecy, of teaching—see below, chs. XII–XIV). “Knowledge” (γνσις). Here the apostle has in view the “understanding” of the history of our salvation and the application of Christian doctrines to life.—It is noteworthy that the apostle speaks of the gifts of the Spirit, and not the fruits of the Spirit, as he does, for example, in the epistle to the Thessalonians (1 Thess 1:3; 2 Thess 1:3 and following). These “fruits” of the Spirit—faith, hope, and love—the Corinthians therefore still had in far too little measure to thank God for them.

1 Corinthians 1:6. even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you — “Even as”—more accurately: in the same degree that (in Greek: καθως). The apostle wishes to say that the testimony (i.e., the preaching) about Christ was established among the Corinthians in a particular way, namely by being accompanied by a special outpouring of spiritual gifts: nowhere, therefore, was there such an abundance of spiritual gifts as in Corinth.

1 Corinthians 1:7. so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, “So that”—this expression depends on the word “enriched” (v. 5).—“In any gift.” By “gift” (χάρισμα) the apostle means here (corresponding to the thought of verse 5) a new spiritual power or capacity which the Holy Spirit gave now to one, now to another Christian. Of course, the Holy Spirit in this case did not displace the soul of the person himself: he only elevated and sanctified the innate capacities of the human soul, enabling them to unfold most fully.—“As you wait…” The Corinthians had a tendency to imagine that they had already attained Christian perfection (1 Cor 6:8), especially with regard to knowledge. The apostle here gives them to understand that such perfect knowledge cannot yet exist in this present life—they must await the revelation that will be given at the second coming of Christ, when even what is hidden will become manifest (cf. Rom 2:16).

1 Corinthians 1:8. who will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. “Who,” that is, Christ.—“To the end,” that is, until the second coming of Christ, which the believers at that time expected as something to occur shortly. The day or the hour when it would actually come had not been revealed to them (Luke 12:35; Mark 13:32).

1 Corinthians 1:9. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. The apostle does not mean by this that God will save the Corinthians regardless of how they conduct themselves. On the contrary, at the end of ch. IX and the beginning of ch. X he clearly shows that a lack of faith and obedience can utterly destroy what God has begun in working their salvation. Evidently, the apostle’s confidence in the salvation of the Corinthians rests on the assumption that the Corinthians themselves will cooperate in the work of their own salvation. Just as in the expression “you were called” there is contained the idea not only of God’s calling but also of the free acceptance of that calling, so also the preservation of fellowship with Christ presupposes the Corinthians’ own desire, their own steadfastness in this matter. 1 Cor 1:10-17. From praise the apostle moves to reproof. Reports have reached him about the division of the Corinthians into parties: those of Paul, of Apollos, of Cephas, and of Christ, and he expresses his condemnation of this partisanship. First of all, he addresses those who formed a distinct party bearing his own name, and says that he gave no occasion whatsoever for this.

1 Corinthians 1:10. I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same judgment. “Brothers.” The apostle calls his readers this because not all of them were converted to Christianity by him, and therefore they could not all be called his “children,” as the apostle called, for example, the Galatians (Gal 4:19).—“By the name of the Lord,” that is, by virtue of the knowledge they have of the person and activity (“name”—ὀνομα) of the Lord Jesus Christ.—“That all of you speak the same thing,” that is, that they not say what the apostle lists in verse 12—not divide into parties, but present themselves as a single church community.—“And that there be no divisions among you.” The thought just expressed in positive form is now repeated in negative form.—“United.” The word placed here in the Greek text (καταρτίζειν) means: to gather, to fit together (for example, the various parts of a machine), to prepare a worker for work (Eph 4:12), to restore what has been thrown into disorder. With respect to the Corinthian Church, this word undoubtedly has the last of the indicated meanings, but it may also be understood in the sense of bringing together all the scattered parts of the church organism into a single whole—i.e., in the first meaning. How this union may be achieved is indicated in the following expressions: “in the same mind” and “in the same judgment.” By “mind” (νους) it is better to understand (cf. 1 Cor 2:16) the Christian worldview in general, the understanding of the Gospel as a whole, and by “judgment” (γνώμη)—opinions and views on individual points of Christianity (cf. 1 Cor 7:25). The apostle thus expresses the wish that among the Corinthians there should prevail a unity of mind both in the general understanding of Christian truth and in the manner of resolving individual questions that arise from the needs of Christian life.

1 Corinthians 1:11. For it has been made known to me about you, my brothers, by Chloe’s people, that there is strife among you. 1 Corinthians 1:12. I mean this, that each of you says: “I am of Paul”; “I am of Apollos”; “I am of Cephas”; “and I am of Christ.” After this preliminary exhortation, the apostle describes those circumstances in the life of the Corinthian Church that moved him to address his readers with an exhortation.—“Chloe’s people.” These could be either the children or the slaves of this woman, who probably lived in Corinth.—“Each of you says”—more precisely from the Greek: “each of you says.” The apostle wishes to indicate by this the universal contagion of the spirit of partisanship. Every Corinthian considered it his duty to belong to one of the parties mentioned here.—“I am of Paul, I am of Apollos”—see the introduction to the epistle.—In distributing the parties, the apostle displays particular tact. He places his own adherents first, as those who deserved his rebuke, and by this shows that he himself is far from any self-aggrandizement.—What distinguished the party of the Paulines from the party of the Apollos group? It was not any difference in essence (1 Cor 3:5 and following; 1 Cor 4:6), but only in the form of teaching. The Apostle Paul considered Apollos the continuer of his work in Corinth: “I planted, Apollos watered” (1 Cor 3:6), he says, describing the establishment of the Gospel in Corinth.—“And I am of Christ.” Some Church Fathers and modern commentators take these words as Paul’s own confession, which he here expresses in contrast to those who bow before the authority of the preachers of the Gospel. But this fourth declaration is undoubtedly something symmetrical with the first three that precede it and falls under the same rebuke that sounds in the apostle’s words: “each of you says.” There are many hypotheses about the Christ party, but all of them are poorly substantiated. Some (Renan, Meyer, Heinrici) see in this party a protest against deference to the apostles, and suppose that the “Christ people” were generally opposed to the exclusive authority of the Apostles; others suppose that this party consisted of the more educated Christians from among the pagans, who wanted to make Christ a supreme guide of life, such as Socrates was for his disciples. Others saw in the members of this party people who, by means of visions, believed it possible to enter into direct communion with Christ. A fourth view (Godet) supposes that these were Jews who had converted to Christianity and who prided themselves on their theocratic privileges, and who, as representatives of the principal—Jerusalem—Church, wished gradually to subject the Corinthian Christians to the yoke of the Mosaic Law. They called themselves “of Christ” because they imagined they had best understood the intentions of Christ. At the same time, however, to gratify the Greek Christians, they introduced elements of Greek theosophy into their teaching, to which the Apostle Paul alludes in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians (2 Cor 10:5). This also explains the apostle’s vigorous polemic against the mixing of human wisdom with the Gospel (1 Cor 3:17-20): here the apostle has in mind not the party of Apollos, but the party of the Christ people. It may have been that the “Christ people” held the same view of Christ as the heretic Cerinthus, who did not recognize Christ in the man—the Jew Jesus—crucified on the cross. They may have believed, as Cerinthus did, that Christ separated from the man Jesus during the passion: this Jesus died on the cross, and therefore deserves a curse (cf. 1 Cor 12:3), while Christ sits in heaven at the right hand of God the Father, and it is he alone whom Christians ought to honor. Thus in the Christ people one may see “gnostics before Gnosticism.”—The most plausible hypothesis is that of Lütgert. This scholar finds no sufficiently weighty grounds for seeing Judaizers in the “Christ” party. On the contrary, he sees in them adherents of the idea of human freedom in Christianity who had gone too far. These are “libertine pneumatics” (something like our Dukhobors). The Apostle Paul, in their opinion, had stopped halfway along the road to Christian freedom: he lacks the spirit, strength, courage, confidence in victory, and self-awareness that belong to a true pneumatic. He is timid in his relations to God, to the Christian community, and to the world, whereas they always conduct themselves as free people, fearing nothing. They emancipated themselves entirely from all dependence on the apostles, even from the obligation to receive instruction from Holy Scripture, since, in their conviction, they entered into direct communion with Christ—and this communion gave them the highest wisdom, making them “gnostics,” i.e., knowers of all the mysteries of life. What such unrestrained freedom—as preached by the “Christ people”—led to can be judged from the event the apostle speaks of in ch. V (the case of the incestuous man).

1 Corinthians 1:13. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? “Is Christ divided?” This rebuke Paul addresses to the party of the “Christ people,” who supposed that they alone had the true Christ, while the rest of the Christians obviously honored someone else. No—the apostle wishes to say—Christ is one and the same for all Christians! One cannot make Christ the property of any party!—“Was Paul crucified for you?”—This and the next question show the absurdity of the behavior of those who called themselves Paulines rather than disciples of Christ. The first question, in particular, refers to the activity of Christ as Redeemer, and the second to his position as Head of the Church.

1 Corinthians 1:14. I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 1 Corinthians 1:15. lest anyone say that I baptized in my own name. 1 Corinthians 1:16. I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; and beyond that I do not know whether I baptized anyone else. The apostle thanks God that he entrusted him with another, more important task than the performance of baptism—namely the task of preaching (cf. v. 17). If he had often performed baptism over those converting to Christianity, it could have been said that he did so for the glorification of his own name, or even that he was baptizing in his own name. In the religious ferment of that time, when new systems and new cults were appearing everywhere, such a prominent preacher as Paul could easily have founded his own religion, made people believe in his name rather than in the name of Christ… Of those baptized by him personally, Paul mentions the ruler of the Jewish synagogue in Corinth—Crispus (Acts 18:8)—and Gaius, in whose house the Apostle Paul once resided for a time (Rom 16:23). A third exception was the household of Stephanas (“Stephanas”), who was among the delegates who came to Paul in Ephesus from Corinth.

1 Corinthians 1:17. For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel—not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. The logical connection between verses 16 and 17 may be expressed as follows: “even if I did perform baptisms, this was only an exception to the general rule; for this was not part of my ministerial duties.” The work of proclaiming the Gospel—that was the Apostle Paul’s calling! This work is, of course, far more difficult than administering the sacrament of baptism to persons who were already prepared for it. To proclaim the Gospel is the same as casting a net to catch fish, and this was the apostle’s calling; while to baptize is the same as drawing out fish already caught in the net. Therefore Christ himself did not baptize but left this task to his disciples (John 4:1-2). “Not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” Paul wishes to say that he remained only a herald of the Gospel of Christ, without employing on his part any special means to attract a larger audience (he did not clothe his preaching in the garments of an oratorical work). Consequently, he did nothing to form his own party. By “wisdom” (σοφία) of words Paul understands a properly elaborated system, a religious philosophy. This “wisdom” of words turned the new religion into a source of satisfactory explanation of the being of God, the nature of humanity, and the life of the world. But Paul has in mind here not the preaching of Apollos, which stood in direct connection with his own (1 Cor 3:4-8), but the wisdom of this world (v. 20), which has been abolished by the Gospel (1 Cor 3:20) and which only serves to defile the temple of God (1 Cor 3:17). Most naturally this passage should be seen as a rebuke of those false teachers who called themselves “Christ people” and spread absurd opinions about Christ and Christianity in Corinth (2 Cor 11:2-11). This very “wisdom of words,” or false teaching of the Christ people, “emptied the cross of Christ of its power.” The expression “to empty” or “to make void” (κενοῦν) denotes an action that strips a given thing of its essence and its power. And indeed, the Corinthian gnosis (see above, the view of Lütgert) made void, stripped of all power and significance, the redemptive work of our Savior: once Christ abandoned Jesus while Jesus was hanging on the cross, it follows that the act of crucifixion of Jesus had no redemptive significance for humanity. Such was the outcome to which the infatuation with false knowledge (gnosis) among the Corinthian Christians led, and the apostle wished to have nothing in common with such false wise men. 1 Cor 1:18-31. In contrast to the teaching of the Christ party, the apostle says that the Gospel by its very nature is not wisdom, not a philosophical system in which everything is proved and derived by means of correct logical deductions. This is evident from the fact that the central point of the Gospel is the cross—the suffering and death of Christ the Savior, which appeared contrary to the preconceived notions about the Savior held by both Jews and Greeks. It is also evident from the composition of the Christian Church in Corinth, the majority of which consists of uneducated people.

1 Corinthians 1:18. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Among the Corinthian Christians there are those (chiefly, this is the Christ party) to whom Paul’s preaching seems to lack wisdom because the cross of Christ is the content of this preaching. These people, whom the apostle rightly calls “those who are perishing”—that is, those who are depriving themselves of salvation in Christ—do not wish to see in the cross a revelation of God. God, who reveals himself in the crucified Christ, cannot be God at all, in the view of these people. People in general think of God as an Almighty Being who acts in achieving his intended aims by working miracles and extraordinary signs. The crucified Christ, on the contrary, saves people by his humiliation, by his seeming weakness. However, for true Christians—whom the apostle calls “those who are being saved” because their earthly course has not yet been completed—in the preaching of the cross there is to be found that divine saving power of which they stand so much in need (cf. Rom 1:16).

1 Corinthians 1:19. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the understanding of the discerning I will set aside. 1 Corinthians 1:20. Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? The Prophet Isaiah spoke to the Jewish statesmen that God would save Jerusalem from the invasion of Sennacherib himself, without the help of these politicians, who only harmed their state with their cunning schemes (Isa 29:14). So God acts—the apostle here wishes to say—now as well, in the salvation of the world. He saves people from destruction in an extraordinary way, ill-suited from the point of view of human wisdom—namely through the highest manifestation of his love—and human wisdom must withdraw in shame from the arena of its activity; neither the “wise men” (σοφός), that is, Greek philosophers (cf. v. 22), nor the “scribes” (γραμματεῖς), that is, learned Jewish rabbis—both of whom readily engaged in disputations and discussions with those who came to them to learn—can any longer come forward as guides of humanity toward salvation (the expression “debater” generalizes both of the above-mentioned categories of wise men).—“Of this age,” that is, of this temporal life, to which the apostle contrasts the life after the final judgment.—But how did it happen that these wise men of the world left the stage? It happened because God made human wisdom into genuine foolishness. He offered humanity a salvation that diverged from the requirements that human wisdom imposed upon every teaching that undertook the task of saving humanity, and human wisdom, rejecting this salvation, openly showed before all its own folly or unreason.—“Of the world.” This is not the same as the preceding expression “of this age.” There the stress was only on the time, the period of the wise men’s activity, whereas here the character and direction of their wisdom is described: it is the wisdom of a humanity that has cut itself off from God.

1 Corinthians 1:21. For since in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. “For.” The apostle here points out the reason why God dealt so strictly with the wise men.—“Since.” The apostle has in mind here a well-known fact—the gradual plunge of the human mind into an abyss of error in the time of paganism, which the apostle elsewhere calls “the times of ignorance” (Acts 17:30).—“In the wisdom of God.” This is the book of nature, in which the wisdom of God is displayed before a reasoning person (see Rom 1:20 and Acts 14:17). A person, observing the life of nature and the purposefulness of all its phenomena, can arrive at the thought of the existence of a Wise Creator and Ruler of the universe. But the human mind (cf. Rom 1:21) did not prove faithful to this its task and deified the creation itself instead of glorifying the Creator. If some philosophers did create for themselves the idea of a single and all-good God, it was a rather vague and abstract concept that they did not succeed in establishing beyond the threshold of their schools. The gods of the people, reigning over its conscience, held their ground, and only to Israel was the true knowledge of God communicated through a special revelation.—“It pleased God.” God found a better (and pleasing to him) means for the salvation of people. The mind proved inadequate—and God calls another power of the soul into the service of the work of salvation.—“Through the foolishness of preaching.” The mind cannot understand and accept the new means of salvation that God has now proposed; this means appears to the mind as bearing the mark of “foolishness,” of unreason. Such it appeared to the mind—the crucifixion of the Messiah! Such foolishness seemed to the wise men to be stamped on the well-known preaching of the Apostles about Christ (κήρυγμα is placed with the article τοῦ).—“Those who believe.” Faith—that is the new spiritual power which God now calls into activity in place of the mind. To the manifestation of divine love, a person must now respond not with an act of reasoning, but with an act of trust. God now demands from a person not logical investigations, but devotion, a contrite conscience, and a believing heart. Thus the general thought of this verse is as follows. People did not manage to use their reason as they should have in order to know God and find salvation for themselves—and therefore God indicated to them a new means of salvation: faith in him, faith in the Crucified One, which seemed to the wise men completely unreasonable, but which genuinely saves those who can cultivate it within themselves. The apostle here explains why he does not impart to the Corinthians what constitutes the product of specifically human wisdom: this wisdom has already been condemned by God to destruction!

1 Corinthians 1:22. For Jews demand signs, and Greeks seek wisdom; 1 Corinthians 1:23. but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Greeks, The preaching of Christ crucified proved unacceptable to Jews because they sought in the Messiah a force, a capacity to perform miraculous signs (Mark 8:11 and following). For the Greek cultural world, what mattered most in a new religion was its conformity to the demands of reason; they wanted to see in religion a “wisdom,” if of heavenly rather than earthly origin. Yet the apostle preached that Christ was crucified. This was wholly inconsistent with the Jews’ concept of the Messiah as a great king and conqueror of his enemies; to the Greeks the whole story seemed a mere fable.—But did Christ not perform signs for the Jews? Yes, he did, but all his signs and miracles were erased from their memory when they saw him hanging on the cross. They naturally thought at that point that he had previously deceived them with his miracles or was himself an instrument of diabolical power.

1 Corinthians 1:24. but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God; But those same Jews and Greeks, to whom the preaching of the cross had seemed unreasonable, look at the cross in an entirely different way once they become believers. The apostle calls them here “the called,” thereby bringing into prominence the divine activity—the calling—before the human one—appropriation by faith of the truths of the Gospel.—Christ is “the power of God” and “the wisdom of God.” God is the Creator, and in Christ we become “a new creation” (Eph 4:24)—in this is manifest the power of God, the almightiness of God. On the other hand, God himself is “wisdom,” and in the Lord Jesus Christ all the mysteries of the eternal divine wisdom are disclosed (Eph 1:8).

1 Corinthians 1:25. because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. In order to explain how that which is weak and foolish from a human standpoint was a manifestation of the power and wisdom of God, the apostle says that in general the wisdom and power of God cannot be measured by a human standard. What appears to people as weak and unreasonable is in fact, in the hands of God, far more effective than all the finest creations of human beings: it is wiser than people with all their wisdom, and stronger than people with all their strength.—It should be noted that the apostle is speaking here only of the relation of human and divine wisdom to the work of human salvation. In that regard, indeed, all the finest products of human wisdom have no power whatsoever against divine providence, when they come forward independently, as rivals of Christianity in the work of saving people. But the apostle does not deny the high significance of human wisdom as soon as it itself moves toward the light of divine revelation, preparing a person for the appropriation of the salvation granted by Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:26. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to the flesh, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; That God did not need worldly wisdom to realize his plans is also indicated by those whom he called chiefly at the founding of the Church in Corinth. These were mainly workers from the Corinthian harbors, various sailors and other people of the lower strata of society, who could not boast of distinction, power, or noble origin.

1 Corinthians 1:27. but God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong; 1 Corinthians 1:28. and God chose the lowly and despised things of the world, even the things that are not, to nullify the things that are — 1 Corinthians 1:29. so that no flesh should boast before God. From ancient inscriptions in the Roman catacombs it is evident that in Rome, too, the majority of Christians belonged to the lower or middle class of society (bakers, gardeners, tavern owners, freedmen, and sometimes lawyers). In Minucius Felix, Christians are described as indocti, impoliti, rudes, agrestes (VIII. 12). This circumstance, which was the same in Corinth, is the most striking witness that Christianity conquered the world without any external help, but by its own inner power. God’s purpose in this was to humble human pride, which prevented a person from turning to God for help after first acknowledging his own weakness (cf. Rom 3:27).

1 Corinthians 1:30. And it is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom for us from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 1 Corinthians 1:31. so that, as it is written: let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. Instead of pride, believers should cultivate in themselves a feeling of gratitude to God for his great mercies.—“And it is from him that you are.” Here one should add the word “exist” (in Greek: εστέ). Before, they could be said not to have existed (cf. v. 28), but now, thanks to God, they represent something very important.—“In Christ Jesus.” Christ gives them in abundance all that they had been lacking in the world’s estimation; and what specifically he gives is stated in the following words. First of all, he became for them “wisdom from God”—that is, a wisdom higher than human, the lack of which the Corinthian Christians perhaps lamented—“righteousness and sanctification”—that is, he gives people genuine righteousness and leads them along the path of holiness toward their appointed goal (cf. Rom 1:18 and following). Finally, Christ became for us “redemption”—that is, he brings us into the eternal glory that he himself possesses, will raise our bodies and then glorify us in his Kingdom (cf. Rom 8:18-30 and Luke 21:28; Eph 1:3; Heb 11:35).—“Boast in the Lord.” These words express the central thought of the entire section beginning at verse 13. It is not the teachers of the faith who should be praised, but Christ himself—to him alone be the glory! (Although in the prophet Jeremiah “the Lord” means “Jehovah,” the apostle evidently has in mind chiefly “Christ” by this name.)

Chapter Two

The character of the Apostle Paul’s preaching in Corinth (1–5). On the higher wisdom contained in the Gospel (6–16)

1 Cor 2:1-5. During the founding of the Church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul strictly adhered to the principle he mentioned in the first chapter: not to resort to the aid of human wisdom in the work of establishing the Gospel.

1 Corinthians 2:1. And I, when I came to you, brothers, came not with excellence of speech or wisdom proclaiming to you the testimony of God, 1 Corinthians 2:2. for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. “When I came to you.” This was after the Apostle Paul’s departure from Athens (see Acts 18).—“Not with excellence of speech,” that is, without concern that his word, his speech, be built according to all the rules of oratory.—“Or wisdom.” He also had no concern that his preaching should be distinguished by philosophical profundity.—“For I decided.” The apostle acted this way in Corinth by a decision made in advance.—“And him crucified.” The apostle decided, of all Christ’s life, to direct the Corinthians’ attention chiefly to his crucifixion, which, though it speaks little to human wisdom, is nonetheless the true means of redemption for humanity. He did not want Christianity to have acted upon the Corinthians only by satisfying their intellectual or aesthetic demands. In that case the Corinthians could easily have equated it with those philosophical-religious teachings that were appearing in great numbers at that time. It was necessary to show the Corinthians directly that Christianity was a wholly special, new religion, having nothing in common with the above-mentioned teachings—and this was possible only through the direction that the apostle gave to his preaching.

1 Corinthians 2:3. and I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. The apostle was well aware that coming before Corinth with only the proclamation of Christ crucified was on his part a great risk. The feeling of weakness in him passed into direct fear for the outcome of his undertaking and was even accompanied by a kind of physical agitation (“trembling”). And indeed, the apostle had come specifically to preach to pagans, to whom he could not appeal by pointing out that the Old Testament prophecies had been fulfilled in Christ, as he did when addressing Jews. And he did not wish to resort to pagan wisdom either. Hence his anxiety was understandable.

1 Corinthians 2:4. And my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power, 1 Corinthians 2:5. so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom but on the power of God. Nevertheless, his “word,” that is, the Gospel that formed the content of his preaching, and his “preaching,” that is, his speeches about Christ (from the external side), remained free from the influences of human wisdom.—“Not in persuasive words of human wisdom.” The apostle did not place the power of his preaching in giving it the external appearance of a rigorously elaborated oratorical system.—“But in demonstration of the Spirit and power.” By “demonstration” (ἀποδείξει) one should understand the clarity attained in the mind of the listener to the apostle’s preaching (cf. 1 Cor 14:24-25). The apostle, in preaching to the Corinthians, sought only to make fully clear what constituted the essence of the Gospel.—“Of the Spirit and power.” “Spirit” is a genitive of cause. Only from the divine Spirit does such a perfectly clear awareness come to the listeners of the apostolic preaching (cf. Eph 1:17-18). “Power” is a genitive indicating the manner of the Spirit’s action. The Spirit acts powerfully in this case; the inner power of the truth proclaimed by the Holy Spirit’s aid draws the mind, will, and heart of a person toward obedience to this truth.—The apostle here could hardly have had in mind the miracles he performed even in Corinth (the view of John Chrysostom), because in ch. I he himself expressed disapproval of the Jews who sought a support for their faith in Christ only in miraculous signs (v. 22). The apostle acted this way because he understood well how easily a faith grounded on logical arguments can be shaken by new arguments of the same kind. He therefore wished, through his simple testimony about Christ, only to open a path for the action of the power of God’s Spirit upon the hearts of the Corinthians.—In this way, the apostle here returns again to the theme he expressed in ch. I, v. 18: the Gospel is not wisdom at all, but power—not philosophy, but the work of salvation. The Corinthians divided into parties precisely because they refused to acknowledge this truth. They turned the Gospel into a system, transformed the Church into a philosophical school, and its ministers into teachers and rhetoricians. 1 Cor 2:6-16. The apostle has already said (1 Cor 1:23-24) that the crucified Christ is not only the power of God, but also the wisdom of God. He now develops this latter thesis. He depicts the wisdom contained in the Gospel by its supernatural origin and by its inaccessibility to ordinary human understanding (6–9), and points to the only way by which it can be known and communicated to others (10–13). In doing so, the apostle unfolds the concept of Christian “perfection,” which makes people capable of understanding divine wisdom (14–16).

1 Corinthians 2:6. Yet among the perfect we do speak wisdom, but it is a wisdom not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away, This contains the theme of the section that follows, ending with verse 4 of chapter III. Although the cross is not wisdom, yet for one who has already experienced in himself the grace of the redemption granted by the Cross of Christ, the Cross is the source of all enlightenment and the highest wisdom.—The “wisdom” of which the apostle speaks here is not the simple preaching of Christ, but religious-philosophical reflections on the nature and foundations of Christianity, on the plans of divine providence. Such reflections the apostle presents, for example, in the Epistle to the Romans (chs. IX–XI), in the Epistle to the Ephesians (ch. I), and to the Colossians (ch. I), or in ch. XV of our epistle. To set forth such teachings is the work not of a missionary but of a teacher. A missionary addresses himself properly to the heart of the sinner and points to the cross as the means of salvation from sins, while a teacher develops the knowledge of believers and thereby promotes the intensification of the feeling of Christian love in them.—So to understand the expression “wisdom” is suggested by the accompanying expression: “among the perfect.” The word “perfect” (τέλειος) here obviously has a special meaning, not identical with “believer” (πιστός). In 1 Cor 3:1 instead of this word the word “spiritual” (πνευματικός) is already used, opposite to “infant” (cf. 1 Cor 14:20; Eph 4:13-14). By “infant” here and in the cited parallel passages is meant a “believer” who has only just entered the Church and still needs spiritual strengthening. Thus by “perfect” one must understand a Christian who has already attained full manhood, as opposed to the Christian-child, who has been established in Christian faith and life to a sufficient (though not full—cf. Phil 3:12-17) degree. When the apostle finds himself among such believers who are established in Christ, he considers himself entitled to open before them the treasures of wisdom contained in the Gospel (cf. Col 2:3). In doing so, the apostle acts no longer as a preacher but as a teacher (instead of “we speak” one should put: “we converse, we deliberate”—in Greek: λαλοῦμεν). “Wisdom not of this age.” The Corinthians supposed that the teaching of Christianity was only an improved teaching of Greek philosophy. The apostle on the contrary says that the wisdom he proclaims is not at all a product of the human mind (“of this age”—see 1 Cor 1:20).—“Nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away.” Some commentators understand this as referring to “demons,” on the basis of John 12:31 and Eph 6:12. But according to the apostle, these “rulers of the age” crucified Christ (v. 8)—which means they are not demons. Furthermore, the apostle considers these “rulers of the age” capable of knowing the wisdom of God in Christ, and supposes that, had they known it, “the rulers of the age” would not have crucified Christ. But again, this he could not say about demons, who knew Christ and yet harmed him in every way… It is better to see here those people such as Herod, Pilate, and the Pharisees who stood at the head of the Jewish people at the time of Christ and almost unwittingly cooperated in the realization of the plan of divine providence.—“Who are passing away.” The more the influence of the Gospel increases in the world, the more the representatives of human wisdom lose their power.

1 Corinthians 2:7. but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery—the hidden wisdom—which God foreordained before the ages for our glory, “The wisdom of God.” This wisdom was originally in God and proceeded from him.—“In a mystery” (εν μυστηρίω). In the Apostle Paul’s usage, the word “mystery” denotes not a fact or event that one person makes known to another, but a decision hidden until a certain time in God and then disclosed by God himself. A mystery is an event or truth that a person cannot learn by his own mind independently but learns only through revelation from God (Eph 3:4; Rom 11:25; 1 Cor 15:51; cf. Luke 8:10). Instead of “in a mystery” it would be more accurate to translate: “which existed as a mystery.” It is impossible to refer this expression to the word “we speak”—because that would mean the apostle introduced some kind of special, esoteric or secret, teaching of religion.—“The hidden wisdom.” This addition indicates that it pleased God for a long time to conceal this wisdom from people (cf. Rom 14:24-25; Eph 3:5). By this it is distinguished from another, also divine, wisdom that people could know from the very beginning of their existence (1 Cor 1:21; Rom 1:20): that was the wisdom disclosed in creation.—“Which God foreordained…” Two characteristics of the true evangelical wisdom have already been indicated. These are its higher origin and then its hiddenness. Now the apostle indicates the third characteristic feature—its high purpose. This wisdom is to lead to the glorification of believers. The human being was created for heavenly glorification—this goal was determined in the Council of God before the creation of the world and of humanity (cf. Rom 1:21). This glory will consist in the fact that believers will form a community of saints who are capable of reflecting upon themselves the majesty of God and of serving as instruments of the holy will of God, who stand in the relation of children to God and of brothers to Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:8. which none of the rulers of this age has known; for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Here the apostle proves the superhuman origin of the divine wisdom contained in the Gospel and its mysterious character by pointing to the fact of Christ’s crucifixion by people. Christ, this incarnate Divine Wisdom, was not recognized in this dignity of his by the representatives of humanity, the supreme representatives of human wisdom. They had no conception of the high destiny of humanity and therefore rejected and crucified the one who first fulfilled this destiny in his own person.—“The Lord of glory.” As the apostle said at the end of verse 7, “glory” was the ultimate goal of human existence on earth, in accordance with the divine purpose. But when the Lord himself came—the very Sovereign of this glory—people, instead of turning to him to receive this glory, rejected him and even put him to death!

1 Corinthians 2:9. But, as it is written: what no eye has seen, and no ear has heard, and what has not entered the heart of man—what God has prepared for those who love him. The same thought—about the higher origin of evangelical wisdom and its mysteriousness—the apostle proves here by a reference to a prophetic word. It is simpler and more natural to complete this verse with the addition: “this wisdom is that of which it is written: ‘no eye has seen’” etc.—Where this passage comes from is difficult to say. It is more plausible to suppose, along with Jerome, that here the prophet combined two sayings of the Prophet Isaiah found in chs. LXIV and LXV of his book (Isa 64:4).—The three expressions: “to see, to hear,” and “to enter the heart” designate the three paths by which human knowledge proceeds: sight or direct experience, hearing—or knowledge received through the study of tradition—and, finally, what enters the heart, or knowledge based on one’s own reflection. By none of these three means could a person attain knowledge about the salvation destined for him by God—whether the blessings received here through Christ, or the future, heavenly glorification (cf. Eph 3:18).

1 Corinthians 2:10. But God has revealed these things to us through his Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. How then did the apostle himself come to know this wisdom of God? He and his helpers (“to us”—cf. vv. 6 and 13) received this knowledge by way of revelation (“God revealed”). The apostle here has in mind that initial illumination by the light of the Gospel which he received directly from God at his call to apostolic ministry, and of which he speaks in the Epistle to the Galatians (Gal 1:12). Ordinary believers are also granted revelations (cf. Eph 1:17), but these revelations are, one might say, of secondary significance and represent a reproduction of the first revelation granted to the first heralds of Christianity, which was then enshrined in the sacred writings of the New Testament as a guiding principle of Christian life (cf. John 17:20).—The means through which the apostle received this revelation was the “Spirit” of God. This Spirit grants all knowledge, because everything is open to him.—“And the depths of God,” that is, the being of God, the attributes of God, the divine plans and decisions.

1 Corinthians 2:11. For who among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? So also no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. In order to explain to his readers this activity of the Spirit of God—which occurs, naturally, within the divine sphere—the apostle now speaks of the activity of the human spirit within the sphere of a person’s inner life. In our soul too there are states of mind and strivings that are accessible only to our own spirit and incomprehensible to another person.

1 Corinthians 2:12. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we might know the things freely given to us by God, The Spirit of God is the opposite of the “spirit of the world.” By the “spirit of the world” the apostle means the godlike human soul with its high capacities, which in people of genius were elevated to extraordinary power and by which humanity possesses many great works of philosophy and art. All the same—the apostle wishes to say—however precious the works of this human spirit may be, they cannot in any way compare with what is given to certain chosen ones by the Spirit of God. The apostle calls this Spirit the Spirit that proceeds from God (εκ), to show that he cannot be confused with the human spirit.—“The things given to us,” that is, all the saving blessings: the sending of the Son of God, the redemption of humanity by him, justification, sanctification, and the like. All this can, of course, be grasped by simple, immediate faith, but it can also be “known” (ειδέναι)—that is, apprehended in its full breadth and depth, the full greatness of these blessings fully realized—which is granted by the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 2:13. And we speak these things not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Holy Spirit, matching spiritual things with spiritual things. The Spirit of God communicates to the apostle not only the content of his preaching but also teaches him to clothe this content in an appropriate form. If one wishes to teach people what has been revealed by the Spirit of God, one does not in that case make use of words found by the person himself or by the combined efforts of human genius. One waits for a special prompting from the Spirit, and in this lies the secret of the distinctive style of Holy Scripture. Of course, there is nothing mechanical in this inspiration: as the expression “taught” (διδακτοῖς) shows, the apostle here speaks of the inspired person’s living appropriation of the truth being revealed to him.—“Matching spiritual things with spiritual things.” In the Russian translation the expression πνευματικοῖς is understood as the neuter of the adjective. But with that interpretation there would be nothing new in this expression compared with the first half of the verse; it is therefore better to understand the Greek expression as the masculine, and to translate as: “since we who are spiritual offer spiritual teachings to spiritual people (the same as ‘perfect’—cf. v. 15 and 1 Cor 3:1), exercising a certain discernment.”

1 Corinthians 2:14. The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he is not able to understand them, because they are discerned spiritually. This special wisdom can be communicated through the Apostle Paul and his helpers only to those who are capable of receiving it, and such people are comparatively few. The majority of people are “natural” people (ψυχικοί). This expression designates a person as an animated being, with a natural vital power (ψυχή), which is common to human beings and all other living creatures. Such a person does not possess that higher power of life through which morally free beings enter into communion with God and which in Holy Scripture is called the “spirit” (πνεῦμα). It is true that a person in the natural state also has a “spirit” (cf. 1 Thess 5:23), but this spirit is not in him an actual power and an actual life. Rather, it is only a receptivity to divine promptings, a capacity to understand and receive the divine, which in the Christian is already transformed into a new principle of life. Of course, even the soul in a person possesses higher capacities than in other animated beings, but still only the spirit places a person in relation to God, and by spirit precisely a person is sharply distinguished from animals. In the natural person the spirit remains, one might say, in a latent state (something like “latent energy”) and only the Spirit of God awakens it to life and makes it master of the soul and body. The natural person possesses only the reason or understanding innate to him, by means of which he judges the phenomena of this present life. It should be noted, however, that the “natural” person is not the same as the “fleshly” person (1 Cor 3:1): the Corinthian Christians were fleshly, but the apostle could certainly not say that they “regarded the spiritual as foolishness.” “Does not receive.” Just as an egoist “is unable” to believe that anyone could perform some difficult deed without personal interest, so the “natural” person in the full sense of the word is incapable of understanding the great significance of Christ’s work (of divine wisdom), because it is beyond the range of his understanding.—“Spiritually,” that is, on the basis of spiritual premises, possessing a certain store of higher, spiritual knowledge.

1 Corinthians 2:15. But the spiritual man judges all things, and he himself is judged by no one. 1 Corinthians 2:16. For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. Who is the natural person and who is the spiritual person—the apostle has the capacity to discern, as does every spiritual person. In verse 15 the apostle asserts that such a capacity truly exists, and in verse 16 he adds that he, Paul, possesses this capacity.—“Judges all things.” From a mountain it is easy to see what is happening below, while from below one often cannot see what is occurring on the mountain. So also the natural person understands nothing of the spiritual, while the spiritual understands everything—both the good and the evil in public and personal life.—“For who has known…” The apostle borrows this expression from the book of Isaiah (Isa 40:13 in the LXX text). He evidently refers here to special revelations he has received, which none of the Corinthian Christians has been granted (“we” is contrasted with “with you”—in 1 Cor 3:1).—“The mind of the Lord” (νοῦς)—this is not the same as “the Spirit of the Lord.” This expression designates the thoughts of God concerning humanity and the best means of realizing those thoughts. The “Spirit,” on the other hand, denotes the organ through which these thoughts are communicated to the spiritual person.—“But we have the mind of Christ,” that is, we possess knowledge of all the thoughts and plans of Christ and know how to carry them out. Whoever regards such people with distrust is, in effect, distrusting Christ himself.

Chapter Three

The reason the Apostle did not proclaim the Gospel in Corinth as wisdom (1–4). The position of preachers in relation to Christian society (5–20). The position of Christian society in relation to preachers (21–23)

1 Cor 3:1-4. The Corinthians, after their conversion to Christ, remained for a long time in the condition of infants, and therefore the Apostle offered them nourishment fitting for their (spiritual) age. He also demonstrates the correctness of this view of the Corinthians by mentioning their quarrels over teachers of the faith.

1 Corinthians 3:1. And I could not speak with you, brothers, as with spiritual people, but as with fleshly ones, as with infants in Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:2. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet able, and even now you are not able, The Apostle, as a spiritual man, understood well that the Corinthian Christians were incapable of receiving the higher wisdom of the Gospel. They were “fleshly” (σαρκικοί—per the Textus Receptus, or better σάρκινοι—“of flesh,” according to the Alexandrian text and our Slavonic). This epithet is less sharp than “soulish” (ψυχικός). A soulish person is a person in his natural state, whereas the Corinthians were people regenerated by holy baptism and already possessed gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor 1:5). A fleshly person, however, is simply the designation of a certain necessary stage in the development of a Christian, which here is described as “infancy in Christ.” There is properly nothing bad in this condition—in time, a person will advance from this stage to another, higher one. The Apostle, therefore, is not here rebuking the Corinthians but only establishing the fact that their Christian development has somewhat stalled at its first stage. The Corinthians, even if they are fleshly, are not yet “slaves of the flesh”: they are only too sensitive to pleasant and unpleasant impressions. Thus some of them are too quick to go into ecstasy over what they hear from someone speaking in tongues (1 Cor 14:20)—these, according to the Apostle, are people resembling infants who still often live a fleshly life. Likewise, those who are captivated by the outward manner of a preacher-teacher of the faith and, out of attachment to him, belittle other preachers rightly fall under this category here.—“With milk.” This refers to the simple preaching of the crucified Christ and the consequences of His death for humanity. This was necessary knowledge for every person converting to Christianity.—“Solid food”—that is, the higher wisdom of the Gospel, which gives an understanding of the plans of the divine economy.—“And even now you are not able.” This seems to contradict the fact that in chapter fifteen of the present epistle the Apostle speaks with the Corinthians on questions of Christian eschatology as if he could speak only with people experienced in Christian knowledge. But properly speaking, there is nothing in chapter fifteen that would be inaccessible to ordinary Christians. Moreover, it was already necessary for the Apostle to go into more detailed explanations there, given the denial of the possibility of a universal resurrection. Finally, the Apostle Paul’s statement about the fleshly condition of the Corinthians cannot be understood as applying to all Corinthian Christians without exception…

1 Corinthians 3:3. because you are still fleshly. For if there is envy, strife, and discord among you, are you not fleshly? And are you not acting in a merely human way? 1 Corinthians 3:4. For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not fleshly? The Apostle here describes the behavior of the Corinthians as the behavior of “fleshly” people (in most codices the word σαρκικοί appears here). This is no longer merely a condition of weakness that persists despite the regeneration received, but a direct opposition to the new life.—“Are you not acting in a merely human way…” The Apostle has in mind here the Greek custom of dividing into factions named after various philosophers (Socratics, Platonists, Pythagoreans).—“I belong to Paul… I belong to Apollos.” The Apostle already places Apollos alongside himself here, showing thereby that Apollos was very close to him. It is clear from this that the preceding polemic of the Apostle against worldly wisdom had nothing whatsoever to do with Apollos and his faction. 1 Cor 3:5-20. Depicting the absurdity of the Corinthians’ division into factions, the Apostle says that the proclaimers of the Gospel, over whom the Corinthians were quarreling, are only servants of God in God’s field or in God’s building. Everything—the entire success of the work—depends not on them but on God. In particular, the apostle Paul laid the cornerstone in the building of the Corinthian Church, and other preachers must continue his work, but continue it with great care, taking heed lest unsuitable material be introduced into the construction. They must remember that they are building a “divine” temple and therefore must not bring into it “human” wisdom, which is foolishness before God.

1 Corinthians 3:5. Who is Paul? Who is Apollos? They are only servants through whom you came to believe, and each only insofar as the Lord granted. “Who is Paul?” In place of this reading from the Textus Receptus, other codices read: “What is Paul?”—that is, what is he by his calling?—“They are only servants”—that is, not heads of schools, not founders of religious societies acting in their own name, but simply workers employed in the service of another.—“Through whom.” This expression points to Paul and Apollos as mere instruments.—“Each only insofar as the Lord granted.” Their personal gifts owe their origin to the will of the Master or Lord—that is, Christ, who in the New Testament is often so called.

1 Corinthians 3:6. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth; 1 Corinthians 3:7. so neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. “I planted”—that is, I founded the Church in Corinth.—“Apollos watered”—that is, contributed to the expansion and strengthening of the Church. The Apostle speaks of such ministerial significance only with respect to himself and Apollos, not including the Apostle Peter, because the Judaizers might otherwise have said that he was deliberately belittling the Apostle Peter, whose authority they often set against the authority of the Apostle Paul.—“Is nothing”—more precisely: is not something (special).

1 Corinthians 3:8. The one who plants and the one who waters are one, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. In contrast to the Corinthians’ striving to establish some kind of opposition between the activity of Paul and that of Apollos, the Apostle here points to the unity of his own goals with the goal Apollos had in view. Both cultivate the same field of God—“but each will receive a reward according to his labor,” that is, in proportion to how faithful he was in fulfilling the duties the Lord laid upon him. The Corinthians compare one preacher with another and can therefore only make a comparative evaluation of their activity, whereas God will reward each one in proportion to how much each has made use of the abilities given to him by God.

1 Corinthians 3:9. For we are fellow workers with God; you are God’s field, God’s building. Three times here the Apostle mentions the name of God. By this he wants to show that God alone can be the judge of the workers.—“Fellow workers with God”—more precisely: fellow workers of God, that is, we labor with God in one and the same work (cf. v. 6).—The “field” is represented by the Apostle as still being cultivated, and the “building” as still under construction.

1 Corinthians 3:10. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. But let each one take care how he builds. The Apostle compared the Church to a building. Now he compares himself to a builder and affirms that he did his work as required.—“Like a skilled master builder.” The Apostle showed his wisdom by preaching in Corinth only what the Corinthians needed to know in order to believe in Christ. He did not want to open before them prematurely the depths of Christian contemplation (cf. 1 Cor 2:1-5).—“Someone else… each one.” The Apostle refers here to various teachers of the faith and ordinary Christians who did not have the special gifts of the Holy Spirit by which they served the cause of Christian growth among their brethren (cf. Rom 12:6 and following).

1 Corinthians 3:11. For no one can lay a foundation other than the one that has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. The Apostle’s task was actually straightforward: he had before him a foundation already laid by God Himself—namely, the work accomplished by Christ. His task was only to transfer this divine work into the hearts of his hearers as the basis for their Christian development, and this he did. The continuers of his work face a more complex task.

1 Corinthians 3:12. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw — 1 Corinthians 3:13. each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. The homes of wealthy people in the East were built from precious materials (gold, silver, precious stones). The homes of the poor were built from wood, earth with reeds, and straw, which was used to cover the roof. God, the master of the Church, which is to become His dwelling, is depicted here under the image of a Master who has made a contract with a certain number of builders, each of whom must complete the portion of the building entrusted to him. Naturally, they must use the finest and most durable materials. What then does the Apostle mean by “gold, silver,” and so forth? Most naturally, this refers to the religious and moral fruits that the preaching of one or another preacher bears in the Church. These fruits may be good or bad. The former result from preaching whose ideas are realized by their author in his own life; the latter appear where a preacher delivers brilliant speeches but is not himself deeply convinced of the truth of what he says. The latter may attract a great number of hearers, but all such a movement will be external and superficial. The flock of such a preacher or pastor will have faith but devoid of active power, love without readiness for self-sacrifice, hope without the joy that illumines life. Unfortunately, as is clear from chapters twelve through fourteen of 1 Corinthians, the continuers of the work of Paul and Apollos in the Corinthian Church for the most part acted in the latter direction. “Each one’s work will become manifest.” Before accepting the construction, the Master will want to test it, and this testing of its durability will be accomplished through the use of fire.—“The Day will disclose it.” This is the day of Christ’s second coming to earth for judgment over the world (cf. 1 Cor 1:8).—“It will be revealed by fire.” Since the building that undergoes testing is only an “image” of the Church, “fire” too must obviously be understood in a figurative, metaphorical sense. The Apostle means to say by this that the Lord’s judgment will be entirely just with respect to every human action, and the activity of a bad pastor will be subject to strict condemnation. Not for nothing does John the Theologian say in the Apocalypse that the Son of God—the Judge of the churches—has “eyes like a flame of fire” (Rev 2:18). Before the fiery gaze of such a Judge, nothing in the activity of any given pastor will remain hidden.—“It will be revealed.” This expression must be understood as impersonal—that is, through fire things are disclosed as they truly are.

1 Corinthians 3:14. If the work that anyone has built survives, he will receive a reward. 1 Corinthians 3:15. But if anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; though he himself will be saved, yet as if through fire. Here the Apostle depicts the twofold result of this testing by fire.—“A reward.” This cannot be salvation, because the faithful worker already possessed this good during the course of his work. It is better to understand here a special reward—a special, exalted position in the future kingdom of Christ (cf. Luke 19:17).—“The work is burned up.” By this work, which is destined to be burned up, we must understand Christianity without humility, without self-denial, without personal communion with Christ. It is founded exclusively on a temporary emotional excitement produced by the preacher’s speech and renews neither the mind nor the will of the hearers.—“Loss.” The work of such a pastor, who cares only about outward success, will be declared worthless, and he himself will be passed over for the reward that pastors of the opposite direction will receive.—“Though he himself will be saved.” According to the interpretation of Chrysostom and other ancient church commentators, instead of “will be saved” one should read: “will be preserved” or “will remain” (that is, in hell, to experience constant torment). But the pronoun “himself” gives a clear hint that this clause contains a thought opposite to that expressed in the preceding clause. If there the talk was of “loss,” or of punishment, then here the discussion is obviously of the opposite. Furthermore, the verb “to save” (σώζειν) is always used in the sense of: to benefit, to help. Finally, the expression “as through fire” (διά πυρός) is not the same as the expression “in fire” (εν πυρί). Therefore, it is best to understand the passage—“though he himself…”—as follows. A pastor or preacher who builds the structure of the Church on the one foundation common to all churches—Christ—but uses unsuitable materials for this construction, will not be condemned by Christ at the last judgment, but will face the prospect of seeing for himself how worthless were the means he used for building the Church. He will see that his spiritual children are unable to withstand the final testing at Christ’s Judgment, and his conscience will tell him that it was he who was to blame for their ruin. The fire, so to speak, will then pass through his very bones… With what eyes will he face the impartial Judge? According to Catholic interpretations, this passage contains a reference to the so-called purgatorial fire in which the souls of the deceased are cleansed of sins not purged during earthly life. But the following circumstances contradict such an interpretation: 1) the fire, like the building, is only a figure; 2) the discussion here concerns only preachers or pastors, not all Christians; 3) the testing by fire is not yet purification; 4) this fire will be kindled only at Christ’s second coming, whereas purgatorial fire, according to Catholic belief, burns even now; 5) the worker’s salvation is accomplished not through fire but, as correctly translated in Russian, “from” fire.

1 Corinthians 3:16. Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:17. If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him, for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. John 14:23. All the more liable to punishment is the one who damages a building already constructed, which is none other than the temple or dwelling of God Himself.—“And the Spirit of God dwells in you.” These words the Apostle added to explain how believers—each individually and all together as the Church—became the dwelling of God. This came about, in accordance with the promise of Christ the Savior, because the Spirit of God took up residence in them (cf. Jn. 14:23, 26).—“God will destroy”—more precisely: will destroy (φθερεῖ), just as a person “destroys” (φθείρει) the temple of God.—“Holy”—that is, consecrated and belonging to God.—Whom does the Apostle here so sternly condemn? In Corinth the majority of Christians were, in the Apostle’s words, “fleshly” people, infants in Christ (1 Cor 3:1-4). To such people the Apostle could not have addressed such a stern verdict. But there was a certain number of people there whom the Apostle calls “soulish” (1 Cor 2:14). These were the so-called “Christ’s party,” who were carried away by the wisdom of this age and were introducing it into the life of the Christian community. With this wisdom they were poisoning the religious and moral life of the Corinthian Christians and were ruining the work of establishing the Church in Corinth, so well begun by Paul and strengthened by Apollos.—Why does the Apostle not address directly the instigators of the discord, but the entire Christian Church? Probably because among the Corinthian Church there was already sacred indignation against the faction of the “Christ’s party” (cf. Phil 3:2 “beware of dogs, beware of evil workers.” Here the Apostle does not find it necessary to use such strong expressions, because the false teachers had less success than in Philippi). 1 Corinthians 3:18. Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become foolish so that he may become wise. 1 Corinthians 3:19. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, as it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” 1 Corinthians 3:20. And again: “The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are futile.” 1 Cor 3:21-23. Having shown what the relationship of preachers to Christian society ought to be, the Apostle now speaks of how Christians should relate to their pastors. Believers must not consider themselves as belonging to teachers of the faith—on the contrary, teachers of the faith belong to the believers, and the believers belong to Christ and to God.

1 Corinthians 3:21. So let no one boast in men, for all things are yours: “Let no one boast in men”—see 1 Cor 1:12.—“All things are yours.” The Stoics said that the wise man possesses all things (omnia sapientis sunt). With even greater reason Christians can repeat these words about themselves, because they belong to God, and God gives all things for their use; everything is directed toward their salvation.

1 Corinthians 3:22. whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours; The Corinthians were somehow diminishing their own dignity by thinking of themselves as servants of their teachers. The Apostle wants to restore their self-respect and for this purpose changes only the slogan they had adopted. They said, “I belong to Paul, I belong to Apollos, I belong to Cephas!”—whereas the Apostle advises them to say the reverse: “Our Paul, our Apollos, our Cephas!” Indeed, every preacher serves the Christian community in his own way, with his own particular gifts, just as everything in the world serves the good of the Christian community: “the world”—that is, all creation, animate and inanimate, which is subject to Christ and in Christ to the Church (Eph 1:22); “life” and “death”—that is, all the phenomena of life—health, creativity, and so forth—and all the phenomena of death—illness, suffering, dissolution of the body; “the present” and “the future”—in a word, everything in the world, by God’s will, serves the good of those who believe in Christ. All the more is this true of preachers!—Why did the Apostle not mention the “Christ’s party” here? Of course, if the “Christ’s party” were preachers of the true Christ Jesus, the Apostle would have had full reason to change their slogan as well into another: “Christ is yours!”—but, as shown above (see 1 Cor 1:12), the “Christ’s party” saw in Christ something entirely different from what other believers saw…

1 Corinthians 3:23. and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. “And you belong to Christ.” Here one may see a hint at the absurdity of the existence of a separate faction of the “Christ’s party.” All believers belong to Christ, not only those who prided themselves on their own wisdom: this is the right of the entire Christian community.—“Christ belongs to God.” In order to remove every support for human self-glorification, the Apostle says that even the One of whom all humanity might rightly be proud belongs, so to speak, not to Himself but to God, and therefore all glory and praise belong to God as well (1 Cor 1:31). The most ancient church commentators refer this saying to the eternal generation of the Son from the Father; more recent ones—to the state of Christ after the Incarnation. It seems more correct to combine both interpretations and say that Christ—in general—glorified and glorifies the Father (Phil 2:11).

Chapter Four

Preachers as servants of Christ and their accountability only before Christ (1–5). Pride as the true cause of divisions into factions (6–21)

1 Cor 4:1-5. Having shown what preachers cannot be, the Apostle now speaks of what they actually are. They are only servants of Christ, and their obligation is to faithfully carry out the work entrusted to them. Therefore, it is not people but Christ Himself who must judge the preachers.

1 Corinthians 4:1. This is how one should regard us—as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. “Us.” The Apostle speaks first of preachers in general and, in particular, of himself and Apollos.—“Stewards” (οικονόμους). In antiquity, this is what slaves were called to whom their master entrusted the oversight of the household and who distributed the work and provisions among the other slaves (Luke 12:42). The preacher likewise has been entrusted by Christ with the truth of the Gospel to communicate to others.—“The mysteries of God.” The word mystery refers to the plan of the divine economy for the salvation of people.—“Mysteries”—these are the various individual parts of the plan, from which Paul and Apollos made their selection when they addressed their preaching to the Corinthians (1 Cor 3:2).

1 Corinthians 4:2. Moreover, it is required of stewards that each one be found faithful. “Faithful”—that is, to distribute with a clear conscience what has been given to him by the Master, to serve the Church with all the gifts and powers he has received, in order to fulfill the will of the Master.

1 Corinthians 4:3. But to me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 1 Corinthians 4:4. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 1 Corinthians 4:5. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in darkness and disclose the purposes of hearts, and then each one will receive commendation from God. Now the Apostle speaks in particular about himself personally. He personally attaches no significance to others’ judgment of him. He does not even trust himself when it comes to evaluating his own activity (cf. 2 Cor 7:11), because for him too there is something hidden in his inner being. Even if his conscience were completely at peace, this would not yet mean that he had fully performed his duty before the Lord. Only the Lord at the last judgment will say whether His servant was completely right and faithful in all things (cf. Rom 2:16).—“The purposes of hearts”—that is, the motivations by which a person performs one or another deed, knowledge of which alone makes it possible to correctly evaluate each individual action of a person. 1 Cor 4:6-21. The Apostle now draws a conclusion to the first part of the epistle. Having shown the Corinthians the true essence of the Gospel and having drawn from this a conclusion about the nature of the Christian preacher’s ministry, the Apostle now explains that the cause of the divisions that arose in the Corinthian Church was the pride of the Corinthians. The latter think too highly of themselves, as if they had already attained Christian perfection. The Apostle points out to them the groundlessness of such self-exaltation and then, softening his tone, reminds them of their relationship to him and gives a promise to come to Corinth.

1 Corinthians 4:6. I have applied all this to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. “This”—that is, what was said in the immediately preceding section about the preaching ministry.—“Applied to myself and Apollos.” He considers Apollos his friend and believes he will not take offense at such expressions as those in chapter 3, verse 7.—“For your benefit”—that is, so that the truth expressed in this form might be more acceptable to you.—“That you may learn from us…” The Apostle Paul and Apollos give by their behavior an example of humility.—“What is written.” It is better to understand this expression as the second part of a proverb used in rabbinical schools: “Do not be wise beyond, do not go beyond the limits of what is written!”—“One against another”—more precisely: “each person for one (υπέρ) against (κατά) another.” Each Corinthian, exalting one preacher, belittled the others. In doing so, he also exalted himself as a disciple of precisely the most respected preacher.

1 Corinthians 4:7. For who makes you different from one another? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? In proving the absurdity of such self-exaltation, the Apostle poses three questions to the proud Corinthian. What answers might one give to these questions? Presumably the answers are as follows: to the first question, “Who makes you different?” (that is, who told you that you are superior to others?)—the answer: “Did you not say so yourself?” To the second question, “What do you have…?”—the answer: “Absolutely nothing! All your gifts are from God!” To the third question no answer is required, because it is more an exclamation than a question.

1 Corinthians 4:8. Already you are filled! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And I wish you did reign, so that we might also reign with you! The Apostle is too indignant at the groundless self-exaltation of the Corinthians, and his speech takes on the character of irony. Paul and other apostles live in afflictions, while the Corinthians, by contrast, are already for some reason triumphant.—“Already you are filled.” The Corinthians have already lost the poverty of spirit, the hunger for righteousness, the tears of repentance that must always accompany the spiritual development of a Christian (Matt 5:3-6). Their spiritual needs seem to be fully satisfied.—“Have become rich”—of course, with numerous spiritual gifts, which stirred up great self-conceit in the Corinthians.—“You have become kings”—as if you had already entered the glorious kingdom of Christ.—“Without us”—that is, without our taking any part in this glorification.

1 Corinthians 4:9. For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. “For.” The connective particle shows that the Apostle’s ironic speech is still continuing.—“I think”—more precisely: “it seems.”—“That God has exhibited us…” More precisely: “that God has exhibited us apostles as the last, as those condemned to death.” The Apostle marvels at how the Corinthians could have imagined that the Apostles must enter last, after them, into the kingdom of Christ that He promised to those who love Him. Is it really true that the Apostles must always stand in the position of gladiators condemned to death while their spiritual children enjoy rest?—“We have become a spectacle”—that is, a sight that people of various walks of life come to see.—“To the world.” This word denotes the totality of all rational beings.—“To angels”—both good and evil (cf. Eph 3:10).

1 Corinthians 4:10. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we are in disrepute. 1 Corinthians 4:11. To this present hour we hunger and thirst and are poorly clothed and brutally treated and homeless, 1 Corinthians 4:12. and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 1 Corinthians 4:13. when slandered, we appeal; we have become like the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things, even to this day. The Apostle depicts the contrast between the wretched condition of the apostles and the supposed glorification of the Corinthian Christians.—“We are fools”—that is, we are not afraid to appear as fools in the eyes of the Corinthians, preaching the crucified Christ, whereas others have managed to earn the title of “wise” by proclaiming Christ after the manner of philosophers.—“We are weak”—see 1 Cor 2:1-5.—“But you are strong”—that is, no doubts trouble you; it is as if everything you do is always right!—“When slandered, we appeal”—that is, we urge that our conduct be fairly examined.

1 Corinthians 4:14. I do not write this to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. It was not from malice that the Apostle spoke with such irony, but out of grief and for the benefit of the Corinthians themselves. He did not wish to humble or shame them, but to bring them back to the true path. And he had the right to do so, as their spiritual father.

1 Corinthians 4:15. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel. 1 Corinthians 4:16. I urge you, then, be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. “Countless guides.” The Apostle hints at the multitude of teachers of the faith who appeared in Corinth after the departure of Paul and Apollos.—“I became your father.” The Apostle Paul converted the Corinthians to Christ, though he did so not by his own power but by the power of Christ and through the Gospel (proclamation).—“Therefore…” A father has the right to expect that his children will imitate him in their way of life.

1 Corinthians 4:17. That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. To help bring them back to the true path, the Apostle sent them his reliable co-worker Timothy. The latter had, at the time of writing the epistle, already departed from Ephesus, though he arrived in Corinth only after the Apostle Paul’s epistle had been received there (1 Cor 16:10; cf. Acts 19:20).—“Child.” By this the Apostle hints that Timothy had been converted to Christianity by him (cf. 2 Tim 1:2).—About “my ways in Christ”—that is, humility, self-denial, and devotion to the Lord. The Apostle has been walking this path of virtues from the very moment he converted to Christ.—“As I teach…” His teaching fully corresponds to his life, and everywhere he conducts himself in the same way.

1 Corinthians 4:18. Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 1 Corinthians 4:19. But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. 1 Corinthians 4:20. For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. 1 Corinthians 4:21. What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness? Since from the fact of the sending of Timothy his ill-wishers might draw the conclusion that the Apostle himself would not appear in Corinth, the Apostle now informs them that he will come there himself.—“Some.” These were probably certain people from the “Christ’s party” (cf. 2 Cor 10:9-10 and 2 Cor 11:23).—“Arrogant”—that is, they began to think that they would take the lead in the Church.—“Not the talk”—that is, I will not pay attention to the oratorical skill of the arrogant teachers of the faith.—“But the power”—that is, do they have the real power of God’s Spirit as the source of new life? The Corinthians cannot rightly discern this matter, but the Apostle will reveal everything!—“The kingdom of God.” This is not the future, heavenly kingdom, but the kingdom that already exists here, in the souls of believers.—“Not in talk but in power”—that is, not where people speak much and eloquently about lofty subjects and goals, but where there is the power to carry out those goals.—“With a rod.” As a father, the Apostle has the right to use measures of strictness toward his spiritual children. This is evidence that church discipline existed already in the time of the apostles.

Chapter Five

On the Corinthian incestuous man (1–5). On church discipline in general (6–13)

1 Cor 5:1-5. Beginning his speech on church discipline, the Apostle first points to a particular case where this discipline was required to be exercised with full severity. One of the Corinthian Christians had taken his stepmother as a wife, and therefore the Apostle announces to the Corinthian Christians—who had remained indifferent to this outrageous act—that he has decided to hand this offender over to Satan.

1 Corinthians 5:1. It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among the pagans—that a man is living with his father’s wife. “It is actually reported”—more precisely: it is generally heard…—“Not found even among the pagans.” The law of Moses, under threat of the death penalty, forbade marrying one’s stepmother (Lev 18:8). Roman law likewise did not permit this. 1 Thus the Corinthian incestuous man had taken his stepmother as a companion without any legal sanction. Since the Apostle condemns only the incestuous man, leaving his stepmother without punishment, it is more probable to regard her as a pagan.

1 Corinthians 5:2. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let the one who has done this be removed from among you. “And you are arrogant.” If the Corinthian Christians had formed a close-knit community in which the concept of their high and holy calling was kept inviolate, then upon learning of such a transgression by one of their brethren they would doubtless have gone into mourning immediately, as a family does when it loses its head. But they were so carried away with their notion of their own perfections that they paid no attention to this case!—“Let him be removed”—this result evidently did not depend on the decision of the Corinthians themselves, and therefore the Apostle has in mind not a simple church excommunication. The one who must remove the incestuous man is, in Paul’s thought, God Himself, Who, in response to the sorrowful petitions for the removal of the offender from their midst, would answer just as He did when He carried out His judgment, after Peter’s speech, upon Ananias and Sapphira. The verb “to remove” (αίρειν) in the Old Testament is sometimes used to denote the death penalty for transgressors of the law (Deut 21:19-21).

1 Corinthians 5:3. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. The Apostle contrasts his own strict attitude to the indifference of the Corinthian Christians toward the terrible sin of their fellow member. Although he was far away, he was present with them in spirit, and therefore what had occurred in Corinth so outraged him that he decided, as one having the authority to decide the fate of the incestuous man.

1 Corinthians 5:4. in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are assembled and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, “In your assembly.” The court over the offender is to be constituted from the Corinthian Christians. The Apostle himself will be spiritually present at this assembly. The verdict will be pronounced “in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,” with the guarantee that this verdict will be carried out “by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In this case the Apostle has in view the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ given to the Apostles: “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. Truly I tell you again: if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matt 18:18-20). “Binding” the offender—that is, executing judgment upon him—must now be done by those believing Corinthians who will gather “in the name of Christ,” having completely “the same” opinion about the crime of their fellow member. Let this assembly be small—that is not important! What matters is that the Head of the Church Himself—Christ—will be present among them, and they will decide the matter not by a majority of votes but unanimously. Similarly, the decision will be carried out by Christ by virtue of the unanimous prayer of those assembled. “And my spirit is present.” The Apostle, by virtue of his awareness of his union with Christ (Gal 2:20), boldly says that where Christ will be invisibly present, there will he, Paul, also be—all the more so at the assembly of the Corinthian Church, which he founded. Of a similar transportation of his soul the Apostle hints in the 2nd epistle to the Corinthians (2 Cor 12:3): “whether in the body or out of the body I do not know” (I was caught up to the third heaven). “By the power of the Lord”—these words should be taken with the following verb: “to hand over.” Human action here is united with “the power” (σύν δυνάμει) “of the Lord” and therefore proves effective.

1 Corinthians 5:5. to hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. “To hand over.” It is most natural to make this word dependent on the verb “I have already pronounced judgment” (v. 3). As for the Apostle, by virtue of his apostolic authority, he has already decided to “hand over” the offender “to Satan.” The assembly of sympathetic Corinthians must take care that this decision be carried out, and the Apostle has no doubt that such sympathizers will be found.—“To hand over to Satan.” This expression occurs only again in 1 Tim 1:20. Some commentators see in this expression the designation of simple excommunication from the Church, but this interpretation pays no attention to the expressions “by the power of the Lord… and for the destruction of the flesh.” Moreover, the false teachers mentioned in 1 Tim. were handed over to Satan in order that they might learn not to blaspheme. But would excommunication from the Church have caused them to cease their blasphemies?! Others, focusing on the expression “for the destruction of the flesh,” see in the present case a handing over of the offender to Satan so that the latter, by his characteristic malice and cruelty, might torment the sinner—with some supposing that this handing over to Satan was closely connected with excommunication, while others see no need to make such a supposition. This last opinion must be recognized as the most probable. In Holy Scripture, Satan is very often attributed the power to inflict physical evil on people (for example, the story of Job; Luke 13:16; 2 Cor 12:7). He burns with such malice toward people that whenever the opportunity arises he always attacks them, torments them, making no distinction as to whether they are sinners or righteous before him. He does not even understand whether this is harmful or beneficial for his power over the world… Finally, the bodily sufferings the sinner was to endure from the devil (illness) were intended to bring him to his senses and to repentance. “For the destruction of the flesh” (εις όλεθρον τῆς σαρκός). Some see here the annihilation of the flesh in the moral sense of the word—that is, the suppression of sinful desires by virtue of the pain and repentance that would be evoked in the sinner through his exclusion from the Church. But one cannot agree with this opinion, because such exclusion could also lead a person to a hardening in sin, and moreover, for such an idea the Apostle would have used other, more fitting expressions (for example, “to put away” — Rom 6:6; “to put to death” — Col 3:5; “to crucify” — Gal 5:24). Others see in this “destruction of the flesh” a real weakening of the body, which weakening is to end in death. In this sense—in the sense of “living body”—the expression “flesh” is frequently used by the Apostle Paul (Phil 1:22; Gal 2:20), and therefore this interpretation may be recognized as correct, all the more so since we already have an example of such a condemnation in the judgment of the Apostle Peter upon Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). Only there the death of the offenders followed immediately upon the pronouncement of the verdict, whereas here it was to come after a prolonged illness.—“So that his spirit may be saved.” The Apostle does not say that the spirit—this higher aspect of human existence—will certainly be saved, that is, enter into communion with the Deity and be blessed. But in any case, for the salvation of the spirit, the means chosen by the Apostle—namely, the destruction of the body in which sin has made its nest—is the only fitting one! “In the day of the Lord”—that is, during the last judgment over the world, which the Lord Jesus Christ will carry out at His second coming to earth.—Where will the incestuous man bring the repentance that will serve for his salvation? Here, on earth, before death, because beyond the grave it is already too late to repent (see the parable of the rich man and Lazarus). 2 1 Cor 5:6-13. The case of the incestuous man now gives the Apostle Paul occasion to make several observations to the Corinthians about maintaining strict church discipline. Having indicated the reason why they treated the sin of their fellow member so indifferently (vv. 6–8), the Apostle says that one must be particularly strict toward sinners from within one’s own Christian community—not to enter into fellowship with them, and to remove a bad person from the Christian community.

1 Corinthians 5:6. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough? Earlier the Apostle had spoken of the groundlessness of the Corinthians’ self-satisfaction (1 Cor 4:19). Now he expresses the same thought in application to the case of the incestuous man. Intoxicated by their outward successes in Christian life (an abundance of spiritual gifts), they did not pay sufficient attention to this very important case. See what their boasting has led to! (instead of “your boasting is not good” it is better to translate: “your boasting does not lead to good”!). “Do you not know…” They, who pride themselves so much on their knowledge, ought to understand what such indulgence—shown even once—leads to. A small amount of leaven makes all the dough sour—that is, even the most insignificant sin can exert a harmful influence on the life of an entire Christian Church.

1 Corinthians 5:7. Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new batch, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed for us. 1 Corinthians 5:8. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, not with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Every Christian must strive to suppress in himself the old sinful habits and to exert influence in the same direction on others.—“Cleanse out the old leaven.” Just as the Jews on the eve of Passover removed all leavened bread from their homes—which was a symbol of the Egyptian vices with which they were infected while living in Egyptian slavery—so the new Israel, the Christians, must remove from their hearts all the bad tendencies that were in them before their conversion to Christ.—“That you may be a new batch.” The result of this will be that the entire Christian community will be renewed—it will resemble that unleavened dough from which bread was baked for Passover and the week of unleavened bread.—“As you are indeed unleavened”—that is, they are in principle, as members of the body of Christ, completely pure. This ideal purity they must transform into reality.—“For Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed for us.” Since the death of Christ, which became the beginning of people’s dying to sin, a great spiritual Passover has begun for the Church and for each individual believer, when all sins are to be removed from the community of Christians, just as leaven was removed from Jewish homes from the day of Passover. Every Christian is a person without the sinful leaven. “Let us therefore celebrate the festival.” For Christians, Passover continues not for one week but for an entire lifetime. “For the true Christian, all days are Passover, all days are Pentecost and Christmas” (John Chrysostom). “Malice” (κακία) is a general depravity of a person who is unable to struggle against evil, while “wickedness” (πονηρία) denotes a deliberate conniving with evil, based on the evil will of the person.—“But with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth”—that is, with the unleavened bread that must for Christians be “sincerity” of soul, in which it is impossible to harbor sympathy for evil, and “truth,” when a person honestly and openly struggles against evil.—It is very likely that the Apostle uses all these images here in view of the fact that he was writing his epistle during Passover.

1 Corinthians 5:9. I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people — 1 Corinthians 5:10. not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. In the preceding verses the Apostle pointed to the weakening of church discipline in the Corinthian Church. Now he offers some clarifications to what he has said, so that the Corinthians do not fall into misunderstanding. When he wrote in the epistle (vv. 2, 6, and 7 of the chapter under discussion) 3 that they should not associate with sexually immoral people (cf. 2 John 1:10), he had in view only sinners from within the Christian community, not all sinners in general who live in the world “of this world,” for otherwise good Christians would have to leave the cities and withdraw to the wilderness!—“Idolaters” could be found even among the Corinthian Christians. These were those who, even after their conversion, could continue observing pagan customs—for example, attending the meals arranged in pagan temples (see 1 Cor 8).

1 Corinthians 5:11. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. The Apostle enumerates those vices that must meet with strict condemnation from the Church when the person having any one of these vices continues to call himself a Christian.

1 Corinthians 5:12. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 1 Corinthians 5:13. God judges those outside. Therefore, drive out the wicked person from among you. Here the Apostle justifies his different attitude toward believers and unbelievers. However, in saying that he does not wish to judge “outsiders,” the Apostle has in mind himself as a Christian in general, not as an Apostle. Every Christian can himself sever fellowship with his fellow believer as soon as he sees that the latter does not want to reform. Christ the Savior said: “let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector” (Matt 18:17).—“Outsiders.” This is what pagans were called by the Jews, but the Apostle uses this expression evidently in application to both pagans and Jews. The Apostle seems here to contradict the commandment of Christ: “Do not judge…” (Matt 7:1). But Christ forbade malicious condemnation, when a person condemns a neighbor on the basis of conjecture alone, trying to guess his hidden intentions. Such condemnation is also forbidden by the Apostle Paul (1 Cor 4:5). But here the Apostle counsels—and even makes it an obligation for the Christian—to judge an action that openly violates the proper order of Christian life, and moreover a judgment combined with a loving concern for finding means that might set a person on the true path (“so that his spirit may be saved”—v. 5). The former judgment is accompanied by a certain feeling of malicious pleasure, while the latter is accompanied by humility and grief (v. 2).—“Therefore, drive out…” Repeating here the idea expressed in the law of Moses (see Deut 17:7), the Apostle commands that all depraved persons be removed from the midst of the Christian community. The means for this are indicated above—namely, mourning before God, addressing God with a petition for the removal of such sinners (v. 2), and a personal break with them (v. 11). Other means of church discipline toward sinners the Apostle does not know, or at least does not indicate. Of course, the exhortations that should precede a church trial (Matt 18:15-20) he did not consider it necessary to mention here. * * * See Dobschütz. Urchristl. Ehe. S. 269 and following. Ph. Bachmann, also understanding the expression εις όλεθρον της σαρκος as denoting physical death, points to the words of Christ (Matt 18:6), in which the thought is conveyed that it is sometimes better for a sinner to die, so that the development of his sinfulness may be halted and the hope of salvation thus preserved… Ph. Bachmann sees here a reference to the existence of some letter to the Corinthians unknown to us. But there is no need to make such a supposition. The Apostle simply paused in composing the epistle at the eighth verse and then, continuing it, said: “I wrote.”

Chapter Six

On judicial disputes among Christians (1–11). On intemperance (12–20)

1 Cor 6:1-11. Continuing his speech about undesirable phenomena in the moral life of the Corinthian Church, the Apostle rebukes the Corinthians for seeking redress in their affairs from pagan judges (1–6), and then sets forth the position that disputes over property matters are in general inadmissible among Christians, because they testify to a weakening of brotherly love in them (7–11).

1 Corinthians 6:1. How dare any of you, having a case against another, go to law before the unrighteous rather than before the saints? “How dare.” In the Roman empire, those appointed as judges were people who professed the state religion—that is, pagans. Although these judges judged according to all the customs of Roman law, nevertheless the Apostle calls them “unrighteous”—more precisely: “unjust” (άδικα), because they truly did not know the higher, Christian righteousness. He considers the only appropriate court for a Christian to be one consisting of Christians—consequently, not an official court, but simply an arbitration one, when for the resolution of a dispute people turn to some respected person from their own community. Christians are called “saints” not as individuals but as members of the holy Church of Christ: such people have an understanding of the higher tasks of life and of proper human relationships.—The Corinthians turned to pagan judges, probably out of old habit and because they were confident that a Roman judge would handle their case better. The Apostle, however, does not want principles foreign to Christianity to be introduced into Christian life by means of judicial verdicts—for example, in the hearing of cases between masters and slaves. This, however, did not prevent the Apostle from requiring that Christians submit to pagan authorities and therefore also to judges when these, for their part, presented Christians with certain requirements as members of the state (Rom 13:1-3).

1 Corinthians 6:2. Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 1 Corinthians 6:3. Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters of everyday life! “Do you not know.” The Apostle here reminds the Corinthians of what he had told them during his stay in Corinth.—“The saints will judge the world.” Eastern church commentators said that this refers to judgment in the figurative sense of the word. At the dread judgment of Christ, Christians by their unblemished conduct will serve as a living and vivid indictment of pagan vice (Matt 25:40). But the context of the speech compels us to see here a reference to an actual judgment in which Christians will be participants. And the Lord Jesus Christ Himself told the Apostles that at His second coming they would sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt 19:28). The holy John the Theologian extends this right to all believers (Rev 2:26).—“We are to judge angels.” Holy Scripture nowhere says that people will judge the good angels. But the Apostle Paul in the present epistle says that at the second coming of Christ to earth the angelic powers will be “abolished” (1 Cor 15:24). Of course, this refers to the evil angels, “the world rulers of the darkness of this age” (Eph 6:12), and these same angels the Apostle has in mind, of course, in the chapter under discussion. From the book of Enoch (apocryphal) it is clear that even among the Jews there was a belief that God would judge the angels—of course the evil ones (Ph. Bachmann, however, sees here a reference to “angels in general,” as in 1 Cor 3:9, and supposes that the Apostle has in mind the accountability of the good angels insofar as they are guardians of kingdoms and nations. Dan 10).

1 Corinthians 6:4. So if you have cases dealing with everyday life, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church? “And you… appoint.” More precisely: appoint, choose (καθίξετε—from the meaning of the speech it must be taken as an imperative).—“As judges.” The discussion is not about pagan judges-officials, because the Apostle himself taught respect for them (Rom 13:4) and because Christians were not the ones who appointed them! The entire speech of the Apostle here is obviously ironic: “For such trifling matters over which you are disputing among yourselves, do not seek as arbitrators men of importance—these matters can be settled by even the most insignificant persons in the Church, from your point of view!”—“Cases dealing with everyday life” (βιωτικά)—more precisely: disputes over material goods.

1 Corinthians 6:5. I say this to your shame. Is it really the case that there is no wise person among you who will be able to judge between one brother and another? 1 Corinthians 6:6. But brother goes to law against brother, and before unbelievers at that. The Apostle means to say: “I have nothing against your choosing suitable persons to resolve your disputes. If I said that your cases can be decided by even the most insignificant persons, I said this only to shame you: for I showed you how little importance I attach to those interests for which you are sacrificing the honor of the Church.”

1 Corinthians 6:7. To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 1 Corinthians 6:8. But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your brothers. Already in verse 6 the Apostle gave to understand that Christians are not acting well by suing one another—for they are brothers (“brother goes to law against brother”). Now he develops this thought about the impropriety of legal disputes among Christians more thoroughly, pointing out that a Christian ought rather to endure wrong and deprivation than to take anything from brothers even through the courts.—The Apostle does not thereby say that a Christian should not at all defend himself against injustice done to him, but he nonetheless advises against bringing the matter to judicial proceedings. Love for his brothers, which makes every concession, compels the Christian to this (cf. Matt 5:39-42).

1 Corinthians 6:9. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor men who lie with men, 1 Corinthians 6:10. nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers—will inherit the kingdom of God. On the occasion of the Corinthians’ forgetting their sacred obligation to love their brothers in the faith, the Apostle observes that in general among the Corinthians a frivolous attitude toward the obligations they had taken upon themselves—to lead a pure and righteous life—was beginning to take hold. They had begun to imagine that their religious, spiritual gifts could by themselves already open the doors of the heavenly kingdom before them, whatever their conduct might be. No, says the Apostle, this cannot be! In so doing he first enumerates five types of intemperance, and then five types of violation of others’ rights—both the right to property and the right to public respect (“revilers” specifically harm the honor and good name of others).

1 Corinthians 6:11. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. The Apostle had just tried to make an impression on the Corinthians by threatening them with the possibility of losing the right to enter the heavenly kingdom. Now he tries to revive in them the awareness of their Christian dignity, which obliges them to be pure and righteous. The Corinthians must remember that they have already entered a new life through baptism.—“Some.” By this the Apostle means to say that far from all the Corinthians led a wicked way of life before their conversion to Christianity.—“But you were washed.” This undoubtedly denotes the sacrament of baptism (the middle voice used in the Greek text here indicates that baptism was an act of the personal, conscious decision of each believer).—“You were sanctified, you were justified.” These two expressions explain what a person receives in the sacrament of baptism. Baptism—the Apostle means to say—was not a mere symbol. No, it was accompanied by sanctification: that is, in baptism the Holy Spirit was sent down upon the believers, and with the reception of the Spirit believers began a new, grace-filled life (cf. Acts 2:38; 2 Cor 1:21; Eph 1:13), and then in baptism believers also received “justification”—that is, they became righteous by appropriating the righteousness of Christ. The Apostle here places “sanctification” before “justification” because he needed to contrast the present state of the believers with their former state. In another context he does the reverse (cf. 1 Cor 1:30). “In the name of the Lord.” The act of baptism receives such power from the fact that it is performed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ—that is, with the invocation of His name, by His command, by His power, and on the basis of the fact that His redemptive sacrifice for all humanity has been accepted by God—“and by the Spirit of our God”—that is, in baptism the Spirit of God is sent down upon the one being baptized as the beginning of new life (the sacrament of chrismation, united with baptism).—Here there seems to be a departure from the baptismal formula known from the Gospel: “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19). But first, the Apostle here evidently does not give and did not intend to give the formula of baptism, and secondly, here too there is an indication of three persons of the Deity—namely: 1) the Lord Jesus Christ, 2) the Spirit, and 3) our God, that is, God the Father. 1 Cor 6:12-20. The Apostle already indicated in verse 9 that in Corinth there were people who thought they could enter the heavenly kingdom without abandoning the sins in which they formerly lived. Now the Apostle speaks more thoroughly about this error, having chiefly in mind, however, one sin—that of intemperance or unchastity. This sin was excused by many Corinthians on the basis of the principle of Christian freedom, and the Apostle refutes such a view by pointing to the great harm done to a person who persists in this sin and to the great responsibility of such a person before God.

1 Corinthians 6:12. “All things are permitted for me,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are permitted for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything. The Apostle, without doubt, taught in Corinth as in other places about the freedom of the Christian in things that are morally indifferent, which had previously been forbidden under the law of Moses for pedagogical purposes. The expression “all things are permitted for me!” is probably a motto with which the Apostle came forward, and for that reason it became impressed on the minds of the Corinthians. But unfortunately they began to extend the application of this principle to matters that were by no means morally indifferent from the standpoint of Christian morality. Therefore the Apostle considers it necessary to limit the application of the stated principle. It can be applied only where it causes no harm to the person guided by this principle. That is the first point. Secondly, it is necessary to renounce the application of this principle wherever there is a danger of losing one’s freedom and finding oneself enslaved to some habit.

1 Corinthians 6:13. “Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food”—but God will do away with both one and the other. The body, however, is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. 1 Corinthians 6:14. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Special caution must be observed where the matter concerns bodily purity or chastity. Bearing in mind the words of Christ that “what goes into the mouth does not defile a person” (Matt 15:11), the Apostle says that in relation to food the principle “all things are permitted for me” can be applied, all the more so because those functions of our body that are connected with food will cease on the day of the resurrection and glorification of human bodies: God will abolish, make unnecessary, both these functions and food itself! The matter stands differently with respect to the whole human body. This body cannot be defiled by fornication, because it is destined for the Lord Jesus Christ—to belong to Him and to serve Him as an instrument (cf. Rom 6:13)—just as Christ Himself stands in relation to the body, because He dwells in it and will in time glorify it. By virtue of such a relationship to Christ, the body will not perish. Just as God raised Christ, so He will raise this human body, which during its earthly life was the property and sanctified instrument of Christ the Lord.—“Will raise us up.” Therefore the Apostle identifies the whole human person with this body, for which the body is properly only an instrument of action.—Of course, bearing in mind such an imperishable significance of the body, we must treat it with respect and in no way degrade it.—Here the Apostle includes himself among those who will die and be raised, whereas in other cases (for example, 1 Cor 15:52) he pictures himself as surviving until the second coming. This serves as evidence that the day of the second coming was unknown even to him.

1 Corinthians 6:15. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Absolutely not! Fornication involves two crimes. First, it is a bold seizure (“Shall I then take?”) of property belonging to Christ, and second—the use of what has been seized for an unworthy purpose (“to make them members of a prostitute”).

1 Corinthians 6:16. Or do you not know that the one who is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two shall become one flesh.” 1 Corinthians 6:17. But the one who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with the Lord. 1 Corinthians 6:18. Flee from sexual immorality. Every sin a person commits is outside the body, but the one who is sexually immoral sins against his own body. The Apostle might have been objected to, against the thought expressed in the second half of verse 15, as follows: “The use of a Christian’s body for the sin of fornication is not yet the taking of it away from Christ. Is this not only a temporary and external misuse of the body?” To this objection the Apostle first responds by citing Holy Scripture—namely the book of Gen 2:24. From this passage it is clear that sexual union with a prostitute, or the sin of fornication, is not something temporary and external, but constitutes a real union of two persons into one body. It is true that in Genesis the text speaks of the marital sexual union of a man and woman who in marriage become “one flesh,” according to the divine determination. But nevertheless, this characteristic feature of the marital union—as a union into one flesh on its natural side—could be transferred also to the unlawful, fornication union of a man with a prostitute, since the latter is also based on the sexual instinct implanted in a person by God. “Perhaps”—as the Apostle seems to say—“fornicators do not wish to enter into such a close union with a prostitute, but nevertheless they do enter into it, because the force of the divine determination operates even where one does not wish its application: sexual intercourse leads people into the closest union of nature and makes of two bodies one.”—And why is such a union morally impossible for a Christian? To this, in the Apostle’s thought, one must answer as follows: the Christian thereby enters into a domain which, according to 1 Cor 4:9, lies outside the domain of the kingdom of God. The one who unites with a prostitute alienates his body from subjection to Christ and places it in dependence upon an anti-Christian force. The Apostle, however, does not draw such a conclusion himself, because the matter was already clear without it. Instead, he says that “the one who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit” (the words “with the Lord” are not read in the best editions). “Union with” the Lord—that is, with Christ—the Apostle designates by the same term (κολλᾶσθαι) as “sexual union” with a prostitute (v. 16): it is nothing other than a close, soul-and-body-embracing communion between the believer and Christ. This union is then, in its essence, of a spiritual character, since the power that appropriates the body and soul of the Christian to Christ is “the Spirit” (1 Cor 6:19), which is in Christ the source of the new glorified life in the glorified body (cf. 2 Cor 3:18). The Apostle evidently does not limit himself in this case (v. 17) to indicating that the Christian enters into a close unity with Christ, but adds: “becomes one spirit.” He means to say by this that the Christian must avoid fornication precisely because it represents only a gross sensual, bodily union that does not attain the moral character which the marital sexual union attains—the latter gradually becoming a spiritual communion as well. The believer in Christ is a temple of the Spirit and therefore cannot be, so to speak, a temple of the flesh. And so, the Apostle concludes: “Flee from sexual immorality!” In order to instill an even greater aversion to the sin of fornication, the Apostle says that every other sin is “outside the body,” whereas the fornicator sins precisely against his own body (18). He thus attributes a special importance to the sin of fornication. But in what sense should his words about the relation of sins to the body be understood? Some commentators say that the Apostle hints by this that the sin of fornication, unlike other sins, especially exhausts the human body. But one cannot agree with such an understanding, because the same effect on the human body is also produced by drunkenness. Others (Godet) distinguish in a person two bodies: an external one, constantly changing in its composition, and an internal, eternal one, which is the one that must be raised for future life—and it is this last one that the Apostle has in mind here… However, there is no basis anywhere for such a distinction. And why could drunkenness, for example, not be equally harmful to this inner body as fornication? It is simpler to convey the Apostle’s thought as follows. Fornication is such a terrible sin that, unlike other sins, it harms precisely the human body by placing it under the power of a sinful force operating in an unconstrained sensual passion—placing it precisely through organic union with the representative of that sinful force, the prostitute. One might add to this that no other sin, except fornication, is directly called forth by a bodily need: the body, for example, does not necessarily require wine to satisfy thirst—it can perfectly well be sustained by water; hence drunkenness is by no means the result of the action of a bodily need. Fornication, on the other hand, is rooted in a natural need residing in the human body.

1 Corinthians 6:19. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6:20. For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. The Apostle wonders whether the Corinthians have forgotten the high calling of their body. Indeed, the fornicator robs his body of the honor of being the temple of the Holy Spirit! This sin is all the more unpardonable in that the body no longer belongs to the person himself: it has been purchased for a certain (great) price (the sacrifice of the Son of God). Therefore we must give glory in our body to its owner—God—glory consisting in the worthy and holy use of this gift of God entrusted to us. “You have no authority over the flesh for the satisfaction of sinful desires; you have this authority only for the fulfillment of God’s commandments” (John Chrysostom).

Chapter Seven

On entering marriage and life within marriage (1–9). On the dissolution of the marital union, on circumcision and slavery (10–24). Should virgins and widows enter into marriage? (25–40)

1 Cor 7:1-9. In the Corinthian Church, as a reaction against the former pagan license in morals, some Christians had begun to champion the idea that it was improper for a Christian even to enter into marriage, and that those already married should live separately—husband apart from wife. Such opponents of marriage had probably arisen among the Christians converted by the Apostle Paul, who was himself unmarried and, as is evident from the present chapter, gave preference to celibacy over marriage. The Apostle was now called upon to determine how a Christian should view marriage, and he does so in this section. The main thought he develops here is that although celibacy has its own inherent advantage over marriage, in practice the contracting of marriage should be the most ordinary occurrence. Likewise, those who have married should live as husband and wife.

1 Corinthians 7:1. Now concerning what you wrote to me: it is good for a man not to touch a woman. ‘Now concerning what you wrote’—until this point the Apostle had himself raised the questions. Now he turns to resolving the questions put to him in the letter sent by the Corinthians.—‘Good’ (καλόν). Some (e.g. Jerome) understand this term in a moral sense (‘good,’ that is, pleasing to God) and therefore conclude from it that to touch a woman as a wife is generally bad and immoral. But such an interpretation stands in direct contradiction to the lofty view of marriage that the Apostle Paul gives, for example, in the Epistle to the Ephesians (Eph 5:25-33). Others understand the term as pointing to a simple practical usefulness of celibacy (‘good,’ that is, convenient and beneficial in many respects). Although a comparison of the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 5:29 and Matt 18:8), where in one instance the word ‘good’ (καλόν) appears and in another ‘beneficial’ (συμφέρειν), may suggest the plausibility of such an explanation, it is nevertheless doubtful that the Apostle Paul understood the word καλόν to mean only external convenience or external advantage. Among the Greeks the concept of καλόν signified something beautiful and becoming—something by which true virtue is invariably adorned. The Apostle likewise, in all probability, uses it in this sense—for he was writing to Greeks! Celibacy was for him a fully fitting and honorable state, one in which no offense was done to the moral ideal. The Apostle could find the basis for this assertion in the example of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, in Whom we have the highest realization of moral beauty in human form, as well as in Christ’s words that in the life to come people will not enter into marriage (Luke 20:34). From these latter words it is clear that the Christian ideal is realized even more fully and vividly in the person of the unmarried than in the person of the married. And even though the Book of Genesis contains the words: ‘it is not good for man to be alone’ (Gen 2:18), those words were spoken at a time when man was literally alone. In the present age, however, this solitude does not have the character it had for Adam: around the unmarried man there are always other people in communion with whom he may live, and above all—the Christian man stands in close communion with his brothers in the Church and with the Head of the Church Himself—the Lord Jesus Christ. But it must be noted that the Apostle does not say at all that celibacy is in itself more sacred or holy than life in marriage. He wishes only to say that it contains nothing indecorous or unbecoming to a Christian.—‘To touch a woman’—to unite with a woman or to enter into marriage (Chrysostom).

1 Corinthians 7:2. But because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. However honorable the state of celibacy may be in itself, it cannot be a common occurrence or a general rule of life.—‘But because of sexual immorality’ (τάς πορνείας). This plural (from πορνεία) is a reminder of the many temptations and sins of this kind that existed in Corinth.—‘Each man—each woman’—naturally with the exceptions noted in verse 7 (a special gift for the celibate life) and verses 25–28 (concerning virgins).—Some commentators see in this passage a degradation of marriage, which, according to the Apostle, seems to have only a negative significance—as a safeguard against various manifestations of immorality. They say that according to the Apostle, marriage turns out to be an evil, though a lesser one, which one must enter into only to avoid a greater evil. But in reply to this objection it must be said that the Apostle had no intention here of presenting any theory of his about marriage: he was only answering the question put to him by the Corinthians. And verse 14 of the chapter under consideration and verse 3 of chapter XI (1 Cor 11:3), where marriage is placed in correlation with the relationship between Christ and humanity, and then between God the Father and Christ, clearly testify that the Apostle Paul had a sufficiently definite conception of the moral side of the marital union.

1 Corinthians 7:3. Let the husband render to the wife what is due to her; and likewise the wife to the husband. 1 Corinthians 7:4. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 1 Corinthians 7:5. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer; and then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. But for marriage to achieve its purpose, it is necessary to live within marriage in a manner that corresponds to the very nature of this institution: each spouse must fulfil the marital duty (the majority of ancient manuscripts read only this word—‘duty’ (τήν οφειλήν)—and not ‘due goodwill’ (τήν οφειλομένην ευνοίαν)): both spouses are obligated to sacrifice their personal independence to one another. It is for this reason that celibacy is ‘good’ (καλόν).—‘Do not deprive one another.’ Interrupting marital relations is permissible, according to the Apostle, only: 1) by mutual consent; 2) for a limited time; and 3) for the practice of works of piety—specifically prayer (the addition ‘for fasting’ is found in only a very small number of manuscripts).

1 Corinthians 7:6. But I say this as a concession, not as a command. 1 Corinthians 7:7. For I wish that all people were as I am; but each person has their own gift from God, one in this way, another in that. What the Apostle said in verse 2 might appear to readers as a strict injunction to enter into marriage without fail. But in reality the Apostle expressed this as a ‘concession’ (συγγνώμη), not as a ‘command’ (επιταγή). The Apostle evidently does not wish to issue a strict command regarding the obligation of married life. He gives only advice—because he cannot but condescend to the pardonable weaknesses of the Corinthians (according to Ephrem the Syrian: indulgene, non imperane)—advice or permission to marry and enter into matrimony. Indeed, on the contrary, if he wished to express his personal attitude toward marriage, he would sooner have proposed the observance of celibacy: ‘for I wish that all people were as I am.’ But what does ‘as I am’ mean? Does the Apostle thereby point to the desirability of celibacy? Hardly could the Apostle in this case have better said: ‘as Christ.’ It is most likely that with these words the Apostle expresses the wish that all Christians were so free from sensual desires that, like the Apostle, they would not feel any particular deprivation in remaining celibate. At present, however, they are not so, and the Apostle, for example, is forced, in view of the Corinthians’ condition, to advise what actually contradicts his personal views. Through such a change in the disposition of Christians, marriage would not, however, lose its significance in life—the only motive for contracting marriage that the Apostle designated by the expression ‘because of sexual immorality’ would fall away, and the Corinthian Christians would begin marrying freely, in accordance with the requirements of their Christian state. That this desire of the Apostle is, however, unattainable, that it encounters an obstacle even on the part of God on its way to realization—of this the Apostle speaks as follows: ‘but each person has their own gift from God, one in this way, another in that.’ ‘Gift’ (χάρισμα) is an ability given by God to a particular person for some special action (1 Cor 1:7 and following Rom 12:6)—here it is freedom from sexual temptations or continence (εγκράτεια). This freedom is not given by God to all; others in its place receive gifts of another kind, which for their manifestation require a different field besides the relation to marriage.

1 Corinthians 7:8. To the unmarried and to the widows I say: it is good for them to remain as I am. Here the Apostle draws a conclusion from the proposition that celibacy is ‘good.’ Both unmarried men (i.e., those who have never married and those who are widowed) and widows would do well to remain in such a state.—Why does the Apostle not mention widowers separately, yet does mention widows? The widowhood of a woman places her in somewhat different, less favorable conditions than that of a man—it is harder for her to live, and therefore the Apostle found it necessary to say that he does not exclude even such unsupported persons as widows from his counsel. Moreover, a widow could arrange her own fate, which was not permitted to a maiden. This is why the Apostle did not mention virgins here.

1 Corinthians 7:9. But if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn. Here is a conclusion from the general rule that married life should be the norm. If a person, remaining celibate, cannot avoid sin, let him marry, because sin is an evil and marriage is not. 1 Cor 7:10-24. In this way the Apostle has resolved the main question—whether or not to enter into marriage. Now he resolves questions connected with the main one—and first of all the question of the permissibility of divorce. In his view, to divorce is sinful, even in the case where the party one wishes to leave belongs to the pagan community. Only if a pagan spouse desires a divorce should the Christian not oppose this. Along with this the Apostle gives supplementary instructions (vv. 17–24) on how, in general, a Christian should regard his external condition—his circumcision, if he was previously a Jew, and his slavery, if he came to faith while a slave.

1 Corinthians 7:10. To the married I give this charge—not I, but the Lord—that the wife should not separate from her husband, 1 Corinthians 7:11. but if she does separate, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband—and that the husband should not divorce his wife. Here, evidently, the Apostle has in mind spouses who are Christians, for whom alone the commandments of Christ held significance.—‘Not I, but the Lord.’ Christ the Savior did indeed give such a commandment. It is preserved in the Gospels (see Matt 5:32; Mark 10:11; Luke 16:18). At that time, of course, believers could acquaint themselves with this commandment through the oral preaching of the proclaimers of the Gospel.—But why does the Apostle make a distinction between his own commandments (v. 12) and those of the Lord? Does he not thereby diminish the authority of his apostolic prescriptions? It may be thought that the Apostle wished by this distinction to differentiate the direct, definitive commandments of the Lord, which Christians must observe without any deliberation, from his own instructions, which held significance only for the churches founded by the Apostle Paul himself. Moreover, he considered it necessary, when offering his own instructions, to support them in one way or another (cf. vv. 14 and 16), which was not required in presenting the Lord’s commandment.

Matthew 5:32. ‘The wife should not separate from her husband.’ The Apostle here omits the addition made by Christ: ‘except for the reason of adultery’ (Matt. 5:32), because he did not wish to allow for the possibility that such adultery could occur among Christians.—Why does he first address the wife? Because from the wife, as the weaker and more dependent being, a declaration of desire for divorce was most likely to come. (The Apostle has in mind here the custom of Greece, not of Judea.)—‘She must remain unmarried.’ The Apostle by this teaching demands that the seriousness of the marital union be acknowledged. It cannot be entered into carelessly and then dissolved with equal carelessness in order to contract a new one. A second marriage for a divorced wife—and of course also for a husband who has divorced his wife—the Apostle does not permit: either remain unmarried, endure all the deprivations connected with divorce, or return to the husband—these are the only two outcomes for a wife who has separated from her husband. Concerning the innocent party who is left alone after the departure of the guilty spouse, the Apostle says nothing, and thereby gives that party the possibility of entering into a new marriage. Thus, the state, by virtue of its own particular considerations, accommodating itself to the state of human morals (cf. Matt 19:8: Moses ‘because of the hardness of heart’ of the Jews permitted divorce), may allow even the guilty party in a divorce to remarry, but this arrangement will be purely a civil one and not an ecclesiastical one. The Church cannot bless such marriages by performing them in the name of the Lord, and all the concessions made in this regard contradict the direct commandment of the Lord, as this commandment is set forth by the Apostle Paul in verse 11. 1 Corinthians 7:12. To the rest I say—I, not the Lord—if any brother has a wife who is not a believer, and she is willing to live with him, he should not divorce her; 1 Corinthians 7:13. and a wife who has a husband who is not a believer, and he is willing to live with her, she should not divorce him. It could happen that in Corinth or elsewhere only one of the spouses would convert to Christianity, while the other continued to remain in paganism or Judaism. In this way mixed marriages arose. Christ gave no commandment regarding such marriages, and therefore the Apostle himself undertakes the task of giving guidance on such cases, drawing, of course, on what was known to him from the teaching of Christ. By this mention that here he is presenting his own, Paul’s, instruction, he does not of course wish to weaken its force (cf. v. 10).—How then does the Apostle resolve the question of such mixed marriages? The whole matter depends on the wish of the non-Christian spouse: if he wishes to continue living in marital union with a Christian wife, or if the non-believing wife with a Christian husband, then the marriage remains in full force. Thus, cohabitation with an unbeliever, according to the Apostle, places no stain on the believing spouse.

1 Corinthians 7:14. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through the believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy. The reason for which the Apostle permits such mixed marriages lies in the sanctifying power of the Christian religion, which (power) not only does not allow the non-believing party to defile the believing one, but even exercises a certain sanctifying influence on the unbelieving spouse.—‘Is sanctified’ (ηγίασται)—more precisely: ‘is sanctified’ or ‘is consecrated.’ The non-Christian party has already been sanctified through the Christian by his or her agreement to live with the Christian. This agreement is equivalent to faith in the relation of the believer to Christ. The non-Christian spouse has already been consecrated to God through inner and outward communion with the Christian spouse.—To prove the reality of such sanctification and consecration, the Apostle appeals to a fact universally known in the Church: ‘your children… are holy.’ The Apostle wishes to say the following by this: if a Christian mother acknowledges that her children are holy, though their father is a pagan, then all the more must she believe in the sanctifying significance she has in relation to her pagan husband. Children bear in themselves an innate impurity; they cannot yet express their consent to remain with their Christian mother, yet they are truly holy (ἅγια, a stronger expression than ηγίασται), truly sanctified and consecrated to God by virtue of inner communion with a Christian parent. All the more can adult unbelieving spouses be sanctified by virtue of their communion with their Christian spouses.—In all probability the Apostle has in mind here the sacrament of baptism, which, according to the testimony of Origen (comment. in epiet. ad. Kor. t. V:9), was administered in the time of the Apostles also over children. He does not, however, here ascribe ‘holiness’ to children by virtue of the baptism performed on them; rather, this very baptism, according to the context of the passage, was for him a sign and factual proof of that holy state in which the children of Christians existed. Similarly, the Hebrews did not become descendants of Abraham because they received circumcision; rather, their very descent from Abraham gave them the right to receive circumcision. The whole matter here consists in the close inner communion of children with their Christian parents, by virtue of which they stand in a gracious union with Christ.

1 Corinthians 7:15. But if the unbelieving spouse wishes to separate, let him separate; in such cases the brother or sister is not bound; the Lord has called us to peace. 1 Corinthians 7:16. For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? In the case where the non-Christian spouse does not wish to continue living in matrimony with a Christian woman, the latter must leave him.—‘In such cases not bound.’ The Apostle has in mind here, of course, the transitory character of all earthly relations compared with the eternal interests that alone have binding significance for the believer.—‘To peace’ (εν ειρήνη)—more precisely: ‘in peace.’ The Apostle wishes to say that believers have been called ‘in peace,’ that is, they have received peace with God, and by virtue of this their entire earthly life should bear the stamp of peace.—‘How do you know.’ The meekness and calm consent to divorce that a Christian wife gives to her pagan husband may perhaps incline him toward the Christian religion and toward a sense of his own guilt before his wife, even more than the wife’s stubborn insistence on her rights to live together with her husband.

1 Corinthians 7:17. Only, let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and in which God has called him. This is the rule I give in all the churches. The Apostle views all national and social relations from the same standpoint from which he viewed marriage. In the verse under consideration he expresses the general principle that is decisive for all questions of this kind: every believer must remain in the same circumstances in which he found himself when he was called to salvation.—‘Lead’ (περιπατεῖν)—more precisely: ‘walk, live.’—‘In all the churches’—naturally, those founded by the Apostle Paul himself.—From this it is evident that the Gospel went forth into the world with complete confidence in victory, with the confidence that it was capable of gradually permeating every kind of life relationship with its spirit. It was far removed from all revolutionary strivings and designs…

1 Corinthians 7:18. Was anyone called after being circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. 1 Corinthians 7:19. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is keeping the commandments of God. The first example of Christianity’s attitude toward the external conditions of life is the Apostle’s instruction directed on the one hand to those called into the Church while circumcised, and on the other to those called while uncircumcised. To both the Apostle commands that they remain outwardly as they were before accepting Christianity—the circumcised should not be ashamed of their circumcision or try by any means to conceal its traces, and the uncircumcised should not get circumcised. As for the former, such persons existed even among the Jews during the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes (1 Macc 1:15). Those who had converted to Christianity from Judaism could naturally feel embarrassed by their circumcision, the traces of which they bore on themselves, and try in some way to efface those traces.

1 Corinthians 7:20. Let each person remain in the calling in which he was called. This verse is more correctly translated as: ‘let each person remain faithful to the calling (κλῆσις—call, vocation to salvation) in which (η) he was called.’ One must not forget, however, that in the concept of ‘calling’ are included all the external circumstances that gave occasion for it and that determine the very character or manner of the calling. How different was the conversion of the circumcised and the uncircumcised! And from this God-ordained state one cannot step away arbitrarily. This state did not prevent a person from hearing the call of God—on the contrary, it even facilitated his conversion, and therefore in subsequent life, after conversion, it can likewise serve him to demonstrate his faithfulness to God.

1 Corinthians 7:21. Were you a slave when you were called? Do not be concerned about it. But if you are able to become free, rather make use of it. A second example of the fact that the Gospel does not seek to abolish the existing external relations between people is the Apostle’s view on the permissibility of slavery for a Christian. It would seem that there was no institution so contrary to the Christian spirit—Christian holiness, dignity, and freedom—as slavery; and yet the Apostle exhorts slaves who have converted to Christianity not to be troubled by this inconsistency. Even in the case where a slave could free himself from slavery, he would do better to serve his master with even greater zeal. So, in our opinion, based moreover on the authority of the ancient ecclesiastical commentators under whose guidance the Slavic translators rendered the second half of the verse under consideration, should the words μᾶλλον χρῆσαι be understood—words that are rendered unclearly in the Russian translation by the expression ‘make better use of it.’ The Apostle regards remaining in slavery as a spiritual exploit undertaken by the Christian. The Christian slave must remember that he was called to Christ as a slave, that Christ found him worthy of His fellowship despite his servile condition—and therefore he should not strive to exchange this position for another.

1 Corinthians 7:22. For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord; likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ. 1 Corinthians 7:23. You were bought with a great price; do not become slaves of men. The Apostle regards it as all the more natural for a Christian slave to remain in slavery, since within the Christian community the distinctions between masters and slaves in reality do not exist.—‘Called in the Lord,’ that is, called through the Lord Jesus Christ. If he responded to this call, he thereby became inwardly free, and slavery holds no terror for him. Conversely, the free man who was called feels that he has become a servant of the Lord, and this brings him not sadness but joy. Given that God has acquired Christians as His own servants at a great price—the sacrifice of His Son for the sins of humanity—Christians must serve God alone and must not enter into a relation of slavish submission to people—to various agitators who were apparently urging the Corinthian slaves to throw off their slavery by any available means, as something entirely incompatible with their exalted position as the elect of God (cf. 1 Cor 4:15).

1 Corinthians 7:24. Brothers, let each person, in whatever calling he was called, remain there before God. This is the conclusion to the thoughts set forth from verse 17 through verse 23.—‘Before God.’ A Christian, remaining in his former external position even after accepting the faith, must at the same time place himself before the face of God, fulfilling his duties—however lowly they may be—out of devotion to God. The fulfillment of even such duties thereby becomes equivalent to worship. 1 Cor 7:25-40. Since in antiquity the fate of virgins was decided by their fathers, who themselves chose husbands for their daughters, the Apostle considers it necessary to offer special guidance to Christian parents. He advises that it is better not to give daughters in marriage, if this is at all possible (25–26), first, in view of the difficult times through which Christianity was then passing (27–31), and second, in view of the advantages that celibacy has over marriage when it comes to serving the Lord (32–38). Finally, the Apostle gives the same advice to widows (39–40).

1 Corinthians 7:25. Now concerning virgins I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. ‘As one who’—more correctly: as one who by the grace of God is able to give you good counsel; or: to be a trustworthy guide for you.—The Apostle evidently speaks here with a certain irony. The Corinthians appeared to be asking whether there was any direct ‘commandment’ of Christ, as if not satisfied with his apostolic words. The Apostle reminds them that even if he does not have a direct commandment of Christ and gives only his own counsel, these counsels should still merit attention as those of a person who had penetrated, with a mind guided by the Spirit of God, especially deeply into the mysteries of the Christian faith.

1 Corinthians 7:26. I consider that, in view of the present distress, it is good for a man to remain as he is. ‘In view of the present distress’ (διά τ ενεστῶσαν ανάγκην). The Apostle here has in mind the entire period that must pass between the descent of the Holy Spirit upon believers and the Second Coming of Christ. This is a period of ‘distress,’ or constant struggle between the new life and the old (cf. Luke 12:51), a ‘present distress,’ that is, one that has already set in, already begun. Persecutions of Christianity by the pagan authorities were about to begin. All this impels the Apostle to advise those who are unmarried to remain in the unmarried state.—The entire verse is more correctly translated as: ‘I believe that, in view of the already oncoming difficult time for Christians, it is better to remain a virgin, because in general it is good for a person to remain so, that is, unmarried.’ Thus the first half of the verse contains a reference to a particular reason urging toward celibacy, while the second half gives a general basis for the same.

1 Corinthians 7:27. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be freed. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 1 Corinthians 7:28. But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will face bodily trials, and I want to spare you. The Apostle now sets forth with greater detail the thought about the inconveniences connected with married life. Of course, there is no sin in married life, but in the present state of Christianity, a married man and a married woman will have to endure no little unpleasantness in life, which a person bears more easily when alone.—‘Bodily trials’—these are the external, physical hardships that were to afflict Christians with families especially during times of persecution.

1 Corinthians 7:29. This is what I mean, brothers: the time has grown short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 1 Corinthians 7:30. and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, 1 Corinthians 7:31. and those who deal with the world as though they were not absorbed in it. For the present form of this world is passing away. ‘The time has grown short.’ The moment when the present order of things must come to an end is not far off. We do not know how long the present phase of the Church’s life will continue (cf. Mark 13:32). In view of this, one must not plunge one’s heart and mind into earthly things; marriage, joy, sorrow, commerce and the general enjoyment of the world—all this is fleeting. Of course, the Apostle does not deprive Christians of all joy and does not forbid concern for worldly things, but only cautions against excess in either.—‘Those who deal with the world’—this expression encompasses marriage, property, and commerce, as well as every political, scholarly, and artistic activity. All such persons must, according to the Apostle, look upon what occupies them as temporary and fleeting, without attaching themselves to it with the full force of the soul.—Can this requirement be applied to Christians of the present day, before whom the specter of a near end of the world does not loom with such vividness? Entirely so, because no person should be confident of the durability of the results of his activity: in scholarship, art, and politics everything is constantly being replaced by something else, and consequently, in general, the feelings of the modern Christian should not differ from those with which a Christian of the apostolic age labored in the various fields of life and art. And as for where to draw the line between ‘dealing with the world’ and ‘not dealing with it’—this is something the Christian’s moral discernment must determine.

1 Corinthians 7:32. I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord; 1 Corinthians 7:33. but the married man is concerned about worldly things, how to please his wife. There is a difference between the married and the unmarried woman: 1 Corinthians 7:34. the unmarried woman is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord, so that she may be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is concerned about worldly things, how to please her husband. The Apostle is now speaking no longer of the extraordinary cares that must afflict Christian parents in times of persecution of the Church, but simply of the moral difficulties to which married life leads at any time. A free, single person can—if he wishes—devote himself entirely and without wavering to the service of the Lord. A married man, on the other hand, must also take into account the desires of his wife, to support whom is likewise a sacred duty for him. ‘There is a difference between the married and the unmarried woman’—in Greek, Μεμέρισται η γυνή καί η παρθένος. Evidently these words, in this reading, belong to verse 34. But according to the better reading, they should be read as follows: καί μεμέρισται, ‘and is divided,’ that is, ‘the married man is concerned about worldly things… and is divided’—divided in his strivings between attachment to Christ and the cares of everyday life. Then, according to this reading, the expression beginning verse 34 follows: η γυνή η άγαμος καί η παρθενος η άγαμος, that is, the unmarried woman (widow) and the unmarried virgin μεριμνᾶ—is concerned, and so on.—‘That she may be holy in body and spirit.’ From this it does not at all follow that cohabitation with a husband is sinful for a woman or defiles her body and spirit. This expression only means that the said virgin or widow has resolved to dedicate herself entirely to the service of the Lord. In marriage, however, a woman does not alone have authority over her own body—her husband also does (cf. v. 4)—and her soul is divided between earthly and heavenly cares.

1 Corinthians 7:35. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord. The Apostle wishes here to defend himself against the suspicion that he is giving instructions to believers only in accordance with his own views. No, he is pursuing only the true benefit of believers and wishes to point out to them the simplest way to serve God unhindered. One may suppose that as the Apostle wrote this, the image of Mary sitting at the feet of Christ in Bethany and listening to His words hovered before his mind (cf. Luke 10:39-42).

1 Corinthians 7:36. If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward his virgin, if she is past her prime and it seems necessary, let him do what he wishes—he is not sinning; let them marry. 1 Corinthians 7:37. But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no compulsion and having control over his own will, and has resolved in his heart to keep his virgin, does well. 1 Corinthians 7:38. So then, the one who gives his virgin in marriage does well, and the one who does not give her in marriage does better. Here the Apostle draws a practical conclusion from what was said above. He takes two cases possible in relation to the situation of virgins and gives instructions as to how to act in each of these cases. The first case: a father of a virgin finds it more appropriate to give her in marriage. The Apostle says to this that the man will not sin by carrying out his decision (it should be noted that old maids in antiquity attracted contempt—cf. Ps 77:63). The second case: sometimes a father comes to the firm conviction that the celibate life is better for his daughter than married life, while at the same time from the persons closest to him (his daughter herself and his wife) he encounters no serious obstacle to carrying out his decision. If he has definitively resolved to keep or preserve his daughter solely for service to the Lord, then he has acted in this case better than one who decided to give his daughter in marriage.—In establishing this principle, the Apostle was not afraid that its implementation in life should bring an end to the existence of humanity. He knew that by no means all Christians have the inclination or gift for the celibate life (cf. v. 7).

1 Corinthians 7:39. A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 7:40. But in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God. The Apostle considers it necessary to speak separately about widows, apart from widowers (vv. 8 and 9), because the situation of the former was somewhat different from that of the latter. Whereas public opinion in antiquity was entirely favorable toward a second marriage of widowers, it was considered more fitting for a widow to remain unmarried for the rest of her life (cf. Luke 2:36).—‘Only in the Lord,’ that is, only if both she and her new husband remain in communion with Christ. This means that a widow may remarry ‘only’ to a Christian.—‘By my judgment’—see vv. 6–7 and 10.—‘And I think….’ Here, evidently, is irony. The Apostle has in mind those opponents of his who even denied him any inspiration, such as was the portion of the majority of ordinary Christians in Corinth. * * * In Judea a wife had no right to initiate divorce proceedings. According to Ph. Bachmann, the passage speaks here of the holiness of the pagan spouse for the Church, that is, for all other members of the Church, who regard such a person as ‘one of their own’ and are not afraid of being defiled, for example, by his presence at table. Godet holds that the Apostle has in mind exactly the opposite, and in his opinion this passage should be translated as: but if you could become free, rather make use of this possibility (and do not remain in slavery). The consideration that should carry particular persuasive weight, according to Godet, is that the Apostle could not have given a slave-Christian such an ‘unreasonable’ counsel. Freedom is a good by which a person in a certain sense resembles God, and to renounce freedom voluntarily is to harm oneself… But these considerations are not sufficiently persuasive. One must remember that the Gospel did not wish to change social relations but sought to transform the inner state of the person. Only by having made a person free within could it bring an end to his external slavery as well. Some commentators (Grafe, Achelis) hold that what is discussed here is not fathers but guardians, who were sometimes in a ‘spiritual’ marriage with the virgins entrusted to their care (virgines subintroductae) and therefore did not wish to give them in marriage. But this custom is a phenomenon of a later period, and the Apostle could not have had it in mind here. For more detail see Ph. Bachmann.

Chapter Eight

The question of food sacrificed to idols from the standpoint of a general Christian view of idols (1–7). However, the understanding of idols is not the same for all Christians, and on this must be based certain obligations of one Christian toward another (8–13).

1 Cor 8:1-7. The position of Christians in Corinth and other Greek cities in relation to their pagan fellow-citizens was quite difficult. On the one hand they could not break off all family and friendly relations with them—this was not in the interests of the Gospel either. On the other, by maintaining these relations, Christians were exposed to various kinds of temptation and might prove unfaithful to Christian principles of life. Thus they were often invited to dinners given by pagans, and these dinners consisted of foods consecrated in pagan temples, or were arranged directly at these temples immediately after the offering of a sacrifice on the occasion of some family celebration. From the remnants of the sacrifice a feast was arranged for those who brought it. Sometimes these remnants were sold directly in the market and could, through ignorance, be purchased by Christians as well.—How did Christians relate to this situation? Some, the most free from superstition, said that the pagan gods are only a product of human imagination and that therefore one could eat such foods without any harm to one’s spiritual state; others avoided such feasts and such foods, fearing that by means of them they might fall under a harmful demonic influence. If the former undoubtedly belonged to the school of the Apostle Paul, the latter could also be his disciples, but they had not yet succeeded in freeing themselves from the conception of idols with which they had grown up since childhood, that is, they still looked upon idols as gods, as certain real beings.—The Apostle, in view of what has been said above, considers it necessary first of all to point out that the question of whether or not to eat food sacrificed to idols must be decided not only on the basis of knowledge about the nature of the pagan gods, but also on the basis of love for one’s neighbor. The Corinthians at any rate—those strong in faith—do not recognize in idols any real beings and believe only in the one Creator-God. But unfortunately not all have such understanding: there are among them those whose conscience is troubled when they have to eat meat sacrificed to idols—and those strong in faith must reckon with this fact.

1 Corinthians 8:1. Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that all of us possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. After the expression ‘concerning food sacrificed to idols’ it is better to add: ‘I will say the following:’—‘We know.’ ‘We’ refers to Paul and Sosthenes (1 Cor 1:1), and then also to those Corinthians who think as they do.—‘Because’ (ότι)—more correctly: ‘that.’ It is in just this sense that the said Greek particle is used in verse 4, which properly represents a repetition and continuation of the first phrase of verse 1.—‘All,’ that is, all Corinthian Christians who, by accepting baptism, thereby renounced the errors of polytheism and accepted the faith in the one God—they ‘know’ only Him.—‘But knowledge….’ From this phrase through verse 4, there is an interpolated remark by the Apostle about the insufficiency of ‘knowledge’ for the proper development of Christian life.—‘Puffs up,’ that is, makes a person presumptuous, vain, and frivolous.—‘Love builds up.’ Only knowledge that is combined with love is highly beneficial, since it is precisely love that understands and is able to appreciate in a neighbor everything truly worthy of attention.

1 Corinthians 8:2. If anyone thinks he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. This expression of the Apostle recalls the ancient saying of a Greek sage: ‘I know only that I know nothing!’—A person who lacks love is incapable of penetrating into the essence of a thing or phenomenon, because love brings the knower closer to the known, establishing between the two a close inner connection. Love is thus a necessary condition for all true knowledge.

1 Corinthians 8:3. But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. The Apostle has just said that where there is no love, there is no knowledge either. Now he clothes the same thought in the form of a positive statement: where there is love, there is also true knowledge!—‘Whoever loves God’—the Apostle thus has in mind knowledge about God, about His decrees, and therefore speaks here specifically about love for God. A person who loves God receives ‘knowledge’ from God and becomes capable of understanding and feeling the needs of his brothers.—However, the majority of ancient codices reads the second half of verse 3 as: ‘he is known by Him’ (έγνωσται), as it stands in the Slavonic translation. This reading gives a thought about the greatness of the person who loves God: God Himself—the King of the universe—knows him, just as an earthly king knows certain of his most distinguished subjects. ‘To know’ here has the meaning: to recognize, to value, to love (cf. Gal 4:9).

1 Corinthians 8:4. Therefore, concerning the eating of food sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one. After the digression (vv. 1b–3), the Apostle returns again to the thought he expressed at the beginning of verse 1. In doing so he makes a certain change: instead of pointing to what the Christians know—that all of them have knowledge—he says that what is known to them is the worthlessness of idols. Thus, instead of the fact of knowledge, the object of knowledge is indicated.—‘An idol is nothing in the world.’ Since pagans saw in an idol-image the bearer and fully empowered representative of a particular deity, the Apostle says that nowhere in all the world is there a being that would correspond to the image and personage of Jupiter, Apollos, and other gods.

1 Corinthians 8:5. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many gods and many lords — 1 Corinthians 8:6. yet for us there is one God the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. Here the Apostle somewhat qualifies his thought about the worthlessness of paganism. ‘There are so-called gods.’ The imagination of the pagans peopled heaven and earth—with its mountains, seas, springs, and forests—with divine beings. But these gods are gods only in name, in title; their existence is illusory! They exist (‘there are’)—only in the imagination of their worshippers.—‘As indeed there are many gods and many lords.’ Here the Apostle wishes to say that if individual mythological deities are nothing other than images created by human imagination, nevertheless behind these images stand genuinely existing forces with which one must reckon. What are these forces? The Apostle regards paganism in general as the work of evil spirits, who turned humanity away from God and filled with worthless and impure images of fantasy the void that formed in human hearts as a result. He therefore says that the pagans offer their sacrifices to demons (1 Cor 10:20), that demons are world-rulers of the darkness of this age (Eph 6:12), and that Satan is the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4). Thus, the expression ‘many gods’ may designate in the Apostle’s usage the higher spirits of the kingdom of darkness, while the expression ‘many lords’ designates spirits of a lower order who are at the disposal of the former. Does the view of the origin of paganism expressed here by the Apostle contradict the theory we find in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Romans? No, there is no contradiction here, but rather a supplement to that theory. There the Apostle explains the origin of paganism purely psychologically, without mentioning the influence of evil spirits in this matter. He does this in order to clarify the sinfulness of humanity itself, which was entirely permeated with sin and therefore created such a sinful thing as idolatry. Here, however, in order to give the Corinthians certain practical instructions, he points first of all to demonic influence in the formation of paganism. ‘But for us’—to these gods and lords, who exist only in the imagination yet have behind them a certain reality, the Apostle contrasts the one God and the one Lord.—‘Father’—in relation to Christ and to believers.—‘From whom are all things,’ that is, everything proceeds only from God.—‘And for whom we exist’ (εις αυτόν), that is, in Him we have the goal of our existence. The Apostle wishes to show here not the greatness and perfection of God, but to clarify that nothing can defile believers (even meat offered in sacrifice to idols, cf. ch. 10). Indeed, how can anything that has proceeded from God prevent a person from fulfilling his calling, his service to God?—‘And one Lord.’ Just as God is contrasted to the principal pagan deities, so Christ is contrasted to the deities of the second rank, who serve as intermediaries between these higher deities and the world.—‘Through whom are all things.’ Of God it was said ‘from whom’ (εξ αυτοῦ) all things, of Christ—‘through whom’ (δι οῦ). But both in the one case and in the other, the subject is the creation of the world, where God was the First Cause and the Son of God the instrument, the executor (cf. John 1:3; Col 1:15-17).—‘And through whom we exist.’ Here the word ‘we’ is contrasted with the word ‘all.’ The Apostle here points to spiritual creation or to redemption (cf. Col 1:18-22). Thus, in his conception, in the physical realm we are ‘from’ God and ‘through’ Christ, and in the spiritual realm—‘through’ Christ and ‘for’ God.—This passage is important as evidence that the Apostle already at an early period held the same view of Christ as he expresses in his later epistles (Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians).

1 Corinthians 8:7. But not all have this knowledge. Some, through former association with idols, eat food sacrificed to idols as if it were truly offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Not all, however, are so consistent in faith. Some, while believing in the one God, still cannot free themselves from the thought that idols exist and that they do indeed exercise a defiling influence on the foods offered to them.—‘But not all have this knowledge.’ Does this expression contradict what was said in verse 1: ‘all of us have knowledge’? No, it does not. There the reference is to ‘some’ knowledge (γνῶσις—without the article), and here to a definite, firm, and complete knowledge (γνῶσις with the article). The latter is not possessed by all—not all are free from every doubt and wavering in ‘particular’ cases of life, while ‘in general’ they acknowledge the basic dogma of Christianity.—‘With a conscience’ (συιειδήσει), that is, being inwardly convinced of the reality of idols. Some ancient codices put the word ‘habit’ (συνήθεια) in place of the word ‘conscience,’ but the meaning of the passage is not altered by this; it only adds the supplementary thought that the Apostle is referring here to Christians from paganism who, out of old habit, regard idols as real beings.—‘And their conscience, being weak,’ that is, their moral consciousness is feeble. They cannot regard themselves as beings sufficiently free and insured against demonic influence. Therefore, when eating meat sacrificed to idols, such people defile themselves in their own eyes, appearing to themselves as truly stained and having sinned before God. 1 Cor 8:8-13. In view of the existence of such Christians, those strong in faith must not display their freedom too openly. They must not eat food sacrificed to idols in a pagan temple, because this might compel the one weak in faith likewise to eat this meat, only then, in private, to bitterly repent such an action. In order not to sin against a brother—a weak Christian—and through this against Christ Himself, the Apostle is willing to abstain entirely from eating meat.

1 Corinthians 8:8. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do eat. 1 Corinthians 8:9. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. Here the Apostle addresses the Christians who are strong in faith. There is no reason for them to strive to eat meat sacrificed to idols! If they think this will bring them closer to God, they are mistaken: we do not become better by eating certain food, and we lose nothing by not eating it. Yet in this eating there is the danger of causing offense to a weak brother.—‘Your right.’ This is an allusion to the principle held by many Corinthian Christians: ‘all things are lawful for me!’ (1 Cor 6:12).

1 Corinthians 8:10. For if anyone sees you, who have knowledge, sitting at table in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, since his conscience is weak, to eat food sacrificed to idols? 1 Corinthians 8:11. And so by your knowledge this weak brother is ruined, the one for whom Christ died. The Apostle here makes a practical application of the general principles set forth above (in vv. 7–9).—‘Someone’—of course from among those spoken of in verse 7.—‘Idol’s temple’—from the Old Slavonic expression: кап—image, idol. Such was the name for the place in which an idol or image (ειδωλεῖον) was placed.—‘Will he not be encouraged.’ The bold appearance of a Christian in a pagan temple and his fearless consumption of food prepared from the remains of an idol sacrifice will not leave the weak Christian without effect—the one who had at first declined to participate in such a feast. But of course he will participate in this feast not out of conviction, but only out of imitation of Christians stronger in faith. His inner attitude toward idols will not change through this. The unfaithfulness to the Lord that he has, in his own estimation, committed here will, the Apostle believes, separate him from the Lord, and with this his spiritual dying will begin, which can lead a person to eternal perdition (cf. Rom 14:15). Thus the one strong in faith will display his strength in what? In destroying his brother! He will destroy his brother by his ‘knowledge,’ that is, by his high Christian development, which he so eagerly sought to attain! He will destroy a person for whom Christ suffered death! Is it not strange then that the one strong in faith insists on proving his faith and his free view of paganism?

1 Corinthians 8:12. When you thus sin against the brothers and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ. 1 Corinthians 8:13. Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble. The Apostle particularly emphasizes the criminal nature of the behavior of the strong toward Christ. To offend Christ, to hinder His work—this is a great sin! The Apostle is so penetrated by the seriousness of the question he has raised that he even makes a kind of vow not to eat not only meat sacrificed to idols, but meat in general (κρέας), if the eating of it gives a neighbor occasion for stumbling. * * * Ph. Bachmann sees here a reference to good angels who truly dwell in heaven, and to personal gods—emperors and judges—in the sense of Ps 133. But the reasons he gives for his opinion are quite unconvincing.

Chapter Nine

Paul is a true Apostle and his rights as an Apostle (1–14). The Apostle voluntarily renounced the right to receive remuneration for his preaching activity by virtue of the principle of self-denial he had adopted (15–22). What dangers would have awaited the Apostle Paul had he refused to travel the path of voluntary renunciation (23–27).

1 Cor 9:1-14.

The Apostle Paul had no few opponents in Corinth (cf. 2 Cor 12:11-18) who sought to diminish his authority as an Apostle. Even the fact that he did not wish to accept remuneration for his preaching labors was held against him by his opponents, who saw in this a proof that he himself did not consider himself equal to the other Apostles of Christ. In view of such attacks on him, the Apostle first proves that he is a true apostle, and particularly for the Corinthians, that he has all the rights of an apostle and should receive support from the Corinthian community, as any laborer—as for instance a priest serving the altar receives income from the altar—although in fact the Apostle did not make use of this right, so as not to put any obstacle in the way of his preaching about Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:1. Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? In the last verses of chapter VIII the Apostle said that for the benefit of his brothers he was prepared for self-denial. Now he develops this thought, but first considers it necessary to indicate that he has something to renounce, that what he voluntarily gives up does truly belong to him.—‘Am I not an apostle?’ It seems more correct to place this question, in accordance with many ancient manuscripts, in second place, and the question ‘Am I not free?’ in first place. In this way the transition from chapter VIII to chapter IX will be considerably more logical. In the preceding chapter he addressed people who were strong in faith and who prided themselves on their Christian freedom. In the present chapter he places himself in comparison with these people and asks them whether they do not acknowledge that he is fully in possession of such freedom? Then he points to the fact that he is truly an Apostle of Christ. Since at the appointment of an Apostle in place of Judas the requirement had been stated that the new Apostle should be from among the constant companions of Christ (Acts 1:22), Paul says that he also ‘saw’ Jesus Christ—of course during the journey to Damascus. This vision, as is known, was his ordination to the apostolic dignity by Christ Himself. The Apostle at this point calls Christ ‘our Lord’ in order to designate Him as the Head of the Church, who alone has the right to call anyone to apostolic ministry (cf. Gal 1:1 and Acts 1:26). This is the first proof of the genuineness of his apostleship. But since his opponents might call this vision a play of the imagination, the Apostle Paul considers it necessary to give a second proof of his apostleship: he points to the founding by him of the Church in Corinth, which is his ‘work.’ Wherein lies the force of this proof? The Apostle, as he says in chapter II (vv. 1–2), came to Corinth weak and defenseless. Could he have hoped that his work here would succeed? No. Yet his work proved solid.—The Church in Corinth was founded and began to flourish. Who then helped him in this case, if not Christ—the Lord who called him?! (my work—in the Lord).

1 Corinthians 9:2. If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 9:3. This is my defense to those who would examine me. Developing the last thought, the Apostle declares that the Corinthian Church can directly be called the ‘seal’ that the Lord Himself has placed upon his apostolic ministry.—‘Those who would examine me’—more correctly: those who are conducting an inquiry into the legitimacy of my apostleship.

1 Corinthians 9:4. Do we not have the right to eat and drink? 1 Corinthians 9:5. Do we not have the right to take along a believing woman as a wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 1 Corinthians 9:6. Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? The Apostle has the right to receive support from the Corinthian Church.—‘We,’ that is, I, Barnabas, and perhaps Timothy and Silas who participated in the founding of the Corinthian Church as co-workers of the Apostle Paul.—‘To eat and drink’—at the expense of the Corinthian Christian community, of course.—‘Take along a believing woman as a wife.’ From the Greek this is more precisely translated: ‘a sister—that is, a sister in the faith—as a wife.’ The Vulgate translates: ‘a wife as a sister’—of course in order to find here a basis for clerical celibacy. A new English translation divides both expressions as: ‘a sister, a wife.’ The first translation is more accurate: ‘a sister—that is, a Christian woman—as a wife,’ because the Apostle further appeals to the example of other apostles who, according to the testimony of antiquity, were all married except John (Clement of Alexandria and Ambrosiaster).—‘Brothers of the Lord’—see Matt 13:55 and parallel passages.—The Apostle thus wishes to say that the other Apostles and he, if married, would have the right to receive support from the Christian communities they founded, not only for themselves but also for their wives.—‘Barnabas,’ though he was not called by Christ Himself to apostolic ministry as the Apostle Paul was, nonetheless, as his co-worker (Acts 13:1 and ff.; Gal 2:1 and ff.), occupied a high position.—‘Refrain from working’—for earning one’s livelihood, of course.

1 Corinthians 9:7. Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Who tends a flock without getting some of the milk from the flock? The Apostle confirms the same thought about his right to support by appealing to the universally observed custom by which a soldier receives support, a vinedresser takes income from the vineyard, and a shepherd uses the milk from his flock. The Apostle probably chose these examples because the people of God were often depicted by the prophets under the images of an army, a vineyard, and a flock.

1 Corinthians 9:8. Do I say these things on merely human authority? Does not the law say the same? 1 Corinthians 9:9. For it is written in the Law of Moses: ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.’ Is it for oxen that God is concerned? This appeal to universally observed custom is here reinforced by an appeal to divine law, or the law of Moses.—‘An ox when it treads out the grain.’ Wheat in the East was threshed in such a way that oxen or horses were driven over the spread-out sheaves, and with their hooves knocked the grain out of the ears; or an animal was harnessed to a small cart in which a worker stood and drove the ox.—‘Is it for oxen that God is concerned?’ In giving the said law, God was not really concerned about animals, to whom He could always send food from Himself. He wished by this to awaken in the Jews good feelings toward their laborers. If—the Jews should have said to themselves—the Lord shows such care even for oxen and teaches us to be kind to them, how much more does He bind us to be kind to reasoning, free beings who labor for us?!

1 Corinthians 9:10. Or does he say it entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the one who plows should plow in hope, and the one who threshes should thresh in hope of receiving a share. ‘Or, entirely for our sake?’ It is better to translate: ‘or—if it is impossible to suppose that God spoke for the sake of oxen—did He not say this for our sake in the full sense of the word (πάντως)?’—‘For our sake,’ that is, in order to establish proper relations between you, human beings. Some commentators refer this expression only to preachers of the Gospel, but the Apostle clearly contrasts not apostles, but human beings in general, to oxen.—‘For the one who threshes’—this second half of the verse is read differently in different codices. According to the Alexandrian manuscripts, as well as the Vatican and Sinai codices, this passage should be translated as it appears in the Russian translation. But it is difficult to agree with this reading, because in it both tasks—plowing and threshing—are equated with each other, whereas in Holy Scripture the former is presented as very difficult while the latter is easy and constitutes part of the harvesting work, serving as a kind of festival for the laboring plowman (cf. Ps 125:5). It is therefore better to accept here the reading of other, Greco-Latin, ancient manuscripts as better corresponding to the Apostle’s thought, that is, to translate: ‘the one who plows should plow in hope (which sustains the plowman in his difficult work) that at threshing he will not be left unrewarded’ (as would happen if his mouth were bound with a bag, like an ox’s). With respect to the thresher the expression ‘in hope’ is in fact entirely unsuitable, because threshing is a sure undertaking—unlike sowing, which may not yield fruit.

1 Corinthians 9:11. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? The Apostle now applies the example from the life of the farmer to himself and his co-workers. But in doing so he makes it clear to the Corinthians that they cannot even sufficiently reward him for his activity, because his work is spiritual, while the support they should have given him is a material matter. Consequently, there cannot be any particular presumption in the Apostle’s expressing his rights to the support that should have come to him from the Corinthian Church: this is so small compared with what the Apostle Paul gave to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 9:12. If others share this rightful claim over you, do we not even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure everything so as not to put any obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. ‘Others’—these are either local, Corinthian preachers, or Judaizing persons who came from Jerusalem.—‘Rightful claim over you’—more precisely: authority over you or the right to receive support from you.—‘Nevertheless, we have not made use of it.’ The Apostle speaks of this in detail below (v. 15). Here the Apostle says this, unable to restrain his indignation when mentioning his opponents who leveled various charges against him. After this he resumes the thought begun above.—‘We endure everything’—cf. 2 Cor 11:24-27.—‘To put any obstacle in the way of the gospel.’ Of course, if the Apostle had begun, following the example of philosophers and itinerant rhetoricians, to charge for his sermons, many might first have equated him with rhetoricians and philosophers and looked upon the very Gospel as a philosophical system, and second might have accused the Apostle of spreading the Gospel out of personal interest, in order to draw more income from his pupils.

1 Corinthians 9:13. Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? The passage evidently refers to the Hebrew, Levitical priesthood, because the Apostle could not have used the word ‘temple’ with reference to a pagan temple, which he calls ‘idol’s temple’ (1 Cor 8:10).—‘Those employed in the temple service’—more precisely: ‘those who take care of worship.’ This refers to all Levites, including priests.—‘Those who serve at the altar’—these are the priests.—The Levites received tithes from the people and a portion of the sacrificial offerings, while the priests received a portion of the Levitical tithes and portions of the sacrifices.

1 Corinthians 9:14. In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. Here the Apostle adduces an already irrefutable proof—namely, the commandment of the Lord Himself. He has in mind, of course, what is transmitted by the evangelist Matthew (Matt 10:10; cf. Luke 10:7).—It is clear that the Apostle regards preaching as a special kind of ministry established by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Whereas other believers engage in the work of their profession, preachers must leave their work (‘leave their nets’ as the Apostles also had to do) in order to devote themselves exclusively to care for human souls. Therefore the Church they serve is obligated to care for their support. This applies also to the Christian clergy and establishes for them the right to receive support from their flock. 1 Cor 9:15-22. However indisputable the rights of the Apostle Paul to receive support from the Christian communities, he voluntarily renounced this right. His motive for this renunciation was the consideration that his preaching ministry was for him personally not a merit but an obligation before Christ. The Apostle extended his self-denial even further than the refusal of remuneration. In all his activity as a preacher he sacrificed his freedom wherever the benefit of his neighbor, the salvation of people, required it.

1 Corinthians 9:15. But I have made no use of any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest it should be done for me. I would rather die than have anyone nullify my boast. The Apostle speaks of his renunciation of his rights to remuneration in order to give a lesson to those among the Corinthian Christians who were unwilling, in the name of their freedom, to renounce the eating of food sacrificed to idols.—‘I have made no use.’ The Apostle begins speaking of himself in the singular here, because what he speaks of is significant only for him personally.—‘That it should be done for me,’ that is, that they might give me support, as they do to other teachers.—‘My boast,’ that is, what I rightfully take pride in (namely my refusal of support).

1 Corinthians 9:16. For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! Why would the Apostle rather die than lose the glory of being a teacher of the faith without charge? Because in the very teaching or preaching he cannot take pride—the performance of this ministry is for him a matter of necessity, of duty. While the twelve Apostles followed Christ by their free decision, the Apostle was compelled to take upon himself the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles; otherwise condemnation awaited him (Acts 9:5).

1 Corinthians 9:17. For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. If the Apostle had entered upon the field of preaching about Christ by his own desire, this could have been credited to his praise. Yet he undertook this work not of his own will: like a trusted servant (cf. Luke 12:42), he must carry out the master’s commission, expecting no reward.

1 Corinthians 9:18. What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may proclaim the gospel of Christ free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. The Apostle, however, does not wish to carry out the task entrusted to him as a slave. He wishes to do it as a free person, as a friend of the One who entrusted this work to him. For this purpose he resolved to preach without charge.—‘What then is my reward?’ That is: ‘in what way have I resolved to obtain a reward from the Lord? (The Apostle does not wish to work without a reward.) By preaching free of charge, I am thereby doing what was not assigned to me as an obligation. By this I place myself on par with the twelve Apostles who voluntarily attached themselves to the Lord.’

1 Corinthians 9:19. For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. The Apostle Paul’s self-denial is not limited to his refusal of support: it extends to his entire activity. In all his work he renounced his rights wherever this renunciation could bring benefit to his neighbor. He submitted to others’ customs in order to win a greater number of believers for Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:20. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews; to those under the law I became as one under the law (though not myself being under the law), in order to win those under the law. 1 Corinthians 9:21. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law—not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ—so that I might win those outside the law. 1 Corinthians 9:22. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. Here the Apostle expounds the thought about his submission to others (‘I have made myself a servant to all’).—‘To the Jews… to those under the law.’ The first expression denotes the Jewish people, while the second embraces all who observed the law, both Jews and Jewish proselytes from among the pagans.—‘As a Jew… as one under the law.’ The Apostle refers here to the concessions he made when entering into fellowship with people accustomed to regard the law of Moses as binding on every Jew and troubled by any violation of this law. In view of this, the Apostle Paul performed circumcision on Timothy (Acts 16:3), made a vow at Cenchreae (Acts 18:18), and performed on himself the rite of Nazirite purification at the proposal of the Apostle James (Acts 21:26).—‘To those outside the law as one outside the law.’ The Apostle places himself on the level of Christians from among the pagans, for whom observance of the law of Moses was not obligatory. Although he was a Jew by birth, he felt himself, as a Christian, freed from the fulfillment of the precepts of the law, which could not represent eternal value as a universal moral law. Yet at the same time he was ‘not outside the law of God,’ that is, in his inner life he was subject to the true law, the will of God.—‘Under the law of Christ.’ With these words the Apostle explains that he submitted to the higher law of God through the fact that he first submitted to Christ. In Christ he also received the law governing his inner life. The Apostle thus distinguishes three stages of life: 1) life without law, when a person is guided in his activity only by natural inclinations; 2) life under the law, when the law is something external to the person and compels him to obedience; and 3) life in the law—the life of a Christian—when the human will becomes one with the divine law, being under the action of the Spirit of Christ.—‘The weak’—these are Christians insufficiently established in the faith, spoken of in chapter VIII. ‘To win’ them meant: not to allow them to fall away again into Judaism or paganism, which could happen if the Apostle had not limited his freedom for their sake or been ‘as the weak.’—‘Became all things’—better: ‘every kind of person’—a Jew, one under the law, and so on. Of course, the Apostle was guided in this not by any personal aims, but by love alone. But in any case this ability of the Apostle to accommodate himself to others’ views could give occasion to charge him with opportunism, and he is indeed charged with it. Is this just? There is opportunism of two kinds. Some contemporary theologians, seeing that society finds it difficult to believe in the miracles described in the Bible, try to present belief in miracles as entirely unnecessary for true piety: the essence of the Gospel—they say—is not in miracles! It is clear that such a concession to the spirit of the times cannot at all be justified, because it changes the very concept of Christianity as a religion that has attested itself by signs and wonders (Heb 2:4). It also happens that preachers of Christian morality strike from their program all the more demanding requirements of the Gospel, in order to attract to themselves people from educated society, and sometimes sacrifice a dogma of Christianity, a church discipline, which they consider binding only for the common people. Such opportunism does essential harm to true Christianity, because it encourages unbelief, moral license, and attachment to sensual pleasures. Christianity in such cases appears as a half-truth, only an imagined force, and at best only a roundabout way to the Kingdom of Heaven. But there is opportunism of a completely different kind. Some preacher of the Gospel possesses the ability to penetrate deeply into the secrets of another soul. With a loving gaze he sees all that disturbs and troubles another soul, and when he has to address to such a soul a word of exhortation, he makes concessions, softening the severity of his reproaches—yet without sacrificing in this the essential demands of the Gospel and its dogma. Such is the opportunism of the Apostle Paul. It is nothing other than a manifestation of his great humility and self-sacrifice for the benefit of his neighbor. The tolerance of this opportunism is not unlimited: it does not allow that each person may be saved in his own way (the saying of Frederick the Great), and this the Apostle Paul proved completely when he came out with a sharp rebuke against the Apostle Peter, who, by his concessions to the Judaizers in Antioch, was on the verge of utterly ruining the work that had been accomplished there through long effort by the Apostle Paul (see Gal 2:14). 1 Cor 9:23-27. Up to this point the Apostle had been speaking about how renouncing one’s right to eat food sacrificed to idols and certain other rights should be done for the sake of the benefit our renunciation brings to our neighbors. From here—up to verse 22 of chapter X—he begins to explain to the Corinthians that the same is required by their personal salvation, which will be greatly hindered for them if they make use of their rights without any regard for circumstances. In the conclusion to chapter IX now under consideration, the Apostle first of all makes it clear that he himself could easily lose his salvation if he were to step off the path of voluntary renunciation.

1 Corinthians 9:23. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. The Apostle makes so many concessions from his rights for the sake of the Gospel in order that he himself might become a participant in that salvation about which he preaches to others. The thought of the future reward promised to all who love God never leaves him: he wishes to receive the victor’s crown from the hands of the Righteous Judge.

1 Corinthians 9:24. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. To bring this thought—which constantly pursues him—of the future reward closer to the understanding of his readers, the Apostle compares his position with that of persons who participated in the so-called Isthmian Games. These games took place in Corinth every two years and, like the ancient Greek games (Olympic, Nemean), consisted of five exercises: jumping, discus-throwing, footracing, boxing, and wrestling. All of Greece followed these games with keen interest, and the victor was greeted with universal enthusiasm. During his two-year stay in Corinth, the Apostle Paul could have attended these games. He recalls only the footrace and boxing.—‘All the runners run, but only one receives the prize,’ that is, there are many eager to receive a prize at the racetrack, many run toward the goal, but only one—whoever is especially strong in faith—receives the prize.—‘So run,’ that is, like this strongest runner, gathering all your strength, and only in this way will you (many, of course, and not just one) receive the heavenly reward from the Righteous Judge. The ‘running’ of the Corinthians must consist, of course, of spiritual exercises and, above all, in self-denial.

1 Corinthians 9:25. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. Already ten months before the games their participants began preparing for them and in so doing led a very temperate way of life, so as not to weaken their body by any excess. This temperance was observed not only with respect to forbidden pleasures, but also with respect to those that were permissible from a moral standpoint. So also a Christian must abstain not only from sinful joys, but also from those accompanied or potentially accompanied by a loss of time or a weakening of moral strength. And this is all the more obligatory for a Christian, in that he receives as a reward not a simple garland of leaves—a symbol of universal human praise—but an imperishable crown.

1 Corinthians 9:26. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air; 1 Corinthians 9:27. but I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. ‘I run,’ that is, I press forward further and further along the path of Christian self-improvement (cf. Phil 3:13).—‘Not aimlessly,’ that is, not without a clear aim in view, and not without clearly seeing the path leading to this aim.—‘I do not box’—the Apostle here has in mind boxing, in which blows are struck to the chest of the opponent in order to knock him to the ground, and are not wasted in the air.—‘I discipline… my body.’ This is the opponent against whom the Apostle strikes his blows! He has in mind here his bodily organism (not the flesh as the seat of sin), which he subjects to all manner of deprivation so as to make it an obedient instrument in his hands. Instead of ‘discipline,’ or more precisely ‘knock down with a blow of the fist’ (υποπιάζω), some codices read ‘bruise’ or ‘make black and blue under the eyes’ (υπωπιάζω). The second reading seems more consistent with the preceding expression ‘I do not box.’ The Apostle designates by this word (υπωπιάζω) all the deprivations to which he subjected his body—working through the night to earn his livelihood, and so on (cf. 2 Cor 6:4-5; Acts 20:34). ‘Lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.’ But all these ascetic labors of the Apostle do not, in his eyes, represent anything special. This is simply a matter of necessity. Without them he himself could lose the reward to which he was urging others.—A Christian pastor striving to save others should not forget his own salvation, which requires from him personal feats of abstinence. And not only he, as a herald inviting to the contest (‘I preach’—κηρύσσω), but all Christians should remember that the life of a Christian must be a constant struggle of a person even against his natural inclinations, as soon as a danger arises for the person of being carried away by the desires of the world. The struggle against the old man (Rom 6:6) must be waged with unceasing energy throughout the whole life of the Christian, and it must be conducted skillfully, according to all the rules of spiritual warfare, in order to achieve the desired success. * * * The Apostle, however, says not a word to indicate that the above-stated law concerning the threshing ox has no direct application to animals. He acknowledges the literal meaning of the commandment as well, but derives from it a higher commandment—about condescension and justice toward people. From υπο and πιέσω. From υπο and ώπια (from ορσάω).

Chapter Ten

The example of the Israelites (1–11). Why Christians must not participate in pagan sacrificial meals (12–22). Rules for those who eat food offered to idols (23–33)

1 Cor 10:1-11. As an example of how one can, through negligence toward one’s own salvation, lose it, the Apostle sets before us the ancient Israelites who went out with Moses from Egypt. This people witnessed numerous miracles—signs of God’s mercy toward them—and yet perished entirely in the wilderness, because they lacked the capacity for self-denial. The same fate awaits the Corinthian Christians if they conduct themselves as those perished Israelites did.

1 Corinthians 10:1. I do not want to leave you, brothers, in ignorance of the fact that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; “I do not want to leave you, brothers, in ignorance.” The Corinthian Christians of course knew the history of the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt, but did not have a sufficiently clear understanding of the significance of the events connected with that exodus.—“Our fathers.” The Apostle does not speak here as a Jew. He sees in the Christian Church the higher stage, so to speak, of the development of the Old Testament Church, and for him the fathers of the Jewish people are at the same time the fathers of Christians.—“Were” (ῆσαν)—indicates a prolonged state.—“Under the cloud.” This expression (under—υπό) conveys the idea of divine protection, whose symbol was the cloud that moved over the encampment of Israel (Exod 13:21 and following).

1 Corinthians 10:2. and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; The passage of the Hebrews through the Red Sea had symbolic significance in itself and, beyond that, prefigured Christian baptism. Just as the one being baptized, immersed in water while the formula of the sacrament is pronounced over him, finds in that water, so to speak, the foundation of his salvation, so too the Hebrews, standing under the cloud and passing through the sea, received in this a visible sign of divine favor and salvation. They were now departing from Egypt, the land of slavery and idolatry, just as Christians through baptism are set apart from their former life in sin and under God’s condemnation.—“Were baptized into Moses.” The Hebrews followed Moses with complete faith in him, uniting themselves with him in the closest possible way—precisely as Christians in baptism are wholly united with Christ and become his body (Rom 6:3-5).—“In the cloud and in the sea,” that is, through being covered by the cloud and through passing through the Red Sea.

1 Corinthians 10:3. and all ate the same spiritual food; 1 Corinthians 10:4. and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them; and that rock was Christ. The Israelites, one might say, not only received baptism but also became worthy of holy communion. Just as the holy Eucharist serves to strengthen spiritual life in a person—a life that began at the moment of receiving baptism—so too the Israelites, after liberation from Egyptian bondage, began to receive the gracious gifts necessary for their preservation. Specifically, they ate “spiritual food,” that is, manna, and drank “spiritual drink,” that is, the water which Moses twice brought forth from the rock for them (Exod 17:1-7 and Num 20:2-13). Both are called “spiritual” on account of the extraordinary, miraculous nature of their origin (manna from heaven, water from a rock).—“All.” Yes, all the Israelites partook of these miraculous gifts of God, yet only two—Joshua and Caleb—survived to enter the promised land.—“They drank from the spiritual rock that followed.” The miraculous character of the water that flowed from the rock is explained by the fact that the rock itself had a “spiritual” nature. Here the word “spiritual” evidently refers to the essence of the rock. The rock, by its nature and essence, was such that it could perform miraculous acts—that is, it was of divine nature, since creative power belongs to God alone. It is clear that the Apostle has in mind here not the physical cliff that Moses struck with his staff twice at God’s command (Exod 17:6 and Num 20:11), but the invisible, spiritual rock that invisibly followed (“that followed”) the Israelites through the Arabian wilderness and was the true source of water. This, as the Apostle himself notes immediately, “was Christ.” Why did the Apostle call Christ a rock or cliff? Strictly speaking, Jehovah himself is called this repeatedly in Moses (Deut 32:4; cf. Isa 17:10). But the Apostle conceived of Christ as the Creator of the world pre-existing from eternity (1 Cor 8:6)—that Angel of Jehovah who appeared repeatedly to the patriarchs of the Jewish people and led the Israelites through the wilderness (cf. Isa 63:9). The bringing forth of water from the rock was only one part of the miracles which Christ, invisibly accompanying the Jewish people, wrought in the wilderness.—Thus, the inner kinship between the Old and New Testaments rests on the fact that in both there is one Head—Christ. And the conclusion drawn from this is as follows: Christ lived among the Old Testament Israelites—and yet they perished! Can Christians, after this, be confident that the same fate will not overtake them, if they imitate the Israelites in unbelief?!

1 Corinthians 10:5. But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness. Cf. Num 14:29.

1 Corinthians 10:6. Now these things were examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they craved them. The Apostle now begins to explain that the great blessings the Corinthians have received from God cannot ultimately shield them from God’s judgment.—“Now these things,” that is, the rejection of Israel after so many mercies of God.—“Were examples for us.” What happened to the Hebrews foreshadowed what could happen to Christians, and God recorded it in Scripture so that Christians would strive to avoid the same desires that once destroyed the Israelites who went out from Egypt.

1 Corinthians 10:7. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 1 Corinthians 10:8. Let us not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. The Apostle points to four examples of the sins of the Israelite people: two of them, which the Apostle mentions in verses 7–8, concern pleasures that were forbidden by God, while the two that follow (vv. 9–10) concern the murmuring that was aroused in the Israelite people by material hardships during the journey through the wilderness.—“Do not be idolaters.” From their desires the Israelites proceeded to action when Aaron made them a golden calf and organized a festival in its honor.—“To play”—more precisely: “to dance.”—“Let us not commit sexual immorality.” This sin was closely connected with idolatry. The Apostle recalls here the occasion when the Midianites, on Balaam’s advice, invited the Israelites to a festival in honor of their god Baal-Peor, where the Israelites fell into the sin of sexual immorality.—“Twenty-three thousand.” According to the book of Numbers (Num 25:9)—twenty-four thousand. Perhaps the Jewish tradition deliberately reduced the number by one thousand here, in the same way that the same tradition said that in Moses’s time an offender received not forty but thirty-nine stripes (cf. 2 Cor 11:24).

1 Corinthians 10:9. Let us not test Christ, as some of them tested him and were destroyed by serpents. 1 Corinthians 10:10. Do not grumble, as some of them grumbled and were destroyed by the destroyer. The third sin of the Israelites was their murmuring against the monotony of the food God sent them in the wilderness.—“Let us not test Christ.” By this murmuring the Israelites tempted God, that is, they provoked him to display his miraculous power in order to satisfy their whim. This was a very great sin. The Corinthians likewise commit this sin when they go to festivals in pagan temples and eat there the meat sacrificed to idols, as if thereby challenging Christ to use his power to remove from them all the harmful influence of idolatry and of this meat offered to idols.—“Do not grumble.” The fourth sin of the Israelites was their murmuring against Moses and Aaron—occasioned by the sudden death of those who had risen against the severity of God’s judgment upon the enemies of Moses and Aaron—Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (Num 16). The Russian translation refers this murmuring to the people’s uprising upon the return of the spies, see Num 14:37, but the appearance of the destroying angel indicates a sudden punishment of the murmurers, whereas in the latter case the punishment was not carried out immediately and suddenly, but only a sentence was declared that was to be executed over the course of forty years. In citing this example, the Apostle evidently had in mind the discontent that existed against him in a certain part of the Corinthian Christian church on account of the disapproval which the Apostle had expressed toward those who attended pagan banquets. Among these discontented people the question could even have arisen whether Paul had the right to make himself the head of the local church. In that case the resemblance of the Corinthians to Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, who rose up against the authority of Moses and Aaron, was of course considerable.

1 Corinthians 10:11. All these things happened to them as examples, and they were written down for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. The Apostle does not mean to say that these events did not actually occur. No, they did occur in reality, but they had significance not only for the Israelites but also for us Christians—and even more for us than for the Israelites, because we have “reached the ends of the ages.” The word “ages” (αιῶνες) denotes all the periods of the life of the world. “The ends of the ages” (more precisely: the ends of the ages). For the Apostle, the history of the messianic kingdom consists of two periods—the period of the purely spiritual dominion of the Messiah and the time of his glorious reign. “The ends of the ages”—these are, of course, the conclusion of the first period. This is the time of the final determination of the fate of human beings, and therefore all preceding periods of both the blessings and the judgments of God had only a passing and preparatory (prefigurative) significance. When this last period, preceding the revelation of the glorious kingdom of Christ, will end, the Apostle does not indicate. 1 Cor 10:12-22. The Apostle now applies what was said above to the spiritual condition of the Corinthians. They must avoid whatever might deprive them of gracious communion with Christ—namely, idolatry. Every act of worship unites a person with the being to whom it is directed. Thus the Eucharist places Christians in communion with Christ, the Jewish sacrifice brought the Israelites into contact with the altar of Jehovah, and the pagan sacrifice places a person under the influence of demons—from whom idolatry itself originated—and this is what the Apostle Paul does not wish to allow.

1 Corinthians 10:12. Therefore, let anyone who thinks he stands take care lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:13. No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to endure it. The Corinthians, who considered themselves firm in faith, must not lose sight of the possibility of falling into sin (cf. Rom 14:4).—“Has overtaken you.” The sense of this passage is: “If you were to fall, you would have no excuse for yourselves, because the temptations that have come upon you so far were not at all unbearably difficult; and as for future temptations, God is able to grant you the strength to endure them.” The Apostle evidently wants to make clear to the Corinthians that as long as they struggle against the temptations sent by God, they are not in danger of falling into sin and falling away from faith; but when they themselves, presumptuously, rush into temptations, they cannot be confident of overcoming them.—“Temptation”—see Jas 1:2.—“Common to man” (ανθρώπινος). This expression is best understood as describing the quality of the temptation: “proportionate to human strength.”

1 Corinthians 10:14. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 1 Corinthians 10:15. I speak to you as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. Here follows the conclusion from what was said in the preceding verse. Take care—says the Apostle—not to fall into temptations that God has not appointed for you and which you will likely not withstand.—“Therefore”—more precisely: “for this reason” (διόπερ), namely, because you can count on divine assistance only in those temptations which God himself sends, and in no others.—“Flee from idolatry”—more precisely: “flee away from (από) idolatry,” that is, flee from everything that has any connection with idolatry and, of course, first of all from sacrificial meals in pagan temples. Although these meals were not in themselves idolatry—a Christian could participate in them without believing in idols—nevertheless they bordered on idolatry and could lead to it.—“I speak to you as to sensible people.” The Corinthians prided themselves on their wisdom, and the Apostle now appeals to that wisdom.—“What I say.” By this the Apostle points to the reasoning that follows (vv. 16–22).

1 Corinthians 10:16. The cup of blessing that we bless—is it not a sharing in the Blood of Christ? The bread that we break—is it not a sharing in the Body of Christ? 1 Corinthians 10:17. There is one bread, and we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread. The sacrament of the Eucharist corresponds to the feast by which, in the Old Testament, the peace or salvation offering was concluded. After this offering was made, the one who brought it would dine with his family at the tabernacle and would invite the priest who had slaughtered the sacrifice, the remaining portions of which were eaten at this meal. This was a sign of reconciliation, which was thereby reaffirmed between Jehovah and the sinful human being. Likewise, in the sacrament of the Eucharist—which is the bloodless sacrifice—through the partaking of the body and blood of Christ, the believer enters into the closest communion with Christ and receives Christ within himself.—“The cup of blessing.” This is what the Israelites called the cup which the head of the family blessed at the Passover supper, reciting a special prayer of thanksgiving to God for his blessings upon the whole world and upon the people of Israel. During the celebration of the Passover before his passion, Christ likewise blessed this cup—the third in order—but he pronounced over it, in all likelihood, a new prayer of thanksgiving, relating to the redemption of humanity accomplished by him. Thus the first half of verse 16 can be rendered as: “the cup over which the Lord pronounced a prayer of thanksgiving, repeated by us each time at the celebration of the Eucharist.” “Is it not a sharing in the Blood of Christ?” In the sacrament of the Eucharist, the bread and wine are mystically transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. Calvinists ask: what blood is this—does it belong to the body of Christ that is not yet glorified, or already glorified? The more natural answer to this question would be: it is the blood which Christ shed for the salvation of humanity, consequently the blood of his not yet glorified body (Chrysostom). But the Calvinists object: how then did the Lord offer this blood to the Apostles at the supper, before it was actually shed? We answer: the sacrifice of Christ had already been offered by him in his resolve, and this made it possible to present the Apostles with his true blood.—“The bread that we break.” Although the bread was also blessed by the Lord (Matt 26:26), the Apostle, to avoid repeating himself in expression, mentions only the breaking of it.—The Apostle mentions the blood first and then the body of Christ because the blood constituted the most essential part of the sacrifice (cf. Rom 3:25).—“There is one bread.” From the communion of believers with Christ, the Apostle derives the thought of their communion with one another. The sense of verse 17 is: “since (ότι—in Slavonic: ‘inasmuch as’) there is only one bread among us, we, though we are many, form one body, for we all partake of one and the same bread.” The bond that links Christians with their common Head links them also with one another as members of one body.—“One body,” that is, the Church.

1 Corinthians 10:18. Look at Israel after the flesh: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? Having spoken of the Eucharist and its significance for believers, the Apostle now speaks of the significance of the sacrifices which the Israelites ate at the altar.—“Israel after the flesh.” This shows that the Apostle considered Christians to be the true children of Israel, who were indeed close to Israel or Jacob in spirit.—“Participants in the altar.” Through the sacrifice, the Israelites entered into communion only with the altar, being received once again into the theocratic community from which their sinful uncleanness had temporarily excluded them; whereas we Christians become partakers not of the altar, but of Christ himself (Chrysostom).

1 Corinthians 10:19. What do I say then? That an idol is anything, or that food offered to idols means anything? 1 Corinthians 10:20. No, but that what the pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. But I do not want you to be in communion with demons. Turning now to pagan sacrifices, the Apostle here too finds the idea of communion between a person and a deity clearly expressed—in this case a false deity. But how is this communion to be admitted, if these very deities do not actually exist, if there is no Apollo, no Venus, no Mars? Can the eating of meat offered to these supposed deities have any significance? No, of course not—the Apostle answers—there are no idol gods, but behind these idols exist evil, demonic powers which have managed to blind the minds of people so that they regard idols as real beings, whereas in fact they were bowing down before demons.—“Demons” (δαιμονίοις). The word δαιμόνιον has in the New Testament an entirely different meaning from that in classical writers. The latter considered it synonymous with θεῖον—something divine—and Plato said that a demon is an intermediary between the Deity and mortals (something like a good angel). In the LXX translation this word already denotes a fallen angel (cf. Deut 32:17; Isa 65:11), a demon, and it is in this sense that it is used in the New Testament as well. Incidentally, the Apostle is not at all saying that behind each idol god stands a particular demon: he wants to say only that all idolatry in general owes its origin to demons.

1 Corinthians 10:21. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 1 Corinthians 10:22. Do we dare to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? “You cannot.” The Apostle speaks here from a principled standpoint: “it is morally impossible for them to participate at one and the same time in two such opposed cults—this would mean that you contradict yourselves!”—“The cup of demons.” At pagan festive meals, libations were poured from cups in honor of various gods. The first cup of wine was dedicated to Jupiter, the second to Jupiter and the nymphs, and the third to Jupiter Savior (Salvator). Whoever drank from these three cups, which were passed to all the guests, was evidently performing service to the idols and simultaneously placing himself under the influence of demons.—“Provoke”—more precisely: “to stir up jealousy” (παραζηλοῦν). The Lord is conceived here as a husband who burns with jealousy over his wife’s unfaithfulness.—By “the Lord” here, as in other places in this epistle of the Apostle Paul (cf. 4, 9 and 21), Christ is the better reading. 1 Cor 10:23-33. The Apostle now turns to the strong in faith (cf. vv. 23, 24, 32, 33), teaching them to eat without restriction all meat sold in the market and to dine at the homes of pagans without misgiving. But—he adds—you must refrain from eating the meat at such a dinner if someone weak in faith tells you that this meat was offered to idols. In short, everything must be done for the glory of God, and no one must be caused to stumble by your behavior.

1 Corinthians 10:23. All things are permitted to me, but not all things are beneficial; all things are permitted to me, but not all things build up. The Apostle repeats the rule he stated in 1 Cor 6:12 but applies it to a different case.—“Beneficial.” This expression points to spiritual benefit in general, including the person’s own benefit.—“Builds up”—that is, specifically beneficial for the spiritual salvation of our neighbor.

1 Corinthians 10:24. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of the other. This verse is added by the Apostle to explain what he meant by the expression “builds up.” Whoever cares for the welfare of his neighbor ceases to care for pleasing himself and his own sensual nature.

1 Corinthians 10:25. Eat whatever is sold in the market without asking any questions, for the sake of conscience; 1 Corinthians 10:26. for the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. “For the sake of conscience”—more precisely: “as a matter of conscience” (διά τήν συνείδησιν). These words are related to the expression “without asking any questions,” serving as an explanation of it. The Apostle wants to say: “Eat, without asking questions about the meat, so long as your conscience does not prevent you!”—“The earth is the Lord’s.” Everything that fills the earth, and therefore meat as well, belongs to the Lord. It is said (Heinrici) that these words from Psalm 23 (Ps 23:1) formed part of the table blessing among the Hebrews.

1 Corinthians 10:27. If any of the unbelievers invites you and you wish to go, eat whatever is set before you without asking any questions, for the sake of conscience. “And you wish to go.” The Apostle does not forbid accepting invitations from pagans, since a Christian may be connected with them by family, friendly, or business relations. But he assumes that the believer will first consider the question of whether to go or not: this is clearly indicated by the expression “if you wish”—more precisely: “if you decide.”

1 Corinthians 10:28. But if someone says to you, “This has been offered to an idol,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience. For the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. 1 Corinthians 10:29. I mean not your own conscience, but that of the other person: for why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience? “If someone…”—that is, one of the guests, also a Christian.—“For his sake,” that is, so as not to lead the weak in faith to stumble at the example of the strong, and so as not to cause the weak to eat a piece of food offered to idols against their own conscience.—“For the sake of conscience”—that is, so as not to trouble the conscience of the weak person by one’s action; even if the weak person does not eat the idol-offered meat, he will still be troubled when he sees another Christian eating it.—“For the earth is the Lord’s…”—this repetition of the citation from Psalm 23 ought not to appear here, as is evident from many ancient manuscripts of the New Testament that do not have it. Our Textus Receptus borrowed it from the deacon Euthalius.—“I mean not your own conscience.” The strong in faith person, by refusing the idol-offered meat at a pagan’s dinner for the sake of his brother’s benefit—the brother being weak in faith—does not by this action at all renounce his own convictions and rights; his conscience remains independent of his brother’s conscience in faith, even when he adjusts his behavior to the demands of the weak person’s conscience.—“For why…”—that is, “What benefit would there be if my freedom were judged by another’s conscience?” No disputes over food should arise at dinner between Christians—that would only diminish the dignity of their faith.

1 Corinthians 10:30. If I partake of food with thankfulness, why should I be spoken ill of for that for which I give thanks? The Apostle here shows even more forcefully how imprudent the conduct of the strong in faith is. He eats food offered to idols, giving thanks to God for it, and yet this causes distress to the weak person, who then begins to voice his condemnation of him aloud right there at the dinner (“spoken ill of”—in Greek βλασφημειν—denotes precisely condemnation in words). Here the Apostle says the same thing that was said in the second half of verse 29.

1 Corinthians 10:31. So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:32. Give no offense to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God, In concluding his discussion of food offered to idols, the Apostle states the general principle that a Christian must always keep in mind whenever he has to make decisions on questions concerning Christian freedom in matters that are morally indifferent, such as eating and drinking. A Christian must choose not what is most pleasing or advantageous to himself, but what can best serve for the glorification of God and the benefit of his neighbor. And since the glory of God consists in the manifestation of the divine perfections, above all holiness and love, a Christian will glorify God when by his conduct he enables his fellow Christians to perceive the love and holiness of his heavenly Father. Then one must take care that our behavior does not cause our neighbors to stumble—whether they be Jews, Greeks (that is, pagans in general), or Christians (“the church of God”—this is what the Apostle calls Christians, so as to inspire greater respect for even the weakest in faith, who nevertheless constitute the community of God’s chosen). Of course, the conduct of a Christian can prevent Jews and pagans from entering the Church of Christ, and can give some Christians occasion to fall away from the Church.

1 Corinthians 10:33. just as I also try to please everyone in everything, not seeking my own advantage, but the advantage of the many, so that they may be saved. The Apostle understands that others are best taught by one’s own personal example. And so he points to the example of his own self-sacrifice for the benefit of his neighbor (cf. ch. IX).—“I try to please everyone in everything.” On “pleasing”—see above, ch. vv. 20–22 (on opportunism). Of course, the Apostle has in mind here pleasing in those cases where every Christian may freely act, not being bound by the general discipline of the Church. * * * Instead of the expression: “upon whom the ends of the ages have come,” one should say: “upon us, in whom the ages of the world—the periods of the life of the world—have reached the final goal of their movement.” The Christian Church is the goal of the entire prolonged development of the life of the world.

Chapter Eleven

On the woman’s head covering (1–16). On the disorders at the celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist (17–34)

1 Cor 11:1-16. The majority of commentators hold that already in the first half of chapter 11 the Apostle has in mind the public worship service, which was disrupted by women appearing without a head covering. This assumption is based on the fact that in verses 4, 5, and 13 mention is made of prophesying, which supposedly took place only during public worship (cf. 1 Cor 14:3-29). But nothing prevents the assumption that the gift of prophecy was also manifested in private worship, in a close family setting, where women too could appear as those who lead prayer. Certain circumstances even hinder the assumption that the Apostle has in view here prayer and prophesying during public worship. For the foundation of his ruling concerning women, the Apostle does not appeal at all to the special character of public worship; and furthermore in verse 17 he speaks of the circumstances connected with public worship as something new (cf. v. 18—“in the first place”). Finally, if public worship were in question, the Apostle would have mentioned unmarried women as well, and not wives only.

So the Apostle evidently has in view the domestic life of women. What then drew his attention here? Apparently the Corinthian Christian women were striving for full equality of rights with their husbands. The Apostle’s teaching that in Christ Jesus there is no distinction between male and female (Gal 3:28) was understood by the Corinthian women not only in the sense of equality of their rights to salvation and grace with those of men, but also in the sense of equality in everyday life as well. They expressed this understanding of equality by the fact that during household prayers, where they also sometimes prophesied, they removed their head covering, which in Corinth evidently served as a symbol of the wife’s subordination to her husband. It is against this striving of Corinthian Christian women that the Apostle now speaks, just as earlier he spoke against the striving of Christian slaves toward emancipation (1 Cor 7:21 and following). He exhorts the Corinthian women to remain within the former boundaries that were indicated to them at the very time of their creation. He requires that women wear a covering during prayer and prophesying as a sign of their subordination to their husband. Then, in order to show even more clearly the absurdity of the Corinthian women’s pretensions, the Apostle points to the general Greek custom and to the custom observed in other Christian churches.

1 Corinthians 11:1. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. This verse forms the conclusion of chapter X. The Apostle teaches Christians to imitate him, just as he himself imitates Christ. He can be an example for others only insofar as he himself follows the example of Christ, who was the model of complete self-denial (cf. Rom 15:1-3). Of course, the Apostle does not require servile imitation from Christians: the circumstances of his life and those of the Corinthians were not the same—all the more so, of course, must this be said of present-day circumstances. But the spirit of self-denial Christians must always and everywhere possess in the same measure as the Apostle Paul was imbued with it.

1 Corinthians 11:2. I commend you, brothers, because you remember all my instructions and hold fast to the traditions just as I delivered them to you. “I commend you”—more precisely: “but I commend you for this.” The particle “but” indicates a transition to a new theme.—“Traditions”—that is, instructions pertaining to the church’s life, not to doctrine. The Apostle speaks of the latter in 1 Cor 15:3.—The Apostle wants to say here that in general the conduct of the Corinthians merits praise—they strive to maintain the order established by the Apostle.

1 Corinthians 11:3. But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. But there is something in the conduct of the Corinthians that does not merit praise. The Corinthians prided themselves on the breadth of their Christian knowledge, and some of them—the most liberal—probably did not consider it necessary to be guided in their lives by the instructions of the Apostle Paul. In view of this, the Apostle says that there is one important matter they still need to learn properly, one to which they evidently paid no attention: everywhere, in the relations of person to person, of person to God, and even in the relations between God and Christ, there exists a certain subordination—something that had never entered the minds of the freedom-loving Corinthians.—“The head of every man is Christ.” The expression “head” carries a twofold meaning: on the one hand it contains the idea of a vital communion (from the head, nerves extend through the whole body), and on the other it indicates that in this communion there exists a certain inequality between the two parties. Such is also the communion between husband and wife in marriage: although it is a close and vital communion, nevertheless one party—the husband—is here the stronger, the ruling party, and the other—the wife—the dependent one, more passive than active. Such also is the relationship between the man (here “husband” means “male”) and Christ. Here too there is an active, sovereign party—Christ—and a weaker party, capable more of receiving than of acting—the man. Finally, this relationship reaches still higher, attaining to the life of the Godhead: the Father and the Son—these too are two parties standing in the closest communion with one another, yet the Son does nothing of himself, “if he does not see the Father doing it” (John 5:19). “The head of a woman is her husband.” The Apostle designates here the natural and social legal relation of the husband to the wife. The husband is the head of the family, and the wife occupies (or occupied) a subordinate position. Christianity did not abolish such an order but sanctified it. Thus, in relation to spiritual salvation, a woman, just as a man, has Christ as her head (the saying “I am the vine, and you are the branches” — John 15:5 — applies to both sexes); nevertheless, in the natural and social relation, a woman must occupy a subordinate position in relation to her husband. “And the head of Christ is God.” Ancient church commentators and some modern ones see here a reference to God’s relation to the incarnate Son of God. In favor of the correctness of this view is also the fact that the Apostle used here the term “Christ” and not “Son of God.” Godet, however, finds it possible to see here an indication of a certain subordination existing between the Son of God before the incarnation and God the Father. This view has long since been recognized as heretical (subordinationism), and moreover the argument that Godet adduces in its support carries no weight. He argues specifically that if we see here only a reference to the relation to the incarnate Son of God, then under this interpretation we must rule out the idea of the unity of life and being between Christ and God. But the Lord Jesus Christ clearly and definitively testifies that the unity between himself and the Father remained perfect also after his incarnation. “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30; cf. John 10:38).

1 Corinthians 11:4. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 1 Corinthians 11:5. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for it is the same as if she were shaved. 1 Corinthians 11:6. For if a woman will not cover her head, let her also cut off her hair; but if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. Between verse 3 and verse 4 one must insert the following thought: “if a woman is indeed subordinate to her husband, she must express this subordination also in her outward appearance, and first of all in covering her head.”—“Every man.” The Apostle mentions the man not because men in Corinth appeared at worship services with covered heads, but because through this mention the abnormality of a woman appearing with uncovered head stands out all the more sharply.—“Prays or prophesies”—explained in ch. XIV.—“His own head,” that is, both himself and Christ, his Head, whose glory he must care for. By covering his head, a man would thereby indicate that he depends on some other head besides his own heavenly one, and would thereby rob Christ of the honor due to him.—“And every woman…” Since, on the contrary, a woman has over her “even on earth” a visible head—her husband—it would be a dishonor to the husband if a woman were to put on the attire that served as a symbol of an independent position.—“Prays or prophesies”—evidently at home, and not during public worship, because the Apostle forbade women to speak at public worship (1 Cor 14:34).—“Her own head”—that is, her husband, from whom she takes away his rightful due when she prays with uncovered head.—“For it is the same…” In verse 15 it is said that long hair is an honor for a woman. Consequently, shaving or cutting the hair is a disgrace. A woman who cuts her hair thereby deprives herself of the honor that lies in the natural custom of growing hair. A woman thus places herself on the level of those women who do not wish to observe the ordinances established in nature.—“Let her also cut off her hair,” that is, it is all the same to her then! She is not constrained by any proprieties… (among the Hebrews a woman’s shaved head served as a sign of disgrace, cf. Isa 3:16-17; among the Greeks this custom did not carry the same meaning).

1 Corinthians 11:7. A man therefore ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but a woman is the glory of her husband. 1 Corinthians 11:8. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; 1 Corinthians 11:9. and man was not created for woman, but woman for man. Until now the Apostle proved the necessity of a wife’s subordination to her husband with arguments drawn from what may be called the abstract, philosophical-theological sphere. Now he derives this necessity from the history of the creation of woman.—“Image and glory of God.” The first expression (εικών) indicates that the man, by virtue of his dominion over the woman, reflects upon himself the authority of the invisible Creator of the world over all things (cf. Gen 1:26-28; Ps 8). The second (δόξα)—that the man, insofar as he remains faithful to his calling as the reflection of God’s glory, in turn glorifies God himself, laying at his feet the crown that God has placed upon him. In the same sense the representatives of the churches are called “the glory of Christ” in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians (2 Cor 8:23): they promote the glorification of Christ in various churches. Such a man—image of God and glory of God—must not conceal this dignity of his under a covering. By doing so he would dim the reflection of divine majesty that has been given to him by the Creator. By the force of this same law, however, a woman must act differently. “A woman is the glory of her husband.” This expression finds its explanation in the two expressions that follow: the woman was taken “from” the man and was created “for” the man. With all the finest qualities of her being, by free inclination, the woman strives to assist her husband in all his undertakings and thereby helps him to acquire glory.—Why, however, did the Apostle not call the woman the “image” of her husband, but only his “glory”? Because with the concept of “image” is associated the representation of lordly dignity, and a woman did not possess such lordly dignity in the home: the counterpart and participant in the governance of the household for the head of the family was not his wife but his eldest son.—“Woman for man”—see Gen 2:18.

1 Corinthians 11:10. Therefore the woman ought to have a sign of authority over her on her head, for the sake of the Angels. Since the woman was created “from” the man and “for” the man, she ought to have on her head a sign of the authority to which she is subject.—“For the sake of the Angels.” This addition apparently does not serve as a ground on which a woman must cover herself in church: the reason and purpose of this covering are already clearly enough expressed above, and for that reason verse 10 begins with the expression “therefore.” Heinrici says that “Angels” are mentioned here because they were present at the creation of the world and of humanity as instruments in God’s hands, and because they feel themselves offended when they see how the normal relations between husband and wife, established at the very creation, are violated. This thought may be accepted, with the proviso, however, that the Angels were only witnesses of the creation of the world (Job 38:7). And that they invisibly attend the worship gatherings of believers—this may be inferred from other passages in the epistles of the Apostle Paul (e.g. Eph 3:10; 1 Tim 5:21; 1 Cor 4:9). This opinion was already expressed by the ancient church commentators (Chrysostom, Augustine), but alongside it there existed another opinion, cited already by Tertullian—that here one must understand “evil” angels, who would be stirred to lust by women who have uncovered their heads. But evil angels are nowhere called simply “angels.” Some have also understood here pagan spies, presiding officers of the church, and so on, but all these opinions cannot be considered in any way well-founded. There is also the opinion that this addition is a later insertion, but this opinion likewise cannot be accepted, because the words “for the sake of the Angels” are found in all the most ancient manuscripts.

1 Corinthians 11:11. Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 11:12. For as woman came from man, so also man comes through woman; but all things are from God. The dependent position of woman in Christianity is moderated by virtue of the spiritual communion in Christ (“in the Lord”) that exists between husband and wife: one spouse is always conceived as closely bound with the other in all the circumstances of life—both in prayer and in mutual assistance in the work of spiritual perfection.—“Man through woman.” The fact that every man is born of a woman equalizes to a certain degree the position of both sexes. By this mention the Apostle humbles the husband’s pride, and with the same aim the Apostle adds further: “but all things are from God.” It is not human beings themselves who arranged their relations one way or another, but everything came to be as it is because God so willed it.

1 Corinthians 11:13. Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? The Apostle now draws attention to a particular feature in the physical constitution of man and woman. First he appeals to the reasonableness of his readers. They themselves must understand that for a woman to appear before God (“to pray to God”) with uncovered head is not fitting. After all—“all things are from God”; God has established—it is his will—that woman be in subordination to her husband. How then does she dare to appear as a suppliant before God in a manner that shows she does not wish to abide by God’s ordinance?

1 Corinthians 11:14. Does not nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, 1 Corinthians 11:15. but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory, since hair has been given to her in place of a covering? If this is not enough, let the Corinthians pay attention to what nature itself (φύσις) teaches them—nature which, so to speak, prompts women to wear long hair and men to wear short hair. The long hair of a woman, reaching almost to her feet, indicates that she ought to cover herself from the gaze of men. Conversely, by prompting men to wear short hair, nature thereby says that a man ought to appear with uncovered head, as the king of creation. For him, hair serves as a kind of crown, and for a woman—as a covering. Thus in the very physical structure of woman is revealed the all-good and all-wise will of God the Creator.

1 Corinthians 11:16. But if anyone wants to argue about this, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God. The Apostle knew that the Greeks love to argue at all times—even about things that require no discussion. Therefore, to these arguers, who perhaps could not be convinced by any rational proof, he declares that the customs of the Christian church generally do not permit women to appear with uncovered heads: such a custom exists nowhere! And indeed, the images found in the ancient Roman catacombs make it possible to verify that ancient Christian men cut their hair short, while Christian women wore a fairly long covering over their heads that fell to their shoulders and covered their faces as well.—The question is asked: was the conviction expressed by the Apostle conditioned by local and temporary relations? Would the Apostle have reasoned differently if he had lived in our time in western Europe? To this question we must answer in the negative. The grounds that the Apostle adduces are derived not from the relations and customs of his time, but bear on facts that are enduring and unchanging. Indeed, the physical constitution of woman (vv. 13–15) today and in the future will always remain the same as woman had in the days of the Apostle Paul. Furthermore, the history of the creation of man, to which the Apostle appeals (vv. 8–12), even now, as in the Apostle’s days, stands in the eyes of Christians as the principle by which the social order is built. The relationship between God and Christ, Christ and man, man and woman (v. 3)—has not essentially changed. Therefore, either one must recognize the Apostle’s arguments as unfounded, or recognize them as having significance for all times. And since there is no reason to deny the latter, it follows that one must suppose that the Apostle would today say to Christian women the same thing that he says to Christian women in the chapter under consideration. It must be noted, however, that the Apostle is not here entering the sphere of the so-called women’s emancipation in general. He speaks only of married women and their rights in church life. He does not at all prejudge such questions as the question of the right of unmarried women to receive an education, the right to hold positions in state and public service, and the like—though in any case the arguments the Apostle adduces against the striving of Christian wives to become equal to their husbands in the religious sphere, or properly speaking in their rights as members of the church society, are of undoubted significance here as well. “We must never forget”—says Meyer—“the following: women’s emancipation, even Christian emancipation, strives for the complete equation of woman with man; it rests on a misunderstanding of the Gospel; it represents a physical caricature.” 1 Cor 11:17-34. The Apostle was informed about a still more serious disorder that had occurred in the life of the Corinthian Christian community. Namely, the factional spirit that the Apostle had spoken of in the first four chapters of his epistle (17–19) had made itself felt in the worship assemblies of the Christians; and further, at these very assemblies, during the celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist—when the love feast that preceded the sacrament was still being observed—each person hastened to eat the food he had brought himself, so that it would not go to others who had nothing. The Apostle points to the abnormality of such a manner of conduct. Great is the significance of the sacrament of holy Eucharist! Here the bloodless sacrifice is offered in memory of the great sacrifice which Christ offered for humanity, and whoever unworthily partakes of the body and blood of the Lord takes upon himself a heavy responsibility before the Lord. For this reason, cases of sudden death among Christians in the Corinthian community had also multiplied: this was God’s punishment for the fact that these Christians approached communion in an improper disposition.

1 Corinthians 11:17. But in giving these instructions, I do not commend you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. “I do not commend you.” The Apostle found it possible to commend the Corinthian Christians (v. 2), although he saw something abnormal in their conduct. But here he does not find it possible. Why? Is there no contradiction here? No, there is no contradiction here, because the question is not about the violation of some apostolic ordinance, but about a lack of reverence in the celebration of the most important of all acts of worship. The commendation for observing the “apostolic traditions” is not taken away from the Corinthians.—“You come together not for the better but for the worse”—that is, your worship assemblies do not lead to an improvement of your mutual relations but only worsen those relations.

1 Corinthians 11:18. For in the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church there are divisions among you; and I partly believe it. 1 Corinthians 11:19. For there must indeed be factions among you, so that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 1 Corinthians 14:23. “In the first place, I hear.” The second censure corresponding to this first reproach begins in verse 20. This is clearly visible from the fact that both verse 18 and verse 20 begin alike with the expression: “when you come together” (συνερχομένων υμῶν).—“As a church”—more precisely: “as a church” or: “as a church” (ώκκλησία). This designates the manner and mode of assembly, not the place (cf. 1 Cor 14:23).—“Divisions.” The Apostle does not enter into an explanation of what these divisions were, evidently because he explained this in detail in the first four chapters of his epistle. These were, of course, divisions over teachers of the faith.—“And I partly believe it.” The Apostle wants to soften the picture of the state of affairs that was drawn for him by the Christians who had come from Corinth to Ephesus. Perhaps—he wants to say—the situation in Corinth is not as bad as it seemed to these earnest Christians.—“For there must…”—The Apostle speaks here of the inner cause by which such divisions were bound to arise. These divisions appeared by virtue of a special action of divine Providence toward the Church. In the Corinthian Church, as in other churches, there were not a few people who came forward as teachers of the faith not by calling, but carried away by the example of others or wishing to offer resistance to the generally recognized preachers. And so, in the disputes arising from the appearance of new teachers, it was bound to become clear who was the genuine, called teacher of the faith, and who did not merit that name. The Apostle foresees something still worse—that “divisions” (σχίσματα—v. 18), the cause of which lay in personal sympathies and antipathies among those dividing over teachers of the faith, will be followed by “factions” (αιρέσεις—v. 19), in which differing interpretations of Christian doctrine itself will already find expression (cf. Acts 5:17, where the reference is to the “heresies” of the Pharisees and Sadducees, and Acts 24:5, where the same designation “heresy” is given—in the sense of a particular doctrine—to Christianity itself). If “divisions” may be compared to small tears in a covering, then “factions” will be such rents that split the covering into several pieces.—“So that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.” By “those who are genuine” (δόκιμοι) one must understand those Christians who, in such commotions of the Church, will display such wisdom and maturity of judgment that everyone will acknowledge them as genuine Christians (cf. 1 Cor 9:27). 1 Corinthians 11:20. Furthermore, when you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s Supper; 1 Corinthians 11:21. for each one goes ahead with his own meal when he eats, so that one goes hungry and another gets drunk. The second disorder that caught the Apostle’s attention is the misconduct at the love feasts, or agapes.—“When you come together…”—more precisely: “if you gather together in one place in this manner (επί τό αυτό—indicates an assembly of Christians in one and the same premises; cf. 1 Cor 14:23), that is not really eating the Lord’s Supper.” In the apostolic Church, Christians would gather in the evenings in some suitable premises and there dine together on the food each had brought with him. By this means they sought to keep alive the memory of the Last Supper, at which the Lord Jesus Christ showed special love for the Apostles (John 13:1), and at the conclusion of which he instituted the holy sacrament of the Eucharist. These suppers, at the conclusion of which the sacrament of the Eucharist was celebrated, were called “love feasts” or, briefly, “loves”—agapes (Jude 1:12). This custom was, of course, a very good one: such feasts sustained among Christians the mutual love, because here all—both poor and rich—were supposed to feel themselves equal participants in the supper, although the poor perhaps could bring nothing for the organization of the supper. However, selfishness, vanity, and simple lack of self-restraint in food and drink soon stamped their mark on this fine institution. The agapes in Corinth had been turned into ordinary Greek banquets, at which much wine was habitually drunk. But still worse was the fact that the wealthy hastened to share the food they had brought among their close friends and companions, while the poor remained hungry. Such treatment of the poor presented a vivid contrast to the idea embodied in these suppers and was directly contrary to the idea of the sacrament of the Eucharist, which was celebrated immediately after the supper. For this reason it was established fairly soon that the sacrament of the Eucharist itself be celebrated before the love feast, so as not to give the intemperate an occasion to approach communion after they had eaten and drunk their fill.

1 Corinthians 11:22. What! Do you not have houses for eating and drinking? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I commend you for this? I will not commend you. The Apostle sees in such conduct of the Corinthians toward the love feasts three points that must serve as cause for censure. First, the Corinthians distort the very idea of the supper. The supper is a religious custom and pursues a religious-moral aim, whereas the Corinthians make of it a simple dinner that they could just as well hold at home. This is the first point. Second, by this—namely by drinking and overeating before everyone’s eyes—they show a lack of respect for the whole Church; and third, they humiliate the poor, who must leave the supper hungry.

1 Corinthians 11:23. For I received from the Lord himself what I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread, 1 Corinthians 11:24. and after giving thanks he broke it and said: “Take, eat; this is my Body, which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:25. In the same way also the cup, after the supper, and he said: “This cup is the new covenant in my Blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” In order to awaken in the Corinthians a sense of shame for such conduct at the love feasts, the Apostle recalls for them the institution of the sacrament of the Eucharist. Let the Corinthians understand the difference between this eucharistic sacred celebration and ordinary celebrations and suppers. The Eucharist is a holy sacrament, a definite liturgical act, since it is founded on a specific command of Christ himself. To lend greater authority to his words, the Apostle says that he received information about the institution of the sacrament of the Eucharist himself, directly from Christ. That the expression “I received from the Lord himself” must be understood in this way is clear from the fact that the Apostle says with emphasis that he himself received (εγώ). If he were speaking here of what the Apostles who were present at the Last Supper had communicated to him, what would be the point of singling out his “I”? After all, from the Apostles thousands of other believers also learned about the institution of the sacrament of the Eucharist, who could consequently say of themselves, as the Apostle Paul does: “I received from the Lord…”—if we were to understand the Apostle’s words simply as an indication of a tradition that had come down to him. It is clear from this that the Apostle could speak in this way only of a revelation that was made to him directly. It is objected: “Revelation has as its subject certain doctrines, not historical events.” But in the Acts of the Apostles there is one revelation of historical content (Acts 9:12). Moreover, one must bear in mind that the Apostle Paul was the founder of churches in the pagan world, and direct knowledge of such important facts as the institution of the sacrament of the Eucharist fully corresponded to his high apostolic dignity. Through this he stood in dependence upon Christ alone. “In the night.” The Apostle wants by this to remind his readers that the Eucharist was instituted in those very hours in which the apostolic Church customarily celebrated it. Let Christians relive all that took place on that terrible and sacred night!—“Took bread” (άρτον). According to the tradition of the Orthodox Church, this bread was not unleavened but leavened, different from what was used at the Hebrew Passover.—“And after giving thanks.” The head of the family among the Hebrews gave thanks to God at the blessing of the Passover bread for the creation of the world and for the liberation of the Israelites from Egypt. Christ, however, of course offered thanksgiving to his heavenly Father for the redemption of humanity and for the founding of the New Covenant. “Take, eat.” These words are not found in the most ancient manuscripts of the epistle.—“This is my Body.” “This” (του το)—the bread that was in the Savior’s hands.—On how to understand the expression “is my Body”—see 1 Cor 10:16. Godet asserts that the verb “is” here carries the meaning of “signifies, represents,” and therefore sees in the bread not the body of Christ but only a symbol of the body. But if the words of Christ are interpreted in only a symbolic sense, the Eucharist ceases to be a sacrament before which Christians ought to stand in awe. Moreover, there is no reason to give the verb “is” the meaning “signifies, represents.”—“Broken for you.” This expression points to the abiding character of Christ’s sacrifice: the body of Christ “is broken,” not “will be broken” (Theophan). “Do this in remembrance of me.” These words, found only in Paul and Luke, are very important in that they show the Lord’s desire that the sacrament of the Eucharist be celebrated continuously, throughout all ages. The Lord addresses these words to the Apostles as founders of churches in which they are to introduce the sacred custom of celebrating the Eucharist. But just as in the expression “broken for you” not the Apostles alone are intended but all believers, so here alongside the address to the Apostles one must also see a command for all believers. During the celebration of the Eucharist, believers must remember with reverence not the Old Testament paschal lamb, by whose blood the Israelites were saved from death in Egypt, but Christ and his sacrifice.—“In the same way also the cup, after the supper.” The two actions—the blessing of the bread and the blessing of the wine—were separated from each other by a certain interval. The bread was broken “during the meal,” as the evangelists Matthew and Mark say, while the cup was offered already “after” the supper, or at the conclusion of the eating of the paschal lamb (cf. 1 Cor 10:16).—“This cup”—that is, the wine contained in it.—“New covenant.” Here is an allusion to the covenant concluded between Jehovah and the Israelites at Sinai: there too the blood of sacrifices was shed, with which Moses sprinkled the Israelite people (Exod 24:8).—“In my Blood.” These words constitute a definition of the word “covenant.” Christ the Savior says here that the new covenant is established through the shedding of his blood. (The blood of Christ is the same as the death of Christ—cf. Rom 3:25). Just as the old covenant did, the New Covenant gives on the one hand forgiveness of sins, and on the other demands of a person obedience to the will of God. But the old covenant properly speaking only still promised God’s help or forgiveness of sins, whereas the New Covenant gives this forgiveness in actual fact.—“Do this”—that is, perform the blessing of the cup, offering it to others. “Whenever you drink.” As is apparent from the following, verse 26, the reference here is not to drinking wine in general, but to drinking from the said blessed cup. In verse 22 the sacrament of the Eucharist is clearly distinguished from an ordinary supper. The meaning of this expression, in connection with the following words “in remembrance of me,” is undoubtedly this: “every time you, as members of the New Covenant, hold a religious feast corresponding to the Old Testament Passover supper, you must offer the blessed cup to all and drink from it in remembrance of me.” The expression “whenever” (οσάκις) indicates that believers could celebrate the sacrament of the Eucharist—this paschal New Testament supper—not once a year but several times.

1 Corinthians 11:26. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. From here to the end of the chapter the Apostle shows what consequences follow from the understanding of the Eucharist established above. First of all, by celebrating the Eucharist, Christians proclaim the death of the Lord. The expression “to proclaim” (καταγγέλλειν) is very reminiscent of the Hebrew expression “haggadah” (to narrate or explain). The latter, among the Hebrews, denoted the explanation that the head of the family would give at the celebration of the Passover, in response to his eldest son’s question about the various rites customarily observed at the Passover supper. By this, every participant in the supper stood in fully conscious relation to all that was done at it. Similar explanations are presupposed by the Apostle Paul also at the celebration of holy Eucharist. These could be given in their inspired speeches by Christians possessing the spirit of prophecy.—“Until he comes.” Holy Eucharist for Christianity constitutes a substitute for the visible presence of Christ. It forms, one might say, the link between his first and second coming: Christ comes even now to believers in this great sacrament, but in time he will come openly and visibly to all.

1 Corinthians 11:27. Therefore, whoever eats this bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the Body and Blood of the Lord. From the nature of the Eucharist the Apostle draws the thought of the great responsibility of those Christians who approach the holy sacrament unworthily: in such a case a person becomes guilty of an offense against the very body and the very blood of Christ, which are truly imparted in the sacrament of the Eucharist.—“In an unworthy manner,” that is, without any grateful remembrance of the sufferings of Christ, without proper reverence.—“Will be guilty” (ένοχος)—that is, will be recognized and held bound as a criminal.

1 Corinthians 11:28. Let a person examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 1 Corinthians 11:29. For whoever eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment on himself, without discerning the Body of the Lord. In view of such grave responsibility, a Christian must clarify for himself how he thinks about Christ and whether his heart contains sufficient gratitude and reverence toward the common Savior of all people. Only with such feelings can one go to the love feast—otherwise it is easy to fall into sin there.—“Eats and drinks judgment on himself.” “Judgment” (κρῖμα)—this is some punishment imposed by God. Although this punishment is not in itself “eternal” condemnation, in the case of a person’s persistent impenitence it may lead to his final condemnation (cf. v. 32).—“Without discerning the Body of the Lord,” that is, without distinguishing and discerning that behind the ordinary bread, behind the usual material food, the true body of Christ lies hidden: to the person receiving holy Eucharist it only seems that he is eating bread, whereas in actual fact he is partaking of the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:30. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and quite a few have died. 1 Corinthians 11:31. But if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged. 1 Corinthians 11:32. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. What was said in verse 29 the Apostle confirms by pointing to those cases of illness and death within the Corinthian Christian community that had become more frequent of late and that testify to the wrath of God against those who partake unworthily.—“Weak” (ασθενής)—more precisely: “ill.”—“Ill” (άρρωστος)—more precisely: “have lost their strength.”—“If we judged ourselves,” that is, if we examined ourselves attentively and condemned ourselves for what is wrong in us.—“But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined.” The Apostle brings the Corinthians back to those judgments that were coming upon them. These judgments, though strict, serve in the Lord’s hands as a means of saving the Corinthians from a still heavier, eternal punishment, because, thanks to these temporal judgments or punishments, the Corinthians may come to their senses and correct their conduct (cf. 1 Cor 5:5).—The Apostle distinguishes in this section (vv. 31–32) three judgments: 1) the person’s judgment upon himself (διακρίνεσθαι—v. 31); 2) God’s temporal judgment, in this life (κρίνεσθαι—v. 32); and 3) judgment leading to eternal destruction, or final condemnation (κατακρίνεσθαι—v. 32)—this is the terrible last judgment.—“The world”—this is humanity lost in sins and depravity (Ecumenius).

1 Corinthians 11:33. So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 1 Corinthians 11:34. If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come. In conclusion the Apostle gives the Christians the instruction not to begin the love feast until everyone has gathered, so that the food may be divided equally among all. After all, the purpose of the love feast is not satiation, but precisely “communion” in eating.—“Not for judgment”—see v. 30.—“The remaining matters.” Here are meant certain questions connected with the celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist—for example, the question of how often to celebrate the Eucharist, at what hours of the day, and so on. * * * Notes On the agapes, see the study by Mr. Sokolov. Agapes, or Love Feasts. Moscow, 1907. In the best manuscripts, however, the word “broken” is absent. The words of Christ spoken at the institution of the sacrament of the Eucharist are rendered by the Apostle Paul in a form somewhat modified from the Gospel text. Closest to the text of the Apostle Paul is the text of the Gospel of Luke, who was a companion of the Apostle Paul and therefore must have set forth the history of the institution of the Eucharist in accordance with the epistle to the Corinthians. In Matthew and Mark the expressions “broken for you” and “do this in remembrance of me” are absent, and instead of the expression “the new covenant in my Blood” stands the expression “my Blood of the new covenant.” But these differences are not important: the substance of the matter remains the same in the Apostle Paul as in all the evangelists. Holy Eucharist is genuinely a sacrament in which bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ the Savior, and which by its very existence must always remind Christians of the great sacrifice offered by Christ the Savior for the sins of humanity, and must prompt Christians to the same self-sacrifice for the benefit of their brothers. The Corinthians evidently did not have a sufficiently clear grasp of this great significance of the sacrament of the Eucharist, looking upon it as an ordinary communal evening gathering, and the Apostle needed to impress upon them that in receiving the holy gifts they are entering into real communion with Christ—just as formerly, through participation in pagan feasts, they had entered into real communion with demons. Catholics find in the expression “eats this bread or drinks the cup…” support for their view that one must receive communion under “one” kind—of bread, or of wine. But here the particle “or” has not a “disjunctive” but a “conjunctive” meaning (cf. v. 26, where in its place stands the particle καί—“and”). The more recent commentators attempt to derive the custom of holding love feasts from the custom of Greek urban guilds of holding communal banquets. But these banquets were organized with money drawn from the guild treasury, whereas agapes consisted of food brought by each believer.—Equally fanciful is the attempt by Bousset to explain the origin of the sacrament of the Eucharist from Greek religious mysteries. We possess a fully reliable history of the origin of this sacrament—namely, the First Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians and the Gospels. There is no need to seek any other explanations for the origin of this sacrament after what we have learned from these fully authoritative sources…

Chapter Twelve

What spiritual gifts are in Christianity (1–3). The unity of spiritual gifts despite their diversity (4–13). The variety of gifts and ministries in the Church, analogous to the variety of members in the human body (14–31)

Preliminary remark. From ch. 12 through ch. 14 the Ap. speaks about what are called spiritual gifts (χαρίσματα πνευματικά), which manifested primarily in worship. Hence the connection of ch. 12 with ch. 11, which also dealt with worship, is clear. But what were these spiritual gifts? The expression “gift” (χάρισμα) denotes such a capacity of a person as is bestowed on him by divine grace (χάρις). Thus this term indicates more the origin of the gift. As for the expression “spiritual” (πνευματικός from πνεῦμα), this term describes the phenomenon in question more in terms of its essence, showing that it proceeds from the Holy Spirit and is centered in the human spirit. The Church is the body of Christ (see v. 27), i.e., the instrument through which Christ, after His ascension into heaven, carries out His plan on earth, just as formerly He executed His intentions through His own body. The ascended Christ lives in believers through His Spirit, and through this believers become active members of the body of Christ. But their activity is based on extraordinary powers that Christ communicates to them. At the same time, however, a person’s own capacities also matter: they are strengthened under the action of the Spirit of Christ and directed toward service to God’s purposes. But as long as the spiritual person has not attained perfect holiness, he cannot yet be wholly devoted to God and serve Him as he ought. Selfishness, pride, vanity, hypocrisy, lying, envy, and hatred significantly alter the character of spiritual gifts (cf. 2 Cor 7:1).

In Corinth such influence of passions and prejudices was especially strong. People who possessed spiritual gifts cared only about how to shine before others. Therefore those gifts were prized that manifested in particularly striking forms, while those that brought greater benefit to the Church but were not outwardly impressive were despised. The chief error of the Corinthians consisted in their belief that a person, through the action of the Spirit of God, must lose self-awareness, and that precisely in this loss of self-awareness the power of the Spirit’s action is revealed. Thus there arose the view that a teacher stands far below a prophet, and a prophet below one who speaks in tongues. One could say that the Corinthians established the rule: the more spirit (πνεῦμα), the less reason (νοῦς). Plato himself said in his “Phaedrus”: “We owe the highest blessings to madness,” and in the “Timaeus”: “No one who is in full possession of reason has true, divine inspiration.” Some passages from the Old Testament could also occasion such a view (e.g., Num 24:4; Amos 3:8; Hos 9:7). Against this tendency the Apostle Paul was compelled to struggle—he needed to channel a mighty, raging torrent, and this required on his part extraordinary energy and wisdom. Nevertheless he successfully resolved the difficult question before him, first—in ch. 12—examining the matter from the standpoint of principle, then—in ch. 13—pointing the Corinthians to the benevolent spirit under whose protection spiritual gifts should operate beneficially—namely, love—and finally—in ch. 14—giving some practical instructions that Christians who possessed spiritual gifts were to observe.

1 Cor 12:1-3. Here is the opening of the discourse on spiritual gifts. The Ap. draws a clear dividing line between genuine spiritual gifts and phenomena resembling them—the religious enthusiasm of paganism—and indicates the common mark by which true Christian inspiration can be recognized: it is the reverent attitude of the one speaking in the Spirit toward Jesus.

1 Corinthians 12:1. Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. “I do not want”—more accurately: “but I do not want.” This “but” implies contrast with the closing words of ch. 11. The Ap. defers the discussion of “other matters” until a personal visit, but the question of spiritual gifts he considers so important that he proceeds to address it immediately.—“Concerning spiritual gifts”—in Greek, simply: “concerning the spiritual” or “concerning spiritual things” (περί τῶν πνευματικῶν). Some interpreters see here a reference to spiritual persons, others to spiritual gifts. The latter opinion, held by the ancient interpreters as well as by the Russian translation, seems the more natural one (the Rev. Fiveiskiy, in the cited work, p. 26, sees here a reference to “the spiritual in general,” i.e., to gifts, spiritual men, and the spiritual state of the Corinthians, etc. But, judging from the context, the Ap. had no intention of speaking “in general” about the phenomena of the spiritual life).

1 Corinthians 12:2. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. The meaning of this verse can be rendered as follows: “when you were pagans, you went to worship mute idols that could say nothing to you in response to your prayers. This going, however, continued—something drew you to these idols, you felt as though you were under their power.” The state of pagans in relation to idols was one of complete passivity, and for this reason pagans, and above all pagan oracles who spoke under the influence of a special enthusiasm, easily became instruments of the dark, demonic forces that stood behind these idols.

1 Corinthians 12:3. Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. Now, in Christianity, there is no need to fear this demonic influence. One need not suppose that Christians, whose ecstatic state might remind the Corinthians of pagan oracles’ enthusiasm, have become playthings in the hands of demonic power. For no one speaking in the Spirit of God in a worship assembly “will pronounce a curse on Jesus”—there is no fear that demonic power will move one who speaks in the Spirit of God to do such a thing. On the other hand, one should not despise those teachers of faith who in plain words confess in the Church the divine dignity of Jesus Christ. Although they are not in the same ecstatic state as those who spoke in the Spirit of God in various tongues, they too are moved to this confession by the Holy Spirit. Thus the Corinthians can be at peace, seeing such a powerful influx of spiritual gifts in the Church, while on the other hand they must learn to value every confession of Christ, even one not clothed in the brilliant forms that characterized the speech of those who spoke in the Spirit of God in various tongues.—“Therefore”—i.e., in view of the associations with pagan oracles’ speeches that accompanied the appearance of spiritual gifts in the Church.—“Speaking in the Spirit of God”—i.e., being in a state of spiritual ecstasy, when will and self-awareness are nearly lost.—“A curse on Jesus”—i.e., will not say that the name of Jesus ought to be erased from human memory. The word ανάθεμα in the Septuagint and in the New Testament denotes an object that God has condemned to destruction (Deut 7:25: Gal 1:8). The Ap. speaks of a curse “on Jesus” rather than “on Christ”—because he has in view the possible speech of some Jewish fanatic about Christ in a gathering of Jews. Such a fanatic would of course call Christ simply “Jesus.”—“To call”—in the sense of “to confess”—to confess from the whole heart and with full conviction, as did the deacon and first martyr Stephen, who confessed Jesus as Lord (Acts 7:59). 1 Cor 12:4-13. The spiritual gifts in the Christian Church are extraordinarily varied: there is, first of all, a great difference between gifts, ministries, and divine operations. Even more: within each of these forms, various types and kinds can be distinguished. Yet for all this diversity, all of them have one and the same source and one and the same goal: their source is in God, and their goal is the good of the Church. Furthermore, as regards “gifts” (or gifts of grace) in particular, the Ap. enumerates nine kinds of them and notes that all of them likewise derive from the Holy Spirit and should operate in the same direction.

1 Corinthians 12:4. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 1 Corinthians 12:5. and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 1 Corinthians 12:6. and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. In v. 3 the Ap. directed the readers’ attention to only two gifts—speaking in the Spirit (glossolalia) and the confession of Christ by teachers of faith. But besides these gifts—he says here—there are many other gifts, there are “ministries” and “activities.” What “gifts” are was said above (preliminary remark). The chief of these gifts are enumerated in vv. 8–10. The “Spirit” that unites them is the Holy Spirit. “Ministries” (διακονίαι) are the second category of extraordinary phenomena standing under the special action of divine Providence for the Church. This includes the ministries of apostles and evangelists (missionaries), which have significance for the whole Christian Church, and also ministries of more limited scope, such as the episcopate or diaconate in one of the individual churches. The higher of these ministries probably also had their basis in a special spiritual endowment of those who held them, recognized as such by the Church, while others, of lower rank, consisted in the discharge of certain duties entrusted to certain Christians by authorization of the Church. Just as there are gifts that could not serve as the basis for a person’s assumption of one or another ministry (e.g., the gift of tongues or prophecy), while others could readily become a permanent function (the gift of teaching), so among the ministries—some had an outward character (e.g., oversight of the Church’s external affairs), while others required a certain inner power given only by a special grace of the Holy Spirit (e.g., the apostolate). However, all the ministries were also united among themselves by the unity of purpose they had before them: all of them were directed toward the realization of the will of the “Lord,” i.e., of Jesus Christ. The third category of manifestations of the power of God’s Spirit in the Church is formed by the various activities (ενεργήματα) that proceeded from these gifts and ministries. These are, properly speaking, the same forces that were present in the gifts and ministries, but now transformed into definite concrete facts or actions. For example, the Holy Spirit gives power for the preaching gift to flourish in some Christian. The Church recognizes this Christian as possessing such a gift and entrusts to him the ministry of preaching. He begins to discharge his duty and to deliver edifying sermons, which will represent his “activity” (ενέργημα). Another Christian has the gift of healing, but this gift cannot become a regular ministry, taking on the character of something permanently performed. Its purpose is to manifest itself in particular emergency situations. The “activity” of this gift will be, for example, the restoration of health of one or another member of the Christian community. All these “activities” are once again unified by the unity of their source: God, who through His Spirit bestows gifts and establishes ministries for the fulfillment of the plan of Christ the Savior, also gives power to certain Christians to perform the activities mentioned above. He works “all”—i.e., both gifts and ministries and activities—“in all,” i.e., both in those who perform the activities and in those upon whom these activities are performed.—There is no doubt that in vv. 4–6 the Apostle clearly indicates a distinction of persons in the Holy Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. However, as is evident from the expression in v. 6, “God is the same,” the Ap. hardly intended to restrict the activity of each person of the Holy Trinity to the bestowal of a certain class of gracious powers. “What the Spirit does, the Lord also does by His lordship and God by His divinity. In such activity of the Spirit, the lordship of the Son and the divinity of the Father are also present” (Photius). Therefore gifts, ministries, and activities can be considered manifestations of one and the same grace of God.

1 Corinthians 12:7. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. In proceeding to discuss gifts, the Ap. says that these gifts are given not for some trivial, vain purposes of human vanity, but for the true benefit of the Church.—“To each.” Every member of the Church, however insignificant, has his own special gift from God.—“The manifestation of the Spirit,” i.e., an outward, visible manifestation whose source is the Holy Spirit (“of the Spirit”—πνεύματος—genitivus subjectivus).

1 Corinthians 12:8. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, The Ap. enumerates various gifts of the Holy Spirit—though very possibly not all of them (the Rev. Fiveiskiy). He places “the word of wisdom” (λόγος σοφίας) in the first place. By this expression the Ap. designates a form of speech that illuminates both the theoretical and practical teachings of Christianity deeply and broadly, its exposition rising to the level of the finest oratorical works. Alongside this gift of the Holy Spirit stands “the word of knowledge” (λ. γνώσεως). If “wisdom” denotes something given and permanent in a person, then “knowledge” will contain the idea of personal searching, of a particular exertion of human intellectual powers. All the same, it must be noted, knowledge too is acquired by a person with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. The object of knowledge is the same as the object of wisdom. The Ap. takes this gift at the moment when it is applied for the edification of the Church. He therefore speaks of the “word” of knowledge.

1 Corinthians 12:9. to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, “Faith”—not the faith common to all Christians, not faith in the doctrines of Christianity, but miracle-working faith (cf. Matt 17:20), when a person is so certain of his communion with God that in the name of God—in emergency situations, of course—he ventures to enter into struggle with all the obstacles that the ordinary law of natural life places before him, and performs miracles.—“Gifts of healing” (χαρίσματα ιαματων). This is a kind of miracle-working faith, and not just one kind but many, as the use of both nouns in the plural indicates. There were various diseases, and there were various healers, each possessing the gift of healing one disease but not possessing the gift of healing others.

1 Corinthians 12:10. to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. “The working of miracles” (ενεργήματα δυνάμεων). Here the Ap. has in view a broader gift, namely the ability to perform all kinds of miraculous actions for the benefit of the Church—raising the dead, casting out demons, inflicting miraculous punishments on unbelievers, saving those in mortal danger.—“To another prophecy” (προφητεία). This is none other than a speech in which an inspired Christian, for the edification of the Church, speaks of the mysteries of the past and future of the Church of Christ revealed to him by the Holy Spirit, while also clarifying much about the events of his own contemporary life. Through such speeches of the prophets, church life was enlivened and elevated. Many members of the Church found in these speeches relief from anxieties and consolation in sorrows (cf. 1 Cor 14:3).—“The ability to distinguish between spirits” (διακρισις πνευμάτων). By “spirits” here the Ap. has in view generally those people who are in a state of enthusiasm or inspiration, which could be the result of the action of the Holy Spirit upon the human spirit, but could sometimes arise from other causes (e.g., autosuggestion or under the influence of demonic power). Therefore the spirits—i.e., the inspired persons who appeared in worship assemblies—stood in need of special oversight; this oversight could of course be exercised by all Christians using the marks of true inspiration indicated by the Apostle in v. 3, but in difficult cases only those people who had received special grace from the Holy Spirit for this purpose could discern the spirits. “Various kinds of tongues”—more precisely: “genera of tongues” (γένη γλώσσων). This gift has continued to puzzle interpreters of Scripture, who make every effort to determine its essence. 1) Some understand the expression “genera of tongues” as indicating archaic, unusual expressions used in the speech of an inspired person; 2) others see in these genera various dialects of the same Greek language; 3) others—chiefly ancient church interpreters—explained this expression as denoting the gift of speaking in one or several foreign languages. This gift—said those interpreters—was especially useful in those times when preachers of the Gospel had to address peoples of various foreign nations. Thus this gift is identified with the one that all the believers gathered in the upper room received on the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them, when they began to speak “in various tongues” (Acts 2:4). But this view is difficult to accept. What need, first of all, would even preachers of the Gospel have had for such a gift? With two languages—Greek and Latin—they could boldly go to any province of the Roman Empire without fear of being misunderstood. Then, what benefit would this gift bring to the Corinthian Church, where, it appears, it manifested with particular force and very frequently at the worship assemblies of Christians? Would the Corinthians have understood if one of their fellow citizens suddenly began to speak in Chinese or Indian? Furthermore, with such a supposition it would be impossible to explain why the Ap. did not simply say “tongues” but used the expression “genera of tongues.” Even less convincing is the first opinion, because in the church community of Corinth, consisting mainly of uneducated people, familiarity with archaisms and provincialisms can scarcely be assumed. And could an inspired Christian, who himself had no clear account of what he was saying (1 Cor 14:14), deliberately select in his speech such obsolete expressions? The same can be said regarding the second opinion. Among more recent views on this gift, two deserve attention: the first (Godet) sees in “the genera of tongues” a speech created immediately by the Holy Spirit Himself. In this speech the speaker expressed his feelings that had seized his soul when the consciousness of his adoption by God became established in him, when he felt himself saved. This speech was something intermediate between singing and conversation, resembling what is called recitative… But this view also fails to explain how such speech could serve as a sign for unbelievers (1 Cor 14:22), and furthermore, why an interpreter would be needed for its hearers (1 Cor 14:13). According to another view (the Rev. Fiveiskiy), the expression “genera of tongues” has a “hymnological” meaning. The word “genus” is a musical-hymnological technical term, just as the word “tongue” in the Old and New Testaments had hymnological meaning and usage. Thus the Ap. here points to the ability to sing praises to God in the most varied tones and forms… With this view, again, it is difficult to agree, for the same reason that it does not explain why the gift of tongues was a “sign for unbelievers” and why hymns, psalms, and other musical compositions, if that is what is meant here, received this strange name “tongues” (γλωσσων). From all that has been said, it is clear that none of the existing explanations of this gift is convincing. Equally impossible is it to say with any degree of probability what the gift of “interpretation of tongues” (ερμηνεία γλεσσων) was. What is beyond doubt is that the interpreter, through the action of the Holy Spirit, was able to penetrate the mysteries spoken by the one possessing the gift of tongues and to convey the content of his speech to the listeners.—As for the question of what categories the nine spiritual gifts mentioned in vv. 8–10 can be arranged into, this question too can hardly be resolved. All the attempts of interpreters made in this direction fail to provide a satisfactory explanation. It is observed only that similar gifts are placed together by the Apostle, namely: 1) the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge; 2) faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles; 3) prophecy, distinguishing of spirits; 4) various tongues, interpretation of tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:11. But all these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who distributes to each one individually as he wills. The Ap. attaches special importance to the fact that, for all the diversity of gifts, there is unity among them as to their origin from the one Holy Spirit.—“Distributing” (διαιροῦν), i.e., distributing gifts with discrimination, in proportion to the capacities of each recipient. But often even a person who is naturally capable is not counted worthy of receiving a spiritual gift, because the Holy Spirit acts “as he wills,” i.e., in accordance with the fundamental properties of His being: wisdom, goodness, and justice.

1 Corinthians 12:12. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. The Ap. proceeds to a comparison between the human body and the Church. The body with its members serves here as an illustration for developing the idea of the spiritual relations in which the members of the Church, endowed with various gifts, should stand to one another. Specifically, all of them should remain in unity with one another, though they are many and though their gifts are various.—“So also is Christ.” Here the word “Christ” is placed in lieu of the word “Church” (Chrysostom). According to the Apostle (Eph 1:23), the Church is the body of Christ, and he expresses this thought here as well, substituting for that expression the more concise: “Christ.”—“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” Here the Ap. undoubtedly refers to baptism, which, as can be concluded even from this passage, was a foundational Christian institution. It is significant that in baptism all believers received one and the same Holy Spirit—this is the basis for their unity, an incentive for them to actually conduct themselves as members of one body.—“Jews or Greeks, slaves or free.” Baptism equalizes even all social distinctions and ethnic differences in the Church. All the more should those baptized not be divided over some difference in spiritual gifts.—“And all were made to drink of one Spirit.” Here, in all probability, the sacrament of chrismation is intended.—“Were made to drink”—the word is placed in the aorist in the Greek text, signifying a one-time action, and moreover the word “all” is added, indicating that the reference is not to special gracious spiritual gifts but to such as are imparted to every believer, just as the grace of baptism is also imparted to every believer. The image of being “watered” or “drinking” of the Spirit appears also in the prophets (Isa 44:3; Joel 2:29) and in the words of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 7:37). It is clear that the Ap. mentions this sacrament in order once again to urge believers to maintain unity with one another, as those who have received the necessary gifts of the Spirit—equal for all Christians. 1 Cor 12:14-31. Although the body has many members, they all belong, despite their diversity, to one body. As for their diversity, it is necessary and established by the Creator Himself. Moreover, even the needier members prove to be more indispensable, and the unseemly members are, so to speak, more honored by us with special care for them (by covering them with clothing). So also the Corinthian Church represents the body of Christ—it has various members with various ministries of differing importance, each having its own task and not encroaching on another’s sphere.

1 Corinthians 12:14. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. The Ap. takes up again the image of the body as a living organism. But now this image serves him no longer to clarify the unity of the various spiritual gifts, but to explain the necessity of their diversity.

1 Corinthians 12:15. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” does that make it any less a part of the body? 1 Corinthians 12:16. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” does that make it any less a part of the body? 1 Corinthians 12:17. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? All that is said here by the members of the human body is only metaphor. In reality, these thoughts were voiced by Corinthian Christians. Some of them, annoyed at being deprived of the most brilliant gifts, did not want to do anything at all or serve the Church in any way.—“Because”—i.e., by reason of the fact that it occupies a subordinate position.—“Where would hearing be?” For the perfection of the body it is necessary that both sight and hearing and other functions operate within it. A body deprived of the diversity of members would be frightfully monotonous.

1 Corinthians 12:18. But God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 1 Corinthians 12:19. If all were a single member, where would the body be? 1 Corinthians 12:20. As it is, there are many members, yet one body. Here the Ap. reminds Christians who have not received a certain gift they desired that in this case, just as in the arrangement of members of the body—some higher, others lower—the wise will of God has manifested itself. Moreover, the Ap. repeats in v. 19 the thought of v. 17, that the reduction of all spiritual gifts to just one would deprive church life of the desirable diversity that serves as a mark of its perfection. The Ap. speaks even more forcefully here: the very body would cease to exist in such a case—or, what amounts to the same thing, church life would fall into a condition of terrible one-sidedness, and the interaction of various gifts, in whose joint and parallel operation the life of the Church consists, would come to an end. Fortunately—the Ap. concludes in v. 20—this did not happen: God established various ministries in the Church, through which the Church, like the body, has not lost its unity.—The conclusion the Corinthians were to draw from this is perfectly clear: however insignificant their gifts might be, they must not despise them and bury them in the ground, like the lazy servant in the parable who received one talent.

1 Corinthians 12:21. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 1 Corinthians 12:22. On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, From here the Ap. begins to address those Corinthians who have received higher gifts. He teaches them not to despise those below them in spiritual endowment.—“Indispensable.” This translation cannot be considered accurate, because it gives the impression that weak members are more necessary for the Church than strong ones. The expression “far” or, better, “far more” should be placed at the beginning of v. 22, and the entire verse translated as: “but, far more—or, more accurately speaking—the members of the body considered more feeble prove to be necessary.”

1 Corinthians 12:23. and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, 1 Corinthians 12:24. and our less presentable members receive greater care, while our more presentable members do not require it. But God has composed the body in this way, giving greater honor to the part that lacks it, Here the Ap. points to the instinct by which we try to cover and warm those organs of our body that seem unseemly to us. Take, for example, the stomach and the intestinal tract, which we keep warm while not particularly caring about keeping the eyes or forehead warm. This thought is contained in the Russian translation of these verses. But instead of the expression “we take care,” it would be more accurate to translate from the Greek: “we clothe with honor,” or simply, “we honor.” Similarly, the expression in v. 24 “do not need it (i.e., covering)” should better be replaced with “do not need special honor.” The word translated “giving” (δούς) should replace the word “inspiring,” and the word “less authoritative” should replace “less perfect.” Finally, “greater care” should be replaced with “greater honor.” Thus, vv. 23–24 should be rendered as: “And those which we consider dishonorable in the body—these we clothe with particular honor, and our unseemly members receive special honor, while the seemly ones do not need such honor from us. But God has skillfully joined the body together, giving to the one that lacks honor an abundant portion.” By the “unseemly” or “lacking” (honor) members of the body one may understand Christians who lack outward brilliance or prominence, who endure various privations but bear all this patiently for the sake of Christ. Such was the Apostle Paul himself (cf. 1 Cor 1:27-29; 2 Cor 11:5; Phil 4:12; Rom 3:23).

1 Corinthians 12:25. so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 1 Corinthians 12:26. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. In view of the factionalism that had appeared in the Corinthian Church with respect to the teachers of faith, the Ap. here considers it necessary to mention that God is generally averse to all divisions and discord. God arranged even the human body in this way, and not otherwise, so that there would be no divisions among the members, and so that, on the contrary, every member would care for the well-being of the other members. Their health and sufferings, on the other hand, should also affect the other members. So also the members of the Church should, avoiding divisions, live in unity, and take whatever happens to their brothers as something having the most direct and immediate bearing on their own interests.

1 Corinthians 12:27. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. Here the Ap. indicates the basis for why what he said above about the human body can be applied to the readers of the letter. They are the body of Christ (σώμα Χριστού—the Ap. does not place the article before σώμα, but it must be understood in accordance with the meaning of the context and the images used by the Apostle in other places, e.g., Eph. 1:21; 2 Cor. 6:18). As the body of Christ, all believers must represent something unified and perfect.—“And individually members of it,” i.e., you, the Corinthians, are members of the local church, which is a part of the universal Church.

1 Corinthians 12:28. And God has appointed in the Church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then those who do miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. In enumerating the various gifts and offices existing in the universal Church, the Apostle aims to show by this that all these gifts and offices hold a high significance, since they came into existence by the will of God. Some of them, however, hold a higher significance, others a lower one.—“First.” Without doubt, by this addition the Ap. wished to say that the apostolate is the first in importance among the ministries in the Church. After it follow two other important ministries, the second and the third: prophecy and teaching. The remaining ministries and gifts he no longer marks with a number, showing by this that they do not stand on the same level with the first three.—“Apostles.” By the name “apostle” here one should understand such a Christian as took part in the founding of one or another local church. Such were, for example, James, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Titus, and other evangelists (cf. Acts 14:4; Rom 16:7). That the Ap. here has in view the apostolate as a permanent institution existing after the death of the twelve Apostles of Christ is evident from the fact that the Ap. was speaking here not of Christ, who chose Himself twelve and seventy disciples, but of God, who appointed the Apostles. From the ancient church document known as “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,” it is evident that the apostolate continued to exist in the second century, when this work appeared. “Prophets.” These are persons who received revelations that God deemed necessary for the Christian Church. The speeches of these persons, usually delivered in worship assemblies at which the prophets received their revelations, served to clarify the position in which Christians found themselves and to inspire Christians with courage in the face of impending persecutions. The ministry of the earliest of these prophets had significance not for one particular church alone but for all of Christianity (Acts 13:1). In some passages of the Apostle Paul’s letters they are nearly identified with the Apostles (Eph 2:20), with whom together they founded churches. This gift, like the apostolate, is mentioned in “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles” and thus continued to exist into the second century. “Teachers.” These were people who had the gift of expounding the teaching of the faith in calm and coherent speech and giving practical counsel to Christians. This ministry was more tied to a particular place than the ministry of the prophets, as is evident from the fact that in the letter to the Ephesians it is placed in close connection with the ministry of pastor (Eph 4:11), which of course related only to individual churches (Acts 20:28).

Philippians 1:1. “Working of miracles—gifts of healing”—see v. 10.—“Helping.” These are various forms of help to those in need, the sick, and strangers—in other words, the ministry of deacons and deaconesses.—“Administrating”—i.e., the duties of those persons who were entrusted with supervising the outward order in the Church, and chiefly with care for places of worship. This duty initially lay, in all probability, on bishops and presbyters, which two ministries were not yet distinguished from each other (Phil. 1:1—commentary of John Chrysostom, Theodoret).—“Various kinds of tongues.” The Ap. places this gift at the very end in order to show the Corinthians, who were so taken with this gift, that it does not hold a particularly important significance in church life. The conclusion to be drawn from this enumeration of gifts and ministries is clear: no gift or ministry should be despised simply because it lacks particular brilliance. 1 Corinthians 12:29. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 1 Corinthians 12:30. Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? God did not give one and the same Christian all the gifts necessary for the development of church life, for in such a case every Christian by himself would constitute the church body and would be wholly independent of other Christians. Through this the very body of the Church would be destroyed. No, God arranged things so that Christians are dependent on one another. Thus those who are not apostles have need of brothers who have received the gift of the apostolic ministry. Therefore—such is the conclusion to be drawn from this second enumeration of gifts and ministries—no one should think that he can live by himself alone, or that he combines in his person all that is needed for the life of the Church.

1 Corinthians 12:31. But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. “Earnestly desire.” More accurately: “but earnestly desire” (ζηλοῦτε δέ). The Ap. wishes to say that he does not forbid the Corinthians from striving to obtain the greater (or, according to another reading, the better) gifts. But if they are to be zealous, let them be zealous for the highest—i.e., for the gifts of prophecy and teaching.—“And I will show…”—The Ap. transitions from the discussion of gifts to the discussion of Christian love. The entire verse can be rendered as: “strive for the better, the most useful-for-the-Church gifts, and I now want to show you a way of life far better and more worthy than the use of all gifts, even the best ones—a way by which one can profitably employ all the various gifts one possesses.” This “way” the Ap. shows in ch. 13. * * * Notes Some interpreters try to assign special meanings to the expressions εν πνευμ, δια πνευμ, κατα πνευμ, (in the Spirit, by the Spirit, according to the Spirit), but all their explanations are extremely artificial; it is difficult to doubt that all these prepositions in the Apostle Paul here make no distinction among themselves. Some remarks on this gift—see the note at the end of ch. 14.

Chapter Thirteen

Do spiritual gifts have any significance without love? (1–3). The exalted nature of love (4–7). The eternal, unchanging existence of love, and of love alone (8–13)

1 Cor 13:1-3. Without love, even the highest spiritual gifts bring no benefit to the one who possesses them.

1 Corinthians 13:1. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. The Ap. places the gift of tongues first, because he proceeds from the least valued to the most useful.—“In the tongues of men and of angels,” i.e., whether I praise God in ordinary human speech or, in doing so, rise to angelic praise… The latter must of course be understood as “spiritual” praise, since angels are spirits and have no bodily tongue (blessed Theodoret, Theophylact).—“Love.” In Greek there are two words to designate the concept of “love”: αγάπη and έρως. The latter denotes a passionate love that seeks its satisfaction in the beloved. The former, by contrast, denotes a love far more selfless than the first, striving to give happiness to the beloved. In the Apostle Paul here, αγάπη denotes chiefly love for one’s neighbor, but since the basis of this love lies in love for God, love for one’s neighbor also takes on the character of selflessness, purity, and freedom—qualities proper to love for God.—Is it possible to have the gift of tongues and at the same time not have love? It is. Even now it happens that a person who has set out on the path of faith soon closes in upon himself, gives himself over to mystical contemplations, growing cool toward the duties of active Christian love. He falls into a peculiar sentimentality, speaks much of the greatness of Christianity like a true poet, and at the same time proves completely indifferent to the sufferings of his unfortunate brothers. Such a person gradually regresses spiritually and comes to resemble a piece of “bronze” that when struck emits a ringing noise, or a “cymbal”—a simple bronze cup sometimes used in the East as a musical instrument. There is no soul in bronze or cymbal!

1 Corinthians 13:2. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. The Ap. moves from one gift to another, to a higher one.—“Prophecy”—see 1 Cor 12:10.—“I understand all mysteries.” This is an explanation of the expression “prophetic powers.” The prophet knew the mysteries of God’s dispensation for our salvation, but of course not all of them. The Ap. now envisions the possibility of a prophet who knows “all” mysteries. And such a person, in his view, would be “nothing” without love!—“I have all knowledge.” This is the gift of “knowledge”—see 1 Cor 12:8. If someone had this gift in its “full” extent but had not love, then again such a person would be “nothing.”—“And all faith”—this is the gift of miracle-working faith. See 1 Cor 12:9.—“To move mountains”—i.e., to remove all obstacles standing in the way, however great they might be.—Thus a person may be able to say everything, know everything, do everything, but all this brings him personally no benefit if he has not love within him. For the Church, for the community of believers, these gifts are useful, but they do not save those who possess them (cf. Matt 7:22).

1 Corinthians 13:3. And if I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. The Ap. moves on to actions that appear to be based on love.—“Give away all I have”—this is the “gift of helping” (see 1 Cor 12:28) in its highest manifestation.—“Give my body to be burned,” i.e., go to martyrdom for Christ.—The possibility of such acts is attested by the history of Christianity. For example, the “Lives of the Saints” report of one presbyter that, as he was going to martyrdom for Christ, he refused to forgive an enemy who asked him for forgiveness. It is clear that such a person had no “love” within him and may, for this very reason, have failed the trial and renounced Christ just before being led to the scaffold.—“I gain nothing.” In the eyes of God, such actions have no worth, for the one who performs them thinks only of himself and seeks glory from other people. 1 Cor 13:4-7. So, love is the best path because without it even the highest gifts bring no benefit to the one who possesses them. Now the Ap. proves the supreme excellence of love by the reverse approach. Love—he says—without which everything else is nothing, brings with it all that makes a person virtuous. It is the mother of all virtues.

1 Corinthians 13:4. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy; love does not boast, is not arrogant, “Love is patient.” The Ap. enumerates fifteen properties of love. “Patience” is shown in relation to various offenses caused to a person by his neighbors.—“Is kind” (χρηστεύεται), i.e., constantly strives to render service to one’s neighbor.—“Love does not envy.” Here begins the enumeration of eight negative characterizations of love (up to the expression in v. 6: “but rejoices with the truth”). These characterizations unfold the content of the concept of “patience” and are closely connected with one another. For example, one who envies the advantages possessed by another will boast, speaking of his own merits, will be arrogant, i.e., filled completely with self-satisfaction, and will despise others (cf. 1 Cor 4:6).

1 Corinthians 13:5. it is not rude, does not insist on its own way, is not irritable, does not keep a record of wrongs, “Is not rude.” By “rudeness” (ασχημοσύνη) one should understand a lack of courtesy and civility, which was observed in some Corinthians—for example, in that they sometimes would not let speak at worship assemblies those who possessed gifts more useful to the Church, continuously speaking themselves. And in general, the four characterizations of love just mentioned have in view the abuse of spiritual gifts. The following four relate more generally to Christian life.—“Does not insist on its own way.” Each of us has our own rights, but the one who loves his neighbor forgets completely about these rights and cares only that others are satisfied. Happiness consists in giving and in serving (Drummond. The Greatest Thing in the World, p. 21). Some Corinthians thought otherwise (see ch. 6 and 8). “Is not irritable.” We are inclined to view a hot-tempered, irritable disposition as an innocent weakness… Yet this seemingly innocent weakness occupies a central place in the Apostle Paul’s analysis of love. And this is understandable: nothing can so embitter life, sow enmity, destroy the most sacred family bonds, rob men of their manly calm dignity, women of true femininity, children of warm-hearted openness, as the so-called character flaws—a sullen, hot-tempered, irritable disposition (Drummond).—“Does not keep a record of wrongs,” i.e., does not impute to others the wrongs done to it. Underlying such an attitude toward one’s neighbors is the conviction that no one deliberately intends to harm anyone; love trusts other people.

1 Corinthians 13:6. it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. “Does not rejoice in wrongdoing.” It happens that people of a faction hostile to ours commit certain blunders that cast a shadow on them. A Christian does not rejoice when he notices such blunders in others.—“But rejoices with the truth.” Here begins the enumeration of five positive properties of love. Truth here, like love, is personified. They are like sisters; when truth triumphs, love rejoices with it. Even when this truth conflicts with our cherished opinions, love welcomes it.

1 Corinthians 13:7. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. “Bears all things,” i.e., excuses everything, covering with its cloak all the shortcomings of one’s neighbor. But of course, in the name of justice, love in necessary cases takes upon itself all the unpleasant consequences that may arise from such an attitude toward people’s failings.—“Believes all things,” i.e., always trusts people, hoping that the best feelings in no one can ever completely die out. This trust is what underlies the covering of another’s shortcomings and vices.—“Hopes all things.” It happens that there is no longer room in the soul of the one who loves for faith in a person’s improvement: the sad reality destroys that faith. But even then, with the fall of faith or certainty in the neighbor’s reformation, the heart of the one who loves is not abandoned by hope that good must in the end prevail.—“Endures all things.” Love, in this hope of human betterment, does not grow weary and patiently endures all afflictions. 1 Cor 13:8-13. Spiritual gifts pass away, but love remains forever—that is the main idea of this section. Even the most important virtues after love—faith and hope—will undergo certain changes, and only love will always remain unchanged.

1 Corinthians 13:8. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 1 Corinthians 12:10. “Love never ends.” These words contain the theme of the following section.—“Prophecies will pass away.” Here, of course, the “gift of prophecy” is meant, which many Christians of the first and second centuries possessed (1 Cor. 12:10 and “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles”). Since then this gift in its original form no longer exists and, one may say, has transformed into “the gift of preaching.” In the future, specifically with the coming of the kingdom of glory, it will prove superfluous even in this last form. Who, indeed, will need preaching in the future life? The good will already have attained blessedness, while the wicked will have lost the capacity for improvement.—“Tongues will cease”—more precisely: “will be stilled.” That state of feverish excitement, which seemed so attractive to the Corinthian Christians, will come to an end. One may suppose that the gift of tongues was soon transformed into religious poetry and music, but even these arts will have no place in the glorious kingdom of the Messiah.—“Knowledge will pass away,” i.e., knowledge as a special gift received only by certain persons will cease to exist, because, as the prophet says (Jer 31:34), all will know the Lord, from the least to the greatest. 1 Corinthians 13:9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; The Ap. gives the reason why the gifts mentioned must come to an end. Prophecy could reveal only particular features of the picture of the future, just as those who had the gift of knowledge could understand only particular aspects of the history of God’s dispensation for our salvation. Yet in order to understand well some particular point, one must have a clear perception of the whole: only complete knowledge is true knowledge, and such complete knowledge a person cannot attain in this present life.—Regarding the gift of tongues: the Ap. does not speak here of its cessation, since its presupposition—the ecstatic state—cannot, for him, even be a subject of question. One who truly abides constantly in God, lives in God—as all believers will live in the kingdom of glory, and some already live now—has no need of this special means, represented by ecstasy, in order to enter periodically into communion with God.

1 Corinthians 13:10. but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. The cessation of gifts does not entail a diminishment of the Church’s spiritual life. On the contrary, the Church will attain perfection in all things. Future knowledge will differ from the “gift of knowledge” both in its breadth and in the ease of its acquisition, for we will see everything as if from a central vantage point from which the whole subject, in its entirety, is clearly visible.

1 Corinthians 13:11. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. The Ap. clarifies by means of a comparison why the imperfect must yield to the perfect. Just as a person grows, so does the Church grow. In both cases the same law of development and transformation operates. As soon as capacities for a higher form of activity develop, the former falls away of itself. In the expressions “I spoke, I thought” and “I reasoned,” the Ap. alludes to the three gifts mentioned above—“the gift of tongues” (I spoke), “the gift of prophecy” (I thought—more precisely: I felt, I aspired (φρονεῖν)) and “the gift of knowledge” (I reasoned). The gift of tongues is compared to the first babbling of an infant who expresses his joy at the feeling of being alive. The gift of prophecy, which gazes toward a distant future, corresponds to the ardent aspiration of a youth who dreams of the future as a time of joy and happiness. Finally, the gift of knowledge, which seeks to know divine truth, corresponds to the naive conceptions of a child about the external world.—“I gave up childish ways.” Just as a young man with some pride renounces his childish views, so with a feeling of inner satisfaction the mature person renounces the dreams of his childhood and youth in order to fulfill the task of life he has set for himself. Christians will likewise look upon spiritual gifts when the glorious period of reigning with Christ arrives for them.

1 Corinthians 13:12. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. Explaining the comparison he used in v. 11, the Ap. says that in the present life we comprehend the divine only in its reflection, as we see our own face in a mirror. But our mirrors reflect faces well, while in antiquity they gave no clear reflection, being made of metal (“through a glass darkly”—the translation is inaccurate; the expression δι εσόπτρου means: by means of a mirror, in a mirror).—“Dimly” (εν αινίγματι), i.e., in dark, unclear outlines that give only an approximate conception of things. This characterization relates most closely to the gift of prophecy. The Spirit of God called forth in the prophet’s soul such images and pictures as expressed the divine thought. In order to understand these images, the prophet had to direct upon them the full force of his attention (cf. 1 Pet 1:10 and following). This explanation is confirmed by the similarity of the expression used by the Apostle with the expression in the book of Numbers about Moses, to whom God gave sight of Himself plainly (έν ειδει), and not in an unclear outline (not dimly—δι αινιγμάτων — Num 12:6-8). “Now I know in part.” These words relate most directly to the “gift of knowledge.” Instead of “I know” one should say “I am coming to know” (γινώσκω), which denotes the gradualness and difficulty of attaining knowledge of divine things.—“Then I shall know fully.” The verb used here (επιγνώσωμαι) denotes knowledge as already fully acquired.—“Even as I have been fully known.” The Ap. even equates this future knowledge of God with that which God has of us: it will have the character of immediacy and full clarity. Of course, complete identity between our knowledge and God’s cannot exist (St. Chrysostom).

1 Corinthians 13:13. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. “So now abide.” Previously the Ap. was saying that spiritual gifts must in time cease to exist. Now he points to what will never be destroyed and toward the acquisition of which, consequently, it is worth striving. These are the three most important virtues of Christianity—faith, hope, and love. These three virtues (“these three”), and not those three gifts—of tongues, prophecy, and knowledge—have eternal existence. Of course, “faith” and “hope” cannot remain forever in the same state: the first will pass into sight (2 Cor 5:7), and the second into possession (Rom 8:24). But in any case the spiritual development of the human person, even in the state of glorification, cannot be conceived as completely finished—it will continue “from glory to glory” (2 Cor 3:18), and for this both faith and hope are necessary, and these transitions from faith to sight will recur many times in the future life.—“But the greatest of these is love,” i.e., love is highest of all in this triad of virtues precisely because it is itself divine. Of God one cannot say that He believes and hopes, but one can say that He loves. Love belongs to His very being. Love is the goal, while faith and hope are the means leading to the attainment of this goal. “Love—says Schlatter (Der Glaube im N. T. 3. S. 373)—is greater than faith, because it stands in relation to it as the whole to the part, as completion to beginning, as fruit to root.” * * * The Apostle’s speech in ch. 13 frequently takes on the character of a hymn in honor of Christian love and assumes a rhythmic quality, but it is a hymn entirely original, sharing nothing with the works of sacred Hebrew and pagan literature. Cf. Prof. Muretov. “The New Testament Song of Love Compared with Plato’s ‘Symposium’ and Solomon’s ‘Song of Songs’” (“Theological Messenger” 1903).

Chapter Fourteen

A comparison of the benefit afforded by the gift of tongues and the benefit received from the gift of prophecy (1–25). Rules concerning the use of spiritual gifts (26–40)

1 Cor 14:1-25. The general thought of this section is as follows: everyone should strive to obtain chiefly those gifts that can above all bring benefit to the Church. The Ap. first applies this basic rule to a comparative evaluation of those two gifts that at the time most occupied the Corinthians—namely, the gift of tongues and the gift of prophecy. Since everything that is comprehensible stands above what is incomprehensible, when the question is the edification of believers, the Ap. draws the conclusion that prophecy deserves preference; and as for the gift of tongues, according to the Apostle, its use should not be permitted at all in those cases where there is no means of explaining the meaning of the speech of the one who has this gift.

1 Corinthians 14:1. Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. “Pursue” (διώκετε)—“earnestly desire” (ζηλοῦτε). The difference between these two terms is as follows: the first indicates an activity that is necessary for the Christian, the second only a desirable one; furthermore, the first verb denotes the Christian’s independent, individual activity, while the second denotes activity shared with other Christians.

1 Corinthians 14:2. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 14:3. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 1 Corinthians 14:4. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Why is the gift of prophecy most desirable for Christians? Because it is more useful than other gifts, and above all more useful than the gift of tongues, for the obtaining of which the Corinthians so yearned. What is the one who speaks in tongues? He is a person addressing himself directly to God in speech that remains incomprehensible to the rest of those present at worship.—“No one understands.” This expression “no one” is a very important argument against the supposition that the speech of the “one who speaks in tongues” was speech in a foreign language. If the Ap. meant such speech, he could not have said that “no one” understands it, since in Corinth there were not a few people from various parts of the world.—“Mysteries.” Here the word “mystery” has the sense of something generally hidden and incomprehensible to the hearers. One person speaks, while for the rest his speech remains incomprehensible, mysterious.—“In the Spirit”—i.e., while in a state of special ecstasy (“in the Spirit”—πνεύματι—a state of specially inspired inspiration in the speaker himself).—“Upbuilding”—this is the strengthening and expansion of faith through new knowledge imparted by the prophet; “encouragement”—this is the special arousal of the will toward the attainment of the goals of the Christian calling; “consolation”—this is the encouragement of a person who has suffered misfortune, the strengthening of hope within him.

1 Corinthians 14:5. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up. The Ap. does not at all reject the “gift of tongues”: he even wishes that all Corinthian Christians might have this gift. But he desires even more that the more common occurrence in Christian assemblies should be prophecy. However, if the one who speaks in tongues can himself also explain the meaning of his speech to those gathered, then in this case the gift of tongues rises to the level of the gift of prophecy.

1 Corinthians 14:6. Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? The Ap. clarifies the thought about the uselessness of the gift of tongues for the Church in itself in the following way. What would it be if he, coming to Corinth, appeared here only as one who speaks in tongues, without explaining his speech?—“Unless I speak to you”—more accurately: “when, at the same time, I do not address you, do not appear before you as prophet and teacher” (the Russian translation presents the matter as though prophecy and teaching were means of explaining the speech in tongues, whereas in fact these were independent gifts and the “gift of interpretation” served for the explanation of “speeches in tongues”).—“Revelation”—this is an inner act taking place in the soul of a person, as is also “knowledge.” As for “prophecy” and “teaching,” the first is the external manifestation of revelation, and the second is the external result of knowledge. Through revelation, an understanding of some one aspect of God’s dispensation for our salvation is suddenly imparted to a person, while knowledge presupposes a rather lengthy independent work of the human intellect upon the truths of faith communicated by the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 14:7. If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? 1 Corinthians 14:8. And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? To clarify his thought about the significance of the gift of tongues, the Ap. draws on cases from everyday life and first makes a comparison of this gift with musical instruments. For the melody of one or another musical instrument to be comprehensible to the human ear, it must be structured according to the laws of tones and rhythm, must be subject to the laws of intervals and time.—“Even lifeless”—more precisely: “even” (όμως) inanimate objects.—“Flute”—a wind instrument; “harp” or cithara—a stringed instrument. These were the two chief instruments used in antiquity at worship and at various occasions of a sad or joyful character.—“How will anyone know”—more accurately: “how will one know what they call for—to weeping or to dancing?”—“Bugle”—a louder instrument than the flute or harp. Yet even it is subject to the same laws. Its signals are understood only when one can distinguish them from one another.

1 Corinthians 14:9. So if with your tongue you speak words that are not intelligible, how will anyone know what is being said? For you will be speaking into the air. Here the Ap. applies to the Corinthians the comparison just made. If they, speaking “in a tongue”—i.e., using the gift of tongues—do not take care that their speech be explained to the assembled Christians, they are speaking as if into the air.

1 Corinthians 14:10. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning. 1 Corinthians 14:11. But if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. Yet another example to persuade the readers: “In the world there are so many kinds of languages (or simply: so many languages—the Russian translation incorrectly renders this as ‘various words’)—and I don’t even know how many!—(the Russian incorrectly adds: ‘for example’)—and there is not one of them that does not have clearly pronounced sounds” (the Russian again incorrectly: “without meaning”).—“The meaning of language”—more accurately: the meaning of sound.—“A foreigner”—more accurately: a barbarian. Among the Greeks and Egyptians, “barbarians” were peoples who did not speak the languages of those nations.

1 Corinthians 14:12. So with you, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. From the example given in vv. 10–11, the Ap. draws a practical conclusion. The edification of the Christian community—this is the main thing to which the attention of all who seek to obtain spiritual gifts should be directed.

1 Corinthians 14:13. Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 1 Corinthians 14:14. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 1 Corinthians 14:15. What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. For the benefit of the Church, one who speaks in tongues, when praying, should do so with the intention of later explaining the content of his prayer in a way comprehensible to all. The will of a person in the use of gifts always remained in operation. (The Russian translation “pray for the gift of interpretation” does not correspond to the Greek verb placed here—προσεύχεσθαι. If the Ap. were speaking of a request, he would have used the verb αιτεῖν or δεῖσθαι).—“When I pray.” The condition of one who speaks in tongues but is unable to explain the content of his prayer is an imperfect state.—“His spirit,” i.e., his feeling is extremely aroused, but together with this “the mind” or reason “remains unfruitful,” i.e., there is no place for its participation during such strong arousal of feeling, and it on its part cannot serve for the benefit of the Church.—“What am I to do?” Spiritual rapture must find its complement in prayers offered “with the mind,” i.e., while preserving clear awareness, which one can then explain to others.—The difference between prayer and singing is that prayer has as its goal the reception of saving benefits, while singing represents praise to God for blessings received—praise through the recitation of hymns or psalms—new, Christian ones, of course. These psalms were composed by those who had the gift of tongues.

1 Corinthians 14:16. Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 1 Corinthians 14:17. For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. The Ap. explains why he considers speech in tongues in itself fruitless. One who “blesses in the spirit,” i.e., speaks in tongues praising God in a state of inspiration, is incomprehensible to the ordinary person—or, more accurately, to a person who cannot penetrate the content of the speech of the one speaking in the spirit. Such a person cannot sympathize with what fills the soul of the one speaking in tongues: he cannot say “Amen” to his thanksgiving or praise which that one addresses to God (Concerning the custom of responding “Amen” to a prayer pronounced by the presider of the assembly, by which the community expressed its agreement with the presider’s thoughts, St. Justin Martyr reports in his Apology). Thus even the beautiful speech of the one speaking in tongues will remain useless for the hearers.

1 Corinthians 14:18. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 1 Corinthians 14:19. Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue. The gift of tongues in itself deserves respect. The Ap. even thanks God that he is able to speak in tongues more than all the Corinthians. But on the other hand, this gift is undoubtedly more useful for private, solitary prayer. In public worship, however, those gifts that give full scope to “the mind” or reason of the speaker bring incomparably greater benefit—above all the gifts of prophecy and teaching.

1 Corinthians 14:20. Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. In concluding his explanation, the Ap. says ironically to the Corinthians, who, like children, were interested only in what glitters: “If you want to be children, then be so with respect to all that is ‘evil’ (i.e., be ignorant of evil). But when it comes to reason, you ought to be adults.”

1 Corinthians 14:21. In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people; and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” Up to this point the Ap. has been speaking about the relationship of the gift of tongues to the matter of edifying Christians who gathered for worship. Now he speaks of what impression this gift should produce on those Corinthians who had not yet converted to Christianity but who sometimes visited Christian worship.—First of all, the Ap. refers to a passage from the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 28:11). At first glance, this passage seems to have no relation to the gift of tongues under consideration: the prophet was here foretelling the Assyrian invasion of Judah, which would be a punishment from God upon the Jews who had not wished to turn to the Lord when He called them to Himself through His prophets. But still, one can find the reason why the Ap. cited this prophecy. Undoubtedly he wished to say that just as the speech of the Assyrians, who came to Judah, was a punishment for the Jews by its incomprehensibility, so also the incomprehensible speeches of those speaking in tongues that now resound in worship assemblies testify to a separation existing between them and God. How unreasonably, therefore, do the Corinthians act when they strive to “speak in tongues” in worship assemblies!—“In the Law it is written.” The Ap. calls the book of Isaiah “the Law” following the custom of New Testament writers (cf. John 7:49).

1 Corinthians 14:22. Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. From the cited prophecy of the prophet Isaiah, the Ap. draws the conclusion: “tongues are a sign for unbelievers.”—God speaks with unbelievers in such a way as to show that He is angry with them for their unbelief in His clearly stated revelation. Thus also the Lord Jesus Christ, after the Jews did not heed His simple and clear preaching about the Kingdom of Heaven (such as, for example, the Sermon on the Mount), began to speak to them in parables incomprehensible to them (Matt 13:11 and following).—“Prophecy is not for unbelievers.” Following the construction of the first part of the verse, here too after the words “prophecy is” one should add “a sign.” But prophecy will be a sign of a different kind than the gift of tongues. If the first served as a sign of God’s wrath, then the latter is a sign of God’s mercy toward those who have already begun to believe (τοῖ πιστεύουσιν), but who are in need of spiritual strengthening in order to become fully firm in faith.

1 Corinthians 14:23. If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? The Ap. takes the case where only those who speak in tongues appear in the worship assembly. If at this gathering there are “outsiders” (ιδιῶται) and “unbelievers” (άπιστοι), it will seem to them that all the Christians have lost their minds!—The distinction between “the outsider” and “the unbeliever” is that, although both of them are not yet members of the Church (this is evident from their being set in contrast to “the whole” Church), the first nonetheless has some connection with the Christian community (he simply does not know all its customs), while the second is a genuine non-believer—a pagan, hostile toward the Church. There is some probability in the supposition that here by “outsider” the Ap. meant a catechumen, not yet initiated into the circle of the truths of the Christian faith.

1 Corinthians 14:24. But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 1 Corinthians 14:25. and so the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and falling on his face he will worship God and declare that God is really among you. In the previous verse the Ap. showed what the gift of tongues without the gift of prophecy represents. Now he depicts the reverse case, when only prophets appear in the worship assembly.—“All prophesy”—of course, not simultaneously, but in turn.—“An unbeliever or outsider.” Here the Ap. speaks of the impression a person who is not a member of the Christian Church will receive. The impression from the speeches of Christian prophets or teachers of faith will be powerful even for a pagan, and still more powerful for a person who stands in some contact with the Church (“outsider”—see v. 23).—“He is convicted by all,” i.e., every teacher of faith can point out to such a visitor the sinfulness of his deeds.—“He is called to account by all”—an expression close to “he is convicted by all,” but containing the thought of predicting the terrible fate awaiting the sinner.—“The secrets of his heart are disclosed,” i.e., the person begins to understand clearly his own position and the entire state of his soul.—“Falling on his face,” i.e., he acknowledges his guilt before God and will want to become a member of the Christian Church, because only there can he enter into communion with God.—“Really” (όντως), i.e., in fact Christians are in a state of divine inspiration. Such a result—such a conviction arising in a person who is a stranger to the Church—is precisely the opposite of what was produced in such a person when attending an assembly where only those who spoke in tongues appeared (“you are out of your minds”—v. 23). 1 Cor 14:26-40. The Ap. now gives rules for the use of spiritual gifts. First he prescribes to those who speak in tongues that they appear in assemblies in a number of two or three, and then one at a time, and their speeches must be interpreted. As for prophets, they too should in each assembly speak only in pairs or groups of three, while the others should hold back their impulses toward prophesying. Finally, women must be present at worship in silence.

1 Corinthians 14:26. What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a tongue, a revelation, an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. Every gift should serve for the edification of those present at worship—this is the basic rule for the use of gifts.—“Each one of you,” i.e., one person has one gift, another person another. The Ap. then enumerates five types of inspired Christian creativity: 1) a hymn or song that a Christian composed under the influence of special inspiration—this was improvisation, as the very expression used here by the Apostle shows (ψαλμον έχει); 2) a lesson (διδαχή)—this too is the word of wisdom or knowledge (1 Cor 12:8); 3) a tongue or speech in tongues (1 Cor 12:10); 4) a revelation or “prophecy” (1 Cor 12:10); and 5) “an interpretation” (1 Cor 12:10).

1 Corinthians 14:27. If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 1 Corinthians 14:28. But if there is no one to interpret, let him keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. Concerning those who speak in tongues, the Ap. gives three rules: 1) their number in each assembly should be no more than three; 2) they should speak not together but one at a time; and 3) they may speak only when a person is present in the assembly who possesses the gift of interpreting their speeches. Such persons were evidently already known in Corinth. However, sometimes the one speaking in tongues simultaneously possessed the gift of interpretation as well.—“Speak to himself and to God,” i.e., do not speak aloud in the church, but pray to yourself—even better at home.

1 Corinthians 14:29. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 1 Corinthians 14:30. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. Concerning those who prophesy, the Ap. likewise gives three rules: 1) the number of prophets speaking at the assembly should also be small (two or three people); 2) prophecy stands in need of supplementation, just as the gift of tongues does. Such supplementation is provided by “weighing”—i.e., the consideration of the new thoughts expressed by a prophet, as to how far these thoughts accord with the foundations of the Gospel (1 Cor 12:1-3; cf. John 16:13 and following). This consideration was carried out by other (“the others”) Christians present at the worship service who were capable of doing so—i.e., primarily teachers of faith who had a special gift from the Holy Spirit; 3) if, during the speech of one prophet, inspiration falls upon someone else, the first must fall silent and yield the floor to the new speaker, who has evidently received a new revelation supplementing that which had already been communicated by his predecessor.—It is evident from this that all those present at the worship service were seated, and only those persons who were taking an active part in the service would stand.

1 Corinthians 14:31. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged. 1 Corinthians 14:32. And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets, 1 Corinthians 14:33. for God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, The prophetic state does not deprive a person of the power of the will. He can restrain the surge of inspiration while another prophet has not yet finished speaking, or else yield the floor to a new speaker. Through this “all” present at the worship service will receive instruction and edification: if one prophet occupied all the time with his speech, he would give no opportunity for another to appear, whose speech might perhaps be far more comprehensible to certain hearers. And this restraint of one’s impulses is entirely possible, because the “spirits” (πνεύματα) of the prophets—i.e., the various revelations received by the prophets—are at the disposal of the prophets, do not deprive them of freedom and deliberation. And God could not have permitted the contrary—He is a “God of peace.” Finally, such an order exists in other “churches” (in the assemblies of holy persons—εν εκκλ[ησίαις] τῶν αγίων)—why should not the Corinthians observe it too?

1 Corinthians 14:34. The women are to keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 1 Corinthians 14:35. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. In summoning women to silence in worship assemblies, the Ap. grounds this requirement in a reference to “the Law” or to the Word of God in general, in which the wife is placed under the authority of the husband (Gen 3:16). If the wife is in general to be in submission to her husband, then she should not violate this submission during worship by appearing as a prophetess or teacher: for such an appearance would testify to her intention to guide her own husband, who would find himself among the hearers of her speech.

1 Corinthians 14:36. Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 1 Corinthians 14:37. If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 14:38. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. Anticipating that his prescription will displease many Corinthians, the Ap. again points out that the Corinthian Church is only one part of the universal Church and should not establish its own customs. The teaching of Christ (or the “Word of God”) must be one and the same for all Christians, and the Corinthian Church could not have received any separate prescriptions from God. If some appeal to the fact that they act in their own way as persons inspired by God, then again this argument is not well-founded: precisely a Christian inspired by God should recognize in the words and prescriptions of the Apostle “the commands of the Lord,” because the Ap. too speaks by inspiration.—Of course—the Ap. concludes—there will still be found among the Corinthians stubborn, disobedient people, but let that stubbornness fall on their own heads!

1 Corinthians 14:39. So, brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:40. But all things should be done decently and in order. The Ap. here makes a brief summary of the thoughts developed above about the comparative significance of the gift of prophecy and the gift of tongues. Note on the gift of tongues. Chapter 14 provides more data for determining what the gift of tongues was. First, the Ap. says that the one speaking in tongues “no one understands” (v. 2)—neither his own countrymen, nor people of another tribe who understand only their own language. Second, the one speaking is in a state of such ecstasy (v. 2—“in the Spirit”) that even he himself cannot afterward coherently convey what had stirred his soul (“he utters mysteries”—ibid.). Third, the one speaking in tongues had no “revelation” (cf. v. 6), i.e., he did not penetrate into the essence of what was being produced in him by the action of the Spirit. Fourth, the glossolalia of unbelievers not only fails to bring them to faith in Christ, but on the contrary gives them occasion to mock Christians and to justify their unbelief by pointing to the disorderliness of Christian worship assemblies (vv. 22–23; cf. Acts 2:13: “they”—i.e., those who had spoken in tongues on the day of Pentecost—“have had too much sweet wine!” said those who heard those speaking in tongues). God in this way carries out His judgment upon unbelievers, allowing them to see what may further strengthen them in unbelief (cf. 1 Cor 1:18 and following; 2 Cor 2:15 and following). It is clear that glossolalia produces such an effect on unbelievers as cannot be desirable even for the Church itself. Finally, glossolalia is compared (vv. 10 and following) with the use of foreign languages. From all of this (cf. also 1 Cor 13:1 — where there is a discussion of the loud speech of the glossolalist, which is thereby compared with the ringing of bronze) one may draw the following conclusion: glossolalia was a loud speech that produced in unprepared hearers the impression of some confused, disorderly babbling, while in essence it was an outpouring of deep inner feeling not clearly apprehended by the very one who uttered it, so that the person was, one might say, a simple instrument of this higher spiritual vital force acting within him. Yet the person who spoke in tongues did not lose the ability to govern himself and was not in an unconscious or delirious state. He simply could not express his feelings in coherent and sequential speech, calmly and in a controlled manner: only the interpreter could explain his loud, fragmentary exclamations. More cannot be said about the essence of this gift. The question of its similarity to the phenomenon that took place on the day of Pentecost is in most cases resolved affirmatively.—As for the term itself, “to speak in tongues,” this too constitutes a subject of disputes. Most probably, this term was taken from the “tongues” that rested on the day of Pentecost upon the believers gathered in the upper room (Acts 2:3 and following). * * * The Ap. says that a simple Christian in such a case occupies a position that equates him with one ignorant of the truths of the faith (ιδιώτης).

Chapter Fifteen

On the resurrection of the dead. Closely connected with faith in the resurrection of the dead is faith in redemption (1–34). How the dead will rise and in what kind of body they will exist (35–58)

1 Cor 15:1-34. From ecclesiastical, moral, and liturgical questions, the Apostle now turns to a doctrinal question—the resurrection of the dead. It is very probable that doubt about the resurrection of the dead arose among some of the Corinthians (v. 12) under the influence of the Platonic view of matter in general (ύλη) as the source of physical and moral evil, and of the body in particular as the sinful principle in human nature. This view alone can explain why it seemed to the Greeks wholly undesirable that the body should be restored or resurrected in the future. Perhaps the false teachers in Corinth who denied the future resurrection, like the later heretics (2 Tim 2:18), were saying that “the resurrection had already taken place,” understanding by resurrection the spiritual renewal of humanity through the grace of redemption.—In opposition to these false teachers, the Apostle first argues that all of redemption stands or falls with the resurrection of the dead. First of all, he firmly establishes the fact of the resurrection of Christ, which is the foundation on which rests the hope of our own resurrection (1–11). He then explains that denial of the resurrection of the dead inevitably leads to denial of the resurrection of Christ, and with that to denial of the truthfulness of the apostolic testimony and of all Christianity (12–19), and that—conversely—faith in the resurrection of the dead, closely bound up with faith in the resurrection of Christ, is the foundation on which all the hopes of the Christian rest (20–28). In addition to what has been said, the Apostle makes a remark about certain further consequences to which the denial of the future resurrection leads. Specifically, in that case “baptism for the dead” and death for Christ’s sake become utterly meaningless. On the contrary, a life of pleasure becomes the only logical outcome of such a denial (29–34).

1 Corinthians 15:1. I remind you, brothers, of the Gospel which I proclaimed to you, which you also received, in which you also stand, 1 Corinthians 15:2. by which you are also being saved, if you hold fast to what I proclaimed to you—unless you believed in vain. “I remind you”—more precisely: “I bring to your attention” (γνωρίζω). The Apostle had already “proclaimed” the “Gospel” to them, but had presented it to them only as a historical fact. Now, however, he wishes to explain in detail the significance of that fact.—“If you hold fast to what I proclaimed.” It is not enough merely to accept and confess the Gospel: in order to attain salvation, one must hold firmly and correctly to this Gospel, understanding it in precisely the way that the Apostle Paul understood it.—“Unless you believed in vain,” that is, unless—which the Apostle cannot allow—you believed in Christ without purpose and without result (εικῆ).

1 Corinthians 15:3. For I delivered to you first of all what I myself also received: that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:4. and that He was buried, and that He rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:5. and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve; The Apostle earlier (1 Cor 11:2) praised the Corinthians for firmly maintaining the church ordinances he had introduced, but now, as he begins to speak of doctrinal traditions, he refrains from praise. Clearly, in the latter respect the Corinthians were not deserving of praise. On the contrary, he considers it necessary to set before them once again the entire teaching on the resurrection, which he had previously delivered to them orally. In doing so, he first of all reminds them of a series of irrefutable testimonies on which faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ rests—a resurrection that is the guarantee of our own future resurrection.—“For.” Why does the Apostle consider it necessary to explain to the Corinthians the significance of the resurrection of Christ and of the universal resurrection of the dead (v. 1)? Because, when he came forward in Corinth, this was the most important point of his preaching, forming, so to speak, the foundation of his teaching.—“Received.” The Apostle learned the facts (for example, about the appearances of Christ to Peter and James) from the Apostles, but as for the significance of the very events of the death and resurrection, this was made clear to him by means of inner illumination which he received from the Lord Himself (Gal 1:12). In this way it was made clear to him that Christ died to redeem people from their sins, and that this death of Christ was fully in accordance with the writings of the Old Testament.—“Was buried.” This fact of the burial testifies that death had truly come upon Christ, that He really died and did not merely appear to have died.—“According to the Scriptures.” A foreshadowing of Christ’s resurrection on the third day may be found in the fate of the prophet Jonah, as well as in the prophet Hosea (Hos 6:2).—“Appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.” Both of these appearances, which took place on the first day of the resurrection, are mentioned by the evangelist Luke (Luke 24:34), and only the second by the evangelist John (John 20:19 and following). The Apostle is evidently speaking here of a bodily appearance of the risen Christ. Indeed, what purpose did the Apostle have in enumerating the apostolic testimonies? He clearly wished by this to prove the truth of our future bodily resurrection, and this truth could be founded only upon the bodily appearance of the risen Lord. It should be noted that the western codices read not “the twelve” but “the eleven” (as our Slavonic translation also has it). Which reading is more correct? From the standpoint of precise meaning, certainly the latter, because when Christ rose, Judas was no longer among the Apostles and only eleven remained. But the former reading also has a claim to acceptance, since “the twelve” remained “the twelve” even when one or two members were absent from this circle of Christ’s first disciples (for example, Judas and Thomas—at the appearance of the risen Christ). The expression “the 12 Apostles” was a technical term for designating the dignity of those first disciples of His who had been called by Christ Himself, just as in history the term “Council of Ten” is known, and so forth. Furthermore, this reading “to the twelve (Apostles)” is confirmed by the most ancient manuscripts.

1 Corinthians 15:6. Then He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom remain alive until now, though some have also fallen asleep; The appearance mentioned here is undoubtedly the same as that reported by the evangelist Matthew (Matt 28:16). If the evangelist mentions only “the eleven” while passing over “the five hundred brothers” in silence, this is explained by the fact that his account contains the commands of Christ which related only to the Apostles (Matt 28:18-20).—“Remain alive until now.” The Apostle mentions this in order to point out to the Corinthians the possibility of asking those who saw the risen Christ about Him.

1 Corinthians 15:7. Then He appeared to James, and then to all the Apostles; “James”—this is, of course, the brother of the Lord Jesus Christ, who later became bishop of the Jerusalem Church: had the Apostle meant someone other than this widely known churchman (Gal 1:19; Acts 12:17), he would certainly have identified him more precisely. James did not believe in Christ during His earthly life (John 7:5), but after the ascension of Christ we find him together with the Apostles and the holy women in the upper room in Jerusalem (Acts 1:14). This sudden transformation from unbeliever to believer could have been brought about only by the force of a particular compelling evidence, which must have been for James the appearance of the risen One Himself.—“To all the Apostles.” This was the appearance on the day of the Lord’s ascension into heaven, when—clearly by a special command of the Lord—all the Apostles gathered together (cf. Acts 1:4).

1 Corinthians 15:8. And last of all He appeared also to me, as to one untimely born. The appearance of the risen One that came to him personally the Apostle places on the same level as the other appearances. Therefore, it was not an inner event from his personal life but a genuine appearance.—“Untimely born” (έκτρωμα) was the term for a child born before its time and, one might say, forcibly extracted from its mother’s womb by a procedure. The other Apostles fell like ripened fruit from the tree of Judaism and landed in the basket of Christ, whereas the Apostle Paul was torn from the bosom of Judaism by force, by Christ Himself, without having been prepared to become His Apostle.

1 Corinthians 15:9. For I am the least of the Apostles, and am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 1 Corinthians 15:10. But by the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more than all of them—not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me. The Apostle confirms his unpreparedness for apostolic ministry by pointing to the fact that he had been a persecutor of the Church of Christ. “The least of the Apostles”—this the Apostle says of himself out of a sense of humility. Moreover, in the epistle to the Ephesians he calls himself the least of all Christians (Eph 3:8).—“What I am,” that is, I became a Christian, an Apostle, and finally an Apostle to the entire gentile world.—“More than all of them”—certainly more than all the Apostles taken together. Cf. Rom 15:19.—“Labored.” This expression denotes not only the process of work itself but also indicates its results (cf. John 4:38). Even at that time the Apostle Paul could say of himself that his preaching had produced greater results than the preaching of all the Apostles.—“Grace… with me.” The Apostle does not forget, however, that in all his deeds the all-working grace of God aided him.

1 Corinthians 15:11. So whether it was I or they, this is how we preach, and this is how you believed. “You believed in this way”—that is, the Church unanimously recognized that both the Gospel of the twelve Apostles and the Gospel of the Apostle Paul rest on one and the same foundation—namely, the events of the death and resurrection of Christ, through which we, in accordance with the Scriptures, received forgiveness of sins.

1 Corinthians 15:12. Now if Christ is preached as having risen from the dead, how is it that some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? Our new life, which grows out of communion with Christ, is nothing other than participation in His life. It follows from this that if Christ now has a glorified body—which became such through the resurrection of Christ from the dead—then we also must receive such a body and by the same means.

1 Corinthians 15:13. If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either; 1 Corinthians 15:14. and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is empty, and your faith is empty as well. 1 Corinthians 15:15. Moreover, we would also be found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified of God that He raised Christ—whom He did not raise, if indeed the dead are not raised; “And Christ has not been raised.” Whoever denies the consequence (the universal resurrection) must also deny its cause (the resurrection of Christ).—“Our preaching is empty.” The main subject of apostolic testimony is the resurrection of Christ. Therefore, with the denial of the resurrection of Christ, the apostolic preaching loses all its essential content as well (“empty”—more accurately: “hollow”). The faith of the Corinthians likewise turns out to be attached to an object that exists only in imagination.—“False witnesses of God,” that is, they would have ascribed to God something He had not done.—“Testified of God”—more accurately: “against” God. This would be an offense against God.

1 Corinthians 15:16. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 1 Corinthians 15:17. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is useless: you are still in your sins. 1 Corinthians 15:18. Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 1 Corinthians 15:19. And if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are more pitiable than all people. With the denial of the resurrection of Christ, faith in redemption also falls. If Christ did not rise, then He is not the Redeemer.—“Your faith is useless”—more precisely: pointless, leads to nothing.—“You are still in your sins.” If Christ had only died and had not risen, then He Himself would have remained under the curse of sin, and humanity would not have received from Him justification from sins: those who died in communion with Christ—those who deny the resurrection of Christ must tell themselves—will not arise to a better life, and the living followers of His who have taken up in this life the heavy cross of sufferings, in view of future glorification with Christ, turn out to be the most unfortunate of people!

1 Corinthians 15:20. But Christ has risen from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 15:21. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. 1 Corinthians 15:22. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive, “But Christ.” More accurately: “but now Christ.” The Apostle contrasts with a state of hopelessness a new state of the human soul, which has its place precisely “now,” since the resurrection of Christ.—“Firstfruits”—more accurately: “first-fruits” (απαρχή). The risen Christ stands in relation to all those who are to rise at His second coming as the first ripened stalk in the entire harvest.—“For as…”—these words serve to explain why the Apostle called Christ “the first-fruits of the dead.” Both death and resurrection alike proceed from a human being: a human being must heal the evil that was also caused by a human being.—“As in Adam.” The thought just expressed in abstract terms is now stated with specific reference to persons—Adam and Christ.—“In Adam—in Christ.” By this change of the preposition “through” (διά in v. 21) to the preposition “in” (εν), the Apostle points to the close bond, the close vital communion, between humanity on one side and Adam and Christ on the other. The Apostle wishes to say: “if all die through Adam, this has its basis in the fact that they are all in him, as in their first ancestor, infected with death. If all are to be restored to life again through Christ, this comes from the fact that in Him resides a power by which they are justified and by which they will one day, by virtue of their communion with Him, be awakened to new life.”—“All.” Some hold that the reference here is truly to the “universal” salvation and restoration of all things. But such a supposition is contradicted by the teaching of the entire New Testament (cf. Matt 12:32; Mark 9:48; 2 Thess 1:9; Phil 3:19). Others apply this prophecy only to those who believe in Christ, but to restrict the meaning of the expression “all” (all will be made alive in Christ) in this way is an act of willfulness. Moreover, the comparison between the work of Adam and the work of Christ does not hold: Adam leads all to death, Christ leads many… It is better therefore to accept the view of St. John Chrysostom, according to which the expression “all” in both cases has exactly the same scope. And in John the Theologian, Christ appears as the cause of the resurrection of both the righteous and sinners (John 5:28 and following). If the Apostle used here the expression “will be made alive” (ζωοποιεῖν) even of sinners—an expression more commonly used of the resurrection of the righteous—he could have used it in the sense of resurrection in general, just as in v. 19 the word “life” (ζωή) he used as a designation of earthly existence in general.

1 Corinthians 15:23. each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then those who are Christ’s at His coming. “In his own order” (Τάγμα). A specific place in the great whole is assigned to each individual person or entire class of persons. In the first place stands Christ alone.—“Those who are Christ’s.” These are without doubt the righteous, who have the Spirit of Christ in them (Rom 8:9), for whom Christ is the foundation of their life (Col 3:4). They form the second rank or division of the risen.

1 Corinthians 15:24. Then comes the end, when He delivers the Kingdom to God the Father, when He abolishes every rule and every authority and power. “Then comes the end.” The Apostle thus posits some interval between the second coming of Christ, of which he spoke in the preceding verse, and the end. By “end” (τέλος) one should understand the conclusion of the present order of God’s economy for the salvation of people. People will reach such a state that it will be possible to pronounce a final judgment upon them (cf. 1 Pet 4:7). This end will come precisely when Christ “delivers the Kingdom to God the Father.” As is evident from vv. 25 and 28, Christ will deliver to the authority of the Father a new kingdom, in which a new order of life will be established.—God is called “God and Father” in order to show both the voluntary submission of Christ to Him as God, and the unity of Christ with God in essence as with His Father.—Between the second coming and the “end,” the abolition of “every rule, authority, and power” will be accomplished (instead of “when He abolishes” it is more accurate to translate: “after He has abolished”; first He will “abolish,” and only then will He “deliver”). The forces being abolished must of course be understood as the forces hostile to the Kingdom of God (cf. vv. 25 and 28), to which “death” also belongs (v. 26). Thus the time between the second coming and the end will be an epoch of judgment.

1 Corinthians 15:25. For He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. The necessity of such a judgment upon the forces hostile to God the Apostle confirms with words from Scripture (Ps 109:1). But from what point does the “reign” of Christ begin? Since the reference here is to an external and not merely an inward, spiritual reign (the proof of this being the subjection of enemies by Christ), it is more natural to see the beginning of this reign in the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ at His second coming. Then He will appear visibly to all as King and Judge of the world, and this reign will continue until He has overcome all the enemies of God.—Does the Apostle’s assertion about the cessation of the reign of Christ contradict the prophecies of the Old Testament according to which the Kingdom of the Messiah will have no end (Isa 9:6-7)? No, because for the prophets the Kingdom of the Messiah and the Kingdom of God seemed identical: for them it was one Kingdom, and in speaking of the eternity of the Kingdom of the Messiah they meant the eternity of the Kingdom of God in general.

1 Corinthians 15:26. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, In order for Christ’s victory over the enemies of the Kingdom of God to be complete, death must be annihilated as the last enemy. This annihilation of death will be accomplished through the resurrection of the dead and the accompanying transformation of the bodily constitution of the human being, which will no longer be subject to the action of death or destruction.

1 Corinthians 15:27. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when it says that all things are subjected to Him, it is plain that this excludes the One who subjected all things to Him. The opening words of the verse are taken from Psalm 8 (Ps 8:7). They properly have in view the human being at the moment of his creation, but since this calling—to be lord of the earth—was not realized by the human being but was realized by the incarnate Son of God, the Messiah, these words in the New Testament came to be applied to Him with full right (e.g. Eph 1:22; Heb 2:8).—“Subjected”—God, of course.—“Except for the One”—this remark serves as a transition to the thought about the subjection of Christ to God, which is expressed in the following verse.

1 Corinthians 15:28. And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all. “When all things are subjected to Him.” According to the more accepted reading, one should translate here not “will subject” but “are subjected” or “have been subjected.”—“Then the Son Himself will also be subjected.” Here the Apostle returns to the thought expressed in v. 24. He said there that the “end” must come, then in vv. 25–27 gave parenthetical remarks about what must precede this “end.” Now he speaks still more precisely, saying that the very “end” will consist in the subjection of the Son and, together with Him, of the entire world to God.—The subjection of the Son to the Father will be wholly voluntary (the Son “will be subjected,” not “will be made subject”). According to the interpretation of John Chrysostom, this subjection of the Son should signify His complete agreement with the Father. According to the opinion of blessed Augustine, there is a hint here that the Son will present the elect to the favorable consideration of the Father. Other interpreters refer this subjection only to the human nature of the Son, or to the cessation of Christ’s mediatorial role between God and humanity. The latter opinion is the more correct. To the Son, as redeemer and intercessor for humanity, dominion over the Church and the world was granted with a specific purpose and for a specific term, upon the expiration of which the Son must once again occupy His former position as “Son.” “By this, however, He loses nothing: it is not He who will descend from the throne of God, but His subjects will ascend with Him to that throne… The Son returns again to the position which He left to fulfill His Messianic ministry—He ceases to be the mediator of the divine governance of the world, because God Himself enters into direct communion with humanity” (Godet). “To the One who subjected all things to Him.” Thus the Son will return to the Father what was given Him by the Father.—“So that God may be all in all.” These words serve to explain why the Son will return all to the Father. Previously, God revealed Himself to the world through Him—He is “all and in all” (Col 3:11). But He uses this position of His for the purpose of bringing all things to God and, in particular, so that God may be “all things” in believers.—It should be noted that the Apostle here says “God,” not “the Father.” Clearly from this he is thinking of God in the fullness of His being—as Father, as Son, and as the Holy Spirit.—“All in all”—more accurately: all things (instrumental case) in all people. God will dwell in all people, in every individual believer, and work through them. They, like Christ during His earthly life, will be bearers of the holiness and love of God; through them God will fill all things, all creation (cf. John 17:21).

1 Corinthians 15:29. Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them? If one does not acknowledge the truth of the resurrection, then baptism for the dead becomes an entirely pointless act.—“What will they do?”—according to the better attested reading: “what will they gain?” (future tense), that is, what profit will they receive? No answer is given, but it is clear: they will gain nothing!—“Those who are baptized for the dead.” This expression is interpreted in very different ways. Some see here a reference to a rite that supposedly existed even in apostolic times, when, in the event of the death of a believer who had not been baptized, one of his relatives or friends would receive baptism on his behalf. This interpretation is unfounded, because we know of the existence of such a practice only in heretical communities, and there is no evidence that it existed in the apostolic church. Others (e.g. John Chrysostom) interpret this passage as a reminder that the one being baptized, by the very act of receiving baptism, confesses his faith in the resurrection. “Recalling this very thing, the Apostle says: if there is no resurrection, then why are you baptized for the sake of the dead, that is, for the sake of bodies? For in baptism you believe in the resurrection of the dead body—that it will no longer remain dead.” This interpretation, accepted among modern commentators also by Bachmann, is the most plausible, since the apostolic Church undoubtedly recognized a special connection between the sacrament of baptism and the bodily resurrection of the baptized (cf. Rom 6:3 and following, Gal 3:27). Not improbable is also the view of those who see here a reference not to water baptism but to baptism of blood, or to Christian martyrdom. In the Gospel, the term “to be baptized” is used twice in precisely this sense (see Luke 12:50 and Mark 10:38). Under the influence of such sayings of Christ Himself, there may have appeared in the apostolic Church such a designation of a Christian martyr’s death as we find here in the Apostle. Thus one may give the following sense to the Apostle’s question: “if there is no resurrection, then what benefit will be received by those Christians who out of love for Christ and faith in the future life are baptized for the dead—that is, go to death and thereby join the ranks of those who have died forever”? Closely connected with this explanation is also the question of v. 30: “why are we also in danger every hour?”—“if the dead”—this second question is a more detailed repetition of the first.

1 Corinthians 15:30. Why are we also in danger every hour? 1 Corinthians 15:31. I die every day—I affirm this by the pride I take in you, brothers, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. From the martyr’s death the Apostle moves to the ordinary life of the Apostles, which consists of constant dangers for them.—“We,” that is, Paul, Silas, and Timothy, known to the Corinthians, and then also the other Apostles.—“I affirm this by the pride I take in you,” that is, as proof of the truthfulness of my words I can appeal to your own acknowledgment: you yourselves praise me for my labors, for the fact that I expose myself to mortal dangers.—“In Christ Jesus.” The Apostle performs these labors, however, thanks to the help of Christ, with whom he abides in close communion.

1 Corinthians 15:32. If from a merely human standpoint I fought with wild beasts in Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” “From a merely human standpoint” (κατά άνθρωπον; cf. Rom 3:5; the verb λέγω “I say” is omitted here), that is, if one judges from the point of view of ordinary human notions, not in the light of Christian teaching.—“I fought with wild beasts.” Nearly all modern commentators understand by “wild beasts” the fierce enemies of the Apostle Paul who fell upon him in crowds like wild beasts. Although St. Ignatius also calls his guards ten leopards (To the Romans, ch. V), with whom he fought day and night throughout his journey, it is doubtful that the Apostle here intended to designate his persecutors in this way. The epistle to the Corinthians was written before the disturbance that the silversmith Demetrius stirred up in Ephesus against the Apostle, and at that time the Apostle was not yet “fighting” with hostile crowds. Moreover, the very term “to fight with wild beasts” had a meaning clear to all and could hardly have been interpreted by the Corinthians in a figurative sense. In those times, throughout the Roman Empire, it was customary to condemn criminals to some dangerous contest in the circus amphitheater, so that citizens could enjoy the spectacle. It is very probable that the Apostle Paul was also forced, during one of the disturbances in Ephesus, to appear along with other condemned persons as a fighter against wild animals (bestiarius). His right as a Roman citizen could not have helped him in this case—a mob in its excitement forgets all rights—and only the power of God delivered him from death.—“What does it profit me,” that is, was it worth my while to risk my life in the name of Christ, if I had no certainty of the future resurrection?—“Let us eat and drink.” Commentators consider these words a borrowing from the book of Isaiah (Isa 22:13). With the denial of the resurrection of the dead, the principle of Epicureanism must reign in life.

1 Corinthians 15:33. Do not be deceived: bad company corrupts good morals. 1 Corinthians 15:34. Come to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for I say to your shame that some of you have no knowledge of God. “Bad company”—these words appear in the comedy of the Greek comic playwright Menander “Thais” (3rd century BC). The Apostle may have known this saying, which had become a common proverb. He cites this proverb wishing to instill caution in the Corinthians regarding their association with pagans, under whose influence some of the Corinthian Christians had apparently begun to doubt the truth of the resurrection of the dead.—“Come to your senses as you ought.” The Corinthians had already awakened from spiritual slumber, but had not yet fully recovered—they might fall asleep again!—“And stop sinning” (present tense), that is, do not continue your sinful life, because living this way you will perish.—“Have no knowledge of God”—more precisely: they have an ignorance (αγνωσία) of God, that is, they do not have an adequate knowledge of God as a personal Being, as a Judge and rewarder, and for this reason allow themselves to live according to their lusts. 1 Cor 15:35-38. The Apostle here gives an answer to two questions that might be raised in connection with his teaching about the resurrection of the dead. The first question: in what manner can a dead body be brought back to life? and the second: what will the new body of the risen be like? The Apostle answers the first question with a comparison of the fate of the decaying human body to a grain decaying in the earth, which nevertheless sends forth a shoot, and to the second question he says that the new bodies will of course not be such as we have now: they will be more refined and adapted to the activity of the higher side of our being—the spirit. In doing so, the Apostle also gives an explanation of why the human being was not given such a higher body at the very moment of creation (35–49). As for those who will be living at the time of the second coming of Christ, their bodies too will be changed into the same higher bodies as will be had by those raised from the dead, and thus death will be definitively conquered (50–58).

1 Corinthians 15:35. But someone will ask: how are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come? “How will they be raised?”—that is, can this be? How can a completely decomposed body be brought back to life? This is one question.—“With what kind of body”—this is the other question, about the nature of the new body.

1 Corinthians 15:36. Foolish one! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. Here is the answer to the first question. The Apostle draws the readers’ attention to what constantly takes place in nature. A grain sown in the earth loses its outer shell, which decomposes under the action of the soil’s moisture. Through this decomposition an outlet is given to the life-germ of the plant, which is invisible to the human eye. Thus, through death life is obtained. The same must happen with the human body.—From this, readers could draw two conclusions. First, the new body will not be an assembly of particles of the former, destroyed body, just as a magnificent oak or a beautiful apple tree is not an assembly of particles of a decomposed acorn or apple seed. Second, between the body of the risen person and his former, destroyed body there will exist an organic connection. If the body of the risen person stood in no relation to the present body, death could not be considered conquered: it would have retained its prey.

1 Corinthians 15:37. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare grain—whatever kind it may be, of wheat or some other kind — 1 Corinthians 15:38. but God gives it a body as He has willed, and to each kind of seed its own body. Here is the answer to the second question. In speaking of how the seed that was sown receives a new garment and new adornment, thereby becoming an actual plant, the Apostle evidently gives an answer to the question about the fate of the dead human body. The latter too is “bare” when it is placed in the earth and decomposes there, but it must then receive the fullness of the organs necessary for the new life.—“As He has willed”—more accurately: as He willed (καθώς ηθέλησεν). By this the Apostle points to the law of development which God placed in each individual plant at creation. The divine will invariably maintains such an order that from a given seed there arises necessarily a given plant (“its own body”).

1 Corinthians 15:39. Not all flesh is the same; there is one kind of flesh for humans, another for animals, another for fish, and another for birds. 1 Corinthians 15:40. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; but the glory of the heavenly is one kind, and the glory of the earthly is another. 1 Corinthians 15:41. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. Since those who doubted the resurrection of the dead evidently thought it impossible for any new body to appear differing from the present one, the Apostle considers it necessary to draw the readers’ attention to the infinite variety of organisms that make up even the present visible world.—“Not all flesh.” The word “flesh” here denotes substance, and not merely the outward form of the organism. (In v. 39 the Apostle enumerates four kinds of “earthly” beings, while further on he speaks of “heavenly” bodies.)—“There are heavenly bodies”—these bodies (the stars) differ from earthly ones in both substance and brightness.—“Glory” (δόξα): brightness, radiance. Earthly beings also have their own brightness, which in flowers consists in their various colors, in animals in their strength or agility, in humans in the noble expression of the face.—By pointing to the varied power of radiance in heavenly bodies, the Apostle conveys to his readers that they should not doubt the fullness of God’s might. “God—the Apostle wishes to say—has sufficient power to give the human being a new and better body.” But indirectly the Apostle also suggests here the thought that the bodies of the risen will differ in dignity (John Chrysostom, Ambrose).

1 Corinthians 15:42. So also is the resurrection of the dead: it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; 1 Corinthians 15:43. it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; These verses contain the answer to the second question of v. 35: “with what kind of body do they come?” The Apostle gives this answer: in a body that is by no means the present body restored, but has entirely different properties from your present body.—“Is sown.” This verb is used three times here, and each time it undoubtedly has a special meaning.—“Is sown in corruption”—this refers to the burial of the body.—“Is sown in dishonor”—this expression encompasses all the afflictions of life that prepare the destruction of the body.—“Is sown in weakness”—this denotes the helplessness of the newborn infant.—Incorruption, glory, and power are the opposites of corruption, dishonor, and weakness. The first term designates the future body as free from sickness, exhaustion, and death; the second, as free from the ordinary weaknesses of the present body and radiating the brilliance of a perfect life; the third, as endowed with the fullness of strength.

1 Corinthians 15:44. it is sown a soulish body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a soulish body, and there is also a spiritual body. The contrasts indicated in vv. 42–43 have their basis in the distinction between “soulish” and “spiritual” bodies. The first is designed to serve as the organ of the soul (ψυχή), that is, of the vital force of the human organism; the second is to serve as the instrument of the higher principle of human existence—the spirit (πνεῦμα). The spirit will act upon the life-germ of the decayed human body, but not so that from this germ there will arise exactly the same body as existed before—as happens with the decaying seed of a plant—but so that the development of this germ will proceed in another direction and toward another, higher form of existence. Thus the newly appearing body will be an obedient instrument of the spirit.—“There is a soulish body, and there is also a spiritual body.” This passage speaks in favor of the assumption that the Apostle saw an essential difference between soul and spirit, and did not regard these two elements as different functions of one and the same substance. Otherwise it would be incomprehensible why he so insistently pointed out the distinction between the bodies.

1 Corinthians 15:45. Thus it is also written: the first man Adam became a living soul; and the last Adam is a life-giving spirit. The Apostle confirms the existence of a twofold body by an appeal to Holy Scripture.—“Thus it is also written.” These words refer only to the first half of the verse.—“Became a living soul” (Gen 2:7). The reference is to the creation of the human being. The human being “became,” was made into a human being or a living creature, after God breathed the breath of life into his body, which was formed from the dust of the earth. With these words the Apostle defines the boundary beyond which the first human being could never step. This boundary is indicated by the expression “a living soul” (ψυχή ζῶσα). This definition given to the human being would seem at first glance to place him on a par with the animals, who are also called “living souls” in Moses (Gen 1:20). But in fact, with respect to the human being, this term contains incomparably more than in its application to animals. According to the book of Genesis as well, the first-created human being immeasurably surpassed the animals in reason, free will, and heart. Furthermore, it is known that the first-created human being entered into direct communion with God, and this belongs to the activity of the higher principle of human existence—the “spirit.” If Moses does not directly attribute a spirit to the human being, he thereby shows that even by the fact that the human being became “a living soul,” the goal of the first creation was achieved. The spirit, as the guiding principle of human existence, was meant to come into activity at a later period. The first-created human being, according to the Apostle Paul, was passing through only the initial stage of existence and activity. “The last Adam.” By this the Apostle designates Christ as the Head of humanity, after whom there will be no new head.—“Is a life-giving spirit.” This is a human state opposite to the other human state—that of “a living soul.” The spirit is called here “life-giving” not because it imparts spiritual life (as in John 4:14), but as something that enlivens the body serving as its organ. The soul too enlivens and moves the body, but the spirit does more—it makes the body living, imparting to it new powers and vitality. But to what point in the life of Christ must the fulfillment of this saying be referred? It is better to suppose that Christ became “a life-giving spirit” progressively—from His miraculous birth and ending with His miraculous ascension into heaven, when His body became fully “spiritual.” But in the full sense, Christ will manifest His life-giving spiritual activity when He glorifies the bodies of those who believe in Him and makes them like His own body (cf. Phil 3:21).

1 Corinthians 15:46. But the spiritual is not first; the soulish is first, and then the spiritual. But why did God not immediately create a life-giving spirit, that is, something more perfect? To this the Apostle replies by pointing to a general law: “first the soulish, and only then the spiritual!” The meaning of the Apostle’s words is as follows: the life of the spirit is in essence identical with holiness and, consequently, like holiness, could not be given to the human being in a ready-made form at the very moment of creation: it is the work of his free will. The first-created human being was to either live for himself or for God. In the first case he was bound to fall and fall ever lower; in the second, elevation awaited him, even improvement of the body itself. The human being fell, going along the first path, but even in the fallen state the desire for something better could not entirely disappear from the human being, and God kindled this desire in soulish humanity by means of a special pedagogical influence, which was bestowed upon the people He had chosen—the Jewish nation. And other nations too had not wholly suppressed in themselves spiritual strivings, so that humanity proved to be prepared to receive the Spirit of God and to begin a new spiritual life. Yes, humanity could fully appreciate the advantages of spiritual life only after it had passed through the initial stage—soulish life.

1 Corinthians 15:47. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. Genesis 2:7. The law indicated in v. 46 is applied to the condition of bodies. First there had to exist the “earthly” body, corresponding to the “soulish” state of the first man, and only then had to appear the “heavenly” body, corresponding to the new “spiritual” state of the second Adam.—“Earthy”—that is, in the quality of his body he represents the same particles as are found in ordinary dust or earth (cf. Gen. 2:7).—“The second man”—that is, the one who appeared afterward (δεύτερος έπειτα in v. 46).—“Lord.” This word is absent in most ancient manuscripts.—“From heaven.” Since throughout this entire section the Apostle’s aim is to give an answer to the question “in what kind of body will the dead be raised?”, it is most natural to understand this expression as a designation of the body in which the risen Christ will appear at His second coming (there is also another view, according to which the Apostle supposedly has in mind here the pre-existence of Christ in heaven as the heavenly man). And the parallel expressions: “will descend from heaven” (1 Thess 4:16) or: “the appearing of the Lord Jesus from heaven” (2 Thess 1:7) likewise refer to the second coming of Christ to earth (cf. Phil 3:20, where it is said that we await the Savior, the Lord, “from heaven”). 1 Corinthians 15:48. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 1 Corinthians 15:49. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly. People who descended from the “earthy” first ancestor, Adam, must in body resemble him, while those whose first ancestor is the “heavenly” one must have the same glorified body as He has.—“We will bear.” Some see here the indicative mood of the future tense (φορέσομεν), others the subjunctive aorist (φορέσωμεν). Although the former understanding is supported only by the testimony of the Vaticanus codex and the Peshitta, it is nevertheless more consistent with the sense of the whole passage. With the second understanding one would have to see here an exhortation (“let us bear!”), whereas what is being set forth here is positive doctrine (cf. Rom 5:1) of the following content: “the body with which the dead will rise is a heavenly body, like the body of the Lord Himself.”

1 Corinthians 15:50. But this I say to you, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. This verse represents a transition to the following section. “Flesh and blood,” that is, our present bodily organism, cannot remain unchanged when believers are to enter the glorious Kingdom of Christ.—“Corruption”—this is the same as “flesh and blood,” but as if already touched by decay.

1 Corinthians 15:51. I tell you a mystery: not all of us will die, but we will all be changed — 1 Corinthians 15:52. in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. “Mystery.” What the Apostle goes on to say became known to him through a special revelation from God (cf. 1 Thess 4:15).—“At the last trumpet.” No trumpet can awaken the dead. Therefore this expression here can only mean a special, almighty divine command by virtue of which the dead are to rise and the living are to be changed in body. The very image is borrowed from those signals that the Jewish priests gave when the Jews, wandering in the desert, had to set out on the road or gather for a festival at the tabernacle (Num 10:2-10). From the fact that the trumpet is called “the last,” one can draw the conclusion that other divine commands will have taken place earlier, which will have significance for the world of spirits.—“For the trumpet will sound,” that is, the trumpet will sound. Again this is a figurative expression, pointing to the simultaneity of the resurrection of the dead and the transformation of the living.—“We,” that is, all believers who will live until the second coming. The Apostle did not know whether he himself would live until that time (cf. vv. 30 and 31; 1 Cor 6:14; Phil 1:20), and, given his characteristic hope for the imminent coming of the Lord, he was more likely to count himself among those who would live until that time.

1 Corinthians 15:53. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:54. And when this corruptible puts on incorruption and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come to pass the word that is written: death has been swallowed up in victory. “Put on.” This expression indicates that between the present and the future, transformed body there will exist a connection. Our body will not be destroyed but will only take on a new form of existence, as if putting on a new garment.—“The word will come to pass.” The prophet Isaiah (Isa 25:8) speaks of how the members of the theocratic community, both living and dead, will at the end of the history of God’s economy of salvation be endowed with immortality. The Apostle, as with many other prophecies that seemingly apply only to the chosen people, applies this prophecy to the future transformation of the bodies of all people.—“In victory,” that is, through the full unfolding of the inner powers of human existence, when any weakening of them becomes impossible. “Death will be swallowed up by eternal life” (Godet).

1 Corinthians 15:55. Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory? 1 Corinthians 15:56. The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. In a feeling of thanksgiving to God for this liberation from the yoke of death that assuredly awaits believers, the Apostle speaks in the words of the prophet Hosea of the complete defeat of death. He quotes Hosea’s words approximately according to the LXX text (Hos 13:14).—“Sting” (κέντρον). The prophet pictures death as a venomous creature, like a scorpion, which becomes harmless through the loss of its sting.—“The sting of death is sin.” By this the Apostle points to the inner cause of the defeat of death. He penetrates, so to speak, into those mysterious retreats where death prepares its poison, and shows how the victor managed to put an end to this harmful force. “Sin” and “the law”—these are the inner causes through which death was able to establish its dominion over people. The first cause is sin. This is clearly stated in Scripture (Gen 2:17; Rom 5:12 and 1 Cor 15:21). Although the human being was created mortal in body, he would have escaped death had he not sinned (cf. Rom 13:10). But from where did sin obtain this terrible power over the human being? From the law. The Apostle in the epistle to the Romans says that sin is not imputed to the human being as a transgression deserving the death penalty if there is no law (Rom 5:13). Only the law made sinners who transgressed it liable to death. It, so to speak, drove the sting of death deep into the interior of the human being, condemning the human being to death, and was the driving force behind this sting of death.

1 Corinthians 15:57. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! The victory over death was won by Christ in the following manner. Since it was first necessary to conquer sin—the sting of death—the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished this work by not allowing sin into His own nature, even though He had the same flesh as people, except for sinfulness. By this He also disarmed the other support of death—the law, since the law could have nothing against the One who had fully fulfilled the law. This twofold personal victory was the necessary precondition for His own resurrection. But in addition, the activity of Christ was directed toward making this victory the lot of all humanity, and He did indeed achieve this: He delivered us by His intercession from the condemnation of the law and reconciled us to God, and through this reconciliation we received the grace-given powers for victory over sin, which has ceased to be our master.—“Who gives us”—according to the more authoritative reading: “who gives” (present tense). The Apostle could indeed not think that victory over sin was won by people once and for all (cf. Romans, ch. II): the Lord constantly gives us the strength to win victories over sin.

1 Corinthians 15:58. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain before the Lord. Here there is a moral conclusion drawn from what was said about the victory of Christians over sin and death.—“In the work of the Lord,” that is, in the spreading of the Gospel and in one’s own self-improvement.—“Your labor is not in vain,” that is, your work is of great significance. * * * Some find here something demeaning to Christian society, which apparently is guided in its striving toward virtue by the expectation of reward, and not by the beauty of virtue in itself. But critics of Christianity forget that the reference here is not to the fulfillment of the moral law in general, but to the taking upon oneself of special labors not obligatory for every person. Furthermore, the reward that forms the object of Christian expectation consists in the satisfaction of the highest, most noble strivings of the soul. In this passage the adherents of the doctrine of the restoration of all things to their original state seek a point of support. But as for the expression about “all,” even though it may be applied to condemned people, it is not in the sense that “all of them” will be saved. It can indicate only that “all” will be directly and immediately subject to divine authority, which in relation to sinners will manifest itself in the form of justice and omnipotence. Furthermore, if one speaks of universal salvation, this salvation would have to be counted as the lot of demons as well, yet in v. 25 the “defeat” of evil forces is spoken of. Therefore the natural supposition is that the Apostle here foretells the formation of a society of rational and free beings, who will be brought by Christ into the closest union with God and will labor for the glory of God, just as Christ Himself labored throughout His earthly life.—Parallels to the teaching on the universal resurrection contained here are: 1 Thess 4:13-17 and Rev 19-21. In these passages it is also said that at the moment of the second coming only believers will rise first. Particularly consistent with one another are: 1 Cor 15:24 and Rev 19:20; 1 Cor 15:23 and Rev 20; 1 Cor 15:26 and Rev 20:14; 1 Cor 15:28 and Rev 21:3.—Much that is similar to the teaching of the Apostle Paul on the resurrection of believers is also found in the sayings of the Lord Jesus Christ about His second coming (e.g. Luke 17:22-37, where there is discussion of the preliminary judgment to which believers will be subjected at the second coming of Christ; this judgment is distinct from the final universal judgment, at which “all nations,” or more precisely all the gentiles (παντα τά έθνη), will gather, of which it speaks in the Gospel Matt 25:31 and following). Some discern in vv. 32–34 a confusion of the teaching on the resurrection of the body with the teaching on the immortality of the soul. They say that the Apostle draws from the denial of the former such conclusions as are properly drawn from the denial of the latter.—But it seems that even the deniers of the resurrection themselves supposed that with the final destruction of the body, personal immortality for the human being is also impossible (see the last words of v. 32). And then, for the Apostle Paul himself, immortality without certainty of the resurrection of Christ and of the future resurrection of believers is of absolutely no significance. Such immortality is rather to be feared than desired. With whom will the soul of a human being be in communion after the death of the body, if there is no risen Christ on the other side of the grave?! Therefore, naturally, in the thinking of the Apostle Paul, the resurrection of the body and immortality were identified with one another.

Chapter Sixteen

Conclusion of the epistle: instructions, news, and greetings (1–24)

1 Corinthians 16:1. Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do the same. 1 Corinthians 16:2. On the first day of every week, each of you is to set aside and save whatever he can, according to his means, so that collections need not be made when I come. 1 Corinthians 16:3. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you approve with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem. 1 Corinthians 16:4. And if it is fitting for me to go also, they will go with me. The Apostle gives instructions about gathering donations for the Jerusalem Christians. “The collection for the saints” or the Christians of Jerusalem (possibly the Apostle here calls the Jerusalem Christians simply “saints” in view of the special significance held by the Jerusalem Church among the other churches; cf. 2 Cor 8:4) was organized because the Jerusalem Christians were more in need of assistance than others. It is well known that for those who have turned away from the faith of their fathers—and such were the disciples of Christ in Jerusalem—life is always difficult, work is hard to come by (cf. Jas 2:6). And since at the apostolic council Paul had given his word to care for the poor Jerusalem Christians (Gal 2:10; Acts 11:27-30), he considered it his duty to encourage the Corinthians to gather donations for the poor Christians of Jerusalem.—“On the first day of the week,” that is, on each first day after the completion of a week, or after the Sabbath. This was Sunday, the Lord’s Day. This shows that this day was observed even in the time of the Apostles (cf. Acts 20:7).—“With letters,” that is, with a letter of recommendation to Jerusalem (the plural επιστολαί has the meaning of the Latin litterae = letter). “If it is fitting.” The Apostle probably has in mind the amount of the donations. If the donations are very large, perhaps his personal participation in their distribution will be needed.

1 Corinthians 16:5. I will come to you after passing through Macedonia, for I am going through Macedonia. 1 Corinthians 16:6. I may spend some time with you, or even winter over, so that you may send me on my way, wherever I am going. 1 Corinthians 16:7. For I do not wish to see you just in passing; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 1 Corinthians 16:8. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 1 Corinthians 16:9. for a wide and effective door has opened for me, and there are many opponents. The Apostle intends to visit Corinth after passing through Macedonia and to stay in Corinth for a long time. For the present, however, he must remain in Ephesus until Pentecost.—“I am going through Macedonia,” that is, I intend to go…—“Send me on my way,” that is, prepare for me and my companions everything necessary for the journey.—The Apostle wrote the epistle around Passover of 57 AD. He planned to spend a few more weeks in Ephesus, the summer in Macedonia, and from there go to Corinth in the autumn and winter there in 57–58 AD. But certain circumstances forced him to change his plan, and these circumstances were apparently of a very serious nature (cf. 2 Cor 2:1-4).—“Door,” that is, an opportunity to spread the Gospel has opened.—“And there are many opponents.” This circumstance compels the Apostle to continue his stay in Ephesus. He must contend with those who were placing obstacles in the way of the Gospel, and overcome them.

1 Corinthians 16:10. Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without fear; for he is doing the work of the Lord, just as I am. 1 Corinthians 16:11. So let no one despise him. Send him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me, for I am waiting for him with the brothers. 1 Corinthians 16:12. Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the brothers; but it was not at all his will to come now, and he will come when he has the opportunity. Before the Apostle’s arrival in Corinth, Timothy may arrive there. The Apostle asks the Corinthians to receive him and send him off properly. As for Apollos, he did not want to go to Corinth at this time and will come later. The Apostle fears that the Corinthians may disregard what Timothy will say to them: he must have seemed to them too young to act as a guide for the Church (cf. 1 Tim 4:12).—“I am waiting for him with the brothers.” The delegates sent by the Corinthian Church to Paul had not yet left him at this time and were waiting to hear what Timothy would say about the mood of the Corinthians (v. 17).—“Now concerning our brother Apollos…” Given the existence of a party of Apollos in Corinth, the Apostle considers it necessary to say that he is not at all holding Apollos back, as though he feared the strengthening of his party upon his arrival in Corinth. Apollos himself did not want to go there, not wishing to give cause for anyone to think him seeking popularity at the expense of Paul’s influence.—“With the brothers,” that is, with the Christians sent by the Corinthian Church.

1 Corinthians 16:13. Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:14. Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:15. I urge you, brothers—you know the household of Stephanas, that they are the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they devoted themselves to the service of the saints — 1 Corinthians 16:16. be subject also to such people, and to every fellow worker and laborer. 1 Corinthians 16:17. I am glad at the arrival of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, for they have made up for your absence from me, 1 Corinthians 16:18. for they refreshed both my spirit and yours. Give recognition to such people. The Apostle here gives several instructions of a general and particular character.—“The household of Stephanas”—see 1 Cor 1:16.—“The firstfruits of Achaia”—that is, baptized by Paul himself at the very beginning of his entry onto the soil of Achaia or Greece.—“Fellow worker,” that is, one who helps such workers as Stephanas.—“Laborer” (κοπιᾶν)—points to heavy toil (cf. Gal 4:11; Rom 16:6).—“They refreshed both my spirit and yours.” They dispelled the misunderstandings that the Apostle had regarding the Corinthians, explained to him the behavior of the Corinthians which had troubled the Apostle Paul. In addition, the Apostle already sees how, upon their arrival in Corinth, they will refresh the Corinthians as well with their reports about the Apostle Paul and his attitude toward the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 16:19. The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, along with the church that meets in their house. 1 Corinthians 16:20. All the brothers greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. 1 Corinthians 16:21. The greeting is in my own hand—Paul’s. 1 Corinthians 16:22. If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Maran atha. 1 Corinthians 16:23. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, 1 Corinthians 16:24. and my love be with all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen. First come greetings from the Asian churches, and then separately greetings from Aquila and Priscilla together with those who gathered at their house for worship. Then follows a greeting from the whole Church and from the Apostle Paul.—Asia, that is, proconsular Asia, which encompassed the south-western part of Asia Minor.—“Aquila and Priscilla”—see Rom 16:3.—“In my own hand.” The Apostle only signed his epistles, while they were written out under his dictation by a copyist (cf. Rom 16:22).—“If anyone does not love.” Such people could be found among the Corinthian Christians (cf. 1 Cor 12:3).—“Anathema”—see 1 Cor 12:3.—“Maran atha.” This is an expression of the Aramaic language, which was spoken at that time in Palestine. It means: “Come, our Lord!” (Marana tha!) Why the Apostle adds this expression is difficult to say.—“My love be with all of you.” These words the Apostle added in order to show the Corinthians, whom he had so sharply rebuked in the epistle, that he still loves them.

The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Introduction

Occasion and Purpose of the Epistle

Contents of the Epistle

Place and Time of Writing the Epistle

Authenticity and Unity of the Epistle

Character of the Epistle

Resources for Reading the Epistle

Occasion and Purpose of the Epistle

In the Corinthian church, as is well known from the First Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor 1:10 and following), various disorders were occurring. In order to put an end to such disorders, the Apostle Paul wrote his First Epistle to the Corinthians from Ephesus. This epistle, as the Apostle learned from Titus, whom he had sent to Corinth, had a beneficial effect on the Corinthians (2 Cor 7:5 and following). The Apostle Paul’s decree concerning the incestuous man was carried out, and this sinner repented of his transgression. But nonetheless, the same messenger of Paul reported to him that his opponents—the Judaizers—were not idle and were trying to undermine his authority among the Corinthian Christians. They pointed out that the Apostle Paul was weak in spirit, changeable in his decisions, so that he was difficult to rely upon. With these attacks in mind, the Apostle writes a second epistle to the Corinthians.

The Apostle speaks himself about the purpose of the epistle in chapter XIII (verse 10). By his epistle he wishes to bring the Corinthian church into such a state that afterward, when meeting the Corinthians in person, he would have no need to apply the full strictness of his apostolic authority to them. To this end he strives first of all to restore his authority in the eyes of the Corinthians—this is the main purpose he had in writing the epistle. All else serves only as a means for achieving this end.

Contents of the Epistle

The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, apart from the salutation and introduction, contains three parts. The first part—the first seven chapters—contains a depiction of the character of Paul’s apostolic activity, with the Apostle giving special attention to depicting his love for the Corinthians and the greatness of the New Testament ministry. In the second part—chapters VIII and IX—the Apostle speaks of the collection of alms for the poor Christians. In the third part—from chapter 10 through chapter 13—the Apostle polemicizes with his opponents, victoriously repelling all the accusations leveled against him. Here he also states his requirements concerning the Corinthians.

Place and Time of Writing the Epistle

As is evident from the epistle itself (2 Cor 2:13; cf. Acts 20:1), the Apostle was in Macedonia at the time of writing the epistle, where he was found by Titus returning from Corinth. The epistle was written, it appears, in the same year 57 in which the First Epistle to the Corinthians was also written (cf. Acts 18:1).

Authenticity and Unity of the Epistle

No one among the biblical critics has raised any serious objections against the Second Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians belonging specifically to Paul. Indeed, if one reads this epistle with attention, one cannot in any way doubt that it was written by the great Apostle to the Gentiles, the founder of the Corinthian church. But criticism raises a special objection against this epistle. Specifically, it is said that the epistle does not represent a single, unified work, but consists of two or even three separate epistles of the Apostle Paul, which were later joined into one. It is asserted in this connection that after the First Epistle to the Corinthians the Apostle wrote a second epistle to Corinth, consisting of the last four chapters of our Second Epistle, and then a third, consisting of the first nine chapters of the same epistle.

On what basis does such an opinion rest? It is said that the last four chapters of the Second Epistle do not harmonize with the first nine, standing somehow completely apart from the first. Critics rely mainly on the apparent difference in tone with which the Apostle speaks in both parts. In the first part his speech is calm, and he himself is in an elevated and joyful spiritual state, while in the second he expresses his positions with extraordinary ardor and is greatly agitated. And the state of the Corinthians is depicted differently in each part: in the first it satisfies the Apostle, in the second, on the contrary, it disturbs and troubles him (cf. 2 Cor 7:14 and 2 Cor 12:20). But these grounds are quite insufficient to serve as proof that the two parts of the epistle originated at different times. First of all, even the first part does not contain only praise of the Corinthians—there are reproofs there as well. For example, in chapter VI (verses 11–16) the Apostle points to the lack of love toward him on the part of the Corinthians, and to certain deficiencies in their moral life. Moreover, if the Apostle in the first part praises the obedience of the Corinthians, he has in view only their attitude toward the incestuous man (2 Cor 7:11). Furthermore, if the tone of the second part differs from the tone of the first, this is explained by the fact that in the first part the Apostle addresses the Corinthian Christians, his spiritual children, while in the second he has in view chiefly his enemies, the Judaizers. It is very understandable that in the second part he is so agitated and so ironic toward his enemies. One must also take into account the circumstance that the epistle, being so extensive, was not written by the Apostle all at once, and during the writing of the epistle, when the first part was already finished, the Apostle may have received from Corinth such new information as compelled him to change the tone of his speech. This last circumstance can also explain why the Apostle in the second epistle persistently urges the collection of alms and then somewhat further on defends himself against the suspicion that he is using these alms for his own personal benefit. The Apostle probably learned of such suspicions precisely after he had already written the first nine chapters, where among other things the collection of alms is discussed, and he did not want to rework that part, all the more since the alms were truly extremely necessary for the poor Christians. He reasoned thus: “let me be subjected to suspicion rather than the poor be deprived of alms on which they had already counted”! Finally, even in the first part there is a hint at the existence of such suspicions against the Apostle (see 2 Cor 8:16-22).

Character of the Epistle

The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, after the Epistle to the Philippians, is especially important for understanding the personality of the Apostle Paul. Here we see the deep humility of the Apostle, his meekness and extraordinary condescension toward his spiritual children, and at the same time a lofty awareness of his apostolic dignity, which he defends with all his energy against his enemies—the Judaizers. In terms of style, it also stands out for its qualities—chiefly the power of expression, devastating irony, and the general beauty of its rhetorical turns.

Resources for Reading the Epistle

Besides the well-known patristic commentaries—those of John Chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylact, and others—the most useful works for the exposition of the epistle are those of Kling (in Lange’s Bibelwerk), Heinrici, Bousset, and F. Bachmann (1909). Among Russian commentaries, the commentary of Bishop Theophan is distinguished by its greatest thoroughness.

Chapter One

Salutation and greeting (1–2). Introduction (3–11). Explanation of the reason why the Apostle did not fulfill his promise to come to Corinth (12–24).

2 Corinthians 1:1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy the brother, to the church of God which is in Corinth, with all the saints throughout Achaia: 2 Corinthians 1:2. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The salutation and greeting of the epistle resembles the salutation and greeting of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. In place of Sosthenes, Timothy appears as greeter of the Corinthians, having recently visited Corinth (1 Cor 4:17).—“With all the saints throughout Achaia,” that is, with the Christians living in Hellas and the Peloponnese (southern Greece), who regarded the Corinthian Church as the center of the religious life of southern Greek Christianity.—“Grace.” For the explanation, see the commentary on the Epistle to Rom 1:7. 2 Cor 1:3-11. Here is contained the introduction to the epistle… The Apostle gives thanks to God for sending him and his companions consolation in afflictions, because this consolation enables them to offer consolation to other Christians who are likewise undergoing afflictions. Of the afflictions that overtook him and his co-workers, the Apostle dwells here on the danger they had recently faced in Ephesus, from which God delivered them partly through the prayers of the Corinthian Christians as well.

2 Corinthians 1:3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercy and the God of all consolation, “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The first expression—“God”—defines the relationship to God of Christ in his humanity, while the second—“Father”—in his divinity (Theophylact of Bulgaria).—“Father of mercy,” or in other words, the source of mercies (cf. Rom 12:1).—“The God of all consolation.” The Apostle calls God this here because further on he intends to speak of how God sent him consolation in affliction.

2 Corinthians 1:4. who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we also may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which God himself comforts us! “Us.” The Apostle has in view here Timothy and perhaps his co-workers.—“Who comforts,” that is, not once or twice, but who continually sends us consolations (Chrysostom).—“In all our affliction”—more precisely: “in our entire affliction.” All the sufferings of the Apostle are considered here as one whole.—“So that we also may be able to comfort.” One who has personally experienced something can understand what others have experienced as well.—“Those who are in any affliction,” that is, those crushed by every kind of affliction, beset by troubles from all sides.—“With the consolation with which…,” that is, sharing news of the unexpected mercies that the Apostle and his companions received from God.

2 Corinthians 1:5. For just as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so also our consolation abounds through Christ. Is it truly the case that the Apostle and his companions receive consolation from God? Yes, this is perfectly true, and this consolation grows ever more abundant as the sufferings of the Apostle and his companions increase.—“The sufferings of Christ.” These are not sufferings for Christ or on account of Christ, but the sufferings of Christ, which every one who suffers for the Gospel endures, or such as Christ himself experienced in preaching his own Gospel (cf. Matt 20:22; Phil 3:10; Col 1:24). Some of the ancient church commentators (Chrysostom, Theophylact, and others) see here the sufferings that Christ himself endures in his members, that is, in believers. But the idea of Christ’s continuing sufferings now contradicts the idea of his glorification.

2 Corinthians 1:6. If we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is brought about by enduring the same sufferings that we also endure. 2 Corinthians 1:7. And our hope concerning you is firm. If we are consoled, it is for your consolation and salvation, knowing that you share in our sufferings as well as in our consolation. According to the more authenticated reading, this passage should read as follows: “if we are afflicted—it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are consoled, it is for your consolation, which is effective in the patient endurance of the same sufferings that we also experience, and our hope concerning you is firm, knowing that you share in our sufferings as well as in our consolation.” This reading has been accepted by Tischendorf (8th edition) and by Westcott-Hort.—“For your consolation.” The sufferings endured by the Apostles serve for the consolation and strengthening of believers. But in what way? When believers likewise undergo sufferings, the Apostles, already tried by suffering, can console and encourage them.—“For your consolation, which is effective…” that is, in order to give you consolation that demonstrates its action or influence in the patient endurance of sufferings… “The same sufferings.” The Apostle has in mind the possibility of such sufferings for the Corinthians in the future, as the following expression also shows: “our hope concerning you is firm.”—“Knowing…,” that is, as we know.—“You share in our sufferings.” The Christian takes part in the sufferings and consolations that have fallen to the lot of the Apostles. He not only sympathizes with the joy and sorrow of the Apostles but himself experiences both.

2 Corinthians 1:8. For we do not want to leave you in ignorance, brothers, concerning our affliction that came upon us in Asia, since we were burdened beyond measure and beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life. The Apostle reports here that the misfortune that befell him in the province of Asia, and which the Corinthians had probably learned of from the accounts of Titus, was extraordinary and threatened the lives of the Apostles. We do not know what event the Apostle has in mind here—only this was not the riot of Demetrius (Acts 19:23 and following), since during that riot the Apostle himself was not in danger (Acts 19:30).

2 Corinthians 1:9. But we had within ourselves the sentence of death, so that we would not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead, “We had within ourselves the sentence of death,” that is, we clearly recognized the hopelessness of our situation.—“Who raises the dead.” If—the Apostle reasoned—God can raise the dead, then all the more can he preserve the life of those who are still living.

2 Corinthians 1:10. who delivered us from so great a danger of death, and delivers us, and in whom we hope that he will also deliver us yet again, This faith in God had as its result the salvation of Paul and Timothy.—“Delivers us.” Consequently, even in Macedonia Paul and Timothy continue to be exposed to dangers such as they faced in Asia.

2 Corinthians 1:11. as you also help by prayer for us, so that thanks may be given by many on our behalf for the gift granted to us through the intercession of many. The thought concerning the benefit of the intercessory prayer of believers for their brothers is expressed by the Apostle Paul also in other places (Rom 1:9 and following; Phil 1:3 and following).—“As you also help.” The prayer of the believers aided the success of the prayer of Paul and Timothy.—“So that thanks may be given for the gift granted to us.” Thanksgiving for the salvation of Paul and Timothy must be offered to God not only in their own names, but in the name of many, because many have also interceded for this salvation. 2 Cor 1:12-24. Beginning his self-justification, the Apostle first says that he has always been a sincere man and that now he writes to the Corinthians without any hidden motive. Then he speaks especially at length concerning the change in his travel plans. If he did not come to Corinth before visiting Macedonia—as had been promised to the Corinthians—he did so not out of frivolity or for any personal advantage, but out of love for the Corinthians, in order to give them time to correct certain deficiencies and to avoid being compelled himself to judge the violators of church discipline.

2 Corinthians 1:12. For our boast is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and especially toward you. “For.” Here the Apostle expresses the basis for his confidence that the Corinthians prayed to God for him. He truly deserves such love on their part. If he praises himself (in verse 11), by this he only testifies that he acted (together with Timothy) always openly (in simplicity).—“In godly sincerity”—more accurately: in divine sincerity, such as was given him by God (cf. the expression: the righteousness of God in the Epistle to Rom 1:17).—“Not with fleshly wisdom.” This is wisdom determined by sinful fleshly desires (cf. 1 Cor 1:26).—“In the world,” that is, in the vast expanse where various pagan peoples lived, whose enlightener the Apostle was called to be.

2 Corinthians 1:13. For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read or understand, and I hope that you will understand fully, 2 Corinthians 1:14. just as you have already understood us in part—that we will be your boast, as you also will be ours, on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. There were evidently people in Corinth who made the charge against the Apostle of duplicity, which he supposedly allowed in his epistles. The Apostle affirms that this accusation is entirely groundless. In the epistle everything should be understood as said, in the most ordinary and natural sense.—“As I hope.” Here for the first time the Apostle speaks in the first person singular, because he expresses his personal, subjective state.—“And I hope.” This phrase, as well as the opening phrase of verse 14, should be connected with each other. It is better to render them thus: “and I hope that you will understand fully—as you have already understood in part—that we serve as your boast.”—“Fully,” that is, until the second coming of Christ. The Apostle says in the Epistle to the Romans that at that coming all the secret dispositions of human hearts will be revealed (Rom 2:16). But the Corinthians will probably be able to understand the true disposition of the Apostle’s heart and his significance for them even before that final deadline. And on the day of the terrible judgment of Christ, the Apostles will be proud of their disciples—the Corinthians—while the latter will be proud of their teachers—the Apostles.

2 Corinthians 1:15. And in this confidence I intended to come to you first, so that you might receive a second act of grace, 2 Corinthians 1:16. and through you to pass into Macedonia, and from Macedonia to come to you again; and you were to send me on my way to Judea. The Apostle has just said that he firmly hopes in the inner bond uniting him with the Corinthians (verse 14). In view of this confidence he wished to come to them earlier than he had promised—his heart urged him to do so—in order to impart to the Corinthians, in this second coming, a second grace, or to enlighten them again with that grace of which he, as an Apostle, was the bearer (cf. Rom 1:11) and of which they were counted worthy during his first stay in Corinth. He even intended to visit them once more, on his return from Macedonia.

2 Corinthians 1:17. In having this intention, did I act with levity? Or do I plan what I plan according to the flesh, so that with me it is “Yes, yes” at one moment and “No, no” at another? The Apostle, having decided to visit Corinth earlier than the time he himself had set, was not acting like a frivolous person who has both “yes, yes” (yes, yes—an emphatic affirmation) and “no, no” (no, no—an emphatic negation) on his tongue at one and the same time.—“According to the flesh,” that is, guided by frivolous motives.

2 Corinthians 1:18. As God is faithful, our word to you was not “Yes” and “No.” On the contrary, the speech and chiefly the preaching of Paul and Timothy were always consistent and did not change in form, and by this it was demonstrated that God is faithful to his words and promises. (In Russian: “God is faithful…” should be understood as an oath, but this expression has no such meaning anywhere.)

2 Corinthians 1:19. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, proclaimed among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No”; but in him it has always been “Yes,” 2 Corinthians 1:20. for all the promises of God are “Yes” in him and “Amen” in him, to the glory of God through us. “For.” The Apostle just spoke of the fact that his preaching in general had fully definite content. Now he proves this thought by referring to the fact that in particular everything announced in Corinth by him and his companions—Silas and Timothy (cf. Acts 18:5)—about Christ, the Son of God, was likewise definite and did not change depending on circumstances (Chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylact).—“In him it was ‘Yes’,” that is, we depicted Christ to you as always faithful to his words and promises.—“In him ‘Yes,’ and in him ‘Amen.’” The first expression denotes the cause, the second—the consequence (from the Greek the second expression should more accurately be rendered thus: “therefore (διό) and through him, Amen”). The expression “yes” (τό ναι) denotes objective certainty, while “amen”—subjective certainty, acceptance in faith. The Apostle thus says as it were: “for so many promises of God (in the Old Testament) in him (in Christ) become as it were reality—yes (that is, in Christ the objective guarantee is given that they will certainly be fulfilled); therefore (again through Christ) we also say amen, that is, thanks to Christ we strengthen within ourselves the inner certainty of the fulfillment of these promises.”—“Through us,” that is, through our labors.

2 Corinthians 1:21. Now it is God who establishes us together with you in Christ and has anointed us, 2 Corinthians 1:22. and who has also sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. The Apostle however does not wish to attribute the establishment of Christians in the faith to his own personal efforts. He well knows that Christians, like the Apostles themselves, are established in faith in Christ by God himself.—“Who has anointed us.” The Apostle has in mind here his calling (cf. Luke 4:18) to the ministry of a preacher, which is why he now speaks only of himself and his companions, and not of all Christians (the expression “together with you” is omitted here).—“And who has also sealed us.” How this sealing was accomplished—the Apostle explains in the following expression: “given the Spirit as a pledge.” The expression “pledge” (ἀρραβών) serves to denote a guarantee. For what purpose the Holy Spirit, received by believers, serves as a guarantee—the Apostle does not say, but his thought in this regard is clear. The Holy Spirit, dwelling in the hearts of believers, is a pledge that they will receive messianic salvation in the future (cf. 2 Cor 5:5; Eph 1:14).

2 Corinthians 1:23. I call upon God as witness against my soul that it was to spare you that I have not yet come to Corinth, 1 Corinthians 4:21. Having justified himself against the accusation of levity, the Apostle now points to the reason why he did not visit Corinth. The Apostle swears by God—as witness of what transpired in the Apostle’s soul—that only compassion for the Corinthians (cf. 1 Cor. 4:21—“to come to you with a rod”?) prevented him from appearing in Corinth.—“Not yet”—more accurately: once more did not come (οὐκέτι), did not come a second time. 2 Corinthians 1:24. Not that we lord it over your faith; rather, we work with you for your joy, for in faith you stand firm. If the Apostle said that out of consideration for the Corinthians he did not wish to come to Corinth, by this too he in no way meant to say that some despotic authority over the faith of the Corinthians had been entrusted to him. He only wishes to stimulate this faith by reproofs and praises. On the contrary, he desires to be a participant in their joy, and this joy would have been hindered by his premature arrival in Corinth, when the Corinthians had not yet corrected their deficiencies. And generally speaking, regarding the faith of the Corinthians the Apostle had nothing to say to the Corinthians—in faith they are firm, although they have deficiencies in other respects (Theophylact).—It is clear from this that the Apostle was accused of taking an entirely negative view of the very faith of the Corinthians, attributing no significance to it, which the Corinthians naturally found offensive to suppose. * * * The beginning of the verse is better rendered thus: this boast (which we have expressed about ourselves) is the testimony of our conscience. The expression ἐστι τό μαρτύριον is the predicate. Perhaps the Apostle speaks here of the gift of the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of baptism, which he may have called a sealing in the sense that the invocation of the name of Jesus Christ was performed over the one being baptized, and this name was as it were a seal testifying to a person’s belonging to Christ.

Chapter Two

Continuation of the speech about the reason for not coming to Corinth (1–4). About the incestuous man (5–11). The Apostle’s joy over the end of the misunderstanding between him and the Corinthians (12–17).

2 Cor 2:1-4. The Apostle firmly resolved not to come to the Corinthians a second time with sorrow, that is, grieving them with his just reproaches. After all, the Corinthians are his only joy. How could he grieve those from whom he expects joy? He judged it better to explain himself with them in writing, although his epistle was by no means written with the purpose of grieving the Corinthians, but to testify to the love of the Apostle for the Corinthian church.

2 Corinthians 2:1. So I made up my mind not to come to you again in sorrow. “Again” should be connected with the word “come” (Theodoret). The Apostle visited Corinth for the first time during his second apostolic journey and left there in a joyful state of mind. He did not wish to spoil this state of mind and therefore postponed his second visit to Corinth.—“In sorrow.” Here the Apostle has in mind both the grief that his reproaches would have caused the Corinthians, and his own grief that he would have had to feel at that time.

2 Corinthians 2:2. For if I cause you sorrow, who then will make me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me? If the Apostle had to grieve the Corinthians with his reproaches, it is understandable that he himself would have remained in sorrow as well, for who in Corinth, apart from the Christians, could bring him any joy? And these Christians would have been grieved by the Apostle, and they would have been in no state of mind to concern themselves with bringing joy to him.

2 Corinthians 2:3. And I wrote this very thing, so that when I came I might not have sorrow from those who should have brought me joy, for I am confident about all of you that my joy is also the joy of you all. In view of this the Apostle wrote them this epistle, expressing everything that occupied his thoughts. Let the Corinthians read his instructions with attention and strive to correct their deficiencies. Then the Apostle, when he visits Corinth, will no longer have to endure sorrow. The Apostle is confident that the Corinthians will hasten to remove all these deficiencies before his arrival—after all, they love him and want him to always rejoice.

2 Corinthians 2:4. For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not to cause you sorrow, but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. The Apostle therefore now feels deep sorrow when he is compelled, even if only in writing, to address the Corinthians with reproofs. In truth, he would have wished to cause no grief whatsoever to his beloved Corinthians. 2 Cor 2:5-11. This declaration by the Apostle of the love he bears toward the Corinthians is not contradicted by the strictness he displayed toward the incestuous man of Corinth (1 Cor 5). In this case the Apostle was guided by the desire to defend the true interests of the Corinthian church, and now, when this unfortunate outcast has repented, he is ready to receive him back into church fellowship, if only the Corinthians desire this.

2 Corinthians 2:5. But if anyone has caused sorrow, he has caused it not to me, but in part—not to put it too strongly—to all of you. “But if anyone has caused sorrow.” The Apostle has in mind here the incestuous man about whom he speaks in the First Epistle (chapter 5). There is no basis for supposing that he has in mind here some Corinthian who personally insulted him.—“He has not caused sorrow to me.” The Apostle does not wish to bring his personal feelings to the fore, and therefore says that the incestuous man, as it were, did not cause him sorrow. In actual fact, of course, the Apostle too was grieved when he heard of his transgression.—“Not to put it too strongly”—more accurately: “in order not to burden too much” (him, the offender). The Apostle explains here why he said that the incestuous man offended all the Corinthians “in part” or “partially.” The responsibility would have been too heavy if he had truly offended every member of the Corinthian church—and moreover, not all the Corinthians in fact were capable of feeling the offense done to their Christian dignity by the offender, so that the Apostle speaks here fully in accordance with the actual state of affairs.

2 Corinthians 2:6. For such a person this punishment by the majority is sufficient, “Sufficient,” that is, sufficient for the purpose which the Apostle Paul had in mind when imposing punishment on the incestuous man.—“Punishment” (ἡ ἐπιτιμία).—This expression occurs also in the book of Wisdom of Solomon (Wis 3:10). What this punishment was—the readers naturally knew.—“By the majority.” It is evident that not all but only the majority of the Corinthians broke off communion with the incestuous man after his excommunication from the Church. Some Christians of more liberal views, and partly opponents of the Apostle Paul, continued to maintain fellowship with him.

2 Corinthians 2:7. so that you should rather forgive and comfort him, lest he be overwhelmed by excessive grief. The incestuous man had evidently repented of his sin and was greatly distressed over his excommunication from the Church.—“Overwhelmed by excessive grief.” Grief is conceived here as a hostile force that completely overwhelms a person and takes away from him all interest in life and all hope.

2 Corinthians 2:8. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. “To reaffirm your love,” that is, to pass a new, favorable ecclesiastical resolution for the sinner that would give him access to church fellowship.

2 Corinthians 2:9. For this is why I wrote, that I might know by testing whether you are obedient in all things. In writing his First Epistle, the Apostle had in view, among other things, testing how obedient the Corinthians were to him. This test turned out favorably for them—they excommunicated the incestuous man as the Apostle had required, and the Apostle no longer wishes to test them.—Thus this verse contains the thought about the motive on account of which the Corinthians should now forgive the incestuous man.

2 Corinthians 2:10. Anyone whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I have done it in the presence of Christ, for your sake, 2 Corinthians 2:11. so that no advantage would be gained over us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes. Another motive for forgiving the sinner—the spiritual unity existing between the Apostle and the Corinthians. Forgiveness can come about because both sides—both the Apostle and the Corinthians—think alike in this matter. The Apostle sets aside his grievance so that the church in Corinth, which was still troubled by the affair of the incestuous man, might find peace (“for your sake”).—“In the presence of Christ”—more precisely: while standing in the presence of Christ (ἐν προσώπῳ Χριστοῦ). Forgiveness must be entirely sincere, without any extraneous motives: Christ stands here as it were as the all-seeing witness. (Cf. 1 Pet 5:8; Eph 6:11). Some (Bousset) see here an indication of the opponents of the Apostle Paul, who could have taken advantage of the excessive strictness of the Corinthians toward the sinner in order to draw those close to him over to their side. 2 Cor 2:12-17. Here the Apostle depicts his inner state immediately preceding the writing of the Second Epistle. The Apostle was waiting impatiently for what Titus, whom he had sent to Corinth, would tell him, and therefore went to meet him himself in Macedonia from Troas. However, let the Corinthians not think that he is losing heart. On the contrary, he is confident that God has made him a victor everywhere. If his activity is not salutary for all, the fault does not lie with him: he preaches only the pure evangelical truth.

2 Corinthians 2:12. When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 2 Corinthians 2:13. my spirit had no rest, because I did not find my brother Titus there; but taking leave of them, I went on to Macedonia. The Apostle could have remained in Troas profitably for the cause of Christ, to which he had come from Ephesus (cf. 1 Cor 16:5-9). But his spirit could not be at peace about the Corinthians, and he felt himself incapable of devoting his whole heart to the work of spreading the Gospel in Troas. Since Titus was to pass through Macedonia on his way back to the Apostle at Troas, the Apostle went into this very region himself to meet him.

2 Corinthians 2:14. But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in his triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him in every place. In Macedonia he met Titus and received from him the news that the First Epistle had made a good impression in Corinth. He gives thanks for this success to God from his whole heart, relieved from uncertainty.—“Who always leads us in triumph.” The Greek expression (τῷ πάντοτε θριαμβεύοντι ἡμᾶς) should more accurately be rendered: “who always celebrates his triumph over us” or “who always leads us behind him in his triumph.” God is the triumphant one, the victor. The Apostles, and chiefly Paul, are his captives whom he leads behind him as the conquered, just as a Roman commander after a victory led his captives behind him. The Apostle recalls here his calling on the road to Damascus, when Christ said to him: “It is hard for you to kick against the goads!” (Acts 9:5). The Apostle Paul, indeed, by his activity glorified God, who had compelled him to serve him.—In Christ. Everything in the Apostle’s activity is in the closest relation to Christ.—“The fragrance of knowledge.” Before the triumphator incense was burned, and the Apostle probably has this custom in view here.—“Of himself”—better: “of him,” that is, of Christ (cf. verse 15).

2 Corinthians 2:15. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: Now the Apostle changes the image somewhat. Previously he said that the Apostles serve as the instrument for spreading the fragrance of Christ, while here he calls them themselves the fragrance of Christ. The meaning of this figurative expression is as follows: “your activity stands in a definite relationship to God, as a fragrance permeated by the breath of Christ.” This of course indicates the God-pleasing nature of apostolic activity.

2 Corinthians 2:16. to the one a deadly fragrance leading to death, to the other a life-giving fragrance leading to life. And who is adequate for these things? Apostolic preaching, however, is not life-giving for all. For some who by the very nature of their stubborn character are unwilling to receive salvation from Christ and therefore are going directly toward eternal perdition, apostolic teaching is deadly.—“And who is adequate for this?”, that is, for such activity, when the preacher consciously brings eternal life to some and eternal perdition to others.

2 Corinthians 2:17. For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but we speak with sincerity, as from God, before God, in Christ. Such people exist—these are the Apostles, of whom there are very few. Others (“many”) are incapable of such activity. They corrupt the word of God or present the teaching of Christ in a form other than what it truly is (the verb used here by the Apostle, καπηλεύειν, means: to put money out at interest for the sake of profit). They naturally want to gather as many disciples around themselves as possible, and they keep with them even those who are incapable of believing in Christ as they should.—“As from God,” that is, as inspired by God.—“Before God,” that is, being conscious that God sees everything.—“In Christ,” that is, in the closest union with Christ (cf. Rom 9:1). * * * Notes The majority of commentators, for unknown reasons, see here a reference to the First Epistle to the Corinthians.

Chapter Three

The Apostle Paul’s closeness to the Corinthians (1–5). The greatness of the New Testament, Apostolic ministry in comparison with the Old Testament, Mosaic ministry—in terms of its results compared with the results of the Old Testament ministry (6–18).

2 Cor 3:1-5. The Apostle Paul’s opponents reproached him for drawing attention to his own person, for recommending himself. In response to this the Apostle speaks ironically, saying that it seems he has no need of any recommendation: the Corinthian church, founded by him, is the best recommendation for him.—He does not, however, wish to boast of his successes, knowing well that these successes are the result of God’s help to him, Paul.

2 Corinthians 3:1. Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you? “Us,” that is, me and Timothy.—“As some do.” Here the Apostle probably has in mind his opponents—the Judaizers, who could find letters of recommendation from the representatives of the Jerusalem church and receive such letters from the Corinthians as well.

2 Corinthians 3:2. You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all people; “You are our letter.” Your conversion to Christ and your Christian life are sufficient recommendation for us (cf. 1 Cor 9:2).—“Written on our hearts,” that is, we have the inner confidence that you and other Christians know us well.—“Known and read by all people.” Here is indicated another property of the letter about which the Apostle speaks. This is namely its accessibility to all. All churches can see what the Corinthians owe to Paul and Timothy—their good life testifies to this.

2 Corinthians 3:3. you show that you are a letter of Christ, delivered through our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. “A letter of Christ,” that is, a letter composed by Christ. Here the Corinthian Church is called a letter in general, and not a letter of recommendation as above, that is, a creation of Christ. The Apostle Paul and Timothy are only instruments in the hands of Christ, like scribes writing at dictation. The ink—the instrument of writing—is replaced by the Holy Spirit. The material on which the letter is written—the living hearts of the Corinthians. The Apostle mentions “tablets of stone” instead of parchment because the memory of the tablets of the law was present to his mind.—“Fleshly” is the word used for the “tablets of the heart” in order to indicate the living receptiveness of the readers of the epistle to the preaching of the Gospel.

2 Corinthians 3:4. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God, 2 Corinthians 3:5. not that we are adequate in ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God. “Such confidence,” that is, such conviction as the Apostle expressed in verses 2 and 3.—“We have toward God”—more accurately: with regard to God. The Apostle has such confidence because he stands in close communion with God, in whom he places all his support.—“Through Christ.” The Apostle received all his merits through Christ. Likewise he bases his confidence in the benefit of his work on the fact that this confidence arose in him under the influence of Christ.—“To claim anything.” The Apostle received even the ability to form a judgment about himself and his efforts from God.—“Adequacy,” that is, the ability to reflect on himself and his work, the ability to reason rightly about it. 2 Cor 3:6-18. The Apostle first states the main thought of his reasoning: the Old Covenant is the ministry of the deadly letter, the new—the ministry of the life-giving spirit. Developing this thought, he says: there was greatness in the ministry of the Old Covenant as well, but what does this greatness signify in comparison with the greatness of the New Testament ministry? After all, the New Testament ministry is not passing away and leads not to condemnation, as the Old Testament does, but to glorification. In view of this the Apostle rejoices and, in contrast to the people of the Old Covenant who could not look directly at the majesty of God, gazes with unveiled face upon the glory of the Lord and is ever more enlightened by this glory. And this the Apostle says not only of himself but of all true Christians.

2 Corinthians 3:6. He has made us adequate to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. “Of the new covenant.” In the new covenant the condition for receiving salvation is not the fulfillment of the Mosaic law but faith in the Redeemer (1 Cor 11:25; Rom 10:5 and following).—“Not of the letter but of the Spirit.” The Old Covenant is called the letter (γράμμα) because it is represented as existing in written records and moreover does not have in itself a life-giving principle. The New Covenant is called the Spirit (πνεύμα) because in it the active principle is the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit. The preachers of the Gospel are guided not by the letter but by the Spirit. Although the law in its essence is also spiritual (Rom 7:14) and its words are “living” (Acts 7:38), the power of sin has paralyzed this power of the law.—“The letter kills.” Here the Apostle points to the reason why God did not make him a minister of the letter. The killing produced by the letter of the law should be understood in the sense in which the Apostle speaks of the law in chapter VII of the Epistle to the Romans (Rom 7:5-7 and following; cf. 1 Cor 15:56). Through the commandment of the law the power of sin, hitherto dormant in a person, was awakened to life and produced in the person every kind of desire, which brought the person to spiritual death, that is, to separation from God.

2 Corinthians 3:7. Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’s face because of its glory—a glory that was being set aside — 2 Corinthians 3:8. will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? “The ministry of death, carved in letters on stone”—more accurately: “the ministry of death (the ministry that promotes the expansion of death’s dominion), carved in letters on stones.” The Apostle has in mind here the Decalogue, which owed its origin to the ministry of Moses (Exod 34:28). The Apostle adds that the Decalogue was inscribed in letters, thereby underscoring even more sharply its non-spiritual character.—“Could not gaze.” In the book of Exodus (Exod 34:30) it is said only that the Israelites “were afraid to come near” Moses. The Apostle evidently develops his interpretation on the basis of Jewish tradition.—“That was being set aside.” The Apostle adds this expression in order to draw attention to the superiority of the glory of the New Testament ministry, as he does directly below (see verse 11).—“The ministry of the Spirit,” that is, the ministry of the preachers of the Gospel, dedicated to the Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:9. For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness far exceeds it in glory. “The ministry of condemnation,” that is, leading to condemnation (cf. Rom 7:9 and following; Gal 3:10).—“The ministry of righteousness,” that is, leading to justification (cf. Rom 1:17 and following).

2 Corinthians 3:10. Indeed, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all in this respect, because of the glory that surpasses it. “What once had glory,” that is, “for in this respect—namely, in regard to the greatness of Moses’s ministry in comparison with the one mentioned (cf. verse 9)—one can say that what was glorified has not been glorified.”

2 Corinthians 3:11. For if what was being set aside came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. “What was being set aside”—namely, the ministry of Moses. Moses ceased to be the lawgiver (Rom 10:4).—“What is permanent,” that is—the ministry of the preachers of the Gospel, which ministry will continue until the end of the world (Matt 24:14).

2 Corinthians 3:12. Since we have such a hope, we act with great boldness, 2 Corinthians 3:13. and not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the end of what was being set aside. “Having such a hope.” The Apostle expresses here his confidence that the greatness of his ministry will not be destroyed.—“We act”—of course, in relation to those with whom the Christian teacher is dealing.—“And not like Moses.” We conceal nothing and do not resemble Moses, who concealed from the Israelites the radiance of his face (see Exod 34:33-35). The Apostle, however, does not belittle Moses by this comparison, but only points here to his pedagogical wisdom, which prompted him to take measures to conceal from the Jews the radiance of his face.—“At the end of what was being set aside,” that is, so that they would not come to the conviction that the law and its ministry must have an end. This would naturally cause them to treat the demands of the law with contempt. And they could have surmised that the law was destined in time to lose its binding force had they noticed the fading of the radiance on Moses’s face.—Thus the Apostle here supplements—certainly on the basis of the tradition of the Jewish Church—the explanation of the motives that guided Moses when he covered his face. Similar interpretations are found in the Apostle in the First Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor 10:1 and following) and in the Epistle to the Galatians (Gal 4:21 and following).

2 Corinthians 3:14. But their minds were hardened; for to this day the same veil remains unlifted at the reading of the Old Covenant, because it is removed only in Christ. From here to the end of the chapter the subject is the consequences that the fact of Moses’s covering his face with a veil had for the Israelites.—“But their minds were hardened”—more accurately: “but their thoughts (νοήματα) were hardened (ἐπωρώθη, or as Theophylact reads, ἐπωρώθησαν).”—“For the same veil.” Here is the proof of the fact of “hardening” just stated. By the veil here is meant the inability to be convinced that the ministry of Moses must come to an end.—“At the reading”—more precisely: “upon the reading.” The Apostle represents the matter thus: when on the Sabbath in the Jewish synagogue (Acts 15:21) the reading of the Old Covenant takes place, this act occurs as it were under a covering that prevents the Jews from peering into the New Covenant.—“It is removed in Christ,” that is, only in Christ do people understand the transitory significance of the Mosaic ministry.

2 Corinthians 3:15. But to this day, when they read Moses, a veil lies over their hearts; “Over their hearts.” The heart here denotes the center of the soul’s life (cf. 2 Cor 4:6; Rom 1:21).

2 Corinthians 3:16. but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. “Turn to the Lord,” that is, become believers in Christ. The Apostle has in mind here the account in the book of Exodus that when Moses appeared before God, he removed the veil from his face (Exod 34:34 and following). Likewise the veil will be removed from the hearts of those Jews who turn, who come to Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:17. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Here is the conclusion to the thought expressed in verse 16. Here properly is a syllogism of the following kind: Proposition: “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Minor premise: but this Spirit belongs only to the one who has turned to the Lord, because “the Lord is the Spirit.” Conclusion: consequently, in the one who has turned there cannot be the mentioned veil, but only freedom.—“The Lord” (ὁ κύριος)—this is the subject (the structure of the text requires this identification). By the Lord here is meant Christ: to enter into communion with Christ is the same as to enter into communion with the Holy Spirit. Already in the Epistle to the Romans the Apostle said that the Holy Spirit belongs to Christ and through him Christ comes to believers (Rom 8:9-11). Why, however, does the Apostle here draw attention to the absolute spirituality of Christ? One must suppose that he wished by this to show that Christ and Christianity are not bound by the letter and have no obligations before the Mosaic law.—“There is freedom,” that is, freedom to think, feel, and act. The Spirit of the Lord, as the sole master in the soul of the converted person, destroys all veils, all barriers belonging to an alien power.

2 Corinthians 3:18. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit. “And we all,” that is, Christians. The Apostle now speaks of the persons upon whom freedom displays its power.—“With unveiled face.” The Apostle changes the image. He speaks here not of those who are listening (as in verse 15) but of those who are looking, which is why he replaces the word “heart” (in verse 15) with the word “face.” For looking, one must have one’s eyes open.—“As in a mirror.” The Christian can see the full glory of Christ only in the future life (John 17:24; 1 John 3:2; Col 3:4), while here he sees only its reflection in the Gospel (the Gospel of the glory of Christ—see 2 Cor 4:4).—“The glory of the Lord,” that is, we behold Christ as the Head of the Church, our Intercessor in heaven, the Victor over all his enemies, and so on.—“Are being transformed into the same image,” that is, we are so changed that we come to resemble the glorified Christ even here on earth.—“From glory to glory,” that is, from one level of greatness we pass to another (cf. Rom 1:17; Ps 83:8).—“As from the Lord who is the Spirit”—more accurately: “from the Lord who is the Spirit” (cf. verse 17). Our transformation proceeds to the extent that the Lord—the Spirit (πνεύματος—genitive of quality)—sends us strength.

Chapter Four

Comment about the Apostle’s activity (1–6). The greatness of the Apostle’s ministry and his grievous external circumstances (7–12). Reconciliation of this contradiction (13–18).

2 Cor 4:1-6. Paul’s enemies said about the Apostle that he was faint-hearted, that he could only act through cunning, that he distorted the Word of God, that he did not complete his explanations about the essence of his Gospel. In short, the Apostle was considered some sort of visionary who preaches not the true Gospel, but what appeared to him in his imagination. The Apostle vehemently refutes all these accusations and says that, on the contrary, his opponents—the Judaisers—are blinded by the prince of this age to such a degree that they do not see truth at all.

2 Corinthians 4:1. Therefore, having such a ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart; “Having such a ministry,” that is, working toward the attainment by Christians of freedom and glorification, of which the Apostle spoke in verses 17-18 of the third chapter. “Do not lose heart,” that is, do not lose courage as we encounter various difficulties on our path.

2 Corinthians 4:2. but renouncing the hidden shameful things, not resorting to cunning and not distorting the word of God, but revealing truth, we commend ourselves to the conscience of every person before God. By the distortion of God’s word the Judaising opponents of the Apostle understood the incorrect, in their opinion, interpretation of the Old Testament, and above all of the law of Moses.

2 Corinthians 4:3. But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, Paul’s opponents said that he intentionally did not reveal the consequences to which his Gospel leads, namely that he did not point out that his teaching encourages, as they claimed, all moral corruption. The Apostle answers that only people who have already entered the straight path leading to destruction can make such accusations against him.

2 Corinthians 4:4. for the unbelieving, the god of this age has blinded the minds, so that for them the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of the invisible God, has not shone forth. “The god of this age,” that is, Satan (cf. John 8:44). “So that for them… has not shone forth,” that is, so that they are not in a position to receive and appropriate the bright truth of the Gospel. “Of the glory of Christ”—of the greatness of the exalted Christ in heaven (cf. 2 Cor 3:18), which the preachers of the Gospel spoke about. “Who is the image of the invisible God.” Christ in the state of His glorification is fully in the image of God and in an equal position with God (Phil 2:6). Therefore He in His glorified body appears as the visible image of the invisible God (cf. Col 1:15; Heb 1:3). Although even in the state of His humiliation He also had divine glory as the bearer of divine “grace and truth” (John 1:14) and made it known in His miracles (John 2:11), nevertheless the manifestation of this glory was limited by the state of humiliation in which Christ was before His resurrection.

2 Corinthians 4:5. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and we are servants of yours for Jesus’ sake, Paul’s opponents pointed out that he did not know the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore his preaching about Christ did not correspond to reality. They wanted to say by this that he was trying to exalt himself. The Apostle counters that it is not himself but only the Lord Jesus Christ that he wishes to exalt. There is nothing selfish in his preaching—he is far from any self-glorification. On the contrary, he is a servant to believers for Christ’s sake to fulfill His will.

2 Corinthians 4:6. because God, who commanded light to shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Indeed, who called the Apostle to preach? God Himself, the Almighty Creator of the original light, sent the new light to the Apostle as well. Here the Apostle apparently makes an allusion to the vision that came to him at his calling on the road to Damascus (cf. Gal 1:15) and contrasts himself with his opponents—the Judaisers. They are under the action of Satan (verse 4), he is under the action of God: they are in blindness, but he clearly sees all in the light of Christ. “The glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”—more correctly: on the face of Jesus Christ. Thus, the Apostle here asserts that God gave him to know or see the face of Christ, radiant with divine glory. This is why he called Christ (verse 4) the image of the invisible God. Christ appeared to him in glory, in a glorified state, and in this case showed Himself as the true image of God. 2 Cor 4:7-12. After depicting his apostolic greatness, Paul begins to speak about the striking contradiction to this greatness in his external humiliated position, and first of all speaks about the purpose for which God permitted this regarding His faithful servant.

2 Corinthians 4:7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing power may be of God and not of us. “This treasure,” that is, inner greatness. “We,” that is, Apostle Paul. “In earthen vessels,” that is, in the body, which in external appearance was weak and fragile. And the entire appearance of Apostle Paul did not distinguish itself in impressiveness (cf. 2 Cor 12:7 and following; Gal 6:14). “So that the surpassing power”—that is, the constant energy with which Paul accomplished his ministry. “May be of God and not of us.” The whole world must know that this spiritual energy comes from God, not from Paul.

2 Corinthians 4:8. We are troubled on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 2 Corinthians 4:9. we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are struck down, but not destroyed. But since this power which Paul possesses is from God, it can never be overwhelmed; no persecutions can overcome it.

2 Corinthians 4:10. We always carry about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. The Apostle says elsewhere that Christ dwells in him—spiritually (Gal 2:20). Here he asserts that he also carries in his body the sufferings and death of Christ, as if continuing them: to such a degree is the Apostle penetrated with a sense of unity with Christ! On the other hand, in the Apostle the “life of Jesus,” that is, the power which Christ possesses in the state of His glorification, is also manifested. This power is evident in the deeds which the Apostle accomplished in the course of his apostolic ministry.

2 Corinthians 4:11. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh, The Apostle repeats the thought of verse 10, clarifying its first half and intensifying the second. The intensification consists in that instead of the expression “body” the Apostle uses the expression “mortal flesh.” In this sinful, death-subject flesh, the great and unconquerable power of Christ, the power of the life of Jesus, is manifested: so great is this power!

2 Corinthians 4:12. so that death is working in us, but life in you. From death, or from the physical sufferings that bring Paul to death, comes life—certainly spiritual life—for the Church as a community of believers. His self-sacrifice brings new strength to the believers for living. 2 Cor 4:13-18. Such a contradiction between his inner greatness and external humiliation does not, however, trouble the Apostle. He trusts in the glorification that awaits him in the future together with Christ, and therefore relates calmly to his sufferings.

2 Corinthians 4:13. But, having the same spirit of faith as it is written: “I believed, and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore also speak, The Apostle has the same “spirit of faith” as the Corinthians have, that is, the Holy Spirit, which is given to every believer at the reception of baptism (cf. Gal 3:1 and following), when a person confesses and expresses faith in Christ. And faith is certainly in the Apostle too (the Apostle speaks this in an ironic tone to shame the Corinthians who were overly proud of their Christian state—1 Cor 4:7-8). Using the words of psalm 115 (according to the Septuagint translation), the Apostle points to his preaching, which was the result of his firm faith. He believed in Christ—and therefore could not be silent but constantly spoke of Him.

2 Corinthians 4:14. knowing that the One who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us through Jesus and place us with you before Himself. But why did the Apostle say that he has the Holy Spirit? By this he wants to show how well-founded his hope is for future glorification. This Spirit is a pledge of this glorification (cf. 2 Cor 1:22). As for the glorification itself, the Apostle attributes it to God, who will call to Himself not only the Corinthians (again irony), but Paul together with them. Regarding the expression “the One who raised the Lord” see Rom 8:10-11.

2 Corinthians 4:15. For all things are for your sake, so that grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. If the external circumstances of the Apostle are presently very unfavorable, the Corinthians should not be troubled by this: after all, the Lord permits this for their own wellbeing. The Corinthians will see how great is the grace of God, manifested in the deeds of the Apostle, so insignificant in external appearance, and this will compel them with greater feeling of gratitude to glorify God. This remark, however, does not stand in direct connection with the flow of thoughts, and further the Apostle turns again to speaking of his confidence in future glorification.

2 Corinthians 4:16. Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. According to the Russian translation, a concessive clause appears here. But more correctly one should see here a relationship of cause and effect. One should translate not “if… even” (that is, although), but “because” or “inasmuch as.” The Apostle is convinced that our body in its present state does not give scope for the activity of the human spirit (cf. 1 Cor 15:44), and says because the gradual weakening and destruction of the body gives the spirit the opportunity to manifest itself with greater power. There is certainly a basis here for ascetic labors, for fasting and self-control, which by exhausting the strength of the body and its crude impulses, gives more scope for spiritual activity, for the contemplative life. Nevertheless, Bishop Theophan quite rightly remarks that this “wasting away,” that is, ascetic labor of the outer self, renews the inner self not unconditionally, but under the condition of grace, faith, and life according to faith.

2 Corinthians 4:17. For our present light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, The original text presents the thought that if future glorification were placed on one scale of a balance, it would outweigh the small, on the whole, sufferings of this life placed on the other scale. Compare 1 Pet 1:6-7.

2 Corinthians 4:18. while we look not at things which are seen, but at things which are not seen; for things which are seen are temporary, but things which are not seen are eternal. Here the Apostle explains that seeing this advantage of future glorification is not given to everyone. Only a specially enlightened gaze can see the “unseen,” that is, what awaits people in the life beyond the grave. The one who can do this understands that all that is visible soon ends and that only the unseen is eternal, that is, what will be in the other life. * * * Ps 115:1.

Chapter Five

A new body (1–5). The conditions under which one can obtain future glorious life (6–10). Personal remarks of the Apostle (11–16). The significance of apostolic ministry (17–21).

2 Cor 5:1-5. The opposition between the inner greatness of believers and their crumbling corporeality cannot continue eternally. In exchange for their present body, believers will receive a new one which will correspond to their inner spiritual condition. God Himself strengthens this hope in us, having given us the Spirit as a pledge of this glorious state.

2 Corinthians 5:1. For we know that, if our earthly house, this tent, is demolished, we have a building from God, a house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens. “We know.” The Apostle has in mind, of course, all believers, not only himself, because he is not the only one who will receive the future glorious body. How did believers know this? Certainly from the teaching of Apostle Paul (1 Cor 15), and the Apostle himself—from special gracious illumination from God. “Our earthly house, this tent.” The Apostle calls our body this way, which is given to us only for a time and must be destroyed, as a tent or, more accurately, a tabernacle, which in general is set up somewhere for a time. “We have.” This does not mean that the new house already exists at the present time. If the Apostle thought so, he would contradict his own teaching about the future body as arising from the earthly body after its decay (cf. 1 Cor 15:42-43). The Apostle’s manner of speaking is simply explained by the fact that he here passes over life beyond the grave, until the resurrection—this did not occupy him in the present case. “From God a dwelling in the heavens.” In contrast to our present body, which we received through birth from our parents—people who had a coarse, earthy body of the first Adam (cf. 1 Cor 15:47)—our new body we will receive from God, and this serves as proof of its superiority over the present one. This body is intended for life in the heavens, that is, in a new perfect world. “Not made by hands, eternal.” Here the Apostle compares what God builds with what man makes. God’s house will stand eternally, while a house built by human hands must eventually be destroyed.

2 Corinthians 5:2. That is why we also sigh, desiring to be clothed in our heavenly dwelling; 2 Corinthians 5:3. if indeed, being clothed, we shall not be found naked. “That is why we also sigh.” The Apostle wants to find further proof for our faith in future glorification of the body and repeats what he said in the Letter to the Romans (Rom 8:23): “sighing” for a new body itself testifies that this new body will indeed be given to us. The new body the Apostle calls heavenly because it will be imperishable. According to the interpretation of blessed Theodoret, instead of “to be clothed” it is more correct to translate “to be clothed over” or “to put on over.” The latter expression indicates that we will not put on another body, but this corruptible body of yours will be clothed in incorruptibility. “If indeed… we shall not be found naked.” The Apostle reminds Christians that even in the new body they may find themselves as it were “naked”—naked with regard to virtue, which not everyone acquires here on earth. Consequently, Christians must themselves take care to acquire the clothing of virtue in which one can enter the hall of God.

2 Corinthians 5:4. For while we are in this tent, we groan, burdened—not that we want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. The Apostle explains that Christians do not strive to be completely freed from the body, but to receive another body, and, if this were possible, without dying (in the Apostle’s terminology, “without being unclothed”), so that at the second coming of Christ their bodies would suddenly be transformed into new ones (cf. 1 Cor 15:54). The new garment, which Christians would put on themselves if they lived to the second coming of Christ, would swallow up the old.

2 Corinthians 5:5. And He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who gave us the Spirit as a guarantee. The Apostle points out that the guarantee of our hope for future glorified body is the will of God. God Himself prepared us for life in such a body, as testified by the pledge received by us, Christians—the Holy Spirit. This Spirit produces in us an inner renewal, and corresponding to this inner renewal should in time our body be renewed, our external shell be changed (cf. Rom 8:28-30). 2 Cor 5:6-10. To obtain future glorious life—for this one must strive here to please the Lord. The Lord at the last judgment will judge all according to the deeds which people have done on earth.

2 Corinthians 5:6. Therefore we are always of good courage; and knowing that while we dwell in the body, we are absent from the Lord,— 2 Corinthians 5:7. for we walk by faith, and not by sight,— 2 Corinthians 5:8. we are of good courage and would prefer rather to be absent from the body and to dwell with the Lord. Death represented the most terrible thing for man, and the thought of it has always troubled the minds of people in Judaism and paganism. Such is not the attitude toward death in Christianity. A Christian awaits death calmly, because it will unite him with the Lord, with whom now he cannot enter into direct communion, since this earthly body of ours serves as an insurmountable barrier to this. We, as the Apostle expresses it, are “separated” or distant from the Lord. “We walk,” that is, live in a world where God cannot be seen, where one can only believe in Him. Therefore we would like—of course, if God’s will permits this—to soon cast off this earthly shell that hinders our dwelling with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:9. And therefore we also make it our goal, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him; 2 Corinthians 5:10. for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due to him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. But in this the Apostle considers it necessary to point out that after casting off the earthly shell, we will have to appear before the judgment seat of Christ and give account of our deeds. Therefore we must strive in every way toward pleasing God. It should be noted that in this passage the Apostle clearly distinguishes two judgments of people. One is accomplished immediately after a man’s death and gives him the opportunity to “dwell with the Lord” (verse 8), although he does not yet have a new body in place of the destroyed one. The other will be accomplished at the end of all times, when believers will receive a new glorious body (1 Cor 15 and following). This latter judgment is indicated in verse 10 (Chrysostom). 2 Cor 5:11-16. The Apostle, being firmly confident in his future glorification, boldly preaches everywhere and with an open face looks at all: he has nothing to fear.

2 Corinthians 5:11. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade people, while we are known to God; I trust we are also well known to your consciences. The Apostle Paul was reproached with the fact that he attracts people to himself by cunning and that his conduct is ambiguous. Paul responds to this: “Yes, I persuade and urge people, but at the same time the fear before the Lord as a Judge keeps me always within the bounds of permissible actions… I may seem to my opponents not to act entirely openly, but God sees that I act sincerely and according to conscience. You yourselves ought to know this” (well known to your consciences).

2 Corinthians 5:12. We are not commending ourselves to you again, but are giving you reason to boast about us, so that you may have something to say to those who boast in appearance and not in the heart. Compare 2 Cor 3:1. If the Apostle says anything in praise of himself, it is because by this he wants to put into the hands of the Corinthians a weapon for refuting the hostile slanders of his enemies, who unlawfully were too much exalting themselves.

2 Corinthians 5:13. If we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. The Apostle was reproached with the fact that he acted irrationally. This reproach was based on the fact that Paul had the gift of speaking in tongues more than all others (1 Cor 14:18), had many visions (2 Cor 12:1 and following), and had a very mobile temperament. His opponents took advantage of all this in order to present him to the Corinthians as mentally ill. Paul says to this that he becomes carried away by divine inspiration only when he prays to God, alone with himself and God (“for God”). In those cases, however, where the matter is that his speech be fully understood by those assembled in the church, the Apostle always spoke as a perfectly calm and reasoning person.

2 Corinthians 5:14. For the love of Christ compels us, reasoning thus: if one died for all, then all have died; 2 Corinthians 5:15. and Christ died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised. Such self-denial for the benefit of the Church was prompted in the Apostle by the “love of Christ” or love for the brethren, similar to Christ’s love for mankind. He reasoned thus: “If Christ died, then all believers in Christ died for themselves. They no longer live for themselves but for Christ and their neighbors.” Therefore, for the Apostle, every desire to distinguish himself in some way before other believers is now foreign. He does not try at any cost to use his ability to enter into an extraordinary state of rapture and strives to serve the edification of believers in the usual calm state.

2 Corinthians 5:16. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Since the Apostle Paul was reproached with the fact that he did not listen to Christ Himself, as other Apostles did, and yet Christ did not preach freedom from the law as Paul did, the Apostle considers it necessary to say that he indeed regards Christ not as one limited by the framework of Jewish nationality, as the earthly Jesus, but as the glorified Son of God, as He appeared to him on the road to Damascus. If he also received knowledge of Him as such at the very beginning of his entry into the Church (through conversations with Ananias), then for him this now has no significance. He has fully understood the very essence of Christ’s teaching, who was not at all on the side of the idea of the obligatory nature of the law of Moses for gentiles. The time of Christ’s being “in the flesh” has already passed, and He now stands before the Apostle’s consciousness in a different spiritual, heavenly, image. At the same time the Apostle does not take into account any human authorities, no matter how high they might be, which his opponents referred to. 2 Cor 5:17-21. After personal remarks, the Apostle once again praises the greatness of his ministry. We hear the Apostle proclaim the appearance of a new humanity, the creation of a new world, which the prophets foretold. This new humanity now appears in those who believe in Christ, who have received reconciliation with God through Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, all things have become new. Compare Isa 43 and following.

2 Corinthians 5:18. And all things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation, On the part of people nothing has been done for this renewal: everything has been accomplished by God Himself, who reconciled people to Himself through Christ. God sent the Apostle to preach about this reconciliation to others as well.

2 Corinthians 5:19. namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not reckoning their trespasses to them, and has entrusted to us the word of reconciliation. In order for the reconciliation accomplished by God to become the possession of each individual person, someone must explain to “people” the essence of this reconciliation. And so for this purpose with the “word of reconciliation” Apostle Paul is sent into the world.

2 Corinthians 5:20. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as God is pleading through us; on behalf of Christ, we implore you: be reconciled to God. How great is the ministry of the Apostle! Christ Himself stands behind him and calls people to accept reconciliation with God.

2 Corinthians 5:21. For He made Him who knew no sin to be a sacrifice for sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. To show how important this reconciliation is, the Apostle says that God made the sinless Christ “sin” (the addition in the Russian translation: “as a sacrifice”—is unnecessary), that is, He laid upon Christ the sins of all the world and treated Him as an actual sinner. Through this God’s righteousness was satisfied, and people became not only righteous but very righteousness itself, that is, in the truest sense were justified in God’s eyes. The new righteousness appears to the Apostle not as a garment, but as something constituting the very essence of a person, as a complete transformation of that essence.

Chapter Six

Exploits of Apostle Paul (1–10). Exhortation to the Corinthians to withdraw from fellowship with the heathen (11–18).

2 Cor 6:1-10. The Apostle is proud that he is chosen by God to participate in the work of the salvation of people. The time of this salvation has now come. At this point, the Apostle, in the form of a hymn, depicts the exploits which he was called to accomplish for the salvation of people by the grace of Christ.

2 Corinthians 6:1. And we, as co-workers, beseech you also not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 Corinthians 6:2. For it says: “In a time of favor I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. The Apostle exhorts the Corinthians, as a co-worker with God (cf. 1 Cor 3:9), so that they do not receive the grace of Christ in vain, but would use it for their perfection in virtue. Now is the most favorable, convenient time for this, because the Servant of the Lord (cf. Isa 49:8), that is, our Lord Jesus Christ, was heard by the Lord-Father in His intercessions for people, and people have been given the full opportunity to accomplish deeds pleasing to God. The Lord Jesus Christ prayed for us, and the heavenly Father, according to His prayer, opens before us the treasures of His grace (cf. commentary on Isa 49:8).

2 Corinthians 6:3. Giving no offense in anything, so that the ministry be not blamed, 2 Corinthians 6:4. but in all things commending ourselves as servants of God: in much patience, in afflictions, in distresses, in difficulties, 2 Corinthians 6:5. in strokes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings, Everything that the Apostle lists here represents only different kinds of one virtue—“patience.” The first kind of “patience” is the endurance of “afflictions,” that is, external persecutions; the second is the endurance of “distresses,” that is, the hardships that accompany or result from persecutions. In the third place stand “difficulties,” which oppress the soul primarily of the persecuted. Then he mentions “strokes,” which he received (Acts 16 and following), his being thrown “in imprisonment,” the necessity of frequently moving from one place to another (“tumults.” According to another translation: popular uprisings). Finally the Apostle shows his patience in his intense “labors” for the benefit of the Church (1 Cor 3:8), in “sleeplessness” at night when necessary (Acts 20:31), and in “fastings” (Acts 13:2-3 and following).

2 Corinthians 6:6. in purity, in knowledge, in longsuffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love, 2 Corinthians 6:7. in truthful speech, in the power of God, with the weapons of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, At the head of the virtues listed here stands “purity” or integrity of heart and will (cf. 1 Pet 1:22). “Kindness”—this is a disposition toward people, a striving to do them good. The Holy Spirit—not the Third Person of the Holy Trinity—if the Apostle had mentioned Him, he would have done so earlier—but that life-giving power of the Spirit which was manifested in the preaching of the Apostle in Corinth (1 Cor 2:4) and in other places. “The power of God”—this is the ability to confirm one’s teaching with miracles. “The weapons of righteousness”—these are all the words and deeds of Paul, directed toward establishing true faith.

2 Corinthians 6:8. in honor and dishonor, in evil report and good report: we are treated as deceivers, yet we are truthful; 2 Corinthians 6:9. we are unknown, yet we are known; we are dying, and behold, we are alive; we are disciplined, yet not killed; 2 Corinthians 6:10. we are sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; we are poor, yet enriching many; having nothing, yet possessing everything. In the most varied positions of life, Apostle Paul appeared in all the greatness proper to a true servant of God. The respect shown to him by his listeners (“in honor”) and the shame to which he was subjected by his opponents (“dishonor”) both testify to his position as a servant of God. He, like Christ (cf. Matt 27:63), was called a deceiver, a seducer of the people, but he on the contrary always conducted himself as behooves an honest worker. Many regarded him as someone who had done nothing to deserve the fame to which he aspired (“we are unknown”), yet he was well known in the places which he had illumined with his preaching. The following contrasts develop the thought that no persecutions, no slanders can weaken the zeal of the Apostle for his ministry and hinder the success of his work. There is too much inner strength in him, the Apostle, and consciousness of his beneficial significance for all humanity. He has—everything that man can only desire, striving for true happiness! 2 Cor 6:11-18. The Apostle now explains what he said in the first verse about the proper use of God’s grace. This grace can remain fruitless if the Corinthians do not free themselves from the habits of pagan life. But prior to this new exhortation, the Apostle speaks of his sincere disposition toward the Corinthians and asks them to be also well-disposed toward him. The exhortation itself is then presented in the form of questions, in which the idea is developed that those vices which the Corinthians borrowed from the heathen are incompatible with the Christian state.

2 Corinthians 6:11. Our mouth is open to you, O Corinthians; our heart is opened wide. The Apostle speaks with the readers quite openly. His heart is so generous that it will find room for the need of each Corinthian.

2 Corinthians 6:12. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. The Apostle was reproached with the fact that he supposedly constrains the Corinthians, acts tyrannically toward them (cf. 2 Cor 1:24). But this is not so: they themselves are too narrow in their views to understand the magnanimous conduct of Apostle Paul.

2 Corinthians 6:13. For the same measure—I speak as to children—open yourselves also. Seeing in the Corinthians his own children in spirit, the Apostle asks them with hope of fulfillment of his request that they repay him with love for his love toward them.

2 Corinthians 6:14. Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with unrighteousness? And what fellowship has light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:15. What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? In the law of Moses it was forbidden to yoke together a clean and unclean animal (Deut 22:10). The Apostle applies this prohibition to the situation of the Corinthians, as having a typological meaning. Five questions that follow are generally understood: they all point to the impropriety for a Christian to maintain fellowship with the heathen in the vices to which they devote themselves. But what does the name “Belial” mean? In the Old Testament this name corresponds to the word “Belial,” which denotes something completely useless, good for nothing: but here, as is evident from the contrast with “Christ,” the word Belial denotes a personality. This word had the same meaning in later Judaism. Here, in context, it can denote the Antichrist or the devil.

2 Corinthians 6:16. And what concord has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them; I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” The Apostle bases his exhortation on Old Testament statements. That believers are the temple of God he proves on the basis of Lev 26:11 and following. Here God promises Israel a reward if it remains faithful to God’s law. But Christians are the new Israel.

2 Corinthians 6:17. Therefore go out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. 2 Corinthians 6:18. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord, the Almighty. Just as the prophet Isaiah called upon the Hebrews to go out from the sinful Babylon (Isa 52:11), so the Apostle persuades the Corinthian Christians to break fellowship with the pagan world. Where does the expression come from: “and I will be a father to you”? According to our Russian text, the source for the Apostle in this case is the books of Jeremiah and Hosea, but this is hardly so, because such an expression is not found in those books. Modern commentators believe that the Apostle here somewhat modified the expression 2 Sam 7:14, relating to the descendant of David. Some critics consider the passage 6:14–7:1 inauthentic for the following reasons: 1) it deals with a subject not discussed anywhere else in the entire epistle, 2) the style of this passage is not very refined and does not correspond in general to the manner of expression of Apostle Paul, 3) these verses disrupt the flow of speech and with their removal one obtains a fully connected speech: the second verse of the seventh chapter becomes a natural continuation of the thirteenth verse of the sixth chapter. But these considerations are not sufficiently serious. First, there is an allusion to the entanglement of the Corinthians with pagan vices in 2 Cor 13:2. Second, parenthetical passages frequently appear in the Apostle in other epistles, and third, the style here does not in fact contain anything unusual for the works of Apostle Paul. * * * Notes Isa 49:8. Lev 26:12. Isa 52 Jer 3:19; Hos 1

Chapter Seven

The Apostle’s joy at Titus’ arrival with good news from Corinth (1–16).

Verse 1 is a conclusion to the section contained in verses 14–18 of the preceding chapter. Verses 2–4 are a transition to the following speech about Titus’ arrival. Then from verse 5 onward, the speech concerns how the Apostle was comforted by Titus’ return to him, who had gone to Corinth, and by the joyful news which Titus told him about the condition of the Corinthian church upon his arrival.

2 Corinthians 7:1. Therefore, my beloved, having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. “Promises”—see verses 17 and 18 of the sixth chapter. “Defilements of flesh and spirit,” that is, from vile vices that defile our very body, and from more subtle sins manifested in our spiritual life. “Perfecting holiness”—more correctly: our sanctification or cleansing, which in baptism only began and should continue throughout our lives. “In the fear of God.” It was said even in the Old Testament that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 1:7). For a Christian, perfecting his sanctification, great wisdom is also needed. Clearly, why the Apostle speaks here of the fear of God. The Corinthians could have forgotten about Him altogether, seeing in God only a Father, and by this would have lost the foundation for their work on the path of moral self-perfection.

2 Corinthians 7:2. Receive us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. 2 Corinthians 7:3. I do not say this to condemn you; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 2 Corinthians 7:4. I have great confidence in you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort, I overflow with joy in all our affliction. The Apostle defends himself against the reproach that he offends the Corinthians and seeks profit from them. He did nothing of the sort. And now he speaks of this not to condemn the Corinthians: on the contrary, he loves them with all his heart. And in general he only rejoices about the Corinthians at the present time (when Titus told him how his first letter to them was received), even forgetting about all the sorrows that oppress him. How could he not rejoice when he is confident that the Corinthians obey him like a father?

2 Corinthians 7:5. For when we came to Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: without were conflicts, within were fears. 2 Corinthians 7:6. But God, who comforts the humbled, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 2 Corinthians 7:7. and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted concerning you, as he told us of your eagerness, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. Here the Apostle restores the interrupted (see 2 Cor 2:12) speech about the mental state in which he found himself before Titus’ arrival. When he was in Macedonia, dangers surrounded him from all sides. The arrival of Titus was therefore most timely. “Fears.” The Apostle was afraid certainly not for himself but for the believers, whom persecutions might turn from the path of faith. The comfort which he received from God came to him, first, from Titus’ very arrival, and second, from the joyful news which Titus told him. It turned out that the Corinthians expressed their love for the Apostle when they read his letter to them, and sincerely repented of the griefs they had caused him. They showed “zeal” for the Apostle, that is, they competed with each other to fulfill his wishes expressed in the letter.

2 Corinthians 7:8. Therefore, if I made you sorrowful by my letter, I do not regret it; although I did regret it, for I see that that letter made you sorrowful, though only for a time. 2 Corinthians 7:9. Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that your sorrow led to repentance; for you were made sorrowful in a godly way, so that you suffered no loss from us. 2 Corinthians 7:10. For godly sorrow produces a steadfast repentance to salvation, but worldly sorrow produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:11. For see what earnestness this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly way, has produced in you—what earnest defense, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what vindication! In every way you have shown yourselves to be innocent in the matter. 2 Corinthians 7:12. Therefore, if I wrote to you, it was not because of him who committed the offense, nor because of him who suffered the offense, but to show you our care for you before God. There was a time when the Apostle almost regretted sending his first letter to Corinth. So strictly did he speak to them in it! But now he is glad that the letter was received by the Corinthians, because it had the desired effect on them. Let them have been saddened by the reproofs which the Apostle directed at them in his letter, but truly this sorrow or sadness brought them nothing but benefit. This was sorrow “for God’s sake” or in accord with God’s will, and it is the source of saving repentance. There is sorrow of another kind—“worldly,” which plunges a man into hopeless despair and leads to death (example—Judas the Betrayer). If the letter had led the Corinthians to this last sorrow, then one would have reason to regret. But now the situation is quite different. What “offender” does the Apostle mean, and who is the “offended one”? Some commentators (e.g., Busse) see here an allusion to a personal offense committed by some Corinthian against Apostle Paul. But it is more correct and natural to see here, together with blessed Theodoret, an allusion to the incestuous person (1 Cor 5:2) and his father. If the Apostle wrote about this unpleasant circumstance, he had in mind not just the interests of the father and son, but the benefit of the entire Corinthian church. He wanted to show also that it was not indifferent to him—as his enemies slandered him—the true good of the Corinthians, and that he constantly cares for them.

2 Corinthians 7:13. Therefore we are comforted by your comfort; and we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because you have all reassured his spirit. 2 Corinthians 7:14. Therefore I am not ashamed if I have boasted about you to him, but just as all our speech to you was in truth, so also our boasting about you proved true before Titus; 2 Corinthians 7:15. and his heart yearns for you all, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. 2 Corinthians 7:16. I rejoice because I can rely on you in all things. The Apostle was thus comforted by the comfort of the Corinthians, that is, by the comfort which they gave him. He was also comforted by the fact that Titus, whom he had sent to Corinth, found a good reception there. This was especially pleasing to the Apostle because he had earlier praised the Corinthians to Titus: he therefore did not praise them in vain. This gave the Apostle reason to point out once again his truthfulness in his judgments and actions. He concludes his speech with confidence that the Corinthians will continue to obey him, that mutual trust between him and them will always exist.

Chapter Eight

Exhortation to help Titus in collecting alms for the Jerusalem Christians (1–15). Recommendation of the messengers sent by Paul (16–24).

2 Cor 8:1-15. In chapters 8 and 9, the Apostle speaks about the work he undertook—collecting alms for the saints or for Christians. To move the Corinthians to generosity in this work, the Apostle points out to them the generosity which the Macedonians had shown before them. Then he reminds the Corinthians that they have already begun to collect alms, and says that he does not require from them donations that would exceed their means.

2 Corinthians 8:1. We want to let you know, brothers, about the grace of God granted to the churches in Macedonia, 2 Corinthians 8:2. for amid much trial and affliction they overflow with joy; and their deep poverty has abounded to the wealth of their generosity. 2 Corinthians 8:3. For they gave according to their ability and beyond their ability—I testify: 2 Corinthians 8:4. they begged us with much urgency for the favor of taking part in the ministry to the saints; 2 Corinthians 8:5. and not only in the way we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us by the will of God. The Macedonian churches (in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea) were themselves in a rather difficult situation at that time. Nevertheless, the Christians there understood the need of others and, despite their own needs, urged Paul to accept from them an offering for the poor Jerusalem Christians, one might say, taking away from their own necessities. In this, Paul notes that by doing this they wanted first of all to express their devotion to the “Lord,” that is, Christ, and then also to the Apostle, being confident that such a work was in complete accord with God’s will.

2 Corinthians 8:6. Therefore we asked Titus to complete among you this act of grace, just as he had begun it. “Therefore,” that is, in view of such conduct of the Macedonians, Paul did not want the Corinthians to fall behind them in zeal in the work of collecting alms. “Act of grace”—more accurately from the Greek: grace. In calling alms thus, the Apostle makes it clear that it makes a man like God, the source of grace, and on the other hand is itself accomplished under the action of God’s grace, which softens the human heart.

2 Corinthians 8:7. Now as you abound in everything—in faith and in word and in knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love you have for us—make sure that you abound in this grace as well. Compare 1 Cor 1:5.

2 Corinthians 8:8. I say this not as a command, but by mentioning the earnestness of others I am testing the genuineness of your love. The Apostle, as in 1 Cor 7:25, does not command the Corinthians but gives them only an opportunity to show their Christian disposition.

2 Corinthians 8:9. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. To persuade the Corinthians, the Apostle reminds them what Christ did out of love for mankind (compare Phil 2:6 and following).

2 Corinthians 8:10. I give my advice on this: it is beneficial for you, who not only started to do this but also desired it from the year before. What should further move the Corinthians to collect alms is the fact that they were not only collecting it as something obligatory for each Christian, but were also applying special desire or zeal to this work, even before the Macedonians. Busse translates the second half of the verse as follows: “which, even if you did not start to do the collection, have already had the desire for it.” The Syriac translation renders this passage as follows: “not only in desire but also in deed.”

2 Corinthians 8:11. Now complete the doing of it, so that as there was willingness to desire, so there may also be a completion from what you have. 2 Corinthians 8:12. For if there is eagerness, it is accepted according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 2 Corinthians 8:13. I do not mean that there should be relief for others and hardship for you, but rather a matter of fair balance— The Apostle explains that alms should be given in measure with one’s means, so that a person does not remain himself poor. Indeed, if such unlimited giving of one’s property were to take place, then the number of poor would continuously grow, and those who received alms would immediately have to give what they had received to those from whom they received it, and who had themselves become completely poor. Moreover, the Apostle could not demand such almsgiving, because that would mean demanding from all Christians together that they rise to the highest degree of Christian perfection (compare Luke 10:25 and following).

2 Corinthians 8:14. at the present time your abundance is a supply for their need, so that their abundance may become a supply for your need, that there may be fairness— 2 Corinthians 8:15. as it is written: “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.” A new reason for collecting alms. It is evident that churches composed of converted pagans also sometimes suffered material want, as in this case the Jerusalem church did. Then, alluding to the fact that excess manna gathered was of no particular benefit to the collector, and that with a small gathering the collector still received nourishment from this miraculous food, the Apostle suggests that in general “the life of a person does not depend on the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). 2 Cor 8:16-24. The Apostle speaks of those men whom he is sending to receive the alms collected in Corinth, and recommends them as people deserving trust and respect.

2 Corinthians 8:16. Thanks be to God, who puts the same eagerness for you into the heart of Titus! 2 Corinthians 8:17. For not only did he accept our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he is going to you of his own accord. First of all, the Apostle recommends Titus, who of his own free will took upon himself the difficult mission of collecting alms among the Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 8:18. With him we are sending the brother who is praised in all the churches for his gospel work, 2 Corinthians 8:19. and not only that, but he has also been appointed by the churches as our companion in traveling with respect to this act of grace that is being ministered by us, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our goodwill. Besides Titus, Paul sent to Corinth a special “brother,” that is, a Christian well-known as a preacher and at the same time having received authority from the churches (according to the Greek text: set apart or ordained) for collecting alms and verifying the collected sums. He was to accompany Apostle Paul everywhere in order to relieve him of concern about verifying and keeping the alms being collected. Seeing such careful attention to the gifts collected from them, the Corinthians gave with greater willingness. Who this brother was—the Apostle does not say. It is supposed that it was Barnabas or Luke, but this is hardly probable, since this brother still occupied a secondary position with Titus, whereas Barnabas and Luke could not have been placed below Titus.

2 Corinthians 8:20. We are taking pains that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, 2 Corinthians 8:21. for we aim at what is honorable not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of people. The Apostle wished to be pure and blameless not only in God’s eyes but before men. Why, indeed, should he give them cause for suspicion regarding the fate of the collected gifts? Let them know and see that Paul himself does not touch the money about the collection of which he took such care.

2 Corinthians 8:22. And we are sending with them our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now even more earnest because of his great confidence in you. Besides the two mentioned above, the Apostle sends a third collector already by his own choice, as a man especially zealous, who is moreover fully confident in the Corinthians’ attitude toward him and toward the work which Apostle Paul has entrusted to him.

2 Corinthians 8:23. As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. 2 Corinthians 8:24. Therefore openly show these messengers and before the churches the evidence of your love and our reason for boasting about you. Once again, in recommending all the messengers, the Apostle calls the two unnamed collectors the “glory of Christ.” This means that such people are an adornment of Christ’s Church, that by their conduct they glorify Christ. With this, everything is said! * * * Notes Exod 16

Chapter Nine

Why it was necessary to send the brother collectors to Corinth (1–5). A renewed exhortation to generosity in giving alms (6–15).

2 Cor 9:1-5. The Apostle sent the aforementioned brother collectors to Corinth so that the Corinthians would have the charitable gift ready by the time of his arrival and that of certain Macedonian Christians—as a completely voluntary donation, not compelled by the personal presence of the Apostle Paul.

2 Corinthians 9:1. For me, however, it is unnecessary to write to you about the ministry to the saints, 2 Corinthians 9:2. for I know your eagerness, and I boast about you to the Macedonians, that Achaia has been ready since last year; and your zeal has stirred up many. The Apostle knows that the Corinthians are disposed to give alms; he has already praised them for this before the Macedonian Christians.—Achaia—see 2 Cor 1:1.

2 Corinthians 9:3. But I sent the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, but that you may be ready, as I said, 2 Corinthians 9:4. lest, when Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say you—should be put to shame in this confidence. 2 Corinthians 9:5. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and to arrange in advance for your promised gift to be ready as a generous gift, and not as an exaction. Under the influence of the sorrow that the Apostle Paul’s letter had brought upon the Corinthians (2 Cor 7:9), the collection of alms may have come to a halt. In view of this, the Apostle sends the brother collectors to rekindle this good work in Corinth. It was especially necessary to stir up in the hearts of the Corinthians a disposition toward the collection, so that this collection would not seem to them a mere “exaction.” 2 Cor 9:6-15. The Apostle takes the opportunity here to speak about the spirit in which alms ought to be given, and about the power of God—by virtue of which the giver can always be assured that God is able to give him means for generous charity—and finally about the benefit that generous almsgiving brings. The Apostle concludes his discourse by offering praise to God for His greatest gift, which humanity received in Christ Jesus, and which urges Christians all the more to be generous to others.

2 Corinthians 9:6. But this I say: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows generously will also reap generously. The Apostle, of course, has in view here the reward that the merciful will receive in heaven (cf. Matt 5:7).

2 Corinthians 9:7. Let each one give as he has decided in his heart, not with regret or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. But there must be no compulsion for the propertied class of Christians: God loves and values only those who give freely (a quotation from the book Prov 22:8 according to the Septuagint text. This expression is not found in the original text).

2 Corinthians 9:8. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, so that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may be abundant for every good work, 2 Corinthians 9:9. as it is written: he scattered, he gave to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.10 In answer to the question of where Christians might find means for charitable giving after they have already given away all they could, the Apostle replies that God will send them such means for good works. Even in the Old Testament, the generous alms-giver was promised that “his righteousness,” that is, his righteous deeds, “endures forever” (Ps 111:9). This means that God will always reward the righteous person with outward prosperity as well (cf. Ps 111:3).

2 Corinthians 9:10. Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply the seed you have sown and will increase the fruits of your righteousness, The Apostle has in mind here a passage from the book of Isaiah (Isa 55:10), where the subject of the phrase “he who gives seed” is of course “rain.” The prophet compares the goodness and omnipotence of God to rain. In the Apostle’s usage, the implied subject is “God.” That God, says the Apostle, who gives the sower seed, also gives the Corinthians means for charity and then “will increase the fruits of your righteousness” (cf. Hos 10:12)—that is, will richly reward you for your disposition toward the poor.

2 Corinthians 9:11. so that you may be enriched in everything for all generosity, which through us produces thanksgiving to God. The Apostle develops the same thought more fully here. The wealth received from God will make the Corinthians even more ready to give alms. And how great is the significance of this virtue of generosity! Through it we, weak people, stir in many thankful feelings toward God and thus contribute to His glory.

2 Corinthians 9:12. For the rendering of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also overflows in many thanksgivings to God; A repetition of the thought of verse 11, but with direct reference to the present circumstances of the Jerusalem Church.

2 Corinthians 9:13. for by the proof of this service they glorify God for the obedience of your confession of the Gospel of Christ, and for the generosity of your contribution to them and to all, Nothing so clearly demonstrates submission to the law of the Gospel—the law of love—as the generous giving of alms to needy brothers. This also gives witness that the benefactors and the poor remain in genuine spiritual communion with one another.

2 Corinthians 9:14. while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God in you. The poor, receiving alms, pray for their benefactors.

2 Corinthians 9:15. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! “His gift,” that is, Christ’s (cf. John 4:10; Rom 5:15). * * * Notes Ps 111

Chapter Ten

The Apostle’s final reckoning with his opponents. Introduction and main theme of the following section (1–7). Paul’s letters and his personal appearance (8–11). The Apostle’s self-commendation and the groundlessness of his opponents’ self-exaltation (12–18).

2 Cor 10:1-7. From chapter 10 through chapter 13, the Apostle defends his apostolic dignity before the Corinthians and urges them to reform their lives. In the introduction the Apostle refutes the claim being made in Corinth that Paul is bold in his letters but very meek when he arrives in person. No, he has sufficient energy to punish every act of disobedience; it is only out of mercy that he refrains from exercising his apostolic authority. The Apostle is just as close to Christ as those who call themselves Christ’s, and therefore he possesses all the power and authority of a true Apostle of Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:1. Now I, Paul, who am humble among you in person but bold toward you when absent, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ. “I, Paul, … appeal to you”—that is, I personally appeal to you. Quite possibly the Apostle wanted to say by this that from this point he would be speaking no longer on behalf of all his coworkers (cf. 2 Cor 1:1), but only for himself.—“Humble among you.” Paul was moved to this by the compassion he could not help but feel when sinners stood before him face to face. At a distance he would thunder against them with his righteous anger, but in personal dealings with them he could not fail to show them the pity that his opponents interpreted as weakness of character, as an acknowledgment of his inferior standing among the Apostles.

2 Corinthians 10:2. I appeal that when present I need not show boldness with the confidence by which I intend to be bold against some who regard us as walking according to the flesh. The Apostle deflects this reproach with an ironic warning: let them not compel him to show his boldness—it will go badly for them if they do. At the same time, the Apostle points out the motive that guided those who condemned his manner of dealing with the Corinthians. The Apostle’s opponents looked upon him as one who acted “according to the flesh,” that is, as an ordinary man acting on his own personal understanding, not enlightened by the Spirit of God.

2 Corinthians 10:3. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. Of course, the Apostle, like every human being, lives under the conditions of fleshly existence. In terms of outward advantages he is even inferior to others, as must be said, for example, concerning his body, which often refused to serve him. Nevertheless, his opponents should be convinced that an extraordinary spiritual power dwells within him—convinced by observing how he wages war against the forces that are hostile to God.

2 Corinthians 10:4. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for pulling down strongholds: with them we demolish schemes The “weapons” by which the Apostle wages war are “not carnal,” that is, not weak (everything carnal is weak and powerless; cf. Isa 40:6), but “mighty” (the Apostle does not add “spiritual,” because this is self-evident). God Himself has given power to Paul’s weapons, so that he might demolish all enemy strongholds—that is, “the pride of the Greeks and the force of their sophisms and syllogisms” (Chrysostom).

2 Corinthians 10:5. and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive in obedience to Christ, The Apostle Paul’s opponents—the Judaizers—also rose up “against the knowledge of God,” that is, they hindered the Apostle from spreading the true knowledge of God as one who loved the whole world and calls all people, including pagans, to salvation without obliging them to observe the law of Moses. The Apostle refutes Jewish self-exaltation, which led the Judaizers to insist that no one could be saved without fulfilling the law of Moses. “Every thought”—that is, every thinking person—the Apostle brings as a captive, but a willing captive, to Christ, or in other words, to faith in Christ (Rom 1:5).

2 Corinthians 10:6. and being ready to punish every act of disobedience, when your obedience is complete. If Paul compels the whole world to obedience, on the other hand he is ready to punish disobedience. Of course, the Apostle has the Corinthian church in mind here. But this will happen when nearly all the Corinthians have shown obedience to the Apostle and have separated from their midst those who are stubbornly disobedient. Only such people does the Apostle wish to punish.

2 Corinthians 10:7. Do you judge by appearances? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him reckon this for himself: that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we Christ’s. Paul here directly opposes the Judaizers’ claim to a special, exclusive relationship with Christ. These “Christ’s people” were certainly not those Corinthians who set up a “Christ’s” party in opposition to the parties of Peter, Paul, and Apollos (1 Cor 1:12). The Apostle speaks about these new “Christ’s people” not as a party opposed to other parties, but only as personal opponents of him, Paul, who denied him the closeness to Christ that they claimed for themselves alone. Evidently these were Judaizing preachers who had come to Corinth from Jerusalem to hinder the success of the Apostle Paul’s preaching in Corinth. They boasted of having been sent from the “mother of churches”—the Jerusalem church—and of their acquaintance with the closest disciples of Christ.—“Do you judge by appearances?” The interrogative form at this point does not yield a clear and definite meaning that can be placed in close connection with the following admonition. For this reason, more recent commentators prefer to take this phrase as an expression of command and translate it: “Look, however, at what lies before your eyes!” The Apostle will go on from verse 8 to speak in detail about what exactly the Corinthians need to pay attention to. 2 Cor 10:8-11. Someone in Corinth was saying about the Apostle Paul that he was stern and forceful only in his letters, but when he had to appear personally before the Christians he became timid and faltered in speech. The Apostle says that such a report about him is entirely without foundation.

2 Corinthians 10:8. For even if I boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for your destruction, I shall not be put to shame. Someone might have found unpleasant the praise the Apostle expressed about himself in verse 7. But the Apostle has, in truth, said very little about himself: if he had said even more, God would not have put his boasting to shame but would have confirmed—evidently through miraculous signs (for example, those in Acts 5:9-10)—the Apostle’s authority. The Apostle uses his authority not for the destruction of the Church, with which he was apparently being charged by someone, but for its edification. Cf. 2 Cor 13:10.

2 Corinthians 10:9. I say this so as not to seem to be frightening you only with my letters. In Corinth the rumor was spreading that the Apostle would never carry out the threats he expressed in his letters (evidently referring to the first and the present second epistle to the Corinthians).

2 Corinthians 10:10. For someone says: “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is weak, and his speech is contemptible.” The Apostle Paul is portrayed here not only as a man of unimpressive outward appearance (this is also reported by the tradition preserved by the 14th-century writer Nicephorus Callistus and by the apocryphal “Acts of Paul and Thecla”), but even as a man of little energy and a poor orator—which, for the Greek population of Corinth, seemed a very significant deficiency.

2 Corinthians 10:11. Let such a person understand that what we are in word through letters when absent, we will also be in deed when present. The Apostle sets aside the reproach simply, without citing any historical evidence. Evidently he hopes to give proof of his energy after his arrival in Corinth. 2 Cor 10:12-18. If the Apostle does boast, his boasting rests on facts: he has truly done much for the spread of the Gospel of Christ and will do still more. Moreover, he is aware that the Lord Himself gives him His approval for his tireless activity.

2 Corinthians 10:12. For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding. The first half of the verse is clear. The Apostle says that he would not dare (here, of course, there is irony) to compare his achievements with those of others who are too fond of speaking about themselves. “Who are we to compare?” the Apostle seems to say. But the second half of the verse is obscure, and in order to give it an intelligible sense, some editions (including our Greek text) have attributed the words of the second half to the Apostle Paul’s opponents, whom the Apostle seems to be condemning as acting foolishly. However, even without adding a new subject (“they”) and predicate (“foolishly”—οὐ συνιοῦσιν), this half of the verse can easily be explained if it is regarded as a continuation of the Apostle’s speech about himself. In that case the whole verse can be translated as follows: “We would hardly dare to class or compare ourselves with those who praise themselves. Rather, we measure ourselves by ourselves and compare ourselves with ourselves.” The Apostle says that he can compare his actual self only with what he ought to be according to the divine plan.

2 Corinthians 10:13. But we will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God assigned to us—a sphere that extends even to you. The Apostle anticipates the objection that by comparing himself with himself he might go far beyond the limits of plausibility. No, he knows how to keep within bounds in self-commendation. At the very least, the Corinthians have no grounds at all to suspect him of exaggerating his merits or to regard him as a stranger to their church: the Lord brought him to Corinth, and he has truly done very much there—he has something to boast about.

2 Corinthians 10:14. For we are not overstepping ourselves, as though we did not reach you, since we did come to you with the Gospel of Christ. “We are not overstepping ourselves.” Evidently Paul’s opponents were telling the Corinthians that he “claims too much for himself” (oversteps), that it was not he who “reached” Corinth—that is, that the Corinthians did not owe their Christian enlightenment to him. Indeed, some Corinthians might have thought that Apollos, or someone other than Paul, had greater significance for them in matters of evangelization (cf. 1 Cor 1:12).

2 Corinthians 10:15. We do not boast beyond measure in other men’s labors, but we have hope that as your faith grows, our sphere among you will be greatly enlarged, 2 Corinthians 10:16. so that we may preach the Gospel in the regions beyond you, rather than boasting in work already done in another man’s sphere. The Apostle regards Corinth precisely as his own territory, allotted to him by God. He spread the Gospel here, and he will continue to strengthen the Corinthians in the faith, and then extend his activity further—not to Rome, of course, where the Church had already been founded by others, but to Spain (cf. Rom 15:24).

2 Corinthians 10:17. Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.11 2 Corinthians 10:18. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. In conclusion, the Apostle points to the correct standard for any human boasting: one must attribute everything not to oneself but to the Lord’s help (cf. Jer 9:24). And can one achieve anything through boasting? No, one must wait for the Lord to commend—for the Lord to declare a certain servant His faithful worker (cf. Matt 25:21). * * * Jer 9

Chapter Eleven

The Apostle compares himself with his opponents (1–21). The Apostle’s boast of his merits and his trials and sufferings (22–32).

2 Cor 11:1-21. In order to restore his authority in the eyes of the Corinthians, the Apostle finds himself compelled to speak of his merits. If this seems somewhat foolish to the Corinthians, let them indulge the Apostle just as they indulge his opponents, who continually boast before them. The Apostle here points only to his knowledge of Christian teaching and to his selflessness, which he demonstrated by refusing the support that was properly due him as a preacher. Then the Apostle again says that he is well aware of the foolishness of self-commendation, but nonetheless he is compelled to it by circumstances.

2 Corinthians 11:1. I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness! But you already do bear with me. 2 Corinthians 11:2. For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3. But I am afraid that, just as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted and turn away from simplicity in Christ. The Apostle returns to his favorite theme—defending himself against the charge of self-praise. He asks his readers to be indulgent toward this self-commendation, which he calls foolishness, and he already sees that they are being indulgent. And he has a right to such indulgence: after all, he is guided in his self-commendation not by any personal human advantage, but by his zeal to keep the Corinthians—just as God Himself is zealous for this. Just as God once created Eve for Adam, so the Apostle has prepared a pure virgin for a husband. This pure virgin is the Corinthian church in its new, life-filled state, and the husband is Christ, the Lord of the Church. He must present her to Christ spotless at the time when the “wedding of the Lamb” takes place, that is, at His second coming (Rev 19:7). He is therefore extremely troubled by the thought that the Corinthian church—this virgin destined to be the bride of Christ—might be led astray by tempters. Such tempters may appear in the Judaizers, who want to draw the Corinthians away from simple and pure Christianity toward a Judaized Christianity, which held it necessary for all believers to observe the law of Moses. This form of Christianity thus implied that the work of Christ was insufficient for people’s salvation and consequently diminished Christ in the eyes of the bride being prepared for Him—the Corinthian church.

2 Corinthians 11:4. For if someone comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit that you have not received, or a different gospel that you have not accepted—you readily put up with that. 2 Corinthians 11:5. But I consider that I am not in the least inferior to the most eminent Apostles. 2 Corinthians 11:6. Even if I am unskilled in speech, I am not so in knowledge. But in every way we have been clearly made known to you in all things. To dispose the Corinthians toward receiving his self-commendation, the Apostle points out that they have already been accepting quite a few people who deserved none of it.—“If someone comes.” In the Greek text the tone is not hypothetical but confident. The Apostle says that the Corinthians are already eagerly accepting teachers who preach a different Jesus to them—that is, who tie Christianity inseparably to the ceremonial law of Moses—and who bring with them a new spirit, the “spirit of bondage” (Rom 8:15) instead of the “Spirit of the Lord,” the Spirit of freedom (2 Cor 3:17). “All the same,” the Apostle says with irony, “I am no inferior to these people who dare to call themselves higher Apostles” (more precisely: “these exceedingly great apostles or envoys from the oldest Jerusalem church”). Even if the Apostle lacks the eloquence that these newcomers probably boasted of: he has sound knowledge of Christian teaching, and the Corinthians know him well in everything—that is, in all his works that he undertakes—and know him well, undoubtedly on his good side, as the Apostle wishes to say.

2 Corinthians 11:7. Did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the Gospel of God to you without charge? 2 Corinthians 11:8. I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you; and when I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone, 2 Corinthians 11:9. for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need; and in everything I have kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so. 2 Corinthians 11:10. As the truth of Christ is in me, this boast of mine shall not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 2 Corinthians 11:11. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! But as I am doing, so I will continue to do, 2 Corinthians 11:12. in order to cut off the opportunity from those who want an opportunity, so that in what they boast about they may be found to be no different from us. The Apostle returns here to the theme he had already addressed in the first Epistle to the Corinthians (chapter 9). His pride was that he had preached the Gospel in Corinth entirely without charge. His opponents turned this against him as a kind of reproach: the Apostle, they said, takes nothing from the Corinthians, but that is because there is nothing worth paying for. The Apostle acted thus in order to “exalt” the Corinthians—that is, to give them no grounds to reproach him for self-interest, and not to alienate them from Christ, in communion with Whom alone the Corinthians can be exalted—in the moral sense, of course. In order not to burden the Corinthians, he received support from the Macedonian churches even while working in Corinth. The Apostle swears by the truth of Christ (he speaks with the same truthfulness with which Christ spoke; cf. Rom 9:1) that the reputation he has throughout all Achaia (see 2 Cor 1:1) will never be taken from him: he will not take anything from the Corinthians in the future either. The Corinthians may say that the Apostle accepts nothing from them because he does not love them. But they should not say such a thing. God knows how much the Apostle loves them. But he does not want to give his enemies—who would be glad of any pretext to accuse and discredit the Apostle in the eyes of the Corinthians—a pretext to accuse him of mercenary motives. Indeed, his efforts to spread the message of Christ in Corinth could be interpreted by the Judaizers as an act of self-interest on Paul’s part.

2 Corinthians 11:13. For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:14. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, 2 Corinthians 11:15. so it is no great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; but their end will be according to their deeds. The Apostle speaks in an extremely sharp tone about his opponents. They are not apostles of Christ, as they claim to be, but servants of Satan. Like their master Satan, who sometimes takes the guise of a radiant angel (light being a symbol of the nature of good angels), these false apostles take on the guise of “servants of righteousness”—that righteousness which the Apostle Paul considered his own calling to proclaim (Rom 1:17). They offer the Corinthians righteousness through fulfilling the law of Moses, but that is a false path to righteousness: one cannot achieve justification by that route (Rom 3:20). For this deception, the false apostles face the punishment they deserve.—As to where the Apostle derived the notion that Satan sometimes transforms himself into a radiant angel, the most correct answer is this: from Jewish tradition.

2 Corinthians 11:16. Again I say: let no one think me to be foolish; but if you do, then receive me even as foolish, that I also may boast a little. 2 Corinthians 11:17. What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as if in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. 2 Corinthians 11:18. Since many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast. 2 Corinthians 11:19. For you, being so wise, gladly put up with fools! 2 Corinthians 11:20. You put up with it when someone enslaves you, when someone devours you, when someone takes from you, when someone exalts himself, when someone strikes you in the face. 2 Corinthians 11:21. To my shame I must say that we were too weak for that! But if anyone dares to boast of anything—I speak in foolishness—I dare also. Once more the Apostle asks his readers to be indulgent toward the self-commendation with which he must now come forward. It would be well if they would not count him foolish for this, but if they truly cannot look upon him otherwise, let them at least hear him out as a man who is “beside himself” (“foolish”). After all—the Apostle adds with bitter irony—they suffer greatly at the hands of the enemy Judaizers, who exploit them in every way. Why, then, should they not also be indulgent toward the Apostle Paul? They should also remember that the Apostle too has something to boast about, since his opponents find something to boast about. Of course, he did not exploit the Corinthians, but in any case this was not because he felt he had no right to receive support from them, but because doing so would have been shameful—“to their shame,” to the shame of the opponents. 2 Cor 11:22-32. As he embarks on his self-commendation, the Apostle first points to those outward advantages he possesses equally with his opponents, and then speaks of what his opponents cannot claim—that is, his extraordinary feats of service to the Church, his sufferings and trials, and even his weaknesses.

2 Corinthians 11:22. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. 2 Corinthians 11:23. Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as one out of his mind—I am more so. In labors far more abundant, in beatings above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often. The Apostle is as much a Hebrew, a descendant of Israel (Jacob) and Abraham, as his Judaizing opponents. As regards apostleship, however, he is incomparably their superior. In proof of the latter he enumerates the many sacrifices he has made in the course of his apostolic ministry.

2 Corinthians 11:24. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. The provision of the law of Moses (Deut 25:3) about punishing a criminal with forty stripes was modified by the Jews, who, in order to avoid accidentally giving more than forty stripes, established that only thirty-nine stripes should be given: thirteen on the chest and thirteen on each shoulder. From this we learn that by the time of the writing of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians—that is, around the year 58—the Apostle Paul had already been tried before a Jewish court five times. But the book of Acts says nothing about these circumstances.

2 Corinthians 11:25. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I suffered shipwreck; a night and a day I spent in the deep; The book of Acts mentions only one instance of the Apostle Paul being beaten “with rods,” that is, probably with switches (a Roman punishment): this was at Philippi (Acts 16:22). On the stoning of Paul, see Acts 14:19.—The dangers Paul had faced on the sea up to this time are likewise unknown.

2 Corinthians 11:26. in journeys often, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own countrymen, in dangers from pagans, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers among false brothers, 2 Corinthians 11:27. in labor and toil, often in sleeplessness, in hunger and thirst, often in fasting, in cold and nakedness. The Apostle enumerates the dangers he faced during his apostolic journeys. He endured dangers at rivers that had to be crossed even when they were raging and widely overflowing their banks; he faced attacks from robbers, who were plentiful in those times; he faced danger in cities whose inhabitants sometimes rose up against Paul, and in deserts where he might have perished from hunger, thirst, and wild beasts. He frequently subjected himself to fasting: this probably took place when he had to cast unclean spirits out of people (Matt 17:21), or else to mortify his own body (1 Cor 9:27).

2 Corinthians 11:28. Besides those outward things, there is what presses on me daily: my concern for all the churches. 2 Corinthians 11:29. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? But all of this is, so to speak, the “external”—the extraordinary—in the Apostle’s life. In his ordinary life, when he acts as shepherd and guide of the churches he has founded, he is equally immersed in cares and experiences everything that torments and troubles his spiritual children. One might say that he constantly burns in a continuous fire for all who face temptations.

2 Corinthians 11:30. If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The Apostle has just spoken about the sufferings he endured during his journeys. He now explains this “boasting”—which seems so strange to many—by the consideration that he is not ashamed to speak of his “weaknesses.” These weaknesses in no way diminish his apostolic dignity; on the contrary, they reveal him as a true servant of Christ who willingly endures every kind of suffering for Christ’s sake.

2 Corinthians 11:31. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 2 Corinthians 11:32. In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me; and I was let down through a window in the wall in a basket, and escaped from his hands. But the Apostle’s enemies evidently mocked him for his “weaknesses.” Apparently they denounced him before the Corinthians for showing his “weakness”—or in other words, for being overly fearful of danger even where there was no real danger. For example, the flight of the Apostle Paul from Damascus, when he left the city in a very unusual manner—by being lowered in a basket along the city wall—might have seemed somewhat strange. “What a strange way for an Apostle to depart—one who boasts of being personally called by Christ Himself!” his opponents might have said. “And was it really necessary to resort to such a hurried flight from Damascus?” To this mockery the Apostle replies that the danger facing him at that time was very real. The Jews living in Damascus had hired an Arab chieftain, who served under the Arab king Aretas, in order to capture Paul and deal with him as the chieftain saw fit. From such a man the Apostle Paul could expect the worst, and therefore the Apostle hastened to leave Damascus as quickly as possible, rather than tempting God by waiting for Him to protect him through some miraculous means. Thus the mockery of his enemies was groundless: the Apostle was right to flee from Damascus.—In Acts 9:25 it is said that Paul fled not from an Arab chieftain but from the Jews. This account, however, can easily be reconciled with the Apostle Paul’s own explanation given here. Evidently the Jews were the instigators in this case, while the Arab chieftain acted only as their instrument.

Chapter Twelve

The rapture of the Apostle Paul to the third heaven and the thorn of Satan that torments him (1–10). The Apostle’s concluding remarks on his self-commendation (11–21).

2 Cor 12:1-10. Since the Corinthians, of course, wished to have other proofs of the authenticity of Paul’s apostolic dignity besides those he spoke of in the previous chapter—that is, they wanted some miraculous signs from him—the Apostle now speaks of an extraordinary and miraculous event that took place in his life fourteen years before. He had an extraordinary vision—he was caught up into paradise and there saw what he had no ability to relate. And in general he had received very many revelations, so that God sent him a kind of illness to keep the Apostle from becoming too exalted in his own eyes.

2 Corinthians 12:1. It is not profitable for me to boast; yet I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. The Apostle recognizes that self-commendation will bring him no benefit. Why? Because in so doing, taking into account the Corinthians’ wishes, he must speak about the extraordinary revelations and visions he has received. Yet among his readers there may always be those who look suspiciously on this account and consider him a person prone to mere exaltation, capable of taking his own fantasies for divine revelations. Yes, boasting is disadvantageous for the Apostle! Nevertheless he must do it, for otherwise those same readers might say that he is far inferior to other preachers who boasted of having seen and heard Christ Himself. There is a certain distinction between “visions” and “revelations.” The former presuppose a revelation in symbolic images and pictures; the latter are revelations in verbal form.

2 Corinthians 12:2. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—was caught up to the third heaven. The Apostle speaks here about himself (cf. verses 6 and 7), but speaks about himself as if about a third party, out of humility, and partly as a historian narrating an event that happened to him. This was fourteen years before the writing of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians—that is, approximately in the year 44, when he was preparing to embark on his great missionary service (cf. Acts 11:26). What precisely this event consisted in—this even the Apostle himself cannot clearly determine: it is certain that he was at that time in a state of prophetic ecstasy and therefore did not know whether his body had participated in his ascent to paradise or whether he had been taken there only in his spirit. Yet the event did take place! As for the phrase “the third heaven,” it was evidently understood by the readers—otherwise the Apostle would have provided a corresponding explanation. Indeed, Jewish tradition spoke of the existence of three heavenly realms: 1) the cloudy, 2) the starry or that at the height of the sun, and 3) the highest, where the throne of God is. This division of the heavens had certainly been explained earlier to his readers by the Apostle Paul as well. There was also among the Jews a conception of seven heavens, but this conception was certainly not what the Apostle had in mind here, since in that case his ascent only to the third heaven would not yet have testified to any extraordinary exaltation.

2 Corinthians 12:3. And I know about such a man—whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know, God knows — 2 Corinthians 12:4. that he was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not permitted for a person to speak. Having repeated that he does not know about the condition in which he found himself during this rapture—or translation to the third heaven—the Apostle nevertheless says with confidence that he, having reached the third heaven, found himself in paradise, that is, in the place of God’s immediate presence. In this sense, the word “paradise” (ὁ παράδεισος) is sometimes used in the Old Testament (Ezek 28:13 and following) and in the New (Rev 2:7), as well as very frequently in Talmudic literature.—“Inexpressible words”—more precisely: “which cannot be spoken to a human being, or in human language.” The Apostle evidently has in mind here the praises that are offered to God in paradise by the mouths of angels and saints. Such praises cannot be uttered by a mortal being (“speak” is not quite the most precise translation).

2 Corinthians 12:5. Of such a man I will boast; but of myself I will not boast, except about my weaknesses. “Of such a man”—that is, of himself insofar as he has been glorified by God—he, the Apostle, wishes or is able to boast. But within himself, as a specific known person, he sees only weaknesses. Indeed, in those visions and revelations with which he was glorified, he did not participate by his own powers: like the prophets, he was at those moments only a recipient of revelation.

2 Corinthians 12:6. But even if I want to boast, I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain, so that no one may credit me with more than what he sees in me or hears from me. The Apostle, however, finds it necessary to note that he has other grounds for praising himself—only he does not wish to say everything, out of concern (the Apostle is obviously speaking with irony) that the Corinthians might rate him too highly in their estimation! Let them form their opinion of him only on the basis of what they know of his activity in their city and the surrounding regions.

2 Corinthians 12:7. And so that I might not be exalted by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to torment me, so that I might not be exalted above measure. The revelations received by Paul were so extraordinary that they could have led him to pride. And so, to save him from pride, God sent him an illness that often reminded him that he was a weak, frail human being. The Apostle calls this illness “a thorn in the flesh,” “a messenger of Satan.” The first expression (σκόλοψ τῇ σαρκί) means literally a sharp thornbush spike that has penetrated deep into the flesh, not merely gone just barely under the skin (cf. Ezek 28:24), and thus serves as a designation for a very painful condition of the Apostle. The second expression (ἄγγελος σατᾶν) points to a particular servant of Satan who was sent to the Apostle, with God’s permission, as a companion who constantly accompanied him. This “messenger of Satan” was to “torment” the Apostle—more precisely: to strike him directly in the face with his fists (κολαφίζειν) and thereby afflict him. He was constantly present with the Apostle, as is shown by the fact that the Apostle asked God to “remove” him (verse 8). Apparently this was an illness, but what kind of illness the Apostle does not explain, since it was evidently known to the readers of the epistle. It is certain that this was not an inward state of the Apostle but something external that the Corinthians could observe—otherwise the Apostle would not have used such an expression as “striking with fists in the face.” Consequently one cannot see here any temptations of a fleshly character (the view of Jerome), or persecution by opponents (the view of Chrysostom), or tormenting memories of his former life (Mosheim). There remains the view (of St. Ambrose) that here we are to understand persecutions and even bodily injuries to which the Apostle Paul was sometimes subjected by his persecutors. But about these persecutions the Apostle had already spoken in chapter 11, and here he evidently wishes to point to something new. It is therefore most correct to see here the designation of an illness that constantly tormented the Apostle. As for what this illness was, various opinions exist. Some say it was epilepsy; others see here a suppurative inflammation of the eyes that frequently recurred in the Apostle; still others regard this illness as periodically intensifying neurasthenia. The first view cannot be accepted because epileptic seizures leave no memory in those who suffer from the disease, whereas Paul speaks of his illness as a painful splinter, as something whose blows he felt keenly. Eye disease (which some find hinted at even in Gal 4:15) likewise cannot be understood here, because the Apostle represents his illness as something that strikes him suddenly (blows from a fist). It is most probable, therefore, to suppose that what the Apostle had in mind was acute attacks of neurasthenia, which unexpectedly left him powerless and without willpower—and precisely at the times when he had to appear publicly as a preacher of the Gospel. This illness was sent to the Apostle at a specific moment in time (ἐδόθη—an aorist, pointing to a definite moment in the past) and most likely at the time when he began to be deemed worthy of extraordinary revelations from God. The Apostle calls this illness an “angel of Satan” either in a general sense, as something that stood in his way as an obstacle (it was in this sense that Christ used the word “Satan” of the Apostle Peter; see Matt 16:23), or with an eye to the activity of the devil, who endeavors to inflict bodily torments on people (Matt 12:22 and following; cf. Job 1:6 and following).

2 Corinthians 12:8. For this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 2 Corinthians 12:9. But the Lord said to me: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. When this illness manifested itself in the Apostle as a chronic condition, the Apostle began to ask the Lord for deliverance from it. He turned to the Lord three times in prayer—during its most severe attacks; he did not dare trouble the Lord more than this, for after his third prayerful appeal the Lord explained to him in a revelation that the grace given to Paul would help him attain his goals despite the obstacles this persistent illness posed to his activity. By “the Lord” here the Apostle means Christ, as is evident from the final words of verse 9: “so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”—“My power is made perfect in weakness.” Christ does not need people of exceptional strength of spirit and body in order to spread His Gospel throughout the entire world: His power acts in those He sends to preach the Gospel. And so now the Apostle wants to boast of his weaknesses, because thereby he may expect more abundant grace from Christ.

2 Corinthians 12:10. Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. Returning in thought to his other sufferings, the Apostle says that he does not refuse them also because when he endures them, Christ bestows His gracious help upon him. And to receive such help is so sweet! “Where there is affliction, there also is consolation. Where there is consolation, there also is grace. When he was cast into prison, then he worked miracles. When he suffered shipwreck and was carried off to a barbarian land, then he was especially glorified. When he stood bound before the tribunal, then he conquered the very judge. The same was true in the Old Testament: righteous men flourished amid trials” (Chrysostom). And so the Apostle says that he feels the strength given to him by Christ precisely in moments of trial: then he is strong. 2 Cor 12:11-21. The Apostle repeats what he said in chapter 11 about his selflessness, which he displayed in Corinth, and says that he will continue to take nothing from the Corinthians. Nor did he take anything from them through those he had sent. Then the Apostle declares that everything he has said above in defense of his apostolic dignity is by no means intended as a kind of self-justification—for which the Apostle has no need—but has been said for the edification of the Corinthians. They need to know this in order to reform themselves before the Apostle’s arrival; otherwise he will deal with them with full severity.

2 Corinthians 12:11. I have become a fool in boasting; you compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you, for I was not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing. 2 Corinthians 12:12. The signs of an apostle were performed among you in all endurance, in signs and wonders and mighty works. In his self-commendation, the Apostle has reached the point of foolishness. Indeed, he has been boasting of his weaknesses—who boasts of such things? The readers could have forestalled and guarded the Apostle against such foolishness if they had defended him against those who attributed too much significance to themselves (“the most eminent Apostles”—see 2 Cor 11:5). And the Corinthians had grounds for this, since the Apostle had demonstrated, while in Corinth, all the marks of a true Apostle. He had constantly and unceasingly (this is the meaning of the expression ἐν πάσῃ ὑπομονῇ, rendered in Russian not quite accurately as “with all patience”) performed signs and wonders in Corinth and given evidence of his extraordinary spiritual power. Thus, in Paul’s own view, an Apostle performs miracles and exercises the extraordinary authority granted to him in abundance.

2 Corinthians 12:13. For in what were you inferior to the other churches, except that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong. 2 Corinthians 12:14. Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden to you, for I seek not what is yours but you; for children ought not to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 2 Corinthians 12:15. I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls, even though loving you more abundantly, I am loved by you less. Cf. 2 Cor 11:7 and following. The Apostle with bitter irony asks forgiveness for the selflessness he showed in Corinth. And now, for the third time, he is preparing to go to Corinth—and again he intends to take nothing from the Corinthians as remuneration for his apostolic labors. On the contrary, he will spend on them even what he himself possesses, although they cannot be called loving children toward him, their spiritual father.

2 Corinthians 12:16. But be that as it may, I did not burden you; yet, being crafty, I caught you with deceit. 2 Corinthians 12:17. Did I take advantage of you through any of those I sent to you? 2 Corinthians 12:18. I urged Titus to go, and sent with him the brother. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps? The Apostle deflects another accusation from himself. Apparently he was being charged with taking from the Corinthians not personally but through those he had sent, and therefore the Apostle says that those he had sent had taken nothing from the Corinthians. “One of the brothers”—that is, from among the Christians—was presumably not distinguished by anything particularly notable, and therefore the Apostle does not name him. Which journey of Titus is spoken of here? The one mentioned also in chapter 8, verses 17 and following. In that passage, verse 22 also speaks of this second, lesser-known “brother.”

2 Corinthians 12:19. Do you think all along that we have been defending ourselves before you? We speak before God in Christ; and all of this, beloved, is for your upbuilding. 2 Corinthians 12:20. For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I wish, and you may not find me as you wish—that there may be strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, slander, gossip, arrogance, disorder, 2 Corinthians 12:21. and that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many who sinned before and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and licentiousness that they practiced. Let the Corinthians not think that the Apostle feels any need to justify himself before them as if they were his judges. If he speaks about himself, he does so before God, his Supreme Judge, and speaks in Christ as an Apostle of Christ. Out of the love to which Christ calls all His followers—and Apostles in particular—he wishes only to give the Corinthians a firm foundation for forming a correct view of the Apostle, without which they cannot benefit from his coming stay in Corinth. They must know that the Apostle is guilty of nothing before God. Why must they know this? They must reform—and for this purpose the Apostle defends his dignity before them as their spiritual father, by trusting in whom they can reform. But as things stand, they still have many disorders of various kinds. He fears that upon his arrival in Corinth he will again feel shame before God on behalf of the church he founded here (this is the meaning of the first half of verse 21). It is quite possible that upon his arrival the Apostle will have to mourn over those Christians who brought their old vices from paganism into their new life, and who have not repented as they ought—that is, have not ceased the immorality in which they were living before their baptism.

Chapter Thirteen

Exhortation to repentance (1–10). Conclusion (11–13).

2 Cor 13:1-10. Preparing to visit Corinth for the third time, the Apostle urges the Corinthians to reform themselves—otherwise he will deal with them with full severity. He will appear before them in the full power of an Apostle of Christ, though he would prefer not to apply strict measures to them.

2 Corinthians 13:1. This is the third time I am coming to you. Every matter must be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses. It is not known when the Apostle visited Corinth for the second time. But in any case such a visit did genuinely take place, and there is no basis for interpreting the Apostle’s words otherwise. By mentioning his three visits to Corinth, the Apostle wishes to impress upon the Corinthians that he has sufficiently, from the standpoint of Old Testament law, testified to them about their departure from the strict requirements of Christian morality: the law required for the reliability of testimony no more than three persons who were present at a given event needing to be proved (Deut 17:6).

2 Corinthians 13:2. I have said before, and I say in advance, as if I were present the second time, and though absent now I write beforehand to those who sinned before and to all the rest, that when I come again I will not spare anyone. This verse is better translated as follows: “I said before, and now I say in advance—at my second presence with you, and now while not being with you—specifically to those who sinned before and to all the rest together: when I come again, I will not spare!”

2 Corinthians 13:3. Since you seek proof that Christ speaks in me—He is not weak toward you, but is powerful among you. Let the Corinthians not think that the Apostle threatens them while utterly lacking the power to carry out his threats. No, Christ Himself speaks through him, and Christ has already shown His power among them, or will show it.

2 Corinthians 13:4. For indeed He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God; and we also are weak in Him, yet we shall live with Him by the power of God in relation to you. The Apostle grounds this point. Yes, the Lord formerly appeared as a weak human being, and people did with Him as they wished. But now He has risen and lives by the power of God. In exactly the same way, the Apostle—who previously appeared in Corinth in fear and trembling (1 Cor 2:1-2)—will soon appear there armed with power from God, which he will exercise toward the Corinthians if they prove to be disobedient.

2 Corinthians 13:5. Test yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; examine yourselves. Or do you not recognize about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail the test. 2 Corinthians 13:6. But I hope you will know that we are what we ought to be. Instead of testing whether Christ dwells in Paul, the Corinthians should test themselves—are they in the faith? Of course, it cannot be that they would confirm the sad fact that Christ is not in them: this could happen only if they were, in practice, not what they ought to be as Christians. But this may happen—they are too stubborn in their sins. As for the Apostle, let them not worry about him: he remembers his obligations toward Christ!

2 Corinthians 13:7. Now I pray to God that you do no evil—not that we may appear as approved, but that you may do what is good, even though we may seem to have failed. This verse is unclear in the Russian translation. It is better translated in accordance with the interpretation of Chrysostom and Theophylact as follows: “We pray to God that you may do no evil—we pray not about this (here ἵνα points to the content of the prayer), so that we ourselves may appear” and so on. The Apostle loves the Corinthians so much that he willingly, for their well-being, renounces the possibility of demonstrating his power and authority in Corinth.

2 Corinthians 13:8. For we are not able to do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. Explaining his thought, the Apostle says that he will have nothing against the Corinthians if they stand in the truth: he himself always stands for the truth. Why would he punish them if they genuinely have faith?

2 Corinthians 13:9. For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong; and this also we pray for: your restoration. 2 Corinthians 13:10. This is why I write these things while absent, so that when present I may not have to deal harshly, according to the authority the Lord has given me—for building up and not for tearing down. In addition to what he said about prayer (verse 7), the Apostle remarks that it is actually pleasant for him to appear “weak”—that is, not to exercise his punitive authority over the Corinthians. If they are “strong”—that is, if they abide in the true faith and walk the path of Christian perfection—the Apostle can only rejoice in this. He writes his epistle to them precisely to strengthen them in the faith: he does not want to be a destroyer of the Corinthian church’s well-being—which he would be if he found the Corinthians continuing in their sinful life. No, he wants to build up and not tear down their church. 2 Cor 13:11-13. The Apostle concludes his epistle with a wish of joy to the Corinthians, a call to unity, and a request to convey greetings from all the saints.

2 Corinthians 13:11. Finally, brothers, rejoice, be restored, be encouraged, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. “Finally”—more precisely: as for the rest of what I would like to say to you… “The God of love and peace”—that is, the One who bestows love and peace.

2 Corinthians 13:12. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The holy kiss is the customary ancient symbol of brotherly communion (cf. 1 Pet 5:14).

2 Corinthians 13:13. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. The Apostle enumerates the persons of the Holy Trinity not in the usual order, thereby showing that they are all equal to one another (the blessed Theodoret).

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Introduction

Readers of the epistle

Occasion and purpose of writing the epistle

Time and place of writing

Division of the epistle by content

Authenticity of the epistle

Literature

Readers of the epistle

To this day it has not been definitively established where to find the readers of this epistle—the churches of Galatia. According to a long-established view, Galatia, to which the Apostle Paul directed his epistle, is a region in central Asia Minor that received its name from the Celtic tribes that settled there (around 277 BC), whose principal cities were Ankara and Pessinus. Supporters of this view argue that Paul visited this region for the first time during the journey mentioned in Acts 16:6, and at that time preached the gospel there. Later he visited Galatia once more (Acts 18:23; cf. Gal 4:13).

Other scholars believe that by Galatia one should understand not only the region where the Galatians lived, but the entire Roman province of Galatia, which included proper Galatia and in addition the regions of Phrygia, Pisidia, and Lycaonia—that is, the regions that the Apostle Paul and Barnabas visited during their first apostolic journey (Acts 13:14), with cities: Antioch (in Pisidia), Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. Under such an assumption, the Apostle’s first stay in Galatia coincides with the journey mentioned in Acts 13 and Acts 14, and the second with that mentioned in Acts 16:6.

Of these two assumptions we consider the first more correct—that is, we believe the Apostle Paul by Galatia meant only the region of the Galatians or properly the northern part of the Roman province of Galatia—for the following reasons. According to Gal 4:13 and following, Paul founded churches in Galatia because he was detained in those places by his illness. But in Acts 13 and Acts 14 there is no indication of any illness of the Apostle. On the contrary, according to the account in these chapters, the Apostle Paul at that time showed extremely intensive activity and traveled quickly from one place to another. Meanwhile, it is highly probable that the very illness that overtook Paul in Galatia is what the author of Acts understands in Acts 16:6 and following, where it is said that the “Spirit” prevented Paul from going to Asia, that is, to the coast of present-day Asia Minor, and so the Apostle remained to preach the gospel in the interior of Asia Minor (in Phrygia and Galatia). But if the Apostle at that time came to the “Galatians” for the first time, then clearly by “Galatians” one must understand not the Christian communities mentioned in Acts 13 and Acts 14, but those that existed in Galatia in the narrow sense of that term.

By the time of the Apostle Paul, the Galatians, at least in the cities, were already under the influence of Greek culture and had exchanged their Celtic language for Greek. But their character—vivid, receptive, and inconstant—remained. Furthermore, they were superstitious, arrogant, and inclined to mutual quarrels, but at the same time hospitable and cordial. Jews also lived among them, and they attracted many Galatians to the side of the Law of Moses.

So the Apostle Paul founded a church in Galatia during his second apostolic journey, after he had established churches in Pisidia and Lycaonia in his first journey. The Apostle began his preaching in Galatia under unfavorable circumstances—while ill—but nevertheless his work here was successful, and the Galatians received him as an angel of God, as Christ himself (Gal 4:14-15). New life was expressed in various spiritual gifts among the Galatians. During his third apostolic journey the Apostle visited Galatia again, but now he noticed in the Galatians a tendency toward the Judaism that had appeared there and rebuked them for it (Acts 18:22-23; Gal 1:9). The church of the Galatians undoubtedly consisted, as the main element, of those whom Paul had converted from paganism (Gal 4:9), but there were also Jews and proselytes in it.

Occasion and purpose of writing the epistle

After the Apostle Paul departed from Galatia, Judaizing Christians—opponents of the Apostle Paul—invaded the Galatian churches. Paul refers to them with supreme contempt. He calls them troublemakers of the gospel of Christ (Gal 1:7). He accuses them of opportunism, hypocrisy, and vanity (Gal 6:12 and following).

These Judaizing teachers of the faith proclaimed to the Galatians that they were obliged to observe the Law of Moses. They said that only through them could the Galatians become acquainted with the true, genuine gospel (Gal 1:6), and that the teaching which Paul had brought them was incomplete (Gal 3:3). Paul, they claimed, had not told the Galatians—and this was supposedly necessary to say—that only through the fulfillment of the Law of Moses and through receiving circumcision could gentiles become descendants of Abraham and heirs of the divine promises given to that patriarch and eternal blessedness (Gal 3:6 and following). However, they did not require the Galatians to fulfill all the individual precepts of the Law of Moses, but only the principal ones—namely, the ordinances concerning circumcision and the observance of Jewish festivals (Gal 5:2).

Hand in hand with the exaltation of this new “gospel” in a particular Judaizing form, these false teachers pursued the aim of discrediting the Apostle Paul in the eyes of the Galatians. They pointed out to the Galatians that Paul was not a direct disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, whereas they, the Judaizers, stood behind the Apostles called by Christ himself, the most prominent figures in the Church (Gal 2:2), the pillars of Christendom. Everything good in Paul’s teaching was received from these pillars, while everything that belongs to Paul himself is nothing other than a product of human fantasy (Gal 1:12). Paul owes his apostolic position to the mediation of the chief apostles (Gal 1:1) and his apostleship is of lower rank. He himself acknowledged this when he submitted his teaching to the chief apostles for examination during his stay in Jerusalem (Gal 2:2). They said that Paul is such a person who can deceive his listeners with his oratorical skill (Gal 1:10), that he seeks popularity by every means (Gal 1:10) and sometimes does not hesitate even to preach, where it benefits him, the necessity of circumcision (Gal 5:11)…

With these slanders Paul’s opponents managed to influence the Galatian Christians. When Paul wrote the epistle to the Galatians, the latter were already prepared to side with legalistic Judaism (Gal 1:6), to accept circumcision (Gal 5:2 and following), and had already begun to celebrate Jewish festivals (Gal 4:10). In short, an extraordinary metamorphosis had come upon the Galatians, and Paul was directly astounded by this circumstance (Gal 3:1). The situation of Paul’s gospel was highly critical. The question was being decided whether the young Christian religion should bind itself to the dying forms of Judaism stiffened in externals or continue its soaring flight over the world by virtue of the new spirit inherent in it. Galatia became the arena of that struggle, on the outcome of which the destiny of the entire world depended. What later occurred in Corinth and Rome was only the conclusion of this great struggle, only its echoes. In the epistle to the Romans one does not hear that same combative spirit that prevails in the epistle to the Galatians: there is heard the quiet voice of a man who has achieved victory over the Judaizers. But in the epistle to the Galatians the Apostle Paul comes forward with all the passion of a fighter for his idea. Thus the Apostle’s purpose in writing the epistle to the Galatians was: first, to defend and restore his own apostolic authority, and then, second, to establish firmly in the consciousness of the Galatians the conviction that a gentile converted to Christianity needs the Law of Moses and circumcision not at all, and that without them he becomes an heir to all the promises given to Abraham.

Time and place of writing

His third apostolic journey, during which he also went through Galatia (Acts 18:23), the Apostle Paul concluded with a long stay in Ephesus (from 54 to 56 AD). As is evident from the epistle to the Galatians, it could not have been written too long after the Apostle’s departure from Galatia. He marvels indeed (Gal 1:6) that the Galatians are “so quickly” turning to Paul’s opponents—clearly he had not long since parted from them. From this we can suppose that the epistle to the Galatians was written by the Apostle soon after his arrival in Ephesus, namely at the end of 54 AD or the beginning of 55 AD.

Division of the epistle by content

By its content the entire epistle to the Galatians presents an unfolding of the idea that gentiles who believed in Christ have no need whatsoever to fulfill the Law of Moses. In this it resembles the epistle to the Romans with only the difference that there it speaks of the inadequacy of the law in general as a means to justify a person, whereas here it speaks of its needlessness for a Christian. All the content of the epistle can be divided into three sections: 1) the apologetic section, comprising the first two chapters of the epistle, in which the Apostle refutes the slanders brought against him by the Judaizers and restores his apostolic authority; 2) the dogmatic-polemical section, extending from Gal 3 to Gal 5:13, in which the Apostle proves that Christians are not required to undertake the fulfillment of the Law of Moses as if it would help a Christian from among the gentiles become a descendant of Abraham and inherit the promises given to that patriarch; and 3) the hortatory section, which contains instructions regarding proper Christian life.

The content of each section is explained in detail in the exposition of the epistle.

Authenticity of the epistle

Excerpts from the epistle to the Galatians appear in the earliest works of Christian literature—in the writings of the apostolic fathers, though these are not strictly quotations but rather somewhat modified repetitions of the thoughts contained in the epistle. As time went on, these borrowings became clearer. In the Muratorian canon and in the Peshitta it is already found as an epistle of the Apostle Paul. But from the 1850s, scholars of the Baur school began to reject the authenticity of this epistle, and in 1888 Professor Steck published his tract on the epistle to the Galatians, in which he attempted to prove that this epistle derives all its content from the epistles to the Corinthians and to the Romans and arose precisely at the time when the struggle with Judaism became acute in the Christian church—that is, at the beginning of the second century.

However, the very fact that only a few scholars sided with Steck shows that the grounds he advanced in defense of his hypothesis seemed rather weak to learned theologians. And indeed, Steck’s principal argument that the epistle’s polemic against Judaism betrays its late origin is entirely unfounded, because grounds for opposition to Paul’s gospel from Judaism could exist precisely in the first century, when churches from the gentiles were only beginning to arise. After that, in the second century, collisions between Judaism and Paul’s gospel would be completely incomprehensible, since in the second century the missionary activity of converting gentiles to the bosom of the Church of Christ was already completed. Moreover, from the writings of the apostolic fathers we see that among second-century Christians the question of the relation of the law was already considered resolved in the spirit of the Apostle Paul’s teaching. As for the closeness of the epistle to the Galatians with the epistles to the Corinthians and Romans, this was entirely natural to expect from an epistle that appeared at the same time as those mentioned. The other objections to the authenticity of the epistle to the Galatians are nothing but manifestations of purely subjective misunderstanding of some truly difficult passages in the epistle to the Galatians for interpretation.

Literature

Among the patristic commentaries on the epistle to the Galatians deserve special attention those of Ephrem the Syrian, Augustine, Jerome, Chrysostom, Theodoret, and the Blessed Theophylact; and among Russian ones—Archimandrite Agathangel, Metropolitan Philaret, Bishop Theophan, Fr. I. Galakhov (Kazan 1897), and Professor Ya. Ya. Glubokovskiy: The Gospel of Christian Freedom in the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians (St. Petersburg 1902). Among foreign works the finest commentary is that of Professor Zahn (Leipzig 1907). Literature of the epistle up to 1897 is detailed in the book of Fr. Galakhov. In 1912 appeared the “Popular Explanation of the Epistles to the Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians” by Archpriest Zefirov (Mogilev).

Chapter One

Greeting to the readers (1-5). Occasion for writing the epistle (6-10). The Apostle Paul did not receive his gospel from human sources (11-24)

Gal 1:1-5. In his greeting the Apostle immediately outlines the basic content of the chapters that follow. He speaks of himself as a true Apostle of Christ—which the Judaizers then active in Galatia did not want to acknowledge—and states that Christ gave himself to death in order to redeem people from subjection to the present evil age. The Apostle makes this last point with the Judaizers in view, who, so to speak, were depriving of proper dignity the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ by insisting on the need for the Law of Moses for salvation even in Christianity.

Galatians 1:1. Paul, an Apostle chosen not by human beings and not through a human being, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead, Apostles in the primitive Church were generally called preachers of the gospel, not only the disciples of Christ himself. The Judaizers wanted to rank the Apostle Paul with ordinary preachers of the gospel, saying that he had not heard Christ himself and was below any one of the twelve Apostles. For this reason Paul emphasized that he is an Apostle in the fullest sense of the word, equal to any of the twelve Apostles. First, he was chosen to his service “not by human beings,” that is, either by other Apostles or by the assembly of believers, as for example the churches chose Titus and Epaphroditus (2 Cor 8:23; Phil 2:25). Second, he was called and “not through a human being,” that is, Christ did not appoint him to apostolic service through someone’s mediation, but called him directly himself. However, the primary cause of his calling, Paul names “God the Father, who raised Christ from the dead.” The Apostle mentions this fact in order to show that both Christ and God the Father are on his side: Christ properly called him, and the Father placed Christ in such a state that he can call apostles again, after his resurrection.—God the Father. The Apostle says here that Christ was “raised” by God the Father, as also in the epistle to Rome (Rom 8:11), meaning that Christ was truly raised by the Father, since he, as the God-Man, placed himself in dependence on the Father in all things (John 5:19). But the Apostle, nevertheless, was at the same time fully convinced that Christ, as God, rose himself (Rom 4:25).

Galatians 1:2. and all the brothers with me—to the churches of Galatia: The Apostle wants to say that all the Christians surrounding him at the present time (instead of “were with” it is better to translate “are with”) sympathetically support the step he has taken toward the Galatian churches and agree with his views.

Galatians 1:3. grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, The Apostle does not add, contrary to his usual custom (cf. for example the opening of the epistle to Romans and 1 Corinthians), praise of the readers for the firmness of their faith. This shows that the Apostle was deeply grieved by the behavior of the Galatian Christians, who at the present time were siding with Paul’s opponents—the Judaizers.—“Grace and peace”—cf. Rom 1:7.

Galatians 1:4. who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father; Galatians 1:5. to him be glory forever and ever. Amen. The Apostle certainly has the Judaizers in mind here, who by insisting on the requirement that the fulfillment of the ceremonial law of Moses is necessary even in Christianity, were in a sense weakening the power of the saving merits of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle says therefore that Christ “gave himself as a sacrifice for our sins, in order that, according to the will or decision of our God and Father, he might rescue us from subjection to the present evil age, or in other words, such an order of life in which a person could not help but sin.” If the Apostle calls this order of life “present” (ἐνεστῶς), this does not mean that it still continues: this word is equivalent here to the expression “this” (Rom 8:38; 1 Cor 3:22) and presents the opposite of the expression “the age to come,” as the times of messianic salvation are designated in the New Testament (Matt 12:32; Rom 8:38).—Since the Judaizers, by diminishing the significance of Christ’s merits, were at the same time dishonoring God the Father, who deigned to accept these merits as a fully satisfactory sacrifice for the sins of humanity, the Apostle at the end of his greeting renders glory “to God and the Father.” Gal 1:6-10. Indicating the occasion on which he addresses the Galatians with this epistle, the Apostle says that the Galatians have allowed false teachers to turn them away from God, who called them to fellowship with himself in Christ. In doing this he mentions that the Galatians have sided with Paul’s opponents. So separation from God and Christ and at the same time loss of trust in their enlightener Paul—this is what compels the Apostle to address the Galatians with a word of stern exhortation.

Galatians 1:6. I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from the one who called you by the grace of Christ to a different gospel, “From the one who called”—from God (cf. 1 Thess 2:12; Eph 4:4).—“By the grace of Christ.” This expression (Χριστοῦ) is considered inauthentic by modern textual scholars (see Zahn p. 44 with reference to the most ancient manuscripts in which this expression is absent). If one reads simply “by grace,” then by “the one who called” one can understand Christ himself.—“So quickly,” that is, so rapidly, without deliberation.—“To a different gospel,” that is, to a new gospel that has just appeared (ἕτερος—denotes difference only in quantity or time of origin). The Judaizers came to Galatia with a different or second gospel about Christ, declaring thereby that Paul’s former gospel was insufficient. Perhaps they said that the Apostle had forgotten to tell the Galatians that Christ, as always, came forward as one who recognizes the eternal significance of the Law of Moses (Matt 5:17-19). They advised the Galatians to forget Paul’s preaching altogether as failing to illuminate the work of Christ adequately.

Galatians 1:7. which is not really a different one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. “Which is not really different…” Here the Apostle uses a different term to denote the preaching of the Judaizers. “Not really different”—“ἄλλο,” that is, not different in quality, not another in content, not distinct from mine in content. What, indeed, could the Judaizers tell the Galatians that was new about Christ? The Apostle undoubtedly presented the life and teaching of Christ in full detail, and to add something to the actual history of Christ without falling into fantastic fabrications, the Judaizers certainly could not…—“But there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.” Yes, the Apostle might say, the Judaizers cannot add anything to my gospel. All they want is to create confusion and agitation among you (to trouble, in Greek ταράσσειν, means to disturb, to throw into turmoil), to pervert the gospel about Christ (μεταστρέψαι, τοῦ Χριστοῦ—objective genitive), which the Apostle Paul explained to the Galatians in perfectly correct form. They want to pervert the gospel, evidently, by introducing into it the teaching of the necessity to observe circumcision and the law even in Christianity.

Galatians 1:8. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, were to proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let him be cursed. “Contrary to what we proclaimed.” More precisely: against what we (παρ ό) or: apart from what we proclaimed—with additions of their own.—“But even if we…” The Apostle supposes, on the basis of the example of the Apostle Peter (see below chapter Gal 2:11-14), that even he is not protected from the possibility of turning away from his gospel (for example, under the pressure of torments).—“An angel from heaven.” This is an impossible case, and the Apostle cites it only to strengthen his point. One should therefore insert the expression here: “if this were possible”… “Let him be cursed.” Among the seventy this word served as a term for designating the concept “cherem”—excommunication, the designation of something taken from a person’s property or family, for God or to be brought as an offering to God, or for destruction, as something that aroused against itself the anger of God. As in other epistles of the Apostle Paul (cf. for example 1 Cor 16:22), here this word is used in the last sense. But in what sense does the Apostle understand excommunication itself—in the sense of God’s judgment or the Church’s judgment? It seems to Zahn that here it is only said that such a preacher of the gospel is left to God’s judgment, not to church disciplinary judgment (p. 50). But the concept of excommunication or cherem among the Hebrews presupposed removal from Israelite society (cf. Ezra 10:8; Nehem 13:28). If Zahn finds it impossible to apply church excommunication to an angel, this objection is itself unfounded: the Apostle thinks of the angel as present on earth in the form of a human and as a member of the Church, and thus as in a certain sense subject to church discipline (again, of course, hypothetically).

Galatians 1:9. As I have said before, so now I say again: if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be cursed. So the Apostle pronounces a curse on the Judaizers who were distorting the gospel of Christ. But this should not shock the Galatians: even before, during his second stay in Galatia, he said the same thing (cf. Gal 5:3). But then he expressed this as a supposition, because the Judaizers at that time had not yet come forward openly, whereas now he directly sends excommunication upon the false teachers who have appeared or are about to appear.—“I have said.” According to Zahn, here the Apostle, as in verse 8 (“I proclaimed”) has in mind not only himself but also his helpers in the work of proclaiming the gospel.

Galatians 1:10. Am I now trying to persuade people or God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. The Judaizers, in all likelihood, reproached Paul for what appeared to be his inconsistency: “Now he adapts to the customs of Jews (Gal 5:11; cf. 1 Cor 9:20), now he lives with gentiles as a gentile (cf. 1 Cor 9:21). Was this not a manifestation of a desire by all means to increase the number of people favorably disposed toward him?” The Judaizers probably reasoned this way before the listeners in Galatia. The Apostle, now beginning his defense, says that he never acted in this way: he sought only “God’s” favor, and he never had any designs on respect from “people,” and therefore he cannot be accused of adapting his conduct to the chance tastes of his listeners. And how could he have become a “servant of Christ” if he had a tendency to seek popularity? He had enjoyed enormous popularity among the Jews and yet he spurned it to walk the thorny path of a servant “of Christ”—a preacher of the gospel… Gal 1:11-24. From verse 11 begins the apologetic section of the epistle, ending at Gal 2:21. Here the Apostle proves that his gospel is not a gospel he received from human beings but received directly from Christ himself. Here he describes in detail his life after his conversion to Christianity and clearly shows that he had no teachers even among the twelve Apostles.

Galatians 1:11. I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel proclaimed by me is not a human gospel; Galatians 1:12. I did not receive it from human sources, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. Since the Judaizers cast doubt on the divine origin of the gospel that the Apostle Paul preached, the Apostle first of all declares the position that his gospel “is not a human gospel.” He did not receive it as a complete thing (παρέλαβον) and did not learn to understand it (εδιδάχθην) from anyone among people, but through a revelation received by him from Jesus Christ himself. Christ as if suddenly opened the veil that had concealed from Paul’s sight true Christianity, and the Apostle understood all its greatness. Of course, we cannot think that this happened in a single moment—at Damascus: the Apostle certainly means here all the numerous revelations that came to him, in which he learned all the mysteries of Christian faith (cf. 2 Cor 12:2)—revelations he received before writing the epistle to the Galatians. It should be noted that this does not deny the possibility that the Apostle became acquainted with historical events from the life of Christ through conversations with Christians who had been converted to Christ earlier; revelation imparts only ideas, not historical facts.

Galatians 1:13. You have heard, no doubt, of my former life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it; Galatians 1:14. I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. The Apostle’s life before his conversion to Christ clearly testifies that he could not have become imbued with Christian ideas during that time. He was a fierce persecutor of Christianity who did not want to penetrate at all into the essence of the new teaching. He was not like some of the Pharisees who took a waiting attitude toward Christianity (cf. Acts 5:34-39). He advanced in “Judaism,” that is, in the way of life that had developed in Judaism under the influence of the traditions of the elders, and was among his contemporaries (“among my people”) an immoderate zealot for carrying into practice those traditions which he had inherited from his father or from his ancestors in general (the word πατρικός is not the same as πατρῶος: it denotes traditions—in this case clearly Pharisaic traditions—preserved in a particular family more strictly than in others).

Galatians 1:15. But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased Galatians 1:16. to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood, Galatians 1:17. nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away to Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus. But could the Apostle after his conversion to Christ submit to human influence in developing his worldview? This would have happened, of course, with everyone who received Christianity at that time: the Galatians themselves knew from their own experience that without instruction from others they could not have become what they had become. In order to exclude the assumption of such external influence upon him, the Apostle notes as a very important fact that after his conversion he did not go to Jerusalem to receive instruction in the faith from the Apostles, but withdrew to Arabia, and then, without going to Jerusalem, which was at that time the center of Christianity, returned to Damascus.—“Set me apart…” see Commentary on the Bible vol. X.—“Reveal his Son to me.” Before the Apostle’s conversion darkness reigned in his soul, which prevented him from seeing in the persecuted Jesus the true Messiah and Son of God. This darkness consisted of Jewish prejudices and, especially, of Pharisaic strivings which had ruled Paul’s soul up to that point. The overcoming of these prejudices through special divine action on Paul’s soul (cf. John 6:44) is the “revelation of the Son of God” of which the Apostle speaks here. Only through it came to its full development and became effective that first self-revelation of Christ (Gal 1:12) which was directly connected with the appearance of Christ to Paul and Paul’s calling into the Church of Christ and to apostolic service. The three days of physical blindness (Acts 9:9) which followed the appearance of Christ to Paul and the calling of the Apostle can be understood as the time during which this divine action on Paul’s soul was accomplished.—“So that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles.” The purpose of such a “revelation of the Son of God” in Paul’s soul was that Paul would become a preacher of the gospel among the gentiles. And how could Paul not proclaim to the gentiles the one in whom, through special divine action on his soul, he recognized as the true Son of God? As God is the God of both Jews and gentiles (Rom 3:29), so Christ—the Son of God—must be the rightful possession of all peoples. Such was the purpose God had in this “revelation of his Son” to Paul.—“I did not confer…” The Apostle, having received from God a direct explanation of Christ, did not find it necessary to submit what he had acquired in such an extraordinary manner to the judgment of people (“flesh and blood” cf. Eph 6:12; Matt 16:17): this would have been from his side a manifestation of disrespect toward divine teaching.—“Right away.” He thought and acted this way beginning from those very days of his calling. Clearly, his enemies spread the rumor to the Galatians that at first after his conversion Paul still sought recognition from the older Christians and Apostles, tried to obtain from them certain necessary guidance, and only later unexpectedly broke off all communion with them and came forward with his “false” gospel in open contradiction to the Jerusalem church.—“Nor did I go up to Jerusalem…” Where else, if not in Jerusalem, the oldest city of Christianity, could Paul seek guidance if he had needed it? Yet he did not go there (απῆλθον—according to the better reading, that is, he did not leave Damascus in order to go to Jerusalem).—“Those who were already apostles before me” (Τ. πρό εμοῦ), that is, those called before me.—“I went away to Arabia,” that is, if he went anywhere, perhaps even more than once, from Damascus, which served three years after his conversion as a constant place of residence, it was only to Arabia—the region lying to the southeast of Damascus in the kingdom of the Nabataeans, whose ruler was King Aretas (2 Cor 11:32). Regarding his stay in Arabia the Apostle says nothing more here—he had no need to (see Commentary on the Bible vol. X). He only wants to show his independence from the influence of human authorities, and he does this by mentioning that he left Damascus only for Arabia, where, of course, he could not have met any of the twelve Apostles…

Galatians 1:18. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. Galatians 1:19. But I did not see any of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. Only three years after his conversion, when, consequently, the Apostle’s views should have taken on a completely finished form, did he go to Jerusalem in order to see or become properly acquainted (ιστορῆσαι) with the Apostle Peter. The Judaizers apparently tried to twist even this visit of Paul to Jerusalem to their own advantage… With this in view, Paul speaks of this visit to Jerusalem in a completely cool tone. Like an inquisitive traveler who seeks out the most famous cities and wants to look at all their sights, so Paul traveled to Jerusalem to become acquainted, at his leisure, with the head of the small circle of Christ’s disciples—the Apostle Peter. But Paul stayed in Jerusalem only fifteen days—a time much too short to learn everything, so to speak, from the beginning and to forget all that the Apostle had acquired during three years away from Jerusalem… With the other Apostles from the twelve, Paul did not manage to become acquainted on that occasion—probably they were not in Jerusalem. To be accurate in his account of his stay in Jerusalem—for the Apostle knew that his epistle would be read by his enemies, the Judaizers, who would certainly try to point out everything the Apostle had not fully stated—he adds that he also saw James, the Lord’s brother, the leader of the Jerusalem church (see Commentary on the Bible vol. X). In doing this the Apostle probably deliberately uses the word “saw”: he wants thereby to convey that he precisely only saw, but did not learn from the Apostle James, did not try to learn from him anything in the realm of Christian doctrine that was unknown to Paul.

Galatians 1:20. In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie. Galatians 1:21. Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, Galatians 1:22. and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; Galatians 1:23. they only heard it said, “The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.” Galatians 1:24. And they glorified God because of me. Having confirmed the truth of his statement by oath, the Apostle makes a remark about what happened in his life after the aforesaid visit to Jerusalem. He departed from Jerusalem (having spent some time in Caesarea Acts 9:30) into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. More precisely, it would be to say: to Cilicia (and namely first of all to the city of Tarsus Acts 9:30) and then to Syria, but the Apostle mentions Syria first because he is thinking of the geographical arrangement of the regions: it was Syria that directly bordered Palestine, and then, beyond Syria, came Cilicia. By mentioning these regions far from Jerusalem, the Apostle wants to say that even after visiting Jerusalem he remained far from any influence of the chief apostles. Then he emphasizes an especially important fact for him. The various Palestinian provincial Christian communities did not know the Apostle Paul personally, but heard, of course, from the Jerusalem Christians that the Apostle Paul, once a fierce persecutor of Christianity, had now become a preacher of this Christianity. It is evident that the Apostle Paul in the days of his stay in Jerusalem—namely in those fifteen days—had already come forward there as a fully independent preacher (see Rom 15:19). This report of the Jerusalem Christians about Paul’s preaching activity was, on the whole, evidently very sympathetic, and the provincial Palestinian Christians glorified God, who had made of their enemy—a zealous preacher of Christ—out of a fierce persecutor. It is clear, the Apostle seems to say, that in the time immediately following my stay in Jerusalem there was no thought of my introducing some new teaching about Christ. The attitude toward me was very sympathetic, and only recently has this attitude changed… * * * Notes Here is pronounced a condemnation of all attempts in our time to give humanity some “new” gospel. Thus, undoubtedly, under this apostolic condemnation falls also the direction that made itself heard at the Berlin Religious Congress (1910), which wanted to work out a new progressive Christianity whose fundamental teaching should be the idea of the needlessness of redemption. Such new teachers forget that true religious progress does not consist of the invention and discovery of a new gospel; only that which continually deepens our knowledge and experience in relation to the old gospel can be called such progress. A thousand years of experience confirm that this gospel alone is the power of God that saves everyone who believes in it. Some suppose that if the Apostle Paul lived in our time, when various views about Christianity exist among Christians, he would not approach the dissenters with such severity. Thus the Apostle is somewhat suspected of excessive heat and sharpness, which supposedly can be explained only by the conditions of that time… But there is no foundation for such reasoning. The Apostle spoke so sharply about those of different views because he bore a burning love for the Galatians, whom the Judaizers were leading astray from the path of salvation, and because he profoundly understood the truth of his own preaching. With such feelings he would undoubtedly in our time respond with no less sharpness about those pseudo-Christian thinkers and teachers who rob simple believers of their most precious possession—faith in Christ as the Son of God, incarnate for our salvation and who redeemed us. And those contemporary Christian pastors who are too lenient toward those of different views, whose difference of opinion undermines the very foundations of true faith, should imitate the great zeal of the Apostle of the Gentiles…

Chapter Two

The Apostle Paul is acknowledged at the Jerusalem council as acting completely correctly as a preacher of the gospel (1-10). The Apostle Paul himself rebukes the Apostle Peter in Antioch (11-21)

Gal 2:1-10. In proof that the Apostle Paul was always recognized in the Church as a true Apostle of Christ, in no way inferior to the twelve Apostles, Paul recalls what happened fourteen years after his first visit to Jerusalem (Gal 1:18). In this second visit to Jerusalem he laid before the entire Jerusalem church and especially before the Apostles his gospel, and no one found it necessary to correct him in anything about the Apostle’s understanding of the essence and task of Christianity. The Apostles extended their hands to Paul and recognized in him the primary right to preach to the gentiles.

Galatians 2:1. Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. The Apostle evidently begins counting the fourteen years from his first visit to Jerusalem, because he uses the word “again,” which brings the reader’s thought back to his first visit to Jerusalem. But which of the three following journeys, which took place after the first, does the Apostle have in mind in the present case? Such journeys had been three before he wrote the epistle to the Galatians (see Acts 11, Acts 15 and Acts 18). In recent times the view became established that the Apostle has in mind the journey mentioned in Acts 15, namely the journey to the so-called Apostolic Council. In favor of such a supposition speaks the agreement of individual moments of the account of Paul’s stay at this time in Jerusalem, as they are presented here and in the book of Acts (for details see Fr. Galakhov p. 139)…—“Taking Titus along with me.” Titus was received into the Church of Christ as an uncircumcised person, and the Apostle intentionally takes him along to the very center of Jewish Christianity in order to demonstrate in practice how he understands Christianity, to show that he teaches freedom from the law and circumcision.—The relationship in which Barnabas stood to Paul on this occasion—whether as his helper or as an equal figure—this passage does not clarify. We can only say that the expression “with (μετά) Barnabas” does not suggest that Barnabas held a prominent position in the Antioch delegation (cf. Acts 15:2).

Galatians 2:2. I went up in response to a revelation. Then I laid before them (though only to those of repute) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain. The Apostle does not want here to write a history of the Jerusalem Council, but only to say something about his personal relationship to the chief Apostles and to the Jewish Christians of Palestine. Therefore, he does not speak of the occasion and purpose of his journey to Jerusalem at this time, as he did in Gal 1:18. He says only that he set out on this occasion “in response to a revelation,”—perhaps a revelation that came to him or to one of the Christians of the Antioch church, but in any case not according to his own judgment. He did not find it necessary to go to Jerusalem, but obeyed the “revelation,” and in doing so took the opportunity before the Jerusalem church to declare the character of his preaching.—“I laid before them”—more precisely: before them, that is, before the Christians there (cf. Gal 1:23).—“Those of repute.” Privately (κατ ιδίαν) the Apostle laid his gospel before the most respected representatives of the Church (τ. δοκοῦσιν—a term that was evidently in use at that time among Jewish Christians generally and among Paul’s Judaizing opponents in particular). For Paul’s enemies tried to lower him before the most prominent representatives of Christianity and even said that these representatives disapproved of Paul’s activity. Therefore the Apostle wanted to take from his enemies any occasion to claim some supposedly negative attitude toward him from the representatives of Christianity.—“Those of repute.” According to the better reading, this expression refers to the word “repute.”—“In order to make sure I was not running, or had not run, in vain?” The Apostle by these words is not expressing any uncertainty about the truth of his preaching or even about its success. He was fully convinced of the former, and the circumstances of that time sufficiently convinced him of the latter (cf. Gal 1:22-24). It is natural, therefore, to understand the expression under consideration as an indirect question: “I thus wanted to ask them: am I not laboring in vain or have I not labored in vain? And they, of course, answered me: no, not in vain, not without success.” This is how we can convey the meaning of the expression under consideration. If the Apostle wished to receive from the chief Apostles an answer in this spirit, this shows that his enemies, who were present in Jerusalem at that time, spoke of Paul’s work differently: they apparently represented his work as having no success and as downright insignificant.

Galatians 2:3. But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. The slanderous talk of Paul’s enemies about the insignificance of Paul’s work had no effect on the Jerusalem representatives of Christianity. They did not compel Titus, any more than other Greeks and non-Jews present in Jerusalem at that time (as the expression ουδέ Τίτος indicates) to accept circumcision, although an attempt to do so was evidently made by the Judaizers with regard to all Christian converts from the gentiles. The Apostle, that is, removed from Jerusalem with Titus uncircumcised, just as he had brought him there, and this was again proof of his correctness as a preacher of the gospel among the gentiles—correctness acknowledged by those whom only Paul valued, namely the Apostles from the twelve.

Galatians 2:4. But because of false believers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us— Galatians 2:5. we did not submit to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you. Regarding those whom the Apostle calls “false believers secretly brought in” (τούς παρεισάκτους ψευδαδέλφους; the article τούς shows that Paul has in mind a group of people known to the readers of the epistle), the Apostle evidently considers them false Christians (“false believers”—false Christians, because the word “brother” in the language of the Apostle Paul means “Christian”). These people, pretending to be Christians (cf. the expression “false apostles” in 2 Cor 11:26 or “false prophets” in Matt 7:15), entered deceptively (properly: were through carelessness admitted to the Church, as the passive participle παρείσακτοι indicates).—“Who slipped in” (οίτινες παρεισῆλθον). Here is already indicated what was done by these very “false believers.” They crept in where Paul and Barnabas were acting as legitimate leaders (“the freedom we have in Christ”—to enslave “us”). This was mainly the church of Antioch and the churches of Syria and Cilicia dependent on it (Gal 1:21 and Acts 15:1), in which the Apostle understands himself and Barnabas, as well as the other Jewish Christians of Antioch (cf. Gal 2:13). The issue here is about the “freedom” of the Jewish Christians, which they had as Christians (“in Christ”)—freedom from the obligation to observe the Law of Moses. The “false believers” argued that everyone bearing the mark of circumcision is necessarily obligated through it to observe the entire Law of Moses, even if this circumcised person already belonged to Christians. The Apostle did not give in even for the shortest time (“not for a moment”) to the demands these people made on him with regard to the uncircumcised Titus and other Christians who had come with the Apostle, whom the “false believers” wanted to force, as if they were of Jewish birth, to observe the Law of Moses.—“So that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you.” The Galatians, as Christians from the gentiles, might have become confused about the truthfulness of the gospel proclaimed to them by Paul if they had been told that the Apostle had made some concession from his program, even for a short time. The Apostle therefore made no concession on that occasion, although at other times he did make various concessions (for example, he accepted initiation as a Nazirite).—It should be noted that the Russian translation of verses 4-5 is rather far from the Greek text, even from the accepted text we use (the Slavonic is much better in this case, as it precisely reproduces the words of the Greek). The expression διά δε τ. παρεισάκτους ψευδ. cannot be translated with the dative: “false believers secretly brought in,” and then one cannot leave untranslated the pronoun οῖς standing at the beginning of verse 5. It is better to consider the period of verses 4-5 simply incomplete (anacoluthon), examples of which are not rare in the epistles of the Apostle Paul. However, some commentators, on the basis of many ancient manuscripts and translations of the epistle to the Galatians, consider the first words of verse 5 interpolations and render both verses as: “because of the false believers… we gave in for a moment out of deference (befitting us).” Thus, for example, Zahn translates it. In such a translation the Apostle’s thought becomes quite clear. He intimates that “false believers” entered the church of Antioch and created confusion in minds. It was necessary to put an end to such confusion, and the Apostle found no better way to do this than to go to Jerusalem and declare his program to the most prominent representatives of Christianity, upon whom the false believers in Antioch relied as supporters of their view on the Law of Moses. In Jerusalem, thus, the struggle between Paul and the Judaizers had to be decided and at the same time access to their influence on the churches founded by Paul would be cut off. But it is clear that this journey to Jerusalem was for Paul a certain concession—he himself did not find it necessary at all to explain his gospel before the chief Apostles—though a concession and a temporary one (“not for a moment”)… Of course, the acceptance of such an interpretation is conditioned upon agreement with the position of Zahn that reading verse 5 without οῖς ουδέ is completely consistent with ancient readings. But the fact is that this cannot be said, and he himself points out that the Sinai and Vatican texts have these two words. They are also found in many other texts, so that Zahn’s claim that the reading he proposes is the most authenticated is not consistent with reality.

Galatians 2:6. And from those who were supposed to be acknowledged leaders (what they actually were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those leaders contributed nothing to me. Paul’s enemies could have said: “Yet Paul found it necessary to shore up his authority with the authority of the chief Apostles—which means he acknowledges himself as dependent on them.” In view of the possibility of such distortions of his journey to Jerusalem the Apostle in a series of fragmentary statements expresses the idea that the respected representatives of the Jerusalem church, however highly they may stand in the opinion of the believers, are in no way superior to him in position as Apostles and preachers of the gospel (ποτε, translated in Russian as “whenever,” is properly a particle standing in close connection with the word οποῖοί, “whatever”).—“God shows no partiality,” that is, toward the external position of a person. Consequently, even if the chief Apostles enjoyed greater authority among Jewish Christians than Paul, this does not yet prove that Paul actually stood below them before God. But, moreover, these chief Apostles turned out to be not at all in opposition to Paul’s gospel: they found no need to add anything to his preaching.—However, Zahn, following the Blessed Theodoret and other ancient commentators, sees a different meaning here. He draws attention to the verb προσανέθεντο, translated in Russian imprecisely as “impose more, add.” This verb, according to him, can only have the meaning of parallel expressions ανεθέμην (Gal 2:2) and προσανεθέμην (Gal 1:16), that is, “to lay before for consideration, to consult about something.” From this the meaning of the verse becomes: “By calling other Apostles reputed, I do not at all want to make use of their word as particularly authoritative and beneficial for me personally. The Judaizers are guilty of such seeking, not I. As God does not pay attention to external position, that is, the external standing of a person, but only to his inner qualities, so must a person act, so do I act. Moreover, I am not called to judge the worth of the chief Apostles (perhaps Paul’s enemies suggested to him that the chief Apostles view the Law of Moses differently than he does.—Chrysostom and others): after all, I laid before them, not they before me, my gospel for examination. Whoever examines someone’s matter can certainly pay attention to the external circumstances of the person who petitions for examination of his matter. But I, Paul, was not at all in the position of judging the Apostles and therefore did not pay and do not pay attention to the external honor with which they are held and were held among Christians.”—Such an interpretation appears quite plausible.

Galatians 2:7. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised Galatians 2:8. (for he who worked through Peter making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me in sending me to the Gentiles); Galatians 2:9. and when James and Cephas and John, who were acknowledged pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Galatians 2:10. They asked only that we should remember the poor, which is actually what I was eager to do. So Paul did not express any judgment about the activities and views of the chief Apostles regarding the work of preaching the gospel. On the contrary, it was they themselves who had to examine the manner of Paul’s action, and they did indeed examine it (Zahn’s interpretation). There they saw that the Apostle Paul had truly received from Christ the authority to preach among the uncircumcised, just as Peter was entrusted to bear the gospel (ευαγγέλιον, translated in Russian not precisely as “gospel”—the word ευαγγέλιον means not the very process of preaching, but the message proclaimed by Christ or the teaching about the salvation of all people, cf. Gal 1:7) chiefly to the circumcised. The chief Apostles based their conclusion on the consideration that Paul could not have done the miracles (cf. 2 Cor 12:12; Acts 15:12) among the gentiles without a special commission from God and Christ, just as the Apostle Peter did.—From among these prominent representatives of Christianity Paul especially mentions “James” (by which, of course, one should understand the mentioned in Gal 1:19 verse brother of the Lord—otherwise the Apostle would precisely have determined which James he meant here), “Cephas” (so Paul calls Peter, evidently because the Judaizers constantly named him so) and “John,” because these three were regarded as “pillars” or representatives of the Church in Palestine. These “pillars,” learning of the “grace” (χάριν), that is, the successes of Paul’s activity (his recognition of blessed calling was already mentioned above—in verse 7), extended to him and Barnabas, as preachers of the gospel among the gentiles, the right hand of fellowship and in this way solemnly confirmed (the matter probably took place in a solemn assembly of Jerusalem Christians) the right of Paul and Barnabas to appear everywhere as missionaries among the gentiles. They took as their principal task the spreading of the gospel among the Jews. Thus a division of the sphere of activity between the Apostles was accomplished, but of course only in a geographical sense, since the Apostle Paul himself was not deprived of the right to work among the Jews and the other Apostles did not refuse to come forward with a word of instruction among Christians from the gentiles. But in order that with this division of spheres the sense of unity among the Apostles and the churches guided by them would be preserved, the Apostles asked Paul to help from the resources of the wealthier churches that had formed from converted gentiles the more needy members of the Jerusalem church. The Apostle says that he made an effort to fulfill this condition, and speaks only of himself, not of Barnabas, since Barnabas separated from Paul soon after this journey to Jerusalem (Acts 15:39). Gal 2:11-21. So the independence of the Apostle was openly recognized in the very center of Jewish Christianity—in Jerusalem. The goal that the Apostle Paul and Barnabas had in setting out to Jerusalem was fully achieved, and the enemies of Christian freedom were put to shame; the authority of Paul as a true Apostle of Christ stood high. But that was not all. There was an occasion when Paul himself came forward as an exhorter with regard to the Apostle Peter; this was when Peter, together with some Christians from the Jews, being in Antioch and at first eating food together with Christians from the gentiles, then, by the arrival in Antioch of “some from James,” stopped this communion, fearing the circumcised. Paul then explained openly before all the impropriety of such conduct and was heard by Peter without any objections from him.

Galatians 2:11. But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. It is unknown when this incident occurred—before the council or after it. It is probable only that it was before the council, first, because hardly would the Apostle Peter, after that division of spheres of activity between Paul and the other Apostles that took place at the council, have decided soon after to bring confusion by his unexpected appearance in Antioch, which at that time was almost a permanent place of residence for the Apostle Paul. Second, hardly would the Apostle Peter after those principled discussions in which he took a very active part (Gal 2:1-10 and Acts 15:7-14) have held to such a wavering tactic regarding the question of communion with Christians from the gentiles, as he held in Antioch. Probably he came to Antioch before the council, as to a church that stood in close relation to the Jerusalem church (Acts 11:18-21).—“To his face,” that is, directly and in the presence of several witnesses (κατά πρόσωπον cf. Luke 2:31; Acts 3:13).—“He stood condemned,”—that is, already, even before the Apostle Paul rebuked him, was condemned by his own actions (κατεγνωσμένος ῆν, cf. John 3:18).

Galatians 2:12. For before certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But after they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction. Galatians 2:13. And the other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. The Apostle Peter during his stay in Antioch ate without hesitation food together with Christians from the gentiles—evidently such food as was forbidden by the Law of Moses to a Jew. He was clearly acting as God himself instructed him to act (Acts 10:1-11), of course, in Jerusalem, among his fellow countrymen, living according to Jewish customs (cf. Acts 21:20-26). But when people came from James, that is, stood in very close relationship to this strict zealot for the Law of Moses, who later at the council clearly stated the idea that observance of the Mosaic laws regarding food is obligatory for Christians from the Jews (Acts 15:21 and Acts 21:20), the Apostle Peter, in order not to offend these Jerusalem guests, decided to stop for some time his communion in eating with Christians from the gentiles. He was even afraid of these “circumcised ones,” who came from James and were evidently very reactionary in their outlook and could spread rumors about the Apostle Peter as a liberal preacher.—“The other Jews,” that is, Christians from the Jews living in Antioch, followed the example of the Apostle Peter and began to “practice hypocrisy,” that is, to assume the appearance of strict observers of the Law of Moses, which they were not actually. Even Paul’s fellow worker, Barnabas, fell into this same hypocrisy.

Galatians 2:14. But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” Paul at that time was not yet a renowned Apostle of the Gentiles, but only a simple teacher of the faith in Antioch, perhaps even the last among them (see Acts 13:1). But he among all the teachers displayed the greatest strength of will, the highest courage (regarding convictions the other teachers agreed with him), namely in coming forward with open rebuke against the Apostle Peter (some ancient Fathers and teachers of the Church thought that this coming forward, as well as Peter’s act itself, were the result of prior agreement between the Apostles, but the Blessed Augustine in his correspondence with the Blessed Jerome clearly proved that no such agreement between the Apostles could have taken place and that Peter erred, while Paul came forward completely unexpectedly for Peter as his rebuker).—“Not acting consistently”—more precisely: “not walking straight, proceeding with a faltering step with regard to the truth of the gospel.”—“Before them all.” The offense caused by Peter openly—probably he brought his Jewish food to the love feast—had to be cured also publicly, before all. Paul turns to Peter as the chief cause of the confusion that occurred in Antioch.—“Live,” that is, normally conduct yourself differently than now, in the presence of outsiders, and, of course, you will conduct yourself so freely also in the future (that is why the present tense ζῆς is used).—“Compel the Gentiles.” Christians from the gentiles, seeing that the “renowned” Apostle of Christ refused to continue close communion with them, had no other choice, in fact, than to accept Jewish laws regarding food and thus say goodbye to their Christian freedom. The compulsion that Peter was exerting on Christians from the gentiles was thus moral, and the Apostle himself had no intention of exerting such pressure on these Christians. However, from his behavior these Christians could quite rightly conclude that the Apostles of Christ considered them unclean and unequal members of the Church of Christ.—That Peter could act so recklessly should not surprise us. Although he was an Apostle of Christ, he was not infallible in his actions, only in his teaching. “Like the prophets of the Old Testament, so also the Apostles, acting under the influence of the Holy Spirit, did not lose human consciousness and will… In ordinary matters the Apostles were not free from errors. Examples of such errors and not absolutely perfect behavior are found in the life of the Apostle Paul (Acts 23:3-5)… In this case the Apostle Peter appeared to be as inconstant a man as he was at his threefold denial of the Lord. There and here, at the critical moment, firmness of character forsook him, yielding to causeless fear, under the influence of which he acted in fact against his most holy convictions, did what he did not want, with which he agreed, which he preached infallibly” (Fr. Galakhov, pp. 171-172).

Galatians 2:15. We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; Galatians 2:16. yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. Some commentators (for example, Zahn) believe that from here begins a new speech by the Apostle Paul, addressed to Christians from the Jews. But the Apostle makes no slightest hint that he has finished his conversation with Peter. If verses 17 and following seem not quite fitting for Peter, we can suppose that Paul here somewhat expands his address and has in mind even the Judaizers. So, continuing his speech, the Apostle says that he himself, as well as the Apostle Peter and other Christians from the Jews, despite their advantage over the gentiles, whom the Apostle here still, from the old Jewish theocratic viewpoint, calls “sinners” (cf. Luke 18:32), are fully convinced that one can be justified only through faith in Christ, not through the works demanded by the Law of Moses (see Rom 3:20). Therefore, the Apostle adds, we and came to believe in Christ.

Galatians 2:17. But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! Galatians 2:18. For if I rebuild what I tore down, I demonstrate that I am a lawbreaker. The conduct of the Apostle Peter and other Christians from the Jews present in Antioch at that time went against this universal church conviction and even offended Christ. Indeed, if we Jews seek justification in Christ and do not find it, and feel ourselves even in the Christian state to be sinners just like the gentiles, because we supposedly do not fulfill the requirements of the Law of Moses, then it turns out that Christ brought us to such a state, that all his service to humanity was actually harmful for people—in this case for Jews—that he is a “servant of sin!” But can such a supposition be permitted? Under no circumstances. The reasoning of those who support the observance of the law even in Christianity is completely illogical. It is not Christ who appears in this case as a transgressor, but the one who rebuilds what he himself tore down, as if regretting what happened and acknowledging that he acted wrongly.

Galatians 2:19. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; Galatians 2:20. and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. In contrast to such an inconsistent manner of action of the Judaizers and in part even of the Apostle Peter himself, who temporarily inclined to their side, the Apostle Paul considers himself “dead to the law,” that is, not obliged to observe it. And he says that the “law” itself brought him to such a break with it (for details on this see the epistle to Rom 7:4). Now the Apostle “lives for God,” that is, just as before he devoted his entire life to the law, hoping through its observance to be justified, so now he lives directly for God, from whom the law only separated a person (cf. Gal 3:10). The Apostle was “crucified with Christ” (cf. Rom 6:6), and he no longer feels the old dominance of his human “I.” On the contrary, in him “Christ lives.”—Christ has become in him the sole moving and guiding force of Paul’s thoughts, feelings, and will, or the principle. But, of course, the Apostle still “lives in the flesh,” his life even after his conversion to Christ has not become in all respects a life of Christ, has not fully become like the life of Christ. However, this does not trouble the Apostle. All the same he knows that this is “life by faith in Christ as the Son of God,” who gave himself, out of love for Paul or for humanity in general, to death. From this it follows that in the future, through the help of Christ, the Apostle’s life will become fully like the life of Christ, who will continually give him strength to achieve possible perfection.

Galatians 2:21. I do not nullify the grace of God; but if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing. Yes, the Apostle does not reject the grace of God revealed in Christ—he wants to use it to the end for his own improvement. He does not want to follow those who, as if considering this grace insufficient, turn again to the fulfillment of the works of the law. For if one seeks other means of justification in the law, this means admitting the thought that Christ suffered and died in vain, that he cannot provide justification… This is the absurd conclusion to which the reasoning of those leads who consider the observance of the requirements of the Law of Moses necessary even in Christianity.—The Apostle Paul does not say what consequences his coming forward against Peter had. But from the fact that he does not cite any objection from Peter, one can conclude that Peter fully understood the impropriety of his action. There is no foundation whatever for the rationalist supposition that this collision served as a cause of a break between Peter and Paul. The very fact that Peter sided with the Apostle Paul at the Apostolic Council (Gal 2:9) speaks against such a supposition, and then against this testifies also Peter’s assessment of Paul in the second epistle of Peter (2 Pet 3:15).

Chapter Three

In proof that Christians are free from submission to the law of Moses, the Apostle appeals to the personal experience of his readers and to the example of Abraham (1–6). Believers become sons of Abraham through their faith (7–14). The temporary significance of the law of Moses in the history of God’s economy (15–29)

Gal 3:1-6. From the first verse of the third chapter through the twelfth verse of the fifth chapter is found the doctrinal-polemical section, in which the Apostle clarifies that Christians are free from submission to the law of Moses. First of all, the Apostle rebukes his readers for the inconstancy they are now displaying toward the Gospel preached to them by Paul. Namely, they who began by living through faith are now seeking justification through the fulfillment of the law of Moses, paying no attention to the fact that even the patriarch of the nation that received the law was himself justified by God through faith.

Galatians 3:1. O foolish Galatians! Who has deceived you from obeying the truth, you before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? Feeling anger toward his readers, the Apostle does not call them “brothers,” as in Gal 1:11, but simply “Galatians,” that is, inhabitants of the province in which various nations lived: Phrygians, Lycaonians, Celts, Roman colonists, and Jews. He calls them “foolish” because of their behavior toward the Gospel (cf. Gal 3:3). “Who has deceived you.” The action of the Galatians so struck the Apostle Paul that he sees in it something mysterious (“deceived” more precisely: bewitched—εβάσκανεν), some action of sorcery or dark demonic power (cf. 2 Cor 11:3 and 1 Thess 3:5). “From obeying the truth,” that is, the true teaching brought to Galatia by the Apostle Paul (these words, however, are not found in many manuscripts). “Was publicly portrayed,” that is, depicted with vivid clarity by Paul, so that he stood before the Galatians as if crucified among them (“before you,” that is, among you. This expression is not read in many manuscripts). The Apostle thus wishes to say that it is incomprehensible in the highest degree how the Galatians, having undergone such a strong impression from Paul’s preaching about the crucified Christ, and having understood the whole significance of Christ’s death, still fall away to another gospel…

Galatians 3:2. I want to learn only this from you: did you receive the Spirit through works of the law, or through the message of faith? Wishing to show the Galatians the absurdity of their course of action, the Apostle asks them only about this (τοῦτο μόνον—the most important point of the proof), from where they received “the Spirit,” which they still possess now, that is, the Holy Spirit along with all the variety of spiritual gifts (Rom 8:2-16; 1 Cor 12:13 and 1 Cor 1:7)—whether from the fact that they fulfilled works of the law, or from the fact that they heard with faith, that is, received Paul’s preaching (ακοῆς πίστεως—believing hearing). With these gifts the Galatians, of course, greatly treasured, and therefore the Apostle first of all appeals to them in order to prove the benefit of the Gospel by means of which they were obtained. Of course, the Galatians ought to have given to Paul’s question only an affirmative answer. Yes, they obtained spiritual gifts not through the law, but through the Gospel.

Galatians 3:3. Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being completed in the flesh? But since the Galatians began their life in the Spirit, it is absurd that they want to complete it in the flesh. In fact, their new Christian life has its foundation in spiritual, internal events of their life (cf. Gal 5:5; Rom 2:29; John 4:23), but the life they now live consists entirely of external actions and depends directly on material causes. Even a non-Christian, a hypocrite, and an impious person can fulfill works of the law…

Galatians 3:4. Have you suffered so many things in vain? If indeed in vain! Acts 13:50. It seems strange to the Apostle also that the Galatians can forget the sufferings they endured for the Gospel (undoubtedly the readers of the letter experienced the same as what is mentioned about sufferings of Christians in southern Galatia in Acts 13:50 and following; Acts 14:2; 2 Tim 3:11). “In vain”—more precisely: “pointlessly, without purpose.” The sufferings of the Galatians for Christ appeared pointless now that they were falling away from Christ and coming under the yoke of the law of Moses. “If indeed in vain”—more precisely: “if the matter—which I am not willing to concede—is really in such a condition” (cf. Gal 4:11: “I am fearful for you”)… The Apostle still does not wish to believe that the Galatians have seriously and finally gone down a new path. Galatians 3:5. The one who supplies you with the Spirit and works miracles among you—does he do this through works of the law, or through the message of faith? The gifts of the Holy Spirit still manifest themselves among the Galatians (this is indicated by the present tense of the participles επιχορηγῶν and ενεργῶν). God continues to send the Galatians the Holy Spirit or spiritual powers necessary for the development of the Church (cf. 1 Cor 1:4-7) and works miracles among them (cf. Matt 7:22 and following). “Through the message”—more precisely: through hearing with faith (ακοῆς πίστεως). In just this way Paul himself at that time healed the lame man in Lystra when the man heard Paul’s speech and Paul saw that the lame man had faith sufficient to be healed (Acts 14:9). The answer to the question posed is not given, but it could be only one and would consist of repeating the last words of verse 5.

Galatians 3:6. Thus Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. To the presumed answer a subordinate clause is attached, of which verse 6 consists (in Russian translated incorrectly: “thus”—in Greek χαθώς like, just as). To that which the Galatians’ own experience speaks, the Apostle joins another historical fact that testifies to the fact that salvation or justification was obtained through faith generally. In this very way Abraham himself was justified. The example of Abraham, to whom faith, not works, was counted as righteousness (Gen 15:6 according to the translation of the Seventy) was to have special influence on the readers, whom the Judaizers, without doubt, had already succeeded in convincing that by fulfilling the law they would thereby become true children of Abraham, especially through the acceptance of circumcision, which Abraham himself first received. It is true that Abraham’s faith was not the same as the faith which Paul required: it was not faith in Christ as the Son of God, Who by His death was to save the entire human race. But nonetheless Abraham believed in the future blessed times that would come with the appearing of the Messiah promised to the fathers, saw His day (John 8:56), and for this faith received justification³. Gal 3:7-14. It would have seemed that it was sufficient if the Apostle had only proved that anyone, like Abraham, can obtain justification through faith. But this seemed insufficient to the Apostle. He wanted to prove that it is precisely only those of faith who can be children of Abraham and that those who rely on works of the law cannot be.

Galatians 3:7. Understand then that those of faith are sons of Abraham. “That those of faith”—more precisely: “that it is they (οῦτοι) who believe and are the sons (of course in a spiritual sense) of Abraham.” No one else deserves such a name.

Galatians 3:8. And the Scripture, seeing beforehand that God would justify the nations by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham: “In you all the nations will be blessed.” Here the Apostle clarifies the thought of the previous verse. That is why he called believers the true sons of Abraham—because God’s Word itself, or God, preached beforehand (more precisely: “beforehand proclaimed as good news”—προευηγγελίσατο) to Abraham that in him “all the nations will be blessed,” or will receive salvation, not just the nation that would come from him. In his person all those who afterward would have the same faith in God as Abraham had would receive this promise.

Galatians 3:9. Therefore, believers are blessed with the faithful Abraham. From this, as a consequence, there follows the position that it is precisely those who believe in all countries and among all peoples who receive blessing with “faithful,” or distinguished by his faith, firm in faith, Abraham. This means that it is not the law but faith that saves people.

Galatians 3:10. But all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in everything written in the Book of the Law.” Now the Apostle proves his thought “by way of contradiction.” Scripture—he says—curses every person as soon as he does not fulfill the law in its entirety and all its precepts (Deut 27:26). It is clear that a person standing under the law could no longer count on receiving the promises. On the contrary, he felt constantly over himself the curse hanging over him like the sword of Damocles. It is true that the curse fell only on the condition that the one subject to the law would not fulfill all the precepts of the law without exception—but one who fulfilled them all received even life (Gal 3:12). But, as the Apostle shows further, there was not a single person who would satisfy this last condition.

Galatians 3:11. And that no one is justified by the law before God is evident, because “the righteous person will live by faith.” Galatians 3:12. But the law is not of faith; rather, “the one who does these things will live by them.” Galatians 3:13. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole”), Galatians 3:14. in order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the nations through Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. The Russian translation of verse 11 cannot be considered accurate, because the elliptical δῆλον (understood: εστίν) although sometimes it relates to the preceding thought, nowhere appears behind the particle ότι or ως governing this preceding proposition. Here this is all the more impossible in that after δῆλον there is yet another particle ότι, which must already necessarily be placed in dependence on δῆλον. Furthermore, if we accept that the second half of verse 11 presents proof of the thought contained in the first half, then this acceptance will be unfounded, because in the second half the discourse is about “life,” not about “justification”—these two moments do not coincide with one another. It will be more natural if we consider the second half of verse 11 and verse 12 as parenthetical propositions and, having isolated them, compose such a period from verses 11 and 13: “but since” (ότι δέ—in Russian: “that”) within the bounds of the law no one will be justified before God, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. The introducing propositions should then be begun with the particle δῆλον having here the meaning: “it is evident, it is self-evident,” and the following particle ότι should be translated in Russian as “that” (not “because,” as in the Russian text). The Apostle wishes to say: “for you it is now evident from what was said above (Gal 2:16 and following) that the righteous person will live because of his faith, not because he will fulfill works of the law (the Apostle speaks here in the words of the prophet Habakkuk Hab 2:4, to which he probably in conversations with the Galatians had repeatedly referred).” Now if the Judaizers insist that along with faith, which of course they could not deny as a condition of justification, the law still be observed, then the Apostle argues against such a joining of such heterogeneous elements: “the law is not of faith,” that is, cannot have faith as its guiding life principle. It primarily requires the fulfillment of its precepts so that a person may obtain life (Lev 18:5). In this way the Apostle has proved the correctness of the position set forth at the beginning of verse 11. Now it became perfectly clear and the conclusion which the Apostle draws in verse 13. Christ redeemed us, Jews, from the curse by which the law punished us, as its subjects, for non-fulfillment of its precepts. To do this He Himself suffered, took upon Himself the curse from God as the highest Judge of people. In doing this the Apostle appeals to the provision of the law of Moses in which there is an allusion to the meaning of the nailing of Christ to the cross (Deut 21:23). Among the Jews it was customary to hang certain especially serious criminals, after stoning them, on a tree as a warning to others. But by the onset of evening such criminals had to be removed from the tree so that the land of the Lord would not be defiled (cf. Josh 10:26; 2 Sam 4:12). If the Lord hung on the cross already dead, then in the consciousness of the Jews He appeared as “cursed,” rejected by the community of Israel and by God. But if Christ by His death redeemed the Jews from the curse, then He also had in mind that the nations too would receive the blessing of Abraham. How could this happen? Very simply. The redemption of Israel from the curse was at the same time a liberation from further subjection to the law of Moses, for “to be under the law” (Gal 4:4 and following) meant the same as “to be under a curse” (Gal 3:10). Only religion freed from the bounds of the law could become the religion of the whole world, because the law precisely isolated Israel and its religion from other peoples. Now, when the requirements of the law have been fulfilled by Christ, the law no longer holds Israel and the promises given to it in Abraham in its chains, and they can become the inheritance of all humanity. Now is fulfilled in particular also that cherished dream of all Christians from the nations to have the promised Holy Spirit with His gifts (Gal 3:2-5). In this reception of the gifts of the Holy Spirit we all—the Apostle understands here Christians of both Jewish and pagan origin—we all and receive those promises which were given to Abraham. For to the nations one cannot in the literal sense apply those promises which were given to Abraham (about numerous descendants, about the land of Canaan). Thus, in the final expression of verse 14 the Apostle gives a clear answer to the question posed by him in Gal 3:2: in what way did the Galatians receive the Spirit—through the fulfillment of works of the law or through faith? Obviously through faith, because the law itself from the time of Christ’s death on the cross ceased to have significance as a guiding principle of human life. Gal 3:15-29. Having thus established in the consciousness of the Galatians the thought that they became children of Abraham and achieved possession of Abraham’s blessings precisely through faith and not through the law, the Apostle now finds it necessary to show that the condition under which God promised Abraham to bless all his descendants, that is, faith, was not annulled with the making of the covenant at the time of Moses (the Apostle indeed needed to clarify this, because the Judaizers could say that with the appearance of the law of Moses the conditions for receiving God’s blessings changed). The law, having come many years after the promise, could not change it. But in that case why was it given? It had temporary significance as an educator of the Hebrew nation, preparing this nation for the acceptance of Christ. At the present time, when the law has already accomplished its task, it must leave its pupil. Now, in Christ, we have come out of the condition of being educated and have become sons of God, who no longer need such an educator as the law of Moses.

Galatians 3:15. Brothers! I speak in human terms: no one can set aside or add to a covenant that has been ratified by a man. “Brothers.” The Apostle’s anger has already subsided, and he again addresses his readers with an affectionate word: “brothers.” “In human terms,” that is, as is proper for an ordinary person to reason, not standing from the point of view of Scripture. “Covenant”—διαθήκη. The Apostle has in mind not God’s covenant with Abraham, but an ordinary “testament” of a dying father of a household. Such a testament, once it was properly drawn up, no one else, except the testator himself, had the right to set aside or in any way change through any additions.

Galatians 3:16. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. He does not say “and to offsprings,” as of many, but “to your offspring,” which is Christ. Now the Apostle is presented with the thought that the promise given by God to Abraham can be compared with an ordinary human testament (since he said that he speaks “in human terms,” he does not hesitate at this comparison of testators, one of whom is a dying person and the other is the eternal God…). But he does not develop this thought because he wishes to clarify rather to whom exactly the goods were bequeathed about which God spoke to Abraham. These goods were promised to Abraham and his offspring (καί τῶ σπέρματι σου). But the Apostle immediately, to avoid any confusion, asserts that of Abraham’s various descendants—from Hagar, from Sarah, from Keturah—one offspring was chosen as the heir of the promises—that which came from Sarah, namely Isaac, while other descendants were not deemed worthy of receiving these promises. Scripture speaks of this with clarity (Gen 17:18-21; cf. Gen 21:9-13), and the Apostle Paul himself in his letter to the Romans (Rom 9:7). To such an assertion the Apostle here now joins a new one: “and this heir is Christ.” This assertion does not stand in direct connection with what precedes as its conclusion, but occupies a completely independent position; it is better rendered thus: “and it (this offspring, in the name of which the divine testament was accomplished) is Christ.” Did the Apostle have grounds to understand the Hebrew word zera (σπέρμα—offspring) in the sense of “a separate descendant, a particular person”? Yes, we answer, he had such grounds, first, in the example of Old Testament writers, who sometimes use the word zera in precisely this sense (Gen 4:25; 1 Sam 1:11; cf. 2 Sam 7:12-15), and second, and this is the main point, he had such grounds in the very nature of the matter of which he speaks. In fact, concerning the content of the divine testament thus far only has been said that “in Abraham all the nations will be blessed” (Gen 18:18). If someone asked how this testament was to come to fulfillment, one could not indeed answer: “the Jewish nation proceeding from Abraham through Isaac in its entirety and multitude inherited this promise or blessing and transmitted it to other nations.” This was not what actually happened. One could answer the question posed above only thus: “Christ, son of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Matt 1:1 and following), is the unique heir, Who makes His own fellow heirs all others who were to receive a share in the goods promised to Abraham. They all become heirs in Christ (Gal 3:14).” Christ in this way God made heir in His testament. And this thought was expressed repeatedly in the Old Testament. For example, in the prophet Isaiah, Palestine is called not a Hebrew nation but the land of Emmanuel (Isa 8:8). This means that according to the prophet’s representation, Emmanuel, or the Messiah, was universally recognized as that offspring of Abraham which was to receive this land in its possession. And in the Apostle Paul himself in the letter to the Hebrews, the Messiah is called heir of all (Heb 1:2), so that according to his teaching we cannot become heirs of God in any other way except through the Messiah, Who makes us participants in the inheritance given to Him from God.

Galatians 3:17. I mean this: the covenant that was established in Christ before was confirmed by God, the law, which came four hundred thirty years afterward, does not annul so as to make the promise void. Thus the testament was as if drawn up in the name of Christ. No one could therefore take His place. In exactly the same way, the law, with its appearance among the people of Israel, changed nothing in the position of affairs and could not introduce new additions to God’s testament received by Abraham. And this is all the more certain in that the law appeared only four hundred thirty years after the giving of the promise to Abraham: as something that came later, it could not annul that which had already existed and been recognized by everyone for four hundred thirty years. “Covenant in Christ”—in the best manuscripts (Sinai, Vatican, and others) the words “in Christ” are not found. “Four hundred thirty years.” This number is apparently taken from the book of Exodus (Exod 12:40 and following). In the book of Genesis (Gen 15:13) and in the book of Acts (Acts 7:6) instead of it stands the round figure of 400. It is most likely that the Apostle counts here the time from the making of God’s covenant with Abraham (Gen 17) to the legislation at Sinai, and moreover according to the text of the Seventy, where it is said that the Hebrews dwelt four hundred thirty years in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan. In the Hebrew text the stay of Israel in the land of Egypt alone amounts to this sum of years. “So as to make the promise void.” Of course this was not desired by Paul’s enemies either. But the Apostle nonetheless points to the consequence to which their relationship to the law of Moses must necessarily lead, and at the same time gives an indication to his readers how dangerous it is to insist on the necessity of fulfilling the law in Christianity as well.

Galatians 3:18. For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise; but God gave it to Abraham through a promise. But the law could not and exist alongside the promise as some auxiliary means. One or the other of the two: either law or promise. For the law, as has been proved above (Gal 3:10-12), demands works from a person, while promise demands faith in God’s grace. Meanwhile, properly speaking, there is no choice to make here: God gave Abraham the inheritance precisely through a promise, without requiring the fulfillment of works of the law. “Inheritance” (κληρονομία)—in the Old Testament meant the land of Canaan (Deut 4:21), and in the New Testament—the kingdom of Christ (Acts 20:32; 1 Cor 6:9), eternal life with Christ (Titus 3:7).

Galatians 3:19. Why then was the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made; and it was delivered through angels by an intermediary. Romans 5:20. Now if the Apostle thus resolved the question about the relationship of the law to human salvation, his readers could ask: “then why was the law given?” The Apostle, as if anticipating this question, raises it himself and gives an answer. The law was “added afterward” (προσετέθη—this verb shows that the law had no independent significance in relation to the promise and in no way affected it—cf. Rom. 5:20) and given “because of transgressions.” The Greek expression παραβάσεων χάριν can indeed mean: “because of or on account of transgressions,” as can be confirmed by some passages in the New Testament (for example Luke 7:47; 1 John 3:12). But here this expression can hardly have such a meaning, first, because the Apostle used such a word—παράβασις, which can relate only to the violation of already existing precepts of the law, but he here refers to the time before the law (cf. Rom 4:15—“where there is no law, there is also no transgression”—ουδέ παράβασις); and second, if here only the occasion for the giving of the law were indicated, this would be insufficient as an answer to the question posed: “why then the law?” The occasion is not the same as the purpose, and the question is posed precisely concerning the purpose of the law. Furthermore, in that case one would need to suppose that before the law there were very many transgressions and sins, which contradicts Paul’s known understanding of the pre-law condition of humanity (Rom 7:9) and furthermore contradicts his view of the law as a means not at all achieving a reduction of transgressions (Rom 3:20 and others). Therefore it is better to accept another translation (of Fr. Galakhov and Tsane): “for transgressions,” that is, so that transgressions would appear or so that simple offenses would be revealed as true transgressions against God. In this sense the expression χάριν is sometimes used in the New Testament (Titus 1:5; Jude 1:16). “All the merit of the law thus expressed itself in the fact that with its appearance the sins of man received a definite character of transgressions” (Fr. Galakhov). “Until the offspring should come.” The law thus had only temporary purpose; it was to exist only until the coming of Christ (cf. Gal 3:16). It is clear that it cannot be placed on the same level as the eternal promise. “Delivered through angels, by an intermediary.” These two indications are made again by the Apostle with the purpose of showing how much lower the law is than the promise. The promise was given directly by God Himself to Abraham without any intermediary, while the law was given through angels (cf. Acts 7:53; Heb 1:1 and Deut 33:2—according to the Seventy). Besides, on the part of the nation there was yet another intermediary—Moses (Exod 20:19; Deut 5:19-25 and Acts 7:38). Thus, in the giving of the law between God and the people stood two intermediary authorities and, consequently, the law is lower than the promise given, so to speak, hand to hand.

Galatians 3:20. But an intermediary is not of one, but God is one. There are more than three hundred interpretations of this most difficult verse to understand, which can all be divided into three groups. Some say that the Apostle proves here the superiority of the promise over the law by the fact that the concept of mediation requires the recognition not of one but of two sides, whereas God characteristically appears as “one” side—deciding everything without any mediators… Others, seeing the same purpose in this verse, see in the giving of the law through an intermediary a contradiction to divine unity in the fact that at Sinai there was present a great multitude of people or, as others interpret, many angels, whereas it is characteristic of God to enter into a covenant with someone as the One. Still others quite arbitrarily explain the word ενός as the neuter gender. Finally, according to ancient patristic interpretation, here the Apostle points to the One intermediary—Christ (see details in Fr. Galakhov, pp. 224–232). But the thought of the passage seems quite clear. The Apostle says that an intermediary in general “for one” (the one making the covenant) is not needed at all. “The One” will explain everything He needs to and wants to. This means if “an intermediary” appears, then he is a representative of many, of a whole mass of people interested in concluding the contract. But on which side should an intermediary have appeared in making the covenant at Sinai? Here there appeared hundreds of thousands of Hebrews on one side, and on the other—the One God (“and God is one”). It is clear that the intermediary was needed by the people, not by God, Who as the One constituting the side concluding the contract could Himself express His requirements. Therefore Moses appeared as intermediary and representative not of God but of the people of Israel. This means the law was not received directly by the people from God but through an intermediary, which of course diminishes it compared to the promise given to Abraham, which Abraham received directly from God. The Apostle apparently wishes to say that the multitude of thousands of Hebrews was not capable of communion with God directly, whereas the one Abraham easily entered into communion with the one God and understood God’s will perfectly correctly, without bringing into it any of his own additions, which cannot be said of the law, into which were accepted some customs established in the people of Israel (for example the custom of blood vengeance, the custom of slavery). The law thus had an individual, narrowly national character and could not be adopted by all peoples, as could be the case with respect to the promise.

Galatians 3:21. Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could make alive, then indeed righteousness would be from the law; Galatians 3:22. but Scripture has confined all things under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Can one after all that has been said speak of the “law of Moses being opposed,” that is, wanting and being able to replace God’s promises given to Abraham (κατά has the meaning of against)? In no case whatsoever. It could make such a claim if it could “make alive,” that is, renew a person morally (ζωοποιῆσαι—here, as in other letters of Paul—Rom 7:5 and following Rom 7:9-13; 2 Cor 3:6-9; Eph 2:1—means moral awakening, which can be compared to awakening the dead). But the Apostle has already shown (Gal 2:16) that the law is not capable of this. And if this is so, then it is clear that even in the Old Testament righteousness was acquired not because of the law and that, consequently, the law cannot compete with the promise and offer any path to justification and to receiving the promised inheritance as accessible as faith—which the promise required. On the contrary, “Scripture,” that is, the entire Old Testament, has confined all or enclosed as if in prison “under sin” or in other words all (πάντα), that is, both people and their deeds has declared, recognized as such that deserve to be called “sinful,” and has placed all of them as if into confinement from which there is no escape (cf. Rom 3:9-18). “So that the promise…” The Jews and Judeo-Christians to whom Scripture is most intimately given ought from the consistent testimony of this Scripture concerning the sinfulness of all people and all human deeds to learn that there was never in the history of the Hebrew nation such a time when there existed righteousness obtained from the law or through the law. From this they should come to such a conclusion that in order to receive justification all need to believe in Jesus Christ and through Him already receive the inheritance promised to Abraham and his descendants.

Galatians 3:23. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith that was going to be revealed. Now the Apostle finally transitions to explaining the positive significance of the law of Moses. The law “kept us under guard” until the time when faith was to be revealed. Although faith already had significance in the Old Testament (Gal 3:6-9; Rom 4; Heb 11), nevertheless the law, not faith, defined the entire religious life of a Hebrew, and faith became the defining principle of a person’s life and religiousness only from the time of Christ. Faith existed, so to speak, in hidden form, and through Christ it revealed itself in all its power. Remarkably, in this the Apostle calls the law the guardian of Israel. By this he wishes to show that it allowed no one to leave its hands, held all Hebrews as if locked up. Other people could escape subjection to their national law by moving to another state, but a Hebrew could nowhere feel himself free from the yoke of the law. Thus the law guarded the Hebrew from every step he might have wished to take independently in order to go free. The law did not allow freedom, as if leaving this to be done by the coming Christ.

Galatians 3:24. So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, so that we might be justified by faith; This verse represents the conclusion to the preceding thought. The law, according to the Apostle’s representation, can be called “guardian” or pedagogue, who led the Jews gradually so that they would receive justification through Christ by means of their faith in Him. A pedagogue was called a slave who in a Greek respectable house, as well as in a Roman one, watched over the master’s son when the boy was between 7 and 17 years old. He followed his charge’s every step, especially when the young man visited school and gymnasium, and was obliged to guard the young man from every conduct unworthy of his position. Although among the Romans the rank of this pedagogue was not highly regarded, among the Jews this term “pedagogue” had a high meaning (for example, Moses, Aaron, and Miriam in the Midrash are called “pedagogues of Israel”), and the Apostle here undoubtedly uses this term in the sense accepted among the Jews. The law educated Israel, but its activity was to continue for a certain time. It was to guard Israel from mixing with pagan nations so that the people could remain God’s chosen people.

Galatians 3:25. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. But just as a pedagogue was not intended to remain the guide of the master’s son after the boy had reached maturity, so the law also should not and did not strive to forever remain the ruler of the religious life of Israel. “We”—Jews, of whom not a few were among the Apostle’s readers of the letter.

Galatians 3:26. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus; Galatians 3:27. for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Having fulfilled its duty, the law must leave its pupil. Further subjection of the Jews to the law would be inconsistent with their new high status—“sons of God,” with their new position which the Apostle calls “being clothed with Christ.” The Apostle here, however, begins to speak not only to the Jews alone but to all members of the Galatian church, as the expression “all of you” shows. Christians are called here “sons of God” because they have Christ, the Son of God, within themselves and become like Him, accept the same image with Him (Chrysostom). “Through faith in Christ Jesus”—the translation is incorrect, because after the word πίστεως (faith) there should stand Χριστοῦ Ιησοῦ (genitive), not εν Χρ. Ι. It is more correct to consider the expression εν Χρ. Ιησ. as independent, independent from the expression εκ πίστεως, and render the entire expression thus: “through faith you became sons of God, and you remain such as long as you are in Christ.” “All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” The Apostle speaks of the meaning of baptism as something well known to his readers. The image which he uses is that of clothing with a garment, found in the Apostle in the letter to the Romans (Rom 13:14). This garment for him is Christ: all believers, as a single body, are clothed in this garment.

Galatians 3:28. There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Along with being clothed with Christ among believers as members of the church, as persons standing in relation to God, national, social, and sexual differences cease to have any significance. In the ancient pre-Christian world, philosophers sometimes made solemn thanksgiving to the gods that they created them as men and not women, as Greeks and not barbarians (the saying of Thales in Diogenes Laertius 17), and Hebrew rabbis added to this gratitude that God created them not as pagans and not as slaves… Now in Christianity, as the Galatians themselves evidently feel, there cannot be any particular distress that someone, for example, does not belong to the male gender or to the Hebrew nation: through Christ all people of every condition now have access to God. “There is neither Jew…” One must add the expression “among you,” that is, in the Church. “For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” “All”—more precisely: all together (άπαντες)—according to Tischendorf. “One,” that is, one person, as having already constituted one body (Gal 3:27). This unity is acquired through the union of each individual, by nature striving toward separation and independence, with Christ.

Galatians 3:29. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise. From the fact that believing Galatians became Christ’s (see above Gal 3:26), belong to Christ (Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 3:23), there immediately (άρα) follows that they represent the descendants of Abraham and heirs of the promises given to him. Of course, the Apostle speaks here of the Galatians as part of the Church, composed of Jews and pagans, but nonetheless a part is within its bounds that which represents what the Christian Church in general is. In them is fully realized the divine promise to Abraham: the first and only rightful heir—Christ—is with the Galatians, accepted by them through faith. United with Him through faith, through baptism having become with Him one body, the Galatians constitute one unified person, one community united in Christ, in which—in idea—are erased all distinctions separating people and all opposites of nationality, state, and gender. The condition of the community as it was at the time of legislation at Sinai (cf. Gal 3:19 and following) has essentially changed. With this it is already said that the promise that through Abraham and his descendants salvation would be transmitted to the pagans has come to fulfillment, for the Galatians—in the majority pagans—like Christians from the Jews, have received the Spirit, as the beginning and pledge of all blessings from God (Gal 3:2-5) and together with the former have entered into possession of the promised inheritance (Gal 3:28). But of course one cannot suppose that a son who is recognized as capable of entering into paternal inheritance would still remain under the limiting supervision of a pedagogue. In exactly the same way it is inadmissible that—in the present state of the life of the Galatian community as the Apostle described it in Gal 3:2-5—those grown from subjection to the law, the Jewish Christians in Galatia as well as in other places, would still be subject to the law as a pedagogue and would want to subject Christians from the pagans to it. Note. In our time cosmopolitan tendencies have greatly increased toward establishing universal brotherhood in all areas of life. Thus the “peace conference” speaks about disarmament and wants through peaceful decisions to end the modern development of militarism and make all people brothers. “Religious Congresses” work on bringing various religions closer together so that gradually, through various corrections and concessions, they might form one universal world religion that would contain the best elements of now existing religions, would meet the demands of higher culture, and would suit the needs of every nation. Whether that religion will be Christian—that is still a question… Finally, contemporary “social democracy” wants that for the sake of a social ideal all national particular interests be sacrificed and that all nations constitute from themselves one society in which all members would have equal rights and obligations… But all these undertakings are destined for failure because the path they have chosen for themselves is completely false. The Apostle Paul speaks of universal brotherhood not as merely an idea but as a fact already existing before his eyes, although on a very small scale. He shows us new humanity in which national, social, and sexual differences do not constitute a dividing barrier. This new humanity is one family and all members of this family have equal rights and obligations. The principle of unity here is the same attitude of all toward God, unity of faith and the spiritual communion of love flowing from it. Christ is the head of new humanity, the forming power, the holding bond. The universal religion, consequently, already exists in Christianity. It needs only to be spread in the world. It does not destroy social distinctions but only deprives them of their warring and dividing character and even makes them institutions of reconciliation and mutual benefit. It does not strive for false equalization of both sexes but helps them reach complete revelation of their powers and realize their purpose through unconditional recognition of their religious and moral equal worth. It makes of different peoples of the earth not a shapeless mass devoid of plan but helps each individual people fully reveal its inner essence and binds them all with such a firm spiritual union that people of different lands begin to see brothers in each other. Such is the only path to achieving universal brotherhood: one must recognize that this brotherhood has already been realized in Christ, that Christianity is the world religion, and that people will then only become members of one family when they become conscious Christians. * * * For many contemporary theologians the proof brought here by the Apostle has no significance. They first of all look at Abraham not as a historical person but as a mythical image, and then say that the words of the Apostle Paul cannot be persuasive for our time, although perhaps he convinced his opponents with them. For—such are the grounds of the criticism—Abraham’s faith referred to the promise that numerous bodily descendants would come from him and, consequently, had nothing in common with the saving faith of the Apostle Paul. Then the words: “and it was counted to him as righteousness” mean only that “Abraham pleased God by this faith,” and this is altogether not the same as the justifying faith of the Apostle Paul… But it is strange, first, the assertion of contemporary critics that they understand the Old Testament better than the student of Gamaliel and at the same time the Spirit-enlightened Apostle. And then in this case what is important is not that in which Abraham believed but that he believed—the very fact of his faith, and that this faith, as firm confidence in the fulfillment of divine promises, was counted to him as righteousness… The essence of the saving faith of the Apostle Paul consists of nothing other than such confidence. Finally, there is no difference between the results of the faith of Abraham and Paul: in both cases one acquires “God’s favor,” that is, salvation or otherwise justification. Thus the cavils of contemporary criticism regarding the proof brought by the Apostle from the life of Abraham remain nothing other than completely empty, baseless cavils…

Chapter Four

The state of Jews before the coming of Christ. Falling away to the law of Moses is the same as returning to paganism (1–11). The Apostle’s personal address to the Galatians (12–20). An allegorical proof of the position that the Galatians are free from subjection to the law (21–31)

Gal 4:1-11. The Apostle has already in the preceding chapter shown that Israel was kept under the guard of the law because it needed such protection due to its spiritual immaturity. Now this position the Apostle reveals more fully and clearly, comparing Israel under the law to an underage heir who does not have the right to independently manage the property left to him by his father. But when the time appointed by the father arrives, the heir enters into actual possession of his property. So also God enslaved Israel until a time “to the elements of the world,” and then when Israel matured for the acceptance of the Messiah and the reception of Abraham’s promises, God sent the Messiah—His Son—to redeem those under the law from the curse, and the elements lost their significance. In this the Apostle also appeals to the Galatians’ own experience, who feel that they have already become in the true sense sons of God and possessors of the blessings of the messianic kingdom. Therefore they should not again return to the elements of the world that have lost their significance for humanity.

Galatians 4:1. I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of all; Galatians 4:2. but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. The Apostle said in Gal 3:29 that Christians from the nations became heirs of the promise given to Abraham. Now he wishes to clarify in what sense the Jews too were called heirs of Abraham and were such. Indeed they were called and were sons of God (Deut 32:19) even before Christ, and as such were already in possession of very significant goods which the pagans lacked (Rom 9:4; Eph 2:12). The readers could ask: have not the Jews already received those goods which are promised to Abraham and which, according to the Apostle, were intended for believing pagans? The Judaizers, of course, answered the Galatians affirmatively to this question. They said that in this way the divine sonship and possession of Abraham’s inheritance were very conveniently connected with the law of Moses and were even inseparable from it. That is why the Apostle speaks of the character of Jewish inheritance. He depicts for us a son in general who has been orphaned by the death of his father (the fact that the boy is thought of as an orphan by the Apostle is clearly indicated by the expression: “though he is owner of all.” One could not speak thus of a boy while his father was alive, according to law and in reality the one being the master “of all” the house). “As long as he is a child” (νήπιος—literally: “not speaking,” in broader meaning: “underage”). Such a son is not different in rights from an ordinary slave. He cannot himself freely dispose of his person and property, for example sell it, but is subject by law or custom (the Apostle hardly has here in mind the provisions of Roman law) to guardians (επίτροποι—among the Greeks tutores and curatores among the Romans), who in general supervised the conduct of their ward until he reached puberty, and to managers (οικονόμοι—stewards, in Latin actores, agentes), who properly managed the property of their ward. This continued until the date which the father indicated in his will (the usual legal date for this among the Romans was when the ward reached twenty-five years of age, but sometimes provincial residents made deviations from this rule).

Galatians 4:3. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world; Galatians 4:4. but when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son (the only-begotten), Who was born of a woman, who came under the law, Galatians 4:5. so that he might redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption. Here is given an explanation of the figurative speech about the heir who is an orphan. But whom does the Apostle have in mind here? Who is this “we”? It is most consistent with the course of thought and especially with the meaning of verse 5 to interpret this as referring to the Jews. They, indeed (cf. Gal 3:23-25), before the coming of Christ resembled minor sons or immature children, and as such were reckoned as slaves (Rom 8:15) and did not enjoy their rights of divine sonship. “Were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.” What does the expression τά στοιχεῖα τοῦκόσμου mean? Already from the context of the expression τά στοιχεῖα with the word τοῦ κόσμου one can confidently conclude that interpretations are unjust which understand by “elements” or letters of the alphabet, or elements and first principles of religion and religious knowledge, or so-called heavenly bodies, stars, or angels as spirits which govern the lights. It is most natural to see in these elements matter and separate material things of which the world consists and the world itself as it consists of such things. The Apostle apparently wishes to say that the law of Moses binds religion or at least all its manifestations in life to matter and material things of which the world consists. Not only is the order of festivals conditioned by the course of the moon, not only is the celebration of the Sabbath from evening to evening dependent on the position of the sun: all commandments about food and purity, sacrificial laws and other prescriptions about worship relate to material objects, to definite places, times, bodily states and so forth. All of this were “regulations concerning the flesh” (Heb 9:10). From this religious life acquired a character of constraint, which was felt all the more strongly the more the Jews placed significance in the law and the more they wanted to strengthen the specific character of the theocratic community and religion through precise and punctilious fulfillment of the letter of the law. In the end, pious people felt themselves extremely burdened, oppressed—of course if in their souls lived a sense of true spiritual freedom. However, the Apostle speaks of this not of the law itself, which he placed, as divinely revealed, on its proper elevation (see Rom 7:12), but of the character which this law received in the life of the Jews. He does not blame along with this the Jews themselves because they did not rise to understanding the idea of the law: according to his representation everything was as it was supposed to happen. God, as the father of the nation, subjected it during its immaturity to the guidance of guardians—the immaturity of the nation and is the only cause of such position which did not correspond to its ideal worth as a son of God. “But when the fullness of time had come,” that is, the full measure (πλήρωμα) of time—the time of the boy’s growth into a mature man. God predetermined for this a certain amount of time so that, after the completion of the time He appointed, His son could be freed from subjection to those previously governing him. “God sent.” The Greek word εξαπέστειλεν denotes the sending of someone from the place in which the sender abides (cf. Luke 20:10 and following; Luke 24:49). From this it is necessary to draw the conclusion that before his sending the one sent was in the place of the sender. It is clear that the Apostle wishes by this to designate the true divine sonship of Christ, quite distinct from that divine sonship which the Jews possessed and now possess—Christians. In other words, the eternal existence of Christ as the Son of God is presented here. “Who was born of a woman”—more correctly: who came forth from (εκ) a “woman.” This expression represents a determination of Christ’s other nature—the human. By mentioning only the mother of Christ, the Apostle apparently, like all the evangelists, wishes to say that there was no father in Christ’s conception. “Came under the law”—more precisely: who came to be under the law (γενομενον υπό νυμον). As the son of a woman from the Hebrew race, Christ naturally came under the yoke of the law of Moses. Remarkably, in the Apostle Christ is called the Son of God both in the state of His incarnation and in the state of His subjection to the law (the aorist γενόμενος denotes the state coinciding with that denoted by the verb εξαπέστειλεν: He was born of a woman precisely “as the Son of God,” He came under the law “as the Son of God”).—

Galatians 3:13. “So that he might redeem those under the law,” that is, Jews—cf. Gal. 3:13, 4:3. “So that we might receive adoption”—this is an explanation of the preceding expression. The Apostle understands by “adoption” not a juridical act, not only a manifestation of God’s will (as adoption typically occurs—adoptio among people) but an actual impact on a person’s life, namely a certain physical process of rebirth (cf. Gal 4:6 and Rom 8:14 and following, where the dwelling of Christ’s Spirit in the hearts of believers is presented as an undoubted sign of the divine adoption of believers). That the Jews already in part had this divine sonship—this does not prevent Paul from calling their new position in Christ divine adoption, for in fact Old Testament divine sonship was more nominal and ideal than actual. The Apostle uses here the expression “we” rather than “you,” as above, because he intends to move toward a description of the state of the Galatians who in their majority came from pagan races. Galatians 4:6. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” Galatians 4:7. Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Jesus Christ. The Apostle points to the Galatians’ own experience, which tells them that they too have come into a son’s relationship to God. “And because you are sons”—more precisely: “and that you are sons” (ότι δέ εστέ υιοί). The Apostle wishes to say that the main thing is divine sonship. That the Galatians already have this sonship is evident from the fact that God has sent into the hearts of the Galatians the “Spirit of His Son,” that is, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Lord Jesus Christ promised to send to His Apostles (John 14:16), Who therefore is thought of as belonging to Him. The Apostle here has in mind both the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of the first Christian Pentecost (Acts 2) and the subsequent bestowing of the Spirit on believers each individually (1 Cor 2:12; Acts 10:47). “Crying.” The Holy Spirit cries out to God through a person, but the very mood in which a person calls out to God is created by the Holy Spirit, which is why the Spirit Himself cries out according to the Apostle. Abba is an Aramaic word denoting father, derived from Hebrew “av.” The Apostle uses it as something which Hebrew and Syrian Christians used in their prayers. “Father”—ο πατήρ is the Greek designation for father. Thus did Christians from the nations address God: Greeks or Hellenized, such as the Galatians were in their majority. “Therefore you”—the Apostle addresses Christians from the nations, whom the Judaizers until now still regarded as having incorrectly appropriated the title of sons of God. According to the Apostle they became such by the will of God Himself, not by usurping this title. But could they in their former pre-Christian state be called slaves? Since they were not “sons,” which is undoubted, then apparently they were “slaves”: in the Apostle’s case there is only a dilemma—either slave or son.

Galatians 4:8. But at that time, not knowing God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods. The Apostle wishes to clarify to the Galatians that they before their conversion to Christianity were just as much slaves to their gods as the Jews were slaves to their law. “You”—says the Apostle—“were enslaved” or more precisely: were slaves (εδουλεύσατε) “to your gods which by their nature are not gods at all.” They did what they should never have done (cf. Rom 1:18 and following). Their position moreover was much worse than that of the Jews because the Jews, although slavishly, served the true God, while the Galatians slavishly served gods who are not gods by nature but—one could complete—unclean demonic powers, as the Apostle spoke of in other places (cf. 1 Cor 8:5).

Galatians 4:9. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and impoverished elementary principles and want to be enslaved to them again? But still, in those far-off times their service to non-gods was in part excused by the fact that they did not know the true God. But now, when they have come to know the true God or rather have been known by Him (γνωσθέντες υπό θεοῦ—known and loved by God cf. 2 Tim 2:19), it is shameful for them to return to enslaved service to the elements. The word “elements” although it does not have here the addition “of the world” means the same as the expression Gal 4:3. The Apostle of course could not put on the same level the Mosaic cult and pagan worship of idols, but he apparently found something in common between one and the other—namely the striving of both cults to subject those seeking communion with the Divinity to a multitude of legal prescriptions of a purely external character, of a purely material nature. It suffices to recall for example that the smallest blemish in a sacrificial animal made the entire sacrifice unfit, despite the disposition which perhaps the offerer had. God is high above such externality and those who in truth serve Him (John 4:20-24). These elements are “weak” because they cannot bring a person into actual communion with God, and “impoverished”—in comparison with the wealth which God granted people in Christ (2 Cor 8:9). “And want to be enslaved to them again.” The Galatians by beginning to serve the elements were falling again to that low level on which they stood while in paganism: they were again becoming slaves—now to Jewish “elements,” as before they had pagan “elements.”

Galatians 4:10. You observe days, months, seasons, and years. This proposition is fragmentary. The Apostle, not connecting the new thought that has presented itself to his mind with what precedes, clothes it in the form of an exclamation: “you observe days and months.” “Days”—these are first the sacred Sabbath and also perhaps the two days on which the Pharisees fasted each week (cf. Luke 18:12) and the day of the 14th of Nisan which had to be “observed” or calculated, and finally the day of the new moon (cf. Col 2:16). “Months”—this is of course first Tishrei, which began the civil year and which almost entirely consisted of festivals, and then Nisan, in which the Passover festival was celebrated. “Seasons”—these are longer festivals, such as the Feast of Booths—from the 15th to the 21st of Tishrei and the Feast of Unleavened Bread from the 14th to the 21st of Nisan. “Years”—the Sabbatical (every seventh year) and the Jubilee (every fiftieth). Of course, the Galatians did not yet have the opportunity to actually celebrate “years” because only a few months had passed since they began to observe Jewish festivals. But they could already celebrate Passover with the Jews and eat unleavened bread, which greatly troubled the Apostle.

Galatians 4:11. I fear for you, lest I have labored in vain concerning you. The Apostle fears that all such labors of his (the verb κοπιᾶν points to the weight of his labors), accomplished by him in bringing the Galatians to the true path, may prove fruitless. In fact if the Galatians become established in the thought that they can achieve righteousness before God only by fulfilling the precepts of the law of Moses, then they will lose that possession of Christian freedom which they acquired with such effort. Gal 4:12-20. The Apostle now appeals to the Galatians not with proofs but with fervent exhortation. Let them remember how they received Paul when he came to them, what bliss they felt then. How can they now look on him as their enemy? Their enemies are the Judaizers who wish for themselves only glory, thinking not at all of the harm they are causing the Galatians.

Galatians 4:12. I beg you, brothers, become like me, for I also have become like you. You have done me no wrong; The Apostle begs the Galatians to be like him in relation to the law of Moses, just as he became like them when he proclaimed the Gospel to them. At that time he completely renounced his former Jewish habits in order, according to his principle (1 Cor 9:19-22), in no way to offend those among whom he had to work (the expression “and I also have become” requires the addition: “like you”—εγενόμην). The Galatians now, in gratitude to the Apostle for his condescension to them, ought themselves to renounce the fulfillment of the precepts of the law of Moses to which they have begun to become accustomed. The Apostle hopes that the Galatians will obey him and will not wrong him, because before they had not wronged him in any way.

Galatians 4:13. And you know that it was because of a physical ailment that I first proclaimed the good news to you, Galatians 4:14. and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but welcomed me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. Moreover, not only did the Galatians do him no wrong—they received him with extraordinary kindness. This was when the Apostle first visited Galatia (Acts 16:6). He actually did not intend to remain here long but became ill (δι ασθένειαν τ. σαρκός) and was forced to stay in Galatia for some time, where he began to proclaim the Gospel (about the second visit of Paul to Galatia see Acts 18:23. The Galatians did not scorn, did not spurn the “trial” which the Apostle’s illness presented to them (instead of: “my trial” it is necessary, following more reliable texts, to read: “your trial”), but received Paul as a heavenly messenger—an angel, even as Christ Himself. About the Apostle’s illness cf. 2 Cor 12:7-9.

Galatians 4:15. How blessed you were! I testify concerning you that, if it had been possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Galatians 4:16. So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? At that time the Galatians considered themselves truly blessed, happy (τίς οῦν ῆν ο μακαρισμός υμῶν) from the fact that Paul was among them. They in a feeling of rapture were ready for Paul to sacrifice the organ most dear to a person—their own eyes (cf. Ps 16:8; Matt 18:9). And so the situation of things has changed so much that Paul has become their enemy (ώστε εχθρός υμῶν γέγονα) because he speaks and continues to speak only the truth. It is evident that hostile feelings in the Galatians toward Paul were already aroused during the second residence of the Apostle in Galatia, and with such feelings the Galatians remain at the time the letter was written (cf. Gal 1:9). “The truth”—that is, the truth about the danger threatening the Galatians from the Judaizers and about the law in general.

Galatians 4:17. They make much of you, but not in a good way; they want to exclude you, so that you might be zealous for them. The Judaizers strive only to gain the favor of the Galatians but are guided by motives far from pure: they care nothing for the salvation of the Galatians but only care for their own glory. They want to “exclude” or separate the Galatians from other churches of the pagans and in particular from Paul.

Galatians 4:18. Good to be sought after with good purpose at all times and not only when I am present with you. Now the Apostle speaks of the Galatians themselves and their relation to Paul. “To be sought after with good purpose”—thus one can render the first half of the verse—“is something beautiful,” to be the object of zealous love (ζηλοῦσθαι has the meaning of passive voice. In the Bible there is no case where this verb is equivalent to ζηλοῦν). The Apostle does not decline to receive manifestations of affection from the Galatians but expresses only the thought that it is pleasant to be loved “at all times” and not only when you are before the eyes of the one who loves.

Galatians 4:19. My children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! Galatians 4:20. I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you. “My children”—more precisely: “my little children” (τεκνία μου). “I am again in the pain of childbirth” (ωδίνω), that is, again feel the pains that a woman in labor feels. The Apostle indeed suffered much in converting the Galatians to Christianity (cf. Gal 4:11). Now after their falling away to Judaism he again needs to convert them with such pains. “Until Christ is formed in you,” that is, until Christ receives an external form or external appearance in you so as to become visible in you (cf. Rom 2:20, 1 Cor 4:6). Christians represent the image of Christ, just as the unconverted are the image of Adam (1 Cor 15:49). “Change my tone”—that is, speak differently, in a different tone than before I have spoken to the Galatians, because he does not know what else to resort to in such difficulty. Gal 4:21-31. Here the Apostle again appeals to the Galatians with proof of the thought that they, as Christians, are completely free from the fulfillment of the law of Moses. The law of Moses itself, that is, the Pentateuch written by Moses, already indicated the annulment of the law. Namely, there in the book of Genesis is contained the account of Abraham’s deed with his son born from the handmaid Hagar—Ishmael. Since Isaac was born according to the promise and Ishmael was born according to the flesh, then for the good of the first Abraham, by God’s command, drove Ishmael out of his house along with his mother. The Apostle applies this history to contemporary circumstances of the Christian Church and says that Christians—children of the promise—are not in slavery under the law.

Galatians 4:21. Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? The Apostle appeals not to a certain minority of Galatians who already fulfill the law but to the entire Galatian community in which he sees sympathy for the direction which some of the Galatian Christians have already taken (you who “want” to be under the law). “Do you not listen to the law?” Both Jews and Christians became acquainted with the content of the book of the law (here by “the law” the book of the law of Moses is understood—Torah) in religious assemblies where the book of the law was read by special readers (cf. John 12:34; 2 Cor 3:14 and following).

Galatians 4:22. For it is written: Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and the other by the free woman. “For”—in the sense of: precisely. In the book of the law of Moses, namely in its first part—Genesis—it is said that Abraham had (more correctly: received έσχεν) two sons: Ishmael from Hagar (an Egyptian by birth, the handmaid of his wife (Gen 16:1)) and Isaac from his free wife Sarah.

Galatians 4:23. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh; the son of the free woman was born through the promise. It might have seemed that both sons of Abraham should occupy the same position in their father’s house. But such was not the case. On the one hand the social position of their mothers was not equal, and on the other Abraham became the father of Isaac differently than he became the father of Ishmael. In Ishmael’s birth everything occurred in the usual order of human life. Meanwhile Isaac was born only by virtue of the promise given by God to Abraham when it was no longer possible to hope for a child from Sarah and when Abraham himself had reached one hundred years of age.

Galatians 4:24. These things are to be understood as an allegory. These women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai bearing children for slavery, which is Hagar, In these events the Apostle Paul finds something prefiguring with respect to the time then, which the Church was experiencing. “Allegory.” The Greek word αλληγορεῖν (from which αλληγορούμενα—allegory) originally means: to speak differently than one thinks, that is to give one’s thought such an expression which by its literal meaning would give or contain a completely different thought. Then this verb means: to interpret, to explain a known event or saying under the assumption that it contains an allegory. All ancient translators and interpreters understood here the verb αλληγορεῖν in the first meaning. The Apostle, without the slightest hint putting into question the historicity of what is reported in the Old Testament, only points out that in Old Testament events one can recognize a foreshadowing of the future, that in them there is something which in advance outlines the plans and paths of God’s economy concerning human salvation. In this case he finds it possible to see in Abraham’s two wives a foreshadowing of two covenants. The point of contact for comparison lies in the fact that just as Hagar and Sarah were the mothers of two descendants of Abraham who occupied different places in history due to the difference in the position of their mothers and the character of their origin, so both covenants imprint on each people which owes its origin to them each its own character. One of these covenants is the covenant concluded by Moses on Mount Sinai and given to the nation of Israel. Like a mother, this covenant imprints on the children born from it its seal and precisely the seal of slavery. Therefore the handmaid Hagar is and the type of this covenant (“which is Hagar.”)

Galatians 4:25. For Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, because she with her children is in slavery; Galatians 4:26. but the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. Before speaking of the “other” covenant the Apostle considers it necessary to clarify the first part of the comparison. But here we face a choice between two readings. According to one, which the Russian and Slavic text follows, the beginning of the verse reads: “for Hagar means Mount Sinai in Arabia.” According to another the expression “Τό Αγάρ”—“Hagar” is removed and only the phrase remains: “for Mount Sinai is indeed a mountain lying in Arabia.” The first reading cannot be accepted because few ancient patristic testimonies support it: only fathers of the Antiochian school have such a reading, while in the West and in Egypt such a reading appears at a comparatively late time (not before the second half of the third century), whereas the second reading is found in Origen, in the most ancient Egyptian manuscripts, in Latin and Gothic translations, then in the Sinai and Ephraemi codices, in Epiphanius, Ambrose and others. Finally, the first reading is properly incomprehensible. Hagar is a woman and consequently the expression Τό Αγάρ can be rendered only thus: “the word Hagar.” From this we get such a thought: among Arabs (in Arabia) the word Hagar designates Mount Sinai. But this interpretation has absolutely no basis. It is true there is an Arabic word “hajjar”—rock but in Hebrew it would need to be written hajjar, not gagra (Hagar). Paul himself could hardly have made such a mistake and taken the word “hajjar” to be cognate with the word Hagar. Therefore it is better to read here: “Mount Sinai is in Arabia.” The Apostle speaks of this to characterize the place where the law was given. And this was necessary for him in order to show that this place is altogether not what was indicated as the place of rest in the promise given to Abraham. The readers themselves undoubtedly already knew that the promise given to Abraham spoke of inheriting the land of Canaan and of course understood that the giving of the law not in Palestine but in the Arabian desert in no way brought with it the fulfillment of the promise given to Abraham. There is no need therefore to strive for the fulfillment of the law which was given in such circumstances as would not at all remind of what was contained in the promise given to Abraham. It is necessary therefore to seek another covenant in which this promise came to fulfillment and such a covenant is the new, Christ’s Covenant of which the Apostle speaks further. “Corresponds to”—Συνστοιχεῖ—that is stands in one row (moves in one direction) with the present Jerusalem, that is with the center of Jewish legalism which constitutes the opposite of the future Jerusalem which will descend from heaven to earth and in which the holy Christians will dwell (cf. Rev 20:9; Phil 3:20). This heavenly Jerusalem exists now in heaven and there all those dying in Christ, the redeemed by Him, the saints proceed. But at the same time to this heavenly city, to this heavenly dwelling belong also those inhabitants of earth who have high Christian disposition. Upon them descend from heaven the powers that regenerate and strengthen them. In this sense he is called by the Apostle “mother of us all.” Meanwhile the earthly Jewish Jerusalem stands on the same level of imperfection with the mount of legislation: it also with its children—the Jews—is in slavery from which neither the law of Moses nor the covenant will free them (Gal 3:21). “She is our mother.” The Jerusalem above also gives birth to children like the earthly Jerusalem, and these children are all Christians.

Galatians 4:27. For it is written: “Rejoice, barren woman who does not give birth; break forth and shout, you who are not in labor; for the children of the desolate woman are more than those of the one who has a husband.” The thought expressed at the end of verse 26 the Apostle confirms with a quotation from the Old Testament (Isa 54:1 according to the Seventy). The prophet depicts Jerusalem in features most fitting for Sarah. It appears as barren like Sarah, abandoned by its husband but then receiving more children than the woman who had them from her husband. In the historical sense this prophecy could refer to the restoration of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile but besides that, as the Apostle interprets it, it foretold the exaltation of the true Church. The Church or the Jerusalem above before the coming of Christ was barren, had no children. But after the coming of Christ it became much more fruitful than the Jewish Jerusalem although the latter had not yet been abandoned by its husband—Jehovah. But God treated His spouse—the earthly Jerusalem—as Abraham treated Hagar, while toward the Church or the Jerusalem above He acts as Abraham did toward Sarah.

Galatians 4:28. Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of the promise. Christians as free citizens of this heavenly Jerusalem correspond to the son of the free woman Sarah who therefore can be called the mother of us all Christians.

Galatians 4:29. But just as at that time the one born according to the flesh persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so it is now as well. Galatians 4:30. But what does Scripture say? “Send out the slave woman and her son; for the son of the slave woman will not inherit along with the son of the free woman.” But just as the son of Hagar persecuted Isaac according to Jewish tradition envying his privileged position in his father’s house (cf. Gen 21:9. Some ancient translators translate this place thus: “Ishmael mocked Isaac”), so now the descendants of Hagar—the Jews (descendants of course by the similarity of position and character) persecute the descendants of Sarah—Christians. What then should Christians in Galatia do with these people hostile to them? Drive them away from themselves as God in Scripture commanded Abraham to drive away the handmaid together with her son.

Galatians 4:31. Therefore, brothers, we are not children of a slave woman but of the free woman. This verse constitutes the conclusion to everything said by the Apostle about the law and faith. We, Christians, are children not of a slave woman but of a free woman. The conclusions which follow from this position are found in the following chapter. * * * Notes Only after apostolic times did “elements” come to mean stars, especially planets (for example in Justin Dialogue XXIII). In the Apostle Paul himself in the letter to the Colossians (Col 2:20) this expression is used as a synonym for the expression κόσμος = world and the freeing from “elements” is understood as freeing from the world itself (cf. Gal 6:14). Furthermore the description of Jewish and pagan external ritualistic life which the Apostle gives in verses 3 and 9 in no way fits the narrow definition of “elements” as stars which some find here. Finally the position that the Apostle here understands the entire material world finds support in that opposition which the Apostle apparently wishes to make between the freeing of the Jews through the Son sent by God and the Spirit and their enslavement to the elements. The Spirit as such constitutes a sharp opposition to the elements with the inclusion of the lights which are thought of as bodies as well (1 Cor 15:39 and following)

Chapter Five

An appeal to preserve Christian freedom (1–12). The moral teaching section of the letter (13–26)

Gal 5:1-12. Now the Apostle urges the Galatians to use their Christian freedom; he has proven above that they have a right to it. But if they, in their inclination toward the Law of Moses, should go so far as to have themselves circumcised, then through this they will be separated from Christ and deprived of His grace. Meanwhile, righteousness is obtained only through faith, which is expressed in deeds. Therefore, the Galatians should fear lest false teachers lead them astray from the one true path that leads to righteousness. In conclusion, the Apostle once more speaks of the inadmissibility of circumcision being performed on Christians.

Galatians 5:1. So stand firm in the freedom which Christ has given us, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Christians are therefore free from the law, as children of the free Sarah. Therefore, they must stand firm in this freedom given to them by Christ, and not submit to the law, which would make them slaves again (see Gal 4:9).

Galatians 5:2. Look, I, Paul, tell you: if you are circumcised, you will have no benefit from Christ. With full awareness of his authority (“I, Paul, tell you”), the Apostle points out to his readers such a situation: if they take up circumcision (apparently they have not yet done this), then they will forfeit the benefit which they now have from Christ. They will deprive of all significance not only all the work Paul did in Galatia, but will also lose what Christ has done for them and what He has promised to do.

Galatians 5:3. I further testify to every man who is circumcised, that he is obligated to keep the whole law. On the other hand, the Galatians should also take into account that by accepting the mark of circumcision, they thereby take on the obligation to keep the “entire” law. “I further testify.” The Apostle, apparently, had already spoken about this during his stay in Galatia. This was probably during the Apostle’s second visit to Galatia, when he conveyed to the Galatians the decision of the Apostolic Council (Acts 16:4).

Galatians 5:4. You who are seeking justification by the law have been cut off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. The Apostle particularly addresses those readers who sought to find the means for justification in the law. Such people (though most of the readers held a different view), it can be said, remain without Christ and without grace.

Galatians 5:5. But we, through the Spirit, wait for and hope for righteousness from faith. In contrast to such reckless people, the Apostle points to himself and to others among the Galatians who remain in grace, and to other Christians as well. “We through the Spirit, through the power of faith, wait for what is the object of our hope” (hope—in the sense of “we await” a good thing, as in Rom 8:24; Col 1:5), which consists in righteousness. This is a better translation of this verse. The Apostle, apparently, wants to say that in contrast to those who judaize, who here on earth already thought they would obtain complete justification for keeping the law, Christians still only “hope” for this justification. The justification they have obtained here they consider far from sufficient. Only at the last judgment, thanks to their faith, will it be possible for them to obtain complete justification (see 2 Cor 5:10; Rom 14:19).

Galatians 5:6. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any power, but faith working through love. Circumcision in itself had significance, but that was in the Old Testament, before Christ (Rom 2:25). Now, for the Christian, it is useless; and if a person entered the Church circumcised, he has nothing to boast about before an uncircumcised Christian. And the uncircumcised cannot boast of his uncircumcision. For salvation only faith is needed, working through love. The Apostle adds the last expression in order to show that faith itself will not serve for the justification of a person at the last judgment if it has not shown itself in this life through corresponding good deeds (see Rom 2:7).

Galatians 5:7. You were running well: who hindered you so that you are not obeying the truth? Galatians 5:8. This persuasion does not come from the One who calls you. The Apostle’s exhortations are understandable. One only needs to correct the Russian translation of the second half of verse 7, which does not correspond to the Greek text. That is, after the words “hindered you” a question mark should be placed, and thus we get a fragmentary sentence: “who hindered you” (on your good path)? Then the next sentence—also fragmentary: “obey” (i.e., the gospel) “the truth?” The Apostle expresses astonishment at how it is possible not to obey what the Galatians themselves recognized as truth. Zahn, based on ancient Western manuscripts, considers it possible to add to this expression the words: “listen to no one, that is, do not listen to anyone about not obeying the truth.” “This persuasion…” that is, the obedience you show to the words of those who judaize comes not at all from God, who calls you. “The calling by God” of believers, which the Galatians heard already during the first preaching of the Gospel (Gal 1:6), according to the Apostle’s understanding, continues at the present time (see 1 Thess 5:24; Rom 9:11) and will continue through the preachers of the Gospel (present tense).

Galatians 5:9. A little leaven ferments all the dough. The Galatians, apparently, were inclined to minimize the danger that threatened them from the false teachers. “What is dangerous about it?” they said. “After all, there are so few false teachers among us.” The Apostle counters this by pointing out that even a small amount of leaven is added to the dough, yet this leaven raises all the dough. So too, a small number of false teachers can cause much harm to the Galatian church.

Galatians 5:10. I am confident in the Lord concerning you that you will not think otherwise; but the one troubling you will bear the judgment, whoever he may be. Nevertheless, Paul has confidence, which God strengthens in him (“in the Lord”), that the Galatians will not think otherwise than as the Apostle taught them. But since they were apparently being quite lenient toward those who judaize, the Apostle considers it necessary to say that these false teachers, without exception or distinction (“whoever he may be”), if they trouble the Galatians, will bear punishment from God (see 2 Pet 2:3; Rom 3:8).

Galatians 5:11. Now, why am I being persecuted, brothers, if I still preach circumcision? Then the offense of the cross would have been removed. What particularly arouses the Apostle’s anger is the fact that those who judaize distort historical facts, and specifically the meaning of the Apostle Paul’s actions. They themselves, of course, preach circumcision, without which, they claim, Christians from the gentiles cannot attain justification and the inheritance promised to Abraham. But besides that, they also say that the Apostle Paul himself sometimes preached the same (Instead of: “why am I being persecuted, brothers?” it is better, according to the word order in the Greek text, to translate: “But I, O brothers… if I still preach circumcision, why am I being persecuted? Thus” (or should thus be removed) “the offense of the cross of Christ”). The false teachers, apparently, were leveling against Paul the accusation that in his desire to be condescending to the customs of those among whom he had to work, he allowed himself to perform circumcision on Christians as well. They drew such a conclusion from the fact that Paul circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:3) and did not consider circumcision inconsistent with the status of a Christian (1 Cor 7:18), and also did not protest against the circumcision of the children of Jewish Christians who lived among Christians from the gentiles (Acts 21:21-24). But if this were actually so, people would stop attacking him for his preaching about the cross, that is, about the necessity of the Messiah’s death on the cross, which appeared to the Jews as extremely offensive (see 1 Cor 1:23). However, the Jews, and also, in their own way, the false teachers, continue to persecute him and in every way hinder the success of his preaching. Is it not clear from this that they are lying when they assert that even the Apostle himself would not mind recognizing the necessity of circumcision, which is so dear to them?

Galatians 5:12. O, if only those troubling you would castrate themselves! More correctly: “O, if only those troubling you would straightway castrate themselves!” (The verb is translated into Russian imprecisely as “removed”: it means precisely castration; see Deut 23:1; Justin, Apology 1:27). Since the false teachers put too much importance on the removal of the foreskin—a purely external matter—then let them, like the priests of Cybele, just cut off their male organs altogether: then they would show themselves to Christians in all their delusion and would not be dangerous as false teachers—Christians would understand them completely… Gal 5:13-26. In the moral teaching section of his letter, the Apostle first of all calls the Galatians to fulfill the great commandment of love for one’s neighbor. Then he urges them to understand that the true Christian freedom to which he has called them is not some kind of unbridled indulgence of the passions. On the contrary, a free person wages a persistent struggle against the passions. In doing so, the Apostle lists the very passions or deeds of the flesh and contrasts them with the fruits of spiritual life, which he calls his readers to live.

Galatians 5:13. You were called to freedom, brothers; only do not let your freedom become a pretext for the flesh, but serve one another through love. Galatians 5:14. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:15. But if you bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. “Only do not let your freedom become a pretext”—in Greek, a point of support (see Rom 7:11). “But serve one another through love.” Only then will freedom not lead to indulgence of the flesh, when Christians strive to do good to one another, guided by true Christian love. “For the whole law…” Although the commandment of love has been placed on the same level as the other commandments, in fact it has exceptional importance, because in fulfilling it, we at the same time fulfill all the commandments of the law (see Rom 13:8). “You bite and devour one another…” The Apostle, apparently, knew that among the Galatians partisanship had reached the degree of mutual hatred.

Galatians 5:16. I say: walk according to the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:17. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh: they oppose each other, so that you do not do what you want. In order for love to be revived in the Galatians, the Apostle advises them to “walk according to the Spirit,” that is, to be guided by the higher side of human existence; then they will not “accomplish the desires of the flesh,” that is, they will have the power to restrict them in every way, though of course a person cannot completely suppress them. “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit…” see the letter to Rom 7:15 and following.

Galatians 5:18. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. A Christian, filled with love, guided in his activity by the guidance of the Spirit rather than the flesh, does not need the guidance of external legal prescriptions: he already fulfills it in all its fullness, even as if not knowing it. “Whoever is not angry has no need to hear: Do not kill” (Chrysostom).

Galatians 5:19. The deeds of the flesh are evident; they are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecency, Galatians 5:20. idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, disputes, divisions, (offenses,) heresies, Galatians 5:21. hatred, murders, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I warn you, as I have warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. What the Apostle is speaking against—there is no need to think about this at length. Every Christian can easily decide for himself what deeds of the flesh are those against which the Apostle speaks. The first four sins are sins of the flesh in the strict sense, that is, they relate to unchaste sexual life. Then two sins stand side by side: idolatry and the use of magic means (see Rev 21:8; Deut 18:10). The five following words denote bad dispositions and incorrect relations with one’s neighbor. Where such a disposition becomes established, there—“divisions” (see Rom 16:17 and 1 Cor 11:18) and warring factions appear. Furthermore, the Apostle mentions hatred, murder, drunkenness, and carousing as phenomena most opposed to him. “Warned”—that is, spoke as about something future, something that still threatens you if you do such deeds. “The kingdom of God”—see 1 Cor 6:9 and following; Rom 6:17; 1 Thess 4:1 and following.

Galatians 5:22. But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Galatians 5:23. gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. The virtues opposite to the deeds of the flesh the Apostle regards as a single fruit of the Spirit, despite their apparent diversity. By “spirit” one can understand here the human spirit, but at the same time penetrated by the Spirit of God. “Faithfulness”—here in the sense of trustworthiness in relation to one another. “Against such things”—that is, for such people there is no law. Even the Law of Moses will not condemn such people, who possess all the virtues and perhaps only in insignificant cases do not follow the provisions that existed at a certain time and in a limited space (see Rom 8:31-34). After all, in the love with which they live, all the essential content of the law is fulfilled.

Galatians 5:24. But those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Fortunately, Christians (“who belong to Christ”) cannot be carried away by the deeds of the flesh. They have crucified it with all its passions and desires when, in baptism, they died with Christ.

Galatians 5:25. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Galatians 5:26. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. To such perfect Christians the Galatians also should belong, but in their present state they are still far from perfection. After all, they too died with Christ for the deeds of the flesh and began the life of the Spirit. And this life they should manifest in appropriate deeds. “Walk by the Spirit.” Here stands the verb meaning “walk together, alongside,” in contrast to the kind of walking which is denoted by another verb Gal 5:16 (which can mean walking alone). If one takes this into account, then one can say that the subsequent exhortations have in view not the personal spiritual state of an individual Christian, but the mutual relations of Christians and church-communal life. To verse 26 it is convenient to apply the first expression Gal 6:1—“brothers.” There is a separate address: “you, spiritual ones,” and here this word “brothers” perfectly underlines the Apostle’s call for restraint from all conceit, which completely destroys proper, brotherly relations among Christians. “Put away conceit and mutual provocation and envy, you, brothers”—thus one can convey the meaning of verse 26.

Chapter Six

On various particular manifestations of Christian love (1–10). Conclusion to the letter (11–18)

Gal 6:1-10. In the conversion of a sinner to the true path, one must act in the spirit of gentleness. One should also care for one’s neighbors in their needs and difficulties, being condescending to their failings, considering that each of us also has his own sins. The moral teaching section concludes with a new call to do good to people.

Galatians 6:1. Brothers! If someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should correct such a one in a spirit of gentleness, watching yourselves lest you too be tempted. “Is caught”—unexpectedly, suddenly for himself, through being drawn away (more precisely: “is seized”). “You who are spiritual”—that is, such Christians in whom the Holy Spirit has most revealed its power, in whom it became the guiding principle of life, while in the mass of Christians the influence of the flesh is still strong (see 1 Cor 3:1-3). These are the people whom the Apostle calls “perfect” (1 Cor 2:6; Phil 3:15), “strong” (Rom 15:1). “Lest you too be tempted,” that is, lest you fall into sin. A brother’s transgression should, therefore, serve as a warning to a “spiritual” person, reminding him of his own weakness, and this remembrance will cause him to treat the one who has sinned more gently…

Galatians 6:2. Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Not only the sin of a brother, but every heaviness (“burden”) that is felt by our brothers should also be felt by us as if oppressing us ourselves. Therefore, we should help a brother bear his burden, which should be understood as everything that weighs a person down, with which he cannot cope himself—both spiritual and material hardships. This broad understanding of the word “burdens” is prompted by the conclusion of the verse: “you will fulfill the law of Christ” or the commandment of Christ about love, in which actually consists the essence of the law of Christ (see Matt 22:37 and following, John 13:34). The Apostle already sees from the Galatians the fulfilling of the law of Christ, but this fulfilling is still incomplete. It will be perfect only with time (to fulfill perfectly, in contrast to simply fulfill). In the Galatians, therefore, one cannot yet assert perfect fulfillment, but only simple fulfillment. This perfect fulfillment of the law of Christ is possible only when the Galatians always help brothers bear their “burdens.”

Galatians 6:3. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. The Apostle summoned Christians to bear the burdens “of one another.” By these last words he gave to understand that each has burdens, hardships, awareness of his own failings and these very failings. But there are people who think too highly of themselves (this is indicated by the expression “thinks he is something”; see 1 Cor 3:18 and especially 1 Cor 8:2). Such a person, inasmuch as he is actually nothing, only deceives himself, becomes completely confused in his thinking, and is already unable to treat the burdened brother properly or to serve him.

Galatians 6:4. Let each one test his own work, and then he will have reason to boast only regarding himself and not regarding his neighbor. Instead of indulging in his supposed virtues, a Christian should rather examine his own conduct (“his own work” or doing). “Then he will have reason to boast…” The translation is imprecise. More precisely: “then he will have reason to boast only regarding himself and not regarding his neighbor.” The Apostle’s thought is this. We often boast about ourselves only because we see the blameworthy deeds of others. But to evaluate ourselves from such a perspective is incorrect. One must test oneself, learn all one’s own strengths and abilities, and think about whether we have used these abilities as we should. Then it will turn out that we have nothing to boast about, that we should rather ask God for forgiveness for having neglected his gifts.

Galatians 6:5. For each person will bear his own burden. Here is the basis or motivation for self-examination. One must pay serious attention to one’s conduct, because each of us will bear the results of his earthly deeds in the other life, before the throne of the Eternal Judge (see Rev 14:13; 2 Cor 5:10, Matt 5:25 and following). In this, the Apostle uses a different word for the concept of “burden” than the one he used in Gal 6:2. There the word means every kind of heaviness, from wherever it comes and however long one must bear it. Here, however, a different word is used, which means a weight that someone loads on himself or allows to be placed on him in order to carry it to a definite destination. The deeds which a person has performed here, in earthly life, are such a weight which he himself, and not others, must bear throughout his life and beyond its boundaries (for example, for a dissolute life a person often pays with illness, which no one can share with him)…

Galatians 6:6. Anyone who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches. Even at that time there were among Christians special teachers of faith for people who were not well-informed in it (see Acts 13:1; 1 Cor 12:26; Eph 4:11). The one who receives instruction in the word is obligated to reward the teacher with all good things (“all good things”), that is, earthly gifts, material blessings (see 1 Cor 9:11; Rom 15:27. Teaching of the Twelve Apostles 13:2; 15 and following).

Galatians 6:7. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. What a person sows, that he will also reap. The false teachers apparently raised many objections to this position of the Apostle and mocked it. Instead of speaking about themselves, the Apostle speaks about God, that God cannot be mocked, as the false teachers were doing, mocking really Paul. Thus the Apostle wants to say that the order existing in the Church is the will of God Himself. God also takes care that a person always reaps what he sows; here on earth, from given seed comes the same seed.

Galatians 6:8. For the one sowing into his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one sowing into the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Now the Apostle speaks not about what is sown, but about the soil into which the seeds are scattered. The variety of the soil determines the variety of the harvest obtained. Whoever scatters seeds “into the flesh,” that is, cares for the flesh, will from this soil receive only corruption. On the other hand, whoever sows “into the Spirit,” on the soil of the Spirit, will receive from the Spirit eternal life, so that the general rule given at the end of Gal 6:7 proves applicable here too. The Apostle wants to say that whoever uses his property only for improving his own well-being (Rom 13:14), whoever passes indifferently by the needs of brothers in need, will receive nothing except what that soil can give from which he uses his property, that is, nothing except corruption (see Col 2:22; 2 Pet 1:4). The one who, on the contrary, uses his earthly goods for the benefit of society, and specifically for spiritual benefit, then—of course, not from money, but from the Spirit, in whose service he has devoted himself—will receive eternal life (see Matt 6:19-24).

Galatians 6:9. Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. “Let us not grow weary”—more precisely: “let us not abandon it.” A person sometimes finds himself growing tired under the burden of the duty of doing good to his neighbors which he has taken upon himself. But he should rather shake off such a feeling of fatigue.

Galatians 6:10. So then, as long as we have time, let us do good to all people, but especially to those of the household of faith. A Christian should be charitable to all people, but in any case first of all to those who are related to him by faith. Gal 6:11-18. In conclusion to his letter, the Apostle once more utters a bitter complaint against his opponents—those who judaize—and then declares that for him personally, the cross of Christ is the sole source of his pride in life.

Galatians 6:11. See what large letters I have written to you with my own hand. The Apostle wanted the Galatians to imagine his face as clearly as possible (see Gal 4:20 and Gal 5:2). Therefore, contrary to his custom—of using the services of scribes when writing his letters, to whom he dictated, he now took up the pen himself and wrote quite a long letter, and moreover in very large letters (“what large letters”—more precisely: “in what large script”). Why he wrote in “large script”—is unknown. Perhaps his eyesight was poor and his eyes ached, so he could not write small, or perhaps also in order to give special importance to this letter.

Galatians 6:12. Those who want to make a good appearance in the flesh compel you to be circumcised, only so that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Galatians 6:13. For even those who are circumcised do not keep the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh. Paul cannot forget that while he is away from the Galatians, they are being seduced by the false teachers; to warn his readers against them, he says here that these false teachers, who base all their value on their fleshly Jewish advantages (Rom 2:28; Eph 2:11; Phil 3:3 and following)—which have no significance for moral and religious life, whose realm is the spirit—compel the Galatians to be circumcised with the goal of freeing themselves from persecution by unbelieving Jews, for whom the cross of Christ was an offense (Gal 5:11; 1 Cor 1:23). The law itself, its internal content, has no significance for such people: they do not observe its numerous prescriptions. “Who are circumcised.” Why does the Apostle use the present tense for the false teachers? After all, they had been circumcised long ago (see Gal 5:12)? He wants to say that circumcision was for them something like a dogma, which they constantly preached: these were men of circumcision (Gal 2:12). “So that they may boast in your flesh,” that is, having circumcised you, they will refer to this as proof of their devotion to the Law of Moses. And this could be useful to them when unbelieving Jews began to reproach them for believing in Christ. These people, so to speak, wanted to insure themselves against persecution for faith in Christ by taking out a “certificate of loyalty.”

Galatians 6:14. But as for me, may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:15. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision amounts to anything, but a new creation. The Apostle does not belong to that class of people who seek the favor of the world. “As for me, may I never…” Rather: “may it not be that…” While those seek glory, trying to impose the mark of Judaism on a larger number of gentiles, the Apostle considers the cross of Christ as the sole object of his boasting, which at the same time is also his own cross: he himself has endured and suffered what Christ endured and suffered on the cross (Gal 2:19). And just as for Christ his relationship to the narrow confines of Jewish nationality ended with death on the cross, so too for Paul, who partakes in this death. Through the crucified Jesus, the world has died for Paul and Paul for the world. That the Apostle has truly died for the world is completely true, because now, at the present time, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any significance: only new “creations,” created in Christ for new, eternal life, exist (see 2 Cor 5:17).

Galatians 6:16. As for those who walk according to this rule, peace be upon them and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. Whoever holds the same way of thinking as the Apostle, to them he sends his blessing. “And upon the Israel of God,” that is, the true Israel, which can really be called the people of God. By this “Israel” it is most natural to understand Christians from among the Jews, in whom Israel continues to live as a people of God (Rom 11:1-8; Phil 3:3 compare the interpretation of Ephrem the Syrian, Ambrosiaster, who understood the expression exactly this way).

Galatians 6:17. From now on, let no one trouble me, for I bear on my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. “From now on”—more correctly: “from the rest” of Israel (those who have turned away from God) “let no one cause me trouble and burden.” The Apostle does not want the remaining, who have turned away from God, Israelites to interfere in his affairs and put obstacles in his path. “The marks of Jesus”—according to Tischendorf and other new editions: “the marks of Jesus.” By “marks” one must understand properly the signs on the body, made by some cutting instrument or red-hot iron. According to the ancient general opinion of commentators, the Apostle calls thus the scars remaining on his body from the wounds inflicted on him during persecutions by the Jews (2 Cor 11:24). He calls them “the marks of Jesus” because he imagines Christ as the God-man Jesus, undergoing beating and blows from soldiers at the trial before Pilate (Matt 27:26; John 19:1), and because he regards his own sufferings as participation in the sufferings of Jesus (Phil 3:10: Col 1:24)… “If someone saw a bloodied and covered with countless wounds soldier coming out of battle, would they accuse him of cowardice and betrayal when he bears on his very body the evidence of his courage? So too,” he says, “you should judge concerning me… My wounds present evidence stronger than words and more extensive than this letter” (Chrysostom).

Galatians 6:18. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. The Apostle has said much that was unpleasant for his readers in this letter. As if covering all their transgressions with his love and wishing to show that he is not angry with them, he sends them a greeting such as he usually adds in his letters, and calls them “brothers.” * * * Some commentators find a hint to this in the letter to Gal 4:15

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Introduction

Ephesus and the founding of the church in Ephesus

Place and time of writing the epistle

Purpose of the epistle and occasion for its writing

On the authenticity of the epistle

Contents of the epistle

Literature

Ephesus and the founding of the church in Ephesus

Ephesus, lying on the river Cayster at its mouth into the Aegean Sea, was the chief city of the province of Asia (sometimes called simply Asia). The city fortress rose on a rock. The harbor lay at the mouth of the Cayster. By virtue of its favorable location, Ephesus became the most important commercial city of the province of Asia, but in moral respects its population stood at a very low level. Among the magnificent buildings of the city, the most famous was the temple of Diana or Artemis. Many Jews lived in Ephesus. After the church was founded in Ephesus, this city for a long time served as the central point of Christianity in Asia Minor. After the Apostle Paul, the Apostle John the Divine lived here, and later councils were assembled here several times. Ephesus was probably destroyed by Tamerlane in 1402. At the present time in place of this glorious city lie only ruins and rarely only nomadic shepherds stop here.

The first seeds of Christianity were sown in Ephesus by the disciples of John the Baptist, who although had far insufficient knowledge in the Christian faith, nevertheless did believe in Jesus as the Messiah. Later, for a short time, during his second apostolic journey, the Apostle Paul came to Ephesus and spoke here with the Jews about the faith, leaving the further spread of the Gospel in Ephesus to the responsibility of his friends Aquila and Priscilla, to whom the Alexandrian Jew Apollos came to help, who himself was fully instructed in the truths of faith only here by Aquila and Priscilla. The firm establishment of the Ephesian church was given only on the Apostle Paul’s third journey. On this journey the Apostle stayed in Ephesus for about three years and gathered into one church community many Jews and gentiles, worked many miracles on those suffering in soul and body, put an end to the sorcery that had crept in even among the Jews, and fortunately avoided the danger threatening him during a popular uprising which was raised against him by Demetrius, a master craftsman of golden vessels. From here the Apostle extended his beneficent influence over all Asia Minor. Upon his departure from Ephesus the Apostle appointed his disciple Timothy as bishop of the Ephesian church.

Place and time of writing the epistle

The epistle to the Ephesians was written by the Apostle in bonds (Eph 3:1). By every indication, these were the first Roman bonds of the Apostle, not Caesarean ones. Thus, various ancient manuscripts and translations of the epistle have a superscription attesting that this epistle was written from Rome. Then, the Apostle, as is evident from the epistle (Eph 1:15), prepares to give his final answer before the pagan authority, which he could not have expected while still in Caesarea, since in Caesarea it was only demanded that he be sent for trial to Rome. The bonds in which the Apostle wrote the epistle to the Ephesians were undoubtedly his first bonds in Rome, because the Apostle does not yet feel the constraint that he felt during his second bonds. Since the first bonds lasted from spring of 62 to spring of 64, the origin of the epistle should be dated to this time.

Purpose of the epistle and occasion for its writing

The epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians was recognized by the entire ancient Church as written precisely to the Ephesian church. But modern criticism denies this first of all on the ground that the words of the first verse: “in Ephesus” allegedly are not genuine and were inserted by one of the copyists of the epistle. Then they point out that the epistle as a whole has a general character, that in it there is nothing special pertaining to the Ephesian church, no greetings to individual persons. But these considerations cannot be recognized as sufficient. The words “in Ephesus” are found only in three codices, whereas all the remaining copies and translations of the epistle contain them. Moreover, the word “dwelling” or “being” with the omission of the words “in Ephesus” remains, one might say, hanging in the air. It is improbable, finally, that the Apostle, everywhere in his other epistles precisely designating in the greeting the addressees of the epistle, would here depart from this custom 1. As for the general character of the epistle, despite it one still cannot deny that our epistle makes the impression of a letter which was directed to a definite church. The general character was given to his epistle to the Ephesians by the Apostle in the calculation that this epistle would go to the other churches of Asia Minor. And greetings to individual persons we do not encounter also in the epistle to the Galatians. This absence of greetings can be explained by the fact that Paul would have had to fill whole pages with nothing but greetings, since in Ephesus he had a great multitude of acquaintances.

The external occasion for writing the epistle to the Ephesians was the sending of Tychicus to Asia Minor. The Apostle found it necessary to send the epistle with him. As for the internal reasons why the Apostle decided to address the Ephesians with an epistle, here one must exclude any polemical purpose: nowhere is it evident that the Apostle wished to refute some heretics in the epistle. Most simply one may suppose that the Apostle, feeling that his activity was drawing to a close, wished to reveal before the church he loved the greatness of Christianity, which apparently was not sufficiently clearly understood by the Ephesian Christians, and then to establish the thought about the necessity of unity, which was also insufficient among the Ephesians.

On the authenticity of the epistle

Contrary to the universal voice of antiquity, which recognizes the epistle to the Ephesians as a genuine work of the Apostle Paul, modern criticism denies this authenticity. First, critics point out that the theology in this epistle differs from the theology of other, undoubtedly genuine works of the Apostle Paul, and second, that this epistle is very similar to the epistle to the Colossians, so that it seems to be simply an expansion of the latter. As for the first consideration, it has no solid foundation, because critics could not in fact find anything contradictory in the theology of this epistle with the theology of other Pauline epistles. It is only certain that here the doctrine concerning the person of the Lord Jesus Christ is set forth more fully and precisely, but this was required by the circumstances of the time. If the epistle to the Ephesians in some places is similar to the epistle to the Colossians, this does not speak against its authenticity (see on this in the introduction to the epistle to the Colossians). Finally, they point also to the special style of the epistle, but this indication also has no particular significance, because “this epistle from beginning to end bears the character of a positive exposition of Christian faith and moral teaching and polemic nowhere comes forward directly; the usual opponents of the holy Apostle are absent—the Judaizers, and therefore there are no ‘questions,’ no ‘answers’ to enemies perverting the Gospel” (Prof. Bogdashevsky p. 199). By this the epistle to the Ephesians differs from the epistles to the Romans, Corinthians, and Galatians. Thus, the objections against the authenticity of the epistle all have no solid foundation.

Contents of the epistle

The epistle to the Ephesians can conveniently be divided into two parts: dogmatic (Eph 1-3) and moral-instructive (Eph 4-6). In the first part the Apostle unfolds the greatness of Christianity in general (namely in the first chapter), and then the same idea he develops in application to the readers of the epistle (Eph 2) and, finally, speaks of this greatness from the point of view of his own personal experience (Eph 3). In the moral-instructive part of the epistle also at first instructions of a general character are set forth, pertaining to every member of the Church without distinction (Eph 4:1-5:21), and then follow instructions to members of the Christian family (Eph 5:22-6:9). The epistle ends with certain exhortations, announcements, and the apostolic blessing (Eph 6:10-24).

Literature

In patristic literature, commentaries on the epistle to the Ephesians are known, belonging to St. John Chrysostom, Blessed Theodoret, Blessed Jerome, St. John of Damascus, Theophylact and others. From Russian works the most outstanding are: Smirnov S. E. archpriest. Philological remarks on the language of the New Testament in comparison with the classical in reading the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians (doctoral dissertation). M. 1873. - Theophan bishop. Commentary on the epistle of the holy Apostle Paul to the Ephesians. M. 1882. - Bogdashevsky D. professor. The epistle of the holy Apostle Paul to the Ephesians. Isagogical-exegetical investigation. Kiev. 1904. - From more recent foreign works one can name: Meyer’s. Epistles from captivity. 1897 (in the revision of Haupt). - Paul Ewald’s, Epistles of Paul to the Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon (ed. Zahn) 1910 and Dibelius. Epistles of the Apostle Paul to the Colossians, Ephesians and Philemon. 1912. All three of these commentaries are in German.

* * *

To what was said one can add that in other epistles of the Apostle Paul to the expression “those dwelling” or “being,” there is always added a designation of the place where the readers of the epistle “dwelt,” “existed.” Cf. Rom 1:7; 2 Cor 1:1; Phil 1:1. If St. Basil the Great reports the existence of copies of the epistle without the addition “in Ephesus,” then from his words one can see that these were copies which did not have wide distribution. The saint himself recognized this expression as genuine. Finally, it should not trouble us that the expression “in Ephesus” is applied in the text only to the word “holy” and as if separates two notions closely bound together - “holy” and “faithful”: the first predicate, as designating Christians in general, needs in precise definition of the place of residence of these Christians to whom the Apostle addresses himself. The second predicate - “faithful in Christ Jesus,” as designating not their external position as members (“holy”) of a known church, but their inner Christian state, does not need designation of the place of residence of these “faithful”

Chapter One

Greeting (1-2). Blessing of God for many blessings granted us in Christ (3-14). The greatness of the Christian hope which believers have in Christ (15-23)

Ephesians 1:1. Paul, by the will of God an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the holy and faithful ones in Ephesus in Christ Jesus: Ephesians 1:2. grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The greeting with which here the Apostle Paul addresses the readers is similar to those greetings with which he addresses the Corinthians in the 1st and 2nd epistles. - “By the will of God” - see 1 Cor 1:1. - “An Apostle of Jesus Christ” - see 1 Pet 1:1. - “Holy and faithful ones in Christ Jesus.” Christians are called “holy” in the sense that they represent a society set apart from the sinful world. They are “faithful” to God, that is, they stand firm in faith. Both of these they owe to “Christ Jesus” (see Rom 1:1): thanks to His merits, they became holy and with the help of His grace they maintain faithfulness to the God who called them. - “Grace and peace” - see Rom 1:1 and 1 Pet 1:2. - “Our Father” - see Matt 6:9. Eph 1:3-14. Beginning the first, dogmatic, part of his epistle, the Apostle in the form of blessing God gives the readers a general picture of the greatness of Christianity. First of all he says that Christianity has an eternal foundation: we, Christians, are chosen by God before the foundation of the world in Christ Jesus for the closest communion with God. Then the Apostle points out that we are redeemed by the blood of Christ from sins, have received high wisdom from God, and in Christ have already entered into the closest union with God—we have even received the seal that we have become heirs of heavenly bliss.

Ephesians 1:3. Blessed be God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, “Blessed be God and Father…” See 2 Cor 1:3. The Apostle first of all says with Eph 1:3 through Eph 1:6 about what God did for Christians in prehistoric time, or, one might say, from eternity. He “blessed,” that is, appointed for us in Christ—Who is here thought of as having existed before His incarnation, from all eternity - “all,” that is, touching all sides of our existence, “blessings.” - “Spiritual” - that is, belonging to the higher, divine, spiritual realm of being. In the New Testament the word “spiritual” is usually used to designate the higher, divine origin of some phenomenon. - “In the heavenly places.” The very action of blessing took place in heaven (cf. v. 4: “before the foundation of the world”).

Ephesians 1:4. just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him in love, “Blessing” - this is not the first thing for which the Apostle wishes to give thanks to God. At the basis of this “blessing” lies “election” (since in the Greek stands properly: according to as, but here, as can be concluded from the context of the speech, this conjunction has the force of a causal conjunction, cf. Rom 1:28). - “In Him,” that is, in Christ. Christ, the Son of God, was even from eternity chosen by God for the accomplishment of the salvation of people, and we likewise, thanks to this, were even from eternity predestined by God to constitute a society of believers. - “Holy and blameless” - not in the sense of our moral self-improvement, but, as is evident from the context of the speech, in the general sense: we are destined to constitute a society of God’s chosen ones, who are sanctified by the blood of Christ. - “Before Him,” that is, appointed for service to God. - “In love.” Since here the speech is about in general the relation of God to us, it is better to understand here not our love, but the love of God for men. Many ancient and new commentators apply this expression to the 5th verse, which seems more probable, since otherwise this expression would be too far removed from the verb to which it alone could apply (“chose”).

Ephesians 1:5. predestining us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, “Predestining.” At the same time as election, our predestination to adoption by God in Christ was also accomplished. On “predestination” - see Rom 8:29. Here the Apostle adds that this predestination is based on the love of God for us. - “Adopt.” The concept of “adoption” was known in the Old Testament (Exod 4:22; Deut 14:1), but there this adoption was the lot of the people as a single whole, while in the New Testament it is given to each believer individually (Gal 4:7). - “According to the purpose of His will.” According to the interpretation of St. John Chrysostom, by “purpose” one should understand “a strong willing of our salvation.” At the same time, this “willing” or decision is completely free (cf. Luke 2:14). In relation to “willing” the love of God, about which the Apostle spoke at the beginning of the verse, appears to be its inner foundation.

Ephesians 1:6. to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us favored in the Beloved, “To the praise.” One cannot say that God directly made His glorification the purpose of His work in relation to men: this would contradict the motive of God’s actions mentioned earlier, which is love. Here the Apostle only points out what should naturally come about as a completely normal consequence of God’s actions. - “Glory of grace.” The expression “glory” is a definition of the word “grace.” “Grace,” that is, the attitude of God toward men, appears as glorious, magnificent, and we naturally praise it. - “By which He has made us favored.” These words are a transition to the following description of the state in which Christians already find themselves (Earlier the speech was about what God did for them in prehistoric time, or before their actual calling into the Church). God now “favored,” that is, gave us abundantly His grace (cf. John 1:16). According to the interpretation of Chrysostom and some other ancient commentators, here is also given the thought that God by His grace made us lovable or pleasant to Himself, - of course, through the fact that His Son cleansed us with His blood from all sin. - “In the Beloved.” According to the context of the speech, this expression should be understood as a designation of “the beloved by us.” Such an understanding corresponds to the concluding words of the epistle (see Eph 6:24).

Ephesians 1:7. in whom we have redemption through His blood, the remission of trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, From the eternal action of God’s grace the Apostle passes to the description of its action in the present time. - In Christ (“in whom” - refers to the expression Eph 1:5: “through Jesus Christ”) “we have redemption” (on the meaning of this word see Rom 3:24), and the fruit of this redemption, accomplished at once for all people, is “the remission of sins” of each of us individually. This “remission” cannot be understood as only a juridical act, but one must see in it the actual removal of sin from us, the cleansing of sin (cf. Matt 26:28; Luke 1:77; Rom 5:1). But both one and the other correspond (“according to the riches”) to the rich grace of God: the grace of God is this greatest power of God, granting us many spiritual powers.

Ephesians 1:8. which He has lavished upon us, in all wisdom and understanding, “Which He has lavished upon us.” Grace or, as the Apostle Peter expresses it, divine power (2 Pet 1:3) has been given to us in the form of “all kinds of wisdom and understanding.” By “wisdom” one should understand the ability to penetrate with the mind into the very essence and worth of things, and by “understanding” the ability to relate correctly to things, a certain moral tact.

Ephesians 1:9. making known to us the mystery of His will according to His purpose, which He has set forth in Him, New evidence of God’s love for men. God revealed to us what was His own secret—the secret of His will, that which was secretly decided by Him concerning the world. He revealed this secret according to His purpose toward men, which He formed toward them in Christ. From this we can conclude that God now relates to us as to His sincere friends, because secrets are shared only by those who stand in friendly relations with one another.

Ephesians 1:10. for the administration of the fullness of the times, to gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. In what did this secret consist? “For the administration of the fullness of the times,” that is, when the time appointed by God came, when all the periods which were to precede the coming of Christ had passed (the stewardship or divine dispensation of the salvation of men came to completion), God decided to bring everything existing back to the original normal state in which the world was before the fall (“to gather together… under the head—Christ” - properly: to unite, to bring scattered parts to unity, but here, in relation to the work of Christ, this word can mean to restore to the primitive state). This bringing to normal state is the consequence of the redemption accomplished by Christ and, having begun with the founding of Christ’s Church on earth, will continue throughout the entire period of humanity’s existence on earth. Without doubt, this action does not extend to the demonic powers, which are not redeemed: they are not capable of restoration (the concept of complete “restoration” in general is foreign to the New Testament).

Ephesians 1:11. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, Ephesians 1:12. that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. Yet another mercy we have received from God in Christ: we “became heirs,” that is, acquired the right to enter into the glorious kingdom of God and to possess the blessings of this kingdom. We were predestined to receive this high right by the free good will of God. - “That we should be to the praise…” So great is this right of heirs that we should continually glorify the God who granted us this right. - “Who first trusted in Christ.” The Apostle speaks here of all Christians in general and calls them “those who previously trusted” or, more precisely, “those who previously hoped” because he has in mind the circumstance that the full fulfillment of Christian hopes will come only in the future, when we shall be granted the full inheritance (Prof. Bogdashevsky). The participle in the past tense standing here designates not a past fact, but one continuing its existence.

Ephesians 1:13. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; and after you believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, Here the Apostle addresses those Christians who will read his epistle. - “In Him,” that is, in Christ the readers of the epistle “are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,” after hearing the “word of truth” or “good news” of their salvation, they believed in this good news (“after you believed in Him,” that is, in Christ—the translation is incorrect, because everywhere in Chapter 2 one thought is joined to another, the preceding one, by means of the pronoun who, and here it stands: in whom). The very “sealing,” as is evident from the context of the speech, is an act not only internal but also observable outwardly, by men outside (cf. 1 Cor 9:2). Here the Apostle undoubtedly understands the sending of the grace of the Holy Spirit upon believers on the feast of the first Christian Pentecost (Acts 2) and the subsequent outpouring of spiritual gifts upon those entering the Church. God by these gifts marked Christians as holy men, chosen.

Ephesians 1:14. who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. “Who is the guarantee of our inheritance.” The Holy Spirit, which Christians received, was only a testimony that they would in time receive all those blessings which Christ promised them (“our inheritance”), that is, heavenly glory 2. - “Until the redemption of the purchased possession.” Here the Apostle has in mind, as can be concluded from the context of the speech, the future redemption or liberation of the “possession” of God or the society of believers 3. For as long as we, Christians, live on earth, we do not yet constitute exclusively the possession of God. But in time, thanks to the powers of grace of the Holy Spirit granted to us, we should free ourselves from the power of earthly circumstances, and then God will be fully glorified. However, this “liberation” will be accomplished not at once, but gradually. Eph 1:15-23. The Apostle knows that the Ephesians have faith and love. Now he asks the Lord to give them also an understanding of the great significance of Christian hope. Let them, with the help of the wisdom and understanding sent to them by God, understand both the very essence of this hope and its foundation and, finally, the way in which it is realized. And in order that this hope itself be more firm in the Ephesians, the Apostle points out what has already been done by God in relation to Christ: what has been accomplished in this regard is so great that Christians can be assured that God will accomplish for them also the comparatively small thing which is the object of their hope.

Ephesians 1:15. Therefore I also, having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love toward all the saints, “Therefore,” that is, in view of the granting to Christians of manifold blessings (see Eph 1:3 and ff.). - “I also” - like you, that is, sharing in your joy and thanksgiving for the above-mentioned benefactions. - “After I heard” - presumably from Christians who came to him from Ephesus. - “For all the saints” - for all Christians.

Ephesians 1:16. I give thanks to God for you without ceasing, making mention of you in my prayers, Ephesians 1:17. that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, The Apostle gives thanks continually to God that the Ephesians have become partakers of divine blessings. He remembers them also in prayers, that is, prays for them, that God may give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. - “God of our Lord,” that is, God of Christ in His human nature. - “Father of glory” - to Whom belongs glory or greatness, as to no one else, from Whom this greatness proceeds (cf. 1 Cor 2:8). - “Spirit of wisdom and revelation.” The Holy Spirit already belongs to Christians (Eph 1:13) and to pray for His giving is not necessary. Therefore the expression: “that He may give…” is better translated as: “that God make the Spirit already dwelling in you a Spirit producing in you wisdom and revelation.” “Wisdom” - see Eph 1:8. - “Revelation” - of course, not revelation of something new in the religious sense, but the removal from our understanding of all veils hindering us from clearly understanding the greatness of Christianity (cf. 1 Cor 2:10). - “In the knowledge of Him” - more precisely: in the knowledge of Him. These words are better applied to the following verse.

Ephesians 1:18. the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, “And the eyes of your understanding being enlightened.” In the realm of knowledge of God (“in the knowledge of Him” - Eph 1:17) let the Ephesians possess “enlightened eyes of the heart,” that is, let them know with completely clear eyes of the soul (“heart” - the central seat and central organ of personal life Rom 10:10) know God. - “That you may know…” First of all, this enlightenment of the eyes of the soul in the realm of knowledge of God is necessary for the Ephesians to know “what is the hope of His calling,” that is, in what the object of Christian hope consists, which is based on divine calling (cf. Rom 8:24). - “What riches of the glory of His inheritance…” Here one determines in what the object of Christian hope consists: this is the “inheritance” of God, extremely magnificent, which is enjoyed and will be enjoyed by the holy ones of God (“in the saints” - more precisely: “among the saints.” “Saints” - here in the proper sense, not Christians in general).

Ephesians 1:19. and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power Finally, enlightened eyes of the heart are necessary for Christians to understand how great is the power of God manifesting itself already at the present time upon us, believers. - “According to the working of His mighty power.” These words naturally refer to the expression of the 20th verse and thus one sees here the thought that the great power of God manifests itself in relation to believers in accordance with that working of God’s mighty power by which God worked in relation to Christ (see the following verse).

Ephesians 1:20. which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, In relation to Christ God’s mighty power manifested itself in the fact that God raised Christ from the dead (see Rom 8:11) and seated Him—as the glorified man (according to His divinity the Lord Jesus Christ never left the divine throne. Chrysostom) - in the heavens on the right hand of Himself (see 1 Sam 20:25; 1 Sam 2:19; Ps 109:1).

Ephesians 1:21. far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come, No doubt, here the speech is not about earthly authorities, but about angelic orders: in the preceding verse it was already said that God seated Christ in the heavens. Of course, here are meant only the good angels, because here the Apostle speaks of the exaltation of Christ, not of His victory over the powers of hell. Some commentators (for example, Prof. Bogdashevsky) suppose that the enumeration of the orders of angels goes here in an ascending order. - “And every name that is named not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” The Apostle wishes to say that Christ is higher than all orders of angels about whose existence we know already, and any others about which we shall learn only in the future life (Blessed Theodoret). - “This age” - the time until the second coming of Christ, and “the age to come” - the future life.

Ephesians 1:22. and put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, See Ps 8:5-7. - “And gave Him to be head over all things to the church.” It is more correct to translate from the Greek thus: “and Him He gave, as head over all, to the church.” Only, of course, in this case it is necessary to add that Christ is given to the Church not only as a gift (Rom 5:15), but also as the Head. The Church is especially exalted by the fact that it is given such a Head, which is the head of all existing. 4

Ephesians 1:23. which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. To show the special closeness of the Church to Christ, the Apostle calls it “the body of Christ.” Christ is the head, and the Church is the body. If from the head go all the nerves governing the movements of the body, then from Christ the Church receives all the powers for its life 5. - “The fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Some commentators (Chrysostom, Blessed Theophylact) understand this expression as a designation of the significance of the Church - (fullness—in an active sense), saying that the Church supplements Christ, although Christ Himself fills all. Others (for example, Prof. Bogdashevsky) understand this expression in a passive sense (“fullness” - that which is filled or is being filled. Parallel expressions to “fullness” are expressions “proclamation,” “proclamation,” also having a passive sense). The latter opinion seems more correct, because everywhere in the chapter considered the speech is about what the Church has received, not about what it itself gives. - “Who fills all in all.” According to the more widely spread interpretation, the Apostle speaks here of the fact that the Church is the fullness of Him who fills the whole world with all the objects found in the world. But such an interpretation is difficult to reconcile chiefly because with its acceptance we shall diminish the significance of the Church. Indeed, what will be special in the fact that the Church is filled by Christ, as the whole world is? It is better therefore to accept the expression (masculine gender) and see here an indication of individual persons—of the members of the Church, and under the expression “all” understand all aspects of the activity of these “all” persons. Thus, the whole expression can be conveyed as: “Filling or fulfilling all members of the Church in all aspects of their inner life.” The whole expression “the fullness of Him who fills…” most naturally, together with Bogdashevsky, should be explained thus. The Church is complete perfection in all respects. But such is her idea, and the realization of this idea is accomplished only gradually in the life of believers, through the action of Christ. Christ (by His grace-giving powers) fills all believers, from the fullness of His Church we all receive what we need to attain “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:13). * * * “Guarantee” - earnest money, as security that the whole amount of the debt will subsequently be paid “Possession” - can mean: a) obtaining; b) estate. Having in mind the use of this term in the latter sense by the Apostle Peter (1 Pet 2:9), we give it here the meaning of “the possession” of God, which is the society of believers Some commentators find it unfortunate to call Christ the head of the Church as a body. It would be better in their opinion if the Apostle had used instead of the term “head” the term “soul,” since it is the soul that moves the body. But according to biblical psychology the head itself is presented as a synonym of life, of psychic activity (Matt 5:36; Luke 21:28). We should not be troubled by the fact that the head, properly, is one of the members of the body: nevertheless, as the source of life and movement of the body, it appears as if separate from the body. Christ is the Head of the body of the Church, not being, of course, Himself a member of the body (Bogdashevsky p. 154) The definition of the Church as “the body of Christ” is very important in that it gives an idea of the character of the inner life of the Church. As an ordinary body grows, increases, so the body of Christ is built up (Eph 4:12), makes increase (Eph 4:16). As in the body each member has its own special purpose, serving the whole, so the body of the Church is constituted and joined together “at the activity in measure of each member” (Eph 4:16). As in the body there is no strife, and all members form one whole, so in the Church of Christ we are all reconciled in one body (Eph 2:16), form one body, animated by one spirit (Eph 4:4). As in the body there are its connections, its system of nourishment, so they exist also in the Church of Christ (Eph 4:16, cf. Col 2:19) (Bogdashevsky p. 151). It should be noted that the Apostle does not directly call the Church the body of Christ in his earlier epistles, but nevertheless even there are thoughts that all believers constitute the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27) In such a sense (all things in all) is found also in 1 Cor 12:6; 1 Cor 15:28; Col 3:11

Chapter Two

Continuation of the speech about the greatness of the dispensation of our salvation in Christ Jesus: the religious-moral state of Jews and gentiles before Christ and their rebirth in Christ (1-10). Comparison of the state of gentiles with the state of Jews. Reconciliation of all with God in Christ and the consequences of this reconciliation (11-22)

Eph 2:1-10. So far, in the first chapter, the Apostle depicted the greatness of Christianity in general, but now, in particular, he speaks of what Christianity did for the readers of the epistle. Previously they were people spiritually dead because of their sins, but now in Christ they have been made alive by God and can live, doing good works.

Ephesians 2:1. And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, Ephesians 2:2. in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the will of the prince who has power in the air, the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience, First of all the Apostle speaks of the state of the gentiles, because most of the Ephesian Christians, apparently, were formerly gentiles. These gentiles were “dead” - of course in a moral sense. Although many pagan peoples, and especially the Greeks, prided themselves on their achievements in culture, rejoiced that they lived happily, nevertheless their life was not at all true life, not that which alone deserves the name “life.” They all were sinners and committed all kinds of sins (“transgression” and “sin” are synonyms). - “According to the course of this world.” “This world” - this world is imperfect, wicked (Gal 1:4), with which the Apostle does not advise Christians to be friends (Rom 12:2). - “According to the prince of the power of the air.” Here, undoubtedly, Satan is understood (cf. 1 Cor 11:9-21; 2 Cor 4:4). He is called “the prince of the power of the air” (the Russian translation is here inaccurate) because the powers that fall under his authority are different spirits, which here are called in a collective sense “powers” (cf. Col 1:13). These powers are called “air” in the sense that they are invisible, not perceived by sense, consequently bodiless (Prof. Bogdashevsky), although one must say that the Apostle, calling them air, apparently meant to indicate that their influence, their harmful breath, one might say, was saturated in all the air which the gentiles breathed. Thus the latter breathed poisoned air and this explains their persistence in sins. - “Spirit.” Probably here singular number instead of plural: spirits. The devil is more precisely defined as the prince of spirits, which even now still act in stubborn, people not yielding to the influence of gospel preaching (“sons of disobedience” - a Hebraism, designating people who by their nature oppose God (cf. the expression “son of perdition” in 2 Thess 2:3)).

Ephesians 2:3. among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. “Among whom,” that is, in the number of these sons of disobedience. - “We all also” - that is, we Jews. - “In the lusts of our flesh.” The Apostle here understands both bodily desires and desires of the soul, which go against the higher demands of the spirit (cf. Gal 5:17). From this one can conclude that Jews did not stand under the action of alien, demonic force, as the gentiles, and therefore, perhaps, their fault is greater than the fault of the gentiles, who in no way could free themselves from the influence of this alien force. With their own lusts Jews could struggle. - “Fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.” Jews allowed their reason (thoughts—properly: spiritual disposition) and the desires of lust or, simply, the flesh itself to form an alliance between themselves, instead of making their reason a tool for struggle against the encroachments of the flesh. As a result the flesh began with great boldness to present to man its demands. - “And were by nature children of wrath, just as the others,” that is, remained, like the gentiles, under the action of the wrath of God, fully deserved by us already by our very nature, corrupted by the hereditary sin of Adam. This expression points to the inner basis of the fact designated in the preceding expression: “fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.” - “Wrath of God,” which here is spoken of, is the zeal of holy love of God to men against their absorption in impiety.

Ephesians 2:4. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, Ephesians 2:5. even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), With the coming of Christ, for those Jews and gentiles who believed in Him, a new state came. Instead of the former deadness they began to live true life together with Christ. God made us alive with Christ, did this exclusively out of love, which is based on “mercy” or compassion for all who suffer. - “And us,” that is, even us, who were completely spiritually dead. - “By grace you have been saved,” that is, completely without any merit on our part. This remark was useful for those especially to hear who were Jews and were accustomed to base their salvation on their own good works.

Ephesians 2:6. and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, “And raised us up together.” In Christ we have already risen to new life (Rom 6:4), although bodily resurrection is still only the object of our hope. At the same time the perfect tense used here and in the following expression (“made us sit”) indicates that Christians are unshakably convinced that both their resurrection and glorification will certainly be accomplished.

Ephesians 2:7. that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Everything that has been done for us by God up to now has been done so that in time, “in the ages to come” or, otherwise, in the future life, we should receive still more - “the exceeding riches of His grace,” which has its foundation in the fact that God became merciful to us (“in His kindness”), thanks to the great work of redemption accomplished by Christ. The present blessings which Christians enjoy are only a foretaste of that bliss which they will enjoy in the future life.

Ephesians 2:8. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, Ephesians 2:9. not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:10. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Introductory thought. The Apostle here wishes to impress upon his readers, especially the Jews among them, that they have no right to ascribe to themselves any merit in the establishment of their salvation. They owe everything to the love of God. On their part only faith could be presented (cf. Rom 3:22), although even faith itself is in some sense a gift of God, since God helps us to establish it in ourselves. - “We are His workmanship,” that is, we have been remade by Him in Christ, have become a new creature (Gal 6:15). “Created in Christ Jesus for good works…” God, in remaking us in Christ, thereby predestined us to live a virtuous life, the latter is thus absolutely necessary, inevitable for a Christian. However, the expression: “that we should walk in them” shows that something is yet to be done by us ourselves in our new state, that not only God’s grace will lead us to higher glorification, but also we ourselves are obliged to care for our moral development. Eph 2:11-22. To make Christians from among the gentiles understand how great is the work accomplished for them by God (Eph 2:10), the Apostle reminds them that before accepting Christianity they were in an extremely grievous state in regard to religion and morality. Their position was incomparably worse than the position of Jews. But now they have been reconciled with God in Christ and, together with those Jews converted to Christ, constitute the one Church of Christ. At the same time the Apostle briefly depicts the character of the Church.

Ephesians 2:11. Therefore remember that you, once gentiles in the flesh—who are called “Uncircumcision” by what is called “Circumcision” made in the flesh by hands— Ephesians 2:12. that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. “Gentiles in the flesh” - that is, gentiles had even an external distinguishing mark, namely they were not circumcised. - “So called.” The Apostle by this expression does not nullify the significance of the circumcision ceremony, which was a sign of the covenant with God. He only wishes to say that the Hebrews had no right to boast excessively over the gentiles because they were not circumcised with true circumcision of the spirit (Rom 2:29). - “Without Christ,” that is, they did not have definite predictions about the coming into the world of the Savior-Messiah. - “Aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,” that is, they did not enjoy the advantages of the theocratic, well-ordered life which the Hebrews enjoyed. - “Covenants of promise.” God made several covenants with the patriarchs of the Hebrew people, giving them various promises. - “Having no hope” - in general hope for a better future, and in particular for salvation from sins. - “Without God in the world.” The gentiles, although they had many gods, did not know the true God and therefore are rightly called by the Apostle “atheists” (cf. Gal 4:8). - “In the world” - that is, in their sinful world, constituting a direct opposite to the well-ordered society of Israel.

Ephesians 2:13. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. The gentiles, who before Christ were far from God, are now brought near to Him. The reason for this change is the great sacrifice offered by Christ for all men (“by the blood of Christ” cf. Rom 3:25).

Ephesians 2:14. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, The Apostle explains how the reconciliation of the gentiles with God was accomplished. Christ is “our peace” of all of us—Christians—who by origin belong either to the Jews or to the gentiles. Christ not only externally brought us to peace, but is Himself in His person peace: thanks to Him, peace has been restored at once (cf. Isa 9:6; Mic 5:5). - “Who has made both one.” According to the interpretation of John Chrysostom, God did not attach the gentiles to Judaism to reconcile them, but rather, as it were having before him two statues—one of silver, another of tin, melted down both of them and formed from this mixture one statue, but now a golden one. Thus Jews and gentiles, turning to Christ, constitute one Church. - “Wall of separation.” Such a wall between Jews and gentiles was the Law of Moses, which Jews considered the only path to salvation, with which the gentiles did not wish to agree. Christ abolished the Law of Moses by the fact that He fulfilled Himself all its obligations, which it placed on men.

Ephesians 2:15. having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, “Having abolished…enmity…by His flesh.” It is more correct to refer the word “abolished” to the following expression: “the law of commandments.” Then the expression: “enmity” will be an apposition to the preceding expression: “wall of separation.” The Apostle more precisely defines this wall as “enmity” - first, of course, as enmity between Jews and gentiles, and then as the enmity of Jews against God, because the law in reality produced only wrath in God toward those Jews who did not fulfill this law (Rom 4:15). - “The law of commandments expressed in ordinances.” Since Christ abolished the law not by the teaching of the Gospel, but by the fact that He offered Himself in sacrifice for men, accepting upon Himself the curse assigned to it (Gal 3:13), it is evident that the Russian translation is here incorrect. Besides, the Greek word ordinances, translated in Russian as “teaching” is never used in the New Testament to designate doctrine or opinion (P. Ewald). Therefore it is more correct to translate the place under consideration as: “having abolished by His flesh the law of commandments expressed in the form of precise inviolable ordinances.” Christ precisely abolished, put an end to the Law of Moses (cf. Rom 10:4), consisting of minute precepts (“commandments”), which with all strictness, as ordinances of the highest state power (cf. Luke 2:1), defined every step of a Hebrew (cf. Col 2:14). - “By His flesh.” Christ destroyed the enmity between Jews and gentiles by the fact that He gave up to death His “flesh,” that is, His bodily life. “While Christ lived according to the flesh—says P. Ewald—He was the Son of David (Rom 1:3), sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (cf. Matt 10:5 and ff. Matt 15:24). From the moment He left His bodily life, He entered into the state of the Son of God in power (Rom 1:4), began to be proclaimed to Jews and gentiles as such, in Whom ‘righteousness without law’ is given to all without distinction.” - “That He might create…” Here is indicated the purpose of the destruction of the “wall.” Christ in Himself, as the founder of new humanity, created a new man, establishing at the same time peaceful relations between Jews and gentiles and also peace of man with God.

Ephesians 2:16. and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death the enmity. Christ not only created a new man in Himself, but also reconciled the gentiles and Jews, constituting such a single man, in His body with God. The body of Christ is here called “one” because the Apostle wished to express the thought that Jews and gentiles, formerly divided and fighting, are equally reconciled by the great Golgotha sacrifice (Prof. Bogdashevsky). - “Through the cross,” that is, by raising His body to the cross (1 Pet 2:24). - “Thus putting to death the enmity on it,” that is, on the cross. According to the opinion of P. Ewald, the word “on it” should be replaced by the expression “in Him” or “in Himself.” Christ, having offered Himself as a sacrifice on the cross, destroyed also the enmity of men with God.

Ephesians 2:17. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. So far the Apostle has spoken of what Christ did for men, but now he mentions what Christ, beginning from the very first appearance in public service, taught men: He began His preaching with the gospel of peace, which was destined for both those far and those near to God, that is, for gentiles and Jews. However, the Apostle mentions the gentiles first (“far off”) because they constituted the main contingent of the Ephesian church.

Ephesians 2:18. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Here the Apostle confirms the thought that Christ proclaimed the gospel of reconciliation of men with God, namely in that at the present time such reconciliation is already an accomplished fact. One and the same Holy Spirit brings through Christ all of us to the Father.

Ephesians 2:19. Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, Ephesians 2:20. having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, From the fact that all men are reconciled with God, it follows that gentiles now are not “strangers,” that is, do not appear in the Church as some sort of foreigners, and not “temporary dwellers,” that is, are not deprived of the rights of citizenship. They became “fellow citizens with the saints,” that is, with the chosen Hebrew people, and “of the household,” that is, close to God (domestic), as the members of one family are close to the father of this family. - “Having been built…” Here the Apostle depicts the Church under the image of a building under construction, in which all believers are presented as stones. These stones are laid on a foundation, which is represented by the Apostles and prophets (the prophets, apparently New Testament, because they are mentioned after the Apostles) 7. However, the Apostles and prophets themselves, like all Christians, are established on the chief cornerstone—Christ, Who supports the whole building of the Church (cf. Matt 21:42; 1 Pet 2:7).

Ephesians 2:21. in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, Ephesians 2:22. in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Thanks to the fact that the Church has such a reliable foundation as the chief cornerstone—Christ, “all the building” or, more correctly, all the structure goes completely successfully: in Christ everything fits together completely harmoniously, everything is given its proper place. In the end the Church, constantly growing, must become a true temple which “in the Lord,” that is in Christ, becomes “holy” (at the present time there are still sinners in the Church). By the growth of the Church one can understand both an increase in the number of members of the Church and their spiritual perfection. - “On which” - that is, on the chief cornerstone. - “You also are being built together” - more precisely: are being built together (are being jointly constructed), that is, together with many other churches the Ephesian Christians become the dwelling place of God, thanks to the action in them of the Holy Spirit. * * * Remarks Prof. Bogdashevsky, finding it more correct to see the Old Testament prophets here, refers as proof of this opinion to the fact that “the essence is not in the chronological sequence, but in the internal genetic connection of facts.” The placing of Old Testament prophets after the Apostles more strongly emphasizes the thought of the unity of God’s dwelling place, into which gentiles are called… everything has one foundation (p. 173). But we think that the Apostle was accustomed to represent Old Testament prophets earlier than the Apostles and to put them in the natural order before the latter, so that it is difficult to suppose that here he departed from this natural chronological order.

Chapter Three

The great mystery of Christ (1-6). Apostle Paul as servant of this mystery (7). In what the service of the Apostle consists and what is the purpose of this service (8-12). Exhortation to the Ephesians (13) and prayer of the Apostle for them (14-21)

Eph 3:1-6. Here the Apostle Paul continues to prove the greatness of Christianity. He is himself personally deeply convinced of this, because he is given the great mystery of Christ—the mystery consisting in the fact that in Christianity all gentiles will find salvation, that gentiles too are called to the inheritance of divine promises.

Ephesians 3:1. For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— “For this reason” - that is, in order to help gentiles obtain those blessings of which the Apostle spoke in Eph 1 and in the last verses (Eph 2:19-22) of the second chapter. - “A prisoner of Christ Jesus,” that is, I serve Christ for you or for your benefit as a slave wearing bonds or chains (this is the heaviest position in which only a slave could find himself).

Ephesians 3:2. if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God given to me for you, The Apostle reminds the readers that they have already heard of what in the purposes of the dispensation of our salvation God gave to the Apostle Paul. The Apostle here apparently alludes to his miraculous conversion to Christ, when he was commanded to go preach the Gospel of Christ to the gentiles (Acts 9:15) 8.

Ephesians 3:3. how that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I have briefly written already, Ephesians 3:4. by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, “How that” - it is more in keeping with the context here to translate the Greek particle “how” and place the whole 3rd verse in dependence on the verb of the 2nd verse “you have heard.” - “Mystery.” Under “mystery” the Apostle, apparently, understands what he says below in Eph 3:6, namely the revelation of the fact that gentiles too are to enter the Church of Christ. This mystery was indeed made known to the Apostle in a special revelation at his very calling (cf. Acts 22:21; Gal 1:15). - “Which” - more correctly: how (as). - “Briefly” - an allusion to Eph 2:11-22, where there is speech primarily about the calling of the gentiles. - “When you read…” - that is, now when my epistle is read among you in church, you will be able to verify whether I really received from Christ the authority to proclaim the Gospel to the gentiles or, rather, you will fully be able to know what I understand by “the mystery of Christ,” to which I attach such great significance.

Ephesians 3:5. which was not made known to the former generations of the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy Apostles and prophets by the Holy Spirit, To further impress upon the readers their reverence for this mystery the Apostle says that it was not made known to “former generations of the sons of men,” or, more precisely: to other (ancient) generations or ages of “sons of men” (two dative cases, of which the second constitutes an apposition or explanation to the first). The Apostle here understands by “sons of men” all people who lived before Christ, even those who stood in communion with God—the Jews. Although the prophets and predicted to the latter about the future calling of the gentiles into the kingdom of the Messiah, yet all these predictions were not so definite and clear as those revelations of this matter which in the New Testament the Apostles and prophets (New Testament) received through the Spirit of God 9. “Although the prophets spoke of the calling of the gentiles, it still remained a mystery. Why were those who were with Peter amazed (at Cornelius)? And Peter himself through revelation from the Spirit learned then that God has also accepted the gentiles” (“John of Damascus”).

Ephesians 3:6. so that the Gentiles might be fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, The content of this mystery (verse 6 depends on the verb of verse 5 “has been revealed”) consists in the fact that gentiles are to be “fellow heirs,” that is, to inherit the promise of salvation on equal terms with Jews, furthermore, “constituting one body,” that is, belonging again on equal terms with Jews to the composition of the Church, which is the body of Christ, and “partakers of the promise of God.” Gentiles attain all this through Christ, accepting with faith the gospel or the proclamation of Christ, which the Apostles of Christ proclaim to them.

Ephesians 3:7. of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the working of His power. The Apostle considers it a matter of special mercy to him from God that he has been given to serve in the proclamation of this great mystery. Eph 3:8-12. The service of the Apostle consists in proclaiming to the gentiles the greatest mystery of God about their calling into the Church of Christ, and the purpose of this, among other things, is that even the highest heavenly powers understand the great predestination of God for the salvation of all men.

Ephesians 3:8. To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, Ephesians 3:9. and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; Here the Apostle clarifies in what his service consists. He, the least of all “saints,” that is, of Christians (cf. Gal 1:13), has been granted to proclaim to the gentiles the “riches of Christ,” that is, the mystery of salvation, which even now is still “unsearchable,” that is, cannot be understood in all its greatness. The Apostle must make known to all—not only to gentiles, but also to Jews—or clarify how the “dispensation” or intention of God to save men came to realization—not only Jews, but also gentiles, an intention existing already from the ages, but unknown to men. - “Created all things through Jesus Christ.” By these words the Apostle explains why all men were to find salvation in Christ. The reason for this is that God created all, the whole world through Christ. Created, made through Christ, men must likewise be remade through Christ.

Ephesians 3:10. to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, Ephesians 3:11. according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, Ephesians 3:12. in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. “To the intent that…is made known…” This expression depends on the verb of verse 9: “to make known.” The purpose of the Apostle’s enlightening service is that “the manifold,” that is, revealed in various forms and ways, wisdom of God should appear in all its greatness for the very highest Orders of angels, who heretofore, like Old Testament men, did not know that gentiles would be called into communion with God (cf. 1 Pet 1:12). The wisdom of God is revealed to the Angels by the very existence of the Church of Christ (“through the church”), composed of Jews and gentiles. This revelation of God’s secret is accomplished for the Angels by God’s eternal predestination, which God brought to realization through Jesus Christ. The Apostle adds that as a consequence of the great merits of Christ we all now have access to God, approach Him without any fear as our Father. At this, of course, faith in Christ is necessary.

Ephesians 3:13. Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. “Therefore,” that is, in view of all the above concerning the greatness of Christianity and in particular about the great mystery of the calling of the gentiles. - “I ask that you do not lose heart…” The Ephesians should not grieve, hearing of the sufferings of the Apostle Paul in Rome, but should glory in the fact that the Apostle for their sake went to these sufferings. The latter testify to the fact that the Apostle is completely convinced of the truth of his preaching, with which he addressed himself to the gentiles. If he had not had the confidence that gentiles truly have the right and opportunity to enter the kingdom of Christ, he would not have proclaimed this to them, bringing upon himself the persecutions of his enemies.

Ephesians 3:14. For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Here is contained the prayer of the Apostle for the believing Ephesians, in which the Apostle first speaks of Whom he prays to (Eph 3:14-15), then sets forth his very request for the Ephesians, that they be strengthened in faith and perfected in Christian knowledge (Eph 3:16-20) and, finally, offers a doxology to God (Eph 3:21).

Ephesians 3:15. from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, “From whom every family…is named…” All families or otherwise generations (families) of beings both heavenly and earthly are created from God. - “To name” - in relation to God sometimes means “to create” (cf. Ps 146:4; Isa 40:26).

Ephesians 3:16. that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, “With might” - better translated: with power (God’s, of course) (dynamis). - “In the inner man” - see Rom 7:22. This is the same as the mind, but not only as a theoretical ability, but also as conscience, the moral sense of man.

Ephesians 3:17. that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, “That Christ may dwell,” that is, so that when you are strengthened inwardly, Christ should dwell in you for permanent residence (dwell). For this, however, a firm faith in Christ is required.

Ephesians 3:18. may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— Ephesians 3:19. and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. In these two verses are depicted the results of “the dwelling of Christ in your hearts.” The Russian translation in this 18th verse takes the last words of verse 17 (see verse Eph 3:17 in Greek and Slavonic text) and does this completely justifiably, because the Greek expression: “in love rooted and established” does not at all agree with the preceding: “Christ to dwell.” In the Russian translation is thus given the thought that dwelling in Christian love (“rooting” - indicates the image of a plant, deeply putting its roots into the soil, and “establishment” - indicates the image of building on a firm foundation) will give the Ephesians, along with other Christians (“saints”), the opportunity to comprehend in all its greatness and from all sides (“width and length…”) the main object of Christian knowledge, namely the infinitely exalted love of Christ, by which Christ gave Himself in sacrifice for the sins of men, and in general to become filled with all divine grace gifts (“fullness of God”).

Ephesians 3:20. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, Ephesians 3:21. to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Doxology to God is quite fitting here, since the Apostle by the third chapter ends the dogmatic part of his epistle—the depiction of the greatness of Christianity. God is here depicted as such that He can give us far more than we ask Him for. - “According to the power that works in us” - more correctly: “according to or in accordance with what His power is already doing in us, Christians.” What has been done by this power—about this one can read in the Apostle above, for example in Eph 2:1-10. - “In the church by Christ Jesus.” The first expression designates the environment in which glorification of God should be accomplished, and the second—the motive for this glorification. This motive is the work of our salvation accomplished by Christ. - “To all generations” - in subsequent generations. - “Forever and ever” - more precisely: “ages of ages or the most distant ages, going into infinity” (Prof. Bogdashevsky). This is a definition of the expression “to all generations.” * * * Remarks Some commentators in this expression “after you heard of your faith” see proof that the epistle was not written to the Ephesian church, since-they say-the Apostle who himself founded the Ephesian church could not speak of it as personally unknown to him. But here by faith there is no foundation to understand the faith of the readers in the Gospel or the initial acceptance of Christian faith by them. First, against such a supposition speaks the joining together of the concepts “faith” and “love”: from this it is necessary to conclude that the Apostle has here in mind faith as the same constant virtue as love, and not as a separate moment in the life of a man. Then from the epistle itself it is evident that the Apostle writes to such Christians who are already sufficiently mature in regard to Christian development. The Apostle in other epistles sometimes places New Testament prophets alongside the Apostles. Cf. 1 Cor 12

Chapter Four

On unity in the Church (1–16). General moral teachings (17–32)

Eph 4:1-16. Inviting his readers to preserve the unity of the Spirit, the Apostle clarifies the foundations upon which this unity must be based, and says that the diversity of spiritual gifts and ministries that exist in the Church does not in any way hinder its unity, but rather, on the contrary, serves to achieve the common goal for all members of the Church—possible perfection.

Ephesians 4:1. Therefore I, a prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, The Apostle, as a prisoner in the Lord (see Eph 3:1), exhorts (parakaló is less accurate in Russian: “urges”), in view of all that has been said about the greatness of Christianity (“therefore”—oun), his readers to live as their high calling, which they have received from God, obliges them to live.

Ephesians 4:2. with all humility and gentleness and patience, bearing with one another in love, Ephesians 4:3. endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. “With all humility.” This expression refers to the verb of the first verse: “walk” and denotes the same virtue that in the Sermon on the Mount is called “poverty of spirit,” that is, a true awareness of one’s unworthiness and weakness, which the pagans lacked, being proud of their personal qualities.—“Gentleness”—in relation to people (see 1 Cor 4:21). This virtue is, one might say, the natural consequence of humility: one who recognizes his own weakness will always be gentle toward others, even if they provoke him to anger through their deeds.—“Patience”—enduring forbearance of everything unpleasant that our neighbors cause us.—“Bearing with…” Patience should be forbearance, not contemptuous toward people as morally undeveloped beings unworthy of instruction from us, but based on Christian love.—“Endeavoring to keep…” Peace constantly stands in danger of being destroyed. Therefore, the members of the Church must make special effort to preserve it, to maintain the spiritual or close inner unity among the faithful. However, in the expression “unity of the Spirit” we may also see an indication that the unity of Christians has its source in the Holy Spirit.—“In the bond of peace”—that is, unity can exist only when all believers are joined as if by some bond (en tó syndesmó): this bond must be “peace”—a peaceful Christian attitude.

Ephesians 4:4. One body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; Ephesians 4:5. one Lord, one faith, one baptism, Ephesians 4:6. one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all of us. To preserve unity, believers are reminded that they represent, in essence, one “single body and single Spirit,” that is, one body—Christ’s (see Eph 1:23)—and one Spirit—God’s, which animates this body (see Eph 2:18).—“Just as you were called…” Another motive for preserving unity: all believers have the same hope for future blessedness.—“One Lord.” The Apostle continues to set forth new and new grounds for preserving unity. One Lord—that is, our Lord Jesus Christ is our common Master.—“One faith”—as saving faith, as the condition required absolutely from everyone who wishes to receive salvation (Rom 1:16).—“One baptism”—that is, the single path to communion with Christ.—“One God and Father of all”—that is, all Christians are God’s creatures and at the same time God’s children through adoption in Christ.—“Through all”—that is, through all Christians He demonstrates His power: they serve as His instruments.

Ephesians 4:7. But to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. This verse presents an objection that the Apostle anticipates from some of his readers. “To the unity of the members of the Church,” they might have said to him, “stands in the way the fact that one of the members of the Ephesian community gifted with spiritual gifts has been given one—a higher—gift, another—a lower one. Where then is unity?”

Ephesians 4:8. For this reason it is said: “When he ascended on high, he led captive a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” Ephesians 4:9. Now that he “ascended,” what does it mean except that he also first descended into the lower regions of the earth? Ephesians 4:10. He who descended is the same as he who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things. The Apostle here gives an answer to the objection raised in verse 7. “Yes,” he says, as it were, “Christ distributes his gracious gifts according to his will. Therefore, even in Ps 67, which is without question related not only to David but also to the Messiah, it is said that the Messiah, as the prophet foresees, will ascend to on high, that is, will rise above all rulers, will take into captivity the hostile forces and will seize all the spoils from them and will distribute great gifts to people whom he finds worthy of these gifts. But this exaltation of the Messiah cannot take place without his preceding humiliation: the Messiah must first descend to earth, into the conditions of ordinary human existence, and he did exactly that. The Christ who descended to earth, the Son of God, is precisely that one who “ascended,” of whom it was spoken in Psalm 67. And the Messiah did this so that he might fill all things with his power and become everywhere the head and lord (see Rom 14:9).”—It must be noted that the Apostle quotes a passage from Psalm 67 according to the text of the Seventy, and here he makes, in keeping with his purpose, an important, seemingly significant change: instead of the expression “he received gifts” he uses the expression “he gave gifts.” But the Apostle had full right to make such a change, because the Hebrew verb “lakach,” translated in the Greek translation of the Seventy by the word elaben, properly means: to take in order to give to others (see Gen 42:16; Exod 25:2). The Apostle took only the final moment of the action denoted by this verb and translated it: “gave” (edoken).—“In the lower regions of the earth.” Some ancient and modern interpreters see here a reference not to the earth in general, but to hades, where Christ descended after his death (see in Professor Bogdashevsky page 530). One can fully agree with this interpretation, since the descent into hades was also an act of humiliation on the part of Christ, as was his descent to earth. However, one cannot agree with the view that here is given a reference to the victory won by Christ in hades and the leading out of hades of those who believed in the preaching of Christ: here, according to the context of the discourse, such a thought cannot be seen.

Ephesians 4:11. And he gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, “And he gave.” By these words, especially by the addition “and he,” the Apostle makes it clear that Christ had full authority to distribute spiritual gifts as he saw fit. He, who first descended to earth and then ascended to heaven, in this way fully accomplishing the work of our redemption, rightly stood forth as the sole administrator in the Church, appointing some as “apostles,” others as “prophets” and so on. The Apostle lists here four types of ministries based on special gifts received from Christ: 1) “Apostles”—obviously the first twelve, including the Apostle Paul himself, who formed a special unrepeatable order in the Church; 2) “prophets,” that is, inspired preachers who had special revelations from the Holy Spirit for the edification of those gathered for worship (1 Cor 14:3); 3) “evangelists”—preachers of the Gospel who traveled to various places; and 4) “pastors and teachers,” whose activity took place in a certain defined place and consisted of guiding a specific limited circle of believers. That here one class of church workers is meant is confirmed also by the fact that in the Greek text before the second word “teachers” (didaskalous) there is no article, which is present before the first word: “pastors” (tous poímenas).

Ephesians 4:12. for the equipping of the saints, for the work of service, for building up the body of Christ, “For the equipping of the saints,” that is, these aforementioned ministries Christ established in the Church so that “the saints,” that is, Christians, could with their help achieve the high moral perfection laid out for them.—“For the work of service.” This goal is achieved “through the work of service,” that is, through the activity of the aforementioned persons, which is called “service” in contrast to the attempts of some to make their office something that enslaves the will of those they shepherd (see 1 Pet 5:3).—“For building up the body of Christ.” By the “building up of the body of Christ” or the Church (see Eph 2:22) we must understand not only the external growth of the Church through the conversion to faith in Christ of new persons, but also its internal strengthening.

Ephesians 4:13. until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; The activity of all these church workers and their successors can be completed only when the highest final goal of the very existence of the Church is reached, that is, when all members of it will have faith in Christ of equal clarity and purity and when, consequently, all disputes about faith cease, and there will be no wavering in anyone in relation to what is most essential. This state the Apostle defines as the state of a “perfect man,” that is, with a completely firm outlook on life, and more precisely—as achieving “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” that is, such a state in which Christians are filled with all the gracious powers flowing from Christ (see Eph 3:19).

Ephesians 4:14. so that we may no longer be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; Ephesians 4:15. but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into him who is the head, even Christ, These verses depend on verse Eph 4:11. The Lord established different ministries in the Church so that believers would not remain in a state of children who are swayed by various temptations, and would not allow themselves to be drawn away by any new false teachings, which may look very respectable but in fact are very destructive in their essence (“by the trickery of men”) 11… Instead of such swaying, believers should demonstrate firmness in the truth (instead of: “speaking the truth in love”—it is better to read, as in the Slavonic translation: “in truth, in love”) and then, remaining in love, grow all things into Christ, our Head.

Ephesians 4:16. from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. But Christians, growing all things into Christ, directing everything toward Him, do not have the foundation for their growth in themselves, but in Him, in Christ. Only with the help and under the influence of Christ is it possible to achieve the harmonious union of the various gifts and ministries that exist in the Church. The Christian community, bound together in this way, grows in love “for its own building up,” that is, so that it might reach possible perfection. Eph 4:17-32. The Apostle urges his readers to lead a new life, different from their former one. They now have a completely different ideal than they had in paganism—namely Christ. In doing so, the Apostle points out various minor transgressions against Christian morality that obviously took place in the Ephesian church.

Ephesians 4:17. Therefore I say this, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, Ephesians 4:18. being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; Ephesians 4:19. and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. The former life that the Ephesians led when they were pagans was very sad.—“In the futility of their mind.” Their mental faculty was directed toward serving futility, nothingness (an allusion to the nothingness of pagan gods, see Rom 1:18 et seq.).—“Being darkened in their understanding,” that is, the organ of their moral consciousness became darkened (see 1 Pet 1:13 and Rom 1:21-22), and they ceased to see clearly the goal of life. “Excluded…” see Eph 2:12.—“Because of the ignorance in them,” that is, the cause of their mental darkness was ignorance of God, for which they were, however, themselves responsible (see Rom 1:19).—“And the hardness of their heart.” This hardening or complete blunting of moral feeling is the cause of their estrangement from God and their moral corruption.—“Having become callous…” More vividly depicting this moral blunting, the Apostle says that the pagans lost the ability to feel pain or sorrow at the sight of the shame in which they found themselves under the influence of their vices, and therefore gave themselves over to complete depravity. Moreover, they could not stop in their fall and sought to perform various immoral deeds (“impurity”).—“With greediness”—more precisely: with covetousness that possessed them simultaneously (en pleonexía). For a luxurious life it is necessary to constantly increase one’s monetary means. And indeed, the pagans strove by any means to increase their capital, which went to various their indulgences.

Ephesians 4:20. But you did not learn Christ in this way, Ephesians 4:21. if indeed you have heard him and have been taught in him, just as truth is in Jesus, Ephesians 4:22. that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, Ephesians 4:23. and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, Ephesians 4:24. and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. The Ephesian Christians from the gospel preaching must know that such a life in Christianity is unthinkable (“but you did not learn Christ in this way”).—“If indeed…” more correctly: if at all (eige)—and this for the Apostle is beyond doubt—they have learned as they should what must be known about Christ 12.—“Just as truth is in Jesus.” These words should be placed at the beginning of the following verse, which shows the content of this “truth in Jesus.” Therefore these and the following words of verse 22 should be rendered thus: “just as the true teaching about life, proposed by Jesus, consists in laying aside your former manner of life….” “The old self,” that is, their former pagan way of life, must be put aside like old, worn-out clothing that no longer suits the position of a person who has taken on a new, very high position. This old self is still alive, but it decays gradually “in accordance with the lusts of deceit,” that is, it seeks death, succumbing to desires that only give the appearance of happiness, but in fact lead away from it.—“Be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” The Christian must begin his renewal with what constitutes, so to speak, the very core of his inner life (“the spirit of your mind”).—“Put on the new self.” The old clothing is removed and new clothing is needed, fully suited to the new state of man. Such for the newly created man are “righteousness” (in relation to people) and “holiness” (in relation to God).—“Of the truth.” This addition shows that the righteousness and holiness of man must have as their foundation absolute, evangelical truth.

Ephesians 4:25. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Now revealing what consists the renewal of the inner being of man in Christianity, the Apostle dwells on some pagan vices which, obviously, were not yet completely foreign to the Ephesian Christians. The teachings he gives to his readers in view of the existence of such vices first depict what Christian righteousness consists of (from Eph 4:25-5:2, and then describe Christian holiness (Eph 5:3-21). First of all, Christians must “lay aside falsehood,” because they are members of one body of Christ, and members of the body harm the health of the whole body through their wrongdoing, and consequently harm themselves. The pagans, it must be noted, often allowed themselves to lie in their dealings with one another.

Ephesians 4:26. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, In contrast to the lack of self-control in anger characteristic of pagans, Christians, if they happen to become irritated, should not reach the point where this irritation becomes sin. Bishop Theophane, explaining this expression, gives the example of a man who in irritation quickly walks about the room. If this man is a Christian, he will not forget himself so much as to leave household furniture or other things overturned by him on the floor, but will certainly pick them up….—“Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Do not allow anger to continue longer than a few hours, especially do not go to sleep in anger, because at night you may become even more firmly settled in your irritation against the person who provoked your anger—no one will be there to convince you of the groundlessness of your irritation 13.

Ephesians 4:27. and do not give the devil an opportunity. Here the reference is not to the devil-satan, but to a slanderer (diabolos can also have this meaning, see Luke 16:1). If we understand this passage as a warning against the danger of succumbing to the influence of the devil in anger, then this teaching would be too general, since in all cases of our falling into sin we give place to the devil’s suggestions. But in our interpretation this verse is fully suited as a conclusion to the teaching of the preceding verse: in the anger which we harbor against someone, we will perhaps give credence to all the lies of evil people against those against whom we are angry….

Ephesians 4:28. The one who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing honest work with his own hands, so that he will have something to share with the one who has need. Anyone who has not completely lost the habit of appropriating others’ property, which most pagans suffered from, must not only stop stealing, but moreover labor with all his might (kopíazo), with his own hands doing what is useful and moreover honest (to agathón), so as to be able to help others. It was very helpful for the Christians of that time to hear this teaching, because even among them—especially, of course, among people of lower rank, who formed the main contingent of the Church—there was not always firm respect for others’ property (see 1 Pet 4:15 and 1 Cor 6:10) 14.

Ephesians 4:29. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Again, the habit of pagans to use “filthy words” is in view. The filthy introduces corruption and damage wherever it goes, and filthy or immoral speech and especially an entire discourse introduces corruption into Christian society 15.—“For edification according to the need”—according to Tischendorf: for building up or meeting a given need or requirement (pros oikodomén tes chreías).—“Grace,” that is, both pleasantness and spiritual blessing, spiritual benefit.

Ephesians 4:30. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. We often do not hesitate to use foul speech because, as we are accustomed to say, a bad word is spoken to the wind. But the Apostle says that one cannot treat filthy words so carelessly: we with them “grieve”—more precisely: sadden (mé lypeîte) the “Holy Spirit of God,” who mysteriously is present in all our gatherings (We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, 1 Cor 6:19), and yet in this Spirit and together with Him we have received from God a seal with which we must appear at the final judgment on the last day (eis hémeran apol., see Eph 1:13). The receiving of this Spirit was accomplished in the reception of the sacrament of chrismation, which usually followed baptism.

Ephesians 4:31. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. The Apostle lists several distinct vices from which Christians must free themselves 16 and first points out inner spiritual states—“bitterness” against one’s neighbor, “wrath” or inner fleeting rage and “anger,” as a more prolonged state—and then the external manifestations of these feelings—“clamor, slander” or more precisely: abusive words.—“Along with all malice”—that is, it is not proper for a Christian to harbor malice in his heart toward people in general, even if it is not expressed in specific manifestations.

Ephesians 4:32. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. On the contrary, Christians should be toward one another “kind,” that is, generally gracious, “tender-hearted” where they encounter the unfortunate, and “forgiving” one another, remembering that they themselves have received forgiveness from God through the saving merits of Christ. * * * Notes All Christians have “faith” in the Son of God, but “knowledge” about the Son of God is far from the same in all (see Eph 1:17) More accurately this passage should be translated as: “so as not to be any longer inexperienced children (népioi) who can easily be (like a light vessel) swept away by every unexpected gust of wind of doctrine (unexpected new teachers of faith)—not to remain such children in the game of chance (en té kybeía) played with all cunning (en panourgia) by people coming into contact with Christians, so as to deceive with clever rearrangements of words and concepts (pros tén méthodeían) inexperienced people and set them on the path of delusion (tes plánes). The Apostle could see how the soldiers guarding him exercised themselves in the game of chance and therefore he developed the above-given image in his mind” The expression “if you have heard” more accurately should be translated as “if you have heard” (eige autón ékousate). And if so—say some interpreters—it means that the Apostle writes not for the Ephesians, regarding whom he certainly could not speak in such a conditional, as if uncertain tone, that they know the meaning of his calling…. But the reference here is not to the Apostle Paul’s general calling to serve the Gentiles, but to what constituted the inner, mysterious side of his calling and, as indicated in the explanation of verse Eph 3:3, the special miraculous appearance to him of Christ Himself…. About this, that is, about all these mysterious details of the Apostle’s calling, he could speak as something that could be both known and unknown to the Ephesians. He himself, obviously, during his time in Ephesus, avoided communicating these details, and the Ephesians could learn about them from other preachers. Between the Apostle Paul and the Apostle James there seems to be opposition in their view of the permissibility of anger in a Christian. The Apostle James apparently completely and unconditionally rejects anger (Jas 1:20), while the Apostle Paul permits anger insofar as it does not become sin. But in fact no such opposition exists. When the Apostle James rises up against anger, he has in mind the constant tendency of the Jews, to whom the readers of his epistle belonged, to reach in their effort to prove truth the most undesirable manifestations of fanaticism. The Jews indeed even attached decisive importance to their fanatical outbursts, believing that only such outbursts would lead to the triumph of divine truth. Meanwhile, the Apostle Paul has in view the universal human property of becoming irritated at any obstacles that present themselves to a person in carrying out his undertakings. To such a living attitude of a person toward everything that happens to him the Apostle could not, of course, take a negative view: man is a living and feeling being who by nature reacts in a certain way to everything that is unpleasant to him. And the Apostle James himself, without doubt, permitted such anger, as is evident from his rebukes which he addresses in his epistle to the rich (Jas 5:1 et seq.; see Jas 1:19: “slow to anger”—only!). And can one really suppose that the Apostle James generally opposed the angry strict rebuke of a Christian in those cases when a Christian encounters the brazen trampling of the laws of truth and righteousness? Anger in such cases is like a thunderstorm which purifies the air of miasmas and harmful bacteria. Only it is necessary, of course, that this anger pass as quickly as the storm. Otherwise, if it lingers long in a person’s soul, it will lead to bad consequences—“to sin,” as the Apostle Paul expresses it. Indeed, most crimes are committed because people did not manage to stop themselves in time in their anger. The Apostle most likely has in mind here slaves, who indeed, as ancient writers testify, had theft as a habit. That the Apostle speaks of slaves can be concluded also from the fact that he urges thieves not to return the stolen or squandered property, but demands from them intensive work for the benefit of poor church members: it is clear that thieves did not have their own property with which they could compensate others for the damage caused by them, and that they could atone for their transgression only through their labor—in the time that remained free from their service to their lords, for example, at night, which was given to slaves for rest. From this we can also draw the conclusion that in the early Christian Church contributions for the needs of the poor were received not only from wealthy people, but also from the most humble laborers. Some extend the concept of “filthy words” too far and suppose that the Apostle here forbids any meaningless speech which is conducted simply for the sake of passing time. Thus Meyer says: “For the Apostle, the words of our mouth are a clear reflection and manifestation of our inner, spiritual life. And such useless (filthy) words are for him proof that the ‘inner man’ of the speaker is sick, that he is—not as he should be, if he were filled with divine life…. And such a view is completely correct. For whoever in his heart is in true communion with God submits all his thoughts, words and deeds to God’s will…. He who feels pleasure hearing jokes of all kinds shows by this that he is an empty and superficial person” (epistle to the Ephesians). Meyer’s reasoning cannot but be considered too strict and extreme. After all, a cheerful joke often dispels a bad mood in a person and revives energy for activity: it is enough to point to the influence of jokes that commanders permitted themselves with respect to soldiers during difficult military marches. And further, the Apostle himself says that we must speak what can contribute to the building up or, more accurately, building of a person, and modern pedagogy affirms that a pupil’s character is formed not only through constant serious teaching and exhortations from the teacher, but also through appropriately cheerful joking or a cheerful story. Therefore, the Apostle could not completely reject what can serve to the true benefit of a person: he only by his exhortation directs our attention to the fact that all our words and conversations must not go beyond what is permitted by Christian morality. Some (for example, Bogdashevsky) suppose that the Apostle has in mind only possible future vices to which the Ephesian church could be exposed. But such a supposition cannot be accepted. Why would the Apostle waste time rebuking shortcomings that did not yet exist? Were conditions in the Ephesian church so completely satisfactory that the Apostle had nothing to reproach his readers for? This can hardly be supposed….

Chapter Five

Continuation of general teachings (1–21). Teachings to wives and husbands (22–33)

Eph 5:1-21. At the end of the 4th chapter the Apostle sufficiently clarified what he understands by “righteousness,” to which he called his readers (Eph 4:24). Now he gives teachings concerning “holiness” (see that same verse). Namely, he cautions his readers against being drawn into vices contrary to Christian holiness (Eph 5:1-10), and then invites them to expose these vices (Eph 5:11-14), demanding that Christians themselves do not give cause for offense through their conduct (Eph 5:15-17). The Apostle concludes his teachings on Christian purity with an invitation to his readers to be filled with the Spirit of God (Eph 5:18-21).

Ephesians 5:1. Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children; Ephesians 5:2. and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. These two verses represent a conclusion to Eph 4:32. In relation to one another among Christians should reign love and all-forgiveness. The example for them should be, first, God Himself, who forgives us our transgressions (see Matt 5:45 and Matt 6:13-14), and then—the Lord Jesus Christ, who out of love for us offered himself as “an offering” (prosphoran), namely as a sacrificial bloody offering (thysían) in order to atone for our sins before God (an indication of the redemptive significance of Christ’s death, see Heb 10:10).—“As a fragrant aroma.” Christ’s sacrifice was completely pleasing to God (see Lev 1:9).

Ephesians 5:3. But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Ephesians 5:4. and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse joking, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. “Immorality”—the most widespread vice in paganism. “Must not even be named.” Not only should these vices not exist, but Christians should not even speak about them among themselves, lest they lead someone into bad thoughts.—“Filthiness….” These are sins of the tongue. Regarding “coarse joking” (properly: fitting behavior—eutrapelía) our Slavonic translation gives a very specific meaning. It is “mockery” or mockery, that is, according to us, ridicule of sacred things. (The Slavonic expression “koshhun” comes from the ancient word “koshshey,” which meant a young man of good family. Such young men served at the courts of ancient great princes and, obviously, in conversations among themselves were not constrained by standards of propriety….). Even the Roman writer Plautus noted a tendency among the Ephesians toward indecent jokes, and therefore the Apostle quite rightly draws the attention of his readers to this vice.—“Giving of thanks”—for all that believers have received in Christ (see Eph 2:11 et seq.).

Ephesians 5:5. For know this with certainty, that no fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous one, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Ephesians 5:6. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience; One must take into account the circumstance that these vices lead to very sad consequences: those who succumb to them will not receive the Kingdom of Heaven (see 1 Cor 6:9) 17.—“Of Christ and God.” Christ is here placed on the same level as God and thus the idea of his consubstantiality with the Father is given.

Ephesians 5:7. therefore, do not be partners with them. Ephesians 5:8. for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light Ephesians 5:9. (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth). The Apostle draws from what has been said the conclusion that Christians should not participate in those deeds that are characteristic of these sons of disobedience. Earlier, when they were, one might say, “darkness” or living in moral darkness, such deeds were possible among them, but now they must live as “children of light,” because they have become light or bearers of the light of the Gospel and purity (see 2 Cor 6:14-15). They stand under the influence of the Spirit of God, and this must be expressed in certain “fruits,” which Christians should bear. Such fruits are “all goodness,” that is, generally good, virtuous life, “righteousness,” or justice in relation to people, and “truth,” that is, the absence of everything false, of which there was so much in the life of pagans.

Ephesians 5:10. Prove what is pleasing to God, Furthermore, Christians must in all circumstances represent to themselves how God Himself relates to one or another of their deeds, ask themselves what God wants from them.

Ephesians 5:11. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; The Apostle returns to the teaching begun in Eph 5:7. He urges his readers not to have fellowship with the deeds of darkness. He calls these deeds “unfruitful” because “darkness” is generally such a condition in which plants cannot bear fruit: only sunlight gives trees the strength to produce fruit. And indeed, wicked deeds lead people only to destruction and death (see Rom 6:21-23). But Christians in relation to such deeds should not limit themselves only to avoiding them: they should also “expose” them by word (elenkhein—see 1 Tim 5:20). Some interpreters understand by “exposure” exposure through one’s life, but such an interpretation cannot be accepted, because exposure through life is already implied in the words: “do not participate in deeds”…. Moreover, the verb elenkhein is usually used in the meaning of verbal rebuke 18.

Ephesians 5:12. For it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. Wicked deeds must be exposed because they are indeed so terrible that it is shameful even to speak of them; especially is this to be said of those covered by a veil of secrecy 19.

Ephesians 5:13. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. The benefit of exposure consists in that “everything exposed,” that is, being exposed in the light of Christian truth (“by the light”) becomes evident in its nature—in this case this is said of the vices of paganism, which stand out more sharply in their ugliness before the light of Christian morality.—“For everything visible….” that is, such is the general law of existence: everything that can be seen appears “light” or light, uncovered (“light”—here in the general meaning of this word, that is, something illuminated).

Ephesians 5:14. Therefore it is said: “Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Because exposure is beneficial, God addresses the sinner dwelling in spiritual sleepiness, as if in a state of death, with a call: “Awake” (instead of: “it says,” as in the Russian translation, it should be read: “he says”—in Greek legei). The source of these words is unknown. It is best to accept the supposition that they constitute a fragment from some Christian hymn, which contains certain echoes from the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 52:1 — “Awake,” Isa 26:19: “the dead will rise” and Isa 60:1: “Your light will come.”).

Ephesians 5:15. Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, Ephesians 5:16. making the most of your time, because the days are evil. In exposing others, Christians themselves are already necessarily obliged to watch over themselves. “Be careful how you walk….” More precisely: “be careful how carefully you walk” (carefulness is necessary).—“Making the most of your time”—more precisely: “buying time, acquiring it as your own.” By this the Apostle teaches believers to use every moment of time, as if purchased with money, for doing good deeds. The unwise person does not value time, thinking it is worthless, but the wise one understands all its value. And what urges him to this is the consideration that “the days are evil,” that is, our time is such that it requires the exertion of all our strength, the use of all our time in order to be able to do something truly beneficial.

Ephesians 5:17. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of God is. “So then”—more precisely: “for this reason,” that is, for the reason that you must be wise (Eph 5:15).—“Do not be foolish”—that is, do not show yourself to be such: the expression: mé ginesthe does not here give the thought that the Ephesian Christians were actually foolish. A person is foolish when he does not make proper use of his reason, and such Christians certainly were not, although they could become such. “Understand,” that is, try to determine in each case what God’s will is (according to other readings—the will of the Lord, that is, Christ’s).

Ephesians 5:18. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, In order to clearly understand the demands of God’s will, it is necessary to eliminate everything that prevents a person from concentrating on himself. Here, first of all, such an obstacle is the passion for wine. Instead of, like pagans, becoming drunk with wine, in which the origin of “dissipation” or all kinds of lack of restraint (asotía) lies, Christians should “be filled with the Spirit,” that is, achieve fullness through the Spirit of God (en pneumáti). The Apostle seems to wish to say that Christians will have the desired fullness of joy, but they will receive this joy only by yielding themselves to the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:19. speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; How can this fullness of true Christian spiritual joy be achieved? First, by turning to one another (the Russian translation incorrectly says: “edifying yourselves”) in various forms of Christian poetry: “psalms”—most likely, New Testament ones which the Christians of that time composed (see 1 Cor 14:26), “hymns” or hymns—also New Testament ones, and “spiritual songs” or, more precisely, odes, which are called “spiritual” because of their origin from the Holy Spirit (an example of such — 1 Cor 13) 21. Second, such a state is achieved by singing praises to the Lord Jesus Christ in one’s heart, and finally, third, by the constant offering of thanksgiving to God in the name of Christ. The last, that is, thanksgiving, is especially beneficial because the one who gives thanks, remembering the benefits of Christ, is held, so to speak, in that realm in which Christ Himself dwells.

Ephesians 5:21. submitting to one another in the fear of God. This verse represents a transition to the following exhortations addressed to wives, husbands, and other members of the Christian family. Eph 5:22-33. The Apostle prescribes to wives that they should obey their husbands, and to husbands he commands to love their wives to the point of willingness to lay down their lives for them, just as Christ gave himself up to death for the salvation of people. In doing so, the Apostle sets forth the teaching on Christian marriage as an image of the single, indissoluble union of Christ with the Church.

Ephesians 5:22. Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord, “As to the Lord,” that is, your submission should be such as if it were submission to Christ himself, that is, such sincere submission, such complete submission.

Ephesians 5:23. for the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. The basis for such submission is that the husband is the “Head of the wife” (see 1 Cor 11:8), having as his model Christ himself in his relation to the Church.—“He himself being…” that is, Christ is called the Head of the Church because He is its Savior (“of the body,” that is, of the Church).

Ephesians 5:24. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. “But as the church….” that is: but from this it follows (allá) that as the church…. “In everything”—of course, in what does not violate the requirements of Christian morality.—With regard to what the Apostle said about the relation of wife to husband, some theologians say that Paul’s ethics is not applicable to the needs of the present time. Everything that the Apostle said, they claim, was said with regard to the near approach of the end of the world and is not calculated for a prolonged existence of the Christian Church. Now the conditions of life are completely different from what existed in the time of the Apostles, and in particular, the position of women has undergone a fundamental change…. But such reasoning cannot be accepted. The ethics of the Apostle Paul has as its foundation the teaching of Christ, which for us Christians in all religious and moral questions remains the highest authority, all the more so since Christ in his life realized those moral demands that he proposes to all his followers. Furthermore. The ethics of the Apostle Paul is an organic expression of the Christian faith as it was proclaimed by Christ and the Apostles, and if this faith is preserved among modern Christianity, then with it the Apostolic morality must also be preserved…. Furthermore. Apostolic ethics is applicable to all times and circumstances because it is not a casuistic moral code that aims to regulate individual moral acts, but expresses only universal, great moral basic thoughts and principles, the application of which in individual cases is left to man himself and is possible under the most diverse circumstances. Finally, history teaches us that any deviation from the basic principles of New Testament ethics has been accompanied by dangerous consequences both for individuals and for society as a whole. Thus, it is necessary to acknowledge that New Testament morality in general and in particular the ethics of the Apostle Paul has an abiding, permanent significance in the life of Christians of all times. In particular, there is no reason to be troubled by the fact that the Apostle Paul here requires the submission of the wife to the husband, which contradicts modern teaching about female emancipation and equality of woman and man. First of all, it must be understood that the Apostle, and Christianity generally, does not wish to degrade woman. Christianity, on the contrary, freed woman from the servile position in which she found herself in the pre-Christian world, and recognized her religious and moral equality with man. If the Apostle subjects the woman to the man in the conditions of domestic life, he does this in accordance with God’s creative establishment, according to which both sexes have their own special advantages and limits of activity. The advantage of the husband is physical strength, intelligence, and will power; the advantage of the woman is inclination to practical pursuits, sensitivity, and energy of passivity. In accordance with this, it would be a complete injustice if the same obligations that apply to a man were to be imposed on a woman, and if she were to be granted the same rights that can only be granted to those bearing certain obligations, that is, to men: rights must always correspond to obligations, and where obligations are not fulfilled, rights cannot be granted. It follows that by divine ordinance the husband has preeminence in family life, because this preeminence is, properly speaking, a collection of certain obligations that are beyond the capacity of a wife. Moreover, the Apostle addresses himself to Christian wives who understand that their submission to their husbands is not something forced upon them, but is required of them because they see in the husband a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is himself invisibly and mysteriously present in the family (Eph 5:21). Since the wife obeys her husband “in the Lord,”—the question of women’s rights as a wife loses all its sharpness for her.

Ephesians 5:25. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, Ephesians 5:26. so that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word; Ephesians 5:27. that he might present to himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. But if the husband is the Head of the wife and the wife is obliged to obey him, then—from here begins the exhortation to husbands—and husbands must proportionate their demands on wives with love. They must love their wives and love them just as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her. Thus the Apostle teaches husbands to self-sacrifice for the true benefit of their wives. But immediately, to avoid any misunderstanding and misinterpretation to which the Apostle’s requirement could be subjected from the side of wives, the Apostle indicates the limits which should determine this self-sacrifice of the husband. Christ, he says, through his self-sacrifice wished to sanctify the Church, having first cleansed it by “the washing of water” or the ablution received in the sacrament of baptism, “by the word,” that is, by means of the sacred formula pronounced in baptism: “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Chrysostom, Theodoret). The final goal that Christ had in view was to make the Church pure and blameless and to place her beside himself as a bride on the day of his second coming, although she already now appears as such a bride to those capable of seeing her greatness (Rev 19:7). This means that the love of a husband for his wife should reach self-sacrifice only where it is a question of the true good of the wife: in all other cases, when a wife’s demands for the husband’s self-denial do not have such a basis, it would obviously be strange to require the husband to necessarily sacrifice himself for the wife.

Ephesians 5:28. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. Ephesians 5:29. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord cares for the Church, Ephesians 5:30. because we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones. Here is a new explanation for why husbands should love their wives: wives constitute their husbands’ own bodies and form, by their origin, so to speak, an integral part of their own persons. But if this is so, then the wife can be called the “flesh” of her husband, and “flesh” everyone naturally and necessarily loves: no one will cause harm to his own organism by denying it necessary care (“nourishes and cherishes it”). So also Christ nourishes the Church as the bread of life (John 6:48) and cherishes her as a good shepherd his sheep. After all, we—the Apostle adds—are truly members of the body of Christ, originating from his flesh and from his bones, just as Eve originated from Adam’s rib. However, according to the explanation of St. John Chrysostom, the expression: “from his flesh” (“and from his bones”) simply indicates that we truly originated from Christ as from a new ancestor. One can add that we have Christ within us, carry, so to speak, in our new existence his kind and essence (Ewald).

Ephesians 5:31. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” Ephesians 5:32. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Since the wife is the husband’s own body, it is natural or with a view to this—as it is said in the book of Genesis (Gen 2:24)—a “man,” that is, a husband, “will leave” or should leave, in accordance with God’s ordinance, his “father and mother” so as to devote himself entirely to his wife and to his family in general. This “mystery” of marriage, the union between man and woman, is extremely important, “great”: it is indeed difficult to understand how such an attraction was established between husband and wife. But the Apostle Paul does not wish to enter into a detailed exposition of it, but dwells only on the similarity of this mystery to the mystery of the relation of Christ to the Church. These relations resemble precisely the relations of husband to wife 22.

Ephesians 5:33. Nevertheless, each one of you also must love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband. “Nevertheless”—in Greek plén properly means: “however,” “but,” but also has the meaning of a simple transitional conjunction: “but.” “And” here instead of “so” and therefore we can put the conjunction “but.” The Apostle is so permeated with the thought of the importance of the mystery of marriage and the obligations connected with marriage of the husband that he considers it necessary to say it once more at the conclusion of his discourse on marriage.—“Must respect.” Here is not meant slavish fear, fear of punishment, but the fear that we feel when we think how not to offend a beloved person through our action. It is the same as voluntary submission 23. * * * Notes Sometimes among us is expressed the view that many vices are an inevitable consequence of cultural growth and should not be imputed as a fault to those infected with them. The Apostle, on the contrary, precisely defines all vices as a sinful phenomenon, which should not exist in Christian society, no matter what level of culture it reaches. Otherwise, Christians, who take so lightly the existence of vicious people in their midst, fall under the same condemnation as those people. In our time there exists a view according to which no one has the right to judge the moral character of one’s neighbor. Many say that morality is a personal matter of each, a private matter into which no one has the right and basis to interfere. Some lovers of drinking excessively even directly call it uninvited and unlawful interference in their affairs when a church pastor, for example, persuades them of the harm of excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages…. The Apostle takes a completely different view of the matter. In his conviction, in Christian society there is nothing “private”—everything has the closest connection with the whole. And therefore Christians are obliged to care for the moral condition of their neighbor and to influence him in certain cases through words of rebuke. Indeed, if one member of the body suffers, then all the other members suffer with him (1 Cor 12:26), and exactly the same happens in church society. The Apostle here wishes to say that everything vicious should not be the subject of conversation in Christian society. By this he condemns an entire cycle of contemporary literary works of fiction which choose as their subject various immoral phenomena of contemporary life. From the midst of Christian society must be driven out all, for example, novels that awaken unhealthy sensuality and teach the reader to take lightly the most immoral way of life. Although the Apostle does not forbid the use of wine in general (he says only that Christians should not get drunk), nevertheless he makes it clear that wine leads to all sorts of excesses and that, consequently, for many it is very dangerous, especially—let us add—because it is rare for anyone to determine for himself the “measure” of wine consumption at which wine would not produce sad consequences for him. “Fire is introduced into the blood even by a small quantity of wine” (Bishop Theophane). In the early Christian Church much was sung, as can be concluded from numerous passages of Christian hymns found, for example, in the epistles of the Apostle Paul. Pliny in his letter to Trajan says that Christians gather before sunrise and mutually sing a song to Christ as to God (Bogdashevsky, p. 623). Such hymn-singing was very helpful in maintaining Christian joy in the souls of people persecuted by the pagan government. There is no doubt that in our day as well good singing of religious and patriotic as well as other secular songs would serve well in the matter of the moral education of our people, in accordance with the saying: “where there is singing, there you can remain calm—evil people do not sing.” Thus, here is revealed the teaching on the marriage union. If we accept the thought that the Apostle here has in mind only marriages concluded in Christianity, then we can say that he here calls marriage a “mystery” in the sense of a church institution. But if we see here a definition of marriage in general and in particular concluded even in paganism, then we must understand the Apostle’s words as an expression of reverence before the greatness of the mystery which every marriage union represents, in whatever faith it is presumed. For the latter, it seems, speaks and the understanding that John Chrysostom held with regard to this passage. He says: “truly this is a great mystery, containing some ineffable wisdom” (see in Bogdashevsky, p. 643). That the verb “to fear” (phobéisthai) has here indeed such a meaning and not at all denote the position of the wife as a servant in the house of the husband is evident already from all that has been said above about the significance of marriage. Moreover, in classical Greek the verb phobéisthai sometimes has the meaning “to respect,” “to honor.” Thus, Plato says that we must phobéisthai to sóma—respect, honor the body (see in Ewald, p. 243).

Chapter Six

Relations of children to parents and parents to children (1–4). Relations between masters and slaves (5–9). The struggle of Christians against evil spirits (10–20). Conclusion (21–24)

Eph 6:1-4. Children must obey their parents, and fathers must not provoke their children through unjust severity.

Ephesians 6:1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “In the Lord,” that is, in Christ. The obedience of children to parents must be fully in accordance with the requirements of Christianity: it is free, based on love, and must not extend beyond what is permitted by the law of Christ.—“For this is right.” This is what general human sense of justice requires.

Ephesians 6:2. “Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), “First commandment with a promise.” The first four commandments of the Decalogue do not have promises of rewards for their fulfillment attached to them (some exception—the second): the fifth commandment is the first one in which clearly and specifically a reward is mentioned for its fulfillment 24.

Ephesians 6:3. so that it may be well with you, and that you live long on the earth. The Apostle does not quote the words of the fifth commandment: “the land which the Lord your God gives you” (Exod 20:12) because they limit the application of the commandment only to the territory of the people of Israel (“you”), while the Apostle aims to give instruction to all children of all nations…. It must be noted that from this address to children it is evident that in the Apostolic church children also received baptism and were taught Christian faith. Still, the Apostle, like the Old Testament Decalogue, promises a reward to children for obedience here on earth, not in heaven. This in itself in most cases comes true, but of course does not exclude the possibility of the opposite: it is evident that the Apostle has in mind that God’s will wishes to reward the obedient child here on earth.

Ephesians 6:4. And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. “Fathers.” The father gives direction to the upbringing of children, and therefore the Apostle does not mention mothers. The father is also primarily responsible for the children.—“In discipline” paideia, that is, in general through ordinary measures of upbringing.—“In instruction” nouthesia—in verbal instruction through conversations.—“Of the Lord.” All these measures of upbringing must be in accordance with the law of Christ. Eph 6:5-9. The Apostle also requires Christian slaves to obey their masters in the name of Christ, and teaches slave owners gentleness in their treatment of their slaves.

Ephesians 6:5. Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as to Christ, “Masters according to the flesh.” Your soul, therefore, as a Christian slave, belongs only to Christ.—“With fear and trembling”—here certainly these words denote the respect that is proper for a Christian slave to show toward one whom God’s will has placed as his master.—“In the sincerity of your heart,” that is, with complete sincerity.—“As to Christ,” that is, you must see in your master a person acting in virtue of the authority granted to him by Christ.

Ephesians 6:6. not only when being watched, as if to please men, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, Ephesians 6:7. with good will serve, as to the Lord, and not to men, A more detailed depiction of the obedience that a Christian slave must show to his master.

Ephesians 6:8. knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. The promise of reward to an obedient slave is fully consistent with the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ himself (Matt 24:46). Such a promise of reward precisely from the Lord in heaven, not on earth, was necessary in view of the fact that the life of a slave in any case was difficult and the services of a slave were not always sufficiently appreciated by his master.

Ephesians 6:9. And masters, treat them the same way, with restraint, knowing that both you and they have a Master in heaven, who shows no partiality. With Christian slave owners in mind, the Apostle urges them to treat their slaves as well as they treat the fulfillment of their orders.—“Give up threatening”—more precisely: “do not apply measures of severity.” The latter could be recognized as necessary only where slaves were thought of as hostile to their master, which took place in pagan households, but not among Christians. Eph 6:10-24. A Christian must engage in a difficult struggle against evil spirits, who act for the most part through wicked people. In this struggle the Christian must apply all his strength, which has been given to him in Christianity. This struggle lies ahead for the Apostle Paul himself, and the Ephesians must therefore pray for him so that he overcomes in this struggle.

Ephesians 6:10. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. “Finally”—more precisely: “as for the rest,” “as concerns the remainder.” The Apostle, obviously, wished to say much more to the Ephesians, but he concentrates all this much into the following exhortation—to arm themselves with sufficient strength to struggle against the spirits of wickedness, for which they should find help from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 6:11. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil, Ephesians 6:12. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. “Full armor of God”—these are the virtues of which the Apostle speaks further from Eph 6:13.—“Flesh and blood”—these are people hostile to Christianity. They act against Christians not in themselves, but as instruments of evil spirits, thinking through them to put an end to the spread of the Gospel.—“World powers”—see John 12:31.—“In the heavenly places.”—They do not live in the heavens themselves, but below them, not at a particularly great height above the earth.

Ephesians 6:13. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Ephesians 6:14. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, Ephesians 6:15. and having shod your feet with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace; “In the evil day”—when enemies rise up against Christians with all their strength.—“Having girded your loins with truth”—that is, having established yourself in confidence in the truth of the cause for which you struggle. This confidence, like a belt on a wide garment, gives the spiritual warrior agility in his struggle with enemies, because confidence in oneself is already half the victory.—“The breastplate of righteousness,” that is, righteous intentions, the absence of any ulterior motives.—“Having shod your feet….” The warrior will walk with firm step, who has cultivated in himself the confidence that he bears with him the highest good—peace with God (Eph 1:2) or salvation. Better to translate: “having shod yourselves in readiness, which the Gospel or preaching of peace gives or imparts.”

Ephesians 6:16. in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one; Ephesians 6:17. and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. “In addition to all”—more precisely: “in addition to all that was mentioned earlier, you must take or cover yourself with the shield of faith”—of course, “faith,” as confidence in the truth of Christianity. This shield is very large (thureos), covering the warrior’s entire torso, and arrows that were sometimes shot aflame could land in it without harming the bearer of this shield.—“The helmet of salvation,” that is, confidence that we are saved by the merits of Christ.—“The sword of the Spirit,” that is, given by the Spirit of God.—“The word of God”—that is, the Gospel (see Rom 1:16 and Matt 4:4).

Ephesians 6:18. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints. Spiritual struggle must necessarily be accompanied by prayer to God. This prayer is “all kinds,” that is, takes on various character depending on the need that a spiritual warrior feels. Prayer must be accomplished in the Spirit of God, who helps us in our prayers (see Rom 8:26). In doing so, the spiritual warrior must pray constantly and for all Christians (“the saints”), because all of them also conduct spiritual struggle with the spirits of wickedness (“with all perseverance and petition”—praying constantly). “It will never be the case that you, during prayer, having in mind only yourself, would thereby attract to yourself the mercy of God” (Chrysostom).

Ephesians 6:19. and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, Ephesians 6:20. for which I am an ambassador in chains; that I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. In particular, the Apostle asks the Ephesians to pray for him, so that he might speak freely all that is necessary before the Roman judges, so that he might be regarded as a messenger of Christ and be allowed to freely express the commands of his Lord, the King-Christ, as other ambassadors are permitted to express the desires of the kings who sent them.

Ephesians 6:21. But so that you also may know about my circumstances and how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make everything known to you. Ephesians 6:22. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you will know about us and that he may comfort your hearts. Ephesians 6:23. Peace be to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 6:24. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. Amen. In conclusion, the Apostle informs his readers that Tychicus will communicate to them the details of the Apostle’s situation in Rome (see Acts 20:4).—“Incorruptible”—en aphtharsía—undecaying. Love for Christ must be an undecaying love, not subject to any destructive influences. * * * According to Ewald, this is the “foremost commandment” in all the Old Testament promise (en epangelía), that is, in the revelation of the Old Testament.

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Introduction

The church in Philippi

The time and place of the epistle’s writing

The occasion and purpose of writing

The character of the epistle

The content of the epistle

The authenticity of the epistle

Literature

THE EPISTLE OF THE HOLY APOSTLE PAUL TO THE PHILIPPIANS

The church in Philippi.

When Apostle Paul brought the preaching of the Gospel to Europe, the first city of Europe to hear the message about Christ was the Macedonian city of Philippi, named after its founder, the Macedonian king Philip, and later acquiring the name: “Colony of Augustus Julia” and considered a very important city (cf. Acts 16:12). Paul arrived here in the company of Silas, Timothy, and Luke. Paul’s listeners here were mainly Gentiles—there were very few Jews in Philippi—and the church there was composed mainly of Gentiles. After Paul and Silas departed, Timothy and Luke spent some time in Philippi. The second time Paul appeared in Philippi was when he, after Pentecost of the year 57, departed from Ephesus for Corinth (1 Cor 16:5 and following verses) and then a third time visited here in the spring of the year 58, when he was heading with relief funds to Jerusalem (Acts 20:3 and following verses). And at the time when the Apostle was far from the Philippians, he received information about them through his coworkers or through other people. From these reports and from his own personal observations the Apostle drew conclusions in his epistle about the good state of the Philippian church, both inward and outward (see Phil 1:3).

The time and place of the epistle’s writing.

As is evident from the epistle, the Apostle was in bonds (Phil 1:7) and most likely in Roman bonds. The last is confirmed by the greeting placed at the end of the epistle from those belonging to the household of Caesar (Phil 4:22), and besides the mention of the praetorian guard, whose soldiers were guarding Apostle Paul (Phil 1:13). The same is also confirmed by the mood evident in the epistle and the intentions held by the Apostle at that time. The Apostle speaks with confidence (Phil 1:25) that he will soon be freed from his bonds, and such confidence he could have gained only during his time in Rome: during his imprisonment in Caesarea his fate could not yet have been decided. Then he intends to visit Philippi after his release, his thoughts are directed precisely toward this journey, and during his time in Caesarea his thoughts were occupied with the impending journey to Rome. The epistle was written, thus, evidently during Paul’s first Roman imprisonment, from which he was released, and namely at the end of his two-year stay in Rome, as is evident from the fact that his case at the time of writing the epistle was already tending toward a favorable decision for the Apostle (cf. Phil 1:12). If Paul’s arrival in Rome fell in the spring of the year 61, then the writing of the epistle falls in the summer of the year 63. By this time the epistles to the Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon had already been sent, so that the epistle to the Philippians is the last of Paul’s epistles written during his first Roman imprisonment.

The occasion and purpose of writing.

A member of the Philippian church, Epaphroditus, who suffered a serious illness while in Rome with Paul, recovered and was preparing to return to his native city. This served as the occasion for Apostle Paul to address the Philippians with an epistle. At the same time he wanted to calm the troubled hearts of the Philippians regarding his own situation, which had changed for the better. Finally, he considered it his sacred duty to give them instruction regarding Christian life and at the same time to thank them for the help they had sent him with Epaphroditus in Rome.

The character of the epistle.

Ten years of friendly relations between Paul and the Philippians imprinted a special character on his epistle to them. Here the Apostle chiefly expresses his loving feelings toward the readers. One senses that the Apostle regards them as a loving father regards his children, in whom he is completely confident as in such who will not disgrace his good paternal name. It is remarkable that the Apostle repeatedly expresses joy, a joyful feeling that filled him, despite the fact that his case was not yet finally decided… One’s attention is drawn to the severity with which he treats the false teachers from among those promoting Judaism who threatened the wellbeing of the Philippian church. He calls them dogs, predicts ruin for them.

The content of the epistle.

The epistle is not arranged according to a strictly worked-out plan, but has the appearance of a genuine, completely natural letter. First—in the first chapter—comes the usual introduction (Phil 1:1-11), then the Apostle reports on his own situation (Phil 1:12-26) and then exhorts the readers to struggle for faith, to unity of mind and humility (Phil 2:1-4), depicting before them the image of the humble Christ (Phil 2:5-11), and to obedience to God (Phil 2:12-18). Then follow again reports about the people surrounding Paul (Phil 2:19-30). This is the first part of the epistle. In the second part, encompassing chapters III and IV, the Apostle warns the readers against those promoting Judaism, calls them to Christian self-perfection and addresses exhortations to individual people, and then again to the whole church. The epistle concludes with thanksgiving and greetings.

The authenticity of the epistle.

An epistle that is so closely woven with individual events from the life of Apostle Paul and the Philippian church he founded would be absurd to regard as inauthentic. One cannot suppose that some pseudonymous author found it necessary to forge the tone of Apostle Paul. And indeed, doubts about the authenticity of the epistle have rarely been expressed. Only Baur suggested the later origin of this epistle, and then in the 70s H. Holsten repeated Baur’s idea, adding that nevertheless the epistle was written “in the spirit of Paul,” “in the language of Paul.” But all the grounds which he drew for his position about the inauthenticity of the epistle, all the indications of contradictions between this epistle and other completely authentic epistles (Romans, Corinthians, and Galatians), are not at all convincing. From an external standpoint, the authenticity of the epistle is sufficiently attested. For instance, Polycarp of Smyrna already refers to it.

Literature.

Among the patristic commentaries on the epistle to the Philippians, the most important are the works of St. John Chrysostom and the Blessed Theodoret. Among Russian commentaries—the outstanding ones are the works of Bishop Theophan (Govorov) and Mr. I. V. Nazaryevsky (The Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Philippians. Sergiev Posad, 1898, pp. 103–165). The best German commentaries include the works of Meyer, in the edition of Haupt (1897), and Paul Ewald in the edition of Zahn (1908).

* * *

Notes

This city now represents only ruins, bearing the name “Filibejik.”

Farrar says: “This epistle was dictated by an exhausted and shackled Jew, the victim of crude prejudice and the prey of self-satisfied enmity, dictated at a time when he was irritated by hundreds of opponents and comforted only by a few who loved him. And yet the essence of it can be expressed in two words (which Paul used in this epistle): ‘I rejoice, and you rejoice.’ If we compare the spirit of the most famous classical writers in their misfortune with that which was usual in the far deeper anguish and more terrible sufferings of the Apostle Paul, if we compare the epistle to the Philippians with Ovid’s ‘Tristia,’ with Cicero’s letters from exile, or with the treatise which Seneca addressed to Polybius from his exile in Corsica, then the difference which Christianity produced in man’s relation to happiness becomes fully evident” (Life and Works of Apostle Paul, trans. Lopukhin, p. 720–721).

For example, Holsten points out that the Apostle renounces the name “apostle” and accepts instead the title “servant of Jesus Christ” (Rom 15:16), that the writer treats objective unified truth indifferently (Phil 1:15-18), that he has lost the idea that the pre-worldly Christ is the heavenly man (Phil 2:6 and following verses). Anyone can see the nitpicking of Holsten, which makes him doubt the authenticity of the epistle, but the groundlessness of Holsten’s objections will be shown even more clearly in the commentary on the epistle… A detailed refutation of the negative views on the origin of the epistle to the Philippians can be found in Mr. Nazaryevsky, pp. 51–102.

Chapter One

Introduction (1–11). Depiction of the situation in which the Apostle finds himself in Rome (12–26). Exhortation to the readers that they be steadfast in the struggle for faith (27–30).

Philippians 1:1. Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: After the greeting (1–2), the Apostle says that he cannot remember the Philippians without a feeling of gratitude to God, since they have always shown their eager participation in the work of spreading the Gospel. The Apostle at this time expresses a wish that the Philippian church continue to go further and further along the path of perfection. Paul, as in the rest of the epistles written from the first Roman imprisonment (Phil 1; Col 1:1), sends greetings to the readers not only from himself but also from his disciple Timothy. This is explained here by the fact that Timothy was particularly close to the Philippians. He founded the church in Philippi together with Paul (Acts 16:12 and following verses) and then spent a long time afterward among the Macedonian Christians (Acts 19:22; 1 Cor 16:10; 2 Cor 1:1). Paul moreover intended to send Timothy to Philippi once again (Phil 2:19). “Servants of Jesus Christ.” The Apostle does not call himself an apostle here because in Philippi no one disputed his high apostolic dignity. The title “servant” does not diminish his dignity in the least, because it expresses his determination to dedicate his entire life to serving Christ (Col 4:12). “To all the saints in Christ.” The Apostle addresses the Philippians not as a “church” but as individual persons, to show that he regards each of them with special heartfelt affection. “Saints”—the name for Christians (cf. 1 Cor 1:2). “With the overseers and deacons.” Only in this epistle do we find a special mention in the greeting of overseers and deacons. The reason for this lay undoubtedly in the fact that the chief purpose of the epistle was to express gratitude for the help which the Apostle received from the Philippian church (Phil 2:25 and following verses; Phil 4:10 and following verses). Meanwhile, who participated most in the collection of these contributions other than the overseers and deacons? It is natural that the Apostle considered it necessary to mention them separately. But who is meant here by “overseers”? Of course, not only overseers in our modern sense, because in the small Philippian church there would hardly have been a need for several people of episcopal rank. It is probable that “overseers” here refers both to the bishop and presbyters, who in the apostolic age were undoubtedly sometimes called overseers (see for instance the epistle to Titus Titus 1:5 and Titus 1:7). This idea was expressed by St. John Chrysostom as well as by the Blessed Theodoret and others.

Philippians 1:2. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. See Rom 1:7.

Philippians 1:3. I thank my God at every remembrance of you, As was his custom (except in the epistle to the Galatians), the Apostle begins the epistle with thanksgiving to God. He thanks God always, whenever he remembers the Philippians: such is the pleasant memory of them, so much does the thought of them gladden his heart!

Philippians 1:4. Always in every petition of mine for you all, making request with joy, When he makes his usual prayer, he does not forget to pray for the Philippians and performs this prayer with a feeling of joy.

Philippians 1:5. For your participation in the Gospel from the first day until now, The reason for this joy is that the Philippians from the very first day, when the Apostle and his companions appeared to them as preachers of the Gospel, and until the present time continue to show the most fervent and active sympathy for the work of Gospel preaching. They became, so to speak, missionaries themselves, and besides, through donations for the work of mission they contribute not a little to its success.

Philippians 1:6. Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ, In this prayer the Apostle’s gaze is also directed toward the future. In the future he foresees further improvement of the Philippians in the noble cause they have chosen. The Apostle’s confidence is based on the fact that God Himself placed them on this path and sustains their faithfulness to the Gospel. But God undoubtedly does not leave His work unfinished: He will give the Philippians strength to reach and live until the second coming of Christ (“the day of Jesus Christ” see 1 Cor 1:8) in the same good and even better state.

Philippians 1:7. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel, being partakers with me of grace. Philippians 1:8. For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ; This confidence in the Apostle is also sustained by the circumstance that the Apostle cannot imagine them otherwise than as his partners in “that grace” which God sent him. And this “grace” or the gracious gift of God constitutes his bonds, his appearance before Roman authority as a defender of the Gospel (thus we place the expression “in my imprisonment, in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel” after the word “grace”: those words explain what the Apostle understands by “grace”). “For God is my witness…” The Apostle adds these words to show that he did not say too much when he said that he has all the Philippians in his heart. “With the affection of Jesus Christ”—more precisely: “with the inmost affection” (the inward feelings—σπλάγχνα) of Christ, with whom the Apostle is in close communion (cf. Gal 2:20). Such love is firm, disinterested, and unchanging and extends to readiness to give one’s life for friends.

Philippians 1:9. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all judgment; Thanksgiving here, as in other epistles, turns into intercessory prayer for the readers. The Apostle with the greatest gentleness points out to the readers what they still lack. Out of love he desires greater “knowledge” or more precisely greater awareness (έπίγνοσης) and “judgment,” that is, greater moral discernment (αίσθήσεις), so that they do not direct it toward the unworthy, do not make it some kind of indifferent condescension toward everyone without exception.

Philippians 1:10. That you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, Through these qualities of love, the Philippians will also appear at the judgment of Christ as pure in heart and without offense, that is, from the standpoint of their conduct offensive to no one (άπρόσκοποι).

Philippians 1:11. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. But the ultimate purpose of the activity of a Christian and the desires of the Apostle is the glory of God. If indeed God acknowledges Christians as pure in judgment, then the result of this in the end will be the glorification of God Himself, who sent Christ to people, who gave them the power to work acts of righteousness. Thus the Apostle removes from the readers any reason for doubt.

Philippians 1:12. Now I want you to know, brethren, that the things which have happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the Gospel, Now turning to the account of his situation, which the Philippians were of course greatly troubled about, the Apostle reassures them by saying that the work of the Gospel has not suffered at all from the fact that the Apostle is in bonds. First, the soldiers who guarded Paul became convinced from conversations with him that he was imprisoned not for a political crime, but then Roman Christians, seeing that the Apostle himself could not preach the Gospel, began to do this work themselves. It is true that some of those envious of the Apostle began to attract new converts of Rome to their side, but this does not trouble the Apostle, for after all the name of Christ is proclaimed in Rome. As for his further fate, he is not afraid of it. If he is to suffer for Christ, he is glad of this. If he remains alive, he will be content with that, for he will labor still for the benefit of Christians. Moreover he says with confidence that this time his case will end favorably and he will still see the Philippians again.

Philippians 1:13. So that my imprisonment in Christ has become evident throughout the whole praetorium and to all the rest, The Philippians apparently informed the Apostle that they were troubled by the thought that the Apostle’s imprisonment in bonds might harm the work of preaching and the Apostle himself. The Apostle, in response to this inquiry, says that on the contrary, his imprisonment has only improved the work of preaching. The first thing he considers necessary to point out is the change in attitude toward the Apostle in people connected with him. First of all, “in the praetorium,” that is, among the praetorian soldiers (thus we understand the expression τό πραιτώριον, along with P. Ewald, not as a designation of the place where the praetorian soldiers lived, but as a designation of the praetorian detachment itself), who took turns guarding the prisoner, it became known that this prisoner was bound for Christ (the expression “for Christ” is more naturally connected with “has become evident”). Besides, “and all the rest,” whoever had dealings with the Apostle, that is, various officials, also became convinced that Paul was not some political or criminal offender at all.

Philippians 1:14. and most of the brothers in the Lord, having been encouraged by my chains, are much bolder to speak the word of God without fear. Paul’s imprisonment, which testified that he was deeply convinced of the truth of the Gospel, motivated some other Christians as well to boldly undertake the work of preaching.

Philippians 1:15. Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and rivalry, and some also from good will: Philippians 1:16. The latter preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, thinking to add affliction to my imprisonment; Philippians 1:17. But the former out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Gospel. From among these brother preachers, some undertook preaching with very unworthy intentions and not from pure motives. There were people who envied Paul’s success as a preacher, and now, prompted by “selfish ambition” or a desire to gain glory and at the same time wishing to cause grief to Paul, whom they considered like themselves, they began to gather disciples. They thus acted “insincerely,” not from true love for the cause of the Gospel. All the more did the Apostle find comfort in those preachers who acted solely out of love both for the Apostle and for his cause in general, for the cause of the salvation of the Gentiles.

Philippians 1:18. What then? Except that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice. The Apostle nonetheless rejoices that the Gospel is spreading: after all, his enemies—enemies of Paul, not of Christ—preached the Gospel that is genuine, unfeigned, and the name of Christ became increasingly known.

Philippians 1:19. For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, But the Apostle is not only calm regarding the Gospel: he is also not afraid for his own fate just now. More correctly, this verse should be translated: “For I know that this will result in my salvation” (Job 13:16) through your prayer and through the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. The Apostle is obviously speaking of a revelation that came to him (“I know”) and of a conviction that pervades him in his deliverance.

Philippians 1:20. According to my earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. But the good outcome which the apostle foresees corresponds to his “earnest expectation” or more precisely: “his intense anticipation” (άποκαραδοκία Rom 8:19) and his hope that he will not be ashamed in anything, but that “with all boldness,” more precisely “in every bold open display” (παρρησία cf. Col 2:15), Christ Himself will be magnified in the body of the Apostle. In other words: God will magnify Christ openly, using for this the body of the Apostle, making him serve with his body—by his death or by miraculous unexpected preservation—to the glory of Christ; the one or the other outcome is before the Apostle—in any case he hopes that this outcome will be for him not shame, but rather glory.

Philippians 1:21. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. The Apostle said that even death for Christ would correspond to his inner sincere desire (“my hope”—ελπίδα μου Phil 1:20). Now he clarifies this position. Therefore he does not fear death, because through it he will gain new true life (το ζην), life with Christ, who is Himself life for the Apostle (cf. Gal 2:20).

Philippians 1:22. If to live in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. Philippians 1:23. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Philippians 1:24. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Living in the body, the Apostle will certainly do much for the spread of Christianity (“fruitful labor for my cause”), and he is not averse to laboring still. But to him personally the separation from this life (“depart”) seems more pleasant, although again he cannot forget the believers who surely long to have the Apostle among them.

Philippians 1:25. And being convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, Philippians 1:26. That your boasting in Christ Jesus may abound through me on my coming to you again. The Apostle expresses confidence, based on exact knowledge (“and I am convinced of this”), that this time death does not threaten him. He will remain alive and will see the readers of the epistle again (“remain with you”—παραμένω, according to John Chrysostom’s interpretation, has precisely this meaning). Being in communion with the Apostle, the Philippians will increasingly perfect themselves in faith and rejoice in this (“for your progress and joy of faith”). And as a consequence, they will have the right to receive praise in abundant measure “through Jesus Christ” or, properly, in Jesus Christ (έν X. I). By these last words the Apostle wants to indicate what the praise of the readers should be. This is truly Christian praise, not like ordinary human boasting. And by adding that this praise should abound through him (“through me”—έν έμοί), the Apostle places himself in the position of a necessary instrument through whose mediation this praise should abound. He himself, his fate, becomes the object of boasting among the Philippians. “Look what our teacher—Paul—is like!” they say, hearing what is happening with the Apostle… Especially will they boast and triumph when Paul appears among them again, freed from his darkness (“when I come to you again”).

Philippians 1:27. Only let your conduct be worthy of the Gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel, But the favorable results of the Philippians’ faith will occur only if they, the readers, will conduct themselves worthily of their Christian calling and unitedly struggle against the enemies of the Gospel. “Let your conduct be worthy”—πολιτεύεσθε, that is, live as citizens of a new kingdom, a new society of Christ. “Worthy of the Gospel.” Here the Gospel is depicted as a mirror of a new legislation, containing certain laws and customs… “Whether I come…” The Apostle does not doubt his release, but fears that circumstances may delay him somewhere after his release and he will not be able to visit the readers. “Stand fast in one spirit,” that is, preserve unity of mood (“spirit” here means the human spirit, as later it is paralleled by “soul”—μία ψυχή—in Russian: “with one mind”). “Striving together”—συναθλοΰντες, that is, striving together with me (άθλοΰν to labor and struggle) for faith (as a religious principle) which is based on the Gospel.

Philippians 1:28. And not frightened in any way by your adversaries, which is to them an evident sign of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. “Adversaries,” that is, adversaries of Christian faith—unbelieving Gentiles and Jews. “Which”—that is, the fact that you are not frightened by your adversaries. “Perdition and salvation”—here the final, eternal consequences are meant (cf. 2 Thess 1:5-10). “And that from God.” Both the fear of enemies which the firmness of Christians produces in them, and the salvation of Christians—all are from God. More naturally, however, this addition is to be referred only to the expression “to you of salvation.”

Philippians 1:29. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, To instill greater courage in the readers, the Apostle says that they should consider it a matter of special God’s mercy that they are called not only to maintain faith in Christ but also to suffer for Him.

Philippians 1:30. Having the same struggle which you saw in me and now hear is in me. Even more should the awareness that they are striving in the same common struggle as their teacher—Paul—embolden them. They already know of his struggles for faith (“you saw”—more precisely: you know—εΐδετε), since the Apostle had already undertaken such a struggle in their city (Acts 16:22), and besides they hear from Christians who came to them from Rome. * * * Notes By “judgment,” according to Meyer, one may also understand spiritual discernment, experiential acquaintance with a matter, similar to that which we receive when we taste fruit that is offered to us. We already know what kind of fruit it is by appearance, but we truly know its taste only by tasting it. Such experience is higher than knowledge, because the latter extends more to the form, appearance, color of objects, while experience gives us knowledge of the essence of a thing. Love, of which the Apostle speaks here, must not only be known but also experienced. And since knowledge can be an independent action of man, while experience is given by God—God gives us to experience His love by communicating it to us—the Apostle considers it necessary to pray to God not only for the communication of knowledge of love to the Philippians, but even more for experiential acquaintance with it. For the latter, above all, prayer to God is necessary. Some modern theologians build an amazing theory of preaching on this. According to their view, which they try to base on verse 18, the personality of a Gospel preacher has no significance for the success of his preaching. It may be that the preacher himself does not believe what he is saying, but his preaching will nevertheless have success and even greater success than that of a believing preacher: God Himself through His Spirit acts on the listeners… One cannot agree with such a view (which Meyer also holds), because the work of human salvation becomes completely mechanical in such a case. And besides, why would Christ “choose” apostle preachers? Would it not have been better to take someone who happened to come along?

Chapter Two

Exhortation to unity of mind and humility and an example of the latter—the Lord Jesus Christ (1–18). Regarding the intended sending to Philippi of Timothy and the return to the Philippians of Epaphroditus (19–30).

Philippians 2:1. Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, At the end of the previous chapter the Apostle said what the Philippians should be like, and now he points out the means by which they can achieve what the Apostle desires. Namely, they need to have for this unity of mind, which in turn is necessarily caused by humility. In explaining what the Apostle understands by humility, he points to the Lord Jesus Christ, who demonstrated the highest degree of humility in His self-emptying for the benefit of mankind. After indicating that for His humility the Lord Jesus Christ was exalted by God, the Apostle invites the Philippians to act with special caution in the matter of achieving their salvation and not to fall into doubt. The section concludes with a hearty commendation of the steadfastness which the readers of the epistle demonstrate in preserving the Gospel.

Philippians 2:2. Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind. The Philippians already have various virtues. “Consolation in Christ”—more properly: “exhortation, mutual brotherly exhortation—such as Christ taught” (παράκλησις έν Χριστω). “Comfort of love”—more precisely: comfort coming from a feeling of love. Fellowship of the Spirit—cf. Phil 1:27. “Affection”—that is, a good heart (σπλάγχνα). “Mercy,”—that is, individual expressions of love (οίκτιρμοί—cf. Rom 12:1). If such virtues exist among the readers—and they truly do exist (such a thought must necessarily be added here)—then this gladdens the Apostle. But his joy will be complete only if the readers have complete unity of mind among themselves, and moreover not only in relation to faith (“like-minded”), but also in relation to love (“the same love”). “Of one accord and of one mind”—a strengthened designation of inner unity.

Philippians 2:3. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. Philippians 2:4. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. To achieve complete unity in thoughts and love it is necessary to free oneself from “selfish ambition,” that is, from the inclination to act for personal advantage (εριθεία) and from “conceit” or empty boasting (κενοδοξία). “Let each esteem others better than themselves.” In this humility is shown. But will it be fair in every case to disparage myself before others? Perhaps I am actually superior in dignity to my neighbor? The Apostle’s call must be understood, of course, in the sense that each of us should always think about ourselves thus: “I have not fulfilled my task, have not realized all the possibilities contained in my nature. If I have done more than another, perhaps it is because I had more inducements to do so, and perhaps I could have done much more than the other, who has done all he was able to do.” “But also for the interests of others.” The Apostle is not speaking here against a man’s love for himself, but against narrow egotism, which for its own interests completely refuses to see the needs of a neighbor.

Philippians 2:5. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: According to recent research, “the particle” “for” (γάρ) here is an insertion (Ewald, p. 102). In that case one must suppose that with verse 5 begins the speech about imitating Christ. “In the readers,” says the Apostle, “there should be the same feelings or, better, the same disposition (φρονείσθω έν ΰμΐν) as was in Jesus Christ.” And what disposition Christ displayed—about this the Apostle speaks further, in the following relative clause.

Philippians 2:6. Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God; “Being in the form of God.” Much has been disputed about which Christ the Apostle has in mind here—the pre-existent Christ before His incarnation, the Son of God not yet having taken on human flesh, or the Son of God already incarnate. The first interpretation belongs to almost all Christian antiquity and the majority of modern interpreters, while the second belongs to Novatian, Ambrose, and Pelagius, and later to Erasmus, Luther, Calvin, and from modern scholars to Derner, Phillips, and Ritschl, and to Prof. Glubokovskii (cf. Gospel of the Apostle Paul, vol. 2, p. 287). The form of God (μορφή Θεοΰ) according to the latter interpretation would denote the divine majesty, power, and authority which Christ possessed and had while on earth, though He did not usually display it. But such an interpretation is difficult to accept. After all, form (μορφή) is in any case something that can be seen by all and under any circumstances. But according to the interpretation being considered, Christ usually did not show His divine power. Still more decisively against such an understanding speaks the word “emptied”—έκένωσεν which follows (Phil 2:7), which cannot mean: “did not use, did not apply to a matter, concealed,” but speaks of actual emptying and deprivation. Therefore it is more correct to understand this expression: “being in the form or in the image of God” as speaking of the state of Christ before His incarnation, although the subject “He” (ός) however will denote not only the pre-existent Christ but also at the same time Christ in the state of incarnation—a person who remained essentially one and the same both in the state of pre-existence and in the state of incarnation. As for the term “form” itself μορφή, in distinction from σχήμα (verse 7), it often denotes something belonging to the subject by its nature, flowing from the very nature of the subject (cf. Rom 8:29; Phil 3:10; Gal 4:19). So here μορφή may denote such a form of existence in which divine being finds for itself an adequate expression, so that from this form one can draw conclusions about the nature of the subject as well. Finally, the expression “being” υπάρχων is stronger than simple “being” ών (from είναι—to be), indicating the reality of being, though at the same time it hints that this being in majesty was temporary and could cease. “Did not consider it robbery to be equal with God”—ούχ άρπαγμόν ήγήσατο τό εΐναι. The Russian translation for some reason understands the verb ήγήσατο as past imperfective tense, whereas an aorist is used here, meaning a past action, quickly completed, a single act. It is better therefore to translate this verb with the expression: “did not regard.” “Robbery”—άρπαγμός. Russian translators give this word an active meaning: “robbery” is an act or action. But in that case the Russian translation becomes completely incomprehensible. What does it mean: to regard or consider being equal to God as robbery? After all, the word “robbery” denotes an action, while “being equal to God” is a state. How can one regard an action as a state? It is probable that the translators used the word “robbery” instead of the word “plundered.” In that case, when under άρπαγμός we understand “plundered” or, more correctly, that which should be plundered, the meaning of the entire expression becomes completely clear to us. The Apostle wants to say that the Son of God, who from eternity had the form of God or the glory and majesty of God, before His incarnation did not consider it necessary to forcibly, contrary to the purpose of the Divine Council for man’s salvation, retain for Himself being equal to God or, properly, the form of existence which He had from eternity as the true God. By “being equal to God” is meant precisely the state in which God exists, not the divine nature, because no one, not even God, can be freed from his own nature.

Philippians 2:7. But emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. “But emptied Himself”—more precisely: emptied (έκένωσεν), voluntarily deprived Himself of that divine glory and power to which He had full right even in the state of incarnation. “Taking the form of a bondservant.” The indefinite concept “emptied Himself” becomes sufficiently definite through this addition. His divine form of existence, the Lord Jesus Christ regards not as a treasure which He just found and for which He needs to hold tightly, but He frees Himself from it, assuming instead of the former form of existence a new form—the existence of a bondservant. Whose bondservant Christ became—this is not said. The important thing is that He became a bondservant, that from a state of complete freedom and independence He entered into a position of subjection (cf. 2 Cor 8:9). Here the expression “form of a bondservant” denotes only the form of bondservant existence, because a bondservant nature does not exist: only a state or position of bondage exists. It is clear that the Apostle here intended to speak not of the incarnation of the Son of God (then he would simply have said “took the form of a man”), but of His self-emptying, yet of a real self-emptying, not an apparent one. He only after His resurrection appeared in “another form” corresponding to His glorification, but before the resurrection He lived as a bondservant, not as a Lord (cf. Mark 10 and Matt 28:18). The Apostle thus points out to the readers that the path to glorification, which they hoped for, lies through self-emptying and that they should not only not appropriate to themselves a glory not belonging to them, but should also refuse, for the accomplishment of their salvation, even that which belongs to them. This is exactly how Christ did, who refused to display on earth that glory which belongs to Him as God. He thus corrected the transgression of Adam, who wanted to be a god (Gen 3:5). “Coming in the likeness of men.” The Apostle said of Christ that He became a bondservant. But in Scripture bondservants include God’s angels (Heb 1:14). The Apostle therefore wants to say specifically what kind of bondservant condition Christ accepted, and he says that He assumed not the nature of an angel, but of man. Using the expression “in the likeness of man” (έν όμοιώματι άνθρ.), the Apostle thereby makes it clear that Christ was only “like” people, but in reality was not identical with them, since He did not have inherited sin, and at the same time He remained even in the flesh the Son of God (cf. Rom 1:3; Gal 4:4). “And in appearance becoming like a man.” Here the Apostle has in mind the external appearance (σχήμα) of Christ—His habits, gestures, speech, actions, and even clothing. To all who encountered Him, He appeared as an ordinary man—a humble rabbi…

Philippians 2:8. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Christ, upon becoming incarnate, could have lived quietly, as rabbis lived. But He humbled Himself, endured various hardships and insults. These sufferings ended for Him in a terrible and shameful death on the cross, on which He was hung as a criminal.

Philippians 2:9. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, Now the Apostle points to the exaltation of Christ after death, as a special motivation for the readers to walk the same path of hardship that Christ walked. By “exaltation” of Christ one must understand not only the spatial raising of Christ from the earthly realm to heaven, but also, so to speak, a qualitative exaltation of Him. In agreement with St. Athanasius of Alexandria, here one can see an indication of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (Athan., oration 1). “And given Him the name”…, that is, the name “Lord” (cf. Phil 2:11). This name, of course, shows the highest position of Christ in relation to all that exists: He is the lord or ruler of the universe.

Philippians 2:10. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, Philippians 2:11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. That at the name of Jesus. Cf. Acts 4:12. Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and men, and in His name or through Him man bows or bends his knee, seeing in Him the true God. But not only men, but also beings dwelling “in heaven,” that is, angels, and those living “under the earth,” that is, demons, must acknowledge the power of Christ. It is possible, however, to number among the “heavenly” also glorified believers, and among the “earthly” also the departed sinners. “Every tongue,” that is, all rational beings of different spheres—earthly, heavenly, and of the underworld. “To the glory of God the Father.” The Apostle in other epistles as well (e.g., Eph 1:6; Rom 15:9) represents the ultimate purpose of all things as the glorification of God. Thus the Apostle impressed upon the readers that if they, as Christians, dream of achieving glorification, of which, for instance, the risen Lord Jesus Christ spoke to the apostles before His death (Luke 22:29), then they should, following the example of their Lord, go toward it by the path of self-humbling and think more not of their own glory, but of the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:12. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; The Apostle from the brief story of Christ the Savior, who through self-denial and suffering reached the goal which He set for Himself, draws the conclusion that the Philippians should regard the work of their own salvation—which here must be understood in the sense of an act occurring in the human soul—with fear and trembling before God, employing on their part all the strength of self-sacrifice. This on their part—that is, fear and trembling before God—is especially necessary at the present time, when the Apostle Paul is not with them, who before by his very presence among the Philippians instilled courage in them.

Philippians 2:13. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. The Philippians should not be exalted in their thoughts, because God, not they, is truly the one acting in their salvation: He Himself both produces in them the disposition toward a good deed and gives them strength for accomplishing good strivings. In all things, in a word, He acts according to His good pleasure, not according to the merits of man. “This passage speaks on one hand against Pelagianism, and on the other hand, through its connection with verse 12, clearly shows how far the Apostle is from the teaching about the coercive action of God’s grace on the human will. The Apostle here says that God’s grace accomplishes man’s salvation not without his participation” (Nazaryevsky, p. 93).

Philippians 2:14. Do all things without complaining and disputing, In the work of their salvation the Philippians should avoid complaining and doubt regarding what God prompts them to do. A doubting person, moreover, obviously regards himself too lowly, and this should not be in a person redeemed by Christ.

Philippians 2:15. That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, Philippians 2:16. Holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Philippians 2:17. But if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Philippians 2:18. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me. The goal which Christians should have in mind, walking the path of self-denial, consists in becoming innocent before God’s judgment and free from the stains of sin (ιάκέραιοι—in Russian translation: “blameless”), so as to become true children of God, upon whom there shall not fall the terrible verdict which will befall crooked and perverse children, compared with whom the Philippians, preserving the word of life or the Gospel, appear directly as true lights of the world. Then, on the day of the coming of Christ, the Apostle will be able to boast that his labors in Philippi were not in vain. To show how glad he is to see the steadfastness of the Philippians in faith, the Apostle says that if even he were destined now to be poured out, as a libation (consisting in wine), upon that sacrifice which he himself offers to God in the form of a church made up of Gentiles, then even then the Apostle would not lose his joyful mood. The same joy he instills in the Philippians themselves: they should rejoice both for him, because he is able to go to death for them, and for themselves, because they—so at least the Apostle supposes—are also capable of any self-denial for the sake of faith in the Gospel.

Philippians 2:19. But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. The thought that he might soon have to die prompts the Apostle to take care that someone would help the Philippians in his place in the difficult circumstances of their life. The Apostle’s choice in this case rests on his friend and disciple—Timothy. No one is distinguished by such devotion to Christ and to him, Paul, as Timothy. However, the Apostle intends to send Timothy to the Philippians only when he receives definite information about the status of his case. At the same time, the confidence in a favorable outcome of his trial does not leave him, so he also promises, after his release from bonds, to come to Philippi himself. For now the Apostle comforts the Philippians by sending them their representative, Epaphroditus, their fellow citizen. Let the Philippians receive him with joy, because he did not spare his life in the service of Christ’s cause. “Timothy”—see Acts 16:1-3.

Philippians 2:20. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your welfare, “Like-minded,” that is, similar in spirit and character to Apostle Paul (ϊσόψυχον).

Philippians 2:21. For everyone seeks his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. The Apostle has in mind here not his coworkers, who at that time were far from him, but ordinary, perhaps only recently converted to Christ, people.

Philippians 2:22. But you know his proven character, because as a son with his father, he served with me in the Gospel. “Proven character”—more precisely: proven worth or experience (δοκιμήν). “He served with me”—more precisely: he served together with me (σύν έμοί έδούλευσεν) Christ’s Gospel. “As a son with his father”—more precisely: as a son with a father, that is, imitating his father in all things (cf. 1 Cor 16:10).

Philippians 2:23. Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how things go with me. Philippians 2:24. But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. Regarding Timothy the Apostle does say that he hopes to send him to the Philippians when his situation becomes finally clear. But he speaks with confidence about himself (“I trust”—πέποιθα) that he will certainly visit the Philippians. He probably has in mind a special revelation received from the Lord Christ (“in the Lord”).

Philippians 2:25. Yet I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and minister to my need; For now the Apostle considers it more necessary (for explanation of the necessity see Phil 2:26) to send to the Philippians a certain Epaphroditus, a resident of the city of Philippi. This is an outstanding man as a fellow fighter of Paul in the struggle for Christ’s cause. The Philippians know him well, because he serves as their accredited envoy (properly—apostle—άπόστολον) with Paul and as a minister who brought to Paul what was necessary for his own support from the Philippians.

Philippians 2:26. For he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you heard that he was sick. Philippians 2:27. For indeed he was sick almost to the point of death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Epaphroditus, while in Rome, fell seriously ill. Probably the journey to Rome and staying in Rome during the summer months, as now, presented a danger to health at that time. A person who becomes ill in a foreign land always yearns in his soul for home, toward his close ones, and Epaphroditus also very much wanted to see his relatives soon and to comfort them by his return to them in full health. The Apostle joyfully adds that God had mercy on Epaphroditus, for otherwise, if his illness had resulted in death, the Apostle would have blamed himself for such an outcome: after all, Epaphroditus contracted the illness because of him. The Apostle already has to grieve over the fact that he is in prison. And Epaphroditus’s death would have caused him new sorrow…

Philippians 2:28. Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. The Apostle sent Epaphroditus sooner than he had reckoned. Apparently his illness did not last very long. By sending Epaphroditus to the Philippians, the Apostle of course gladdened them and at the same time himself, because it brought him joy to see and know that his spiritual children were in a joyful state. In relation to Paul this was not, however, complete joy: he became from this only “less sorrowful,” and his sorrows continued, and he could never free himself from them (2 Cor 11:29).

Philippians 2:29. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem, Philippians 2:30. Because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service to me. The Apostle asks to receive Epaphroditus “with all,” that is, with complete joy and in general asks to respect such workers. Indeed,—he adds,—Epaphroditus did not spare his life for his own cause, but for Christ’s cause, and consequently for the common good of believers. Namely, he wanted to supply through his service what had not yet been done by the Philippians for Apostle Paul. If he only served the Apostle, then still, in fact, he was working for the good of Christ’s cause: Christ’s cause is the work which Christ accomplishes on earth through His disciples. * * * Notes Critical editions of the New Testament text all read here: “let this mind be in you” (τουφρονείτε), since the expression: “let this mind be in you” (τουφρονεΐσθω) is not found in the oldest manuscripts and translations. Nevertheless, the latter reading should be preferred to the former, because, first of all, it is accepted by the majority of Greek fathers, and secondly, if here we can speak of a correction made by a copyist, then it is more natural to suppose that the more difficult and unusual expression φρονείσθω was changed to the more understandable φρονείτε (in accordance with verse 2, πληρώσατε), than the opposite. It is said that the very expression “in Christ Jesus” (verse 5) testifies to the fact that the Apostle has in mind here the already incarnate Son of God. But this reference says nothing, because in Col. 1 it is said that “through Jesus Christ” all things were created. This means that this expression does not denote only the Son of God who has already taken on human flesh. Furthermore, some point to a certain “strangeness” of the idea that Christians should take as an example Christ still preparing to take on human flesh. In this, however, there is nothing strange, since Christians are invited to imitate even God Himself, their Heavenly Father (Matt 5:48; Eph 5:1). It is understandable, however, that we must not consider this expression to denote an externally observable form of existence: God is invisible, and the Son of God before incarnation is also invisible. “Form” therefore is more correctly translated: “mode of existence” rather than “form of appearance.” To appear—before incarnation, to the Logos there was no one and no reason to appear to… However, this expression undoubtedly contains the thought that the incarnate Christ remained God. After all, the Apostle here speaks of the same One who from eternity existed in the form of God, who had, that is, the divine nature. He, this eternal Logos, did not change His nature, but only took on also human nature. Bishop Theophan says: “Taking the form of a bondservant—having taken on a composite nature, which, whatever level it may be at, is always subject to God. What follows from this?—That the Beginningless begins, the Omnipresent is bound to a place, the Eternal lives through days, months, and years, the All-perfect grows in stature and in wisdom. And all this He goes through, being God by nature, taking on the created nature.” St. John Chrysostom sees in these words encouragement for the Christian man in his striving to please God, because when man wishes it, then God will also act, bringing human will to the level of the firmest resolve. By this interpretation, however, man’s own will is not taken away: the latter is only strengthened by divine assistance.

Chapter Three

The Apostle warns readers against being drawn in by the teaching of those who judaize (1–11). An exhortation to imitate the Apostle in striving toward Christian perfection (12–21).

Philippians 3:1. Furthermore, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is not burdensome to me, and for you it is necessary. Concluding the previous section of the epistle with an exhortation to rejoice in the Lord, the Apostle now turns to a new situation that caused him great concern—namely, the possibility that false teachers who judaize might appear among the Philippians. He portrays their methods of promoting Judaism in harsh terms and, by contrast, describes his own relation to Judaism and its advantages. Specifically, he has renounced all the aspirations of Judaism and devotes himself entirely to being in Christ. This verse constitutes the conclusion of the previous chapter. The Apostle spoke at length about Timothy and Epaphroditus (Phil 2:19-30). The arrival of the latter among the Philippians should bring them joy (Phil 2:29). Regarding other matters which the Apostle did not address (“furthermore”—more accurately: regarding what remains—τά λοιπόν), they too should rejoice. If the Apostle does not speak in detail about these “remaining” matters, it is not because he lacks the desire: he can gladly write on the same subject several times (“the same things”—τά αύτα), and he knows it will be useful (“necessary”) for the readers, because the exhortation to joy will encourage them. But—such is the unspoken thought that marks the transition to the following section—he now needs to address troubling matters and change the tone of his speech.

Philippians 3:2. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh— Philippians 3:3. for we are the circumcision, those who serve God by the Spirit and boast in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— The Philippians face a serious threat from false teachers who judaize. They must therefore be very careful—the Apostle repeats the word “beware” three times. The Apostle does not hesitate to use harsh language to characterize these false teachers. He calls them “dogs” in the sense that all their endeavors are unclean at their core, despite their outward appearance of holiness: the dog was considered unclean by the Jews (Isa 66:3; Matt 7:6). They are “evil workers”—more accurately: “bad workmen” in God’s vineyard, because they harm the gospel by introducing into believers’ minds a new and incorrect notion that they must observe, in addition to the gospel’s precepts, the requirements of the Mosaic Law. Finally, they are “circumcision”—more accurately: “mutilation, mere maiming, or the mutilated” (ή κατατομή, whereas true circumcision is called ή περιτομή). In truth, the circumcision demanded by those who judaize has already lost its original symbolic meaning and become merely a meaningless operation. True circumcision is now embodied in Christians: they serve God not by the flesh but by the Spirit, which is what the Old Testament circumcision pointed toward; they trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, not in being circumcised in the flesh or possessing any other fleshly advantage (see further in Phil 3:5-6).

Philippians 3:4. though I also could boast in the flesh. If anyone else considers confidence in the flesh, I have more— Philippians 3:5. circumcised on the eighth day, of the nation Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee— Philippians 3:6. regarding zeal, a persecutor of the Church of God; regarding the righteousness of the law, blameless. To make his warning against those who judaize more persuasive, the Apostle describes his own relationship to the law and to Judaism in general, with all its advantages. He himself possessed everything in which those who judaize might boast or will boast before the Philippians. He received circumcision at the prescribed time (“on the eighth day” after birth); he came from the nation of Israel, not from some Edomite people; he belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, which “remained faithful ally of the tribe of Judah and with it preserved the hope of Israel—the temple, all its orders, and all its promises” (Bp. Theophylact); and he was a Hebrew of Hebrews, that is, a true and pure-blooded Hebrew, descended from a lineage that had not mixed with foreign peoples. All of this, so to speak, was independent of Paul. As for his personal service to Judaism, it was equally great. First, he followed the teaching of the Pharisees, which the Jews considered most correct (Acts 26:5); second, he persecuted the Church of Christ, which testified to his zeal for the Jewish religion (cf. Gal 1:14); and third, he was “blameless” in his adherence to the precepts concerning righteousness—he fulfilled all the ordinances of the law.

Philippians 3:7. But whatever was gain to me, this I have counted loss for the sake of Christ. However, the Apostle has recognized as pure loss (ζημίαν—translated in Russian inaccurately as “loss”) all that previously seemed to him an advantage. Thus his perspective changed when he believed in Christ (“for the sake of Christ”). Indeed, these advantages were harmful to him as a Christian; they hindered him from acquiring the mindset that was in Christ Jesus (Phil 2:5).

Philippians 3:8. But more than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have forfeited all things and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ— The Apostle repeats this acknowledgment regarding the present time. Even now, having converted to Christianity, the Apostle counts the knowledge—clear understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom he calls “his” with special affection—as far superior to those former Jewish advantages in which he once delighted and which he now considers mere rubbish to be thrown out of a house. He desires only to “gain Christ,” that is, to fully appropriate Christ to himself, to make him his inner treasure, which is attained through the prolonged process of Christian self-development.

Philippians 3:9. and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith— The believer must be “found in Christ” as if becoming part of him. But this is possible only on the condition that a person base this striving toward Christ not on his own righteousness, but on confidence that only Christ gives us justification (cf. Rom 10:3). The Apostle calls this righteousness, granted by Christ, righteousness received from God on the basis of faith, because it is God himself acting through Christ in the work of our salvation (Rom 8:32-33). The expression “on the basis of faith” better replaces the phrase “on faith,” according to the Greek text (έπί τή πίστει), and refers to the verb “be found.” The Apostle desires to “be found in Christ” as one who is grounded on faith (Nazaryevsky, p. 123).

Philippians 3:10. that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death— The Apostle renounced all his Jewish advantages (Phil 3:8) for the sake of, first, “knowing Christ”—knowing him experimentally, through inner experience, as his Lord and Redeemer; second, knowing “the power of His resurrection,” that is, the power flowing from His resurrection, which transforms us into a new state—the life of heaven, although it begins and continues here on earth (cf. Phil 3:20); and third, knowing fellowship in His sufferings—that is, to know and experience inwardly, in his own sufferings, the meaning of Christ’s sufferings. “Being conformed to His death.” These words are dependent on the words Phil 3:8: I have forfeited all things. The Apostle means to say that his life is properly not life in the sense that ordinary people attach to this word, but constant dying (1 Cor 15:31) with Christ: constant suffering makes it resemble the death of Christ.

Philippians 3:11. if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. According to the usual interpretation, the Apostle speaks here of walking the path of suffering in order to deserve resurrection in glory (Chrysostom). But Ewald points out that the Apostle uses an unusual expression here—έξανάστασις ή έχ νεκρών (while ordinarily, to denote “resurrection of the dead,” the Apostle uses the expression άνάστασις νεκρών). Based on a parallel passage from Eph 5:14 (“rise from the dead”), Ewald interprets this expression in a figurative sense, designating spiritual uprising from among the spiritually dead. The Apostle, by renouncing his Jewish advantages, aimed to escape from the deadening environment in which he previously existed. The context of the speech supports the plausibility of such an interpretation.

Philippians 3:12. Not that I have already attained, or have already become perfect, but I strive so that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. The Apostle spoke of his perfection, for which he renounced Judaism, apparently as something already fully attained by him, as a matter quite certain. Some dreamers could easily distort his words and say that all Christians in general have already attained perfection (cf. 2 Tim 2:18). The Apostle now says that he still has far to go to reach complete perfection: he has only just begun his long and difficult journey toward it. Here the Apostle has in mind only religious perfection (Phil 3:12-16), but then he also speaks of moral perfection (Phil 3:17 and following). In inviting them to imitate the example of himself and his friends in the latter regard, he speaks with sorrow of many Christians who live only for pleasure, forgetting that the true goal of all Christian striving is life in heaven.

Philippians 3:13. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have grasped it; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead— Philippians 3:14. I pursue the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. The Apostle has already been seized by Christ, and now pursues him so as not to lose salvation (Blessed Theodoret). He is like a runner in a race competing for speed to win a prize. The Apostle’s life is a constant run, a constant striving forward, aimed at winning the heavenly reward. Just as a runner thinks only of how to reach the finish line as quickly as possible, so the Apostle does not think about what he has accomplished but only about what still lies before him. In this striving he relies on faith in Christ and his promises (“in Christ Jesus”).

Philippians 3:15. Let those of us who are mature think this way; if you think differently about anything, God will reveal it to you. Philippians 3:16. Nevertheless, let us maintain the same standard we have already attained and live by it. This is how one should think about the possibility of “Christian perfection.” Perhaps the readers still do not understand that such perfection cannot exist on earth, but they will understand it in time: “our God” (that is, God as Father of Christians—in Greek the word God—θεός is used with the article—ό) will reveal it to them. For now, they should hold fast to what they have already attained and not turn back.

Philippians 3:17. Join together in following my example, brothers, and observe those who live according to the pattern you have in us. Philippians 3:18. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ— Philippians 3:19. whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who are minded on earthly things. The Apostle now begins to speak against moral corruption. He himself and his friends should serve as examples for the Philippian Christians, and in that case the readers will be able to protect themselves from the influence of immoral people, of whom unfortunately there are many among them. The life of such Christians stands in direct opposition to what the cross of Christ teaches. Indeed, those who belong to Christ have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires (Gal 5:24). Such dissolute Christians will not share in the blessedness that the cross of Christ guarantees for those who honor it. These people are true idolaters, because they serve their belly as an idol and even boast in their shameful conduct. Apparently, the Apostle does not here refer to the Judaizers mentioned earlier (Phil 3:2 and following), but to ordinary Christians who have not been able to shed the former vices that dominated them in paganism.

Philippians 3:20. But our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ— Philippians 3:21. who will transform our lowly body to conform to His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to bring all things into subjection to Himself. Such a life direction is completely incompatible with Christianity. The citizenship of a Christian (more accurately: civil status—τό πολίτευμα) is in heaven. Earth is something foreign to the Christian. His thoughts are directed to where Christ is (Col 3:1 and following) and from where He will appear to bring believers to their desired goal. They await that Christ will then transform their earthly body, in which they feel bound (cf. Rom 8:23), and which will be replaced by another, similar to the bright body in which Christ rose from the dead (cf. Rom 8:29). The Apostle Paul understands this transformation of bodies as the action of the miraculous power of the Lord Jesus Christ and as extending to all Christians, both living and dead (1 Cor 15:51 and following).

Chapter Four

Exhortations to particular individuals and to all readers in general (1–9). Gratitude for assistance to the Apostle (10–12). Greetings and conclusion (21–23).

Philippians 4:1. Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brothers, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord, my beloved friends. The Apostle first addresses all the Philippians with an exhortation to hold fast in faith, then urges particular persons toward unity of mind. Then he again turns to an exhortation of general character, consisting of a call to preserve truly Christian joy, gentleness, trust in God’s help, and other truly Christian qualities and strivings. This verse actually constitutes the conclusion to the previous exhortation (Phil 3:17). By calling the readers his “joy and crown” that adorns his head, expressing his ardent love for them (“beloved”), the Apostle asks them to “stand firm in the Lord,” that is, to keep Christ’s commandments as he, Paul, does.

Philippians 4:2. I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. “Euodia and Syntyche” are Christian women, but their position in the church is unknown. Perhaps they were deaconesses and disagreed with each other about the understanding and division of their duties. The Apostle asks them to “be of the same mind about the Lord,” that is, concerning the work of serving God.

Philippians 4:3. Yes, I also ask you, loyal companion, help these women, who have striven alongside me in the gospel, together with Clement and my other fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. “Companion”—more accurately: Syzygus (σύγζυγε—the Russian translation “companion” allows too much vagueness, as the Apostle had many companions). “Loyal”—more precisely: true, genuine (γνήσιε), that is, one whose character fully corresponds to the meaning of the name Syzygus—companion. This was probably one of the “overseers” (Phil 1:1). He should help the aforementioned women come to agreement, because they had assisted the Apostle in the work of proclaiming the gospel. The Apostle mentions Clement of Philippi and his other fellow workers. Their names are already recorded in the book of the saved (“book of life”—cf. Exod 32:32 and Rev 20:12).

Philippians 4:4. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! The Apostle again turns to exhort the entire Philippian church. He speaks here, of course, of Christian joy (“in the Lord”), which can truly be constant (“always”), because the reasons for joy in Christians never cease (Basil the Great) and because earthly sorrows, which darken ordinary joy, hold no terror for the Christian (Rom 8:35 and following). But this joy does not exclude contrition over sins and weeping with those who weep, because these tears are as it were “seed and pledge of eternal joy” (Basil the Great).

Philippians 4:5. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. In calling them to be gentle with all, and thus even with enemies, the Apostle points as motivation to the approaching coming of Christ (cf. Jas 5:9). One should not obscure the joy of waiting for the Lord with any disputes with people.

Philippians 4:6. Be anxious for nothing, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God— This joy in the approaching meeting with Christ should not be darkened by excessive concern about earthly things (cf. Matt 6:25). One should seek help first of all from God, turning to him with prayer, in a prayerful attitude (προσευχή) and with various kinds of petitions, conscious of the need felt in a given moment (δεήσεις). But the petitions we make to God should be joined with expressions of gratitude for the blessings we have already received from God.

Philippians 4:7. and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Perhaps our prayer will not always be successful (cf. 2 Cor 12:8 and following), but in any case we can hope that peace will come into our soul in prayer and calm us from our turmoil and anxieties. Such peace, coming from God (“God’s”), stands incomparably above the peace that human reason (“above all understanding”) can give us. This peace will certainly preserve both the heart and the mind (“your thoughts”) in communion with Christ and not allow a person to fall away from Christ.

Philippians 4:8. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Here the Apostle joins in one exhortation all that he wanted to impart to the readers. “Finally”—more accurately: “regarding the rest” (τό λοιπόν). The readers’ thoughts should be directed toward what is “true,” not toward deception and hypocrisy (both in theoretical and moral respects), toward what is “honorable” or worthy (σεμνά), as befits noble souls who avoid everything base, toward what is “right,” that is, what our duty requires, toward what is “pure,” that is, inward integrity, incompatible with filthy thoughts, toward what is “lovely to people” and “of good repute” among them, for example toward charity, toward every “virtue” in itself, and toward every “praise,” that is, toward the same virtue insofar as it inspires enthusiastic regard in people. Remarkably, the terms the Apostle uses here were all known in Greek morality. The Apostle seems to want to say to Christians through these universal terms that they should not fall behind the best people of paganism.

Philippians 4:9. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. The Apostle sets himself as an example to imitate and says that if the readers follow the path he has marked out, then “the God of peace” will be with them. Thus the conclusion of verse 7 is repeated here. The Apostle means to say that virtues are valued especially because they lead to communion with God, who gives true peace to the souls of people.

Philippians 4:10. I rejoiced greatly in the Lord because now at length your concern for me has revived; you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. The Apostle expresses his joy that the Philippians sent him assistance and adds that this kindness was also beneficial to them, strengthening in them the feeling of love for the Apostle.

Philippians 4:11. I say this not because I am in need, for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. Philippians 4:12. I know how to live in poverty, and I know how to live in abundance; I have learned the secret in every circumstance, both to have plenty and to go hungry, both to have abundance and to go without. The Apostle Paul, on principle, did not wish to receive money from any church for his support. He worked himself in order to remain completely independent (1 Thess 2:7; 1 Cor 10:15-27; 2 Cor 11:7). Now the Philippians sent him assistance through Epaphroditus, and the Apostle, contrary to his principle, accepted this assistance, not wishing to grieve the Philippians with a refusal. But desiring to preserve his independence, he says that he rejoiced at this assistance “in the Lord,” that is, not with selfish personal joy but with true Christian joy. He rejoiced first of all for the benefactors themselves, the Philippians, because he saw from their deed that their circumstances had changed for the better. From 2 Corinthians (2 Cor 8:2 and following) we know that the Macedonian churches, including the Philippian church, had previously been in rather poor external circumstances and were also suffering persecution from enemies of Christianity. Now, apparently, they had recovered enough to send the Apostle assistance, which they had wished to send earlier but lacked the means. But let them not understand his gratitude to mean that he had long been waiting for their assistance. No, he knows how to be content with what he has at hand, and shortages do not weigh on him or rob him of peace of mind. In this ability to live in hardship he sees a special work of the Christ Jesus who strengthens him.

Philippians 4:13. I can do all things in Jesus Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:14. Nevertheless, you did well to share in my affliction. Philippians 4:15. You Philippians know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me as partners in giving and receiving, except you alone— Philippians 4:16. and you even sent support to me more than once when I was in Thessalonica. Yet the gift of the Philippians is very precious to the Apostle as proof of their sympathetic attitude toward his sufferings in chains. At the same time, the Apostle considers it fitting to remind the Philippians that they have held a specially friendly relation to the Apostle from the very time when the gospel began to spread from Macedonia throughout the Greek world. For them he made an exception to his fundamental rule even before, accepting assistance from them when he left Macedonia and again several times while he was in Thessalonica (“Gift” is the sending of assistance; “receiving” is the Philippians’ reception of spiritual blessings through the Apostle Paul).

Philippians 4:17. I am not looking for the gift itself, but I am looking for the fruit that increases to your account. Philippians 4:18. I have received everything in full and have more than enough. I am fully supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice well-pleasing and acceptable to God. Philippians 4:19. And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:20. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever! Amen. Again the Apostle repeats that what gladdens him is not the gift itself but the fact that this gift is the “fruit” of their Christian disposition, for what truly matters is not that he received a gift—he did not seek it—but that the Philippians themselves will have great “benefit” from this deed of theirs, and already are benefiting. Then, as though wishing to discourage further gifts, he assures the readers that he lacks nothing, indeed has a surplus. Then he gives the deed of the Philippians an unusually high assessment, comparing it to a sacrifice pleasing to God. Let God therefore reward them and satisfy all their needs, both bodily and spiritual (“every need of yours”). The Apostle concludes his thanksgiving with the glorification of God.

Philippians 4:21. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. This contains greetings both from the Apostle himself and from other Roman Christians, and serves as the conclusion—a blessing to the readers. The readers of the epistle should pass on the greeting from the Apostle to each member of the Philippian Church individually (“every saint”), since in the epistle the Apostle addressed several individual members of the Philippian church (Phil 1:1). “Brothers”—these are the ones the Apostle had in mind in Phil 2:21. If he rebuked them there, he still did not break fellowship with them and gladly sends their greetings to the readers of the epistle: they remain for him nonetheless “brothers,” even though apparently they disagreed with the Apostle Paul on some points.

Philippians 4:22. All the saints greet you, especially those from Caesar’s household. “Especially those from Caesar’s household,” that is, from the imperial court. These were probably various court officials belonging to the class of slaves or freedmen. Since the city of Philippi was a Roman colony (Acts 16:12 and following), inhabited consequently for the most part by Roman veterans, this greeting must have had special significance for the readers of the epistle.

Philippians 4:23. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. A similar blessing is found in Rom 16:24; 1 Cor 16:23; Gal 6:18.

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Introduction

The city of Colossae and the founding of the church in Colossae

The place and time of writing the epistle

The occasion and purpose of writing the epistle

Regarding the authenticity of the epistle

The division and contents of the epistle

Literature on the subject

The city of Colossae and the founding of the church in Colossae

In the Asiatic region of Phrygia, in the valley of the river Lycus, in the time of the Apostle Paul, there was a fairly large city called Colossae. In subsequent times the name of this city disappeared from history and a new small city called Chonae appeared in its place, where in the 8th century a well-known miracle of the Archangel Michael took place. It was a wealthy city and stood on the road leading from the depths of Asia to Ephesus, which represented a religious center of Asia Minor.

It is unknown when the first seeds of Christianity were brought to Colossae. Perhaps those from Phrygia who came to Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and were witnesses of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other believers, Jewish proselytes, made the Colossians acquainted with the Gospel of Christ. But the church from the Gentiles of Colossae (Col 2:13) was founded by one of the disciples of the Apostle Paul—Paul himself was not in Colossae (Col 1:6)—Epaphras, who was a Colossian citizen (Col 1:7). When the Apostle wrote his epistle to the Colossian church, it was already firmly established and consequently had existed for more than a year.

The place and time of writing the epistle

The epistle to the Colossians was written by the Apostle from his Roman imprisonment (Col 4:3), specifically from his first imprisonment (from the spring of the year 62 to the spring of the year 64). This is shown by the fact that the Apostle, according to the account in the epistle to the Colossians (Col 4:7-14), enjoyed considerable privileges in his imprisonment and was able to receive various visitors, and this precisely corresponds with the account of the Apostle’s first imprisonment in the book of Acts (Acts 28:16-31). Furthermore, in the epistle to Philemon, written at the same time as the epistle to the Colossians, the Apostle expresses the hope to visit Colossae in the event of being released from imprisonment. Meanwhile, while being in Caesarean imprisonment, the Apostle himself demanded trial before Caesar (Acts 25:10-12). It is clear that he could not there, in Caesarea, dream of the possibility of visiting Colossae: his case had to be decided only in Rome and only in Rome could he express hope for release.

The occasion and purpose of writing the epistle

The founder of the Colossian church, Epaphras, came to the Apostle Paul in Rome in order to request advice from the Apostle concerning a false teaching that threatened the Colossian church. This false teaching could have led the Colossian Christians astray.—What this false teaching was is described at the conclusion of the commentary on the second chapter of our epistle. The Apostle could not calmly accept the danger threatening that church which had been founded by his disciple. Besides, Epaphras undoubtedly informed him of certain shortcomings in the moral life of the Colossian Christians, and these two circumstances served as the occasion for the Apostle to address the Colossians with an epistle. The purpose of the epistle was, naturally, to put an end to the abnormal phenomena in the life of the Colossian church and to warn the believers against being led astray by the new false teaching.

Regarding the authenticity of the epistle

Church tradition uniformly recognizes this epistle as a genuine work of the Apostle Paul. The Apostolic Fathers cite certain passages from this epistle, and Clement of Alexandria directly states that the epistle to the Colossians is the work of the Apostle (Paul). Only in the 19th century did doubts about the authenticity of this epistle begin to be expressed, but, strictly speaking, all these doubts have no serious foundation. The main thing pointed out by biblical critical studies is the extremely exalted ideas expressed in this epistle concerning the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and the details about the spiritual realm and the relation of Christ to this realm. In other epistles,—the critics say,—which undoubtedly belong to the Apostle Paul, we do not find such Christological details, and there the Apostle supposedly does not go beyond the conception of Christ as a heavenly man, the second Adam. Furthermore, they point out certain peculiar words and expressions in the epistle to the Colossians which do not appear in the undoubtedly genuine works of the Apostle Paul.

As for the difference in language in the first place, it cannot speak against the authenticity of our epistle. After all, even in the undoubtedly genuine epistles of Paul the language is often different—one in one epistle, another in another (compare for example 1 and 2 Corinthians). In the content of the epistle also nothing is found that would contradict the undoubtedly genuine epistles of the Apostle Paul. First of all, it is completely untrue that in the undoubtedly genuine works of the Apostle Paul there is no teaching about Christ as God. It suffices only to recall what the Apostle says about Christ in the epistle to the Romans (Rom 9:4) or in 1 Corinthians (1 Cor 8:4-6) and other places. And then, secondly, in the undoubtedly genuine epistles of Paul there are places where it speaks of the relation of Christ to the spiritual realm (see Rom 8:38-39, 1 Cor 15:24-28). The other considerations of the critics are too subjective to merit discussion. Only one thing perhaps deserves refutation—the reference of the critics to the fact that the epistle to the Colossians, in places, repeats the epistle to the Ephesians. Namely, they say that the epistle to the Colossians represents an abridgment of the epistle to the Ephesians, made by some disciple of Paul. But this circumstance need not disturb us either. First of all, the expressions that appear similar in both epistles when examined more closely prove to have their own special nuances in thought (compare for example Col 1 and Eph 1 or Col 1 and Eph 2 etc.), and secondly, the undoubtedly similar passages in the 3rd and 4th chapters are explained by the fact that both epistles arose under the same conditions. Both epistles were written by the Apostle almost at the same time (the epistle to the Ephesians—earlier), transmitted through the same person, and were intended for neighboring churches (the epistle to the Ephesians, being a sobornic epistle, was also read in churches neighboring the Colossian church).

The division and contents of the epistle

The epistle to the Colossians can be conveniently divided into two parts—the doctrinal-polemical or theological (Col 1:3-2:23) and the moral-instructive (Col 3:1-4:6), with a preface (Col 1:1-3) and a conclusion (Col 4:7-18). A detailed review of the contents by chapters is given in the commentary itself on the epistle.

Literature on the subject

Among the patristic commentaries on the epistle to the Colossians, first and foremost must be mentioned the homilies of St. John Chrysostom, the commentaries of the Blessed Theodoret and Theophylact. Then there is the explanation of Ecumenius, Ambrosiaster and others. Among Russian commentaries the most substantial and extensive are the works of Bishop Theophanes (commentary on the epistles of the Apostle Paul to the Colossians and to Philemon) and J. Mukhin. Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Colossians. An attempt at isagogical-exegetical research. Kiev 1897 p. 276. Among recent foreign works on this epistle the most outstanding are—Meyer. Epistles from captivity (as reworked by Haupt 1897), Paul Ewald Epistles of Paul to the Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon (in the commentary of Zahn ed. 2 1910) and Dibelius. Epistles of the Apostle Paul to the Colossians, Ephesians and Philemon (1912)

Chapter One

Introduction (1–3a). The Apostle’s theological instruction (3b-29).

Colossians 1:1. Paul, by the will of God an apostle of Jesus Christ, and Timothy a brother, The Apostle sends greetings to the Colossians from himself and from Timothy. This greeting is similar in form both to Rom 1:1 and even more to 1 Cor 1:1-2.—“Timothy”—see Acts 16:1, and Phil 2:20.

Colossians 1:2. to the saints in Colossae and faithful brothers in Christ Jesus: Colossians 1:3. grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, The Apostle says that the state of faith and life of the Colossian Christians makes a pleasant impression on an observer—Epaphras informed him of this (Col 1:3-8). The Apostle prays that the Colossians may advance further in their Christian life and knowledge (Col 1:9-11) and gives thanks to God for the work of our salvation accomplished by Him (Col 1:12-14) and in vivid colors depicts the greatness of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. In order to cut off for the Colossian heretics all possibility of deceiving the Colossian Christians with their teaching about aeons, which are supposedly equal to Christ, the Apostle unfolds the teaching about Christ as God, apart from His incarnation (Col 1:15-17), and then as God-man (Col 1:18-20), reminding them at the same time that the Colossians also owe their salvation to Christ (Col 1:21-23). At the conclusion of the first chapter the Apostle expresses his view on his sufferings, which he bears as a preacher of Christianity. He speaks of these sufferings because their fruits will always benefit the Colossians, as well as other Christians (Col 1:24-29).

Colossians 1:4. since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, Colossians 1:5. because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, Colossians 1:6. which has come to you, just as it is bearing fruit and increasing throughout the whole world, and so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard and understood the grace of God in truth, Colossians 1:7. just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, Colossians 1:8. and who has made known to us your love in the Spirit. The Apostle gives thanks to God for the fact that the Colossians preserve their faith in Jesus Christ and their love for all believers, that they cherish hope for future heavenly blessedness (laid up—see 1 Pet 1:4).—“In the word of the truth of the gospel.” The Apostle by this confirms the authority of those who enlightened the Colossians with the light of the Gospel: these enlighteners gave them correct understanding of Christianity.—“Just as it is bearing fruit throughout the whole world.” Wishing to display the greatness of true Christianity and the nothingness of Colossian false teaching, the Apostle says that Christian faith has already spread throughout the whole world and everywhere bears good fruit, attracting new and new followers (“increasing”). The principal enlightener of the Colossians is the co-worker of the Apostle Paul—Epaphras: he greatly contributed to the proper Christian development of the Colossian Christians.—“Love in the Spirit.” Here is spoken of the love of the Colossians for Paul (of their love for Christians in general was already said in verse 4). This love has its support in the Holy Spirit and therefore is firm and sincere.

Colossians 1:9. For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, Colossians 1:10. so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God, Colossians 1:11. may you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you have the endurance and patience that comes with joy, Since a good foundation has already been laid in the Colossians, the Apostle now prays to God that the Colossians may go further in their Christian development. The Apostle desires that they be “filled” with “knowledge” of God’s will (perfect, complete knowledge compare Rom 1:28), which is achieved through all wisdom (the theoretical faculty that precisely determines the goal with which a person should strive), and through spiritual understanding (moral judgment) or the ability to choose for achieving the goal pure and fully suitable means. Complete knowledge of God’s will is necessary in order that we may draw near to our Father-God, be pleasing to Him, and through this moral improvement grow in knowledge of God, expand our Christian worldview (Christian life and Christian knowledge thus, according to the Apostle, help each other to develop). But since a Christian can derive strength for his moral improvement only from God, the Colossians must seek support from God, be strengthened with His gracious help in “endurance”—before great temptations and in “patience”—more correctly: in long-suffering—before prolonged hardships.

Colossians 1:12. giving thanks to God the Father, who has called us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light, This verse and the following ones depend on the words Col 1:9: “we have not ceased praying.” The Apostle together with his prayer for the Colossians connects gratitude to God and Father.—“Made fit”—more precisely: made capable, suited.—“You”—believers in general.—“To share” more precisely: to a part. Each Christian is destined to receive his own special portion of blessedness in the kingdom of glory or of the common inheritance.—“Of the saints”—believers in general.—“In the light”—i.e. illuminated with the light of Christ.

Colossians 1:13. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, God has rescued us from the power of darkness or Satan, and transferred us or more precisely: transplanted us into a new domain—into the kingdom of Christ. The Apostle, obviously, has in mind a plant, which at first grows very poorly in darkness, but then develops in all its beauty when transplanted into the sun.—“Into the kingdom”—i.e. into the Church.—“Of his beloved Son”—more precisely: of the Son of his love. This is a genitive of origin, indicating the generation of the Son of God from the very substance of God the Father (Mukhin).

Colossians 1:14. in whom we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sins, Compare Eph 1:7.

Colossians 1:15. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; The Colossian false teachers lowered Christ to the rank of created beings, and the Apostle in refutation of such a view of Christ depicts Him here as “the image of the invisible God.” Man is also an image of God (Gen 1:26), but Christ is the archetypal image, differing in nothing from the substance of the Father, in other words—the Consubstantial Son of God (the word itself, according to the explanation of John Chrysostom, points to perfect, most complete resemblance with the Father).—“Invisible.” From this one must conclude that the Apostle has in mind Christ also as “invisible,” in the state before His incarnation. “If God is invisible, then His image is also invisible, because otherwise He would not be an image” (Chrysostom).—“The firstborn of all creation.” If Christ was born and consequently existed before all creation came into being, then it means He is eternal, He is God.

Colossians 1:16. for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him; The Apostle proves the eternity of Christ in particular by the fact that in Christ all things were created, i.e. in Him from eternity all creation was contained in its potential being.—“Created”—at one specific moment, created as an entirely finished whole.—“Thrones” … Since the Colossian false teachers placed Christ on a level with angels, the Apostle here especially notes the fact that the angels also, beginning from the highest (“thrones”) and ending with the lowest (“powers”) are also created by Christ.—“All things through him”—Christ appears here as the mediator, through whom all existing things were created.—“For him,” i.e. created so that He precisely holds all things in His power, cares for all things. “Created”—in perfect tense to indicate that the relation of Christ to the created world continues.

Colossians 1:17. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Since Christ is the Creator of all, everything finds in Him its support. The Apostle thus repeats the thought expressed in the two previous verses, so that it might be more firmly impressed on the consciousness of the readers, whom the false teachers were disturbing.

Colossians 1:18. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. Now the Apostle depicts Christ as God-man. Here He appears first of all as the head of the Church (see Eph 1:22-23). The Apostle explains why Christ became the head of the Church: He is the beginning or source of all (and in particular the firstborn from the dead (see 1 Cor 15:20).—“In everything”—i.e. in all respects.

Colossians 1:19. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, Why does Christ have first place everywhere? Because in Him, by divine good pleasure, dwells all the fullness of God.—“Dwells”—permanently resides.—“Fullness”—a word that was also used by the Colossian false teachers. But whereas they, perhaps following an Essene view, imagined this fullness as angels, which express the fullness of divine being (they placed Christ among these expressions), the Apostle says that Christ alone contains in Himself all the fullness of the Godhead.

Colossians 1:20. and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. “Through him,” i.e. because Christ contains in Himself the fullness of the Godhead, He is chosen in the council of the Most Holy Trinity to accomplish the work of our salvation.—“Reconcile.” The enmity of creation against God (God Himself is not at enmity with anyone) consisted in the fact that creation did not obey the will of God.—“Both on earth and in heaven.” Even the angels turned away from us because of our great wickedness (Theodoret) and therefore they needed to be reconciled with men.—“By the blood of his cross,” i.e. shed on the cross.—“Through him.” The Apostle wishes once more to impress on the Colossians that people were saved precisely through Christ, not through angels, who according to the interpretation of the false teachers were the sole mediators between God and the world.

Colossians 1:21. And you who once were estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, Colossians 1:22. he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him — In particular the Colossians also received salvation from Christ (see Eph 2:12-13).—“In his fleshly body.” The Colossian false teachers insisted that the reconciliation of men with God is accomplished by bodiless angelic powers. The Apostle therefore with special force points out that the salvation of men was accomplished in the fleshly body of Christ, in which He died for the sins of men.—“Holy and blameless”—see Eph 1:4.

Colossians 1:23. provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in your faith, not shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a servant. In order to be finally saved, to stand firm even at the fearful judgment of God, the Colossians must stand unmovably amid all the temptations of earthly life, keeping in mind, as a saving beacon, the Christian hope for future blessedness with Christ. To confirm them in their faith, the Apostle reminds them that this faith is spreading throughout the universe and that he, Paul, is its servant or preacher.

Colossians 1:24. I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church, In order to inspire the Colossians with even greater respect for the faith they have accepted, the Apostle says that he has himself become a willing sufferer for all the Gentiles. He is fully convinced that the Gospel he proclaims is necessary for them as the one, undoubtedly saving truth.—“In my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ.” Christ accomplished the work of our redemption once for all. But He has not yet drunk the entire cup of insults from men, since He did not come into contact with the Gentiles. Did not preach the Gospel to the Gentiles Himself. Now such a preacher, continuing the work of spreading the Gospel among the Gentiles, is the Apostle Paul, and his sufferings, which he endures from the Gentiles, are a continuation of those insults which Christ suffered during His earthly life from the Jews.—“On behalf of his body,” i.e. so that Christ might receive in this way a complete body or complete Church. Underlying Paul’s thought here is the idea that each Christian is destined to endure a certain measure of suffering as a follower of Christ (Acts 14:22). Most such sufferings, and sufferings precisely for the benefit of the Church, fell to the Apostle Paul. He endured much suffering, but he feels that he must drink this cup of suffering to the very bottom (“filling up”—make up what is wanting).

Colossians 1:25. of which I became a servant according to the commission of God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, Colossians 1:26. the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints, The fact that he, Paul, and no other, should drink what remained in the cup of Christ’s sufferings, the Apostle proves by saying that he alone became the preacher of salvation to the Gentiles by the will of God (“according to the commission of God”).—“To make fully known,” i.e. to make complete through universal proclamation, to bring to completion the work of Christian preaching or the word of God (compare Rom 15:19)—“Mystery” … see Eph 3:9 and Eph 3:5.—“Saints,” i.e. Christians.

Colossians 1:27. to them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. The fact that the Gentiles heard the preaching of the Gospel depended not on their merits, but on God’s good pleasure. God in doing this was pleased to explain to them wherein consists the height and importance of the mystery announced to them. They were given to understand that the highest wealth on which a man can rely is Christ Himself, dwelling in them, present in them inwardly, and this gives them assurance also of their future final glorification: in Christ is the pledge of our future glory (instead of “which” one should read: “which,” i.e. wealth).

Colossians 1:28. whom we proclaim, admonishing every person and teaching every person in all wisdom, that we may present every person mature in Christ Jesus; Colossians 1:29. For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me. This very Christ is whom Paul and his co-workers proclaim, striving to bring Christians to perfection. He says this to the Colossians in order that they not be led astray by the teaching of heretics, but listen to and remember only the teaching which they received through Epaphras.—“I toil”—the designation of heavy labors.—“Struggle”—indicates both the external and internal struggle which the Apostle had to wage. “With all the energy” … Here is an allusion to the miracles which God gave him power to perform (Acts 19:11-12). * * * Notes Bishop Theophanes says: “and in the incarnation of God the Word, the invisible Godhead did not become visible, but only its presence became as if tangibly knowable, yet still mentally, not visibly.” In his other epistles the Apostle Paul differently enumerates the ranks of the heavenly hierarchy. Thus in the epistle to the Ephesians he places “principalities” first, which here are placed at the very end (Eph 1:21: compare Eph 3:10). In patristic writings there is also a difference in the enumeration of angelic ranks. Ephrem the Syrian, for example, divides the angels into ten ranks. Basil of Seleucia counts them as seven, and Dionysius the Areopagite as nine: 1) thrones, cherubim, seraphim, 2) dominions, powers, authorities, 3) angels, archangels and principalities. The latter division is also accepted by the Orthodox Church.

Chapter Two

Exhortation to the readers (1–7). Refutation of the teaching of the Colossian heretics (8–23).

Colossians 2:1. I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face. The Apostle loves and cares for the Colossians and their neighbors—the Laodiceans and those from Hierapolis. He is very pleased that they are living a good life, but urges them to hold firmly to the teaching given to them, lest they be led astray by false teachers.

Colossians 2:2. that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, for the knowledge of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ, Colossians 2:3. For in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The Apostle wants the Colossians and others, not knowing him personally, Christian believers in those places to know how much he cares for them (“how much I am struggling for you”). Indeed, he was far away in chains and could not help the Colossians, who at that time were threatened by heretics. The object of his concern is to comfort, to calm the hearts of the Colossians troubled by the appearance of false teachers. The Apostle wants them, having bound together the bonds of Christian love, to achieve the fully Christian conviction so necessary to them (“all the riches of a complete understanding”), regarding the knowledge of the mystery of God and Father and Christ (i.e. knowledge of the plan of divine dispensation for human salvation).—“In him”—more correctly: in it, i.e. in the mystery. The Apostle desires that the Colossians grasp this mystery, because in it are hidden all the treasures of “wisdom,” i.e. the highest divine wisdom and of human knowledge: only to the knowledge of this mystery, consequently, is it worth expending all one’s efforts.

Colossians 2:4. I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive arguments; Colossians 2:5. for though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit; and I rejoice to see your order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. In explaining his thought, the Apostle says that he wishes to protect the Colossians from being led astray by false teachings, which had all the appearance of logical persuasiveness, but were actually deception (“plausible arguments” or false reasoning).—“Persuasive arguments”—the skill of presenting something fundamentally false as plausible through clever turns of speech.—“For though I…” The Apostle greatly sorrows that he cannot through personal conversation with the Colossians protect them from heretics, and therefore asks them to remember that he is still with them spiritually. Feeling himself as if beside the Colossians, the Apostle rejoices, seeing that their church possesses both external organization and internal firmness, which their faith in Christ gives them. Pointing out this condition of the Colossian church, the Apostle in this way as if advises the Colossians to take pity on themselves and not exchange what they possess for what the false teachers are promising them.

Colossians 2:6. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, Colossians 2:7. rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Since they live a proper Christian life, the Colossians should keep unchanged what is taught to them about Christ by their teacher—Epaphras. Besides, they should “live your lives in him,” i.e. carry out in life the Christian teaching they have assimilated. Then they will be true Christians, whom no false teachers will lead astray.—“Rooted in him,”—just as a plant is rooted in good soil, resting on Him as a building rests on a firm foundation, and as a result being further strengthened in the faith taught to them by Epaphras, and also joining together with growth in faith a feeling of gratitude to God, who leads them on this path—this is how the Colossians should live (The final words must be added, because otherwise the words: “rooted” would have to be related to the expression: “live,” which is inconvenient in terms of the meaning contained in these expressions of “life” and “rooting”). Col 2:8-23. The essence of this important section is as follows. The false teaching of the Colossian heretics is nothing other than an empty deception, consisting entirely of human traditions and far from true Christianity (8). In order to expose the false teaching of these heretics about Christ, the Apostle says that Christ is not at all what the heretics said about Him: He is the incarnate God, God-man (Col 2:9), and in Him Christians have received salvation from the burden of demonic power that lay upon them (Col 2:10-15). Therefore, the believing Colossians should not be led astray by those means of achieving the soul’s salvation which are recommended by the false teachers, namely they should not again place themselves under subjection to the ceremonial prescriptions of the Mosaic law (Col 2:16-17), perform some special worship of angels (Col 2:18-20), and fall into false asceticism (Col 2:21-23).

Colossians 2:8. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. Romans 1:20. “Captivated”—συλαγωγών—not captured in nets, as a hunter catches birds in a snare.—“Philosophy”. The Apostle has in mind not philosophy in general—he undoubtedly assigned great weight to the philosophical mind in grasping the divine nature (see Rom 1:20 “through contemplation of His works”)—but philosophy of a certain kind, specifically that which he immediately calls empty deception (the article before φιλοσοφίας shows the Apostle means a particular philosophy. Moreover, before the phrase κενήσ απάτης there is no article or the preposition δια—thus it constitutes an appositive to the word φιλοσοφίας).—“According to human tradition”. The Apostle calls the tradition “human”, clearly wishing to show his disdain for it. Perhaps he has in mind certain teachings of Jewish philosophizing rabbis, especially those of Alexandria. These traditions formed the basis of the Colossian false teachers (“according to tradition”—more precisely: “in accordance with tradition”—κατά παρ.), but these traditions did not constitute the content of their teaching: they were merely the norm by which their false teaching was formed.—“According to the elemental principles of the world”. Until recently, the elemental principles of the world were typically understood as those same principles about which the Apostle Paul speaks in his letter to the Galatians (Gal 4:3), that is, the elementary foundations of religious and moral life, elementary attempts to solve the religious and moral problem and in particular the commandments of the ceremonial law of Moses. But in recent times, among wide circles of Bible readers in Germany, the view has spread that these principles denote spiritual living beings (“astral spirits”). This view, however, cannot be accepted, because the expression στοιχεία only in later Byzantine literature came to be used to denote spirits or demons, and before Paul’s time it is not found anywhere in such a sense. Furthermore, for denoting demons, the Apostle uses more specific expressions—rulers and powers (Col 2:15). Finally, this view is contradicted by Col 2:20. Here the Apostle says: “If you have died with Christ to the elemental principles of the world, why do you, as though living in the world, submit to decrees?” If here, as in the verse we are discussing, the elemental principles meant “elementary spirits”, then by “world” we would have to understand the world as a whole, nature in general. But in verse 20 it would be impossible to understand the word “world” thus: for Christians continue to live in the world as a whole, though they have died with Christ… Some commentators understand by the elemental principles of the world the stars themselves. But this interpretation is even less sound, because it is unclear why the Apostle would call the stars, which already exist in the world and form part of it, the elemental principles or stars of the world. Moreover, how could we understand their designation in the letter to the Galatians as “weak and beggarly” (Gal 4:9)?—As for the view of the elemental principles of the world as natural elements (such a view exists—Zahn holds it, for example), this interpretation is contradicted by the Apostle’s mention in the letter to the Galatians that pre-Christian humanity or pre-Christian Israel was enslaved by these elemental principles (Gal 4:9).—It therefore seems more probable that by the elemental principles of the world the Apostle means the elements of knowledge, so to speak, the alphabet of the world. This understanding fits perfectly with the placement of this expression after “according to human tradition” and before “and not according to Christ”, and it will contain nearly the same thought as the expression that precedes it. Moreover, it stands in direct contrast to the following expression: if in the mystery of God and Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3), then in the teaching of the false teachers there are only the first elements of knowledge. With these elements Christians have already parted ways, they have grown beyond them—so why return to them? Thus also Col 2:20 can be interpreted. It should be noted that the Apostle does not censure these elements of knowledge as absolutely false—he only speaks of their inadequacy for the Christian. Colossians 2:9. for in Him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily, The Colossian heretics considered Christ only one of the aeons—expressions of the Godhead. In contrast to them, the Apostle says that in Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead and moreover “bodily” or in the body, so that we can observe it: the Apostle of course means to say that we can see God in the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ (compare Col 1:19).

Colossians 2:10. and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. On the other hand, believers too are fulfilled in Christ, i.e. through a mysterious union with Him have received the fullness of divine gracious gifts.—“Who is the head” … From angelic powers nothing more need be expected, because all these powers are subject to Christ and can give believers nothing new in the matter of salvation.

Colossians 2:11. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; Believers need not look for anything in the fleshly circumcision, which the Colossian heretics wanted to restore among Christians. The purpose which fleshly circumcision had in mind, namely the mortification of the old man, has already been achieved by the Colossians through the reception of baptism, which the Apostle calls circumcision accomplished by Christ Himself.—“The body of the flesh”—sinful human nature, the body insofar as it was subject to the influence of fleshly inclination. The addition of “sinful” further strengthens the meaning of the whole expression “the body of the flesh.”

Colossians 2:12. when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. In the water of baptism a person is buried with Christ and the old man in him dies. But this is not all: at the same time the Christian also rises with Christ for new life. This resurrection is accomplished in the person, thanks to the power of his faith in the almightiness of God, already shown in the resurrection of Christ Himself (compare Rom 10:9).

Colossians 2:13. and when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, See Eph 2:1.

Colossians 2:14. erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. As for the Jews, God also forgave them their sins (to them the Apostle joins himself—“us”) by “erasing”—more precisely: by blotting out, wiping away the “record” or debt obligation which the Hebrews gave at Sinai, obliging themselves to carry out the will of God. The record was composed in the form of definite exact statutes (according to Greek, properly: “erasing the decree” compare Eph 2:15).—“Against us.” We did not have the strength to fulfill the conditions of this record, and it stood before us, blocking our path to God.—“He set this aside,”—i.e. destroyed (compare 2 Thess 2:7).—“Nailing it to the cross,” i.e. through His cross sufferings Christ destroyed the power of this obligation, and our record itself, having completely lost all its writing, was hung by Him on His cross, as a sign that it is no longer valid.

Colossians 2:15. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it. On His cross Christ at the same time stripped the powers from the evil spirits, who caused such harm to the Gentiles (compare Eph 2:2), or more precisely, removed their military armor. Here He “publicly”—more precisely: openly, to all people (Theophylact)—showed them defeated.—“Triumphing over them in him”—more precisely: “leading them after Him in His triumphal procession.”—“In him,”—more precisely: “on it,” i.e. on the cross — Col 2:14, or “behind His cross” (which according to the Apostle’s understanding, He holds in His hands, as a triumphator usually held in his hands his banner or spear).

Colossians 2:16. Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. Since Christ freed people from the obligation to keep the ceremonial prescriptions of the Mosaic law, therefore no one has the right to condemn the Colossians for their free attitude toward the choice of food and drink or for their non-observance of some Jewish festival or new moon festival, or of the ordinary sabbath. Regarding food and drink the Colossian false teachers probably went further than the requirements of the Mosaic law and, like the Essenes, required abstinence from certain kinds of food and drink. (Mukhin p. 194)—“Some”—more precisely: “parts of festivals.” The false teachers obviously did not even have the ability to observe all Jewish festivals, to which foreign Jews customarily went to Jerusalem for pilgrimage. To go from Colossae was very far.

Colossians 2:17. These are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. All these Old Testament institutions, even now, in the time of the Apostle, continuing their existence, are nothing other than a shadow, which is cast by “what is to come,” i.e. for Christians already not the future but the present age of the Messiah. If the Apostle speaks of the coming of the Messiah and His kingdom as future, he does so from the point of view of the Old Testament, in which the kingdom of the Messiah was always denoted as future, coming.—“But the substance belongs to Christ.” The body, from which in the Old Testament a shadow was cast, which gave meaning to all Old Testament institutions, is Christ Himself. But once the body itself has come, there is no need for the shadow or reflection, which previously gave some dim understanding of this body.

Colossians 2:18. Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a fleshly mind, Colossians 2:19. and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God. As for the theoretical teaching of the Colossian false teachers, the central point of it was the teaching about angels; the Apostle forbids being led astray by this teaching. Let no one, he says, rob you of the prize you have won (more precisely: “let not anyone pass judgment against you”), i.e. salvation. Meanwhile, it is toward this robbery of your prize that the heretics strove, using as bait that false humility which they based not on a true understanding of the nature of the man renewed in Christ, but on completely arbitrarily accepted assumptions (probably on the false reasoning that inherited sin is not destroyed in a Christian). Further, the Apostle points out that in the name of such false humility the false teachers introduced a special worship of angels. They themselves considered themselves unworthy to approach God and therefore thought it necessary to resort to the mediation of angels, who supposedly expressed divine fullness and could, in their opinion, introduce people into communion with God. What exactly this worship of angels consisted of is unknown, but obviously the false teachers performed some rites in honor of them (this is also indicated by the very designation of “worship” by the term worship). This worship took root in some Asia Minor regions so much that in 365 the fathers of the Laodicean council threatened anathema for adherence to it (Mukhin p. 201).—“Dwelling on visions”—more precisely: plunging into the very depth and moreover completely without result.—“Puffed up without cause” … The consequence of such investigations in the angelic realm was that the false teachers fell into pride, which had no foundation.—“Fleshly,” i.e. their mind was subject to the inclinations of their flesh, the sensual side of their existence.—“Head,”—i.e. Christ. As the head gives direction to the activity of the muscles and tendons, making them work for the benefit of the entire bodily organism, so Christ gives direction to all church workers, so that they work for the common good of the Church. The heretics separated themselves from the head—Christ, and therefore their society could not live a proper Christian life and grow with the growth which God provides (“growth that is from God”).

Colossians 2:20. If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, Colossians 2:21. “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch.” Colossians 2:22. [All these regulations concern things that perish with use,] according to human precepts and teachings? Since the ascetic rules of the false teachers were more understandable and more readily acceptable to the Colossians than their abstract theosophical arguments about angels, from this side, obviously, the greatest danger was approaching the Colossian church, and therefore the Apostle once more addresses these “rules.” It seems very strange to him that the Colossian Christians, who as Christians are already thought to be dead with Christ and with this to have abandoned those initial stages of knowledge (“elemental spirits of the universe” compare Col 2:8) on which they formerly stood, that these Christians again, as if living in the world—in that world which still continues to be guided in its life by these elementary forms of knowledge (“elemental spirits of the universe”)—again allow themselves to be placed in dependence on various rules or regulations, having the character of strict and firm precepts (such is the meaning of the expression “submit to regulations”—in Greek from decree precept). These precepts relate to various kinds of food and drink, about which the false teachers said: “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch.” Against such fear the Apostle says that all this, i.e. both food and drink, perishes through use or in eating (when used as food), is digested and can produce no harmful effect in the moral sense on a person.—“According to human precepts and teachings,” i.e. the heretics are guided in this case by individual rules, which were developed among the Jews as supplements to the Mosaic law, and by teachings or various philosophical views, which underlay these rules.

Colossians 2:23. These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety, humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh. If the heretical dogmas are rumored (in Greek speech—in Russian not quite accurately: “appearance”) as wise rules, due to the fact that they require voluntary or a new kind of worship, due to humility and the ascetic mortification of the body, then this depended not on the fact that these rules had real worth. One can even say that these rules led to goals completely different from those indicated by the heretics. The latter namely asserted that the observance of their rules would elevate a Christian above the movements of a sensual-sinful nature, and yet actually the person who fulfilled them came to self-indulgence of the flesh, i.e. to pride, arrogance. “Flesh,” or the fleshly side of a person, was pleased here with the consciousness of his special merits, which consisted in suppressing bodily needs. * * * Notes Colossian false teachers. On the basis of the first and second chapters of the epistle to the Colossians, one can form some understanding of the Colossian false teachers. We see that these were people who resorted to plausible words and false reasoning in spreading their teaching (Col 2:4), that they gave their views the appearance of some philosophical system (Col 2:8). This is with respect to the form in which they clothed their teaching. Now, as to the very content of their teaching, the first place was held by the denial of the sole significance in the matter of salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ, Whom they did not hold as head (Col 2:19). Along with Christ they placed angels, whom they taught to worship as mediators between men and God (Col 2:18). All the angels together with Christ formed, according to their view, one divine fullness in which the Godhead manifests itself (compare Col 1:16). Finally, in relation to morality, the Colossian false teachers preached a peculiar asceticism, joining it with the veneration of certain Jewish festivals and other ceremonial prescriptions of the Mosaic law (Col 2:20-23). Whence arose such a direction in the Colossian church? Scholars differ in deciding this question. Some attribute the origin of this heresy to Greek philosophy, others to Jewish influence (Mukhin, in particular, sees here the influence of Essenism) yet others (Dibelius) to the combined influence of various religions and cults that existed at that time in Asia Minor and particularly in Phrygia. On the ground that in Judaism one can find the beginnings of all the above-mentioned views of Colossian false teaching, one should accept as most probable the supposition that this false teaching was indeed of Jewish origin. Thus the Apostle, saying that the philosophy of the Colossian false teachers was based on human tradition (Col 2:8), could have in mind precisely the Jewish tradition or teaching, which among the Jews of the post-exilic period was known under the name Halakah (tradition). Then, only by Jewish influence could be explained the striving of the Colossian false teachers to introduce circumcision (Col 2:11) and respect for Jewish festivals (Col 2:16) among Christians. Finally, the teaching about angels as mediators between men and God (Col 2:18) could rest on the view of the Old Testament, according to which angels stand before the throne of God and offer prayers to God for men (Dan 9:21) and so forth. Similarly, abstinence from various nourishing and stimulating foods and drinks could have in its foundation the fact that certain pious Jews, thanks to such abstinence, were worthy to see angels (Dan 10:2-5), which of course was the object of ardent desires of the Colossian false teachers. Thus it can be concluded with probability that the Colossian false teachers were Christians standing under the influence of later Jewish views and unable to rise to a correct understanding of the Person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. But one should not insist, as Mr. Mukhin does, that the foundation of the Colossian false teaching lay in the views of the Essenes themselves: there are no facts showing that the Essenes avoided eating meat and wine (compare Col 2:16) and practiced some special veneration of angels. On the contrary, the Colossian false teachers did not have a very essential teaching of Essenism concerning ablutions and celibacy. It should be noted that in individual teachings the Colossian false teachers resemble the Galatian false brothers (compare Gal 4:3 and Col 2:8), sometimes the Philippian Judaizers (compare Phil 3:2 and sq. and Col 2:11), and finally the Roman “weak” (compare Rom 14:1 and sq. and Col 2:16). In Greek the Godhead is denoted by two terms: theotes and theiotes. The first word comes from the term god and is used to denote divine being, while the second, coming from the adjective divine—is used to denote the properties of God (compare Rom 1:19-20). It is clear that the Apostle here wants to make known to his readers that in Christ are present not only divine properties, but God Himself dwells: He—in substance is God. The 35th rule of the local council of Laodicea states: “it is not fitting for Christians to abandon the Church of God and go away and name angels and hold assemblies. This is forbidden. Therefore if anyone is converted to practicing such secret idolatry, let him be anathema: because he abandoned our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and devoted himself to idolatry.” In the explanation of this rule it is said: “condemned are heretics who do not pray to God and Christ, but only to angels, supposedly creators and rulers of the world.” The Blessed Theodoret explains the origin of this angel worship by the influence of the Colossian or Phrygian heretics. Bishop Theophanes makes the supposition that the assemblies of these angel-worshippers were similar to the gatherings of contemporary spiritualists.

Chapter Three

Moral instructions to Christians in general (1–17). Instructions to members of the Christian family (18–25).

Colossians 3:1. Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God; In the moral part of his epistle, the Apostle first says that true Christian life consists in detachment from all earthly things and in communion with God (Col 3:1-4). With this in view, Christians must free themselves from passions and adorn themselves with virtues that correspond to the nature of the new person (Col 3:5-17). Christians have been raised with Christ (see Rom 6:4 and Eph 2:6) to new life, and therefore all their thoughts must strive toward where Christ is, that is, toward heaven. – “At the right hand of God” – see Mark 16:19.

Colossians 3:2. Think about the things above, not about the things on earth. Christians must “think,” that is, be attached in their entire inner disposition to the world above. But this does not mean that the Apostle completely rejected the need to care for earthly things: later in the second half of the chapter, the Apostle teaches believers to be especially attentive to the duties imposed by earthly life, namely family life, and in general he did not deny that Christians could make use of and enjoy earthly goods (compare 1 Cor 6:12). Only these goods must in no way supplant the main concern of the Christian’s heart – concern for the eternal and heavenly.

Colossians 3:3. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God; Colossians 3:4. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Why cannot earthly things attract the mind of the believer especially? Because he has died to the sinful life that the earthly life normally displays (Rom 6:2). – “And your life” – that is, your true life, the future life to which you must now prepare yourselves while it “is hidden with Christ in God” or with God. Christ will come for the final judgment of the world – and then your true life will be revealed, life in glory.

Colossians 3:5. Therefore, put to death the parts of you that belong to the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry, Colossians 3:6. because of which the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient, Colossians 3:7. in which you also once walked when you lived among them. With this glorious future awaiting us in view, we must struggle against the passions, which become so intertwined with a person that they can even be called the earthly parts of him, that is, the parts of his earthly body. Of these passions, the Apostle first mentions the passions of the flesh (sexual immorality with the unclean fleshly dispositions lying at its foundation), and then the passion of the spirit – greed. “Sexual immorality” and “greed” are two vices most characteristic of the pagans: they, as one ancient writer said, were gravediggers who dug the grave for the ancient world. – The Apostle calls greed “idolatry” because “those who serve mammon have cut themselves off from serving God” (Chrysostom). – “Is coming” (έρχεται), that is, constantly goes, constantly manifests itself (compare Rom 1:18 “is revealed”). – “Those who are disobedient” – see Eph 2:2. – “In which,” that is, in the vices. – “Among them,” that is, among those who are disobedient.

Colossians 3:8. But now put away all of this: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouths; “Put away” – like useless dirty clothing. – “Anger, wrath” – see Eph 4:31.

Colossians 3:9. Do not lie to one another, since you have stripped off the old self with its practices “Do not lie” – see Eph 4:25. – “Since you have stripped off” … See Eph 4:22.

Colossians 3:10. and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its Creator, See Eph 4:24. – “In knowledge” – more correctly: “into knowledge.” The result of renewal is that a person becomes enriched with knowledge of God.

Colossians 3:11. where there is neither Greek nor Jew, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, nor free person, but Christ is all and in all. See Gal 3:28. In renewing himself, the Christian needs to forget about his national and social advantages: Christ alone should stand before him, as the highest model; all his interests should be focused on Christ.

Colossians 3:12. Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, “Therefore” – in view of the fact that you have removed the old clothing. – “Clothe yourselves” – that is, you need new clothing, and such can only be various Christian virtues. – “Chosen ones, holy, beloved” – see Eph 1:4.

Colossians 3:13. bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone has a complaint against another: just as Christ forgave you, so also do you. See Eph 4:2. – “Just as Christ forgave you” – of course on the cross, when he prayed for his enemies (Luke 23:34).

Colossians 3:14. And above all these, put on love, which is the bond that brings all virtue to perfection, – More correctly: “over all (the clothing mentioned above Col 3:12) put on love, which is the bond that gives perfection to all the clothing.” The Apostle compares Christian love to a belt that holds together all of a person’s garments and gives form to his appearance. Indeed, without love no virtues have meaning (compare 1 Cor 13:1 and following).

Colossians 3:15. and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body, and be thankful. The Apostle wishes Christians “the peace of God” or that which comes from God (compare Phil 4:7). This peace should “rule” in the heart of the Christian, that is, decide what we should choose in a doubtful case and thus help us attain the heavenly reward (βραβευέτω; compare Col 2:18). – “In one body” – compare Eph 4:4.

Colossians 3:16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, with all wisdom; teach and admonish one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. In the renewal of a person in Christianity, the word of Christ, or the Gospel of the kingdom of God, brings great benefit, and the Apostle advises his readers to turn to this true remedy as often as possible. When this word dwells in them abundantly, they will be able “with all wisdom” to admonish and teach one another (wisdom is necessary in this matter), and the means of this mutual teaching will serve them various works of Christian poetic inspiration (psalms… compare Eph 5:19). – “Singing with grace,” that is, with a particular Christian gracious disposition. The Apostle probably speaks here of gatherings of believers outside of worship services, when Christians could indeed edify one another: in worship services the responsibility for this edification lay with the leaders of the Church.

Colossians 3:17. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks through him to God the Father. Besides, all the life of the believer should be sanctified by the guidance of the word of Christ, and Christians are obliged to do everything to the glory of God. According to John Chrysostom’s interpretation, one must invoke the name of the Lord at the beginning of every deed, in particular “we in our letters put forward the name of the Lord first, for where there is the name of the Lord, there everything is pleasing.”

Colossians 3:18. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. See Eph 5:22.

Colossians 3:19. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. See Eph 5:25.

Colossians 3:20. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is pleasing to the Lord. See Eph 6:1.

Colossians 3:21. Fathers, do not provoke your children, so that they may not lose heart. See Eph 6:4.

Colossians 3:22. Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not with eye-service as people-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. Colossians 3:23. And whatever you do, work from the soul, as for the Lord, not for human beings, Colossians 3:24. knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward, for you are serving the Lord Christ. See Eph 6:5-8.

Colossians 3:25. For the one who acts wrongly will receive back what he has done wrongly: there is no partiality with Him. The Russian translation apparently applies this instruction to slaves: they should not act wrongly, because God will also repay them with justice, in spite of the fact that they were in a difficult position in life. But it is better to apply this verse to the instruction that follows to masters, because in the epistle to the Ephesians (Eph 6:9) these words are included in the instruction directed to masters. In Church Slavonic, therefore, the first expression of the verse ό γαρ άδικων is correctly rendered with the word “he who wrongs,” which can characterize only the relationship of a master to a slave, not a slave to a master.

Chapter Four

Exhortations of a general character (1–6). Statements by the Apostle about his position and greetings to his readers (7–18).

Colossians 4:1. Masters, provide to your slaves what is right and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in the heavens. Having given instruction to masters (1), the Apostle gives some instructions about prayer, and in particular asks prayers for himself (Col 4:2-4), and then teaches how his readers should relate to non-Christians (Col 4:5-6). See Eph 6:9.

Colossians 4:2. Persist in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving; Colossians 4:3. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains, Colossians 4:4. so that I may reveal it, as I ought to proclaim it. See Eph 6:18-20.

Colossians 4:5. Conduct yourselves wisely toward those outside the faith, making the best use of the time. Colossians 4:6. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. “Toward those outside the faith,” that is, not belonging to the Church. – “Conduct yourselves wisely.” What this wisdom consists in is shown by the following expression: “making the best use of the time,” that is, adapting yourselves to the circumstances of the time. – “Your speech always gracious,” that is, with pleasantness (ἐν χάριτι). – “Seasoned with salt,” that is, edifying and apt. According to the explanation of Theophylact, this points to restraint in the speech of the Christian. – “How to answer everyone.” The Christian is obliged for the benefit of others to answer others in accordance with their personal characteristics.

Colossians 4:7. Tychicus will tell you all about my circumstances, the beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow worker in the Lord, In conclusion of his epistle, the Apostle recommends to his readers Tychicus and Onesimus, who have been sent by the Apostle to the Colossians (Col 4:7-9), and then sends greetings to the Colossian church from those who were with him, and greets the Laodicean church from himself (Col 4:10-15). The epistle ends with certain orders from the Apostle (Col 4:16-17) and a greeting from him personally to the Colossian church (Col 4:18).

Colossians 4:8. whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may learn about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts, Colossians 4:9. with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is from you. They will tell you about everything here. Here the Apostle says that the details about his position in Rome will be communicated to the Colossians by Tychicus (see Acts 20:4) and Onesimus, a resident of Colossae who came to Paul in Rome (about him see the epistle to Philemon). Both of them should tell the Colossians about everything “here,” that is, about the state of the church in Rome. However, only Tychicus, as a person stronger in faith, should “encourage” the Colossians (Onesimus had only recently been converted).

Colossians 4:10. Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you have received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), Colossians 4:11. and also Jesus, who is called Justus. These are the only ones from the circumcision who are fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. Colossians 4:12. Epaphras, who is from you, a servant of Jesus Christ, greets you, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. Colossians 4:13. For I testify to him that he has a great zeal for you and for those in Laodicea and for those in Hierapolis. Colossians 4:14. Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you. The greetings to the Colossians are transmitted from the Apostle’s willing fellow prisoner in chains, Aristarchus (see Acts 20:4), from Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, concerning whom the Colossians had previously received some orders from the Apostle (probably a prohibition to this hesitant preacher from further public activity – see Acts 15:37), but whom the Apostle now orders to be received (this was indeed the evangelist Mark. See the introduction to the Gospel of Mark). Then follow greetings from Jesus Justus, probably a Roman Jew, whom church tradition identifies with Joseph Barsabbas, who also bore the name Justus (Acts 1:23). These three persons were Jews by origin. Then come greetings from Christians from among the Gentiles – namely from Epaphras (compare Col 1), who loves his fellow citizens – the Colossians – so much that he is constantly praying for their moral improvement (that they be fully convinced of the truth of God’s will that has been revealed to them – in Russian: “filled with all that is pleasing to God”) – “And zeal” – this word is extra: in the Greek there is only one word ζήλος – zeal. – About “Luke” – see the introduction to the Gospel of Luke. – “Demas” – probably a shortened form of the name Demetrius (see about him 2 Tim 4:10).

Colossians 4:15. Greet the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, and Nympha and the church in her house. The Apostle orders to greet from himself the Laodicean Christians, neighbors of the Colossians, and especially Nympha, a Laodicean, in whose house (κατ´οἶκον αὐτοῦ) was located a church or such a place of worship for Christians as existed also in the house of Philemon (Phlm 1:2).

Colossians 4:16. When this epistle has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the epistle from Laodicea. What is this “epistle from Laodicea”? There is no such epistle in Apostolic writings, so it is necessary to acknowledge that the Apostle means here one of his other thirteen epistles, which had at that time come to Laodicea, but was written originally for another city. Of all the suppositions here, the most probable is the one according to which the Apostle has in mind his epistle to the Ephesians, which had the character of a circular epistle and in all probability reached the Laodiceans shortly before the Colossians received Paul’s epistle. The Laodiceans should have transmitted this epistle to the Ephesians to the Colossian church, which could then pass it on to another nearby church. Indeed, the epistle to the Ephesians appears in the canon of the heretic Marcion with the heading “Epistle to the Laodiceans,” and Tertullian, who reports this, adds that Marcion himself changed the heading of the epistle. In all probability, in Pontus, the birthplace of Marcion, there was a conviction that this epistle was intended for the Laodicean church. And this supposition was probably based on the fact that in Pontus it was indeed received from Laodicea, not from Ephesus. (For a discussion of other opinions about the epistle from Laodicea, see Mukhin, pp. 85–90).

Colossians 4:17. Say to Archippus: “See to it that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” “Archippus” stood in very close relations to the family of Philemon, who was a Colossian (his slave, Onesimus, is called a Colossian – Col 4:9) and therefore probably also lived in Colossae. At the time when Paul’s epistle was to be received in Colossae, Archippus, by the Apostle’s reckoning, was not to be in Colossae, yet the epistle to the Colossians needed to be transmitted to Laodicea after being read. Therefore the Apostle entrusts the readers to convey to Archippus, upon his return, an instruction from the Apostle about the necessity of greater attention in fulfilling his ministry. But what the ministry of Archippus consisted of is unknown.

Colossians 4:18. The greeting is in my own hand, Paul’s. Remember my chains. Grace be with you all. Amen. The Apostle signs with his own hand the epistle that he dictated in order to verify its authenticity (compare 2 Thess 2:2). He asks them to remember his chains, so that they will not forget him in their prayers.

The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Introduction

On the First Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians

History of the founding of the Thessalonian church

The occasion for writing the epistle

Time and place of writing

Contents of the epistle

The authenticity of the epistle

Bibliography

On the First Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians

The Epistles to the Thessalonians were addressed to “the church of the Thessalonians,” which was located in the city of Macedonia called Thessalonica (modern Greek Σαλονίκη, in Turkish Selanik).

In the era of classical antiquity, this city bore the name Θέρμα or Θέρμη, a name apparently derived from the hot springs that existed there. It received the name Θεσσαλονίχη in 315 BCE, when Cassander, the son-in-law of Philip of Macedon, rebuilt the city on the site of ancient Θερμά, naming it Thessalonica in honor of his wife, the half-sister of Alexander the Great (Strabo, 330 and Herodotus, VII 121). The geographical position of the city, situated in the best location of the Thermaean Gulf (at that time called the “Thermean”), secured for it considerable importance both militarily and commercially. When Macedonia passed into the hands of the Romans in 168 BCE and was divided into four provinces, Thessalonica, “celeberrima urbs,” became the chief city of the province “Macedonia secunda.” In 146 BCE the Macedonian provinces were merged into one, and Thessalonica essentially became the capital of all Macedonia. Under Roman rule the city grew rapidly and acquired military, strategic, and especially commercial significance, thanks to the famous Roman road “Via Egnatia” which passed through it, connecting on one side the city of Dyrrachium on the Adriatic, and on the other the river Hebrus in Thrace, thus joining the eastern provinces of the empire with its very center, Rome. The importance of Thessalonica’s position was especially well noted by Cicero, who himself spent some time there during his exile in 58 BCE. “Thessalonieenses positi in gremio imperii nostri,” thus speaks the famous Roman orator (De prov. Consul. 2). In 49 BCE Thessalonica took an active part in the first civil war and served as the center of Pompey’s faction, but during the second war the city sided with Octavius and Antony, for which it is believed it received the status of “free city” (Plinius, N. H. IV:17: “Thessalonica liberae conditionis”). Thanks to its freedom (ελευθερία), Thessalonica retained its purely Greek character and was able to be governed through special magistrates who in Acts 17:6-8 are called “πολιτάρχαι.” This name is not found among classical writers, but the accuracy of the Book of Acts is wonderfully confirmed here by an inscription on a Roman arch in Thessalonica in the Vardar gate (now destroyed; the inscription is preserved in the British Museum in London), on which, strangely enough, three politarchs are mentioned—Sosipater, Secundus, and Gaius—who bore precisely the names of three persons who accompanied the Apostle Paul. The city had the right to settle its affairs through a popular assembly, which in turn is confirmed by the words of the Book of Acts, where this assembly is called “δήμος” (Acts 17:5).

In 304 CE the martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica suffered here, becoming the patron of the city. In 389 CE the city of Thessalonica was the site of a terrible massacre carried out by order of Emperor Theodosius, who was avenging the city for the murder of his official. For this bloody massacre Emperor Theodosius was rebuked by the holy Ambrose of Milan and was obliged to bear ecclesiastical punishment. In 904 CE Thessalonica was captured by Saracens, in 1185 CE it came under the power of Normans from Sicily, and in 1422 came under the protection of Venice. In 1430 CE the city was conquered by the Turks; and only in 1912 was it liberated by the combined efforts of Balkan Christians. At present it is the second largest city on the Balkan Peninsula and unfortunately is densely settled by Jews. For Slavs, Thessalonica will always be memorable as the birthplace of the great Apostles of Slavdom—the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius.

History of the founding of the Thessalonian church

The story of the coming of the light of Christ’s teaching to Thessalonica is told in the seventeenth chapter of the Book of Acts. There we read how the Apostle Paul, during his second missionary journey, accompanied by Silas and probably Timothy, having passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, came finally to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue. “Having suffered and been insulted” (1 Thess 2:2) in Philippi, the Apostle nonetheless dared to preach the word of God also in Thessalonica. Following his custom, the Apostle began by preaching among the local Jews. For three Sabbaths he held discussions with the Jews on the theme that “Christ was destined to suffer and rise from the dead, and that this Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah” (Acts 17:3). The results of preaching among the Jews turned out, however, to be not particularly brilliant; the grateful soil was not the proud sons of Abraham, but proselytes from among the Gentiles. “And some of them were convinced and joined Paul and Silas, including a great many of the devout Greeks and also some of the most prominent women” (Acts 17:4). Judging by this verse of the Book of Acts, the majority of those converted belonged to the category of “σεβόμενοι”—“God-fearing Greeks,” who had accepted the basic principles of Judaism and attended the synagogue. But if we turn to the first epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians, we find that the Thessalonian church in its composition was predominantly “from the Gentiles.” Confirmation of this is provided by the following three passages: 1 Thess 1:9 and further; and 1 Thess 4:1-5. In the first, the Apostle Paul reminds the Thessalonians how they “turned to God from idols” to serve the living and true God. Judging from the line of thought, this turning was the work of the Apostle Paul and Silas. But then this expression would hardly apply to the “σεβόμενοι” or to the Jews themselves, since both groups were already worshippers of the One God. In the second text, the words of the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians concerning the sufferings they endured from their own “kinsmen” directly indicate that here the latter are understood as Gentiles, not Jews, as the very opposition also makes clear. In the third text are given moral warnings and counsels concerning the observance of moral purity, which would be more understandable and appropriate to those only recently converted to Christ from among the Gentiles, rather than to the “σεβόμενοι” and Jews. Thus there emerges a kind of contradiction between the data of the Book of Acts and the data derived from the epistle itself. This is exactly what the head of the Tübingen school, Baur, emphasizes (in his “Paulus”). To reconcile this contradiction, the English scholar W. M. Ramsay (in his book “St. Paul The Traveller and The Roman Citizen,” London, 1897) proposes accepting in Acts 17:4 the reading obtained by comparing the Alexandrian codex (A) and the Bezae codex (D). With this reading one must introduce into the Textus Receptus the conjunction και after the words των (τε) σεβόμενων (op. cit. pp. 226–7; 235–6). In that case we would obtain the following reading: “and some of them were convinced; and also joined Paul and Silas many of the God-fearing proselytes, and a great multitude of Greeks, and also not a few of the prominent women.” But this reading, in our view, removes only a certain difficulty in the text, namely the somewhat unexpected combination of the words των σεβόμενων Ελλήνων, in which one cannot but see a kind of tautology. Judging from the line of thought in the Book of Acts, the author had no basis for placing any special emphasis on the nationality of these σεβόμενων, and the Athenian σεβόμενοι are simply called σεβόμε vo ι in that same chapter of the Book of Acts (Acts 17:17). But, accepting the unexpectedness of the combinations των σεβόμενων Ελλήνων, we still dare to think that Professor Ramsay’s correction is hardly necessary. We are inclined to stay with the T. Receptus and seek reconciliation by another path, namely on the basis of data taken from the epistles of the Apostle Paul himself. First of all, we must allow that the Apostle Paul stayed in Thessalonica much longer than three weeks, as this apparently follows from st. Acts 17:2. In his epistle to the Philippians he reminds them that they “both once and again sent aid for my needs” (Phil 4:16). But we know that Philippi is one hundred miles away from Thessalonica, and three weeks would hardly be sufficient for them to have sent assistance to the Apostle Paul once and twice. Thus, one must assume that the Apostle stayed in Thessalonica longer than three weeks, and having not encountered sympathy among the Jews, he turned to preach the kingdom of God directly to the Gentiles, among whom his “gospel of God with great conflict” (1 Thess 2:2) met with tremendous success, fully justifying the words of the first epistle to the Thessalonians in 1 Thess 1:9 and 1 Thess 2:14. It is quite plausible that the Book of Acts describes only that period in the Apostle’s missionary activity in Thessalonica which was connected with the synagogue. That the Apostle remained much longer in Thessalonica than 3 weeks is also shown by the fact that he saw fit to engage in his usual trade (σχηνοποιός τη τέχνη) so as not to be dependent on or burdensome to anyone, and in order to develop closer relations with his disciples and followers, thereby strengthening the good results of his preaching (1 Thess 2:7-12). Finally, judging by 1 Thess 5:12, the church in Thessalonica was somewhat organized, which also indicates that the Apostle Paul lived in Thessalonica longer than 3 weeks. Thus, without resorting to corrections in the text of the Book of Acts, we can easily reconcile the words of the Evangelist Luke with the data of the first epistle. The Apostle remained in Thessalonica long enough to establish a thoroughly “pagan” church in its origin, into which, of course, entered also a small element of proselytes converted to Christ through the synagogue.

Acts 17:5–6. But the apostolic activity of the holy Paul could not long remain without protest from his unbelieving kinsmen. The colossal success of his missionary work, the great loss in the ranks of the synagogue’s proselytes, the Apostle Paul’s direct turn to the Gentiles—all this provoked a terrible outbreak of Jewish fanaticism. But, remaining always true to their policy, the Jews rose up against the Apostle Paul not alone, but resorted to the help of various kinds of disreputable agitators (αγοραίοι), always capable of inflaming the mob and moving it to disorder. Judging by Acts 17:5–6, their goal was to accuse the Apostle Paul before the popular assembly (δήμος); the matter could have ended very badly for the herald of Christ. But fortunately, the Apostle Paul was not found in Jason’s house, to which the mob directed itself, and the whole matter was confined to the seizure of “Jason and some of the brothers,” and their accusation before the politarchs. The very accusation, put forth by the mob, undoubtedly at the instigation of the Jews, strikes one with its baseness and duplicity characteristic of the latter. The heralds were accused of being “world-disturbers,” of “acting against the decrees of Caesar, declaring another king, Jesus.” All this could only come from the Jews, who well knew the messianic hopes of their people and could give them an interpretation dangerous for Christians, but who nonetheless themselves awaited a king—the Messiah, who was destined to sweep from the face of the earth all the enemies of the Jewish people. But the accusation was cunningly calculated to arouse fears in the politarchs and to hasten the expulsion of the Apostle Paul from Thessalonica. Still, an uprising on the basis of politics was dangerous to the freedom of the city, and therefore the politarchs immediately demanded from Jason an “assurance” (λαβόντας το ίκανόν—apparently a monetary guarantee, security) that there would be no further disorders. During the night the Apostle Paul left the boundaries of Thessalonica and, accompanied by Silas and probably Timothy, went to Beroea. Here his preaching in the synagogue met with a more favorable reception and had great success. But the Jews from Thessalonica, having heard of this, came to Beroea as well and stirred up disorder there too. The Apostle Paul had no choice but to withdraw. He, in the company of “brothers,” traveled by sea to Athens. Silas and Timothy remained in Beroea, but received through the Apostle Paul’s messengers the order to come to him in Athens as soon as possible. If we follow the text of the Book of Acts, we might get the impression that Silas and Timothy came to the Apostle Paul not in Athens but directly in Corinth (Acts 18:5). But if we turn to the first epistle to the Thessalonians, we find that Timothy and Silas returned to the Apostle in Athens (see 1 Thess 3:1 εύδοκήσαμεν έπέμψαμεν), from where the first was sent on a mission to Thessalonica (1 Thess 3:1). Further, when Timothy returned to Corinth to the Apostle Paul to report on the state of the church in Thessalonica, he, according to the epistle, came “to us”—which probably indicates that Silas was already with the Apostle Paul in Corinth at that time, which again is not entirely in agreement with Acts 18:5. (In these disagreements Baur sees a strong argument against the authenticity of this epistle). But, despite all this, we should think that the Book of Acts and the epistle are to a certain degree reconcilable. Here the English scholar Paley is right, who in his Horae Paulinae remarks concerning the aforementioned the following: “the epistle reveals a fact which was not preserved in the history, but which gives to all that is said in the history more sense, probability, and consistency. Here in the history there is a noticeable omission; the epistle by means of a reference precisely points to that circumstance which fills this omission” (p. 474. Complete works of W. Paley. London. 1825. vol. III). That Timothy came to the Apostle Paul in Athens can hardly be doubted (1 Thess 3:1). We should think (on the basis of ηύδοκήσαμεν in 1 Thess 3:1) that Silas also came to the Apostle, obeying his εντολή. The coming of both to Athens is in part indicated by the expression “έχδεχομένου αυτούς” in Acts 17:16. From Athens Timothy was sent back to Thessalonica to learn about the state of affairs there. Judging by 1 Thess 3:1 Silas remained with the Apostle in Athens. Thus the entire difficulty consists in clarifying what were Silas’s movements while Timothy was going to Thessalonica and how they could arrive together in Corinth (contrary to ημάς in 1 Thess 3:6). All this can be “resolved by the assumption that after Timothy left for Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul thought it best for Silas to return to Macedonia, perhaps in order to visit the church in Beroea. It must be remembered that while Silas was forbidden to enter Thessalonica, the road to Beroea was not closed to him. 1 Hence Silas, perhaps, went to Beroea, and Timothy earlier to Thessalonica. Further, there is no need to assume that they returned from Macedonia together. Silas could have come first and, along with the Apostle Paul, could have met Timothy. In that case the plural ημάς in 1 Thess 3:6 would be fully understandable. But even if Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia to Corinth together, this ημάς would not be inexplicable. Silas himself could not have been in Thessalonica, and therefore in his knowledge concerning the Thessalonian church he must have depended on Timothy as much as the Apostle Paul. Finally, Timothy could have met Silas in Beroea and gone with him together to Corinth” (E. H. Askwith, An Introduction to the Thes. Epistles, p. 28, London. 1902). Thus the epistle and the Book of Acts can be to a certain degree reconciled.

The occasion for writing the epistle

Having spent some time in Athens, the Apostle Paul came to Corinth (Acts 18:1), where later Timothy and Silas returned from Macedonia with a detailed report on the state of the Thessalonian church. On the basis of 1 epistle to the Thessalonians, one can with sufficient completeness reconstruct the contents of what Timothy reported about the affairs of the Thessalonian church. It is quite possible that Timothy’s report was also supported by a letter from the Thessalonian Christians to the Apostle Paul.

Judging from everything, the account was quite favorable. The Thessalonians not only did not waver but even “became a model to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia” (1 Thess 1:7).

True, they had suffered persecution from their own kinsmen (1 Thess 2:14), but the danger was not in this; suffering was inevitable (1 Thess 3:3).

Among the believers there was a different danger—the undermining of the authority of the Apostle Paul through various kinds of slander and insinuation regarding the purity and sincerity of his apostleship. Taking advantage of the Apostle’s absence, his enemies accused him of spreading delusions from impure motives, of pursuing selfish and vainglorious goals, of currying favor and flattery, and finally of shameful cowardice, namely that in a critical moment he abandoned his flock to the mercy of fate (1 Thess 2:3-12). Where such accusations could have come from—this is easy to guess. Their source could in no way have been the pagan environment, for which the Apostle Paul was relatively little known in regard to his preaching (1 Thess 2:4) and his claims to apostolic authority; all these insinuations could have come only from the Jews, who, relying on their knowledge of the Apostle Paul, calculated to undermine his authority among his followers by means of these base accusations and thus reduce to nothing his work and make “his labor futile.” But that was not all. Although Timothy brought “good news of your faith and love” (1 Thess 3:6) of the Thessalonian church, still the pleasant picture had its dark sides. The recently converted to Christianity were still weak morally, and the dissolution inherent in the ancient Greek world apparently found adherents even among those newly converted to Christ (1 Thess 4:3-7). The internal discipline of the church also was somewhat lacking (1 Thess 5:12-13); there was a lack of respect for “those who lead.” There was noticed a somewhat elevated interest in the question of the coming of “the Day of the Lord,” of the onset of “the parousia,” which was beginning to affect the relatively even course of fraternal life by the development of “disorderliness” (1 Thess 5:1-14). Finally, Timothy brought to the Apostle Paul’s attention an important doctrinal difficulty that had arisen among the Thessalonian Christians in connection with the question of “the parousia.” During the Apostle’s absence from Thessalonica, there had apparently been cases of death among the Christians, which naturally could raise the question of what would happen to those who died before the coming of “the Day of the Lord”? Would they also share in the glory and blessedness of the parousia? All these reports, taken together, served as the occasion for the writing of the first epistle to the Thessalonians. The goal of the Apostle Paul consisted here in removing the reproaches against himself, strengthening the faith of the “suffering” Thessalonians, dispelling their misunderstandings and imparting to them counsels and instructions for their strengthening on the path of goodness, so that they “conduct yourselves in a way worthy of God, who called you into his kingdom and glory” (1 Thess 2:12).

Time and place of writing

As for the time and place of writing the 1st epistle to the Thessalonians, the aforementioned leads to the following conclusion. The epistle was undoubtedly written in Corinth, after Timothy and Silas returned there, and not in Athens, as we read in the Textus Receptus (έγράφη άπό Αθηνών). To refer the writing of this epistle to the time of the Apostle Paul’s stay in Athens is not permitted by the very brevity of the interval between the Apostle’s departure from Thessalonica and his arrival in Athens. The events in the Thessalonian church required somewhat more time for their development than the above assumption about the place of writing allows. Furthermore, if we were to refer the epistle to the Apostle Paul’s stay in Athens, it would then be difficult to understand how the Apostle Paul could have written verses 7–8 of the first chapter. Referring the writing of the epistle to the time after the Apostle Paul’s stay in Corinth is not permitted by two considerations; first—the liveliness of separation felt throughout the entire epistle (1 Thess 1:5; and especially 1 Thess 2:17), and second, the fact that, as far as we can judge from the Book of Acts, Timothy and Silas were with the Apostle Paul only during his second apostolic journey, and never after, so that the inscription of the epistle with the names of three heralds of the Gospel in Thessalonica, and the almost constant use in the epistle (ήμεής) of the first person plural will be understandable only if we assume that the 1st epistle to the Thessalonians was written from Corinth, where both Timothy and Silas were at the beginning of 51 CE, or at the end of 50 CE.

Contents of the epistle

The epistle begins with a very warm expression of wishes for peace and grace to the Thessalonian church (1 Thess 1:1). The author then turns to expressing his gratitude to God for the prosperity and flourishing of the church in Thessalonica (1 Thess 1:2-10) and immediately turns to an apology for his apostleship among the Thessalonians, which had been subject to slander and vilification by the enemies of the Gospel—the Jews (1 Thess 2:1-12). The author then returns again to the expression of gratitude to God for the steadfastness of the persecuted church in Thessalonica, and makes a sharp attack on unbelieving Jews (1 Thess 2:13-16). Continuing his apology, the author of the epistle describes his intentions regarding his return to Thessalonica and his relations with the church through the mediation of Timothy (1 Thess 3:10). The entire section ends with a prayer for the church in Thessalonica (1 Thess 3:11-13).

The Apostle begins the second part with exhortations—to keep themselves pure and avoid fornication (1 Thess 4:1-8) and adultery, to love their neighbor (1 Thess 4:9-10), and to lead a quiet life, laboring and conducting themselves properly before those outside (1 Thess 4:11-12). The Apostle then turns to the question that apparently troubled the Thessalonian community greatly—the question of the fate of those who died before the coming of the parousia (1 Thess 4:13-18), and says that the latter will share equally in the glory of “the Day of the Lord,” but when this day will come is unknown, and therefore it is necessary to “keep watch and be sober” (1 Thess 5:1-11).

Finally, the Apostle gives instructions concerning respect for the leaders of the church, concerning the disorderly in the community, and concludes the epistle with a series of concise but profound aphorisms of a religious and social character (1 Thess 5:12-22). The end of the epistle is occupied by prayer, blessing, and greeting of all the brothers (1 Thess 5:23-28).

The authenticity of the epistle

Doubts about the authenticity of the epistle to the Thessalonians arose in the nineteenth century; before that time the epistle enjoyed full recognition of its undoubted authenticity, although it was not rich in external evidence on this point. It is quite possible that echoes of the epistle can be found in the holy Ignatius the God-bearer, in his epistles to the Romans, chapter 2—1 Thess 2:4; to the Ephesians, chapter 10—1 Thess 5:17; and Hermas in his “Shepherd” (Vision III, IX:10, 1 Thess 5:13). Direct testimony in favor of our epistle we find in Irenaeus of Lyons (180 CE) in his Adv. haeres. V:6, 1: “in prima epistola ad Thessalonicenses” (ibid V:30, 2), in Clement of Alexandria (190 CE) in his “Paedagogus” (ch. 1, 5), and “Stromateis” (ch. 1, 2), and in Tertullian (200 CE). The epistle is found in the canon of the heretic Marcion (140 CE) in the Peshitta, in old Latin versions, and in the Muratorian canon (170 CE) it is placed sixth among the epistles of the Apostle Paul. As for the internal evidence in favor of our epistle, there is much. It is enough to read this epistle quickly to be immediately convinced that it could in no way have come from the hands of some later anonymous writer, writing under the name of the Apostle Paul. The character of the great Apostle to the Gentiles is imprinted on the entire epistle in the most indelible way. The language and style of the epistle also confirm this. “The internal evidence is so strong that it is entirely sufficient to convince the majority of critics. 1) If our epistle were spurious, it would naturally contain some reference to the important teaching of the Apostle Paul about justification by faith and the like. 2) It would hardly contain such a passage as 1 Thess 4:13-18, which apparently presupposes that the Apostle Paul expected to be a personal witness to the second coming of Christ. 3) Moreover, a spurious epistle would hardly be capable of recreating the warmth of feeling, the personal allusions, and the expressiveness and vigor of language that mark our epistle as genuine…. 4) Any forgery is made with a definite purpose; but no motive for forgery can be found for such an epistle as 1 Thess” (H. W. Fulford. Thessalonians, 1911, p. 8–9).

Bibliography

Askwith. E. H. An Introduction to the Thessalonian Epistles. London. 1902. The German literature on the monograph is listed in G. Milligan. Gloag. P. The Pauline Epistles, Edinburgh, 1876. Lake. K. The Earlier Letters of St. Paul, 1911. Shaw, R. D. The Pauline Epistles, Edinburgh, 1901. Scott, R. The Pauline Epistles Edinburgh, 1909.

In Russian literature it is necessary to point above all to the work of Professor N. N. Glubokovskii: The Gospel of the Holy Apostle Paul, 2 vols. 1905, 1910. Then follow: Fr. F. Titov: The 1st Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians, 1893, Kyiv, and his address before the defense of his dissertation: “The circumstances of the origin of 1 epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians.” Fr. V. Strakhov: The Second Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians. Sergiev Posad 1911. Bishop Nikanor: An accessible explanation of the epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul.

* * *

Notes

From the narrative of Acts 17 it is evident that the uprising in Thessalonica was directed mainly against the Apostle Paul and Silas, and consequently, the “assurance” of Jason extended only to them. Timothy, however, was not barred from entering Thessalonica.

Chapter One

Greeting (v. 1). Thanksgiving to God and prayers for the readers because of their progress in faith, love, and hope as a result of God’s election (2–4). The preaching of the Apostle in Thessalonica and its divine effect there and in neighboring places (5–10).

1 Thessalonians 1:1. Paul and Silvanus and Timothy—to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The greeting is written on behalf of all three heralds who labored in the founding of the church in Thessalonica. The Apostle Paul calls himself simply “Paul,” applying no characteristic descriptions to himself. This is rather unusual, because in all his other epistles he usually calls himself “Apostle,” “Apostle and servant,” simply “servant,” or even “prisoner of Jesus Christ.” But in 1 Thess (as in 2 Thess) he calls himself only by name, apparently because in this case there was no need to particularly insist on his apostolate, which was later denied and questioned. Silvanus is placed second, both because he was among the “leaders among the brothers” (Acts 15:22) and because he, probably, took the most active part in the founding of the Thessalonian church. Silvanus should be recognized as identical with Silas mentioned in Acts 15:22, with the understanding that the name “Silas” was formed from “Silvanus” by abbreviation; analogous examples are the following abbreviations: Loucanus, Parmenas from Parmenides, or Epaphras from Epaphroditus, Apollos from Apollonius. Silas is first mentioned in Acts 15:22; he joined the Apostle Paul at the beginning of his second apostolic journey in place of the Apostle Barnabas. He took the most active part in the founding of the churches of Macedonia and Achaia, but later (Acts 18:5) he completely disappears from the ranks of the Apostle Paul’s coworkers. He was apparently of Jewish origin (Acts 16:20) and had Roman citizenship (Acts 16:37-38), hence his Roman name Silvanus (so he is always called by the Apostle Paul—see 2 Thess 1:1; 2 Cor 1:19). A person named Silvanus is mentioned also in 1 Pet 5:12; usually this person is identified with the Apostle Paul’s coworker. Timothy is placed third, probably due to his youth. He was the most faithful coworker of the Apostle Paul. The name Timothy is mentioned in 11 of the 14 epistles, 2 of which are written personally to him. He was from Lystra by origin, and was probably converted to Christianity by the Apostle Paul himself (Acts 16:1-8; 2 Tim 1:5). He began his coworking with the latter from the second apostolic journey and did not interrupt his connection with the Apostle Paul until the end of his life. The epistle is addressed to “the church of the Thessalonians.” This form of address is a peculiarity common to 1 and 2 Thess, 1 and 2 Cor, and Galatians, though in 1 and 2 Thess the local element is stronger than in the other just-mentioned epistles. The church in Thessalonica is defined from another side as well—as the community of believers in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. “Grace—χάρις—is the primary beginning of all blessings, and peace—ειρήνη—is their final result and consequence” (Lightfoot, op. cit. p. 8). At this point the Apostle Paul combines together the Greek and Hebrew forms of greetings, of course, only with a more profound and spiritualized content.

1 Thessalonians 1:2. We always give thanks to God for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, The Apostle gives thanks to God for the good state of the church in Thessalonica.

1 Thessalonians 1:3. Constantly remembering your work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ before God and our Father, Here (and in 1 Thess 5:8) the Apostle lists the three main Christian virtues—“faith as the source of all Christian virtues, love as the building and sustaining principle of Christian life, and hope as the guiding star leading us to future life” (Lightfoot op. cit. p. 10). We find the same order of naming the virtues in Col 1:4 and in Gal 5:5; but in 1 Cor 13:13, love is placed in the last position. “The great importance given to hope here is fully consistent with the dominant structure of the epistles to the Thessalonians, since in them the Apostle constantly tries to direct all the attention of his readers to the great day of judgment.”

1 Thessalonians 1:4. knowing your election, beloved brothers by God; 1 Thessalonians 1:5. Because our gospel came to you not in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction, as you know what kind of people we were among you for your sake. “Our gospel,” says the Apostle, “came to you not in word alone, not in empty and heartless rhetoric, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction”—πληροφορία—the conviction and assurance on the part of the Apostle and his coworkers.

1 Thessalonians 1:6. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit in the midst of much affliction, “In the midst of much affliction”—persecutions, at first from the Jews (Acts 17:5 and further) and then from their own kinsmen, who did not remain deaf to Jewish slander against the Apostle (1 Thess 2:14).

1 Thessalonians 1:7. So that you became a model for all believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The progress of the Thessalonians in the Christian life was so great that they became τύπον (a model) of Christian community for the believers of Macedonia and Achaia. The Apostle Paul wrote from Corinth, and therefore had every reason to appreciate the power of influence of their example.

1 Thessalonians 1:8. For the word of the Lord resounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth into every place, so that we have no need to say anything. From them “the word of the Lord” (see 2 Thess 3:1 and compare 1 Pet 1:25 and Col 3:16), like thunder, went forth not only through Macedonia and Achaia, but also “into every place” their faith in God (ή προς τόν Θεόν) became a subject of conversation. But how could the Apostle say that their faith became known “in every place” when the church in Thessalonica had been founded by him so recently? What is the meaning of this expression έν παντί τόπω? Of course, there is no need to particularly insist on the literal understanding of this expression (compare Col 1:6; Rom 1:8) in view of the generally not entirely correct construction of the speech in this passage. Grammatically correct speech should have ended at the expression έν παντί τόπω. On the other hand, Thessalonica, being a large commercial center and located on the Via Egnatia, served as an excellent point of departure for the preaching of the word of God, which went forth from here throughout Macedonia and Achaia, and a convenient center from which news about the affairs of the Thessalonian church could quickly spread. Wherever the Apostle came, the fame of the Thessalonians already preceded him. He speaks of their faith as “directed to God” (ή προς τόν Θεόν), which undoubtedly emphasizes their former service to idols, from which they turned away and turned “to the living and true God.”

1 Thessalonians 1:9. For they themselves report about us what kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God Whom does the Apostle mean by “they themselves” (αυτοί γαρ)? “The noun to which this αυτοί should be referred is implicitly contained in έν παντί τόπω, that is, here are meant visitors from all parts” of Greece (Lightfoot, op cit., p. 16).

1 Thessalonians 1:10. And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. The end of v. 9 and v. 10 contain a brief summary of the Apostle’s preaching in Thessalonica, where he apparently especially insisted on the coming of Christ and the terrible judgment. The majority of the Thessalonians turned to God “from idols” to serve “the living and true God” (if the discussion were about those converted from the Jews, we would have not προς τόν Θεόν, but προς τόν Κύριον—see Acts 9:4, and compare Acts 15:19; Gal 4:8 and Acts 14:15), and to await the parousia of His Son, whose resurrection is attributed to the action of God, as also in Rom 1:4. “The word ‘wrath’ here is used not only in the sense of God’s wrath against sin, but also in the sense of the manifestation of divine retribution on the part of his justice, of which the Apostle expected rapid manifestation in the world. The Greek text speaks of this wrath not as something that should open in an indefinite future time, but as something approaching already, as if actually already close to full revelation” (Drummond. I. Thessalonians, p. 20).

Chapter Two

The circumstances and character of the Apostle’s preaching among the Thessalonians (1–12). The success and effect of apostolic preaching among the readers, faithful to it and suffering persecutions (13–16). The holy Paul’s desire to see the Thessalonians and obstacles to it (17–20).

1 Thessalonians 2:1. You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, about our coming to you, that it was not ineffectual; The character of the life and activity of the Apostle Paul among the Thessalonian Christians. The Apostle returns again to the idea expressed earlier in 1 Thess 1:5, and now develops it, turning to an apology for the motives and character of his preaching, which apparently had been subject to vilification and reproach, and certainly at first from the Jews and certainly not from the pagans, who knew very little about the Apostle Paul’s past.

1 Thessalonians 2:2. But though we had previously suffered and been shamefully treated in Philippi, as you know, we dared to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. The beginning of preaching in Thessalonica was not “in vain”—without purpose and without seriousness. Having suffered both bodily and spiritually, the heralds, not frightened by the failure in Philippi, dared to “speak” about God also in Thessalonica “in spite of great opposition”—not withdrawn by the enormous opposition from the enemies of the Gospel.

1 Thessalonians 2:3. For our appeal does not come from deceit or impure motives or trickery; 1 Thessalonians 2:4. But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts. The Thessalonians know this well and also know that the teaching of the heralds does not come from self-deception, and not from the desire to preach dissolution (ακαθαρσία) or to rely on trickery. This hint about impurity (ακαθαρσία) or “sensuality” as a possible source of preaching was very important in view of the extremely immoral forms of service to the gods that were often sanctioned by the religions of that time. Such was, for example, the mystical cult of “Kabiri” in Thessalonica itself, accompanied by grossly immoral rites. The heralds are free from these deficiencies. Tested by God and deemed worthy to be bearers of the Gospel, they strive to serve and please not the low desires and passions of man, but God.

1 Thessalonians 2:5. For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed: God is our witness! 1 Thessalonians 2:6. And we did not seek praise from men, not from you nor from anyone else; 1 Thessalonians 2:7. Though we could have been demanding, as apostles of Christ, we were instead mild among you, like a nursing mother caring for her own children. Their preaching is devoid of flattery calculated for crude personal interest, devoid even of any “pretext” for greed. They do not seek glory from men or from them. They “could have been a burden” (έν βάρει είναι) as Apostles—but this was actually not the case. What does this expression έν βάρει είναι—“could have been burdensome”—mean? Is it a matter of monetary assistance to which the heralds had a right, or is here the meaning the demanding recognition of their authority? Βάρος has two meanings: a) it can have the direct meaning “heaviness,” “burden” (Vulgate—oneri esse), and in that case can indicate the right of Apostles to demand help and support (see v. 1 Thess 2:9 and 2 Thess 3:8); b) but it can have the derived meaning “authority, dignity”; in that case it would indicate the honor which the heralds could expect from the Thessalonians as “Apostles of Christ.” If we connect the thought of v. 7 with the thought of v. 6, the second meaning of the word βάρος is more appropriate; if we connect v. 7 with v. 5, then the first meaning of the word is more acceptable. But “it may be safer to assign to the expression έν βάρει είναι an all-encompassing meaning, including both these royal, so to speak, prerogatives of Apostolate—and the right to insist on one’s authority and the right to receive assistance” (Lightfoot, op. cit.). The heralds, while not being burdensome, were, on the contrary, “mild” among them (ήπιοι). At this point there is another possible reading: “νήπιοι,” in which case the meaning would be: “we were children among you.” This reading is found in two of the most ancient codices—the Sinai and Vatican codices. But the reading ήπιοι is as well supported by manuscripts as νήπιοι, and in terms of the line of thought is much more acceptable.

1 Thessalonians 2:8. In our eagerness for you, we were delighted to share not only the gospel of God but also our very lives, because you had become dear to us. 1 Thessalonians 2:9. Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our labor and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. Here before us is a wonderful picture of the life and activity of the Apostle Paul and his coworkers in Thessalonica. Unwilling to be a burden to anyone, the Apostle worked himself to support himself. This work, undoubtedly, was making tents, a craft that the Apostle Paul was taught, according to Hebrew custom, from childhood itself; he also made his living by this craft in Corinth (Acts 18:2-3). But the Apostle Paul was not always dependent on his own craft alone; judging by Phil 4:15, in Thessalonica he received support from the Philippian Christians, and later in Corinth (2 Cor 11:9) received support from Macedonia. There is no contradiction here with 2 Thess 3:7-10. The Apostle could easily have had in mind two motives for a self-supporting and laborious way of life—both the desire to avoid the accusation “of greed” and the striving to give those around him an example of diligence for imitation.

1 Thessalonians 2:10. You and God are witnesses as to how pure, upright, and irreproachable was our conduct toward you believers; 1 Thessalonians 2:11. As you know, we treated each one of you like a father does his own children, 1 Thessalonians 2:12. We urged and encouraged and implored each one of you to conduct yourselves in a way worthy of God, who called you into his kingdom and glory. But this work for subsistence put the Apostle Paul in a very advantageous position in relation to the believers. It gave him the ability to study each one thoroughly, through constant association in work, and to become a father to each of them in a spiritual sense. Each of them the Apostle Paul exhorted and entreated to “conduct yourselves in a way worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom” (καλούντος). The idea of God’s kingdom was Jewish in origin; it is very often found in the Gospel, but not so often in other writers of the New Testament. To the Greeks this idea was foreign. But the Apostle apparently especially emphasized this idea in his preaching in Thessalonica. His enemies—the Jews—took advantage of this and gave it a false interpretation, dangerous from a political perspective (Acts 17:7). It is quite possible that the unhappy experience in Thessalonica led the Apostle Paul to abandon this form of revealing Christianity in Greek cities.

1 Thessalonians 2:13. Therefore we also constantly give thanks to God, because when you received the word of God that we proclaimed, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it truly is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers A new expression of gratitude from the Apostle for the conversion of the Thessalonians and their steadfastness in persecutions. They received the word of God not as a human word, hence its power. They received it with their whole hearts, and it works in them bearing good fruit—works in them “believing” (present participle πιστευουσιν). “The word is powerful as long as those who listen believe. These two facts coincide. If faith were to disappear, the influence of the preaching would cease” (Adeney. W. 7, The Century Bible, Thessalonians, p. 171).

1 Thessalonians 2:14. For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, because you also suffered the same things from your compatriots as they did from the Jews, Here we have the strongest attack on Jewry on the part of the Apostle Paul (compare Acts 7:51-53). “This is the only place in his epistles where the expression ‘Jews’ is used, similar to how it is used in the Gospel of John, to designate the chosen people as enemies of faith in Christ. To understand this passage, so sharply differing in language from Rom 9-10, we must remember that the Apostle Paul, generally a man of passionate nature, still acutely felt the recent persecution of himself by his own countrymen, whom he realized were struggling not only against him but against God and the truth” (Fulford, Thessalonians, p. 22). This contains a fine refutation of the Tübingen hypothesis (F. Baur) about the alleged hostility that existed between the Apostle Paul and the churches in Judea. The Thessalonians became imitators of these latter, and in the words of the Apostle Paul one senses “admiration full of love” (Lightfoot) before the steadfastness of Judean Christians who became a model for Christians in Thessalonica. On the other hand, this verse beautifully confirms our conclusions about the state of the church in Thessalonica and the source of persecution of Christians. “Although in the Book of Acts the Jews appear as the chief persecutors of the Apostle Paul in Thessalonica, we cannot nevertheless doubt that the course of events was the same everywhere; the opposition to the Gospel aroused by the Jews was taken up by the local population, without whose assistance they would have been powerless” (Lightfoot op. cit. v. 32).

1 Thessalonians 2:15. Who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and are displeasing to God and oppose everyone, Here by the words “πάσιν άνθρώποις εναντίων” is beautifully portrayed the God-fighting and hostile to mankind character of Jewry. Wherever the Apostle Paul went, it persecuted him. On the other hand, the great Apostle, wandering through pagan cities, could observe well the feelings toward Jewry everywhere. The words of the Apostle Paul find beautiful confirmation in the history of Tacitus, who said that Jews have “adversus omnes alios hostile odium” (V:5). The Roman satirist Juvenal speaks no better of them: “Romanas autem soliti contemnere leges, Iudaicum ediscunt et servant ac metuunt jus… Non monstrare vias eadem nisi sacra colenti, Quaesitum ad fontem solos deducere verpos.” XIV:100–104. “The holy Paul sees an example of their enmity toward mankind in their opposition to the spread of the Gospel among the Gentiles. But both their characterization and their exclusivity in the matter of spiritual privileges and their selfish withdrawal in everyday relations in general were obliged for their existence to one and the same spirit devoid of love and freedom, all the more hateful in that it was a caricature and unnatural growth on the exclusive purity of their old monotheism” (Lightfoot, op. cit. p. 34).

1 Thessalonians 2:16. Hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved—thus continually filling up the measure of their sins. But God’s wrath has overtaken them finally. “But God’s wrath has overtaken them finally”—there is no basis for referring these words to the fact of the destruction of Jerusalem. If that were so, references to such an extraordinary event would be in other places of the epistle, and here this event would be described more definitely. The Apostle Paul here read, so to speak, the signs of the times, the coming fate of the God-fighting and stiff-necked Jewry.

1 Thessalonians 2:17. But we, brothers and sisters, were separated from you for a short time in body, not in spirit, and with great eagerness we sought with much longing to see your face. 1 Thess 2:17-3:10. The Apostle Paul’s concern for the Christian church in Thessalonica, Timothy’s visit to Thessalonica, and the joy of the herald at seeing the prosperity of their church and the growth of their faith and love.

1 Thessalonians 2:18. For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, wanted it more than once—but Satan blocked our way. The Apostle Paul especially emphasizes his personal desire to “see the face” of his disciples, but “Satan blocked our way,” he writes. What does this expression mean? An obstacle could have been an illness at that time of the Apostle Paul; he hints at this illness in his epistle to the Galatians (Gal 4:14), among whom he had been not long before this. But, more likely—this expression refers to opposition from Jewry. “Satan, acting through the Jews, stirred up persecution against the Apostle, so that his repeated intention to visit Thessalonica remained unfulfilled.” Ramsay, W. M. (in St. Paul the Traveller, p. 230–31) suggests that here reference is made to the action of the politarchs (Acts 18:9), which prevented the Apostle Paul from returning to Thessalonica (Fulford op. cit. p. 23–24).

Chapter Three

The sending of Timothy by the Apostle to the Thessalonians (1–5) and the good news he brings (6), which stir up the herald’s joy and thanksgiving to the Lord (7–9) and further urge him toward meeting with his readers (10–11), for whom complete spiritual progress is requested from God (12–13).

1 Thessalonians 3:1. And for this reason, since I could no longer bear waiting, we chose to remain in Athens alone, 1 Thessalonians 3:2. and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s servant and our fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and to encourage you in your faith, 1 Thessalonians 3:3. that no one would be shaken by these tribulations. For you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. 2 Corinthians 1:1. Being unable any longer to endure the separation, Apostle Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica, whom he calls here a “brother” (see 2 Corinthians 1:1; Col 1:1; Phlm 1:1), “God’s servant” (1 Tim 4:6; διάκονος του Θεοΰ—as distinguished from δούλος—refers to one serving in relation to his work) and a “fellow worker” in the gospel. All these titles are given to him not to show the greatness of the loss the Apostle suffered by sending Timothy to Thessalonica, but rather to show the Thessalonians the importance of his mission (2 Cor 8:18; Phil 2:20). The essence of the latter consisted in establishing the Thessalonians and encouraging their faith, so that no one among them would be turned from the path of truth amid those tribulations that came upon them. The Apostle had already spoken to them about these tribulations beforehand. Does the Apostle also mean those tribulations that were to come before the arrival of the “day of the Lord”? 1 Thessalonians 3:4. For we also, when we were with you, told you in advance that we would suffer affliction, as indeed it happened, and you know it. 1 Thessalonians 3:5. For this reason, since I could no longer bear waiting, I sent to find out about your faith, lest the tempter should tempt you and our labor come to nothing. 1 Thessalonians 3:6. But now, since Timothy has come to us from you and brought us the good news of your faith and your love, and that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, just as we long to see you, 1 Thessalonians 3:7. for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and suffering we were comforted about you through your faith; 1 Thessalonians 3:8. for now we truly live, if you stand firm in the Lord. It was especially important for the Apostle to know how matters stood regarding the faith of the Thessalonians, which, as the verb “έπεφασεν” shows, had already been tested by temptation from the tempter—Satan (1 Cor 7:5)—and the Apostle feared unfavorable results might follow (γένηται)—his labor could come to nothing. “In view of the dangers we just described, imagine now our relief,” as the Apostle writes, “when Timothy returned—precisely at this very moment—with the good news of your faith and your love, and with that kind remembrance of us that you continue to hold, as well as your mutual and fervent desire with us to meet again. For us such news was truly a ‘gospel,’ and through your faith we were comforted amid the heavy trials and cares we now face in our work. No news could have helped us more, and it seems to us that we truly come alive again, precisely when we hear that you stand firm in the Lord. We have no words to express our gratitude to God for the joy you fill our hearts with before His face—the joy that finds constant expression in our fervent prayers that not only might we hear about you, but might also see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith” (Milligan. G. op. cit. 39–40). Tribulation—θλίψις—sorrow and suffering caused by people; distress—ανάγκη—external compulsion, either from circumstances or duty (1 Cor 7:26 and others).

1 Thessalonians 3:9. What thanksgiving can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, 1 Thessalonians 3:10. praying night and day most earnestly that we may see your face and supply what is lacking in your faith? 1 Thessalonians 3:11. Now may God Himself, even our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way to you. 1 Thessalonians 3:12. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you, 1 Thessalonians 3:13. so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before God and our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. Amen. The Apostle concludes the chapter with a prayer for the Thessalonians, a remarkable feature of which is that God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are invoked together. “It is worthy of note,” writes Bishop Lightfoot on this subject, “that this attribution of divine power to our Lord regarding the governance of human affairs is found in the earliest epistles of the Apostle Paul, which are probably the very first writings of the New Testament. This shows that there was never a moment, even in the very earliest period, so far as we know, when the Person of Christ was regarded differently” (Notes, 48). This passage provides striking testimony to the faith of the early Christians in the divinity of Christ (see 2 Thess 2:16). The Apostle prays that God Himself would remove the obstacle set by Satan against the herald, and again open his way to Thessalonica. The prayer of verse 12 is addressed to the Lord Jesus alone. The Apostle asks the Lord to “abound and overflow” the Thessalonians with love, not only for one another, but for all in general. “For the severely persecuted Thessalonians, this broader love was particularly difficult—and necessary; it meant love for enemies, according to Christ’s commandment” (Matt 5:44). In verse 13 is indicated the ultimate goal of the prayer. Love, multiplying and overflowing, will become in the Thessalonians the foundation of justification before the coming Judge, creating in them a “state of holiness” (άγιωσυνη). This state of holiness is precisely the goal toward which the love, so powerfully working in the Thessalonians now, must grow and move, so that their holiness might give them, at Christ’s coming, praise from God, the foretaste of which will give them unshakeable peace of heart while awaiting this great and terrible event. The Apostle’s thought here takes on that eschatological turn which repeatedly appears throughout our epistle. The words ‘with all His saints’ should be understood as applying equally to the departed saints and to the angels. True, in the New Testament, angels are never simply called οί άγιοι. But this same title is found in the book Acts 8:13; the influence of this book on our epistle is undoubtedly enormous. On the other hand, in the Gospel (Matt 13:41 and following; Matt 25:31; Mark 8:38, Luke 9:26 and 2 Thess 2:7), angels accompany the Lord in His coming; furthermore, in two Gospels—Mark 8:38 and Luke 9:26—the epithet άγιος is applied to them precisely in connection with the coming of Christ.

Chapter Four

Exhortations by the Apostle to his readers toward Christian advancement (1) according to the commandments of the Lord Jesus (2) through preserving purity, brotherly love, and diligence (3–12). The resurrection of the dead and their participation together with the (glorified) living at the second coming of Christ (13–18).

With Chapter 4 begins the hortatory section. The Apostle, having briefly pointed out in 1 Thess 3:10 the shortcomings (υστερήματα) in the faith of the Thessalonians, of which Timothy had informed him, now turns to a detailed discussion of these shortcomings. “Furthermore” (Το λοιπόν)—shows that the whole essence of the epistle is given in 1 Thess 1-3, which contains an apology for the Apostle Paul’s relationship to the Thessalonian Christians. With 1 Thess 4 begins the continuation of the first three chapters. The shortcomings (Yστερήματα) mainly concerned two subjects—Christian morality (1 Thess 4:1-12) and the second coming of Christ (1 Thess 4:13-5:11). The end of the epistle is occupied by brief, but deeply meaningful aphorisms concerning both the general life of the church and personal conduct.

1 Thessalonians 4:1. Furthermore then, brothers, we ask and urge you by Jesus Christ, that just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, you do so more and more; 1 Thessalonians 4:2. for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. The Apostle here indicates the foundation of his asking and urging—they are based on the divine authority of Christ (έν Κυρίφ Ί ησοϋ), recognized also by the Thessalonians. As a servant of Christ, in His name, and carrying out His commandment, the Apostle addresses his followers in Thessalonica with insistent, earnest, and authoritative exhortation, that they, having received from him instruction on how to please God, would advance in this more and more. “Δει” here indicates moral necessity. “To please God—‘Αρεσκαν Θεφ’—the chief conception with the Apostle Paul, and in fact a biblical conception, of true life for man, in which both religion and morality are united as they arise from the believer’s personal relationship with God” (Zindlay op. c. 81). But the Apostle reminds them that all this exhortation is based on what is already known to them and has been transmitted to them as the Lord’s commandments, made manifest in His name (δια—points to the name and authority of Jesus Christ as the sanction for them).

1 Thessalonians 4:3. For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 1 Thessalonians 4:4. that each of you know how to control your own body in holiness and honor, 1 Thessalonians 4:5. not in the passion of lust, as do the Gentiles who do not know God; 1 Thessalonians 4:6. and that no one wrong his brother or defraud him in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we have already told you and solemnly warned you. 1 Thessalonians 4:7. For God called us not to uncleanness, but to holiness. 1 Thessalonians 4:8. Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not man, but God, who gives you His Holy Spirit. Here the Apostle touches the most sensitive point in the moral life of the Thessalonian Christians, information about which he had received through Timothy. The recently converted Thessalonians could not at once break free from their past, when many things were considered indifferent, especially in the realm of sexual life. The Apostle again reminds the Thessalonians of the decree of the Jerusalem council: “keep yourselves from sexual immorality,” for “the will of God,” which has already sanctified them, requires perfect purity from them. Hence—it is necessary that each one know (είδέναι—to know as a result of practice, “for purity is not a fleeting impulse, but exercise, practice” – Lightfoot) how to “control his own body in holiness and honor” (Russian translation). Here the main difficulty arises from how to understand the word σκεύος. There are two possible understandings: according to one—σκεύος—is our body; according to the other, it is a metaphorical expression used here instead of the word “wife.” The second interpretation is defended by Theodore of Mopsuestia and St. Augustine (suum vas possidere, hoc est, uxorem suam in c. jul. Pelag. IV:10) and many modern commentators. The designation of a wife as a “vessel” is not something unexpected (though 1 Pet 3:7 has no bearing here); it is found in rabbinical writings; and the verb κτάσθαι in the sense of “to marry” is used in the LXX (Ruth 4:10 and others). If we accept this interpretation, the thought would be somewhat the same as in 1 Cor 7:2, though with a different nuance. “While on the negative side πορνεία is forbidden, on the positive side it is equally clear that purity and holiness are enjoined in regard to God’s commandment given in Gen 1:28” (Ellicott Thessalonians, p. 53). But against this interpretation two considerations can be raised: a) the word σκεύος in this sense is never found anywhere in the New Testament; and b) if the Apostle had used this expression, we would be right in attributing to him an extremely base and sensual view both of woman and of marriage. Better therefore to rest upon the first interpretation, accepted by Tertullian (Caro… vas vocatur apud Apostolam, quamvis in honori tractare – De resurrectione carnis. 16), Chrysostom, Theodoret, and others. The designation of the body as a vessel is found even in antiquity—thus, for example, in Lucretius in his De rerum natura, III, 440: “corpus, quod vas quasi constitit ejus”… Such use of this expression is also found in the Apostle Paul himself in 2 Cor 4:7, and it appears in the apostolic fathers, for instance, in the Apostle Barnabas in his epistle, Chapter VII, “το σκεύος του πνεύματος.” The difficulty lies only in the verb κτάσθαι, which in this case must be translated as “to possess,” “to keep,” which meaning this verb has only in the past perfect κέκτησθαι. “But if we judge from papyrus evidence, it appears that at least in common colloquial speech this meaning was no longer limited to the past tense” (Milligan, op. c. 49 p.). “Not in the passion of lust”—when lust takes on the character not of external temptation but of an inward working passion, internal indulgence in sin, a principle holding sway over the inner man (Rom 6:12). “As do the Gentiles, who do not know God”—the immorality of the pagan world, in the thought of the Apostle Paul, owes its existence to ignorance of the true God. “Saint Paul knows nothing of the prevalent (but superficial) distinction between religion and morality. He regards them as inseparable” (Lightfoot, op. c. 56). Verse 6 continues to clarify the thought of verses 3–4. Verses 3–4 forbid sexual immorality; verse 6 points to the extreme reprehensibility of adultery. Thus on this verse Saint Chrysostom says: “here he speaks of adultery; above also of all sexual immorality” (Migne, Series Graeca, tom. 62, p. 424). To understand this verse in the sense of forbidding covetousness and greed is not permitted, first of all, by the context of speech, and especially verse 7, and, secondly, by the expression “in this matter” (in the Slavic version; in Russian: “ни в чем”—in no matter), which, being with the article, directly points to the subject now under discussion—namely, the sins of the flesh. Verse 7 clearly indicates why the Thessalonians should refrain from sexual immorality and adultery: they are called by God not to uncleanness, but to holiness. The latter must be the all-pervading atmosphere in which the life of a Christian must grow and unfold. The one who rejects this state rejects God, who gave him the pledge of sanctification—the Holy Spirit. “This gift of the Spirit,” as the Apostle says, “places you in a completely different relationship to God than you were before. This gift—testimony in your souls against uncleanness. This gift—a sign that God has sanctified you for Himself, but it is also a pledge of vengeance if you defile that which no longer belongs to you but to God” (according to Lightfoot, op. c. p. 58). Compare 1 Cor 3:16.

1 Thessalonians 4:9. Now concerning brotherly love, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 1 Thessalonians 4:10. and indeed you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more, 1 Thessalonians 4:11. and to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 1 Thessalonians 4:12. so that you may walk properly before those outside and be dependent on no one. These verses contain an exhortation to advancement in brotherly love and a call to a quiet, modest, and independent life. The Apostle frankly acknowledges that the Thessalonians are blameless in the first regard, for their love extends to the brothers “throughout Macedonia.” From the Acts we know that churches of Christ existed in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. But it must be thought that Christianity spread to other major places, such as Amphipolis, Pella, and others; hence the explanation of the Apostle’s expression “throughout Macedonia.” But, having pointed out the need for advancement in brotherly love, the Apostle touches upon a sore point in the life of the Thessalonian community—the appearance of “disorderly ones” in it (verse 11). It must be thought that the broad Christian charity provoked great abuses and created a class of persons who preferred to live at the expense of others, abandoning quiet and independent working life. Having been freed from labor, they devoted themselves entirely to agitation, and probably were the cause of the abnormal growth of eschatological expectations and hopes among the Thessalonians. Their “restlessness” disrupted the peaceful course of life of the Thessalonian Christians and unconsciously undermined the authority of the Christian community among the pagans, forcing them to regard it as an assembly of idle and harmful people, occupied only with “cloud-dreams.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13. Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. In this and the following verses of the epistle, the discussion turns to two of the most important topics: the fate of those who die before the parousia of Christ, and the signs of the parousia itself. The thought of verse 13 is not separate from 1 Thess 4:11-12. The intense development of expectation of the parousia of Christ, while weakening attention to the ordinary routine of life on one hand, on the other hand could provoke the insistent question of what the fate of those would be who would die, or had died, before the parousia. It must be thought that some cases of death had already occurred; the difficulty was not entirely imaginary. Timothy, during his time in Thessalonica, undoubtedly noticed this difficulty and reported it to Apostle Paul. The Apostle does not wish to leave the Thessalonians without an explanation on this very important subject—namely, “concerning those who have fallen asleep”—the dead. The Vatican and Sinai codices read κοιμωμένων—which, in the opinion of English scholar Bishop Lightfoot, “is the more expressive term, pointing forward to future awakening, and thus containing within itself a hint at resurrection in a more definite manner than κεκομημένων.” (Notes, p. 63). The purpose of the Apostle is that they not grieve as οι λοιποί—as the Gentiles do. Here it is not grief in general that is forbidden, which is partly natural to man, but its excessive display, as among the Gentiles, who regarded the fact of separation from the world now with despair, now with that sorrowfully hopeless, yet partly swaggering feeling, which is well expressed there in the Roman poet Catullus: “To us, when once the brief light has set, there is one eternal night in which we must sleep.” (See Catulli, Tibulli, propertii carmina, Lipsiae, 1890, p. 3: V:5–6). Among the Thessalonians, however, there was mixed with this a fear for the fate of the dead.

1 Thessalonians 4:14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep. There is no basis whatsoever for this fear. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, the fate of the dead is in safe hands. The death and resurrection of Christ is the foundation of Christian hope. But how is the expression “through Jesus”—δια τού Ί ησοϋ—to be understood? It certainly clarifies the “those who have fallen asleep,” but the expression is still quite unexpected. Bishop Lightfoot remarks beautifully here: “The justification for δια is probably to be found in the fact that κοιμηθήναι is not synonymous with θανεϊν, but contains within it the idea, first, of a peaceful, quiet death, and, second, of awakening. Christ made the death of a Christian a peaceful slumber” (p. 65, op. cit.), hence the instrumental character of the preposition δια. Therefore, there is no need to understand this verse as indicating the departed who died in Jesus “by martyrdom,” through suffering for Him.

1 Thessalonians 4:15. For we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. “By the word of the Lord”—the Apostle Paul probably refers here not to some saying of Christ that is unrecorded and has not reached us, but to a revelation personally granted to him. This understanding is somewhat justified by the use of the expression “word of the Lord” in the New Testament. “We who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord”… Can we, on the basis of this expression, conclude that the Apostle Paul himself hoped to be a witness to the parousia of Christ? In speaking of the living, does he mean himself and his generation, or is “the living” here simply the general class of those living at any time? Is this not merely a vivid manner of speech? Certainly we can regard οι ζώντες as merely a figurative expression, referring to all the living in general. “Remaining” (Περιλειπόμνοι) seems to be an explanation of the first term, and the whole question is whether the Apostle considered it possible and likely for himself to find himself among these “remaining ones.” “It will apparently be fair and proper to state,” writes Ellicott, “that ‘remaining’ is simply the present tense, and that the Apostle Paul should be understood in the sense that he places himself among those “left on earth,” although this in no way means that he had any exact and definite expectations concerning himself. At the time when he wrote these words, he was one of the living and remaining, and as such, he distinguishes himself and others from the sleeping ones, and naturally identifies himself with the class of people to whom he then belonged” (op. cit, p. 64). Yet despite this, we are inclined to the opinion that the Apostle might have hoped to be a living participant of the parousia. He would not have said “we who are alive” if the speech concerned a completely distant event. It must be remembered that the Apostle Paul preserved the vivid expectation of the parousia until the end of his life, as is testified by Phil 4:5 and 1 Cor 16:22.

1 Thessalonians 4:16. because the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first; “The Lord Himself”—Jesus Christ—see 1 Thess 1:10. The cry of command—κέλευσμα—a general call, a summons to the living and the dead, which probably will come from the Lord Himself and will find an echo “in the voice of an archangel and in the sound of the trumpet of God”—(compare all this with Matt 24:30).

1 Thessalonians 4:17. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them on the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. “On the clouds” (compare Acts 1:9, Matt 24:30). “In the air”—εἰς ἀέρα—that is, in the atmosphere surrounding our earth. The Lord will come down into the region immediately adjacent to the earth, where He will meet all His faithful, waiting for His parousia.

Chapter Five

The unknownness and unexpectedness of the coming of Christ (1–3), the necessity of moral vigilance (4–7) in faith and love and with hope for salvation (8–10); mutual exhortations to this (11) with submission to their leaders, teachers and guides (12–14), with concern for the weak and mutual benevolence (15); the advancement of some in a joyful and prayerfully-grateful frame of mind (16–18) under the illumination of the Spirit and the sovereignty of prophecy (19–20); strict testing of all things with abstention from all manner of evil (21–22). The Apostle’s prayerful good wishes for his readers (23–24) with a request for their prayers for himself (25) and with an appeal for them to greet one another with a holy kiss (26), the command to read the epistle to all the brothers (27) and the bestowal upon them of the grace of Christ (28).

1 Thessalonians 5:1. Now concerning times and seasons, brothers, you have no need for anything to be written to you, 1 Thessalonians 5:2. for you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 1 Thessalonians 5:3. For when they are saying, “Peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. Having cleared up the first difficulty of the Thessalonians, the Apostle turns to the second—the question of the time of the parousia. Doubting about the fate of those who die before the last day, and specifically about their participation in the blessedness of the second coming, the Thessalonians with doubled impatience regarded the delay of this event, justly fearing that they too might find themselves among those “fallen asleep.” The Apostle, having cleared up the first difficulty and having said that the Lord will come, nevertheless warns the Thessalonians that “the day of the Lord” (an expression from the Old Testament; see in Joel 2:31; Isa 2:12; Amos 5:18, where the day of the Lord is a day of judgment) will come “like a thief in the night.” Here the description of the day of the Lord reminds one strongly of the words of the Lord Christ Himself—Matt 24:43; Luke 12:39, and the expression “well,” it seems, indicates that the teaching of the Apostle “about times and seasons” was based on the actual words of the Lord Himself, and was taught with all possible thoroughness and detail (see 2 Thess 2:5). “Then sudden destruction will come upon them”—it is interesting here to note the agreement between the words of the Apostle Paul and the Gospel of Luke, which is generally observed between these two writers—compare 1 Thess 5:3 – Luke 21:34. Compare also: 1 Cor 11:23-26 – Luke 22:19-20; the appearance of the risen Lord to Peter 1 Cor 15:5 – Luke 24:34; “reward—sustenance” in 1 Tim 5:18 – Luke 10:7 and Matt 10:10.

1 Thessalonians 5:4. But you, brothers, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief. But since the day of the Lord will come like a thief, it is necessary always to be vigilant, so as not to be caught off guard. In verse 4, the reading κλέπτης is better than κλέπτας (A and B), for the first best emphasizes the suddenness of the coming of the day of the Lord like an unforeseen coming of a thief. But the whole force of the verse lies in the words “you are not in darkness.” “You are not in moral darkness,” as the Apostle Paul says, “for the day of the Lord to find you unprepared. You are sons of light—you were once darkness, now you are light in Christ. You are not only enlightened, but you move at all times in the sphere of day. But if you live in the light, you must be vigilant and self-controlled, and not sleep spiritually, as the pagans and Jews do.” The figurative expression “light” in application to Christ is widely used by Saint John the Theologian (John 8:12). The first duty of a Christian is vigilance: but it must be accompanied by “self-control”—not only mental wakefulness, but also moral self-collectedness, which makes the one who watches ready for the great event—the parousia.

1 Thessalonians 5:5. For you are all children of light and children of day. We are not of the night, nor of darkness. 1 Thessalonians 5:6. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us be awake and self-controlled. 1 Thessalonians 5:7. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. The Apostle Paul hints here at scenes of revelry, which he may have witnessed in Thessalonica and Corinth.

1 Thessalonians 5:8. But since we are of the day, let us be self-controlled, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation, A new comparison of a Christian to a soldier preparing for battle. This passage is interesting to compare with Eph 6:14-17. Here we read: the breastplate of “faith and love,” while in Ephesians it is “breastplate of righteousness”; here “helmet of the hope of salvation,” there “helmet of salvation.” Love is here mentioned in second place—compare 1 Cor 13:13; in Ephesians love is altogether omitted. “Hope”—in agreement with the general spirit of the epistle to the Thessalonians, is placed in the last place (see 1 Thess 1:3). The foundation for the entire verse could have been served by the following passages from Isa 59:17 and Wis 5:17-20.

1 Thessalonians 5:9. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thessalonians 5:10. who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep, we might live together with Him. “The hope of salvation” in 1 Thess 5:8 finds its definition in wrath. The Apostle tells the Thessalonians that God appointed them not to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through Christ. The obtaining of salvation is a future acquisition, for wrath too is a matter of the future. But the Thessalonians will find their salvation through Christ. Verse 10 is remarkable because it contains a proclamation of a great Christian dogma concerning redemption. This is the only place in our epistles where there is a hint at this dogma, although later, in the second group of epistles, the Apostle constantly touches on this chief point of his teaching. “This dogma is represented here as twofold in its content, first, as containing an indication of an act on the part of Christ—‘who died for us,’ and as including within itself the idea of the union of the believer with Christ (‘so that… we might live together with Him’). The mention of this dogma here is very important because it shows that the teaching on redemption was inherent in the mind of the Apostle in his earliest writings… it is, therefore, not a later product of his more mature reflections, as is sometimes asserted” (Lightfoot, Notes, 77). – “Whether we are awake or asleep”—whether we live or die, we all alike live with Him.

1 Thessalonians 5:11. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:12. Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, These verses contain the Apostle Paul’s exhortations to the Thessalonians regarding their attitude toward the leaders (12–13) in the church, and regarding the necessity of conducting a peaceful way of life; the exhortations are addressed to the entire church in general. Having given the Thessalonians the counsel to encourage and build one another up (verse 11), the Apostle immediately turns to a new deficiency among the Christians of Thessalonica—the lack of proper respect toward the leaders of the church, to whom rightfully belong teaching and edification. The Apostle hastens to prevent the possibility of usurpations in this area. The Thessalonians ought to value and respect (είδέναι) those who labor among them, but whom specifically is explained by two epithets: those who lead and those who admonish. Here, undoubtedly, one class of persons is meant, for all three participles are connected by one article, namely, the presbyters, to whom properly belong two functions—leadership and teaching. The Apostle counsels not only to value them and respect them, but to do so in a spirit of love.

1 Thessalonians 5:13. and hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 1 Thessalonians 5:14. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all. “Admonish the unruly”—strictly speaking, “those who do not keep order”—an allusion to military discipline. Ellicott thinks that here there is probably a hint at the neglect of duties and professions that the Thessalonians were guilty of, thanks to their mistaken views on the time of the coming of Christ. This view is confirmed by passages such as 1 Thess 4:11. “Encourage the fainthearted”—those who have lost their emotional balance, perhaps from excessive grief over the dead, or from fear of persecutions. “Be patient with all”—do not give way to irritation toward those who are weak, but deal with all patiently, carefully, and lovingly.

1 Thessalonians 5:15. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Here the Apostle repeats the lesson given by Christ in Matt 5:43 and following. “Seek to do good”—“το αγαθόν” not in the sense of the absolutely good (το καλόν), but in the sense of what is beneficial (utile), opposite to all that can be called “the evil.” This “seeking” should extend not only to brothers in faith, but also to all people in general.

1 Thessalonians 5:16. Rejoice always. These verses contain a series of beautiful aphorisms concerning different aspects of the spiritual and moral life of a Christian. Compare Phil 3:1 and Phil 4:4. The source of this joy (Rom 14:17) is the Holy Spirit, poured out upon Christians. Having become a participant in the great councils of God concerning the salvation of the world, the Christian sees the saving hand of God everywhere in the world, even in suffering and persecution. This serves as an inexhaustible source of his joy.

1 Thessalonians 5:17. Pray without ceasing. Here the Apostle gives counsel regarding ceaseless spiritual prayer, which is a natural result of the frame of mind spoken of in 1 Thess 5:16.

1 Thessalonians 5:18. Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:19. Do not quench the Spirit. “Do not quench the Spirit.” The connection of this verse with 1 Thess 5:20 gives reason to think that the speech concerns a negative attitude that arose among the Thessalonians toward spiritual gifts, which the Apostle speaks about in 1 Cor 12 and 1 Cor 14. The reaction against them may have arisen because they introduced a certain amount of disorder into Christian assemblies.

1 Thessalonians 5:20. Do not despise prophecies. The same negative attitude apparently existed also regarding “prophecy.” The latter does not include the idea of predicting the future. In the New Testament this idea is in the background. “Prophesying is closely connected with prayer (1 Cor 11:4-5). Whoever prophesies speaks to people for building up, encouragement and comfort (1 Cor 14:3). Conviction of sin, disclosure of the secrets of the heart—are attributed to this spiritual gift as its work (ibid. XIV:24–25). In short—prophecy is passionate and inspired speech about the mysteries of God” (Lightfoot, op. cit. p. 63). The suppression of such a gift would be a great loss to the spiritual life of the Thessalonian community of Christians.

1 Thessalonians 5:21. Test all things; hold fast what is good. The continuation of the thought in 1 Thess 5:20. Spiritual gifts are a wonderful thing: they must be maintained; but it is necessary also to test them. Not all kinds of inspiration come from above. The thought here is partly the same as in 1 John 4:1. “The good” (το καλόν) in the moral sense is different from “what is beneficial” (το αγαθόν); the first means what is good in itself; the second—what is good by its consequences. The first here is very apt, for it points to what is good, accepted as a result of your “testing.” “Hold firmly to what you have accepted as a result of your ‘testing.’”

1 Thessalonians 5:22. Abstain from all appearance of evil. Here the Apostle’s thought is partly the same as in Rom 12:9. “Form” or “kind”—είδος—this translation finds confirmation in recently discovered papyri in Egypt from the 2nd century BC and 2nd century AD. In the common speech of this period the word είδος has precisely this above-mentioned meaning (see Milligan—op. cit. p. 76–77).

1 Thessalonians 5:23. And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entire without fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle’s thought turns once again to the parousia of Christ. He prays that God would not only make them perfect at the parousia of Christ, but also preserve them in this perfection (wholly and entirely). Here we encounter the so-called trichotomy, the threefold division of human nature into spirit, soul, and body. In the New Testament, human nature is usually divided into two parts, which sometimes bear different names, for instance σώμα and ψυχή (Matt 10:28), σώμα and πνεύμα (Rom 8:10), sometimes σαρξ and πνεύμα (Col 2:5), and finally σαρξ and νους (Rom 7:25). But sometimes a threefold division of human nature is recognized; thus in the epistle to Heb 4:12, a distinction is made between ψυχή and πνεύμα, and in 1 Cor 2:14 and following 1 Cor 15:44-46, a distinction is drawn between the soulish and the spiritual. This trichotomy is not merely a Christian teaching; it is found also among pagan philosophers—in Plato, the Neoplatonists, and the Stoics. The highest, spiritual principle of human nature is divided into two parts—the lower—ψυχή, which includes sensations, feelings and impulses, and the higher πνεύμα, through which we enter into communion with God. This threefold division is found very frequently in the earliest Church Fathers. For the Apostle Paul this division is hardly merely a rhetorical figure of speech. In principle—there are, strictly speaking, no grounds for denying the threefold division of our nature. Compare also N. N. Glubokovskii: “The Gospel of Holy Apostle Paul,” Vol. I, 368 and Vol. II, 1032 and 1123.

1 Thessalonians 5:24. Faithful is He who calls you, who will also accomplish this. 1 Thessalonians 5:25. Brothers, pray for us. 1 Thessalonians 5:26. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 1 Thessalonians 5:27. I put you under oath before the Lord to have this epistle read to all the holy brothers. To whom are these verses addressed—to the entire Thessalonian church, or only to the presbyters? The expression “the holy kiss” seems to point to personal meeting and personal interaction, and therefore may limit the expression “all brothers.” But still it is better to think that these verses are addressed to the entire church in general. The expression “holy kiss” here is hardly related to a liturgical rite of kissing. But in the epistles of the Apostle this kiss, with the addition of the epithet “holy,” is found frequently; see: Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12, as well as 1 Pet 5:14. The first mention of “kiss” in the sense of a liturgical rite is found in Saint Justin Martyr in his “Apology” (1 Apol. 65). – “I put you under oath”—ένορκίζω—here it is interesting to note the change from the 1st person plural, generally adopted in the epistle, to the 1st person singular (compare 1 Thess 2:18 and 1 Thess 3:5). The explanation for this change and the force of the expression connected with it (emphatic first person singular pronoun) should be sought not in any disagreements between the congregation and the presbyters or between Christians from Jews and Christians from Gentiles (an opinion of Harnack about which below), but rather in the Apostle Paul’s fear concerning the possible misuse of his name and authority. Hence his desire that the epistle be read aloud and publicly (άναγνωσθήναι), to avoid any misunderstandings and misinterpretations.

1 Thessalonians 5:28. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. The epistle closes with a greeting of blessing, which may have been written by the hand of the Apostle Paul himself. It contains the characteristic expression of the Apostle—grace. In form, these greetings of the Apostle Paul vary greatly. Some are distinguished by their length (2 Cor 13:13), while others, on the contrary, are brief (1 Tim 6:21). These greetings were adopted by the Christian writers of the Apostolic age (e.g., Saint Clement and the Apostle Barnabas), and then passed into the liturgical use of the church.

The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Introduction

Occasion for writing the second epistle to the Thessalonians

The content of the epistle

The time and place of writing the epistle

The authenticity of the epistle

Occasion for writing the second epistle to the Thessalonians

By whom and how the first epistle of Apostle Paul was delivered to Thessalonica, this can only be conjecture. The state postal service, established by Emperor Augustus, served only the needs of officials and authorities; hence private correspondence could reach its recipients only through the hands of special messengers or through friends and chance travelers. One must suppose that the epistle of Apostle Paul was delivered to Thessalonica through some Christian, since entrusting it to strangers would have been quite dangerous. Now, as for the effect of this epistle on the Thessalonians, we can judge by the content of the second epistle. The first epistle undoubtedly removed the chief difficulty among the Thessalonians—namely, the Apostle answered the question about the fate of those who died before the parousia. Nor does the second epistle contain indications of lack of discipline toward those in authority and so forth. But, on the other hand, the person who delivered 1 Thessalonians to Thessalonica was able in turn to bring information about the condition of the church in Thessalonica after receiving the epistle. The Apostle could have obtained information on this matter through outsiders (2 Thess 3:11) who were in Thessalonica, or through people who came from there with the express purpose of informing the Apostle about the state of affairs in the young church. The information obtained in this way was far from favorable. The second epistle to Thessalonica appears as an attempt by Apostle Paul to introduce the necessary correction into the troubling and dangerous situation of affairs in Thessalonica. The Apostle praises the faith and love of the Thessalonians (2 Thess 1:3), and speaks of their patience in persecutions (2 Thess 1:4-12). These latter, apparently, not only did not cease, but on the contrary intensified. The malice of Thessaloniki’s Jewish population infected the entire population and Christians found themselves in the most terrible situation. The Apostle comforts them, praises their firmness, and speaks about the saving significance of sufferings for them, pointing out that “in the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven,” they will receive consolation for this. But here apparently the pleasant side of the picture ends. The question about the fate of those who died before the parousia receded into the background, but instead the very “parousia” turned into an extraordinarily burning question of life. The belief that this parousia had already come, that its hour had already struck, and that even if it remains invisible for now, it could still appear before their eyes at any moment, had seized the community of believers, and produced a complete disruption of the normal course of life. There developed in the widest degree “disorderliness,” expressed in the fact that many, while awaiting the sudden arrival of the Lord’s coming, abandoned the normal way of life, gave themselves over to “ideological” idleness in view of the near passing of the form of this world, and became, even if not always consciously, a burden on those laboring in the Christian community. But they not only gave themselves over to ideological inaction, but even went further: they began to “be busybodies”; “abandoning their own work, these ‘disorderly’ ones began going from house to house, spreading and discussing the very latest and sensational rumors about the parousia, and thus disturbed the peace of the church, and interrupted work among laboring brothers.” The first stirrings of this internal disturbance the Apostle had already touched on in his first epistle (1 Thess 4:11-12). The evil, however, not only did not disappear, but even grew to an unprecedented degree. There resulted a dangerous “mental reeling and confusion.” It was necessary to take measures against this “eschatological upheaval,” which, by disrupting the inner peace of the church, also disrupted external relations, putting Christians in a very unfavorable light before the pagan population of Thessalonica. This disorder could have been advantageous only to the Jews, who undoubtedly looked upon this upheaval not without pleasure. Thus, the occasions for writing the second epistle to Thessalonica were the disorders in the church of Thessalonica, arising in connection with the question of the parousia, and the signs of its approach. In this epistle Apostle Paul makes an attempt to direct the attention of the Thessalonians to that aspect of his eschatology about which he spoke to them when he was still with them (2 Thess 2:5), but which apparently was completely overlooked in Thessalonica.

The content of the epistle

Having given a greeting, the Apostle moves to the expression of thanksgiving to God for the continuous growth of the Thessalonians in faith and love, which he notices among them, and which serves the Apostle as a subject of praise in the churches of God (2 Thess 1:1-3). But the Apostle especially praises their patience in sorrows and persecutions. The latter not only should not serve as a means of turning them away from God, but on the contrary should encourage them to stand firm in view of the coming “consolation” for them in the coming of the Lord. Then the Apostle describes the latter, as well as the fate of believers and unbelievers after the “parousia” (2 Thess 1:4-10). He ends his thoughts with a prayer that God may establish the fate of Thessalonica “in the day” of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thess 1:11-12). After this begins the most important and essential part of the epistle (2 Thess 2:1-12). The Apostle asks the Thessalonians not to be shaken in mind and not to be troubled regarding the coming of the day of the Lord’s coming. That day will not come, he says, until certain definite events take place—signs before its arrival. Such will be—a departure and the revelation of the man of sin with his godless acts. The mystery of lawlessness is already working, but for now the full manifestation of evil is held back by the presence of an opposing force—to katerchon. Once this force is removed, the kingdom of the lawless one will begin, whose coming will be accompanied by the manifestation of all kinds of false miracles and signs. Deception will be sent upon those who did not receive the truth. But finally—the revelation of the Lord Jesus will put an end to this orgy of evil. At the end of the chapter (2 Thess 2:13-17) the Apostle again exhorts Thessalonica to stand firm, and to keep the traditions which they were taught, and to trust in God, from whom alone they can receive both consolation and strengthening for the accomplishment of every good. The third chapter of the epistle begins with a request that the Thessalonians in turn pray for the favorable progress of the work of preaching among the evangelists (2 Thess 3:1-5). Then the Apostle turns to the “disorderly ones” with words of exhortation, asking them to labor, not to be busybodies (2 Thess 3:6-10). Those among them who prove obstinate, he commands to subject to exclusion from communion, but not for the purpose of punishment, but of correction (2 Thess 3:11-15). The epistle ends with wishes for peace. At the end of the epistle there was appended a greeting and blessing, written by Apostle Paul with his own hand.

The time and place of writing the epistle.

To determine the time and place of writing the second epistle, it is necessary to clarify the following points: a) the epistle is again addressed from three evangelists, Paul, Silas and Timothy; the latter two were with Apostle Paul during his second apostolic journey. b) The general state of affairs; the situation of both the church and the Apostle, although they differ somewhat from those described in 1 Thessalonians, remain in many respects identical. c) The Temple of Jerusalem, judging by 2 Thess 2:4, still stood unbroken. d) In 2 Thess 2:15 and 2 Thess 3:14, the Apostle apparently hints that he had already written once to the church of Thessalonica. All these considerations together speak to the fact that the second epistle to Thessalonica could only have been written during the second apostolic journey, and of course in Corinth, from where the first epistle was also written. How soon after the first epistle the second epistle appeared—it is very difficult to say with sufficient precision. Usually people find something like a date of writing in 2 Thess 3:1-2, where the Apostle asks the Thessalonians to pray for him, that God would deliver him from disorderly and wicked people. In this some see an allusion to an outburst of Jewish hatred and fanaticism that took place just toward the end of Apostle Paul’s stay in Corinth (Acts 18:12-13). But one must confess that the allusion is too indefinite to be used as a basis for any conclusions about the time of writing of our epistle. As we saw above, 1 Thessalonians was written either at the end of 50 or at the beginning of 51; if we now suppose that some time was necessary both for the mutual exchange of information and for the development of internal developments in the church of Thessalonica, then we can date the writing of the second epistle either to the end of 51 or to the beginning of 52 (in April 52 Apostle Paul left Corinth; see N. N. Glubokovskii, chronology, pp. 131–132). Not to date the writing of our epistle to a time after 70 allows the consideration in point c) as well as 2 Thess 2:7, where the “restrainer” is undoubtedly the Roman power, a view of which, after Nero’s persecution, changed radically among Christians. There are absolutely no grounds for the opinion (of Grotius, Baur, Ewald) that the second epistle is essentially the first in origin (according to Ewald—it was sent by Apostle Paul from Beroea; and our first—second in order of appearance—was written in Corinth). To convince oneself of this, it is sufficient only to compare the entire second epistle with 1 Thess 2:17. The most superficial comparison will show that 1 Thess 2:17 in no way could have been written by Apostle Paul once he had written the second epistle to Thessalonica. On the contrary—if we accept the traditional order of the epistles, both of them will become clear to us and will serve to beautifully complement one another. The first epistle describes how Thessalonica received the Gospel, while the second points to their progress in faith and love; the first alludes to the beginning, the second to the growth of Christian life. The first indicates the beginning of eschatological disturbances, the second describes them in full development. Finally, 2 Thess 2:15 and 2 Thess 3:15 would be difficult to explain on the assumption that the second epistle is first, not second in order of appearance. Thus—the second epistle was written in Corinth, at the end of 51 or at the beginning of 52, and was written after the first epistle.

The authenticity of the epistle

Testimonies about the second epistle to the Thessalonians exist from the first centuries. With this epistle was acquainted St. Polycarp of Smyrna, who in his epistle to the Philippians writes the following: “so then be prudent and you yourselves in this; and do not regard such as enemies, but as suffering and erring members recall them, that you may save all your body.” Here the words “do not regard such as enemies”… resemble the words of the second epistle to the Thessalonians in 2 Thess 3:15. In the same chapter St. Polycarp writes a little higher: “indeed, Paul glories about you (Paul) in all the churches”… which strongly recalls 2 Thess 1:4 of our epistle.

One should suppose that here St. Polycarp borrows words from Apostle Paul, spoken by the latter about the church of Thessalonica, and applies them to the church of Philippi, with which the Apostle was in especially good relations. Echoes of our epistle can be found in St. Justin Martyr (140 A.D.) in his Dialogue with Trypho, chapters XXXII, XC, XCII. The 2nd epistle is directly cited in St. Irenaeus of Lyons (for example in Against Heresies, V:25, I: “in the epistle, which is to the Thessalonians second”…), in Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian. It is found in the canon of the heretic Marcion and in the Muratorian canon. If we were to suppose that our epistle is inauthentic, then the fact that it is already in the canon of Marcion speaks against any hypothesis whatsoever dating the writing of our epistle to 100–120 A.D. As for internal evidence in favor of the authenticity of the second epistle, it is sufficient to attribute the epistle to Apostle Paul himself. It bears the stamp of the character of Apostle Paul; here we encounter both his lively sympathy toward his disciples (2 Thess 1:4), and his tender reproaches to them (2 Thess 3:14-15) and his praise of them (2 Thess 1:5), as well as the manner characteristic of the Apostle of speaking of himself (2 Thess 3:7-9) and his desire that the Thessalonians pray for him and his preaching work (2 Thess 3:1).

Chapter One

Greeting (1–3). Thanksgiving of the Apostle to God for the increasing growth of faith and multiplication of love among the Thessalonians (4) and exhortation to them for patience in persecutions with hope for the righteous judgment of God at the second coming of Christ (5–12).

2 Thessalonians 1:1. Paul and Silas and Timothy—to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Thessalonians 1:2. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. These verses contain the greeting to the church of Thessalonica from three evangelists, though the epistle itself contains rather the thoughts of Apostle Paul than those of his co-workers (see 2 Thess 2:5). The combination of the same names is important for dating the epistle; Silas and Timothy were no longer together with Apostle Paul after his second apostolic journey. This clearly points to the time to which we should date the writing of our epistle. The greeting in verse 1 differs from 1 Thess 1:1 only by the addition of the word “our” (hemon), which stronger emphasizes the thought that here the relation of God as father to people is more in view, than as to Christ. Verse 2. The Textus Receptus reads hemon after “from God the Father,” following the Sinai and Alexandrian codices. “Both nouns ‘from God the Father’ and ‘of Jesus Christ’ are dependent on the same preposition ‘from,’ and therefore any distinction between them, as to ‘source’ and ‘mediating’ principle of grace and peace, is here entirely out of place” (Milligan, op. cit. p. 85).

2 Thessalonians 1:3. We should always give thanks to God justly concerning you, brothers, because your faith grows and the love of each of you for one another increases among all of you, This section contains thanksgiving and prayer of the Apostle for the church of Thessalonica. The Apostle gives thanks to God for the progress in faith and love made by the Thessalonians, and says that he boasts of them in the churches of God. The mention of persecutions against Thessalonica gives the Apostle occasion to say a few words about the saving significance of sufferings and about the punishment of “those who trouble you.” The entire section ends with a prayer of the Apostle for the Christians of Thessalonica. Eucharisteioomen—“we should give thanks” (2 Thess 2:13). Ophielo indicates a “special, personal obligation” (Westcott, The Epistles of St. John, p. 50, 1902), an obligation on our part. The Apostle gives thanks to God for the spiritual growth of his followers. Kathos axion estin—“as is fitting.” There is no tautology here. “We can say, writes Lightfoot, that ophielo indicates the divine, while kathos axion estin indicates the human side of the obligation. We can paraphrase this passage as: it is not only a duty toward God, which our conscience prescribes to us, but it is (thanksgiving) also deserved by your conduct” (Lightfoot, Notes, p. 97). Further, here only two Christian virtues are mentioned—faith and love. In the first epistle (1 Thess 3:10) the Apostle was concerned that “something was lacking to faith” of the Thessalonians; here he thanks God that their faith “grows.” The words “love of each of you for one another among all of you” show how well the Apostle knew personally all the members of the Thessalonians community (1 Thess 2:11), and how thoroughly the Apostle was informed about the state of the church in Thessalonica.

2 Thessalonians 1:4. So that we ourselves boast of you in the churches of God, for your patience and faith in all persecutions and tribulations that you are enduring The Apostle is so pleased with the progress of faith and love among the Thessalonians that he boasts of them “in the churches of God”—churches, one must suppose, of all Achaia. The Apostle wrote the epistle from Corinth, but one should suppose that the Word of the Lord had spread by this time to other places near Corinth. See 2 Cor 1:1. Unexpectedly here appears the combination of words “faith in all persecutions and tribulations,” where faith has a passive meaning, very rare in the New Testament in general. “Persecutions and tribulations”—by the former is understood external oppression from the enemies of the Gospel, by the latter—suffering of all kinds in general. “Which you are enduring” (present tense) indicates, perhaps, a new outbreak of persecutions, which may have ceased only temporarily when 1 Thessalonians was written (1 Thess 1:6 and 1 Thess 2:14).

2 Thessalonians 1:5. As a proof of the righteous judgment of God, so that you may be deemed worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer. Here the thought of the Apostle is that the bearing of all their persecutions and tribulations with patience and faith serves as endeigma tes dikaias kriseos tou theou—proof of the fact that there will come a time when all their sufferings will receive recompense, and their persecutors will be punished. God gave them strength to bear persecutions and tribulations, and He will also give them reward for all they endured. The word endeigma is found in the New Testament only here; by analogy with nouns ending in “ma” and formed from the perfect passive voice, it should have a passive meaning—“something proven.” The expression dikaias kriseos—likewise occurs in the Apostle Paul’s writings only here (cf. Rom 2:6). It includes in itself, and chiefly, the law of retaliation, according to which those who suffer in this world should receive consolation afterward, and those who persecute here should suffer there (Lightfoot, op. cit. p. 100). “So that you may be deemed worthy”—indicates the general direction and basic tendency of righteous judgment, namely, that “the patient and holy sufferers be counted worthy of the kingdom of God” (Ellicott, op. cit. p. 97). The kingdom of God is the new order of life established by Christ, which should, however, receive completion in the future. The Apostle apparently spoke to the Thessalonians at great length about the coming of the kingdom of God; this idea must have occupied the chief place in his preaching among the Thessalonians (Acts 17:7) 1.

2 Thessalonians 1:6. For it is righteous with God—to repay those who trouble you with trouble, The idea of retaliation in the coming age again returns the Apostle to the thought of the parousia and its consequences, which he describes with all the wealth of apocalyptic data taken from the Old Testament. “Since therefore” (eiper)—“supposing that”—an intensive form of expression, found in the New Testament only in the epistles of Apostle Paul, which, not containing doubt as to the truth of what is supposed, nevertheless makes emphasis on it as a condition. This condition here is the manifestation of unrelenting divine justice, considered as “lex talionis” (Milligan, op. cit. p. 89).

2 Thessalonians 1:7. And to you who are troubled, rest along with us, in the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of His might, 1 Corinthians 1:7. Rest (anesis)—literally a loosening, and always used by Apostle Paul in contrast with thlupsis. “With us,” that is, with Apostle Paul and his companions. The expression “in the revelation”—en te apokalupsiei—here is taken in place of the expression “parousia” (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:7; 1 Pet 1:7. In the pastoral epistles Apostle Paul uses the expression epiphaneia). As for the meaning of these two terms, it can be briefly expressed as follows: parousia makes emphasis on the “presence” of the Lord with his followers, which should ultimately become perfect in His coming; “apokalupsis” on the other hand indicates that the “revelation” of Christ will at the same time be a “revelation” of the divine plan and purposes of the universe, toward the embodiment of which the entire world system slowly moves. “With the angels of His might”—with angels, servants of His might. Here we should pay attention to the composure with which Apostle Paul applies to the revelation of our Lord all those phenomena which in the Old Testament are presented as symbols of the presence of God, such as: angels-servants (Ps 67:17) and flame of fire (Exod 3:2) and so forth. In some cases, the Apostle, speaking of Christ, applies to Him precisely those very expressions which are used by Hebrew prophets in application to God (Lightfoot, op. cit. 102.). This circumstance has enormous apologetic significance and shows how early the idea of the deity of Christ arose, and His equality with God. 2 Thessalonians 1:8. In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, “Vengeance”—ekdikesis—complete and perfect retaliation. Here again is ascribed to Christ a role which in the Old Testament is given to God himself, who executes judgment. The words: “who do not know God and do not obey”—point to two classes of people, namely those who, not being able to hear the word of the Gospel, nevertheless reject the light of natural religion, which in a certain sense reveals God to them; and points to those who, whether pagans or Jews, having heard the words of the Gospel, nevertheless refuse to accept it (Lightfoot, op. cit. p. 103.).

2 Thessalonians 1:9. Who will incur punishment, eternal destruction, from the face of the Lord and from the glory of His strength, “Eternal destruction”… If we keep in mind the teaching of Apostle Paul concerning the coming age, which is to completely take the place of “this age,” then destruction will certainly be eternal. The word “from the face” here has a local sense, and points to eternal removal from the face of God.

2 Thessalonians 1:10. When He comes to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at in that day in all who have believed, because you believed our testimony. “To be glorified in His saints,” not through them, and not among them, but in (en) them, for they serve as it were a mirror in which His infinite perfections are reflected. The same can be said about the words “in (en) all those who have believed” (Textus Receptus reads pisteuousin instead of W-H pisteuosin). The end of the verse can be rendered as: He will appear marvelous in all who have believed, and consequently in you as well, because you believed our testimony.

2 Thessalonians 1:11. To this end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling and fulfill all the resolve for goodness and work of faith with power, 2 Thessalonians 1:12. So that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. The chapter ends with the Apostle Paul’s reference to the fact that he always prays for the Thessalonians so that God would count them worthy of His kingdom’s calling. “Calling”—here the thought is chiefly directed to the future, though the word klesis points first and chiefly to the initial act of salvation. Goodness and the pleasure in doing good—doing good is already fine in itself; but one reaches a higher degree of perfection if he finds pleasure in doing good. “The work of faith”—our faith should not be a dead principle; it should bear fruit (Jas 2:26). The expression “the name of the Lord” is used in the Old Testament in relation to God, and denotes His greatness, power, and dignity (cf. Lev 24:11; Deut 28:58). Apostle Paul transfers this expression, which denotes the glory of Jehovah, to the Person of Jesus Christ. “According to the grace”—Apostle Paul strives with these words to emphasize the source from which all glorification flows, and also to exclude any thought of human merit. Everywhere and always the grace of God operates. * * * Notes From the account in the book of Acts 17 it is clear that the disturbance in Thessalonica was directed chiefly against Apostle Paul and Silas, and consequently the “assurance” of Jason extended only to them. Timothy, however, had the road to Thessalonica not closed to him.

Chapter Two

Explanation and instruction of the Apostle concerning the second coming of Christ on account of groundless confusions about this (1–2). The signs of this coming in its precursor the departure and revelation of the antichrist (3–12). The election of the Thessalonians to salvation, exhortation to them for steadfast firmness in apostolic traditions and invocation of gracious consolation from God for them in religious and moral growth (13–17).

2 Thessalonians 2:1. We ask you, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, The Apostle here touches on the sorest point in the life of the church of Thessalonica—the disturbances and reeling that arose over the question of the parousia. He asks them not to be troubled, and not to be shaken in mind regarding the time of Christ’s coming. His day may be near, but He will not come until a series of events occurs which will prepare the revelation of the eternal kingdom of glory. “Our gathering together”—in Greek episunagoge—from the verb episunago, which is found in the Gospel Mark 13:27 and the Gospel Matt 24:31. The word episunagoge is found in the epistle to Heb 10:25, as well as in 2 Macc 2:7, where it also has an eschatological meaning. By gathering here is meant the uniting of the living and the dead, and their common meeting with Christ on the day of His parousia (cf. 1 Thess 4:16). The Apostle speaks of “our gathering”—hemon, apparently including himself in the number of possible participants in this great day before the end of life.

2 Thessalonians 2:2. Not to be hastily shaken in mind or troubled, neither by spirit nor by word nor by epistle as if from us, as though the day of Christ has already come. “Not hastily” (in Slavic)—not in a temporal sense, but a qualitative one—hastily, eagerly. “To be shaken in mind”—to lose your head, to allow excitement to overwhelm reasoned judgment, to break away from it as a ship breaks away from its anchor under the pressure of storm and waves. “To be troubled” (in Slavic)—to be confused, but not losing one’s head. The end of the verse is explained above—see the introduction.

2 Thessalonians 2:3. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the departure comes first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction, The Apostle does not deny that the day of the parousia may be near, but he says it has not yet come. Its revelation must be preceded by a series of events, and first of all a “departure,” he apostasia. The use of the article with the word apostasia shows that a definite fact is meant, well known to the Apostle and to the Thessalonians. Our position in this respect is entirely different. The key to understanding exactly the thoughts of Apostle Paul is lost to us. Hence the possibility of different interpretations, and the necessity of critical judgment. What then is this departure of which Apostle Paul speaks? In what does it consist? The word apostasia can be given two meanings—religious and political. The first meaning this word has in the LXX and in the New Testament (see 1 Macc 2:15 and Acts 21:21, where there is discussion of departure from the law of Moses). But if this word has a religious meaning, then where will this departure occur—among pagans, among Christians, or among Jews? Of course, every uprising against God is a departure, but one should think that pagans, as lawless ones, are hardly to be considered here. Departure is rather conceivable either among Christians or among Jews. But in the Apostle’s writings we find no data to suppose that great apostasy will occur in Christianity just before Christ’s coming, though partial apostasy is quite conceivable. Hence—departure is better sought in Israel, where it will have more a religious than a political character. The second event before the coming of the parousia is the revelation of “the man of sin, the son of destruction.” Both expressions are Hebraisms; Judas in the Gospel of John (John 17:12) is called “the son of destruction.” The first expression “man of sin” characterizes the very nature of the personality who will rise up against God, while the second “son of destruction” indicates the final fate of this personality. One should suppose that the Apostle means here not simply a tendency of evil acting in humanity, but rather a definite person in whom all evil should, so to speak, be embodied and concentrated, and stand against the true Messiah and Son of God. To identify the son of destruction with Satan himself is not permitted by 2 Thess 2:9.

2 Thessalonians 2:4. Who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. “Opponent”—antikeimendes—equal to the expression antichrist. “Who exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship”—the son of destruction will be the enemy not only of the true God, but also of the gods of the pagans (1 Cor 8:5), whether something personal or any object of worship at all. This will be a denial of all religion in general. “In the temple of God”—eis ton naon tou theou—naos—the inner part of the temple, the sanctuary. The use of two articles apparently points to the fact that here the temple of Jerusalem is meant. “Sits… as God”—this phrase and in general all the images that make up the content of this verse could easily have been suggested to Apostle Paul by the description of Antiochus Epiphanes in the prophet Daniel Dan 11:36 (compare Dan 7:25), and the mad attempt of the Roman emperor Caligula—to place his statue in the temple of Jerusalem for religious worship (Josephus, Antiquities, XVIII:8, 2). But how can such Satanic godlessness be manifested in the Jewish people? It is very difficult to answer this. But Apostle Paul apparently regarded Judaism as a sphere in which the most terrible Satanic struggle against God was to be manifested (see 1 Thess 2:14-16). Compare, however, Rom 9-11. See Zeine, P. Theologie des Neuen Testaments, pp. 465–74, 1911. This is a very difficult point in Paul’s teaching.

2 Thessalonians 2:5. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? From this verse it is clear that the Apostle, preaching to the Thessalonians, spoke at length and in detail about the parousia of Christ (see 1 Thess 5:1-2), and about the times and seasons in connection with it, which finds confirmation also in Acts 17:7.

2 Thessalonians 2:6. And now you know what is restraining him so that he may be revealed in his own time. What does Apostle Paul mean by to katerchon (“the restraining thing”—in Slavic)? Below in 2 Thess 2:7 he speaks regarding ho katerchon—“the one restraining,” in Slavic. Undoubtedly here the same thing is meant, and most probably—the Roman power, the Roman empire, which with its mighty hand was still holding back the godlessness of Israel. This interpretation, going back to the time of Tertullian (De Resurr. c. 24—quis nisi Romanus status), finds confirmation also in the facts of Apostle Paul’s life. The latter everywhere found that Roman power indeed played the role of “the restrainer” (see Acts 17:6 and ff. Acts 18:12-16), hence his view on power in Rom 13:1-3. If the Apostle writes here obscurely, then this stands in complete agreement with the mysterious character of apocalyptic writings and perhaps with considerations of caution, in view of what is said in the second half of the verse 2 Thess 2:7.

2 Thessalonians 2:7. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains it will do so until he is removed. “The mystery of lawlessness”—this is the same as apostasia. The verse clarifies the preceding thought: the revelation of the lawless one will be only the full revelation, not the very arising of it, for the principle of evil, of which he will be the embodiment, is already at work, though in secret, and specifically until the one who now restrains the orgy of evil is removed.

2 Thessalonians 2:8. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and destroy by the brightness of His coming 2 Thessalonians 2:9. Whose coming is in accordance with the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders, 2 Thessalonians 2:10. And with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. But once “the restrainer” is taken from among them, the “lawless one” (“the man of sin” in 2 Thess 2:3) will be revealed, whose coming will be a Satanic parody of the coming of the true Messiah—Jesus; but his kingdom will not last long: the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth (compare Isa 11:4); one breath of God will be sufficient to wipe from the face of the earth the lawless one. “Destroy by the brightness of His coming”—here two terms are joined together—epiphaneia and parousia. The former is used in the New Testament only by Apostle Paul, and except for this place, chiefly in the pastoral epistles. This expression includes the idea of a striking and significant event, full of glory and majesty. The second term is found in Apostle Paul’s writings chiefly in 1 Thess 1 and 1 Cor 15:23. Besides this—it is found in the epistles of Apostle James, Peter II, and John 1. The expression “parousia”—appears to be strictly a Hebrew term, while “epiphaneia”—a term more understandable to pagans. “With all power and false signs and wonders”—the first refers to the cause of the wonders, the second and third characterize the impression on the witnesses of false wonders. These latter can either enlighten the minds of the witnesses (signs), or capture their moral feeling (false wonders. See Lightfoot). “With all wicked deception”—in Slavic: “with all the falsehood of unrighteousness”—a combination of words indicating the active, aggressive character of unrighteousness, operating, however, only on “those who are perishing”—spiritually akin to “the son of destruction.” “Love of the truth”—an intensifying expression. Those who are perishing not only will reject the truth, but they will not even wish to possess it.

2 Thessalonians 2:11. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 2 Thessalonians 2:12. So that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness. Here is described the further fate of “those who are perishing.” They first will rise up against “the love of truth” (2 Thess 2:10). For this God will send them “the working of error”—when they not only will passively listen to lies, but will become their active supporters and apostles. They will believe “the lie”—lie here is everything that negates the truth of the Gospel, the truth par excellence. Lie will become truth for those who are perishing; but this aberration will be permitted so that they may be condemned for consciously rejecting the word of truth, and found pleasure in unrighteousness.

2 Thessalonians 2:13. We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 2 Thessalonians 2:14. To which He also called you through our gospel, to gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Having finished with the fate of those who are perishing, the Apostle turns to the fate of the “elect” of the Thessalonians, and says that he and his co-workers must always give thanks to God for the fact that the Thessalonians were from the beginning chosen by God to obtain the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Beloved by the Lord”—that is, by Jesus Christ, since in Apostle Paul’s writings the name Kyrios is almost exclusively applied to the Lord Jesus Christ. “From the beginning” apo arches—the better reading, because it more distinctly emphasizes the Apostle’s thought about the difference between the eternal plan of God concerning salvation, and its fulfillment at a known historical moment (cf. 1 Cor 2:7; Eph 1:4; 2 Tim 1:9). On the other hand, Codex Vaticanus (B) reads aparchen—the first fruit (cf. 1 Cor 16:15; Rom 16:5)—in which case the Apostle’s thought turns to the Thessalonians as the first fruit, the first fruit of his evangelical service in Macedonia (Phil 4:15). But the first reading should be preferred for all considerations. Here then will be indicated three stages in the development of the plan of salvation—eternal election, calling, and obtaining of eternal glory. “Through sanctification of the Spirit”—that is, the Holy Spirit (compare 1 Pet 1:2 according to the Greek text). “Belief in the truth”—in Slavic: that is, belief in truth. “He called”—an indication of the historical moment of the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan concerning salvation. The instrument of calling was the “Gospel,” which Apostle Paul calls “our” (cf. Rom 2:16; 2 Cor 4:3; 2 Tim 2:8). “For obtaining”—in Slavic; according to Greek: eis peripoiesin doxes—“this can mean either 1) so that we may obtain glory, or 2) so that He may take us into His glory, or else clothe us with glory” (Lightfoot, op. cit. 121). The word peripoiesis can emphasize either our own effort to obtain glory, or indicate action on the part of God, taking us into His glory.

2 Thessalonians 2:15. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. Now that such is the plan of salvation, as the Apostle continues, the Thessalonians should, for their part, show themselves worthy of this and firmly hold to what was taught to them—“traditions”—tas paradoseis—teachings communicated to them not merely as personal views, but as a “message” received from above, it being immaterial how these teachings reached them—“by word”—or by “letter.” Under the latter is undoubtedly meant our 1 Thessalonians.

2 Thessalonians 2:16. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God and our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, 2 Thessalonians 2:17. Comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. The end of the chapter contains a prayer of the Apostle, in which the name of the Lord Jesus Christ comes before the name of God. “This order perhaps was determined, writes G. Milligan, by the immediately preceding reference to ‘the glory of the Lord Jesus’ (2 Thess 2:14), or perhaps owes its appearance to the fact that Christ is precisely the mediator through whom God’s plan regarding His people was accomplished. In both cases we have another striking example of the equality of honor ascribed everywhere in these epistles to the Son together with God the Father” (op. cit. 108). “Who has loved us and given”—two participles with one article, and the aorist in parakalesa—point to a definite historical moment of the origin of the Gospel, and refer to “God and Father.” “Eternal comfort”—in contrast with fleeting earthly joys. “Good hope”—hope for the future. “By grace”—both are gifts from above, not our personal merit. “In every good word and deed”—not only in what you do, but also in what you say.

Chapter Three

Exhortation to prayer for the success of apostolic preaching and for the evangelist himself (1–5), instructions of the Apostle to the Thessalonians concerning the disorderly, idle, and disobedient (6–13) and indication of brotherly measures toward them (14–15). Invocation of peace upon the readers from the Lord, personal greeting and the bestowal of the grace of Christ (16–18).

From this chapter begins the exhortatory part of the epistle, and one cannot help but notice that in its structure our epistle comes very close to the first one, being divided into two parts—narrative-explanatory and exhortatory. The latter, as in 1 Thessalonians, begins with the expression to loipon.

2 Thessalonians 3:1. Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it is with you, 2 Thessalonians 3:2. And that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people; for not all have faith. The Apostle asks the Thessalonians to pray for the success of evangelical preaching, so that it may have the same success among the Corinthians as among them. “That the word of the Lord may run and be glorified”—according to Slavic; treche kai doxazetai—according to Greek. The first verb emphasizes the living and active nature of the Word of God, and the Apostle’s desire that it spread more and more widely, while the second points to inner recognition, expressed in glorifying the Word of God (cf. Psalm 146 and Ps 19) and following the recognition. In the second verse the Apostle more specifically indicates why he asks for the prayers of the Thessalonians’ community—to be delivered from corrupted and evil people. Whom does Apostle Paul allude to here? The fact that definite people are meant here is shown by the article ton. But where are they to be found? These enemies are hardly judaizers, the struggle with whom became fierce later. There is no basis for seeking them among the Christians themselves, for the expression “not all have faith” properly means: “faith is not the lot of all,” and has a broader application than to one circle of the faithful alone. This means—these enemies should be sought among the unbelieving Jews (in the Corinthian case), who persecuted and harassed the evangelist of Christ everywhere. Confirmation of this is given in Acts (Acts 17:5 and f.).

2 Thessalonians 3:3. But the Lord is faithful; He will establish you and keep you safe from the evil one. From the lack of faith in people, the Apostle turns his thought to the “faithfulness” of the Lord Jesus Christ, who will undoubtedly establish the Thessalonians and protect them “from the evil one.” This expression involuntarily brings to mind the prayer of the Lord, where we also pray for deliverance from the evil one (Matt 6:13). The Apostle perhaps here involuntarily cites the words of Christ. In view of the fact that in the New Testament tou ponеrou is understood chiefly as a masculine noun, here the expression “from the evil one” undoubtedly refers not to the principle of evil in the general sense, but to Satan, concerning whose representative there was discussion in 2 Thess 2.

2 Thessalonians 3:4. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. 2 Thessalonians 3:5. And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ. Trusting in the Lord’s faithfulness, the Apostle believes also that the Thessalonians are doing and will do all that he commands them—ha paraggelomen. But what do these words refer to—this is clear from verses 5 and 6, and further. The Apostle prays that the Lord—that is, Jesus Christ—direct their hearts “into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.” The love of God—here not only an objective attribute of the Godhead, but also a guiding principle of our heart. The steadfastness of Christ—tou Christou—with the article, which emphasizes the connection of the steadfastness spoken of here, not simply with the earthly sufferings of the Savior, but with these same sufferings as an inevitable lot of the suffering servant of Jehovah (Milligan, op. cit. p. 112).

2 Thessalonians 3:6. Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accordance with the tradition that you received from us, Here is contained the instruction of the Apostle concerning “those who behave idly,” about whom there was already mention in 1 Thessalonians (1 Thess 5:13-14—cf. 1 Thess 4:11-12). But there this was still a reminder that evil was beginning to show its existence. Here the Apostle is dealing with a well-established fact—the “idleness” of certain members of the community, the meaning of which is clarified below in 2 Thess 3:11. “Those who behave idly”—these are certain members of the Thessalonians’ church who, holding a false view of the parousia (“the day of Christ has already come”—2 Thess 2:2), abandoned the normal way of life, and gave themselves over to idleness and interference with the peaceful course of life of others. The Apostle exhorts the Thessalonians to stay away from such people, and not only by virtue of the teaching given them, but also in view of the personal example of the evangelist himself.

2 Thessalonians 3:7. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we did not act idly when we were with you, 2 Thessalonians 3:8. Nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you— 2 Thessalonians 3:9. Not because we do not have that right, but so that we might give ourselves as an example for you to imitate. The Apostle, having lived among them, did not behave idly, but lived by the labor of his hands. The Apostle had already touched on this question earlier in 1 Thess 2:9; but there the discussion was about his disinterestedness and lack of self-interest; here he moves on to another aspect of his working life in Thessalonica—its independence. The Apostle, as a servant of the Gospel, could count on the support of the community (see 1 Cor 9:3-18), and had the right (exousia) to demand it, but he did not use this right in Thessalonica, so that by his working way of life he might give an example to others; he worked himself so that his dependence on others “should not put any obstacle in the way of the Gospel of Christ” (1 Cor 9:12).

2 Thessalonians 3:10. For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: anyone unwilling to work should not eat. Here the Apostle apparently cites a Hebrew saying, based on the words of the Old Testament from the book of Gen 3:19. Compare the “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,” XII:3.

2 Thessalonians 3:11. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. “We hear”—indicates that “recently” the Apostle has received news from Thessalonica that certain people are living an “idle life.” False expectations concerning the parousia probably gave rise to a considerable number of “ideological” idlers who, relying on the “eschatological upheaval,” did nothing, abandoned the normal way of life, and probably became in economic terms a burden on the Thessalonians’ community, meddling everywhere, and disrupting by their unwelcome interference the order of life of others (periergazomenous—in this verse is a play on words—meden ergazomenous, alla periergazomenous). All their energy went into idle agitation over unfounded expectations concerning the “near” end of the earthly order of things.

2 Thessalonians 3:12. Now such people we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. Such people the Apostle exhorts, having quieted their minds internally, to give themselves to labor so they “may eat their own bread.” Here the Apostle probably uses a saying borrowed from the rabbis.

2 Thessalonians 3:13. As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing what is right. From this verse begin the instructions of the Apostle to that part of the church which was free from the disorders condemned in 2 Thess 3:6-12, but which could fall under the harmful influence of “the idle.” “Do not grow weary, doing what is right”—in Russian—“do not lose heart doing good”—me egkakesete (Textus Receptus ekkakesete) kalopoiountes. Egkakeo—from kakos—in the sense of cowardly, faint-hearted. Kalopoieo—means I act nobly, rather than “I do good to others.” From this the thought of the verse: do not lose heart, do not become faint-hearted in the noble course of life you have undertaken.

2 Thessalonians 3:14. If anyone refuses to obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he may be ashamed. Nouthetem—to admonish, to remind someone of his duty, though with a shade of mild reproof, but at the same time with exhortation.

2 Thessalonians 3:15. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as you would a brother. 2 Thessalonians 3:16. May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you! “The Lord of peace”—the Lord Jesus Christ, if relying on the fact that the word Kyrios in Apostle Paul’s writings always refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. But compare 1 Thess 5:23. “With all of you”—not excluding those whom the Apostle has just condemned “for idleness.”

2 Thessalonians 3:17. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of authenticity in every letter of mine; I write like this: Here the Apostle Paul makes a personal addition to the epistle, probably in order to remove any doubt about the letter, in view of the concern and supposition he has expressed in 2 Thess 2:2. “In every letter.” Regarding these words, the English scholar Bishop Lightfoot asks: “is there any other explanation for this expression besides the supposition that probably the Apostle wrote many letters which have not survived? To this question one must answer in the negative. The letters to the Thessalonians were written in 52–53… The missionary activity of the Apostle must have begun no later than 45 A.D. However, no letter written earlier than the letters to Thessalonica has survived. The first letter to Corinth was written in 57. In chronological order this was the third letter after the first two to Thessalonica. Should we suppose that these letters were the Apostle’s only works, standing alone in a period of time spanning 12 years, during which the Apostle was constantly in communication with scattered churches? Even if this were conceivable in itself, it would still be difficult to reconcile with the expression (in every letter) in our text. How could the Apostle say ‘in every letter,’ when with the single exception of the first letter to Thessalonica he wrote absolutely nothing during the eight preceding years, and was not compelled to write anything during the five following years?” (Lightfoot, op. cit. p. 136). One should suppose that the Apostle’s correspondence was much broader and larger than one might suppose on the basis of only the letters that have survived. “I write like this”—here the Apostle probably alludes to the character of his handwriting—compare Gal 6:11.

2 Thessalonians 3:18. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you. Amen. The greeting is similar to the greeting in 1 Thessalonians, except only for the word “all,” which the Apostle inserts here, wishing to direct his wishes to all members of the Christian community of Thessalonica, including here also “those who walk idly.”

The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Introduction

The Pastoral Epistles and their significance

The authenticity of the Pastoral Epistles

The recipients of the Pastoral Epistles

The content of the Pastoral Epistles

When the Pastoral Epistles were written

Literature on the Pastoral Epistles

The Pastoral Epistles and their significance

The two epistles of the Apostle Paul to Timothy and the epistle to Titus are called the Pastoral Epistles, because they contain the instructions of the Apostle Paul to these two aforementioned disciples concerning what church shepherds should be like and what their activity in the Church should consist of. These instructions were intended by the Apostle Paul not only for Timothy and Titus, but also for shepherds of all subsequent times. The Church of Christ has always drawn from these epistles the rules and guidelines for organizing the pastoral activity of her ministers, and regarded these epistles as a handbook for shepherds. Especially important are these epistles in that they provide a fully definite conception that the Church of Christ consists of two elements—shepherds who govern the life of the Church, and the flock following the shepherds. From this we have full reason to conclude that the hierarchical structure of the Church is not something introduced from outside, appearing in the Church in the second century or even later, as some sectarians think, but existed in it from the beginning of its life.

The authenticity of the Pastoral Epistles

Protestant theologians long ago began to express doubt about the authenticity of the Pastoral Epistles, which by their content certainly refuted the understanding that had developed in Protestantism about the later origin of church hierarchy. The doubt was expressed most sharply by the well-known Baur in his work “The So-Called Pastoral Epistles of the Apostle Paul” (1835). In Baur’s opinion, the heresy refuted in the Pastoral Epistles is the Gnosticism of the 2nd century, and the church organization depicted in them is the church organization also of the 2nd century. Baur’s views were substantiated and developed by Holtzmann in the work “The Pastoral Epistles” (1880). According to Holtzmann’s understanding, the Pastoral Epistles appeared in the middle of the second century, when the Church on one hand was torn apart by the struggle of various false teachings, and on the other was persecuted by the Roman pagan government. Among Christians of that time a strong need was felt for an indisputable church authority, for a strong church unifying power, and so in response to such a request epistles appeared, written in the name of Paul and affirming in the Church the authority of shepherds as leaders of the church community. Thus, according to Holtzmann, Timothy and Titus are fictitious persons, and Paul could not be the author of the Pastoral Epistles, because he did not struggle with the false knowledge which is refuted in the Pastoral Epistles, and did not implement in his life the principles which are established in these epistles. Such a supposition about the later origin of the Pastoral Epistles with similar reasoning is also expressed in the twentieth century that has begun (see for example the commentary on the Pastoral Epistles of Franz Keller in “The Writings of the New Testament” edited by J. Weiss, 1908).

But all objections against the authenticity of the Pastoral Epistles do not withstand criticism. First of all, the critics are wrong, and especially Julicher, in pointing out that in the Pastoral Epistles the circumstances of church life and its organization are depicted quite differently than in the genuine epistles of the Apostle Paul (which critics regard as the epistles to the Romans, Corinthians and Galatians) and in the book of Acts. If according to 1 Cor 12-14 the religious needs of the church are satisfied by charismatic teachers, and in the Pastoral Epistles by definite persons appointed by the Apostle, then this cannot serve as a basis for recognizing the Pastoral Epistles as inauthentic, because such appointed persons are mentioned also in the book of Acts (Acts 14:23). Moreover, in the Pastoral Epistles the terms “bishop” and “presbyter” are still used in the same sense (in some places), just as these two terms are used in the same sense in the book of Acts (Acts 14:23 cf. Acts 20:28) and in the epistle to the Philippians (Phil 1:1). It is not at all surprising that in the Pastoral Epistles the institution of widows and deaconesses appears as fully established, which supposedly could not have been in the days of Paul. As one can conclude from the epistles to Timothy, Christianity in Ephesus had already become established—before the epistles to Timothy were written, it had existed in the Ephesian community for more than ten years. Could not various questions about deaconesses have arisen in the Ephesian church during such a period of time, questions which the Apostle resolves in the (first) epistle to Timothy? In just the same way, the Apostle Paul could have used certain special rites of ordination to sacred offices in Ephesus, something which, in the opinion of critical scholars, could supposedly be done only in the second century.

No less frivolously does negative criticism proceed when it declares that the false teachings refuted in the Pastoral Epistles are of later origin, that this is nothing other than the well-known “gnosis” of the second century. The fact is that in the Pastoral Epistles the term “gnosis” is nowhere used as a technical term to designate the heresy of Gnosticism. If Paul here refutes “knowledge,” he understands by it the same knowledge overstepping its bounds, human learning, which he has in mind also in his other epistles (for example, in the epistle to the Corinthians and to the Colossians).

In the Pastoral Epistles, “gnosis” is not given its most characteristic feature—the distinction between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament. It is important to note also the circumstance that in the Pastoral Epistles the “myths” and “genealogies” which the Apostle has in mind are called “Jewish” ones (Titus 1:14). This testifies that the gnosis which the Apostle Paul denounces does not resemble the pagan gnosis of the second century. Finally, the false teachers mentioned in the Pastoral Epistles still belong to the church, with the exception of Hymenaeus and Alexander, while the Gnostic sects of the 2nd century had already separated from the church and were thought of as enemies of it. One can say with certainty: the false teachers denounced in the Pastoral Epistles combined in themselves Jewish legalism and observance of traditions, interpreted the law of Moses in a rabbinical way, thought to extract special secrets from the Torah, while at the same time denigrating the teaching about the grace of Christ that saves all people. They also paid special attention to the distinction between clean and unclean foods and strove to emphasize the importance of asceticism. But at the same time they were not unfamiliar with greed.

They also point out that the language of the Pastoral Epistles differs very greatly from the language of Paul’s other epistles. But, first, the differences in language between the two are really not so great as to be striking, and, second, why could not the Apostle Paul somewhat change the manner of expression of his thoughts in his later epistles? Similar changes in language are observed also in some great writers—for example, Luther, Klopstock, Schiller, Goethe. The Apostle Paul too, at the end of his life, must have become closely acquainted with the Latin language (during his imprisonment in Caesarea and in Rome), and this must have had an influence also on his Greek speech, since his maternal, native and unforgettable language was Hebrew, not Greek: the latter, as learned by him already in his youth, could easily undergo change under the pressure of a new language—Latin.

In general, all objections of negative criticism against the authenticity of the Pastoral Epistles are highly unfounded. As for the historical evidence about the origin of these epistles from the Apostle Paul, there is quite sufficient evidence. Thus already Polycarp, in his epistle to the Philippians, demonstrates acquaintance with the first epistle to Timothy (1 Tim 4:1 and 1 Tim 6:10 and 1 Tim 6:7 and other places). Repetitions of expressions from the Pastoral Epistles are found in Barnabas, Clement, Hegesippus, Irenaeus and other ancient fathers and teachers of the Church. Strange only it seems that the well-known heretic Marcion (2nd century) did not mention these epistles in his canon of New Testament books. But even this circumstance should not greatly disturb us: in this case Marcion could have been guided by the consideration that the Pastoral Epistles were written to individual persons, not to whole churches (he did mention the epistle to Philemon, perhaps because it was attached to some other epistle, for example to the epistle to the Colossians).

The recipients of the Pastoral Epistles

Timothy. From the book of Acts it is known that Paul, in the company of Silas, during his second missionary journey, that is, around the year 52, took as his disciple the young Timothy, a resident of the city of Lystra, who probably converted to Christianity at Paul’s first visit to that city. Paul calls him a “beloved and faithful son in the Lord” (1 Cor 4:17), his “true son in the faith” (1 Tim 1:2). It is evident that when Timothy entered the circle of Paul’s companions, he received baptism and made “a good confession of his faith” before witnesses (1 Tim 6:12). From 2 Timothy (2 Tim 1:5) we learn the name of Timothy’s mother—Eunice, and the name of his grandmother—Lois, who were both good Christians from among the Israelites. Eunice, and possibly also Lois, converted to Christianity during the Apostle Paul’s first journey through Galatia. Timothy, standing under the influence of his mother—his father was a Greek—also apparently at that time accepted the true faith, probably prompted by the teaching and miracles of the Apostle. As a Greek, it was not difficult for him to free himself from attachment to the law of Moses, in which he had been raised by his mother and grandmother, and Paul found in him a suitable helper in all things. However, in order not to cause the Jews living in that region to stumble, he circumcised Timothy. After this, preaching ministry was laid upon Timothy in Lystra itself, with the performance of prayers and the laying on of hands of the church elders and first and foremost of the Apostle Paul himself. And the local Christian prophets predicted to Timothy success in his ministry.

After this Timothy set out for Europe with Paul and Silas. In Troas Luke joined this preaching circle. In Greece Timothy rendered many services to the Apostle Paul in his relations with the churches of Thessalonica and Corinth, to which the Apostle sent Timothy as a man who enjoyed special trust there. However difficult it was to calm the troubled Corinthians, Timothy achieved this and received approval from Paul (1 Cor 16:10 and following). Timothy thus until the year 58 was with Paul, as is evident from the notes of the apostle’s epistles appearing before that year, and then for many years he disappears from our view. Then mentions of Timothy are found in the epistles to the Colossians and Philippians, written by Paul from Rome (his first imprisonment). Paul wishes to send the Timothy with him to Philippi, so that his faithful disciple might bring him the most precise information about the condition of the church of Philippi, so dear to Paul (Phil 2:19 and following). From the epistle to the Hebrews (Heb 13:23) it is evident that Timothy was also in imprisonment, but later received his freedom. To what time this imprisonment belongs is unknown. From the 1st epistle to Timothy it is evident that at the time of writing this epistle he was in Ephesus. Church tradition says that Timothy was a bishop in Ephesus (Eusebius, Church History 3.4.5), that he remained long in communion with the Apostle John and under the emperor Nerva, in the proconsulate of Peregrinus (97 AD) on January 22, suffered martyrdom. In 356 his remains were transferred to Constantinople.

Titus. The book of Acts tells nothing about this coworker of the Apostle Paul. The first mention of him is found in the epistle to the Galatians (Gal 2:1) and then the next in 2 Corinthians (2 Cor 2:13 and following; 2 Cor 8:6). As is evident from the epistle to the Galatians, Paul took Titus with him from Antioch to the Apostolic council in Jerusalem—consequently, Titus had already earlier been called by the Apostle to collaborate with him. He was a Greek, and at the council the advocates of the law of Moses demanded that he accept circumcision, but the Apostle Paul in this case did not yield to such demands, because he did not wish to give Christians from the Gentiles cause to think that acceptance of the law of Moses was inevitable for them. In the course of several years after the council Titus constantly remained with Paul as his helper in the work of preaching. Paul sent him to Corinth to learn about the mood of the Corinthian Christians (2 Cor 12:17-18), and Titus undoubtedly greatly aided in calming the Corinthians through his words. And the second epistle to the Corinthians was entrusted to Titus to deliver to Corinth. Then we find mention of Titus only in the epistle written to him. Church tradition reports that Titus was a bishop on the island of Crete and died in the city of Gortyna, after having first suffered for the confession of Christ (August 25). His head is kept in Venice, in the cathedral of St. Mark.

The content of the Pastoral Epistles

Not in all the Pastoral Epistles is there strict logical arrangement, but the first epistle to Timothy undoubtedly has such arrangement. Namely, after a brief introduction (1 Tim 1:1-2), the Apostle in the first part of his epistle presents Timothy as a guardian over the church of Ephesus in its entirety (1 Tim 1:3-4:5)—first 1) as a preacher and defender of the saving truth in the struggle against false teachers who separate many members of the church from the unity of faith (1 Tim 1:3-20), then 2) as one maintaining order in church life (1 Tim 2:1-3), and more specifically a) in worship (1 Tim 2:1-15) and b) in church organization: in bishops, deacons and deaconesses Timothy should choose persons fully worthy (1 Tim 3:1-13) and 3) finally as a guardian of the saving truth against false teachers who will appear (1 Tim 3:14): the Church is depicted here as the pillar and ground of the truth. The second main part contains admonitions to Timothy concerning his personal conduct, which should be such that the Church sees in him a good minister of Christ (1 Tim 4:6-16). The third main part, finally, presents to us Timothy as an advisor and shepherd for the Ephesian church community (1 Tim 5:1-6), namely, a) for old men and women (1 Tim 5:1-2), b) for widows (1 Tim 5:3-16), c) for church ministers (1 Tim 5:17-20). In all these cases Timothy is obligated to demonstrate proper care and not be afraid to resort to measures of strictness. Then, after d) a conclusion to the admonitions made, which relates more to Timothy himself (1 Tim 5:21-23), follows, preceded by a reference to the distinction between sins and good works, e) an admonition that Timothy teach slaves how they should conduct themselves toward their masters (1 Tim 5:24), f) an admonition not to strive for wealth, which also relates to Timothy himself (1 Tim 6:3-16) and, finally, g) instruction regarding how to admonish the rich (1 Tim 6:17-19). The conclusion of the epistle contains instruction to Timothy to keep the entrusted treasure of true teaching in purity and a wish for peace to the entire Ephesian Church.

In the epistle to Titus the arrangement of thoughts is much simpler than in the first epistle to Timothy. The epistle is divided into two parts with an introduction (Titus 1:1-4) and conclusion (Titus 3:12-15). In the first part the Apostle urges Titus to appoint as presbyters and bishops such people who would be able to struggle for the wellbeing of the Church against the Judaizing false teachers (Titus 1:5-15), and then in the second part the Apostle first shows Titus how he should apply the demands of “sound teaching” to various ages, sexes and conditions (Titus 2:1-10), and also to all people (Titus 2:11-14). Then, in the second section of the second part, the Apostle (Titus 3:1-11) urges through Titus all the Cretan church community how it should conduct itself toward those outside the faith, among whom it lives, in particular in relation to pagan authorities (Titus 3:1-2), and in this the fundamental basis is indicated for such and not other conduct of believers toward those outside the faith (Titus 3:3-7) and on the other hand Titus himself is recommended to abstain from participation in empty disputes with false teachers and to devote more time to the instruction of his flock (Titus 3:8-11). The conclusion (Titus 3:12-15) contains personal messages and greetings of the Apostle.—Thus, in the first part Titus appears before them as a hierarch, ordaining fully suitable leaders of the Church for church service, and in the second—as a teacher of practical, sound Christianity, of fully correct Christian life.

The second epistle to Timothy is especially rich in personal remarks, which together constitute about one-fifth of the epistle (2 Tim 1:15-18). It can be said to represent the swan song of the Apostle, going to meet death and the heavenly glory united with it. The main theme of the first part of the epistle is the thought of the necessity for Timothy to suffer hardship together with Christ and Paul and faithful witnesses (2 Tim 1:3:14a). The second part depicts for us the image of Timothy as a teacher of Christians. Specifically, in the first part Timothy is called to maintain his trust in the Apostle and confidence in his own strength as he takes up the service entrusted to him (2 Tim 1:3-7), not to be ashamed of the testimony of Christ and to follow the example of his teacher—Paul (2 Tim 1:8-12), to preserve the good deposit entrusted to him (2 Tim 1:13-14), to beware of the bad example of Phygellus and Hermogenes (2 Tim 1:15) and to imitate the courageous sufferer Onesiphorus (2 Tim 1:16-18) and, finally, to pass on the saving truth to faithful disciples who would be capable of teaching it to others, without being much concerned about earthly things, suffering with Christ, so that with Him they might be glorified, as also other believing Christians (2 Tim 2:2-14). Then, in the second part the Apostle teaches Timothy how he should conduct himself toward the false teachers of his time; he should not engage in petty disputes with them, but speak on the substance of the matter and moreover quietly, calmly (2 Tim 2:14-26). Further the Apostle speaks of the false teachers who will arise: in disputes with them Timothy’s chief guide should be the Holy Scripture, which he has studied from infancy (2 Tim 3:1-17). Finally, the Apostle calls Timothy to remember the second coming of the Lord as the coming of the Judge of the world and the imminent departure from this life of the Apostle himself (2 Tim 4:1-8). The epistle concludes with an invitation addressed to Timothy to come to Paul soon—before the onset of winter—and various messages and instructions (2 Tim 4:9-22).

When the Pastoral Epistles were written

Taking into account the circumstance that the events mentioned in the Pastoral Epistles cannot in any way be referred to the period covered by the book of Acts, which ends with a depiction of the Apostle Paul’s imprisonment in Rome (his first imprisonment), and also paying attention to the data concerning the lives of the Apostle Paul, Timothy and Titus, found in the epistles to the Philippians and to Philemon, as well as to the testimony of church tradition, it is necessary to presume that the Pastoral Epistles were written after the Apostle Paul’s release from his first imprisonment. The second epistle to Timothy was undoubtedly written shortly before the martyrdom of the Apostle Paul, while the other two Pastoral Epistles were written before it.

The matter of the origin of these epistles can be presented in the following way. Two years of the Apostle Paul’s first Roman imprisonment were drawing to an end. He intended first of all, upon his release, to visit the churches he had founded in the east (spring of 63 AD). In all probability, the Apostle carried out his intention, and at the time of the Roman fire (July 18-24, 64 AD) and the persecution of Roman Christians that began after it, Paul was no longer in Rome. He hastened to visit the eastern churches and while passing through the island of Crete left Titus there as bishop. At this time he wrote the first epistle to Timothy in Ephesus, and then soon afterwards the epistle to Titus on Crete. The second epistle to Timothy, as is evident from the fact that the Apostle’s circumstances had changed greatly—he was again imprisoned in Rome and expected death—was written shortly before the Apostle’s death in Rome (at the end of 67 AD). It is not possible to determine the time of origin of the Pastoral Epistles with more precision.

Literature on the Pastoral Epistles

Among the holy fathers’ commentaries on the Pastoral Epistles the following are known: by Ephrem the Syrian (in translation from Armenian into Latin 1893), by John Chrysostom 18 homilies, by Theodore of Mopsuestia, by Theodoret of Cyrrhos, by Ambrosiaster, and by Jerome (on the epistle to Titus).

Among recent Western commentaries the following deserve attention: B. Weiss (in Meyer’s Commentary, 1903), Belser (Catholic, 1907), Ramsay (in English, 1909) and Vollenberg (in Zahn’s Commentary, 2nd edition, 1911).

There are few Russian works on the Pastoral Epistles. These are: A. Klitin. The Authenticity of the Epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul to Timothy and Titus. A Critical-Isagogical Essay. Kyiv, 1887.—P. Polyansky. The 1st Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to Timothy. An Attempt at a Historical-Exegetical Study. Sergiyev Posad, 1897.—Bishop Theophan. A Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul.—A Pastoral Epistle or—Dogmatic and Moral Reflections on the Second Epistle of the Apostle Paul to Timothy (translated from French). Kyiv, 1874.—Troitsky. The Epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul to Timothy and Titus. Kazan, 1884.

Chapter One

Inscription and greeting (1–2). Timothy as a herald and defender of the saving truth against false teachers (3–20).

1 Timothy 1:1. Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior, and of the Lord Jesus Christ our hope, 1 Timothy 1:2. To Timothy, a true son in faith: grace, mercy, peace from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. “Paul, Apostle”—Timothy himself was certainly fully convinced of the divine calling of Paul to apostolic ministry, and if the Apostle in his greeting discusses his calling so carefully, he probably has in mind not Timothy but his Ephesian congregation. The Ephesian Christians should become firmly convinced that Paul is called by God himself and therefore all his arrangements that follow have the character of obligation for all who believe in Christ. Especially necessary was it to remind about Paul’s divine calling in view of the appearance in Ephesus of teachers of other doctrines, who certainly were denigrating Paul in the eyes of the Ephesians. “Our Savior.” God is called this as the one who gives salvation to people (cf. Ps 23:5; Isa 45:15; Luke 1:47; 1 Tim 2:4 and other passages), while Christ is called Savior (Eph 5:23; Luke 2:11 etc.), as the mediator and accomplisher of our salvation. “Our hope.” Christ is called “our hope” not in the sense that he is the basis, mediator or guarantor of our salvation, but in the sense that he himself is the object of our hope (cf. Col 1:27; Titus 2:13). In Christ and with Christ salvation is given to us, here on earth still only constituting the object of faith and only with the second coming of Christ destined to be fully realized (Rom 8:24 and following). The Apostle calls Christ this in view of the fact that Ephesian teachers of other doctrines were presenting to the eyes of Ephesian Christians certain other “hopes” of salvation, for example, indicating the possibility of being saved through strict observance of the precepts of the law. “A true son in faith.” The Apostle calls Timothy a “son in faith” because he has reborn him into new life by proclaiming to him the teaching of Christ. The Apostle calls him “true” as one completely resembling his spiritual father—Paul: in him Paul recognizes the traits of his own character (cf. Phil 2:20-22). “Grace … Peace”—see Rom 1:7. Here to the usual combination of greetings “grace and peace” the Apostle adds also the expression “mercy” (ἔλεος). On this expression see Gal 6:16.

1 Timothy 1:3. As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, remain in Ephesus and charge some that they teach no other doctrine, The epistle begins with a dependent clause: “as I urged you…” (καθώς παρεκάλεσά σε). The main clause, which should stand here, is omitted, but it can be supplied, and then this whole verse will take the following form: “as I urged you, myself going into Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus (as a point of special importance) and charge some that they teach no other doctrine, so you also remain there.” Timothy apparently was very troubled by remaining in Ephesus, and the Apostle therefore first of all wishes to impart to him firmness of spirit for remaining at such a responsible post. “Going into Macedonia.” Here is meant a journey undertaken by the Apostle Paul during the period between his first and second imprisonments (for details about this journey as one which actually took place, see Polyansky, pages 3–40). “Charge”—more precisely: issue a strict command (παραγγείλῃς). “Teach no other doctrine.” This expression (ἑτεροδιδασκαλεῖν) does not necessarily mean that “some” were teaching what was useless. They could have been teaching, but only not what was especially important for Christians to know, or they could have been teaching not as the Apostle taught, that is, as is evident from 1 Tim 6:3, probably took payment for their lessons, which the Apostle Paul never did. Therefore, it would be better to call these people not “false teachers” (the usual translation), but teachers of other doctrines.

1 Timothy 1:4. And not to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which produce disputes rather than God’s building up in faith. “Myths and genealogies.” Some commentators see here a reference to the beginnings of Gnosticism (“genealogies” of the so-called aeons), but such an opinion cannot be agreed with. In the epistle to Titus the Apostle (Titus 1:14) directly calls these myths “Jewish” ones, and therefore here most probably various mythological narratives circulating among the Jews are meant, which later formed the content of Jewish Haggada. “Genealogies” were probably also borrowed from Judaism, which was generally very interested in genealogical tables of its great people. “Endless” the Apostle calls genealogies in the sense that in them you never reach the end, but go ever further and further back into antiquity. “Disputes.” Here are meant not objective investigations of the matter, but quarrels filled with subjective mood, contesting all accepted truths, entirely unnecessary for church society. “God’s building up”—that is, building (οἰκοδομίαν) by God through his restored servants of the church. According to some manuscripts here should be read: God’s household management (οἰκοδομίαν), but the meaning of the passage is scarcely changed by such a change of expression. The Apostle undoubtedly wishes to say that “the community of believers is built up and established in the faith through Christian unanimity… On the contrary, investigations and disputes produced by any teaching contrary to the Gospel serve to disturb those listening (2 Tim 2:14) and violate the unity of the church.” (Polyansky, pages 231 and 232).

1 Timothy 1:5. Now the goal of the charge is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith, “The goal of the charge.” Under “charge” (παραγγελία) here is obviously meant Christian moral teaching, which sets forth the rules of life for a Christian. This moral teaching has as its goal to establish in the heart of a Christian love for God and neighbor, which can grow only from a completely pure heart, and not from any impure motives, which apparently were not unknown to the teachers of other doctrines. A pure heart has as its foundation a good conscience (Acts 24:14; 1 Cor 4:4), which knows no guilt before God or people, and such a conscience arises from faith, which is not only confessed in words but is true in its inner essence. Thus here faith appears as the first foundation both of good conscience and of purity of heart.

1 Timothy 1:6. From which having turned aside, some have wandered away into empty talk, “Having turned aside from this,” that is, not having set for themselves the goal mentioned above—the attainment of love based on purity of heart, good conscience and sincere faith. But whoever forgets this does not achieve the goal. The teachers of other doctrines apparently did not pay attention to thorough religious and moral renewal—otherwise they would not have strayed from the right path of serving the truth.

1 Timothy 1:7. Desiring to be teachers of the law, but understanding neither what they are saying nor the things about which they make confident assertions. “Desiring to be teachers of the law.” The false teachers apparently were expounding the written Jewish law—the Torah. This work seemed to the Apostle more important than the occupation with myths and genealogies. The myths and genealogies themselves apparently served for these people only as a means to arouse greater attention from listeners to their exposition of the Torah. “Understanding”—that is, not knowing the very essence of the law and not understanding well themselves what they put forward as true interpretation.

1 Timothy 1:8. Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, “Now we know,” that is, all Christians know. “The law is good”—see Rom 7:12-14. “Lawfully”—that is, in accordance with the essence of the law itself. Compare Rom 3:27-28 and especially Rom 3:31.

1 Timothy 1:9. Understanding this, that law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 1 Timothy 1:10. For the sexually immoral, for men who practice homosexuality, for enslavers of men, [for liars, for perjurers,] and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, 1 Timothy 1:11. According to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, which has been entrusted to me. A good teacher will then use the law in accordance with its purpose when he recognizes that the law is appointed not for the “righteous person,” that is, for a good, honest and God-pleasing human being, but for people of an entirely different character. The Apostle has in mind here not only the law of Moses, but also any state law established by authorities (Rom 13:1 and following). In listing sinners for whom the law is needed, the Apostle divides them into four groups: a) sinners who recognize neither divine nor human laws (“lawless and disobedient”), b) those who do not render proper respect to God and boldly violate his commandments (“ungodly and sinners”), c) those who recognize nothing sacred and desecrate what is consecrated to God (“unholy and profane”—more precisely: those who profane—βέβηλοι), d) those who are killers of fathers and mothers (the Russian translation is inaccurate: “strikers” of them), “murderers… enslavers of men,” that is, those who capture people for sale into slavery (ἀνδραποδισταῖς). The Apostle here follows in his listing of sins the order of the commandments. If the “ungodly and those who profane” violate the first four commandments requiring respect for God and what is divine, then fathers’ murderers violate the fifth, murderers violate the sixth, the sexually immoral violate the seventh, enslavers of men violate the eighth, and liars violate the ninth. Concerning the tenth commandment, as forbidding a more subtle form of sin—sinful desire, the Apostle does not consider it necessary to mention it here, but perhaps he has it in mind in the words: “and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,” by which he means the true apostolic teaching, which, as fully healthy, will produce good fruits in those who listen. “According to the gospel of the glory…” These words represent the conclusion to verse 9: that the law is not laid down for the righteous—this was said in the glorious gospel of God himself, which the Apostle Paul has been entrusted to proclaim. “The blessed God.” God is called here “blessed” in order to make clear to readers that, being in union with God, they also receive blessedness, consisting in complete peace and freedom from all fear. Such blessedness could not be promised to them by the teachers of the law, who first and foremost put before their minds their constant accountability before the law, which could not bring rest to their hearts.

1 Timothy 1:12. I am grateful to him who has made me strong, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he has judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, 1 Timothy 1:13. Although I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and insulted him, but I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief; 1 Timothy 1:14. And the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:15. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 1 Timothy 1:16. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:17. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. The Apostle is so full of conviction in the truth of the teaching he proclaims that he recalls his call to apostolic ministry with nothing but a feeling of deepest gratitude. Only grace, that is, God’s love, could make of him, the former persecutor of Christians, a faithful preacher of the Gospel of Christ. He himself was powerless to do anything for his own renewal—God gave him this power. “With faith and love in Christ Jesus.” Both faith and love were awakened in Paul as a result of the mighty action of divine grace. “Of whom I am the foremost”—cf. 1 Cor 15:9. “To the King of the ages immortal” (that is, unchangeable)… The Apostle calls God this in order to show that our thought must aim only at God and that teachings about other things and objects existing in time cannot have primary significance… God is the first and greatest object of knowledge—(in Polyansky, page 283).

1 Timothy 1:18. This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophesies made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 1 Timothy 1:19. Holding faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck regarding their faith; Here the Apostle admonishes Timothy to hold the good faith that the Apostle Paul always proclaimed. As a motive for such steadfastness in faith, the Apostle points to the “prophecies” that had been made about Timothy. Evidently, the Apostle has in mind here the inspired speeches of church members in Lystra, who predicted to the Apostle that Timothy would render many services to the Church, and advised Paul to take him as his helper. The Apostle Paul did as the Lystra prophets advised him (cf. 1 Tim 4:14). “That by them you may wage the good warfare.” Timothy should act as a fighter for the true faith, guided by the prophecies that had been made about him. “Holding faith and a good conscience.” Both faith and good conscience serve as armor for a Christian shepherd (cf. Eph 6:16; 1 Thess 5:8). Conscience and faith have one source (1 Cor 2:5). Our conscience is cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ (Heb 9:14), and therefore without faith it cannot be pure. In the same way, true faith proves its strength in conscience (Polyansky, page 291).

1 Timothy 1:20. such as Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. Next the Apostle points to some who have rejected their good conscience, spurned its voice, and therefore have been lost and begun to live in various delusions. As an example of such people the Apostle sets forth Hymenaeus and Alexander. These two were probably more impious than others like them. Who these Alexander and Hymenaeus were and what consisted their “blasphemy,” is unknown. Apparently the Ephesian teachers of other doctrines spared these people, and Paul therefore himself subjected them to punishment. “Handed over to Satan”—for explanation, see commentary on 1 Cor 5:5.

Chapter Two

On the order of things in public worship (1–15).

1 Timothy 2:1. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, In the first chapter the Apostle placed the obligation on Timothy, as a good soldier of Christ, to spread sound evangelical teaching. But not Timothy alone is obligated to care for the establishment of the Gospel, but the entire Christian community. Throughout its life it should pave the way for the spread of the Gospel, and above all it should have this in view in the performance of public worship. That the speech here is about public worship is evident from the fact that the participants or performers of worship are represented here as only men (1 Tim 2:8). Thus the second chapter has a close connection with the instructions contained in the first chapter, and therefore the Apostle begins his discourse with the expression: “first of all”—that is, of all the admonitions with which the Apostle wishes to address Timothy, he considers it necessary to place first the admonition about the proper performance of public prayers. “Supplications”—(δεήσεις)—a request in general. “Prayers” (προσευχάς)—any prayer, both petitionary and thankful, even a vow. “Intercessions” (ἐντεύξεις)—a request for a particular case. “Thanksgivings” (εὐχαριστίας)—prayers of thanksgiving, in contrast to all the prayers designated by the three preceding expressions. To clarify the meaning of all these terms, let us take the Lord’s Prayer. All of it can be called a “prayer” (προσευχή), but in it are found separate petitions (δεήσεις). As soon as these petitions are directed at individual objects, they become intercession (ἐντεύξεις—in Russian inaccurately: “supplication”). “Thanksgiving” meanwhile represents, for example, the doxology found at the end of the Lord’s Prayer.

1 Timothy 2:2. For kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. “So that we may lead a quiet life…” This is not the goal of the prayer—the prayer is performed, properly speaking, for the salvation of kings and rulers, this is its direct goal—but the result, the fruit of such prayer. But in any case the Apostle does not forbid Christians to have in mind in the performance of this prayer such a beneficial result for themselves. The fifth commandment also requires honoring parents partly with a view to the benefit it will bring to the one honoring: “so that your days may be long” (cf. 1 Pet 3:9). “In all godliness and dignity.” Christians should not only achieve a life of quiet and peace, but also strive for their life to be godly and worthy of their high calling (dignity—in dignity, with dignity—σεμνότης).

1 Timothy 2:3. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, “This”—that is, such prayers for all people. “Good”—(καλόν), that is, beautiful from a moral point of view and generally beautiful (cf. 1 Tim 1:8 etc.).

1 Timothy 2:4. Who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. “To be saved”—not only in the future life, but also here on earth, by accepting the evangelical teaching (cf. 2 Tim 1:9). “Of the truth”—the saving, true teaching offered to people by the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy 2:5. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, From the fact that God is one, it follows that he is the Savior for all people (cf. Rom 3:29 and following). In the same way, there is one mediator between God and people—“the man Christ Jesus,” and this again confirms the thought of the necessity to pray for the salvation of all people. The force of the expression here is undoubtedly in the word “man.” If the mediator is a man, then his service obviously concerns all people who are close to him by human nature. It is clear that this passage cannot serve as any evidence for the idea that the Apostle considered Christ to be only a man. In the epistle to the Galatians the Apostle Paul says that he is an apostle chosen not by men and not through a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father (Gal 1:1). If one understood this passage in a literal, limited sense, one would have to draw from it the conclusion that Christ was not a man at all… Furthermore, the Apostle in the Pastoral Epistles clearly states that Christ was not only a man but also God. Thus he ascribes to Christ preexistence (1 Tim 3:16), calls him “our great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13).

1 Timothy 2:6. Who gave himself as a ransom for all. This is the testimony given at the proper time, What further compels us to pray for all people is the circumstance that Christ gave himself as a ransom for all people (cf. Matt 20:28), namely, according to the interpretation of the holy John Chrysostom, delivered himself to death for all people. “This is the testimony given at the proper time.” Not all even among the Jews found in the prophecies a prediction of the Messiah, and pagans knew nothing of these predictions. Therefore it was timely that it was revealed or testified that Christ is the Savior of all mankind, having brought redemption for all people.

1 Timothy 2:7. for which I was appointed a preacher and an Apostle—I speak the truth in Christ, I am not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. For the proclamation of this great truth Paul himself was called. In order to convince readers of this, the Apostle swears an oath (cf. Rom 9:1). He swears that God indeed sent him to proclaim universal salvation; this oath was necessary in view of the fact that some still believed that salvation would be given only to Jews or proselytes. “In faith and truth.” These words relate to the expression “a teacher of the Gentiles” and show the character of Paul’s activity as a teacher of the Gentiles. He acted as a faithful and true servant of Christ. Thus the Apostle Paul’s own activity, directed toward proclaiming salvation to all people, gives the Ephesian Christians reason to also pray for all people, without exception.

1 Timothy 2:8. I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; The Apostle has proved the necessity of praying for all people. Now he turns to instructions regarding the order of prayer performance in public worship. “Therefore,” that is, in view of the fact that he, Paul, is a guide and teacher of believers, which he has stated in 1 Tim 2:7. “I desire”—more precisely: I want (βούλομαι), I express my will decisively (cf. the distinction between θέλω “I wish” and βούλομαι “I want” in the Gospel Matt 1:19). “In every place”—that is, in all places where Christians gather for public worship. “The men should pray”—as is evident from the whole course of thought, prayers on behalf of the whole Church. “Men”—that is, males. The Apostle forbade women to actively participate in public worship (1 Cor 14:34). “Lifting holy hands.” The lifting of hands during prayer was customary not only among the Jews but also among pagans. “Holy hands”—a symbol of the holiness of human actions and conduct in general. “Without anger”—Christians of that time naturally sometimes harbored angry resentment against the Jews and pagans who persecuted them. “Without quarreling”—and regarding the success of the prayer, and regarding the people who might seem to be praying but not deserving of prayer.

1 Timothy 2:9. Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 1 Timothy 2:10. But with good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. The Apostle wishes that women both when attending prayer appear in respectable clothing and always in their lives adorn themselves not with braided hair (cf. 1 Pet 3:3-6) but with good works, with modesty and self-control proper especially to the female sex. Under “good works” are meant generally good deeds and, in particular, charitable works.

1 Timothy 2:11. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 1 Timothy 2:12. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. These instructions repeat almost the same thoughts which the Apostle expressed in 1 Cor 14:34 and following. “To exercise authority over a man” (αὐθεντεῖν ἀνδρός), that is, to take the place of a man in a worship assembly.

1 Timothy 2:13. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 1 Timothy 2:14. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Why a woman should not rise above a man—the Apostle clarifies this by pointing to two facts from the history of mankind. Adam, as created before woman, was naturally her teacher and guide: so too now man should be the guide of woman. Further, the Bible reports that it was the woman who was deceived by the serpent’s persuasion, not the man. Thus woman by nature is very weak-willed, susceptible to deception, and therefore of course it is not fitting for her to come forward as the guide of man. If in the epistle to the Romans (Rom 5:12) the man is called the first cause of sin, this is explained by the fact that the man appeared in the eyes of the Apostle as the main one responsible for all that occurred as the head of the family.

1 Timothy 2:15. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control. In “childbearing,” according to the Apostle, is the possibility of salvation for woman, and not in her pursuits toward teaching in the church. One could think that here the Apostle is alluding to the suffering that accompanies childbirth for women and which constitutes for her as it were a punishment for her sin and reminds her of the necessity of repentance and self-improvement. But the following expression “if they continue” also contains the thought of self-improvement, and therefore in the preceding expression “through childbearing” there is some other thought. It is therefore more natural to believe that the Apostle is here pointing out to woman that she can find salvation or happiness in family life, bearing and raising children, and should always preserve the purity, faith and Christian love.

Chapter Three

On church organization: the qualities of bishops (1–7), deacons and deaconesses (8–13). The concept of the Church as the standard by which shepherds should be guided in their work (14–16).

1 Timothy 3:1. The saying is reliable: if someone desires the office of bishop, they desire a good work. “The saying is reliable,” that is, this is truly spoken. The apostle is likely citing a proverb that had formed among Christians in his time. “Office of bishop” (episcope). The apostle refers to the service of the leader of the church by this name. The word comes from “bishop” (episkopos), which appears twice in the pastoral epistles—in the next, second verse of the chapter under consideration, and in the letter to Titus (Titus 1:7). By the literal translation, “bishop” means overseer, and among the Greeks this name was applied to various prominent state officials. In the Christian Church, as is evident from the chapter under consideration and also from the letter to Titus, this name denoted people who oversaw order in the Church, the most important persons in the Church, continuing the work of the Great Bishop of souls (1 Pet 2:25)—Christ. According to the interpretation of the holy fathers, such a ministry appeared simultaneously with the beginning of Christianity and is a divine institution. But the same holy fathers acknowledge that in the early church even simple presbyters were sometimes called bishops, as they also supervised church order in their parishes (just as bishops were sometimes called presbyters, for example, Titus 1:5), although, undoubtedly, according to the fathers’ understanding, the episcopate was even in apostolic times the highest hierarchical rank, while the presbytery was subordinate to the episcopate. In the passage under consideration, the name “office of bishop” encompasses both ministries—both the specifically episcopal and the presbyterial; if it were otherwise, that is, if the apostle intended to indicate only the qualities of bishops, then it would be unclear why he overlooked the duties of presbyters. After all, he speaks about deacons here with sufficient detail… “They desire a good work,” that is, they strive toward good, morally speaking, service (compare 1 Thess 5:13).

1 Timothy 3:2. But a bishop must be above reproach, a man of one wife, sober, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, “But”—more accurately: therefore (oun). “Above reproach.” In the height of his moral qualities, a bishop must be a person whom the enemies of Christianity—Jews and pagans—could not reproach in anything. “A man of one wife.” Here it is not polygamy that is meant, which was not customary even among the pagans of Greece and Rome, much less among the Jewish people, but rather entering into a second marriage after the death of the first wife. From a candidate for bishop (and presbyters), therefore, it was required as a necessary condition that he be married only once—a second marriage is viewed by the apostle as something degrading for a person who claims to be a teacher of morality for believers. Later the Church held the same view. Though some Church fathers (for instance, Theodoret) did permit the ordination of the remarried as bishops, this was an exception to the general rule. “Sober”—not only regarding wine, but regarding any intoxication by passion. “Self-controlled,” that is, capable of governing his mental faculties (sophron). “Respectable” (kosmion)—maintaining measure and dignity in all his dealings with people (respectable is another translation of the same word kosmion that is rendered as respectable). “Hospitable.” In apostolic times many Christians, expelled from their cities, had to seek refuge in others, and therefore bishops had to care for strangers. “Able to teach.” The work of teaching requires considerable effort and sufficient moral excellence. Therefore, in the concept of “teaching ability” is implied indication of both the intellectual and moral lofty qualities of the bishop.

1 Timothy 3:3. not a drunkard, not prone to violence, not quick-tempered, not eager for money, but peaceful, gentle, not a lover of money, “Prone to violence”—a person who in anger is inclined to give free rein to his hands.

1 Timothy 3:4. managing his own household well, keeping his children under control with complete dignity; 1 Timothy 3:5. for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s Church? The Church, according to the apostle, is as it were a large family in which the bishop is father and ruler. It is harder to govern a large family than a small one, and whoever cannot properly organize his own family will be a poor bishop. “With complete dignity.” A father of the family is required to have dignity (semnotis), that is, to maintain his standing.

1 Timothy 3:6. He must not be a recent convert, so that he may not become conceited and fall under the judgment of the devil. A newly converted Christian, immediately elevated to the rank of bishop, can easily become conceited and fall into pride—and in so doing become subject to punishment from God, as the devil once became, having grown conceited (krima—judgment, judicial sentence). According to Wollenberg’s opinion, the genitive case of the devil (kata tou diabolou, in Russian: “with the devil”) should be understood as a subjective genitive and the whole expression: “so that he may not fall” should be rendered thus: “and so that he may not fall under God’s judgment,” which God ordains to be carried out over a person by the devil, which (judgment) is like the trials that, for example, God allowed to befall Satan with Job (Job 1:12). And a bishop who is newly converted and inexperienced can easily be subjected to temptation and even persecution from the enemy of Christ’s Church—the devil.

1 Timothy 3:7. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he does not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s snare. Not only Christians should see in their bishop a person above reproach, but also pagans (“outsiders”). Otherwise the bishop will be subject to reproach from the unbelieving, which will place him in a difficult position, deprive him of the necessary self-control, and again give the devil an opportunity to catch him in his nets, that is, to drive him to some improper actions, resulting in his complete downfall.

1 Timothy 3:8. Deacons likewise must be respectable, not two-faced, not devoted to much wine, not pursuing dishonest gain, After the bishops the apostle turns to the deacons (about them see Acts 6:1 and following; Phil 1:1). As persons holding a hierarchical rank, deacons must conduct themselves worthily of their office. They must guard against the same things that bishops guard against—the apostle does not consider it necessary to speak of this again—but, besides this, they must necessarily have special qualities needed in their service. “Respectable” (semnous), that is, they must comport themselves with dignity. “Not two-faced,” that is, they should not speak now one way, now another about the same matter, which they could be easily prompted to do by the necessity of entering into constant relations with those in need of help from the Church. “Not devoted to much wine.” Deacons had to constantly have wine supplies in their hands for love feasts. “Not pursuing dishonest gain.” Deacons had monetary sums under their management.

1 Timothy 3:9. holding the mystery of the faith with a clean conscience. The conscience of deacons must be clean—this is a conclusion from what was said in verse 8—so that its state corresponds to true faith, which by its nature is a mystery, that is, something wonderful, incomprehensible to a simple mind, alien to Christianity. The apostle wishes to say that only a clean conscience and a life consistent with it give outsiders some understanding of that great invaluable treasure—faith, which lies hidden in the depths of the Christian soul.

1 Timothy 3:10. And such people must first be tested, then, if they are above reproach, let them serve. Apparently, in apostolic times the church community and its representatives—the bishops—conducted a careful investigation regarding persons designated for the deaconate.

1 Timothy 3:11. Their wives likewise must be respectable, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. “Their wives likewise” (the addition of “their” is unnecessary according to the text). Here it is most natural to see deaconesses, not wives of deacons, because it would be strange if the apostle set forth certain requirements only regarding the wives of deacons and said nothing about the requirements to which the spouses of bishops and presbyters should conform. The rank of deaconess is not hierarchical. A deaconess was simply an assistant to a presbyter or bishop, though she did receive special solemn ordination to this service. The first mention of a deaconess we find in Romans (Rom 16:1), where she is given the name deacon (diakonon), but the term “deaconess” came to be used in later times—around the 4th century. “Not slanderers.” Women are particularly prone to the passion for gossip and slander. Deaconesses must refrain from this.

1 Timothy 3:12. A deacon must be a man of one wife, managing his children and his household well. See 1 Tim 3:2 and 1 Tim 3:4.

1 Timothy 3:13. For those who serve well gain a high standing and great boldness in faith in Christ Jesus. Some understand by the word “standing” (bathmon) the position of a person in society and translate: “a deacon, in performing his duty well, achieves universal respect.” But such an interpretation is too far from the direct meaning of the expression “good standing.” The interpretation of some holy fathers is more natural, who consider the expression “good standing” to be a technical term for designating the rank of bishop. And indeed, this expression resembles the expression in the first verse: “if someone desires the office of bishop, they desire a good work.” “And great boldness in faith in Christ Jesus,” that is, they become internally satisfied, feel special spiritual joy, which comes from the consciousness of faithfully fulfilling the service entrusted to them by Christ.

1 Timothy 3:14. I write these things to you, hoping to come to you soon, A parenthetical thought. The apostle, fearing that Timothy might think the apostle is writing to him because he himself no longer hopes to meet him in Ephesus, says that he will come to Timothy and perhaps sooner than he expects (tachion—in Russian not quite accurately: “soon”).

1 Timothy 3:15. but in case I am delayed, so that you may know how one should conduct oneself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. But the apostle may be delayed in arriving in Ephesus. Therefore, he now wishes to give Timothy written instructions on how to conduct himself in God’s household, or in the church. “Which is the church”—more correctly: the community or assembly (ekklesia) belonging to the living God. God is called “living” here in contrast to dead idols, which the Asian communities honored, and as giving life to his worshipers. Timothy and every other leader of the church should keep this in mind when carrying out his service. “The pillar and ground of the truth.” These words are an appositive to the preceding expression and express the same idea, namely, that the Church, as an assembly of believers, represents a firm foundation for gospel truth: if the Church falls, gospel truth will also disappear (which, however, according to Christ’s word, Matt 16:18, will never happen). From this it should be clear to Timothy how much he needs to care for maintaining order in the Church.

1 Timothy 3:16. And undeniably, great is the mystery of godliness: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among nations, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory. To further instill in his student a reverent care for maintaining good order in the whole ecclesiastical structure, the apostle reminds Timothy of the most important truth preserved in the Church: about God’s incarnation and the accomplishment of salvation for humanity by the incarnate Son of God. In this truth, says the apostle, is undoubtedly contained the great mystery of Christian piety, the mysterious and highest foundation of all pious Christian life (compare John 3:33). “As the strongest evidence of God’s love for humanity, it arouses in us love for God, and love is the foundation of all piety” (Polansky, p. 414). Next the apostle depicts all the main events in the historical manifestation of this mystery: “He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit…” First of all, the correct reading of this passage must be established. In many ancient manuscripts and in some of the holy fathers and teachers of the Church, instead of the expression God (Theos), the expression “who” (hos) appears, and in some even the neuter form of the pronoun “who.” Therefore, most modern interpreters favor the reading: “who appeared in the flesh” and place this clause in relation to either the word “mystery” or “God’s household” (the latter Polansky defends). But we adhere to the reading of such respected fathers as Chrysostom, Theodoret, John of Damascus, and others, who all read here: “He appeared…” Moreover, even if we agree with the reading of ancient manuscripts reading: “Who appeared,” we must nevertheless, of necessity, refer the word “who” to an implied noun, because all attempts to relate this pronoun to other preceding words appear extremely unsuccessful (this must be said also of the extraordinarily unnatural interpretation offered by Polansky). So here we are speaking of God’s incarnation. God appeared in the flesh, that is, he took on human nature. “Was vindicated by the Spirit,” that is, confirmed that he is the true God—though having taken on human nature—by means of the Holy Spirit, whom he sent to believers and by whom he himself, during his earthly life, performed various miracles (Matt 12:28). “Seen by angels”—after his ascension to heaven, when the angels met him and submitted to him (Heb 1:6; 1 Pet 3:22). “Proclaimed among nations”—of course, after the ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit on believers. “Believed in throughout the world”—the apostle prophetically beholds what will come to pass in time. “Taken up in glory.” About the ascension of Christ, this last glorious event from Christ’s earthly life, the apostle speaks at the very end of his hymn (the whole verse is indeed a Christian hymn in praise of Christ) because the glorious ascension was clear proof of the accomplished redemption of people. It was enough for the witnesses of this event to recall it so that joy and confidence awakened in their hearts that Christ is truly the Savior of the world and that one can build one’s whole life upon him.

Chapter Four

The appearance of false teachers in the future (1–5). Timothy in his personal life should be an example to the society of believers (6–16).

1 Timothy 4:1. Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will abandon the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, Against the truth of Christ, which is preserved in the Church, various false teachers will set themselves in time, and the leaders of the Church will have to wage a battle against them. “Spirit”—that is, various prophets who came forward at that time in the apostolic church (compare 1 Cor 12:10). “In later times”—more precisely: in subsequent times (hysterois k., not eschatois kairois). “Deceitful spirits,” that is, people who appear similar to truly inspired teachers, but in fact are leading listeners to destruction. “Teachings of demons.” These false teachers will be guided by the suggestions of Christ’s enemies—demons.

1 Timothy 4:2. through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences have been seared, “Through hypocrisy”—more precisely: “in (en) hypocrisy.” These false teachers will act hypocritically, not from conviction. This same thought is contained in the following expression: “whose consciences have been seared.” In such people the conscience will be as if entirely burned up by the brand that sin imposes on it. Sin’s seal—fiery—burns the conscience it touches. People with such a seared conscience are people who are dead to all that is holy and lofty.

1 Timothy 4:3. forbidding marriage and commanding abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 1 Timothy 4:4. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 1 Timothy 4:5. for it is made holy by God’s word and prayer. Characterizing these false teachers, the apostle points out that they will forbid marriage as a state that, from their perspective, is unclean, and they will command abstention (the Russian does not convey the verb apechesthai) from foods—apparently from certain foods, perhaps from meat. Believers should not follow such teachings, because everything created, that is, everything created by God, is good, beneficial for humanity, of course, if in eating it one observes moderation. In particular, there is nothing to fear in becoming defiled by food when it is received with prayer and thanksgiving to God, who has given it (“God’s word”—the word of prayer). Apparently the apostle here has in mind false teachers primarily of a Gnostic tendency, who indeed sometimes denied marriage and promoted the idea of the uncleanness of certain foods.

1 Timothy 4:6. If you put these instructions before the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 1 Timothy 4:7. Have nothing to do with godless and silly myths; rather train yourself in godliness, 1 Timothy 4:8. for while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. In teaching other Christians (the brothers and sisters) what true piety consists of, Timothy will show himself to be a good, fully appropriate servant of Jesus Christ. But for this he himself must constantly nourish himself with those evangelical teachings which he has received from his teacher—the Apostle Paul (compare 2 Tim 1:13). Along with this the apostle impresses on Timothy the necessity of turning away, keeping away from idle, useless old wives’ tales (see 1 Tim 1:3), concerning himself only with what truly establishes in a person’s soul a pious disposition—namely, deeds of Christian love and the disciplines of self-restraint. To show the usefulness of active piety, the apostle compares this piety with ordinary physical training. And this latter activity, undoubtedly, brings benefit, strengthening the body, making it more capable of enduring various hardships, giving a person the ability to put his strength to work. But all this is only little; here is benefit for the body and outward life, and this is not that toward which a Christian should primarily strive. Piety, on the contrary, is valuable in every way, in all respects: even with regard to health, because a pious person will not destroy his health with sins and vices (life “present”). Most importantly, piety leads a person to obtain eternal blissful life (“future”).

1 Timothy 4:9. This saying is reliable and worthy of full acceptance. 1 Timothy 4:10. For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. But what does true piety consist of? The apostle answers this in the words of a Christian hymn that was apparently used in worship services of his time. A pious person, first of all, bears heavy labors (kopiomen), that is, does not avoid all the difficulties of life, and second, even for Christ’s sake goes to the loss of his honor, to shame. Of course, this applies first of all to Christian preachers and, in particular, to Timothy (compare 1 Thess 5:12). In so doing the apostle points also to the motivation for such a course of action: preachers hope in the living God, who is able to strengthen them in sufferings (in contrast to the helpless dead pagan gods). By calling God “Savior of all people,” the apostle thereby gives to understand that Christians, of course, more than other people deserve to receive help from God.

1 Timothy 4:11. Teach and urge these things. Timothy should proclaim all that was said above (from 1 Tim 3:14) as a command (“preach”—more precisely: “command”—parangelle), teach his flock these things.

1 Timothy 4:12. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Timothy was a relatively young man: at the time the letter was written he was about 38 years old. Therefore his instructions could be despised by some of the believers, and Timothy had to present them in such a way that no one would think they could be disregarded. And this can only be achieved if Timothy is an example to the believers in his whole life, if he manifests love toward all the brothers, faith in God, purity of heart (the expression “in spirit” is not present in many codices).

1 Timothy 4:13. Until I arrive, focus on the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Until the apostle comes to Ephesus, Timothy should himself constantly conduct worship: the reading of Holy Scripture, exhortation, and teaching—all these are component parts of Christian worship (the definite articles standing here, which precisely define the meaning, point to this).

1 Timothy 4:14. Do not neglect the spiritual gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. To stimulate Timothy to activity, the apostle reminds him of the spiritual gifts (charisma—in the general sense of “spiritual illumination”) that were once, probably in Lystra, bestowed upon him (compare 1 Tim 1:18; 2 Tim 1:6) at his ordination as helper to the Apostle Paul. “Through prophecy” (dia prophetias—accusative plural), that is, in accordance with the predictions spoken about Timothy by Christian prophets. “When the council of elders laid their hands on you.” The apostle says that when Timothy was chosen, all the presbyters of that region laid their hands on Timothy as a sign that they, so to speak, were appointing him to help Paul in their place. These presbyters did not perform the ordination—only the apostle himself could perform it (Bishop Theophanes). This is indicated also by the preposition “with” (meta, not dia) standing here.

1 Timothy 4:15. Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. 1 Timothy 4:16. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your listeners. “Be concerned with these things,” that is, reflect on your duties (see 1 Tim 4:11-13), stay in them as in your own home. Only in this case will Timothy have the right to expect success in his work. “Pay close attention to yourself,” that is, observe yourself so as not to fall into some error, not to deviate from the spirit of the gospel. “And to your teaching.” Here it is most natural to understand the teaching activity of other teachers of the faith in Ephesus, which Timothy should not leave without observation and supervision—“Continue in these things,” that is, by means of such observation…

Chapter Five

Timothy’s relationship toward elderly women and men (1–2). His relationship toward widows (3–16). Timothy and the presbyters (17–20). Conclusion of pastoral instructions (21–25).

1 Timothy 5:1. Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as you would a father; treat younger men as brothers, 1 Timothy 5:2. older women as mothers, younger women as sisters—with complete purity. One must act differently with each group and condition of believers. An older person should not be rebuked, that is, should not be spoken to too harshly. That this word means a truly elderly person rather than a person holding the rank of presbyter (the Greek word used here is presbyteroi) is evident from the fact that this definition is contrasted with terms meaning ages (elderly women, young people). Timothy was young, so it was not difficult for him to speak to an older man as to his father. “With complete purity.” In his relations with young women Timothy should be free from all desires.

1 Timothy 5:3. Honor widows who are truly widows. 1 Timothy 5:4. If a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety to their own family and repay what they owe to their parents, for this is pleasing in God’s sight. 1 Timothy 5:5. A widow who is truly a widow and is left alone has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, 1 Timothy 5:6. but she who indulges in pleasure is dead even while she lives. 1 Timothy 5:7. Give these instructions as well, so that they may be above reproach. The apostolic church faced many problems caused by widows, who were quite numerous in those dangerous times for Christianity. Timothy should honor them, that is, treat them with respect and help them from church resources. But these should be “truly widows,” that is, women left alone by the death of their husbands. There are widows of another sort—those who have children or grandchildren: these, of course, should receive help from these latter and not burden the church treasury. “Let them first learn”… The apostle is not speaking about children and grandchildren but about the widows themselves (John Chrysostom, Theodoret, and others), and instead of “let them learn” it is better to read: “let her learn” (manthaneto). “To show piety to their own family”—more precisely: to ensure that children or grandchildren acquire pious habits (eusebein) and grow in respect toward their forebears (tois progenois—in Russian not quite accurately: “to their parents”). It is different for a widow in the true sense of the word (v. 5): she, having no children or grandchildren, being completely alone, will certainly place all her hope only in God and will keep apart from practical domestic work, dedicating all her time to prayer and pious discipline. If instead she gives herself to a life of indulgence instead of piety, she will thereby clearly show that she is only a Christian in name and a participant in the new and better life: in reality she is a spiritually dead person (compare Rev 3:1). Timothy should constantly impress on widows the thought of this, so that they do not become a subject of reproach, mainly from those not belonging to the Church (compare 1 Pet 3:16).

1 Timothy 5:8. But if anyone does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, they have denied the faith and are worse than an unbeliever. Anyone who does not care for their fellow believers and especially for members of their own family has denied the faith of Christ, the chief requirement of which is that Christians show active love toward their neighbors, and they are even worse than a pagan, who could not be denied concern for his own relatives. The apostle, of course, has in mind mainly those Christians who for various reasons refused to help their widow relatives. Thus this verse represents a transition to what follows.

1 Timothy 5:9. Let a widow be put on the list if she is not less than sixty years old and has been faithful to her husband, 1 Timothy 5:10. and is well attested for her good works, as one who has brought up children, shown hospitality, washed the feet of the saints, helped the afflicted, and devoted herself to every good work. In the roster or list of widows receiving support from the Church (the verb katalegesto, not quite accurately translated in Russian as “should be selected,” indicates such a list), widows satisfying three conditions should be entered: 1) when they are not less than 60 years old—an age when a woman is no longer able to earn her own living by her labor, 2) when a widow had one husband (compare 1 Tim 3:2), and, finally, 3) in general when she is known to the Church for her good works. “Washed the feet of the saints,” that is, of Christians who came to her house from afar. “Devoted herself to every good work,” that is, responded to every good community initiative.

1 Timothy 5:11. But refuse to put younger widows on the list; for when their sensual desires alienate them from Christ, they want to marry, 1 Timothy 5:12. and so they incur condemnation for having broken their first pledge. 1 Timothy 5:13. Besides, they get into the habit of being idle, going about from house to house; and they are not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not say. Younger widows should not be entered in the list of widows receiving support from the Church, because they, finding comfort in Christ, or more precisely, receiving support from the Church of Christ (the Russian expression katastenacharchi is translated too broadly: “being drawn into luxury contrary to Christ”), at the same time do not think about serving Christ or his Church, but about their personal advantages, and above all about the pleasures of married life. “They incur condemnation” (from whom and what kind is not said), because they changed their previously stated decision—to dedicate themselves to the service of the Church. Besides, the apostle thinks it necessary to point out that such widows become accustomed to idleness and empty gossip in conversations with other women.

1 Timothy 5:14. So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, and manage their households, so as to give the adversary no occasion to revile us. 1 Timothy 5:15. For some have already strayed in pursuit of Satan. 1 Timothy 5:16. If any believing man or woman has widows in the family, let them care for them themselves and not let the church be burdened, so that it can help those who are truly widows. Therefore the apostle firmly requires (“I would have”—not quite the correct translation of the expression boulomai), that younger widows should marry again and occupy themselves with children and housekeeping, not giving opponents of Christianity—Jews and pagans—cause to revile the Christian faith. And there is reason to fear for younger widows: some of them have already gone down a wrong path (“in pursuit of Satan”). The apostle concludes his instructions regarding widows by inviting all believers—to help their widows—relatives and acquaintances—not burdening the Church with care for them.

1 Timothy 5:17. Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 1 Timothy 5:18. For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The laborer deserves to be paid.” 1 Timothy 5:19. Never accept any accusation against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 1 Timothy 5:20. As for those who continue in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest also may stand in fear. Turning to the presbyters, the apostle requires that they be honored doubly for their leadership service—both as old men by age and as bearers of a special high office. Especially deserving of such honor are those who not only occupy themselves with the affairs of church management but also appear as preachers and teachers of the faith. Honor should be expressed first of all in payment for their labors, which presbyters should receive, as should every laborer: this is stated both in the Old (Deut 25:4) and New Testament (Matt 10:10). As for presbyters who do not fulfill their high calling, an accusation against them should be brought forward with a sufficient number of witnesses. In this case the one complaining about the presbyter will of course be more careful in his words against the presbyter than in the case where he would be alone with the bishop. If the presbyter proves to be truly guilty, he should be rebuked before all other presbyters, so as thereby to protect the latter from repeating the same offenses for which the guilty presbyter has been rebuked.

1 Timothy 5:21. In the presence of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the elect angels, I charge you to keep these things without prejudice, doing nothing from partiality. 1 Timothy 5:22. Do not ordain anyone hastily, and do not participate in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. 1 Timothy 5:23. No longer drink only water, but take a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. The question of judgment concerning presbyters is so important that the apostle solemnly charges Timothy by God, Christ, and the angels nearest to God’s throne (“the elect” ones) that he remember the instruction just made by him. Timothy must be free from any bias in examining accusations brought against presbyters. Timothy should also not be hasty in ordaining people to various church offices, and first of all to the presbytery, because a person insufficiently prepared for presbyterial service can commit many offenses, the moral responsibility for which should fairly lie also on the bishop who ordained such a person… But besides responsibility for others’ sins, a bishop can be subject to judgment for his own personal sins, and the apostle impresses on Timothy that he keep himself pure. However, Timothy should not be overly strict toward himself: he can use a little wine to strengthen his stomach (red wine is given by doctors in cases of weak stomach as an astringent), whereas it seems Timothy did not want to drink wine at all out of fear that he might be reproached for self-indulgence…

1 Timothy 5:24. The sins of some people are evident, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others follow later. 1 Timothy 5:25. So also good works are evident, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden. The apostle concludes his address to Timothy with some consolation for him. Since, indeed, Timothy could be reproached for his use of wine, the apostle reassures him that his true motivation, by which he will drink wine, will not escape the eyes of the All-Just Judge. Thus the sins of some people are evident now to all, while in others such same sins are hidden; nevertheless these hidden sins will in time—at the last judgment—be revealed. And a person should fear not human judgment but God’s judgment.

Chapter Six

Concerning servants (1–2). Against the desire for wealth (3–16). Exhortations to the rich (17–19). Conclusion of the letter (20–21).

1 Timothy 6:1. Slaves who are under the yoke must consider their masters worthy of all honor, lest the name of God and the teaching be blasphemed. 1 Timothy 6:2. Those who have believing masters should not despise them because they are brothers; rather, they should serve them even better because those who benefit from their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things. The apostle does not oppose the relationships established in society, by which society was divided into masters and servants. He exhorts Christian servants to obey their masters and show them honor, so that the Christian teaching should not be reproached in the eyes of pagans, as if leading its followers to a destruction of the relationships recognized by the laws of the state. With even greater zeal Christian servants have reason to serve their Christian masters, because these latter, of course, treat their servants with love. See 1 Cor 7:21-22.

1 Timothy 6:3. Whoever teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that is in accordance with godliness, 1 Timothy 6:4. is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words. These give rise to envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions, 1 Timothy 6:5. and wrangling among those who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. Avoid such people. There are people who understand the task of Christianity differently. They think that Christ came to change the socioeconomic structures of life (“imagining that godliness is a means of gain” v. 5). But to speak thus about Christianity is to fail to understand it entirely. Why do some express such thoughts? Because they have departed from the true path and their minds have become corrupted. Here we have a clear refutation of the idea that Christianity and socialism are one and the same.

1 Timothy 6:6. Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; 1 Timothy 6:7. for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it either. 1 Timothy 6:8. but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. No, Christianity wants to make people pious and content with their position (compare Matt 6:33). And indeed, as we have brought nothing with us into earthly life—no possessions—so we will take nothing with us when we die. Why then be excessively concerned with the acquisition of that which has only temporal significance? It is enough for us if we have only what is necessary for existence. “Food and clothing”—symbols of all that is needed for existence.

1 Timothy 6:9. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction; 1 Timothy 6:10. for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many painful experiences. Whoever has decided (“those who want”—oi de boulomenoi) to acquire wealth for himself subjects himself to various temptations; in him are awakened various lusts that draw a person toward moral ruin. Many who have strived for wealth have already departed from the faith, because wealth led them in another direction—they began freely to satisfy all their desires, often unclean ones.

1 Timothy 6:11. But you, man of God, shun all this; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Timothy, as a Christian, stands in close communion with God (“man of God”). Therefore his only wealth is in God—there is no reason for him to seek money. His striving should be directed toward the acquisition of virtues, six of which the Apostle Paul lists here. “Righteousness”—proper relations in general toward God and people (Matt 5:20). “Godliness”—reverence before God. “Faith”—as comforting in all troubles and expressing itself in firm confession. “Love”—through which faith manifests itself. “Endurance”—which shows itself in bearing sufferings. “Gentleness”—when a person accepts even insults without being troubled.

1 Timothy 6:12. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. Faith, which itself has already come to birth in a person not without struggle, requires for its establishment also a struggle against various temptations. The reward for such a struggle, which constitutes the object of striving for every good Christian, will be eternal life, to the attainment of which Timothy is called through the Gospel and a desire for which he bore witness when entering the Church, receiving holy baptism, in the presence of many witnesses who heard his confession of faith read aloud. The apostle calls this confession “good” or fine, as expressing a clear conviction in the existence of afterlife blessedness with Christ.

1 Timothy 6:13. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 1 Timothy 6:14. to keep the commandment unstained and irreproachable until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, To further strengthen Timothy in unwavering piety, the apostle places him before the face of God Himself, who gives life to all things and consequently is able to restore to his servant the life of which he might be deprived for firm confession of faith. The apostle places Timothy also before the face of Christ, who before the unbelieving Pilate firmly declared his confession about himself as the Son of God. Finally the apostle indicates to Timothy that he should keep the commandment given to him by the apostle until the very manifestation of Christ on earth. Some say that the apostle here has in mind Timothy’s death (Polansky), but such an interpretation seems quite inappropriate to the direct meaning of the expression: “until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The apostle was not unfamiliar with the thought of the possibility of living until the second coming of Christ. See Col 3:3-4; 1 Thess 4:17.

1 Timothy 6:15. which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 1 Timothy 6:16. it is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen. The manifestation of Christ will come about at the time appointed for this by God (compare Acts 1:7). God is called “blessed” here in contrast to earthly rulers, who are often forced to undergo various sufferings. He is the only Sovereign (dynastes), because properly speaking all other rulers in themselves, without God, are powerless (Ps 145:3) and are entirely dependent on God. Like all other people they are also subject to the law of death, from which God alone is free. He is “alone immortal” in the proper sense of the word, by virtue of his own nature: all other living beings, even the angels, have immortality which they received when they came into being from God. God cannot be approached and seen—of course, in the ordinary way (visionary seeing of God is not meant here). The apostle says all this to convince Timothy to bear firmly all trials which God may send him, and particularly to convince him that he should not fear earthly rulers, who before God are nothing.

1 Timothy 6:17. As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:18. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, 1 Timothy 6:19. thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life. Here the apostle addresses those who have already succeeded in becoming rich. Such people should not boast of acquired wealth, but should humbly acknowledge that their wealth is a gift from God. Nor should they see in wealth something permanent: wealth is uncertain, that is, quickly disappears. True wealth, or rather, contentment comes only from God, who often sends people even something more than necessary so that they might sometimes find pleasures in life, of course, completely innocent ones (compare Acts 14:17). The rich should be concerned that others also live well, and share their means with the poor: through this they prepare for themselves a treasure of eternal life (compare Matt 6:20).

1 Timothy 6:20. O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the profane chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge, 1 Timothy 6:21. for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you. The apostle concludes his letter with an appeal to Timothy to preserve the pure gospel teaching entrusted to him, turning away from empty disputes, which have already led some to abandon the faith (see 1 Tim 1:4-7).

The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Introduction

Why does the apostle write this, the second, epistle to Timothy? In the first epistle he said: “I hope to come to you soon” (1 Tim 3:14). But this did not happen, because he was detained by Nero. Therefore, instead of his arrival, he encourages him by letter, because Timothy grieved both from the absence of the apostle and from the weight of episcopal authority. For even great men are troubled in governing the ship of the Church, being overwhelmed on all sides by great waves, especially at that time when there are wars everywhere. Moreover, the apostle calls him to himself, for he was already near death.

Chapter One

Inscription and greeting (1–2). Thanksgiving, prayer, and exhortation of the apostle (3–7). You must not be ashamed of the testimony about Christ (8–12). On the preservation of the teaching entrusted to Timothy (13–14). The example of Onesiphorus (15–18).

2 Timothy 1:1. Paul, by the will of God an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus, 2 Timothy 1:2. to Timothy, my beloved son: grace, mercy, peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus, our Lord. The apostle was in chains while writing the epistle. Nevertheless, he did not lose heart at all and continued to consider himself “an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.” In expressing this conviction, he has in mind his opponents, who, pointing to his constrained position, said: “What kind of apostle is this? An apostle should always be free to proclaim the will of the One who sent him…” The apostle responds to this in advance by pointing to “the will of God,” which apparently leads Paul by special paths, even through afflictions, to the achievement of the goal set for him. On the other hand, the apostle indicates that he possesses “the promise of life in Christ Jesus,” that is, he hopes that Christ at His second coming to earth will grant him eternal blessed life (Col 3:3-4; Gal 6:8). Therefore, he, without despair, endures all manner of suffering and deprivation.

2 Timothy 1:3. I thank God, whom I serve from my ancestors with a pure conscience, that I remember you unceasingly in my prayers night and day, 2 Timothy 1:4. and I long to see you, remembering your tears, that I may be filled with joy, 2 Timothy 1:5. calling to mind your genuine faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that it is in you also. These verses are better translated thus: “I feel thanksgiving toward God—whom I serve from my ancestors—with a pure conscience (that is, not feigned but genuine thanksgiving), because I remember you unceasingly in my prayers, night and day, longing to see you,” and then following the Russian text. By these words the apostle encourages Timothy, who, separated from his teacher and guide, probably sometimes fell into doubts concerning the success of his activity in Ephesus. The apostle remembers his tears, which Timothy shed when parting from him; he remembers his genuine faith, which constitutes, so to speak, an hereditary treasure in Timothy’s soul, and sincerely gives thanks to God for his beloved student.

2 Timothy 1:6. For this reason I remind you to kindle the gift of God that is in you through my laying on of hands; 2 Timothy 1:7. for God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control. “For this reason”—that is, because you possess a genuine faith. “The gift of grace”—that is, the capacity for your high hierarchical service—first and foremost steadfastness of faith, then wisdom, courage, humility, and love. All these are an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, who is sometimes represented in Scripture as fire (cf. Rom 12:11; Acts 2:3). Timothy should not extinguish this fire—otherwise he will disappoint the trust of the apostle who ordained him. “God gave us”—that is, to preachers of the Word of God especially. “Not of fear.” A strong one, like a lion, has nothing to fear.

2 Timothy 1:8. So you must not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord Jesus Christ, nor of me His prisoner; but suffer with the gospel of Christ by the power of God, The apostle urges Timothy to banish from himself a fainthearted shame before the proclamation of the Gospel. “The testimony of the Lord,” that is, the Gospel, which Christ brought to men and the preaching of which the apostles continued. According to the interpretation of the holy Fathers, there is here also an indication of the death of Christ, by which Christ confirmed the truth of His preaching. “Nor of me, His prisoner.” Association with a criminal is usually not maintained; men even try to forget about him, so as not to fall under suspicion themselves of unreliability. “Suffer with the gospel”—suffer for the benefit of the gospel (the Gospel). “By the power of God”—that is, in accordance with the power, or using the power of God, which is contained in the Gospel itself.

2 Timothy 1:9. He saved us and called us with a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own intention and the grace that was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, Besides the power contained in the Gospel itself, God’s grace and God’s love will help Timothy; remembering them, Timothy can free himself from all hesitation in deciding whether it is worth his effort to proclaim the Gospel. “With a holy calling.” God’s call is holy, essentially different from human invitations (cf. Matt 22:3). “Before the ages began.” In saying that grace “was given before the ages began,” the apostle evidently has in mind not pre-temporal existence (the participle indicates a historical fact), but the most ancient prophecy concerning the salvation of men from sin—that is, Gen 3:15. Christ, in the apostle’s understanding, is that promised Seed of which it was said to Adam and Eve as the Savior of mankind. However, He was given only as a hope (cf. Isa 9:6).

2 Timothy 1:10. and now has been revealed by the appearance of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, The apostle speaks of how the promise of salvation is now fulfilled through the appearance of the “Savior,” who abolished—more accurately: placed death outside the possibility of action, though He did this in principle only; its final destruction is to occur at the last judgment (1 Cor 15:26). “And brought”—made so that we clearly see life and immortality. “Life”—this is eternal life in Christ. “Immortality”—with this expression the apostle more precisely defines the concept of “life.” “Through the gospel”—this phrase refers to the beginning of the verse: “and now has been revealed…” The apostle means that grace was revealed through the preaching of salvation, which the preachers appointed by Christ after His resurrection carried throughout the world (John 20:21; Eph 2:17; Heb 2:3).

2 Timothy 1:11. for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles. 2 Timothy 1:12. For this reason I am suffering as I am; but I am not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. By pointing to himself as an example of a firm preacher of the Gospel, the apostle says that “his deposit” (the pledge entrusted to him) is already kept for him by God in heaven. Thus he expresses his confidence in the reward awaiting him in heaven: this reward already constitutes, so to speak, the apostle’s own property (cf. 1 Tim 6:18; Matt 5:12).

2 Timothy 1:13. Hold the pattern of sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 1:14. Guard the good deposit by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. One may translate: “as a general outline of sound teaching, keep that outline which you received from me, remaining in faith in Christ—as your Savior—and in love for Him” (faith in and love for Christ will not allow Timothy to deviate from sound teaching and thus grieve Christ). “Guard the good deposit,” that is, this same sound teaching. “By the Holy Spirit,” that is, by kindling in yourself the gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit that are in Timothy, as in every good Christian. With such spiritual burning Timothy is safe from the danger of losing the precious treasures of sound words.

2 Timothy 1:15. You know that all those in Asia have abandoned me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. 2 Timothy 1:16. May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, 2 Timothy 1:17. but when he arrived in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me. 2 Timothy 1:18. May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day. And you know well all the ways he served me in Ephesus. To further move Timothy toward faithfully guarding the teaching imparted to him by Paul, the apostle expresses his sorrow at what all the Asian (most likely Ephesian) Christians have done, having abandoned the apostle helpless into the hands of his enemies. Perhaps those who had influence among the Christians of Asia Minor needed to go to Rome and testify on behalf of the apostle before the Roman authorities to secure his release from Roman custody. These Christians should have appeared in Rome and given testimony in the apostle’s favor, but they apparently hastened to keep their distance from him. Even Phygelus and Hermogenes, who were known in some way, did not help the apostle. Timothy should not imitate them. On the other hand, the apostle cannot without sincere gratitude remember Onesiphorus, who, according to tradition (Acts of Saint Thecla), had a house in Iconium and received the Apostle Paul there. This Onesiphorus found the Apostle Paul in Rome, apparently when the apostle was already in actual imprisonment, when access to him had been completely cut off for Roman Christians. Here, as much as he was able, he served the apostle. Earlier, when Onesiphorus was in Ephesus, he had rendered many services to the Church of Ephesus (the word “to me” is not found in some manuscripts), which Timothy knows well, as bishop of the Church of Ephesus. Since the apostle wishes the mercy of God not to Onesiphorus himself but to “his household” or family, and asks mercy for Onesiphorus from the Lord “on that day,” that is, on the day of the Last Judgment, it is clear that Onesiphorus was already dead at the time the epistle was written. “May the Lord grant him.” Not without reason do many see in these words evidence that the Apostle Paul believed in the efficacious power of prayer for the dead: the desire he expressed, being directed to Christ, is nothing other than a prayer.

Chapter Two

Timothy should transmit the saving truth to faithful disciples (1–14). In doing so, Timothy should pay attention to the central point of evangelical teaching (15–19). One must not place all the worth of a man in his spiritual gifts (20–23). Timothy should teach believers and unbelievers with meekness (24–26).

2 Timothy 2:1. So you, my son, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, This verse presents the conclusion to the previous exhortation. The apostle urges Timothy, in contrast to the weak Christians of Asia Minor, to show himself strong, using for this purpose the grace of the Holy Spirit offered to all people through Christ (1 Cor 1:4 and Titus 3:5 and following; 2 Tim 1:14). Timothy should not be strengthened in grace, but by means of grace (through grace) should appear strong to defend the Apostle Paul and continue his work.

2 Timothy 2:2. and what you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well. “Before many witnesses.” The translation is inaccurate. In Greek the preposition is “through” here, not “before.” But to translate this passage as “through many witnesses” is also awkward: why would witnesses be needed when Timothy heard the teaching of the Apostle Paul? A more natural translation is that proposed by Wohlenberg: “testifying by many deeds” (or “through much testimony”). Timothy, while hearing the Apostle Paul, witnessed through many deeds (testified) to his sympathy with him, to his desire to labor for the benefit of the Gospel as expounded by Paul. He proved himself a faithful, reliable listener, and in turn should find listeners equally faithful and reliable.

2 Timothy 2:3. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. How can Timothy show his strength (2 Tim 2:1)? First, by bearing suffering with Christ, like a soldier following his commander (some manuscripts read “suffer with me” instead of “suffer”).

2 Timothy 2:4. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. Second, Timothy can show his strength by renouncing all personal advantage and profit, because all his thoughts should be directed toward fulfilling the will of his commander—Christ.

2 Timothy 2:5. And if anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. Third, like an athlete, Timothy should, while preaching, as though in a contest, observe certain rules of conflict—that is, the Word of God, which is a sharp sword, should be used as it ought, not weakening its force and demands (cf. 2 Cor 10:3-4). Only such a fighter-preacher will receive as a reward a crown (cf. 2 Tim 4:8; Rev 2:10).

2 Timothy 2:6. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. As a result of such diligent work and work accompanied by hard labor, the preacher will have the pleasure of being first to taste of its fruits. In the future life he will receive the heavenly reward before his flock (cf. Matt 19:28 and following).

2 Timothy 2:7. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in all things. 2 Timothy 2:8. Remember the Lord Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my gospel, 2 Timothy 2:9. for which I am suffering, even to the point of being bound like a criminal. But the word of God is not bound. 2 Timothy 2:10. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. Everything the apostle has said so far, Timothy should think through properly, and God will give (the correct reading is “will give” rather than “may give”) him understanding in this matter. Moreover, Timothy should remember Christ, risen from the dead. The apostle does not say that Christ died, but this is of itself presupposed, just as it is presupposed that it is necessary for all Christians to be ready for death with Christ. “A descendant of David.” Christ rose to glorious life, being in his body only a descendant of man—David (the phrase “descendant of David” depends on the word “risen”). But the statement here points not only to Christ’s exaltation through His resurrection, but also to His true humanity, in refutation of false views about Christ (cf. 1 Tim 2:5). “According to my gospel.” The apostle assumes it possible that other preachers of the Gospel introduce into the teaching about Christ their own views. His “Gospel,” that is, his system of Christian teaching—it is so true for him that he goes to suffering for it. “But the word of God is not bound.” These words should be marked with dashes as an introductory thought. “For the sake of the elect”—that is, because of those whom God’s will chose for salvation, but who still hesitate to accept Christianity, fearing the necessity of bearing sorrows connected with it. The apostle, to strengthen them, himself goes to all manner of suffering for Christ.

2 Timothy 2:11. This statement is trustworthy: if we have died with him, we will also live with him; 2 Timothy 2:12. if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; 2 Timothy 2:13. if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself. The apostle, to encourage Timothy, cites a “trustworthy saying,” that is, a passage from a Christian hymn, in which is expressed the confidence of Christians in glorification with Christ for those who go to death with Him. “Died”—in the literal sense of the word. Here is meant martyrdom for Christ, which every believing Christian should always be ready to endure. On the other hand, whoever denies Christ will not be acknowledged by Christ as His own at His second coming to earth. “He remains faithful,” that is, will fulfill exactly what He said—namely, His threats.

2 Timothy 2:14. Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words, which does no good and ruins those who listen. “Remind them of this”—that is, about the necessity for Gospel preachers to suffer for Christ, so as to inherit glorification in the future. “Charging before the Lord”—reminding listeners of their accountability before God. “Not to quarrel about words”—according to some readings: you must not quarrel about words. Here begins a new series of exhortations addressed to Timothy himself.

2 Timothy 2:15. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:16. Avoid irreverent, idle talk; for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 2 Timothy 2:17. and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 2 Timothy 2:18. who have swerved from the truth by maintaining that the resurrection has already taken place, and they are destroying the faith of some. In contrast to the false teachers, Timothy should be zealous, a good worker for God, one who has no need to be ashamed of his service (cf. 2 Tim 1:8), and, finally, in the matter of teaching, paying attention to the substance of the matter rather than to incidental circumstances, as the false teachers did: he should not thresh empty straw. This same thought is contained in the phrase “rightly handling” … (more accurately: correctly dividing—the word of truth). “And lead people into more and more ungodliness,” that is, these false teachers will progress further (will advance) into the realm of ungodliness. “And their word will spread like gangrene.” From impiety they will move into heresy, which will spread through the body of the Church of Christ like a disease known as gangrene. The apostle points to two such false teachers who have reached the denial of the resurrection of the dead, which doctrine, in their opinion, ought to be understood figuratively, as having already occurred spiritually in Christ, who spiritually revived many people. “Hymenaeus”—see 1 Tim 1:20.

2 Timothy 2:19. But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from wrongdoing.” “But”—more accurately: but still. “Firm foundation” (the firm foundation)—that is, Christ Himself, crucified and risen, laid by God Himself as the firm foundation of the Church. “Stands”—remains in its place despite all the confusion brought into the life of the Church by heretics (cf. 1 Cor 3:11 and following; Eph 2:20; 1 Pet 2:6). “Having this seal”—which testifies to His exalted position. “The Lord knows those who are his”—a general statement composed after the pattern of an expression from the book of Numbers (Num 16:5 following 70-translation). God the Father knew His Son in the state of His humiliation and established Him as Son in power (Rom 1:4). Everyone who enters into communion with the Son is also recognized by God the Father (Gal 4:9; cf. Matt 7:23). Most likely, the apostle here pictures to himself the fact of the baptism of believers (Rom 6:3 and following; Col 2:12). “And let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from wrongdoing.” This is another inscription on the stone, composed after the pattern of Num 16:21. Christ throughout all His earthly life was far from all the wrongdoing of the world, and therefore every follower of His is also required to live a holy life, which he had promised to maintain even at the time when he received baptism. The connection of this verse with the preceding is thus: denial of the resurrection of the dead certainly leads people to moral degradation and brutalization, because it destroys fear of the future judgment (cf. 1 Cor 15:32 and following). But whoever knows that he is closely bound to the risen Christ and that he himself will rise in time cannot live an evil life here.

2 Timothy 2:20. Now in a large house there are vessels not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 2 Timothy 2:21. So if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:22. So shun youthful passions and aim at righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with all those who call upon the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:23. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. Who should be understood here by “vessels”? Certainly individual Christians who in one way or another contribute to the progress of Church life. But there is a difference among Christians in gifts. Some, by God’s goodness, have extraordinary gifts and possess, for example, brilliant oratorical talent; others always appear extremely modest because they do not possess any outstanding abilities (cf. Matt 13:23; 1 Cor 12:14 and following). The former can be called vessels made from bright and precious materials—gold and silver; the latter are made from wood and clay. But the latter often have great significance in the life of the Church. On the other hand, in the Church there are vessels into which, so to speak, all the filth and refuse of the house are collected—these are godless, wicked people, though they continue to bear the name of Christians. Such people, of course, may be among those who have special gifts. Timothy should not therefore be carried away by outward appearance but should evaluate people by their inner worth. If a prominent Christian orator has not himself abstained from pagan habits, Timothy should keep apart from him (“if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable”). And every Christian who separates himself from such wicked people, even if he cannot yet be called a vessel “for honorable use,” can become such in time (cf. 1 Cor 12:22-25). “Shun youthful passions”—that is, do not be carried away by the views that are typical of young people. Young people are often taken with outward appearance without giving weight to the inner worth of a person. Timothy should act differently. He should evaluate people from the standpoint of Christian morality and seek as friends only people who are honest and sincerely fear God. Timothy should keep away from various disputes, even if some in them display their high intellectual abilities (cf. 2 Tim 2:14).

2 Timothy 2:24. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, 2 Timothy 2:25. correcting opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth, 2 Timothy 2:26. and that they may escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. Timothy should show gentleness and lack of malice toward his Church members in the discussion of various questions as an example to other Christians. Even with opponents of the Church—Jews and pagans—he should not engage in quarrels but should teach them gently, hoping that God will give them the power to believe Timothy’s preaching and thus escape from the devilish nets in which they are entangled (cf. Eph 2:2).

Chapter Three

The coming of difficult times (1–9). The example of the Apostle Paul (10–12). Exhortation to Timothy (13–17).

2 Timothy 3:1. But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. “The last days.” Christians of the apostolic age believed that they had already entered the “last days” (Heb 1:2; cf. Acts 2:17). And here the apostle undoubtedly understands not some very distant times, but in general the “subsequent” days. This is proved by the fact that the apostle advises Timothy to “keep away” from people who will live in these last days: it is clear that Timothy will see them (2 Tim 3:5). The same thing is indicated by the use of the present tense in speaking of future false teachers (2 Tim 3:6 and 2 Tim 3:8).

2 Timothy 3:2. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 2 Timothy 3:3. heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 2 Timothy 3:4. treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, “People”—mankind in its masses. “Lovers of themselves.” Self-love is the chief driving cause of human corruption.

2 Timothy 3:5. holding the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid such people. “Avoid such people,” that is, all the above-mentioned people. Obviously, the apostle saw that similar people were already present in the midst of the society in which Timothy lived, namely in Christian society (cf. 2 Thess 2:7). With time this ungodliness (2 Tim 2:16) will only reach its highest degree of intensity. But in the last days the wicked will not act so openly as they did in the time of the Apostle Paul, openly, for example, claiming that the resurrection has already taken place.

2 Timothy 3:6. For among them are those who make their way into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various desires, 2 Timothy 3:7. always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. The apostle speaks with contempt of women who will follow false teachers (women—diminutive—a contemptuous expression instead of “women”). Women will seek from these false teachers instruction on how to achieve holiness and free themselves from the burden of sin in the easiest way, and these false teachers will respond with importance to their questions, trying to reconcile the demands of Christianity with the rather low passions from which the women did not wish to free themselves.

2 Timothy 3:8. As Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these people also oppose the truth—people of depraved mind, unfit regarding the faith. The names of the magicians who opposed Moses the apostle certainly learned from Jewish tradition. No doubt these names were frequently mentioned in the Ephesian Christian community by the false teachers active there.

2 Timothy 3:9. But they will not progress much further, for their folly will become plain to all, as was the case with those two. 2 Timothy 3:10. Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 2 Timothy 3:11. my persecutions, my sufferings, what I suffered in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 2 Timothy 3:12. Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Timothy has always followed the example of the Apostle Paul in bearing suffering and in other virtues. The apostle reminds him of this now to encourage him to continue to keep away from false teachers. “What persecutions I endured!…” A possible translation: “What sufferings have come upon me!…What persecutions I have endured. And the Lord rescued me from all of them.” “In Antioch”—see Acts 13:14. “In Iconium”—Acts 14:2 and following. “In Lystra”—Acts 14:19 and following. “Indeed, all who want to live a godly life”—cf. Matt 5:10 and following.

2 Timothy 3:13. But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. 2 Timothy 3:14. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, While false teachers will have success in misleading people who are themselves deceived, Timothy should stand firm in the teaching which he has received from the Apostle Paul (“knowing from whom you learned it”).

2 Timothy 3:15. and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:16. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:17. so that everyone who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 1:5. Timothy will also be helped in this case by his familiarity with Scripture, which he studied from childhood, obviously under the guidance of his mother and grandmother (cf. 2 Timothy 1:5). Scripture testifies to Christ (John 5:39 and following). “Instruct you for salvation”—that is, in respect to the essence of salvation; they will give him the correct understanding of what salvation consists in. And this salvation is achieved through faith in Jesus Christ (cf. Rom 3:25 “cleansing through faith”). “All Scripture” can be translated “every Scripture inspired by God is also profitable for teaching, reproof…” Thus the word “and” should be omitted, as it is omitted in the Peshitta, in some manuscripts of the Vulgate, and by many ancient commentators. The expression (without the article) cannot mean the whole collection of Old Testament books (they are called in the New Testament, for example in the Gospel Matt 21:42, “scriptures”), but means any inspired Scripture whatever, including New Testament books, some of which already existed at that time. The apostle could call his own writings inspired, since he spoke of the oral preaching of himself and other apostles as having the Holy Spirit as its source (2 Cor 3:3). “So that everyone who belongs to God may be competent…”, that is, one must read inspired Scripture in order to become a good minister and preacher of Christ.

Chapter Four

The responsibilities of Timothy in view of the expected coming of Christ and the departure of the Apostle Paul from this life (1–8). Conclusion of the epistle: various commissions, commands, advice, and greetings (9–22).

2 Timothy 4:1. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: “By his appearing and his kingdom”—an inaccurate and insufficiently definite translation. Rightly this phrase should be translated thus: “in accordance with His appearing at the end of days—on the one hand, and in accordance with His kingdom—on the other.” Christ will judge as One who comes already clothed in the honor and power of God, not as the poor son of man who lived in the form of a servant, who was crucified in weakness—not as taken from among the living, but as risen and reigning in heaven and destined to establish His eternal kingdom on earth (John Chrysostom). Accordingly, all the dead and the living will stand before Him in judgment, and He will render to each according to his due. Timothy should remember this whenever he finds it difficult in his struggle with enemies.

2 Timothy 4:2. proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. “Be persistent”—more accurately: come forward (Jer 46:14 in the Septuagint and 2 Sam 1:20). “Whether the time is favorable or unfavorable”—that is, without paying attention to whether this coming forward seems timely to those before whom Timothy must speak.

2 Timothy 4:3. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, Timothy should now take the opportunity to approach listeners with exhortation, because a time will come when he will no longer find people willing to listen to him; people will prefer to hear other teachers.

2 Timothy 4:4. and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. Cf. 1 Tim 1:4.

2 Timothy 4:5. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully. Even in Timothy’s time such unhealthy strivings for novelties in Christianity were already appearing. Therefore Timothy must be “vigilant” (in Russian: “sober”), in contrast to those teachers who, like intoxicated men, do not give themselves a clear account of what they are saying, do not distinguish between important and unimportant, between form and content, paying attention rather to what satisfies the tastes of the crowd. Such people will not suffer for the Gospel, but Timothy is obliged to do so. “Evangelist” (not just one who tells the life and relates the words of the Savior, but a missionary who preaches Christian teaching in general with the aim of spreading the kingdom of Christ. “Carry out”—that is, fully, not half-heartedly; regard your ministry as the purpose of your life (cf. Luke 1:1).

2 Timothy 4:6. For I am already being offered as a sacrifice, and the time of my departure is at hand. Until now Timothy had his support in Paul. But now the great apostle to the Gentiles is leaving this life. He is poured out like wine offered as a sacrifice to God (an allusion to the forthcoming martyrdom of the apostle).

2 Timothy 4:7. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith; “I have kept the faith.”—The apostle speaks here of the general Christian faith.

2 Timothy 4:8. from now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing. “Reserved”—more accurately: lying ready (is laid up). “Of righteousness”—that is, of righteousness: the apostle thinks of the crown as a reward for his righteous life. But in what the crown consists is not said. It is certain only that it is a symbol of heavenly glory (1 Pet 5:4), eternal life (Jas 1:12). “The Lord”—that is, Jesus Christ (cf. John 5:22). “His appearing”—of course, the second (cf. 2 Tim 4:1).

2 Timothy 4:9. Do your best to come to me soon. “Soon.” In 2 Tim 4:21 it is added—before winter. Perhaps Timothy had already notified the apostle that he was planning to come to Rome.

2 Timothy 4:10. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. The apostle feels himself alone in Rome. “Demas”—was earlier a co-worker of the Apostle Paul. (Phlm 1:24), but now has gone to Thessalonica for his own personal, perhaps commercial, affairs. “Crescens to Galatia”—that is, to Gaul, which was known to the ancient Greeks and in the early Christian period as Galatia, whereas eastern Galatia was called Galatia of Asia or Gallograecia. “Titus to Dalmatia,” that is, to southern Illyricum. “Only Luke is with me.” Perhaps Luke is particularly needed by the Apostle Paul, who often suffered illness, as a physician (cf. Col 4:14).

2 Timothy 4:11. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry. “Mark”—about Mark see the introduction to the Gospel of Mark. “For his ministry”—that is, for carrying out various tasks for the Apostle Paul.

2 Timothy 4:12. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. “Tychicus”—see Acts 20:4. As a native of Asia, Tychicus was more suited to Ephesus and the region dependent on Ephesus than Mark, who was from Jerusalem.

2 Timothy 4:13. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and the books, and above all the parchments. “The cloak,” that is, a traveling cape (paenula), such as Roman soldiers wore over the toga. The apostle is not here alluding to the journey to Troas spoken of in Acts 16:3, nor to the one mentioned in Acts 20:5 and following, because twelve years have passed since the first and six years since the second. Probably he has in mind his third, later, stay in Troas (cf. 1 Tim 1:3). The books—most likely these are the sacred books of the Old Testament. “And above all the parchments.” If it would be inconvenient for Timothy to carry all the books Paul left in Troas, he should at least bring those written on skin or parchment. Perhaps among these books were travel notes of the Apostle Paul.

2 Timothy 4:14. Alexander the metalworker did me great harm; the Lord will pay him back according to his deeds. 2 Timothy 4:15. You also must beware of him, for he strongly opposed our message. “Alexander.” Here, probably, the Alexander mentioned in the account of the disturbance caused by Demetrius is meant (Acts 19:33). He was a metalworker or, more accurately, a worker in metals generally (Homer speaks of a metalworker who worked with gold. Od. III, 432). Although he was a Jew, he nevertheless helped Demetrius in making idols. Apparently this Alexander came at the head of a whole delegation to Rome in order to accuse Paul before the highest imperial court. “Strongly opposed”—more accurately: opposes even now. From this one can conclude that Alexander was still in Rome and that Timothy would come into contact with him upon his arrival in Rome. Therefore the apostle urges Timothy to be especially cautious.

2 Timothy 4:16. At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be held against them! 2 Timothy 4:17. But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 2 Timothy 4:18. And the Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Matthew 10:20. Among the Romans it was the custom that when a case was being heard in court, the friends of the accused would appear and by their very presence would support the spirit of the accused and exercise some influence on the judges. At the hearing of the case of the Apostle Paul, not one of his friends was found to appear in court. But the Lord Himself helped him. The help of the Lord consisted in providing him with the power of His Spirit. Probably God Himself appeared to the apostle to the Gentiles (cf. Acts 18:9 and following, and the expression of verse 17: “the Lord stood by me”). Because of this, the speech of the Apostle Paul breathed such power and had such a striking effect that at that “first defense” he was rescued from the lion’s mouth. This image, borrowed from the book of the prophet Daniel (Dan 6:22), cannot be understood literally as meaning that Paul was freed from the danger of being thrown to circus lions. He was a Roman citizen and by law could only be executed by beheading. Here, apparently, the apostle means his deliverance generally from mortal danger and wants to say that at the first hearing of his case no death sentence was pronounced against him. The question is only what event the apostle is alluding to here. Commentators think differently about this. Some say that the apostle refers here to the first hearing of his case, which, thanks to Paul’s convincing speech, turned out favorably for him. Paul thus had to await a new summons to court, which would have a more unfortunate outcome for him. Others hold that this first defense took place not during this Roman imprisonment, not during the trial that was taking place there, but in circumstances of an earlier time, and that Paul is telling here how he was delivered from that first imprisonment. For some ancient commentators this passage provided the basis for the supposition that Paul was freed from the first Roman imprisonment (about which see Acts 28), and then was imprisoned again, and that the second epistle to Timothy was written from the second Roman imprisonment. “So that through me the message might be fully proclaimed,” that is, so that the apostle could accomplish after his release from the first imprisonment his plans of which he speaks in the epistle to the Romans (Rom 15:24). “And the Lord will rescue me from every evil attack.” As the apostle was saved the first time, so he will be saved in the future from all attacks by evil people, although this does not mean that he will not die. The words “save me for his heavenly kingdom” mean that he will be brought into the heavenly kingdom of Christ through dying worthily, which, as is clear from 2 Tim 4:6, the apostle at that time was expecting. Thus death itself was for him the way to eternal life. Therefore the apostle offers the Lord glory for everything and even for death itself.

2 Timothy 4:19. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. “Priscilla and Aquila”—see Acts 18:2; Rom 16:3. “The household of Onesiphorus”—see 2 Tim 1:16 and following.

2 Timothy 4:20. Erastus has remained in Corinth; Trophimus I left sick in Miletus. “Erastus” cf. Rom 16:23. “Trophimus”—see Acts 20:4 and Acts 21:29.

2 Timothy 4:21. Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers and sisters. 2 Timothy 4:22. The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. The people named here are unknown from other sources. Only about Linus, the holy Irenaeus (“Against Heresies” III, 3) reports that he was bishop of Rome after Paul.

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Introduction

Among Paul’s companions, Titus was the most experienced man; precisely for this reason he was ordained by Paul as bishop of the island of Crete, and he was entrusted with the ordination and judgment over many bishops. To him, as completely experienced, and to complete the unfinished work, this letter is entrusted, which Paul writes to him before his imprisonment in chains, when he was still free. For nowhere here does he mention trials. Therefore it seems to me that this letter comes before the second letter to Timothy, for Paul wrote that one at the end of his life. He constantly mentions here grace by which we are saved, knowing that it serves as great consolation. Whoever remembers what he was before and what gifts and grace he was afterward deemed worthy of, he will strive with all effort so as not to anger his Benefactor. He also attacks the Jews, but do not be surprised if he censures the whole people. He does this not for insult, but out of love for God and from burning zeal, just as Christ also many times rebuked the scribes, but not for his own sake, but because they were drawing others into destruction. The apostle writes a brief letter so that even by this he might teach us the virtue of Titus. For he did not need long speeches, but only some reminder.

Chapter One

Heading and greeting (1–4). Titus’s care in appointing to sacred offices worthy persons, especially in view of the appearance of false teachers in Crete (5–9). How Titus should relate to the Cretans (10–16).

Titus 1:1. Paul, a slave of God, and apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of the elect of God and knowledge of the truth, which is according to godliness, The greeting to Titus has a broader scope than the greetings found in the other letters of the apostle Paul (except the letter to the Romans). “According to the faith of the elect of God.” This expression depends on the word apostle and indicates the purpose of apostolic service. The apostle was called with the purpose of bringing the elect to faith (the preposition according to – κατά approaches the preposition to – εις and can be replaced by the words “so that”. Compare Rom 1:5). “Knowledge of the truth, which is according to godliness.” This expression also depends on the word apostle. The purpose of the apostle Paul was to awaken in the elect of God, that is, in those people who gladly receive the Gospel, not only faith, but also to give them knowledge of saving truth, because only with such knowledge does a person set foot on the path of true godliness. “The reason why the content of Gospel teaching is called truth is, first, that the Gospel truly contains the highest truth, and then partly also because the apostle had in mind heretics, who instead of true Gospel teaching preached Jewish fables and genealogies” (Troitsky p. 120 and 121).

Titus 1:2. in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the ages of time, “In hope of eternal life.” These words form an apposition to the expression apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul acts as apostle of Christ because he has hope of eternal life, that is, hope of eternal future blessedness (compare 1 Cor 15:14 and following). “Before the ages of time.” Here is meant the Proto-Gospel about the Savior, as the descendant of woman (see Gen 3:15).

Titus 1:3. and in his own time revealed his word in preaching, which was entrusted to me by the command of our Savior, God, – “In his own time” – that is, in the time appointed by God (compare 1 Tim 2:6). “Revealed his word.” Of course, through Christ, who in his person and activity fully clarified the word of God or the decision of God regarding the salvation of people from sin, curse, and death. “In preaching.” This expression relates to the words apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul became an apostle of Jesus Christ especially through his preaching, which was entrusted to him (compare 1 Cor 9:17; Gal 2:7). “By command” – this expression also relates to the word apostle (compare 1 Tim 1:11). “Of our Savior God.” It is remarkable that God the Father is called Savior by the apostle Paul only in the pastoral letters. Perhaps in this designation there is revealed in the apostle grateful remembrance of diverse cases of salvation from dangers to which he was subjected especially in the last years of his life: God always showed him his saving help.

Titus 1:4. To Titus, my true son according to the common faith: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. “My true son according to the common faith.” Precisely in his faith, which remained firm despite all trials, Titus showed that he was a true spiritual son of the apostle Paul, who also was distinguished by firmness of faith (2 Tim 4:7).

Titus 1:5. For this reason I left you in Crete, so that you might complete what remained unfinished and appoint elders in every city, as I commanded you: “In Crete.” The island of Crete, in the Mediterranean Sea, is 36 miles in length and 197 miles in circumference. The island was densely populated. In 69 BC it was made a Roman province. Among the inhabitants of the island were Jews (Acts 2:11). Probably Christianity was planted here by pilgrims from the first Christian festival of Pentecost. The apostle Paul, in his preaching of the Gospel, came to the island of Crete after his release from the first Roman imprisonment, but did not stay here long and instead left Titus to put in order the church affairs. “Elders.” See Acts 11:30; 1 Tim 3:2 and following.

Titus 1:6. if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of revelry or disobedience. See 1 Timothy 3 and following.

Titus 1:7. For a bishop must be blameless, as God’s steward, not arrogant, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for gain, Titus 1:8. but hospitable, a lover of good, sensible, just, holy, self-controlled, “For a bishop.” That same person who in the fifth verse is called an elder is here called a bishop. From this it is clear that here the expression bishop does not denote a higher hierarchical degree of sacred service, but simply the activity of every elder, who was supposed to oversee (έπισκοπεϊν) the church community entrusted to him, just as bishops – for example, Timothy or Titus – oversaw entire churches consisting of many church communities. The rest see in the commentary on 1 Tim 3:3 and following.

Titus 1:9. holding fast the trustworthy word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he may be able both to exhort in the sound doctrine and to confute those who contradict it. “In accordance with the teaching.” Here one can see an indication of the existence of a firmly established creed (compare 2 Tim 3:14).

Titus 1:10. For there are many unruly people, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, “There are many.” Here are meant, of course, the Cretan Christians, in particular those who had been converted to Christianity from Judaism.

Titus 1:11. whom you must silence; they are overturning whole households, teaching what they ought not for the sake of base gain. “Silence them,” that is, rebuke them so strictly that they become silent (Blessed Theophylact). “Overturning whole households,” that is, ruining whole families with their teaching. “For the sake of base gain” (compare 1 Tim 6:10).

Titus 1:12. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” Here the apostle is speaking of the Cretans in general. “A poet” – in Greek a prophet (προφήτης). The Greeks often called poets prophets, attributing to them, it seems, a kind of divine inspiration. Here is meant the Cretan poet Epimenides, who lived in the 6th century BC, from whom the cited passage is found in a work now lost titled “On Oracles.”

Titus 1:13. This testimony is true. For this reason rebuke them severely, so that they may be sound in the faith, Titus 1:14. not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and to commandments of men who reject the truth. “So that they may be sound in the faith.” Here are meant, of course, the Cretan Christians.

Titus 1:15. To the pure all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. Titus 1:16. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their deeds, being abominable and disobedient and unfit for any good work. Here the same thought is expressed that the Lord Jesus Christ expressed (Matt 15:11-20) and the apostle Paul himself (Rom 14:20). For people pure in heart and conscience all things appear pure, and nothing defiles such people (body and its functions). For people unclean both in thought and in life everything appears, every object seems to be something which must necessarily awaken in them unclean thoughts and desires. By the word mind is meant “all the inner content of a person: disposition, convictions, understanding, thoughts, intentions and actions; and by the word conscience – moral consciousness of the form of thoughts and actions in the face of law” (Troitsky p. 194).

Chapter Two

Titus as a preacher of sound teaching on Christian morality (1–15).

Titus 2:1. But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine: Titus 2:2. that the older men be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in steadfastness; Titus 2:3. that the older women likewise be reverent in their bearing, not malicious gossips, not enslaved to much wine, teachers of what is good; Titus 2:4. that they encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, Titus 2:5. to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. Titus 2:6. Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; In preaching sound Christian teaching, Titus must address special kinds of instruction to different ages, persons of different gender and condition. “Older men” – this is the designation of old age (πρεσβύτης), and not of an ecclesiastical or priestly rank (πρεσβύτερος). “Be reverent in their bearing” – more precisely: that they conduct themselves as is fitting for the holy, that is, for Christians. “So that the word of God will not be dishonored” (Compare 1 Tim 6:1).

Titus 2:7. In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, in your teaching show integrity, dignity, soundness, Titus 2:8. sound in speech which cannot be criticized, so that the opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us. Titus himself must set an example of a morally good life.

Titus 2:9. Exhort slaves to obey their own masters, to please them in all things, not to talk back, Titus 2:10. not to steal, but to show complete faithfulness, so that they may adorn the teaching of our Savior God in every way. Regarding slaves from the perspective of the apostle Paul, see the commentary on 1 Cor 7:21-22 and Eph 6:5 and following.

Titus 2:11. For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all people, Titus 2:12. teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age, Titus 2:13. looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, Titus 2:14. who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good deeds. The incentive for all Christians to live a good life should be consciousness that God gave people his sanctifying grace, with which it becomes easy for them to avoid sins. The grace of God, which appeared in Christ, is like the sun (έπεφάνη in Acts 27:20 is used directly of the appearing of the sun or stars) illuminated the world lying in impenetrable darkness and, like the sun, everywhere pours out life, gives a person strength for spiritual development, saves all people, wherever they may be. From this it follows that the Cretans also can and must make use of it for the sanctification of their life. It, like a pedagogue (teaching us), breaks us of an impious life and its pleasures and affirms us in godliness, and yet we ourselves must help it in this work on our side (so that we live). In this pious life the hope of the coming of our great Hope, that is, Jesus Christ, should strengthen us. The apostle calls this hope blessed because Christ, whom the Christians expect, possesses blessedness in the highest degree (compare 1 Tim 6:15). By “appearing” (verse 13) is meant the second coming of Christ (compare 1 Tim 6:14 and 2 Tim 4:1) – “of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” In the Greek text before the words corresponding to these μεγ. Θ. και σωτ. the article τοΰ is placed, and after them the pronoun ήμών. From this it is necessary to conclude that the expression “Great God and Savior Jesus Christ” designates one and the same person, that is, Christ. This passage, therefore, serves as testimony that the apostle Paul recognized Christ as God. “Gave himself for us,” that is, to death for our good, for our salvation (ύπέρ). “A people for his own possession.” This expression recalls a passage from the book of Exodus (Exod 19:5 and following). By reminding us that Christ gave himself so as to free us from sins, Titus will be even more obligated to call Christians to live a holy life: they should not allow the great sacrifice of Christ to be fruitless for them.

Titus 2:15. Say these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority so that no one may disregard you. Titus must employ all means of pastoral exhortation so that the thoughts mentioned above may enter into the consciousness of his flock. In doing this he must speak with all authority, that is, he must not only exhort Christians, but also address them with direct commands.

Chapter Three

Continuation of teachings about holiness of life (1–11). Conclusion: various instructions and greetings (12–15).

Titus 3:1. Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, The teachings beginning here apply to all Christians – without distinction of gender, age, and condition, and determine mainly the relation in which Christians should stand to the non-Christian neighbors around them (compare 1 Pet 2:12 and following). Especially does the apostle command to remind the Cretans of the necessity of obedience to authority – of course, civil authority, since it is known that the inhabitants of Crete were always inclined toward rebellion. “Ready for every good work.” With these words the apostle, on one hand, limits the extent of obedience to civil authority: one must obey authorities, therefore, only in good works, when authority does not go directly against clear divine commands. On the other hand, by calling Christians to participate in every good work, the apostle thereby urges us to participate in all beneficial public enterprises and, in particular, blesses us to occupy ourselves with every good art and science (compare Phil 4:8).

Titus 3:2. to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing complete courtesy toward all people. Titus 3:3. For we ourselves also were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various passions and pleasures, spending our lives in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. The apostle teaches Christians to show gentleness and forbearance toward unbelieving fellow citizens because Christians know from their own experience how hard it is to live in paganism and how difficult it is for pagans to abandon their vices.

Titus 3:4. But when the grace and the love of mankind of our Savior God appeared, Titus 3:5. He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to his mercy, by the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:6. which he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, Titus 3:7. so that having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Being merciful toward the unbelieving should be motivated in Christians by the boundless love of God toward themselves. For when divine goodness (grace – χρηστότης) and God’s love of mankind (here, as in the second chapter verse 11, is not meant the fact of the incarnation, but the spread of the Gospel of Christ throughout the world and in particular in Crete) appeared, then God saved us not by virtue of our merits, but solely by his mercy. From this it follows that we, imitating God, should show goodwill toward pagans even when they do not deserve it at all. In doing this the apostle, to produce an even greater impression on the hearts of believers, commands Titus to remind them that through baptism (“by the washing of rebirth” compare Eph 5:26) they have been cleansed from sins and renewed, have become a new creation, and then (through another sacrament – anointing with chrism – renewal by the Holy Spirit) received the gifts of the Holy Spirit in abundance so as to become at least de jure (according to hope) heirs of eternal life, that is, in time to receive it into their possession.

Titus 3:8. This statement is trustworthy; and I want you to speak confidently about these things so that those who have believed in God may be careful to engage in good works: these things are good and beneficial for people. About all this Titus must speak so persuasively (so that you speak confidently) that his speech might actually make Christians care for the correction of their life. “Faithful is the saying” – compare 1 Tim 1:15.

Titus 3:9. But avoid foolish disputes and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law; for they are useless and futile. Titus 3:10. As for a heretic, after a first and second admonition, reject him, Titus 3:11. knowing that such a person is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned. If in this the heretics (that is, people who have turned aside to the path of delusion, choosing from Christian teaching only what pleases them and even distorting Christian teaching and leading others after them) interfere with him, provoke him to dispute, then Titus should withdraw from them, having first once or twice addressed them with exhortation. If they do not listen to this exhortation – it means they are people completely corrupted, for whose correction there is no hope.

Titus 3:12. When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make haste to come to me in Nicopolis, for I have decided to winter there. Titus 3:13. Zenas the lawyer and Apollos send forward on their journey in such a way that they lack nothing. Titus 3:14. Let our people also learn to engage in good works so as to meet pressing needs, so that they may not be unfruitful. Titus 3:15. All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in faith. Grace be with you all. Amen. In conclusion the apostle gives some instructions to Titus, sends him greetings from his fellow workers, and asks him to convey greetings to all who love Paul. At the end he calls down God’s blessing on all readers of the letter. “Zenas the lawyer,” that is, a man who previously occupied himself with study of the Law of Moses. “Tychicus” – see Acts 20:4. “Artemas” – a name mentioned only here. “Apollos” – see Acts 18:24. “Those who love us in faith,” that is, believing Christians who love the apostle.

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Philemon

Introduction

Epistle to Philemon

Philemon, whom the Church numbers among the seventy Apostles, lived in the city of Laodicea or, as some believe, in Colossae (see Col 4:15). He was a friend and coworker of the Apostle Paul. In his house there was a Christian church, and Christian travelers found shelter there. The reason the Apostle addressed this epistle to Philemon was as follows. Onesimus, the slave of Philemon (Col 4:9), somehow displeased his master and, from fear of punishment, ran away from him. At that time he met the Apostle Paul, and the latter turned him toward Christ, and after some time sent Onesimus, in the company of Tychicus, to his master. In doing so he addressed an epistle to Philemon to dispose him toward forgiving the runaway slave. This epistle was written, probably, shortly after the epistle to the Colossians was written, namely during the first Roman imprisonment of the Apostle Paul.

Introduction and greeting (1–3). Praise of Philemon (4–7). Petition for Onesimus (8–12). Paul would willingly have kept Onesimus with him, but does not wish to do this without the consent of Philemon (13–20). Concluding remarks and greetings (21–24)

Philemon 1:1. Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved and coworker, “A prisoner of Jesus Christ”—see the epistle to Eph 3:1.

Philemon 1:2. and Apphia, our beloved sister, and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house: “Apphia, our beloved sister.” A funerary inscription of some Apphia from Colossae is known, on a monument located near Balbura, in the village of Trimelic: “Herm—to Apphia, his wife, daughter of Tryphon, by birth from Colossae, in memory.”—Archippus—see Col 4:17.

Philemon 1:4–7. I thank my God, always remembering you in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, so that the fellowship of your faith may become active in the knowledge of every good thing that is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and encouragement in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. Everything that the Apostle had until now heard about Philemon stirred up gratitude in the Apostle toward God and prompted him to pray for Philemon. The Apostle had indeed received reports of the “faith” that Philemon has in the Lord Jesus and of the “love” that he shows toward all Christians (in verse 5 there is the figure called chiasmus). Therefore the Apostle prays that the faith of Philemon, which he possesses—just as firm as the faith of the Apostle Paul (“the fellowship of your faith”)—would be demonstrated in works, and namely would first lead him to the most complete knowledge of what great blessings he has received together with his household church in Christ Jesus and together for Jesus Christ, that is, for furthering the work of Christ (εις Χρ. Ιησ.). At this point (Phlm 1:7) the Apostle indicates why he called the faith of Philemon “common with his faith”: to the Apostle suffering in chains, news brought consolation of the care which Philemon showed toward other Christians found in difficult circumstances.

Philemon 1:8–12. Therefore, having great confidence in Christ to command you what is proper, I rather appeal to you on the basis of love—I, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ; I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my chains: he was once unprofitable to you, but now he is profitable to you and to me; I am sending him back to you; welcome him as you would welcome my very heart. Because of this the Apostle appeals to Philemon not with commands, but, as to a friend, with a petition, in the spirit of Christian love. Let Philemon fulfill his petition—the petition of “Paul” (the Apostle to the Gentiles), the petition of “an old man” (old men ought generally to be listened to with respect) and the petition of “a prisoner of Christ” (who should be comforted in every way). The Apostle begs Philemon that he receive his slave Onesimus, who from being unprofitable has become useful, both to Philemon, to whom he will now serve as a faithful Christian slave, and to the Apostle, who has received consolation from his conversion to Christ.

Philemon 1:13–14. I wanted to keep him with me so that on your behalf he might serve me in my chains for the gospel; but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, so that your benefit might be not as a matter of compulsion, but as a matter of willingness. In order to inspire in Philemon the finest feeling and disposition to fulfill his petition, the Apostle says that he was so assured of Philemon’s affection for him that he even wanted to leave Onesimus with himself, so that this latter might replace his master to the Apostle, who, if this were possible, would certainly not refuse to serve the Apostle Paul in chains. But—the Apostle adds—I did not wish this to be done as though by compulsion on my part.

Philemon 1:15–20. Perhaps he was separated from you for a while for this very purpose, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but as more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, and how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you regard me as a partner, receive him as you would receive me. If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account. I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self. Yes, brother, I want to have benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord. Perhaps the very separation of Onesimus from Philemon has taken place for this purpose, that it might lead to their reunion forever. So the Apostle did not wish to violate the rights of Philemon, but now he persuades him to receive Onesimus with the same friendship with which he would have received the Apostle himself. In doing so he takes upon himself to repay any material loss which Onesimus has caused his master.

Philemon 1:21–22. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do more than I say. Also prepare a guest room for me; for I hope that through your prayers I will be granted to you. The Apostle is confident that Philemon will fulfill his petition, and as a sign of his gratitude, he entrusts Philemon with preparing a room for him, as he hopes to be released from chains and to set out to the valley of the Lycus River, where Philemon lived.

Philemon 1:23–25. Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my coworkers. Compare Col 4:10 and following.—“The grace of the Lord…” see Gal 6:18. * * * Dibelius. Commentary on the Epistle to Philemon, p. 132, 1912, German language.

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Introduction

ON THE EPISTLE OF THE HOLY APOSTLE PAUL TO THE HEBREWS

The Epistle of the holy Apostle Paul to the Hebrews differs from the other epistles of this apostle chiefly in that it nowhere names its author—who, in view of other differences in style, was not always unanimously held to be the Apostle Paul.

One of the earliest witnesses of the epistle—St. Clement of Rome (at the end of the first century)—gives us, from his citations, no definite judgment as to whom the Romans considered the author of the epistle. Among later Western Church writers, Tertullian, in citing the epistle, attributes it to Barnabas. Eastern writers are more unanimous and definite than Western ones. Pantaenus, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen not only cite the epistle under the name “the Epistle to the Hebrews” but acknowledge it specifically as a work of the Apostle Paul. Origen confirms this even with a reference to the testimony of tradition. It must be noted, however, that the evident peculiarities of the epistle’s language prompted even Origen to conjecture that, although the ideas of this epistle are entirely Pauline, their expression could have belonged to one of his disciples—either Luke or Clement.

Be that as it may, already in the second century the East was unanimous in acknowledging the epistle as Pauline. The West confirmed this view later (in the mid-fourth century, with the spread of Origen’s writings). And finally, at the Council of Carthage (397 AD), the epistle was definitively acknowledged as an epistle of the Apostle Paul, the fourteenth in number.

What, then, are the features that gave reason to doubt the epistle’s attribution to the Apostle Paul, how can their force be weakened, and what evidence speaks in favor of attributing the epistle to the named apostle?

One of the most apparent features that seems to give strong grounds for doubting the epistle’s attribution to the Apostle Paul is Heb 2:3, where it seems as though someone else is speaking. Attention was also drawn to the method of citing the Old Testament in this epistle, which is somewhat unusual for Paul. Normally he everywhere quotes from the Old Testament according to the LXX translation, but also makes use of the Hebrew text when it is more accurate; whereas in the Epistle to the Hebrews the author uses exclusively the LXX alone, even where that text admits of significant inaccuracies. The very form of citation diverges considerably from Paul’s usual practice. While in other epistles he typically writes: “Scripture says” or “such-and-such a writer,” here the speaker is presented as either God or the Holy Spirit. Finally, the latter epistle also differs from the others in its greater purity of language, more reminiscent of Luke’s Gospel and Acts.

In contrast to all this, it is sufficient to point to several passages in the epistle where the personality of the writer, if not mentioned, is clearly revealed (cf. Heb 13:23 and following), and where individual expressions and views prove to be entirely akin to Paul’s (cf., e.g., Heb 10:30 and Rom 12:19). No doubt about the epistle’s authorship is left by its overall content or by the very spirit of the epistle. As for the circumstance that the apostle, contrary to his custom, nowhere names himself in the epistle, this very fact, finding a fair explanation in itself, only serves to confirm his authorship further. The point is that the apostle needed to reckon with the very hostile feelings of his fellow countrymen to whom his epistle was directed, and therefore deemed it necessary not to mention his name.

The occasion, and in part the time, of writing the epistle are established from Heb 6 and following; Heb 10:26 and following, and other passages. These passages speak of a great danger to faith in the mixing of Christian requirements with Jewish ones, and of the need to establish the completely independent and self-sufficient significance of Christianity apart from Judaism. This danger threatened especially Palestinian Christians of Jewish origin, who could not reconcile themselves to their new position in Christianity and continued, not only by force of habit but also out of conviction, to observe all the Temple rites and Jewish laws, regarding them as essentially important for salvation. In later times, when the Palestinian Church had lost such an influential leader as the Apostle James (died 62 AD), and when disillusionment with the Messianic Kingdom—in which so many sufferings had to be endured, and participation in which was connected with the loss of national identity and the characteristic features of Israel—began to steal into many souls, many abandoned the Christian assemblies and returned to Jewish worship. Others, failing to stand firm in the true faith, fell into a peculiar state of hardness, which later degenerated into the heresies of the Ebionites and Nazarenes. Above all, all of this (approximately around 66 AD, cf. Heb 13:23) must have weighed heavily on the soul of such a zealot as Paul, which is why he writes his epistle to the Palestinians, the purpose of which is clearly indicated in Heb 13:22. It is an exhortation not to abandon faith in Jesus Christ and hope in Him. He is the fulfillment of all that in the Old Testament was only the subject of prefigurations and promises. And if the glory of the New Covenant, which replaced the old one, is still hidden in the darkness of sufferings, this is entirely in keeping with the expectations and spirit of Christianity (Heb 13:13-14) and does not exclude the hope of attaining corresponding greatness and glory in the future through sufferings.

The main thoughts of the epistle: the superiority of the Founder of the Christian faith, as the God-man, over Moses (Heb 1-4); the superiority of the means of enlightenment and salvation given to people through Jesus Christ, as the Divine High Priest seated at the right hand of God the Father (Heb 5-10); and, finally, the superiority of the believers in Christ themselves, endowed with such gracious means for salvation from sin and death and for the closest communion with God, under the guidance of the pastors and teachers of the Church.

Such a grounding and elucidation of the spirit and power of Christianity makes the epistle of the utmost importance and value not only for the Jews, but for all believers of all times and nations, providing the most necessary completion of all the other apostolic epistles, in which the entire system of Christian theology is contained.

The original language of the epistle, according to some, is Hebrew; it was probably translated into Greek by Clement, Bishop of Rome.

Chapter One

Introduction indicating the uniquely exalted nature of the New Testament Mediator of Divine revelation (1–4). Scriptural proofs (5–14).

Hebrews 1:1. God, who spoke many times and in many ways of old to the fathers through the prophets, “Many times (πολυμερώς) and in many ways (πολυτρόπως)”—through many prophets and by varied means. The latter refers both to the ways in which God’s will was communicated to the prophets, and to the ways in which the prophets communicated this will to people, for which purpose—in addition to ordinary speech—unusual means were also employed: visions, signs, miracles, symbols, prophecies, and foreshadowings. The Slavonic «многочастне» more accurately and correctly renders the meaning of the original, which aims to point to the simple multiplicity and, as it were, repetitiveness of revelation—specifically its manifoldness and fragmentary character—together with the variety and characteristic particularity of what was revealed in each individual case and with the closest connection of each individually revealed truth to the general, single and whole, content of revelation. Thus, through the prophet Isaiah, for example, the birth of the Messiah from a Virgin and His sufferings were revealed; through Daniel, the time of His coming; through Jonah, His three-day burial; through Malachi, the coming of His Forerunner; and so on. In contrast to this fragmentariness and manifoldness, in the New Testament God revealed through His one Son the fullness of truth—essentially, visibly, tangibly—in the incarnate Son, who is Truth itself.—“Of old”—(an indefinite adverb)—is again less characteristic than the Slavonic “древле” for the most accurate shade of the original’s meaning. This “of old” (πάλαι) is set in contrast to what follows—“in these last days” (ἐπ’ ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν τούτων)—and means here the entire time of the Old Testament, all antiquity in its totality, not in its individual moments.—“Through the prophets”—this expression must be understood here in the broadest sense, taking “prophets” to mean all the holy men of the Old Testament who received revelation from God.

Hebrews 1:2. in these last days He has spoken to us in the Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the ages. “In these last days”—the last times designates in general the period of the Messiah’s reign. With the onset of this period (“when the fullness of time had come,” Gal 4:4), the days of the law-governed service—which by God’s appointment was not eternal but temporary, destined for replacement by a new, eternal, gracious dispensation—appeared to be the last not merely in a chronological sense, but, so to speak, also in essence, as days that had exhausted the temporal necessity of the Old Testament and called forth the birth of the New. “He spoke…”—in juxtaposition with the previously used “who had spoken” from the same verb λαλεῖν (Heb. דבר—used to denote Divine revelation)—points to the inner connection of both revelations, the Old Testament and the New Testament, with the first serving as only a divinely predetermined preparatory stage toward the second.—“To us” in contrast to “to the fathers” indicates also our advantage, which flows from the further contrast of “in the Son” versus the earlier “through the prophets.”—“In the Son”—as “through the prophets”—the Greek ἐν in the sense of δια—through the Son, through the prophets—but with the special nuance that both the Son and God’s prophets were not merely external instruments of revelation, but living mediators and expressors of it. The Greek text uses “ἐν υἱῷ” (without the article), wishing thereby to say that the One set in contrast to the prophets stood in relation to God not in the capacity of a simple prophet, but in the far closer relationship of a Son. Other interpreters explain the omission of the article here by the fact that υἱός (as also in Heb 7:28) has the significance of a proper name of the Messiah, and as such, being determinate in itself, does not require further determination through the article. As the true Son of God, equal to the Father (Heb 1:3), this last Mediator between God and people gave to people in Himself the most complete and perfect Revelation of the Deity, covering and completing all former revelations through the prophets. Having mentioned the Son, the writer strives to clarify His Divine and human nature and essence, doing so in three correlative clauses. The Son is also at the same time the “heir”; hence the Son of God is the “heir of all things”—that is, the Lord of the entire universe, since in Hebrew usage inheritance and heir denote dominion and lord (cf. Ps 2:8, and also John 16:15; Matt 28:18).—“All things”—πάντων—as in Col 1:16, denotes the sum of all things. But why is it said “whom He appointed” (ἔθηκε), and not “who is”?—St. Chrysostom and Theodoret explain this by noting that here the speech concerns the human nature of the Messiah. As God, He was always, from the beginning, Lord of all things, because through Him everything was created. But as man, He became in time the Heir and Lord of all things, having accomplished, as the God-man, a second creation—that is, the redemption of all creation.—This redemption has not yet concluded in its effects and will continue as long as the world lasts. Christ established for Himself a special God-man kingdom, at the end of which all His enemies will be subdued under His feet and the full dominion of the Son over all things will come (cf. 1 Cor 15:25 and following). The expression “appointed Him heir of all things” must therefore be understood in the sense of the eternal predestination of the Son of God to a future possession which, so to speak, legally began from the moment the Savior pronounced the words: “It is accomplished,” and will factually be fulfilled and completed when God “puts all things in subjection to the Son, and when the Son Himself also is subjected to Him who put all things in subjection to Him, and God is all in all!” “Through whom He also made the ages…” This clause, as the particle “also” indicates, forms the basis for what was said before: “whom He appointed…” Christ was appointed heir of all things because through Him God also made the ages.—“Made the ages”—that is, not only time itself, reckoned in ages, but everything that exists in time or together with time. It is noteworthy how the apostle proceeds gradually, as if step by step, ever higher in his theology: first he calls the Founder of Christianity the Son, which someone might perhaps take as a common title for children of God; then he calls Him the heir of all things—this is already a higher level; next he calls Him the Creator of the ages—this is still higher than the previous titles; and finally the apostle presents something still more exalted—beyond which there is nothing higher.

Hebrews 1:3. He, being the radiance of His glory and the exact image of His essence, and sustaining all things by the word of His power, having by Himself accomplished purification of our sins, sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high, John 1:18. “The radiance of His glory and the exact image of His essence.” This directly denotes the Son’s eternity and consubstantiality with God the Father. “The radiance from the sun and not after it; for the sun and the radiance are simultaneous (Theophylact).” As the sun in relation to its radiance is from itself, and the radiance is from the sun, so the Father is from Himself, and the Son is begotten of the Father. As radiance proceeds from the sun without taking anything from its essence and without separating from it, so the Son proceeded from the Father. The sun exists before the radiance, yet simultaneously with it; so too is the Son with the Father. The radiance cannot exist without the sun, and the sun without its radiance: so the Son cannot exist without the Father, and the Father without the Son—and yet They are both distinct. One cannot see the sun without the light that comes from it: so no one can see the Father without the Son (cf. Jn. 1:18; 5:19 and following; John 6:46). If the one that shines is God, then His radiance is also Divine. If the one that shines is eternity—having neither beginning nor end—then such also is the radiance. Complete consubstantiality and equality in all things.—“The exact image of His essence”—χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως—an impress, imprint, engraving (from χαράσσειν—to cut, to engrave). As a seal impressed by a stamp fully corresponds to the image engraved upon it, so the Son is the most exact and perfect representation of the Father’s essence (cf. John 14:9 “whoever has seen me has seen the Father”). In a completely different sense man is called the “image of God and His likeness.” Created in time, with a capacity for infinite development, man gradually comes to resemble God and is deified. The Divine essence is reflected in his soul as a faint likeness, as a small spark of Divine radiance, and not as the full light—fully and perfectly poured forth by the Son. Man is only of like essence to God, whereas the Son is of one essence with the Father. Or: the Son is of one essence with the Father in a full and all-perfect degree, as a Person undivided from Him, whereas man is of one essence with God in the sense that God has given him a small likeness of His essence for eternal perfecting in the image of his Creator.—“Sustaining all things by the word of His power.” Having created all things by His Word, God also sustains all things—that is, preserves the existence and order of things—likewise “by the word of His power.” This sustaining of the world is, as it were, a continually continuing creation; and both are accomplished by the one word of Divine power, which will also bring all things to completion by that same word, when by the power of the lips of the Son of God the one opponent of the moral order of the world’s existence—the Antichrist—will be destroyed (2 Thess 2:8). “Having by Himself accomplished purification of our sins…” The purification of our sins, the sanctification and justification of man are frequently mentioned in this epistle as the fruits of the Messiah’s high-priestly ministry, of His sacrifice offered not through the blood of goats or calves, but “by Himself”—the sacrifice of His obedience, His self-offering, His blood and life. Having offered such a sacrifice for people, Christ also for Himself—that is, for His own human nature—obtained exaltation above all creatures: “He sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high” (ἐν ὑψηλοῖς—properly “in the high places,” i.e., in the heavens; cf. further Heb 8:1). That this expression refers to the human nature in Christ is evident from the fact that nowhere in the New Testament is the sitting at the right hand of the Father attributed to Jesus Christ prior to His Ascension into heaven (cf. John 17:5). Before this Ascension, the Son is spoken of in more exalted terms: “abiding in the bosom of the Father” (John 1:18). The figurative expression about sitting at the right hand—denoting participation in Divine authority and governance of the world—is borrowed by the apostle from Ps 109:1, which was always regarded as Messianic, though with different interpretations. “At the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high”—in this figurative expression every word is full of deep meaning: “at the right hand”—points to the kinship and equal honor of the Son of God with the Father; “throne”—denotes the dignity and authority of the Deity; “sitting”—rest and contentment; “Majesty”—the same as the earlier “glory”—that is, the glory and majesty of the Deity; “on high”—a significant expression that does not intend to confine God to one definite place, even if that be heaven, but only to indicate His position as highest above all—that God is above all.

Hebrews 1:4. having become as much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is more glorious than theirs. The apostle begins to develop the thought of the superiority of the Son of God further by comparing Him with the Angels, aiming to show that the revelation communicated by Him is also higher and more perfect than that given through the mediation of the Angels by the hand of the Old Testament mediator—Moses. The name in which alone the preeminence of Christ over the Angels is already expressed is the name of the Son, which He bore before the ages and “inherited”—in the apostle’s expression—in the sense that it was precisely in Him, and not in anyone else, that the following prophecies were fulfilled and to Him they refer.—One can also understand this “inherited” similarly to how above—“appointed,” “sat down”—are referred to the human nature of the Son of God. Christ was from eternity the Son of God and preceded the Angels. Having become man, He appeared to have been humbled below the Angels, but this humbling was limited to a brief time. Having shown obedience to His Father even to death on the cross, He earned for His human nature too exaltation above all creation, inheriting also in His humanity the name Son of God—possessing this Name by right of inheritance, and not as we do—by adoption.

Hebrews 1:5. For to which of the angels did God ever say: “You are my Son; today I have begotten you”? And again: “I will be a Father to Him, and He will be a Son to me”? The apostle confirms and clarifies his thought with a series of Old Testament sayings, showing that his thought is not new but eternal, like truth itself. “He said… He introduces… He says…”—predicates with the implied subject God. In some places of the Old Testament the Angels are also called “sons of God,” but in the present case the apostle intends to point to a completely special, personal, unique sonship, emphasized also by the Psalmist with the more precise definition: “my Son, whom I have begotten”—that is, the Only-Begotten Son by essence, equal in nature and Divine properties. “Today (this day)”—according to some interpreters—points to the eternal begetting of the Son by the Father, since in eternity there is no past or future, but only the one eternal present, the eternal “is.” The past tense of the verb “I have begotten” (γεγέννηκα) denotes, on the one hand, completion, and on the other, the continuous ongoing character of this begetting. According to others (especially Greek interpreters), the expression “this day” refers to the temporal birth in the Incarnation, when Christ also as man became the Son of God. According to this interpretation, “today” is to be referred to the time of the earthly life of the incarnate Son of God, in which case the past tense of the verb “begotten” points to the time of His incarnation by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit from the Virgin Mary. According to a third group, the expression of the psalm is applied by the apostle to the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ—to the time of His glorification, which is to continue forever (cf. Acts 13:33 and following). “And again”—that is, “to whom did God ever say?” (the implied answer: to no one, never).—“I will be a Father to Him, and He will be a Son to me…” These words, spoken most immediately about Solomon, also contain the promise concerning the restoration of the seed of David and the eternal continuation of his kingdom and throne, which was fulfilled in its full measure only in the person of Jesus Christ the Messiah—to whom this promise was referred by David himself, by Solomon, by the prophets, and by the Archangel Gabriel in the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:32; cf. 2 Sam 7:19; Isa 22:22; 1 Sam 5:5; Isa 9:6-7; Jer 23:5; Zech 6:12-13; Acts 2:30).

Hebrews 1:6. And again, when He brings the Firstborn into the world, He says: “And let all the angels of God worship Him.” “And again, when He brings”—an imprecise translation of the Greek ὅταν δὲ πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ; the Slavonic renders it more correctly: “егда же паки вводит”—that is: when He brings again.—“He brings the Firstborn into the world”—the Greek εἰσάγειν means to bring into possession of a certain object (a legal term); to bring into the world means to bring into possession of the world; “He brings the Firstborn” means to bring One who has by law the full rights of inheritance. “Again”—by this expression the intention is not to indicate a second bringing of the Firstborn into the world, but a second citation of the text corresponding to the one just quoted above: “when He again brings the Firstborn into the world, He says…” or more clearly: “again, when He brings the Firstborn, He says”—that is, not: He brings again, but: He says again. The expression “Firstborn” (πρωτότοκος) is a favorite among the Hebrews for designating the Messiah. In the Apostle Paul it recurs several times with different nuances. Thus, in Rom 8:29 Christ is called the “firstborn among many brothers,” in relation to redeemed people who in Him are once again adopted by God as children and thus have become His brothers (Heb 2:11).—In Col 1:18 Christ is called the “firstborn from the dead,” as the first to overcome the death that comes from Adam. In Col 1:15 the apostle calls Christ the “firstborn of all creation,” as the Prototype of all that was created by Him and through Him. In all these cases the said expression must be understood in application to the human nature in Christ. As Christ, being the eternal Word, is the Only-Begotten (μονογενής) of the Father, so, being man, He is the “Firstborn” of God (πρωτότοκος τοῦ θεοῦ). He is the Firstborn in relation to Christians, who are His brothers and therefore also “sons of God” (Heb 2:10). As the Firstborn, He will therefore be brought someday into His full inheritance, and then the Angels will bow down before Him as king of all creation (cf. Phil 2:9 and following). “And let all the angels of God worship Him…”—the expression is borrowed from Ps 96:7 and is applied most immediately by the Psalmist to Jehovah, who is glorified in this psalm as the King and Judge of the entire universe. In applying what is attributed to Jehovah to the Son of God, the apostle acts in accordance with the indication of this Son of God, who revealed to us that “the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22).

Hebrews 1:7. Of the angels He says: “You make your angels winds, and your servants a flaming fire.” Against the scriptural saying about the Angels, the apostle sets several texts that speak of the Son, who surpasses the Angels.—“Of the angels it is said…”—Greek: καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἀγγέλους λέγει…, more precisely in Slavonic: “ко Ангелом убо глаголет…”—“to the Angels”—(πρός—in relation to, concerning) as for the Angels, or with respect to the Angels—it says, that is, Scripture, or the author of Scripture. What is said about the Angels is borrowed from Ps 103:4, where the Hebrew text expresses itself properly as follows: “He makes the winds His messengers (angels) and a flaming fire His servants.” The LXX gives a certain modification to this expression, reversing subjects and predicates: ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα—“the one who makes His angels spirits (winds) and His servants a flame of fire…” The meaning obtained is that the Angels are such subordinate and serving beings to God that, in fulfilling God’s will, they even descend into matter and serve as elements of nature—wind and fire (cf. John 5:4). This makes it possible to better highlight the superiority of the Son over the Angels, about whom (πρὸς δὲ τὸν υἱόν) the same Scripture says (Ps 44:7-8): “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever…” and so on — Heb 1:8-9 verse.

Hebrews 1:8. But of the Son: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of righteousness.” Hebrews 1:9. “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” The force of the proof of the Son’s superiority over the Angels lies in the fact that, while the Angels in Holy Scripture are called serving elements of nature, the Son is called (twice) God and eternal King. The power of the Kingdom of the Son of God lies in the fact that it is the kingdom of righteousness, which alone endures forever and ever. Love of this righteousness and hatred of unrighteousness are—in the Old Testament understanding—the most essential qualities and conditions for the dignity of a true king. In the Son of God these qualities and conditions were elevated to such an exclusive perfection that they became the reason for His being anointed with the oil of gladness above all His companions—in other words, He became the Anointed One of God in a far more perfect sense than ordinary anointed ones—kings who receive their anointing to kingship from that same King of kings (“by me kings reign…”), and than all the other participants in His kingly glory and victory—the believers in Him who are “children of the kingdom.”—“Anointing with the oil of gladness”—applied to the Son of God—is the union of His human nature with the Deity, as St. John of Damascus said: “Christ Himself anointed Himself, anointing as God, being anointed as man; and the anointing of the humanity is the Deity.”—“Beyond your companions…”—that is, beyond and in preference to all other people, although they too are His brothers (Heb 2:11). These last also receive the Deity into themselves by grace, but not as Christ, in whom the Deity and humanity are united hypostatically.

Hebrews 1:10. And: “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands;” The next text cited from Scripture in proof of the superiority of the Son of God over the Angels is borrowed from Ps 101:26-28; what is said there refers most immediately to Jehovah, but is quite rightly applied by the apostle to Christ as well, who is the Power and Word of God, through whom all things were created and who is consequently coeternal, consubstantial, and coequal with the Father, and whose superiority over all creation is immeasurable and indisputable.

Hebrews 1:11. “they will perish, but you remain; and they will all wear out like a garment,” Hebrews 1:12. “and like a cloak you will roll them up, and they will be changed; but you are the same, and your years will not come to an end.” Hebrews 1:13. And to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? The final confirmation of the superiority of the Son of God over the Angels is borrowed from Ps 109:1: to which of the angels did God ever say—“sit at my right hand” and so on? The Messianic significance of this psalm during the earthly life of Jesus Christ was regarded as so indisputable that the Lord cited this passage in debate with His fiercest enemies (cf. also 1 Cor 15:25: Acts 2:35).—“Sitting at the right hand”—see comment on Heb 1:3.—“Until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”—that is, until I subdue everything that opposes you… The word “until” (дондеже, ἕως) aims not to set a limit to the sitting at the right hand, but to designate the accomplishment of one of the purposes of the God-given full authority given to the Messiah—the subjection of enemies; whereas the very state of sitting at the right hand will outlast all its temporal purposes and consequences, being eternal, unshakeable, and triumphant (a similar significance ἕως has in the Evangelist’s expression about the perpetual virginity of Mary: “he did not know her until she had given birth to a Son…” (Matt 1:25)—that is, he did not know her not only before she gave birth to the Son, but in general this cannot even be spoken of).

Hebrews 1:14. Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? Verse 14 concludes what has been said about the Angels with the affirmation that all of them, in contrast to the Son—the Lord, are His servants and executors of His will regarding the salvation of all people.—“Are they not all”—not excluding, therefore, even the highest among them.—“Ministering spirits, sent out to serve for the sake of those who…” The spirits serve God also when they are sent by Him to serve in the salvation of people. Therefore “to serve” cannot be referred directly to those who are to “inherit salvation”: what is meant here is service rendered by the Angels to God, but for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation.—“Salvation”—the entire fullness of grace and truth that appeared in Christ, which will reach its complete consummation only in heaven.

Chapter Two

Exhortation to heed what has been heard (1–4). The humiliation and exaltation of Jesus (5–9). The necessity of His suffering death (10–18).

Hebrews 2:1. Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. “Therefore…”—the exhortation to heed what has been heard is derived as a practical conclusion for the readers from what was said above about the superiority of Jesus Christ over the Angels in authority and dignity.—“To what we have heard”—not only in chapter 1, but in the evangelical preaching about salvation in general.—“So that we do not drift away”—μή ποτε παραρρυῶμεν…—Slavonic “да не когда отпадем”—so as not to pass by the salvation that is taking place, not to miss participation in this saving current, not to be carried away from it and perish.

Hebrews 2:2. For if the word spoken through angels proved reliable, and every transgression and act of disobedience received a just penalty, “The word spoken through angels”—undoubtedly the Law of Moses, as is more clearly mentioned in Gal 3:19. Here the common Jewish tradition about the giving of the Law—not directly from God Himself, invisible and incomprehensible, but through the mediation of Angels, just as the reception of this Law also took place not directly by the people but through Moses, who stood between the people and the angel—is evidently reproduced (cf. Acts 7:53).

Hebrews 2:3. how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation, which was first proclaimed by the Lord and then confirmed to us by those who heard Him, “How will we escape…”—that is, the same just retribution or punishment for transgression and violation of the New Covenant of God, given by the Son of God Himself, without the mediation of Angels and people?—“By those who heard Him”—that is, by the Apostles and the immediate disciples of the Lord. And here the apostle several times, through various emphatic nuances of expression, shows the superiority of the Son of God over the Angels and of His work over their ministry. Thus, it is noteworthy that what was proclaimed through the Angels he calls a word, while what was preached by the Lord he calls “salvation.” The external testimony to the truth and inviolability of the angelic word consisted almost exclusively in the retribution for its violation, whereas the testimony to the truth of the Lord’s preaching consisted of long-standing signs and wonders, which showed the special power and greatness of the new salvation (“such a great salvation”).

Hebrews 2:4. while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles, and by distributions of the Holy Spirit according to His will? “While God bore witness…”—συνεπιμαρτυροῦντος τοῦ θεοῦ…—Slavonic: “сосвидетельствующу Богу”—co-testifying God. The Slavonic text more precisely expresses here the meaning of the original regarding the close cooperation of God with man in various signs, the variety of which showed how great is God’s care for the fullness of His influence upon people and how people will be without excuse if they do not receive the preaching so manifoldly confirmed. Preparing to prove that Jesus Christ is the head of the New Covenant, the Apostle says that the humiliation of Him before the Angels in sufferings not only did not diminish His dignity but exalted it still further and was part of the plans of Divine providence as the most salvific means of the sanctification of all people.

Hebrews 2:5. For it was not to angels that God subjected the coming world, of which we are speaking; The sense of what was said is this: nowhere in the Old Testament is it promised that the future world—the Kingdom of the Messiah of which we are now speaking—will be subjected to the Angels; but there is one passage where it is said that God will subject this new world to the Son (Heb 2:6-8), who is consequently higher than the Angels, though He seemed to have been humbled below them. This stumbling block is sufficiently removed both by the subsequent exaltation of the Messiah and by the fact that this humbling was revealed by God and found its most beautiful portrayal in the Psalmist David, of whom the apostle speaks here guardedly (“someone somewhere”) so that this remarkable testimony of the universally known and beloved prophet might stand forth with greater force and significance. What was said by David refers most immediately in general to man as he was meant to be, and perhaps was for a brief time (before the fall)—according to God’s original intent (cf. Gen 1:26). Understanding what was said as going beyond the past, one must refer David’s words in their entirety to Christ alone, who received humanity without the infection of sin, and only then—in connection with Him—to the rest of redeemed humanity, and even that to a lesser degree: Heb 2:8 in its full sense applies only to Him alone (cf. 1 Cor 15:27; Eph 1:22).

Hebrews 2:6. but someone has testified somewhere, saying: “What is man, that you are mindful of him? or the son of man, that you visit him?” Hebrews 2:7. “You made him a little lower than the angels; with glory and honor you crowned him, and you set him over the works of your hands,” “You made him a little lower than the angels”—the Hebrew text, instead of “than the angels,” has “than the divine” (Elohim), better expressing the particular closeness of man’s relationship to God and at the same time his dignity. “A little”—“малым нечим”—βραχύ τι—in a double sense: either for a short time—during the earthly life of Jesus (cf. Heb 2:9), or in the sense of allowing a small (though also temporary) difference in dignity (the assumption of human flesh and the endurance of suffering and death), which was afterward made up by surpassing glory and honor.

Hebrews 2:8. “you put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in putting all things in subjection to him, He left nothing outside his control. At present, however, we do not yet see all things subjected to him; Hebrews 2:9. but we do see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. The sense of these verses in their general context is as follows: God subjected all things to man, leaving nothing outside his control. Yet we do not yet see all things subjected to him. This is because we shall see it in due time, and specifically in the person of such a Man as to whom in the proper and full sense the present words of the Psalmist must be applied—in the person of Jesus. He was the One whom God humbled a little below the Angels through the endurance of death, but for this very endurance of death also crowned with the highest glory and honor, giving not only to Him Himself all authority in heaven and on earth, but restoring to believers in Him the true human dignity. This shade of meaning is better maintained in the Slavonic text, where, having cited the words of the Psalmist and established that at the present time they have not yet found full realization, the apostle—as if explaining this and pointing to where and when to expect this realization—interprets the words of David in application to Jesus: “but we do see Jesus, humbled a little below the angels,” with special emphasis on the last word (“Jesus”!). To Him, Jesus, consequently, all things are subjected; and if not all things are yet actually subjected, it is only because not everything has yet reached its proper time (cf. Heb 1:13). “Because of the suffering of death”—διὰ τὸ πάθημα τοῦ θανάτου—some connected this with the expression “made lower,” attributing to this passage the sense that Christ, through His sufferings and death (or for the sake of sufferings and death), so as to endure them for us, was for a short time humbled below the Angels. Others, more correctly, connect this expression “because of the suffering of death” with the thought about the crowning with glory and honor of Jesus, since the following verse 10 also serves to confirm that very thought (cf. Phil 2:9-10; Luke 24:26).—“By the grace of God, to taste death for everyone.” Here the thought is expressed that Jesus Christ’s tasting of death was an act of God’s love for fallen people (cf. Rom 5:8; Gal 2:21).

Hebrews 2:10. For it was fitting that He, for whom all things exist and through whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. “For it was fitting”—as most in keeping with Divine wisdom, love, and the glory of Christ, and as most appropriate to the condition of fallen man, that the pioneer—the principal agent of human salvation—should attain the goal of His ministry to the human race through suffering.—“For whom all things exist and through whom all things exist…” God the Father is depicted here as the primal ground and final purpose of all existence; under this condition He was entirely free to undertake, and did indeed undertake, the best and wisest measures for the salvation of people. The Slavonic text of verse 10, when compared with the Greek and Russian, has a curious peculiarity that opens a wide field for interpretation. This peculiarity consists in the expression “having brought many sons into glory,” placed in dependence on “to Him” (“it was fitting for Him…”—that is, for God the Father, having brought… and so on). The Russian text places the said expression in the accusative case, apparently agreeing it with what follows—“the pioneer of their salvation” (“bringing many sons” and so on). The Greek text does the same, although in the opinion of some, the Greek accusative here could have been used instead of the dative, so as to bind the participle more closely to the infinitive τελειῶσαι, and allows relating it not to the “pioneer of salvation” but also to God the Father, of whom the preceding speech is about. Both interpretations have their justifications, but it seems better to proceed as the Russian text does and as the literally translated Greek does. Τελειῶσαι—to make perfect—in the sense of making complete, bringing to one’s goal, realizing in accordance with the intention. “To make perfect the pioneer of salvation” means to achieve the result that Jesus became the true perfecter and cause of the salvation of all people, offering Himself as a sacrifice for them through His sufferings and death and leading them (ἀρχηγός—one who goes ahead, who leads) on this path of salvation. In the subsequent verses (Heb 2:11-18) the apostle strives to ground and more clearly elucidate the thought of why it pleased the Lord to accomplish our salvation precisely through sufferings.

Hebrews 2:11. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from One; for this reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying: “For”—is an explanatory conjunction for a whole series of thoughts about how the Lord’s sufferings made Him the pioneer of salvation for us. Most immediately this “for” also explains the thought expressed further, as to why the Lord is not ashamed to call us brothers: because (for) both He who sanctifies us and we who are sanctified by Him are all from One. By the “One” here one can understand either God the Father—if one has in view the humanity deified by Christ, of which the deification of ourselves was also the fruit (“He gave to those who believe the power to become children of God,” John 1:12-13)—or by the “One” one can understand Adam, if one has in view the incarnation of the Deity of Christ through birth from the Virgin Mary, daughter of the common progenitor of all people—Adam, which again leads to the “One,” the true Cause of all, united in Adam through bodily birth and in Christ through spiritual birth.

Hebrews 2:12. “I will proclaim your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.” The verse cited by the apostle gains special force in view of the fact that it is borrowed from a psalm unanimously acknowledged by all as Messianic (Ps 21:23).

Hebrews 2:13. And again: “I will put my trust in Him.” And again: “Here am I and the children whom God has given me.” The verses from the prophet Isaiah (Isa 8:17-18) are intended to mark the human nature of Christ by ascribing to Him human qualities—prayerful trust in God and dedication to Him, both of Himself and of all His offspring—in this case, spiritual offspring. Having first cited the title of men as Christ’s brothers, and then as children, the apostle intends to note in general the unity of Christ’s nature with ours, all the more so since through His incarnation the Lord not only became our brother but, as the second Adam, also our father (cf. John 17:6).

Hebrews 2:14. Since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same, so that through death He might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, “Share in flesh and blood”—a descriptive expression for human nature. In order to become more perfectly like the children—His brothers—and more certainly to deliver them from the power of death that reigned over them, the Lord in completely the same way as they (“fully”—παραπλησίως—fully, perfectly) received their nature, so as to conquer the devil in it, the cause of sin and death (cf. 1 Cor 15:20-26 and following 1 Cor 15:53-57). This victory was accomplished through the satisfaction of God’s righteousness by Christ’s death for the sins of men—that is, the devil suffered defeat from the side from which one might least of all have expected it—from that domain in which he was ἔχων τὸ κράτος—in other words, by his own weapon. Death remained, apparently, as before, but it has already become no longer fearsome, for it destroys itself by giving those who die from it entry into the beginning of eternal life.

Hebrews 2:15. and to deliver those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. “Subject to slavery through fear of death”—that is, they experienced an extremely agonizing condition, being under constant fear of death, which was the sole master over people.

Hebrews 2:16. For surely it is not angels He helps, but the offspring of Abraham He helps. The verse points to a deeper grounding of the necessity of the incarnation of our Deliverer from death. Not angels needed deliverance, but people; therefore He also takes up not an angelic nature but a human one—for deliverance. Instead of “the offspring of Abraham” one might have expected the apostle to use “the offspring of Adam” as referring to humanity in general. The name of Abraham is preferred because it pointed more directly to the Jews as referring to the promises given to the “offspring of Abraham,” who was, as it were, less afflicted by the terrible consequences of Adam’s sin and more worthy for the Deliverer of people to derive His kinship with people from him.

Hebrews 2:17. Therefore He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest before God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Hebrews 2:18. For since He Himself suffered, having been tested, He is able to help those who are being tested. In order to save suffering man, the Deliverer had to not only assume human nature but also suffer in it Himself—to study, as it were in practice, the sufferings of humanity—and moreover to suffer in such a way that these His sufferings would be sufficient once and for all to propitiate God for the sins of all the people. Such sufferings, surpassing all human suffering, the Lord endured, moved to it both by His own mercy and by the demands of God’s righteousness (“merciful and faithful high priest”).

Chapter Three

Exhortation to faith in Christ as greater than Moses (1–6). Warning against unbelief with the words of the Psalm and the lessons of the past (7–19).

Hebrews 3:1. Therefore, holy brothers, who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, “Holy brothers, who share in a heavenly calling” (cf. above Heb 2:11; Rom 8:29).—“Of our confession”—that is, of our faith (1 Tim 6:12).—“The Apostle, apostle of our faith, sent from God the Father”—(cf. John 17:3; Gal 4:4 and others). If on the side of God, Christ was the apostle to people—the one who brought God’s grace and truth to people—then on the side of people He was the high priest, the perpetual intercessor before God for humanity. In this way He combined in Himself two roles that in the Old Testament were divided between Moses and Aaron.

Hebrews 3:2. who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, just as Moses also was faithful in all His house. Cf. Num 12:7.—“In all His house”—in the house of God, in the Old Testament Church. Moses was a faithful servant of the Lord not over just a part of His house, fulfilling some particular role in its domain, as Samuel, Elijah, and other prophets did, but the management of the entire house was entrusted to him; in this consists his similarity to Christ.

Hebrews 3:3. For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, as much more honor than the house does the one who built it have, By the word “house” here one must understand not only the building but all its furnishings and arrangements—for example, its servants. Therefore the Greek text designates the “arrangement” of this house by the word κατασκευάσας, and not οἰκοδομήσας. Hence the meaning of the verse is as follows: Moses, as a servant, belonged to the Old Testament house; whereas the founder of the Old Testament economy was Christ. But as the founder of a household is greater than one who belongs to that household, so Christ is greater than Moses.

Hebrews 3:4. for every house is built by someone, but the one who built all things is God. The Old Testament Church was customarily called the house of the Lord. Therefore, having assigned to it in Heb 3:4 the new designation of the house of Christ, the apostle explains the correctness of this designation. The meaning of this explanation is as follows: every household has a founder and builder—a man, although God, the Creator of all things, must be recognized as the original cause of every house. So too with regard to the House of Israel or the Old Testament Church: of course, God is the primary cause of it, but this does not exclude Christ from being recognized as its builder (κατασκευάσας), because He, as the Son of God, as the eternal Word, is the One through whom all things were created—consequently, also the Old Testament Church. Under this interpretation, “the one who built” will be the predicate and “God” the subject. Another interpretation, taking “the one who built all things” (ὁ δὲ πάντα κατασκευάσας) as the subject and understanding this to mean Christ, takes “God” as the predicate, with the result that the meaning of the whole phrase becomes: “the One who built all things—namely Christ—is God (and consequently immeasurably higher than Moses).”

Hebrews 3:5. And Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken later; The elucidation of Christ’s superiority over Moses continues. Moses, according to Num 12:7, is a servant; Christ is a Son. Moses is in (ἐν) the house, and consequently, as a part, belongs to the house; Christ is over (ἐπί) the house, and consequently is the master of the house, which belongs to Him as a Son.—“To testify to the things that would be spoken later…”—a designation of what Moses’ serving activity consisted in; what is meant here specifically is the proclamation of the Divine Law and the prophetic predictions of Moses.

Hebrews 3:6. but Christ is faithful as a Son over His house; and we are His house, if we hold on firmly to our boldness and the hope of which we boast to the end. “But Christ as a Son over His house”—that is, faithful.—“Over His house…”—ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ. Ἐπί—over—as opposed to ἐν—see comment on Heb 3:5. The Apostle Paul frequently calls the Christian Church the “house of God” (cf. 1 Tim 3:15; 1 Cor 3:9). Here, however, he calls it the house of Christ, because Christ dwells in the hearts of those who believe in Him (cf. Eph 2:20; Rev 3:20) and is the foundation of the whole edifice of the Church.—“Boldness”—παρρησία—the confidence given by Christian hope in Christ.—“The hope of which we boast…”—τὸ καύχημα τῆς ἐλπίδος—the Slavonic more precisely—“the glory of our hope”—the outward joyfulness of Christian hope (cf. 2 Cor 5:12).—“To the end”—that is, to the goal (μέχρι τέλους)—until faith passes into sight and hope into possession.

Hebrews 3:7. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice,” “Therefore”—a connecting particle with the following exhortatory call—see (Heb 3:12). The remaining words of Heb 3:7-11 form, as it were, an introductory clause grounding the necessity of the exhortation being made.—“As the Holy Spirit says”—as the chief Author of Scripture, which has significance for all times (Heb 4:12). The citation is borrowed from Ps 94:7-11, having undergone some modification—namely, in the psalm we read: “Oh, if only you would listen to His voice today: do not harden…” and so on. Thus, in the psalm the words “do not harden” and so on are cited as words of God’s voice, which one must obey. In the apostle, however, the words “do not harden,” it appears, are cited only as an exhortatory saying of the Psalmist to obey other words of God, reproduced from Heb 3:9 directly in the voice of God. What these other words are is shown by the addition of “today,” interpreted in application to the present time of the New Testament revelation (cf. Heb 3:15 and Heb 4:7). However, it seems that the apostle also does not deprive the expression “do not harden” of the significance of God’s words, if one separates this expression from what precedes it not by a comma but by a colon, reading it thus: “today, when you hear His voice: do not harden… and so on. Take heed, lest… you turn away” (Heb 3:12) and so on.

Hebrews 3:8. “do not harden your hearts, as in the time of rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,” Reference is to the story told in Exod 17:1-7.

Hebrews 3:9. “where your fathers tested me and tried me and saw my works for forty years.” “To test” God—πειράζειν—to show arrogant confidence, provoking God’s power and goodness to a miracle when the matter could have been managed without one.—“To try”—δοκιμάζειν—to show distrust and demand confirmations for faith when such are already fully sufficient for it. Both have at their root a lack of living faith—not through any fault on God’s side, but through the hardness of the person, for which he is therefore punished:—“They saw my works—that is, the punishing Divine actions—for forty years…”

Hebrews 3:10. “Therefore I was angry with that generation and said: they always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways;” “My ways.” In Holy Scripture the ways of God are spoken of in two relations: either they are the ways by which God Himself acts—that is, the works of God’s greatness, righteousness, and goodness (Ps 24:10). Or they are the ways by which He leads people. In the latter meaning they are mentioned in the present case.

Hebrews 3:11. “so I swore in my anger: ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” On God’s oaths (cf. Num 14:21 and following; Num 32:10 and following; Deut 1:34 and others).—“My rest”—the peace and secure possession of the Promised Land; cf. Deut 12:9. In the figurative sense—rest in God, granted to us through Christ.

Hebrews 3:12. Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil and unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. The apostle exhorts and warns against “unbelief” and the source of unbelief—an “evil heart.” The latter is first, because an evil heart, corrupted by sin, is the chief cause and source of unbelief (cf. Rom 1:21). Unbelief brings with it, as its further consequence, complete “falling away from the living God.” The designation of God as “living” means here, first, that His word, spoken previously, never loses its force and at any time is ready to bring its threats to fulfillment; and second, by the designation “living” it is made clear that falling away from this God is equivalent to death and complete destruction, for outside God there can be nothing living and good.

Hebrews 3:13. But encourage one another every day, as long as it can be said “today,” so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Sin is powerful through its seductive pleasantness, and resistance to it will require not only the personal efforts of each person toward vigilance and caution, but also common solidarity in the struggle against it, which is why it is proposed to “encourage” one another, to comfort one another (παρακαλεῖτε ἑαυτούς), “as long as it can be said: today”—that is, as long as the time of grace continues.

Hebrews 3:14. For we have become partakers of Christ, if only we hold the beginning of our life firm to the end, “The beginning of our life…”—Greek: τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς ὑποστάσεως—Slavonic: “начаток состава”—that is, the beginning of union with Him, the begun union, the life in Him begun in us and ours in Him.

Hebrews 3:15. as it is said: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the time of rebellion.” Hebrews 3:16. For some of those who heard rebelled; but not all who came out of Egypt with Moses. Hebrews 3:17. With whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bones fell in the wilderness? Hebrews 3:18. And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, if not to those who were disobedient? Hebrews 3:19. So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. “As long as it can be said…”—a more expansive definition of the preceding expression “to the end.” However, another interpretation of the following verses is possible—one that seems more consonant with the apostle’s thought. It must be noted that “as long as” in v. 15 has, in the Greek text, a different expression than “as long as” in Heb 3:13: there (in v. 13) we read ἄχρις οὗ (Slavonic «дондеже»), while here (v. 15)—ἐν τῷ (Slavonic «внегда»). Furthermore, γάρ in verse 16 apparently relates not only to the preceding τινες but to this entire series of verses beginning with verse 15; therefore the apostle’s thought receives the following shade: “See to it lest… any of you turn away…” (Heb 3:12), for (γάρ) or: for even at that time (ἐν τῷ) when the cited words were spoken (v. 15), some… rebelled (v. 16). Yet “not all” (cf. Num 14:28-30).—“Whose bones fell”—instead of: who died. The expression reproduces the above-cited passage from the book of Numbers. Having proved from the history of the Hebrew people that unbelief served as the cause of the ruin of many in the wilderness and did not permit them to reach rest in the Promised Land, the apostle in the following discussions (Heb 4) strives to show that the same fate threatens for our unbelief as well.

Chapter Four

Believers in Christ are led toward a new rest, toward which they must strive (1–11). The word of God in its threats, promises, and gracious actions—as the most powerful inducement to obedience (12–13). With the powerful assistance of such a High Priest as Jesus Christ, we can all obtain (14–16).

Hebrews 4:1. Therefore let us fear, lest while the promise of entering His rest remains, any of you should be found to have missed it. “While the promise of entering His rest still remains”—a promise and rest of a different kind, distinct from the promise and rest of the Old Testament Israel, which had a prefigurative character and relation to the Christian rest.

Hebrews 4:2. For the good news came to us just as to them; but the word they heard did not benefit them, because it was not combined with faith in those who heard it. The meaning of the second half of the verse is as follows: the word they heard did not benefit them (the Jews) because it was not united with the faith which they ought to have received from what they had heard.

Hebrews 4:3. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He said: “As I swore in my anger, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’” although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. “We enter”—the present tense instead of the still-awaited future—an expression of the strongest certainty of its coming. Just as those who did not believe were not granted the Old Testament rest, so we too enter into our rest only as “those who have believed.”—“My rest.” About this rest of God and about people’s participation in it, the apostle narrates in the following nine verses (Heb 4:3-11), the sense of which can be rendered more clearly as follows: God completed His works and rested long before the cited words were spoken, yet speaks of this His rest as future for certain people (Heb 4:6), to whom He promised participation in it. If those who were called had proved worthy of God’s promise, the rest would have been attained by them. But these called ones proved unworthy. And the thought of God’s rest for them remained, as it were, unfulfilled. Therefore a new term was appointed for the fulfillment of God’s thought and for the attainment of God’s rest by those who desire it (“still remains… a sabbath rest,” Heb 4:9), which must be used; otherwise the fate of the negligent will be repeated with its former severity.

Hebrews 4:4. For somewhere it has been said about the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.” Hebrews 4:5. And again here: “They shall not enter my rest.” Hebrews 4:6. Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, Hebrews 4:7. He again specifies a certain day, “today,” speaking through David after so long a time, as it has been said before: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” Hebrews 4:8. For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken afterward about another day. Hebrews 4:9. So then, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; Hebrews 4:10. for whoever has entered His rest has also rested from his own works, just as God rested from His. “Whoever has entered His rest has also rested from his own works, just as God rested from His.” The task of man’s works—the second creation—is man’s restoration of the lost union with the Deity. Those who attain this goal through faith in Christ, by His grace, through the conquest of sin and the world, inherit God’s rest and are deemed worthy of participation—to the extent possible for them—in the Divine glory and blessedness. The exhortation to strive to enter God’s rest—(Heb 4:11)—the apostle grounds or reinforces by pointing to the vitality and effectiveness of the Word of God (Heb 4:12), by which one must understand both the word in general—the expression of God’s thoughts—and the Personal Word—the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, who, as the incarnation of living, eternal truth, bears within Himself an inner living power, so that, being received by the human soul in faith, it becomes the seed of manifold fruits (cf. Matt 13:3 and following).—The effectiveness of the Word of God—in the power of accomplishment and fulfillment: “He spoke and it was so” (Ps 32:9; cf. Isa 55:10).—“Sharper than any two-edged sword”—a description of the power and depth of the penetration of God’s Word into the essence of man (cf. Rev 1:16; Wis 18:15).—“To the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow”—to the dividing of the innermost, most mysterious, finest parts of the body, soul, and spirit. Some, on the basis of this passage and 1 Thess 5:23, maintain that Holy Scripture recognizes a threefold composition of human nature: body, soul, and spirit—the body, or flesh, as the higher material shell of man; spirit as the self-conscious, higher, Divinely kindred principle; and soul as what animates the body and serves as the mediating link between it and the spirit; the body being the shell of the soul, the soul the shell of the spirit. These subdivisions of the spiritual side of human existence into soul and spirit can, however, be admitted not in the sense of two distinct parts or essences in man, but only as designations of different manifestations or properties of one and the same spiritual essence in man: the soul that animates the body and receives sensory impressions—as soul in the proper sense—ψυχή; and the soul that thinks, wills, and is capable of knowledge of God—as spirit—πνεῦμα; cf. 1 Cor 15:44; 1 Thess 5:23. From Heb 4:14 the apostle makes a sharp transition to unfolding another subject—the superiority of Christ’s high priesthood over the Old Testament one—devoting nearly 6 chapters to this topic (up to Heb 10:18), in which he examines the high priesthood of Christ in relation to His person, to the sanctuary, and to the sacrifice He offered.

Hebrews 4:11. Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall according to the same example of disobedience. Hebrews 4:12. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:13. And there is no creature hidden from Him, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:14. Since then we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to our confession. The title ἀρχιερεύς (high priest) of itself already designates in the Old Testament the “great,” the chief high priest in the full authority of his office. The use of the additional designation “great” (μέγας) aims to note the special greatness of the New Testament High Priest with His higher calling (cf. Heb 10:21).—“Who has passed through the heavens…” In correspondence with the way the ordinary high priest on the day of atonement passed to the Ark of the Covenant through the outer doors and the Holy Place with a sacrifice for the people, it is said of the Great High Priest Jesus Christ that He “passed through the heavens” with a sacrifice for us into the true Sanctuary of God, where, having accomplished the purification of our sins, He sat down at the right hand of the throne of the majesty of God as the perpetual intercessor before God for those redeemed by His blood.

Hebrews 4:15. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. As a particular incentive for holding firmly to our confession, the apostle points to the special quality of our New High Priest, which consists in the fact that He, who in every way shared our weaknesses except sin (Heb 7:26; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 John 3:5; 1 Pet 2:22), possesses a special ability to help us in our weaknesses and at the same time shows merciful compassion in helping suffering and burdened people.—“To sympathize”—not merely with sympathy, but with actual participation in the very sufferings themselves (συμπάσχειν, and not συμπαθεῖν; cf. Rom 8:17; 1 Cor 12:26).

Hebrews 4:16. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for timely help. “To the throne of grace…”—in correspondence with the approach of Old Testament people to the sacrificial altar, the apostle calls for approaching the throne of grace as the new place of God’s gracious presence, the source of His merciful and sustaining actions toward us (cf. Gal 5:7).

Chapter Five

General basis for the authority of the high priest (1–3). Jesus Christ meets the conditions for valid high priesthood both by divine calling and by his capacity to be a true intercessor for others (4–10). A brief admonition on what has been said (11–14).

Hebrews 5:1. For every high priest, chosen from among men, is appointed for men in service to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins, Hebrews 5:2. able to have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also beset with weakness, Hebrews 5:3. and therefore he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins both for the people and for himself. “Is appointed for men in service to God.” Although every person is themselves obligated to serve God, the Lord deigns to choose from among people special servants for himself, whose service consists especially in offering gifts and sacrifices for the sins of the people, from which the high priest himself is not excluded (Lev 16:11-15 and following). Such is the divine institution. With respect to those for whom sacrifices are to be offered, the apostle uses softened expressions, referring to them as “those who are ignorant and going astray” (cf. 1 John 3:9 and others), which, however, carries its own solemn meaning, giving to understand that if those who sin through ignorance and error may receive the compassion of the High Priest, those who oppose him consciously and stubbornly have no such hope (Num 15:22; Lev 4:2).

Hebrews 5:4. And no one takes this honor upon himself, but he is called by God, just as Aaron was. The high-priestly ministry is here called an “honor,” which presupposes its special dignity, loftiness, and worth: the selection is made by God himself for the closest service to him and for the salvation of others.

Hebrews 5:5. So also Christ did not glorify himself to become high priest, but he who said to him: You are my Son, today I have begotten you; “Glorified himself”—Greek: αδόξασε γενηθήναι ερχιερέα, Slavonic: “not himself glorified to be high priest.” If for ordinary people the very election to high-priestly office constituted an honor, the Son of God, who already in his very nature possessed the full rights of the high priesthood, receives his high-priestly honor and glory in a higher sense through a special means—by fulfilling the will of God regarding the salvation of man through his sufferings (Luke 24:26).

Hebrews 5:6. as he also says in another place: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. “A priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek…” The expression is taken from Ps 109:4, which is undoubtedly regarded as messianic. The psalmody prophesies about a king who is called “Lord” (mine, that is, David’s; cf. Matt 22:43; Mark 12:36 and others), sitting at the right hand of God, with all enemies under his feet. Such a king—bearing the name of the Lord, equal in honor and power to him—could of course only be the Son of God, the Messiah, Christ. This spiritual king from the seed of David would also be a Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, that is, he would unite in himself both titles—kingship and priesthood—into one indivisible and mysteriously significant whole, just as Melchizedek united them. The comparison with Melchizedek and the exposition of the particular spiritual kinship of the Son of God with him as King-High Priest will several more times arrest the apostle’s attention in what follows.

Hebrews 5:7. He, in the days of his flesh, offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and was heard because of his reverence; Hebrews 5:8. though he was a Son, yet he learned obedience through what he suffered, Hebrews 5:9. and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, Hebrews 5:10. having been named by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. The apostle gives a reminder of the path of suffering and sorrow through which Christ attained being named by God as our High Priest, the source of eternal salvation. The supplications that he offered to his Father “with crying and tears” show, on the one hand, that he was not a self-appointed usurper of the royal-priestly ministry. On the contrary, he was an obedient instrument in the hands of the Heavenly Father, who chose such a hard path to this ministry for him, on which he had to learn through bitter experience what human weakness is, so as to be capable of sympathizing with our weaknesses and of being for us a model of saving obedience.—“In the days of his flesh…”—during his earthly life (cf. Heb 2:14; 1 Pet 4:2).—“With strong crying and tears…” Here, evidently, the prayers of the Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane are meant. How this prayer was heard is explained by the holy Evangelist Luke, who relates that an angel was then sent to Christ and strengthened him (Luke 22:43) for the impending sufferings.—“Having been named by God as High Priest…” This “naming,” or glorification by God of Christ as High Priest, was to have followed simultaneously with the accomplishment of our salvation at the moment of the Savior’s death on the Cross (“it is finished!”).

Hebrews 5:11. We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain, because you have become incapable of hearing. Hebrews 5:12. For by this time you ought to be teachers; but you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the word of God, and you need milk, not solid food. Hebrews 5:13. For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is still a child; Hebrews 5:14. but solid food is for the mature, for those who have their faculties trained by practice to distinguish good from evil. The apostle finds it difficult to touch too deeply on the important question he has raised, citing the insufficient preparation of his audience, who require “milk rather than solid food,” that is, more elementary instruction (cf. 1 Cor 3:2; 1 Pet 2:2). However, further on (Heb 6:9) he qualifies this, noting that not all his readers are like this, and therefore urges them to strive to be mature, and especially not to fall away from the maturity already attained. And those whom he now calls incapable of hearing (v. 11) have become so contrary to the more natural expectation of seeing them more advanced (v. 12). Nevertheless, the apostle begins thereafter to lead them to this perfection of knowledge of the teaching of Christ (Heb 6).

Chapter Six

Exhortation to maturity (1–3). The futility of these exhortations for those who have fallen away (4–6). The sad fate of the latter (7–8). Hope for a better condition of the hearers (9–12). The immutability of God’s promises for faith and patient endurance (13–20).

Hebrews 6:1. Therefore, leaving behind the elementary teaching of Christ, let us press on to maturity; and let us not lay again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith in God, “Leaving behind the elementary teaching of Christ,” that is, not dwelling in detail on the rudiments of the teaching—on what is more or less known and understood—“let us press on to maturity,” that is, of knowledge of the teaching of Christ, which also leads to the moral perfection of people.—“Let us not lay again”—a thought that explains the first proposition (“leaving behind the rudiments”) in negative form. Among the questions that the apostle now considers unnecessary to dwell on, deferring them to another convenient time, he enumerates: repentance (“turning from dead works”), faith, baptism, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.—“Turning from dead works”—properly speaking, the abandonment of Hebrew ceremonialism or the fruitless works of the law (Rom 3:20), and then more broadly—the abandonment of sinful deeds in general, which deserve to be called dead because they lead to eternal death, removing one from true life (cf. Heb 9:14).

Hebrews 6:2. the teaching about baptisms, about the laying on of hands, about the resurrection of the dead, and about eternal judgment. “The teaching about baptisms.” The plural is used, probably with reference to the multitude of those being baptized, and perhaps also because the apostle has in mind here the Jewish purifications (βαπτισμοί) and the baptism of John, distinct from Christian baptism, the difference between these and the Christian sacrament being assumed to be known. By “the laying on of hands”—there is no doubt—is meant the sacrament of chrismation that followed baptism, then performed on all through the laying on of hands, with the descent of the Holy Spirit upon those being baptized.—The apostle finds it possible not to speak “about the resurrection of the dead and about eternal judgment,” because the teaching on this should be sufficiently known both from the oral preaching of the apostles and from their epistles, especially the Apostle Paul’s (1 Cor 15:1; 1 Thess 4 and others).

Hebrews 6:3. And this we will do if God permits. Hebrews 6:4. For it is impossible—for those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, In verse 3 the apostle promises to speak more fully about all that was mentioned, and he begins to fulfill this promise in part, speaking about repentance (in correspondence to Heb 6:1) after a supposed falling away, which he depicts as a terrible and dreadful thing in every respect. He apparently discerned some signs of this falling away in his readers, and therefore speaks with such force against it, expressing confidence that his audience are holding to the right path (Heb 6:9).—“Enlightened,” that is, by the grace of the Holy Spirit and by the Gospel teaching (cf. Heb 6:4; John 1:9; 2 Cor 4:4).—“Who have tasted of the heavenly gift…”—of the justification granted by God to those who believe in Christ, called by the apostle elsewhere an “inexpressible gift” (2 Cor 9:15; Rom 5:17; cf. Heb 2:4), and of the grace of the Holy Spirit in general.

Hebrews 6:5. and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, “Who have tasted the good word of God,” that is, who have experienced by their own immediate feeling the power and sweetness of the Gospel truth.—“The powers of the age to come.” Here are meant not only the extraordinary gifts of the apostolic age, but also all those powers of sanctification and glorification which even now give the Christian victory over death. Experiencing the action of these powers upon himself, the Christian foretastes the glory of eternal life, the life of the age to come.

Hebrews 6:6. and then have fallen away, to restore them again by repentance, when they crucify the Son of God afresh within themselves and hold him up to contempt. “Who have fallen away…” which is always accompanied by hardening against Christ and his Church (cf. Heb 10:29), making this falling away into a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which cannot be forgiven either in this age or in the age to come (Matt 12:31), because for people of such a kind reformation is impossible.

Hebrews 6:7. For the earth that has drunk the rain that has repeatedly fallen upon it and brings forth vegetation useful for those for whom it is cultivated receives a blessing from God; Hebrews 6:8. but that which produces thorns and thistles is worthless and near to being cursed, whose end is burning. A comparison of people with the earth: the good with fruitful earth, and the evil with worthless earth. The first receives both human labor in cultivation and the blessing of God; the second receives neither the one nor the other, and even a curse and burning threatens it, because it produces “thorns and thistles”—harmful to man (cf. Matt 15:13; John 15:2; Matt 3:10).

Hebrews 6:9. But concerning you, beloved, we are convinced of better things and things that accompany salvation, even though we speak this way; Hebrews 6:10. for God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the labor of love that you have shown in his name, having served and continuing to serve the saints. “Beloved…”—cf. Rom 9:3. The apostle grounds his confidence that his hearers are not in danger of suffering the fate of those who have fallen away, just described, on the Christian love they have shown through works of mercy toward their brothers in the faith (the saints) (cf. Heb 13:24; Rom 15:25; 1 Cor 16:1; 2 Cor 8:4).

Hebrews 6:11. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the end, for the full assurance of your hope, Hebrews 6:12. so that you may not become sluggish, but may imitate those who through faith and patient endurance inherit the promises. By expressing the wish that his hearers should continue to advance in diligence toward virtue, the apostle clearly encourages them, pointing out that virtue is the indispensable condition for receiving God’s promises, as is, in general, the faith and patient endurance with which it is inseparably united.

Hebrews 6:13. For when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, Having mentioned faith and patient endurance, the apostle calls to the memory of his hearers the greatest example of these virtues—Abraham, the father of believers, who at the same time serves as an example of the immutability of the divine promises to those who believe (Gen 22:16-18).

Hebrews 6:14. saying: Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you. Hebrews 6:15. And so Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained what was promised. Hebrews 6:16. For men swear by what is greater, and an oath for confirmation puts an end to all their dispute. Hebrews 6:17. Therefore God, wishing still more to show to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his purpose, intervened with an oath, “To the heirs of the promise,” that is, to those who believe in Christ as the spiritual children of Abraham (Rom 9:7-8).

Hebrews 6:18. so that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us, “So that by two immutable things”—in the promise itself and in the oath, as immutable acts of God…—“We who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us,” that is, so that not only without any doubt, but even with firm encouragement, we may await the fulfillment of God’s promises to those who believe.

Hebrews 6:19. which for the soul is as an anchor, sure and steadfast, and which enters within the veil, Hebrews 6:20. where Jesus as forerunner has entered for our sake, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. As one gripping a sure and steadfast anchor, holding fast to this hope, we pass safely through the stormy sea of life and arrive at our harbor, which extends into the heavenly Holy of Holies, where our High Priest—Jesus—has entered as our Forerunner. By this rhetorical turn the apostle returns once more to the most important subject of his epistle—the priesthood of Christ.—“As forerunner has entered for our sake”—entered as the first, in order to show us also the way there and to make it easier.

Chapter Seven

The greatness of the Old Testament Melchizedek (1–10). The greater greatness of the New Testament Melchizedek—Jesus Christ (11–17). His eternity in the true sense of the word (18–25). His supreme perfections—holiness, blamelessness, and divine majesty (26–28).

Hebrews 7:1. For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, According to Gen 14:18-20, Melchizedek—king of righteousness—(from the Hebrew for king and righteousness)—“king of Salem,” that is, Jerusalem (cf. Ps 75:3).—“Priest of the Most High God,” as he is also named in the book of Genesis. The apostle makes no mention of Melchizedek’s offering of bread and wine to Abraham, seeking to concentrate the attention of his hearers only on the tithe of the spoil, by which Abraham expressed his acknowledgment of the priestly dignity of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:2. to whom Abraham also apportioned a tenth of everything—first, by interpretation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, that is, king of peace, Further on the apostle unfolds the typological significance of Melchizedek in relation to the Son of God, finding in his very name—king of righteousness and king of peace—a pointer to Christ, the true King of righteousness and peace (cf. 1 Cor 1:30; Jer 23:6; Mal 4:2; Dan 9:24; Isa 9:6-7; Rom 5:1; Eph 2:14).

Hebrews 7:3. without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. “Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life.” The non-mention of all this in Holy Scripture the apostle magnificently presents as a resemblance to the actual attributes of the Son of God, who has no father—with respect to his humanity, no mother—with respect to his divinity, no genealogy—by reason of his spotless birth, and neither beginning of days nor end of life—by reason of his divine eternal existence. “He remains a priest forever” by virtue of there being no mention of either beginning of days or end of life—he always remains in the position that was described of him, and the silence about his death and successors—in resemblance to the truly eternal priesthood of Christ (Heb 7:24). The purpose of all this comparison is to show that if the Levitical priesthood is much inferior to the priesthood of Melchizedek, it is self-evident how much more inferior it is to that priesthood of which the priesthood of Melchizedek was only a likeness.

Hebrews 7:4. See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth from the choicest of his spoils. “From the choicest of his spoils.” In order to portray more vividly the greatness of Melchizedek, the apostle calls Abraham, who gave him the tithe, by the honorable title “patriarch” (2 Chr 19:8; Acts 7:8; Luke 1:73; John 8:53), and elevates the very tithe in significance by calling it “from the choicest of his spoils.” The purpose of this is clear: if so great a patriarch so excellently honored Melchizedek with the tithe as priest of the Most High God, how much greater must be the One of whom Melchizedek was only a faint likeness?

Hebrews 7:5. And those who receive the priesthood from among the sons of Levi have a commandment to collect tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brothers, even though these also have come from the loins of Abraham. Hebrews 7:6. But this man, who does not trace his descent from them, received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. Hebrews 7:7. Now beyond all dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. Hebrews 7:8. And here mortal men receive tithes, but there it is one about whom testimony is borne that he lives. Hebrews 7:9. And, so to speak, even Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, Hebrews 7:10. for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. With irresistible conviction and logical sequence, by elucidating the greatness of Melchizedek, the apostle leads his hearers to acknowledge the greatness of the Son of God, foreshadowed by Melchizedek. Melchizedek proves to be greater than the sons of Levi. He received the tithe from Abraham himself, the progenitor of Levi, and, so to speak, from Levi himself (vv. 9–10), the progenitor of the Old Testament priesthood. Finally, Melchizedek even blessed Abraham (and Levi), in which the extreme degree of Melchizedek’s superiority was manifested, for unquestionably the lesser is blessed by the greater. In his comparisons of the priesthood of Melchizedek and the Levitical priesthood the apostle leaves no detail unexplored to prove the superiority of the former over the latter. Thus in v. 8 he points to a further superiority: whereas in the Levitical priesthood tithes honored, so to speak, a hereditary priesthood constantly refreshed by new bearers of it in place of those who died, in Melchizedek what was honored was, as it were, a personal priesthood without relation to any succession, which in this case is as though non-existent (“one about whom testimony is borne that he lives,” cf. Heb 7:3).

Hebrews 7:11. If therefore perfection were attainable through the Levitical priesthood—for under it the people received the law—what further need would there be for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, rather than to be designated according to the order of Aaron? Hebrews 7:12. For when the priesthood is changed, there is necessarily also a change in the law. From verse 11 the apostle passes to the exposition of the superiority of Christ’s priesthood over the Levitical, drawing the appropriate conclusions from what has been said. The necessity of the appearance of another priest according to the order of Melchizedek proves the insufficiency of the Levitical priesthood for attaining perfection in the fullness of eternal communion with God (cf. Heb 11:40), and is directly conditioned by this insufficiency. Yet this Levitical priesthood had in its time such great importance.—“For under it the people received the law…” that is, the law was given to the people on the condition that the Levitical priesthood existed, which thus constituted the central point of the entire law. It is clear that if the people of the Old Testament could be brought to perfection, it would only be through the Levitical priesthood on which the whole law was founded. And then there would have been no need for another priesthood. But since this did not happen, another priesthood was required, and with it another law in place of the former, which fell together with its priesthood (v. 12).

Hebrews 7:13. For the one of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. The verse explains the expression of Heb 7:11 about another priest—not of the lineage of Aaron, but according to the order of Melchizedek. This Other, that is, Christ, was so different that he also came from a completely different tribe—from Judah, “from which no one has ever served at the altar.”

Hebrews 7:14. For it is evident that our Lord descended from Judah, and Moses said nothing about that tribe with respect to the priesthood. “Our Lord descended from the tribe of Judah…”—Greek: ανατέταλκεν—properly, arose, and of celestial bodies—shone forth (at rising):—here, therefore, one can see an allusion both to the Star of Jacob (Num 24:17; Isa 60:1; Mal 4:2) and to the branch or shoot whose rising was foretold more than once by the prophets (Jer 23:5; Zech 3:8).

Hebrews 7:15. And this becomes even clearer from the fact that another Priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, “And this becomes even clearer from the fact”—Greek: περισσότερον έτι καταδηλόν έστιν, Slavonic more precisely: “and yet more evident is this”—that is, an even more manifest truth, that the other priest who arose according to the order of Melchizedek was truly Christ, who worthily received this honor not by the law of a fleshly commandment, but by the power of an indestructible life, as the Son of God and Son of the Virgin. Even more—in comparison to the previously proved thought that “another” priest and another law had to arise (Heb 7:11-12). This still more manifest truth is at the same time a new proof of the annulment of everything connected with the Old Testament Levitical priesthood, because a new priest arose according to the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:16. who became such not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an indestructible life. “Not according to the law of a fleshly commandment”—can be understood in two ways: either in the sense of not by right of fleshly descent from the former high priest (as is known, the high priesthood was customarily passed from father to the eldest son or within the family), but by virtue of the self-existent eternal life of Christ; or in a broader sense, not according to the outward fleshly law—fleshly (σαρκικής) as opposed to the spiritual law, the law of the spirit of life and freedom in Christ, which has an eternally living significance. Only such a priesthood fully satisfied what was promised in the well-known saying of the Psalmist (Heb 7:17).

Hebrews 7:17. For it is testified: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 7:18. For on the one hand there is an annulment of the former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness, The condition by virtue of which the replacement of the priesthood and law of Aaron by the new one according to the order of Melchizedek was inevitable, stated in Heb 7:11-12, is confirmed. The Old Testament law and priesthood have indeed exhausted their conditional, limited, and temporary significance and have reached their goal and end—replacement by a better hope and better means of drawing near to God.—The “annulment” of the former commandment took place because of its “weakness,” which was created both by its essential content (sacrificial offerings, as insufficient means of the justification of people) and even more by the imperfection of the people and their moral deterioration, for the remedy of which all the multitude of prescriptions of the Old Testament law lacked the inner life-giving gracious power proper to the law and grace of Christ. This “weakness” of the Old Testament law turned into “uselessness” when the time appointed by God and reached by the development of humanity arrived for its replacement by something better and more perfect.

Hebrews 7:19. for the law made nothing perfect; but on the other hand a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. “The law made nothing perfect”—not in the sense that it did not fulfill God’s intentions with which it was introduced. No, the Lord does not err in his deeds and in the plans of his divine wisdom. Within its bounds and purposes the law fulfilled the thought of God perfectly—to be a tutor leading to Christ; it accomplished what it was foreordained to be, bringing nothing to perfection while preparing the way for this perfection, for the new commandment and law by which God’s purpose was attained more directly and perfectly.—“A better hope”—a better means for the attainment of the hope of closest communion with God. Less perfect means for attaining this hope made the very hope itself, as it were, different—curtailed, lesser, inferior. Here this same hope is called “better,” as though different, more fully attainable and satisfying to man. The path to this new hope, and guidance therein, is given in the new priesthood of Christ, which has replaced the weakness and imperfection of the Old Testament institutions.

Hebrews 7:20. And inasmuch as this was not done without an oath — Hebrews 7:21. for those were made priests without an oath, but this one with an oath through him who said to him: The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, — Hebrews 7:22. by so much has Jesus become the guarantor of a better covenant. The superior dignity of Christ’s priesthood, its excellence over the Old Testament, its necessity and inalienability, is confirmed by the Lord himself—by the fact that the institution of this priesthood was accompanied by an oath (cf. Heb 6:16-18).—“Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant…” This is assured to us, apart from the oath of God, by both the substance of the better covenant and the person of the Guarantor. The substance of the better covenant is characterized by the fact that it brings everything to perfection and gives not only a commandment, but also “all the divine power for life and godliness” (2 Pet 1:3). Corresponding to the significance of this better covenant, and assuring it, is also the person of the Guarantor, who has shown such exalted love toward people on the part of God (“for God so loved the world,” John 3:16), and who has given people such high authority to be “children of God” (John 1:12), for whom he stands as the eternally living Intercessor, having taken upon himself their sins and laid down his soul for them.

Hebrews 7:23. Moreover, those priests were many in number, because death prevented any one of them from continuing in office; Hebrews 7:24. but he, because he abides forever, holds his priesthood permanently, Hebrews 7:25. therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come through him to God, since he is always alive to make intercession for them. The true high priest, Christ, is the one, eternal, non-replaceable, always living, always interceding high priest for people. In this lies the essential distinction and superiority of his position over the many-membered Old Testament priesthood, and in this is the fulfillment of God’s promise that the priest according to the order of Melchizedek would be forever one, eternal, undying, non-replaceable, and never ceasing to intercede (Rom 8:34; 1 Tim 2:5; Heb 2:17).—“Those who come through him to God”—that is, through him, as Mediator and Intercessor, receiving the faith, justification, and sanctification that save them.

Hebrews 7:26. For such a High Priest was indeed fitting for us: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens, Hebrews 7:27. who has no need daily, as those high priests do, to offer up sacrifices first for his own sins and then for those of the people, for he did this once for all when he offered up himself. Hebrews 7:28. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness; but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. Having drawn the full portrait of the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, the apostle once more measures against him, so to speak, the attributes of Jesus Christ and establishes decisively and clearly the complete and ideal perfection of him as the true High Priest of the New Covenant.—“Exalted above the heavens…”—cf. Eph 4:10, “at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Heb 1:3), and specifically as the closest and most powerful Intercessor for us before God. As the Son of God, Jesus, both as sacrifice and as High Priest, is complete perfection forever, since with respect to the Father there can be nothing greater or equal to the Son. With this last, unassailably powerful and majestic argument the apostle brings to an unreachable height his proofs and reflections on the dignity and significance of the true and eternal High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Chapter Eight

The ministry of our High Priest is above the earth and the Old Testament rites, and is accomplished in the heavenly sanctuary, not the earthly one (1–6). The substance of the New Covenant, its distinction from and superiority over the Old (7–13).

The thought of Christ’s heavenly ministry (Heb 7:26) naturally prompted the apostle to think also about the sacred place where this ministry is performed. Therefore the apostle speaks further about the heavenly tabernacle, which served as the model for the earthly one, as well as about the sacrifices as symbols of the Covenant and about the Covenant itself, both the Old and the New, of which Christ is the Mediator.

Hebrews 8:1. Now the chief point of what we are saying is this: we have such a High Priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, Hebrews 8:2. and is a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord erected and not a man. The chief essence and value of all the apostle’s reasoning is briefly expressed by him in the proposition: “we have such a High Priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.” Here, in the heavens, at the right hand of God’s throne—is his tabernacle, his sanctuary and Holy of Holies, where he ministers on our behalf by his intercession. This is not a tabernacle built by human hands, though guided by God, but the “true” tabernacle of God’s own direct thought, the spiritual, heavenly tabernacle, by which we must understand all that the Lord Jesus accomplished for our salvation in correspondence to what was done in the tabernacle of Moses typologically, and what is accomplished in general in the gracious Kingdom of Christ both in heaven and on earth by virtue of the high-priestly ministry of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 8:3. For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; therefore it is necessary that this one also have something to offer. Hebrews 8:4. For if he were on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there are those who offer gifts according to the law, Hebrews 8:5. who serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was instructed when he was about to complete the tabernacle: See, it is said, make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain. Hebrews 8:6. But now he has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the former as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. The thought of the cited verses can be expressed more clearly as follows: Christ is the High Priest in the heavenly ideal sanctuary, and a priest cannot be without a sacrifice, which for our High Priest could only be heavenly, for if it were earthly it would have no place, since there are already priests according to the law of Moses. Thus there must be and there indeed is another sanctuary where Christ ministers. And his priestly activity is as far superior to that of the earthly legal service as the covenant established through his mediation with its promises is superior to the Old with its sanctuary and institutions. He himself is both Priest and Sacrifice (more on this in Heb 9:11-15). The tabernacle and the worship in it served, in the apostle’s expression, as “a copy and shadow of the heavenly things,” with the very structure of the tabernacle being made according to the “pattern” shown to Moses on the mountain (cf. Exod 25:40; Heb 9:24). This heavenly reality (τά επουράνια) in the present case is everything in the heavenly world relating to the high priesthood of Christ, adapted in a particular vision to Moses for its possible reproduction, reflection, and, so to speak, interpretation through the institutions and furnishings of the tabernacle in earthly conditions. If to Moses this vision appeared as a detailed and exact plan of construction, then outside of this vision such a plan of course did not exist: it too was only “a copy and shadow of the heavenly things,” which cannot be translated into earthly language. The crude notion of the Talmudists, who assert that the tabernacle in a literal sense stands to this day in the heavens and will in due time descend to earth together with the heavenly Jerusalem, finds no support whatsoever in the cited passages from Exodus and the apostle’s epistle. Cf. Heb 7:22.

Hebrews 8:7. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to seek a place for a second. Cf. Heb 7:11.

Hebrews 8:8. But reproving them the prophet says: Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, The reason for replacing the Old Covenant with the New is indicated in the deficiency of the first. What this deficiency consisted of is stated further: in the fact that the house of Israel and the house of Judah conducted themselves reprehensibly (“reproving them”), that “they did not continue in my covenant, and I disregarded them” (Heb 8:9). Thus the unfaithfulness of Israel to the covenant introduced a grave deficiency into the Old Covenant—not in the sense of having damaged the covenant itself, but only the offending people who lost the privilege intended for them (“they… and I disregarded them…”). God himself remained faithful to his covenant, as evidenced by the fact that he wishes to bring his goal of salvation—for the fulfillment of which the first covenant proved insufficient (through Israel’s fault)—to completion through the second covenant, and thus to one mercy adds another (Jer 31:31 and following). Thus here is indicated a somewhat different (from Heb 7:11), so to speak, moral cause of the insufficiency of the Old Covenant and the necessity of its replacement by another, the New. The Old Covenant did not penetrate deeply into the thoughts and hearts of the people, bearing the character of a more external, alien authority, and therefore the New is given, which roots its moral requirements in the inner need of the mind and heart of the people themselves, in the necessity and salvific nature of these requirements and their agreement with the whole nature and vocation of man. In this lies the immense pre-eminent power and superiority of the New Covenant over the Old. The laws of God are now written not only on stone tablets, but are placed in the thoughts and hearts of people and bear for them an unassailable authority (2 Cor 3:3). Together with this, such deep penetration of the will of God into the innermost and most hidden recesses of human nature (mind and heart) more closely unites and draws people to God (“I will be their God, and they shall be my people…” Heb 8:10), makes divine revelation inwardly and immediately accessible to all, and living knowledge of God becomes the lot of everyone, from the least to the greatest (Heb 8:11), which all taken together will assure people of eternal justification (Heb 8:12). Just as “because” in Heb 8:9 indicates the cause of the insufficiency and annulment of the Old Covenant, so correspondingly “because” in Heb 8:11 and Heb 8:12 indicates the cause of the firmness and unshakeability of the New—eternal living communion with God and justification by him. As an outstanding advantage of the New Covenant over the Old, one should note also that the scope of the people of God is understood in it far more broadly than the house of Israel and the house of Judah in the literal sense of these words. Here it says: “all shall know me…”—the same as what Jesus Christ said: “they shall all be taught by God…” (John 6:45; cf. 1 John 2:20; Isa 54:13). Thus in its very essence the New Covenant is a covenant of gracious salvation, and it is sealed in the hearts of all people without exception.

Hebrews 8:9. not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not continue in my covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. Hebrews 8:10. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Hebrews 8:11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying: Know the Lord; for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest, Hebrews 8:12. for I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and their sins and their transgressions I will remember no more. Hebrews 8:13. In saying “new,” he has shown the first to be obsolete; and what is becoming obsolete and aging is near to vanishing away. Applying the prophetic expression “New” to the Covenant of Christ, the apostle uses this expression to impress upon them the thought of it as given irrevocably, to turn the readers away from attachment to the old as obsolete and aging, and therefore near to vanishing, and to urge them under the New Covenant to begin a new life in Christ, the New Guarantor of the better Covenant and the better promises.

Chapter Nine

The typological significance of the structure of the tabernacle and Old Testament worship (1–10). The fulfillment of the types in the high-priestly ministry of Jesus Christ (11–15). The necessity of the death of sacrificial victims in the Old Testament (16–22). The sacrifice offered once for all by Christ for all people (24–28).

In Chapter IX the apostle continues (from Heb 8:5) to show how the Old Testament sanctuary with its sacred furnishings and service pales before the many-mercied and majestic ministry of the New Testament High Priest and his Sanctuary. In doing so he wisely turns his gaze to the tabernacle and the liturgical institutions of a more ancient time, both because many details of the tabernacle and its worship were no longer present in the contemporary Jerusalem temple, and because by such a reference to the ancient liturgical setting he could most strongly engage the interest of the Jews, given their boundless reverence for everything going back to the time of Moses.

Hebrews 9:1. Now the first covenant also had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary: The regulations for worship and the earthly sanctuary—in contrast to the “not-made-with-hands, heavenly” sanctuary of Christ (Heb 9:11 and Heb 9:24).

Hebrews 9:2. for a tabernacle was set up, the first one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the presentation of the loaves, and which is called the holy place. Hebrews 9:3. Behind the second curtain there was a tabernacle called the Holy of Holies, Hebrews 9:4. which had a golden censer and the ark of the covenant covered with gold on all sides, in which were a golden jar holding the manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the tablets of the covenant, Hebrews 9:5. and above it the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; about these things it is not necessary to speak in detail now. A description of the furnishings of the tabernacle, in accordance with the biblical data, cf. Exod 25:37; Lev 24:6; Num 4:12; about the curtain Exod 26:33; about the other objects of the tabernacle — Exod 30:1-3; Num 17:10; Deut 10:1; 1 Sam 4:22; Ezek 9:3; Exod 40:26 and Exod 40:34; Lev 16:14-15. About all this, in the apostle’s words, “it is not necessary to speak in detail now,” because all this is presumed to be well known to the reader, as something dear and close to his heart.

Hebrews 9:6. With these arrangements in place, the priests enter regularly into the first tabernacle, performing their duties of worship; Hebrews 9:7. but into the second only the high priest enters, once a year, and not without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of ignorance of the people. Having described the structure and furnishings of the tabernacle, the apostle draws the attention of his readers to the inaccessibility of its main section to ordinary mortals, except for the high priest, who also had access to this section only under specific conditions (once a year, with blood for his sins and those of the people). This peculiarity of the tabernacle had, in the apostle’s view, a deep symbolic significance, pointing to the inaccessibility for people of the path to the true heavenly sanctuary and the insufficiency of the Old Testament institutions (the tabernacle and its worship) for opening the path to that sanctuary. The apostle justifies the correctness of such an interpretation (Heb 9:8) by reference to the fact that it has as its inspirer the same Holy Spirit who uttered the entire revelation (cf. Heb 3:7).

Hebrews 9:8. By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary has not yet been opened as long as the former tabernacle is still standing. Hebrews 9:9. This is a figure for the present time, in which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshiper in conscience, Hebrews 9:10. and which, along with food and drink and various washings and bodily ordinances, were imposed only until the time of reformation. The inaccessibility, or imperfection and insufficiency, of the path to the heavenly sanctuary—at the present time, as long as the former tabernacle (the former Old Testament institutions) still stands—is explained by the character of the Old Testament ceremonialism, which only symbolized the future but gave nothing for the perfecting of the conscience and the enlivening of the corrupted powers of man, and from its very institution was destined for annulment by another better arrangement—the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands (that is, the Kingdom of Heaven), the path into which, laid by Christ the High Priest with his own Blood, has become accessible and saving, direct and perfect, for all (Heb 9:11-12.).

Hebrews 9:11. But Christ, the High Priest of the good things to come, having come with the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, Hebrews 9:12. and not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own Blood, entered the holy place once for all and obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:13. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, by sprinkling, sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is purified, Hebrews 9:14. how much more will the Blood of Christ, who through the Holy Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works for service to the living and true God! A simple comparison of the Blood of Christ with the blood of the Old Testament goats and calves gives the apostle a new occasion to draw out the most essential and supreme advantage of the New Covenant over the Old. If there the sprinkling with the blood of bulls and goats was considered a sanctification for the bodies of the defiled and restored the capacity for serving God that had been lost through defilement, how much more is the Blood of Christ able to purify our conscience from dead works for service to the living and true God!—The expression that Christ “through the Holy Spirit offered himself without blemish to God” is intended to indicate the gracious participation of the Holy Spirit as an intermediary divine power, which assisted the God-man Christ in accomplishing his great work of offering himself as a sacrifice for the sins of people, and at the same time in making them capable of serving the living and true God.

Hebrews 9:15. And for this reason he is the mediator of the new covenant, so that, since a death has occurred that redeems from the transgressions committed under the first covenant, those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance. Hebrews 9:16. For where there is a will, it is necessary for the death of the testator to be established, Hebrews 9:17. because a will takes effect only upon death; it has no force while the testator is alive. The connection of this difficult passage with what precedes and its meaning have been quite well grasped by Chrysostom, who says: “Since there were probably many faint-hearted people who, precisely because Christ had died, did not believe his promises, Paul, wishing to decisively refute such an opinion, presents an example taken from common custom. What is this custom? For this very reason, he says, one must be certain. Why? Because wills are valid and come into force not during the life of the testators, but after their death. He therefore begins his speech thus: ‘The Mediator,’ he says, ‘of the New Covenant’ … But, one might say, no one died there: how then was that covenant confirmed? In exactly the same way. How? Also with blood, just as here with blood. Do not be surprised that it was not Christ’s blood there; there, after all, it was a type; and therefore he says: ‘Hence even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood…’ Thus, he says, a type of both the covenant and the death was needed” (Chrysostom, Homily XVI on the Epistle to the Hebrews).

Hebrews 9:18. Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. Hebrews 9:19. For when Moses had proclaimed all the commandments of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, Hebrews 9:20. saying: This is the blood of the covenant that God has commanded for you. Hebrews 9:21. And he likewise sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels used in worship. A more detailed description of how the Old Covenant was confirmed with blood. Saint Chrysostom accompanies this description with the following interpretations: “Why are the book of the covenant and the people sprinkled? Because that blood and everything else was a type of the most precious blood, which had been foreshadowed from ancient times. Why with hyssop? Because it, as a dense and soft substance, held the blood. What is the water for? It was used as a sign of purification with water. And why the wool? It also was used in order to hold the blood.” The apostle shows that here both blood and water were present together, because baptism is a type of the passion of Christ.

Hebrews 9:22. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. “Indeed almost”—και σχεδόν πάντα, Slavonic: “and scarce all things.” “Why this qualification? (Chrysostom). Because there was no complete purification and complete remission of sins there, but a half-complete and even far lesser purification, but here—‘This is the blood,’ he says, ‘of the New Covenant, which is shed for you for the remission of sins’ (Matt 26:28)”.

Hebrews 9:23. Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the heavenly things should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. If “the copies of the heavenly things” (all the Old Testament things enumerated above) required purification with blood, which at that time could only be the blood of sacrificial animals typologically pointing to the Blood of Christ, then “the heavenly things themselves” (all the New Testament things foreshadowed by the Old Testament) required, so to speak, a more heavenly, more corresponding purification with the Blood of Christ. Saint Chrysostom on this occasion gives the following remarkable reflection: “How are they (that is, the Old Testament institutions) copies of heavenly things? And what does he now call heavenly? Heaven itself? Angels? No, but our liturgical acts. Our (liturgical acts) are in the heavens and are heavenly, though performed on earth. So too angels are on earth, but are called heavenly; and the cherubim appeared on earth, but they are heavenly. What do I say—appeared? They remain on earth as if in paradise, and yet even so they are heavenly. And ‘our citizenship is in heaven’ (Phil 3:20), though we live here. The heavenly things themselves, that is, those called there according to our way of wisdom. ‘With better sacrifices.’ The better is called better in relation to something good. Consequently, the copies of the heavenly things were also good. They were not bad as copies; otherwise what they are copies of would also be bad.”

Hebrews 9:24. For Christ has entered not into a holy place made with hands, which is a copy of the true, but into heaven itself, to appear now before the face of God on our behalf, “What he did with regard to the sacrifices, the same he does here as well. As to the sacrifices he contrasted the death of Christ, so here he contrasts to the temple the whole of heaven. But the difference is not only in this, but also in that our priest is closer to God: ‘to appear,’ he adds, ‘before the face of God on our behalf.’ It is clear that all this is said about his flesh” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 9:25. and not in order to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy place year after year with blood that is not his own; “Do you see how many contrasts? Repeatedly—once; with someone else’s blood—with his own. A great difference! Christ himself is both sacrifice and priest” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 9:26. otherwise he would have had to suffer repeatedly from the foundation of the world; but now once, at the end of the ages, he has appeared in order to put away sin by his sacrifice. “Here the apostle discloses a certain doctrine: if, he says, it were necessary for him to offer sacrifices repeatedly, it would have been necessary for him also to be crucified repeatedly. ‘But now once at the end of the ages.’ Why ‘at the end of the ages’? After a multitude of sins; if all this had happened at the beginning and no one had believed, the whole work of the dispensation would have been in vain… But when with the passage of time a multitude of sins appeared, then he appeared at the right time…” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 9:27. And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment, “Having proved that he ought not to die many times, the apostle now shows also why he died once. ‘It is appointed,’ he says, ‘for men to die once.’ So he died once for all men”—(Chrysostom). True, we still die now the former death, but dying we do not remain in it (death), and this is not what it means to die. The power of death and true death is that in which the one who has died no longer has the possibility of returning to life; but if after death he lives again, and moreover a better life, then this is not death but a falling-asleep. Death could hold all; therefore Christ died in order to free us.

Hebrews 9:28. so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time not to deal with sin, but for those who are eagerly waiting for him, for their salvation. “To bear the sins of many.” Why of many and not of all? Because not all believed. He died for all in order to save all, as far as it depended on him—his death had the power to save all from destruction—but he did not bear the sins of all, because they themselves were unwilling.—“Not to deal with sin”—Greek: χωρίς αμαρτίας—Slavonic more precisely: “without sin.” That is, according to Chrysostom’s interpretation, “not in order to take sins, and not because of sins will he come a second time in order to die again; he even died once not because he was obligated to die. Why then will he appear? To punish, he says; yet he does not express this (directly), but says it with comfort: ‘without sin he will appear to those who await him for salvation,’ since there is no longer need for a sacrifice to save them, but for this their deeds are needed!” …

Chapter Ten

The insufficiency of the Old Testament sacrifices for the cleansing of the sins of all humanity and their replacement by the one sacrifice of Christ (1–10). The abolition of sacrifices in general in the New Covenant (11–16). An exhortation to faithfulness to one’s confession and to virtue (19–25). A warning and reminder of God’s severe wrath and punishment for apostasy (26–31). Praise for past diligence and patience and encouragement to further advancement in faith and virtue (32–39).

Hebrews 10:1. For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come and not the very image of those realities, with the same sacrifices offered continually year by year, can never make perfect those who draw near with them. Hebrews 10:2. Otherwise they would have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had any consciousness of sins. Hebrews 10:3. But in these sacrifices there is a yearly reminder of sins, Hebrews 10:4. for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. “A shadow… and not the very image of the realities,” that is, not the truth itself. “Just as in painting, while one is sketching, there is some kind of shadow, but when the colors are laid on and the tones applied, there is a likeness—so it was with the law” (Chrysostom).—“Not the very image of the realities,” that is, of the sacrifices, of the forgiveness of sins. As only the shadow of the good things to come, the law was insufficient for attaining the main goal of salvation—the cleansing of sins, which could be accomplished neither by sacrifices in general, nor by the blood of bulls and goats offered as sin offerings. These sacrifices served only as a reminder of sin (vv. 1–4). “The multitude of sacrifices and the fact that they were offered without ceasing shows that they never cleansed those who offered them… If people had been freed from all sins, sacrifices would not have been offered daily—yet it was ordained to offer them for the whole people without ceasing, both in the evening and during the day. Thus what was done by them was an accusation of sins, not an absolution of sins, a demonstration of weakness, not a law of power… The offering of sacrifices was a demonstration of sins, and the unceasing nature of the offerings was a demonstration of weakness. But in the work of Christ it is the opposite: he offered once, and this is sufficient forever” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 10:5. Therefore, when Christ enters into the world, he says: Sacrifices and offerings you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me. Hebrews 10:6. In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you took no pleasure. Hebrews 10:7. Then I said: Behold, I come—as it is written of me in the scroll of the book—to do your will, O God. Having shown the insufficiency of the Old Testament sacrifices, the apostle now proves also the ultimate fruitlessness of offering them after the one sacrifice of Christ has been offered. The passage of Holy Scripture cited in confirmation of this is taken from Ps 39:7-9, where David expresses the thought that since God does not want from him any outward sacrifices, the singer himself desires to offer God another sacrifice: his fulfillment of the will of God and of his Law, inscribed in certain sacred books and in the heart of the Psalmist. What precisely this fulfillment of God’s will consists of, the Psalmist does not state definitively; but it is clear only that he intends to accomplish something positive, and not to refrain from something (as some thought—to fulfill the prohibition to build the temple). Finally, by whom, and when, and where this will of God was declared, which the prophet desires to fulfill, is also indicated indefinitely—“in the scroll of the book” (έν χεφαλίδι γραμματιχή, literally from the Hebrew—in the book scroll), that is, according to the opinion of some, in the very first psalm of David himself, where the blessedness of the righteous man is celebrated, whose will is in the law of the Lord. The apostle applies the cited passage from David’s psalm in reference to Christ, who came into the world to fulfill the will of God regarding the offering of another true sacrifice to God for humanity, having annulled the former sacrifices unpleasing to God. This fulfillment of God’s will by the Messiah-Christ consisted in his incarnation and his offering of himself voluntarily to suffering and death, having been ordained in the counsel of God immediately after the fall of the first people (“in the scroll of the book,” as narrated at the beginning of all books).

Hebrews 10:8. Having said above that “neither sacrifices nor offerings nor whole burnt offerings nor sin offerings—which are offered according to the law—you have not desired nor taken pleasure in,” Hebrews 10:9. then he added: “Behold, I come to do your will, O God.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. “It was not Christ who put an end to the sacrifices, but first they were abolished, and only then did he come… He waited until the sacrifices were exposed by themselves, and then came… Here the apostle in no way blames those who offered them, showing that God does not accept sacrifices not because of their failings (as he said in another place), but because the insufficiency of the thing itself has finally been revealed and it has become manifest that it has no force and is no longer timely” (Chrysostom).—“He does away with the first in order to establish the second…”—“the second”—as opposed to the multitude of sacrifices—was established by the once-for-all offering of Jesus Christ of himself as a sacrifice; however, the main thought here is not in what the first and what the second are, but in what the will of God desires and what it does not desire.

Hebrews 10:10. By this will we have been sanctified through the once-for-all offering of the body of Jesus Christ. “Here the apostle in another way proves that it is not sacrifices but the will of God that cleanses people. Is there then no will of God for the offering of sacrifices? But is it surprising that now there is no such will of God, if from the beginning there was no such will of his? ‘For who,’ he says, ‘has required this from your hands (Isa 1:12)?’ Why then did he himself institute the sacrificial offerings? Out of condescension” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 10:11. And every priest stands daily in his service, and offers repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. Neither the most constant (daily) sacrificial offerings, nor their variety, with the presence of lawful sacrificial officiants, can ever destroy sin. And this, one may say, is the most terrible assertion for those who revere the Old Testament institutions, and it is based on almost nothing explicit. Evidently it is stated as universally known and experienced by everyone. Seeing the constant futility of the sacrifices, the Jews should have lost hope of salvation through sacrifices. Quite different in character and power is the sacrifice of Christ (Heb 10:12-18). Having offered it once, he sat down at the right hand of God, the result of which is the forgiveness of sins and the superfluousness of new sacrifices. In confirmation of this (apart from the testimony of the Spirit of God) the subjection of all his enemies to the Messiah is noted (Ps 2:8; cf. Heb 1:13), and also that spiritual transformation of believers about which Jeremiah prophesied (Jer 30:21-24; cf. Heb 8:10-12).

Hebrews 10:12. But he, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, Sitting at the right hand of God is contrasted with standing. Standing is proper to the one who serves; consequently, sitting is proper to the one who is served.

Hebrews 10:13. waiting from that time until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet. This insertion about the subjection of all his enemies to Christ is necessary as a counterweight to the thoughts about the sufferings of Jesus Christ, which so troubled many, especially among the Jews, many of whom even during the lifetime of Jesus Christ could not reconcile themselves to the thought of the lowly birth, and even more of the sufferings, of the Messiah (cf. Heb 2:8; 1 Cor 15:25).

Hebrews 10:14. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. A continuation of the thought of Heb 10:10 and Heb 10:12.

Hebrews 10:15. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for it is said: Hebrews 10:16. This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws into their hearts, and I will write them on their minds, Hebrews 10:17. and their sins and their transgressions I will remember no more. Hebrews 10:18. And where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. “Having said that sacrifices are no longer offered, having confirmed this from Scripture and also apart from Scripture, having presented also the prophetic word—‘sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,’ he now says that God has already forgiven sins” (Chrysostom). “He forgave sins when he gave the (new) Covenant; and this Covenant he gave through the (sacrifice of Christ). If then he forgave sins through this one sacrifice, there is no longer need for another” (ibid.).

Hebrews 10:19. Therefore, brothers, having confidence to enter the sanctuary by the Blood of Jesus Christ, by a new and living way, The apostle urges following Christ into the heavenly Holy of Holies by the path he has laid.—“Having confidence.” “Why—‘confidence’? Because of the forgiveness of sins. Just as shame comes from sins, so from the forgiveness of all of them comes boldness; and not only from this, but also from the fact that we have become co-heirs of Christ and have been counted worthy of such love from him” (Chrysostom).—“To enter the sanctuary.” By this entering is meant entry into heaven and access to spiritual mysteries.—“By a new and living way.” “Well did he say ‘by a new and living way’: the first way was a way of death, leading down to Hades, but this is a way of life; he did not say: of life, but called it ‘living,’ expressing that it remains such constantly” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 10:20. which he has opened for us anew through the curtain, that is, through his Flesh, “Which (way) he has opened anew”—Greek: ήν ενεκαίνισεν—Slavonic more precisely: “which he has renewed,” that is, which he arranged and by which he himself passed first; renewal means the beginning of use.—“Through the curtain, that is, through his Flesh…” “This Flesh was the first to blaze the trail, which, as the apostle says, he renewed and through which he himself deigned to pass. Rightly is the flesh called a curtain, for when it was exalted, then the heavenly was also revealed” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 10:21. and having a great Priest over the house of God, Hebrews 10:22. let us draw near with a sincere heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and having our bodies washed with pure water, “Let us draw near…” Who—“let us draw near”? “One who is holy in faith, in spiritual service” (Chrysostom).—“With a sincere heart, in full assurance of faith,” “because here there is nothing visible: priest, sacrifice, and altar are all invisible” (Chrysostom).—“Having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience…” “Here the apostle proves that not only faith is required, but also a virtuous life and the absence of any consciousness of something bad. Those who do not conduct themselves perfectly are not admitted into the holy place, because it is holy and the holy of holies; consequently, no one who is impure enters here. Those people washed the body, but we—the conscience; it is necessary even now to wash, but with virtue” (Chrysostom).—“Having our bodies washed with pure water.” “Here is spoken of the font of baptism, which cleanses not the body but the soul” (Chrysostom). “He speaks of water that either cleanses or has no blood” (ibid.).

Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. “Faithful is he who promised.” “What? That it is necessary to depart (from this life) and enter into the Kingdom (of Heaven). Therefore do not investigate, do not demand proofs: our (subjects) require faith” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 10:24. And let us consider one another so as to stir up love and good works, “Just as iron sharpens iron, so also fellowship with one another multiplies love. If a stone, striking against a stone, produces fire, how much more a soul communicating with a soul?” (Chrysostom). “What does ‘stirring up love’ mean? So as to love more and more and to be loved. He adds: ‘and good works,’ so that they should be filled with emulation… Whoever is virtuous, let us imitate him, let us look at him in order to love and be loved; and from love come good works” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 10:25. not forsaking our own gathering together, as is the custom of some; but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. “What does ‘not forsaking our own gathering together’ mean? He means that from the assembly and mutual fellowship there comes a great power (Matt 18:20; John 17:11; Acts 4:32)… from it love is multiplied; and from the multiplication of love, deeds according to God necessarily follow…” (Chrysostom).—“As is the custom of some.” Here the apostle proposes not only an exhortation but also a reproach, with a prohibition.—“The drawing near of that day…” In the original of the present passage there is no word “that” and apparently there should not be, since here one is speaking properly of the coming in general of a bright time for Christians—their morally bright state and the full triumph of them on the great day of glory of the Church of Christ (cf. Heb 8:8; Rom 13:12; 1 Cor 3:13; 1 Thess 5:4-8). However, if one takes into account Heb 10:27, one can say that here too one should partly understand “that day”—for some bright and joyful, but for others terrible and ruinous.

Hebrews 10:26. For if we sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, “There no longer remains a sacrifice for sins…”—that is, there is no second sacrifice, there is no second cross. “Therefore he spoke repeatedly about the sacrifice, that it is one and the same—with the purpose of showing not only that it differs from those of the Jews, but also to warn the hearers, so that they should not expect another sacrifice according to the Jewish law” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 10:27. but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fiery indignation ready to devour the adversaries. The apostle interrupts his previously calm reasoning with a solemn reference to the terrible judgment of God and the fire of Gehenna, comparing this dreadful consequence of betraying the New Covenant with the also dreadful consequence of betraying the Old, but in such a way as to show at the same time the greater responsibility for betraying the New, and the more dreadful punishment for this, and, so to speak, its fittingness and justice.

Hebrews 10:28. Anyone who has rejected the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses, “Without mercy…” “There was no condescension there, no mercy, though it was the law of Moses… how much more here?” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 10:29. how much worse do you think will be the punishment deserved by the one who has trampled on the Son of God and has not regarded as holy the Blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? “The one who has trampled on the Son of God…” “In what way does someone trample the Son of God? If, receiving him in the mysteries, he commits sins, tell me, does he not trample on him? Does he not despise him? Just as people trample on those they hold in contempt, so those who sin regard Christ as nothing, and therefore they sin…” (Chrysostom).—“Has not regarded as holy the Blood of the covenant…”—Greek: χαί το αίμα τής διαθήκης χοινόν ηγησάμενος—Slavonic more precisely: “and considered the blood of the covenant as common…,” that is, considering it unclean, or in no way better than everything else (Chrysostom).—“Has insulted the Spirit of grace…,” because the one who does not receive a benefaction insults the benefactor. How much worse punishment will such a person deserve? The apostle does not state this directly, but makes it sufficiently clear to everyone, showing the difference between the rejection of the law of Moses and the trampling upon the Blood of Christ.

Hebrews 10:30. For we know him who said: Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. And again: The Lord will judge his people. “Vengeance is mine, I will repay!” According to Chrysostom’s interpretation, this is said about enemies who do evil, not about those who suffer evil. At the same time, it is shown further how much more terrible it is to fall into the hands of the living God than into the hands of men, as was the case with violating the law of Moses.

Hebrews 10:31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! “We fall, he says, into the hands of the Lord, and not into the hands of men. If you do not repent, you will fall into the hands of God. This is terrible, but falling into the hands of men—that is nothing” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 10:32. But remember the former days in which, after having been enlightened, you endured a great contest of sufferings, The apostle turns in the following verses with praise to the readers for their recent good condition, seeing in it a basis for the same in the future, given the maintenance of hope and patience (Heb 10:32-36). “Great is an exhortation drawn from deeds. One who has begun a work should continue it so as to succeed. He speaks as if to say: when you were just beginning, when you were still only disciples, even then you showed such zeal, such courage; and now—all the more. Whoever proposes such an exhortation acts very powerfully through their own example. And notice: he did not simply say ‘you endured suffering,’ but with the addition: ‘great.’ And he did not say: temptations, but: ‘contest’—this expression denotes approval and the highest praise. Then he enters into detail, expanding his speech and expressing many praises” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 10:33. partly while being publicly exposed to reproaches and afflictions you became a spectacle for others, and partly while sharing in the condition of those who were so treated; Hebrews 10:34. for you had compassion on my bonds and accepted the plundering of your possessions with joy, knowing that you have for yourselves a better and abiding possession in the heavens. “Knowing that you have for yourselves in the heavens a possession better and abiding.” An obvious allusion to the word of the Lord on this matter, Matt 6:20.

Hebrews 10:35. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which carries a great reward. Hebrews 10:36. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised; “If you know that you have in the heavens a better possession, seek nothing here; you have need of endurance, not of multiplied efforts, so as to remain in the same place, so as not to lose what has been given to you; nothing more is needed for you, except to stand as you stand, so that, having reached the end, you may receive what has been promised… You need only one thing: to endure delay (in the fulfillment of the promised), and not to struggle anew” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 10:37. for yet a little while, very little, and the Coming One will come and will not delay. Cf. Hab 2:3-4. “So that they should not say: When will he come?—he encourages them with the words of Scripture… If even then it was said: ‘yet a little while, the Coming One will come and will not delay,’ then evidently now he is even closer. Thus even for the waiting a not insignificant reward will be received” (Chrysostom). “Strong is that exhortation when someone proves that those who have fulfilled everything can lose everything because of a little weakness” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 10:38. The righteous one will live by faith; but if he draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him. Hebrews 10:39. But we are not of those who draw back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul. Cf. 1 Thess 5:9.

Chapter Eleven

The essence of faith and examples of it in the persons of the first patriarchs (1–7). Examples of faith from Abraham to Moses (8–22). Examples of faith during the time of Moses (23–31). The later period (32–40).

Hebrews 11:1. Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and confidence in what is not seen. The essence of faith is placed above all in the realization of what is hoped for, where by “what is hoped for” is meant the promised blessings of the future. In relation to what is invisible, faith is the same thing as touch and direct perception in relation to what is visible. “Faith is the contemplation of the unseen and leads to the same full conviction in the invisible as in the visible. Just as it is impossible not to believe the visible, so faith cannot exist when one is not fully convinced of the invisible in the same way as of the visible. The objects of hope appear to have no reality, but faith gives them reality; thus, for example, the resurrection has not yet occurred and does not exist in reality, but hope makes it real in our soul” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:2. Through it the ancients received attestation. “The ancients”—Greek πρεσβύτεροι—refers to the whole multitude of great men of former times, who were guided by faith and serve as a model for our imitation.

Hebrews 11:3. By faith we understand that the ages were fashioned by the word of God, so that what is visible came forth from what is invisible. “By faith we understand.” “How, he says, is it known that God created everything ‘by His word’? Reason does not suggest this, and no one was present when it happened. It is known through faith; this knowledge is a matter of faith. That is why he said: ‘by faith we understand’” (Chrysostom).—“What is visible came forth from what is invisible”—in this emergence of the world from the realm of the invisible into the realm of the visible, one cannot fail to note a special divine intention: that the visible world should come forth not from things that are by their nature visible, but through the will of God, so that the origin of the world would be perceptible only through faith.

Hebrews 11:4. By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain; through it he received attestation that he was righteous, as God testified about his gifts; and through it he still speaks even after his death. “A better sacrifice”—more excellent, more worthy. “He did a righteous deed,” says Chrysostom, “seeing no example in anyone. Indeed, looking at whom did he so honor God? At his father and mother? But they had offended God for His kindnesses. At his brother? But even he had not honored Him. Thus he accomplished the good deed entirely on his own. And though he was deserving of honor, what did he receive? He was killed.”—“Through it he received attestation that he was righteous” (cf. Gen 4:4). “How else was it attested that he was a righteous man? Fire, it is said (in Scripture), came down and consumed his sacrifices. Instead of ‘the Lord had regard for Abel and his offerings,’ one translator reads: and set them ablaze. So God attested by both words and deed that he was righteous” (Chrysostom).—“And through it he still speaks even after his death.” “So as not to cast them into despair, the apostle shows that Abel received partial recompense. What was it? That people speak of him often…, his brother killed him, but did not kill together with him his glory and honor… This is a sign of life—when all glorify, exalt, and call him blessed; he who persuades others to be righteous is surely ‘speaking.’ The word itself does not act as powerfully as his suffering. Just as the sky, by being merely seen, ‘speaks’—so does he, being remembered” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:5. By faith Enoch was translated so that he did not see death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For before his translation he received attestation that he had pleased God. Hebrews 11:6. But without faith it is impossible to please God; for it is necessary that the one who comes to God believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who seek Him. “He (Enoch) showed faith greater than Abel’s… Although he lived after Abel, what had befallen Abel might have turned him away from virtue… Abel honored God, and God did not save him. What benefit is it to the dead man that his brother was punished?… Enoch said and thought nothing of the sort, but left all that aside, knowing that if there is a God, then without doubt there is also a rewarder, although at that time nothing yet was known about the resurrection…” (Chrysostom). “Enoch’s translation happened soon, at the very beginning, so that humanity might nourish the hope of an end to death, of the destruction of the devil’s power… He first permitted death to strike the righteous man, wishing to frighten the father by means of the son. To show that His decree remains in full force, He immediately subjected not evil people but even one who had pleased Him—that is, blessed Abel—to this punishment; and shortly after him He translated Enoch alive. He did not raise the first so that people would not fall into complacency, but translated the second alive; by Abel He inspired fear, and by Enoch He enkindled zeal to please Him” (Chrysostom). “Many ask where Enoch was translated and why he was translated, why he did not die, and not only he but also Elijah, and if they are alive, then how they live and in what state. But to ask about this is entirely unnecessary. Scripture has told us that the first was translated and the second was taken up to heaven, but it has not added where they are and how they exist, because it says nothing beyond what is necessary” (Chrysostom). “Before his translation he received attestation that he had pleased God.” Thus, according to the apostle’s thought, even before the translation, the pleasing of God in Enoch had eloquent expression and confirmation—evidently throughout the whole life of this righteous man; and the apostle concludes that at the root of this pleasing must necessarily be faith—the living principle of all pleasing of God. The second half of verse 6 defines the objects of faith (that God “exists” and that He is a “rewarder”) with the evident purpose of giving consolation and encouragement to the readers’ endurance. “The very same thing that made Enoch pleasing to God was that he received nothing. He knew that God is a rewarder; but tell me, from where? For Abel had not yet received any recompense. Thus reason suggested one thing, and faith the opposite of what was visible. So also you, if you see that you are receiving no recompense here, do not be troubled” (Chrysostom).—“Those who seek Him,” that is, “through deeds and by sight” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:7. By faith Noah, having received a revelation concerning what was not yet visible, and being moved by reverence, prepared an ark for the salvation of his household; through it he condemned the (whole) world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. “The example of Enoch was only an example of faith, while Noah’s example is one of both faith and unbelief. Consolation and encouragement are complete when we see not only that believers are honored, but also that unbelievers suffer the opposite” (Chrysostom).—“Through it he condemned the world” (The addition of “whole” is absent from both the Greek and the best ancient Slavic texts)—“it shows that those were worthy of punishment who, even after the building of the ark, did not reform…” (Chrysostom).—“And became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith,” that is, it was precisely this that revealed his righteousness—that he believed God. Such is the nature of a soul sincerely disposed toward Him and considering nothing more trustworthy than His words, while the contrary is the property of unbelief. “It is clear that faith justifies…” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:8. By faith Abraham obeyed the call to go to the land he was to receive as an inheritance, and he went, not knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:9. By faith he dwelt in the promised land as in a foreign land, and lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; “Since those who had believed among the Jews looked upon them (the forefathers) as having received countless blessings, (the apostle) therefore says that none of them received anything, that all remained unrewarded and not one received recompense… But seeing that the promise was not being fulfilled, he (Abraham) did not despair… and was not at all troubled, because the promise could be fulfilled later, in his descendants…” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:10. for he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. “What does it mean: ‘the city that has foundations’? Do earthly cities not have foundations? In comparison with those they do not. And its ‘architect’ and ‘builder’ is God. O, what praise for this city!” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:11. By faith Sarah herself (being barren) received power to conceive, and bore a child past the normal time of age, because she knew that the One who had promised was faithful. “By faith Sarah herself…” “He began with this in order to put them to shame, should they prove less courageous than a woman. But someone might ask: how can she who laughed be called a believer? It is true that her laughter came from unbelief, but her fear came from faith; her words ‘I did not laugh’ (Gen 18:15) proceeded from faith. After unbelief was gone, faith appeared…” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:12. And therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky and as innumerable as the sand on the seashore. Hebrews 11:13. All these died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them from afar and having rejoiced in them, and confessing about themselves that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth; “All these died in faith, not having received the promises…” “Here two questions arise: how, having said that Enoch ‘was translated and was not found,’ does he now say ‘all these died in faith’? And also: how, having said ‘not having received the promises,’ does he say that Noah was rewarded with the salvation of his household, that Enoch was translated, that Abel ‘still speaks,’ that Abraham received the land?… ‘All,’ he says here, not because they all without exception died, but because, with the exception of Enoch, all whom we know to have died did indeed die. And the words ‘not having received the promises’ are accurate, since the promise given to Noah did not pertain to those things. Of what promises then is he speaking?… It was not a promise that Abel became an object of admiration, that Enoch was translated, that Noah was saved from the flood; all of this was given to them for their virtue and was a kind of foretaste of what was to come… It is clear that one must understand here the particular future promises, hinted at in the apostle’s following words—‘they saw them from afar and rejoiced in them’ (cf. John 8:56)—and by which must be understood everything said about the future: about the resurrection, about the Kingdom of Heaven, and about other things that Christ proclaimed when He came to earth—this is precisely what he means by the promises that the patriarchs did not receive, but ended their lives hoping for them, and they hoped solely by faith” (Chrysostom). “They saw them from afar and rejoiced…” “So certain were they of these promises that they even greeted them, just as sailors who, seeing from afar the cities they are bound for, greet them before they have entered them and already count them as their own” (Chrysostom).—“They confessed about themselves that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth…” “The saints were strangers and pilgrims. How and in what way? Where does Abraham acknowledge himself a stranger and pilgrim? Perhaps he did acknowledge it. But that David acknowledged himself to be such is certain. (Ps 38:13). Those who lived in tents and purchased burial sites for money were evidently such strangers that they did not even have where to bury their dead. What then? Did they not call themselves strangers only in relation to the land of Palestine? No, in relation to the whole world, and rightly so: they saw nothing in it of what they desired, but everything was to them strange and alien” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:14. for those who say such things show that they are seeking a homeland. Hebrews 11:15. And if they had been thinking of that homeland from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return; Hebrews 11:16. but they were striving toward something better, that is, toward the heavenly; therefore God is not ashamed of them, calling Himself their God: for He has prepared for them a city. They sought a homeland. “Which one? Not the one they had left? No. What was to prevent them, if they had wished to return there and be its citizens? They sought the heavenly homeland. So eager were they to depart from here and so they pleased God; and so God Himself is not ashamed to call Himself their God. O, what an honor! He willed to be called their God. But what, you say, is so great about the fact that He is not ashamed to call Himself their God, when He is called the God of the earth and the God of heaven? This is great, truly great, and it is a sign of great blessedness. Why? Because He is called the God of heaven and earth in the same way as He is the God of the Gentiles; He is the God of heaven and earth as their Creator and Maker, but He is called the God of those saints not in this sense, but as their close friend” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:17. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only son, “Truly great is the faith of Abraham. God commanded things contrary to the promises, and yet the righteous man was not troubled and did not consider himself deceived” (Chrysostom).—“When he was tested…” (Gen 22:1). “There was no other reason for the offering than this. But did God not know that Abraham was a man of patience and valor? He knew this perfectly. And if He knew, why then did He test him? Not to learn for Himself, but to show others and to make his courage evident to all” (Chrysostom).—“Offered up Isaac.” “The sacrifice was completed and Isaac was slain in Abraham’s intention” (Chrysostom).—“His only son…” “How his only son? What about Ishmael? Where does he come from? I call him ‘only son,’ he says, in relation to the promise” (Heb 11:18).

Hebrews 11:18. of whom it was said: in Isaac shall your offspring be named. Hebrews 11:19. For he considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, which is why he also received him back as a foreshadowing. “He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead.” “The meaning of these words is as follows: by the same faith by which Abraham believed that God would give him a son he did not have, by that same faith he was convinced that God could raise even the dead—raise the one who had been slain. It was equally wonderful—that is, by human reckoning—both that a son would be born from a womb that was as good as dead, aged and no longer capable of bearing children, and that the slain one would rise again; and yet he believed; his earlier faith guided him to faith in the future as well” (Chrysostom).—“Which is why he also received him back as a foreshadowing”—Greek ὀθεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐν παραβολῇ ἐκομίσατο—Slavonic: “therefore he received him in a parable,” that is, “in a figure, since the ram was a parable, i.e., an image of Isaac. Since the sacrifice was completed and Isaac was slain in Abraham’s intention, God gave him back to the patriarch” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:20. By faith, with regard to things to come, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau. “By faith, with regard to things to come…” “Did the righteous men know all future things? Of course. If the Son of God did not reveal Himself to those who could not receive Him in their weakness (Matt 13:17), then without doubt He revealed Himself to those who had been glorified by virtues. So Paul says now that they knew the future—that is, the resurrection of Christ” (Chrysostom).—“Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau…” “Although Esau was the elder, he places Jacob first—for his virtues. Do you see what faith Isaac had? Why else would he have promised his sons such great blessings, if not by faith in God?” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:21. By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. The faith of Jacob mentioned here is very clearly revealed in the very content of his blessings and the prophecies he pronounced at that time; see Gen 48:13-21.—“And he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff…” “Here the apostle shows that Jacob not only spoke but also hoped so firmly in the future that he demonstrated it by his very action. Since from Ephraim another king was to arise, he says: and he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff—that is, being already an old man, he bowed before Joseph, expressing the worship that the whole people would one day render to him. This was partly fulfilled when his brothers bowed before him, but was to be fulfilled again through ten generations afterward” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:22. By faith Joseph, at his death, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel and gave instructions concerning his bones. “Joseph had heard what God had proclaimed and promised to Abraham: ‘I will give you and your descendants this land,’ and therefore, being in a foreign land and not yet seeing the fulfillment of the promise, he did not lose heart, but believed to such a degree that he made mention of the departure and gave instructions concerning his bones. Thus he not only believed himself but also elevated others to faith” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:23. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden by his parents for three months, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they did not fear the king’s command. Having spoken of Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph—all of them famous and celebrated—the apostle then further intensifies the consolation by presenting as examples persons who were unknown…, beginning with the parents of Moses, people who were unknown and had nothing of what their son had… Pharaoh commanded that all male infants be destroyed, and no one escaped the danger. Why then did they hope to save their child? By faith. What kind of faith? “Because they saw,” he says, “that the child was beautiful.” His very appearance inclined them to faith (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:24. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, Hebrews 11:25. and chose rather to suffer with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin, Hebrews 11:26. considering the reproach of Christ greater wealth for himself than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. The apostle speaks to them as if saying: none of you has abandoned a royal court—and a magnificent one at that—or such treasures, or refused to be a royal son when it was possible, as Moses did. And that he did not simply abandon this, the apostle explained by saying: “he refused,” that is, he disdained, scorned it… (Chrysostom).—“He chose rather to suffer with the people of God.” “You,” he says, “suffer for your own sake; but he preferred to suffer for others and voluntarily exposed himself to such dangers, when he could both live devoutly and enjoy blessings” (Chrysostom).—“Than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.” Sin here is called the unwillingness to suffer with others: this, he says, he considered sin. If that is so, then great is the good—the suffering he voluntarily undertook, having left the royal court. He did this, foreseeing something great (Chrysostom).—“He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth for himself.” What does “the reproach of Christ” mean? That is, such reproach as you endure, the reproach that Christ endured, or what he suffered for Christ, when they reviled him for the rock from which he drew water: “for the rock,” he says, “was Christ” (1 Cor 10:4). When does the reproach of Christ occur? When we, abandoning ancestral customs, endure mockery; when, suffering, we turn to God… The reproach of Christ consists in enduring to the end and to the last breath, just as He Himself endured… The reproach of Christ is when someone endures reproach from his own people, from those to whom he does good… A life full of pleasures is sinful, but one full of reproaches is Christ’s… (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:27. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he was steadfast, as though seeing the One who is invisible. “Not fearing the wrath of the king…” How do you say—“he did not fear”? Scripture, on the contrary, says that when he heard he was afraid, sought safety in flight, fled, hid himself, and afterward remained in fear. Look more carefully at what is said: the words “he did not fear the wrath of the king” are said with respect to his later reappearance before the king. For if he had been afraid, he would not have appeared before him again and would not have taken upon himself the task of intercession; and if he did take it on, it means he placed his trust entirely in God… His very flight was an act of faith. He did not remain, so as not to expose himself to a foreseen danger…! All of this he accomplished because “as though seeing the Invisible, he was steadfast…” Can a person who has in mind the One who has granted us true love, and who remembers Him, feel any grief or fear anything terrible or dangerous? Will he ever be faint-hearted? Never! (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:28. By faith he performed the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. What does “the sprinkling” mean?… By sprinkling is meant the smearing of blood from the Passover lamb on the doorposts, carried out by the Jews by God’s command, which served as a protection for them against the destruction appointed for the Egyptians. The means was simple, but its effects were great; the means was blood, and the effects—salvation, protection, deliverance from destruction… Moses said: smear, and the Jews smeared, and having smeared they were confident of their safety (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:29. By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if on dry land—the same attempt by which the Egyptians, having tried it, were drowned. How did they cross by faith? They hoped to cross through the sea and prayed for it, or rather—Moses prayed. Do you see how faith always surpasses reasonings, human weakness and insignificance… It saves us even when we are in a hopeless situation, when death itself threatens us, when our circumstances are desperate (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:30. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after having been encircled for seven days. The sound of trumpets can in no way destroy stone walls, even if one were to blow them for a thousand years, but faith can do all things (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:31. By faith Rahab the harlot, having received the spies in peace (and having sent them out another way), did not perish with those who were disobedient. It would be shameful if you proved to have less faith than a harlot. She, upon hearing the words of the messengers, believed at once, which is why the consequences were as they were: when all perished, she alone was saved (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:32. And what more shall I say? For time will fail me to tell of Gideon, of Barak, of Samson and Jephthah, of David, Samuel, and the (other) prophets, The apostle no longer gives individual examples, but, having ended with the harlot and put them to shame by the character of that person, does not go on at greater length in his accounts, so as not to appear long-winded; yet he does not leave them entirely aside either, but very wisely enumerates them in passing, achieving a double benefit—avoiding excess without breaking the completeness (Chrysostom). Some criticize Paul for placing Barak, Samson and Jephthah in this passage. But what are you saying? Could he fail to mention them, having mentioned the harlot? The issue here is not their other circumstances, but whether they had faith, whether they shone with faith (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:33. who through faith conquered kingdoms, practiced righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Hebrews 11:34. quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were strengthened out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight; “Do you see that the apostle does not here testify to their glorious life? That is not the chief point here; what is set forth is faith. The question is specifically: did they accomplish all things by faith? ‘By faith,’ he says, ‘they conquered kingdoms’—those of the time of Gideon. ‘Practiced righteousness.’ Who? These same ones. Or by righteousness he here means benevolence. ‘Obtained promises.’ I think he says this of David. What promises did he obtain? Those contained in the words that his seed would sit on his throne (Ps 131:11). ‘Stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword.’ See how they were in mortal danger—Daniel surrounded by lions, the three youths in the furnace, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in various trials—and yet they did not despair” (Chrysostom).—“Escaped the edge of the sword…” I think, says Chrysostom, that this also was said of the three youths.—“Were strengthened out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight…” Here he has in mind the circumstances of the return from Babylonian captivity.—“Out of weakness”—that is, out of captivity (Chrysostom). When the circumstances of the Jews were in a desperate state, when they were in no way distinguishable from dry bones, then their return from captivity took place.

Hebrews 11:35. Women received their dead raised to life again; while others were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; “Women received their dead raised to life again…” Here he speaks of the prophets Elisha and Elijah, who raised the dead.—“While others were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection…” Here, it seems to me, says Chrysostom, he means John the Baptist and James, because “being beaten” (ἀποτυμπανισμός) signifies beheading. They could have looked upon the light of the sun, could have refrained from making rebukes, and yet they chose to die; and those who had raised others chose death for themselves, in order to obtain a better resurrection.

Hebrews 11:36. others experienced mockery and flogging, and also chains and imprisonment, Hebrews 11:37. they were stoned, sawn in two, put to the test, died by the sword, went about in sheepskins and goatskins, suffering want, affliction, and mistreatment; He ends the speech with a reference to chains, prisons, scourgings, stoning—meaning what befell Stephen and Zechariah: “by the sword,” he adds, “they died.” What are you saying? Some “escaped the edge of the sword,” while others “died by the sword”? What does this mean? Which do you extol? Which do you admire? The first or the last? Truly, he says, both. The first—because it is close to you, and the last—because faith showed its power even at the moment of death… Both are miracles of faith: both that it performs great deeds, and that it endures great calamities and takes no account of suffering (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:38. of whom the whole world was not worthy—they wandered in deserts and mountains, in caves and crevices of the earth. “You cannot say,” he says, “that these were sinful and worthless people; no, even if you set the whole world against them, you would see that they outweigh it and prove more significant… What, then, could they receive here as a reward—those for whom nothing in the world is worthy? Here the apostle elevates their minds, teaching them not to cling to the present but to think on what is above all the objects of the present life, since the whole world is not worthy of them” (Chrysostom). “We have not even in a dream experienced what these men endured throughout all their time—not as punishment for sins, but constantly doing good works and constantly undergoing afflictions. Consider Elijah, of whom the apostle speaks in the words ‘they went about in sheepskins,’ ending the example with him, yet not leaving the others aside either, since the same was their common lot… Because of the excess of their afflictions they had, he says, neither clothing to cover themselves, nor a city, nor a house, nor a refuge, nor even rest: ‘they wandered’ there and were driven away from there too…” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 11:39. And all these, though attested through their faith, did not receive what was promised, Hebrews 11:40. because God had provided something better for us, so that they would not reach perfection apart from us. “What, then, is the reward for such hope? What recompense? Great, and so great that it cannot be expressed in words (1 Cor 2:9). But they have not yet received this; they are still waiting, having ended their lives in such afflictions. Already so much time has passed since they remained as victors, and they have not yet received the reward; but you, while still in the contest, murmur. Consider what it means and what it costs Abraham and the Apostle Paul to wait while you attain perfection, so that then they may be able to receive their reward. The Savior declared that He would not give them their reward until we come, just as a loving father says to his well-behaved children who have completed their task that he will not give them food until their brothers arrive. And you murmur because you have not yet received your reward? What, then, is Abel to do, who was the first of all to conquer and yet remains uncrowned? What—Noah? What of the others who lived in those times and are waiting for you and for those who will come after you? Do you see that we have an advantage over them? Therefore the apostle spoke well: ‘God having provided something better for us…’ Lest it appear that they have an advantage over us in being crowned first, God appointed to crown all at the same time, and the one who conquered so many years ago will receive the crown together with you. Do you see God’s care for us? And he did not say: lest they be crowned without us, but: ‘lest they reach perfection without us’; it means—it is then that they will be truly perfect. They preceded us in the contests, but will not precede us in the receiving of crowns; and this is not an injustice to them but an honor for us, for they too are waiting for their brothers. If we are all one body, then that body has greater joy when it is crowned as a whole and not in parts. The righteous are admirable precisely for this—that they rejoice in the blessings of their brothers as in their own. And they themselves wish to be crowned together with their other members, because in common glorification there is greater joy” (Chrysostom).

Chapter Twelve

Exhortation to endure suffering after the example of the Author of faith (1–3). The benefit of divine discipline (4–11). Exhortation to courage, peace with all, and holiness (12–17). The New Covenant in place of the Old (18–24). Exhortation to obedience to God (25–29).

Hebrews 12:1. Therefore, we also, having around us such a cloud of witnesses, let us cast off every burden and the sin that so easily entangles us, and with endurance let us run the course set before us, Just as a cloud with its shade protects one scorched by the burning rays, so the recollection of the saints restores and strengthens the soul worn down by calamities. He did not say: hanging over us, but: “surrounding us,” which conveys more and shows that, encircling us all around, this cloud of witnesses makes us more secure… (Chrysostom).—“Every burden.” What does “every” mean? That is: sleep, negligence, base thoughts, everything human (Chrysostom).—“The sin that so easily entangles us”—τὴν εὐπερίστατον ἁμαρτίαν—more precisely in the Slavonic: “the easily encompassing sin,” that is, either the sin that easily masters us, or the sin that is easily overcome; the latter is better, since we can, if we wish, easily conquer sin (Chrysostom).—“With endurance let us run.” He did not say: let us struggle… but sets before us what is the easiest thing on the course. He did not say either: let us speed up our running, but: let us be patient in that same running, let us not grow slack (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:2. looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, Who, instead of the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Then he presents the chief consolation, which he offers both before and after—Christ… “Looking,” he says, that is, in order to learn from the contests, let us look to Christ (Chrysostom).—“Instead of the joy set before Him, He endured the cross…” that is, He could have not suffered if He had wished, because He “did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth” (Isa 53:9; John 14:30). If, then, He who had no need to be crucified was crucified for us, is it not all the more right that we bear everything with courage? (Chrysostom).—“Despising the shame…” “Let it be granted that He died; but why with a shameful death? For no other reason than to teach us to regard human glory as nothing” (Chrysostom).—“He has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God…” Do you note the reward of victory? Paul says the same thing in another epistle (Phil 2:9-10). “This he says of Christ according to the flesh” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:3. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart in your souls. The apostle rightly added this, because if the sufferings of our neighbors encourage us, what consolation must the sufferings of the Lord afford us? (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:4. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood, striving against sin, The meaning of these words is as follows: you have not yet undergone death, you have only lost property and reputation, you have only suffered exile; Christ shed His blood for you, whereas you have not shed it even for yourselves; He stood for truth to the point of death, striving for your sake, while you have not yet been exposed to dangers threatening death (Chrysostom).—“Striving against sin.” Here the apostle shows that sin also attacks forcefully and is likewise armed (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:5. and you have forgotten the exhortation that is addressed to you as sons: “My son, do not despise the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. “You have forgotten the exhortation,” that is, you have let your hands drop, you have grown slack (Chrysostom). “That is addressed to you as sons.” Having presented consolation from actual deeds, the apostle now additionally offers consolation from words, from the testimony he cites: “do not lose heart,” he says, “when He rebukes you”… So this is God’s doing; and it provides no small consolation when we are convinced that what has occurred may have come about through God’s action, through His permission (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:6. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives. You cannot, he says, name any righteous person who did not endure afflictions, and though it may sometimes appear so to us, we do not know the other afflictions they bore. Consequently, every righteous person must necessarily pass the way of affliction. If it cannot be otherwise, it follows that all who have entered into life have walked the narrow way (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:7. If you endure discipline, God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If God disciplines us, it is for correction, not for torment, not for suffering, not for pain. See how the apostle, by the very thing on account of which they considered themselves abandoned, instills in them the assurance that they are not abandoned, and speaks to them as if to say: in enduring such calamities, you already think that God has abandoned and hates you? No—if you were not suffering, then would be the time to fear this, because if “He chastises every son whom He receives,” then the one who is not chastised is perhaps not a son. But, you say, do not evil people also suffer? Of course they suffer—how could they not?—but he did not say: everyone who is chastised is a son; he said: every son is chastised. Therefore you cannot say: there are many evil people who are beaten too—for example, murderers, robbers, sorcerers, grave-robbers. They are punished for their own crimes; they are chastised not as sons but as criminals; but you—as sons (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:8. But if you are without discipline, which all share in, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Just as in families fathers take no care for illegitimate children… so it is in the present case. Therefore, if being without discipline belongs to illegitimate children, one must rejoice in discipline as a sign of true kinship (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:9. Furthermore, if we, when disciplined by our earthly fathers, showed them respect, how much more should we be subject to the Father of spirits and live? Hebrews 12:10. They disciplined us for a short time according to their own judgment, but He disciplines us for our benefit, so that we may share in His holiness. Again he draws encouragement from their own sufferings, which they themselves had endured… If children obey their earthly parents, how much more should one not obey the Heavenly Father? Moreover, the difference here lies not only in this, not only in persons, but in the very motives and actions. They do not discipline with the same motive—He and they (God and earthly parents)… The latter often do so for their own pleasure and do not always have the benefit in view, but of this one cannot say anything of the sort, since God does it not for any purposes of His own but for you, solely for your benefit…, not to receive anything from us, but to give to us…, so that we may become capable of receiving His blessings (Chrysostom).—“To share in His holiness”—so that we may become worthy of Him, to the extent possible. He takes care that you may receive, and uses every means to give to you…; consequently, discipline is beneficial, for it bestows holiness. And of course it does. For if it destroys laziness, corrupt desires, attachment to worldly things; if it concentrates the soul; if it disposes it to despise all earthly things—and from this very fact comes affliction—is it not holy, does it not draw down the grace of the Spirit? (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:11. Now all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Those who take bitter medicines first experience an unpleasant sensation, but afterward feel the benefit. Such is virtue, and such is vice: in the latter, pleasure is experienced first and affliction afterward; in the former—affliction first and pleasure afterward. And yet the two are not equal; it is not at all the same thing—to experience affliction first and pleasure afterward, or to experience pleasure first and affliction afterward. Why? Because in the latter case the expectation of future affliction diminishes the present pleasure, whereas in the former—the expectation of the forthcoming pleasure greatly mitigates the present affliction, so that sometimes in the one case no pleasure is felt at all, and in the other—no affliction at all. However, the difference lies not only in this but in another respect as well—namely, that they are unequal in duration; one is shorter and the others are far greater… From this Paul draws his consolation… You grieve?—he says. This is understandable: such is always the nature of discipline, this is how it begins…, it seems not joyful (and therefore is not so in reality)… but afterward to “those trained through it,” that is, to those who have long endured and suffered, it “yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness”—Slavonic: “fruits of peace” (καρπὸν εἰρηνικόν)—expressing thus their great abundance (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:12. Therefore strengthen the hands that hang down and the weakened knees, Hebrews 12:13. and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. He speaks as if to sprinters, fighters, and wrestlers. Do you see how he arms them, how he stirs them up… If discipline proceeds from love and benevolent care and leads to a good end—as he has shown both by deeds and words and everything—then why do you grow slack? Only those who have despaired do this, those not sustained by hope in the future. Walk straight, he says, so that what is lame does not bend further but comes back to its former state… You see that it is within our power to be completely healed… (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:14. Pursue peace with all people and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. What he said above (Heb 10:25), he expresses again here. In trials, nothing makes us so easily defeated and easily caught as division. And here is the proof: scatter a detachment of soldiers in battle, and the enemies will have no trouble seizing and binding them… (Chrysostom).—“Peace with all people…”—consequently, even with those who do evil (Rom 12:18)…, because nothing puts to shame those who do evil more than if we bravely endure the insults inflicted upon us and do not avenge them in word or deed (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:15. See to it that no one misses the grace of God; that no root of bitterness, springing up, causes trouble, and that many may not be defiled by it; “Do you see,” says Chrysostom, “how the apostle everywhere commands each one to contribute to the common salvation? (Heb 3:13). Do not leave everything to the teachers, do not lay everything on the leaders; you too can instruct one another… (1 Thess 5:11). If you are willing, you can do more for one another than we can; you see each other more often, you know each other’s affairs better than we do, you see mutual shortcomings, you have more frankness, love, and mutual familiarity; and these are no small things for instruction, but provide great and beneficial means.”—“That no one may miss the grace of God.” By the grace of God the apostle means the future blessings, the evangelical faith, the virtuous life: all of this comes from the grace of God (Chrysostom).—“That no root of bitterness…” and so on. This is said in Deuteronomy (Deut 29:18), and the expression itself is used figuratively, borrowed from the example of plants. If there is such a “root of bitterness,” that is, one that brings harm, do not allow it to send out shoots, but pull it up, so that it does not bring forth the fruits proper to it, so that it does not infect and defile others… Rightly does he call sin bitter; indeed, there is nothing as bitter as sin. This is known to those who, after evil deeds, are stung by conscience and experience great bitterness… The property of what is bitter is to be harmful. And he expressed it beautifully: “root of bitterness,” not saying: bitter, but: “of bitterness.” A bitter root may bring forth sweet fruits, but a root—the source and foundation of bitterness—“when it cannot bring forth sweet fruit, in it everything is bitter, there is nothing sweet, everything is tasteless, everything is unpleasant, everything is full of hatred and disgust” (Chrysostom).—“That many may not be defiled by it…”—that is, to prevent this from happening, separate yourselves from dissolute people (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:16. that there be no immoral or irreverent person among you, who, like Esau, sold his birthright for a single meal. Let no one be like Esau—a “defiler,” that is, a glutton, intemperate, given over to the world, despising spiritual blessings…, one who gave away the honor granted by God through his own carelessness, and for a small pleasure lost the greatest honor and glory (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:17. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; he found no opportunity for repentance, though he sought it with tears. “What does this mean? Does he reject repentance? No. But then—how does he say ‘he found no place for repentance’? (μετανοίας γὰρ τόπον οὐκ εὗρεν). If he condemned himself, if he wept bitterly, then why ‘did he find no place for repentance’? Because it was not the fruit of repentance. Just as Cain’s grief was not the fruit of repentance—as he proved by the murder—so here too Esau’s words were not the fruit of repentance, which he afterward likewise proved by murder: for he intended in his heart to kill Jacob. ‘Let the days of mourning for my father draw near,’ he said, ‘that I may kill Jacob my brother’ (Gen 27:41). Therefore tears could not impart repentance to him. And he did not simply say: ‘repentance,’ but: ‘though he sought with tears, he found no place for repentance.’ Why? Because he did not repent in the proper way” (Chrysostom).—“He found no place for repentance,” he says, either because he had sinned more than repentance could remedy, or because he did not bring forth worthy repentance; consequently, there are sins that exceed repentance. Therefore let us not allow a fall that is incurable; while we are only limping it is easy to recover; but when we have completely broken down, what will become of us? He directs this toward those who have not yet fallen, restraining them with fear and saying that one who has fallen cannot receive consolation. But to those who have fallen, so that they do not give in to despair, he suggests the opposite” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:18. You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is blazing with fire, nor to darkness, gloom, and storm, Hebrews 12:19. nor to the sound of a trumpet and a voice speaking words, which those who heard it begged that no further message be spoken to them, Hebrews 12:20. for they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned (or pierced with an arrow);” Hebrews 12:21. and so terrifying was the sight that Moses said: “I am trembling with fear.” Cf. Exod 20:18-19. Moses’ fear (verse 21) is not mentioned by himself in his description of these events. Evidently the apostle made use here of some tradition on which probably also the protomartyr Stephen relied, likewise mentioning the fear of Moses in his speech (Acts 7:32). A certain basis for this tradition may be seen in Deut 9:19, where Moses says: “I was terrified of the anger and wrath with which the Lord was angry with you and was about to destroy you…” (which was said after the smashing of the tablets).

Hebrews 12:22. But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem and to myriads of angels, Hebrews 12:23. to the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous who have been made perfect, Hebrews 12:24. and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks more eloquently than that of Abel. “Do you see how many arguments he has used to prove the superiority of the New Covenant over the Old? Instead of the earthly Jerusalem—the heavenly; instead of Moses—Jesus; instead of the people—all the angels…, all the assemblies of the faithful… So do not grieve, he says: you will be with them” (Chrysostom). Some, making the comparison, disparage everything of that former time in order to exalt the present more; but I consider that former time also to be wondrous, while at the same time proving that ours is far superior and more marvelous. It is great twofold: as being glorious and more important, and at the same time as more accessible and briefer… They were not counted worthy of what we have received… They saw darkness and cloud, they heard a voice. But you too heard the voice of God, only not through a cloud but through the flesh of Christ, and you were not confused or frightened, but stood and conversed with the Mediator… Then even Moses was afraid, but now—no one. Then the people stood below, but we are not below, but above the heavens, near God Himself, as His sons—not as Moses was; there was a desert, but here is a city, and myriads of angels… Those did not approach, but stood at a distance, as did Moses too; but you have drawn near (Chrysostom).—“The sprinkled blood which speaks more eloquently than that of Abel” (cf. Heb 11:4; Gen 4:10). “The blood of Abel is still glorified even today, yet not as Christ’s, because this blood has cleansed all and utters a voice more glorious and weighty, the more the very deeds bear witness to it” (Chrysostom). If blood speaks, then all the more is He Himself alive—the One who was slain. And what does it say—listen: “the Spirit intercedes with groanings that cannot be expressed in words” (Rom 8:26). How does it speak: by entering a pure soul, elevating it and moving it to speak (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:25. See that you do not refuse the One who is speaking. For if those who refused the one who spoke on earth did not escape punishment, much less will we escape if we turn away from the One who speaks from heaven, Hebrews 12:26. whose voice then shook the earth, and who has now given this promise: “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.” If those did not escape punishment for not listening to the one who commanded on earth, how can we fail to listen to the one commanding from heaven?… Although it is One and the Same in both cases, the One who speaks “from heaven” is especially terrifying. The apostle speaks of a difference not in persons but in gifts (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:27. The words “once more” signify the transformation of what can be shaken—as something that has been created—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. All will be changed and arranged for the better from above; this is expressed by the words cited here. So why do you grieve, suffering in a temporary world, in a passing world? If there were uncertainty about the future destiny of the world, one awaiting its end would have reason to grieve.—“So that what cannot be shaken may remain,” he says. And what is unshakeable? The future (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:28. Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakeable kingdom, let us hold on to grace, by which we may serve God in a way that is pleasing to Him, with reverence and awe, “Let us hold on to grace”—ἔχωμεν χάριν—“let us have grace,” that is, let us give thanks to God, let us be steadfast. We must not only not murmur in present calamities, but must offer God the greatest gratitude for them on account of future blessings (Chrysostom). It is impossible to serve God in a way pleasing to Him without giving Him thanks for everything—both for trials and for consolations.—“With reverence and awe”—that is, let us say nothing bold, nothing shameless, but let us order ourselves so as to earn respect (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 12:29. for our God is a consuming fire. Just as above the apostle called God the Judge of all—that is, not only of Jews or believers, but of the whole world—so here he calls Him a “consuming fire,” inspiring a salutary fear in those who even under the new grace do not cease to stand in need of it.

Chapter Thirteen

Exhortation to hospitality, brotherly love, and purity of life (1–6). Exhortation to obedience to leaders, to imitation of their faith, and to following in the footsteps of Christ (7–17). Concluding greetings and good wishes (18–25).

Hebrews 13:1. Let brotherly love continue. He did not say: be brotherly, but: “let brotherly love continue.” He did not say: be hospitable, as though they were not already such, but: “do not neglect hospitality.” See how he commands them to keep what was already with them, adding nothing else (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:2. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for through it some have entertained angels without knowing it. He further adds what could especially encourage them: for through hospitality, he says, “some entertained angels without knowing it.” Do you see what honor, what benefit! (Chrysostom).—“They received angels as guests, not knowing that they were angels. Therefore Abraham was also counted worthy of a great reward, that he received angels as guests not knowing they were angels; for if he had known, it would have been in no way remarkable. Some think that the apostle here also means Lot and speaks of him” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:3. Remember those who are in chains as if you were bound together with them, and those who are suffering, as though you yourselves were in the body. The command about prisoners and those who suffer evidently has its historical basis here in the fact that many of the Christians at that time were being thrown into prisons and chains, as well as subjected to all manner of other sufferings. In this connection, the nearness of the same danger to each person is implied—and therefore the possibility for each person to experience the need for that help and those consolations to which the apostle is calling. The general sense of the apostle’s reply is: feel compassion for your imprisoned brothers with such feeling as if you yourselves were bound; remember those who suffer, as if you were in their bodies and enduring what they endure.

Hebrews 13:4. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. He said first: “let marriage be held in honor among all and the marriage bed undefiled,” and then added the threat of punishment, showing that he was right to make the further addition.

Hebrews 13:5. Keep your character free from the love of money, being content with what you have. For He Himself has said: I will never leave you nor forsake you, Hebrews 13:6. so that we may confidently say: “The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid; what will man do to me?” “Keep your character free from the love of money,” that is, let your mind be free, let your thoughts express wisdom; and this will be evident if we do not seek after what is superfluous, if we are content with only what is necessary… He adds consolation as well, so that they do not despair (Chrysostom), recalling the words of God in Gen 28:15; Josh 1:5 and the words of the Psalmist — Ps 117:6.

Hebrews 13:7. Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you, and considering the outcome of their way of life, imitate their faith. What is the connection of thought here? Very good: looking, he says, at their “manner of life,” that is, at their life, imitate their faith, because faith comes from a pure life (Chrysostom). What does “considering” mean? Constantly turning to it, reflecting within yourselves, meditating, carefully examining and testing as you see fit. He spoke well: “the outcome of their way of life,” that is, the life to the end, because their life had a good end (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:8. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Here by the word “yesterday” the apostle means all past time; by the word “today”—the present; by the words “forever”—the future, which has no end. And the meaning of his words is as follows: you have heard of the High Priest, but of a High Priest who is not temporary. He is always the same. Perhaps at that time some were saying that the Crucified One was not the awaited Christ, but that another would come; and therefore he says: “yesterday, today, and the same forever,” expressing that the Christ who came will come again, that He is one and the same—He was before, He is, and He will be forever (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:9. Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good to have the heart strengthened by grace, and not by foods, which have not benefited those who have been devoted to them. “Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings…” He wishes them to be carried away neither by strange teachings alone, but by varied ones as well; he knew that both bring ruin to those who are carried away (Chrysostom).—“It is good to have the heart strengthened by grace and not by foods.” Here he hints at those who, proceeding from their strange teachings, observed a superstitious distinction of foods. For faith all things are pure; faith is needed, not foods (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:10. We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. What is ours, he says, does not resemble the Jewish, so that even the Jewish high priest is not permitted to partake of our mysteries (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:11. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp — Hebrews 13:12. therefore Jesus also, in order to sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Hebrews 13:13. Therefore let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach; Do you see the clear foreshadowing? “Outside the camp” then, and here—“outside the gate.” And so we too must imitate the One who suffered for us and be outside the world, or rather—outside worldly deeds…, bearing His reproach—that is, enduring the same, sharing in His sufferings. Just as He, having been condemned, was crucified outside the gates, so let us too not be ashamed to withdraw from the world (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:14. for here we have no lasting city, but we seek the one that is to come. Cf. Heb 12:22; Phil 3:20.

Hebrews 13:15. Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His name. “About what sacrifice is he speaking? He himself explains it when he says: ‘the fruit of lips that confess His name’—that is, prayers, hymns of praise, thanksgiving—this is the fruit of the lips. They offered sheep and oxen, giving them to the priest; but we shall offer not something of that sort, but gratitude and imitation of Christ in everything, to the extent possible: this is what must spring forth from our lips!”…

Hebrews 13:16. Do not neglect to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. “Let us offer Him such a sacrifice,” he says, “that He may bring it up to the Father” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:17. Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give an account; let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Lack of authority is evil and the cause of confusion; but no less an evil is the disobedience of subordinates, for from it the same results follow. However, obedience to leaders also lays many obligations on the leaders themselves. Let them hear, says Chrysostom, not only the subordinates but also the leaders: that just as subordinates must be obedient, so leaders must be watchful and vigilant. And what do you say? The leader watches, incurs dangers for his own sake, is liable to punishment for your sins, feels such fear on your account, and you—are lazy, resist, are vainglorious, and do not want to obey! Therefore the apostle adds: “so that they may do this with joy and not with groaning, for that is of no advantage to you.” You see that a leader, if he is disregarded, must not take revenge, but that his tears and groaning serve as better vengeance? And rightly so… The groaning of a leader is worse than any vengeance. When the one who is groaning can do nothing himself, he calls on the Master; just as when a teacher or tutor is involved, if a child does not obey him, another—stricter—is summoned, so exactly here (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:18. Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. You see, says Chrysostom, that he is making his defense, as if addressing people who were displeased with him, who turned away from him, who looked upon him as an apostate and did not even want to hear his name. From those who hated him he was asking what others could ask only of those who love them, and therefore he now says the following: “we are confident that we have a good conscience.” Do not bring accusations against me, he says: our conscience does not condemn us in anything; we are not aware of having harmed you. “Desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things…”—we have done nothing out of self-interest, nothing out of hypocrisy. He was probably accused of this (Acts 21:21).

Hebrews 13:19. I especially urge you to do this, so that I may be restored to you the sooner. So, to ask them to pray is characteristic only of one who loves them deeply. Not simply pray, he says, but with all earnestness, so that I may come to you sooner. Such a desire to come to them and such a request that they pray for him is characteristic of one who has no reproach against himself. Therefore, having first asked for their prayers for himself, he then himself asks God to grant them all blessings (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:20. Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus (Christ), “The God of peace”—he says this because there were disagreements among them (Chrysostom).—“Who brought up from the dead the Shepherd…” The teaching about the resurrection of Jesus Christ was meant to show the Jews that Christians believe not only in the suffering Christ, humiliated and a stumbling block (1 Cor 1:23), but also in the One raised from the dead alive forever, and therefore great and able to help those who believe in Him (Rom 10:9; Heb 4:14).—“Through the blood of the eternal covenant…”—refers both to clarifying the greatness of the Shepherd who redeemed His sheep through this Blood, and to the perfecting in every good work and the pleasing of God, for which the blood of Christ provides the most powerful forces and means.

Hebrews 13:21. equip you in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ. To Him be glory forever and ever! Amen. “Equip you…” The apostle bears witness to their great virtues, because what is accomplished is that which has a beginning and continues to be carried out (Chrysostom).—“See how he suggests that virtue comes neither entirely from God alone, nor entirely from ourselves alone; he clarifies this with the words: ‘equip you in every good work,’ and what follows—as if saying: you have virtue, but you need to be perfected in it… He made a beautiful addition: ‘working in you what is pleasing before Him.’ ‘Before Him,’ he says—because the greatest virtue is to do what is pleasing before God” (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:22. I appeal to you, brothers, bear with this word of exhortation; for I have written to you briefly. Having written so much, the apostle calls it small, comparing it with what he had wished to write (Eph 3:3).

Hebrews 13:23. Know that our brother Timothy has been released, and if he comes soon I will see you together with him. This was sufficient for them to maintain meekness, given that he himself with his disciple was ready to come to them (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:24. Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy send you greetings. See what honor he showed them, by writing the letter to them and not to their leaders (Chrysostom).

Hebrews 13:25. Grace be with all of you. Amen. When is grace with us? When we do not offend against this benefaction, when we do not disregard this gift… It is within our power for it to remain with us or to depart. “The first,” says Chrysostom, “happens when we care for heavenly things; and the last—when we care for earthly things… Whoever carries fire with him does not fear those who meet him, whether it be a wild beast, or a man, or a multitude of nets—as long as he is surrounded by fire, everything yields to him, everything flees from him. This fire is unendurable, this flame is unbearable and all-consuming. Let us then clothe ourselves in this fire and send up glory to our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father with the Holy Spirit—glory, dominion, honor, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.”

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Introduction

On the Catholic Epistle of the Holy Apostle James

The writer of the epistle. Its designation and readers. Time and place of composition. The authenticity of the epistle. The general character and brief content of the epistle.

The writer of the first canonical epistle, without calling himself an apostle in his greeting (Jas 1:1), humbly names himself: “James, servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” However, this silence about the apostolic office of the writer, addressing his epistle to “the twelve tribes scattered abroad,” not only does not deny the apostolic rank of the writer, but speaks of his great and undeniable authority both among Jewish Christians and among Jews in general. In this respect, the writer places above all praise the humble title and awareness of himself as a servant of God and Christ, and such a disposition is precisely what distinguishes the true apostles of Christ from those who wrongfully assumed apostolic authority. This leads to the conclusion that James, the writer of the epistle, was an apostle of Christ, one of the leaders of the apostolic church, who had oversight of Jewish Christian communities both within and outside Palestine. Such a person was the first and most renowned representative of the Jerusalem church, St. James, the Lord’s brother, called the Righteous, one of the seventy apostles (Acts 12:17; Gal 1:19). Church tradition attributes the writing of the epistle to this James, not to James the son of Zebedee or James the son of Alphaeus (the brother of the Apostle and evangelist Matthew). James the son of Zebedee died quite early (around 44 AD) a martyr’s death at the hands of Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:2); moreover, there are no historical records showing that he was known in the regions of the Diaspora. Meanwhile, the entire content of the epistle presupposes that its writer was well known throughout the Jewish Christian Diaspora. James, the Lord’s brother, according to tradition, enjoyed such fame in Jewish Christianity and Judaism, and he came into prominence after the death of St. James the son of Zebedee (Acts 15:13; Gal 1:19). This very James, the Apostle Paul places on equal footing with the Apostles Peter and John, calling all three the pillars of the Church (Gal 2:9).

If, following the lead of blessed Jerome (Prol. Comm. Matt. ch. XIII), many Catholic scholars (Cornelius a Lapide, Migne, Corneli, and others), Protestant ones (Baumgarten, Lange) and some Russian scholars (Metropolitan M. Philaret, Archbishop of Chernigov Philaret, Professor I. V. Cheltsov, Professor M. D. Muretov) identified James, the Lord’s brother, with James the son of Alphaeus, one of the twelve Apostles, both the New Testament data and the testimony of church tradition speak against this identification. In the Gospel, the Lord’s brothers according to the flesh—James, Joseph, Simon, and Jude—are clearly distinguished from the apostles or the Lord’s first and closest disciples, for example, in John 2:12: “After this, he went down to Capernaum, he and his mother and his brothers and his disciples.” If here and in some other places in the Gospel (Matt 12:48; Mark 3:31; Luke 8:19) the Lord’s brothers stand apart from the disciples or apostles of the Lord, then in John 7:5 it is explicitly stated that at first the Lord’s brothers did not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore could not be numbered among the apostles—and this is all the more remarkable because the evangelist John made this remark about the unbelief of the Lord’s brothers almost immediately after mentioning the circle of twelve apostles that had already been formed and existed (John 6:70-71). Even after the Lord’s resurrection, when the Lord’s brothers came to believe in him, they are still distinguished from the apostles (Acts 1:13-14), though sometimes they are mentioned alongside them (1 Cor 9:5). And ancient church tradition, for all its obscurity regarding the Lord’s brothers, still in most cases confirms that James, the Lord’s brother, is a person distinct from the Apostle James the son of Alphaeus. Thus, in the Apostolic Constitutions, James the Lord’s brother is clearly distinguished from the apostles of the twelve. “We twelve,” it is said in the Const. Apost. VI:12, “gathered together in Jerusalem, appeared to James, the Lord’s brother,” and below, VI:14, as those who proclaimed the catholic doctrine are named first the apostles of the twelve (including the Apostle James the son of Alphaeus), and then are added also “James, the Lord’s brother and bishop of Jerusalem, and Paul, the teacher of the nations.” Clement of Alexandria, in Eusebius, says: “Peter, James, and John, although chosen by the Lord himself (above other disciples), after the Savior’s ascension did not become rivals for the preeminence, but chose as bishop of Jerusalem the Righteous James” (Church History II:1). Eusebius himself in I:12 of his Church History numbers James, the Lord’s brother, among the seventy apostles, and in VII:19 says that James, the brother of Christ, “first received the episcopacy over the Jerusalem church from the Savior himself and the apostles,” by which in both instances James, the Lord’s brother, is clearly set apart from the circle of the twelve apostles. Finally, in the Menologion on October 23, James, the Lord’s brother, is numbered among the seventy apostles.

We will not go into a detailed examination and resolution of the difficult question: who were the Lord’s brothers according to the flesh? We will only say that the most substantiated view, and one more grounded in ancient church tradition, is that the Lord’s brothers were children of Joseph the Betrothed from his first marriage. Among the four brothers mentioned in the Gospel (Matt 13:55; Mark 6:3), James was undoubtedly the eldest and stood out from them by exceptional righteousness. He accompanied Joseph and the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus in their flight to Egypt from Herod’s persecution. Growing up with his brothers in the pious family of Joseph in the spirit of true piety, James was distinguished among the brothers precisely by his righteousness, which gave him the name “the Righteous.” According to the testimony of Hegessipus (in Eusebius, Church History II:23), St. James was a Nazirite from his mother’s womb: “He drank no wine or strong drink, ate no animal food, never cut his hair, and never anointed himself with oil or bathed.” But precisely because of James’s and his brothers’ especial devotion to the law, they remained unbelieving throughout the entire earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ, and only at the beginning of the book of Acts do we find (Acts 1:14) the first mention of the Lord’s brothers among the believers, together with eleven apostles and the Mother of the Lord. Such a transition of James from unbelief to faith was accomplished through the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and his appearance to James (1 Cor 9:5). The conversion of James, the eldest of the brothers, to Christ brought about the conversion of the other brothers as well. Having believed with all his heart in the Lord Jesus, James, the Lord’s brother, both in his life and activity and in his views, represents an example of a true Jewish Christian in the best sense of that term; in his person we have the finest example of the union of the Old and New Testaments on a practical life basis. Regarding the law of Moses with great respect in its entirety and observing its ceremonial prescriptions, even advising the Apostle Paul to fulfill the rite of purification (Acts 21:18-26) for the sake of peace among the members of the Jerusalem church, James, however, at the apostolic council was the first to raise his voice for the liberation of those who believed among the Gentiles from the yoke of the law of Moses (Acts 15:13-21). For St. James, Christianity was not merely a transformed Judaism, but a new path of salvation in Christ, beginning with regeneration through the Gospel (Jas 1:18). Without severing the national-historical connection with Judaism, as the legacy of his fathers, St. James, however, permitted the fulfillment of Old Testament customs and ceremonies only insofar as they were not given a dogmatic, permanent significance, and they were transformed by the Christian spirit. The moral life of the Christian, according to the teaching of St. James, is regulated by the royal law of Freedom (Jas 1:25); all perfection and justification of the Christian is accomplished only through union with Christ in living and active faith (Jas 2:14-26), and he recognizes only active Christian love as a common obligation for all (Jas 1:27). In no way was St. James in antagonism with St. Apostle Paul—the great herald of Christian freedom (contrary to the opinion of Farrar and other Western scholars)—and only the enemies of the great apostle to the Gentiles—Judaizers and Ebionites—made use of the name and authority of the first bishop of Jerusalem to conceal their Judaistic tendencies and designs. The Nazirite observance of St. James, while Judaic in form, was Christian in spirit: with good reason it can be considered the prototype of Christian asceticism (and monasticism). St. James sealed his Christian ascetic life with his own blood. Enjoying the great respect of all believers and unbelievers, he lived continuously in Jerusalem until his martyrdom (perhaps around 64 AD), in the circumstances of which was expressed both the high respect that even unbelievers held for him as a great righteous man, and the truly Christian character of his faith and life. Hegessipus (in Eusebius, Church History II:23) recounts the martyrdom of Apostle James as follows: “When many believed (through the word of Apostle James)—even some of the elders—the Jews, scribes, and Pharisees began to cry out and say that in this way all the people would come to expect Jesus as the Christ. Therefore, coming to James, they said: ‘We ask you to restrain the people; you see, they are deceived and expect Jesus as the Christ. Now everyone has gathered for the Passover feast; we ask you to convince them about Jesus. We trust you in this, for we ourselves testify together with all the people to your righteousness and impartiality. So persuade the people not to be deceived about Jesus. Stand on the parapet of the temple so that from that height you will be seen by all and your words will be heard by the whole assembly…’ The aforementioned scribes and Pharisees indeed placed James on the parapet of the temple and then cried out to him: ‘Righteous one! We all must listen to you. The people are deceived and will follow Jesus who was crucified: tell us, what is the door of Jesus who was crucified?’ James cried out loudly: ‘Why do you ask me about Jesus, the Son of Man? He sits in heaven at the right hand of the great Power and will come again on the clouds of heaven.’ By this testimony of James many were fully convinced and began to praise Jesus, crying out: Hosanna to the Son of David! But the scribes and Pharisees said to each other: ‘We made a mistake in preparing such a testimony to Jesus; let us go up and throw down James so that at least people will not believe because of fear.’ And they began to cry out: ‘Oh! Oh! even the righteous one is deceiving…’ They went up and, having thrown down the righteous one, said to one another: ‘Let us stone him,’ and began to throw stones at him. The one who was thrown did not die immediately, but, rising up on his knees, spoke: ‘Lord, God the Father! forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.’ Meanwhile, as stones were being thrown at him, a certain priest, one of the sons of Rechab (mentioned by the prophet Jeremiah), cried out: ‘Stop! What are you doing: the righteous one is praying for us.’ But at that very moment one of them, a fuller, seized a club with which cloth is beaten, struck the righteous one with it—and he died.” From this account it is evident that St. James was a true apostle of Christ, proclaiming to the Jews Jesus as the Christ, the Savior and future Judge, and seeing salvation solely in Christ, not in the Old Testament law. And according to the testimony of Josephus (Jewish Antiquities XX:9, 1), St. James, by the judgment of the high priest Ananus, was stoned to death precisely as a transgressor of the law. This means that St. James’s observance of the customs and practices of his people was carried out in a Christian spirit.

The epistle of the holy Apostle James was originally designated and sent, as is stated in the inscription (Jas 1:1), to “the twelve tribes scattered abroad.” Contrary to the opinion of some researchers (Hoffmann, Jan, Holtzmann, Jülicher) who gave this expression a figurative meaning and saw in it a designation of “the new or spiritual Israel,” not having a continuing city in this world but seeking the one to come, the expression “twelve tribes” is an ancient theocratic designation of the entire Hebrew nation as one people of God, in distinction from other pagan nations (Acts 26:6); the addition “scattered abroad” (in the Diaspora) first of all indicates that the readers of the epistle were located outside Palestine. Meanwhile, the entire content of the epistle, having a purely Christian character, shows that these were genuinely Christians from Jews, or Jewish Christians. Not without foundation, however, did some indicate (for example, Weiss) that the writer’s speech often turns to unbelieving Jews as well, which is entirely natural in view of the fact that in the early period and for quite a long time believing and unbelieving Jews did not separate sharply from one another and had common gatherings, and also in view of the well-known very great authority of the Apostle James both among believing and among unbelieving Jews. Similarly, the restrictive addition “scattered abroad” does not exclude Jewish Christians and Jews in general living also in Palestine itself; the content of the epistle is fully applicable to them as well, though the epistle is primarily addressed to readers outside Palestine, more specifically, probably to Christian communities beyond the Jordan, of Damascus and Syria (see Acts 9:1).

Like all apostolic epistles, the epistle of St. James was occasioned directly by the needs and conditions of the religious and moral life of Christian communities; these particular features in the life of the latter to a very significant degree determined the content of the epistle, though some thoughts of the epistle could have been expressed by the apostle independently of the contemporary condition of the epistle’s readers, as is the case in Holy Scripture generally, where beside historical data stand enduring truths of doctrine and moral teaching. The Christians from Jews, according to the indications of the epistle, suffered many persecutions from without and experienced many internal disorders. Thus, poor Jewish Christians suffered numerous persecutions from their wealthy compatriots (Jas 2:2-7) and amid these and similar external hardships often deviated from a true understanding of the source of these hardships and temptations (Jas 1:12-21), were in danger of wavering in faith and even departing from it (Jas 5:7-11 and others). From sensual impulses and attachment to earthly goods arose quarrels among them (Jas 4:1-12); fraternal love in many had grown cold (Jas 4:13-17); many from arrogance wished to be teachers of others without having the ability and preparation for it (Jas 3:1 and following). From this proceeded such important and destructive errors of Jewish Christians as incorrect views on prayer (Jas 1:5-8), on faith and good works in their mutual relation (Jas 1:26-27). These and similar disorders in the inner and outer life, to which Jews and Christians from Jews have always been particularly inclined and which the holy apostle calls temptations, prompted the writing of the epistle. The purpose of the latter was, as is evident in itself, to eliminate from the life of Jewish Christians the mentioned dispositions and defects, to comfort the suffering, and to point all Christians in general the true path of moral perfection (see Jas 1:4). It is possible to suppose moreover—in view of the well-known high authority of the Apostle James even among unbelieving Jews—that by establishing the moral life of Jewish Christians on higher Christian principles, the apostle aimed also to attract unbelieving compatriots into Christianity.

The time and place of the epistle’s composition are not indicated in the epistle itself, as is the case with the time and place of origin of other New Testament writings. Therefore, the time of the epistle’s composition is determined only tentatively and conjecturally. In favor of an early composition, namely before the apostolic council at Jerusalem (51–52 AD), it was pointed out that the epistle’s very designation to Jewish Christians seems intelligible only in the early period before the Jerusalem council, the non-mention in the epistle of disputed points from the time of the apostolic council (ceremonial law, the relation of Gentile Christians to Jewish Christians), and also the predominantly moral-teaching character of the epistle with the relative scarcity of doctrinal elements, in which was seen evidence of the epistle’s nearness in time of writing to the Sermon on the Mount and the discourses of the Lord in general. These arguments have only relative value, and each of these positions can be opposed by considerations of the opposite kind. In favor, on the other hand, of a relatively later composition of the epistle, besides the wide spread of Christianity among the Jews of the Diaspora, it was pointed out, among other things, to the sad picture of the religious and moral condition of Jewish Christian churches according to the data contained in the epistle: Christianity among many had become thoroughly worldly, from which it was concluded that the epistle appeared in a later period of Apostle James’s life. It is easy, however, to see the weakness of this basis as well: can one generally within the span of two decades (within these limits the determination of the time of the epistle’s composition varies) point to a chronological boundary when the initial light and purity of the faith and life of Christians were obscured? Even more disputed is the argument for the late origin of the epistle derived from the supposed familiarity of Apostle James with the epistles of Apostles Peter and Paul. But the question of the mutual relation of the epistles of all three of these apostles is not easily resolvable. In particular, regarding the Apostles James and Paul, even Western European researchers of their epistles now unanimously acknowledge that Apostle James in his epistle does not at all oppose his worldview to the teaching of Apostle Paul, does not at all polemicize with him on the question of justification, as rationalist researchers of an earlier time liked to assert. Thus, the question of the year of the epistle’s composition we leave open, limiting ourselves only to attributing its origin to the middle of the 50s of our era.

All the more decisively must we reject the attempts of rationalist criticism to push back the composition of the epistle to the second Christian century, attributing (for example, by Harnack, Pfleiderer, Jülicher, and others) the writing of the epistle to 125–130 AD. Here we already have a denial of the epistle’s authenticity, doubts about which were known even to Christian antiquity. But the grounds for denying the epistle’s authenticity put forward by modern researchers: the supposed, but completely illusory polemic with Apostle Paul, the alleged influence of Essenism or Gnosticism, and so on, are completely absurd and do not require particular refutation. The reference to the similarity of some passages of the epistle to passages from the First Epistle of St. Clement of Rome (ch. 10 and 31, compare Jas 2:21, ch. 17, or ch. 38 see Jas 3:13) and from the “Shepherd” of Hermas (Vision III:9, compare Jas 1:27; Similitude IX:23, see Jas 4:12) proves precisely the opposite, namely: the complete fame and universally acknowledged authority of the epistle of St. James at the time these two ecclesiastical writers lived.

A very important proof of the authenticity of the epistle of St. James is the fact that the epistle, precisely as belonging to the Apostle James, is found in the Syriac translation Peshitta of the 2nd century. This is all the more important because this translation originated in a region bordering on the region where the epistle was written. Eusebius of Caesarea, like blessed Jerome, numbers this epistle among the disputed ones, but himself testifies to its public use in many churches (Church History III:25). The authenticity of the epistle is also confirmed by the testimony of it, besides the already mentioned St. Irenaeus of Lyon, Tertullian, also Clement, Didymus, and Dionysius of Alexandria and others. “The later acceptance into the canon testifies only to the caution with which the church established the apostolic origin of those writings which were not designated for some particular church, and therefore could not find the support of its authority for their canonicity, but required broad and thorough acquaintance with their origin” (Professor Bogdashevsky). After Eusebius, all doubts about the epistle’s authenticity cease forever in the church, and it remains immutably in the canon of divinely inspired books. Only Luther, finding in the epistle of St. James a refutation of his false doctrine about justification and salvation by faith alone, initially did not even include this epistle among the sacred New Testament writings. But this view, owing to a gross misunderstanding of the high moral-Christian dignity of the epistle, was soon abandoned by the Protestants themselves.

Regarding the place of composition there is no disagreement. Since the epistle belongs to the pen of St. Apostle James, the Lord’s brother, the first bishop of Jerusalem, the place of composition was indeed Jerusalem or Palestine in general, where, according to tradition, James dwelt continuously until his death. And the general tone of the content speaks to the Palestinian origin of the epistle. Many images of the apostle’s speech are explained only by the peculiarities of Palestine. The mention of early and late rain (Jas 5:7), of the fig tree, olive, and grapevine (Jas 3:12), of salt and bitter springs (Jas 3:11-12), of a burning wind that dries vegetation (Jas 1:11), presupposes the writer’s close and direct familiarity with Palestinian nature. The very designation of the epistle for all Jewish Christians of the Diaspora naturally points to Jerusalem as that central focal point of Jewish Christianity in which the sacred writer of the epistle could most conveniently learn about the condition of Jewish Christian communities of the Diaspora.

The epistle has an almost exclusively moral-teaching character; moral-practical content decisively predominates over the doctrinal, which appears in the epistle infrequently, and precisely as the basis of moral teaching (for example, Jas 1:18). “If St. Paul is the apostle of faith, St. Peter is the apostle of hope, St. John is the apostle of love, then James the Righteous both in his writing is the apostle of righteousness. The restoration on the basis of the Gospel’s law of violated righteousness in the relations of the rich to the poor constitutes, one might say, the main purpose of the epistle, permeating it from beginning to end” (Professor Bogdashevsky). In the disclosure of the concept of righteousness and moral truths in general, St. Apostle James, as naturally to be expected, very often comes into contact with the Old Testament moral-teaching books: the book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Wisdom of Solomon, the Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach. In tone, force, and ascetic severity in the disclosure of the concept and demands of righteousness, and also in directness and force of denunciation of rich oppressors, the epistle of St. James is most closely related to the book of the holy prophet Amos (compare, for example, Jas 2:6-7 and Amos 2:6 and others). But even more closely and in both spirit and letter the epistle of St. James is connected with the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, for example, in the designation of the New Testament revelation as “law” compare Matt 5 and see Jas 1:25. With this agrees a special spirit of loving-kindness permeating all the apostle’s exhortations and allowing us to see in the epistle a purely Christian work, though clothed in the form of Old Testament gnomical wisdom. And in the doctrinal aspect of the epistle, alongside the general Old Testament conception of God as a Being of absolute purity (Jas 1:13), God alone (Jas 2:19), Father of lights and source of all good (Jas 1:17), Lord of Sabaoth (Jas 5:4), sole Lawgiver and Judge (Jas 4:12) and so on, stands the apostle’s doctrine of Jesus Christ as the true God (Jas 1:1) and Lord of glory (Jas 2:1), whose second coming is the limit of believers’ expectation and hope (Jas 5:7-8), and whose teaching or Christianity in general is “the word of truth” by which God in Christ begot us (Jas 1:18), is “the perfect law of freedom” (Jas 1:25). In view of this, the strange opinion of a contemporary German scholar (Spitta) must be decisively rejected, according to which the epistle of James is a purely Jewish work written by a Jew for Jews around the time of Christ.

The original language of the epistle, in all probability, was Greek; it was the language spoken by the Jews of the Diaspora, and to them the apostle, both in oral conversation, which he held with them, according to the testimony of Hegessipus, before his death, and in his epistle could address himself only in Greek. The quotations from the Old Testament in the epistle are made according to the Greek translation of the Seventy (Jas 2:11). Moreover, the Greek language of the epistle, though not classical, is sufficiently pure, which apparently testifies that St. James commanded Greek from childhood.

The inspiration of the apostle’s speech and the aphoristic form of the exposition of his thoughts permit a division of the content of the epistle not so much into logically defined parts as only into separate groups of thoughts. The first group of the apostle’s instructions is formed by the discourse Jas 1:2-18 “on the temptations that befall Christians.” Then follow groups of thoughts: Jas 1:19-27 “on the right relation to the word of truth,” Jas 2:1-13 “denunciation of partiality,” Jas 2:14-26 “doctrine of justification”—three sections of one, essentially, group of exhortations, whose basic thought is the unity of Christian word and deed, teaching of life, faith and works. Thus, this second group of thoughts encompasses Jas 1:21-2:26. The third group of instructions forms the third chapter, Jas 3:1-18 — “on teaching, on false and true wisdom.” The fourth group of thoughts is formed by the fourth chapter, Jas 4:1-17 — on the true relation to God and the world. The fifth and final group is formed by verses 1–11 of the fifth chapter—“denunciation of the rich and comfort for the poor and humble.” The epistle ends with concluding exhortations to all Christians Jas 5:12-20.

In Russian, regarding the epistle of James, besides journal articles and remarks in general guides to New Testament books, there are several special works: 1) Fr. I. Kibalchich—St. James, the Lord’s Brother. An Attempt at an Overview of the Catholic Epistle of James, the Lord’s Brother. Chernigov, 1882. 2) N. Theodorovitch—Commentary on the Catholic Epistle of the Holy Apostle James. Vilna, 1897. 3) Hieromonk, now Bishop, George (Yaroshevsky)—The Catholic Epistle of the Holy Apostle James. An Attempt at an Isagogic-Exegetical Study. Kiev, 1901. 4) Archbishop Nikanor (Kamensky)—Explanatory Apostle, Part I. St. Petersburg, 1905. The best of all is the work of Bishop George, both in terms of thoroughness of isagogic information and in terms of breadth and depth of exegesis, as well as in strict adherence to scholarly method. In the work of Bishop George (pages VI-VIII of the Preface) extensive literature, foreign and Russian, on the epistle of the Holy Apostle James is indicated. An excellent article on “the Holy Apostle James and his epistle” with exhaustive bibliography belongs to Professor Protopriest D. I. Bogdashevsky in the Orthodox Theological Encyclopedia published with the journal “Strannik,” vol. VI, St. Petersburg, 1905, columns 42–55. By the same Professor Protopriest D. I. Bogdashevsky in the aforementioned “Essays on the Study of the Sacred Scriptures of the New Testament” (issue I, Kiev, 1909), besides introductory questions on the epistle (pages 153–178), succinctly but fully and profoundly correctly set forth are the “basic features of the theology” of the epistle of St. James (pages 178–201), and much earlier in a separate brochure are presented “explanatory remarks on the most difficult passages of the Catholic Epistle of the Holy Apostle James.” Kiev, 1894.

* * *

For literature and basic points of the question about the “Lord’s brothers” see the Orthodox Theological Encyclopedia (St. Petersburg, 1906), vol. VI (columns 55–91). The best work on this question is the composition of the late Professor A. P. Lebedev—“The Lord’s Brothers: an Overview and Analysis of Ancient and Modern Opinions on the Question.” Moscow, 1904.

Chapter One

Inscription and greeting (1). Instruction in temptations (2–11): on temptations and patience (2–4), on wisdom and prayer (5–8), on the insignificance of wealth (9–11). The nature and source of temptations; the all-perfect God—source of all good and salvation (12–18). Restraint of anger and tongue, fulfillment of the law (19–26). The essence of true religion (27).

James 1:1. James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered abroad—greetings. The naming of himself as a servant of God and Jesus Christ is fully understandable from the lips of Holy James as a true apostle of Christ: according to the remark of Blessed Theophylact, “the apostles of the Lord place above all worldly honor the fact that they are servants of Christ.” By this seemingly strange naming of himself, the Apostle perhaps intended to arouse faith and humility in his readers and also to win their trust. Contrary to some modern commentators (such as Haltzmann, Jülicher), the expression “to the twelve tribes scattered abroad” does not at all mean the spiritual Israel or the Church of Christ scattered among Jews and Gentiles—such symbolism or allegorism is entirely foreign to the epistle of the Holy Apostle James—but means, in its literal sense, precisely the Jewish Christians outside Palestine; probably these were “primarily Christian communities beyond the Jordan, of Damascus and Syria, where Christianity, as is evident from Acts 9 and following, spread very early” (Professor Bogdashevsky). The address to the readers with the wish to “greet” (rejoice), while somewhat recalling the greeting customary among Greeks and Hellenistic Jews (see 1 Macc 10:18; Acts 23:25 and others), has, however, a specifically Christian meaning for the Apostle, as in the circular letter of the Jerusalem council, edited by the same apostle (Acts 15 and following), namely the meaning of joy in the Lord Jesus as God the Savior and Redeemer. Full of joy and blessedness himself, even in the most severe trials of faith, St. Apostle wishes his readers above all this high and insurmountable joy of earthly sorrows.

James 1:2. Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various trials, James 1:3. knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance; James 1:4. and let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. The wish for joy (verse 1) from the lips of the Apostle expresses his profound Christian worldview on life. By this worldview St. Apostle illuminates for his readers their own life, which seemingly abounds in sorrows. “Temptation and sorrow for God’s sake the apostle considers both praiseworthy and worthy of joy, because they are the strongest bonds and the growth of love and contrition, therefore it is said: ‘My child, when you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for temptation’ (Sir 2:1), and Christ said: ‘In the world you will have tribulation, but be courageous’ (John 16:33). For without struggles one cannot receive crowns either in the world or from God” (Blessed Theophylact). Temptation (Greek peirasmos, Hebrew massa) in the language of Holy Scripture, besides the general meaning: trial, test, proof (see, for example, Gen 22:1; Deut 8:2 and others), usually has a narrower and more specific meaning in the sphere of moral life: an inclining, seduction toward something vicious, bad, sinful (for example, Matt 4:1; Luke 4:2), whereby such seduction or inclining of human will can come from the evil will of the devil or people, and can also proceed from the concurrence of circumstances and various objects. “All objects, actions, and circumstances that subject faith and the rules of Christian morality to trial are temptations. Of course, they are not temptations by their very essence, but in relation to man’s response to them: what is a temptation for one serves not to tempt another” (Bishop Michael). The Apostle in this case understands by “various temptations” apparently most closely the external hardships of the epistle’s readers: the hardships of poverty, the seductions of wealth, persecutions from various sides, and so on. Every such temptation a Christian, according to the Apostle, should meet and receive not only without despondency, murmuring, or discouragement, but even with complete, unmixed joy. “Temptations bring great joy to the zealous because through them the trial of such persons is revealed, and trial leads to complete effect” (Blessed Theophylact). According to the profoundly true remark of Bishop Michael, “this is such a height in the apostle’s contemplation of the moral law of development that it was not reached even by the highest minds of pagan antiquity and can be ascended and lead to only in Christianity, which not only has pointed out but also gives man the grace-filled strength to ascend to such a height.” For a complete representation of temptations one should compare with the apostle’s instruction (verse 2 and following) the Savior Christ’s commandment about the prayer of Christians to God the Father: “do not lead us into temptation” (Matt 6:13; Luke 11:4). It is evident that besides temptations of an external, so to speak, elemental character, there are temptations that are purely spiritual or of the soul, representing great danger of spiritual fall and spiritual death. Such a character of temptations is well known to St. Apostle James as well, as shown by his words in Jas 1:13-15. Thus, if temptations sent by God are to be received by us with complete submission to his will and complete joy and equanimity, then from temptations threatening our faith and morality we should guard ourselves both by the sinlessness of our life and by prayer to our Heavenly Father for their repulsion from us, provided, of course, that it is the will of the Lord. But with such a distinction in temptations, “steadfastness is beneficial in each of their kinds” (Blessed Theophylact). On such a property of trials and sorrows speak in agreement both Apostle James in verse 3 and Apostle Paul (Rom 5:3). Steadfastness, hupomone, means constancy in virtue and forms an essential condition of true Christian perfection. Therefore it is said further, verse 4: “and let steadfastness have its full effect, so that you may be perfect and whole, lacking nothing.” Only through steadfastness are removed the obstacles on the path to moral perfection, and only under the condition of steadfastness are united and acquire strength in the human soul all the separate virtues, and Christians in this case can hope that they will be “perfect” (teleioi)—fully attain the goal of their existence, “whole, lacking nothing.”

James 1:5. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all freely and without reproach, and it will be given to him. The work indicated by the Apostle (verses 3–4) of patiently and calmly enduring trials is not an easy task to accomplish and at the same time is inaccessible to ordinary human understanding: to help a person in both respects can only true wisdom. “He calls wisdom the cause of complete effect, for he knows that the testing of faith and steadfastness in temptations is not the lot of all people but of the wise in God, therefore he moves those wishing to display faith and steadfastness toward prayer for wisdom” (Blessed Theophylact). Wisdom, Greek sophia, Hebrew hokmah, means in general correct understanding, knowledge of divine and human things, and chiefly means the practical correct determination of the goals of action and the means to achieve them. Thus—on the Old Testament biblical basis (Prov 1 and following), in the same way—in the New Testament, for example, in Apostle Paul (Col 4:5; Eph 5:15) sophia often means the wisdom of Christian behavior. Without doubt, in such a sense St. Apostle James speaks of wisdom. This is not simple rational human wisdom, but that wisdom coming from above and full of good fruit of life of which Apostle James speaks later (Jas 3:17). “He speaks not of human wisdom, but of spiritual, for in it he indicates the cause of complete effect, and that cause is heavenly wisdom, by strengthening which we can accomplish what is good perfectly” (Blessed Theophylact). One who has such wisdom should, according to the apostle’s instruction, pray to God. The possibility and ease of receiving what is asked from God the apostle shows by expressly using statements about God which demonstrate that providing blessings to those who ask is an inseparable property of Divinity (“God who gives”), and that the love in God’s giving is such that God gives to all “generously and without reproach” (simply and without rebuke)—out of pure goodwill and without any reproaches, such as occur in human charity.

James 1:6. But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the sea wave, tossed and driven by the wind. James 1:7. Do not think that such a person will receive anything from the Lord. James 1:8. A man with divided mind is unstable in all his ways. In God there cannot be a reason for the non-fulfillment of a person’s request for wisdom or any other gift, but such a reason can lie in the person himself, in his inner disposition. Before all else and more than anything for one who asks God for wisdom (or anything else) there is necessary firm faith, free from any doubt or wavering. “If he believes, then let him ask, but if he does not believe, then let him not ask either, for he will receive nothing of what he asks. One who doubts—and he is the one who asks with pride… One who doubts is he who is far from firm action and is uncertain whether one thing or another will happen” (Blessed Theophylact). Conversely, the prayer of a Christian asking for wisdom should be free from any wavering, which the apostle compares in respect to instability, movement, and unreliability—with a wave of the sea (verse 6, compare); prayer should indeed be firm and stable, based on the unshakable foundation of faith. “Just as a beneficent God is all compassion and beneficence, so the asking person should be all faith and confidence” (Bishop George). In verse 8 the apostle, repeating in figurative form the thought expressed in verse 6 about the destructiveness of doubt and wavering, calls a person subject to this affliction of doubt and wavering “double-minded,” dipsychos, as if having two souls, one striving toward God, the other toward the world; from this—instability and disorder in all his ways, in all his moral activity. “A double-minded person—one in confusion, disordered, imperfect, of divided mind, a hypocrite… otherwise the apostle calls such a person unstable, one who does not strive firmly toward either the present or the future, but is tossed about here and there, holding to the future one moment, the present the next” (Blessed Theophylact). “Cast aside your own double-mindedness and do not doubt at all in asking the Lord and receiving from him” (The Shepherd of St. Hermas, Commandment 9).

James 1:9. Let the brother of humble circumstances boast of his exaltation, James 1:10. and the rich of his humiliation, because he will pass away like the flower of the grass. James 1:11. The sun rises with burning heat and withers the grass; its flower falls off and its beauty is lost. So also the rich man will fade away in his ways. True wisdom, necessary for a person to correctly understand the significance of temptations in the work of moral perfection and given by God as the fruit of true prayer, teaches a person to evaluate different things and phenomena of life differently than ordinary human wisdom does. Thus, two opposite phenomena of public life—poverty and wealth, whose improper use can always lead a person into temptation—are evaluated differently by worldly wisdom and completely differently by spiritual, Gospel wisdom. The first recognizes poverty as a great evil and wealth as an undisputed good. Conversely, true wisdom from God sees good or evil not in poverty or wealth in themselves, but in the Christian’s attitude toward poverty or wealth. A poor person but one enduring his poverty according to the law of Christ is taught by true wisdom to boast in his high calling as a Christian, which remains in force even amid complete external humiliation, and a rich person but one wishing to make use of his wealth according to Christ is taught by true wisdom to boast in his humility, his voluntary poverty—in the event of his fulfilling Christ’s commandment to sell possessions and give to the poor (Matt 19:21) or, at least, by his proper attitude toward fleeting wealth and its use for God’s purpose. The apostle proves the necessity for the rich of precisely such an attitude toward wealth by comparing wealth to rapidly perishing grasses and flowers under the action of the burning sun with heat (verse 11). By the word kaus on, translated in the Church Slavonic-Russian translation as “heat,” according to Old Testament-biblical usage, one should understand the mighty eastern wind, Hebrew ruach-qadim or simply qadim (see Gen 4:6; Exod 10:13; Jer 18:17; Ezek 17:10; Ps 77:26), otherwise called the “sirocco.” This wind in prophetic speech, besides its proper meaning, also has the meaning of the image of the destructive action of God’s anger (for example, Hos 13:15).

James 1:12. Blessed is the man who endures trial, because, having been tested, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love Him. Uniting what has been said earlier (from verse Jas 1:2) about temptations or trials that overtake people, the apostle now shows the final result of patient endurance of various life trials, namely: blessedness—having passed through the furnace of trials (Jas 1:2) and been morally cleansed in it, like gold is purified by fire, the Christian person has firm hope to be crowned with the crown of true life in eternal union with God. Love for God and Christ, expressed in a Christian’s patient endurance of various trials, will make them worthy to receive this high reward, according to the infallible promise of the Savior (Matt 5:10-11). “The apostle,” says St. John Chrysostom, “has sufficiently exhorted to endure temptations with joy, so that the matter might stand firm, and steadfastness would be complete; both of these happen naturally and are not without purpose. The apostle tries to convince them to fulfill what has been said above by another exhortation, when he says that one who endures temptation is blessed by the promise. For such a one, conducting a struggle as the athletes do, will be a tested man, proven in all ways. Therefore to him, after he has experienced sorrows, is given the crown of life, prepared by God for those who love him.”

James 1:13. In trial, no one should say: God is testing me; for God is not tested by evil, and He Himself does not test anyone, James 1:14. but each one is tested when he is drawn away and enticed by his own desire; James 1:15. then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Until now the Apostle has spoken of temptations in general, not distinguishing them by their source of origin and their very nature, and has pointed to their high beneficial significance as trials for the will and faith of a person (Jas 1:2). Now, with the tendency of weak-willed and little-believing people to justify their falls into temptation by saying that temptations are sent by God, the Apostle offers his readers a strict distinction of temptations by their origin and essence. Those trials or deprivations about which the Apostle has spoken thus far are sent by people by God with a good, saving purpose—to establish people, through trials, in good and bring them to true good, to life in the true sense. As examples of such trials in the Old Testament, one can name the trial of Abraham’s faith (Gen 22), Job’s (Job 1; Job 2 and following) and the Israelites during their wandering in the desert (Deut 8:2). In all these and similar examples of God’s trials of people, in the case of their enduring the temptation, the result or fruit of temptation is steadfastness, moral strength, moral perfection of those being tested, and the end of all—eternal blessed life (Jas 1:2-4). But there are quite different temptations coming from the devil or arising in the person’s own soul. In the passages under consideration, the Apostle speaks of these latter temptations, and the description given by the Apostle of temptation has great religious-psychological value, outlining completely the entire process or progressive course of the development of temptation in the human soul. First of all (verse 13) the Apostle with complete decisiveness eliminates any thought of a sinful person that temptation to sin and evil can come from God: such a thought fundamentally contradicts the basic concept of God as a being of absolute holiness and goodness—“God is unable to be tempted by evil, and he himself does not tempt anyone.” The word apeirasos should be rendered precisely as it is rendered in the Russian translation—in the sense that God is absolutely foreign to evil, is unconditionally not affected by any inherent evil inclinations. The Church Slavonic translation: “He is not a tempter to evil,” as well as the Vulgate: intentator—are not accurate, all the more because with such a rendering there would be a tautology with the following expression: “and he himself does not tempt anyone.” According to verses 14–15, the true source and actual foundation of temptation lies in a person’s “own desire,” idia epithymia. “Whoever through sin and incontinent life creates temptation for himself and, as it were, is constantly plunged in danger, he,” says the Apostle, “is tempted not by God, but by his own desire” (Blessed Theophylact). Wishing to show how temptation arises in the human soul (verse 14) and what ruinous consequences it ends in (verse 15), the Apostle for greater clarity uses a comparison of this psychological process with the conception and birth of a child. The originators of sinful temptation in the soul are, on the one hand, a person’s own desire, which has its foundation in the original, inborn sin (compare 1 John 2:16), but which is growing and strengthening under the influence of each individual person’s conscious inclination; on the other hand, is the person’s free will, agreeing with desire. Desire is the more passive factor; however, for a weak will its action is just as strong and destructive as the action of a prostitute on a seduced man. But the will of a person agreeing with temptation is already an active, impregnating principle, from the criminal union of which with desire comes conception, and then the birth of such a criminal child—sin, and sin then, in its turn, gives birth to its offspring—death, namely eternal spiritual death. And since temptations of the kind described have sin and death as their fruit, it is clear that they cannot proceed from God, who is absolute holiness and true life. It is also clear that people’s attempts to justify their falls into temptation by reference to God have no support. But still in the verses under consideration (13–15) this thought is argued only from the negative side, and therefore in the following verses Jas 1:16-18 the Apostle proves it in a positive manner as well.

James 1:16. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. James 1:17. Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change and no shadow of turning. Having to give in verse 17 and 18 a positive and most powerful refutation of the error mentioned in verse 13, the apostle in verse 16 exclaims: “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers”—an expression customary in apostolic epistles (see John 3:7; 1 Cor 6:9-10). The refutation itself is expressed in verse 17 and consists in the thought that from God, by his very nature, comes only what is good and perfect; consequently, he cannot be the originator or cause of temptations leading a person to sin and ruin: this would contradict the properties of the unchangeable divine being. The apostle very characteristically names God the Father of lights, ho pater ton photon. Whether to understand, with the majority of commentators, by the word ta phota the heavenly bodies or with other commentators (Blessed Theophylact) to see here the designation of angels—both are in accord with biblical usage and are justified by the biblical representation of God as Creator both of the heavenly lights (for example, Ps 135:7) and of angels (Job 38:7), which manifest in various ways and to various degrees the image of Divine Light—in any case, here is contained the thought of absolute purity and holiness of God’s being: the light of the heavenly bodies and even the light of the angelic powers is subject to fluctuations and changes; on the contrary, in God is eternal and unchangeable light, always equal to itself; he does not fluctuate between evil and good, from him always proceeds unchangeably only what is good. “In God of lights there is no change, for he himself calls through the prophet: ‘I am and do not change’ (Mal 3:6), and the expression ‘shadow of turning’ means that in God one cannot even conceive of any change” (Blessed Theophylact).

James 1:18. In His desire, He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation. As the highest manifestation of God’s love and goodness, the Apostle points to the begetting of people by the word of truth (logoi alethias), as proof of the same position, that from God can come only what is good. “Rebirth—this most perfect gift coming from the Father of lights—is the work of God’s good will. Resting in the depth of divine being, it forms a complete opposite to what sin produces, namely, the latter, as a bearing mother, gives birth to death, and God, as if herself becoming a mother, begot us into new life” (Professor Bogdashevsky). The greatness of this benefaction is shown already by the fact that it has been granted to people undeservedly, solely by God’s all-good will—“by his choice,” bouletheis. “He said ‘by his choice’ because there are people who suppose that the world came into being by chance” (Blessed Theophylact). Without doubt, this refers not to the creation of the world and humanity, but to the rebirth of humans through the preaching of the Gospel (compare 1 Cor 1:5; 2 Tim 15), which is called the power of God (Rom 1:16): through faith in the Gospel is laid the foundation of spiritual rebirth of a person, who through this faith appropriates to himself the redemption accomplished by Christ, and enters into a new covenant with God, is reborn to a new, holy life. The purpose of spiritual rebirth is indicated in the Apostle’s words: eis to einai hemas aparchen tina ton autou ktismaton, so that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creation. Here the Apostle, keeping in mind the custom of biblical Hebrews—in fulfillment of the requirement of the law (Exod 22:29; Lev 2:12; Num 18:12; Deut 18:4; Prov 3:9; Ezek 20:40) to offer as a gift to God and his sanctuary the first and best fruits (reshit bikkurim) of the earth, calls the first Christians the first fruits of the spiritual harvest (as also Apostle Paul, 1 Cor 3:9) in the sense of priority in time and honor (primi et honoratissimi, according to Oecumenius). In this, the Apostle views Christians in relation to the whole world as God’s creation. Renewal must touch all the world, as all creatures await, according to Apostle Paul (Rom 8:19-21), restoration to its primordial perfection; such restoration began with Christ’s first coming and will be completed at his second coming. Christians, according to Apostle James, are the first beginnings, the first bearers of this renewal, and on account of their small number are called “a kind of first fruits.” According to Blessed Theophylact, the words “a kind of first fruits” mean advantage and highest dignity, and “creation” means the visible world. If, therefore, God in the fullness of his free love and goodness wished to beget people and make them the beginning of the renewal of the whole world, can he tempt a person toward evil and destruction? In giving in verse 18 the final basis for refuting the destructive error (Jas 1:13), the Apostle, at the same time, in the mention of the “word of truth” that begets humans proposes a theme for his subsequent discourse (Jas 1:19-27) on the Christian’s attitude toward this word of truth.

James 1:19. So then, my beloved brothers, let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger, James 1:20. for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God. James 1:21. Therefore, put away all uncleanness and the remaining wickedness, and in gentleness receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. The word of Gospel truth—in order to be in a condition to bear good fruit in the life of people, first of all must be heard and received with proper disposition. There is first needed complete readiness and zeal to hear the word of the Gospel. In doing so, the Apostle urges his readers and all Christians to listen to and appropriate the word of truth most of all, and least of all to strive for speeches, for abundance of words. Here, conversely, is needed great moderation and caution (compare Jas 3:1-2). Even more necessary is to avoid passionate anger, expressing the disposition of the carnal person, immeasurably far from God’s righteousness (20). Conversely, Christians, having cast out from their hearts all filthiness and every remnant of selfishness and malice, should with gentleness receive into their souls, as into ready soil, the plantings of Gospel truth, which are produced in a visible way by preachers of the Gospel, and in an invisible way by God himself—in spiritual-grace-filled rebirth (verse 21, see Jas 1:18). The apostle’s instruction (verse 19) regarding slowness in speech reminds us of the exhortation of the Old Testament sage: “be swift in hearing and answer a reply with patience” (Sir 5:13); for the original readers of the epistle, who came from the Jews, this instruction was particularly understandable and compelling, but the general sense of it has great psychological value and importance. Blessed Theophylact regarding this apostolic instruction remarks: “One should be swift in hearing—not merely hearing, but active hearing that moves one to put what is heard into practice. For it is known that whoever listens carefully and attentively will be ready to fulfill what he has heard, but whoever slowly resolves to do something and puts it off may later completely abandon the undertaking. Therefore, regarding the study of divine matters, the apostle commands swiftness, but regarding what the fulfillment of which is connected with danger, slowness. Such are: words and anger. For talkativeness in anger does not end in good.”

James 1:22. But be doers of the word, not just hearers, deceiving yourselves. James 1:23. For whoever hears the word and does not do it is like a man who looks at his natural features in a mirror: James 1:24. he looked at himself, turned away, and immediately forgot what kind of man he was. James 1:25. But whoever looks intently into the law of perfection, the law of freedom, and persists in it, not being a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, will be blessed in his doing. The word of truth, in order to lead people to salvation, must not only be carefully and attentively heard, but, like a seed received and appropriated by the soil, must be planted in the soil of the human heart and produce appropriate growth, that is, be expressed and manifested in good deeds; the entire life and activity of a Christian person should be the expression and realization of what the word of truth teaches. Whoever does not conduct the word of truth in his life deceives only himself, erroneously thinking that the divine word will still be useful for him in such a case, will bring him blessedness (verse 25), salvation, which in reality cannot be: perfection and blessedness are achieved not by simple hearing or knowledge of the word of truth, but by action in accord with the recognized word of truth (compare Matt 12:24-26). The Apostle further clarifies this truth by a vivid example: the word of God communicating truth to a person (Jas 1:18) is compared by St. James to a mirror, wherein, if in a mirror a person observes the image of his external aspect (prosopon tes geneseos), in God’s word is imaged the inner face of a person, the image of his moral being; but as a person who has seen in a mirror the features of his face and made no use of his observation, has not, for example, combed his head, soon and without trace loses from memory the impression received when looking into the mirror, so also a person who hears the word of Gospel truth and does not fulfill it does not have God’s word “remaining” (John 5:38) in him, forgets about it, and it brings him no saving fruit. From an ordinary mirror the Apostle transitions to a mental mirror, concluding nothing from what has been set out in brief words. He should have said thus: whoever hears the law and does not fulfill it is like a person looking at his face in a mirror. As this person looked at himself, went away, and immediately forgot what kind of person he was, so also the one who saw from the law what he was created for, namely for God’s glory and for life according to the image of the one who created him, fulfilled nothing of what he saw, but acted exactly like the one who looked in the mirror: he should have made use of what he saw, but he, like the other one. And it is not without purpose that the Apostle does this: he concentrates the listener and impels him to hear this not in passing. For ‘blessed are not such hearers, but those who unite hearing with action’ (Blessed Theophylact). Beneficial and saving is the hearing and study of the word of the Gospel only in the case where this hearing and study is followed by an active fulfillment of the rules and commandments of the Gospel. The word of Gospel truth (Jas 1:18), as a word sown in our hearts (Jas 1:21), written not on tablets of stone but on the tablets of the heart (2 Cor 3:6), is a divine word, fully corresponding to our true nature. In this sense it is “the perfect law, the law of freedom” (nomos teleios ton tes eleutheria, Jas 1:25), compared with the Old Testament law, which in another apostle is called the law weak and imperfect (compare Jas 7:18-19) and the law of bondage (Gal 5:1): “that was an external law, fragmented, enslaving the will, but this is an internal law, acting internally on a person’s will” (Professor Bogdashevsky). On the freedom of the Gospel law Apostle Paul says: “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed me from the law of sin and death” (Rom 8:2). “To the words ‘the perfect law’ he adds (Apostle James) ‘the law of freedom’ in order to indicate its distinctive feature—freedom; for the law of Christ, by freeing from physical bondage, places the one who comes to him in freedom, makes him through this freedom more attentive and frees him from forgetfulness, harmful to all good” (Blessed Theophylact). If in the Old Testament righteousness consisted in the observance of “the commandments and statutes of the Lord” (Luke 1:6), then in the passage under consideration in the Apostle (verse 25) there is discussion of such a penetration into the law, such an appropriation of it that leads to the realization of the law. “The law of freedom” is not only a law that is freely observed, but also a law that gives you freedom, but all this—on the condition of “remaining” (paramenas) in this law a Christian, that is, if he makes it the constant law of his life and activity,—and with the endeavor of a person to be not a “forgetful hearer” but a “doer of the work.” “Under the blessedness promised to the fulfiller of the law is understood first of all the blessedness of the work itself, as is evident from the expression en te poiesei autou (“in what he does”), and then also the future blessedness, bringing comfort to a person’s heart in the doing of it in the present life” (Bishop George).

James 1:26. If anyone thinks he is devout and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his devotion is empty. James 1:27. Pure and undefiled devotion before God and the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. The Gospel law is undoubtedly perfect; but people’s relationship to this perfect law can take shape in the manner of the Jews’ relationship to the law of Moses: to guard against such an incorrect attitude toward the law of the Gospel is what St. James does in verses 26–27, armed here, verse 26, as also below Jas 3:1-8 against sins of the tongue, especially—against the passion for teaching. This vice was, apparently, very widespread in the Hebrew, and subsequently Jewish Christian society of the Apostle’s time. “According to the Jews’ understanding, religious is the one who is faithful in deeds, because such a one seems to not belong to the crowd. The Jews, fulfilling to the letter the prescriptions of the law, thought highly of themselves, considering all their religiousness toward God to be in their observance, and, busying themselves with them alone, dreamed of acquiring blessedness through them… To deter from such an opinion, the Apostle gives the present instruction. Having mentioned a doer of the work and called him blessed, he at once corrects the evil arising in many at the fulfillment” (Blessed Theophylact). Thus, according to the Apostle, empty (mataioss), worthless and vain religiousness is possible both in the observance of the law of Moses and in following the perfect law of Christ: from the danger of such show religiousness the Apostle warns in verse 26. Verse 27, in contrast to false religiousness, names true religiousness (threskeia) and characterizes it from two sides. The first mark of true religiousness, of value in God’s sight, is “to care for orphans and widows in their distress”: of course, this is only a particular example, only one of the types of active love and true religiousness, chosen, probably, as a favorite image in sacred writers of the Old (and subsequently the New) Testament for representing selfless love and charity (for example, Deut 10:18, see Job 29:12-13; Ps 67:6). This active love and charity, in order to be truly saving, must have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as its foundation (Jas 2:1). “So, if you wish to be religious, display religiousness not in reading, but in the fulfillment of the law, which consists especially in showing compassion to your neighbor, for compassion to a neighbor is a kind of likeness to God. ‘Be merciful,’ it is said, ‘as your heavenly Father is merciful’ (Luke 6:36); only our mercy should be free from partiality” (Blessed Theophylact). “This is how we can be like God—namely in mercy and compassion. Therefore, if we do not have this, we are bereft of everything” (St. Chrysostom). Another mark of true, pure and undefiled religiousness according to Apostle James is keeping oneself unstained from the world. World, ho kosmos, here is understood in the sense of the evangelist John’s view of it (John 7:7; see 1 John 5:19)—as the totality of all forces hostile to God and good. To guard one’s soul from all uncleanness of the world lying in evil, to resist evil and struggle against it—this, together with deeds of mercy and love, is an essential mark of true service to God.

Chapter Two

Exhortation to impartial treatment of neighbors (1–13). Teaching on faith and good works in relation to justification (14–26).

James 2:1. My brothers! Hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, without partiality. The Apostle has just (Jas 1:27) indicated that true religiousness is expressed most of all in charitable, active love for the unfortunate. Now (Jas 2:1) he points out the true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the source and foundation of this virtue, whom he here calls the Lord of glory, perhaps with the purpose of elevating the reverent disposition of the epistle’s readers, and at the same time showing the complete inappropriateness of that partial preference of the rich over the poor before the Lord of glory, which the Apostle immediately (verse 1) names, and then (Jas 2:2) denounces: “whoever does anything with favoritism dishonors himself, because he shows disrespect for his kinsman and, first of all, disrespect for himself, because the character of actions toward one similar to oneself is transferred to the one acting” (Blessed Theophylact).

James 2:2. For if a man comes into your gathering with a gold ring, in rich clothing, and a poor man also comes in shabby clothing, James 2:3. and you look upon the one dressed in rich clothing and say to him: you sit here in a good place, and you say to the poor man: you stand there, or sit here at my feet— James 2:4. are you not wavering in yourselves and becoming judges with evil thoughts? That the warning against favoritism (Jas 2:1) was prompted by the presence of this vice in early Christian society is shown by the example given here, verses 2–3, and apparently drawn from the actual life of the epistle’s readers, all the more censurable because it occurred in a worship assembly of believers (synagogue here, as in Heb 10 — a Christian worship assembly) before the Lord of glory, before whom all the glory and greatness of the world is nothing. Seeing in such conduct a clear violation of the perfect law of faith in Christ, St. Apostle remarks with rebuke: “You have become judges with evil thoughts” (verse 4), that is, “you have corrupted your judgment… have become unjust judges, yielding to deceitfulness from favoritism” (Blessed Theophylact).

James 2:5. Listen, my beloved brothers: did not God choose the poor of the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which He promised to those who love Him? James 2:6. But you have despised the poor. Do not the rich oppress you, and do they not drag you into the courts? James 2:7. Do they not blaspheme the good name by which you are called? The contradiction of favoritism to Christian duty is shown, first, by the fact that those who first believed and turned to Christ when he called were poor, unknown people, despised in the world (verse 5, see 1 Cor 1:26-28), and second, by pointing to the unworthy conduct of the rich, more specifically to the inclination of the rich toward violence and litigation, verses 6–7; Apostle Paul similarly denounced such conduct of strong members toward weaker ones in the Christian Corinthian community (1 Cor 6:8). According to the just judgment of the Apostle, the rich ones—apparently belonging to the Christian community (not pagans or Jews, as some commentators supposed)—through their conduct contrary to the law of Christ dishonor, disgrace the “good name” (to kalon onoma)—that is, the name of Christians, by which in early times were designated the followers of Christ (Acts 11:26; 1 Pet 4:16).

James 2:8. If you fulfill the royal law, according to Scripture: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”—you do well. James 2:9. But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. In concluding his denunciation of the vice of favoritism, the Apostle points to it as a violation of the chief law of moral life—the royal law of love for neighbors, known as such already in the Old Testament (Lev 19:18), but even more clarified in the New Testament (Matt 22:40; Rom 13:8-10; Gal 5:14).

James 2:10. Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one point has become guilty of all. James 2:11. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder”; so if you do not commit adultery but do murder, you are a transgressor of the law. In substantiation of the position stated in verses 8–9, that favoritism, being a separate sin, is nonetheless a violation of the royal law of love, the Apostle now, verses 10–11, presents a remarkable organic view of God’s law: transgression against any single commandment of the law is a violation of the whole law, precisely because the entire law with all its varied commandments is an expression of one will of the Lawgiver God, and transgression against a single commandment is transgression against the holy will of the one Lawgiver, and therefore against the whole law. Such an organic understanding of God’s law was characteristic of the Old Testament period, where every transgression of a person was judged from the perspective of one theocratic idea, and even more so is it intrinsic to the New Testament understanding of the all-encompassing significance of the fundamental principle of moral life—the principle of love. Blessed Theophylact remarks on verses 10–11: “Whoever sins in one thing becomes accountable for all, because he does not have perfect love. For love is the head of all good, and when there is no head, then all the rest of the body is of no account… The commandments ‘Do not commit adultery’ and ‘Do not murder’ are given as examples. Note that even these examples are taken from the law relating to the perfection of love. For whoever loves his neighbor will neither commit adultery nor murder; because such deeds belong to an enemy. If it were not so, then none of the people would be saved, because no one keeps all the commandments, but whoever kept purity is sometimes overcome by anger, and whoever shows mercy is often possessed by envy. Therefore, it is not said that there should be no lack of virtues at all, but about love—that it should be done without lack, with no partiality, but in entirety… So by the whole law must be understood the law of love…”

James 2:12. So speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom. James 2:13. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. In conclusion of the section following the denunciation of improper treatment of neighbors (Jas 2:2-4), the Apostle exhorts his readers to act according to the law of freedom (see Jas 1:25), which is the law of love: this law is both easy to fulfill and has such an absolutely binding significance for a Christian that by this very law of love, according to the measure of fulfillment of this law, Christians will be judged at the last judgment of Christ (Matt 25 following). And at this awesome judgment, charitable love according to the law of Christ has in itself and bears firm confidence (Church Slavonic “boasts,” Greek katakauchata), as if it triumphs beforehand, that it will overcome the awful, threatening power of the future judgment, will free the person from punishment and destruction. “If we have forgiven our neighbors their sins against us and have given from our possessions to the poor, then God’s mercy will receive us when he judges our deeds. On the contrary, terrible condemnation awaits those who have not shown kindness to those like themselves… It seems to me that the action of mercy is like what oil does for wrestlers. Wrestlers, anointed with oil, easily slip away from the grasp of their opponents. So our mercy to the poor gives us the ability at judgment to escape the attacks of demons” (Blessed Theophylact).

James 2:14. What benefit is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? The Apostle has already shown earlier that true faith is necessary and is essentially expressed in active love for neighbors, especially in help to those in need of various kinds: Jas 1:27; has also pointed to the high justifying significance of active love at the judgment of God, Jas 2:13. Now, from verse 14 to the end of the chapter (through verse 26 inclusive), the Apostle sets out in detail this same element of Christian piety—the element of active realization of the beliefs of mind and heart. Faith not testified to by corresponding action which should flow from faith as consequence from its foundation—such faith is nothing, dead (Jas 2:17). The Apostle directly, though in question form, places at the head of all his reasoning the fundamental position on the insufficiency of faith alone for the justification and salvation of a person. “He speaks as if to say: show me your works, by which I would call you a believer, for that is what faith is… If someone does not prove by works that he is faithful to God, then he should not even be called faithful. For it is not the one faithful who merely calls himself God’s, but the one who loves God so that he is ready even to die for faith in him” (Blessed Theophylact).

James 2:15. If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, James 2:16. and one of you says to them: “Go in peace, be warm and be fed,” but does not give them what is needed for the body—what benefit is it? James 2:17. So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. The Apostle now, verses 15–16 (as well as above Jas 2:14), clarifies the indicated (Jas 2:3-4) uselessness of inactive faith alone for justification and salvation of a person with a concrete example of benevolent and sympathetic but not expressed in any good deed attitude of a person toward those in need of necessities—clothing and food; as such merely verbal sympathy to a neighbor’s misfortune brings no benefit either to the latter or to the person expressing his compassion only verbally, so faith not accompanied by good works in keeping with the nature of faith is useless, as devoid of internal vital force, as ghostly, dead faith: he pistis ean me eche, nekra estin kath eauten. From the last expression of verse 17 kath eauten, Church Slavonic “in itself,” as well as from the entire context of the Apostle’s discourse, it is evident that, according to his view, works (good) stand in organic connection with faith, flow or grow from faith as fruit from a life-giving root. Once there are not these fruits of faith, necessarily expected from the type of tree of faith, this is a certain sign that the root of the tree itself is dry, lacking vital juices. Thus, works are proofs of the vitality of faith (verse 17, see and Jas 2:26).

James 2:18. But someone will say: “You have faith, and I have works”: show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith from my works. James 2:19. You believe that God is one; you do well, and even the demons believe—and shudder. The position stated (Jas 2:14-17) on the organic relationship between faith and corresponding works the Apostle here secures with a dialogical form of speech: having in mind to give a proof of his thought a contrario, he brings forth (verse 18) his ally and opponent and, decisively striking down the latter’s incorrect judgments, thereby further clarifies his fundamental position (Jas 2:14 and following). In the accepted Greek text and Church Slavonic translation, verse 18 has an difficult reading: “from your works your faith,”—difficult because the defender of truth, to whom the Apostle gives the floor here in address to the supposed opponent who maintained the incorrect thought about the sufficiency for salvation of faith alone without works, could not have said: “show me faith from your works,” since this opponent considered works unnecessary with faith; but should have said: “show me faith without your works.” Indeed, the best Greek manuscripts (Alexandrian, Sinai, Vatican, Parisian, and others), as well as the translations: Syriac, Coptic, Vulgate, and our Russian Synodal, give the reading: “without works.” The sense of these words is that faith without works is something so empty and vain that its very existence can be subject to doubt, whereas the presence of good works itself proves the existence of faith. But even allowing the existence of such purely rational faith and even recognizing its theoretical correctness, it is still impossible, according to the Apostle (verse 19), to recognize such faith as saving. Such rational faith, for example, belief in God’s oneness, is present even in demons, but their faith, not united with love of heart and obedience of will, brings them no rest and salvation, but only trembling (phrissosin, they shudder) and despair in anticipation of God’s judgment. So, likewise, the faith of a Christian person devoid of fruits—good works—includes in itself no hope of salvation.

James 2:20. But do you want to know, foolish man, that faith without works is dead? The Apostle now transitions, verse 20, to proof of the truth he asserts from Old Testament Scripture and addresses the supposed opponent in such a form as to speak of the imminent complete refutation of the objector: “Do you want to know” theles de gno nai. In doing so, the Apostle calls him futile, empty, groundless, Greek kenos. “He calls a person empty who boasts of faith alone, because, not realizing it in works, he has not acquired a firm foundation for his activity” (Blessed Theophylact). In doing so, the Apostle repeats (compare Jas 2:17) his fundamental position “faith without works is dead,” he pistis ton ergon nekra etin. However, instead of the accepted nekra, dead, some authoritative Greek manuscripts (Vatican, Parisian, and some others), as well as some ancient translations (Armenian, Vulgate), have another word: argue, inactive, useless, futile. According to the connection with the preceding (Jas 2:19) and following (Jas 2 and following), this variant deserves attention and preference.

James 2:21. Was not Abraham, our father, justified by works when he placed Isaac, his son, on the altar? James 2:22. Do you see that faith worked together with his works, and by works faith was completed? James 2:23. And the Scripture was fulfilled that says: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God. James 2:24. Do you see that a person is justified by works, and not by faith alone? Here the Apostle presents the most forceful and most decisive proof for Christians from Jews of the necessity of works for a person’s justification before God and for his salvation—proof from Abraham’s justification not by faith alone but by works, and among Abraham’s works the greatest is taken by the Apostle—his sacrifice of Isaac (verse 21, see Gen 22). This very work of Abraham’s self-denial in serving God served as the crown of works through which Abraham passed the path of moral purification and appeared truly righteous, holy: he was justified edikaioth e—namely he achieved righteousness in fact, not merely “was declared righteous,” as some Western commentators suppose. No, the accomplishment of the whole virtuous life of Abraham, finding its highest expression in the mental sacrifice of Isaac which he made, in short, all the righteous and pious works of Abraham made him a person of high righteousness and at the same time an heir of salvation. But Abraham’s works, according to the view of Apostle James, were not an independent principle of his justification; rather, his works were organically united with his faith: “faith worked together with his works, and by works his faith was made complete,” he pistis syner gei tois ergois autou; kai ek ton ergon he pistis eteleioth e, verse 22. “For clarity of understanding, faith can be compared to the root and trunk of a tree, and works to the branches and leaves… Between the root and trunk on one side and the branches and leaves on the other there is close mutual connection. The root and trunk nourish the branches and leaves, but the branches and leaves in turn nourish the trunk and root. As branches and leaves cannot exist without the root and trunk, so the root and trunk could not live if the branches and leaves did not conduct the sun’s ray to the root and trunk” (Bishop George). By virtue of such internal, organic mutual relationship between faith and works, St. Apostle in verse 23 interprets the testimony Gen 15 of Abraham being credited with righteousness for his faith in God’s promise about offspring in the sense that Abraham’s faith, manifested in the most vivid manner in the sacrifice of Isaac, at the same time served most fully and completely to his justification; consequently, Abraham was justified by faith that achieved perfection in his works. The seal of Abraham’s perfection, as the result of his faith and works, is recognized by the Apostle as the name “friend of God” (Hebrew evidence, Greek philos) ascribed to Abraham (in Isa 41:8; 2 Chr 20:7). Verse 24 presents a logically consecutive conclusion from the preceding reasoning of St. Apostle about the joint, equally necessary participation of works and faith in justification and salvation of a person: “Do you see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

James 2:25. In the same way, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the spies and sent them out another way? For even more vivid proof of the universality of that law in God’s kingdom, by which justification is accomplished through the long process of mutual relationship between faith and good works, St. Apostle brings a new example: the Gentile prostitute Rahab once showed great faith in the true God of Israel and proved this faith in deed—by hiding in her house and providing careful guidance to the Hebrew spies (Josh 2), and for this received both temporal deliverance (Josh 6:17) and eternal justification and salvation. Consequently, such is the general law—justification in God’s kingdom on earth.

James 2:26. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. St. Apostle concludes his teaching on justification by repeating the thought about the inactivity and uselessness of faith alone without works (compare Jas 2 and Jas 2:20), but to clarify adds a comparison: as the body without a spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. Here “apparently there is no exact correspondence between the parts of the comparison. In the mutual relations between spirit and body, and between faith and works, it would seem that faith should be compared to the spirit, and works to the body, and then the comparison would be thus: as the body without the spirit is dead, so works without faith are dead… but the Apostle had in mind those who neglected the need and significance of the work itself, being content with faith alone. Therefore, with a view to his chief aim, he expresses only the general thought of the comparison—that faith in itself, if not expressed in works, is the same as a dead body, lifeless” (Bishop Michael). Once again, in conclusion of the section of discourse, St. Apostle expresses the thought of organic and therefore inseparable union of faith and works: the organism with preservation of connection of all its members is alive, with destruction of this connection—is dead. The teaching set forth by St. Apostle James in chapter II (Jas 2:14-26) on justification by works as testimony of faith has long been compared with the teaching of St. Apostle Paul on justification of a person by faith without the works of the law (Rom 3:28; Gal 2:16)—and the more so because Apostle Paul in substantiating his thought also appeals to Abraham (Heb 11:17-19; Rom 4:1-13) and to Rahab (Heb 11:31), whom he recognizes as justified by faith, whereas Apostle James assigns decisive significance in their justification to the works of both. On this basis, for a long time, especially since Luther and in connection with the Protestant teaching on justification by faith alone, contradiction has often been seen in the teaching of the two Apostles, James and Paul, on one and the same subject. In reality, however, between them there is essential agreement in recognition of the organic connection of faith and the works flowing from it, in which union or bond of faith and works both see the essentially necessary condition for justification and salvation. Apostle Paul, in full agreement with Apostle James, considers faith that saves not abstract faith, but “faith working through love” (pistis di agapes energoumene, Gal 5:6). The difference consists in the fact that the other and the other apostle, in revealing this teaching that is single in essence, struggle against different kinds of false thinking, and therefore each of them in the integral presentation of doctrine on justification by faith and works emphasizes one—such and another—a different moment. Apostle James struggles with cold, soulless correctness of belief and persistently insists on the necessity of activity demanded by faith (Jas 2:1 and others). Faith as a source of active love and virtue in general, St. James highly values and considers absolutely necessary, but purely theoretical and abstract faith, faith not proved and not manifested by anything, he calls inactive, dead, even demonic. St. Apostle Paul teaches no differently, but only, directing his epistles (especially epistles to Romans and Galatians) against Judaizers who looked upon the law of Moses and, in particular, upon its ceremonial prescriptions as absolutely necessary and in Christianity a means for salvation, he emphasizes in justification chiefly the moment of faith, asserts the independence of faith from the works of the law, and defends the complete sufficiency of faith testified by works of love as spiritual fruits of faith (Gal 5:6)—for justification and salvation of the Christian. It is clear that the “works of the law” about the uselessness of which Apostle Paul speaks are something as distinct from the works by which, according to Apostle James, faith achieves perfection (Jas 2:22). It is evident that the teaching of Apostle James and the teaching of Apostle Paul are mutually complementary and equally necessary in Christian doctrine theology. In clarification of the peculiarities of the one and the other Apostle, Blessed Theophylact says: “The word ‘faith’ is used in two senses: sometimes it means simple assent of the mind to an appearance. For we usually call faith also this (therefore demons believe that Christ is the Son of God), and again by the name of faith we call heartfelt following, united with firm assent. The Divine James calls dead faith simple assent as not having the works that animate it. And Paul speaks of faith of the heart, which certainly does not lack works, for in one not having honorable works there would not be such faith. For Abraham did not receive it before deciding to renounce his father’s weakness, for which exploit faith was given as a reward. But Paul considers it higher than works of the law, higher than Sabbath rest, higher than circumcision and other purifications. For in the word ‘works’ also two senses are seen. Works are called works that confirm faith, without which it remains dead. Works are also called works of the law without which Abraham and all Christians are justified… So the Divine apostles do not contradict one another, but, taking the word in different senses, each uses them, where necessary, in his sense… Both bring Abraham as proof of their teaching about faith. One example of Abraham proves that faith is above works, and another that works are above faith. But each takes the word (“faith” and “works”) in his sense and takes what is useful to him in substantiation.”

Chapter Three

Warning against the passion for teaching and generally against unbridled speech (1–12). True and false wisdom (13–18).

James 3:1. My brothers! Do not become many teachers, knowing that we will receive greater judgment, James 3:2. for we all stumble in many ways. Whoever does not stumble in word is a perfect man, able to bridle even his whole body. Many people, avoiding the difficult work of keeping God’s commandments and living out the principles of truth, justice, and love, are inclined to replace action with words; such people, lacking faith and the good works that correspond to faith, are all the more disposed to misuse speech, to quarreling, and to self-appointed teaching. This last phenomenon typically appears especially when new teaching emerges. The Jews in the time of Jesus Christ were particularly inclined toward teaching, for which the Lord rebuked them (Matt 23:7-8) and the holy Apostle Paul (Rom 2:17-22). Among Judeo-Christian readers of James’ epistle, such passion for self-appointed teaching was apparently also widespread. Knowing how dangerous teaching is from those not yet firmly grounded in moral principles, Apostle James warns his readers against such willful, self-appointed teaching, not addressing, of course, the teachers and evangelists who existed in the early church and were specially called and appointed to preach the gospel and possessed special gifts of grace for teaching (1 Cor 12:29; Eph 4:11). The Apostle urges those wishing to teach to seriously examine their ability for this, but above all to consider whether a person has self-control to bridle their own tongue: the difficulty of this quality, being a sign of high moral perfection in one who possesses this ability, should warn most people against attempting such difficult and responsible work, which threatens the unworthy teacher with only greater condemnation. The reason for this is universal human sinfulness, especially manifesting itself in connection with the improper use of the gift of speech. All people sin, but for self-appointed teachers there is double danger of sin and punishment. “Some take it upon themselves to teach what they themselves have not accomplished. Such teachers, he says, receive no benefit, but are subject to greater condemnation. For whoever teaches what he himself does not possess, as if he does, is worthy of condemnation because he sins with his own tongue” (Blessed Theophilus).

James 3:3. Behold, we put bits in the mouths of horses so that they obey us, and we control their whole body. James 3:4. Behold, also ships, though they are so large and driven by strong winds, are guided by a small rudder wherever the pilot wishes; Here the Apostle uses two vivid comparisons that express very well the thought (stated in the second half of Jas 3:2) that whoever bridles his own tongue can bridle his whole being, his entire existence. “The mentioned possibility is confirmed by two examples… Look: we put a bridle on horses, and with a small rudder, as with a small bridle, we steer ships where we want. Similarly, the tongue must be governed by sound reason, though it is called a world (cosmos) of injustice in the world’s use. For the Apostle calls a multitude here a world” (Blessed Theophilus). Why does bridling the tongue have such essential significance in a person’s moral life? “Certainly, because the tongue, as the organ of speech, participates in clothing in conscious forms the sins and vices of all members of the human body. We think in words. God’s sin, rising to thought, necessarily clothes itself in the form of words, which are the productions of the tongue… The human tongue, therefore, is as it were the seat of all vices needing first to be clothed in the forms of words before their execution” (Bishop George).

James 3:5. So also the tongue—it is a small member, but it accomplishes much. See, a small fire sets ablaze how much timber! James 3:6. And the tongue is a fire, the world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members in such a position that it defiles the whole body and inflames the circle of life, being itself set on fire by hell. The description continues in powerful figurative expressions of the destructive effects of unbridled speech. The harm and general destructive action of the sins of the tongue is compared to a huge fire beginning from a small spark. The character or nature of this fire is indicated by the hyperbolic expression “the world of injustice,” that is, injustice, lies, and all kinds of evil arising from human misuse of the gift of speech. The sins of the tongue as an organ that stands out among other members of the body defile, corrupt the whole body, the entire spiritual-bodily organism of a person, all his strivings, intentions, and actions. The fire of evil and destruction, kindled by unbridled speech, inflames, scorches, and burns with the fire of passions the whole wheel of human life (the wheel of birth), being in turn nothing but an instrument of hellfire and the devil.

James 3:7. For every nature of beasts and birds, creeping things and sea creatures, is tamed and has been tamed by human nature, James 3:8. but no human can tame the tongue: it is an uncontrollable evil; it is full of deadly poison. The evil of unbridled speech, depending on the influence of a superhuman, demonic power, is difficult to overcome by human natural powers. At creation itself a person received from God the blessing to have dominion over all living things on earth (Gen 1:26-28; see Gen 9:2) and by virtue of this divine command he even now rules over all kinds of animals. But such is the power of sin and evil that it appears as an untameable beast, spewing out, like a poisonous serpent, deadly poison (compare Ps 139:4). Yet, while artfully and powerfully describing the unutterable harm of misusing the gift of speech, Apostle James certainly considers not only struggle but also victory over this evil possible for a person, but only with the help of God’s grace. “If a person tames beasts different from him in nature, then all the more can he tame his own member. ‘No one can tame it.’ This should be read not in the affirmative but in the interrogative form; that is: if a person tames and makes tame the untameable beasts, then will he not tame his own tongue? That’s how it should be read. For if you read it in the affirmative form, it would be unjust to then give the following instruction: ‘this is not to be so, my brothers’ (v. 10)” (Blessed Theophilus).

James 3:9. With it we bless God and the Father, and with it we curse people, who are made in God’s likeness. James 3:10. From the same mouth comes blessing and cursing: this ought not to be so, my brothers. Unbridled speech leads to such an unnatural phenomenon as blessing and curse coming from the same mouth, which is all the more monstrous and criminal because both blessing and curse have, in essence, one and the same object—God: God, the Author of all creation, we praise, glorify, bless (Ps 145:1-2) and at the same time curse people created in the image of God, consequently we speak evil against God himself in his created image—human beings. Such is the great inconsistency and hidden poison of the tongue, misusing the God-given ability of speech. “The Apostle wants to touch his listeners. If we are commanded to bless all, since the evil-speakers will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:10), how is it not shameful to use the same instrument for evil and for good? No sensible person would mix mud and ointment with the same instrument. Are you praying? Do not curse an enemy. For there is great distance between prayer and curse. If you do not forgive the one who offended you, then you yourself will not receive forgiveness” (Matt 6:12) (Blessed Theophilus).

James 3:11. Does a spring send forth sweet and bitter water from the same opening? James 3:12. Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grape vine bear figs? So also one spring cannot produce salt and fresh water. Wishing to imprint more firmly on the minds of his readers the thought expressed (Jas 3:10) about the unnaturalness of using the tongue for curse when it is meant for blessing, the holy Apostle here, in verses 11–12, through examples—springs that produce only one kind of water (bitter, fresh, salt) and various fruit trees—the fig tree, olive tree, grapevine, each consistently bearing fruit according to its kind—shows how entirely abnormal, how contrary to nature is the misuse of the tongue mentioned. Thus a person who has cursed his neighbor, created in God’s image, cannot sincerely and in a way pleasing to God praise God; his praise of God can only be insincere, pretentious, pharisaical.

James 3:13. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct with wisdom’s gentleness. After such detailed development of the thought about the need for and difficulty of bridling the tongue, the Apostle returns to the main subject of his exhortation (Jas 3:1)—not to strive to be many teachers. Only a wise, intelligent person can be a true teacher, one both wise and understanding: in biblical Hebrew usage (see, for example, Deut 1:13) these two concepts, closely related to each other, express the full scope of both theoretical and practical wisdom. The holy Apostle, directing his speech against those who misused speech, emphasizes the practical dimension—“wise or understanding, show this through a good life, through deeds done with wise gentleness.” Applied to the Christian teacher, this teaching of the Apostle reminds us of the Savior’s instruction to the apostles about dove-like gentleness joined with serpent-like wisdom (Matt 10:16).

James 3:14. But if you have bitter envy and contention in your heart, do not boast and lie against the truth. James 3:15. This is not the wisdom coming down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic, James 3:16. for where there is envy and contention, there is disorder and every evil practice. Having in mind the fuller characterization below (Jas 3:17) of true wisdom, the Apostle here shows what is not true wisdom. The marks of such false wisdom are: bitter envy or jealousy in the bad sense and selfish ambition—qualities directly opposite to “wise gentleness” (Jas 3:13). This false wisdom, being merely a parody of true wisdom, has an origin directly opposite to heavenly wisdom. False wisdom does not descend from above from God (Jas 1:15); rather, it is entirely earthly, exclusively belonging to the world hostile to God (Jas 4:4); not spiritual but unspiritual; not divine but demonic (v. 15). The character and origin of this false wisdom is witnessed by its fruits, which are: “disorder and every kind of wickedness” (v. 16), which is absolutely foreign to God, for God is not a God of disorder but of peace (1 Cor 14:33).

James 3:17. But the wisdom from above is, first of all, pure, then peaceful, gentle, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. James 3:18. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace. For fruitful and saving teaching, “wisdom coming from above” is needed, that is, from God (Jas 1:17). In the depiction of Apostle James, this wisdom is first pure: purity and holiness are the fundamental properties of true wisdom. Then follow three qualities that form the opposite of the envy and ambition of false wisdom: true wisdom is a) peaceable—spreading only peace around it; b) gentle or modest; c) accommodating, easy to be entreated. Then comes the most positive property of true wisdom: “full of mercy and good fruits”—rich in acts of benevolent love, which is the essential property of godliness (Jas 1:27). Finally—“without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy,” free from doubts about the truths of faith and absolutely sincere, straightforward. “Thus seven qualities of divine wisdom are indicated: it represents as it were a seven-colored beautiful rainbow, all the colors of which are decompositions of one basic color of wisdom—its purity and holiness” (Bishop George). In the concluding verse 18 of the chapter, it is shown that the fruits of true wisdom—in contrast to the harmful fruits of false wisdom (Jas 3:16)—are righteousness and peace both among the preachers of true wisdom and among those who receive the word of their preaching. “A person endowed with true wisdom and called to preach the gospel teaches it, maintaining the peace and harmony befitting Christian faith with those who with gentle and peaceful hearts receive the seed of God’s word and show themselves to be good soil for it to bear fruit” (Hieromonk Theoctist).

Chapter Four

Condemnation by the Apostle of sinful desires in the readers of the epistle (1–3). The incompatibility with true service to God of excessive love and attachment to the world (4–10). The criminality of judging and slandering (11–13). The inappropriateness and destructiveness of self-confidence in human affairs and ventures (14–17).

James 4:1. Where do the conflicts and disputes among you come from? Do they not come from your desires, warring in your members? In complete contrast to heavenly wisdom and its fruits—righteousness and peace (Jas 3:17-18), the holy Apostle now sternly and with great agitation of spirit condemns in his readers the dominion of earthly, fleshly wisdom, whose first signs are wars or conflicts and disputes or quarrels among them. “Wars” and “battles” (such is the literal meaning of the Greek terms the Apostle uses to describe the moral state of his readers) have here, without doubt, a figurative meaning: one cannot see here (as some interpret) actual wars and battles of the Jews against the Romans, since the epistle of Apostle James was written before the fateful war of the Jews with the Romans (66–70 AD). As the Apostle’s further speech shows (Jas 4:2-3 and further, Jas 4:13-17 and Jas 5:1-6), the object of his condemnation is primarily conflicts arising from greed and generally from excessive attachment to the world and its goods. Having posed in the first half of v. 1 the question of where among his readers such conflicts and disputes come from, the Apostle in the second half of the verse provides the answer about the cause or source of hostile conflicts, indicating—again in the form of a question—the same truth stated earlier in Jas 1:14-15—that the root of internal discord in a person consists of his desires, passions for pleasure—sinful cravings having their organ of expression in bodily members. People “devise pleasures for themselves, some seek luxurious tables, which Paul also condemns, saying that such people ‘serve not the Lord, but their belly’ (Rom 16:18), others wish to acquire estates; some desire wealthy houses; another something else still, which the devil inspires in them, striving to rob them of salvation” (Blessed Theophilus). “The internal discord in a person, of which the holy Apostle speaks here, should be represented as purely internal conflict between the flesh and spirit, between pleasures and reason. Here is the cause of external conflicts. The flesh pulls toward earth, the spirit—toward heaven; between them a struggle occurs, often ending sadly for the spirit, and from this come external conflicts arising from earthly interests and profit” (Bishop George).

James 4:2. You desire, and do not have; you kill and covet, and cannot obtain; you quarrel and fight—and do not have, because you do not ask. James 4:3. You ask, and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your desires. A vivid picture is given of chaotic mutual struggle in the society of the epistle’s readers. Their desires and strivings, usually lacking moral character, do not receive satisfaction. Because of this their passions burn even more intensely and impel them to harsh, violent acts of jealousy and murder. “Murder and envy, quarreling, evil deeds—why therefore do they not achieve what they strive for. But you should know that here we are not speaking of physical murder and enmity. For it is hard to hear of even robbers, much less of believers coming to the Lord. It seems he calls murderers those who murder their own souls with such undertakings, for which they have enmity against piety” (Blessed Theophilus). A sad but inevitable consequence of such an unmerciful and fleshly attitude in Christians is the ineffectiveness, the fruitlessness of their prayer: “if prayers for earthly goods are not answered by God, then the reason is none other than that prayers in this case are evil, for goods are asked for not for the purpose they should be asked: they are asked with the evil purpose of spending them to satisfy one’s desires and passions” (Bishop George). Such an attitude of the epistle’s readers testifies to exclusive attachment to the world with forgetfulness of God, and therefore the Apostle henceforth (v. 4 ff.) condemns betrayal of God on the part of his readers.

James 4:4. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? So whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. In the sense of unfaithfulness and betrayal of God (not in the sense of physical adultery), the Apostle threatens to call his readers adulterers or, according to the most authoritative manuscripts (the Alexandrian, Vatican, and Sinai codices), only adulteresses. The form of expression is entirely Old Testament, and was therefore especially understandable to Christian readers from the Hebrews. The sacred writers of the Old Testament often portrayed God’s relationship to Israel under the image of a marital union between husband and wife (Ps 44; Jer 1:2; Hos 1 and others), calling the people’s unfaithfulness to God, their turning aside to other gods, adultery, and the unfaithful Hebrews to the true God—adulterers (Isa 73:27; Hos 1:2 and others). This image and expression passed into the New Testament as well (Matt 12:39; 2 Cor 11 and others). “This image, transferred from the Old Testament to the New, is even more fitting in the New Testament in light of the spiritual union of each Christian soul with Christ, and should also give the name ‘adulteresses’” (Bishop George). Betrayal of God consists in a particular love for the world, friendship with the world, which the readers manifest. By “world” he means here all material life, as the mother of corruption, and whoever partakes of it immediately becomes an enemy of God. For in striving after the worthless, he becomes heedless and contemptuous of divine matters, which kind of relationships we hold toward people hateful and hostile to us. So as two objects occupy people’s attention—God and the world—and toward each of these two objects is directed love or hatred, then as soon as we become strongly attached to one, it is evident that we become careless about the other. So whoever cleaves to divine matters is and is called a friend of God, but whoever has neglected God and loved the world is among God’s enemies (Blessed Theophilus).

James 4:5. Or do you suppose that Scripture says in vain: “The spirit dwelling in us yearns with jealousy”? James 4:6. But He gives greater grace; therefore it is said: God opposes the proud, and gives grace to the humble. Wishing to state even more emphatically and to prove to his readers the complete incompatibility of love for God with love for the world, the holy Apostle reinforces the thought he has expressed (Jas 4:4) by a twofold reference to the testimony of the sacred writings of the Old Testament. But the meaning of the first citation presented by the Apostle seems extremely difficult and obscure to interpreters, both because the words cited in v. 5 as testimony of scripture—in their literal form—do not appear in the entire Old Testament, and because of the difficulty of individual words and the entire expression of the first citation. However, it is certain that both verses 5 and 6 should affirm or establish the Apostle’s thought Jas 4:4 about the mutually exclusive relationship of love for God and attachment to the world, although each verse does this from one definite side. In the Greek text the first citation reads: “the Spirit that he has made dwell in us yearns jealously.” The Slavonic “yearns” is unclear; closer to the sense of the original is the Russian translation: “loves jealously.” This refers to God, who jealously loves the spirit of a human—that spirit which he himself breathed into a human (Gen 2:7; Eccl 12:7). The latter thought is evident if instead of the accepted reading “dwells,” we choose the reading of the most authoritative manuscripts (the Sinai, Vatican, Alexandrian, and others): “causes to dwell, made to dwell” (God causes the spirit to dwell in a human). Literally such a place is not found in the Old Testament; the citation presented is as it were a summary or generalization of several Old Testament passages about God—the Zealous (Exod 6:3-7; Deut 5:9; Nah 1:1; Zech 8:2), who created the spirit of a human (Gen 2:7; Eccl 12:7) and jealously requires the service of a human to God alone (Gen 6:3-7). But the thought and connection of the text with the preceding and following passages is clear. “God, loving the human spirit, as it were jealously guards it against the world, loves it not simply, but with jealousy or with jealous concern that the beloved may not be seduced by the world and drawn away by it. And when the beloved, turning away from the world, himself strives toward God, then God gives him even greater grace, bestows his grace upon him in reward for faithfulness in love toward himself” (Bishop Michael). The mentioned (Jas 4:4) worldliness of many Christians gave him occasion to speak of God’s jealous love. Further, in v. 6, to one Old Testament citation he joins another—from Prov 3 according to the Septuagint reading (changing only the word “Lord” to “God”)—essentially proving the same thought, that Christians, completely belonging to God—the Zealous—in their activity can be either enemies of God or his friends, wherefore God opposes the first and gives grace to the latter. Those who love the world or God’s enemies are called proud by the Apostle, inasmuch as they do not wish to know God and his goods, seek only worldly goods, relying entirely on their own strength. On the contrary, those who love God, God’s friends, are called humble: all their hope is in God; seeking heavenly goods, they rely only on God’s mercy and grace, having the most modest, humble understanding of themselves. Therefore God also generously grants them the help of his grace.

James 4:7. Therefore submit yourselves to God; resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:8. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you; cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. From the proven truth that friendship with the world is enmity against God and brings about loss of the greatest and eternal goods, the holy Apostle draws moral conclusions—instructions of a moral character addressed to his readers: since the greatest good consists in God and union with him, the Apostle advises his readers, putting aside pride, to submit themselves to God, and at the same time to resist the opposite evil principle—the devil. Submission to God is such a great force (cf. Matt 4:1-10) that the devil is easily overcome by it and turned to flight. As the devil retreats from a human, God approaches him; but it is necessary that the person himself actively, consciously strive to draw near to God: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (v. 8a). The ways of drawing near to God are both external and internal: externally this drawing near is accomplished through cleansing of hands, that is, through removing all sinful and defiling acts and acquiring the purity of actions (the image is taken from Levitical ritual cleansings, which symbolized the spiritual-moral cleansing of a person, cf. Ps 17:21; Isa 1:15-16). Another means—the purification of heart—has a more internal, deeper meaning, since the heart is the source and center of all the inner life of a person (Matt 15:19), and the purification of the heart is the purification of the whole person (Ps 50:12). The Apostle requires that sinners, defiled by various unjust acts, and the double-minded, wavering between attachment to God and love of the world, achieve complete purity both in external actions and in internal dispositions.

James 4:9. Grieve, weep, and wail; let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to sorrow. James 4:10. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. Complete moral reformation of people cannot be accomplished without repentance, and the Apostle persuasively calls his readers to repentant weeping and mourning, as the necessary preliminary condition for moral reform: “Be miserable, mourn, and weep” (v. 9). But the soul, the root or foundation of repentance and reform, is humility, from which alone can come repentance and renewal of life, leading a person to exaltation: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (v. 10), the Apostle teaches, in accord with the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt 23:12; Luke 14:11). “Just as from a seed thrown into the earth grows a beautiful plant, so from humility, from mixing oneself with dust, grows a wonderful tree of Christian virtues. This growth is accomplished through God’s grace (Jas 4:6), which is why it is said: ‘and he will exalt you’” (Bishop George).

James 4:11. Do not speak evil of one another, brothers: the one who speaks evil of a brother or judges his brother speaks evil of the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. James 4:12. There is one Lawgiver and Judge, who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you to judge another? Turning now to those same persons whom the Apostle earlier called adulterers, sinners, double-minded, but now with the loving address “brothers and sisters,” he warns them against the intolerable vice of slander and judgment of one’s neighbor in Christian community (cf. Matt 7:1 ff.). This vice is unacceptable in Christianity already because it goes completely against the Christian virtue of humility, which the holy Apostle has just spoken about (Jas 4:10), and is especially reprehensible as soon as it is directed against a brother or sister in spirit in Christ. But the Apostle goes further and deeper in analyzing and condemning the vice of slander and judgment. This is a very serious crime: a Christian who slanders and judges a brother, in essence, slanders and judges the law itself, namely the royal law of love (Jas 1:25): through slander and judgment of one’s neighbor a Christian does not fulfill but violates and by this very act denies this chief law in Christianity; consequently, as if judges and condemns the law itself, as if declaring it wrong, unsuitable for life. Thus whoever rejects the law of love and judges it as if places himself above the law and, so to speak, issues his own law, usurping what belongs not to him but to God alone—the right of lawgiving and judgment. God alone, as the supreme Lawgiver, by his sole will has given the law, and as Judge, judges righteously according to this law, of course stands above the law and is the only one, in the strict, absolute sense of the word, Judge. Such an exclusive right of his is witnessed by the fact that he alone can save and destroy (v. 12, see Matt 10:28). A person, by his very nothingness, shows the absence of the right to judge his neighbor and the law, and if he does this, he commits a grave sin and brings upon himself God’s condemnation (cf. Rom 2:1, see Rom 14:4).

James 4:13. Come now, you who say: “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there, and trade and make a profit”; James 4:14. you who do not know what will happen tomorrow: for what is your life? A vapor, appearing for a short time and then vanishing. James 4:15. Instead you ought to say: “If the Lord wills, and we live, we will do this or that”— James 4:16. but you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Not without association with what precedes, the Apostle now condemns the self-confidence and vanity of people who forget their complete dependence on God in all human matters and the absolute fragility, as it were, the transience of human life itself. As an example of this kind of self-confident people, he takes merchants, a profession apparently widely spread among his readers, but at the same time lacking moral integrity: their self-confidence, frivolity, and exclusive devotion to earthly profits and interests, with forgetfulness of the corruption and transient nature of earthly life in general, prompted the Apostle to condemnation, exhortation, and warning, the meaning of which is the same as that of Christ’s parable about the money-loving rich man (Luke 12:16-21). Showing (v. 13) how unreasonable is the thinking of people who reason as though their life and affairs depend exclusively on them, and as if there is no higher will that in a single moment can reduce all their plans and ventures to nothing—the Apostle “does not destroy free will, but shows that not everything depends on the person himself, but grace from above is needed as well. For one can run and conduct business and accomplish everything necessary for life, but one should not attribute it to one’s own labors, but to God’s lovingkindness” (Blessed Theophilus). In v. 14 the Apostle powerfully and in the spirit of Old Testament writers (cf. Job 8:9; Ps 101:12) depicts the fragility of human existence, warning his readers and all Christians in general against the unreasonable judgment of merchants condemned by him above (v. 13). “He shows the futility of our life and shames us for spending our whole life in futility, for all our labor is spent on temporary evil. David says the same: indeed human beings pass like a shadow, truly they hurry about in vain (Ps 38:7), that is, they busy themselves with what has no true being in itself, but appears only as it were in a phantom” (Blessed Theophilus). The true, reasonable, and religious view of human undertakings, affairs, and life itself should always, according to v. 15, be based on the believing thought: “If the Lord permits, and we live, we will do this or that.” The aforementioned speeches of merchants (v. 13), directly opposite to this humble submission to God’s will, obviously sin through self-assurance, arrogance, and ultimately flow from pride (v. 16). “Worldly pride” (cf. 1 John 2:16) alone can give birth in a person to the absurd and dangerous thought that he is the full master of his own life and actions.

James 4:17. So to the one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, it is a sin. The Apostle concludes his condemnations and exhortations with a general maxim that whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it commits sin. This thought about the seriousness and guilt of conscious sin repeats a thought of the Lord Jesus Christ, spoken by him more than once (Luke 12:47-48; John 15:22 and others); for the Apostle it applies most directly to the content of chapter IV, more specifically the latter verses, but because of its generality and breadth, is applicable to all the moral teaching of the epistle.

Chapter Five

Condemnation of the rich and hard-hearted landowners (1–6). General instructions to Christians in view of the nearness of the Lord’s coming (7–9). On long-suffering in affliction (10–13). On anointing with oil (14–15). Mutual confession and prayer (16–18). The conversion of those who have gone astray (19–20).

James 5:1. Come now, you rich: weep and howl over the miseries coming upon you. From the condemnation of the rich and self-confident merchants (Jas 4:13-16) the Apostle now turns to the condemnation of rich, but unmerciful and harsh owners and landowners for their oppression of poor neighbors and hired workers. In tone and manner of expression, the threatening speech of the Apostle here closely resembles the threatening condemnatory speeches of the Old Testament prophets. The condemned rich people here, as earlier in the epistle (Jas 1:5 ff., Jas 4:1 ff.), apparently belonged to Christian society rather than to unbelieving Jews, though the latter, without doubt, would have found the Apostle’s condemnations fully understandable and compelling, since the vices he condemned—hardheartedness—are contrary not only to the Christian law of love but also to the Mosaic law with its compassionate concern for the poor. The entire condemnatory speech of the Apostle to the rich is divided into two sections: Jas 5:1-3: an announcement of the retribution awaiting the rich from God’s wrath, and Jas 5:4-6—a characterization of the behavior of the rich, their crimes—as the ground or cause for God’s coming judgment. The rich are invited, v. 1, to vigorous weeping—“weep and howl”—expressions used by prophets when announcing the horrors of God’s judgment (Isa 8:6). The Apostle “causes the rich to weep, that is, to weep bitterly because they gather their wealth toward ruin and do not give to the poor. For wealth does not perish only if one spends it on the poor” (Blessed Theophilus). The speech is not about the natural fate of all earthly wealth, which perishes and is subject to decay by its very nature (Jas 1:10), but about the fate that will befall the rich as a judgment from God, as a specific punishment from God, namely in view of the nearness of the Lord’s coming (below, Jas 5:7-9). The purpose of the Apostle’s call to the rich to weep is not only to instill terror and awareness of the greatest calamities coming upon them (cf. Matt 24:30), but also to move them to repentance and reformation of life, while there is still time.

James 5:2. Your wealth has rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. James 5:3. Your gold and silver have corroded, and the corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire: you have stored up treasure in the last days. In keeping with the main vice being condemned in the rich—the misuse of wealth—their calamities are pictured under the image of the destruction of riches and all kinds of material goods. “The rotting of wealth, he says, the eating away of clothes by moths and the rusting of silver and gold will witness against you, condemning you for having given nothing. Therefore in the last days, that is, at the coming of Christ, your wealth will be as it were on fire, gathered to your destruction” (Blessed Theophilus). Like the ancient biblical prophets, the Apostle presents the future judgment over the rich and their possessions as already having taken place (perfectum propheticum). After enumerating individual types of property of the rich alongside the general name of wealth, the Apostle makes (v. 3) a striking statement about the complete uselessness and extreme vanity of accumulating wealth in view of the approaching last days, that is, the nearness of Christ’s coming.

James 5:4. Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who reaped your fields cry out, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. James 5:5. You have lived in luxury on the earth and indulged yourselves; you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter. James 5:6. You condemned and killed the Righteous One; He did not resist you. Having named above (Jas 5:1-3) the calamities awaiting the merciless rich, the Apostle now in the same prophetically-condemnatory tone shows the cause of the coming judgment upon them—the moral offenses and crimes they have committed. These crimes are as follows: the rich have built their wealth through injustice and oppression (v. 4), which is all the more criminal because they have used their own wealth for luxurious living (v. 5) and even for the persecution of the righteous with the aim of shedding their blood (v. 6). The gravity of the first sin is beyond question: the rich withheld the wages of hired workers, specifically harvesters, through whose hands and labor they built their wealth. The oppression of poor workers through withholding their earned wages is prohibited as one of the gravest crimes already in the Mosaic law (Lev 19:13; Deut 24:14) and was strictly, passionately condemned by the prophets (Amos 2:8; Jer 22:13; Mal 3:5; see Job 31:38; Tob 4:14; Sir 34:22). The Apostle shows the criminality and absolute intolerance of such injustice toward poor workers, expressing it powerfully, by saying that the withheld wages of workers and the oppression inflicted on them—like the blood of the first martyr in the world, Abel (Gen 4:10)—cry out to God, and the groans and cries of the oppressed workers—harvesters and others—have already reached the hearing of the all-knowing Lord, here called by the Old Testament name most often used by the prophets, Sabaoth—the Lord of hosts (Ps 23:10), God of the heavenly armies and the hosts of Israel. In the Septuagint this name is often rendered as Pantocrator, Almighty; consequently, the idea of omnipotence and all-rulership was considered the chief element in the divine name Sabaoth by the Greek Bible translators. In calling God by this name Sabaoth, the Apostle apparently expresses the thought that it will be easy for the Judge God to punish the rich who oppress such poor and laboring people as harvesters, toiling under the scorching rays of the eastern sun. In v. 5 another sin of the rich is condemned: unbridled luxury, extremely intemperate use of the goods of life, which is especially criminal because of the unlawful source of the rich person’s means, gained through the sweat and blood of others. Here also a threatening prediction is given of the fateful end of oppressive rich people: they lived almost like animals, and now their end is portrayed under the image of the slaughter of well-fed animals. In v. 6 the third and most terrible crime of the rich is mentioned—their persecution of the righteous even to blood and death, despite his innocence and gentleness. Some (Oecumenius, Blessed Theophilus, Lange) understood the righteous one to be the Lord Jesus Christ and his unjust condemnation to death and killing by the Jews. But this interpretation is not acceptable: the condemnation and killing of the Lord were accomplished not by the Jews of the Diaspora, to whom (properly to Christian Jews of the Diaspora) the epistle of Apostle James is addressed (Jas 1:1), but by Palestinian Jews, and not only the rich among them, to whom v. 6 is addressed, but also the poor, in a word, the entire Hebrew people in Palestine; the present tense of the verb “does not resist” is in no way applicable to the single past historical event of the Lord’s condemnation and death. Undoubtedly, here “the righteous one” stands in a collective sense (as later in Jas 5:16)—the righteous, suffering unjust persecution. Blessed Theophilius rightfully notes: “by the addition ‘does not resist you,’ the Apostle generalizes the speech, extending it to others who suffered like things from the Jews, and perhaps prophetically speaks of their own suffering.” Persecution and murder of the righteous because of their righteousness, hateful to the persecutors, is a striking mark of the moral corruption of the latter (cf. Wis 2:12-20). Such a crying crime cannot go without the most severe punishment of God’s judgment in the last days; the Apostle, because of the fragmentary nature of his speech, does not directly express this thought about the retribution awaiting the criminal rich, but undoubtedly implies it, turning next to exhortations, Jas 5:7-9, with clearly expressed expectation of the Lord’s coming.

James 5:7. Therefore, brothers, be patient until the coming of the Lord. See, the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the earth and is patient for it until it receives the early and late rain. James 5:8. You also be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is drawing near. James 5:9. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged: behold, the Judge stands at the door. Turning now to the poor and humble brothers and sisters, the Apostle teaches them, mainly, patience, as this virtue was most needed in their oppressed state. “Having condemned the luxuriousness and cruelty of the Jewish leaders toward the poor, the Apostle addresses the faithful and says: ‘brothers! Do not be scandalized seeing this, as if there will be no vengeance’” (Blessed Theophilus). The Apostle points to the nearness of the Lord’s coming as the chief incentive for patience: in v. 7 he says “be patient until the coming of the Lord,” showing the appropriateness and fruitfulness of such patience by comparing Christian patience with the patient waiting of a farmer for fruit from his labor and first of all for favorable conditions for that—early and late rains—the autumn and spring rains (the main seasons in Palestine for winter grain and other crops) (cf. Deut 11:14; Jer 5:24; Joel 2:23); in v. 8, repeating the instruction about patience and advising them to acquire strength in patience (see 1 Pet 5:10), he again bases his instruction on the nearness of the Lord’s coming: “the coming of the Lord has drawn near”; finally, in v. 9, urging Christians to avoid grumbling against one another so as to avoid condemnation (cf. Matt 7:1), again as an incentive for fulfilling his instruction points to the nearness of the Lord’s coming: “See, the Judge is standing at the doors!” By “coming of the Lord,” in which Christians should draw moral strength for patience and virtue in general—according to the customary use in the New Testament books of the expression “coming of the Lord”—is undoubtedly meant the second glorious coming of Christ, when there will be a universal awesome judgment, which will end the kingdom of grace and begin the kingdom of glory (see Matt 24:1 ff.) and on which all people will receive righteous recompense for their deeds (Matt 25:1 ff.). The Apostles in their moral instructions to Christians often express the thought of the nearness of the second coming of Christ and the end of the age: Apostle James in the passage we are considering, Apostle Peter in both his epistles (1 Pet 4:7; 2 Pet 3:4), Apostle John the Evangelist (1 John 2:18), Apostle Paul (1 Cor 7:29; 1 Thess 4:1 and others). The question arises: in what sense did the Apostles speak of the nearness of the second coming in their time, when from the words of the Lord it was known to them that the day of Christ’s coming is absolutely unknown (Matt 24:36), and when nearly two thousand years of the existence of Christ’s Church in fact testify against the actual nearness of the day of the second coming to the apostolic age? This can partly be understood from the psychology of faith—from the highest intensity of the faith of the Apostles and Christians in general of the early church: for one who truly and deeply believes the coming of the Lord cannot be far away; faith in general contemplates times in the Lord’s spirit, and before it, as before the Lord, a thousand years are as one day (2 Pet 3:8). But mainly the difficulty in question is clarified from the perspective of the history of God’s plan for human salvation and the division of the world’s life, caused by Christ’s saving work, into two chief epochs—pre-Christian and Christian, Old Testament and New Testament. The latter is sometimes taken by the Old Testament prophets as something whole, without division into separate historical moments within it. Thus, for example, the prophets, speaking of the coming of the Messiah and his kingdom of grace, used the expression: “in the last days” (Isa 2:2 and others), and into the scope of this concept they included such events which (like the transformation of all the world order and all creatures to perfection Isa 11) did not at all take place in the first and subsequent times of Christ’s kingdom of grace, but only come to pass at the universal restoration of creation—at the opening of the kingdom of glory; consequently, with one expression they encompassed the whole period of Christ’s kingdom from its beginning to its end. In a similar way, the Lord and his Apostles spoke of the whole duration of Christ’s kingdom as the last stewardship of human salvation. Thus, Christ the Savior spoke of the coming of the time or hour of the resurrection of the dead (John 5:21), and Apostle John—of the coming of the last hour (1 John 2:18). Now it is fully clear what the eschatological understanding of the nearness of the second coming of Christ means, as the end of the last period of God’s plan for human salvation, after which the kingdom of glory will open. “This nearness of the second coming of Christ to the first should be measured not by the temporal distance of these two events, but rather in this sense should be understood: that with the first coming of Christ the last epoch of the present life of the world has begun, when God has already done everything for the world, and there are no longer any obstacles to the opening of the new glorious kingdom of Christ. This epoch can be long in time, but in its moral connection of events it is the last, and now only the will of God determines its duration; the coming of Christ is near in the inner moral connection of his second coming to the first, these are the last days, the last epoch of the world. But when exactly it will come is not determined by this expression of nearness” (Bishop Michael). And the Lord himself, as is known, revealed to the Apostles only certain signs of the approach of this time (Matt 24).

James 5:10. Take as an example of suffering evil and patience, my brothers, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. James 5:11. Behold, we count blessed those who endured. You have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the outcome from the Lord, for the Lord is very merciful and compassionate. Continuing to teach Christians to bear affliction without complaint and with patience, the Apostle, to support his instructions, cites the example of Old Testament prophets, who without complaint bore great sufferings for the truth of God’s word they proclaimed. Along with the prophets, as a great example of bearing suffering patiently, the Apostle mentions (v. 11) the righteous Job, in whose history he simultaneously notes the favorable outcome of the sufferings of the righteous person, blessed by God for his patience with great goods. The history of Job, which the Apostle presents as well known to his readers, is thus instructive for suffering Christians in two respects: both for the exceptional patience of Job and for his ultimate vindication by the Lord. The phrase “the purpose of the Lord” does not mean the death and glorification of the Lord, as some interpreters thought (Blessed Augustine, Lange), but rather the reward granted by the Lord for Job’s patience. In the phrase “you have heard of the endurance of Job,” the Apostle perhaps hints at synagogal readings from the book of Job, acquainting the Jews with the great feat of patience of this righteous person. The passage Jas 5:11 is very important as testimony to the historical existence of Job. At the end of v. 11 the Apostle adds to the story of vindication a remark: “because the Lord is compassionate and merciful,” which should fill his readers with the hope that their patience in suffering will, through the Lord’s compassion, be rewarded.

James 5:12. But above all things, my brothers, do not swear, neither by heaven nor by earth, and not by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you do not fall under judgment. James 5:13. Is anyone suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Without apparent connection to what precedes, the Apostle warns Christians against excessive use of oaths. It is known that Jews around the time of Jesus Christ swore very often and in very diverse forms. The Savior Lord condemned these Jewish oaths and showed his followers simple assurance of truth or denial of falsehood as the right form of oath (Matt 5:33-37). The Apostle sets forth the prohibition against misuse of oaths and the instruction for proper use of an oath in almost the same words as the Lord, and like the Lord, does not abolish oaths altogether, but only their unworthy use—motivating his instruction with the words “so that you may not fall under condemnation.” Condemnation of one who swears carelessly is easy and possible. According to the accepted reading, the thought expressed is the inevitability of hypocrisy in careless use of oaths. “Hypocrisy he calls either the condemnation that will befall those who swear ruthlessly and from habit come to transgression, or hypocrisy itself which is one thing to one person and another to another” (Blessed Theophilus). In v. 13 the Apostle gives general instruction that a Christian in both joy and sorrow should remember the Lord, that sorrowful and joyful feelings should find expression in prayer and psalm-singing. “Let suffering be accompanied by prayer, so that for the one being tried an exit from trials is easier. Then, when our agitations through prayer have quieted down and the soul has reached its proper state, then let it wait, so that its blessedness may increase” (Blessed Theophilus).

James 5:14. Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. James 5:15. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. The Apostle now gives the entire society of believers, the whole church, instruction for the case of sickness, whether more or less serious (as shown by the terms “is sick” and “weak”), of one of its members. In this case the sick person should, by freely expressed wish or request, invite the elders of the church—persons not simply of age or seniority, but those with particular ecclesiastical authority and gifts of grace through ordination (see Acts 14:23; 1 Thess 5:12; Heb 13:17), who should perform over the sick person prayer and anointing with oil in the name of the Lord; and the Apostle points out the gracious action or, more precisely, the various gracious actions of “the prayer of faith” (v. 15): this “prayer of faith” will save “the sick,” and will raise them up by the Lord, and if they have committed sin, it will be forgiven them. Western exegesis, in analyzing and explaining these words of the Apostle, has attempted to prove that there is here no reference to the sacrament of anointing, but supposedly the common and widespread practice in Judaism of anointing sick people with oil, performed by rabbis, elders, and some of whom, with their learning, also combined the skill of a physician. It is true that externally anointing with oil, like baptism, is not something new in Christianity. The Bible (Isa 1:6; Luke 10:34) and Jewish tradition—Joseph Flavius (Jewish Wars I:33, 5 and others) and the Talmud—testify to the knowledge and prevalence of anointing in Judaism. In Judaism anointing with oil was used for the most diverse diseases, external and internal—both because of the refreshing and softening effect of oil on skin and body, and partly because of the Jewish belief that in paradise oil flowed from the tree of life, which was to assure people of immortality. However, considered from the inner aspect, Christian anointing appears as an entirely new action, unknown to Judaism—indeed, it is an actual sacrament, though the Apostle James does not establish the sacrament anew but merely advises Christians of its timely use. The marks of the sacramental, gracious nature of the action of anointing are the following features, indicated by the Apostle: a) the performance of anointing not by ordinary Christians but by special church elders; b) “the prayer of faith” over the sick person, namely “in his presence, not from afar, as one can pray for anyone” (Bishop Michael); c) the anointing of the sick person with oil in the name of the Lord, which clearly shows that here not the healing effect of oil in itself is intended; finally, d) the healing action is attributed not to oil but to the prayer of faith—oil is merely an external means or vehicle of the higher power that heals the soul and body of the sick person; the expression of this gracious action of the sacrament is, first, by the general concept of salvation (bodily and spiritual), second, in particular, by the bodily healing of the sick (“the Lord will raise them up”—absolute language instead of conditional) and, third, by the forgiveness of sins, that is, the healing even of spiritual weaknesses of the sick person. From the above it is clear that among the church sacraments, the sacrament of anointing has the particular characteristic, the specific function, of bringing to the person over whom it is performed both spiritual and bodily healing. Therefore incorrect is the view of the Catholic Church regarding the sacrament of anointing as extrema unctio (last anointing), the sacrament of the dying. The basis of this view is the opinion that Apostle James does not speak of bodily recovery of the sick, as though the verb “save” means only spiritual salvation through the outpouring of grace, and “raise up” only indicates strengthening and encouragement of the spirit of the sick during the struggle of the soul with death. But the incorrectness of this understanding is evident already from comparing the words of Apostle James with the testimony of the Evangelist Mark (Mark 6:13) about the healing action of anointing in the hands of the Apostles. Similarly, there is no doubt that the verb “save” in the Bible more than once means bodily healing (Ps 6:5); all the more the verb “raise up” very often means the lifting up of the sick person from the bed of illness, recovery (Matt 8:15). It is also erroneous to see with the Catholics an indication in the mortal state of the sick one over whom the Apostle commands the performance of the sacrament of anointing, in the verb “is sick,” which actually indicates only the severity of illness, not its mortality (Matt 10:8; Luke 4:10), and in the verb “weak,” having a similar meaning (Heb 12:3). Therefore rightfully does Saint Symeon, Bishop of Thessalonica, condemn the Latins: “The Latins say that anointing should not be performed on the sick but only on the dying. What foolishness! The brother of God says: the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise them up, and they say he will die… Sacred Scripture says: ‘they anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them’ (Mark 6:13), and they say it should be administered not so that sick people will be healed, but so that they remain unhealed and die” (Bishop George).

James 5:16. Confess your transgressions to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed: much can the fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplish. James 5:17. Elijah was a man like us, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain: and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. James 5:18. And he prayed again: and heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. After speaking of the sacrament of anointing, which serves mainly to heal bodily ailments, the Apostle gives a remedy against ailments of the spirit—various sinful falls—namely, he expounds the necessity of mutual prayer of Christians for one another as a sure and universal means of spiritual healing. “But such prayer presupposes mutual confession by believers of their sins, for one must know wherein lies the guilt of our brother, what lies on his conscience, so that our prayer for him might be successful” (Professor Archpriest D.I. Bogdashevsky). Hence the exhortation of the holy Apostle: “confess your sins to one another.” Contrary to the opinion of some ancient and modern interpreters, there is here no reference to the sacrament of penance or confession; the Apostle speaks only of simple mutual acknowledgment by Christians before other believers of their falls, for the sake of mutual reconciliation, comfort, relief, counsel, and chiefly so as to enable Christians to pray for a brother who has sinned. Of course, confession before elders, vested with authority from the Lord to forgive sins, is not excluded here (Matt 18:18; John 20:23). But the Apostle speaks most directly not of the sacrament of penance but of Christian communion, which is ever required in the life of the Church as one body, one organism. Along with mutual confession of Christians the Apostle immediately sets mutual prayer of Christians for one another: “and pray for one another, that you may be healed,” that is, be spiritually healed of spiritual weaknesses—sins that have their root in carnal desires (see Jas 4:1-2). As motivation for Christian mutual aid in the form of prayer the Apostle points to the great power of the prayer of the righteous: “the prayer of the righteous, when put into action, is powerful.” “The prayer of the righteous has great power when the one for whom he prays also cooperates with his prayer through spiritual sorrow. For if, while others pray for us, we spend time in luxury, ease, and self-indulgence, we through this weaken the power of the prayer of the one striving for us” (Blessed Theophilus). However, the expression “put into action” can be rendered without any conditional nuance, for instance, in this way: “powerful is the prayer of the righteous.” As an example of how much the prayer of the righteous can accomplish, the Apostle cites the twofold prayer of the prophet Elijah—first for drought (v. 17, see 1 Sam 17:1), then for rain (v. 18, see 1 Sam 18:42), and in both cases the prophet’s prayer was exactly fulfilled by God. So that the example of the great prophet (see Sir 48:1-15) might not be thought inappropriate for ordinary people, the Apostle, in the very mention of the name of the great Elijah, calls him like-natured to us, a person of the same limited mortal nature as all (cf. Acts 14:15; Wis 7:1).

James 5:19. My brothers! If anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him around, James 5:20. let that one know that the one who turns a sinner from his false way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. In conclusion of his epistle the Apostle—with a loving address “brothers and sisters”—points to the greatest work of help of Christians to a brother who has departed from Christian truth, the truth of faith, thought, and life. Wishing to motivate Christians to such activity, required by the idea of the organic connection of all members of the Church, the Apostle speaks of the exceptional importance of such a feat: “you should know that whoever brings a sinner back from his error will save that one’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (v. 20). To whom does this last promise refer, to the converted sinner or to the one who converts him, receiving great reward for his high deed? In the first case the meaning is that “the work of converting a sinner is great in that, first, the soul of the sinner is saved from death, which of course means eternal death in the spiritual sense and, second, the foundation of such salvation is given—a multitude of sins is covered” (Bishop George). Accepting this explanation (shared by Professor Archpriest D.I. Bogdashevsky, earlier by Bishop Michael and others), we nevertheless believe that the thought of reward for the one who converted is not excluded here. In the analogous expression of Apostle Peter (1 Pet 4:8): “love covers a multitude of sins” according to the explanation of Blessed Theophilaktes, the thought is that “mercy toward one’s neighbor makes God merciful to us” (see Matt 6:14-15). With an exhortation to the most important feat of Christian love, the Apostle concludes his epistle, full of profound theology and holy moral teaching.

The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Introduction

On the First Catholic Epistle of the Apostle Peter

The authorship of the First Catholic Epistle of the Apostle Peter—sometimes contested by Western biblical scholars in modern times—is established first of all not only by the reference to the second Catholic Epistle of the same Apostle (2 Pet 3:1), but also by the unanimous witness of the early Christian tradition, going back to the apostolic age itself, and also by internal characteristics contained within the content of the epistle. Regarding the evidence of tradition, it is worth noting that Saint Polycarp of Smyrna, an apostolic figure and student of Saint John the Theologian, in his epistle to the Philippians, as Eusebius attests (Church History IV, 14), “cites certain witnesses from the first epistle of Peter,” and this is fully confirmed by comparing Polycarp’s epistle to the Philippians with the First Catholic Epistle of the Apostle Peter (from the latter we find in Saint Polycarp: I 8, 13, 21, II 11, 12, 22, 24, III 9, 4, 7). Equally clear evidence for the authenticity of the Apostle Peter’s first epistle is found in Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, who also cites passages from the epistle with attribution to the Apostle Peter (Adv. haeres. IV, 9, 2, 16, 5), in Eusebius (Church History V, 8), in Tertullian (“Against the Jews”), in Clement of Alexandria (Strom. IV, 20). In general, Origen and Eusebius call 1 Peter indisputably authentic (ἐπιστολή ὁμολογουμένη, Church History VI, 25). The discovery of this epistle in the Syriac translation of the second century, the Peshitta, is evidence of the common faith of the ancient Church of the first two centuries in the authenticity of 1 Peter. And in all subsequent centuries both the Eastern and Western ecumenical Church unanimously recognized this epistle as Peter’s.

The same authorship to the Apostle Peter is also attested by internal characteristics found in the very content of the epistle.

The general tone or accent of the sacred writer’s views in the epistle, the character of his theology, moral teaching, and exhortation correspond entirely to the qualities and peculiarities of the personality of the great chief Apostle Peter, as he is known from gospel and apostolic history. Two main characteristic features stand out in the spiritual image of Saint Apostle Peter: 1) a living, concrete mode of thinking, inclined, given the hotheadedness distinguishing the Apostle Peter, to easily pass into a stimulus to action, and 2) a constant connection of the Apostle’s worldview with the teaching and hopes of the Old Testament. The first distinctive trait of the Apostle Peter comes out with complete clarity in the gospel mentions of him; (see Luke 5:8; Matt 14:25-33; John 6:68; Mark 9:5; John 13:9; Luke 22:31-33 and others); the second is confirmed by his calling as the Apostle of the circumcision (Gal 2:7); both of these features are likewise reflected in the speeches of the Apostle Peter, recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. The theology and writings of the Apostle Peter are distinguished in general by a predominance of images and conceptions over abstract reasoning. In the Apostle Peter we do not encounter either such lofty metaphysical contemplations as in the Apostle and evangelist John the Theologian, nor such subtle clarification of the logical relationship of Christian ideas and dogmas as in the Apostle Paul. The attention of Saint Peter is concentrated chiefly on the events of history, primarily Christian, in part also Old Testament: illuminating Christianity mainly as a historical fact, the Apostle Peter appears, one might say, as a theologian-historian, or in his own expression, as a witness of Christ: he understands apostolic calling as being a witness to everything that the Lord Jesus Christ did, and especially to his resurrection. This is spoken of repeatedly in the speeches of the Apostle (Acts 1:22), and the same is affirmed in his epistles (1 Pet 5:1; 2 Pet 1:16-18). Equally characteristic for the Apostle Peter is the connection of his teaching with the Old Testament. This trait is quite noticeable in the writings of Saint Apostle Peter. He illuminates Christianity everywhere mainly from the perspective of its connection with the Old Testament, in as much as the Old Testament predictions and hopes were fulfilled in it: it suffices, for example, to compare the passage from the speech of the Apostle Peter concerning the healing of the lame man Acts 3:18-25 and the words 1 Pet 1:10-12, in order to see that all the judgments and arguments of the Apostle proceed from the fact of Old Testament revelation and everywhere presuppose Old Testament prophecy, preparation, and New Testament fulfillment. In connection with this, the idea of Divine foreknowledge and predestination occupies a very prominent place in the teaching of the Apostle Peter (the very word πρόγνωσις, foreknowledge, foresight, apart from the speeches and epistle of the Apostle Peter – Acts 2:23; 1 Pet 1:2 – is found nowhere else in the New Testament). Both in his speeches and epistles the Apostle Peter frequently speaks of the predestined nature of one or another New Testament event (Acts 1:16; 1 Pet 1:1). But unlike the Apostle Paul, who fully developed the doctrine of predestination (Rom 8:9), the Apostle Peter, while not giving a theoretical clarification of the idea of Divine foreknowledge and predestination, offers the most thorough exposition of the factual manifestation of Divine foreknowledge and predestination in history—about prophecy. The doctrine of prophecy, of the inspiration of the prophets by the Holy Spirit, of the revelation to them of God’s mysteries, of their independent penetration into these mysteries, etc.—is expounded in the Apostle Peter with such fullness and clarity as in none of the sacred writers,—and this doctrine is equally expressed both in the epistles and in the speeches (1 Pet 1:10-12; 2 Pet 1:19-21, see Acts 1:16).

Finally, a characteristic feature of the epistles, as also the speeches of the Apostle Peter, consists in an abundance of direct quotations from the Old Testament. According to the opinion of the scholar A. Clement (Der Gebrauch des Alt. Testam. in d. neutest. Schriften. Guetersloh 1895, p. 144), “no New Testament writing is so rich in references to the Old Testament as the first epistle of the Apostle Peter: in 105 verses of the epistle there are 23 verses of Old Testament citations.”

This close coincidence in the spirit, direction, and fundamental points of teaching between the speeches and epistles of the Apostle Peter, as well as between the peculiarities of content and the characteristics of the Apostle Peter’s personality and activity known from the Gospel, provides convincing proof of the authorship of the two Catholic Epistles by that same great chief Apostle Peter, whose speeches are recorded also in the Acts of the Apostles, namely in the first part of that book (Acts 1-12). After the speech at the apostolic Council (Acts 15:7-11), the further activity of Saint Peter becomes known from church traditions, which are not always sufficiently clear (see Menology, June 29). As for now the original purpose and first readers of the First Catholic Epistle of the Apostle Peter, the Apostle writes his epistle to the chosen pilgrims of the dispersion (ἐκλέκτοις παρεπιδήμοις διασποράς) of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (1 Pet 1:1). Given that “dispersion,” διασπορα, often denotes in Scripture (Jas 1:1; 2 Macc 1:27; Jdt 5:19) the entirety of Jews living in the dispersion, outside Palestine, in pagan countries,—many ancient and modern interpreters of the epistle of Saint Apostle Peter believed that it was written to Christians (ἐκλέκτοις, the chosen) from among the Jews. Such a view was held in ancient times by Origen, Eusebius of Caesarea (Church History III 4), Epiphanius of Cyprus (Against Heresies XXVII 6), Saint Jerome (On Famous Men, chapter I), Oecumenius, Saint Theophylact; in modern times—by Berthald, Gütch, Weiss, Kühl, and others. But this opinion cannot be accepted in its exclusive form: in the epistle there are passages which could be attributed to Christian gentiles, but by no means to Jewish Christians. Such are, for example, the words of the Apostle in 1 Pet 1:14, where the reason for the former fleshly and sinful life of the readers is ἐν τῇ ἀγνοίᾳ, in ignorance of God and His holy law, and their very previous life is called a “futile (ματαία) life inherited from fathers”: both the one and the other apply only to the religious and moral condition of pagans, but in no way to Jews. The same must be said of such passages as 1 Pet 2:10. Therefore, one should 1) accept a mixed composition of readers—Jewish Christians and gentile Christians; 2) understand “dispersion” to mean Christians in general without distinction of nationality; 3) “chosen pilgrims”—not individual Christians, but entire Christian church communities, as seen from the concluding greeting from the whole Church 1 Pet 5:13-14. If in the list of geographic names 1 Pet 1:1 some saw an indication of the existence in Asia Minor of Jewish Christian communities, founded here earlier and independently of the gospel preaching of the Apostle Paul, and attributed the founding of these communities to the Apostle Peter, all of this is not supported by New Testament data, which, on the contrary, attribute the first introduction of Christianity in the provinces of Asia Minor to the Apostle Paul (Rom 15:20; Acts 13; cf. Acts 14, etc.). Equally, church tradition tells us nothing definite about the preaching of the Apostle Peter in the localities named by him 1 Pet 1:1.

What then prompted the Apostle Peter to address his epistle to the Christians of these provinces? The general purpose of the epistle, as is evident from its content, was the intention of the Apostle to strengthen the readers of various social positions in faith and the rules of Christian life, to eliminate certain internal disorders, to bring peace amid external sorrows, to warn against the seductions of false teachers,—in short, to plant in the life of the Christians of Asia Minor those true spiritual goods, the lack of which in the life and behavior was felt and became known to the Apostle Peter, perhaps through the mediation of the zealous co-worker of Paul, Silas, who was with him at that time (1 Pet 5:12; 2 Thess 1:1; 2 Cor 1:19). We can only note that both the teachings, and especially the warnings of the Apostle Peter, are characterized by a more general character than the teachings and warnings in Paul’s epistles, which is natural given that the Apostle Paul was the founder of the churches of Asia Minor and knew their living conditions more closely from personal direct experience.

The place of writing of the First Catholic Epistle of the Apostle Peter is Babylon, from where in the name of the local Christian community the Apostle sends greeting to the churches in Asia Minor to which he addresses the epistle (1 Pet 5:13). But what is to be understood here by Babylon, opinions of interpreters differ. Some (Keil, Neander, Weiss, etc.) see here the famous Babylon on the Euphrates in ancient times. But against this speaks already the fact that by the time of the gospel, this Babylon lay in ruins, appearing as a vast desert (ἔρημος πολλή—Strabo, Geograph. 16, 736), and moreover, the complete absence of evidence from church tradition of the residence of the Apostle Peter in Mesopotamia and his preaching there. Others (among them Bishop Michael) understand Babylon of Egypt—a small city on the right bank of the Nile, almost opposite Memphis: here there was a Christian church (Menology, June 4). But tradition tells nothing of the residence of the Apostle Peter in Egyptian Babylon either, it only considers the evangelist Mark, a student of the Apostle Peter, as the founder of the church of Alexandria (Eusebius, Church History II 16). There remains the third opinion, expressed in ancient times by Eusebius (Church History II 15) and now dominant in scholarship, according to which Babylon (1 Pet 5:13) should be understood in an allegorical sense, namely: understood as Rome (Cornely, Hofmann, Zahn, Farrar, Harnack, Professor Bogdashevsky). Besides Eusebius, among ancient interpreters Saint Jerome, Saint Theophylact, and Oecumenius understood Rome by Babylon. In favor of this understanding speaks also textual tradition: many minuscule manuscripts have the gloss: ἐγράφη ἀπὸ Ῥώμης. If it was objected that before the writing of the Apocalypse (see Rev 16:19), an allegorical name for Rome as Babylon could not have developed, in reality such a connection of the first with the latter occurred, according to Schettgen’s testimony (Horae hebr. p. 1050), significantly earlier, being prompted by the analogy between the ancient oppression of the Jews by the Chaldeans and the later oppression by the Romans. And the fact that in the concluding greetings of Paul’s epistles, written from Rome (to the Philippians, Colossians, Timothy, Philemon), the latter is not called Babylon, does not exclude the possibility of such usage by the Apostle Peter, to whom allegory is generally characteristic (for example, the word διασπορα in 1 Pet 1:1 has a spiritual, figurative sense). Thus, the place of writing of the 1 Catholic Epistle of the Apostle Peter was Rome.

It is difficult to determine precisely the time of writing of the epistle. Many ancient church writers (Saint Clement of Rome, Saint Ignatius the God-bearer, Dionysius of Corinth, Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, Tertullian, Origen, the Muratorian canon) testify to the residence of the Apostle Peter in Rome, but all of them do not date his arrival in Rome even with approximate precision, but speak mostly of the martyrdom of the chief apostles, again without precise dating of this event. Therefore, the question of the time of origin of the epistle in question should be resolved on the basis of New Testament data. The epistle presupposes the establishment of churches in Asia Minor by the Apostle Paul, which took place, as is known, in the third great missionary journey of the Apostle to the Gentiles, around 56–57 AD; consequently, the first Catholic Epistle of the Apostle Peter could not have been written before this time. Then in this epistle many have not without reason noted signs of similarity with Paul’s epistles to the Romans and Ephesians (compare, for example, 1 Pet 1:14 and Rom 12:2; 1 Pet 2:13 and Rom 13:1-6; 1 Pet 3:9 and Rom 12:17, and also: 1 Pet 2:4 and Eph 2:20-22; 1 Pet 1:10-11 and Eph 2:5 and others), but the first appeared not before 53 AD, and the second—not before 61 AD. In favor of a relatively late appearance of the epistle in question also speaks the aforementioned fact known from the epistle (1 Pet 5:12) of Silas, the companion of the Apostle Paul, being with the Apostle Peter. On the basis of all this, one can consider probable the writing of the epistle after the time when the missionary activity of the Apostle Paul with respect to the churches of Asia Minor had ceased,—when he was sent from Caesarea as a prisoner to Rome for trial before Caesar (Acts 26:1). It was precisely then that it was natural for the Apostle Peter to address his epistle to the churches of Asia Minor, bereft of their great herald, and to impart to them instruction in faith and piety and encouragement in life’s sorrows. Thus, the probable time of writing of the epistle is the period between 62–64 AD (soon after the first epistle, not long before his martyrdom the Apostle wrote also the second epistle).

By the peculiarities of his personal spiritual life, and also by the special purpose of the epistle, the Apostle Peter teaches the readers Christian hope in God and the Lord Jesus Christ and salvation in Him more than anything else and repeatedly. As the Apostle James is the preacher of righteousness, and the evangelist John—of the love of Christ, so the Apostle Peter is preeminently the Apostle of Christian hope.

The exegetical and expository literature on the Epistles of the Apostle Peter in the West is very significant, such as, for example, the works of Hofmann, Weisinger, Kühl, Osten, Sieffert, and others. In Russian biblical literature there is no special scholarly monograph on the Epistles of Saint Apostle Peter. But very valuable exegetical and expository information on the subject is contained in the works of 1) Professor Archpriest D. I. Bogdashevsky. Epistle of Saint Apostle Paul to the Ephesians. Kiev 1904 and 2) Professor O. I. Mishenko. The Speeches of the Holy Apostle Peter in the Book of Acts. Kiev 1907. Also deserving full attention is the pamphlet of Bishop George. Explanation of the Most Difficult Passages of the First Epistle of Saint Apostle Peter. 1902. Most closely aiding in the explanation of the Epistles of the Apostle Peter, as well as other Catholic Epistles, serves the classical work of His Grace Bishop Michael “Expository Apostle,” book 2, ed. Kiev, 1906. Also of some significance are the “Popular Expositions” of the Catholic Epistles by Archimandrite (later Archbishop) Nikanor. Kazan, 1889.

Chapter One

Inscription and greeting (1–2). Blessing God for the greatness of the work of redemption and the rebirth of mankind (3–5). The grace of rebirth—the source of consolation in sorrows and troubles, which can strengthen faith and love for the Lord Jesus Christ (6–9). The greatness of the grace of Christ and the salvation of people in Christ is revealed from the fact that this salvation is a mystery of God, which is unknown even to the Angels and which was the subject of investigation and study by the Old Testament prophets (10–12). Exhortation to firmness of hope, to holiness of life, and to mutual love (13–25).

1 Peter 1:1. Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the sojourners scattered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen, 1 Peter 1:2. according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace may be multiplied. Already in the opening verses of the epistle, in its inscription and in the greeting of the Apostle to the readers, the general character and spirit of the worldview and theology of the holy Apostle Peter is expressed, namely: the close connection of his teaching with the Old Testament. By calling himself from the very beginning an Apostle of Jesus Christ, Saint Peter does this, of course, with the purpose of lending authority to his word in the eyes of all followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Upon hearing the word “apostolos,” the readers of the epistle should have remembered that the people called apostles (cf. Matt 10:1-2) speak and act not of themselves and from themselves, but by commission and in the name of Jesus Christ; that by virtue of a special calling they are witnesses of Christ as the Redeemer and Savior of the world (cf. Acts 4:9), and have the duty and authority to establish communities or churches in the name of Christ, to preach and teach about the cross of Christ and the whole work of salvation throughout the world, to impart edification and exhortation, rebuke and prohibition to all people—Jews and Gentiles, upon their reception of the word of the gospel (cf. Rom 1:13 and many others), and in order to achieve the high goals of their worldwide ministry the apostles received special gifts of the Holy Spirit and extraordinary wonder-working powers (Acts 2:4; cf. Mark 16:17). In the mind of the Apostle Peter himself, the representation of apostolic ministry is inseparably united with the analogous ministry of the Old Testament prophets. Saint Theophylact beautifully notes this characteristic of Saint Peter’s understanding of the work of the apostleship, saying: “By the words ‘according to the foreknowledge of God,’ the Apostle desires to show that he, except for the time, is in no way inferior to the prophets, who were themselves sent, and that the prophets were sent—Isaiah speaks of this: ‘to preach good news to the poor he sent me’ (Isa 61:1). But if he is inferior in time, he is not inferior in the foreknowledge of God. In this respect he declares himself equal to Jeremiah, who before being formed in the womb was known and sanctified and appointed as a prophet to the nations (Jer 1:5). And as the prophets, among other things, announced the coming of Christ (for to this they were sent), he explains the meaning of the work of apostleship, that his apostolic work consists in separating. For this is what the word ‘sanctification’ means, for example, in the words: ‘You will be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, set apart’ (Deut 14:2), that is, separated from other nations. So, his apostolic work is—by means of spiritual gifts to separate nations obedient to the cross and sufferings of Jesus Christ, sprinkled not with the ashes of a heifer, when it is necessary to cleanse defilement from association with the Gentiles, but with blood from the sufferings of Jesus Christ.” The readers of the epistle the Apostle calls (v. 1) “the chosen and scattered pilgrims” (ἐκλέκτοις παρεπιδήμοις διασποράς): chosen—in the sense of calling into the Church of Christ (by analogy with the election of the Hebrew people in the Old Testament), “scattered pilgrims”—not only in the narrow, literal sense—meaning Christians from the Jews, living outside their homeland—Palestine, but also in the broader, spiritual or figurative sense—Christians in general, who do not have a lasting city upon the earth (Heb 11:13), in as much as human life on earth is generally called pilgrimage and sojourning, and man, according to biblical understanding, wherever he lives, is a pilgrim and sojourner on the earth; the earth is his temporary dwelling place, while his true homeland is another world—spiritual, heavenly (cf. Gen 47:9; Lev 25:23; Ps 38:13). For this reason, although the word “dispersion” has a technical meaning in the New Testament, denoting Jews who lived outside Palestine among the Gentiles (Jas 1:1; John 7:35), and likewise the word “sojourner” (Hebrew ger, toshab) in the Old Testament meant a person living outside the boundaries of his own homeland, in a foreign land (Exod 12:45; Lev 22:10), but in the Apostle Peter, in the aforementioned non-literal, spiritual sense, Christians in general, not excluding Christian Gentiles (1 Pet 2:10), are called pilgrims and sojourners (1 Pet 2:11), and the time of their life in the world—a time of pilgrimage (1 Pet 1:17). Thus, the Apostle Peter, putting into Old Testament figurative expressions a higher, New Testament meaning, by these words of greeting means all Christians in general, living in the regions enumerated by the Apostle,—in virtue of the fact that they, as Christians, constitute a special people, foreign to the world and Gentiles and having a spiritual, true homeland in the heavens. The regions of the Christians’ residence enumerated by the Apostle are all located in Asia Minor. Namely: Pontus is the northeastern province of Asia Minor, receiving its name due to proximity to the Pontus Euxinus or Black Sea; from Pontus came Aquila, a co-worker of the Apostle Paul in the work of gospel preaching (Acts 18:2). Galatia lay to the west of Pontus, received its name from the Gauls, who had emigrated here from Western Europe, Christianity was here introduced by the Apostle Paul. Cappadocia was located to the south of Pontus; Christians of this province, as well as those from Pontus, were present at the first Christian Pentecost in Jerusalem (Acts 2:9). By the name Asia is meant the so-called Proconsular Asia, consisting of the provinces of Mysia, Lydia, and Caria and embracing all the western coast of the Asia Minor peninsula (Acts 2). Finally, Bithynia occupied the northwestern part of this peninsula (Acts 16:7). After naming the readers of the epistle, the Apostle directly fixes (v. 2) his reverent thought on the greatness of Christian calling. Here he first of all draws the attention of the readers to the fact that their election to salvation took place “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,” κατὰ πρόγνωσιν Θεοῦ Πατρός. The concept of Divine “foreknowledge,” as has already been mentioned, holds a prominent place in the theology of the Apostle Peter precisely because of the closeness of his worldview to the Old Testament, or because of his particular recognition of the organic connection between the two covenants. At the same time, as the herald of the New Testament, the Apostle in the matter of arranging Christian salvation points to the participation of all three persons of the Holy Trinity: if to God the Father he ascribes “foreknowledge” of salvation, then to the Holy Spirit: “sanctification,” ἐν ἁγιασμῷ Πνεύματος, that is, all the various workings of the Holy Spirit in blessing the spirit and the whole nature of the Christian, and to Christ the Savior—the very accomplishment of the work of salvation, which has this highest goal: “for obedience and sprinkling with blood” (εἰς ὑπακοὴν καὶ ῥαντισμὸν αἵματος) of Jesus Christ. Here are two concepts: “obedience” and “sprinkling with the blood” of Jesus Christ, and both in the understanding of the Apostle are connected with the Old Testament type of the New Covenant—the covenant of the blood of Christ (Matt 26:28; Heb 12:24). The Old Testament event prefiguring the sprinkling with the blood of all entering the Church of Christ was the image or manner of using sacrificial blood at the time of the conclusion by God of a covenant with the Hebrew people at Sinai, when the people were sprinkled with blood: “Moses took the blood (of sacrifice) and sprinkled the people, saying: ‘See the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you’ (Exod 24:8; cf. Heb 9:18-20). Thus, just as with blood the covenant of God was concluded with the Hebrew people, so with the precious blood of the incarnate Son of God, shed by him on the cross, the foundation was laid for the New Covenant of God with mankind; and just as through the sprinkling of the Hebrews with sacrificial blood the Hebrew people entered into the covenant and became a holy people of the covenant, so, certainly, to an incomparably greater degree, the sprinkling with the blood of Christ is the grace-giving power for people’s entry into the new covenant with God or into the Church of Christ. The narrative of the book mentioned above (Exod 24) explains also the meaning of another expression of the Apostle: “for obedience.” The matter is that Moses sprinkled with sacrificial blood as a sign of entering into covenant with God only after, when the book of the Covenant was read aloud to all the people, the people gave a solemn promise: “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient” (Exod 24 and Exod 24:7), that is, the Old Covenant was concluded with the sprinkling of sacrificial blood only on the condition of the people’s obedience to the will of Jehovah, expressed in the Book of the Covenant. In a similar manner the acceptance and entry of people into the bosom of the Church of Christ is accomplished only on the condition of “obedience,” that is, an unconditional readiness of people to accept all Christian teaching with an irrevocable determination to fulfill it in their very life. Having depicted the essence and foundation of the salvation of people in Christ, the Apostle sends the readers a prayerful blessing: “grace to you and peace be multiplied.” “Grace”—because we are saved freely, bringing nothing from ourselves; “peace”—because, having offended the Master, we were among his enemies.” (Saint Theophylact).1 Peter 1:3. Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in His great mercy has caused us to be born again through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to a living hope, 1 Peter 1:4. to an inheritance incorruptible, pure, unfading, kept in heaven for you, 1 Peter 1:5. guarded by God’s power through faith toward salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. After the greeting to the readers with the depiction of the source of Christian salvation, the Apostle is filled with a feeling of deep heartfelt thanksgiving to God for the redemption of the world and the calling of the Christian readers into the Church of Christ, and pours out his believing feeling in a solemn doxology or blessing, closely reminiscent of a similar blessing of another chief Apostle, Paul, at the beginning of the epistle to the Ephesians (Eph 1:3 ff.). In his blessing to God the Apostle Peter calls God the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, as Christ himself called God not only Father, but also His God (John 20:17), equally the Apostle Paul often called, usually in blessings, God the Father and God of Jesus Christ (Rom 15:6; 2 Cor 1:3; Eph 1:3; Col 1:3). It is possible that the form of blessing is borrowed from the liturgical use of it in apostolic times (cf. Jas 3:9). The very salvation in Christ the Apostle in his blessing characterizes in v. 3 from three perspectives: a) by its source, it is the work of “great mercy” (τὸ πολύελεος) of God, since the salvation of the sinful world and mankind is exclusively the work of the love of God showing mercy (John 3:16); b) by its essential nature it is “rebirth” (ἀναγεννήσας), a gracious regeneration of people into new, spiritual, and eternal life (cf. John 3:3; Titus 3:5; Col 3:1; Eph 1:19); finally, c) by its ultimate goal, salvation in Christ “leads into a living hope (εἰς ἐλπίδα ζῶσαν) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”: the spiritually dead in falling away from God is reborn through faith in Christ and in union with Christ into new life and receives firm hope for eternal blessed life, and the pledge and foundation of this hope consists of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (Rom 10:9; 1 Cor 15:14). “What does God give? Hope, but not that which was through Moses, about settling in the land of Canaan, which was mortal, but a living hope. Where does it have life? From the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. For he, as he himself rose, so gives to those coming to him through faith in him the same power to rise.” (Saint Theophylact). In v. 4 are detailed the very object of Christian hope. This object—“inheritance,” heritage (εἰς κληρονομίαν), that is, by similarity to the promised land of the Old Testament (Gen 15:18),—the spiritual goods of the Kingdom of Christ, inherited by Christians (Matt 5:5; Gal 4:7), especially eternal blessed life in heaven (Heb 9:15), called here by the Apostle Peter “imperishable” (ἄφθαρτον), “undefiled” (ἀμίαντον), “unfading” (ἀμάραντον), that is, the heavenly inheritance awaited by Christians is not subject to any decay and destruction (Matt 6:19-20), pure, holy, and perfect, eternally flourishing and always remaining the same “not laid up on earth, as, for example, for fathers, but in heaven, from which it also has the property of eternity, by which it surpasses earthly inheritance.” (Saint Theophylact). This inheritance, according to the Apostle, “is kept” (τετηρημένη) in heaven for Christians: the image is taken from earthly treasures kept by parents in a safe place for their children. But not only treasures for the believers are preserved in heaven, but they themselves, in fulfillment of the very prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ in his High-Priestly prayer, are preserved, protected by the power of God (cf. Phil 4:7) “through faith toward salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” And from man himself is required constant vigilance concerning his salvation (Matt 24:42), but given human weakness, the almighty power of God is needed to guard the Christian from many and various enemies and dangers of his salvation. This salvation in its fullness is ready to be revealed “in the last time,” ἐν καιρῷ ἐσχάτῳ, that is, by the New Testament usage of this expression (cf. Matt 13:39; 2 Tim 3:1; Jude 1:18), with the end of the kingdom of grace and the opening of the kingdom of glory, at the second coming of Christ. The expression “ready” gives the thought of the nearness of this last time. “This nearness is understood here, without doubt, in the same sense as in other apostles, namely, that with the first appearance of Christ in the world the last era of the economy of human salvation has begun, during which one must constantly be ready for the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for judgment (see Jas 5:7-9).” (His Grace Bishop Michael).

1 Peter 1:6. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if it is necessary, you suffer grief in various trials, 1 Peter 1:7. that the testing of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes, though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 1:8. Whom, not having seen, you love; and in whom, though now you do not see him, believing you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 1 Peter 1:9. receiving as the end of your faith the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:10. Concerning this salvation, the prophets inquired and searched diligently, those who prophesied about the grace destined for you, The high joy concerning the goods of Christian inheritance, filling the hearts of all true Christians, should pour forth gracious consolation into their souls when sorrow and trouble overtake them. The great teaching on the beneficial meaning of sorrows in the moral life of Christians the Apostle Peter expounds in a way similar to the Apostle James (Jas 1:2 ff.), but also with some peculiarities corresponding to the personal characteristics of the Apostle Peter’s spiritual experience. Namely, he first of all particularly distinguishes the worthlessness—both in duration and in character—of temporal sorrows and trials in comparison with the eternal blessed life prepared for Christians in heaven, and then, more than the Apostle James, seeks to revive in the hearts of readers personal communion with the Lord Jesus Christ through faith in him and love for him as the means or path to that blessedness. “As the teacher in his promise announces not only joy, but also sorrow, saying: ‘In the world you will have tribulation’ (John 16:33), so the Apostle to the word of joy added ‘a little.’ But as this is sorrowful, the latter adds ‘now…’. Or the word ‘now’ should be referred to the joy, in that it will be replaced by future joy, not short-lived, but lasting and infinite. Or the word ‘a little’ should be understood relative to sorrow, in such a manner, if it is necessary now to sorrow a little from various trials…. He adds ‘if necessary,’ teaching that not every believer, nor every sinner is tested with sorrows, and neither the one nor the other is left in them forever. Righteous people who suffer receive crowns for their suffering, while sinners suffer to bear the punishment for their sins. Not all righteous suffer trials, so that you do not consider evil praiseworthy and do not come to hate virtue. And not all sinners suffer trials so that the truth of the resurrection would not come into question, if here on earth everyone still received what was due to them.” (Saint Theophylact). In v. 8 the Apostle, as a new incentive for patient endurance of trials, points to the faith and love of the readers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and this praise the Apostle expresses in the form of a reference to the words of Christ to the Apostle Thomas, that blessed are those who, without seeing Christ, believe in him (John 20:29). The readers of the epistle, having precisely such faith and love in Christ, should draw strength and support from this for their hope in final salvation. “If, he says, without seeing him physically, you love him by mere hearing, what love will you feel when you see him appearing in glory? If the sufferings of Christ have thus bound you to him, what devotion should the appearance of him in unbearable radiance produce in you, when you are moreover rewarded with salvation of souls? If you are to appear before him and be deemed worthy of such glory, then now show conduct corresponding to it and you will fully attain the purpose hoped for.” (Saint Theophylact).

1 Peter 1:11. inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating, when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 1 Peter 1:12. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things now announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, into which even angels desire to look. The greatness and glory of Christian salvation are evident from the fact that it constitutes a great mystery of God, which long before its realization was the object of careful investigation and inquiry by the prophets and reverent penetration into it by the Angels themselves. The prophets investigated (cf. Acts 3:24) not only when (τίνα καιρόν), after how many centuries and years the Messiah would come, but also what (ποῖον καιρόν) the character and nature, what were the circumstances and relations of that time. The independence of the prophets in this investigation consisted in the clarification and detailed explanation of the data of revelation. But the sole source of this for the prophets was the Spirit of Christ (τὸ πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ), sent into the world by God the Father through God the Son: “in these words the Apostle Peter reveals the mystery of the Trinity.” (Saint Theophylact). The subject of the prophetic visions and investigations was the sufferings (παθήματα) of Christ the Savior, by which he at his time accomplished the work of human salvation, and the subsequent glory (δόξας—plural), of which all believers in Christ are made sharers. “By speaking of the foresight of the prophets the Apostle impresses upon the readers that they should receive with faith what is announced to them by the prophets, because even children of sense do not despise the labors of their fathers. If they, having nothing to profit from it, searched and investigated, and, having found, set it down in books and left it to us as a kind of inheritance, then we would be unjust if we began to show contempt for their labors. Therefore, when we also announce this to you, do not show contempt, and do not render our gospel vain. Such is the lesson from the foresight of the prophets.” (Saint Theophylact). The highest degree of assessment of the work of human salvation is presented in the Apostle’s concluding remark in v. 12 that into the mystery of the salvation of people and the whole world in Christ the very Angels are eager and strive to penetrate with all earnestness and reverence (cf. Luke 2:14; Eph 3:10).

1 Peter 1:13. Therefore, girding up the loins of your mind, being sober, set your hope completely on the grace that is being brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:14. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance, 1 Peter 1:15. but as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct. 1 Peter 1:16. For it is written: Be holy, because I am holy. Contemplation of the heavenly height of Christian calling should, first of all, generate in the hearts of believers firm and perfect hope in the grace of Christ that aids their salvation, and then should completely transform their entire life according to the highest Original of God the Father: spiritual alertness (cf. Luke 12:35; Eph 6:14), complete obedience to the Gospel, full abandonment of the sinful habits of pre-Christian life, and, conversely, striving toward the imitation of the holiness of God in accordance with the Old Testament command of God (Lev 11:44). “Some foolish people say that one must conform to circumstances. But as it is foolish to give oneself to the control of circumstances, the Apostle commands that they, whether in knowledge or in ignorance, held to this previously, but now let them conform to him who called them, who is truly holy, and themselves become holy.” (Saint Theophylact).

1 Peter 1:17. And if you call on him as Father who judges each one impartially according to his work, conduct yourselves with fear during the time of your sojourning, 1 Peter 1:18. knowing that you were ransomed not with corruptible things such as silver or gold from the futile way of life handed down to you from your fathers, 1 Peter 1:19. but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a spotless and unblemished lamb, 1 Peter 1:20. designated before the foundation of the world, but revealed at the end of the times for you, 1 Peter 1:21. who through him have faith in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. As new and most powerful incentives to holy living the Apostle now points to the filial relationship of the readers and all Christians with God (v. 17), and then to their redemption by the precious pure blood of Jesus Christ. Filial relationship with God (cf. Matt 5:48), however, requires from Christians a particularly reverent fear of God (cf. Phil 2:12). “Scripture distinguishes two kinds of fear, one—initial, the other—perfect. The initial fear, which is also fundamental, consists in that when someone turns to an honest life out of fear of accountability for his deeds, while the perfect fear consists in that when someone—for the sake of the perfection of love for another, loved with zeal, fears lest he remain indebted in any way to that person, as required by strong love…. For this reason the perfect fear the Apostle Peter exhorts those who listen to him to live in, and he says: By the unspeakable mercy of the Creator God you are accepted into the number of his children; therefore let this fear always be with you, since you have become such through the love of your Creator, and not through your works.” (Saint Theophylact). The sense of the fear of God in the readers the Apostle strengthens by reminding them that their earthly life is a time of sojourning (τῆς παροικίας), which completely corresponds to the earlier (v. 1) and later (1 Pet 2:11) usage of calling the readers pilgrims and sojourners. Another high incentive to holiness of life the Apostle offers further (v. 18–19), pointing to the redemption of people from sin, guilt, and futile life by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, as the lamb without blemish and pure (cf. John 1:29; 1 Cor 5:7); see: Exod 12:5; Isa 53), predestined as a sacrifice for the world and people in the pre-worldly eternity (v. 20, see: Heb 9:5-7) and only in deed realized this predestination in the last, that is, the New Testament time. In v. 21 the Apostle, “having spoken of the death of Christ, adjoins to this also a word about resurrection. For he fears that the newly converted might again fall into unbelief because of the fact that Christ’s sufferings are humiliating. He adds also that the mystery of Christ is not new, but from the beginning, before the creation of the world, was hidden until the appropriate time…. Do not be troubled by the fact that the Apostle Peter here and (repeatedly) the Apostle Paul speak that the Father raised the Lord (Acts 13:37). He speaks thus, using the customary manner of teaching.” (Saint Theophylact).

1 Peter 1:22. Having purified your souls by obedience to the truth through the Spirit, for sincere brotherly love, love one another from a pure heart persistently, 1 Peter 1:23. having been born again, not from corruptible seed but from incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and abides forever. 1 Peter 1:24. For all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass: the grass has dried up, and its flower has fallen; 1 Peter 1:25. but the word of the Lord abides forever, and this is the word that has been preached to you. From the teaching on the rebirth of Christians by the grace of the Holy Spirit (v. 23, see John 1:12-13) the Apostle draws the conclusion about the necessity for all of the virtue of brotherly love, in its pure form appearing as the fulfillment of the fundamental commandment of Christ the Savior concerning love as the distinguishing mark of Christians (Matt 22:40; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:28; John 13:34). This incentive receives special force in the thought of v. 24–25 about the extreme contrast between fleshly, unregenerate man with his deeds and the man reborn with the imperishable seed of God’s word (v. 23; cf. Jas 1:18), remaining forever (cf. Isa 40:6). Equally eternal should mutual love among Christians for one another remain (1 Cor 13:8). * * * Isa 40:6-8

Chapter Two

Teachings on the spiritual growth of Christians (1–3). On the spiritual structure of Christian community in general (4–10). On virtuous living (11–12). On obedience to authorities (13–17). On servants’ obedience to masters (18–20).

1 Peter 2:1. Therefore, laying aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all evil speaking, 1 Peter 2:2. as newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation; 1 Peter 2:3. if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Those reborn should rid themselves of all malice (v. 1, see Jas 1:21; Eph 4:22; Col 3:8). For this reason the Apostle in v. 1 “embraces in a few words the whole multitude and variety of evil” (Saint Theophylact) all the passions and vices which are decidedly incompatible with pure Christian brotherly love (1 Pet 1:22). And then the Apostle impresses upon Christians (v. 2) the need to love with all their strength the truly nourishing word of God, as spiritual milk, and in doing so points to their inner experience: “Because you have tasted,” that is, through practice in the holy commandments of the gospel you have realized tangibly how good this teaching is. And the means of knowing through deed is stronger than any word, as what is experienced through practice is more pleasant than any word. So, having experienced the goodness of the Lord, show kindness and mercy to one another as well. (Saint Theophylact).

1 Peter 2:4. Coming to him, a living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight, 1 Peter 2:5. you also, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Transitioning from teachings to individual Christians to discourse on the perfection of Christian community as a whole, the Apostle presents Christian community under the image of a building being constructed, a house. And here the Apostle’s thought naturally first and foremost rests on the cornerstone of the building of Christian community, or the Church—Christ the Savior, the Living Stone (cf. John 6:51). Even the holy preachers of the Old Testament—the holy prophet Isaiah (Isa 28:16) and the holy psalmist (Ps 117:22) foretold the worldwide event—the laying by Jehovah of the cornerstone on Zion, the believer in which would not be ashamed, but unbelievers, the builders, would reject him. This prophecy is interpreted of Christ by the Savior himself (Matt 21:42), the Apostle Peter in his speech before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:11), and the Apostle Paul (Rom 9:33). To the false judgment of unbelieving people about this stone, rejecting it, opposes the only true judgment of God about it as a chosen and precious stone (v. 4). On this stone all Christians should be built into a spiritual house or temple, in which they form “a holy priesthood,” ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον. Just as in the Old Testament the Levitical priesthood was specifically chosen by God to stand before God and offer him sacrifices for themselves and the people (Lev 16:1; Num 9:13; Ezek 40:46), although at the same time both the whole people and individual members of it were to subsequently constitute a spiritual priesthood and kingdom (Exod 19:5-6), so even more in the New Testament there exists a priesthood for the performance of the sacraments, teaching, and governance in the Church; but alongside it, not abolishing it, there exists the universal priesthood, the spiritual priesthood of all Christians, obliged to offer God spiritual sacrifices—prayers and praises to God, self-renunciation, deeds of love and mercy, and other Christian labors (Rom 12:1; Heb 13:15-16; 1 John 3:16; Phil 4:18). The Apostle encourages Christians as if thus: “Bind yourselves more closely together through the unity of love, and join together into the fullness of a spiritual house, not at all concerned about contempt from people, because they have also rejected the cornerstone—Christ. Having achieved unanimity among yourselves and built from yourselves a spiritual house and acquired a holy priesthood, offer spiritual sacrifices.” (Saint Theophylact).

1 Peter 2:6. For it stands in Scripture: Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and the one who believes in him will not be put to shame. 1 Peter 2:7. So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. 1 Peter 2:8. They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were appointed to do. The Apostle Peter now strengthens his thought and teaching to Christians on spiritual structure by introducing (without direct quotation) the very Old Testament quotations themselves: Isa 28:16; Ps 117:22-23. Here “Christ is called the cornerstone because he with his embrace unites the two walls constituting the spiritual house, that is, the Gentiles and the Jews, and binds them into one accord, doing away with the useless sacrifices of the one and transforming into piety the demonic superstition of the other.” (Saint Theophylact). In v. 8 the Apostle in the spirit of the Old Testament sayings cited speaks of the fate of those not believing the word of God. “And to this they were destined: this does not mean that they were determined to this by God. For from Him, who desires all people to be saved (1 Tim 2:4), there can be no way the cause of destruction. But since they themselves from within have fashioned themselves into vessels of wrath, adding to this disobedience, they are left in the position they themselves have prepared. For if man, as a rational being, was created free, and freedom cannot be forced, then it would be unjust to accuse the one who gives to man the very portion he himself has prepared through his deeds.” (Saint Theophylact).

1 Peter 2:9. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, that you may proclaim the excellences of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; 1 Peter 2:10. once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. In contrast to the sorrowful fate of the unbelieving and rejected, the Apostle depicts in bright and strong strokes the high calling and purpose of believing people, for whom Christ is truly a precious cornerstone. These strokes are borrowed by the Apostle from the Old Testament, partly from the law of Moses, Exod 19:5-6; Deut 7:6, and partly from the prophets Hos 1:6, using of Christians the expressions: “chosen people,” “royal priesthood” (cf. Rev 1:6), “holy nation,” “God’s special possession”—all these honorable names of Old Testament Israel have a higher meaning in application to Christians, redeemed by the blood of the Son of God. So exalted and blessed with grace, Christians have a high purpose and goal in life—to declare the praises of Him who called—God. “The Lord himself teaches this, when he says: ‘Let your light shine before men so that they see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven’ (Matt 5:16). For all creation of God is His, but the special possession of God is only those who have been deemed worthy of this by their virtue.” (Saint Theophylact). The contrast between the former and new condition of the called is denoted in v. 10 by the utterance of the prophet Hosea (cited not directly): you were “once not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (Hos 2:23), “so that this saying might not seem harsh, he brings reproachful words from the prophet Hosea.” (Saint Theophylact).

1 Peter 2:11. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul, 1 Peter 2:12. and conduct yourselves with honor among the Gentiles, so that, in a thing they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of judgment. “Teachers of faith have the custom of appending moral lessons to dogmatic teaching. The blessed Apostle Peter now does the same.” (Saint Theophylact). A series of moral teachings, showing how Christians can in their life according to the principles of Christianity proclaim the praises of God (v. 9), begins with a general rule—to abstain from fleshly desires and conduct a virtuous life, by which Christians could best soften the hostile attitude of the Gentiles toward them, who were inclined to distort and condemn both the teaching and the life of Christians. “When they (the Gentiles) examine our life and find that their opinion of us contradicts reality, they themselves are reformed in their shameful deeds and thus glorify God.” (Saint Theophylact).

1 Peter 2:13. Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to the king as supreme authority, 1 Peter 2:14. or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of those who do wrong and the praise of those who do good, 1 Peter 2:15. for this is the will of God, that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish people – After general teaching on virtue the Apostle now gives more specific teachings on how Christians should relate to certain social institutions, where Christians could show their good deeds before the Gentiles. The Apostle probably does this both to refute slanders and calumnies against Christians from the Gentiles (v. 12, 15), and to warn Christians themselves against overstepping their freedom (v. 16). The Apostle impresses upon Christians to be obedient to “every human institution,” κτίσει, that is, to the order or arrangement of social life. “By human institutions are meant rulers established by rulers, and even rulers themselves, in as much as they are chosen or appointed by men…. So he says be obedient to worldly authorities, but be obedient for the Lord’s sake, as the Lord commanded. What did the Lord command: ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s’ (Matt 22:21). Therefore, if they command something contrary to the establishment of God, they should not be obeyed. Thus Christ commanded; the disciple teaches the same. This is so that the Gentiles cannot say that Christianity brings about the overthrow of life (civil), that it is the cause of disorder and rebellion ‘for the Lord’s sake.’ He makes this addition also for the believers. Some of them might have said: did not the Apostle himself promise us the Kingdom of Heaven (1 Pet 1:4), and thus ascribes great dignity to us. Then again he abases us by subjecting us to worldly authorities? So if anyone says this, let him know, he says, that this command is not from me alone, but from the Lord himself…. He adds also the reason: first, such is the will of God; second, our obedience to authorities proves our good conduct and, in addition, shames the unbelievers. For when they slander us as proud, yet see that we are meek, and where appropriate, obedient, they are the more ashamed.” (Saint Theophylact).

1 Peter 2:16. live as free people, not using your freedom as a cover for evil, but as servants of God. 1 Peter 2:17. Honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. Warning Christians against looseness under the cover of Christian freedom (v. 16), the Apostle expresses the moral duties of Christians in civil and social life in four brief rules of conduct: “Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.” (v. 17). “See what precision: to God, he says, give reverence, and to the emperor give honor. If indeed we must have fear before God, who is able to destroy both soul and body (Matt 10:28), then we should not obey emperors when they command us to do something immoral.” (Saint Theophylact).

1 Peter 2:18. Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are harsh. 1 Peter 2:19. For it is commendable, if thinking of God, someone endures sorrow while suffering unjustly. 1 Peter 2:20. For what credit is it if you endure when you are beaten for your faults? But if you endure when you are beaten for doing good, this is commendable before God. From general teachings on virtue (v. 17) the Apostle now draws (v. 18) a particular teaching about conscientious, before God, obedience of Christian servants to their masters, and not only to those good and gentle, but also to those harsh. This latter thought is further supported by a general consideration about what pleases God—innocent suffering (v. 19–20).

1 Peter 2:21. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. “Far superior is the wisdom of those who, without guilt, endure everything with gratitude. This is a great deed, accomplished by few and bringing special favor from God, since such a person rivals the sufferings of Christ, for Christ suffered not for his own sins, for he did no sin (Isa 53:9), but suffered for us and for our sins.” (Saint Theophylact).

1 Peter 2:22. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. 1 Peter 2:23. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but entrusted himself to him who judges righteously. 1 Peter 2:24. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:25. For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. In depicting the redemptive work of Christ the Savior, manifesting in this work the supreme example of men—patience, magnanimity, and meekness, the Apostle is guided partly by a free rendering of the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the suffering Servant or Servant of Jehovah (Isa 50:6), and partly by New Testament witnesses to the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here there may arise this question: “How does the Apostle Peter say here that the Lord, when slandered, did not slander in return, and when he suffered, did not threaten, when we see that he calls the Jews deaf dogs, the Pharisees—blind (Matt 15:14), says to Judas: ‘It would have been better for this man not to have been born’ (Matt 26:24), and at another time: ‘It will be more bearable for Sodom than for that town’ (Matt 10:15). We answer: The Apostle does not say that the Lord never rebuked or threatened, but that when they slandered him, he did not slander in return, and when he suffered, he did not threaten. For if he did sometimes rebuke, it was not in revenge against those who slandered him, but he rebuked and condemned the obstinate in unbelief…. Therefore the word of the Apostle Peter, persuading toward gentleness by the example of the Lord, is entirely true.” (Saint Theophylact). Characteristic of the language and worldview of the Apostle Peter is that the redemptive crucifixion death of the Savior he here (v. 24), as in his speeches in the Acts (Acts 5:30), calls a hanging or bearing up on “wood,” τὸ ξύλον, which emphasizes the acceptance by Christ of the curse lying upon men, in fulfillment of the words of the prophet Moses (Deut 21:23), lying on men as the result of sin and death (Gal 3:21). The purpose of the Lord’s redemptive death the Apostle points to from two sides: by it people were freed from sins and received grace-giving power to live for righteousness. In v. 25 the Apostle, in accordance with Isa 53 and other biblical passages—Old Testament (Num 27:17; 1 Sam 22:17; Ps 118:176; Ezek 34:5) and New Testament (Luke 15:4; Matt 9:36; John 10:15), depicts the religious and moral condition of pre-Christian mankind as a woeful condition of spiritual wandering of people, deprived of true knowledge and pure morality. Accordingly, the turning of people to Christianity is denoted by the Apostle as a return to the Shepherd and Overseer (τὸ Ποιμένα καὶ ἐπίσκοπον) of our souls (cf. John 10:1). * * * Isa 28 Ps 117 Hos 2 Isa 53 Isa 53:4-6

Chapter Three

Instructions for women (7); for men (1-6); and for all Christians (8-17). The redemptive sufferings of Christ the Savior and their saving consequences (18-23).

1 Peter 3:1. Likewise, you wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some disobey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 1 Peter 3:2. when they see your pure and reverent conduct. Similar in character to the previous particular instructions to servants (1 Pet 2:18), the Apostle now proposes instructions for Christian women; to all of them he advises submission to their own husbands, with the special goal, probably, of emphasizing the concept of submission—wishing to prevent Christian wives from desiring to refuse obedience to their pagan or Jewish husbands: examples of such mixed marriages in early Christianity were not uncommon (cf. 1 Cor 7:12 and following). Like the Apostle Paul (1 Cor 7:16), Apostle Peter expects a missionary effort from the Christian wife toward her non-Christian husband: the gentleness, good behavior, and holiness of a Christian woman could dispose an unbelieving husband toward Christianity. Pagans gain a good understanding of faith and zeal for it, which our obedience to authorities produces, and on our account they give thanks to Christ, and for Christians it is great praise when, on our account and for our good behavior, even pagans bless the name of God. The words ‘will be won over without a word’ mean either that they are won over without any reasoning or contradiction, or that proof from deeds is stronger than words and artifice, as the holy man said: ‘a deed not accompanied by words is better than a word not accompanied by a deed’ (Blessed Theophil.).

1 Peter 3:3. Let your beauty not be the outward adorning of braiding the hair, of gold ornaments, or of fine clothing, 1 Peter 3:4. but let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. The holy Apostle now portrays more truly and deeply the moral character of a Christian woman, on one hand rejecting and condemning the custom and passion of pagan women for luxury in dress and ornament (v. 3), and on the other hand presenting and demanding from Christian women the inner imperishable beauty of the spirit—that is, the spiritual attitude formed and guided by the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Cor 4:16; Eph 3:16)—and pointing to gentleness (the absence of pride, irritability, and anger) and quietness, peacefulness, and tranquility as the chief virtues adorning the spirit of a Christian woman. These qualities of the spirit, according to the Apostle, have great value in God’s eyes.

1 Peter 3:5. For in this way, in former times, the holy women also who hoped in God adorned themselves, being subject to their own husbands. 1 Peter 3:6. So Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You are her children, if you do good and are not afraid with any fear. To strengthen his exhortation to Christian women regarding submission to their husbands, the Apostle points to ancient Old Testament examples of virtuous women who adorned themselves chiefly through obedience to their husbands. From biblical women, the Apostle particularly singles out (v. 6) Sarah, the ancestress of the Hebrews, who testified to her wifely respect and submission to her husband Abraham by calling him master (Hebrew baal, Greek kyrios), Gen 18:12. The example of Sarah was especially persuasive for Christian women from among the Jews, but Christian women from among the Gentiles could also be called daughters of Sarah in spirit, just as all Christians are called by Apostle Paul children of Abraham, the father of believers (Rom 4:16). Apostle Peter assumes such spiritual kinship of Christian women with Sarah here, when he makes this kinship conditional on two circumstances: a) if you do what is good, and b) you are not frightened by any fear: “when adorning themselves as befits Christian women, he persuades them to be merciful, not fearing punishment from their husbands… By this exalted speech, persuading careful and timid women to give more generously of household things, the Apostle also restrains husbands from severity toward them.”

1 Peter 3:7. Likewise, you husbands, live considerately with your wives, showing honor to the weaker vessel as joint heirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. In Christianity, the submission of a wife to her husband must not have a slavish character; rather, it must have the character of free moral obedience with the husband’s reciprocal kind treatment of her. The relations of Christian husbands to their wives, according to the Apostle, should be distinguished by thoughtful consideration of them as the weaker party, and moreover by special respect, delicacy, and regard. Both these qualities present a new, purely Christian foundation: women together and equally with men are fellow heirs of the grace of life and eternal salvation (cf. Gal 3:28); more specifically, the mutual and joint prayer of spouses, both private and public (cf. 1 Cor 7:5; 1 Tim 2:8-9), requires a reconciled and undisturbed Christian spirit, and this is possible only through the purely moral mutual relations of Christian spouses required by the Apostle.

1 Peter 3:8. Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind; 1 Peter 3:9. do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse, but instead bless, knowing that to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. From particular instructions to persons of separate stations, the Apostle again turns to general instructions for all Christians, and the essence of these instructions is the commandment about love and its kinds and manifestations. Having completed particular instructions concerning husbands and wives, he generalizes the exhortation to all… I say to all in general. For this is the end; all have one goal—salvation, all have one law—love. From this arise all virtues, humility, compassion, mercy, and so forth. From these, ‘oneness of mind’ is complete indifference to agreement on something. ‘Compassion’ is sorrow for the suffering, the same as for ourselves. ‘Love of brothers’ is the disposition toward neighbors such as should be toward brothers. ‘Tender-heartedness’ is a soul’s striving toward acts of kindness to those of the same kind. ‘Love of wisdom’ is gentleness and friendliness with all, as with acquaintances and friends. ‘Humility’ or ‘humble-mindedness’ is bearing blame from another, awareness of one’s sinfulness, bearing accusations, which could be called good judgment. ‘Insult’ is a tendency to slander arising from bad habit. With these virtues adorn yourselves’ (Blessed Theophil.).

1 Peter 3:10. For, whoever loves life and desires to see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech; 1 Peter 3:11. let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. 1 Peter 3:12. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off their remembrance from the earth. The Apostle strengthens his previous instructions with a reference to the words of the psalmist, Ps 33:13-17, as if saying: “he who loves life—that is, who transforms himself for true life and wants to show it as desirable (for the expression ‘wishing to love’ indicates desiring to show it as longed for by people to the breaking point)—let him adhere firmly to what the prophetic word proposes together with me” (Blessed Theophil.).

1 Peter 3:13. And who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 1 Peter 3:14. But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed; do not fear their threats and do not be troubled. 1 Peter 3:15. In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord, always being ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:16. Keep your conscience clear, so that those who speak evil against you may be put to shame when they see your good conduct in Christ. 1 Peter 3:17. For if it is God’s will, it is better to suffer for doing good than for doing evil; The Apostle expresses an exalted view of virtue, possessing such intrinsic worth that no external evil can cause essential damage to the virtuous (v. 12; cf. Rom 8:33); on the contrary, it elevates its justifying power (v. 14; Matt 5:10). At the same time, the exhortation to Christians not to fear the threats of persecutors, as well as the exhortation to zealously seek God’s glory in the souls of believers, the Apostle expresses, in his customary manner, with words from the Old Testament, specifically: the prophet Isaiah (Isa 8:12-13). With the inner sanctification of God in Christian hearts must be joined also the outward confession of Him before people, the readiness of believers to give an account of their hope to anyone who asks. “The Apostle commands a faithful person to always be ready to give an account of the faith, so that whenever anyone asks us about the faith, we can always answer easily, and do so with gentleness, as if in the presence of God Himself… It should be noted that these words of the Apostle do not contradict Christ’s saying. When the Lord says that when they bring you before governors and authorities, we should not worry about how to answer (Luke 21:14), and Peter now commands preparing an answer, the Lord is speaking of testimony, and the Apostle Peter is speaking of teaching” (Blessed Theophil.). Hope, according to the Apostle, forms the very essence of true spiritual Christian life, and the answer or account of this hope, grounded in faith, must be “with gentleness and reverence,” from reverent respect for divine truth and without a trace of arrogance. Here is—for all times—a lesson for all confessors, defenders, and missionaries of the Christian faith! In v. 17, the thought of verse 14 about it being better to suffer for good deeds than for evil is repeated and justified (cf. 1 Pet 2:20).

1 Peter 3:18. because Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that he might bring you to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, 1 Peter 3:19. in which he also went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 1 Peter 3:20. who formerly disobeyed, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being built, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved from the water. Supporting the thought just expressed about the innocent sufferings of a Christian (v. 1 Pet 3:14-17), the Apostle now (v. 18) says that Christ Himself suffered innocently; at the same time, the Apostle, to show the power of the One who suffered, added: ‘once’ (Blessed Theophil.), and the immeasurably greater, universally historical redemptive significance of Christ the Savior’s sufferings, the Apostle showed by ‘the righteous for the unrighteous’; the purpose and saving consequence of Christ’s sufferings is that He, as the True High Priest, brought us to God, that is, opened to sinful humanity access to God, just as the Old Testament priesthood had the duty and power to be a mediator in reconciling the people, defiled by sin, with God. From the second half of v. 18, the Apostle sets forth the dogmatic Christian teaching about Christ’s descent after death and before resurrection into hell to preach to pre-Christian humanity. The state of Christ the Savior after death, expressed by the Apostle in the phrase “put to death in the flesh, made alive in the spirit,” is precisely rendered in the well-known paschal church hymn “in the grave in the flesh, in hell as God with the soul…” The passive form of the verb made-alive—properly ‘being made alive’—stands in the Apostle’s writing in keeping with his usual usage: the saving acts of Jesus Christ in the work of divine economy, Apostle Peter usually presents as acts of God the Father: “God raised Christ” (Acts 2:24); “Christ was exalted by God’s right hand” (Acts 2:33). According to v. 19, Christ in his made-alive spirit—but still before his resurrection from the dead—descended into the underground prison (phylake), that is, Sheol, or hell (cf. Eph 4:9-10) for the purpose of preaching the Gospel (cf. Matt 4:23) to the spirits there. The content of this preaching could only be the good news of the accomplished redemption and its saving fruits, with calls to all spirits to repentance and faith, Eph 4:6. According to the belief of the Orthodox Church, Christ’s preaching in hell was preceded by preaching about Him there by the Forerunner and Baptist of Christ (Troparion of the Forerunner). In v. 20, from all those to whom Christ preached repentance and salvation in hell, as an example are named the wicked contemporaries of Noah, who in their time resisted or disobeyed God’s patience, which awaited their repentance and specially called them through Noah, through his preaching and the very act of building the ark (Gen 6:3 and following). If the saving preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ extended to such great sinners, then certainly His preaching touched all sinners and righteous people in general (cf. Ps 15:10) who lived before Noah and after Noah, before Christ’s coming. The contemporaries of Noah are named in v. 20 precisely as an example and, probably, because of the connection with the further development of the Apostle’s discourse (v. 20b-21a), where, in the image of Noah with his family, saved from the flood, he shows the salvation of Christians through baptism; moreover, in the New Testament, the times of Noah are repeatedly presented as typical in relation to subsequent Christian times (Matt 24:37 and following; 2 Pet 2:5; Heb 11:7 and others).

1 Peter 3:21. And baptism, corresponding to this, now saves you—not as the removal of filth from the flesh, but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 3:22. who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels and authorities and powers subjected to him. In the concept of the historical universal water flood, the Apostle now takes not its punitive but its saving side, which conditions the construction of the discourse 1 Pet 3:20: “were saved by (more precisely from the Greek dia: by means of) the water.” The Apostle “represented that salvation was preached to people from the beginning, but they, inclined to vanity, neglected it, and at a time when people were countless in number, only eight souls obeyed the preaching and were saved in the built ark. Since salvation was in water, he rightly applies this to holy baptism and says that that water pointed to our baptism, because it will also destroy disobedient demons and saves those who come in faith into the ark, that is, into the church, and just as water washes away filth, so baptism, only it produces the removal of filth not physical, but by means of an external sign produces a washing away of spiritual pollution. It is like a pledge and a commitment of a clear conscience before God” (Blessed Theophil.). Baptism, the antitype later (antitypon), the Apostle defines in essence partly negatively, contrasting it with the many Jewish washings, which cleansed only bodily, not spiritual uncleanness—partly positively as “the pledge of a clear conscience toward God” (syneidesestos agathe eperotema eis theon), by which the Apostle expresses both the grace granted at baptism from God—the forgiveness or cleansing of sins and reconciliation with God—and on the other hand the prayer of the one baptized for the preservation of this clear conscience for future time. This power of baptism is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and His subsequent ascension into heaven, whereby He, as God-man, was freely obeyed by the heavenly spirits (v. 22. Cf. Heb 1:4).

Chapter Four

Various moral instructions (1-11). Mainly instructions about innocent sufferings (12-19)

1 Peter 4:1. Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same understanding, because the one who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 1 Peter 4:2. so that the rest of the time in the flesh he no longer lives for human desires, but for God’s will. The thought of Christ, who suffered for people, rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven (1 Pet 3:18), should, according to the Apostle, encourage all Christians to arm themselves with readiness to suffer, if necessary, for Christ, “for the one who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” “The one who suffered” means: died. Peter speaks similarly to Paul: “if we have died with Him, we shall also live with Him” (2 Tim 2:11) and: we will be “dead to sin but alive to God” (Rom 6:11). In general, the entire chapter VI of Paul’s epistle to the Romans serves as commentary on the saying of Apostle Peter and on both of these verses of chapter IV we are examining: there and here the thought is one, only in Apostle Paul it is unfolded incomparably more thoroughly. The essence is that the one who turns to Christ in faith in His redemptive cross death is crucified with Him, and through baptism is buried with Him, and, just as the dead does not sin, so the Christian should count himself dead to sin, sin should have no power over him, and he should live for God alone (Rom 6:1-23). “If Christ died for us in the flesh (for certainly not in his immortal and divine nature), then we in return to Him should die to sin for Him, no longer indulge in human desires, but live the rest of our time in the flesh according to God’s will alone” (Blessed Theophil.), seeking the fruit of the law—holiness—and its end—eternal life (Rom 6:22).

1 Peter 4:3. For it is enough time in the past to have carried out the desires of the Gentiles, proceeding in licentiousness, lusts, drunkenness, revels, carousing, and lawless idolatry; 1 Peter 4:4. Concerning this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they malign you. The Apostle strengthens the exhortation to live according to God’s will by condemning and rejecting the former pagan way of life of his readers before entering the Church of Christ. “The meaning of the discourse is this: having once and for all renounced the pagan way of life which you once conducted, now you must maintain the chosen honorable life. Then the pagans themselves will marvel at you, that you do not participate with them in the same impiety. Therefore, after their surprise at your transformation and bewilderment, they will not only be shamed, but will also begin to slander, because piety is repugnant to the sinner. But they will not remain unpunished for such slander, for they will give an account to the Judge of all” (Blessed Theophil.).

1 Peter 4:5. They will give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 1 Peter 4:6. For this reason the gospel was preached even to the dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in the flesh, but might live according to God in the spirit. The description of the face and work of Jesus Christ given by the Apostle above (1 Pet 3:18-22) is here, in v. 5, supplemented by a new feature—the attribution to Christ of the final judgment of the living and the dead (cf. Matt 25:41; Isa 5:22; 1 Cor 15:24). At the same time, wishing to show the universality of this judgment, its extension to all people without exception, the Apostle in v. 6 again, as in 1 Pet 3:19-20, remembers the preaching of Jesus Christ in hell, where those who heard the preaching of the Lord in hell are taken only as an example of the Gospel’s effect on people, while the basic thought is that all humanity from the first coming to the second will be preached the Gospel. The immediate thought of v. 6 is this: when the Lord visited those in hell, some, who in this world lived according to the flesh, were condemned, while others, who lived spiritually, rose again with the Lord, because many bodies of righteous dead were raised (Matt 27:52), or were quickened by good hope (Blessed Theophil.).

1 Peter 4:7. The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and sober for prayer. 1 Peter 4:8. And above all things have fervent love toward one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:9. Show hospitality to one another without complaint. The Apostle now says in v. 7 about the nearness of the end of the world, which will follow immediately after the Lord’s second coming to judgment (1 Pet 4:5). Peter’s view of the nearness of the end of the world is, of course, no different from that of Apostle James (Jas 5:8) and other early Christians. With this thought about the nearness of the end of the world, the Apostle uses the purpose of proposing to the readers a series of moral instructions: a) about wise sobriety of spirit and body and spiritual watchfulness in prayers (v. 7. see Luke 21:34); b) about the highest virtue—sincere love for one another (v. 8. Cf. John 13:35; Rom 13:10; 1 Cor 13:1 and following), “because love covers a multitude of sins” (cf. Prov 10:12; Jas 5:20), that is, covers or forgives the sins of neighbors, or—together—draws upon the one who loves special mercy from God, who forgives his own sins. “Peter calls love able to cover sins; this is because mercy to one’s neighbor makes God merciful to us” (Blessed Theophil.); c) finally, about hospitality, as commanded by the Lord Himself (Matt 25:35) and often reminded by the Apostles (Rom 12:13; Heb 13:2 and following).

1 Peter 4:10. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:11. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God; if anyone serves, let him do so as from the strength that God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. In the name of the law of Christian love, the Apostle instructs all Christians to serve the good and benefit of others with all natural and spiritual gifts, urging believers not to take pride in their talents, but to turn them all toward service to neighbors, according to the commandment and example of the Lord Himself (Matt. 20 and following). In the same sense, Apostle Paul repeatedly taught Christians about serving one another (Rom 12:6 and following; 1 Cor 12:4 and following; 2 Cor 8:14). The general thought of Peter’s instruction on serving, like that of Paul’s, is one: one must serve neighbors with one’s talents with faithfulness and humility. From the series of gifts, the Apostle in the verse singles out the gift of speech (if anyone speaks) or the gift of “prophecy” (Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:8-10)—in the sense of teaching, exhortation, comfort, persuasion—which had special significance in apostolic times (1 Cor 14:3 and following). Apostle Peter requires here that the one who has the gift of prophecy should speak as “the very words of God” (logia theou)—as true Word of God (cf. Acts 7:38; Rom 3:2), free from human admixture, everything earthly and unclean. Likewise “service” (diakonein), that is, especially help and kindness to the poor (cf. Rom 12:8; 1 Cor 12:28) should be performed “sacredly, unselfishly, as if God Himself were directly acting with His Power here” (Bp. George). The final goal of all these moral acts is the glory of God and Jesus Christ. “To this,” says the Apostle, “I persuade you so that God may be glorified in all, whether they are pagans or your relatives” (Blessed Theophil.).

1 Peter 4:12. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that comes upon you, as if something strange were happening to you; 1 Peter 4:13. but as you share in Christ’s sufferings, rejoice, so that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. The Apostle speaks about the naturalness and even necessity for true followers of Christ of “fiery trial” (pyrosis—properly: burning, fire), that is, fire of tribulation and sorrow, for the purpose of testing even the righteous and perfecting their virtue (see 1 Pet 1:7; Jas 2 and following): through hardship the soul is purified and virtue is elevated, as gold is purified in the furnace and increases in value as impurities are removed by fire. Such an order in the lives of the righteous is fully consistent with the commandments and promises of the Lord Himself (Matt 5:11; John 15:18). The greatest comfort in the sufferings of a Christian consists of the consciousness that through his sufferings he becomes a sharer in Christ’s sufferings and is in living unity with Christ (Rom 13:17; 2 Cor 1:7). In v. 13, the Apostle “added something most blessed, namely, that those who endure trials are like their Teacher-Christ, and now they suffer dishonor with Him, so that they might be glorified with Him in the future age” (Blessed Theophil.).

1 Peter 4:14. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. By them he is reviled, but by you he is glorified. 1 Peter 4:15. Let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evildoer, or as one who meddles with what is not his concern; 1 Peter 4:16. but if as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this name. Continuing to exhort Christians to bear sorrows and sufferings for Christ’s name patiently, the Apostle points out now, v. 14, that the burden of sorrows, borne by Christians for Christ from persecutors, is lightened by the Holy Spirit resting upon Christians. “By the wicked He is blasphemed, but by you He is glorified. Why? Because when the accusation against you proves false, shame will come upon them, and glory to you” (Blessed Theophil.). But blessed are those who suffer precisely for Christ’s name, as Christians (v. 16), and not for any evil deeds. The Apostle would not wish that any of the Christians suffer for evil deeds, the possibility of which was not excluded even in the best Christian communities, and as examples of which the Apostle names, in v. 15, certain crimes. Among them is the “busybody,” Greek allotrioepiskopos, according to Blessed Theophilact, “one who curiously pries into others’ affairs to have a reason for slander.” All the more glorious are sufferings for Christ’s name, when a Christian suffers only because he is Christian, Christianos, v. 16. From this passage it is evident that the name “Christian” was already quite widespread at that time (cf. Acts 11:26). Only in the mouths of unbelieving Jews and pagans was this name shameful; for the Christians themselves, to bear this name was great honor and glory.

1 Peter 4:17. For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:18. And if the righteous person is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly person and the sinner appear? A new basis or incentive for patient bearing of sufferings, the Apostle points out, as before (1 Pet 4:7), in the nearness of divine judgment, which will fall with all its weight on the unbelieving and wicked, but will begin with the society of believers. “By judgment or examination he here means the sorrows caused to the faithful by the wicked, whose coming the Lord foretold, saying: ‘they will deliver you up to councils’ and so forth (Matt 10:17). He instills fear in them to turn them away from a scattered life” (Blessed Theophil.). The judgment or trial by God begins with the “household of God,” that is, the Church (cf. 1 Tim 3:15), which is consistent with both the Old Testament prophetic representation (Jer 25:15-29; Amos 3:2) and the New Testament teaching of the Lord Himself (Matt 25:9; Luke 21:12). “The judgment begins first with the household of God. For, according to Basil the Great, we naturally are angry at our own household when they offend us. And God’s are none other than the faithful, filling His house, that is, the Church” (Theophil.). Apostle Peter looks upon the tribulations and sorrows brought upon Christians in his time as the beginning of God’s final judgment, which is to fall with all force upon the unbelieving. The Apostle expresses this last thought first as a question, v. 17: “if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”, and then, v. 18, with words from the Old Testament sage, Prov 11:31 according to the LXX text. “The meaning of the discourse is this: if the righteous obtains salvation with difficulty and effort (cf. Matt 11:12; Acts 14:22), what shall those who live in ease and pleasure receive—one must understand—the wicked—in the future age?” (Blessed Theophil.).

1 Peter 4:19. Therefore, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to him, as to a faithful Creator, while doing good. As a moral conclusion from the entire section, 1 Pet 4:12-13, the Apostle gives to his readers the instruction to entrust themselves in suffering to the good and wise will of God (cf. 1 Pet 4:17), looking to the example of complete dedication to God shown by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross (Luke 23:46). How then should one entrust oneself to God? “In doing good.” What does this mean? It means to rely on God with humility, not to attach much importance to one’s sufferings, but the more one suffers, the more one should consider oneself worthless, saying to the Lord: You are just in all that You have done to us (Dan 3:27) (Blessed Theophil.).

Chapter Five

Instructions to pastors and flock (1-9). Apostolic blessing (10-11). Greetings and news (12-14).

1 Peter 5:1. I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: In the closing chapter of the epistle, addressing all readers with instructions to both pastors and flock, Apostle Peter first establishes his authority as a teacher in the Church. Addressing his instructions to pastor-elders—presbyteros precisely in the sense of office in the Church (cf. Acts 11:30), not in the sense of advanced age (Slavonic: “elders”), the Apostle humbly calls himself their fellow elder (ho sumpresbyeros). “Then, wishing to show that he surpasses them, and that he calls himself an elder out of humility, he presents his dignity, namely, that he is a witness of Christ’s sufferings. He speaks as if to say: if I, who have explained such visions to you, do not find it degrading to call myself a fellow elder, then it is not right for you to exalt yourselves over your subordinates” (Blessed Theophil.). The Apostle calls himself a witness of Christ’s sufferings not only in the sense that he preached about the sufferings and death of Christ, of which he was an eyewitness, but also in the sense that in his very life and activity he became a confessor of Christ, bearing various sufferings for Christ’s name; perhaps the Apostle foresaw, by divine inspiration and in accordance with the Lord’s prediction of Apostle Peter’s martyrdom (John 21:18-19), his own sufferings and death for Christ, and in this foreknowledge called himself a confessor of Christ. Finally, in the same v. 1, the Apostle calls himself a partner, sharer (koinonos) of future glory in Christ’s Kingdom, in whose certainty for all true confessors of the Christian faith the Apostle is firmly convinced (1 Pet 5:4), as well as Apostle Paul (Col 3:4; 1 Tim 4:8).

1 Peter 5:2. shepherd God’s flock, which is among you, watching over it willingly, not under compulsion, and not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 1 Peter 5:3. not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 1 Peter 5:4. and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. The Apostle elaborates in detail the gospel image of the true spiritual pastor (John 10:1-16). The Apostle touchingly and insistently exhorts the spiritual pastors of God’s flock to feed and guard the inheritance of God entrusted to them (cf. Acts 20:28). Unfolding the concept of true pastorship, the Apostle warns pastors against three moral defects and at the same time requires three virtues opposite to these defects: pastors must feed God’s flock 1) not under compulsion, but willingly and in a way pleasing to God, 2) not from love of money, but eagerly, 3) not from ambition or desire for power, but by being examples themselves. “He does not feed under compulsion,” the one who in himself presents his own flock with an example of good activity and thereby moves them to vie with the teacher before each other. “Not with unlawful gains,” he who does not come forward with pride and does not rise above his subordinates, but lives without luxury, or he who does not seek fine clothes and sumptuous food, which produce pride and serve as a pretext for dishonest gain. “By lot (portion),” calls the sacred assembly (Blessed Theophil.). When pastors observe these apostolic requirements, the Apostle promises them with certainty a heavenly reward in the future Heavenly Kingdom (cf. 1 Pet 1:4; John 10:28).

1 Peter 5:5. Likewise, you younger people, be subject to your elders; all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:6. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. If the essential duty of pastors, as the senior members of the Church by position and office, consists in proper care for the junior members of the Church—for all the members without hierarchical rank, then all these latter are first of all obligated by the duty of obedience to pastors, and also all should submit to one another out of Christian love, gentleness, and humility. The Apostle proves the saving power of humility, in contrast to the destructiveness of pride, similar to Apostle James (Jas 4:6), by reference to Prov 3:34 according to the Greek translation. In v. 6, pointing, as before (1 Pet 4:17), to the impending judgment of God, the Apostle urges all Christians to humble themselves, to acknowledge their powerlessness before God’s majesty and power—in hope that the Lord, sooner or later, in His own time, will exalt the humble: “the word ‘time’ hints at exaltation in the future age, which alone is unchanging and eternal. For the present exaltation is not secure and firm, but rather is degraded than exalted” (Blessed Theophil.).

1 Peter 5:7. Cast all your care on him, because he cares for you. For the Christian who completely humbles himself under God’s mighty hand, it is fitting to put aside all anxious worry and place all hope in God’s providential care, according to the commandment and promise of Christ the Savior (Matt 10:30; Luke 21:18).

1 Peter 5:8. Be sober and vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:9. Resist him firmly in the faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being suffered by your brotherhood throughout the world. But to entrust oneself to God’s will, to God’s providence, does not mean to abandon vigilance: negligence is contrary to God’s care for people and extremely destructive to their moral state precisely because people are surrounded by dark forces that place every kind of temptation and obstacle in their way to salvation. The Apostle with fatherly love and concern warns his readers against the dangerous negligence which the devil especially uses for the ruin of people. “Those who are accustomed to sleep spiritually (and this means being absorbed in vanity) and thereby burden the watchfulness of the soul are attacked by the wicked beast of despair. Warning against this, the disciple of Christ urges always to be watchful and beware of the sower of tares, so that when we sleep—that is, live a life of negligence and idleness—he does not secretly sow evil thoughts and turn us from true life” (Blessed Theophil.). The adversary or enemy of mankind—the devil here (v. 8) for his cruelty and ferocity is compared to a lion, which with roaring seeks the prey of his greed and for this purpose prowls the earth (cf. Job 1:7) and causes destruction and harm to all the negligent and careless. The Apostle therefore strongly arouses the attention and energy of believers to struggle with mankind’s ancient enemy: “resist him, standing firm in the faith” (v. 9), which closely recalls the corresponding instruction of Apostle James (Jas 4:7). As an incentive to patient endurance of sorrows and struggle with the devil, the Apostle also points out the thought that suffering is a common lot of early Christians. “Probably many sorrows for Christ were endured by those to whom this Apostle Peter wrote: that is why he comforts them at the beginning and at the end of the epistle—there by the fact that they become sharers in the Lord’s sufferings, and here by the fact that they suffer not they alone, but all believers throughout the world” (Blessed Theophil.).

1 Peter 5:10. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, will himself perfect you, establish you, strengthen you, and make you steadfast. 1 Peter 5:11. To him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. But the highest comfort to the readers in their sufferings, the Apostle offers by pointing to God’s grace, which is able to overcome all trials for Christians on the path to perfection and bring believers to the complete accomplishment of the goals of God’s call to salvation. To God the Savior of people, the Apostle here, v. 11, offers a doxology (cf. Matt 6:13).

1 Peter 5:12. I have written briefly to you through Silvanus, whom I regard as a faithful brother, to encourage you and testify that this is the true grace of God in which you stand. At the end of the epistle, the Apostle indicates the means and person through whom he used to transmit this epistle to the readers, pointing namely to Silas, who was formerly a companion of Apostle Paul (Acts 15:40; 2 Cor 1:19; 1 Thess 1:1), as the transmitter of the epistle, and, as the Apostle notes, a man and worker in the Gospel who is entirely faithful. At the same time, the Apostle briefly indicates the theme or fundamental essence of the epistle, pointing to it in the testimony of the truth, the certain reality of God’s grace, in which Christians are called and stand (cf. 1 Pet 1:10 and following).

1 Peter 5:13. She who is at Babylon, chosen like you, greets you, and so does Mark, my son. 1 Peter 5:14. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ. The words “in Babylon,” “chosen together with you,” and “(my) Mark” require explanation in the postscript. That Babylon in v. 13 probably means Rome, we have already mentioned in the introduction to the commentary. In antiquity, and partly in modern times, some interpreters understood the expression “chosen together with you” to mean the wife of Apostle Peter, and considered Mark (the Apostle and evangelist) to be his biological son (this conjecture was based on the account Acts 12). In reality, the “chosen” one refers to the Church of God gathered in Rome. By Mark is meant the evangelist, whom he calls his son according to the Spirit, not according to the flesh (Blessed Theophil.). The Apostle closes his epistle with greetings of love and peace. While Paul writes (Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 16:20) for believers to greet one another “with a holy kiss,” Peter says: greet “with a kiss of love.” But the thought of both is one and the same. Paul knows that love is superior to all virtues, even to martyrdom for Christ, and therefore calls the kiss “holy” given in God. And Peter, when speaking of a kiss of love, means: true love. Therefore he adds: “Peace to all of you who are in Christ.” He does not speak of ordinary human peace, but wishes for them to receive that peace with which Christ blessed them as He went to His suffering, saying: “Peace I leave with you,” and noting the difference: “not as the world gives” (John 14:27) (Blessed Theophil.).

The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Introduction

ON THE SECOND CATHOLIC EPISTLE OF THE HOLY APOSTLE PETER

The author of the epistle, known in the canon as the second epistle of the Apostle Peter, in the very signature calls himself Simon Peter, servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, that is, by the same names by which he called himself in the first epistle, with the addition of two: Simon, servant (1 Pet 1:1). The content itself contains many similarities to that of the first epistle, as well as references to the person of the great first-ranking Apostle Peter. At the very beginning of the epistle, 2 Pet 1:2-4, the Apostle, as if continuing his speech from the end of the first epistle, 1 Pet 5:12, speaks of the greatness of the goods of Christian faith and the heights of the grace-blessed state of Christians. Then the Apostle speaks of himself as a witness to the greatness of the Lord Jesus Christ and the glory of His transfiguration (2 Pet 1:16-17), and in 2 Pet 3:1 notes that he is already writing a second epistle to his readers. The spirit of the epistle, the fervor of speech reflecting the burning zeal of the Apostle Peter, in turn witness to his authorship of the second epistle. Finally, in the attitude of the sacred author toward the Apostle Paul, whom he calls his beloved brother (2 Pet 3:15) and about whose teachings being distorted by the ignorant he grieves (2 Pet 3:16), one can also see the stamp of the apostolic spirit of St. Peter. In general, by the totality of all the content of the 2 epistle of the Apostle Peter, it is “a reminder of what was written before” (Blessed Theophilus), and specifically by the Apostle Peter himself.

But despite these internal testimonies to the authorship of the 2 epistle of the Apostle Peter by the first-ranking Apostle, many modern scholars, beginning with Erasmus, Calvin, and Hugo Grotius, dispute the authenticity of this epistle and consider it written by an unknown apostolic disciple. For this they point above all to the absence, until the beginning of the third Christian century, of direct testimonies about the 2 Petrine epistle, and doubts have been expressed more than once about its authorship by the holy Apostle Peter. The second Catholic epistle of the Apostle Peter is not found in the Syriac translation Peshitta (2nd century), and there is no mention of it in the so-called Muratorian fragment. However, if indeed the whole Church recognized this epistle as genuine only at the end of the fourth century, and in the preceding centuries in some churches it remained unknown, this testifies above all to that extreme caution and discernment with which the Church conducted the establishment of the New Testament canon. However, indirect testimonies of the familiarity of 2 Peter to the earliest church writers indisputably exist, as is shown by certain expressions and ideas that closely resemble corresponding passages from 2 Peter. This must be said specifically about the first epistle of St. Clement of Rome to the Corinthians (ch. IX, cf. 2 Pet 1:17; ch. XXXV, cf. 2 Pet 2:2), about the “Shepherd of Hermas” (Vision III, 7; see 2 Pet 2:15), about the work of St. Justin Martyr “Dialogue with Trypho the Jew” (ch. LXXXI, cf. 2 Pet 3:8) and the work of Theophilus of Antioch, Epistle to Autolycus II, 9; cf. 2 Pet 1:21. According to the testimony of Eusebius of Caesarea, Clement of Alexandria even wrote a commentary on 2 Peter (Ecclesiastical History VI 14, 1), which certainly indicates deep respect for this epistle in the ancient Church. And Origen, mentioning that the authenticity of 2 Peter is disputed by some, himself nevertheless recognizes it as genuine, saying, for example: “Peter speaks through two labors of his epistles” (Migne. s. gr. t. XII, 857). St. Didymus and Athanasius of Alexandria decisively recognized the authenticity of 2 Peter (Resurrection Reading. 1877. No. 38).

In modern times attempts have been made to prove the spurious nature of the 2 epistle of the Apostle Peter also from internal grounds—from the observed dissimilarities in the content, differences in comparison with the content of 1 epistle. Thus, they say, in the theology of epistle 1, the main concept is hope (ἐλπίς), in epistle 2 the concept is knowledge (ἐπίγνωσις). In epistle 1, there is frequent mention of the nearness of the parousia of the second coming, in epistle 2 we read only of its suddenness, but not its nearness. In epistle 1, there is repeated mention of persecutions of Christians, in epistle 2 there is mention of the possible or actual appearance of false teachers, from whom the Apostle warns his readers. In the first epistle the Apostle Peter very often uses the books of the Old Testament, while in the second epistle there are almost no literal quotations from the Old Testament; the language of the first epistle abounds in Hebraisms, while the language of the second approaches the Hellenistic dialect. But all these marks of difference between the two epistles are often greatly exaggerated; for example, the concept of Christian hope is unquestionably present in the author of 2 Peter (2 Pet 1:4), just as the idea of Christian knowledge is not at all alien, but on the contrary is present in the sacred author of the first epistle of the Apostle Peter (1 Pet 1:12); partly they are entirely subjective or even illusory, such as differences in language and style; and partly they are entirely natural in the works of a single author, written at different times and therefore reflecting different events or circumstances: when the first epistle was written, Christians faced external persecutions, and at the time the second epistle was composed, the beginnings of heretical teachings were appearing within Christian society; both found appropriate response from the great Apostle. Thus, neither the external testimonies about the epistle nor the internal data of its content contain anything that would compel us to depart from the church view of 2 Peter as a genuine work of the first-ranking Apostle Peter.

The immediate impetus for writing this epistle was the desire of the aged Apostle, who had already drawn near to death (2 Pet 1:14-15), to give a warning and weapon to Christians against the false teachings that were being born. Having much in common in the depiction of the latter with the 2 epistle of the Apostle Paul to Timothy (2 Tim 3), the second epistle of the Apostle Peter is probably contemporary with that last writing: as 2 Timothy is the last epistle of the Apostle to the Gentiles and comprises the deathbed testament of his Church, so also 2 Peter was written by the Apostle Peter shortly before his death and is likewise a work of prophetic utterances of the great Apostle at the end of his life; both epistles were written in Rome, around 66–67 AD.

In Russian literature, besides the often-mentioned work of the Reverend Bishop Michael—Explanatory Apostle, part 2 (Kiev, 1905), there are also: 1) Archimandrite (now Archbishop) Nikanor—“Accessible explanation of the second Catholic epistle of the holy Apostle Peter.” Kazan, 1889, 2) Hieromonk (now Bishop) Theodor—“Explanation of the most difficult passages of 2 Peter.” Simferopol, 1901, and 3) Professor Fr. Archpriest D. I. Bogdashevsky—“The second Catholic epistle of the holy Apostle Peter” (in “Essays on the study of the Holy Scripture of the New Testament, Issue I”) Kiev, 1909.

Chapter One

Superscription and greeting (1–2). Ascending through the degrees of virtue (3–9). Persuasion to steadfastness in faith with indication of the nearness of the Apostle’s death (10–15). The Transfiguration of the Lord (16–18). Old Testament prophetic word (19–21).

2 Peter 1:1. Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith equal to ours in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 Peter 1:2. May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord. Following apostolic custom (cf. 1 Pet 1:2; Rom 1:7; Titus 1:1), the Apostle Peter begins his epistle with a greeting—the imparting of grace and peace to Christians, in which “from the very beginning the Apostle awakens the thoughts and souls of the believers, urging them in the work of preaching to be equal to the Apostles. For since all have received equally precious grace, it would be unjust to have a deficiency in anything in which all turned out to be equal” (Blessed Theophilus). At once the Apostle names the divine side of salvation—“in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (verse 1) and the human side—“in the knowledge of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ” (verse 2).

2 Peter 1:3. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness, 2 Peter 1:4. by which he has granted us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that reigns in the world through lust; “From verse 3 the epistle proper begins. As they note, one could compare it to a stream that is broad and deep already at its very source. The very beginning of the epistle is full of fire and life and power and carries the reader into the very fullness of evangelical grace, just as in the first epistle” (Bishop Michael). In verses 3 and 4 the Apostle speaks of the divine side of salvation—of what God has done for people: meanwhile, later, in 2 Pet 1:5-8, he speaks of what believers themselves must do to fulfill their Christian calling. In Christianity, according to the Apostle, the fullness of true life is given from the almighty and all-powerful power or grace of God, the blessed possibility is given to people to become partakers of the divine nature. “We became partakers of the divine nature through the manifestation of the Lord and God, who united the beginning of our nature in himself and sanctified it; if the beginning is holy, then the whole is holy” (Blessed Theophilus).

2 Peter 1:5. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 2 Peter 1:6. to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 2 Peter 1:7. to godliness brotherly affection, to brotherly affection love. The response on the part of Christians to the action of God’s grace is not only escape from the corruption in the world (2 Pet 1:4), but above all positive virtue in its various branches. The Apostle in verses 5–7 shows the degrees of progress. In the first place comes “faith,” since it is the foundation and support of good. In the second place comes “virtue,” that is, deeds; for without them, as the Apostle James says (Jas 2:26), “faith without works is dead.” Next comes “understanding.” What kind of understanding? Knowledge of the hidden mysteries of God, which is accessible not to everyone, but only to those who constantly practice good deeds. After it comes “self-control.” For it too is necessary for those who have attained to this measure—so that they do not become arrogant at the greatness of the gift. But since through brief self-control one cannot make the gift secure, one must surpass it with perseverance. It will accomplish everything, and “godliness” will bring peace, and hope in God will perfect. To godliness will be added “brotherly affection,” and to all this love… (Blessed Theophilus).

2 Peter 1:8. For if these things are in you and abound, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:9. But whoever lacks these things is blind, having shut his eyes, having forgotten the cleansing from his former sins. Having earlier depicted (2 Pet 1:2-6) the grace-blessed state of Christians in its ideal norm, the Apostle now says that the Christian ideal of faith and life must be embodied in the entire life of Christian community, that only the preservation and increase of spiritual grace-filled inheritance opens the path to true Christian knowledge; on the contrary, whoever does not have the moral foundations of life mentioned by the Apostle is like a person with closed eyes. “The saying of the Apostle Peter is similar to what was said by the blessed James, namely: whoever hears the word but does not do it is like a man who looks at his natural features in a mirror” (Jas 1:23) (Blessed Theophilus).

2 Peter 1:10. Therefore, brothers, be even more diligent to confirm your calling and election, doing so you will never stumble; 2 Peter 1:11. for in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In contrast to the instability shown in 2 Pet 1:9 among people of spirit alien to Christianity, true Christians must rely on their Christian calling and election in both teaching and life, hoping for entrance into the eternal kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Notice how the Apostle first wanted to urge by fear—by the coming of the Judge—but now persuades by promise—by entrance into the eternal kingdom of God” (Blessed Theophilus).

2 Peter 1:12. Therefore I will always be ready to remind you of these things, although you know them and are established in the present truth. 2 Peter 1:13. And I think it is right, as long as I am in this body, to arouse you by a reminder, 2 Peter 1:14. knowing that the putting off of my body is coming soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 2 Peter 1:15. But I will make every effort that you may be able to recall these things at any time after my departure. Although the readers of the epistle know the Christian truth well and firmly (verse 12. Cf. 1 Pet 1:12), the Apostle in his pastoral care considers it his duty to remind them of it and rouse them from spiritual sleep, especially in view of the approaching end that he foresees and perhaps even specially revealed to him by the Lord (cf. John 21:18; see 2 Tim 4:6). At this point, the Apostle’s elevated view is remarkable, shared by him with other sacred biblical writers of the Old and New Testament (Isa 38:12; Wis 9:15; 2 Cor 5:1) on the immortality of the human spirit despite the corruptibility of its bodily shell, as if its temporary “tent” (σκήνωμα), and on death as a “putting off” (ἀπόθεσις) of this tent and as a “departure” (ἔξοδος) of the spirit to the Heavenly Father (cf. John 14:2a). Regarding verse 15, Blessed Theophilact notes: “Some understand this with such a reordering: ‘I will make every effort to have you always after my departure,’ that is, to remember you daily and continuously, and from this they derive the thought that the saints even after death remember those remaining here and pray for the living. Those who invoke the divine grace of the saints see the justice of this every day. So some understand it; but others understand it differently. The latter read and understand this verse simply: I will make every effort so that you remember this always even after my departure, that is, we continuously repeat the same thing to you in order to make it a habit for you, so that through constant and unwavering assimilation of this you may free yourselves from the charge of disobedience and ignorance, but also keep this testament after my death firmly and unchanged.”

2 Peter 1:16. For we did not follow cunningly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 2 Peter 1:17. For he received honor and glory from God the Father, when a voice was borne to him from the majestic glory: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. 2 Peter 1:18. And this voice we ourselves heard borne from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain. Requiring strict and constant attention from the believers to the words of his preaching, the Apostle here proves the unquestionable importance of following this teaching, contrasting the divine truthfulness of gospel teaching with the beautiful poems of the pagans and the seductive tales (already beginning then) of heretical teachings (cf. 1 Tim 4:7). The Apostle as it were says: “Nothing of the sort can be suspected in us. For we delivered the teaching in unadorned language, as Paul says to the Corinthians (1 Cor 2:4), and we delivered what we ourselves saw with our own eyes when we ascended with him to the holy mountain” (Blessed Theophilus). As a striking example in which the greatness and power of the Lord Jesus Christ were particularly manifested, and concerning which, as an actual event, the Apostles and evangelists testify (see Matt 17:1 and following; Mark 9:2 and following; Luke 9:28 and following), the Apostle Peter speaks here of the Transfiguration of the Lord, with particular emphasis on the fact that the apostles, including Peter, themselves heard the voice of God the Father that came to Jesus Christ from heaven.

2 Peter 1:19. And we have the prophetic word confirmed, to which you do well to pay attention, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 2 Peter 1:20. knowing first of all that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of personal interpretation. 2 Peter 1:21. For no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. In connection with the mention of the greatness and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle now gives, as in his first epistle (1 Pet 1:10-12), a remarkable in its depth and precision revelation of the biblical understanding of true prophecy. And first of all, the Apostle calls the prophetic word (verse 19) βεβαιότερον, Slavonic “most known”—firmer, as a word more ancient, justified and confirmed by New Testament events. Just as Christ the Savior himself after his Resurrection referred to Moses and all the prophets in explaining that it was necessary for him to suffer, die, rise again, and enter into his glory, so the first-ranking Apostle Peter sees the proof of the glory and greatness of the Lord Christ not only in the Gospel event of the Transfiguration of the Lord and apostolic accounts of this event (verses 16–18), but in the “most reliable prophetic word,” which he here compares to a lamp shining in a dark place, thereby showing the guiding and life-giving significance of God’s word in the life of sinful humanity. “Attending to these accounts of the prophets, you will not be deceived in your hope,” the Apostle says. “For in due time they will be justified by events, which the Apostle called ‘day,’ continuing the figurative speech, for he at once spoke of a lamp, of a dark place, which is night. So when, he says, ‘day’ comes, that is, the manifestation of events, then in your hearts will rise the ‘morning star,’ that is, the coming of Christ, foretold by the prophets, and as true light it will illuminate your hearts” (Blessed Theophilus). In commending the attentiveness of the readers to the guidance of the prophetic word (verse 19), the Apostle at the same time wishes to elevate in the readers and together with all Christians the consciousness of the special importance of the prophetic word, pointing out that it came about in an extraordinary, supernatural manner and therefore must be interpreted and explained in a manner appropriate to the sacred importance of its origin. “Prophets receive prophecies from God, but not as they wish, but as the Spirit of God acts; they were aware and understood the prophetic word sent to them, but did not provide explanations. That the prophets, while the Spirit of God acted upon them, were aware that a word from the Spirit of God was being sent to them, is evident from the fact that they submitted willingly and spoke what they wanted to, and about what they did not want, they were silent. It is not so with false prophets. They did not retain consciousness while the action took place, but driven to frenzy, like the drunk, they did not know what was happening to them…. And that the prophets prophesied not in ecstasy is evident from the following. The prophets of the Old and New Testament prophesied in one Spirit. And the Apostle Paul says: ‘if another person receives a revelation, the first should stop’ (1 Cor 14:30). From this it is clear that the prophets willingly prophesied, remaining in their natural state” (Blessed Theophilus). Thus, according to the teaching of the Apostle Peter, the prophets “were not passive instruments of the Spirit; their consciousness was not suppressed, for, according to the word of the Apostle, they ‘tested’ what was revealed to them by the Spirit (1 Pet 1:11), that is, freely received and understood what was revealed to them. On one side there is revelation from the Spirit, on the other—self-activity and individuality of the prophets” (Prof. D. I. Bogdashevsky). Having thus depicted the essential sides of true prophecy, the Apostle in 2 Pet 2:1 and following characterizes and distinguishes false prophecy and teaching.

Chapter Two

False prophets and false teachers (1–3). The inevitability of God’s judgment upon them—based on prior examples of God’s punishment (4–9). Detailed characterization of false teachers (10–15). The sin of Balaam (15–16). Wickedness of false teachers and the destruction awaiting them (17–22).

2 Peter 2:1. But there were false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will bring in destructive heresies, and, denying the Lord who bought them, bring swift destruction upon themselves. In intending to depict for the warning of the readers the moral character of false teachers, some of whom had already appeared by the time the epistle was written, and some of whom were destined to emerge with particular force later, the Apostle places these false teachers in parallel with Old Testament false prophets, Ψευδοπροφήται (false prophets), a name he assigns to the false teachers of Christian times as well. “Under false teachers the Apostle understands followers of Nicholas and Cerinthus, and by the name of prophecy, commonly given to both prophets and false teachers, he warns the believers so that they do not listen to false prophets” (Blessed Theophilus). The marks of ancient false prophets were: their self-appointed assumption of prophetic ministry, although they insisted on their divine calling (Jer 23:21); the proclamation of predictions out of greed and human-pleasing (1 Sam 22:10-13), the falsehood of their predictions, the futility of their miracles (Ezek 13:3 and following, and others), the main mark being: preaching not in the name of the Secret True God and pure service to him, but in the name of other gods (Deut 13:1-5 and others). Similarly, the false teachers of the apostolic and post-apostolic times, according to the Apostle, “will introduce destructive heresies, and denying the Lord who bought them, will bring swift destruction upon themselves.”

2 Peter 2:2. And many will follow their licentiousness, and because of them the way of truth will be reviled. 2 Peter 2:3. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment, long ago decreed, is not inactive, and their destruction does not slumber. In spreading their destructive teaching among the people, the false teachers are guided by motives of greed, and will have success, threatening destruction both to them and to those deceived by them. “To show that they are completely alien to divine teaching, he says that they use flattering words” (Blessed Theophilus).

2 Peter 2:4. For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of darkness to be held for judgment; 2 Peter 2:5. and if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly, with eight other souls, 2 Peter 2:6. and if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ruin, making them an example of what is coming to the ungodly; 2 Peter 2:7. and if he rescued righteous Lot, worn down by the licentious conduct of the wicked people, 2 Peter 2:8. (for that righteous man, living among them, was tormented in his righteous soul day by day by their lawless deeds) – To confirm the thought about the inevitability of judgment and destruction of the false teachers, the Apostle points to three examples of such God’s judgment from ancient history: judgment upon fallen angels (verse 4), upon pre-flood humanity, except Noah and his family (verse 5 see Gen 6-8), and upon the ungodly cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (verse 6 Gen 19), except righteous Lot (verses 7–8). The sin of angels, of which the Apostle Peter speaks here, verse 4, and likewise the Apostle Jude in his epistle (verse 6), many interpreters of ancient and modern times understood in the sense of the carnal fall of angels, and in a distinctive way interpreted the account of Gen 6:4, in accordance with some manuscripts of the Septuagint, Josephus Flavius (Antiquities I, III, 1), Philo (De Gigant. § 2), the Book of Enoch (ch. 6–10) and many Jewish and early Christian interpreters. But this explanation does not harmonize with the spirit of the entire biblical angelology (see in the book of Prof. Fr. A. Glagolev—“Old Testament Biblical Teaching on Angels.” Kiev, 1900, p. 201–205 note). According to John 8:44, the sin of the devil consisted in apostasy or falling away from truth and stubborn persistence in falsehood. From 1 Tim 3:6 by analogy they concluded that the original sin of the devil was pride, and according to the conjecture of some church teachers, specifically in relation to the Son of God (cf. Heb 1:6). “The chains of darkness,” Slavonic “chains of gloom,” Greek σειραί ζόφου—a synonym for the abyss Luke 8:31. In the second (verse 5) and third (verse 6) example the Apostle turns the reader’s thought to biblical human history, and alongside punishment of the ungodly he points to the salvation of the righteous. “Why does he add examples of good people alongside examples of bad people?… The Apostle as if says: God knows how to inevitably punish those living in sin, as he punished sinning angels, pre-flood men, the cities of Sodom. He knows how to reward those doing righteousness, as he rewarded Noah, Lot” (Blessed Theophilus).

2 Peter 2:9. then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, From the examples given in 2 Pet 2:4-8 the Apostle draws a moral conclusion in the spirit of the biblical view in general regarding divine reward and retribution to people (cf. Ps 33:20; Prov 16:4; 1 Cor 10:13; Rev 3:10). All that has been said by the Apostle is “for the reason, first, that together we might remember the history of the destruction of the ungodly and the salvation of the righteous; second, so that through their comparison we might emphasize the terrible wickedness of sinners and the bright perfections of the virtuous; finally, to convince our listeners to hate ungodliness on account of the punishments for it and to love virtue on account of its salvation” (Blessed Theophilus).

2 Peter 2:10. and especially those who indulge in the flesh in filthy desire and despise authority. Daring and self-willed, they do not tremble to revile the glorious ones, 2 Peter 2:11. whereas angels, though greater in strength and power, do not pronounce a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. 2 Peter 2:12. But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, speaking evil of things they do not understand, will be destroyed in their own corruption, 2 Peter 2:13. suffering wrong as the payment for doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions while feasting with you. 2 Peter 2:14. Their eyes are full of adultery and cannot cease from sin. They seduce the unstable. Their hearts are trained in greed. Children of a curse they are! 2 Peter 2:15. Forsaking the right path, they have gone astray, following the path of Balaam, son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, Having given his readers instructive guidance regarding caution toward the temptations of false teachers, the Apostle now turns to a more detailed characterization of them. Moral dissolution with a propensity toward unnatural carnal vices (verses 10, 14) and boldness toward all authority (verses 10–11) are particularly emphasized in the dark characterization of the false teachers. “The meaning of the whole characterization is as follows: they, the Apostle says, have nothing befitting purity, but they attach themselves to pure society like stains on pure clothing. When they seduce someone and succeed in making men and women fallen into their snares unclean, they consider this a matter of pleasure, completing their corruption. They, even while feasting with you, do this not out of love and communion with others, but because they find this time convenient for seducing women. For they, having eyes, look at nothing else but lust, and constantly having this in mind and sinning, like sons of the curse, they seduce the unstable souls. For their heart is trained to nothing else but to greed, that is, to debauchery or gain, and through both, leaving the path that could lead them to salvation, they have gone astray from it” (Blessed Theophilus).

2 Peter 2:16. but was rebuked for his transgression: a mute donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness (Num 22:23-24). Moral dissolution and greed of the false teachers contemporary with and future from the Apostle are illustrated here, as with the Apostle Jude (Jude 1:11) and in the Apocalypse (Rev 2:14), by comparison with Balaam, who was also found guilty of greed (Num 22:5 and following, Num 22:22) and, moreover, led the Israelites into the temptation of communion with Midianite women (Num 25:1). At this point the Apostle Peter recalls, verse 16, the supernatural correction given by God through a speechless donkey to the prophet. “From this we learn that Balaam, having once received a prohibition from God to go to Balak, was again impelled to do so by his own arrogant passion, which he fostered with his wild sorcery, but checked by fear of God and by terrible signs that occurred on the journey, he did not change the word of blessing, which was a work not of sorcery. For prophets pronounce their utterances with consciousness. Therefore the Apostle called him ‘prophet,’ as one who was aware, for he spoke…. So his blessing was a work not of magic, but of the power of God” (Blessed Theophilus).

2 Peter 2:17. These are waterless springs, mists driven by a storm; the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved for them. 2 Peter 2:18. For, speaking loud boasts of emptiness, they entice with desires of the flesh those who have barely escaped from those living in error. 2 Peter 2:19. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves to corruption; for a person is enslaved to whatever has mastered him. Continuing and concluding the characterization of the false teachers, the Apostle compares them to springs without water and empty clouds. “He compares them to springs without water because they have lost the purity of preaching and the sweet water of life. He compares them to clouds driven by wind, meaning a contrary wind, which is why he called it a storm, for the storm brings what is driven by it into complete disorder. They, he says, are not bright clouds, like the saints, but dark, full of darkness” (Blessed Theophilus). In verses 18–19 the reverse of verse 17 is unfolded in its meaning and significance. The false teachers “from emptiness speak inflated speeches, drawing by means of lustful pleasure into debauchery those who have completely escaped from it, or, if once they were in error, have subsequently submitted themselves to the Lord. They themselves, being, as he says, slaves to the mentioned uncleanness, which he rightly called corruption, promise freedom to the deceived. But why they promise freedom while being slaves to sin, he brings a fine proof: whoever is conquered by what passion is enslaved to it” (Blessed Theophilus).

2 Peter 2:20. For if, after escaping the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome by them, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 2 Peter 2:21. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 2 Peter 2:22. What the proverb truly says has happened to them: A dog returns to its own vomit, and, A pig that has been washed goes back to wallow in the mire. Wishing to express the important thought that “those who have known the truth but again hold to former ungodliness fall into evil worse than before” (Blessed Theophilus), the Apostle clarifies his thought in verse 22 with two comparisons, the first of which is borrowed from Prov 26:11, and the second, probably from a common proverbial saying. “The meaning of the speech is as follows: if those who through knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ escaped the corruption of the world again become entangled in it and are overcome by it, they will undoubtedly be enslaved by it, and their condition will become worse than it was before knowledge of slavery, for Satan works hard to make them fall into greater evil. Therefore the Apostle says that for such a future, for those who of their own will return to evil, it would have been better for them not to know righteousness than, having known it, to fall into greater evil. For even a dog returning to its vomit becomes even more abhorrent, just as a pig seeking to wash itself from mud, if it does so in mud, proves even muddier than before” (Blessed Theophilus). This threatening and admonishing thought of the Apostle applies to the false teachers, and to those deceived by them, and to all sinning Christians who through sin fall away “from the sacred commandment passed on to them” (verse 21). But particularly forcefully this apostolic threat applies to the false teachers; to them, more precisely to a special group of false teachers, who denied the reality of the second coming of the Lord, the Apostle Peter now turns (2 Pet 3:3-4).

Chapter Three

Refutation of the false teaching about the second coming and the positive exposition of the true teaching on the subject (1–13). Concluding exhortations and instructions (14–18).

2 Peter 3:1. This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you, in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 Peter 3:2. that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior delivered through your apostles. Fired by pastoral zeal for the salvation of Christians, the Apostle, mindful of his approaching end (2 Pet 1:14), writes a new, second letter to his spiritual children, in which, as in the first, he “stirs up their clear-minded understanding” of the readers (v. 1), in harmony with the entire teaching of the prophets and apostles and with the commandment of the Lord Himself, and in opposition to the darkened thinking of the false teachers (2 Pet 3:3). “A clear mind is inclined to remember what has been heard or commanded for salvation and to be roused to carry it out with all strength and zeal. And this has been commanded through the preaching of prophets and apostles” (blessed Theophilus), who proclaimed both the first and the second coming of the Lord Savior. The Apostle wishes to strengthen and establish the Gospel teaching in the hearts of Christians in view of the false teachers and scoffers who are about to appear and have already appeared.

2 Peter 3:3. First of all, know this: in the last days scoffers will come, proceeding according to their own desires 2 Peter 3:4. and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. The essence of the false teaching of the “scoffers” (empaiktai, mockers), who are to appear “in the last days,” consists in the denial of the second coming of Christ. Although we learn of such false teaching only from the passage we are considering, the possibility and reality of its appearance already in apostolic times is beyond doubt. The false teachers here rebuked were naturalists who appealed to the unchangeability of the basic laws of world life and the whole preceding world order, and from this drew the conclusion that in the future the life of the world would remain unchanged, and no cosmic catastrophe would be foreseen. Such false teaching, relying on the unchangeability of the world order (cf. Eccl 1:4), was known long before Christianity (cf. Wis 2). In apostolic times the emergence of this false teaching could have had a particular basis. It is known that in the Thessalonian church they expected the speedy coming (parousia) of the Lord and mourned for those who would not survive until the revelation of the Lord’s day (1 Thess 4:13 and fol.), wherefore the Apostle Paul had to specifically comfort the troubled believers (2 Thess 2:1 and fol.). And generally, many Christians of the apostolic age possessed the expectation of the nearness of the parousia (Jas 5:8; 1 Pet 4:7). Then against this living hope, sometimes exceeding reasonable measure, came forth the moral dissolution of certain false teachers, not reconciled with the day of God’s judgment, in every way desiring to remove the thought of it, while the motive was presented (v. 4) as a naturalistic consideration about the immovability of the world order and, besides, the supposedly unfulfilled promise of the parousia (perhaps referring to the Lord’s eschatological discourse, Matt 24). “Passionately living according to their own desires, seeing that some fear the coming of the Lord, which both the Lord Himself and some God-bearing apostles forewarned about, and therefore they are frightened by their unclean life, and especially because the predicted event does not follow immediately upon the prediction, but an interval has been permitted for the salvation of those inscribed in the book of the saved, they boldly attack the believers and mock them” (blessed Theophilus).

2 Peter 3:5. For those who think this way are ignorant of the fact that by God’s word the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water: 2 Peter 3:6. Because of this the then-existing world perished, having been flooded by water. 2 Peter 3:7. But the present heavens and earth, being maintained by that same Word, are being preserved for fire for the day of judgment and the destruction of ungodly people. Refuting the false teaching of those who denied that it was possible for the Creator, by free will, to change the face of the earth and the whole world, the Apostle proves that this is entirely possible for the creative will of God. Heaven and earth have existed from of old—“from water” (ex hydatos) “and by water” (di hydatos): “from water, as the material cause, and by water, as the efficient cause; for water contains the earth, binding its dust and giving it firmness, and if this were not so, the earth would necessarily be reduced to dust and air” (blessed Theophilus). And the creative power was the almighty word of God (v. 5, cf. Gen 1:2 and fol.). And although nothing, apparently, foreshadowed the world’s destruction, nevertheless by the command of that same word of God, the world was destroyed by the water of the flood (v. 6, cf. Gen 7:17)—“perished not in the sense of the whole world, but only of the animals, which represent the world, so to speak, for the world created without them would not be a world” (blessed Theophilus). And as in the cosmic catastrophe of the flood, judgment over the world was executed by the operative word of God, so in the future a cosmic catastrophe is to come—the destruction of the world by fire—by the command and action of that same word of God, v. 7. “Thus, as in the time of the flood there followed destruction through water, so now everything is destined to be destroyed through fire. The two chief elements of the universe, water and fire, from which the two other elements come into being—air from evaporating waters and earth from condensing waters—and their evaporation and condensation are produced by fire… Therefore, if only two elements and the first destruction of the ungodly was through water, it is absolutely necessary, he says, that the second destruction of the ungodly should be accomplished through fire” (blessed Theophilus). The teaching about the destruction of the world by fire, v. 7, developed more fully below, v. 10, not encountered in other New Testament writings, is the original teaching of the Apostle Peter. Nevertheless, it would be completely wrong to seek the original source of the teaching in Heraclitean or Stoic philosophy, when it directly follows from the circle of Old Testament conceptions about the final judgment over the world and New Testament conceptions about the purifying power of fire. Jewish tradition attributed to Adam even a prediction of the twofold destruction of the world, once by water, the other time by fire (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities I.2.3). The prophets Isaiah (Isa 66:16), Amos (Amos 7:4), and Daniel (Dan 7:9) presented God’s judgment over the world as being accomplished by means of fire. And in the New Testament we repeatedly encounter the conception of fire as a purifying force (Matt 3:12; 1 Pet 1:7; 1 Cor 3:13-15). “And we are accustomed to subject certain things to the action of fire, not in order to destroy them, but in order to give them purity and brightness. God promises to do something similar at the end of the age through fire… A fiery flood will be necessary, that is, a destruction, though not complete—a destruction not of souls but also not of bodies alone. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10), not without bodies—with souls alone, but together with incorruptible bodies. For how can a soul alone be punished without a body, when it bears upon itself what it has done through the body? For it is not the nature of the Righteous Judge, when two have sinned in the same thing, to pardon the one and place the burden of guilt upon the other” (blessed Theophilus).

2 Peter 3:8. But let this one thing not be hidden from you, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day (Ps 89:5). 2 Peter 3:9. The Lord does not delay in the fulfillment of the promise, as some consider that delay; but He is patient with us, not wishing that anyone perish, but that all come to repentance. Having proved the inevitability of the world’s end, namely through fire, the Apostle now turns to the question of the timing of the world’s end, intending to refute the false teaching of the “scoffers” about the delay of the parousia and about the supposedly unfulfilled promise of the Lord. Against this false teaching, the Apostle first of all, in accordance with the teaching of the Lord Himself (Mark 13:32), recognizes the timing of the world’s end as a mystery of God’s omniscience and providence, and then for the faith and edification of true Christians establishes two points: the first—in accordance with the saying of the psalmist (the prophet Moses), Ps 89:4, that all human measurements of time have no significance in the eyes of the Eternal One, before whom time periods of the most varied length are equalized, for example, one day and a thousand years—v. 8; the second—precisely therefore one cannot think of any delay on the part of the Lord, who moreover has a special benevolent purpose—to give every person (not excluding even the “scoffers” and those like them) the opportunity to escape destruction and be saved through repentance and reform, v. 9. The Apostle humbly includes even himself in the number of sinful people requiring God’s patience. From the words of the Apostle v. 8, where he in a somewhat expanded form cites the saying of the psalm (Ps 89), the chiliasts concluded that there should be a correspondence between the days of creation and the millennia of the world’s existence, wherefore the 7000th year from the creation of the world or 1492 A.D. was considered the year of the world’s end. But as this expectation was not fulfilled, so every other calculation on this subject is impossible, since the saying of the psalmist and the Apostle has no literal, mathematical sense, and since the complete unknowability of the day and hour of the Lord’s coming and the world’s end is definitely attested by the Lord Himself (Matt 24:36; Mark 13:32).

2 Peter 3:10. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, and then the heavens will pass away with a noise, and the elements, having become hot, will be destroyed, and the earth and all works on it will be burned up. Having mentioned (2 Pet 3:9) God’s patience, calling all people to repentance and salvation, the Apostle now warns that no one should, on this basis, give themselves over to negligence: this is prevented by the unexpectedness of the coming of the Lord and the end of the world. “To explain the unknowability and unexpectedness of the Lord’s coming, the Apostle compares it to the coming of a thief and the night. Night indicates unknowability, and the thief indicates unexpectedness; for no one expecting a thief will be robbed” (blessed Theophilus). In the second half of v. 10, he more fully expounds the thought (2 Pet 3:7) about the future destruction of the world by fire, distinguishing in general understanding of this three moments: 1) “the heavens will pass away with a roaring sound (roizédon),” whereby the expression “with a roaring sound” denotes a representation of a terrible, destructive elemental force; 2) “the elements—the basic elements of nature (fire, water, air, earth, cf. Wis 7:17)—being set on fire, will be destroyed”; 3) “the earth and all that is done on it will be burned up.” The Apostle said: the earth and the deeds on it will be burned up, not people; consequently, he speaks only of the destruction of the ungodly or their ungodly deeds: for the way of the ungodly will perish (Ps 1:6), but not the ungodly person himself at the same time (blessed Theophilus).

2 Peter 3:11. Since all these things are thus being destroyed, what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness, 2 Peter 3:12. waiting for and desiring the coming of the day of God, in which the inflamed heavens will be destroyed and the heated elements will melt? Vividly transferring his thought to the day of the world’s end, the Apostle directs there the thought, will, and heart of all Christians and persuades them to be zealous for holiness of life and godliness in expectation and even desire of the coming day of the Lord. In v. 12 the Apostle again returns to the thought (2 Pet 3:7-10) about the future destruction of the world by fire, and mentions the complete melting (tékétai) of the elements at that time (v. 12). “And modern science is inclined to the same conception. The gradual diminution of moisture and water on earth inevitably leads to the thought that our world will end its existence through burning or fire” (Bishop George).

2 Peter 3:13. But according to His promise we await new heavens and a new earth, wherein righteousness dwells. But the destruction of the world by fire will not be its complete annihilation, a transformation into nothingness. Christians, according to God’s promises (Isa 65:17; Rev 21:1), await “new heavens and a new earth.” And these will not be a newly created world, but a world renewed, restored, improved, but in its foundation the same world that exists now. “The Lord will establish new heavens and a new earth, ‘new’ not in essence and substance; for when someone builds a new house, this does not yet mean that he is building it from matter that did not exist before. No, God once created matter and formed it into every possible kind and combination, and what was necessary only for this present life but useless and superfluous for that incorruptible one, He will do away with, but what is useful, He will give a new form with incorruptible and imperishable beauty, and will permit it to fill another and incorruptible world” (blessed Theophilus). The distinctive feature of the new world the Apostle indicates as the dwelling of righteousness in it. Righteousness, brought into the world by Christ—in the sense of the correspondence of holy and blessed human life with the holy and blessed life of God—in the new, future world will attain full manifestation in everything: both in knowledge, in feeling, and in the whole life of its inhabitants, where God will be all in all (1 Cor 15:28; cf. Rev 21:3).

2 Peter 3:14. Therefore, beloved, waiting for these things, be diligent to appear before Him undefiled and blameless in peace; 2 Peter 3:15. and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given to him, 2 Peter 3:16. as he speaks of this also in all his letters, in which there are some things hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable, to their own destruction, twist, as they do also the other Scriptures. Summing up all that has been said about the end of the world and how Christians ought to relate to this matter, the Apostle once more exhorts the believers in awaiting their appearance before the Judge the Lord to be “without spot or blemish in peace” (v. 14) and to remember what was previously (see 2 Pet 3:9) said by the Apostle, that solely by his patience and by his desire for the salvation of all people does the Lord delay his judgment over the world, and that all Christians, considering this as salvation for themselves, should make proper use of the time for their spiritual perfection (v. 15a). Now (v. 15b), after a series of his own arguments and exhortations, the Apostle Peter, for the confirmation of the readers and all Christians in the holiness of life while awaiting the second coming of the Lord, appeals to the authority of the “beloved brother,” that is, fellow-apostle, Paul, who “according to the wisdom given to him” wrote to them, that is, to the Christians of Asia Minor, about similar doctrinal subjects, which can refer, for example, to the letters: to the Ephesians, to the Galatians, to the Colossians, to Timothy—all in Asia Minor. And since further (v. 16a) the Apostle draws in all the letters of the Apostle generally, then, by the context of the discourse, it is natural to understand also both letters to the Thessalonians with their teaching about the second coming of the Lord and its signs, about the resurrection of the dead, about the mystery of lawlessness, about the antichrist. Having appealed to the testimony of the Apostle Paul, the Apostle Peter at the same time asserts the great ecclesiastical-canonical significance of the letters of the great Apostle to the Gentiles (“according to the wisdom given to him”) and while warning against the incorrect understanding of these letters and the elevated doctrinal and moral subjects (for example, about the law, grace, and Christian freedom and so on), he observes: in them “there are some things hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures.” It is known that the Apostle Paul himself complained that certain false teachers were distorting the meaning of his letters to justify their false teaching (2 Thess 2:2). Thus, the holy desire of the Apostle Peter to serve the common cause of Christian salvation prompted him to mention the Apostle Paul and his writings. It was completely wrong that some (representatives of the Tübingen school) saw in this mention of the Apostle Paul by the Apostle Peter an intention to support his own dignity, supposedly diminished by a remark of the Apostle Paul about the Apostle Peter in Gal 2:11 and fol. The very designation “beloved brother” bestowed by the Apostle Peter on the great Apostle to the Gentiles testifies to the complete absence of any struggle between the two first-church apostles, to the perfect brotherhood of both apostles in Christ, and to the complete harmony and mutual assistance in the work of preaching the Gospel. That the Apostle Peter knew all of Paul’s letters (except perhaps the second letter to Timothy, written by the Apostle Paul at the very end of his life), this is not surprising given the intercourse between both apostles, and the factual similarity of the first letter of the Apostle Peter to Paul’s letters to the Romans and Ephesians can “be explained only by assuming Peter’s acquaintance with the writings of the Apostle to the Gentiles” (Prof. Protopresbyter D. I. Bogdashevsky). And the knowledge of Paul’s letters by the readers of the Apostle Peter’s letters is quite understandable given the wide exchange of apostolic works among the various local churches, testimony of which is found in the letter to the Colossians (Col 4:16).

2 Peter 3:17. Therefore you, beloved, being forewarned of this, be on guard lest you be led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own steadfastness, 2 Peter 3:18. but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen. The conclusion of the letter is an exhortation from the Apostle to the readers to beware of being deceived by the false teachings of the unprincipled, to be steadfast in the truth (cf. 2 Pet 1:12), and to grow in grace and in knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Knowledge constituted an essential subject of the Apostle’s discourse from the very beginning of the letter, since the heretics deluded Christians with their supposed learning and passed themselves off as people specially versed in all mysteries; he speaks of it several times in the letter. Thus he concludes the letter with it. Therefore, it can be said that instruction in the knowledge of God was the main content of the letter, so that to this main subject all other subjects of the letter’s discourse are directed.”

The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Introduction

On the First Catholic Epistle of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian

The First Catholic Epistle of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian has no author’s name either in its title or in the text—only in the opening verses does the author indirectly make himself known as a witness and eyewitness to the events of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 1:1-3). Nevertheless, the Church holds the firm conviction that the Epistle was written by the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian. Theophylact of Ohrid, following St. Athanasius the Great (“Synopsis”), says: “The same John who wrote the Gospel also wrote this Epistle to confirm those who had already believed in the Lord. And as in the Gospel, so in this Epistle he first speaks theologically about the Word, shows that it always exists in God, and teaches that the Father is light, so that we might know from this that the Word is like the radiance of his glory.” All of Christian antiquity recognized this Epistle as the work of the Apostle and Evangelist John: according to Eusebius, “Of John’s Epistles, besides the Gospel, both present and ancient Christians recognize without any dispute his first Epistle” (Church History III, 24). Even St. Polycarp of Smyrna, the apostolic man and a disciple of the Apostle John (“Epistle to the Philippians,” chapter VII) quotes one passage (1 John 1:4:3) from John’s first Epistle. Similarly, Papias of Hierapolis, according to Eusebius (Church History III, 39), made use of both John’s first Epistle and the first Epistle of the Apostle Peter. And St. Irenaeus of Lyons, according to Eusebius (Church History V, 8), in his work “Against Heresies” cites many passages from the Apostle John’s first Epistle (specifically in book III, 15, 5 he cites 1 John 2:18-22, and in III, 15, 8-1; 1 John 4:1-3). The testimony of these three ancient men, whose time follows directly upon the apostolic age, is particularly important in confirming the Church’s original faith in the canonical dignity of the Epistle.

From the second century we certainly have evidence of familiarity with the Apostle John’s Epistle—in St. Justin Martyr (“Dialogue with Trypho,” chapter 123, see 1 John 3:1), and in the author of the “Epistle to Diognetus” (chapter II, see 1 John 4:9-10). Toward the end of the second century or the first half of the third century we find important and authoritative evidence of the universally recognized canonical standing of John’s first Epistle—namely, the Muratorian Canon, the Syriac translation of the New Testament books called the Peshitta, and the ancient Latin translation. Similar evidence of the authenticity and canonical status of the Epistle appears in Clement of Alexandria (Stromata II, see 1 John 5:16), in Tertullian (Against Praxeas, chapter 15, 1 John 1:1), in Origen (Eusebius, Church History VI, 24), in Dionysius of Alexandria (Eusebius, Church History VII, 25), and others. In general, from the testimony cited it is evident that the canonical dignity and authenticity of John’s first Epistle were universally recognized and underwent no doubt or dispute. And all the internal marks of the Epistle, all the characteristic features of its content, tone, and expression clearly testify to its authorship by the same great Apostle of love and exalted Christian contemplation who wrote the Fourth Gospel. In the Epistle, as in the Gospel, he numbers himself among the eyewitnesses of the Word, and the entire content of the Epistle is penetrated with living remembrance of the example given by the Savior to Christians through his entire earthly life (1 John 2:6), his word and commandments (1 John 1:5), and the events surrounding his baptism and crucifixion (1 John 5:6). The same spirit of love breathes through the Epistle, along with a burning zeal for God’s glory and the purity of worship, the same depth and strength of feeling, the same manner and character of presentation and expression as in the Gospel. This inner closeness and kinship between the content of the Epistle and the Gospel of St. John was well noted and valued even in antiquity as proof of authenticity—for instance, by St. Dionysius of Alexandria in the third century: “The Gospel (of John),” he says, “and the Epistle agree with one another and are similarly begun; the former says: ‘In the beginning was the Word,’ the latter: ‘That which was from the beginning’; in that one it is said: ‘And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father’ (John 1:14), and the same thing here, with only slight changes: ‘That which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, that which we looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of life, and the life was made manifest’ (1 John 1:1-2). John is true to himself and does not depart from his purpose; he unfolds everything in the same periods and the very same words. Let us briefly cite some of them. The attentive reader in each of these books will frequently encounter the words: life, light, passing of darkness, and will constantly see: truth, grace, joy, the flesh and blood of the Lord, judgment, forgiveness of sins, God’s love for us, the commandment of mutual love and that we must keep all commandments, as well as the condemnation of the world, the devil, the antichrist, the promise of the Holy Spirit, divine sonship, faith required everywhere in us, everywhere the Father and the Son. In short, with continuous attention to the distinctive features, there necessarily appears the same character to both Gospel and Epistle” (Eusebius, Church History VII, 25).

If some modern Western biblical scholars seeing gnostics of the second century in the false teachers condemned by John’s first Epistle denied the Epistle’s authenticity and its authorship by the Apostle of love in the first century, it is certainly true that Gnostic teachings only reached their complete and fully developed form in the second century; but the seeds and beginnings of Gnostic errors arose already in the apostolic age. “And as the error refuted by the Epistle’s writer is different from the second-century Gnostic and Docetic heresy, so too the method of polemic differs: not against the particulars of heretical teaching and the persons of heretics, as is characteristic of later polemics, does the Epistle’s writer direct his opposition; but against the universal and principled positions, against the incipient anti-Christianity he sets forth the universal and principled positions of Christianity” (Professor N. I. Sagarda).

As for the time of writing the Epistle, there is no positive historical evidence, nor are there direct indications in the Epistle itself about the time of its origin. Still, the content of the Epistle contains indirect data suggesting that the Epistle’s origin should be placed in the later years of the Apostle’s life or in the final years of the apostolic age. In his Epistle, the Apostle John is not concerned with founding and initially organizing Christian churches, but only with reminding and confirming believers in the eternal truth of Christianity, which they had long heard, come to know, and possessed as a gracious “anointing” (1 John 2:20). Apparently by the time of the Epistle’s writing, the Christian communities of Asia Minor, to which it was primarily directed, had long possessed church organization, and alongside the dying members of the first generation there were those who had already been born and grown up in Christianity (1 John 2:13-14). The later origin of the Epistle is also indicated by the reflection in it of the Church’s internal development, apparently extending far beyond the activity of the Apostle Paul. The Jewish disputes that fill the entire history of Acts and all the Epistles of the Apostle Paul find no reflection whatever in this Epistle: there is not the slightest hint of any struggle between defenders of the Law and the Gospel, debates about circumcision, and the like. Judaism and paganism do not appear as independent, hostile forces opposed to Christianity; they have rather united in common hostility toward it, forming the god-opposed principle of “the world” (cosmos). Instead, within the Christian community itself there are new enemies—false teachers who distorted the foundational dogma of Christianity, the incarnation of God—and completely clearly demonstrated their absolute opposition to the teaching and life of the true Church of Christ, though they had come forth from its midst (1 John 2:19). Such a profound change in the character of doctrinal subjects and disputes and in the general state of the Church requires for its explanation perhaps entire decades between the activity of the Apostle Paul and the writing of the Epistle. In view of the close kinship between the Epistle and the Fourth Gospel already noted, the Epistle is ordinarily considered either as a kind of introductory letter to the Gospel—a sort of prolegomena to the Gospel—or as a second, so to speak, practical or polemical part of the Gospel. In either case, the closeness of the Epistle to the Gospel is evident both in content and in time of composition. Church tradition fairly consistently places the writing of both Sacred Writings of the Apostle to the time after his return from exile on the island of Patmos, during the reign of Domitian. Thus, the end of the first century of Christianity, the years 97-99, may be considered the chronological date of the origin of the Apostle John’s first Epistle. And since in those final years the Apostle John spent in Asia Minor, more specifically in the city of Ephesus, this very city may be considered the place of writing of the Epistle. The immediate occasion for writing the Epistle, addressed to the Christians of Asia Minor, closely known to the Apostle of love from his many years of residence among them and his guidance after the deaths of the Apostles Peter and Paul, was the Apostle John’s desire to warn Christians against false teachers (see, for example, 1 John 2:19-22) who, as the Epistle makes clear, distorted the teaching about the Deity and the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, about the blessedness of unity with God and Christ (1 John 2:22 and elsewhere). Therefore, the general character of the Epistle is exhortative and condemning, though it contains no direct polemic: rising above in his thought the temporal circumstances that prompted its writing, the Apostle here, as in the Gospel, is primarily concerned with the eternal needs of members of the Church of Christ, establishing in them faith in Jesus Christ as the true Son of God, true God and true man, and thereby opening to all the path of eternal life (1 John 5:13; see John 20:31).

On the first Epistle of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian in Russian one may read: 1) in G. F. Yakovlev – Apostles. A sketch of the life and teaching of the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian in the Gospel, three Epistles and Revelation. Issue II. Moscow, 1860; 2) in Archpriest A. Potelebnov – The Catholic Epistles of the Apostle of Love I, II, III. In Church Slavonic and Russian, with introduction and explanatory notes. Moscow 1875; 3) in articles by G. I. Uspensky: The question of the residence of the holy Apostle John the Theologian in Asia Minor, Christian Readings 1879, I, 3, 279, and The activity of the holy Apostle John the Theologian in Asia Minor, there, II, 245; 4) in Most Reverend Bishop Michael – “The Expository Apostle” II. Kiev 1905, pp. 305 ff. There are also two monographs: a) Professor Archpriest D. I. Bogdashevsky – “The False Teachers Condemned in the First Epistle of the Apostle John.” Kiev 1890, and b) Professor V. I. Sagarda – The First Catholic Epistle of the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian. An isagogico-exegetical study. Poltava, 1903.

Chapter One

The essence and certain truth of the Gospel of the Word of life (1-4). God is light (5). The character and conditions of Christians’ communion with God and Christ (6-10).

1 John 1:1. Concerning what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our own eyes, what we have looked at and what our hands have touched, concerning the Word of life, — 1 John 1:2. for the life appeared, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you this eternal life, which was with the Father and appeared to us, — 1 John 1:3. what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you, so that you also may have fellowship with us: and our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:4. And we write this to you so that your joy may be complete. Expressing his thought in a somewhat complex manner, the Apostle begins his Epistle with the witness: “we proclaim” (Greek: apangellomen) or “write to you” concerning the Word of life (Greek: peri tou logou tes Zoes), which was from the beginning (Greek: ho en ap’ arches), which we have heard, which we saw with our own eyes, and which our hands touched. As we have seen, even in antiquity the close similarity of this beginning of the Epistle to the beginning of the Gospel was noted, and this similarity, in the opinion of the ancient Church fathers, shows the identity of the subject matter of the writings and the teaching about God the Word, or the Divine Logos. “The Word of life” here, contrary to the opinion of some commentators (Westcott, Düsterdick, and others), does not mean only the divine teaching that Christ the Savior proclaimed to humanity (compare Phil 2:16), but is precisely the designation of God the Word, as is shown both by the construction (John 1:15 is the usual form used by the Apostle John with the genitive case of a person, and see this reference for other examples), and by the context of the Apostle’s speech: only about the personal Divine Word, or the God-man, could the Apostle say of himself and the other apostles: “we have heard, seen with our own eyes, looked upon, and our hands touched,” and in verse 2 the Apostle testifies that this life—the eternal life of the God-man—was with the Father and was made manifest to us, which fully recalls the words of the Apostle John about the Divine Word-Christ in the Gospel: “in him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). The Apostle’s use in the Epistle of the same words and expressions as in the Gospel—such as logos, zoe, en, pros—further confirms the kinship or identity of the concepts and their relation to one and the same principal subject, God the Word. Not repeating what has been said in the notes on the Gospel of John John 1, we observe only that the designation of the Son of God as Logos in both the Gospel and the Epistle was not the work of the Apostle’s independent reflection, but was revealed to the Seer of mysteries in a specific supernatural revelation (see Rev 19:13). The eternal being of God the Word is expressed in the passage under consideration by the words “en ap’ arches” (was from the beginning), as in the Gospel: “en arche en” (“in the beginning was”), which means before the beginning of time, in other words, without beginning and without end, and therefore eternally. Similarly, the “word” “was” signifies not temporal existence but the self-subsistent being of a certain reality, the beginning and foundation of everything that has come into being, such that without it the latter could not have come into being (Theophylact the Blessed). In showing the perfect reliability of the apostles’ evangelical proclamation about God the Word, the holy Apostle points to the fullness that excludes the possibility of any doubt about the apostles’ knowledge of the God-man, based on their complete spiritual and sensory experience: all external senses and all internal spiritual powers of the apostles participated in the experiential knowledge of God the Word, revealed in the flesh: “they touched with both mental and sensory touch, as, for example, Thomas did after the resurrection. For he was one and undivided, one and the same—visible and invisible, comprehensible and incomprehensible, intangible and tangible, speaking as a man and working wonders as God” (Theophylact). The Divine Word for the Apostle here, in verse 1, is called the Word of life, and in verse 2 is called Life (Greek: he zoe), which was with the Father and was made manifest to people, eternal life (Greek: ten zoen ten aionion), which the apostles proclaim, including the one writing this present Epistle, St. John. In verses 3 and 4 the goal of proclamation in general and of this Epistle in particular is set as this: that through the proclaimed and written word of the apostles, Christians should have fellowship (Greek: koinonian) not only with the apostles, but through them with God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son: “through the word we receive you as partners in what we have seen and heard; thus we have you as partners of the Father and of his Son Jesus Christ, and having received this, we, having clung to God, can be filled with joy” (Theophylact the Blessed). Thus, in the Epistle the teaching about the Divine Word is disclosed chiefly from the aspect of the imperishable, eternal blessed life that has its source in God the Word, and from the aspect of Christians’ fellowship with this self-subsistent source of all life. If the Gospel of John develops the proper teaching about the person of God the Word, Jesus Christ, then the Epistle applies this teaching to life; on the basis of true knowledge of God and faith in Jesus Christ as the incarnate Word of God, it builds up the life of each individual member of Christ’s Church, so as to bring all to eternal life, to eternal blessedness in fellowship with God.

1 John 1:5. And this is the message which we have heard from Him and proclaim to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all. The substance of the gospel brought to earth by the incarnate Word of God, heard from him by the apostles and proclaimed by them to humanity, the Apostle John here expresses in the form of a brief aphorism with contrasting positive and negative thoughts (antithetical parallelism): “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” Judging by the aphoristic character of this expression, and even more by the Apostle’s direct testimony: “we have heard from him,” one may suppose that here is reproduced an exact saying, the very words of the Savior—one of those numerous unwritten sayings (Greek: agrapha)—sayings of the Lord not recorded in the Gospel that have been preserved only in the writings of the apostles (such is the saying cited by the Apostle Paul in his speech to the Ephesian elders: “it is more blessed to give than to receive” Acts 20:35) or in later monuments of Christian church tradition. It is possible, however, as some interpreters suppose, that this saying is a generalization, condensation, or recollection of several similar sayings of Christ the Savior about himself as light (John 8:12), expressed by the Apostle himself in aphoristic form. In any case, the statement: “God is light” is one of the expressions used by the Apostle John in which he describes the very essence of God, such as: “God is spirit” (John 4:24) and “God is love” (1 John 4:8): while other New Testament writers speak of God’s attributes and actions, St. John speaks of what God is in his very essence. The fundamental concept conveyed by the name “light” when applied to God is the concept of absolute moral perfection (compare Jas 1:17), the most perfect holiness. As in the visible world light is the most excellent and beneficial element, illuminating all things, warming, giving life, so in God “light” is the totality and fullness of his divine perfections—holiness, wisdom, omniscience, grace, and others—by which God illuminates all things in the world, enlightens, gives life, and leads to blessedness. And there is no deficiency in any of these divine attributes, no shadow in the eternal light of the divine essence. “Thus he is light, and there is no darkness in him, but spiritual light that draws the eyes of the soul to the vision of him, and turns it away from everything material, arousing the desire for him alone with the strongest love. By darkness is understood either ignorance or sin, for in God there is neither ignorance nor sin, because ignorance and sin exist (only) in matter and in our disposition…. And that the Apostle calls sin ‘darkness’ is evident from his Gospel saying: ‘And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’ (John 1:5), where by darkness he calls our sinful nature, which by all its inclination to fall yields to our adversary the devil, drawing us to sin. Thus Light, united with our nature, which is so easily overcome, became completely beyond the reach of the tempter, because he committed no sin (Isa 53:9).” From the teaching about God as Light, the Apostle makes two moral and practical conclusions: a) the necessity for Christians to walk in the faith of truth and purity, to acknowledge and confess their sins, and to be cleansed by the blood of the Redeemer (1 John 1:6), and b) their duty to keep God’s commandments, especially the commandment of love (1 John 2:3-11).

1 John 1:6. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth; 1 John 1:7. but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. Each Christian as a member of God’s kingdom must be in living fellowship with God. But a necessary condition for this is the Christian’s walking in the light of truth and holiness. In the absence of these conditions, the Christian would be deceived or would permit conscious deception, considering himself to be in fellowship with God—the Light of truth and holiness. The sharpness of tone seems to suggest that the Apostle has in mind certain false teachers who distorted the true understanding of the essence of Christian life and fellowship with God. “Thus, when we accept you as partners with God, who is light, and in this light, as has been shown, there is no darkness and cannot be, then we too, as partners of light, should not receive darkness within ourselves, so as not to suffer punishment for the lie and together with the lie not to be cut off from fellowship with the light” (Theophylact the Blessed). True fellowship with God, true walking in the light according to the law of becoming like God, necessarily shows itself in fellowship with neighbors, in love of brothers. But the source of the grace-giving power to walk in the light of fellowship with God and neighbors is solely in the redemption of the whole world by the blood of the Son of God. “No one, loving truth and striving to be truthful, would dare to say that he is without sin. Thus, if such a concern possesses someone, he should not despair: for whoever enters into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ is cleansed by his blood, shed for us” (Theophylact the Blessed).

1 John 1:8. If we say that we do not have sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, He, being faithful and righteous, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:10. If we say that we have not sinned, we represent Him as a liar, and His word is not in us. Even in the closing words of verse 7, the Apostle expressed the thought that sin acts in Christians and that all of them have need of the cleansing power of Christ’s blood. Now, apparently having in mind false teachers who denied this truth, the Apostle with particular insistence proves the necessity for all Christians to have consciousness of the corruption of their nature and their inclination to sin. The lack of this consciousness, and especially its complete absence, leads not only to harmful self-deception (verse 8), but further—in the end—to denial of Christ’s redemptive work, to the acknowledgment even of God himself as a liar (verse 10), for if people can be sinless in themselves, then redemption and the Redeemer are unnecessary, and the words of Scripture about the necessity of redemption for all would turn out to be false. But while denying and condemning with complete firmness such self-deception and claims to perfect sinlessness, the Apostle at the same time resolves the natural question that arises: how then can one reconcile the sinful state of a Christian with the necessary requirement of fellowship with God, who is light? The Apostle gives the answer to this difficulty in verse 9 to the effect that the necessary condition for our fellowship with God in the presence of our undoubted sinfulness is confession—that is, open, decisive, and persistent acknowledgment of our sins: “if we confess our sins”—confession not of sin in general alone, but of specific sins, known as deeds of darkness. That confession of sins cannot be confined to internal consciousness alone but must be accompanied by external confession or open self-judgment before God and before the witness appointed by God to bind and loose human sins (John 20:22-23), is already presupposed by the meaning and New Testament use of the term “to confess” (Greek: homologein), which contains the thought of external expression or utterance of something before people (compare Matt 10:32-33; John 1:20). “How great a good is produced from confession is evident from the following words: ‘declare your sins first, so that you may be justified’ (Isa 43:26)” (Theophylact the Blessed). When we fulfill the required condition—confession of sins—God, according to the Apostle’s assurance, will certainly forgive the sins of the repentant (Church Slavonic: “will forgive our sins”) and will inwardly cleanse the sinner from unrighteousness (“will cleanse us from all unrighteousness”). In this, God’s both fidelity and righteousness are accomplished. “God is faithful, which is the same as being true; for the word ‘faithful’ is used not only of one to whom something is entrusted, but also of one who is himself very faithful, whose very own fidelity can make others faithful as well. In this sense God is faithful, and he is righteous in that he does not drive away those who come to him, no matter how sinful they may be (John 6:37)” (Theophylact the Blessed).

Chapter Two

Christ is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world (1-2). Knowledge of him and fellowship with him as light in the active fulfillment of God’s commandments, especially the commandment of love (3-11). The universality and accessibility of salvation in Christ (12-14). Love of the world hostile to fellowship with God (15-16). Signs of the approach of the last world age (17-19). The true teaching of Christ in opposition to anti-Christian teaching (20-27).

1 John 2:1. My children! I write this to you so that you do not sin; and if anyone sins, we have an advocate before the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous one; 1 John 2:2. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world. Wishing to prevent the possibility of misinterpreting the teaching set forth in 1:5-10, the holy John the Theologian with touching fatherly tenderness clearly reminds readers that what he has written in these verses cannot in any way serve as justification for a careless attitude toward sin and its various forms; on the contrary: the purpose there was to turn readers and Christians in general away from sin: “I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.” But at the same time, for people of especially tender conscience, sincerely seeking freedom from sin and true Christian perfection, but deeply conscious of the sinfulness of human nature, the Apostle adds encouragement in faith in the all-powerful intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ, the great and eternal Intercessor (Greek: parakletos) for humanity before God the Father (compare 1 Tim 2:5). “The Apostle, knowing that our nature is unstable and sinful, that we always carry in ourselves inclination to evil, that the envious devil hinders our salvation with his deceits, that therefore even those who have been reconciled with God through confession, if they live carelessly, will not escape sin, now teaches that if we should fall after the forgiveness of sins, we should not despair. For if we turn back, we can again receive salvation through the mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ, because he, interceding for us before the Father, will make propitiation for our sins, and not for ours alone but also for the sins of the whole world. The Apostle said this because he was writing to Jews, saying so to show that the benefit of repentance is not limited to them alone but extends also to the gentiles, or that this promise refers not to the contemporaries alone but to all people of succeeding ages. He calls Jesus Christ our Intercessor, beseeching or persuading the Father with a special purpose, namely, to show that the Son has one nature and one power with the Father, and that the action of one of the three most holy Persons appears as common to the other persons” (Theophylact the Blessed).

1 John 2:3. And that we have known Him we recognize from this, that we keep His commandments. 1 John 2:4. Whoever says, “I have known Him,” but does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 1 John 2:5. but whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God has been perfected: from this we recognize that we are in Him. 1 John 2:6. Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk just as He walked. Having set forth the foundational dogma of Christian faith—Christ as the Redeemer and Intercessor of humanity and the whole world—the Apostle now points out the indispensable condition by which the Savior’s intercession will be effective and saving for us, namely: the keeping of his commandments, the active realization of his will, not mere intellectual knowledge of him. Having apparently in mind certain false teachers who boasted of their Christian knowledge but did nothing to put this knowledge into practice (verses 4-6), the Apostle insists with all force that the correct relationship of a person to God and the purity of his knowledge are revealed only by his corresponding life conduct. The keeping of God’s commandments by us (verses 3-5) serves as the best proof that we know God. In this, the living link between knowledge of God and the keeping of his commandments is true Christian love. “Perfect love,” it is said, “is proved by deeds. But how it happens that some (apparently) correctly and exactly keep the commandments, yet their inner disposition is unclean, and they are far from God; the Apostle says that one who belongs to God must also live in a way that befits closeness to God…. And he confirms the same thing from the opposite side, using the most complete proof” (Theophylact the Blessed). Christ the Savior, who realized God’s will in all its fullness, should be the permanent model of life conduct (verse 6; see 1 Pet 2:21; John 8:29).

1 John 2:7. Beloved! I write to you not a new commandment, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. 1 John 2:8. Yet I do write a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you: because the darkness passes away and the true light already shines. Having given readers the instruction to keep the commandments (verses 3-5), especially the commandment of love, and having pointed to the highest model of love and of Christian perfection in general in the Lord Jesus Christ (verse 6), the Apostle, as if anticipating a possible objection from readers about the difficulty of fulfilling this covenant and this imitation, now testifies that what he is setting forth is not something new but constitutes an ancient (Lev 19:18), though at the same time also new, commandment. “Since this Epistle is a general epistle, written to all in common, to Jews and Gentiles, then in relation to the Jews it can be said that the Apostle writes them the commandment of love not as a new one but as an ancient one. For even on the tablets of Moses it was written: ‘love, after God, your neighbor as yourself’ (Lev 19:18)…. The law of love to neighbors is written also in the gentiles. How so? It is written in them on the tablets of the heart by natural thoughts…. Thus, even the gentiles received the ancient law or commandment, for nature itself prescribes that we be gentle with one another; on account of this man is a social animal, and this is impossible without love. In ancient histories it is even recorded that many such people died for others, which is the sign of the highest love, as our Savior explained, saying: ‘Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’ (John 15:13)” (Theophylact the Blessed). However, Christian love for neighbors is neither merely the natural philanthropy inherent in the human soul by nature, possible even for gentiles, nor a precept aimed at restraining passion for vengeance, as in the law of Moses, but something far exceeding both, as free love among Christians for each other in Christ’s name, as love resting on a completely new, previously unknown foundation. Thus, “love for neighbors is both an ancient and a new commandment”: it is an ancient commandment because it was communicated already in the Old Testament revelation, but it is also a new commandment, for it was fully realized only by Jesus Christ and is realized following his example in the faith of those whose lives the darkness already passes away from and in whom the true light of knowledge of God begins to shine (verses 7-8) (Professor Archpriest D. I. Bogdashevsky, Church Works, p. 12).

1 John 2:9. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 1 John 2:10. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause of stumbling in him. 1 John 2:11. But whoever hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. Once it is established that the true light of knowledge of God and Christian love is already shining on earth and that the gradual realization of the Christian ideal is obligatory for all Christians under the new conditions of life in Christ, it is easy to determine who belongs to this realm of light and who belongs to the opposite realm of darkness. The indisputable sign by which one can distinguish the children of light from the children of darkness is the love of brothers in Christ for neighbors (verses 9; compare John 13:34-35): the presence of this love in a person proves his actual membership in the realm of light (verse 10), while the absence of it in a person, even if he calls himself a child of light, is a sure sign that he is not a Christian, is a child of darkness (verses 9-11). Closeness to God or love of God is first of all recognized from love of neighbors. For it is impossible for one illuminated by knowledge of God and filled with love for him to have darkness of hate toward his brother; because light and darkness at the same time in the same place cannot be together. Therefore, one illuminated by love for God and possessing God, and with respect to his brother also has light, which is kindled by love for his brother. But whoever says that he loves God while hating his brother is in constant darkness; his rational eyes are always clouded, because he has lost the light of communion with God and with his brother. He does not even know what might be beneficial to him’’ (Theophylact the Blessed). One notices that the Apostle here (verses 9 and 11) and in other places in the Epistle sets in opposition to the concept of love not the lack of love but directly hate—that is, he takes diametrically opposite concepts and places them in a mutually exclusive relationship. Although in life there are infinitely many degrees and shades of love and non-love, the Apostle views everything from an absolute perspective, from the standpoint of principle and ultimate results: for him, therefore, there exist only two kingdoms or directions—the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness; on one side God, on the other the world; there—life, here—death (compare 1 John 3:14); there—love and all means of salvation, here—hate and complete impossibility of salvation. Hence flows the purity, depth, and power of the Apostle’s Christian ethics.

1 John 2:12. I write to you, children, because your sins are forgiven because of His name. 1 John 2:13. I write to you, fathers, because you have known the One from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you have known the Father. 1 John 2:14. I have written to you, fathers, because you have known the One without beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. Having proposed for the readers’ attention the teaching on walking in the light and the essence of worship and about love as the chief condition of the latter (1 John 1-2:8), and intending further (from verse 15 onward) to give instructions on how Christians should relate to the world, the Apostle prefaces this last warning with a strong and insistent appeal to Christians of various ages. The address: “children,” (Greek: teknia) (verse 12) and “children” (Greek: paidia) (verse 14) are not names for children in the proper sense but the fatherly address of the aged Apostle to all readers-Christians without regard to age, as is shown by the use of teknia in 1 John 2:1 and paidia in 1 John 2:18. By the other names: “fathers,” “young people” are denoted more degrees of spiritual perfection and qualities than of natural ages, though one cannot entirely exclude the latter (the word for young people does not go toward denoting spiritual maturity alone), because natural and spiritual age may coincide. The address to different ages or classes of readers is made by the Apostle in two parallel series, the first series of addresses being united by the verb “write” in the present tense, while the addresses of the second series are connected by the same verb in the form of the aorist. Distinguishing in the Christian community individual members of unequal age, spiritual and natural, the Apostle grants to all of them lofty spiritual advantages and blessings received by them in Christianity, with the purpose of turning them away from attachment to the world (verse 15). Namely, turning first of all to all Christians in the community (teknia), the Apostle says that he writes to them because their sins are forgiven them (1 John 2:12). But forgiveness of sins presupposes knowledge of the One through whom this highest blessing has been granted to us—knowledge of the Savior Jesus Christ. Although such knowledge, like forgiveness of sins, belongs to all Christians, it particularly distinguishes the ‘fathers.’ ‘I write to you, fathers,’ says the Apostle, ‘because all of you know him who is from the beginning.’ Forgiveness of sins presupposes, further, struggle with sin and victory over it, and since this struggle has been accomplished relatively recently by young people and consequently the latter should be especially careful not to lose what has been acquired, the Apostle John, turning to them, says: ‘I write to you, young people, because all of you have conquered the evil one’ (Professor Archpriest D. I. Bogdashevsky, p. 15-16). It is possible that here is meant ‘some particularly powerful clash with heretics from which the Asian church emerged victorious, owing primarily to the energy of the younger generation’ (Professor N. I. Sagarda, p. 395). In the second address to young people (verse 14) the Apostle clarifies that the strength by which young people conquered the evil one was not their own strength of youthful vitality, but divine spiritual strength—the strength of God’s word, the Gospel, abiding in them.

1 John 2:15. Do not love the world, nor the things in the world: if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:16. For all that is in the world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not from the Father, but from the world. 1 John 2:17. And the world passes away, and its lust, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. Having pointed in a particular twofold appeal to Christians of various ages to the lofty gracious state of Christians, the Apostle now more decisively expresses the warning against the world lying in evil and the deceptive goods of the world. What then is this world, the kosmos (Greek), against attachment to which the Apostle warns with particular insistence? “In order that all of you do not understand by ‘the world’ the totality of heaven and earth, the Apostle explains what the world is and what is in the world. And, first, by the world he means vicious people, who do not have in themselves the love of the Father. Secondly, by what is in the world he means what is done through fleshly lust, which, acting through the senses, arouses lust… in general everything hostile to God…” (Theophylact the Blessed). Thus, this is the world from which, according to the exhortation of the Apostle James, the true Christian should keep himself undefiled (Jas 1:27); friendship with it is enmity against God (Jas 4:4). The Apostle presents two grounds for proving the necessity of decisive and complete separation from the world: first, that love of God is incompatible with love of the world (verse 15)—incompatible because the essence of the world, its inner life, is formed by sinful, god-hostile lust of human nature corrupted by sin (compare Rom 7:7 and following verses), branching out into three chief passions—lust of the flesh or sensuality (compare Rom 8:7-8), lust of the eyes, and pride in riches—by which, as by a lever, the world lying in evil revolves, and from which the devil tempted even the Lord himself in the wilderness (Matt 4:1-11 and elsewhere); second, one need not love the world also because it cannot provide us with the constant and unchanging good toward which we strive, for the world and its desires are something flowing and passing away, while the one who does God’s will finds good that remains forever (verse 17). “Worldly lusts are short-lived and inconstant, but what is done according to God’s will is lasting and eternal.” (Theophylact).

1 John 2:18. Children! it is the last hour. And as you have heard that an antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared, and from this we recognize that it is the last hour. 1 John 2:19. They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it might become clear that they are not all of us. Having mentioned that the world is passing away and approaching destruction (verse 17), the Apostle now points out the presence of signs of the approach of the “last hour” (Greek: eschate hora) of the world, that is, the approach of the concluding age of the world and the second coming of the Lord (compare Jas 5:3; 1 Pet 1:5 and elsewhere). The Apostle calls such a sign the appearance of the antichrist, Greek: antichristos, indeed many antichrists, Greek: antichristoi, that is, false teachers who overthrow the teaching about Christ the Savior and together the entire work of Christ (1 John 2:22-23; 2 John 1:7). The Apostle testifies that believers have already heard beforehand about the coming of these antichrists—namely, from the teaching and predictions of the Savior himself (John 5:43; Matt 24:24), and even more from the teaching of the Apostle Paul about the “opponent” Greek: antikeimenon (2 Thess 2:2-10). Introducing here a new name for the opponents of Christ and his teaching, the Apostle distinguishes the antichrist, identical with the “opponent” (2 Thess 2), who is to appear before the Lord’s coming to the last judgment, from the antichrists, that is, false teachers who began appearing even during the apostles, especially toward the end of the apostolic age (Simon Magus, Cerinthus, Nicolaitans, Docetists, and others). All of them are representatives of the spirit of antichrist (1 John 4:3), who is to come in the “last hour” and whose actions (as a “beast,” Greek: therion) the Apostle John describes in detail in the Apocalypse (chapter XIII). Here the Apostle, warning believers against the temptations from false teachers, notes that false teachers previously belonged to the church but then separated from it, having no real ties with it. “Why then are antichrists from the disciples of the Lord? In order to have the confidence of the deceived, so that the deceived might think that they, as from among the disciples, preach the teaching according to the mind of the Teacher and not completely contrary to his preaching. Therefore, it is said, ‘they went out from us,’ that is, though they were disciples, they departed from the truth and invented their own blasphemies. ‘Not of us,’ that is, not from the saved part. For otherwise they would have remained in union with their own” (Theophylact the Blessed).

1 John 2:20. But you have an anointing from the Holy One and you know all things. 1 John 2:21. I have written to you not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and also because every lie is not from the truth. The Apostle does not consider it necessary to provide detailed exposition about the antichrists or false teachers: as Christians, the readers of the Epistle possess clear consciousness of the truth from an infallible source—from the divine gift of “anointing from the Holy One” (Greek: chrisma apo tou Hagiou, that is, from Jesus Christ, compare verse 27), which imparts to all believers the gifts of the Holy Spirit through a particular visible action (2 Cor 1:21; Eph 4:30), supplementing baptism (Acts 8:14-17). The Apostle writes not for the sake of teaching something new but for reminding and strengthening readers in what they have known since the first days of their Christian life. “The anointing,” the grace of the Holy Spirit, granted to Christians after baptism in the anointing with oil, gives the Christian a sure principle for discerning Christian truth from its distortion; of course, Christians, called by virtue of the grace of the anointing “kings and priests to God” (Rev 1:6), know “all things” (Greek: panta) not in an absolute sense but in a limiting sense: they know the truth of the Gospel’s proclamation, the truth of the work of salvation accomplished by Christ the Savior, the Son of God.

1 John 2:22. Who is a liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 1 John 2:23. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well. Having mentioned in 1 John 2:18 the appearance of already many antichrists or false teachers, the Apostle here points out the essence of their destructive false teaching and all its consequences. The essence of the anti-Christian teaching, according to the Apostle, lies in denying that Jesus is the Messiah—Christ who came for the salvation of people. Every false teacher who denies this fundamental truth of Christianity is a liar (Greek: pseustis) in the preeminent sense, a true antichrist, and together with his refusal to acknowledge the Son of God deprives himself of all knowledge of God: “whoever denies the Son does not have the Father” (verse 23)—because it is only from knowledge of the properties and action of the Son that one can learn the properties and action of God the Father, according to the word of the Lord himself: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father… I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (John 14:9). Thus it is undoubtedly true that the refusal to recognize the Son blocks the path to knowledge of the Father as well. “The Jews deny the Son and claim to have knowledge of the Father. But let them know that they have not yet come to know the Father either, for if they had known him, they would have come to know the Son also, because he is the Father and the Father of the only-begotten Son” (Theophylact the Blessed). But for salvation one needs not only faith in the Son of God and knowledge of him as the Father as well, but confession of him—that is, testimony by word and deed of one’s faith in him (Matt 10:32-33; Rom 9-10; 1 Tim 6:12-13).

1 John 2:24. Therefore, let what you heard from the beginning remain in you; if what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. 1 John 2:25. And the promise which He promised us is eternal life. To the anti-Christian false teaching the Apostle sets in opposition the Gospel good news, heard by each believer at the beginning of the Christian life. The Apostle urges Christians to keep unchanged, without any alterations or additions, the Christian truth that has been received, saying that on the condition of its abiding in them there will be realized the abiding of believers in the Son and their eternal life, according to the Savior’s promise (see John 17:21). “Keep within yourselves what all of you have heard from the beginning, namely, that Christ is God, for this is what the words ‘let it abide in all of you’ mean. If what all of you heard from the beginning remains in all of you, then all of you too will abide in the Son and in the Father, that is, all of you will be in communion with him” (Theophylact the Blessed).

1 John 2:26. This I have written to you concerning those who are deceiving you. Having concluded his discussion of false teachers, the Apostle briefly identifies the content of the preceding discussion and at the same time shows its purpose—to prevent the harmful influence of deceivers on the readers of the Epistle.

1 John 2:27. Yet the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone teach you; but as this very anointing teaches you concerning all things, and it is true and not false, remain in what it has taught you. 1 John 2:28. Therefore, children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have boldness and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. Returning to the discussion in 1 John 2:20, the Apostle now speaks in more detail about the life-giving and enlightening power of that gracious anointing, that impartation of the grace of the Holy Spirit which Christians have received from the Son of God. “The words: ‘all of you do not need anyone to teach all of you’ should be understood not in relation to each individual member of the Church separately, for in it there are children who have need of instruction, children both by age and by knowledge, who need teaching, understanding, and instruction…. For all of this the Church has and should have fathers, teachers, instructors, spiritual physicians. But in general, in essence, the Church of Christ has so much saving knowledge and so many saving means of knowledge of faith that it has no need of any other teaching or any other teachers who would want to teach something else, something not in accord with apostolic teaching preserved in the Church” (Bishop Michael). Believers are taught by the Holy Spirit himself, who pours out his gifts upon them (John 15:15). By its essence the “anointing” is a creative action of the entire Holy Trinity (2 Cor 1:21-22). In verse 28 the Apostle points out a new powerful incentive for Christians to hold unwavering to the truth of the Gospel’s proclamation: in view of the approach of the “last hour” (compare 1 John 2:18), Christians should always be ready to stand before the judgment of Christ—so that “when he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming.” Thus, “having spoken of the appearance of antichrists and shown that all their teaching is corrupt, and having sufficiently convinced believers to keep unceasingly that teaching by which they were instructed, the Apostle then mentions the reward appointed for this, so that by the brightness of the reward he might as it were further strengthen them…. For what can be more glorious or desirable than confidence, that is, when we lay open our works in the present life, we might be able to do so with confidence, being in no way ashamed at his coming” (Theophylact).

1 John 2:29. If you know that He is righteous, know also that everyone who practices righteousness is born from Him. If previously in explaining communion with God the Apostle proceeded from the concept that “God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5), then now he uses the concept of being born of God in revealing the same subject; therefore, while in the first two chapters of the Epistle communion with God was presented as walking in light, now it is viewed as the gracious adoption of God’s children, and this latter concept is unfolded by the Apostle first from the perspective of its signs (1 John 2:9-3:24), and then from the perspective of its source (1 John 3:24-4:21). The first sign of the spiritual, gracious birth of a Christian from God is the doing of what is right in imitation of the righteous God and Christ (verse 29). “Others might have asked: what then should we do to become acceptable to him? And the Apostle teaches this as well, saying: if all of you know that he is righteous, then surely all of you know that everyone who does what is right is born of him, for the righteous one begets the righteous. And what honor and confidence this gives, each of all of you knows, as well as what great and mighty love and goodness he shows to all of you” (Theophylact).

Chapter Three

Children of God and children of the devil (1–10). Brotherly love toward others and hatred (11–18). Assurance of the heart in God (19–22). Faith and love (23–24).

1 John 3:1. See what love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God and be children of God. The world does not know us because it did not know Him. Having established (in 1 John 2:29) an organic and vital connection between righteousness and the gracious rebirth of Christians from God, the Apostle now further unfolds the concept of gracious sonship to God, in order to better highlight the mentioned connection not only as necessary by the very nature of being born from the Righteous One, but also as morally obligatory for those who have received such benefits. The Apostle, always keeping the great work of redemption of humanity in Christ before his eyes, enthusiastically invites (verse 1) his readers to reverently immerse themselves in spiritual contemplation of that unfathomable love of the Heavenly Father toward people (compare John 3:16), through which He in the mystery of redemption in Christ granted all people to be and to be called children of God. The greatness of this divine gift, which obligates Christians who possess it to constant improvement, the Apostle demonstrates by way of opposition—by the fact that the world that is hostile to God and therefore does not know God does not know this high privilege of Christians—their sonship to God: so completely has God’s love and grace transformed them, establishing their life on completely new foundations, that they have become alien and incomprehensible to the world. “You know that he (Christ) gave you the right to be and to be considered children of God. If, then, those who belong to the world do not know this—that is, that you are children of God—do not be surprised at this; for they do not know the one who adopted you as sons” (Theophylact).

1 John 3:2. Beloved! we are now children of God; but it has not yet been revealed what we will be. We know only that when it is revealed, we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He is. Even more exalted and incomprehensible to the very children of God is the future blessedness of believers: in depicting the blessedness of the righteous in the future world, Scripture presents it only in general terms (compare 1 Pet 1:4; 2 Tim 4:8 and others), not touching upon its very essence. It is known only that the condition for future blessedness is our becoming like God (compare Matt 5:48) in righteousness, mercy, holiness and other perfections, and that the source of ineffable blessedness for the righteous will be the vision of God, when they will see God not dimly and uncertainly, but face to face (1 Cor 13:12)—“the pure will see the Pure One, the righteous will see the Righteous One, for the like will draw near to the Like” (Theophylact).

1 John 3:3. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 1 John 3:4. Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. From the concept of the rebirth of believers from God (1 John 2:29), their high gracious sonship in the present (1 John 3:1) and their ineffable blessedness in the future (verse 2), it is a necessary duty for everyone who has Christian hope for blessed eternity to constantly purify himself from all sinful inclinations after the pattern of the pure and sinless Christ, since only those pure in heart can see God (Matt 5:8). This moral-practical conclusion from the teaching about the spiritual rebirth of Christians and their high dignity as children of God the Apostle next (verse 4) strengthens by denying the opposite thesis, probably put forward by heretical antinomians, that sin is permissible in Christians: the Apostle demonstrates with full decisiveness the complete incompatibility of sin with the dignity of reborn Christians. The Apostle speaks as if saying: “you who have been adopted, do righteous deeds and do not show yourselves idle in it. For as with respect to sin, the one who is a sinner or lawbreaker is not the one who commits or will commit a sin, but the one who holds to evil and does evil, so also the righteous person is not the one who does not act, but the one who does righteous deeds. Sin is entirely out of place in you, for Christ appeared to destroy sin, and just as he himself was not touched by sin, so also for you, united with him and established by faith in him, there no longer remains any place to sin… It should also be understood that sin is called a falling away from good, while lawlessness is the violation of a positive law” (Theophylact). The violator of God’s law is a transgressor against him, and is no longer a child of God, but a fellow and son of the devil.

1 John 3:5. And you know that He appeared so that He might take away our sins, and that in Him there is no sin. 1 John 3:6. Everyone who abides in Him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen Him and does not know Him. The Apostle now, referring to his own inner experience and the Christian understanding of his readers, further unfolds the incompatibility of sin with the state of one reborn in Christ, pointing out that the very purpose of Christ’s appearance was to bring an atoning sacrifice for the sins of all and to destroy the responsibility of eternal condemnation for them before God (compare 1 John 2:2; see 1 Pet 2:21), and the very communion of Christians with the Sinless Christ the Savior obligates them not to sin; only sins of weakness and infirmity of human nature are permissible. “Everyone who sins has not seen him and does not know him”—“by seeing him is meant not the seeing with a simple glance of the eye or a light recalling in one’s imagination of something known, but an unwillingness to deliberate upon and investigate the matter at all and to unite oneself with him” (Theophylact).

1 John 3:7. Children! do not let anyone deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 1 John 3:8. Whoever practices sin is from the devil, because the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this reason the Son of God appeared, to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:9. Everyone who is born from God does not practice sin, because His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born from God. In view of possible or actual distortions of the Gospel message and Christian moral teaching that had already occurred, the Apostle insistently clarifies—against all antinomian false teaching—the complete incompatibility of sin and sinfulness with the entire teaching, whether dogmatic or ethical, of Christianity (verse 7), with the very nature of Christ’s redemptive work (verse 8), and with the fundamental nature of the relationship of sonship to the Triune God (verse 9). Just as human righteousness is a sign and consequence of a Christian’s birth from God (verses 7, see 1 John 2:29), so deliberate, persistent sinfulness is an indicator of kinship with the devil—the primary source of all evil and sin (verse 8, see John 8:44). According to the explanation of John Chrysostom, every time we sin, we are born of the devil, and every time we perform virtue, we are born of God, because ‘his seed remains in us’ (verse 9). ‘He calls the seed the Spirit, whom we receive through baptism, and who, dwelling in us, makes our mind not prone to sin. If, however, someone is not born of God, then he does not receive the Holy Spirit’. Thus, the Spirit of God dwelling in the Christian, of course, with the participation of the Christian’s good will, gradually, more and more, removes him from sins.

1 John 3:10. The children of God and the children of the devil are recognized as follows: everyone who does not practice righteousness is not from God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. 1 John 3:11. For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 1 John 3:12. not like Cain, who was from the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own deeds were evil, and his brother’s deeds were righteous. Intensifying the thought of verse 8, the Apostle states that the one who is alien to God and is a partner and son of the devil is not only the one who deliberately sins, but also the one who a) does not practice righteousness, b) does not love his brother—and with this the Apostle concludes his given characterization of the children of God and children of the devil (verse 10). In grounding the proposition that the one who does not love his brother is not from God, the Apostle reminds Christians that the commandment about the mutual love of Christians has been known to them from the very beginning of their Christian state (verse 11), namely from the teaching of the Lord himself (John 13:34-35), proclaimed to people by the apostles. And to further emphasize the moral obligation of mutual love in Christian society, the Apostle demonstrates on the historical example of Cain (verse 12) what terrible consequences follow from the violation of the commandment about love. “The Apostle confirms by example how great a deed it is to hate one’s brother. Look, he says, Cain hated his brother and murdered him, even though he was his own brother. Cain had the evil deeds of his father the devil, while Abel, by doing righteousness, was a son in relation to God. Here the devil is set against God, and evil deeds are set against good. Therefore Cain, being opposite to his brother, murdered him (Theophylact). The expression ‘slew,’ which often means sacrificial slaying (Rev 5:6 and others), emphasizes the innocent and martyred death of Abel.

1 John 3:13. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. 1 John 3:14. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brothers; the one who does not love a brother remains in death. 1 John 3:15. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. From the moment of the brother-murder of Cain, the antagonism between the children of God and the children of the devil, between God and the world, has never ceased. The same hatred of evil against good exists even now: Cain now embodies the world hostile to God, while Abel—true Christians, children of God, hated by the world (verse 13, see John 15:20). According to the Apostle, hatred is a sign, even a synonym of death, while Christians through their love for others have undergone every kind of spiritual resurrection or revival (compare John 5:24); hatred toward one’s brother means not only the state of spiritual death of the one hating (verse 14b), but also that such a person spiritually, if not literally, commits a murder like Cain’s, becomes a “murderer” (verse 15), which term Christ applied to the devil (John 8:44); according to the Apostle’s thought, hatred is equal to murder, just as Christ the Savior condemns the one who is angry at his neighbor as a murderer (Matt 5:21).

1 John 3:16. We have come to know love in this, that He laid down His soul for us: and we ought to lay down our souls for the brothers. 1 John 3:17. But whoever has goods in this world and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him,—how does the love of God abide in him? 1 John 3:18. My children! let us love not in word or with our tongue, but in deed and in truth. Just as hatred toward others distances a person most from God and makes him most a partner and son of the devil, so it is precisely through love for others that the Christian draws closest to Christ God, taking on the disposition pleasing to God. Indeed, Christ the Savior in his God-man work manifested the highest love, laying down his life for us (compare John 10:11 and others); because of the moral solidarity with Christ that is obligatory for all Christians (compare Phil 2:5), because Christians have attained true life only through Christ (above, 1 John 3:14), all Christians are bound by the self-denying love toward others that follows the example of the Lord, ready to lay down life for the brothers and sisters (verse 16, see John 15:13). But to this principled greatness of the feat of self-denying Christian love the Apostle now sets in opposition (verse 17) an entirely different attitude toward others, taken from everyday life: a) callous insensitivity to the most ordinary necessities of others, when a person artificially deadens the sensitivity of his heart, making it unresponsive to pity and compassion (verse 17), and b) hypocritical love that goes no further than empty words of pretended concern (verse 18). Wishing to show the complete incompatibility of such false love, such an attitude toward others with the ideal of true self-denying love, the Apostle asks: “how does the love of God remain in someone with such a disposition?” (verse 17). “Love inclined the Lord to lay down his life for us; according to his example we too should lay down our life for the brothers and sisters. But as this is rare, the Apostle, as if shaming the faithful, begins with something small and urges them to love the brothers and sisters. He speaks as if saying: why speak of laying down one’s life for one’s brother when we see that those who do not lack means do not even satisfy their brothers’ and sisters’ basic needs—I am not speaking of the poor—but those possessing the wealth of the whole world? Therefore, let them be ashamed! For if they shut their hearts in this small matter and proved themselves unworthy of the love of God: what would they show when something greater were required—to die for one’s brother? Then he continues even further to denounce those who limit love to mere words and display it only on the tongue. Let us love, he says, not with words or language, but with deeds and truth” (Theophylact). Only sincere active love bears blessing in itself, which the Apostle speaks of next.

1 John 3:19. And by this we know that we are from the truth, and we will assure our hearts before Him; 1 John 3:20. for if our heart condemns us, all the more so God, because God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Concluding his discourse on the necessity for Christians of active love toward others (1 John 3:17-18), the Apostle in this love points to the true sign that Christians stand on the path of truth (just as Christ the Savior himself in love pointed to the distinguishing mark of his true disciples, John 13:35). “By what,” that is, how do we know? By the fact that we love our brother not with words, but with deeds and truth. What do we know? That we are of the truth. How do we know? Thus: the one who speaks one thing and does another, the one who does not accord his deeds with his words, is a liar and not truthful” (Theophylact). But besides the obvious correspondence of words about love with deeds of love, the Apostle points to another internal witness of the moral conscience or the very conscience of Christians: “we assure our hearts before him” (verse 19b). This means: through truthfulness (and we will be truthful when our deeds correspond to our words) we will set our conscience at rest. For by the word ‘heart’ he means conscience. How, then, do we set it at rest? By putting ourselves in such a position that we speak words before God as a witness; for this is what the words ‘before him’ mean (Theophylact). But if our moral behavior is not without fault, in our view, according to the judgment of our conscience, then all the greater shortcomings will be found in us by the all-righteous judgment of God: ‘if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows all things’ (verse 20). Theophylact conveyed the meaning of this difficult-to-understand verse thus: ‘and if we cannot hide from our conscience during sin, which is limited, like a human being—a limited creature—then much more can we not hide from God, who is boundless and omnipresent’.

1 John 3:21. Beloved! if our heart does not condemn us, we have boldness before God, 1 John 3:22. and whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing before Him. The statement of verse 21, in its form reminiscent of the opposite expression 1 John 3:20, in its meaning presents an unfolding of 1 John 3:19: with a calm conscience the Christian receives not only peace of spirit, but also a certain “confidence before God,” that is, childlike trust, confidence in God’s gracious closeness, in his love for humanity, and in the fact that every legitimate and worthy petition to God will be heard (1 John 3:24). “With confidence, we will certainly receive all that we ask from him. Why? Because we keep his commandments. For those to whom a request is made are very much inclined to listen to those who make respectful petitions, only let them ask without doubting. And since we keep his commandments and do what is pleasing to him, we can hope that our prayers will not be in vain”.

1 John 3:23. And this is His commandment, that we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He commanded us. 1 John 3:24. And whoever keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And that He abides in us we know by the Spirit which He gave us. The Apostle has so far been especially insisting on the fulfillment of the commandment about brotherly love. But alongside love for others and even before it is required faith in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ as the foundation of Christian life. This is a summation of the entire law and Gospel, and the Apostle unites both fundamental requirements of Christianity in one “commandment” (verse 23): the first half of this commandment is about faith in Christ, the second is about love for one another; faith is the foundation of love, love is the fruit or action of faith; with true living faith, love is given, as light and heat come with the sun. This is the “faith working through love” of which the Apostle Paul also taught (Gal 5:6). This completely excludes—both the denial of the unconditional necessity of faith in moral action (anti-dogmatism) and the diminishment or suppression of moral action in faith (amoralism). The believer in Christ and the lover of others dwells in God and himself becomes a dwelling place of the entire Holy Trinity (verse 24), according to the promise of the Savior himself (John 14:16). The pledge, sign, or witness of God’s dwelling in us is the Holy Spirit, sent to the whole Church and being sent to individual members of it, along with his gracious gifts (compare 1 John 2:20; 2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 1 Cor 12:4 and others). “The whole thought is this: you should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another truthfully, as he commanded. For the one who keeps the commandment remains in him, and he in him. And that he remains in us, we know by the Spirit or by the gift which he gave us” (Theophylact). From here the Apostle proceeds to the discernment of spiritual gifts—true ones from false and pretended ones.

Chapter Four

Distinguishing marks of the Spirit from God and the spirit of antichrist (1–6). God’s love and love for God (7–10). Love for others (11–12). The obligation of Christians to love God and the brothers and sisters and to confess that Jesus is the Son of God (13–16). The perfection of Christian love in confidence on the day of judgment (17–18). The inseparable connection between love for God and love for others (19–21).

1 John 4:1. Beloved! do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have appeared in the world. Having mentioned (1 John 3:24) the gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit, present in Christians, the Apostle now considers it necessary to warn his readers of possible danger from those who abuse these gifts. In the early Church there was an abundance of spiritual gifts, bestowed by the Holy Spirit for the benefit of the Church (1 Cor 7:7-11): teaching, prophecy, miraculous healings, speaking in tongues and others were manifestations of the Divine Spirit in believers. But alongside true inspiration from the Holy Spirit, with true teachers and miracle-workers, there appeared false inspiration from the spirit of darkness—the devil, false teachers animated by an anti-Christian spirit, who could easily seduce and lead astray the unstable members of the Christian community. Therefore, from such “spirits” or “false prophets” the Apostle John warns Christians—“adds a sign for distinguishing true brothers and others so that we, keeping this distinction in mind, in view of the commandment about love might not enter into close relations with false brothers, false apostles and false prophets and thereby not cause ourselves great harm. For if we have communion with them as equals, we will, first, harm ourselves, without hesitation sharing the teaching of faith with the impious and casting what is holy before dogs; then we will harm those entrusted to us. For our love for false brothers, false prophets and false apostles will dispose many to accept them as teachers and without caution believe their teaching, whereby they will fall into deception on account of our intercourse with them” (Theophylact).

1 John 4:2. By this you recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 1 John 4:3. and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not from God, but this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and now is already in the world. The decisive sign of a true Christian prophet or teacher, the Apostle sets forth as the confession by him of the appearing of God in the flesh in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ: this is the fundamental dogma of Christianity, expressed in the prologue of John’s Gospel in the words: “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14). On the contrary, the one who rejects this fundamental truth of the Incarnation thereby shows that he is not from God, but from the devil and antichrist: such were, for example, the Docetists mentioned by Irenaeus of Lyons, and probably also other similar false teachers of the same anti-Christian spirit. The antichrist in the strict and narrow sense has not yet come, but the spirit of antichrist is already working in many false teachers. “The Apostle states that antichrist is already in the world, namely, not personally, but in the persons of false prophets, false apostles and heretics, who precede and prepare his coming” (Theophylact). It is difficult to determine more precisely and closely what false teaching is being condemned, but in any case it is not the Gnostic heretical teachings of the second century, but false teachings of the first century that had not yet developed into a system.

1 John 4:4. Children! you are from God, and you have overcome them; because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:5. They are from the world; therefore they speak in a worldly way, and the world listens to them. 1 John 4:6. We are from God; the one who knows God listens to us; the one who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we recognize the spirit of truth and the spirit of deception. As encouragement and strengthening of the believers, the Apostle proclaims to them that the victory of the true Gospel teaching over false teaching is assured (compare below 1 John 5:4), since the Spirit of God or the Spirit of Christ dwelling in the faithful is immeasurably greater than the spirit of the will that operates in the world hostile to God in general, and especially in false teachers. This apostolic encouragement to believers fully corresponds to the saying of the Lord himself to the disciples in his farewell discourse: “take courage, for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33), and, like this promise of the Lord, it was powerful in bringing complete encouragement to the hearts of Christians. But the pastoral love and care of the Apostle is turned to the other side of the matter. The Apostle “gives them yet another sign for knowing false prophets, in the fact that it grieved many of the simple from among the faithful themselves. Some of them naturally could grieve, seeing that many receive those enthusiastically while they despise them. The Apostle says: do not grieve if many despise you but receive them, for like seeks like. They are from the world and speak of worldly things—that is, they teach fleshly desires, and so they have listeners like themselves—that is, the dissolute listen to the dissolute. And we, being from God and having departed from worldly lusts, become unpleasant to them. But the one who listens to us is the one who lives temperately and therefore knows God and is ready to listen to us” (Theophylact). In the last words of verse 6 the Apostle, summing up all that has been said about the discernment of spirits, “as if affixes a seal to what has been said” (Theophylact).

1 John 4:7. Beloved! let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves is born from God and knows God. 1 John 4:8. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:9. The love of God toward us was revealed in this, that God sent His only-begotten Son into the world, so that we might receive life through Him. 1 John 4:10. In this is love, that not we loved God, but He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Having unfolded the teaching about true confession of faith in the incarnate Son of God and indicated the source of this confession in God (1 John 4:2) in opposition to the false teaching of false prophets and antichrists, the Apostle now shows that the second half of God’s “commandment” (1 John 2:23)—love for others, the ability to love them—also comes from God. In clarifying the concept of love, the Apostle places it in connection with knowledge: just as the knowledge of something presupposes a certain kinship of the knower with the known, and the higher our disposition and interest in the object of knowledge, which is why the ancients said that the like is known by the like—so a similar phenomenon takes place in religious life and in religious knowledge. Here, wherever true love exists, it forms something that came to people from God; the one who loves—God has revealed himself to him, consequently, he knows God; reborn from God (1 John 2:29) and being a child of God (1 John 3:1); the lover knows God not only by faith but by immediate inner feeling. On the contrary, the one who does not love his neighbor, much more the one who is hostile to him (1 John 3:15), as a soulish person who does not understand what comes from the Spirit of God (1 Cor 2:14), is inevitably estranged from a right knowledge of God—because “God is love” (verse 8). This is, without doubt, the most complete and the deepest definition of the moral nature of God, and theology has never been able to create a definition higher or more in accord with the Christian understanding of God’s moral being than this definition of the Apostle of love. Saint Gregory the Theologian says: “If anyone asked us: what do we honor and to what do we bow? The answer is ready: we honor love. For, according to the saying of the Holy Spirit, God is our love, and this name is more pleasing to God than any other name.” But in proclaiming the teaching about God as love, the Apostle deals not with an abstract doctrine but with an actual event of greatest world-historical importance: with the immeasurable in significance event of God’s sending his only Son into the world and the priceless goods of eternal life brought by him to earth (verse 9). In this precisely was revealed the unfathomable Love of God toward the world and humanity (verse 9; compare 1 John 3:16), and the special greatness of this love is seen in the fact that it was given to sinful people without any merit on their part, on the contrary, in the presence of grave and manifold guilt on their part before God (verse 10; see Rom 5:8). Thus the source of love lies not in humanity but in God. “Just as he is called good because by his goodness he created the spiritual and physical world, so out of love for us having sent his only Son into the world, he showed through this that he is also love” (Theophylact).

1 John 4:11. Beloved! if God so loved us, then we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:12. No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. If in this way love by its very nature comes from God and consequently our love is a flame from God’s divine flame; if through God’s love out of enemies we have become children of God, then to love our neighbors, even our enemies (compare Matt 18:33)—is our holiest duty (verse 11). Moreover, if love by its very nature is from God, then our love for others takes the place of our lack of direct vision of God. God is entirely inaccessible to sensory vision, and no one has ever seen God (verse 12, compare John 1:18) in his being (see 1 Tim 6:16); only in the future life will the righteous “see him as he is” (1 John 3:2; Matt 5:8). But if love for God is our foremost duty, then the possible communion we have with him is most completely reflected in our love for others: love for the brothers and sisters shows that God dwells in us, and the love of God in all its fullness and perfection has its dwelling in us (verse 12).

1 John 4:13. That we abide in Him and He in us we know from the fact that He has given us from His Spirit. 1 John 4:14. And we have seen and testify that the Father sent the Son as Savior of the world. The blessed closest communion of Christians with God, constituting the purpose of human life, is an actual fact verified by immediate Christian consciousness: the Christian is inwardly convinced of the reality of possessing him the gifts of the Holy Spirit (verse 13). But the root of both this blessed communion of ours with God and our love for others lies in the event of God sending his Son for the salvation of the world (verse 14, see verse 9), which the Apostle himself and other eyewitnesses of the incarnate Word testify to (compare 1 John 1:1). Theophylact gives such a paraphrase and such an interpretation of the Apostle’s words in verses 11–14: “Speaking of love for the brothers and sisters, the Apostle offered God as an example of love, who out of love for us gave his only Son to death. Another, having heard this, could ask: on what basis do you speak of invisible things? In answer to such a question he says: I myself say the same thing—that no one has ever seen God—but from love for one another we know that God is in us. And he says this rightly, because many invisible objects we know from their actions. For example, the soul no one has seen, but from actions and movements we are convinced that it is in us and acts. So also we know God’s love for us through a certain movement and action… And this divine man aptly proves from the action that God is in us. What is this action? Pure love toward our neighbors. It is the sign of our remaining in him and of his in us, and further because he gave us of his Spirit. For the pure begets the pure and spotless. And since through pure love we have communion with him, then we ourselves, having seen him in the flesh, know and testify that the Father sent him, the Savior of the world. So we ourselves have seen, and from the only-begotten, who is in the bosom of the Father (John 1:18), we have heard, and from the action—the mutual love—we know that God is in us and gave us his Spirit, and we have communion with him.”

1 John 4:15. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 1 John 4:16. And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has toward us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. The inseparable connection between confession of faith in Christ and love for others, which the Apostle has already spoken of earlier (1 John 3:23), is now affirmed with special force, since our communion itself with God is placed in causal dependence on the confession of the Deity of Jesus Christ and his saving work (verse 15), and of course the accompanying deeds of love necessary for faith are presupposed (compare 1 John 4:12). Verse 16 sums up the content of the previous verses since 1 John 4:7-8, and the fundamental position of the Apostle’s whole discourse is repeated: “God is love” (compare 1 John 4:8). In summing up what has been said about the nature and source of Christian love, the Apostle at the same time gives a point of support here for the further unfolding of the true essence of love.

1 John 4:17. Love reaches perfection in us in this, that we have boldness in the day of judgment, because we conduct ourselves in this world as He does. 1 John 4:18. In love there is no fear; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. The one who fears is not perfected in love. The Apostle now clarifies the question: in what consists the highest degree of perfection of love uniting believers with God, and he resolves this question in the sense that the decisive sign of the perfection of love is the readiness of believers and lovers to appear fearlessly on the day of judgment before the awesome judgment seat of Christ—perfect love has “confidence” (1 John 2:28), that is, assurance and courage to be justified at the trial of Christ. For this to happen, however, “we” are required to “conduct ourselves in this world as he” (verse 17) did. “As he was without blemish in the world” and pure… so we shall be in God, and God in us. If he is the teacher and giver of our purity, then we should bear him in the world purely and without blemish… If we live thus, we will have confidence before him and will be free from all fear (Theophylact). If the distinguishing sign of perfect love consists of “confidence,” then the feeling opposite to confidence—fear—should have no place not only in love itself but also in the sphere in which it operates: “there is no fear in love, but complete love casts out fear”—namely, slavish fear aroused by expectation of punishment and therefore containing torment; and “the one who fears is not mature in love” (verse 18). Based on the words of David: “fear the Lord, all his saints” (Ps 33:10), some will ask: how now can John say that complete love casts out fear? Can the saints of God be so imperfect in love that they are commanded to fear? We answer. There are two kinds of fear. One—initial, to which torment is mixed. A person who has done evil deeds approaches God with fear, and approaches in order not to be punished. This is the initial fear. The other fear is perfect. This fear is free from such fearfulness, which is why it is called pure and remaining forever (Ps 18:10). What then is this fear and why is it perfect? Because the one having it is completely carried away by love and in every way strives for nothing to be lacking that one intensely loving should do for the beloved (Theophylact).

1 John 4:19. Let us love Him, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:20. Whoever says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, is a liar: for how can the one love God, whom he does not see, if he does not love his brother, whom he sees? 1 John 4:21. And we have this commandment from Him, that the one who loves God should also love his brother. Having removed the imperfection of love in the form of fear (1 John 4:18), the Apostle proceeds to the conclusion of his discourse about love for God and others in the mutual relations of these two aspects of love, with the indication of the necessity of basing love for others on love for God. The first object of a Christian’s love should be God (verse 19), he who through his love revealed before we knew him, and even when we were hostile to him (1 John 4:9-10), kindled in our soul the flame of true love. But the love of God, if it truly exists, must be reflected in human actions, and chiefly—in his love for others; the lack, and much more the complete absence, of love for others indicates necessarily and the lack of love for God, of love that is only imaginary—so that by love for others may be measured our love for God (verse 20). “Love obviously arises through interaction with one another; interaction presupposes that a person sees his brother and through interaction with him becomes even more attached to him by love, for vision very much draws toward love. If that is so, then whoever makes light of what draws much more toward love does not love the brother whom he saw, how can he be recognized as truthful when he says he loves God whom he did not see, who is neither in interaction with him nor perceived by any sense” (Theophylact). The Apostle concludes his discourse by pointing out that the close, inseparable connection of love for others with love for God constitutes a direct, positive commandment of God (the commandment of God), verse 21.

Chapter Five

Faith and love in their mutual connection and victory over the world (1–5). The testimony about Christ of three heavenly and three earthly witnesses (6–9). The inner testimony of the believer (10–13). The confidence of the believer (14–15). Prayer for a sinning brother (16–19). The fundamental article of Christian faith—faith in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ; the necessity of guarding against pagan superstition (20–21).

1 John 5:1. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born from God, and everyone who loves the one who begat loves also the one begotten from Him. 1 John 5:2. That we love the children of God we recognize from this, when we love God and keep His commandments. 1 John 5:3. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. The connection mentioned above (1 John 4) by the Apostle between love for God and love for others is here unfolded and clarified from the side of its cause: God and believers, whom the Apostle calls the reborn from God, are so closely and morally connected to each other that love for God, who has reborn people, must bring with it also love for those reborn by him. “If we are born from him, then undoubtedly we should show what is due both to the parent, that is, to love the one who has fathered us. If, then, all of us who have believed are born from him, then we should love one another both as brothers and as those fathered by him” (Theophylact). Further (verses 2–3) the Apostle emphasizes the thought that love must necessarily be active (compare 1 John 2:3), and the witness of the reality of love is the keeping of God’s commandments, about which the Apostle here remarks that they are not burdensome, just as the Lord himself called the yoke of his commandments good and their burden light (Matt 11:30)—in the sense of course of the assisting grace according to faith in the redemptive power of Christ’s blood (compare 1 John 1:7). “His commandments are not burdensome. For what is burdensome in the matter of love for one’s brother? What, for instance, is burdensome in visiting a prisoner in prison, for the command is not to release him from prison, which would be difficult, but only to visit. And the sick are commanded not to be freed from sickness, but only to be visited” (Theophylact). Perhaps, in speaking of the absence of heaviness in God’s commandments in comparison with the gracious means given to people in Christianity, the Apostle had in mind false teachers who justified their moral licentiousness by appeal to the difficulty and supposed impossibility of fulfilling God’s commandments.

1 John 5:4. For everyone born from God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. 1 John 5:5. Who overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? The fulfillment of God’s commandments by a person encounters obstacles in the form of resistance from powers hostile to God—the world, the flesh, and the devil (see 1 John 2:15-16). But the Christian, through the power of grace bestowed through faith in God and the Lord Jesus Christ, firmly resists the temptations and trials coming from the world and finally overcomes the entire world hostile to God. The Apostle “explains what the victory consists of and through what it is accomplished; he calls both one thing and the other faith, that is, faith in God, which, being born from God, overcame and drove out every unbelief, and neither Jew, nor Gentile, nor heretic has power against it. And since faith does not conquer alone by itself, but together with the one who possesses it, he adds: and who overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (Theophylact). The victory over the world accomplished by Jesus Christ (John 16:33) is the eternal source from which Christians, through faith in Christ, draw the gracious powers for their own personal victory over the world.

1 John 5:6. This is Jesus Christ, who came by water and blood, and by the Spirit, not by water only, but by water and blood, and the Spirit testifies concerning Him, because the Spirit is truth. 1 John 5:7. For there are three that testify in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. 1 John 5:8. And there are three that testify on earth: the spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three are of one. 1 John 5:9. If we accept the testimony of people, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God, by which God testified concerning His Son. Faith in the Deity of Jesus Christ (verse 5) forms the very essence and chief foundation of Christianity, and it is against this faith that false prophets and heretics of the apostolic age directed all their strength. Therefore, the Apostle now points to the firm and unshakeable grounds on which that faith rests. Returning to the beginning of his epistle 1 John 1:1-3, the Apostle now in detail unfolds and substantiates the testimony about Christ, in whom faith has overcome the world. The testimonies that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, are first of all the “water” of baptism, the “blood” of the crucifixion death at Golgotha, and the “spirit,” that is, the gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit: the Spirit of God confirms these testimonies, who is truth (verse 6). But the testimony of God’s Spirit is in complete accord with the testimony—of God the Father about his Son (Matt 3:17 and others) and of the Lord Jesus Christ about himself (John 1:18; Matt 26:64 and others), because all three persons of the Holy Trinity are one in essence (verse 7). To these high heavenly witnesses correspond three earthly witnesses: spirit, water, and blood (verse 8). “Having said this, he confirms these words with proof from what is less to what is greater. If we receive the testimony of people about something, is it not much more just that we should receive greater testimony from God? For this is testimony about the Son of God—that is, about Christ—is it not from God himself?” (Theophylact). The seventh verse, which is very important in a doctrinal and dogmatic sense, is not found in any of the ancient Greek manuscripts of the New Testament: neither in such authoritative unique manuscripts as the Sinaitic, Alexandrian, Vatican, nor in the most ancient Greek cursive manuscripts, nor in lectionaries. In the works of the ancient Greek fathers, in their polemic against Arians, who had constant occasion to speak of the threeness of persons in God and their consubstantiality, this verse is not cited. And Theophylact in his commentary on the epistle of the Apostle John omits verse 7. This verse is absent also in the most ancient translations of the New Testament—the Peshitta, Arabic and others; only in some, and those not ancient, copies of the Latin Vulgate translation does this disputed verse appear. It is already under the influence of the Vulgate that in two Greek manuscripts of the sixteenth century this verse is found. In the printed edition of the Complutensian Bible (1514–1520) the words under discussion appear. In the newest critical editions of the New Testament—those of Griesbach, Scholz, Tischendorf, Westcott and Hort, Tregelles and others—the words of verse 7 are omitted. On the contrary, the texts accepted by the Eastern and Western churches, both original and translated, contain the words of verse 7 as authentic apostolic words. With this church view we should remain, although the scientific textual-critical data do not prove the authenticity of this passage with absolute certainty (see Professor N. I. Sagardy, pp. 206–260). In any case, the insertion of the words of verse 7 does not at all hinder the reading and connection of the entire text, and it is in accord both with the preceding and subsequent texts, and fully harmonizes with the peculiarities of the theology of the Apostle John.

1 John 5:10. The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God represents Him as a liar, because he does not believe the testimony by which God testified concerning His Son. 1 John 5:11. And this testimony is that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 1 John 5:12. The one who has the Son has life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:13. These things I have written to you, believers in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you, believing in the Son of God, have eternal life. Besides the heavenly and earthly testimonies, faith in Jesus Christ has in its favor a strong inner testimony of the believer himself: for the believer and one living in Christ, the truth of faith is beyond all doubt, inasmuch as faith is a constant fact of his consciousness (compare John 7:16; Rom 8:16; 1 John 1:10). On the other hand, whoever does not believe in God’s testimony, thereby considers it false, consequently presents God himself as false (verse 10); “the unbeliever is guilty in two respects: in unbelief, presenting God as a liar, and in depriving himself of sonship, and through this of eternal life” (Theophylact). Meanwhile, true faith bears within itself an undoubted pledge of eternal life (verses 11–12, compare 1 John 1:4). In verse 13 “there is drawn as a kind of conclusion. I, he says, wrote this to you as heirs of eternal life. For those who do not live in the hope of eternal life, this could not be written, because to give what is holy to dogs and to cast pearls before pigs is not praiseworthy” (Matt 7:6) (Theophylact). And the further verses, 1 John 5:14-21, constituting an organic, inseparable part of the epistle, have the character of a conclusion, in which the chief thoughts of the epistle are repeated, with the addition, however, of one new thought about intercessory prayer for sinning brothers (1 John 5:15-16).

1 John 5:14. And this is the boldness which we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 1 John 5:15. And when we know that He hears us in everything we ask, we know also that we receive what we have asked from Him. In the believing consciousness of possession of true, eternal life lies, as a necessary moment, the filial confidence of the believer before God (verse 14, see 1 John 2:28), consisting of joyful hope that God will hear our prayers if only they accord with his most holy will (compare John 16:24; Heb 4:16)—“if we ask God for things in accord with his will, then he listens to us… But whoever asks for something contrary to the will of the Teacher will not be heard” (Theophylact). Through this Christian hope it comes about that what is asked of God, expected from him, appears to the believing Christian as already fulfilled (verse 15). Such is the essence of Christian prayer in general.

1 John 5:16. If someone sees his brother sinning a sin not toward death, let him pray, and God will give him life, that is, for those sinning not toward death. There is a sin toward death: I do not say that one should pray about that. 1 John 5:17. All unrighteousness is sin; but there is sin not toward death. The confidence of faith and prayer—a great treasure on which the blessedness of the believer rests. But the believer should use this blessing not only for himself but also for others, as much as possible contributing to their well-being and salvation—and first of all through prayer for them. As for intercessory prayer for sinning (1 John 1:8) brothers and sisters, it, like prayer in general, can be heard by God only under certain conditions on our part. “Having said that God grants our petitions that accord with his will, the Apostle now clearly expresses what he wishes we would ask according to the will of God. And since he spoke much, almost throughout the epistle, about love for the brother and about the fact that God wishes for us to keep love for the brother unfeigned, then now as one of his wishes, and indeed the best one, he names the fact that when someone sees his brother sinning by a sin that is not fatal, then let him ask” (Theophylact). We should pray for sinning brothers and sisters if they commit “a sin that does not lead to death” (that is, if they have not completely fallen away from faith and love, if they have not deliberately cut themselves off from the gracious means acting on them. But besides “sin that does not lead to death,” there is also “sin that leads to death,” that is, something like the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Gospel (Matt 12:31-32), a decisive, conscious, and intentional falling away from faith—especially from faith in the incarnation of the Son of God (Jas 4:3), and from love for others (1 John 3:10): hatred toward one’s brother the Apostle directly calls murder (1 John 3:15); and the Apostle Paul speaks of the gravity of the sin of denial of the incarnate Son of God (Heb 6:4-6). Presenting prayer for sinning brothers and sisters with sin that does not lead to death as the obligatory duty of a believing Christian (compare Jas 5:16), the Apostle does not give such instruction about prayer for those sinning with sin that leads to death, though he does not directly forbid prayer of this kind: the success of prayer in the latter case is hindered by unbelief, stubbornness, hardness, and persisting in sins. But sins of the first kind, non-fatal, require careful cleansing and should be avoided, inasmuch as “all wrongdoing is sin” (verse 17a).

1 John 5:18. We know that everyone born from God does not sin; but the one born from God guards himself, and the evil one does not touch him. 1 John 5:19. We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in evil. 1 John 5:20. We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know the true God, and we are in the true God in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:21. Children! keep yourselves from idols. Amen. Now follows the conclusion of the epistle. With the threefold “we know” (verses 18, 19, 20) the Apostle once again brings before his readers the basic truths unfolded by him in the epistle, truths completely unquestionable both for the Apostle and for all Christians. The first position, earlier unfolded by the Apostle (1 John 3:9), states: “everyone born of God does not sin” (verse 18). “However, so that no one might think that the nature of the one reborn changes and becomes already inaccessible to sin, he adds: ‘keeps himself,’ that is, if he does not keep and guard himself, he will undoubtedly sin. Thus he does not achieve sinlessness by nature, but by the great gift of God. God, having adopted us as sons and daughters, deemed us worthy of such grace, that we, preserving and keeping the gift bestowed on us by him, can and do not sin” (Theophylact). The second position consists of two opposite judgments: “we are from God,” and “the whole world lies under the power of the evil one” (verse 19)—the world hostile to God encompasses first and foremost the “prince of this world” (John 12:31) and his children, especially false teachers and antichrists, of whom the Apostle spoke (1 John 2:18-19), as well as those who follow the desires of the world (1 John 2:15-16). All of this true Christians, being born of God, should be alien to. Such a state of the believer is conditioned by the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ, appearing in the world, gave us the opportunity to know the true God, and we are in communion with God, being in communion with his Son Jesus Christ, who is the true God and eternal life (verse 20). This third position sums up all that the Apostle has said in the section 1 John 4:9-5:12. Being in communion with the true God, having eternal life from him, Christians should in every way avoid the worship of false gods and every form of idolatry (verse 21). “The Apostle wrote this to the whole church, which was not entirely filled with chosen people, and among them there were some who were ill-disposed. To them he gives this commandment, fearing for their weakness” (Theophylact).

The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

Introduction

ON THE SECOND CATHOLIC EPISTLE OF THE HOLY APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN

The Second Epistle of John the Theologian, like his Third Epistle and the Epistle of the Apostle Jude, belonged in the ancient Church until the fourth century to the so-called “disputed” (antilegomena) writings, as Origen testifies (in Eusebius, Church History VI:25), blessed Jerome (“On Famous Men,” ch. XIX), and Eusebius (Church History III:25). Moreover, from the works of Eusebius and blessed Jerome, it is known that the Second and Third Epistles were sometimes attributed by some to a certain Elder John of Ephesus, mentioned by Papias (in Eusebius, Church History III:39): the tomb of this Elder John was also shown in Ephesus, where the tomb of the holy Apostle John the Theologian was located (ibid., and in blessed Jerome’s “On Famous Men,” ch. IX). On this basis, many modern scholars also attribute the Second and Third Epistles of John to this Elder John, and sometimes to the Apostle Mark, called John in the Book of Acts (Acts 12:12). The causes of doubts regarding the apostolic origin of the epistle were partly the brevity of the epistle and its obscurity, occasioned by its destination to a private person—“the chosen lady and her children” (2 John 1:1)—and partly the absence of the Apostle’s name in the inscription of the epistle (the Apostle calls himself only an elder). But the non-mention of the epistle in the first three centuries and its absence, for instance, from the Syrian translation of the Peshitta of the second century do not indicate doubt in the ancient Church regarding the apostolic authorship and authority of the epistle. Alongside the hesitations of individual church writers stand the authoritative testimonies of other representatives of the Church in favor of the epistle belonging to the Apostle and Evangelist John.

The Muratorian Canon mentions several epistles of the Apostle John. Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, who was a student of Saint Polycarp of Smyrna, a student of the Apostle John himself, quotes the words 2 John 1:7-8 (about false teachers and the prohibition of communion with them) as the authentic words of a disciple of the Lord (Adv. haer. III:16, 8). Clement of Alexandria wrote a commentary on this epistle as a genuinely apostolic work. Dionysius of Alexandria (in Eusebius, Church History VII:25) and Origen (in Eusebius, Church History VI:25) recognize Second John as a writing of the holy Apostle John.

This is also the view of Eusebius himself (Demonstr. Evang. III:5; Church History II:23) and blessed Jerome (Epistle to Euagrius 80). And although the Syrian translation of the Peshitta does not include this epistle, Saint Ephrem the Syrian quotes it as authentic. The very spirit and character of the epistle, and the noticeable resemblance in content and language to the First Epistle, despite its brevity, should also convince the reader of the epistle of its belonging to the great Apostle of love. Its inclusion at the end of the fourth century by the Church in the canon of sacred books (at the councils of Laodicea in 364 AD, canon 60, and Carthage in 397 AD, canon 47) removes all doubts about the epistle’s authorship by the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian.

Who exactly was the ekklekte kyria, “the chosen lady,” to whom the Second Epistle of John was originally directed, along with her children, reliable information is lacking. If some (for instance, Saint Athanasius the Great) considered the name Kyria to be the proper name of some deaconess from Asia Minor, others the Greek name Martha, sister of Lazarus (the Serbian Martha is equivalent in meaning to the Greek Kyria), and still others (following Clement of Alexandria) considered “ekklekte” itself to be such a proper name and believed this Christian woman to be a Babylonian, identical with the one mentioned in 1 Pet 5:13, then all this is pure conjecture. It is therefore necessary to see in Kyria a common name of a Christian woman converted to Christ by the holy Apostle John and instructed through this epistle. It is not possible to accept the opinion of Clement of Alexandria and blessed Jerome, who understand “the chosen lady” to mean the Church, as in the Apostle Peter (1 Pet 5:13). Such allegory in the address of an epistle is scarcely permissible. The catholic character of the epistle is not destroyed by its private destination: the resemblance in content and language of the Second Epistle to the First Epistle indicates the character of catholicity for the Second Epistle as well, a character which has been recognized in it by the entire Church. In terms of the time of writing, the Second Epistle should be dated, like the First Epistle, to the elderly period of the life of the holy John the Theologian. The place of writing is the city of Ephesus.

The inscription, praise of the chosen lady and her children, and greeting (1–3). Expression of joy and the commandment of love and piety (4–6). Warning against false teachers (7–11). News and greetings (12–13).

2 John 1:1. The Elder—to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who have come to know the truth, 2 John 1:2. for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever. 2 John 1:3. Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. The Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian calls himself by his own name—John—only in the Apocalypse (Rev 1:9); in the Gospel and in the First Epistle, he does not call himself at all, and in the Second and Third Epistles he refers to himself as an elder, ho presbyteros—undoubtedly because of his advanced age, as a proper elder (just as the Apostle Paul, in his epistle to Philemon, written near the end of his life, called himself “an elder” (Phlm 1:9), and not as a presbyter in the sense of a hierarchical office. The expression “chosen lady” is better understood, as we have already said in the introduction to the epistle, in a common sense—namely, as a certain pious Christian woman, called chosen in the sense of the height of Christian calling of people into the Church of Christ (cf. 1 Pet 2:7-10; Rom 8:33 and others). If in the title “chosen” there is thus contained the notion of a woman-Christian adorned with virtues, then the title “lady” may indicate the nobility of birth and the height of the social position of this Christian woman—apparently a widow (her husband is not mentioned, only her children). “He writes to a faithful woman and thereby does not demean himself in any way, because in Christ Jesus there is neither distinction of male nor female” (Gal 3:28). The second half of verse 1 and verse 2 contain high praise for the piety of the “chosen lady” and her children: not only the Apostle himself, but all other true Christians, with pure love in Christ, love of deed and truth (1 John 3:18), love the God-fearing family of the “chosen lady,” because of the eternally abiding truth in Christians (v. 2), that truth which abides with the disciples of the Lord according to His promise concerning the Spirit of truth (John 14:16-17). The Apostle bestows a blessing upon his first readers: grace, mercy, and peace—grace (charis) is the sum of all spiritual gifts given by God, necessary for advancement in a pious life (cf. Rom 3:24; Eph 2:4-10); mercy (eleos) is God’s compassionate love toward weak humanity (cf. Luke 10:30-37); peace (eirene) is the quieting of the spirit through reconciliation with God through the redemptive sacrifice of Christ (cf. 1 Pet 1:2). The source of these great blessings is the Most Holy Trinity, wherein the Apostle calls the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father (tou huiou tou Patros)—“for God alone in the proper sense is the Father of the Son. Therefore Paul also says: ‘From whom every fatherhood in heaven and on earth is named’” (Eph 3:15) (blessed Theophilus). With the closing words of verse 3, “in truth and love” (en aletheia kai agape), the Apostle expresses the manner and purpose of the manifestation in Christians of grace, mercy, and peace; this purpose is the spirit of truth and love, as a constant principle of the life and activity of Christians.

2 John 1:4. I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, as we have received the commandment from the Father. 2 John 1:5. And now I ask you, lady, not as if I were prescribing a new commandment to you, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. 2 John 1:6. Now love consists in this, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment which you have heard from the beginning, that you walk according to it. After the greeting and the bestowal of blessing upon his readers, the Apostle begins his discourse by expressing high pastoral joy because some of the lady’s children—perhaps seen by the Apostle shortly before—walk in truth, according to the commandment of the Heavenly Father: “To walk in truth is indeed a most joyful thing—to find a man proceeding faultlessly along the path of faith in Christ according to His commandment.” “Walking” is said with the thought of indicating progress. For the more one acts in virtue, the further ahead one goes, the more practice in good one gains (blessed Theophilus). The very commandment of the Father, proclaimed by His Son (John 15:15), is briefly and precisely expressed by the Apostle in his first epistle (1 John 3:23), and is now repeated and reminded to them not as new, but as something they have heard from the very beginning of their Christian life (vv. 5–6; see 1 John 2:7-11).

2 John 1:7. For many deceivers have entered into the world, not confessing that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh: such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist. 2 John 1:8. Watch out for yourselves, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but so that you may receive a full reward. The special cause for the Apostle’s urgent exhortation to the lady and her children is the appearance in the world and in the Church of many deceivers and antichrists, about whom the Apostle also wrote in his First Epistle (1 John 2:18). The difference appears to be only that the false teachers mentioned in verse 8 did not confess not only Jesus Christ coming in the flesh, but also Christ who is to come, erchomenon, that is, they did not confess either the first or the second coming of the Lord, they denied the very possibility of the incarnation of the Son of God, and consequently denied the very foundation of Christianity. From the words: “not confessing Jesus Christ coming,” rather than “come” (elthonta), “in the flesh,” it is evident that there were some who rejected the second coming of Christ. And the Lord Himself, when He says that many will come in His name, is not speaking of His first coming, but of the second. However, it is entirely true that whoever rejects the second coming does not recognize the first either. For if the Lord came already in the flesh and promised to come again, then clearly the one who rejects the second coming also rejects the first. “Whoever believes that the Lord came will accept with faith His promise that He is coming. But whoever rejects the promise has nothing preventing him from denying the first coming as well. Therefore, I believe, the beloved expressed himself as ‘coming’ rather than ‘come’ so that with one word he might embrace those denying both comings of the Lord” (blessed Theophilus). It is thus understandable that the Apostle John expresses equal severity in denouncing the false teachers in both his First and Second Epistles. In verse 8, the Apostle also indicates the purpose for which he proposes such insistent warnings against deception by false teachers: “that we might not lose what we have worked for, but may receive a full reward” (cf. Gal 4:11, 1 Thess 3:5). By this the Apostle also removes any possible objection from those deceived by the false teachers. “Someone of such people might perhaps say: If I do not believe in the coming of Christ in the flesh, but live a life of good deeds, surely with these deeds I can stand alongside the pious? Surely I cannot receive a reward for them? The Apostle preemptively destroys such an objection. He says: whoever denies the coming of Christ in the flesh—let him not even think of receiving the full recompense for works that He will give to the truly believing, nor of being counted among the perfectly pious. On the contrary, everyone who transgresses His commandment, that is, the commandment of Christ who came in the flesh, and does not abide in His teaching, does not have God. For if one looks with contempt upon Him who came to teach people perfect knowledge of God, how can he still be pious, when he scorns the very Teacher of divine things? No, such a person is godless” (blessed Theophilus).

2 John 1:9. Everyone who transgresses the teaching of Christ and does not remain in it does not have God; the one who remains in the teaching of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 2 John 1:10. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house and do not greet him. 2 John 1:11. For the one who greets him shares in his evil deeds. The Apostle proves the necessity of faithfulness to all the teaching of Christ in verse 9, both negatively, saying that “everyone who transgresses and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God” (cf. 1 John 2:23), and positively, affirming that “he who abides in the teaching of Christ has both the Father and the Son” (cf. 1 John 4:14-16). “He abides in the teaching of Christ, that is, the Gospel, who thinks according to it, teaches, acts, arranges his whole inner and outer life according to it” (blessed Theophilus). Now, in verses 10–11, in view of the destructive nature of the false teaching that denied the incarnation of the Son of God in Jesus Christ, the Apostle, urgently warning Christians against deception by false teachers, demands of his spiritual children to avoid all communion with false teachers—meaning, first of all, to be on guard against them as teachers and to flee their destructive false teaching, and then to withdraw from fellowship with them in worldly affairs as well. The Apostle Paul gave similar counsel to Christians regarding false teachers and the impious (2 Thess 3:6; Rom 16:17).

2 John 1:12. I have many things to write to you, but I do not want to write them on paper with ink; rather I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be full. 2 John 1:13. The children of your chosen sister greet you. Amen. The Apostle indicates the cause of the brevity of the Second Epistle (and later the Third Epistle) in his desire for a personal meeting with the readers—namely, probably, one of his customary apostolic journeys to visit the churches. From the greeting from the children of the sister of the chosen lady, we can conclude that they were the closest disciples of the Apostle and were with him, just as the disciples and companions of the Apostle Paul were with him.

The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

Introduction

CONCERNING THE THIRD CATHOLIC EPISTLE OF THE HOLY APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN

The question concerning the authenticity and canonicity of the third epistle of the Apostle and evangelist John is entirely analogous and inseparably connected with the similar question about the authenticity of the second epistle of the same Apostle. Both by the external, historical testimony of the 3rd epistle of John in church tradition, and by the internal similarity of thoughts and expressions of this epistle with the 1st epistle of John and the Gospel of John, its authenticity cannot be subject to doubt. Who exactly Gaius was, to whom this epistle was written, is not known with certainty. In the apostolic writings there are known to be several people with this name (Acts 19:29; Rom 16:23; 1 Cor 1:14), and one of them, namely the Corinthian Gaius (Rom 16:23), was distinguished by hospitality, just as was the Gaius to whom the 3rd epistle of John is addressed. Nevertheless, the identity of these two people is doubtful: the original readers of both the first two epistles of St. John and also the 3rd apparently belonged to Christians of the churches of Asia Minor. No hierarchical position of Gaius in 3 John is mentioned; probably he was simply a pious genuine Christian of lay rank.

The third epistle was written, probably, simultaneously with the second and, of course, also from Ephesus.

Greeting to Gaius and praise of him (1–4). Concerning the virtue of hospitality (5–8). Exposure of Diotrephes and praise of Demetrius (9–12). News and greetings (13–15).

3 John 1:1. The Elder—to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. 3 John 1:2. Beloved! I pray that you may be healthy and prosper in all things, as your soul prospers. 3 John 1:3. For I was very glad when brothers came and testified about your faithfulness, how you walk in truth. 3 John 1:4. For me there is no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. As common as are greetings of love and expressions of love in the writings of the great Apostle of love, yet apparently Gaius was a particularly beloved student of his, which might be indicated by the emphatic expression (v. 1): “whom I love in truth” and the repeated use of the address “beloved” (vv. 1, 2, 5, 11) to Gaius, to whom the Apostle above all sends his prayerful good wishes (2), and then indicates (vv. 3–4) the foundation or reason for his apostolic good wishes toward Gaius and his affection for him—namely, that he walks in the truth (v. 3), and this for the pastoral love of the Apostle toward his spiritual children is the highest joy (v. 4; see 2 John 1:4).

3 John 1:5. Beloved! you are conducting yourself faithfully in what you do for the brothers and for strangers. 3 John 1:6. They have testified before the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way, as is fitting for God, 3 John 1:7. For they went out for the sake of His name, taking nothing from the gentiles. 3 John 1:8. Therefore we ought to receive such, so that we become fellow workers with the truth. The Apostles in their writings repeatedly praise and command the believers in love of strangers, hospitality (for example, Rom 12:13; Heb 13:2 and others), as a high Christian virtue, which received especially high value and significance in those cases when hospitality was shown to preachers of the Gospel who labored without payment among the newly converted (cf. 1 Cor 9:12; 2 Cor 11:7; 1 Thess 2:9). Such, apparently, was the hospitality also of the pious Gaius, concerning which the brothers reported to the Apostle, “who went out for the sake of God’s name, taking nothing from the Gentiles” (v. 7): such indeed were the true heralds of the Gospel (cf. 1 Cor 9:12 and others).

3 John 1:9. I wrote to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to have the first place among them, does not receive us. 3 John 1:10. Therefore, if I come, I will bring up the deeds which he does, slandering us with evil words; and not content with that, he himself does not receive the brothers, and forbids those who wish to, and casts them out of the church. 3 John 1:11. Beloved! do not imitate evil, but good. Whoever does good is of God; but whoever does evil has not seen God. 3 John 1:12. Concerning Demetrius, testimony has been given by all, even by the truth itself; we also testify, and you know that our testimony is true. Instead of: “I wrote,” ἔγραψα, the Sinai manuscript has: ἔγραψα ἂν – “I would have written.” This reading, which finds confirmation also in the Vulgate reading: scripsissem forsitan, I would perhaps have written,—more fully answers the sense of the text of vv. 9–10: otherwise it would be unclear how a letter written by the Apostle to the whole Church would be lost? With the proposed reading, however, the meaning comes out that if the Apostle had written a letter to the whole church, then the one who loves to put himself first among them (members of that local church) might misuse this letter, but now the Apostle hopes to rebuke him in person (v. 10). Who exactly Diotrephes was is not said directly in the text, but the epithet “one who loves to put himself first,” ὁ φιλοπρωτεύων (v. 9), applied to Diotrephes, in connection with the predicates: “and refuses to welcome the brothers and stops those who want to, and casts them out of the church” (v. 10), that is, deprives them of church communion, as heretics,—shows in him a leader of the Church unworthy, in the judgment of the Apostle, of this office. Likewise unknown is the church position of the Demetrius praised by the Apostle (v. 12); only in Dorotheus of Tyre is there a tradition recorded that this Demetrius was later bishop of the Philadelphian church, one of the seven churches of Asia Minor mentioned in the Apocalypse (Rev 3:7 and following).

3 John 1:13. I had much to write; but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink, 3 John 1:14. but I hope to see you soon, and we shall speak face to face. 3 John 1:15. Peace to you. Friends greet you; greet the friends by name. Amen. The conclusion of the 3rd epistle is closely reminiscent of the conclusion of the second epistle (vv. 12–13); there is only an additional mention of the “friends” (οἱ φίλοι) of the Apostle (cf. Acts 27:3), some of whom are with him, and some are greeted by him through the epistle.

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Introduction

On the Catholic Epistle of the Apostle Jude

The author of the last epistle in the biblical canon was Jude, “a servant of Jesus Christ, brother of James” (Jude 1:1). Contrary to the opinion of some Western scholars (shared among us by Bishop Michael), this Jude cannot be identified with the apostle from among the twelve—Jude Thaddeus or Lebbeus (Matt 10:3), otherwise called Jude the son of James (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13): the Apostle Jude would rather have called himself the son of James, not the brother of James. Therefore it is far more reasonable to conclude that the author of the final Catholic Epistle was Jude, the brother of the Lord in the flesh, son of Joseph the Betrothed from his first wife, and brother of James, the first bishop of Jerusalem and author of the first epistle (see Matt 13:55). According to the testimony of Clement of Alexandria, Jude, who wrote the Catholic Epistle, was the brother of the sons of Joseph (the Betrothed); he could have pointed to his kinship in the flesh with the Lord, but he preferred to call himself His servant, indicating only his relationship to James: he was the brother of James, the son of Joseph (Ad umbr. Megne. gr. IX:731).

Like his other brothers in the Lord, Jude during the earthly life of the Lord did not yet believe in his divine dignity (John 7:5), but after the Lord’s resurrection he, along with his brothers, joined the company of the apostles and the first believers in Christ (Acts 1:14) and, holding a certain position in the early Church, together with his other brothers and with the apostles bore missionary labors for the spread of the Gospel (1 Cor 9:5). According to the testimony of the Apostolic Constitutions, Jude was the successor of his brother James in the episcopate of the Jerusalem church (Const. apost. VII, 46). According to Eusebius’s account (Eccl. Hist. III, 19–20), at the end of the reign of Domitian (around 95 AD), two grandsons of Jude, who were farmers, were brought, at the instigation of heretics, before Caesar as descendants of David and relatives of the Lord, and when the emperor became convinced that they posed no danger to his power, he released them and ended the persecution of the Church; the released men became leaders of churches, as confessors and kinsmen of the Lord, and, enjoying peace, lived until the reign of Trajan. The tradition and Church history have not preserved any other information about the life and death of St. Jude.

The authenticity of the Epistle of the Apostle Jude is beyond question. Although the earliest Church father testimonies about it are not free from some hesitation, as can be seen in Origen (Comment. in Matth. XXII, 23), in Eusebius, who lists this epistle among the disputed ones (Eccl. Hist. II, 23), and in Jerome (De vir. illustr. 4)—and likewise this epistle is absent from the Peshitta—yet Clement of Alexandria, according to Eusebius’s testimony (Eccl. Hist. VI, 14), already considered the epistle to be indisputably authentic and wrote a commentary on it, as he did on the other Catholic Epistles.

In Origen, with some hesitation, we also find clear testimony in favor of the epistle’s authenticity: “Jude wrote an epistle consisting of a few verses, yet full of powerful words of heavenly grace” (Comm. in Matth. t. X, 17, Migne XIII, 877). Tertullian directly calls the epistle apostolic (De half. mulieh., cap. III). The entire Church received the epistle into the canon in the fourth century (Euseb. Eccl. Hist. III, 25), though it is mentioned even as a catholic epistle in the Muratorian Canon.

The relatively late appearance of the epistle in general Church use is explained partly by its specialized content, determined by the occasion for its writing, and partly by the fact that many were disturbed by the presumed use by the epistle’s author of apocrypha—the “Book of Enoch” (Jude 1:14-15); the “Assumption of Moses” (Jude 1:9). But such use of apocrypha by an inspired writer, in which alongside fictions there were also true accounts preserved by Jewish tradition, is permissible and cannot speak against the canonical epistle. In general, given the brevity and unpretentiousness of the epistle’s content, there can be no serious reason to suspect the epistle’s authenticity.

The epistle was written in general to Christians (Jude 1:1), but primarily to those church communities among which false teachers, denounced by the Apostle, had appeared (Jude 1:4 et seq.). Their false teaching by its character closely resembles the heresy denounced by the Apostle Peter in his second epistle. For this reason alone one should think that the epistle was directed to the same Asian churches founded by the Apostle Paul, to which the Apostle Peter also addressed his epistles. The indisputable fact of close similarity, not only in thought but often in expression, between the passage 2 Pet 2:1-3:3 and the Epistle of Jude gave rise in biblical and exegetical literature to numerous attempts to establish the fact of literary dependence of one epistle on the other, with recognition of one as original and the other as compilatory and derivative. And in modern times Western biblical-critical scholarship most often leaned toward recognizing the independence of Jude’s epistle and the borrowing in the Second Epistle of Peter. But in reality both epistles are fully independent, and from an Orthodox-Church perspective, there can be no question of slavish literary dependence of one epistle on the other. Still, the thought is more acceptable that Jude’s epistle was written after the Second Epistle of Peter, as it appears that the very prediction of the Apostle Peter in (2 Pet 3:3) about the appearance of “mockers” is reproduced in the Apostle Jude (Jude 1:17-18), precisely as a former word of the apostles. If Jude’s epistle was written after the Second Epistle of Peter, then it could have appeared no earlier than 66–67 AD, though not long after—certainly before the destruction of Jerusalem (70 AD), an event to which, as a striking manifestation of God’s judgment, the Apostle would certainly have pointed his readers (along with other manifestations of divine judgment he cites), had he lived through the Jerusalem catastrophe. The place of writing of Jude’s epistle cannot be determined due to the lack of necessary information.

In Russian literature, besides the translation of the commentaries of the blessed Theophylact and the commentary of Bishop Michael on the Epistle of the Apostle Jude (“Explanatory Apostle” II), there are two extensive and very thorough scholarly treatises of critical-biblical content by Professor Protopriest D. I. Bogdashevsky: one in the “Theological Encyclopedia” (St. Petersburg, 1906) vol. VII, col. 520–527: “Jude and His Epistle”; another in the “Essays on the Study of the New Testament Scripture,” issue I (Kyiv, 1909), pp. 241–269.

An exhortation to believers to contend for the faith and keep it pure and holy against the seduction of false teachers (Jude 1:1-4). Examples of God’s judgment (Jude 1:5-8). The Archangel Michael and further depiction of the false teachers (Jude 1:9-13). The coming judgment of God upon them (Jude 1:14-15). Beholding the false teachers, the readers, by apostolic instruction, should themselves stand in faith and love (Jude 1:16-20) and return those led astray by the false teachers back to the faith (Jude 1:21-23). Glory to God the Savior (Jude 1:24-25).

Jude 1:1–3. Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, brother of James, to the called, who are sanctified by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: mercy to you and peace and love be multiplied. Beloved! having all zeal to write to you concerning the common salvation, I counted it necessary to write to you exhorting – to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. Out of profound humility, St. Jude calls himself not a brother or kinsman of the Lord in the flesh, but his servant. At the same time, he names himself the brother of James the Righteous, the first bishop of Jerusalem, who was held in high regard in the Church of Christ and even by unbelieving Jews. “In my opinion,” remarks the blessed Theophylact, “for this Apostle it would have been sufficient as proof of his dignity, after he called himself a servant of Christ, to point also to his kinship with James, for all praised James for his virtue. This circumstance should have given great credence to this Apostle in the hearing of the word.” The Apostle addresses the readers of the epistle as “sanctified” (ηγιασμένος) or, by the more reliable reading (in the Sinai, Vatican, Paris, Syriac, Vulgate, and other manuscripts), “beloved” (ηγαπημένοις), “called” (κλητοΐς)—that is, by the usual apostolic greeting in addressing the communities of Christians (compare Jas 1:1; 1 Pet 1:1; 1 Cor 1:2). “He says that those beloved by the Father are kept by Jesus Christ, and therefore calls them called, since they did not come by themselves, but were drawn and called by the Father. He wishes that there be multiplied to them mercy, peace, and love: ‘mercy’ because we are called by God and received as his servants through the tenderness of his mercy; ‘peace’ because God and the Father himself has granted it to us: reconciling us to himself, whom we offended, through his Son Jesus Christ; ‘love’ because the Only-Begotten Son of God gave himself to death for us out of love for us. And so the Apostle prays that these gifts be with believers in abundance” (blessed Theophylact). The Apostle’s concern is the common salvation of people in Christ, and the particular task of the epistle is the exhortation to contend (επαγωνίζεσθαι) for the faith—that is, with all energy and effort to defend the preservation and integrity of the faith of Christ once for all delivered to people. Such a requirement, obligatory for Christians by the very nature of the teaching they profess (compare Gal 1:7; 2 Thess 2:15), is occasioned in this case by the great danger to the purity of Christians’ faith from the false teachers who have appeared among them (Jude 1:4).

Jude 1:4. For certain people have slipped in, long ago marked for this condemnation, impious, turning the grace of our God into occasion for licentiousness and denying the one Master God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Without giving a detailed characterization of the false teachers, the Apostle demonstrates the gravity and ruin of their errors by pointing out that their condemnation (κρίμα) has been decreed and foretold from ancient times by those who carried the divine revelation. Then, beginning to sketch the intellectual and moral character of the false teachers, the Apostle calls them ungodly, ασεβείς, godless people, and, explaining this concept, characterizes the false teachers in both essential respects: from the moral-practical side: “turning the grace of our God into sensuality,” and from the side of theoretical beliefs: “denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” Such is the general definition of the character of the false doctrine of the appeared heresiarchs, closely resembling the depiction of false teachers in the Second Epistle of the Apostle Peter (2 Pet 2:1-2 et seq.). From Eusebius’s description of the heresy of Simon the Magician and other heresiarchs (Eccl. Hist. II, 13 et seq.), and equally from the direct testimony of St. Athanasius the Great and the blessed Theophylact, it plainly follows that the false teachers who appeared taught that sin was indifferent, and they denied Christ (Synopsis). They regarded Christ as nothing more than one of the aeons, and from Christian teaching about grace they drew the conclusion that licentiousness was permissible for the purpose of weakening the flesh (compare Rom 6:1).

Jude 1:5–8. I want to remind you, already knowing this, that the Lord, having delivered the people from the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe, and the angels who did not keep their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling, He keeps in eternal bonds, under darkness, for the judgment of the great day. As Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, committing sexual immorality in like manner and going after different flesh, are set forth as an example, undergoing punishment of eternal fire, – so also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious beings. Refuting this theoretical and moral-practical falsehood of the newly appeared teachers, their dualistic division of the two covenants, and their moral antinomianism, the Apostle shows that Christ the Son of God also acted in the Old Testament as the almighty righteous Judge, and for this purpose brings three well-known examples from Scripture of the terrifying judgment of God upon those who break the eternally binding law of God. The first striking example of God’s judgment, particularly compelling for Christian Jews, is the condemnation to destruction in the Arabian desert of the people of Israel, just saved by God from Egyptian slavery but then condemned to ruin because of their disbelief (Num 14:11; Deut 1:32; 1 Cor 10:5). “Although God with exceeding power and according to his oath to the fathers freed them from Egyptian slavery, yet when they transgressed the law, he did not leave them unpunished, but gave them the due recompense… and those who crossed the Red Sea on dry ground, afterward perished on account of their apostasy from faith” (blessed Theophylact). From this terrible example the readers of the epistle and all Christians should be convinced that the grace granted to them not only does not free them from the obligation to live holily and contend in faith and godliness—as the false teachers asserted—but rather, on the contrary, it absolutely requires these virtues of them, otherwise (Jude 1:6), from the life of the world of Angels, specifically from the fact of the fall of a certain part of the angelic realm (compare 2 Pet 2:4): the fallen angels, “who, having received the honor of angelic dignity, through negligence did not remain in their original state, but cast aside the blessed heavenly life given to them” (blessed Theophylact), God keeps in eternal chains, under darkness, for the judgment of the great day. The sin of the angels consisted in that they did not keep their own domain (αρχήν)—that is, they did not remain faithful to the purpose assigned them by God at their creation—and they abandoned their proper dwelling (οίκητήριον)—namely heaven, the highest luminous region of the world. Contrary to the opinion of many Western commentators, it is hardly possible to see in the wording of verse 6 an indication of the teaching about the fall of angels through union with the daughters of humans (compare Gen 6:2 according to the LXX), which exists in the Book of Enoch and other Jewish apocrypha. The third example of God’s judgment upon the ungodly, similar to the false teachers in question, is the judgment upon the inhabitants of Sodom, Gomorrah, and the surrounding cities (Jude 1:7; see 2 Pet 2:6; Gen 19:24-25; Deut 29:23). By bringing forward these examples, the Apostle “shows that the author of the Old Testament and the New Testament is one and the same God, not as these vile ones claim, that one God, angry and cruel, gave the Old Law, while another God, without anger and merciful, gave the New Testament… Having set forth the examples just mentioned, the Apostle left it to the listener himself to draw the conclusion. What is it? This: if God dealt this way with these, not sparing them despite their former good fortune, then will not the present ungodly escape because the Son of God came into the world for people, endured insult for them, and suffered? No one can say so. For though he is merciful, he is truly also righteous, and by true justice did not spare the sinners, but by mercy brought publicans and harlots into his kingdom (Matt 21:31). Such is the consequence that follows, but the apostle omitted it” (blessed Theophylact). In Jude 1:8 the characterization of the false teachers, begun in Jude 1:4, continues. Here to these “dreamers,” in addition to defiling the flesh (compare 2 Pet 2:10), another sin is attributed: “they reject authority and slander the glorious ones” (κυριότητα δέ αθετοϋσι, δόξας δέ βλασφημοΰσι). Under these “authorities and glorious ones” most modern commentators rightly see angels of two different ranks (compare Eph 1:21; Col 1:16). It is possible that the false teachers, rejecting the law given through angels (Acts 7:53; Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2), also slandered the angels through whom it was received by Moses—in contrast to the Colossian “philosophers” who regarded the Old Testament law as binding and contained the worship of angels (Col 2:18) (Prof. Protopriest D. I. Bogdashevsky, pp. 261–262).

Jude 1:9–13. Michael the Archangel, when disputing with the devil concerning the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” But these revile what they do not understand; what indeed they know by nature, like irrational animals, by these things they corrupt themselves. Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, have given themselves to the deceit of Balaam for a reward, and have perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are spots on your feasts of love; feasting with you without fear, they fatten themselves. These are waterless clouds, carried along by wind; autumn trees without fruit, having died twice, uprooted; wild sea waves, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of darkness is kept forever. If the Apostle Peter says (2 Pet 2:10-11) of angels in general that they, for all their superiority over humans, do not dare to pronounce a railing judgment upon authorities and dominions, then the Apostle Jude asserts the same thing more specifically of one Archangel Michael (compare Dan 12:1), pointing to one specific instance—the dispute of the Archangel with the devil over the body of Moses, when the Archangel displayed a meekness worthy of imitation by people (compare Zech 3:1-4). The account of the dispute of the Archangel Michael with the devil over the body of Moses (in which, according to the account, the devil tried to prove his power over Moses’s body because of his murder of an Egyptian), according to the testimony of Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and St. Athanasius the Great, was found in the apocryphal book “Assumption” or “Ascension of Moses” (A νάβασις or A νάληψς Μωυσέως). But in general the tradition about the extraordinary death and burial of the great leader and lawgiver of Israel was widely distributed in Jewish tradition, both oral and written (midrashim). Therefore one can think that the Apostle Jude took the cited account from oral tradition. He cites it for the purpose of showing—by contrast—the boldness of the false teachers in their views and judgments. Furthermore, from verse 11 onward (Jude 1:11), the false teachers are depicted mainly from the practical side. In verse 11 the Apostle compares them to Cain, the first murderer in the world (Gen 4:8), because they, teaching ungodly doctrine to their brothers—that is, to people of the same kind—kill them by their wicked teachings; with Balaam (Num 22:5; 2 Pet 2:15; Rev 2:14), because they make their teaching work for profit, avarice, and personal gain; with Korah (Num 16:1)—because, like him, being unworthy, they seized for themselves the dignity of teachers (blessed Theophylact). In Jude 1:12 the Apostle first speaks of the unworthy conduct of the false teachers at the sacred early Christian love feasts, the agapes (έν ταίς αγάπαις), established by Christians of the early Church in connection with the sacrament of the Eucharist (compare 1 Cor 11:21-22). To these sacred meals the false teachers, it seems, conducted themselves reprehensibly, without any reverence indulging in gluttony and drunkenness (compare 2 Pet 2:21; see 1 Cor 11:21), and generally misbehaved, defiling the sacred meals of the Christians. In the second half of verse 12 (Jude 1:12) and in verse 13 (Jude 1:13), the Apostle uses a series of comparisons to characterize the false teachers: “These are clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.” The first image “clouds without water” means the inner spiritual emptiness of the false teachers, incapable of any good work; just as from waterless clouds driven by wind, people would vainly await life-giving moisture, so useless is the inflated empty talk of the false teachers, without power and grace (compare 2 Pet 1:17). The second image (“autumn trees without fruit, twice dead”) points to the spiritual death of the false teachers. They are like autumn fruitless trees, their fruit rotted and decayed by autumn—and specifically trees twice dead, such dry trees that, frozen in winter, devoid of any seed of life, will not come alive in spring and will bear neither flowers nor fruit, and therefore are subject to complete removal (compare John 15:6). The further images express the entire moral shame of the conduct of the false teachers. They are compared to wild sea waves because their restless heart fiercely churns with every carnal passion and, like the waves of a turbulent sea, casts forth all manner of moral impurity, which may result in “shipwreck with regard to faith” for some (1 Tim 1:19). As people without any moral stability and order, the false teachers are finally compared to wandering stars (αστέρες πλανηται). “Heretics are similar to them not in that they shine on the firmament of our faith and the Sun of righteousness, Christ, passes through them, leading virtues to ripeness and giving life to those faithful to them—but in that, appearing to have assumed the appearance of an angel of light, like their originator the evil devil (2 Cor 11:13-14), they move only against the teaching of the Lord, thereby darkening those approaching them and preparing eternal darkness for themselves” (blessed Theophylact).

Jude 1:14–15. Concerning them Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying: “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His holy angels – to execute judgment on all and to convict all of them concerning all the ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and concerning all the harsh words which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” The brief condemnation of the false teachers to eternal ruin, stated earlier in Jude 1:4, the Apostle now confirms by the prophecy about God’s judgment upon the ungodly, spoken by the antediluvian (seventh) patriarch Enoch. The Bible has not preserved the prophecy of Enoch, only a brief mention of his righteous life and sudden end (Gen 5:21-24). But in the tradition of the Old Testament Church this prophetic utterance of Enoch was preserved and found its echo, and perhaps also exact expression in the apocryphal Jewish book “Book of Enoch.” This book, long known only through fragments in Church Fathers, has been preserved to our time in an Ethiopic translation and was used by Abyssinian Christians. In 1853 it appeared in a complete German translation with explanations by A. Dillmann (Leipzig), and in 1888 in a Russian translation with explanations by Prof. A. V. Smirnov (Kazan). In one of the speeches of the Angel to Enoch (1:9) during a vision when the future judgment was revealed to him, these very words are found, which are cited in the Epistle of the Apostle Jude and which perhaps had the closest relation to the ungodly Cainites (compare Jude 1:11; see Gen 4). According to the testimony of Jerome (Catal. cap. IV), precisely the borrowing of one testimony from the apocryphal Book of Enoch served as the basis for doubt about the canonical dignity of the Epistle of the Apostle Jude. But, regardless of the possibility of the Apostle borrowing the prophecy of Enoch directly from oral tradition, the very citation of an apocryphal work does not at all harm the truth and dignity of the epistle (compare 2 Tim 3:8; Titus 1:12, etc.). This prophecy is completely consistent with the biblical representation of God’s universal judgment (compare Dan 7:10; Matt 24:31; 2 Thess 1:10 et seq.).

Jude 1:16. These are grumblers, complaining of their lot, proceeding according to their desires (impiously and lawlessly); their mouths utter arrogant words; they show partiality for the sake of gain. In verse 16, the Apostle, “leaving aside the comparison of the ungodly, now proceeds to condemn them outright, calling them ‘grumblers’ and ‘faultfinders.’ A grumbler is one who quietly and timidly criticizes what displeases him, while a faultfinder is one who constantly mocks everyone. These vile ones are both grumblers and faultfinders. They are grumblers because they do not dare openly to use their teaching because of its vileness, since it is unsafe to reveal their ungodliness, combined with licentiousness and blasphemy. They are faultfinders because they slander everything foreign and truth itself, so as to establish their own evil and depravity more firmly. What was said before, that heretics, like Balaam, were led away by greed, is now explained by the words: they admire faces for profit. To admire means to address flatteringly those in power, while profit means gain” (blessed Theophylact).

Jude 1:17–19. But you, beloved, remember what was foretold by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you that in the last time there will be scoffers, proceeding according to their own ungodly desires. These are people who separate themselves (from the unity of faith), soulish, not having the Spirit. Reinforcing what has been said above about the great danger to Christian society from false teachers, the Apostle now reminds (Jude 1:17-18) his readers of similar warnings and predictions by the Apostles—Peter (2 Pet 2:10) and Paul (1 Tim 4:1; 2 Tim 3:1-5)—about the appearance in the last times of “mockers,” following their own ungodly passions. Concluding his characterization of the ungodly, the Apostle calls them (Jude 1:19) people “who cause divisions, worldly, devoid of the Spirit.” “They,” he says, “not only perish themselves, but also steal from the Church’s nurslings (this is what ‘cause divisions’ means), that is, they draw them out beyond the Church’s borders, the boundaries of faith or the very fence of the Church. For they have shown their assemblies to be robbers’ dens, and they will draw others away from the Church and bring them to themselves. They do this because they are worldly people, that is, living according to the manner of the world. Compare 1 Cor 2:14-15; Jas 3:15” (blessed Theophylact).

Jude 1:20–21. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. Having protected his readers from the danger posed by false teachers, the Apostle now directs the minds of the readers to the positive side of Christian calling, as the gracious powers for believers to build within themselves temples of the Holy Spirit. On a firm foundation—Christ (Eph 2:20; 1 Cor 3:11)—the spiritual temple in each Christian is to be built by their most holy faith, prayer in the Holy Spirit (compare Rom 8:26-27), the love of God, and living hope in the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ and eternal life.

Jude 1:22–23. And have mercy on some, with discernment, and others save, snatching them out of the fire, while hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. After pastoral instructions to all believers (Jude 1:20-21), the Apostle in his final instruction remembers those who have to a greater or lesser degree succumbed to the seduction of the false teachers. Accordingly, depending on the varying degree of the seduction of those misled, the Apostle indicates to his readers different means of influence on them. The reading of verses 22–23 is very disputed. Following the authoritative Sinai Codex, it should be rendered thus: “have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; show mercy with fear to still others…”—that is, show mercy to those who doubt; those in whom the infection from the false teachers has already significantly spread, save them by your Christian love—save them quickly, as if out of fire, while there is still opportunity; show mercy even to the stubborn, but “with fear”—be afraid lest you yourself, in this mercy, be subjected to moral ruin or the danger of moral infection (Prof. Protopriest D. I. Bogdashevsky, p. 259). This caution should extend so far that a believer should avoid even touching the garment of the false teachers, as a symbol of sinful infection.

Jude 1:24–25. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you before His glory blameless in joy, to the only wise God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory and majesty, might and authority before all ages, now and forever. Amen. The epistle ends with a magnificent apostolic doxology to God the Father through our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. This doxology closely resembles the doxology of the Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Romans (Rom 14:24-26).

The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Introduction

Revelation ON THE REVELATION (APOCALYPSE) OF THE HOLY APOSTLE JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN Tradition on the Apocalypse

The Apocalypse’s self-testimony about its author

The unity of the Apocalypse

The time, place, and purpose of writing the Apocalypse

The purpose and method of interpreting the Apocalypse

The content of the Apocalypse

Literature

Tradition on the Apocalypse

Among the testimonies concerning the origin of any sacred book, tradition holds first place. If the entire church from earliest times to nearly the very period to which the book is assigned has spoken in a consistent manner about its origin, we are fully authorized to trust this voice of the Church, and the internal evidence from the book itself becomes secondary. This must be remembered above all when making a critical examination of the Apocalypse. On the basis of studying the content and language of the book in connection with the content and language of the Fourth Gospel, criticism has invented many hypotheses about its origin, but for us the chief significance lies in the fact that the most ancient church tradition considers the Apocalypse to be the writing of the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian.

It is true that Ignatius the God-bearer says nothing about the origin of the Apocalypse, but he already knew of it. Nothing else can explain certain expressions of this apostolic man, as for instance in his epistle to the Ephesians XV, 3 – compare Rev 21 and so forth. Of the writings of another most important witness from antiquity – Papias – we have only fragments. But fortunately, Bishop Andrew of Caesarea (5th century) in the introduction to his commentary on the Apocalypse cites Papias as a voucher for its authenticity. The testimony of this learned commentator has all the greater value since he clearly read Papias’ work himself, traces of which exist even in much later times. In another place in his commentary Andrew quotes Papias literally.

Among those links connecting the apostolic age with subsequent generations who did not associate with the apostles, the first place belongs to the holy Polycarp of Smyrna. He stands as the chief and immediate witness to apostolic tradition for his student Irenaeus, and through the latter, for the entire Church. Irenaeus testifies that Polycarp was not only taught by the apostles and associated with many who had seen the Lord, but was also appointed by the apostles as bishop of Smyrna. Of all the apostles, Polycarp was especially close to the holy John, as Irenaeus witnesses in his epistle to Florinus and to Victor of Rome. All the significance of Polycarp rests on his relationship to the Apostle John, and then on the fact that Irenaeus is indeed the voice of Polycarp and other presbyters. Consequently, Irenaeus’ accounts of the Apocalypse can be traced back to this same source.

As for Irenaeus, he is a witness to the recognition of the Apocalypse’s divine inspiration as coming from the Holy Spirit. He considers the author to be “John, a disciple of the Lord” – the stereotypical phrase for designating the Apostle John. The author of this sacred book is identical with the author of the Fourth Gospel. Irenaeus also provides literal quotations from the Apocalypse. Furthermore, the holy Irenaeus confirms the authenticity of the number 666 (not 616) and reasons about its significance. Finally, he also speaks regarding the time of the Apocalypse’s origin, placing it near the end of Emperor Domitian’s reign.

Alongside these main witnesses, there is another entire series of witnesses regarding the dignity of the Revelation. Though their voices are sometimes not entirely clear due to the loss of sources, in their agreement they present something coherent and compelling. Thus, the testimony of the holy Justin the Philosopher in his “Dialogue with Trypho the Jew” is very important. According to his conviction, the Apocalypse was written by “a certain man named John, one of the apostles of Christ.” He also has expressions that can be explained by dependence on the Apocalypse. Justin’s testimony is important, first, because of its definiteness; second, because he is a witness to the tradition of the Church of Ephesus – the first of the seven apocalyptic churches.

Furthermore, among the writings of the prolific second-century author Melito of Sardis, Eusebius names one: “On the Devil and the Apocalypse of John.”

Theophilus of Antioch, in his work against the heresy of Hermogenes, used, according to the report of the same Eusebius, testimony from John’s revelation. This fact points to the general recognition of the Apocalypse at that time in the Antiochian church. Eusebius, who was interested in finding proof that the Apocalypse was not written by Apostle John, clearly found not the least confirmation of his thesis in the writings of these authors.

It is very important that the church writer Apollonius acknowledged the Apocalypse. The importance of his recognition of the dignity of this sacred book is due to the fact that Apollonius was an opponent of the Montanists, against whom his work was also directed. Now it is known that the Montanists made wide use of the Apocalypse. Unfortunately, only a few fragments of this work have come down to us in Eusebius. As for Apollonius’ relationship to the Apocalypse, we have a brief remark from Eusebius about Apollonius’ use of testimony from John’s revelation. Eusebius could not argue against the authorship of Apostle John on the basis of Apollonius’ work, but that Apollonius gave interesting information about the residence of the evangelist John in Ephesus is evident from the historian’s account of the apostle raising the dead. On the basis of all this, Apollonius must be recognized as one of the most important witnesses to the apostolic origin and divinely-inspired dignity of the Apocalypse.

Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus in the second half of the second century, makes mention of John who reclined on the bosom of the Lord. Polycrates calls this John – certainly the apostle – a witness and teacher – “martyr and didascalos.” In the designation “martyr,” it is rightly seen as an allusion to John writing the Apocalypse, since this name corresponds to apocalyptic terminology and cannot mean a martyr in the sense of one who suffered for the faith, given that it is placed before “didascalos”; moreover, understanding the word “martyr” in the sense of one who suffered death contradicts all church tradition about the Apostle John.

From the epistle of the churches of Lyon and Vienne to the churches of Asia and Phrygia about the persecution under Marcus Aurelius in 177 AD, it is evident that the Apocalypse was in wide use among Christians as a consolatory book, since this epistle contains many parallels to expressions in the Apocalypse. Once in this epistle it is directly cited as “Scripture.”

Among non-ecclesiastical witnesses to the apostolic origin of the Apocalypse, with the exception of the Montanists, we can point to Leucius Charinus, author of the “Journeys of John.” Leucius, who belonged to the school of Valentinus in the broader sense, may be counted among the witnesses to the Anatolian tradition. Zahn places the appearance of his work within 140–200 AD. According to Leucius, the Apostle John is obviously the author not only of the Gospel and First Epistle, but also of the Apocalypse. In his account of the travels of Apostle John, this heretic clearly adheres to the epistles of the Apocalypse: it is clear that he considered this book an apostolic work.

Thus, the Apocalypse in the churches of Asia Minor enjoyed general recognition as a writing of the Apostle John. Only the voice of the Alogi sounds as a dissonance in this harmonious chorus of witnesses to its canonical dignity. But the criticism of the Alogi is so weak that it probably did not find any significant acceptance. At least, the very heretical movement produced by the Alogi appears in the sources in very unclear outlines. But in any case, they rejected the apostolic origin of the Fourth Gospel and the Apocalypse, attributing them to Cerinthus. The protest of the Alogi is probably the result of heated polemic against the Montanists, and their criticism had exclusively doctrinal rather than historical grounds. Besides, it testifies that the church of that time attributed both the Fourth Gospel with its epistle and the revelation to the Apostle John.

As for the tradition of the Roman church, the Muratorian Fragment, which witnesses to the state of the Roman canon around the time of Pope Pius I (died around 155 AD), mentions the Apocalypse twice – the second time alongside the apocalypse of Peter.

The Apocalypse is cited by Hippolytus, who wrote both a commentary on it and its apology under the title: “Chapters Against Gaius.” Gaius, a Roman presbyter, had a negative view of the Apocalypse; perhaps he attributed it to Cerinthus. However, Gaius’ polemic against the Apocalypse is no superior in quality to the polemic of the Alogi and was motivated by doctrinal grounds. In the Roman church itself it met with not the least success.

In Africa, the Apocalypse is accepted by Tertullian and Cyprian. Clement of Alexandria has no doubts whatsoever about its apostolic origin, and his voice can be traced back even further – to Pantainus. Origen, who began the critical study of Scripture, has not the slightest doubt about the apostolic origin of John’s revelation.

A new era in the history of the criticism of the Apocalypse in the ancient church is opened by the holy Dionysius, first teacher of the catechetical school in Alexandria, and from 247 AD – bishop of Alexandria. The occasion for his criticism was the struggle against the chiliasts, whose leader was Bishop Nepos, who left a work as instruction to his followers: “Refutation of the Allegorists.” The holy Dionysius in refutation of it wrote a work: “On the Promises,” in which he reasons extensively about the Apocalypse of John. Dionysius of Alexandria does not directly reject the book, considers it worthy of respect, but doubts whether its author was the Apostle John, son of Zebedee, the author of the Gospel and the catholic epistle. Dionysius obtains his arguments by comparing the Apocalypse and other writings of the Apostle John. The proofs of the Alexandrian bishop are based on the difference of the Apocalypse from the Gospel and epistle of John in content and language. Also, John’s self-reference in the Apocalypse is, in Dionysius’ opinion, inconsistent with the manner of the apostle’s self-designation in the Gospel. Although, according to Dionysius, we must believe that the author of the Apocalypse was John, on the basis of everything he said, it is questionable whether this was the Apostle John. It is difficult to determine more precisely who this John the apocalypticist was. It is most likely that there was another John in Asia, especially since in Ephesus, it is said, there are two tombs, each of which is attributed to John.

Such is the judgment of Dionysius of Alexandria on the Apocalypse. To this day, there are people who consider Dionysius’ reasoning a model of philological and critical study (Renan). But we must approach the criticism of the learned Alexandrian more cautiously. Hardly anyone would now agree with the assertion that the Apocalypse and the Fourth Gospel with its epistle have nothing of style in common. For all their difference in language, recent research discovers remarkable parallels between them.

Nor can Dionysius of Alexandria’s criticism shake the conviction that before him the Apocalypse held a very firm place in the canon as a writing of the Evangelist John – the Apostle. It is nowhere evident that he entered upon the path of internal criticism because he found no points of support in historical tradition. Had tradition been uncertain or confused, Dionysius would certainly have taken advantage of such a state of affairs. That he was aware of the worthless protest of the Alogi is evident from the excerpt from the work “On the Promises” preserved by Eusebius. Dionysius had no historical foundation for the hypothesis of two Ephesian Johns, so he grasped at the rumor of two tombs in Ephesus, each of which was said to be John’s.

Dionysius’ criticism could not completely destroy respect for the Apocalypse as an apostolic writing: tradition was very strong. And we see that such men as Methodius, Pamphilus, Lactantius, Victorinus, and Commodian consider and use the Apocalypse as a writing of the Apostle John. The first one on whom the influence of Dionysius of Alexandria was clearly felt was the famous Eusebius of Caesarea. But even he in his list of canonical books places the Apocalypse among the acknowledged ones – “homologoumena,” “if you will”; and then, “if you will,” among the spurious – “notha,” i.e., he mentions it under two completely opposite and incompatible rubrics, appealing to personal taste. In another place – regarding an excerpt from the preface of Papias to his work – Eusebius repeats Dionysius’ hypothesis of two Ephesian Johns, citing the existence of two tombs in Ephesus attributed to John. From all of Eusebius’ reasoning, the complete absence of historical data on his part is evident. He clearly had no one behind him except Dionysius, whose argument about two tombs he uses. In the Demonstratio evangelica, Eusebius cites the Apocalypse as a New Testament authority.

The subsequent period gives nothing remarkable for the history of the question of the Apocalypse’s place in the New Testament canon. The fathers faced a dilemma: either to follow the tradition of the church, or their own personal taste, often determined by the direction of their school. Therefore, afterward no studies about our book can be found, but rather one simply notes which church writer accepted the Apocalypse or merely cited it and which did not.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem (315–386) in his fourth catechetical discourse enumerated all the sacred books of our canon except the Apocalypse. On the contrary, St. Epiphanius of Cyprus (died 403) accepts the Apocalypse and extensively refutes the objections against it raised by the Alogi. John Chrysostom does not cite the Apocalypse. The opinion of Theodore of Mopsuestia concerning it is unknown. Similarly, Theodoret nowhere cites the Apocalypse. Junilius, an African bishop of the 6th century, remarks that among the Eastern Christians there exists considerable doubt regarding the Apocalypse. St. Ephrem the Syrian (died 373) does not cite it. St. John of Damascus (died 750) counts the Apocalypse among the canonical writings. St. Gregory the Theologian uses it, as do Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa. St. Amphilochius of Iconium says that the majority consider this book spurious. But in Alexandria itself it is accepted by St. Athanasius the Great. Furthermore, it is accepted by Cyril of Alexandria, Didymus, Nilus, and Isidore of Pelusium. In the 5th century Bishop Andrew of Caesarea writes a commentary on the Apocalypse; the same later is done by another bishop of Caesarea, Arethas. In the western church, the Apocalypse is considered by all church writers to be the work of the Apostle John and is accepted into the canon. Such, among others, are Hilary of Poitiers, Ambrose, the Donatist Tyconius, the blessed Augustine, and others.

The negative opinions regarding the Apocalypse held by representatives of theological thought from the 4th century could have had no significance given the conditions under which they were expressed. Indeed, they are neither the fruit of thorough study of ancient church tradition nor the fruit of free critical investigation of the book. The attitude of one or another writer toward it appears to have been simply determined by personal taste or the traditions of his school. In view of the remarkable and consistent testimonies of deeper antiquity, we can affirm that the Apocalypse is brilliantly attested by ancient church tradition as a writing of the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian.

The Apocalypse’s self-testimony about its author.

After all that has been said, we must turn to the book of revelation itself and examine how far its own testimony confirms the opinion about the apostle’s authorship. John calls himself a servant of God. Speaking to the Christians of Asia Minor, he calls himself their brother and fellow-participant in tribulation and in the kingdom and in the patience of Jesus Christ; he also reports that he was on an island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. His book, written in the form of an epistle, John sends to the seven churches located in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea. As the epistles to the seven churches show, the apocalypticist was thoroughly acquainted with the external and internal state of their life, which was possible only if he had spent a considerable time in Asia Minor. That is all we can learn about the author from the Apocalypse itself.

As the name John shows, the apocalypticist was a Palestinian Jew, not a Hellenist – the latter did not have the custom of bearing Hebrew names. Clearly, long before writing the Apocalypse, he moved to Asia Minor and held the highest position among Christians there. He was so distinguished by his position and well-known in the churches of the province that he considered it possible to simply call himself: “John” (Rev 1:4), “I am John” (Rev 1:9), “and I John, hearing and seeing these things” (Rev 22:8). Such authority of the apocalypticist could not have been based on his hierarchical position, but to explain it we must presuppose another foundation. That foundation for John’s authority could only have been his apostolic dignity.

But not only is the character of the author of the Apocalypse’s self-designation more understandable if we consider him an apostle – the very tone of unlimited authority with which even the epistles to the seven churches are written does not permit ascribing them to an ordinary Christian, be he ever so respected a person. For any bishop can say of himself that he also possesses the Spirit of God – but one need only pay attention to the tone of Clement of Rome’s epistle to the Corinthians. The author writes on behalf of his church and avoids everything that would express his personal authority. Here is the passionate Ignatius writing to some of those very churches to which the apocalypticist was supposed to send his book. But even he expresses himself in the most moderate tone. Even the epistles of the Apostles Peter and Paul do not have the expressiveness of the apocalyptic epistles. In view of all this, it is completely impossible to attribute the Apocalypse to anyone other than an apostle – to some other John.

If, further, we were to be told that Christ in the New Testament Apocalypse is described exclusively in elevated and supranatural traits, which is understandable only in the words of a man who did not associate with the Lord in his earthly life, and if they were generally to affirm that in the Apocalypse there are no traces of the author’s personal relations with the Savior, then for the first we would find a satisfactory explanation, but with the second we might not fully agree. The character of a work is determined by the individuality of its author, and among the disciples of Christ we must presume such a person who from contemplation of the humanly-historical traits of the Lord rose fully to the vision of His divine and transcendent essence. Humanity is not so poor in characters that Providence would not find among it a worthy instrument of His revelations. To assert that the height of vision manifested in John’s ideal perception of the face of Christ is impossible for an eyewitness of the Savior means contradicting facts known from the history of religious life. After all, even those not of the highest character sometimes enjoyed divine veneration from their extremely mystically-inclined worshippers. The person of the Lord, moreover, when regarded even from a historical point of view, is so complete in the manifestation of the traits of His higher origin that it masters, under certain conditions, the entire human heart.

As for traces of John’s personal association with the Lord in the Apocalypse, we have no right to insist on seeking them here given the prophetic character and apocalyptic form of expression of ideas in the work. Nevertheless, along with Zahn we can point to a touching scene described in Rev 1:17-18. John writes, after depicting the one who appeared to him like the Son of Man: “when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying: do not fear; I am the First and the Last and the Living One; and I was dead and behold, I am alive forever and ever, and I have the keys of Hades and Death.” This touching “He laid His right hand upon me”; this assurance “I was dead and behold I am alive forever and ever,” attributed to the Son of Man, whose face shines as the sun shining in its strength, whose voice sounds like the noise of many waters, who holds in His right hand the seven stars and has a sharp two-edged sword coming from His mouth – this laying on of His right hand and this assurance are understandable only if we presume that the apocalypticist was an intimate disciple of the Lord. This was the disciple who reclined on the bosom of Jesus – we can affirm this both on the basis of tradition and on the basis of the self-testimony of the Apocalypse – John.

Against the apostolic origin of the Apocalypse, objection is raised on the basis of Rev 21:14 and Rev 18:20. In the first case, it is said that on the foundations of the new Jerusalem are written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; in the second case, to the rejoicing over the destruction of Babylon the saints, the apostles, and the prophets are invited. It is said that the first of the cited verses is especially inappropriate in the mouth of a man belonging to the group of the twelve, that in general the apostles are spoken of here very objectively. The objection, however, will not seem founded if we keep in mind that the number of twelve apostles was not accidental, but has symbolic significance. This consciousness of such significance was especially alive among the apostles, as the first chapter of Acts shows. In view of this, in the mention in Rev 21:14 of the twelve apostles, the Evangelist John might not at all have had in mind the persons of Christ’s disciples – for him the number 12 as such was important. The substantial significance of apostolic ministry could be affirmed both in the apostolic age and by an apostle. Thus, the holy Paul also calls Christians established “on the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Eph 2:20).

The call in Rev 18:20 is understandable given that by the time of the writing of the Apocalypse almost all the apostles had already died. The juxtaposition of apostles and prophets we find in Eph 3:5.

On the basis of all that has been set forth, we can affirm that the self-testimony of the Apocalypse about its author not only does not testify against its apostolic origin, but is rather understandable when we recognize that the book’s author was the holy Apostle John, son of Zebedee.

Objections against the writing of the Apocalypse by the Apostle John, based on the difference between its content and language and the content and language of the Fourth Gospel.

Already Dionysius of Alexandria decisively argued for the idea of a difference between the Apocalypse and the Fourth Gospel, which does not permit attributing them to one and the same author. For modern criticism, this difference has also served as a basis for denying that one of these two writings belongs to the Apostle John. But by the present time, the work of scholarly investigation of Johannine literature has placed the question we have touched on a different path. Many points of contact have been recognized between the Apocalypse and other writings of John, compelling us at least to suppose their origin from one school (Thus Joh. Weiss, Weizsacker, Bousset).

We do not have the opportunity to reason here in detail about how well-founded or ill-founded the indications of difference between the teaching of the Apocalypse and the Gospel with the epistles are, and we will confine ourselves only to pointing out the most striking parallels between them. These parallels have all the more significance in that the differences, if the indications of them do not exaggerate, are fully explainable from the character of revelation as a prophetic writing, written moreover in apocalyptic form.

The general tone of the Apocalypse coincides with the tone of the Gospel and epistles of John. Just as in the former, the punishments and destruction of the wicked are depicted in bright colors, in sharp tones, in dark images, so in the Gospel and epistles one can find many sharp expressions, can discern particular decisiveness in the thoughts expressed. The latter in turn is explained by the character of the Apostle John’s views. Before his eyes were depicted contrasts; he was presented with the entire sharp antagonism of the two kingdoms of good and evil. And so we see that this ideal division of the world into two halves – into the children of God and children of the Devil, into those who walk in light and those who walk in darkness, into the ungodly and those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus, those who have not bowed to the beast and his image and have not received his mark on their forehead and hand – this sharp division is carried out by John in all his writings, constituting their peculiarity.

Besides similarity in general character, let us note such similarity also in the following frequent points. The Christology of the Apocalypse coincides with the Christology of the Fourth Gospel. The parallels in some cases are remarkable. So in the Apocalypse the Messiah is often presented under the image of the Lamb – “to arnion.” The Lamb is also called with the name “o amnos” in the Fourth Gospel (John 1:36). The Prologue of the latter proposes connected teaching about Christ as the divine Logos; in Rev 19:13 we read of the Messiah: “and His name is called: the Word of God.” The apocalypticist, often representing Christ under the image of the Lamb, depicts Him in the most elevated traits. The evangelist beneath the mortal bodily covering of the Lord everywhere perceives the transcendent divine being.

A parallel between the Apocalypse and the Fourth Gospel is also observed in their relationship to Judaism. For the apocalypticist Judaism has developed into Christianity, the church – the true spiritual Israel; the adherents of nomism only say of themselves that they are Jews; in reality they are not such, but the synagogue of Satan (Rev 2:9). Such precisely is the meaning of some expressions of the evangelist relating to the Jewish law, for example, John 7:19: “Did not Moses give you the law”; compare John 7:22. Passover, moreover, is called: “the Passover of the Jews” (John 2:13). Finally, in John 8:44 the representatives of Judaism are directly called children of the Devil.

The Apocalypse agrees with the Gospel in the teaching about “the Spirit” – “to pneuma.” In both writings “to pneuma” appears as a factor enlightening the believers, a personal principle of divine revelation.

Finally, the apocalyptic chiliasm can be considered a figurative expression of the Fourth Gospel’s teaching about two resurrections – the first spiritual and the second – the general resurrection of human bodies for the final judgment.

As for the language of the Apocalypse, it indeed presents in comparison with the language of the Gospel and epistles of John considerable peculiarities. But many, however, of these peculiarities receive proper explanation from the character of the writing. So, if in the greeting Rev 1:4 we read: “apo o on kai o en kai o erchomenos,” this does not at all indicate an ignorance of the author in the Greek language so extensive that he did not know that after “apo” one must place the genitive case or that a verb is an indeclinable part of speech – no, the manner of expression reveals even mastery on the part of the writer, a certain freedom in command of speech. This peculiarity of language can be called rhetorical irregularity, to which must be assigned everything that was conditioned by the liveliness and force of poetic prophetic speech. Other peculiarities are explained by the influence of Hebrew, which is especially understandable in the Apocalypse. There are, finally, such irregularities of language in the Apocalypse that hardly admit of explanation – see, for example, Rev 14:19. Cases occur of “constructio ad sensum” – see Rev 4:1 and so forth.

The style, the general character of speech is, it is true, somewhat different in the Apocalypse compared with other writings of John. But the latter also do not show the apostle to be very skilled in what concerns the construction of Greek speech. This is evident both from the style of the First Epistle, where one does not perceive freedom in expressing thoughts by means of language – on the contrary, some uniformity is noticed – and from the Gospel, from which it is clear that it was written by a Jew.

As for the Apocalypse, which certainly stands out among the other writings of John in this regard, its style can be explained by the form of the writing. As a sermon almost always stands out among other literary works by its language, and we even sometimes demand of it a special style, so we can suppose that in the Apocalypse of the Apostle John a special apocalyptic style manifested itself.

Finally, between the Apocalypse and other writings of the Apostle John there exist direct points of contact in the area of language. This kinship between them is expressed in the choice of the same images, in some coincidences of a syntactic character, and, finally, in coincidence in some cases in vocabulary (see Bousset, D. Offenbarung Iohannis. P. 177–179).

The unity of the Apocalypse.

From the eighties of the previous century, critical investigation of the Apocalypse sharply raised the question of the unity of this sacred book. The initiative in this matter belongs to the learned Daniel Völter, who came forth in 1882 with the work “The Origin of the Apocalypse” (in German). Since then many attempts have appeared proposing one or another division of it. Here one can mention the works of Erbes, Spitta, J. Weiss, and others. All of them recognize that several hands worked on the Apocalypse at different times. Besides this, Fisher in 1886 came forth with a hypothesis according to which the Apocalypse is a Jewish work with Christian interpolations. Finally, Weizsacker, Pfleiderer, Bousset, and others hold the hypothesis of fragments, according to which the author of the Apocalypse made use of various apocalyptic fragments, widely distributed among the Jews, in writing his work.

In studying all these hypotheses, one is struck by their extreme complexity. There is no possibility of attributing to the persons, in the opinion of the named critics, who worked on the Apocalypse, such a complex and intricate literary work as these authors find. Moreover, one can conclude about the extreme subjectivity of all constructions from the fact that no hypothesis has supporters, and almost each denier of the book’s unity proposes his own solution to the question, if he does not refuse to do so altogether.

Moreover, the complex and harmonious plan of the Apocalypse speaks in favor of its unity. Finally, the strongest proof of this unity is based on the fact of the uniform linguistic character throughout the entire Apocalypse. And moreover, in the author of a book full of spirit and life, it is impossible to perceive a dry compiler.

The time, place, and purpose of writing the Apocalypse.

In determining the time of writing of the Apocalypse, there is complete agreement between first-rate external testimony and the data for determining the epoch contained in the book itself. So, Irenaeus reports that John saw the revelation near the end of Domitian’s reign. The position of Christians under Domitian is reflected in the content of the Apocalypse. What is remarkable first of all is that the revelation presupposes persecution of Christians everywhere. However, it is not yet evident that this persecution brought many martyrs. The apocalypticist, it is true, has already lived through one period of time when Christian blood flowed in streams and, as the vision of the fifth seal shows, at the present time is only in expectation that something similar will be repeated in the near future. As is evident from the circumstances of his personal life, during the period of the appearance of the Apocalypse, a particular punishment for Christian confession was practiced – for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. That punishment was banishment.

All the enumerated traits of the position of Christians point to the time of Domitian. The bloody persecution which the apocalypticist has in view is the persecution of Nero, which, it is true, did not extend beyond Rome. Now persecution becomes universal – this points directly to Domitian. It would be erroneous to see in this a trait from the time of Trajan. First, from the letter of Pliny the Younger to Trajan it is evident that he, even without the emperor’s indication, was already taking decisive measures against Christians – obviously, in the previous reign these measures were the order of things. Second, Dio Cassius has direct information about trials of Christians under Domitian. Finally, banishment with respect to Christians was practiced precisely under the last Flavian, not earlier and not under Trajan.

Indication of another peculiarity of Domitian’s reign is concealed in the symbolism of the Apocalypse. Here there is often talk of those who did not bow to the image of the beast. The false prophet according to Rev 13:14 persuades people to make an image of the beast. The symbolism, of course, has its origin in the practice of the imperial cult. But again, not about Nero, but precisely about Domitian has it been testified that he held an especially high opinion of his divinity.

In a word, on the basis of historical testimonies it can be affirmed that the Antonines did not introduce anything new in their policy toward Christians, but only continued and developed the program of the last representative of the previous dynasty. In view of this, Irenaeus’ testimony that the revelation was contemplated near the end of Domitian’s reign acquires full force of indubitable convincingness and complete certainty. We do not have the opportunity to indicate precisely the year of the writing of the Apocalypse.

As for the place of writing, it was the island of Patmos. The apocalypticist is clearly told: “Write what you see in a book and send it to the churches located in Asia” (Rev 1:11). It would be strange to suppose that the apocalypticist postponed the fulfillment of this command of the Lord for a more or less extended period. Besides, the revelation is written in the form of an epistle addressed to definite churches, and this also compels us to suppose that John was outside Asia Minor at the time of its writing.

The occasion for writing the revelation was the impending storm in the form of cruel persecutions which awaited the church. At that time it was already clear that a period was beginning when the Roman Empire would launch a campaign against Christianity with the goal of erasing it from the face of the earth. The representation of these threatening church calamities in connection with the consciousness of its complete victory served as the occasion for writing the Apocalypse.

The purpose corresponded to the occasion. The Revelation has in view not only the seven churches of Asia Minor, but the entire Church of the universe and wishes to give consolation to all those believers of all times who, being penetrated by the true spirit of Christ, feel on themselves the hatred of this world in whatever form.

The purpose and method of interpreting the Apocalypse.

The purpose of the study and interpretation of the Apocalypse should be to promote the achievement of the intention of its divinely-inspired author. That intention was the teaching and strengthening of all Christians in faith and hope, and therefore the task of interpretation should consist in the effort to awaken and strengthen interest in the Apocalypse and the desire to delve into its content and the effort to extract from it possible spiritual benefit.

The method of interpretation of the Apocalypse must be as distinctive as its very content.

It is established by the tradition of our Orthodox Church that the Apocalypse of the holy John the Theologian is a prediction of the future destiny of the Church and the world. The phenomena and images described in it are neither the hidden history of the past nor predictions of certain periods of church history and individual human persons. No, the Apocalypse and its visions (except for the first three chapters) are in the proper sense eschatology, are a depiction of the final destiny of the world and Church and those events which will precede and prepare this end. Therefore, the Orthodox theologian should seek the key for understanding the Apocalypse, on the one hand, in the prophetic writings of the Old Testament, where certain images of the future destiny of the old and new covenant churches are depicted (the prophet Daniel, Ezekiel, Joel), and on the other – and this especially – in the eschatological discourse of the Savior (Matt 24). What the Savior predicted as having to be at the end of the world should serve as guidance for understanding the predictions of the Apocalypse. And everything eschatological that we find in the epistles of the Apostles Paul, Peter, and Jude should also be taken into account in interpreting the Apocalypse.

The content of the Apocalypse.

It is natural that one or another view of the content of the Apocalypse and the meaning of its prophetic visions should be the basis for the division of the Apocalypse into parts in its study. The general division remains the same for all: that is, one divides it into the introduction (Rev 1:1-8), the first part (Rev 1:9-3:22), the second part (Rev 4-22:5), and the conclusion (Rev 22:6-21). The introduction is nothing other than a preface containing the explanation of the name of the book (Rev 1:1-2), the purpose of its writing (Rev 1:3), indication of the persons to whom it is addressed (Rev 1:4), a greeting of peace to them from the Triune God (Rev 1:4-5), a doxology of Jesus Christ (Rev 1:5-6), and its authorization (Rev 1:7-9).

The first part (Rev 1:9-3:22) contains epistles to the seven churches of Asia Minor: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, with indication of their virtues and shortcomings, with prediction of their future destiny and promise of reward along with warning and threat. This part can be called prophetic-didactic. Its content sharply differs from the content of the second part; the form of expression is also different. Here the historical form of ancient prophecies predominates. Moreover, there is nothing eschatological here, but everything is limited to the course of the present time or the near future. The seven churches of Asia Minor are types of the state of the universal Church and its followers. The beginning of such a view regarding the relationship of the content of the first three chapters to the entire Church is indicated in the Muratorian canon, where it is noted that although John “wrote to seven churches, yet speaks to all.” This opinion is shared by modern interpreters. The revelations to the seven churches constitute a special series of revelations, intended, first of all, directly to the known seven churches of Asia Minor, and if they concern all Christians, they do so in the same way as, for example, the epistles of the Apostle Paul to particular communities and persons concern all Christians of the universal Church, that is, insofar as they contain general Christian teachings, or insofar as those or other particular positions and cases might be repeated in the history of the world.

On the basis of this position, one comes to completely separate the first part from the second part of the Apocalypse if we investigate it from the point of view of the eschatology of the world.

The second part of the Apocalypse can be called apocalyptic-eschatological, since in this part the eschatological truths, which were communicated incidentally and in parts in other writings of the Old Testament (especially in Daniel) and New Testament (in the Gospel, by the Apostles Paul and Peter), are revealed in the apocalyptic manner, that is, through pictures, symbols, and visions, sometimes strange and inaccessible for clear representation. With regard to such content and its exposition, the tasks of the interpreter are more complex and difficult. Therefore, it seems, there are no two interpreters who would completely agree among themselves in the division into groups of apocalyptic visions and in the indication of the connection among them. The content of the Apocalypse is so diverse, the visions and pictures so numerous, that for each interpreter, given the diversity of human minds and abilities, there is always a new point of view which makes him disagreeing (though often only very slightly) with all previous interpreters. We must maintain the general conviction that the Apocalypse represents several groups of visions, partly parallel to each other. This general principle, applied to the interpretation of the Apocalypse, so to say, has been sanctioned by ancient interpreters and is undoubtedly reflected in the interpretation of the holy Andrew of Caesarea.

Having in mind this general view regarding the character of fragmentariness in the revelation of the content of the Apocalypse, the entire second eschatological part can be divided into five divisions-groups. Each division-group represents a special and independent order of phenomena serving to reveal Divine providence. This order, beginning at one or another point in Christian history, comes to its last events at the end of the world. Let us briefly indicate these five orders.

The first order. A vision of the throne in heaven and the One sitting with a sealed book in His right hand; the appearance of an Angel in the midst of the throne to unseal the book (Rev 4-5). Visions of horses after the opening of each seal: after the first – a white one, after the second – a red one, after the third – a black one, after the fourth – a pale one (Rev 6:1-8). At the opening of the fifth seal – a vision beneath the altar of the souls of those killed for the word of God (Rev 6:9-12); and after the opening of the sixth seal – phenomena of a world upheaval and terror of all living on the earth (Rev 6:13-17).

The second order. A vision of four Angels at the four corners of the earth and an Angel descending from heaven with the seal of God in hand to seal 144 thousand servants of God (Rev 7); the opening of the seventh seal and the sounds of six trumpets accompanied by plagues (Rev 8-9). A vision of an Angel with an open book. The measuring of the temple. The appearance of two witnesses; an earthquake after their ascent to heaven. The sound of the seventh trumpet: voices in heaven with praise for the Lord Jesus Christ who has begun His reign. A vision of the temple in heaven and the appearance of the ark with flashes of lightning, sounds, thunder, and an earthquake (Rev 10-11).

The third order. A great sign: a vision of a woman clothed in the sun, a red dragon, the struggle of the archangel Michael with the dragon and the casting down of the dragon to the earth (Rev 12-13). A vision of virgins standing on Mount Zion – an Angel flying through heaven with an eternal Gospel, another Angel proclaiming the fall of Babylon with a threat against those who worship the beast. A vision on a bright cloud of one like the Son of Man with a sickle in hand to harvest the earth, and a vision of an Angel with a sickle to cut the vintage on the earth, which was cast into the great wine-press of the wrath of God (Rev 14).

The fourth order. A vision of seven Angels with seven bowls of the last plagues and a vision of those who overcome the beast (Rev 15). The pouring out one after another of six bowls and six plagues after each of them. An earthquake after the seventh bowl (Rev 16). An explanation of the vision of the harlot sitting on a beast (Rev 17). A proclamation of the destruction of Babylon and lamentation over it (Rev 18). Joy in heaven. A vision of an open heaven, a white horse, and One sitting on it, the Faithful and True, the Word of God, advancing in the company of an army for judgment on the beast and the false prophet (Rev 19).

The fifth order. A vision of an Angel with a chain and a key in hand to bind the dragon in the abyss for a thousand years. The resurrection of those killed and their reigning with Christ for a thousand years. The release of Satan, the appearance of the peoples of Gog and Magog, their defeat and the casting of Satan into hell (Rev 20). A vision of a new heaven, a new earth, a new Jerusalem and its inhabitants (Rev 21:1-22:5).

Directly following this vision is the conclusion of the Apocalypse, which, besides the indication of the authority of Jesus Christ as the author of the revelation, contains an exhortation to all to accept with whole heart what is proclaimed and to await the soon second coming (Rev 22:6-22).

From this brief indication of the content of the five orders of apocalyptic visions, one can discern the general idea that the manifestation of Divine providence proceeds from the general to the particular, gradually adding ever new and new particulars. And since this providence must end with universal judgment and retribution, which should be preceded by Divine calls to repentance, in these orders there is also applied a certain progression of increasingly intensifying plagues of the wrath of God on the ungodly. – In the first order are depicted only the general consequences of Christian preaching in the world – suffering on the earth and reward in heaven (the first five seals). This order ends only with a prediction of the future judgment, which should be preceded by upheavals in the world. The second order, beginning with the indication of division between the chosen of God and sinners, contains the revelation of phenomena of the wrath of God directly upon these sinners as self-condemned. These plagues will cause extreme separation between the chosen and sinners, and the representatives of the chosen (two witnesses) will be subjected to extreme persecution by sinners. But this extreme development of evil will also be the gateway to its fall: thunder and earthquakes will herald the approach of judgment.

The phenomena of the third order serve as an explanation of the phenomena of preceding orders: the earthly sufferings of the righteous, the deeds of sinners and their enmity toward the former is the consequence of that struggle which was occurring on earth between good and evil, good angels and evil angels. The Devil sends even an antichrist (the beast) into the world. But the struggle must end with the victory of good; an Angel already proclaims this victory, and the Son of God appears with a sickle in hand, which by the parable of the Savior means the end of the world. After the third order has indicated the chief cause of evil on earth, the phenomena of the fourth order depict, on the one hand, pictures of just punishments which the sinful world must undergo, and on the other – that flowering of evil which will be the offspring of the Devil. Divine providence does not slumber: the punishments of the sinful world will reach their end, and after it becomes evident to all that humanity will remain unrepentant, the Lord will appear with His heavenly host and will perform judgment on the world, beginning it with the chief deceivers – the beast and the false prophet, that is, the antichrist and his supporter.

The phenomena of the fifth order, though apparently representing a continuation and conclusion of the preceding order, in reality are an answer to some possible perplexities regarding the preceding orders. According to the teaching of Christ and the apostles the Devil was already defeated. Why then is he so powerful in the world? To this the Apocalypse answers that the Devil is indeed defeated, that he is as if bound by the redemptive merits of the Savior; but these bonds are real only with respect to those who are true servants of Christ, who, being crucified with Him, are also raised with Him to reigning and freedom over evil. The Devil is free only with respect to the sons of disobedience. His former complete freedom he will receive only at the end of the world and even then only for a short time (the time of the antichrist). Then he will receive power even to wage war against the saints. But this temporary complete freedom of the Devil will be at the same time his last triumph, after which will follow his final shame and final condemnation and that of all his adherents. He will ascend to the height, but not to remain there forever, but so that before all he be cast down from there into the abyss – hell. Then, when this fall of the Devil is accomplished before all, will come the eternal peace and bliss of the righteous and will begin the eternal torments of sinners.

Literature.

– Aurelius Augustine. “The City of God.”

– Andrew of Caesarea. “Commentary on the Apocalypse”

– Victorinus. “Commentary on the Apocalypse.”

– Zhdanov. “The Revelation of the Lord about the Seven Asian Churches.” Moscow, 1891.

– Eusebius Pamphili. “History of the Church”

– Hippolytus of Rome. “Discourse on Christ and on the Antichrist”

– Irenaeus of Lyon. “Against Heresies.” Book V, Chapter 18

– Norov, A. “Journey to the Seven Churches mentioned in the Apocalypse.” 1847.

– Oberlin. “The Prophet Daniel and the Apocalypse of John.” 1882.

– Orlov, priest, N. D. “Apocalypse of the Holy John the Theologian” Moscow, 1904. Novum Testamentum Graece ad antiquos testes denuo recensuit Const. Tischendorf, editio septima.

– Ebrard. Die Offenbarung Johannis. 1835.

– Ewald g. H. A. Commentarius in Apocalypsin Johannis exegeticus et criticus. 1828.

– Ewald g. H. A. Johannis Apocalypse. 1862.

– Hengstenberg. Die Offenbarung desh. Johannis. 1849.

– Kliefoth. Die Offenbarung desh Johannis. 1874. Lutardt, C.E. Die Offenbarung Johannis. 1861.

– Migne, J. P. Scripturae Sacrae cursus completus. Vol. XXV. In Apocalypsin dilucidatio et commentaria. 1842. – Bousset, D. Offenbarung Johannis. 1906.

– Winer. Biblisches Realworterbuch. 1872.

* * *

See Volume IX of the Explanatory Bible, p. 285 and following. “Apostle John the Theologian”

Kliefoth 14; Ewald 10–16; Corn. 11; Ebrard 28–33; Oberlin, Luthard 173.

Le Blance D’ambonne, p. 159.

Lutardt 171.

Chapter One

Heading of the book which determines its content (1–2). The purpose of its writing; the doxology of Jesus Christ and the book’s authorization (3–9). A vision of one like the Son of Man (10–16); concluding explanations regarding the vision (17–20).

Revelation 1:1. The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him, to show to His servants what must soon take place. And He made it known, sending it through His angel to His servant John, Revelation, with which word the evangelist John begins his prophetic book, here serves as the title expressing the essence of its content. The following words: “which God gave to Him,” must designate that in this communication of revelation to John was fulfilled the divine, eternal predestination. This is indicated also by the following words: “to show to His servants what things must happen soon.” The Revelation of the Apocalypse is like a continuation of the revelation already communicated by Jesus Christ to His disciples during His earthly life. According to the interpretation of the holy Andrew of Caesarea, “soon” is used here in application to God’s eternity, for whom “a thousand years is like a day that has passed” (2 Pet 3:8). The verb “revealed” presupposes here as the directly acting person Jesus Christ Himself – this on the one hand; and on the other – it indicates that the form of communicating revelation is not the form of prophecy, but the form of visions and symbols, accessible first of all to sensory sight. The designation Angel – a general name for God’s servant, God’s messenger. The Angel, as a messenger and servant of God’s will, must communicate this revelation to John, God’s servant, as a certain intermediary, since not all people are capable and worthy of receiving divine revelation directly from an Angel.

Revelation 1:2. who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, all that he saw. The 2nd verse explains why John can be this worthy intermediary – because he testified to the word of God. He, John, testified, that is, transmitted and communicated that teaching of Jesus Christ, which in His mouth was testimony, proof of His divine mission, and those great miracles and deeds of Jesus Christ, which, according to His own word, should serve in the eyes of people as confirmation of the same mission. So on account of his former closeness to Jesus Christ, John now puts himself forth as worthy and authorized to transmit divine revelation – as a Christ apostle.

Revelation 1:3. Blessed is the one who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep what is written in it; for the time is near. The word “blessed” – in application to Rev 22:18-19 can mean both freedom from the plagues of the last time and joyful entrance into the future new Jerusalem. Calling the readers and listeners of his Apocalypse blessed, John clarifies what he expects and desires from them. He presents a requirement to them that they be those who keep what is written. This is confirmed also by the end of the third verse: “for the time is near.” The Christian must keep in view the revelations of the Apocalypse about the approaching end of the world, about the blessedness of the righteous and the torments of sinners, since it may happen that this end catches him completely unexpectedly and therefore unprepared.

Revelation 1:4. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: grace to you and peace from Him who is and was and is coming, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, John – this is the one who was called the servant of Jesus Christ in the first verse. He addresses the revelation he received to the seven churches of Asia – that front part of the Asia Minor peninsula which was the place of the preaching activity of the Apostle Paul and John, and where several Christian communities – churches – were founded. He addresses only these seven churches as a type of the catholic church and also because it was precisely these seven churches that Jesus Christ chose as the vessel for receiving the mysteries of the future. To these churches John addresses with the customary apostolic greeting, which the apostles were taught by Jesus Christ Himself. This grace and peace are bestowed not from him, John, but from “the One who is, and was, and is coming.” This last expression is repeated in the Apocalypse two more times: Rev 1:8 and Rev 4:8. In both cases this name is applied to God the Father, to the first Person of the Holy Trinity – so also here. As for the bestowing of peace and grace from other persons of the Holy Trinity, John speaks further in his discourse. Namely, about grace and peace from the Holy Spirit it is said in the words: “and from the seven spirits who are before His throne.” These are not powers or virtues of God, not the highest Angels – for Angels themselves are never called bestowers of grace and peace as created beings, though the highest. The majority of interpreters understand the seven spirits to mean the Holy Spirit. The justification for such an interpretation is provided by analogies that we find in other places of sacred Scripture (Isa 11:2-3; Zech 4:6). The single Person of the Holy Spirit is symbolically depicted by a sevenfold spirit (no more, no less) because the number seven is like the seal of the Spirit and expresses the fullness of the graces of God bestowed by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:4-11).

Revelation 1:5. and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him, who loved us and washed us from our sins by His blood, The third source of grace and peace, on equal footing with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, is Jesus Christ. The mystical visionary characterizes Him: 1) as a witness. Jesus Christ witnessed, taught about God’s divine love for people and the calling of all people to divinity – like the ancient prophets, and like the confessors and martyrs, who were given this designation – martyrs; 2) Jesus Christ is characterized as a faithful witness – in the sense that He sealed His teaching, His preaching about salvation with His sufferings; 3) the characterization of Jesus Christ lies in the words “firstborn of the dead” (compare Col 1:18). The designation of Jesus Christ as the firstborn of the dead must be understood as indicating His perfection and superiority before all born of mortals. He is the first, the only one among all mortals, for only He alone rose by His own power and authority. This is also an indication of His God-man nature. 4) The characterization of Jesus Christ is the indication of His kingly dignity: He is the “ruler of the kings of the earth.” Here the earthly kings are obviously taken as representatives of all humanity, all its power and strength. Immediately following the characterization of Jesus Christ as the bestower of grace and peace, the holy John appends praise. In this praise one’s attention is drawn to the peculiarity of the construction of the discourse. This peculiarity happened as a result of the seer’s extreme excitement and the extreme rapidity of the flow of representations in his mind: this is new testimony to the special character of the Apocalypse as a book different from other prophetic books and written in a state of the highest prophetic ecstasy.

Revelation 1:6. and made us kings and priests to God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever, amen. The meaning of the expression in the 6th verse can be clarified by analogy with the expression of the Apostle Peter: “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood” (1 Pet 2:9). Christians begin to constitute the Kingdom of Christ, insofar as they rule with the help of God’s grace over their human passions and desires, insofar as they follow Jesus Christ, denying themselves and bearing their cross. In a corresponding sense Christians can also be called priests. They are priests to God and His Father, that is, they serve Him, offering a bloodless sacrifice, offering Him their prayers and hearts, contrite and humble. In this priestly ministry every Christian must serve. To Him (Jesus Christ) be glory, that is, glorification, praise of gratitude, and dominion, that is, submission to His power.

Revelation 1:7. Behold, He comes with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Yes, amen. Verse 7, though it also speaks of Jesus Christ, it does so with respect to the future, with respect to His second coming. The depiction of this second coming, which must be impressed on the memory of Christians, is partly the same as that which we find in other places of sacred Scripture (Matt 24:30; compare Matt 26:64; Dan 7:13). John could have derived this expression from his memory as a hearer of Jesus Christ’s discourse or from the prophecy of Zechariah: they will look at Him whom they pierced and will mourn over Him (Zech 12:10). It is worthy of note that the holy John brings this prophecy also in his Gospel, as apparently being very familiar to him. Under the expression: “and those who pierced Him,” we must understand not only the descendants of Judea by flesh, but people of other nationalities, who by their sinful life, their rejection of the Gospel will again pierce the Savior (Gal 2:17).

Revelation 1:8. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord, who is and was and is coming, the Almighty. In verse 8, God the Father is spoken of – the first cause of divine knowledge, who according to verse 1 gave the revelation to Christ for communicating it to believers. So this verse, like the previous one, aims to further strengthen the authority of what is communicated in the Apocalypse. – “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” The meaning of this expression is that God, as the Almighty, is the real beginning and first cause of all being. At the same time, He is also the end (alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, omega is the last), the final purpose of all being; all, as created by Him, must also strive toward Him, with His help strive toward perfection and ask from Him for bliss (Col 1:17). Usually interpreters end the introduction to the Apocalypse at verse 8 and refer verse 9 already to the first part. But one can apply verse 9 both to the introduction and begin the first part only at verse 10. Only this latter stands in direct connection with what follows, while verse 9 can be understood both as a preliminary explanation of what follows and as an ending of what precedes.

Revelation 1:9. I, John, your brother and fellow participant in the tribulation and in the kingdom and in the endurance of Jesus Christ, was on the island called Patmos, on account of the word of God and on account of the testimony of Jesus Christ. The mystical visionary calls himself by name – this is in accord with Old and New Testament apocalyptic (Dan 7:15). – In addition to what was said in Rev 1, the visionary in verse 9 speaks of himself as a brother. The designation of brother, here and in other places in the Apocalypse (Rev 6:11), is used not with the purpose of specially distinguishing himself from other believers, but with the purpose of indicating greater kinship and closeness. The following words: “and fellow-participant in the tribulation” are a further development of the same idea. John is not only a brother by nature, but is like them in other conditions of life. He too was subjected to persecution for the name of Christ; not alone, but together with others he participates both in the Kingdom of Christ and in patient hope in Jesus Christ. After indicating his closeness to all Christians, the holy John in the words: “was on the island called Patmos” determines the place from which he sends his Apocalypse. There he was exiled during the reign of Domitian because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. He was exiled because his preaching of the word of God too much incited the pagan people and pagan Roman authorities against him. They sent him to hard labor in the mines of the island of Patmos, as they did with other Christians. So the holy John concludes his introduction to the Apocalypse. Now the readers already know who they are dealing with, who will speak to them, about what and in whose name.

Revelation 1:10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last; The seer begins his communication of revelation to the seven churches of Asia Minor by depicting his own internal state at the time he received this revelation. “I,” he writes, “was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.” It is evident this was the day of the week which the holy John, together with other Christians, was accustomed to devote to the service of the Lord. He completely separated himself from the body, from the earth, and from earthly interests and was, as he expresses it, in the Spirit (a state of ecstasy). John heard a loud voice, it is clear, with spiritual hearing (2 Cor 12:2), and the strength of the sound was expressed in the strength of the impression which all that he saw and heard produced on the seer.

Revelation 1:11. saying, What you see, write in a book and send to the seven churches that are in Asia: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea. This voice warned John that he sees and hears not only for himself, but for others, and therefore must write down so as to be able to transmit not only to those near, but also to those far away. Immediately this revelation must be transmitted to seven churches – Christian communities: in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

Revelation 1:12. I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me; and turning, I saw seven golden lamp stands, The vision of seven golden lampstands points to the property of divine nature, by which God is light (1 John 1:5). But to be worthy of contemplating this light, there is required what John expresses with the word “turn,” that is, to separate oneself from worldly concerns, it is necessary to raise the spiritual eyes upward.

Revelation 1:13. and in the midst of the seven lamp stands, one like the Son of Man, clothed in a long robe and girded across the chest with a golden sash: Being in the Spirit, the evangelist John saw the One communicating the revelation to him in the midst of the seven lampstands like the Son of Man, clothed in a long robe (the long white garment worn by high priests and kings). This garment calls to mind the kingly splendid garment, and therefore the golden sash was worn not around the hips, but around the chest, which in turn gave special majesty to the entire appearance of the one who appeared.

Revelation 1:14. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire; Rev 1:15. and His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. Rev 1:16. He held in His right hand seven stars, and from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face shone like the sun in its full strength. The following verses 14–16 communicate other distinctive features of the external appearance of Christ. He appeared as sitting at the right hand of the Father. The hair on His head was like white wool and white snow. Whiteness speaks of His eternal generation as the Son of God and of His divine omniscience (Dan 7:9). In keeping with this John also noticed a change in the glance of Jesus Christ. – The fiery brightness of the eyes of the Savior is an indication of His property as almighty, all-knowing, and righteous Judge. The feet of the Lord who appeared to John seemed to him to send forth such a brightness as is produced by molten chalcopyrite (Lebanus copper). By such an appearance and property of the feet of Jesus Christ before John was clarified the efficacy of the Gospel preaching through Christ’s apostles, for which feet of solid brass are needed, passion must be as intense as molten copper is hot. The voice resounded with special power and aimed to lend by the force of its sound greater solemnity to the revelation and give it a greater degree of impact. – What such stars in the hands of the Lord are, Jesus Christ Himself explains in Rev 1:20; as for the sword coming from His mouth, it is clearly the very revelation which Jesus Christ intends to communicate through John in the Apocalypse. In the vision the face (appearance) of Jesus Christ is depicted like the sun – an indication of the warmth and light of God’s word.

Revelation 1:17. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He placed His right hand on me and said to me, Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last, Revelation 1:18. and the living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever, amen; and I have the keys of Hades and of Death. Revelation 1:19. Therefore write what you saw, and what is, and what will come to pass after these things. Revelation 1:20. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and of the seven golden lamp stands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches; and the seven lamp stands which you saw are the seven churches. Verses 17–20 contain the concluding explanations regarding the vision. When the holy John saw the Lord, he fell at His feet, thereby showing his own insignificance and his reverent fear before the one who appeared, but he heard reassuring words: “do not fear.” This meant: I am your all-powerful and eternal Creator and wise Provider. I am eternal in My divinity. I have experienced the fate common to all people – death. But I rose by My divine power. On account of My voluntary sufferings I have the keys of Hades and Death, that is, I have power over both, for I defeated the Devil. – The Lord commands John to write down all that he has seen – write 1) the setting in which he received his Apocalypse (what you saw), 2) what he learned about the condition of the Asia Minor churches (the things which are) and 3) what according to God’s revelation should be accomplished in the future. The seven churches are named instead of the one universal church, instead of all Christians, for all of them (Rev 1:1) the divine revelation is intended. The bishops of each church, as its representatives and bearers of its ideals, represent something more than simple lampstands. It is of them that it is said that stars are the angels of the churches. Ancient interpreters understand these angels to be incorporeal spirits – guardian angels; modern ones wish to see symbolic angels. But it is best to stop at the interpretation in which by angels are understood the bishops as representatives of the churches. Thus, according to the depiction in the Apocalypse, Christian leaders are always in God’s hand, and God is for them a constant protector, guide, and judge. * * * Andrew of Caesarea, Victorinus, Ebrard, Zhdanov Andrew of Caesarea, Arethas, Ioumenius. Ebrard. Justin the Philosopher, the blessed Augustine, Hengstenberg, Lutardt, Kliefoth and others.

Chapter Two

Letters to the churches: Ephesus (1–7), Smyrna (8–11), Pergamum (12–17), and Thyatira (18–29), consisting of an address, praise and rebuke, exhortation, and promise of reward.

Revelation 2:1. To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: Thus says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, He who walks in the midst of the seven golden lamp stands: Revelation 2:2. I know your works, and your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot bear those who are evil, and you tested those who call themselves apostles, yet are not, and found them to be liars; Revelation 2:3. and you have endured and have patience, and for My name’s sake have labored and have not grown weary. Starting with the second chapter, there follows the exposition of those very letters which the holy John was commanded to write and send to the churches of Asia Minor. All seven letters in their external form are quite similar to one another and consist equally of an inscription, an introduction, the main part, an exhortation, and a reward. In the inscription is indicated the name of the church; in the introduction is depicted the Lord appearing to John with an attribute corresponding to the state of the given church; in the main part are described its virtues and defects; in the exhortation is the call to a perfect life, while the reward is the recompense for that life. The church of Ephesus is placed first among the seven churches as the nearest to the island of Patmos. Ephesus was a glorious ancient city on the shore of the Icarian Sea between Smyrna and Miletus. The Lord addresses the leader (angel) of the Ephesian church, pointing to his attributes: the seven lampstands and seven stars, and says: I know your deeds, that is, your entire life as a manifestation of your soul; I know your efforts to stand at the height of moral perfection; and I know your perseverance, with which you bear all persecution and oppression from the gentiles. To the praise of the Ephesians is placed their attitude toward the wicked, that is, toward people of poor morality, and toward those uninvited and ill-intentioned preachers. For the Ephesians, with their apparently not entirely clear Christian doctrinal knowledge, it was necessary to have great love and devotion to the Apostle Paul and John in order to remain faithful to their Christian teaching and not abandon it.

Revelation 2:4. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Revelation 2:5. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the first works; but if not, I will come to you and will remove your lamp stand from its place, if you do not repent. Clearly, their love previously, manifested in works of mercy, was incomparably stronger than now. Since nothing can replace love, the Ephesians are advised to set aside the pride of their Christian knowledge and hard work, to repent of their present coldness, and to return to their former works of love. In verse 5, the Lord threatens the Ephesians with his punishing visitation, threatens them with the loss of his saving grace. The lampstand of which we speak here is the church with its leaders and gracious gifts. All this the Lord threatens to take from the Ephesians and transfer elsewhere. Now in place of the ancient magnificent Ephesus, owing to a heap of ruins, rises a small village Aia-Soluk, where stands a mosque built from the former church of John the Theologian. Thus has this lampstand of primitive Christianity been removed from its place.

Revelation 2:6. Yet this you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. But comforting and encouraging the Ephesians, the Lord gives them praise for their aversion to the heresy of the Nicolaitans, which came from Nicolaus, an Antiochian proselyte and one of the seven deacons of the Jerusalem church. In Ephesus the Nicolaitans were hated and driven out, as they represented in their teaching a complete dissoluteness opposed to the wise restraint of the Ephesian Christians, who generally did not tolerate the wicked.

Revelation 2:7. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of God. The exhortation joined to the letter to the Ephesian church is the usual call to attentiveness found in Holy Scripture (Matt 11:15; Luke 8:8). On the surface, not Jesus Christ but the Holy Spirit is presented, because the Holy Spirit is the power that enlightened the Old Testament prophets, the apostles, and now John himself, and likewise every believer in receiving the revelation. The reward fully corresponds to the description of the virtues of the Ephesian Christians. For their strict temperance and hatred of the intemperate Nicolaitans, they are promised to taste the fruits of the tree of life. In accordance with Rev 22:2, this tree of life can be understood as that blessed tree which in the future life in the New Jerusalem will constitute one of the conditions and sources of blessedness, just as in the first paradise the tree of life was (Gen 2:9).

Revelation 2:8. And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: Thus says the First and the Last, He who was dead and behold, is alive: The city of Smyrna belonged to the most ancient cities of Asia Minor. The Smyrnan church arose after the year 70. Smyrna to this day retains the dignity of a metropolis, and in its outward state surpasses all the ancient Christian cities of this region. To the bishop of this church, perhaps to the holy Polycarp, the Lord directs his revelation. His words contain an indication of Jesus Christ as the Almighty who in himself indicates the purpose of existence. And the resurrection of Jesus Christ assures Christians of the possibility of obtaining eternal blessedness after the general resurrection and judgment.

Revelation 2:9. I know your works and tribulation and poverty [though you are rich], and the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. With the words of verse 9, the Lord draws the Smyrnians to the thought of his providential omniscience. He sees human suffering and material poverty; but he values patient Christian hope and devotion to God, which are here called Christian wealth. The Apocalypse calls the Jews a synagogue of Satan, thereby indicating that it has in view the Jews who have become decidedly hostile toward Christianity. And their synagogal authority made the Jews especially powerful and harmful in this respect (Jas 2:6-7).

Revelation 2:10. Do not fear any of the things you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. In the near future the Smyrnians were destined to undergo great suffering, particular disasters, and persecutions. But now the Smyrnians hear that the Lord Almighty looks upon them with his all-seeing eye. The comfort and encouragement here is chiefly in indicating the chief cause of these sufferings, their purpose, and their duration. Persecutions of Christians and the imprisonment of many of them in prison will occur at the instigation of the devil (1 Pet 4:12). But God, having permitted the devil in the near future to stir up persecution against the Smyrnan Christians, will limit his activity to a brief time. For Christians, death itself, which will be the lot of some of them during persecutions, should not be fearful. This death will only be a transition into a new, blessed, and eternal life: the crown is the symbol of reward and glorification (2 Tim 4:8; 1 Pet 5:4).

Revelation 2:11. He who has an ear [to hear], let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death. Following the customary exhortation to attentiveness, the Smyrnan Christians are given the promise of reward: deliverance from the second death. The second death is indeed Gehenna (Matt 5:29-30; Luke 12:5). It is death both second and other (special). It comes only for those who experience the first death, that is, the separation of soul and body, and consists in the final deprivation of a person of divine grace. Liberation from this eternal death, in other words, from eternal torment, is what the Lord promises the Smyrnan Christians persecuted for their faith.

Revelation 2:12. And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: Thus says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: Pergamum, to whose church’s angel the Lord addresses himself in verse 12, was in antiquity the chief city of Media and for a time even the capital of the Pergamene kingdom. The Christian church in Pergamum, though surrounded by the darkness of superstition, did not dim its faith; and this lampstand of ancient Christianity shines even now with the pure light of Christian teaching. In the expression of the Lord’s address to the Pergamene bishop, there is an indication of the special property of the Divine word, which is manifested in correction, in warning, and in calling a person to repentance and self-improvement.

Revelation 2:13. I know your works, and that you dwell where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. In the words ‘Satan’s throne’ is meant the special position of Pergamum in the spread of pagan religion. In Pergamum, near the temple of Asclepius, was established an extensive learned-religious society—an institution where priests were the exclusive physicians of all ailments. The serpent, being the sacred symbol of the Pergamene god and usually kept alive in his temple, was for Christians an object of aversion as a symbol of the prince of darkness, the author of paganism. Thus the city of Pergamum itself can be called by preference the throne of Satan. The Lord praises the Pergamene Christians because, despite their unfortunate position among the most crude and fanatical pagan population, they remained true Christians. The reference to the particular historical fact of Antipas’s martyrdom is a vivid confirmation of the firmness of the faith of the Pergamene Christians. Antipas, who held the position of Pergamene bishop, was tortured around 93 AD, being roasted in the belly of a heated bronze bull.

Revelation 2:14. But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to set a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication. Rev 2:15. Similarly, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans, which I hate. To the praise for virtues is added a rebuke, consisting of a reproach to the Pergamene Christians for their indulgent attitude toward the Nicolaitans, compared to Balaam for their dissoluteness. The Nicolaitans properly did not belong to the Pergamene Christian community; they were apparently excommunicated from it, though they lived in the same city.

Revelation 2:16. Therefore repent; but if not, I will come to you quickly and will wage war against them with the sword of My mouth. The warning and call to a stricter attitude toward the Nicolaitans is directed only at the faithful Christians. Regarding the heretics, a more severe threat is pronounced. If they do not repent, the Lord will visit Pergamum with his punishing hand and will strike the heretics with the sword of his mouth. By this sword one can understand the extraordinary action of divine providence, striking the wicked sometimes by a single utterance of his almighty word.

Revelation 2:17. He who has an ear [to hear], let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: To him who overcomes, I will give to eat of the hidden manna; and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows except the one who receives it. The comparison of two rewards—the hidden manna and the white stone—speaks with full clarity that these reward objects are only symbols. By the hidden manna one can understand the body and blood of Jesus Christ, which believers partake of in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Thus this reward concerns not only the future life but also the present, consisting in the impartation of mystical divine grace. The white stone with an inscription should remind the readers of the Apocalypse of that small pebble which was given both at trial to denote acquittal or condemnation and during competition in games as an expression of reward. And symbolically depicted in it is the judgment of God’s court over each Christian, according to which he receives either punishment or reward. Here on earth and there in heaven, this reward is special for each one (no one knows except the one who receives it), as the blessed state of his spirit.

Revelation 2:18. And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: Thus says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze: Thyatira, to which the fourth letter is addressed, was a small Lydian city of Asia Minor and was a Macedonian colony. At present it is a Muslim city; the number of Orthodox Christians is small, and their only church stands in the middle of a cemetery and is almost entirely overgrown with earth. In addressing the Thyatiran Christians, the Lord by his epithet points to the properties of his divine nature: fire combines in itself both the beneficial property of warming and vivifying (the goodness of God) and the property of cleansing and destroying (the justice of God).

Revelation 2:19. I know your works and your love and faith and service and endurance, and that your latter works are greater than the first. The Lord praises the Thyatirans for 1) their mercy and love for their neighbors; 2) their conscious assimilation of the doctrines of Christian faith; 3) their patient endurance of earthly misfortunes and sorrows; and 4) their Christian striving for greater perfection in virtues.

Revelation 2:20. But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and teaches and leads astray My servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols. For the Thyatirans, with their pure Christian life, indulgence toward the woman Jezebel presented a moral danger. Under this woman can be seen both a symbolic designation of the Nicolaitan heresy and a historical person, the known woman Jezebel, who, falsely claiming to be a prophet, inclined Christians to acts contrary to Christian morality, to the heresy of the Nicolaitans. Possessing the authority of a prophet, she the more powerfully, boldly, and successfully inclined many Christians to dissolute life and to contempt for Christian discipline (eating food sacrificed to idols).

Revelation 2:21. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her fornication. Revelation 2:22. Behold, I will cast her upon a bed, and those committing adultery with her into great tribulation, if they do not repent of her deeds. Revelation 2:23. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches will know that I am He who searches minds and hearts, and I will give each of you according to your works. The Lord gave time to repent both to Jezebel and to the Thyatirans, but in vain. No repentance followed, and therefore in verse 22 the threat of God’s judgment now coming is expressed. The judgment and punishment begin with Jezebel as the instigator of impiety; she is struck by illness, binding her to her bed. To those who committed immorality with her and by her teaching hold heretical doctrine, the Lord threatens great tribulation.

Revelation 2:24. But to you and the rest in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, I say, I will not impose on you any other burden; Revelation 2:25. only hold fast what you have until I come. Speech to the faithful of the Thyatiran church. By “others” are meant the Christians not yet led astray by the false teaching and temptations of Jezebel’s sect. They are characterized by the Lord as avoiding the teaching of this false prophet and not knowing the so-called depths of Satan. By the depths of Satan one must understand the very philosophical system of the Gnostic heresy, which must be called the depth of Satan, the highest manifestation of the devil’s works. The Gnostics boasted of their philosophical system and regarded all those not sharing in it as wretched ignoramuses. But the Lord remarks that the Thyatirans should not be disturbed, for their salvation is sufficed by the law of God, God’s revelation, by following which they have already achieved considerable moral perfection.

Revelation 2:26. He who overcomes and keeps My works until the end, I will give authority over the nations, Revelation 2:27. and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of pottery are broken to pieces, as I also have received from My Father; Reward will be given only to those who remain victorious in enduring suffering and toil until the end of their earthly life. Authority over the nations, as a reward to the Thyatirans, will be expressed in ruling them with an iron scepter and in breaking them like clay vessels. The iron scepter is the symbol of firm authority, clay vessels the symbol of weakness and worthlessness. By nations one must understand generally people not belonging to the Kingdom of God. By authority over the nations (properly by rewards) is understood the high position of the righteous before all other people both here on earth (in the sense of the authority of their moral power) and especially after death, when as glorified they act on the living through their prayers and intercession before the throne of the Most High.

Revelation 2:28. and I will give him the morning star. Revelation 2:29. He who has an ear [to hear], let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. By the morning star must be understood Jesus Christ himself, who is the light that enlightens every person (John 1:9). Namely, the light of Christ’s teaching and enlightenment, assimilated by the righteous and manifested in their life, can be and is for others a guiding star and draws them to imitation and perfection. * * * Notes Norov 248; Zhdanov 132. Zhdanov 139. Ewald. Hengstenberg, Zhdanov 171, 172. Ebrard, Hengstenberg. Andrew of Caesarea, Suller, Hengstenberg, Zhdanov.

Chapter Three

Letters to the churches: Sardis (1–6), where there is a call to repentance and a promise of reward; Philadelphia (7–13) with praise for faithfulness and a promise of constant divine providential action; and Laodicea (14–22) with exclusive rebuke for lukewarmness, indicating the possibility of complete forgiveness.

Revelation 3:1. And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: Thus says He who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works; you have the name that you are alive, but you are dead. The city of Sardis, the chief city of Lydia, from the religious standpoint was known for the temple and cult of the goddess Cybele. In place of Sardis there now stands a poor Turkish village with insignificant population. In Sardis at the end of the second century lived the famous apologist Melito of Sardis, who wrote a commentary on the Apocalypse. The Lord reminds the Sardians that in his power is the distribution of the gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit, and likewise in his power and under his supervision are the bishops of all churches (seven stars), including the bishop of the church of Sardis. The Christians of the Sardian church, by the judgment of God’s court, only bear the name of the living; in reality they are dead—alive in human opinion and dead before the all-knowing God.

Revelation 3:2. Wake up and strengthen what remains, which was about to die; for I have not found your works perfected before My God. Revelation 3:3. Therefore remember what you have received and heard, and keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you. Revelation 3:4. But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. Revelation 3:5. He who overcomes will be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will acknowledge his name before My Father and before His angels. Revelation 3:6. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. In view of this, the Lord finds nothing in the Sardians worthy of praise and directly calls them to a change of life. The state of wakefulness, of spiritual vigilance, is the first condition of a change of life. The further words of the text point to the object of this attention: what remains and is about to die. Here by “the rest,” obviously, are meant some good aspects of religious life that were still supported by the Sardian Christians but which also were threatened with the danger of being forgotten and abandoned with the general decline of religious-moral life. The religious-moral state of the Sardian Christians was not entirely hopeless: there was need for the renewal of Christian spirit and Christian zeal through remembrance of the great divinely-revealed Christian religion. In general, the Sardian Christian is required to repent and to change his former unsatisfactory life. Correspondingly, a threat from the Lord is expressed. A Christian fallen into religious indifference and deadness can be awakened only by the threat of the sudden visitation of the Lord (Luke 12:20). But those who have not soiled their clothes (Isa 64:6), that is, the Sardians who have not stained their souls with sins and transgressions, as worthy of reward for their deeds, will walk (with me) with their Lord clothed in white garments. White garments always serve as the symbol of purity, a sign of closeness to God and glorification. The symbol of the book of life is very common in Holy Scripture (Isa 4:3; Rev 20:15) and speaks of divine predestination, according to which the all-knowing God knows all those to whom the Kingdom of God is appointed. The faithful Sardian Christians number among them. Their blessedness will consist in communion with God himself and with his angels (Matt 10:32; Luke 12:8).

Revelation 3:7. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: Thus says the Holy One, the True One, the one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens: The city of Philadelphia was one of the cities of Lydia. By tradition, the first bishop of Philadelphia was Dimitri, appointed by the holy John. At present Philadelphia bears the Turkish name Allah-Shehr (the City of God) and appears as a Christian city. To this relatively faithful church the Lord addresses a revelation containing exclusively praise and approval. In his address to her, the Lord calls himself holy, thereby pointing to the deepest property of his nature. In close connection with holiness stands truthfulness, speaking of his relation to the world and people. To these two divine properties the Lord adds another and calls himself the one who holds the key of David. Jesus Christ’s possession of the key of David means possession of the key to the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem. This means that Christ possesses complete authority to grant or withhold eternal blessedness of the eternal kingdom. And only the Lord himself can change this verdict; no one else is able to do so.

Revelation 3:8. I know your works; behold, I have set before you an open door, and no one is able to shut it; you have little strength, and yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name. Pointing to his omniscience, the Lord encourages the faithful Philadelphian by indicating an open door. Opening the door is a figurative indication that only through Jesus Christ is it possible for a Christian to attain the Kingdom of God. But for the Philadelphian the door is open not because of his own strength, which he has little of, like every person, but solely by the love and mercy of God; this, in turn, should be expressed in the firm and open ordering of one’s life according to the commandments of the Christian religion.

Revelation 3:9. Behold, I will make those from Satan’s synagogue, those who say they are Jews and are not, but lie – behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will know that I have loved you. Revelation 3:10. Because you have kept the word of My endurance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing which is coming upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth. The Lord encourages the Philadelphian Christians with a strict judgment of those who confess Judaism, calling them a synagogue of Satan, a people condemned for its unbelief, unworthy of the name of Jews as the name of a people chosen by God. The Lord promises that by the power of their piety and the power of the example of their holy life, the Philadelphians will turn their hearts to themselves and to true faith in God. The mercy of God toward the Philadelphians will also be expressed in their deliverance from the trials which in the near future are to befall the whole universe and all who dwell in it. By deliverance, most likely, should be understood the lessening of calamities and deliverance from exclusive persecution. The Philadelphians are praised because they have kept the word of patience (of mine) of God, that is, the words of divine revelation calling all believers to patient expectation of his coming. For this the Lord promises to strengthen them during the coming calamities and to help them endure them without damage to their salvation. According to the testimony of history, this divine promise was fulfilled: the city of Philadelphia to this day continues to remain predominantly a Christian city.

Revelation 3:11. Behold, I am coming soon; hold fast what you have, so that no one will seize your crown. Revelation 3:12. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will go out no more; and I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. These predicted trials will come soon as a fearful visitation of the world by God, and therefore the Philadelphian Christians must be especially vigilant in preserving their moral virtues; otherwise the devil may deprive them of the promised reward (crown). Specifically, as a reward the Philadelphian is promised that he as a victor will be a pillar in the temple of God, that is, only the victor will receive the place appointed for him in the Kingdom of God (Matt 25:34), that only he will be as it were a necessary part of this temple. Then, it is said to the Philadelphian, your name will be written on you—the name of God, the name of his city, the name of the new Jerusalem; that is, then you will know how great your Lord God is and how merciful he is to you. This will be obvious also to others, as if it were written on your bright forehead.

Revelation 3:13. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Revelation 3:14. And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: Thus says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation: The city of Laodicea, in Phrygia, was a rich city and was famous for the fertility of its soil and the fine wool of its sheep. But God’s wrath fell upon Laodicea, and it was completely destroyed by the Turks in 1009. Now from the ancient city only sad ruins remain. To this church, in whose members the Lord finds nothing worthy of praise and approval, he addresses the words: “Thus says the Amen.” The use of this epithet contains a threat or at least a warning that the Laodiceans should not be mistaken about the justice of what will be said further: all this is spoken by he who is the purest truth, unfailing faithfulness.

Revelation 3:15. I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot; oh, if only you were cold or hot! Revelation 3:16. But because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of My mouth. Revelation 3:17. For you say, “I am rich and have become wealthy and have need of nothing”; yet you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. In addressing the Laodicean there is only rebuke and no praise. You are neither cold nor hot—thus begins the rebuke. The words “you are not cold” mean one who, while belonging to the community of Christians, is completely deprived of divine grace. The further words “you are not hot” show that this non-cold Christian is not a true Christian, that much is lacking in him to achieve Christian perfection. The lukewarm one is not a true Christian, neither a hardened pagan nor an overt sinner; he is indifferent to orthodox teaching and to wicked heresies. The lukewarm one is in a state of forgetfulness, self-deception, spiritual sleep, and therefore does not see or feel the danger of his position. In his self-deception and heedlessness the lukewarm one has gone so far as to assert that he is rich and lacks nothing. But he is rich only in the sense of this world; in reality he is wretched, pitiful, and naked. He absolutely has nothing good to cover his sinful soul before the eyes of God.

Revelation 3:18. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, so that you may become rich, and white garments, so that you may be clothed and the shame of your nakedness not be revealed, and eye salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Revelation 3:19. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline. Therefore be zealous and repent. The Laodicean must buy from the Lord himself, acquire gold—that is, deserve from God his all-powerful grace and especially love, which is the first and most precious gift of the Holy Spirit. Through this divine grace in the sacrament of repentance is acquired the pure garment of justification; divine grace heals spiritual blindness, as an eye salve heals ordinary eye disease. Though God threatens the Laodicean Christians, he does not deprive them of hope. Those whom he loves he rebukes and disciplines; his love has never abandoned anyone, and for every one there is hope for improvement.

Revelation 3:20. Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. “Here I stand at the door and knock”—this is an expression of God’s true love for people. The Lord does not constrain human freedom; he gently calls to people either through his revealed word or through the inner movements of human conscience and human heart. Knocking, the Lord waits for the sinner himself to voluntarily and willingly open the door of his heart. The Lord comes now to the person for his blessedness until the end of life; and then the person himself will come to him for the supper of the Kingdom of Heaven after his death.

Revelation 3:21. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. By the throne of God is understood dwelling together with Christ in his Kingdom. The nature and greatness of the reward consists, obviously, in the promise of possible closeness to the Lord God as the source and giver of all good. Jesus Christ was granted by God the Father the most complete glorification of his flesh; so will the Christian also be glorified if he, through repentance and the cross, follows the author of the struggle, Jesus Christ. * * * Norov 141–160. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 4, 13, 26 Norov 92–93; Christian Readings 1843, p. 483.

Chapter Four

Vision of the heavenly throne, its external surroundings, the 24 elders surrounding it, and four creatures with four faces: lion, ox, man, and eagle. Perpetual praise and thanksgiving (1–11).

Revelation 4:1. After these things I looked, and behold, a door was standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things. Beginning with chapter 4 and continuing through Rev 22:6 is the second part of the Apocalypse, the revelation of which is obtained partly while the gates of heaven were open and partly while heaven itself was open. This part contains a series (or five orders) of phenomena which pictorially and symbolically depict the eschatology of the world and the church. The expression “after this” can be regarded as the customary transition of the Apocalypse to what follows and represents an indefinite indication of time. “I looked” indicates the unexpectedness of the appearance of the object and the absence of connection with the previous field of vision and can be rendered: I was in a state of vision. The evangelist John in his state of excitement was presented with heaven with an open door, with an opening accessible to his gaze (and spirit) to heaven, to ascend to which the mysterious voice was inviting him. The voice is “the first” one; therefore, the speaker here can naturally be understood as the same Jesus Christ (Rev 1:10-15) as the mediator of the revelation. The sound of the voice, according to its power, was like the sound of a trumpet. The voice commands John to ascend here. Comparing this expression with Rev 11:12, one must acknowledge that John was indeed spiritually caught up to heaven.

Revelation 4:2. Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and One sitting on the throne; Revelation 4:3. And the One sitting was in appearance like jasper and carnelian stone; and a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. The expression “at once I was in the Spirit” clarifies the previous statement, making clear that this was not a bodily ascent but a spiritual one, a higher state of ecstasy. The one sitting on the throne is not called by name, because the holy John wants to point to the first person of the Holy Trinity, God the Father in his distinction from Jesus Christ (Rev 5:6) and from the Holy Spirit (Rev 4:5). Assuming the indescribability and incomprehensibility of the Godhead, the holy John depicts the one sitting as in appearance resembling jasper and carnelian stone. By the rainbow around the throne is meant not a rain-cloud rainbow, as it was not composed of seven colors but of one—the emerald color; it was a circular refraction of the rays of the brilliance of jasper and sardonyx and had a greenish color (emerald).

Revelation 4:4. And around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and on the thrones I saw sitting twenty-four elders clothed in white garments, and they had crowns of gold on their heads. Who the elders were who surrounded the throne is answered differently by interpreters. Based on the fact that these elders sitting on thrones were dressed in white garments as a sign of their holiness and innocence (Rev 3:4), and on their heads were gold crowns serving as a symbol of victory reward (Rev 2:10), one must come to the conclusion that under the 24 elders must be understood not any definite classes of persons (such as patriarchs and apostles), but actual representatives of all glorified humanity, both of the Old Testament and of the New Testament. These elders are actual persons, chosen ones from among the glorified (Rev 5:9), to be the expressers of the service of people to God and of God’s love for people.

Revelation 4:5. And from the throne came forth lightnings and thunders and voices; and seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God; By voices here it is more correct to understand not articulate human voices but generally sounds, generally noise as the manifestation of constant movement, constant life. By the seven lamps, just as in Rev 1:4, there is contained an indication of the third person of the Holy Trinity—the Holy Spirit, who acts in the world as the distributor of gracious gifts.

Revelation 4:6. and before the throne was a sea of glass like crystal; and in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind. In the general description of the divine throne, the glassy sea must be attributed to the furnishings of the throne. It must constitute an essential feature of the general characterization and is a phenomenon similar to the rainbow, equally necessary. This is a medium not like our air and not like the sea. But undoubtedly something quite real, as real as the throne itself and all its surroundings were. “In the center” cannot be understood literally in the sense that the creatures were on the very throne: the throne was occupied by the one sitting on it. The concept of “in the center” must be brought close to the concept of “around.” One must imagine that the creatures, being between the thrones of the elders and the throne of the one sitting, some were behind and in front of the throne (in the center), while others were on its sides. Who were the creatures? They are called creatures (not beasts), that is, living beings, and this can be connected with the concept of humanity, which is also a living being. In any case, they are independent living beings, persons. The creatures are covered with eyes in front and behind, that is, one must acknowledge that the holy John saw them having many eyes both in front and behind. This points to the purity and loftiness of their nature.

Revelation 4:7. And the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature like an ox, and the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The creatures seen by John, though reminiscent of the creatures of the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 1:4-8), differ in the most essential respect. Though they are also four, there each was a combination of four; here each is independent. Therefore, one can assume that the apocalyptic vision was not borrowed or reworked from the vision of the prophet Ezekiel but was completely independent. Since John himself is silent about the figures of the creatures, probably because he himself did not discern them clearly, one must think that the figures in the vision do not have special significance, and only their resemblance to four classes of living beings—God’s creatures—is important. These creatures, the first—the lion—is the expression of power; the second—the ox—of nourishment; the third—humanity—of reason; and the fourth—the eagle—of loftiness.

Revelation 4:8. And each of the four living creatures had six wings all around, and inside they were full of eyes; and day and night they do not cease, saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and is and is to come. In Ezekiel’s vision the creatures have four wings each, and therefore the six-winged creatures of the Apocalypse are more like the seraphim seen by the prophet Isaiah (Isa 6:2), who had six wings each. The creatures covered themselves with their wings, covering completely, so that their figures, except for their heads, were invisible to the seer, and the purpose of the wings was thus to hide the figures of the creatures. The word “inside” must be given the meaning of indicating the circumstance that John saw eyes under the wings covering the bodies of the creatures. This means that the creatures of the Apocalypse, like the creatures of the prophet Ezekiel, had eyes not only on their faces in front and behind but their entire bodies were covered with eyes: they were many-eyed. The purpose of the creatures was the same as for the seraphim in the vision of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 6:3). They sing almost the same thing, and the difference in the content of their praise consists in its greater fullness. The creatures of the Apocalypse constantly praise not only the holiness of the Lord as the all-powerful ruler of the world but also as the Almighty. The epithet “who was, and is, and is to come” speaks not of the Trinity of the Godhead but of the fact that the Lord, having revealed himself in the Old (who was) and New (is) Covenants, will reveal himself as the rewarder at the end of the world (and is to come). Thus in these four creatures can and must be seen the bodiless powers surrounding God’s throne. They are completely special (neither seraphim nor cherubim) heavenly powers, which only the holy John saw, and for which he gave no other name but creatures, living beings by preeminence—the first creations of the Lord God.

Revelation 4:9. And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the One sitting on the throne, to the One living forever and ever, Revelation 4:10. the twenty-four elders will fall down before the One sitting on the throne, and will worship the One living forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Revelation 4:11. Worthy are You, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for You created all things, and because of Your will all things exist and were created. The words “whenever they give” are equivalent to: each time the creatures give, and indicate the repeatedness of actions. The song of angelic praise to the eternal was sung again and again. And each time it ended, the 24 elders sitting on their thrones would rise. They removed their crowns and laid them near themselves before the throne of God, and themselves bowed down before the one sitting. Their bowing was an expression of consciousness of the perceived greatness of God. And in their song they say that the Lord is worthy to receive not only the glory and honor given to him by bodiless powers but also power, that is, glorification of God’s omnipotence. * * * Kliefoth. Hengstenberg, Kliefoth. Ebrard. Ewald. Ewald, Ebrard.

Chapter Five

Vision of the Lamb: a mystical book sealed with seven seals (1–4). Appearance of what seems a slain Lamb with seven horns and seven eyes (5–7), a new song of praise to the one sitting on the throne and the Lamb from the 24 elders and the host of heaven-dwellers, including the four creatures (8–14).

Revelation 5:1. And I saw in the right hand of the One sitting on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. The truth that the Lord is the ruler and judge of the world, only sketched in the song of the angels and in the vision itself, is revealed in more detail before the eyes of the holy John in the gradual manifestation of various exhibitions of divine governance and judgment. The vision of chapter 5 is precisely one of the exhibitions of divine governance as the foundation of God’s judgment. As the conjunction “and” shows, the fifth chapter is a continuation of the fourth and belongs to the same vision and is only its further unfolding. The holy John saw a book on the open palm of the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. The right hand of the one sitting serves as the symbol both of divine omnipotence and of divine providential activity. The book seen by John appears in the form of a parchment scroll, as prophetic writings were commonly written, and was written inside and outside and sealed with seven seals. The writing on both sides presupposes richness of content which could not fit on one side of the scroll. The scroll was one but consisted of seven folds—parts which were separated from one another by seals; as the seals were removed, the scroll itself would unroll further and further and reveal its content. The seals themselves could be placed on the edge of the scroll. To the question about the content of the book, the answer should be that its content is all that is revealed after the seals are removed.

Revelation 5:2. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals? Revelation 5:3. And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. Keeping his view of the heavenly throne, John sees an angel flying across the sky who is called mighty, as he should be the messenger of the great God. The angel asks not who wants to open the book but who is worthy, who has such moral perfection and holiness before the Lord as to be able to receive the revelation of God’s judgments. God reveals to people his will, but reveals it only to those worthy and through those worthy. But no one answered the question of the mighty angel. Among all rational creatures there was found not a single one who would be worthy to open the book and see its content. The text speaks no longer of removing seals but of contemplating what is contained in the book, because removing seals is equivalent to contemplating itself. Here is a foretelling of the peculiarities of the form and content of apocalyptic revelation.

Revelation 5:4. And I wept greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or even to look into it. John wept over what he as it were lost, what he could not learn from the sealed book, but what he considered very necessary for the knowledge of people and for guidance in their life.

Revelation 5:5. And one of the elders said to me, Do not weep; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome, and can open the book and its seven seals. The designation of lion, used by the elder, is taken from Gen 49:9, and in application to Jesus Christ, whom the Lamb represents here, means a mighty victor, a king through his incarnate nature. In the deepest sense of the latter word, Jesus Christ is named the Root of David: in him flows the same blood as in the veins of David, just as in the branch there is preserved a part of the sap which before all exists in the roots. The victory over death and the ascension to heaven gave Jesus Christ the right and henceforth to be for people the sole mediator before God and sole teacher, that is, through John to communicate to people the divine revelation regarding the mysterious future.

Revelation 5:6. And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. The image of a slain lamb points to the victory of Jesus Christ, which gave him the right to communicate to people the divine revelation. This right consisted in the fact that he was a lamb slain for the sins of the world; the expression “as if it had been slain” means that Jesus Christ appeared to John with such marks which are proper to a slain lamb, that is, with the wound of slaughter. The seven horns of the Lamb, as a sacred number and the number of completeness (Ps 11:7, Ezek 29:21; Dan 7:8), signify the completeness of the might of Jesus Christ as God-man and Redeemer. As to what must be understood by the seven spirits of God, it is better to agree with that opinion which holds that here, as in Rev 1:16 and Rev 4:1, under the seven spirits must be understood the Holy Spirit with his gracious gifts which rest upon Jesus Christ and dwell among believers, pouring out abundant grace of redemption upon them.

Revelation 5:7. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of the One sitting on the throne. “He took the book…” How did he take it? asks Cornelius a Lapide, and answers: with his feet; but this must be understood symbolically. But it is better not to ask such questions at all in explaining apocalyptic visions, in which much of the particulars remained unclear even to the seer himself.

Revelation 5:8. And when He took the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. The common falling of both the creatures and the elders must be understood as an indication of the particular solemnity of the moment. The harps are indeed actual instruments which the seer saw in the hands of the elders; therefore the sounds of the harps were actual, just as the song itself, the content of which is transmitted further, was actually heard. Only of the bowls, which remind one of the incense holders of the Old Testament priests, is it said that they were a symbol of the prayers of the saints. The elders also appear as representatives of the saints, offering their prayers to the Lord God.

Revelation 5:9. And they sing a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the book and to break its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You redeemed us to God from every tribe and language and people and nation, Revelation 5:10. and made us kings and priests to our God; and we will reign on the earth. Revelation 5:11. And I saw and heard the voice of many angels around the throne and of the living creatures and of the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, Revelation 5:12. saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. Worship and the offering of incense are accompanied by the elders with a song of praise, which is called a new song because of a certain novelty of its content: Jesus Christ the Lamb is presented as the redeemer of all humanity, without any distinction of people by tribes, language, by kindred and nation. In this song the elders, distinguishing themselves as intercessors and prayer-bearers, give thanks and glorify the Lord God for all other Christians living on earth. They give thanks for the fact that by the mercy of God Christians now constitute on earth the kingdom of Jesus Christ, where each member of the church can and should offer God his own soul and together with his priest, as if being a priest himself, actively participates in the offering of the bloodless sacrifice. Together with this, Christians, as members of the kingdom of Christ, even now reign on earth inasmuch as they manifest in themselves that moral power which distinguishes each true Christian and which has been repeatedly and clearly manifested in the life of great Christian ascetics. Similarly, the four creatures and the elders and the innumerable angels glorified the one sitting on the throne as if on behalf of all bodiless powers. The angels praise those general attributes of Jesus Christ through which in the redeemed world was established a better order, unity, and perfection.

Revelation 5:13. And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all the things in them, I heard saying, To the One sitting on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever. By heavenly creatures must be understood all the remaining angels, who were not comprehended by the holy John in Rev 5:11. By creatures dwelling on earth must be understood both people and other inhabitants of the earth’s surface (Rom 8:19-22). By subterranean creatures cannot be understood demons and condemned people, because Holy Scripture in general does not allow for the glorification of the all-holy God on the part of demons and sinners (Acts 16:17-18). It is more natural that subterranean creatures are those which have their dwelling place below the earth’s surface. All creatures give to the one sitting on the throne and the Lamb blessing, glory, honor, and power (Rev 1:6).

Revelation 5:14. And the four living creatures were saying, Amen. And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the One living forever and ever. * * * Ewald and others. Ebrard. Kliefoth. Hengstenberg. Ebrard, Kliefoth. Kremetz.

Chapter Six

Vision of the first four seals: the appearance of a white horse after the first seal is removed (1–2), a red horse after the second (3–4), a black horse after the third (5–6), and a pale horse after the fourth (7–8). Vision of the souls of those slain for the word of God, located under the altar and clothed in white garments (9–11). Depiction of a scene of worldwide upheaval destined to occur after the sixth seal is removed (12–17).

Revelation 6:1. And I saw that the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as though with a thunder voice, Come and see. The visions of the heavenly throne and the Lamb appearing before it were the first exhibitions of divine providential activity in the first of five orders of apocalyptic phenomena. They are followed by the vision of the removal of the seals of the book. This vision both presupposes them and is connected to them not only by external connection but also by inner relationship. Heaven and the heavenly throne serve as the source and foundation of all those events and phenomena which occur on earth: in them is the divine will realized, and they must be considered from this aspect. Remaining in his former position and former state of spirit, the seer beholds how the Lamb removes the first seal of the book, and at the same time hears a thunder-like (strong) voice belonging to one of the four creatures—which one, John does not indicate. In the expression “go and see,” one must see an impersonal address, and its sense can be rendered thus: let that occur which by divine predestination must occur; you, John, meanwhile observe and inscribe it in your memory.

Revelation 6:2. I looked, and behold, a white horse, and the one sitting on it had a bow, and a crown was given to him; and he went out conquering and to conquer. After the first seal was removed, John sees appearing a white horse and upon it a rider. The rider himself is characterized very briefly and in general terms. The seer throughout the vision directs his main attention to the horses and their color, but speaks of the riders only in connection with the horses. Therefore, in explaining the visions, one must direct attention above all to the images of the horses and their colors. A horse is the most natural symbol of movement, of war. Here is a white horse; therefore, by the movement one must understand movement of a spiritual, higher nature, pure (white) both in its aims and in its means. This movement is obviously the one which occurred on earth as a result of Christian preaching. And the victorious appearance of the rider finds its explanation in the success which accompanied this Christian preaching. The rider controls the horse, and so Jesus Christ directed the apostles and their successors in spreading the Gospel.

Revelation 6:3. And when He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come and see. At the removal of the second seal, a voice was also heard, but of another creature, and apparently less majestic and strong. The voice spoke the same words and, of course, with the same meaning.

Revelation 6:4. And another horse, a fiery red one, went out; and to the one sitting on it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. John saw another horse; it was red or, more correctly, fiery. If a horse in general signifies movement, then a horse of red color, reminding one of the destructive property of fire and the color of human blood, speaks of the destructive significance of the movement embodied in it. The red horse and its rider with a large sword signify the manifestation of enmity and malice, which everywhere and always accompany the initial stages of the spread of Christianity. By the action of the rider of the red horse, there will be no peace on earth. Peace of conscience, inner calm will be disturbed by the fact that people will lack confidence in the correctness of their religious beliefs. Together with this, there will be no external peace either, which will be destroyed by enmity against those who will be responsible for the disturbance of inner peace. All this was on earth with the beginning of the spread of Christianity, when much enmity was revealed among people and much blood was shed, especially during persecutions of Christians by Jews and pagans. But this history of enmity (red horse) toward the beginning of Christianity, toward Christian converts is always repeated (Matt 10:34; John 16:2).

Revelation 6:5. And when He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come and see. I looked, and behold, a black horse, and the one sitting on it had a balance in his hand. Revelation 6:6. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; but do not harm the oil and the wine. At the removal of the third seal, John saw a black horse. Black color is the color of sorrow and deprivation, and therefore the symbol of the black horse is the symbol of human deprivation, which is first and foremost expressed in lack of food and hunger. This is indicated by the very appearance of the rider. The rider held scales in his hands. Scales speak of exactness, of the absence of excess, and therefore very conveniently remind one of hunger. The voice which John heard sounding among the creatures was a divine voice emanating from God’s throne. The first part of the divine voice’s words speaks of extraordinary dearness of life due to hunger, and the second indicates the luxury to which the rich classes of society, who exploit the poor, usually indulge. Specifically, in periods of struggle between Christianity and paganism, the first Christian converts among one or another pagan society have always been and are in comparative deprivation; the richer pagan society usually wallows in the luxury of pagan life, while Christians, deprived of support and sympathy, are forced to limit their needs to the extreme (Jas 2:6).

Revelation 6:7. And when He broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come and see. Revelation 6:8. And I looked, and behold, a pale horse, and the one sitting on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. And authority was given to him over a fourth of the earth – to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth. According to the understanding of the first three seals, one must explain the symbol of the fourth. At its removal, John sees a pale horse—actually gray, colorless, such as is the color of human corpses. Following the rider who reminds one of death and is called death, came Hades. Hades here appears as the personification of the actual inhabitants of Hades, that is, the condemned by preliminary judgment to temporal torment. The rider of the pale horse was given a sword as an instrument of death; at his disposal is hunger; plague (contagious diseases) are subject to him, and even wild beasts of the earth. These calamities will fall upon “a fourth of the earth”; this is not a mathematically exact measurement of a particular space; here a definite number in the sense of an indefinite, to indicate the action of these phenomena temporally and in certain places. The number four is used in correspondence with the four creatures, four horses, and the four corners of the earth. All this is confirmed to us by church history, the history of the spread of Christianity.

Revelation 6:9. And when He broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they had maintained. Now after the visions of the first four seals, the question arose for the holy John: How long will the righteous suffer together with the wicked, who deserve punishment? And do these latter receive any reward for their suffering and their patience? The appearance of the fifth and sixth seals provide the answer to these questions. In response to the question about the state in which the souls of Christian martyrs find themselves, John sees them under the heavenly altar. This altar is a completely special place and a special object of apocalyptic vision. This is the altar of burnt offering (Lev 4:7), standing in the court of the people for the offering of sacrifices. Below (under) this altar, like sacrifices already offered and burned, were souls in the proper sense of the word, that is, the immortal souls of dead people. These are the souls of those who died a violent death, that is, the souls of martyrs. They were tortured, first, for the word of God, that is, for God’s teaching; and second, for their testimony, that is, for their confession of faith in Jesus Christ. This confession they had, that is, held, proclaimed, and carried through to the end, confirming its sincerity by their death. Now the souls of these Christian martyrs were under the altar, which signifies their special closeness to the Lord God.

Revelation 6:10. And they cried out with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Sovereign and True Lord, do You not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? At the same time that the souls of the slain became visible under the altar, their loud cry was heard. They addressed themselves to the divine throne, and, calling God holy and true, ask why there is still no judgment of the divine court over sinners and why they still have not been repaid according to their deeds. Here is heard perplexity and a plea for righteous judgment, for the word of divine justice in relation to sinners—most closely to the pagans and Jews, the persecutors of Christians.

Revelation 6:11. And a white robe was given to each of them; and they were told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers, those who were about to be killed as they had been, would be completed. In response to the cry of the martyrs, each of them was given a white garment as a sign of their purity and innocence. The giving of the garment to the martyrs means their justification, their closeness to the Lord God, and their hope for complete blessedness at the resurrection of the dead. Besides giving white garments, the Lord comforts them with the immutability of his judgment by his divine predestination. The time of this judgment and recompense will coincide with the time when the number of martyrs reaches a certain limit, determined by God beforehand. The blood of the martyrs will be avenged; but this will not occur before the number of their coworkers and brothers who are also to shed their blood for the confession of the Christian faith is fulfilled.

Revelation 6:12. And when He broke the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as a hair-cloth, and the moon became like blood; Revelation 6:13. and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree sheds its unripe figs when shaken by a gale wind. Revelation 6:14. And the heaven was split apart like a scroll being rolled up; and every mountain and island was moved from its place. The sixth seal responds to the question: How long will the righteous suffer together with the wicked, worthy of punishment? As long as, it responds, until the time of general recompense comes at the second coming of the Lord. And the words of verse 12 can be understood in the sense of indicating the general upheaval of the world before the second coming of the Lord. In the upheaval, the sun will be likened to sackcloth, a garment of black wool. This word expression is not unique in Holy Scripture (Matt 24:29) and is repeated almost literally in the prophet Isaiah (Isa 50:3). It speaks that a change will occur in the very nature of the sun and in its relationships to the earth and other planets. Here one must understand a cessation of sunlight. Similarly, the moon (“like blood”) will no longer illuminate the earth but will only arouse us by its new appearance. At the same time this general upheaval is occurring, the stars in the sky will fall to the earth. The explanation of the Apocalypse says that here one must see not a deception of vision but an actual fall of stars in the form of asteroids, meteors, and the like. The upheaval will touch the very earth and heaven. “The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up.” This expression: “And all the starry host will wear away; and the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll; and all their starry host will fall, like withered leaves from the vine, and like leaves falling from the fig tree” (Isa 34:4) speaks of the removal of the heavens from human view. Simultaneously with the upheaval in the heavens, on the earth a terrible earthquake will occur, as a result of which the appearance of the earth’s surface will change. For the Lord it is possible to make a complete and perfect change in the appearance of the earth.

Revelation 6:15. And the kings of the earth, and the magnates, and the rich, and the thousand-commanders, and the mighty, and every slave, and every free person hid themselves in the caves and in the clefts of the mountains, Revelation 6:16. and they say to the mountains and to the stones: fall upon us and hide us from the face of Him Who Sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb; Revelation 6:17. because the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand? Verses 15–17 tell us about the impression the upheaval will make on people. All earthly inhabitants, who, because of their sins, must fear the wrath of God, will flee to the mountains and caves. But no protection will be able to hide sinful people from the approaching judgment and recompense. The words of verse 17 confirm that the sixth seal concerned the coming of the time of the second coming, the time of the day of the Lord. * * * Notes Andrew of Caesarea A choinix, a small grain measure. A denarius was a coin corresponding to a day’s wage for a laborer. Ewald, Lüthardt. Hengstenberg. Ewald, Kliefoth, Lüthardt. Ebrard, Suller, Ewald, Kliefoth, Lüthardt. Hengstenberg, Ebrard. Hengstenberg, Ebrard, Suller. Cornelius a Lapide, Kliefoth, Calmet, John Chrysostom on Matt 24:29.

Chapter Seven

Sealing of the chosen: the appearance of an Angel with the seal of the living God, which was placed upon 144,000 sons of Israel (1–8 verses). Vision of those glorified before the throne, who in countless multitude stood before the throne in white garments and with palm branches, and together with other heavenly inhabitants glorified God and His Lamb (9–15); explanation of the source of their blessedness (16–17).

Revelation 7:1. And after this I saw four Angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, so that the wind would not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. The first vision of the second series speaks of the separation of the righteous from among the wicked during the universal calamities of the approaching end of the world. – First, before the prophetic vision of John is revealed the picture of the quiet historical development of the Christian world under the image of four Angels restraining the winds from their destructive actions. These are in any case good Angels, not evil ones as Andrew of Caesarea supposed, and their image indicates that Christianity represents in history an incomparably greater guarantee of peace and tranquility than pagan religions.

Revelation 7:2. And I saw another Angel ascending from the rising of the sun and having the seal of the living God. And he cried out with a loud voice to the four Angels, who were given to harm the earth and the sea, saying: With time, however, this peace will cease. – A new Angel appears, who in his hand has the seal of the living God. This seal was brought by the Angel for the chosen servants of God and should first of all be the distinction and privilege of the chosen servants of God, an indication of their closeness to the Lord God and of God’s protection. Therefore, it must be said that this seal is the reflection upon the best and most chosen members of the Christian Church of that Divine grace, which, transforming their soul, will also transform their outward appearance – the forehead (Gen 4:15). But it is difficult to say whether this state will be marked with any external sign.

Revelation 7:3. do not do harm to the earth, nor to the sea, nor to the trees, until we seal the foreheads of the servants of our God. In the words of the Angel is contained a command, which must be understood as a divine command transmitted through the hierarchy by some Angels to others. The depiction here of good Angels as directors of the harmful actions of the elements is entirely in accord with Holy Scripture (Ps 103:4). In this case, the good Angels must restrain the harmful actions of the winds until the Angel who has appeared, together with his fellow servants, places the seal on the servants of God.

Revelation 7:4. And I heard the number of those sealed: one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed were from all the tribes of the sons of Israel. Revelation 7:5. From the tribe of Judah sealed twelve thousand; from the tribe of Reuben sealed twelve thousand; from the tribe of Gad sealed twelve thousand; Revelation 7:6. from the tribe of Asher sealed twelve thousand; from the tribe of Naphtali sealed twelve thousand; from the tribe of Manasseh sealed twelve thousand; Revelation 7:7. from the tribe of Simeon sealed twelve thousand; from the tribe of Levi sealed twelve thousand; from the tribe of Issachar sealed twelve thousand; Revelation 7:8. from the tribe of Zebulun sealed twelve thousand; from the tribe of Joseph sealed twelve thousand; from the tribe of Benjamin sealed twelve thousand. Those sealed from all the tribes of Israel turned out to be 144 thousand. The number 144 thousand is, in the unanimous opinion of interpreters, clearly symbolic and should mean the complete number of the chosen (12 × 12 × 1000). They are called Israelites and moreover with direct reference to the 12 tribes of the people of Israel. But neither this nor the other circumstance compels us necessarily to conclude that here are meant Israelites by fleshly descent. And Christians, who comprise the New Testament church, which is the continuation and replacement of the Old Testament church, can be called true Israelites, even if not by flesh, then by spirit 39. Such understanding fully corresponds with the Apocalypse (Rev 2:9). The sealing cannot here be understood as the conversion of Jews to Christianity in a mass way in the final time (Rom 11:25-26). This sealing cannot be equated with the acceptance of Christianity, for the seal is placed upon those who are already servants of God (Rev 7:3). It is best to understand by the sealed the perfect believers of the final time, who will attain the highest perfection and spirituality after the general conversion to Christianity of the Israelites – then, when both Israel by flesh and Israel by spirit will form one flock of Christ. Those sealed by the Angel are the most perfect of the Christians of the final time, the chosen people of God – that very one of whom the Savior spoke in His eschatological discourse (Matt 24:22).

Revelation 7:9. After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude of people, which no one could count, from all tribes and nations and peoples and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb in white garments and with palm branches in their hands. This new vision speaks of how those Christians are rewarded in heaven who complete their earthly labors amid the sorrows of the world and especially amid the terrors of the final time. John sees a great multitude of people, that is, the souls of people, who were clothed in human forms (cf. Rev 6:9). – The uncountability here is not absolute, distinguished from the 144 thousand sealed, but relative uncountability. The composition of the numerous crowd indicates its universal human character; and, undoubtedly, it, like the souls Rev 6:9, is in heaven before the throne of God, not on earth, as those sealed 144 thousand. Thus, it is evident that here are meant all the dead Christians who have attained perfection and pleased God through various feats of faith and piety. Consequently, to the question whether perfect Christians who have died before the time of universal judgment and retribution have comfort, this vision answers that the souls of perfect Christians after their death move to heaven and stand before the Throne and before the Lamb as a sign of their closeness to the Lord as the source of blessedness. To this point to the white garments and the palm branches, as branches of festive joy.

Revelation 7:10. And they cried out with a loud voice, saying: salvation to our God, Who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! The words of the cry of the entire multitude, in accord with the indicated significance of the palm branches and in correspondence with the content of the praise of verse 12, is the expression of a feeling of rapture before God and the Lamb, who save the world through various kinds of providence. The great multitude of saved Christians was not alone before the throne in the glorification of the Lord. Here John observes the Angels, and elders, and the four living creatures. All of them in response to the glorification of the holy saved, confirming it by the word Amen, worshipped before the One Sitting on the throne and the Lamb and on their part raised to them praise (Rev 5:12) for their seven virtues and perfections 40.

Revelation 7:11. And all the Angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell before the throne on their faces, and bowed down to God, Revelation 7:12. saying: amen! blessing and glory, and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor and power and strength to our God forever and ever! Amen. Revelation 7:13. And, beginning to speak, one of the elders asked me: these clothed in white garments, who are they, and where did they come from? Revelation 7:14. I said to him: you know, lord. And he said to me: these are those who came from the great tribulation; they washed their garments and made their garments white in the Blood of the Lamb. The use of the address: “sir” does not mean John’s worship before the elder, but is an expression of ordinary respectfulness of the questioner to the respondent – humble John to the elder glorified by God 41. Those coming from the great tribulation are those who endured the tribulation, not escaped from it. And the expression “great tribulation” speaks (Matt 24:21-29) of the fact that these saved ones are all Christians in general, who both before and in the future (and especially under the antichrist) will endure suffering and sorrows. To understand by the washing of garments most naturally the removal, by God’s mercy, of all sinful defilement from the soul of the righteous, and by the whitening – the attainment of purity and virtuous perfection. They, the saved, stand before the throne of God and serve Him day and night, enjoying His direct protection. Such a state of perfect Christians after their death, inasmuch as it is called service, is not complete blessedness, but only its beginning. The source and cause of their blessedness will be their direct closeness to the Lamb – a closeness compared to the closeness of a caring shepherd to his sheep. And there will be no tears in their eyes, for they will have no sorrow, no grief. * * * Hengstenberg, Suller, Kliefoth and others. Ebrard, Suller. Kliefoth, Ebrard.

Chapter Eight

The appearance of seven Angels with trumpets and an Angel with a golden censer (1–4). The falling of blood and fire upon the earth after the first Angel’s trumpet (6–7), a great mountain into the sea after the second trumpet (8–9) and a great star – wormwood after the third trumpet (10–11); the striking of a third of the universe after the fourth trumpet (12–13).

Revelation 8:1. And when He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven, as it were for half an hour. In chapter 8, the visions and images explain what sorrows will strike the world and all humanity. John again sees the mysterious book in the right hand of the One Sitting, and sees the Lamb. The Lamb opens the last, seventh seal of the sealed book. But John no longer mentions the four living creatures, nor the elders, nor the lampstands – they were no longer before John’s vision. The immediate consequence of opening the seventh seal was that silence was established in heaven as if for half an hour. Silence means not simply quiet, the cessation of sounds in general, but the cessation of human speech. And if now, after the opening of the seventh seal, silence has been established in heaven, then, it means, the song of praise of the heavenly inhabitants has ceased. All the heavenly inhabitants, involuntarily revealing reverence before the Almighty, fell silent for a short time before the forthcoming manifestations of Divine wrath as incomprehensible actions of Divine providence. But this silence could only be brief, as if for half an hour. Precisely, the expression “as if for half an hour” has the significance of an approximate indication of time and cannot be understood in the literal sense.

Revelation 8:2. And I saw seven Angels who stood before God; and seven trumpets were given to them. Revelation 8:3. And another Angel came and stood before the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he with the prayers of all the saints would offer it on the golden altar, which was before the throne. Revelation 8:4. And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints rose from the hand of the Angel before God. Under the seven Angels, who even in the subsequent visions remain before the throne like the four living creatures and the elders (Rev 7:13), one can see an indication of Angels of a certain rank, standing before the throne of God. This significance is already foreshadowed in their attribute – the seven trumpets, which appear as trumpets proclaiming the judgment of God over the sinful world, as a kind of signals for the beginning of the subsequent phenomena. Besides the seven Angels John sees something new. The latter appeared not before the throne, but before the altar, about which mention was made in verse 9, and under which must be understood the altar of burnt offering. From this altar the Angel was to take hot coals for his golden censer. And for this the incense was given to the Angel so that he (the Angel) might help the prayers of the saints reach the throne of God, as the smoke of incense rises and becomes a pleasant fragrance of a sacrifice. The incense smoke here is not a means of offering the prayer, but merely a simple indication of this offering; and the Angel – not a mediator and the offerer of a sacrifice, but a servant, who by the command of God (the incense is given by God) is appointed to serve the saints 42. By the golden altar at the end of verse 3 must be understood a different altar, not the one mentioned at the beginning of this verse. This altar is golden and under it can only be understood the one which stood in the sanctuary before the entrance to the Holy of Holies (Exod 40:5). And before John’s vision something was happening similar to what happened in the Jerusalem temple during worship, although the resemblance was only approximate. – When the smoke of incense rose from the altar, when through this it was indicated that the Lord had accepted the prayers of the saints and had heard their request for vengeance for the blood of the martyrs (Rev 6:10), then the Angel again returned to the altar of burnt offering and again filled the censer with coals (Rev 8:5). But he filled it not in order to go again to burn incense in the sanctuary, but in order to pour out these coals upon the earth, – from the height of the heavenly vault, on which John saw the heavenly temple and throne. These hot coals, poured upon the earth, were to designate the beginning of the plagues of Divine wrath, the onset of the time of Divine judgment and vengeance.

Revelation 8:5. And the Angel took the censer; and filled it with fire from the altar, and cast it on the earth: and there came thunders and voices, and lightnings and an earthquake. Revelation 8:6. And the seven Angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. Revelation 8:7. The first Angel sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and it fell on the earth; and a third part of the trees burned up, and all the green grass burned up. Revelation 8:8. The second Angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain, burning with fire, was cast down into the sea; and a third part of the sea became blood, Revelation 8:9. and a third part of the living creatures that were in the sea died, and a third part of the ships perished. As soon as this action of the Angel took place, the voices of glorification that had been interrupted for a time again sounded in heaven among the heavenly inhabitants, and on earth an earthquake occurred. Following this, at the sound of the first Angel’s trumpet, John sees an extraordinary instrument of punishment (cf. Exod 9:24; Joel 2:30), which must correspond to the special sinfulness and guilt of the world. At the sound of the first trumpet hail will fall, mixed not only with fire, but also with blood; consequently, this hail will have the appearance of balls which will be moistened with blood, with the smell and appearance of actual human blood 43, and besides will be accompanied by destructive fire. If it is permissible to allow that the very punishment, despite its inexplicability from the point of view of present-day experience, is a real physical phenomenon, then its consequences must be explained as physical disasters in terrestrial nature. This actual destruction by hail and fire of a third (approximately) of the trees on the entire terrestrial surface, which will be burned together with the grass. To avoid alarm, it must be remembered that this terrible and incomprehensible punishment is not a punishment of our time, but of the distant future, near the end of the world, when the entire world will be renewed through terrible physical upheavals 44. The falling of a mountain from heaven at the sound of the second trumpet points to the heavenly origin of the punishment, that is, to the fact that it is accomplished as a providential action of Divine omnipotence and judgment. The epithets “great” and “burning with fire” require understanding as a tremendous mass of fire, which will fall from heaven in the last time. This will be an extraordinary action of Divine omnipotence, displaying its wrath over sinful humanity. From the fall of the great mountain, the waters of the entire sea will be corrupted, losing both their former appearance and former taste, and through this a third of all living things in them will die. But besides, a third of the ships on the sea will perish. This disaster too is external and physical, which will strike people through the disastrous condition of visible nature, subjected to corruption on account of their sins.

Revelation 8:10. The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third part of the rivers and on the fountains of waters. Revelation 8:11. The name of the star is “wormwood”; and a third part of the waters became wormwood, and many of the people died from the waters, because they became bitter. Revelation 8:12. The fourth Angel sounded, and a third part of the sun was struck, and a third part of the moon and a third part of the stars, so that a third part of them was darkened, and a third part of the day was not light—as also the night. The next plague also speaks of the sufferings of people through the striking of the physical nature. – At the sound of the trumpet of the third Angel, a star (named wormwood) falls from heaven, is cast down directly to the earth, and this fall must be understood in the literal sense. For the seer himself this falling star was an actual star 45, and he distinguishes it from other stars only in that it was large. But, adding to it the name “wormwood,” John gives reason to suppose that this star was upon this appearance a miraculous phenomenon and contained in its nature something more than the other stars. Therefore it is depicted as resembling a torch, fixed and burning by the action of Divine Providence. – The consequences of the star’s fall are foreshadowed in its name – wormwood, bitter herb. It can be supposed that the waters were poisoned by its bitterness not in some space of the earth, but throughout the earth, so that people of the entire universe without any exception were forced to use somewhat bitter water; this bitterness of the water, to which must be added the consequences of the preceding plagues, produced a great mortality of people. It is undoubted that all this is very difficult for us to imagine and in our present time, since we do not observe anything like it in our contemporary life. But from this it does not follow that we should refuse to understand this plague literally (Matt 19:26). This is an event of future time. After the sound of the trumpet of the fourth Angel, John in his ecstatic state of spirit observed some damage, a change for the worse in the luminaries of heaven. The darkening of a third of each luminary of heaven was not temporary, quickly stopping, but, like the plagues of the first trumpets, permanent for that future time. Apparently, the heavenly luminaries will give people light a third less than what they gave before their damage. And since a third of the light-giving ability of all the luminaries of the heavenly vault was struck, both day and night became less bright by a third of the light that belonged to them before. And in this plague we do not have anything that would be completely inadmissible and impossible. If for Egypt a plague in the form of three days of darkness was possible, then it is also possible that in the future times, as the world approaches its end, our solar day and lunar nights will be considerably darker. It can be thought that, judging by their unusualness, the impression of the plagues will be irresistible. But people will try to explain all these disastrous phenomena in nature by natural causes both to themselves and to others. Therefore, then directly news is given of new punishments of the sinful world.

Revelation 8:13. And I saw and heard one Angel flying in the midst of heaven and saying with a loud voice: woe, woe, woe to those living on the earth from the rest of the trumpet sounds of the three Angels, who will sound! The Angel, messenger of these new punishments, appears flying in mid-heaven, which means the place where the sun is at the time of its higher position. The cry of the Angel: “alas,” “woe,” brief, fragmentary and loud, entirely suits the whole setting of the apocalyptic vision. It is only necessary to awaken in the hearts of people the feeling of fear. * * * Kliefoth, Lutardt. Kliefoth. Cornel a Lapide, Suller. Kliefoth.

Chapter Nine

Vision of the locusts, their appearance from the pit of the abyss at the sound of the trumpet of the fifth Angel (1–2); the appearance of the locusts; the torment from them for people who do not have the seal of God (3–10); their king Apollyon (11). The appearance of a mounted army at the sound of the trumpet of the sixth Angel, description of the horses and their harm to the unrepentant people (12–21).

Revelation 9:1. The fifth Angel sounded, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth, and the key to the bottomless pit was given to it. At the sound of the fifth trumpet John sees a star that fell from heaven. By the words “fallen from heaven” the seer undoubtedly means to say that the fifth plague also occurs by the sending of God and at the time indicated by the will of God. This symbol becomes clear only from what follows. To the star fallen from heaven was given the key to the pit of the abyss, which is directly connected with the abyss. The very name of the abyss is an indication of the underworld, where the evil spirits are condemned to dwell. The abyss, thus, must be distinguished from Hades and from hell, the place of suffering of the dead. The abyss is the abode of demons, where they are confined and as it were locked up by a key, that is, deprived of freedom of action. By the action of Divine Providence (the fallen star) this prison is opened, and that which is inside the abyss through a well connecting the abyss with the surface of the earth receives the possibility to appear above the earth.

Revelation 9:2. It opened the bottomless pit, and smoke came out of the pit, like smoke from a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened from the smoke of the pit. The sun was darkened by the smoke that came out. It is more correct not to give independent significance to this feature of the symbolic vision, and the indication of the darkening of the sun and air should be regarded as a transition to the clarification of the subsequent.

Revelation 9:3. And from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and power was given to them, such as the earthly scorpions have. Revelation 9:4. And it was said to it, that it should not do harm to the grass of the earth, and to any greenery, and to any tree, but only to those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. Revelation 9:5. And it was given to them not to kill them, but to torment them five months; and the torment from it is like the torment from a scorpion, when it stings a man. Revelation 9:6. In those days people will seek death, but will not find it; they will desire to die, but death will flee from them. From the smoke came locusts, and the earth was to receive that which came from the abyss. Consequently, the locusts themselves, surrounded by smoke, formed that dark cloud which darkened the sun and air and which completely came from the abyss. The resemblance of the locusts of the Apocalypse to ordinary locusts does not extend beyond (except for the name) that both are a huge mass. Locusts, then, appear here only as a convenient symbol, which was used by ancient prophets and the Church Fathers of the New Testament. To these locusts was given power, such as is characteristic of scorpions, under which must be understood nothing other than the ability of scorpions to produce a very dangerous sting for the life and health of a person 46. The activity of the locusts on earth is limited by Divine will, and it is directly forbidden to cause any harm to vegetation, and is allowed to harm only people, and only those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. The locusts could not kill, but only cause torment and only for five months. Taking into account that actual locusts live no more than five summer months, it is best to consider this five-month period of activity of the locusts as an indication of an indefinite period of time for people, but determined for Divine Providence, which period will be necessary for the punishment and intimidation of sinners and for the manifestation of Divine justice before the eyes of the righteous. As an indication that both the locusts themselves and the disasters caused by them are instruments of punishment in the hands of God, serves the remark that the torment from the sting, although unbearable, is not fatal.

Revelation 9:7. In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for war; and on their heads were as it were crowns, like golden ones, and their faces were like human faces; Revelation 9:8. and they had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like those of lions. Revelation 9:9. They had breastplates, as it were iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the noise of chariots when many horses run to war; Revelation 9:10. they had tails like those of scorpions, and in their tails were stings; and their power was to harm people for five months. In its external appearance the locust resembled horses prepared for war, such preparedness being limited only to their warlike appearance. And the crowns on their heads were nothing other than those bright yellow (golden) four antennae that adorn the head of an ordinary locust 47. Obviously, as one might suppose, that which was human in the heads of the locusts was only the physiognomy (face), somewhat resembling the human, but the structure of the head itself was locust-like. The hair of the locusts was like that of a woman and was a complete opposite to its actual fierce character, which is determined by the remark that its teeth were like those of a lion. As something unexpected in the depiction of the external appearance of the locusts is its iron armor, as well as the fact that the sound of its wings resembled not the gallop of horses, but the rumble of chariots.

Revelation 9:11. They have over them a king, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek Apollyon. Revelation 9:12. One woe has passed; behold, two more woes come after it. The final characteristic of the locusts is that they had over them as king the Angel of the abyss. Here the word “angel” stands before the word “abyss,” and the latter means the abode of evil spirits. Consequently, the king over the locusts is undoubtedly a messenger of the abyss, or rather, Satan himself, to whom the title of king is most properly applied. And the name of Abaddon, which means destruction, is also apparently used here as an indication of the devil, who is the embodiment of destruction and death. In view of all this characterization of the locusts, as a punishment from God, one cannot understand them as simply a poetic-prophetic picture of human misfortunes. If the locusts are from the abyss and are under the authority of Satan, then, apparently, they are themselves – evil spirits, demons, inhabitants of the abyss. The evil spirits at the end of time, having been freed by the permission of God (Rev 20:7) from their place of confinement, that is, from the state of being bound in their actions, will appear among people for their deception and torment 48. These torments will extend to those who do not have the power to drive off demons from themselves. The very torment from demons can be understood in the sense of constant dissatisfaction, anxiety and seeking for something better, which, being instilled in people by demons (the sting of the locusts), will make human life unbearable (Rev 9:6). The anguish of the spirit will be joined with material calamity, which will become a universal misfortune of the final time. But people of piety, sealed with the seal of God, will find their woe in the world’s sorrow and in the awareness of the ruin of sinners, tempted by the devil. These disasters will not cease until the very second coming. The expression: “the first woe has passed” does not mean that after five months the future harmful activity of the devil and demons will cease. No, these disasters will not cease until the second coming of the Lord. John had in mind only himself and only insofar as he was the seer of Divine revelation. He speaks of the cessation of the first woe only in the vision, or rather, of the cessation of the vision of the first woe. He needed to say this, as he moves on to the description of the following vision, which he characterizes in advance as two woes, one after the other in their sequence.

Revelation 9:13. The sixth Angel sounded, and I heard one voice from the four horns of the golden altar, which stands before God, Revelation 9:14. saying to the sixth Angel who had the trumpet: release the four Angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates. A new woe strikes the world at the sound of the sixth trumpet. By the golden altar, as in Rev 8:3, is meant the altar of incense, which was in the sanctuary of the tabernacle; and the four horns mentioned by John should remind of the horns of that altar (Exod 27:2). The horns, generally serving as a symbol of might, being at the altar, point to God’s mercy. By the four Angels bound at the river Euphrates are meant evil Angels, and by the Euphrates river – an inaccurate geographical name of a historical locality, since this does not correspond to the bodiless nature of Angels, but is a symbol. Evil Angels – demons after the sufferings of Jesus Christ were bound by the command of God in their harmful activity. And the indication of the river Euphrates as the place of their deprivation of freedom speaks to the fact that their freedom of activity will first of all manifest itself here; here, and not in another place, will they display their harmful actions. At the Euphrates, in the impious and depraved Babylon (Rev 16:19) or in a city (and region) similar to it in its impiety, the evil Angels will for the first time before the end of the world obtain their full freedom in the midst of the impious, fallen away from Christian faith and its saving power.

Revelation 9:15. And the four Angels were released, who were prepared for the hour and day and month and year, in order to kill a third part of mankind. Revelation 9:16. The number of the cavalry army was two myriads of myriads; and I heard their number. The evil Angels will be released then, at that very hour of the day, month, and year, in which this release is appointed by Divine predetermination, that is, when the impiety among people of the final time will have reached the highest degree of its development. This time will also be the time of the coming of the antichrist. Then, by the action of evil spirits, terrible disasters will begin, which will bring about the death of many people, – a third of them, according to the expression of the Apocalypse. The selected Christians will also be subjected to these disasters of the final time equally with the impious (Matt 24:13). Disasters will come from an innumerable force, for which the four evil Angels will be only secret inspirers, not excluding its ordinary natural leaders. And the definite number of this force – two hundred million – is taken not in the sense of the exact quantity of individual soldiers, but in the sense of an indefinite indication of its enormity.

Revelation 9:17. Thus I saw in the vision the horses and those on them, who had on them breastplates of fire and hyacinth and brimstone; the heads of the horses were like heads of lions, and from their mouths came fire, smoke and brimstone. Revelation 9:18. From these three plagues, from the fire, smoke and brimstone, coming from their mouths, a third part of mankind died; Revelation 9:19. for the power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like serpents, and had heads, and with them they caused harm. These forces, of course, are not a baseless fantasy, not a symbol of an abstract concept of the destructive influence of the power of hell, but an actual army, an army of the future, and it is extraordinary only insofar as extraordinary are the attributes with which John sees it. The multicolored breastplates of the riders appeared to him in rapid interchange and as if in the alternation of one color with another. This brilliance is a reflection of that hellish flame, which was a mixture of fire, burning sulfur and smoke, spewing from the mouths of the lion-headed horses. And it becomes completely understandable how such a multitude of people could be killed 49. The killed will be a third of all people. A definite number in place of an indefinite one – in correspondence with fire, smoke and sulfur – these three instruments of killing, which were used by the horses of the numerous force. For the horses had the ability (power) to harm people (directly killing them) not only by means of their mouths, but also by means of their tails, although the harm to people through the serpent-like tails was, so to speak, only a precursor of killing and death. – How is this plague of the sixth trumpet to be understood? – This force, like the locusts, is the force of the final time, the time of the dominion of the antichrist over the world, the messenger of hell and demons. These are the internecine wars which the Savior meant (Matt 24:7) and which will be permitted by God for the testing of the world before its final judgment.

Revelation 9:20. And the rest of mankind, who did not die from these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. Revelation 9:21. And they did not repent of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their sexual immorality, nor of their thefts. John says that the rest of mankind, that is, those who remained alive after the plagues, did not repent. Here the discourse is, obviously, about the impious alone, while the righteous are passed over in silence. But they are passed over in silence only insofar as they did not need a call to repentance, although even they could be subjected to some effect of the plagues, as the Hebrews together with the Egyptians were subjected to plagues. – Among the sins is mentioned idolatry. Is it possible in the final time, when the Gospel will have been preached to every creature? Undoubtedly it is possible. Then there will be falling away from the faith; then under the influence of evil spirits there will begin a new idolatry, a new idol worship, then new gods will be invented and new idols will be set up for worship. Then the first and most widespread idol will be the idol of the antichrist (Rev 13:14). * * * Ewald, Ebrard, Kliefoth. Ewald, Suller. Andrew of Caesarea Ebrard, Suller, Kliefoth.

Chapter Ten

The vision of an Angel with an open book, description of his outward appearance and indication of his mission (1–3); the oath of the Angel (4–7), John’s receiving of the little book from the Angel, the sensation from eating it and the Angel’s explanation of this symbolic vision (8–11).

Revelation 10:1. And I saw another Angel, mighty, descending from heaven, clothed in a cloud; above his head was a rainbow, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire, Revelation 10:2. and in his hand was a little scroll opened. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the earth, Revelation 10:3. and he cried out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring; and when he cried out, the seven thunders spoke with their own voices. Revelation 10:4. And when the seven thunders had spoken with their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven, saying to me: seal up what the seven thunders said, and do not write it. Revelation 10:5. And the Angel, whom I saw standing on the sea and on the earth, raised his hand to heaven Revelation 10:6. and swore by Him Who lives forever and ever, Who created heaven and all that is in it, the earth and all that is on it, and the sea and all that is in it, that there will be time no more; In chapter 10 the direct course of revelation is interrupted, and John sees and describes one intermediate vision. – John perceives yet another Angel, whose image speaks of the fact that he is – a simple messenger of Divine will, although one of the highest messengers: he descends from heaven, as it were from God. This Angel (is clothed) surrounded by a cloud for the display of greater glory and magnitude; above his head was a rainbow, which in this case was the refraction of rays in the cloud surrounding the Angel, shining like the sun. His face was like the sun, but his feet like pillars of fire. This feature leads the thought from that of God’s goodness and mercy to the thought of God’s Divine judgment, which, passing by the pious, punishes the impious. In the hand of the Angel John noticed an open little book, the contents of which, however, was still unknown from before, but will be revealed only in the subsequent phenomena. – Sea and land – this is the entire world, before which the Angel appears with the open book as a messenger of the approaching terrible judgment. The outcry of the Angel can be understood as a signal for the further unfolding of the phenomenon. This signal can be compared to the cries of the four living creatures that sounded at the opening of the four seals. But the voices of the thunders were not simple thunder sounds, but were speech, which disclosed and communicated something that has remained unknown to us. They spoke what John heard and even wanted to record, but a voice belonging to one of the heavenly inhabitants (hardly to God Himself) forbade recording what was heard, and it remained forever unknown. These voices of the thunders, in accord with the very image of the Angel and in accordance with the content of his oath (verses 6–7), undoubtedly pertain to the end of the world, and since people have not been given to know about the last day and the day of the coming of the Lord (Matt 24:36), for them the content of the seven thunders must remain unknown. As if to strengthen the impression of the revelation of the truth about the unchangeability of God’s determination concerning the impending judgment over the world, the Angel, standing on sea and land, swears, raising his hands to heaven (Dan 12:7). The Angel swears by the One who lives forever and ever and the Creator of all. The meaning of the indication of this Divine property is that the Lord God, as an omnipotent Creator, can bring His creatures to the final goal of their existence. But the content of the oath itself is simply an indication that very soon without any delay the end of earthly time will come, or that the time of eternity is near, since near is the day of judgment 50 and of the universal upheaval.

Revelation 10:7. but in those days, when the seventh Angel will cry out, when he will sound, the mystery of God will be completed, as He announced to His servants the prophets. The mystery of God is nothing other than the determination of God concerning the administration of human salvation and the destiny of the entire world, which the Lord throughout all past time has proclaimed to his servants and prophets. This determination constitutes a mystery because it pertains to the future and because it is known to God alone how and with what glory all of this will be accomplished.

Revelation 10:8. And the voice, which I heard from heaven, began to speak to me again, and said: go, take the open scroll from the hand of the Angel, who stands on the sea and on the earth. Revelation 10:9. And I went to the Angel; and said to him: give me the scroll. He said to me: take and eat it; it will be bitter in your belly, but in your mouth it will be sweet like honey. The voice, probably belonging to some Angel, commands John to approach and take the book. At this, from the Angel holding the book, he was ordered to eat it, not to read it. This eating must be understood in the literal sense, although in the act of vision in it one must seek its spiritual significance. Namely, John was to process within himself the contents of this book and appropriate it.

Revelation 10:10. And I took the scroll from the hand of the Angel, and ate it; and it was in my mouth sweet like honey; but when I had eaten it, it became bitter in my belly. Revelation 10:11. And he said to me: you must prophesy again concerning peoples and nations and tongues and many kings. The end of verse 10 means that John was not grieved, but even rejoiced and was comforted, when he remained only with the awareness of receiving Divine revelation, which in itself, as communion with God, should be a source of sweetness and comfort. When he transferred the content of this revelation to himself and to others to whom it pertained, then his stomach was filled with bitterness, that is, his heart was filled with the feeling of compassion and sorrow 51. Now John must again prophesy, that is, receive for transmission a prophecy concerning the destiny of the entire world; he must again (further) observe the unfolding of revelation in images and pictures, which revelation will pertain to the fate of all people, both the blessed and the impious. * * * Andrew of Caesarea, Ewald, Lutardt, Suller, Kliefoth. Andrew of Caesarea

Chapter Eleven

The measuring of the temple of God, the altar and those worshipping in the temple (1–2), the appearance of two witnesses, the duration of their preaching, their might and the power of their miracles (3–6). The death of the witnesses from the beast of the abyss, the joy of sinners at this and their fear at the resurrection and ascension of the witnesses (7–12). A great earthquake (verse 13). The heavenly triumph beginning at the sound of the trumpet of the seventh Angel (14–17); explanation of the heavenly joy (18); the concluding vision of the opened temple of God (19).

Revelation 11:1. And a reed was given to me, like a rod, and it was said: arise and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. Revelation 11:2. But the outer court of the temple leave out and do not measure it, for it is given to the nations: they will trample the holy city forty-two months. The first thing in which John’s prophetic service was expressed was the given to him commission to measure the temple. A measuring rod was given to him, but by whom, John himself in his elevated and intense state did not notice: it was as if it appeared in the hand of the seer on its own. A voice, obviously belonging to the Lord Himself, commands John to rise, which was equivalent to a summons to begin an urgent action: begin, start. In accord with this summons John immediately must begin the measuring of the temple of God. This measuring has the sense of a description, a determination of boundaries for the purpose of preserving and communicating inviolability to the measured and described object. The measuring applies first of all to the temple itself, that is, to the Holy of Holies and the sanctuary, as well as the altar of burnt offering, which is taken instead of the space where it was placed, that is, the courtyard for the people. Finally, the subject of measuring should also be those worshipping in the temple. By those worshipping (in the Holy of Holies and the sanctuary) are meant only persons of priestly rank. Therefore, the measuring of the temple is necessary only insofar as through this the thought of measuring those worshipping is clarified. And the thought or purpose of this measuring is that (cf. verse 2) to separate and distinguish them from other people, – to separate the Church of Christ from the antichristian world 52. These other people are envisioned in verse 2 under the outer court, which was intended for ordinary worshippers and for proselytes. The outer court is not commanded to be measured because it is given by the permission of God to be trampled by Gentiles. Gentiles – these are all people not belonging to the number of true worshippers of the Lord God. The trampling of Gentiles, that is, of unbelievers and godless ones, of the Divine temple is to be referred to the time of the antichrist, and it means both destruction and devastation and desecration of holy places, actions closely connected with hostility to God, which will be the distinguishing characteristic of the time of the antichrist 53. The time of the dominion of those hostile to God will last 42 months. This number is repeated several times in the Apocalypse (Rev 11:3; cf. Dan 7:25), indicates the period of time of the activity of the antichrist and in accord with the teaching of the Orthodox Church is a period determined not only for Divine Providence, but also for people, that is, precisely as it is said: 42 months or 3.5 years. The vision of the measuring of the temple and those worshipping in it speaks of the separation of the Christian Church, the society of true Christians from the rest of society. Thus the holy city Jerusalem in the vision represents the entire world; the temple of God – the society of those believing in Jesus Christ. This inner temple, inner church, that is, the society of the truly faithful, will ultimately be separated; true Christians will worship God in spirit and truth. True Christians, being true priests (1 Pet 2:9), will have access to God, as true children in the house of God, as true priests in the sanctuary 54. But the outer court of the temple, that is, the unbelieving and impious world, instead of church and Christian guidance, gives itself under the guidance of its godless representatives. These will trample the outer court of the temple, that is, will destroy all that is holy and Christian in the soul and life of the sinful humanity that has submitted to them. And this will continue for all 42 months of the dominion of the antichrist until the very second coming.

Revelation 11:3. And I will give to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, being clothed in sackcloth. Revelation 11:4. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands, standing before the God of the earth. The designation of witnesses is used in the general sense of preachers of Divine truth, Christian teaching. They were prophets and preachers in the broadest sense of the word, and the purpose of their preaching was not so much the correction of the impious as the general edification and comfort of the righteous through the prediction of the coming judgment of God 55. Thus, and their clothing in sackcloth (cf. Jer 4:8; Matt 11:21) can be understood in the general meaning of the garb of preachers. The period of their preaching – 1260 days (42 months, 3.5 years) should be regarded as an indication of a definite time. The very accuracy of the expression, reaching such a small unit as a day, and such a large quantity as 1260, requires this. Two witnesses – undoubtedly two separate actual persons. Such understanding is required not only by the description of their personal characteristics, but also by their comparison with the antichrist and with his false prophet. There are two events in the Bible which have remained unexplained: namely, the denial of the fact of Enoch’s death and the taking alive to heaven of the prophet Elijah. How could these two people escape death, when it is the common lot of all humanity (Heb 9:27)? Are they not therefore those two apocalyptic witnesses who will come at the end of time? 56 The fact that some features of the depiction of the witnesses (the shutting of heaven, the bringing forth of fire from their mouths) seem to be taken from the historical personality of the prophet Elijah speaks in favor of this. In favor of this interpretation speaks, finally, the authority of ancient patristic interpretations (St. Hippolytus, St. Ephrem the Syrian, St. John of Damascus, St. Andrew of Caesarea). In the subsequent verses are revealed more in detail some features of the life and activity of the witnesses. They are – two olive trees and two lampstands (Zech 4:2-3). This speaks of their special endowment with Divine gifts, by virtue of which they appear as mighty and authoritative preachers of Divine truth and enlightenment. They thus stand before God, that is, are sent, appointed by God to be His witnesses before men (“earth”), living in all the universe, before all humanity.

Revelation 11:5. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies; if anyone wants to harm them, he is bound to be killed. Revelation 11:6. They have power to shut up heaven, so that no rain falls on the earth during the days of their prophecy, and have power over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, whenever they wish. By the fire from the mouths of the witnesses (cf. Rev 1:16) can be understood the special miraculous power of their words. The one who will not accept their preaching of repentance and even dares to show himself so stubborn as to decide to cause them harm will destroy himself, as one rejecting the word of God. The power to perform miracles, this might of the witnesses will continue through all the days of their prophetic ministry, through all 1260 days; and only then, when the witnesses complete their work of testimony, having done all that was appointed to them by God, will the time of their might and safety also end.

Revelation 11:7. And when they finish their testimony, the beast coming out of the abyss will make war against them, and will overcome them, and will kill them, Revelation 11:8. and their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Revelation 11:9. And many from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their bodies to be placed in tombs. Revelation 11:10. And those living on the earth will rejoice over this and will make merry, and will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those living on the earth. The expression of the power of evil (in the struggle against good – the witnesses) and its representative, according to the depiction in the Apocalypse, will be the beast coming from the abyss. The designation of the beast as coming from the abyss gives opportunity to come closer to understanding this apocalyptic image. Earlier, Rev 9:1-11, John spoke of the abyss and of an Angel of the abyss. This beast from the abyss – it is the same Angel of the abyss, the same Apollyon – the destroyer, the only difference being in the time of their appearance, their activity on earth. Under it one must see the devil; and if the designation of the beast can be applied also to the antichrist, then only in the sense and meaning that this latter will receive his power and authority on earth from the devil, and in particular his victory over the witnesses from the devil, (Rev 13:2 – the dragon-beast). In the vision under consideration is depicted not the very person of the antichrist (about him there will be discourse later, in Rev 13), but only his deed, which in reality will be the deed of the devil. And therefore the significance of the antichrist in the society of that time will be so great that the killing by him of the holy witnesses will not only not be condemned, but fully approved, and their bodies will be cast into mockery on the streets of the city. This city is the future kingdom of antichristianity, the ancient historical Jerusalem, because the antichrist, intending to overthrow Christianity, will naturally strive to act in those places which are especially sacred for Christians. Such understanding is in accord with the designation of the city as Sodom and Egypt, and the word “prophetically” indicates that this city in its religious and moral, “prophetic” state is like Sodom and Egypt. In the same way the final characteristic of the city: “where also their Lord was crucified” is an indication of the actual historical Jerusalem, which will also be the place of death of the two witnesses of the final time. The people will rejoice at their death for a period of 3.5 days (longer than the usual time for burial) not only the inhabitants of the city as adherents of the antichrist, but also those living outside the city of Jerusalem. The reason for the joy of the impious will undoubtedly be contained in the fact that the preaching of the witnesses disturbed the complete peace of their sinful complacency and troubled them with those plagues which struck all who dared to offend the righteous.

Revelation 11:11. But after three and a half days the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they both stood on their feet; and great fear fell on those who looked at them. Both the death and the revival of the witnesses were not apparent, but actual events for those who observed their dead bodies; and their rising from the dead was a proof of God’s omnipotence, of which they were servants. At the same time, the ascension of the witnesses to heaven was an indication of the extraordinary unlawfulness revealed in their killing. Therefore, it is said that their enemies were seized with great fear, for they saw an actual miracle of God 57.

Revelation 11:12. And they heard a loud voice from heaven, saying to them: come up here. And they went up to heaven on a cloud; and their enemies looked at them. Revelation 11:13. And in that same hour a great earthquake occurred, and a tenth part of the city fell, and seven thousand names of men were killed in the earthquake; and the rest were seized with fear and gave glory to the God of heaven. The earthquake that followed the ascension of the witnesses, the destruction of a tenth of the city and the death of seven thousand people point to the beginning of those terrible disasters that must follow soon. The numbers 10 and 7 are taken here as customary numbers of Holy Scripture. The earthquake and its consequences can be considered a punishment of the impious as a just retribution for their lawlessness and impenitence. The punishment was so obvious that the rest of the people, that is, those who remained alive among the corpses and ruins of the city, were seized with fear and gave glory to God. But since here the discourse is about the impious, under fear must be seen not repentance and conversion to God, but simple fear, not promising reform.

Revelation 11:14. The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe comes soon. Revelation 11:15. And the seventh Angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying: the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever. Revelation 11:16. And the twenty-four elders, who sit before God on their thrones, fell on their faces and bowed down to God, Revelation 11:17. saying: we thank You, Lord God Almighty, Who are and were and are to come, that You have taken Your great power and begun to reign. The third and final woe is not unfolded in detail in the second series of apocalyptic visions. The seer is only pointed forward to this woe (verse 18), and the series ends with the depiction of a vision of the heavenly inhabitants and the heavenly temple. – At the sound of the trumpet of the seventh Angel the seer heard new loud heavenly sounds and voices – probably those very ones which always resounded around the throne of God and which belonged to the four seraphim – the living creatures (Rev 4:8), Angels (Rev 5:11) and the multitude of the holy glorified (Rev 7:9). The voices said that in place of the kingdom of the world there came the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the kingly power 58 (dominion) of the antichrist over the world has ceased.

Revelation 11:18. And the nations raged; and Your wrath came, and the time to judge the dead and to give reward to Your servants, the prophets and saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth. To these voices the elders joined themselves, who in their praise, calling the Lord God the Almighty, add yet another epithet: “who are and who were, because you have taken your great power.” – In accordance with this the elders further point to the fact that for all the evil deeds and intentions of the impious, for their impenitence and stubbornness, the punishing wrath of God falls upon them. The expression of theirs: “judging the dead” can be understood as equivalent to the expression: the time of resurrection and judgment has come – a judgment not only over the dead, but also over the living, over both the righteous and sinners, destroying the earth with their sins and abuses.

Revelation 11:19. And the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple; and there came lightnings and voices, and thunders and an earthquake and great hail. And the mysterious vision of the opened temple and the ark of the covenant standing within it speaks of the future most perfect union of God with people. Just as (in the vision) the temple (the Holy of Holies), previously inaccessible, became accessible, and the ark of the covenant, previously hidden and invisible, became visible, so also for the righteous and perfect people after the terrible judgment will become accessible the most intimate communion with God, the most intimate and inner union 59. The revelation of this mystery was accompanied by lightning (a threat of judgment), voices and thunders (an indication of the judgment itself), an earthquake (a symbol of change of things) and great hail (the terrible consequences of judgment) 60. * * * Pare. Andrew of Caesarea, Kliefoth, Krementz. Andrew of Caesarea Andrew of Caesarea, Primasius, Calmet, Lutardt. Cornel a Lapide, Krementz. Kliefoth, Ewald. Hengstenberg, Kliefoth, Ebrard. Andrew of Caesarea Pare. Hengstenberg.

Chapter Twelve

A vision of a woman clothed in the sun and the moon, crowned with twelve stars, and crying out from the pangs of childbirth (1–2); the appearance of a dragon with seven heads and ten horns (3–4); the birth of a child and the woman’s flight into the wilderness for 1260 days (5–6). A war between good and evil angels, the casting down of the latter from heaven, and heavenly joy over this (7–11). A warning to those living on earth concerning the devil, who began to persecute the woman, whom the earth saved (12–16); persecution of Christians by the dragon (17).

Revelation 12:1. And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed in the sun; beneath her feet was the moon, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Before the eyes of the seer a great sign appeared in heaven. “Appeared” is used in the sense of “came into view,” “suddenly became visible.” A sign is such a symbol, such a symbolic manifestation, which has significance not only with respect to the purpose for which it was employed, but also in itself and by itself (2 Cor 12:12). The sign is of heavenly origin and must be understood and received as a special mode of revelation of God’s will. This sign is a woman.—The most correct opinion, which is accepted by the majority of interpreters, is the understanding of the image of the woman to represent the Christian Church in her entirety throughout the whole course of her history, from the first days of the apostles and ending at the time of the reign of antichrist. The woman is precisely the holy and glorious Church of Christ, as she was from her very beginning and as she must remain until the end of the world,—the triumphant Church, the Church of all who sanctifies all by divine grace, the Church, as the faithful bride, existing in an indissoluble marriage covenant with the Lord Jesus Christ and constantly giving birth to new children not only through the conversion of the unbelieving, but also through the sacraments of baptism and repentance.—The woman’s garment of the sun is an expression of the highest glory, purity, and perfection of the woman—the Church. The moon beside the woman—with the same purpose, that is, to give her greater light and greater splendor, to more clearly show her glorification and her closeness to heaven. The stars surrounding the woman’s head serve this same purpose, in the form of (not a diadem) a crown, indicating that her glory is the result of her victory, her personal worthiness. And the fact that this crown consists precisely of twelve stars clearly indicates that Christ’s Church is adorned by the twelve apostles.

Revelation 12:2. She was with child, and she cried out in travail and in pain of childbirth. Revelation 12:3. And another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. Revelation 12:4. His tail swept down a third part of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, in order that when she gives birth, he might devour her child. The woman was with child and cried out because the time of her labor had come. These sufferings—the pangs and labors of the Christian Church—are those which she experiences in the birth—the acquisition—of each new member, in the conversion of those who are lost, in the repentance of the sinner 61, and apply generally throughout all the time of the existence of Christ’s Church. John also sees the sign of the dragon in heaven, which means only that its image was seen on the heavenly vault, where the image of the woman also appeared. The dragon, being a sea monster (Isa 27:1), became a symbol depicting earthly power, the ruler of the world. For this reason, the devil, as the prince of this world, appears in the Apocalypse under the image of the dragon. This is confirmed by Rev 12:9, where the great dragon is directly named by his name, as the devil and Satan 62. And the further characteristics by which John describes the dragon can only be applied to the devil and his struggle with the Christian Church.—The red, fiery color of the dragon indicates chiefly that the devil is the common instigator of wrath and evil on earth and will remain so until the end; the color of fire also signifies the power of the destructive and ruinous nature of the devil’s being.—The heads of the devil—the dragon—signify his devilish wisdom, the wisdom of this age, and the ten horns signify his power as the ruler of all the world. The diadems point to the same, as a royal head ornament.—The tail of the devil—this is the manifestation of his essence and sinful will, an example of his sinful deed. Therefore, the heavenly stars are the heavenly host, transcendent creatures, angels, whom the devil drew after himself by his example, and not only does he himself fall away from God through his sinfulness and disobedience, but he also impels others as well. Following him, they leave their heavenly dwelling, their moral closeness to the Lord God, and devote all their strength to spreading evil and sin on earth among people. The mention of a third part speaks not of an exact mathematical number, but of a sufficiently large number, although smaller than that which remained faithful to the Lord.—If by the woman we must understand the Christian Church in her ideal, then the position of the devil before her must be viewed as a preparation for him to enter into open combat with her; and his intention to devour the future child can be understood in the sense of causing corruption and moral destruction.

Revelation 12:5. And she gave birth to a male child, who was to rule all the nations with an iron rod; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. By the birth of the child is meant the birth of Christ in the hearts of believers. The Church always experiences the pangs of childbirth in the nurturing and building of saints. The Church gives birth to, acquires each believer; she nurtures the heart of the believer and guides him. These faithful children of the Church have always existed and will continue to exist, and the Church has always labored and, as it were, suffered the pains of childbirth in building them up. But these children will be more perfect at the end of the world, at the time of antichrist. Then these perfected members (children) of the Church will enjoy special divine protection in their struggle with the devil-dragon. The Lord will catch them up to His throne, that is, will draw them near to His grace and mercy and help them not only to remain themselves at a high moral level, but also to influence others through this. The moral power of such holy people as it is now, and especially in the last time, will be so great that it can be likened to the iron rod of a shepherd tending nations. Even now, in our time, the Church gives birth to sons—men, but they, with an average level of piety, are not so conspicuous. In the last time, with the increase of impiety, with the strengthening of antichristianity, they will have to distinguish themselves not only before the impious, but also before the pious, and as a result of intensified struggle, will become especially perfected and glorified in virtues. Naturally, then the force of impiety will fall upon the Church, striving to end its development and even its very existence as a Christian religion through the distortion of its dogmas and discipline by means of deception, fraud, and violence.

Revelation 12:6. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she was given a place from God, in order that she be nourished there for a thousand two hundred and sixty days. From the fate of the son John turns to the fate of the mother—the woman. Her flight into the wilderness must likewise be understood in a figurative sense. The wilderness, in correspondence with the symbolic image of the woman representing the Christian ideal Church, can be a symbol of the absence of favorable spiritual and physical conditions of life. The Christian Church is a heavenly child; on earth she has only a temporary dwelling, and her homeland is in heaven. Nevertheless, she is destined to live on earth. But since earthly conditions do not correspond to her nature and cannot satisfy her needs, it is natural that she must live among them as though in a wilderness: she must seek heavenly manna and miraculous water. The Church, if she wishes to remain holy and glorious, must renounce the temptations and flee from the devil, flee into the wilderness, that is, renouncing purely earthly pleasures and glory, live in this world as though in a wilderness. The Christian Church lives and, as it were, does not live on earth: she lives as though in a wilderness, for she sustains her existence not by bread alone, but by every word coming forth from the mouth of God (Matt 4:4). In such a state the Christian Church, nourished and sustained by God, will remain for 1260 days. This number can be viewed both as an indication of the divine decree, and as an indication of the days of the reign of antichrist, when the Christian Church in particular will have to be persecuted; then particularly difficult times will come for her.

Revelation 12:7. And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his Angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought against them, Revelation 12:8. but they did not prevail, and a place was not found for them in heaven any longer. Immediately after the snatching away of the son—the male—to the divine throne, between the enraged dragon, frustrated in his attempt, and the heavenly forces, a battle took place. It appeared to John to be taking place on the heavenly vault and had the appearance of a battle between Michael and the angels on one side and between the dragon and his angels on the other. Michael is an angel, one of the created spirits near the Lord God (Dan 10:13; Jude 1:9). Michael, as the commander-in-chief of the heavenly forces (cf. Josh 5:13-16), as their leader, stands at their head as the defender of good, righteousness, and the welfare of all humanity, especially of Christians as the spiritual Israel, the people of God in the fullest sense 63. Thus, the battle appears to be taking place between good and evil heavenly forces. It ended with the evil angels along with their leader, the dragon—the devil—being defeated, and there being no longer any place for them in heaven. Since it was only through the redemptive merits of Christ the Savior that an end was put to the former access of the devil to heaven and to a certain equal position among the good angels, this battle and victory must be attributed to the time when Christ’s blood was shed,—to the time of the establishment of the New Covenant. The angels in heaven first of all made use of the fruits of this sacrifice and finally cast the devil out from among themselves, and after them and together with them the true Christians have done and continue to do the same (1 John 5:4).

Revelation 12:9. And the great dragon was cast down, the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. Revelation 12:10. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: now has come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been cast down, who accused them before our God day and night. The dragon is named the ancient serpent in the sense of an indication of the first human sin, for which the evil spirit was responsible when he entered the serpent and deceived Eve. His further names—devil and Satan—are synonymous and mean slanderer and adversary. Before, the dragon-devil, making use of free access to the heavenly throne, slandered all people and deceived the whole world. Now he is cast down from heaven together with his angels and, consequently, has lost one of his former privileges. But he still retains the possibility of deceiving the whole world.—A loud voice is not a single voice, but as it were a united chorus; and in this common glorification of God participated both angels and elders, and glorified people. They glorify God for salvation, as the work of God’s mercy, for the establishment of God’s kingdom and the power of Jesus Christ as the redeemer and God-man. The motivation for glorification is the casting down of the slanderer, that is, the devil, when he no longer has his former access to the Lord and when the people themselves felt in themselves the strength necessary for struggle with him.

Revelation 12:11. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and did not love their lives even to death. Now all people, or more correctly, all Christians can conquer the devil. The instrument of victory for them is the blood of the Lamb. But Christians conquer the devil also by the word of their testimony, that is, by following the teaching of Jesus Christ, by a life in which their faith in Him is clearly expressed 64; they disregard even their own earthly life (soul), preferring rather to die than to renounce their faith.

Revelation 12:12. Therefore rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! Woe to the earth and the sea! because the devil has come down to you in great rage, knowing that he has but a short time. Such a change in people’s relationship to the slanderer devil filled the whole world with joy; and therefore the heavenly glorification invites the heavens and those dwelling in them to rejoice and be glad, that is, the inhabitants of heaven and true Christians, living by heavenly rather than earthly interests. But woe is proclaimed to those living on earth exclusively by earthly interests. This woe consists in the fact that the devil, cast out from heaven, will now rage with special force, for, according to the signs of the times, he will understand the shortness of the remaining time for his criminal activity.

Revelation 12:13. When the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he began to pursue the woman who had given birth to the male child. Revelation 12:14. And there were given to the woman two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly into the wilderness to her place from the face of the serpent, and there be nourished for a time, times and half a time. Having described the heavenly defeat of the dragon-devil and the heavenly joy over this event, John (verse 13) returns again to the woman’s flight (Rev 12:6) and supplements its description with some new features. The woman is saved to the wilderness by means of two wings of the great eagle. These wings, necessary for the woman to flee quickly from the dragon, have symbolic significance just as the woman herself does. The Lord God takes (cf. Exod 19:4; Deut 32:11) His Church under His protection and gives her two wings of His all-powerfulness and goodness. The Christian Church, making use of the Old Testament law and New Testament grace, is able to achieve the perfection of its members. And in the wilderness of the world amid the conditions of life, even in the times of antichrist, Christians can and must withdraw from the temptations of the world and strive toward the heavenly. This means the Church (Christians) flees into the wilderness to their place not so much to secure themselves from the persecution of the dragon, but in order to be nourished for the course of 3.5 years, to live an elevated life, making use of the teaching and sacraments given by the Lord God. The period of 3.5 years (cf. Dan 7:25) is most closely related to the last time of antichrist, the time of the preaching activity of the two witnesses (Rev 11:3), although the woman’s flight into the wilderness signifies her constant relationship to the earthly conditions of life. One can reason this way because the antichristian time of 3.5 years must be received as typical, when it will be especially noticeable that what occurs to a greater extent happens always.

Revelation 12:15. And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water like a river, in order to sweep her away by the river. Seeing the woman fleeing away, the dragon, to destroy her, poured water after her from his mouth. The image is taken from nature: a serpent, when stinging, emits poison. By water one must understand also military force, armies, as well as all violence and all deception and cunning that have ever been and will be employed by the enemies of the Church against her.

Revelation 12:16. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon had cast out of his mouth. The woman was aided not by heaven, but by the earth, which swallowed the water. This indicates that the history of the Christian Church, in spite of all the efforts of her enemy, the devil, will proceed on its path, outlined for her by God. The very conditions of life in which she will find herself at one time or another, the various governmental and social upheavals will naturally and truly save the Church from the extremes of disasters, oppression, and violence. The Christian Church was and will be inaccessible to the devil, like the apocalyptic woman who fled into the wilderness and is inaccessible to the dragon.

Revelation 12:17. And the dragon was enraged at the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her offspring, those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. The rest mentioned by the Apocalypse, being the seed of the woman, are, consequently, also children of the Christian Church 65, but different from those of her children who are understood under the image of the male child-son, and are the chosen and perfected; these are her ordinary children, simple believers, people of the world and worldly activity. They may fall and sin, but they can also repent and receive forgiveness of sins. John is revealed (1 Sam 19:18) that such believers exist, that they are known not only by God and the Church, but also by the devil, who has not left them in peace and who arranges his schemes against them (Eph 5:15). And the Church, being a common mother, should equally care for them; and if she herself is maintained by her perfected members in her purity, she should not forget the imperfect, who need her support, for the devil’s malice is also directed against them. * * * St. Hippolytus, Primasius, Kliefoth. St. Victorinus, Andrew of Caesarea, Hengstenberg, Kliefoth and others. Kliefoth. Ewald. Andrew of Caesarea, Cornelius a Lapide, Yakovlev, Omerlev and others.

Chapter Thirteen

A vision of two beasts. A description of the beast from the sea with seven heads and ten horns; a mortally wounded and healed head; the worship of it by people and its blasphemy (1–6). Its struggle with the holy and worship by people not belonging to the Kingdom of God (7–9). A call to patience (10). A beast on the earth with two horns (11); its miracles and deceptive activity (12–16). The imposition of a mark on people in the form of the number 666.

Revelation 13:1. And I stood on the sand of the sea, and I saw coming out of the sea a beast with seven heads and ten horns: on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. Revelation 13:2. The beast, which I saw, was like a leopard; his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. The first verse should be accepted as an indication of a new scene of vision, a new manifestation before the eyes of the seer, in a completely new setting. John sees a beast coming out of the sea, not out of the abyss, as in Rev 11:7. Obviously, here it is a different being. The beast of chapter 13 is a completely independent symbolic image (cf. Dan 7:3-7). The very term “beast” is used here in the sense of such an animal in which the properties of cruelty and bloodthirstiness are especially prominent. It comes out of the sea, which in the language of Scripture is very often used in the sense of a multitude of peoples, moreover peoples who are restless, turbulent, and hostile toward the Kingdom of God, toward the people of God (Ps 93:3; Isa 8:7-8; Jer 46:7). On this basis, the symbol of the beast coming out of the sea should be understood as depicting a being that emerges from the midst of the sinful, godless human world. Thus, the beast of chapter 13 is the antichrist, who, according to the belief of the Orthodox Church, will be the final representative and embodiment of the godless devilish power, the king of the antichristian kingdom. The further characteristics of the described beast symbolically show us how and through whom the devil acted in former times, and how and through whom he will act in the last times.—A beast in Scripture serves usually as a symbol of a kingdom, and the head of a beast—as an indication of a king standing at the head of a kingdom. Therefore, and in accordance with Rev 17:10, the image of a beast with seven heads is only a method of apocalyptic revelation of the truth, and by the heads one must understand kings and kingdoms in their sequence. The kingdoms represented by the seven heads of the beast are, obviously, those kingdoms and nations that were hostile to the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth and dangerous to the people of God. The seer himself does not give any solution to the question of these kingdoms. Obviously, both for him and essentially, it is important not what specific kingdoms manifested the godless power of the devil. More important is that this devilish power, the power of the prince of this world, will manifest itself as such even in the last times, and moreover, so that its previous manifestations would as it were enter into the general composition; and all the evil that was partially manifested in the world in the person of those or other kingdoms and rulers who warred against God’s Kingdom on earth will manifest itself in all its fullness in the person of the king of the final kingdom, in the person of antichrist, the beast with seven heads.—In speaking of the ten horns of the beast, St. John does not indicate how they were arranged. He wishes to show that the beast’s horns belonged not to any one head, but to the whole beast, to all the heads together and to each separately. A horn is a well-known symbol in Scripture of power and might, and ten horns, as a number of fullness, thus speaks of the highest strength and might of the antichrist beast. And if at any time these ten horns mean something definite, that is, ten kings with their kingdoms, then only in the last time, in the days of antichrist. The diadems above the beast’s horns, as royal head ornaments, likewise speak of the royal power of the antichrist beast, of his right to rule the world, which right he will receive from the dragon-devil (verse 2). Such an origin of the beast’s power will naturally be reflected in its relationship to God: we see on the beast’s heads blasphemous names, of which there were obviously several. The meaning is that the beast, as an instrument of the devil’s activity, becomes so permeated with godless aspirations that it will be, as it were, marked on its forehead with that internal essence which will be self-exaltation and blasphemy 66. This was also predicted by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians (2 Thess 2:4; cf. Dan 7:8). To indicate the destructiveness and harmfulness of the beast’s activity, it is ascribed the properties not of one, but of three beasts: a leopard (cunning), a bear (persistence), and a lion (arrogance and greedy love of power); all this together speaks of treachery and cruelty. The dragon, that is, the devil, gives this beast his power, his throne, and great authority. The power of the devil is those natural forces and abilities that belong to him as a black and higher divine creature. The throne of the devil is the whole world, which Scripture calls him the prince of. The Lord permits the devil to use power over the world, though only insofar as the world itself, as lying in evil, permits the devil to rule over it (1 John 5:19).

Revelation 13:3. And I saw that one of his heads seemed to have been mortally wounded, but his mortal wound was healed. And the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast, and they bowed down to the dragon, who had given power to the beast. In describing the beast as it came out of the sea, John further draws attention to a change that occurred in its image.—The beast’s head was mortally wounded already as it came out of the sea. Now John observes only the fact that this wound is healing before his eyes.—This symbol of the slain and then healed head must be interpreted not with respect to one particular head of the beast, but with respect to the whole beast. Therefore, the mortal wound of the head must be identified with the non-existence of the beast Rev 17:11, and the healing—with its appearance again. The heads of the beast are the capacity of the beast and its inspirer—the devil—to tempt and deceive the world; therefore, the mortal wound of the head signifies a temporary loss of this capacity or its weakening. But the head was only mortally wounded, not separated and destroyed, and consequently, the capacity of the beast to destroy was not wholly taken from it, but only deprived of the ability to manifest itself in its former strength. Thus, the wounded head will signify that during the preceding time the devil was deprived of some of his freedom in godless activity. But by God’s permission, this freedom will return to him. In the person of antichrist, this beast with all seven heads, he will begin to act with special might and energy. The wound was inflicted on the devil by Christianity, which protected Christians from the devil’s deception and gave them the strength to resist his schemes in the name of Jesus Christ and through the power of the life-giving cross. But when apostasy from the divine truth occurs in the Christian world, then the devil will regain his former freedom. His head will heal and he will manifest his activity to the same degree as it manifested itself in idolatry and persecution of Christians. Such a return of the former devilish strength and influence, and of the former forms of this influence, will truly be amazing (Rev 13:4-8). And this amazement will lead the earth, that is, those living on it, to direct worship of the dragon, who gave power to the beast. It is not indicated here that people of that time will distinguish between the beast, that is, antichrist, and the dragon, that is, the devil, and the expression of worship of the dragon speaks only of that objective fact, that the veneration of the beast will in reality be the veneration of the dragon; for the antichrist beast will have strength and significance only insofar as he receives them from the devil-dragon.

Revelation 13:4. and they bowed down to the beast, saying: who is like the beast? and who is able to make war with it? Revelation 13:5. And there was given to it a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and authority was given to it to act for forty-two months. People will worship the beast not merely as one bows before people worthy of respect and wonder, but will worship him as a god. They will place him above all doubt, and incomparableness and complete perfection is an attribute of the divine (cf. 2 Thess 2:4). The further characteristics of the beast’s description even more bring him close to that antichrist of whom the Apostle Paul speaks (2 Thess 2:4) and the prophet Daniel (Dan 7:7) and who will be an obedient instrument in the hands of the devil, the spirit of pride and malice. The arrogance of antichrist, according to the word of the Savior, will be expressed in the fact that he will not acknowledge himself as anyone’s messenger, but will come on his own (John 5:43). The activity of the antichrist-beast will be only by God’s permission and even by God’s direct action (“to him were given…”). Therefore, this reign of blasphemy and godlessness in the world will last for 42 months. This period must be identified with the forty-two months of the trampling of Jerusalem by the nations (Rev 11:2) and with the 3.5 years of the woman’s concealment from the dragon in the wilderness (Rev 12:6). Both the holy fathers and teachers of the Church (St. Irenaeus, Cyril of Jerusalem, John Chrysostom, the blessed Jerome and others) definitely affirmed that antichrist will reign for three and a half years. But even in this brief period, antichrist, with the help of the devil, will accomplish his work, and the world will sufficiently show its readiness for judgment, as it will reach the extreme development of its impiety by that time and will itself receive the antichrist as the embodiment and representative of its impiety.

Revelation 13:6. And he opened his mouth to blaspheme God, to blaspheme His name and His dwelling place and those who dwell in heaven. Revelation 13:7. And it was given to him to make war on the saints and to overcome them; and authority was given to him over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. Revelation 13:8. And all who dwell on the earth will bow down to him, those whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb, who was slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:9. He who has an ear, let him hear. Revelation 13:10. He who leads into captivity will himself go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must himself be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the saints Since the antichrist will strive to present himself as god, it will, by the force of circumstances, even be necessary for him to disparage and blaspheme all that people previously held to be God, the divine and holy. He will blaspheme God, Jesus Christ, and His work of redemption; he will blaspheme heaven, God’s dwelling, the place of God’s throne; he will blaspheme those dwelling in heaven—the holy angels and the glorified saints. The antichrist will use all devilish schemes to deceive believers and all means of violence. His power will be so great that it will extend to all living on earth, both the pious and the impious. And all will worship him whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb. This Book of the Lamb is the same as Rev 21:27. The addition of the definition of the Lamb indicates that the salvation of the pious from the machinations of the devil and antichrist depends entirely on faith in Jesus Christ and on hope in God’s mercy. After a detailed description of the antichrist beast and those terrible and sad consequences caused by his reign, the revelation turns to a call for attentiveness. For the pious, this call contains comfort and encouragement and at the same time a call to patience, to the intensification of the labors of watchfulness and piety; for the impious, this call contains a threat of divine retribution, which, sooner or later, but always surely, takes its place. The antichrist beast will go into captivity, will be deprived of freedom and cast into the fiery lake (Rev 20:15); as he killed with the sword, destroyed and laid waste, so he himself will be destroyed by the sword coming forth from the mouth of God, will be destroyed by the breath of the Lord’s mouth (2 Thess 2:8). From this believers can draw comfort and encouragement for themselves. The word “here” indicates that it is precisely now, in the days of antichristian violence, that special endurance is needed, and also that in all that has been said are in mind the endurance and faith of only true Christians 67. To explain the fact of the particular success of the antichrist’s activity among human society, before the seer’s vision is opened a picture of a new manifestation—the second beast.—This beast comes out of the earth, while the first came out of the sea. Consequently, it, as coming out of the earth, will be a representative of all that comprises the property of the earth and all earthly culture, as it is worked out by a long history of human society and that materialism which reduces everything to the action of natural forces, leaving no place for spirit and God. In accordance with the indication of the Apocalypse itself (Rev 16:13), interpreters regard this beast as a false prophet acting simultaneously with the first beast—antichrist (cf. Matt 24:23-26). As the first beast from the sea is the person of antichrist—the man of sin, the king of the final time—so too the second beast from the earth is also a person, though different from antichrist, but closely connected with him both in time and in the purpose of their activity. The second beast will be a false prophet in the broad sense of this word, namely, as a proclaimer to people of the will of antichrist, who came by the action and will of the devil.

Revelation 13:11. And I saw another beast coming out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. Revelation 13:12. It exercises all the authority of the first beast before him and makes the whole earth and those who dwell in it bow down to the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed; The resemblance of the second beast to the Lamb must be limited only to the appearance of the horns 68. The force of the characterization lies in the fact that the beast by its horns is not altogether like the Lamb, but only resembles it. The beast from the earth has only two horns (the Lamb has seven horns), which, signifying its lesser might, distinguishes it both from the Lamb and from the dragon and the beast. It can only be a servile force in relation to the dragon and the beast; but in relation to the Lamb, it can only be a deceiver, covering itself with an outward appearance. Its inner nature and the purpose of its appearance, as completely opposite to the nature of the Lamb and His relationship to the world, are clearly indicated in the final words of the verse: “it spoke like a dragon.” Its words are words of cunning and seduction, and their purpose will be the seduction and destruction of people (Matt 7:15). And in this it will be an executor of another’s will and desire, which is clearly shown by the expression “on its behalf.” Acting as a servant of the antichrist beast, the false prophet will make all the earth and all people bow before this latter. In Rev 13:8 it was said that the antichrist will be worshiped by all living on earth whose names are not written in the book of life, that is, all people except the chosen and perfected Christians. Here (verse 12) the same thing is said, only the agent accomplishing this deed is shown to be a new person—the false prophet.

Revelation 13:13. and it performs great signs, so that it even brings down fire from heaven to the earth before people. Thus, all the activity of the false prophet will be directed toward increasing the power and influence of antichrist over the world. For this purpose, he will perform great signs, which will in any case be natural and actual facts, actual, not seeming miracles, though performed by devilish power 69. And if these miracles can be called false for some reason, it is only because they will be performed for the purpose of deception, fraud, and lawless suggestions. Such, for example, will be the miracle of bringing fire down from heaven, which he will perform in opposition to the miracle of the two witnesses (Rev 11:5), who brought fire from their mouths, and which will be “before people,” that is, with the character of being shown, public, and with the purpose of making an impression on people (cf. 1 Sam 18:38; 2 Sam 1:10).

Revelation 13:14. And by the wonders which it is given to perform before the beast, it deceives those who dwell on the earth, saying to those who dwell on the earth to make an image of the beast, which has a wound from a sword and lives. The false prophet, as a certain person, by means of his preaching and miracles will incline people not only to honor the antichrist beast itself, but even to make his images and to bow before them. This feature of the false prophet’s activity indicates that the antichrist kingdom of the final time will be characterized by religiousness and will have as its goal the proclamation of a new religion. The new religion will be the opposite of Christianity—antichristianity; then people will believe in the antichrist himself, who will declare himself to be God. He will demand divine honors for himself, will demand special worship and veneration of his images (cf. Dan 3).

Revelation 13:15. And it was given to him to give spirit to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast could both speak and cause those to be killed who would not bow down to the image of the beast. In the final time of the world, there will be something special for the testing of Christian faith. The statue of the antichrist beast will speak and will give the order to kill everyone who does not worship before it and before other images of the beast. This means that then a complete and universal persecution will be declared against every other religion except the religion of antichristianity. Then, by the action of Satan, a miracle with the statue will be possible, as it will be possible for the false prophet to bring fire down from heaven.

Revelation 13:16. And he will cause all, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, The mark of the beast may remind one of the custom of the ancient Romans, who sometimes burned the names of their commanders on the hands and foreheads of their soldiers, and slaves (voluntarily or by force)—the names of their masters. The mark of the antichristian name will be violence and absolute constraint only for the saints, for those who refuse to worship the beast and his statues. Anyone who decides to refuse to receive the mark will thereby subject themselves to complete social isolation and helplessness. In this, there is undoubtedly a powerful means to incline all the faint-hearted and weak to recognize the power of antichrist and to achieve the goal of the deception of people. The mark was twofold. But since according to the Hebrew and Greek custom of that time letters of the alphabet very often served as numerals, so that a certain combination of letters gave one or another name or the corresponding number, and vice versa, the number and the name with respect to the beast are one and the same and serves as a definition of his person, by which he will be known among the people of that time. The seer did not name this very name directly; he indicated only the corresponding number, leaving it to human wisdom to uncover the true name of antichrist.—“Here,” that is, in the revealing of this mysterious name and its meaning, wisdom is needed, special concentration of the mind.

Revelation 13:17. and that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Revelation 13:18. Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six. This is both difficult and easy. It is difficult because it requires moral perfection; but it is easy because, on the one hand, the very circumstances of that time 70 will help this, and on the other hand, the number of the beast, which must be counted, is the number of a human, that is, the number 71 that makes up a human name, in the usual meaning and significance of the human name. One must find such a human name that by the sum of its letters, converted to numerals, gives the sum of 666.—It was by no means through anything other than all kinds of strains that opinions were held which thought they saw in the antichrist, for example, Muhammad, Patriarch Nikon, Napoleon, and other historical persons. History in its past has not yet given us the antichrist beast, and therefore the past cannot indicate his name or the number of his name. But one cannot give the number 666 exclusively symbolic significance either. In resolving the question of the number of the beast, one must pay special attention to the fact that in the text the number of the beast is deliberately repeated as equivalent to the number of his name. And if so, there is no basis for paying exclusive attention only to the number and not to both the number and the name. It is necessary, identifying the name of the beast and the number of his name, to relate them to the antichrist as his personal name. In any case, that true name of antichrist, which gives the sum of 666, together with other signs will belong to his historical person, as she is depicted according to the prophecy of St. John, the Apostle Paul, and the prophet Daniel. John did not name this name now, but not because he wanted to create a riddle through it, but because knowledge of this name now is unnecessary, for it is useless. It will be necessary and useful only in the final time, when that person appears who will bear this name. In accordance with the words of Jesus Christ: “someone else will come in his own name” (John 5:43), the antichrist will be a known human person and, like him, will bear his own personal name 72. The personal name of antichrist is intentionally hidden by the will of God with special wise purposes, and only the future times will reveal the name of this extraordinary opponent of Jesus Christ and the Holy Church. In the fulfillment of the desire to know the name of the antichrist, one must begin not with his name, but with his other signs indicated in Scripture, and the name of the antichrist, which gives the number 666, must be attributed only to that (antichrist) person to whom all the other signs will be applicable. * * * Notes Kliefoth. Zhdanov, Lutardt, Hengstenberg, Kliefoth, Ewald. Ebrard, Suller. St. Justin the Philosopher, Kliefoth, Suller, Lutardt. Ebrard, Hoffman. Hengstenberg. St. Hippolytus, Andrew of Caesarea, St. Irenaeus.

Chapter Fourteen

A vision of the 144 thousand glorified virgins, singing a new song unknown to anyone else (1–5). A vision of an angel flying in the sky with the eternal Gospel and calling to repentance (6–7); a vision of two other angels with news of the fall of Babylon (8–11); the comfort and encouragement of the righteous (12–13). A vision of one like a Son of Man, seated on a cloud with a sickle in his hand. The harvest (14–16). An angel cutting the vintage with a sickle for God’s winepress of wrath (17–20).

Revelation 14:1. And I looked, and behold, the Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with Him were one hundred and forty-four thousand, whose names were written on their foreheads. Revelation 14:2. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of a loud thunder; and I heard a voice as of harpists playing on their harps. To pour more comfort into the hearts of true Christians, John sees and describes a new, not earthly, but heavenly joyful manifestation. The vision of Christians is raised toward heaven, toward the divine throne and the hosts of heavenly beings surrounding it. On Mount Zion, which is the heavenly temple, where the Lord dwells amid angels and glorified people, John sees the Lamb and with Him 144 thousand, on whose foreheads his name and the name of His Father are written. Who are these 144 thousand? They are not those mentioned in Rev 7:9-17. They are different. They are first of all glorified Christians, for they appear not on earth, but in heaven and together with the Lamb. On their foreheads is written the name of the Lamb and the name of His Father, as a reward for the preceding labors of their earthly life. Their earthly life, their Christian labors, their unwavering following and imitation of Jesus Christ—the Lamb without blemish—so permeated their entire being that they were, as it were, reflected on their foreheads and testified to their belonging to God and the Lamb, and therefore to their deserving of blessedness.

Revelation 14:3. They sing as it were a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one was able to learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth. The heavenly blessedness of the glorified consists in listening to and participating in the heavenly hymn, which was heard from heaven, that is, from the same Zion mount, from the same heavenly throne. The voices in the singing blended into one wonderful harmony with the melodious and gentle sounds of harps. In content, the song is called new—new in the sense that it contains praise and thanksgiving of the 144 thousand for all the divine benefits which they were granted in their time. Therefore, no one could learn this song (Rev 2:17) and understand it except those 144 thousand who themselves were witnesses to all of this (1 Cor 2:9).

Revelation 14:4. These are they who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins; these are they who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They were redeemed from men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb, Revelation 14:5. and in their mouths was found no lie; they are without blemish before the throne of God. In praise and special distinction of the perfect is placed the fact that they were strict virgins. In the final times, these chosen and perfect in order to remain faithful to Christianity, amid terrible persecutions by antichrist and amid impossible conditions, had to completely renounce married life, which could bind them with unwelcome ties to the antichristian world. Their virginity is virginity in the broad sense of the word, as the highest Christian virtue or as a collection of all Christian virtues with complete chastity. They are the chosen, for, despising married life, all the benefits of family life, they dedicated themselves entirely to the service of God and in this sense follow the Lamb everywhere. They are first fruits in the sense of the best and most chosen; they are completely free from lies and fully blameless. Thus, these 144 thousand standing together with the Lamb on Mount Zion are the most chosen and most perfect Christians and especially Christians of the final antichristian time. Their number is 144 thousand, for the number was taken that expressed the fullness of all chosen and perfect Christians who have attained and will attain perfection.

Revelation 14:6. And I saw another Angel flying in the midst of heaven, who had the eternal Gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; From heaven, where the preceding manifestation took place, the seer’s vision from verse 6 is turned toward the earth. He sees another mysterious angel, who was for him a real angel, one of the multitude of divine servants, incorporeal messengers of God’s will. He flies in the midst of heaven so that the whole world hears what is proclaimed by him, for this is indeed of great importance to him (the world). In the hands of the angel is the eternal Gospel, that is, a certain scroll, book (Rev 10:2), containing a known content. It is called eternal Gospel because it contains the word of God, which is incorruptible, living, and abides forever (1 Pet 1:23-25). The Gospel is held by the angel as a sign that he is sent to preach to all living on the earth without exception and without distinction, not only to sinners and pagans, but also to the righteous.

Revelation 14:7. and he spoke with a loud voice: fear God and give Him glory, for the hour of His judgment has come, and bow down to the One Who made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of waters. If people, by the action of the devil, out of fear before his violence and under the influence of his schemes, bowed before the antichrist beast (Rev 13:7), then now, in opposition to this, they are called out of fear before God to give Him glory as the true Ruler of the world. The final hour has come for people of the possibility of repentance, for the final hour of judgment is at hand, after which there will no longer be this possibility 73. This vision of the angel serves as a complement to the manifestation of the two witnesses (Rev 11:3-12) in a second order; it may be that here are understood these very witnesses; but in any case these are persons like them; these are the preachers—apostles of the final time, as they were in the first time of Christianity.

Revelation 14:8. And another Angel followed, saying: fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, because she made all the nations drink of the wine of the fury of her immorality. The second call to repentance through another angel consists of an indication of the actual life of the antichristian world. This punishment is the fall of Babylon. Although it is said here that Babylon has fallen, it is represented as having fallen only in the vision, and only in the vision is this indicated to the people of the antichristian time. This fall of Babylon will be the beginning of judgment, the first stone cast at the world at its condemnation by God (Rev 18:21). In accordance with this, one must also explain the very name of Babylon. Babylon is a beautiful example for any godless city. And since in the final antichristian time the kingdom of antichrist aims to replace all that is holy and divine with what is human and antichristian, then the chief city of this kingdom will remind one as much as possible of ancient Babylon. Therefore, under the fall of Babylon, it is most natural to understand the fall of the future Babylon, the chief city of the future antichristian kingdom, even if not with the same proper name, then with the same character of its inhabitants and with the same property and tasks of the power of its ruler. The cause of the fall of the future Babylon is set forth as idolatry, named fornication. This fornication is named fierce wine in the sense of its power to inflame the human body, human passions. Moreover, the concept of fornication and harlots from Scripture is very often used in application to cities (Isa 1:21; Nah 3:4) and usually indicates all that corrupting influence which those or other cities exert on peoples through their commerce, their morals, and their idolatry. As if to strengthen the impression from the fall of Babylon, a third angel addresses with a threat all those who worship the beast and receive his mark. The threat is obviously addressed to those very people who, according to verse 8, grew drunk and were delighted with the fierce wine of Babylonian fornication, that is, luxurious antichristian life. Now, in opposition to this, they are threatened with the coming necessity of drinking the cups of God’s wrath. They will drink undiluted wine, which signifies God’s wrath, in no way softened by divine mercy. Sinners who worshiped the beast will be tormented in fire and sulfur, which is a characteristic of hellish torments. The expression that the torments will occur before the Lamb and before the holy angels, that is, as it were, in their sight, indicates the special intensity of the torments, the bitterness of which will be increased all the more from the fact that the tormented will be comparing their torment with the blessedness of the saints and constantly thinking of those, for enmity toward whom they became worthy of eternal punishment.

Revelation 14:9. And a third Angel followed them, saying with a loud voice: if anyone bows down to the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, Revelation 14:10. he will drink the wine of the wrath of God, wine unmixed, poured in the cup of His wrath, and will be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lamb; Revelation 14:11. and the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever, and they have no rest day or night, those who bow down to the beast and his image and receive the mark of his name. The torments of sinners will be constant; they will have no break, and the sinner who worshiped the beast, being tormented day by day, will not have a single moment of rest, not even the slightest time free from these torments.

Revelation 14:12. Here is the patience of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and faith in Jesus. In the threat of terrible punishments to sinners, the saints should draw comfort and encouragement for themselves, to overcome despondency in their constant confession of Christian faith amid antichristian persecutions and to nurture firm hope that these persecutions will soon end.

Revelation 14:13. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying to me: write: blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on; yes, says the Spirit, so that they rest from their labors, and their works follow them. Another comfort is proclaimed to the saints by a new heavenly voice, which commands John to write: “From now on, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.” The command speaks to the fact that the truth of this revelation must hold a prominent place and essential significance among other truths that have already been proclaimed to him and that will be proclaimed. Here by the dying are understood all Christians who die in true faith and in firm hope in His mercy. They in their very life prove that they are worthy of blessedness as a gift of God’s love, for they themselves have also loved the Lord, proving this by the fulfillment of His commandments, by their entire Christian life, which is a constant labor, constant work, and constant bearing of the cross.

Revelation 14:14. And I looked, and behold, a bright cloud, and on the cloud sat one like the Son of Man; on his head was a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. The measure of God’s patience has been exhausted; the hour of retribution for both the righteous and the sinners has come. John in a new vision sees in the midst of bright clouds one like a Son of Man, having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle. A bright or white cloud is, as it were, an essential feature of the future second coming of the Lord (Matt 24:30; Luke 21:27). Therefore, it is evident that he who appeared is Jesus Christ Himself, the Messiah in His image as the Son of Man, who is to come to judge the world.—The sickle in His hands is an instrument of harvest and speaks of judgment over the world.

Revelation 14:15. And another Angel came out of the temple and cried out with a loud voice to Him sitting on the cloud: send out your sickle and reap, because the hour of harvest has come, for the harvest on the earth is ripe. An angel coming out of the temple addresses the one seated with the sickle, addresses him as a messenger of the divine command, predetermined from eternity. Consequently, here it is not a matter of a command from the angel, but of a command through the angel. The command comes from God Himself; but Jesus Christ Himself has repeatedly testified that His activity as a Son was always in accordance with the will of His heavenly Father. The harvest, according to the word of the Savior, is the end of the world (Matt 13:39), and consequently the apocalyptic harvest is also the gathering of all the faithful (1 Thess 4:17) and their separation from the impious before the pronouncement of the final judgment after the terrible trial. It will be at the time when the world, in its development of both good and evil, shall reach the limit predetermined by God.

Revelation 14:16. And He who sat on the cloud cast His sickle to the earth, and the earth was reaped. Revelation 14:17. And another Angel came out of the temple in heaven, also with a sharp sickle. Revelation 14:18. And another Angel, who has power over fire, came from the altar and cried out with a great cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying: send out your sharp sickle and cut the clusters of the vineyard on the earth, because the grapes on it are ripe. Further, John sees another new angel who comes out of the temple. It is obviously one of the simple angels, servants of God and executors of His will. Following this angel, another new angel appears. But he comes out not from the temple itself (Rev 11:19), not from the sanctuary, but from the altar and is called having power over fire. Consequently, this angel belongs to the number of those angels, God’s servants, who govern in the world certain elements. He comes out from the altar of burnt offerings (Rev 6:9), from which the prayer of the slain righteous was ascending for vengeance on the impious, that is, for judgment over the world. Now, as it were, in response to these prayers, from that altar comes an angel with God’s command to carry out judgment on the impious.

Revelation 14:19. And the Angel cast his sickle to the earth, and cut the grapes on the earth, and cast them into the great winepress of the wrath of God. Revelation 14:20. And the grapes were trodden in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, even to the bridles of the horses, for one thousand six hundred stadia. Undoubtedly, by the cutting of the vintage with the angel’s sickle, one must understand the judgment of God on the sinners. They, separated from the righteous, are subjected to the retribution of God’s wrath. And the vintage, cast into the wine press, was trodden, that is, the sinful world was subjected to punishment. The degree of punishment and the multitude of the punished is clarified by a comparison with the abundance of grape juice (called here directly blood), which, not fitting in the prepared wine press, flows over its edges. This is what the words of the text mean: “blood flowed from the wine press as high as a horse’s bridle for a distance of about two hundred miles.” The wine press, the place of punishment, is represented as being outside the city and serves as an indication of the place of judgment on sinners. This judgment will take place outside the city. By the city here is understood those who live in the city, that is, God’s saints, who, being gathered by the Lord from the four winds of the earth (Matt 24:31), will constitute the city of the living God. This their gathering into one whole after their final separation from the impious, condemned to punishment and judgment. The degree of this punishment is clarified by the abundance of the stream of blood of the punished, which will reach by its depth to the bridles of horses and will flow for 1600 stadia. The comparison is obviously taken from ordinary wars, when the horses of the combatants walk on bloodied ground. The number 1600 (40x40) speaks both of the highest degree of punishment and of the universality (4 cardinal points x 4 x 100) of this punishment (cf. Rev 14:10). * * * Cf. Hengstenberg, Suller.

Chapter Fifteen

Vision of the Angels with the seven last plagues, standing on the glassy sea (1–2); song of Moses and the Lamb (3–4); opening of the temple of the tabernacle, filled with smoke of God’s glory (5–8).

Revelation 15:1. And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven Angels having the seven last plagues, by which the wrath of God is completed. John begins the description of a great sign, which he also calls “wondrous,” as a new vision and new order. He sees seven completely new Angels, whose higher rank can be inferred from the fact that their appearance is called great and wondrous. The subsequent epithet speaks of the higher rank of the seven Angels: they possess the seven last plagues. The mission of the Angels is important in that they are heralds and executors of the highest manifestation of Divine wrath, servants of the righteous Judge and Rewarder.

Revelation 15:2. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mixed with fire; and those who had overcome the beast and his image and the mark of his name stood on the sea of glass, holding the harps of God, The vision of the sea before the heavenly throne was described already in Rev 4:6; but previously it was clear and calm, like crystal, now it gleamed with fire. This sea, as belonging to the Divine throne, may be understood as a special sphere, as its reflection like the rainbow (Rev 4:3), as rays of the Divine being, expressing His nature and the character of His activity. According to the image in Rev 4:6 these rays were pure and calm (the sea was like crystal). Now the sea is mixed with fire; now God’s activity toward the world has changed, and to it is added the fire of God’s wrath. On this sea, that is, in the sphere, in the light and brightness of the majestic and terrible Divine being stand those who conquered the beast. They conquered in the sense that they did not allow, did not permit the beast to conquer them, did not submit to it; they overcame the beast’s striving to make them his worshippers, and victoriously departed into eternity to the heavenly throne.

Revelation 15:3. and they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! righteous and true are Your ways, King of the saints! Revelation 15:4. Who will not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? for You alone are holy. All the nations will come and bow down before You, for Your acts of judgment have been revealed. They sing a song, the song of Moses and the Lamb. It is the song of Moses because it contains the remembrance of those plagues which were sent upon Egypt by the Lord through Moses. But it is also the song of the Lamb, because in it, besides that, the work of human salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ is praised. At the same time this song (v. 4) is praise for the deeds of Divine almighty power, which were manifested over the kingdom of antichrist and of which these conquerers of the beast are witnesses, as martyrs of the time of antichristian persecution, who died during the persecutions of antichrist.

Revelation 15:5. And after this I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. In verse 5 it is said that the tabernacle of testimony was opened, that is, the most important part of it, which had the significance of testimony—revelation. And if in the vision of the Apocalypse the access to the Holy of Holies, to the ark of revelation, is represented as open to all, then this must evidently mean the final moments of Divine revelation, the final manifestations of Divine judgment over mankind. From the Holy of Holies, that is, from the very throne of God, as heralds, came forth the seven Angels (Rev 15:1). They were given bowls filled with the wrath of God. And since the wrath of God, with which the bowls were filled, in Holy Scripture is almost always depicted as fire (Ps 78:6; Jer 10:25), we must believe that the Angels’ bowls were also filled with fire. As soon as the bowls were given, the whole temple was filled with smoke of God’s glory, so that entrance into it became impossible. This must be understood as an indication of the kindled wrath of God, of the impending terrible plagues upon the antichristian world.

Revelation 15:6. And there came out from the temple seven Angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and bright linen and girded at their chests with golden belts. Revelation 15:7. And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven Angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, Who lives forever and ever. Revelation 15:8. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven Angels were completed. * * * Hengstenberg, Ebrard, Andrew of Caesarea

Chapter Sixteen

Vision of the seven bowls of the final plagues; first—severe wounds upon sinful people (1–2); second—turning the water of the sea into blood (3); third—turning the water of the rivers into blood (4–7); fourth—unbearable heat of the sun (8–9); fifth—darkness in the kingdom of the beast with the impenitence of sinners (10–11); sixth—appearance from the mouth of the dragon of three unclean spirits like frogs, gathering the kings of the earth to the place called Armageddon (12–16); seventh—great earthquake and destruction of the city of Babylon, falling of hail the size of a talent (17–21).

Revelation 16:1. And I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven Angels: go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God on the earth. Revelation 16:2. The first Angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth: and there came grievous and evil sores on the people who had the mark of the beast and were bowing down to his image. The voice undoubtedly belonged to God Himself (see Rev 1:10; Ezek 9:1), for it proceeds from the temple itself. This voice commands to pour out the bowls upon the earth. By earth here we must understand the whole universe, both sea and dry land, and all those who were to undergo the plagues of God’s wrath, that is, all belonging to the kingdom of antichrist and those who rejected Christianity. Upon the pouring out of the first bowl upon the earth—the dry land—there appeared upon all people severe and loathsome sores (see Exod 9:9-11). This plague cannot be understood merely as a symbolic image. The historical example of a similar Egyptian plague vouches for the fact that its repetition on a larger scale is possible. And since the depicted event pertains to the last time, near the final upheaval in the world, extraordinary and exceptional phenomena in human life and human nature are entirely possible and permissible, parallels to which we may not encounter in the present time.

Revelation 16:3. The second Angel poured out his bowl into the sea: and it became blood like that of a dead man, and every living creature in the sea died. The second bowl is poured out into the sea—the actual sea, filled with living creatures. Evidently, a large mass of seawater became congealed and dark blood in color, and furthermore foul-smelling. Such a mass was unfit for the life of living creatures in it, and therefore John remarks that all living things in the sea died. In light of this, there is no basis for giving this plague an allegorical meaning. This is a new physical disaster that strikes the antichristian world and the nature of that time; a disaster, moreover, not temporary and quickly ending, but, as must be seen from Rev 16:9 and Rev 16:11, continuing constantly together with the disasters of the other plagues until the very end of the world.

Revelation 16:4. The third Angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the fountains of waters: and they became blood. Revelation 16:5. And I heard the Angel of the waters, who said: righteous are You, O Lord, Who are and were, and holy, because You have judged thus; Revelation 16:6. because they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, You have given them blood to drink: they are worthy of this. The third plague stands in close parallel with the first Egyptian plague, by which the waters of the Nile River turned into blood (Exod 7:19-21). In favor of a literal understanding of the third plague, besides the parallels with the previous ones, is the note in the text that these waters, having become blood, people were to use for the quenching of their thirst. The Angel of waters, as governor of a particular element, praises the Lord for His justice, for His immutability, and for His faithfulness to His being, all-holy and righteous. The necessity to drink blood instead of water is a terrible and unimaginable plague, for the antichristian world it is a just retribution (v. 6) for its terrible and incomprehensible cruelty toward Christianity and against the faithful guardians of it.

Revelation 16:7. And I heard another from the altar speaking: yes, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments. This Divine justice is confirmed from behind the altar of burnt offering by those slain and martyred, who also praise the Lord for the firmness and the invariableness of His judgment and for its justice.

Revelation 16:8. The fourth Angel poured out his bowl on the sun: and it was given to him to scorch people with fire. By the first three plagues people themselves, the sea, and the rivers were struck; now, in the fourth plague, to complete the striking of physical nature and the conditions of earthly life, the sun itself is struck. Understanding it literally, as we do the previous three plagues, by the striking of the sun we must understand that then, with the general disturbance of nature, the sunlight will change its beneficial warmth into unbearable heat.

Revelation 16:9. And people were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God, who has power over these plagues, and did not repent, so as to give Him glory. As the sufferings of the antichristian world from God’s plagues increased, its impiety, obstinacy, and impenitence became more and more evident.

Revelation 16:10. The fifth Angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast: and his kingdom became dark, and they bit their tongues because of pain, The fifth bowl of God’s wrath is poured out upon the very throne of the beast. The beast—this is antichrist, his throne—the sphere of his authority, his subjects, constituting his kingdom. His kingdom became dark. The force of the plague is not so much in the darkness as in the impression it produces: it is the impression of terrible physical pain, which causes even the gnashing of teeth. This plague must be viewed as a natural consequence of the previous plague. The terrible heat of the sun, spoken of in the fourth plague, as a result of the overheated air and the destruction of vegetation, and as a result of a mass of evaporation, must necessarily have produced a dark and threatening state of the atmosphere. Besides and as a result of this, the kingdom of antichrist will become dark in the sense that people will have such a mood of spirit as can be called dark—a mood of malice and despair.

Revelation 16:11. and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their sufferings and their plagues; and they did not repent of their deeds. By these disasters this malice increases more and more, and at the same time the time of final recompense and eternal torments draws ever closer.

Revelation 16:12. The sixth Angel poured out his bowl into the great river Euphrates: and the water in it dried up, so that the way was prepared for the kings from the sunrise. A new step toward this final limit is the sixth bowl of God’s wrath. It was poured out upon the great river Euphrates, as a result of which the water in the river dried up and a free path was opened for the eastern kings. The river Euphrates, mentioned in Rev 9:14, is represented in Holy Scripture as the boundary between the Jewish kingdom and the hostile eastern nations. Now, by God’s action, the waters of the river dry up and the barrier to the activity of a hostile force is destroyed, and thus a free access is opened to the eastern kings so that they might cause new violence to the faithful Christian society. In the sixth plague, evidently, there is an indication of the general intensification of anti-God activity against the Christian Church of the last time. Then it will be possible to have unity of action of all forces hostile to Christianity. However, the drying up of the Euphrates speaks only of this possibility, while what this possibility will manifest itself in is spoken of in the following verses.

Revelation 16:13. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet three unclean spirits, like frogs: Namely, John sees three unclean spirits, like frogs, coming from the mouth of the dragon (the devil), the beast (antichrist), and the false prophet (the beast from the earth). For evil spirits a symbolic form is taken—the image of frogs. And this, of course, is because whoever is possessed by an evil spirit with the properties of a filthy animal—a frog—the soul and activity of that person must be filthy in a moral sense, weak and pathetic in its aims and manifestations, but at the same time proud and presumptuous. Concerning the manner of appearance of the frogs, John remarks that they go forth. This image must be conceived by us as mockery, which fully corresponds both to the external appearance of frogs and to the view of the dragon, antichrist, and the false prophet.

Revelation 16:14. these are demonic spirits, performing signs; they go out to the kings of all the earth of the whole world, to gather them for battle in that great day of God Almighty. These evil spirits become the inspirers and guides of the earthly kings, and through them the forces of those states and nations over which these latter reign. In this sense it is said that the evil spirits gather the kings for battle. The battle is the final world war, the final expression of the anti-God force’s striving to destroy Christ’s Kingdom on earth.

Revelation 16:15. Behold, I come like a thief: blessed is the one who watches and keeps his garment, so that he does not walk naked and so that they do not see his shame. The words “Behold, I come like a thief…” come to John’s mind at the mention of the great day of the Lord, and he expresses them in his own name, reminding of the well-known saying of the Divine Teacher Himself. Like faithful and diligent servants, all Christians should await the coming of their Lord, should keep their garments, the garments of their salvation (1 Thess 5:8), so as not to appear before the eyes of the Lord-Judge naked, devoid of all virtues (see Rev 3:18).

Revelation 16:16. And he gathered them to the place called in Hebrew Armageddon. Revelation 16:17. The seventh Angel poured out his bowl on the air: and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying: It is finished! After this recollection and reminder, John returns again to the account of the unclean spirits. By the expression “he gathered them” are meant the same unclean spirits (as if led by the devil), at the suggestion of which the kings of all the earth together with their people gathered at the place called Armageddon. In Holy Scripture we do not find any locality called Armageddon. The word Armageddon is certainly compound, double, from “ar” and “Megiddo.” “Ar” is a Hebrew word meaning plain, and Megiddo is a historically known geographical place in Palestine, which served as a field of battle between Barak and Sisera and Necho with the Jewish king Josiah. Thus the valley of Megiddo appears as a monument of victory and defeat, both joyful and sorrowful. Consequently, the Apocalypse, calling the gathering place of the armies of antichristian kings Armageddon, speaks of the fact that this gathering will end in glorious victory and terrible defeat. The seventh Angel pours out his bowl into the air. This signified the striking, the damage of the element which constitutes an essentially necessary condition for all living things on earth. The seventh trumpet was thus the last trumpet, heralding the end of the world and the coming of a new life. If the air itself was struck, then not only the external conditions of earthly human life were struck, but the former conditions of their moral life were destroyed as well. In view of such importance of what is announced by the seventh bowl, its pouring out is accompanied by a special significant heavenly voice: “It is done.” This voice is more correctly attributed to God Himself. The word “It is done” brings to mind the same word which came from the lips of the Lord dying on the cross. As that word was the sign of the ending of the Old Testament, so also the voice of God in verse 17 is the sign of the ending of the New Testament. And here “It is done” refers not only to the seventh bowl, but to all the preceding plagues, to the whole dispensation of New Testament salvation of mankind.

Revelation 16:18. And there came lightning, thunder, and sounds, and a great earthquake occurred, such as had never happened since people have been on the earth. Such an earthquake! So great! The same phenomena occurred as after the seventh trumpet (Rev 11:19); but now the earthquake, as a sign of the approaching end, the final and decisive upheaval, was so powerful that John finds no words to express its force and destructiveness.

Revelation 16:19. And the great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and Babylon the great was remembered before God, so as to give it the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath. By the great city that split into three parts as a result of the earthquake, we can understand even Jerusalem, although in Holy Scripture it is not called by this name. But here is meant the city of the future antichristian kingdom, regardless of what name it will be called. Then also, at the earthquake, great Babylon was given to drink the cup of the wine of the fury of God’s wrath. Babylon here is named the same great city, but not simply as a geographical entity, but as the central point of the future antichristian kingdom (see Rev 14:8). The name Babylon is used here as if to designate the anti-God impiety with which people of the last time will live. This impiety is now remembered by the Lord, and for it all the impious must drink the cup of God’s wrath (see Rev 14:8).

Revelation 16:20. And every island fled, and mountains were no more; Revelation 16:21. and great hail, the size of a talent, fell from heaven on people; and people blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because the plague from it was very severe. As a result of the earthquake, as usually happens, the outline of the land will change, and some islands will disappear altogether, sinking into the sea; and thus all of nature will be completely ruined and disfigured. But people will not remain untouched either: hail the size of a talent will fall upon them. However, experiencing such punishment and realizing that the cause of it lies in the wrath of the Lord God, not only do they not repent, but directly blaspheme God, blaspheme Him as the all-powerful ruler of the world. What remains for them now? There remains the final terrible judgment, the pronouncing of the final verdict and the beginning of eternal torments. * * * Kliefoth, Hengstenberg, Suller, Ebrard. Ephrem the Syrian. Ebrard, Kliefoth, Suller.

Chapter Seventeen

Explanatory vision of the harlot and the beast (1–2); description of the harlot sitting upon the beast in royal attire, with a cup of abominations in hand, drunk with the blood of the saints (3–6); explanation of the symbol of the beast itself, its seven heads and ten horns, which designate kings who are to be the executors of God’s judgment over the beast and the harlot, that is, the great city (7–18).

Revelation 17:1. And one of the seven Angels who had the seven bowls came, and speaking with me said to me: Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot, sitting on many waters; In a new vision, not directly, John gives explanations to the previous visions. One of the seven Angels in whose hands were the bowls of God’s wrath appears before John. In the expression “come” we can see an indication of a change in the direction of John’s thoughts and attention. He must now turn his prophetic sight upon the judgment over the great harlot, sitting upon many waters. By the harlot here we must understand the same city of Babylon, of which mention is made in Rev 14:8; there it is called the great city and characterized as a harlot. Over it judgment was to come, and according to Rev 16:19. The great harlot is undoubtedly a city (Rev 17:18), and a city of the future time, the city of the antichristian kingdom, which may be called Babylon or Rome because of the likeness of its culture and its anti-God corrupting influence upon other peoples.

Revelation 17:2. with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality, and those living on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her sexual immorality. By immorality we must understand the spreading of immoral customs and anti-God tendencies through hypocritical politics and depraved religion and worship, a general corruption (see Ezek 23:17). But such general corruption, a general decline of religion and spreading of anti-God tendencies can be expected only from the city and state of the future antichristian kingdom.

Revelation 17:3. And he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy, with seven heads and ten horns. Revelation 17:4. And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls, and held a golden bowl in her hand, filled with abominations and the uncleanness of her sexual immorality; The remark that “he carried me away in spirit” is an indication that this action took place only in a vision—only in John’s ecstatic spiritual state, not in body was John carried away into the desert. The desert is taken here in a moral-religious sense, in the sense of abandonment, remoteness. The great harlot is in the desert in no other sense than that she, because of her wickedness, is completely abandoned by God and doomed to spiritual death, to moral ruin. Such abandonment is completely deserved for her, since she, by the expression of the Apocalypse, having renounced God and Christian religion, sits upon the beast; she puts all her hope upon it and its powers, not upon God and His help. This beast (Rev 11:7) is the dragon—the devil, who is called scarlet, that is, clothed in royal scarlet, as the ruler of the darkness of this age. As fitting for the devil, for the beast, is the trait of the description that he was full of names of blasphemy: he is an anti-God force. And the woman is also clothed in purple and scarlet, which also indicates royal and proud luxury—the wealth characteristic of a royal city, like Babylon and Rome. The woman, the city of the last time, has taken from the world everything that is considered precious in it. She is depicted holding in her hands a golden cup, filled with the filth and uncleanness of her immorality. This means that the woman, as the city of the antichristian kingdom, is the spreader of godless and immoral culture among the surrounding subjugated peoples.

Revelation 17:5. and on her forehead was written a name: mystery, Babylon the great, mother of harlots and abominations of the earth. About the inner being of the woman speaks the name on her forehead. On her forehead will be reflected her inner spiritual life and strivings. This name is “a mystery,” that is, mysterious, and the name itself, consisting of the designation “great Babylon” must be understood not in a literal sense, but in a figurative and symbolic sense. Babylon is the name and symbol of the future antichristian city, which, because of its corrupting influence on the subjected cities and peoples, will be the true mother of immorality and earthly abominations.

Revelation 17:6. I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses of Jesus, and seeing her, I marveled with great amazement. Further, John noticed that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and witnesses of Jesus Christ. This speaks of the fact that the city of Babylon will be guilty of the shedding of blood of the saints, of cruel persecution of the witnesses of Christian faith. And seeing this, John marveled with great amazement. The cause of John’s amazement lies in the mysterious, worthy of wonder combination of the beast and the woman, in their mutual connection, common activity and manifestation in the world. Further, the explanation of this follows.

Revelation 17:7. And the Angel said to me: Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has seven heads and ten horns. Revelation 17:8. The beast which you saw was, and is not, and will come out of the abyss, and will go to destruction; and those dwelling on the earth will marvel, whose names have not been written in the book of life from the beginning of the world, seeing that the beast was, and is not, and will appear. The beast is the devil, who has manifested in the world in one way or another his dominion and his satanic power. In the past, that is, formerly in the Old Testament, he was the prince of this world and ruled through idolatry and sorcery. But then he was not, there is not and now, that is, in the days when John received the revelation. By reason of the redemptive merits of Christ the Savior, the devil lost his former power of influence (John 12:31) and he was not on earth as an obvious and open ruler of the human race. He is in the abyss, that is, in a state of bondage. But this confinement is not final and complete. The devil will be freed and will come forth from there (Rev 20:7). Only into final destruction, final perdition will the devil go later, in the distant future for John. For the devil as an immortal spirit, perdition cannot mean annihilation, but Gehenna, eternal torments, for which reason he is called a son of perdition (2 Thess 2:3). All those who are not written in the book of life (Rev 13:8) will marvel at the disappearance and appearance of the beast, but others, faithful Christians, will know the true significance of the appearance of the beast-devil in his former power.

Revelation 17:9. Here is the mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, Revelation 17:10. and seven kings, of whom five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he is to remain a short time. Revelation 17:11. And the beast that was and is not, is himself an eighth, and is of the seven, and will go to destruction. Revelation 17:12. And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive power with the beast, as kings, for one hour. Revelation 17:13. These have one mind and will give their power and authority to the beast. Revelation 17:14. They will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them; for He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with Him are called and chosen and faithful. “Here is the mind,” that is, special effort of the mind is needed, which is characteristic of a wise person. If the name of the woman and the beast must be taken not in a historical but in a symbolic sense, then the seven mountains also cannot be understood literally, since they form part of the entire symbolic image. If by the woman we must understand the antichristian kingdom, then by the seven heads of the beast-devil we must understand the earthly kingdoms, in the direction and development of which was expressed the power of the devil and his anti-God efforts to corrupt the human race. And since each historical kingdom has its own historical cities, as expressions of its culture, and kings, as bearers of state power, then with the representation of states is inseparably connected the representation of kings. Therefore, in the apocalyptic vision we, under the same image of heads, according to the indication of the Angel, must see seven mountains and seven kings (v. 10). The beast is the world force in its historical development, in the succession of kingdoms one after another. These kingdoms fall one after another, one succeeding another. In this sense it may be said that by the time of John five kingdoms had already fallen (kings), the sixth existed, the seventh will follow it, and after it will arise the last, which will conclude the history of the development of the world’s anti-God force of the devil on earth. About the first five world kingdoms already fallen, one can speak only conjecturally. Such kingdoms may be named: Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Macedonian, and Syrian—the latter kingdoms are directly indicated by the prophet Daniel. About the sixth kingdom it is said: “one is,” since in the days of John the Roman kingdom was the world kingdom, it is obviously intended as the sixth in the sequence of others. About the seventh kingdom John expresses himself indefinitely. It has not yet come, but when it comes, it will not last long. Since the Roman kingdom has now fallen, the kingdom that succeeded it, or the world of Germanic-Slavic peoples, can be considered the seventh kingdom; it should continue until the time of the arising of the eighth kingdom. This eighth kingdom is called a beast (v. 11), which was mentioned in verse 8 as one that was and is not and belongs to the seven and will go to destruction. The designation as beast prompts us to understand by the eighth king antichrist and his kingdom. The expression “and is not” speaks of the deadly wound that was visible on one of the heads of the beast and which was healed. Since the head of the beast is the same as kingdoms, the healing of one head, the restoration of it to life, can speak of the renewal of one of the seven kingdoms, which in its new form will be the kingdom of antichrist. It will arise from the seven, which means that it will embody the characteristics of the seven preceding kingdoms. This is precisely the kingdom of antichrist, the most anti-God, but also the last. It will fall into perdition, into eternal Gehenna. The kings, designated by horns, are represented as not having independent kingdoms. If they receive royal power, that is, the right to rule and legislate, they do so only together with the beast, as their overlord, and that only for a short time, for one hour. These, thus, are representatives of the peoples and kingdoms of the last time. They are different from the kings, representatives of the world states, who are named the heads of the beast (St. Irenaeus, St. Ephrem the Syrian). Antichrist will use these representatives (horns) of the peoples and kingdoms, their mood and way of thinking, and will unite them together for battle against the Lamb, against Christianity and all that is holy. But the victory in this battle will remain on the side of the Lamb—Jesus Christ, Who will overcome both personally and through His chosen and faithful servants, who struggled on earth in the battle against the devil and against all his hosts.

Revelation 17:15. And he says to me: The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples and nations and tribes and tongues. Revelation 17:16. And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, they will hate the harlot, and will destroy her, and will strip her bare, and will eat her flesh, and will burn her with fire; In a mysterious symbolic sense, by the waters, according to the words of the Angel, we must understand the many peoples who stood in relation to the main city as subjected peoples. The ten horns—ten kings of the future antichristian time will hate the harlot (v. 16), that is, the city of the antichristian kingdom. The hatred will be manifested in the destruction of the city. Like wild beasts that tear to pieces and devour their prey, so also will the apocalyptic kings destroy the city; they will subject it to complete destruction by fire and sword and will plunder all its riches. Thus the Divine will will use the kings as obedient instruments of its world governance, in order gradually to bring the history of the world to the predetermined end. The judgment over the city, the capital of the antichristian kingdom, its destruction by the desire of the king himself—antichrist—will be a herald of the end of the world and the coming of God’s judgment. * * * Kliefoth, Lutardt. Ebrard, Hengstenberg and others. Hengstenberg, Kliefoth, Suller, Yakovlev. Hengstenberg, Suller, Ebrard. Lutardt, Ebrard.

Chapter Eighteen

Retribution to Babylon and lamentation for its destruction. Appearance of an Angel with the news of this destruction and explanation of its cause (1–3). Invitation to the righteous to come out of Babylon, doomed to destruction in retribution for its former depravity and luxury (4–8). Lamentation over Babylon: the kings of the earth, who reveled in it before, the warriors who used its rich trade, and those who sailed upon ships for the purpose of trading with Babylon (9–19). Rejoicing of the heavenly inhabitants at the destruction of Babylon with its temptations and crimes (20–24).

Revelation 18:1. After this I saw another Angel coming down from heaven and having great authority; the earth was illuminated by his glory. Revelation 18:2. And he cried out with a loud voice, speaking loudly, saying: Fallen, fallen is Babylon, the great harlot, has become a dwelling of demons and a haunt of every unclean spirit, a haunt of every unclean and repulsive bird; for she has made all the nations drunk with the passionate wine of her sexual immorality, Revelation 18:3. and the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth became rich from her great luxury. John sees another Angel coming down from heaven. His glory and majesty speak of the fact that he was sent with a great mission, with news of a terrible judgment of retribution upon sinful Babylon. The Angel with a mighty voice announces the fall of the same Babylon, of which announcement was made in Rev 14:8 and Rev 16:19. Babylon, in accordance with this prophecy of the Angel, after its fall will become a dwelling place of demons and a haunt of every unclean spirit. The city will become a complete ruin, a place of dark devastation. The cause of Babylon’s fall is its corrupting influence through politics and morals upon all earthly peoples. In the devastation, as an act of retribution by God’s judgment, complete opposition to its former state is shown. To the extent that in the days of its power and prosperity Babylon was the center of state might, of world influence on the life and morals of all, and an object of imitation for the entire antichristian kingdom, to that extent it is now worthless.

Revelation 18:4. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying: Come out from her, My people, so that you do not share in her sins and do not receive her plagues; From verse 4 begins the speech of another person, by which we more correctly understand Jesus Christ Himself, Who addresses in His own name to the chosen Christians as to the people of His Kingdom (see Exod 19:6). The command of the Lord: “Come out from her, my people” means the final separation of the community of chosen Christians of the last time from the impious antichristian society. God’s forbearance has ended and the time of retribution must come. God has remembered all the wrongs of Babylon, all its lawlessness; they have exceeded the measure.

Revelation 18:5. for her sins have piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her unrighteousness. Revelation 18:6. Repay her just as she repaid you, and double to her according to her deeds; in the cup in which she prepared for you wine, prepare for her double. “Render to her”—this is a command from the same person to whom the voice of Rev 18:4 belongs, but addressed to a different subject. These executors of God’s command are evidently the very kings who were appointed as executors of God’s will regarding judgment upon Babylon. They are commanded to render, to repay Babylon as she repaid “you,” for from her corrupted life, from her violence not only did the chosen Christians suffer, who were persecuted and hunted, but even the impious kings and peoples themselves suffered. A severe twofold punishment, suffering that Babylon fully deserved for its extreme impiety, its corrupting example and influence. Its guilt was manifested principally in the fact that it gave peoples the wine of its immorality (Rev 14:8).

Revelation 18:7. How much she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, give her that much torment and mourning. For she says in her heart: ‘I sit as a queen, I am not a widow and will not see mourning!’ Revelation 18:8. Therefore in one day her plagues will come upon her: death and mourning and hunger, and she will be burned with fire, because the Lord God who judges her is strong. Its former pride and self-confidence, as the capital of the antichristian kingdom, as a true queen, not as a widow, without a husband, a king, will prove to be in complete opposition to its sudden destruction. It considered itself all-powerful, eternal, but it will be overtaken by destruction, and suddenly, in one day, and all at once will fall upon it plagues. Through this will be proved that mighty is the Lord God who judges it (v. 8). The impression that these plagues will produce is spoken of in the following verses. First of all the kings, the rulers of individual provinces and states constituting one antichristian kingdom, will weep. For them the devastation of the capital city will be especially painful; but they will only from afar observe the plague and will not dare to come to help and prevent the destruction, and only will cry out: Woe, woe! Further, the merchants will lament the destruction, which by itself and directly affects their interests, since with the world city of Babylon the world trade was closely connected. The merchants, likewise, only from afar, will cry out: Woe, woe! This woe is also for the merchants, for they have not only lost a market for their trade, but are themselves in fear and danger of experiencing all those horrors that have already befallen the inhabitants of Babylon. Seafarers, expressing their sorrow over the destruction of Babylon, will even pour ashes upon their own heads as a sign of their grief.

Revelation 18:9. And the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived luxuriously with her will weep and mourn over her, when they see the smoke from her burning, Revelation 18:10. standing far off for fear of her torment and saying: Woe, woe to you, great city of Babylon, strong city! for in one hour your judgment has come. Revelation 18:11. And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore, Revelation 18:12. merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, all fragrant wood, all carved ivory articles, and all carved articles from precious wood, bronze and iron and marble, Revelation 18:13. cinnamon and incense, myrrh and frankincense, wine and oil, flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and human souls. Revelation 18:14. And the fruits that your soul desired have gone from you, and all things that are luxurious and splendid have departed from you; you will find them no more. Revelation 18:15. Those who traded in these things, who became rich from her, will stand far off for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing Revelation 18:16. and saying: Woe, woe to you, great city, clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, Revelation 18:17. for in one hour such wealth was destroyed! And all the pilots, and all those sailing in ships, and all the sailors, and all who trade on the sea stood far off Revelation 18:18. and, seeing the smoke of her burning, cried out, saying: What city is like the great city! Revelation 18:19. And they threw dust on their heads, and cried out, weeping and wailing: Woe, woe to you, great city, by which all who have ships on the sea became rich, for in one hour she became desolate! Revelation 18:20. Rejoice over her, O heaven and holy Apostles and prophets; for God has executed your judgment upon her. But if the fall of Babylon for the inhabitants of the earth, standing under the direct influence of antichrist, was a cause of their grief, then for the inhabitants of heaven and for those who live for heaven, this event will be an object of joy. Invited to rejoice are heaven, the saints, apostles, and prophets. The cause of joy is the coming of the last and final judgment of God, which the glorified martyrs had asked for and desired (Rev 6:10). This judgment is an object of joy for the heavenly inhabitants, for it is the triumph of Divine Justice.

Revelation 18:21. And one mighty Angel took a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying: With such violence will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down, and will be found no more. John sees a symbolic representation of the suddenness and irreparability of the fall of Babylon. An Angel took a large stone and cast it into the sea. This image means that, like a heavy stone thrown into the sea, which disappears in it quickly and irretrievably, so by God’s judgment Babylon will perish without a trace and irretrievably. To this image the Angel further adds a verbal description of the desolation and abandonment that will befall Babylon. In conclusion, the Angel explains the cause of the judgment over the city and its inhabitants. The first guilt is that merchants have become magnates and have given an immoral direction to their trade. Further, the guilt lies in his sorcery, that is, his corrupting politics. Finally, the last and most important guilt of Babylon is that in it was found the blood of prophets, saints, and all those killed on earth (see Rev 17:6). This means that Babylon, as the city at the end of the world, the capital of antichristianity and the place of the highest manifestation of anti-God hostility, was the perpetrator of the shedding of the blood of all those killed on earth; since the evil and sins of the future antichristian world were the fruit and consequence of the entire long history of evil, justly, upon the antichristian world (Babylon) falls the responsibility for all world evil. * * * Ebrard, Kliefoth, Lutardt and others. Andrew of Caesarea, Kliefoth.

Chapter Nineteen

Rejoicing in heaven and on earth, singing of Alleluia by the heavenly inhabitants at the coming of the marriage of the Lamb with his bride (1–8). John’s worship of the Angel explaining the vision, clarification (9–10). Vision of the Faithful and True One on a White horse, His external appearance, adornments, and clothing (11–16). God’s judgment over the beast, the false prophet, and their worshippers (17–21).

Revelation 19:1. After this I heard a loud voice in heaven like a multitude of people, which said: Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and honor and power to our Lord! In chapter 19 it is spoken of solemn rejoicing at the destruction of Babylon, for this event heralded the near and final triumph of good and truth. The holy seer hears a new, loud heavenly voice (in heaven in its opposition to earth), that is, the sounds of singing (see Rev 10:3) exclusively of the blessed Angels with the four seraphim—living creatures—at their head (Rev 4:8). They cry out: “Alleluia” (from the Hebrew language “praise God”) (see Ps 105:48). They praise for salvation, which must be understood in the sense of perfect deliverance of the Christian community from the snares of the devil. By glory we must understand the glory of God, which belongs to God from eternity; and power, as God’s almightiness, is the foundation of this victory, this triumph.

Revelation 19:2. For true and righteous are His judgments: because He condemned that great harlot who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality, and He avenged the blood of His servants at her hand. Revelation 19:3. And a second time they said: Hallelujah! And her smoke rose up forever and ever. Revelation 19:4. Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell and worshiped God, sitting on the throne, saying: Amen! Hallelujah! The third verse contains a repetition of the song, but with the addition of a new basis for this praise to the Lord. It is the fact that the destruction of Babylon by the ten kings is a destruction that is eternal and final, constituting the transition to the eternal kingdom, for the eternal smoke speaks of eternal fire of Gehenna’s torments. Therefore the elders and the seraphim-living creatures fall down and pronounce: “Amen, Alleluia.” (Ps 105:48).

Revelation 19:5. And a voice came from the throne, saying: Praise our God, all His servants and those who fear Him, small and great. Scarcely had the angelic singing ceased when a voice from God’s throne was heard, from Jesus Christ Himself, which required that all servants of God render glory to God.

Revelation 19:6. And I heard as it were a voice of a multitude of people, as the sound of many waters, as the voice of mighty thunders, saying: Hallelujah! for the Lord God Almighty has taken His throne. Revelation 19:7. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory; for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself. In response to the call of God’s voice of Jesus Christ, John hears new singing. The sounds of this singing he compares to the sound of talk, singing of a numerous people. We can think that it was both heavenly and earthly. In it participated all the glorified people and martyrs of the last time, found in heaven, and all those who were appointed for glorification but were still on earth. Because of this, the sounds of singing were so powerful and so solemn. The basis for praise, first of all, is that the kingdom of the Almighty God has come, that is, the kingdom of the future age. A second impulse to joyful glorification is served by the fact that the marriage of the Lamb has already come and His bride has prepared herself. Here it is spoken of the union of Jesus Christ with His community, but not of the consummation of this kingdom, but only of the moment most near to it. This is the same moment of eschatology, when the Lord at the sound of the Angel’s trumpet gathers all His chosen ones, separating them from the impious, places them at the right side of His throne (Matt 25:33) for the pronouncing of the final verdict of judgment. The community of faithful Christians, who have lived to the last time, is this woman, this bride of the Lamb. She has prepared herself to meet her bridegroom, Jesus Christ.

Revelation 19:8. And it was given to her to be clothed in fine linen, clean and bright; for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. The bride of Jesus Christ is clothed in linen garments, which signify her holiness and which were given to her by the Lord Himself. It is a testimony that the bride is pleasing to the Lord and may enter into His bridal chamber. The brightness of Christian clothing is named the righteousness of the saints. And this righteousness of man, as his right to nearness to God, can be and is achieved in two ways simultaneously: both by one’s own virtue and by God’s grace of justification. The pure and perfect bride of the Lamb, that is, the Christian community of the last time, is such a community, the members of which have achieved the highest possible moral perfection for man with the assistance of God’s grace; it is, so to speak, the fruit of the historical interaction of the grace of Christianity and man’s own efforts.

Revelation 19:9. And the Angel said to me: Write: Blessed are those called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me: These are the true words of God. Further, John hears confirmation of the future blessed state of the depicted and perfected Christians. One of the Angels commands him to write: “Blessed are those called…”—These are the perfected Christians of the last antichristian time, those remaining alive until the coming of the Lord. The revelation comforts them and tells them that their sorrows and sufferings serve as a condition of their blessed life in the future. They are blessed as the called, for they, as the chosen and perfected ones, have been prepared by God for blessedness, which they will receive as a reward for their sufferings, for their labor in achieving piety and perfection. The marriage supper itself is the expression of the most intimate communion with the Lord, which can be only in the future life, only after the final and complete reign of Jesus Christ, after His second coming. The words about the blessedness of the earth are worthy of full belief and acceptance, since they belong to God Himself, the most perfect Truth and source of all revelation; therefore the Angel calls them true words of God.

Revelation 19:10. I fell at his feet to worship him; but he said to me: See, do not do that; I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who have the testimony of Jesus; worship God; for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. John fell at the feet of the Angel. John’s obeisance was a natural, involuntary consequence of the extraordinary impression of the Angel’s appearance and words. The content of the words was so striking that John did not restrain himself and fell at the feet of the speaking Angel, as the prophet Daniel fell at the feet of an Angel. The Angel corrects this involuntary human error of the seer and explains that, however magnificent certain appearances might be on earth, people should not forget God because of them, Who is their first cause and alone worthy of worship and service (Deut 6:13). The testimony of Jesus is Jesus Christ Himself, all that He taught and all that He accomplished for the salvation of mankind. This testimony is the “spirit of prophecy,” which expression is used in the sense of the foundation of prophecy, that which animates prophecy and constitutes its essence: in the testimony of Jesus Christ, that is, in His teaching and the revelation He gave, in prophecy, it is openly and explained that only God alone is worthy of worship and honor. The insertion of verses 9 and 10 disrupted the course of the description of the approaching marriage supper of the Lamb; from verse 11, John again turns to this description. Now it is spoken of those who will not only not be worthy to participate in the marriage supper, but will undergo terrible punishment as retribution. These are the events of the last time, the time of terrible judgment and final recompense.

Revelation 19:11. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and the One sitting on it is called Faithful and True, Who judges righteously and makes war. Revelation 19:12. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns. He had a name written which no one knew except He Himself. John sees heaven opened; such a beginning of discourse speaks of a new and completely separate vision. The very heaven is opened, to give passage to the white horse that appeared with its rider to come down to earth. The rider is called Faithful and True. This name is undoubtedly the name of Jesus Christ; it points to His constant attributes in His relations with the community of believers. Possessing such attributes, He appears terrible for His enemies and an unshakeable hope and comfort for His worshippers. To be a righteous Judge, He possesses eyes like a flame of fire, that is, He penetrates everything with His gaze, sees all and destroys what is not pleasing to Him and what is hostile to Him. About the fact that He is not only a righteous Judge but also an all-powerful executor of His sentences, speaks the multitude of diadems adorning His head. This points to the fact that the whole world belongs to Him, must recognize His power over itself and submit to the verdict of His judgment. In accordance with the attributes of this nature, He bears a name which no one knows but Himself: the Divine nature of Jesus Christ in its essence and fullness of Divine attributes is incomprehensible to man. This mysterious name was on the diadems. Such a supposition is confirmed by the fact that the diadems themselves, as belonging to royal dignity, speak of the incomprehensible attributes of the Divine nature of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 19:13. He was clothed in a garment stained with blood. His name is: ‘The Word of God’. The rider appears clothed in garments drenched in blood. Jesus Christ is in blood-stained garments because He has already accomplished part of His judgment upon sinful humanity; the impious were punished with terrible plagues, and Babylon has already fallen. Jesus Christ appears in the world a second time, and just as about His first coming it was said: “The Word became flesh,” so also at His second coming He is called the Word of God, as the pre-eternal Son of God.

Revelation 19:14. And the armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and pure, followed Him on white horses. Revelation 19:15. Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He might strike the nations. He will shepherd them with a rod of iron; He treads the winepress of the wine of the fury and wrath of God Almighty. Jesus Christ, as Judge and Rewarder, is accompanied by the heavenly armies, consisting exclusively of incorporeal Angels (Matt 16:27). The army followed on white horses, to correspond to their Leader, and their clothing was of white linen. The weapon with which Christ overcame enemies is a sword coming forth from His mouth (Rev 1:16). This sword is His word, the word of His almightiness and will. He rules the nations with a rod of iron, for He completely subjects them to His authority and His decision. He treads the winepress of the wine of the fury and wrath of God (Rev 14:19-20). The entire symbolic image is a depiction of the terrible judgment and recompense, when the impious will be brought to the consciousness of their complete nothingness. Christ, as the all-powerful King, alone can bear the name of King and Lord.

Revelation 19:16. And on His garment and on His thigh is written a name: ‘King of kings and Lord of lords’. Revelation 19:17. And I saw one Angel standing on the sun; and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying in the midst of heaven: Come, gather yourselves to the great supper of God, John further sees an Angel standing on the sun. This must be understood so that he stood surrounded by the rays of the sun. His mission is to summon the birds to the coming supper of God. It will consist of the destruction by the birds of the corpses of the slain enemies of God’s Kingdom. The enemies gathered into an entire army. This gathering of all the impious must be understood so that by the wise providence of God and His almighty action all the impious, before the terrible judgment, will be separated and will experience what they deserved. According to the word of the Apostle, all living things, having lived to the second coming of the Lord, will experience a change of their bodies (1 Cor 15:51-52). The sinners, followers of antichrist, must undergo this change. And if this change for the righteous will be blessed, calm, and joyful, then for the impious it will be torturous. The Angel’s call to the birds of prey to feed upon the corpses of the enemies of God’s Kingdom is an indication of the horrors and sufferings of these latter at the final upheaval.

Revelation 19:18. so that you may eat the corpses of kings, the corpses of mighty men, the corpses of commanders of thousands, the corpses of horses and those sitting on them, the corpses of all free men and slaves, and small and great. Revelation 19:19. And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered to make war against the One sitting on the horse and against His army. By the army in verse 19 we must understand the extreme intensification and strengthening of impiety and anti-God hostility before the coming of the Lord. The impious will resemble an army, having come forth to battle and challenging God to struggle against themselves. But brief is the outcome of this long history of impiety. Retribution began with those who were perpetrators of human impiety of the last time—with antichrist and the false prophet. And since their impiety and their deservingness of eternal torments will be obvious to all, there will be even no judgment for them—they will be cast alive into the lake of fire, Gehenna, to eternal torments, without judgment. The beast-antichrist and his false prophet will be the first to receive retribution, will be destroyed by the spirit of the mouth of God and removed from the sight of the other people gathered by the Lord for the final judgment. A terrible, torturous transformation will occur by God’s verdict: the impious (the rest) will be killed by the sword of Him who sits on the horse, that is, by the action of God’s almightiness and judgment. Their former bodies will become food for birds; in a torturous process they will be transformed into new ones, which would correspond to the impending eternal torments, eternal sensation of unceasing pains. * * * Ewald. Andrew of Caesarea

Chapter Twenty

The binding of the dragon in the abyss (1–3); the thousand-year kingdom of those sitting on the throne (4–6). The final condemnation of the devil to eternal torment and the destruction of the peoples of Gog and Magog by heavenly fire (7–10). A vision of the last judgment after the general resurrection, the destruction of death and Hades, and the beginning of eternal torment (11–15).

Revelation 20:1. And I saw an Angel coming down from heaven, who had the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. The visions of the twentieth chapter must be understood not in connection with the preceding chapter, but in connection with the general content of the Apocalypse as a revelation of the history of the Church until the beginning of the eternal kingdom. In the twentieth chapter, the revelation returns again to the beginning of the history of the Christian Church on earth. We encounter the devil again, we see him again in his relationship to the Christian Church, although in a relationship considered from a different perspective—from the perspective of the victorious struggle of Christians against their ancient enemy. Some commentators see Jesus Christ Himself in the angel coming down from heaven, but most consider him to be an ordinary angel as a messenger and executor of the divine will. This is all the more reasonable because the seer has not given him any attributes of glory and majesty. This angel is granted in the fulfillment of his mission only to bind the devil and to confine him in a prison, the abyss.

Revelation 20:2. He took hold of the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, Revelation 20:3. and threw him into the abyss, and locked him, and set a seal over him, so that he would not deceive the nations anymore, until the thousand years were finished; after that he must be released for a short time. The dragon is that very ancient serpent, the devil and Satan, who was already mentioned (in Rev 12:3-4). Now the defeated devil is not only cast out from heaven to earth, but even thrown down and confined in the abyss. The abyss (Rev 9:1) is a special state and condition particular to evil spirits of being bound and restricted, in which they find themselves in their evil activity with respect to humans. Such binding and restriction, which began for evil spirits from the time they were bound with a chain, must continue for a thousand years. In fact, the death of Jesus Christ and His resurrection must be considered the moment when the devil, deprived of his former power over already redeemed humanity, was, so to speak, bound by Jesus Christ and condemned to (relative) fruitlessness of his activity. The symbolic action of the angel binding Satan and confining him in the abyss, as if in a certain prison, must be understood in connection with this time. He was not only bound, not only confined in the abyss, but was also sealed. The seal means the firmness of the guard and indicates that what is sealed cannot be opened without the will and desire of the one who placed it. But how long will this binding of Satan continue? With respect to individual people, the devil is bound only when they use the name of Christ, but he is free with respect to Christians who are wavering and weak in faith. The devil is bound for a specific and definite time only with respect to the “peoples of the earth” as a general deceiver, as the cause of universal idolatry and resistance to God, as the ruler of the darkness of this age. As such, he is bound by God for a thousand years. Only after this time, determined and appointed by God, will the devil be released again and will appear again not only as a corruptor of individual people, but also as a general deceiver of the world. He will then appear as the angel of the abyss (Rev 9:11), as the beast from the abyss (Rev 11:7). How should we understand this millennium? Some commentators consider the years of this thousand years to be a definite number of years determined by God, which should pass from the time of the Lord’s second coming until the time of the general resurrection and general judgment. But such an interpretation contradicts the teaching of the Orthodox Church, based on Holy Scripture, that the Lord’s second coming will be simultaneous with the general resurrection and will directly precede the dread judgment, leaving no interval. Other commentators resolve this question differently, free from prejudiced thoughts. Now, since the time of the death of Christ the Savior and with the spread of Christianity, the devil is bound in his activity as a general corruptor of nations and a guide of earthly idolatrous kingdoms, of which there were six by the time of John. The seventh kingdom, although also not free from the influence of the devil, is affected by him in a very weak degree, to which the deliberate remark of the apocalyptic text alludes, that the seventh king will not reign long (Rev 17:10). But the eighth kingdom will be a complete triumph of the devil. Then, released by the will of God, he will appear again as a world ruler and in the person of the antichrist will manifest his harmful activity to the highest degree. But this freedom will be given to him only for a short time (Rev 20:3), and the kingdom of his representative the antichrist in the antichristian time will be short-lived. In close connection with the described phenomenon of the binding of Satan stands the following vision of the thousand-year reign with Christ of His holy ones and martyrs.

Revelation 20:4. And I saw thrones and those sitting on them, to whom judgment was given, and the souls of those beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, who did not worship the beast nor his image, and did not receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. John sees thrones and those sitting upon them. Those sitting on the thrones of judgment are first and foremost the apostles, as the first preachers of Christian truth, the divine word. After the apostles, among those sitting on the thrones we must see their closest co-workers and other Christians who became known for their work in Christian preaching. Nevertheless, it is impossible to determine precisely the identities of those sitting or their number. The apostles first and foremost, by their preaching, helped bind Satan in his impious activity. The judgment (judgment, discernment) of those sitting on the thrones concerns the work itself of spreading Christian preaching: they contemplate its successes; and, seeing them, take part in suppressing evil and in the triumph of Christianity and virtue. The souls of those beheaded also enjoy this glorification. This means that the victory of Jesus Christ must serve as consolation for the beheaded, who need it above all. The souls of all the beheaded, as well as all those who have suffered and will suffer in the future from the devil, from his servants, and especially from the beast-antichrist and his false prophet (those who did not bow to the beast)—all of them will not lose their reward: they will be alive and will reign with Christ for a thousand years. The last expression is sometimes taken by commentators as the basis for the teaching of chiliasts about the thousand-year kingdom of Jesus Christ with righteous people; but this is completely incorrect. If chiliastic teaching was based on Holy Scripture at all, it was based on the Old Testament, not the New. The origin of this teaching goes back to the first time of Christianity. Even the heretic Cerinthus expected that Christ, when He would establish His thousand-year kingdom, would restore Jerusalem in all its beauty, and the happiness of the participants in this kingdom would consist in all sorts of pleasures. But some Christian fathers and teachers held chiliastic views as a private opinion. Thus, Papias, according to Eusebius of Caesarea, spoke of the fact that after the resurrection of the dead the kingdom of Christ would come on this very earth bodily and would last a thousand years. Saint Justin the Philosopher taught the same. Saint Irenaeus discusses the question of the thousand-year kingdom more extensively. But both he and others do not seek the proof of their opinion in the Apocalypse and do not cite our passage (Rev 20:4-5), but seek it in the prophecies of the Old Testament and refer to Isa 26:19; Jer 23:7-8; Ezek 37:12-14 and others. According to some modern commentators, the thousand-year kingdom will also consist mainly in the preliminary glorification of holy Christians, which will precede the general resurrection. The teaching about the thousand-year kingdom both as the teaching of heretics and as an opinion of the fathers is in contradiction with other passages of Holy Scripture. We find clear indications that, first, there will be only one general resurrection of the dead on the last day (Matt 13:37-50; John 5:28), second, there will be only one more coming of the Lord and moreover with the direct purpose of immediate judgment over all people without exception (Matt 25:31-33), and third, there are only two kingdoms, the present kingdom of grace (1 Cor 15:23-26) and the future eternal kingdom of glory (Luke 1:33); there is no middle kingdom between these either in time or in content. Therefore, chiliasm, the teaching about the thousand-year kingdom, was also condemned by the Second Ecumenical Council. Besides this, the text itself of verse 4, taken by itself, says nothing about an earthly thousand-year kingdom. We read here: the beheaded lived—properly speaking, were alive before the eyes of the seer. On earth they died, but here, in heaven, in the vision John sees them alive. Specifically, to comfort all who are persecuted for faith in Christ, it is said that their death is limited only to the earth and the body, while their souls live, and moreover live in heaven before the throne of God. Together with Jesus Christ they will reign, that is, they can appear as guides and helpers to those struggling on earth as Christians, and in this find for themselves a new source of joy and blessedness. This blessed reigning will last a thousand years. The thousand years is that same thousand for which Satan was bound in his activity (Rev 20:3). Therefore the blessed reigning will end when, after the brief rule of the antichrist on earth, the day of the Lord’s second coming arrives, the day of general resurrection. After this, a new eternal kingdom will come, when the blessedness of the righteous will be increased by the fact that their glorified bodies will participate in it. As for why the number thousand is used, the answer to this must point to other passages of Holy Scripture, where this same number is used to denote multiplicity and fullness (Deut 5:10; Jer 32:18; Ps 89:5; 2 Pet 3:8).

Revelation 20:5. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. The rest of the dead—these are clearly those who are not among those named in Rev 20:4; the first resurrection, which John calls his vision of living souls, will not touch them. Moreover, this resurrection is not a reuniting of dead people with their bodies, but a resurrection as if a first, special one. By the first resurrection one must understand that state of the souls of the dead which the seer beheld. It can be considered as a transition (rising) of the devout from earthly life to life in heaven, from humiliation and suffering to glory before the throne of God. This resurrection is called first because it precedes and points to the general resurrection, which will be followed by the blessed life of the righteous in their bodies as well. This fate belongs not to all; many (the rest of the dead) Christians and non-Christians will not be deemed worthy of glorification after their earthly life and, separated from the body, will remain far from the divine throne with their souls. Therefore John does not see them alive (resurrected) before the divine throne and near those sitting on the thrones. John calls the participants of the first resurrection not only blessed, but also holy, that is, perfect. Perfection, being a condition of the blessedness of Christians after their earthly death, after the separation of body and soul, will also serve as the foundation for their deliverance from the second death. The second death, as is clear from Rev 2:11, is eternal torment, which comes upon each person after his condemnation at the dread judgment. Bodily death is the separation of soul from body, and no one avoids it. But there is also spiritual death, which consists in depriving a person of divine grace, which gives life to his soul. The righteous, however, by virtue of their holiness and purity, even after their bodily death remain in the closest communion with God. They become priests of God and Christ (cf. Rev 1:6), that is, people very close to God, become certain mediators between Him and earthly people. And as now they reign with Christ for a thousand years, that is, until the general resurrection, so they will reign even after this resurrection, forever, since nothing can deprive them of grace and through this subject them to the second eternal death, eternal torment.

Revelation 20:6. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection: over them the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. Revelation 20:7. When the thousand years are finished, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations which are on the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, and to gather them for battle; their number is as the sand of the sea. The section of chapter XX, verses 7–10, is communicated by John not in the form of a vision, but in the form of prophecy. It was revealed to John’s prophetic vision that after the thousand years for which Satan (the devil) was confined in the abyss, he will be released again from this prison, from his state of being bound in his activity. The devil is called here Satan, which name characterizes him from the side of his enmity toward God, from the side of his constant striving to prevent people from receiving divine grace. This eschatological moment of the release of Satan from the abyss must be understood (cf. Rev 9:1-11) as that very activity of the devil that he will manifest before the end of the world, when for greater success he will use the person of the antichrist and his false prophet. Satan comes out, that is, openly manifests himself as a deceiver of earthly nations (cf. Rev 9:11). In verse 7, the nations being deceived are called Gog and Magog. We encounter the names Gog and Magog both in Holy Scripture and in the Holy Scripture of the Old Testament. Magog is the name of one of the sons of Japheth (Gen 10:2) and of a country (Ezek 39:6), whose king was Gog (Ezek 38:15-16). The names Gog and Magog should be understood as an indication of representatives of nations that were an instrument of divine punishment, and they should speak to us of the warlike nature and cruelty of these peoples. They are depicted as being at the four corners of the earth; this means all the nations of the universe, which the devil will use through the antichrist in his enmity toward God. The impious nations of the last time, stirred up by the devil and guided by the antichrist, will gather for battle against the camp of the saints and against the beloved city. The camp of the saints is the Church of Christ, the community of truly believing Christians of the last time in their opposition to the followers of the antichrist. In the same way, the beloved city is the same Church, the community of believers persecuted but firm and glorious by divine help, faith in God, who dwells among them as if in His beloved city.

Revelation 20:8. And they went out on the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. Revelation 20:9. And fire came down from heaven from God and devoured them; Christians must form a kind of military camp and in this sense always fight and be ready for battle with the devil; but, according to the expression of the Apocalypse, fire will fall from heaven and destroy all the godless army. This fire will undoubtedly be sent by God as an obvious proof and expression of divine help for the saints and of divine wrath toward sinners (cf. Gen 19:24). This fall of fire from heaven points to the same eschatological moment of which Rev 19:21 speaks (cf. 2 Thess 2:8) and which affirms the truth that all people before the dread judgment must undergo a change in their body—torturous for the impious, as if an anticipation of eternal torment. For the devil, who deceived the nations, eternal torment will come earlier than the general judgment and without judgment. His lawlessness and his enmity toward God are fully obvious, and therefore judgment over him, as over the antichrist and the false prophet, is unnecessary (Rev 19:21). For the devil, as one condemned from ancient times, from eternity the fiery Gehenna was appointed (Matt 25:41).

Revelation 20:10. and the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Revelation 20:11. And I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it, from whose face heaven and earth fled, and no place was found for them. Having shown to the end the fate of the antichrist, the false prophet, and the devil himself, condemned to eternal torment, the revelation turns to depict the judgment over the human world (Rev 20:11-15), and after this paints a picture of the future renewed world, on which a new renewed humanity will dwell. John sees a great throne, which is called white to indicate the holiness and impartiality of the Judge sitting on it (cf. Matt 28:3; Dan 7:9). The One sitting on the throne is undoubtedly Jesus Christ Himself, who said of Himself that the Father gave all judgment to the Son (John 5:22). Before Him as the almighty Lord and Ruler lay heaven and earth. Heaven and earth will disappear when the final cosmic upheaval comes, after which a new life of the renewed world must begin. The renewal of the world and the renewal of creation must happen simultaneously with the renewal of humanity, with the change of those remaining alive and with the resurrection of the dead. And only after the upheaval, amid new circumstances, will all people stand before the throne of the Judge.

Revelation 20:12. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged according to what was written in the books, in accordance with their deeds. John calls them dead, but evidently instead of “the deceased”: they have been made alive by the action of divine omnipotence and summoned to render account for their entire earthly life. Here those who will remain alive until the judgment are passed over in silence (1 Cor 15:52-53). But this silence is not a denial of the fact of judgment over those remaining alive. The universal judgment—and here the discourse is undoubtedly about it—will be a judgment over all people without exception, both those who have lived until the Lord’s second coming and those who have died by that time, both righteous and sinners (Matt 25:31; 2 Cor 5:10). All people without exception must stand before the throne of the Judge: both great and small, without any distinction by their former position in earthly society. The Apocalypse depicts the judgment itself under the form of judicial proceedings: the books and the book of life will be opened. This symbolic image must be understood in the sense that by the action of divine omnipotence at the judgment the conscience of each person will be revealed, and in it, as if in a book, he will himself read all that he did in life, and from his own conscience will hear the true evaluation of all his earthly activity. After this, as if after the process of judicial proceedings, each will see another book, common to many—the book of life. This book is God’s foreknowledge, comforting for all those who labor and are burdened in life.

Revelation 20:13. Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; and each one was judged according to his deeds. Supplementing the previous and explaining it further, the revelation goes on to tell of who those dead were and where they came from who appeared before the throne of the Judge. They are those whom the sea, death, and Hades gave up. The sea is the place of death for many people; death is the perishing of people on earth in an unknown manner; Hades is not a place of torment, but in the sense of the interior of the earth, the underworld—all those buried and buried in the ground. This means that all the dead, without any exception, no matter where or how they died, regardless of what happened to their mortal body, all of them will be resurrected and in their renewed bodies will appear for judgment.

Revelation 20:14. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Death and Hades are used here as personifications (Cf. 1 Cor 15:26). Death is the cessation of earthly life of mortal human body, Hades is the state of the souls of people awaiting the time of the dread judgment. But when the judgment has already taken place, then death is already useless, unnecessary. The first death is (apart from bodily death) the first (not final) alienation of the human soul from divine grace; the second death is the final and irreversible condemnation of a person after the dread judgment, when he is completely deprived of hope for any improvement of his state: he is cast into the lake of fire as the place of his eternal torment.

Revelation 20:15. And whoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. “Whoever was not written in the book of life,” that is, all those who, in God’s foreknowledge, proved worthy of condemnation, who were not deemed worthy of eternal blessedness in Christ’s kingdom, all of them were thrown into the lake of fire. * * * Augustine, Book 20, Chapter 8, “The City of God.” Lutardt, Ebrard, Kliefoth, Suller, Oberlin. Andrew of Caesarea, Augustine, Yakovlev, Vinogradov. See explanation of 13:5. Kliefoth, Ebrard, Lutardt, Suller. Augustine, “The City of God,” Book XX, Chapter 11. Augustine, Andrew of Caesarea, Hengstenberg. Cf. Augustine, Book XX, Chapter 15.

Chapter Twenty-One

A vision of a new heaven and new earth as blessed communion of God with people (1–4), the righteous, not the sinners (5–8); John’s contemplation of a new holy city Jerusalem (9–10), a description of its gates, walls, and streets (11–21); the conditions of life in it for the saved nations (22–27).

Revelation 21:1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea no longer exists. Revelation 21:2. And I, John, saw the holy city, Jerusalem, new, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. John does not describe from a positive perspective either the new heaven or the new earth: this entire description is replaced by only one word “new.” The future heaven and earth must be opposite to the former, destroyed ones. “How the change of the universe will take place, this must be removed from the subjects of our curiosity,” says Saint Gregory of Nyssa. “In the world fire,” writes the Blessed Augustine, “those properties of mortal elements will be completely destroyed by fire which corresponded to our mortal bodies, and the world, having renewed itself for the better, will receive complete adaptation to people renewed for the better in the flesh.” Intensifying the expression about the change of the former world, John adds that there is no longer a sea. There will be no former sea, because there will be no need for it, but whether there will be a new sea and what kind of sea, the Apocalypse is completely silent about. John beholds a new city, the holy Jerusalem, coming down from heaven from God, as a special deliberate creation of divine grace for renewed humanity, as a place of communion with God.

Revelation 21:3. And I heard a loud voice from heaven, saying: Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them; they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. The voice coming from the divine throne, from one of the beings surrounding the throne, calls the city the tabernacle of God, in which is contained an indication of the closest communion between God and people, in which both God and people live as if in the same place in an undivided unity of interests. Then the fullest blessedness will come, when there will be no reason for tears and sorrow, for in the new life there will be no sin at all.

Revelation 21:4. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will no longer exist; neither mourning, nor cry, nor pain will exist anymore, for the former things have passed away. Revelation 21:5. And the One sitting on the throne said: Behold, I make all things new. And He says to me: Write; for these words are true and faithful. The truth about the creation of all things new is so important that John is commanded to write it down for the comfort of all suffering humanity on earth.

Revelation 21:6. And He said to me: It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end; to the one who thirsts I will give freely from the spring of the water of life. The word “it is done” means that everything has happened as the Lord God desired it, who is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end (Rev 1:8), the source and goal of all life. The new humanity will be promised complete ability to satisfy spiritual thirst, the striving for fullness of being in union with God (“the spring of the water of life”). And this will be by the mercy of God (“as a gift”), a gift of His divine love.

Revelation 21:7. The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be to him a God, and he will be to Me a son. Revelation 21:8. But the cowardly and unbelieving and vile and murderers and fornicators and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars have their portion in the lake burning with fire and brimstone. This is the second death. After speaking in consolation to the righteous, the Lord threatens sinners with the dreadful torments of the fiery Gehenna, and the listing of sins for which the impious are deprived of blessedness goes from the more general to the particular. The fate of all sinners is the second death, that is, final condemnation after the last judgment to eternal torment. As for the place of torment of sinners and the nature of the fire of their eternal torment, John is completely silent: we must be satisfied with what is revealed.

Revelation 21:9. And one of the seven Angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came and spoke to me, saying: Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. Revelation 21:10. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, which was coming down out of heaven from God. Revelation 21:11. It has the glory of God. Its light was like the most precious stone, like crystal jasper stone. Revelation 21:12. It has a great and high wall and has twelve gates and twelve Angels at them; on the gates are written the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel: Revelation 21:13. on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, on the west three gates. Revelation 21:14. The wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. Revelation 21:15. The one who spoke with me had a golden rod for measuring the city and its gates and its wall. Revelation 21:16. The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as its width. And he measured the city with the rod—twelve thousand stadia; its length and width and height are equal. Revelation 21:17. And he measured its wall—one hundred forty-four cubits, by human measure, which is also the Angel’s measure. Revelation 21:18. Its wall is built of jasper, and the city is pure gold, like pure glass. Revelation 21:19. The foundations of the city wall are adorned with all kinds of precious stones; the first foundation is jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedon, the fourth emerald, Revelation 21:20. the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh hyacinth, the twelfth amethyst. Revelation 21:21. And the twelve gates are twelve pearls: each gate is from one pearl. The street of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass. Revelation 21:22. I did not see a temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty is its temple, and the Lamb. Revelation 21:23. And the city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The use of a double designation “wife” and “bride,” which seems incompatible, points to the character of the highest spirituality of that union which will connect the Lord God and the glorified blessed community of the saints. The remark of verse 10, that the rapture was accomplished in the spirit, makes it clear that there was no change in the external position of the seer. Although he was promised to be shown the bride, but Jerusalem is shown to him not for another reason, but for the precise reason that in this city the bride dwells: by the city we can and must judge about its inhabitants. The very first characteristic of the city is the glory of God, light for it special, self-luminous. This is the Lord God Himself. The city is depicted as completely well-ordered: with high walls and numerous gates, and instead of ordinary defenders, with angels. The names of the 12 tribes are the names of the tribes of spiritual Israel, God’s chosen people, formed from all nations; and the names of the apostles mean that the apostles of Jesus Christ, if their preaching served as the foundation for the perfection of spiritual Israel. For greater clarity and evidence of the vastness of the new Jerusalem, the seer communicates the space it occupies in thousands of stadia. The instrument of measurement is a rod which the angel speaking to John held in his hand. The shape of the city—a four-sided square—is an indication of perfection, stability, and permanence. By the vastness of the city we must judge the multiplicity of its inhabitants, and by the proportionality of its arrangement we must judge the regularity, peace, and orderliness of their life. From the measurement of the city from verse 18, John transitions to the material from which the city is built, and to the depiction of its extraordinary magnificence. Since the new Jerusalem will truly be a new place of the true presence of God, there will be no need for a special temple in it. The glorified righteous will be in such close communion and union with God that it can be said of them that they will always dwell in God and the Lamb, Jesus Christ. The light for Jerusalem will not be created light, but the light of divine glory—God Himself, who is both Light and the Giver of light.

Revelation 21:24. The saved nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory and honor into it. Revelation 21:25. Its gates will not be shut during the day; and there will be no night there. Revelation 21:26. And they will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. After a detailed description of the city, the Apocalypse casts a glance also at its inhabitants, who will be the saved nations. These are all the glorified ones of the future blessed kingdom, made up of believers from all the universe, but not having lost their distinctive national peculiarities. Each person, entering the city, entering into communion with the Lord and with the glorified righteous, will at the same time renounce all that previously constituted the subject of his glory and pride. All devoted to lies and abominations will not enter the city, although its gates are always open, for they cannot enter, because they are not on the new earth, they are in their place, where their dwelling is eternal and permanent. * * * “The City of God,” Book XX, Chapter 16.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The depiction of the river and the tree of life in the new Jerusalem (1–2); the blessedness of the righteous in the complete absence of all sin (3–5). The conclusion to the Apocalypse, consisting in instruction on how to relate to the divine revelation received (6–10); an indication of the speedy coming of the Lord and the necessity of watchfulness (11–17); an exhortation from John and from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. A blessing (18–21).

Revelation 22:1. And he showed me a pure river of the water of life, bright as crystal, coming forth from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Revelation 22:2. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, the tree of life, bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:3. And there will no longer be anything accursed; but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will serve Him. Revelation 22:4. And they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. Revelation 22:5. And there will be no night there, and they will not need a lamp nor the light of the sun, for the Lord God illuminates them; and they will reign forever and ever. The vision of chapter XXII, although it refers to the same new Jerusalem, concerns that aspect of it in which the life of its inhabitants is manifested. John sees water of life, which flows through the city from the throne of the Lamb; its water will be precisely that drink which will satisfy the thirst of the inhabitants of the new Jerusalem. The banks of this river are planted with the tree of life, whose fruits will nourish the inhabitants. Even the leaves of this tree will be suitable for consumption as food with benefit to the organism (healing—in the sense of a further step toward perfection). The depiction of the blessed life given in verses 1 and 2 ends with new concrete features which strengthen the truth that the future blessed life of all its participants will be completely alien to and free from all evil and sin: in the new kingdom there will be nothing accursed. The new kingdom will be exclusively the kingdom of God, which will consist in the closest communion of God with His glorified servants. The closeness to God and this vision of Him as a result of closeness will be reflected on the very life of the blessed, as if on their outward appearance: “his name will be on their foreheads” (cf. Rev 4:3). In the future kingdom the primordial relationship of humanity to nature will be restored again. The blessed will then appear as the true rulers of the renewed nature, which will submit to them not with sighing (Rom 8:22), but freely and willingly. Then everything will be glorified by God: God over all and everyone, people and angels—over external nature.

Revelation 22:6. And He said to me: These words are faithful and true; and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His Angel to show His servants what must soon come to pass. Revelation 22:7. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. Revelation 22:8. I, John, saw and heard these things. When I heard and saw, I fell at the feet of the Angel showing me these things, to worship him; Beginning with verse 6, there is a conclusion to the entire Apocalypse. In concluding all that was perceived, John hears special instructions on how to relate to it. The angel-mediator (Rev 19:9) remarks that all that was seen and heard is trustworthy and true. This revelation, intended for all his servants, although it may seem strange and implausible, will come to pass soon, that is, as necessary by divine predestination. On behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the angel-mediator speaks of His speedy coming, the thought of which should dispose and urge a person to reflection about the dread judgment. Therefore blessed is the one who remembers all the words of the apocalyptic revelation and arranges his life accordingly. John bowed down to worship the angel at his communication of the divine revelation, because the last words were spoken by the angel on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and John took him either for the Lord Jesus Christ Himself or for His representative. But the angel rejected this worship from himself, calling himself a fellow servant.

Revelation 22:9. but he said to me: See, do not do that; for I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets and those who keep the words of this book; worship God. Revelation 22:10. And he said to me: Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book; for the time is near. Revelation 22:11. The unrighteous still do unrighteousness; the unclean still defile themselves; the righteous still practice righteousness, and the holy one still sanctifies himself. Revelation 22:12. Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to his deeds. Revelation 22:13. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the First and the Last. Revelation 22:14. Blessed are those who keep His commandments, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates. Revelation 22:15. But outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the fornicators and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. Revelation 22:16. I, Jesus, have sent My Angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star. Revelation 22:17. And the Spirit and the Bride say: Come! And let the one who hears say: Come! Let the one who is thirsty come, and let the one who desires take the water of life freely. Revelation 22:18. And I testify to everyone hearing the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues written in this book; Revelation 22:19. and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city and in what is written in this book. Revelation 22:20. The One testifying to these things says: Yes, I come quickly! Amen. Yes, come, Lord Jesus! All that has been seen and heard, having been written down in a book, must not be hidden (sealed); Christians must arrange their life in accordance with it. Let people remember that it will not be long before they will have the possibility of remaining in their former conditions of activity. The time is near when these conditions will change, for the time of retribution will come. Blessed will be only those who keep the commandments of God; all others will remain outside the kingdom of God. To John, and through him to all readers of the Apocalypse, Jesus Christ appeals with confirmation of the truth of the revelation communicated and indicates His personal authority. He is the direct descendant of David. He is the bright morning star, that is, the foundation of Christian hope for the arrival of the eternal day of the future kingdom. Therefore the entire Christian Church (the bride), guided by the Holy Spirit, must cry out to Him with the plea: “Come.” With such a plea, each believer in turn must also appeal, becoming like one who thirsts. Jesus Christ once more refers to the book of the Apocalypse, to the prophecies in it, and warns against any distortion of it: he who does so will be deprived of a share in the book of life, in eternal blessedness.

Revelation 22:21. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you. Amen. Ending his book, Saint John, already from himself personally, like the Apostle Paul, conveys his blessing to the readers: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you. Amen.” * * * Hengstenberg, Suller.

Scripture Index (Genesis)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Genesis

Genesis 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Genesis 1:1–32 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Genesis 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Genesis 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Genesis 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Genesis 1:6–10The Wisdom of Sirach

Genesis 1:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Genesis 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 1:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Genesis 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 1:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Genesis 1:20–222 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Genesis 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Genesis 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Genesis 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 1:24–252 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Genesis 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 1:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Genesis 1:26–27The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 1:26–282 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Genesis 1:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 1:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Genesis 1:28–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 1:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 1:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 1:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Genesis 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Genesis 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Genesis 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; Second Maccabees

Genesis 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 2:4–4:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Genesis 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Genesis 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 2:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Genesis 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Genesis 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Genesis 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 2:19–20The Wisdom of Solomon; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Genesis 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 2:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Book of Tobit

Genesis 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Genesis 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 2:52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 3:1–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Genesis 3:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Genesis 3:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 3:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 3:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Genesis 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Genesis 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Genesis 3:16–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Genesis 3:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 3:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Genesis 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 3:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Genesis 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 4:1–17The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 4:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 4:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Genesis 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Genesis 4:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Genesis 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Genesis 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Genesis 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Genesis 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Genesis 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Genesis 4:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 4:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 4:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Genesis 4:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 5:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 5:7–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Genesis 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 5:21–24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Genesis 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Genesis 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 5:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 5:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 5:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 5:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 5:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 6:1–7The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Genesis 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Genesis 6:3–7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Genesis 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Genesis 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 6:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Genesis 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 6:9–9:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 6:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 6:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 6:11–8:19The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 6:122 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Genesis 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Genesis 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Book of Judith

Genesis 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 6:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Genesis 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Genesis 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Genesis 7:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Genesis 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 7:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Genesis 7:17–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 7:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Genesis 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 8:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 8:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Genesis 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Genesis 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Genesis 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 9:4–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 9:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Genesis 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Genesis 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 9:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 9:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 9:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 9:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 9:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 9:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Genesis 10:2–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Genesis 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 10:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 10:6–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Genesis 10:9–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Genesis 10:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Genesis 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Genesis 10:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Genesis 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

Genesis 10:15–16The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 10:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

Genesis 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Genesis 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Genesis 10:22–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Genesis 10:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 10:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Genesis 10:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 10:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Genesis 10:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 10:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 10:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 10:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 10:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Genesis 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Genesis 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Genesis 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 11:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 11:10–26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 11:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 11:14–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 11:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 11:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Genesis 11:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Genesis 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 11:29–32The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Genesis 11:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 11:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 11:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Genesis 12:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Genesis 12:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Genesis 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Genesis 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Genesis 12:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Genesis 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Genesis 12:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Genesis 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 12:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 12:13–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 12:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Genesis 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 13:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 13:5–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 13:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Genesis 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Genesis 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Genesis 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Genesis 14:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The First Book of Maccabees

Genesis 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Genesis 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 14:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Genesis 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Book of Judith

Genesis 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Genesis 14:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Genesis 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 14:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 14:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 14:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Genesis 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Genesis 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Genesis 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Genesis 15:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Genesis 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Genesis 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Genesis 15:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Genesis 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Genesis 15:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Genesis 15:13–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Genesis 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Genesis 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Genesis 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Genesis 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Genesis 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 16:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Genesis 16:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Genesis 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 16:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 16:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Genesis 17:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Genesis 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Genesis 17:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Genesis 17:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Genesis 17:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 17:9–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Genesis 17:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 17:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Genesis 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Genesis 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 17:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Genesis 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Genesis 17:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 17:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Genesis 17:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 17:18–21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Genesis 17:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 17:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 17:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 17:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 17:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Genesis 17:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 17:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 17:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 17:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 17:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Genesis 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 18:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Genesis 18:1–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:2–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Genesis 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Genesis 18:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Genesis 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Genesis 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Genesis 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Genesis 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Genesis 18:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 18:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 18:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:22–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Genesis 18:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:23–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Genesis 18:23–33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Genesis 18:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Genesis 18:24–33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 18:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Genesis 18:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 18:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Genesis 18:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Genesis 19:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Genesis 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Genesis 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Genesis 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Sirach

Genesis 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Genesis 19:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Genesis 19:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Genesis 19:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 19:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:30–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 19:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:31–36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 19:36–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Genesis 19:37–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Genesis 19:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Genesis 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Genesis 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 20:2–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Genesis 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Genesis 20:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 20:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 20:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 20:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 20:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Genesis 20:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 20:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 20:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 20:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 20:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 20:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Genesis 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; Second Maccabees

Genesis 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Genesis 21:9–13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Genesis 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Genesis 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Genesis 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Genesis 21:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:22–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 21:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 21:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Genesis 21:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Genesis 21:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon; The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Genesis 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 22:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 22:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 22:11–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Genesis 22:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 22:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 22:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 22:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 22:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 22:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Genesis 22:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Genesis 22:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 22:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 22:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 22:21–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 22:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Genesis 23:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 23:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 23:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 23:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 23:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 23:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 23:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 23:6–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 23:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 23:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Genesis 23:10–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 23:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 23:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 23:16The Book of Tobit

Genesis 23:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 24:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Genesis 24:15–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Genesis 24:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Genesis 24:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:33The Book of Tobit

Genesis 24:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:41–48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 24:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 24:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:50–51The Book of Tobit

Genesis 24:53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 24:57The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:59The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:60The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Book of Tobit

Genesis 24:61The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:62The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:63The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:64The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Genesis 24:64–65The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:65The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 24:67The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 25:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 25:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 25:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Genesis 25:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 25:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 25:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Genesis 25:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 25:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 25:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 25:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 25:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 25:10The Book of Tobit

Genesis 25:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 25:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 25:12–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 25:12–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 25:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The First Book of Maccabees

Genesis 25:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Genesis 25:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 25:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Genesis 25:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 25:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 25:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 25:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 25:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 25:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 25:22–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 25:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Genesis 25:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 25:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 25:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Genesis 25:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 25:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 25:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 25:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 25:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 25:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 26:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 26:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Genesis 26:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Genesis 26:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:26–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:26–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 26:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:1–41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:7–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 27:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:19–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Genesis 27:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Genesis 27:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Genesis 27:30–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 27:38–39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 27:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Genesis 27:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Genesis 27:42–46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:43The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 27:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 27:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 28:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 28:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 28:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 28:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 28:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 28:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 28:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 28:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 28:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 28:11–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 28:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Genesis 28:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 28:12–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 28:12–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 28:12–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 28:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 28:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 28:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 28:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Genesis 28:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 28:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 28:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Genesis 28:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Genesis 28:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Genesis 28:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 28:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 28:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 28:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 28:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 28:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Genesis 29:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 29:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 29:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 29:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Book of Tobit

Genesis 29:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Genesis 29:27–28The Book of Tobit

Genesis 29:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Book of Tobit

Genesis 29:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Genesis 29:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 29:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Genesis 30:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 30:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Genesis 30:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Genesis 30:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:18–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:35–36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 30:37–39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:41–42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 30:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 31:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:9–12The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 31:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Genesis 31:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:17–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 31:19–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Genesis 31:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Genesis 31:23The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 31:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:25–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:36–40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 31:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 31:39–42The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 31:40The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 31:40–3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 31:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 31:43–44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:45–46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Genesis 31:50–52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 31:54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Genesis 31:55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 32:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 32:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 32:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Genesis 32:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Genesis 32:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 32:3–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 32:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 32:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 32:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 32:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 32:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Genesis 32:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Genesis 32:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Genesis 32:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 32:13–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Genesis 32:16–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 32:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Genesis 32:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Genesis 32:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The First Book of Maccabees

Genesis 32:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 32:24–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Genesis 32:24–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 32:24–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Sirach

Genesis 32:24–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 32:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Genesis 32:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 32:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Genesis 32:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 32:30–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Genesis 32:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 32:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 33:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 33:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 33:3–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Genesis 33:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Genesis 33:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 33:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 33:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 33:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Genesis 33:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 33:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 33:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 33:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 33:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 33:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Genesis 33:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Genesis 33:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 33:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Genesis 33:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Genesis 33:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 34:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 34:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Genesis 34:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 34:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 34:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 34:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Book of Judith

Genesis 34:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Genesis 34:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 34:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 34:12–17The Book of Tobit

Genesis 34:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 34:18–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 34:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 34:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 34:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Genesis 34:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 34:25–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 34:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Genesis 34:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 34:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Judith

Genesis 34:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 35:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Genesis 35:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 35:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 35:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 35:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Genesis 35:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 35:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 35:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 35:9–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 35:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Genesis 35:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 35:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 35:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 35:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 35:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 35:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 35:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Genesis 35:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 35:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 35:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 35:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 35:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 35:23–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 35:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 35:27–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 35:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 36:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 36:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 36:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 36:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 36:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 36:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 36:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 36:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 36:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 36:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

Genesis 36:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 36:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 36:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 36:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 36:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 36:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 36:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 36:20–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 36:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 36:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 36:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 36:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 36:31–39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 36:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 36:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Genesis 36:33–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 36:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 36:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 36:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 36:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 36:40–43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 37:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 37:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 37:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 37:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 37:5–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 37:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 37:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 37:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Genesis 37:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 37:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 37:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 37:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Book of Judith

Genesis 37:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 37:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Genesis 37:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 37:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 37:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 37:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Genesis 37:25–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 37:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 37:26–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 37:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 37:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 37:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 37:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Genesis 37:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Genesis 37:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Genesis 38:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Genesis 38:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 38:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 38:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 38:4The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Genesis 38:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Genesis 38:6–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 38:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 38:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Genesis 38:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Genesis 38:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 38:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Genesis 38:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 38:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 38:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 38:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Genesis 38:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Genesis 38:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 38:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 38:24–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 38:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 38:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 38:27–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 38:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Genesis 39:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 39:1–42:6The First Book of Maccabees

Genesis 39:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 39:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 39:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 39:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 39:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 39:7–12The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 39:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 39:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 39:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 39:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 39:14–18The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 39:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 39:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 39:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 39:20–21The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 39:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 39:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 40:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 40:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Genesis 40:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 40:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 40:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 40:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 40:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 40:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 40:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 40:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 40:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 40:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 40:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 40:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; Second Maccabees

Genesis 40:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 40:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 41:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 41:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Genesis 41:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:17–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 41:25–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:33–36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Genesis 41:38–39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:39–40The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 41:40–41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Genesis 41:42–43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:43The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Genesis 41:44–45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Genesis 41:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 41:46–47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:47–49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:50–52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:51–52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:55–57The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:56The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 41:57The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 42:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 42:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 42:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 42:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 42:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 42:13–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 42:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Genesis 42:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Genesis 42:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 42:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 42:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 42:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 42:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 42:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 42:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 42:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Genesis 42:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 42:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 42:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 42:29–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 42:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 42:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon

Genesis 42:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 42:37–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 42:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 43:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 43:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 43:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 43:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 43:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 43:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 43:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 43:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 43:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 43:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 43:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 43:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 43:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 43:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 43:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 43:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 43:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Genesis 43:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 43:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 44:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 44:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 44:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 44:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 44:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 44:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 44:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 44:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 44:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 44:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 44:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 44:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 44:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 44:27–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 44:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 44:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Genesis 44:32–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The First Book of Maccabees

Genesis 45:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Genesis 45:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 45:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 46:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Genesis 46:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 46:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 46:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 46:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 46:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 46:8–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 46:8–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 46:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Book of Judith

Genesis 46:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 46:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Genesis 46:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 46:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 46:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 46:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 46:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 46:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 46:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 46:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 46:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 46:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 46:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Genesis 46:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Genesis 46:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Genesis 46:28–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 46:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 46:31–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 46:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 46:41The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 47:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 47:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 47:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 47:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 47:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 47:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Genesis 47:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 47:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 47:14–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 47:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 47:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 47:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 47:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Genesis 47:29–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 47:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 47:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Genesis 48:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 48:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 48:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 48:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 48:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Genesis 48:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 48:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 48:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 48:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 48:13–21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Genesis 48:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Genesis 48:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 48:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 48:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 48:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 48:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 48:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 48:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 48:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Genesis 49:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 49:1–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 49:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 49:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 49:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 49:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 49:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 49:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Genesis 49:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 49:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 49:8–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 49:8–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 49:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Genesis 49:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The First Book of Maccabees; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Genesis 49:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Genesis 49:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 49:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 49:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 49:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Genesis 49:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 49:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 49:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 49:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 49:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Genesis 49:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 49:22–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 49:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 49:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 49:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 49:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 49:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 49:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 49:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Genesis 50:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Genesis 50:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Genesis 50:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Genesis 50:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Genesis 50:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:22–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Genesis 50:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Genesis 50:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Genesis 50:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Scripture Index (Exodus)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Exodus

Exodus 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 1:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:7–10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Exodus 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Exodus 1:8–13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Exodus 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:15–16The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 1:16–22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Exodus 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; Second Maccabees

Exodus 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Exodus 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Exodus 2:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Exodus 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Exodus 2:15–21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

Exodus 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 2:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Exodus 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Exodus 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Exodus 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Exodus 3:2–42 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Exodus 3:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Exodus 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 3:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Exodus 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 3:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 3:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Exodus 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Exodus 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Exodus 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Exodus 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Exodus 3:14–15The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Exodus 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Exodus 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Exodus 3:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 3:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Exodus 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Exodus 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Exodus 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Exodus 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Exodus 4:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Exodus 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The First Book of Maccabees

Exodus 4:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 4:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Exodus 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Exodus 5:2–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Exodus 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Exodus 6:3–7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Exodus 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 6:4–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Exodus 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Exodus 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Exodus 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Exodus 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Exodus 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Exodus 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Exodus 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Exodus 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Exodus 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Exodus 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Exodus 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Exodus 6:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 6:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Exodus 6:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 6:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 6:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 6:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 6:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Exodus 7:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 7:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Exodus 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Exodus 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Exodus 7:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 7:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Exodus 7:19–24The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 7:26–28The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Exodus 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 8:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Exodus 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Exodus 9:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Exodus 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Exodus 9:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Exodus 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Exodus 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Exodus 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Exodus 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:22–25The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Exodus 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Exodus 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 9:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 9:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 9:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 9:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Exodus 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Exodus 10:7–8The Book of Judith

Exodus 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Exodus 10:13–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Exodus 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Exodus 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 10:21–23The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Exodus 10:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:24–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 10:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The First Book of Maccabees

Exodus 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 11:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon; The First Book of Maccabees

Exodus 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 11:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:1–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 12:1–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 12:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 12:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 12:3–15The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Exodus 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Exodus 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Exodus 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 12:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Exodus 12:12–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Exodus 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Exodus 12:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 12:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 12:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 12:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:29–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:29–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 12:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 12:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:35–36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Exodus 12:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Exodus 12:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 12:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Exodus 12:40–41The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Exodus 12:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Exodus 12:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 12:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 12:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Exodus 12:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Exodus 12:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 12:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Exodus 12:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Exodus 13:1–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 13:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Exodus 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Exodus 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Exodus 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 13:17–18:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Exodus 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Exodus 13:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Exodus 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Exodus 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Exodus 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Exodus 14:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Exodus 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Exodus 14:21–25The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:23–302 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Exodus 14:23–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 14:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:24–25The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 14:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 14:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Exodus 14:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:26–28Third Maccabees

Exodus 14:26–30The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 14:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 14:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Exodus 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 15:1–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:3–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:9–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Exodus 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:11–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:14–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Exodus 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; Second Maccabees

Exodus 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Exodus 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 15:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

Exodus 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Exodus 15:23–26The Wisdom of Sirach

Exodus 15:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 15:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Exodus 15:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Exodus 15:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 15:27–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Exodus 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Exodus 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Exodus 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Exodus 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Exodus 16:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 16:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 16:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:28–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Exodus 16:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:32–34The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 16:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 16:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Exodus 16:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Exodus 16:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 17:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Exodus 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Exodus 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Exodus 17:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 17:8–13The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 17:8–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

Exodus 17:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Exodus 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 17:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Exodus 17:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:13–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Exodus 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 18:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 18:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Exodus 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 19:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Exodus 19:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Wisdom of Sirach

Exodus 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Exodus 19:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Exodus 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Exodus 19:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Exodus 19:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Exodus 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Exodus 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Exodus 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 19:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Exodus 19:10–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Exodus 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 19:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 19:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Exodus 19:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 19:16–19The Wisdom of Sirach

Exodus 19:16–20The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 19:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Exodus 19:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 19:20–21The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 19:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 19:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 19:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 19:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 19:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 20:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 20:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 20:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 20:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Exodus 20:2–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Exodus 20:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Exodus 20:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Book of Tobit; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Exodus 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Exodus 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 20:8–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; Second Maccabees

Exodus 20:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 20:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Exodus 20:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 20:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Exodus 20:12–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 20:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 20:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 20:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 20:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 20:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Exodus 20:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 20:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Exodus 20:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Exodus 20:19–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 20:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 20:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 20:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 20:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 20:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 20:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Exodus 20:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 20:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 20:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 21:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Exodus 21:1–22:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Exodus 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Exodus 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Exodus 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 21:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 21:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 21:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Exodus 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 21:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 21:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:28–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Exodus 21:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:29–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 21:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 21:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 21:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 21:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Exodus 22:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Exodus 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Exodus 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 22:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Exodus 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 22:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; Second Maccabees

Exodus 22:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 22:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Exodus 22:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Exodus 22:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 22:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 22:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 22:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 22:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 22:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 22:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 22:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 22:21–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 22:21–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 22:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 22:22–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Exodus 22:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 22:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Exodus 22:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 22:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 22:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 22:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Exodus 22:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 22:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Exodus 22:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 22:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Exodus 22:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 22:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 23:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Exodus 23:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 23:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 23:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 23:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 23:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Exodus 23:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 23:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 23:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 23:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Exodus 23:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 23:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Exodus 23:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 23:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 23:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 23:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 23:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Exodus 23:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 23:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Exodus 23:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Exodus 23:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Exodus 23:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 23:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The First Book of Maccabees

Exodus 23:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 23:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 23:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 23:21–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 23:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; Second Maccabees

Exodus 23:22–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 23:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 23:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Exodus 23:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 23:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 23:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 23:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 23:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 23:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 23:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Exodus 23:29–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Exodus 23:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon

Exodus 23:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 23:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The First Book of Maccabees

Exodus 23:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Exodus 23:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Exodus 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 24:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 24:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Exodus 24:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 24:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Exodus 24:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Exodus 24:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Exodus 24:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Exodus 24:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 24:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 24:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 24:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Exodus 24:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Exodus 24:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Exodus 24:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 24:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 24:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Exodus 24:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 24:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Exodus 25:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Exodus 25:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 25:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Exodus 25:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Exodus 25:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:10–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

Exodus 25:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:13–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 25:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 25:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 25:18–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 25:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Exodus 25:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Exodus 25:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 25:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Exodus 25:31–37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 25:31–39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 25:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Exodus 25:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 25:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Exodus 26:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 26:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:18–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 26:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 26:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 26:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Exodus 26:33–34The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Exodus 26:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 26:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 27:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 27:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 27:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Exodus 27:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 27:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 27:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 27:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 27:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 27:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 27:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 27:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 27:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 27:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 27:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 27:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 27:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 27:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 27:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 27:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 27:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 27:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 27:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 27:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 28:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Exodus 28:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Exodus 28:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:6–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Exodus 28:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:9–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 28:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 28:17–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 28:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 28:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 28:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:22–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Exodus 28:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Exodus 28:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Exodus 28:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 28:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 28:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 28:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 29:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 29:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 29:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 29:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 29:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 29:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 29:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 29:10–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 29:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Exodus 29:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 29:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Exodus 29:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:26–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 29:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 29:29–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 29:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 29:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 29:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 29:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Exodus 29:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Exodus 29:38–39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 29:38–41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 29:38–42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Exodus 29:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Exodus 29:39–41The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 29:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 29:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 29:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Exodus 30:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Exodus 30:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 30:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 30:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 30:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:11–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 30:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 30:13–16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 30:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:17–21The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 30:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 30:18–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 30:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 30:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:22–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:22–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 30:22–32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 30:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 30:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 30:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 30:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:25–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 30:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 30:30–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 30:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 30:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 30:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Exodus 30:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:34–36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 30:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 31:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 31:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Book of Baruch

Exodus 31:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 31:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 31:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 31:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 31:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 31:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 31:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 31:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 31:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 31:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 31:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 31:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 31:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 31:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 31:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 31:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Exodus 31:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 31:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 31:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 31:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 31:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 32:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 32:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Exodus 32:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Exodus 32:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Exodus 32:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:7–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 32:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 32:9–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 32:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 32:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 32:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 32:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Exodus 32:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 32:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Exodus 32:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Exodus 32:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:26–29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 32:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 32:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Exodus 32:31–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Exodus 32:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Exodus 32:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 32:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Exodus 32:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 33:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 33:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 33:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 33:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 33:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 33:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 33:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 33:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 33:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 33:8–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 33:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 33:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 33:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 33:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 33:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Exodus 33:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 33:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 33:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 33:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 33:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 33:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Exodus 33:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 33:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Exodus 33:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Exodus 33:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 33:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 33:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Exodus 34:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 34:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Exodus 34:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Exodus 34:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 34:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Exodus 34:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:11–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Exodus 34:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:12–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Exodus 34:12–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Exodus 34:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Exodus 34:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Exodus 34:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Exodus 34:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 34:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 34:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Exodus 34:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Exodus 34:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Exodus 34:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Exodus 34:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Exodus 34:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Exodus 34:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 34:33–35The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Exodus 34:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Exodus 34:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 35:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 35:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Exodus 36:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 36:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 37:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:10–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Exodus 37:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 37:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 37:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Exodus 38:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Exodus 38:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 38:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Exodus 38:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 38:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 39:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Exodus 40:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:12–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Exodus 40:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 40:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 40:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 40:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Exodus 40:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Exodus 40:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Exodus 40:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Exodus 40:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Exodus 40:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Exodus 40:34–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Exodus 40:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Exodus 40:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Exodus 40:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Scripture Index (Leviticus)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Leviticus

Leviticus 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 1:1–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Leviticus 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 1:3–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Leviticus 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Leviticus 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 1:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Leviticus 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 1:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Leviticus 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Leviticus 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 2:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Leviticus 2:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Leviticus 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Leviticus 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Leviticus 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 2:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 3:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 3:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 3:3–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 3:6–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Leviticus 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:1–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Leviticus 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; Second Maccabees

Leviticus 4:3–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Leviticus 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:5–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Leviticus 4:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Leviticus 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:9–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Leviticus 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:13–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Leviticus 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Leviticus 4:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 4:22–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:22–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:27–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:28–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Leviticus 4:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 4:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Leviticus 5:1–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Leviticus 5:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 5:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 5:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Leviticus 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 5:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; Second Maccabees

Leviticus 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 5:14–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Leviticus 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Leviticus 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 6:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Leviticus 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:8–7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:16–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Leviticus 6:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:19–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:25–39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Leviticus 6:26–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 6:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Leviticus 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Leviticus 7:11–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Leviticus 7:12–21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Leviticus 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Leviticus 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:14–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Leviticus 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Leviticus 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:22–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Book of Tobit

Leviticus 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Leviticus 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:29–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:30–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:31–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Leviticus 7:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 7:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 7:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Leviticus 7:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Leviticus 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Leviticus 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Leviticus 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Leviticus 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 8:14–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:18–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:22–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 8:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Leviticus 8:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 8:33–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 8:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Leviticus 8:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Leviticus 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Leviticus 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Leviticus 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; Second Maccabees

Leviticus 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Leviticus 10:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Leviticus 10:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 10:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Leviticus 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Leviticus 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Epistle of Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 10:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Leviticus 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 10:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 10:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Leviticus 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Leviticus 10:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Leviticus 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Leviticus 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; Second Maccabees

Leviticus 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

Leviticus 11:1–47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Leviticus 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:3–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:4–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Leviticus 11:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Leviticus 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:9–12The Book of Tobit

Leviticus 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:13–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Leviticus 11:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:19–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Leviticus 11:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:29–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Leviticus 11:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:32–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Leviticus 11:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Leviticus 11:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 11:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:41–43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Leviticus 11:44–45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Leviticus 11:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 12:2–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Leviticus 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Leviticus 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Leviticus 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Leviticus 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Leviticus 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Leviticus 13:24–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Leviticus 13:45–46The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Leviticus 13:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Leviticus 13:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:47–59The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:50–55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:56The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:57The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:58The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 13:59The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Leviticus 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Leviticus 14:4–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Leviticus 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:12–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 14:34–55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 14:53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 15:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Leviticus 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Leviticus 15:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 15:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Leviticus 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Leviticus 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Leviticus 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:9–10The Book of Tobit

Leviticus 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:11–15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Leviticus 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:12–16Third Maccabees

Leviticus 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Leviticus 16:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Leviticus 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 16:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Leviticus 16:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Leviticus 16:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 16:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Leviticus 16:29–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Leviticus 16:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 16:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 16:48The Wisdom of Solomon

Leviticus 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 17:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 17:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Leviticus 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 17:10–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Leviticus 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Leviticus 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 17:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Leviticus 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 17:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 17:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 17:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Leviticus 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Leviticus 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Leviticus 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Leviticus 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Leviticus 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 18:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Leviticus 18:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:22–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 18:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 18:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:24–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:26–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 18:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 18:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Leviticus 19:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Leviticus 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Leviticus 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 19:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Leviticus 19:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Leviticus 19:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Leviticus 19:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Leviticus 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 19:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Leviticus 19:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

Leviticus 19:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Leviticus 19:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Epistle of Jeremiah

Leviticus 19:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 19:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Leviticus 19:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Wisdom of Solomon

Leviticus 19:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:33–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 19:33–36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 19:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Leviticus 19:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 19:35–36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Leviticus 19:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Leviticus 19:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Leviticus 20:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 20:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 20:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Leviticus 20:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 20:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 20:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 20:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Leviticus 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Leviticus 21:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 21:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Leviticus 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Epistle of Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Leviticus 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 21:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 21:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 21:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 21:17–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Leviticus 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 21:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Leviticus 21:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 21:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 22:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Leviticus 22:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 22:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:18–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:19–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 22:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

Leviticus 22:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Leviticus 22:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 22:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 23:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 23:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 23:5–11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Leviticus 23:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 23:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 23:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Leviticus 23:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Leviticus 23:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Leviticus 23:10–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 23:10–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Leviticus 23:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 23:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Leviticus 23:14–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 23:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Leviticus 23:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 23:15–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 23:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Leviticus 23:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 23:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Leviticus 23:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Leviticus 23:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Leviticus 23:33–36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 23:33–43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Leviticus 23:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Leviticus 23:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Leviticus 23:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Leviticus 23:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:39–42The Wisdom of Solomon

Leviticus 23:39–43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Leviticus 23:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Leviticus 23:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 23:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Leviticus 23:42–43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Leviticus 23:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 24:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 24:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

Leviticus 24:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 24:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Leviticus 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 24:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 24:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 24:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Leviticus 24:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Leviticus 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Leviticus 24:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 24:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 24:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 24:10–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Leviticus 24:10–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 24:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Leviticus 24:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Leviticus 24:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 24:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 24:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Leviticus 24:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Leviticus 24:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Leviticus 24:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 24:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Leviticus 24:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 24:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 24:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 24:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 24:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 24:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 24:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 24:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Leviticus 25:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Leviticus 25:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Leviticus 25:2–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:4–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Leviticus 25:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Leviticus 25:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Leviticus 25:8–55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 25:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Leviticus 25:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 25:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Leviticus 25:14–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Leviticus 25:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 25:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 25:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:19–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Leviticus 25:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Leviticus 25:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Leviticus 25:23–28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Leviticus 25:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 25:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Leviticus 25:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Leviticus 25:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:32–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 25:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Leviticus 25:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:35–37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 25:35–55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Leviticus 25:36–37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:38–42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Leviticus 25:39–41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:39–55The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 25:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:42–43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:44–46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:48–49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:50–52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 25:55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Leviticus 26:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Leviticus 26:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Leviticus 26:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Leviticus 26:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Leviticus 26:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Leviticus 26:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Leviticus 26:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Leviticus 26:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Leviticus 26:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Leviticus 26:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Leviticus 26:14–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 26:14–43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Leviticus 26:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Leviticus 26:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 26:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Leviticus 26:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 26:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 26:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Leviticus 26:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:27–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 26:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 26:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Leviticus 26:34–36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Leviticus 26:36–39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 26:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Leviticus 26:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 26:39–40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 26:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Leviticus 26:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; Third Maccabees

Leviticus 26:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 26:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 27:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Leviticus 27:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 27:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Leviticus 27:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:17–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 27:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 27:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 27:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Leviticus 27:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Leviticus 27:28–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Leviticus 27:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The First Book of Maccabees

Leviticus 27:30–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Leviticus 27:30–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Leviticus 27:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:32–33The Book of Tobit

Leviticus 27:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Scripture Index (Numbers)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Numbers

Numbers 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 1:3–46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 1:6The Book of Judith

Numbers 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Numbers 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Numbers 1:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Numbers 1:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 1:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 1:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 1:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 1:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 1:47–49The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 1:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 1:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 1:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 1:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 1:53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 2:3–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 2:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 3:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 3:17–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 3:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Numbers 3:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 3:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Numbers 3:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 3:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 3:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 3:40–45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 3:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 3:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 3:47–51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

Numbers 4:1–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

Numbers 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Numbers 4:4–15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Numbers 4:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Numbers 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Numbers 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 4:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Numbers 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Numbers 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 4:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 4:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

Numbers 5:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 5:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Numbers 5:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Numbers 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Numbers 5:14–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Numbers 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 5:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Numbers 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 5:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 6:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 6:2–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Numbers 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Numbers 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 6:9–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Numbers 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The First Book of Maccabees

Numbers 6:13–20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Numbers 6:13–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 6:22–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Numbers 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 6:23–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Numbers 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 6:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; Third Maccabees

Numbers 6:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 6:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Numbers 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 7:48The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 7:89The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Numbers 8:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Numbers 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 8:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Numbers 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Numbers 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Numbers 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Numbers 8:23–26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 8:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Numbers 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 9:1–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 9:5The First Book of Maccabees

Numbers 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Numbers 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 9:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Numbers 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Numbers 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; Second Maccabees

Numbers 9:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 9:15–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Numbers 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 10:2–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Numbers 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The First Book of Maccabees

Numbers 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; Second Maccabees

Numbers 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Numbers 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Numbers 10:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Numbers 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Numbers 10:29–33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

Numbers 10:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Numbers 10:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 11:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Numbers 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 11:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 11:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Numbers 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Wisdom of Solomon

Numbers 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 11:11–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Numbers 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Numbers 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 11:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

Numbers 11:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Numbers 11:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Wisdom of Solomon

Numbers 11:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Numbers 11:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 11:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 11:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 11:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 11:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 12:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The First Book of Maccabees

Numbers 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Numbers 12:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Numbers 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Numbers 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Numbers 12:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Numbers 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Numbers 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Numbers 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Numbers 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 13:1–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 13:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 13:11The First Book of Maccabees

Numbers 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Numbers 13:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 13:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 13:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Numbers 13:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 13:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 13:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 13:33–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Numbers 13:34The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Numbers 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 14:1–9The Wisdom of Sirach

Numbers 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 14:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Numbers 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 14:6–8The First Book of Maccabees

Numbers 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Numbers 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Numbers 14:13–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 14:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Numbers 14:13–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 14:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Numbers 14:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Numbers 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 14:21The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Numbers 14:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 14:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 14:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Numbers 14:28–30The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Numbers 14:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Numbers 14:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 14:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 14:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 14:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 14:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Numbers 14:40–45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 14:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Numbers 14:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:2–12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Numbers 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Numbers 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Numbers 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 15:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Numbers 15:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 15:32–36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 15:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Numbers 15:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 15:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 15:37–41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 15:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Numbers 15:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Numbers 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Numbers 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 16:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Numbers 16:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 16:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Numbers 16:30–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Numbers 16:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Numbers 16:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 16:36–50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 16:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 16:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 16:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 16:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 16:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 16:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Wisdom of Solomon

Numbers 16:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Numbers 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Wisdom of Solomon

Numbers 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 18:8–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Numbers 18:12–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Numbers 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Numbers 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 18:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Numbers 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Numbers 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 18:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The First Book of Maccabees

Numbers 18:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 18:20–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Numbers 18:20–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Numbers 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 18:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Numbers 18:21–24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 18:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Numbers 18:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 18:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 18:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 18:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 18:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 18:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Numbers 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 19:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Wisdom of Solomon

Numbers 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Numbers 19:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 19:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 19:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 19:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 19:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 19:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Numbers 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 20:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 20:2–11The Wisdom of Solomon

Numbers 20:2–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Numbers 20:2–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Numbers 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Numbers 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 20:7–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 20:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 20:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Book of Judith

Numbers 20:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Numbers 20:10–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 20:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Numbers 20:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 20:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 20:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Numbers 20:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Numbers 20:14–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 20:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 20:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 20:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Numbers 20:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 20:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 20:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 20:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 20:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Numbers 20:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Numbers 21:1–3The Wisdom of Solomon

Numbers 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Numbers 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 21:4–9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Numbers 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Numbers 21:6–9The Wisdom of Solomon

Numbers 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 21:8–9The Book of Tobit

Numbers 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

Numbers 21:15–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 21:19The First Book of Maccabees

Numbers 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Numbers 21:21–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Numbers 21:21–29The Wisdom of Solomon

Numbers 21:21–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 21:21–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Numbers 21:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 21:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 21:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Numbers 21:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Numbers 21:28–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 21:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Numbers 21:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 21:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The First Book of Maccabees

Numbers 21:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Numbers 21:33–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Wisdom of Solomon

Numbers 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Numbers 22:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Numbers 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Numbers 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Numbers 22:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 22:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 22:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Numbers 22:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 22:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Numbers 22:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 22:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 22:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 22:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 22:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 22:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 22:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 22:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 22:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 22:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 22:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 22:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 23:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Numbers 23:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 23:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 23:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Numbers 23:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 23:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Numbers 23:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 23:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 23:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 23:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 23:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The First Book of Maccabees

Numbers 23:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 24:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 24:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Numbers 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 24:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Numbers 24:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Numbers 24:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 24:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 24:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 24:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Numbers 24:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 24:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Numbers 24:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 24:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 24:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The First Book of Maccabees

Numbers 24:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 25:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Numbers 25:1–14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Numbers 25:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Numbers 25:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 25:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Numbers 25:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 25:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Numbers 25:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 25:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 25:7–8The First Book of Maccabees

Numbers 25:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 25:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Numbers 25:11–13The First Book of Maccabees

Numbers 25:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Numbers 25:17The Wisdom of Solomon

Numbers 25:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 26:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 26:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 26:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 26:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Numbers 26:5–51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Numbers 26:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 26:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Numbers 26:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Numbers 26:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Numbers 26:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Numbers 26:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:28–37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Numbers 26:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:29–31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:29–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 26:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:30–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 26:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:35–36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:41The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:44The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:47The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:48The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 26:53–56The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 26:54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 26:54–56The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 26:55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 26:55–56The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 26:59The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 26:62The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 26:64The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 26:65The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 27:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 27:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Numbers 27:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 27:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 27:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 27:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 27:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 27:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 27:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Numbers 27:8–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Numbers 27:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 27:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 27:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 27:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 27:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 27:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 27:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 27:15–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 27:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 27:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Numbers 27:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Numbers 27:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 27:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 27:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Numbers 27:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 28:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Numbers 28:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Numbers 28:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 28:3–8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 28:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Numbers 28:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 28:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 28:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 28:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Numbers 28:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Numbers 28:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 28:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 28:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 28:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Numbers 28:11–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Numbers 28:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 28:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 28:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 28:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 28:15–30The Wisdom of Solomon

Numbers 28:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 28:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 28:16–25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 28:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Numbers 28:18–24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Numbers 28:19–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Numbers 28:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 28:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Numbers 28:26–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 28:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 28:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 28:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 28:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 28:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 29:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 29:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Numbers 29:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Numbers 29:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 29:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 29:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 29:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 29:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 29:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 29:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 29:8–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Numbers 29:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 29:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 29:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 29:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 29:12–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 29:13–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Numbers 29:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Numbers 29:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 30:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 30:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 30:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 30:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 30:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 30:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 30:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 30:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 30:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 30:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 30:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 30:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 30:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 30:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 30:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 30:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 30:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Wisdom of Solomon

Numbers 31:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Numbers 31:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Numbers 31:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 31:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 31:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Numbers 31:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 31:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Numbers 31:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 31:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:43The First Book of Maccabees

Numbers 31:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The First Book of Maccabees

Numbers 31:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 31:54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 32:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Numbers 32:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 32:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Numbers 32:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Numbers 32:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 32:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 32:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 32:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 32:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Numbers 32:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Numbers 32:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Numbers 32:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 32:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 32:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 32:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Numbers 32:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 32:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 32:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 32:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 32:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 32:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 32:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 33:1–49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 33:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 33:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 33:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 33:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 33:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 33:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 33:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 33:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Numbers 33:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Numbers 33:41–42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 33:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Numbers 33:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Numbers 33:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 33:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 33:52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Numbers 33:53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 33:54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 33:55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Numbers 33:55–56The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 34:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 34:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 34:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 34:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 34:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The First Book of Maccabees

Numbers 34:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Numbers 34:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 34:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Numbers 34:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 34:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The First Book of Maccabees

Numbers 34:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 34:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 34:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Numbers 34:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Numbers 34:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Numbers 34:16–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 34:17–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 34:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 35:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 35:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Numbers 35:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The First Book of Maccabees

Numbers 35:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

Numbers 35:6–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 35:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Numbers 35:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 35:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:16–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Numbers 35:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Numbers 35:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Numbers 35:22–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 35:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Numbers 35:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 35:30–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Numbers 35:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 35:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 36:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 36:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 36:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 36:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 36:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Numbers 36:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 36:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Book of Tobit

Numbers 36:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Numbers 36:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 36:8–9The Book of Tobit

Numbers 36:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 36:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 36:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Numbers 36:27The Book of Judith

Numbers 36:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Scripture Index (Deuteronomy)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The First Book of Maccabees

Deuteronomy 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 1:6–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The First Book of Maccabees

Deuteronomy 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Deuteronomy 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Deuteronomy 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Deuteronomy 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Deuteronomy 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Deuteronomy 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 1:19–46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 1:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 1:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Deuteronomy 1:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 1:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Deuteronomy 1:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Deuteronomy 1:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 1:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 1:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Deuteronomy 1:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Deuteronomy 1:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Deuteronomy 2:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Deuteronomy 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Deuteronomy 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Deuteronomy 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 2:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

Deuteronomy 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Deuteronomy 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 2:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Deuteronomy 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Deuteronomy 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

Deuteronomy 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Deuteronomy 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:24–37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Deuteronomy 2:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:30–35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 2:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 2:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 2:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3:1–4The Wisdom of Solomon

Deuteronomy 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The First Book of Maccabees

Deuteronomy 3:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Deuteronomy 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The First Book of Maccabees

Deuteronomy 3:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Deuteronomy 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Deuteronomy 3:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Deuteronomy 3:12–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Deuteronomy 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Deuteronomy 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Deuteronomy 3:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 3:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Deuteronomy 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Deuteronomy 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 4:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Book of Baruch; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Deuteronomy 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Deuteronomy 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Deuteronomy 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4:15–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 4:16–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Deuteronomy 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Deuteronomy 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Deuteronomy 4:28The Wisdom of Solomon

Deuteronomy 4:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Deuteronomy 4:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 4:32–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 4:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 4:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Deuteronomy 4:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 4:41–43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 4:42The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

Deuteronomy 4:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The First Book of Maccabees

Deuteronomy 4:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Deuteronomy 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Deuteronomy 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Deuteronomy 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Deuteronomy 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 5:16–20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Deuteronomy 5:19–25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Deuteronomy 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Deuteronomy 5:21–26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Deuteronomy 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 5:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Deuteronomy 5:33The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Deuteronomy 6:2The Book of Tobit

Deuteronomy 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Deuteronomy 6:4–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 6:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Deuteronomy 6:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Deuteronomy 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Deuteronomy 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 6:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Deuteronomy 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Deuteronomy 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Deuteronomy 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 6:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Deuteronomy 7:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Deuteronomy 7:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Deuteronomy 7:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Deuteronomy 7:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 7:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Deuteronomy 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Deuteronomy 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Deuteronomy 7:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Deuteronomy 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Deuteronomy 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Deuteronomy 7:6–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Deuteronomy 7:11–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Deuteronomy 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon

Deuteronomy 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 7:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Wisdom of Solomon

Deuteronomy 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Deuteronomy 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Deuteronomy 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Deuteronomy 8:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Deuteronomy 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Deuteronomy 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 8:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Deuteronomy 8:15The Wisdom of Solomon

Deuteronomy 8:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Deuteronomy 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Deuteronomy 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Deuteronomy 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Deuteronomy 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Deuteronomy 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Deuteronomy 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Deuteronomy 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Deuteronomy 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 9:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Deuteronomy 10:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 10:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Deuteronomy 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 10:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Deuteronomy 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Deuteronomy 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Deuteronomy 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Deuteronomy 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Deuteronomy 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 11:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 11:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Deuteronomy 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Deuteronomy 11:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 11:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Deuteronomy 11:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Deuteronomy 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; Second Maccabees

Deuteronomy 11:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 11:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The First Book of Maccabees

Deuteronomy 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Deuteronomy 12:5–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 12:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:6–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:6–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Deuteronomy 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Deuteronomy 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Deuteronomy 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Deuteronomy 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:18–19The Book of Tobit

Deuteronomy 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 12:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Wisdom of Solomon

Deuteronomy 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 13:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Deuteronomy 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Wisdom of Solomon

Deuteronomy 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 13:5–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Deuteronomy 13:6–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Deuteronomy 13:6–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Deuteronomy 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 13:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 13:12–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Deuteronomy 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Deuteronomy 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Deuteronomy 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Deuteronomy 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Deuteronomy 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:7–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Deuteronomy 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:13–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Deuteronomy 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Deuteronomy 14:22–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 14:22–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 14:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 14:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 14:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Deuteronomy 14:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Deuteronomy 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Deuteronomy 15:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 15:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Deuteronomy 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Deuteronomy 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 15:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Deuteronomy 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 15:12–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Deuteronomy 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 16:1–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Deuteronomy 16:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Deuteronomy 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Deuteronomy 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Deuteronomy 16:9–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Deuteronomy 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Book of Tobit

Deuteronomy 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Book of Tobit

Deuteronomy 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Deuteronomy 16:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Deuteronomy 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Deuteronomy 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Deuteronomy 16:16–17The Book of Tobit

Deuteronomy 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Deuteronomy 16:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 16:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 16:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 16:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Deuteronomy 17:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Deuteronomy 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 17:8–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Deuteronomy 17:8–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Deuteronomy 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Deuteronomy 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Deuteronomy 17:14–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

Deuteronomy 17:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Deuteronomy 17:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 17:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 17:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 17:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 17:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 17:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 17:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 18:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Deuteronomy 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 18:9–14The Wisdom of Solomon

Deuteronomy 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Deuteronomy 18:10–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 18:13–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Deuteronomy 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Deuteronomy 18:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Deuteronomy 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Deuteronomy 18:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Deuteronomy 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 18:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Deuteronomy 18:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Deuteronomy 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 19:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Deuteronomy 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 19:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 19:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 19:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Deuteronomy 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 19:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 19:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Deuteronomy 19:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Deuteronomy 19:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 19:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Deuteronomy 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 19:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 19:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 19:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 19:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Deuteronomy 20:2Second Maccabees

Deuteronomy 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Deuteronomy 20:5The First Book of Maccabees

Deuteronomy 20:5–8The First Book of Maccabees

Deuteronomy 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 20:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Deuteronomy 20:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 20:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 20:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Deuteronomy 20:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 20:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 21:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Deuteronomy 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Deuteronomy 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 21:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The First Book of Maccabees

Deuteronomy 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 21:11–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Deuteronomy 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Deuteronomy 21:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 21:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Deuteronomy 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 21:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Deuteronomy 21:18–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Deuteronomy 21:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Deuteronomy 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 21:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 21:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Deuteronomy 21:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Deuteronomy 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Deuteronomy 22:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Deuteronomy 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Deuteronomy 22:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 22:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 22:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Deuteronomy 22:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Deuteronomy 22:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 22:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:13–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Deuteronomy 22:23–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Deuteronomy 22:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 22:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 22:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 23:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Deuteronomy 23:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 23:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Deuteronomy 23:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Deuteronomy 23:3–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 23:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 23:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 23:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 23:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Deuteronomy 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 23:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 23:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 23:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 23:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Deuteronomy 23:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 23:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 23:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 23:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 23:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Deuteronomy 23:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Book of Tobit

Deuteronomy 23:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 23:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Judith

Deuteronomy 23:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 23:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Deuteronomy 23:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 23:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 23:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 23:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Deuteronomy 23:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Deuteronomy 23:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 23:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Deuteronomy 24:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 24:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 24:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 24:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

Deuteronomy 24:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Deuteronomy 24:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 24:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 24:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 24:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 24:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 24:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 24:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 24:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 24:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 24:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Deuteronomy 24:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Deuteronomy 24:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 24:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 24:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Deuteronomy 24:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Deuteronomy 24:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Deuteronomy 24:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 24:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Deuteronomy 25:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 25:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Deuteronomy 25:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Deuteronomy 25:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 25:5–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 25:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Deuteronomy 25:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 25:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Deuteronomy 25:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 25:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 25:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Deuteronomy 25:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 25:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 25:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 25:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 25:13–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Deuteronomy 25:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 25:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 25:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 25:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 25:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 25:18–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Deuteronomy 25:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 26:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 26:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The First Book of Maccabees

Deuteronomy 26:2–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Deuteronomy 26:2–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 26:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 26:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 26:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 26:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 26:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 26:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 26:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 26:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 26:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 26:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 26:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 26:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Deuteronomy 26:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 26:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Deuteronomy 26:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Deuteronomy 26:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 26:18–19The Wisdom of Solomon

Deuteronomy 26:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 27:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 27:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 27:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 27:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 27:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 27:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Deuteronomy 27:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 27:12–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 27:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 27:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 27:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 27:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 27:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 27:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 27:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 27:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 27:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 27:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 27:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 27:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 27:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Deuteronomy 28:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 28:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 28:1–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 28:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Deuteronomy 28:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Deuteronomy 28:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 28:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 28:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Baruch; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Deuteronomy 28:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Deuteronomy 28:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 28:14–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 28:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Deuteronomy 28:15–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 28:15–68The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 28:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Deuteronomy 28:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Deuteronomy 28:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 28:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Deuteronomy 28:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Deuteronomy 28:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 28:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 28:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 28:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 28:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 28:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 28:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Deuteronomy 28:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 28:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 28:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 28:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 28:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 28:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Deuteronomy 28:39–42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Deuteronomy 28:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 28:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 28:47–48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Deuteronomy 28:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 28:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Deuteronomy 28:49–52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Deuteronomy 28:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Deuteronomy 28:53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 28:54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 28:55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 28:56The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 28:57The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 28:58The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Deuteronomy 28:64The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 28:65The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 28:66The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 28:67The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 28:68The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Deuteronomy 29:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 29:1–30The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Deuteronomy 29:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 29:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 29:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 29:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 29:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 29:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 29:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 29:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Deuteronomy 29:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 29:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 29:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 29:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 29:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Deuteronomy 29:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 29:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 29:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 30:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 30:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Deuteronomy 30:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 30:2–4Third Maccabees

Deuteronomy 30:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Deuteronomy 30:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 30:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 30:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 30:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 30:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 30:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 30:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 30:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 30:11–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 30:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 30:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 30:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Deuteronomy 30:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Deuteronomy 30:15–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Deuteronomy 30:15–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 31:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 31:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 31:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 31:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 31:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 31:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 31:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 31:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 31:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 31:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Deuteronomy 31:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Deuteronomy 31:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 31:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 31:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 31:24–26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 31:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 31:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 31:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 31:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 32:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 32:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 32:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Deuteronomy 32:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon

Deuteronomy 32:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 32:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 32:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 32:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Deuteronomy 32:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 32:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Deuteronomy 32:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 32:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 32:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Deuteronomy 32:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Deuteronomy 32:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Deuteronomy 32:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 32:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Deuteronomy 32:18Third Maccabees

Deuteronomy 32:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Deuteronomy 32:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 32:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Deuteronomy 32:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Deuteronomy 32:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Deuteronomy 32:25The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Deuteronomy 32:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Deuteronomy 32:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 32:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 32:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Deuteronomy 32:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 32:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Deuteronomy 32:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; Second Maccabees

Deuteronomy 32:39The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Deuteronomy 32:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 32:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Deuteronomy 32:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 32:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Deuteronomy 32:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Deuteronomy 32:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 32:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 32:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 32:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 32:52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 33:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Deuteronomy 33:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Deuteronomy 33:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 33:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 33:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 33:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 33:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Wisdom of Solomon

Deuteronomy 33:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Deuteronomy 33:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Deuteronomy 33:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Deuteronomy 33:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 33:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Deuteronomy 33:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Deuteronomy 33:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Deuteronomy 33:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Deuteronomy 33:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 33:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 33:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 33:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 33:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Deuteronomy 33:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Deuteronomy 33:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 33:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 33:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 34:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

Deuteronomy 34:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 34:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 34:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Deuteronomy 34:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 34:5–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 34:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 34:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Deuteronomy 34:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Deuteronomy 34:9The Wisdom of Solomon

Deuteronomy 34:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Deuteronomy 34:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Deuteronomy 34:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 34:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Scripture Index (Joshua)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Joshua

Joshua 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Joshua 1:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:2–10The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Joshua 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:12–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:12–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Joshua 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Joshua 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 2:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Joshua 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 2:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Joshua 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 2:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 2:10–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Joshua 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joshua 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 3:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Joshua 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 3:7–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 3:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joshua 3:9–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Joshua 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 3:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 3:15–172 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Joshua 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Joshua 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Joshua 4:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

Joshua 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:15–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 4:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:21–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Joshua 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Joshua 5:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Joshua 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 5:2–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Joshua 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Joshua 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 5:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 5:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Joshua 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Joshua 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 5:13–16The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Joshua 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Joshua 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Joshua 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Joshua 6:3–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Joshua 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:5–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Joshua 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Joshua 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Joshua 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 6:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; Second Maccabees; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Joshua 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Joshua 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Joshua 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Joshua 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Joshua 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Joshua 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Joshua 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 7:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Joshua 8:30–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Joshua 8:30–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:32–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Joshua 8:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:33–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Joshua 8:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 8:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 9:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 9:3–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Joshua 9:3–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

Joshua 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Joshua 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 9:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Joshua 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Joshua 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 9:21–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Joshua 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Joshua 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Joshua 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Joshua 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 10:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Joshua 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Joshua 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Joshua 10:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Joshua 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Joshua 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Joshua 10:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Joshua 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Joshua 10:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 10:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Joshua 10:36–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:39–40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Joshua 10:40–42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 10:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Joshua 11:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 11:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Book of Baruch

Joshua 11:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

Joshua 11:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Joshua 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 12:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Joshua 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Joshua 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Joshua 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Joshua 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Joshua 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joshua 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 12:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Book of Tobit; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 12:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 12:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Joshua 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Joshua 13:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Joshua 13:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 13:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 13:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Joshua 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Joshua 13:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 13:8–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

Joshua 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Joshua 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 13:15–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Joshua 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Joshua 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Joshua 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Joshua 13:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 13:24–28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 13:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Joshua 13:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Joshua 13:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Joshua 13:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Joshua 13:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 13:29–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 13:29–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Joshua 13:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 13:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 13:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 14:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Joshua 14:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Joshua 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Joshua 14:6–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 14:6–15The Wisdom of Sirach

Joshua 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 14:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 14:9–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Joshua 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Joshua 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:5–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Joshua 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Joshua 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Joshua 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Joshua 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Book of Tobit

Joshua 15:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 15:13–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Joshua 15:14–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:20–62The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Joshua 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:21–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:21–62The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Book of Tobit; The Book of Judith

Joshua 15:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 15:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Joshua 15:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:26–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Joshua 15:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 15:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 15:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 15:33–47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 15:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Joshua 15:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 15:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Joshua 15:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 15:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Joshua 15:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Joshua 15:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Joshua 15:42–44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Joshua 15:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Joshua 15:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:46–51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Joshua 15:48–49The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 15:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 15:54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Joshua 15:55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Joshua 15:55–57The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 15:56The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 15:57The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 15:58The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Joshua 15:59The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Joshua 15:60The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:61The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 15:62The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Joshua 15:63The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Joshua 16:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 16:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Joshua 17:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 17:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 17:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Joshua 17:14–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 17:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Joshua 17:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 17:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Joshua 17:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Joshua 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Joshua 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 18:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Joshua 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 18:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Joshua 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 18:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 18:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 18:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Joshua 18:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Joshua 18:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Joshua 18:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Joshua 18:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 18:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 18:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 19:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 19:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 19:2–8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 19:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 19:10–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Joshua 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Joshua 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Joshua 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 19:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Joshua 19:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Joshua 19:18–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 19:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 19:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 19:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Joshua 19:23The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 19:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 19:25–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 19:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Joshua 19:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 19:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 19:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 19:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 19:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 19:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 19:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 19:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Joshua 19:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 19:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Book of Tobit

Joshua 19:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Joshua 19:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 19:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 19:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 19:42–43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 19:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Joshua 19:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Joshua 19:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 19:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Joshua 19:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Joshua 19:47–48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 19:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 19:49–50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 19:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 20:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joshua 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Joshua 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:36–37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:37–39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Joshua 21:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Joshua 21:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 21:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The First Book of Maccabees

Joshua 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joshua 22:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Joshua 22:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 22:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 23:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 23:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 23:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 23:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 23:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 23:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 23:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 23:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 23:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 23:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 23:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Joshua 24:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 24:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Joshua 24:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Joshua 24:3–42 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Joshua 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 24:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Joshua 24:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 24:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Joshua 24:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Wisdom of Solomon

Joshua 24:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Joshua 24:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Joshua 24:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 24:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 24:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Joshua 24:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 24:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Joshua 24:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 24:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 24:28–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Joshua 24:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 24:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Joshua 24:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 24:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Joshua 24:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 24:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 24:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Joshua 24:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Scripture Index (Judges–Ruth)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Judges

Judges 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Judges 1:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Judges 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Judges 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Judges 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Judges 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Judges 1:10–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Judges 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Judges 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Judges 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Judges 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Judges 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Judges 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:23–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Judges 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Judges 1:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

Judges 1:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Judges 1:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 1:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

Judges 1:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Judges 1:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 1:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Judges 2:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 2:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Judges 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Judges 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The First Book of Maccabees

Judges 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Judges 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Judges 2:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 2:11–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Judges 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 2:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Judges 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 2:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Wisdom of Solomon

Judges 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Judges 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Judges 3:7–16:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Judges 3:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Judges 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Judges 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The First Book of Maccabees

Judges 3:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Judges 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Judges 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:15–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Judges 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Judges 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Judges 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Judges 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Judges 3:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Judges 3:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Judges 3:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 3:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Judges 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit

Judges 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Judges 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Judges 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Book of Tobit

Judges 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Judges 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Judges 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Judges 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Judges 5:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Judges 5:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Judges 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Judges 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Judges 5:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Judges 5:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Judges 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Judges 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:28–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 5:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Judges 5:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Judges 6:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Judges 6:1–7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Judges 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Judges 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Judges 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Judges 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Judges 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Judges 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Judges 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Judges 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Book of Tobit

Judges 6:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Judges 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 6:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Judges 6:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Judges 6:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Judges 6:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Judges 6:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 6:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Judges 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:9–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Judges 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Judges 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:17–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Judges 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Judges 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Judges 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Judges 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Judges 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Judges 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Judges 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Judges 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Judges 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Judges 8:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 8:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Judges 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:8–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Judges 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Judges 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Judges 9:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The First Book of Maccabees

Judges 9:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Judges 9:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Judges 9:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Judges 9:54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:56The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 9:57The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Judges 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 10:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Judges 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Judges 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Judges 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Judges 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Judges 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The First Book of Maccabees

Judges 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Judges 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 11:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Judges 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Judges 11:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Judges 11:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Judges 11:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Judges 11:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 11:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Judges 11:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 12:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

Judges 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Judges 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The First Book of Maccabees

Judges 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Judges 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:1–21The Book of Tobit

Judges 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Wisdom of Solomon

Judges 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Judges 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 13:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

Judges 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Judges 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Book of Tobit

Judges 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Wisdom of Solomon

Judges 14:12–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Judges 14:12–19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Judges 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Book of Tobit

Judges 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Judges 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Judges 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Judges 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Judges 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Judges 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Judges 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Judges 16:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 16:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Judges 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Judges 17:1–21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Judges 17:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Judges 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Judges 18:1–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Judges 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Judges 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:27–29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Judges 18:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 18:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 18:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Judges 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Judges 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Judges 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Judges 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Judges 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Judges 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Judges 19:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Judges 19:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 19:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Judges 19:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The First Book of Maccabees

Judges 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:4–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Judges 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Judges 20:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Judges 20:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Judges 20:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Judges 20:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 20:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Judges 20:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Judges 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Judges 21:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Ruth

Ruth 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ruth 1:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Ruth 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Ruth 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Ruth 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ruth 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Ruth 2:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The First Book of Maccabees

Ruth 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ruth 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Ruth 2:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Ruth 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ruth 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Ruth 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ruth 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Ruth 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Ruth 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Ruth 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ruth 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Ruth 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ruth 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ruth 4:17–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Ruth 4:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Ruth 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ruth 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Scripture Index (1 Samuel)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

1 Samuel

1 Samuel 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Samuel 1:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

1 Samuel 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 1:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

1 Samuel 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

1 Samuel 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 1:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra

1 Samuel 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Samuel 1:13The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

1 Samuel 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 1:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Samuel 1:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 1:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Samuel 1:32–39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 1:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 1:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 1:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Samuel 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

1 Samuel 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

1 Samuel 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

1 Samuel 2:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

1 Samuel 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 2:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Samuel 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

1 Samuel 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

1 Samuel 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

1 Samuel 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

1 Samuel 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

1 Samuel 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

1 Samuel 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 2:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

1 Samuel 2:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 2:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

1 Samuel 2:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

1 Samuel 2:27–36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 2:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Samuel 2:28–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

1 Samuel 2:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 2:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 2:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 2:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 2:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 2:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 2:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

1 Samuel 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

1 Samuel 3:5–10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

1 Samuel 3:5–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

1 Samuel 3:6–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

1 Samuel 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

1 Samuel 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Samuel 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Samuel 3:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 3:11–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 3:16–28The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

1 Samuel 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 3:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

1 Samuel 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

1 Samuel 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Samuel 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

1 Samuel 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Samuel 4:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

1 Samuel 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Samuel 4:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

1 Samuel 4:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 4:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 4:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

1 Samuel 4:31The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

1 Samuel 4:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

1 Samuel 4:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 4:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

1 Samuel 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

1 Samuel 5:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Samuel 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Samuel 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

1 Samuel 5:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

1 Samuel 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Samuel 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

1 Samuel 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

1 Samuel 6:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Samuel 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 6:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 6:9–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

1 Samuel 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Samuel 6:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

1 Samuel 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Samuel 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Samuel 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Samuel 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Samuel 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

1 Samuel 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 6:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 6:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 6:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 6:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

1 Samuel 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 7:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

1 Samuel 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Samuel 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

1 Samuel 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

1 Samuel 7:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

1 Samuel 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 7:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

1 Samuel 7:15–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Samuel 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 7:23–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

1 Samuel 7:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 7:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 7:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Samuel 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

1 Samuel 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 8:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

1 Samuel 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

1 Samuel 8:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 8:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

1 Samuel 8:11–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 8:11–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 8:11–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Samuel 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

1 Samuel 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 8:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

1 Samuel 8:27The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

1 Samuel 8:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

1 Samuel 8:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Samuel 8:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

1 Samuel 8:41–42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

1 Samuel 8:41–43The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

1 Samuel 8:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

1 Samuel 8:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Samuel 8:47–48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Samuel 8:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

1 Samuel 8:64The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 8:65The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Samuel 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Samuel 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Samuel 9:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

1 Samuel 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

1 Samuel 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 9:15–27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

1 Samuel 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

1 Samuel 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 9:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 9:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 9:26–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

1 Samuel 10:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

1 Samuel 10:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 10:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Samuel 10:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 10:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

1 Samuel 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Samuel 10:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

1 Samuel 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

1 Samuel 10:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

1 Samuel 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

1 Samuel 10:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Samuel 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

1 Samuel 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

1 Samuel 10:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

1 Samuel 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

1 Samuel 10:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 10:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Samuel 10:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 10:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

1 Samuel 10:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 10:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

1 Samuel 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

1 Samuel 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 11:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

1 Samuel 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 11:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 11:16–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

1 Samuel 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

1 Samuel 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:1–5The Wisdom of Sirach

1 Samuel 12:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

1 Samuel 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

1 Samuel 12:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

1 Samuel 12:6–25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

1 Samuel 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

1 Samuel 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 12:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

1 Samuel 12:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Samuel 12:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Samuel 13:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

1 Samuel 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Samuel 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 13:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 13:8–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 13:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

1 Samuel 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

1 Samuel 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

1 Samuel 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 13:19–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

1 Samuel 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 13:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 13:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 14:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

1 Samuel 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

1 Samuel 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

1 Samuel 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

1 Samuel 14:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

1 Samuel 14:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 14:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Samuel 14:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 14:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

1 Samuel 14:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

1 Samuel 14:27–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

1 Samuel 14:27–30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 14:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 14:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Samuel 14:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

1 Samuel 14:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 14:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:45The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 14:47–48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

1 Samuel 14:48The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 14:49The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 14:50The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 14:52The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

1 Samuel 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

1 Samuel 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

1 Samuel 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

1 Samuel 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

1 Samuel 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

1 Samuel 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

1 Samuel 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

1 Samuel 15:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

1 Samuel 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:23–26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:24–31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

1 Samuel 15:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:27–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Samuel 15:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 15:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 16:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 16:6–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 16:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

1 Samuel 16:8–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 16:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Samuel 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 16:14–15The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 16:14–21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Samuel 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 16:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 16:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 16:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

1 Samuel 16:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 16:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

1 Samuel 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

1 Samuel 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 17:4–51The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 17:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 17:8–28The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

1 Samuel 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

1 Samuel 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

1 Samuel 17:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 17:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 17:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 17:17–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

1 Samuel 17:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

1 Samuel 17:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

1 Samuel 17:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 17:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 17:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 17:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 17:32The Book of Judith

1 Samuel 17:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 17:33–35The Wisdom of Sirach

1 Samuel 17:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 17:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 17:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 17:42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 17:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 17:45–47The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 17:52The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Samuel 17:54The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Samuel 17:55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 17:57The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 17:58The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Samuel 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Samuel 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

1 Samuel 18:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

1 Samuel 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:20–28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 18:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 18:26–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 18:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 18:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 18:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

1 Samuel 18:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

1 Samuel 18:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 18:42The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

1 Samuel 18:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 18:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 18:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 19:3–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

1 Samuel 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

1 Samuel 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 19:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

1 Samuel 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 19:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

1 Samuel 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

1 Samuel 19:18–24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 19:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 19:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 19:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 19:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 19:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

1 Samuel 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 20:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 20:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

1 Samuel 20:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 20:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

1 Samuel 20:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

1 Samuel 20:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 20:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 20:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 20:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

1 Samuel 20:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 20:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 20:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 20:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 20:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

1 Samuel 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

1 Samuel 21:1–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

1 Samuel 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 21:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 21:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

1 Samuel 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

1 Samuel 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

1 Samuel 21:10–15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

1 Samuel 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

1 Samuel 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

1 Samuel 21:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

1 Samuel 21:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

1 Samuel 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

1 Samuel 22:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

1 Samuel 22:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

1 Samuel 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Samuel 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 22:6–19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

1 Samuel 22:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Book of Tobit

1 Samuel 22:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 22:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Samuel 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 22:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

1 Samuel 22:12–15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 22:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Samuel 22:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

1 Samuel 22:19–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 22:19–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

1 Samuel 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

1 Samuel 22:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

1 Samuel 22:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 22:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 22:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 22:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 22:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

1 Samuel 22:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

1 Samuel 22:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 23:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Samuel 23:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 23:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 23:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

1 Samuel 23:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 23:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 23:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

1 Samuel 23:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 23:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Samuel 23:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 23:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 23:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 23:24–28The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

1 Samuel 23:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

1 Samuel 24:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 24:4The First Book of Maccabees

1 Samuel 24:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Samuel 24:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 24:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

1 Samuel 24:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 24:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

1 Samuel 24:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Samuel 24:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

1 Samuel 24:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 25:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 25:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 25:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 25:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 25:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 25:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 25:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 25:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 25:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 25:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

1 Samuel 25:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 25:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Samuel 25:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 25:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 25:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 25:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

1 Samuel 25:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 25:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 25:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 25:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Samuel 25:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

1 Samuel 25:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 25:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 25:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

1 Samuel 25:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 25:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 25:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

1 Samuel 25:40–44The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 25:42The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 25:42–43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 25:43The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 25:44The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 26:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 26:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 26:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 26:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 26:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 26:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 26:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 26:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 26:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 26:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 27:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 27:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

1 Samuel 27:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 27:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 27:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Book of Judith

1 Samuel 27:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 27:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 27:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 27:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 27:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 27:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Samuel 28:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 28:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 28:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 28:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 28:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

1 Samuel 28:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 28:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

1 Samuel 28:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Samuel 28:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Samuel 28:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 28:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 28:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 28:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 28:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 28:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 28:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 28:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Samuel 29:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 29:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 29:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 29:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Samuel 29:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 29:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 29:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 29:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 30:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 30:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 30:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 30:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 30:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 30:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 30:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

1 Samuel 30:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Samuel 30:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

1 Samuel 30:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 30:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 30:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 30:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 30:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 30:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 31:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 31:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 31:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 31:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 31:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Samuel 31:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 31:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 31:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Samuel 31:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Samuel 31:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Judith

Scripture Index (2 Samuel)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

2 Samuel

2 Samuel 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 1:1–16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 1:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

2 Samuel 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Samuel 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Samuel 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

2 Samuel 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Samuel 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 1:17–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 1:18–27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 1:19The First Book of Maccabees

2 Samuel 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Samuel 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

2 Samuel 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 2:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

2 Samuel 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The First Book of Maccabees

2 Samuel 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

2 Samuel 2:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 2:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

2 Samuel 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

2 Samuel 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 2:18–22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 2:18–23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 2:21The Wisdom of Solomon

2 Samuel 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Samuel 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Samuel 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 2:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 2:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Samuel 2:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 3:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 3:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:12–16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

2 Samuel 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

2 Samuel 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:17–19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 3:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 3:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

2 Samuel 3:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 3:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:33–34The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 3:34The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Book of Tobit

2 Samuel 3:36The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:38The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 3:39The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 4:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

2 Samuel 4:1–5:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

2 Samuel 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

2 Samuel 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

2 Samuel 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

2 Samuel 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

2 Samuel 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 4:34The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

2 Samuel 4:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 4:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 4:42–44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 5:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 5:1–19The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

2 Samuel 5:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 5:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

2 Samuel 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 5:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 5:4–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 5:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Samuel 5:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 5:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

2 Samuel 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The First Book of Maccabees

2 Samuel 5:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 5:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 5:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 5:11–25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 5:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Samuel 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 6:1–23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 6:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

2 Samuel 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 6:2–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 6:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

2 Samuel 6:11–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 6:15–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Samuel 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 6:17–19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 6:17–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Samuel 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 6:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Samuel 6:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 6:24–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 6:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

2 Samuel 6:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 6:41–7:1Second Maccabees

2 Samuel 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 7:2–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Samuel 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 7:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Samuel 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Samuel 7:8–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

2 Samuel 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; Second Maccabees

2 Samuel 7:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Samuel 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 7:11–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 7:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 7:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Samuel 7:12–15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

2 Samuel 7:12–16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

2 Samuel 7:12–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

2 Samuel 7:12–29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

2 Samuel 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Samuel 7:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Samuel 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

2 Samuel 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

2 Samuel 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 7:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Samuel 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 8:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 8:1–16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Samuel 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 8:3–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

2 Samuel 8:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 8:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Samuel 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

2 Samuel 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 8:7–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The First Book of Maccabees

2 Samuel 8:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Samuel 8:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 8:13–18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 8:14–18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 8:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Samuel 8:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 8:16–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Samuel 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

2 Samuel 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

2 Samuel 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

2 Samuel 8:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

2 Samuel 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 9:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

2 Samuel 9:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

2 Samuel 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 9:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 9:6–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 9:17–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 9:21–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 9:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 9:30–10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 9:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Samuel 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 10:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Samuel 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

2 Samuel 10:6–13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Samuel 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Samuel 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 10:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 10:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 10:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 10:33The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

2 Samuel 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 11:2–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 11:4–27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

2 Samuel 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 11:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

2 Samuel 11:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 12:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 12:10–14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Samuel 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

2 Samuel 12:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 12:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Samuel 12:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 12:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 12:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 12:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 12:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 12:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 12:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

2 Samuel 12:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Samuel 12:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 13:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

2 Samuel 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

2 Samuel 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

2 Samuel 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

2 Samuel 13:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Samuel 13:14–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

2 Samuel 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Samuel 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Samuel 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The First Book of Maccabees

2 Samuel 13:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 13:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 13:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 13:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 14:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

2 Samuel 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 14:9–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 14:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

2 Samuel 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Samuel 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 14:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

2 Samuel 14:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 14:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

2 Samuel 14:25–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 14:25–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 14:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 14:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 14:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 14:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 14:33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 15:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 15:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Samuel 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 15:8–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

2 Samuel 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 15:24–29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 15:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 15:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Samuel 15:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Samuel 15:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 15:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 15:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 15:32–37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 15:32–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 15:33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 15:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 15:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 16:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

2 Samuel 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 16:5–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 16:5–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 16:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Samuel 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 16:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 16:10–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 16:13–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 16:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 16:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 16:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 16:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Samuel 16:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

2 Samuel 17:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Samuel 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Samuel 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

2 Samuel 17:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Samuel 17:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 17:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 17:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 17:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 17:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 17:24–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

2 Samuel 17:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 17:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 17:27–29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Samuel 17:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

2 Samuel 17:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

2 Samuel 17:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 17:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

2 Samuel 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Samuel 18:9–15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Samuel 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Samuel 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Samuel 18:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Samuel 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

2 Samuel 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 18:17–37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Samuel 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 18:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

2 Samuel 18:24–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Samuel 18:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

2 Samuel 18:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

2 Samuel 18:26–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

2 Samuel 18:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

2 Samuel 18:27–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Samuel 18:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 18:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 18:29–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Samuel 18:33–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

2 Samuel 18:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Samuel 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

2 Samuel 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Samuel 19:15–19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Samuel 19:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 19:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:20–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 19:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 19:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 19:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:24–30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:25–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Samuel 19:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Samuel 19:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:32–40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 19:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 19:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 19:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 19:41The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 19:41–43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 19:42The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 20:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 20:12–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

2 Samuel 20:12–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 20:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 20:14–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 20:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

2 Samuel 20:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 20:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 20:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 20:23–26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 20:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 20:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 20:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; Second Maccabees

2 Samuel 21:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

2 Samuel 21:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 21:2–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

2 Samuel 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 21:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

2 Samuel 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 21:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

2 Samuel 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

2 Samuel 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 21:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 21:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 21:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 22:1–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

2 Samuel 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 22:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 22:8–162 Esdras / 4 Ezra

2 Samuel 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

2 Samuel 22:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 22:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 22:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 22:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 22:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 22:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 22:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 22:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 22:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 22:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 22:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 22:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 22:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 22:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 22:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 22:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 22:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 22:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 22:44The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 22:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

2 Samuel 23:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Samuel 23:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 23:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 23:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 23:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

2 Samuel 23:62 Esdras / 4 Ezra

2 Samuel 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 23:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Samuel 23:8–39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 23:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 23:10–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

2 Samuel 23:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

2 Samuel 23:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 23:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

2 Samuel 23:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 23:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 23:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 23:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 23:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 23:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 23:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 23:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

2 Samuel 23:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 23:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 23:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 23:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 23:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 23:34The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 23:35The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 23:36The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 23:37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 23:39The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 24:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

2 Samuel 24:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Samuel 24:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 24:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 24:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 24:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 24:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 24:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 24:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Samuel 24:10–15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 24:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Samuel 24:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 24:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 24:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 24:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 24:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Samuel 24:15–252 Esdras / 4 Ezra

2 Samuel 24:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Samuel 24:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Samuel 24:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Samuel 24:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 24:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Samuel 24:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Samuel 24:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 24:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 24:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Samuel 25:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Scripture Index (1 Kings)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

1 Kings

1 Kings 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:8–45The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Kings 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:10–26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Kings 1:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:32–35The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 1:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 1:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:41The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:44The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:45The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:46The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:47The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:48The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:50The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Kings 1:52The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 1:53The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Kings 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:13–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 2:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Kings 2:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:41The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:44The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:45The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 2:46The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 3:4–15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:5–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Kings 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Solomon

1 Kings 3:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:16–28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Wisdom of Solomon

1 Kings 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 3:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 4:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Book of Judith

1 Kings 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Kings 4:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 4:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:29–34The Wisdom of Solomon

1 Kings 4:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 4:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Kings 4:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 4:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 5:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 5:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 5:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 5:7–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Wisdom of Solomon

1 Kings 5:12The Wisdom of Solomon

1 Kings 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 5:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 5:15–32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:23–28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:23–29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 6:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Kings 6:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 6:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:14–51The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 7:15–22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 7:15–39The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:23–26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 7:23–28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:27–39The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 7:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:41The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 7:44The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:45The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 7:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 7:46–50The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 7:47The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:48The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 7:49The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:50The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 7:51The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Kings 8:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

1 Kings 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Kings 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; Second Maccabees

1 Kings 8:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:12–53The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:22–53The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:22–612 Esdras / 4 Ezra

1 Kings 8:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:23–26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; Second Maccabees

1 Kings 8:27–30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:31–45The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:41The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:44The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit

1 Kings 8:45The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:46The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:46–50The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:47The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:48The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:49The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:50The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:51The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:52The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:53The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:54The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:54–61The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:55The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:56The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:57The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:58The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:59The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:60The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:61The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:62The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:62–66The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:63The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:64The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 8:65The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Kings 8:65–66The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 8:66The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 9:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:10–27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Book of Tobit

1 Kings 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit

1 Kings 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:17–19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

1 Kings 9:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 9:26–28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 10:1–25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit

1 Kings 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:14–21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 10:14–27The Wisdom of Sirach

1 Kings 10:14–29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 10:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:23–26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 10:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 10:26–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 10:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:1–40The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 11:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 11:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:29–32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:29–35The Wisdom of Sirach

1 Kings 11:29–39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 11:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:37–38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:41The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Kings 11:41–43The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 11:42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 11:43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:1–19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Wisdom of Sirach

1 Kings 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:16–19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit

1 Kings 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:21–24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 12:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:25–33The Wisdom of Sirach

1 Kings 12:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:26–30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 12:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit

1 Kings 12:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 12:29–33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 12:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 12:50The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:21–24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:26–32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 13:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:1–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:4–16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:10–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit

1 Kings 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 14:21–24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:22–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 14:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 14:25–28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 14:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 14:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 14:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 15:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:9–13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 15:9–24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:16–22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

1 Kings 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 15:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:30–33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit

1 Kings 16:31–33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 16:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit

1 Kings 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:8–16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:17–232 Esdras / 4 Ezra

1 Kings 17:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:19–23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 17:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:1–22 Esdras / 4 Ezra

1 Kings 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Kings 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:37–38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 18:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 18:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:41The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:43–44The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:44The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:45The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:45–46The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 18:46The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit

1 Kings 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:11–122 Esdras / 4 Ezra

1 Kings 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 19:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:1–34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:26–29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:26–34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:35–42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:35–43The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 20:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:41The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 20:43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Kings 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 21:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 22:2–40The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:5–12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:14–18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 22:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit

1 Kings 22:19–28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:29–35The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 22:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 22:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 22:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:41The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:41–50The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 22:42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:44The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:45The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:46The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:47The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:48The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:49The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:50The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Kings 22:51The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:52The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:52–53The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:53The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Kings 22:53–54The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Scripture Index (2 Kings)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

2 Kings

2 Kings 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The First Book of Maccabees

2 Kings 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The First Book of Maccabees

2 Kings 2:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:3–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:10–112 Esdras / 4 Ezra

2 Kings 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit

2 Kings 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:1–27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 3:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:8–37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:34The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:35The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:35–37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:36The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:38The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:38–44The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:39The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:40The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:41The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:42The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:43The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 4:44The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Solomon

2 Kings 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 5:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Book of Judith

2 Kings 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 6:33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:7–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:12–15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 8:16–24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:16–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

2 Kings 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:17–22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 8:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 8:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 8:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 8:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:21–26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:21–28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:24–26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:30–33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:34The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:35–36The Book of Tobit

2 Kings 9:36The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 9:37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:5–36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

2 Kings 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:6–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

2 Kings 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:18–30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:34The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:35The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 10:36The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 11:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 11:4–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

2 Kings 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 11:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 12:5–16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

2 Kings 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 12:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

2 Kings 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

2 Kings 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 13:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:1–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:8–13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 14:8–14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:9–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

2 Kings 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

2 Kings 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:17–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 14:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 14:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 14:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 14:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Book of Tobit

2 Kings 15:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:32–34The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 15:32–38The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 15:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:34The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:35The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:36The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 15:37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 15:38The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 16:1–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 16:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 16:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 16:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 16:5–9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 16:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 16:10–18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

2 Kings 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 16:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 16:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 16:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:1–2The Book of Tobit

2 Kings 17:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Book of Tobit

2 Kings 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Book of Tobit

2 Kings 17:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:7–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 17:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Solomon

2 Kings 17:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 17:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:34The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:35The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:36The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:38The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:39The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:40The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 17:41The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 18:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

2 Kings 18:13–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:13–20:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:19–25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:34The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 19:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:3–8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit

2 Kings 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The First Book of Maccabees

2 Kings 19:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:15–192 Esdras / 4 Ezra

2 Kings 19:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Solomon

2 Kings 19:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:34The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:35–36The Book of Tobit

2 Kings 19:35–37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 19:36The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 19:37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Book of Tobit

2 Kings 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 20:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 20:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 20:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 20:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 20:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 20:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 20:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 20:12–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 20:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 20:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 20:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 20:15–19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 20:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 20:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 20:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 20:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 20:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 20:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:1–16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 21:1–26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:10–15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 21:10–16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 21:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:19–26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 21:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 22:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 22:1–23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 22:1–23:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 22:3–13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 22:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 22:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 22:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 22:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 22:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 22:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 22:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 22:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

2 Kings 22:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 22:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 22:15–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 22:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 22:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 22:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 22:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 23:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

2 Kings 23:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 23:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

2 Kings 23:4–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 23:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:5–15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 23:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 23:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

2 Kings 23:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 23:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

2 Kings 23:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:14–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 23:21–30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 23:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 23:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 23:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:24–26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 23:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

2 Kings 23:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

2 Kings 23:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

2 Kings 23:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 23:31–33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 23:31–36The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 23:34The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 23:34–37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 23:35The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 23:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 23:37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 24:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 24:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 24:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 24:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 24:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

2 Kings 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 24:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

2 Kings 24:8–16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 24:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 24:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 24:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 24:11–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

2 Kings 24:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 24:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

2 Kings 24:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 24:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 24:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 24:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 24:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 24:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 24:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 25:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

2 Kings 25:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Kings 25:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 25:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 25:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Kings 25:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 25:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 25:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Kings 25:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Kings 25:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Kings 25:8–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Kings 25:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 25:9–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 25:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 25:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 25:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Kings 25:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Kings 25:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Kings 25:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

2 Kings 25:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 25:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Kings 25:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Kings 25:17–3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Kings 25:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Kings 25:18–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

2 Kings 25:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Kings 25:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

2 Kings 25:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 25:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The First Book of Maccabees

2 Kings 25:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

2 Kings 25:22–26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Kings 25:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Kings 25:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 25:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

2 Kings 25:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 25:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Kings 25:27–30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Kings 25:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 25:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Kings 25:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

2 Kings 25:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Scripture Index (1 Chronicles)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Chronicles 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Chronicles 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Chronicles 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Chronicles 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

1 Chronicles 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Chronicles 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

1 Chronicles 1:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:41The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:43–53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Chronicles 1:44The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

1 Chronicles 1:45The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:46The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:47The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:48The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:49The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:50The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:52The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:53The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:54The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Chronicles 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:3–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:5–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

1 Chronicles 2:5–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Chronicles 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:9–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

1 Chronicles 2:9–55The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Chronicles 2:10–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Chronicles 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Chronicles 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

1 Chronicles 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:25–272 Esdras / 4 Ezra

1 Chronicles 2:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:28–33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:41The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:44The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:45The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:46The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:47The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:48The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:49The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:50The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:50–53The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:51The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:52The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:53The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:54The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

1 Chronicles 2:55The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

1 Chronicles 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 3:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Chronicles 3:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

1 Chronicles 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

1 Chronicles 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Chronicles 3:10–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 3:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

1 Chronicles 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 3:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Chronicles 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Chronicles 3:16–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

1 Chronicles 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Chronicles 3:17–24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

1 Chronicles 3:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

1 Chronicles 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Chronicles 3:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 3:19–24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

1 Chronicles 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 3:22–24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 3:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Chronicles 3:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Chronicles 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:1–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:1–37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Chronicles 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:24–27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:24–43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:28–31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:28–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

1 Chronicles 4:28–33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

1 Chronicles 4:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:34–37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:34–43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:39–41The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:41The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:41–43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

1 Chronicles 4:42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 4:43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Chronicles 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

1 Chronicles 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

1 Chronicles 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Chronicles 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Chronicles 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

1 Chronicles 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Chronicles 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Chronicles 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Chronicles 5:23–26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

1 Chronicles 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:2–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

1 Chronicles 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:4–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:4–15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:10–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

1 Chronicles 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:16–22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Chronicles 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

1 Chronicles 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:22–28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

1 Chronicles 6:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Chronicles 6:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:31–49The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:33–38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:33–42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:35–36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:39–43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:44The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:44–47The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:45–47The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:48The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

1 Chronicles 6:49The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:50The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:51The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:52The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:53The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:54The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:54–60The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

1 Chronicles 6:55The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:55–81The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:56The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:57The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:58The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:59The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:60The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:61The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:64The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:65The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:66The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:67The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:68The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:69The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:70The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:71The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:72The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Book of Tobit

1 Chronicles 6:73The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:75The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:76The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:77The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:78The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:79The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:80The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 6:81The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 7:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Chronicles 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:29–40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 8:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:1–44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 9:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 9:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

1 Chronicles 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 9:17–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 9:17–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:24–26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Chronicles 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:41The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 9:44The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 10:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Chronicles 11:4–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

1 Chronicles 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:10–47The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

1 Chronicles 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Chronicles 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:27–31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:41The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:1–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

1 Chronicles 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

1 Chronicles 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Chronicles 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Chronicles 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Chronicles 12:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:23–40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 12:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

1 Chronicles 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Chronicles 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 14:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Chronicles 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 14:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Chronicles 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:2–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:2–28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Chronicles 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:16–24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:17–19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 15:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:4–43The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:7–36The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

1 Chronicles 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 16:8–36The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

1 Chronicles 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Chronicles 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:19–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

1 Chronicles 16:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:34–42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:39–42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 17:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 17:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 17:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 17:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 17:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

1 Chronicles 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 18:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

1 Chronicles 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 18:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 18:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Chronicles 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 18:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Chronicles 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Chronicles 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Chronicles 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

1 Chronicles 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

1 Chronicles 21:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 21:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 21:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 21:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Chronicles 21:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 21:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 21:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 22:6–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

1 Chronicles 22:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 22:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Chronicles 22:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 22:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Chronicles 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 22:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 22:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 22:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 22:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 22:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 22:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:1–26:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Chronicles 23:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

1 Chronicles 23:6–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:17–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Chronicles 23:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:28–32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 23:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:1–19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 24:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Chronicles 24:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Chronicles 24:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 24:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Chronicles 24:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

1 Chronicles 24:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

1 Chronicles 24:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 24:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:7–31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 25:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:1–19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Chronicles 26:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 26:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:8–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Chronicles 26:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 26:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

1 Chronicles 26:29–32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 26:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

1 Chronicles 27:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:5–34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:16–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:25–31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 27:29The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

1 Chronicles 27:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

1 Chronicles 27:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 27:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 28:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 28:1–29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 28:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

1 Chronicles 28:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 28:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 28:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 28:5–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Chronicles 28:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 28:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 28:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 28:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 28:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

1 Chronicles 28:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 28:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 28:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 28:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Chronicles 28:19The First Book of Maccabees

1 Chronicles 29:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Chronicles 29:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Chronicles 29:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Chronicles 29:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Chronicles 29:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Chronicles 29:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Chronicles 29:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Chronicles 29:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Scripture Index (2 Chronicles)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

2 Chronicles 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 1:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 2:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

2 Chronicles 2:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 2:8–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

2 Chronicles 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 3:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 3:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The First Book of Maccabees

2 Chronicles 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Chronicles 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 5:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 5:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:4–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:12–42The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:18–21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 6:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 6:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

2 Chronicles 6:28–31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 6:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 6:33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:34The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

2 Chronicles 6:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 6:35The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:36The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Wisdom of Sirach

2 Chronicles 6:36–39The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 6:37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:38The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:39The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:41The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 6:41–42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Chronicles 6:42The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; Second Maccabees

2 Chronicles 7:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Chronicles 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; Second Maccabees

2 Chronicles 7:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 7:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

2 Chronicles 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Chronicles 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 7:12–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Chronicles 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 7:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Chronicles 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

2 Chronicles 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 7:19–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon

2 Chronicles 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 8:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 8:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 8:13–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

2 Chronicles 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 8:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Chronicles 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

2 Chronicles 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Chronicles 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Chronicles 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Chronicles 9:22–34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

2 Chronicles 9:29–31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 9:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 9:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 10:12–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Chronicles 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:5–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:5–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

2 Chronicles 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The First Book of Maccabees

2 Chronicles 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

2 Chronicles 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 11:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

2 Chronicles 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:18–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 12:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Chronicles 12:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Chronicles 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 12:2–12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 12:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

2 Chronicles 12:2–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Chronicles 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 12:9–15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

2 Chronicles 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

2 Chronicles 13:2–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13:3–19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13:3–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

2 Chronicles 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; Second Maccabees

2 Chronicles 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

2 Chronicles 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

2 Chronicles 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Book of Judith

2 Chronicles 14:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 14:3–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 14:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 14:9–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 14:9–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:10–14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

2 Chronicles 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 16:7–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Chronicles 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 16:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

2 Chronicles 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 17:2–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 17:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

2 Chronicles 17:7–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

2 Chronicles 17:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

2 Chronicles 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Book of Tobit

2 Chronicles 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 17:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

2 Chronicles 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

2 Chronicles 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 17:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 17:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 17:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 17:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 17:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 18:34The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 19:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 19:5–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Chronicles 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

2 Chronicles 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

2 Chronicles 20:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Chronicles 20:1–24The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Chronicles 20:1–25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:1–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

2 Chronicles 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Chronicles 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

2 Chronicles 20:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

2 Chronicles 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Chronicles 20:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Chronicles 20:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

2 Chronicles 20:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; Second Maccabees

2 Chronicles 20:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 20:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

2 Chronicles 20:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Chronicles 20:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:35The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:35–38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 20:36The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:36–37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 20:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

2 Chronicles 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

2 Chronicles 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 21:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

2 Chronicles 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 21:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 21:8–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

2 Chronicles 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

2 Chronicles 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 21:11–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 21:12–15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

2 Chronicles 21:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

2 Chronicles 21:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 21:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 22:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 22:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 22:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 22:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 22:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 23:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 23:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

2 Chronicles 23:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 23:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Chronicles 24:6–14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Chronicles 24:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:15–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 24:17–22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 24:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Chronicles 24:18–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Chronicles 24:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:19–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Chronicles 24:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Chronicles 24:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Chronicles 24:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

2 Chronicles 24:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 24:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Chronicles 24:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:5–13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 25:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 25:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 25:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 25:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:17–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

2 Chronicles 25:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

2 Chronicles 25:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

2 Chronicles 25:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 25:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 26:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 26:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 26:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 26:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 26:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

2 Chronicles 26:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Chronicles 26:6–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 26:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

2 Chronicles 26:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 26:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 26:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Chronicles 26:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The First Book of Maccabees

2 Chronicles 26:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

2 Chronicles 26:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 26:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 26:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 26:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

2 Chronicles 26:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 26:16–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 26:16–21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 26:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 26:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 26:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 26:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 26:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 26:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 26:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 27:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 27:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

2 Chronicles 27:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 27:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 27:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 27:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 27:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 27:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 27:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 27:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 27:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 27:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 28:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 28:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

2 Chronicles 28:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:5–15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 28:5–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

2 Chronicles 28:5–19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:5–25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 28:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 28:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Chronicles 28:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:22–24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 28:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 28:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 28:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:1–19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 29:1–32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 29:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 29:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:20–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

2 Chronicles 29:20–36The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 29:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:21–36The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Chronicles 29:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

2 Chronicles 29:34The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:35The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 29:36The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 30:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:5–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

2 Chronicles 30:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Chronicles 30:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 30:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Chronicles 31:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 31:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 32:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 32:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

2 Chronicles 32:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 32:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Chronicles 32:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Book of Tobit

2 Chronicles 32:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:23The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 32:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:27–30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Chronicles 32:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 32:33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 33:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:2–9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 33:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 33:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:10–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

2 Chronicles 33:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

2 Chronicles 33:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 33:11–16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:11–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:11–18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:11–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 33:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 33:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Chronicles 33:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

2 Chronicles 33:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Chronicles 33:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:21–25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 33:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 33:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Chronicles 34:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:3–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Chronicles 34:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 34:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:8–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Chronicles 34:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Chronicles 34:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Chronicles 34:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 34:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 34:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 34:33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:1–18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 35:1–19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees

2 Chronicles 35:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Chronicles 35:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

2 Chronicles 35:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:10–121 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

2 Chronicles 35:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:17–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

2 Chronicles 35:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 35:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:20–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

2 Chronicles 35:20–25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 35:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

2 Chronicles 35:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

2 Chronicles 35:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Chronicles 35:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

2 Chronicles 35:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 35:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 36:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 36:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Chronicles 36:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

2 Chronicles 36:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 36:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 36:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 36:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 36:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

2 Chronicles 36:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

2 Chronicles 36:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 36:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

2 Chronicles 36:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Chronicles 36:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

2 Chronicles 36:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 36:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 36:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 36:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 36:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 36:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 36:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

2 Chronicles 36:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Wisdom of Solomon

2 Chronicles 36:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 36:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 36:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 36:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

2 Chronicles 36:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 36:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Chronicles 36:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Chronicles 36:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

2 Chronicles 36:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Scripture Index (Ezra–Nehemiah)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Ezra

Ezra 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Ezra 1:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Ezra 1:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Ezra 1:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Ezra 1:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Ezra 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 1:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Ezra 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Ezra 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:1–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:1–67The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Ezra 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:10–6421 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:17–201 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:19–39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:21–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:21–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The First Book of Maccabees

Ezra 2:33–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:36–39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:36–41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezra 2:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:43–54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezra 2:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Ezra 2:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:55–571 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:56The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:57The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:58The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:59The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezra 2:59–63The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Ezra 2:60The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:61The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:61–63The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:62The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezra 2:62–63The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 2:63The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:64The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:64–65The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Ezra 2:65The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:66The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 2:67The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:68The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 2:69The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezra 2:70The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Ezra 3:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ezra 3:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Ezra 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Book of Baruch

Ezra 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Ezra 3:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Ezra 3:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Ezra 3:8–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Ezra 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Ezra 3:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Ezra 3:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Ezra 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Ezra 3:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Ezra 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 3:61The First Book of Maccabees

Ezra 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Ezra 4:1–231 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 4:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Ezra 4:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Ezra 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Ezra 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Ezra 4:6–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 4:7–111 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 4:7–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 4:7–241 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 4:8–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 4:8–22The First Book of Maccabees

Ezra 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezra 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 4:11–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Ezra 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Ezra 5:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Ezra 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 5:3–41 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 5:6–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 5:7–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ezra 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 5:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 5:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 6:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 6:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 6:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Ezra 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The First Book of Maccabees

Ezra 6:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The First Book of Maccabees

Ezra 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Ezra 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezra 6:16–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Ezra 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 7:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 7:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 7:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The First Book of Maccabees

Ezra 7:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Ezra 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 7:11–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezra 7:12–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 7:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 7:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 7:27–9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 8:1–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:9–2181 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:161 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Ezra 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 8:22–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Ezra 8:241 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Ezra 8:25The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ezra 8:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezra 8:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Ezra 8:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 8:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 8:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:35–771 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 8:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Ezra 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezra 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Ezra 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 9:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezra 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 9:6–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezra 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 9:131 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:6–441 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Ezra 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Ezra 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Ezra 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Ezra 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezra 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:31–321 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:34–431 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Ezra 10:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezra 10:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Nehemiah

Nehemiah 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 1:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Nehemiah 1:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Nehemiah 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Nehemiah 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:2–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The First Book of Maccabees

Nehemiah 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Nehemiah 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:11–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Nehemiah 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Book of Tobit

Nehemiah 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:11–121 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The First Book of Maccabees

Nehemiah 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:5–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Nehemiah 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:18–6671 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:22–241 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:25–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:26–651 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:37–81 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:56The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:57The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:57–591 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:58The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:59The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:60The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:61The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:61–65The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Nehemiah 7:62The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:63The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:64The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:65The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:66The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:67The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:68The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:68–7361 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:69The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:70The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:70–72The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 7:71The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:72The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:73–81 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The First Book of Maccabees

Nehemiah 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Nehemiah 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:35–40The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Nehemiah 9:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Nehemiah 10:2–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:2–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Nehemiah 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:3–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Nehemiah 10:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The First Book of Maccabees

Nehemiah 10:33–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Nehemiah 10:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 10:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Nehemiah 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:21–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Nehemiah 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The First Book of Maccabees

Nehemiah 11:25–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 11:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The First Book of Maccabees

Nehemiah 11:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:1–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; Second Maccabees

Nehemiah 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:27–47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:38–39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 12:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:23–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Nehemiah 13:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Scripture Index (Esther)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Esther

Esther 1:0The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Esther 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Esther 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The First Book of Maccabees

Esther 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

Esther 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Esther 1:14–19The First Book of Maccabees

Esther 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Esther 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 2:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Esther 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Esther 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 2:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Esther 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Esther 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 3:8–14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Esther 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Esther 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Esther 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Esther 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 3:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Esther 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Esther 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 5:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Esther 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Esther 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Esther 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Esther 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 8:3The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Esther 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 8:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 8:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

Esther 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 9:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; Second Maccabees

Esther 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 10:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

Esther 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Scripture Index (Job)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Job

Job 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 1:1–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Job 1:6–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Job 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Job 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 1:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 1:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Job 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Job 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 1:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Job 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Job 1:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 2:9The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Job 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Job 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Job 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:3–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:4–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Job 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Job 3:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Job 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 3:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 3:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 4:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 4:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 4:8–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Job 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Job 4:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 4:12–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 4:13–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Job 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Job 4:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Job 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Job 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon

Job 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:1The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:8–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Job 5:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 5:17–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:21–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Job 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:24–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 5:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Job 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Job 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:14–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 6:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 7:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:5–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon

Job 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:15The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Job 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 7:20–21The Wisdom of Solomon

Job 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 8:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Job 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 8:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Job 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 8:11–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 8:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Job 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
Job 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:4–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Job 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Job 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon

Job 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Job 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 9:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:22–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:33–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 9:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:2–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Job 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon

Job 10:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Job 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Job 10:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Wisdom of Solomon

Job 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Job 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Job 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Job 12:6–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:14–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:14–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:16–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 12:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:7–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Job 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:13–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Job 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Job 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:23–36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 13:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Job 14:1–2The Wisdom of Solomon

Job 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Job 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Job 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Job 15:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:29–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 15:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:32–33The Wisdom of Solomon

Job 15:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 15:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Job 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Job 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Job 16:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 16:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 17:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 17:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 17:11–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 17:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 17:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Job 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Job 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:15–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:7–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon

Job 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 19:13–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Job 19:24–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Job 19:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 19:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:25–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Job 19:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 19:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Job 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Job 20:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:17–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:18–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 20:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 20:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:1–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:6–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Job 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Job 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Job 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 21:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Job 21:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 21:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 22:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 22:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 22:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 22:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Job 22:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:3–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon

Job 23:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 23:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:5–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:13–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Job 24:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:15–16The Wisdom of Solomon

Job 24:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:18–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Job 24:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:22–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 24:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 24:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 25:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 26:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 26:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 26:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 26:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 26:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 26:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 26:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 26:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 26:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 26:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 26:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 26:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 26:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Job 27:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Job 27:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Job 27:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 27:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 27:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Job 27:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 27:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 28:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 28:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:12–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:12–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Job 28:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Job 28:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 28:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 28:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 28:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 28:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 28:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Job 28:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 28:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:3–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:7–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:7–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 29:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Job 29:12–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 29:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:21–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 29:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 30:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Job 30:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 30:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 30:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 30:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon

Job 31:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 31:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 31:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 31:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:33–40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Job 31:38–40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Job 31:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 31:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Job 32:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:3–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:6–33:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 32:8–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 32:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon

Job 33:4–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:14–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Job 33:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Job 33:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Job 33:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 33:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 33:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:10–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Job 34:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Job 34:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 34:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 34:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Job 34:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 34:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 35:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 35:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 35:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 35:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 35:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 35:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 35:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 35:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 35:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 35:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 35:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 35:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 35:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 35:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 35:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:6–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:22–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Job 36:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 36:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 37:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 37:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Job 37:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Job 37:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Job 37:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Job 37:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 37:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 37:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 37:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 38:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Job 38:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:4–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:4–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Job 38:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Job 38:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Job 38:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Job 38:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Job 38:22–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Job 38:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Job 38:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 38:31–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Job 38:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Job 38:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 38:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:1–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 39:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Job 39:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Job 39:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:13–16The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Job 39:13–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:19–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon

Job 39:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 39:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Job 40:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:3–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Job 40:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:10–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Job 40:10–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Job 40:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Job 40:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Job 40:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Job 40:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Job 40:20–27The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Job 40:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 40:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Job 41:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:4–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Job 41:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon

Job 41:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:18–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 41:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Job 41:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 42:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 42:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 42:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 42:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 42:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 42:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Job 42:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 42:7–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 42:7–36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 42:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 42:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Job 42:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 42:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 42:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 42:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 42:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 42:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Job 42:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Scripture Index (Psalms)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Psalms

Psalms 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 1:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Psalms 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 2:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Psalms 2:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Psalms 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 2:5–9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The First Book of Maccabees

Psalms 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Psalms 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Psalms 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Psalms 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 4:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 4:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 5:3–4The Wisdom of Solomon
Psalms 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 5:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 5:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Psalms 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Psalms 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Psalms 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 7:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 8:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 8:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Psalms 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 8:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Psalms 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 8:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Psalms 8:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Psalms 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Psalms 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 8:9The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 9:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Psalms 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 9:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Psalms 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 9:29The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:30The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:32The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:33The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:34The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:35The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:36The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:37The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:38The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 9:39The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Psalms 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Psalms 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Psalms 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 13:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Psalms 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Psalms 14:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 14:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 15:8–11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Psalms 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Psalms 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 16:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 16:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Psalms 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 17:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Psalms 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Psalms 17:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Psalms 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 17:8–162 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Psalms 17:8–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Psalms 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 17:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 17:14–15The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 17:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Psalms 17:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 17:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Psalms 17:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 17:21The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Psalms 17:21–25The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 17:22The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 17:26The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 17:27The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 17:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 17:33The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 17:34The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 17:36The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 17:37The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 17:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 17:44The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 17:50The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Psalms 17:51The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 18:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Psalms 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 19:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 20:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 20:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 20:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 20:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 20:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:3–9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 21:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:17The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 21:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 21:17–19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Psalms 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:22The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:23The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Psalms 21:24The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:25The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:26The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 21:28The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 21:28–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 21:29The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:30The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 21:31The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 21:32The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Psalms 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Psalms 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Psalms 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Psalms 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Psalms 23:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Psalms 23:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 23:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 23:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 23:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 23:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 23:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Psalms 23:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Psalms 23:7–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 23:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 23:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Psalms 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 24:2The First Book of Maccabees
Psalms 24:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 24:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 24:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 24:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 24:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 24:10The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Psalms 24:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 24:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 24:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 24:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 24:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 24:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 24:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 24:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 24:21The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 24:22The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 25:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 25:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 25:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 25:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 25:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 25:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 25:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 25:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 25:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 26:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 26:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 26:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 26:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Psalms 26:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Psalms 26:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 26:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 26:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 26:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 26:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 27:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 27:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 27:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 27:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 27:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 27:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 28:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 28:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 28:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 28:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 28:3–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 28:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 28:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 28:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 28:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 28:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 28:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 28:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 28:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 29:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 29:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Psalms 29:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 29:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 29:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 29:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 29:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 29:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 29:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 30:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 30:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 30:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 30:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 30:5–11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 30:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Psalms 30:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 30:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 30:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 30:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 30:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 30:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 30:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 30:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 30:22The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 30:23The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Psalms 30:24The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 31:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 31:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 31:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 31:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 31:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 31:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 31:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 31:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 31:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 31:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Psalms 32:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 32:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 32:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 32:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 32:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 32:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Psalms 32:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 32:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Psalms 32:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 32:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 32:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Psalms 32:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Psalms 32:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 32:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 32:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 32:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 33:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Psalms 33:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 33:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 33:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 33:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 33:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Psalms 33:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 33:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 33:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Psalms 33:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 33:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 33:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 33:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 33:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Psalms 33:23The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 33:118The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 34:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Psalms 34:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 34:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 34:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Psalms 34:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:21The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:23The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:24The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:25The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 34:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 34:27The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 35:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 35:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Psalms 35:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 35:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 35:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 35:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 35:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 35:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 35:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 35:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Psalms 35:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 35:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 35:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 36:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 36:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 36:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 36:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 36:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 36:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 36:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 36:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 36:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 36:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 36:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 36:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 36:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 36:21The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 36:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 36:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 36:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 36:27The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 36:28The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 36:29The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 36:35–36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 36:37The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 37:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 37:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Psalms 37:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:21The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:22The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 37:23The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 38:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 38:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 38:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Psalms 38:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 38:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 38:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 38:6–7The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 38:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Psalms 38:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 38:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 38:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 38:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 38:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 38:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Psalms 38:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 39:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 39:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 39:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 39:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 39:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 39:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 39:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 39:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Psalms 39:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Psalms 39:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 39:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 39:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 39:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 39:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 39:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 39:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 39:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 39:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 39:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 39:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 39:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 40:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 40:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 40:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 40:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 40:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 40:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Psalms 40:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 40:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 40:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 40:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 40:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 40:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Psalms 40:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 40:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 40:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 40:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 41:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 41:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 41:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 41:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 41:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 41:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 41:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 41:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 41:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 41:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 42:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 42:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 42:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 43:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 43:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 43:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 43:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 43:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 43:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 43:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 43:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 43:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 43:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 43:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 43:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 43:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 43:22The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 43:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Psalms 43:24The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 43:26The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 44:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 44:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 44:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 44:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 44:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 44:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 44:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 44:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Psalms 44:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 44:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Psalms 44:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Psalms 44:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 44:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 44:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 44:11–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 44:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 44:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 44:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 44:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Psalms 44:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 44:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 44:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 44:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 45:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 45:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Psalms 45:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 45:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 45:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 45:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 45:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 46:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 46:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 46:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 46:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 46:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 46:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 47:2–3The First Book of Maccabees
Psalms 47:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 47:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 47:4–7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Psalms 47:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Psalms 47:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 47:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 47:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 47:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 47:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 47:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 48:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 48:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 48:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 48:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 48:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 48:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 48:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 48:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 48:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 48:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 48:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 48:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 48:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Psalms 48:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 48:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 48:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 48:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 48:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 49:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 49:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 49:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 49:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 49:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 49:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Psalms 49:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 49:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Psalms 49:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 49:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 49:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 49:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 49:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 49:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 49:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 49:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 49:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 49:21The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 49:23The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 50:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Psalms 50:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 50:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 50:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 50:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Psalms 50:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Psalms 50:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Psalms 50:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 50:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 50:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 50:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 50:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Psalms 50:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 50:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 50:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 50:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 50:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 50:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 50:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 50:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 50:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 51:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 51:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 51:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 51:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 53:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 53:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 53:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 53:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 53:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 54:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 54:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 54:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 54:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 54:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 54:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 54:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 54:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 54:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 54:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 54:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 54:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 54:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 54:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 54:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 54:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Psalms 54:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 54:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Psalms 54:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 54:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 54:21The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 54:22The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 54:23The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 54:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 55:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 55:2–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 55:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 55:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 55:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 55:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 55:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 56:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 56:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Psalms 56:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 56:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 56:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 56:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 56:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 56:8–12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 56:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 56:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 57:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Psalms 57:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 57:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 57:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Psalms 57:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 57:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 57:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 57:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 57:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Psalms 57:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 57:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 58:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 58:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 58:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 58:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 58:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 58:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 58:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 58:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 58:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 58:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 59:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 59:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 59:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 59:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 59:7–14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 59:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 59:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 59:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Psalms 59:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 59:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 59:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 60:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 60:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 60:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 60:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 60:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Psalms 60:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 60:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 61:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Psalms 61:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 61:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 61:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 61:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 61:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 61:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 61:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 61:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 62:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Psalms 62:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 62:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Psalms 62:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 62:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 62:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 62:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 62:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 62:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 62:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 62:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 62:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 62:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 63:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 63:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 63:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 63:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 63:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 63:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 63:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 63:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 63:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 63:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 63:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 63:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 64:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 64:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 64:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 64:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 64:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 64:7–8Second Maccabees
Psalms 64:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 64:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 64:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 64:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 64:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 65:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 65:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 65:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 65:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Psalms 65:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Psalms 65:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Psalms 65:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 65:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 65:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 65:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 65:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 65:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 65:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 65:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 66:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 66:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 66:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 66:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 66:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 67:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Psalms 67:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:8–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Psalms 67:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 67:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Psalms 67:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 67:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:12–15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Psalms 67:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 67:21The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:22The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:22–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 67:23The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Psalms 67:25The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:26The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 67:27The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:27–29The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:28The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:29The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:30The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:31The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 67:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 67:33The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:34The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 67:35The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 67:36The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Psalms 68:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Psalms 68:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 68:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 68:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Psalms 68:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Psalms 68:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:21The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Psalms 68:23The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:24The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:26The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Psalms 68:27The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:28The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Psalms 68:31The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:32The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 68:33The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:34The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:36The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 68:37The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 69:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 70:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 70:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 70:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 70:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; Second Maccabees

Psalms 70:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 70:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 70:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 70:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 70:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 70:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 70:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 71:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 71:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 71:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 71:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 71:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 71:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 71:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 71:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 71:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 71:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 71:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 71:11The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Psalms 71:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 71:12–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 71:13The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 71:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 71:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Psalms 71:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Psalms 71:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 71:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 71:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 71:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 71:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 72:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 72:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 72:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 72:3–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 72:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 72:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 72:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 72:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 72:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 72:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 72:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 72:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 72:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 72:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 72:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 72:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 72:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 72:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 72:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 72:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 72:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 72:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 72:25The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 72:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 72:26The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 72:26–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 72:27The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 72:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 73:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 73:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The First Book of Maccabees

Psalms 73:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 73:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 73:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 73:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Psalms 73:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 73:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 73:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 73:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Psalms 73:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 73:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 73:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Psalms 73:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 73:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 73:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 73:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 73:21The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 73:27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Psalms 74:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 74:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 74:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 74:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 74:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 74:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 74:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 74:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 74:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 74:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 75:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 75:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Psalms 75:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 75:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 75:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 75:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 75:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 75:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The First Book of Maccabees

Psalms 75:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 75:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 75:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 76:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 76:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 76:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 76:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 76:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 76:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 76:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 76:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 76:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 76:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 76:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 76:17–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 76:18–21The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 76:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 76:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:9–12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 77:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 77:15–16The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 77:15–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 77:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 77:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Psalms 77:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Psalms 77:27The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:34The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:36The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 77:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 77:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 77:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Psalms 77:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 77:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 77:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Psalms 77:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Psalms 77:52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 77:54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 77:59–64The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Psalms 77:60The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:61The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:63The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Psalms 77:64The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:67The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:67–71The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:67–72The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:68The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:69The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:70The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:71The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 77:72The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 78:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 78:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Psalms 78:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The First Book of Maccabees

Psalms 78:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 78:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 78:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 78:6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Psalms 78:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 78:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 78:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 78:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 78:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 79:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 79:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 79:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 79:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Psalms 79:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 79:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 79:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 79:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 79:9–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 79:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 79:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 79:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 79:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 79:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 79:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 79:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 79:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 79:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 79:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 80:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 80:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 80:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 80:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 80:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 80:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 80:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 80:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 80:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 80:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 80:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 80:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 81:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 81:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 81:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 81:3–42 Esdras / 4 Ezra
Psalms 81:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 81:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Psalms 81:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Psalms 81:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Psalms 81:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 82:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 82:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 82:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 82:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 82:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 82:7–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Psalms 82:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Psalms 82:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 82:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 82:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 82:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 82:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 82:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 82:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 82:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 83:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 83:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 83:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 83:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 83:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 83:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 83:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Psalms 83:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 83:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 83:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Psalms 83:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 84:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 84:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 84:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 84:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 84:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 84:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 84:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 84:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 84:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 84:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 84:10–14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 84:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Psalms 84:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 84:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 84:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 85:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 85:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 85:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 85:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 85:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 85:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 85:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 85:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 85:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 85:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 85:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 85:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 86:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 86:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 86:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 86:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 86:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 86:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 87:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Psalms 87:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 87:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 87:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 87:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 87:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 87:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 87:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 87:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 87:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 87:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 87:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 87:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 87:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 87:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 87:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 87:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Psalms 88:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 88:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 88:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 88:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 88:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 88:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 88:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 88:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 88:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 88:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 88:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 88:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:26The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:27The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:28The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Psalms 88:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 88:37The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 88:39–46The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:40The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:45The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:46The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:51The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 88:53The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 89:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Psalms 89:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 89:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Psalms 89:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Psalms 89:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 89:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 89:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 89:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 89:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 89:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 89:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 89:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 89:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 89:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 89:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 89:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Psalms 90:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 90:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 90:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 90:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 90:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 90:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Psalms 90:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 90:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 90:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 90:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 90:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 90:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 90:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 90:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 90:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 90:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Psalms 90:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 90:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 90:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 91:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 91:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 91:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 91:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 91:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 91:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 91:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 91:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 91:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 91:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 91:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 91:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 91:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 91:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 92:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 92:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 92:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 92:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 92:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 92:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 93:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 93:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Psalms 93:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 93:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 93:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 93:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 93:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 93:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 93:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 93:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Psalms 93:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 93:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 93:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 93:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 93:16–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 93:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 93:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 94:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 94:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 94:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 94:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 94:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 94:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 94:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Psalms 94:7–112 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Psalms 94:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 94:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 94:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 94:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 95:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 95:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Psalms 95:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 95:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 95:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 95:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 95:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 95:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 95:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Psalms 95:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 95:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 95:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 95:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 96:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Psalms 96:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 96:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Psalms 96:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 96:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 96:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 96:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 96:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 96:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 96:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Psalms 96:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 96:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 96:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 96:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 96:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 97:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 97:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 97:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 97:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 98:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 98:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 98:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 98:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Psalms 98:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Psalms 98:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 98:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 98:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 99:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 99:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
Psalms 99:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 100:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 100:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 100:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 100:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 100:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 100:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 100:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 100:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 101:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Psalms 101:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:21The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:22The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:23The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Psalms 101:26–28The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Psalms 101:27The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:28The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 101:29The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 102:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 102:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 102:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 102:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 102:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 102:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 102:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 102:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 102:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 102:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 102:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 102:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 102:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 102:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 102:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Psalms 102:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 102:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 102:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 102:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 102:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Psalms 102:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Psalms 102:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Psalms 102:22The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 103:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Psalms 103:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Psalms 103:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 103:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Psalms 103:14–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Psalms 103:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Psalms 103:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 103:20–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Psalms 103:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Psalms 103:22The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Psalms 103:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:24The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:26The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Psalms 103:27The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:27–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Psalms 103:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Psalms 103:30The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:32The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:34The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 103:35The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 104:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

Psalms 104:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 104:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 104:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 104:6The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 104:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 104:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 104:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 104:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 104:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Psalms 104:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Psalms 104:23The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 104:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 104:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 104:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Psalms 104:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 104:28The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 104:29The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 104:30The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 104:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 104:32The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 104:33The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 104:34The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Psalms 104:35The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 104:36The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 104:40The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 104:44The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 104:45The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 105:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Psalms 105:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 105:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 105:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 105:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 105:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Psalms 105:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 105:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 105:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 105:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 105:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 105:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Psalms 105:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 105:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Psalms 105:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 105:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 105:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 105:24The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 105:28The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 105:30The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 105:31The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 105:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Psalms 105:37–38The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 105:37–39The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Psalms 105:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Psalms 105:41The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 105:44–45The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 105:45The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 105:45–47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Psalms 105:47The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 105:48The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Psalms 106:2–7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 106:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 106:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:9–14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 106:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 106:16–20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 106:23The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:23–30The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:24The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:25The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 106:26The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:27The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:28The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:29The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:30The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:33The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:33–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 106:33–43The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:34The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 106:35The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 106:35–36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 106:36The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:36–38The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:37The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:38The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:39The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:41The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 106:43The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 107:21The First Book of Maccabees

Psalms 107:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 108:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 108:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 108:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 108:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 108:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Psalms 108:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 108:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 108:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 108:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 108:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 108:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 108:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 108:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 108:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Psalms 108:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 108:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 108:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 108:22The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 108:23The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 108:24The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 108:133The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 109:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Psalms 109:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 109:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Psalms 109:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Psalms 109:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 109:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 109:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 110:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 110:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 110:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 110:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 110:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 110:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 111:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Psalms 111:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 111:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Psalms 111:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 111:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 111:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 111:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 111:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 111:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Psalms 111:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 112:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 112:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 112:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 112:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 112:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 112:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 112:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 112:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 113:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; Second Maccabees

Psalms 113:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 113:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 113:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 113:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 113:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 113:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 113:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 113:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 113:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 113:8–26The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 113:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 113:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 113:11–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 113:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 113:12–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 113:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 113:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 113:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 113:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 113:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 113:21The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 113:22The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 113:25The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Book of Baruch

Psalms 113:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 113:26The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 114:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 114:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 114:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 114:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 115:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Psalms 115:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 115:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Psalms 115:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Psalms 117:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 117:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 117:22The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Psalms 117:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Psalms 117:23The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:24The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 117:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 117:26The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 117:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:28The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 117:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 118:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Psalms 118:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 118:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:21The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:22The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:23The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:25The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:29The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:33The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:34The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:35The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:36The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:37The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:38The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:39The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:42The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:43The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:46The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 118:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:53The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:55The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:61The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:67The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:69The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:70The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:72The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 118:75The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 118:81The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:82The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:83The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:94The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:96The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Psalms 118:98The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:99The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:100The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:103The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Psalms 118:105The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 118:109The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:116The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:117The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:120The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:121The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:122The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:126The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:131The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 118:134The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:136The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:141The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:147The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:154The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 118:164The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:171The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 118:176The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Psalms 119:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Psalms 119:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 119:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 119:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 119:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 119:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 119:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 120:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Psalms 120:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 120:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 120:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 120:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 120:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 120:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 120:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 121:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 121:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 121:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 121:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 121:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 121:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 121:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 121:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 121:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 121:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 123:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 123:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 123:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 123:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 123:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 123:105The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 124:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 124:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 124:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 124:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 125:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Psalms 125:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 125:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 125:3The First Book of Maccabees

Psalms 125:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 125:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Psalms 125:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 126:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Psalms 126:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 126:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 126:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 126:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 127:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Psalms 127:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 127:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 128:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 128:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 128:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 128:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 128:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 128:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 128:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 129:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 129:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 129:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 129:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 129:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 129:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 130:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 130:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 130:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 131:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 131:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Psalms 131:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 131:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 131:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 131:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 131:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 131:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 131:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 131:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 131:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 131:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Psalms 131:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 131:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 131:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 131:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 132:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 132:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 132:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 133:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 134:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Psalms 134:15–18The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 134:16–17The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 134:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 135:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Psalms 135:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Psalms 135:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Psalms 135:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Psalms 136:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 136:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 136:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 136:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 136:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 136:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 136:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Psalms 136:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 136:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 136:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 137:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Psalms 137:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 137:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 137:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 137:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 137:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 137:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Psalms 138:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Psalms 138:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:13–15The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 138:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 138:21The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:22The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 138:24The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 139:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 139:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Psalms 139:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 139:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 139:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 139:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 139:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 140:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Psalms 140:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 140:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 140:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 140:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 140:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Psalms 140:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 140:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 140:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 141:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Psalms 141:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 141:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Psalms 141:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 141:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 141:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 142:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 142:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 142:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 142:4–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Psalms 142:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 142:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 142:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 142:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 142:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 143:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 143:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 143:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 143:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 143:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 143:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 143:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 143:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 143:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 143:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 143:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 143:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 144:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 144:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 144:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Psalms 144:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Psalms 144:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 144:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 145:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Psalms 145:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Psalms 145:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Psalms 145:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Psalms 145:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 146:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 146:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 146:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 146:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Psalms 146:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 146:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 146:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 146:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Psalms 146:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 146:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 147:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 147:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 147:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 147:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 147:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 147:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 147:6–9The Book of Baruch

Psalms 147:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 147:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 147:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 148:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Psalms 148:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 148:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Psalms 148:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 148:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 148:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 148:13The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 148:14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 149:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 149:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 149:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 149:4–9The Wisdom of Solomon

Psalms 149:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 149:6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 149:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 149:8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 149:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 150:1The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 150:3The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 150:4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Psalms 150:5The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Scripture Index (Proverbs)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Proverbs

Proverbs 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:1–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Proverbs 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Proverbs 1:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Proverbs 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Proverbs 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Proverbs 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:8–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Proverbs 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Proverbs 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Proverbs 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Proverbs 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Proverbs 1:23–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Proverbs 1:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Proverbs 1:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Proverbs 1:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:10–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:1–2The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Proverbs 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:9The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Proverbs 3:9–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Proverbs 3:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:11–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Proverbs 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Proverbs 3:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Proverbs 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:27–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 3:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Proverbs 3:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Proverbs 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Proverbs 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Proverbs 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 4:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Proverbs 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Proverbs 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Proverbs 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:20–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Proverbs 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:26–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Proverbs 6:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 6:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Proverbs 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:10–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Proverbs 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:13–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Proverbs 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Proverbs 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Proverbs 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 7:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Proverbs 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:2–3The Wisdom of Solomon

Proverbs 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Proverbs 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Proverbs 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Proverbs 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Proverbs 8:22–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:22–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Proverbs 8:22–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:22–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Proverbs 8:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:24–292 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Proverbs 8:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:27–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:27–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Proverbs 8:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 8:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Proverbs 9:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:1–22:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Proverbs 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Proverbs 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Proverbs 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Proverbs 10:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 10:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Proverbs 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Proverbs 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Proverbs 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 11:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Proverbs 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Proverbs 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 12:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Proverbs 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 13:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Proverbs 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Proverbs 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 14:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:3–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:8–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Proverbs 15:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 15:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Proverbs 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Proverbs 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:6The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Proverbs 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Proverbs 16:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 16:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Proverbs 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Proverbs 17:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 17:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 18:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 19:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Proverbs 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Proverbs 20:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 20:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Proverbs 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Proverbs 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Proverbs 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Proverbs 21:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 21:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Proverbs 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:131 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 22:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Proverbs 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Proverbs 23:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Proverbs 23:31–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 23:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Proverbs 24:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Proverbs 24:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Proverbs 24:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:23–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:33–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 24:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:1–29:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:1–31:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Proverbs 25:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Proverbs 25:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Proverbs 25:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Proverbs 25:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Proverbs 25:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Proverbs 25:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:22–232 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Proverbs 25:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 25:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Proverbs 26:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 26:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Proverbs 27:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Proverbs 27:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Proverbs 27:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 27:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Proverbs 28:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The First Book of Maccabees

Proverbs 28:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 28:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Proverbs 29:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Proverbs 29:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 29:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Proverbs 30:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Proverbs 30:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Proverbs 30:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Proverbs 30:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 30:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Proverbs 30:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Proverbs 31:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:8–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:10–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:13The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Proverbs 31:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Proverbs 31:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Proverbs 31:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Scripture Index (Ecclesiastes–Song of Songs)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Ecclesiastes 1:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Ecclesiastes 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Ecclesiastes 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Ecclesiastes 1:4–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:13–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:3–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:4–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Ecclesiastes 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Wisdom of Solomon

Ecclesiastes 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ecclesiastes 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Wisdom of Solomon

Ecclesiastes 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:24–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Ecclesiastes 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Ecclesiastes 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Ecclesiastes 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Wisdom of Solomon

Ecclesiastes 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:10–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Ecclesiastes 7:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 7:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8:92The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Ecclesiastes 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ecclesiastes 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Ecclesiastes 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ecclesiastes 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 11:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 11:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Ecclesiastes 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 11:7–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ecclesiastes 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Ecclesiastes 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:9–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:13The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Ecclesiastes 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Song of Songs 1:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Song of Songs 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Song of Songs 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Song of Songs 2:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Song of Songs 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Song of Songs 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 2:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Song of Songs 2:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Song of Songs 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 3:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 3:6–11The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 3:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Song of Songs 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 4:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 4:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 4:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Song of Songs 4:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Song of Songs 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Song of Songs 4:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Song of Songs 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 5:8–17The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 5:10–16The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Song of Songs 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Song of Songs 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Song of Songs 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 6:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 6:4–7The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 6:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 6:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 6:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Song of Songs 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 7:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Song of Songs 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 7:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 8:5–14The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Song of Songs 8:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 8:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Song of Songs 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Song of Songs 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Scripture Index (Isaiah)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Isaiah

Isaiah 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Isaiah 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 1:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Isaiah 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 1:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Isaiah 1:9The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 1:10–23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Isaiah 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Isaiah 1:11–13The Book of Tobit

Isaiah 1:11–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 1:11–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Isaiah 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 1:13–152 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Isaiah 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 1:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Isaiah 1:15–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Isaiah 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Isaiah 1:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Isaiah 1:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 1:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Isaiah 1:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 1:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 1:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 1:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 1:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 1:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Isaiah 2:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 2:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Isaiah 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Book of Baruch; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Isaiah 2:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 2:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Isaiah 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Isaiah 2:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 2:5The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 2:6–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 2:12The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Isaiah 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 3:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Isaiah 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 3:8The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:10The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Isaiah 3:16–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 3:16–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 3:16–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:18–28The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Isaiah 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Isaiah 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 3:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 4:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Isaiah 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 4:4–62 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Isaiah 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 4:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 5:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Isaiah 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 5:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Isaiah 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 5:8–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Isaiah 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Isaiah 5:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Isaiah 5:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Isaiah 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Isaiah 5:24–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 5:26–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 5:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 5:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 5:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 5:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Isaiah 6:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Isaiah 6:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 6:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Isaiah 6:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Isaiah 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 6:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 6:8–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 6:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Isaiah 6:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Isaiah 6:10The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 6:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Isaiah 6:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 7:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Isaiah 7:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Isaiah 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:10–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Isaiah 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Book of Baruch; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Isaiah 7:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:17–25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Isaiah 7:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 8:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Isaiah 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Isaiah 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 8:5–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Isaiah 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 8:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Isaiah 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Isaiah 8:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:11–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Isaiah 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Isaiah 8:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:16–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Isaiah 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The First Book of Maccabees

Isaiah 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 8:23–29:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The First Book of Maccabees

Isaiah 9:1–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 9:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 9:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 9:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Isaiah 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 9:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Isaiah 9:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Isaiah 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 9:8–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 9:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Isaiah 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 9:19–202 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Isaiah 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 9:28–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 10:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 10:5–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:5–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 10:5–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:5–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Isaiah 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Isaiah 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Isaiah 10:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Isaiah 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:12–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 10:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:20–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 10:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:26–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 10:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:28–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 10:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 10:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 11:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 11:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 11:2The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 11:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Isaiah 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 11:4The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Isaiah 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Isaiah 11:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 11:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Isaiah 11:10–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Isaiah 11:13The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Isaiah 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 11:15–162 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Isaiah 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 12:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Isaiah 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Isaiah 13:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 13:1–24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Isaiah 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 13:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Isaiah 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 13:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 13:6–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 13:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Isaiah 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 13:14–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 13:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Isaiah 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 13:19–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 13:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:1–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:3–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:5–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Isaiah 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Isaiah 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 14:9–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Isaiah 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Isaiah 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 14:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 14:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Isaiah 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:24–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Isaiah 14:28–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 14:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 14:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Isaiah 14:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Isaiah 15:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Isaiah 15:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Isaiah 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 15:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 15:5The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Isaiah 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The First Book of Maccabees

Isaiah 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 16:6–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The First Book of Maccabees

Isaiah 16:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 16:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Isaiah 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 16:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Isaiah 17:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 17:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 17:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Isaiah 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 17:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 17:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 18:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 18:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Isaiah 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Isaiah 19:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 19:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Isaiah 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 19:11–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Isaiah 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 19:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 19:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 19:16–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 19:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 19:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 19:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 19:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 19:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 19:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 20:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Isaiah 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Isaiah 20:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Isaiah 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 20:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 21:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Isaiah 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 21:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Isaiah 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Book of Baruch

Isaiah 21:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 21:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 21:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:1–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 22:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Isaiah 22:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Isaiah 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 22:13The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Isaiah 22:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:15–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Isaiah 22:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 22:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 22:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 23:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The First Book of Maccabees

Isaiah 23:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 23:1–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Isaiah 23:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 23:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 23:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 23:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 23:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 23:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 23:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 23:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 23:8–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 23:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 23:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 23:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 23:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 23:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 23:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 23:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 23:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Isaiah 23:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 23:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 24:1–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 24:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 24:4–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 24:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Isaiah 24:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Isaiah 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:7–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Isaiah 24:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Isaiah 24:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 24:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 24:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Isaiah 24:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 24:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Isaiah 25:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 25:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 25:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 25:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 25:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 25:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 25:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 25:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 25:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 25:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 25:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 25:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 25:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Isaiah 25:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 25:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 25:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 25:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 25:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 26:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:7–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:12–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 26:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:13–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 26:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 26:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Isaiah 26:19–202 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Isaiah 26:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 26:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 27:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Isaiah 27:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 27:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 27:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 27:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 27:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 27:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 27:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 27:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 27:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 27:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 27:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 27:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 27:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 27:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 27:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 27:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:1The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 28:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Isaiah 28:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Isaiah 28:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 28:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 28:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 28:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 28:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:9–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Isaiah 28:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Isaiah 28:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:14–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Isaiah 28:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 28:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 28:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Isaiah 28:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 28:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 29:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 29:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 29:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:5The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Isaiah 29:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 29:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 29:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Isaiah 29:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 29:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 29:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Isaiah 29:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 29:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Isaiah 30:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 30:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:9–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:9–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 30:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 30:25–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:26The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:27–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 30:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 30:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 30:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 31:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 31:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 31:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 31:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 31:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 31:4–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 31:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 31:6The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 31:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 31:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Isaiah 31:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 32:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 32:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:9–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Isaiah 32:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:15The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Isaiah 32:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:15–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 32:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 33:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Isaiah 33:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Isaiah 33:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Isaiah 33:9The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:13–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 33:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 33:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 33:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 33:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 33:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 33:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 34:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Isaiah 34:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 34:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 34:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Isaiah 34:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 34:5–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 34:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 34:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 34:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Isaiah 34:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 34:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 34:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 34:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 34:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Isaiah 34:11–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 34:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 34:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Isaiah 34:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Book of Baruch

Isaiah 34:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 34:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 34:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 34:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 35:1The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 35:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 35:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 35:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Isaiah 35:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 35:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 35:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 35:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 35:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 35:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 35:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 35:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 35:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 35:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 36:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 36:1–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 36:1–39The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Isaiah 36:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 36:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 36:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 36:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 36:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 36:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Isaiah 36:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Isaiah 36:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 36:13–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 36:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Isaiah 36:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 36:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Isaiah 37:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 37:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 37:1–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 37:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 37:3–7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Isaiah 37:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 37:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 37:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Isaiah 37:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Isaiah 37:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Isaiah 37:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Isaiah 37:16–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 37:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Isaiah 37:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 37:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Isaiah 37:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 37:292 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Isaiah 37:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 37:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 37:33The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 37:33–36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 37:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Isaiah 37:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 37:36–37The Book of Tobit

Isaiah 37:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Isaiah 38:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 38:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 38:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 38:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Isaiah 38:4–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 38:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 38:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Isaiah 38:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 38:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 38:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 38:9–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 38:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 38:10–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Isaiah 38:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 38:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Isaiah 38:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Isaiah 38:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 38:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Isaiah 38:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 38:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 38:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 38:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 38:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 38:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 38:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 38:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 38:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 39:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 39:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 39:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 39:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 39:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 39:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Isaiah 39:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Isaiah 40:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Isaiah 40:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 40:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Isaiah 40:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 40:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Isaiah 40:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Isaiah 40:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Isaiah 40:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Isaiah 40:11The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 40:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 40:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:13The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Isaiah 40:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Isaiah 40:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 40:18–20The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 40:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Isaiah 40:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Isaiah 40:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Isaiah 40:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 40:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 41:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 41:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Isaiah 41:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Book of Baruch

Isaiah 41:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:17–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 41:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:21–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:22–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:22–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 41:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 41:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Isaiah 42:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 42:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 42:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:18The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:18–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:18–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 42:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 43:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 43:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:8–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Isaiah 43:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:14–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Isaiah 43:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Isaiah 43:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:22–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Isaiah 43:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 43:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Isaiah 44:1–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Isaiah 44:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:6The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:6–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 44:9–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:9–20The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 44:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Isaiah 44:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 44:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Isaiah 44:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 44:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 45:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 45:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:7–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Isaiah 45:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Isaiah 45:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Isaiah 45:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 45:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 45:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 45:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Isaiah 46:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Isaiah 46:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 46:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 46:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 46:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 46:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Isaiah 46:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 46:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 46:8–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 46:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 46:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 46:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 46:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 46:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Isaiah 47:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 47:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 47:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 47:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 47:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 47:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 47:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 47:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 47:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 47:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 47:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 47:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 47:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 47:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 47:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 47:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 47:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 47:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 48:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Isaiah 48:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 48:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 48:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 48:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 48:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 48:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 48:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 48:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 48:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Isaiah 48:10The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 48:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 48:12–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 48:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 48:16–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 48:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 48:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 48:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 48:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 48:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 48:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:2–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Isaiah 49:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Isaiah 49:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:12–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:17–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:18The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Isaiah 49:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:18–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Isaiah 49:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 49:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 50:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 50:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 50:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 50:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Isaiah 50:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 50:4–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 50:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 50:4–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 50:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 50:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Isaiah 50:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 50:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 50:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Isaiah 50:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 50:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 50:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 51:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 51:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 51:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 51:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Isaiah 51:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Isaiah 51:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Isaiah 51:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 51:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 51:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 51:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 51:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 51:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 51:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 51:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 51:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 51:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 51:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 51:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; Second Maccabees

Isaiah 51:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 51:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 51:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 51:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 51:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 51:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 51:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 51:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Book of Baruch; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 51:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 52:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Isaiah 52:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 52:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 52:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 52:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 52:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 52:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 52:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 52:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 52:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 52:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 52:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 52:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 52:9–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 52:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 52:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Isaiah 52:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 52:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 52:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 52:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 52:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 53:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Isaiah 53:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 53:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 53:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Isaiah 53:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 53:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Isaiah 53:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 53:6The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 53:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 53:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 53:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 53:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Isaiah 53:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 53:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 53:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 53:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Isaiah 54:1The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Isaiah 54:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 54:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 54:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 54:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Isaiah 54:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 54:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 54:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 54:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 54:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; Second Maccabees

Isaiah 54:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 54:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 54:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Isaiah 54:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 54:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 54:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 54:11–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 54:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 54:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Isaiah 54:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 54:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 54:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 54:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 54:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 55:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 55:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 55:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 55:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 55:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Isaiah 55:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 55:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 55:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 55:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 55:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 55:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 55:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Isaiah 55:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 55:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 55:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 56:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 56:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 56:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 56:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Isaiah 56:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 56:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 56:4–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 56:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 56:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 56:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 56:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 56:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 56:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 56:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 56:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 57:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 57:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Isaiah 57:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 57:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Isaiah 57:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 57:5–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 57:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 57:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 57:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 57:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 57:13–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 57:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 57:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 57:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 57:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 57:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 57:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 57:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 57:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 58:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 58:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 58:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 58:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 58:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 58:3–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Isaiah 58:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 58:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 58:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 58:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Isaiah 58:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 58:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 58:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 58:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 58:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 58:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Isaiah 58:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 58:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 58:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:2–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 59:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Isaiah 59:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Isaiah 59:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 59:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Isaiah 59:17–18The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Isaiah 59:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 59:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 60:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Isaiah 60:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 60:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Isaiah 60:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Isaiah 60:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 60:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 60:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Isaiah 60:5–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 60:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Isaiah 60:7The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 60:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Isaiah 60:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 60:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 60:10–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 60:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 60:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 60:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 60:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 60:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 60:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 60:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 60:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 60:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 60:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Isaiah 60:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 60:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 61:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Isaiah 61:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 61:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Isaiah 61:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 61:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 61:3The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Isaiah 61:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 61:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 61:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Isaiah 61:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 61:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 61:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 61:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 61:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 61:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; Third Maccabees

Isaiah 61:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 62:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Isaiah 62:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 62:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 62:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 62:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 62:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 62:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 62:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 62:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 62:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 62:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 62:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 63:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Isaiah 63:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Isaiah 63:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 63:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 63:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 63:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 63:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 63:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 63:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 63:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 63:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Isaiah 63:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 63:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Isaiah 63:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 63:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Isaiah 63:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Isaiah 63:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 63:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 63:15–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 63:16The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Isaiah 63:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 63:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 63:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 64:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 64:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 64:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 64:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 64:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Isaiah 64:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 64:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 64:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Isaiah 64:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; Third Maccabees

Isaiah 64:8–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 64:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 64:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 64:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 64:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 64:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:1The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:3–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Isaiah 65:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Isaiah 65:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 65:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:9The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Isaiah 65:11–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Isaiah 65:17–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Isaiah 65:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 65:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Isaiah 66:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Isaiah 66:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Isaiah 66:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Isaiah 66:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:5–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Isaiah 66:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Isaiah 66:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Isaiah 66:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Isaiah 66:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Isaiah 66:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Scripture Index (Jeremiah)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Jeremiah 1:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Jeremiah 1:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Jeremiah 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 1:4–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1:5The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Jeremiah 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jeremiah 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 1:10–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Jeremiah 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 2:2The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The First Book of Maccabees

Jeremiah 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:4–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:5The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Jeremiah 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 2:8–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The First Book of Maccabees

Jeremiah 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:14–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Jeremiah 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Jeremiah 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 2:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 2:28The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:29–37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 2:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 2:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Jeremiah 3:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 3:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:4The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:6–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:6–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Jeremiah 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:11–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Jeremiah 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Jeremiah 3:19–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:22–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Jeremiah 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 3:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Jeremiah 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Jeremiah 4:5–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Jeremiah 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Jeremiah 4:19–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 4:23–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Jeremiah 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 4:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 4:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 4:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 4:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:10–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 5:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:20–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Jeremiah 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Jeremiah 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Jeremiah 5:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 5:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 5:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Jeremiah 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:9–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Jeremiah 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:19–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:22–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:22–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:27–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 6:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Jeremiah 7:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 7:3–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Jeremiah 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 7:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Jeremiah 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Jeremiah 7:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Jeremiah 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 7:16–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 7:21–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 7:25–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 7:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Jeremiah 7:29–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 7:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 7:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 7:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 7:34The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 8:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 8:7–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 8:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 8:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 8:18–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The First Book of Maccabees

Jeremiah 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 9:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Jeremiah 9:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 9:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Jeremiah 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Jeremiah 9:10–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 9:16The Book of Tobit

Jeremiah 9:16–19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Jeremiah 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 9:23–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Jeremiah 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 10:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 10:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 10:2–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Jeremiah 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Jeremiah 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jeremiah 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Jeremiah 10:10–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 10:12–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 10:17–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 10:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Jeremiah 10:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 10:25The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Jeremiah 11:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Jeremiah 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 11:9–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 11:18–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 12:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 12:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Jeremiah 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 12:7–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Jeremiah 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Jeremiah 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 13:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 13:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 13:15–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 13:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 13:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 13:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 14:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 14:7–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 14:13–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Jeremiah 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 14:19–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Book of Baruch

Jeremiah 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Jeremiah 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 15:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Jeremiah 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 15:10–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 15:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 16:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Jeremiah 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 16:14–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Jeremiah 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:5–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:12–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:13–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Jeremiah 17:19–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 17:21–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 17:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 17:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Jeremiah 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 18:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 18:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The First Book of Maccabees

Jeremiah 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 18:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Jeremiah 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 18:18–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 18:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 19:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 19:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 19:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 20:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 20:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 20:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Jeremiah 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 20:7–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 20:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Jeremiah 20:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 20:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Jeremiah 20:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 20:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 20:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 20:17–182 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Jeremiah 20:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Jeremiah 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 21:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 21:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Jeremiah 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 21:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 21:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 22:1The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 22:1–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 22:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:11–17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Jeremiah 22:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Jeremiah 22:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 22:13–19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 22:13–23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 22:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 22:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 22:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:20–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Jeremiah 22:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 22:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 23:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 23:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 23:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Jeremiah 23:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Jeremiah 23:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Jeremiah 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Jeremiah 23:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:9–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Jeremiah 23:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Jeremiah 23:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 23:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Jeremiah 23:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:23–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 23:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 23:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:33–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Jeremiah 23:33–40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 24:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 24:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 24:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 24:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; Second Maccabees

Jeremiah 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 24:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 24:9The Wisdom of Solomon

Jeremiah 25:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Jeremiah 25:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 25:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Jeremiah 25:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Jeremiah 25:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 25:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 25:9–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 25:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 25:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Epistle of Jeremiah

Jeremiah 25:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Jeremiah 25:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Jeremiah 25:12–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 25:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Jeremiah 25:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 25:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 25:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 25:15–29The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Jeremiah 25:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 25:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Jeremiah 25:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 25:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 25:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 25:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 25:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 25:27–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Jeremiah 25:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Jeremiah 25:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 25:30–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 25:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 25:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 26:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 26:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 26:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 26:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 26:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 26:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 26:7–15The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Jeremiah 26:7–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 26:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 26:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 26:11–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Jeremiah 26:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Jeremiah 26:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Jeremiah 26:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 26:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Jeremiah 26:20–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 26:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 26:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 26:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 27:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 27:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 27:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 27:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 27:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 27:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 27:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 27:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 27:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 27:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 27:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 27:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 27:16–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 27:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 28:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 28:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 28:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 28:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 28:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 28:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 28:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 28:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Jeremiah 28:12–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 28:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 28:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 28:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 29:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 29:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Jeremiah 29:1–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 29:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 29:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 29:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Jeremiah 29:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 29:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 29:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 29:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 29:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Jeremiah 29:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 29:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 29:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 29:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 29:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 29:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 29:24–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 29:24–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 29:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 29:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 29:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 29:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 30:1–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 30:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 30:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 30:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 30:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Jeremiah 30:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 30:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 30:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 30:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Jeremiah 30:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 30:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 30:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 30:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Jeremiah 30:21–24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Jeremiah 30:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 30:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Jeremiah 31:1–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:2–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:6The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Jeremiah 31:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 31:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 31:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 31:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 31:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Jeremiah 31:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 31:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 31:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:27–40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:29The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Jeremiah 31:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Jeremiah 31:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Jeremiah 31:31–32The Book of Baruch

Jeremiah 31:31–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 31:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Jeremiah 31:33–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 31:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:38–39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 31:38–40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 32:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 32:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 32:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 32:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 32:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 32:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 32:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 32:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 32:10The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 32:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Jeremiah 32:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 32:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Jeremiah 32:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 32:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 32:16–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 32:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Jeremiah 32:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 32:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Jeremiah 32:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 32:26–44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 32:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 32:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 32:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 32:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Jeremiah 32:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 32:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 32:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Jeremiah 32:40–41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 32:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 33:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 33:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 33:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 33:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 33:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 33:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 33:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 33:14–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 33:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 33:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 33:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Jeremiah 33:17–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 33:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 33:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Jeremiah 33:20–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Jeremiah 33:20–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 33:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Jeremiah 34:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 34:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 34:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 34:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Jeremiah 34:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 34:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 34:8–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Jeremiah 34:8–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 34:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Jeremiah 34:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 34:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 34:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 34:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 34:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 35:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 35:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 35:1–19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 35:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 35:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 35:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Jeremiah 35:6–19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Jeremiah 35:12–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 35:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Jeremiah 35:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 36:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 36:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 36:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 36:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 36:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 36:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 36:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 36:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Jeremiah 36:9–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 36:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 36:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Jeremiah 36:232 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Jeremiah 36:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 36:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 36:27–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 36:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 36:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 37:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 37:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 37:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 37:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 37:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 37:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 37:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 37:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Jeremiah 37:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 37:11–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 37:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 37:12–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 37:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 37:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 37:17–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 37:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 38:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 38:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 38:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 38:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 38:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 38:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 38:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 38:14–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 38:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Jeremiah 38:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 38:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 38:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 39:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 39:1–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 39:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 39:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 39:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 39:4–10The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Jeremiah 39:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 39:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 39:6–7The First Book of Maccabees

Jeremiah 39:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Jeremiah 39:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 39:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 39:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 39:11–43:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 39:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 39:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 39:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 39:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 39:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 39:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 40:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Epistle of Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 40:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 40:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 40:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 40:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 40:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 40:7–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 40:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 40:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 40:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 40:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Jeremiah 40:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 40:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 40:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 41:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 41:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 41:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 41:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 41:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Book of Baruch

Jeremiah 41:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 41:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 41:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 41:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 41:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 41:11–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 41:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 41:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 41:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 42:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 42:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 42:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 42:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 42:4–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 42:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 42:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 42:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 42:7–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 42:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 42:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 42:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 43:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 43:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 43:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 43:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 43:5–6The Book of Baruch

Jeremiah 43:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 43:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 43:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 43:8–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 43:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 43:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 43:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 43:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 44:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 44:1–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 44:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 44:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 44:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 44:15–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 44:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 44:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 44:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 44:20–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 44:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 44:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 45:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 45:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 45:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 46:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 46:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 46:1–51:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jeremiah 46:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 46:2–20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 46:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 46:7The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Jeremiah 46:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Jeremiah 46:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 46:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 46:11The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 46:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 46:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 46:13–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 46:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Jeremiah 46:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 46:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 46:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Jeremiah 46:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 46:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 46:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 46:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 46:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Jeremiah 46:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 46:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Jeremiah 46:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 46:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 46:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 46:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 47:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 47:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 47:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 47:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 47:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 47:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 47:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 48:1–47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Jeremiah 48:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 48:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 48:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 48:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 48:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The First Book of Maccabees

Jeremiah 48:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; Second Maccabees

Jeremiah 48:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 48:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The First Book of Maccabees

Jeremiah 48:33The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:34The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 48:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 48:46The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Jeremiah 48:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 49:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Jeremiah 49:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 49:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Jeremiah 49:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 49:7–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Jeremiah 49:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 49:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Jeremiah 49:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Jeremiah 49:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Jeremiah 49:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Jeremiah 49:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:23–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 49:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Jeremiah 49:28–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Jeremiah 49:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 49:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 49:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 49:34–39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:1–46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Jeremiah 50:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 50:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 50:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Jeremiah 50:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 50:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 50:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 50:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 50:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:1–46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 51:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 51:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 51:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:15–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 51:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 51:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 51:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Jeremiah 51:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 51:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 51:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:36–43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Jeremiah 51:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 51:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:58The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jeremiah 51:59The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Book of Baruch

Jeremiah 51:59–64The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:60The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Jeremiah 51:61The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 51:63The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:1–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Jeremiah 52:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 52:4–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Jeremiah 52:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 52:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 52:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 52:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Jeremiah 52:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 52:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 52:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:28–30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 52:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:29–30The Book of Baruch

Jeremiah 52:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Jeremiah 52:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:31–34The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Jeremiah 52:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Jeremiah 52:33–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Jeremiah 52:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Scripture Index (Lamentations)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Lamentations

Lamentations 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Lamentations 1:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 1:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Lamentations 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 1:12–19The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Lamentations 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; The Book of Baruch

Lamentations 1:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; The Book of Baruch

Lamentations 1:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Lamentations 2:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Lamentations 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Lamentations 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Lamentations 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Lamentations 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Lamentations 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Lamentations 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Lamentations 2:11–19The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Lamentations 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Lamentations 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Lamentations 2:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 3:1–18The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Lamentations 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Lamentations 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Lamentations 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 3:19–39The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 3:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Lamentations 3:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Lamentations 3:40–54The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 3:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Lamentations 3:48The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 3:53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Lamentations 3:55–66The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 3:56The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 3:58The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Lamentations 3:59The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 3:63The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 4:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Lamentations 4:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 4:10The Book of Baruch

Lamentations 4:12–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Lamentations 4:12–20The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Lamentations 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Lamentations 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Lamentations 4:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Lamentations 5:1–18The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Lamentations 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Lamentations 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Lamentations 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 5:19–22The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Lamentations 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Scripture Index (Ezekiel)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Ezekiel 1:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Ezekiel 1:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Ezekiel 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 1:4–24The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Ezekiel 1:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Ezekiel 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Ezekiel 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 1:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Ezekiel 1:28The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 2:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ezekiel 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Ezekiel 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Ezekiel 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:16–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ezekiel 3:17–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:17–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:22–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Ezekiel 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:4–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:5–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:10–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ezekiel 5:11–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 6:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 6:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Ezekiel 7:10–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Ezekiel 7:19–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:23–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 7:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 8:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Ezekiel 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 8:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ezekiel 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 8:9–17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Ezekiel 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Ezekiel 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Ezekiel 9:1–2The Book of Tobit

Ezekiel 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 9:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Ezekiel 9:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 9:4–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 9:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Ezekiel 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 9:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Ezekiel 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:8–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:4–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:5The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Ezekiel 11:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Ezekiel 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:17–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:21–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:26–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 12:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Ezekiel 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Ezekiel 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:10–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Ezekiel 13:11The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:12–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:13–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Ezekiel 14:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:14–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 14:14–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Ezekiel 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Ezekiel 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 14:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 15:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Ezekiel 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Ezekiel 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Ezekiel 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Ezekiel 16:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Ezekiel 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Ezekiel 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:9–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Ezekiel 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:12The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Ezekiel 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:20The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Ezekiel 16:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:36–40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Ezekiel 16:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 16:40–41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:45–46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:46–47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:47–56The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Ezekiel 16:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:49–50The Wisdom of Solomon

Ezekiel 16:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Ezekiel 16:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:53–63The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Ezekiel 16:54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:57The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:58The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:59The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:60The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 16:61The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:62The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 16:63The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Ezekiel 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ezekiel 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:8The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Ezekiel 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 17:22–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 17:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Ezekiel 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:1–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Ezekiel 18:1–4The Book of Tobit

Ezekiel 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Ezekiel 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ezekiel 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Ezekiel 18:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:26–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 18:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ezekiel 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 19:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Ezekiel 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 19:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:27–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Ezekiel 20:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Ezekiel 20:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 20:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Ezekiel 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Ezekiel 21:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Ezekiel 21:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Ezekiel 21:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ezekiel 21:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; Second Maccabees

Ezekiel 21:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 21:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ezekiel 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Ezekiel 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Ezekiel 22:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:25–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ezekiel 22:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ezekiel 22:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ezekiel 22:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ezekiel 22:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 22:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Ezekiel 23:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:3The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Ezekiel 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Ezekiel 23:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Ezekiel 23:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Ezekiel 23:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 23:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Ezekiel 24:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:15–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Ezekiel 24:17The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:17–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Ezekiel 24:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 24:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 24:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 25:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ezekiel 25:1–32:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Ezekiel 25:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 25:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ezekiel 25:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 25:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 25:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 25:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 25:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 25:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 25:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 25:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 25:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Ezekiel 25:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Ezekiel 25:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Ezekiel 25:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 25:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 25:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ezekiel 25:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Ezekiel 26:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The First Book of Maccabees

Ezekiel 27:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:10The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:12–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Ezekiel 27:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Ezekiel 27:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Ezekiel 27:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Ezekiel 27:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 27:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Ezekiel 27:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 27:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Ezekiel 28:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 28:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Ezekiel 28:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Ezekiel 28:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:17The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:20–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Ezekiel 28:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 28:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:1–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Ezekiel 29:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ezekiel 29:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:17–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 29:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Ezekiel 30:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:2The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Ezekiel 30:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Ezekiel 30:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 30:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 31:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 31:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 31:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 31:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 31:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 31:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 31:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 31:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 31:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Ezekiel 31:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 31:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 31:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 31:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 31:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 31:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 31:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 31:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 31:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 31:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Ezekiel 32:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ezekiel 32:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:21–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ezekiel 32:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 32:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 32:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:1–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ezekiel 33:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Ezekiel 33:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ezekiel 33:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:23–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:30–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:30–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 33:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Ezekiel 34:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Ezekiel 34:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Ezekiel 34:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ezekiel 34:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:20–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Ezekiel 34:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 34:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ezekiel 34:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Ezekiel 34:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ezekiel 34:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 34:25–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Ezekiel 34:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 35:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 35:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 35:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 35:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 35:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 35:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Ezekiel 35:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 35:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 35:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 35:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 35:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 35:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 35:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 35:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 35:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 35:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Ezekiel 36:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ezekiel 36:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Ezekiel 36:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Ezekiel 36:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Ezekiel 37:1–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ezekiel 37:1–6Second Maccabees

Ezekiel 37:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:3–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 37:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Ezekiel 37:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Ezekiel 37:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:15–19The Wisdom of Sirach

Ezekiel 37:15–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Ezekiel 37:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Ezekiel 37:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Ezekiel 37:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 37:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Ezekiel 37:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Ezekiel 37:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:1–39:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ezekiel 38:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Ezekiel 38:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Ezekiel 38:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 38:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Ezekiel 39:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Ezekiel 39:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:11–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Ezekiel 39:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ezekiel 39:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 39:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Ezekiel 40:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Ezekiel 40:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Ezekiel 40:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:48The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Ezekiel 41:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 41:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:16–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 42:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Ezekiel 43:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 43:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Ezekiel 44:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

Ezekiel 44:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:10–14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 44:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Ezekiel 44:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:9–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

Ezekiel 45:16–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ezekiel 45:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 45:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Ezekiel 46:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 46:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Ezekiel 47:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Ezekiel 47:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:10The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:13–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 47:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:8–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:8–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:15–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ezekiel 48:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Scripture Index (Daniel–Hosea)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Daniel

Daniel 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Daniel 1:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Daniel 1:1–2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; Third Maccabees

Daniel 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:8The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Daniel 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Daniel 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Daniel 2:2–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Daniel 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Daniel 2:4–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:4–7:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Daniel 2:5–7:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:8–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Daniel 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Daniel 2:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:17–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:18–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Daniel 2:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:31–44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Daniel 2:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Daniel 2:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:37–45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Daniel 2:44–45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Daniel 2:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Daniel 2:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 2:48–49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Daniel 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; Third Maccabees

Daniel 3:24–45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:24–90The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Daniel 3:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:49–50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; Third Maccabees

Daniel 3:51–90The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:91The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:91–92The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:92The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:93The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:94The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; Third Maccabees

Daniel 3:95The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:96The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:96–100The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:97The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:98The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

Daniel 3:99The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 3:100The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

Daniel 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:3–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Daniel 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Daniel 4:24The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Daniel 4:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

Daniel 4:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:31–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 4:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Daniel 5:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Daniel 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:18–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:18–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Daniel 5:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

Daniel 5:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 5:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:2–28Third Maccabees

Daniel 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Daniel 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

Daniel 6:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 6:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Daniel 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 7:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 7:3–7The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Daniel 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Daniel 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Daniel 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Daniel 7:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 7:10The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Daniel 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Daniel 7:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Daniel 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Daniel 7:15–162 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Daniel 7:18The Wisdom of Solomon; The First Book of Maccabees

Daniel 7:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 7:21–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Daniel 7:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:3–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:8–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:8–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Daniel 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Daniel 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Daniel 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

Daniel 8:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

Daniel 8:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Daniel 8:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 8:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Daniel 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Daniel 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:4–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:4–13The Book of Tobit

Daniel 9:4–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:12–13The Book of Baruch

Daniel 9:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Daniel 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:15–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Daniel 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Daniel 9:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Daniel 9:24–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:25–262 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Daniel 9:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 9:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Daniel 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Daniel 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Daniel 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 10:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 10:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Daniel 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Daniel 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 10:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Daniel 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 10:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Daniel 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

Daniel 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Daniel 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Daniel 11:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Daniel 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

Daniel 11:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

Daniel 11:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Daniel 11:36–39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Daniel 11:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 11:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Epistle of Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Daniel 12:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Daniel 12:3The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Daniel 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Daniel 12:4–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Daniel 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 12:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Daniel 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Daniel 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Daniel 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Daniel 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Daniel 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Daniel 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Daniel 13:56The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Daniel 14:1–42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Daniel 14:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 14:27–41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 14:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 14:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Daniel 14:33–37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Daniel 14:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Daniel 14:36–39The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Hosea

Hosea 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Hosea 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Hosea 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 1:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Hosea 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Hosea 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Hosea 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Hosea 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Hosea 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Hosea 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 2:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 2:17–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Hosea 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Hosea 2:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Hosea 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Hosea 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 2:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Hosea 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Hosea 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Hosea 3:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Hosea 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 4:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Hosea 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Hosea 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 4:4–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Hosea 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Hosea 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 4:9The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 4:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Hosea 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Hosea 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Hosea 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Hosea 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Hosea 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 6:4The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 6:6The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Hosea 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Hosea 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Hosea 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 7:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 7:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 8:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Hosea 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Hosea 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 9:4The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Hosea 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Hosea 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Hosea 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Hosea 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Hosea 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The First Book of Maccabees

Hosea 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Hosea 11:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Hosea 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Hosea 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 12:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon

Hosea 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Hosea 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Hosea 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 12:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 13:3The Wisdom of Solomon

Hosea 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 13:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Hosea 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Hosea 13:7–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 13:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Hosea 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Hosea 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Hosea 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 14:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Hosea 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 14:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Hosea 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hosea 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Scripture Index (Joel–Habakkuk)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Joel

Joel 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Joel 1:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:2–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:4–2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:9–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:15The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Joel 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:17–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Joel 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Joel 2:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Joel 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Joel 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:12–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Joel 2:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:17The Book of Baruch; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:18The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Joel 2:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:19–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:19–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:19–3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Joel 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:22–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Joel 2:23–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:27–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:27–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 2:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Joel 2:28–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Joel 2:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Joel 2:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Joel 2:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Joel 2:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Joel 2:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Joel 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Joel 3:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:2–8The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Joel 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Joel 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Joel 3:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Joel 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:9–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Joel 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Joel 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Joel 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Amos

Amos 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Amos 1:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Amos 1:2–2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Amos 1:3–2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Amos 1:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Amos 1:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Amos 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 1:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Amos 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 1:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Amos 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Amos 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Amos 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 2:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Amos 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Amos 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; Third Maccabees

Amos 2:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Amos 2:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Amos 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Amos 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Amos 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 2:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 2:9–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 2:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 2:13–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 3:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Amos 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The First Book of Maccabees

Amos 3:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Amos 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Amos 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Amos 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Amos 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 3:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Amos 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Amos 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Amos 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 4:6–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 4:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Amos 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Amos 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Amos 5:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Amos 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Amos 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Amos 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Amos 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Amos 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Amos 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Amos 5:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:21–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Amos 5:21–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Amos 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 5:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Amos 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 6:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 6:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Amos 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Amos 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Amos 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Amos 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 7:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 7:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Amos 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Amos 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 7:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Amos 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 7:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 7:10–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 7:10–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Amos 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 7:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Amos 7:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Amos 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Amos 8:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Amos 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 8:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Amos 8:10The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The First Book of Maccabees

Amos 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Amos 8:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 8:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Amos 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Amos 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Amos 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 9:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Amos 9:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 9:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Amos 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Amos 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Amos 9:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Amos 9:11–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 9:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Amos 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Amos 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Obadiah

Obadiah 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Obadiah 1:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:7–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Obadiah 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Obadiah 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:9–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:10–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:10–15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Obadiah 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Obadiah 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Obadiah 1:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:15–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Obadiah 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Obadiah 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Jonah

Jonah 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Jonah 1:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 1:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Jonah 3:5–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 3:7–8The Book of Judith

Jonah 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 3:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 4:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Jonah 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Micah

Micah 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Micah 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Micah 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Micah 1:4–52 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Micah 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 1:10–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 1:10–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Micah 2:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Micah 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 2:8–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Micah 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 2:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 3:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Micah 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 3:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Micah 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Micah 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 3:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Micah 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Micah 3:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Micah 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 4:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Micah 4:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 4:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Micah 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The First Book of Maccabees

Micah 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 4:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 4:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 4:9–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Micah 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Micah 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Micah 5:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Micah 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Micah 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Micah 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Micah 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 5:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 6:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Micah 6:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 6:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 6:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Micah 6:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Micah 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Micah 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 6:9–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 6:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 6:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Micah 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Micah 7:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Micah 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Micah 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Micah 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 7:11–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Micah 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 7:18The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Micah 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Nahum

Nahum 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Nahum 1:1–3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Nahum 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 1:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 1:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 1:10The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 1:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Nahum 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Nahum 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Nahum 2:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 2:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Nahum 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Nahum 3:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Nahum 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 3:7The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 3:7–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Nahum 3:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Nahum 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Nahum 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 3:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 3:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Nahum 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Habakkuk 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Habakkuk 1:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:5–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Habakkuk 1:6–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:6–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:6–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Habakkuk 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Habakkuk 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Habakkuk 1:9–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Habakkuk 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Habakkuk 1:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:12–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Habakkuk 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Habakkuk 1:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 2:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Habakkuk 2:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 2:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Habakkuk 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Habakkuk 2:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 2:5–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Habakkuk 2:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Habakkuk 2:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 2:8–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Habakkuk 2:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 2:9–14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Habakkuk 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Habakkuk 2:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Habakkuk 2:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Habakkuk 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Habakkuk 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 2:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Habakkuk 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3:1–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3:3–4The Wisdom of Solomon

Habakkuk 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Habakkuk 3:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Habakkuk 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Habakkuk 3:9–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Habakkuk 3:11The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Habakkuk 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Habakkuk 3:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Habakkuk 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Habakkuk 3:16–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Scripture Index (Zephaniah–Tobit)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Zephaniah 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Zephaniah 1:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:4–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Zephaniah 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Zephaniah 1:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Zephaniah 1:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Zephaniah 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Zephaniah 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Zephaniah 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:4–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:4–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Zephaniah 2:4–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Zephaniah 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:11The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:13–15The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Zephaniah 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:8–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:14–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:14–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zephaniah 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Haggai

Haggai 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Haggai 1:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 1:1–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

Haggai 1:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Haggai 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 1:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 1:12–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:5–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Haggai 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:10–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Haggai 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Zechariah

Zechariah 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Zechariah 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The First Book of Maccabees

Zechariah 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Zechariah 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 1:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Zechariah 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 1:14The Wisdom of Solomon

Zechariah 1:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Zechariah 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 1:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 1:18–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 2:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Zechariah 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 2:6–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; Second Maccabees

Zechariah 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zechariah 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 3:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Zechariah 3:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Zechariah 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Zechariah 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The First Book of Maccabees

Zechariah 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 4:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Zechariah 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Zechariah 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 4:10The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Zechariah 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 6:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Zechariah 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 6:9–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 6:10The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 6:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Zechariah 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Zechariah 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Zechariah 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 7:10The Wisdom of Solomon

Zechariah 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Zechariah 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Zechariah 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 8:4The First Book of Maccabees

Zechariah 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Zechariah 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Zechariah 8:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 8:8The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Zechariah 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 8:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 9:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Zechariah 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 9:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zechariah 9:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Zechariah 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Zechariah 9:9–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Zechariah 9:10The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Zechariah 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 10:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 10:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 10:4–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 10:6–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 11:4–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 11:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Zechariah 11:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Zechariah 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Zechariah 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 12:3The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 12:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Zechariah 12:6The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 12:10The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Zechariah 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Zechariah 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Zechariah 13:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Zechariah 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Zechariah 14:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Zechariah 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Zechariah 14:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Malachi

Malachi 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 1:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 1:2–32 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Malachi 1:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 1:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Malachi 1:6–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 1:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Malachi 1:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 2:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 2:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Malachi 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Malachi 2:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Malachi 2:10–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 2:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Malachi 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Malachi 3:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 3:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

Malachi 3:1–5The Wisdom of Solomon

Malachi 3:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 3:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Malachi 3:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Malachi 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Malachi 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Malachi 3:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 3:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Malachi 3:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 3:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 3:13–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Malachi 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Malachi 3:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 4:1–3The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Malachi 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 4:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Malachi 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Malachi 4:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Malachi 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Tobit

Tobit 1:1The Book of Tobit; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Tobit 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit

Tobit 1:3The Book of Tobit
Tobit 1:4The Book of Tobit
Tobit 1:5The Book of Tobit

Tobit 1:6The Book of Tobit; The Wisdom of Solomon

Tobit 1:7The Book of Tobit
Tobit 1:8The Book of Tobit
Tobit 1:9The Book of Tobit
Tobit 1:10The Book of Tobit
Tobit 1:11The Book of Tobit
Tobit 1:12The Book of Tobit
Tobit 1:13The Book of Tobit

Tobit 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit; The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Tobit 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Book of Tobit

Tobit 1:16The Book of Tobit
Tobit 1:17The Book of Tobit
Tobit 1:18The Book of Tobit
Tobit 1:19The Book of Tobit
Tobit 1:20The Book of Tobit
Tobit 1:21The Book of Tobit
Tobit 1:21–22The Book of Tobit
Tobit 1:22The Book of Tobit

Tobit 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Book of Tobit

Tobit 2:2The Book of Tobit
Tobit 2:3The Book of Tobit
Tobit 2:4The Book of Tobit
Tobit 2:5The Book of Tobit

Tobit 2:6The Book of Tobit; The First Book of Maccabees

Tobit 2:7The Book of Tobit
Tobit 2:8The Book of Tobit
Tobit 2:9The Book of Tobit
Tobit 2:10The Book of Tobit
Tobit 2:11The Book of Tobit
Tobit 2:12The Book of Tobit
Tobit 2:13The Book of Tobit
Tobit 2:14The Book of Tobit
Tobit 3:1The Book of Tobit
Tobit 3:2The Book of Tobit

Tobit 3:31 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Book of Tobit

Tobit 3:4The Book of Tobit
Tobit 3:5The Book of Tobit
Tobit 3:6The Book of Tobit
Tobit 3:7The Book of Tobit

Tobit 3:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Tobit 3:8The Book of Tobit

Tobit 3:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Tobit 3:9The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Tobit 3:10The Book of Tobit
Tobit 3:11The Book of Tobit
Tobit 3:12The Book of Tobit
Tobit 3:13The Book of Tobit
Tobit 3:14The Book of Tobit
Tobit 3:15The Book of Tobit
Tobit 3:16The Book of Tobit

Tobit 3:17The Book of Tobit; The Book of Judith

Tobit 4:1The Book of Tobit
Tobit 4:2The Book of Tobit
Tobit 4:3The Book of Tobit
Tobit 4:4The Book of Tobit
Tobit 4:5The Book of Tobit
Tobit 4:6The Book of Tobit

Tobit 4:7The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Tobit 4:7–16The Book of Tobit
Tobit 4:8The Book of Tobit
Tobit 4:9The Book of Tobit
Tobit 4:10The Book of Tobit
Tobit 4:11The Book of Tobit
Tobit 4:12The Book of Tobit
Tobit 4:12–13The Book of Tobit
Tobit 4:13The Book of Tobit

Tobit 4:14The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Tobit 4:15The Book of Tobit
Tobit 4:16The Book of Tobit
Tobit 4:17The Book of Tobit
Tobit 4:18The Book of Tobit
Tobit 4:19The Book of Tobit
Tobit 4:20The Book of Tobit
Tobit 4:21The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:1The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:2The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:3The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:4The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:5The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:6The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:7The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:8The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:9The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:10The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:11The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:12The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:13The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:14The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:15The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:16The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:17The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:18The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:19The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:20The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:21The Book of Tobit
Tobit 5:22The Book of Tobit
Tobit 6:1The Book of Tobit
Tobit 6:2The Book of Tobit
Tobit 6:3The Book of Tobit
Tobit 6:4The Book of Tobit
Tobit 6:5The Book of Tobit
Tobit 6:6The Book of Tobit
Tobit 6:7The Book of Tobit
Tobit 6:8The Book of Tobit
Tobit 6:9The Book of Tobit
Tobit 6:10The Book of Tobit
Tobit 6:11The Book of Tobit
Tobit 6:12The Book of Tobit
Tobit 6:13The Book of Tobit
Tobit 6:14The Book of Tobit
Tobit 6:15The Book of Tobit
Tobit 6:16The Book of Tobit
Tobit 6:17The Book of Tobit
Tobit 6:18The Book of Tobit
Tobit 7:1The Book of Tobit
Tobit 7:2The Book of Tobit
Tobit 7:3The Book of Tobit
Tobit 7:4The Book of Tobit
Tobit 7:5The Book of Tobit
Tobit 7:6The Book of Tobit
Tobit 7:7The Book of Tobit
Tobit 7:8The Book of Tobit
Tobit 7:9The Book of Tobit
Tobit 7:10The Book of Tobit
Tobit 7:11The Book of Tobit
Tobit 7:12The Book of Tobit
Tobit 7:13The Book of Tobit
Tobit 7:14The Book of Tobit
Tobit 7:15The Book of Tobit
Tobit 7:16The Book of Tobit
Tobit 7:17The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:1The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:2The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:2–3The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:3The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:4The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:5The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:6The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:7The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:8The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:9The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:10The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:11The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:12The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:13The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:14The Book of Tobit

Tobit 8:15The Book of Tobit; The Wisdom of Solomon

Tobit 8:16The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:17The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:18The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:19The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:20The Book of Tobit
Tobit 8:21The Book of Tobit
Tobit 9:1The Book of Tobit
Tobit 9:2The Book of Tobit
Tobit 9:3The Book of Tobit
Tobit 9:4The Book of Tobit
Tobit 9:5The Book of Tobit
Tobit 9:6The Book of Tobit
Tobit 10:1The Book of Tobit
Tobit 10:2The Book of Tobit
Tobit 10:3The Book of Tobit
Tobit 10:4The Book of Tobit
Tobit 10:5The Book of Tobit
Tobit 10:6The Book of Tobit
Tobit 10:7The Book of Tobit
Tobit 10:8The Book of Tobit
Tobit 10:9The Book of Tobit
Tobit 10:10The Book of Tobit
Tobit 10:11The Book of Tobit
Tobit 10:12The Book of Tobit
Tobit 10:13The Book of Tobit
Tobit 11:1The Book of Tobit
Tobit 11:2The Book of Tobit
Tobit 11:3The Book of Tobit
Tobit 11:4The Book of Tobit
Tobit 11:5The Book of Tobit
Tobit 11:6The Book of Tobit
Tobit 11:7The Book of Tobit
Tobit 11:8The Book of Tobit
Tobit 11:9The Book of Tobit
Tobit 11:10The Book of Tobit
Tobit 11:11The Book of Tobit
Tobit 11:12The Book of Tobit
Tobit 11:13The Book of Tobit
Tobit 11:14The Book of Tobit
Tobit 11:15The Book of Tobit
Tobit 11:16The Book of Tobit
Tobit 11:17The Book of Tobit
Tobit 11:18The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:1The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:2The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:3The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:4The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:5The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:6The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:7The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:8The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:8–9The Wisdom of Sirach
Tobit 12:9The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:10The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:11The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:12The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:13The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:14The Book of Tobit

Tobit 12:15The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Tobit 12:16The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:17The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:18The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:19The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:20The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:21The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:22The Book of Tobit
Tobit 13:1The Book of Tobit
Tobit 13:2The Book of Tobit
Tobit 13:3The Book of Tobit
Tobit 13:4The Book of Tobit; Third Maccabees
Tobit 13:5The Book of Tobit

Tobit 13:6The Book of Tobit; The First Book of Maccabees

Tobit 13:7The Book of Tobit
Tobit 13:8The Book of Tobit
Tobit 13:9The Book of Tobit
Tobit 13:10The Book of Tobit
Tobit 13:11The Book of Tobit
Tobit 13:12The Book of Tobit
Tobit 13:13The Book of Tobit
Tobit 13:14The Book of Tobit
Tobit 13:15The Book of Tobit
Tobit 13:16The Book of Tobit
Tobit 13:16–17The Book of Tobit
Tobit 13:17The Book of Tobit
Tobit 13:18The Book of Tobit
Tobit 14:1The Book of Tobit
Tobit 14:2The Book of Tobit
Tobit 14:3The Book of Tobit
Tobit 14:4The Book of Tobit
Tobit 14:5The Book of Tobit
Tobit 14:6The Book of Tobit
Tobit 14:7The Book of Tobit

Tobit 14:8The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Tobit 14:9The Book of Tobit
Tobit 14:10The Book of Tobit
Tobit 14:11The Book of Tobit
Tobit 14:12The Book of Tobit
Tobit 14:13The Book of Tobit
Tobit 14:14The Book of Tobit

Tobit 14:15The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Scripture Index (Judith–Wisdom)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Judith
Judith 1:1The Book of Judith
Judith 1:2The Book of Judith
Judith 1:3The Book of Judith
Judith 1:4The Book of Judith
Judith 1:5The Book of Judith
Judith 1:6The Book of Judith
Judith 1:7The Book of Judith

Judith 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Judith

Judith 1:9The Book of Judith

Judith 1:10The Book of Judith; The First Book of Maccabees

Judith 1:11The Book of Judith
Judith 1:12The Book of Judith
Judith 1:13The Book of Judith
Judith 1:14The Book of Judith
Judith 1:15The Book of Judith
Judith 1:16The Book of Judith
Judith 2:1The Book of Judith
Judith 2:2The Book of Judith
Judith 2:3The Book of Judith
Judith 2:4The Book of Judith
Judith 2:5The Book of Judith
Judith 2:6The Book of Judith
Judith 2:7The Book of Judith
Judith 2:8The Book of Judith
Judith 2:9The Book of Judith
Judith 2:10The Book of Judith
Judith 2:11The Book of Judith
Judith 2:12The Book of Judith
Judith 2:13The Book of Judith
Judith 2:14The Book of Judith
Judith 2:15The Book of Judith
Judith 2:16The Book of Judith
Judith 2:17The Book of Judith
Judith 2:18The Book of Judith
Judith 2:19The Book of Judith
Judith 2:20The Book of Judith
Judith 2:21The Book of Judith
Judith 2:22The Book of Judith
Judith 2:23The Book of Judith
Judith 2:24The Book of Judith
Judith 2:25The Book of Judith
Judith 2:26The Book of Judith
Judith 2:27The Book of Judith
Judith 2:28The Book of Judith
Judith 3:1The Book of Judith
Judith 3:2The Book of Judith
Judith 3:3The Book of Judith
Judith 3:4The Book of Judith
Judith 3:5The Book of Judith

Judith 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Book of Judith

Judith 3:7The Book of Judith
Judith 3:8The Book of Judith
Judith 3:9The Book of Judith

Judith 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Book of Judith

Judith 4:1The Book of Judith
Judith 4:2The Book of Judith
Judith 4:3The Book of Judith
Judith 4:4The Book of Judith
Judith 4:5The Book of Judith

Judith 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Book of Judith

Judith 4:7The Book of Judith
Judith 4:8The Book of Judith
Judith 4:9The Book of Judith
Judith 4:10The Book of Judith
Judith 4:11The Book of Judith
Judith 4:12The Book of Judith
Judith 4:13The Book of Judith
Judith 4:14The Book of Judith
Judith 4:15The Book of Judith
Judith 5:1The Book of Judith
Judith 5:2The Book of Judith
Judith 5:3The Book of Judith
Judith 5:4The Book of Judith
Judith 5:5The Book of Judith
Judith 5:6The Book of Judith
Judith 5:7The Book of Judith
Judith 5:8The Book of Judith
Judith 5:9The Book of Judith
Judith 5:10The Book of Judith
Judith 5:11The Book of Judith
Judith 5:12The Book of Judith
Judith 5:13The Book of Judith
Judith 5:14The Book of Judith
Judith 5:15The Book of Judith
Judith 5:16The Book of Judith
Judith 5:17The Book of Judith
Judith 5:18The Book of Judith

Judith 5:19The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Judith 5:20The Book of Judith
Judith 5:21The Book of Judith
Judith 5:22The Book of Judith
Judith 5:23The Book of Judith
Judith 5:24The Book of Judith
Judith 6:1The Book of Judith
Judith 6:2The Book of Judith
Judith 6:3The Book of Judith
Judith 6:4The Book of Judith
Judith 6:5The Book of Judith
Judith 6:6The Book of Judith
Judith 6:7The Book of Judith
Judith 6:8The Book of Judith
Judith 6:9The Book of Judith
Judith 6:10The Book of Judith
Judith 6:11The Book of Judith
Judith 6:12The Book of Judith
Judith 6:13The Book of Judith
Judith 6:14The Book of Judith
Judith 6:15The Book of Judith
Judith 6:16The Book of Judith
Judith 6:17The Book of Judith
Judith 6:18The Book of Judith
Judith 6:19The Book of Judith
Judith 6:20The Book of Judith
Judith 6:21The Book of Judith
Judith 7:1The Book of Judith
Judith 7:2The Book of Judith
Judith 7:3The Book of Judith
Judith 7:4The Book of Judith
Judith 7:5The Book of Judith
Judith 7:6The Book of Judith
Judith 7:7The Book of Judith
Judith 7:8The Book of Judith
Judith 7:9The Book of Judith
Judith 7:10The Book of Judith
Judith 7:11The Book of Judith
Judith 7:12The Book of Judith
Judith 7:13The Book of Judith
Judith 7:14The Book of Judith
Judith 7:15The Book of Judith
Judith 7:16The Book of Judith
Judith 7:17The Book of Judith
Judith 7:18The Book of Judith
Judith 7:19The Book of Judith
Judith 7:20The Book of Judith
Judith 7:21The Book of Judith
Judith 7:22The Book of Judith
Judith 7:23The Book of Judith
Judith 7:24The Book of Judith
Judith 7:25The Book of Judith
Judith 7:26The Book of Judith
Judith 7:27The Book of Judith
Judith 7:28The Book of Judith
Judith 7:29The Book of Judith
Judith 7:30The Book of Judith
Judith 7:31The Book of Judith
Judith 7:32The Book of Judith
Judith 8:1The Book of Judith

Judith 8:2The Book of Tobit; The Book of Judith

Judith 8:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Judith 8:3The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Judith 8:4The Book of Judith
Judith 8:5The Book of Judith
Judith 8:6The Book of Judith
Judith 8:7The Book of Judith
Judith 8:8The Book of Judith
Judith 8:9The Book of Judith
Judith 8:10The Book of Judith
Judith 8:11The Book of Judith
Judith 8:12The Book of Judith
Judith 8:13The Book of Judith
Judith 8:13–14The Wisdom of Solomon
Judith 8:14The Book of Judith
Judith 8:15The Book of Judith
Judith 8:16The Book of Judith
Judith 8:17The Book of Judith
Judith 8:18The Book of Judith
Judith 8:19The Book of Judith
Judith 8:20The Book of Judith
Judith 8:21The Book of Judith
Judith 8:22The Book of Judith
Judith 8:23The Book of Judith
Judith 8:24The Book of Judith
Judith 8:25The Book of Judith
Judith 8:26The Book of Judith
Judith 8:27The Book of Judith
Judith 8:28The Book of Judith
Judith 8:29The Book of Judith
Judith 8:30The Book of Judith
Judith 8:31The Book of Judith

Judith 8:32The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Judith 8:32–34The Book of Judith
Judith 8:33The Book of Judith
Judith 8:34The Book of Judith
Judith 8:35The Book of Judith
Judith 8:36The Book of Judith
Judith 9:1The Book of Judith
Judith 9:2The Book of Judith

Judith 9:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Judith 9:3The Book of Judith
Judith 9:4The Book of Judith
Judith 9:5The Book of Judith
Judith 9:6The Book of Judith
Judith 9:7The Book of Judith

Judith 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Book of Judith

Judith 9:9The Book of Judith
Judith 9:10The Book of Judith
Judith 9:11The Book of Judith
Judith 9:12The Book of Judith
Judith 9:13The Book of Judith
Judith 9:14The Book of Judith
Judith 10:1The Book of Judith
Judith 10:2The Book of Judith

Judith 10:3The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Judith 10:4The Book of Judith

Judith 10:5The Book of Tobit; The Book of Judith

Judith 10:6The Book of Judith
Judith 10:7The Book of Judith
Judith 10:8The Book of Judith
Judith 10:9The Book of Judith
Judith 10:10The Book of Judith
Judith 10:11The Book of Judith
Judith 10:12The Book of Judith
Judith 10:13The Book of Judith
Judith 10:14The Book of Judith
Judith 10:15The Book of Judith
Judith 10:16The Book of Judith
Judith 10:17The Book of Judith
Judith 10:18The Book of Judith
Judith 10:19The Book of Judith
Judith 10:20The Book of Judith
Judith 10:21The Book of Judith
Judith 10:22The Book of Judith
Judith 10:23The Book of Judith
Judith 11:1The Book of Judith
Judith 11:2The Book of Judith
Judith 11:3The Book of Judith
Judith 11:4The Book of Judith
Judith 11:5The Book of Judith
Judith 11:6The Book of Judith
Judith 11:7The Book of Judith
Judith 11:8The Book of Judith
Judith 11:9The Book of Judith
Judith 11:10The Book of Judith
Judith 11:11The Book of Judith
Judith 11:12The Book of Judith
Judith 11:13The Book of Judith
Judith 11:13–15The Book of Judith
Judith 11:14The Book of Judith
Judith 11:15The Book of Judith
Judith 11:16The Book of Judith
Judith 11:17The Book of Judith
Judith 11:18The Book of Judith

Judith 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Book of Judith

Judith 11:20The Book of Judith
Judith 11:21The Book of Judith
Judith 11:22The Book of Judith
Judith 11:23The Book of Judith
Judith 12:1The Book of Judith
Judith 12:1–2The Book of Judith
Judith 12:2The Book of Judith
Judith 12:3The Book of Judith
Judith 12:4The Book of Judith
Judith 12:5The Book of Judith
Judith 12:6The Book of Judith

Judith 12:7The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Judith 12:8The Book of Judith
Judith 12:9The Book of Judith
Judith 12:10The Book of Judith
Judith 12:11The Book of Judith
Judith 12:12The Book of Judith
Judith 12:13The Book of Judith
Judith 12:14The Book of Judith
Judith 12:15The Book of Judith
Judith 12:16The Book of Judith
Judith 12:17The Book of Judith
Judith 12:18The Book of Judith
Judith 12:19The Book of Judith
Judith 12:20The Book of Judith
Judith 13:1The Book of Judith
Judith 13:2The Book of Judith
Judith 13:3The Book of Judith
Judith 13:4The Book of Judith
Judith 13:5The Book of Judith
Judith 13:6The Book of Judith
Judith 13:7The Book of Judith
Judith 13:8The Book of Judith
Judith 13:9The Book of Judith
Judith 13:9–10The Book of Judith
Judith 13:10The Book of Judith
Judith 13:11The Book of Judith
Judith 13:12The Book of Judith
Judith 13:13The Book of Judith
Judith 13:14The Book of Judith
Judith 13:15The Book of Judith
Judith 13:16The Book of Judith
Judith 13:17The Book of Judith
Judith 13:18The Book of Judith
Judith 13:19The Book of Judith
Judith 13:20The Book of Judith
Judith 14:1The Book of Judith
Judith 14:2The Book of Judith
Judith 14:3The Book of Judith
Judith 14:3–4The Book of Judith
Judith 14:4The Book of Judith
Judith 14:5The Book of Judith
Judith 14:6The Book of Judith
Judith 14:7The Book of Judith

Judith 14:8The Book of Judith; The Wisdom of Solomon

Judith 14:9The Book of Judith
Judith 14:10The Book of Judith
Judith 14:11The Book of Judith
Judith 14:12The Book of Judith
Judith 14:13The Book of Judith
Judith 14:14The Book of Judith
Judith 14:14–15The Book of Judith
Judith 14:15The Book of Judith
Judith 14:16The Book of Judith
Judith 14:17The Book of Judith
Judith 14:18The Book of Judith
Judith 14:19The Book of Judith
Judith 15:1The Book of Judith
Judith 15:2The Book of Judith
Judith 15:3The Book of Judith
Judith 15:3–5The Book of Judith
Judith 15:4The Book of Judith
Judith 15:5The Book of Judith
Judith 15:6The Book of Judith
Judith 15:7The Book of Judith
Judith 15:8The Book of Judith
Judith 15:9The Book of Judith
Judith 15:10The Book of Judith
Judith 15:11The Book of Judith
Judith 15:12The Book of Judith
Judith 15:12–14The Book of Judith
Judith 15:13The Book of Judith
Judith 15:14The Book of Judith
Judith 16:1The Book of Judith
Judith 16:2The Book of Judith
Judith 16:3The Book of Judith
Judith 16:4The Book of Judith
Judith 16:5The Book of Judith
Judith 16:6The Book of Judith
Judith 16:7The Book of Judith
Judith 16:8The Book of Judith
Judith 16:9The Book of Judith
Judith 16:10The Book of Judith
Judith 16:11The Book of Judith
Judith 16:12The Book of Judith
Judith 16:13The Book of Judith
Judith 16:14The Book of Judith
Judith 16:15The Book of Judith
Judith 16:16The Book of Judith
Judith 16:17The Book of Judith
Judith 16:18The Book of Judith
Judith 16:19The Book of Judith
Judith 16:20The Book of Judith
Judith 16:21The Book of Judith
Judith 16:22The Book of Judith
Judith 16:23The Book of Judith
Judith 16:24The Book of Judith
Judith 16:25The Book of Judith
Wisdom
Wisdom 1:1The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 1:1–2The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 1:2The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 1:3The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 1:4The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 1:5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 1:6The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 1:6–10The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 1:7The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 1:8The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 1:9The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 1:10The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 1:11The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 1:12The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 1:13–14The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 1:14The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 1:15The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 1:16The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 2:1The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 2:2The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 2:3The Wisdom of Solomon; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Wisdom 2:4The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 2:6The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 2:7The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 2:8The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 2:9The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 2:10The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 2:11The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 2:12The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 2:12–20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Wisdom 2:13The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 2:13–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Wisdom 2:14The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 2:15The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 2:16The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 2:17The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 2:18The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 2:19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 2:19–20The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 2:20The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 2:21The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 2:22The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 2:23–24The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 3:1The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 3:1–3The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 3:2The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 3:3The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 3:4The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 3:5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 3:6The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 3:7The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 3:7–8The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 3:8The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 3:9The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 3:10The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Wisdom 3:11The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 3:12The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 3:13The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 3:14The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 3:15The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 3:16The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 3:17The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 3:18The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 3:19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 4:1The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 4:2The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 4:3The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 4:4The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 4:5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 4:6The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 4:7The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 4:8The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 4:9The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 4:10The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 4:11The Wisdom of Solomon; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Wisdom 4:12The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 4:13The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 4:14The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 4:15The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 4:16The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 4:17The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 4:18The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 4:19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 4:20The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:1The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:1–5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:2The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:2–5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:3The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:4The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:6The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 5:7The Wisdom of Solomon; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Wisdom 5:8The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:9The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:10The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:11The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:12The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:13The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:14The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 5:16The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 5:17The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 5:17–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Wisdom 5:18The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:20The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:21The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:22The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:23The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 5:24The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:1The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:1–2The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 6:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Wisdom 6:1–8The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:2The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:3The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:4The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:5The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Wisdom 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 6:8The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:9The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:10The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:11The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:12The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:13The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:14The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:15The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:16The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:17The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:17–19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:17–20The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:18The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:20The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:21The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:22The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:23The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:23–25The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:24The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:25The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:26The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 6:27The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 7:1The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Wisdom 7:1–6The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:1–7The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:2The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:3The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:4The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:6The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:7The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:7–8The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:8The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 7:10The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:11The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:11–12The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:12The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:13The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:14The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:14–21The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 7:16The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 7:17The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Wisdom 7:17–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 7:18The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:20The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:21The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:22The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 7:23The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Wisdom 7:24The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 7:26The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:27The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:28The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:29The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 7:30The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 8:1The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 8:3The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 8:4The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 8:5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 8:6The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 8:7The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 8:8The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 8:9The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 8:10The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 8:11The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 8:13The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 8:14The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 8:15The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 8:16The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 8:17The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 8:18The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 8:19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 8:19–20The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 8:20The Wisdom of Solomon; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Wisdom 8:21The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 9:1The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 9:2The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 9:3The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 9:4The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 9:5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 9:5–6The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 9:6The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 9:7The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 9:8The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 9:10The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 9:11The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 9:12The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Wisdom 9:14The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 9:15The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Wisdom 9:16The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 9:17The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 9:18The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 9:19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 10:1The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 10:2The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 10:3The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 10:5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 10:6The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 10:7The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 10:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Wisdom 10:8The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 10:9The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 10:10The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 10:11The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 10:12The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 10:13The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 10:14The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 10:15The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 10:16The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 10:17The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 10:18The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 10:19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 10:20The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 11:1The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:2The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:3The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:4The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:5–6The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:6The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:7The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:8The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:9The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:9–11The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:10The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:10–11The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 11:11The Wisdom of Solomon; Second Maccabees

Wisdom 11:12The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:13The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:14The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:15The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:16The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:16–17The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 11:17The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Wisdom 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 11:18–21The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:20The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:21The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:22The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:22–23The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:23The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:24The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:24–25The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:24–12:1The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:25The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:26The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 11:27The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:1The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:2The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:3The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:4The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:6The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:7The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 12:9The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:10The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:11The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 12:13The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:14The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:15The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:16The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:17The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:18The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:19–21The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:20The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:21The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:22The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:23The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:24The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:25The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:26The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:27The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 12:28The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:1The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 13:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Wisdom 13:2The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:3The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:4The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:6The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:7The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:8The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:9The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:10The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 13:10–19The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Wisdom 13:11The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:11–16The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:12The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:13The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:14The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:15The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:16The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:17The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:17–19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:18The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 13:19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:1The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:2The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 14:3The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Wisdom 14:4The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:6The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:7The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:8The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:9The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:10The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:11The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:12The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:13The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:14The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 14:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Wisdom 14:15The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:16The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:17The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:18The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:20The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:21The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:21–31The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:22The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:23The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:23–24The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:24The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:25The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:26The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:27The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:28The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:29The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:30The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 14:31The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 15:1The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 15:2The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 15:3The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 15:4The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 15:5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 15:6The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 15:7The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

Wisdom 15:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Wisdom 15:8The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 15:9The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 15:10The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 15:11The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 15:12The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 15:13The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 15:14The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 15:15The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 15:16The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 15:17The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 15:18The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 15:19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:1The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:2The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:3The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:4The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:5–15The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:6The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 16:8The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 16:11The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 16:12The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 16:13The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Wisdom 16:14The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:15The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:16The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:16–25The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:17The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 16:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Wisdom 16:17–23The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:18The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:20The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:21The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:22The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:23The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:24The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:25The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 16:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 16:27The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:28The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 16:29The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:1The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:2The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:3The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:4The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:6The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:7The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:8The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:9The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:10The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:11The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:12The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:13The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:14The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:15The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:16The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:17The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:18The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 17:20The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:1The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:2The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:3The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 18:4The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

Wisdom 18:5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:6The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:7The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:8The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:9The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:10The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:11The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:12The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:13The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:14The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Wisdom 18:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Wisdom 18:16The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:17The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:18The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:20The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:21The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 18:22The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Wisdom 18:23The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:24The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 18:25The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:1The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:2The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:3The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:4The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:5The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:6The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:7The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:8The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:9The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:10The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:11The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:11–12The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon

Wisdom 19:13The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:14The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:15The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:16The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:17The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:18The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:19The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:20The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 19:21The Wisdom of Solomon

Scripture Index (Sirach)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Sirach
Sirach 1:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:15The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 1:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Sirach 1:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 1:30The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 2:1The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Sirach 2:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 2:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 2:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 2:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 2:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 2:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 2:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 2:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 2:10The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 2:11The Wisdom of Solomon; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 2:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 2:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 2:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 2:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 2:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 2:17The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 2:18The Wisdom of Solomon; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 2:27The Wisdom of Solomon
Sirach 3:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:1–16The Book of Tobit
Sirach 3:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:4The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 3:5The Wisdom of Solomon; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 3:6The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 3:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Sirach 3:7The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 3:8The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 3:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 3:29The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 3:30The Book of Tobit; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 3:31The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 4:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:7The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 4:8The Book of Tobit; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 4:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:14The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 4:15The Wisdom of Solomon; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 4:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:29The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 4:301 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 4:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:32The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:33The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:34The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 4:35The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 5:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 5:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 5:3The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 5:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 5:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 5:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 5:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 5:9The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 5:11The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 5:12The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 5:13The Wisdom of Solomon; The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Sirach 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 5:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 5:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 5:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 5:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:14The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 6:15The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Sirach 6:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:32The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:33The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:34The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:35The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:36The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 6:37The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:4The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 7:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:12The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 7:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Sirach 7:13The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 7:14The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Sirach 7:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:20The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 7:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:32The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:33The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:34The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:35The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 7:36The Book of Tobit; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 7:37The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:38The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 7:39The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 8:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 8:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 8:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 8:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 8:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 8:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 8:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 8:8The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 8:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 8:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 8:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 8:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 8:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 8:15The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 8:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 8:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 8:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 8:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 8:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 8:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 9:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 9:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 9:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 9:4The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 9:7The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 9:8The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 9:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 9:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 9:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 9:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 9:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 9:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 9:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 9:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 9:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 9:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 9:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 9:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 9:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 9:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:32The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:33The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 10:34The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:7The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 11:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:27The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 11:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:32The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:33The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 11:34The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 12:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 12:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 12:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 12:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 12:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 12:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 12:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 12:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 12:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 12:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 12:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 12:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 12:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 12:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 12:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 12:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 12:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 13:32The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:8The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Sirach 14:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 14:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 15:1The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 15:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 15:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 15:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 15:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 15:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 15:8The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 15:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 15:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 15:11–20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 15:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 15:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 15:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 15:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 15:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 15:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 15:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 15:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 15:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 16:31The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 17:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:5–8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:6–9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:9The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 17:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:13The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 17:14The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Sirach 17:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:17The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 17:18The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Sirach 17:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:24–26The Book of Baruch
Sirach 17:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 17:31The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Wisdom of Sirach; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Sirach 18:1–4The Wisdom of Solomon
Sirach 18:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:32The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 18:33The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:5The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 19:6The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Sirach 19:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:9The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 19:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 19:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:5–8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:6The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Sirach 20:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:28The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 20:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 20:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 20:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 21:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:9The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 22:10The Book of Judith; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 22:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:14The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 22:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 22:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 22:31The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 23:1The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Sirach 23:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:8The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 23:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 23:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:27The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 23:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Sirach 23:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 23:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:32The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:33The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:34The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:35The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:36The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 23:37The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:9The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 24:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 24:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:13The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 24:14The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Sirach 24:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:32The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:33The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:34The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:35The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:36The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 24:37The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 25:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 25:2The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 25:3The Wisdom of Solomon; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 25:4The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 25:5The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 25:6The Wisdom of Solomon; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 25:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 25:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 25:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 25:10The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 25:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 25:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 25:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 25:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 25:14–16The Wisdom of Solomon
Sirach 25:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 25:16The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 25:16–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Sirach 25:17The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 25:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 25:19The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 25:20The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 25:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 25:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 25:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 25:24The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 25:25The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Sirach 25:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 25:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 25:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 25:29The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 26:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 26:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:4The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 26:5The Wisdom of Solomon; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 26:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 26:26The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 26:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 27:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:24The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 27:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 27:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:32The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 27:33The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:8The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 28:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 28:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:19The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 28:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 28:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 28:30The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 29:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 29:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:14The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 29:15The Book of Tobit; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 29:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 29:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:1The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 30:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Sirach 30:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:4The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 30:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Sirach 30:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 30:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:12The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 31:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 31:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:32The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:33The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:34The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:35The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:36The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 31:37The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:9The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 32:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Sirach 32:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:14The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 32:15The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Sirach 32:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 32:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:7–14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:20The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 33:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 33:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:27The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 33:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 33:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:32The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 33:33The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:17The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 34:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 34:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:21The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 34:22The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Sirach 34:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 34:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 35:22The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 35:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 36:1The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 36:2The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 36:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 36:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:12The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 36:13The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Sirach 36:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 36:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:32The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:33The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 37:34The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:1The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 38:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Sirach 38:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:20The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 38:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Sirach 38:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:32The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:33The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:34The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:35The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:36The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:37The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:38The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 38:39The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:31The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 39:32The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Sirach 39:33The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:34The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:35The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:36The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:37The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:38The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:39The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:40The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:41The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 39:42The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 40:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 40:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 40:32The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:14The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 41:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 41:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 41:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 42:26The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 43:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 43:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:12The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 43:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Sirach 43:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:32The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:33The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:34The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:35The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 43:36The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:3The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 44:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

Sirach 44:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:12The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 44:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 44:14The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 44:15The Wisdom of Sirach; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Sirach 44:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 44:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 44:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:10The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 45:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 45:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:28The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 45:29The Wisdom of Sirach; The First Book of Maccabees

Sirach 45:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 45:31The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 46:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 46:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 46:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 46:4The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 46:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 46:6The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 46:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 46:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 46:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 46:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 46:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 46:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 46:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 46:14The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 46:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Sirach 46:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 46:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 46:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 46:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 46:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 46:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 46:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 46:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 46:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:16The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 47:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 47:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:22The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 47:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Sirach 47:23The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 47:24The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 47:25The Wisdom of Sirach; The First Book of Maccabees

Sirach 47:26The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 47:27The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 47:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 47:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 47:31The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 48:1The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Sirach 48:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Sirach 48:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Sirach 48:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Sirach 48:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 48:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 48:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 48:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 48:6The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 48:7The Wisdom of Solomon; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 48:8The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 48:9The Wisdom of Sirach; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Sirach 48:10The Wisdom of Sirach; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Sirach 48:11The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 48:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 48:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 48:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 48:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 48:15–17The Wisdom of Solomon
Sirach 48:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 48:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 48:18The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 48:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Sirach 48:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 48:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 48:22The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 48:22–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Sirach 48:23The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 48:24The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 48:25The Wisdom of Solomon; The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Sirach 48:25–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Sirach 48:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 48:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 48:28The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 49:1The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 49:2The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 49:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 49:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

Sirach 49:4The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 49:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 49:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Sirach 49:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 49:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 49:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 49:9The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 49:10The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

Sirach 49:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Sirach 49:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Sirach 49:11The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 49:12The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Sirach 49:13The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Sirach 49:14The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 49:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 49:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 49:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 49:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:1The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:17The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 50:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 50:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 50:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:27The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 50:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 50:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:30The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 50:31The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 51:1The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Sirach 51:2The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:3The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:4The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:5The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:6The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:7The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:8The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:9The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:10The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:11The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:12The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:13The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:13–21The Wisdom of Solomon
Sirach 51:14The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:15The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:16The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:17The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:18The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:19The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:20The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:21The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:22The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:23The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:24The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:25The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:26The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:27The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:28The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:29The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:30The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 51:31The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Sirach 51:32The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:33The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:34The Wisdom of Sirach

Sirach 51:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Sirach 51:35The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:36The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:37The Wisdom of Sirach
Sirach 51:38The Wisdom of Sirach

Scripture Index (Baruch–1 Maccabees)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Baruch
Baruch 1:1The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:1–14The Book of Baruch

Baruch 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Book of Baruch

Baruch 1:3The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:4The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:5The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:6The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:7The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:7–9The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:8The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:9The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:10The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:11The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:12The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:13The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:14The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:15The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:15–22The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:15–2:8The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:16The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:17The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:18The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:19The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:20The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:21The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:22The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:1The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:1–10The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:1–2The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:2The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:3The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:4The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:5The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:6The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:7The Book of Baruch

Baruch 2:8The Book of Baruch; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Baruch 2:9The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:9–4:8The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:10The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:11The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:11–35The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:12The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:13The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:14The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:15The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:16The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:17The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:18The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:19The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:20The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:21The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:22The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:23The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:24The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:25The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:26The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:27The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:28The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:29The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:30The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:31The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:32The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:33The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:34The Book of Baruch
Baruch 2:35The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:1The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:1–8The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:2The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:3The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:4The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:5The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:6The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:7The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:8The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:9The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:9–14The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:9–38The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:10The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:11The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:12The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:13The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:13–14The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:14The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:15The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:15–23The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:16The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:17The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:18The Book of Baruch

Baruch 3:19The Wisdom of Solomon; The Book of Baruch

Baruch 3:20The Book of Baruch

Baruch 3:21The Book of Baruch

Baruch 3:22The Book of Baruch; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

Baruch 3:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Baruch 3:23The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:24The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:25The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:25–28The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:26The Book of Baruch

Baruch 3:26–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Baruch 3:27The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:28The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:29The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:29–31The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:29–38The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:30The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:31The Book of Baruch

Baruch 3:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Baruch 3:32The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:33The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:34The Book of Baruch

Baruch 3:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Book of Baruch

Baruch 3:36The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:36–4:4The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:37The Book of Baruch
Baruch 3:38The Book of Baruch

Baruch 4:1The Wisdom of Solomon; The Book of Baruch

Baruch 4:1–8The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:1–9The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:2The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:3The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:4The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:5The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:6The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:7The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:8The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:9The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:9–20The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:9–29The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:10The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:11The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:12The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:13The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:14The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:15The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:16The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:17The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:18The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:19The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:20The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:21The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:21–24The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:21–29The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:22The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:23The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:24The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:25The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:26The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:27The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:28The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:29The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:30The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:30–37The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:30–5:9The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:31The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:32The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:33The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:34The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:35The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:36The Book of Baruch
Baruch 4:37The Book of Baruch
Baruch 5:1The Book of Baruch
Baruch 5:1–9The Book of Baruch
Baruch 5:2The Book of Baruch
Baruch 5:3The Book of Baruch
Baruch 5:4The Book of Baruch
Baruch 5:5The Book of Baruch
Baruch 5:6The Book of Baruch
Baruch 5:7The Book of Baruch
Baruch 5:8The Book of Baruch
Baruch 5:9The Book of Baruch
Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:1The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:1–6The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:1–72The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:2The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:2–6The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:3The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:4The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:5The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:6The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:7The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:7–15The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:7–71The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:8The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:9The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:10The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:11The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:12The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:13The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:14The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:15The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:16The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:16–53The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:17The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:18The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:19The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:20The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:21The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:22The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:23The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:24The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:25The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:26The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:27The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:28The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:29The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:30The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:31The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:32The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:33The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:34The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:35The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:36The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:37The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:38The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:39The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:40The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:41The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:42The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:43The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:44The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:45The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:46The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:47The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:48The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:49The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:50The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:51The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:52The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:53The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:54The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:54–71The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:55The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:56The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:57The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:58The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:59The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:60The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:61The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:62The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:63The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:64The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:65The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:66The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:67The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:68The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:69The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:70The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:71The Epistle of Jeremiah

Epistle of Jeremiah 1:72The Epistle of Jeremiah

1 Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:1–10The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 1:2The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:3The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 1:4The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:6The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:7The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:7–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 1:8The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:9The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:10The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:11The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:11–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:12–13The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:13The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:14The Wisdom of Solomon; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:15The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Maccabees 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 1:16–19The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:16–28The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:17The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:17–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 1:18The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:19The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:19–20The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:20The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 1:20–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 1:20–28The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:21The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:21–24The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:24–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 1:25–26The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:27–28The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:29–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 1:29–40The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:30–32The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:33The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:33–37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 1:34The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 1:35The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 1:36The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:37Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Maccabees 1:37–40The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:38The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:39–41The Book of Tobit

1 Maccabees 1:39–54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 1:41–42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:41–51The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:41–64The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Maccabees 1:43The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:44The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:44–50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 1:44–51The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 1:45–46The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:47Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:47–49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 1:47–52The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:51Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:52–61The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:53–54The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Maccabees 1:55The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 1:56The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 1:57The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 1:58The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:59The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:60The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:61The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:62The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:62–64The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:62–68The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 1:63The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 1:64The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:1–5The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:2Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:2–5The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:3Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 2:4The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 2:6–10The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 2:6–14The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 2:7Third Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:11–17The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Maccabees 2:15–26The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:16–48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:19–24The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:23Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:25–26The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:26–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 2:27–30The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:27–38The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Maccabees 2:28–30The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:29Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:31The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:32–33The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:32–37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Maccabees 2:34The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Maccabees 2:35–36The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:37–39The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:39–48The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:40–41The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:42–44The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:45–46The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:47The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 2:48The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 2:49The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:49–62The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 2:49–70The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:50–51The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:52The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 2:53The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 2:54The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 2:55The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 2:56The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 2:57The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:58–61The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:62The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:63–69The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 2:66The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 2:70The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 3:1–3The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 3:1–9The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:1–9:22The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:4The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:5–6The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:7The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Maccabees 3:8The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 3:9–10The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 3:10Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:10–26The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:11–16The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:15The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:17–24The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:25–28The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:27–60The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:29–31The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:32The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:32–33The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:34–37The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:38The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:38–39The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:39The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:40The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:41The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:42–43The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:44–45The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:46The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:47–48The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:49The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:50–54The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:51The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 3:54The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 3:55The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 3:56The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 3:57The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 3:58The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 3:59–60The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 4:1The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 4:6Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 4:7Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 4:7–7:42Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 4:26–35Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 4:28Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 4:28–61The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

1 Maccabees 4:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 4:31–54Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 4:33Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 4:37The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 4:38The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 4:41The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 4:42Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 4:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

1 Maccabees 4:50–51Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 4:52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 4:52–53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 4:57The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

1 Maccabees 4:60The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:1–2The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:3–8The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 5:4The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 5:5Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 5:5–6The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:7–8The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 5:9The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 5:9–15The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:10–11The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:11The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:11–12Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:12–13The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

1 Maccabees 5:14–15The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:15The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Maccabees 5:16The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:16–20The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:17–18The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:19The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:19–23The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:20Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:21–23The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Maccabees 5:24The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:24–36The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:25The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:26The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:27The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:27–28The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:28The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:28–36The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:29–30The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:30The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:31The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:32–35The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:34The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:35The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:36The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:36–37The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:37–45The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:38Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:38–39The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:40–41The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:42The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:43–46The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:45The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:46Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:46–54The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:47–48The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:49–52The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:52Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 5:53The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 5:54The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:55–64The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:56The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 5:60The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 5:63The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:65The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:65–68The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:66The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:67–68The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 5:68The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 6:1The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 6:1–16Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 6:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 6:2The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 6:3Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Maccabees 6:14Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

1 Maccabees 6:16Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 6:18The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 6:20–28Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 6:20–49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

1 Maccabees 6:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 6:22Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 6:26The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 6:28–62Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 6:30Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 6:32Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 6:42–62Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 6:43–46The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 6:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

1 Maccabees 6:52Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 6:55Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 6:56The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 6:62Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:1The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:1–4The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 7:2The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 7:3The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 7:4Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 7:4–5The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 7:5Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 7:5–11The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:7–13The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:12–18The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:14Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:14–15The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:16–17The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:18The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:19The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:19–25The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:20–21The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:22The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:23–24The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:25–26The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:26The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:26–32The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:27–28The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:29–30The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:31The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:32–33The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:33–39The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:34The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:35–39The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:39Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:40The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:40–47The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:41The First Book of Maccabees; Third Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:42–45The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:46The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:47The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:48–49The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:48–50The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 7:49Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 7:50The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 8:1–16The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 8:1–2The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 8:3The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 8:4The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 8:6Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 8:6–8The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 8:9–10The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 8:11The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 8:12The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 8:13–14The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 8:15–16The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 8:17The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 8:17–32The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 8:18The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 8:19The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 8:20–22The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 8:23–28The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 8:29–32The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:1The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 9:1–22The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 9:2The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 9:3–4The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 9:5–6The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 9:7–10The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 9:11The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:12–15The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:16The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:17The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:18–21The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:22The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:23–12:53The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:23–31The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:24–27The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Maccabees 9:28–29The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:30–33The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:32–50The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:34The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 9:35The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 9:36The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:37The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Maccabees 9:38–42The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:43The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

1 Maccabees 9:44–50The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:50–53The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:51–52The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:52Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:53–54The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:54–57The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:55–56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Maccabees 9:55–57The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:58The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:58–73The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:59–62The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:63–65The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:66The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:67The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:68–72The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 9:73The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:1The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:1–14The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:2–3The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 10:4–6The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 10:7–8The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:9–11The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:12The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:13–18The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:15–21The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

1 Maccabees 10:19The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:21The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:22–24The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:22–47The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:25The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:26–27The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:28–29The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:30The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:31The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:32–33The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:34The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:35–39The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:40Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:40–42The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:43The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:43–66The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:44–45The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:46–47The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:48–50The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:51The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:52–56The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:57The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:58–61The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:62–67The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:67–89The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:68The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:69The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:70The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:71–72The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:73–75The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:76The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

1 Maccabees 10:76–77The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:78–81The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:82–83The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:84–86The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:86The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

1 Maccabees 10:87–89The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 10:891 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Maccabees 11:1–11The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:1–19The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Maccabees 11:12–13The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:13The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:14–16The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:15The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:17–18The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:19The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:20The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:20–37The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:21–28The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:29–32The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Maccabees 11:33–34The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

1 Maccabees 11:35–37The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:38The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:38–53The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:39The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:40The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:41–43The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:44–47The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:48–50The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:51The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:52–54The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:54–74The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:55The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 11:56The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 11:57The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 11:58The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:59–61The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:62–63The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:63The Book of Tobit

1 Maccabees 11:64–66The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:67The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:68–73The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 11:71The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Maccabees 11:74The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:1The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:1–23The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:2The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 12:3–4The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 12:5–18Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 12:5–6The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 12:6Second Maccabees
1 Maccabees 12:7The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 12:8–9The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:10–11The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

1 Maccabees 12:12–16The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:17–23The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:24The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:24–34The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:25The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:26–30The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:31The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:32–34The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:35The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:35–38The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:37The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:39–40The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:39–53The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:41–45The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:46–49The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

1 Maccabees 12:50The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:51The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 12:52–53The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:1The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:1–11The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:2The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 13:3The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 13:4The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:5–11The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:12–13The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:12–24The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:14–15The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:16–18The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:19–20The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Maccabees 13:21The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 13:22The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 13:23The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:24–27The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:25–30The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:27The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 13:28The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 13:29The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 13:30The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 13:31The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:31–32The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:32The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:33–36The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:33–40The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:37The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:38–39The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:391 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Maccabees 13:40–42The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:41–42The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:43The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:43–48The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:44–48The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:49–50The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:49–53The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 13:51The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

1 Maccabees 13:52The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 13:53The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 14:1The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 14:1–3The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 14:2The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 14:3The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 14:4The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 14:4–15The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 14:5–7The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 14:8–10The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 14:11–15The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 14:16–24The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 14:25–27The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 14:25–49The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 14:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

1 Maccabees 14:28The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 14:29The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 14:30The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 14:31The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 14:32–34The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 14:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua

1 Maccabees 14:35–36The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 14:37–40The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 14:41The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

1 Maccabees 14:42–49The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 14:43–44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Maccabees 15:1The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 15:1–9The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 15:2–6The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 15:7The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 15:8The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:9–10The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:10–14The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:11The Book of Judith; The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

1 Maccabees 15:12–15The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:15–24The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:16The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:17–18The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:19–20The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:21The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:22–23The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

1 Maccabees 15:24–25The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:25–36The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:26–27The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:28–31The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:32The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:33–37The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:37–41The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:38The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:39The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

1 Maccabees 15:39–40The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 15:41The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 16:1The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 16:1–10The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 16:2–3The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 16:4The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 16:5–6The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 16:7The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 16:8The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 16:9The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 16:10The First Book of Maccabees
1 Maccabees 16:11The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 16:11–24The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 16:12–14The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 16:15The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 16:16–17The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 16:17Second Maccabees

1 Maccabees 16:18–21The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 16:22–24The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 16:23–24The First Book of Maccabees

1 Maccabees 16:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

Scripture Index (2 Maccabees–1 Esdras)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

2 Maccabees

2 Maccabees 1:1Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 1:3Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:4Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:5Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:6Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:7Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:7–8Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 1:8Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Maccabees 1:9Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:10Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:10–36Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:10–64Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:11Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:12Third Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:12–13Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:14Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:15–17Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 1:20Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 1:21–23Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 1:24Second Maccabees; Third Maccabees

2 Maccabees 1:25Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 1:26Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 1:27Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

2 Maccabees 1:28–29Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:30–31Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:32–34Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:35–36Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:36Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Maccabees 2:1–19Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 2:1–3Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 2:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

2 Maccabees 2:4Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 2:5–7Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Maccabees 2:8Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 2:9Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 2:11Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 2:12Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 2:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

2 Maccabees 2:14Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 2:15–17Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 2:16–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

2 Maccabees 2:18Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 2:19–20Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 2:21–22Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 2:23–25Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

2 Maccabees 2:26–33Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 2:30–23Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 3:1Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 3:1–40Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 3:2–3Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 3:3The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 3:4Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 3:5Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 3:5–7The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 3:6–7Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 3:7–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

2 Maccabees 3:8Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 3:9–11Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

2 Maccabees 3:12–15Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Maccabees 3:16–18Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 3:19Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 3:20–21Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 3:22–24Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 3:25The Wisdom of Solomon
2 Maccabees 3:25–30Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 3:31–40Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 3:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

2 Maccabees 4:1Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:1–6Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:2–4Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:5–6Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 4:7The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 4:7–22Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 4:8Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 4:9The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 4:10–11Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:11The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:12Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 4:13The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 4:13–17The First Book of Maccabees

2 Maccabees 4:14Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:15Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:16–18Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:19Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:20Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:21Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:22–23Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:23The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:23–50Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:24Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:25Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:26Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:27–28Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:29Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:30Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:31–33Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 4:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

2 Maccabees 4:34The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:34–36Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:37Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 4:38The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 4:39–40Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:41–45Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:44The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:45The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:46Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:47Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 4:48–50Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 5:1–10Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 5:1–23The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 5:2–3Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 5:4Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 5:5The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 5:6–7Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 5:8Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 5:9Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 5:10Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 5:11–20Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 5:12–14Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 5:15–18Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 5:19Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 5:20–21Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 5:21The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 5:21–27Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 5:22Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 5:23Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 5:25The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 5:25–26Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Maccabees 5:27Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 6:1Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 6:1–7Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 6:3–5Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 6:4The First Book of Maccabees

2 Maccabees 6:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

2 Maccabees 6:6–7Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 6:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

2 Maccabees 6:8Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 6:8–11Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 6:9–10Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 6:10The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 6:11Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 6:12–17Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 6:18–31Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 6:19–23Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 6:24–27Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 6:28–31Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

2 Maccabees 7:1–2Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 7:1–42Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 7:3–6Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 7:7Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 7:8–14Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Maccabees 7:15–18Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 7:19Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 7:20–27Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 7:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

2 Maccabees 7:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 7:29Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

2 Maccabees 7:30–39Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 7:31–37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

2 Maccabees 7:33Third Maccabees
2 Maccabees 7:36The Wisdom of Solomon
2 Maccabees 7:37The Wisdom of Solomon

2 Maccabees 7:37–38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Maccabees 7:40–42Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:1–3Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:1–7Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:4–5Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:5The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:6Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:7Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:8Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:8–29Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 8:9The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 8:10The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:10–14Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:15Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:16Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:17–20Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:19Third Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:21–22Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:23Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:24–25Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:25The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:26Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:27Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:28–29Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:30Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:30–36Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:31Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:31–32Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:33Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:34–35Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 8:36Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 9:1–29Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 9:2Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 9:3Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 9:4–8Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 9:9–10Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 9:11–12Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 9:13–15Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 9:16–23Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 9:20The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 9:24Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 9:25The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 9:26–28Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 9:29Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 10:1The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 10:1–8Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:1–9Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:2Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:3Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:4–5Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:5The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:6–7Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:7The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:8–11Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:10–15Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:11The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:12The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:12–13Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:13The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:14The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:14–15Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

2 Maccabees 10:16–18Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:16–23Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:19Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:20Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:21–23Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:24Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:24–38Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:25–26Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:27–31Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:32Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:33Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:34–35Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:36–37Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 10:38Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 11:1Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 11:1–12Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 11:2Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 11:3The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 11:4–5Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 11:6Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 11:7–8Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 11:9–14Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 11:13–15Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 11:15–17Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 11:16–38Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 11:18–21Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 11:22–25Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 11:26–27Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 11:28–29Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 11:30Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 11:31–34Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 11:35Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 11:36–38Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:1–2Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:1–9Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:2The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:3–7Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:8–9Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:9The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:10Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:10–12Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:11–13Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:13The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:13–16Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:14–15Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

2 Maccabees 12:16–17Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:17The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:17–37Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:18–20Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:21Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 12:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

2 Maccabees 12:22–23Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:24Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:25–26Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 12:27The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 12:28–29Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 12:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The First Book of Maccabees

2 Maccabees 12:30–33Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 12:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Book of Tobit; The First Book of Maccabees

2 Maccabees 12:34–35Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 12:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The First Book of Maccabees

2 Maccabees 12:36Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 12:37Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 12:38The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 12:38–45Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:39–40Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:41Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:42Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:42–45The Book of Tobit
2 Maccabees 12:43Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:43–45Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 12:44–45Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 13:1Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 13:1–2Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 13:2Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 13:3Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 13:3–8Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 13:4Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 13:5Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 13:6–9Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 13:9–14Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 13:10–13Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 13:14Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 13:15Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 13:15–26Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 13:16–19Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 13:20–23Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

2 Maccabees 13:24Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 13:25–26Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 14:1The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 14:1–14Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 14:2–3Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 14:3The First Book of Maccabees

2 Maccabees 14:4The First Book of Maccabees; Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 14:5–6Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 14:7Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 14:8–11Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 14:12The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 14:12–15Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 14:15The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 14:15–25Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 14:16Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 14:17–21Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 14:21–29The First Book of Maccabees

2 Maccabees 14:22–26Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 14:26–36Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 14:27–31Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 14:32–35Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 14:36–38Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 14:37–46Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 14:39–41Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 14:42Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 14:43–46Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 15:1Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 15:1–5Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 15:2Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 15:3Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 15:4Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 15:5Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 15:6–10Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 15:6–16Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 15:11–12Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 15:12–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

2 Maccabees 15:13–16Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 15:14The Book of Baruch
2 Maccabees 15:17Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 15:17–37Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 15:18Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 15:19–21Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 15:22–24Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 15:25–27Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 15:27The First Book of Maccabees
2 Maccabees 15:28–30Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 15:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

2 Maccabees 15:31–33Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 15:32–33The First Book of Maccabees

2 Maccabees 15:34–35Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 15:36Second Maccabees

2 Maccabees 15:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther

2 Maccabees 15:37–39Second Maccabees
2 Maccabees 15:38–39Second Maccabees
3 Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:1Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:1–8Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:2Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:3Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:4Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:5Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:6Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:7–9Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:8The First Book of Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:9–13Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:10–11Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:12Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:13–15Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:14–25Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:16–18Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:19–21Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:22–23Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:24–25Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 2:7Second Maccabees
3 Maccabees 2:19–20The Wisdom of Solomon

3 Maccabees 3:1The Wisdom of Solomon; Third Maccabees

3 Maccabees 3:1–22Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 3:2Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 3:3Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 3:4Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 3:5Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 3:6–8Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 3:9–12Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 3:13–15Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 3:16–17Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 3:18–21Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 3:22Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 4:1–16Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 4:1–3Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 4:4Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 4:5Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 4:5–8Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 4:6Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 4:7Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 4:8Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 4:9Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 4:10Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 4:11–14Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 4:15–16Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:1Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:1–36Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:2–3Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:4Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:5–6Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:7–8Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:9Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:10–12Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:13–15Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:16–18Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:19–21Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:22–24Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:25Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:26–28Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:29Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:30Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:31Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:32–34Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 5:35–36Third Maccabees

3 Maccabees 5:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

3 Maccabees 6:1Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:1–14Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:2Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:3Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:4Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:5Third Maccabees

3 Maccabees 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; Third Maccabees

3 Maccabees 6:7Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:8Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:9–11Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:12–14Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:15Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:15–37Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:16–17Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:18Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:19–22Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:23–24Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:25Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:26Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:27–28Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:29–30Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:31–33Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:34–35Third Maccabees
3 Maccabees 6:36–37Third Maccabees
1 Esdras
1 Esdras 1:11 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:21 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:31 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:41 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:51 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:61 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:71 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:81 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:91 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:101 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:111 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:121 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:131 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:141 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:151 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:161 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:171 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:181 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:191 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:201 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:211 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:221 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:231 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:241 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:251 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:261 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:271 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:281 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:291 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:301 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:311 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:321 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:331 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:341 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:351 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:361 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:371 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:381 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:391 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:401 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:411 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:421 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:431 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:441 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:451 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:461 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:471 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:481 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:491 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:501 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:511 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:521 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:531 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:541 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:551 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:561 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:571 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 1:581 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:11 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:21 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:31 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:41 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:51 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:61 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:71 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:81 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:91 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:101 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:111 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 2:131 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 2:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

1 Esdras 2:141 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 2:151 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 2:171 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:181 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:191 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:201 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:211 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:221 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:231 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:241 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:251 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:261 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:271 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:281 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:291 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:301 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 2:311 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:11 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:21 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:31 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:41 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:51 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:61 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 3:71 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Esdras 3:81 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:91 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:101 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:111 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:121 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:131 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:141 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:151 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:161 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:171 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:181 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:191 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:201 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:211 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:221 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:231 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 3:241 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:11 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:21 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:31 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:41 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:51 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:61 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:71 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:81 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:91 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:101 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:111 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:121 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:131 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:141 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:151 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:161 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:171 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:181 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:191 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:201 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:211 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:221 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:231 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:241 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:251 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:261 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:271 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:281 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:291 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:301 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:311 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:321 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:331 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:341 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:351 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:361 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:371 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:381 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:38–402 Esdras / 4 Ezra
1 Esdras 4:391 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:401 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:411 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 4:421 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Esdras 4:431 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:441 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:451 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:461 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:471 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:481 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:491 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:501 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:511 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:521 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:531 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:541 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:551 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:561 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:571 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 4:58The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 4:591 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:601 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:611 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:621 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 4:631 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:11 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:21 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:31 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:41 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:51 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:61 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:71 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:81 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:91 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:101 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:111 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:121 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:131 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:141 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:151 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:161 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:171 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:181 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:191 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:201 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:211 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:221 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:231 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:241 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:251 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:261 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 5:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 5:281 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:291 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:301 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:311 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:321 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:331 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:341 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:351 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:361 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:371 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:381 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:391 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:401 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 5:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 5:421 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:431 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:441 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:451 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:461 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:471 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:481 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:491 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:501 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:511 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:521 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 5:531 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

1 Esdras 5:541 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:551 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:561 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:571 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:581 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:591 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:601 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:611 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:621 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:631 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:641 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:651 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:661 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:671 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:681 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:691 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 5:701 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:11 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:21 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:31 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:41 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:51 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:61 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:71 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:81 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:91 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:101 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:111 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:121 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:131 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:141 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:151 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:161 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:171 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:181 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:191 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:201 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 6:221 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:231 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:241 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:251 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:261 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:271 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:281 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:291 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:301 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:311 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:321 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:331 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 6:341 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 7:11 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 7:21 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 7:31 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 7:41 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 7:61 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 7:71 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 7:81 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 7:91 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 7:101 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 7:111 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 7:121 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 7:131 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 7:141 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 7:151 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:11 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:21 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:31 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:41 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:51 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:61 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:71 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:81 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:91 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:101 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:111 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:121 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:131 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:141 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:151 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:161 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:171 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:181 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:191 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:201 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:211 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:221 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:231 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:241 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:251 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:261 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:271 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:281 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 8:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 8:301 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 8:30–47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

1 Esdras 8:311 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 8:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 8:331 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 8:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 8:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 8:35–212The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

1 Esdras 8:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 8:371 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:381 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:391 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 8:39–70The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra

1 Esdras 8:401 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 8:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 8:421 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:431 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:441 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:451 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:461 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:471 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:481 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:491 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:501 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:511 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:521 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:531 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:541 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:551 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:561 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:571 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:581 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:591 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:601 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:611 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:621 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:631 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:641 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:651 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:661 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:671 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:681 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:691 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:701 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:711 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:721 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:731 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:741 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:751 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:761 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:771 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:781 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:791 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:801 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:811 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:821 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:831 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:841 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:851 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:861 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:871 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:881 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:891 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:901 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:911 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 8:921 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:11 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:21 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:31 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:41 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:51 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:61 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:71 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:81 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:91 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:101 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:111 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:121 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:131 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:141 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:151 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:161 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:171 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:181 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:191 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:201 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:211 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:221 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:231 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:241 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:251 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:261 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:271 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:281 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:291 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:301 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:311 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:321 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:331 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:341 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:351 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 9:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 9:371 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 9:37–55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

1 Esdras 9:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 9:391 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:401 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:411 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:421 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:431 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:441 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:451 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:461 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 9:471 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Book of Judith

1 Esdras 9:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 9:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; 1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

1 Esdras 9:501 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:511 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:521 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:531 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:541 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
1 Esdras 9:551 Esdras / the Greek Esdras

Scripture Index (2 Esdras)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

2 Esdras
2 Esdras 1:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:22 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:42 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:52 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:62 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:112 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:122 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:152 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:172 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:182 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:192 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:202 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:212 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:222 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:232 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:252 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:262 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:272 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:282 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:292 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:302 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:312 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:322 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:332 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:342 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:352 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:362 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:372 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:382 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:392 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 1:402 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:22 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:42 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:52 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:62 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:112 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:122 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:152 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:172 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:182 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:192 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:202 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:212 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:222 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:232 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:252 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:262 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:272 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:282 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:292 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:302 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:312 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:322 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:332 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:342 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:352 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:362 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:372 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:382 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:392 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:402 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:412 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:422 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:432 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:442 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:452 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:462 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:472 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 2:482 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:22 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:42 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:52 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:62 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:112 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:122 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:152 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:172 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:182 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:192 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:202 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:212 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:222 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:232 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:252 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:262 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:272 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:282 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:292 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:302 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:312 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:322 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:332 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:342 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:352 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 3:362 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:22 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:42 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:52 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:62 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:112 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:122 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:152 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:172 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:182 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:192 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:202 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:212 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:222 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:232 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:252 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:262 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:272 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:282 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:292 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:302 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:312 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:322 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:332 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:342 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:352 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:362 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:372 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:382 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:392 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:402 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:412 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:422 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:432 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:442 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:452 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:462 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:472 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:482 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:492 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:502 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:512 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 4:522 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:22 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:42 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:52 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:62 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:112 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:122 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:152 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:172 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:182 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:192 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:202 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:212 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:222 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:232 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:252 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:262 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:272 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:282 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:292 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:302 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:312 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:322 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:332 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:342 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:352 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:362 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:372 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:382 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:392 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:402 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:412 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:422 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:432 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:442 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:452 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:462 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:472 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:482 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:492 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:502 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:512 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:522 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:532 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:542 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:552 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 5:562 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:22 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:42 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:52 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:62 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:112 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:122 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:152 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:172 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:182 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:192 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:202 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:212 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:222 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:232 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:252 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:262 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:272 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:282 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:292 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:302 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:312 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:322 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:332 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:342 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:352 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:362 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:372 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:382 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:392 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:402 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:412 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:422 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:432 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:442 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:452 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:462 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:472 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:482 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:492 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:502 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:512 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:522 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:532 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:542 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:552 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:562 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:572 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:582 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 6:592 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:22 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:42 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:52 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:62 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:112 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:122 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:152 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:172 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:182 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:192 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:202 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:212 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:222 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:232 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:252 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:262 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:272 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:282 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:292 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:302 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:312 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:322 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:332 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:342 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:352 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:362 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:372 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:382 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:392 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:402 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:412 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:422 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:432 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:442 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:452 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:462 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:472 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:482 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:492 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:502 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:512 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:522 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:532 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:542 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:552 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:562 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:572 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:582 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:592 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:602 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:612 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:622 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:632 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:642 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:652 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:662 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:672 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:682 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:692 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:702 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:712 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:722 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:732 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:742 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:752 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:762 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:772 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:782 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:792 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:802 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:812 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:822 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:832 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:842 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:852 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:862 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:872 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:882 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:892 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:902 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:912 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:922 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:932 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:942 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:952 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:962 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:972 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:982 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:992 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:1002 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:1012 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:1022 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:1032 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:1042 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 7:1052 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:22 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:42 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:52 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:62 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:112 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:122 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:152 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:172 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:182 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:192 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:202 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:212 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:222 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:232 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:252 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:262 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:272 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:282 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:292 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:302 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:312 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:322 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:332 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:342 Esdras / 4 Ezra

2 Esdras 8:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

2 Esdras 8:362 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:372 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:382 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:392 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:402 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:412 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:422 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:432 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:442 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:452 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:462 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:472 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:482 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:492 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:502 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:512 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:522 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:532 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:542 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:552 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:562 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:572 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:582 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:592 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:602 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:612 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:622 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 8:632 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:22 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:42 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:52 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:62 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:112 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:122 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:152 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:172 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:182 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:192 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:202 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:212 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:222 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:232 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:252 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:262 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:272 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:282 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:292 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:302 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:312 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:322 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:332 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:342 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:352 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:362 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:372 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:382 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:392 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:402 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:412 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:422 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:432 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:442 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:452 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:462 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 9:472 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:22 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:42 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:52 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:62 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:112 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:122 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:152 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:172 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:182 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:192 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:202 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:212 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:222 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:232 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:252 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:262 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:272 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:282 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:292 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:302 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:312 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:322 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:332 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:342 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:352 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:362 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:372 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:382 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:392 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:402 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:412 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:422 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:432 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:442 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:452 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:462 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:472 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:482 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:492 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:502 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:512 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:522 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:532 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:542 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:552 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:562 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:572 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:582 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:592 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 10:602 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:22 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:42 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:52 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:62 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:112 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:122 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:152 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:172 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:182 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:192 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:202 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:212 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:222 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:232 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:252 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:262 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:272 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:282 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:292 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:302 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:312 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:322 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:332 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:342 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:352 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:362 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:372 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:382 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:392 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:402 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:412 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:422 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:432 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:442 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:452 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 11:462 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:22 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:42 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:52 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:62 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:112 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:122 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:152 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:172 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:182 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:192 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:202 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:212 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:222 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:232 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:252 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:262 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:272 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:282 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:292 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:302 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:312 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:322 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:332 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:342 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:352 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:362 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:372 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:382 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:392 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:402 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:412 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:422 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:432 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:442 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:452 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:462 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:472 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:482 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:492 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:502 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 12:512 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:22 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:42 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:52 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:62 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:112 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:122 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:152 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:172 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:182 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:192 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:202 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:212 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:222 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:232 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:252 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:262 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:272 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:282 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:292 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:302 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:312 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:322 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:332 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:342 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:352 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:362 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:372 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:382 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:392 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:402 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:412 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:422 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:432 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:442 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:452 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:462 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:472 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:482 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:492 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:502 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:512 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:522 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:532 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:542 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:552 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:562 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:572 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 13:582 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:22 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:42 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:52 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:62 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:112 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:122 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:152 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:172 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:182 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:192 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:202 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:212 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:222 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:232 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:252 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:262 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:272 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:282 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:292 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:302 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:312 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:322 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:332 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:342 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:352 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:362 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:372 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:382 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:392 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:402 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:412 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:422 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:432 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:442 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:452 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:462 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:472 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 14:482 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:22 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:42 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:52 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:62 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:112 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:122 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:152 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:172 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:182 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:192 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:202 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:212 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:222 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:232 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:252 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:262 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:272 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:282 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:292 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:302 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:312 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:322 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:332 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:342 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:352 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:362 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:372 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:382 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:392 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:402 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:412 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:422 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:432 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:442 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:452 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:462 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:472 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:482 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:492 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:502 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:512 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:522 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:532 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:542 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:552 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:562 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:572 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:582 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:592 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:602 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:612 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:622 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 15:632 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:22 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:42 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:52 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:62 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:112 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:122 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:152 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:172 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:182 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:192 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:202 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:212 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:222 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:232 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:252 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:262 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:272 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:282 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:292 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:302 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:312 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:322 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:332 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:342 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:352 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:362 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:372 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:382 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:392 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:402 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:412 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:422 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:432 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:442 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:452 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:462 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:472 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:482 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:492 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:502 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:512 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:522 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:532 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:542 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:552 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:562 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:572 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:582 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:592 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:602 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:612 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:622 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:632 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:642 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:652 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:662 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:672 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:682 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:692 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:702 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:712 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:722 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:732 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:742 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:752 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:762 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:772 Esdras / 4 Ezra
2 Esdras 16:782 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Scripture Index (Matthew)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Matthew

Matthew 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Matthew 1:1–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Matthew 1:1–4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Matthew 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Matthew 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 1:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Matthew 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 1:18–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Matthew 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Matthew 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 2:1–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Matthew 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 2:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Matthew 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:18The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 2:19–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 2:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 3:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 3:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Matthew 3:7–10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Matthew 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 3:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Matthew 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Matthew 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 4:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 4:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Matthew 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 4:2–10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 4:12–17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 4:13–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 4:18–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 4:19–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 4:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 5:3The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 5:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 5:7The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 5:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Matthew 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:9–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 5:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Matthew 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:17–19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Matthew 5:17–43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 5:17–48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:192 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Matthew 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Matthew 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Matthew 5:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 5:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 5:29–302 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 5:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 5:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:33–37The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 5:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 5:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Matthew 5:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:38–48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 5:39–40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 5:39–42The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 5:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 5:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 5:42–48The Wisdom of Sirach

Matthew 5:43The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Matthew 5:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Matthew 5:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Matthew 5:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 5:46–48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 5:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 5:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Matthew 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:1–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Matthew 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

Matthew 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Matthew 6:9–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 6:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Matthew 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 6:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 6:19–24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Matthew 6:19–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:202 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Matthew 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Matthew 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 6:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Matthew 6:25–33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 6:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 6:282 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:28–292 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Matthew 6:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 6:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Matthew 6:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 7:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:2The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Matthew 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 7:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Book of Tobit; The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 7:13–142 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Matthew 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 7:16–20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Matthew 7:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Matthew 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:24–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 7:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 8:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 8:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:5–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Matthew 8:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 8:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 8:12The Book of Tobit; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Matthew 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 8:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:19–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 8:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:23–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 8:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 8:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 8:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 8:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:30–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 8:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 8:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 9:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 9:2–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 9:9–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 9:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 9:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 9:18–25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 9:18–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 9:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 9:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:23–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 9:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:32–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 9:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 9:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:35–10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 9:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 9:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 9:37–38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 9:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 10:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 10:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Matthew 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Matthew 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Matthew 10:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Matthew 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 10:11–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 10:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 10:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 10:15The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 10:16–31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 10:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 10:17–20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 10:17–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 10:17–33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 10:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 10:19–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Matthew 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 10:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 10:22–25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 10:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 10:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 10:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 10:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 10:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 10:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 10:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 10:28–31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 10:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 10:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 10:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 10:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Matthew 10:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 10:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 10:34–36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 10:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 10:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 10:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 10:37–39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 10:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Matthew 10:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 10:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 10:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 10:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 11:2–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 11:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:4–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:4–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Matthew 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 11:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:16–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 11:16–24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:20–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Matthew 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 11:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 11:22–24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 11:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 11:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 11:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Matthew 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:1–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 12:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 12:9–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:9–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:17–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Matthew 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 12:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 12:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 12:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 12:24–26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 12:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:25–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 12:25–37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 12:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Matthew 12:29The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 12:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 12:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Matthew 12:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Matthew 12:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Matthew 12:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 12:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 12:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 12:39–42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 12:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:41The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:42The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:43–45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 12:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 12:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 12:46–50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 12:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 12:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 12:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Matthew 13:3–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:10–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Matthew 13:16–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Matthew 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:18–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Matthew 13:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Matthew 13:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:302 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 13:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 13:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 13:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 13:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 13:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:37–50The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 13:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:38–40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Matthew 13:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 13:39–40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Matthew 13:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 13:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:45–46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 13:53–58The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 13:54Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 13:54–58The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 13:55The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Matthew 13:55–56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 13:56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 13:57The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 13:58The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 14:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 14:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:3–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 14:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Matthew 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 14:6Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 14:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Matthew 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 14:13–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 14:13–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:14–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 14:22–33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 14:22–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 14:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 14:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:25–33The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 14:26The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 14:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 14:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 14:34–36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:1–20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 15:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 15:11–20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Matthew 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Matthew 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:21–28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 15:21–39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 15:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Matthew 15:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 15:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:32–39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 15:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 16:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 16:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:5–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 16:13–20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 16:13–28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 16:16–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 16:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Matthew 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Matthew 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 16:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 16:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 16:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 16:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 16:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:24–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 16:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 16:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Matthew 16:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Matthew 17:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 17:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 17:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 17:9–20:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 17:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Matthew 17:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Matthew 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 17:14–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 17:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 17:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 17:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 17:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 17:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 17:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 17:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 17:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 17:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 17:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 17:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 17:24–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 17:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 17:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 17:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 18:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Matthew 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 18:15–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 18:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 18:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Matthew 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 18:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 18:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:23–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Matthew 18:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 18:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 19:3–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Matthew 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Matthew 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:12The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 19:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:16–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 19:16–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 19:17The Book of Baruch; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 19:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 19:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:27–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 19:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Matthew 19:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 19:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:1–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 20:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 20:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 20:17–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 20:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 20:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 20:20–28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 20:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 20:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 20:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 20:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 20:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 20:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Matthew 20:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 20:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:29–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 20:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 20:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 20:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 21:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 21:1–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 21:1–26:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:1–28:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 21:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 21:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 21:12–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 21:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 21:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Matthew 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:22The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:23–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 21:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 21:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:28–44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 21:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Matthew 21:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 21:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:33–41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:33–46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 21:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 21:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:37–41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 21:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:41–422 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Matthew 21:42The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 21:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 21:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:45–46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 21:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:1–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Matthew 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Matthew 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 22:15–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 22:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 22:16–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 22:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 22:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:23–33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 22:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:25–32The Book of Tobit

Matthew 22:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 22:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Matthew 22:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:34–40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 22:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 22:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Matthew 22:37–39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 22:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Matthew 22:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 22:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:41–46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 22:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 22:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Matthew 22:44The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 22:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 23:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 23:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 23:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 23:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 23:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 23:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 23:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 23:14The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Matthew 23:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 23:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 23:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 23:25–31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 23:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 23:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 23:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 23:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 23:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:31–37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:342 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 23:34–36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:35The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 23:362 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 23:37–39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 23:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 23:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 24:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 24:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:4–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 24:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Matthew 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 24:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

Matthew 24:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:122 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 24:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 24:152 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 24:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Matthew 24:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Matthew 24:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 24:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 24:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:21–29The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 24:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 24:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 24:23–26The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 24:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Matthew 24:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 24:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 24:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 24:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 24:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Matthew 24:312 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 24:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 24:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 24:37–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Matthew 24:37–39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 24:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:402 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 24:40–412 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 24:40–51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:422 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 24:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Matthew 24:43–44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 24:43–25:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:44–51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:45–47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Matthew 24:45–51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 24:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Matthew 24:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:48–51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 24:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 25:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Matthew 25:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 25:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 25:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 25:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 25:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 25:14–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 25:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Matthew 25:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 25:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 25:20–29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 25:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:22–29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 25:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 25:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 25:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 25:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Matthew 25:31–33The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 25:31–46The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Sirach; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Matthew 25:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 25:33–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 25:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 25:34–45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 25:35–36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 25:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 25:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 25:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 26:1–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 26:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 26:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 26:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 26:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:6–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:6–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 26:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 26:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:17–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 26:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 26:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:20–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 26:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:21–25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 26:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 26:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 26:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:27–29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 26:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 26:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 26:30The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:31–35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:32–35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 26:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 26:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 26:36–46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 26:37–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 26:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:39The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 26:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:47–56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 26:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 26:51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 26:54The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:55The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:56The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:57The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:57–68The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 26:58The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 26:59The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:60The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:61The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 26:62The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:62–63The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 26:63The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:63–64The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:63–65The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Matthew 26:64The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 26:64–66The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:65The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 26:66The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:67The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 26:68The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:69The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 26:69–75The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 26:70The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:71The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 26:72The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:73The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 26:74The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 26:75The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 27:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 27:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 27:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Matthew 27:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:11–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 27:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 27:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:15The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 27:15–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 27:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 27:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 27:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:24–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Matthew 27:24–38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 27:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 27:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Matthew 27:26–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 27:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:27–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 27:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 27:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 27:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 27:34The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 27:35The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:35–56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 27:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:39–42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Matthew 27:40The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:41–50The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Matthew 27:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 27:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 27:46The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 27:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:51The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Matthew 27:53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:54The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:55The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 27:55–56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 27:57The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:57–60The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 27:57–61The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Matthew 27:58The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:59The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:60The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:61The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:62The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:63The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 27:64The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:65The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:66The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 28:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 28:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Matthew 28:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Matthew 28:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 28:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 28:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 28:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 28:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 28:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 28:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 28:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Matthew 28:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 28:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 28:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 28:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 28:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 28:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 28:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 28:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 28:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Matthew 28:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 28:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Matthew 28:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Matthew 28:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Scripture Index (Mark)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Mark

Mark 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:2–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 1:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Mark 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Mark 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 1:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:14–39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:14–3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 1:16–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 1:16–20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:17–20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 1:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 1:21–28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Mark 1:23–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 1:23–28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 1:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 1:29–31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 1:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:32–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 1:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:35–39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 1:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:40–44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 1:40–45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 1:40–3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:41–43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 1:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 2:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:3–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 2:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 2:13–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 2:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:23–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 2:23–28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 2:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:27Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 2:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 3:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 3:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:4The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:7–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 3:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 3:7–6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:13–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 3:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Mark 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 3:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 3:20–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 3:22–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 3:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 3:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 3:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Mark 3:31–35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 3:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 3:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 4:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:10–25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:30–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 4:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:33–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 4:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:35–36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 4:35–5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 4:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 4:39–40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 4:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 4:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 5:7–10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:14–20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:18–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:21–43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 5:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:30–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 5:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 5:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 5:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 5:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:35–40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 5:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 5:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Mark 5:40–42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 5:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 5:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Mark 6:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:6–8:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 6:7–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 6:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Mark 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 6:17–29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:20–26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

Mark 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 6:21–29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 6:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 6:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 6:30–33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 6:30–44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 6:30–53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 6:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 6:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:37–38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 6:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:39–41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 6:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:42–43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 6:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:44–8:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 6:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 6:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:46–51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 6:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:49–50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 6:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:51–52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 6:52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:54The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:55The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 6:56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:1–37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 7:1–8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 7:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Mark 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:21The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:24–8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 7:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Mark 8:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:17–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 8:17–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:22–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 8:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:27–10:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:27–9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 8:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 8:34–38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:36–37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 8:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 8:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Mark 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Mark 9:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 9:2–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Mark 9:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 9:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:20–24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 9:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 9:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:33–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 9:33–40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 9:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:35–36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 9:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:38–40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 9:38–41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 9:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 9:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:43–45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 9:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:47–48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 9:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Mark 9:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 10:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Mark 10:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Mark 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:13–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 10:17–31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 10:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 10:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 10:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 10:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 10:32–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 10:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:33–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 10:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:36–37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 10:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Mark 10:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:39–40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 10:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 10:46The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:46–47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 10:46–13:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 10:52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 11:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 11:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 11:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:24The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 11:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 11:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 11:27–33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 11:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 11:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 12:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 12:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 12:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:18–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 12:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 12:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 12:29–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 12:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Mark 12:31–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 12:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 12:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 12:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:35–37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 12:36The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Mark 12:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 12:38–39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 12:38–40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 12:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:40The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 12:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:41–44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 12:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 12:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 13:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Mark 13:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 13:9–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 13:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Mark 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 13:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 13:24–31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 13:252 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Mark 13:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:322 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Mark 13:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 13:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 13:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 13:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 13:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:1–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 14:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 14:1–16:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 14:3–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 14:3–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 14:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 14:27–31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 14:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:29–31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 14:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:32–42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 14:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 14:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 14:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:43–52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 14:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:48–49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 14:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 14:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:50–51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 14:51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:51–52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 14:52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 14:54The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 14:54–55The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 14:55The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:56–57The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 14:57The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:58The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:59The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:59–60The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 14:60The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:61The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:61–62The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Mark 14:62The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:62–64The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 14:63The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:63–64The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 14:64The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:65The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 14:66The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:66–67The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 14:66–72The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 14:67The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 14:68The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:68–69The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 14:69The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 14:70The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:71The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 14:72The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Mark 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:6–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 15:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:22–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:24The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 15:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 15:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Mark 15:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 15:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 15:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:33–47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 15:34The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 15:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 15:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 15:40–41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 15:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 15:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 15:42–43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 15:42–46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 15:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:43–45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 15:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 15:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 16:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 16:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Mark 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 16:9–20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Mark 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Mark 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 16:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Mark 16:15The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Mark 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Mark 16:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Mark 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Mark 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Mark 16:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Scripture Index (Luke)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Luke

Luke 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Luke 1:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah

Luke 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Luke 1:7The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:112 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:24–25The Wisdom of Solomon

Luke 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Luke 1:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Luke 1:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 1:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:46–47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Luke 1:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Luke 1:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:51–53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Luke 1:52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:54The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:55The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:57The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:58The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:59The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:60The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:61The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:62The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:62–63The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 1:63The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:64The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:65The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:66The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:67The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:68The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:69The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:70The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:71The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:72The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:73The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Luke 1:74The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:75The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:76The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:77The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Luke 1:78The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:79The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 1:80The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Luke 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:8–39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:112 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Luke 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Luke 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:22–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Luke 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 2:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:29–322 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Luke 2:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:30–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Luke 2:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Luke 2:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 2:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Luke 2:35The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Luke 2:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:38Third Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:421 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 2:52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 3:1–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Luke 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Luke 3:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:10–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:23The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:23–382 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Luke 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:31–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

Luke 3:31–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Luke 3:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 3:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 3:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 4:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 4:1–9:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Luke 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Luke 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:14–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:16–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Luke 4:16–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:17–21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Luke 4:17–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Luke 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Luke 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 4:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Luke 4:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:31–37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Luke 4:31–39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 4:31–44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:40–41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 4:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 4:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 5:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 5:1–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Luke 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:17–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 5:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 5:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 5:27–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:30–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 5:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:33–39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 5:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:37–39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 5:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 5:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

Luke 6:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:6–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 6:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 6:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Luke 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 6:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 6:12–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Luke 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:17–49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:20–49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 6:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:31The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 6:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:33–36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 6:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Luke 6:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:37–49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 6:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:41–42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 6:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:47–49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 6:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 6:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 7:11–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 7:11–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:18–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 7:18–35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:22–28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 7:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 7:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:36–50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:37–39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 7:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 7:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 8:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:4–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Luke 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Luke 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Luke 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Luke 8:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 8:22–39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 8:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 8:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:28–31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 8:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Luke 8:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 8:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:34–39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 8:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:37–40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 8:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:40–56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 8:41–42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 8:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:45–48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 8:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:49–53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 8:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:54The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 8:54–56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 8:55The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 8:56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 9:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 9:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 9:10–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:18–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Luke 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Luke 9:28–36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:30–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 9:31The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 9:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:37–45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:43–44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 9:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:44–45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 9:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:46–47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 9:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:49–50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 9:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:51–19:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:51–53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:51–62The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 9:52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 9:53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:54The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 9:55The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:56The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:57The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:58The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:59The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:60The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:61The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 9:61–62The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 9:62The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:1–24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Luke 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Luke 10:25–28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 10:25–37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 10:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 10:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Luke 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 10:30–37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

Luke 10:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Luke 10:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:38–42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 10:38–16:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 10:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 10:39–42The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Luke 10:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 10:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Luke 11:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Luke 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:5–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Luke 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:24–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Luke 11:30–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

Luke 11:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 11:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:37–52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 11:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:39–52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 11:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:40–41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 11:41The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:49–51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Luke 11:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:50–51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Luke 11:51The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 11:54The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Luke 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Luke 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:13–31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Luke 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:16–21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Luke 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Luke 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 12:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:272 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 12:332 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Luke 12:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Luke 12:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Luke 12:42–44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Luke 12:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 12:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:47–48The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Luke 12:48The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Luke 12:49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:49–50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Luke 12:51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Luke 12:52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:52–53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 12:53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:54The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:54–56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 12:55The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:57The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:58The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 12:59The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Luke 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Luke 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Luke 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Luke 13:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 13:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:27–30The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Luke 13:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 13:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 13:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 13:352 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 14:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Luke 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Luke 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Luke 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:13The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:16–24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Luke 14:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 14:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Luke 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Luke 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Luke 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Luke 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 15:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 15:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Luke 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 16:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Luke 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 16:23The Wisdom of Solomon; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:242 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 16:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Luke 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:22–37The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Luke 17:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Luke 17:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:28–36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Luke 17:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:34–372 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Luke 17:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 17:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:9–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Luke 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:10–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Luke 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Luke 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 18:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 18:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:31–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 18:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Luke 18:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:35–38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 18:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 18:42–43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 18:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:11–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:12–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:16–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 19:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Luke 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 19:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 19:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 19:28–44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:28–24:53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:29–38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 19:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:32–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 19:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:37–38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 19:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:39–44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 19:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:45–48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 19:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 19:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 20:1–47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Luke 20:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 20:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Luke 20:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 20:20–26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 20:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:29–33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 20:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Luke 20:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:35–36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 20:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:37–38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 20:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:39–40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 20:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 20:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:1–36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Luke 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Luke 21:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Luke 21:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Luke 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Luke 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:20–24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Luke 21:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Luke 21:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 21:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Luke 21:34–36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 21:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:362 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 21:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 21:37–38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 21:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 22:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:15–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Luke 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 22:24–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:24–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Luke 22:25–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:28–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Luke 22:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 22:31–33The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Luke 22:31–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 22:31–38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 22:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:35–37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 22:35–38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:39–46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 22:42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 22:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Luke 22:43–44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:45–46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 22:52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:52–53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:54The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 22:54–55The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:54–62The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:55The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:56–62The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:57The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:58The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:59The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 22:60The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:61The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:61–62The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:62The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:63The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:63–64The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:63–65The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:64The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:65The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:66The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 22:66–70The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 22:66–71The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:67The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:68The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:69The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:70The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 22:71The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 23:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:4–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:5–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 23:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:11The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:13–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 23:13–25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 23:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 23:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 23:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 23:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:26–31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:27–31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:27–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 23:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:29The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:32–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:34The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Luke 23:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:35–43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:36–37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 23:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:39–43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:40–43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Luke 23:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:44–46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:46The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Luke 23:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:47–48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:49–56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:50–51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 23:50–52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Luke 23:50–53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 23:51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:55The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 23:55–56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 23:56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 24:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 24:4–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 24:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 24:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:8–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 24:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 24:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 24:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 24:13–35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 24:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Luke 24:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Luke 24:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 24:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 24:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:32The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Luke 24:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 24:36–49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 24:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 24:41–43The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 24:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Luke 24:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:47–48The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 24:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Luke 24:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Luke 24:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 24:50–53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 24:51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 24:52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 24:52–53The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Luke 24:53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Scripture Index (John)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

John

John 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:1–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

John 1:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

John 1:1–5The Wisdom of Sirach

John 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

John 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

John 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 1:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

John 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

John 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

John 1:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

John 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 1:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

John 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:19–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:19–51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:19–2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

John 1:29–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:29–4:54The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

John 1:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:32–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 1:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 1:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

John 1:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:37–51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:38–49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:42–48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:42–50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:44–49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 1:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:46–50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 1:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

John 1:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

John 1:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 1:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

John 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

John 2:12–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:12–3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:12–4:54The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

John 2:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

John 2:13–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 2:13–3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:1–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

John 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

John 3:3–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:6The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

John 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

John 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:12The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

John 3:14–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 3:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

John 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

John 3:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

John 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

John 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:22–36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:22–4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:22–4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:25–28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 3:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:26–36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

John 3:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 3:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 3:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

John 4:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:1–44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

John 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

John 4:10–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

John 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

John 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:17–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:20–24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

John 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 4:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

John 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

John 4:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

John 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 4:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:25–59The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 4:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

John 4:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:43–54The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:45–54The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 4:54The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:1–11:57The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:1–47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

John 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:5–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:10–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:18The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

John 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

John 5:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:21–29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

John 5:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

John 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 5:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:27–29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

John 5:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:32–47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:36–37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

John 5:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

John 5:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

John 5:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

John 5:45–47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

John 5:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 5:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 6:1–71The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:30–32The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 6:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 6:37–40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

John 6:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

John 6:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

John 6:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

John 6:51–58The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

John 6:52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:57The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:58The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:59The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:60The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:61The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:62The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:63The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:64The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:65The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:66The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:67The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:68The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

John 6:69The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:70The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 6:70–71The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

John 6:71The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:2–10:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 7:2–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

John 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

John 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:11–53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 7:17The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

John 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

John 7:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

John 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:272 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

John 7:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

John 7:37–39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:38–39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

John 7:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 7:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:41–422 Esdras / 4 Ezra

John 7:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:45–52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:49The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

John 7:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 7:53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:7The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 8:12–10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:12–59The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:24–28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

John 8:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 8:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

John 8:31–36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

John 8:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:41–44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

John 8:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

John 8:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

John 8:54The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:55The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:56The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

John 8:57The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:58The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 8:59The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:1–41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 9:2The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

John 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 9:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

John 10:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:1–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

John 10:1–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 10:1–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:3–27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

John 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 10:11–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

John 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

John 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:19–39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:22–42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

John 10:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

John 10:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

John 10:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

John 10:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 10:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:1–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:17–54The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:33–35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:38–42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:47The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 11:49–52The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

John 11:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:51The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:53The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:54The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:55The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 11:55–56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 11:56The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 11:57The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 12:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 12:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:2–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:13The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:20–36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 12:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:28The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 12:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 12:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

John 12:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

John 12:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

John 12:37–43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:37–50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 12:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 12:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:43The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

John 12:44The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:45The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:47The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:47–50The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

John 12:48The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:49The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 12:50The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

John 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:2–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 13:2–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:8–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

John 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:12–20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:22–29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:27–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 13:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 13:31–38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:31–14:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:33–38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 13:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

John 13:34–35The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 13:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 13:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:36–37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:36–38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:36–14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 13:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:1–17:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 14:22 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 14:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

John 14:17The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

John 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

John 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:21–22The Wisdom of Solomon

John 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 14:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

John 14:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

John 14:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 14:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

John 14:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

John 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

John 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

John 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 15:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

John 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

John 15:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

John 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 15:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 15:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

John 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:5The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

John 16:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

John 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 16:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 16:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 16:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

John 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

John 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

John 17:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

John 17:11–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

John 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 17:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 17:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 17:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 17:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 17:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 17:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

John 17:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 17:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 17:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 17:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

John 17:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 17:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 18:4–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:18–24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 18:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:28–32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 18:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 18:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:33–37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 18:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:34–38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 18:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:37–38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

John 18:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 18:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

John 19:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

John 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:4–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

John 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 19:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:18–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 19:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 19:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:24The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 19:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:31–37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 19:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:33The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:33–36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

John 19:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:38–40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:38–41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 19:39The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 19:41–42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 19:42The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

John 20:1–29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:11–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

John 20:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 20:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:172 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

John 20:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

John 20:19–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

John 20:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

John 20:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 20:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

John 20:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:292 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

John 20:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 20:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

John 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

John 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

John 21:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

John 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

John 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

John 21:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Scripture Index (Acts)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Acts

Acts 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Acts 1:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:2–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Acts 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:7The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Acts 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Acts 1:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Acts 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Acts 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 1:16–20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Acts 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Acts 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 1:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:2–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Acts 2:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Acts 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 2:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Acts 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Acts 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Acts 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:14–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Acts 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Acts 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:22–302 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Acts 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 2:24–32The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:25–28The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Acts 2:25–32The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:28The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:30The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Acts 2:32The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:33The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 2:34The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:35The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Acts 2:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:37The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 2:38–39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Acts 2:39The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:40The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:41The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:42The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:43The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:47The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Acts 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:18–25The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 3:25The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 3:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:1Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Acts 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:25The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Acts 4:28The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:30The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:31The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Acts 4:33The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:34The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:35The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:36The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 4:36–37The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 4:37The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Acts 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:28The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 5:31The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:32The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:33The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:34The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:34–39The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 5:35The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:36The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:37The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:39The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:40The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:41The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 5:42The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Acts 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 6:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 6:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 6:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Acts 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Acts 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Acts 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:31The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:32The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Acts 7:33The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:34The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:36The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:37The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:38The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 7:39The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:39–40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Acts 7:40The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:41The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:42The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 7:42–43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:43The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:44The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:48The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:49The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:49–50The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:50The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 7:51–53The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 7:52The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Acts 7:55The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:56The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:57The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:58The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 7:58–59The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Acts 7:59The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 7:60The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Acts 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:25The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Acts 8:28–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Acts 8:29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:30The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:32–35The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Acts 8:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:34The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:35The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:36The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:37The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:38The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:39The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 8:40The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Acts 9:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:1–22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:3–8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Acts 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:10–18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Acts 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:30The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 9:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:33The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:34The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:35The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:36The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:37The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:38The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:39The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:40The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:41The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:42The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 9:43The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:9The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:9–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Acts 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 10:10–17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Acts 10:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:28The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:30The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:30–33The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:34The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 10:35The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:36The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:37The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:39The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:40The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:41The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:43The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:44The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:45The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 10:46The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark

Acts 10:47The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 10:48The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 11:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 11:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 11:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 11:4–17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 11:18–21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 11:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 11:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 11:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 11:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 11:27–30The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 11:28–30The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 11:30The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Acts 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Acts 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

Acts 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Acts 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 12:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 13:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Acts 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:16–41The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:25The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:28The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:30The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:31The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:32The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:33The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Acts 13:34The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:35The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:36The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:37The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 13:38The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:39The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:40The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:41The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:42The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:43The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:44The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:45The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:46The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:47The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:48The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:49The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:50The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 13:51The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 13:52The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Acts 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:15The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Acts 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Acts 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Acts 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 14:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Acts 14:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 14:28The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 15:5–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Acts 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 15:7–14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:10The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Acts 15:13–21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Acts 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Acts 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

Acts 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 15:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Acts 15:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:25The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:28The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:28–29The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 15:29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:30The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:31The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:32The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:33The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:37The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Acts 15:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 15:39The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 15:40The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 15:41The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Acts 16:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Acts 16:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Acts 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 16:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 16:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Acts 16:12–17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Acts 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 16:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Acts 16:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:25The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:28The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:30The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:31The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:32The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:33The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:34The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:35The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:36The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:36–37The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 16:37The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 16:37–38The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 16:37–39The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:38The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:39The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 16:40The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 17:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 17:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 17:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 17:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:22–26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Acts 17:24–29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Acts 17:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:25–28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Acts 17:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:27The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:27–29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 17:29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:30The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 17:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 17:34The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 18:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 18:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 18:11–18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 18:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 18:12–16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Acts 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 18:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 18:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 18:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 18:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 18:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 18:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Acts 18:24–26The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 18:25The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 18:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 18:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 18:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 18:28The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 19:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Acts 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 19:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 19:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Acts 19:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 19:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:24–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Acts 19:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:28The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:28–34The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Acts 19:29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

Acts 19:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 19:31Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:32The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Acts 19:34The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:35The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:36The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:37The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 19:38The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:39The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 19:40The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 20:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Acts 20:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Acts 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Acts 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:8–9The Book of Tobit

Acts 20:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:25The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 20:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:31The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 20:32The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 20:33The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:34The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 20:35The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Acts 20:36The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:37The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 20:38The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:18–26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Acts 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 21:20–26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Acts 21:21–24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 21:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:25The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Acts 21:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 21:28The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Acts 21:30The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:31The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:31–32The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:32The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:33The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:34The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:35The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:36The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:37The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 21:39The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 21:40The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 22:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:17–21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Acts 22:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:24–29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:25The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:25–28The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:25–29The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 22:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:28The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 22:30The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Acts 23:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 23:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 23:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Acts 23:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:31The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:32The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:34The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 23:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 24:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Acts 24:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 24:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:25The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 24:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Acts 25:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:15–21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 25:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Acts 26:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Acts 26:6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Acts 26:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:9–23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:25The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:28The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:30The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:31The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 26:32The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:1The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:1–28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Acts 27:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

Acts 27:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Acts 27:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:22–24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:25The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:27The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:28The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:30The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:31The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:32The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:33The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:34The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:35The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:36The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:37The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:38The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:39The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:40The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:41The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:42The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:43The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 27:44The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:10The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Acts 28:13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 28:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:16–31The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Acts 28:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Acts 28:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:26The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:29The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:30The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Acts 28:31The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Scripture Index (Romans)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Romans

Romans 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Romans 1:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 1:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Romans 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Romans 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Romans 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Romans 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Romans 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Romans 1:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 1:18The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Romans 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Romans 1:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Romans 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Romans 1:21The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Romans 1:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Romans 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 1:24The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 1:26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 1:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 1:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Romans 1:29The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 1:30The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 1:31The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 1:32The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Romans 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

Romans 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Romans 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; Third Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:12–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Romans 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Book of Judith; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:14–152 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Romans 2:15The Wisdom of Solomon; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Romans 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:17–20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Romans 2:17–22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Romans 2:17–24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Romans 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 2:26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:27The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 2:28The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 2:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Romans 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Romans 3:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:4–20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:9–18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 3:9–19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Romans 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:11The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Romans 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Romans 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:21–312 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Romans 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Romans 3:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

Romans 3:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Romans 3:26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 3:27–28The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Romans 3:28The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Romans 3:29The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Romans 3:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Romans 3:30The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 3:31The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Romans 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Romans 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Romans 4:11–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Romans 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Romans 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Romans 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Romans 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Romans 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Romans 5:12–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Romans 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Romans 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Romans 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Romans 6:1–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Romans 6:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Romans 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Romans 6:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Romans 6:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Romans 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Romans 6:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Romans 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 6:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 6:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Romans 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 6:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Romans 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 6:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Romans 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 7:1The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 7:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Romans 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 7:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Romans 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 7:9–13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 7:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Romans 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Solomon; The First Book of Maccabees; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Romans 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Romans 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Romans 8:2–16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Romans 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 8:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Romans 8:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Romans 8:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 8:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Romans 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Romans 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Romans 8:18The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:18–30The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Romans 8:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Romans 8:19–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Romans 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Romans 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Romans 8:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Romans 8:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Romans 8:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Romans 8:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Romans 8:27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:28The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:28–30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 8:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Romans 8:29–30The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Romans 8:30The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:31The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:31–34The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 8:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Romans 8:33The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

Romans 8:34The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Romans 8:35The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Romans 8:35–39The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Romans 8:36The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:37The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 8:38The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 8:38–39The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Romans 8:39The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Romans 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Romans 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Romans 9:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 9:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Romans 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:10–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Romans 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:20The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Romans 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:29The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:30The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:31The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:32The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 9:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Romans 9:33The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Romans 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Romans 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 10:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Romans 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Romans 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 10:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Romans 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 10:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Romans 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Romans 11:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:11The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:12–29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Romans 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

Romans 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:16–242 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Romans 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:17–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Romans 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 11:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Romans 11:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:30The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:31The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:32The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:35The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 11:36The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 12:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Romans 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Romans 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

Romans 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Romans 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Romans 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 13:1The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Romans 13:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Romans 13:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 13:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Romans 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Romans 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Romans 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Romans 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Romans 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Romans 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Romans 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Romans 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 14:24–26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Romans 14:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 15:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:8–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

Romans 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Romans 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Romans 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Romans 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Romans 15:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Romans 15:26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Romans 15:28The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:29The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:31The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:32The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 15:33The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Romans 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Romans 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Romans 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Romans 16:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

Romans 16:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Romans 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Romans 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 16:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 16:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 16:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Romans 16:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

Romans 16:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Romans 16:25–27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 50:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Scripture Index (1 Corinthians)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

1 Corinthians 1:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

1 Corinthians 1:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

1 Corinthians 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

1 Corinthians 1:4–7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Corinthians 1:4–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

1 Corinthians 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Corinthians 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

1 Corinthians 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:10–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

1 Corinthians 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:18–31The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:18–3:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Corinthians 1:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:26–28The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

1 Corinthians 1:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:27–29The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Corinthians 1:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 2:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 2:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

1 Corinthians 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Corinthians 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Corinthians 2:6–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 2:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Corinthians 2:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Corinthians 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

1 Corinthians 2:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

1 Corinthians 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

1 Corinthians 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Corinthians 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 Corinthians 2:14–15The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

1 Corinthians 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Corinthians 3:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Corinthians 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:5–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:5–4:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

1 Corinthians 3:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

1 Corinthians 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

1 Corinthians 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Corinthians 3:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

1 Corinthians 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Corinthians 3:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Corinthians 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:17–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Corinthians 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Corinthians 3:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Corinthians 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Corinthians 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Corinthians 4:6–21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

1 Corinthians 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Corinthians 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

1 Corinthians 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 5:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Corinthians 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 5:6–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 5:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

1 Corinthians 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Corinthians 5:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

1 Corinthians 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 5:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

1 Corinthians 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

1 Corinthians 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

1 Corinthians 6:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

1 Corinthians 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

1 Corinthians 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

1 Corinthians 6:12–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:13–18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

1 Corinthians 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

1 Corinthians 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:1–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Corinthians 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Corinthians 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 Corinthians 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:10–24The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Corinthians 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Corinthians 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Corinthians 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

1 Corinthians 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:25–40The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Corinthians 7:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

1 Corinthians 7:29–302 Esdras / 4 Ezra

1 Corinthians 7:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:312 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 7:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 8:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Corinthians 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 8:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

1 Corinthians 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Corinthians 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 8:7–10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

1 Corinthians 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 8:8–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:1–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

1 Corinthians 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:3–18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Corinthians 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

1 Corinthians 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

1 Corinthians 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

1 Corinthians 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Corinthians 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

1 Corinthians 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:15–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

1 Corinthians 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:19–22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Corinthians 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Corinthians 9:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

1 Corinthians 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Corinthians 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:23–27The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:24–27The Wisdom of Solomon; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

1 Corinthians 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Corinthians 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

1 Corinthians 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:9The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:12–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

1 Corinthians 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:15–27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

1 Corinthians 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

1 Corinthians 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:23–33The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:1–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Corinthians 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

1 Corinthians 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:9–21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

1 Corinthians 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:17–34The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Corinthians 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

1 Corinthians 11:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

1 Corinthians 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Corinthians 11:23–26The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Corinthians 11:23–30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Corinthians 11:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 Corinthians 12:4–11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

1 Corinthians 12:4–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

1 Corinthians 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Corinthians 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Corinthians 12:11The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:12–31The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

1 Corinthians 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Corinthians 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

1 Corinthians 12:14–31The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:22–25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

1 Corinthians 12:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Corinthians 12:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

1 Corinthians 12:28The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Corinthians 12:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

1 Corinthians 12:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Corinthians 13:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 13:4–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Corinthians 13:8–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 Corinthians 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Corinthians 14:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:1–24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

1 Corinthians 14:1–25The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:2–39The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

1 Corinthians 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Corinthians 14:3–29The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

1 Corinthians 14:26–40The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

1 Corinthians 14:31The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:32The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:33The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

1 Corinthians 14:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Corinthians 14:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:40The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Corinthians 15:1–34The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Corinthians 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Corinthians 15:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Corinthians 15:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

1 Corinthians 15:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Corinthians 15:20–26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Corinthians 15:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Corinthians 15:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Corinthians 15:23–26The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

1 Corinthians 15:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Corinthians 15:24–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

1 Corinthians 15:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Corinthians 15:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

1 Corinthians 15:27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Corinthians 15:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

1 Corinthians 15:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:30The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

1 Corinthians 15:32The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

1 Corinthians 15:33The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:34The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:35–38The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:36The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:37The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:38The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:39The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Corinthians 15:40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:40–42The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Corinthians 15:412 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:42The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:42–43The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:43The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:44The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Corinthians 15:44–46The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Corinthians 15:45The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:46The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:47The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:47–49The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Corinthians 15:48The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:49The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

1 Corinthians 15:50The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:51The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

1 Corinthians 15:51–52The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

1 Corinthians 15:51–53The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

1 Corinthians 15:522 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:52–53The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

1 Corinthians 15:53The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:53–57The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Corinthians 15:54The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:54–55The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

1 Corinthians 15:55The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:56The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:57The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:58The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Corinthians 16:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

1 Corinthians 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

1 Corinthians 16:5–9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Corinthians 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Corinthians 16:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Corinthians 16:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Corinthians 16:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

1 Corinthians 16:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Scripture Index (2 Corinthians–Galatians)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Corinthians 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

2 Corinthians 1:3–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

2 Corinthians 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:12–24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

2 Corinthians 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

2 Corinthians 1:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

2 Corinthians 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

2 Corinthians 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:5–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:7The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:12–17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

2 Corinthians 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Corinthians 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

2 Corinthians 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:5The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

2 Corinthians 3:6–18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

2 Corinthians 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:7–112 Esdras / 4 Ezra

2 Corinthians 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

2 Corinthians 3:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

2 Corinthians 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Corinthians 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Corinthians 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

2 Corinthians 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Corinthians 4:7–12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:13The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:13–18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

2 Corinthians 4:17The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Corinthians 5:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Corinthians 5:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:6–10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

2 Corinthians 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:11–16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

2 Corinthians 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

2 Corinthians 5:17–21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

2 Corinthians 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:2–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

2 Corinthians 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:11–18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

2 Corinthians 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 7:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Corinthians 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

2 Corinthians 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

2 Corinthians 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

2 Corinthians 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

2 Corinthians 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

2 Corinthians 8:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:16–22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:16–24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

2 Corinthians 8:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9:6–15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

2 Corinthians 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Corinthians 10:4The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:8–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:12–18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:1–21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:2–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

2 Corinthians 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

2 Corinthians 11:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Corinthians 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

2 Corinthians 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:22–32The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

2 Corinthians 11:24–27The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

2 Corinthians 11:27The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

2 Corinthians 11:30The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:31The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:32The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

2 Corinthians 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

2 Corinthians 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Corinthians 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

2 Corinthians 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

2 Corinthians 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:11–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:11–21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

2 Corinthians 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

2 Corinthians 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

2 Corinthians 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 13:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 13:5The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 13:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Corinthians 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Galatians

Galatians 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Galatians 1:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Galatians 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:6–10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Galatians 1:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Galatians 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:11–24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Galatians 1:142 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Galatians 1:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Galatians 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Galatians 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Galatians 1:18–24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Galatians 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Galatians 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:22–24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Galatians 2:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 2:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Galatians 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 2:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Galatians 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Galatians 2:7–10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Galatians 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Galatians 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Galatians 2:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 2:11–21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 2:15The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Galatians 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Galatians 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 2:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Galatians 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Galatians 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Galatians 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:6–9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:7–14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Galatians 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Galatians 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:15–29The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Galatians 3:16–29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Galatians 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Galatians 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Galatians 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 3:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

Galatians 3:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Galatians 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Galatians 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Galatians 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Galatians 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Galatians 4:9The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Galatians 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

Galatians 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:12–20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Galatians 4:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Galatians 4:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

Galatians 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:21–312 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:25–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Galatians 4:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:28–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Galatians 4:29The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:30The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 4:31The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Galatians 5:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Galatians 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Galatians 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Galatians 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Galatians 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:13–26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Galatians 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Galatians 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Galatians 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Galatians 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Galatians 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 5:26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 6:1The Wisdom of Sirach; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 6:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Galatians 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Galatians 6:11–18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Galatians 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Galatians 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Philemon

Scripture Index (Ephesians–2 Thessalonians)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Ephesians

Ephesians 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Ephesians 1:3–14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Ephesians 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Ephesians 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 1:8The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 1:10The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Ephesians 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 1:15–23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 1:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Ephesians 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Ephesians 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Ephesians 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Ephesians 1:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 2:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Ephesians 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 2:4–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

Ephesians 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Ephesians 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 2:102 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 2:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Ephesians 2:11–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Ephesians 2:11–22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 2:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Ephesians 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Ephesians 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 2:19–22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Ephesians 2:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Ephesians 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Philemon

Ephesians 3:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Ephesians 3:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Ephesians 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Ephesians 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:8–12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Ephesians 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

Ephesians 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Ephesians 3:16–20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:17The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:1–16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:1–5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Ephesians 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:8–10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Ephesians 4:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Ephesians 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Ephesians 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Ephesians 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Ephesians 4:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Ephesians 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Ephesians 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:17The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:17–32The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Ephesians 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 4:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 4:25–5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:28The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:29The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 4:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Ephesians 4:31The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 4:32The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Ephesians 5:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Ephesians 5:1–21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:3–21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Ephesians 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Ephesians 5:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Ephesians 5:18–21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 5:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Ephesians 5:22–33The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:22–6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Ephesians 5:23–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Ephesians 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 5:25–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Ephesians 5:25–33The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Ephesians 5:26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Ephesians 5:27The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:28The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:29The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:30–31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Ephesians 5:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:32The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 5:33The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 6:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Ephesians 6:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 6:5The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Ephesians 6:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 6:5–9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:10–24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:11The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Ephesians 6:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Ephesians 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Ephesians 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Ephesians 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

Philippians

Philippians 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Philippians 1:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Philippians 1:12–26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:28The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:29The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 1:30The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Philippians 2:5–11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Philippians 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Philippians 2:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Philippians 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Philippians 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Philippians 2:12–18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Philippians 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Philippians 2:19–30The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Philippians 2:20–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Philippians 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:28The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:29The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 2:30The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Philippians 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Philippians 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:12–16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:12–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Philippians 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Philippians 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Philippians 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Philippians 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Philippians 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Philippians 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Philippians 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Philippians 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Philippians 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Philippians 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Philippians 4:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

Colossians

Colossians 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Colossians 1:3–8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:3–2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Colossians 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Colossians 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:9–11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Colossians 1:15–17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Colossians 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Colossians 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Colossians 1:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:18–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Colossians 1:19The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Colossians 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:24–29The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Colossians 1:28The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 1:29The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Colossians 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:8–23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:10–15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Colossians 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Colossians 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Colossians 2:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:20–23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Colossians 3:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:1–4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Colossians 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Colossians 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:5–17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Colossians 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

Colossians 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 3:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 4:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Colossians 4:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 4:7–14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 4:7–18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 4:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Philemon

Colossians 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Philemon

Colossians 4:10–15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 4:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke

Colossians 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Colossians 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Philemon

Colossians 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Colossians 4:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

Colossians 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Philemon

Colossians 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Thessalonians 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:2–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:3–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:7–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

1 Thessalonians 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:13–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:17–3:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:18–3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

1 Thessalonians 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

1 Thessalonians 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

1 Thessalonians 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 3:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 3:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

1 Thessalonians 4:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:3–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:5The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

1 Thessalonians 4:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:152 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

1 Thessalonians 5:1The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:1–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Thessalonians 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

1 Thessalonians 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Thessalonians 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Thessalonians 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

1 Thessalonians 5:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:12–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Thessalonians 5:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Thessalonians 5:23–28The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:28The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

2 Thessalonians 1:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1:4–10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1:4–12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1:5–10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

2 Thessalonians 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

2 Thessalonians 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Thessalonians 2:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Thessalonians 2:2–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

2 Thessalonians 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

2 Thessalonians 2:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Thessalonians 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

2 Thessalonians 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Thessalonians 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

2 Thessalonians 2:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Thessalonians 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

2 Thessalonians 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

2 Thessalonians 3:6–10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:6–12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:7–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:11–15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

Scripture Index (1 Timothy–Hebrews)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

1 Timothy

1 Timothy 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:3–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:3–4:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:4–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Timothy 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

1 Timothy 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

1 Timothy 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

1 Timothy 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

1 Timothy 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 2:1–15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 2:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 2:1–7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

1 Timothy 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Timothy 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 Timothy 2:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

1 Timothy 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

1 Timothy 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 2:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Timothy 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 2:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Timothy 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 3:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

1 Timothy 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

1 Timothy 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

1 Timothy 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Timothy 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

1 Timothy 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:6–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

1 Timothy 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Timothy 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:3–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:17–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:22The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 5:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

1 Timothy 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:3–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:3–5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Timothy 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:10The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

1 Timothy 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

1 Timothy 6:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 Timothy 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

1 Timothy 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

1 Timothy 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 Timothy 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:17–192 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:19The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy

2 Timothy 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:3–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:7The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:8–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:2–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:3The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:82 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

2 Timothy 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:14–26The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 2:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

2 Timothy 3:1–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:1–5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

2 Timothy 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:2–5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

2 Timothy 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

2 Timothy 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

2 Timothy 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

2 Timothy 4:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Timothy 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

2 Timothy 4:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Timothy 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

2 Timothy 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:9–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

2 Timothy 4:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Titus

Titus 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Titus 1:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Titus 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 1:5–15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Titus 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Titus 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 2:1–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Titus 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 2:11–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Titus 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 3:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Titus 3:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Titus 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 3:3–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Titus 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Titus 3:5–6The Wisdom of Solomon

Titus 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 3:8–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Titus 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 3:12–15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

Titus 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Titus 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

Philemon

Philemon 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Philemon

Philemon 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Philemon

Philemon 1:4–7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Philemon

Philemon 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Philemon

Philemon 1:8–12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Philemon

Philemon 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

Philemon 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Philemon 1:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Philemon

Philemon 1:15–20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Philemon

Philemon 1:21–22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Philemon

Philemon 1:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Philemon

Philemon 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

Hebrews

Hebrews 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 1:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Hebrews 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Hebrews 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

Hebrews 1:72 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 1:8–9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Hebrews 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Hebrews 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Hebrews 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:11–122 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Hebrews 2:11–18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Hebrews 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:5The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:9The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:11The Wisdom of Solomon; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:182 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 4:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Hebrews 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 4:3–11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 4:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon

Hebrews 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 4:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

Hebrews 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Hebrews 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 5:1–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Hebrews 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

Hebrews 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:11The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:13–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Hebrews 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 6:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Hebrews 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Hebrews 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 7:28The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 8:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 8:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 8:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 8:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Hebrews 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Hebrews 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:11–15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Hebrews 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:18–20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Hebrews 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus

Hebrews 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 9:27The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Hebrews 9:28The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:5–10The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

Hebrews 10:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Hebrews 10:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Hebrews 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:12–18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:25The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:28The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:29The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:30The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:31The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:32The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:32–36The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:33The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:34The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:35The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:36The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:37The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:38The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 10:39The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:1–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Hebrews 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:6The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Hebrews 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Hebrews 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:17–19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Hebrews 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:28The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:29The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:30The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:31The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Hebrews 11:32The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:32–33The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges

Hebrews 11:32–40The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Hebrews 11:33The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:33–34The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Hebrews 11:34The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:35The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:36The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:36–38The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Hebrews 11:37The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:38The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:39The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 11:40The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Hebrews 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:5–11The Wisdom of Solomon

Hebrews 12:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Hebrews 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

Hebrews 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:15The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Hebrews 12:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Hebrews 12:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:26–28The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

Hebrews 12:27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:28The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 12:29The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

Hebrews 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus

Hebrews 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Hebrews 13:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

Hebrews 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Hebrews 13:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Scripture Index (James–Jude)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

James

James 1:1The First Book of Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

James 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

James 1:2–18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:6The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:12–21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

James 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

James 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:19–27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

James 1:21–2:26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

James 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:26–27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 1:27The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

James 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:1–13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:2–7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

James 2:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

James 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:14–26The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:22–24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

James 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:24–26The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

James 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 2:26The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

James 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:1–18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:5–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

James 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

James 3:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

James 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:14–15The Wisdom of Solomon

James 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

James 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 3:18The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:1–12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:1–17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

James 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

James 4:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs

James 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

James 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

James 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:9The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

James 4:13–16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:14The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:1–6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

James 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

James 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus; The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:4–6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

James 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

James 5:9The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:12–20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

James 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

James 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

James 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

James 7:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

1 Peter

1 Peter 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

1 Peter 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

1 Peter 1:32 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:4The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 Peter 1:4–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Peter 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 Peter 1:6The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

1 Peter 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Peter 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

1 Peter 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:22The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:23–25The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

1 Peter 1:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 1:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:4–7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

1 Peter 2:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Peter 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Peter 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:7–10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

1 Peter 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

1 Peter 2:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

1 Peter 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 Peter 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:3–6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

1 Peter 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:14–17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter

1 Peter 3:18–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 Peter 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:1The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

1 Peter 4:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 5:4The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

1 Peter 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 5:81 Esdras / the Greek Esdras; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

1 Peter 5:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

2 Peter

2 Peter 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:2–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:2–6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:9The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:13The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:16–17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:16–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

2 Peter 1:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

2 Peter 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:19–21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 1:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 2:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

2 Peter 2:1–3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

2 Peter 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 2:4The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

2 Peter 2:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; Second Maccabees; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

2 Peter 2:6–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Peter 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 2:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Peter 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

2 Peter 2:10–11The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

2 Peter 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

2 Peter 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

2 Peter 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

2 Peter 3:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 3:5–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Peter 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 3:7–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

2 Peter 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 3:9–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

2 Peter 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

2 Peter 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

1 John

1 John 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 1:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 1:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

1 John 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:3–11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:7–11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

1 John 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:9–3:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:13–14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

1 John 2:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:18–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:19–22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

1 John 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:26The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:27The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:28The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 2:29The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:10–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

1 John 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

1 John 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:22The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:23The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

1 John 3:24The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 3:24–4:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:9–5:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:14–16The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

1 John 4:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:18The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 4:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

1 John 5:5The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:14–21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:15The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:17The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:19The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

1 John 5:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

1 John 5:21The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

2 John

2 John 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

2 John 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

2 John 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

2 John 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

2 John 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

2 John 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

2 John 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

2 John 1:7–8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

2 John 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

2 John 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

2 John 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

2 John 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

2 John 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

2 John 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

3 John

3 John 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

3 John 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

3 John 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

3 John 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

3 John 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

3 John 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

3 John 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

3 John 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

3 John 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

3 John 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

3 John 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

3 John 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

3 John 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

3 John 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

3 John 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

Jude

Jude 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:1–3The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

Jude 1:4The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:5–8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:6The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Jude 1:9–13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Jude 1:14–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:16–20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:17–19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

Jude 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:20–21The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:21–23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:22–23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Jude 1:23The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

Jude 1:24–25The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude

Scripture Index (Revelation)

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

Revelation

Revelation 1:1The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:1–2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:3The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:4The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:9The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:9–3:22The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:10–15The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:12–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Revelation 1:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:13–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Revelation 1:14The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:17The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:17–18The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:18The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:19The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 1:20The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:1The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:3The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:10The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:11The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:12The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:13The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:14The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:15The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:16The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:17The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:18The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:19The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:20The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:21The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:22The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:23The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:24The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:25The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:26The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:27The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:28The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 2:29The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:1The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:4The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:9The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:10The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:13The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:15The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:16The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:18The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:19The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:20The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 3:21The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 4:1The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 4:2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 4:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 4:4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 4:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 4:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 4:7The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 4:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 4:9The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 4:10The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 4:11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 5:1The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 5:2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 5:3The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 5:4The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 5:52 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 5:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 5:7The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 5:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 5:9The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 5:10The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 5:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 5:12The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 5:13The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 5:14The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:1The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:1–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:3The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:4The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:5The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:7The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:8The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:9The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Revelation 6:9–12The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:11The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:12The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:13The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:13–17The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:14The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:15The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:15–16The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Revelation 6:16The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 6:17The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 7:1The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 7:2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 7:3The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 7:4The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 7:4–52 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Revelation 7:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Revelation 7:5The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 7:6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 7:7The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 7:8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 7:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 7:9–17The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 7:10The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 7:11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 7:12The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 7:13The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 7:14The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 7:17The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Revelation 8:1The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 8:22 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 8:2–4The Book of Tobit

Revelation 8:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 8:3–4The Book of Tobit

Revelation 8:4The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 8:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 8:6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 8:7The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 8:8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 8:9The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 8:10The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 8:11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 8:12The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 8:13The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:1–11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:3The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:4The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:7The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:10The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:11The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:12The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:13The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:14The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:15The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:16The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:17The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:18The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:19The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:20The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 9:21The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 10:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 10:2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 10:3The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 10:4The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 10:5The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 10:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 10:7The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 10:8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 10:9The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 10:10The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 10:11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:1The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:3–12The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:3–13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

Revelation 11:4The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:5The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:10The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:12The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:132 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:14The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:15The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:16The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:17The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:18The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 11:19The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 12:1The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 12:2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 12:3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 12:3–4The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 12:4The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 12:5The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 12:6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 12:7The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 12:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Revelation 12:8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 12:9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 12:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis

Revelation 12:10The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 12:11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 12:12The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 12:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 12:14The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 12:15The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 12:16The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 12:17The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:3The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:4The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:4–8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:5The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:6–7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

Revelation 13:7The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:8The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:9The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:12The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:13The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:14The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:15The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:16The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:17The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 13:18The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:12 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:3The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:4The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:5The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:7The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:9The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:10The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:11The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:12The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:13The Wisdom of Solomon; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:14The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:15The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:15–18The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

Revelation 14:16The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:17The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:18The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:19The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:19–20The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 14:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 15:1The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 15:2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 15:3The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 15:4The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 15:5The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 15:6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 15:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 15:8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:1The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:3The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:4The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:5The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:7The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:9The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:10The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:12The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:14The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:15The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:17The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:18The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:19The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:20The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 16:21The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 17:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 17:2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 17:3The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 17:4The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 17:5The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 17:6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 17:7The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 17:8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 17:9The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 17:10The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 17:11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 17:12The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 17:12–14The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Revelation 17:13The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 17:14The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 17:15The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 17:16The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 17:18The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:1The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:3The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:4The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:5The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:9The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:9–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Revelation 18:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:12The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:13The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:14The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:16The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:17The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:18The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:19The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:20The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:21The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 18:22The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Revelation 19:1The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:3The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:4The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:5The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:5–6The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Revelation 19:6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:7The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:7–9The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Revelation 19:8The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:92 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:10The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:11–13The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

Revelation 19:12The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:14The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:15The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:16The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:17The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:18The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:192 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 19:20The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

Revelation 19:21The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 20:1The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 20:1–3The Book of Tobit

Revelation 20:2The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 20:2–3The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job

Revelation 20:3The Wisdom of Solomon; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 20:4The Book of Tobit; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 20:4–5The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 20:5The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 20:6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 20:7The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; 2 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 20:7–10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Revelation 20:8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 20:9The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 20:9–15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Revelation 20:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis; The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 20:11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 20:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew

Revelation 20:11–15The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 20:12The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 20:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 20:14The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 20:15The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:1The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:1–4The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Revelation 21:1–22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:3The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:4The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:5The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:7The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:8The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:9The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:9–22:52 Esdras / 4 Ezra

Revelation 21:10The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:10–24The Book of Tobit

Revelation 21:10–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Revelation 21:11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:12The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:13The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:14The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:15The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:16The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:17The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:18The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:18–19The Book of Tobit

Revelation 21:19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:20The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:21The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:22The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:232 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:23–27The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Revelation 21:24The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:25The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:26The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 21:27The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:1The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:2The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:3The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:4The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:5The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:6The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:6–21The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:6–22The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:7The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:8The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:9The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:10The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:11The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:11–12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

Revelation 22:12The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:13The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:14The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:15The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:162 Esdras / 4 Ezra; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:17The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:18The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:18–19The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs; The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:19The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:20The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Revelation 22:21The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John

Colophon

The Explanatory Bible of Alexander Lopukhin
by Alexander Lopukhin.

This edition was produced by
Royal Archives.

The text is set in Palatino and Georgia. Polytonic Greek is set in SIL Gentium.

The first edition of this ebook was released on
August 16, 2026.

Table of Contents

Title Page
Copyright
Introduction
The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Genesis
The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Exodus
The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Leviticus
The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Numbers

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Joshua
The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Judges
The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ruth

The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Samuel

The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Samuel

The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Kings

The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Kings

The Explanatory Bible: The First Book of Chronicles

The Explanatory Bible: The Second Book of Chronicles

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ezra
The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Nehemiah
1 Esdras / the Greek Esdras
The Book of Tobit
The Book of Judith
The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Esther
The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Job
The Explanatory Bible: The Psalter
The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Proverbs

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of Ecclesiastes

The Explanatory Bible: The Song of Songs
The Wisdom of Solomon
The Wisdom of Sirach

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

The Explanatory Bible: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

The Epistle of Jeremiah

The Book of Baruch

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Daniel

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Hosea

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Joel

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Amos

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Obadiah

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Jonah

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Micah

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Nahum

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Habakkuk

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zephaniah

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Haggai

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Zechariah

The Explanatory Bible: The Book of the Prophet Malachi

The First Book of Maccabees
Second Maccabees
Third Maccabees
2 Esdras / 4 Ezra
The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Matthew
The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Mark
The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of Luke
The Explanatory Bible: The Gospel of John

The Explanatory Bible: The Acts of the Apostles

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Romans

The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Corinthians

The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Ephesians

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Colossians

The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to the Thessalonians

The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians

The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle to Timothy

The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle to Timothy

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Titus

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to Philemon

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of James

The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of Peter

The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of Peter

The Explanatory Bible: The First Epistle of John

The Explanatory Bible: The Second Epistle of John

The Explanatory Bible: The Third Epistle of John

The Explanatory Bible: The Epistle of Jude
The Explanatory Bible: The Revelation of John
Scripture Index (Genesis)
Scripture Index (Exodus)
Scripture Index (Leviticus)
Scripture Index (Numbers)
Scripture Index (Deuteronomy)
Scripture Index (Joshua)
Scripture Index (Judges–Ruth)
Scripture Index (1 Samuel)
Scripture Index (2 Samuel)
Scripture Index (1 Kings)
Scripture Index (2 Kings)
Scripture Index (1 Chronicles)
Scripture Index (2 Chronicles)
Scripture Index (Ezra–Nehemiah)
Scripture Index (Esther)
Scripture Index (Job)
Scripture Index (Psalms)
Scripture Index (Proverbs)
Scripture Index (Ecclesiastes–Song of Songs)
Scripture Index (Isaiah)
Scripture Index (Jeremiah)
Scripture Index (Lamentations)
Scripture Index (Ezekiel)
Scripture Index (Daniel–Hosea)
Scripture Index (Joel–Habakkuk)
Scripture Index (Zephaniah–Tobit)
Scripture Index (Judith–Wisdom)
Scripture Index (Sirach)
Scripture Index (Baruch–1 Maccabees)
Scripture Index (2 Maccabees–1 Esdras)
Scripture Index (2 Esdras)
Scripture Index (Matthew)
Scripture Index (Mark)
Scripture Index (Luke)
Scripture Index (John)
Scripture Index (Acts)
Scripture Index (Romans)
Scripture Index (1 Corinthians)
Scripture Index (2 Corinthians–Galatians)
Scripture Index (Ephesians–2 Thessalonians)
Scripture Index (1 Timothy–Hebrews)
Scripture Index (James–Jude)
Scripture Index (Revelation)
Colophon